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Performing to Win: Using the Secrets of the Arts to Unlock Success: 2016
Mark Powell and Jonathan Gifford
Book
This book explores and demonstrates the transformative learning experiences that organizations and...
The Shock of the Fall
8.0
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WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2013 WINNER OF THE SPECSAVERS POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR...
the shock of the fall nathan filer fiction contemporary mental health
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Grandma's Boy (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Life for video game tester is often filled with long hours, countless repetition and ever looming deadlines as the rush to get the latest games done and on budget is a key factor in the gaming industry. Often testers, much like the game coders toil away in obscurity with only their fellow gamers and personality quirks as their only companions. One such individual is a man named Alex (Allen Covert), a 36 year old professional game tester who suddenly finds himself out of his home thanks to a roommate who spends months of rent money at a local brothel.
Undaunted, Alex drifts from friend to friend often with disastrous results as he attempts to take stock of his situation and avoid the unpleasant alternative of moving in with his Grandmother (Doris Roberts) and her friends. With a deadline looming for his company’s latest game, a producer named Samantha (Linda Cardellini) is brought in to get the team on task. Faced with the reality of sleeping at his desk thanks to a rather embarrassing incident at a friend’s house, Alex is forced to reluctantly take refuge at his grandmothers.
Since Alex is the old man amongst the early 20’s testers who want nothing better than to break his unbeaten streak in head to head game challenges, Alex is forced to tell his co-workers that he spends his nights with three women and they wear him out. The sad truth is that Alex is worn out from 6:00 AM wakeups followed by three hours of chores before going to work. As if life was not complicated enough for Alex, the head game designer J.P. (Joel Moore), becomes more and more eccentric and this is only fueled by his interest in Samantha and his knowledge that Alex is attracted to her.
With a premise like this “Grandma’s Boys” has all of the ingredients to be a fun comedy that continues in the tradition of Adam Sandler’s comedies since his company produced the film. Sadly the film despite a few laughs becomes utterly predictable and drags in many places. The cast is enjoyable enough, but the jokes are too far between leaving the cast to carry the story which sadly is not strong enough to support the down time between jokes.
This is not to say that there are not some funny moments in the film as I can think of at least a half dozen good laughs. The issue is that when you have to wait 15-20 minutes between then in a film that is just over an hour and a half, it does tend to make the film drag. Also, much of the humor is derived from drug use. While it is funny in spots, the constant use of drugs, being stoned, and so on becomes old fast and makes the film seem like a one trick pony.
Covert who co wrote the film does his best in the film, but seems best suited as a supporting character as his character while likeable does not really connect with the audience the same way that one would with say Sandler, Schneider, or even Stiller. There are some good cameos in the film and Shirley Jones, Ms. Partridge herself is good as the older lady with a healthy libido, but I just could not help think that this film could have, and should have been much better than it was.
In the end, despite some good moments, there simply was not enough of them to save the film as the thin story, repetitive themes, and long gaps between good jokes ultimately sinks the film. It was nice to see a film about game testers as it is a group that is rife with comedic potential to be exploited, but sadly Grandma’s Boys barely scratches the surface.
Undaunted, Alex drifts from friend to friend often with disastrous results as he attempts to take stock of his situation and avoid the unpleasant alternative of moving in with his Grandmother (Doris Roberts) and her friends. With a deadline looming for his company’s latest game, a producer named Samantha (Linda Cardellini) is brought in to get the team on task. Faced with the reality of sleeping at his desk thanks to a rather embarrassing incident at a friend’s house, Alex is forced to reluctantly take refuge at his grandmothers.
Since Alex is the old man amongst the early 20’s testers who want nothing better than to break his unbeaten streak in head to head game challenges, Alex is forced to tell his co-workers that he spends his nights with three women and they wear him out. The sad truth is that Alex is worn out from 6:00 AM wakeups followed by three hours of chores before going to work. As if life was not complicated enough for Alex, the head game designer J.P. (Joel Moore), becomes more and more eccentric and this is only fueled by his interest in Samantha and his knowledge that Alex is attracted to her.
With a premise like this “Grandma’s Boys” has all of the ingredients to be a fun comedy that continues in the tradition of Adam Sandler’s comedies since his company produced the film. Sadly the film despite a few laughs becomes utterly predictable and drags in many places. The cast is enjoyable enough, but the jokes are too far between leaving the cast to carry the story which sadly is not strong enough to support the down time between jokes.
This is not to say that there are not some funny moments in the film as I can think of at least a half dozen good laughs. The issue is that when you have to wait 15-20 minutes between then in a film that is just over an hour and a half, it does tend to make the film drag. Also, much of the humor is derived from drug use. While it is funny in spots, the constant use of drugs, being stoned, and so on becomes old fast and makes the film seem like a one trick pony.
Covert who co wrote the film does his best in the film, but seems best suited as a supporting character as his character while likeable does not really connect with the audience the same way that one would with say Sandler, Schneider, or even Stiller. There are some good cameos in the film and Shirley Jones, Ms. Partridge herself is good as the older lady with a healthy libido, but I just could not help think that this film could have, and should have been much better than it was.
In the end, despite some good moments, there simply was not enough of them to save the film as the thin story, repetitive themes, and long gaps between good jokes ultimately sinks the film. It was nice to see a film about game testers as it is a group that is rife with comedic potential to be exploited, but sadly Grandma’s Boys barely scratches the surface.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City in Books
Jun 5, 2019
In Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City, Richard Sennett explains what it takes to build a good life through a good environment for individuals and society as a whole, worldwide.
Make no mistake, this is an academic text book and written for students in the same field, so although I personally found it interesting, it was not what I expected and it was quite wordy. However, if this is to be your field of expertise then that’s not going to deter you. In fact this may actually be on your reading list.
Sennett covers subjects such as the ethics of co-creation in cities and how the geography, along with economics, has a sociological effect on city-dwelling on a global level.
Well researched, and for the layman like me it’s full of interesting thought provoking ideas at how we can build and live in our cities of the future.
I’ll admit, I don’t necessarily agree with everything Sennett says, but nevertheless he does what I am sure he set out to do, which was to get me thinking. So for any academics out there reading this, you should get heaps of challenging ideas regarding urban development from what is essentially a student text book.
Make no mistake, this is an academic text book and written for students in the same field, so although I personally found it interesting, it was not what I expected and it was quite wordy. However, if this is to be your field of expertise then that’s not going to deter you. In fact this may actually be on your reading list.
Sennett covers subjects such as the ethics of co-creation in cities and how the geography, along with economics, has a sociological effect on city-dwelling on a global level.
Well researched, and for the layman like me it’s full of interesting thought provoking ideas at how we can build and live in our cities of the future.
I’ll admit, I don’t necessarily agree with everything Sennett says, but nevertheless he does what I am sure he set out to do, which was to get me thinking. So for any academics out there reading this, you should get heaps of challenging ideas regarding urban development from what is essentially a student text book.
Jessi Bone (48 KP) rated Taming the Troublemaker in Books
Mar 26, 2019
Troublemaker VS Teacher
Autry Hill is the biggest playboy in town or that is what Beth Cooper always thought. Autry has always been up for a good time with a certain type of girl and Beth has never been that type of girl. When Beth bounces back into his life by locking her purse inside his truck everything changes. Who knew locking your purse in the wrong truck could lead to a skunk, jail and a promise to his father that he would finally settle down. Autry is one trouble maker who is in big trouble with one little good girl. Then all of sudden out of nowhere comes little boy who worms his way into Autry's heart. What are they to do when Dylan foster parents can no longer keep him, Dylan needs a new home; can Beth and Autry work together to give this boy the family they all need or will it be all over because Beth cannot see the man that Autry really is. Can one good little girl be enough to make Autry want to be the man he has always wanted to be?
This is my second Kadie Scott book and I am over the moon for her group of characters that make up the Hill Family books. Her easy writing style and how she weaves her tales make you need a little recovery time after finishing her tales. If you are thinking oh typical western romance you would be way off, Yes, it is a romance based on cowboys and ranching but her story goes beyond the horses and cowboy hats but actually to the characters of her stories so you know who they truly are beyond the story. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a funny, read with romance, laughs and adorable cowboy or two.
This is my second Kadie Scott book and I am over the moon for her group of characters that make up the Hill Family books. Her easy writing style and how she weaves her tales make you need a little recovery time after finishing her tales. If you are thinking oh typical western romance you would be way off, Yes, it is a romance based on cowboys and ranching but her story goes beyond the horses and cowboy hats but actually to the characters of her stories so you know who they truly are beyond the story. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a funny, read with romance, laughs and adorable cowboy or two.
Jonathan Higgs recommended Born To Do It by Craig David in Music (curated)
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Oct 1, 2019
A glimmer of hope
Contains spoilers, click to show
After a fleeting visit in Batman vs Superman (bleugh), my hopes weren't high for Wonder Woman.
But as everyone knows, it's actually pretty good.
One of the main problems with BvS is that it felt rushed, like Warner Bros were trying to pack in as much as they could in a short amount of time to establish a far reaching movie universe. Wonder Woman is a perfect example of why they should be concentrating on standalone movies first.
Given a full film to shine, Gal Gadot is a great fit as DCs First Lady. The time devoted to her backstory makes you care for her, and her surrounding team mates.
Gadot, and Chris Pine make a duo worth rooting for.
The story being set in wartime is used to great effect. The scene where Diana steps out into No Man's Land is nothing short of breathtaking. The visuals used throughout are great, and the script is a vast improvement on what we've had so far. There are no silly gimmicks like with Suicide Squad, just a good solid superhero adventure, with a good solid lead.
Wonder Woman falls apart at the final hurdle however. After Danny Huston (who is just sort of there) is set up to be Ares, it is revealed that David Thewlis' character is in fact Ares, and what follows is a climatic battle that is a dodgy CGI overload.
I have no problem with David Thewlis playing Ares, but his little mustache peeking out from underneath his Ares war helmet looks absolutely ridiculous.
But honestly, with the exception of the last 15 minutes, director Patty Jenkins has done a pretty decent job of bringing Wonder Woman to life. It's stands alongside Shazam! in terms of quality, and I'm actually looking forward to the upcoming sequel!
But as everyone knows, it's actually pretty good.
One of the main problems with BvS is that it felt rushed, like Warner Bros were trying to pack in as much as they could in a short amount of time to establish a far reaching movie universe. Wonder Woman is a perfect example of why they should be concentrating on standalone movies first.
Given a full film to shine, Gal Gadot is a great fit as DCs First Lady. The time devoted to her backstory makes you care for her, and her surrounding team mates.
Gadot, and Chris Pine make a duo worth rooting for.
The story being set in wartime is used to great effect. The scene where Diana steps out into No Man's Land is nothing short of breathtaking. The visuals used throughout are great, and the script is a vast improvement on what we've had so far. There are no silly gimmicks like with Suicide Squad, just a good solid superhero adventure, with a good solid lead.
Wonder Woman falls apart at the final hurdle however. After Danny Huston (who is just sort of there) is set up to be Ares, it is revealed that David Thewlis' character is in fact Ares, and what follows is a climatic battle that is a dodgy CGI overload.
I have no problem with David Thewlis playing Ares, but his little mustache peeking out from underneath his Ares war helmet looks absolutely ridiculous.
But honestly, with the exception of the last 15 minutes, director Patty Jenkins has done a pretty decent job of bringing Wonder Woman to life. It's stands alongside Shazam! in terms of quality, and I'm actually looking forward to the upcoming sequel!
Andy K (10821 KP) rated San Andreas (2015) in Movies
Feb 9, 2019
A thrill ride of a good time!
Ok, normally I rip on these CGI puke fests with no apparent plot in sight, but this one was a lot of fun. You obviously can't take it seriously, but if you go along for the ride, I think you will enjoy it.
When a rescue worker and his estranged wife find each other amidst the great California earthquakes we all fear, their only goal is to find and rescue their daughter after already losing a child together.
I've sat through a lot of disaster films in my life and seem to have a soft spot for them I guess. Maybe because of the dooming sound in my home theatre or my 75" TV showing all the cool effects larger than life. Somehow The Rock always seems to find projects that suit his talents well. In the modern age of movie stars generally not being the box office draws they once were, he seems to have carved out a fine career for himself in doing these types of movies.
Liked it quite a bit more than I thought I would.
One thing about the movies that makes me the happiest is being pleasantly surprised since it doesn't happen much any more.
Highly recommended.
When a rescue worker and his estranged wife find each other amidst the great California earthquakes we all fear, their only goal is to find and rescue their daughter after already losing a child together.
I've sat through a lot of disaster films in my life and seem to have a soft spot for them I guess. Maybe because of the dooming sound in my home theatre or my 75" TV showing all the cool effects larger than life. Somehow The Rock always seems to find projects that suit his talents well. In the modern age of movie stars generally not being the box office draws they once were, he seems to have carved out a fine career for himself in doing these types of movies.
Liked it quite a bit more than I thought I would.
One thing about the movies that makes me the happiest is being pleasantly surprised since it doesn't happen much any more.
Highly recommended.
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Conspiracy of Ravens (Raven Crawford #1) in Books
Nov 18, 2019
CONSPIRACY OF RAVENS is the first book in the Raven Crawford series, and we meet Raven who is half-Fae and half-shifter. She is living on a knife's edge financially due to her ex-boyfriend and is too proud to ask for help. Instead, she gives up on her dreams and works at a dead-end job.
Her life changes when her twin disappears and two dark Fae Lords enter her life. Her mother has always warned her away from the Underworld, although she doesn't really know why. This means she has a woeful lack of knowledge where this is concerned, which doesn't help when she figures out her brother's disappearance and the appearance of those two are linked.
This was a great fantasy book with plenty of detail given. I will admit to finding the first half of the book a bit slower than the second half. Some parts of it seem to be repeated, but so long as you don't mind that, it's all good. The attraction between Cole and Raven is intense and instantaneous, but Raven doesn't trust it. This book concludes nicely for this part, but also leaves it wide open for the next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more. Most definitely recommended by me.
Her life changes when her twin disappears and two dark Fae Lords enter her life. Her mother has always warned her away from the Underworld, although she doesn't really know why. This means she has a woeful lack of knowledge where this is concerned, which doesn't help when she figures out her brother's disappearance and the appearance of those two are linked.
This was a great fantasy book with plenty of detail given. I will admit to finding the first half of the book a bit slower than the second half. Some parts of it seem to be repeated, but so long as you don't mind that, it's all good. The attraction between Cole and Raven is intense and instantaneous, but Raven doesn't trust it. This book concludes nicely for this part, but also leaves it wide open for the next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more. Most definitely recommended by me.
Whisper Not: The Autobiography of Benny Golson
Book
"One of the greatest artists our country has is Benny Golson. He is not only a great musician, but...