Supernatural Season 1. Episode 2: . It’s hard for any show with an episode order of 2. Supernatural. So much of the charm and charisma of the show rests in those Monster- Of- The- Week cases; so much of it rests on the deep thematic exploration that comes along with the hyper- focused nature of the episodic. One thing that can get lost in heavily serialized narrative is the breadth of thematic depth; Supernatural, by the virtue of it’s heavily episodic nature, was able to tackle more topics and drill down on the same one from many, many different angles. To put it another way: shows like Breaking Bad go as deep as the Earth’s core, looking for gold and silver, but Supernatural digs more often in different places for the same thing. The serialization is neither good nor bad ultimately, I think. It’s a necessary step towards ending the show, for one thing; if they ever plan on marketing a final season, Supernatural is going to have to have something to end on. I cringed at first, but enjoyed your article, and your point. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and I used to ride the streetcar and bus all around town at that. Tell Me What to Say PG Jo/Blair Jo deiced it's time to be honest about her feelings, but it doesn't go as planned. Sneak Peak PG-13 Jo/Blair A night in. Mary Gould Lost 245 Pounds: ![]() Even the most episodic of shows need an end point, and Supernatural has been searching for one for a long time, I think. Truthfully, it’s hard for Supernatural to not be serialized regardless; they have so many characters and dangling plot threads to juggle that the episodic MOTW- type episodes get put to the wayside. You can’t be episodic with Crowley, Rowena, Lucifer, Sam, Dean, Mary, Castiel, and the British Men of Letters all demanding ample screen time. You can’t hyper- focus on, say, the irony of a monster being more compassionate than the human that hunts it, or the idea that hardcore violence isn’t the answer, if you have to juggle an A, B, C, D, and E plot. One negative of this serialization (god, I am tired of typing that word) is that sometimes you have to do speed things up to get the information across. There are two instances in this episode where the pace goes from slow burn to frantic; once, when Crowley comes back, and second, right after when Sam and Mary hug. The first instance was one of strange plotting; we spend so much time in the A plot of “Rescue Sam” that we don’t get to the rest of the episode for nearly twenty minutes. If you are a teacher searching for educational material, please visit PBS LearningMedia for a wide range of free digital resources spanning preschool through 12th grade. Catch up on season 4 of Married at First Sight, only on Lifetime'. Get exclusive videos, pictures, bios and check out more of your favorite moments from seasons past. We get, in quick succession, the Rowena- Crowley scenes, and the Vince (Rick Springfield!) introduction. It’s a lot of plot and other information to convey in just a few quick scenes, and the otherwise enjoyable languid tension- build pacing of the first twenty minutes gives way to rapid fire. The second instance wasn’t so much strange as unnecessary. To link to this poem, put the URL below into your page: <a href="http:// of Myself by Walt Whitman</a> Plain for. Announcements. Penguin Random House Statement on Resolute and Greenpeace Penguin Random House is committed to the principles of sustainable publishing. Why do we need to see a montage of Dean drinking on the floor, looking at pictures of his mother, or Mary looking through the journal, or Sam staring at ceiling fan? None of this conveys information we didn’t already kn. Dean struggling with his mother’s return, Mary struggling with how far behind she is, Sam struggling with, well, literally everything); it’s thirty seconds or so of time spent that we didn’t need. It’s frantic, but not in it’s need to give information, but to kill time. Having said that: I think that The CW made a wise, wise decision in having Andrew Dabb and Robert Singer take over. I’m not sure what it is about these two guys, but they have a better grasp on Supernatural than anyone since Eric Kripke, and if you catch me after a few cocktails, I might even put them above Kripke. One thing that Dabb and Singer seem to understand is the darkness of this world; Sam being visibly tortured by a blow torch was a stunning change for basic cable. How many times have we seen shows walk right up to the edge of darkness, and have the victim be rescued? Each time Toni Bevell went to torture him, I expected Dean to ride in and save the day; and it never happened. Supernatural has a deep, deep foundation; it’s set in concrete and stone, and one could dig for years and years without reaching the bottom. Dabb and Singer are veterans of the show, and the TV business in general, and after this first two episodes, I believe they are on the best track possible.* * *I am fascinated by Mick and Toni as a pair. I don’t know who’s really in charge; he calls her lady, and she appears to take orders from him, but has more influence than a typical foot soldier. I struggle, too, in finding the core of her character; there is a real void- likeness about her–a sense of evergrowing sadism that burns brightest in the dark. ![]() She isn’t a sociopath, or a psychopath, or any sort of unfeeling monster; she feels fear acutely, maybe more than most. Her tangle with Sam shook her up, and when Mick told her she was going back to London for punishment, she looked at him like a cornered animal. ![]() Rachel Barbra Berry (Lea Michele) is the lead character and is a "strong, driven" member of the glee club, who is misunderstood by her peers. Michele took the role in. Mick, for his part, seems like middle management. He has juice, but it isn’t his to use. He’s a weapon, not the person wielding it. I find it difficult to locate his center, as well; does he care about the possibility of every American hunter being killed? Does he care about the lives affected, or the reasons why hunting in the States is so fractured and decentralized? I find it hard to believe that anyone at all wouldn’t have reservations, and I especially find it hard to believe that someone who spends every waking hour trying to stop monsters from killing humans would be 1. I suppose I am being naive. You don’t call in a hitter in the off- chance you’re planning on killing someone; you call them in when it’s time to pull the trigger. Mick and Toni, and the rest of the British Men of Letters, appear to have made their decision a long time ago.* * *The grimace on Dean’s face when Mary called John a great father was perhaps the most telling moment of the entire series. How hard it must be to re- litigate Dean’s breaking from John’s orthodoxy; how hard it must be to have to be the one that says it out loud. Dean hasn’t been a John’s Disciple in years and years, but it’s one thing to accept truth and make it a part of your foundation, and another to speak it to someone you care about. Dean breaks it to Mary as gently as he can, telling her that John changed, but even that isn’t the whole truth. John didn’t change as so much disappear, falling into a black hole so deep and dark that he became a part of it; and by the time he climbed back out, nothing was left of the father that tucked them in at night. Sam may have given Mary John’s journal, but it’ll be up to Dean to explain who John was. It’ll be up to Dean to parent her, to bring her along in a world she was never meant to be a part of. It certainly won’t be Sam; his mother may as well be a stranger, or an old friend from Kindergarten that moved away. John is dead, Samuel is dead; Dean exists in her time and his, in the past and present, and he has to make sure that he doesn’t leave her behind, or stop her from making her way forward. He has to, essentially, become a parent. How unfair life is, that Dean must do this again.* * *I have always related to Sam Winchester. I have always found his pain, and his guilt, and the deep insecurities to be similar to mine. If Dean is forced to be the adult, and bring along another child into adulthood, then Sam is the one stuck in perpetual childhood; always missing a key piece of the puzzle, always taking the hits, and always being the first one to stick his hand out of the dirt and drag himself into the sun. Sam doesn’t know his mother; he doesn’t know if she likes tea, or coffee, or if she has a peanut allergy. He doesn’t know what her hands feel like, or how she smells when she carried him to bed, or the kind of movies she loves. She is a stranger; a friend from long ago, or a figure in a dream that you can’t get enough of. He is awkward around her; unsure of how to communicate, how to make her laugh. But instead of running, or hanging back in fear of not being able to get through, he opens up. He offers her a place to talk, and experiences of his own, and makes sure that she knows, first and foremost, that he is willing to help her. In his greatest moment of vulnerability, only hours since he was brutally tortured and assaulted, Sam chooses kindness and empathy over fear and anger. He brings her the journal to help her fill in the blanks; he tells her that, just by being here, filled in the largest blank for him. He doesn’t ask for anything. He doesn’t want anything. Sam, more than anyone in Supernatural (and really any show), has learned to appreciate things for what they are. Sam doesn’t ask for anything from his mother because he just wanted her around, flaws and all. She hugs him, and he hugs back.* * *I am interested, if a little put off, by the British Men of Letters storyline. Them as a force for evil (and make no mistake, that is what the plane on perpetrating) and as ruthless killing machines comes off as somehow flat. Is that really all they are? Just highly efficient killers of man and monster? I’m not saying it isn’t interesting, because it certainly is; just that I don’t want a great potential villain (and anti- hero) ruined because they can only play a single note. There has a been a lot of depth in these first two episodes and, it would be very disappointing for the A plot to be anchored by one long trumpet blast. Equally: I hope that Rick Springfield finds another gear as Lucifer. As Vince the rocker, he had a quiet sadness and empathy that I found so, so endearing. But as Lucifer, that same quiet serves him less well; he doesn’t have the same gravitas that Mark Pellegrino had or black comic malevolence that Misha Collins imbued him with. Springfield needs to bring more heat, and bring it loud; that skinny, jittery frame paints a picture of a Lucifer on the edge of madness, and I want to see him go there. No more composed, calculated, one step ahead Satan; I want to see a Devil that burns everything down just so nobody else can have it. A promising beginning for this twelfth season. Let’s hope it continues. Penguin Random House(March 2. Berlin) - - Bertelsmann invests billions; achieves leap in profits. The international media company Bertelsmann invested heavily in expanding its businesses in 2. Group profit. Investments in implementing the Group’s strategy amounted to . Group profit increased by 4. This is the highest Group profit since 2. With transactions such as the merger of Penguin and Random House to create the world’s largest trade book publisher, the acquisition of full ownership in BMG and the acquisition of Gothia, the Arvato division’s biggest purchase to date, Bertelsmann made significant strides in implementing its strategy. These also include the realignment of key business units and stepped- up activity in growth regions. Further steps to advance all the strategic priorities are planned this year. The financial basis for this advancement was laid with last year’s placement of RTL Group shares. Bertelsmann has announced as a priority significant expansion of its education business over the next few months. The Group has also initiated the market entry of its BMG music rights subsidiary in China. Over the next few years, Bertelsmann will invest several billion euros in expanding existing and new businesses, and aims to make further acquisitions. Bertelsmann Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe said: “Bertelsmann delivered a gratifying business performance in 2. We have improved our growth profile through strategic decisions and have pushed forward the transformation to digital across all divisions. The diversity of our creative offerings and services is second to none. Also, our figures demonstrate our company’s economic capacity and solid financing. On this basis, in 2. Bertelsmann a faster- growing, more digital, and more international company.” More specifically, he said, Bertelsmann will invest in growth areas such as education and music rights, as well as in the creative core of the company: “We want to gradually expand education into our third revenue mainstay, alongside media content and services. In music rights, the focus will be on further internationalization and strengthening the master rights business.”Rabe emphasized that in 2. Bertelsmann has made significant progress on all four strategic priorities – strengthening the core, digital transformation, developing growth platforms and expanding in growth regions. For example, the core businesses were particularly strengthened through the creation of the world’s leading trade book publisher, Penguin Random House, on July 1, 2. RTL Group further expanded its families of channels. It also acquired TV production companies and, in Germany, much- sought broadcasting rights to the national soccer team’s qualifying matches for Euro 2. World Cup. Bertelsmann’s Gruner + Jahr and Arvato divisions realigned themselves: Gruner + Jahr now addresses its readers and users along defined Communities of Interest, and Arvato has reorganized itself into Solution Groups to strengthen coordination between countries and its key account management for major customers. Bertelsmann also increased its footprint and reach in the digital world. In 2. 01. 3, RTL Group reported a total of 1. Through its participation in multi- channel networks it became the third largest You. Tube provider (excluding music videos). Penguin Random House grew its e- book offerings to more than 7. Gruner + Jahr broadened its portfolio of e- magazines, high- reach mobile services and apps. Arvato achieved further growth as a service provider for leading IT, high- tech and e- commerce companies. Bertelsmann’s various companies and editorial teams now operate approximately 3,5. Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and You. Tube. An important milestone in the expansion of growth platforms was achieved in 2. BMG. Five years after its exit from the traditional recorded- music business, Bertelsmann is again one of the leading players in the music industry. During the reporting period, BMG expanded with several catalog acquisitions and prominent artist signings, including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams and the Backstreet Boys, followed by the acquisition of Talpa Music in the Netherlands at the beginning of 2. In the education sector, an attractive portfolio of holdings has been built in the US and Europe via the “University Ventures Fund I” in which Bertelsmann is an anchor investor. Arvato enhanced its strengths in the fast- growing financial services sector by acquiring the Gothia Financial Group, which serves customers in 2. Furthermore, with the acquisition of Netrada at the beginning of this year, Arvato became a leading European provider of integrated e- commerce services. Bertelsmann also accelerated its business- building activities in growth regions. Together with CBS, RTL Group expanded into Southeast Asia for the first time. In the book publishing business Bertelsmann improved its position in China, India and South America through the merger of Penguin and Random House. In China, Arvato achieved further profitable growth with its service offerings. The Bertelsmann Asia Investments fund enlarged its portfolio and recorded a very positive performance. In Brazil, a step- by- step expansion of the business was initiated by investing in funds and innovative startups. Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe: “We are on track to increase our revenue volume to around 2. Group profit to over one billion euros. The various growth initiatives in our divisions and at corporate level, possible acquisitions, and the full consolidation of Penguin Random House, BMG and Gothia in the current year will contribute to this. At the same time, we are downscaling low- growth businesses such as replication, printing and direct- to- customer businesses.”In 2. German television business. During the reporting period, revenues increased by 1. Growth from the portfolio expansion was offset by normalized revenues in the book business, generally weak advertising markets in Europe, and the scaling back of structurally declining business. Organically, revenues decreased by 2. Exchange rate effects amounted to - 1. The operating result increased in 2. Bertelsmann generated operating EBIT of . Return on sales was again in the double digit range at 1. In particular, the result reflects a strong business performance by Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, thriving IT and SCM services at Arvato, and the strategic portfolio measures taken during the reporting period. Against this backdrop, operating EBITDA from continuing operations rose to . The full consolidation of BMG contributed to this increase. The EBITDA margin was 1. Thanks to lower expenditure on special items, Group profit improved by 4. Including financial debt assumed, Bertelsmann invested . Thanks to the proceeds from the placement of RTL Group shares and a high level of operating cash flow, net financial debt was reduced to . The Group’s broader economic debt was down to . Adjusted operating free cash flow amounted to . All the signs point to expansion and we have the resources available for it. The successful placement of RTL Group shares alone brought us proceeds of . For 2. 01. 4, Bertelsmann expects strong revenue growth, continued high profitability, and a positive development of Group profit.”Bertelsmann employees are participating in the successes achieved: For the last financial year, they will receive profit participation amounting to . The pay- out for the 1. ISIN DE0. 00. 52. Other key financials: Special items. Special items amounted to . The majority of the restructuring expenses relate to structurally declining businesses, notably the imminent closure of the Prinovis location in Itzehoe. They also include costs for the implementation of the new organizational structure of Gruner + Jahr and Arvato as well as integration costs in connection with the merger of Penguin and Random House. A re- measurement of the fair value of BMG after the takeover of the remaining BMG shares as well as a write- up on the carrying amount of the Atresmedia investment, had a positive impact. The Group’s long- term operating free cash flow adjusted for non- recurring items was . The increase is mainly attributable to the reduction in shares in RTL Group, the merger of Penguin and Random House, the acquisition of the remaining BMG shares and the purchase of Gothia. Cash and cash equivalents remained at the previous year’s high level (. The income from the reduction in shares in RTL Group and the merger of Random House and Penguin increased the equity to . As a result of this increase, the equity ratio increased from 3. Investments. Total investments including financial debt assumed increased sharply to . Most of it consisted of the purchase price payments for the acquisitions of BMG and Gothia, investments in property, plant and equipment at Arvato, and the acquisition of music catalogs at BMG and film rights at RTL Group. Employees. At the end of the financial year, the Group had 1. The increase of 7,4. In 2. 01. 3, there were 1,3. Bertelsmann companies in Germany. Divisions: RTL Group. Although advertising markets across Europe were mostly in decline, Europe’s leading entertainment group RTL Group was able to significantly increase its profitability in financial year 2. Revenues reached . This revenue development reflects robust core businesses despite negative currency effects and lower revenues for the production arm Fremantle Media. In operating EBIT, another record result by Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and the strong performance of the Dutch TV channels more than offset the impact of the negative development of advertising markets in many parts of Europe. The German TV advertising market singularly showed slight growth. Operating EBIT increased by 6. This jumped the return on sales to 1. Operating EBITDA increased slightly to . At year- end, RTL Group had 1. December 3. 1, 2. RTL Group succeeded in maintaining most of its leading positions in the audience markets. Working mothers beware: Why children of stay- at- home parents are healthier. By. Jenny Hope for the Daily Mail. Updated. 0. 3: 3. EDT, 2. 9 September 2. Children of working mothers tend to have a less healthy lifestyle than those whose mothers stay at home, a study has found. They snack on more junk food, spend more time in front of the TV and do less exercise. Those whose mothers work part- time follow a slightly healthier regime, while the children of stay- at- home mums have the most nutritious diets and enjoy more exercise. Home sweet home: The children of mothers who don't work have the most nutritious diets and enjoy more exercise. However, researchers insist the results 'do not imply that mothers should not work'. But they say there is a definite link between paid employment and a lifestyle that leaves children more at risk from obesity and disease. And they suggest a lack of time is the biggest factor keeping the healthiest lifestyles out of reach of many working families. The findings come from a study of 1. British schoolchildren published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. It shows children whose mothers are employed are more likely to be driven to school, watch TV, snack on fizzy drinks and eat too few portions of fruits and vegetables. Thirty per cent of the mothers in the study had not worked since the birth of their child but the rest had jobs. They typically worked 2. Researchers at the Institute of Child Health in London asked them about the hours they worked and their children's diet, exercise and activity levels when the youngsters were five. Overall, many of the youngsters had developed habits that could lead to them becoming overweight. For example, 3. 7 per cent of all children snacked on crisps or sweets and 4. Just over 6. 0 per cent watched television or used the computer for at least two hours a day. But when the researchers took away factors that might skew the results, such as socio- economic background, they found a definite link between a mother working and her child's health. Those whose mothers worked part- time or full- time were more likely to drink sweet drinks and watch TV or use the computer for two hours or more each day. They were also more likely to be driven to school rather than walking or cycling. They were less keen to snack on fruit or vegetables. Lead researcher Professor Catherine Law said lack of time for working mothers was probably the strongest influence. She said many women in families with both partners working had a 'duel burden', shouldering most of the household responsibilities as well. With 6. 0 per cent of mothers of a child aged five or younger in work of some kind, researchers said more help was needed for families.
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