Maddy Schindel represented CI Trinity College School Port Hope at the 2024 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations [OFSAA] cross country championships. The OFSAA cross country championships, renowned as the second-largest race of its kind in North America, brought together top high school runners from across Ontario. Schindel competed in the novice girls’ 4km race, […]

Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation is celebrating Bermuda Art Month this October with ten workshops for all ages, encouraging community engagement with local artists at their Jubilee Road location. A spokesperson said, “Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation is joining the collective community of artist’s to celebrate Art Month this October. “Bermuda Art Month is a great opportunity for the […]

[Updated with video] The police have released images of the suspect in the armed robbery at Somer’s Supermart in St. Georges earlier this week. A police spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Police Service is once again appealing for the public’s assistance with the ongoing investigation into an armed robbery which took place at the Somer’s Supermart in […]

[Written by Patrick Bean] The advantage available to Wesley and George Bryan as trick shot artists on video are staged scenes that allow for multiple takes to be edited into a single, flawlessly constructed final image of perfection. However, there’s a reason why those prone to attempting crazy stunts belying convention rarely make it to […]

The Bermuda Public Services Union [BPSU] says that it expresses its “support for several ambitious initiatives outlined in the recent Throne Speech” and added that “urgent action is needed to stem the tide of rising healthcare costs” and also noted that pension reform is “another growing concern.” A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Public Services Union […]

Three years after the shooting at Robin Hood Restaurant, the police are urging anyone with information on this case to come forward. A police spokesperson said, “Around 6pm on Tuesday 26th October 2021, Police operations received several 911 calls from persons reporting gunshots from inside the Robin Hood Restaurant, located at #25 Richmond Road, Pembroke. “The […]

The Bermuda Diabetes Centre and the island’s tourism community recently came together to help a teenage visitor make a return trip to the island after a previous visit was cut short due to a health scare. A spokesperson said, “A recent visit to Bermuda that took a heartbreaking turn for a young traveler has transformed […]

The Carnival Pride and Norwegian Breakaway cruise ships recently visited the island, and a look at both of the vessels in Dockyard is below. To see more of our cruise ship coverage, click here. Related Stories Photos & Video: MS Insignia In St. George’s Photos & Video: MS Silver Shadow Visits Photos & Video: Cruise […]

Season 2, Act I of "Arcane," the animated series based on the popular multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends, also had a strong debut, taking second place with 6.3M views.

"Každý Američan má svůj názor na Mansonovy zločiny ... Od Billa Clintona až po posledního z obyčejných. Charles Manson (12. listopadu 1934 – 19. listopadu 2017) je již dnes nedílnou součástí amerického folklóru. Není proto vyloučeno, že za nějakých sto let bude Manson stejně legendární postavou jako Butch Cassidy nebo Billy The Kid." (Jim Van Berber, režisér filmu Charlie's Family)

Troubled Musicians: Bands/Groups (Not open for application) The following fanlistings are scheduled for removal on November 14, 2024. If your fanlisting is listed below, please fix the problem/send in a finished form and reply to the troubles email! Pending Removal – Overdue SR-71; Wallflowers, The

Upcoming Musicians: Bands/Groups D’espairsRay; Kagrra,; Loona; Rentrer en Soi; Rise Against; tripleS Finished Musicians: Bands/Groups SR-71; Wallflowers, The Moved Musicians: Bands/Groups No moved forms have been received since the last update. Closed Musicians: Bands/Groups (Open for application) No closed forms have been received since the last update. Overdue Musicians: Bands/Groups No overdue fanlistings. Overdue: Temporary […]

Finished Songs: Bands/Groups N-Z Cover Girl (New Kids On The Block); Games (New Kids On The Block); Hangin’ Tough (New Kids On The Block); I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) (New Kids On The Block); Please Don’t Go Girl (New Kids On The Block); Step by Step (New Kids On The Block)

Inputting a book’s International Standard Book Number (ISBN) into BookScouter is a terrific preliminary stage if you’re selling second-hand eBooks locally or online. This program reveals the average price that more than fifty online book purchasers are prepared to spend for a certain book. Use the pricing history tool to find out how often a ... Read more

The post Use These Tips to Sell Your Used Books first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

Sorry I’ve been away: time flies when you are not having fun. But now I’m back. Moore’s Law, which began with a random observation by the late Intel co-founder Gordon Moore that transistor densities on silicon substrates were doubling every 18 months, has over the intervening 60+ years been both borne-out yet also changed from a lithography technical feature to an economic law. It’s getting harder to etch ever-thinner lines, so we’ve taken as a culture to emphasizing the cost part of Moore’s Law (chips drop in price by 50 percent on an area basis (dollars per acre of silicon) every 18 months). We can accomplish this economic effect through a variety of techniques including multiple cores, System-On-Chip design, and unified memory — anything to […]

Being a relatively visible public Witch, I get plenty of requests for spells, which I politely decline to do. I tell people two things: One is that it's best to create one's own spells rather than have someone else cast them. The other is a caution against performing any magic that would interfere with the free will of another. The exception to that would be a binding of someone else, making them unable to do further harm.

If you believe someone has put a negative spell on you (usually called a hex), here are a few things you can do to protect yourself, and possibly reverse the spell.

First, purify your person. Take a shower, or better yet, soak for a while in hot water containing sea salt, bath salts, or Epsom salts. Allow the salt and water to neutralize any negativity within yourself; think of this as you soak. Let any contamination be washed away with the water spiraling down the drain, out of your house and out of your life. Drink lots of water to wash out your insides. Wash your hair, brush your teeth, put on clean clothes. You may also wish to drink mint tea or another tea that you find refreshing.

Second, purify your dwelling. Dust, sweep, vacuum, tidy up, polish. Air out the rooms. Wash the windows with a mild solution of vinegar and water. This allows purifying sunlight and moonlight to illuminate the room as well as making the glass more reflective to deflect unwanted energies.[1]

Circulate through the rooms where you live with sage or other purifying incense, making sure to fumigate everywhere -- stairways, closets, underneath stairways, basement, attic, garage if attached. If your dwelling is one that you can circumnavigate, you may wish to walk all around the outside of the building wafting this smoke.

Then mix salt and water and sprinkle it around the house. As with the incense, do this around the outside of the home, too, if you can. Be sure to cense and sprinkle all openings to the outside -- doors and windows, of course, but also skylights, electrical outlets, heating vents, chimneys, ventilator hoods, toilets, and sink, tub and shower drains. Also do this to mirrors.

While you're doing these things, speak the words, "With Earth and Water I purify this space," and "with Fire and Air I consecrate this space," because that's exactly what you're doing.[2]

Third, ward your space. If you're the witchy sort, trace a protective pentacle with the salt water on all doors, windows and mirrors. Rosemary grows in abundance where I live, so I like to use a sprig of it to sprinkle the salt water. Then I like to leave rosemary sprigs on all the window sills.

When you've done all these things, take a step back, be very quiet, look around, listen and note how different your space feels to you now.

You may also wish to perform these acts at other places where you spend a lot of time, such as work, if you can.

One last thing you may want to do, although it's not as easy and practical as the rest. You may wish to hang little mirrors in the windows or on the outside of the building to reflect away negativity. The mirrors aren't really necessary; they're just extra insurance, if you will. You should be fine just doing the other things I've recommended.

Now envision yourself within a bubble. Project this bubble around you and around your home. Nothing can pass through the membrane that has not been invited by you. Anything unwelcome bounces off the bubble. Build a strong image of this bubble in your mind. If you have a small object, maybe a clear quartz crystal or a piece of rosemary, that reminds you of this visualization, carry it in your pocket or keep it someplace handy. You can't be expected to hold this image in your consciousness all the time. But if you have this object, then at times when the image has faded and you feel you need to reinforce your working, take it out and look at it and touch it to reawaken your sense of your protective bubble.

As with all magic spells, you needn't stick with the formula offered here. If other ingredients call to you or other actions spring from you, trust your intuition and go with them.

These are my recommendations. For another approach, here's a Lemon UncrossingSpell (to break a curse). I have never tried this so I can offer no assurance of its efficacy.

[1] For a super-duper heavy cleansing of a home, say if you're just moving in after someone else has been living there, and if you have the time, get some dragon's blood incense and burn it on a piece of charcoal in a container left in the bathtub or shower. As soon as you light it, leave and let it fumigate the entire house. You don't want to breathe much of this stuff. Then return a few hours later and open all the windows to let out the dragon's blood fumes.

[2] Some additional things you can do to cleanse a new or dirty home: Walk throughout the rooms with noisemakers, rattles, a drum to frighten off unwanted spirits. Do this before censing and sprinkling. After censing and sprinkling, ring a little bell at the windows and mirrors.

REVIEW – When we lived in Europe, our home had a heated towel bar in the bathroom. It seemed like such a decadent little thing, but as fall turns to winter I recall just how nice it was to step out of the shower and reach for a warm towel. When the Comfier towel and […]

The final day of TIFF 2020 has come and gone and below are my final capsule reviews. I’ll post a full capsule roundup on Monday.

Fauna [Mexico/Canada, Nicolás Pereda, 3.5] Narratives nest within narratives when an actor visits his girlfriend’s family in a sleepy small town. Comic misunderstandings, naturalistic locations and twisting meta-story may remind seasoned festival-goers of the works of Hong Sang-soo, with Coronas instead of soju.

Preparations to Be Together For an Unknown Period of Time [Hungary, Lili Horvát, 4] Top neurologist questions the accuracy of her recollections when she moves back home from the US to Budapest for a romantic rendezvous, only to find that the object of her affections professes not to remember her. Quietly suspenseful drama of psychological uncertainty.

The Truffle Hunters [Italy, Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw, 4] An aging generation of Piedmontese truffle hunters carries on the search for the elusive delicacy, fearing the poison bait left for their beloved dogs by ruthless newcomers to the trade. A documentary balm for lovers of food and canines luxuriates in the presence of sumptuously photographed forest eccentrics and their very, very good dogs.

Bandar Band [Iran/Germany, Manijeh Hekmat, 3] A pregnant singer, her husband and their guitarist try to get their van through a floodstruck region to attend a contest gig in Tehran. Neorealist drama where the obstacles in the characters’ path are literal.

The Water Man [US, David Oyelowo, 3.5] Imaginative kid (Lonnie Chavis) heads into the Northwestern forest in search of a legendary immortal, thinking he holds the secret to curing his mom (Rosario Dawson) of leukemia. One of the more successful of a recent wave of films that put a somber sin on 80s kids adventure, thanks to a well-constructed script and Oyelowo’s sure control of tone.

Among the differences of this digital-only fest was that it removed the flexibility to choose between multiple screening dates. In a regular year I program the last days and work backward to end on some combination of stronger and/or lighter selections. Here programmers assigned a 24 hour window for each film. These last movies weren’t what I would have picked as closers in ordinary times. To compensate for this Valerie and I are running a day of fake TIFF programming to simulate the funner final Sunday we usually shoot for. They consist of one film that played at TIFF 2019 and three others from previously-appearing directors. Play along at home by streaming The Vast of Night, The Forest of Love*, Mr. & Mrs. Adelman, and Ace Attorney.

*Update: Turns out this one is ultra-disturbing and in no way fun or light. Going into something with mistaken tonal expectations—just like the real TIFF!

COVID has put the kibosh on much this year, but it can’t stop the capsule TIFF reviews. From the plague-ready, off-model edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, here’s my annual collection of mini-reviews.

The greatly cut-down slate included only slivers of the festival I’d program for myself in a regular year: four to five from international auteurs and a couple examples of global genre cinema. The missing items either are waiting in limbo as sales agents the world over hope that theatrical exhibition will return, or didn’t even get shot.

This list features more Canadian films and documentaries than I’d see at the fest (as opposed to catching them later.) Festivals tend toward the dour and downbeat but that was doubly true this time out. If we’re still trapped in our homes next year, I’ll likely be more vigilant about sorting through the slim pickings, supplementing our streaming experience with titles already available on other platforms.

That said, the overall hit rate was probably as strong as any other recent year. The average score on my numerical ratings would be higher, actually. It’s just that I saw the same festival everyone else did, starting with the film that garnered nearly universal acclaim, nabbed the People’s Choice Award, and will surely be part of the Oscars race—whatever the heck that will look like.

Films are listed in order of preference. Within categories that doesn’t mean much and entails a lot of apples-to-oranges comparisons. A festival near you, or not so near you but within your territory for geolocking purposes, may be virtually screening some of these soon.

The Pinnacle

Nomadland [US, Chloé Zhao, 5] When her town closes down in the wake of its gypsum mine’s closure, a self-reliant widow (Frances McDormand) moves into her van and joins the ranks of the nomad subculture, people who rove the US, taking whatever hard work they can get and living out of their vehicles. Rooted in social realist cinema, marked by a triad of transcendent qualities: poetic visual beauty, an indelible central performance and a deep love for the characters from the writer/director.

Recommended

Another Round [Denmark, Thomas Vinterberg, 4.5] Burned out high school teacher (Mads Mikkelsen) embarks with three colleagues on an experiment to enhance their performance by maintaining a blood alcohol level of 0.5% throughout their days at work. Not only an original booze movie, but a big one, full of turns and ambiguities, and an utterly masterful performance from Mikkelsen.

City Hall [US, Frederick Wiseman, 4] The latest of Wiseman’s distinctive epic-length observational documentaries studies the quotidian, procedural and human moments of human life as seen through the processes of municipal government in Boston, as held together by the thoughtful charisma of Mayor Martin Walsh. Improbably absorbing as always, this institutional cross-section offers a beguiling vision of an oasis of good government in the USA.

True Mothers [Japan, Naomi Kawase, 4.5] Parents of a kindergartner react with dismay when a woman contacts them claiming to be his birth mother. Luminous, delicate drama of shifting perspectives.

Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds [US, Werner Herzog & Clive Oppenheimer] Documentary explores the science and mythology of meteor, from Chicxulub to ʻOumuamua. The intersection between scientific discovery and religious awe, central to all of Herzog’s beautiful and delightful nature docs, rises from subtext to text through the intercession of traditional elders, joyful researchers, and the Jesuit scholar of the Vatican’s heaven stone collection.

David Byrne’s American Utopia [US, Spike Lee, 4] Filmed version of the Broadway version of David Byrne’s recent tour features joyous choreography, simple but arresting stagecraft, and songs from his Talking Heads and solo eras. When you shoot a concert film featuring David Byrne, you have to bring it, and Lee does that ably, finding countlesss different ways to shoot within a proscenium.

The Father [UK, Florian Zeller, 4] Retired engineer (Anthony Hopkins) struggles to piece together the confusing reality of his living circumstances as his daughter (Olivia Colman) copes with his progressing dementia. Impeccably performed stage play adaptation puts the viewer inside the contradictory shifts of the protagonist’s subjective viewpoint.

Night of the Kings [Côte d'Ivoire/France , Philippe Lacôte, 4] When the red moon rises over MACA, the Ivory Coast’s toughest prison, its inmate boss appoints the new arrival as storyteller—a post that results in death if the tale ends before sundown. Prison drama with compelling narrative hook widens out to encompass ancient warfare, contemporary politics, and even a wizard duel.

Summer of 85 [France, Francois Ozon, 4] Love between two young men in a French beach town leads to a bizarre crime. Teen emotions run high in a sunlit melodrama of Eros and Thanatos.

Spring Blossom [France, Suzanne Lindon, 4] Bored with her classmates, an awkward 16 year old (played by the writer-director) pursues her attraction for a ruggedly handsome stage actor (Arnaud Valois.) Character drama sets aside the sexual aspect of this staple French cinema situation to focus on the emotion, periodically breaking from naturalism to have its characters express their feelings through dance.

Get the Hell Out [Taiwan, I-Fan Wang, 4] Taiwan’s notoriously pugilistic parliament tips into arterial spray when the effluent of a controversial chemical plant triggers a zombie epidemic. Zombie comedy features an eye-searing palette and an onslaught of optical overlays, and is paced like a quarter kilo of crushed Adderall.

Preparations to Be Together For an Unknown Period of Time [Hungary, Lili Horvát, 4] Top neurologist questions the accuracy of her recollections when she moves back home from the US to Budapest for a romantic rendezvous, only to find that the object of her affections professes not to remember her. Quietly suspenseful drama of psychological uncertainty.

Shiva Baby [US, Emma Seligman, 4] The ambient social pressures of a post-funeral gathering skyrocket for a directionless college student (Rachel Sennott) when attendees include not only the expected ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon) but also the sex work client she’s caught feelings for. Knife-edge comedy of emotional suffocation uses a plucky suspense score for that extra frisson of social anxiety.

Under the Open Sky [Japan, Miwa Nishikawa, 4] Out of prison after a long sentence, an aging yakuza (Koji Yakusho) struggles with his volcanic temper as he attempts to go straight. Bittersweet drama anchored by a lead performance from Yakusho, a mainstay of contemporary Japanese cinema.

New Order [Mexico, Michel Franco, 4] A wedding thrown by a wealthy family during a growing insurrection suffers a murderous attack by protestors and the kidnapping of the bride. Wildly disturbing vision of political violence and degradation takes its time unreeling its allegorical purpose.

Limbo [UK, Ben Sharrock, 4] Syrian oud player grapples with guilt over family left behind as he cools his heels with other refugee claimants at a center in the bleak and isolated Outer Hebrides. Moments of deadpan humor and stark landscapes layer this exploration of displacement.

Violation [Canada, Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli, 4] Woman (Madeleine Sims-Fewer) exacts meticulous revenge after her brother-in-law rapes her. Although this jarring, meditative drama includes gruesome imagery and horror-exploitation motifs, it’s closer in spirit to Michael Haneke than Dario Argento or Wes Craven.

Shadow in the Cloud [New Zealand, Roseanne Liang, 4] When an WWII RAF Flight Officer (Chloe Grace Moretz) boards a Samoa-bound cargo plane bearing a mysterious package, a monstrous gremlin on board is just one of the surprises. Enclosed space horror-action thriller tips an 80s-style hat to Carpenter and Cameron.

Beans [Canada, Tracey Deer, 4] As the 1990 Oka standoff envelops her Mohawk community, a shy tween achiever (Kiawentiio) decides to toughen up by ingratiating herself to the tough kids. Mixing the docudrama and coming-of-age structures offsets the inherent trickiness of both, but it wouldn’t work without an appealing and touching performance from its charismatic young lead.

Akilla’s Escape [Canada, Charles Officer, 4] Weed dealer hoping to leave the business (Saul Wiliiams) tries to recover his boss’ ripped-off cash and product without sacrificing a young gang member who reminds him of his younger self. Moody, laconic crime drama contextualized by the political history of Jamaican gangsterism.

Enemies of the State [US, Sonia Kennebeck] Documentary pulls apart a labyrinth of contradictory evidence around Matthew DeHart, an Indiana man who was framed for child pornography by the FBI as part of a Wikleaks espionage case, or created a story of secret files to shield himself either cooked up a Wikileaks-related espionage smokescreen to mask his sex crimes. Invites the viewer to join a filmmaking team as it goes ever deeper down a rabbit hole.

The Inconvenient Indian [Canada, Michelle Latimer, 4] Essay-format documentary examines the Indigenous struggle for sovereignty and cultural reclamation in North America, as hosted by novelist Thomas King and inspired by his nonfiction book of the same name. Makes its case through cinematic language, pushing the archival footage and talking heads format to the background.

Beginning [Georgia, Dea Kulumbegashvili, 4] Depressed wife of a pastor bears the brunt of a persecution campaign from a local man hostile to their minority Baptist faith. The camera acts as a pitiless eye in this harsh, austere drama of pervasive male oppression.

The Truffle Hunters [Italy, Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw, 4] An aging generation of Piedmontese truffle hunters carries on the search for the elusive delicacy, fearing the poison bait left for their beloved dogs by ruthless newcomers to the trade. A documentary balm for lovers of food and canines luxuriates in the presence of sumptuously photographed forest eccentrics and their very, very good dogs.

Lift Like a Girl [Egypt, Mayye Zayed, 4] From ages 13 to 18, under the tutelage of a volcanic, motormouth coach, with a rubble-strewn lot on a busy Alexandria street, weightlifter Zebiba trains to be a champion. Fly-on-the-wall documentary inhabits a hardscrabble community powered by loving verbal abuse.

The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel [Canada, Joel Bakan & Jennifer Abbott, 4] Polemical documentary deploys narration, stock footage and talking heads (some appearing via lockdown video conference) to survey corporate capitalism and the struggle against it from Reaganomics to COVID and the George Floyd protests. Comprehensive primer for the prospective young progressives includes a call to continued electoral action.

40 Years a Prisoner [US, Tommy Oliver, 4] Documentary recounts the 1978 standoff between members of radical Black back-to-nature organization MOVE and Philadelphia police through the efforts of the son of two of the group members to secure their parole. A strong emotional hook greatly assists in telling a tenaciously complicated story.

Good

Pieces of a Woman [US, Kornél Mundruczó, 3.5] Grief tears a couple (Vanessa KIrby, Shia LaBeouf) apart after the death of their baby in childbirth, abetted by the insistence of her domineering mother (Ellen Burstyn) that they pursue legal action against their midwife (Molly Parker.) Wrenching drama marked by deep performances and key long take scenes. An otherwise masterful script reaches for the conventional when it hits its climax.

Wildfire [UK/Ireland, Cathy Brady, 3.5] After going missing for a year, a bipolar woman (Nika McGuigan) drops in on her sister (Nora-Jane Noone), opening the wounds of shared tragedy. Raw, unsubtle family drama against the backdrop of Northern Irish politics as Brexit threatens a fragile peace.

Fauna [Mexico/Canada, Nicolás Pereda, 3.5] Narratives nest within narratives when an actor visits his girlfriend’s family in a sleepy small town. Comic misunderstandings, naturalistic locations and twisting meta-story may remind seasoned festival-goers of the works of Hong Sang-soo, with Coronas instead of soju.

The Water Man [US, David Oyelowo, 3.5] Imaginative kid (Lonnie Chavis) heads into the Northwestern forest in search of a legendary immortal, thinking he holds the secret to curing his mom (Rosario Dawson) of leukemia. One of the more successful of a recent wave of films that put a somber sin on 80s kids adventure, thanks to a well-constructed script and Oyelowo’s sure control of tone.

The Way I See It [US, Dawn Porter, 3.5] Documentary profile of Obama-era Official White House photographer traces his arc from work for the Reagan administration to anti-Trump social media firebrand. Whether American viewers consider this slickly fashioned film heartfelt or sentimental will depend on party registration. It’s certainly explicitly designed to fire up Ds to get out there to de-elect the current president.

Okay

Bandar Band [Iran/Germany, Manijeh Hekmat, 3] A pregnant singer, her husband and their guitarist try to get their van through a floodstruck region to attend a contest gig in Tehran. Neorealist drama where the obstacles in the characters’ path are literal.

Penguin Bloom [Australia, Glendyn Ivin, 3] A former surfer left paralyzed from the chest down by a freak accident reluctantly bonds with a magpie chick named Penguin, which one of her young sons has rescued. Sun-dappled animal-related family drama about the depression and anger that can accompany a life-changing injury.

Falling [US, Viggo Mortensen, 3] Pathologically forbearing airline pilot (Mortensen) attempts to find a new situation for his lifelong miserable prick of a father (Lance Henriksen) as his dementia worsens. With one character incapable of change and another not needing to change, almost all of the scenes repeat the same dynamic.

Gaza Mon Amor [Palestine/France, Tarzan & Arab Nasser, 3] Middle-aged fisherman discovers a Greek statue and courts a wary dress shop clerk. Deliberately paced dramedy of life under oppression.

Concrete Cowboy [US, Ricky Staub, 3] After yet another expulsion from school, a troubled teen (Caleb McLaughlin) gets dumped for the summer with his father (Idris Elba), who belongs to Philadelphia’s threatened culture of inner city horse owners. A rich social milieu is the star of the show in this affirming drama, which could do with a stronger drive to activate its protagonist.

I Care a Lot [UK, J Blakeson, 3] Corrupt legal guardian (Rosamund Pike) who slaps unsuspecting seniors into care facilities to bleed them dry triggers a cat-and-mouse game when her latest prey (Dianne Wiest) turns out to be the mother of a wealthy gangster (Peter Dinklage.) Engaging thriller— until it betrays the contract it has established with the audience.

Not Recommended

Memory House [Brazil, João Paulo Miranda Maria, 1] Racist harassment from German co-workers drives dairy worker to vengeance. Blunts the political anger of its subject matter with enervating pacing.

For years TIFF has been intentionally or otherwise making it incrementally more difficult to do the event diehard style, as we have always done. Often it announces changes that blindside longtime loyalists—sometimes, as this year, after they’ve purchased their expensive memberships and ticket packages. This time around they surprised us by taking a tier of titles that any other year would be available through the package we purchased and moving them into a premium package previously reserved for the most publicized Gala films. For good measure, they threw in a couple of other medium-sized irritants.

To recreate something closer to our usual experience, we programmed another 25 titles already available on streaming platforms. Some actually played TIFF in the past; others were the types of movies that could have played the fest but didn’t.

I’m glad that we did, because the TIFF titles we were allowed to choose from included all of the duds of a normal year and none of the surprise masterpieces. Granted, it was a miracle that any films got made this year, and those that did tended toward the sorts of modest chamber pieces that could be produced under COVID protocol conditions.

This year crystallized a gradually growing realization we’ve been trying to suppress. So much has changed in the world of international cinema, from the festival’s position in their life cycle, to their subsequent availability, and even the style of the movies themselves, has completely changed since we started doing this in the mid 80s.

We have always gone to the fest for great films that we could otherwise never see, and started doing it in the VHS era. We don’t care about seeing things before anyone else does, or seeing the stars wave at us from the stage beforehand, or hearing audience members ask directors rambling questions afterwards. Even the virtues of a big screen experience are blunted by a dirty secret — a packed TIFF venue is not actually an ideal place to see a movie. Talkers and smartphone screens abound in every screening, and the bigger venues they convert into movie theaters for ten days are universally terrible.

You’d think that programming films from existing streaming platforms eliminates the other key part of fest-going, the surprise from out of nowhere. Except we got more of those with our alternate schedule than we did with the official titles this year.

In other words, after 36 years we are retiring from our vacation. Next year we’ll be doing a fully alternate replica of TIFF as we think of it from the past. The old rodeo is dead. Long live the new rodeo.

Here then is my final set of Toronto International Film Festival capsule reviews.

(Capsules for the 2021 Robin and Valerie International Film Festival will drop over time in Ken and Robin Consume Media.)

Recommended

Murina (Croatia, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović) Teen (Gracija Filipovic) chafes at the agitated authority of her command-barking father (Leon Lucev) as he hosts a rich, glamorous old friend (Cliff Curtis) to try to sell him on a resort proposal. Taut, superbly acted family drama set against the stunning yet slightly sinister beauty of the rocky Croatian coastline.

Saloum (Senegal, Jean Luc Herbulot) Three gunslingers—the mastermind, the hard case, and the magic user—take an unscheduled pit stop at an eccentric communal resort, which harbors horrible secrets of both the man-made and supernatural varieties. Gorgeously shot, tightly edited contemporary horror western with political resonance and cool monster design.

Compartment No. 6 (Finland, Juho Kuosmanen) Traveling alone on a trip she was supposed to take with her Muscovite professor girlfriend, a Finnish archaeology student finds herself sharing a compartment on the train to Murmansk with a loutish miner. Naturalistic light romantic drama of human connection overcoming barriers of class and personality.

OUT OF SYNC (Spain, Juanjo Giménez Peña) Isolated sound mixer (Marta Nieto) is unnerved to suffer a strange delay in her hearing, which becomes all the more inexplicable as it worsens. Realist weird tale makes smart use of cinema’s relationship between sight and sound. 

Zalava (Iran, Arsalan Amiri) In pre-Revolutionary Iranian Kurdistan, a pig-headed police sergeant interferes with a djinn exorcism, sparking village hysteria. Tale of communal terror and its hazards generates suspense by skillfully modulating its pace.

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Indonesia, Edwin) After meeting cute by beating the crap out of each other at a construction site, two lovers navigate the vicissitudes of fidelity, vengeance, and impotence. A martial arts flick that isn’t an action movie, but rather an allegorical romantic drama with elements of satire and magic realism to go with its bruising 70s style fights.

Hold Your Fire (US, Stefan Forbes) Documentary recreates the 1973 robbery-turned-hostage incident in which a group of young black Sunni men hoped to steal guns from a sporting goods shop to protect themselves from the Nation of Islam, in which the beginnings of hostage negotiation techniques were created and implemented on the fly. Archival footage and compelling retrospective interviews illuminate a complicated narrative with resonances into the present day.

A Banquet (UK, Ruth Paxton) After her husband’s death, a brittle woman (Sienna Guillory) struggles with her eldest daughter’s (Jessica Alexander) visionary transformation, which has taken away her need to eat. Slow burn realist cosmic horror filters eating disorders, emotional control and female rage.

Kicking Blood (Canada, Blaine Thurier) Vampire (Alanna Bale) connects with a detoxing alcoholic, prompting her to reconsider preying on humans. Frosty supernatural indie drama extends the vampire-as-addiction metaphor.

Yuni (Indonesia, Kamila Andini) High schooler with a yen for purple chafes at the narrow expectations her religious school, family and village have for her.  Observational social drama enlivened by a vivid color palette.

Good

The Daughter (Spain, Manuel Martín Cuenca) Teacher at a juvenile detention center helps a pregnant 14-year old escape so she can live secretly with him and his wife at their mountain home and give them the baby when it is born. Ultra-restrained domestic thriller could stand a notch or two less restraint.

Dug Dug (India, Ritwik Pareek)  A local saint cult springs up when a motorbike keeps mysteriously returning to the site of its owner’s death. Gentle satire of faith and religious merchandising shows the sort of color and verve that raises hopes for a fresh wave of Indian art cinema.

Tug of War (Tanzania, Amil Shivji) A callow Marxist subversive falls for an Indian girl who has escaped her arranged marriage in British-controlled 1950s Zanzibar. Political romantic drama adopts the language of classic Hollywood glamor, albeit without the magnetic movie star performances the style depends on. Based on a classic Tanzanian novel.

Okay

Earwig (France, Lucile Hadžihalilović) In a creepy manor, an anxious loner (Paul Hilton) looks after a girl with teeth made of ice, at the behest of mysterious masters. The director’s first English language film pushes her dream narratives of childhood transformation into the far fringes of austerity.

Not Recommended

You Are Not My Mother (Ireland, Kate Dolan) A withdrawn teen’s depressed mother briefly disappears, prefiguring the revelation of a supernatural family secret. Contemporary folk horror with stronger direction than script, with extensive foreshadowing genre fans will be well ahead of and an inactive menace that doesn’t do enough to propel the story.

Snakehead (US, Evan Jackson Leong) Smuggled immigrant (Shuya Chang) works off her debt by acting as the right hand to the matriarch (Jade Wu) of an NYC Chinatown crime family. Socially conscious gangland drama features the bane of longtime documentarians turning their hand to fiction:  awkward, exposition-heavy scripting.

Arthur Rambo (France, Laurent Cantet) Rising literary star (Rabah Nait Oufella) plummets when the hate-filled tweets of his old alter ego resurface. Refined, uncinematic debate film presents thesis, antithesis, and credits.

Medusa (Brazil, Anita Rocha da Silveira) Member of AN ultra-right Christian school’s violent, pallid-masked theocratic girl gang  goes undercover at a coma ward in search of a disfigured model. Overlong, unfocused political allegory references the horror genre, chiefly by adopting Dario Argento’s color palette.

After Blue (Dirty Paradise) (France, Bertrand Mandico) On a psychedelic alien world, a young outcast (Paula Luna) frees the statuesque, wish-granting death-dealer Kate Bush and she must accompany her hairdresser mother (Elina Löwensohn) on a quest to hunt her down. Invokes the spirits of Jodorowsky and Barbarella for a sleepwalk trudge through an arbitrary sequence of dream-logic events. Like its influences it is perhaps intended for a chemically altered audience.

La Soga 2 (US, Manny Perez) Dominican hitman (Perez) has gotten out and is living with a devoted new girlfriend, until a corrupt CIA officer pulls him back in. Scrappy microbudget crime flick is Dominican. 

Show your love for Mother Earth this Earth Day! For the month of April, take 20% off our entire line of World maps. All proceeds from the sale will go to support the Society’s many worldly causes. Use code EARTHLOVE09.

Take 20% off All World Maps!
1. Visit natgeomaps.com/vip
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National Geographic’s Maps Division and Center for Sustainable Destinations teamed up to produce the first NG-developed Online Geotourism MapGuide to support sustainable tourism across the Greater Yellowstone region of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

The site, http://www.yellowstonegeotourism.org/, which launched on March 31st, is open to anyone to discover and share information about unique features, tours, and businesses that best represent and sustain the natural and cultural character of the region. Visitors can also request a free print MapGuide.

Geotourism is the kind of travel that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. Online Geotourism MapGuides are web versions of the print maps that National Geographic has developed for a number of regions around the world, including Crown of the Continent, Baja California, and Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom to name a few.

In addition to producing print and/or web maps, these projects bring together diverse representatives from the local communities to collectively define what makes their region special and how best to communicate it to the rest of the world. NG Maps is excited to participate in these projects that help travelers and local communities discover and preserve special places around the world. Anyone interested in developing a Geotourism MapGuide for their region, or simply becoming a “Geotraveler” should visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable/.

Since our inception as a division of the National Geographic Society in 1915, National Geographic Maps (originally the Cartographic Division) has routinely published maps that illustrate the news of the world. Our first supplement map, which appeared in the May 1918 issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, titled the Western Theatre of War, served as a useful reference for overseas military personnel and soldier's families alike. Similarly our February 1967 map of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and recently, our Iraq and the Heart of the Middle East titles filled similar roles.

Maps are an excellent tool for the newshound, providing an accurate sense of place to issues local and abroad. To assist those that are interested in further understanding global news stories through good maps - we're pleased to announce a new monthly feature here on Contours that will highlight maps pertinent to today's news stories.

:: December 2009, Maps of the News ::

Afghanistan and Pakistan. Revised in Fall of 2009, this political map of the region contains thousands of place names, ideal for following news stories and deployed family members. Like all National Geographic cartography, our new Afghanistan and Pakistan map was carefully researched and edited and contains thousands of place names.

Iraq, Iran and the Middle East. This region dominates daily news stories. Our Middle East wall map covers over 18 nations in the region including: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and more.

Philippines. Follow the recent eruption of the Mayon volcano in the Philippines, with our Asia classic and executive style wall maps for the continent.

Vancouver and the Winter Olympics. A detailed city guide, perfect for global travelers attending the 2010 Winter Olympics.

January has been a big month for global news. From the devastating earthquake in Haiti to the damaging storms throughout the US which brought mudslides to California and snow to Florida.

On a more positive side, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver start in just 16 days, with opening ceremonies taking place on February 12th.

To illustrate these stories and more - here are this month's suggested National Geographic Maps:

Haiti::
West Indies Two-Sided Wall Map:: Has a political map of the Caribbean, including Haiti. For a historical perspective on the region, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC published three different supplement maps in 1913, 1922, and 1947 which specifically detailed the Caribbean region. These maps are available via our NG Map Collection Website - simply search for "caribbean".

US Weather::
National Geographic has a wide variety of US wall maps. Our most popular two titles are our US Clasic and US Executive editions. Both maps come in a variety of sizes and formats including enlarged and laminated. Additionally we started publishing a new series of State specific wall maps last year, and have released 8 States so far, including California.

Winter Olympics::
For those lucky enough to be heading to Vancouver to attend the 2010 Winter Olympics, be sure to carry along our Destination Vancouver city travel map. Updated in 2009, the Vancouver city map contains a detailed and easy to read street map with the locations of points of interest, hotels, public transportation and more.

Check back in a few weeks for our February installment of "Maps of the News". Additionally, we love your questions and comments. If you have a place or news story that you're looking for a map of, feel free to post a comment below, or connect with us on twitter @NatGeoMaps.

For those actively following the World's news, here is our monthly quick reference to National Geographic maps which add perspective to today's news stories.

WORLD

The 8.8 Magnitude earthquake in Chile, has left substantial devastation to the port town on Concepcion and left thousands homeless in the Capital city of Santiago. Our recently updated South America Wall Map contains place names for most major and secondary cities, plus physical features, and major transportation networks.



When I first heard about the Tsunami threat for the Hawaiian Islands, Australia, Japan and the islands of the Pacific on Saturday, I turned to our World Pacific Centered wall map. Unlike the wall map you likely had hanging in your classroom, which was Atlantic Ocean centered, our Pacific Centered edition provides a seamless view of the entire Ocean. This different perspective made it easier to understand the path of the Tsunami waves and helped clarify why places such as the California, Oregon and Washington coasts were under the warning as well.

Beyond the Chilean earthquake, this winter seems especially harsh, and on Sunday, France and four other countries were battered by a deadly storm named "Xynthia". In its wake the storm left 51 dead, millions without power, and generated extensive property damage throughout the region. Winds in excess of 130MPH were recorded over the Pyrenees with 100 MPH gusts along the Atlantic coast. National Geographic has a collection of up-to-date reference maps for most of the countries in Europe including: France, Belgium & The Netherlands, Spain & Portugal, and Germany. Additionally we recently revised our Europe wall map, which is available in several styles.


US

Here on the home front, winter weather continued to make headlines last week with the Northeast receiving another record breaking snowfall. National Geographic publishes a wide variety of United States Wall Maps, varying in style, size, and format that will assist with following nearly any US based news story.

The Tsunami warning for the Hawaiian Islands last Saturday had me turning to one of our most beautiful wall maps, The Hawaiian Islands, which exposes the dramatic terrain of the ocean floor around the island chain.




SPORTS

Now that the Winter Olympics have concluded, it's time to turn our eyes south to Arizona and Florida as MLB Spring Training kicks off today. If you're heading to watch any of the games, we have two useful maps for your glovebox, the Florida State Guide Map and the Arizona State Guide Map. Both maps have up-to-date road networks for the State, plus detailed inset maps for the major cities, like the Spring Training hubs of Tampa, Ft. Myers, Scottsdale and Tucson. While I'm a big fan of GPS for turn-by-turn directions, sometimes its just a little faster to use a real map, and you certainly get a better perspective of what's ahead when on a road trip.



As always - we love to hear your comments, questions and ideas for future posts.

Five new National Geographic maps complete coverage of Washington Cascades

Published: Tuesday, September 07, 2010, 3:15 AM
Terry Richard, The Oregonian
Washington's Cacades are covered.

With the release of five new maps this summer by National Geographic, the rugged mountains of Washington are covered from the British Columbia border to Oregon.

The maps are sold under the Trails Illustrated brand.

New titles this year area Mount St. Helens/Mount Adams, Goat Rocks/Norse Peak/William O. Douglas Wilderness Areas, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Glacier Peak Wilderness and Mount Baker/Boulder River Wilderness Areas.

They go along with several other titles already in print to complete the coverage: North Cascades National Park, Mount Rainier National Park and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

The full-color maps are printed on hefty water-proof, tear resistant paper. National Geographic is one of the best mapmakers in the business, so the maps meet the highest standards.

The maps are topographical, but they cover such a large area that the contour interval is 50 feet. This is a little too big for serious off-trail mountain navigation, but National Geographic also sells state map series on CD Roms under the Topo brand with 20-foot contour intervals.

The new printed maps maps are excellent for hiking and driving. They show most of the trails and most of the roadside amenities, in easy-to-read formats.

Your map files may already contain U.S. Forest Service maps of the areas, but these maps often go 15 years or more between updates. The new Nat Geo maps are the best new maps at this time for the areas they cover.

Look for them at stores that sell maps, though getting this many new titles in any particular store may be difficult.

One place that does have them all is the Nature of the Northwest in Portland, at 800 N.E. Oregon St., Suite 965. Phone number is 971-673-2331.

You can also order them from National Geographic. Cover price is $11.95. For more information visit Trails Illustrated Washington maps.

-- Terry Richard

National Geographic Maps & Satmap Systems

Announce Alliance to Deliver Digital Mapping for Handheld Sports GPS

For the first time, National Geographic’s suite of Trails Illustrated, TOPO! and Adventure maps are made available on a handheld GPS; Satmap Active 10 TREK Launches in the U.S. this week.

November 17, 2010 - London, England... National Geographic Maps and Satmap Systems today announced the integration of the best-selling National Geographic outdoor recreation maps into the award-winning Satmap Active 10 handheld GPS. This integration is the result of a new product development alliance between the two organizations, both of which will launch the Active 10 TREK for sale in the United States this week.

The content offered on Satmap devices will include the complete line of National Geographic outdoor recreation maps, including the TOPO! USGS topographic map series, the AdventureMap series of international adventure travel maps, and, for the first time on any GPS, National Geographic’s premier Trails Illustrated series of maps for national parks, national forests and many popular recreation areas. National Geographic maps will be available via SD-Cards, which will plug-and-play into the Active 10 TREK handheld GPS.

The alliance brings together the mapping excellence of National Geographic with the engineering expertise of Satmap Systems Ltd., and the result is a product that meets the needs of outdoor enthusiasts. The Active 10 TREK will suit users of all skill levels in all weather conditions throughout the year. It has gained wide acceptance in Europe with outdoor professionals and consumers engaged in various activities such as mountain rescue, hiking, mountain biking, hunting and geocaching.

Charlie Regan, general manager and vice president, National Geographic Maps, said: “National Geographic prides itself on publishing the best maps, whether for outdoor recreation, education, travel or reference. We are pleased to announce this alliance with Satmap and are eager to see outdoor enthusiasts and professionals begin using the Active 10 TREK to guide them on their adventures. Satmap’s sterling reputation and the critical acclaim that their Active 10 has garnered in Europe made the decision to partner, as they expand into the U.S. market, an easy one.”

Richard Calthrop-Owen, managing director of Satmap Systems, commented: “We are really excited about launching into the U.S., especially with such a globally respected brand as National Geographic. This alliance is good news for everyone who spends time in the great outdoors, and this is a major product first. The Active 10 TREK, combined with the superb National Geographic map data, gives users the freedom to focus on the enjoyment of their sport rather than worrying about location. Accurate navigation is an essential part of enjoying the outdoors, and this quality of map detail will help users to keep on track and stay safe.”

Fourteen TOPO! USGS-based SD Map Cards will be available at launch, covering many popular outdoor recreation states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, the Mid-Atlantic region, Montana, Nevada, New England, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. SD Map Cards for the remaining states and regions will be released in the first quarter of 2011. Three additional Trails Illustrated SD Map Cards also will be part of the initial offering, covering California’s Sierra Nevada, the Southern Appalachians and America’s “Greatest National Parks.” New Trails Illustrated Map Cards featuring some of the most important recreational areas in the country will be available in the coming months.

In addition to recreation users, Satmap Systems Ltd. supplies GPS handsets to search and rescue teams, police, military and other professionals in Europe, giving the company a unique insight into and understanding of the needs of outdoor users. Central to this is the need to see the best quality mapping possible on a large screen in a handheld device that is rugged and user friendly.

The Active 10 TREK

The Active 10 TREK comes pre-loaded with World and USA Base Maps. Customers can then buy the National Geographic SD Map Cards that slot into the GPS, making map reading fast and easy. The map is displayed on a large 3.5” screen in full color suitable for day and night use, including a red backlight option to help protect night vision.

The Active 10 TREK is priced at $369.99, and the National Geographic SD Map Cards cost $99.99 each. Customers also can purchase topographical mapping for most countries in Western Europe, making the GPS useful for home and when travelling abroad. There is a range of high-quality accessories such as Bike Mount, Vehicle Mount and a Deluxe Carry Case, which retail from $14.99.

The Active 10 TREK and National Geographic SD Map Cards will be sold online at www.shopng.com, www.satmap.com, www.topo.com, and www.amazon.com and will be available at premier outdoor retailers nationwide in the upcoming months.

Frank Biasi, Director, Conservation and Special Projects
National Geographic Maps

We all know (or should know!) that geography is the study of the Earth and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena. This breadth of fascinating subjects is what led me to become a geographer 25 years ago. The sub-discipline of cartography allowed me to combine my earlier interest in visual art with my newfound passion for geography. I was lucky to come of age early in the growth of computer mapping technologies, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Seeing the potential of GIS to make a difference in the world and to build a career, I quickly jumped on that bandwagon.

I first used GIS to do maps and analysis for geography courses, and to inventory property parcels around my campus as part of an internship. After graduation, I worked for a regional planning agency to help design transportation corridors that maximize business opportunities and minimize environmental impacts. I went on to work for a state environmental agency where I helped to map all of the wetlands in Massachusetts to aid in the permitting of development and construction projects.

I further developed my geographic thinking and skills working for The Nature Conservancy, where I used GIS to help conservation planners and preserve managers map biodiversity and design and execute ways to save it. I realized that conservation, as with many other fields, deals with a wide variety of systems operating across the landscape, including biological, geological, hydrological, climatological, political, transportation, and economic systems. GIS provides a powerful platform to create and combine data layers representing each of these systems in order to make maps and answer questions about the world. Seeing these maps and answering these questions helps organizations across all sectors make informed decisions about what to do and where to do it.

Recently, we as individuals have begun using simple GIS tools on our PCs and mobile phones to make maps and answer spatial questions to help us decide where to eat, shop, travel, and invest. The growing phenomena of geo-browsing and geo-searching are enabled by interactive mapping services by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, MapQuest, and others. These services are becoming increasingly personalized through GPS-enabled mobile phones and apps that tell us who and what is near us, wherever we are. The initial applications of these services have been for commercial and social uses. However, they can also help us discover and decide how we can make a positive difference in the world.

Many people are unaware of the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of dedicated nonprofit organizations working around the world to reduce human suffering, protect wildlife and ecosystems, preserve cultures, and advance scientific knowledge. These heroic people and organizations are stepping in to fill critical gaps that governments and businesses are unable or unwilling to fill. Most of the organizations have very limited financial and human resources to accomplish their objectives, yet they still manage to make an enormous difference in the lives of people, animals, and society at large.

At National Geographic, we have begun an initiative called the Global Action Atlas to highlight the work of these heroic nonprofits, and to give our audience tangible opportunities to discover and get involved in this work by donating, volunteering, advocating, visiting, and sharing with their social networks. Although it is still a beta site, ActionAtlas.org has over 400 on-the-ground projects by more than 100 reputable nonprofits around the world. Users can browse projects on an interactive global map or by themes including Conservation, Humanitarian, Cultures, Exploration, Climate Change, and Energy. They can also enter keywords to get a list of relevant projects in the U.S and around the world.
Every project has an interactive profile where the organization summarizes the issues the project is working to address, their goals, and the progress being made. They also include photos, videos, documents, blogs, maps, links to more information, and lists of similar and nearby projects. Once a user has found a project that interests them, they can become a fan or comment on the project, as well as donate, volunteer, visit, or share the project with their Facebook friends. Users can build up a portfolio of their favorite projects to follow and interact with over time, thus establishing their own “Geography of Action.” We plan to add thematic layers to the map viewer such as infant mortality, biodiversity, and cultural hotspots to help people decide where they should invest their time and resources in making a difference.

We hope that the Global Action Atlas provides the public a useful and trusted service that advances National Geographic’s mission of “inspiring people to care about the planet,” by enabling them to turn inspiration into action. Over the past century National Geographic’s writers, photographers, and filmmakers have richly documented places and cultures and the challenges facing communities and the planet. Our Mission Programs have funded thousands of field-based projects to understand and conserve wildlife and cultures and advance the frontiers of science. The Global Action Atlas is the beginning of a new effort to deeply engage our audience in this wonderful, but challenged world, and to help them become active participants in making it more wonderful.

1. Beijing and Washington stops provide clues for Indonesia's direction under Prabowo Subianto  ABC News
2. Prabowo pledges co-operation with Trump  The Australian Financial Review
3. Indonesian president meets Biden and speaks with Trump  The Canberra Times
4. At White House, Indonesia's new leader straddles US-China rivalry  VOA Asia
5. Will Prabowo Subianto cosy up to Donald Trump or to China?  The Economist

1. Germany to hold snap election in February after government's coalition collapse  ABC News
2. The briefcase, the Porsche and the collapse of the German government – podcast  The Guardian
3. Germany set for snap election following collapse of Olaf Scholz’s coalition  The Conversation
4. President calls German early election plan 'realistic'  DW (English)

1. NSW nurses strike heaps wage pressure on Minns government  The Australian Financial Review
2. Hundreds of elective surgeries cancelled as 10,000 nurses and midwives walk off job in NSW  ABC News
3. Nurses took to the streets after ‘insulting’ pay offer. Next stop, court  Sydney Morning Herald
4. Almost 700 surgeries cancelled as 12,000 NSW nurses strike for better pay  9News

I asked some of the best fundraisers I know for their ten best fundraising tips.

Here, edited lightly for clarity, are their answers.

1. Don’t preach to active supporters.
2. Express gratitude for what they have already done.
3. No more than two reasons why they should give now.
4. Ask for the money at the same time as giving the reasons the money should be given.
5. Read the daily paper and see if a current event fits the campaign.
6. Smile while speaking.
7. Shower before work.
8. Wear deodorant.
9. Speak clearly.
10. Have an attitude (positive or otherwise).
11. Keep a sense of humor.
12. Remember; people can hear a smile over the phone.
13. Keep control of the conversation.
14. Keep passion in your voice.
15. Make sure you’re earning money for yourself.
16. Get to the point.
17. Talk to more people, not less.
18. Ask high, to get low.
19. Sound interested.
20. Talk fast but clear.
21. Have thick skin.
22. Do what the donor says.
23. Be polite –always.
24. Be persistent -especially on a tough call.
25. Have a book.
26. Try to be courteous.
27. Have rebuttals always.
28. Try not to pressure too much; make the donor understand the urgency.
29. Try to speak as clearly as possible.
30. Try to build a bond; something that you and the donor have in common. A general rapport.
31. Pitch 3x MRC for sure – you will get some of them.
32. Listen, listen, listen.
33. Always do a credit card ask.
34. Control the call.
35. Give 100% on all calls.
36. NOLITE TE BASTARDES CARBORUNDUM “Don’t let the bastards get you down” FUNK is your #1 enemy. When you feel frustrated about a call, take a brief break, drink some water, but stick with it. Things can turn around when you least expect it. But know that your voice carries your frustration. Use your best efforts to remain positive.
37. Ask advice from other callers on what is working. Focus on what you can do.
38. Speak clearly and politely.
39. Ask High. You never know who you are talking to and if you frame it correctly, you will 90% of the time not cause offense.
40. Strategize- The same approach does not work on all calls. Be adaptable- You might have a set way of doing things, but if it isint working and making you $, what’s the point?
41. Stay informed- watch/listen to/read the news. Make use of background info provided.
42. Communicate (A) You are the organization you are calling for as far as the donor is concerned gather information when you build rapport and re-deploy that information later to create a sense of community. i.e. “ I was talking to such and so in y, and they really put a great effort on there during the last election, but we still have a long way to go.”
43. Communicate (B) Inform managers of problems, concerns, and positive results/ changes. When meeting to strategize on a campaign, be forthcoming with suggestions. Management is making a concerted effort to gather information and and to be adaptable- your contribution is appreciated.
44. Don’t rob yourself by asking for low $ or not asking for credit cards or spending as much time as you can off the phone. Its harder to make bonus levels and argue for improvements that way- work from a position of strength.
45. Relax.
46. When talking to a donor, try to “model” the way he or she speaks (New Yorkers speak faster and more brusquely- southerners speak slowly and softly.) People are more comfortable with people whose speech patterns are familiar to theirs. It helps to build trust and rapport.
47. Always be energetic and urgent on the phone- if it weren’t important we wouldn’t be on the phone!
48. Pick an issue in the script that resonates with you so you can speak confidently about it.
49. Listening is as important as talking. You can get a lot of clues from what someone says, and how they say it, about how to approach them.
50. Make your initial pitch less than twenty seconds.
51. Ask the donor for double their previous gift.
52. If donor info lists Mr and Mrs, ask for only one of them, the one you’re talking too.
53. when given an objection, reflect with sound reasoning; “I can understand that, however”.
54. State two important/compelling points, then ask for the pledge.
55. Don’t ask any questions to which the answer could be “no.”
56. If donor sounds rude/upset from the start, get them off the phone.
57. Modulate your voice at all times, keep it natural and conversational.
58. When the donor is older, only ask/suggest a credit card donation one time.
59. Make the donor laugh- always.
60. Don’t pitch an answering machine.
61. If donor says “I’m out the door”, don’t ask “Front door or back door?”
62. When donor says “what do you want!” They’re not compiling your Christmas gift list.
63. When a donor says (I’ll give) “$25.00” Don’t be insulting and say “What’s that? A symbolic gift of $1 each year for twenty five years…..”
64. After confirmation never say “I gotta go…. The cops are here.”
65. Ten tips you want? Just use each tip twice. ( go away- leave me alone!)
66. Have a related bit of info at hand any time the conversation spins off-script. The donor who has something to say is a donor who knows what is at stake.
67. Re: Script. It’s good to know you have one to go by….. Don’t read it AT your donor.
68. Don’t be ashamed to ask high… If you give a good enough reason, you can ask for anything.
69. Talk to your donor. Your body language finds its way into your tone… Sit up, breathe, smile, cry, jab at your monitor; anything to engage with that voice, name, MRC/HPC and address that you have on your screen… Even Slightly.
70. Don’t ever make a call that you don’t care about. Not worth it.
71. Have your standards…. Even if only to have something to fall short of.
72. A good call is only a nice conversation between two people with a shared interest that happens to be about money.
73. Always ask if a donor has a minute and how they are- use this info to determine strategy for the rest of the call.
74. Integrate your credit card ask with your top ask and portray credit card (option) as a benefit for the donor.
75. Never ask for less than 5x MRC- then when you negotiate down, you still have a shot at the triple upgrade.
76. Plan your shift - know exactly how much you need to meet your financial goals and the most efficient way to get it on your campaign (e.g double goal + 5cc or triple goal + 3cc)
77. Pay attention to your voice -deeper is more compelling.
78. Never describe client goals with words that describe possible failure (“we’re trying to”; “we hope that”)- use definitive words instead (“we’re working to”; “we will…”)

Oof, so busy! I finished up my paper(s) for SIGBOVIK and submitted them. Phew. I'll post 'em here after the embargo ends. I think the papers may be the canonical form of this particular project, but I'm starting on a visual version, which will probably become a video some time this month. (First up: I need to prep a live version for Unnecessary Detail, as mentioned in the previous post.) But right now I'm also on the West coast (in a car traveling from Los Angeles to San Diego) for a short family trip which was cut even shorter by the Spirit of Bad Aircraft Management of Spirit Airlines. Immediately upon arriving at the hotel I looked out our window and saw a little park and thought, "it would be fun to skateboard in that park," (I am not a skateboarder) and then, "did I already skateboard in that park 20 years ago in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater?" and I looked it up and yes, the Los Angeles level in THPS3 is based on that very park.

I thought I wasn't going to be able to make the SIGBOVIK live event at all because of this trip, but it looks like I will be back and might try to make it, depending partly on whether I can get any material together for a talk in time.

I spent most of my free time in March on hacking and writing for this silly paper, but sometimes the brain needs a break, and I continued with Teardown. I think this game is great. It is impressive technically and graphically. The sandbox is fun; I had a great time painstakingly disassembling an enormous blast furnace until the framerate became intolerable. (The way the physics works, the entire blast furnace can be held up by the connection of a single voxel. This is obviously totally unrealistic but it is pretty fun to try to blowtorch around an entire building and then try to hunt down why it is still standing.) But I was also impressed with how they managed to make the missions compelling too. There are a couple of ergonomic annoyances (like: There are limitations on what keys can be rebound to what, so I had to play with a controller. And the quick-save is great, but given that you might spend an hour setting up a heist in a level, it would be nice if you could make an in-level save that was a little less quick, just in case you accidentally stayed up to 2am). Getting close to the end of that one. I also played through Gunlocked, which was a good small Roguelike shoot-em-up. The powerups were really well done; it just could've used a bit more variety in the bad guys.

OK, getting a bit carsick here so I'm going to put the laptop away. See you soon.

From holes on Mars to a spun-around moon and a flipped reflection, space science involves looking at things from all different angles.