Get ready for a twist, Call of Duty fans.
Even though the new Call of Duty: World At War is succeeding with consumers and critics by sticking to the successful adrenaline-fueled formula of its franchise predecessor, new downloadable content coming to the game in 2009 will represent a break from 2007s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
How much of a break from the Modern Warfare DLC will it be?
In a phone interview with MTV Multiplayer just before Thanksgiving, World at War executive producer Daniel Suarez confirmed that the games development team is working on downloadable content that will exceed the single multi-player map-pack offered for Modern Warfare earlier this year. We want to do at least - the hope is - potentially two, maybe three packs out before were all said and done.
Suarez said announcements of the downloadable content would be coming at the beginning of the New Year. While he declined to provide a release schedule, he offered this surprise: s not going to be what weve done traditionally. Ill leave it a little bit mysterious.
What was for Call of Duty would have to be what was done for Modern Warfare. That consisted of four multiplayer maps released five months after the base game launched. What could the new approach be? Downloadable content for the single-player campaign instead of just multiplayer map packs? New armament? New music? A map editor? Call of Duty fans should start guessing.
But heres one option fans shouldnt consider: the content wont involve a cross-over with Modern Warfare. I asked if the development team on World at War was exploring an option to bring the weapons and maps of these two most recent Call of Duty games into one meshed, generation-spanning experience. Suarez said nothing like that is in the works.
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Something I definitely am not getting anything of over here.
So the semester is almost over here in Japanland where I am living for the year on study abroad. The entries I did earlier this semester all seems like a weird mix of blur and culture shock because I cannot really understand where I was coming from there. It seems like at this time I have just gone back into the grind of things although it feels a lot like high school no matter how I try to shack the feels off and I just lack the motivation to try very hard but so does everyone else it seems. Right now I have finally caught a slight cold so I am trying to take it easy despite I just came back from jogging.
I really apologize for the lack of updates regarding my stay in Japan but there is nothing much I can say. Ok, that is a lie there is a lot I could say and show. But I am the kind of person that is just so lazy and when there is a lot I could write describing this and that I would rather just avoid it all together. Also, I just dont get excited at seeing historic sights as everyone else does.
I seem to find more peace and beauty in the mundane things in life like just walking along a roadside while the sun is setting or something like that. But dont take this as I havent been enjoying my trips in Japan. I have experienced a lot of different things and have seen a lot of interesting sights, I think. The trip to Kyoto I went on was probably the best trip I had experienced this semester because Kyoto is definitely the kind of place I think of when I think of Japan. I went to that one shrine the gang in Negima and in Love Hina go to but the name totally escapes me at this point
If you have been reading my personal blog, you already know that I plan to journey around Japan on foot and just doing whatever. It actually hasnt been all that cold and there are still leaves on the trees STILL. I am probably going to freeze to death even though it hasnt been that cold or something but whatever. I will never get to try something like this ever again so I need to grab the chance when I can, I think. I actually want to try Hokkaido but I am not sure right now since school is being bitchy right now. Whatever I do I probably wont be around to celebrate Christmas and New Years on the Internet so I will probably write my retrospective entries early. Also, I will probably write a post celebrating my blogs 2nd birthday since I wont be around then either.
End of the semester means a lot of work. In Japanese there is a short test every day this week and they are really cramming all the stuff in. It is ridiculous. I am just taking a one day at a time kind of attitude because what else can I do really? I just want the week to end.
On the 12th of this month, the guys here at the dorm plan to go to yakiniku all you can eat and drink again. We went before for my room mates birthday. Yakiniku is when you take meat and just cook it there. It is kinda interactive and really good since all you eat is MEAT. Although, the one guy ate a lot of salad instead and threw up there
I am going to miss a ton of people here because for the first time I have really met people who have the same kinds of interests as me face to face. If it is one thing I think I have learned is maybe being some what more sociable so maybe I could meet people like this at my college, but I am not sure. It is kind of a negative attitude but it is kind of like we are all friends by circumstance. Still, I feel like I have made bonds and I am going to miss a ton of the people who are leaving after this semester.
Despite complaining here and there to people about the work and culture I love it here. My time living in America feels like a blur, and someday this dream is going to end though. Someday I will learn this language and doing what I love.
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Although the e-mail says the Chicago Board of Health has located and treated any close contacts to the student, students experiencing any sudden symptoms are urged to seek medical treatment at the Student Health Center, 731 S. Plymouth Court. Symptoms include fever, severe and persistent headache, stiff and painful neck, vomiting, seizures, rash appearing as tiny bruises, confusion, photosensitivity and sluggishness.
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Looking for a young Asian-American female (Chinese, Korean, Cambodian, etc)
Please e-mail me with a photo and some information about yourself. Ill email you the script. If you love it, lets talk over coffee.
If interested, please email: PeterKimberlyFilms@ gmail.com
Please note: This is a student film, so we have a student budget. Although we do offer all the pizza you can eat on set.
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Gareth, 27, spoke to me at this past weekend's The Memorabilia Show at the NEC, Birmingham. He also gave me some exclusive revelations about the new series of Torchwood, which I'll put in the second part of this interview.
I asked him who he would like to see replace David Tennant as the Doctor and he said: "My choice would be Bill Nighy. I just think it would be fabulous.
"There was a time when the Doctor wasn't necessarily a young, good-looking sex icon as well as a nice big character. Casting Bill Nighy would take it back to the older style of the show."
British actor Nighy (pictured above left), 58, had a background in stage and television before moving to the big screen - his roles include Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Notes on a Scandal, Underworld and as the tentacle-faced Davy Jones in the second and third films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He will play General Friedrich Olbricht in Bryan Singer's Nazi war thriller Valkyrie, released on December 26 this year.
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Hi!
So youre still in high school?
Yeah.
Okay, good! [laughter] You know, in Princess of Nebraska [the companion film to Thousand Years], the leading lady was in high school when we filmed her. The producer and I had to go to the principal to get permission. Anyway, the principal made us promise that she would still study hard and get good grades and graduate.
Yeah, well, Im sure it made filming more difficult too because of the restricted number of hours [during which minors in entertainment are allowed to work].
Well, they released her for two weeks, at least, from school. Which was great.
So here you are in New York to promotea different movie. To promote A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. You like New York?
I love New York. I actually live here part of the time; I have an apartment here which I actually got years ago when we were doing some other films here. And Ive worked here a lot too. I shot two or three films here. So I love New York. But its changing! [laughs]
Im not sure I can offer much input on that. Im too young to have experienced the change!
Yeah? What part of town do you live in?
I live in Brooklyn.
Yeah? Well, Brooklyn is changing too. Even when you were younger.
Oh, yeah!
Yeah. Anyway.
So where do you live the other part of the time? Dont you live on the West Coast?
I live in San Francisco, where my mother and mother-in-laws are. And theyre getting pretty old, so this last year we had to do a lot to sort of take care of them.
Well, San Franciscos a beautiful city.
Yes. I like it there too, so Im very lucky! [laughs]
So your movie A Thousand Years of Good Prayers was based on a short story of the same name. How did you find that short story?
Well, Im very good friends with the editor for Francis Ford Coppolas magazine All-Story. His name is Michael Ray, and he reads almost everything and almost everything comes across his path. And he told me that this youngwell, [the author in question, Yiyun Li] is not young any more. Shes thirty and shes got two kids
Well, thats young to everybody but me! [laughter]
Well, okay! Its young to me, too. And youre really young! No, she lives in the Bay Area, she finished this collection of short stories thats about to be published, and she teaches at Mills. And [Michael Ray] said I should read Thousand Years. And I really liked it. It resonated in so many ways for me. And then I talked to her about writing the screenplay for the movie. Well, I worked with her. I sort of talked her through what worked for me, what didnt work, what were the different elements we needed. Yeah.
Well, the movie thats come out of it is this really delicate piece and it deals a lot with both the father-daughter relationship and also language barriers. And I read that you were drawn to the story because you saw yourself in the father-daughter dynamic?
Yeah. I was more the daughter in this case. [laughs] I came up to America on my own, and even though I went back to visit a few times, my father didnt come over to me until maybe ten or twelve years later. And by that time Id become pretty Americanlearned a new language, a new culture. And it was very difficult dealing with my father, especially over dinners, and he asked a lot of probing questions about things, and I just didnt really want to answer sometimes. And I know he was also kind of looking through my things in the house when I was gone during the day. And there were a lot of conflicts growing up. So those are the kinds of things that all really kind of made me like the story and really get inside that story.
Yeah. I mean, Im not familiar with the original short story; are there story elements that you added?
There we some things we changed. We didnt have a whole lot added. For example, the lover was Romanian instead of Russian, and we made his role a little less also. We made him Russian because in Spokane, where we were filming, there were actually more Russians. And the Chinese and the Russians were very connected with each other. So I thought it would be a better metaphor, in a way, about their past together. And the ending with the Iranian woman was changed. In the book it ended more between him and the Iranian woman, but I didnt want to end with that. I wanted to end with the father and the daughter. So those are the kinds of changes and things that we did.
So you shot in Spokanewas the original story purposely set in?
It was set in Iowa, which is the reason, when I spoke to Yiyun about it, was that she wanted it in a very sort of nondescript middle American town. And Spokane is very much like that too, and there happened to be a production company that could help me make the movie really cheap there! [laughter]
Of course, theres the subplot of the fathers language barrier and his struggling to improve his English while in America. So how did you approach that?
Well, that was a lot from the actor [Henry O], whos very anal with that stuff. Because he knew English really well and Chinese really well, he was constantly trying to figure out, If I spoke Chinese and English, what would I do wrong? So he was making that work, and hed constantly send me pages of these things. So thats basically how we worked at it a lot. And I used to teach English as a second language, so I knew enough about what kinds of things the Chinese tend to make mistakes on and stuff like that. But the other part that I find really interesting is when he speaks in Mandarin and she speaks in Farsi, and I consciously didnt subtitle it, because I want the audience to be in the same position as they are as characters and understand each other through the body language and the music of the language, rather than in specifics.
Right, because each one can only understand the other so much, whereas between the father and the daughter there are subtitles because they can both understand everything because theyre speaking the same language.
Right, but on a more universal level theres certain things that people can also understand quite a bit.
Right.
Where are you from originally? You look
Brooklyn. [laughs]
Brooklyn, but your parents are from my parents were raised in the U.S., but heritage-wise, my dad is Eastern European Jewish and my moms half-Irish and half-European mutt.
Okay. [laughs] Yeah, youre complete Europe. Everything.
Ive been told often that I look Russian, and Im actually not at all. But nobody guesses Im a quarter Irish.
Yeah. Thats a tough one. Its not obvious that youre RusI mean, Irish. [laughter]
Wow, I completely forgot what I was going to ask. Oh! Heres something that caught my attention: when the father is going around the complex and visiting the neighbors, he meets a blonde woman lying by the pool in a bikini, and she looks very young and happy-go-lucky and so-on but it turns out shes a
Forensic scientist, yeah. Well, part of the thing about shooting in Spokane was that there are very few actors in Spokane and they couldnt afford to bring in good actors from L.A. or New York. So I asked a casting person to just bring in real people that are interesting. The Mormons are real Mormons, the two guys. And the woman was somebody that came in and said, Oh, I just finished a forensic science major and I couldnt get a job because theres not enough dead bodies in this town. [laughter] And she just gabbled on just like [her character in the film does] at the pool.
So you just wrote it in?
I just wrote it in. So, yeah, a lot of thats just a reflection of a certain aspect of that town. Its not that eccentric, so to speak, but its very much that town.
And the way youre describing it, taking different residents of Spokanethat calls to mind the way that Gus Van Sant casts his movies largely from Portland.
Right. I love his films. I love the ones in which he works that way, in Portland, Oregon, and it reminds me of Fargo, where they shot it and used a lot of real people. I think its a really interesting way to work.
Do you cast this way often, or was this sort of a new thing?
This was kind of a new thing. And I was forced into it, like I said, because I couldnt afford to bring in good actors, and I went, This is going to be really bad, so could we look for some interesting people? [laughs] So, you know, it happened by accident. I was forced into it, yeah.
Well, it worked!
Yeah, it really did! In the script, you know, Yiyun really wrote in a lot of very interesting, eccentric Middle American people, so that was the inspiration.
So, for example, were you looking specifically for Mormons, or were you looking for random people and the Mormons came up?
Well, some were random. The Mormons were very specific, because there was a very long scene written, and I had actors read them and it just didnt feel right. You know, the Mormons are so committed in a veryI dont know how to say ita very innocent way, almost, and it comes across in how they are, and no actor could duplicate that, really. So I thought that the two guys [that we cast] were great. They read the script, they believed in it, they made some changes for their own purposes and they just did it. They got a standing ovation from the crew afterwards. And they drank a lot of ice water too. They were like, Do we have to drink this again? when, yes, it was another take, so they did have to drink it again. Anyway!
Yeah. I mean, the scene with the two Mormons is a very interesting scene especially because when you have people coming door-to-door you usually say No, thank you. And the father opens the door and he invites them in.
Yeah, hes equally naïve, too.
Yeah, hes naïve, but it also invites the audience to see that from a different perspective. And its not the largest part of the movie, but its an interesting side effect of telling the fathers story.
Absolutely. And it also, in a way, expresses his loneliness and his isolation and the connection that he finds with these two guys who are from another planet, so to speakbut he connected with them by saying, Oh yuck, young communists. Which I find so fascinating.
Well, youve got the way that he approaches new people that he hasnt met before and then you contrast it with the relationship that he has with his daughter. And even though he still isnt a shouter or a loud person, his relationships with new people are still very different.
Right, because somehow he was still able to communicate with them. I mean, hes kind of a talker, and he kind of likes to make things up a little bit. But with the daughter it gets so serious and intenseon both of their parts. I think she brings it out of him, so that it always becomes this very tense sort of silence.
Right. And theres even a part of the movie where theyre discussing happiness as measured by how much somebody talks, and he says, If youre happy, youre going to want to talk to people, and she says, You were silent once. Does that mean you were unhappy too?
No, those are great lines. Those are great lines. Exactly from the book. I love those lines. You know, that same conversation happened at different times at dinners with my parents. You know, I just have nothing to say sometimes, and they would say, Is something upsetting you? Are you unhappy? If youre not unhappy why arent you talking? Its exactly those kinds of conversations.
And even though Yilan is insisting you dont have to talk to be happy, at the same time, the silence between them versus when shes on the phone with one of the friendsis it the Russian who calls her?
Its the Russian.
Right, its the Russian, and shes talking, and even her dad talks more with strangers, so its kind of like being around each other makes them tense enough as tothey feel less happy around each other.
That kind of feeds on itself that way. And I think the history of what he went through and how it affected her mother and her always kind of is the subconscious thing behind it. Yeah.
And its interesting because he himself says, I wasnt a good father. He admits this to the Iranian woman.
I think he feels bad about it. I think hes admitting that hes been irresponsible. And at the same time I find it interesting that as much as she has problems with her father, shes also reliving her fathers life in a way. Shes having an affair with a married man, and replaying that history, you know? Shes so full of contradictions that I like her a lot! [laughs] Her bed is half filled with books, which says a lot about someones life, and I like the fact that she is so controlling in a way and yet has not control over her life. When the Russian lover calls, shes so happy. You know, shes so waiting for those calls. But she has no control over that. Anyway! But do you think high school students would enjoy the film like you do? [laughs]
Well, I think some of them would! I think it depends. I mean, some of them would rather watch Hannah Montana! [laughter] Not knocking Hannah Montana, of course, because I watch it sometimes.
Right, I do too! I do too. I have to sort of understand that world, so [laughter]
Well, you know, Disney Channel has its merits! But there are plenty of high school students that would love a film like this.
Right. Especially in a city like this, where people all have kind of an immigrant background anyway. And the relationship between yourself and your parentsm sure theres certain similarities.
I feel like high school students are often underestimated, though, in terms of taste. And even those who do have lowbrow taste have appreciation for finer things as well.
But I have to say thats more the two coasts. If you go to the heartlands of America uh. My heart sinks. You know, I wont go there. You know? [laughter]
Well, I think in any city youre going to be exposed to more culture than if youre in a little town in the middle of nowhere. Like, Chicagos in the middle of the country, but
Well, Chicagos pretty sophisticated.
Well, thats what Im saying. Its in the middle of the country, but a high schooler there is going to be more culturally educated than a high schooler in the middle of the closer you are to those sorts of things, the more you absorb them, I think. But then those who dont have that exposure drag down others opinions of all of us. So [laughs]
So are you enthusiastic and hopeful about Obama?
I yes!
Good!
I used to be a Hillary supporter, but then I switched, because I disapproved of the way she was running her campaign. Wait, wait, Im the interviewer here! I should be asking the questions!
All right, all right! Thats what II hate to be answering questions always. I have to ask questions sometimes. But okay!
Well, let me turn the tables on you. What do you think about Obama?
I like him. I think hes a breath of fresh air. I think he has to take some clearer stances about issues. Thats where he needs to go now, and I really would look forward to that.
I think, because hes such a strong public speaker, its easy to forget what his stances actually are. But hes getting a lot of younger people into politics, which is great!
No, I hope all the young people will go out and vote. Its really important. And, if anything else, thats the most important thing for America right now. And I hope they all go see A Thousand Years of Good Prayers! [laughter]
You're allowed to say that; it's your interview! Well, though, I think Obama has engaged young people more thoroughly than any candidate before other thanand I wouldnt even know this, but maybe JFK.
Um yeah, but not as much.
And even though MTV is still going strong and all of that, I think teenagers are becoming more aware of the other cultural stuff out there. But maybe thats just me, because Im biased.
I think theres a certain percentage of young people that are like you, and then theres other ones that either dont care or are maybe very religious or whatever.
Okay. So, anything else?
There is another film called Princess of Nebraska
Oh, right, I knew there was something I forgot to ask you!
Its the sister film to this, and were going to figure out a way to release both of them at the same time on different platforms.
Right. It is based on another short story written by the same author?
Same author, short story, from the same book. Its very different. Its about a young girl whos nineteen and shes four months pregnant and shes trying to deal with that. Its about twenty-four hours in her life, dealing with that.
Was that also filmed in Spokane?
No, it was filmed in San Francisco. She actually goes to school in Nebraska; thats why she calls herself the princess of Nebraska. But she doesnt want to get an abortion in the middle of nowhere, she says, and shes always wanted to see San Francisco, so she goes there. So thats the story. And its really like a mirror to A Thousand Years, because in A Thousand Years youve got Yilan, who in a way is running from her own past and her own history and her own culture. And here youve got a younger woman who doesnt really have a past and an identity. She actually identifies with Paris Hilton a lot.
[laughs] Oh god.
She says, I like her; I think she says what she wants; she does what she wants. Thats an exact quote from the movie.
Oh boy. [laughter]
But she learns! Through the movie. Yeah.
If Paris Hilton is your idol, and thats caught onscreen, I should hope that you learn! [laughter] And so thats a companion film to this one.
Yeah. Itll be released on some kind of parallel platform. I dont quite know yet. Maybe on the internet, for free even, or maybe it might be in a movie theater downtown or something.
Are there still movie theaters that do double features, or is that pretty much gone?
Thats pretty much gone. I wanted that. In France theyre going to do that with these two films and I really liked that; here, apparently, economically its not feasible. The last time Quentin Tarantino did it, it was a big disaster.
Grindhouse. Was it really? I never heard how it went. I was rooting for it!
If it had gone well, then that might have made a comeback. But they werent very good films to begin with!
Well, Id been planning on seeing Grindhouse but I see movies so rarely that I ended up not seeing it, and now I should have been there helping it!
Yep! [laughter]
Well cinemas changin.
Yeah, it is.
A lot of the smaller cinemas are just [a slitting motion across the throat]
Well, I was just talking with someone about how independent cinema in America is pretty depressing. You know, some of the really interesting stuff doesnt really get shown, or when it gets shown it just gets shoved aside. I think there needs to be a new venue of some kind, which I think is coming. I think that cameras are so accessible now for young people to do things, and it needs to go on the internet, now, because its distributed in the different way. To get a film out in theatres is too expensive.
Yeah, thats the thing. Theres still independent film but its got to be shot for $5 because its got to be shown in the internet or else nobodys going to see it.
But thats happening right now. And thats one of the things were trying to do for Princess of Nebraska.
Go see the film if you can find it playing near you; it's well worth a trip. Meanwhile, look it up on IMDb.
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Dozens of Candidates for New York State Legislative Seats Face No Opponent, Continuing a Trend that Limits Voters' Choices
This Election Day, there's no telling how the contest in the 22nd State Senate district will end up. Incumbent Senator Martin Golden could prevail on the Republican line. Or, Golden might win on the Independence party line. The dark horse? A Golden victory on the Conservative line. No one can say for sure which party will come out on top. But one thing is certain: Golden can't lose, because he has no opponent.With a presidential race setting records for voter interest and the two major parties vying for control of the New York State Senate, it might seem strange that no one is bothering to run against a Republican senator in a southwest Brooklyn district where Democrats hold a two-to-one registration advantage. But Golden is far from alone in facing no opponent this autumn. Candidates in four other state Senate races in the city also are running unopposed: incumbents Bill Perkins in Harlem, Shirley Huntley in south Queens, and Malcolm Smith in eastern Queens, as well as newcomer Hiram Monserrate, presently a City Councilman, in the district covering Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, Queens.
Statewide, 11 Senate candidatestogether representing nearly 2 million voters, or more voters than are registered in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Idaho combinedface no opponent. Half are Democrats and half are Republicans. Another five Senate candidates statewide, including Democrats Carl Kruger, Ruben Diaz and Pedro Espada, Jr., face only lower-profile minor-party opposition.
Although New York is far from the worst state in the union when it comes to the number of unopposed contests with 68 percent of this year's races contested, it actually ranks in the middle the lack of competition locally is certainly noticeable, translating into less choice and lower voter turnout. On a practical level, uncontested races bother some good government advocates and politicians because, they say, opposition helps keep incumbents responsive. "I've always benefited from rough and tough elections," says Paul Feiner, a veteran Westchester County pol now serving as Greenburgh town supervisor and a longtime critic of the abundance of non-races around the state.
On a symbolic level, uncontested races can seem distinctly undemocratic. "It does feel like you are in some unstable third world country when there's only one name in a race or if the person has been endorsed by multiple parties," says attorney Gene Russianoff of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). Indeed, when a European Union Election Observer Mission reported on the 2005 parliamentary elections in Lebanon, it noted: "Following the withdrawal of 17 candidates, nine of 19 seats were won uncontested before election day. This limited the voters' choice."
State Assembly seats feature even less competition than the Senate. Forty-one Assembly candidates (28 Democrats, 11 Republicans and two candidates who hold both parties' lines) statewide17 of them in the cityare guaranteed a win on November 4. These districts combined contain more registered voters than live in most U.S. states. Another 10 Assembly candidates face no major party oppositionsuch as like city Democrats Carmen Arroyo, Michael Benjamin, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Dov Hikind and Alan Maisel, who face only a rival from the Conservative party (which claims 170,000 members statewide and 76 current legislators using the party's designation).
Even federal offices go unthreatened: The only worry for Congressman Anthony Weiner, representing part of Brooklyn and Queens, is a Conservative challenger, and U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens faces no opponent. That's an improvement over 2006, when four of New York's representatives to Congress had no rival. There's more competition for state Senate seats this year, too: In 2006, 16 Senate races were one-person shows. But in the Assembly, things have gone in the other direction: 36 Assembly candidates ran unchallenged in '06, compared to this year's 41.
The lack of competition for different offices means that people in a particular neighborhood might cast no meaningful ballots for Assembly, state Senate or even Congress this year. For instance, if you live on Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens, Michelle Titus is going to be your assemblymember, Smith your senator and Meeks your Congressman no matter what you and your fellow voters do; none of them faces any competition. And once a person runs uncontested, they are likely to enjoy repeated cakewalks: Golden, for one, is running unchallenged in his Brooklyn district this year for the third straight time.
Many observers attribute the dearth of competitors to the daunting odds they often face. Legislative elections in New York State, especially if they feature an incumbent, tend to end lopsided. "The number of uncontested elections under-represents the gravity of the situation because in many races there's an opponent who doesn't have the faintest chance of winning," says longtime reform advocate Henry Stern, a former parks commissioner and City Councilman.
One phenomenon contributes to the other: When a candidate expends time, energy and money running for a seat and gets beat by 80 points, other potential candidates (along with would-be volunteers and donors) cant be blamed for taking a pass in subsequent elections. And even when insurgents do step up, the role can be thankless. Democrats Nora Marino and Albert Baldeo challenged two entrenched Republican senators in Queens in 2006, posted respectable results and were promptly dumped this year by the Democratic organization for more polished candidates.
Several factors are responsible for the lack of competitive races. The way district lines are drawn helps to insulate incumbents. The vast Democratic registration advantage in many districts discourages upstarts. Party clubs are adept at carrying petitions to get their people on the ballot and challenging the petitions filed by insurgents. The petitioning rules themselveswhich require three times as many signatures for an independent candidate as for one running for a political party with a ballot linealso discourage outsiders.
For voters, elections are supposed to be about options. So it's little surprise that uncontested races often draw far fewer votes than real competitions. In 2002, when Golden beat Vincent Gentile for the Senate seat, 45,859 people voted in the racenearly one-third of voters in the district. But in 2006, when Golden ran uncontested, a mere 22,093 peopleonly 15 percent of the districtcast ballots.
How many will vote in this year's bout of Golden v. Golden? We won't know until after Nov. 5. So at least there's some suspense in the race.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D: Before he takes on more mummies later this month, Brendan Fraser must first survive a trip through the prehistoric world in the Earths core. [Rated PG]
Death Defying Acts: Guy Pearce slips on Harry Houdinis straightjacket in a drama about the famous magicians affair with a psychic. [Not Rated]
Elite Squad: Two college students juggle books and guns when they join a Special Ops Squad to free the streets of Rio from drugs. [Not Rated]
Hell Ride: Pistolero and his gang of chopper-riding neocowboys take on the 666ers in a send-up to the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. [Rated R]
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl: Depression hits the Kittredge family hard, but that doesnt dampen Kits (Abigail Breslin) bright spirits or stop her from thwarting a nationwide crime spree. [Rated G]
Zombie Strippers: Jenna Jameson and Robert Freddy Kruger England discover that nothing packs a strip joint faster than flesh eating zombies because, man, those teases can dance.
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- Music:Black Eyed Peas
Next, Ill take you to the Solis house, where Gabby and Carlos are having a hard time getting alone time together. Gabby decides to set Juanita up a play date once a week so they can get a couple of hours alone. Unfortunately for them, Juanita is dropped off early one day and walks in on their alone time, forcing the Solises to explain the facts of life to her. Juanita then goes around telling every kid she comes across everything shes learned, making the other parents not want her around. So, their basically right back where they started.
Bree is having some home issues, too. Orson has become a bit bitter about everything he lost and Brees success is making it worse for him. He practically begs for a place in her company, but Katherine vetos the idea since shes already been made pretty insignificant as it is. When Bree tells him she cant let him join the business he decides to freeze her out and stay in the guest room. He also skips out on seeing her win the Business Woman of the Year award because of it. That becomes the final straw for her and she gives in to Orsons demand for a job. He, of course, then goes back to staying in their bedroom at night. I get his issues, but wow. hes turning into a bit of a jerk this year. Anyways move along, shall we? Orson isnt the only one bothered by the success of Bree. Lynettes feeling pretty inferior herself. Especially after she finds out the receptionist from her old company is now running his own ad business (and Brees book campaign). Shes convinced she can do better and comes up with a whole big presentation for Bree, which Bree rejects. This leads to Lynette having a few too many at the awards ceremony for Bree and causing a scene. She actually takes responsibility and apologizes for what she did, promising Bree that shell be on her side no matter what. Thats more than I can say for Brees husband, who has become increasingly controlling and manipulative this year. Which leads me to the Williams home
Dave is determined to get Mike in the band, even though Mike has said he cant do it because he lives too far away. Edie, meanwhile, wants to buy a house on the Lane as an investment property and rent it out. Dave is flat-out against it and even yells at Edie to forget about it. He apologizes and goes upstairs to take some pills. Later on, he tells Edie to go ahead and buy that house and rent it out to Mike so hell be closer to the Lane and more likely to join the band. He doesnt tell Edie that, though. She just thinks he wants to do a good deed. One, by the way, he wont let Edie tell anyone their doing. Mike just thinks Edie knows the person renting it. He doesnt realize Edie and Dave are now his landlords. He seems pretty obsessed with getting everyone together, doesnt he? And I thought Lynette, Bree and Gabby were good at getting what they want out of people. I think Dave is putting them to shame lately.
Well, thats about it for now. Take care and enjoy this promo for next week.
Similar posts: actor character
- Mood:Good
- Music:Ricky Marti
The party has picked up four seats. In a hotly contested fight in North Carolina, Democrat Kay Hagan, a state senator, ousted Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Cabinet secretary in the Reagan administration. In New Hampshire, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen defeated incumbent Sen. John Sununu. That was a rematch of the 2002 race, when Sununu defeated Shaheen. In New Mexico, Rep. Tom Udall won the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Pete Domenici, a Republican. The projected winner of Virginia's open Senate seat, Democratic former Gov. Mark Warner, will fill the seat of retiring Sen. John Warner, a Republican. The two Warners are not related.
According to CNN's projections, 11 Democrats have kept their seats. They are Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. If Biden is elected vice president, he'll give up his Senate seat, and the state's Democratic governor would appoint a replacement.
Republicans have held on to 12 seats, and Democratic hopes to reach the crucial 60 seats faced a setback when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky won re-election to a fifth term after a fierce challenge. His spokesman said he plans to seek another term as the Republican leader.
At this point, the Democrats must win Senate seats in Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi and Oregon to get a filibuster-proof majority. In Louisiana, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu is facing a tough re-election battle.
Georgia requires the winner to get 51 percent or the vote or there will be a runoff election.
The other Republicans returning to the Senate are Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina John McCain's chief ally in the Senate Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming.
Nebraska's open Senate seat will remain in Republican hands with the election of former Gov. Mike Johanns to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel.
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- Mood:cry
- Music:One Republic
But before my leave, I wanted to fulfill some promises which was to release some sort of sound package.
So Im gonna do the one package I hate most: Footsteps.
Footsteps are normally foleyed within a studio by foley artists, which replicate the sounds the characters interact with like for instance objects andor people (putting a sword in their scabbard, horse saddle riding, kissing and of course footsteps).
The reasons I hate footsteps, is because they take an incredible amount of time to get right.
And I never find myself using a sound library for it, but actually record the sounds myself to get the most accurate sound I can.
This can be massively time consuming and I like it best left to foley artists, but sometimes even I gotta put on some high heels and pretend Im a woman. (Which has left me with sleepless nights and hours of showers)
Obviously, you wanna use a female to do the foley to get the correct foot pressure. But my better half is not exactlywilling.
Anyway, the sound pack will be big in size, as it will be wav files (I am not changing that so get a friend with a good download speed and burnable DvDs - Doing this for free so take it or leave it)
It will contain these surfaces: Water, DirtEarth (might include gravelmight not), Wood, Concrete, Stairs and Snow.
They will be in: Leather, Chains, Plate and Normal.
And be in both walking and running.
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- Mood:normal
- Music:Crazy Town
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- Mood:More emotions
- Music:PaPa RoAch
There's an element of self-deception at work here, one that willingly sets you up for the scare and the relief that comes when you realize that, oh, none of it's real. Of course it isn't, you're playing a game! But a good survival-horror will make you forget that critical fact, long enough for you to question what's around the corner and frequently enough to have you gasping at the sight of polygonal blobs leaping through the windows. It is -- and should be -- a stressful experience, a constant source of worry and unanswered what-ifs. Are you anxiously counting your spent bullets? Do you hesitate before ambling down a suspiciously long hallway? What a weird way to have fun.
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- Mood:Good
- Music:Crazy Town
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Britain's use of anti-terror laws to freeze the assets of failing Icelandic banks shows how such legislation can be abused for purposes other than originally intended, according to a UN independent expert.
"It is indicative of the risks that measures that are originally inserted into legislation in the name of fighting terrorism may have a spillover effect into matters which have nothing to do with terrorism," said Martin Scheinin, the United Nations' special rapporteur on the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism.
Last week Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde accused London of "bullying a small neighbour" over funds frozen in the online bank Icesave, and threatened to take legal action in response.
Haarde was reacting to London's use of anti-terrorist laws to freeze the assets of failing Icelandic banks in Britain as it sought to protect the deposits of thousands of British savers and public bodies.
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- Mood:cry
- Music:Bob Sinclar
If you are an agent you may find our comprehensive client management system a useful service. Offered entirely free this service enables you to efficiently and effectively manage your talent. Including the ability to track contacts, send personalized newsletters and monitor applications for acting jobs listed on the site.
With so many actors already on Casting Call Pro you'll probably find most of your clients are already listed.
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- Mood:bad
- Music:Justin Timberlake
The three eastern regions of the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia developed in a similar manner with each of the three regions developing early civilizations around fertile river valleys. The civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China (along the Yellow River and the Yangtze) shared many similarities and likely exchanged technologies and ideas such as mathematics and the wheel. Ancient Egypt also shared this model. These civilizations were most likely in more or less regular contact with each other by the early versions of the silk road.
Europe was different, however. It was somewhat further north and contained no river systems to support agriculture. Thus Europe remained comparatively undeveloped, with only the southern tips of the region (Greece and Italy) being able to fully borrow crops, technologies, and ideas from the Middle East and North Africa. Similarly, civilization didnt arise in Southeast Asia until contact was made with ancient India, which gave rise to Indianized kingdoms in Indochina and the Malay archipelago. The steppe region had long been inhabited by mounted nomads, and from the central steppes they could reach all areas of the Asian continent. The northern part of the silk road traversed this region.
One such central expansion out of the steppe is that of the Proto-Indo-Europeans which spread their languages into the Middle East, India, Europe, and to the borders of China (with the Tocharians). Throughout their history, up to the development of gunpowder, all the areas of Eurasia would be repeatedly menaced by the Indo-Iranian, Turkic and Mongol nomads from the steppe.
A difference between Europe and most of the regions of Eurasia is that each of the latter regions has few obstructions internally even though it is ringed by mountains and deserts. This meant that it was easier to establish unified control over the entire region, and this did occur with massive empires consistently dominating the Middle East, China, and at times, much of India. Europe, however, is riddled with internal mountain ranges: The Carpathians, the Alps, the Pyrenees and many others. Throughout its history, Europe has thus usually been divided into many small states, much like the Middle East and Indian subcontinent for much of their history.
The Iron Age made large stands of timber essential to a nations success because smelting iron required so much fuel, and the pinnacles of human civilizations gradually moved as forests were destroyed. In Europe the Mediterranean region was supplanted by the German and Frankish lands. In the Middle East the main power center became Anatolia with the once dominant Mesopotamia its vassal. In China, the economical, agricultural, and industrial center moved from the northern Yellow River to the southern Yangtze, though the political center remained in the north. In part this is linked to technological developments, such as the mouldboard plough, that made life in once undeveloped areas more bearable.
The civilizations in China, India, and Mediterranean, connected by the silk road, became the principal civilizations in Eurasia in early CE times. Later development of Eurasian history of mankind is told in other articles.
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- Mood:Good
- Music:Savage Garden
I don't know if you know, but the distributer (Image Entertainment) changed the title of the film back to it's original title I'm Through with White Girls. I'm not a fan of that title, especially since that's not what the film is about, but that is their prerogative. As for the film, Jay Brooks was a fun character to play because we don't see characters like that portrayed very much. I would love to see minority filmmakers continue to raise the bar and elevate the images of minorities on screen. As a black man, I want to see more uplifting images of black men depicted in stories.
6. What actors/directors are you most interested in collaborating with?
There are so many amazingly talented actors and directors out there that I just want to continue amassing a solid body of work throughout my career. A partial list of the some of the men I'd love to work are: Sidney Poiter (it would be an honor to work with him in any capacity), Denzel Washington, both as an actor and a director, Don Cheadle, Forrest Wittaker, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke, Will Smith, Francis Ford Coppola (a genius), John Singleton, Spike Lee, Terrance Howard, Peter Jackson, Viggo Mortensen, Matt Damon, Jet Li and John Woo. Some of the women I'd love to work with include: Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, Mary Harron, Sophia Coppola, Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton, Halle Berry, Liv Tyler, Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightly, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Connelly, Tea Leone, Jada Pinkett Smith, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Natalie Portman, Ziyi Zhang, Maria Bello and Jessie Nelson. Again this is a short list. There are too many list them all.
7. Do you see yourself stepping behind the camera anytime soon?
Directing is an art unto itself. I do plan to get behind the camera at some point but that's going to be a very gradual process for me. I've written a short film that I'll probably direct (at least co-direct) at some point. I figure that'll help me ease my way into the director's chair. Right now I'm going to focus on work in front of the camera.
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- Mood:normal
- Music:Benny Benassi
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