'Django Unchained': Movie Review Roundup - The Hollywood ...

Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio head to the pre-Civil War South in Quentin Tarantino?s Django Unchained.

The film from the Weinstein Company bowed Christmas Day to $15 million, the top opening for an R-rated film on the holiday. Although its depiction of slavery has been criticized by Spike Lee and its use of the n-word has been rebuked by others, Django received? strong reviews from critics and currently holds an 89 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as an 80 percent on Metacritic.

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Read what top critics had to say about the film below.

The Hollywood Reporter?s Todd McCarthy, who included it in his top 10 films of 2012, wrote: ?Tarantino?s affinity for black culture and interest in the ways blacks and whites relate always have been evident, but they?ve never before been front and center to the extent that they are in Django Unchained. Some might object to the writer-director?s tone, historical liberties, comic japes or other issues, but there can be no question who gets the shaft here: This is a story of justifiable vengeance, pure and simple, and no paleface is spared, even the good German who facilitates a slave?s transformation into a take-no-prisoners hunter of whites who trade in black flesh.?

Washington Post?s Ann Hornaday: ?The art of creative anachronism Tarantino practices in this extravaganza of Southern gothic camp is far more successful than 2009?s Inglourious Basterds in meaningfully engaging the history it?s repurposing. Where Basterds was little more than a larky speculative burlesque, Django Unchained possesses an unmistakable subversive power, its playfully insurrectionist spirit perhaps the modern-day pop-culture equivalent of far more high stakes rebellions of yore.?

STORY: Spike Lee: 'Django Unchained' is 'Disrespectful,' I Will Not See It

New York Times? A.O. Scott: ?It is digressive, jokey, giddily brutal and ferociously profane. But it is also a troubling and important movie about slavery and racism.?

Slate?s Dana Stevens: ?Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino?s blaxploitationspaghetti western about a freed slave turned bounty hunter, provoked a lot of contradictory feelings in me, including some that don?t usually come in pairs: Hilarity and boredom. Aesthetic delight and physical nausea. Fist-pumping righteousness and vague moral unease. Of course, provoking intense feelings is what Tarantino?s cinema is all about.?

Chicago Tribune?s Michael Phillips: ?By the two-hour mark the fun had oozed out of the movie for me. It's long. Or feels it. Tarantino's scripts tend to read, and play, like writing samples stitched together, full of heavily brocaded monologues for his most voluble characters. Yet he's a lousy self-editor, and despite his prodigious filmmaking knowledge and lust for filmmaking history, as a director he struggles with pacing and excess and detours.?

STORY: Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' Reignites Debate Over N-Word in Movies

Los Angeles Times? Betsy Sharkey: ?In Django, Tarantino is a man unchained, creating his most articulate, intriguing, provoking, appalling, hilarious, exhilarating, scathing and downright entertaining film yet. Even given the grand tradition of artists using their work for sharp social rebukes ? Mel Brooks' genius swipe at Nazism in "The Producers," for one ?Tarantino's mash-ups between the unconscionable inhumanity of others and his outrageous riffs on the matter defy comparison.?

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/django-unchained-movie-review-roundup-406425

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The Army's new Radio | Military Ring Info

Communications has come quite a long way since I was a troop in the US Army. Commo as we call it was often tenous at best and many times we could not even talk to our superior or subordinate units when we needed to.

Heat and bad atmospheric conditions hampered our operations and we had to use and maintain the correct authentication codes in order to communicate.

Radios were heavy and generally unreliable but when they worked well they were worth their weight in gold. We used to scramble to find them before we went to the field. If we could find extras we kept them hidden for emergencies.

The U.S. Army recently awarded General Dynamics C4 Systems and Rockwell? Collins with a $306 million contract for 3,726 Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit? (HMS) AN/PRC-155 Manpack radios.

?With the game-changing PRC-155 networking radio, soldiers can be confident? they will have access to lifesaving voice and data communications,? said Chris? Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems, in a recent GD press? release.

The two-channel PRC-155 completes? the Army?s tactical network by connecting upper to lower tiers, legacy to future? waveforms and terrestrial to over-the-horizon links, said Chris Brady, vice? president of Assured Communications for General Dynamics C4 Systems.

PRC-155s weigh 14 pounds with battery and can be mounted in a vehicle or? carried in a pack. Now 1 pounds can get pretty heavy when you have to carry it around on your back for an extended amount of time but its much better than the radio that it replaces.

It has also been certified by the National Security Agency to communicate? classified voice and data at the Top Secret level and below.? The? certification makes the radio the only secure, two-channel networking radio to? communicate data across the entire force structure between battalion? headquarters and soldiers on foot and in vehicles.

This gives commanders a control and flexibility that is unprecedented before now. Commanders can issue orders directly so that their is no ambuguity and there is no more hoping that the last order was relayed correctly down to the troops who actually have to execute it on the ground.

Oue US Army Infantry Ring troops and all of those who are Spec Ops troops also will benefit greatly from this piece of equipment.

Source: http://www.militaryringinfo.com/service-ring/19548-the-armys-new-radio/

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Phenomenom: Mexican Chocolate Bars

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and cheers! Can you believe it's already Christmas tomorrow? I feel like this month just flew by, though that could be because of studying, exams and essays. I don't know about you guys, but I'm more than ready for the holidays.


My mom and I have a tradition where we go to Toronto and see the Nutcracker at the National Ballet. We've been going for over 13 years now and every time we go have high tea (usually at the Royal York) before seeing the show. The only difference now is that mom and I return to our hotel room after and drink some wine! The show was great (once again) this year. Our Nutcracker was the same as last year and, man, he was even better. He could practically fly (and, phew, the legs (and ass) on him!).

What are some of your Christmas traditions?

These Mexican chocolate bars are adapted from a recipe found in the Holiday 2012 Food and Drink. They are absolutely delicious! Smooth, rich and with just enough spice to give you a kick that leaves you drooling for more. Decadence and spice- what more can you ask for in a Christmas treat?

My gluttony aside, I hope everyone has an amazing holiday, filled with good food, tasty drinks, and awesome company.

Mexican Chocolate Bars
Adapted from: Holiday 2012 Food and Drink
makes 32 squares

Ingredients
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 cup dark hot chocolate powder
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp grated orange rind
1 egg
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp chili flakes (feel free to put in less if you're sensitive to spice!)
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)
1 egg, beaten

Topping
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, cocoa powder, hot chocolate powder, sugar, salt and orange rind in a bowl. Add egg and melted butter and stir until combined. Put mix into the prepared pan and use your hands to press it down evenly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust looks matte and is dry to the touch. Set aside.

To make filling, Pour whipping cream into a small heavy pot. Add cinnamon, allspice, cloves and chili flakes to the cream. Bring the mixture to just a boil over medium-low heat. Remove and let stand for about 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 325F. Place the 1 cup of chocolate into a bowl. Return the cream to medium heat and bring it to just a boil again. Immediately pour into the chocolate and let it stand 30 seconds, before stirring it until it's melted and smooth. Stir in the egg and pour the chocolate mix onto the prepared crust. Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until set with a slight wiggle in the centre. Cool and chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

To make the topping, combine the chocolate and butter in a small heavy pot over low heat. Melt, stirring, until the chocolate and butter are smooth. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate in an even layer over the spiced filling. Chill for 30 minutes or until the topping has set. Pull up on the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan and cut into small squares. Enjoy!

Source: http://phenome-nom.blogspot.com/2012/12/mexican-chocolate-bars.html

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Kenya approves new, more independent, head of police

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's parliament approved a national head of police for a fixed six-year term, in a move aimed to boost independence from political interference for security forces dogged by a reputation for corruption.

The stamp of approval for David Kimaiyo as the country's first Inspector General of Police on Thursday comes as Kenya prepares for national elections in March, the first since a disputed 2007 vote provoked ethnic clashes that killed more than 1,200 people and threw a spotlight on security force failings.

Kimaiyo, a former commandant of para-military police usually deployed to quell riots, was nominated by President Mwai Kibaki after being selected in interviews televised live nationally.

In the past, top police commanders could be fired and were accused of aligning themselves with the ruling elite to ensure they hold their posts. The position of inspector general, to be in charge of the three main wings of Kenya's police, was created under a new constitution adopted in 2010.

Critics say officers are poorly paid and the police force has been named as the country's most corrupt institution in many surveys.

Kenya has been hit by gun, grenade and bomb attacks in its capital, Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa and in towns near its frontier with Somalia, which authorities suspect to be the work of Somali Islamist groups. Kenya sent its troops into southern Somalia in October last year to hunt down militants it accused of cross-border security raids and kidnappings.

At least 32 police officers were killed in a military-style ambush in a remote northern part of the country in November, described as the worst attack on police in Kenya's history.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by James Macharia; editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-approves-more-independent-head-police-202522868.html

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NBA ? Belinelli e Gallinari trascinano Chicago e Denver, vincono anche Miami, Lakers e Golden State

? 19/12/2012Posted in: NBA News, News

WASHINGTON ? ATLANTA 95 ? 100

CLEVELAND ? TORONTO 99 ? 113

BROOKLYN ? UTAH 90 ? 92

MIAMI ? MINNESOTA 103 -92

CHICAGO ? BOSTON 100 ? 89

MILWAUKEE ? INDIANA 98 ? 93

DALLAS ? PHILADELPHIA 107 -100

DENVER ? SAN ANTONIO 112 ? 106

LOS ANGELES LAKERS ? CHARLOTTE 101 -100

GOLDEN STATE ? NEW ORLEANS 103 ? 96

Migliori prestazioni:

PUNTI: Jennings (Mil) 34, Duncan (Sas) 31, Bryant (Lal) 30

RIMBALZI: Howard (Lal) 18, Duncan (Sas) 18, Love (Min) 18

ASSIST: James (Mia) 11, Vazquez (Noh) 11, Noah (Chi) 10

About zianello

Source: http://www.playitusa.com/news/2012/12/32923/nba-belinelli-e-gallinari-trascinano-chicago-e-denver-vincono-anche-miami-lakers-e-golden-state/

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South Africa: 633 rhinos poached this year

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? South Africa says at least 633 rhinoceros have been killed this year alone as a poaching epidemic continues to threaten the animals.

South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs issued the new statistics in a statement Wednesday. The statistics show that 395, the majority of the killings, have taken place at the expansive Kruger National Park in South Africa's northeast.

From the 1990s to 2007, rhino killings in South Africa by poachers averaged about 15 a year. However, the number has soared as buyers in Asia now pay the U.S. street value of cocaine for rhino horn.

Rhino horn is made of keratin, a tough protein found in human fingernails. There's a belief in Asia that taking ground-up horn cures diseases. However, no medical evidence supports that.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-633-rhinos-poached-111412199.html

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Boehner: Obama should support fiscal cliff plan

WASHINGTON (AP) ? House Speaker John Boehner says President Barack Obama should support a Republican plan to avoid January tax increases on everyone but those earning over $1 million. Boehner says if Obama doesn't support the measure, the president will be responsible for what he calls "the largest tax increase in American history."

Boehner spoke to reporters Wednesday at the Capitol after Obama said he believed a deal with the speaker was close to avoid the "fiscal cliff" ? huge tax boosts and spending cuts taking effect in January unless lawmakers head them off.

Obama and Boehner have yet to produce a compromise. Boehner plans a House vote Thursday on his Plan B ? which would head off most of the tax increases. The White House says Obama would veto that measure.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-19-Fiscal%20Cliff-Boehner/id-d5ffad7ce760438aae3af52640829bc1

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