Started looking at 360° cameras and I've got my eye on the Insta360 X3 and came across this deal which is cheaper than the current Insta360 branded deal but doesn't have the accessories.

An interview with the star-director on grief and his funny, heartfelt sophomore effort.

Last month, returning to Japan for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was struck by how significantly prices had increased. In February 2020, a simple lunch in downtown Tokyo cost about JP¥1,000, then the equivalent of about $10 (324 baht); today, it costs more like JP¥2,000. To some extent, this mirrors the experience in the US, where, even as inflation moderates, prices...

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which is scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Nov 11 to 22, is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate climate action. With record-high global temperatures affecting the developing countries of the Global South and extreme weather events impacting communities worldwide, COP29 will bring...

MANILA - The Philippine government will not stand in the way if former president Rodrigo Duterte decides to surrender himself to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the office of the current president said on Wednesday.

Grade A residential projects in Phuket are valued at 337 billion baht and are expected to grow by 10-20% annually over five years, driven by demand from affluent buyers globally, according to C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy.

Homebuyers are encouraged to choose completed housing or units under construction in existing projects, as housing prices are expected to rise next year because of increasing costs affecting new projects, according to the Real Estate Information Center (REIC).

A first look teaser trailer has debuted for the indie horror comedy film called Super Happy Fun Clown, the latest creation from indie genre filmmaker Patrick Rea (I Am Lisa, They Wait In The Dark, Shriek). It kind of sounds like a mashup between Joker and Falling Down (always worth a watch) featuring a woman this time who goes berserk and heads on a killing spree. To escape a life of oppressed obscurity, a battered former wunderkind weaponizes her obsession with clowning, serial killers, & classic movie monsters into a night of shocking infamy. Jennifer Seward stars as a woman who dresses up as "Jenn-O the Clown", who decides to let loose after realize her life is fading away. The film also features Dan Daly, Tim Shelburne, Nicole Hall, Matt Leisy, Deborah Madick, and Violet Rea. Thanks to Bloody Disgusting for the tip on this. Looks like it might turn out pretty badass - a brutal tale of vengeance from a pissed off clown. Even if it does seem like a Joker remix at least it should be a bit better than Joker 2 in the end. Check this out below. Here's the teaser (+ poster) for Patrick Rea's horror […]

"If I were free, I'd fight for what was mine. I'd fight for my people." Bleecker Street FIlms has revealed an official trailer for The Return, a brand new take on the The Odyssey story from Italian filmmaker Uberto Pasolini. This film skipped Venice and ended up premiering at the Toronto & Chicago Film Festivals this fall, with a US release now set for December in theaters. Based on the classic story written by Homer. After 20 years Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands. To win back his family and all he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his strength and fight back. The film reunites actors Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche 30 years after their Academy Award winning triumph in The English Patient. The cast also includes Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, Claudio Santamaria, and Angela Molina. This looks damn good! Playing the story of Odysseus more as a tale of revenge, once he returns home and has to reclaim his own home against those who tried to take it from him. I stand with Odysseus! Go kick some ass Ralph […]

"If you don't shag him, I will." Universal Pictures and Peacock have revealed the official trailer for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the next romcom sequel from this long-running franchise starring Renée Zellweger. Bridget Jones first blasted onto bookshelves in Helen Fielding's literary phenomenon Bridget Jones's Diary, which became a global bestseller & blockbuster film in 2001. As a single career woman living in London, Bridget Jones not only introduced the world to her romantic adventures, but added "Singletons," "Smug-Marrieds" and "f---wittage" into the global lexicon. Then came the sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) followed by Bridget Jones's Baby (2016). In this next one, Mad About the Boy, Jones gets on Tinder and meets a dashing young man who woos her. The full ensemble cast has plenty of old & new faces: Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Isla Fisher, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, James Callis, Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, along with Leo Woodall as the new boy. Looks as charming & funny & cheesy as the last two sequels. Will it be any better? Official trailer (+ poster) for Michael Morris' sequel Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, via YouTube: Bridget […]

https://dailycaller.com/2024/11/04/biden-harris-admin-environmental-justice-cash-left-wing-activists/ By Nick Pope The House Energy and Commerce Committee released a new report Monday detailing how the Biden-Harris administration has given huge amounts of taxpayer cash to left-wing activist groups under the guise of “environmental justice.” The report highlights how the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used hundreds of millions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) […]

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2024/11/04/a_kamala_victory_means_green_new_deal_lawfare_1069885.html By Jason Isaac Expect Kamala Harris’ Justice Department to wage Green New Deal lawfare if she is elected president on Nov. 5. As with every last issue pertaining to this election, Harris has not said much about the substance of her climate policy. But a review of her record suggests she’d be amenable to unleashing […]

Last week, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published its report on the quantitative and qualitative elements of the NCQG. It conveys a strong message that global climate finance needs a boost in both quantity and quality to address developing economies’ needs for a just transition towards sustainability and resilience. 

“Ultimately, the goal of the NCQG (New Collective Quantified Goal) on climate finance must be to transform the climate finance landscape and herald a new era of mutual trust, cooperation and climate action,” the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report urges. 

Climate hoaxers are not taking things well. Here is bitter fake Nobelist @michaelemann. pic.twitter.com/iAmVwU3FDk — Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) November 6, 2024

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/06/trump-climate-change-environment-threat Election of a ‘climate denier’ to US presidency poses ‘major threat to the planet’, environmentalists say By Oliver Milman and Ajit Niranjan Donald Trump’s new term as US president poses a grave threat to the planet if it blows up the international effort to curb dangerous global heating, stunned climate experts have warned in the wake […]

Al Gore, Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project on Trump winning: “In a moment such as this, it is important to remember that all major reform efforts, from civil rights to the climate movement, suffer dark days. And this is surely one.” Via Gore’s email list on November 6, 2024  

Climate Depot note: I will be on the ground again this year attending the UN climate summit COP29 in Azerbaijan. Morano will be there for the week of November 10th through 15 in Baku, following the UN’s every effort to squelch your freedom and continue the dark path of net-zero rationing of energy, food, freedom of […]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2508719/shifting-climate-priorities After years of urgent calls for climate action, global leaders from key economies are now opting out of the United Nations COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan – a troubling signal for international climate efforts. The absence of the US in the summit starting today is particularly concerning. President Joe Biden will not attend, citing […]

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, has accused Western "fake news media" and environmental organizations of a slander campaign against his country, in his address to fellow leaders...Aliyev repeated his controversial quote that Azerbaijan's oil and gas reserves are a "gift of the God [sic]." "Countries should not be blamed for having them and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market because the market needs them, the people need them," he said. Oil and gas are natural resources, just like gold, copper, wind or the sun. "To accuse us that we have oil is the same like [sic] to accuse us that we have more than 250 sunny days a year in Baku," he said.

https://nypost.com/2024/11/11/opinion/un-climate-conference-just-an-excuse-to-shake-west-down-for-cash/ By Bjorn Lomborg The UN climate summit in Azerbaijan kicked off Monday in the shadow of Donald Trump’s election and with many key leaders not even showing up. With low expectations set before it even began, the summit will nonetheless see grandiose speeches on the need for a vast flow of money from rich countries to poorer ones. […]

https://www.intellinews.com/cop29-azerbaijan-fossil-fuel-scandal-sums-up-the-crisis-of-modern-climate-diplomacy-352396/ By bne IntelliNews November 11, 2024 A damning investigation has revealed that Azerbaijan’s COP29 leadership attempted to use the UN climate summit to broker fossil fuel deals, drawing fierce criticism from former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, who condemned the actions as “a treason” to the climate process. Secret recordings and documents obtained through an undercover […]

Internationally acclaimed pianist Byron Janis passed away yesterday at the age of 95. In the 1940s at the age of 14, Janis became the pupil of Vladimir Horowitz and quickly began a long career playing around the globe as a cultural ambassador. Of interest to Spy Vibers, Janis also played an important role soothing tensions between the west and the Soviet Union during the Cold War (as did Canadian pianist, Van Cliburn). Together with his wife (the daughter of Gary Cooper), he wrote an auto-biography called Chopin and Beyond: My Extraordinary Life in Music and the Paranormal, and apparently Martin Scorsese is developing a bio-pic (I hope that happens!). I only discovered Byron Janis' music in recent years and I'm glad I had a chance to connect with his site and order an autographed copy of one of his live recordings. To mark his passing, here is one of my posts about Cold War classical music, as well as a video about Janis in Russia. More info at his official website. 

One of the little corners of history that has interested me as I work on my upcoming book is how music intersected with the Cold War. My book will include some analysis of how styles and themes within art and design played key roles in many aspects of genre pop culture, from those archetypal evil villain lairs to the use of abstract painting in set design. Even though my focus is essentially on film and television projects about fictional spies and detectives (and villains!), these works also reflected their times and art and music played an important role. Spy Vibers will probably be familiar with the US State Department's efforts to use jazz to promote American ideology and win allies abroad by sending artists like The Dave Brubeck Quartet to trouble spots. This political climate also intersected with the classical music world. Major soloists and conductors from both East and West took part in good-will tours, forging relationships and proving to the other side that culture, either under communism or capitalism, continued to thrive. Touring the West, along with recording co-productions, also became a way for the struggling economy of East Germany to raise income, but there was always a fear that the talent would make a run for it and never return. Musicians in the GDR were often tapped by the Stasi to watch their colleagues for signs of defection. And under communist control, repertoire was controlled and limited mainly to an ideological formalism. For musicians in West Berlin, both the Wall and the eventual limiting of wages to East German currency even separated them from their employment in Eastern productions; yet another manifestation of a city and culture divided. As the world of the East became more insular, there were many classical artists from the West who visited to foster good relations. Even C.R. Fine and Wilma Cozart-Fine were allowed to bring their Mercury records mobile van to the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire to record the Russian State Folk Orchestra. Pianists such as Glenn Gould, Byron Janis, and others became instant celebrities during their tours behind the Curtain. One of the brightest stars in this orbit was American pianist Van Cliburn. Cliburn was a young prodigy who raced onto the international scene after winning the Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia in 1958. One of his loudest supporters was Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who became a life-long fan and friend. Van's appearances ignited a kind of Cliburn-mania, generating items like pinups and publications which were traded among his loyal followers. He was a sensation and the phenomenon landed the young pianist on the cover of Time that year -and inspired special attention from the US intelligence community, who wondered how Van's unique position might be used for political advantage. And while these real-life stories played out, fans of suave fictional detectives and international spies in the West were seeing similar themes echoed in genre entertainment. Ian Fleming, for example, included a female orchestra musician in his cocktail of Bond, assassins, and Berlin escapes in "The Living Daylights" (Sunday Times/1962). John Steed and Cathy Gale of The Avengers aided a traveling Russian pianist in "Concerto" (1964). And one of the most touching stories about a classical soloist and defector appeared in TV's Johnny Staccato with John Cassavetes, but more on that when my book finally comes together! If Spy Vibers are interested in learning more about Van Cliburn specifically, check out Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story--How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War by Nigel Cliff. You can find lots of Cliburn in Moscow DVDs (and more) at VAI Music. And Cliburn memorabilia from Russia is often found on eBay. If you are interested in the Berlin classical music scene, check out the DVD Classical Music and Cold War: Musicians in the GDR. One of my personal faves about pianist Glenn Gould's Soviet tours is called Russian Journey. Below: Russian books circa 1950s-1960s, Nigel Cliff book cover. Related posts: Notes Behind the Curtain 1, Notes Behind the Curtain 2, Notes Behind the Curtain 3, Notes Behind the Curtain 4, and one post revised as the Goldfinger Variations.

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Spy Vibe Radio: Blake and Mortimer, Champions Podcast, ITC Book, Bond Event, Black Tight Killers Blu, New Persuaders Book, David McCallum R.I.P., Avengers Blu Sets, Spy Vibe Radio: Adventures in Paradise, The Secret Service book, World of Giants, Tiki Events, Cold War Classical, Paul at 81, 007 Comic Exhibit, Exotikon Event, Bond 60th Event, The Baron Blu-ray, Mission: Impossible in 4k, Jane Bond Strip, SV Radio: The Man Called Flintstone, Lupin III 50th, SV Radio: OSS117, McCartney 1964, Spy Vibe Radio: Hunter, Spy Vibe Radio: Gao Dalli CID 999, Bond Beatles 60th, William Klein R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio: M Squad, Spy Vibe Radio: Mr. Broadway, Agent King, Spy Vibe Radio: John Kling, Spy Vibe Radio: Unknown Man of Shandigor, Danger Man Podcast, Spy Vibe Radio: Dr. Mabuse, Bowie Day, Interview: Girls Guns Gadgets, Shandigor Blu, Shag Palm Springs, New Bond Novel, Hi-Fi Book, Judex Serial Blu, UFO Comics, Interview: John Buss, ITC Magazine, Interview: Kaiser Marionettes, Belmondo R.I.P., 007 Corgi Event, Space 1999: The Vault, Shag Eames Lounge, Firecracker Exotica, Spy Vibe Radio: Lola Albright, Tikyaki 5-0, Godzilla Scores, Mid-Century Village, Spy Vibe radio: Nicola Conte, Men's Adventure Quarterly, Billy May Frenesi, Gary Numan, Spy Vader Spy, Chris Barber Legacy, Phantom Retrospective, Astro-Man, Spy Vibe Radio: Batman, James Bond Lexicon, Ray Cathode, Spy Vibe Radio: Johnny Staccato, Matt Helm Blu, Cold War Auction, Avengers Francavilla Prints, Avengers 60th Event, Irma Vep Blu, Avengers Keel Design, Ronnie Scott's Doc, The Avengers 60th Design, Art of Pan Books, John Le Carre R.I.P., Sean Connery R.I.P., New 007 Vinyl, Burke's Law Ska, Dieter Rams Complete, 2-Tone Doc, Spy Vibe Radio: Vendetta Part 2, Diana Rigg R.I.P., Moog Micky Dolenz, Beetle Bailey 70th, RSD Spies Vinyl, Ian Fleming Tribute, Fellini Box Set, Spy Vibe Radio: Vendetta, The Saint Podcast Bonus, The Saint Podcast, Barber Lotus, Trad Roots, Morricone R.I.P., Fleetway Spy Designs, John Steel Casebooks, ITC Podcast: The Persuaders, Dazzle Ships, Spy Vibe Radio: Raumpatrouille, Remembering Richard Sala, Crime & Spy Jazz books, Numan is FAB, Bruce Lee Blu, RSD Vinyl Spies, James Bond's DB5, UFO CD Set, Spy Vibe radio: Phantom Agents, Steranko is Revolutionary!, Interview: The Saint I Ain't, Diabolik Interview, New 007 Song, Diabolik Figures, Diabolik Sounds, Diabolik Set Design, Diabolik Park Ride, Danger Diabolik Blu, Count Arthur Strong, Honey West Title Cards, Full Article