#Hugin Reviews

[hugintheraven]

Finished Worm

Really enjoyed it, will be checking out the rest. Some spoilery, rambly thoughts:

I wonder how much of this was preplanned. Because there's a definite thematic resonance to the first thing we learn about Brockton Bay being that it sucks because the Ferry is broken, cutting off the two parts of the city, and then Taylor's essentially last act being to punch a bunch of holes between realities so that everyone can unite, and I have to wonder if Wildbow intended that from the start.

Taylor's characterization bugged me by the end. Not that it was unrealistic or anything(there's a reason 16-18 year olds shouldn't have unimaginable power), but someone at some point really needed to sit her down and dig some of her issues out of her psyche with a fork. Like, she has both a shrink and mandatory ethics classes as part of the Wards, did NONE of that take?

(which is also why I think I'm falling on the side of NOT shipping Lisa and Taylor, despite it basically being written for me. Lisa deserves better and she's smart enough to know it, even if she definitely loves her.)

But Taylor starting it off by getting tortured and refusing to ask for help because she knows no one will help her, and then how she ends it? That tracks, but also that sucks to a degree I don't love in my fiction. I saw her described as the hero of a Greek Tragedy once and yeah, I don't love those.

BTW, do we ever see Imp vs Regent's Dad? Because of the timeskip, that's probably the thing I was upset about missing most.

The mandatory no-homo started being funny at some point. It's partially an inverse Supernatural(and maybe the only one of those I've seen), in that there's so few male chars that you have to ship femslash just to make your fic functional. And Wildbow choosing to do that, to write a bunch of really good female chars and then be offended that people ship them, is just hilariously bad.

Anyways, yeah, was good. Will be reading the rest, but also wow there's a lot of words to all this.

#Parahumans #Worm #Hugin Reviews

[nikibogwater]

So I checked out Valheim for the first time last night. All the reviews talk about how pretty and calm the game is but they fail to fully communicate the enormous potential for completely unbridled chaos. So here are my first impressions for anybody who’s wondering about that particular aspect of the game:

I was playing with my two older brothers. For ease of differentiation, I’ll refer to them by their character names in-game: Tripe and Gustav. 

Tripe was the one hosting the server. The game starts with a giant bird dropping you into the forest. Tripe landed first, and stood there for a moment, looking around.

I was the second to drop in and I landed directly on his head and bounced off of him. Because we were both meaty Viking warriors with god-tier level of pain resistance, this did not seem to phase either of us. However, we did think it best to move out of the way before Gustav landed.

Gustav landed and the three of us spent a few chaotic minutes figuring out the controls. Tripe accidentally punched me in the face and immediately got +1 Punching Skill. Cue a few frantic seconds of all three of us chasing each other around and trying to punch each other for skill points.

We also found out that you can get Jumping skill points simply by hopping around, so we spent the majority of this play session bunny-hopping across the landscape instead of just running.

A very friendly magical talking corvid named Hugin swooped in to offer us some much-needed advice. Unfortunately, we were too busy making terrible jokes about his name to pay any attention. We are all aware that it is probably pronounced HEW-gin, but Gustav took one look at him and proclaimed his name to be Hug-Em-Touch-Em-Squeeze-Em and now we are obligated to refer to him as such for the rest of eternity.

Tripe accidentally stripped out of his Rag Tunic and threw it on the ground and all three of us stood there staring at his failure for moment. 

A few peaceful minutes of punching saplings and gathering raspberries later, Gustav attempted to chop down his first proper tree. It landed directly on top of him and he immediately died. Tripe seriously considered looting his grave for a split second, but then kindly left it for Gustav to retrieve. 

Hugin continued to pop up suddenly and unexpectedly throughout the entire play session, warranting several near-heart-attacks. 

Tripe built us our first fire pit and all was peaceful for a few blessed minutes. Then he walked into it and set himself on fire. Gustav and I just stood there watching as he ran around in a blazing panic. 

In conclusion? I haven’t played the game long enough to give it an overall out-of-ten rating, but I can confirm that, as far as enabling chaos goes, Valheim gets a solid 11/10. ⚔✨

#niki rambles #gaming #valheim

[originaljiraiyan]

Deca-Dence Episode 6: Recap and Review

Deca-Dence Episode 6: Recap and Review

Kaburagi is sent to prison Kaburagi is sent to the correctional facility

In Deca-Dence episode 6, Kaburagi’s punishment is handed out. Kaburagi is to be scrapped by Hugin. He is unrepentant and willing to accept his punishment. However, before Hugin can scrap Kaburagi, the company intervenes, instead choosing to send Kaburagi to a “correctional facility.” The corrupted “bugs” are injected…

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#Anime #Anime Review #Deca-Dence #Deca-Dence Episode 6

[recentanimenews]

Deca-Dence – 03 – Riding the Wave

Now that we, the audience, generally know the score in terms of the cyborg and human worlds, this episode is free to spend most of its runtime on Natsme’s Gadoll-hunting training. That’s fine with me, as I’m a big fan of Natsume, and this episode doesn’t sugar-coat the difficulty of fighting Gadoll.

It’s hard, brutal work that can turn you into hamburger. It’s also extremely a good move for us learn the mechanics of variable-gravity battle by having Kaburagi toss Natsume right into the shit—or in this case, a tutorial zone that’s still incredibly grueling for her. Her Tanker friend is worried about her going out into battle zones, especially with that arm.

Natsume isn’t going to let failure after failure or naysaying peers keep her from learning how to “ride the wave” of Gadoll zones. Kabu attaches her to a kite to learn how to fly, and tosses her into the drink to learn how to catch fish with a spear. Both are essential foundational skills for a Gear or fighting Tanker (a group of merely 200, compared to 50,000 Gears).

Preston didn’t mind Bofuri’s many Maple montages, and I feel similarly positive about the use of montage here. It accelerates the pace of Natsume getting knocked down and getting back up again until she gradually gets better and better, and even impresses Kabu. You can tell she’s working her bum off, and it’s paying off because she has a good, patient teacher.

Kaburagi even goes over film of Natsume’s training, and notices her crude artificial arm is taking too long adjusting her Tank (flying device), which could prove fatal in a real battle against tougher Gadoll. In the middle of film review, he’s contacted by Hugin, who wonders why he hasn’t processed a Bug in 13 days, 7 hours, and 28 minutes. I had to take a deep breath after hearing those precise time figures, for I qas initially worried Hugin was on to Kaburagi training a human Bug.

I guess he’s not all-knowing and all-seeing, merely extremely rigid in his belief all bugs must be eliminated. Both Hugin and a corporate presentation of world history, in which cyborgs eventually supplanted humans as the dominant species on Earth, implies that not keeping bugs in check led to the humans’ downfall.

When Kabu dives back into his human avatar, Natsume is at his door with an outfit for Pipe so he can run around outside. I’m not sure how Pipe’s wearing anything would make him less conspicuous to others, but never mind. When Natsume tells Kabu that she’s aware her old arm is a problem, he takes her to a weapons shop and outfits her with a new five-fingered model.

She’s already over the moon to have fine control in both hands now, but Wait…There’s More: her arm can transform into a spear-gun, which should improve her fighting speed considerably. She’s eager to test it out in the field, but a Gadoll alarm sounds, Deca-Dence hits some kind of sinkhole and stops, and the resulting earthquake sends Natsume, Kabu, and Pipe flying.

When Pipe falls into one of the cracks in the earth, Kaburagi follows after him, and requests location support from Commander Minato. We quickly flash back to six years ago when he found Pipe in a glob of Gadoll guts. Rather than kill or report the bug, he bought a trailer in Tanker Town and kept it as a pet. Both Pipe and now Natsume are products of his desire—his need—to rebel against Hugin and The System…at least a little.

Meanwhile Natsume runs down and through the underground passage until she comes upon an absolutely massive cavern where she can watch the battle between medium-sized Gadoll and Gears unfolding. The scale of the sight is awesome to behold. If only she had her gear, she could join in the battle. Then again, the size of the cavern and possibility it was made suggests that a much, much larger Gadoll may be lurking deeper in the earth. I’m not sure she’s ready for that quite yet.

By: braverade

#Anime #News #RABUJOI – An Anime Blog

[comixconnection]

Upcoming Graphic Novels: “Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery” by Satoshi Oshio & Hugin Miyama

Have you all noticed that there are a lot more original graphic novels coming out these days than there ever were before? We here at Comix Connection certainly have! We’ve been trying to share news about the ones that really excite us in our Big Green Previews Book (and we’ll keep doing that of course) but it can be hard sometimes to get good information about brand new graphic novels in quick bursts at the counter, so we’ve decided to start showcasing some of our favorites here!

If you want to order any of the books featured in these posts, please let us know at the store of your choice (Mechanicburg: 717-591-2727 or York 717-767-4871) as soon as possible so we can make sure we get enough copies for everyone!

You can find all of our previously spotlighted graphic novels RIGHT HERE. Today’s featured book is Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery by artist Satoshi Oshio and artist Hugin Miyama.

Published by Dark Horse Comics, Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery looks to be an exciting new offering to expand their Hatsune Miku manga line, that previously included Hatsune Miku: Acute & Hatsune Miku: Mikubon. This will be the first of two volumes by writer Satoshi Oshio and artist Hugin Miyama. Future Delivery tells a story “set in the distant future, where Asumi — a girl who has no clue to her memories but a drawing of a green-haired, ponytailed person — finds her only friend in Asimov, a battered old delivery robot. The strange companions travel the stars together in search of the mysterious ‘Miku,’ only to learn the legendary idol has taken different forms on many different worlds!”

This looks to be a grand adventure, and I’m very excited to see Asumi and Asimov meet not only these future incarnations of Hatsune Miku, but Kagamine Len and Rin as well!

But where is the original Miku who inspired so many others? That’s the big question! If you’re interested in the answer, then order  Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery Volume 1 (of 2) to find the J-pop superstar and let the Vocaloid of Crypton Future Media sing once more!

Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery Vol. 1 will be published in the softcover manga right-to-left format by DARK HORSE COMICS for $10.99 and has a slated release date of October 4, 2017.

Remember, if you want to make sure that you get a copy or this – or any of the other graphic novels we’ll be highlighting here in the coming days – don’t delay to get your orders in! Choose whichever location is more convenient to you and give us a call there or just let us know to order you a copy of Hatsune Miku: Future Delivery the next time you stop in to pick up your comics!

Note that as with any special order you make, you are agreeing to pick up all books that you order within one month of arrival. We cannot cancel orders once they have been submitted. Thank you!

#hatsune miku #satoshi oshi #hugin miyama #gn pre orders #jo review #review #graphic novel

[andithinktome-blog1]

9 Architectural Photography Tips

Classical or modern; architectural photography can be as difficult as it is satisfying. Here are some tips to assist you start ...

1. Be delicate to the instructions of light as this can increase contrast, shadows, textures and reflections. High levels of contrast can deceive electronic cameras into exposing the scene improperly, however shooters can quickly conquer this by using direct exposure settlement. Another technique is to bracket chance ats various direct exposure worths (exposing one for the highlights, one for the midtones and one for the shadows) and later on combine them in a devoted HDR program (such as Photomatix).

2. A fish eye or wide-angle lens (and focal length) is perfect for this category as it makes it possible for professional photographers to frame the whole structure within its environment. Nevertheless often your glass might not have the ability to incorporate the entire scene, which is where the valuable breathtaking format can be available in convenient. Numerous compacts now provide a particular Scene mode for sewing together numerous shots in electronic camera, however the very same result can be accomplished post-shoot with devoted breathtaking software application such as; as Hugin or PTgui if you are shooting with a DSLR.

3. We are informed it's exactly what's on the within that counts and sure sufficient architecture photography isn't really limited to the facia of a structure. It can be challenging to properly white balance an interior setting, particularly ones that are reliant on different kinds of synthetic lighting, so keep in mind to compensate appropriately in the White Balance menu or take a reading from a grey card. Interior shots in older structures have the tendency to be more irksome due to the fact that they generally include little doors and windows-- therefore do not have natural light. Attempt utilizing a tripod and carrying out a long-exposure and remember you might constantly use an ND filter to stop highlights being burnt out when shooting in the day. Additionally you might utilize supplemental lighting, such as a diffused flash however take care as this might rob the scene of its environment and information.

4. When the sun decreases a brand-new kind of architectural photographer can emerge. To shoot a structure as a shape throughout sundown, position the architecture in between yourself and the sun. Make certain the flash is shut down and expose for the sky. If the foreground is too light set the direct exposure payment to an unfavorable worth to darken it. This impact can produce especially enigmatic outcomes. Night shots can be extremely significant and climatic too, however keep in mind to take them when there is still some light and colour left in the sky as this includes tone to the background and aid to light up information. As prior to enter a great position and set your electronic camera on a tripod and await the amazing display screen of city lights from windows, street lights, indications-- all these in their rainbow of neon colours will contribute to the atmosphere. Utilize a broad aperture and long direct exposure, and if your video camera is supported you'll have the ability to use a low ISO to make sure information aren't diminished by sound.

5. Unlike other kinds of photography, interesting architectural images can be produced in all weather conditions. A church on a clear day might strike the audience as enjoyable however possibly a bit dull, review it when there's a storm developing overhead or a mist increasing from the wet earth and the outcomes can be completely more appealing. By reviewing and shooting the exact same structure in these different climate condition, photographer's can produce a cool portfolio of shots-- perhaps pick the very best 3 and you'll have yourself an interest triptych.

6. Reflections include an additional measurement to architectural images and enable the photographer to produce a canvas on which the structure can be playfully misshaped. Urban environments are cluttered with a wide variety of reflective surface areas, so you'll never ever need to look too far to practice, for instance: windows, water functions, puddles and damp streets, sunglasses, rivers and contemporary art.

7. Research study the reason that the architecture exists-- you'll marvel how a bit of background details can sustain a lot of motivation. Ask an overview of explain little yet fascinating elements that possibly go undetected by the public. Structures of architectural benefit typically consist of centerpieces so attempt cropping in close on these for frame-filling abstracts. In addition you might wish to consist of duplicated artefacts that are cluttered throughout the outside, for instance; elaborate brickwork or chequer board windows. Utilize a telephoto lens to focus close and do not forget a tripod to support those longer focal lengths.

8. The typical structure is far taller than the highest photographer so there will undoubtedly be some aspect of distortion in an architectural image, however this can be used to develop a source of stress within the frame. Merely position yourself as close to the base of the structure as possible and shoot directly. If having fun with viewpoint isn't really for you then stand even more back and include a sense of scale to your image by integrating daily things such as individuals, trees, transportation and benches, and so on. To maintain information throughout the scene plump for a little aperture (big f stop) such as f14, additionally attempt throwing away the sharpness of either the foreground or background by selecting a big aperture (little f stop).

9. Architectural images should not simply be visual and graphic; they must likewise offer dynamism and motion-- so have fun with the lines, the light and the shadows to supply interest and think about the hierarchy of levels and locations. Architecture is developed on the concept of proportion, so catching this balance will eventually enhance the topic and ideally enhance the structure. Discover the centre of the balance by putting your hand in between your eye-line and build your frame around this centre. Additionally break without the cold and sterilized straight lines and rectilinear angles and follow the concepts of nature by consisting of curves and circles through shadows or reflections can assist to soften the structure.

[componentplanet]

Hands On With Adobe’s Updated Photoshop and Camera Raw

Adobe has rolled out another set of incremental updates to many of its flagship applications, including Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom, as has become standard since the company moved to a subscription model. We had a chance to work with the new versions, and while the features aren’t life-changing, they do provide some great timesavers.

Smarter Subject Selection for Portraits

The headline feature for Photoshop in this update is improved subject selection for portraits. In particular, fine detail like hair is selected much more accurately than previously. From a user perspective, the Select Subject command hasn’t changed, just the results. In particular, the selection of hair has been dramatically improved. I tried the new tool on several tricky portraits like the one below, and have been quite pleased with the results. It isn’t perfect, of course, but provides a great starting point for any final tweaking:

Adobe’s new Smart Subject Selection tool does an impressive job with complex images.

Smart Selection Would be a Great Companion to PortraitPro

In parallel with testing out the new version of Photoshop, I’ve been using PortraitPro 19 from Anthropics to experiment with touching up portrait photos. I’m not going to argue whether and when it is a good or bad thing to mess with people’s faces and bodies. I’ll leave that up to each of you. But from a purely technical perspective, PortraitPro is pretty amazing. Below is an example of an old (circa 2001) portrait that I fixed up in about two minutes. The one place I’d love to see more accuracy from the tool is its automated masking. So I’m hopeful that Adobe’s new Subject masks can be used with it (I’ve asked Anthropics about this, but haven’t heard back).

Before and after of an old portrait, using Anthropics PortraitPro, from the in-camera JPEG.

Camera Raw Becomes More Like Lightroom

I was a little apprehensive when Adobe told us at the press briefing that Camera Raw was being overhauled to be more like Lightroom. I have mixed feelings about the Lightroom UI. So I was pleasantly surprised when I tried out the new ACR interface. It keeps many of the nice features of Lightroom, but without becoming overly complex.

You can have multiple edit sessions now, and the UI has a more modern look and scales nicely on high-DPI displays. The tools have been moved over to the right past the sliders so that they are closer together, but I actually find that awkward. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a way to move them back to the top. If you don’t like the new UI, you can go back to one that is similar to the old version.

Camera Raw now looks like Lightroom, with a modern UI. It also allows multiple edit panels.

There are a couple of other nice features that come along with the new ACR interface. First, you can customize the information displayed on your image filmstrip. I know that the “super-clean” look is trendy, but I find it very helpful to see some of the relevant metadata. You can also place the filmstrip on the bottom or left, depending on your preference and whether you are working with landscape or portrait images. Presets can now vary by ISO. This is a great addition. One of the biggest reasons I use DxO’s PhotoLab instead of ACR for my typical batch processing session is that PhotoLab’s defaults are “intelligent” and adapt to camera settings better than ACRs. I look forward to seeing how this new capability helps level the playing field.

Local adjustments have also been extended to include Hue. The Crop tool adds an option for a 2×2 grid overlay for times when you want to precisely position the center of the image, and the Curve tool has been updated for easy selection of Parametric and Point curves. As always, there are also a number of new cameras and lenses supported.

Merging Added to Camera Raw

For those of us who shoot a lot of panoramas and HDR sequences, one nice addition is a capability to do merges — including spherical (360-degree) panorama merges right in Camera Raw. For relatively simple cases, like a traditional HDR bracket or a carefully composed panorama shot with a DSLR, it worked quite well. However, for trickier situations such as a hemispherical scene shot from a drone, I had to wrestle quite a bit with various adjustments to get a decent result. Even then, I didn’t have all the control I get from using either Hugin (free) or PTGui (paid).

One nice feature of merging in Camera Raw is that the output can also be saved as a DNG file.

Auto-Activation of Fonts and Rotatable Patterns

There is a grab bag of smaller updates to Photoshop as well. For example, instead of getting an annoying warning message about needing a font, if it is available from Adobe Fonts, it will be automatically downloaded and loaded into Photoshop. The Match Font feature has also been extended to work with more fonts, vertical text, and multiple lines of text. Also, patterns can now be rotated when used, eliminating the need for creating separate versions just to have rotation options. iPad users will also be pleased to see that Adobe has improved the integration between Photoshop and Lightroom on the device. Users of Adobe Capture to snag patterns and colors from their surroundings can now integrate those results into the desktop version of Photoshop.

For those who remember the massive major releases of pre-subscription Photoshop and Lightroom, these rolling releases certainly seem anti-climactic. But it’s great that they allow Adobe to release new capabilities much more quickly than under the old model.

Now Read:

Hands On With Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2020

Adobe Updates Photoshop in Celebration of Its 30th Anniversary

Adobe’s Big Push: Make Lightroom Easier to Learn and Use

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/computing/311817-adobe-updated-photoshop-and-camera-raw-review from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/06/hands-on-with-adobes-updated-photoshop.html

#Hands On With Adobe’s Updated Photoshop and Camera Raw

[linuphysio]

Review& Night Riding of Hugine 6 Channel RC Truck Semi Trailer Long Haul...

[hugintheraven]

Just saw Challengers

They really said "Everything is a metaphor for tennis, except tennis, which is a metaphor for sex." The three leads spend significant time in their underwear and are more obviously having sex while fully clothed watching each other play tennis. We get extended POV shots as the tennis ball as well as lingering shots of them sweating. Background music cuts out in the middle of a note as it switches focus and then cuts back in when it returns to the original character. It's ridiculous and horny and I highly recommend watching it just for the experience.

#Hugin reviews #Challengers #Zendaya #I think she wants people to forget she was in Marvel and this is one way to do it

[digitalmark18-blog]

NJ Politics Digest: State AG to Review Crowdfunding Sites and Campaigns

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/nj-politics-digest-state-ag-to-review-crowdfunding-sites-and-campaigns/

NJ Politics Digest: State AG to Review Crowdfunding Sites and Campaigns

Any charitable campaign in New Jersey must follow state laws. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

The case of a couple who raised about $400,000 for a homeless veteran in a viral campaign on GoFundMe and now say the money is all gone is prompting state authorities to look at the websites and such charitable efforts.

The Record reports that the Attorney General’s Office has said it will “review its practices” for such websites.The office has never prosecuted a case based on violations of charitable law arising out of such online campaigns, according to the story.

Any charitable campaign in New Jersey must follow state laws, the story said. However, crowdfunding is new “and raises novel questions,” the spokeswoman told the news site.

Burlington County authorities are apparently investigating Mark D’Amico and Katelyn McClure, who started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Johnny Bobbitt, a homeless veteran who used his last $20 to help McClure when her vehicle ran out of gas. Bobbitt, however, said he only got about $75,000 of the cash and sued to get the rest. While the couple initially said Bobbitt had received about $200,000 of the cash, when a judge ordered that they turn over what was left, their attorney said all the money was gone.

GoFundMe has said it will make sure Bobbitt gets the amount raised for him, no matter what happened to the funds.

Quote of the Day: “It’s a single-digit race. I think, nationally, the Democrats are trying to bail him out.” — Doug Steinhardt, chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, on national Democrats helping Sen. Robert Menendez in a race that has turned out to be more competitive than expected.

Johnny Bobbitt’s homeless GoFundMe story has New Jersey AG questioning online fundraising New Jersey authorities are taking a closer look at websites that allow strangers to dig into their pockets for causes such as replacing a stolen wheelchair for a quadriplegic Idaho man and expanding an animal-rescue operation in Salem County after an apparent scam involving a New Jersey couple and a homeless Philadelphia man. The Record Read more

Push to extend Trump law cutting your property tax break could slam N.J. Republicans House Republicans want to permanently shrink your property tax break, and that could make it it even harder for GOP congressional candidates running uphill in New Jersey’s midterm elections. NJ.com Read more

Moran: This ex-GOP gov. wants Dems to win Congress, rescue moderates from Trump If you want fresh evidence that Donald Trump has turned American politics upside down, here it is: Former Gov. Christie Whitman, a lifelong Republican, is so appalled by him that she wants Democrats to take over the House. NJ.com Read more

Robert Menendez’s political fight for survival It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Sen. Robert Menendez. Though the New Jersey Democrat is still favored to defeat Republican Bob Hugin in November, Menendez is being forced to fight to keep his seat. Hugin’s relentless negative ad campaign and deep pockets, combined with Menendez’s unpopularity among New Jersey voters, are making the race closer than most anticipated. Politico Read more

Dollar Signs and Smiles All Around After First Three Months of Sports Betting in NJ Legalized sports betting is only a few months old in New Jersey, but it appears to be off to a very strong start. NJSpotlight Read more

Officials Defend Pace of Coastal Back Bays Study as Residents Fend Off Floods Andrea Petinga never had flooding on her property in Atlantic City until Hurricane Sandy, but now it happens twice a month when there’s a full moon or a new moon, and she’s sick of it. NJSpotlight Read more

In Camden, CEO’s comments bring workforce issues to forefront Local leaders in Camden were infuriated by comments from Holtec CEO Krishna “Kris” Singh, who — in an article published on ROI-NJ.com on Wednesday — implied some area workers don’t last long at the manufacturer because they do not have a strong work ethic. ROI-NJ Read more

Lawmakers seek to boost state’s failing malls, office parks State legislators want to tweak one of New Jersey’s oldest redevelopment laws to give a shot in the arm to vacant and underused malls and corporate office parks. NJBiz Read more

Court: Morris County man can’t sue over police kick without officer ID A man kicked in the face by police during a 2010 traffic stop can’t sue for excessive force without identifying which officer kicked him, but he can seek to prove his rights were violated by a cover-up after the fact, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Record Read more

NJ Transit Cop in Atlantic City Says the System Wasn’t Working, So He Changed It Once a month at the NJ Transit bus terminal, locals who’ve been running from the law have a chance to get their warrants recalled temporarily and, in the process, access the services they may need to get themselves back on their feet and out of a miserable cycle of offenses, fines and excuses. NJ01.5 Read more

‘We don’t need your mind altered to have fun.’ 4th N.J. county opposes legal weed. A divided Sussex County freeholder board approved a non-binding resolution opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey. NJ.com Read more

Ventnor officials deny rumor of needle exchange program City officials have dismissed claims made online that the now vacant Wawa on Dorset Avenue would house a needle-exchange program. The Current Read more

Phil Murphy says the darndest (and corniest) things. Here are our favorite Murphyisms. Gov. Phil Murphy often comes across less like a cold, calculating politician than a dad making jokes to impress your friends on prom night. NJ.com Read more

Cory Booker’s take from his book deal hits a really big number U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s book royalties have hit a pretty lofty milestone. NJ.com Read more

Rockaway Twp. leaders fail to tamp things down at late Friday meeting Emotions have been running high at Township Council meetings for months and holding its latest meeting at 10:30 on a Friday night did nothing to tamp things down. The Record Read more

Clifford Goldman dies, Brendan Byrne’s state treasurer was 75 Former New Jersey State Treasurer Clifford A. Goldman, a respected public finance expert whose ability to identify weaknesses in the 1977 tax plan proposed by the Republican candidate for governor played a critical role in the re-election of Gov. Brendan Byrne, died this morning at his home in Ewing. He was 75. New Jersey Globe Read more

Time to drain N.J. swamp again: Editorial Remember the days when corrupt public officials fell like dominoes under the gimlet eye of then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie? In the early half of the 2000s, dozens of public officials and politically connected individuals were snared in Christie’s net. Later that decade, sting operations produced 29 more arrests of public figures as well as five Orthodox rabbis. Asbury Park Press Read more

O’Scanlon: Dems and GOP legislators must unite on pension, benefits reform The battle lines over New Jersey’s fiscal future are drawn. And they could tear apart the Democratic Party. Here’s why Republicans need to help Democrat leaders keep it together. NJ.com Read more

Editorial: We’re running out of warnings. Build Gateway Most rail experts believe that when a giant metal beam smashes through the roof of a commuter train traveling through a decrepit 108-year-old tunnel that needs daily repair, it reflects an exigent need to build a new tunnel. NJ.com Read more

Source: https://observer.com/2018/09/nj-politics-digest-state-ag-review-crowdfunding-sites-campaigns/

[democratsunited-blog]

Op-Ed: Fozman Says Government Transparency Motivated Party Switch | Brick, NJ Shorebeat -

https://uniteddemocrats.net/?p=9120

Op-Ed: Fozman Says Government Transparency Motivated Party Switch | Brick, NJ Shorebeat -

Brick Councilman Jim Fozman and U.S. Sen. candidate Bob Hugin. (File Photo)

By Brick Township Councilman James Fozman:

Over the past week I have been reading the statements and replies to the news of my switch to the Republican Party, so I would like to preface this with a review of the meaning of “political transparency.” There appears to be some confusion as to what exactly defines the phrase, so let us take a closer look at the definition that is set forth on Wikipedia:

“In politics, transparency is used as a means of holding public officials accountable and fighting corruption. When a government’s meetings are open to the press and the public, its budgets may be reviewed by anyone, and its laws and decisions are open to discussion, it is seen as transparent, and there is less opportunity for the authorities to abuse the system for their own interests.”

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I think the aforementioned excerpt does a fantastic job of explaining why a clear view into the inner workings of politics is important, and it is also in line with how I have always defined the phrase in my own mind. Unfortunately, my interpretation of being open is very different from the one held by my former Democratic colleagues. In the time that I have served as councilman for the township of Brick, I have witnessed council committee meetings becoming fewer and farther between, which allows for incidences such as physical signs being erected on public property before the ordinances are even passed, as well as other bold, and unchecked behavior. I have been prevented from participating in certain caucus meetings due to questioning inappropriate tactics used by other council members. I was met with resistance for being oppositional in the instances that I found something to be wrong. In short, I was speaking out rather than merely going along with the pack, and I was punished for it.

Mayor John Ducey’s only example of being transparent is when he recently stated that other mayors have called him crazy for allowing a Facebook livestream where the residents of Brick can ask questions. Why would any morally good politician think it is crazy to allow tax-payers the right to ask questions about how their money is being spent? One of the many benefits of being a free citizen in the United States of America is the protections set forth by our founding fathers, which allows citizens to assemble peaceably and to question their leaders. Why is that practice, according to Ducey, now considered crazy by a group of purportedly, anonymous mayors? It should not matter where the public forum is held: online vs in person…the people have the right to know what is going on; this is just one piece of the “political transparency” pie, while the other pieces lie in the ring of what happens during closed caucus meetings. In those instances, the citizens of the township have to trust that the council is holding their best interests at heart. When council members are prohibiting certain elected officials from participating, especially those whose values and principles do not align with their own personal views, who then will serve as the watchdog of accountability? If questioning certain practices ruffles feathers, and bars attendance, how will the tax-payers be made aware of the shadiness that is afoot? At that point, who exactly represents the people of the township?

The entire purpose of a multiple party system and political spectrum (liberal-conservative) is to ensure checks and balances, otherwise politics will suffer from biases, which in turn, irreparably damages innocent citizens. I have always been a strong believer in transparency, which is why when I held the position of chair of Business and Finance, I consistently shared every minutia of those meetings with my council colleagues. However, I was not afforded the same clarity by Mayor Ducey, and other members of the town council, who have made it well aware that they work for him, and not for the people of Brick. I believe that the attempts made to silence me are not only due to my blatant opposition to the corrosion of good values, but also because of the rampant cronyism that I have witnessed occurring in the local Democratic Party. While I served the great citizens of Brick as an unbiased, fiscally conservative Democrat, I can no longer align myself with politicians who put their own interests, and their party label, ahead of the people.

The perfect example of the unequivocal nepotism that is occurring within the Democratic Party is the current re-election bid of Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who was recently indicted on federal corruption charges. Menendez advocated for the business interests of a close friend and was given lavish perks in return for favors; he was also charged with crimes such as fraud, bribery, and making false statements. The Senator has lied repeatedly not only to the tax-paying citizens of New Jersey, but to all of the the people of the United States of America. Yet somehow, despite all of Menendez’ publicly exposed wrongdoings, the Justice Department dropped the corruption charges, and the Democratic Party immediately started funding his campaign so that he may hold onto his seat for another term. The entire story is akin to a nailbiting, blockbuster movie about a corrupt administration, but then suddenly, a hero emerged to contest the insanity! And that hero is Bob Hugin. When I learned that Hugin was running against Menendez, and in reflection of what I had experienced with the Democratic Party in Brick, in all good conscience, I chose to endorse Hugin, despite his party affiliation.

In closing, there are some hard questions that need to be asked of the people of Brick: What happens to other council members who decide to speak out against this reprehensible behavior that has occurred on behalf of the Democratic Party? Will all elected officials who are resistant to wrongdoing also be banned from participating in future caucus meetings? My practice of refusing to vote due to party affiliation, but rather for the good of the people, is what got me here in the first place. Are the labels that are used to define different values within the political system more important than whether or not the politician is free from cronyism, and general bad practices that are self-serving? While I am not surprised that some people are upset that I have switched parties, I am shocked that it appears to be more important for some of them to spew vitriol over party lines, rather than come together for the greater good, and to embrace political transparency.

Read full story here

#Democrats

[gwyngaming]

Movie Review: Lesson of the Evil

Als beliebter Lehrer an einer japanischen Oberschule im Fach Englisch kann keiner etwas Seji Hasumi anhaben. Wenn mal Probleme auftauchen, wie schummelnde Schüler oder lästernde Kollegen, hat er eine einfache Lösung parat - er bringt sie einfach um. Dann vertraut sich ihm eine Schülerin an, dass sie der Sportlehrer erpresst hat um sexuelle Gefälligkeiten von ihr zu erhalten. Hasumi beschließt ihr zu helfen, doch was er dabei an Ereignissen lostritt… Wenn man bedenkt, dass dieser Film in das Slasher-Genre eingeordnet wird, dann kann man vielleicht das Ende schon vorhersehbar nennen, allerdings habe ich nie ein Finale in einem solchen Ausmaß erwartet. Die Wahnvorstellungen sind so gut und verschwurbelt, dass man sie manchmal gar nicht von der Realität unterscheiden kann. Besonders Hasumi's Besessenheit für die beiden Raben Hugin und Munin ist bemerkenswert. Überraschender Film mit einer sehr guten Geschichte! Vielen Dank an Martin für diese tolle Empfehlung!

[theouterhavenprod]

Overlord Vol. 5 Review

Title: Overlord Vol. 5 Author: Kugane Maruyama (Story), Hugin Miyama (Art) Publisher: Yen Press Language: English Format: Paperback Pages: 148 Genre: Shounen, Battle Publication Date: January 30, 2018 The Story Volume five of Overlord starts off by concluding the battle between Ainz and Shalltear. Ainz defeats and then resurrects Shalltear, hoping to gain insight as to who placed her under the…

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#Manga #Overlord #Yen Press

[ishiireviewer]

RATING: 4/5

REVIEW:

I’m so glad I gave this a chance. I had DNF’d it a few months ago because I found it to be boring But this time around, I found it really interesting. And after quitting The Infernal Devices, reading this book was such a relief because I had almost written off the author. But City Of Bones was really cool and interesting.

I loved how intricate the shadowhunter world was. The characters were pretty amazing and unique. And basically, the book kept me hooked. It was a page-turner.

Can’t wait to get on with the sequel.

ANNOTATIONS:-

1. “Meanwhile,” Simon added, “I wanted to tell you that lately I’ve been cross-dressing. Also, I’m sleeping with your mom. I thought you should know

2. Clary stared at him, then looked behind her, where Jace, Isabelle, and Alec stood, Jace still in his bloody shirt with the knife in his hand. He grinned at her and dropped a half-apologetic, half-mocking shrug. Clearly he wasn’t surprised that neither Simon nor the bouncer could see them.

3. Jesus!” Luke exclaimed. “Actually, it’s just me,” said Simon. “Although I’ve been told the resemblance is startling.” He waved at Clary from the doorway. “You ready? (haha. Goofy)

4. Did he?” asked Clary. “Tell me, is he always really rude, or does he save that for mundanes?” “Oh, he’s rude to everyone,” said Isabelle airily. “It’s what makes him so damn sexy. That, and he’s killed more demons than anyone else his age.” (Overselling the main lead. -.-)

5. I’m not your father, Clary. I’ve told you that before.” Tears burned the backs of her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just—” “Don’t call me for favors again,” he said. “I’ve got my own problems; I don’t need to be bothered with yours,” he added, and hung up the phone (Aww. I feel bad for her)

6. I don’t want tea,” said Clary, with muffled force. “I want to find my mother. And then I want to find out who took her in the first place, and I want to kill them.” “Unfortunately,” said Hodge, “we’re all out of bitter revenge at the moment, so it’s either tea or nothing.

7. She’d never before known anyone who carried a handkerchief (Jesse de silva)

8. (Idk why I found this boring. It’s interesting. And I’m really enjoying reading it. It’s almost unputdownable)

9. There must have been something in her voice, because he turned to look at her. Her hand cracked across his face, a slap that rocked him back on his heels. He put his hand to his cheek, more in surprise than pain. “What the hell was that for?” “The other ten percent,” she said, and they rode the rest of the way down to the street in silence (Hahaha. Badass)

10. Haven’t you ever heard that modesty is an attractive trait?” “Only from ugly people,” Jace confided. “The meek may inherit the earth, but at the moment it belongs to the conceited. Like me.” He winked at the girls, who giggled and hid behind their hair.

11. Madame Dorothea shot him a dark look. “If you were half as funny as you thought you were, my boy, you’d be twice as funny as you are.” She disappeared back through the curtain, her loud “Hmph!” nearly drowned out by rattling beads. Jace frowned. “I’m not quite sure what she meant by that.” “Really,” said Clary. “It made perfect sense to me.” She marched through the bead curtain before he could reply

12. For the devil has no power,” said Dorothea softly, as if she were reciting an old rhyme, “except in the dark

13. Not necessarily. The most terrible things men do, they do in the name of love,” said Madame Dorothea, her eyes gleaming. “But it is a powerful card

14. Anything’ is such a general word, so unspecific,” said Pangborn, sounding melancholy. “Surely someone who owns so many books must know something

15. The moon hung like a locket over the city, casting pearly reflections on the water of the East River

16. Sometimes, when Jocelyn was really angry about something or was in one of her upset moods, she would get what Clary called “scary-calm.” It was a calm that made Clary think of the deceptive hard sheen of ice just before it cracked under your weight. Jace was scary-calm.

17. That’s sort of hot,” Isabelle argued, “that evil thing.” Simon tried to look menacing, but gave it up when he saw Clary staring at him. “So why does Valentine want this Cup so bad, and why does he think Clary’s mom has it?” he asked.

18. Silence itself seemed to flow from him like a dark tide, black and thick as ink

19. Sarcasm is the last refuge of the imaginatively bankrupt,” she told him

20. Something about Jace sharpened him, brought him into focus. If she were going to draw them together, she thought, she would make Jace a little blurry, while Alec stood out, all sharp, clear planes and angles

21. She looked up from closing it to find Jace watching her through hooded eyes. “And one last thing,” he said. He reached over and pulled the sparkling pins out of her hair, so that it fell in warm and heavy curls down her neck. The sensation of hair tickling her bare skin was unfamiliar and oddly pleasant. “Much better,” he said, and she thought this time that maybe his voice was slightly uneven too. (Hot and sweet)

22. Last time I left you alone, a demon attacked you,” he pointed out. “Well, I’d certainly hate to interrupt your pleasant night stroll with my sudden death.

23. .” Magnus exhaled irritably. “As Oscar Wilde once said, ‘To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both seems like carelessness.’” Clary heard Jace make a small hissing sound, like air being sucked

24. Who cares about the stupid Law?” Clary screamed, grabbing hold of Isabelle’s wrist. “My best friend is a rat!”

25. Don’t bother,” Jace said. “Why mundanes always insist on taking responsibility for things that aren’t their fault is a mystery to me. You didn’t force that cocktail down his idiotic throat.”

26. What welcome?” Magnus asked. “I’d say it was a pleasure to meet you, but it wasn’t. Not that you aren’t all fairly charming, and as for you—” He dropped a glittery wink at Alec, who looked astounded. “Call me?”

27. that I hadn’t stopped believing in God. I’d just stopped believing God cared. There might be a God, Clary, and there might not, but I don’t think it matters. Either way, we’re on our own

28. Clary wondered if there were any ugly vampires, or maybe any fat ones. Maybe they didn’t make vampires out of ugly people. Or maybe ugly people just didn’t want to live forever

29. You’ve endangered other people with your willfulness. This is one incident I will not allow you to shrug off!” “I wasn’t planning to,” Jace said. “I can’t shrug anything off. My shoulder’s dislocated

30. Of course,” he said, without arrogance or pretension, “but I always thought that was the way things were, with us. You know.” She scrambled around to face him, puzzled. “What do you mean?” “I mean,” said Simon, as if he were surprised to find himself explaining something that should have been obvious, “I’ve always been the one who needed you more than you needed me.” “That’s not true.” Clary was appalled. “It is,” Simon said with the same unnerving calm. “You’ve never seemed to really need anyone, Clary. You’ve always been so … contained. All you’ve ever needed is your pencils and your imaginary worlds. So many times I’ve had to say things six, seven times before you’d even respond, you were so far away. And then you’d turn to me and smile that funny smile, and I’d know you’d forgotten all about me and just remembered—but I was never mad at you. Half of your attention is better than all of anyone else’s. (How sweet of him!!)

31. Here’ as in your bedroom or ‘here’ as in the great spiritual question of our purpose here on this planet? If you’re asking whether it’s all just a cosmic coincidence or there’s a greater metaethical purpose to life, well, that’s a puzzler for the ages. I mean, simple ontological reductionism is clearly a fallacious argument, but—”

32. “Just kissing?” Jace’s tone mocked her with its false hurt. “How swiftly you dismiss our love.”

33. Where there is feeling that is not requited,” said Hodge, “there is an imbalance of power. It is an imbalance that is easy to exploit, but it is not a wise course. Where there is love, there is often also hate. They can exist side by side

34. Hugin,” Luke said softly. “Hugin and Munin were Valentine’s pet birds. Their names mean ‘Thought’ and ‘Memory.’” “Well, they should mean ‘Attack’ and ‘Kill,’” said Clary. “Hugo almost tore my eyes out.

35. At last Jace looked at her. She saw the disbelief plain in his eyes, and around his eyes, the strain of maintaining that disbelief. She could see, almost as if she saw through a glamour, the fragile construct of his faith in his father that he wore like a transparent armor, protecting him from the truth. Somewhere, she thought, there was a chink in that armor; somewhere, if she could find the right words, it could be breached. “That’s ridiculous,” he said. “I didn’t die—there weren’t any bones.

[andithinktome-blog1]

10 Tips To Perfect Your Architectural Photography

Our contemporary, image-obsessed culture has actually got us taking in a big amount of architecture through photographs, instead of physical, spatial experiences. The benefits of architectural photography are excellent; it enables individuals to get a visual understanding of structures they might never ever get the chance to check out in their life time, developing an important resource that enables us to broaden our architectural vocabulary. Nevertheless, one should remain crucial to the downsides of photography when it pertains to architecture. Jeremy Till, author of "Architecture Depends," summarizes this in his chapter "Out Of Time": "The photograph permits us to forget exactly what has actually come in the past (the discomfort of extended labor to accomplish the shipment of the totally formed structure) and exactly what is to come after (the affront of time as dirt, users, modification, and weather condition relocation in). It freezes time or, rather, freezes out time. Architectural photography 'raises the structure from time, out of breath,' and in this supplies solace for designers who can dream for a minute that architecture is a steady power existing over and above the tides of time."

The following ideas goal to not just enhance the visual strength of your architectural photography, however likewise the stories that they can inform-- surpassing the specific images in order to interact structures' relationships with their contexts, area and time.

1. Shoot in a range of climate condition and times of day

Individuals frequently have the tendency to look for the most significant lighting to shoot architectural marvels, such as sundown hours when shadows are long and colors brilliant. Although this typically leads to extremely climatic images, it just actually encapsulates the structure's environment at one particular time. Shooting a series of images throughout various times of the day, and even in numerous weather, can assist to paint a fuller story of the structure's relationship with its environment.

2. Focus on great lighting

Despite when you are shooting photographs, excellent lighting ought to constantly be a concern. Fantastic architectural lighting assists to stress an area, a particular structure or environment, and hence plays a huge function in forming one's understanding of exactly what is essential because particular architectural task.

3. Try to find a special angle

Having fun with point of view is not just an amusing thing to do, it can likewise be extremely gratifying. Requiring time to discover a various angle from which to photograph can expose an ignored type or abstraction of a structure's information that might trigger another level of charm and gratitude for its kind.

4. Do not hesitate to consist of individuals (architecture does not exist without them).

Till consists of an amusing excerpt in his chapter "Out Of Time" where the photo editor of "The Everyday and Architecture" contradicts a cover image with an individual in it, however is pleased when that individual is changed with a bike rather. Historically, there has actually been a pattern not to consist of individuals in architectural photography, as if we in some way pollute the pure, developed appeal. Thankfully, a variety of prominent architectural professional photographers are starting to buck this pattern. Architecture does not and would not exist without us-- do not avoid taping our existence.

5. Check out information as much as the entire.

Although shooting with a wide-angle lens is typically the most intelligent thing to do when it concerns architectural photography, structures include numerous detailed little information that are lost when a whole exterior or space is shot in one frame. Checking out information up close might expose something brand-new about the structure's history or building and construction, for instance.

6. Attempt not to objectify the structure.

Picture the shock of checking out a structure you've just seen photographed from that a person, great angle. Objectifying a structure to the point where one just pictures it from one viewpoint is among the best injustices of architectural photography. When once again, Till summarizes it completely: "It is not a lot the overemphasized urban legend that designers style structures with a view to particular photographs of them, however more that photography ends up being the main point of recommendation for architecture." Making an effort to tape-record the total spatial context of the structure is hard, however possible either.

7. Usage post-processing tools.

Processing images has actually ended up being rather a basic part of photography, permitting you to fine-tune your images to completely match that environment you wish to catch. While images must just be changed with a clear understanding of exactly what sort of modifications are appropriate, software application such as Photoshop and Lightroom are simple to utilize with a wide array of innovative functions such as lens correction. If you're trying to find a simple method to produce a breathtaking photography utilizing a series of images, attempt Hugin.

8. Buy suitable photography devices.

If you're major about beginning with premium architectural photography, purchasing the best devices is going to enjoy huge benefits. A large angle lens is most typically utilized for photographing structures and interior areas and consisting of a tripod will open possibilities to shoot in low-light conditions, to name a few things. Utilizing a polarizing filter can likewise assist to include contrast and make your images more brilliant. If you're trying to find something on the next level, a drone with a quality cam set up might be an interesting method to go.

9. Review the website numerous times.

Going back to the exact same location once again and once again will expose brand-new layers to the architecture that can be utilized to interact the advancement, or possibly the degeneration, of a structure with time. Seeing an ideal photograph of a recently built structure is obviously stunning and interesting, however why not follow the architecture beyond that ideal very first shot? Maybe the genuine intriguing elements of the structure are just exposed gradually.

10. Research study the structure ahead of time.

Researching the history and context of an architectural website prior to checking out is a vital resource that will, without a doubt, assist you to focus your photography on an appropriate story or concept that records the essence of the structure.

[hugintheraven]

Just saw Love Lies Bleeding

(no spoilers)

Very good movie. Not groundbreaking, but it knows what it wants to do and then it does it well and in under 2 hours. Things are predictable enough(it's essentially a gangster movie), but predictable isn't bad. Both leads are excellent, and everyone involved really sells the story, which is all you can ask for. If the only novelty is that it's very much a story by and for lesbians, that's unheard of in this industry and there's no reason to complain about the rest playing it a bit safe.

I didn't enjoy the fantasy sequence near the end. Not getting into details, I just thought it was unnecessary and could have been done in a more grounded way.

That said, I loved the various disaster people in this making bad decisions and trying desperately to avoid the consequences, and I highly recommend you watch this if you can.

#Love Lies Bleeding #Hugin Reviews