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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Ranking : Christopher Nolan (1970 - present)

From the moment he kicked the door down on the scene with the breathtaking Memento, the name Christopher Nolan has rung synonymous with high thinking, high level and high entertainment film. He always finds fresh and unique ways to tell stories, be it visually, narratively, or some combination of the two, and many of his conceptual deep dives have opened real conversations in regards to different aspects of space and time. For an artist, the impact the Christopher Nolan has had on the populous as a whole is impressive, which is why after recently seeing Tenet, I felt it necessary to take a look back at all of his films and determine where they stood in relation to one another (in my eyes).

11. Insomnia (2002) As stated with every instance of ranking the work of a director, there’s always one film that’s got to take the bottom of the list hit, and for Nolan, it was Insomnia. The film in itself is not a bad one, and it does offer some strong visuals in regards to the unrelenting amount of sunlight that one experiences in Alaska, but it does suffer not only from being a remake, but a remake that pales in comparison to the original. For my money’s worth, Nolan works best with original ideas, with one specific trilogy standing as an exception to that notion.

10. Memento (2000) While not his debut film, this was the film that put Nolan on the map. The story is unique and intriguing, and the manner in which it is told really makes it work, as a standard A to Z telling of the film would eliminate much of the dramatic tension felt. That being said, this film suffers from a similar fate to that of films like The Sixth Sense : it’s cool the first time you see it, it really wows you the second time you see it, and then further viewings find diminishing returns in regards to the experience of the “gimmick” (for lack of a better word). Definitely worth seeing if you’ve never seen it, or are looking for a gateway into the work of Nolan, but underwhelming when held up against his future work.

9. Batman Begins (2005) As previously stated, Nolan (in my opinion) works best as a writer/director of original ideas, so like many, I was slightly surprised when he was tapped to handle the Christian Bale edition of the Batman movie canon. There wasn’t so much doubt about his ability to pull things off visually, but with such a beloved franchise and character in his hands, there were thoughts about whether or not his style would translate in a way that an already dedicated fanbase would appreciate. Batman Begins was an effective table-setter for his Dark Knight trilogy, but due to the necessity of having to address an already familiar backstory, many of Nolan’s best ideas would have to wait until the sequel.

8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) This film found itself the unfortunate victim of an all too familiar national tragedy in the form of a mass shooting during an early screening, forever putting a sort of black cloud over the film as a result. That being said, the film was a stellar entry in the Dark Knight trilogy, anchored by an instantly iconic Tom Hardy performance. If this film was attributed to any other director, it would possibly stand as one of their top works, but Christopher Nolan is a man of such depth and style that The Dark Knight Rises merely stands as above average output from a creator who is pulling back a bit to fit the Hollywood ideal (or his version, anyway) of a comic book film.

7. Following (1998) Quite possibly the most personal of all Nolan films, which makes sense, considering it was his first. It was the buzz that this film generated during the 1997 festival season, along with an already completed script for Memento, that turned Nolan from an aspiring director to a household name. Following gives us a bit of insight into Nolan’s creative process, presenting us with a highly stylized version of an observational writer, forever receptive to the stimulus around him. The look of the film displays Nolan’s eye for location and cinematography, and the non-linear nature of the story served as a sneak preview to a format of storytelling he would soon master and manipulate beyond our ability to initially understand. Though a bit on the short side for a feature film, it is certainly a fun ride with much indication of where its creator was headed.

6. Interstellar (2014) Throughout the 2010s, it seemed that Nolan was hell-bent on warping our brains through the entertainment medium, and after the warning blast that Inception was, Interstellar served as a sort of thematic and spiritual double-tap for our psyche. Nolan took the basic structure for a story of familial, unconditional love and skewed it by thrusting our protagonist into the uncharted depths of space, skewing his perception of time so radically that the people he loved became old while he did not age, which in itself is enough of a heartbreaking concept to build a film off of. Add to this the fact that we are presented with (to the best of our knowledge, anyways) the most photo-realistic depictions of a Black Hole and a tesseract, and the end result is a powerful genre-blending journey that stands in rare company, with films like Tarkovsy’s Solaris and Kubrick’s 2001 : A Space Odyssey serving as the closest points of comparison.

5. Tenet (2020) When you have a track record like that of a Christopher Nolan, it is inevitable that people are waiting on your downfall, and with 2020 changing the way we take in films, many tried to seize this opportunity and label Tenet as this moment in time. To me, this is an absurd stance to take... not only is Tenet one of the most intriguing films I’ve seen in years, but its efficiency in storytelling trims away so much fat that we are left with archetypical characters with subtle amounts of depth shepherding us through a narrative line that folds in and overlaps on itself numerous times. With this premise set and our characters deeply devoted to their functionality (though not at the expense of performance), we are left with the spectacle of some amazing choreography and in-camera special effects work that makes you really and truly have to stop at times just so you can try and process what it is you are seeing. Hopefully, in repeat viewings, the “gimmick” won’t take precedence over the film itself, as I believe there is enough going on outside of the visual trickery to keep one interested time and again.

4. Dunkirk (2017) It’s no secret that Christopher Nolan has the talent to build vast, textured and deeply imaginative worlds with his films, but up until the point of Dunkirk, Nolan had not attempted a “period piece”. Luckily for us film lovers, Nolan decided to try his hand at that style in the form of a war movie, and the result was the extremely moving and powerful experience of Allied troops in World War II caught in a situation where death seemed inevitable. Despite the vastness of the beach and sea we are shown, the feeling of being trapped permeates through and through, and it is enhanced by stellar cinematography and practical effects. Even with a cast full of familiar names and faces, the experience of hopelessness created soon eliminates the familiarity that comes with star power, and we are left with nothing but our investment in the story.

3. The Dark Knight (2008) Simply put, The Dark Knight really has no business being as good as it is. You’d think that its placement between the two trilogy bookends would give it a transitional nature, potentially only existing to move the story forward to its conclusion. What we are given, however, is one of the most nuanced looks at heroes, villains, anti-heroes, and just how much those roles can alternate based on the perspective of those applying the title. For all of the horror that the Scarecrow character brought, or the pure intimidation of Bane, The Dark Knight gives us a complex agent of chaos in the form of Heath Ledger’s instantly iconic (and tragically final) performance as the Joker. All of the pacing issues that weigh down the other two films are completely absent in this middle offering, and the movie hangs around in your mind well after the final credits roll. To many viewers, this film set the artistic benchmark for what a so-called “comic-book” movie had the potential to be.

2. Inception (2010) For many, Inception marks the culminative peak of all that Christopher Nolan brings to the table as a director and storyteller. His ability to coherently weave together a narrative that deals with the perception of time as one goes deeper and deeper into the psyche is impressive in its own right, but the amount of breathtaking nuance, visual effects and mental gymnastics used to tell the story would bring a lesser director to their knees. If The Revenant and 2015 served as the culmination of Leonardo DiCaprio finally receiving much-deserved recognition as an actor via an Academy Award, then Inception feels like the starting point for that final leg of his journey. Everyone brought their A-game to this table on both sides of the camera, leaving us with a true visual and storytelling spectacle for the ages.

1. The Prestige (2006) Irony is a funny thing... I bring that up because Christopher Nolan has literally taken on (and, in some ways, conquered) space, time and perception in his films, all of which would be incredibly lofty concepts to illustrate and visualize, let alone make entertaining. With all of that in mind, it’s ironic that his best film would be one that does not rely on all of the aforementioned lofty aspects and visual tricks. The Prestige, at a base level, is a story about jealousy and how it can drive you mad, but it’s the way that this story is told that makes it possibly the best film in the Nolan canon. Christian Bale’s performance (or performances, at the risk of spoilers) is enough to put this film in a class of its own, but the balance that Hugh Jackman’s performance brings to the overall equation keeps you guessing on whom we are supposed to root for right up until the final frame. The triangle of love triangles in this film further serve to build up the eventual scale of damage that is presented when everything falls completely apart on both sides of the narrative coin. Most importantly, like any good magic trick, the film sets you up with expectations, only to wow you in the end. If you had to pick one Nolan film to watch, this would be the one that I recommend, hands down and without question.

Who knows where Christopher Nolan plans to take us next. I, for one, would not consider myself clued-in enough to hazard a guess on this, but I would almost certainly put money on the fact that wherever he chooses to take us, he will entertain us and amaze us, if not both at the same time, as he always does.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #ChristopherNolan #Insomnia #Memento #BatmanBegins #TheDarkKnightRises #Following #Interstellar #Tenet #Dunkirk #TheDarkKnight #Inception #ThePrestige

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beetledrink · 5 years

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intensely have to know what you thought or think about little nicky as one of my dark secrets is the knowledge that i was absolutely obsessed with it as a child and watched it every time it was on but have no memory of the content except for like. a faintly vague sense that it involves tracksuits and fried chicken. also the devil? dude i don’t know. also would you recommend a rewatch

OKAY... THIS IS A GENUINE REVIEW OF LITTLE NICKY INCOMING SO HOLD ON

my thoughts on little nicky is that its possibly the funniest an adam sandler movie got because it precariously straddled the line between run of the mill regular stupid late 90s/early 2000s adam sandy humor (barely racy jokes and COPIOUS product placement) with just enough genuinely off the wall funny shit that catches you off guard. however of course its smattered with your regular edgy movie bigotry thats just. yuck. no good. really bad. but its not BOGGED down with it

like you i was for some reason SUPER fixated on this movie as a kid so ive seen it like dozens of times so i have some good things to say about it possibly weighed down by nostalgia... this was like the last adam sandler movie before he started going completely off the shits and making everything about him and his hot wife amazing job whatever whatever and i think... on a very conceptual level... its a sweet concept. i love “the son of the devil is actually a very sweet kid who loves his dad and gets picked on by his much meaner brothers” as a concept and if it had been done by like any other hollywood set it might have been a super memorable movie. also i do genuinely like what they did with his love interest shes endearing actually and i love that

however its not a good movie. its a bad movie. its a very stupid movie and it is not done well. but we stan i guess

#Anonymous

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khalilhumam · 3 years

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Thailand’s national moment: Protests in a continuing battle over nationalism

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/thailands-national-moment-protests-in-a-continuing-battle-over-nationalism/

Thailand’s national moment: Protests in a continuing battle over nationalism

By Joel Selway What do the Hunger Games, Hamtaro (a famous Japanese cartoon), and Harry Potter have in common? All have been referenced in recent Thai protests. For the past three months, tens of thousands of people have been protesting across Thailand. The protesters are mostly students, but their demands are much more serious than their symbols of teen pop culture might suggest. Their original set of demands included three core reforms: dissolving the House of Representatives, a military-dominated body which came to power in sham elections in 2019; drafting a new constitution, a military-drafted charter was introduced in 2017; and ending intimidation of the people, such as by arresting protest leaders and issuing emergency decrees. They have since broached the once-taboo topic of monarchical reform, demanding that the king be subject to the constitution and stay out of politics. The scope of these protests, both in the boldness of their demands as well as the breadth of their support, makes them different than the polarized mass protests of the past two decades that saw opposing red and yellow shirts throng the streets. Rather, the 2020 protests look more similar to those in 1973, 1976, and 1992 — protests that continued a battle over Thai nationalism that began in 1932. In an open letter to the government published in the Thai Enquirer, one young protester captured the spirit of this battle: “You tell us we should love our country, religion, and monarchy. We have very different ideas about what this means. The country is not its government. The country is its people. And I love my country, but I will love it on my own terms … Not because a power tells us what to think and who to love under fear of death and imprisonment.” The recent protests were sparked by the February 23rd dissolution of a relatively new political party, the Future Forward Party (FFP), which surprised the country by coming third in the March 2019 elections. Strategically choosing the color orange, FFP sought to end two decades of polarized red-yellow politics, and focus on real and lasting democratic reform. FFP drew its support mainly from the younger generation. Despite supplying the kindling for the protests, Future Forward has actually been absent from any type of organizational role behind the protests. Thus, these are not protests simply in favor of yet another political party. To understand what they are, let us briefly turn to some history.

The backstory

Thailand is unique in Southeast Asia as the only country to have staved off colonialism. It did this in part by creating a modern nation-state, a process overseen by the monarchy. But the onset of nationalism sowed the seeds of the monarchy’s demise, as it did the world over. In the early 1900s, an emerging educated class harnessed the country’s fledgling print media to criticize the monarchy. The 1932 revolution, a civilian-military alliance that ended the absolute monarchy, was inevitable. This alliance was short-lived, however, as the military soon sidelined its civilian partner. Then, in the 1960s, the military turned back to the monarchy to shore up its legitimacy. As the 1970s dawned, this military-monarchy alliance came under attack from a new middle class born from two decades of break-neck economic growth. Nationalism’s core feature — what Benedict Anderson refers to as a “horizontal comradeship,” or the idea that the nation belongs equally to the pauper as well as the prince — began for a second time to bang at the door of Thailand’s hierarchical structures of power. The 1973 student movement culminated in the king announcing the resignation of Thanom’s military government and signaling a new civilian-monarchy alliance. A period of semi-democracy followed, and by the 1990s democracy was in full swing. A blip in this trajectory occurred in 1991, courtesy of a military coup, but was met with immediate popular resistance and another royal intervention in which the king proclaimed: “The nation belongs to everyone.” Democracy steamrolled into the 2000s. The 2001 elections seemed to finally fulfill the 1932 revolution — a civilian political party touting its own brand of nationalism. The Thais Love Thais (TRT) party fundamentally transformed the relationship between state and citizen, with a slew of innovative policies targeting rural areas and the poor politically awakening long-ignored parts of the Thai nation. These progressive policies also undermined the monarchy’s traditional role in rural development, and TRT’s leader — Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon — was suspected of harboring republican sentiments. Combined with Thaksin’s control over the media and the party’s unprecedented electoral strength (winning 75% of seats in the 2005 elections), there was enough fuel to justify a coup in 2006 on the grounds of protecting democracy. The monarchy threw in its support. To some, the return of the military-monarchy alliance signaled that perhaps the nation did not belong to everyone after all. Another coup in 2014 deepened the trajectory of political control back toward the traditional elite. Junta leader, General Prayuth Chanocha, quickly declared a set of “12 Values” that reinforced traditional conceptualizations of Thai nationalism, requiring they be recited daily in schools across the country. The 12 Values indicated that the military was intent on preserving the traditional elite’s monopoly on power. Indeed, Prayuth also targeted Thai political institutions, reserving the entire Senate for military appointments and requiring a joint meeting of the House and Senate to select the prime minister, effectively giving the military a veto over the top executive merely by controlling 25% of the House.

Who gets to define nationalism?

The 2020 student protests in Thailand are about breaking up the military-monarchy alliance that has prevailed for most of the past 60 years. They are about ridding the 12-Values propaganda from the education system and ensuring checks and balances on the monarchy in the political system, which has been used as a tool of legitimacy and a legal bludgeon to mute opponents via the draconian lèse majesté law. Ultimately, the protests are about who gets to define and control Thai nationalism. Colloquial use of the term nationalism generally carries a negative connotation, focusing on exclusivity and identity politics. This usage ignores the core idea of nationalism that fueled revolutions across the world in the 19th century, from France to the Americas: that the state belongs to the people. The protesters in Thailand are demanding popular sovereignty. And their savvy use of social media is the 21st-century equivalent of the French Revolution’s barricades. Thus, what seem like bizarre adoptions of popular culture — the three-fingered salute from Hollywood’s Hunger Games movie, the Hamtaro theme song (with modified lyrics), and references to Harry Potter’s “He Who Shall Not Be Named” — mask an educated, creative, but highly repressed generation starved of control over their own lives and their nation’s future. The protests reflect a crying-out for defining nationalism in the people’s own terms. These three H’s stand in contrast to the official triumvirate of Thai nationalism — nation, king, and religion — and belie a more serious trio of democracy, decentralization, and self-determination. Indeed, the Thai protesters joining of the Milk Tea Alliance (along with Hong Kong and Taiwan) is a sign of how they see both their demands and the level of repression they face. While Thai elites emphasize the nation’s uniqueness and thus justify the lack of democracy, the protesters define themselves as part of a broader Asian democratic movement. This battle over nationalism is why we see protests not just occurring in the major regional centers of Chiang Mai, Khon Khaen, and Nakkhon Sri Thammarat, but in numerous provinces across the country. These periphery regions also have the potential to express their frustrations over nationalism in other terms — in 2014, calls for separatism were heard in the North.

These protests represent Thailand’s national moment.

Almost a century after the first attempt to realize this ownership by the people, these protests represent Thailand’s national moment. Will the military and monarchy recognize that in a modern, capitalist society, the people must be allowed to define nationalism in their own terms? Following the student protests in the 1970s and the protests in 1992, periods of liberalization followed. The current protests are much more sustained and geographically far-reaching. For the liberalization to match the students’ aspirations this time around, the movement will have to swell beyond the young generation. The leadership of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party could take on this mantle, but don’t discount red-shirt leaders who view this as a continuation of their struggle for democracy over the past two decades. While Pheu Thai, the main red-shirt political party, has been ambivalent toward joining the protesters, some Pheu Thai members of parliament have allegedly mobilized red-shirt followers to join the protests, and red flags have appeared at some protests. As the most popular party over the previous few elections, there is a sleeping giant that could be awakened to buttress the student protests and demonstrate that this is much bigger than the youthful naivety of a K-Pop fanbase. Indeed, despite its youthfulness, these protests reflect a maturity in demanding a role in the making of the nation that is a hundred years in the making.

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topbeautifulwomens · 5 years

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#Innovation #Makes #Money, #Innovation #Increases #Sales, #Create #Innovative #New #Products #photooftheday #adultmodel #ballet #brunettebabes #contour #girls #instabeauty #modeling #swag #vegas

Only five% of refreshing merchandise that are released once-a-yearly are truly creative. Picture that for a second, ninety five% of all new product releases are essentially knock offs of an industry chief. Yet another way to state it, the festival defeat them to the marketplace and now they’re striving to get a piece of an innovative market by duplicateing the competition’s new innovation. An illustration of here’s the just lately launched Android, 4G sensible call. Here is a ideal example of what I’m detailing. Apple’s competition observed that Apple designed an innovative smart phone; Apple’s competition saw that Apple pioneered this marketplace; and developed a market for the iPhone. So now the organic chain of get-togethers is to knock off the leader’s sizzling product, by opposite engineering it as quickly as they may possibly get their arms on one.

Innovation is the very best security towards a economic downturn. I can prove this by making use of a positive kitchen area wares manufacturer that was able to preserve their $one hundred million in annual product sales by including SKUs, new product. This kitchen wares firm was able to maintain that sales level throughout this recession by introducing new innovative products. Although other organizations have been shedding their sales by fifty% in twenty07 and stopped growing new products; this company preserved that $100 million in sales. The sales of every new product were practically nothing to compose property about. This problem was settled by changing stock degrees. In my impression this was genius.

I percentaged this product strategy with a sales govt in the glass production industry and manufactured the remark that this strategy was genius. His comeback was that if this strategy was so genius why does not Mc Donald’s boost their menu? Perhaps he failed to understand that Mc Donald’s was doing precisely that, extending their menu. Throughout this recession Mc Donald’s went after the Starbucks market by providing their high end coffees and do not neglect that healthful demographic that they are dating now.

As an OEM Venture Boss, Product Developer and Salesman for above 20 many years my clientele and I might very easily say, “We incorporate six – calendar year to love the income margins and amortize the tooling before the product is knocked-off and we must minimize our benefit to maintain the sum. As you’ve got considered with the iPhone, the reply is to have a model 2 ready in the wings to release. Recently Apple is liberating their “4G” version of the iPhone; what does this do? It retains the anxiety on the competition to consistently engage in capture up with the industry leader. So what takes place after the competition introduces their version of a competitor’s innovation? Margins go down, volume goes down, and your innovative product turns into yet another commodity soutdated by price.

So one would have to request on their own why are there so couple of innovative product launches when it is innovation that will give your sales pressure the reward needed to contend in an ever increasing aggressive international marketplace. The basic answer is no vision; fret of failure; not realizing the dynamics of innovation; advertising vs. knocking-off; and suiting costs are just a few of the motives a company continues to be distinct of developing new innovative products and desire to be copy cats. I use to perform for an man or woman whose philosophy was to let the competition do the research and then copy what they did after the head aches were labored out.

So how are innovative products developed? The answer is really simple; analyze your marketplace and establish what it is that your clients want and or need in your product. OK, is this less complicated explained than completed? It all relies upon how you consider, if your Sales Group is hearing your clients and whether or not your manage team is chance damaging and not prepared to take a chance. What are the dangers anxious? If done proper the risk is very constrained. The risk is minimal since there’s a structure to stick to and when done right you get your customer’s purchase in even though the product is currently being developed. The flipside to this strategy is to knock-off your competition’s innovative product.

As a Project Manager / Account Manager for one of the most significant OEM speaker manufactures in the entire world, Foster Electric. Foster makes Apple’s ear buds, and manufacturers products for Sony, Yamaha, Pioneer, Clarion, Kenwood just to name a few. I experienced clients this sort of as Radio Shack, Fender Musical Equipment, and Wal-Mart. A single’s quick thought is what can be innovative in the world of speaker manufacturing? The speaker industry has been an integral part of the consumer digitals industry. Carry you ever been in a video theatre when the audio went out? Or have you ever viewed a DVD without having 5.1 Dolby virtual audio? The results are wonderful; it really is the audio that give the movie the dynamic truly feel of home theatre.

Innovation is deviating from the norm and generating anything that other folks will chortle at or willing to action out on a limb and take the conceptual soar to design something apart from what is actually in the market. As a Project Manager / Account Manager / Product Designer for an OEM speaker company one of my OEM accounts was Targus World-wide. If you’re not acquainted with Targus they are the kinds who make travel components for notebook personal computers. I designed the 1st micro-subwoofer, (Sort of like jumbo shrimp). Targus wished a transportable multi-media technique that they could encourage for the touring salesperson to take on the street and make Strength Stage shows. The design and the execution was a accomplishment. The travel speakers were examined using a mini travel DVD participant and the “Leading Gun” DVD as the test. The sound breakup could be read changeover from speaker to speaker and the deep bass seems had a definite dynamic to the audio element from the laptop.

I’ve been doing work on an innovative product for the very last 5 years for the iPod market. As a speaker manufacturer I have requested myself what is the most popular audio selling product in the marketplace and how can some other share in its success? With this said one calls for to have an understanding of speakers, recording, the iPod and the problems with the iPod. What comes to head temporarily is 1. The ear buds are unhealthy to ears; 2. The sound sounds tiny; and a few. There’s missing material when CDs are made. The lost content happens when the recording is made during the compression phase of the recording. The missing content circuit is the venture name for a very innovative iPod or iPhone accent. This product hasn’t made it to market. The cosmetic of it is that it is an old idea, sixties – seventies with right now’s engineering. We arrived up with two variations, a high end and a cheap version. Does it work, of course!

“An old idea, nevertheless with new technology”, now which is what innovation is all about. King Solomon, of the Bible, said that there nothing new under the sunlight. That being said confirms my assertion: “An old idea, but with new technology” is a real method for innovation. Presently’s computer chips alongside with the development of DSP, Electronic Sign Processing makes it possible for us to produce products that are entirely brief to our creativity.

Innovative products warrant increased profit margins; innovative products make your company a player in the marketplace rather of a “Me As well”; and being the innovator places your company in the driver seat with product development. Some of the best technological developments were simply sophisticated because it took a present disease and made it far better. Whether or not that better is more rapidly, smaller sized, distant, blended attributes, and so on is simply an old idea made to function better.

The ipod is nothing a lot in excess of a walkman of the 19eight0s.

The iphone took that ipod and incorporated a cell phone to it.

A automatic capsule is nothing more than an 8 1/2×11 piece of tablet paper that is tied to a computer.

The flat monitor tv is no more than an extension of the televisions of the nineteen fifties.

The home theatre industry peaked in the early 2000s with the arrival of low-cost flat screen televisions and 5.1 Dolby sound programs. Now the 5.1 speaker systems are constructed into the flat monitors with psychoacoustics processor that reproduce the identical results of the Dolby Digital 5.1 Encompass Seem.

Specified improvements were unable to develop till other industries had developed. The Photovoltaic Market place is a perfect example of such a case. The Photovoltaic Industry, better acknowledged for the solar panels seen on roofs to heat drinking water, is an example of an industry that couldn’t advance until certain other technologies had advanced first. Advancements in Nanotechnology were essential to develop the electric powered producing movie that is revealed on the glass. The printing technology and the software of the Nanotechnology film on glass did not develop until the turn of the century. This innovative technology, although being utilised, has not completely matured is on dangle until extra developments are made in making the conversion of the solar calories more successful.

The advancement of incorporated circuitry and the further advancement to reduce the general size of the electronics. This miniaturization of electronics was advanced with the wave solder device and the automobile-insertion machine. Even though individuals two improvements were meant to reduce labor. The auto-insertion machine permitted for the precision and set up of very very small area fixed integrated circuits, (electronic substances), on printed circuit boards.

The question is which team do you want to be a part of; the 5% of truly innovative new product launches with increasing sales or the 95% of new product launches that are knock-offs whose prices are established to match the competition and sell by price instead of selling the price and features.

The post Innovation Makes Money, Innovation Increases Sales, Create Innovative New Products appeared first on Beautiful Women.

source http://topbeautifulwomen.com/innovation-makes-money-innovation-increases-sales-create-innovative-new-products/

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aryapathak-ls25-blog · 6 years

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Week 12: Whither the Underground?

Director of The Lab, SF -> Dena Beard

Mon April 2 Dena Beard Executive Director The Lab, San Francisco

Dena Beard received her M.A. in Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and was previously Assistant Curator at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Her work at The Lab considers the exhibition and performance space as a site to investigate and dismantle systems of perception. Beard has organized exhibitions and projects with Dora García, Ellen Fullman, Fritzia Irízar, Jacqueline Gordon, Brontez Purnell, Constance Hockaday, Wadada Leo Smith, Lutz Bacher, Norma Jeane, Anna Halprin, Barry McGee, Silke Otto-Knapp, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, among others.

Used to be a curator of the Berkeley Museum

The Lab believes that if we give artists enough time, space, and funding to realize their vision, the work they produce will change the way we experience the world and each other. These propositions challenge the familiar ways we perceive value, and so we As a site of constant iteration and indeterminacy, The Lab is, above all, a catalyst for artistic experimentation.

The Lab is W.A.G.E. Certified. W.A.G.E. Certification is a program initiated and operated by working artists that publicly recognizes nonprofit arts organizations demonstrating a commitment to voluntarily paying artist fees that meet a minimum standard.

Came here 10 years ago to work at the berkeley art museum

she was attracted to alternative art spaces.. thought the work at the berkeley art museum was “safe”,

she loved the “the strangeness of the undertakings” at the collaborative/ alternative spaces

“creative labor” -/. often asks her students “who are you?” when they experience a work art

the levitation of terry fox

-he attempted to levitate

he was sick with hodgekins lymphoma

levitating = coming to the understanding that it mean going into the air instead of leaving the ground

her piece was inspired by this

the museum of conceptual art

225 boom microphones image of a projected tiger- nylon clad women

a man on a leader peed on a ladder below

marioni- the art of drinking beer with friends is the highest art of all

-montana and marioni handcuffed to each other for three days and just “lived life”.. ate, went out to stores, etc.

problems of smaller art organizations- spaces depended entirely on unpaid labor, almost all artists in a space that is supposed to be for minority groups were white men

current climate- greater income inequality, higher arates of debts

nearly 25% of the city’s non-profits have been displaced of closed since 2017

its clear that the artist communities that shape the cultures of our community are shrinking

americans recipe less than 47 cents per person spent on the arts compared to countries like germany where 19.18 USD spent per person and england where 13.54 USD per person

in us we gave success by “audience size rather than impact”

we have to rethink from the bottom up

without you the artwork does not exist

“what does it mean to be entirely consumed by an artwork.. instead of establishing critical distance” ponti

transitional spaces- artists take hold of the abject and wring from resources more than they could possible give

artists exist in a failed world but they somehow manage to extend outside that world

sam’s cafe - 1918 university ave

-terry and david - students at uc berkeley

the cafe served patrons rotting food and fecal matter

mailed false debt collection letters to

the labor temple- for the price of union dues, workers had access to day cares, a lady’s parlor, and a bunch ofther services

-strike of 1934 to raise the minimum wage- led to the fair wage/working acts

the lab was a created as the newest branch of the labor temple -had a punk ethos -

she left her job at he berkeley art museum because she realized that they were more focused on maintaining the “perceived beauty” of the lab rather than on changing and challenging those perceptions

beard tells new residents that their residency will be a mutual experiment and that every artist will have to sit down and bounce around ideas with her and others to figure out “how the rules have to change” for every project

ellen fullman- invented the long string instrument creates a unique musical environment

-for fullman the residency at the lab was unique opportunity to test the instrument in a sound proof. airtight environment that fit all her needs

she digitally monitored the overtones she wanted and mapped them…

it was also an opportunity for pullman to work other performers because she has a limited budget… she was able to pay respected musicians to travel and play with her instrument

-she had a piece that had previously been scored but before, it had been too ambitious a goal because she didn’t have the funding, but the lab allowed her to produce the instrument “vibrating earthly sound”

jaclyn gordon- “inside you is me” invited 12 artists that were queer poc - her piece had moveable speakers/ walls, 22 channel sound system, often open until 4 am, the work itself calls on us to pay attention to how we move through space, look, and listen

she did a series of field recording from around the missions, conversations, interviews that were remixed with pop songs, some vocal sounds, etc….

she worked closely with audio engineers to get the effect that they were forced by the sound to continue moving… it was definitely an experiment to see how people used the space

they were able to provide gordon 46,000 dollars and set a minimum wage of $25… every single person at the lab makes $25 and hour including beard

“the lab box” -. everything needed to recreated teach artists work with the artistic integrity intact

-the box orginated as a questions— how to archive nontraditional art pieces, allowing us to share collaborative art spaces

she wants he lab to restore some sense of agency to the artist- thats why they provide artists with a decent budget and a living wage

they get there funding through grants

Gregory Sholette - “Artist, activist and author In his wide-ranging art, activist, teaching and

writing practice, dr. Sholette develops a self-described “viable, democratic, counter-narrative that,

bit-by-bit, gains descriptive power within the larger public discourse.” A founding member of

Political Art Documentation/Distribution (PAD/D: 1980-1988, NYC); of REPOhistory collective

(1989-2000); and Gulf Labor, an artists’ group advocating for migrant workers’ rights

constructing Western branded art museums in Abu Dhabi (2010-ongoing)…

sholette… we totally underestimate the art done by amateurs and working artists and people who went to art school but never reached levels of high visibility… which is why he supports W.A.G.E. certified spaces like the Lab

t205708364

Gentrification: is a process of renovation of deteriorated urban neighborhoods by means of the influx of more affluent residents

A founding member of

Political Art Documentation/Distribution (PAD/D: 1980-1988, NYC)

Out of Place- 1984 street posters that were commentary on gentrification and how all these new galleries and museums were built in their city

-depicted how real estate companies used rhetoric and imagery that made it seem like the wealthy, young white residents who moved into the city were somehow “taming” the old residents

they created 4 “galleries” by covering up 4 buildings with a bunch of the street posters

-LATER THESE GALLERIES WERE also gentrified

Repo Man - watch movie

Repo history piece:

-in real like repo men collect money from people who can’t pay what they owe… the idea behind the piece was that the artists were collecting and taking bad the culture or their city

-i.e. there was a plaque about stuart davis, a famous jazz musician

the artists decided they’d create metal street signs and “borrow their authority” by putting text and images representing the history of new york on signs and then getting permission from the city to put up the signs. For example, they marked the first slave market with images depicting drawings of slaves

1998 street sign-fighting fire with fire, had a picture of the first woman fire fighter

“advantages of an unregulated free market economy” ->a a sign by constanza representing the neo liberal idea of the free market economy… this sign was right on wall street and stock traders and others got upset and wanted them to take them down but they were able to keep them up because they had a permit

choice histories - the history of abortions

1998- another piece made when dinkins, the liberal mayor was out and rudy guliani was in… this time they weren’t able to get permits for their signs from the city… artists decided to sue the city and giuliani’s popularity was very low so eventually the city caved

-the pieces had a black lives matter message, artists painted pictures of different men of color who were killed by cops when they were unarmed.

Queer Spaces- marked 9 different sites of LGBTQ history

marsha johnson- transgender activist who worked in the meat packing district of new york… the artists made a sign about how she was found floating dead in the hudson, almost certainly a result of gay bashing although the police ruled it a suicide

all of these pieces had the motivation of bring back the history of the city

today, the meat packing district has completely transformed by the introduction of the higgling… the whole other history of the area has virtually disappeared… its a completely different city now

Repo history inspired a lot of other similar pieces-

for example, the howling mob society archived the historic railroad worker strike that happened in pittsburgh

Deller and Hillard- on the street outside the center for tactical media, these artists made a sign on a traffic light that signified how the black panther party advocated for themselves until the city listened to them and put up a stop light

pooch society went around and marked all sites of latinx history

revenge of the surplus archive…

a lot of these piece

art world has a lot more artists and ideas etc. then what is sustainable

i.e. larry fink is the board member of the MoMa but he is also the blackrock ceo, and blackjack is one of the biggest holders of debt and student loans… artists are commenting on the structural flaws of the art world as well

shollete was interested in the “dark matter” or amateurs who use the internet to sell their art and avoid the validation of art museums… e. the mobile cooking and sewing shops on the street, amateurs selling their art online, spanish flamenco dancers who danced in bands after the 2007/2008 recession etc.. all these people might not be not be in the most prestigious, highly curated exhibitions, but they are supporting the art scene and they might fabricate other artists and contribute to bigger pieces

“social practice art”.. certainly theres been community based art and other forms that have preceded social practice art, but social practice art

one artist has put together a community center/ “artificial institution” for refugees to access legal resources, etc…

“the streets shall be our brushes… the squares our palettes.” Vladimir Mayakovsk, avant grade artist in the 1910’s, 20’s

there is a new guggenheim abudabi… literally on a desert island that translates to “the island of happiness”… artists are boycotting these museums because of the terrible labor and housing conditions of workers who have to spend years and years paying back the ridiculously high visa fees before they can even send money back to their families

-artists wanted people to uphold labor standards

the louvre also has a new location in abu dhabi… workers were literally in the middle of the desert and their housing was located very far away from the city itself

“52 weeks of gulf labor” - every week, artists made a new piece with the goal of shaming they museum to stop…

for example one of the pieces involved making 3d models of the worker housing in adbhu dhab and “dropping” them at the guggenheim gift shop

another week Gulf, a small faction of artists, decided to actually occupy the guggenheim, refusing to leave… the museum decided to shut the building down, and the small group of artists had the entire museum to themselves

OCCUPY, ORGANIZE, REPEAT… you have to constantly be ready to act

padd- 90% funded by their own labor and time, at the

repo history- a number of ngos and non profits tried to provide some funding, the collectives didn’t last too long

gulf labor coalition- nobody gets payed to be in the biennale

https://gulflabor.org

I wanted to start my journal by examining a quote from the Ghost Ship article that gives a pretty good summarization of why gentrification angers so many pre-existing residents.

JOURNAL ENTRY

The Ghost Ship fire was a totally preventable incident that occurred because the City of Oakland has neglect the very residents that have given the city is “creative city” reputation. If they had simply cared about their residents enough to check the building’s fire codes, then its likely that the death of over 30 people could’ve been prevented. As a city undergoes gentrification, residents who are members historically disadvantaged groups such as POC’s , low-income families, people with disabilities are pushed out of the cities due to heightened rent. Essentially, the government and other private organizations are exploiting & commodifying the diverse communities of the Bay Area by using them to attract wealthier, whiter residents and then discarding of them and then treating them like untouchables immediately after. A better approach would be for them to invest in the current residents and youth, rather than displacing innocent people from their homes.

This week focused the underground art scene and social practice art. Our first speaker was Dena Beard, the executive director at the Lab, which is an alternative art space in Oakland. Before getting into what she does, Dena address the challenges of running underground/ experimental spaces. Her two main concerns were that the spaces usually rely on unpaid labor, and that the experimental art space still lacks the diversity represented across the Bay Area. These issues have only been exacerbated in the Bay’s Current Climate, where gentrification has displaced nearly 25% of the city’s non-forts since 2017.Yet, Dena Bear still kept her promise to the Lab, and the space is now W.A.G.E certified. She’s also ensured that there is active outreach toward artists from underrepresented as a result of race, sexuality, geography, gender, class, etc. In fact, she doesn’t even pay herself a raise! She earns $25 and hour just like everyone else. It was pretty cool the clips of two of the lab’s many residents. It seems as if Dena is committing to helping her residents actualize their dreams, no matter what the cost is! I particularly loved Jaqueline Gordon’s moveable sculpture, Inside You Is Me.I literally had the urge to get out of my seat and start moving, which is very odd for me because I usually dislike electronic music and would never have urge to get to my feet. I was so shocked that Dena Beard still managed to provide 46,000 in grant money for Gordon. Gordon’s piece also shared the perspective of 12 different queer artists of color, so it seams like Beard is slowly chipping away at her goals, even in the midst of gentrification making her life 10X harder.

Gregory Shollette further expanded on the topic of gentrification on Wednesday’s lecture. After all, Shollette is a well known experimental artist exploring the relationship between art and politics, so he’s an expert on the topic. Shollete was a part of many collectives that focused on dismantling gentrification around America, but the most notable one discussed in class was REPOhistory. The idea was that members of collectives were similar to repo men, except rather than collecting money from people who can’t pay, they are taking back the culture of their city from the various organizations and corporations that are trying to move in and push out the communities who used to call these cities home. They’d post street signs in various cities to remind inhabitants of the culture they are ignoring. One sign I’ll never forget was a part of their “Queer Spaces” installments. One sign depicted a picture of Marsha Johnson and explained the sad history of how she was murdered and disposed of in the Hudson River. I don’t know anything about this woman, but I got so sad when Shollette told us how all the signs were torn down and the city looks completely different now. I really liked how invested Shollete was in the “dark matter” of the art world. who were basically amateurs and art school grads selling art online rather than seeking validation from museum. He genuinely believed they provide great support to art scene and he wanted to engage in social practice art with these communities. He definitely lives by his motto, “OCCUPY, ORGANIZE, REPEAT,” and I was very impressed they they’ve even exposed names as big as the Guggenheim.

MULTI MEDIA:

https://youtu.be/QsJrRRT8-68

Rick Lowe was a 2014 McArthur Grant Winner who, like Gregory, similarly engages in social practice art. He is the direct of Project Row Houses, a program in which artists and cultural practitioners to work alongside urban planners, educators and policy makers to improve public housing. This video shows that their work is successfully transforming communities and engaging historically disadvantaged and underrepresented groups that have been neglected by our government.

DISCUSSION PRESENTATION

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Txz0M6VeVtLK-WPICf11AAm-uc1ZCNwnnnaj1u4aALk/edit#slide=id.g37607d47b8_0_68

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douglasacogan · 7 years

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"South Dakota Swaps Lawyers for Tablets in Prisons"

The title of this post is the headline of this Courthouse News Service article that struck me as linguistically and conceptually amusing on a number of levels. Substantively, however, I am not sure anyone should be amused by what the body of the story reports:

Sometime in the next few days, inmates in South Dakota prisons will start counting on tablet computers – not a state-funded, in-prison attorney or paralegal – to help them with their cases. The South Dakota Department of Corrections did not renew a contract for attorney Delmar “Sonny” Walter and his paralegals, who since the early 2000s have assisted the state’s prison population with research and filing of legal documents ranging from habeas petitions to child support documents.

Corrections secretary Denny Kaemingk told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader the move will save taxpayers money. But one prisoner’s rights attorney has concerns. “What’s someone who can’t read or write or can’t do so fully effectively or without mental illness supposed to do with a tablet?” said David M. Shapiro, clinical assistant professor of law at Northwestern University’s Roderick MacArthur Justice Center. “It’s a pennywise, pound-foolish approach.”

This past May, the state announced every one South Dakota’s approximately 3,000 inmates would receive a free tablet computer. This allows the inmates longer phone calls, subscriptions to online movies and music, and text messaging with loved ones. Inmates also now have access to law-references websites such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. It was a change supported by Walter, the on-site attorney, but he’s doubtful the technical upgrade is a substitute for legal insight from professionals.

“The things we did made the institution run smoother,” Walter said, noting his staff did everything to help inmates -- most legal novices unfamiliar with complex documents -- with everything from knowledgeably preparing appeals to making copies to helping inmates with medication requests. “We helped the inmates get into court in a number of ways, and now they won’t have that stuff.”

In 1999, a state judge ruled the prisons must provide “legal assistance” for inmates. The program -- which cost the state $276,000 in 2017 -- has never been luxurious. “In Springfield (the Mike Durfee State Prison) we were basically in a closet,” Walter said. “These inmates had maybe two to four hours a week. They often had to choose between a doctor’s appointment or researching their case.”...

He predicts the state will soon see another access lawsuit. “A book isn’t going to make you a lawyer. These people need legal assistance.”...

In the past year, falling revenue has forced South Dakota to cut back on projects and revise spending goals. In part, providing inmates with tablets was an effort to lower re-offense rates and reduce taxpayers’ burden. Shapiro, the Northwestern law professor, argues this nickel-and-dime cost-cutting distracts from a bigger problem. “At the end of the day, America has more people locked up than any other country on earth,” he said in a phone interview. “A reduction in incarceration would lead to genuine savings.”

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8247011 http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2017/10/south-dakota-swaps-lawyers-for-tablets-in-prisons.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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benrleeusa · 7 years

Text

"South Dakota Swaps Lawyers for Tablets in Prisons"

He predicts the state will soon see another access lawsuit. “A book isn’t going to make you a lawyer. These people need legal assistance.”...

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gothedistance-herc · 7 years

Photo

Hercules Odysseus Persaud - Character Sheet

i have often dreamed of a far off place / where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me / where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face / and a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be /

i'll be there someday, i can go the distance / i will find my way if i can be strong / i know every mile would be worth my while / when i go the distance, i'll be right where i belong

Stats

Birthday: April 28th, 1995 (April 25th is his real birthday.) (Taurus) Hogwarts House (Primary): Hufflepuff Hogwarts House (Secondary): Gryffindor Myers-Briggs: INFP Enneagram: Type 8 Height: 6’2

Overview

Mother — Elena Persaud (nee Khanna) (62) (Birth mother: Diana, 47, Amazonian) Father — Darsh Persaud (58) (Birth father: Mohammad Agate, 51, solider) Mother’s Occupation — Professor of Anthropology Father’s Occupation — Archeologist Family Finances — Middle class, but lots of travel stipends and research grants Birth Order — Only child Brothers — None Sisters — Artemis, half-sister, 17 (unknown) Other Close Family — Father has a brother with wife and two kids, grandparents are dead. (Uncle Rashid, 64; Aunt Meera; Ahsan, cousin, 32, wife: Rachna, daughter: Padma (10); Lata, cousin 26, just got married to: Kamal Bazar) Best Friend — Pegasus Hippoi Other Friends — He had a few friends back home, but not many really, no one worth mentioning. Enemies — Also none Pets — His mom has a cat, her name is Bastet. Home Life During Childhood — They travelled a lot when Herc was a kid, but he had a lovely home life, very happy. Everyone made fun of him, but his parents were supportive and comforting. When he found out he was adopted it kind of shattered his world view. Town or City Name(s) — India 1995-2000 (Mombai) (0-5); Greece 2000-2005 (5-10); America (LA) 2005-2007 (10-12); Brazil (Rio De Janeiro) 2007-2009 (12-14); New Zealand/Australia 2009-2012 (14-17); Egypt (Cairo/Alexandria) 2012-2013 (17-18); Sarah Lawrence College, NY: 2013-2017 (parents still there) What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — it was always changing, but always full of artifacts Any Sports or Clubs — Nah, Herc was homeschooled for the most part, tho he tried boyscouts for a little bit. Didn’t end well. Favorite Toy or Game — Loves to read, especially fantasy Schooling — Homeschooled, lots of hands on stuff. Favorite Subject — History Popular or Loner — Loner Important Experiences or Events — finding out he was adopted Health Problems — none, really. Culture — some Indian, but his family celebrates culture from all over Religion and beliefs — Spiritual more than anything else, but leaning towards Hinduism

Your Character’s Character

Bad Habits — he bites his nails a lot Good Habits — he’s v hygienic, is definitely not a typical boy in that way Best Characteristic — he’s so sweet, just the sweetest bean Worst Characteristic — being way too hard on himself Worst Memory — finding out he was adopted/getting broken up w?? Best Memory — when he first used his powers to help someone proper-like Proud of — uhhh his parents? That doesn’t count, Herc. Embarrassed by — everything tbh Driving Style — he’s like a grandma Strong Points — lol he’s literally so strong; but no he’s so gentle and kind Temperament — the gentlest of lambs Attitude — self-deprecating Weakness — being too nice probably Fears — heights Phobias — the dark Secrets — he’s adopted Regrets — none really Feels Vulnerable When — lmao literally all the time Pet Peeves — mean people Conflicts — loves his parents but wants to know where he came frommm Motivation — internal; wants to be a good person, wants to help people Sexuality — pansexual and demisexual Exercise Routine — lol what exercise routine? Day or Night Person — eh i feel like he’s a midday person. Wakes up around 10ish, goes to sleep at a decent time. Introvert or Extrovert — introverted extrovert Optimist or Pessimist — he kinda straddles the line tbh; he’s a champion for other ppl

Likes and Styles

Music — he likes a lot of stuff; but he’s really into folky--mumford and sons is probably his fave Books — The Song of Ice and Fire series, he’s a NERD. Also, Harry Potter, he reads the Star Wars novelisations, etc. Foods — Spicyy. Any thing kind of out there. Herc is an adventurous eater, he’s had shit like scorpion or alligator, even monkey brains once when he was in Saudi Arabia Drinks — He’s got a sweet tooth and he loves chocolate milk. Animals — All animals!! But he likes tigers best, probably. Biggest Big Cats ftw Sports — Conceptually, Herc loves the idea of sports, but, he has always been afraid to play and now he feels like it’s too late Social Issues — ?? Herc is a liberal, ofc. He grew up travelling the world and appreciating different cultures. Favorite Saying — “when you fall, get back up” Color — Yellow! It’s bright and cheery and makes him happy Clothing — idk like typical boy clothing? He isn’t the snazziest dresser but isn’t awful, though someone should give him a makeover. Jewelry — He has the pendant that his adopted parents gave him that he had with him at birth, but besides that he’s got like a watch. That’s about it. Games — He’d play video games but his parents were more of a “go outside and play” type bc they’re older so they don’t get it Websites — Definitely has a tumblr and an instagram TV Shows — Game of Thrones, though he hates that it isn’t following the books anymore Movies — Action films, but he likes indie stuff too and more thoughtful pieces. I think his favorite is probably the Power of One. Greatest Want — to fit in Greatest Need — to accept who he is

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now

Home — with Pegasus! In Swynlake! Household furnishings — nothin fancy Favorite Possession — His books, he can’t keep many of them, so he treasures the ones he does have Most Cherished Possession — The amulet Neighborhood — ?? Married Before — pfft no Significant Other Before — he had like maybe one cute girlfriend somewhere but obviously he had to leave her. Maybe someone in college that he was too afraid to talk to. Children — none Relationship with Family — He loves all his cousins and his extended family. His relationship w his parents as a kid was always rock solid, but now the foundation has been rocked. Car — none, but he can drive Career — working as a TA at PrideU Dream Career — a professor! (a hero) Dream Life — continuing to travel the world, but probably not forever. He wants to settle down eventually. And now it’s kind of in flux because of his powers. Love Life — A few girlfriends, nothing serious. Hobbies — Reading, researching, dreaming of More (™). Guilty Pleasure — Being on the computer Talents or Skills — lol none - says Herc Intelligence Level — he’s pretty smart, not like wicked smart. Average intelligence, but he has an insatiable appetite. Finances — eh he gets by

#about #character sheet #inspiration #ugh my honey

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