#hopkins enjoyer club
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stupid ass
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Last year, the Oscar winner featured in "Zero Contact," a film distributed by NFTs. He's now seeking to purchase his first NFT.
One of the first significant Hollywood stars to enter the NFT film area was actor Anthony Hopkins. The legendary actor now looks to be ready to delve deeper into the NFT realm, disclosing his Ethereum Moniker Service (ENS) name and soliciting art recommendations from fellow celebs.
The Oscar winner for "The Silence of the Lambs" changed his Twitter handle to AHopkins today.
eth is an ENS term for a cryptocurrency wallet. It's a frequent move in the NFT and crypto worlds, and other famous celebrities in the field, such as comedian and TV personality Jimmy Fallon, have followed suit.
Hopkins changed his Twitter profile and asked Fallon and other Web3-savvy celebs, like musician Snoop Dogg and actress Reese Witherspoon, for ideas on NFT artwork to buy.
"All of the best NFT artists astound me. Any advice on where to start looking for my first piece?" He tweeted, naming all three of his colleagues in the entertainment world.
"I adore your contemplating photo," Fallon commented first. There are a lot of talented artists out there, and the environment is generally enjoyable. 'I don't know much - but I know I love you,' as the great Aaron Neville famously stated. And it's possible that's all you need to know. "Send me a DM."
Thousands of other people have responded to Hopkins' tweet. NFT aficionados were ecstatic to see another high-profile celebrity explore space on Twitter, while crypto detractors mocked or attacked the actor for exhibiting interest in the area.
An NFT serves as evidence of ownership for digital products including artwork, collectibles, and video game items. NFT technology is rapidly being used in the film and music industries, with both renowned and rising artists participating.
Last year, Hopkins' picture "Zero Contact" was launched on Vuele, a site that distributes cinema projects in the form of NFTs. Vuele combines films with behind-the-scenes video as well as special interactive features like Q&A sessions.
Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino, among others, have made forays into the NFT arena.
The ENS name AHopkins.eth was reportedly acquired in May, but no more NFTs have been purchased by the wallet linked with the ENS name. However, since Hopkins posted the wallet URL on Twitter, it has received a few of NFT photos from random people, which is normal with celebrity and brand wallets.
Snoop Dogg is a well-known NFT collector, including photographs from the Bored Ape Yacht Club and other projects among his collection. He's also released NFTs on his own, including in collaboration with The Sandbox and the Nyan Cat meme's author. Snoop Dogg has also claimed to be Cozomo de' Medici, a fictitious NFT collector with a hefty collection.
Fallon owns NFTs from prestigious collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club and Moonbirds. Witherspoon has been a proponent of Web3 technology, and her Hello Sunshine production company is working on TV and film projects based on the World of Women NFT collection.
https://nftdawn.io/anthony-hopkins-asks-snoop-dogg-for-nft-shopping-advice/?feed_id=274&_unique_id=62a1a08681656
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Hi! I just did a write-up of my RPG recommendations for my Tabletop RPG group! I thought y’all might be interested in seeing the games I recommended and maybe checking them out if you’re looking for something new to get up to with your friends! And if you’re interested in playing one.... maybe let me know? 👀 Here are five tabletop games that i love (under the cut):
TALES FROM THE WILD BLUE YONDER, by John Harper So I’m starting off with a bit of a cheat, because this is actually three games in one. In reality, this is a cycle of three short, loosely interrelated games, all taking place in the setting known as the Wild Blue Yonder. Lady Blackbird, Magister Lor, and Lord Scurlock ask players to take an evocative starting scenario and several pre-generated character sheets and run with it. Beyond a loose explanation of the world, the character pre-gens, and the starting scenario, players are asked to run wild. It runs off of a dice pool of D6s, and the rules are tailored to each class and simple enough to pick up in a matter of minutes and start telling the story. It’s rules-light in all of the best ways and focuses on letting the group tell whatever story fits their fancy. Also, who doesn’t want to travel across the sky in a smuggler’s skyship to find their pirate lover? Just me?
INTERSTITIAL: OUR HEARTS INTERTWINED, by Riley Hopkins
Everyone who knows me knows how dear I hold the Kingdom Hearts series. It’s a story of epic proportions that also manages to be about the power of love, friendship, and messing around with the coolest characters from your favorite intellectual properties. Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined is a game that strives to create the same experience for tabletop and does a pretty darn good job of it. This game isn’t quiet about having Kingdom Hearts as its main source material, and a majority of the character classes are based off of key characters from the series, but the thing that keeps me coming back to Interstitial is its versatility. The game’s main storyline involves traveling through disparate worlds, and the game gives the players and the GM the tools to create any world they can think of and weave it into the story of the game. RPGs are powerful in that we aren’t constrained by any sort of rules or copyright; we’re allowed to create something at the table that’s just for us and our friends’ enjoyment. Want to send your characters into some Disney worlds? Cool, love it. Want to add in original stuff? Also amazing, there’s tools for that! Whole levels and character arcs based off of an obscure property that only you seem to remember? Go ham, the world is your oyster in Interstitial. Also you can play as a really big guinea pig. So that’s a big draw.
THE VEIL, by Frasier Simmons
In the last month, I have tweeted about lying on the floor and listening to Blade Runner Blues a minimum of 15 times. It’s this game’s fault. The Veil is a Powered by the Apocalypse game in which the players create a cyberpunk world to do… well, whatever they want. The power of The Veil is in the way that it introduces tasty world building concepts (in the character classes and in the ruleset — both the Veil itself and the social debt system known as Giri are notable examples), but leaves room for the players to introduce and define those elements. Character creation and setting creation occurs in tandem, which is a feature that I’m starting to like more and more in the games that I run. At a time when cyberpunk as a genre is starting to lose some of its teeth (notably the “capitalism is bad” messages the genre was founded on), it feels good to be able to dictate as a player what questions you want to ask the world, and to be a driving force in creating change within in it.
AGON, by John Harper and Sean Nittner
If you’re tired of me talking about John Harper, just sit down and listen, because this one is IT. AGON asks players to take up the mantle of powerful Classical heroes returning from the Trojan war, traveling from island to island and facing terrifying foes and deceptive puzzles in order to gain glory for themselves and their families. Though the premise inherently asks players to zero in on a specific era of history with specific cultural baggage (gender differences, animal sacrifice, ritual worship), AGON pleasantly surprised me in its inclusivity, from its frank discussion of “lines and veils” around sensitive topics, its assertion that heroes can come from people of all types (including a field for pronouns on the character sheet, a little touch that makes a big difference), and overall its emphasis on player choice and power. Ultimately, AGON makes the Classics accessible and gives the players a set of punchy rules to make their characters into forces to be reckoned with. My favorite feature: when players make rolls, they have to shout out which parts of their epithets and lineages they want to call upon to complete their particular feat. Nothing makes me smile more than hearing a player shout “I am Hagne, the Clever-eyed, scion of Hecate, and I…. just rolled a six!"
BLADES IN THE DARK, by John Harper
I feel like everyone knew this was coming, since I talk about this game nonstop. Though I was introduced to the hobby through 5E, Blades in the Dark is the game that made me love gaming. It’s not very often that I’m not involved with a Blades game, and even people that weren’t in my RPG club last Spring are at least somewhat aware of my infamous run as Sabine, the Slide character with a clock to “seduce the most powerful figure in the city.” Blades makes it on this list not only for how well-thought out and presented the city of Doskvol is, but how adaptable the base Forged in the Dark system is to other settings altogether. As much as I love seeking the stars in Scum and Villainy or attempting to recreate the world of the Witcher in my own Blades hack, there’s just something about returning to Doskvol, where the NPCs and factions are slowly becoming old friends. Maybe I’ll try not to seduce a demon next time. No promises, though.
#tabletop#rpgs#lady blackbird#john harper#into the wild blue yonder#blades in the dark#agon#the veil#interstitial
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things to do in San Francisco
Like any other huge city, San Francisco has its charm of typical evening fare: theatre and performing arts, night clubs, fine dining, and many more. But what happens if you don’t like those typical after-hours pursuits or are traveling with your family? Never feel fear, there are still plenty of things to do in San Francisco after the sun sets down. Here’s a list of our 18 favorite things.
from the San Francisco Bay Bridge See the Bay Lights
Trip Savvy and Betsy Malloy
At sunset, the utilitarian San Francisco Bay Bridge turns into a sparkling, LED lights. See from the Embarcadero between the Ferry Building and the bridge or look down towards the rays coming from the top of Telegraph Hill’s (Coit Tower).
Try a Drink at a Ritzy Hotel Bar
Ritz Carlton San Francisco
Kick-off the all your event at the swanky, swoon-worthy JCB Tasting Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The jewel box of lounge seats about a dozen people in an eye-popping setting of gold and black, animal prints, and glittering crystal.
Order a glass of passionate, flirt over the flamboyant, sensual (and oh-so-yummy) No. 69 Pinot Noir or provocative No. 9 sparkling wine. When this area fills up all their Baccarat crystal glasses, they will not accept another single person, no matter how much you beg. Make a prior reservation to avoid disappointment.
For a breath view from slightly less opulent surroundings, you can’t beat the Top of the Mark at the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
Take an Evening Tour
schools / Getty Images
Guided tour doesn’t stop when the sun sets down; The San Francisco Night Tour with Vantigo will leads you around the city in a cute, van that seats six people. In 2 hours, you’ll see the city at its sparkly, best. Wine and Beer included at a reasonable price. On a Local Taste of the City tour, you’ll taste the city’s best coffee, Dim Sum, and other foods on a 2 hours culinary tour.
See a Baseball Game
Nighttime baseball games are fun traditions, but the Giants’ expansive ballpark is enjoyable. take a hot dog and beer and join in on the fun, The team also hosts different special events throughout the summer Must Read
See Alcatraz at Night
Matteo Colombo / Getty Images
Touring Alcatraz during the day may be hot, cramped, and take away from valuable sightseeing time elsewhere. But visiting the storied prison at night expands your sightseeing time and gives you a complete chance to experience the special activities and programs that could not be offered during the day time. You are the only group on the island, which can add to this unique tour’s slightly mysterious charm.
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We Players
Every modern city has theaters, nightclubs, movie houses, and symphonies. You will find them all in San Francisco Instead, check out We Players, which stages site-integrated performances in dramatic outdoor locations.
Go to the Marin Headlands
TripSavvy / Betsy Malloy
NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
If you are interested in capturing more breathtaking sunset pictures, this picture was taken from the Marin Headlands from the northwest edge of the Golden Gate Bridge. These city lights behind the bridge are stunning.
Visit Treasure Island for This View
Treasure Island is the best place in the town to watch the city lights at sunset. The small island is fun to explore during the day, but you won’t believe the pictures you’ll click once the sun falls below the horizon every night. To go there, take the Bay Bridge toward Oakland and exit halfway across.
Photograph the Transamerica Building at Night
Whether you love or hate it, the iconic Transamerica Building has always had a unique profile in the town. You can take some of San Francisco’s most iconic clicks by shooting it from one of the city’s
hilltops.
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Continue to 9 of 18 below.
Walk Along Pier 7
A bit is hidden from other tourist spots in San Francisco; you’ll find Pier 7 along the waterfront between Broadway and Washington Street. A short walk gives a beautiful city lights view, and there are many benches to sit, relax, and enjoy San Francisco evening, crowdfree.
Go to the top of Coit Tower
if you head to the top of historic Telegraph Hill, where you’ll find San Francisco’s 210 feet Coit Tower. The ground floor of the tower has beautiful colorful murals painted by local artists, while the top-level depicts you stunning views of the glittering skyline. This view is similar to that you can see from the highest of the parking garage above the police station on Vallejo Street
Take a Segway Tour
An evening tour is more fun than you can imagine, with the San Francisco Electric Tour Company. The trips begin in the Chinatown and cover the Embarcadero and Little Italy
Take a Quiet Walk Through Chinatown
As the sun goes down, Chinatown slowly turns into a ghost town. Few people walk through it, never seem to look up to watch all the neon-lit signs or the glowing, against the twilight blue sky. Don’t be dull like others; just take the short walk along Grant Avenue from Bush Street to Columbus just after the sunset. And don’t forget to look up.
Discover Something New With Goldstar
a unique California-based company, Goldstar, calls itself an “event discovery service.” It means you can buy discounted tickets to sporting events, theatre performances, tours, and many more. Recent offerings included comedy performances and Golden Gate Bridge champagne tour on a schooner.
Go Ghost-Hunting
San Francisco (Ghost Hunt) promises to explain to you San Francisco’s most notorious ghosts on a lantern-lighted walk through Pacific Heights.
Christian Cagigal lead the Tours, a Bay Area magician
See the Speakeasy
Not confuse with a brewery the same name that is now closed. Speakeasy is an immersive performance experience, that means that you do not just watch, you also participate. You might be in a short public scene or get a private, one to one encounter with a performer. Or something entirely different might happen. That’s the fun of it.More Articular
See a Concert at the Fillmore
in 1954 this historic concert venue opened and has hosted the likes of the Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, The Who, and others. The landmark venue Geary Boulevard still showcases both rock legends and up-and-comers, making it a uniquely San Franciscan way to spend an evening
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Go to a Museum
Many of San Francisco’s best museums offers late night entrance at least once in a week, Every Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m.The California Academy of Sciences offers late-night admission, while the de Young Museum, one of the city’s best art museums, is open late on Friday from 5:30 to 8:45 p.m. Most museum’s late-night hours include exclusive talks and performances and sometimes even food and drink.
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@lapis-lazuliie you beautiful sunflower 🧡🧡
1: How many books did you read this year?
I’ve read 18 this year! My goodreads target is 20 so I have to squeeze in 2 more before the end of the month 😂😂
2: Did you reread anything? What?
I reread The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe!
3: What were your top five books of the year?
Ooooh okay so out of the books I’ve read this year, the top 5 are:
The Manningtree Witches - A. K. Blakemore.
The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman.
Thirteen Storeys - Jonathan Sims.
Hamnet - Maggie O’Farrell.
Witchfinders: A 17th Century English Tragedy - Malcolm Gaskill.
4: Did you discover any new authors that you love this year
I found A. K. Blakemore amazing! I tried a lot of new authors I’d not read before this year and - even though I found myself googling new words every other page - I really enjoyed the way they embroidered the page with the language they used!
5: What genre did you read the most of?
Definitely horror 😅 most of it was folk horror, but there was some supernatural/historical horror thrown in there with the likes of The Terror and Thirteen Storeys!
6: Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?
So many! The one that stands out in my head though is Josiah Bancroft’s Senlin Ascends, which sounds RIGHT up my alley but I just never got around to it 😅😅
7: What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?
I would say my average rating is 3-4 stars. I’m not sure it’s entirely accurate because I have difficulty separating my enjoyment of things into different categories and I tend to DNF a lot of ones I’m not vibing with 😅 I think I’m probably a bit too generous with my scoring, but I only give 5 stars to the ones that truly blew me away.
8: Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?
I haven’t got my Goodreads target of 20 yet! But I DID push myself to read The Terror by Dan Simmons, which is an absolute beast of a book, so there’s that 😂😂
9: Did you get into any new genres?
Not really I’m afraid 🙈 I did manage to read some non-fiction though! I want to branch out into more non-fiction so Witchfinders was a good one for me as it’s kinda my special interest, I’ve gotten a hold on more of Gaskill’s work though, so I’m looking forward to broadening my reading horizons with in 2022!
10: What was your favorite new release of the year?
I don’t tend to really follow a lot of new releases, but The Manningtree Witches was fantastic! Like I said the 17th century witch trials/Matthew Hopkins are a bit of a special interest for me so I enjoy getting my hands on everything I can, it was a great book 🥰🥰
Also Thirteen Storeys! I’m a big fan of Jonathan Sims (have been since his Once Upon a Time (in Space) days 😅), and it was lovely to see him publish a book! Fans of The Magnus Archives should definitely check it out 😍
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18 Ways to Change up Your Running Routine
There's something special about being so fired up to go running that you count the minutes till you could leave job, lace up, as well as struck the sidewalk. However despite just how much you love running, it takes a little effort to keep the partnership fresh. "If you want to make progress as well as still keep it fun, selection is going to be critical," spokens Jason Fitzgerald, an elite marathoner, running instructor, as well as founder of StrengthRunning.com.
Before a preferred area path starts to feel ho-hum, mix in among these 18 runs to keep points enjoyable and challenging. Each one can be customized for runners of any type of health and fitness as well as experience levels. Numerous of the workouts need an established range, yet you do not need accessibility to a track. Websites as well as applications like MapMyRun as well as U.S.A Track & Area make it simple to map distance so you can do these workouts anywhere.
1. Get Stuck on Repeat
Running a set of repeats sprinkled with intervals for recovery is a straightforward method to blend points up. Pick a range or period (200 meters or 45 seconds, for example) as well as run hard. Rest for a collection time period as well as do it all once again (and again). (Spoiler alert: The recuperation period is simply as important as the repeat!) The Price of Perceived Effort (RPE) scale is an user-friendly method to loosely measure your effort, no heart rate monitor or other gadgetry required.
For most workouts, repeats ought to feel like a '7' to '9' on an RPE range, (ie. a harsh approximation of 'intensity') and recuperation intervals can either be full rest, walking, or light running. Beginning the next repeat when you've captured your breath sufficient to speak easily. The longer or harder the repeat, the more recovery you'll need.
2. Climb a Ladder
Ladders add a different difficulty to the standard interval workout with repeats that expand increasingly much more tough (in distance or strength) as the exercise advances. For instance, you may run 200m, rest, run 400m, remainder, run 600m, remainder, and so forth. This type of exercise excellents practice for handling physical effort throughout an exercise-- going hard while leaving something in the storage tank to finish solid. Check out a number of example ladder workouts for both beginning and progressed runners.
3. Step Up
Find staircases or a stadium that's open to the public and run them over and over. Just like hills, the walk down is your recuperation. Boost the obstacle by taking a few at a time. Shadowboxing optional.
4. Take on Tabatas
While most speed exercises ask for tough effort, Tabata training demands a full-scale sprint. The idea is to go as difficult as you perhaps can for 20 secs and after that remainder for 10 secs. Repeat that couplet 8 times as hard as you can, on staircases, apartments, or nevertheless else you've planned your exercise. More recent joggers must start with fewer repeats and also slowly accumulate to the total four-minute workout.
5. Go Climbing
Tackling a lengthy hill with a sluggish climb or running hard up a brief, high incline obstacles your aerobic fitness, leg stamina, and also psychological toughness at one time Effects of Various Uphill Interval-Training Programs on Running Economic climate and also Efficiency. Barnes, K.R., Hopkins, W.G., McGuigan, M.R., et al. Auckland College of Innovation. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2013 Mar 26. . Strategy a running route that consists of a couple of hillsides, or discover a hill that needs a steep climb and run repeats. If you pick the last, the stroll to back to the base is recovery.
6. Stride Right
Running strides is the bipedal equivalent of pumping an automobile's gas pedal. As you run a repeat of concerning 100m, quicken till you get to roughly 95 percent of your optimum rate-- which must take place about a third of the way into the repeat-- then decrease to the surface. Do as several repeats as you have power for, with healing or remainder between. "People enjoy strides," states Jason Fitzgerald. "They're a good means to extend your legs out and also really feel the wind in your hair." Fitzgerald recommends doing strides prior to the end of a simple run, to ensure that you're heated up but not fatigued.
7. Go Off-Roading
Rejuvenate the mind and body by leaving the roadway as well as right into nature. Running a course or route offers a picturesque background and also examinations your sychronisation on brand-new surface. Simply make certain you have the best type of tennis shoes, and also if it's your first time off the road, select a course that isn't most likely to (literally) trip you up.
8. Try "Fartleks"
Swedish for "speed play," fartleks permit joggers to profit of speed job in a disorganized exercise. Incentive: They're as fun to run as they are to spoken. To attempt fartleks, merely run at a comfortable pace to heat up and also after that include a sprint-- run hard until you reach completion of the block, or up until the next quit sign, or up until you see a red vehicle. Make an online game of it, that's why they call it "play!"
9. Get Social
Run with a team or club to discover brand-new courses as well as satisfy running pals. Bigger cities will have numerous running clubs that gather for group runs prior to and after the 9-to-5 workday. And also the majority of have a social component also-- post-workout recuperation gas might include draft beer, bagels, or both. If there typically aren't running clubs or teams near you, call specialty running shops in your location, they frequently host group runs. Turnaround runs, bunny runs, and also group fartleks produce tough, enjoyable group workouts.
10. Run to a Beat
Sometimes it's tough to press ourselves to maintain a challenging speed. When this happens, allow the music do the job. Applications like RockMyRun, TempoRun, and also PaceDJ give a beat that will certainly keep you scooting by sorting your music collection by pace. Songza's 90 BPM Hip Jump Running Mix will certainly keep you moving, too.
11. Run, Walk, Repeat
Running coach Jeff Galloway created his run-walk method to aid marathoners complete the 26.2-mile range without becoming sidelined by fatigue. He believes it additionally assists joggers build speed while minimizing the chance of injury. His training programs are highly structured, with recommended ratios of time spent going to time spent strolling, relying on a runner's pace-per-mile.
12. Go Long (and Slow Down)
Remember that ramping up the speed isn't really the only method to make a run more difficult. Reducing as well as running longer is an excellent means to construct endurance (though acquiring also much mileage can have its very own prospective mistakes). To avoid injury brought on by pushing also hard ahead of time, increase your ordinary once a week distance by no greater than 10 percent each week.
13. Work the Treadmill
With the capability to do exercises that vary in rate, range, as well as slope without having to scout courses or bother with environment, temperature, or road problems, the treadmill is one of one of the most versatile tools in a jogger's health and fitness toolbox. Nearly any kind of running exercise could be done on the treadmill, including most exercises detailed here.
14. Experience the "Pyramids"
Pyramids begin with the quickest repeat as well as rise in established increments until they hit the longest distance, after that reduce in the very same increments. The last repeat will certainly be your starting range. For example: 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m, with recovery periods between each run. Feel free to swap out timed repeats for the distances.
15. Chase a Friend
If speed job really feels too much like, well, work, find a close friend that's a little bit faster compared to you as well as laid out together. This will challenge your legs as well as lungs, make your workout feel social, as well as supply a little additional inspiration. Really feel cost-free to take the social and also leave the rate work, there's nothing incorrect with running at a comfortable speed as well as talking as you go.
16. Throw Weight Around
Weight training enhances strength and could safeguard joggers against injury. "A good running program will likewise include scheduled stamina and also core training," says personal fitness instructor and also toughness trainer Jon-Erik Kawamoto. Jason Fitzgerald agrees, including that just 10-15 minutes of bodyweight exercise each time you run is an excellent method to enhance core and leg muscles.
Mix strength training into a run by doing, for instance, five squats and 5 lunges every 5 mins and afterwards holding a 30-second plank at every mile. Or do leap squats while you await a walk indicator or one block of strolling lunges for every single 3 blocks you run.
17. Just (Don’t) Do It
Just do not run. As Jason Fitzgerald mentions, "Healing is simply as essential as the workouts themselves. If you do not recover from them, you might too not do them." Times off are "when you adapt to that work from the workout-- obtain faster, stronger, come to be a much better runner." Without ample remainder, the risk of ending up being overtrained rises. Overtraining could cause a backslide in health and fitness gains, persistent exhaustion and also soreness, and enhances the likelihood of injury.
18. Race!
One of the ideal sensations is the zip in your action that originates from race-day adrenaline. Crossing a goal with lots of other established racers could give an inspiring sense of accomplishment as well as renew interest for the sporting activity. Find a race with a fun theme or post-race celebration, or one that benefits a reason you care around. Register in advance to strengthen your dedication, as well as start training for the range. Look into our 5K Training Overview or Half-Marathon Training Overview for every little thing you require to finish solid (and also enjoy while doing so).
#aerobic#aerobic fitness#exercise#fitness#fitness instructor#get fit#health#health and fitness#personal fitness#total fitness#weight#workout
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Countdown of the EFL play-off finals greatest games: 10-6 | Football News
This is the weekend when the nation usually stops to watch some of the finest, most frantic and fraught matches on the English football calendar.
The play-offs rarely disappoint, and so – in their absence – Sky Sports has been speaking to many of those who helped make past games so memorable.
Here you can enjoy our countdown from 10 to six, featuring two last-minute winners, a teenage penalty-scoring hero, and another Wembley screamer.
Let’s begin…
10 – Bolton 4-3 Reading – Division One play-off final, 1995 – “You get nothing for finishing second”
Reading hold the unfortunate record of being the only team to finish second in England’s second tier and not get promoted. With the Premier League – then the Premiership – reducing from 22 teams to 20, only Middlesbrough gained automatic promotion in 1995.
That forced Reading into the play-offs and two goals in the first 12 minutes from Lee Nogan and Adrian Williams had them dreaming of back-to-back promotions and their first-ever season in the top flight. But when your luck is out, it is really out.
Bolton secured their place in the Premier League for the first time in 1995 – but Reading could count themselves more than unlucky after a superb season
The Royals should have been home and dry when Stuart Lovell stepped up to take a penalty 10 minutes before half-time, but he missed and Bolton rallied.
Owen Coyle and substitute Fabian de Freitas forced extra-time and momentum proved key, as goals from Mixu Paatelainen and a second from De Freitas turned the game on its head.
Reading’s player-manager Jimmy Quinn did his best to lead by example and pulled a goal back late on, but the damage was done. It really was not Reading’s year!
EFL Future Stars
Sky Sports assess some of the future stars of English football currently playing in the EFL.
9 – Rotherham 2-2 Leyton Orient – League One play-off final, 2014 – “I was hoping his trousers would drop below his kneecaps as he ran down the touchline” 4:46 Alex Revell and Steve Evans recount Rotherham’s play-off final victory Leyton Orient.
Alex Revell and Steve Evans recount Rotherham’s play-off final victory Leyton Orient.
This game had it all: A second-half comeback, a 30-yard Alex Revell lob against his former team, penalties and almost a flash of Steve Evans’ underpants.
So comfortable were Leyton Orient with their 2-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox, that Evans said some O’s players “thought they were already in the Championship, the way they were behaving”.
Evans fired his players up and within 10 minutes of the second half, Revell poked home to pull one back. If that was scrappy, his equaliser five minutes later certainly was not.
Rotherham celebrate their penalty shootout success over Orient in 2014 following a superb comeback inside normal time
That sent Evans sprinting down the touchline, with his belt just about preventing an embarrassing Wembley wardrobe malfunction.
“I was so hoping his trousers would drop below his kneecaps, but he just managed to drag them up in time as he ran down the touchline,” then Orient boss Russell Slade said.
Embarrassment spared, Evans and his team regained their composure to win the resulting penalty shoot-out and earn Rotherham a second successive promotion.
At home… with Championship stars
Sky Sports joins some of the biggest names in the Championship at home… including Leeds, Derby and Nottingham Forest.
8 – Charlton 2-1 Sunderland – League One play-off final, 2019 – “These Charlton players write their legend!” 1:22 Lee Bowyer recounts Charlton’s dramatic League One play-off final victory over Sunderland.
Lee Bowyer recounts Charlton’s dramatic League One play-off final victory over Sunderland.
Two play-off titans who are no strangers to each other. Twenty-one years on from their notorious 1998 meeting, they met again at Wembley, desperate for an exit from a league arguably too small for them. It was a gruelling season in England’s third-tier though, with Luton and Barnsley going up automatically.
Sunderland had been vying for automatic promotion all term following heavy investment, while Charlton won seven of their remaining eight regular-season games, setting the stage for a mouthwatering battle between the two former Premier League clubs.
The Black Cats faced their second trip to London in a matter of weeks following their agonising defeat to Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy final, played in front of a record crowd of 85,021. Anyone who has seen Sunderland Till I Die on Netflix knows exactly what happened next…
Bowyer celebrates with the Sky Bet League One play-off final trophy
“These Charlton players write their legend!” screamed Gary Weaver from the commentary box, as Patrick Bauer won the game in the 94th minute. Two famous finals, two famous wins for the south London club.
“We just kept pushing and pushing and thankfully got that goal,” boss Lee Bowyer said. “My emotions got the better of me, but the fourth official told me there was only six seconds left and I knew they wouldn’t score in that time – so we could relax!”
7 – Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United – Division One play-off final, 1997 – “David Hopkin looking to curl one… Absolutely amazing!”
With half a minute to go, it was more relief than joy for Crystal Palace when captain David Hopkin sealed a 1-0 victory to beat Sheffield United and win promotion to the Premier League. “I was relieved that it wasn’t going to extra time!” the Scotsman admitted.
“I remember the ball being cleared to the edge of the box, and running towards the ball and hitting it early. It was a fantastic finish on a fantastic day, on the back of a very successful season we were having.”
It’s pure jubilation for the Crystal Palace squad as they celebrate their last-minute winner against Sheffield United in 1997
Hopkin had enjoyed a stand-out campaign in south London, also scoring a key goal in the semi-final second-leg defeat to Wolves, which helped them progress to Wembley. “I spoke to somebody at Palace, and they said ‘You have to remember you got two Player of the Year awards, you scored in the semi-final and then the final… and then you left!'”
He arrived at Leeds, who paid £3.25m for his services. But his heart still belonged to Palace, and just four years after leaving, Hopkin returned to Selhurst Park for a second stint. “It’s a fantastic club and I have fantastic memories,” he added. “It’s a club that will be with me and my family for the rest of my days.”
Championship awards of the season so far
Sky Sports pundits pick out their Players, Managers and Teams of the Season.
6 – Birmingham 1-1 Norwich – Division One play-off final, 2002 – “Steve Bruce had us replicating the walk to the spot!”
Darren Carter promoted Birmingham to the Premier League with his match-winning penalty against Norwich in 2002, writing himself into Blues folklore. The Solihull man always had his heart set on taking a spot-kick thanks to boss Steve Bruce and his meticulous planning.
After downing Millwall over two semi-final legs, fifth-placed Birmingham set up a Millennium Stadium final with sixth-placed Norwich, which went down to the wire in front of 71,597 fans. Luckily, Bruce had put extra emphasis on penalty taking in his pre-match preparations.
Reflecting on the win, and asked if he wanted to take part in the shootout, Carter said: “Yes – I always get asked that question and people are always astonished by my answer. We practiced them all the way up to the final, Steve Bruce had us replicating the walk from the halfway line.
Birmingham’s players celebrate promotion to the Premier League in 2002 following a penalty shootout victory over Norwich
“He wanted us in a routine. We were taking penalties after every training session and I always felt supremely confident. I had no nerves, even when we got to the shooutout. To this day, I have Birmingham fans coming up to me and asking if they can buy me a coffee or a drink, it’s the same for my dad!
“I love it, it’s great, it’s been 18 years since the game and people still recall their enjoyment, what they did and how they celebrated. It’s such a great memory to have and be a part of.”
*Don’t forget to tune into ‘My Play-Off Final’ on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Football from 3pm on Monday.
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2020 Oscars Predictions
Inspiration.
I’ve been thinking about inspiration the last two weeks.
I, like many of you, spent the better part of January 26-28, overwhelmed with the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gigi, and 7 other victims of a helicopter accident in California. It was information overload that day. Refreshing the social feeds didn’t help. News went from bad to worse. No rollercoaster of emotions, this just felt like a pit.
The news dominated Sunday.
But long lost clips of interviews and heartfelt stories took over on Monday and Tuesday, and I was truly blessed by it. There was one clip I saw more than any other. It wasn’t Kobe dropping 81 against the Raptors, or him scoring 60 on his final game. It wasn’t the lob to Shaq, the dunk over Dwight, the free throws after tearing his achilles. No, it was of him and his daughter Gigi sitting courtside at a random Haws-Nets game at the end of last year. Just talking ball, father to daugher, mentor to mentee... inspiration to inspiration.
Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game, won an Oscar in 2018 for Best Animated Short Film for his retirement announcement letter put to music and illustration called Dear Basketball. The final words of his acceptance speech he speaks to his wife and daughters in Italian and tells them he “loves them with all his heart” and that they are his “inspiration.”
You see inspiration is that enthusiasm you get from someone or something that drives you to create something extraordinary. It is not earned or deserved. Inspired work stands apart from everything normal.
That’s exactly what appeals to me the most about the Oscars. We get to look back in the year that was and award those truly inspired pieces of art through film. The value beyond this is that inspiration is, as David Brooks in his NY Times Op Ed put it:
“...a beautiful contagion that passes through individuals. The word itself comes from the Latin inspirare, meaning “to breath into.” One inspiring achievement — say, the space program — has a tendency to raise the sense of possibility in others — say, a little boy who dreams of being an astronomer. Then the one who is inspired performs his own feats and inspires others, and so on down the line.”
In truly contagious fashion, this year we may see a former athlete win an Oscar for his Animated Short Film called Hair Love. Matthew Cherry tells a heartfelt story of an African American father learning to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. It is worth ALL 6 minutes and MORE.
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Cherry, a former NFL player, has spoken very openly about how he was inspired by Kobe’s film... and here we are.
A basketball legend inspired by his daughters
A daughter inspired by her father to pursue basketball
A former athlete inspired by a former athlete to create a short film
“Success is not just what you accomplish in your life, it is about what you inspire others to do.”
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Bee’s 2020 Oscars Predictions
Year 7! Last year was tough even though I got 5/7 correct. I included Best Documentary Feature last year so it helped my numbers but since I didn’t see any of the full length documentary films this year I’m crossing it out and replacing it with Best Animated Feature. Got to 44 movies in 2019, 1 shy of last year’s total. So close. 2019 was a really bad year in movies for a while but then Q4 turned up the heat and it ended up being one of the better years in recent memory. So let’s dive in!
Best Picture
Will Win & Hope Wins: Parasite- It comes down to Parasite and 1917 for me. I LOVED them both. Any other winner would be just absurd here. Parasite is a 100% lock to win Best Foreign Language Film, and I believe it is well deserving of becoming the first film ever to win both that and Best Picture. Director Bong Joon Ho created a masterpiece that is now in my Top 10 movies of All-Time. It is the best film I’ve seen since 2015 (The Big Short) and I think the depth of storytelling, suspense and symbolism is just near perfection.
Lead Actress
Will Win & Hope Wins: Renee Zellweger, Judy- Here’s the answer to the inevitable question “Where has she been this whole time?” Renee Zellweger did take a 6-year acting hiatus from 2009 to 2015. Her portrayal of an overwhelmed Judy Garland is in many ways representative of her own struggle with the rigors of Hollywood. Judy was a subpar, biopic but Renee Zellweger was extraordinary in it.
Lead Actor
Will Win & Hope Wins: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker- No one on earth could play Joker like that. It was such an intense performance on his part. The movie was hard to watch at times but you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. Usually biopics are the way to go for winning best acting oscars. The Lead Actor category has had a winner in biopic films in 6 out of the last 7 Oscars. Joaquin will make it 6 for 8. If for no other reason to hope he wins, that acceptance is going to be entertaining to say the least!
Director
Will Win: Sam Mendes, 1917- The “one-shot” was better than any movie has ever done it. Some saw it as a gimmick but I just thought it worked so seamlessly with the plot of the movie. 1917 goes down as one of my favorite war movies of all-time. Mendes has one Oscar for directing already for American Beauty and he’s definitely deserving of this year’s prize as well.
Hope Wins: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite- I’m a member of the Bong Hive. What can I say?! It’s so hard to make a movie with no clear protagonist or antagonist. You’re not rooting for anyone, as the audience you are most literally along for the ride. I should also note that weeks later the movie sticks with you like glue but I honestly forgot it was all in Korean. The linear storytelling and purposeful nature of every scene and dialogue comes so clear in his work.
Supporting Actress
Will Win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story- Marriage Story just didn’t work for me. Laura Dern was fine but I really think people are overvaluing her performance. I tried my hardest to empathize with the circumstances surrounding their ugly divorce but unless you have a kid and are consumed with your work, I don’t think you can relate. The acting was good but there were so many unnecessary elements. I’ll just say for those that watched: Box cutter?!
Hope Wins: Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit- It’s the year of Scar Jo! Nominated for Lead in Marriage Story, Supporting in Jojo Rabbit, and was a part of the highest grossing film of all-time in Avengers: Endgame. She really came into her own this year flexing her acting muscle. She was so good in Jojo Rabbit. Presented strength and weakness in such a believable way. She’s never been nominated before so all the more reason to pull for our Black Widow here.
Supporting Actor
Will Win & Hope Wins: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood- Pitt has been around acting in enjoyable movies for such a long time now (Seven, Fight Club, Snatch, Troy, Ocean’s, Moneyball, etc) but he has no Oscars hardware to show for it. He was in Best Picture winning 12 Years a Slave but that award was for the film as a whole. It’s time Pitt deserves his recognition. Both his role and Margot’s were almost pseudo leads. Also the rest of the competition in the category is relatively weak (Hopkins in Two Popes was great though).
I should point out as well that his production company has for years now been involved in moving the needle on diversity in film. 12 Years a Slave was the breakthrough but since then they’ve produced:
Selma
Moonlight
Okja
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (should have nominated for Best Picture over Ford v. Ferrari)
Would love to see Pitt and his production company get its due. Oh by the way the name of said production company:
Animated Feature
Will Win: Toy Story 4- I didn’t see it. But I heard it’s not as good as Toy Story 3.
Hope Wins: Klaus- In the mold of Polar Express and Home Alone, this could be a yearly Christmas-time watch for me. It was entertaining and different and meaningful all wrapped into one animated feature film. It’s on Netflix so if you haven’t seen it, don’t even wait for Christmas to watch it.
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Best Picture Films Ranked
Parasite- 9.1
1917- 8.7
Little Women- 8.4
Jojo Rabbit- 8.2
Joker- 7.7
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood- 7.7
Ford v. Ferrari- 7.5
The Irishman- 7.1
Marriage Story- 6.8
My Top 9 Movies of 2019
Parasite
1917
Blinded By the Light
The Farewell
Avengers: Endgame
Little Women
Jojo Rabbit
Us
Always Be my Maybe
*Endgame better win best Visual Effects. This slight against comic book movies is so tiring. See you next year!
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the difference between samjo and hopkins is samjo was endearing to the audience and funny as fuck whereas hopkins was funny as fuck but nobody wants to admit it
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Best vampire movies? In asking for a friend...
Oh. Well, this is just my opinion and recommendations (and I know Cora made a list too) so…
Interview With the Vampire (1994) - Honestly a classic. Who doesn’t love Louis and brat prince Lestat and their love-hate relationship and attempts to keep their family with Claudia together over the passage of time? 100% recommend the books too to anyone who hasn’t read Anne Rice’s work.
Dracula Untold (2014) - A take on Vlad Teppes becoming Dracula. Looks amazing, has incredible acting and I assure you, you’ll cry. Give me a sequel already.
Fright Night (2011) - Oooh controversial opinion time! Yes, I picked this over the original. It’s definitely less scary than the original but the comedic elements/general aesthetic of the movie more than make up for it. Also Collin Farrell as a vampire.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - Bank robbers and the family they’ve kidnapped end up in a club full of vampires and have to try to survive until day comes. Wasn’t a box office hit but has a cult following. There’s also now a tv series inspired by it that develops the characters and background witch I recommend too!
Blade Trilogy (1998-2004) - Based on the Marvel comics. It follows the titular Blade - a ‘daywalker’ - on his endless battle against vampires. The third film does have a lot of controversy surrounding it and it’s not as good as the other two but give it a watch if you like.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) - Probably the most human vampire film in existence. It’s emotionally powerful and deals with depression after centuries of existence. It’s a slow-burning movie and a beautiful tale.
Dracula (1931) - Honestly the movie we have to thank for vampires becoming such a pop culture staple. Bela Lugosi’s Dracula still continues to define the character and is responsible or the persistent ‘vampire accent’.
Let the Right One In (2008) - Follows a young boy and a vampiric little girl. Another one that’ll make you emotional. Watch the Swedish version over the American remake. Check the book out too!
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - Mockumentary following vampire flatmates and various other supernatural beings. It’s basically about mundane life but… with vampires and it’s comedy gold.
Byzantium (2012) - Follows a mother/daughter vampire duo. No high class vampires here, our girls are portrayed by as the lowest rung by society’s standards. The movie is gorgeous and again, a more emotional take on vampires and the problems vampirism can bring.
The Addiction (1995) - This movie uses vampires to make social commentary. It deals with some heavy issues: AIDS for one, drug abuse for another. But it also explores new age religion and a generation rebelling from what they’ve known. It’s a pretty philosophical movie dealing with peoples’ fluctuating and shifting mindsets.
Dracula’s Daughter (1936) - Follows - you guessed it - Dracula’s daughter (The Dracula from the 1931 movie). This movie is astounding for its time because it’s a big ol’ lesbian fest and Marya’s quest to rid herself of her vampirism is symbolic of ‘curing’ gay/lesbian individuals.
Kiss of the Damned (2013) - A screenwriter falls in love with a woman who turns out to be a vampire and is turned by her. They survive by feeding on animals, and everything is going well until our leading lady’s vampiric sister shows up to cause chaos.
Hotel Transylvania (2012) - An animated movie in which Dracula owns a hotel where the monsters of the world stay, and is about to celebrate his daughter’s - Mavis - birthday. Things go awry when human Jonathan shows up. Honestly, people dismiss animated movies far too much. This one is high-energy, funny and definitely enjoyable for adults as well as children.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) - Another take on the iconic novel. The movie is, honestly, hit-or-miss and at times over the top, but Gary Oldman as Dracula, Winona Ryder as Mina and Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing are delights you can’t pass up on. Even if it’s kind of a wild ride with how OTT it is, it’s a fun one.
Thirst (2009) - A South Korean movie that follows a young priest. He tries to help with aid work during an epidemic but ends up infected himself. A blood transfusion saves his life but that blood was vampiric and thus he himself is now a vampire. You can imagine the deep moral and spiritual struggle this causes the devout man as he tries to keep a hold of his humanity.
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Drumragh Integrated College 08/04/19
A week before Easter I went home to my old secondary school to make sure I got the required amount of placement hours. I spent three days at the college and helped as much as I could within the PE department. On my first day at the college they had a coach from my local rugby club out to take a few year groups for rugby. As a college, Drumragh doesn’t offer rugby that much, they are more focused on football and athletics. Knowing this from previously going to the school, I felt like this would be great for the kids and I thought they would really enjoy themselves. The coach from my local rugby club wasn’t very enthusiastic, and that is just how he coaches as I know him from playing rugby myself. He needed to be enthusiastic considering the group we had at the time were young. As a result of this, the kids seemed to lose interest and it certainly made me realise the importance of enthusiasm when coaching. “Enthusiasm drives passion and fuels achievement.” (Hopkin, 2009). I decided that I had to do something when I was watching this, so what I did was I stepped in and just really tried to be enthusiastic with the kids and showed them that what we were doing could be enjoyable. I found that it worked really well as some of the kids that weren't interested got involved and afterwards when I asked them about it, they said they were thinking of maybe playing rugby.
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New Post has been published on http://cookwareview.com/4-facts-about-classic-and-conventional-elizabethan-cooking-recipes/
4 Facts About Classic And Conventional Elizabethan Cooking Recipes!
by sekihan
Are you interested in trying out little-known but tasty recipes or something more traditional than the regular quick-fix meal ideas of today? If you answered yes to that and you are indeed adventurous about expanding your cooking repertoire with more classic cooking ideas, we have just the thing for you: these Elizabethan cooking recipes and tips are sure to bring in novelty to your kitchen, so try some today!
1. The most distinctive part about Elizbethan cooking cuisine is their preference for using extra sugar, which used to be added into many different ingredients such as borage, celery and dittany, for example, during those olden times.
2. Typically, Elizabethan recipes begin with an appetizer, followed by a main course, then other side dishes and finally ending off with the sweet dishes that can consist of a wide range of confectionary items such as puddings, bread-items, cakes and pastries besides sauces and beverages! The old-fashioned style of preparing these as much as the serving style is what distinguishes Elizabethan cooking recipes from modern techniques of preparing and presenting meals.
3. Besides the above mentioned facets of Elizabethan cooking dishes, the other important fact about them, which also gave them a distinct taste, is the use of varied spices that were also regarded as a symbol of social standing the person who could afford to use them, held.
4. The best place to source Elizabethan cooking recipes is online as the variety of search engines will ensure you get the full menu prepared in less than one hour or you can also choose to look up traditional resources for these at the neighborhood bookstore, where you are likely to a hard-bound copy of some great Elizabethan recipes in a beautiful rendition to the cooking ideas with graphics.
Not only is the idea of making time-honored meals the old-fashioned way an appealing and distinctly different idea in today’s fast-paced world, but the possibility of entertaining scope increasing is also high besides the novelty of a theme party, which goes well with this type of feasting; in fact, costume parties are the best bet for maximizing enjoyment of traditional meals and period games for all guests.
Unique, fun-filled and enjoyable activities can be clubbed with the concept of putting together Elizabethan cooking recipes for a meal as this is the perfect opportunity for loved ones to get together and gives them a different sort of event. It is also the perfect party idea for a close-knit social group or club who may be fond of sharing or cooking recipes from the Elizabethan era that would be willing to spread the word and mix with like-minded individuals besides increasing the scope for a pot-luck meal, should you like it!
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available!
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We’re reading all the books for National Reading Month! And that’s the theme of the month (and a mini reading challenge for yours truly!)
“A Reader of Books”
I am what you would call a “reader for life.” I love books, and always have. Ever since I first started reading The Cat in the Hat prior to starting Kindergarten, I have loved the idea of words telling a story.
I should probably back up a bit, before the time I learned to read.
My mom told this story about a time when my dad had a newspaper open on the floor, and in the Job Classifieds, there was an advertisement that says “Macy’s.” I was two years old, walking by the paper on the ground, and looked down and said “Macy’s.” No, I couldn’t read yet, but apparently I could identify store logos, which either said I was going to be a world class shopper (which I’m not), or a reader (which I am).
Allison at 5 1/2 years old (also in 1988). Image: Venezio Family Collection
Brilliant, probably not, but smart – yeah, I’ve always been a little smart. I’ve always been the type to just read whatever was in the house. If a magazine was on the coffee table, then it was fair game. I loved library day at school, and don’t get me started on the Scholastic Book Fair. I missed a book fair in third grade and was devastated – the one and only book fair I ever missed in school (stupid sinus infection!). My mom made it up to me by taking me to a local bookstore while I was recuperating from the sinus infection (I missed almost two weeks of school because of that infection!) to pick out some of the books I wanted from the book fair that year. It was the time Ramona Quimby and The Baby-Sitters Club made their debuts in my reading life, and they’ve never left.
That was the same year I met Peter Hatcher and his little brother Farley Drexel (but you know him as Fudge), and Peter’s arch-nemesis (if only because she was a girl) Sheila Tubman (my mom bought me Sheila’s story that year). The following year, in fourth grade, I was introduced to Mrs. Frisby and some rats from a secret organization, Charlie Buckett and his trip to some chocolate factory, as well as Ellen Tebbits (she lives in the same town as Ramona Quimby). There was a Light in the Attic, and it was the one time I’ve ever loved poetry.
Fifth grade meant reading a few years above my level, when I discovered the horror of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street. Yes, I admit it – I skipped over the Goosebumps series and went right for the high school-age stuff, while keeping up with the Baby-Sitters Club (and Kristy Thomas’s younger stepsister, Karen, whom I met in fourth grade when I got one of her books for Christmas).
By the time sixth grade ended, I left behind Ramona and the babysitters (Karen too) for pretty much non-stop reading of Fear Street novels (but I met “The Great” Gilly Hopkins that year). I gave all of my books to a younger cousin (except for my copy of A Light in the Attic – I kept that for a few more years). My love of reading grew from there, and expanded into Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and anything and everything about pop culture, humor, film, and television. I read Dennis Miller’s books of rants in high school, even enjoyed some political reading in college. Since high school and college was all about required reading, I did the assigned books. They sorta became priority, so when college was finally done, I got back into doing my own reading.
As an adult, I’ve followed SG-1 on their adventures through the Stargate (still do once in a while), read a story about the horrors of rabbits relocating (and saw the movie about it, which is terrifying), and finally read the story of a young girl who was also “a reader of books.”
And that young girl is the subject of the first article in my themed “National Reading Month” articles.
At long last.
Matilda Wormwood, The Reader of Books
Image: archive.org
One children’s literature character I had the pleasure of meeting as a kid (both in written and movie form) was Matilda Wormwood. I saw the movie when I was in eighth grade (a few years after I read the book, which would have been in fourth or fifth grade), when one of my cousins bought it over to watch. The following day, I went over to my best friend’s house, and she received VHS copy of it from Christmas. She was waiting to watch it with me, so we did. A few months after that, I got my own copy of Matilda. My grandmother bought it – my mom used to try to discourage her from buying us videos because she usually bought ones that my brother and I were too old for, but I loved this particular one. This was the exception – I loved the story.
In 1997, I would never have expected a kids movie to have such an impact on so many. Maybe it was the story, but I’d like to think it was Mara Wilson’s depiction of Matilda Wormwood that gave the story of a little girl with a love of books – and a rather interesting ability – such depth.
Matilda’s story actually begins almost a decade earlier, in 1988, which was right after the young lady that brought her to life was born.
Matilda
Image: archive.org
Matilda is a 1988 novel by Roald Dahl, the same author who brought Charlie Buckett, the BFG, and James’s adventures in a Giant Peach to life. The story focuses on the eponymous character, a five-and-a-half year old girl with an “unusual prococity.” Ignored by her parents and older brother, Matilda ventures to the local library beginning at the age of four, in search of books.
Matilda’s family, such as they are. Image: archive.org
By the time she is five-and-a-half, she has read all the children’s books, tackled Great Expectations, and loved Charles Dickens. She is enrolled in a school run by Miss Agatha Trunchbull, a tyrannical sort who rules with an iron first. Despite that, Matilda forms a bond with her teacher, Miss Honey.
Matilda discovers she has telekinetic abilities, when she causes a water glass containing a Newt to spill onto Miss Trunchbull. When she reveals this to Miss Honey, her teacher confides to her about her upbringing at the hands of an abusive aunt after her father dies suspiciously. The aunt, it turns out, is Miss Trunchbull, who is withholding Miss Honey’s deserved inheritance. Matilda uses her abilities for sweet, sweet revenge (you know, the kid-appropriate kind), by raising a piece of chalk to the chalkboard during a lesson by Miss Trunchbull. She writes a message with the chalk, in the guise of the ghost of Miss Honey’s father, demanding that Trunchbull hand over Miss Honey’s home and inheritance, and leave forever.
Trunchbull obliges (in a horrified way – abandoning the home and leaving no indication of where she was going), Miss Honey gets her house, and in a hesitant moment while trying to leave town due to Mr. Wormwood’s less-than-honorable profession (turns out those cars he sells are stolen), her parents give Matilda permission to live with Miss Honey. Things improve with the school, and advances in Matilda’s education result in losing her telekinesis, but she now has everything she wanted.
A sweet story about a sweet but very misunderstood young lady.
Allison Meets Matilda
As I said, I saw the movie first, when I was in eighth grade, with my younger cousin, but over a decade before I actually (finally!) read the book. I love both and the differences in the story, which had more of a British element, whereas the film is definitely Americanized. I love the names of the characters – even the hard-edged Miss Trunchbull has such a great name – so perfect for someone of her stature.
Man, did the movie get her so right! Image: archive.org
I love that Matilda was finally able to channel her extraordinary intelligence in a productive manner – more advanced learning, but the film’s ending and Matilda being able to keep her powers, is equally fun. She’s a protagonist that no matter what, exudes optimism, and finally gets everything she needed. No overtly terrible measures were necessary…unless you think ghostwriting on a chalkboard terrible. Which you probably don’t.
I’m re-reading Matilda again, ten years after I read it the second time, and the story just resonates with me. It makes me feel good that a young girl could have such an incredible ability and intelligence, and use it for good.
As for my VHS copy (in the clamshell box!), I still have it – it’s in my giant container of videocassettes in my home office. For nostalgia’s sake, I’m going to have to watch it some point.
By The Way…
I’ve read Mara Wilson’s autobiography, which touches on her time as Matilda – a role that typecast her, but also one she learned to embrace many years later. Her stories of a life before and after fame are pretty funny, and dare I say it, she’s alot like us…if we had found fame early on in our lives, and landed that One Huge Role that made us, and then caused us to shy away.
I also featured Matilda as the featured photo for a Music Monday article about the song “Send Me On My Way,” which was featured in the movie.
And Now, You!
Have you ever read Matilda, or any of Roald Dahl’s books? Have you seen this or any other film adaptations of said books? As always, I’d love to hear your stories. What I love about National Reading Month is that we all have that one special character, that one special book or book series that drew us in and has never let us go…if we allowed that to happen.
That’s what this month is going to be about – five very special instances of my young reading life that have shaped my enjoyment of reading and made it a lifelong commitment. I promise the stories about their impact aren’t nearly as long-winded as how I met my these characters. Always remember, when you first read about a character, you’re meeting them. It’s your choice to see them through their series, or read about them again (if their story stands alone).
Have a great day!
Image: archive.org
A Girl of Unusual Precocity: The Story of Roald Dahl's "Matilda" - A little girl with a love of reading - and amazing abilities - is the subject of my kickoff for saluting National Reading Month! We're reading all the books for National Reading Month! And that's the theme of the month (and a mini reading challenge for yours truly!)
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Ramblings: Dobber here –wishing you a very Merry Christmas (along with some thoughts) … (Dec 25)
Ramblings: Dobber here –wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas … (Dec 25)
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And have a very safe and enjoyable New Year’s Eve celebration. Enjoy this time with your family and friends. I’m happy to say that I will as this tough year can now be put behind me.
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In the October 25th Ramblings, the last ones that I did here, I made some statements in an effort to calm folks down from knee-jerk reactions. Browsing through them, I’m happy to see that they’ve mostly come to pass. Edmonton and Cam Talbot are winning games, Jonathan Marchessault has certainly exploded (even beyond my wildest expectations), and both Ryan Hartman and Bryan Rust have calmed down. So far, Los Angeles and Dustin Brown have not come down to earth. They have a little bit, but not enough. That “new coach adrenalin” that we expected has lingered a lot longer than expected. John Stevens has really gotten the most out of Anze Kopitar.
Speaking of Cam Talbot…guess I jumped the gun on making him my “Can he bounce back?” cover guy on my Midseason Guide. Because at this point it’s pretty clear: yes. Yes he can.
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In case you haven’t heard, the Midseason Guide is indeed a go. I’m feeling great and, knock on wood, things continue this way. I learned in November that they can derail in a hurry (that was a rough month for me) but I feel better than I have in a long time and if in the small chance that things turn badly, I have a great team ready to take on more (and you all agree – Steve, Ian and Mike are superb, plus the man behind the scenes Mario Prata was cofounder of The Forecaster and he’s been great support as well). So this is a go and will be released January 12 (pre-order it here) and work has already begun on it!
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One other thing I said October 25th – I was very hard on King Henrik Lundqvist. Since then he’s gone 15-5-2, 2.41 GAA and 0.929 SV%. Oops. Still gas in the tank after all. He turns 36 in March and makes an excellent “sell-high” opportunity for keeper league owners who have fallen out of the race for first this year. And at the same time, he’s fairly good acquisition if you’re going for it. Because he’s making $8.5 million next season, the season after that, and in 2020-21 as well. He’ll be 39 when his contract is up. Can he be like a Hasek, Cujo or Brodeur and continue late in his career? He can probably continue to be a capable goalie behind a strong team, even with Igor Shesterkin likely heading this way by 2020. And in keeper leagues I don’t look beyond two years anyway, so landing him could actually be a “buy low” as owners start to get uncomfortable with his age. As long as your expectations are for a .915 goaltender who will get 30 to 34 wins a year after this one (as I think he tops 35 this year).
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This year’s Brad Marchand is Josh Bailey. I’m on board with him as the real deal. Players don’t normally break out at 28, but Marchand did and now Bailey is doing it. Marchand hinted at it when he was 27, just like Bailey did – with a bigger than expected season that we all figured would regress a little the following year and instead things exploded to new heights. Unbelievably, I was lucky enough to have both players on my team during said explosions! For those curious…
Bailey: 18 of 25 ES points with John Tavares on his line (72%).
Tavares: 21 of 31 ES points with Bailey on his line (68%). Six of those 10 points were with Jordan Eberle on the line instead of Bailey.
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So who is next year’s Bailey/Marchand (and I’ll add Jonathan Marchessault to the category, though he hasn’t been in the league long)? Geez…who knows? But I’m hanging onto my talented players who are 26 and 27 years old enjoying success that’s slightly above expectation. You don’t want to include guys who are already at superstar production rates – like Brayden Schenn. Look a little below that, at the players in the mid-20s for points right now. This player needs to be fairly well established as 35- or 45-point players and you’re a little surprised that they’re going to get 55 this year and there’s no way that they’ll get 75 next year (ahem – we felt this way about both Marchand and Bailey at 26).
Erik Haula is a good example. Jason Zucker is another one. Craig Smith? Gotta include him. Especially because you (and I) say “no way!”
There are several players you may suggest, but I’ll stop you right now because they’re too young – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Rickard Rakell, Gabriel Landeskog. Can’t write them off for 75 yet because they haven’t firmly established their range. I’m talking ‘true’ surprises.
Players too old, but otherwise fit criteria: Mathieu Perreault, David Perron, Dustin Brown.
But a guy like Yanni Gourde is a rookie, yet he’s 26 and surprising at that 55-pace! I’ll count him. Haula, Zucker, Smith and Gourde. I say there’s a 50-50 chance we get another Bailey/Marchand next season and if so I believe it will be one of those four. I guess that means…a one in eight chance of a home run, against a seven in eight chance of a 40-point anchor?
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As for Gourde, you may remember my comparing him to Marchessault and Marchessault’s situation several times over the last year or two. Here is what I had to say about him in the Fantasy Prospects Report last summer:
Gourde appeared as a blip on the fantasy radar to close the 2016-17 campaign, appearing in 20 games for the Lightning and posting eight points. Prior to his modest NHL success, the 25-year-old Gourde had been an AHL regular over the prior three seasons for the Syracuse Crunch. The undrafted forward has scored at every level, from the QMJHL to three straight 40-plus point seasons in the AHL, so it’s no surprise that he was able to find the score sheet for the Bolts when given the opportunity. As an undersized center, Gourde struggled in the faceoff circle in the NHL winning just 37% of his draws, and could need to adjust to playing wing if he is going to stick with the club full time. Count on him to be up and down between the AHL and NHL next season, and take a flier if you need a quick scoring boost.
Upside – Jonathan Marchessault (25-35-60+, 40 PIM)
3YP – (15-25-40, 40 PIM)
Certainty (NHL, Upside) – 60%, 30%
Expected arrival – Now or never.
DobberHockey Draft Advice – Don't bother, unless your league is very deep and you have a roster spot you can waste a late pick on.
Cautious draft advice aside, he’s really flourished on a team that really needed some secondary offensive help. He has opportunity with Tampa where Marchessault didn’t. And he’s certainly cashed in.
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See you back here on January 15 – my target date to return to Ramblings every second week.
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Give the gift of Stem Cells!
I encourage you to register as a stem cell donor. A stranger just bought me more time (I may not have lived another year) – and he or she may have cured me and I live a full, normal life (fingers crossed – so far so good). You can do that for someone too. If you’re between 18 and 40, look into it.
In Canada – register here.
In the USA – register here.
from All About Sports http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-dobber-here-wishing-you-a-very-merry-christmas-along-with-some-thoughts-dec-25/
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Christmas Songs
It is that time of year again, when one passes a shop stereo system; or the radio at work and exclaims ‘fucking hell, not this shit again’.
Yes we are in the season of Marah and Slade and that OK tune by John Lennon. The appalling sound of sweet jingling bells and terrible production; a barren musical ground where quality goes to die. You would be forgiven for thinking that like the event itself, Christmas music has no hope of any enjoyment or impressive artistic creditability – but you would be wrong.
The thing about Christmas music is that if you want to hear something good, you have to look for it; but failing that, I have been doing it for years so just check out the following list; my favourite treats of Xmas musical glory so far:
The Pogues – Fairytale of New York (obviously)
TV Smith – Xmas Bloody Xmas
Fucked Up – David Christmas
Bert Jansch – In the Bleak Midwinter
Thea Gilmore – St Stephens Day Murders
Poly Styrene – Black Christmas
The Marcels – Merry Twist-mas
Iron Phoenix – Natty Dread Christmas
Smoke Fairies – Christmas Without a Kiss
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Santa
Junior Dread – A Wah Christmas
The Sonics – Don’t Believe in Christmas
John Lee Hooker – Blues for Christmas
Slow Club – Silent Night
Sinead O’Connor – Silent Night
Sumo – Silent Night
Fairuz – Talij Talij
The Enchanters – Mumbo Santa Mumbo
Saccharine Trust – A Christmas Cry
Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians of the British Empire – Poudland Christmas
Frank Sidebottom – Christmas is Really Fantastic
James Brown – Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto
Run DMC – Christmas in Hollis
Goldblade – City of Christmas Ghosts
Te Vacant Lots – No More Christmas Blues
Lord Kitchener – Christmas Greetings
Wesley Willis – Merry Christmas
There are a load by The Fall too and if you can get it Mark Lanegan’s Dark Mark Does Christmas is a powerful collection. Probably the best full album would be Smoke Fairies Wild Winter.
There are also many great old Rhythm and Blues tunes (check out Mark Lemarr’s Rhythm and Blues Christmas comp) and from even earlier than that there are many blue and jazz tunes (check out the comps Where Will You Be Christmas Day and Death Will Be Your Santa Claus; vital listening). Then we have the Glasvegas EP A Snowflake Fell and It Felt Like a Kiss; James Brown did some quality albums; get your funk on with In the Christmas Groove. That should keep your party going for a while.
Every year I come to make another compilation and get damn near to giving up because I think there is nothing left, only to find something I missed before. If you cannot groove to this lot, I give up.
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Picture gallery: Viewers’ Photos of snow at North Staffordshire
Picture gallery: Readers’ pictures of snow at North Staffordshire
You were asked by us at North Staffordshire for images of this snowfall – and you didn’t disappoint. Take a look at our gallery to see if your image is featured. Thank you to everyone who sent us videos and pictures.
Snowman at Stockton Brook
Reggie the Dog Sophie Bagnall.
Sledging at Newcastle
Ruby’s snowman at Leek
Loggerheads, taken by Linda Taylor.
John Hancox-Simpson of Clayton loving the snow. Picture sent in by Stephanie Simpson
Knypersley, taken by Sharon Bowers.
Kayla Powel sent us this image of Biddulph.
The film of Caverswall was shot by Dan Ellams.
An extremely snowy Congleton Cricket Club.
Tiptoe the kitty isn’t too keen on the snow. Taken by Emma.
Market Drayton looks beautiful from the snow
Picture ideal – Julie Morris sent us this film out of Keele.
Family fun. This film shows Michaela, Dominic, Momsi, Helen, Rianne and Mairo at Newcastle
Having pleasure in Tittensor! Thanks with this film to Catherine Hawkesworth.
A very snowy Stoke shot by Gail Peters.
Caden, Finnley and Kaitlyn with pleasure in Bucknall.
This snowman packs a punch! Taken by Hannah Harrison.
Josh Dwine sent us this image of Burslem Park.
Austin Plant appreciates the snow at Fenton. Founded in by Shell Colley.
The film of Stoke Minster was sent to us by Kyra Abbi Johnson.
Ava White appreciates the delights of this Trentham Estate.
Consall Valley from Alison Hankey.
Tilly Simpson, aged 5, loving the snow at Clayton. Picture out of Stephanie Simpson.
Charlotte and Darcy loving the snow at Werrington. Picture from mum Kelly Frankum.
Park Hall. This picture was sent to us by Dan Ellams.
Sledging at the snow! Picture out of Lisa Conway.
Snow-covered rooftops at Werrington. Founded in by Kelly Frankum.
Mow Cop castle at the snow. Picture taken by a Mick Byrne.
Toby, aged 7, which makes snow angels in Leek. Picture from mum Kerry Starkey.
Mason and Miller Stokes making their first snowman. Picture from dad Simon.
Seven month old Cavachon Daisy appreciating the snow for the first time. Picture from Nikki Ratcliffe. Of all
Baldwins Gate at the snow. Picture sent in by Laura Walley. Of all
Enjoyable day at the snow at Park Hall. Picture sent in by Luke Bellis. Of all
Jordan Willams, Kayleigh Sheppard, Kai Longshaw and Laura McClelland together with Snowlaf the Snowman at Hanford Park. Of all
A proud Oscar, aged three, standing alongside his snowman at Blurton! Picture sent in by mum Kim Dowling. Of all
Picturesque Hanley garden at the snow. Founded in by Callum Hopkin. Of all
Yasmina, aged seven, loving the snow at Lightwood. Picture sent in by dad Graeme Hood. Of all
A snowy scene at a Harpfields garden. Founded in by Holly Prowting. Of all
Siberian Husky Keesha playing at the snow at Kidsgrove. Founded in by Zoey Watson. Of all
Bekky, Jordan, Lee and James together with their giant snowman at Newcastle. Sent by Rebekka Boulton. Of all
from stlconsignmentgallery http://stlconsignmentgallery.com/picture-gallery-viewers-photos-of-snow-at-north-staffordshire/
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