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Article content Polyphony Digital has announced the release of a free-to-play version of its renowned Gran Turismo video games. Titled My First Gran Turismo , the streamlined racing game will launch on December 6 at midnight local time. It will be available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with PS5 users accessing full VR2 (virtual-reality) support. The announcement aligns with PlayStation’s 30th anniversary celebrations, which began December 3. Designed to be a little more approachable than the usual hard-core racing simulators from the franchise, My First Gran Turismo should appeal to players of all ages and skill levels. Polyphony Digital has developed the game with accessibility in mind, emphasizing its suitability for beginners while retaining the immersive elements that define Gran Turismo . According to the developer, the game encourages players to master essential racing techniques through various challenges. The free-to-play version features nine activities, including three Race Events, Time Trials, and Music Rally stages. Players can also access a full License test suite to help refine their driving skills. My First Gran Turismo includes 18 vehicles, among them the MK.7 Volkswagen Golf GTI; an FD Mazda RX-7; an AE86 Toyota Sprinter Trueno; and a legendary E30 BMW M3 Evolution. Players can race on three tracks: Kyoto Driving Park, Deep Forest Raceway, and Trial Mountain Circuit. The release of My First Gran Turismo continues the franchise’s legacy, which first debuted in 1997 on the original PlayStation. Polyphony Digital has referred to the new iteration as “approachable and immersive,” meaning new and experienced players can enjoy the game. Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on Instagram , Facebook and X to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.
Bengaluru - The Indian government is reportedly looking to relax some conditions for Mr Elon Musk’s satellite high-speed internet company, suggesting that Starlink might soon obtain regulatory approval to operate in India after a marathon pursuit. Data security concerns and pushback from domestic telecom companies have delayed Starlink’s approval since 2021, when it opened an Indian subsidiary and accepted pre-registrations but was warned by India not to do so without a licence. Decisions have been complicated by Mr Musk’s close relationship with incoming US president Donald Trump, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wary of upsetting the politically influential billionaire. India is also keen for Mr Musk to fulfil his promise of building a factory in the country for his Tesla electric cars. The American company’s impending arrival in the world’s second-largest telecommunications market could transform the provision of fast, affordable, and reliable internet to underserved regions in India, particularly in remote areas. Some 37 per cent of the 1.4 billion people in India are still without internet access , according to EY-Parthenon, a consulting company. Unlike terrestrial internet providers, which rely on cables or fibre-optic infrastructure, satellite connectivity is ideal for reaching rural, remote, or hilly areas where laying cables is impractical or too expensive. Starlink is already operating in more than 100 countries and has capabilities that are superior to its rivals, but it has not been straightforward to get a foot in India’s door. In October, India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Starlink must address the government’s security concerns before licence approval is given to the satellite-based internet service launched by Mr Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX. India’s National Security Directive on the Telecommunications Sector (NSDTS) mandates that telecom service providers procure and deploy trusted product or components from trusted sources only. Starlink has requested exemptions from certain provisions, citing technical limitations, to operate in India. Experts said that India would relax only some restrictions. “It’s not unusual for telecom operators to get exemptions or interim exemptions from NSDTS (so that they can use the equipment), especially for something that is non-critical, as long as they promise to comply with it later,” said telecom and public policy consultant, Mr Prasanto K. Roy. But he added that the Indian government’s greater concern would be about satellite calls that it cannot intercept in case of a security threat. “Starlink would have to provide government agencies call data records on demand, and pass all calls through a gateway located in India that would also allow interception if legally demanded,” said Mr Roy. Starlink’s exact licensing terms are not known publicly. The Ministry of Communications and SpaceX did not respond to ST’s queries. Mr Musk’s appointment to a US government department in Mr Trump’s future administration worries some experts in India, as the businessman is now a political individual. As an American company, Starlink would already be governed by the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America (RISA) Act, which allows the US government to gain access to data in the satellite spectrum, noted Mr Nikhil Pahwa, founder of the website MediaNama, which analyses technology and telecom policy. “Someone who might potentially be able to use the companies he owns for political gain is someone we need to think twice about,” he said. Mr Pahwa added that “internet connectivity must be neutral”. Satellite communication is a small, niche sector in India. It currently stands at US$2.3 billion (S$3 billion) a year, but a KPMG India report expects it to reach US$20 billion by 2028. While the Elon Musk-led Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper await Indian government operating approvals, the two Indian telecom companies that control 80 per cent of the terrestrial internet market have already received authorisations to launch their own satellite-based internet services. In November 2023, Bharti Group-backed OneWeb India received authorisation to launch French operator Eutelsat’s commercial satellite broadband services. In June 2024, Jio Satellite Communications, a joint venture between Luxembourg-based SES Astra and Mr Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio, also received approval to offer satellite connectivity. But analysts believe that technically, Starlink has a significant advantage over other satellite communication providers, not just in India but globally. Non-profit orbital data tracker CelesTrak said that SES operates 38 medium-earth orbit satellites at a high altitude, beaming signals to receivers that provide internet connectivity. Eutelsat OneWeb’s network features more than 630 satellites at 1,200km above earth in low orbit. In comparison, as of September 2024, Starlink had 6,426 low-earth orbit satellites at some 550km from the planet’s surface, offering faster service. SpaceX plans to eventually have as many as 42,000 satellites as part of its ‘megaconstellation’. Not only is Mr Musk in a better position today to dominate satellite connectivity, but analysts also expect him to adopt aggressive pricing policies like he did in Kenya, where Starlink charged customers US$10 per month as opposed to US$120 in the US. Mr Musk’s immense wealth would allow him to take some initial losses from discounts on Starlink installation kits or monthly bills, some experts said. This could undercut domestic competitors in a price sensitive Indian market. Mr Gareth Owen, associate director at research firm Counterpoint, however, told Reuters that some of the fears about Mr Musk might be overstated, as “terrestrial networks will always be less expensive (and) businesses will never switch completely to satellite”. Starlink’s competitors in India are doing all they can to prevent or delay its entry to the market. Mr Ambani, whose Reliance Jio leads the Indian market, is calling for an auction to allocate satellite spectrum or airwaves, like India does for terrestrial internet, while Mr Musk is happy with administrative allocation, or direct licensing by the government, as is now the case. Unlike terrestrial spectrum used for mobile communications, satellite spectrum has no national territorial limits and is a globally shared resource. The efficient allocation of satellite spectrum is overseen globally by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency. “As a signatory to the ITU Treaty, India is bound by its international standard of administratively allocating spectrum,” said Mr Roy. Most countries follow direct allocations, but the US did conduct auctions for allocating spectrum along orbital slots in 2004. When this turned out not to be feasible, it reverted to administrative allocations. The country now charges annual regulatory and licence fees. The Indian government changed the telecommunication law in 2023 to require an administrative allocation of satellite spectrum. In October, Telecom Minister Scindia indicated that the government would administratively allocate satellite spectrum to Starlink in keeping with global practice. Jio expressed concerns in a Nov 15 letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that a direct allocation would not create a level-playing field. Starlink reportedly said in its submission, however, that the Indian operators were “transparently self-serving”. Experts agree on the need for internet access to remote areas and greater competition in the Indian telecom sector dominated by a duopoly, but are divided on how licences should be given. Mr Roy said that an administrative allocation for satellite spectrum “made more sense” because “auctions are expensive, and ultimately the cost will be transferred to the consumer”. But, given the country’s history of corruption and arbitrariness in the allocation of 2G spectrum, some believe that auctions are the best model for India. In fact, the Supreme Court in 2012 cancelled the allocation of terrestrial spectrum licences in favour of auctions, to limit the discretionary powers of the government. The court rejected a government petition in May 2024 to clarify if the verdict also applied to satellite spectrum. “It’s a lesson India learnt, and we should not go back on that. Administrative allocation lacks transparency, and leaves room for discretion and corruption. Auctions are the most transparent, corruption-free and apolitical way to make a decision,” said Mr Pahwa. Vodafone Idea, Airtel and the Cellular Operators Association of India advocate a differentiated pricing strategy, where spectrum should be auctioned when serving urban areas to level the playing field with terrestrial networks which compete there, while administrative pricing could apply only for remote areas with fewer commercial players to improve access while keep prices there low. He added that auctions in the past created healthy competition as it allowed many new players to enter the market, like Norwegian operator Telenor, Russian telco Systema, and the UAE’s Etisalat. Mr Musk’s unfulfilled promise of a Tesla factory in India also hangs in the balance. There were hurried developments since 2021 as Tesla tried to reduce import duties on its electric cars, and even set up an office in Pune, but after Mr Musk cancelled a much-touted visit to India in 2024, talks have stalled. “We know that India is under pressure to give Starlink the right to provide internet access in exchange for a Tesla factory it has long wanted. But allocation of a public resource like spectrum should not be a trade, or a political or geopolitical decision,” Mr Pahwa warned.
Every Black Friday, there’s a number of viral products that everyone has on their Christmas wish list, and we don’t expect this year to be any different. However, not all of these popular items are going to stay in stock, and we have some insight on the ones that won’t. Black Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. Samsung 98-inch QLED TV The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. Apple Watch Series 9 Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. Apple AirPods (3rd gen) If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. Apple iPad (10th Gen) One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. Ugg Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same. For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!
Trevelin Queen took a big sigh of relief. The 6-6 guard had just finished making his first appearance at the podium inside Kia Center on Monday night in front of bright lights, TV cameras and a plethora of local media asking him questions about tying his career high with 17 points that helped lift Orlando past Boston . If he felt nervous sitting alone with a microphone inches from his face while trying to make sense of how the Magic accomplished their second consecutive double-digit comeback at home without key players available, Queen certainly didn’t show it. “I actually haven’t had a moment to really put into perspective what happened tonight,” he said. “For me individually, it was just always having the mental [focus]. “I believed in myself that I belonged when the opportunity came.” The last time Orlando overcame a deficit of 15 or more in consecutive games was 2014. Hours earlier, Queen learned he would be making his first NBA start against the defending champion Celtics (22-7), who he rooted for growing up. “I couldn’t stop smiling; I’m not going to lie to you,” he said about taking the floor with Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze. “That’s my childhood team. For me to be out there and playing against them was a surreal moment for me.” Beede’s Breakdown: How Magic captured gritty win over defending champion Celtics So, how did Queen end up here? How did a two-way guard, limited to just 50 NBA games while splitting his time with Orlando and its G League affiliate, Osceola, contribute critical minutes down the stretch against the East’s top team in just his fifth appearance of the season? Although not direct nor smooth, Queen’s pathway to Monday’s performance resembles much of the Magic’s very own as they battled back from down 15 points without Paolo Banchero, Franz and Moe Wagner and Gary Harris against the Celtics, just 48 hours after they’d completed a 25-point comeback against the visiting Heat. Despite starting in only his 36th NBA appearance, Queen is far from a rookie. He’s actually the fifth-oldest player on the Magic at 27 behind only Cory Joseph (33), Caldwell-Pope (31) and Harris (30). Queen is just seventh months younger than Jonathan Isaac. And Orlando isn’t his first team. Well before signing with the Magic on a two-way contract last year and later re-signing in the offseason, he went undrafted coming out of New Mexico State in 2020. That wasn’t his first college, either. The Maryland native played 2016-17 at the College of Marin in California and another at New Mexico Military Institute (’17-18) before two with the Aggies. From there, he bounced around teams in the NBA (Lakers, Rockets, Pacers and 76ers) and the G League (Rio Grande Valley and Fort Wayne) before landing in Orlando. But throughout it all, he remained committed to the work. It’s what helped him become the 2021-22 NBA G League MVP while leading Rio Grande Valley to the championship. His last two appearances with Orlando, including 7 points in 18 second-half minutes vs. Miami, weren’t the only times he’s helped the Magic. In January, Queen played heavy minutes in back-to-back games on a West Coast road trip with the team ailing and battling locker-room illnesses. But that’s the role of a two-way contract player, filling the gaps on any given night at a moment’s notice. Not every two-way player can accomplish what Queen just did, and he will have to continue to do for the short-handed Magic (18-12) until their health rebounds. But Queen, who assisted on da Silva’s dagger 3-pointer with 9 seconds left against the Celtics, seizes the moment — regardless of his two-way contract. That’s all he’s done throughout his career to get to this point. “Seeing him go out there and play hard, leaving it all out on the court, is infectious,” Suggs said. “It makes all of us want to do the same. “To come in and play back-to-back games when you haven’t had much bump up here all season, it just shows the perseverance and character he has within him.” Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com Up next ... Magic vs. Heat When: 7, Thursday, Kia Center TV : FanDuel Sports Network FloridaJonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. People are also reading... Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Gobble up these 14 political cartoons about Thanksgiving In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Catch the latest in Opinion
NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against WM Technology, Inc. (“WM Technology” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: MAPS) and certain of its officers. Class Definition This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired WM Technology securities between May 25, 2021, and September 24, 2024, inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/MAPS . Case Details The complaint alleges that Defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose, among other things, that: (1) WM Technology's monthly average user metrics (MAUs) were severely inflated for years; and (2) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. What's Next? A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/MAPS or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in WM Technology you have until December 16, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. There is No Cost to You We represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful. Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Peretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@bgandg.com
NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kidsCONWAY, Ark. (AP) — Elias Cato scored 23 points as Central Arkansas beat UNC Asheville 92-83 in double overtime on Sunday. Jordan Morris made two free throws with one second left for UNC Asheville (2-3) to force overtime tied at 71. Fletcher Abee's 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the first overtime tied the game at 79 and led to the second extra period. Michael Evbagharu's layup gave Central Arkansas (2-4) the lead in the second OT and Cato followed with a 3-pointer as the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 21-12 to pull out the victory. Cato added nine rebounds for the Bears. Layne Taylor totaled 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals. Brayden Fagbemi pitched in with 19 points, seven assists and five steals. The Bulldogs (2-3) were led by Fletcher Abee, who recorded 27 points. UNC Asheville also got 17 points from Josh Banks. Toyaz Solomon finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
I have to hand it to The Franchise : Due to the hours I’ve spent watching these unlikable characters trudge through their ruts of workplace malaise and anxiety, I’ve become somewhat invested in the failure of Tecto: Eye Of The Storm . Maybe that was showrunner Jon Brown’s gambit all along: to bludgeon us with miserable snark to the point that we embraced the schadenfreude of seeing their worst efforts amount to professional and personal catastrophes. Imagine my bewilderment this week when Brown’s season finale ended on a happy note for nearly everyone involved with Tecto , save for its director, Eric (Daniel Bruhl), and overburdened VFX artist, Dave (George Fouracres). I’ll come back to them. For now, I’d like to grasp (if not appreciate) this reversal of fortune for the heretofore unsung champion of Tecto , 1st AD Daniel Kumar (Himesh Patel), who rescues this superhero underdog from studio euthanasia with a last-minute appeal to Maximum Studios’ mysterious Kevin Feige surrogate, Shane. Who knew a tonal pivot was key to rescuing an entire franchise? Putting on my Real-World Hat for a moment, there is a parallel between Warner Bros. Discovery and Daniel’s tectonic shift in tone that’s worth exploring. Recall that the dismal critical reaction to Man Of Steel and especially Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice forced a sweaty WB to change the cadence of Justice League mid-production, swapping directors, saturating the colors, hacking down its runtime, and tossing in jokes wherever possible. The result was a disaster that nearly killed the DC franchise until the more tonally consistent Aquaman swam in and put WB’s heroic adaptations on life support. If Justice League is the gauge by which we measure the future of Tecto , then this week’s cliffhanger suddenly becomes appropriately ominous—and gives some shape to the “Kumar Cut” jokes that Daniel keeps dropping. Then again, I might be giving The Franchise too much credit. For one, it’s been careful not to cast shade at its WBD overlords, instead directing its bile for cape tentpole filmmaking at competitor Marvel Studios, from which Maximum is derived. And its dusty jokes about Marvel’s “women problem,” its hyper-fixation on San Diego Comic-Con (which gets a reprise this week), and “superhero fatigue” feel like gripes pulled from r/Marvel a decade ago, making them safe to mock. Any resemblance to people or entities alive or dead is probably coincidental. After all, Tecto isn’t a team-up movie, Eric isn’t Zack Snyder, and Daniel certainly isn’t Joss Whedon. He’s just a former comic fan who has a kid and wants his work to have value. And if Daniel has to hijack Eric’s movie once again to save it from the German auteur’s subversive antics and Maximum’s interference, so be it. Take the macro view of Tecto’s production: Nearly every change Daniel has brought to the movie seems to make it better, right? Remember, he ditched The Eye’s ( Richard E. Grant ) supernova monologue for a practical explosion , impressing Christopher Nolan enough to share waffles with Dag (Lolly Adefope). And sure, Dag blew up the wrong Armenian bridge under Daniel’s direction, but watching her dread potential imprisonment for most of the finale felt like punishment enough for everyone. The point is that Daniel’s vision for Tecto aligns more with Maximum’s content mill structure, but he also wants to make it an enjoyable experience. What’s the harm if the product Maximum cranks out also happens to be fun? Ask Eric. His volatile artistic temperament has been wrong for Tecto and disruptive to shooting, and it’s finally pushed every department in his crew to rebel. Check the length of that shoelace Eric pulled from his mouthful of craft-services porridge. (“It’s used instead of bay leaves,” Daniel quips, not missing a beat.) “I have a funny feeling things are happening behind my back,” Eric says to Daniel, who feigns a battery of “no no nos” to little effect. Oops: In his mad scramble to save the movie, Daniel clumsily reveals his subterfuge, setting the tone for today’s shoot in a small cavern where Peter (Grant) is to have his big death scene. Catharsis comes for the core unit of Tecto : Eric knows Daniel is undermining him and vents his fury in typical dramatic fashion. And who else would go berserk on Tecto but Dave, that mentally exhausted effects maestro who maxed out his creative stores episodes ago? He appeared to be hanging by a thread last week when he accidentally showed Eric and Daniel his pre-vizzed “work in progress,” a loop of him slamming his head into a laptop over and over again. This week, Daniel’s secret first-act switcheroo—establishing the movie’s tone to be more in line with the comics—has robbed Dave of his one day off. Naturally, he snaps, with the subsequent lockdown confining Eric, Daniel, Peter, Adam, Dag, and Anita in the cavern set. Dave’s demand: to change the film’s title to honor his daughter, Emily: Eye Of The Storm . Daniel, rescuing again, pretends to agree, while Eric, oblivious to his ruse, indulges another ill-advised tirade. I’m mixed on this sequence. Visually, it resembles hell; You can feel the heat from the cave’s dim amber lighting and almost smell the subtextual brimstone. There’s danger outside with Dave running amok with a knife (or rather, a pen). And Peter had just wrapped shooting for himself. The mood is purgatorial. Eric would love it. Here’s my problem: The sequence should, by rights, be ground zero for a Caligula -esque orgy of grievances, one final eruption of Tecto enmity. Instead, each player sits in their corner. Dag riffs about her seemingly imminent extradition to Armenia, Adam prattles on about his “cusping” article in GQ , Peter mutters darkly to himself (Bryan Singer just passed on him), and Anita does nothing. (Why does The Franchise continue to forsake Aya Cash?) Still, the scene showcases a bitter and consequential exchange between the director and his 1st AD. Eric is fed up with Daniel’s subversions, while Daniel is just fed up. “I thought you were going to punch him!” Dag says, to which Daniel gently replies: “What? And quit show business?” ( The Franchise often fumbles its punchlines, but when they land, as Daniel’s line does here, they can be brilliant.) With glops of The Eye’s purple brains smeared all over him, applied in a fit of rage by Eric, Dan measures his next steps as Tecto totters on the edge of oblivion. (Now that we’re talking: Edge Of Oblivion is not a bad subtitle for Tecto 2 .) Of all people, Pat (Darren Goldstein) saves the day. As it happens, Many Man, the character originally meant to cameo in Tecto that was replaced at the last minute by The Gurgler (Nick Kroll), was played by a sex pest who’s just been outed via Rolling Stone . This revelation puts Centurios 2 in a death spiral, which pushes Tecto to full-on summer tentpole status. What was once a losing proposition for Maximum Studios is now its top priority, with triple the budget and double the production window (making Day 100 technically Day 50). The squeeze, as Pat puts it, starts now. The first step is getting rid of Eric. Meager hopes crushed by disaster and disappointment: That’s been The Franchise’s tempo all season long. These hugs and smiles over Pat’s SDCC update should feel like a grim prelude to the production hardship and calamities yet to come—the setup before the punchline, say—so why don’t they? The problem with this squishy finale is plain to see: If season two never materializes, the show just compromised its cynical ethos for the sake of a left-field happy ending. Right or wrong, The Franchise has always committed to bitterness and snark. Flipping the script to tee up future seasons is a level of pandering worthy of Maximum. Maybe this is just The Franchise’s latest contemptible twist. Should there be a season two, and Daniel returns for more creative compromises and studio horseshit after this last-minute career rescue, then the series will have remained true to its bitter spirit, a clear and significant success for a series overburdened by character vagaries and satirical bile. So begins the waiting game. Season two or no? Crappy happy ending or a harbinger of even more cape-movie carnage to come? I suppose that’s the challenge of playing the long game in an industry that fears risk: We may never find out. Stray observations
Grizzlies vs. Pistons Injury Report Today – November 27
An Aurora City Council committee this week recommended an addendum to the contract with HR Green, Inc. of Aurora for engineering of the work to be done at Farnsworth Avenue, Bilter Road and Church Road in the city. Aldermen on the Infrastructure and Technology Committee recommended a $256,291 addendum to the HR Green contract which is already about $1.9 million for work in the area, much of it connected to the new Hollywood Casino-Aurora resort. The City Council recently approved a $19.5 million contract with low-bidder R.W. Dunteman Co., of Addison, for the roadwork, as well as the original $1.9 million construction engineering contract with HR Green. The city has already worked with HR Green overseeing traffic studies done for the area. Much of the work is tied to the Hollywood Casino-Aurora resort project underway, although the city has been planning for all the roadwork needed in that area through 2050, not just the casino. In addition to the casino resort project underway, the city owns land further east on Bilter Road that will be developed, some into mixed uses, some into housing. Brian Witkowski, of the city’s Engineering Division, said this week the engineering part of the road projects was expanded during the past year and “required a lot of coordination.” “HR Green has done an exemplary job,” he said. The $19.5 million for the roadwork itself was higher than the estimated $16 million the city had expected for the work, which means officials are looking at truncating some of the work – changing some things and delaying others – to afford it. Witkowski said while parts of the project are being delayed, the city is moving ahead with things like right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation, which HR Green is involved with. “This is so when we look for federal funding in the future, we’re ready to go,” he said. The city does have some money already lined up for the roadwork. The casino itself has put forward $2 million for the roads as part of its redevelopment agreement with the city. The city also has $2.5 million in federal funds committed to the projects and will be seeking more, officials have said. The tax increment financing district for the casino site could pay for some of it, too. Also, the city will get an estimated $2 million to $2.5 million in interest off the proceeds from the $58 million bond issue the city passed as part of the casino redevelopment agreement. The proceeds come from the fact the city has passed the bond issue already, but has not yet paid the casino the $50 million toward the overall $360 million project. Payment will be done based on a series of benchmarks the casino must meet first. In the meantime, the city is earning interest off the proceeds. Officials have said the city is hoping to have much of the roadwork done by Thanksgiving time 2025. slord@tribpub.comA gastro-intellectual experienceWhen the snow is falling and hot chocolate is piping, few activities are more refreshing and relaxing than plopping down on the couch and turning on the television. Some will watch live Christmas events from Rockefeller Center, while others will tune into a bowl game. But if you’re of a certain age, you clearly remember the excitement when Nickelodeon began to roll out its litany of timeless Christmas specials. From Kenan & Kel in the 1990s to Danny Phantom in the late 2000s, Nickelodeon has entered the pantheon of networks that have consistently rolled out classic holiday specials. While Nickelodeon’s legacy is cemented, the ranking of its best holiday season episodes is and will always be hotly contested. Not to start a debate at the holiday dinner table, but here are the 10 best classic Nickelodeon holiday specials. Show: Keenan & Kel Air Date: December 14, 1996 Kel ( Kel Mitchell ) loves orange soda and Kenan ( Kenan Thompson ) loves Christmas. He spends the entire year saving money to buy a new bike and takes an extra job as Santa at the mall to help get the last few dollars he needs. However, his plans are derailed when he comes across a brother and sister who dream of a great Christmas filled with presents that their mother can’t afford. In a selfless mood, Kenan uses the money he makes as Santa to surprise the kids and their mom with presents. Kenan’s upset that he didn’t get the bike he wanted, but he knows he did the right thing and Santa rewards him with a bike of his own. As with many Nickelodeon holiday specials, Kenan’s act of giving underscores the importance of family, friends, community, and giving throughout the holiday season. Show: Invader Zim Air Date: December 10, 2002 Name two more idiotically entertaining rivals than Zim ( Richard Steven Horvitz ) and Dib (Andy Berman). I’ll wait. While I wait, also figure out why Dib’s dad, Professor Membrane ( Rodger Bumpass ), named him Dib. Anyway, Zim and Dib’s rivalry takes center stage when Zim learns about the lure of Santa, kidnaps a man dressed up in a Santa suit and drains his brain. Normal holiday festivities, right? Once Zim drains the man’s brain and learns more about the lure of Santa, he devises a plan to build a Santa suit and convince all of humankind that he’s worthy of following and giving their undying devotion too. For the most part, it works and Zim is close to bringing all of human kind to the Tallest in order to extend his rule. However, Dib intervenes and garners the support of his sister, Gaz (Melissa Fahn), and his father, Professor Membrane, and stops Zim before he’s able to fully takeover. Overall, it’s a pretty weird storyline for a kid’s show during the holiday season, but Invader Zim is at its best when it’s weird. Show: Rocko’s Modern Life Air Date: December 1, 1994 Rocko ( Carlos Alazraqui ) is a better person than most because his grace throughout this Christmas special is unmatched. For nearly the entire episode, Rocko works to put together beautiful holiday decorations and host a lovely holiday party. Instead, his friends treat him poorly, other characters bully him, and no one except a magic elf shows up to his party. The elf works his magic and creates a memorable snowfall around Rocko’s house and Rocko’s house only. When the blizzard leaves a perfect amount of snow and holiday cheer around his house, Rocko’s friends show up at his front door to apologize and make the most of the holiday party. Rocko, being the kind soul he is, lets them in and thanks them for coming. Show: iCarly Air Date: December 13, 2008 Timmy Turner ( Tara Strong ) isn’t the only character in the Nickelodeon multiverse to have their dreams come true during the holiday season. When Carly’s brother, Spencer ( Jerry Trainor ), builds an electromagnet Christmas tree that sets fire to holiday gifts, Carly ( Miranda Cosgrove ) wishes that her brother was a bit more normal. However, things aren’t as great as Carly hoped they’d be. Spencer becomes a “normal” lawyer dating Ms. Benson (Mary Scheer) while Freddie ( Nathan Kress ) no longer has a crush on Carly, and Sam ( Jennette McCurdy ) is in a juvenile detention center. Most shockingly, Carly, Spencer, and Freddie were never friends in this alternate universe and never launched a webcast. The weirdness of the episode pays off in the end because Carly realizes what we’ve always known: her life is pretty great as is. Show: As Told by Ginger Air Date: December 10, 2001 As Told by Ginger is one of the most underrated series in the Nickelodeon catalog for various reasons, including its humor and ability to reach both young and older audiences. Case in point, the show’s “Even Steven” holiday special is immaculate. In the tertiary plot, Ginger (Melissa Disney) discovers that her grandfather is Jewish and immediately pivots from celebrating Christmas to celebrating Hanukkah. Her shift from Christmas to Hanukkah happens so quickly that it causes a rift between her and Dodie (Aspen Miller) because Ginger refuses to go to Dodie’s Christmas party and hosts her own instead. Splitting the room down the middle, half of Ginger’s party is devoted to celebrating Hanukkah, and the other half is adorned with Christmas decorations. Meanwhile, Hoodsie ( Tress MacNeille) is writing letters to Santa, asking him to give him rhythm for Christmas. Yes, you read that correctly. He genuinely asked Santa for rhythm, the ability to dance on beat. When Ginger’s brother, Carl (Jeannie Elias), finds Hoodsie begging Santa for rhythm, he not only makes fun of him, but also declares that Santa isn’t real. As a result, Carl spends the remainder of the episode attempting to prove that Santa is real. Through this effort, he learns that Carl is not a fan of the holiday season because he routinely asked Santa to bring his father home for Christmas as a kid, and his dad rarely stopped by on the holidays. With this information, Hoodsie runs up to a man dressed as Santa on the street and asks him to bring Hoodsie’s Dad home for Christmas. Little does Hoodsie know, the man dressed up as Santa is Carl’s dad. In the end, Carl’s dad visits him for Christmas, and while they’re talking in the driveway, a fire starts inside as Ginger is hosting her holiday party. Carl’s dad runs in, puts out the fire, and saves the day, making Ginger realize that the most important part of the holidays is being surrounded by family and friends. And no, Carl does not get rhythm. Show: The Fairly OddParents Air Date: December 12, 2001 Clichés may be annoying, but they’ve stood the test of time for a reason. However, when an elder said, “Be careful what you wish for,” Timmy Turner clearly wasn’t listening. Instead, he had to learn the hard way when he told Wanda (Susanne Blakeslee) and Cosmo ( Daran Norris ) that he’d like it to be Christmas every day. In his head, there’d never be school, and he’d get presents every time he woke up. Conversely, Wanda and Cosmo are magically depleted, his parents can’t work, and the other holidays become envious of Santa Claus. As a result, Timmy must make a trip up to the North Pole all alone. Tough luck for a kid who can literally wish for whatever he wants every other day of the year already. Show: Drake & Josh Air Date: December 5, 2008 Give a little girl named Mary Alice the best Christmas ever, or go back to jail. That’s essentially the plot of “Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh.” Drake ( Drake Bell ) desperately wants to host a party on the rooftop of Josh’s workplace, Premier Theater. To the surprise of just about everyone, Josh’s boss agrees to let Drake host the party as long as he volunteers to dress up as Santa for kids in the mall. Drake agrees, but things go haywire when a woman tries to kiss him, and he runs away. While hiding, he runs into a little girl named Mary Alice ( Bailee Madison ) and promises to give her the best Christmas ever. Drake finishes his shift as Santa and gets to host the party after all, but it’s cut short when a few uninvited guests show up, and Josh ( Josh Peck ) calls the police. However, there’s a mixup when the police arrive and Josh gets arrested. Being the good stepbrother he is, Drake tries to break Josh out of jail. Unfortunately, Drake gets arrested, too. When Drake and Josh get to speak to a judge, they explain that they need to get out to fulfill Drake’s promises to Mary Alice. The judge releases them, but warns that they will be brought back if they do not give Mary Alice the best Christmas ever. No pressure, right? Show: Rugrats Air Date: December 6, 1992 It may not seem like it, but there is not much of a difference between The Boondocks ‘ Huey Freeman ( Regina King ) and the children of Rugrats . Huey chases Santa around the mall with a BB gun, screaming, “You gon’ pay what you owe.” Meanwhile, Tommy ( Elizabeth Daily ), Chuckie (Christine Cavanaugh), and the crew are setting dangerous traps for Santa , so they can question him about his character. “The Santa Experience” kicks off at the mall where Angelica (Cheryl Chase) bum rushes the line to see Santa and tells Mr. Claus how much she needs a dream dollhouse for Cynthia. While Mr. Claus pushed her away, mall staff gave her a box of free toys to apologize for Santa rightfully pushing her away. Even with the free presents, Angelica is ungrateful and doesn’t want them. Meanwhile, Tommy and Chuckie are debating whether or not Santa is a good person. You know, typical baby stuff, right? Tommy is convinced Santa is a great guy, while Chuckie is, of course, scared of Saint Nick and thinks he’s a bad guy. In the kitchen, the parents are having a relatable conversation about their challenges and struggles, trying to ensure each of their children has a good holiday season. Later, the kids and parents head north to celebrate Christmas in a cabin. There, Chuckie and Tommy set up a booby trap to catch Santa. Much to their disappointment, the trap only manages to catch Stu ( Jack Riley ). Ultimately, everything turns out for the best as Santa just rings the front doorbell and delivers the presents face-to-face. Angelica gets her doll house, Chuckie determines Santa is a good person after all, and the Rugrats get the perfect Christmas. Show: SpongeBob SquarePants Air Date: December 6, 2000 If you ask most fans of SpongeBob SquarePants about Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), most would say he’s closer to being the Grinch than Santa Claus. However, “Christmas Who?” proves otherwise. Spongebob ( Tom Kenny ) visits Sandy ( Carolyn Lawrence ) and finds the proud Texan setting up Christmas decorations around her house. Instead of helping her, Spongebob freaks out because he thinks the lights and decorations have started a fire. It would be nearly impossible to start a fire that far underwater, but I digress. Anyway, Sandy stops him and explains to Spongebob who Santa Claus is and what happens on Christmas. Excited and enchanted, Spongebob shares the story of Christmas and Santa Claus with nearly everyone in Bikini Bottom. As a result, everyone but Squidward sends letters to Santa and spends all night caroling. When Santa doesn’t show up, everyone calls Spongebob a fraud and mocks him, including Squidward. However, Spongebob turns Squidward’s heart from coal to gold when he gives him a handcrafted clarinet for Christmas so that he won’t go without a gift. In return, Squidward dresses up as Santa and surprises Spongebob, who is delighted, and wishes him a merry Christmas. Squidward didn’t account for all of the other citizens of Bikini Bottom spotting him and asking for gifts. Instead of ruining the charade, Squidward ends up giving away nearly everything in his home away as a gift. Thankfully, Squidward is rewarded when the real Santa Claus sends a letter thanking Squidward for helping keep the spirit of Christmas alive. Show: Hey Arnold! Air Date: December 11, 1996 “Arnold’s Christmas” is not only the best Nickelodeon late-year holiday special, but it’s arguably one of the best episodes of the entire series. The series revolves around Arnold (Toran Caudell) attempting to pull off a Christmas miracle for his neighbor, Mr. Hyunh (Baoan Coleman). Through this endeavor, much of Mr. Hyunh’s backstory is revealed, including the heartbreaking story of how he and his daughter, Mai (Hiep Thi Le), have been separated for more than 20 years. While Arnold and his best friend, Gerald (Jamil Walker Smith), fall short in their quest to find Mai and reconnect her with Mr. Hyunh, Helga (Francesca Marie Smith) unexpectedly saves the day and gets Mai in touch with her father. Helga never gets the credit for creating this touching reunion, but she will always be remembered for being the driving force behind one of the most touching moments in Nickelodeon history. More Headlines: