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3liza · 11 months ago

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The poster is the worst advertising for what the film actually turns out to be. You think you're getting into another screwball millennial cringefest and it's actually a deep-blue chiaroscuro of neuroses. I really thought I would not be surprised by the depths of male anxiety and weirdness going into a movie about sperm donation, because the topic itself is so trammeled at this point and so obvious that you assume you already know everything such a documentary could teach you, but I got my tits blown clean off.

No one does anything BAD, it's not that kind of film, it's simply a silent and eerie observation of people acting completely independently to either provide or acquire human semen. Necessarily, the receivers in this setup are all buying the same product for the same purpose: they want to conceive a baby and don't have access to the missing gamete for some reason and don't have the extortionate amount of money required to go the official route through a sperm bank. The providers are all doing it for completely different reasons, and all of the reasons besides "making a bit of extra cash" are in fact weird, no matter how stubbornly some of the reviewers here insist the motives of the donors are simply "to help people out :)". Sperm is just the kind of thing you really don't want to get from a stranger unless money is exchanging hands, so by this property the male subjects in the film become perfect documentary protagonists: profoundly damaged, bizarre, or obsessive in ways that stand up to steady, direct observation.

I'm not judging anyone here, by the way. I guess if you have a lot of money to throw around you probably would waste it on genetically profiling strangers in a lookbook in a nice office in order to breed your ubermensch or whatever. I'm being nasty, there are lots of good reasons to want to anonymize, institutionalize and vet sperm donors, it's just that the idea is ludicrous on its face because this is a substance people never ever stop trying to push on you for free, or pay you money to take off their hands. Epigenetics and environmental factors being what they are, I question the utility of "genetic testing" beyond a certain point anyway. No one is being exploited or misled. The people who want babies can conceive and it doesn't really matter in the big picture whether the donors are doing it for "the right reasons" or not.

There are some more esoteric ethical considerations here that aren't addressed at all, which is probably for the best in consideration for the pacing of the film, but I could have used at least one interview with a genetics expert who winced at hearing some of these donors have 100+ sperm babies because of the very real possibility of creating future half-sibling incest crises unawares, a problem that real sperm banks and actual legislation have to grapple with. You get one good-looking Norwegian brain surgeon on the books at a sperm bank and you get a line out the door of people with too much money who know what being 6' tall and blue-eyed and symmetrical is worth down to fractional shares and have already put a down payment on the local private montessouri pre-K prep program. Genetic Sexual Attraction or GSA for short is a documented (and controversial) phenomenon that causes a lot of high-profile scandals when long-lost siblings or birth parents are reunited with a child who was the subject of a closed adoption, fall in love with them, and reenact various historical and mythological tragedies. That thing where you tend to find your blood relatives sexually repulsive or at least uninteresting is a way that social animals avoid getting into failure spirals of incest and birth defects, but humans have a tendency to be attracted to people who resemble themselves physically and personality-wise, so meeting a sibling or parent you didn't grow up with can sometimes short-circuit the incest-avoidance failsafes and create instantaneous, passionate obsession. That's what people who are involved in cases of GSA report, anyway. Half-sibling pairings aren't quite as bad in terms of the mutation issues, but it is definitely not good for the health of the resulting offspring or the mental health of the related parents. These lone gunmen fathering dozens of children in the same school district are potentially creating serious problems down the line.

The cinematography is breathtaking. It's truly a phenomenal film from any angle.

My mother is a family lawyer by the way, if you ever find yourself in this situation (for example you are someone's friend and they ask you to be a donor) you need to make sure you have an IRON CLAD contract checked by an actual lawyer and probably notarized that you are absolved of all parental rights and obligations irreversibly, or you WILL eventually find yourself in the position one donor did at the end of the film: suddenly being the sole custodian of a little girl named "Italeigh". Family law is not like any other field of law in the USA, the judges in family court care about one thing only and that's Who Is Gonna Pay for This Damn Kid. Which is correct, and I'm not saying family court is always fair or that the judges make the right decisions all the time, but a proper family court judge will walk to Hell to bring the devil in for a wage garnishment and you need to be aware of that. Legally you are someone's dad until another dad legally enters the picture and supplants you (for example a stepfather officially adopting a child) or you have irrefutable paperwork saying you're excused. By the way, legal status pre-empts biological status. The guy who is married to the person who gives birth is legally on the hook for child support and caretaking of any child produced during the union unless there's a paternity suit and a bunch of rigamarole. This may appear unfair to the casual observer but family law is designed to prioritize the survival and wellbeing of the child above the rights of the parents and potential parents. So a freelance sperm donor without REALLY good paperwork is on the hook, absolutely.

#movie reviews #spermworld #blog

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sgiandubh · 1 year ago

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Machiavelli took a day off

... when the Telegraph article was written in great haste, by someone blatantly given a last minute task, who had no fucking idea to whom she was talking and what exactly meant the PR vetted or even prompted questions.

Instead of a line-by-line analysis, we'll take things differently, on this page, using the '5 W rule of journalism' (or even non-fiction writing, in general, if you ask me):

Who? SRH, EP of the OL series and one of the two male leads of the TCND series, which will be shortly broadcast by Channel 4, in the UK and IE only (and Movistar in ES). The rest of the world is not concerned.

What? A promotional article, focused on the actor's personality, CV and projects.

When? At a particular moment in time, just after the SAG-AFTRA strike and before shooting OL's eighth and last season.

Where? Crucial to place it in LHR (to imply he is 'just visiting') and God forbid it would be in GLA, which (for some curious reasons) seems to be off-limits.

Why? An actor with solid credentials hopes to keep agents and employers interested, after above OL project is done, which is rather sooner than later. Also addressing (as per the actor's PR agent specific requirements) three particular issues: the Palestine letter, the Bond project and his 'private life'.

Onwards to the three issues at stake, which probably prompted the article. In chronological order, this time. And no, I am not going to address the Scottish independence mention, because this is a sincere, well-known position of his and this page never bitches about people's convictions - also because I educated myself on it and I agree with S.

Palestine:

It was important, for obvious reasons, to push damage control a tad further. Also, strictly from a hypothetical POV, I would be very curious to read your compare and discuss thoughts with regard to this particular post on this page:

A sort of answer came in the Telegraph paper, too. Not only to me (I am less than nobody), but to all the people (of which we were many) who thought he should not get involved in this type of debate:

This is not the first time he uses this specific talking point. Last time known to me was on the day the Queen died, on X (I looked for that post, but can't find it, because I am just a filthy lurker, like that: but it is there).

The really interesting question, therefore, is: does he/somebody monitor what is being said on Tumblr? The answer is, I think, yes, and it shows. Will it stop me talking in here? Nope, as I trust my discerning abilities, for the moment. Other than that, his damage control op does not bring anything new to the table.

Bond:

What can I say, Sir? While there's life, there's apparently hope. But that doesn't translate well, given the context of your interview. That spells desperate and it's not a great picture. Also, let us keep a pious moment of silence in fond memory of a 25 year old who had a dream and the dream went to Daniel Craig (who I detested as Bond, because every girl has her Bond and mine is Pierce Brosnan, amen).

I know people still speculate about it. I have very high reservations and I cannot, for the life of me, seriously consider even thinking about the possibility. He could do it with flying colors, no doubt. Does he stand a chance? I prefer to have zero expectations on it and be floored if it happens. If he naively still yearns/pushes for it, this interview could very well be as abysmal as C's VF tantrum.

'Private life':

Ugh. Slippery when wet. I have already touched the subject in a reactive re-blog of @samheughanswife's post about it and I will not get back to what I said even without reading the article.

Some more extraordinary wording, in here: 'there might even be space for a personal life' - begs the question 'when?' In general? (in general, all men are created equal, too - it's practice that kills the theory) Now? (it is my staunch belief the answer is yes). After OL? (then and now and after Hiroshima, too). Can you program these things? (nope, stars simply aligned) Heh. Enough said. Also, 'might' spells cheap insinuation to me. But that's just me, a blonde voice in the audience.

Now, onwards to the daughter thing. I believe this specifically addresses the cheap, abundant clickbait content on You Tube, hence the vague 'online' reference (not Tumblr, not fans, not blogs - he is not C, he kept it clean). Such as this very recent one (last 'clip' on the topic was five days ago):

The two I chose to share here, which are very conspicuous FAKES, are originating from the same 'source', an account that seems obsessed with S&C and has no problem changing its narrative three times a week, if needed. My opinion? PR induced shite, to prod numbers/interest and see what sticks.

No newborn daughter? I hear no lies.

As for OL leaving 'no time for relationships', ahem. *urv will be thrilled to read that, I bet the farm. As will Flukenzie Floozy, at least her - damn, she was persistent! Also, hello, back to 2014-2016 playbook, aren't we?

No new relationships? Whatever for, when IYKYK? I hear no lies.

'I want a cat' ('because she's great', says my shipper brain on autopilot), 'but I am too scared even for that'. Humph. A very poor lie. But admitting you wanted and got a Ca(i)t scares the bejesus out of you, since 2016. I hear no lies. Yes, I am being tongue in cheek and damn the consequences.

Morality of it?

The easiest solution is never to take personal questions in interviews or panels. Why These Two still do it completely mystifies me.

#shitshow

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burnwater13 · 4 months ago

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Concept art by Christian Alzmann, for The Mandalorian, Season 3, Episode 5, The Pirate. Image depicts Greef Karga, his protocol droid, Din Djarin, and Grogu standing on the streets of Nevarro City with a variety of Mandalorians and Nevarro citizens, having defeated the pirate king, Gorian Shard.

When they left the Anzellans’ shop, Grogu thought his dad would go right back to the High Magistrate’s office, but that’s not what the Mandalorian did. Instead they ended up going to the school that had been started in the building that used to belong to pirates. Grogu wondered why. He sure hoped that his dad didn’t plan on dropping him off there and then going off to visit the High Magistrate by himself. That wouldn’t be fair. And Grogu didn’t have any snacks to help him get through the boring lectures of that protocol droid, turned school teacher. He already knew enough about pirates, scoundrels, and smugglers.

Grogu was surprised again when Din Djarin asked to speak to the droid instructor. Oh, no! Was he trying to sign Grogu up for classes? Would be going to school there everyday? Was this something he’d been planning and just hadn’t bothered to mention it to Grogu? Uff. Grogu would have to find a way to get back to the N-1. He wanted to talk to IG-11-M, but that could wait until the Mandalorian gave up this latest idea of his.

“Thank you for letting me interrupt your lesson. I just have a few questions about the High Magistrate’s protocol droid.”

Huh? Why would the Mandalorian interview the teaching droid about Greef Karga’s protocol droid?

“I do not have all the data about protocol droid C-29P. They were constructed in a different factory than my series.”

“That’s fine. I don’t need everything. Does that series of protocol droid imprint of the person it serves?”

“Imprint? You mean learn its needs? Yes. That is part of the programming. Much like my programming is focused on teaching children, such as your youngling, who has missed 1520 days of instruction since he was first added to my roster by the High Magistrate, C-29 has been programmed to meet the needs of their assigned leader. C-29 is required to ensure that the High Magistrate has the best possible day each and every day. Protocol droids make many sacrifices for their leaders.”

“Good to know. Does that include changing their exterior plating color?”

“That is highly individualized. I am as my maker made me. But, if the leader wanted such a change, it would be appropriate for a droid to do what they could to accommodate that request. I have records of some protocol droids wearing clothing and other coverings to ensure that their leader found their presence acceptable.”

Wow. Grogu had not even thought about that. He’d never seen a droid or mech in anything other than their customary plating. Sure, sometimes their exterior paint was changed, like with IG-11-M. He’d even heard of certain droids having mixed color plating because they had suffered damage and matching parts had been unavailable. It just never occurred to him that some of them might wear clothing. Huh.

“Thank you. By the way, you can remove Grogu from your class roster. I’m responsible for his education now. He’d my apprentice.”

“Very well, Mandalorian, Din Djarin. He has been moved to the inactive list. You will no longer receive reminders related to his attendance.”

Wow. That was a close one. They got the answers his dad was looking for and Grogu didn’t have to attend pirate school. His dad had never mentioned anything about receiving reminders about his attendance status, but they had been pretty busy since then and it must have just ended up in a junk folder or something like that.

The instructor droid returned to their classroom as the Mandalorian picked Grogu up again and settled him on his left shoulder.

“Now it’s time to talk to Karga about all this. Maybe he told the droid that he wanted that sort of thing, but left the details to them to work out. Given what these droids must have done before Nevarro settled down, I won’t be surprised to find out C29 was Gorian Shard’s planet side assistant.”

Grogu hadn’t even considered that. Maybe that droid had been routinely asked to blackmail, coerce, and threaten the trades people in Nevarro City in order to do it’s job for its former leader. That sounded awful. He couldn’t actually imagine that Greef Karga had asked the droid to do things like that, but Greef Karga had once tried to trick his dad into giving Grogu back to the Imps, so anything was possible. Uff.

They made it back to the High Magistrate’s offices faster than Grogu expected and it seemed to him that the Mandalorian was specifically trying to avoid talking to the High Magistrate’s protocol droid as he seemed to hide in an alcove, waiting for the droid to go about its business. Grogu wondered if he should just help his dad along with that by causing a distraction that the droid would have to attend to?

Rather than ask the Mandalorian and potentially give away their location, he simply reached out with the Force and tipped over the rack of brochures that were given to tourists to encourage them to return to Nevarro. Grogu knew the High Magistrate loved that rack and what it represented for the prosperity and future of the good people of Nevarro.

The crash was impressive and the effect of it immediate. Both the protocol droid and the High Magistrate rushed out of the office, with the protocol droid making a beeline for the rack. Perfect!

Grogu jumped down from his dad’s shoulder and waved the Mandalorian on. Din Djarin could just whisk Greef Karga back into his office while Grogu continued to distract the protocol droid. He wondered what the Brethren would do in that situation. He felt that he had done exactly what his Jedi training had prepared him to do, but was that enough?

To be continued…

#grogu #din djarin #the mandalorian #star wars #droids

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darkmaga-returns · 8 days ago

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1. William, you've had a fascinating career spanning electrical engineering, floristry, flying, scuba diving, and more. Can you share a bit about your journey and how these diverse experiences have shaped you?

As a first or second grader, I was MD - diagnosed with Rheumatic Fever. At that time, there was apparently no viable treatment… much less a cure. The standard “treatment” was to keep me out of all athletic activities. When all the rest of the kids were out playing, I stayed in the classroom… reading books.

I remember thinking that most of the books were poorly written and not very interesting. I vowed to myself to someday write a book. I recently achieved that goal with my Action/Adventure novel… Cedar Roses… now available from KDP.

2. Your recovery from Alzheimer's is truly remarkable. Can you describe when you first noticed symptoms and how you felt upon receiving the diagnosis?

I never *noticed* any symptoms. But a few years ago, as part of my annual health program, our family MD administered the 30 question MMSE test. I “flunked” it with a score of 16… *beginning and irreversible Alzheimer’s!*

What I felt was confusion and anger. But never despair!

3. What prompted you to explore alternative treatments like chelation therapy and drinking Fiji water?

I am an engineering graduate from one of the finest universities in the world… University of California… Berkeley. There, I learned that… with the exception of biblical miracles… there is a *cause* for everything.

So, I started reading… (Including several all-nighters) and learned several “facts”…

A. Alzheimer’s is a NEW disease… unknown before 1906.

B. Alzheimer’s was *initially* found *only* in technology-developed countries.

C. No one knew what causes Alzheimer’s.

D. There is no cure.

I abandoned my reading of medical reports and started looking at alternatives. And I found some.

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janecafe · 18 days ago

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☆ — rules of free and exchanges reading

8 rules before submitting your reading request.

i. follow my accounts; tumblr @janecafe, kofi @janecafe. either one these are acceptable but preferably if you follow both.

a. failed to follow me? well you still have your chances by simply leaving a proof of any interactions you had with my space and account. a reblog and a like will do.

ii. request free reading can accommodate and one-time valid, you can't ask many questions. one per one, means, only one account is equal to one free reading.

- a. conversely, if i hold a new event, for example, a free reading for reaching out 100 followers you can participate.

iii. be nice when conversing. i can't promise that i can send your reading immediately so keep your cool and be understanding. i won't tolerate rude behavior and demanding submissions. please be patient. everyone will get the attention they want just wait okay.

iv. you can send anything that can make me think of you like something that you think is special about you, it can be a quirk, a hobby or a noticeable part of you; for instance, a mole on the lower lip, wearing braces and so on. zodiac signs and name or nicknames are perfectly acceptable but it's not automatically general.

v. you can submit your questions through dms and inbox.

a. when submitting to my inbox, make sure you are not anon or else your request will be deleted.

vi. specify what type of reading you want. i will not do the reading requests that discussed the following topics: 18+, nsfw, celebrities and idols, death, exam result, finances, legal matters, job interviews result, third-party and other stuff that seems weighty and weird to entertain.

vii. unfollowed the account (janecafe), deleted my pick-a-card's notes on your wall and left me on read with the max. of 3 days after receiving your reading will lead you to not able to participate in any free reading again with this blog. if you are busy just let me know.

- a. sorry but not sorry, your username will be posted on my wall. which i will call "the ghoster" wall.

- b. feedback can be sent through dms and inbox, just make sure they're worth reading.

- b. the ghoster wall, main purpose is to spread awareness to other tarot readers like me.

viii. don't participate in this program if your words don't affirm your actions.

- a. participating on this project pledges you to leave a feedback it will benefit, the reader (me) to improve my reading skills.

feedbacks.

i. be constructive

a. start your feedback with words of encouragement that establish a supportive and friendly environment.

b. focus on aspects that need some improvement and enhancement, and you can give and comprehend examples and realistic recommendations.

c. lastly, end your feedback with a piece of encouragement or uplifting words.

jane's note: sincerely, you don't have to follow this feedback form but it can be a guide.

to acknowledge the tarot enthusiast and the reading requester.

i. if there's something you don't quite understand about your reading feel free to ask. sometimes my english is not perfect, you can question me if there's a part in your reading you didn't get.

ii. i don't consider myself as tarot professional or a medical and mental health expert, but i assure you that the reading is based on the tarot and oracle although i am not a type of "reader" who usually follows the meaning of cards and more verge on the intuition and lean on how i perceive each card and their illustrations.

jane, the bean fiend.

˚⊱🍀⊰˚

#janecafe #free readings #exchange reading #tarot #pick a card

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 3 months ago

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New SpaceTime out Monday

SpaceTime 20250127 Series 28 Episode 12

The origins of Fast Radio Bursts back in question

A surprising new discovery is raising fresh questions about the origins of mysterious deep space blasts of energy known as Fast Radio Bursts.

Is the Red Planet Mars is still geologically active

New research has raised the possibility that the Red Planet Mars is still geologically active.

Southern Hemisphere skywatchers in for as treat

Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere are enjoying a celestial spectacular with the comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS putting on a spectacular display following its close encounter with the Sun last week.

The Science Report

New hope to make life a little easier for people with atrial fibrillation.

A rare corpse flower has burst into bloom at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

The FDA finally bans cancer causing red die number 3.

Skeptics guide to the end of main stream media

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States. The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science. SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research. The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network. Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor. Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually. However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage. Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently. StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016. Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #esa #spacetimewithstuartgary #starstuff #spacetime

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mariacallous · 3 months ago

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It was a mega-MAGA morning on Capitol Hill. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s nominee to head the F.B.I., faced hostile questioning from Democrats about his past as a QAnon-adjacent promoter of conspiracy theories and his extensive public vows to exact revenge on Trump’s “deep-state” enemies. In another hearing room, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, sparred with skeptical senators from both parties who worried about his record of undermining public confidence in vaccines. And, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee to serve as the director of National Intelligence, did little to help her nomination—perhaps the most politically uncertain of them all—when she was confronted about her controversial views on everything from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Edward Snowden. At the hearing’s start, she preëmptively dismissed the criticism as “lies and smears,” though hours of sharp queries from senators suggested that for Gabbard, as for Patel and Kennedy, the best evidence against her confirmation had come from her own voluble past.

That this Trump trifecta faced simultaneous confirmation hearings appeared to be a masterstroke in outrage management by the Senate’s Republican scheduling gods: Who could possibly keep track of the overwhelming number of controversies, concerning revelations, and just plain weirdness to come out of the hearings? But, after I watched all three sessions, thanks to the magic of C-SPAN and the Internet, it seemed clear that these three appointments have more in common than just their concurrent hearings: they have perfectly met the qualification that Trump cares most about—a proven record of tearing down the credibility of the institutions that he has chosen them to lead.

Let’s stipulate that many of Trump’s other nominees are flawed or ill-suited to high office—thin résumés and sizable Fox News contracts might well be the distinguishing characteristic for many in his new Cabinet. But Thursday’s trio stands out for the sheer destructive Trumpiness of their time in public life. Patel once promised that, if he became F.B.I. director, he’d shut down the Bureau’s headquarters and reopen it the next day “as a museum of the ‘deep state.’ ” Kennedy’s long career as a scourge of the scientific establishment includes comparing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the agencies he would oversee as H.H.S. chief, to “fascism” and its childhood-vaccination program to “Nazi death camps.” Gabbard, as a left-wing congresswoman turned right-wing Trump acolyte, has often questioned foundational conclusions of the American intelligence community. These are not problems as far as the President is concerned—they’re selling points.

This came through, perhaps unintentionally, in an early moment during Patel’s hearing, when Chuck Grassley, the Senate Judiciary chairman, complained at length about the F.B.I.’s participation in “a political scheme to take down Trump.” Then Grassley went on to address the nominee directly: “They have yet to learn a lesson, and I hope you’ll teach that lesson.” Patel, in other words, is there to wreak payback for Trump. So are the others. These are Cabinet appointments as a form of revenge.

There was a certain slow-motion-car-crash appeal in watching the contortions of Republican senators like Grassley as they strained to justify or explain away these embarrassing nominations. The most gimmicky approach was that of Thom Tillis, the North Carolina Republican charged with introducing Patel. In an effort to veer away from the many shocking statements Patel has made during television appearances, podcast interviews, and in his own writings, he prepared a handout: “Kash Bingo,” with phrases, such as “enemies list” and “deep state,” that he expected Democrats to harp on in their questions. I’m surprised he didn’t follow Patel’s example and turn the whole thing into a children’s cartoon book. (See “The Plot Against the King,” Patel’s 2022 recounting of the injustices done to Trump, in which he stars as Kash the Distinguished Discoverer.)

The senators’ squirming was nothing, though, compared with that of the nominees themselves. The most politically costly squirm might have come in Kennedy’s hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, when Senator Bill Cassidy, of Louisiana, questioned him. Cassidy, the committee’s chairman and a medical doctor himself, is a key vote in determining whether Kennedy’s nomination succeeds or fails. He opened by acknowledging it was “no secret” that he had “reservations” about Kennedy, then voiced his concern that Kennedy would undermine vaccines in the role of America’s top health official. “Will you reassure mothers unequivocally . . . that the measles and hepatitis-B vaccines do not cause autism?” Cassidy asked. Kennedy started in on a rambling answer about data, but Cassidy cut him off: It was a yes-or-no question. Still, Kennedy would not offer an answer. Up next, Senator Bernie Sanders found himself in an unfamiliar role as a wingman to the conservative Louisianan. “Vaccines do not cause autism,” Sanders said. “Do you agree with that?” Again, Kennedy would not answer. Had he just failed the Cassidy test? Later, Cassidy suggested that might well have been the case. “Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” he said. “Can I trust that that is now in the past?”

Each of the three nominees tried a similar evasion technique when presented with problematic aspects of their own past. Sometimes, they lapsed into pure brazenness, as when Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, asked Patel if he was familiar with Stew Peters, a prominent right-wing conspiracy theorist. “Not off the top of my head,” Patel said. Durbin responded dryly, “You’ve made eight separate appearances on his podcasts.” When Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat, asked Patel about his so-called enemies list—sixty members of the “Executive Branch Deep State,” many of them Republicans who disagreed with him or who tried to block him from obtaining more powerful positions in Trump’s first Administration, which were listed as an appendix in his 2023 book, “Government Gangsters”—Patel insisted, “It is not an enemies list. It is a total mischaracterization. It is a glossary.”

Not all of the attacks, incidentally, came from Democrats. In the Intelligence Committee, senators from both parties pushed Gabbard to say whether she believed Snowden’s leaks about the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs made him a “traitor.” She declined to answer when James Lankford, a Republican of Oklahoma, asked her. He asked again. “I’m focussed on the future,” Gabbard replied. Then Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, asked her the same question—four different times. “That is not a hard question to answer when the stakes are this high!” he said at one point, but she again refused to answer. By the time Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana and a key vote on Gabbard’s nomination, asked whether Snowden had harmed American national security, he was the fourth senator to push her on the issue. “It’s notable you didn’t say yes,” Young told her. “It would befit you and be helpful to the way you are perceived to the members of the Intelligence Committee if you would at least acknowledge that the greatest whistle-blower in American history, so-called, harmed national security.”

As if the three hearings didn’t provide enough distractions, President Trump walked into the White House briefing room late on Thursday morning for a press conference on the previous night’s tragic plane crash over the Potomac, the first deadly accident involving a commercial airliner near Washington, D.C., since 2009. He read prepared remarks calling the country “one family” in the face of tragedy. Then he looked up and discarded the platitudinous talking points to bash his Democratic predecessors, air-traffic controllers themselves, and an amorphous “diversity push,” baselessly suggesting that all were somehow responsible for the crash. He said that Pete Buttigieg, the Biden Administration’s Transportation Secretary, had run the agency “right into the ground with his diversity,” and insisted that both Barack Obama and Joe Biden had rejected his proposed standards to insure that only those air-traffic controllers of the “highest intellect” could be hired. “Their policy was horrible, and their politics was even worse,” he said.

These were hardly the consoling words needed by a grieving nation. But, in the end, Trump’s performance was, perhaps, the day’s most revealing, with little of the obfuscation that came from his nominees on Capitol Hill. Trump said loud and clear what those surrounding him often try to hide on his behalf: He does not care about facts. He does not care about leading the country. He will seek political advantage in anything, even the death of sixty-seven people in a horrific accident in the second week of his Presidency.

It was hard to turn back to the confirmation hearings after listening to him. The MAGA-palooza in the Senate, after all, was but a reflection of Trump himself—these are his nominees, his choices, the fights that he has chosen to pick. He overshadowed any of the crazy or outrageous or disturbing things they had to say with his own words. Gabbard, Kennedy, and Patel are not the crisis in America set off by his reëlection, they are the consequences of it. Trump is the crisis—is, was, and will continue to be. Want to know how the next four years are going to go? Rewatch, if you can stand it, that press conference. This is it.

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bunnytalksf1 · 10 months ago

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Hey bunny, i wanted to ask you, how much does f2 performance matter to get into f1? Cause everyone keeps saying about how kimi will move to f1, but from what im seeing he hasn’t been performing too well in f2 compared to other drivers, does that not matter? Also, who do i have to kill or sacrifice to get a brazilian in f1 again? Lol

So, this is actually quite a long-winded explanation. I'll try and TL;DR it but since it seems like you're new to feeder series, I'll explain a little more in depth.

So, let's start with what F2 is supposed to be: a representative spec series (all cars the same) to test driver performance in slightly slower cars than F1. The pathway is supposed to be : F4 (usually national) to FR(E/A)C (continental championships), F3 (International, support series to F1), then F2 (International, support series to F1), then F1 itself. The FIA is very biased about what series they want talent coming into F1 to come from, and it's these series.

However, the cars in F2 are not, and have never been, equal. Historically, the Prema team (Italian, heavily ferrari-linked) has been the best car. Leclerc, Schumacher, De Vries, Piastri, and Bearman all competed in F2 with Prema. This year it's generally agreed the car isn't as great, but- oh well.

So, you ask. If the cars in F2 aren't equal, how is it a representative series for F1? Great question! it isn't.

Almost every motorsport series in the world acts as a "feeder" series for F1. In order to enter F1, even as a reserve, you have to have a superlicense. Since 2017 (iirc), we have had a very particular points system for gaining a superlicense. A driver needs to rack up forty points in order to qualify.

(there are more series below this, but this graph is enough to explain, and F1 drivers rarely come from outside these pathways).

There are also some other requirements: needing a valid road car license in their home country, and to be at least eighteen years of age (introduced after Verstappen debuted age seventeen).

This year this has been overruled by the FIA. They now say that exceptions can be granted age seventeen, and this was said in relation specifically to Kimi Antonelli, who already has the points for a superlicense, but is too young.

What I'm going to argue here is that this points system is largely defunct. It has been for a while, but this season, now more than ever, the fans of the sport are beginning to notice, because in theory, if F2 is a representative series, then the best performing drivers should get seats, right?

Well, here's the thing. F1 teams recognise and invest in talent FAR before F2. Of the current F1 grid:

Leclerc was signed to the FDA aged 18 in early 2016, and worked as a development driver for Haas, being in GP3 (F3).

Russell was signed to the Mercedes Development program in early 2017, when he was competing in F3.

Piastri was under Renault from 2020, before his F3 season.

Norris was under the McLaren Young Driver Program from 2017, aged 17, and before he competed in what is now FRECA.

The reason I don't go back beyond 2018 is because a surprising amount of very talented drivers entered the sport without the current requirements filled: Verstappen, Ricciardo pop to mind but there are a ton more.

So, if teams are investing in their talent way before F2, then how is F2 helping drivers be recognised? It isn't. When talking about (in most recent history) Leclerc and Verstappen, you can find interviews from people close to them from KARTING stating they could be generational. Certainly by the time drivers get to Formula Regional, the talent has been recognised and groomed and invested in. F2 is the final stopgap, to make sure that they can handle the power of the cars, and pressure. Success in this series hasn't been the most necessary for a while. Norris didn't win his F2 campaign. Neither did Albon. Lawson came second in Super Formula, as did Gasly, to earn spots in RedBull.

If a driver doesn't have links to an F1 team its unlikely that they'll get an opportunity for a seat, regardless of how they perform (like Paul Aron this year). F1 teams have vested interest in promoting not just the most talented driver, but their own driver. So F2 isn't really helping drivers get promoted. Antonelli is a Mercedes junior, and widely regarded as a prodigy (he won Italian F4 as a rookie, then FRECA as a rookie, which is insanely hard to do). Toto Wolff doesn't want to lose him to another team, and so they'll promote him to get him under contract as soon as possible as not to lose this percieved talent.

Bearman and Antonelli, despite having bad performances in F2 this year, have tested F1 cars, and done well. That is more important to team bosses than points in a feeder series.

Regardless, the superlicense system is designed to keep a) non-competent and b) pay drivers out of F1. It's done that job, slightly. It doesn't, however, promote talent, but arguably that's not the superlicense's job.

The superlicense, has, however, in the past, prevented talent from moving into F1. Pato O'Ward is the example that comes to mind first for me. He currently pilots the no5 for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, which is a US series, and is a reserve for McLaren in F1.

In May 2019, O'Ward was signed to the Red Bull Junior Team and the following month, was placed on a one-event deal to compete at the Red Bull Ring in Formula 2, substituting for the banned Mahaveer Raghunathan, and was announced as Dan Ticktum's replacement in the Super Formula Championship. Due to a decision by the FIA to award fewer Super License points for O'Ward's Indy Lights championship win, O'Ward was unable to attain the required points to be able to race Formula One in 2020 and would not be retained by Red Bull past 2019. With an IndyCar series ride with McLaren available, Red Bull driver development program head Helmut Marko granted O'Ward an early release from his contract after three Super Formula rounds.

So here we have a Mexican driver who has demonstrated competitive ability in single-seaters, had links with a F1 team, and still didn't meet the requirements. This is because the FIA is biased towards European series - more points are awarded toward superlicenses for European series than others. Hence the lack of South and North American drivers coming into the sport. It rewards non-european drivers for moving. Ricciardo (AUS), Piastri (AUS) Lawson (NZL), Perez (MEX), and Sargeant (US) all moved to Europe at a young age to pursue the F1 dream, and they did it YOUNG (not including Albon because he grew up in the UK). Forcing non-european drivers to this isn't great, and bars a lot of talent from the sport, like O'Ward.

So, yeah. It's complicated, but performance in F2 doesn't matter for anything apart from superlicense requirements. Links to F1 teams are way more important for drivers along with performances when testing F1 cars. Should this be the way it is? No. The FIA wants us as fans to believe F2 is representative, and that a good performance in that series will guarantee an F1 seat, since it is the widest followed series and the one with the most eyes on it. It also helps for fans' understanding, and F1 hasn't been about talent for a long, long time. It's a very money driven sport, more than most.

Antonelli will have a seat because Wolff lost out on Verstappen in 2015 and has decided to make it everyone's problem: he thinks that Antonelli is the next Verstappen and he wants to make sure that he doesn't go to any other team. He was going to get an F1 seat regardless of his performance in F2, he just needs to complete a season for superlicense requirements.

Similar for Bearman with his links to Ferrari and his showing in Jeddah.

In terms of a Brazillian getting back in... yeah. Non-european country. It's likely the next Brazillian driver will be another Piquet, lol, which I don't think anyone wants! The only other Brazillians I know of are Aurelia Nobels (FDA, driving in F4 and F1A) and she has a brother driving in F3 (iirc).

thanks anon!

#bunny talks f1

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puckpocketed · 9 months ago

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19/07/2024 - Tory Pitner joins USHL in Focus: 2024 NHL Draft Edition

My transcript of Tory Pitner's interview with Paul Allan for the USHL. Lightly edited where unavoidable for clarity. Extra context in (round brackets) and adjustments for ease of reading in [square brackets]. Text in bold are all my highlights, stuff I thought was very interesting.

There's so much to say about how talkative he is. It's rarely useless chatter, it's always answering the question and on topic, and it's clear that anything he says is informed and well-considered.

I love how much he seems to think about his long-term development goals, and how his entire junior career up to the draft (and now beyond) has been about pushing himself in the right ways, finding people who he can learn from, working and working and chipping away at his goals. It feels like he could tell all the scouts exactly what they're writing about him if they asked him to break down his own game. I get the feeling he knows exactly what kind of player he is and where he needs to improve. He says, with such certainty, that his hard work will pay off. Like he knows exactly what trajectory he's on and that all he has to do is work to get there.

I like the way he thinks about leadership and responsibility, how he simply wants it, and how when he sees leaders he admires he does everything to take lessons from them. I am not surprised he's worn letters for so many teams he's been on. He's had the C twice; during his U-15 year and for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He craves challenge. He studies the game and loves it dearly. He can name just about every person who has ever helped him get to where he is, and he attempts to do just that. He is so, so smart. I don't know how else to sell people on this guy - I think maybe one day he's really gonna be something, whether it's as a player or a coach, or who knows. But I think I'll leave it at that and let him speak for himself.

Paul Allan: Well we’re joined now by a very busy young fella named Tory Pitner, former Youngstown Phantom who’s about to start his college career at the University of Denver. We’re excited to talk about a couple things here with Tory, it’s been a busy two years for Tory… You’re from Greenwich Connecticut, you’re an East Coast guy, but it appears to me that before you ended up in Youngstown, you spent some time on the West Coast with minor programs there; with the LA Junior Kings, the San Jose Junior Sharks, and then prep school.

So let’s talk about your path to Youngstown first, and then we’ll talk about the rest of the time here. It looks like you’re in a dorm room there at the University of Denver, so we’ll talk about that in a bit, but let’s talk about your path to Youngstown. How did you end up playing for the Phantoms and how was that — playing in the USHL [United States Hockey League] — [as] a place for you to develop as a young player?

Tory Pitner: Yeah, for sure. [It] started out like you said, I was born in Greenwich Connecticut and then I moved to Northern California when I was pretty young, and then played pretty much there in the LA Junior Kings growing up before COVID hit. So I was in that kind of system in the West Coast. Really great spot out there, with great coaches — Brett Beebe, Derek (inaudible, unable to find him on any backdated staff lists) — a bunch of great coaches I had out there.

And then Covid hit, and I made the decision to go and play prep school at South Kent, which is a school in South Kent, Connecticut, and basically that decision was a combination of being able to be on the ice every day, guaranteed ice, being able to have my academics and my athletics all in one place on the Hillside. I went to South Kent, played for [Jamie Russel (Director of Hockey Operations, Head Coach)] there. Really loved my experience, I thought it was great for me. That was the first time I was able to get on the ice every day and I think it was big for me, both for my development and maturity. Being able to figure out a schedule that works for me, because the schedule we had at South Kent was pretty similar to the one we had in Youngstown, and now the one I have here at D.U. So, great stepping stone for me into junior hockey.

And then, that year while I was at South Kent, I was drafted into the WHL [Western Hockey League] with the Edmonton Oil Kings and then I was also drafted into the USHL, after the year was done, with Youngstown. And kind of made the decision shortly after the draft there to head to Youngstown for a [variety] of reasons. Being able to play U.S. college hockey was something that was always a dream of mine. When talking to both organisations, both teams, I thought that the USHL and college in general was just the route for me to go. Looking at myself as a player I [felt] like, ‘I’m gonna need more time to develop,’ and I think the USHL is obviously an unbelievable league for development, being able to go in there and play against guys that are three, four years older than you when you when you’re 16 is something that I really looked at, and I embraced that challenge and I loved that opportunity.

I thought that the travel for us in Youngstown was a bit different than everyone else, but I thought that was good for me to learn how to navigate the roads. And, you know, going through junior hockey now into college hockey, there’s always going to be travel, and then when you get to the NHL level there’s going to be a lot of travel — granted, they travel a little differently — but I thought we did a pretty good job in Youngstown at that. So just, ultimately, the decision came down to; I wanted to play college hockey and I wanted to play in the USHL because I thought that was the best development league for me to get to college hockey.

So I was drafted by Youngstown after my U-15 year, and then decided to head back to South Kent for what would’ve been my U-16 year, but I ended up going and playing up — playing U-18 for the first [part] of the year. I wanted to go and I wanted to be over-ready to go to Youngstown, and so I thought that going back to South Kent, it was still a great situation for me. I went back and then went and played my affiliate games with Youngstown, and through my affiliate games talking with coach [Ryan] Ward and coach [Andy] Contois and coach [Brandon] Gotkin and the whole staff they have there, and based on how I felt in the games — I felt a lot more ready than I thought I was going to, so it didn’t really feel like a jump to me up to the USHL, it felt more like a transition. And that was something that — you know at the beginning of the year I didn’t wanna make the jump prematurely, but after going and playing those games I really found that it was a league that I could compete in and one that would be best for my development moving into college.

At Christmas I finished my semester of school and decided to transition to Youngstown and it was the best decision I could’ve made honestly — ended up finishing the year with them. I think I played around 40-something games with them at the end of the year. And it was great, being able to be in the locker room with guys like Chase Pietila (PIT), another USHL guy that just got drafted, and Chase was kind of a role model for me — I still talk to him to this day — but he was someone who really showed me the ropes, showed me the league.

And Youngstown in general; Andy Contois did a great job of teaching me how to defend at that next level which I feel like is something that, for me, moving on now looking back on my career is something I’m super grateful for. Even though it was only a year and a half ago, it’s something I feel like is now a staple in my game that, before coming to junior hockey, you never would’ve known certain nuances about defending that you do now. Andy’s a great coach, he’s worked a lot with me, I’ve worked a lot with him about certain things I need to develop and will continue to develop. We still talk pretty regularly, too.

Just being able to go up and play those games and be in a locker room with those guys — like Shane Lachance (EDM), being our captain, there isn’t enough to be said about Shane Lachance. He is probably one of the best captains I have and will ever have had. Seeing him as a leader and being around him and seeing his ability to connect with every guy in the room is something that I really tried to take from and emulate. That was really great for me. And ultimately being able to play with the group of guys we had my first year in Youngstown was great. [Being] in practice every day was the best thing for me, because you have [William] Will Whitelaw (CBJ), who was going a million miles an hour on you on a gap drill, that — you’re stuck in mud — so being able to learn those things and play against those guys… I think my first year there we had five NHL draft picks; I roomed with Jacob Fowler (MTL) so I got to see excellence right down the hall. That was really something that, for me, was a great experience, and kind of threw me into the fire a bit with junior hockey, and was the best thing for me and I loved every second of it.

And those guys, after winning the Clark Cup with them, it can’t be understated how much of a bond everyone had there. We were together — you know, everyone could’ve gone home after, but we all decided we wanted to stay together and just hang out, because we knew we were gonna miss each other as a group, and we still — our group chat’s still active. We still talk pretty regularly. I talk with a few of those guys that I got pretty close with pretty often. And you know, [them] taking me in as a 16-year-old and really showing me the ropes led me to being able to jump into my next year, my 17-year-old year, my draft year, and have an idea of how it’s going to look; because I saw Stratty [Andrew Strathmann (PIT)] and Whitey [William Whitelaw], and Brandon Svoboda (SJS), [Matthew] Perkins (VAN), Fowler, I saw them all doing NHL interviews last year, I saw how that whole process went. It kind of eased my nerves going into my next year, because I’d seen it, I’d known what it looks like.

Being in Youngstown, they do a great job of bringing in high calibre players to have that experience. Me and Luke Osburn (BUF) went along with that process together this year and I thought it was great for me and Ozzy to push each other all year, being able to play games. We had another good team, we had another great group of players, great group of guys. Obviously, it wasn’t the end result we wanted, we ran into a great Dubuque [Fighting Saints] team and we just weren’t able to get it done. But ultimately I thought that this year was a great learning experience for me, too. Having to take on a bigger role with the Phantoms was something that I really embraced, and loved the challenge of, and loved the opportunity to do. I’m super grateful for the coaching staff and coach Contois for giving me that increased opportunity. Being able to wear a letter for them is something that I was really proud of. They looked on me as a leader in the locker room to kind of show the other guys the way; I thought that was really great for me.

The [other] opportunities I had this year as well, like being able to captain the Hlinka Gretzky team was something that was a dream of mine. Whenever I found out about the tournament, I wanted to go, but I didn’t just want to go; I wanted to be a leader on the team and make an impact. And, you know, we were able to do that; win our first medal — since 2016 I think it was — with the United States. Hopefully the team this year can follow that up and bring home gold. Then, continuing into the season playing for USA again at the World Juniors — didn't get the result we wanted but that was another great experience. To be around the top guys in the USHL and play with other guys that have been drafted before, and talk with other guys, talk with the coaching staff… They brought some of the best coaches from the USHL along; to be able to pick their brain every day, we have guys from that coaching staff, like Mike Leone, he’s now coaching in the AHL and I got to be on the ice with Leo every day for two weeks, which was something that I thought was great for me. Being able to be around those guys, too, who are now going to step into college and be great college players before going on to having great pro careers.

So those opportunities coming back in my second year was something that was really great for me. And I was super fortunate to have that, and then getting the call to come into Denver this year, and now being able to take all that experience and transition it into college. In our first [skates (?)] here, I feel pretty confident, so that’s something that definitely prepared me and I’m really grateful for.

A bit of a long winded answer, but yeah.

PA: That’s awesome. I do have a couple of questions for you though, and a couple of observations that I always… Everybody who’s involved with hockey over the years talks about the small world and you mentioned Jamie Russel there. Of course, Jamie Russel is a former coach at Michigan Tech. and Chase Pietila is from the — I mean, I don’t know how many Pietilas have played at Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech. of the the years. There's a bunch of them.

TP: So many. And Adam is on our team again, he’s [Chase’s] cousin.

PA: But what a whirlwind for you, and I know the Youngstown organisation is extremely proud of you, a 2-time All-Academic kid, too. And I know, Tory, as you were making your — one of the things you sort of left out there was the recruiting process, and what you were juggling there, and how that went along for you. We’ll get to Denver and how you ended up deciding to go play for the Pioneers here in a sec, but I want to talk about this past year going back to the Clark Cup Championship season.

During your minus-1 draft year you end up playing for Youngstown, and what a great time to jump on board with them and contributing to a Clark Cup Championship, the first one in the organisation. That’s pretty cool, but then you touched on the Hlinka Gretzky invite and the World Junior-A Challenge invite, and then you get to go to the NHL draft, get selected by the Colorado Avalanche; and then you get an invite to the USA Hockey World Junior Summer Showcase. And you’re oh, by the way, starting summer school at DU with workouts and [getting to know] all your teammates. How are you able to juggle everything and keep a clear head with all this stuff, Tory? For an eighteen-year-old kid, that sounds like a lot of things to consider.

TP: Yeah, yeah no, it’s definitely a lot. But like I said to you before we hopped on the call: I’d rather be busy than bored. So for me, I always want to push myself. Instead of just sitting in bed and watching Youtube or something, that’ll be the time I do my homework from my summer school courses and everything like that. Being here, I really love the schedule because we’re up early, we’re working out early, and then we go to class and then we get to come back, we get to skate with all the pro guys out here. And then you come back and you do homework and you get to do it all again the next day. You’re really fully immersed in the whole culture.

And I’d really say, just, how I’m handling it is; it’s the preparation I had before, from South Kent, getting to see what that model would look like — having school and hockey in the same place. And then being in Youngstown and travelling as much as we did; some of our bus trips, like when we went to Fargo for the Clark Cup, that was right in the middle of finals season, too. We’re busing 23 hours, we’re busing out to Fargo to play the [Fargo] Force.

You learn to prioritise different things. You learn how to manage your schedule pretty well. You know, it does suck. You can’t call your buddies as much. You can’t text, Instagram — none of that stuff really comes into play too much anymore just because you’re so busy. I really embrace it. And I think that it’s something — if I wasn’t busy I’d probably be a little more upset, if that makes sense. Like, I’d rather have this schedule where I’m constantly going and, you know, I think it’s pushing me. It’s a bit of [overload] training here in the summer, just with how much we’re actually doing, how much of a course load, how much lifts we have. Skating with the pro guys, too. Being out here at D.U., we have a great setup where a lot of the pro guys come back and skate. Being drafted to Colorado is great because you see Colorado guys coming into the locker room, you get to meet them, you get to meet guys in the NHL club and you get to skate with some of them sometimes. That’s really great for me in my development going into my freshman year here and ultimately to making the Avs.

But like you said, it's been a long summer, but it’s one I’m super grateful for, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

PA: Before we talk [about the draft], I do want to talk about your decision to go to Denver and play for the Pioneers, and the commitment process. How did the process — how did you decide that going to Denver was the best place for your development as a player and as a student?

TP: Right before the USHL Fall Classic, I actually started talking to a bunch of teams. I was previously committed (to UMass Amherst), but decided to decommit for reasons — just coaching change reasons, everything like that. So, I decided to decommit and the fit really wasn’t there anymore. Decommit, and then open up my recruiting process before the USHL Fall Classic, then go to the Fall Classic. And honestly don’t really focus on it too much. Just try and play my best hockey for my team, because that was my goal, that’s what I’m there for. It can’t be a distraction. But after the Fall classic I had a little bit of time off and I talked to a couple of schools, had a couple of Zoom calls. Right when I talked to D.C. [coach David Carle] and the Pioneers, I knew that it was probably the place I was going to end up.

Being a West Coast kid growing up there, they were the furthest West team before A.S.U. [Arizona State University] became a college hockey program. So growing up, you go to tournaments in Colorado, you always want to go to the D.U. games. You grow up like — I watched Will Butcher play (2013-17), and Will Butcher’s in the locker room now (25/07/2023 - Butcher has signed with Barys Astana, a KHL team; link, archive link). That’s so cool for me, and hearing those guys talk and what they see is the plan for me, what I see is the plan for myself, and both of those kind of aligning; it really just made the perfect sense. And obviously they have an unbelievable track record of developing NHL defensemen here at Denver, like if you walk through our locker rooms you look at the walls, NHL players are on the walls. You look at them and go, ‘they’re in the same shoes. I am there doing the same workouts. They were doing the same skate. They were doing the same schedule.’ And that really gives you confidence to keep working hard because you know that someone’s been through your path before, and if you keep working and you keep staying your path… and — not keep your head down — but if you just put your head down and work hard, then you’ll be able to achieve what you want to achieve.

After talking to them and hearing those things from the coaching staff — Ferg does a great job with the [defensemen] — Dallas Ferguson. Travis MacMillan does a great job recruiting, great job with the boards. All the staff here, there’s — I could list them all, but it really doesn’t do justice how much of a fit it really felt like, talking to them on the phone.

Once I really had that conversation, I felt that it was the best thing for me and kind of a no-brainer decision when you pull in where I grew up, how much success they had… And so I made that decision shortly thereafter, and I’ve been thrilled with it ever since. Kept in touch with them pretty much all year. Had a great open line of communication development-wise and just personnel-wise, just checking in and seeing how I’m doing as a person off the ice, how I’m handling that schedule that we have in Youngstown, just being that [travelled]. They were great with me, and now that I'm here, I couldn't be happier. All the guys here on the team are great guys and I’m really excited to be here and can’t wait to get started.

PA: You’re a two-time USHL All-Academic pick in your two seasons with Youngstown. Tory, have you thought about what you’re going to take for classes and what are you going to major in?

TP: Yeah, we just actually had that conversation with our academic advisor last week, so I’m kind of torn right now, but I’m leaning towards psychology. So what I’m going to do is my first quarter, I’ll take Intro to Psych and Intro to Business and Into To a bunch of those courses, because no matter what, they're all going to count for common core courses, so I kind of get to feel it out and see which one I’m going to take. Right now I’m probably leaning towards majoring in psychology. I’ll make that decision, we’ll all declare officially after our freshman year, so I have the year to figure it out.

But I’m really excited. I have a good course load, a lot of good challenging courses, a lot of fun courses, too, interesting ones. So it’ll make it easy when you're interested in the subject to be able to go in and learn and go to class. And it’s nice to be in an actual classroom again after two years of online school with the Phantoms. It’s something that you don’t really think about, but it definitely helps. And it’s nice for me as a kid that always wants to learn. I think that’s my mentality on and off the ice. It's just always wanting to learn, always wanting to get better. So I’m really excited for it. I think that summer school so far has gone well — knock on wood — grades are coming out pretty soon, but I feel pretty confident about it. So yeah, I’m just looking forward to it. And I think it’ll be a great experience off the ice in the classroom and both on the ice.

PA: Let’s wrap it up with your draft day experience in Vegas, Tory. Of course, you’ve alluded to it already; you were picked in the 6th round by the Avalanche and [inaudible]. That’s pretty cool. What were your thoughts, and tell us about the excitement that you experienced there in Vegas a couple of weeks ago?

TP: It was a long day, I’ll give you that one. Got there with my family. We actually — we had a test on Thursday, so I took my test and I flew out Thursday night into Vegas and the draft obviously started Friday. And going into it, you kind of have an idea of a few teams that you thought could pick you, but you don’t really know where with how the draft’s going to shake out. You hear some things, but they don’t really hold true just because everything is crazy. You saw the draft. It went nuts after that third pick, pretty much everything changed. Just going in there, no expectations, just be grateful for the opportunity you have to be there and being able to be there with my family and my friends and some coaches, just people I hold close to my heart, was something that was super cool for me.

Busy week with everything we had, like dinners, breakfasts, meetings; everything like that with teams or with whoever — with your advisor, with your family. But it was ultimately a good time, you get to throw on a suit, get to go to the draft. The Sphere was obviously unbelievable; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in my life. I was probably cranking my neck to see who the next pick was at the top of the board there. It was a pretty cool experience being able to sit around all those great prospects. And then, you know, I talked to Colorado quite a bit throughout the year, stayed in contact with them, and so I felt that they were one of the teams that I could have gone to, and so every time they were picking I was on the edge of my seat a bit.

And then finally you hear your name called after a long day, it was something that — a lot of relief, and just joy, gratitude. It was an unbelievable feeling. Really grateful having the Youngstown guys there. I wasn’t able to go and say ‘hi’ just because of how busy it was, which I was frustrated about, but it was good to see people that you hadn’t seen in a little bit and really share that experience with everyone that helped get you there, because that’s what it’s all about. I wouldn’t be here without all the people in my corner, all the people that have coached me going up, my mom; like everything, they’ve all been there for me in the past. I wouldn’t be there without them and being able to be there and celebrate that and going to the Avalanche is something that is super special for me, especially being here in Denver growing up.

They have an unbelievable D-core right now, and so you know that, going into it, they have a high expectation. And then going to Dev Camp and meeting the staff, you understand what that high expectation is. You just go and you work your hardest and you try and improve your game and adapt it to whatever they need so one day you’ll be able to play at the NHL level. And being here at D.U., I said it before, but having them right down the road and having some of their guys come back and skate and lift here and train here is something that’s super cool for me to get to see. Then obviously D.U. had Sean Behrens last year, who’s going to the Avs now, so getting to hang out with all the D.U. guys that were at Avs Dev Camp was great for me, especially all the defensemen.

It was really a perfect situation because even though we had summer school we were still able to go, and we wouldn’t have been able to go to dev camp if it wasn’t in Colorado, so that was awesome for me. I couldn’t be more happy. I’m really grateful for the organisation for taking a chance on me. And now it’s my opportunity, and pretty much all I have to do right now is go and prove them right. Prove to them that they got a steal and just make sure that they made the right decision, and go out there and work as hard as I can. [I’m] happy that they feel — they like me as a prospect, and I really enjoy [being] in an organisation like that. Obviously they have a great track [record] for success and I hope to get out to a few games this year and watch and cheer them on.

PA: Alright Tory, thanks very much for joining us on your busy schedule. Looking forward to seeing your career progress. You still got a lot of stuff to do this summer with the World Junior Showcase in Plymouth. I was thinking about Zeev Buium being there, William Whitelaw, Jake Fisher, all guys that you…

TP: All guys I know, yeah.

PA: And then the rest of the way with the Pioneers this winter with your schedule, and then after that. So best of luck and thanks a lot for joining us, and enjoy the rest of your summer, okay?

TP: Thank you. I appreciate that. Alright, bye.

#truly SO interesting. such a fascinating draft pick #a fit for the avs if the people in my tags for that one post are correct?#Tory Pitner #puck!script #colorado avalanche #puckscouting

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prince-liest · 1 year ago

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I've done seven residency interviews so far, and have a couple more this week (plus more further on), and... man, it's really wild how it feels like some programs just don't seem to understand that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.

Like, where would you rather go? Program A, which sent you an enthusiastic, personalized email inviting you to interview, going out of their way to provide you with all their program information and multiple accessible resident socials where you can ask the residents questions about the programs without admin present?

Or Program B, which had no residents present even at the interview itself, kept you over an hour over the scheduled interview time with no warning on a day you thought you were safe to not call out for class, and also asked you to sign an interviewee release form almost 2 weeks after your interview, gave you a form that was already filled out by another applicant from 2020, and when you requested a new form, just resent the original email with it attached instead of so much as a, "Sorry, my bad!"?

... Or Program C, which invited you to interview, had no available slots, and then ghosted you for 2 weeks and 3 emails before randomly messaging you saying, "Hey we have an opening tomorrow! Are you free?"

Needless to say I haven't even managed to interview with Program C yet, and I'm ranking Program B near the very bottom of my list for the reasons above as well as some others, even though I actually originally signalled Program B because if I went there, I wouldn't even have to move. If it weren't for the location advantage, I would seriously consider not ranking Program B at all.

Meanwhile, Program A was a really lovely interview experience, paid for my hotel and dinner when I drove down there, was really enthusiastic about my elective and learning goals (I'm asking every program whether they have opportunities for me to learn more about trans healthcare so I can offer HRT and etc.), and just generally had a really great attitude between both the professors and the residents I met. Even the OBGYN residents are all happy?! It is currently #1 on my list.

And it's not, like, low-tier in-dire-need program that's trying to bribe all the applicants or anything. They have great facilities and resources.

Anyway, the lack of awareness shown by some residency programs just baffles me. You don't have to go above and beyond, but... at least meet some basic standards of courtesy. If a program already treats me poorly during the interview process, why would I want to go there for the next three years?

#personal #text posts #medical school #also my current third choice program SOAPs every year #(which means they don't fill up their resident spots which means if I rank them I'm p much guaranteed to get in unless they don't rank me)#so I'm not exactly starved for choice #((literally the only reason this program SOAPs MUST be location... they're very far NorCal but in an area I personally enjoy))#((everything else about them is like. better than most programs I've interviewed at.))

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sarkariresultdude · 5 months ago

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Inside Harvard University Results: What They Mean and Why They Matter

Harvard University, established in 1636, is renowned internationally for its instructional excellence, rigorous curriculum, and legacy of producing international leaders. As one of the Ivy League institutions, its standards for assessment and the consequences it publishes reflect its commitment to highbrow rigor and innovation. This article explores Harvard University’s result framework, offering insights into admissions results, academic opinions, grading structures, and their importance inside the broader context of higher education.

Harward University Result

The Context of Harvard Results: Admissions

One of the most giant results at Harvard University pertains to its admissions technique. With an attractiveness fee that hovers around 3-five% in recent years, the outcome of the admission choice is an eagerly awaited result for hundreds of excessive-achieving college students globally. Let us delve deeper into how those results unfold.

The Application Process

Harvard University’s admissions method is holistic, considering a mixture of instructional achievements, extracurricular involvements, essays, guidelines, and interviews. The Office of Admissions evaluates every application to recognize the applicant’s character, ability, and health for the university’s dynamic environment.

Admissions Results Announcement

Admissions choices are usually launched in 3 phases:

Early Action (December): For students who follow in the early spherical. Although non-binding, this section allows students to get an early selection.

Regular Decision (March/April): The majority of applicants get hold of their decision throughout this segment.

Waitlist and Rolling Admissions (May-July): Candidates on the waitlist can also get hold of a proposal based on area availability.

Results are communicated via an internet portal and are regularly accompanied by way of a respectable letter. The results encompass recognition, deferral (for early applicants), waitlist, or denial.

Acceptance Trends

In current years, Harvard has reported a regular rise in applications, leading to extended competitiveness. Results replicate a diverse, talented cohort, with successful candidates excelling academically and demonstrating management in numerous fields.

Academic Results at Harvard

Harvard University’s instructional results encapsulate the overall performance of its students across undergraduate, graduate, and professional packages. These results represent the fruits of rigorous coursework, research initiatives, and examinations.

Grading System

Harvard employs a letter grading system, complemented through qualitative feedback in lots of guides. Here’s a breakdown:

A (Excellent): Outstanding performance and mastery of the issue.

B (Good): Strong performance with room for improvement.

C (Satisfactory): Adequate knowledge of the fabric.

D (Poor): Barely meeting the direction necessities.

E/F (Fail): Did no longer meet the minimal standards.

Additionally, a few guides allow college students to choose Pass/Fail grading, mainly for exploratory or non-center lessons.

GPA and Transcripts

The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated primarily based on a weighted scale, generally starting from 0.Zero to 4. Zero. Transcripts also include narrative reviews for certain programs, imparting a comprehensive picture of a pupil’s performance.

Publication of Results

Results are commonly launched at the quit of each semester via the student portal. For very last-yr college students, cumulative effects are pivotal for graduation honors and differences such as summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude.

Evaluation Framework

Academic Rigor

Harvard’s assessment device prioritizes important questioning, originality, and intellectual interest. Assessments encompass essays, trouble units, study papers, group tasks, and oral shows. Examinations frequently demand deep analytical and interpretive skills.

Continuous Assessment

Rather than relying totally on the last tests, many guides include nonstop evaluation, including quizzes, magnificence participation, and mid-term initiatives. This approach guarantees a holistic evaluation of scholar talents.

Feedback Mechanisms

Professors and coaching fellows offer detailed remarks on assignments, permitting students to refine their knowledge and performance for the duration of the semester.

Impact of Results on Students

Harvard’s academic effects profoundly affect college students' future opportunities, whether in graduate research, careers, or entrepreneurial ventures.

Graduate School and Fellowships

Outstanding consequences at Harvard regularly pave the manner for popularity into top-tier graduate programs. Many college students also secure prestigious fellowships, consisting of the Rhodes, Marshall, or Fulbright scholarships.

Career Prospects

Employers worldwide value a Harvard education. Strong academic outcomes enhance a graduate’s employability and open doorways to competitive roles in industries like finance, consulting, technology, regulation, and academia.

Alumni Achievements

Harvard’s alumni community is one of the maximum influential globally. Many graduates attribute their fulfillment to the rigorous schooling and remarks obtained all through their educational adventure at Harvard.

Special Programs and Research Results

In addition to conventional academic consequences, Harvard also publishes the effects of diverse unique programs and research projects.

5.1. Research Excellence

Harvard’s research output is a benchmark in academia. The results of faculty and scholar studies projects are regularly published in main journals and impact a wide array of disciplines.

5.2. Professional Schools

Harvard’s professional schools, inclusive of the Business School, Law School, and Medical School, preserve separate assessment and result structures. Their results are instrumental in shaping the careers of future leaders in those domain names.

Transparency and Integrity

Harvard is dedicated to maintaining the highest requirements of transparency and integrity in its evaluation tactics. Mechanisms together with nameless grading, peer evaluation, and appeals make certain fairness.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to stick to strict codes of academic integrity. Results mirror no longer only academic competence but also moral behavior.

Reporting and Analytics

The university periodically releases reviews on aggregate educational overall performance, offering insights into tendencies and regions for development.

Global Significance of Harvard Results

Harvard’s popularity amplifies the significance of its consequences, which can be regularly viewed as a worldwide trend of excellence.

Influence on Education Systems

Many universities and institutions worldwide version their assessment frameworks on Harvard’s, emphasizing comprehensive checks and interdisciplinary getting to know.

Benchmark for Success

Results from Harvard set benchmarks for fulfillment in several fields. The group’s position in shaping global idea leaders underscores the price of its assessment system.

Challenges and Innovations

Addressing Stress

Given the competitive nature of Harvard, students often face giant stress to carry out. The college presents assets consisting of counseling and mentorship to help college students manage strain and balance their academic hobbies.

Embracing Technology

Harvard constantly integrates technology into its evaluation structures. Innovations consisting of online grading tools and studying analytics beautify the accuracy and efficiency of results.

Equity in Education

Harvard is dedicated to selling fairness. Initiatives like need-blind admissions ensure that results mirror benefits in preference to socioeconomic history.

#Harward University Result

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theresa-of-liechtenstein · 1 year ago

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my first and only graduate school admitted students' visit was a success in that it helped me make up my mind. but maybe not in the way that people expected.

readers of this blog will know that i have a slightly complicated relationship with Institution B (the school i was visiting). but to make a long story short, four years ago, i was convinced that i would be enrolling there for undergrad. i had grown up there; for most of my life, the thought of 'what if we had never been priced out of living there' has haunted our family. we went to the area to visit old friends often when i was a kid, and four years ago, i saw going to Institution B as a sort of homecoming. however, my current, home institution unexpectedly awarded me an extremely large scholarship, and i wound up enrolling at the start of the pandemic.

it was not at all what i had wanted, and i felt a little embarrassed about it because some people i knew had considered it 'less prestigious' than Institution B. four years later, with a greater degree of awareness, i'm pretty sure i can pinpoint a bit of the underlying cause of that. my home institution is significantly more ethnically and economically diverse than Institution B. despite being older than Institution B, my home institution does fall behind because it lacks the endowed immediate surrounding area that Institution B has.

from the minute i stepped onto Institution B's campus, i felt it. Institution B's department sees itself as a 'big brother' to my home institution. many of Institution B's faculty work collaboratively with faculty from my home institution. it seemed like to them, me moving to Institution B was the obvious choice to make.

i interviewed with three professors: Professor A (who the grad students warned me was an advisor who could potentially break a student, but had many connections and could set me up), Professor B (the supervisor of the graduate student buddy i was assigned for the duration of the visit) and Professor C (contacted me in january but i never got around to reaching out)

Professor A (who i met with first) revealed that he was on the advisory board for the matsci program of my home institution. he also asked me what my research background was, and when i started enthusiastically going into it, literally put his hand up, interrupted me, and said "hold on. ✋🏻😐" which was genuinely so embarrassing. i wanted to jump out of a window. he asked me if i was considering any other options, and when i truthfully said i was considering staying, he bluntly said it was a poor idea.

Professor B revealed that not only had he recently given a seminar presentation at my home institution, he had literally gone out for dinner with my capstone mentor/PI on his visit and spoke positively of the city. he was a little awkward, but seemed very supportive and my graduate student babysitter had nothing but positive words about him.

Professor C had genuinely surprising research, and when i pointed out a few things with the projects he showed me (it had to do with phase transformations, but since i've just taken the class the concepts were fresher in my head) he was absolutely ecstatic. his enthusiasm for me asking questions about the manuscript was genuinely endearing. he also very eagerly mentioned that he intentionally made sure that half of his group were women.

speaking of which, i was the only woman in attendance among the potential incoming students. there were other women already in the phd program, but not very many. i didn't feel uncomfortable, but i did get the sense that the guys in my potential cohort didn't really know how to deal with me at first. i did feel at times that i was like the diversity hire, and my interests beyond matsci were so dissimilar to everyone else's that i just really wasn't sure how to connect. but then again, story of my life lmao.

i spent more time talking to the current grad students, who were all genuinely so hospitable and kind and looked out for me. however, something i didn't like was their constant conversation about alcohol. it wasn't that they weren't serious about their research: plenty of research stories got passed around and students had received various fellowships and grants. but many of them were drinking excessively at the social events. no one pressured me to join, but being the only totally sober person at the table was a little uncomfortable.

the second night was spent at the chair's house for a party with many of the faculty we had been interviewing that day. two things of note occurred.

one, i found myself next to one of the admits and Professor A, who asked us if we had seen the transmission electron microscopes (TEM) during our facilities tour. off our answers to the negative (we'd run out of time) he was like 'give me ten minutes and i'll drive you to campus and show you' which is where i got the picture from that one post taken. (Professor A offered.) he was very much under the influence and probably should not have been driving, and nearly made me carsick on the way back to the chair's house from his abrupt hard braking. i thought i was gonna die but tbh, it was worth seeing some of the largest microscopes i had ever seen in my whole life. so basically, a professor kidnapped me and two other guys and almost killed us with his atrocious driving. which is not the weirdest thing i've ever done with faculty but that's a post for tomorrow morning.

two, i found myself conversing with a professor who had moved to Institution B from my home institution a few years before. when i told him i was considering between the universities, at first, he said something like 'speaking as someone who's moved from [home institution] to Institution B...' and gave me a knowing look. use your words like an adult for god's sake. he then asked me my current faculty mentor and commented on his research a bit, then asked, 'who would be your PI at [home institution]?' i told him, and he said, 'oh! well, then,' sent me another knowing look, and said 'well, whatever you choose...' as if name dropping had changed something. again, man, please don't be cryptic.

i think all in all, even though Institution B was trying very hard to sell themselves to me, and posit themselves as a school of diversity and inclusion, i still felt isolated in a way i didn't feel when i was undergoing the process of interviewing faculty in my home institution in my grad school search. i felt out-of-place and terrified of making the wrong impression. some things people were saying to me went straight out of the window because i was trying so hard to monitor my facial expressions and fidgeting. i truly felt like i had a mask on and was trying not to let it slip. also, being the first in my family to go for a phd made me feel like there were so many unwritten, unspoken rules that i was just breaking irreversibly.

i can't help but compare this part of the experience to the professor in whose lab i'd be at my home institution. even though i had had her for a class, i had never interacted with her at length since the class was a little big. but i had also impressed her, and she had wanted to hear from me. i felt like i could relax around her, and our energies matched so well. she brought up me staying in orchestra even before i did, whereas i didn't feel like i could admit to any of the other professors that i wanted to also pursue music. it was nothing like the interviews i had had at Institution B.

something my grad student buddy had told me about was how he had done both his B.S. and M.S. at one institution, but decided to move for the Ph.D. i wondered why, since the program at his old home institution has been world-renowned. and he told me that if he had stayed, he would have still felt like an undergrad.

and i think that helped me to solidify how i felt into words. i don't feel like i'm undergrad anymore. it's been like that since mainly winter term of my third year. i still feel like there is work to be done and a need to be filled. i've mentally graduated already. there are days i walk across campus and i feel like a graduate student already. sometimes even a professor. it's strange, i can't explain it fully and even seeing that out feels so pretentious. but it's the best i can do to verbalize it.

i think the best image with which i can sum up this experience is of me in my little car on the highway back to my home institution, thoughts churning in my head as i drove. i watched the landscape outside change from coast to valley as i drove my way inland. and at last, i saw the mountains that tower over my school, and felt the most overwhelming sense of relief come over me.

i saw those mountains, and my first thought was: i'm home.

#iskul bukol book 2 #if you can guess the institutions involved. you didn't see it #i tried to keep it as ambiguous as possible but i have been pretty lax about geography #so if you recognize anything i just said. no you didn't <3 #ok bye! love the airport!

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