#it would be an excellent career move on paper but i KNOW that max will just chew up yuki's career and spit it out like all the others | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

knives-out20 · 3 years

Text

The Impact Of The Intergalactic - David Bowie Opinion Essay - by Beck S.

This is an essay I wrote about the span of David Bowie's career. I wrote it for a summer school course I took last year (August 2021) for a course called History of Rock & Roll.

My teacher gave nice feedback after he marked it, talking about how it was an "Excellent paper. It charts Bowie's progress throughout his career well, and includes significant detail. I could really feel the passion you have about him throughout. In fact, there is *too much* detail! The paper was supposed to be 3 pages max, double-spaced. Still, this is a good problem to have; better too much than too little."

So...enjoy!!

From his early works like Hunky Dory, to Black Tie White Noise in the 1990’s and stretching over to Blackstar as his final album, David Bowie has rarely had a bad album or song- in my opinion. His career has had ups and downs, his musical creations ranging in the way he would pitch his voice and what instruments he would use, the people he would produce with, and the wild things he would say. Charting David Bowie’s development over time is in fact an interesting journey.

Early on in his dreamy career, Bowie would have done nearly anything- or in fact, anyone- to grow in the music world. Hopping from band to band (like The Velvet Underground), producer to producer, doing whatever he could do to get ‘in’ in the industry. His early albums weren’t taken very highly in their times- especially with the ‘man-dress’ he wore on the British release of his The Man Who Sold The World album. Although, this dress was only the start of the androgynous appearance he would soon be known for, over the course of his 5-decade-spanning career.

The 1970’s were strange, to say the least. He married Angela Bowie at the start of the decade, then welcomed their son Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones a year later. Bowie went on to be hopped up on cocaine. David donned the look of one of his famous personas, The Thin White Duke. The same persona with slicked-back ginger hair, a white button-up under a black waistcoat and paired with black dress pants. The same Duke who called Adolf Hitler one of the first ‘rock stars’ and gave off a lot of faschist energy. He said many statements he’d later apologize for and grow as a better man from, which is good- it’s better than standing by then, or even backing himself up and supporting them. David Bowie called that period the darkest days of his life, and blamed the crazy statements on his horrid addiction and deteriorating mental state. The late 1970’s were more favorable, seeing as it gave the world what was dubbed the Berlin Trilogy alongside Brian Eno and David’s personal friend, Iggy Pop. Made up of three of his albums: Low and Heroes (both in 1977) and Lodger (1978). He moved from Los Angeles to Switzerland, then to Berlin as a further decision to escape his addiction (the reason he moved away from LA in the first place). It was in Berlin, of course, where he wrote his famous song Heroes, about two lovers, one from East Berlin and one from West.

Speaking of Berlin, David Bowie performed near the west of the Berlin Wall in 1987; he played so loud that crowds gathered on the east to listen. At this time, Bowie had no idea he would be the beginning of the city’s soon-coming unifying. After his death in 2016, the German government thanked him for bringing the wall down and unifying a divided Germany.

Music isn’t all he is known for, though it is a majority. He also starred in movies from time to time. Being the titular man in The Man Who Fell To Earth in 1976, Jareth the moody goblin king in Jim Henson’s 1986 Labyrinth film (what is most likely his most famous role), Monte the barman in the 1991 movie The Linguini Incident, cameoing as himself in Zoolander (2001), Nikola Tesla in the 2006 movie The Prestige, and even Lord Royal Highness in Spongebob Squarepants’ Atlantis Squarepantis in 2007, among a few others. David Bowie dabbled in the art of acting, and was not that bad at it. He was good enough to gain a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, too. Sometimes it bends my mind that my first introduction to my all-time favourite musician was in a Spongebob Squarepants movie, back before I knew who he was, but David Bowie was never one to shy away from foreshadowing. At least one song from many of his albums would hint at the direction he’d go in for his next release. For example, his track Queen Bitch on Hunky Dory foreshadowed his soon-coming Ziggy Stardust. And the Diamond Dogs track 1984 actually hinted at the Philadelphian soul of Young Americans, which is a more famous song of his, which he went on to perform on The Cher Show with its host.

The 1990’s were certainly an experimental time for David Bowie. But to my knowledge, I think the 1990’s was a time for everyone. He married supermodel Iman some days after performing at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, and released the album I named earlier, Black Tie White Noise. It is known to have had a prominent use of electronic instruments, as was his other 1990’s album, Earthling. The early 1990’s greeted David’s first real band since the Spiders From Mars, dubbed Tin Machine. They recorded three guitar-driven albums which received mixed reviews from the masses, but Bowie looks back at this period- as do I- with a certain fondness; “a glorious disaster” he called it, when talking to journalist Mick Brown. Tin Machine is a period I don’t listen to often, compared to his solo stuff, but I don’t press the skip button when it comes on.

Alas, the starman’s career drew to a close as the 2000s rolled in. David Bowie greeted the 2000’s with the birth of his and Iman’s daughter, the beautiful Alexandria Zahra Jones. After suffering a- strange, as it were- heart attack symptoms mid-song during a concert in 2004, he took a hiatus from his career. I say strange because given what I know, he was trying his best to stay healthy at the time. According to my special Rolling Stone edition magazine about David Bowie (released at the start of this year), he was on tour and performing in a really hot arena. But Bowie was sober, and had quit smoking. He was taking medication to lower his cholesterol, and worked out with a trainer. Bowie looked great, and yet he felt a pain in his shoulder and chest, along with a shortness for breath. A bodyguard rushed onstage to usher Bowie off of it, cutting the concert short. He only performed live once or twice after that point, but was set on never going live ever again. And he kept his word on that, unfortunately but also fortunately. Unfortunately, because David Bowie live would have been quite the experience- I wouldn’t know, personally. But fortunately, because I do not believe anyone needs a repeat of the 2004 Reality scare.

I am actually not too fond of speaking of his final years. Nobody really likes to speak of the last years of their idols’ life before their death, so it’s no surprise. Blackstar was David Bowie’s 25th and final album, recorded entirely in secret in New York alongside his long-time producer, Tony Visconti. The album's central theme lyrically is mortality, and seeing as Bowie was undergoing chemotherapy for his cancer at the time, I see it as his way of coping with his incoming death. His producer Tony Visconti called him a ‘canny bastard’, when he realized Bowie was essentially writing a farewell album. Every song on the album is what is considered a swan song, a swan song in question being a phrase for a final gesture of some sort before retirement or death. In this case, death. Over the course of recording the album, David Bowie’s chemotherapy had actually been working and he had an eerie optimism while recording. But by the time they shot the two music videos Blackstar and Lazarus, where he showed off the definite passage of time and cruelty of chemotherapy through sparse and gray hair with sagging skin, he knew his condition was terminal and that this would be a battle he would lose. Blackstar wasn’t the first album to have been made by a musician succumbing to a fatal illness, but in my opinion it is in fact the most beautiful. It’s jazzy, and elegant, showing how at peace he had become with dying.

Blackstar the album was released on January 8th, 2016. Also known as David Bowie’s 69th birthday. Two days later, David Bowie died at his Lafayette Street home on January 10th after living with liver cancer for up to 18 months. Beforehand, he had let it be known he did not want a funeral nor a burial, but rather that his body be cremated and the ashes to be scattered in Bali by his loved ones. His wish was received, and planet Earth was very much bluer and quieter without his colour and wonderful noise.

As I said earlier on, David Bowie’s career came with ups and downs. His mysteriously close relationship with Mick Jagger, his cross with famous underage groupie Lori Maddox, the births of his two talented children, his faschist bender in the 70’s, and final bang of Blackstar in his final year on earth. Through the highs and lows, his career and his music meant a lot to the quote-unquote misfits and freaks of the world, myself included. David Bowie turned and faced the strange, shouted “you’re not alone!” To those who felt the loneliest, he surely spent his career helping those who needed to be themselves, feel more freer and braver in doing so, no matter what they may be when they are themselves. He never went boring, he never went stale, he sang what he wanted and dressed how he pleased, and kept to his word on how much more to life there is when you’re just that; yourself. A year after David Bowie’s untimely passing, his son Duncan Jones accepted an award for British album of the year that was won by Blackstar at the 37th annual Brit Awards. When he accepted it, he made a speech about his father that I will leave here, and never forget. Seeing as it perfectly encapsulates David Bowie’ legacy, and the true meaning of his extraordinary career.

“I lost my dad last year, but I also became a dad. And, uhm, I was spending a lot of time- after getting over the shock- of trying to work out what would I want my son to know about his granddad? And I think it would be the same thing that most of my dad's fans have taken over the last 50 years. That he’s always been there supporting people who think they’re a little bit weird or a little bit strange, a little bit different, and he’s always been there for them. So...this award is for all the kooks, and all the people who make the kooks. Thanks, Brits, and thanks to his fans.” - Duncan Z. H. Jones (February 22 2017, at The O2 Arena in London.)

13 notes · View notes

techcrunchappcom · 4 years

Photo

New Post has been published on http://techcrunchapp.com/ufc-experts-debate-whos-next-for-dustin-poirier-and-mike-perrys-coach-less-strategy-espn/

UFC Experts debate who's next for Dustin Poirier and Mike Perry's coach-less strategy - ESPN

It’s safe to say that a familiar face is back in UFC title contention.

In what could be a fight of the year candidate, Dustin Poirier won a brutal battle against Dan Hooker in the UFC Fight Night main event on Saturday in Las Vegas. Both fighters traded wicked shots from the opening bell, and Poirier took control of the fight in the later rounds.

The win was critical for Poirier, who was coming off a loss in September to world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov is expected to face interim champ Justin Gaethje in a title-unification bout later this summer.

Mike Perry also had an impressive win, and apparently all he needed were his physical tools and moral support at the UFC Apex.

Perry looked sharp and in shape in defeating Mickey Gall by unanimous decision, and he won with only his girlfriend, Latory Gonzalez, in his corner.

ESPN’s expert panel of Ariel Helwani, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim weigh in on the wins for Poirier and Perry and more.

What’s your biggest takeaway from the main event?

Dustin Poirier, right, proved that he’s still among the elite lightweights in the world by winning a hard-fought battle versus Dan Hooker on Saturday. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Helwani: That fight was every bit as good as we thought it was going to be. That’s pretty much all that comes to mind. If you recall, earlier in the week, my bold prediction for this card was that the main event would go the distance. Well, early on, that prediction looked like it was going to be off because of the shots they were throwing and landing. However, I knew it would go 25 minutes because of how supremely tough both are. And 25 minutes it went. What a fight. What a show. What a display of toughness, heart and grit. These are the fights that make us love this sport so much. Hopefully Hooker doesn’t get too down after this one. He’ll be back. He can hang with the elite at 155. Also, the curse of Paul Felder, which is that everyone who beats him goes on to lose their next, is alive and well.

Okamoto: We need more consistent lightweight title fights. This can’t continue. Since Conor McGregor won the lightweight championship in November 2016, there have been four undisputed 155-pound title fights. Four. That’s not fair. This division is full of talented and deserving title challengers. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Justin Gaethje was as frustrated as anyone. It took Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson falling apart again for him to get an opportunity to fight for an interim belt and set himself up for a real title shot. I hate watching a fight such as Saturday’s, in which both guys leave a piece of themselves in there, and not knowing what’s next for the winner because this division never moves. The UFC has to do everything in its power to get this division running more consistently.

All fights from UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker will be available to watch on ESPN+.

• Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker • Mike Perry vs. Mickey Gall • Gian Villante vs. Maurice Greene • Brendan Allen vs. Kyle Daukaus • Jason Witt vs. Takashi Sato • Sean Woodson vs. Julian Erosa • Luis Pena vs. Khama Worthy • Philipe Lins vs. Tanner Boser • Jinh Yu Frey vs. Kay Hansen

• Jordan Griffin vs. Youssef Zalal

Watch the complete card on ESPN+

Raimondi: Dustin Poirier is still an elite lightweight. He’s still evolving. My favorite moment in the fight was when he had Hooker in a Khabib-esque leg ride in the fourth round. Not only is Poirier one of the best people in the sport — honored Friday with the UFC’s inaugural Forrest Griffin Community Award — but he’s also one of the toughest and most cerebral, a true ambassador for the game, and he isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Hooker is excellent. He did work in the first two rounds. But Poirier, hurt and tired, outlasted him as the fight went on. Let’s not forget that Poirier owns a win over current UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. Poirier is right there in the division, despite the loss to Nurmagomedov last year.

Wagenheim: If I’m a UFC matchmaker, I’m looking to book someone from American Top Team against a fighter from across the Pacific. That was proven once again to be a magical combination. Back in March, the promotion’s lone champion from China, strawweight Zhang Weili, was put through the fight of the year by ATT’s Joanna Jedrzejczyk. That bout got a run for its money from Poirier, who also trains in the South Florida gym, and Hooker. If Saturday’s main event had been for only a belt, it might have surpassed the glorious 115-pound tussle in my eyes. What a show of skill. What a show of will.

Who’s next for the winner of the main event?

Helwani: I need to see Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson next. It makes all the sense in the world. Poirier lost to Nurmagomedov recently, and Ferguson just lost to Gaethje. Plus, on paper, it would be phenomenal, with high stakes attached to it. Let’s go. As for what’s next for Hooker, that one is a little trickier. He’ll obviously need some time off. Maybe Kevin Lee, who is currently rehabbing an injured knee? Charles Oliveira would be fun, but he last fought (and won) in March, so the timing doesn’t work. A Drew Dober-type would be fun, but I’m not sure Hooker would take that. And you know what? I wouldn’t hate seeing Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker 2, considering that I thought Felder narrowly won their first meeting in February.

Damn!! Let me rest bruh!!! https://t.co/RgP5aOV0Co

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 28, 2020

Okamoto: For Dustin Poirier, why not Conor McGregor? Why the heck not? When I spoke to Poirier this week, he said he has a habit of living and dying with every result in his fight career, and it has put a lot of pressure on him over the years. Having said that, he also believes that way of thinking affected him negatively before the McGregor fight in 2014, when he lost via first-round knockout. McGregor has apparently been frustrated with the UFC because he wants to fight. Well, here it is. Poirier is ranked above him. This is the one. McGregor wants to prove he’s still elite? Fight Poirier.

Raimondi: Poirier is still on the outside looking in as far as the upper echelon at lightweight goes. Nurmagomedov will defend the title against interim champ Gaethje next. McGregor is still out there lurking, with the UFC wanting him to fight Nurmagomedov as soon as it’s feasible. Perhaps McGregor would be interested in a Poirier rematch. That could be a lot of fun. If not, Poirier is probably stuck with another rising contender next, someone like Hooker. Charles Oliveira comes to mind as a possibility.

Wagenheim: If life were fair, Poirier would be in position to wait for the winner of Nurmagomedov’s title defense against Gaethje. Short of that, he would get the opportunity to avenge his 2014 loss to McGregor and make a huge bank deposit afterward. But all is not fair in love and war and money-fight promotion. Considering that Poirier lost to the champ less than 10 months ago, I’m thinking he will be passed over if Nurmagomedov retains his throne. If the challenger wins the belt, maybe the storyline of Gaethje trying to avenge a 2-year-old TKO loss to Poirier will carry the day, but an immediate Khabib rematch seems more likely. Poirier might be left to fight a guy ranked above him who’s coming off a loss (Tony Ferguson) or one ranked below him who’s on a seven-fight winning streak (Charles Oliveira).

What did you think of Mike Perry’s corner experiment?

play

0:34

Mike Perry goes back to his corner and gets some words of encouragement from his girlfriend, Latory Gonzalez.

Helwani: Hard to hate on it because Perry won and looked good. I have heard from fighters who have said they don’t put a lot of emphasis on corners during fights, so I guess Perry backed that claim up tonight. But in all seriousness, I don’t think this is something that should be replicated, and it’s a little weird that a week after telling me they’d investigate the Robert Drysdale–Max Rohskopf situation, Nevada was OK with this. In any event, it worked out for Perry, and it generated attention, but I think he knows this isn’t sustainable. I suspect Perry will join another team before his next fight. Maybe it’s American Top Team, as his manager Malki Kawa suggested on Twitter, or maybe it’s elsewhere. Who knows with Mike Perry. He always keeps us guessing, and that’s why so many love him. But one thing is certain: Latory Gonzalez is undefeated as a corner woman. Put some respect on her name.

Okamoto: You know what? I am 100 percent good with it. I think it was a brilliant move, actually.

Now, I’ll add to that: I don’t think it’s the smartest thing moving forward. At the end of the day, is it a good idea for a UFC fighter to go into a high-caliber matchup with no one in his corner who can offer advice, recognize injury or provide expertise? Of course not. But I think most of us would agree that Perry looked … different … all week. Maybe he needed to do this one time — prove a point, do it for himself, whatever the case was — so that he could go out on his own and get a win this weekend.

If he moves forward with this peculiar strategy, again, I don’t think it’s a good idea, but the truth is Perry is probably never going to win a championship. He’s an entertainer. To borrow his words, “He knows how to fight.” If, from a mental standpoint, he feels most confident going in there with his girlfriend, that isn’t something I would ever advise someone to do, but I don’t think it’s the end of the world, either.

Thanks Perry, now my wife thinks she’s walking out with me next fight 😅

— Ricky Simón (@RickySimonUFC) June 28, 2020

Raimondi: It worked, mostly because Mike Perry is flat-out better than Mickey Gall. Perry’s strength and athleticism were just too much for Gall, and that had nothing to do with who was in Perry’s corner. The biggest takeaway for me was that Perry was in great shape, and he was polished. Yes, his girlfriend, Latory Gonzalez, was in his corner, but it was clear that Perry took his conditioning and training seriously.

Overall, though, one inexperienced person in a fighter’s corner is a bad precedent. It’s something the commission should take a look at if it happens again. It was funny tonight because Perry is such an over-the-top character. But it’s also a health and safety issue. A corner person is a state-licensed position. It should be taken seriously by the commission, with those licenses going to experienced people who are there to take care of their fighter. MMA isn’t a game; it’s a brutal, dangerous sport.

Wagenheim: Perry fought a more disciplined fight than I’d ever seen from him. Maybe coaching complicates things for the guy, gets him out of his instinctual rhythm. Then again, maybe what we saw was something of a mirage, a deceptive byproduct of an experienced veteran of high-level opposition being in the Octagon with an opponent who had fewer than half as many pro fights. Would Perry have been able to get by without coaches in his corner if he were competing against someone the caliber of Donald Cerrone or Paul Felder, to cite two names on his résumé? Who knows? Let’s chalk this up to Mike Perry being Mike Perry.

Which prospect made the biggest statement?

play

0:25

Kay Hansen and Jinh Yu Frey trade massive blows to each other’s faces early in the third round of their bout at UFC Fight Night.

Helwani: I know Tanner Boser is now 18-6-1 following his vicious, first-round knockout of Philipe Lins on Saturday, but he’s only 28, and that was just his third UFC fight, so I’ll go with the native of Bonnyville, Alberta. In my eyes, he’s still a prospect. How much fun is Boser? The hair, the teeth, the Western Canadian accent … it’s a wonderful package. He’s now 2-1 inside the Octagon, with his lone loss to uber-prospect Ciryl Gane, so I think he’s a name to keep an eye on at heavyweight. Now, if we want to talk about who has the highest ceiling of the bunch, I’ll go with 20-year-old Kay Hansen. In case you missed it, Hansen, who is the youngest woman in the promotion and the second youngest overall (behind Chase Hooper) was signed just six days ago. She’s a big-time prospect and will be a player at 115 for years to come. It was a great win for her Saturday against former Invicta atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey. That armbar submission was a beaut.

Okamoto: I have to go with Kay Hansen, and it isn’t particularly close for me. Although I wouldn’t say her victory over Jinh Yu Frey was one of the most memorable of the card — there were plenty of other finishes on Saturday that stood out more — a 20-year-old, making her UFC debut, against an opponent with much more experience against better opposition? This result says a lot. Khama Worthy, Tanner Boser, Youssef Zalal, all of them had big wins on the undercard, but there’s something impressive about seeing a 20-year-old win in the Octagon. Not to mention, Hansen’s best skill (at least right now) — her wrestling — should continue to serve her well as she progresses through this division and grows into her body.

Raimondi: Kay Hansen. It wasn’t just that she beat former Invicta FC atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey with a slick armbar in the third round of her UFC debut. It was that Hansen was able to battle adversity to do it. She clearly had a game plan of getting the smaller Frey down and imposing her will on the ground. Frey had none of that for most of the first two rounds, and she was making Hansen pay for her aggression, popping her with hard left hands. Hansen, to her credit, stuck to her strategy, finally got Frey down in the third and finished the bout that was tied heading into the final round. Hansen is just 20 years old, the second-youngest fighter in the UFC. There is immense potential there.

Wagenheim: It’s tough to go against Kay Hansen, who at 20 years old took out a far more experienced fighter who has been a champion in another fight organization. But I was most impressed by Khama Worthy, who scored his second straight eye-opening UFC win. Last summer he was a humongous underdog when he won his UFC debut. Was that just a matter of his having the night of his life? No, it was not. This time, he took on Luis Pena, who came in with six fights in the UFC, including wins over some seriously legitimate opponents. After a good start by Worthy, Pena put on a dominant display of wrestling in the second round. But Worthy persevered, and when the fight went back to the canvas in Round 3, he was ready. Worthy sunk in a modified guillotine choke to squeeze the air out of any lingering doubts.

Which fighter had the best finish?

With less than a week’s notice, @juicyj_erosa pushed the pace for three rounds and sunk in this D’arce choke to finish it off at #UFCVegas4 pic.twitter.com/kIdxwdzB9q

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 28, 2020

Helwani: There were so many good ones to choose from tonight, as this was a fun card with great finishes. In the end, I’ll go with Julian Erosa‘s D’Arce choke. First of all, the fact that he took this fight on four or so days’ notice and was a +400 underdog against the previously undefeated Sean Woodson is impressive in its own right. However, that D’Arce was as slick as can be and came at the end of a phenomenal fight. I love stories such as Erosa’s: Former “The Ultimate Fighter” alum, released in 2016 after going 1-1, gets a second chance on Contender Series two years later, wins that fight, gets signed again, goes 0-3 in the UFC, gets cut, wins a fight on the regional scene and then capitalizes on this opportunity after a visa issue precluded Canadian Kyle Nelson from competing Saturday. Way to persevere, Julian.

Okamoto: Julian Erosa. Four days’ notice against arguably the most promising prospect on the card in Sean Woodson. Was it the “highlight reel” KO we usually think about when it comes to best finish? No. Not at all, actually. But taking everything into consideration — fighting on four days’ notice, the biggest betting underdog on the card, losing the first round, the fact that he has been cut from the UFC before — it’s incredibly impressive. Erosa knew after that first round against Woodson that he had to bite down, eat shots and make the fight ugly, and that is way easier said than done. Not only did he have the intelligence to acknowledge that, but he also had the courage and heart to do it. It’s difficult to not feel happy for him.

Raimondi: I won’t soon forget Tanner Boser, sporting an absolutely glorious mullet, starching former PFL heavyweight champion Philipe Lins with a punching combination for a knockout win. Boser, from Alberta, Canada, is unassuming. Maybe he caught Lins by surprise. Boser let loose with a fast combination and clanged multiple punches off Lins’ head. Lins was out when he hit the ground, spurring referee Herb Dean to dive in and hit a near-judo throw to get Boser off an unconscious Lins. It was a memorable knockout for a fight — and a fighter — many people didn’t have circled coming into this event.

Wagenheim: The second- or third-best finish on this night would have been in the running for top honors on many fight nights. At one point, there were five straight finishes, each a thing of beauty. But I have to go with Julian Erosa’s third-round D’Arce choke, which handed prospect Sean Woodson his first career defeat. Erosa, who twice has been cut by the UFC, came in on four days’ notice and was the biggest underdog on the card. He looked the part in the first round, absorbing a steady diet of straight left hands. But he ate them all and kept coming for more, and when he finally got Woodson on the canvas, he did not waste the opportunity, efficiently and stunningly eliciting a tapout.

#Uncategorized

0 notes

biofunmy · 5 years

Text

Taylor Swift Emerges From the Darkness Unbroken on ‘Lover’

Two years ago, Taylor Swift was painted into a corner, and lashed out. “Reputation,” her sixth album, was her darkest, her most aggrieved and, not coincidentally, her most stylistically experimental. She was already a pop star, but “Reputation” was when she arrived into the understanding that klieg lights can scald. Often a conscientious objector, she became a combatant.

Reception was mixed; “Reputation” is a genuinely great album, if not a particularly appreciated one. It pushed the boundaries of what people expect from Swift — the kind of singer she could be, the kind of collaborators she could work with, the moods she could adopt. By far, it’s her least commercially successful effort.

Which says something quite loudly. Swift’s antagonists have always been intimates, and the joy she’s taken in either loving them or eviscerating them has always been evident, and thrilling. But lashing out against the Kanye-Kardashian industrial complex was an awkward fit, and also bad business.

“Lover,” her reassuringly strong seventh album, is a palate cleanse, a recalibration and a reaffirmation of old strengths. It’s a transitional album designed to close one particularly bruised chapter and suggest ways to move forward — or in some cases, to return to how things once were. Once again, Swift’s concerns are largely interior: who to love, how to love, how to move on when love is gone.

The album’s power is encapsulated on “Paper Rings” and “Cornelia Street,” two songs in the middle that couldn’t be more different. “Paper Rings,” written and produced with Jack Antonoff, is jumpy punk-pop, vibrating with almost a nervous energy. Swift talk-sings about the flush of a new obsession that becomes something deeper: “Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet/Now I’ve read all of the books beside your bed.” Bubbly and wise, it’s peak Swift.

That’s immediately followed by “Cornelia Street,” another Antonoff coproduction, but one much more in line with the atmospheric gloom of “Reputation.” Here, Swift is coy and lost in reverie: “‘I rent a place on Cornelia Street,’ I say casually in the car/We were a fresh page on the desk, filling in the blanks as we go.”

These songs have one thing in common, though. Near each bridge, the music thins out, and Swift sings less busily, leaning on her voice’s natural contours and emphasizing the way she effortlessly communicates fragility. They are jolts of the personal, a reminder that there is a person inside the song, something Swift has sometimes overlooked in her quest for bigness.

On “Lover,” there isn’t a consistent musical throughline so much as a slate of options, some familiar and some new. “I Forgot That You Existed,” the opener, is cheery, almost glib — a lyrical disinfectant for the “Reputation” era. “You Need to Calm Down” has a sleek viciousness to it. As a song, it didn’t benefit from the simultaneous release of a heavy-handed video emphasizing Swift’s L.G.B.T.Q. allyship. And there are duds: The shimmery “London Boy,” presumably about her paramour, the British actor Joe Alwyn, is an effective argument against transnational romance.

If she leans in to a particular pop style, it’s the one she and Antonoff have been honing for her last two albums, with thick, ethereal arrangements that suggest the scores to films where children discover fantasy worlds. The best example here is “Cruel Summer,” on which Swift sings in several of her signature voices — the question-mark syllables that shoot to the sky, the hard-felt smears and the childlike chants: “I don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you!”

But in the middle of “Lover” comes a hard brake: “Soon You’ll Get Better,” an intimate acoustic song about Swift’s mother, Andrea, who is battling cancer. Swift was never a completely unvarnished performer, but early in her career, she cut extremely close to the bone. Here, agonized harmonies by the Dixie Chicks serve as an empathetic swaddle as Swift is lyrically immediate: “Holy orange bottles, each night I pray to you/desperate people find faith, so now I pray to Jesus too.”

The jolting specificity of these words only underscores how Swift has been retreating from detail in her lyrics, once the cornerstone of her power. Broad strokes can be just as emotionally potent as diaristic impulses, but from her earliest songs, her lyrics have always communicated a bracing amount of information in digestible fashion, a consistently stunning high-wire act.

The shift in emphasis from words to music on her recent albums has left her on less steady ground. But there is no Max Martin or Shellback here — superproducers who helped guide her recent pop tracks — which means no cheat code. And in her songwriting, in addition to Antonoff she collaborates with Louis Bell and Joel Little, who have been some of the most successful songwriters in pop over the last two years, but who don’t approach the power of Swift’s pointillism.

“Soon You’ll Get Better” captures that energy, though, and also points to a quiet thread on this album: There is country here — nods, winks. Swift’s ease with it is like flirting with an ex.

Take “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” a song about how relationships that are ending never seem to end, which could be a Kelsea Ballerini song: “I get drunk but it’s not enough/’cause the morning comes and you’re not my baby.” Or the title track, which has echoes of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” but also sounds like a steroidal take on the alt-country of the 1990s.

Were Swift ever to explicitly return to the genre that catapulted her to global acclaim, she’d be as fluent as the day she left town. But it’s more provocative to wonder — especially after her experiments with trap production on “Reputation” failed to connect — if Swift remains committed to pop centrism, what shape that might take.

There have been two major jolts to Swift’s musical grammar over her 13-year career: on “Red,” when she first attempted pumped-up pop, and completely rebuilt the foundation of her sound; and on “Reputation,” which will likely stand as the outer boundary of the risks she’ll take. As performers get older, and more successful, their willingness to pivot typically softens as well.

So it’s intriguing that “Lover” offers a whole set of newish propositions, most of them promising, especially “Paper Rings.” The excellent and pointed “The Man” is a stern synth-pop take on sexism that’s also Swift at her funniest. “Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you,” she deadpans, running down a litany of the double standards she’s been dodging for years. In this alternate timeline, she avers, “I’d be just like Leo in Saint-Tropez.”

The strutting “I Think He Knows” delivers a sweet intention with a blend of elation and petulance. And on “The Archer” — which is redolent of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” — she’s restrained and a little imperious, using her voice as a mood piece.

On an album premised on leaving the past behind, these are the songs that suggest a way forward. In recent years, it’s been clear that the less Swift sets her own terms, the more challenges she’ll face. And so on “Lover,” she’s back to steering. Being a pop star, she’s learned, is different from being yourself — except when it isn’t.

Taylor Swift “Lover” (UMG/Republic)

Sahred From Source link Arts

from WordPress http://bit.ly/33YYcgM via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

0 notes

flauntpage · 6 years

Text

Friday Morning Sixers Depth Chart Musings

We’re slowly fleshing out a 2018 roster for your team, your town, your Philadelphia 76ers.

The rumored Justin Anderson and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot trades make the picture a little more clear after the will-he/won’t-he mini-saga of Nemanja Bjelica.

I sensed some disappointment on Twitter over the Anderson news, and I can understand it. Justin was a solid defender, a depth wing who gave you some decent minutes last year when healthy. He played a role in the Miami playoff series. I think the shin injury, which kept him out of the lineup for a while, probably played more of an issue than most people realize. He did, after all, undergo offseason surgery to correct the issue. Anderson was a good quote, a good locker room guy, and someone who was pretty easy to cheer for.

TLC had his moments. There was a nice stretch of starts where he put up some good numbers with the first unit, but his shooting was spotty and I’m not sure he ever took hold of the opportunity to elevate himself above the other bench wings on the team.

So here we are with those guys reportedly headed out and Mike Muscala coming in as a late replacement for Bjelica, who said he wanted to stay in Europe but is now talking to the Sacramento Kings, who are definitely not located in Europe.

Here’s what the depth chart looks like right now, and I put some guys in multiple spots since Brett Brown will obviously show a bunch of different looks next year. This is very loose so please just roll with it:

Center

Joel Embiid, Amir Johnson, Richaun Holmes, Mike Muscala

You’ve got a superstar on the first unit and 31 year old Amir Johnson backing him up on a veteran minimum contract. Richaun Holmes feels like the odd man out again.

Muscala was the #2 behind Dewayne Dedmon last season and is a decent stretch five who I can see fitting in next to Embiid and also being able to give you a smaller look with Dario Saric. You’re also looking at throwing Jonah Bolden into this logjam if you sign him to a contract.

Power Forward

Dario Saric, Mike Muscala, Ben Simmons, Robert Covington, Wilson Chandler

The issue behind Dario is that Brett really likes that European stretch four. Ersan Ilyasova was a nice fit in that spot. Nemanja Bjelica would have been as well.

So it seems like the strategy here is to give Muscala the second team power forward minutes, since he has the best skill set to emulate what those guys do.

Prior to the Muscala trade rumor, it felt like the backup power forward minutes might go to Simmons and Covington in staggered portions, which would probably allow Markelle Fultz and T.J. McConnell to get some more time at point guard. Same thing with Wilson Chandler, who has played a large chunk of power forward minutes over the course of his career. Brown still does have that flexibility, and as an example, he can bump Simmons down to the four, use Chandler at the three, and bring in a guy like McConnell to run the point, giving you good defensive flex to combat smaller lineups.

Mike Muscala 2017-2018 pic.twitter.com/fm0YomeKjS

— Kevin F. Love (@KevinFLove) July 19, 2018

Small Forward

Robert Covington, Wilson Chandler, Zhaire Smith, Furkan Korkmaz

Looks good on paper. You’d like to see some more consistent shooting from Covington this season, but Brown loves his defensive utility and ability to switch 2-4. Chandler is a veteran two-way wing who gives you better defense than Marco Belinelli.

I think the Sixers felt like Smith’s floor was very similar to what they already had in Anderson, which is probably why they feel comfortable moving him. I know people are sort of decrying the lack of wing depth here, but what did you really get from TLC and Anderson last season? If you’re bringing Chandler and Smith off the bench with McConnell and Fultz, that’s a pretty good nine-man rotation right there, much more defensively sound than what the Sixers rolled out against Boston in the playoffs.

Shooting Guard

JJ Redick, Markelle Fultz, Zhaire Smith, Jerryd Bayless, Furkan Korkmaz

Inevitably, if Fultz earns first team minutes, it’s going to be playing off the ball while Simmons runs the point. The only other way is if he handles the rock with Simmons moving down to power forward in specific situations.

So it’s another year of JJ Redick, who was excellent last season as a 42% three point shooter who put up 17 points per game. He recently turned 34 and his defense is going to be a question mark should the Sixers run into Boston in the postseason again, but it’s hard to argue against the decision to re-sign him. The Sixers had to do it after missing out on other high-priced stars, and Redick comes back with a full understanding of Brown’s system and existing chemistry with the first unit.

As for Korkmaz, he showed some flashes in Summer League while also going ice cold at times. Bayless is being linked to Cleveland in a trade for Kyle Korver, so I think a 1-2 shooting guard punch of Redick and Korver would be offensively sound, if defensively questionable, though I think Korver is a little better on the defensive end than most people give him credit for.

I was anti-Korver for the team earlier in the offseason as a Cavs salary dump. But if it would be buying out Bayless at the cost of the 3.4M Korver buyout next summer, seems more palatable. Wouldn't compromise a max slot, is the thinking?

— Hesi Pull-Up Jimbo (@_JimmyMcCormick) July 20, 2018

Point Guard

Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, T.J. McConnell, Landry Shamet

Fultz/McConnell is the main issue here. T.J. is on the final year of his contract and ceded time to Markelle towards the end of last season before making a late return in the playoffs.

Like I said, if Fultz proves himself as a core piece for this team, he’s going to have to play alongside Simmons somehow, so I’m interested to see whether Brown begins the season with Markelle as the second unit point guard or starts him off the ball instead. I thought it made a lot of sense last year, playing point, since it was a way to force the ball into his hands and get him going after missing the majority of the season.

Shamet is coming off the injury and would slot in as 4th on the PG depth chart.

Way too early conclusions

If I counted right, I think this puts the Sixers at exactly 15 players for next season. A Bayless/Korver swap wouldn’t change that number, but if the Sixers want to add Bolden, someone else needs to go. I’m not sure if Holmes is long for this world, but I also have no clue how the front office rates Bolden. Shake Milton is on the periphery as a second round draft pick coming off a summer rehab program.

That’s about it. This was just sort of a stream-of-consciousness thing, a mid-July look at a not-yet-complete depth chart.

If there’s one takeaway, I do think the Sixers are better now than they were last year. Sure, missing out on the stars hurts, but you’re bringing back one of the most effective starting lineups in the league, a defensively sound and much more experienced unit. Simmons is no longer a rookie, Embiid is fully healthy, and Saric and Covington are solid contributors. Brett Brown now has a pair of playoff series as a head coach under his belt.

I also think they’re defensively better on the wing with Chandler and Smith. You’re not going to have Belinelli’s scoring off the bench, but I think this team is better equipped to deal with the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. I see some question marks at the backup front court spots and the #1 issue, of course, is what kind of player Markelle Fultz turns out to be.

Time’s yours.

The post Friday Morning Sixers Depth Chart Musings appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Friday Morning Sixers Depth Chart Musings published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

0 notes

elishaconsidine-blog · 7 years

Text

How you can Review Faster As well as Obtain Your Institution Job Done In A Blink Through Howard

Many individuals wish to generate one thing brand new, however aren't sure the best ways to create and build differentiators that their market will definitely welcome. It does not matter whether an indoor garden is a handful of flowerpots on the windowsill or even a big selection of flowerpots spread throughout the entire residence, in the house vegetations deliver a purposeful size to any type of home. As a matter of fact, seeking meaningful job is actually certainly not basically other from some other occupation or job search. When the folks listened to all of them under the influence from LSD, the scientists located that tracks that were typically useless to the audiences became purposeful. Though DC singles are actually likely to enable you to approach all of them at a pub without being rough or also chilly, individuals that usually be most receptive at bars are actually not automatically the people you intend to possess a purposeful connection with. Some dermatologists claim that Meaningful Charm may not reverse the effects from sunshine damage despite item cases. This will create your poetry much more relevant and also permit you to feel far better about your job.

Beginning in 2015, service providers that are actually entitled for the Health insurance Meaningful Use course who do not effectively illustrate Purposeful Make use of will be punished-- beginning at 1% from Health insurance Component B reimbursements and enhancing each year to a max of 5%. There will be challenge exceptions for qualified service providers. If you have any questions relating to in which and how to use yellow pages online australia (Read This method), you can get hold of us at the internet site. Pandora Disorder Raven selected hers purposely to become purposeful along with all 3 sectors, and said to Magus (after trumping the crap out from him) to contact her through one or even any kind of, she was actually every one of them: Pandora (after Pandora's Carton; she actually sees herself a lot more as package, but even far fewer individuals received it when she contacted herself 'Container') Mayhem (she dislikes having the capacity to forecast things based upon what she recognizes), as well as Raven (her wedded label). A number of the greatest males and females to encounter for a partnership carry out not most likely to pubs - they encounter folks through various tasks, like preparing food classes or even publication groups or hiking clubs. Several of the best beautiful Aztec metallic craftsmanship can be seen to present such as magnificent ear spindles or even plugs planned for make use of along with evaluated ears. Knowing even more concerning individuality types and the attributes that are common to those individuals can easily give you a meaningful understanding right into developing much better associate connections within the work environment and also customer relationships in business industry. Along with x-mas sayings quotations on very clear glass, enhanced along with gorgeous accessories, you can easily communicate your affection as well as affection along with the channel of the lovely Christmas time present. That is my hope that you will definitely recommit to locating meaning in the job that you do currently or discover a brand-new occupation that is actually relevant to ensure you also may recognize your very own capacity. Brief paragraphes are actually appealing, properly purposeful and found out. When the browse discovers his way to the end from a long paragraph, like becoming combined up in interpretation the factor you therefore uncomfortably wish to make can be actually shed. A lot of men have actually had their ears extended to signify their virility as well as sexual capacities, although this is not as considerably a main reason today as this was years back. In today's electronic world, individuals are actually constantly being actually bombarded along with notifications from an assortment of brand names; this is actually why it's thus essential to break through the clutter in a relevant means. D. One team of grown-up males was given instructions in lowering their high blood pressure whereas another was certainly not given any kind of instructions. I have actually fallen in love with the convenience, charm, as well as emotional intensity of Meaningful Food Stories. Therefore, while opting for what existing to obtain for all your colleagues this X-mas, make sure to think about homemade or customized Xmas grant organisation christmas times expressions quotationed on an artistic paper or a part from shaped glass. The Brazilian energy brand name Petrobras is actually yet another typical example, this is one of the leading significant brand names in Brazil along with a Significant Company Index score much above the majority of fmcg brands as well as stores. If the request's circumstances along with HealthVault will certainly go beyond Meaningful Usage combination and need analysis data from people' health documents, consider this method. This short article is actually a collection of prisoner's quotes concerning Bhagavad Gita As That Is actually, and also explains exactly how one could attain joy through surrendering to Krishna. Gay males understand that no one would like to possess a twin from whom they reside in a relationship. Her provider supports expert girls as well as males to define as well as create significant job as well as profession strategic career management goals. Though DC songs are actually most likely to enable you to approach all of them at a bar without being actually as well cool or even rough, the people that have the tendency to be actually very most responsive at pubs are certainly not automatically the people you wish to possess a purposeful connection along with. Some skin specialists profess that Meaningful Beauty can easily not reverse the results from sunshine damage despite product claims. This will create your verse even more significant and also allow you to believe much better about your job. For the entitled medical facilities and CAHs, a total from 24 purposeful use goals have been actually gotten ahead of time, out of which at least 19 should be satisfied prior to being thought about entitled for the rewards. Nevertheless, in truth, you have to ponder exactly how relevant that title will be actually to your little one. Alternatively, Sidgwick as well as other thinkers indicated that only mindful beings can easily enjoy lifestyle as well as its own rewards and that, for that reason, the mind (awareness) is actually the utmost fount of all market values and meaning: minds create valuation and after that move on to pertain to specific scenarios as well as success as pleasing, beneficial, and also relevant. These awards can easily have the form from luncheons, money bonuses, presents (brought in off humorous security signboard) or maybe a trophy. The key models utilized to develop a document consent for the reasons from Meaningful Usage, are actually by means of a site and using the Client Connect model. Preparing significant targets as opposed to uninhabited varieties is actually an excellent technique to improve functionality and workers motivation. This must begin through pinpointing exactly what you want, or what is actually meaningful to you, certainly not in the theoretical however significantly specified and also specific as your search develops. If you combine all the aspects above in one inspirational signboard, you must be more or less in the environment-friendly making a great and also meaningful concept for signboard publishing. Everything in lifestyle involves relationships, whether this is along with your companion, your kids, your project, occupation or your health and joy As your very own connection pro, you begin to know that the relationship you possess along with your own self is actually extremely important to living a content and relevant lifestyle. Some registered nurses watch significant use mostly as a company's responsibility as well as trouble. However, if you possess a particular niche, if, maybe, you reside in the nursery service and also you find the end results of your work bring in the planet better ... If you're assisting people generate and also cultivate their creative abilities, or if you're supplying your own creative capabilities in order that you create the world better ... now, this may be what I classify as meaningful work.

0 notes

growing420 · 7 years

Text

Fl Bd of Bar Examiners – Criminal, Substance-Alcohol Abuse & Mental Issues at an Investigative Hrg

The great irony of being in a situation to encounter one of these issues at an informal investigative hearing is that you have established yourself as one of the best and brightest, have or are about to graduate law school and you are about to set forth and pass the bar exam.

This interesting situation of having to answer questions about your past indiscretions, your past or perhaps recent use of marijuana or cocaine or alcohol to excess, or the fact that you have been seen by and counseled by a mental health counselor is that you have most likely dealt with these issues and moved on.

Law schools, as you know, screen applicants with extreme focus to be sure the best and brightest are going to be admitted to their school. Then as a distinguished alumni, they will funnel contributions to the law school to make it an even stronger and more viable institution.

You may be interested to know that law schools do not expect everyone who is admitted to law school to graduate. This is to be expected because the rigors of law school and the methods of teaching are not suited for everybody who is bright enough to be admitted. The bottom line here is that you have survived and you see the finish line ahead. Congratulations!

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners is not evil, vindictive or sadistic.

I have had the opportunity to work with The Florida Bar for many, many years and this experience has allowed me to work with and along side those who are actually employed by the Board of Bar Examiners as “prosecuting attorneys” and the distinguished panel of Board members who volunteer their time to guarantee the integrity of this process. Their collective goal is to weed out those who are not fit to practice law. My experience has shown that the Board’s application of the stated policies and rules at an investigative hearing is one that allows for an excellent evaluation in the early stages of those who need further scrutiny and those who do not.

Most of you who apply will meet the requirements therein, and pass the bar examination with your character and fitness issues behind you. Some of you will not. This is not to say you are less human, but I have a hypothesis to help you answer the “why me”.

You who have had an opportunity to experience life have not been sheltered or ushered through your formal education experience by your parents or some other benefactor.

This all boils down to one basic concept, most who are invited to discuss large credit card debt, former substance abuse, mental health counseling or common real life indiscretions that involve the criminal justice system are normal healthy active and otherwise excellent citizens.

It is just my opinion, but it is my opinion nonetheless, that those of you who have had the opportunity to experience life on its own terms without the safety net of legacy or other helpful heredity, will in the end make the best advocates and counselors of the law.

The application process and investigative hearings:

The application process is the most important stage of your legal career bar none (pardon the pun). I say this because having been a lawyer for 17 or so years and one who has dealt with these matters for many, many years, I have found that the application and how it is filled out is either the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning.

You have either done the right thing, the application’s out of the way and the character and fitness issues are now being evaluated, or you have not done the right thing and committed “unintentional suicide” while filling out the application. I say unintentional because you will fill out the application as you have others, and you will see nothing wrong with your answers, but the Board of Bar Examiners may take issue with the “quality” of your responses.

The application process is the best time to find competent assistance. I would urge all of you to do so if you have any of the life issues that I’ve already mentioned. I can tell you with great confidence, none of these issues will disqualify you to become a lawyer.

Believe it or start writing your own headstone.

I have represented people who have been in prison for more than 5 years because of various crimes such as robbery or as we lovingly said in my prosecution days, “relieving someone else of the responsibility of taking care of their own stuff.” They are now members of The Florida Bar and their experiences in life have made them excellent lawyers. I have also represented folks who have had 3 dozen credit cards all of which were charged to the max and then discharged the whole mess through bankruptcy. Everyone of them now has the title “Esquire” after their respective names.

I have seen dozens of applicants who have had various and sundry mental health issues from a single visit to a counselor after a drunken binge, to those who have been diagnosed as bi-polar or schizophrenic or both. They are now practicing lawyers and excellent members of our bar. And, finally, I have seen several dozen applicants who had documented substance abuse problems whether it be alcohol, street drugs or prescriptions. They worked hard at sobriety and are doing just fine.

You may be surprised, but I have found that those who have faced such problems and overcome them are much more likely not, and I repeat not, to have any formal involvement with The Florida Bar disciplinary system unless it’s to voluntarily work as a grievance committee member.

Responding to Inquiries from The Board of Bar Examiners after you have filed your application: Those of you who fill out your own application without help will probably be peppered with inquiries from the Board of Bar Examiners. This is your second chance to mitigate or ameliorate future damage to your ability to be admitted. There is just too much to cover in this area, but be that as it may, the same advice applies. Experienced assistance is advisable before responding.

The (Board’s) inquiries are artfully drafted and generated because a formal investigation has uncovered issues of interest. There are rules (i.e., proper procedures of how these questions should be answered and in what time frames). Each question must be answered and then sworn to in affidavit form (i.e., you swear you are not fibbing again).

I have had clients who have literally been so busy with internships and job interviews and the excessive pondering of how they are going to pay their law school loans that they have actually ignored the Board of Bar Examiner inquiries. The mail from the Board of Bar Examiners was put to the side to the point where formal charges are not only levied, but actually admitted against them without their knowledge because they haven’t actually promptly opened their mail.

At this point, not only is it much more financially cumbersome to “dig out”, but it is tougher to overcome some character issues that have now been formed by the Board of Bar Examiners. When “the dog eats your mail” or you don’t know the difference between junk mail and “extremely important career threatening” mail, the Board may just form the opinion that you would not do well with a trust account.

As to the investigative hearing, you may be invited to what is lovingly called an informal investigative hearing. These hearings are awkward to those who have “opportunities/issues” with their character and fitness. Character and fitness is carefully dissected here. Most of my colleagues would agree that preparing and attending the hearing alone is a mistake.

It has been my experience that the preparation for these hearings tends to amount to preparations that we trial lawyers routinely take getting ready for a jury trial. This means they try to anticipate every question that might be asked and based on experience and common sense, understand and appreciate the reasons why certain questions or issues may be outlined in your invitation to the “informal” investigative hearing.

Now, everybody has a right to have counsel, but a great many decide to go it alone which often compounds the need for counsel in the future.

The Rules. If you read the rules regulating admissions to the bar here in Florida, you will find there really are not that many of them and they are written in terms that, compared to other procedural areas of law, are general versus detailed. The hearing is described generally to see if you have the requisite character and fitness without clear guidance of how it is measured.

“Rule 3-21 Inquiry process. The Board shall conduct an investigation and otherwise inquire into and determine the character and fitness of every applicant or registrant. The Board take and hear testimony, administer oaths and affirmations and compel by subpoena the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers and documents.”

The Possibilities. After the hearing before three Board members, you will receive a notice of Board findings:

a) your notice may say the Board has decided to recommend your admission;

b) your notice may say that the Board has decided to admit you if you meet conditions subsequent. This will delay your efforts;

c) your notice may say that the Board has decided to defer their decision pending further investigations; or

d) your notice may say the Board has decided to file formal specifications and endeavor to disallow your admission altogether at a formal hearing.

If you have not sought counsel up to this point, I would strongly urge that you do so now because there are opportunities for positive future interactions through the Board of Bar Examiners that you may avail yourself of without having to or prepare yourself for and go through the rigors of a formal hearing which are to say the least “challenging”.

The Formal Hearing.

The formal hearing is much like trial on the merits of those charges or issues that have filed against you, the formal specifications.

If you look at the rules, for example 3.22-23, the Board’s rules regarding bar admissions outline how this process will actually take place. There are some things that are similar to civil procedure and some things that really aren’t, but those that are similar to civil procedure are, for example, the answer. Specifications will be much like a formal complaint that may be answered either by admitting, denying or some other form of negotiated result to any specification. You will find that the formal hearing is much like the informal investigative hearing regarding the rules of evidence. There are also some avenues of reciprocal discovery that you can avail yourself of and generally exhibits and witness lists are exchanged beforehand.

Interesting aspects of the process: There are some very interesting aspects concerning this entire process and I will mention them here.

First, the application itself. Although there are some extremely pointed directions concerning the application and how it is to be filled out, there is plenty of room for self-analysis and self-determination.

Second is the investigative hearing. The hearing is announced as the informal investigative hearing. As you walk in, you will find a court reporter who will not only have his/her fancy court reporting machine, but also a tape backup and microphones strewn about to make sure nothing is missed.

You will also find that the Board members that are asking you questions have a document to which they are referring in an effort to formulate questions. This document is the substance and result of the investigation of your application and any and all responses you have made to inquiries. I will tell you what I always tell those who seek my advice – the investigative document being used by the Board members is complete, accurate and unbelievably detailed. For example, they found that my client had not properly withdrawn from a university in the mid 60’s (yes, 45 years ago), he/she had actually been administratively expelled. He/she never even listed this “attempt” at secondary education in Ohio, I believe, on any job application in his/her entire life. My client had already passed the bar exam.

I will also tell you that I do my best to match the Board’s investigative skills, but they pale in comparison. In other words, this is not informal, nor is it investigative. By the time your invitation is mailed, an exhaustive investigation of your past has left no stone unturned and the investigation is over. The Board learned that my client was a gang member before college. In the hearing, he admitted to selling crack and stealing cars. He had never been arrested as a “gang member” or related activity, and he had not admitted this to me.

Lastly, this investigative report will be the foundation for the formal hearing in regard to preparation for the six member Board. You will never, ever receive a copy of it or get an opportunity to even glance at the contents.

Those of you with some experience will probably compare this to a federal prosecutor’s work product. If you review the Rules Regulating the Rules of Admission to The Florida Bar, you will see the various criteria concerning the determination of your character. Some of them are obvious, some are not.

The Board reserves the right to decide after caucusing with each other, subsequent to an investigative hearing or formal hearing, what is believable and what is not. You may not be in agreement with their conclusions, but as you will see, if you review the cases, there are not many options, if any, to overturn the decisions made by the Board of Bar Examiners.

To highlight the opportunities for changing the results at such a hearing, you may want to refer to Florida Bar Board Examiners re: L.K.D. 397 So.2nd 673-675 (Fla.1981). The long and short of it is that the Supreme Court of Florida reserves the right to review the Board’s recommendation by reviewing the factual underpinnings produced by the application process, informal investigative hearing and the formal hearing along with all of the exhibits and witnesses brought forward by reviewing the transcripts of these hearings.

The caveat as in cases involving lawyer discipline is that you should be careful what you ask for. I say this because the court may and has overturned the recommendations of the Board of Bar Examiners, when after a formal hearing, has actually recommended the admission of the lawyer and similarly the Supreme Court increased the disciplinary sanctions recommended by a referee where the respondent lawyer has requested a review by that Court.

The only interesting twist in cases involving candidates for admission to The Florida Bar is that the Supreme Court reviews every decision that the Board of Bar Examiners makes and must concur. For some interesting reading, I recommend that you read Florida Board of Bar Examiners Re: M.B.S. Fla. 2007, if you have Lexus, or if you have West Law, it is Florida Supreme Court Case No. SC05-1118.

Lastly, I will tell you from my experience that I don’t actually know of a case right off the top of my head where the Supreme Court has overruled the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and let someone in that the Board recommended should not be admitted.

Cases and Discussion: Mental Health Issues: In re Ford, 854 N.E. 2d 501, (Ohio 206). You will find that Mr. Ford was a May 2004 graduate. He was rejected for lack of character and fitness. He had a history of mental health issues and some financial issues. He had filed bankruptcy twice and had been in treatment for years for a medical condition. At the time of the hearing, the committee found that Mr. Ford had his mental issues under control with medication and counseling, but had concerns regarding the stress of practicing law and this condition. As you will see if you read this entire case, the court adopted the recommendation of the Board, which precluded the admission to the bar.

After reading this case, I am confused, but believe the Ohio court backed into their decision by an unidentified concern about the mental health issues by highlighting a perceived pattern of disregard for some drug and alcohol issues. The applicants disregard for the laws of Ohio were cited but it appears that there weren’t enough criminal violations or substance issues that would have otherwise kept him out.

Lack of Candor: You will find that when you fail to fess up to prior criminal convictions and the circumstances therein, not only will the Board find out, but they will have a concern over your candor. If you further go to an investigative hearing and continue to stand on these tiny fibs, your initial lack of candor will be exacerbated to the point where you will be asked, more than likely, “to take some time off”. An interesting example of this can be found in Florida Board of Bar Examiners Re: D.M.F, 491 So.2d 1104.

Criminal Charges: Mr. Lee King was a peace officer and could serve summons, deliver court papers and was authorized to carry a handgun. He was upset when he wasn’t given a full time sworn police officer position. While off duty he got drunk and used his service weapon to shoot two men several times at close range. The victims were unarmed. Apparently because of Mr. King’s inebriation he was a poor shot. He was convicted, served time, went through mental health counseling.

He then decided law school was a good career move. He was admitted to the practice of law in Texas in 1994. He later moved to Arizona and began working in a law firm in Arizona. He passed the bar exam and finally, after two rounds before the Board of Bar Examiners, the recommendation was that he be admitted to practice law and as in Florida, Arizona has the procedural caveat where the supreme court reserves the right to review all recommendations by the Board of Bar Examiners. The Supreme Court stated that Mr. King would have to show an extraordinary amount of rehabilitation. The court said he would have to establish that he accepted responsibility for his past conduct and identified and overcame the weaknesses that led to the unlawful conduct. In his bar application he stated that due to his strained emotional state and the anti-police sentiment of the day (2003) that it was in his best interest to plead guilty to one charge and throw himself upon the mercy of the court rather than fight the charges. The court felt that King’s explanation was a bit lacking in sincerity and common sense. He never became a lawyer in Arizona. Perhaps he is a “packing heat” Texas lawyer!

Closing remarks: To borrow a theme from some commercials of the day: “The cost of law school $100,000.00. The cost of preparing for and taking the Bar exam $5,000.00 . Perhaps the best feelings you will ever have …hearing that you passed the bar exam. The cost of not having to explain to ‘everyone’ why you have a law degree, passed the bar exam and can’t practice law … PRICELESS.”

Source by Paul Remillard

#seolinksdiv h3{ color:#000000; } #seolinksdiv ul li a{ color:#000000; }

More Marijuana info :

Marijuana

Agrobrite FLT44 T5 Fluorescent Grow Light System, 4 Feet, 4 Tube

LED Toilet Bathroom Night Light Human Motion Activated Seat Sensor Lamp 8 Colors

from 420 Growing News http://www.growing420.net/2017/07/14/fl-bd-of-bar-examiners-criminal-substance-alcohol-abuse-mental-issues-at-an-investigative-hrg/

0 notes

growing420news · 7 years

Text

Fl Bd of Bar Examiners – Criminal, Substance-Alcohol Abuse & Mental Issues at an Investigative Hrg

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners is not evil, vindictive or sadistic.

You who have had an opportunity to experience life have not been sheltered or ushered through your formal education experience by your parents or some other benefactor.

The application process and investigative hearings:

Believe it or start writing your own headstone.

Now, everybody has a right to have counsel, but a great many decide to go it alone which often compounds the need for counsel in the future.

The Possibilities. After the hearing before three Board members, you will receive a notice of Board findings:

a) your notice may say the Board has decided to recommend your admission;

b) your notice may say that the Board has decided to admit you if you meet conditions subsequent. This will delay your efforts;

c) your notice may say that the Board has decided to defer their decision pending further investigations; or

d) your notice may say the Board has decided to file formal specifications and endeavor to disallow your admission altogether at a formal hearing.

The Formal Hearing.

The formal hearing is much like trial on the merits of those charges or issues that have filed against you, the formal specifications.

Interesting aspects of the process: There are some very interesting aspects concerning this entire process and I will mention them here.

Source by Paul Remillard

#seolinksdiv h3{ color:#000000; } #seolinksdiv ul li a{ color:#000000; }

More Marijuana info :

Marijuana

Agrobrite FLT44 T5 Fluorescent Grow Light System, 4 Feet, 4 Tube

LED Toilet Bathroom Night Light Human Motion Activated Seat Sensor Lamp 8 Colors

from 420 Growing News http://www.growing420.net/2017/07/14/fl-bd-of-bar-examiners-criminal-substance-alcohol-abuse-mental-issues-at-an-investigative-hrg/

0 notes

sharycherry · 7 years

Quote

How did successful people spend their time when they were young, between the ages of 10 and 22? Erick Pinos Erick Pinos, works at MIT Undergraduate Admissions Updated May 22, 2015 Elon Musk (22 in 1993) read 10 hours a day, both science fiction and non-fiction. By 4th grade, he was reading the Encyclopedia Britannica. At age 9, Elon got into programming and at 12 he sold his first video game, Blastar, for $500 ($1,200 today). Musk was frustrated with slow formal classroom learning and did most of his learning through reading. His first two companies, Zip2 and X.com (later merged into PayPal) were software companies. Bill Gates (22 in 1977)'s family encouraged competition. He practiced programming using his school's computer and was excused from math classes to do so. His first computer program was a tic-tac-toe game against the computer. He and three classmates were banned from using the Computer Center Corporation's computers after exploiting bugs in the operating system to get free computer time. The four later offered to find bugs for the CCC in exchange for computer time. In his sophomore year at Harvard, he designed an algorithm for pancake sorting as a solution to one of a series of unsolved problems presented in his combinatorics class. (Before Microsoft, Gates Solved A Pancake Problem) In college he also met Steve Ballmer, who would eventually succeed him as Microsoft's CEO. When the MITS Altair 8800 came out packing the Intel 8080 CPU chip, Gates saw the opportunity to start his own computer software company with his friend Paul Allen and they both dropped out. Max Levchin (22 in 1997) had respiratory problems as a child and doctors doubted his chance of living. He practiced the clarinet to help expand lungs. He spent time programming, and in 1995 he founded SponsorNet Media with fellow college classmates. In 1997, he finished his bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Illinois. In 1998, Peter Thiel gave a guest lecture, after which Levchin introduced himself. The two then founded Fieldlink, a security company for handheld devices, later changed to Confinitiy, under which they developed PayPal. (History - PayPal) Steve Jobs (22 in 1977)'s father showed him how to take apart and rebuild electronics in the family garage. From that Jobs developed a hobby for technical tinkering. His mother taught him to read before he attended school. His parents elected him to skip a grade although his school recommended that he skip two on account of his test scores. In high school, Jobs became friends with Bill Fernandez, who introduced him to Steve Wozniak, a tech wiz and his future business partner. Jobs enrolled at Reed College and dropped out after six months. He spent the next 18 months dropping in on creative classes, like a course on calligraphy, which he later says is why the Mac now has multiple typefaces. He went to India in 1974 for seven months in search of spiritual enlightenment and then came back to work for Atari where he made deals with Wozniak to work together. In 1976, Jobs and Wozniak formed "Apple Computer Company". (The Guardian profile: Steve Jobs) Peter Thiel (22 in 1989) became a US-rated Chess Master and one of the highest ranked under-21 players in the country. In 1989, he received a bachelor's in philosophy from Stanford in 1989 and a J.D. from Stanford Law in 1992. He founded The Stanford Review in 1987 along with Norman Book to talk about controversial campus issues like political correctness. Thiel formed many influential friendships with other students at Stanford, many of whom contributed to the Stanford Review and later took up jobs at PayPal (co-founded by Thiel). Vinod Khosala (22 in 1977) was inspired to pursue technology as a career after reading about the founding of Intel in Electronic Engineering Times. He received a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, a masters in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon, and an MBA from Stanford Grad School of Business. Khosla has said that he said he looks for disruptive new ideas from young people under 25. “I think after you work long enough, you get used to things the way they are supposed to be … and you forget that new things can be invented,”. (Vinod Khosla: A Brutally Honest VC Tells Startup Weekenders to Make an Impact | Xconomy) Oliver Emberton (22 in 2001) started programming computers at 8 years old. He started his own video game business at 13 and sold games to fellow students, giving the money to charity. By 16, he wrote his own operating system, his own video codec, web browser, and graphical editing tools. He was once told to "stop aspiring for success". He later switched his business pursuits from video games to web development. "I founded Silktide Ltd as soon as I graduated in 2001, on £3,000 of startup capital. It was about enough for a PC, some furniture, and a couple month’s rent in an office the size of an Oxo cube. Spent the first year barely surviving, with a total salary of less than £6k and a profit of under £200." (Oliver Emberton | About) Richard Branson (22 in 1972) struggled with dyslexia throughout school. In 1966, at age 16, he dropped out to start a youth-culture magazine called Student, selling $8,000 worth of advertising in its first edition. The headmaster of Stowe wrote Branson a note that said "Congratulations, Branson. I predict you will either go to prison or become a millionaire." Even though Student had articles and interviews from existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, novelists James Baldwin and Alice Walker, and poet Robert Graves , the magazine never made money. (Entrepreneur | Richard Branson) In 1969, at age 19, Branson started a mail-order record company called Virgin, because everyone who worked there was a "virgin" in business, to help fund Student. He made enough money to build a record shop in Oxford Street, London. From that he made enough money to start a recording studio in 1972, Virgin Records. Gayle Laakmann McDowell (22 in 2005) was the youngest intern at Microsoft at age 18. She got her bachelor's in Computer Science in 2005 at UPenn and went back for her master's. McDowell has worked as a software engineer at Google, Microsoft, and Apple. In 2011, she received her MBA from The Wharton School, specializing in entrepreneurship. That same year, McDowell wrote a post on getting a highly coveted job where she suggests: Start something, like a small tech company or project, that shows tech firms your creativity, passion, initiative, and leadership. She also says to create an online portfolio, build your network, make a short resume, focus on concrete accomplishments, rehearse your stories, practice interview questions, prepare questions for you to ask, admit mistakes, and be fearless. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/cioc...) Balaji Viswanathan (22 in 2005) focused on winning competitions and doing research in college. While working towards his bachelor's, he won an Honorable Mention at the 2002 Asia Finals of the prestigious ACM ICPC programming contest. From the IEEE, he also won the Lance Stafford Larson Student Paper award and UPE award for academic excellence. He even got to meet the President of India thrice to talk about his research works. "My first internship was an opportunity to work at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a student research fellow in the summer of 2004. In 2005, I did an internship at a defense technologies startup in Washington DC. I then worked close to 4 years at Microsoft Redmond. I was a developer for Windows 7 and I have also worked in test for Windows Phone 7. Inbetween that was a period spent in Live Labs - the cutting edge futuristic incubation centre." (Balaji Viswanathan's answer to What should everyone know about Balaji Viswanathan?) Auren Hoffman (22 in 1996), who also wrote a great answer to this question, has been called an "expert networker" and a "catalyst". He graduated from UC Berkely with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1996. Junior year, he founded Kyber Systems as a way to pay for school. In his answer, he talks about how he recommends: Spending time alone, reading fiction AND non-fiction, play acting, experimenting, doing creative activities, spending more time creating rather than consuming, and getting away from the social pressures of school (Auren Hoffman's answer to "How did successful people spend their time when they were young, between ages of 10 and 22?") We see entrepreneurs left and right heavily programming in high school and in college. But they didn't just "learn" programming - they did projects, competed in competitions, and started businesses, like Musk, Gates, Hoffman, Viswanathan, Emberton, McDowell, and Jobs did. We also see non-technical and semi-technical businesses like from Branson and Thiel, so don't worry if coding isn't your strong suit. As McDowell and Hoffman said, just learn something and start something. Another thing a lot of them had in common is that they networked with people in their time in high school and college, many of whom ended up becoming clients, co-founders, or even successors. Gates met Ballmer in college and Jobs met Wozniak in high school. The PayPal mafia, a small, closely networked group of former PayPal founders and employees, including Musk, Thiel, and Khosla, have helped each other build their companies as they remained connected as business and social acquaintances. One last thing I would like to mention is that they all read - a lot. Read, read, read. Traditional classroom learning is designed to push everybody along at the same speed. If classes are moving too fast, then read after and before class to fill in your knowledge gaps and build a solid foundation to keep up. If class is moving too slow, then read to learn new and more advanced topics. Either way, reading will give you the edge as most people won't bother to put in the extra effort. And also read lots of fiction too to learn how to write stories and gain an appreciation for the things that make us human.

0 notes

ciceroisthefamilycat · 7 years

Text

A month ago or so I said I would post my thoughts on the GG revival (and some other stuff) once my finals were done. But then I went home for the holidays, and my Internet access was not great. Here at last are the GG thoughts, though they're long and not well-organized and generally critical of the revival, if anyone's interested.

My feelings about the Gilmore Girls revival: all the Gilmores deserved better

Lorelai by far had the best arc for me in the revival. While I soured on Luke a while ago and found him frustrating throughout, Lorelai’s individual story was (excluding the conclusion) the best part. Since Richard and Sookie had outside reasons to not appear, the show made an excellent decision to focus on Michel and Lorelai’s relationship. While I haven’t always appreciated what Michel brings, I do now because the storyline brought out the best in both of them. It revealed Michel’s softer side for longer periods while focusing on Lorelai’s willingness to do whatever to keep him around (also the secret club scene with them both was fantastic).

I was immensely frustrated by the plot in which Richard left money to Luke to franchise and nothing for Lorelai’s career goals. I get that Richard wasn’t always progressive, and can even appreciate the callback to the season 5 Richard/Luke outing, but it was a complete disservice that he wouldn’t leave his daughter money to further her career. Richard mentioned in Bon Voyage how much credit Lorelai deserved for what she had built, and even before then spoke with praise about her inn. In Bon Voyage, Emily kept expressing a desire to build the Dragonfly a spa with Lorelai. Are you telling me that Richard wouldn’t have offered to finance that, or maybe he and Emily would decide to set aside the money for when Lorelai might be more open to it? I get that would have robbed the tension of Michel maybe leaving, or the Luke-Lorelai tension, or the beautiful parallel at the end asking for the loan- but there are other ways they could have achieved all that while giving Richard and Lorelai’s relationship its due. (As sweet as the mall story was, it was very nonsensical and even the outstanding acting couldn’t save it for me. Imagine though if Richard had financed an expansion at the Dragonfly and Emily was working there and she felt like Lorelai didn’t appreciate his gifts enough? But still she stayed working there.)

Also, setting aside the pain I get every time a show attempts therapy sessions, there was all this build up in the first episode to it and then it just fizzled? We didn’t get nearly enough Emily (let alone Emily-Lorelai) after it was done, and its conclusion made the whole storyline seem wasted. (Also… ew Luke. Don’t give Lorelai crap for going to therapy.) And then the therapist tries to be in the musical? Which… I didn’t mind some Bunheads cameos and the musical itself was fine, but (as I know many others have said) the musical was wasted time. They could have done Sutton as the director, Lorelai as the lead, and Lorelai keeps struggling with this one song at the end (the only poignant part of that storyline) until she realizes her emotional block with it. At least then the storyline includes Lorelai as a participant.

Meanwhile, the hiking thing was so bizarre. We did not need an extended Wild reference (or whatever the name is). It had some funny parts (book or movie), and I enjoyed the Parenthood cameos, but it felt so inauthentic. Why not have Lorelai go on a hotel road trip (with Michel maybe?), and even parallel it with Rory’s adventure in the episode before? It also parallels the running away from her marriage to Max, and makes it even more potent when she comes back. Or, she could go see Sookie (maybe not even realizing that’s where she’s heading at first) and ask why she left, and get closure on that. Then get a promise from Sookie that she’ll be at the wedding, or that she’ll come back soon (or she won’t). Same amount of scenes as we got with Sookie, a whole lot more substantive than the hiking.

Quick point: they completely underplayed the Lorelai/Paris relationship. When Luke asked just how close Lorelai and Paris were and Lorelai was dumbfounded by Paris’ kindness to her, it was so bizarre. Lorelai and Paris’ interactions used to be phenomenal. I will say, at least they gave us some more Paris/Rory/Lane- Rory with both her best friends is premium content. And Paris’ job was perfect.

Then there’s Rory’s storyline. One, if you’re going to tease Tristan, then just pay CMM the money to make a split-second appearance. Otherwise don’t mention him. Just the running into Francie would have been effective to send Paris into a meltdown, or showing me some dang Madeleine and Louise. OR BRAD! But about her actual career:

In the beginning of season 2, Rory wrote an article that according to the Chilton paper faculty advisor made the parking lot repavement eventful. It’s one thing to talk about Rory having a hard time finding jobs, and another to talk about writer’s block, but it’s something entirely different to tell me Rory can’t find any angle about lines in New York City. It would have actually been more effective to have Rory write something, submit it, and then be told it wasn’t the right direction for the paper, and she could meltdown after that if need be. I get why she didn’t want to do the memoir with the batty Brit in the end. While I don’t see why she feasibly wouldn’t do any research into the fledgling Huff-Po rip-off, I can see her going in there and being confused when she’s expected to pitch a position after they were chasing her. With teaching, I know other people have said that she acted like it was beneath her. That wasn’t my interpretation- she finished school and even if that’s where she’s always excelled that doesn’t mean she wants to go back for the Masters she would need. We don’t know if continuing school’s a good financial situation for her (would Chris pay? Emily? would Rory still be comfortable asking?) and Rory probably decided teaching wasn’t for her a long time ago (just because she liked school doesn’t mean she likes kids in high-school- Not as Cute as Pushkin comes to mind). Also, it would probably feel like failure to her, not because teaching is somehow lesser but because it would mean she couldn’t hack it as a journalist in her own mind.

I was hoping she would stick with the Stars Hollow Gazette, and make it ‘great’ again (sorry for the organization of this sentence). Or if not that, maybe it could get her noticed- she could get a book deal about this small town and telling people about it (rather than a memoir her mom resents). I have… iffy feelings about stories within stories. In many of my favorite pieces of fiction (Glee and Gossip Girl and Queer as Folk, amongst others), the “writer” in the group eventually creates a self-reflective piece. Last fall, I started watching Jane the Virgin. Spoiler alert, but Jane decides to write a book about her grandma (which her grandmother is initially against). But Jane is a romance novelist, who is going to fictionalize the romance of her grandmother and grandfather, and their immigration story, to play to her own skills as a writer. Instead of Rory focusing on just her family, she could have done character pieces and interviews with the many denizens of Stars Hollow. After the Life and Death Brigade in the third episode, I was thinking she could expand on her Yale piece in some way- fictionalized or documenting elite social organizations in Connecticut or on college campuses. Rory has so many other unique interests (she could have done travel-journal too, since she’s jetting back and forth between London, or a giant ‘pop culture references as taught to me by my mother’ guide) and I wish the story had been about her telling those rather than the story we already know- be more creative and trust the audience!

I love Logan and I love Rory and I love them together but I don’t have very many thoughts on the romantic storylines, even the baby. Except, Rory should have broken up with Paul at the end of the first episode. If they wanted to drag out the damn thing, it would have been funny if they showed her breaking it off but she kept thinking she hadn’t. Otherwise, that whole thing was just too mean.

Also, Rory-Emily did not have nearly enough together this time around. I realize Rory was doing a lot of travelling and it was maybe hard for her to see Emily, but it was disappointing. Emily on the whole was disconnected with her family and aside from the one phone call where (best part of Rory’s stuff) Rory got into Richard’s study, it was especially evident with those two. (Also, finally some Rory-Richard content!)

Then, Emily as an individual. I know a lot of people loved her parts and think she’s the one the writers did the most justice by. I disagree. Emily spent years having to justify that her life was valid and fulfilling to Richard and Lorelai both, and then the writers had her act like it wasn’t at all. I understand that part of her justification in her life was that it furthered Richard’s business, and that even without that, Richard’s death could have just resulted in the reorganization of priorities that we saw. But we didn’t need her to find a lover or see her burn all her high-society bridges when it happened. She could have moved into a fancy apartment or townhouse in Hartford, hired a permanent maid whose life she was overly-invested in, and struggled finding a new place in society as a widow but ultimately figured it out. I loved that she decided to work at that museum, and it was fun, but imagine if she had done an art museum or history museum in Hartford? She took pride in being Emily Gilmore, dangit. In fact, back to the maid, remember how Lorelai always said Emily stifled her? What if Emily hired a girl remarkably like young Lorelai and Lorelai felt like Emily was trying to substitute her with this girl in light of her realized mortality? That’s a more genuine conflict than Lorelai gaffing at Richard’s funeral.

I didn’t hate it, but the four episodes felt silly and struggled to fill the arcs with meaningful content. I would much prefer an 8 or 10- episode season (with 45-60 min running times). I was disappointed with the majority of AYITL, but perhaps my expectations were too high. At least I got quality Logan-Rory content, and quality Lorelai-Michel and Paris.

#The Gilmore Girls are the best #mine

0 notes