After 20 years, Panzer Dragoon Saga’s composer finally made the soundtrack she always wanted

Two decades ago Saori Kobayashi was given the chance to work on something epic. As a composer at Sega during the early 1990’s, she cut her teeth working primarily on licensed games based on cartoons like Donald Duck and Inspector Gadget, as well as a few Sonic the Hedgehog spinoffs. Then, after five years with the company, she took on a much more ambitious kind of project, composing the soundtrack to Panzer Dragoon Saga. It was a fantasy role-playing game for the Sega Saturn, and a follow-up to some of Sega’s most beloved games.

Along with co-composer Mariko Nanba, Kobayashi was able to craft a memorable and eclectic album that perfectly suited the game’s fantasy-meets-post-apocalyptic world. Over the ensuing years, it’s an album she hears about regularly from fans. And while Kobayashi has had a long and successful career since, Panzer Dragoon Saga is arguably her defining work. But something about it never quite felt right.

“I WAS ACTUALLY QUITE YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED.”

Kobayashi says that the songs she wrote for the album have always sounded a little “cheap” when she re-listens to them. Part of the problem is technical; the infamously complex Saturn was a challenging platform to develop for, and that could make it difficult to get music sounding just right on the hardware. Another issue was how new she was to composing soundtracks. “I can’t help but feel that I was actually quite young and inexperienced,” she says.

Now she’s getting a chance to fix that.

Next week will see the debut of a new, rearranged version of the Panzer Dragoon Saga soundtrack, one overseen by Kobayashi herself. (Called Resurrection: Panzer Dragoon Saga, the album is available for preorder now and will debut on January 29th.) With two decades’ worth of experience and skill, she’s taken another look at a number of the album’s songs, and rewritten them so that they better match her initial goals when she set out composing them.

“By rearranging the album this time, I was able to achieve the kind of music that I wanted to do 20 years ago,” she says. “This project allowed me to achieve things that weren’t possible then.”

Saori Kobayashi.

 Image: Brave Wave Productions

Saga is the third game in the Panzer Dragoon series and one that took the franchise in a very different direction. The first two entries were shooters where players rode mythical dragons through the ruins of an ancient civilization, fighting off the rise of a new evil. Part of what made the series distinct was its post-apocalyptic setting, which fused together elements of fantasy and science fiction to create a fascinating realm. It’s the kind of place where you could wield bioengineered weapons while riding a dragon through a medieval-style village.

Image: Brave Wave

“EVEN 30 YEARS LATER, IT’S STILL SOMETHING THAT’S QUITE SPECIAL TO ME.”KEIJI YAMAGISHI ON COMPOSING THE ORIGINAL NINJA GAIDEN

The shift to a role-playing structure meant that Saga would be more focused on story than its predecessors, which included the introduction of voice acting and lengthy cutscenes, though it retained the same setting. The series already had an established sound by this point, a mixture of orchestral music and synthesizer tracks created by Yoshitaka Azuma that fit the eclectic setting well. When Kobayashi came on board, her main goal was to retain that same feeling, while expanding on it by drawing from new influences. “I did have quite a bit of flexibility in terms of how I could add my own style into the game,” she says.

Saga’s soundtrack features sounds reminiscent of traditional European and Middle Eastern folk music, merged with synthesizer sounds that give it something of a sci-fi feel. For Kobayashi, the range of influences simply came from the music she was listening to at the time, which, when put together, turned out to be a great fit for the game’s world. “It’s got this mysterious element to it,” she says of the music.

Kobayashi would go on to compose a number of other games over the years, including Panzer Dragoon Orta on the original Xbox in 2003. Eventually she left Sega, and in 2013 she signed on with budding video game music label Brave Wave Productions. In 2016 she released her debut solo album, called Terra Magica, which featured a similar sound to the one she began exploring with Saga. With the game’s 20th anniversary looming, and Brave Wave having experienced success with remastered versions of the Street Fighter II and Ninja Gaiden soundtracks, they eventually decided to revisit Saga.

One of the initial hurdles with the new album was that none of the original sequencer data for the music still exists. “It’s like losing a game’s source code,” explains Alexander Aniel, co-founder of Brave Wave and director on the album. “You can still play the game if you want, but without the source code, it would be more difficult to recreate it for another platform.” Without the original sound data to reference, Kobayashi instead listened to older versions of the soundtrack on CD, and composed her new arrangements based on that.

“IT’S GOT THIS MYSTERIOUS ELEMENT TO IT.”

“I think the biggest thing I had to think about at the beginning was to what extent should I rearrange the music,” Kobayashi says. The goal was to maintain the original feeling of the songs, while making them feel more modern, the kind of music listeners would enjoy outside of the context of a game. “One of the things I wanted to achieve with the arrangement was that people could listen to it on its own merits, even if they’re not Panzer Dragoon fans, even if they never listened to the original version before,” she says.

The result is a 20-track album that twists and sways, jumping from bombastic, electric songs like “Atolm Dragon,” to more solemn, peaceful tracks like “Toward the Promised Land.” There’s even a new version of the game’s theme song “Sona Mi Areru Ac Sancitu,” which features lyrics in the series’ fictional “Panzerese” language, sung by Eri Itō. The song is more sorrowful this time around, with a slow, yet stirring string section leading into a piano-heavy rendition of theme. The piece is indicative of the album as a whole: both new and familiar, and capable of summoning fond memories of the game from two decades ago.

If given the chance, Kobayashi says she’d be interested in doing something similar with the Panzer Dragoon Orta soundtrack in the future, and she’d also love to revisit some of the Saga songs that didn’t make it on to the new album due to time constraints. For now, though, she’s pleased with the new versions of the album — even if it took a while to get to this point. “I would say these arrangements are quite faithful to the original in a lot of ways,” she says, “so you could say they’re definitive.”

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Greg Gutfeld: Why Trump's 'chaos' should make you chuckle, not choke

"No. But in good times, we'll put up with almost anything."

During last Saturday's “Greg Gutfeld Show” (named after me, oddly), I went over the accomplishments made during Donald Trump’s first year -- and there were prominent ones -- from the defeat of ISIS, to the explosive economy.

I've done this summarizing before, and every time I do it, I notice that it doesn't feel as great as it should. It's as if these achievements count less because it's coming at some emotional cost that I've felt over these last 13 months.You have to be honest with me: You too feel anxiety under the current Trump era. Part of it is due to Trump himself: Every day he appears to be walking the ledge, with the country in his hands. Will he offend half of America? Will he taunt a hermit kingdom to wage war? Will he upset an entire gender, industry or ally? Add to that an especially loud opposition that proclaims every Trump action or tweet to be the harbinger of the apocalypse. It's a fight every day, and it's never been louder, or more hysterical. Every day is the first day of the end of the world.
Yet every day, things seem to turn out fine. Sure, we live the Trump presidency in a day by day fashion, but each day seems to be working out for the American people. Hell, even his adversaries are having to admit the guy’s tax plan has kicked the economy into a higher gear. I'm watching bonuses getting doled out by the millions, and thousands of new jobs created, thanks to his policies.

Never mind the sound and fury, Trump gets through it all, taking the heat, and we reap the benefits.

He's like a drunk walking home during an earthquake. Both effects (booze and seismic shakes) cancel each other out, and he makes it home in a straight line, without a scratch.

But this emotional fallout still exists.

It's due to what Trump plays with (big dangerous issues, not marginal stuff like nutrition and wetlands) and how he plays them (with little regard to the politically correct vernacular) and that brings us alarm. Because of this, people like me living in the media/political/entertainment bubble, it’s as if we're in one of those scary looking taverns in old westerns -- where the sense of calm feels only temporary, before the next murderous brawl breaks out. I hope it's not that way with you.

But this is how it feels with Trump, for me -- until I slow down and see what's really going on.

And when you slow down and analyze the nature and consequence of his tweets -- as one example -- you realize that the sense of chaos is a sign not of trouble, but of good times.

And good news.

Do you think that in a terrible time -- of deadly wars and economic ills -- we would tolerate a leader who trolls his adversaries daily on social networks?

No. But in good times, we'll put up with almost anything.

This past Saturday he tweeted this, about the Women's March:

"Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!"



Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018

Whether you like him or not, you have to credit him for targeting so much good-natured tomfoolery at a group of people who might tear him to shreds if given the chance.

It was a perfect troll, a perfect tweet. And it served a key purpose: putting himself on the side of fun.

And by responding to that tweet with anything but a smile, you're on the other side of fun. You're part of the non-fun.

Now tweets like this contribute to the overarching sense of chaos. It's just another thing piled onto a whole bunch of things (he's tweeting this, mind you, during a government shutdown, during a brouhaha over immigration and on the heels of his use of a certain caustic term referring to poorly run third world countries).

But if you slow down and take a step back you realize that the tweet isn't reflecting unease at all -- but reveals a country operating at full steam -- so productive and peaceful that its boss can tweet out his cheerful thoughts just for kicks and giggles.

This is why, at least for now, he shouldn't stop tweeting.

For the overwhelming message his tweets convey is that, "hey pal, things are great, lighten up, we can have fun here."

The only worry, in my mind, is when he stops tweeting. Because that means things are bad.

Fact is, you can learn to embrace the appearance of chaos, and the churning emotional unease it causes, by taking these steps:

1. Acknowledge good things are happening in our country, mainly because our country is strong, industrious and can withstand any man or movement

2. Admit that there is a cost to Trump -- that such a personality/force like him will create disruption, and highly vocal animosity that can be jarring

3. Trace that cost back to our country's ability to soldier it. The only reason why so many small disturbing and surprising things are happening at once is because of the enabling of big, efficient things make it possible. Policies unleash those big efficient things (deregulation, tax reform) and that allows us to cater to the other sillier conflicts (Twitter wars, bad words, marginal scandals).

4. Stay calm, laugh at the little things, and be hopeful the big things keep happening. Because, so far, that seems to be the trend.

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Wenger makes another comment about Sanchez

""In training, he was practising with full power, so I never questioned that. I never had any doubts about that."

He may have lost him to rivals Manchester United, but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger remains full of praise for Alexis Sanchez, who became a Manchester United player on Monday.


The Chilean failed to sign a contract extension at the Emirates Stadium and has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Red Devils but Wenger has not ceased praising his former player.


“He's a very professional player who has been committed until the last minute,' Wenger told Arsenal Player.

"In training, he was practising with full power, so I never questioned that. I never had any doubts about that.

“He's a world-class player who has contributed well to us and was a star here. I would like to thank him for his contribution here and I wish him well.


“He's very attached to Arsenal and we were very attached to him as well, so it is not with pleasure that we lose him but it's part of professional life.”

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PMB Healthy Enough To Seek Re-election In 2019 – Presidency

“Yes, health is wealth. The president is not a frivolous person. If he thinks that his health cannot carry anything, he will not do it"

The presidency yesterday certified President Muhammad Buhari medically fit to contest the 2019 presidential poll, saying he is presently in a better state of health than in 2015 to seek re-election. 

Presidential Spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, stated this while speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja. He said though the president was yet to decide on whether to re-contest or not, his health would never be an issue as he had been improving tremendously since his return from medical vacation.

 Adesina said, “Yes, health is wealth. The president is not a frivolous person. If he thinks that his health cannot carry anything, he will not do it. So, of course, his health will matter a lot. It will be very important but we need to give glory to God for the way he is now. 

“Every day you see the president you see a glow about him you see freshness about him. I think he’s even in a better state than when he came in 2015. It’s all to the glory of God. So, once he assesses that his health can carry it, there’s nothing wrong if he steps into the fray. But he has the final decision.’

’ The special adviser to the president on media and publicity maintained that the Buhari-led administration will continue to ensure the conduct of acceptable elections in the country as the president had vowed to bequeath free and fair elections in Nigeria. 

He cited recently conducted elections across the country where the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) participated but failed to win. Adesina noted: “It was not like that in the past when a certain party was in power. They won all the elections that held in states. But you saw Anambra. Just this weekend, you saw a senatorial election there. Some months ago in November, you saw the governorship election. “If APC had wanted to overrun Anambra using federal might, it would have done that and it would win the election. 

Election was held in Bayelsa under this administration, APC didn’t do it. Ondo, APC won fair and square. Kogi, it won fair and square. Where APC wins, it wins. Where it loses, it loses. That’s the attitude of the president. Your party doesn’t have to win by hook or crook’’. On social media report that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had been appointed as Director-General for President Buhari’s campaign organisation, the presidential spokesman described such report as mere rumour. 

He said the president has not decided to run for re-election as the whistle had not been blown for such activities by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

He said, “Well, me I believe that things like Director-General will come when you have become a candidate. If the president steps into the fray now, he’s an aspirant just like any other aspirant. Having a Director-General comes when you become a candidate of the party.’’ On whether Buhari will embrace the Nelson Mandela option of four-year single term, Adesina said it was the constitutional right of the president to run or not to run. 

“Of course, this is a democracy. People will always have a right to their opinion. You know one thing about democracy is that there is multiplicity of opinion. So, those who believe in the Mandela option, it is their right. And it is also the right of the president to run or not to run. So, you don’t abridge the right of anybody under a democracy”, he added.

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Norway to open underwater restaurant by next year

When we arrive in 2019, we need to go below sea level for dinner.



In 2019, underwater restaurants will open in Norway, offering submarine views and a quiet atmosphere to its customers.


The restaurant, which will be 5 meters below the surface, will be passed down by the company that designed the Norwegian National Opera House.


It is being shown as the first month of 2019.



Snohetta Currently, there is no official figure for the cost of the project that has been misled by a private company.

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Turkey gives U.S. an ultimatum concerning its support to YPG Kurds

"Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Monday."

ANKARA, The United States needs to end its support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia if it wants to work together with Turkey in Syria, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Monday.


Speaking to reporters following a cabinet meeting, Bozdag also said nobody had the right to impose limits on its operation against a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in Syria’s Afrin region.

He said no Turkish soldiers had been killed or wounded in the operation so far.




Reuters

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FULL TIME: Swansea City 1-0 Liverpool, home-side deserved win

"62 min: Liverpool are hardly tearing Swansea apart but at some point this level of pressure is going to result in rather more than it currently is, if you see what I mean"






Roberto Firmino scored twice in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Swansea on Boxing Day

Line-ups

Swansea



Substitutes

2. Bony

11. Narsingh

13. Nordfeldt

14. Carroll

27. Bartley

51. Mesa

62. McBurnie



Liverpool



Substitutes

7. Milner

17. Klavan

20. Lallana

22. Mignolet

28. Ings

29. Solanke

66. Alexander-Arnold



Referee: Neil Swarbrick



KICK-OFF

1 mins: Swansea get us started after a minute's applause for Cyrille Regis and Jimmy Armfield.

3 mins: Mane takes a sore one early on as Fer accidentally catches his face... and on replay that doesn't look sore at all. Swansea have started with energy.

5 mins: Swansea are defending deep but keeping those two strikers (Dyer and Ayew) pushed way up the pitch so they can aim long balls towards them and get out of their defensive shape. When Liverpool cross the half way line it becomes a 5-4-1 instead of the 5-3-2.

7 min: Mawson brings the ball out well and tries to slip Ayew down the left, but it’s not a good pass and runs out. The Swans are enjoying good possession so far though and look keen to use the wings.

9 min: First glimpse for Liverpool, as a delightful diagonal ball from – I think – Matip catches Mane running beyond a static back line and Fabianski is out alertly to smuggle the ball away.



11 min: Firmino plays the ball behind Salah as, for a second, Liverpool break menacingly. They’re finding some sort of rhythm now but it’s still been a pretty slow start to this one.

12 min: And now Liverpool win their new corner, Salah getting involved again to earn it. Van Dijk and the rest of the cavalry are up, but Clucas heads away unchallenged before Firmino puts a harmless ball back in.

14 min: Out on the pitch, Mawson is quick to clear a dangerous whipped cross from Robertson.

18 mins: Swansea are defending with buzz and bite, working hard to make sure Liverpool can't enjoy the ball in their half. The problem is that they can't then keep hold of it themselves when they do win possession.

20 min: There really isn’t a lot else to report at the moment. That Mane glimpse aside, Swansea have been comfortable. They look compact, and keen not to allow much space in behind – which is of course the key – without looking very likely themselves.

22 min: Salah basically wins himself a free-kick by stopping playing after a pull from Mawson. Think he was justified to though. It’s a free-kick on the right in a decent area, a chance to put one into the box anyway. Oxlade-Chamberlain does exactly that, and Naughton has to concede a corner.

23 min: from which Van Dijk rises like a salmon at the near post and glances the ball possibly off his shoulder, before seeing it fly across goal and just wide.

26 min: We’ve very much in a pattern of Liverpool dictating possession now, but there really aren’t many pockets of space once they reach the final third and nothing much is coming of. Swansea look very well drilled. It’s still very quiet out there.

29 min: Mane sweeps wide to Gomez and there’s a chance to deliver a teasing ball from the right. But Gomez doesn’t do that; rather, he trickles a terrible ball into Fabianski’s grateful embrace.

30 min: First big chance for Salah – and he should score! Van Dijk is allowed to maraud 20 yards into the Swansea half and chips over a straight, but well-weighted, ball that the back line can’t reach. Salah watches it over his shoulder 12 yards out and, with nobody between him and Fabianski, volleys over the top! It’s a difficult skill, that, but on his current form you expected the net to ripple.

34 mins: Can accelerates with all the lightning speed of a bus, failing to catch up with his own poor touch during another Liverpool attack which Swansea sprint full pace to thwart. There's no way Swansea can defend at this tempo all game - they're racing into tackles and closing down players.

37 mins: Swansea win a free-kick wide right. Clucas delivers... it's headed away... and Naughton balloons his shot from 20 yards, completely misreading it and swiping at his effort.

Liverpool beginning to find their feet. Matip is chipped in over the defence but cant improvise a use for the ball, which is behind him, and Oxlade-Chamberlain shoots from distance into the goalkeeper.

40 min: Goal! Swansea 1-0 Liverpool (Mawson 40)



Well! Clucas delivers the corner from the right, Van Dijk is up to meet it but can only head against Fernandez. It drops perfectly for Mawson, who has a decent nose for goal – he spins onto it and slams low into the corner, and Swansea have a big goal for their season!



45 min: HALF TIME

46 min: Peeeeeep! Second half underway.

No changes. Liverpool need to sharpen up. Swansea need to keep doing what they’re doing.

47 min: Swansea are doing precisely that so far. As are Liverpool.

49 min: Van der Hoorn does very well there, though, to bump Firmino off the ball as he looks to get onto an Oxlade-Chamberlain pass. Rock solid there, and he took a blow to the ribs. The resultant corner is cleared.

51 min: Olsson snakes out a toe to stop Salah bursting through on the right of the box. Liverpool are starting to come on strong.

52 min: Then Van der Hoorn is astute, again, in cutting out a Firmino through ball. Matip, looking frustrated, commits a foul in the aftermath. He’s on a yellow, remember.

54 min: Salah curls well wide after finding a bit of space around the D. Not good. By the way, I was thinking before that happened that Clucas has been exceptional for Swansea tonight. And I (sort of) mocked him at the start!

56 min: Oh what a tackle that is by Naughton, who tracks Robertson brilliantly and perfectly times his intervention just as the left back runs onto a Firmino flick and looks certain to score. Liverpool come again moments later and an inviting Robertson ball across goal just goes beyond his onrushing colleagues!

60 min: They’re finding a lot of those pockets in front of the box, now, and Ki bundles Mane over. Free-kick to Liverpool in a very dangerous area indeed. If only they had Coutinho! But Salah and Firmino are poised ...

62 min: Liverpool are hardly tearing Swansea apart but at some point this level of pressure is going to result in rather more than it currently is, if you see what I mean.

65 min: Here is Carroll, who replaces Nathan Dyer. Dyer’s last action was a very diligent recovery tackle on Roberton.

68 min: 68 minutes was the answer! Lallana is on for Oxlade-Chamberlain.

70 mins: Can tries to shoot from 30 yards. They're running out of ideas!

73 mins: ijnaldum off, Ings on. Klopp's just throwing forwards at this now.

74 mins: Mane keeps getting the ball deep and trying to play through the middle with it, when it seems like he'd be much better off sticking to the right wing and trying to stretch the pitch a bit. Swansea's back five aren't letting anyone through and the middle four are working hard to snap at the feet of Liverpool players who dare approach them.

78 min: Second Swansea sub, Ayew is replaced by Wilfried Bony.

80min: Final ten minutes of the game and Liverpool are no closer to scoring against the deep-sitting Swans. This has been a really poor and mightily frustrating night.

Gomez runs forward and hits one but its wide.

85 mins: Swansea keep showing Liverpool's players inside the pitch. They aren't giving each other enough options when on the ball - each player only really has one and Swansea have blocked it off. And so the ball goes back, left, right, back, left, right. There's no movement where they need it and Swansea can defend it easily.

82 mins: Gomez drives a powerful shot wide of the near post as he steps up from defence. Firmino has to bicycle kick... well he doesn't have to, but he does, and puts the ball back to the edge of the box. It sits up nicely for Van Dijk, who lines up the shot... and slices it high and wide. There was power on that though. A decent effort.

88 min: Firmino’s shot pings off a defender for the latest corner – again totally wasted. Liverpool have just hardly looked like doing anything. It’s been so unusually static.

90 min: Swansea’s half is where literally everything is taking place now, of course, but they just look so comfortable. It’s been a superb rearguard action and the three centre backs have been brilliant. Can they keep it going for FOUR added minutes?

90+1 min: They keep it going for the first one, after Firmino adjusts himself to sky a dropping ball high, high over the bar from 10 yards.

90 mins +2: Gomez chips into the area, the ball is headed up in the sky and Can can't get anything good enough on his shot to keep it from landing somewhere over the bar.

FULL TIME: A superb result is deserved for an outstanding performance by Swansea. To a man they were better here, working harder in every single bit of the pitch. Liverpool still have a lot of work to do.

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Mauricio Pochettino refuses to use illness as an excuse for Southampton draw

"Of course they will be important for us," Pochettino said.

Christian Eriksen was a surprise absentee from the Spurs squad as he and Hugo Lloris were both struck down by illness and unable to travel to the south coast.

Harry Kane cancelled out Davinson Sanchez's own-goal but a below-par Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw and missed the chance to move into the Premier League's top four.
They will fall five points behind Liverpool if Jurgen Klopp's men beat Swansea on Monday.

Pochetttino, who took his team on a warm-weather training camp to Barcelona last week, would not name the players affected by illness as he maintained they had all recovered.

"A few players were affected last week but it's not an excuse," Pochettino said.

"We are disappointed because our game wasn't great, our performance wasn't the best. The game was even and full credit to Southampton because they fight and play well.

"I think it is a fair result in the end, 1-1. There were massive chances we had in the last minute with Harry Kane but at the end if you analyse the game it's a fair result."

Pochettino also referenced the bobbling pitch at St Mary's, which contributed to an attritional match, full of loose touches and misplaced passes.

Spurs now find themselves in danger of losing touch with the Champions League spots, ahead of three crunch league games against Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

"Of course they will be important for us," Pochettino said.
"It is important if we are going to take points and win the games, be sure that we are going to fight and if not, it will be difficult."

Pochettino refused to be drawn on more reports linking Kane with a move to Real Madrid and also played down the club's chances of making new signings this month.

"The other clubs find a way to sign players that can improve and help their team and squads," Pochettino said.

"Nothing to say but for us it is difficult and will be difficult for different reasons. It is obvious."

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Chika Ike shares photos on private jet

"chika ike photos"

The actress shared this photo of herself on Instagram chilling in the first class seat of a plane with her birkin tote in view…

view some chika's photos

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Scarlett Johansson under fire for attacking James Franco at Women's March after defending Woody Allen

“I think it's irresponsible to take a bunch of actors that will have a Google alert on and to suddenly throw their name into a situation that none of us could possibly knowingly comment on. That just feels irresponsible to me,”

Scarlett Johansson, who slammed fellow actor James Franco in a speech at the Women’s March in Los Angeles, is being called a hypocrite for previously defending Woody Allen and saying the child abuse allegations against the director were “all guesswork.”

“I want my pin back, by the way,” Johansson said on Saturday, in reference to the “Time’s Up” pin Franco wore at the Golden Globe Awards, which inspired five accusers to come forward and call him out.

However, now Johansson, who starred in Allen’s films “Match Point,” “Scoop” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” finds herself feeling the heat after having praised the director and downplayed accusations of child abuse that have been leveled against him.



Congrats to Scarlett Johansson for calling out James Franco and the harmful cool girl narrative but you still haven't denounced Woody Allen and apologized to Dylan Farrow— the orb knows (@swagadragon) January 21, 2018

One month after Allen’s estranged daughter Dylan Farrow penned an open letter accusing him of sexual abuse in 2014, Johansson told the Guardian: “It's not like this is somebody that's been prosecuted and found guilty of something, and you can then go, ‘I don't support this lifestyle or whatever.’ I mean, it's all guesswork.”

At the time, Farrow called out the Hollywood actors and actresses who have appeared in Allen’s films, which prompted a response from Johansson in the 2014 interview.




“I think it's irresponsible to take a bunch of actors that will have a Google alert on and to suddenly throw their name into a situation that none of us could possibly knowingly comment on. That just feels irresponsible to me,” Johansson said.

Allen has denied the allegations from his adopted daughter Farrow, 32, who claimed he sexually abused her when she was 7 years old. However, Farrow’s brother Ronan—who wrote a blockbuster expose for the New Yorker on the allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein—has supported her.

Fans reacted swiftly on social media to call out Johansson for the perceived double standard.

One wrote: “Scarlett Johansson the biggest hypocrite that is there…calls out James Franco yet supports Woody Allen and would hem his pants if she had to…wow!”






Congrats to Scarlett Johansson for calling out James Franco and the harmful cool girl narrative but you still haven’t denounced Woody Allen and apologized to Dylan Farrow,” wrote another.

Although Johansson didn’t directly mention Franco by name, a representative of hers confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that she was referring to him with her comments.

“My mind baffles. How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power?” Johansson said in the speech.

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Senate GOP plans to shutdown votes

"This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present,"






By Richard Cowan and Ginger Gibson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers were locked in a standoff with Democrats on Saturday over the U.S. government shutdown, with Republicans saying they would not negotiate on immigration until the government is reopened.

Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight with no agreement in Congress, meaning the second year of Trump's presidency began without a fully functioning government.

Democrats stuck to demands that any short-term spending legislation must include protections for young undocumented immigrants known as "Dreamers." Republicans in turn said they would not negotiate on immigration until Democrats gave them the votes needed to reopen the government.

U.S. government workers were told to stay home or, in some cases, work without pay until new funding is approved in the first federal government shutdown since a 16-day funding lapse in October 2013.

The Republican-controlled Senate and House of Representatives held rare weekend sessions on Saturday, facing a political crisis that could affect November congressional elections. By about 7 p.m. both chambers resigned themselves to failure and agreed to resume work on Sunday.

Both Republicans and Democrats had dug in during the day, each side blaming the other.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would vote at 0100 EST (0600 GMT) Monday on a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8, unless Democrats agree to hold it sooner.

"We'll be right back at this tomorrow and for as long as it takes" for Democrats to vote for legislation that would reopen the government, McConnell said.

Outside the U.S. Capitol, parks, open-air monuments and Smithsonian museums were open as a second annual women's rights march took place on the National Mall. But visitors were turned away from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York Harbor.

A scheduled trip by Trump and some Cabinet members to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was being assessed on a day-to-day basis, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said.

Republicans said they would refuse to negotiate on immigration until Democrats provide the votes to re-open the government. Democrats insisted they have been willing to compromise but Republicans backed out of deals.

"The president will not negotiate on immigration reform until Democrats stop playing games and reopen the government," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.


Marc Short, the White House's legislative affairs director, said Trump had been in contact with Republican leaders in Congress during the day, but had not reached out to Democrats.

Short said the president likely would be most effective making the case for ending the shutdown directly to the American people, and he did not rule out Trump addressing the nation in the coming days.

The tough message from the White House and Republicans in Congress led to speculation that Washington could be in for a prolonged political battle.

At the U.S. Capitol, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a stinging portrayal of Trump as an unreliable negotiating partner, saying the two sides came close to an agreement several times only to have Trump back out at the urging of anti-immigration conservatives.

"Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O," said Schumer, who met Trump at the White House on Friday for a 90-minute meeting that had briefly raised hopes. "It's impossible to negotiate with a constantly moving target."

'INCHES AWAY'

The federal government had been running on three consecutive temporary funding bills since the new fiscal year began in October.

Democrats had sought to secure permanent legal protections for 700,000 young undocumented immigrants as a condition for new government funding after their attempts to push through the protections in stand-alone bills were rebuffed. Trump ordered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program to expire in March, requiring Congress to act.

Earlier, McConnell said a solution to the crisis was "just inches away" but he blamed Democrats for blocking legislation to pass the fourth stopgap funding measure.

One idea floated by Republicans was to renew government funding through Feb. 8 to end the shutdown, while working to resolve other issues, including immigration, military and non-military spending, disaster relief and some healthcare matters.

U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly, a Democrat whose northern Virginia district has one of the highest concentrations of federal government employees, said there was no sign that serious bipartisan negotiations were taking place and he would be surprised if Congress reached a resolution before Monday.

"You can hear the crickets chirping in the hallway," Connolly said on Saturday evening. He said if there were negotiations, "it would have to be really deep back channels."

He attributed the lack of talks to "raw feelings" and that Trump had walked away on Friday from a deal on immigration.

A video ad released on Saturday by Trump's presidential campaign that says Democrats will be "complicit" in murders by illegal immigrants could inflame tensions.

Trump had portrayed himself as the ultimate dealmaker, but his inability to cut a deal despite having a Republican majority in both houses of Congress marked arguably the most debilitating setback for his administration.

"This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present," he said on Twitter.

The immediate impact of the government shutdown was eased somewhat by it beginning on a weekend.

The Defense Department said combat operations in Afghanistan and other military activities would continue, while federal law enforcement officers also would remain on duty.

Talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement will continue, as will major cybersecurity functions, and most of the Environmental Protection Agency will remain open, budget director Mulvaney said.

But without a quick deal, hundreds of thousands of government employees will be put on temporary unpaid leave.

"It's ironic that they get paid - meaning Congress - and the rest of the government doesn't," said Dawn Gaither, 57, a Washington teacher. "That's what we need to do, kick these guys in the tail and get them to work."

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Ginger Gibson, James Oliphant, Ian Simpson, and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Trott and Daniel Wallis)

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Nike designed Classic snikers Styles for Women

“But also when you wear it, you still look like you’re put together.”

Female sneakerheads are often overlooked in a community rooted in male athletes and fueled by teenage boys. But Nike is trying to change that.

AJ1 LOVER XX.


This fall, the brand invited stylist, model, and Instagram phenomenon Aleali May to be the first female collaborator on Air Jordans. In March, it will release three more exclusive styles
of the Air Jordan 1s and the Air Jordan 12s. And today, it revealed its biggest undertaking yet: Nike 1 Reimagined, which offers ten totally new takes on the Air Force 1 and the Air Jordan 1 — two of the brand’s most iconic sneakers.




AJ1 SAGE XX.


This is the first time these styles have been reimagined for a female customer. The collection features other firsts as well, including the tallest stack height, the first mule style, and the first-ever corset lacing. The shoes were created by a team of 14 women who had two weeks and one objective: “Design some cool shit.” The results are futuristic and weird, which is to say that they’re perfect for 2018.

The collection’s ten different styles were divided into five different archetypes: Explorer, Lover, Sage, Rebel, and Jester. Our favorite has to be the Lover, which includes the Air Force 1 mule. It’s almost sacrilegious to chop up such a classic
silhouette and turn it into a slipper, but we like a sneaker that caters to the woman who finds herself in bed often.

“We thought about the consumer going to brunch on a Sunday morning and wanting to wear something that was easy and comfortable,

AF1 EXPLORER XX.


” said lead designers Georgina James and Marie Crow of the AF1 Lover XX in particular. “But also when you wear it, you still look like you’re put together.”

See all the Nike 1 Reimagined styles below. Which one are you?

AJ1 EXPLORER XX.

AF1 JESTER XX.

AF1 JESTER XX.

AF1 LOVER XX.


src="https://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/fashion/daily/2018/01/18/nike/nike-9.nocrop.w710.h2147483647.jpg" />AJ1 LOVER XX.

AF1 REBEL XX.



AJ1 REBEL XX.

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siblings held captive planned escape for two years

"They were not allowed to play with any toys but many were found inside the house in their original packaging"

The California teenager who escaped a home where her siblings were found shackled had hatched a plan to flee two years ago, prosecutors say.

The teenager's sibling had initially fled with her but returned to the house after getting scared, Riverside County district attorney Mike Hestrin said.

The parents, David Turpin and Louise Turpin, have pleaded not guilty to the child abuse charges against them.

The couple's 13 children were found severely malnourished, police say.

The children, who are aged between two and 29 and had all been home-schooled, have been treated in hospital since being freed on Monday.




Mr Hestrin said that the couple had allegedly punished their children by tying them up - first using ropes and later chaining them to their beds with padlocks.

He said the alleged punishments would last weeks or months, and intensified over time.

Prosecutors said circumstantial evidence showed the children were not released from their chains to go to the toilet.Image copyrightDAVID-LOUISE TURPIN/FACEBOOKImage captionThe couple's Facebook page shows photos of the family appearing to look happy

Mr Hestrin detailed some of the gruesome allegations against the parents at a news conference on Thursday.

Among the shocking claims:
The children were accustomed to frequent beatings, including strangulation
They were only allowed one shower a year
The children would stay awake all night until going to sleep at four or five in the morning and slept during the day
They were not allowed to play with any toys but many were found inside the house in their original packaging
If the children washed their hands above the wrist they were subjected to punishments, allegedly accused of "playing with water"
The Turpin parents allowed their children to eat only one meal a day but the parents would sometimes buy food, like pumpkin pies, and place it where the children could see it but not eat it
They have never seen a dentist and haven't visited a doctor in over four years
The children lack basic knowledge of life, and did not know who a police officer wasThe two-year-old was of normal weight but the other children were severely malnourished, authorities said.
The 12-year-old weighed as much as a seven-year-old and the 29-year-old weighed only 82 lbs (37kg).



Day School.



Police have obtained hundreds of journals, indicating that the children may have been allowed to write.

BeforeThough little is known about their education, some of the children were able to read and write. Mr Turpin also registered a private school in their California home, known as Sandcastle moving to California, the family lived in Texas.

At one point, the parents allegedly lived in a different house from their children and would drop off food from time to time, officials said.

If found guilty of the dozens of charges against them, the couple face 94 years to life in prison, Mr Hestrin added.

Mr Turpin also faces one count of "lewd act on a child under 14 years of age".

The 13 children were found in an emaciated state in their filthy, foul-smelling house, police revealed earlier. Officers had at first thought all the children were minors but later realised some were frail and malnourished adults, they said.

Mr Hestrin said that when officers arrived, three of the couple's children were chained to their beds.

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5 life sentences for rape of 5 small children

"He to pleaded guilty to all five cases of rape which resulted in the harsh sentence."

ON 16 January 2018, Thokozani Mvalelwa, 34, from Louisiana in Port Shepstone, and who is originally from Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape province, was found guilty on five counts of rape and was sentenced to five life terms which he committed in Louisiana area between June and October 2016, where he raped five small children.

He was sentenced to a life sentence for each count of rape by the Port Shepstone Regional Court. The case was investigated by Port Shepstone Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.

In October 2016, a 6 year old girl was sent to the shop near her house in Louisiana. On the way, the accused took her to his room, raped her and gave her R2 and told her to keep quiet. She went home and told her mother what had happened.

The matter was reported to the Port Shepstone police who began with the investigation. As the investigation progressed, it was discovered that the accused had lured at least 13 children whom he played games with, promising them sweets after which he then raped them.

However, after a lengthy investigation, the investigating officer could only proceed with five victims as the others were not able to testify.

The accused was immediately arrested in October when the case was reported and he was kept in custody as his bail applications were opposed.

He to pleaded guilty to all five cases of rape which resulted in the harsh sentence.

South Africa Today – South Africa News

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Police let loose on parents with tear gas, stun grenades

"The interference of unions has led to an unfair and irregular process which saw Gill, who was acting in the position for two years, overlooked"

A protest turned violent at Noordgesig Primary School in Soweto yesterday.


Several people were injured during a protest which turned violent at Noordgesig Primary School in Soweto yesterday.

Police dispersed a crowd of parents and community members with rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas after some of them burnt tyres, blocked roads and threw rocks into the street. It was also alleged that some police officers were using live ammunition after one protester was rushed to hospital with a severe arm injury, which some witnesses believed was the result of a bullet.

Parents and community members were up in arms over several issues, including the appointment of a new principal. This has been an ongoing issue after his appointment last year, with parents accusing government of overlooking coloured candidates in favour of black candidates for the position, including the former acting principal, Colleen Gill. A parent, Anthony Williams, said the interference of unions has led to an unfair and irregular process which saw Gill, who was acting in the position for two years, overlooked.

He said the new principal was known to have been abusive to pupils at another school and parents would not allow teaching to resume until this was resolved.

“The real issue is that the process of his appointment has a lot of irregularities. The process was hidden from us … The law stipulates that if a teacher is appointed in an acting position for more than 18 months, they should get that position.” Parents were also lamenting the fact that government was overdue to rebuild the asbestos-roofed school.

Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi did not reply to questions sent to him by The Citizen nor did he answer phone calls.

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The Chainsmokers’ Alex Pall Allegedly Caught Cheating by in CCTV Video

“What’s perhaps the most amazing is that he HASN’T EVEN APOLOGIZED.”

Alex Pall, the Grammy-winning deejay who is one half of the powerhouse EDM-pop duo The Chainsmokers, found himself in hot water on Tuesday when his now ex-girlfriend Tori Woodward shared photos she alleges are of him kissing another girl.



The pictures of Pall’s apparent indiscretion were captured at a residential location by CCTV and posted to Woodward’s Instagram Stories in a series of snaps — each with a series of savage messages thrown his way.

“Alex is disgusting. Men are trash. Don’t ever forget it,” Woodward wrote on one of the surveillance shots, which Woodward later accused Pall of reporting to Instagram after it was deleted by the social network site.

“They’ll look you in the eyes and tell you they love you. Then destroy you without a second thought,” she captioned another snap, which appeared to show Pall kissing the mystery woman.

© Tori Woodward/Instagram

Reps for Pall and The Chainsmokers did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment about the incident, but Woodward — who has dated Pall since February 2014 — claimed this wasn’t the first time he had been unfaithful throughout their long relationship.




According to Woodward, Pall allegedly gave her excuses for the cheating, but didn’t apologize.

“Consistent outright denial faded to him explaining that because all men do it, it’s not that bad. And in different words, that because he’s famous now, he had a different rulebook for decency,” she said. “What’s perhaps the most amazing is that he HASN’T EVEN APOLOGIZED.”

“What he has done is everything he possibly can to stop this from coming out, from looking [like] the kind of person who does what he’s done,” she claimed. ” ‘You’re better than this.’ That’s right I am, but you’re not.”

© Tori Woodward/Instagram

Woodward turned her heartbreak into empowerment by her message’s end, writing, “if there was ever a time to hold powerful men accountable for their disgusting behavior, it’s now.”

“Don’t be that guy. Don’t let your friend or brother or business partner be that guy. Basic respect for women in your life should not be such a hard standard to hold each other to,” she said.

She concluded her message by thanking her 40K followers for supporting her in her battle.

“I really appreciate all the kind messages I’ve been getting,” she wrote. “I’m moving on with my life now with the satisfaction that I’m liberated from a horrible person and encourage anyone else in a similar position to know your worth and do the same.”

The Chainsmokers, which is made up of Pall and Andrew Taggart, formed in 2012 and went on to find viral success with their 2014 tune “#Selfie.”

Their second EP, 2016’s Collage, brought them into the history books — its single, “Closer,” becoming the longest-running No. 1 hit in the United States in 2016.

The band is nominated for a best pop duo/group performance Grammy at the 2018 awards, for their collaboration with Coldplay, “Something Just Like This,” off their full-length album Memories … Do Not Open.

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