#wait no he visited once in 2018/19 but i haven’t seen him

[ahouseoflies]

The Best Films of 2018, Part III

Parts I and II are here and here.

GOOD MOVIES

70. Mid90s (Jonah Hill)- I usually applaud filmmakers for letting visuals tell the story instead of spelling everything out, but Mid90s needs to spell some more stuff out, especially at the truncated end. His brother brought him an orange juice, so all of the abuse is forgotten? I need a bit more there.

I was always going to be in the tank for this though, having been the same age as the protagonist at the time, owning some of the same shirts as him and hanging some of the same posters on my wall. Despite the "My First Screenplay" beef I had up top, each supporting character gets something to do. Hill shows promise as a director (and the fingerprints of his influences) by being able to shift between poles of emotions in a matter of seconds.

69. McQueen (Ian Bonhote)- Although it waits too long to get into McQueen's depression, this documentary does an adequate job of showing the ups and downs of his life. It was great seeing things I've only read about, like the Voss show.

Here's the thing though: I'm not a genius, but if I were, I would hope that my closest friends and advisers would be able to articulate what made me great. A little less "We were working sixteen-hour days." A little more "He changed art forever."

68. Beautiful Boy (Felix Van Groeningen)- For better and worse, this portrait of a parent's worst nightmare is unrelenting. Surprisingly, the toughest moment is when Nic is fierce with pride, clean for fourteen months. Because when you pause and see that there's an hour left in the movie, you shudder at how low he might end up going.

Van Groeningen's sort of french braid of past and present hasn't changed for his English-language debut, but things worked best for me when he locked in on Timothee Chalamet's mannered but touching performance. I wish the movie had a proper ending.

67. The Kindergarten Teacher (Sara Colangelo)- This takes a little while to get sick and twisted, but I liked it once it did. Part of why it works is Gyllenhaal's commitment to the role. As dark as the character gets--and the film does seem hell-bent on establishing her as a failure when I'm not sure that's true--Gyllenhaal never judges her. It's probably her best performance since SherryBaby.

As for Gael Garcia Bernal, who plays a poetry professor who kisses people and then apologizes and says that he misread the moment and acts all bashful, are we sure about him? Are we sure he's good at acting?

66. The Spy Who Dumped Me (Susanna Fogel)- The spywork of the last half-hour is way too convoluted, but the comedy is fast and loose in service of a sweet female friendship. We're at the stage with the genius of Kate McKinnon in which I just assume that she came up with anything funny on the spot. For example, there's an off-hand joke that her character went to camp with Edward Snowden and was surprised that the news didn't mention how "into ska" he was. It's so bizarre that it had to be improv. Later, when Edward Snowden shows up as a character, I had to admit that the movie was tightly written. But I assumed it was McKinnon first. 65. Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg)- Halfway through Ready Player One, there's a sequence that takes place inside The Overlook Hotel of The Shining. The characters are walking through a photorealistic recreation of that setting, down to the smallest details, but it has been repurposed with different angles for this film. Not only have I literally never seen something like this in a movie, but I never imagined the possibility of such a thing existing. And somehow...it's corny and derivative.

So goes Ready Player One. It takes the simple pleasures of a Chosen One narrative with a killer villain, loads every corner of the frame with Ryu or Beetlejuice or a Goldie Wilson campaign poster, and punishes you with maximalism. Each piece reliably contributes to the whole, sometimes in thrilling and amusing fashion, but no matter when you check your watch, forty-five minutes are left.

When imdb came out, Steven Spielberg was one of the first people I looked up. What shocked me was how many projects I attributed to his direction when he had only produced them. In my kid brain, Spielberg had directed Gremlins or Goonies or An American Tail. They had his imprimatur of whimsy and wonder and childhood identification even if they were, you know, a bit more conventional and less purposeful than the movies he directed. Well, not since Tintin has there been a Steven Spielberg-directed film that feels more Spielberg-produced.

My favorite reference was the Battletoads. Or more accurately, imagining the seventy-two-year-old filmmaker going, "Oh, you know I gotta get the 'Toads up in this bih!"

64. Ben Is Back (Peter Hedges)- Despite a little bit of note-card screenwriting--"Get a line about how insurance doesn't care about drug addiction in there!"--The first two-thirds take their time revealing information to the viewer, dropping bread crumbs of the family history quite gracefully. Roberts and Hedges play off each other well, and their charisma powers the first half. She, of course, has an ample bag of Movie Star tricks, but, surprisingly, he already does too. You can see, in the confrontation at the mall, for example, how the mother's dissembling and conniving would pass down to him.

So it's a real bummer when the final third decides to separate the leads and rushes to a baffling conclusion. It falls apart like few movies in recent memory.

63. Avengers: Infinity War (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)- Whatever. I admire the skill that it must have taken to balance the revolving wheel of characters--even if it does feel like check-ins half the time. The movie is exhausting in a bad way until it's exhausting in a good way. More importantly, here are my power rankings. (Their power in my own heart. Thanos is obviously the most powerful.)

1. Rocket 2. Hawkeye (Renner Season even when it isn't.) 3. The Collector 4. Black Panther 5. Thanos 6. Iron Man 7. Ned 8. Nick Fury 9. Star Lord 10. Thor (His scene with Rocket is the best one in the film.) 11. Gamora 12. Hulk (Your boy is so earnest in this. "They KNEW!") 13. Spider-Man 14. Wong 15. Okoye 16. Doctor Strange (Way cooler in this than his own movie.) 17. Captain America (His hair was beautiful.) 18. Drax 19. Pepper Potts 20. Falcon 21. Groot 22. Black Widow 23. Winter Soldier 24. Loki (Is he alive? Was he alive before this? Can he impersonate people or whatever even if he's dead? What's his deal?) 25. Scarlet Witch (Her first line is, getting out of bed, "Vis, is it the stone again?") 26. Gamora's Sister (No, you look it up.) 27. War Machine (Do you think Cheadle forgets that he's in these? Like, he misses a day of shooting just because he forgot?) 28. Vision 29. Whatever Peter Dinklage Was

62. The Old Man & the Gun (David Lowery)- Sissy Spacek's character explains, on a tour of her house, that she pulled up some wallpaper and found a signature from 1881 underneath, which is so unique that--ugly as it is--she couldn't bear to cover it. The movie is sort of about that. Does a way of life from a long time ago matter now?

Does it matter how you present yourself? How much does intention cancel out action?

The questions play themselves out in a way that is formally interesting--Lowery swish-pans and advances the scenes in a way that he hasn't since Ain't Them Bodies Saints--but informally pretty dull. Redford is engaging as possible, but I feel like I maxed out on my concern for a person who refuses to change.

I've had the Sean Penn "on one" scale for a long time, but I'm introducing the "off one" scale for Casey Affleck, who is so purposefully muted that he seems like he's going to pass out in some scenes. Keep doing you, Case. As far as acting goes.

61. Disobedience (Sebastian Lelio)- I admired how little the film spelled out about the setting and the characters' pasts. The beginning is cautious without being slow, and the women seem drawn to each other with a sort of magnetism that is difficult to pull off. While the triangle of people at the center is realistic and fair, the picture is ultimately a bit staid. I don't want melodrama out of the story either, but I do think it would work better if the characters were more passionate about anything, even the religion that makes them lack passion. 60. Crazy Rich Asians (Jon M. Chu)- This movie is sweet, and it nails the rom-com fulcrum scenes that it has to. Hear me out though: Both of the leads are winning, and Henry Golding's charm keeps us from acknowledging that his character is a psycho. Here is a list of things that, over the course of a year, he does not bother to tell his girlfriend:

a. That his family is the wealthiest in Singapore. Or wealthy at all. But more notably, he tells Rachel no details at all about his family, such as his brothers' and sisters' names. b. That he skipped an important trip home a few months ago, which caused a rift in his family. c. How to pack or dress for their trip to visit his family. d. That his mother did not want them sleeping together at her house, not that he "wants her all to himself." e. That his family wants him to take over their business, which would necessitate a permanent move to Singapore. f. That he went out with one of the women attending the bachelorette party, and that this woman has very good reason to sabotage Rachel and Nick's current relationship. g. That the wedding they're attending is also a super-rich affair that will be covered by international media. h. That the wedding party they're attending the night before is a formal affair with hundreds of guests, not the "family party" that he presents it as. By the way, this is one of the two times that he not only doesn't accompany her to an event, expecting her to meet him there and find him, but he doesn't even send a car. i. That he's thinking about proposing to her. "We haven't even talked about that stuff," Rachel tells her mother.

Communication is key, Nick.

59. Lean on Pete (Andrew Haigh)- I liked the first half and its patient doling out of information. Haigh sews quite a few credible threads to show why the gruff Dell would take a liking to Charley. When the film diverges into a drifter story, I got frustrated with it. To me, drifter characters aren't interesting because they take unpredictable actions, what enliven films, and make them predictable. A dine-and-dash is a dangerous, exciting thing to happen in a movie, but when this scared kid has already done so much similar running, it dulls that edge. This is Haigh's least successful film, but it's still empathetic and sensitive.

58. Hereditary (Ari Aster)- The first third of Hereditary is when it is at its most intimate and compact as a story of grief. And with the bridge of a genuinely shocking event, it becomes less Don’t Look Back and more of a hellish explainer.

Ari Aster is a master craftsman already, investing every element with intention, down to “Why are clocks so present in the frame?” That craft extends to Toni Collette, who is even better than she normally is. But in refusing to be mysterious and small, the film didn't connect with me on a level beyond admiration..

57. Gringo (Nash Edgerton)- The expository information about the company comes too late, the ending is too tidy, and I'm not sure what my girl Mandy Seyfried is doing in this. But it's funny overall, in large part because Theron and Edgerton bounce off each other beautifully, projecting a very specific brand of nouveau riche awful. She says, "Fat people are...hilarious," and he wears too many accessories in his pick-up basketball game, for which there's a running clock.

Many of these crime comedies fail because all of the characters are painted with the same cynical brush, but Oyelowo is so likable here as a frazzled guy in over his head, playing against the type of simmering dignity he inhabited as someone like Martin Luther King. I'm glad that he's getting at-bats with something this different.

56. Bad Times at the El Royale (Drew Goddard)- If you like table-setting (and I do), then this is going to be a fun time. Each room at the motel gets a two-sided mirror, each character is two-faced, many events are presented from two perspectives, and there's even a double in the title. It's hard not to share in Goddard's delight as he patiently lays out all of the Tarantinian pieces.

Once he has to start declaring things though, somewhere halfway in the meandering two and a half hours, the film doesn't end up having much to say. I'm not sure I wanted another Cabin in the Woods ending, but I did want it to add up to more than the modest pleasures that it does. Kudos to Chris Hemsworth and his dialect coach for finally piecing together a serviceable American accent.

55. Thunder Road (Jim Cummings)- As far as calling card movies go, this one is a pretty smart character study. It centers on how the things we find important, the impact of words in this case, can often be the things we struggle with the most, through dyslexia and spoonerisms and messed-up jokes in this case. That being said, no offense, the film would be 25% better with a more capable lead actor. 54. Annihilation (Alex Garland)- Much like Sunshine, another Alex Garland script, this story handles the mystery elegantly, with jolts of real horror, until we get where we're going, which doesn't live up to the promise. I do appreciate that it respects the viewer's intelligence--withholding answers to questions, sometimes never answering questions. I'm grateful that it exists. 53. BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee)- Like Chi-Raq and Red Hook Summer, BlacKKKlansman would make for a hell of a YouTube compilation if you cut together its best moments. It's sharp and vital when it's at its best, which is pretty much any time it's commenting on the present, through "Now more than ever" Nixon campaign posters, mentions of how David Duke's policies might show up in Republican platforms, or the searing epilogue that brings back one of Lee's oldest tricks.

Like a lot of his recent work though, it's a mess tonally, and basic stuff like the timing of the cuts seems amateurish. I also think Lee's relationship with Terence Blanchard is hurting him at this point; the music doesn't match what's going on at all. I wish it hung together better than it does.

52. Widows (Steve McQueen)- This is the messiest film that Steve McQueen has made, which is its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. That loose quality allows for some expressive moves, such as when the alderman candidate takes a real-time two-minute ride from the poor area where he's campaigning to the tony area where he lives, in the same district. This is a film with admirable ambition to go with its cheap thrills.

But that same messiness produces as many bad performances (Farrell, Neeson, and, yes, Duvall) as it does good ones (Debicki, Henry, Kaluuya), and it elides so many moments near the end that I have lingering questions about whether a major plot point was even resolved. This is definitely the type of movie that has a three-hour cut that is better, and I still hope that director's cut doesn't waste five scenes on Debicki's prostitute relationship with Lukas Haas. (Where is his sliver of a face on the poster?)

51. The Death of Stalin (Armando Iannucci)- I feel as if I have to adjust to the astringency of any Iannucci property, and when I do, I laugh a lot. This movie is hilarious, and I'll save you from a list of the jokes that work the best.

Iannucci and his collaborators take one of the most violent, tyrannical periods of history and expose its perpetrators as sniveling, feckless children who might accidentally spit in their own faces as they're trying to spit on someone else's. Destabilizing those in power--in this case de-memorializing them--and portraying them as lost, scared humans is the goal of satire. So even though he does it so well, part of me wonders, "Is that it?" Bureaucracy is dumb? Isn't this an easy target? For what it's worth, I felt the same way about In the Loop, despite everyone else's praise. I'm waiting for Iannucci to find a weapon sharper than the middle finger.

50. Tully (Jason Reitman)- In a way, it's refreshing for a screenwriter to be bad at writing men. The outdated, clueless, manchild dad is the biggest weakness of the script, especially since everything else is pitched with such realism. There's also one scene that I hate but probably shouldn't spoil.

Put aside that character though, and this is a movie with wit, verisimilitude, and even a bit of visual agility. The protagonist--Marlo, a Diablo Cody name if there ever was one--has a special needs son, and I appreciated the honest way that Marlo's frustration with him sometimes outweighed her understanding.

49. Fahrenheit 11/9 (Michael Moore)- Fahrenheit 11/9 is diffuse, but it's effective enough to be in the top half of Moore's work. He stays out of it mostly (besides that familiar narration, as gentle as it is ashamed), but his heart is clearly in the searing Flint section. In fact, I wish he had made a documentary that focused only on that American travesty, not all of them.

He has the same challenge that many of us do--pointing out the crimes and perversions of Trump while keeping the high ground--and he doesn't always avoid the low-hanging fruit. Dubbing Trump's voice over Hitler's is the type of shit that people hate him for. At most turns, however, Moore's choices make sense. A long diversion into the Parkland kids, even though I find them kind of tiring personally, serves as an inspirational peak to the valley of any people of a generation or two earlier than them.

48. Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson)- Many Wes Anderson movies are flippant about death and disease. When the effect works, it's refreshing and disorienting. When it doesn't, like in this movie, it feels cold, as if he's moving dolls around in a playhouse.

But in every other way, the sweet and wry Isle of Dogs benefits as a manicured chamber piece. The details are obvious (the tactile fur on all of the dog puppets), less obvious (a translation provides the legend "very sad funeral" to accompany a news story), and even less obvious (more than one joke about how many syllables should be in a haiku). If the narrative--jaded stray finds redemption through guileless child--doesn't offer much in the way of re-invention for the director, then I'm glad the large canvas does.

47. You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsey)- I wanted an artsy crime film, and I got an artsy crime film. I have no idea if I liked it. It's bleak and groady, more of a violence movie than an action movie, concerned with the cycle of abuse and the oily spread of vengeance. It begins twenty minutes after most films of its type might choose to, and it begins in earnest at the hour mark. The atonal Jonny Greenwood score is a perfect approximation of whatever kind of dark clouds are floating in the protagonist's head.

Even when it doesn't work, the film is a reminder that Lynne Ramsey is a real artist. Although this doesn't come close to the catharsis and real-world relevance of We Need to Talk About Kevin, it reveals a focused point of view. Whether it's depicting a sequence through only surveillance footage or cutting to a half-second of flashback, she includes exactly what she wants to.

46. The Commuter (Jaume Collet-Sera)- I gave Non-Stop two-and-a-half stars, and this is a much more elegant version of Non-Stop. Even though it succumbs to gross CGI and outsized conspiracy, the class-conscious table setting is non-pareil, and it lets Neeson act his age.

45. Vice (Adam McKay)- Vice is a difficult film to evaluate because its greatest strength, the resolute, partisan, experimental point of view, is also its greatest weakness, the hand-holding, pedantic, antic point of view. There are moments in this film--the menu scene, the fake-ending--that are more inventive than anything else this year. And credit to McKay for a sui generis structure that covers thirty years in the first hour and two years in the second hour; if nothing else, he has the talent to make unitary executive theory fun.

It's a big, angry, auteurist, '70s swing, so it also takes a lot of chances that don't work and, quite obviously, it wields poetic license in the way that Ron Burgundy swished around a glass of scotch. Sometimes it doesn't know when to trust the viewer, like when it freeze frames and flashes "George H.W. Bush, President, 1989-1993" over a Bush-looking guy talking about "Barbara and I" as his son misbehaves in the background. Through no fault of McKay's, the story feels anti-climactic as well. Although I felt more distance than I expected from events that I consider recent history, the dominoes are still falling in the world that Cheney shaped.

One thing that is less debatable is Christian Bale's transformation into Cheney. That word "transformation" is used any time a famous person wears a wig. This performance, which spans decades and is not directly related to any of Bale's other work, is different. The portrait of Cheney is one of monolithic evil, which Bale suggests, but it's also grounded in reticent, clenched jaw micro-movements. Cheney, who is four inches shorter than Bale, seems like the smallest and biggest man in any room. At this point, if you told me Bale was playing Grendel, I wouldn't bat an eye. In fact, his Grendel might look a lot like Dick Cheney.

[rebelwheels-blog]

Little Sparrow Freed From Its Cage

September 24, 2018

Per aspera ad astra - Through adversity to the stars

Hello there everyone! I have quite a bit of news to share with all of you lovely readers, as it has been quite a while since my last update. Hopefully my writing habits will be a bit more consistent now, due to the main reason I am writing this update. So grab a cup of tea, or coffee for you Americans, and be prepared for a lengthy blog entry.

Commencement to Independence

For the longest time, it was my belief that graduation was just another event where I would only witness others experience the joy of being released from the dictatorship of homework and the school setting.

Much of my student experience has been infringed upon due to various circumstances; whether illness was to blame, being placed in classes my superiors wrongly believed I belonged, or unwillingly leaving the only place I called home, as well as exiting the lives of many I held and hold close in my heart.

Not everyone experienced the same scenario as I did, which is wonderful. Even so, for much of my life there was a common denominator.

Adversity.

Due to my disability, my experiences and memories of the school setting are extremely unconventional.

Which leads to the less self-pitying part of my screed. If it weren’t for all those obstacles, and more, throughout my existence as a student, graduation would not grant me the same satisfaction and pride as it does now to declare to you all that I am no longer a high school student. September 21, 2018 was the day I was set free.

Although there are plenty of memories I have to look back on that made my school days less dreary, so I shall not admit that every second of my years at school were terrible, as I had the good fortune of making a few friends along the way as well as learning some lessons that allowed me to grow as a person.

So I thank all of you who have stuck with me through the good times and the not so good times, because I couldn’t have made it here without you.

I’d especially like to thank my first teacher who set me on the right path to homeschooling. You know who you are, with your huge green duffel bag full of wonderful toys each day as we sat in the garden room. Thank you for always being there for me academically and as a friend. You mean the universe to me.

Every experience and every person that one encounters affects the future, individually and worldly, good or bad, long or short. Because, who knows? Maybe one day someone who experienced something they perceived as awful will change the life of another so someone else will never experience what was already lived through by another.

Celebration?

To celebrate this momentous occasion, my grandmother and I designed what would normally have been the top of my cap to go along with my gown.

Then we made a message in a bottle, with the message being the poem The Road Not Taken as it is our favorite poem.

But the most important component to all of this is the timing of everything that has unfolded over the past few weeks.

Enjoy the first ever gif I have ever created, of course it’s to do with Stephen

I managed to finish the last of my exams the day directly before my grandmother’s birthday, which was coincidentally purposefully happened to be on my cousin’s birthday. Then, on Friday, I was officially set free from my classes on the birthday of my great grandfather. Everything took place over the course of three days, and three birthdays of three people that mean the world to me.

Funnily enough, exactly one week to the day, another event unfolded spontaneously. I was granted the most amazing graduation gift. A friend, a very old friend, of tremendous significance and value to me. We had not seen each other in almost nine years, but we always kept in touch. Last Wednesday, we broke our hiatus and had lunch together with our grandparents. I felt like I was in a dream. I couldn’t believe we were even in the same room. He has seen my old self, my pathetic self, and my happy self, and he never left. He’s one of a kind and I don’t know what I would do without him. Making him laugh after taking a nervous drink of water while we were at lunch and burping due to my liquid consumption was one of the highlights of our visit together. Hopefully we won’t have such a lengthy hiatus between seeing each other again, which neither of us believe will happen. I already can’t wait to see him again.

Then on the Saturday following that Wednesday, I swam with my other best friend who happened to come home from college that weekend. I honestly don’t remember the last time we just chilled out in the pool, or anywhere, and hung out like two normal teenage girls. Granted I did complain quite a bit about school work after we got out and had lunch, but that wasn’t the entire visit. It felt so normal to just hang out with my best friend, and I can’t thank you enough (you know who you are if you’re reading this). I couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish my classes.

But graduation is supposed to be a big deal, right? A huge celebration is supposed to take place, right? Well, I honestly have no idea how else to celebrate my accomplishment. I would love to have a party and do something the way everyone else does, but many of my friends and family live far, far away. So out goes that idea... Nevertheless, if no other celebration takes place, I am forever grateful for being able to visit with my friend from New Jersey thanks to his and my grandparents.

Moving Forward

Now that I have soooo much time on my hands, I don’t know what to do with it! Well, I do, but it’s only been almost a week since I finished my classes and it’s still rather odd. I spent the weekend creating and improving a sort of sketch that puts together my Halloween costume. Yes, I’ll be 19 by then and many will say I’m too old to do Halloween, but you know what? Adults are allowed to dress up and have fun too. Halloween is not just about the candy, well not to me anyway. To me, it’s about letting yourself be free to be whatever you want to be for one day of the year. As it seems that it is only socially acceptable to dress up when one is an adult around Halloween, if one were to dress up any other day of the year you end up being labeled as a psychopath.

Okay, maybe not a psychopath, but anyone dressed up as a character or dramatic makeup is worn outside a concert, theatre club, comic convention, or Halloween, etc., side glances and glares will be made.

I decided that I will be dressing up as my own version of Sherlock, as long coats are as much of a pain to get on as a dress. I have a few components of my costume together, but I still need the hat, scarf, and maybe shoes? I may just go with a pair of short boots that I have as finding shoes in my size is an entirely different story.

I wasn’t sure if the coat I had would look Sherlockian enough, so I decided that I would put together a sketch of my outfit to see how it would look. So I put this together.

Originally, as you can see, there was no face. But I worked on it and worked on it over the past few days and this the outcome. In the beginning I did trace the undershirt, but that’s it. I figured out the rest. I’m very proud of it, as it is the first drawing I’ve done in quite a while that I haven’t gotten angry with.

Having this freedom has made me realize that after a few days of numbly looking at social media, I am suddenly craving to learn new information and I miss my math and science classes. I think that within the next week I will unconsciously start to read books again just from the slight need I’ve had to expand my knowledge again. Maybe I’ll even start writing stories again due to new knowledge, as I have written down a few ideas for short stories the past few days. In the words of a good friend, the possibilities are endless.

Spinraza News

Luckily I have school finished to get through my next injection. I was reminded that I have to go through re-approval from the insurance, making my injection date is a week later than I wanted. This week I have to get blood drawn again as well as other tests.

Speaking of tests, I had to do a strength test last week, my first one after having Spinraza. My results have to either stay the same or improve in order for the insurance company to say I can keep having Spinraza. Needless to say, I was terrified that I wasn’t going to improve due to their standards. I’ve noticed more strength in my legs than my arms, granted my right arm is noticeably stronger, but I did not anticipate the evidence the strength test would grant me.

The first test was to tear a sheet of paper. No big deal, right? Wrong. I had to try to tear a piece of paper that was folded four times. I tried and it didn’t happen. So my physical therapist unfolded it so it was in half. I believed that I was trying to tear it wrong as I was using my nail to start the tear. But I was wrong. That’s how you physically tear a sheet of paper when you pinch it. So when it cooperated and I split the paper down the middle, I was like “okay, I could totally do that before Spinraza.” Again, I was wrong. When I did the baseline test, I was able to rip the paper but only if:

it was started for me

it was a single sheet unfolded

it only ripped sideways not straight down

My physical therapist kept my old paper and showed it to me to prove that I had improved. After I saw the paper, I felt like Captain America

Go ahead, enjoy that gif because Tumblr doesn’t allow more than 10 images so that’s the last one guys

Once I completed that question of the test, the test was gravy. I was actually able to do other things as well such as:

lifting a weight I couldn’t before

completing a short maze test without stopping my pen

pressing a stupid light button and making it stay on

opening a container that was entirely too difficult when I tried six months ago

I gained 5 points in the scoring system, from 11 to 16 points. I still can’t get over it. So much has been going on the past... Well, year, honestly. Between myself and my family members, it’s been nonstop.

Well, I think I’ve written enough for this update, probably too much... But whatever, if you guys enjoy these updates you don’t mind. If you don’t enjoy them... Well... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[smxiggy]

Netflix’s Top 250 Best Movies To Watch In Lockdown, According To Extracorn.com

Netflix's Best 250 Best Movies To Watch In Lockdown, Based On Rotten Tomatoes

Everybody around the country is stuck indoors playing video games and watching streams right now, and you might be starting to get desperate for content to consume to relieve the boredom. Well, how does 250 pictures on Netflix sound? Gotta make the most from that subscription, I suppose.

Netflix is...usually not famous for its top-notch movie choice, as lots of the rights to films visit other services or remain on demand where you need to pay for them separately. But they do have a good amount of films, and are beginning to make quite good first movies of their own.

The problem with Netflix is the fact that it doesn't have a rating system to really tell you what is good. You find a picture or series, you have to Google a review or a score somewhere. That's where Rotten Tomatoes comes from.

This is useful in deciding what to watch, because you understand at least X number of critics believed it was great.

You can see the complete list here, but I thought I would at least go through the top 50 to find out what gems emerge. I am uncertain the way RT is breaking ties when it comes to movies with similar scores. Might be total number of testimonials, but I am not sure.

Undefeated

NETFLIX

50.

49. The Stranger (1946 -- 96 percent ) -- Directed by Orson Wells, this is the story about an escaped Nazi war criminal posing as a professor.

48. Menashe (2017 -- 96%) -- A look inside the civilization of ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jews.

47. The appearance of Silence (2015 -- 96%) -- A harrowing narrative about the Indonesian genocide.

46. Blue Ruin (2014 -- 96 percent ) -- A traditional American revival story that won a lot of awards at Cannes.

45. Atlantics (2019 -- 96%) -- A Netflix original supernatural romantic drama which was the first film directed by a black woman to be featured in competition at Cannes.

44. Groundhog Day (1993 -- 96 percent ) -- The Bill Murray classic which may prove too close to home for people working from home using the exact same routine every day at the moment.

42. Rosemary's Baby (1968 -- 96 percent ) -- The traditional horror movie starring Mia Farrow where a Satanic cult would like to steal her baby.

41.

The Irishman

NETFLIX

40. The Edge of Democracy (2019 -- 97 percent ) -- A documentary about how a democratic nation can fall into autocracy.

39. The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019 -- 97%) -- Quite a name. Two native women cross paths within a brutal event that bonds .

38.

37.

36. To All The Boys I Have Love Before (2018 -- 97 percent ) -- Netflix's new age young romance classic with a star-making turn for Lana Condor. The sequel isn't as good.

35. In This Corner of the World (2017 -- 97%) -- A gorgeous, animated film about what wartime does to humanity.

34. 13TH (2016 -- 97%) -- An Ava DuVernay documentary about America's messy racial history.

33. Aquarius (2016 -- 97%) -- A festival film about a battle between developers and a renter.

32. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2001 -- 97 percent ) -- The Ang Lee martial arts classic that really holds up well today.

31. Mudbound (2017 -- 97 percent ) -- A narrative concerning the rural American South during World War 2.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

30.

29. Dolemite is My Name (2019 -- 97 percent ) -- An incredible performance by Eddie Murphy at a Netflix original.

28. Hell or High Water (2016 -- 97%) -- A western heist thriller starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster that went underappreciated in theatres.

27. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018 -- 97 percent ) -- Some of the very best superhero or animated films ever. Period.

26. The Cakemaker (2018 -- 98 percent ) -- A German movie about a complicated love story and catastrophe.

25. Homecoming (2019 -- 98 percent ) -- Check out Beyonce's historical Coachella performance.

24. God's Own Country (2017 -- 98 percent ) -- A silent romance about a remote farmer who meets with a man he falls in love with.

23.

22. My Life as a Zucchini (2017 -- 98%) -- A charming animated movie with a surprisingly deep and gloomy narrative attached to it.

21. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968 -- 98 percent ) -- An all time great western from Sergio Leone.

Moonlight

A24

20. Moonlight (2016 -- 98 percent ) -- The very best picture winner about the life span of a young man as we see him in three different phases of life.

19. Beneath the Shadow (2016 -- 99%) -- A story about the Iran-Iraq war that functions as a harrowing thriller.

18. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012 -- 99%) -- The classic documentary you should observe even if you don't like sushi.

17. Starred Up (2014 -- 99%) -- An incredible UK prison film starring Ben Mendelsohn until he awakened.

16. A Separation (2011 -- 99%) -- The story of a dissolving relationship well before we got A Marriage Story.

15. Virguna (2014 -- 100 percent ) -- A story of the people who devote their lives protection the natural wonders of the Congo.

14. The Young Offenders (2016 -- 100%) -- A humor road trip film inspired by the true story of the biggest cocaine seizure in Ireland.

13.

12.

11. Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019 -- 100 percent ) -- Wait ? I guess people love Invader Zim.

10. Creep two (2017 -- 100 percent ) -- A rare horror movie that works even better than the first.

9. Mercury 13 (2018 -- 100%) -- A documentary about how sexism held back female astronauts decades ago.

8. Kilo 2 Bravo (2015 -- 100 percent ) -- The real story of a platoon who has to remove a Taliban roadblock.

7. Chasing Coral (2017 -- 100 percent ) -- Check out coral reefs, a natural miracle.

6. Mr. Roosevelt (2017 -- 100 percent ) -- A story about a woman and her cat that acts as a metaphor for an entire generation.

5. Strong Island (2017 -- 100 percent ) -- One tragedy signifies racial injustice in the usa.

4.

3.

2.

1. Knock Down the House (2019 -- 100%) -- A documentary concerning democratic women who obtained improbable House campaigns.

Would you take issue with some of the ratings ? I mean, sure, Knock Down the home is likely not the single best movie on Netflix. And like you, I haven't heard of a lot of these. But that's what a list similar to this is for, to get you to broaden your horizon to documentaries or foreign films or subject matter you might normally participate with. I guess you can just see Goodfellas for the eleventh time, that works also.

And there are about 40 here I have not seen, so I've got some work to do. Again, you can see all of 250 here.

[furederiko]

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 was held on June 13-15 in Los Angeles, USA. Meaning, it has once again come and gone, and now comes the time to talk about some of its biggest news (ones that matters to me, at least). That's right, it's a Video-Game Special Random-News-Digest this time around...

NOTE: In general, the topics below are categorized under the company that released them. But in some cases, they go by their separate franchises instead. And one more thing, this was supposed to go up yesterday, precisely one day after E3 2017 ended. BUT... due to unexpected technical issues (internet connection, and... my health), I had no choice but to postpone it. Better late than never, I guess... *sigh*

Marvel vs Capcom

Let's kick this off with a collaboration of Marvel and CAPCOM. Aside from another "Monster Hunter" title that I honestly couldn't care less, "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" was one of CAPCOM's big showcase this year. Remember that leak that arrived earlier this month, the one that spoiled the game's roster? Looks like that report might be true after all. CAPCOM has officially unveiled several more playable characters: the Marvel side has been added by Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange, cosmic warrior Nova, assassin Gamora, and the Mad Titan Thanos; while the CAPCOM side was expanded by silver haired Dante of the original "Devil May Cry" (so NOT the latest reboot "DmC"), Zero from "Rockman X" series, cyborg Spence of "Bionic Commando", and goofy knight Arthur from the action comedy franchise "Ghosts 'n Goblins". Considering all eight of these names fit that roster report, I'm pretty sure the credibility of that leak has been confirmed. Everyone was revealed through the new Story trailer, that also announced that a Story Demo has been made available to those who want to experience the game first-hand. You can also check out some of these characters in action, as well as possible in-game pairings (like Gamora-Strider, Strange-Arthur, and so on), through the official gameplay video.

As I've commented on my previous R-N-D, most of the names (with the exception of two) revealed here are 'has been' characters. So while some people were happy about them, many were equally disappointed, which isn't good considering the internet hasn't been kind towards this title. An issue that stemmed from public's disappointments to "Street Fighter V", really. Thankfully, there was one pleasant surprise that came along with this trailer. And it's Black Panther! Those X-Men enthusiasts who cried foul when Wolverine is omitted from the game, can stop whining because the character officially has a replacement now. I'm pretty confident that Panther is going to share a similar 'slash and dice' movesets, if not simply a re-skin version. Panther's inclusion made a lot of sense, considering his first-ever solo movie is arriving in February 2018. The same logic goes to Thanos, as "Avengers: Infinity War" that will put him in the spotlight will arrive a few months after in May. And thanks to Thanos' importance in the story mode, now I understand why Gamora (who shares a famillial link) is necessary to be included in the core cast. Somehow I suspect she's going to be a re-skin of Jill Valentine though, and that might be an issue. Speaking of problem, Panther's not among the core roster. He will be part of the upcoming 6 character DLCs that already includes Ultron and Sigma, though seemingly will be available on launch as part of the 'Deluxe Edition'. And since we already have Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and also Groot (who has been confirmed to be an official assist of Rocket, as they come in one package), I wouldn't be surprised if Star-Lord will follow suit among this DLC wagon as well.

Story is usually not a fighting game's forte. Even the seamless touch of "Mortal Kombat" couldn't hide the fact that it's... ridiculous at best. And well... this one is no different. Jugding from the trailer, this game seems to rely heavily on the Infinity Stones, or as Captain America suggested, "Infinite Six". Again, it also makes sense, due to the movie based on it happening in less than a year. After all, why would the title even bothered to have 'Infinite' as the sub-title, if that's not the whole point, right? The universe-shattering plot somehow reminded me of "Street Fighter V" all over again, which wasn't that great. So I'm not too sure CAPCOM will be able to pull this 'cinematic experience' off into something significantly better. The CAPCOM characters already felt... what's the word... out of place? And yikes, what happened to Chun-Li?! Subjectively speaking, she's not as 'ugly' as NetherRealm Studios' design for female characters, but I've certainly seen the Chinese Interpol agent in a much better shape before! On the other hand, never thought I'm gonna say this, but Thanos totally kicked-ass with his Infinity Gauntlet. Getting me more and more excited for the "Infinity War" movie, which might be the other primary goal of this game from the very beginning.

I don't know what you think, but overall this game doesn't look half bad. The design might need some getting used to, but I think it feels closer and closer to the previous 3 titles the more I see it. Unfortunately, as I've said before, the general sentiment of this game is definitely leaning on the side of negative. Fans who have 'tasted' the Story Demo have expressed a similar pessimistic tone as well. With a release date crawling closer and closer, how would CAPCOM react to this? I guess we'll just have to wait and see when the game is officially launched. "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 19.

Sonic the Hedgehog

SEGA released a new trailer for "Sonic Forces", and this time around, they introduced the set of villains that Modern, Classic and Custom Sonic will be teaming up to face. I was already sold by the inclusion of a Custom character, but seeing all those arch-nemesises in one place just turned me into... a pure happy camper. And that's not all, because a new powerful and mysterious enemy will be joining, if not commanding them. Infinite, no relations to the above category, will be teaming up with Doctor Ivo Robotnik/Eggman (from... duh, almost every game?), Metal Sonic (who debuted on "Sonic CD"), Chaos (of "Sonic Adventure"), Shadow the Hedgehog (of "Sonic Adventure 2"), and Zavok (from the recent "Sonic Lost World") to take over the world. Seriously, that new villain looks scary, and he's totally stealing my attention. Dang it, I totally wish I can play this game. There's no release date so far, but "Sonic Forces" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC this holiday.

Dragon Ball

I actually couldn't care less about any "Dragon Ball"-based games beyond the ones released during the 90s, but this one... "Dragon Ball FighterZ"? This totally got my attention! Indeed, it was that good, that it was stealing many E3 attendee's attention with its high speed action, flashy moves, and colorful anime graphics. For some reason, the "Marvel vs Capcom" style felt strong in this, to the point that many people have come to loving this more than that franchise's upcoming release. Ironic, huh? I guess nostalgia does play a crucial factor...

This title is under Bandai Namco, but developed by Arc System Works, and somehow was leaked a few days ahead of its planned official reveal. The latter is the company that is known for franchises like "BlazBlue", "Guilty Gear", and also the "Naruto" series. But unlike the Naruto ones that went full-on 3D style, this one utilized a 2.5D style, which once again, is the right call! Why? The development is in 3D, which as producer Tomoko Hiroki has confirmed, makes some technical elements much easier to pull off, but the visual is of 2D animation. And I say, not just that. "Dragon Ball" IS and has always been an anime, thus the anime style is definitely the way to go when it comes to adapting Son Goku and other character of the long-running franchise. It also easily reminded me of those classic "Dragon Ball" fighting game I used to play on my SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive with my family. Aaah, the good 'ol times when the world was still kind, and people hasn't been corrupted by the irony called... growing up.

The game's official reveal trailer only included 6 characters so far: Son Goku, Vegeta, (child) Son Gohan, Cell, Frieza, and Majin Buu. But since the game will be based on the whole "Dragon Ball Z" arc, it's obvious we'll be seeing many more characters like the twins Android 17 and Android 18, Krillin, (future and child) Trunks, and even Son Goten. Especially with Bandai Namco stressing out that "famous scenes from the Dragon Ball anime reproduced in 60 frames per second and 1080p resolution.". A closed beta demo will be held on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One before the end of summer, so fans who are intrigued to give this game a shot, just need to wait a bit longer. For the time being, we can indulge ourselves with several gameplay videos taken as direct-feed from the E3 hall. You can visit Gematsu (HERE, and HERE) to view them. "Dragon Ball FighterZ" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC worldwide in early 2018.

Nintendo

Contrary to previous report, Nintendo did take the stage this year, as they announced numerous exciting titles that made MAAANY people happy. Not a surprise as well, because Nintendo Switch was just released 4 months ago, and there haven't been many softwares to complement the hybrid console.

Let's start with what's probably the biggest signature title for Switch. A game that IGN has even crowned to be the "Game of Show", "Best Platformer", and "Best Nintendo Switch Game" of E3 2017. It's none other than... "Super Mario Oddysey"! In this game, players will take Mario on a globe-trotting 3D adventure to collect Moons, a fuel for the airship 'Oddysey' that is necessary to rescue Prince Peach from Bowser. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. How many effing times do Mario needs to walk through the same scenario, right? But never mind that, because this game looked super fun.

I haven't purchased Switch yet, but even I'm already itching to play this game. For so many reasons. That great and catchy theme song that made me dancing like a child. That white broadway top-hat, or Mexican sombrero? And Mario 'possessing' practically any living beings around him with a cap throw? Dang it, if only I can play it right NOW. This looked a lot like "Super Mario Galaxy" on Wii, but with its own... spin. Get it? Here, just take a look at its reveal trailer, or the gameplay videos (available on Gematsu), and tell me if you're not easily charmed by this game. Because if you're not, then I seriously pity your sad childhood (just kidding, no need for death threat!). "Super Mario Odyssey" will launch on October 27th, 2017... only on Nintendo Switch.

The second Switch game for Mario is "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle", that combines the world of Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom, with Ubisoft's "Rabbids" franchise. Yep, this worst-kept secret collaboration title has been developed by Ubisoft, hence why I don't give the company their own exclusive category (because its content will be separated in two). In this game, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and also Yoshi will join forces with their four... Rabbids dopplegangers, to journey four different worlds, in the hope of restoring order to The Mushroom Kingdom. I'm personally NOT a fan of the Rabbids, but even this crossover game looked FUN. And beyond that, according to IGN it has a deep strategic battle system too. But more importantly, this game also proved that Nintendo is becoming more open to allow other developers to use their properties. A fact that inspires great potentials and possibilities in the future. You can watch the official announcement trailer on Youtube, as well as a Development Diary for the game. Gematsu also had 21 minutes of gameplay from the E3 floor, so go ahead and visit the site. "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle" will be released for Nintendo Switch on August 29th, 2017.

More Mario? Yes... more Mario! Announced during Nintendo's E3 2017 Treehouse live stream, "Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions" is a renewed classic that will arrive on October 6th, 2017 exclusively for Nintendo 3DS. In this game, rather than trying to battle Bowser, the Mario Bros are teaming up WITH Bowser to restore Princess Peach's voice. Visit Youtube for the official trailer, and also Gematsu for 25 minutes of gameplay videos. Wow, Mario is killing it, huh? Nope, not just him, his green dinosaur friend Yoshi is also getting his own Switch game! Conveniently titled as "Yoshi", the 2D side-scrolling adventure will see Yoshi exploring a world of miniature diorama filled with flip-ping surprises. Go ahead and watch the trailer and have your mind... flipped. LOL. "Yoshi" will be released in 2018.

What about other franchises, you wonder? Well, ask and you shall receive! In list form... LOL - The honestly weird-looking "Arms", is getting rave reviews. It's ridiculous fun, even with its lack in the story department as well as... logic. It might look simple, but it has a startling amount of depth that will wow anyone. Many are saying that this will be a hit for families entertainment, and the game is already hitting the market with a DLC already announced. - Fans of the "Metroid" series will also get their share of excitement. "Metroid Prime 4" has been announced for Switch. There's no release date for now, but I'm sure information about that will come in the near future. The same can't be said about "Metroid: Samus Returns" though. A 3D polygon remake of Game Boy classic "Metroid II: The Return of Samus", the title will be officially released for 3DS on September 15th, 2017. - The pink ball Kirby also gets Switch-ed, in the equally conveniently named "Kirby". Kirby will be adventuring in a party of four, which means up to 4 players can play this game together. Don't forget to check out its Hollywood style trailer! "Kirby" doesn't have a release date yet, but is set to be released in 2018. - And "Skyrim" fans? You got it! Complete with amiibo support and Legend of Zelda skins...

As you can see, the library of Switch is expanding like crazy, and it's an exciting turn around especially compared to what happened to Wii U. Those who have purchased this hybrid console since day one, no longer has to worry about not having a game to play. And for those who haven't had a chance to do so... well, the more the reason to get a Nintendo Switch, right? *grins*

Pocket Monsters

Are you among those who are waiting for a core Pokemon title on Switch? And you were disappointed when "Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon" was announced for 3DS instead of the rumored "Pokemon Stars"? Well, turns out you only need to wait... a little bit longer. The Pokemon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara officially announced that Game Freak has begun developing a core RPG title for Nintendo Switch! So it is indeed happening, folks! He added though, that the title "may not release for more than a year, but we hope you will look forward to it all the same", hence why I told you to wait. Then again, more than a year from now can also mean... it MIGHT arrive on November 2018, right? Wow, I'm getting excited for no reason... LOL.

In a way, this announcement has also partially confirmed that the Switch is indeed the officiall replacement of 3DS. Moreso, and this is just a wild guess, but likely the rumor about "Pokemon Stars" was actually referring to this particular development, instead of the recently announced extension of "Pokemon Sun & Moon". Either way, this is a great news, because we're finally getting what many Pokemon fans have been dreaming: a chance to play a Pokemon RPG on the TV screen! How is that possible, you dare ask? DUH, Switch is a hybrid console that enables that! Of course, this also works wonder to Switch itself, because quoting my own words from last week: "The hybrid console is definitely in need of a fan favorite franchise like Pokemon to attract more players". Yes, the E3 announcement for those Mario titles and many others have shut down the public concern of 'Switch is lacking of exclusive game titles'. But having a Pokemon RPG on Switch, will undeniably attract Pokemon fans who are still on the fence to purchase the console and help boost its sales. Want prove? That's easy, because mark my word, I'm TOTALLY getting a Switch (sooner or later) just for this! *geeks out*

By the way, technically speaking, this section should've been part of the Nintendo category. But since it has already established its own category (in various form of medias) for such a long time, I've decided to put it separately.

Assassin's Creed

At long last, Ubisoft officially unveiled "Assassin's Creed: Origins" during Microsoft's E3 2017 stage. It was certainly not a surprise announcement, considering the title was already leaked since May. More than that, a Game Informer coverage was already leaked ahead of E3, officially spilling the beans in a non-official manner. Ouch! Someone at Game Informer is going to get fired...

Confirming the rumor, the new game will take place in Egypt, and as the title suggest, will be telling about the founding of the Assassin's Brotherhood. The main character (but not the only playable one) will be Bayek, a protector of the land whose story will be root of the Creed. Since the game takes place in the ancient Egypt during Cleopatra's reign, we can expect to see Great Pyramids, mythologies, pharaohs, and many other awesome bits from the country's history. Eventhough this game has been in production before the infamous "Assassin's Creed Unity", it will have a new free-form combat system with new A.I., revamped narrative experience and freedom to choose quests, an entire country to full explore, while still retaining and improving the series existing signatures like puzzles, Eagle Vision (through an Eagle named the Senu this time), stealth, that annoying climbing, Naval adventures, and many others. You can check out the official reveal trailer on Youtube, a Gameplay Demo, coverage by Game Informer, as well as a "Mysteries of Ancient Egypt" that gave additional details about the game.

There are several version of the game that fans can purchase. First is the "Deluxe Edition" that contains the game, printed version of the hand-drawn world map, soundtrack, and Digital Deluxe Pack. Second is the "Gold Edition", that adds a Season Pass for upcoming expansions and equipments. There are also the "Collector's Edition", "Dawn of the Creed Collector's Edition", and the special "Dawn of the Creed Legendary Collector's Edition". That last one will add a highly detailed resin statue of Bayek and Senu, The Collector's Certificate of Authenticity, replica of Bayek's eagle skull amulet, two Steelbooks, and four large lithographs signed by the studio artists. This limited edition (only 999 units for worldwide sale) is already available for pre-order exclusively on Ubisoft store for $799,9. As the pricing suggest, this is totally for that devoted fan with plenty of money to spare! *sigh*. Visit Gematsu for further details of these items. "Assassin's Creed: Origins" will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 27th, 2017.

Square Enix

The company brought their top franchise to the convention this year. Several new iterations of "Final Fantasy XV" were announced during the event, while new development on the highly anticipated "Kingdom Hearts III" was also revealed elsewhere.

Second DLC episode for "Final Fantasy XV", one that will focus on Prompto Argentum's solo adventure will be launched on June 27th, 2017, alongside the "Regalia Type-D" update (brings greater freedom to drive Regalia off-road). Just like the first that featured Gladioulus as the central character (released back in March), "Episode Prompto" will likely take place in between the infamous Chapter 13 of the main game as well. If Gladioulus was a hack and slash action genre, then apparently Prompto will take on a first-person shooter experience. Makes sense, really, considering his signature weapon of choice. You can check out a six minutes gameplay video of this DLC on Youtube.

Expanding the "FF XV Universe", two more extension games have been announced. The first one was "Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV", that will be available for PlayStation VR. It's a... fishing game, that let players explore oceans, lakes, ponds, and rivers alongside Noctis and his friends. Clearly based on one of the main game's mini-mission, the game will be launched in September. For now, you can view the official trailer to know that I'm not at all kidding. The second was "King's Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon", which apparently is an action RPG. This one's an App game, and will be released on iOS and Android later this year. I can't see the relation of this title with the main game, but I'm sure Final Fantasy fans will dig it like crazy anyway, right? Last but not least, the main game will soon have a major update to support Microsoft's new console. One which I will talk about at the end of this post. "Final Fantasy XV" is available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

As for "Kingdom Hearts III", Square Enix debuted a new trailer during the "Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour". Compared to the "Final Fantasy" one, I personally liked this one better. But while the game looked great, the story seemed to have gotten... even more confusing by and by. Apparently, Hades, Maleficent, and Pete are looking for a Black Box or something, while lead character Sora alongside buddies Donald Duck and Goofy want to bring Roxas to reality, with a certain 'dire cost'. I recall only getting to the second game, thus never experienced the Nintendo DS ones to even have a clue of what's going on. Still, the charm of this series is the various Disney/Squaresoft worlds, and at the end of this trailer, Square Enix officially announced that new information will be delivered at the Disney D23 Expo 2017 on July 15th, 2017. That means there will be new worlds to explore, and I bet it will involve recent released titles like "Frozen", "Moana", and/or "Big Hero 6". "Kingdom Hearts III" is still under development, and hasn't gotten a release date, but is likely to arrive in 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Taiko no Tatsujin

The latest iteration of the "Taiko Drum Master" series, the "Taiko no Tatsujin: Session de Dodon ga Don!" has been announced on Famitsu Magazine. The game will have a special jam session against other player's musical performance data, that can even be achieved when they are not actually available online. This game will include over 70 songs that cover from famous Japanese classic anime songs, classic orchestral musics, recent tunes from the J-Pop circle, up to modern hypes like the "Pen-Pineapple Apple-Pen". A teaser website has been opened by Bandai Namco, that revealed a special feature to play the game alongside popular characters from Japanese shows. Development has reached 80% and the game is set to be released for PlayStation 4 later this year.

Spider-Man

As proven by their smartphones games like "Future Fight" and "Contest of Champions", or the collaboration with CAPCOM that I've talked about above, Marvel is ramping up on their video game divison. And the one I'm going to talk about here, is their collaboration with Insomniac Games, in form of the non-nonsense titled "Marvel's Spider-Man". It is best known as "Spider-Man PS4" though, because as the nickname suggests, it will be exclusively released on PlayStation 4. And well, since SONY is the copyright owner of the Spider-Man franchise, it's not really much of a surprise huh?

A special 9 minutes gameplay video has been released to give players a sense of what to expect from this game. My reaction? If you're eager to see how Spider-Man gets trapped in a Rocksteady's Arkham game, then this is easily your answer. The whole stalking, cinematic quick-time sequences, as well as exciting one-vs-many combat totally reminded me of those Rocksteady titles. But instead of Batman and his vast array of gadgets, we have Spider-Man and his iconic humor, jokes, acrobatic movesets, and... gadgets in his place. Creative director Bryan Intihar also described the footage in details, through PS4's official blog. It seems Spidey will 'cooperate' with Wilson Fisk, to deal with the Inner Demons gang, who works under Martin Li or Mr. Negative. He will be exploring an open-world of New York to deal with super villains as well as personal matters.

Honestly, I'm not too keen on the human character design, as well as the first suit that has too much white. But this certainly caught my attention. Heck, I think every Marvel fans would be amazed by this. In fact, this game has been confirmed to include additional Spidey suits, as well as multiple Spider-Man characters, meaning there's more to it than what we've seen so far. With strong emphasis on story, it's not a joke that IGN has awarded it as "Best PS4 Game" as well as "Best Action Game" of E3 2017. Here's hoping the actual game will be as good as, if not better than this achievement suggested. "Spider-Man" will be released in 2018.

LEGO Games

New characters have been announced for "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2"! Giant teleportation mutt Lockjaw, and Inhumans Queen Medusa have officially entered the game alongside Agent Venom. As to be expected, the whole roster of Guardians of the Galaxy have also been confirmed to be playable in this second game, because the story will pick up directly where the previous title left off. Not to mention tying in to this year's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" movie. There weren't many details offered for this game, because likely TT Games and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment is saving more reveals to be delivered on Disney D23. For now, you can watch various gameplays through the official LEGO presentation stream on Youtube. "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2" will launch for all consoles on November 14th, 2017.

Professor Layton

Following last month's reveal of the first episode of "Layton's Mistery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy", LEVEL-5 celebrated E3 2017 with with details for the second one. Episode 02, entitled "Song of a Certain Love: Riverside Festival" will focus on the town's tradition of confessing love from opposite sides of River Thames. One that is called "Riverside Confession Show". The legend told that the couple who engaged in that would die unnatural death. But this time, contrary to the annual festive that usually went victim-less, two young people actually get killed! An event that shakes the town, for better or worse. I found the premise of this episode to be exciting, because it means Katrielle isn't just a run-of-the-mill detective in this game. She's going to be investigating deaths, and possible murders!

Another two of the "Seven Millionaires of London" have also been revealed. Joining Ridley Fremens and Clerk Gospec are Andrea Quinto and Zach Lyell. Quinto is a young multi-millionaire who inherited a vast sum of money following the death of her parents. While Lyell is a sharp business who is extensively expanding businesses. He's the president of a group enterprise that owns Long Roller Bank. Up to this point, it's still unclear how or in what capacity these Millionaires are involved in the game. Are they part of a secret organization, that is somehow responsible for Professor Layton's disappearance? Or is there other mystery behind that? And how will they affect Katrielle's life?

Several new features have also been announced. Katrielle will be able to change clothes in the game, and they are specially designed by famous stylist Shouhei Kashima. New outfits can be obtained by using "Special Coins" in the 3DS version, or actual money in the smartphones version. Those who purchase the 3DS download version in Japan will receive a Flora Reinhold-style outfit. Player can also decorate the interior of Katrielle's "Layton Detective Agency" through the new "Room Coordinate" feature. New furnitures might be obtained by trading "Interior Tickets". As for the puzzles, this game is said to have the highest number of them, of all Layton titles. Lastly, the game's theme song "Girls" is sung by Kana Nishino, and will be officially released on July 26. "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy" will be released worldwide on July 20th, 2017.

Atari

No, you're NOT reading it wrong. Atari, the classic 90s gaming console that even I have never even seen in real life, is getting back into the hardware business. Apparently, CEO Fred Chesnais had publicly stated this news on the E3 2017 floor. He didn't really go into specifics about this, aside from saying that it is based on PC technology. But could he be talking about that "Ataribox" that has been teased on Youtube? The video DOES call it 'a brand new Atari product'. It even has its own website. The current speculation on the internet, that Atari is attempting to replicate Nintendo's accomplishment with their NES Classic. You know, the one that only saw limited release and has been discontinued? Especially because the video hinted at the "Atari 2600" which was the first console ever released by the company. I guess we'll just have to wait for more information about this. But be honest, would you purchase a NES Classic-esque console just to play classic and likely long-forgotten Atari games? Personally, I'm NOT too sure...

Microsoft

Speaking of console... Okay, let's end this R-N-D with a topic that many are calling to be... the 'MOST POWERFUL' reveal of the Expo. Microsoft has officially unveiled the name of its high-tech console Project Scorpio, and it officially goes by name "Xbox One X". That's... so many Xs, huh? LOL. By 'most powerful', I'm obviously talking about the console's technical specifications of course. And not about that over-confident official tagline that's being boasted throughout the event on T-Shirts, as well as flaunted pretty much everywhere. Hold on... HUH?

Really, its technical specs is certainly no joke. True 4K resolution with 12GB GDDR5 graphic memory, that enable games to run smoothly in 8 million plus pixels resolution (that's the highest possible, for current technology at least); 8-core Custom AMD CPU with 6 Teraflops GPU and 326GB/s Memory Bandwidth, for realistic and smoother animations; liquid cooling and supercharger-style centrifugal fan, to ensure it stays cool with less noise, a system that, according to Xbox Software Engineering Kareem Choudhry, is usually implemented for servers; 8GB flash and 1TB internal HDD storage, with faster hard drive speed; 4K UltraHD Bluray Disc Drive; DTS and DOLBY TrueHD Atmos sounds; various connectivities via wires and wireless; and not to mention being the smallest consoler the company has ever released. To be honest, eventhough I might have an IT background, I have NEVER been into hardware. Thus all these gibberish tech-talks almost put me down to sleep. But I don't think it takes a genius to easily tell that this thing is massive. Undeniably a 'First Class' product that offers immersive gaming experience. According to IGN, the CPU is 30% faster than the current Xbox One, with a GPU that's 4.6 times higher. To ensure backward compatibility with it, all of its accessories and games will work on this Xbox One X, and existing games (like "Dragon Ball FighterZ", "Final Fantasy XV", and "Assassin's Creed: Origins" that I've mentioned above) will soon receive major updates to ensure faster loading time, even for a player who isn't utilizing a 4K TV.

Said technical specification is certainly an eye-popping fact. This is basically a super high-end PC set, in form of a standalone console. Unfortunately, that comparison also immediately raised several glaring questions among the public, particularly game enthusiasts. One that ranged from the most simple, like "Who is this intended for?" to the most philosophical like "Why even bother choose this over PC?". Indeed, which gamer market is Microsoft really trying to aim with this product? Because obviously, to make full use of the UltraHD 4K resolution, a gamer needs to eventually own and plug it into a 4K TV as well. Which is... STILL a really pricey technology that NOT everyone can afford. The fact that the console itself will arrive at an equally 'premium price', feels like a hard wake-up slap to every average guy's face.

Will this win over those gamers who have abandoned home consoles and have since moved on towards PC? In an interview with Gamespot, a developer (who's working on exclusive Xbox title... a random FYI to see the bigger picture) sang praises for Xbox One X by calling it as the most developer-friendly due to its super over-powered hardware. He said, "it's like a high-end PC crammed into this tiny little box". Of course, the logic that follows is, why not just... use a PC instead? A PC World writer has even made a possible comparison to the budget necessary to build one with similar specs. With its own valid pros and cons. The point is, PC gamers will likely opt to spend less money to upgrade their existing PC sets. So is this meant for Xbox fanatics who are looking to upgrade from a very recent Xbox One then? Or VR enthusiasts, eventhough it might be a veeeery niche market? Why not go with the cheaper Xbox One S instead? Hmmm...

Sure, technically speaking, Microsoft has created a console that's... uncomparable, and has no competitor in terms of power and performance (that's the words of Head of Xbox Phil Spencer himself). Will that guarantee a win in the console competition? Remember, the hip and popular neighbour PlayStation 4 (and its 4K extension PS4 Pro) proudly carries the advantages of having far richer library of titles and DLC exclusives, one that only continues to add as we speak. While the sweet and seemingly innocent new kid-on-the-block Nintendo Switch, is offering the ease of mobility, family-friendliness, and multiplayer experience both offline and online. Both are already promising long hours of entertainment with a relative 'family-budget' that seems more inline with the current economical climate throughout the world. So can Microsoft really be certain that their luxury product will appeal a much bigger mass than those? Particularly when sales for the current Xbox One isn't even doing... good? Learning from past experience, the answer to that is rather... skeptical.

No offense to the company, but somehow the term 'most powerful' itself feels... exaggerating much? I mean, A for effort, but it's nothing but a temporary bubble with a very limited lifetime. We are talking about technology here, a means that is ever-changing and ever-evolving. This month, perhaps Xbox One X is indeed the strongest there is, but another console will surely swoop in with better specs and surpassed it. Perhaps next year, if not sooner or later. Trust me, this is coming from a proud Xbox360 owner, who still has the fully operational console and plays its numerous game titles every now and then, and who has consciously skipped out Xbox One due to the lack of interesting titles (aside from monetary situation LOL). What I'm trying to say is, I don't really see the point of moving on towards Xbox One X, at least in the near future. Which is ironic, because what seems to be winning over many gamers' heart, was none other than Xbox One's backward compatibilites. Yes, the exact thing that SONY has been failing to deliver for years, has become the big positive difference that Microsoft is generously offering. Said function will not be available until later this year, but it will support up to classic/original Xbox games! That's an era of 15 years ago, so we're talking about valid nostalgia boost here.

In the end, the common sense is the Xbox One X is NOT for everyone. But it's still all up to you to decide whether you want, NEED, or even afford to have one decorating your already-possibly-expensive home. Lest we forget, freedom of choice, is everyone's basic human rights, regardless of their financial ability *sigh*. This 'most powerful console' is set to be released on November 7th, 2017 at the mindblowing price of $499. I guess that's when its accessibility strength to the general public can truly be tested. So as always, we'll see...

[brajeshupadhyay]

Tackling COVID-19 in Kerala: Hailed by patients and shunned by society, hospital staff recounts working on front-line

Editor's note: This series will focus on the difficulties faced by the medical fraternity at COVID-19 hospitals, their duty hours, access to protective gear, facilities they get during quarantine, how are their families coping with this new reality across different states in the country. This is the second part of the series.

After working for over a month with spells of quarantine at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam which has been turned into a COVID-19 speciality hospital, 32-year-old Ravi went home to meet his family in Palghat district. After an almost three hour trip, he was eagerly waiting to see his wife and children. They had shifted to his in-law’s home before the Janata Curfew was announced. Ravi Chandran works in the administration department of the hospital.

After reaching Palakkad, Chandran was stopped at the gates of the house by neighbours. “A few people gathered and asked me to leave. They argued that since I work in a hospital, I was in danger of carrying the virus. I tried to explain but could not talk anything much to the crowd that was gradually increasing. I finally decided to leave,” Chandran said. His regret is that he could not hug his children or talk to his wife.

Medical staff, risk their lives and expose themselves to the dangers of the virus. Though hailed within the hospital for their service, they are unwelcome in society once they step out of the hospital. The threats posed by coronavirus drives sane thoughts away and the until-then warm neighbourhood treats medical and other staff working in hospitals as pariahs.

Firstpost spoke to medical and support staff at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital to understand the stress and the conditions under which they work. They agreed to speak on conditions of anonymity. All names mentioned in this article are changed, as per their request.

COVID-19 cases in Kerala

On 30 January, the country’s first case of COVID-19 was reported in Kerala, and the state reported its first coronavirus death after a 69-year-old man being treated for the virus died at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital. The man, from Chullikkal in Ernakulam, was admitted to the isolation ward on 22 March after his return from Dubai. His death was also due to other complications -- heart disease and high blood pressure. He had a bypass surgery earlier, doctors at the hospital said.

When the coronavirus outbreak hit India, at first, the country observed a 14-hour voluntary public curfew on 22 March, 2020. As fresh cases of coronavirus came up in several parts of the country, the government announced lockdowns in 75 districts and many cities. On 24 March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. On 14 April, it was extended till 3 May.

As early as mid-January, the Government Medical College Hospital was geared up for the epidemic. A control room was set up. Kerala has many students studying at Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus and there was a fear of them returning and being possible carriers of the virus. The state has well-oiled machinery which has dealt swiftly and effectively against the deadly Nipah virus which hit the state in 2018.

The hospital has 30 isolation beds and 10 beds set aside for suspected cases of COVID-19. It is prepared for 500 beds, in case of an emergency, said Kala Menon, a specialist in infectious diseases.

PPE gear and ‘suffocation’

The hospital has charted four hours duration duty hours for staff working in the COVID-19 wards instead of the mandatory 8 hours shifts they work. The reason for the change in duty hours is not due to the dangers posed by the virus, but due to the heavy personal protection equipment (PPE) gear the staff has to wear.

Once the doctors and staff get dressed in the PPE gear, no one can work beyond four hours. Covering the entire body from head to toe, it is uncomfortable as the body temperature rises once it is worn. The doctors said that after wearing the PPE gear, their movements are restricted. However, they have devised their own ways to work with it and yet the heat generated after wearing the gear is ‘terrible’, they said.

Once the gear is worn, the doctors and staff cannot drink water or eat or even visit the washroom. To wear the PPE gear, the staff has to reach the premises at least an hour before the shift begins. There are specially demarcated entry and exit ways for medical staff treating COVID-19 patients.

The PPE gear can be worn only with another person’s help. There is an order to be followed to wear it. Each item is first sprayed with disinfectant. “We wear the shoes first,” said staff nurse Sebastian. Then the PPE overalls are worn. The head has to be covered after which most staff wears one or more masks over which another mask is layered over. After wearing goggles, two pairs of gloves are pulled over the hands. All parts of the overall are securely pinned so that no part of the person’s body is exposed. Since the identity of the person wearing the gear is not known, identification labels are affixed on them.

There is a procedure for removing the PPE gear. The assistant who helps the staff to has to spray disinfectants on the PPE before removing it. Each part of the PPE has to be disposed of in different bins. The cleaning staff does not come in contact with it as they pick up the bin and leave it at the waste disposal area.

Life after day’s work

The hospital has set up accommodation within its premises for its staff. After duty, the staff cannot interact with others. Some like senior nurse Ragini Shankaran goes home in vehicles arranged by the hospital. “I have two children aged four and six. They have now understood that they cannot come near me once I am home. Earlier, it was difficult for family members to hold them away from me. But it has been over two months now and they stand away at a little distance and talk to me,” said Shankaran, who said she was happy to be able to go home and see her family.

Unlike 30-year-old Molly Jose, a staff nurse at the hospital who said she felt ‘terrible’ to not meet her children — a two-year-old son and four-year-old daughter — living now with her mother. “I haven’t seen them for over a month now,” she said, her voice shaking.

At first, Jose would talk to her children daily through video calls. But after the few instances when the children started crying on seeing her, she decided to just make calls and talk to them. “They don’t cry any more but ask me when I am coming home,” she said.

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Haritha Sukumaran, a cardiac surgeon, said that nurses mention these instances when they help doctors to wear the gear. “It is painful for a parent to be away from their children but no nurses or even support staff is forced to work and can opt out of this duty – everyone understands the gravity of this illness,” she said.

When Jose was asked if she wanted to opt out of the COVID-19 care, she was quick to say that though she was afraid of catching the virus, just like any other medical staff, that wasn’t a reason to opt out of duty. “We have seen the deadly Nipah cases here at this hospital earlier. It causes acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis and we were successful in treating it,” Jose said.

What pains the people who treat, take care of the patients besides fetching food for patients, clean up their rooms and dispose of the waste is the treatment they are meted outside the hospital. For 46-year-old Susheela Venugopalan, who lives with her family a short distance away from the hospital, the memory of the evening she was shooed off a grocery store evokes pain and sadness. “I had gone after duty-hours to the grocer who I know for years and maintained social distance as well. But other customers in the shop who had come to buy groceries, many of whom I know asked me to leave the store. They told the grocer and I was asked to leave,” she said.

When these incidents are brought to the notice of the hospital, the police are called in. The hospital did just that in the case of their staff nurse Radhika Murali. The 22-year-old decided to live with her sister making it easier to travel to the hospital with the lockdown in force. When the neighbours saw her in the apartment, they not only asked her to leave but also called in the police. Murali called the hospital. They filed a police complaint and police were sent to the apartment.

The medical staff work for five days and are then quarantined or live in isolation for 14 days. They spend their time reading or watching films. The cleaning staff is not so lucky though. They follow the same rules of work and quarantine but they are often called back for duty if the hospital falls short for work, said the health inspector of the hospital. “Not a single person has refused to come to work,” he said. Most of them are temporary staff and earn Rs 600 per day. The health inspector said what makes him proud to work in the hospital is the dedication he sees in everyone tending to the virus cases. “That is commendable,” he said.

One of the health inspectors at the hospital has to be content with seeing his family as he cruises off on his bike near his in-laws' house. “I have shifted my wife and children to my in-law's house. My younger daughter was born premature and there were some complications after that. The baby is fine now but yet just a year-old. So, most days I go in my bike and call them on the phone when I am reaching close to the house. My wife and children stand in the verandah. I am able to see them for a few minutes and then I return to my house,” he said.

The health inspector, 40-year-old talks of the emptiness of the house he has to go back to some days. “Most days the work at the hospital makes it impossible to go home, which is a god-send,” he said. "I miss the children and their laughter at home," he said.

Joys of working

When Veronica finished her MBBS degree and then specialised in the treatment of infectious diseases, she felt most of her batchmates were ‘lucky’ enough to go to the United States. “I always felt they lived better lives than me. I had chosen to work in Kerala,” said Veronica. All these years, in spite of being one of the senior doctors at the hospital, there was this thought: her classmates lead better lives as professionals in the US.

Veronica’s oft-held thought was decimated completely last week. “My batchmates and I talk regularly on the phone. Last week when I spoke to some of them, they mentioned that they did not have adequate PPE gear. They spoke of their healthcare system. For the first time in my life, I felt very proud of the choice I had made to work here in Kerala. The Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital has more than adequate PPE gear. We don’t have to worry about it. We are prepared with a backup of 600 beds if there are more cases. The government has always been very proactive in healthcare in Kerala. There is nothing to be envious about working and living in the US,” she said, laughing.

Or the praise that the hospital and its staff received from a British national who was treated as a virus suspect. Veronica recalls how the Englishman was alarmed to be kept in an isolated ward.

"On the first day when I went to his room, I found him writing something. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was writing his will. He was afraid of the medical treatment at a government hospital in India, he told me. I tried to comfort him but he had a terrified expression on his face. A day or two later he started laughing and chatting with medical or other staff who entered his room. When he was discharged, he told me he would not have got such excellent care back home in Britain," said Veronica.

Indian medical care, particularly Kerala's has come in for much praise globally. Veronica did indeed make the right choice to be a doctor in Kerala. "Of course, I did," she said amid much laughter.

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[i-only-blow-bubbles]

This is my last day of being 20-year-old Sabrina. In just hours, I will be gone, and a 21-year-old version of myself will take my place.

I haven’t been itching to turn 21, but for most 19 and 20-year-olds, that’s all they look forward to. They want to be old enough to drink and go downtown. While that sounds fine and dandy, I don’t think it’s worth waiting to be over with being 20 to get there. I think age 20 has its own value.

After all, it’s 20. Twenty. It’s a new decade. It is the beginning and base of what will be my twenties. Even just saying it is lovely. It can be crisp; twen-ty. It can be quick; twenee. And it’s got a nice ring to it. Twenty. 

I didn’t want to rush through this past year to get to 21. I wanted to savor each and every moment, to which I did and to a fault. Now, I’m in love with 20-year-old me, and I’m sad to let her go. It’s been a year of self-discovery, and it sounds cheesy. I know. But I don’t care. 

View this post on Instagram

twenty.

A post shared by Sabrina LeBoeuf (@_sabrinakaye) on Dec 15, 2018 at 8:27am PST

It all began with Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse. On my birthday, my friends brought me as a fifth-wheel to Alamo Drafthouse (It’s okay, I forgive them) to see the animated film. I never had a particular interest in Spiderman, being a Batman fan, but the movie blew my mind away. 

The movie spoke to what it meant to discover yourself. (If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you doing?!) Miles Morales had to navigate becoming Spiderman when there were so many other Spidermen telling him how it should be done. But none of the previous methods really worked out for him. He eventually figures that in order to fully become Spiderman, he can redefine what was previously done. He can take the spark he’s been given and turn it into something revolutionary.

This is what kicked off my 20. Mesmerized by the pretty picture and the heartfelt story, I was determined to take my own spark and actually do something with it. I would take charge of my identity and convictions. This would be my 20. 

And now I can say that it truly was.

Throughout the year, I explored my cultural identity more. I went on to visit Panama after an 8-year hiatus and wore the traditional dress of my culture. Then I took things a step further and applied to study abroad, giving me five months to speak Spanish in the new year. 

I grew comfortable in my appearance. I cut off my pink hair, grew it out, and embraced my curls for once in my life. I even went an entire month without taking a hot tool to my head, something I don’t think I’ve ever done. I took more pictures of myself because I wanted to be more comfortable and confident with how I looked. I also wanted to document what 20-year-old Sabrina looked like.

I made sure to capture not just the good days, but also the bad. Makeup, no makeup, hair done or hair poofed out. Silly faces were optional, and tongues were out a lot. I don’t even like how I look in all of them, but at least I know the pictures are honest. Here are a select few.

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Love and fear were the greatest emotions that followed me around in all shapes and forms. Out of curiosity, I explored them. I wrote love songs, both happy and sad, and so did my favorite artists. Marina released Love + Fear, and Taylor Swift released Lover. I met JoAnn, talked with her every week for five months and I wrote a 10-page piece on what it means to be in love and how to deal with fear. I made myself face my fears, and I overcame a few of them. 

I started going to events by myself and enjoying my solitude. I went to concerts, ballets and more. Every week, I took the trip to downtown and took pointe classes for the first time. I stopped limiting myself from things I wanted to do just because I had no one to go with, and I’m so glad I did. 

I embraced spontaneity and made things work as I went along. The UT School of Journalism sent me to the Online News Association conference in New Orleans, and I managed to go without missing too much from my classes. On top of that, I started a second degree studying radio-television-film this past spring, and now I’m already 80% done. 

In my work life, I was presented with so many new, exciting opportunities. I started off the year writing about technology for Spiceworks and Austin culture for Austin Woman magazine. This blossomed into another magazine internship at Texas Connect over the summer and freelance work for Austin Woman. This past fall, I was lucky enough to write for The Daily Texan on both the news desk and the life and arts desk. Now, I’m looking forward to blogging for Texas Global as I study in Spain, and I’m praying for an internship this summer.

Beyond all the things I did for myself this year, the universe introduced me to exquisite people.  I met JoAnn while I still worked at the Campus Computer Store. Saba stepped into my life when we became partners in a journalism class. I met my amazing editors and fellow writers. Marina went with me to see the bats for the first time. I had the opportunity to learn from fabulous professors. At least three times a week, Dr. Scott opened my eyes to media studies, and Kevin Robbins challenged my writing ability and my basketball skills. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Professor Paul taught me how to feel graceful in ballet class.

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The list continues forever. I can’t say it enough. Twenty has been the best year so far. It was emotionally rich, technicolor and inspiring. These big, fluffy words only touch the surface for how much I’ve loved being 20-year-old Sabrina. 

Thank you so much to everyone in my life. I know this year would not have been what it was without you. I shall treasure the memories always, and I will do my best to treasure you that much more.

So that’s it, then, huh?

This is 20-year-old Sabrina signing off, excited to see **how in the world** twenty-one can top what a wonderful year it has been. 

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  Twenty - This is my last day of being 20-year-old Sabrina. In just hours, I will be gone, and a 21-year-old version of myself will take my place.

[gadgetsrevv]

Norwich 2-3 Chelsea: Tammy Abraham scores twice as Frank Lampard gets first win as Blues boss

Abraham is the youngest Chelsea player to score a Premier League brace since 1998

Tammy Abraham repaid manager Frank Lampard’s faith in youth as his two goals against Norwich helped Chelsea to their first win of the season.

In a frantic start, Abraham opened the scoring inside three minutes for the Blues, whose starting line-up had an average age of 24 years and 208 days – their youngest in the Premier League since February 1994.

But Norwich equalised just 156 seconds later, Todd Cantwell finishing from close range from a Teemu Pukki cross.

Mason Mount restored the Blues’ lead midway through the first half with his second goal of the season, but the Canaries soon pulled level once more as Pukki slotted in from a tight angle for his fifth of the campaign.

Chelsea dominated the start of the second half and were rewarded through Abraham’s second – an unstoppable drive past Tim Krul – before Kurt Zouma had a goal ruled out by the video assistant referee after substitute Olivier Giroud was judged to have fouled the Norwich keeper.

The result means Chelsea are unbeaten against Norwich in 16 meetings.

Chelsea youth stay patient

Lampard made two changes to the side that drew with Leicester last weekend, bringing in Abraham and Mateo Kovacic for Giroud and the injured N’Golo Kante, but he was forced to make another change after Pedro picked up a hamstring problem in the warm-up, replacing him with Ross Barkley.

His trust in his younger players paid dividends inside the opening 20 minutes at Carrow Road, with Abraham – who he said before kick-off would “cause Norwich problems” – finishing off Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross with a sweet finish into the bottom right-hand corner in the opening stages of the match.

Just 11 minutes after Cantwell’s equaliser for Norwich, Mount – who Lampard had on loan at Derby last season – cut inside the hosts’ defence and unleashed an unstoppable shot high into the net.

Despite Norwich’s second leveller, Chelsea continued to pressure their opponents’ shaky defence and Mount and Christian Pulisic both saw efforts go wide within moments of the second half getting under way.

Abraham’s second goal saw him become the youngest Chelsea player to score twice in a Premier League fixture since 1998, twisting and turning and tying Grant Hanley and Jamal Lewis in knots before firing past Krul.

The Blues thought they had scored again when Zouma poked a loose ball home, but the VAR got involved after referee Martin Atkinson had initially awarded the goal.

The only downside to Chelsea’s victory came late on as Mount hobbled off injured.

Canaries chirpy start slows down

Premier League newcomers Norwich have quickly established themselves as a side not to be underestimated this season and they demonstrated that early on against Chelsea as Finnish striker Pukki – the Canaries’ hat-trick hero against Newcastle – put the ball on a plate for Cantwell to score his first goal in the top flight.

After Mount’s goal, Chelsea enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure and Norwich had Krul to thank for not slipping further behind, the keeper producing a sublime save to swipe an Andreas Christensen header over the bar.

The hosts were soon level though, Pukki effortlessly slotting home to become only the 10th player to have scored in his first three Premier League appearances.

Norwich struggled to match Chelsea’s tempo after the break and had to wait more than 20 minutes for their first attack of the second half, but were punished just 30 seconds later as Abraham bagged his second.

Ben Godfrey hit the bar with a header from a corner soon after but manager Daniel Farke ruled change was needed, making a triple substitution with 10 minutes to go as his side searched for a late equaliser.

It worked to some extent, Norwich pushing Chelsea harder in the later stages than they had throughout the half but ultimately struggling to find the end product.

Man of the match – Mason Mount (Chelsea)

Mount scored his second goal of the season and was a constant threat in and around the Norwich box, having five shots and making two key passes

‘I’m really pleased’ – what they said

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “It was a tough test and Norwich will get a lot of points here because they are a good side.

“The two goals we gave away I didn’t like but there were lots of good elements to our play and I’m really pleased.

“I’m particularly pleased for Tammy and he scored two good goals and the winning goal, but I want to talk about all the players today as we controlled the game on a hot day.

“Our performances haven’t given us what we deserved so far – but today it did.”

Lampard praises young stars as he gets first win as Chelsea boss

Norwich manager Daniel Farke, speaking to BT Sport: “It was a pretty close game. Small details made the difference today.

“I think 2-2 at half time was the right result. Then Chelsea were dominating in the first 15 minutes of the second half and that gave them the edge.

“Sometimes when you play against a team like Chelsea, you have to ride that pressure out.

“I am pretty happy with the performance, we had a number of chances, unfortunately we could not find the equaliser.”

Small details cost Canaries against Chelsea – Farke

The stats

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has lost none of his three managerial meetings with Norwich (W2 D1), winning both of his visits to Carrow Road (also 4-3 with Derby in December 2018) – Mason Mount has been on the scoresheet in both such wins.

Norwich have scored at least twice in 16 of their last 17 home league games, scoring a total of 46 goals in this period. However, this was their first home league defeat of 2019 (P12 W8 D3 L1).

Both Norwich and Chelsea had scored after just five minutes and 32 seconds, the earliest time taken for both teams to find the net in a Premier League fixture since November 2017, when Crystal Palace v Everton was at 1-1 after 5:25.

Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has scored 28 league goals (including in the play-offs) since the start of last season, the most of any English player in the top two tiers of English football in that time.

Aged 21 years and 326 days old, Abraham is the third youngest player to score a brace in the Premier League for Chelsea, after Mark Nicholls in January 1998 against Coventry (20y 225d) and Eddie Newton in December 1992 against Tottenham (20y 358d).

Norwich forward Teemu Pukki (five goals) is the 10th player to score in each of his first three Premier League appearances, while only Pavel Pogrebnyak also scored as many as five in his first three in the competition.

Chelsea had two English players aged 21 or under score in the same Premier League match (Abraham and Mason Mount) for the first time since 22 August 1992, when Eddie Newton and Graham Stuart scored against Sheffield Wednesday.

Norwich’s Todd Cantwell (one goal, two assists) has already been directly involved in as many Premier League goals in three games as he was in 24 Championship appearances last season.

Since the start of last season, Norwich’s league matches have seen a total of 164 goals scored (99 for, 65 against), more than any other side in the top four tiers of English football in this time (excluding play-offs).

What’s next?

Following a trip to Crawley in the EFL Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST), Norwich travel to West Ham on Saturday (15:00 BST) while Chelsea host Sheffield United at the same time.

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[365footballorg-blog]

Armchair Analyst: LAFC on the march, Impact's new D & more from Week 18

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July 1, 20189:20PM EDT

Happy Canada Day, and Happy 4th of July, and Happy Let’s Take a Break from Arguing About Messi vs. Ronaldo Weekend.

Let’s take a look at MLS Week 18:

Bring the Noise

LAFC ran over, past and through Philly, winning 4-1 on Saturday night in downtown LA. Adama Diomande had a hat trick, and now has seven goals in 297 MLS minutes.

They have now won three straight, and are tied for second in the West in PPG, and are outright second in the West in goal differential, and are third in the West on total points, and it’s still at least a little bit tough to pin down what, exactly, makes them so good beside “boy they sure do put a lot of skill players out there.”

But I gave it a shot:

My colleague Bobby Warshw was also generous enough to provide his own take:

Keep the ball moving simple – be brave to give and get the ball in tough spots – because in doing so, at some point a player will get the ball in a good pocket or area. When we get that moment with a player in space, we need to take advantage; we can’t settle. The runs off the ball have to change from checking as a passing option to moving to become a threat, either directly on goal or to a more dangerous zone.

So it’s really a principle rather than a system, and what’s been telling so far is how applicable the principle has been with given personnel. To that point: When LAFC play with a true center forward (either Marco Ureña or Diomande), they’re 8-2-0 with a +10 goal differential. When they play without one of those two guys, and thus by default with a false 9, they’re 1-2-3 with an even goal differential.

Does that mean what they’re doing can’t work without a center forward? No, not really. But build-up play is always more complicated without a true center forward, and the margins in MLS are always paper thin given the parity in the league.

As for what the center forwards do that makes build-up play easier, to me it’s as simple as occupying defenders instead of occupying space. Guys like Ureña bring the defense with them, which means said defense can’t get busy ballhawking in lanes or hunting the pockets to slow down the likes of Carlos Vela, Benny Feilhaber, Diego Rossi, Lee Nguyen et al. With either of those No. 9s on the field, nobody’s been able to figure out how to stop LAFC, and more to the point the series of principles turned both guys into juggernauts.

Ureña was a Giovinco- or Almiron-level chance creator before he got hurt. As said above, Diomande is averaging better than two goals per 90 minutes. And as said above, the team keeps winning.

Of course, there’s only room for one of them out there, which presents Bob Bradley with a dilemma. We talked about that a bit:

All due respect to Ureña, but Diomande’s scored 32 goals in 32 games under Bradley. When you produce like that the decision makes itself.

Shut ‘Em Down

The Impact have posted shutouts in four of their last five games, and have won four of their last five games, and are just two points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s the thing: the first of their four wins was against the Dynamo’s reserves. The second and third were against an Orlando City team that’s very clearly cratering in an even more spectacular fashion than last season (and yeah, I’m pretty surprised by that – they have more, better and more balanced talent than last year). And so when it came to really assessing the Impact, my stance was “well, let’s wait til you beat somebody for real.”

On Saturday they beat somebody for real, taking down Sporting KC 2-0 at Stade Saputo. The eye-test strong defensive performance matches the underlying numbers, which have seen Montreal perform better on the defensive end over the past seven weeks. Since May 21 they’ve allowed 1.03 expected goals per game, and just five goals. In the 10 games before that they shipped 27 goals on an xG against of 2.47.

Here’s what this weekend’s win looked like:

#MTLvSKC xG. Impact defense didn’t give up much. pic.twitter.com/R8CMblzuxx

— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) July 1, 2018

If you stop allowing goals you start winning games. Or at least you give yourself a chance to win games, and the Ignacio Piatti-led attack is starting to oblige themselves.

So how have they stopped their opponents, exactly? On Saturday it was a compact, relatively low-block 4-3-3 that never allowed any penetration through the middle – they’ve gotten very good at preventing third-line passes. In part that’s because their central midfield no longer takes any risks pushing forward. Piatti & Co. are largely tasked with creating everything themselves.

The other change is simply personnel. Rod Fanni and Rudy Camacho are healthy now, and so the Impact are better in central defense than they were. This is especially manifest on restarts, as Montreal aren’t getting dunked on every single week anymore.

Is it enough for me to start believing this team’s destined for the playoffs? Nah, not really. There’s just not enough depth pretty much anywhere, and not much dynamism aside from Piatti.

They’re capable of getting some results, though, and they’re definitely out there to ruin somebody’s day. Nobody’s gonna be afraid of the Impact or anything, but at this point nobody should look at them and think “well, those are three points on the schedule.”

A few more things to ponder…

9. Atlanta took Orlando out behind the woodshed, a 4-0 win in front of 70,000 – the first real blowout in this rivalry that’s not yet a rivalry, really, because the Purple Lions haven’t held up their end of the bargain. Got to win at least once against a team before you’re their rivals.

New head coach James O’Connor’s got a great track record in USL (similar to Gio Savarese’s in NASL), and I still believe there’s plenty of talent on this roster to do the job. And it’s important to understand: This is not a team bereft of young talent. Chris Mueller is 21. Cam Lindley is 20. Josue Colman is 19. And of the veteran guys, none is so long in the tooth that they’re at the very end of their days.

I’m not sure O’Connor can or will do it this year. But I expect this team, in the coming weeks and months, to start performing much better than they have been.

8. RSL’s bizarre. They avoided the mistake of playing Kyle Beckerman & Damir Kreilach together in central midfield, but Mike Petke… started Kreilach as a false 9? Even Jorge Sampaoli is confused by that one. They lost to Crew SC, 2-1, and were much (much much much) better once an actual forward got out onto the field.

Eduardo Sosa, the 22-year-old Venezuelan No. 10, looked very good in place of Federico Higuain even aside from the goal. The question I’ve got is “Can he play on the wing?” Because a guy who can finish like that would help this team, which has been bereft of goals from that spot.

7. Our Pass of the Week comes from Nicolas Lodeiro in Seattle’s 3-2 loss to Portland, their first MLS regular season home loss to their southern neighbors. You should watch this whole video, or just scroll to 1:56 if you want to hurt my feelings instead:

Seattle’s pretty close to fully cooked. Portland, meanwhile, picked up their sixth one-goal win of the year (out of seven total), and could perhaps make a run at Colorado’s record of 14, set two seasons ago.

The Timbers are unbeaten in 10, and 12 across all competitions. They’re feeling quite a bit like a rich man’s version of that Rapids team that made a serious Supporters’ Shield run.

6. New England got a much-needed 3-2 win over visiting D.C. on Saturday night, a result that keeps them comfortably in 5th place in the East. But here’s a trend to be worried about: Over the last nine games (5 at home), the Revs have conceded 18 goals. Over their previous eight games, they conceded nine.

Teams have figured out how to play through the press and create a few chances, and Matt Turner hasn’t been able to be Superman every single week. It’s a concern.

As for D.C… can Wayne Rooney play defense? Because that’s where they need the help.

5. I think I’m gonna buy Chicago stock. They’re 3-1-3 in the last seven, and unbeaten (2-0-3) in their last five since switching back to the 4-3-3 full-time. Obviously getting Dax McCarty healthy has helped and he gave fans a throw-back moment with his seeing-eye throughball to spring Nemanja Nikolic for the game’s first goal in a 3-2 win over NYCFC (McCarty was, once upon a time, a No. 10).

The big question now: What do they do with Aleksandar Katai? The Serbian winger has been awesome over the past few weeks, and destroyed the NYCFC left side all night (pour one out for the memory of Ben Sweat). The Fire now have to decide whether or not to extend his loan/buy him outright, and while it seems an easy decision… there’s a reason Katai’s bounced from team to team all decade, and why a guy of his considerable skills has never found a permanent home.

They have to be sure that the Katai who’s just been rewarded with a big contract will play the same way as the Katai who’s hungry for a big contract.

4. The midsummer California Clasico at Stanford Stadium pretty much always delivers. Chris Wondolowski and Zlatan Ibrahimovic both got themselves a brace, Romain Alessandrini scored a banger, Vako got on the board, and nobody could defend worth even half a damn in a 3-3 draw.

TFW you’ve got to go back for seconds:

I didn’t know Wondo had this in his soul but I blame Twitter for it. pic.twitter.com/eaKUAMdeIE

— Bobby Warshaw (@bwarshaw14) July 1, 2018

That’s obviously our Face of the Week even though we can’t really see his face.

San Jose still haven’t beaten anybody but Minnesota United this year. LA will be disappointed they kept letting the lead slip away, but they’ve lost just once in their last six.

3. Alex Bono gave up a soft goal. Luis Robles stood on his head. Sebastian Giovinco missed a penalty – why is he still taking penalties, by the way?

Toronto FC played well, but they lost again, this time 1-0 to the visiting Red Bulls. They have 18 games left, and my guess is they need to take somewhere from 30-34 points from those in order to make the playoffs.

The Red Bulls weren’t great, but Robles was. Sometimes that’s enough. 

2. Break up the Rapids! They bunkered into a 5-4-1 – center back Danny Wilson was, no joke, a central midfielder – got themselves an own goal, and then rode a magnificent Tim Howard performance to a 1-0 win at Vancouver. It’s their second straight win, and they’re now three unbeaten.

The new Rapids way seems very much like the old Rapids way, but at least it gives me a chance to use this Howard gif one last time:

Tim Howard’s had his best 45 mins of the year, which is fitting as it’s come on the 4-year anniversary of this… pic.twitter.com/Df2EQM5zdU

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) July 1, 2018

He finished the day with 10 saves.

The ‘Caps are still above the playoff line on total points (23, 6th place) but are below it on PPG (1.28, 8th place). And since a 3-1-1 start to the year they’re 3-6-4.

1. Friday was a special end to Pride Month, as Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin came out to the world as a gay man. It was a shame we didn’t get to see him play – he’d started three of the previous six Loons games, and played in six of the past eight.

And look, MNUFC fans could’ve used something to celebrate on the night. Their 1-0 loss to visiting FC Dallas was their third straight, and they’ve won just once in their last seven, and are actually behind last year’s pace with 16 points through 16 games (they had 17 at this point last year). I don’t think anybody expected them to compete for the playoffs this year, but nobody should’ve expected them to be worse. 

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Armchair Analyst: LAFC on the march, Impact's new D & more from Week 18 was originally published on 365 Football

[the-record-columns]

June 13, 2018: Columns

A K-33 Rocker is not a guitar!

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

    Nearly twenty years ago, when Jerry Lankford and me were making plans to convert our Thursday Magazine TV guide into The Record, one of the first things we had to do was to find where to purchase the vending equipment we would need for "rack sales."  

    This question, and a host of others were answered by two great friends, Dick Mitchell, publisher of the News-Topic in Lenoir, and his Circulation Manager, Mike Lambert.  On many of our questions, there was much conversation, but when the subject of newspaper sales boxes came up, they both quickly said there was no discussion needed there--all I needed to know was Clayton Hall.  Upon meeting Clayton Hall of Expert Newsrack Services in Thomasville, it was obvious I had gotten good advice from my friends Dick and Mike, and that Clayton's business was named quite appropriately--"Expert."

    From day one Clayton and his staff were a tremendous help to us, delivering on time and with high quality equipment, much of which is still in good operating condition lo these twenty-odd years later.  I do buy my locks from Harvey Barlow at Wilkes Lock Service, but everything else I can think of in circulation supplies, we did, and still do, buy from Expert Newsrack Services, and our friend Clayton Hall.  When The Record offices burned in 2004, one of the first calls I received offering help was from Clayton.  At that time he had a fairly large refurbishing job in progress for us at his shop, and, when he delivered the boxes several weeks later, he would render no bill.  He said simply, "You've been through enough lately, I'll take care of this."

    Such is the nature of Clayton Hall.

    On my very first visit to the physical plant of Expert Newsrack Services in Thomasville, I was fascinated by the showroom there featuring all kinds of newspaper memorabilia, especially circulation items.  There were several "antique" newspaper boxes, one of which caught my eye on that first visit.  It was a red box, set up for 10 cents Daily, and 20 cents on Sunday.  Of course I tried to buy it and he told me it wasn't for sale, just display.  I wasn't surprised, but did ask a few more times when I would visit.  One day he said, "It still isn't for sale, but if I ever do decide to let it go, I'll give you the first call."  I didn't figure I could ask for much more than that.

    Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago.  Clayton is now semi-retired, but stays busy taking care of his friends newspaper rack needs.  I called about needing some "race-track repairs" on a few boxes, and, as we were picking out which day he was go come by, he offhandedly asked, "Are you still interested in that little red newspaper box from my showroom?"  "Would five pounds of flour make a big biscuit,?" I replied.

    In the next breath, he said, "I'll have it with me."

    I know I stammered as I said "Thank you" over and over.  I couldn't wait until the appointed day arrived.  Clayton had it wrapped up for shipping and when we got it inside, we uncovered it.  It was prettier and cooler than I had even remembered.  Clayton Hall does everything by the book--he even had a Bill of Lading for me to sign that I had received the box.  It was in a section labeled, "OTHER:." The text read, "Old K-33 Rocker Mech Rack for Museum.  (Gift)" 

   Sometimes "Thank you"  is simply not enough and this is one of those times.  This old rack is from the 40's or early 50's when daily papers were a nickel each.  It has been updated to reflect the 10 cents daily and 20 cents Sunday price increase sometime in the mid 60's,and it still looks brand new.

    This past weekend, I sorted through a gazillion old newspapers stored  in boxes until I sneezed my head off and found one that was perfect for my new/old red box.  It is a 10 cent edition of The Miami Herald dated Monday, July 21, 1969.  It reads--well, just look at the accompanying photo.

    Yes, I am absolutely thrilled with this amazing new piece of history for our poor man's museum here at the offices of The Record--but I am by far most pleased for being thought of, and remembered.

    Thank you, Clayton Hall, for making an old man's day.

   Double Duty

By LAURA WELBORN

I received a card from my youngest child “Happy Father’s Day to you, MOM!  And to all the others out there pulling double duty.”

 Sometimes we are an only parent through some kind of loss- death or separation on some level.  This week in the news two famous people intentionally ended their lives by hanging. Just like my husband, Steve, Gentry almost 18 years ago.  A brutal intentional way to end your life.  A lot of our feelings of suicide come bubbling up like “suicide is the most selfish act”  “did depression lead to it?”  and “how could they?”.  

My personal journey began with anger and my friend, Margo, who was a grief counselor said she had never seen anyone go straight to anger and stay there for as long as I did (2 years of intense anger).  I was so angry at him for giving up, leaving his children (5 in total) to deal with this, anger that my children did not have a father.  But years and years later I now think he had faith in me as a parent that I could pull double duty, faith in family that they would step up and help, faith in our community..  He would not have been disappointed.  My boys were 15 and 11 years old at the time, and yet 18 years later they are healthy happy adults who love life and have conquered whatever desperate thoughts they have had.  Fathers Day used to be really tough until they started to recognize the men in their life who had stepped up and filled that void in so many ways.  I think of the teachers they have had men and women who reached out to them so they would have healthy happy lives.  The coaches, the church members, the friends parents who worked to make sure they would be ok.  So this Father's Day I salute those who pull double duty, those that reach out to children they may not have birthed but whose lives they touched so that suicidal desperation was not a choice.

  This past month has been a celebration of the lives that ended at the Pulse Night Club by starting a movement of 49 Acts of Love to combat the desperation one must feel to do an act of violence to others or to themselves.  These are simple acts of loving kindness to others to help us feel better and reach out to those in isolation.  Isolation is at the root of suicidal idealization.  The question becomes how do we know when someone has desperate thoughts?  So many times we do not know, but the signs are almost always there- if you look. And look past the “I’m fine” response to “how are you?”.  It takes courage to tell someone you are not fine, and to talk out those feelings. And sometimes that does not work, but we must try.  “Shame lives in silence and once you speak it, it can’t live.  (Brene Brown)”

Several parents, of the 49 taken, were asked to share how they would like to see love and kindness shown on June 12th and maybe everyday after.  I challenge you to read about the 49 Acts of Love and do one each day in honor of those who have gone before us.   49 ACTS OF KINDNESS:

 1.      Visit an elder and ask them to tell you about the world when they were growing up or when they first got married or at their first job.

 2.      Get school supplies for needy children

 3.      Help prepare school backpacks for kids in need

 4.      Offer to serve a meal at a homeless shelter

 5.      Introduce yourself to a neighbor you don’t know

 6.      Volunteer with Meals on Wheels or similar and take food and company to a housebound senior

 7.      Volunteer at an animal shelter and give a stray some TLC

 8.      Offer to babysit a small child so parents can have some quiet time

 9.      Prepare a meal for someone undergoing debilitating medical treatment

 10. Smile at least 49 times today

 11. Hold a door for someone

 12. Let someone cut in front of you during rush hour traffic

 13. Teach a senior how to text, Skype, Facebook or Whatsapp so they can stay connected

 14. Look at someone you normally disapprove of – and try to look at the world from their eyes.

 15. If you see someone who is very different from you – look at all the ways you are the same.

 16. Try to love and respect someone for who they are NOT what they look like.

 17. Have a simple meal at home instead of going out and donate the savings to a food kitchen

 18. Compliment someone you don’t know – you will make their day.

 19. Offer to help an elderly neighbor with their yard work

 20. Read a child a story

 21. Be patient with someone who doesn’t speak English

 22. Pick up something someone dropped

 23. At the airport help someone with their luggage

 24. In the plane help someone put in or take out their bags from the overhead compartment.

 25. Say something nice to someone you don’t like at work

 26. Strike up a conversation with someone you would never normally talk to

 27. Offer to go with an elder to a doctor’s appointment

 28. Offer to pick up a prescription for an ill or elder person

 29. Offer to sit with an elder so that their caregiver can have some respite

 30. Stay with a young child so that mother can go to the grocery store in peace for a change

 31. Pick up a neighbors mail while they are out of town

 32. Tell a police officer or a firefighter that you appreciate what they do to keep us safer

 33. Tell a teacher they are heroes

 34. Donate food to a homeless shelter

 35. Mentor a child – especially a child with extra challenges

 36. Volunteer at organizations that help homeless teens

 37. Help a non-English speaker as they learn our language by offering to help them read a book or understand a TV show

 38. Try a food from a country you didn’t know and learn something about it.

 39. Pray for peace and tolerance

 40. Learn the proper way to store a gun and how to keep it away from children

 41. Become active in a cause that is important to you

 42. Hug someone you haven’t hugged in a long time

 43. Adopt a pet

 44. Considering being a foster parent

 45. Share your talents by performing for free in a public place.

 46. Teach someone to make music

 47. Teach someone how to paint

 48. Teach someone to read

 49. Try to love more every day

[brajeshupadhyay]

Editor's note: This series will focus on the difficulties faced by the medical fraternity at COVID-19 hospitals, their duty hours, access to protective gear, facilities they get during quarantine, how are their families coping with this new reality across different states in the country. This is the second part of the series. After working for over a month with spells of quarantine at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital, Ernakulam which has been turned into a COVID-19 speciality hospital, 32-year-old Ravi went home to meet his family in Palghat district. After an almost three hour trip, he was eagerly waiting to see his wife and children. They had shifted to his in-law’s home before the Janata Curfew was announced. Ravi Chandran works in the administration department of the hospital. After reaching Palakkad, Chandran was stopped at the gates of the house by neighbours. “A few people gathered and asked me to leave. They argued that since I work in a hospital, I was in danger of carrying the virus. I tried to explain but could not talk anything much to the crowd that was gradually increasing. I finally decided to leave,” Chandran said. His regret is that he could not hug his children or talk to his wife. Medical staff, risk their lives and expose themselves to the dangers of the virus. Though hailed within the hospital for their service, they are unwelcome in society once they step out of the hospital. The threats posed by coronavirus drives sane thoughts away and the until-then warm neighbourhood treats medical and other staff working in hospitals as pariahs. Firstpost spoke to medical and support staff at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital to understand the stress and the conditions under which they work. They agreed to speak on conditions of anonymity. All names mentioned in this article are changed, as per their request. COVID-19 cases in Kerala On 30 January, the country’s first case of COVID-19 was reported in Kerala, and the state reported its first coronavirus death after a 69-year-old man being treated for the virus died at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital. The man, from Chullikkal in Ernakulam, was admitted to the isolation ward on 22 March after his return from Dubai. His death was also due to other complications -- heart disease and high blood pressure. He had a bypass surgery earlier, doctors at the hospital said. When the coronavirus outbreak hit India, at first, the country observed a 14-hour voluntary public curfew on 22 March, 2020. As fresh cases of coronavirus came up in several parts of the country, the government announced lockdowns in 75 districts and many cities. On 24 March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. On 14 April, it was extended till 3 May. As early as mid-January, the Government Medical College Hospital was geared up for the epidemic. A control room was set up. Kerala has many students studying at Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus and there was a fear of them returning and being possible carriers of the virus. The state has well-oiled machinery which has dealt swiftly and effectively against the deadly Nipah virus which hit the state in 2018. The hospital has 30 isolation beds and 10 beds set aside for suspected cases of COVID-19. It is prepared for 500 beds, in case of an emergency, said Kala Menon, a specialist in infectious diseases. PPE gear and ‘suffocation’ The hospital has charted four hours duration duty hours for staff working in the COVID-19 wards instead of the mandatory 8 hours shifts they work. The reason for the change in duty hours is not due to the dangers posed by the virus, but due to the heavy personal protection equipment (PPE) gear the staff has to wear. Once the doctors and staff get dressed in the PPE gear, no one can work beyond four hours. Covering the entire body from head to toe, it is uncomfortable as the body temperature rises once it is worn. The doctors said that after wearing the PPE gear, their movements are restricted. However, they have devised their own ways to work with it and yet the heat generated after wearing the gear is ‘terrible’, they said. Once the gear is worn, the doctors and staff cannot drink water or eat or even visit the washroom. To wear the PPE gear, the staff has to reach the premises at least an hour before the shift begins. There are specially demarcated entry and exit ways for medical staff treating COVID-19 patients. The PPE gear can be worn only with another person’s help. There is an order to be followed to wear it. Each item is first sprayed with disinfectant. “We wear the shoes first,” said staff nurse Sebastian. Then the PPE overalls are worn. The head has to be covered after which most staff wears one or more masks over which another mask is layered over. After wearing goggles, two pairs of gloves are pulled over the hands. All parts of the overall are securely pinned so that no part of the person’s body is exposed. Since the identity of the person wearing the gear is not known, identification labels are affixed on them. There is a procedure for removing the PPE gear. The assistant who helps the staff to has to spray disinfectants on the PPE before removing it. Each part of the PPE has to be disposed of in different bins. The cleaning staff does not come in contact with it as they pick up the bin and leave it at the waste disposal area. Life after day’s work The hospital has set up accommodation within its premises for its staff. After duty, the staff cannot interact with others. Some like senior nurse Ragini Shankaran goes home in vehicles arranged by the hospital. “I have two children aged four and six. They have now understood that they cannot come near me once I am home. Earlier, it was difficult for family members to hold them away from me. But it has been over two months now and they stand away at a little distance and talk to me,” said Shankaran, who said she was happy to be able to go home and see her family. Unlike 30-year-old Molly Jose, a staff nurse at the hospital who said she felt ‘terrible’ to not meet her children — a two-year-old son and four-year-old daughter — living now with her mother. “I haven’t seen them for over a month now,” she said, her voice shaking. At first, Jose would talk to her children daily through video calls. But after the few instances when the children started crying on seeing her, she decided to just make calls and talk to them. “They don’t cry any more but ask me when I am coming home,” she said. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates Haritha Sukumaran, a cardiac surgeon, said that nurses mention these instances when they help doctors to wear the gear. “It is painful for a parent to be away from their children but no nurses or even support staff is forced to work and can opt out of this duty – everyone understands the gravity of this illness,” she said. When Jose was asked if she wanted to opt out of the COVID-19 care, she was quick to say that though she was afraid of catching the virus, just like any other medical staff, that wasn’t a reason to opt out of duty. “We have seen the deadly Nipah cases here at this hospital earlier. It causes acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis and we were successful in treating it,” Jose said. What pains the people who treat, take care of the patients besides fetching food for patients, clean up their rooms and dispose of the waste is the treatment they are meted outside the hospital. For 46-year-old Susheela Venugopalan, who lives with her family a short distance away from the hospital, the memory of the evening she was shooed off a grocery store evokes pain and sadness. “I had gone after duty-hours to the grocer who I know for years and maintained social distance as well. But other customers in the shop who had come to buy groceries, many of whom I know asked me to leave the store. They told the grocer and I was asked to leave,” she said. When these incidents are brought to the notice of the hospital, the police are called in. The hospital did just that in the case of their staff nurse Radhika Murali. The 22-year-old decided to live with her sister making it easier to travel to the hospital with the lockdown in force. When the neighbours saw her in the apartment, they not only asked her to leave but also called in the police. Murali called the hospital. They filed a police complaint and police were sent to the apartment. The medical staff work for five days and are then quarantined or live in isolation for 14 days. They spend their time reading or watching films. The cleaning staff is not so lucky though. They follow the same rules of work and quarantine but they are often called back for duty if the hospital falls short for work, said the health inspector of the hospital. “Not a single person has refused to come to work,” he said. Most of them are temporary staff and earn Rs 600 per day. The health inspector said what makes him proud to work in the hospital is the dedication he sees in everyone tending to the virus cases. “That is commendable,” he said. One of the health inspectors at the hospital has to be content with seeing his family as he cruises off on his bike near his in-laws' house. “I have shifted my wife and children to my in-law's house. My younger daughter was born premature and there were some complications after that. The baby is fine now but yet just a year-old. So, most days I go in my bike and call them on the phone when I am reaching close to the house. My wife and children stand in the verandah. I am able to see them for a few minutes and then I return to my house,” he said. The health inspector, 40-year-old talks of the emptiness of the house he has to go back to some days. “Most days the work at the hospital makes it impossible to go home, which is a god-send,” he said. "I miss the children and their laughter at home," he said. Joys of working When Veronica finished her MBBS degree and then specialised in the treatment of infectious diseases, she felt most of her batchmates were ‘lucky’ enough to go to the United States. “I always felt they lived better lives than me. I had chosen to work in Kerala,” said Veronica. All these years, in spite of being one of the senior doctors at the hospital, there was this thought: her classmates lead better lives as professionals in the US. Veronica’s oft-held thought was decimated completely last week. “My batchmates and I talk regularly on the phone. Last week when I spoke to some of them, they mentioned that they did not have adequate PPE gear. They spoke of their healthcare system. For the first time in my life, I felt very proud of the choice I had made to work here in Kerala. The Kalamassery Government Medical College Hospital has more than adequate PPE gear. We don’t have to worry about it. We are prepared with a backup of 600 beds if there are more cases. The government has always been very proactive in healthcare in Kerala. There is nothing to be envious about working and living in the US,” she said, laughing. Or the praise that the hospital and its staff received from a British national who was treated as a virus suspect. Veronica recalls how the Englishman was alarmed to be kept in an isolated ward. "On the first day when I went to his room, I found him writing something. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was writing his will. He was afraid of the medical treatment at a government hospital in India, he told me. I tried to comfort him but he had a terrified expression on his face. A day or two later he started laughing and chatting with medical or other staff who entered his room. When he was discharged, he told me he would not have got such excellent care back home in Britain," said Veronica. Indian medical care, particularly Kerala's has come in for much praise globally. Veronica did indeed make the right choice to be a doctor in Kerala. "Of course, I did," she said amid much laughter.

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