#stephen a. smith first take today

[april-is]

April 6, 2024: First Birthday, Brad Leithauser

First Birthday Brad Leithauser

You have your one word, which fills you to brimming. It’s what’s first to be done on waking, Often the last at day-dimming: Lunge out an arm fiercely, As though your heart were breaking, Stab a finger at some stray illumination — Lamp, mirror, distant dinner candle — And make your piercing identification,

“‘ight! ‘ight! ‘ight!” Littlest digit, you’ve got the world by the handle. Things must open for you, you take on height, Your sole sound in time reveal itself As might, too, and flight. And fright. Some will be gone. But you will come right.

--

(I love the moment of thinking wait, is this a sonnet? ... it is!)

More like this:

+ The Flames, Kate Llewellyn + This Morning in a Morning Voice, Todd Boss + from Little Sleep’s-Head Sprouting Hair in the Moonlight, Galway Kinnell

Today in:

2023: Toad, Norman MacCaig 2022: Antidotes to Fear of Death, Rebecca Elson 2021: Love Poem: Centaur, Donika Kelly 2020: Walking Home, Marie Howe 2019: not an elegy for Mike Brown, Danez Smith 2018: Trillium, Deborah Digges 2017: Good People, W.S. Merwin 2016: Traveling with Guitar, Debra Marquart 2015: Honey, James Wright 2014: For the Dead, Adrienne Rich 2013: Miracle Ice Cream, Adrienne Rich 2012: The Soul Bone, Susan Wood 2011: Pluto, Maggie Dietz 2010: Slant, Stephen Dunn 2009: Distressed Haiku, Donald Hall 2008: Question, May Swenson 2007: Song, Adrienne Rich 2006: Scheherazade, Richard Siken 2005: What the Living Do, Marie Howe

[briankeene]

F.A.Q. The End Of The World As We Know It: Tales From Stephen King’s The Stand

What follows are the Frequently Asked Questions for THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: TALES OF STEPHEN KING’S THE STAND — a forthcoming anthology edited by myself and Christopher Golden. Please bookmark this page and check back from time to time, as I will update things as they develop.

Q: What is this, exactly?

A: An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestselling classic The Stand!

Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unraveling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel—generations of writers have been impacted by its dark yet ultimately hopeful vision of the end and new beginning of civilization, and its stunning array of characters.

Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand—brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

Q: Who is in the book?

A: Featuring an introduction by Stephen King, a foreword by Christopher Golden, and an afterword by Brian Keene. Contributors include Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus, Poppy Z. Brite, Somer Canon, C. Robert Cargill, Nat Cassidy, V. Castro, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Meg Gardiner, Gabino Iglesias, Jonathan Janz, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, Usman T. Malik, Premee Mohamed, Cynthia Pelayo, Hailey Piper, David J. Schow, Alex Segura, Bryan Smith, Paul Tremblay, Catherynne M. Valente, Bev Vincent, Catriona Ward, Chuck Wendig, Wrath James White, and Rio Youers.

Q: Who is the publisher?

A: Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, are publishing the hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook editions in North America. Various foriegn language editions will be published by various foreign publishers.

Q: So there will be hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook editions?

A: Yes. The hardcover and the eBook are already up for preorder via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other booksellers. (Note: as of 10/16/24 Amazon’s hardcover link does not yet work, so check back often or use a different bookseller). You can also preorder from Overlook Connection and get a limited edition dust jacket by Glenn Chadbourne, as well as other cool collectibles.

Q: What’s the cost?

A: The hardcover is listed at $35. The eBook is listed at $16.99. The hardcover that comes with the extra dust jacket from Overlook is $69.95.

Q: Will there be a signed limited edition or a special collector’s edition of some kind?

A: Probably, but it is too early to say for sure.

Q: You listed the contributors above. Anything more you can tell us about the actual stories?

A: Sure. The book is split into four parts. Part One takes place during the initial spread of Captain Trips and the dreams. Part Two takes place between the migrations to Boulder and Las Vegas and the Hand of God moment. Part Three takes place after the conclusion of the novel, detailing the world in the decades that follow. And Part Four takes place… well, that would involve major spoilers.

Here is the finalized Table of Contents:

Foreword by Christopher Golden

Introduction by Stephen King

PART ONE: DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS

Room 24 by Caroline Kepnes The Tripps by Wrath James White Bright Light City by Meg Gardiner Every Dog Has Its Day by Bryan Smith Lockdown by Bev Vincent In A Pig’s Eye by Joe R. Lansdale Lenora by Jonathan Janz The Hope Boat by Gabino Iglesias Wrong Fucking Place, Wrong Fucking Time by C. Robert Cargill Prey Instinct by Hailey Piper Grace by Tim Lebbon Moving Day by Richard Chizmar La Mala Horla by Alex Segura The African Painted Dog by Catriona Ward Till Human Voices Wake Us, And We Drown by Poppy Z. Brite Kovach’s Last Case by Michael Koryta Make Your Own Way by Alma Katsu

PART TWO: THE LONG WALK

I Love The Dead by Josh Malerman Milagros by Cynthia Pelayo The Legion of Swine by S.A. Cosby Keep The Devil Down by Rio Youers Across The Pond by V Castro The Boat Man by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes The Story I Tell Is the Story of Some of Us by Paul Tremblay The Mosque at the End of the World by Usman T. Malik Abigail’s Gethsemane by Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus

PART THREE: LIFE WAS SUCH A WHEEL

He’s A Righteous Man by Ronald Malfi Awaiting Orders In Flaggston by Somer Canon Grand Junction by Chuck Wendig Hunted to Extinction by Premee Mohamed Came The Last Night of Sadness by Catherynne M. Valente The Devil’s Children by Sarah Langan

PART FOUR: OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE

Walk On Gilded Splinters by David J. Schow The Unfortunate Convalescence of the SuperLawyer by Nat Cassidy

Afterword by Brian Keene

[reinahwanggg]

I Met You At Sunrise ㅡ Ch. 17

CHAPTER 17 - that's embarrassing

previous | masterlist | next

•warning(s) mentions of nerves, friends teasing each other, beomgyu has a terrible sense of direction

•word count 917 words

“why do i remember your schedule better than you do?” y/n asks her best friend, watching as she rubs the back of her neck in embarrassment. 

“you were always the better planner between us, it helps with memorization skills, y’know?” shakyla responds, hands rubbing on her jeans to get rid of her nerves. 

“that literally makes no sense, but i’ll let you slide for now.” y/n replies, patting her friend’s back in encouragement. 

shakyla woke up from a pretty weird set of dreams today, but whenever y/n would ask about it, the dark brown and ginger haired girl would reassure her that it wasn’t anything downright terrible, and that she would tell her later. 

“let me text ms smith to let her know i’ll be late, stephen still hasn’t come out yet, and it’s almost 3pm.” shakyla says after a few moments of comfortable silence between the two best friends. 

y/n moves her hand from her best friend’s back and watches as she walks towards the nearest corner. y/n sighs in melancholy, she hopes kyla’s not letting her dreams drag on her mind like she did in the beginning. another story, probably for a different time. 

y/n pulls her phone out of her pocket, and the first app she opened was twitter (sue her). she had answered stephen and jen’s posts from a bit earlier, but she noticed that she had another mention in her notifications, so she clicked on that. when she sees the odd question her internet friend decides to ask her, she’s quick to reply, downright confused. 

then her phone tings off seven separate times, and she gets even more confused, concerned for her own wellbeing. these kids are ruthless sometimes, and that emoji has her very suspicious. she texts shakyla’s older brother back from his incessant messages about the car, and laughs when he sends a funny sticker in return. 

she scrolls down her messaging app to see if she hadn’t responded to anyone yet for the day (despite it being 2:36pm), and looks over to her friend’s corner to see her on the phone, looking a little upset. y/n deducts that kyla’s probably talking to ms smith about her tardiness. stephen texts her right in that moment to let her know that he got lost, and he’ll be to their meeting spot in less than five minutes.

y/n smiles at the development, and looks up to see shakyla looking at her, she nods as if she could read her best friend’s mind. by the way the beauty deflates, it was probably the right move to make. shakyla seems to get more perky from her body language, so y/n guesses that the conversation is now taking a better turn. 

y/n flinches once she hears someone borderline shout from behind her, and turns around to see twelve kinda tall guys talking over the other as they all push their luggage, and start walking towards a different part of the airport. one of the guys, a shorter doe eyed cutie that she recognizes all too well, is trying to get everyone to calm down, but they all ignore him. he sighs heavily, and stops walking as the rest continue on and argue in what y/n can assume to be korean. shakyla walks back rubbing her temples, and makes a comment about the loud guys that causes y/n to laugh a bit too loud. 

that causes one of the boys to stop walking as well and notice two things. well, three. one, they’re walking in the wrong direction. two, jungwon was wayyyyy behind the rest of them, which meant they were being too loud. and three, the girl that’s laughing (probably at them) on the sofas looks uncannily familiar. he looks back at jungwon who looks to be cursing him out with his eyes, and then looks over to the two girls on the couch, only to lock eyes with one of them. the girl smiles softly and sends a small wave at the male, causing him to blush and look away. 

he hears laughter again, and this time he’s sure the girls are laughing at them. he then looks to see the boys are further away, and calls out to them in his loud voice to grab their attention. 

“guys,” he starts, and it gets everyone to stop walking, looking at him confused. 

“you’re all going the wrong way.” he and jungwon say at the same time, and everyone looks at the sign to see that they were, indeed, trekking the wrong path. 

“that’s embarrassing.” the youngest, riki, says as he swiftly turns around with his luggage to walk back over to his other hyungs. 

“it’s very embarrassing when it’s beomgyu hyung telling us we’re going the wrong way.” taehyun says right after, and they all laugh at the shocked face the ravenette makes at the accusation. 

“excuse me? what are you implying kang taehyun?” beomgyu asks, dragging his luggage along with him to walk over to the brunet. 

“gyu, your sense of direction sucks. we would’ve been out of here twelve minutes ago if you didn’t tell us to take that right when we should’ve taken a left.” heeseung says from his spot, and everyone agrees verbally. 

beomgyu proceeds to disagree with everyone else, and they all turn around to walk towards the exit, completely missing the trio by the sofas who were hugging their best friend as he finally arrived. 

•notes from reina this part is purely wRITTEN ! woah ! it's actually a lot shorter than i thought it was gonna be, i'm so sorry about that, but we're definitely in bhs now, there's no turning back. finally. just a heads up; a lot more writing is gonna happen, y'all. but yeah hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! see you guys for the next one! reina OUT !!

TAGLIST !! @beomies-world @bangchansbae @vatterie

[denimbex1986]

'Cillian Murphy delivers a powerhouse performance in Christopher Nolan‘s acclaimed biopic “Oppenheimer.” As J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, Murphy cuts a striking figure in his suit and hat with his piercing blue eyes staring out through IMAX screens and into the souls of cinema-goers.

The movie is Nolan’s first-ever biopic and explores how Oppenheimer went from a troubled, homesick student at Cambridge University to the leader of the Manhattan Project and the creator of the atomic bomb, which was later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Murphy’s Oppenheimer is a supremely intelligent man with political leanings and a brain that could consume anyone in the room with him. But he’s also a troubled man, burdened by the weight of what he is trying to achieve and aware that his creation will change the world — and not necessarily for the better. It’s a complex role and Murphy soars in it.

As such, Murphy finds himself at the top of our list of predicted Best Actor Oscar nominees for next year’s Academy Awards. We think that he will be nominated alongside Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Colman Domingo (“Rustin”), and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”). This would be Murphy’s first-ever Oscar bid but we think he will go one better than a simple nomination. We think he’ll win on his first try. Here are five reasons why that could happen.

1. Murphy has the support of critics

It’s important to have the support of critics. Sometimes, actors have the support of critics for their performance but not necessarily for the film itself (think Brendan Fraser and “The Whale” or Rami Malek and “Bohemian Rhapsody”). But critics love both Murphy’s performance and Nolan’s movie itself.

Brian Lowry (CNN) wrote: “A Nolan favorite featured in several of his films, Murphy delivers a career-topping performance. Oppenheimer became haunted by the morality of what he had midwifed, and his messy personal life and affairs coexisted with his beautiful mind – a duality the actor conveys in a way that overshadows the bigger names in supporting roles.”

Christian Holub (Entertainment Weekly) explained: “Cillian Murphy rises to the challenge with an absolutely absorbing performance… The actor has proved his leading-man bona fides elsewhere (most recently in the long-running Netflix crime series ‘Peaky Blinders’) and finally brings that side of his skillset home to Nolan. No question, the close-ups on Murphy’s face as Oppenheimer thinks through the 20th century’s thorniest problems are as compelling as the film’s atomic explosions, and as deserving of the biggest screen possible.”

And Dan Jolin (Empire) observed: “At the film’s pulsing nucleus is Murphy as Oppenheimer, and he is compelling throughout. Given the movie’s hefty import, you’d have expected him to infuse every ounce of his talent into this performance, and that is certainly evident from his every moment on screen.”

2. Murphy stars in a biopic

This is the obvious one. Academy voters LOVE biopics. Six out of the last 10 Best Actor winners have won for playing real-life people in biopics, including Will Smith for “King Richard” in 2022, Rami Malek for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2019, and DiCaprio for “The Revenant” in 2016. Moreover, voters particularly love actors who take on major historical figures who left a great impact on the world. Daniel Day-Lewis won for playing Abraham Lincoln in 2013 for “Lincoln.” Eddie Redmayne won for playing Stephen Hawking in 2015 for “The Theory of Everything.” And Gary Oldman won for playing Winston Churchill in 2018 for “Darkest Hour.” These are titanic historical figures who shaped the world we live in today. Murphy as Oppenheimer would fit in right alongside that crowd.

3. Murphy fully committed to the role

Murphy’s silhouette in the role of Oppenheimer is one of the most striking cinematic images of the year — and his co-stars have recently revealed that his behind-the-scenes efforts helped to contribute to that. Emily Blunt, who plays his on-screen wife Kitty, claimed that Murphy ate only one almond a day in preparation for the role. While Murphy’s exact diet hasn’t yet been disclosed, Murphy did say this to The New York Times: “I love acting with my body, and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette, which I wanted to get right. I had to lose quite a bit of weight, and we worked with the costume and tailoring; he was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes.” That shows a clear dedication to the role. Murphy also explained that he learned 3000 words of Dutch over one weekend for the role, too: “You break it down and say, ‘Alright, we need to work on this today.’ I used to set aside, ‘I’ll work on this for a week and I’ll work on that for a week.'”

Voters will appreciate this level of commitment to the role, as they have done before with past roles. They nominated Cooper in 2019 for learning how to sing and play guitar for his role in “A Star is Born.” They nominated Day-Lewis the year before that for learning how to sew and make dresses for “Phantom Thread.” They gave DiCaprio the win in 2016 for his extreme physical efforts for “The Revenant” and Matthew McConaughey won in 2014 for his weight loss for “Dallas Buyers Club.” And that’s not to mention Murphy’s accent for the role. There are too many performances to list that have included a stunning accent that has helped to lead to an Oscar nomination. Murphy could be next.

4. Murphy fits the bill of past stars who have won on their first try

Winning on your first try isn’t an easy achievement but it has been done before. Malek did it for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Casey Affleck did it for “Manchester by the Sea.” Redmayne did it for “The Theory of Everything.” Murphy fits in with those guys — he’s a respected actor who has been around the block more than most realize and who audiences admire (this is particularly true of Murphy — he is cherished by “Peaky Blinders” fans). Then, all of those performers made a splash in dramatic roles that feel like their first lead roles in major movies and they steal the entire show. People came away talking about Malek when they watched “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Redmayne was the talk of the town after his performance in “The Theory of Everything.” And Murphy is the same. This wouldn’t be a gesture nomination. It’s a major piece of work that the academy might not be able to look away from.

5. It’s an easy way to reward a film they love

...Given the strength of competition this year, it feels like we could be in for one of those years where three, four, or five films are handed one, two, or three Oscars each rather than one picture winning seven, eight, or nine awards. That means that some films will be snubbed in certain areas. Now, “Oppenheimer” will likely garner a hell of a lot of Oscar nominations, including bids for Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Murphy, Best Supporting Actress for Blunt, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr, Best Adapted Screenplay, and a bunch of below-the-line nominations, too.

It remains to be seen how other films will be received but voters might want to give Best Picture to something else...

So, suddenly, 10, 11, 12, or 13 nominations could actually turn into zero wins.

But voters will want to reward “Oppenheimer” in some capacity and the obvious way to do that looks like Best Actor. It’s a powerful performance from a beloved actor breaking out in his first major leading role, it’s a film that is built entirely around Murphy’s central performance, and Murphy is the biggest takeaway from the film. In this early stage, it looks like “Oppenheimer” could be this year’s “Lincoln.” “Lincoln” was well-respected by the academy, earning the most Oscar nominations that year (12), including bids for Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg. However, the movie only won two Oscars — Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Production Design...'

[ear-worthy]

The Athletic Introduces New NFL Podcast "Scoop City"

 NFL training camps are about to open as much of the U.S. swelters in oppressive heat. It's a rite of passage for football fans. We are treated to images of 350-pound men passing out from the heat, head coaches dousing fans with platitudes about their optimism for the upcoming season, and contract holdouts. 

I tried to count the number of podcasts I could find specifically about NFL football, and I lost count after 200. 

Say hello to # 201, or #2001. The Athletic has released a new NFL podcast called Scoop City. I am not sure why the name included the concept of a news scoop, an older media concept that has lost meaning in today's hyperkinetic social media firestorm.

Here's what The Athletic says: "The Athletic’s senior NFL insider Dianna Russini and longtime NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, Scoop City, a new podcast from The Athletic, takes listeners inside the NFL framework, explaining not just what’s happening, but how and why too."

That is the description of almost every other NFL podcast. In fairness, The Athletic does produce thoughtful and unique coverage in print, on audio or video. 

The Athletic continues: "Twice a week, Dianna and Chase dish out the latest buzz from on and off the field, going beyond stats, scores and game day chatter to bring fans unparalleled insight into the stories captivating the league. Each show will be packed with information about the NFL delivered via fun, free-wheeling conversation." Question: When are these sports podcast conversations ever not fun or free-wheeling? I know -- when Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless or Colin Cowherd are speaking. Let the bloviating commence.

“In my 15 years of covering the greatest sport, I’ve learned the best fans like being ‘in the know,’” Dianna said. “We want to give listeners an even bigger connection to their favorite teams and players. The conversations will be centered around our favorite sport, but we promise you, we never take ourselves too seriously.” 

“I’m so excited to dive into the world of the NFL like you’ve never heard and seen before. There are so many things that go on behind the scenes in the league that so many people don’t understand and Dianna and I can’t wait to share it all,” Chase said. In the show’s debut episode, Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel share what they’re hearing about the quarterback room in Pittsburgh, the hype building in Houston, and the drama that always seems to be following the New York Jets. They also sit down for an exclusive interview with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid about the quest for a three-peat, Patrick Mahomes, and all the attention Taylor Swift has brought to the team. Chase explains how his perspective on the fight over an 18-game schedule landed him in an online beef.

Let it never be said that podcast listeners do not have multiple options for hearing about the NFL. My favorite NFL podcast is still the Ross Tucker Football Podcast. 

I listened to the first episode of Scoop City and admit it was excellent. So, if you're looking for a new favorite NFL podcast, try Scoop City.

[shammah8]

Full of Faith and the Holy Spirit And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 6:5 Something happened in the life of this man [Stephen], chosen for menial service, and he became mighty for God. Faithful in little, God brought him to full fruition. Under the inspiration of divine power by which he spoke, they could not help but listen — even the angels listened.

As I read about Stephen in Acts 6 and 7, I have a vision of this scene in every detail — the howling mob with their vengeful, murderous spirits ready to devour this holy man; and he, “being full of the Holy Ghost,” gazing steadfastly into heaven. From his place of helplessness, he looked up and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son ofstanding at the right hand of God.”

Is that the position that Jesus went to take? No!

Healing Principle #26 He went to sit at the right hand of the Father; but in behalf of the “first martyr,” in behalf of the man with that burning flame of Holy Ghost power, God’s Son stood up in honorary testimony of him who, called to serve tables, was faithful unto death.

This man chosen for an ordinary task but filled with the Holy Ghost was so moved upon by God that he finished his earthly work in a blaze of glory, magnifying God with his last breath.

Looking up into the face of the Master, he said, “Lord Jesus, forgive them! Lay not this sin to their charge!” And when he had said thus, he fell asleep. Friends, it is worth all to gain that spirit. What a divine ending to the life and testimony of a man that was “chosen to serve tables.”

Pray this closing prayer today:

Lord Jesus, fill me with faith and the Holy Spirit, that I might blaze with Thy glory like Stephen no matter what I face in life. Amen.🤝SMITH WIGGLESWORTH

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

No Way Out

Sometimes I catch up with a movie after years and wonder why I’ve waited so long. That was the case with Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ NO WAY OUT (1950, Criterion Channel, YouTube). With writer Lesser Samuels (whose name always suggests the existence of a Greater Samuels), he crafted a mixture of film noir and social problem picture. Sidney Poitier, in his first feature, is a hospital intern forced to treat two criminals shot while holding up a service station. When one dies, his racist brother (Richard Widmark) blames Poitier, and things go south from there. The script tackles racism head on, and viewers should be warned that the language can be quite disturbing. But it’s also the rare film that gets into the psychology of racism, because it also deals with class. Widmark comes from the city’s worst slum, and being white is the only thing he can use to manufacture any sense of pride. When his brother’s ex-wife (Linda Darnell) tries to get him to allow an autopsy to clear Poitier, he gets her on his side by convincing her the doctors are all looking down on her because of where she comes from. Some of his complaints about feeling overlooked by society and his blaming that on black people feel oddly prescient. Today he’d wear a MGA hat. The film gets preachy at times, but most of that is confined to the head of surgery (Stephen McNally), who’d be the white savior in a lesser film. But the picture also allows its black characters their humanity. Poitier’s family — which includes Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis in their first film together, appropriately cast as husband and wife — don’t all agree about his plans to pursue another year of residency rather than join a prosperous practice, and some of his black friends look down on his choice to work at a white-run hospital. The cast is uniformly fine, but the biggest surprise is Darnell. 20th Century-Fox typed her so firmly as a sex symbol, I don’t think anybody but Mankiewicz realized what a fine actress she could be. Without her usual glamour makeup and in a wardrobe that seems to have been pulled off the rack at a thrift store, she creates a convincing picture of lower-class abjection. Mankiewicz likes long takes and almost theatrical dialog scenes, and she more than holds her own opposite stage-trained actors like Poitier, Widmark and McNally. She also has some beautiful silent moments just lighting a cigarette after her first meeting with Poitier or listening to McNally’s housekeeper (the wonderful Amanda Randolph) and Poitier’s wife (Mildred Joanne Smith) and realizing how alike they are as women. It’s a surprising, wonderful performance in a surprising, wonderful film.

[alpha-mag-media]

Colts owner Jim Irsay threatens to sue Stephen A. Smith and First Take after live TV comments about his 2014 arrest | In Trend Today

Colts owner Jim Irsay threatens to sue Stephen A. Smith and First Take after live TV comments about his 2014 arrest Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[ur-mag]

First Take fans beg ESPN to ‘hire guest ASAP’ who is ‘perfect fit’ so he can start ‘feud’ with Stephen A. Smith | In Trend Today

First Take fans beg ESPN to ‘hire guest ASAP’ who is ‘perfect fit’ so he can start ‘feud’ with Stephen A. Smith Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[theultimatefan]

Kitman Labs Announces Deal with Legendary Irish Hurling County, Kilkenny

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralised operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with Ireland’s most successful county team in the GAA - the Kilkenny Senior County Hurling Team. The team will utilise several Solutions in iP: Intelligence Platform, including: Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development. The Platform combines medical, performance and talent development data into a single, interactive system that yields actionable intelligence to support specific operating and performance outcomes.

As the 36x winner of the All-Ireland Championship, 75x winner of the provincial Leinster Championship and 19x winner of the National Hurling League, Kilkenny is indisputably the most successful county team at the senior level in the history of the game. The Intelligence Platform is being deployed across the Men’s Senior Squad. The platform will serve as the singular operating system for the Organization - eliminating data and information silos, enabling cross-Departmental communication, supporting informed, data-led decision-making and providing a comprehensive, real-time view of every player in the squad.

"The Intelligence Platform has been designed to unify data, people and processes to support informed decision-making, streamline operations and ultimately, yield the action plan necessary to achieve critical performance outcomes,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “One of the key benefits of iP is the ability to support real-time collaboration and transparency across all Departments - driving increased efficiency off the pitch to ensure more time for development on the pitch. And it goes without saying, that as a company founded in Ireland, I personally take great pride in officially welcoming our first GAA team to the Kitman Labs family.”

“While Kilkenny has an established track record of success, it’s incumbent on us to ensure we continue to innovate to drive performance. Part of that strategy will be working with Kitman Labs to make sure we have the platform in place to support cross-functional communication and collaboration and best-in-class data and analytics capabilities to unlock specific operating and performance goals,” said Derek Lyng, Kilkenny Senior Hurling Manager.

“Kitman labs will enable team management, coaches and their squads to aspire to better results through the power of performance data, streamlined coordination and transparent communication” Mickey Comerford, Sports Performance Coach with the Kilkenny Senior Hurling team.

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and athletes across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The Kilkenny Senior County Team represents the first Kitman Labs client in the sport of Hurling and the first within the GAA. The company's technology is currently being used within some of the world's most elite sports organisations, including the National Football League (NFL), Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organisations (700+) and created the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

[cavenewstimes]

Roman Reigns Set To Appear On 'ESPN First Take' Today

Feedzy Read More  By /Aug. 1, 2023 4:38 am EST Stephen A Smith, Molly Qerim, and the rest of the “ESPN First Take” crew will acknowledge “The Head of the Table” of the pro wrestling world at 11:15 EST today. WWE announced Monday night that Roman Reigns will grace the ESPN studios with his presence Tuesday morning to promote the upcoming SummerSlam premium live event, where he will put both the…

[worldspotlightnews]

Radio legend rips airline industry, coach passengers in wild rant: 'Travel in America today is nuts!'

So, what’s the deal with air travel recently? That was what Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo was screaming about on Wednesday as he co-hosted “First Take” on ESPN with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim. Russo has proven time and time again he can rant about everything and anything, and this time, he targeted the airline industry over passengers who sit in coach. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON…

[noticiasdoceara]

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[eliceislandent]

Back In The Saddle

Back In the Saddle:

I went to bed way too late. I got my second wind at 9pm and ended up staying up until 3:49am. I was working on my horror script for a little, then watched the movie BARBARIAN as a palette cleanser. Gotta say this movie was quite entertaining — with the caveat that the underlying reason for the horror was downright awful.

However, as scary movies go it was original (-ish.) There are shades of Fede Álvarez’s DON’T BREATHE. Part of what makes BARBARIAN feel fresh and surprising is the way writer-director Zach Cregger chose to tell the story. It was like a puzzle where you keep finding new pieces in the box. High recommend for you horror fans.

(A special nod to the editing here. Done with a deft touch by Joe Murphy. There are two cuts in particular that I don’t want to go into detail on for fear of ruining the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but they work in a way that impacts the viewer as only movies can. After the first cut, I was instantly disappointed I hadn’t seen Barbarian with an audience. It’s the kind of scene movies are made for, and why the best experience is still a dark movie theater.)

After the movie ended, I read some of the Lee Child novel I am into, but it still took another hour to fall asleep because I was still thinking about the movie, whcihis the mark of any good story. It sticks with you.

I finally dozed off just before 4am.

Fortunately, my wife is home today so she was able to get the kids up and at ‘em this morning (usually I am the early riser who makes breakfast). I woke up at 8:17, and rolled out of bed about ten minutes later.

Also fortunate is the fact that our children are all feeling better, one well enough to return to school. As a parent you can’t think quite straight when your kids are sick. Thank God for the blessings of good health. So off to school the middle child went, not without some protest once she realized her two siblings were staying home.

Sorry, kiddo.

Took the next couple of hours to ease into the day. I made breakfast for Nic and myself, then we cleaned up the house and tended to the laundry list of requests from the two children still home sick today. My son’s catchy sing-song way of asking for something — a melodic “I waaaaaant” — is heard so often that we’ve taken to responding to it by echoing it in our own octave ranges.

Finally, around 11:15am I turn to the writing. I remember like 20 years ago Kevin Smith did one of the first daily blogs I ever read. He used to write about the minutiae of his day in hourly detail. This included him discussing what he was working on and more importantly how he was going about getting his work done with a young family at home. I found it fascinating. I take a lot of inspiration from that, and from the Steve Martin autobiography, “The War Years” which is among my favorite books on having a career creating art that entertains people.

Stephen King says that audiences love to read about people working. I suppose it’s because as Studs Terkel once intuited work is something we all do.

Another of my favorite books on writing is “Working Days,” Steinbeck’s journals from when he wrote The Grapes of Wrath. It shows Steinbeck, one of the great masters of the craft, doing his work in the most routine and ordinary of ways.

As writers today are fond of saying: “butt in chair, fingers on keyboard.”

One reason I like that book, and a blog like Smith’s is they deglamorize the art of writing.

Writing perhaps more than any other of the art forms requires deglamorization. Dance, painting, or sculpting say, seem to be imbued with a sense of elevation, of rising above it all. Writing on the other hand seems to require a declination. You have to get down and dirty. You have to strip everything away, get quiet, and let the imagination roam free to explore the limits of who and what you are writing about. If done right you wallow in flaws and failure. Not just those of your characters by design, but your own by default.

So then, enough delay, off to the day’s work.

I am still working on the few chapters leading up to the book’s ending. Though I prefer to write without an outline in first draft, there comes a point where the ending is in sight. At which point I write to that ending. Typically, a climactic scene takes shape in my mind and I attempt to steer the characters toward it.

During revisions, I am adjusting and tightening and shaping the character’s moves to get there so that (hopefully) the story keeps the audience guessing, enthralling them until the final showdown.

The goal is to be unputdownable.

Like all great books.

One of my favorite feelings in life is being caught in the grip of a good story (book, movie, tv show).

Everything else fades away.

You know the feeling. It’s that moment when you finish a chapter or an episode and you know you are going to read/watch the next one. It’s usually around this time that the excuses start to form in your head as to why you are going to be late for work tomorrow — or not go in at all. Heck, I’d skip work for a “Gone Girl” an “Exodus” or “The Dead Zone” any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

To the ink mines then. I will see you on the other side.

[ear-worthy]

Adam Davidson Hosts A.I. Series on Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio has launched “How to Think About A.I.,” a three-part series providing some entertaining clarity that cuts through the noise surrounding artificial intelligence. The series is guest-hosted by award-winning reporter Adam Davidson, who views the series as an unofficial successor to his Peabody- and Polk-winning 2008 This American Life episode, “The Giant Pool of Money,” which explained the housing crisis in a way normal people could understand.

Davidson was the co-founder of the Planet Money NPR podcast, and co-host of Gimlet's Surprisingly Awesome podcast with Adam McKay.

"I’ve spent months now talking to as many smart people as I can find about A.I., and I learned a lot," Davidson says in the first episode. “The main thing, the big headline: Nobody knows where A.I. is heading. That’s why there’s such a crazy range of predictions. As one expert told me, there are no experts yet. We’re still figuring this out.”

With help from leaders in the fields of A.I. (including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei explaining why no one gets to ignore A.I. for much longer), economics (including Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick exploring how A.I. could help would-be entrepreneurs), and creativity (including TV showrunner Michael Schur wondering how the technology will change writers’ rooms), Davidson begins by asking a few basic questions — like, what actually is A.I.? — but the main questions are these: What happens when A.I. can do things that we think of as distinctly human? Can it be truly creative? And will A.I. take my job?

The series gets into the nuts and bolts of the technology as it exists today: what can it do, and how should you use it? It also zooms out to talk about A.I.’s impact on jobs, and the long history of how technological advances have shifted employment. Additionally, the series asks who get to shape the path that A.I. takes. How can we best understand if and when A.I. will really transform our lives? 

The first episode is available August 24th at freakonomics.com and on all podcast platforms. The next two episodes will come out on Wednesdays August 30 and September 6 at 11:00 PM ET.

The A.I. miniseries follows other recent special programming across the Freakonomics Radio Network, including multi-part series on whaling, art repatriation, air travel, and Adam Smith (all on Freakonomics Radio) and the seven deadly sins (on No Stupid Questions). Earlier this summer, the network launched its newest show, The Economics of Everyday Things.

Is it possible that there is no human Stephen Dubner, but instead he is an AI construct?