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dropintomanga · 5 years ago

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Death Note 2020 - A One-Shot Deliverance of Meaningful Attention

What a return. What. a. return.

One of manga’s mid-2000s’ hits made a big impression on February 3 with a near-90 page one-shot that reminded fans why it had the impact it did. Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi’s Obata new Death Note one-shot special brings the story to today’s times with a new Kira. I was left thinking about what this new chapter in the story had to say about changing the world when a lot more fear and anxiety has proliferated in the information age.

How do I sum this one-shot as short as possible? We get introduced to a young man named Minoru Tanaka, who the Shinigami Ryuk chooses as a new Death Note user. The two meet in 2017 when Minoru becomes depressed over his failing test scores in high school. Ryuk decides on Minoru due to his high IQ, but Minoru decides to delay possession of the Death Note until 2019 after inquiring about Ryuk’s Shinigami nature. When they finally reunite, Minoru decides to sell the Death Note auction-style on a live Japanese news broadcast and make his auction go viral on Twitter. His plan works as Twitter users rabidly make their offers online.

Things get even crazier when foreign governments get in on the action and Minoru, dubbed A-Kira by the new L (formerly Near), decides to let them make the offer. The U.S. wins the auction and the President (who clearly doesn’t look like a famous real person we all know) decides to use the Death Note for world peace. Minoru decides to use the money earned from the auction by entering it to various Japanese bank accounts for people ages 60 and under.

It later turns out the Shinigami King was furious about the Death Note not being used for its intended purpose. He instates a new rule - whoever buys or sells the Death Note in the human world will die. Once the seller receives money and the buyer gets the book in their hands, that’s it for them. When Ryuk tells the U.S. President about the rule as he was about to transfer ownership to him, the President decides to not take the Death Note. The Japanese economy starts to thrive, but Minoru would die a month later after his grand plan. Much to the chagrin of Ryuk, he wonders who else can make usage of the Death Note for a longer period of time.

Much like his predecessor Light Yagami, Minoru wants to bring some kind of positive change to the world. What’s unique was that he decides to not kill anyone at all. I mean, selling something that’s technically legal isn’t a crime, right?

It reminds me about idealism - something that is often frowned upon as one gets older. When you are younger, you get taught about how things like justice and strong morals/ideals matter. As you get older, you start to realize how fine the lines people walk in order to preserve a sense of order that may not be just. I read an article about the rising “eco-anxiety” in children who believe their lives are already over before they begun due to climate change. Reading that piece after reading the new Death Note one-shot made me think about how adults have passed on so much anxiety to younger generations without realizing it. Adults say that youth can do anything while also saying that the world will end.

In one part of the story, Minoru comments to Ryuk that IQ tests are a waste of time and aren’t a great measure of intelligence. Plus how does intelligence equate to making the world better? IQ testing is just a form of comparison that hurts everyone and may not address more life-concerning matters. It also doesn’t predict one’s future success in life.

Speaking of hurting everyone, the one-shot subtly references how the Japanese economy is still trying to recover from their boom period in the 1980s’. That’s why Minoru used the Death Note the way he did. He knows people in his country are facing uncertainty and possibly dealing with a biased view of scarcity leading them to make poor financial reasons due to outside pressures. I know there are those who say money doesn’t matter and I will say it does matter (only up to a certain point). Having just enough to live relieves the burden of financial anxiety. That relief is perhaps more important than what Light did in ending war in his Kira days. Times of peace (as we can see in real life) doesn’t mean life is stress-free. Conflict will happen since everyone operates on different wavelengths. There are outside forces that try to instill and manipulate fear to provide a false sense of security. We still have to remain vigilant and not be so alarmed at the same time.

I do feel that Minoru’s plan is a lesson on how to better manage conflict or avoid unnecessary conflict. Everyone knows we all hate having to say things that should be said that irk those around us or dealing with drama that seems pointless. The Death Note itself is a representation of how to handle arguments or disagreements in a not-so-pleasant way. While Kira was noted to be a hero in some ways, Minoru points out that Kira is frowned upon by educators for having a god complex.

Of course, this floats back to a big theme of Death Note - getting attention. Light was trying to get the world’s attention in order to showcase his brand of justice. This is nothing new, but the world we live in today is partly run by an “attention economy.” Tech companies are trying to play into the thoughts of internet users via social media, which can lead to disastrous outcomes. While Minoru’s plan involved Twitter to a certain degree, there’s a caveat.

It took him 2 full years to come up with something grand. The “attention economy” today wouldn’t allow that. Minoru manages to cut out noise and focus on himself and what was going on in real life. He fought off the forces of commercialized attention for his and everyone else’s sake. Someone once told me that social media can be a “disease” for people with mental health issues. It can be a huge distraction and sometimes leads you down into a dark hole that’s hard to get out pf.

While I won’t argue that social media has some benefits in terms of finding communities to belong to, it’s also important to note that said communities should lead to more opportunities for offline meetups. Seeing faces and emotional reactions in person provides more warmth than a blue-lit screen. There’s nothing like that getting together in person to have fun or advocate for something important in your life.

Minoru’s cleverness suggests that it’s better to resist attention than ignore it completely (which never does any good). And that it’s also okay to pay attention up to a certain point. I think we have to ask ourselves “How does this information I found on the internet benefit me?,” “Why do I feel compelled to pay attention to this?,” “What does this say about me?,” etc.

Or just be able to grasp people’s attention on what matters to them (i.e. economic struggle) to improve their lives. Not everything has to be about you. One problem is more often than not, everyone’s problem.

I’m glad this one-shot came out. Back in 2008, I attended a Death Note fan event in my area and it really jump-started my interest in meeting new anime fans. The event was my first real taste into anime fandom. Although times have changed, checking out Death Note subtly played a part in starting my blog a couple of years later.

So I’ll say this - thanks, Ohba and Obata, for doing even more justice than your characters for a world that deserves compassion over fear in the face of all kinds of loss.

#Death Note #manga #psychology #mental health #Ryuk #idealism #dreams #Minoru Tanaka #psychology of attention

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indie-struggle · 6 years ago

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The Brass Tacks: 9 Billion Thoughts and Counting...

It looks long, but if you're a writer you should have no problem reading this. There are a lot of writers out there. A lot of writers out there. A lot. Think about how many writers you know and aspiring writers you come across and writers who are working on a script or even a novel, and then think about the fact you're only thinking in terms of your own country... maybe even just your state. Does the world need another fucking screenwriting book? No. There are both sides of the paradigm: McKee's Story, and O'Bannon's Guide to Screenplay structure. The only book on screenwriting that doesn't exist is the one that takes you from point A: as a complete amateur, and then helps you turn your script into a produced film for little to no budget at all, and finally to point B: a festival and distribution. Why doesn't this book exist? Because either they don't know how to do this or they're selfish and want to keep it to themselves. You think John Sayles or Jim Jarmusch wants everyone knowing point A-Z on how to go about doing what they do and get away with it? Actually, they'd probably be okay with it, but they'd never write a book. All the books out there are by hacks who never had anything produced, which is why they have the time and stamina to write them. Now back to the point. There are a fuck ton of writers out there. There are a fuck ton of filmmakers out there. Now I don't know if this is getting through yet, and I don't know if it all got more popular due to consumer product advancement and the internet, or it's always been this popular and I didn't know about it until the internet. Either way, there are way too many hacks. There is too much crap. Self-titled Youtube star: You've written 3 short scripts - not enough. You haven't put in the time it takes to understand wholly and completely the fantastically dreadful and agonizing world that writing is. You don't know shit yet. You need to put in your hours, your dues. You're not going to know enough by reading 5 screenplays and watching comic book movies over and over and over again. You're not - come to terms with that. What the hell do you have to draw from? It would be like a singer thinking they're ready to cut an album after 3 lessons, a show party, and an invite to a backstage orgy a of couple times. Here are my tips from a working, produced writer and director that has tried to help as many people as possible, but still can't seem to get it all through their thick fucking heads. And if you think I'm base or coarse, try working with James Cameron and you'll realize I'm the nicest fucking guy in the state of California - so here's 10 things: #1. Put in your hours. Like anything else, filmmaking: writing, directing, producing, budgeting, electric, gripping, etc, etc - even craft services must know how to cook the food you eat, they don't just flop the first thing they make onto a plate and say, "Well that looks edible. Good luck, everybody." But what does hours mean? It means writing, writing again, again and again and again. Taking breaks here and there, sure, thinking about story, figuring things out, reading, watching, being uncertain, and having zero to fall back on. I want to stress that last part. If you have something to fall back on you'll never get anywhere - you've already set your hindsight on a safety net so you'll never put your whole life and passion into your work. Put in the hours. Put in the years. Get film history and not just American films either - I've said this until I was blue in the face: every writer or filmmaker you idolize film history is soaked in foreign and American films dating to 1920 and possibly before. You’re not going to be like them without doing that. Period. Get to work. #2. You're going to be rejected. Say that to yourself. You... are going... to be... rejected. It is a fact of life. If there is one thing that Stephen King got right in his book to himself. It's that no matter where or who you are, or what you want to do, there will always be somebody who doesn't want you to do it. It's just a fact. Get over it, fuck them. Because if all it takes is someone to say, "I don't like it." to get you to fall to pieces, you never stood a chance to begin with. This is the only rule I know that's 100% true. You have to say fuck what anyone thinks, but still know where you lie, know your skill set, and know your place in the chain of command. #3. There is no how to do it book. If these motherfuckers like [removed] and [removed], [removed], [removed], [removed], and [removed], knew what they were talking about, they wouldn't be writing books or critiquing to make ends meet, they'd be working on the exact thing they're trying to give you advice on. Look at me for example. I've had over 5 feature films made - have I any desire to write a book about it? Do I want to write a book? Fucking no - why? It takes a staggering amount of arrogance to write a "Here’s the rules." book. Perhaps I'll do a seminar if I make it to 80, though. #4. Get offline. Leave, take a break from it. Disconnect. You need something to stimulate your mind. The internet does not stimulate your mind. This is why I hardly post, because I'm outside, doing shit, and stimulating my subconscious through conscious activities. Example: surfing, building puzzles, painting (poorly), walking around town and people watching, taking a class to learn something new, reading a novel and not falling asleep, trying to meet nice people, failing, etc. I was - and I'm going brag now - hugged by a woman who I told to get the fuck off facebook. Why? Because it's a poisonous environment. When you first wanted to do the things you did as a child - that great feeling and anticipation of doing it - did you check first to see what others might think? No, you just did it. People who spend their life on the internet, that's all they got, and it's all they'll ever have. Like assholes at the gym everyday. That's their life. And much like a book, there is no secrets that will plant you in the door to where you want to be out there that’s on the internet. You need to do the work that doesn't require anyone's opinion - especially not from a poisonous swamp. Disconnect. Trust me on this. No TV, no internet. No reading this. #5. No, you don't have a great idea for a TV show. Day after day after day I'm pitched TV show ideas, and they're all fucking terrible. "Well maybe Netflix will--" No, they won't. And if they do, great, fantastic, but what does that mean in the end? Netflix has an agenda. There are reasons you can't see things on there. Even 30 year comedians can't get specials released on there because they're too "risky" or "Dangerous" for this "climate" blah-blah-blah (Nick Di Paolo comes to mind). In the end you'll just be a stenographer pandering to smiling execs under a different logo, is that what you want? To be a tool for money? A whore? God, if my parents could only see me now. If you want to do that, then fine, have at it - but get out of my sandbox - because I bet you dollars to donuts, at the end of the day, you'll feel cheap, hollow, and empty inside if you have any insides left. Just because some random show got picked up, doesn't mean it has the weight or resilience to continue. You must know this. Even pros like David Milch have had shows ripped from his grasp by idiot studio executives that went to Brown and think they know what you want to see. It's bullshit. Netflix is even more brutal in cutting throats - they'll just stop the show, period. At least studios and production companies will say no beforehand, that's the only difference. What makes me so certain? I wrote for one of the shows on there, and I’ve worked with these people (if you can call it that). #6. You must realize that not every story is aimed at a Hollywood studio's idea of a universal audience. Just like not all music is aimed for Tower Records or EMI. Ambitions do not have to be at studio level production budgets. They don't. If that's what you like - making big action packed sci-fi what have you - then by all means have at it. But never (which is something I try never to say) judge someone else's work under a shallow pretense that it's written for the Hollywood studio system. Always keep an objective mind. And if you're not experienced enough to know what a certain story is aimed at, what budget it's written for, what audience it will appeal to (as if that's important), than ask or say nothing at all. Do not assume Sally's cute story about women and their troubles with men was aimed for a studio production, because it wasn't. And you pretending it was makes you look like an inexperienced ass. Avoid that. #7. Yes, no one owes you a read. But, just because someone read your work also doesn't entitle them to be a piece of shit for the sake of being a piece of shit. You're allowed to ignore. Personal preference is not the same as criticism. It's not - never has been. Didn’t I do an article on this? You must know how to dicern between the two. I'm on both sides of this. I've read a lot of crap, but I've read a lot of decent work as well. A lot of the crap was of stuff I liked and disliked, and same with the decent reads. It did not, however, effect my criticism - I set my personal preferences aside - and judged for what didn't work as a story. And you need to do this as well. Judge it for what it is, not what you want it to be, what you would like better, or what you think would sell to an audience - the writer doesn't give a shit anyway - so don't waste your breath on that, they want useful facts about what doesn’t work and why. You need to be explaining what you found that worked, and what you found that didn't work, or was confusing to you. This sets off light bulbs in the writer's head (one hopes), and your criticism becomes constructive. Think of it from another, power-structure perspective: you have little experience in cooking, you're an intern for a famous chef. You eat one of his meals and it's not so great, not your "cup of tea". So you decide to tell him what you would have done and what you think would be better. But, you're the intern - why should the chef give a shit? In fact, you're probably just seen as a fool giving advice to someone who knows what they're doing and instead of being helpful you’re a moron following a set of rules you picked up somewhere. Why? Because you’re not a chef yet. #8. No one is going to hold your hand through this. It's a tough, masochistic art, that sometimes isn't even art. Sometimes it's a slot machine with the idea of praying for a big winner. Fuck, I wish I could tell you it's not. I wish I could tell you that all your dreams are horrifically beautiful and fantastic and lovely and everyone cares about everyone else. But they don't. It's cold out here. You die at the end. You're going to get trampled on, spit at, kicked around, beaten and pushed until the only thing left of the person you used to be is ash with bad knees, a migraine, and a sore ego. That's the way it is. Have you ever wondered why people in the entertainment industry have astoundingly fragile egos? Why they constantly suck each other off? This is why. Things have always been separated between two things: good ones and bad ones. "I thought you were a good one.", "I was worried you were one of the bad ones." There is not enough space here to go into detail on what this means, and how it has effected and affected people just trying to live and make art since 1890, but it's awful and it's a disgrace (read Sidney Lumet’s book). In short, it's the business side. Frigid. Unless you can let things go, unless you have a great bullshit detector or can let it roll off your back. My advice to you is to be as solitary as possible, and work on what you want to work on. It may not pay, but damn it at least you'll be doing what you want to do, and you'll have no regrets in the end because it’s from the heart. #9. Everyone is different. Not everyone is into the same things as you. And not everyone sees orange as the same color you do. Only kids think this way. Doesn't matter what social media says, the media in general, or politically correct congregations. We're not all the same. The "fucks" in your dialogue will be taken by one person as anger or threatening, and another person as just normal speaking. Backgrounds are different, environments are different. Hair styles are different. White houses, or broken fences. Different. We are not homogeneous. Film is also not a soapbox, or podium for political causes and social agendas. If you want to push an agenda, make a documentary. Cinema is also not (regardless of what undeserving rich directors think) about money. Its lively hood and quality doesn't exist on whether or not a certain number of people bought a ticket. You have any idea how many geniuses over time died flat broke and are only now recognized for their feats? Anyone can feed peanuts to a hungry idiot if given the chance. They’ll gobble that shit up. But peanuts never stand the test of time.

“Nobody knows what the hell they’re doing“ - William Goldman

What cinema is about is simple: broadening minds, culturing people about things they've never seen through places they've never been, and reflecting human emotions. Real human emotions, not sentimentality. Fantasy is fun, and has its place, but nothing but fantasy is disillusionment. Ultimately, if you have nothing to say in the former regard, who or what are you doing it for? The money? The pain? Why? Cinema is not just about entertainment. That's what the circus is for - not film. If you're not trying to make an objective moral point, or reflect human nature as how it's seen in a way most can't see it, then what are you doing? What part of this is you? The money? These are the things that you will be asked by a producer or executive. #10. You're struggling, you don't know if you have it, you don't know if you've lost it. You're confused, puzzled, irritated, aggravated, disappointed, hate filled, self-loathing but polite to strangers for some reason... there is no path you can see through the forest. That’s because there isn’t one. But every creative person goes through this, you are not alone. You are not alone. I know it doesn’t help with the pain, but at least there’s that. Whether or not you keep going separates you from those who quit - as cliche as that sounds - it's goddamn true. Find your pace, and just keep going. You’ll know sooner or later if it’s in your blood. If that wasn't enough to motivate you, let me tell you a brief story: When I was a boy, I had one parent, I was emotionally abused on a daily basis by her because I looked like the man who left. My father was somewhere. I was abused by my classmates. Betrayed by so called friends. Chased by the police. Oppressed by my teachers. Sought after by gang members, beaten up daily, fought back daily. I wasn't liked. No idea why, confused. And this was all while dealing with just the growing up part, and puberty to boot. But, I escaped into a world that thankfully wasn't drugs, yet every analyst I've ever seen has told me that it normally should have been. But it wasn't. A lot of bad shit has happened to me, and I've met a lot of people. This is my personal well I draw from. If you don't have one, you usually make one just by living: being a player and not a spectator. I've lived a lot - too much, too soon. But the point I'm trying to make is that somehow I'm still alive. I am alive. I never thought I'd make it to 20. You hear that a lot, but I really didn't. I had 3 close friends, and 2 of them did not. The 3rd moved away, or ran, it doesn't matter - he forgot me, so I try hard to forget him. I had no college education, I had no picket sign with any anti-something on it. I had, and still have, whatever my pocket gives me. That's it. That’s all. And I'm damn happy to have it. Now, I'm long, long past 20. I can’t even remember it. And if someone like me who has been through the things that he's been through can heal from bruises, try to sew up wounds... then you can sit your fucking ass down and finish your goddamn script. I've finished plenty of mine. So knock off the bullshit and just do it. What are you worried about, failing? So what, get back on the bike.

#screenwriting #writing #film

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tacewoqu-blog · 6 years ago

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A Review of Malaysia Visa

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camoqueen77 · 5 years ago

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How to Start a Lifestyle Business?

Has it ever crossed your mind what really constitutes a lifestyle business? Lots of individuals normally dream of a lifestyle but lack the genuine understanding or have a definite strategy. This is a critical subject because there many men and women join network marketing businesses with dreams of fancy lifestyles but with zero comprehension of what it really takes so as to be successful in this business.

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Digital Products

Classic network marketing companies selling physical products just give out 5% to 21% commissions based on the achievement level of an affiliate. Digital products firms selling information and entertainment products give out up to 50% to 100% of the profits to affiliates. They could afford such high commissions only because following their first development they don't incur any additional costs e.g. manufacturing, distribution or warehousing expenses. Notably digital products can be delivered immediately which is an essential criteria in the present instant gratification world.

Digital products may also be sold to customers anywhere across the planet. With digital products the whole world becomes your oyster while in the case of physical goods, companies have to seek out local government approvals to prepare infrastructure e.g. warehouses and distribution stations before finally launching their products to the marketplace.

In the event of a physical product network marketing company, whenever any nation opens for business you're forced to travel and physically launch the product in that country. This procedure requires a whole lot of work, time and is extremely expensive.

Most physical products have security problems and have to be shown to new customers and affiliates for good usage. This is a time consuming process as the coaching new affiliates is real hard work. The aforementioned reason explains why not a single product business will encourage affiliates employing a blog or site for marketing the business because of fear of product misrepresentation.

Classic network marketing companies only permit you to promote the provider's affiliate site which takes the sting off your e-commerce marketing campaign as thousands of other affiliates will also be promoting the identical website hence significantly reducing your odds of standing out in the crowd.

Bear in mind, digital products don't have any security issues hence most internet based businesses understand and promote e-commerce and assist you with international marketing.

The cornerstone of a lifestyle business lies in selling digital products which pay higher commissions, have international markets available immediately and the business operations can be automated.

Retention Rates

It's pointless to join a business with very bad affiliate retention rate. This is because your hard work will go to waste if large number of affiliates fall from the business. It's not possible to have a lifestyle business with a very low affiliate retention rate.

Physical product businesses have an average retention rate of roughly 8 percent. In case you're an outstanding leader with a excellent training program then odds are your retention rate increases around 10% to 15%. These are industry standards.

Building a network with higher attrition rate demands intense hard work and persistence. Should you prefer to earning a lifestyle income through network marketing then your retention will need to be closer to 100%. Also make certain your business is tacky to avoid having affiliates falling out. This is only possible if affiliates start making money within few weeks or even month of joining the business opportunity. It's obvious that nobody will drop from your organization particularly when they start seeing money flow and profits from their business.

Gain Sharing Model

Innovative businesses are offering profit shares to be able to enhance retention rate of affiliates. Gain sharing helps new affiliates make money even if they don't sponsor anyone. What is more, once a new affiliate earning money it will become much easier for that individual to refer and host more people into the business.

100% Nominal

This is just another business model which works flawlessly with lifestyle business design. Simply by making one sale affiliates have the ability to recoup their initial investments and with their next sale they're in profit.

Residual Income

The business that you decide to join must guarantee you continuous cash flow and build residual income if you're going to make a sustained life style. Bear in mind, smart businesses are those that not only create cash flow but also guarantee quick residual income.

Leverage

Implementing leverage can help reduce your time and effort consequently earning a lifestyle business potential. Without leverage you won't have the ability to enjoy your riches or have free time to pursue other dreams. To have leverage you will have to have technology and business systems. Every successful business has appropriate systems set up. Systems give you the leverage to enjoy lifestyle business.

Simplicity

The business you combine must adopt the principle of simplicity. The business may be complicated but it ought to be simple to run on a day to day basis. This is truly the reason McDonald franchises are so profitable. It's due to simplicity. A business ought to be designed by a genius to be conducted by ordinary people.

How to Buy a Lifestyle Business in the Sun

A nine acre, award winning vineyard in Romania, complete with charming farmhouse and winery for under #85,000. A productive 10 acre organic olive grove with villa on an unspoilt Greek island for #205,000. A yacht charter business based in the Mediterranean and generating a gross profit of #110,000 for #380,000. A prosperous seaside restaurant with living accommodation and sunny terrace on Majorca for #460,000. A small, popular bar in Marbella with studio apartment for #65,000.

Tempted by some of the above? One of the numerous benefits of our booming economy and buoyant property market is that lifestyle businesses overseas now represent incredible value for money. For the purchase price of a comparatively small suburban home nearly anywhere in the UK you can purchase a fantastic - and rewarding - lifestyle business in numerous desired places elsewhere in the world. With a slightly larger amount you are able to afford something genuinely stupendous and possibly even more profitable. There is so much choice, too. Move overseas - maybe into a warmer, drier climate - and revel in running the business yourself. Or, stay here in Britain and use somebody else to handle it for you. Opt for a venture which permits you to work from home (bearing in mind that 'house' could well be a fantasy property) or keep the two separate.

Identifying lifestyle business opportunities in foreign climes is anything but hard. Due to the net and Google it took me less than fifteen minutes to search out the chances above. Nor need funding be a problem. Finding the money to invest in foreign property is both simple and comparatively inexpensive. You could use equity built up in an existing property, capital held elsewhere or borrow on the strength of the business itself. All you have do is speak to your financial advisor. Nor, in these times of budget air travel and cheap communications, need moving overseas mean losing touch with family and friends.

So, what are the key considerations for anyone attracted by the concept of a business place in sunlight? For some, the first question is what type of business to purchase, for others it's going to be the location. Either way, you need to weigh up:

Your interests and skills. If this will be a suitable lifestyle business then you want to select something that you will enjoy doing.

The way you feel about the local culture. The delight of owning, say, an Austrian ski-resort resort may be somewhat dulled in case you are not that keen on life in Austria.

Whether the business will create sufficient returns for your requirements. This is especially relevant if you would like to employ others to run it.

The prospect of capital gain. It clearly makes sense to buy something that - regardless of yearly profits - is very likely to rise in value.

1 area to be particularly mindful of is over-capitalising certain kinds of business. Take, for example, somebody who buys a large, period property in, say, France and over several years turns it into a thriving restaurant with holiday accommodation. In regards to market the joint value of their property and the business might be so great as to make it hard to discover a sufficiently well off buyer interested in conducting this sort of venture. Not that it will not make a lot more sense to decide on a business comprising a freehold property. Yes, it may be fun to run a leasehold nightclub in Ibiza - but you have less to market if you ever get bored with being surrounded by an endless stream of young, beautiful people intent on having a fantastic time.

Other Important factors to weigh up when creating an overseas business investment include:

The tax climate. Watch out for higher stamp duty, income tax and capital gains taxation. Also beware of death duties. Always take professional tax advice before you commit to anything,

The legal climate. Not only can ownership be clear-cut in different authorities (even within the EU) but most nations have different inheritance rules. Again, take legal advice before you commit to anything.

The regulatory climate. Ever tried to get a business license in Spain? Or a work license in Malta? Or even something as straightforward as planning permission in France? Ensure you'll have the ability to do everything you need with your business (and that you know what you're letting yourself in for).

The work climate. Your grand plans for a business can come to nothing if you can not find the workers and contractors that you will need to make your fantasy come true.

Language. Hardly an issue if you decide on an English speaking country - but elsewhere? There are a few places - Holland and many Spanish coastal resorts, to name two - in which you can get away with no word of the local language. Otherwise, you should either talk - or intend to learn how to talk - the lingo.

Employment and residency difficulties. As a British citizen you can move anywhere you want within the EU. A number of other countries, including the USA, will welcome you with open arms if you're making an proper investment.

As soon as you've found a business you're interested in, then it's very important to find an independent, dependable valuation. What can seem a deal when compared to British costs, might not be quite as much of a deal to locals. Pay especial attention to the history of the business; its existing performance (sales, turnover and profit); its own fiscal situation (cashflow, debts, assets and expenses ); and why the business has been sold. As soon as you've agreed a price do not hesitate to get'due diligence' - the process of checking that everything you're told is true.

Is it sensible to spend your money in a lifestyle business abroad? Bear in mind that you're taking a double threat. Firstly, the business itself is solid and you will be successful running it. Secondly, the country where you're purchasing it will not experience a recession. This said, we might well be on top of our economic cycle, whereas most suitable locations might be near the base of theirs. This sort of diversification could, therefore, make excellent sense.

#lifestyle #lifestyle business #business

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baoanhwin · 4 years ago

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Fisking the PM – examining the background to his controversial EU move

BREAKING: Boris Johnson’s spokesman confirms they will pass a new law to "clarify specific elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol in domestic law.” EU warns any attempt to renege on the Brexit withdrawal agreement will wreck any chance of a trade deal. https://t.co/6VDYBuWWwM

— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) September 7, 2020

There used to be (may well still be) an enjoyable pastime for readers of Robert Fisk’s articles: a point by point rebuttal of the factual errors and other idiocies contained in them. Other journalists can be fisked with equal pleasure. At one point there was a veritable cottage industry dependant on Polly Toynbee’s output. So on a rainy day starting a new week of political fun and games, it is time to revive this practice and apply it to another journalist and current PM, Boris Johnson.

Let’s start with the Tory Manifesto in 2019, that veritable Bible of cast-iron promises to us, the voters. We must surely be able to rely on these.

“We have a great new deal that is ready to go”. This great new deal is the Withdrawal Agreement (“WA”) agreed on 17 October 2019, implemented into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (the “Act”) on 23 January 2020 and coming into force on 1 February 2020.

“As Conservatives, we stand for democracy and the rule of law. Our independent courts and legal system are respected throughout the world.” (Nice touch that – “As Conservatives…” in case anyone wasn’t sure quite who they were speaking as.)

“We will continue to be an outward-looking country that is a champion of collective security, the rule of law, human rights, free trade, anti-corruption efforts and a rules-based international system.” Very keen on the rule of law, this government. And championing a rules-based international system …. well, it fair makes you proud to be British to think that Britannia will be doing her bit, as she’s always done. And no doubt singing lustily about it too.

”We want EU citizens who came to live in the U.K. before Brexit to stay – and we have committed absolutely to guaranteeing their existing rights and ensuring that they feel a welcomed and valued part of our country and community after Brexit.” Those guarantees are contained in the Act.

Then there is this statement (issued by the PM a mere two days ago, a ringing endorsement of the importance of a free press and its role in holding governments to account (no laughing at the back, please). It’s worth spelling out what the British PM said:

“A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change. It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public’s access to news in this way.”

Hear! Hear! That’s Extinction Rebellion told (though any group stupid enough to try to prevent the physical movement of newspapers which can easily be read on the internet, has bigger problems than being told off by the PM). And welcome too at a time when the trial of some of those involved in the Charlie Hebdo massacres over 5 years ago has just started. A more careful reading shows that the PM’s statement it is not quite as supportive of press freedom as one might ideally like. Apparently, the need to hold governments to account is only on issues critical to the country’s future (quite a limited group that and who decides what is critical anyway). Still, let’s be thankful for small mercies. Even the manifesto made a point of saying: “We will continue our campaigns to promote international media freedom.”

And then there is today’s Prime Ministerial statement about the post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU, making the not unreasonable point that: “If we can’t agree…., then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on.” Quite a lot to be unpacked in that phrase “move on”. But let’s leave that for another day for now.

Then this little gem: “We will then have a trading arrangement with the EU like Australia’s.” Oh dear.

Time for a few facts.

The WA and the Act implementing it in the U.K. impose a legally binding solution avoiding a hard border in Ireland and protecting the Good Friday Agreement. All these agreements are now part of English law as well as international law and the rules-based international order.

As a result of the Act, the WA’s provisions have direct effect in English law meaning that any concerned party (not just the EU – but, say, a EU citizen living in Britain) can take action in respect of its provisions in the English courts. The Act also makes clear that the terms of the WA will be enforceable by UK courts after 31 December 2020.

Furthermore, the Act gives the WA supremacy over U.K. law. So if a future law is passed which is inconsistent with the WA the courts would have to disapply that later law, unless Parliament specifically and clearly instructs the courts in any such new law to disregard the WA’s terms.

If the British government, as reported, now seeks to pass a new law disapplying some of the WA provisions it has previously agreed to and implemented, it sets the stage for some wonderfully interesting and complex litigation before the English courts. Perhaps this is what the Tory party wanted when it so extensively praised the rule of law in its manifesto and talked about “Unleashing Britain’s Potential”. It was going to unleash the potential of Britain’s lawyers. Hooray!

If there is no FTA between the EU and the U.K. by 31 December 2020, the U.K. will not have a trading arrangement like the one Australia currently has with the EU. It will have no trading arrangement. None. It will, as far as the EU is concerned, be a third country.

Australia’s arrangement is not the default. Why? Well, the current trading arrangements are based on the 2008 EU-Australian Partnership Framework, a fancy word for a general agreement to be friends. The key point is that it is an agreement. If Britain leaves the transition period with no agreement, some alternative agreement – whether like the Australian or any other one – does not magic itself into existence. The PM’s statement on this is, bluntly, an untruth.

And what of the press statement. Surely that it true? Surely? Well, just as the PM and his faithful mini-me’s in the party were busy issuing Tweets criticising XR, the Council of Europe, founded on 5 May 1949 by the U.K., amongst others, issued a Level 2 alert about the Ministry of Defence blacklisting journalists in relation to inquiries about the war in Yemen. This was classified in the category marked “acts having a chilling effect on media freedom”. The only other state so criticised that week in this category was Russia. Bulgaria also got criticised – but in the category marked “Attacks on the physical safety and integrity of journalists”. Britain is not (yet) in such company.

Let’s be parochial for now and not worry about international treaties and what the EU or other countries or high-minded interfering foreign bodies might think of us. Many in Britain (not just those who voted for Brexit) felt that they were asked a question by the government in 2016 and then, because the answer was not liked, they were ignored. Whatever the ins and outs, it looked as if everything was being done not to implement what people had voted for. This was felt to be a breach of the trust essential in a democracy.

So – one question: if the government now seeks to break those laws, those agreements it freely entered into less than a year ago (and praised to the skies), why should any voter, any person living here or doing business here or with us or lending us money, trust this government to keep its word, its manifesto promises, its commitments, its laws? And if they can’t, what then?

Cyclefree

from politicalbetting.com https://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2020/09/07/fisking-the-pm-examining-the-background-to-his-controversial-eu-move/ https://dangky.ric.win/

#nhacai #one88 #danhbaidoithuong #ricwin #choibaidoithuong #gamedanhbaidoithuong #choigamedoit

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gracemolteniisnothome · 5 years ago

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A Year of Quiet, aka Lessons in Isolation

First and foremost, I want to emphasis staying informed, and taking your health and the health of others seriously. Period.

I have the luxury of working in the news (which, admittedly, can get exhausting), and a science reporter as my sibling, who has been on the coronavirus beat for over 2 months. I trust her and her concerns. I am also lucky to have a handful of friends who work on infectious disease research and response for the CDC—I trust them and their concerns. That access to information doesn’t raise my anxiety so much as make me feel informed and prepared. However, I fully recognize how dire and scary this all feels. Frankly, it feels that way because the reach and reality of this pandemic is indeed scary.

My office moved quickly last week to setting us up to work from home, and for that I am deeply grateful. I spent most of the weekend indoors, save a few runs and some fresh air, and a quick stop at my local cafe for coffee-to go (support your neighbors and tip well, y’all.) As Americans, it’s been a while since social solidarity was asked, let alone required of us. I can’t remember a moment in my lifetime that felt as dire in regards to personal responsibility.But, we can find a new normal in balancing being isolated and practicing social distancing, while also staying sane and staving off the stir crazy. I think it is possible to be diligent about self-isolating, and vigilant in our social distancing, and still find ways to connect, to support, to find joy, even if that means remotely.

Strangely, I feel more prepared for self-isolation than I ever have in my life, and I realized this weekend that my year of quiet in rural Japan taught me a lot about how to manage limited social contact and a uniquely singular life. I figured there’s no time like a pandemic to share a few things that kept me sane:

Remember that internet is the friend of the curious and the enemy of the anxious.

What a time to be alive! There is more access to real time information than ever before. This is gift, and at times, a trap. Know when to unplug, and definitely know when to stop checking Twitter. Delete some apps off of your phone (Instagram, Facebook, Hinge, etc) for the weekend and enjoy reclaiming some of your mental space. (Plus coronavirus-inspired pick-up lines are eye-roll worthy at best.) When I would find myself deep into Instagram scrolls with no end in sight, that was usually time to delete the app for a week or so to break the habit.

Set your expectations.

Consider this a marathon, and not a sprint, and adjust your mindset accordingly. We should be thinking of this in months, not weeks. It’s helpful to consider this in the long haul and not just a temporary inconvenience.

Go for walks, long ones when time allows, particularly if you can avoid crowded areas.

I usually ended my day with a sunset walk through the rice fields near my apartment and it was a regular time to reset and get some fresh air that now I often miss. I certainly take for granted how nice a short stint in the sun can be. Don’t forget to look up at the sky or take some picture of flowers if it pleases you. Send them to friends who are self-isolating in colder climates (looking at you, Chicago.)

Create some structure

Outside of being able to live abroad, my teaching schedule allowed me to reclaim many of my daylight hours (something I had little of in my previous job.) I don’t consider myself a particularly disciplined person, but I wanted to make the most of this time. An easy thing I tried to adhere to was doing 3 things every day: something creative, something educational, and something active. The categories were purposefully broad – physical, for example, could be anything from a run to stretching while watching Netflix – and it helped to have daily, achievable goals.

But also, allow yourself some rest

WFH and self isolation are certainly not the same thing as a vacation. However, especially with the world feeling like it’s ending, it’s ok to not need to be productive (after remote-office hours, of course.) Lean into binging tv shows, taking long baths or reading books, diving back into the world of Sims. It’s ok to seek out comfort right now, because…

Isolation can be painful!

Loneliness is real. And if you’re the kind of person who needs to share physical space with people, this adjustment may be particularly uncomfortable. But it doesn’t last forever, and in 2020 there are so many ways to stay connect and close to the folks you care about. On that note…

If you’re feeling panicky, anxious, stressed - talk about it!

Reach out to people you trust and share where you’re at. If you need support, now is as good a time as any to ask for it. For alternatives, consider starting a journal, recording voice memos, making videos, if only for yourself, to talk through those thoughts and stop them from occupying precious brain space. Speaking of videos…

Send your friends dance videos, or schedule a GoogleHang and have solo dance parties, together.

When I lived in Japan there were some nights that my beloved apartment felt not just sparse, but empty; in those times that I felt particularly distanced from my friends and life back in the US, I started sending these dance videos to select folks on Instagram. It was silly (still is tbh) and yet very much helped to keep me sane and connected to people I love. Dancing around my apartment was a good way to save me from my melancholy self, and now is kind of a necessity during quarantine times, to shake off some of that excess energy and loosen up some of the stir crazy. Another great option is tuning into groups like Dance Church, who have taken their weekly gathering online and available for streaming.

On the topic of GoogleHangouts…

Throw some on your calendar! Make it weekly, make it daily, make them random. I am convinced that my Groupchat of high school pals played a large part in me tolerating the weight of isolation as a foreigner; WhatsApp with and Instagram messenger acted as lifelines when it came to feeling connection with my people back home.

Not sure where to start? Host a quarantine happy hour where everyone calls in at the same time with their beverage of choice! Start a Netflix viewing party! Make a free account on Tabletopia and play board games against your friends remotely! Start an online bookclub! If you’re musically inclined, go live on Instagram and let folks tune in! It’s no stand-in for IRL social time, but I can say after moving around a number of times, it’s actually pretty incredible how many ways there are to hangout from afar.

Revisit your internal project list.

What is something you haven’t been able to get to in your regular life because of daily commitments like work? Reading the stack of books by your bed? Baking the best bread humanly possible? Learning another language? Having a project (or 5) to chip away at during my time abroad helped me to feel productive and take pride in accomplishing something. There’s so many great online (often free) resources for learning new things. I like to rely on Skillshare for prompts, but recently have purchased a few classes through Moment to learn more about mobile filmmaking. That being said, I’d also be careful not to fall into the trap of turning everything into work. Don’t put more pressure on yourself than needed right now. If there’s room to chip away at personal projects, be they anything from self portraits or cross-stitch, take the time to find some pleasure in creating. Oh yeah, and do update your damn website (me, to me.)

An additional list of thoughts in no particular order:

Make a collaborative playlists

Check in on your freelance friends (help them out financially if and when you can, promote their work, buy their merch, shoot them a Venmo, a PayPal, a CashApp.)

Deep clean your place!

Consume podcasts like it’s your job.

Finally clear the open tabs on your browser window (wishful thinking)

Do your taxes! Annoying, but hey, if you’ve got the time.

StoryCorps! If you’re already cooped up with folks - family or roommates or partners– take the time to get to know them in a way you usually don’t

Send snail mail!

Participate in Instagram challenges or prompts

I’m a fan of #DrawThisInYourStyle for illustration projects, but I really like @rockthatmuseumgirl’s idea of posting art we’ve seen and tagging them #throwbackmuseum since so many art institutions and public spaces are closed right now.

On a community note…

Donate to food banks! Blood banks! Buy local gift cards to use later or see if your favorite spots are doing pickup or to-go options! Support your neighborhood any way you can, while staying safe, and more than anything, be kind. As a wise art director reminded us on Instagram this week: “everyone is fighting their own battles. be mindful & grateful for what you have”

Ok, enough rambling from me. Till next time, y’all

#coronavirus #self-isolation #social distancing #solitude #creativity #advice #travel-abroad #travel-blog

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mymoviesnob · 6 years ago

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A Movie Snob Predicts the Oscars – 2019 Edition

Hello fellow movie lovers! It’s been another busy award season. There were 121 nominations and I got to see all but 9 of the films this year. Not too shabby, all things considered.

This season, like the ones before it, was full of pleasant surprises, a few hours I can’t get back and films shining a bright light on topics which were painful to watch.

Now, for the four of you who still read this each year, let’s get to the movies! J

Best Picture:

· Black Panther – The first Marvel movie to be nominated for Best Picture. I don’t see this as the winner.

· BlacKkKlansman – Based on a true story, about a black cop, impersonating a white cop, to infiltrate the KKK.

· Bohemian Rhapsody – I loved this movie. I love Queen. I wish Freddie Mercury had been able to grace us with his presence for more than we were lucky enough to receive. I would love to see this beat Roma but unfortunately, the Director’s alleged shenanigans will get in the way.

· The Favourite – Dark and witty, full of strong performances. This however, was not my favorite. (Yes, pun intended…I know, I’m hilarious)

· Green Book – Another based on a true story, about a black performer in need of a driver/ body guard as he tours the deep South and how their friendship was formed. I really enjoyed this film. Mahershala and Viggo were both fantastic. I kept wondering how I had never heard of these men before watching this.

· Roma – While I can’t call this my personal favorite film in the bunch, I do think it will take the top prize this year. It’s been so lovingly received by critics while others on this list have been subject to controversy moving Roma to the top of the pile.I did enjoy it, just not as much as others here.

· A Star Is Born – I loved this too and when I saw it, I thought it would be a lock for Best Picture… until I saw the competition. I was equally surprised by Lady Gaga’s acting and by Cooper’s singing. I’ve seen the previous versions of this film and while I typically dislike remakes, this was well done. Cooper should have received a Director nod here.

· Vice – Based on the life and career of the notoriously private Dick Cheney. Something tells me he will never endorse this one, or confirm any of its story line. If you like Cheney, you will hate this movie. And if you hate him, it will make you question just how awfully distasteful you can find another human being to be.

Lead Actor:

· Christian Bale – Vice –When I first read that Bale was going to play Dick Cheney in a movie, I thought Central Casting was delusional. Then I saw it. If anyone is going to give Malek competition, it’s Bale. You literally forget it’s him buried behind the makeup.

· Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born – Cooper will get his Oscar one day and I thought he was fantastic in this movie, but this is not his time.

· Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate – He’s always great, this time as Vincent van Gogh

· Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody – Malek became Freddie Mercury. Every detail of his iconic performances, recreated to the letter. He must have studied Mercury’s every move. The commitment to getting that right is stunning and I think this win will be well deserved.

· Viggo Mortensen – Green Book – Another great performance by an actor who seems to be able to play anyone.

Lead Actress:

· Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

· Glenn Close – The Wife – I didn’t want to like this one. I don’t care for her, ever since she boiled a bunny back in the day, but she was amazing.

· Olivia Colman – The Favourite – I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll be seeing much more of her.

· Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born – She was surprisingly great in this movie, but it wasn’t really much of a stretch… playing a singer and all. Don’t get me wrong. She’s an incredible talent and deserving of this nomination, but I’m curious to see how her film career progresses playing roles outside of the scope of her ‘day job”.

· Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Another true story and another surprise. McCarthy in a serious role as the caustic (not to mention desperate) author, Lee Israel, as she resorts to forging letters for profit. If you haven’t seen this one, watch it. And someone please sign her up for more roles outside of the comedic space!

Supporting Actor:

· Mahershala Ali – Green Book – Everything I’ve seen him in has been excellent. This was no exception.

· Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman – I love, love, love Driver.

· Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born – About time you nominated him, Academy!

· Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me? – I’m not sure I’ve seen him before but watching him here made me want to find everything else he’s ever done. I don’t think he will beat Ali, but if he did, I wouldn’t be disappointed.

· Sam Rockwell – Vice – Another consistently consistent character actor, this time as a weirdly convincing G.W. Bush. I love it when the Indy guys get the attention they deserve!

Supporting Actress:

· Amy Adams – Vice – We get it… the Academy adores Amy Adams. She did not blow me away in this movie.

· Marina de Tavira – Roma

· Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk – I must confess that this was one of the films I was not able to see. It left the theater too soon, and as you may know, I won’t use bootlegs on this journey each year. I’ve chosen her for a few reasons… one, she’s won virtually every other award known to man for this performance. And two, this has been a long time coming. She’s always great!

· Emma Stone – The Favourite – Stone and Weisz here a glorious team.

· Rachel Weisz – The Favourite - She’s married to Daniel Craig so she’s basically already won at life.

Director:

· Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman - Spike Lee is finally nominated here! I do believe he will take home a statue one day but I don’t think it will be this year.

· Pawel Pawlikowski – Cold War

· Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite

· Alfonso Cuaron – Roma

· Adam McKay – Vice

Animated Feature:

· Incredibles 2 - this gets my kid’s vote, just for the record.

· Isle of Dogs – Another year where I have the opportunity to declare my love for Wes Anderson. Another year where he will go home empty handed.

· Mirai

· Ralph Breaks the Internet

· Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – I can’t believe I’m choosing a non-Disney / Pixar for the win, but I am. It’s visually stunning.

Animated Short:

· Animal Behaviour

· Bao – Pixar for the (predictable) win. Every one of the films in this category is a gem! Watch them all!!

· Late Afternoon

· One Small Step

· Weekends

Adapted Screenplay:

· The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it.

· BlacKkKlansman – This category is tough. I think this may be where Lee picks up a win, but…

· Can You Ever Forgive Me? – … I really loved how this was written… and I think it can bump Lee out of the top spot.

· If Beale Street Could Talk

· A Star Is Born

Original Screenplay:

· The Favourite – The quick witted dialogue may push this one over the top to win.

· First Reformed – I want my two hours back

· Green Book – The Favourite is the favorite in this category, but I think the story line in our current climate will give this screenplay well warranted votes

· Roma

· Vice – Another film where the writing definitely shined!

Cinematography:

· Cold War

· The Favourite

· Never Look Away

· Roma - There is just something about the way this movie was shot which immediately grabbed me at the opening scene. The very things I loved about it are things that others found to be a turn off, but the crisp black and white, tight, artsy shots were mesmerizing. Maybe it’s my love of photography, particularly B&W, but this film made it easy to see the beauty in the mundane.

· A Star Is Born

Best Documentary Feature:

· Free Solo – Will probably win, but…

· Hale County This Morning, This Evening – A film about regular people doing regular things. I hope the point is not lost on those who see it.

· Minding the Gap - This is an interesting narrative on the leap into adulthood and just how hard that is to navigate.

· Of Fathers and Sons – Watching this literally made me feel physically ill. If you question whether or not hatred can be taught, this confirms it.

· RBG - … I’m rooting for RBG, tonight and every single day for every single reason! Someone please put this woman in a bubble and preserve her for all of eternity... or at least until the next administration.

Best Documentary Short:

· Black Sheep - The Shorts this year were difficult to watch. This is about a young black man and his experiences growing up in a suburban white British town.

· End Game –This film is about the painful process of helping a loved one through the last days of their life and the humanity of the doctors and nurses who are walking alongside them. This is my vote.

· Lifeboat –About refugees fleeing their war torn home in the hope of a better life.

· A Night at the Garden – Actual footage of a 1939 Nazi rally at “The World’s Most Famous Arena”. The fact that this actually happened in this country, and so long ago, hurts my heart.

· Period. End of Sentence – About young women in India just trying to survive being a girl in a culture that demonizes something which is utterly (and biologically) out of their control.

Best Live Action Short Film:

· Detainment – A reenactment of the interrogation of two ten year old boys in Ireland, accused of murdering a toddler. Terrifying. And true.

· Fauve - this won at Sundance, but…

· Marguerite – my pick to win

· Mother – As a parent of a 6 year old boy, this one kept me up at night.

· Skin

Best Foreign Language Film:

· Capernaum

· Cold War

· Never Look Away

· Roma – If this doesn’t win I’ll be shocked, but since it’s a likely winner in other categories, voters may spread the love and throw Cold War a bone.

· Shoplifters – I really liked this one, about an unlikely group of outcasts in Japan, trying to survive on stolen items while flying under the radar.

Film Editing:

· BlacKkKlansman

· Bohemian Rhapsody

· Green Book

· The Favourite

· Vice

Sound Editing:

· Black Panther

· Bohemian Rhapsody

· First Man

· A Quiet Place – I’m selecting this because of how profoundly important sound was to the entire concept of the film. I know I’m probably wrong... it will probably be Black Panther

· Roma

Sound Mixing:

· Black Panther

· Bohemian Rhapsody – Because of the music

· First Man

· Roma

· A Star Is Born

Production Design:

· Black Panther

· First Man

· The Favourite – Period piece + Castle = Win

· Mary Poppins Returns

· Roma

Original Score:

· BlacKkKlansman

· Black Panther

· If Beale Street Could Talk

· Isle of Dogs

· Mary Poppins Returns

Original Song:

· All The Stars

· I’ll Fight

· The Place Where Lost Things Go

· Shallow – if there is one certainty about tonight, this is it.

· When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings

Makeup and Hair:

· Border

· Mary Queen of Scots

· Vice – Because I forgot Christian Bale was in there….

Costume Design:

· The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

· Black Panther – This is hard because any one of these could take it, but this is my gut feeling

· The Favourite

· Mary Poppins Returns

· Mary Queen of Scots

Visual Effects:

· Avengers: Infinity War

· Christopher Robin

· First Man

· Ready Player One

· Solo: A Star Wars Story

I’m sad to see this season come to an end as the summer blockbusters approach. Here’s hoping there are some hidden gems among the moneymakers this summer to keep me company!

Thanks for sticking with me to the end, all four of you. :)

#moviesnob

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dustoffdeano-blog · 6 years ago

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Media Journal Week One

Last week in class we listened to two professors in the University of Oregon’s school of Journalism and Communication lecture on the current media landscape. Here are a few takeaways and thoughts I had coming out of those lectures.

Much of today’s media landscape is being reshaped with the emergence (re-emergence as we will talk about later) of social media, access to video, as well as how the ever changing market is being forced to remain financially viable as consumers tastes and means for consumption shift.

It’s interesting to think about the rapid rise of the internet and how that has affected how we consume media. Professor Radcliffe mentioned that in a short space of time the internet has exploded with more than 4 billion people having access to it. Previously owning a personal computer was a financial barrier preventing people from having access, but the emergence of the smart phone has given many people, especially in countries where having a personal computer is not feasible, easy access to social media as well as other tools that utilize the internet.

Not only is media cheaper to consume, the bar has been significantly lowered as to production costs. Cheaper cameras, editing software, as well as new outlets such as podcasting have allowed people with good ideas on shoestring budgets to get their content out to the masses. This has altered what is considered success. Youtubers and podcasters care about likes, shares, interaction with their consumers as a barometer of how successful they are.

I thought it was also interesting discussing how people’s attention spans have shifted. Some of the readings discussed how television designed its programming to accommodate commercials, fill certain time slots, were engineered so that the maximum people would watch the program. This created a formula that was easily digestible and provided the most profit in the form of advertising revenue. Media outlets now are shifting the content they create as new technology gives consumers the ability to pick and choose what they want to consume. It was interesting to hear how outlets like the BBC focus on creating content that is either short and snappy or long-form of over 1200 words. Netflix has also shaken up the media landscape by making shows that no longer rely on the old advertising centric models, as binge watching has replaced sitting around the television at a certain time of night.

As media outlets have pushed the envelope on how we consume and what we consume, they’ve also become the new gatekeepers. Companies such as Facebook and Google shape the way we access content, also driving the publishing methods as well as priorities. I thought it was an interesting point that both of these companies are among the top of the list when it comes to content without creating content of their own.

Last week’s discussion tied nicely with the readings. Especially when talking about the Golden Age of television. It’s impossible not to notice as our collective tastes shift. It’s even more apparent to me as I spent much of my adult life living overseas while in the military. Television was not an option while I was in Baghdad in 2006 and 2008. We would buy DVD boxsets from the local Iraqis, watching televisions shows in bulk long before Netflix brought about binge watching. It was the only thing to do on duty. Then when I lived in Germany we only had access to German programming, making it easier for me to cut the cord so to speak.

I just happened to change my media habits right as the rest of the world was shifting theirs. When I was reintroduced to a new world of smart phones in 2013, I found watching content to be simple and abundant. Tired of the old television show formula, I was happy to all of a sudden have access to great content all over the place. It was interesting to read about how there are almost four times as many new shows being created than had previously been the case. It was interesting to read that we’re at a perfect time between creators being given the reins, allowed to experiment and be creative, while business minds are finding new ways to monetize content. We’re going to look back remember the television shows being created right now as a great period in media.

Similarly it was interesting to read about how Hollywood has stagnated. I’d long wondered why films we’re falling into certain categories, re-makes and sequels, superhero films. I understood that blockbuster action films with little dialogue, the appeal being expensive special effects, was easily translated to foreign audiences. But I’d never thought about a large blockbuster film being a big bet, with studio heads reluctant to give a young creative an opportunity to experiment and create. Hollywood needs a shakeup.

Looking ahead to next week, I’m excited to talk more about gatekeepers. I think we feel great about the ease in which we can access so many things easily, it’ll be interesting to see where business butts in. Putting profits over content. Controlling what is accessed and how.

We were asked to log all of our media consumption over a 4-6 hour period. Then take another 4-6 hour period without any media at all and compare the two.

During the consumption period I posted to Instagram, texted with friends. I used Google to search for information. I also listened to music and podcasts on my iPhone. I found that most of my media consumption revolves around information gathering. Since I was young I’ve always had a curious mind. The advent of smart phones has given me access to information that I would have previously needed a library for. For example, I’m working on a story about how climate change is affecting vineyards in the Willamette Valley. I was able to use my phone to find out different climate regions in the valley, how many wineries there are, and where they are. This instant access to information is the most valuable tool smart phones and the internet have given us.

The period in which we were supposed to not consume media at all I cheated a little bit. I went for a hike. I’ve found in the past that hiking here in the Pacific Northwest has given me a respite from the constant bombardment of smart phones and media in general. When I was younger I would have spent my free time skateboarding. But hiking has replaced that as an option to kind of get away from everything. I love the feeling of not being tethered to anything. I don’t need to check my social media platforms. I don’t need to text or call anyone. I can just enjoy the world around me as it is. It’s such a great feeling.

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timhowe-blog1 · 7 years ago

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~ Being British in Bavaria ~

Prologue

‘So, let's just get this straight,’ begins Frau Gürtelmann, removing her spectacles and fixing me slap bang in the eyes with a studied, concentrated gaze.

‘In your application you said that you are PC literate, but it turns out you can't touch-type, you can't tell the difference between pdf and power point, and Frau Bichlbächer had to show you how to send her an email’.

That much is true. I had needed to ask her secretary how to send an email. It seems incredible that a means of communication which we take for granted nowadays was by no means bread-and-butter business back in 1998.

‘All you're able to do,’ continues Gürtelmann, ‘is open Word’.Looking for confirmation, lest she might have misidentified my true colours, she cocks her head: ‘Right so?’

I’d been tickled pink when, having just graduated the previous autumn, Deutsche Telekom instantly offered me a full-time position in its translating department. My first day on the job looked promising. I’d always considered myself to be a natural talent at journalism, and was delighted to be asked to translate press releases for the company’s English-language website. The first assignment involved a dispatch advertising a wake-up call service from glamour girl Verona Feldbusch. That’s roughly the German equivalent of Katie Price. As I handed my polished text to the department secretary I remarked ‘Gosh, and there are people prepared to pay good money for something like that’.

This off-hand remark must have found its way back to the boss, because the following morning I was removed from press translation and relegated to manning ‘the clippings cubicle’. This, I soon discovered, was the least popular duty in the whole department – one normally assigned to school pupils on work week. My instructions were to ‘fillet’ the daily Fachpresse, or specialist press, cut out everything to do with telecommunications and glue it into a scrapbook. I’d heard from former novices that new full-time entrants were also occasionally put to work on this peripheral assignment. But for just a day or two, before being moved on to more key, translation-based tasks. Apart from being released to translate the odd text whenever a colleague went sick, I remained in the newspaper clippings cubicle a whole month.

I should have taken the hint. Especially when the colleague responsible for keeping an eye on my efforts quietly handed me the Stellenangebote – situations vacant – from the Süddeutsche Zeitung and suggested I might start applying for other jobs. Things hadn't quite panned out as planned, it seemed. I was now being called into the boss's office for my first and, as it soon transpired, only progress report. And we weren’t even a third of the way into probationary period.

Frau Gürtelmann's damning appraisal of my practically non-existent PC skills is, alas, spot on. Humiliated and unable to return her gaze, I lower my eyes, bringing them to rest on a stain on the lacquered wood floorboards. Then, as if attempting to mitigate charges being brought against me, I look up and whimper ‘Yes, but I also copy and paste’.

On reflection, I'd possibly taken ‘PC literate’, buzzword of the time, rather too literally. I was, after all, literate and able to turn on a PC. Surely that sufficed, did it not? A simplistic but nonetheless reasonable line of thought in the days when social networking meant little more than writing out a cheque each year for Friends Reunited and mobile phones came bricklike, glued to a 12-inch antenna. As for connectivity and the Internet of Things, back in 1998 these were foreign words to me.

In my defence, I ought to explain that my ignorance of all things IT was not totally mea culpa. I am one of the so-called ‘lost generation’. The very year after I left school, Information Technology was introduced to the National Curriculum. The idea of ‘catching up’ on this essential life-skills subject was never mooted, however. Right through university and well into my first full-time teaching job in Britain it was not once suggested that a basic grasp of PC knowhow might possibly enhance my career prospects. Not even when I took my Diploma of Translating shortly before the Millennium was there any talk of computer literacy being de rigueur for those wishing to progress in this IT-driven profession. As a mature student, I was easily ten years older than most of my fellow peers – every single one of them PC literate, naturally.

Following the dressing down in Frau Gürtelmann’s office, I knuckle down at my laptop and endeavour to fix my shortcomings in the IT department. For starters, I take an Introduction to Word course at the local VHS, part of Germany’s excellent adult education network. I even buy an old typewriter for ten marks and teach myself touch-typing. Still, having made a dog’s dinner of my first job in Germany, probably the most sensible thing to do would right now would be to cut my losses and return to England. Although my first attempt at teaching in Britain hadn’t exactly been a crowning achievement, I probably should consider giving it another go. They’re desperately short of foreign language teachers in Britain, I speak French and German fluently and am appropriately qualified. I feel sure I could make a much better job of it second time round.

So why am I reluctant to return to Britain? More to the point, why am I so gung-ho on staying on here and making Germany my home? Twenty years later, and this is still one of the most frequent questions which Germans ask me. ‘Wie kommst Du hierher?’ They want to know what brought me here. This has always struck me as something of a strange question. I mean, why not ‘Lust auf Lovely Germany?’ That’s the title of a recent Spiegel magazine report on intra-EU migrants. It’s no accident that some 96,000 Brits currently live in Germany. The country enjoys a healthy economy, plenty jobs, a generous health and social care system and generally a much better climate than Britain. They brew a damn good beer here too, of course. These are typical reasons I give whenever Germans ask me how I ended up here. And they’re all part of the reason why I’m so happy to make this country my adopted home. What originally attracted me over here all those years ago, however, takes a little more explaining. Truth told, I fell in love with Germany quite by accident. And it was all thanks to a teenage magazine called Bravo.

Flashback to the early eighties. Growing up in the genteel Georgian city of Bath in Northeast Somerset, it’s unlikely that I would ever have become quite so fixated with Germany and the Germans, had it not been for Bravo. I discovered this popular youth magazine on an exchange trip to our partner town of Brunswick in 1982. It was the year that Deutsche Welle rocked not only the German charts. Splashed over the mag’s front page almost every week were names like Spider Murphy Gang, Hubert Kah and Trio. The latter even made it onto Top of the Pops in Britain.

Emailing, text messaging, WotsApping – none of all that had been invented back then. I don’t think we even had fax. Which is why letter writing, just shortly behind the telephone, was probably the most common form of communication between young people. And Bravo, like most youth magazines of the time, played a pivotal role in this process. I decided to write off to its pen pal page. Scribbled on the back of a blank postcard and accompanied by a simple black-and-white passport photo, my text read Engländer (18) sucht nette deutsche Brieffreunde/innen (Englishman seeks nice German penfriends, male or female).

I didn’t give the request a moment’s more thought until several weeks later when the postman rang our doorbell excitedly waving a fistful of letters from Germany and Austria. The senders were all female, aged 15 to 17 – a rather narrow target audience for any type of magazine. Not that this really mattered much to me at the time, of course. I was too busy sniffing scented envelopes, deliberating which one to open first. Up to 900 further letters flooded in over the course of the ensuing months, and for a brief period I even possessed my own sorting bag at the local town post office. I did my uttermost to reply to as many as I could. My sole precondition – acceptance criteria, so to speak – was that they enclose a pretty photo. Or at least promise to send one by return of post. Scented notepaper earned bonus points, sending me onto overdrive, as I fired off responses machine-gun style. If ever there was a schoolboy trailblazer to online dating I can proudly say I helped pioneer the project. And if letter writing was ‘in’ then I was right there at the cutting edge.

It soon transpired that this was a perhaps less than ideal way to be spending almost every moment of my freetime in my final year of school. And scribbling away in chaotic Denglish was possibly not the best preparation for my German exams either. Miraculously, I scraped through final examinations with a ‘B’ (History) and two ‘C’ grades (French and German). The latter, interestingly, was a very hard school subject in those days, and remains equally so. This might explain my rather disappointing grade in my most favourite subject. Only around 9% of British pupils actually learn German – and most happily abandon the subject by the age of 16. No wonder Brits refer to it as ‘niche’ subject. Whatever educational value I felt might be derived from corresponding with a substantial proportion of the female teenage population in Germany obviously failed to manifest itself in my exam results.

Having written as many letters as I could physically manage each night I would crawl into bed, collapsing alongside my plastic-clad transistor radio. I habitually sent myself to sleep with Berichte von heute, North German Radio's roundup of the day's news. How much I was able to follow invariably depended on the strength of the crackly short-wave signal. Each morning I would awaken to dulcet tones of Radio Luxemburg's Fröhlicher Wecker, aka Axel Fitzke. This slightly less cocky German version of the BBC's Chris Evans invited his Germany-based listeners, and probably his sole follower in the UK, to wallow in a grand pêle-mêle of Deutsche Schlager and Euro pop. The latter – smash hits from Brittany to Bucharest – despite being sung in relatively comprehensible, albeit rather nonsensical English, never seemed to chart in Britain, strangely enough. The line-up included stars with dubious-sounding names such as Gazebo, Secret Service and Joy. Not to be confused, of course, with the somewhat more sophisticated Police and Joy Division, which most of my peers were into back then. But if Germans were unashamed fans of banal euro pop then it was good enough for me too.

In my last year of school I was, needless to say, obsessed with all things German. When classmates were kicking a ball around the playground or, more likely, slouched on sofas in the sixth form centre, my ears would be glued to headphones in the language lab, fervently following the latest episode of BBC Schools' Deutsch für die Oberstufe, which Herr Lawson kindly recorded each week just for me – I seemed to be the only one interested.

Hence I spent my final school year specialising in the subjects I loved – foreign languages and history. The school careers advice centre, sadly, wasn’t the greatest of help in guiding me on what exactly to do with these subjects after school. Looking back, I should really have gone in for something more career-oriented, such as journalism or tourism management. Unsure what to do next, I was talked into doing a bone-dry, text-bookish Language and Linguistics degree course. I chose the University of Essex for one sole reason – the port of Harwich was just down the road, providing a convenient escape route to Germany. It was a few more years until no-frills airlines were to revolutionise the way we travelled abroad. For the time being it was the ferry for me.

Had you asked me, in those halcyon, pre-Brexit days, if I'd rather be German than British the answer would have been a resounding ‘Jaaaa!

This, then, is the story of my journey from Bath to deepest Lower Bavaria. And in this post-Brexit climate, an attempt to answer perhaps one of the toughest Anglo-German issues:

Can you really transform a Brit into a Bavarian?

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mg-perusables · 7 years ago

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Virtual trips

The climate-change effect of emissions from high-flying planes is several times (3 to 5 times more) that of the CO2 alone. There are compounds based on nitrogen and sulphur, and the condensed water vapour can reduce the heat lost at night. For our journey to Europe I looked for a way to offset our impact. Offsetting reduces emissions somewhere else, to compensate for those you have caused. We have no alternative to going to Europe to maintain our family relationships.

As our current pattern of consumption would require 1.6 Earths to be sustainable we need to look a bit more closely at things like tourism. Remember that this excessive demand for the Earth’s resources is mainly from us - people from the more economically developed countries. We are the ones taking foreign holidays.

How much are we going to gain from being in a distant new place? Assuming we avoid some kind of digestive problem then we can try different cuisine; if we are so inclined. But most of us live in cities these days, and finding foreign food close to home is easy. There are chinese, japanese, italian, french, arab and hamburger restaurants within easy walking distance of where I live.

Then there are the sights. It is as a result of the pioneers of travel guides in the 1830s, like James Murray and Karl Baedecker, that tourists visit cities and climb on and off tour buses. To be certain that sights would always be there, they identified constructed objects; churches, palaces, memorials, squares, etc. as being worthy of a visit. How many people spend their spare time at home visiting such things? Remembering that we choose warmer places to holiday in, and it is clear that this kind of holiday activity may be physically uncomfortable too.

Besides all this there is the travel itself. Any excitement about flying palls after very few hours squashed in a ‘plane. Then there is jet-lag. This disturbs your sleep and your digestion at the beginning of your trip, and then again when you get back. Who wants that? Flights for tourists often leave and return in the middle of the night, which is also not conducive to returning rested from your holiday.

It seems to me that the normal foreign holiday for tourism is neither necessary nor appropriate, and that we should seek alternatives. Without hiding in “virtual reality goggles” you can experience foreign cultures and sights much more comfortably, at your own pace and without selfie-sticks. The ebook illustrated above shows you how for Japan. For the really important holiday objectives - recharging your physical and emotional batteries, getting away and being pampered is easily achieved close to home, but far enough away to be able to resist going back if something crops up.

By only taking this virtual trip are you missing something essential? You certainly won’t be able to feel the weather on your face, or talk to the locals. But are your foreign languages up to such conversations?

Unlike on a physical guided tour, a virtual trip allows you to easily change the sequence of visits, or to take a rest whenever you want to, or to go back again to something you specially liked. You can also enjoy the trip, or parts of it, whenever you want to, and alone or with your chosen companions. There’s no need to be sure to avoid a crowded period, or the rainy season. All you need is a little time, just when it suits you, and access to the internet.

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jansegers · 7 years ago

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Simple English Word List

SIMPLE1540 : a simple English wikipedia word list based on the XML export of all articles related to the nine major groups: Everyday life, Geography, History, Knowledge, Language, Literature, People, Religion, and Science and retaining all word forms appearing 7 times or more in this corpus. The total number of words in this corpus is well over the 100.000 words. a A.D. ability able about above absence abstinence abstract academic academy accent accept access accord account across act action active activity actual actually ad add addition adherent adjective adult advance advice affect after again against age agnostic agnosticism ago agree agreement agriculture air alcohol all allow ally almost alone along alphabet also although always amateur amendment among amount an analysis ancient and angel animal annals anonymous another answer anthropomorphism any anyone anything aphasia appear apple apply approach archaeology architecture area argue argument around arrange art article artificial artist ask aspect associate association astronomy at atheism atheist atomic attack attempt attribute audience author authority available average avoid award away B.C. baby back background backpack bad bah balance band baptism base basic basis battle BCE be bear beautiful beauty because become bed bee before begin behavior behind being belief believe believing belong below best better between beyond bias biblical bibliography big billion biological biology birth bit black blind blood blue body book born both bottom boundary box boy brain branch bring brown buffalo build building bull burn business but by c. ca. calendar call can cancer canon capital caption car carbon card carry case cassette cat category cathedral catholic cause cell center central century cerebral certain change chapel chapter character chemical chemistry child china China choice choir choose chronicle church circumcise circumcision cite citizen city civil civilian civilization claim clan class classical cleanup clear clergy click climate close closer clothes clothing coast coauthor code codex cognitive col cold collection college colonization colony color column com come commentary commission common commonly communicate communication communion communist community companion company compare competition complete complex compose composer computer concept conception concern condition confuse confusion congregational connect connection conquer conquest consciousness consider consistent constitution construct construction contain contemporary content context continent continue contrary control convention conversation conversion convert cook cooking copy core correct could council country course court cover covered create creation credit crime critical criticism crop cross crust cultural culture current currently daily damage dark data date day dead death debt decadence decadent decide declaration decline deconstruction deep define definition deity demonstrate denomination department depth describe description design detail determinism developed development device devil diagnosis dialect dictionary die difference different difficult difficulty diphthong dipstick direct directly dirt disagree disambiguation disbelief discipline discover discovery discussion disease disorder distance distinct distinction distinguish distribution divide divine do doctor doctrine document dog don't door down Dr. dream drink drown druid due during dynasty each earlier early earth easier easily easy eat economic economics economy ed edge edit edition editor education effect eight either electric electricity electronic element elevation else emperor empire encyclopedia end energy engine engineering enlightenment enough enter entertainment environment environmental epic episode equal era error especially establish etc. etymology even event eventually ever every everyday everyone everything evidence evil evolution evolve exact exactly example except exchange exist existence expansion experience experiment expert explain explanation express expression external extinct face fact failure fair faith fall false family famous far fast father feature feel feeling female feudal few fiction field fight figure file find finding fire first fish fit five fix flow folk follow food for force 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inquiry inside instead institute institution instrument instrumentation intellectual intelligence interlinear internal international internet interpretation into introduce introduction invent invention involve iron island issue it IT itself job join journal journalism judge just keep key kill kind king kingdom know knowledge la LA label lack lake lamp land landlocked landscape language large last late later law lead leader leap learn learned least leave legacy legal legend let letter level lexeme library life light lightning like likely limited line linguistic linguistics link liquid list literacy literary literature little liturgy live local location logic logical long longer look lord lore lose lot love low lower mac machine magazine magic magnetic magnum mail main mainly major make male mammal man mankind manuscript many map march March mark market mass material mathematical mathematics matter may May me mean meaning meant measure measurement meat median medical medicine medieval mediterranean medium meet member memory men mental mention mercury message metal method mid middle might migrate migration military millennium million mind minister minute misconception miss model modern modernism modernist moment money monologue monophthong month monument moon moral morality more morning most mostly mother mount mountain mouth move movement much museum music musical musicians must my myth mythology name narrative nation national nationality native natural naturalism naturally nature near nearly necessarily necessary need negative neither neologism network neurogenesis neuron neuroscience never new news newspaper next night nine no non none nor normal normally not note nothing noun novel now nuclear number object objective objectivity observation observe occupation occur ocean octane of off offer office official officially often oil old older on once one online only open opera opposite or oral orbit order org organization organize origin original originally orthography orthology other others our out outer outside over own oxygen p. pack pagan page paint palace paper paradigm parent parish park part participant particular particularly party pas pass past pasta pattern pay peace peer penguin penis people per percent percentage perception performance perhaps period peroxide persecution person personal personality perspective persuasion pet phenomenon philosopher philosophical philosophy phoneme phonetic phonetics photo phrase physic physical picture piece pilgrimage place plan planet plant plat plate play please poem poems poet poetry point pole police policy political politics polytheism polytheistic popular population position positive possession possible possibly post power powerful pp. practical practice praise pray prayer precise predict prediction prehistory present preserve press prevent priest primary principle print printing private probably problem process produce product production professional program project pronounce pronunciation proof property prophet propose prose proselytism protection protein provide province psychological psychology public publication publish publisher publishing punishment pure purpose put pyramid quantum question quickly quite quote race racial rack radiation radio rain range rate rather read reader real realism reality really reason receive recent recently reclamation recognize record recreation red ref refer reference referred reform reformation regard region reign rejection relate relation relationship relatively relativity reliable relic religion religious remain remember remove renaissance replace report republic request require research researcher resource respect response result resurrection retrieve return revelation revert review revision revival revolution rhetoric rich right rise ritual river rock role room royal rule ruled ruler run rural sacred sacrifice safe saga sage saint salad same sample satellite saw say schizophrenia scholar school science scientific scientist scope sea search second secondary section secular see seek seem selection self sense sent sentence separate sequence series service set seven several sexual shall shaman shape share she short should show shrine side sign significant silence similar simple simply since single situation six size skill skin slavery sleep slightly slow small smell smith snake so social society sociology soft soil solar soldier solid soliloquy some someone something sometimes song soon sortable sound source space speak speaker special specie specific speech speed spell spirit spiritual spirituality split sport spread square st. stage stain standard star start state statement station statistic statistical statue status stick still stone stop story strange strap strong structure struggle stub student study stutter style subject successful such sugar suggest sun sung sunlight superior superiority supernatural support suppose supreme sure surface survey surveyor sushi sustainability sustainable sweat symbol symbolic system table take talk tam tan task teach teacher teaching technique technology tectonics teeth tell temperature template temple ten term terminology territory tertiary test testament text textual than thank that the their theism them themselves then theology theoretical theory therapy there therefore thesaurus these they thick thing think third this those though thought thousand three through throughout thumb thus ticket tight time title to today together toilet tolerance toleration tongue too tool top topic total towards tower trade tradition traditional train translation transport travel treat treatment tree trench trial tribe tried trig true truth try turn twentieth twenty two type typical typically ultimate ultraviolet under understand understood union unit united universal universe university unknown unsortable until up upon upper urban urbanization usage use useful usually valley value van vandalism various vassal vegetable verb verbal verse version very video view violence virgin visit vitamin vocabulary voice vol. volume vowel vs. wale wall want war warm warmer wash waste water wave way we weak wealth wear weather web website weight well what when where whether which while white who whole whom whose why wide widely wild wilderness will window wisdom wise witch witchcraft with within without witness woman word work worker world worship would write writer writing wrong yam year yellow you young your

China, March and May made this list because china, march and may are on it and I didn't want to decide in favor of the common noun or the proper noun; all other proper nouns have been omitted (even the ten other months that met the criterium of appearing more then 6 times). #SimpleWikipedia #SimpleEnglish #wordlist #English #words #level1540 #Inli #nimi #selo1540

#SimpleWikipedia SimpleEnglish wordlist English words level1540 Inli nimi selo1540

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geniuszone-blog · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on Geniuszone

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Travel and Tour Tips for Business and Leisure Visitors to China

China is a huge united state at a size of nine,596,960 sq.Km. China became only partially open to the sector from 1980 onwards and has been a communist country for lots decades. Although there may be a good deal progress within the tour enterprise and infrastructure of China, there remain areas that need to be stepped forward before it is able to fit the extent that most vacationer could require.

However, lots of the fun remain that it’s miles one of a kind from the rest of the world. China might be the host country for the Olympics in The year 2008. Travel facilities and infrastructure may be improving speedily as we method Year 2008.

China is wealthy in subculture and records. Visit the Great Wall of China in Beijing, sip Chinese tea in Xiamen, dance with ethnic tribes in Yunnan, take a look at out nineteenth Century European buildings in Qingdao – there are in order that a good deal does and the spot in China!

Below are a few tour pointers to make your travel in China less difficult:

Entry Visa

China requires access visa from most countries. Apply at the Chinese consulate or through your travel agent earlier than traveling to China.

Climate

Extremely numerous; tropical in south to subarctic in north. Be prepared with the proper seasonal garb.

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Foreign Exchange

The unit of currency is referred to as Renminbi(RMB) or Yuan. Get a few Chinese Yuan to your neighborhood u. S . Earlier than touring. When in China, trade overseas forex for local forex inside the banks or at the inn. Banks tend to offer slightly better prices than resorts. Take notice that some banks near for a noon siesta between 12-2pm.

Payment centers

Most better class accommodations and purchasing centers take Credit Card or Traveller’s cheques. Smaller hotels and stores take coins most effective. Once out of the larger towns, credit score card and ATM playing cards have a tendency to be nearly impossible to utilize. Cash remains king in Chinese business and exchange.

Counterfeit notes are not unusual in China. Check cautiously before accepting the trade, specially if it consists of the main 100RMB notes. You can feel a texture difference where counterfeit notes are concerned.

Understanding of English

Most civil servants, customs officials, police, hotel personnel and men in the road do no longer communicate English or at first-rate a smattering of English.

Most signboards and notices will carry each English and Chinese. However, be aware that a few translations can be so infamous that you can actually infrequently recognize what was it’s authentic Chinese goal.

Do no longer expect hotels or shops to apprehend English. Only the very large accommodations will have a team of workers in order to understand English.

Most younger human beings can recognize primary English in case you speak slowly.

Social Security

China is commonly a safe u. S .. However, hold on tight for your wallet specifically in crowded, popular visitor web sites in vacationer towns along with Beijing and Xian.

These visitor towns additionally have numerous touts inside the streets touting traveler from forex to jewelry to girl companionships. Avoid in any respect fee!

Domestic Travel

Bus, educate, ferries and home flights are pretty nicely advanced. Avoid the crowd at the stations and ebook your tickets thru the hotel tour desk or the nearest tour agent. Prices are possible to be competitive and tickets can be delivered to your resort room. Again, keep away from price ticket touts who approach you inside the streets.

Local buses are cheap (US$zero.10 or YS$zero.20) and you can need to attempt out. Taxis are handy and are to be had in any respect hours. Starting fares vary from every city and may be as cheap as US$0.70 in Weihai and US$1.50 in Shenzhen.

Avoid journey in China at some point of top vacation seasons or e-book tickets nicely beforehand.

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Local Hotels

There is a good desire of lodges in China ranging from one superstar to the most expensive 6 stars. Most of the time, the rooms are secure and smooth and in my view, cheap does no longer imply terribly.

There are many websites selling China motel rooms on the net. You also can take a look at out the journey counters that are available in most teaching, bus stations as well as the airport.

Book beforehand if touring in height seasons.

Peak Tourist Seasons

Chinese New Year: Date varies however usually late January or early February.

May Day: First two weeks of May

China National Day: Middle weeks of October

Avoid visiting at some point of that period. Book rooms and journey modes way early if need to travel. Believe me, the crowds throughout this period of time may be horrifying. What do you expect whilst the entire Chinese kingdom of 8 billion humans is on vacation as properly!

Chinese Food

Local food is absolutely gorgeous. Try as a whole lot Chinese meals as your pockets or belly can find the money for. Restaurants are to be had anywhere and open to the past due hours. Most eating places may have a menu that includes pix of the diverse dishes. Better but, truely factor at the food that your next door table is having, specifically if it looks scrumptious!

However, avoid avenue facet stalls and drinking directly from the taps when you have the delicate stomach.

Telecommunications

Mobile cellphone coverage in China is ideal in maximum locations. Global vehicle-roaming within China isn’t a trouble.

Internet

There are cyber-cafes everywhere in China, particularly in tourist areas. Most are patronized via younger humans playing on line video games however you continue to can test your Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail. Access may be a piece sluggish for international web sites.

You will need to expose your passport as China has tight regulations at Internet Cyber Cafes.

Toilet centers

One of the worst enjoy many has with China is the atrocious bathroom facilities. Things have improved very an awful lot however it could still be an awesome concept to empty your belly or bladder at each opportunity in a motel, eating place or departmental keep. Public lavatories and toilets in small stores can be a nose danger!

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* Useful China tour hints *

Try to get an English speak tour guide at every possibility you can. China has a wealthy and wonderful history and tradition and without a manual, someway, the flavor and significance of maximum excursion websites may be misplaced.

*Sneaky tip: Hang round a group that has an English speaking guide in case you can not afford one!

Always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver so that you can bitch if you have been cheated or for tracing purposes in case you appear to leave your camera in the back of within the taxi.

Try to take the name card for each motel which you are staying at as these playing cards may have a Chinese cope with and the map of your motel location. This is useful in case you want to are looking for assistance to discover your manner lower back as the English model or pronunciation of a hotel or an avenue name may be quite a one-of-a-kind from the Chinese model.

After a tiring day, test out Chinese foot reflexology or Chinese TuiNa (Chinese rub down). Wonderful for the body after a tough day and really reasonably-priced to boot. Simply appearance out for save signs and symptoms that suggest feet! They are anywhere.

Make friends with the Chinese every time you could. They love to satisfy foreigners and could make properly tour courses. Just purchase a small present as a small token of appreciation.

Ken Cheong worked and stay in Mainland China for five years. He has exceptional admiration for the Chinese people who has suffered for decades from battle and political unrest to become an up and coming economy these days. He shares his experience in China.

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symbianosgames · 8 years ago

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The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

"Have you ever been to Florence? The Il Duomo Di Firenze (Florence Cathedral) is absolutely beautiful."

"Yes! I've explored it in Assassin's Creed!"

As a former architecture student turned game designer, such a response is both motivational and inspirational. It reminds me that the two fields, which are both near and dear to my heart, are not that much different from one another. Deanna Van Buren wrote a Gamasutra article outlining how architectural knowledge proved useful during the development process of The Witness. When people ask about my career change, I tell them that there are many parallels between the two fields. As an architect, I was taught to think in 3D; architects are taught to visualize all aspects of their designs. They have a thorough knowledge base of architectural and cultural history and iconography (a branch of art history, that studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images); knowledge which can be used to develop more convincing virtual worlds.

Millenniums Apart

Contrary to video game development, architecture is one of the oldest industries in the world. When you look at how architectural structures have changed over time, the differences are not that significant. The base materials have stayed more or less the same, and the main principles upon which the study is based have remained unchanged since first outlined in 30 – 15 BC by Vitruvius. On the other hand, game development is one of the fastest evolving industries of the modern day. This young industry still has a long ways to go, and various aspects can be vastly improved with the help of one of humankind’s oldest industries – architecture.

Nowadays, we strive to be new and innovative with startups at every corner. In an effort to create a holistic game identity, video game developers often commit to one style, period or genre in their games. However, this is not how environments exist in reality. The environments we inhabit today are layered; they have been painted by history and molded by the stories behind them. These are subtleties that the games of today lack, which could be introduced into our virtual environments with some architectural expertise.

(Re)Creating History

A scale model of the Cathedral Mosque of Cordoba created by University of Waterloo architecture students.

In order to design modern-day buildings we need to have a thorough knowledge base of how humanity got to where it is today. Any architectural education consists of a healthy amount of history courses which range in subject matter from iconography to the history of art and religion. Architects are tasked with recreating structures in miniature in order to learn about the structural details that went into developing and constructing these iconic buildings. They learn how to find the information they need, as often what they seek is not something that is readily available on the internet. Often, they are required to dig through scholarly journals, archives and/or refer to artworks for historical information (depending on how far back they are required to go). Every architectural project starts with an extensive amount of research regarding everything from geological information about the area where the structure is to be built, to the history of the surrounding buildings, and the cultural influences that may affect the structure.

Concept art from Assassin’s Creed for the character of Cesare Borgia, made by Vincent Gaigneux. Image © Ubisoft Montreal [Image source]

When Ubisoft Montreal was developing Assassin’s Creed II, the art director Vincent Gaigneux was in charge of designing Ezio Auditore da Firenze (the main character). He enlisted the help of Maria Elisa Navarro, who at the time was working on her PhD in Architectural History and Theory at the University of McGill. At first, his intention was only to question her on how he could familiarize himself with the look and feel of the Italian Renaissance, so that he could best design the costumes, weapons, etc. However, once Navarro told him that he had to access archives to study documents and original paintings from the time-period, Gaigneux soon realized that the task was very foreign to him. With that, Navarro was brought onto the project for the next two years.

Ubisoft needed to familiarize themselves with the time-period between 1476 and 1503, to design the characters, 3D models and gameplay. Navarro’s job consisted of preparing master classes for the team, in order to teach them of the Italian Renaissance, the House of Medici and more. She also prepared documents from the archives in response to specific design needs. Beyond architecture, Navarro’s influence also spread to the wardrobe of the characters as she had discovered that the clothing differed by region. Through studying paintings from the time-period, she found that they depicted distinctive differences between the fashion of Florence, and that of Venice. This knowledge was then translated into the game world with the help of the artists and designers on the team.

Every day I see games that aim to create hyper-realistic environments, but many fail in recreating the intricate details that a seasoned eye would notice. Video games depict incredible atmospheres but often these depictions paint an idealized picture, without considering history. For example, the game may be set in a futuristic city filled with shiny and gleaming structures but that is not how our cities are built. Our cities consist of layers of history where even the newest and most modern cities will have both new and old structures side by side.

Other times, artists will not take the materials of the structures into account and will only worry about what they deem aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Does it matter that your model has stone columns on wooden floors that would never actually be able to stand in the real world? Does it matter that your Italian Renaissance building has a wrought iron balcony that does not correspond to the era that the game is set in? Depends on what you, the developer, consider important for your game.

“Impossible” Architecture

Unlike architecture, game development offers me more room for creativity, where my designs need not be bound by the physical world. I can put the needs of my players first and design based on what is best for them. While working as an architectural intern at Yashar Architects in Israel, I was tasked with building the 3D model for a conceptual design competition that the firm entered. The entire team was so excited at the sight of a conceptual competition. The entire firm soon became involved, and the designs that we created were otherworldly. The excitement on my coworkers’ faces could not be contained – they were designing unique buildings without worrying about client needs or how much money they would be making for the developers.

Monument Valley questions what we consider architectural bounds and allows players to manipulate the architecture in its fantastical game world. [Image source]

Trained to think 3-Dimensionally, architects would be able to create breathtaking, incredible structures when given the opportunity. Trained to work in proper scale and add detail as necessary, architects would be able to bring more depth to already unconceivable game worlds like in Monument Valley. When I first played this game, I was mesmerized at how I was able to manipulate the architecture to traverse through the levels. Heavily influenced by M.C. Escher, this seemingly simple, yet very elaborate game is able to immerse players into its game world through the consistency in the details (using the palette and structures). Through an outside eye, it may seem silly to spend a great amount of man-hours on seemingly miniscule things like the furnishings, door handles, window openings, etc., but all of this greatly adds to the environment while still aligning to the chosen art-style. Any architect would be excited at the opportunity to bend architectural physics in order to create a fantastical game world.

What is Your Story?

Ask any architectural student to explain why they chose to design something a certain way and they will provide an elaborate reason or backstory. Architects are taught that they must be able to justify every single design decision that they make. The reason may be related to the geological state of the site where the structure is to be built, geographical location, culture of the area, or something else entirely; but there must be a reason beyond just the superficial aspect. Architects sometimes create their own architectural stories to go with their designs. The same would benefit the game development process – there should be reasons behind design decisions and stories behind the games we make.

Developers of The Witness hired architects to help them create the island in the game. [Image Source]

As previously mentioned, architects were hired to help create the island in The Witness. In the real world, architecture and landscape are based on the historical, physical and institutional constraints of the world we live in. What is the topography of the land? What materials are available to us? What climate are we in? What are the zoning laws of the area? Those are the types of questions that designers should consider when creating a game as they would bring more authenticity to the virtual world. During the making of The Witness, Deanna Van Buren’s first question for the developers was “where is north on the Island?” The significance of such constraints is immense.

Just like architects are bound by constraints of reality, designers should create boundaries for themselves when designing a game. It is important to establish a frame for the world that you are trying to create. Developing a narrative would help define these constraints and would allow for more realism. While the game does not have to be graphically realistic, the existence of constraints such as passage of time, directional sun, an established climate, etc. help the players relate more to the game world and thereby feel more immersed.

However, just as the developers would have to adapt to the architectural constraints, architects would also have to adapt to the gameplay constraints that they are not used to. After all, the buildings of the Italian Renaissance were not meant to be viewed from above, nor were they designed to be climbed on. Nevertheless, the architects and designers need to configure the game world so that the players would still feel as if they are in the appropriate time-period, but the gameplay would not suffer.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether your game strives to create a hyper realistic environment, or a fantastical world, you can enlist the help of architects for their thorough knowledge base of architectural history, culture and iconography to help develop these virtual worlds. We can lure them with the endless architectural possibilities that virtual environments can offer, where they would be able to explore architectural and environmental limits. We can take pointers from this well-established industry and create stories behind our designs in order to bring a more authentic feel into our game worlds. As game designers, we can learn a lot from the architectural industry, and where applicable, employ architects to supplement our design needs.

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