About Time: Fashion and Duration at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute seems somehow fated.

Thursdays official opening was bumped from early May, due to the museums months-long closure due to the coronavirus. First and foremost, About Time is a celebration of The Mets 150th anniversary, and the endurance of fashion. But the coronavirus has given the theme greater relevance and resonance, as much of the world has grown to look at the passage, or shiftlessness, of time so differently as they slog or stride through the pandemic.

During a preview Saturday afternoon, Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu curator in charge at the Costume Institute, said museum-goers may now be more inclined to look at the show and see what has endured and how that has happened, whether that be in regards to a sleeve, the chemise or the bustle. The time of the mind is very different from the time of the clock. That is what I thought a lot about, especially in lockdown, Bolton said.

One of the starting points for the show was the fact that world standardized time was created in the same decade that The Met was founded.

The shows layout is structured around the sparring concepts of temporality by Henri Bergson and Charles Baudelaire, who coined the term modernity and considered fashion to be the hallmark of it, Bolton said. Bergson introduced the concept of pure duration in 1889, believing the past and present coexist in a continuous flow. Baudelaires view was the past and present are divisible, with the present succeeding the past.

Set up to reflect 60 minutes of fashion, there are 60 groupings of two ensembles each. Baudelaires temporality is presented as a linear, chronological timeline of those fashions from 1870 to the present day, drenched in black to accentuate their silhouettes and the timelessness of fashion progression. Bergsons temporality consists of 60 interruptions or disruptions that predate or post-date those in the Baudelaire timeline, but often reflect shapes, materials, techniques and decorations that illustrate Bergsons notion of endurance. Each minute has one ensemble reflecting the Baudelaire timeline and a second disruptor ensemble representative of the Bergson one. Black index notches on the bottom edges relate to the Baudelaire timeline and those on the top edge show the Bergson one. What time is it?

The first gallery is dark and somber with the pendulum of an Es Devlin-designed clock suspended and swinging from the ceiling. The white-walled second gallery is covered with mirrors that create a kaleidoscopic look of enduring designer fashion or perhaps a reflection of fast fashion.

Acknowledging how the pandemic has heightened the About Time theme, Bolton said the fashion industry has always been driven by time and the exhibit is a way of slowing things down. Fashion is reflecting this accelerated pace of time with technology and everything being so digitally connected 24/7. But fashion has reflected this need for immediacy and instantaneousness [for a while]. The production of fashion has had to speed up, the circulation of fashion has turned up and the consumption has sped up so some of this is about slowing down, Bolton said.

With that, he exited the multimirrored second gallery and its innumerable reflections of the garments on display and turned a corner to the finale look a white Viktor & Rolf made from swatches collected over the years. The design is a nod to sustainability, noting how their couture collections for the past four years have been comprised of surplus fabrics. I love the simplicity of it. The silhouette suggests a pre-modern year. But apart from that, the act of quilt making and patchwork is about shared labor, community and collaboration. Its an example of conscious creativity and the need to slow things down, Bolton said.

An American mourning dress from 1870 the first item visitors will see in the show might do the trick. The choice appears to be a double entendre, given the current tumult worldwide. The elaborate dress is displayed in profile to show its raised-waist, floor-length skirt and bustle. It is exhibited with a 1939 Elsa Schiaparelli black felt evening dress, her then-updated take on the bustle. One of Boltons favorite pairings is an American afternoon dress from 1876 paired with Alexander McQueens bumster skirt that gives a new twist on the process line. Charles Frederick Worth first designed it for Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

Cristbal Balenciaga, Jonathan Anderson, Iris van Herpen, Rudi Gernreich, Bou Soeurs, Norman Norrell, Malcolm McLaren, Jun Takahashi, Rei Kawakubo, Marc Jacobs, Gianni Versace, Issey Miyake, Charles James, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Georgina Godley, Gabrielle Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Thom Browne, Kei Ninomiya and Olivier Rousteing are among the designers featured in the show. While some may see a whats-old-is-new undercurrent or direct design inspiration, Bolton said the show is more about endurance and portraying connections over time such as how the bow motif has endured. Ditto for deconstruction, which the Punk movement created in the Seventies. Its about the recirculation of ideas, and the reappropriation of ideas. Thats what the tensions are trying to tease out with the timeline, he said.

Walking through the exhibit, what needs to be reflected on is fashions dominant ideologies like change, power, class, whiteness. They all need to be addressed, and this is a time when we can do that and have mad ideas, Bolton said. Why doesnt fashion week happen in one city every year like the Olympic Games? It could be Johannesburg one year that celebrates fashion, rejuvenates a city and decentralizes fashion, and decolonizes fashion obviously. Its a time to think radically and thoughtfully. What you dont want to do is think rashly and think quickly. You dont want to replace one bias with another bias. Its time for radical change but thoughtful change.

Referring to the choice of black as the exhibits predominant color, he said, The color black has so many connotations of authority and power, but also chicness and elegance. Its a meditation on the color black, and also on fashion and temporality. Its also appropriate. Can you imagine if we did Camp this year? It would have been a disaster, Bolton said with a laugh, referring to last years Costume Institute exhibit. This show has a quietness, a reflective and contemplative quality that the show certainly helps with.

After Black Lives Matter gained momentum, Bolton reconsidered the curation and added more styles from Black designers. The initial plan had been to select iconic pieces or the most quintessential silhouette of a specific period on a timeline. I wasnt thinking about race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. I was really looking at it purely aesthetically. Black Lives Matter made me realize it cant not be. When you work on any show going forward, it has to be part of your intellectual framework. It has benefited the show tremendously, Bolton said.

He was thrilled to add an ensemble from Hood By Airs Shayne Oliver. Shaynes tricky to get a hold of because hes such an independent thinker. He has so many interests. Weve tried to work with Shayne in the past and his interests have been elsewhere. Its been lovely to work with him, Bolton said.

A Stephen Burrows black dress with lettuce edging in red top stitching was another addition after Bolton found it on 1stdibs last summer. Another non-museum find that is displayed is a Patrick Kelly dress that is embellished with a heart-shaped motif. That one was procured on Etsy. The Met has pieces from Burrows and Kelly. However, major museums have been criticized for their limited archival work from Black designers.

Off-Whites Virgil Abloh was part of the initial roster for the Louis Vuitton-sponsored show. A long-sleeved black dress imprinted with Little Black Dress in white lettering that he designed is presented with one from Coco Chanel.

Working from home last spring had its challenges, since using the museums database doesnt give you a sense of proportions or color, Bolton said. Being homebound had upsides, too. It allowed me to respond to current events, which I would have never done otherwise. Thats been a huge plus, he said.

The antithesis of that may be Bertha Black Lewrys 1943 dinner suit that was re-created from a mans tailcoat suit from 1929. The repurposing was done in response to the U.S. restrictions on textiles at that time and Harpers Bazaar tasked the designer with the repurposing challenge. Lewrys look is partnered with a Martin Margiela broadcloth and silk satin jacket from 2000. Nearby, another type of fashion endurance is on view a Madame Grs gown that a client commissioned, after visiting her in Paris during the war to reassure her that couture was thriving. As fashion shifts more to sustainability, longevity is a key aspect, Bolton said.

Eighty-five percent of the items are from the museums permanent collection, more than 10 percent were gifts from designers in honor of The Mets anniversary and there were a few loaners, such as a Saint Laurent Broken Mirrors evening jacket that paid homage to the one Schiaparelli created decades earlier, using panes from hand mirrors that evoked Versailles Hall of Mirrors.

The Met, like many global cultural institutions, is dealing with significant economic challenges after months of being closed. It reopened two months ago with advanced ticketing and 25 percent of its normal capacity. A number of visitors were milling around the second floor on Saturday afternoon but weekday traffic is said to be more sparse. While About Times opening was postponed for five months, The Met Gala was canceled altogether this year. Already at work on next years Costume Institute show, Bolton had to juggle his time between that and About Time.

Wall text has intentionally been kept to a minimum and printed guides are obsolete due to COVID-19. For the first time, visitors can use a QR code to access a body of text on their smartphones that can also be read before or after.

Knowing travel restrictions and health concerns will keep many would-be visitors from walking through The Mets Fifth Avenue doors, a video has been created of the exhibit for its site. There are other digital and audio additions. Upon entering About Time, visitors will hear Nicole Kidmans voice hauntingly reading from Virginia Woolfs Orlando. Woolf serves as the ghost narrator with time-centered quotes from her books featured throughout the show. The authors changing view of time from the chronological to one centered on inner duration is what Bolton would like gallery-goers to leave with.

Kidman isnt the only Oscar-winning actress, who lent her voice to the museum. Her costars from The Hours Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore also chimed in. After cooking up the idea to pipe into the galleries Philip Glass music from the film, Bolton wondered if the three lead actresses would be game. Streep was the first to oblige, recording her reading in her kitchen with a clock ticking in the background. Nervous about getting Kidman and Moore, who were busy on location with projects, Bolton said. It was Meryl, who said, Why dont you ask them to record it into their iPhones? It will be easier for them and they wont have to go to a recording studio. Thats how they did it. Thats what youre hearing. So, thanks Meryl.

Another stroke of synergy came from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael Cunningham, who penned a short story titled Out of Time for the About Time catalogue. His book The Hours inspired the film.

Not everything ran like clockwork, though: Bolton had wanted to stage the exhibit as a maze and lined up Es Devlin, the artist and lighting designer, to design one. After word came back that the fire department would not approve, Bolton decided to do a clock instead and Devlin scrapped the maze model and went to work.

If the literal ticking of her clock feels a little like Fritz Langs Metropolis, thats not by chance. Standardized time is so connected to the ideology of modernity, which Metropolis is all about. Fashion, to me, is the purest expression of modernity, and ephemerality, change and progress. More than any other art form, fashion is able to turn so quickly. Thats whats so nice to walk around it [the pendulum] you see emphatically the Fifties, the Thirties, the Twenties. It just takes you right there.

Sometimes revisiting the past is not well-received. Although John Galliano, who remains a controversial figure in fashion, is one of the few featured designers to have more than one selection, Bolton said he wasnt concerned. If you look at Johns work from the Nineties, his Masai or Orient Express collections for Dior, the cultural appropriations read so different now. I was looking at the coverage of Johns work during that period. There was not one mention of cultural appropriation, whereas now that would be a story.

Describing Galliano as a technical genius, Bolton is interested in doing an exhibit that looks back at designers approaches to controversial collections as well as peoples reception. Gallianos personal actions have also made him controversial, namely due to a videotaped anti-Semitic rant for which he was sentenced in France and later apologized for.

Bolton said, Its hard because you could go through the whole museum and look at artists [work] with controversial backgrounds or issues. I think what we have to do is perhaps to play it forward to address them all and contextualize them all. I am not a great fan of taking things out of history. Id much rather have an exhibit and address issues. If we are able to have an exhibit down the line and globally, I do think thats important, for sure.

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After the success of the first Mighty Ducks film, Disney immediately ordered up another serving and cranked it through production at amazing speed. InD2: The Mighty Ducks, the stakes are upped to a national level when the team is recruited to represent all of the United States. Now, we know this story is about our favorite youth hockey team, and they're the bee's knees, but it's a big leap to have recruitment for Team USA consist of grabbing an entire team whose only major victory is a single peewee hockey title.

The writers do a decent job of explaining the whole process by wrapping the recruitment in public relations. In that regard, it makes a bit of sense: People do love a feel-good story, and the miracle of the Ducks is a tearjerker. Still, it's unlikely that the reputation of the entire country would be placed on the shoulders of a team comprised mostly of some random kids from Minnesota.

Added to the lack of logic is the shortcomings of all the new additions. The speedster has trouble stopping. The puck handler won't stop showboating. The muscle is a testosterone-loaded bully. It's hard to believe that recruitment surrounding Team USA would consist of the Ducks and a few random players from Texas and the Olympic figure skating awards stand.And we obviously have to keep Goldberg on as the goalie because, well, it's Goldberg. Any kid will tell you to not look too much into it.

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Pokemon Sword and Shield's latest DLC expansion Crown Tundra will feature the Legendary Bird Trio, which will be found roaming around the region.

Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra expansion will have the Galarian legendary birds roaming around the new region. Encounters with Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres function similarly to how players found the Legendary dogs in the Johto region.

The latest DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield is the secondstory-driven installmentof the Expansion Pass, after the Isle of Armor earlier this year.Trainers can access the new, snowy area of Galaras soon asthey reach Wedgehurst.

RELATED: Leak Suggests Game Freak Planned More Kalos Pokemon Games

Trainerscan catch the legendary Galarian birdsby starting the quest "A Legendary Tree of a Legendary Three." This begins with a cutscene showing a massive pink tree, and then showing the bird trio getting into a fight. Suddenly, the legendaries spot the trainer and scatter, leaving trails across the Crown Tundra. From there the three birds -whose Shinies have just been revealed- can be tracked, chased, and eventually caught in a manner similar to the Pokemon Gold and Silver games.

One of the biggest draws about the Crown Tundra DLC is the fact that it has practically every single legendary Pokemon in the game. This comes with a catch, however, in the form of Dynamax Adventures. These require players to team up with three other trainers, venturing deep into dens to fighthordes ofDynamaxed Pokemon. The final battle will pit players against a Legendary.

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres in Galarian form is sure to catch the eye of Pokemon fans both new and old. The additions of Isle of Armor and now Crown Tundra have madeSword and Shield one of developer Game Freak's most impressive entries in the franchise, but there are those who say that Pokemon Gold and Silverare still the most ambitious Pokmon games ever.

The new region acts like one giant Wild Area, sharing a similar structureto Isle of Armor. Trainerswho are looking to stock up on items beforeadventuring off into the Crown Tundra should check out this Isle of Armor trick which grants infinite money.

Pokemon Sword and ShieldCrown Tundra DLC releases October 22 on Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Everything You Need To Know Before Playing Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra DLC

Source: GameInformer

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Pokemon Sword and Shield Legendary Bird Trio Are Found in the Wild - GameRant

Ted Sarandos attends the Ted Sarandos panel during Netflix 'See What's Next' event at Villa Miani on April 18, 2018 in Rome, Italy.

Ernesto S. Ruscio | Getty Images

It wasn't Netflix's finest quarter, but if you're a long-term Netflix believer, you've got reason to smile.

The streaming video giant reported 300,000 fewer global net subscriber additions than it forecast. Netflix shares fell about 6% after hours.

The quarterly results shouldn't distract faithful Netflix bulls from the driving reason they've been investing in the company, summed up concisely in three sentences from the company's shareholder letter.

"For the full year 2020,we forecast [free cash flow] to be approximately $2 billion, up from our prior expectation of break-even to positive," Netflix wrote. "We expect our FCF profile over the coming years to continue to improve as we increase our profitability and our transition to the production of Netflix originals matures."

And then:

"With $8.4 billion in cash on our balance sheet at the end of the quarter plus our $750m credit facility (which is undrawn), our need for external financing is diminishing."

The exact numbers aren't the important part. Here's the bottom line: Netflix is no longer burning cash.

It has been borrowing billions each year to fund its plethora of original and licensed shows and movies. Believers in Netflix have predicted that as the company's price-value proposition wins over the global population (with a product far cheaper than traditional pay TV in almost all regions of the world), it will eventually be able to fund its own programming without lending. This will propel the company into a reliable money-maker with plenty of growth runway ahead of it.

The company said Tuesday that it's closer than ever to getting there. The grand plan is on track. Sure, the subscriber trajectory isn't great -- from 15.8 million additions in the first quarter to 10.1 million in the second quarter to 2.2 million in the third quarter. But Netflix warned investors of this earlier this year, saying last quarter that most people who wanted Netflix for pandemic quarantines had already signed up.

The big story isn't the subscriber miss. It's that Netflix gets closer to self-funding. And that's music to the ears of Netflix shareholders.

See more here:
Netflix loses the battle, but it's still on target to win Wall Street's war - CNBC

Michigan added 2,015 newcoronavirus cases and 14 more deaths on Friday, for the second consecutive day of cases topping 2,000casesandputting October on pace to be thebiggest month for the spread of the diseasesince April when the virus peaked.

The additions bring the state's total number of cases to 143,106and total deaths to 6,987.

Michigan's numbers are higher when probable cases are included.Michigan has 156,913 probable and confirmed cases and 7,302 confirmed and probable deaths, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Three portable toilets and a wash station are situated in front of the State of Michigan Department of Health & Human Services building, that is under construction at 44777 Gratiot in Clinton Twp., Wednesday, March 25, 2020.(Photo: Todd McInturf, The Detroit News)

Michigan set a new daily record for reported coronavirus cases on Thursday with 2,030 revealed, amid fears of a potential second wave and questions of how state officials will respond.

While some of the COVID-19 cases disclosed Thursday were from the priorday and their reporting had been delayed because of a processing problem, the seven-day average for new cases in Michigan reached its highest point since early April.The daily average for new cases has increased each month since June.

Deaths and hospitalizations linked to the virus are also trending upward but remain well below where they were during the initial COVID-19 peak here in the spring.

"You may not see yet the rise in hospitalizations and deathsbecause it depends a lot on the age group getting it," said Nigel Paneth, a professor of epidemiology at Michigan State University. "But it doesnt stay that way.

"(Infected people) go to the store, next thing you know, some older person gets infected and it doesnt have to be an older person. Young people die. It happens."

Before this week, Michigan hadn't experienced a week with at least two days when 30 or more new deaths were reported since early June. Thirty deaths were revealed on Tuesday.

Hospitalizations tied to the virus have also been on the rise. Health care facilities are concerned about the impact of the flu and the coronavirus potentially both sickening people and testing medical capacity.

As of Thursday, 1,017 adults were hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan, an 80% increase from the 564 hospitalizations reported a month earlier.

As of last week, 104,271 people were considered "recovered."

State health officials were aware of a "slowdown" in laboratory processing that began on Tuesday, delaying the processing of some entries into the state's disease surveillance system, said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

As a result, Thursday's report featured some data that would have normally been included Wednesday, Sutfin said.

While the reporting issue might have inflated Thursday's total, the seven-day average for daily new cases now stands at 1,293, the highest seven-day average since April 5-11, when it was 1,395.

"We know case numbers are going up across the state, which is why we continue to urge all Michiganders to take precautions against COVID-19, including wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands and staying home if they are ill," Sutfin said.

The number of virus outbreaks were also updated Monday to include those reported as of Oct. 8.

Michigan's schools have recorded 26new outbreaks as of Monday. Of the outbreaks, 18 were at K-12 schools. See an updatedlist of school outbreaks online.

Overall across the state, Michigan has 123outbreaks, which are defined as two or more cases with a link by place and time indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_

Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/16/michigan-covid-cases-top-2000-second-consecutive-day/3681507001/

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Michigan COVID cases top 2,000 for second consecutive day - The Detroit News

Winter Garden commissioners will be making decisions regarding local development plans during their Oct. 22 meeting.

Headed to a second reading is Ordinance 20-47, which would bring townhomes and commercial space to a 5.83-acre parcel of land at 855 and 955 S. Dillard St. Dubbed Central Parc at Winter Garden PCD, the development would include 19 townhomes, 14 condominiums and commercial/office space.

The property is located east of South Dillard Street and south of East Palmetto Street, north of West Colonial Drive and west of Grand Royal Circle. It currently hosts a 4,000-square-foot professional office building that once was used as a church administrative property.

Additionally, commissioners will hear the first reading of Ordinance 20-19, which would rezone 1.07 acres at 199 S. Main St. and 158 S. Woodland St. from Central Commercial District to Planned Unit Development. This would pave the way for a new two- or three-story building containing 38 apartments and a small caf on the first-floor corner unit.

Other agenda highlights include approval of site plans for a Home2 Suites and 7-Eleven at 12301 W. Colonial Drive, as well as site-plan approval for the second phase of development for Foundation Academys Tilden campus. Foundation Academy plans to develop an additional 105,107 square feet as the second phase of the school buildout plan, which will consist of education buildings, a maintenance building, a field house, a cafeteria and some additions to already-existing buildings.

The City Commission meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Winter Garden City Hall Commission Chambers. Remote electronic attendance also remains available. For more information, click here.

Continue reading here:
Winter Garden to discuss Central Parc project, other development plans - West Orange Times & Windermere Observer

Verizon posted strong broadband additions in Wednesday's third quarter earnings across its residential and consumer sectors. Verizon had 139,000 Fios Internet net additions, which was a marked increase from the 30,000 Fios internet net additions in third-quarter of last year.

Combining its business internet customers, Verizon added 144,000 net new broadband subscribers in Q3, which it said was the most since the fourth quarter of 2014. Verizon's broadband additions were boosted by remote workers and students that stayed home for online learning.

RELATED: Despite Covid-19, Verizon adds 10,000 residential broadband customers in Q2

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By contrast, Verizon added 10,000 residential Fios broadband subscribers in the second quarter, which was markedly down from 59,000 Fios broadband connections in the first quarter.

Verizon's second quarter broadband numbers were impacted by its technicians not being able to enter customers' homes for installs due to the coronavirus pandemic. In April, Verizon was able to somewhat mitigate the impact of not being able to enter customers' homes with its "Fios in a box," which enables customers to self-install their services.

Along with the robust broadband additions, Verizon's bottom line was also lifted by strong demand for its phone services. Verizon added 283,000 postpaid phone subscribers in the third quarter, which easily beat the average estimate of 268,000, according to research firm FactSet. Consumer wireless service revenues were $13.4 billion in third-quarter 2020, a 0.7 percent decrease year-over-year.

Verizon continued to bleed out video subscriber losses in the third quarter. Citing the ongoing shift from traditional linear video to over-the-top services, Verizon lost 61,000 Fios video customers.

As businesses of all sizes worked to re-open in the third quarter, Verizon Business' revenues were $7.7 billion, down 1.7 percent year-over-year.

Verizon's net income slipped to $4.50 billion, or $1.05 per share in the quarter, from $5.34 billion, or $1.25 per share a year earlier. Verizon said Covid-19 led to a 5-cent net negative impact in the quarter.

Verizon reported third-quarter profit of $4.36 billion. Excluding some items, Verizon earned $1.25 per share, above analysts average estimate of $1.22.

Verizon posted revenue of $31.54 billion in the third quarter, which just missed Wall Street forecasts of $31.57 billion. Verizon said it now expects full-year 2020 adjusted EPS growth of 0% to 2% after a previous guidance range of -2% to 2%.

Wednesday's third quarter results marked the second full quarter for Verizon's results during Covid-19.

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Verizon posts strong broadband gains in the third quarter - FierceTelecom

President Trump backed hydroxychloroquine for weeks and publicly asked whether Americans should inject themselves with disinfectants or put ultraviolet lights which can cause burns and break human DNA, which leads to cancer inside their bodies.

Mr. Pattison said he had a staff of only five, although the agency subscribes to NewsGuard, a service that hunts for new rumors springing up on the internet. His staff examines NewsGuard alerts, consults medical experts, posts accurate information on the W.H.O. website and then calls its contacts at social media agencies and asks them to link to it.

In contrast, collaborating with Wikipedia is like having an army to work with, he said.

Wikipedia has about 5,200 Covid-related articles in 174 languages, Mr. Merkley said. More than 82,000 contributors have written or edited them, including 3,000 who worked on the main article in English Wikipedia.

Because some contributors insert errors or make malicious changes, he said, there are several levels of safeguards. Some pages can be locked and cannot be changed until one of more than 200 volunteer editors on WikiProject Covid-19, many of whom are doctors or academics, review it.

More than 1,100 volunteers have set alerts to notify them when any page they are interested in is changed. And, if necessary, changes by any account that has existed for less than 30 days can be blocked.

The W.H.O. also works with Google, but in a different way, Mr. Pattison said. For instance, Google analysts alerted his team that searches for an unfamiliar product as a Covid cure were peaking in Peru. The W.H.O. looked at the product, realized it was a type of bleach and alerted Google.

They gave us $50 million worth of free ads on Google, he said.

The agency posted public service announcements that read, Learn the truth about Covid and chlorine.

Read the rest here:
Wikipedia and W.H.O. Join to Combat Covid Misinformation - The New York Times

Middle chapters are always a complicated thing. When a story adheres to the classic three-act structure, one could argue that the second act is the most important one. Without a solid way to tie the beginning of a plot to its end, youre left with a story that feels rushed or incomplete. Nioh 2 just got its second piece of DLC, Darkness in the Capital, and as the middle chapter of a trilogy, it has some issues. However, as just a chunk of more Nioh 2 content, its even more spectacular and fun than what the rest of the game already was.

When it came out, Nioh 2 was a fantastic game. Its first DLC, The Tengus Disciple, remained fun but had a weaker story than I expected. Now that were here, two-thirds of the way done with the planned post-launch content for Nioh 2, its hard not to think about the inevitable end. For better or worse, Darkness in the Capital answers most of the doubts I had about The Tengus Disciple and its nature as a setup for the conclusion of the story. The truth is that the answers I got werent really what I wanted.

Just like The Tengus Disciple before it, Darkness in the Capital has our character travelling back in time. While we still are visiting the Heian era of Japan, this time around we go to the year 976 to meet with the legendary Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Abe no Seimei. Both are famous figures of Japanese folklore, and in Nioh 2 they have integrated into the story thanks to the object that seems to be the focus of the DLC trilogy: the Sohayamaru. This is the sword that ultimately becomes the protagonists yokai-banishing dagger, and it was present in the previous DLC. Here, Minamoto no Yorimitsu is its wielder and it becomes clear that the sword has always been in the hands of important warriors.

As interesting as that setup sounds, this second piece of DLC runs into some of the same storytelling problems that affected The Tengus Disciple. We have yet again another time travel story, which means that the characters from the DLC itself are the ones that have to carry the narrative. The main problem that these new stories share is that their short length and their somewhat self-contained nature dont really allow for the same emotional investment that the main narrative did. With only three main missions that have our character go to the past and come back to the present, Darkness in the Capital doesnt have enough time to establish these new characters.

While this narrative issue is the only real problem Ive had with the DLC, it does worry me in regards to the next one. Given that this batch of DLC expansions are being presented as a trilogy, there is a pattern that each individual piece of content has followed so far that might also repeat for the final DLC: two or three main missions that involve travelling to the past to meet a previous wielder of the Sohayamaru. That would make for interesting context as a side-story, but as a trilogy that takes place after Nioh 2, it feels a bit weightless. There arent any real stakes because theres no real setup for conflict; at least not until the very end. The third DLC, whenever it launches, will have to do some serious lifting in order to not make the whole additional trilogy feel unnecessary at least in terms of story.

All that being said, Darkness in the Capital might just be some of the most fun Ive had with Nioh as a series in terms of gameplay. Just like the previous DLC, this one introduces a new type of weapon: fists. Whether you pick up a regular fist weapon or a clawed one, these open up a moveset so unique to the game that left me in awe. While you could use your bare hands before, with fist weapons you essentially perform different types of martial arts that vary depending on your stance. A low stance fist, for example, bears resemblance to the drunken fist martial art, while a high stance fist uses heavier, more deliberate punches and stomps.

Key to making the fist weapons work is their unique gimmick. One of the very first skills you can unlock in its skill tree allows you to cancel Active Skills into either normal attacks or other Active Skills, while giving you a stackable buff based on the number of cancels you perform. All of a sudden, fist weapons make Nioh 2 feel a lot like a fighting game, where you can truly think of combos in a more traditional sense instead of just linking attacks one after the other. Its truly commendable how Team Ninja always finds ways to make every new weapon fun and interesting, but with the fist weapons they really outdid themselves.

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Of course, fun weapons would mean nothing without the content to support them, and Darkness in the Capital delivers in this regard in spite of its storytelling problems. The few new maps are very fun to explore, and the new enemy designs are even better than those in the first DLC. Whats more, the boss fights in this expansion are truly incredible, which is hard to believe considering that The Tengus Disciple was already excellent in this aspect. If there is one word to describe the fights in Darkness in the Capital its spectacle, and that applies both in a visual sense as well as in gameplay.

Along with these new missions, Darkness in the Capital continues the Nioh tradition of adding reasons to engage with the endgame. Once again, we have a new difficulty level that represents New Game +++, and with it comes a new tier of rarity to grind for. Of course, not every Nioh 2 player will get there, but for those who do this will keep them busy enough trying to optimize all their cool new gear. In fact, one of the most interesting additions to gear improvement is the ability to upgrade your accessories, something that Nioh 2 lacked and that I, personally, really wanted in order to make my build even stronger.

Now that two out of the three DLC packs that the Season Pass offers are out, its easier to answer if its worth it or not. Darkness in the Capital definitely paints a less-than-optimistic picture for the overall narrative of this trilogy. The people who are looking for more story content will surely find some here, but not of particularly great quality. However, if just the act of playing Nioh 2 is enough to get someone back into the game, then this DLC is outstanding. Even if the narrative doesnt hold its end of the bargain, all of the improvements and additions to gameplay carry the entire DLC on their own. It remains to be seen how the third and final DLC will wrap things up, but if Team Ninja can keep up delivering gameplay of this high quality, then Ill consider it a success in spite of everything else.

Disclaimer: A copy of this game was provided to RPG Site by the publisher.

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Nioh 2 Darkness in the Capital Review - RPG Site

Raised in West Philadelphia, returning to television streaming TV at least on HBO Max.

Although the precise date hasnt been announced yet, theFresh Prince of Bel-Airreunion special will air on HBOs streaming service next month along with other new additions to HBO Max like the second season ofHis Dark Materials, the season finale of Last Week Tonight,and a special based onBetween the World and Me.Plus older titles joining the service includeEast of Eden,Grumpy Old Men,High Fidelity,The Mask,Menace II Society, and Swingers.

Heres the full list of whats coming to HBO Max in November:

Exact Dates to be Announced:12 Dates Of Christmas, HBO Max Original Series Premiere Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show, HBO Max Original Special Premiere Crazy, Not Insane, Documentary Premiere (HBO)The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reunion Special, HBO Max Original Special PremiereFull Bloom, HBO Max Original Series PremiereI Hate Suzie, HBO Max Original Series PremiereThe Mystery Of DB Cooper, Documentary Premiere (HBO)Sesame Street, Season 51 2020 Valley Of Tears, HBO Max Original Series Premiere Veneno, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

November 1:10,000 BC, 2008 13 Going On 30, 2004 2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003 (HBO) Above The Rim, 1994 All Is Bright, 2013 America, America, 1964 Anchors Aweigh, 1945 Another Cinderella Story, 2008 The Arrangement, 1969 Austin Powers In Goldmember, 2002 Autumn In New York, 2000 (HBO) Baby Doll, 1956 Battleship, 2012 (HBO) Beasts Of The Southern Wild, 2012 (HBO) Billy Madison, 1995 (HBO) Blast From The Past, 1999 Blood Work, 2002 The Bridge Of San Luis Rey, 2005 (HBO) Broadway Danny Rose, 1984 (HBO) The Bucket List, 2007 The Children, 2009 A Christmas Carol, 1938 Chronicle, 2012 (Directors Cut) (HBO) City Island, 2010 (HBO) City Slickers, 1991 (HBO) Clash Of The Titans, 2010 Critical Care, 1997 Cruel Intentions, 1999 (HBO) The Dancer Upstairs, 2003 (HBO)

The Dark Knight, 2008 David Copperfield, 1935 Dead Man Walking, 1995 (HBO) Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985 (HBO) The Devil's Advocate, 1997 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, 2003 (HBO) Dolphin Tale, 2011 Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, 2003 The Eagle, 2011 (HBO) East Of Eden, 1955 Eight Legged Freaks, 2002 Elf Pets: Santas Saint Bernards Save Christmas, 2018 The Enforcer, 1976 A Face In The Crowd, 1957 The Fast And The Furious, 2001 (HBO) Femme Fatale, 2002 The Five-Year Engagement, 2012 (Extended Version) (HBO) A Flintstone Christmas, 1977 A Flintstone Family Christmas, 1993 Free Willy, 1993 Friday The 13th, 2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, 2009 The Gauntlet, 1977 Genius, 2016 (HBO) Get Santa, 2014 Girl In Progress, 2012 Grumpier Old Men, 1995 Grumpy Old Men, 1993 Guys And Dolls, 1955 Hacksaw Ridge, 2016 (HBO) Happy Gilmore, 1996 (HBO) Heidi, 2006 High Fidelity, 2000 (HBO) High Society, 1956 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012 The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, 2014 The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, 2013 Hollidaysburg, 2014 House On Haunted Hill, 1999 Ice Age: Continental Drift, 2012 (HBO) Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes The Iron Giant, 1999 J. Edgar, 2011 Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, 1993 Jason X, 2002 King Kong, 1976 (HBO) The Last King Of Scotland, 2006 (HBO)

The Lego Batman Movie, 2017 The Lego Movie, 2014 The Lego Ninjago Movie, 2014 License To Wed, 2007 Life Stinks, 1991 Linda And The Mockingbirds, 2020 (HBO) Little Man Tate, 1991 (HBO) Looney Tunes: Back In Action, 2003 The Losers, 2010 Lowriders, 2017 (HBO) Made, 2001 (HBO) The Madness Of King George, 1994 (HBO) Magic Mike, 2012 The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special, 2017 Magnum Force, 1973 Malibu's Most Wanted, 2003 The Man With The Golden Arm, 1955 The Mask, 1994 Menace II Society, 1993 Miss Julie, 2014 (HBO) Money Talks, 1997 Mr. Nanny, 1993 Music And Lyrics, 2007 Must Love Dogs, 2005 Mystic River, 2003 National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, 1993 Needful Things, 1993 The Neverending Story, 1984 The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, 1991 New York Minute, 2004 Nights In Rodanthe, 2008 Nothing Like The Holidays, 2008 Now And Then, 1995 Ocean's 11, 1960 Old School, 2003 On The Town, 1949 Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas, Special Premiere A Perfect World, 1993 Pleasantville, 1998 The Pledge, 2001 Popstar, 2005 Practical Magic, 1998 The Prophecy, 1995 (HBO) The Prophecy 2, 1998 (HBO) The Prophecy 3: The Ascent, 2000 (HBO) Prophecy 4: The Uprising, 2005 (HBO) Prophecy 5: The Forsaken, 2005 (HBO) Radio Days, 1987 Red Tails, 2012 (HBO) Rick And Morty, Season Four PremiereThe Right Stuff, 1983 Rock Star, 2001 Rosewood, 1997 Rumor Has It, 2005 Salvador, 1986 (HBO) Scoop, 2006 (HBO) The Sea Of Grass, 1947 The Secret Garden, 1993

Sesame Street, 1969 Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate, Special PremiereSesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration, Special Premiere Sinbad Of The Seven Seas, 1989 (HBO) The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, 2005 The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2, 2008 Smurfs Christmas Special, 1982 Some Came Running, 1958 Space Cowboys, 2000 Splendor In The Grass, 1961 Sudden Impact, 1983 Summer Catch, 2001 Swingers, 1996 (HBO) Swordfish, 2001 A Tale Of Two Cities, 1935 Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines, 2003 Terminator Salvation, 2009 Terms Of Endearment, 1983 Thief, 1981 (HBO) Thirteen Ghosts, 2001 Tightrope, 1984 The Time Traveler's Wife, 2009 Tis The Season To Be Smurfy, 1987

Titans, Seasons 1 & 2 Torque, 2004 Tower Heist, 2011 (HBO) The Town That Santa Forgot, 1993 Troll, 1986 (HBO) Troll 2, 1990 (HBO) True Crime, 1999 Tweety's High-Flying Adventures, 2000 Twilight Zone: The Movie, 1983 (HBO) Una Semana (HBO) Unaccompanied Minors, 2006 Untamed Heart, 1993 (HBO) Veronica Mars, 2014 A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, 2011 (Extended Version) (HBO) We Bought A Zoo, 2011 (HBO) When You Wish Upon A Pickle: A Sesame Street Special, 2018 Wild Wild West, 1999 Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!, 2004 (HBO) Witches Of Eastwick, The, 1987 The Wood, 1999 Wyatt Earp, 1994 Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper, 1982 Yogis First Christmas, 1980 Young Justice, Seasons 1-3 Zoo Animals (HBO)

November 2:Quadrophenia, 1979 We Are Who We Are, Season Finale (HBO) A Woman Under The Influence, 1974

November 4:Looney Tunes, 1930 - 1969

November 6:Pecado Original (Aka Original Sin) (HBO)

November 7:The Dead Don't Die, 2019 (HBO) The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2020 Inductions (HBO)

November 9:Food Wars! Shokugeki No Soma, Season 5 (Subtitled) (Crunchyroll Collection) Industry, Series Premiere (HBO)

November 11:Patria, Season Finale (HBO)

November 12:My Sesame Street Friends, 2020

November 13:De Lo Mio (HBO) Entre Nos: LA Meets NY (HBO)

November 14:Dolittle, 2020 (HBO)

November 15:Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Season Finale (HBO) Murder On Middle Beach, Docuseries Premiere (HBO)

November 16:His Dark Materials, Season Two Premiere (HBO)

November 20:Porno Para Principiantes (Aka Porno For Newbies) (HBO)

November 21:Between The World And Me, Special Event Premiere (HBO)Real Time with Bill Maher, Season Finale (HBO) Underwater, 2020 (HBO)

November 24:Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO) Smurfs, Season 4, 1981

November 26:Craftopia: Craft the Halls, HBO Max Special Premiere Craftopia: Merry Craftmas!, HBO Max Special Premiere The Flight Attendant, HBO Max Original Series Premiere Superintelligence, HBO Max Original Film Premiere

November 27:Chateau Vato (HBO) How To With John Wilson, Season Finale (HBO)

November 28:The Call Of The Wild, 2019 (HBO)

November 29:The Undoing, Season Finale (HBO)

Gallery Hilarious Foreign Titles to American Movies:

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Everything New on HBO Max in November - ScreenCrush