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Sepsis Clinical Guide
Medical and Education
App
Updated with the 2016 Sepsis-3 definitions issued by the SCCM/ESICM, the new quick-SOFA score for...
Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Britain and Europe's Dysfunctional Relationship
Book
The authors of this book were asked to examine the issue of Britain leaving the EU and determine,...
Natacha (374 KP) rated Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1) in Books
Sep 7, 2019
Unfortunately, it looks like I have an unpopular opinion once more and I'm so sad about it. The hype for the book is big and the concept of it made me really want to read it and I was sure I'll like it. But alas...
Things I like:
-The main idea of the book sounded very unique and interesting. A future society where humanity had overcome death and all diseases and the only way to keep the population to a normal number is having a group of people how must obey to a certain set of rule, randomly killing other members of the society. Such a nice concept and so many topics that you could dive in.
-There were a couple of nice twists.
-Scyth Curie was an interesting character with a nice backstory.
-Volta. He is a side character and yet, he was one of the most interesting ones.
Things I didn't like
-Everything came down to execution. As I mentioned the concept was unique but yet we get very little world-building and very little description in general. And this is coming for someone that despises lengthy descriptions. By the end of the book the only thing that I knew is that people don't die, they have a way to become young again but there is nothing left for them to do and they are bored. That's a missed opportunity to elaborate and dive into what would actually people do in these circumstances.
-Because we don't get enough information and rules in this world I was left with questions and also instances that looked like plot holes.
-The main characters. Throughout the book, we are constantly being told what characters are feeling, never shown through their actions, which made it very difficult for me to connect with them and believe what I was told they felt. An example was during Rowan training where he had to perform some actions and the only thing we got was "I don't like this" but this was never followed with actions to show us that he didn't like what he needed to do.
-It's hinted in the book that Rowan slowly turns into a bad person that is enjoying killing, but again this is never back with his action and I never felt that this was what was happening to him.
-The love story. So I've seen many people saying that there was instant love and unfortunately I agree. The two main characters fall in love within 3 months which I would argue that that makes it not instant love but, because once again we brush over everything we go to "I don't like you" to "I'm in love with you" without been shown how this happened. Yes, they are supposed to spend 3 months training together but if you don't show me how they slowly bonded and fall in love I'll never believe it. And this what happened to me.
-The climax. The book build-up to the final moment where one of the main characters will have to kill the other. This moment is in the last 5 pages off the book and once again just gets brush over the events and makes it looks too easy.
To sum up this could have been an amazing story but unfortunately, I felt like it was rushed and not well executed.
Things I like:
-The main idea of the book sounded very unique and interesting. A future society where humanity had overcome death and all diseases and the only way to keep the population to a normal number is having a group of people how must obey to a certain set of rule, randomly killing other members of the society. Such a nice concept and so many topics that you could dive in.
-There were a couple of nice twists.
-Scyth Curie was an interesting character with a nice backstory.
-Volta. He is a side character and yet, he was one of the most interesting ones.
Things I didn't like
-Everything came down to execution. As I mentioned the concept was unique but yet we get very little world-building and very little description in general. And this is coming for someone that despises lengthy descriptions. By the end of the book the only thing that I knew is that people don't die, they have a way to become young again but there is nothing left for them to do and they are bored. That's a missed opportunity to elaborate and dive into what would actually people do in these circumstances.
-Because we don't get enough information and rules in this world I was left with questions and also instances that looked like plot holes.
-The main characters. Throughout the book, we are constantly being told what characters are feeling, never shown through their actions, which made it very difficult for me to connect with them and believe what I was told they felt. An example was during Rowan training where he had to perform some actions and the only thing we got was "I don't like this" but this was never followed with actions to show us that he didn't like what he needed to do.
-It's hinted in the book that Rowan slowly turns into a bad person that is enjoying killing, but again this is never back with his action and I never felt that this was what was happening to him.
-The love story. So I've seen many people saying that there was instant love and unfortunately I agree. The two main characters fall in love within 3 months which I would argue that that makes it not instant love but, because once again we brush over everything we go to "I don't like you" to "I'm in love with you" without been shown how this happened. Yes, they are supposed to spend 3 months training together but if you don't show me how they slowly bonded and fall in love I'll never believe it. And this what happened to me.
-The climax. The book build-up to the final moment where one of the main characters will have to kill the other. This moment is in the last 5 pages off the book and once again just gets brush over the events and makes it looks too easy.
To sum up this could have been an amazing story but unfortunately, I felt like it was rushed and not well executed.
Radio y Podcast iVoox
News and Music
3.0
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With iVoox you can listen, share and download podcasts, radio shows and much more for free, whenever...
City Island 4: Sim Town Tycoon (SD)
Games and Entertainment
6.0
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Play the most popular city building simulation game series on mobile! In this new City Island sim,...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) in Movies
Jun 8, 2022
After having the film halted and its release delayed by the Pandemic, “Jurassic World: Dominion” has finally arrived and closes out the new trilogy in a spectacle of action and visual splendor.
Picking up a few years after the events of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”, the dinosaurs have escaped into the wild and now mingle with and at times endanger society.
A multi-national company has been leading the way with a reserve to study the animals and their quirky leader Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), promises the goal is to discover medicines that will benefit all of society.
At the same time, various concerns have arisen such as gigantic Locust swarms that threaten the food supply and activist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is convinced that Dodgson and his company are behind it. Desperate to find answers, she seeks the help of Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), find their lives disrupted by the poaching of a unique dinosaur and a genetically unique young girl named Maisie (Isabella Sermon) and this puts them on a path to recover them both which takes them into the illegal world of dinosaur sales and on a collision course with Ellie and her team.
The old and new cast faces numerous dangers along the way before they unite for a rousing final act which effectively combines the original and new trilogy and cast very well.
Director Colin Trevorrow takes his time getting the story up to speed as the early part of the film is heavy on characters and set up before getting to the action but once it starts, there is an endless parade of dinosaurs old and new to endanger the cast and keep the tension moving.
While people may be able to find fault with elements of the plot, pacing, and dialogue, the cast is very effective and it is nice to see the cast from the original series being given a much larger role and how elements from the first film are addressed which have been a point of debate for fans.
The visuals are impressive and there is no end of snarling, biting, and deadly creatures mixed in with favorites old and new while people may want more depth or variation, the creatures are the focal point of the story and the film provides plenty of what fans have come to expect.
The formula of gathering the cast and endangering them with an array of dinosaurs does not change much aside from the locales and creatures involved but fans of the series know what they are getting and “Jurassic World: Dominion” gives fans what they expect and does it well.
DeWanda Wise and Mamoudou Athie are nice additions to the cast and Isabella Sermon appears to be a breakout star in the making. It will be interesting to see how long Universal waits before returning the franchise to cinemas as they have mentioned taking a break following this film, hopefully, it will not be as long as the break between “Jurassic Park 3”, and “Jurassic World” as it will be interesting to see what the next summer event film in the series will offer.
4 stars out of 5.
Picking up a few years after the events of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”, the dinosaurs have escaped into the wild and now mingle with and at times endanger society.
A multi-national company has been leading the way with a reserve to study the animals and their quirky leader Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), promises the goal is to discover medicines that will benefit all of society.
At the same time, various concerns have arisen such as gigantic Locust swarms that threaten the food supply and activist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) is convinced that Dodgson and his company are behind it. Desperate to find answers, she seeks the help of Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), find their lives disrupted by the poaching of a unique dinosaur and a genetically unique young girl named Maisie (Isabella Sermon) and this puts them on a path to recover them both which takes them into the illegal world of dinosaur sales and on a collision course with Ellie and her team.
The old and new cast faces numerous dangers along the way before they unite for a rousing final act which effectively combines the original and new trilogy and cast very well.
Director Colin Trevorrow takes his time getting the story up to speed as the early part of the film is heavy on characters and set up before getting to the action but once it starts, there is an endless parade of dinosaurs old and new to endanger the cast and keep the tension moving.
While people may be able to find fault with elements of the plot, pacing, and dialogue, the cast is very effective and it is nice to see the cast from the original series being given a much larger role and how elements from the first film are addressed which have been a point of debate for fans.
The visuals are impressive and there is no end of snarling, biting, and deadly creatures mixed in with favorites old and new while people may want more depth or variation, the creatures are the focal point of the story and the film provides plenty of what fans have come to expect.
The formula of gathering the cast and endangering them with an array of dinosaurs does not change much aside from the locales and creatures involved but fans of the series know what they are getting and “Jurassic World: Dominion” gives fans what they expect and does it well.
DeWanda Wise and Mamoudou Athie are nice additions to the cast and Isabella Sermon appears to be a breakout star in the making. It will be interesting to see how long Universal waits before returning the franchise to cinemas as they have mentioned taking a break following this film, hopefully, it will not be as long as the break between “Jurassic Park 3”, and “Jurassic World” as it will be interesting to see what the next summer event film in the series will offer.
4 stars out of 5.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Barbie (2023) in Movies
Jul 21, 2023
More Than Meets The Eye
The Margot Robbie/Ryan Gosling curiosity BARBIE is a subversive film. This Greta Gerwig directed move lures you in by presenting a farcical/satirical look at the pastel colored “Barbieland” and the myriad of outfits and “golly-gosh” goodness of the world of this iconic Mattel doll (and her boyfriend, Ken). Once you are comfortably settled into this world, you are transformed to the “real world” and the much deeper themes of a women’s place in a patriarchal world.
As another toy’s slogan puts it, “there’s more than meets the eye” to this film.
And one should have expected something more than just a “surfacey-fun” film from the Writer/Director of such fare as LADYBIRD and FRANCES HA. Gerwing uses the stereotypes of Barbie and Ken to take a look at our society and the inherent hierarchy of the sexes while peeling back the layers of the key players to make them more than the plastic dolls they portray.
And…it works surprisingly well for adults - not so much for kids.
Margot Robbie, of course, is perfectly cast as the titular Barbie. She has the looks and the vacuous devil-may-care attitude of “Stereotype Barbie” and is a comfortable, pleasing entity to share this adventure with. But, with Gerwig’s direction, Robbie’s performance reveals, subtly, layer after layer until - at the end - we end up with a full fledged character and not just a living doll.
Ryan Gosling is just as strong as Barbie’s counterpart, Ken. He morphs from a Barbie worshipping boyfriend to something else once he encounters the real, male-dominated world. The BankofMarquis wondered why Gosling would agree to do a film that, on it’s surface, appears to be a one-note joke-fest, but once the film really drives to it’s point, one can see why Gosling agreed to be in this.
Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Michael Cerra, Helen Mirren (as the narrator) and America Ferrara all spark - at times - during this film while it was good to see Rhea Perlman (Carla on CHEERS) have a role that she could sink her teeth into.
Only Will Ferrell - as the money hungry CEO of Mattel - falls short of interesting. His character - one of the only “real world” characters in this film - stays stereotypical throughout the movie. He is the only complete caricature in this film…and perhaps that is on purpose.
Credit for the surprising depth of this film goes to Gerwig who brings her sensibilities to this film to make a comment on our society. It’s a bold move by Gerwig and works well…unless you are a Mom that is bringing your 5 or 6 year old child to this film.
And, that is the caution to this movie. It’s not, necessarily, made for the youngsters that play with Barbies. The kids will love the early going of this film, but the more adult themes in the middle of the movie will probably make a good deal of them squirm in their seats, since these moments of depth will go over their heads.
A surprisingly fun…and deeper than it appears to be….film, this Barbie is a multi-level dreamhouse.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the BankofMarquis
As another toy’s slogan puts it, “there’s more than meets the eye” to this film.
And one should have expected something more than just a “surfacey-fun” film from the Writer/Director of such fare as LADYBIRD and FRANCES HA. Gerwing uses the stereotypes of Barbie and Ken to take a look at our society and the inherent hierarchy of the sexes while peeling back the layers of the key players to make them more than the plastic dolls they portray.
And…it works surprisingly well for adults - not so much for kids.
Margot Robbie, of course, is perfectly cast as the titular Barbie. She has the looks and the vacuous devil-may-care attitude of “Stereotype Barbie” and is a comfortable, pleasing entity to share this adventure with. But, with Gerwig’s direction, Robbie’s performance reveals, subtly, layer after layer until - at the end - we end up with a full fledged character and not just a living doll.
Ryan Gosling is just as strong as Barbie’s counterpart, Ken. He morphs from a Barbie worshipping boyfriend to something else once he encounters the real, male-dominated world. The BankofMarquis wondered why Gosling would agree to do a film that, on it’s surface, appears to be a one-note joke-fest, but once the film really drives to it’s point, one can see why Gosling agreed to be in this.
Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Michael Cerra, Helen Mirren (as the narrator) and America Ferrara all spark - at times - during this film while it was good to see Rhea Perlman (Carla on CHEERS) have a role that she could sink her teeth into.
Only Will Ferrell - as the money hungry CEO of Mattel - falls short of interesting. His character - one of the only “real world” characters in this film - stays stereotypical throughout the movie. He is the only complete caricature in this film…and perhaps that is on purpose.
Credit for the surprising depth of this film goes to Gerwig who brings her sensibilities to this film to make a comment on our society. It’s a bold move by Gerwig and works well…unless you are a Mom that is bringing your 5 or 6 year old child to this film.
And, that is the caution to this movie. It’s not, necessarily, made for the youngsters that play with Barbies. The kids will love the early going of this film, but the more adult themes in the middle of the movie will probably make a good deal of them squirm in their seats, since these moments of depth will go over their heads.
A surprisingly fun…and deeper than it appears to be….film, this Barbie is a multi-level dreamhouse.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the BankofMarquis
Ross (3284 KP) rated Bright (2017) in Movies
Dec 23, 2017
Dialogue (1 more)
The premise
Weird grown up sci-fi Zootropolis
I think Will Smith is having the time of his life. It might be a bit of a mid life crisis, going back into action films but he pulls it off so well and has proven he can do more serious acting. He seems to now be free to pick odd roles that he can have fun with.
The film is set in an alternative reality 2000 years after an epic battle of good and evil. This isn’t explored in too much detail but enough to get the gyst. Good won, orca sided with evil. Now in present day LA the city is run by elves, orcs are the downtrodden members of society and humans pretty much everything in between.
Will Smith is a cop partnered with the force’s first Orc cop. Yes a bit like Zootropolis if you must draw a comparison. He snd his partner become embroiled in a fight to stop evil elves from resurrecting the dark lord, rrying to protect a young Bright (being with magical powers) and a wand from falling into the hands of corrupt cops, orc and human gangbangers and those evil elves.
The action is non-stop and well done, with some real edge of seat moments.
The main Gripe for me was that despite it being 2 hours long there wasn’t time to follow up with how safe Will Smith’s wife and child were during this.
Otherwise really enjoyable film in a very interesting world that I’d love to see more of (I believe there is a sequel planned but a tv series would be great).
The film is set in an alternative reality 2000 years after an epic battle of good and evil. This isn’t explored in too much detail but enough to get the gyst. Good won, orca sided with evil. Now in present day LA the city is run by elves, orcs are the downtrodden members of society and humans pretty much everything in between.
Will Smith is a cop partnered with the force’s first Orc cop. Yes a bit like Zootropolis if you must draw a comparison. He snd his partner become embroiled in a fight to stop evil elves from resurrecting the dark lord, rrying to protect a young Bright (being with magical powers) and a wand from falling into the hands of corrupt cops, orc and human gangbangers and those evil elves.
The action is non-stop and well done, with some real edge of seat moments.
The main Gripe for me was that despite it being 2 hours long there wasn’t time to follow up with how safe Will Smith’s wife and child were during this.
Otherwise really enjoyable film in a very interesting world that I’d love to see more of (I believe there is a sequel planned but a tv series would be great).
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Giver in Books
Sep 7, 2017
A strange book.
So, I know The Giver has been out for a long time, and I know they made a movie, but somehow I’d never read or watched it. But on the recommendation of a friend, I finally have. What a strange little book! It definitely belongs in the same realm as Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale – which are among my favorite books – but the ending was tremendously unsatisfying. It’s the first book in a quartet, though, so I’m hoping the other three, which I have requested from the library, will tie up the loose ends. It definitely feels like it’s only the first installment of a story.
The dystopian society in this book has effectively banished most feelings. But to get rid of hate and war and prejudice, they also had to banish the memories and feelings of individuality and difference. With everyone and everything the same, they’re mostly incapable of feeling true love or happiness. So they all live in peace – but it’s a complacent, uncaring peace. It’s not peace because of love, it’s peace because of the absence of passionate feelings. Whether this is good or not, well, that’s up to the reader to decide for themselves. The actions of the main character, who aims to disrupt that peace, could be seen as good or bad.
I’m not actually entirely sure how I feel about this book. After reading the next three – Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012), I'm still at a bit of a loss. These were just...odd.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The dystopian society in this book has effectively banished most feelings. But to get rid of hate and war and prejudice, they also had to banish the memories and feelings of individuality and difference. With everyone and everything the same, they’re mostly incapable of feeling true love or happiness. So they all live in peace – but it’s a complacent, uncaring peace. It’s not peace because of love, it’s peace because of the absence of passionate feelings. Whether this is good or not, well, that’s up to the reader to decide for themselves. The actions of the main character, who aims to disrupt that peace, could be seen as good or bad.
I’m not actually entirely sure how I feel about this book. After reading the next three – Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012), I'm still at a bit of a loss. These were just...odd.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Rachel King (13 KP) rated She Walks in Beauty in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I knew next to nothing about New York City's gilded age before reading this book, so this was both a history lesson and an eye-opener to the practices of that time period, expecially among the wealthy young women. I had no idea of the extent that corsets were damaging to the body and health of a woman, and it really explains much of the female behavior that has been epitomized in Hollywood's classic films, such as the common fainting spells. It shows that the "modern" world really has not changed very much in regards to the demands put on women to look and act a certain way to be regarded as attractive. The similarities between Hollywood and the Gilded Age are both remarkable and quite sad, from the encouragement of anorexia and the overindulgence of luxury to how the popularity of an individual can be solely determined by the words of the press.
I did enjoy following Clara's rise to fame and infamy, even if the glamour and mystery of it was stripped away, so to speak. The Christian themes of God loving you just as you are and having a purpose beyond the practices of "society" seemed muted and understated throughout the book, but rather than detracting from the plot, it only seemed to enhance it. While I have been under the impression that books that fall in this genre of Christian Fiction should focus mostly on some Christian theme, this particular book did not seem to. The focus seemed more on revealing the truth about what really happened in New York City's Gilded Age through the eyes of a debutante.
I did enjoy following Clara's rise to fame and infamy, even if the glamour and mystery of it was stripped away, so to speak. The Christian themes of God loving you just as you are and having a purpose beyond the practices of "society" seemed muted and understated throughout the book, but rather than detracting from the plot, it only seemed to enhance it. While I have been under the impression that books that fall in this genre of Christian Fiction should focus mostly on some Christian theme, this particular book did not seem to. The focus seemed more on revealing the truth about what really happened in New York City's Gilded Age through the eyes of a debutante.