#chris nicholson

[arcticdementor]

The Biden administration recently promised it will finally loosen the purse strings on $39 billion of CHIPS Act grants to encourage semiconductor fabrication in the U.S. But less than a week later, Intel announced that it’s putting the brakes on its Columbus factory. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has pushed back production at its second Arizona foundry. The remaining major chipmaker, Samsung, just delayed its first Texas fab.  This is not the way companies typically respond to multi-billion-dollar subsidies. So what explains chipmakers’ apparent ingratitude? In large part, frustration with DEI requirements embedded in the CHIPS Act.  Commentators have noted that CHIPS and Science Act money has been sluggish. What they haven’t noticed is that it’s because the CHIPS Act is so loaded with DEI pork that it can’t move.

…

Handouts abound. There’s plenty for the left—requirements that chipmakers submit detailed plans to educate, employ, and train lots of women and people of color, as well as “justice-involved individuals,” more commonly known as ex-cons. There’s plenty for the right—veterans and members of rural communities find their way into the typical DEI definition of minorities. There’s even plenty for the planet: Arizona Democrats just bragged they’ve won $15 million in CHIPS funding for an ASU project fighting climate change. That project is going better for Arizona than the actual chips part of the CHIPS Act. Because equity is so critical, the makers of humanity’s most complex technology must rely on local labor and apprentices from all those underrepresented groups, as TSMC discovered to its dismay.  Tired of delays at its first fab, the company flew in 500 employees from Taiwan. This angered local workers, since the implication was that they weren’t skilled enough. With CHIPS grants at risk, TSMC caved in December, agreeing to rely on those workers and invest more in training them. A month later, it postponed its second Arizona fab. Now TSMC has revealed plans to build a second fab in Japan. Its first, which broke ground in 2021, is about to begin production. TSMC has learned that when the Japanese promise money, they actually give it, and they allow it to use competent workers. TSMC is also sampling Germany’s chip subsidies, as is Intel.

…

In short, the world’s best chipmakers are tired of being pawns in the CHIPS Act’s political games. They’ve quietly given up on America. Intel must know the coming grants are election-year stunts — mere statements of intent that will not be followed up. Even after due diligence and final agreements, the funds will only be released in dribs and drabs as recipients prove they’re jumping through the appropriate hoops. For instance, chipmakers have to make sure they hire plenty of female construction workers, even though less than 10 percent of U.S. construction workers are women. They also have to ensure childcare for the female construction workers and engineers who don’t exist yet. They have to remove degree requirements and set “diverse hiring slate policies,” which sounds like code for quotas. They must create plans to do all this with “close and ongoing coordination with on-the-ground stakeholders.”  No wonder Intel politely postponed its Columbus fab and started planning one in Ireland. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was launching a CHIPS-funded training program for historically black colleges.

…

This is the stuff declining empires are made of. As America pursues national security by building a diverse workforce, China does it by building warships.  The CHIPS Act’s current identity as a jobs program for favored minorities means companies are forced to recruit heavily from every population except white and Asian men already trained in the field. It’s like fishing in all the places you aren’t getting bites.

[euphoric-mars]

looking horror right in the eyes

[skunksintheportal]

🎀 Happy Ball Pit Shitter Sunday 🎀

Here's everyone Losing It at the situation they themselves have created

[hollyevolving]

"Los Angeles folks!

We’ll be filming a series of specials at @ElysianTheater starting next week (that will eventually be released on Dropout under the umbrella title "Dropout Presents") - and tickets are now available for all shows!"

So uh, yeah.

The specials are:

Chris Grace: "As Scarlett Johansson"

Courtney Pauroso: "Vanessa 5000"

Brennan Lee Mulligan & Izzy Roland: "Bigger" (improv)

From Ally To Zacky (improv) with Ally Beardsley, Zac Oyama, Kimia Behpoornia, Devin Field, Victoria Longwell, Oscar Montoya, Talia Tabin, and Jacob Wysocki

The Big Team (improv) Ify Nwadiwe, Ronnie Adrian, Zeke Nicholson, Ishmel Sahid, Carl Tart, Lamar Woods

They all filmed at the end of February 2024 and I am sure they will take a long time to finish editing.

But aaaaah!

[chicinsilk]

US Vogue February 1974

Karen Graham in a pink lily satin wrap dress by Fernando Sanchez, twists her hair in a hot roller. Necklace, by Clifton Nicholson for Magda K. Hair Rick Gillette.

Karen Graham dans une robe portefeuille en satin de lys rose de Fernando Sanchez, entortille ses cheveux dans un rouleau chauffant. Collier, de Clifton Nicholson pour Magda K. Coiffure Rick Gillette.

Photo Chris von Wangenheim vogue archive

[wind-and-cloud]

Dropout Presents Trailer [Exclusive Specials Series] - YouTube

Hank Green: Pissing Out Cancer

Adam Conover: Unmedicated

Bigger! with Brennan & Izzy (featuring Brennan Lee Mulligan and Isabella Roland)

The Big Team (featuring Ify Nwadiwe, Carl Tart, Zeke Nicholson, Lamar Woods, Ronnie Adrian, and Ishmel Sahid)

From Ally to Zacky (featuring Ally Beardsley, Zac Oyama, Jacob Wysocki, Talia Tabin, Oscar Montoya, Victoria Longwell, Kimia Behpoornia, and Devin Field)

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson

Courtney Pauroso: Vanessa 5000

[cinematitlecards]

"Batman" (1989) Directed by Tim Burton (Action/Adventure/Crime/Comic Book) . . "Batman Returns" (1992) Directed by Tim Burton (Action/Crime/Fantasy/Comic Book) . . "Batman Forever" (1995) Directed by Joel Schumacher (Action/Adventure/Comic Book) . . "Batman & Robin" (1997) Directed by Joel Schumacher (Action/Adventure/Comic Book)

[mulhollanddriver]

Shining by Chris Miller

[brokehorrorfan]

Bottleneck Gallery has released a Batman lithograph print by Chris Thornley. The 24x36 timed edition is available for $50 through Sunday, November 12.

[lisamarie-vee]

[tarzinnia]

Fall(ing) for Films

While rewatching some of my fave series, I haven't forgotten that autumn often has some great film releases (some in time for awards season) and in addition to some recently released films (We Live In Time with Andrew Garfield & Florence Pugh; Here with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright; Conclave with Ralph Fiennes, etc) , a bunch more are in the queue.

Under the cut are listed several upcoming films viewers may want to see...

Bird with Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan among the cast.

Small Things Like These includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, and Eileen Walsh.

Albany Road with Renee Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield, and J. Alphonse Nicholson.

Red One features Dwayne Johnson, Lucy Liu, Chris Evans, and the ever hard working supporting actor, J.K. Simmons.

Gladiator II has been getting a lot of press for its cast featuring Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and yet another much lauded stage and screen thespian, Sir Derek Jacobi.

Wicked. Pictured above, Cynthia Erivo headlines this much anticipated pic along with Ariana Grande and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh.

Another film set for limited release in November is the Jesse Eisenberg directed A Real Pain. Eisenberg also stars in the film, along with Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, and Jennifer Grey. It's been getting some positive buzz, so here's hoping it will eventually open up in more places.

December has several upcoming films as well.

Oh Canada featuring Richard Gere and Uma Thurman.

The Order cast includes Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult.

The Return pairs Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche as Odysseus and Penelope.

In addition, there are some heavy hitters internationally but I'll save that for another time as awards season nears.

[belleandkurtbastian]

Play It By Ear Episode Bracket - Round 2, Match 2

The results of Round 1 are out, and now we’re onto Round 2. If you thought the second half of Round 1 was hard, hoo BOY are there some decisions to be made now!

Match 2:

2x01: “Mallapalooza”, starring Jess McKenna, Zach Reino, Zeke Nicholson, and Mary Sohn.

VERSUS

1x02: “The Muck of Merkmere”, starring Jess McKenna, Zach Reino, Chris Grace, and Jiavani.

Feel free to reblog and share, and advocate for your favourite in the replies, comments, and tags.

Other votes this round: Match 2.1 • Match 2.3 • Match 2.4

[mambadou]

Cornhole in One my beloved. Shoutout to Mallapalooza, Animal Style and The Missing Member though, and honestly none of these episodes missed the mark for me. But I had to pick and so do you!

Definitely gonna update this when all of season 2 is out though. Maybe even do season 1? (Even though Whimsy on Wheels is gonna sweep.)

[dailyrhysnicholson]

[raidermomma]

(To Ollie, who has just returned with some cheese)

Funniest line ever.

this is still the funniest thing that ever happened