Elon Musk showcased a video of a Tesla robot folding a shirt just a few short months after both the menial task and robot technology was revealed.The robots‚ called "Tesla Optimus‚" are described as "general purpose‚ bi-pedal‚" and "humanoid" robots that are capable of performing tasks that are "unsafe‚ repetitive or boring."The bots made their first big reveal in May 2023 and were shown walking around and "learning about the real world."At the same time‚ a group of scientists and robotics engineers developed a robot that can learn an individual's cleaning habits and techniques to properly organize their living space and throw out waste.The "Tidybot" included input from Princeton‚ Stanford‚ and Columbia University engineers‚ along with help from Google and the Nueva School. One of the engineers posted about the technology as early as May 2023 as well.While it is unclear whether either technology derived from the other‚ it was only two months later that the Tesla Optimus revealed it was capable of sorting objects on its own."Optimus can now sort objects autonomously‚" the company wrote on X. "Its neural network is trained fully end-to-end: video in‚ controls out." Optimus can now sort objects autonomously \xf0\x9f\xa4\x96 \n\nIts neural network is trained fully end-to-end: video in‚ controls out.\n\nCome join to help develop Optimus (&; improve its yoga routine \xf0\x9f\xa7\x98) \n\n\xe2\x86\x92 https://t.co/dBhQqg1qya — (@) By the second week of 2024‚ Musk unveiled a video of the same robot carefully removing a T-shirt from a laundry basket before gently folding it on a table."Optimus folds a shirt‚" Musk wrote. The robot is seen carefully arranging the shirt on the table before starting its task while almost seeming to possess too much strength for the intricate feat. — (@) When the Tidybot was released‚ engineers revealed how their robot was able to properly organize household items.The robot worked by having users input (in text) a small number of sample preferences that instructed the robot as to where items should be placed. For example‚ "yellow shirts go in the drawer‚ dark purple shirts go in the closet‚" the product's abstract described.This allowed the robot to summarize "large language models" and generalize information to apply to other items it may come across. Therefore‚ it could generally summarize that "light-colored clothes go in the drawer and dark-colored clothes go in the closet."The robot could identify objects and receptacles through a database of images it had‚ meaning it recognized what a shirt or a recycling bin looked like. "The robot will then carry out the cleanup task by repeatedly picking up objects‚ identifying them‚ and moving them to their target receptacles‚" the document stated.The engineering team said that their approach achieved a 91.2% accuracy rating on unseen objects in their scenarios. In real-world applications‚ the robot reportedly correctly put away 85% of objects. When organizing a home‚ everyone has unique preferences for where things go. How can household robots learn your preferences from just a few examples?\n\nIntroducing \xf0\x9d\x97\xa7\xf0\x9d\x97\xb6\xf0\x9d\x97\xb1\xf0\x9d\x98\x86\xf0\x9d\x97\x95\xf0\x9d\x97\xbc\xf0\x9d\x98\x81: Personalized Robot Assistance with Large Language Models\n\nProject page: https://t.co/LbVGq01QMT — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An elderly woman is dead‚ and at least 17 people‚ including several school children‚ are wounded after a pair of Palestinian terrorists went on a rampage Monday in central Israel. Two Palestinians illegally in Ra'anana‚ an Israeli city north of Tel Aviv‚ launched the attack around 1:30 p.m. just as schools were letting out. The terrorists violently hijacked three vehicles over the course of their rampage‚ in one instance slicing up a female driver. With the stolen vehicles‚ the Palestinians launched multiple attacks across Ra'anana‚ running over several children and killing 79-year-old Edna Bluestein‚ reported the Jerusalem Post. A witness told Haaretz that she saw "someone stab people near the mall. [The attacker] stole a car and ran over other people." "Another person was with me‚ noticed the situation and shouted 'an attack‚ an attack'. After that‚ I saw the terrorist. I saw him stabbing a man around 60 years old. The man fell and the terrorist ran away‚" said witness Eden Alfi. After repeatedly swapping hijacked vehicles‚ Mahmoud Zidat‚ 44‚ and Ahmed Zidat‚ 24‚ of Bani Na'im ultimately crashed and were arrested by police. Mahmoud Zidat reportedly worked illegally at a car wash in the city and has been living in Ra'anana with Ahmed‚ his cousin. Following the terrorists' capture‚ Israeli police indicated central district police officers were sweeping "the attack scenes and its surroundings to ensure no further threats." Central District Police Chief Avi Biton said‚ "This was a very grave terror attack‚" reported the Daily Mail. "They went out together and in parallel‚ to two different locations‚ took two cars and launched a series of rammings‚" added Biton. One of the attackers allegedly told the Shin Bet that "when the war in Gaza started‚" they "decided to carry out an attack and become martyrs... Initially‚ we intended to stab Jews‚ but then we decided to run over as many Jews as possible‚" reported the Times of Israel. The Magen David Adom emergency services initially indicated that two males‚ ages 34 and 16‚ were in "serious condition with head and limb injuries"; another eight victims were in moderate condition; and three were in mild condition. However‚ Haaretz later revealed that three individuals‚ including a 16-year-old boy‚ were in serious condition and that 14 victims‚ including six children‚ were left in light to moderate condition. The victims were taken to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba‚ the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva‚ and the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv. Fourteen of the victims remained hospitalized as of Monday evening. The Post reported that Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Hamas called the terror attacks "a natural response to the massacres of the Nazi occupation and its continued aggression against our Palestinian people." The terror group also implored "revolutionary youth throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem" to "escalate the struggle and revolution" until Palestine is established where Israel once stood. Footage taken by a passerby shows one of the badly damaged vehicles‚ ostensibly used by the terrorists‚ on the sidewalk near a motionless body. — (@) U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew said in a statement‚ "I condemn the brutal terrorist attacks today in Ra'anana that led to at least one dead and scores wounded‚ including children. I offer my deepest condolences to the family mourning the loss of their loved one and wishing a quick recovery to those wounded." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President Joe Biden's campaign is boasting about its latest fundraising haul‚ but inflation put a damper on the significance of its total.The campaign said on Monday that it raised $97 million in the fourth quarter of 2023‚ ending the year with a whopping $117 million cash on hand. The latter figure‚ according to the campaign‚ is "the highest total amassed by any Democratic candidate in history at this point in the cycle."Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said:This historic haul — proudly powered by strong and growing grassroots enthusiasm — sends a clear message: The Team Biden-Harris coalition knows the stakes of this election and is ready to win this November.Biden campaign finance chairman Rufus Gifford‚ moreover‚ claimed the Biden campaign had accomplished a feat that not even Barack Obama's successful campaigns could manage."I remember when [Obama campaign manager Jim Messina] told me to shoot for $100 million in Q4 of 2011‚" Gifford said on social media. "Even the much-praised Obama fundraising machine couldn’t get even close and we scratched and clawed our way to $68 million as I was refreshing our totals on New Year’s Eve." — (@) But is that true? Could the Obama campaign not "even get close" to these numbers the Biden campaign hauled in?Considering that inflation has plagued the economy‚ decreased the spending power of the dollar‚ and subsequently hurt Biden's re-election chances‚ inflation also put a damper on Gifford's gloating.When inflation is calculated‚ the Obama campaign's $68 million is equivalent to $92.4 million today — much closer than Gifford would have you believe. The Obama campaign also ended 2011 with $81.77 million in cash on hand‚ which today is the equivalent of $111.1 million. Thus Biden's fourth-quarter fundraising‚ while impressive‚ is not exactly the Earth-shattering haul the campaign claims.Meanwhile‚ the Biden campaign said that 97% of all donations came from people donating less than $200‚ a figure which would typically be a good proxy for grassroots support. Polls‚ however‚ continue to show that it may mean nothing as Trump has led Biden since last fall. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A good church serves as a sanctuary for repentance and a source of courage to defy an unrighteous world.That’s how I imagined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his generation used the so-called black church. Or did they?Today‚ as we celebrate the life and legacy of MLK‚ I’m unsure how the civil rights movement genuinely used the church. You judge a tree by its fruit. Today‚ the black church is far more obedient to political doctrine than scriptural doctrine and far more interested in political defiance than spiritual repentance. King was born in Atlanta‚ Georgia‚ on January 15‚ 1929. From 1960 until his assassination in 1968‚ King co-pastored alongside his father at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. His tree is rooted in Atlanta. The fruit in Atlanta is bad. The Big Peach is known as the “black gay Mecca” and the southern headquarters for gangsta rap music. Atlanta’s black churches operate as platforms to push the Democratic Party’s agenda‚ including abortion rights‚ the LGBTQ movement‚ and the destruction of the patriarchy. So it was no surprise on Sunday that embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sought refuge inside Big Bethel AME Church. Her political opponents have accused her of hiring her supposed lover‚ Nathan Wade‚ to prosecute former President Donald Trump for alleged election interference. Loving Obama and hating Trump are the inspirations at the root of the new doctrine guiding the black church. Wade is married. Willis’ office has authorized $654‚000 in payments to Wade. Willis’ critics claim Wade has used the money to finance lavish vacations for himself and Willis. Rather than repent‚ Willis stood at Big Bethel’s pulpit and defiantly blasted her critics as racist. “First thing they say‚ ‘Oh‚ she’s gonna play the race card now.’ But no‚ God‚ isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one?” Willis said. “Isn’t it them playing the race card when they constantly think I need someone from some other jurisdiction in some other state to tell me how to do a job I’ve been doing almost 30 years?”When Willis says they’re only questioning “one” of her hires‚ she’s leaving out John Floyd and Anna Green Cross‚ two white lawyers Willis retained to work on the Trump prosecution. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Floyd has been paid $73‚000 and Cross $43‚000. A reminder: Georgia taxpayers have paid Willis’ alleged lover $654‚000. Willis wasn’t done. She wrapped up her 35-minute sermon this way:We are at a time in history when you can no longer sit back and just let other folks do. You cannot expect black women to be perfect and save the world. The Lord is completing us. We are not perfect. We need your prayers. We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace. With that kind of support‚ we will move mountains and do Jesus’ will‚ stumbling all the way. So this flawed‚ hard-headed‚ imperfect child has a message for each of you today. Please find a way to do your extraordinary‚ God-given assignment and make this community and the world better for all of His people.The congregation at Big Bethel applauded throughout Willis’ stump speech. This woman has been sleeping and vacationing with a married man‚ funneling him taxpayer money in an effort to “save the world.” This is disgraceful. She didn’t come to church to repent. She came to church to justify her sin. Her explanation is that she is sinning in pursuit of righteousness. Her hatred of Trump sanctifies her sin.For the last 16 years‚ the black church has argued two things: 1) Love of Barack Obama justifies sin‚ so feel good about supporting same-sex marriage‚ the LGBTQ movement‚ and abortion. 2) Hatred of Trump justifies sin‚ so ignore the unethical behavior of his opponents‚ the insanity of rampant illegal immigration‚ historic inflation‚ the emasculation of men‚ and rising lawlessness.Fani Willis‚ Michelle Obama‚ Stacey Abrams‚ Kamala Harris‚ Kentanji Brown Jackson‚ Joy Reid‚ Karine Jean-Pierre‚ Don Lemon‚ and the rest of the black matriarchy are going to save the world.Black Girl Magic! Haven’t you been watching the string of movies and television shows featuring the black woman savior trope? “The Woman King‚” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‚” “Hidden Figures.” The black matriarchy is the new religion of black Christianity. Loving Obama and hating Trump are the inspirations at the root of the new doctrine guiding the black church. This is the fruit of Martin Luther King Jr. I don’t enjoy saying that. I grew up seeing King as a hero. He still is in some respects. But I can’t ignore the fruit. It’s fruity. It is sexually immoral‚ ruled by racial idolatry‚ and committed to a brand of politics disconnected from scripture. I have mixed emotions about MLK Day.

Happy New Year. Have you resolved to remove your kids from the public school system yet? In "Get Out Now: Why You Should Pull Your Child from Public School Before It’s Too Late" (2019‚ Regnery Press)‚ Mary Rice Hasson and Theresa Farnan sounded a wake-up call to parents with children in public schools: “The truth is that nearly everything in America’s public schools — the culture‚ discipline‚ curriculum hiring practices‚ school policies‚ even the names of schools themselves — is determined by progressive ideologues‚ both inside and outside the school systems. … Public education has been incredibly successful in one area: churning out youthful progressives — growing numbers of men and women in the grips of existential confusion‚ perpetual victimhood‚ and political intolerance” (p. xii). Since their book’s publication‚ the situation has only become more tenuous‚ more ideologically insane‚ and more challenging for conservative — or even centrist — parents. There are some good arguments for staying in‚ but thousands have heeded Hasson’s advice in the meantime. Whether or not that’s a leap you want to take‚ understanding your options remains important. And if you do want to homeschool‚ below is a step-by-step guide to getting started. 1. Meet legal requirements Before getting into the question of how you’ll teach your kids‚ familiarize yourself with the more basic logistical problem of abiding by local laws. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association provides information on homeschooling laws in each state and offers legal support for homeschooling families. 2. Pick an educational approach Once you understand the legal landscape of your locale‚ it’s time to explore the best pedagogical style for your family‚ which can depend on various factors such as your educational philosophy‚ teaching style‚ and the specific needs of your family. Research different approaches to homeschooling. The most popular include Charlotte Mason‚ the eclectic approach‚ Waldorf‚ Montessori‚ classical‚ and unit studies. 3. Find your friends While determining which educational philosophy best fits your family’s needs‚ it’s important to talk to parents who are actually engaged in the non-abstract act of homeschooling in order to get an even clearer sense of what to expect and to tap into pre-existing homeschool networks. We weren’t meant to do it alone‚ and friends have a way of keeping one another accountable and inspired. 4. Choose curriculum It’s important to refrain from running out to buy a curriculum before you feel fully prepared. Take some time to marinate in the other steps before spending any money. All-in-one boxed sets seem promising‚ but they are expensive‚ and you may very well end up using only a part of them‚ or not at all. This is where friendly input will matter most. In that spirit‚ here are several homeschool curricula recommended to me by experienced mothers in my church community. They combine the teaching philosophies of classical education and Charlotte Mason‚ conformed to the Catholic tradition. These include Seton Home Study School‚ Mother of Divine Grace School‚ and Mater Amabilis. 5. Begin Ryan Topping writes for the Cardinal Newman Society‚ “Insofar as homeschooling habituates parents and siblings to make room for each other‚ they win opportunities to practice charity. By the subordination of their finances and their time and their sweat to the great project of educating their children‚ they are particularly suited to the building up of Catholic culture in our time through embracing new life and nurturing the children that come to them.” The same is true for the more specific American culture that has been systematically undermined from the inside out‚ beginning in our public schools. The new frontier is our own front stoop; if only we practice the courage to begin!

Former President Donald Trump was just at the Fox News town hall‚ and he made some statements that are blatantly untrue‚ according to Pat Gray. Those statements all have to do with Ron DeSantis — he kept repeating lies like “the biggest fan of Dr. Fauci was Ron De-Sanctimonious.” And Pat‚ for one‚ is at his wits end. “You are the one who kept him‚ promoted him‚ left him in there‚ followed his advice for a year. You can’t be serious that you’re trying to pin Anthony Fauci on Ron DeSantis‚” Gray says. Because Trump listened to Anthony Fauci‚ he was essentially “the president of the United States for a year‚” Keith Malinak agrees. And they have the receipts to back it up. On January 3‚ 2021‚ Trump tweeted: “Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional‚ having done‚ they say‚ such an incredible job‚ yet he works for me and the Trump Administration‚ and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee‚ could this just be more Fake News?” While Gray admits that he “did appreciate his presidency in a big way‚” it doesn’t mean the former president’s record is perfect. “He’s trying desperately to make DeSantis the lockdown guy‚ and I’m sorry‚ that is just not reality. That was not reality then‚ and it’s not now‚” Gray adds. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A recent NBC News article outlines a potential strategy of limiting the military powers of Donald Trump if he were to get re-elected in 2024. Online commentators reacted harshly to the potential strategy. NBC News claimed that Trump is "sparking fears among those who understand the inner workings of the Pentagon that he would convert the nonpartisan U.S. military into the muscular arm of his political agenda as he makes comments about dictatorship and devalues the checks and balances that underpin the nation’s two-century-old democracy."The outlet theorized that if Trump is elected president in November‚ he could weaponize the military to intervene in elections or quash domestic protests. However‚ there is reportedly a syndicate that has a mission of limiting Trump's power if he becomes president. The mainstream media outlet alleged‚ "A circle of appointees independent of Trump’s political operation steered him away from ideas that would have pushed the limits of presidential power in his last term‚ according to books they’ve written and testimony given to Congress."The report alleged that this go-around‚ Trump would surround himself with "loyalists" who are in unwavering support of the former president. NBC News alleged‚ "Trump has raised fresh questions about his intentions if he regains power by putting forward a legal theory that a president would be free to do nearly anything with impunity — including assassinate political rivals — so long as Congress can’t muster the votes to impeach him and throw him out of office."The popular mainstream news outlet proclaimed‚ "Now‚ bracing for Trump’s potential return‚ a loose-knit network of public interest groups and lawmakers is quietly devising plans to try to foil any efforts to expand presidential power‚ which could include pressuring the military to cater to his political needs."The members of the alleged cabal said they are prepared to engage in a legal war by sending letters to Trump appointees‚ threatening them with consequences if they "undermine constitutional norms."“We’re already starting to put together a team to think through the most damaging types of things that he [Trump] might do so that we’re ready to bring lawsuits if we have to‚” said Mary McCord‚ executive director of the Institution for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law.The group plans to "create a coalition to challenge Trump from day one."The consortium includes the anti-authoritarian group Protect Democracy and Democracy Forward — a left-leaning organization that took the Trump administration to court over 100 times.“We are preparing for litigation and preparing to use every tool in the toolbox that our democracy provides to provide the American people an ability to fight back. We believe this is an existential moment for American democracy‚ and it’s incumbent on everybody to do their part‚" said Skye Perryman‚ president of Democracy Forward. The idea of attempting to take the military away from Trump was lampooned on the X social media platform. Columnist Tammy Bruce: "This is called a 'coup‚' and openly discussed by the very same people who lecture you that *Trump* is the danger to democracy. Every day they panic even more exposing themselves for what they are. And they wonder why the American people have had enough."Author Mike Benz: "Never forget this tweet for the rest of your life. This is an admitted plan‚ in advance‚ for the military to no longer observe the military chain of command. This is military-run government. This is a plan to end civilian-run government."Communications director Greg Price: "Openly admitting that they are planning a military coup if Americans re-elect Donald Trump. All to protect democracy of course."Commentator Sean Davis: "Whenever Democrats accuse Trump of doing something‚ it’s a guarantee that Democrats are planning to do that very thing against Trump. Which means Democrats are preparing to use the military to steal the 2024 election and prevent their opponents from lawfully taking power."Editor in chief of the Federalist Mollie Hemingway: "What beautifully soft framing for your article about how Democrats are plotting to have the military undermine the Constitution and civilian control."Scientist Robert W. Malone: "As deep state democrats strategize a military coup if Trump gets re-elected – NBC soft pedals the treason. Neurolinguistic programming at work."Author Lee Smith: "Regime action plan 2024: seems 'Caesar Trump' rhetoric is devised to legitimize military coup if elected."Writer Ian Miles Cheong: "The establishment will not allow Trump to become president‚ and even if he does somehow make it‚ they’ll get the military to overthrow him. They are saying the quiet part out loud."Cultural commentator James Lindsay: "The Iron Law of Woke Projection never misses."Anarchist Michael Malice: "It's not treason when the Good Guys do it."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Renegade filmmaking should have no political loyalty. Increasingly‚ as cinema succeeds in conservative spaces‚ visionaries are proving this to be true. A great example is Paul Roland‚ the director and lead actor of the award-winning “Exemplum‚” a psychopolitical drama about Father Colin Jacobi‚ a 33-year-old priest whose quest to become the Millennial Fulton Sheen leads him to unthinkable outcomes. Part technological thriller‚ part philosophical think piece‚ “Exemplum” reminds us that true cinema no longer belongs to Hollywood. Make sure to check out Vince Salerno’s review of the film for Align.I sat down with Roland late last month to discuss Steven Spielberg‚ putting art before politics‚ and only writing what you can shoot. Align: Let's start with the backstory. Paul Roland: I can go all the way back to when I got into filmmaking way back in high school‚ and I’ve just been pursuing it ever since. And then I had written seven screenplays prior to making this film. And anybody who knows Hollywood knows it is is a very difficult place to get a project off the ground‚ regardless of who you know or your talents or anything. So I knew when it came to this project‚ I knew I wanted to make something that I absolutely‚ without a doubt‚ would get made. So I said I was going to make a $9‚000-$10‚000 feature film. I had as my guiding light the wonderful independent directors of the 1990s‚ people like Christopher Nolan‚ Darren Aronofsky‚ Kevin Smith. In many ways‚ Spike Lee was a precursor to them in the 1980s with "She's Gotta Have It." So I always revered these men‚ and I figured‚ “Why am I not actually doing what they did?” So I raised the money for the film‚ and that was in March of 2020‚ just before the pandemic hit. Like literally‚ I raised the money like two weeks before the pandemic hit. And if the pandemic had hit earlier‚ there's no way I would have gotten money. So pandemic hits‚ I'm writing the script for like three months in the middle of this lockdown. I don't even know six months from now if I'm going to be able to shoot this thing. It's wild. And so I finished the script. Thank God. Align: When you found out your wife was pregnant‚ right? Roland: Yeah‚ yeah‚ we found out my wife's pregnant. So like‚ okay‚ now the pressure is really on. I’ve got to shoot this thing this year‚ no doubt about it. And then in July‚ an upstairs neighbor breaks a water main while he's renovating his unit. And it floods our bathroom‚ our kitchen. We have to move out of our condo for five months while it's getting repaired. So we're bouncing around Airbnbs. My wife's pregnant. I have equipment stored at my friend's place that I got to go to every Friday to pick it up. I had that small window of time and it was extraordinarily stressful. I don't know if I could ever do something like that again‚ but I got it done and I edited the film throughout 2021 after the birth of my daughter‚ basically got no sleep while working a full-time job and had a good run on the festival circuit‚ won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival secure distribution. Now it's out there. I think someone's worldview is always going to show up in [their work]. But so long as it's the art‚ it's the sharing of what's going on inside me‚ what's going on inside my soul and sharing it with the world is what's important‚ not the political message.Align: The thing that blows my mind is that you did it for under $10‚000. How did you pull that off? Roland: Well‚ with great difficulty‚ I mean‚ one thing's for sure is when you're doing a movie at this level‚ you have no artistic freedom. So I had to write the entire story around what I knew I could get for free or relatively cheap. There are whole story points in this film that are decided by how much‚ whether or not I'm gonna be able to shoot this thing — like‚ “Can I shoot that? No.” And I'm like‚ “I can't let my imagination go away. So I have to figure out another way I can shoot this scene.” That's practical. So the entire story is written around what I know we can get for free or relatively cheap. I had to limit the number of principal characters down to four. Beyond that‚ some of it just came down to a matter of luck. I mean‚ the pandemic actually did help me a little bit because I was able to get some wonderful locations for free or because they were closed down. I got to shoot at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Pasadena‚ which is a gorgeous historic church built in the late 1800s‚ and it was closed down‚ so they were like‚ “Yeah‚ you can shoot here‚ no problem‚ it's easy.” And then I was — just through elbow grease and just through innovation — just able to get what I needed. I would say throughout those seven weeks‚ it was a 24/7 grind thinking about how I'm gonna solve a problem. And when you see me on screen‚ literally 10 seconds before I yell “action‚” I'm thinking about “How am I gonna get tomorrow's set? How am I going to — what am I gonna feed people? How much money am I gonna have? How much‚ like‚ there's so much going on in my brain right before I even start acting in the film.” When Spielberg made “Duel‚” he often reflects upon the intensity of that shoot. That was one of his first films that got him noticed‚ and he's just like‚ “I couldn't make a movie like 'Duel' today. There's just no way. ... The level of passion and energy that was in me at the time that propelled me through that shoot just does not exist in me now.” He personally could not do it. I think I am at a point in life now — I'm 35 years old — there is no way I could do something like that again. It's just‚ it was so taxing on the soul‚ on the spirit‚ on the psyche‚ on the body‚ that there's only one of those things you can pull out of you. Align: There are rumors about how the set of “The Exorcist” was demon-haunted. It sounds like the opposite for you‚ like you were lavished with blessings. Roland: Yeah‚ that's true. I mean shoots can be like that. You just get lucky and you get the shot that you need or just things don't show up. That's the thing as a director‚ you gotta be ready for anything. You’ve got to be ready for blessings. You’ve got to be ready for disaster. And you cannot let either one dictate. You can't let the blessings make you think‚ “Well‚ this is going to be this way tomorrow.” And you can't let disaster derail you from getting your movie made. The conservative position on this is to create movies and create art that is universal‚ that reflects the deep values that we love and hold as Americans and as Westerners‚ and creating characters that reflect that‚ and finding artists who really care about doing that and putting politics secondary. Align: One of the things I really enjoyed the most was that there's a political element‚ but the politics are not left versus right. Rather‚ "Exemplum" is a human drama that could be called political. Roland: Yes‚ well‚ I am an artist first‚ and my Catholicism and my worldviews and my philosophies inform that. It doesn't matter what kind of movie I'm writing‚ it's always going to be in there. Even if there's no specific political [element]‚ I'm not getting you to vote a certain way‚ but it's just the morality‚ the story‚ and what you know‚ what it's about‚ it's always going to be in there. I just wrote a film that I'm working on now. It's very heavily inspired by John Hughes‚ and even if you look at John Hughes — he was kind of a closeted conservative at the time. He had Ben Stein in his films‚ and Ben Stein has talked about it a lot‚ and people were like‚ “Well‚ I wonder what was the political underlying of this‚” and it was during the Reagan era‚ and a lot of Hughes films were about how suburbia is a real place. It's not this trap‚ it's not this horrible place‚ you know‚ where people‚ like their souls go to die. It's a place where people have interesting thoughts and people are real and people have real problems‚ and it's a place where you can find joy and peace. So I think someone's worldview is always going to show up in [their work]. But so long as it's the art‚ it's the sharing of what's going on inside me‚ what's going on inside my soul and sharing it with the world is what's important‚ not the political message. Align: It has happened to Hollywood that a lot of times movies won't even make sense because they're so concerned with the political messaging. Roland: Yeah‚ and you know‚ it's a real tragedy. I mean‚ Hollywood‚ we've always known‚ has been left-leaning‚ but at least craft came first. A good number of our beloved films have been created [by] people who are of left-wing bent‚ but the craft came first. And so that's why they're reaching for universal truths. And that's why all of us can read them and watch them. I mean‚ I would say 90% of them are conservative just because of the fact that it's about craft and it's about morals that we care about. But I would say in the last two decades — it started under Bush and really accelerated under Obama. Now it's out of control‚ where the political impetus took place over craft. It's not working out for them. Nobody likes the movies. The right needs to not take it the other way and be like‚ "Well‚ we're gonna create political movies from the right perspective." No‚ the conservative position on this is to create movies and create art that is universal‚ that reflects the deep values that we love and hold as Americans and as Westerners‚ and creating characters that reflect that‚ and finding artists who really care about doing that and putting politics secondary. I say that once you make your art political‚ it's the death of your art. Align: Did you write a lot of drafts? How did the process flow? Roland: It flowed very well. I don't like to write lots of drafts of the script‚ mainly because I think when you write a script‚ you want to be 10 feet away from your target‚ you don't want to be 100 feet away. Align: What would you do differently? Roland: Well‚ I mean‚ my next project is certainly going to have a bigger budget than this‚ which is good. And it's going to have a bigger crew than this. One of the biggest‚ I would say‚ not so much regrets‚ because there's not really much I could do about it‚ but I genuinely wish I had a little bit more time before each shoot to survey and plan some shots. Align: What’s next? Roland: I'm working on a whole new project right now. A script is written‚ building a pitch deck for it‚ gonna be taking it out to investors very soon. I'm gonna keep the project under wraps‚ but I'll just say that it's something you don't expect. You're gonna be 100% surprised that this is my next project.

Baldur's Gate 3 is the gift that keeps on giving. Larian Studios' multi-award-winning RPG is back with yet another update‚ and this time the latest hotfix brings some important changes for those who love keeping Gale around and those suffering from buggy combat in-game. If you've accidentally lost Gale due to his own impatience rather than your selfish behavior‚ this patch should prevent everyone's favorite goddess-adoring wizard from jumping ship too soon. Continue reading Baldur’s Gate 3 update makes Gale more understanding MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds‚ BG3 mods‚ Baldur's Gate 3 classes

Ubisoft is changing the way its subscription service works‚ rebranding its plans to make room for the new Ubisoft Plus Premium and Ubisoft Plus Classics. While many of the previously available games will still be ready to play following these changes‚ PC players will have more options than ever before with Ubisoft's improved offers. If you want access to highly rated games like Far Cry 6 or Rainbow Six Siege‚ you won't want to look past these plans. Continue reading You can now play Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Siege for free‚ kind of MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games‚ Best Rainbow Six Siege operators‚ Play Rainbow Six Siege