Daily Archives: December 22, 2021

$30 trillion and counting: How should Christians think about the national debt? – The Christian Post

Posted: December 22, 2021 at 1:27 am

By William Wolfe, Op-ed contributor | Tuesday, December 21, 2021

In the nascent moments of Wednesday morning, just shortly after the clock struck midnight, the House of Representatives voted 221 to 209 to raise the national debt ceiling by another $2.5 trillion. The resolution providing the increase in our federal borrowing limit had passed the Senate on Tuesday afternoon, by a vote of 50-49. It will now sail on to President Bidens desk as swiftly as the best built and flung paper airplane, where it will promptly be signed into law.

And just like that, the U.S. government grants itself a credit line increase of staggering proportions. One unavoidable yet long-term effect of this choice will be to drive the worth of our currency closer and closer to the value of the piece of paper that the bill was printed on and President Biden signed.

As it stands, the national debt is over$29 trillion. After the full extent of this increase is spent and it will be the national debt will exceed $30 trillion, a truly astronomical number. I used to work in Congress, and I can remember when it was a big deal that the debtpassed $15 trillion.

That was 10 years ago. Since then, the national debt has doubled. This is an incredibly serious economic and financial issue facing our nation. It is also a moral issue. So, here are three things that Christians should keep in mind when considering the issue of the United States national debt.

First, these blank-check debt ceiling increases reveal that our government is failing in its basic, God-given duty to care for its citizens and promote the good.

While often lauded as avoiding a disastrous default on our nations debt, the reality is that Congress and the president have failed, yet again, to deal with a problem that demands their attention. God instituted human government to serve as earthly representatives of His ultimate authority. Romans 13:4 teaches us that the one in authority is Gods servant for your good. Now, the good is a fairly general term, but it, of course, entails that the government take responsibility for the welfare of the people it is responsible for, doing justice and governing in wisdom and righteousness.

Kicking the can down the road on dealing with our runaway debt is none of those things.

Bear in mind, the U.S. federal government doesnt make money. It takes it, from us, via taxes. Im not opposed to taxes, per se, because there are legitimate purposes for which the government should collect revenue, like the national defense. But implied in being a good steward of the God-given authority held by our government is beingfiscally responsible. The most basic measure of fiscal responsibility isnotspending more than you have to spend, unless in dire circumstances. Expenses should match income. This is budgeting 101. Apparently, our government needs to take a remedial course.

For those unfamiliar with how we rack up debt, increases in our national debt occur when annual federal deficits are incurred. That is, when Congress authorizes annual spending that exceeds what they collect in revenue for said year. For example, due to the wild spending spree related to COVID mitigation measures (which arguably did more harm than good to our national economy), thefederal deficit in 2020was over $3 trillion. Thus, because nothing else was done to offset the spending, that result was $3 trillion more added to the debt.

This is, fundamentally, an irresponsible way to govern a free-market economy. Piling up trillions and trillions in debt is not taking responsibility for solving the fiscal problems at hand such as our out-of-control entitlement spending or using authority for the good of us, the citizens.

What can be done about this? In general, Christians should demand that their congressional representatives support structural reforms that will decrease federal spending over the short and long term. If there is another need to raise the debt ceiling, which there will be again in 2023 unless real changes are made, Congress and the president should couple any increase with real spending cuts that allow the federal government to begin repaying its almost unimaginable debt. Taking responsibility for problems that need to be solved is a key feature of godly and good government. Sadly, that was not the outcome of this weeks legislation.

Second, for every trillion we borrow, America loses more of its freedom and national sovereignty.

There is no way around it: Holding massive debt is a form of financial slavery. Consider the parable of the unforgiving debtor in Matthew. Jesus begins the parable (which is about forgiveness) by reminding His listeners of the reality of debt entrapment. He says, Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made (Matthew 18:23-25).

If you are incurring debts that you cannot repay, you are living life under the Damocles Sword of your creditors calling for you to settle accounts at a moments notice. If you cant, it wont go well for you. Now, thats a simplified form of what is happening with our national debt, but the principle still applies: Indebted nations are not truly free nations.

The first turn of the parable in Matthew has a happy ending: So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt (Matthew 18:26-27).

But the reality we face is that no one is going to forgive Americas debt. And we absolutely cannot count on pleading our way out of a $30 trillion tab. This debt, and its obligations, hamstrings our economy, contributes to the devaluing of the dollar, and accelerates inflation. Even worse, servicing the debt making interest payments becomes a larger and larger portion of our federal spending in and of itself. According to theCongressional Budget Office, in 2020, the governments net outlays for interest totaled $345 billion accounting for 5.3% of total spending.

If America wants to remain a free and prosperous nation, avoiding the slavery that accompanies massive unpaid debts, we must get our fiscal house in order. This begins by freeing ourselves through budget reductions and implementing an aggressive strategy to pay down the debt.

Third, and finally, it is unjust and immoral to threaten the financial freedom and prosperity of future generations by burdening our countrys children with unsustainable debt today.

This is arguably the most important consideration for Christians. The reality is that this level of debt is immoral because it comes at the expense of our children and their future. In 1 Timothy 5:8, Paul writes that anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Or, in Romans 13:7, Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue.

But perhaps most poignantly, in Proverbs 13:2, we learn, A good man leaves an inheritance to his childrens children. The opposite of that is that wicked men rob their children by saddling them with unpayable debt.

While I was no big fan of his overall tenure as Speaker of the House, John Boehner hadstrong wordsabout the immorality of our national debt when he assumed the Speakership, riding the Tea Party wave, in 2011. He said:

Here we must speak the truth. Yes, this level of debt is unsustainable. It is also immoral. Yes, this debt is a mortal threat to our country. It is also a moral threat. It is immoral to bind our children to as leeching and destructive a force as debt. It is immoral to rob our childrens future and make them beholden to China.

No society is worthy that treats its children so shabbily. A good man leaves an inheritance for his childrens children, Proverbs reminds us. For too long, Washington has been ignoring this time-honored principle.

As part of the designs of unrestrained government, Washington uses our people, our most plentiful resource, as its prime revenue source. Through more taxes and more regulations, money and freedom are drained from the people and transferred to Washington, which then redistributes these resources.

Former Speaker Boehner was right on the money here. (Pun intended? You decide). This approach to spending and debt is immoral because it is a burden placed on the back of future generations. It is an intergenerational injustice, a crime committed by the living against the yet-to-be-born.

For the sake of our children and the sake of our country, we must begin to balance the checkbook. Our future their future depends on it.

Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.

William Wolfe served as a senior official in the Trump administration, both as a deputy assistant secretary of defense at the Pentagon and a director of legislative affairs at the State Department. Prior to his service in the administration, Wolfe worked for Heritage Action for America, and as a congressional staffer for three different members of Congress, including the former Rep. Dave Brat. He has a B.A. in history from Covenant College, and is finishing his Masters of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.Follow William on Twitter at @William_E_Wolfe

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More devolution of tax powers is a risk worth taking on all sides – – ifs.org.uk

Posted: at 1:27 am

The United Kingdom is not the fiscal monolith it once was. Until the devolution settlements of the New Labour era, tax and spending policy for all the constituent nations was set in Westminster. Today, the Northern Irish Assembly, the Welsh Senedd and the Scottish parliament have almost complete control over spending on public services. They can choose how to allocate their budgets between health, education, economic development and so on in ways that can, and increasingly do, differ from decisions made in Westminster and that affect only England.

However, the budgets they have to spend are largely set from Westminster. They are still based on the venerable Barnett formula, a supposedly temporary fix put in place in the dying days of the Callaghan government. It allocates funding to the other nations via a complex mechanism that broadly means the grants they receive from the Treasury change in proportion to changes in funding in England.

Even here, there has been some change. The Scottish and Welsh governments have some control over income tax, as well as over a handful of smaller taxes, and so have some ability to increase revenues or alter taxes to promote growth. After a long period of stasis, the Scots have made use of their powers over income tax, increasing the rates on higher earners and reducing them, slightly, on lower earners. The changes have been real and substantial, increasing revenues by about 4 per cent, or 500 million. Given that Scotlands population is less than one tenth that of the UK, thats equivalent to more than 5 billion in UK terms.

So good for them. Theyve used their powers to raise more money to spend on public services. Exactly the point of devolution. Except they havent ended up with any more money at all. That was the conclusion of a report by the Scottish Fiscal Commission published this month.

How can that be? Well, the devolution deal means that the amount of money the Scottish government receives depends on income tax revenues raised in Scotland. And because incomes have grown less quickly in Scotland than they have in the rest of the UK, revenues have grown less quickly. This is not a Laffer curve effect. Revenues didnt fall because taxes were raised. Its just that the Scots have been unlucky. Incomes north of the border have grown less quickly than elsewhere.

But thats devolution for you. It brings responsibilities, accountability, potential reward and risks. In this case, the risks have crystallised. The Scots could have had the same amount of revenue with lower tax rates if devolution had not happened. On the other hand, if their economy had grown faster, then devolution would have provided a fiscal dividend.

Another commission issued its interim report last week the Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland, which I was asked to chair by Conor Murphy, the finance minister. We were given the task of looking at options for devolving taxes to Northern Ireland. At present, like Wales and Scotland, the Northern Ireland Assembly controls most public spending. Unlike the other two parliaments, and setting aside business and domestic rates, it has no power over tax. Nine months of work on the commission has persuaded me that there is plenty of scope for devolving taxes. We know from the experience of Scotland and Wales that income tax can be at least partially devolved, as can stamp duty on property transactions. There is no reason in principle why a slew of other taxes shouldnt eventually be devolved to all three nations.

In the Northern Ireland context, there is a particular case for devolving corporation tax, given the much lower rate charged in the Republic and the urgent need to increase investment, and hence productivity and wages, in the low-wage, low-productivity Northern Irish economy. That will be possible only with co-operation and flexibility from the UK government. Any cut to match the Republics tax rate would significantly reduce Northern Ireland Executive revenues for at least a number of years. Previous negotiations over this have foundered partly on the issue of how to manage that revenue loss.

Excise duties on petrol, alcohol and tobacco might also be devolved. Given its land border with the Republic, optimal rates in Northern Ireland may well be different from those in the rest of the UK. Furthermore, the devolved governments have responsibility for public health but cannot alter duties on alcohol. Thats one reason Scotland was forced down the route of a minimum unit price for alcohol, increasing the profits of those selling alcohol rather than increasing tax revenues.

Of course there are challenges. Northern Ireland is small. Its population is almost precisely that of Kent and only a third that of Scotland. Its very size means that economic growth and tax revenues could be volatile. The administrative costs of devolving some taxes could also be high relative to revenues. As the Scottish experience illustrates, devolution is a double-edged sword. With potential reward comes risk. And devolution can work only on the basis of a productive and trusting relationship between, in this case, Westminster and Stormont.

Yet for all devolved nations, the real prize for them and for Westminster is the possibility of a more mature relationship, with each other and their electorates. Without substantive tax-raising powers. they will remain supplicants, asking for handouts. Or, as we see so often from the Scottish government, blaming Westminster for all manner of ills. More devolution of tax powers may be the best way to put the relationships on a more adult footing. Like a parent cutting the apron strings, the UK government perhaps should be willing to allow the devolved nations more freedom to make their own decisions. And their own mistakes.

This article was first published inThe Times and is reproduced here with kind permission.

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Japan to keep strict border controls for the time being: PM Kishida – The Mainichi – The Mainichi

Posted: at 1:27 am

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Mainichi)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will extend the current strict border control measures "for the time being" past early January as the nation remains vigilant amid uncertainty over the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.

Even with the number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases staying at low levels and a community spread of Omicron not unfolding, Kishida said Japan needs to strengthen its preparedness by accelerating booster shot rollouts and promoting orally administered COVID-19 drugs.

The government launched the current border control measures in late November for about a month, barring new entries by foreigners from abroad and requiring returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents to quarantine in government-designated facilities. Kishida said recently that the measures would be extended until early January.

As part of ramped-up anti-virus steps, all people found to be infected with COVID-19 will be tested for Omicron in Japan. Those who have had close contact with people infected with the new variant will be asked to stay at designated facilities for two weeks, rather than at home.

"Scientific evaluations have yet to be established regarding how transmissible Omicron is and how serious (the disease caused by it) will get," Kishida told a press conference held after a 16-day extraordinary Diet session ended on the day.

"We have decided to extend the current border control measures for the time being," Kishida said.

Following the lifting of a protracted COVID-19 state of emergency in October, Japan has not seen a surge in coronavirus cases and over 77 percent of the population has been vaccinated twice against the novel coronavirus.

The government is now seeking to accelerate the rollout of third shots of COVID-19 vaccines, with health care workers and senior citizens receiving priority. U.S. vaccine suppliers Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. have said third shots will boost antibodies and offer protection against Omicron. The health minister approved the two companies' vaccines to be used for a booster shot.

In the meantime, the government aims to make U.S. pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co.'s orally administered COVID-19 treatment drug available in Japan before the year-end and its competitor Pfizer's in early 2022.

Kishida, who became prime minister in October, has focused on antivirus measures after his predecessor Yoshihide Suga saw public support dwindle over his government's response to the pandemic.

During the extraordinary Diet session, parliament passed a record 36.0 trillion yen ($316 billion) supplementary budget for fiscal 2021 to support the pandemic-hit economy. The prime minister faced criticism for his flip-flop over a cash handout program as the government decided to allow 100,000 yen to be distributed entirely in cash to child-rearing households, rather than its earlier plan for half of the amount in vouchers.

"I accept various criticisms that our change to the original policy has caused confusion," the premier said.

On wage growth, a requisite for his push for wealth redistribution, Kishida said "all possible tools" should be used to realize pay hikes, adding that he will make sure small and midsize companies can raise wages.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has made in-person meetings with global leaders difficult, Kishida told the press conference he wants to step up diplomacy next year.

"I'd like to hold talks with U.S. President (Joe) Biden at an early date," he said, adding that arrangements are still being made for him to visit the United States.

"Meeting him in person and sharing views on common challenges and building a personal relationship of trust is extremely important," the premier added.

Asked about the diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Kishida said he needs more time to weigh various factors before making a decision based on national interests.

The United States, Japan's closest ally, has already announced plans not to send its officials to the games, followed by nations such as Australia and Britain.

At home, Kishida has faced calls within some conservative lawmakers from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to join the diplomatic boycott.

China is a major trading partner for Japan but its assertive moves in the East China Sea where the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands are located, has raised alarms.

"We need to say what should be said to China based on the universal values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights," Kishida said, adding that no summit talks have been planned with President Xi Jinping.

As a Japanese leader who was elected from Hiroshima, which experienced a U.S. atomic bombing in 1945, Kishida is vocal about the realization of a nuclear-free world.

Japan will do its utmost for the success of a U.N. review conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in January, he said, after the previous meeting in 2015 failed to produce a final document due to disagreements.

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Travis Scott Appears to Confirm New Album Utopia Is Still Coming After Astroworld Tragedy – XXLMAG.COM

Posted: at 1:26 am

It looks as if Travis Scottcould be moving forward with the rollout for his upcoming album, Utopia.

Over the weekend, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the Houston rhymer changed his Instagram account bio with the word UTOPIA in all caps. Previously, Travis quietly removed the word from his bio following the deadly events at the 2021 Astroworld Festival at NRG Park in Houston on Nov. 5.

Whether this is an announcement that Travis is resuming his rollout for the project is unclear.

XXL has reached out to Travis Scotts reps for confirmation.

Before the Astroworld calamity, Travis had been teasing fans about his Utopia project since the beginning of this year.

In the Spring 2021 issue of i-D magazine, Travis revealed small tidbits of what to expect on the album.

"I never tell people this, and Im probably going to keep it a secret still, but Im working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound, he told the publication. Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really. Thats been one of the most fun things about working on this album. Im evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range."

Fast forward to November, just a day before his headlining set at Astroworld, La Flame released two singles, Escape Plan and Mafia, which the latter song features an uncredited cameo from J. Cole.

However, a dark cloud still looms over Trav in the wake of the Astroworld fatalities. According to a medical examiner's report that XXL obtained last Thursday (Dec. 16), the official cause of death for the 10 victims was listed as "compression asphyxia." The report further explained that the crowd surge at the festival caused the victims' lungs to be crushed, ultimately resulting in suffocation.

Only one of the victims had an additional cause of death, which is described as a combination of cocaine, methamphetamine and ethanol. All 10 of the manner of deaths are labeled as accidental, with the victims' ages ranging from nine to 27 years old.

A criminal investigation into the mass casualty event is still ongoing.

On top of that, Travis faces billions of dollars in lawsuits filed against him and other parties for their alleged gross negligence, which Trav has recently filed documents to have them thrown out.

In an interview with television and radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, a remorseful Travis said that he wishes he could heal all those who were impacted by the tragedy.

"Fans come to the show and have a good experience. And I have a responsibility to figure out what happened here," he stated. "I have a responsibility to figure out a solution and hopefully this takes a first step into us as artists having that insight of what's going on. And the professionals to kind of surround and figure out more intelwhether it's tech, whether it's more of a response, whatever the problem is, to figure out that. [And] in the future, move forward in concert safety and make sure it never happens again."

Check out Travis Scotts updated IG bio below.

La Flame's fan base is ready to rage at a moment's notice.

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Your NYC to do list for dining and more, when the time is right – The Providence Journal

Posted: at 1:26 am

Before omicron arrived to ruin the holidays, I had a short but lovely visit to New York City. I planned to write about my suggestions for dining and entertainment for those who might be making a holiday visit. Pre-pandemic, Rhode Islanders oftentook that convenient Amtrak train to go see a show and have a special dinner around Christmas and New Year's.

While it seems foolhardy to share this story now, I will. There are two reasons: hope for better days, and my bad memory.So cut and save if a trip to the city is in your future.

I took the fast Acela train and everyone stayed masked up. It was my first time seeing the newMoynihan Train Hall, an expansion of Pennsylvania Station, in the former main post office building. It opened this year and it's sparkling new. That is one very,welcomeupgrade.

I had a lunch I will not soon forget at a new restaurant that was not far from Rockefeller Center, where I wanted to see the tree.

Casa Limone just opened this summer, occupying two stories at 20 East 49th St.

It is the first restaurant fromMichelin-starred Italian chef Antonio Salvatore.It's inspired by the Amalfi Coast in design and menu. There are flower-strewn pergolas hanging over second floor tables and the staircase. There are also bright, refreshingdrinks(made with Prosecco and limoncello) and classic Italian cocktails. Welcome plates with olives, focaccia and mortadella are served.

The aroma from wood-fired oven wafts in the air.

Casa Limone is one of those places that transports you while you dine. It's not hard to believe you are in Southern Italy, at least for a few hours. Some of the tables are inlaid with Italian ceramic tiles, which are also used for some of the dishware. It adds to the cheerful setting.

From burrata appetizers to desserts including delicate doughnut holes served with ice cream and chocolate, everything is beautifully plated and delicious. There's plenty of creativity on the menu, such as Provolone Podolico,a baked provolone dish served with vegetables. It's plated by the server for a bit of a show.

While I went for lunch, the all-day menu includes pastas, seafood and meat.Pizza, too, from that wood-fired oven,is on the menu and includesthe Tartufata with black truffles and ricotta.

The lunch carried us right into the evening, when we headed to the St. James Theatre to see "David Byrne'sAmerican Utopia"on Broadway.

You mayrecall that Byrneand his friends from theRhode Island School of Design founded Talking Heads back in 1977 in New York City, so what could be more appropriate to see?.

Itis a totally entertaining show and I left the theater with a smile on my face.

Many, though not all, of the songs came off Byrne's "American Utopia" album. There are also some Talking Heads songs;"Burning Down the House" isa crowd-pleaser.

It's not like your usual Broadway show, nor is it any kind of rock opera. It's a performance play. The band is more like a marching band, wearing their instruments so they can dance at the same time. The stage is stark and all the performers are in gray suits and barefoot. Watching them play and move is nothing short of mesmerizing.

I always liked Talking Heads and Byrne but I'm no super fan, nor do I love going to concerts. This was entertainment, pure and simple.

Byrne doessome narration to tie the songs to a theme of resilience. I found that tedious and just wanted more music and the celebrationof the dance.

My idea to eat after the show at Junior's was not a good one. Or maybe it was a very good idea, because every theater-goer was trying to get in.

But walking from the theater, we heard some piano music that called to us. It was coming from a restaurant that was down a stoop on West 49th St.

Turns out, Da Marino is open until midnight. After we showed the manager our vaccination cards and IDs, we were seated at a table in this grotto-like restaurant. The walls here are brick, adding to the grotto feel. They have celebrity photos on the walls and artificial garlic hanging. The bathroom feels like a shrine in the old country.

It's all wonderful.

We hadn't intended to have another Italian meal this visit but we enjoyed polenta, ravioli andPenne alla Vodka. This is a red-sauce restaurant, but they do it all well.

We also enjoyed the festive holiday cocktailsand fresh bread and oil.

But mostly we loved hearing the piano player singChristmas songs, Billy Joel tunes and a Hanukkah song. It was a loud, festive, fun place which is just the energy we wanted after our return to Broadway.

On the way out, we met the owner, Craig Perri, who wanted to talk about the Patriots. He said he played football at the U.S.Naval Academy under Bill Bellichick's father, Stephen Belichick.

The manager wanted to talk baseball. But he was a Mets fan, so the answer was no.

Before leaving for home, I had to get real New York bagels. I foundEss-A-Bagel, which is known for huge, airybagels, a wide varietyofcream cheese and sandwiches made with bagels. They are kosher-certified and not made with eggs or dairy. They started the business in 1976.

The line at the shop at831 3rd Ave, between 50 and 51st streets, was out the door, and isn't that always a good sign. A woman I can only assume was the bubbe of the family was manning the phone. She was also telling the newly arrived crowd how things worked.

"If you ordered hot bagels and cream cheese, go to the back corner. If you only want hot bagels and cream cheese, go to the guys at the back counter. If you want a sandwich or anything else from the deli counter, stay in the line."

She didn't say to order iced coffee at the deli. You could order hot coffee at the register but not iced. That's important for us New England folks.

I would absolutely go there again. The bagels were still great two days later and so big you could share one between two people.

Finally, I learned one huge lesson about getting around the city. I embrace ride-sharing services when I visitmy kids in San Francisco. Uber and Lyft are not the preferred transportation here. Even though the holiday crowds were as minimal as I've ever seen, there was traffic, horrid traffic.

If you have to get anywhere, you need the aggressive moves of a taxi driver. I'm only sorry I didn't record myride back to Penn Station to post in this story. It was one for the ages.

Casa Limone is located at 20 East 49th St,(646) 370-6282,casalimonerestaurant.com. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Da Marino, 220 West 49th St.,(212) 541-6601, damarino.com. Open seven days for lunch and dinner and late dinner and drinks.

Ess-a-Bagel, 831 3rd Ave,(212) 980-1010, ess-a-bagel.com, open seven days a week. There are other locations as well.

"David Byrne'sAmerican Utopia,"St. James Theatre, 244 West 44th St., americanutopiabroadway.com

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SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring ‘FILMECHANISM’, Plus the Latest New Releases and Sales TouchArcade – Touch Arcade

Posted: at 1:26 am

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for December 21st, 2021. Another quiet day today, but we do have a couple of new releases to look at. Ive also put together a review for the rather lovely puzzle game FILMECHANISM. Aside from that, we have a whole bunch of new sales for you to consider. Yes, there are more of them. I dont know where theyre coming from either. Well, lets get to it!

Ah, puzzle games. So simple, but so complex. At least, the best ones are. Give the player a mechanic that is easy enough to understand, then throw a series of challenges at them, escalating ever so gently yet steadily until theyre pulling off absurd things they never could have dreamed of at the start. If this is done well, its almost invisible to the player. But there are a lot of ways things can go wrong. A cool core mechanic helps. But its the level designs where things come together or fall apart. Too slow of a ramp-up and the players will get bored. Too fast and they may well get stuck.

FILMECHANISM gets it right. Your character is a sort of camera-creature named Rec. You can move about and jump, like any average platforming protagonist. But Rec has an extra talent: provided youve picked up film, you can snap an image of the screens current layout. Then, whenever you need to, you can restore the image that film took. Rec will stay put, but any other things youve moved or messed with will go back to wherever they were when you took the snapshot. At first, youll only be dealing with one snapshot at a time. Sure, you have to decide when to take it, but there are really only so many options.

As things start to heat up, youll get more film. Great power, great responsibility. As each shot can be taken and restored individually, you will find yourself with more and more possibilities for solutions. Theres no punishment for failing, save for having to restart the stage. Each world also offers you three routes to the next one, with varying levels of difficulty. Naturally, youll eventually want to clear them all. There are more than 200 of them, which will keep you busy for quite some time. If you do get stuck, you can unlock a series of hints using the coins you earn from beating each stage. The coins are plentiful enough and the puzzle designs ramp up fairly enough that you should be able to get hints whenever you need them.

If you enjoy puzzle platformers, youll have a great time with FILMECHANISM. Theres no grand story here, and its aesthetic is cute but not exactly stunning. But the gameplay is excellent, with a strong core mechanic to build puzzles around and level designs that fully deliver on that promise. It nails its difficulty curve perfectly, making it well-suited to newcomers to the genre and veterans alike. Its just that simple.

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

This feels a lot like a template flip, but I cant be sure. Anyway, its a handheld-only puzzle game that basically rips off Tsum Tsums gameplay and dresses it up in a vaguely Halloween-ish theme. You get 60 levels to play. I would suggest downloading Disney Tsum Tsum on your mobile device of choice instead and keeping your seven bucks for delicious Snickers bars or what-have-you.

You can probably figure most of this out from the title, but whatever. Shaun needs to fill out the article a bit. Its a match-3 puzzle game with a pirate theme! There are a bit over one hundred levels to clear, and youll use the coins you get from clearing stages to buy pieces to customize your pirate theme park. Pirates love making pirate theme parks, you see. Not much separating this from free-to-play stuff on mobile other than it having less content and less polish. Also, you have to pay ten bucks for it instead of nothing.

(North American eShop, US Prices)

There are a bunch of Capcom games on sale, but nothing we dont see every so often anyway. Never a bad time to stock up, of course. The discounts from Marvelous/XSEED are rarer, and there are some great games in that bunch. Yes, this is where I tell you to buy Sakuna: Of Rice & Ruin again. Do it. No More Heroes is also really good. Other points of interest include sales on Thalamus games like Bezier: Second Edition, Thomas K Young games like Dadish, and more. Give a good look through the list, as there are plenty of good titles in todays batch. Oh, and check the outbox too. Bandai Namco games get discounted often enough that you probably dont need to get on them right now, but you may want to think about picking some of them up to help you pass your holidays anyway.

Select New Games on Sale

S.N.I.P.E.R. Hunter Scope ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/27)WarriOrb ($2.59 from $12.99 until 12/27)Dune Sea ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/30)Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S ($11.20 from $14.00 until 1/3)Alpaca Ball: Allstars ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/3)What The Dub?! ($5.99 from $7.99 until 1/3)Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)Capcom Beat Em Up Bundle ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Shinsekai Into the Depths ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Phoenix Wright: AA Trilogy ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection ($44.99 from $59.99 until 1/4)Onimusha: Warlords ($7.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Monster Hunter Generations Ult. ($15.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Okami HD ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Mega Man Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $14.99 until 1/4)

Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection ($19.79 from $29.99 until 1/4)Mega Man 11 ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)Street Fighter Anniversary Collection ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil 0 ($12.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil 4 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil 5 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil 6 ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil Revelations ($7.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Resident Evil Revelations 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)No More Heroes ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)No More Heroes 2: DS ($14.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)

Sakuna: Of Rice & Ruin ($23.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Can Androids Pray:Blue ($2.79 from $6.99 until 1/4)Heroland ($8.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)Senran Kagura Reflexions ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)Senran Kagura Peach Ball ($14.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)Fate/EXTELLA The Umbral Star ($19.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Fate/EXTELLA Link ($24.99 from $29.99 until 1/4)Story of Seasons: FoMT ($27.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Story of Seasons: PoOT ($29.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Cloudbase Prime ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)Shadowverse: Champions Battle ($29.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Knockout Home Fitness ($29.99 from $39.99 until 1/4)Henchman Story ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/4)Gal Metal ($7.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Akibas Trip: H&D ($19.49 from $29.99 until 1/4)

Freedom Finger ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/4)BurgerTime Party! ($9.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Freedom Planet ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/4)Corpse Party ($17.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Corpse Party: Blood Drive ($11.99 from $19.99 until 1/4)Forest Guardian ($3.49 from $10.99 until 1/4)#DRIVE ($6.49 from $12.99 until 1/4)GUNKID 99 ($2.99 from $6.99 until 1/4)Sheepo ($4.99 from $10.99 until 1/4)Potion Party ($4.99 from $9.99 until 1/4)Merrily Perilly ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/4)Double Pug Switch ($2.19 from $5.49 until 1/4)Into A Dream ($4.99 from $13.99 until 1/4)Aperion Cyberstorm ($4.39 from $10.99 until 1/4)Big Dipper ($2.49 from $4.99 until 1/4)Lynn, The Girl Drawn on Puzzles ($7.19 from $7.99 until 1/6)The Legend of Tianding ($15.99 from $19.99 until 1/6)

Unavowed ($10.49 from $14.99 until 1/6)Beast Breaker ($7.50 from $15.00 until 1/7)Keep Talking & No One Explodes ($7.49 from $14.99 until 1/7)Dadish ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/9)Dadish 2 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/9)Super Fowlst ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/9)Super Fowlst 2 ($2.00 from $10.00 until 1/9)Apparition ($2.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)Street Basketball ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/10)Moorhuhn Remake ($5.59 from $6.99 until 1/10)Moorhuhn Kart 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)Death Ray Manta SE ($2.00 from $10.00 until 1/10)Bezier: Second Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)Lumo ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)Cecconoid ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)

10 Second Ninja X ($1.99 from $11.99 until 1/10)Destructivator SE ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)LOVE: A Puzzle Box ($1.99 from $19.99 until 1/10)Guns of Mercy: Rangers Edition ($2.69 from $8.99 until 1/10)Finding Teddy 2: DE ($2.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)Food Truck Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)Pancake Bar Tycoon ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)Frontier Quest ($9.59 from $11.99 until 1/10)Cooking Tycoons 3 in 1 ($1.99 from $12.99 until 1/10)Elemental Knights R ($2.00 from $8.64 until 1/10)Bring Them Home ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/10)Classic Games Collection Vol 1 ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)2048 Battles ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/10)Fatum Betula ($2.99 from $5.49 until 1/10)Freecell Solitaire Deluxe ($1.99 from $8.99 until 1/10)

Must Dash Amigos ($1.99 from $6.99 until 1/10)Super Trench Attack ($2.40 from $8.00 until 1/10)Match Three Pirates II ($7.49 from $9.99 until 1/10)Shmup Collection ($4.49 from $14.99 until 1/10)Gigantic Army ($2.69 from $8.99 until 1/10)Wolflame ($2.09 from $6.99 until 1/10)Satazius Next ($2.09 from $6.99 until 1/10)Armed 7 DX ($2.09 from $6.99 until 1/10)Rogue Aces ($1.99 from $12.99 until 1/10)Finn & the Ancient Mystery ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)Elli ($1.99 from $7.99 until 1/10)The Lost Light of Sisu ($1.99 from $9.99 until 1/10)UNI ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)Summer in Mara ($9.99 from $24.99 until 1/10)Zombies Cool ($1.99 from $3.99 until 1/10)

Ellipsis ($1.99 from $4.99 until 1/10)Uncharted Tides: Port Royal ($2.09 from $14.99 until 1/10)Persian Nights 2: TMV ($2.09 from $14.99 until 1/10)Paratopic ($1.99 from $5.49 until 1/10)Zombie Scrapper ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/10)Spellkeeper ($1.99 from $5.99 until 1/10)Creepy Balls ($3.99 from $6.99 until 1/10)Abyss ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/10)99Seconds ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/10)99Moves ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/10)Darts Up ($1.99 from $2.99 until 1/10)Hocus 2 ($3.74 from $4.99 until 1/13)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 22nd

#RaceDieRun ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Active Life Outdoor Challenge ($29.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)Adverse ($2.03 from $5.99 until 12/22)Akuto: Showdown ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Arcane Arts Academy ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Badland: GotY Edition ($2.99 from $5.99 until 12/22)Barbarous: Tavern of Emyr ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Beautiful Desolation ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)BIT.TRIP Series, Assorted ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/22)BRAWL ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Captain Tsubasa: RoNC ($19.79 from $59.99 until 12/22)CHOP ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Coffee Crisis ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Deadlings ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/22)Deaths Hangover ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/22)

Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Dex ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth CE ($14.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)Disney Tsum Tsum Festival ($19.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)Door Kickers ($3.99 from $11.99 until 12/22)Doraemon Story of Seasons ($12.49 from $49.99 until 12/22)Dragon Ball FighterZ ($9.59 from $59.99 until 12/22)Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 ($7.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot ($35.99 from $59.99 until 12/22)DungeonTop ($3.99 from $13.99 until 12/22)Epistory: Typing Chronicles ($5.99 from $14.99 until 12/22)EQQO ($1.99 from $5.99 until 12/22)Escape Doodland ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Fort Triumph ($11.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Geki Yaba Runner AE ($1.99 from $2.99 until 12/22)

God Eater 3 ($9.59 from $59.99 until 12/22)Golf Club Wasteland ($7.49 from $9.99 until 12/22)Good Night, Knight ($4.79 from $11.99 until 12/22)Gravity Rider Zero ($1.99 from $6.99 until 12/22)HyperParasite ($1.99 from $17.99 until 12/22)It Came From Space & Ate Brains ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/22)Journey of the Broken Circle ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Jump Force: DE ($12.49 from $49.99 until 12/22)Katamari Damacy Reroll ($7.49 from $29.99 until 12/22)Koloro ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Little Mouses Encyclopedia ($4.99 from $12.99 until 12/22)Little Nightmares CE ($7.49 from $29.99 until 12/22)Little Nightmares II ($20.09 from $29.99 until 12/22)Little Racer ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Love Colors ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/22)

Lydia ($1.99 from $3.99 until 12/22)Metamorphosis ($7.49 from $24.99 until 12/22)Mini Trains ($1.99 from $5.99 until 12/22)Mr Driller DrillLand ($7.49 from $29.99 until 12/22)My Hero Ones Justice ($9.59 from $59.99 until 12/22)My Hero Ones Justice 2 ($20.99 from $59.99 until 12/22)Mythic Ocean ($8.99 from $14.99 until 12/22)Namco Museum ($7.49 from $29.99 until 12/22)Namco Museum Archives Vol 1 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Namco Museum Archives Vol 2 ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 ($24.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy ($15.99 from $39.99 until 12/22)Ni no Kuni II: RK PE ($41.99 from $59.99 until 12/22)Ni no Kuni: WotWW ($9.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 DE ($6.39 from $39.99 until 12/22)

One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 ($17.99 from $59.99 until 12/22)One Piece: Unlimited World Red DE ($6.39 from $39.99 until 12/22)One Strike ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/22)Pac-Man CE 2 Plus ($5.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)RAD ($4.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Red Wings: Aces of the Sky ($1.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Rimelands: Hammer of Thor ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Rune Factory 4 Special ($23.99 from $29.99 until 12/22)Space Cows ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Super Dragon Ball Heroes WM ($8.99 from $59.99 until 12/22)Super Hero Fight Club: Reloaded ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Sword Art Online FB Complete ($9.59 from $59.99 until 12/22)Sword Art Online HR Deluxe ($7.49 from $49.99 until 12/22)Taiko no Tatsujin Drum n Fun ($9.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythmic Adv. ($24.99 from $49.99 until 12/22)

Tales of Vesperia DE ($12.49 from $49.99 until 12/22)Tharsis ($2.99 from $11.99 until 12/22)The Hong Kong Massacre ($9.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)The Red Lantern ($19.99 from $24.99 until 12/22)Timothy & the Mysterious Forest ($3.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Tiny Lands ($2.99 from $5.99 until 12/22)Tools Up! ($2.99 from $19.99 until 12/22)Unit 4 ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/22)Urban Trial Playground ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/22)Urban Trial Tricky ($1.99 from $14.99 until 12/22)Utopia 9: A Volatile Vacation ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Welcome to Primrose Lake ($1.99 from $7.99 until 12/22)Wind Peaks ($7.49 from $14.99 until 12/22)Wondershot ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)Wreckin Ball Adventure ($1.99 from $4.99 until 12/22)Zombie Blast Crew ($1.99 from $9.99 until 12/22)

Thats all for today, friends. Well be back tomorrow with a few new releases to look at, and they appear to be a little better than todays. Not fabulously better, but were four days from Christmas. No one is going to be bringing the heat this week. Im sure well somehow have more sales to check out, and if there is any interesting news Ill have that too. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!

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SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'FILMECHANISM', Plus the Latest New Releases and Sales TouchArcade - Touch Arcade

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Stars align to give playwright an opportunity to bring ‘hope and healing’ to new Cygnet Theatre commission – The San Diego Union-Tribune

Posted: at 1:26 am

During the pandemic, playwright Ray Yamanouchi found himself captivated by Carole & Tuesday, a sci-fi anime about two girls trying to make it in the music business. He began to think about how he could challenge himself to create something similar, something rooted in the kind of optimistic expectation that this show made him feel. Around the same time, Cygnet Theatre was looking for an artist to support in the creation of a play that would offer hopefulness to this current period of radical change.

Yamanouchi became the first recipient of the inaugural Dee Silver M.D. Commission, with an award of $10,000 and an unrestricted time limit. The commission includes three development sessions: a weeklong retreat with The New Harmony Project in Indiana, writing with a team and group of playwrights; a weeklong workshop with the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis to dig deeper into the play; and a final workshop with Cygnet for a reading in front of an audience with a full cast, director, and dramaturg (with the final goal of producing Yamanouchis play as a premiere at Cygnet in an upcoming season).

Yamanouchi is based in Astoria, Queens, in New York City, earned a bachelors degree in film and theater at Hunter College-City University of New York. His plays include The American Tradition and Impact; hes developed work with Leviathan Lab, WT Theatre, Rising Circle Theater Collective, among others; and is a commissioned playwright with Ars Nova and the co-creator of RE: (Regarding), a theater talk show in New York City. He took some time to talk about the Cygnet commission, his approach toward this new challenge, and hope as survival. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Q: How did you get started writing plays?

A: (My work) focuses on race in America and all of its intersections, and initially, I wanted to pursue filmmaking. Akira Kurosawa, great Japanese filmmaker (Seven Samurai, Yojimbo), was my idol growing up as a kid. My dad was a huge fan of his films, so I watched his films growing up as a child. Hes a very influential filmmaker and I just idolized the man. When I decided to go into filmmaking, I read so many books on this guy and I read his autobiography, and in the very end of it he has notes for young filmmakers. One of them was to learn every part of filmmaking, including how to write scripts. To be a good scriptwriter, he said that you should read all these different kinds of plays, whether you like them or not. It was just necessary to know why they were important. So, I started reading plays and taking classes in theater, getting involved in productions. Then, I was like, Oh, I think I like this better. Theater was much more democratic. Theres a much more democratic creative energy, and the sense of community was much stronger, especially where I went to college. When I started really getting into theater later, I just thought that I needed to go back to my roots, to writing plays, writing, writing, writing. Then, in 2015, I decided that I wanted to see if I could make this a profession.

Q: What led you to shift your focus more on playwriting in 2015?

A: It was sort of how I got into film as a kid I was just so excited about it. It was that moment in theater where I realized this is something that I identify with and its the most expressive I can be, so I wanted to make this my lifes work. I feel like the only way to do that is if I make it my profession, a part of my identity.

Its very difficult to be a playwright full-time. You either need to be in an educational institution or write for TV, which is playwriting adjacent. For me, I still work in the box office at an off-Broadway theater, and I have other forms of income to supplement that.

Q: Congratulations on receiving Cygnet Theatres first Dee Silver M.D. Commission award. What was your initial reaction to the premise of the project?

A: The fact that it has to be hopeful? It actually worked out really well because, with the pandemic and everything going on, I was watching this anime called Carole & Tuesday. Its a very feel-good, family-friendly anime and I was just so drawn to it because it made me feel really good and hopeful. It was so different from the things Im usually interested in, which is grieving or things that tackle big subjects. I was thinking, Man, I want to do something like this. Then, coincidentally, this commission came my way and the stars aligned, and now I get to do something that takes a different direction than what I usually go for. I always like to challenge myself in those ways. I still want to explore the big themes that Im usually drawn to, but Im going to try and explore in a way thats different. Im going to try to use the energy of Carole & Tuesday. I cant say for sure because were still so early in this process, so I dont know where its going to go, but Im hoping that Im going to be able to find something there.

Q: In the announcement about you receiving this award, it says you approach difficult subject matter with a tilt towards the mystic and develops characters with gentleness. Was this always an approach you took toward your playwriting? Where did this focus in your work come from?

A: Gentleness is an interesting word. I definitely approach every single character with empathy, no matter how much I disagree with them or find them despicable because you need to make them human. I like to see my characters as products of their environments, so in that sense, I always approach them with empathy. The mystic is a little different. I was talking about the idea I had for the commission, and I was thinking of a sci-fi setting with these, potentially, supernatural elements. Typically, I dont really go for that sort of thing, but Im challenging myself so Im approaching this material a little differently.

Q: Where did the focus on approaching your characters with empathy, come from?

A: Its based on my upbringing. I grew up in Long Island, New York, in the early 2000s when I was a teenager, and it was very White. I was one of the few Asian people, people of color, in the entire community, so I endured a lot of racism. At the time, I didnt really know it was racism; I just thought it was teenagers being as. In my public school, the way that we learned about racism was through the Holocaust, and segregation, but it wasnt really about these microaggressions that we know now. You dont even really learn about Asian American history unless its about the Japanese internment camps during World War II, or that Chinese immigrants built the (transcontinental railroad) across America.

I didnt really think about it until I left and went to college. Becoming older, doing my own research, talking to different people helped me realize that that was the real world, especially learning about housing segregation and school segregation in Long Island. I realized that the environment Id grown up in was so dictated by government policy and systemic issues and history. The only reason that people think the way that they do is because of the big, systemic, historic things that they dont really think about, but it has shaped who they are, shaped their communities, shaped their families. Learning that really felt like a violation. It felt like history, and the government, have altered these peoples personalities. In a weird way, its not their fault. These people have just been living in this false, artificial community thats been manmade to keep certain people out of very White communities. Knowing that made me feel like were all products of our environments, and the only way I could really make character-driven plays while tackling these big subjects, was by approaching every character with seeing how they are psychologically and personally influenced by their families, their environments. I cant do that if Im going to immediately start painting people as good or bad, evil or racist; thats reductive. Its not that simple. Thats why I feel like I always have to think about the history of where they came from, and thats why I try and approach a lot of my work with research and history, and to see how that trickles down to regular people.

Q: The point of the commission is to provide funding and an unrestricted time limit to the creation of a play that responds to our present times with hope and healing. Whats been coming to mind for you in thinking about the meaning of our present times?

A: After the summer of 2020, there were a lot of institutions trying to respond to the moment. You had a lot of companies saying, Black Lives Matter and were gonna diversify, yadda, yadda, yadda. Now, a lot of that seems to be pushed under the rug. I was so hopeful at the beginning. I guess, naively so. It almost feels like were now retracting to a business-as-usual type of thinking and its very frustrating. I dont know how thats going to affect my work, but perhaps I can sort of see what kind of thing I want.

Ive been really obsessed with this idea of a utopia. What does that word mean? The commission sent me to The New Harmony Project, and they do this thing that emphasizes the idea of that utopia and hopefulness for the work. Ive also been interested in the ideas of this Dutch historian, Rutger Bregman, who talks about envisioning the utopia and working backward in order to make progress. You cant just make these incremental changes that are just Band-Aids, without having an idea of what you want your future to look like. Its better to know what the future looks like and then take the necessary, concrete steps to get there. Ive been thinking about that more and more, nowadays, especially with this commission. What is this utopia that I want and what are these things that I could explore in a play?

Q: I understand that youve completed the first of three development sessions, in partnership with The New Harmony Project with a weeklong retreat in community with more than 200 other writers and artists. What was that process like for you and how did it help inform your work in this commission?

A: When I went in there, I had zero idea of what I wanted to do. By the time the week was over, I wanted more time there because I felt like I finally had a play idea. I went from nothing to Oh, I have three or four pages by the end of the week. That may not seem like a lot, but to go from literally nothing and having no idea what I wanted to do, to having some sort of trajectory for where I think I want the play to go, was pretty big for me. The reason I was able to do that was because the artists they had there were really incredible, intelligent people who had diverse backgrounds. Not just in ethnicity and gender, but also in ideas. Everyone was aesthetically different, and it was just interesting to hear everyones takes on certain things. The things that helped a lot were the post-workshop time of hanging out and having drinks, letting ideas flow. The next morning, Id wake up and be like, Oh yeah, what that person said. Then, wed have these dramaturgy meetings to work through your play with a dramaturg and basically just brainstorm. It was like playwriting therapy. It was really wild; Ive never done that in my life. It was so cool.

Q: Why was this commission something you wanted to participate in?

A: I think its because I wanted that and I feel like, if this commission didnt come my way, I cant say I would have put my brain in that space. I think about these things and think, Oh, I kind of want to do this. I also think about writing TV scripts, like every playwright does, and that maybe I should write a pilot and that feels something thematically close to Carole & Tuesday. To do a play in such a way, I truly didnt really think about it until this commission came my way, and then I was like, Well, of course. Why didnt I? because thats sort of what I want to do anyway. Id just been thinking in TV terms and not play terms. So, I was ecstatic. And, again, Im repeating myself, but its different and I like to challenge myself in those ways. I think its perfect for what I need and what I want.

Q: Why does creating a story that responds to these tumultuous times with hope and healing, matter?

A: I think hope is survival, ultimately. Sometimes, with my plays, my generous interpretation of them is to think of them as hopeful because I write them with the idea that if we investigate these big things, well find ways to solve them. Someone who may just be engaging with it without that context, might feel some despair and that these problems can be so big. If I can have an objective like hope and healing, perhaps I can make that sharper. I think, especially for these times when everything hurts everything hurts maybe this is the type of play I need to be writing anyway.

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Stars align to give playwright an opportunity to bring 'hope and healing' to new Cygnet Theatre commission - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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After 12 years of city council service, Orem’s hometown boy moving on – Daily Herald

Posted: at 1:26 am

Courtesy Orem City

If Orem needed another mascot, then outgoing Councilman Brent Sumner should be on the short list of choices.

Sumner, 73, has been an Orem boy from his earliest baby days and grew up learning about Orem through his father, Harold Jack Sumner, who owned the Orem-Geneva Times newspaper.

Sumner attended Hillcrest Elementary School, Lincoln Junior High and graduated from Orem High, where he played football, in 1967.

While Sumner was busy with all of his senior year activities, there was a young lady in her sophomore year he would meet later. Her name was Becky and Brent thought the last name Sumner would go well with it.

Before the wedding bells, Sumner went into the Army at the height of the Vietnam War. He finished up basic training and then went to Snow College for a year. He transferred to Brigham Young University and studied in communications with an emphasis in advertising. He graduated in 1976 and went to work for his dad at the paper.

In 1970, he was just out of basic training for the National Guard and his father invited him to come to a meeting with a Mr. Woodbury and DeLynn Heaps.

They were talking about a grandiose mall, Sumner said. In 1972, the mall opened. It was amazing Orem could have a shopping center like this.

Working at the newspaper I was involved with promotions and activities at the mall, he added. On the council, I approved the expansion of the mall. My finger has been in it since its conception.

Sumner believes the mall is a bright spot in the community and approved the tax breaks because they were based on performance.

By the early 1980s, Sumner has taken over the paper and in 2000 sold it to the Daily Herald. After that, he went to Utah Valley University and served as newspaper adviser for 11 years.

It was former Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn and former Gov. Gary Herbert, Sumners next door neighbor, who encouraged him to run for a council seat.

I thought maybe I could do some good, Sumner said of running for office. And according to most who are asked about Sumner, he has done just that.

Council Member Sumner was a thoughtful representative of the people. He carefully reviewed and considered city issues from all perspectives and voted to always do what he thought best for the community, said Jamie Davidson, city manager. His 12 years of service on the city council will also be remembered for his advocacy of small, local businesses and for his efforts to improve recreational offerings in the community, including the Orem Family Fitness Center.

Brent has been a steady and reasonable voice on the council for a long time. I have relied on him for a lot of institutional knowledge about Orem, said Tom Macdonald, a fellow council member. His experience as a long-time newspaper man and a lifelong Orem resident has been such an asset to all of us. I have the highest regard for him and Becky and the service they have both rendered to all of us. I will miss Brents humor, wisdom and steady approach to difficult situations. I am honored to call him my friend.

Sumner has served 12 years on the city council and opted not to run for reelection this year. During that time, he has seen a great change in the city.

I loved serving on the Orem City Council with Brent. I valued his history with Orem, his preparedness, his journalism experience and pleasant demeanor, said former Councilwoman Karen McCandless. We didnt always agree on issues, but I felt listened to and that he thoughtfully considered my position.

When I was dealing with my husbands sudden illness and subsequent death, Brent and his wife, Becky, were some of the first to offer comfort and support. I will never forget that, McCandless added.

There were many items over the years that Sumner tackled with associates like McCandless, not only University Place, but also UTOPIA fiber network, the new library hall and the new family fitness center. Its a real jewel in the city, Sumner said of the center.

Sumner said the past two years have been a strange time with COVID-19, but he and the council got business done. However, with the remote streaming of council meetings, he said he missed the personal connection with residents.

One of his more melancholy moments on the council was the death of former City Manager Jim Reams in September 2010.

Mayor Washburn interviewed every department head to see who could take over (Reams job) temporarily, Sumner said. Bruce Chestnut stood out and served for one year until Jamie Davidson was hired.

One year later, after fighting with cancer, Washburn died while serving as mayor.

It was a shock to the city, Sumner said. We had to select a new mayor and that is when we appointed Jim Evans for Washburns last two years.

There have been many ups and downs for Sumner while he has been on the council, he said, none more so than the current concern over the State Street Master Plan.

Everybody had good intentions on that, but there are a few things we need to tweak on that, Sumner said. I dont think well blow up the whole master plan. We need some housing on State Street.

Sumner said he isnt happy with the legislative overreach that is happening with housing and noted that if the city doesnt provide more housing in Orem, the Legislature will mandate it, and that could mean expansion anywhere including in family neighborhoods.

After so many years of dealing with city issues, talking with residents, answering emails and watching Orem grow into the 21st century, leaving the council will be a big change, Sumner said. But he is also sure that he will always be paying it forward and helping Orem fulfill its potential as a center of activity in Utah County.

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The Best Broadway Shows Of 2021 – HuffPost

Posted: at 1:26 am

At a time when a new coronavirus variant threatens to undo any modicum of progress that New York City made during the pandemic, it seems almost preposterous that live theater ever even happened this year. But it was not only restored; it was exuberant.

Following necessary and long-overdue action to further diversify the Broadway stage, Black playwrights wrote every new play on the so-called Great White Way, The Grio reported in July.

With that came a plethora of rich, deeply human stories about Black and other people of color, illuminating a variety of lives that defy all moral, sexual or gender binaries.

From two Black men contemplating their lives at a crossroads to six disregarded Tudor-period women taking center stage, to Broadway confronting its own demons in a more than 60-year-old play, these productions show more than whats possible. They show whats actually already here if we only choose to look.

Along with those are the outside-of-the-box plays and musicals, including one helmed by a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and another that challenges the very limits of what a single talent can personify in one story. In spite of everything, it was an overflow of genius.

Merry Wives

OK, this one wasnt exactly on Broadway, but Merry Wives helped welcome the return of live theater farther uptown last summer at Shakespeare in the Park after it went dark throughout the harrowing first leg of the pandemic. Awkwardly described as a Shakespearan Real Housewives, Merry Wives is more about two idle ladies of the house (the hilarious Pascale Armand and Susan Kelechi Watson) who decide to band together and give swindler Falstaff (Jacob Ming-Trent) a taste of his own medicine.

Ghanaian American playwright Jocelyn Bioh remarkably adapted Merry Wives from Shakespeares 1602 comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. Bioh seamlessly thrusts an already timeless tale into present-day South Harlem where West African immigrants uproariously play the game of love often set to an electrifying drum beat. It is pure bliss.

Six

Who knew that the stories of the ill-fated wives of Henry VIII could look as cool as a female sextet donning kinked-up versions of their medieval wardrobes while belting out irreverent songs about how they were done wrong? Divorced! Beheaded! Died! Divorced! Beheaded! Survived!

Yes, not one but two of his former spouses were decapitated, so obviously, they have some residual feelings about that as they join the other women in a musical battle for the audiences sympathy.

The multicultural cast featuring Adrianna Hicks, Andrea Macasaet, Abby Mueller, Brittney Mack, Courtney Mack and Anna Uzele is such a riot to watch as they bring to life writers-directors Lucy Moss and Toby Marlows thrilling and poignant retelling of the ultimate jilted brides. Yes, there are themes of despair and heartbreak, but Six is most profoundly about reclaiming their narratives, together.

American Utopia

David Byrnes American Utopia is a bit hard to describe. Its title suggests that it is an attempt by a white guy albeit the illustrious lead singer of The Talking Heads to paint a broad image of what American paradise could look like. But its not that at all.

Using the rock bands poignant tunes, including Burning Down the House and Once in a Lifetime, Byrne grapples with the idea of hope and promise of revival in the midst of turmoil. Collaborating with musicians from around the globe who often serve as parallel characters onstage with him the whole time, Byrne creates a singular theatrical experience that could only come from one of the most visionary minds.

Pass Over

In short, playwright Antoinette Nwandus Pass Over is one of the most fascinating plays to hit Broadway this year. Thats because it dares to reach far beyond what you might look for in a play that deals with faith and hopelessness in equal measure through lengthy riffs between two Black friends (the incredible Jon Michael Hill and Namir Smallwood) sitting on a corner waiting forsomething.

The mystery surrounding whats next is met with bleak impossibility as the two men ponder their mortality and what is real. It seems like they will never leave this literal and metaphorical corner until another presence enters their realm and disrupts their daydream. Questions about this person (Gabriel Ebert) and the Promised Land he represents linger with you long after youve seen the play. But one thing is clear: Pass Over is a gem.

Photo by Joan Marcus, 2021

Trouble in Mind

It only takes Broadway legend LaChanzes name on a Playbill for audiences to come out in droves to watch her perform. Add Alice Childress who was known for four decades as the only Black woman to have written, produced and published plays to the list of credits and you have a bonafide hit without knowing anything else about it.

Still, Trouble in Mind, which was supposed to debut on Broadway in 1955 but was canceled when Childress refused to tone down its messaging, is so riveting that you forget that youre actually watching a performance. Thats because it dares to confront the real-life racism in the theater world through the eyes of Black artists, most deeply felt with Willetta Mayers (LaChanze) story as a Black female thespian who must rely on playing one stereotype after the next to survive.

Despite its heaviness at times, Childress play within a play is infused with humor and sarcasm, as well as beautifully paced dialogue that shows the dexterity of a Black female voice that is as resonant as ever.

Nollywood Dreams

Biohs Nollywood Dreams was such a delight. The play, which premiered off-Broadway in November after being delayed by the pandemic, is laugh-out-loud funny as it explores the Nollywood film industry in the 90s. Centered on Ayamma (Sandra Okuboyejo), a young woman who works at a travel agency with her sister Dede (Nana Mensah) but lands an audition with an up-and-coming Nigerian director as he gets ready to shoot his new film.

The production takes a fun look at the early days of what is now a booming film industry in Lagos, Nigeria, and is full of fun, vibrant costumes that take you straight to the 90s. And best of all, in the final moments of the play, we get a look at the wacky final production of the film at the center of the story. A fun time, indeed.

Lackawanna Blues

If youve only watched the 2005 HBO film of the same name, it might take you a second to realize that the exceptional playwright Ruben Santiago-Hudson is playing all 20-plus characters in Lackawanna Blues.

That includes Miss Rachel, or Nanny, as she is affectionately called, a character inspired by the real-life woman who raised Santiago-Hudson in a 1950s boarding house in Buffalo, New York. Marvelously unburdened by the many different souls he embodies throughout the play, sometimes even picking up a harmonica and joining onstage guitarist Junior Mack in song, the Tony Award winner totally vanishes on stage as the audience is immersed in the story. A truly uncanny feat.

Thoughts of a Colored Man

You dont really know what to expect at the start of playwright Keenan Scott IIs Broadway debut, even though it is exactly what the title suggests and yet so much more. Seven Black men (portrayed by a cast that includes Luke James, Tristan Mack Wilds, and Dylln Burnside) shoot the breeze about life, love, sexuality and the struggle everywhere from the barbershop to waiting in line for the newest sneakers on the market.

Everything about Scotts play, under the direction of Steve H. Broadnax III, feels so lived-in as the audience eavesdrops on the means uninhibited conversations with each other as well as their most personal conflicts and musings. The two storytellers give these men permission to be uncertain, powerful, funny, and even embrace failure. As an audience member, all you ever want to see is a reflection of the human experience, and Thoughts of a Colored Man is exactly that.

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UCL becomes first university to formally cut ties with Stonewall – The Guardian

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University College London has become the first university to formally cut ties to the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, saying its membership of Stonewalls programmes could inhibit academic freedom and discussion around sex and gender.

UCL announced that it would end its involvement with Stonewalls workplace equality index, which rates employers on their policies, and its diversity schemes, following a recommendation from the universitys most senior academics.

Following a period of debate within our community and careful consideration of the issues, UCL has now taken the decision that we will not re-join Stonewalls diversity champions programme or make a submission to the workplace equality index, UCL said in a statement.

The university said its discussions had been informed by thoughtful and respectful debates at its equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) committee and its academic board, with the EDI committee voting to retain involvement with Stonewall.

But UCLs management instead sided with the academic board, which voted against retaining links after an anonymous ballot.

In weighing up all opinions in this debate, UCLs senior leadership team has accepted the academic boards advice about the fundamental need to uphold academic freedom and freedom of speech in an academic context, recognising that a formal institutional commitment to Stonewall may have the effect of inhibiting academic work and discussion within UCL about sex and gender identity, the university said.

A spokesperson for UCL said the university had an unwavering commitment to upholding the rights of LGBTQ+ staff and students. UCLs senior management plans to establish an LGBTQ+ equality group to tackle all forms of inequality, marginalisation, and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ colleagues and students and develop an action plan.

A Stonewall spokesperson said: UCL decided not to renew their membership to the diversity champions programme almost two years ago in February 2020. Our work with organisations in no way impacts their ability to uphold free speech, it simply creates welcoming working environments for LGBTQ+ people which in 2021, should not be a controversial act.

UCL the largest campus university in the UK was ranked 98th out of the more than 400 employers who submitted entries to Stonewalls workplace equality index in 2018. In 2014 it had been the first university to join Stonewalls global diversity champions programme.

But it emerged earlier this year that UCL had withdrawn from the diversity champions programme in 2020, which it said it was a temporary decision taken as a result of a cost-cutting review during the Covid pandemic. Under the scheme, members paid fees for Stonewall to assess and advise on their internal equality policies.

UCLs move comes as Stonewall has seen several high-profile organisations, including the BBC and Ofcom, withdraw from its diversity champions programme in recent months. The University of Winchester has also previously withdrawn.

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