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Some forgotten European actresses from Ross Verlag and others
"Glamour is what I sell. It's my stock in trade."
Marlene Dietrich
The proliferation of cheap Ross Verlag photos won't last forever. Soon enough they will rise in value because these things do and even if they will never make you rich, you can pick up an actual Alex Binder or Emil Hoppé photo for next to nothing so you're doing better than the people prepared to pay thousands for them. The best thing about these photos is that they do their bit to keep alive the names of people who don't deserve to be forgotten. I hadn't heard of most of these actresses before I bought the cards but a bit of background research revealed stories sometimes bigger than the films they made.
Take Marcella Albani, who was a star in early Italian cinema, appearing in some 50 German, French and Czech films before retreating, rather than retiring, from acting to become a producer and novelist. Her last film was Der Kaiser von Kalifornien in 1936. It was a western in so far as it was set in the American west, about Johann Sutter, who discovered gold in California in 1848. Like a lot of films from the early sound era of 1930s it owed a lot to silent cinema, with minimal dialogue and melodramatic facial expressions but the opening scenes when Sutter leaves Switzerland and arrives in America are exceptional examples of early special effects and montage. By the time she died in 1959 aged 60 Albani could reflect on a successful career in several fields yet today it seems her name means nothing except to passionate devotees of silent film.
In the episode of the 2001 BBC documentary on the human face, Fame and Infamy, we met three men desperate for fame, and Mali Finn, a Hollywood casting agent. In assessing the three actors Finn couldn't care less about their CVs, making her assessments on such small details as the shape of the nose, the jawline and the distance between the eyes, all from the head shots they'd submitted. If there was a science to her work (she died in 2007) it was phrenology and if the three actors weren't so self-aggrandizing you could feel pity as their illusions about talent were shattered.
Playing the role of Finn, what could we say about Xenia Desni from this Alex Binder portrait? It goes without saying she is beautiful and glamorous but also she looks more childhood sweetheart than hard hearted vamp. During the 1920s Ukrainian born Desni appeared in a number of films that gave more licence to women than cinema would again for a few decades. Sappho for one, which wasn't about lesbianism but how a woman (Pola Negri) literally drove weak men insane with her beauty. This portrait is tame compared to some of the others Ross Verlag published of her.
The point here being to cast some light on long forgotten cinema stars it soon becomes obvious that 'forgotten' means there isn't a lot of information about them. A lot of the information on this post comes from another: european film star postcards, a comprehensive site that proudly reminds us "there is more than Hollywood". Swedish born Mona Mårtenson was a friend and fellow student of Greta Garbo's and they appeared in several films together including The Saga of Gosta Berling, about a priest falling for a married woman, a motif more popular than shocking in Scandinavian literature. Garbo left Sweden for Hollywood and Mårtenson stayed behind, leading some commentators to suggest she missed a boat. Did that bother her? Her career in Sweden didn't suffer as she continued acting into the 1940s. In 1949, just before her untimely death, she appeared in Pippi Longstocking, based on the hugely popular Swedish children's books.
Asta Neilsen is not forgotten. To be precise here, if her dozens of films including her version of Hamlet where she played the hapless prince aren't watched that much anymore, her erotically charged dance lasting all of a minute in the 1910 film Afgrunden has kept her memory alive. What is less remembered are her subsequent careers as a collage artist, art critic and author. When she was 86 she viewed a documentary on her life in pre-production and was so put out she took over the project and made it herself. Two years later she married for the third time (or fifth, but does it matter?). While not a great portrait of Nielsen, this photo does show her at work on one of her collages.
On October 1 1937 Renate Müller, Germany's most popular comiedienne, exited a third floor window in a Berlin hospital and was killed. Whether Germans believed it was suicide or murder depended on their politics though it's telling that immediately the news broke, Goebbels' ministry of propaganda issued press releases depicting her as a drug addict and mentally unstable sexual misfit. Taught acting by G W Pabst, whose Joyless Street starred Asta Nielsen and Greta Garbo, she had become as popular as Marlene Dietrich in 1920s Berlin. Her refusal to participate in several Nazi propaganda films and her rumoured affair with a Jewish man had her marked by the Gestapo but at the time of her death she had become so fed up with the situation in Germany that she had all but given up acting. Mostly she played in light musicals and comedies though she had the lead role in the original version of Victor and Victoria, playing a singer who helps out a female impersonator in a cabaret and is consequently mistaken for a man. It was the set up for a joke that Billy Wilder would take to Hollywood.
Ah, Berlin in the 1920s: leather, whips and gender ambiguity. Even if most of the documents show a world of stolid middle-class conservatism, these are the images that stick in our minds and here Eva Speyer plays the archetype, but who was she? The titles of some of her films – Die Morphenstin (Morphine Addict, 1920) Unter der Lanterne (Under the Lantern, 1928) Verirrte Jugend (Misled Youth 1929) lead you to think she specialized in the dark, socially concerned but highly melodramatic film of the New Objectivity movement. Speyer was a common Jewish name and she died in 1932 aged 49. Though it is tempting to draw a conclusion from those two pieces of information we can't be certain of anything since biographical information is thin on the ground.
We know something more about the circumstances of Ossi Oswalda's death in Prague in 1947 where, caught up in shattered post war economy and the Soviet takeover, she was reduced to living on the streets in dire poverty. Just twenty years earlier she had been one of the darlings of Weimar cinema; "Germany's Mary Pickford", we are told. Trained as a ballerina, she had been one of Ernst Lubitsch's favourite actors. At one point she was involved with Crown Prince Wilhelm, who turned out to be something of a political imbecile and the caricatures of the two of them in the press did nothing for her career.
It may not be fair to call Margarete Schön forgotten simply because I haven't heard of her. Of all the actors here she had the longest career, beginning in 1918 and lasting into the mid 50s but it appears that, outside Germany at least, she is best remembered as Kriemhold in Fritz Lang's 290 minute version of Die Nibelungen. Though her role as the scheming princess made her internationally famous, later she'd be typecast as the perfect, ever faithful and servile wife. Speaking of typecasting, as fashion went, fur lined leather was as German as a pork sausage with sauerkraut and you know at once where Ms Schön comes from.
Michael Curtiz directed Elvis's best film, King Creole, and Casablanca, so his work will be remembered for a while but back when he was Mihaly Kertesz his wife, Lucy Doraine, got all the attention. She was born Ilonka Perenyi in Budapest and began appearing in Kertesz' films soon after World War 1. In Vienna they made Sodom and Gomorrah, a tale of lust, greed and revenge taking place in biblical Syria and contemporary London, that involved sets as elaborate as those Griffith used for Intolerance. Appearing in her husband's films with film titles like The Scourge of God, Labyrinth of Horror and Good and Evil, in Austria and Germany Ms Doraine had a reputation as one of the most provocative and erotic actresses in Europe. Soon after making Sodom and Gomorrah the two divorced though they moved to Hollywood about the same time, where Kertesz prospered and Doraine went nowhere rapidly.
Back to Fame and Infamy and the three men anxiously pursuing fame know what they need; a break, and they believe they deserve it. Meanwhile, William Goldman, who has been around the scene a while longer than they have thinks it's all a matter of luck. "Almost every movie star that we could mention got famous because they had a good part in a hot movie that someone else turned down," he says. "And that insecurity goes with them forever." In the late 1920s and early 30s head shots were no big deal. A portrait by Binder or one of the other glamour studios mattered more and if Ross Verlag published it and it became one of their more sought after cards, well, you were in, even if the customers weren't too sure about your films. But what Goldman said was pertinent. Luck was a bigger player than talent. In the same episode he described how Chaplin came up with his idea for the tramp in a dressing room and was at a loss thereafter to explain why it resonated across the world. But desire has to mean something too, How is it that Thea Steinbrecher has all but vanished so that even information on her birth and death dates is difficult to find? Maybe she quickly tired of the idea of fame and gave it up for more balanced values. As Goldman hinted, fame is a kind of compensation for something more substantial but as elusive.


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May 17, Morrissey, Ellie Caulkins Opera House: Denver has been waiting for this one. The infamous former Smiths singer returns to Colorado after two years of cancellations.
June 6, Kendrick Lamar, Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre: Summer Jam always brings the state's biggest hip-hop bash, and this year the current king of the game, Kendrick Lamar, is headlining.
July 11-13, The Avett Brothers, Red Rocks: As has become tradition, the Avett Brothers return to the Rocks for three days of poetic folk-rock.
July 14, Mac DeMarco, Bluebird Theater: The up-and-coming slacker guitarist/songwriter puts on one of the most unpredictable live shows today.
D Aug. 6, Lady Gaga, Pepsi Center: She's the queen of weird, the queen of pop, and this Denver show could arguably be the biggest mainstream show of the summer.
Aug. 8-9, Pretty Lights, Red Rocks: Colorado's premiere electronic producer is teaming up with the most unlikely partner for this show: the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. This pairing is a must-see.
Aug. 15, Beck, Red Rocks: Beck fans have patiently waited for the singer-songwriter to return to Colorado. And he'll do so in grand style, playing Red Rocks, which he last headlined more than a decade ago.
Sept. 4, Arctic Monkeys, Red Rocks: Along with top spots at major U.S. festivals, Arctic Monkeys will headline Colorado's legendary amphitheater for the first time.
Sept. 6, St. Vincent, Denver Botanic Gardens: Part theater, part rock, part art installation, St. Vincent's live show is one of the most thoughtful this year. And in the beauty of the gardens, all the better.
Sept. 20, Elton John, Pepsi Center: He's one of the most successful recording artists in history, and he returns to Colorado for the third time in four years. Grab your sequinned glasses.
Matt Miller: 303-954-1785, firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text: This article examines the preliminary ruling given by the Court of Justice in the Djurgården-Lilla Värtan case. The case involves the Swedish implementation of the Aarhus Convention via an EU Directive, granting right to access to justice to environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Even though the Aarhus Convention and the Directive both state that the right to access to justice is granted only to NGOs "meeting any requirements under national law", the Court of Justice found that Swedish requirements were too restrictive. The question arises whether there is still room for the Member States to choose other enforcement models rather than judicial control when monitoring the implementation of EU law. If not, how does this affect the constitutional systems of the Member States as a whole? More precisely, what about the national parliaments?


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Against Aggregation: The Anti-Criticism of Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
//Philip Conklin
The concept of review aggregation — the process whereby vast numbers of reviews are collected, collated, and averaged, producing a rating for each product intended to give an idea of its quality — is pervasive to the point that it seems natural. Review aggregators are everywhere you look on the Internet; there's Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Epinions, Goodreads, Tripadvisor, AllMusic, GameRankings, and on and on. While these sites may allow us to easily compare many different products, why do we feel so comfortable in using them to judge the value of works of art? It may be very helpful in deciding, say, what vacuum cleaner to buy, but why do we insist on also using this system to assess films?
For a lot of people, the beginning of the process of deciding what movie to watch — whether it's at a theater, streaming online, or any other form — likely starts at Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic, the two most popular review aggregators for film. But what do these sites tell us? What would a 100 percent rating mean on Rotten Tomatoes? What would a Metascore of 100 mean on Metacritic? Given their systems, would a score of 100 indicate a perfect film? A perfectly likeable film? A perfectly unoffensive film? A perfect commercial product?
Not only do review aggregators prevent any serious or critical interaction with a film, but they essentially reformulate the relationship between film and film viewer in a way that diminishes both, by transforming the filmgoing experience into a market transaction.
the systems
To explore this further, one first has to delve a little deeper into the workings of each website. Of the two, Rotten Tomatoes operates on a much simpler system. The website amasses reviews from critics — who must meet certain criteria to be included — judges whether the review is favorable or not favorable — based on the critic's star rating or grade, or, in the absence of either, on the content of the review itself — and then determines what percentage of reviews is favorable, which is the film's final score. As they put it, "The Tomatometer measures the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who recommend a certain movie."
Metacritic's formula is more complicated. From their website: "A METASCORE is a weighted average of reviews from top critics and publications for a given movie." First, Metacritic's pool of reviewers, because it's restricted to "top critics and publications" is much smaller than Rotten Tomatoes'. And instead of a favorable/unfavorable score, Metacritic assigns each review a score out of 100, based, again, either on the critic's own star rating or grade, or the general tone of the review. But each review is not equal. They weight each review, assigning "more importance, or weight, to some critics and publications than others, based on their quality and overall stature." After each review is rated, and all the ratings are averaged, each movie's score is then "normalized," or "graded on a curve," to "prevent scores from clumping together."
So in each case, "review aggregation" provides a different result. On Rotten Tomatoes, the percentage of critics who had a generally positive reaction to a film, and on Metacritic, an average of assigned scores, weighted based on apparent quality and influence, and normalized in order to create a hierarchy of related products. Each of these systems is problematic in its own way, but both present a mode of judgment inimical to the project of film criticism.
rewarding mediocrity
Clearly, sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic — made possible by the vast indexing and assimilation of information provided by the Internet — owe their popularity in part to their convenience. And from this angle, their popularity is well earned; in one place, in one glance, we can see, in theory, how good a movie is, in a clear, edible, numeric value. Given this convenience, the idea that the numbers assigned to films on these sites have anything to do with the films' quality is particularly alluring.
First, I would like to question what it is the information provided by review aggregation signifies, since I find the idea that these websites offer anything having to do with a film's merit a dubious proposition. Here we'll have to differentiate between the two websites in question. As explained above, the grade offered by Rotten Tomatoes indicates the percentage of critics who favorably reviewed a film. The question is, of course, what is favorable? Looking through critics' ratings on their website, the rule of thumb seems to be that a rating above 50 percent (that is, to reference the most common scales used by reviewers, 3/5 or above or 2.5/4 or above) constitutes a favorable rating. In other words, if a critic likes the film more than he or she dislikes it, no matter the slightness of the margin, their review is considered positive, and they are entered into the equation accordingly. Take these two blurbs from critics on the page for Guardians of the Galaxy: "One of the most pleasant surprises of a mixed-bag movie summer, Guardians of the Galaxy is something akin to Star Wars on Quaaludes," and "It's like the silly, superhero-loving kids goofing off in the back of the classroom looked at The Avengers and X-Men and declared, 'Hey, how hard can it be to save the world? Let's do it too!'" Though I'd say they're roughly equivalent in their level of praise, according to Rotten Tomatoes, the first is positive, and the second is negative.
The problem here is as evident as the Tomatometer score is convenient. Essentially, a score of 51 percent gets entered into the equation as 100 percent. This means that if every critic who reviews a movie thought it was marginally above average, it would receive a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. That oft-quoted Anchorman joke — "60 percent of the time … it works every time" — bears more than a little resemblance to this system — "100 percent of the time … they liked it 51 percent of the time." Moreover, a film that every critic unequivocally enjoyed every second of will earn the same score as the film that every critic just barely enjoyed; or, a film that 90 percent of critics thought was great and 10 percent thought was horrible will earn a lower score than a film that 95 percent of critics thought was passable. The permutations go on and on.[1]
Essentially, Rotten Tomatoes rewards mediocrity, while paying no heed to the difference between mediocrity and greatness. Theoretically, of course, a great movie will earn a higher score than a mediocre one. But greatness is very rarely a unanimous verdict, while we can all likely agree on slightly-above-average.
With Metacritic, the method is more contrived but the result just as meaningless. Although their score is based on the average of critics' scores (adjusted to a 100 point scale), instead of reverting to the favorable/unfavorable partition — resulting in generally lower scores than those of Rotten Tomatoes — Metacritic runs into issues when it begins to "weight" and "normalize." The easiest criticism to levy against this practice is that it's arbitrary; there's no reason to "prevent scores from clumping together" other than to make a more clean and distinguishable list, meaning that the quality of a certain movie may be misrepresented, even according to this flawed system. Further, by assigning more importance to certain critics and publications, the results serve only to reinforce established tastes, rather than consider a film based solely on its own merit.
market imperatives
These can probably all be seen as minor quibbles about a generally useful system. After all, review aggregation is more a tool to compare the quality of a variety of products, not an absolute and objective judge of quality. These sites are meant to help you decide which film to see, one might argue, not tell you precisely how good every film is.
But there's more to it than that. What is most problematic about the idea of review aggregation proposed by Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic is that it shifts the nature of the relationship between the film and the filmgoer. Instead of a work of art to be assessed and appreciated on its own terms, a film becomes a product in a market, compared, in a sort of Consumer Reports of culture, against other products with apparently identical possible benefits but varying degrees of success. This turns filmgoing, at its core, into nothing other than an economic transaction.
Review aggregation first of all eliminates differences between films by judging all of them on the same scale and with the same criteria. As an example, let's compare Closed Curtain with Guardians of the Galaxy, which at the time this is being written both hold a rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Closed Curtain is an Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi, a well known filmmaker who in 2011 was arrested for shooting a film without a permit (necessary for any film production in Iran, whose film industry is highly censored) and sentenced to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on directing films, giving interviews, and leaving the country. Though Panahi is not currently serving his prison sentence, the ban on filmmaking is still in place, and Closed Curtain is therefore an illegal film. Guardians of the Galaxy is a Hollywood film produced by Marvel Studios (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) for a budget of $170,000,000.
By this juxtaposition I don't intend to claim that Closed Curtain is automatically superior to Guardians of the Galaxy, or that any "art film" is by nature better than any "blockbuster." But it would be even more outrageous to claim that these two films have comparable virtues, similar goals, or should be judged with the same system and in relation to one another. For the most part, I enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy (I suppose that enters me into the "positive" sector on Rotten Tomatoes); I have not seen Closed Curtain. But I'm certain that nobody would have the same exact reaction — that is, 92 percent contentment — with both films. Closed Curtain is as much an act of political subversion as a work of art, and its director is a dissident whose low-budget, independent productions utilize non-actors and blend fiction and documentary while addressing the political and cultural climate of Iran. Guardians of the Galaxy is a prestigious Hollywood production with high profile stars and a lavish budget that executes its comic book source material with some charm, albeit cloying and crowd-pleasing charm. I would not argue that this makes one better than the other, but rather that this should necessarily preclude comparison.
But comparing is just what Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic do — it is their essence. One doesn't visit these sites in order to determine how good a film is, but to determine how good it is in relation to other films. This is inscribed in Metacritic through its system of hierarchizing movies; it is prevalent all over Rotten Tomatoes, where you're assailed with lists of celebrities' highest-rated work, weekly "Top Rentals," "24 best and worst sports coaches in film history," "Robert Rodriguez's 10 Best Movies." On these websites, all films are caught up in a perpetual cycle of comparison with one another, in which what is being compared is less important than in how many variations it can be compared.
This insistence on comparison is a result of the reconfiguration of filmgoing as a market transaction, which places a premium on the decisions of the participants in the market. "Weekend decision-making is centered around Movies," proclaims the About page on Rotten Tomatoes' parent site. And from Metacritic: "Metacritic's mission is to help consumers make an informed decision about how to spend their time and money on entertainment." A practical mission, but a destructive one, in that it assumes that there are only two possible responses to a film: satisfaction or dissatisfaction; the comfort of $12 well spent or the anxiety of a poor economic decision; the pleasure of entertainment or the frustration of anything else. While one is preferable to the other, both of these responses are to my mind bland and undesirable; they make no room for the challenging, controversial, puzzling, or contradictory films that often are most pleasurable, the ones that have the most to be gained from watching. Further, I would argue that this framing, which seems so natural because of its prevalence, its apparent unchallenged dominance as the preferred mode of judgment of culture, is a profoundly unnatural way to deal with films, and works of art in general.
Imagine, for example, visiting a museum and, instead of a description of the work of art providing some context or information about the artist, you were presented with a rating, and that every painting in the museum was compared on exactly the same rating system, so that Warhol, Brueghel, and an anonymous Russian icon painter were all judged in exactly the same way. Surely one's experience of art would be handicapped in a system such as this, yet we readily accept such a system for films. The comparison between movies and art in a museum may seem exalted, but that fact alone says a lot about how we think about movies.
studio marketing tools
Film production is, of course, a business, one dominated by a few multinational media conglomerates (The Walt Disney Company, Comcast, Time Warner, National Amusements, Sony, and 21st Century Fox) which each own one of the six major Hollywood studios (Walt Disney Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and 20th Century Fox, respectively). Metacritic is owned by CBS, which is owned by National Amusements, which owns Paramount, one of the aforementioned Hollywood studios responsible for a good portion of the drivel Metacritic is dedicated to appraising. Rotten Tomatoes is owned by Flixster, which is owned by Time Warner, which owns Warner Bros, another of those Hollywood studios. It's no coincidence that these websites are operated by companies that each own one of the major movie studios. It is in the interest of these corporate leviathans, not the individual who uses these sites, that the wheel of film assessment turns toward review aggregation and everything it entails.
To understand this, it's important to start with some historical context. Before television, VHS, DVDs, and long before the Internet, studios could count on a steady flow of filmgoers attending movies at a theater. In 1947, 90 million people, which at that time was two thirds of the country's ambulatory population, went to see a movie in an average week. In 2003, it had dropped to than twelve percent of the population.[2] Whereas in Hollywood's "golden age" there was a large established audience that could be expected to see whatever was playing at their local theater, today the studio must create an audience for each film they release (cf. Epstein, pp. 177-197).
Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic serve as essential tools in the studios' mission of audience creation. They rustle up buzz for upcoming films by promoting clips and trailers; they feature interviews with cast members; they present lists not only of theatrically released movies, but also trumpet DVD releases by lists of the "Top Rentals," "New Releases," and "Coming Soon to DVD" each week. And what they present as essential movie news is nothing other than studio promotional material; does the headline "Sean Harris Eyed for Mission: Impossible 5" inform anyone of anything they need to know, or simply make them aware of the fact that Mission Impossible: 5 is going to be released at some point in the future? It's important to realize that awareness of the existence of an upcoming film is the most important aspect in film marketing, making Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic vital and successful parts of the studios' marketing apparatuses.
Further, especially in the case of Rotten Tomatoes, they continue to promote awareness of previous studio releases by compiling lists of top rated work by certain directors, by genre, or by anything they can think of. Rotten Tomatoes is currently featuring a "60 Worst Summer Movies" list; is this because some completist fans out there are really itching to know what the worst-reviewed summer movies since 1975 were, or is it simply a way to remind people about movies that they would otherwise have no occasion to ever think about, thus continuing the life of a worthless product beyond what it deserves or could ever have hoped for without sites like Rotten Tomatoes?
Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic are not so much a helpful tool for the consumer of films, or at least not entirely; first and foremost they are centers of audience creation for the films they rate. They constantly promote buzz and awareness for theatrically released movies, DVDs , television , and, in the case of Metacritic, video games and music. It's also important to consider that DVDs earn more money for the studios than theatrical distribution, that each of the major studios own a television network, which also brings in more money than ticket sales at theaters, and that video games and music are big profit-makers for some of the studios, particularly Sony.[3]
Of course, this isn't due to any grand design on the part of the studios. Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic were founded by individuals and only later bought out by the studios. And whether or not it's possible to know to what extent the studios that own the websites a hand in shaping the content of the sites, or promote their own films over those of other studios, the fact that both websites were purchased by a company that owns a major film studio shows that the media companies understand the value inherent in them.
audience rating, critics' consensus
Aggregation of ratings, the collection of instantaneous value assessments, pervade the culture to a shocking extent. It's rare in our media-saturated world to encounter a product of any kind that is presented without some sort of value judgment attached. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, IMDb, Barnes and Noble, iTunes all attach an audience rating to their products; television shows like The Voice and American Idol ask viewers to participate by rating their favorite performers; you can hardly watch any TV show without being asked at some point to tweet a response to a poll, the results shown on your screen in real time; it is everywhere. Seemingly, this kind of thing is in line with the noble spirit of democracy. But in his book On Television, Pierre Bourdieu explains the harmful effect ratings can have:
In this light, consider Charlie Chaplin's 1947 film Monsieur Verdoux. On the heels of a public scandal (a maternity suit was brought against Chaplin, a case he eventually won), and amid rumblings about Chaplin's political leanings, the film was almost universally panned when it was released; at the premier, audiences hissed their disapproval; it was a box office flop, surviving only a month-long run before being pulled by its distributor; and Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi was so morally outraged that he called for Chaplin's deportation. Safe to say, its Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores would have been less than adulatory. But writing for The Nation, James Agee was among a few critics who praised the film: "In case this leaves any doubt of my opinion of the film, let me say that I think it is one of the best movies ever made, easily the most exciting and most beautiful since Modern Times. I will add that I think most of the press on the picture, and on Chaplin, is beyond disgrace. I urge everyone to see Monsieur Verdoux who can get to it." (Agee on Film, p. 250) Agee went on to write an impassioned three-part defense of the film over the next month in the magazine. Luckily, time proved him right, and the film is now considered a masterpiece. Review aggregation leaves little room for dissenting opinions like Agee's; it doesn't disallow them to exist, but it strips them of their power, subsumes them into the formula, makes them little more than a fraction of a percentage point in a meaningless score. We can't be sure whether Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic make it impossible for films ever to bounce back from poor opening notices, but certainly it has made it more difficult; not only do people no longer feel the need to read any reviews, but the apparent "critical consensus" makes it appear as though there are no opposing opinions to consider.
Even if it were possible to have a real "critical consensus," it would hardly be more helpful than an audience rating, a score which both websites supply. The only real difference between the average score of the user and the average score of the critic, is that the latter is simply representative of a much smaller and more specific portion of the population. Serving only as a measurement of how much a certain group — one that, to be sure, generally has a better handle on the material they're rating than others — enjoyed a specific film, the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic only serve to underline the importance of market imperatives in the film industry. Despite their apparently democratic appearance, these sites actually strip the individual of any power. Your voice, and the voice of the critic, may be heard, but it means nothing.
Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and all review aggregators, have nothing to do with film criticism, are in fact engaged in an activity exactly opposed to film criticism. By collating and averaging these reviews, critics, even the worthwhile ones — which are few and far between — become nothing more than a small section of the undifferentiated mass of consumers constantly rating products. Film criticism should provide context; it should reveal meanings; it should encourage meaningful engagement with movies; it should challenge us to discover new perspectives, to see more clearly, to analyze more deeply. The value of criticism, moreover, rests on concerted, thoughtful interaction with a film, both on the part of the critic and the part of the reader, but this process is inhibited by these instant, averaged value judgments, which can only serve to reduce individual thoughts into a meaningless, homogenized mishmash. Review aggregation places movies in the vicious continuum of the market, reduces them to commercial products rated by ease of digestion, and transfigure criticism into a useful marketing tool for multinational media corporations.
Maybe this sounds lofty or dramatic, but when you see the extent to which these ratings systems have infiltrated every aspect of culture, a forceful response proves warranted. Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes ratings are included on the Wikipedia page of every recent film; film advertisements feature the same ratings; when you google any film title followed by "review," its Rotten Tomatoes score appears at the top of the page; newspapers have adjusted their publishing schedules so that their reviews may be included in the Rotten Tomatoes scores which are published every Friday. These review aggregations are convenient and have been made to appear intuitive, but their destructive logic inhibits meaningful interaction with cinema.
//Philip Conklin is a co-founder of The Periphery.
[1] Rotten Tomatoes also offers an "Average Rating," a score out of ten that is supposed to be a true average of critics' ratings, making it closer to the Metascore. But since this rating is only seen on a movie's individual page, and then only very small under the Tomatometer score, it doesn't play a big enough factor in Rotten Tomatoes' functioning to bear discussion here.
[2] Epstein, Edward Jay, The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood, p. 17
[3] In The Big Picture, Epstein shows that in 2003 the big six studios not only lost money on the theatrical release of their films (with a total deficit of $11 billion at the world box office) but on average spent more just on advertising and prints for a given film ($39 million) than they earned from ticket sales ($20.6 million). Their profits come almost entirely from ancillary markets like DVDs, television, theme parks, video games, etc.


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Arias, Alfonso
Alfonso Arias joined Galindo, Arias & López in 1974.
He is a former Director of Cervecería Nacional and Refrescos Nacionales, and his main areas of practice are Commercial Law with emphasis on Corporate and Maritime Law and Mergers and Acquisitions.
Mr. Arias is a member of the Panamanian Bar Association, Panamanian Maritime Law Association, Circle of Friends of the Minors' Tribunal of Panama, Make-a-Wish Foundation of Panama and Pro-Life Foundation.
- English
- Spanish
- Italian
- Juris Doctor, Tulane University, (1973)
- Bachelor in Economy, Tulane University, (1970)
Contact information
Tel: +507 303-0303
Fax: +507 303-0434


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To permanently straighten your hair, you must weaken the hair bonds by chemically altering them. Chemical treatments such as lye and no-lye relaxers use sodium or potassium hydroxide to destroy your hair's chemical bonds, which causes your hair to permanently straighten. Once your hair has been chemically altered, it isn't possible to reverse the process. It requires weekly maintenance to keep the hair healthy and strong. Although it is possible to straighten your hair at home, it is highly recommended to have a professional stylist straighten your hair to avoid damaging your hair or burning your scalp.
Apply petroleum jelly to your scalp. This is called basing, as the petroleum jelly soothes the scalp and protects it from the chemical relaxer. Spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the back of your neck and around your hairline.
Mix the activator solution with the relaxer creme. Most at-home relaxer kits require thorough mixing before applying it to the hair. Follow the relaxer kit's instructions for proper mixing to avoid damaging your hair. Use latex gloves before handling any chemicals to protect your hands. Cover your shoulders and neck with a towel to protect your clothing and skin from the relaxer creme.
Separate your hair into six sections. Part your hair down the middle, starting at the crown to the back of your neck. Part the hair again horizontally until you create six to eight sections, as this will make the application process easier. Dip the application brush into the relaxer mix and apply the creme to the new growth only.
Set your timer. A timer helps you keep track of the application and setting time, and is necessary to avoid chemical burns. Read the relaxer kit's directions for the appropriate time for application, as coarse hair will require longer setting times than fine or thin hair.
Wash the relaxer out of your hair. Use warm water to remove the creme from your hair, followed by gently massaging a neutralizing shampoo into your hair to normalize your hair's pH balance. Wash the shampoo out of your hair. Rinse it with warm water twice to make sure there is no residue.
Apply protein conditioner to the hair. A moisturizing protein conditioner adds moisture, which is lost during the relaxing process. Saturate your hair from roots to ends and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse your hair with warm water and then cool water. Cool water closes your pores and adds shine to your hair.
Use a wrap-set lotion. A wrap-set lotion bases your hair, which allows you to style it easily once it dries. Dispense two pumps of lotion into your palm and spread it evenly over your hair.
Do not scratch or wash your hair for three days before relaxing. Scalp irritation can occur if the creme gets into any scratches. Recently washed hair is depleted of your hair's natural oils, which protect you from chemical burns.


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I cracked my 2004 Kikapu today. I am not sure how I managed to do it, I don't jump, I don't drop, and I dont freeride on it. Seriously the bike has left the ground so few times it's rediculous. I was grabbing it from my rack after a ride today and I noticed a crack on the top tube near the seat tube. The crack goes about half way around the seat tube. I am pissed because I have no idea how this happened. I have crashed the bike a few times but nothing more than washouts or a few endos.
I have contacted the shop I bought it from via email about an hour ago. Is there anything else I need to do to start the warranty process?


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Intention for a documentay
Ngân sách €10-50 EUR
Hi we are looking for a quick translater from italian to english ASAP.
The background is art, design, cinema , commercial.
It's about 1800 words and have to be done in the next 14 hours.
32 freelancer đang chào giá trung bình €41 cho công việc này
We offer quality, efficient,reliable services at a cost friendly price to keep our customers satisfied and seeking our services again and again. Here is some of our previous italian to english projects :
Salve, sono un traduttore italiano laureato in lingua inglese, sono disponibile per il vostro progetto. Contattatemi, saluti. Paolo
Sir/Madam, We have a team of native translators. We will give 100% human translation on time and within your budget. We provide translation and transcription services in the following languages. We guarantee seriousne Thêm
i read your project cearfully..i can do that within 14 hours.............................................................................................................................................
Hello, We are a group of native and professional translators who provide high quality and error-free translations. We are very interested in your project. Our NATIVE Italian to English translators could help you Thêm
Hi There, How r u? I am a professional native and vice versa translators team who have good knowledge of both languages. We provide high quality and impeccable translations service from . We have over 5+ years of e Thêm
Hello sir, We have a specialist professional native Italian to English translator team who proficient in English with outstanding verbal, written, and editing skills. We do not sacrifice the best quality for any r Thêm
With over a decade of experience in translation work behind us,Polyglot is dedicated to providing the highest quality service and professional,accurate results in more between Eng&Italian languages. Our professional t Thêm
Good evening, I'm an Italian Native Speaker and Professional Translator with 7+ years of experiences working for large agencies in UK (I've lived in London for about 6 years). I can professionally and thoroughly tr Thêm
Our native accredited translators between Eng & Italian provide the highest quality translations that drive this translation service and give you the results you expect. We can provide notarization and company certifi Thêm
I'm fluent. I'm also a qualified uk solicitor and someone who can be trusted to deliver. I'm fairly new on here hence no reviews. The translation will be perfect.
Ciao, I capisco Italiano ed ho studiato a un Collegio Americano. Ho fatto traduzioni perfette per il mio precedente lavoro come segretaria. Posso provare per favore?
Dear Sir/Madam We do a team work and we have experience Translators. We have been 5 years experiences for translation and also you will be provided high quality manual translation services from us. We never used go Thêm


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Hootabelle Birthday
Hootabelle Custom Birthday Invitation
Send a custom handmade invite to friends and family from TLC Handmade Gifts.
$1.45 per invitation, minimum order of 10
Hootabelle Themed Invitation - perfect for any little girls birthday party, made from quality card stock, button embellishment and organza ribbon. This invitation is in post card type, with magnet attached and fit into a standard C6 sized envelope (included).
If you can't find what you are looking for, we will work with you to create a custom design.
How to order:
1. Place your order here. Payment is done via PayPal or Bank deposit. Please contact us, if you wish to pay via bank deposit.
2. After placing your order, send an email to: email@example.com, include the following information:
How many invitations required
Date, Time and Address of event
RSVP Information (if applicable)
and any other customisation that may be required
3. We will contact you to confirm all details and get your final approval
4. After we receive your approval your order will be despatched within 3-5 business days, we will advise when this occurs


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Just to confirm, (after a few enquiring e-mails) the class is available
more information can be found
I have also posted a link on the side bar, top left.
Now I must go and do 'teacher'' like stuff!!
So looking forward to this!!! Your virtual apple is on its way!!!
Go to it! Hope it goes well..
Looks like you have some fun things happening! We are on the road - in Kentucky today - and I am quickly checking in. Just want to say hi.


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Materialism is Height.
Spiritualism is Depth.
Height without Depth falls.
Depth without Height is buried.
Rooting deep....
and yet
Standing tall...
is the
& success..!
In 2013, 1 Tuesday, I chanted a whole day praising Rama's Feet. The next day morning I had a dream. In it I won an Oscar. I'll win 4 sure.Posted by Ramesh Sadasivam on Sunday, 1 November 2015
very beautifully said,Ramesh
Thanks Lakshmi.
Materialism and spirituality are two legs we stand on
:) Hi Bhaw. Wow. You put my poem in a nut shell.
Beautiful words and picture.
Thank you Venus.
Great Words.....Shri
Thanks Prasad.


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I'm working on a new pattern for the shop and have to go through a few mock-ups first. This lizard guy was one. I decided to give him to my one year old since I've made about a dozen dolls for my daughter. I was up late past everyone last night finishing it up and brought it up to my room with me to surprise him with it in the morning. This morning my daughter woke up and snuck into our room and spotted the 'dragon' for about 20 seconds before my husband had to shoo her out for breakfast.
A few minutes later she had brought me this:
Oh man.
I love being a mom.
I love that she is clever, and feels comfortable enough in our home to have found where we keep the printer paper and pencils.
I love that I have never taught her to draw anything in her life and this is the raw product of how she perceives the world around her.
And I love this drawing :)
And I love this little guy too. Even when he has had a mysterious fever for the past three days and is still a trouper.
It all just makes me happy :)


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The CEO stressed that United's debts of £500m are a "misconception" because the club has about £140m in cash available, over half of which was generated by Cristiano Ronaldo's world record £80m transfer from United to Real Madrid last summer.
And he confirmed manager Sir Alex Ferguson can spend all £80m on new players, should he wish to expand the squad.
Err but how come the price of the junk bonds that MU issued recently have collapsed? Days after they were were issued they fell five percentage points. Buyers are looking at a loss, if they sell.
Previous posts on MU
On Pool


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Public-Key Cryptography for Beginner
This article is a basic intro to Public-key Cryptography related issues, written for programers and Linux users. This provide a conceptual introduction to understand Public-key cryptography, and associated protocols such as {HTTPS, SSH, SSL, TLS} and the bewildering meaning of acronyms such as {SHA-1, MD5, RSA, DES, Blowfish, AES, RC5}.
Why is Public-Key Cryptography So Confusing?
Public-key Cryptography (PKC) as used in tech industry (For example, SSH, HTTPS, certificates, digital signature) is very confusing.
First, is the math concepts involved. You basically have to be a mathematician to understand how it works in detail. (it involves advanced number theory, elliptic curve theory (algebraic geometry).)
Besides the math, it gets extremely complex. Because:
- Practical use of PKC also involves symmetric-key encryption.
- Practical use of PKC involves many network protocols at many levels, including: {HTTPS, SSH, SSL, TLS, …}.
- There are many different algorithms used for the encryption as parts of PKC, and they change over the years. (For example, RSA, DES, Triple DES, Blowfish, AES, RC5)
- The question of trusting public keys. Thus we have Certificates, then Certificate Authority (CA). (which in turn, is the question of trusting Certificate Authority. Because CA is centralized, thus spawn a distributed system "Web of Trust".)
- Public key can expire, or revoked (For example, stolen computer). So, this means, there needs to be protocols for checking certificate safety. (For example, Certificate Revocation List (CRL), Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSC)).
- Practical PKC also involves "message digest" (aka fingerprint, hash key. (and these terms also have other meanings in computer science or cryptography.)). A message needs to be condensed into a fixed-length string, called "message digest", for purposes of identification, checksum. And there are many algorithm for this, and they change over the years. (For example, MD5, SHA-1, …)
- The question of signatures. Digital signatures is a way to ensure that somebody really wrote something. The issue is totally SEPARATE from sending secret messages, yet, intimately tied.
Is it confusing enough?
Luckily, as a programer or sys admin, we don't need to understand the math to use it. We can still understand the concept of public-key encryption for sending secret messages.
Here's a very basic intro to get you started.
Ciphers, Plaintext, Ciphertext
- A method to encrypt a mesage is called a Cipher.
- Message before encryption is called "plaintext"
- Message after encryption is called "ciphertext".
There are many ciphers.
Cipher Involves a "Key"
To encrypt a message, almost always involves a "key". For example, you can shift letter by 2, such as {a → c, b → d, c → e, …}. Then, the "key" is the map of letter transformation (or, just the phrase "shift alphabet to the right by 2"). Or, you can create a customized map to transform the letters, for example, {a → 3, b → u, c → h, …}. This map would be the "key". To create a ciphertext, you just apply this transformation. To get plaintext, just use the reverse map.
Most Basic Cipher: Substitution Ciphers
The cipher described above belongs to a class called Substitution Ciphers. Substitution Ciphers are ancient. One popular example of substitution cipher is called
ROT13. It just shift alphabet by 13 places {a → n, b → o, c → p, …}. If you use Emacs, you can call the command
rot13-region to convert selected text into cipher text using the rot13 cipher. This is useful for example, when you post a quiz, and you can include the answer by rot13 the answer, to prevent accidental reading of the answer.
Try to decipher this:
(start emacs, paste into a empty file, select the text, then type 【Alt+x】 then
Symmetric-Key Ciphers
Ciphers are classified into many types. The most common type of cipher use the same key to encrypt and decrypt. Such cipher is called Symmetric-key ciphers. For example, substitution ciphers are symmetric-key ciphers, because, given the key used (a map of letter transformation), you are able to both encrypt and decrypt a plaintext/ciphertext.
Symmetric-key ciphers have a major practical problem. To transmit a message, both sender and receiver must already know the key. So, there's a chicken-and-egg problem. You want to send a secret message, but first you need to send another message (the key) secretly. For example, on the internet, when you send credit card numbers to a site, and if you are using symmetric-key cipher, both your machine and the remote site must know the key first.
Public-key Cryptography (PKC): RSA and Others
In about 1973, mathematicians started to understand a system that eventually became the Public-key cryptography (PKC). Its popularity began in 1990s.
PKC solves the problem of requiring first sending the receiver a secret key.
Here's the basics of PKC:
- Each user has a paired keys: public key and private key (think of them as just 2 numbers). These 2 keys are mathematically related. (that is, the pair of numbers have certain properties that connect them.)
- Public key can be used to encrypt a message, and that encrypted message can be decrypted by the paired private key. (and vice versa: Private key can be used to encrypt a message, and that encrypted message can be decrypted by the paired Public key.)
The way to use this is that, each person have a key pair. One called public, and the other private. The public key is published. Only the private key is kept in secret, known just to himself.
Suppose, Alice and Bob want to talk in secret. Alice encrypt the message using Bob's public key. When Bob receives it, he can just decrypt it using his secret private key.
There are several public-key ciphers. The most popular one is RSA.
On Linux terminal, you can type
ssh-keygen -t rsa to generate a public/private key pair (for the RSA cipher). By default, they are stored at
~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub and
~/.ssh/id_rsa. Here's a example of what the keys look like:
The Problem of Trusting Keys
This public-key cryptography solved the problem of requiring the receiver to know a secret key. However, along with it comes new problems.
How do you know, that Bob's public key is actually from Bob? A bad guy can publish a key and claim he's Bob. If Alice encrypt a message using a wrong person's public key, then that wrong person will be able to read the message. So, here you have the problem of trusting keys.
Certificate and Certificate Authority
To solve this trusting public key problem, is invented Public key certificate and Certificate authority (CA). Basically, a organization is trusted as the authority, and it publish "certificates".
The Certificate contains the public key and a person/org's ID, and the issuer, and other info. So, for example, when you send credit card number to Amazon.com, you first seek the public key in a certificate from Amazon that is issued by a Certificate Authority that you trust.
You can view the certificates that are bundled with browsers.
In Google Chrome browser, it's under Settings, Show Advanced, HTTPS/SSL
In Firefox, it's under Options/Preference, Advanced tab, Encryption. In Internet Explorer 9, it's under Options, Content tab.
Web Browser bundle certificates of big companies such as {Google, Yahoo, Skype, Microsoft's live.com, …}, and certs from global CAs. You can add more or remove some.
The most popular global CA (For example, for websites, online banking) are {VeriSign, Thawte}, both now owned by Symantec. (Thawte was founded by Mark Shuttleworth in 1995, before he started Ubuntu Linux in 2004) Other popular ones are Comodo and GoDaddy. These companies do business of issuing certs. To have a cert issued by them, you have to pay money.
For Firefox, you can see their cert inclusion policy and a list at [Mozilla CA Certificate Store At http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/certs/ ]
Public-key Infrastructure
There is, another problem. Certificates Authorities are basically big companies. How do you know they are not corrupted?
Here's a example how big the problem can be. Google engineers in 2017-02 published a post titled "Intent to Deprecate and Remove: Trust in existing Symantec-issued Certificates", claiming misissue. Symantec is one of the biggest Certificates Authority.
Overall, several systems are invented to solve the problem of trusting Certificates Authority.
- One solution is Web of trust, which is decentralized trust model, which is more or less a approval-rating system of certs by all users. This is used by GPG software. [see GPG Tutorial].
- Another solution is a community-driven Certificate Authority, such as CAcert.org «CAcert Inc. is an incorporated non-profit association registered in New South Wales (Australia) since July 2003 which runs CAcert.org.»
Both "web of trust" and CAcert.org are not ideal. They are only used in Linux communities mostly among individuals. (they are not used by online merchants, or banks and financial services, governments, or any serious business.)
Overall, a system for the key-trust-problem is called the Public-key infrastructure (PKI).
Key Revocation and Expiration
There is, more complexity. Suppose Alice's computer got stolen, and thus her secret key is exposed. Now, her public key can't be trusted anymore. If you encrypt a message using that public key, then her computer thief can read it. So, there's a need for key revocation.
When you lost a key, you should be able to report it, and the CA or PKI should be able to know it, and "cancel" your public key that is now bad. There's also a need for key expiration. Thus, is created Certificate revocation list and also Online Certificate Status Protocol.
Now, when you visit website, sometimes you get a error message saying that the Certificate can't be trusted, or that the Cert expired, or that the revocation list can't be verified. Now you know what it means.
Public-Key Cryptography and Symmetric-Key Cryptography; Mixed Use
PKC is great. However, it's slow to use PKC to encrypt messages. So, to make it practical, all HTTPS, SSH, etc systems that use PKC actually use hybrid of public-key and symmetric-key cipher. Following is a basic description of how it works.
First, use PKC system to encrypt a message that is a (randomly generated) key for a symmetric-key cipher. Then, once this is done, all exchange of messages use symmetric-key cipher to encrypt and decrypt. For example, to send credit card to Amazon.com, first you get the public key of Amazon (by getting its certificate issued by a trusted CA. (which is usually bundled with the browser.)). Then, use PKC to encrypt a randomly generated key of some symmetric-key cipher method. This new, temporary, randomly generated key, is now known to both you and Amazon. For the rest of the session, symmetric-key encryption is used to communicate.
Symmetric-key Ciphers: AES, Blowfish, DES, Triple DES, Serpent, Twofish, …
So now, you see that Symmetric-key Ciphers are quite important. They are also much simpler, and faster. Vast majority of ciphers, from ancient to modern ones, are actually of the symmetric-key type. Symmetric-key ciphers are usually called Symmetric-key algorithm.
Over the years, many symmetric-key ciphers came and went, because computer gets faster, and unbreakable cipher 10 years ago becomes easy to break. So, over the years we have {AES, Blowfish, DES, Triple DES, Serpent, Twofish} and lots others.
DES was the standard around 1990s. Since, Triple DES replaced it, then, AES is the most popular today. Here's some basic description of symmetric-key ciphers.
In cryptography, a block cipher is a deterministic algorithm operating on fixed-length groups of bits, called blocks, with an unvarying transformation that is specified by a symmetric key. Block ciphers are important elementary components in the design of many cryptographic protocols, and are widely used to implement encryption of bulk data.
Common block ciphers: AES, Blowfish, DES, Triple DES, Serpent, Twofish.
DES is the archetypal block cipher — an algorithm that takes a fixed-length string of plaintext bits and transforms it through a series of complicated operations into another ciphertext bitstring of the same length. In the case of DES, the block size is 64 bits. DES also uses a key to customize the transformation, so that decryption can supposedly only be performed by those who know the particular key used to encrypt. The key ostensibly consists of 64 bits; however, only 56 of these are actually used by the algorithm. Eight bits are used solely for checking parity, and are thereafter discarded. Hence the effective key length is 56 bits, and it is always quoted as such. Every 8th bit of the selected key is discarded, that is, positions 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64 are removed from the 64 bit key leaving behind only the 56 bit key.
Like other block ciphers, DES by itself is not a secure means of encryption but must instead be used in a mode of operation.
Triple DES (aka TDEA): basically applying DES 3 times, in sequence, using 3 different keys.
AES is based on a design principle known as a substitution-permutation network, and is fast in both software and hardware.[6] Unlike its predecessor DES, AES does not use a Feistel network. AES is a variant of Rijndael which has a fixed block size of 128 bits, and a key size of 128, 192, or 256 bits. By contrast, the Rijndael specification per se is specified with block and key sizes that may be any multiple of 32 bits, both with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 256 bits.
AES has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. It supersedes the Data Encryption Standard (DES),[5] which was published in 1977. The algorithm described by AES is a symmetric-key algorithm.
In cryptography, RC5 is a block cipher notable for its simplicity. Designed by Ronald Rivest in 1994, RC stands for "Rivest Cipher", or alternatively, "Ron's Code" (compare RC2 and RC4). The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) candidate RC6 was based on RC5.
Hash Function, Cryptographic Hash Function, Fingerprint, Message Digest
In encryption, we turn a message into a scrambled form. In computing and computing security, we also need to "condense" a message into a short string, and this string can serve for ID purposes. This turning a message into a short string is called hashing, and the result is called Hash Value, Fingerprint, or Message Digest. This is often needed as part of cryptographic protocols.
Hash function is the most basic idea. Basically, it turns a chunk of data (i.e. a large string of arbitrary size) into a short string of fixed length. Ideally, any 2 different input data should produce different strings. Strickly speaking, this is impossible. It is possible only if the length of the result is equal to the length of biggest possible input.
When 2 different chunk of data get turned into identical short string by a hash function, it's called a "collision", and this is not desirable. Different type of hash functions are designed for different purposes, with different degrees of negligible chance of collision.
Here's a excerpt from Wikipedia on Hash function:
A hash function is any algorithm or subroutine that maps large data sets of variable length, called keys, to smaller data sets of a fixed length. For example, a person's name, having a variable length, could be hashed to a single integer. The values returned by a hash function are called hash values, hash codes, hash sums, checksums or simply hashes.
Hash functions are related to (and often confused with) checksums, check digits, fingerprints, randomization functions, error correcting codes, and cryptographic hash functions. Although these concepts overlap to some extent, each has its own uses and requirements and is designed and optimized differently.
Fingerprint (computing), is basically a hash function with more stringent requirement of no collision.
Cryptographic hash function, is a hash function with highest requirement of no collision.
A cryptographic hash function is a hash function; that is, an algorithm that takes an arbitrary block of data and returns a fixed-size bit string, the (cryptographic) hash value, such that an (accidental or intentional) change to the data will (with very high probability) change the hash value. The data to be encoded are often called the "message," and the hash value is sometimes called the message digest or simply digest.
The ideal cryptographic hash function has four main or significant properties:
- it is easy to compute the hash value for any given message
- it is infeasible to generate a message that has a given hash
- it is infeasible to modify a message without changing the hash
- it is infeasible to find two different messages with the same hash
The most commonly used hash functions are: MD5, SHA-1. MD5 is popular in 1990s and is today obsolete. SHA-1 also reached end of its life today. (git uses SHA-1 still as file ID. See: [How would git handle a SHA-1 collision on a blob? At http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9392365/how-would-git-handle-a-sha-1-collision-on-a-blob , accessed on 2012-10-23 ] [see git Tutorial]).
The MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm is a widely used cryptographic hash function that produces a 128-bit (16-byte) hash value. Specified in RFC 1321, MD5 has been utilized in a wide variety of security applications, and is also commonly used to check data integrity. MD5 was designed by Ron Rivest in 1991 to replace an earlier hash function, MD4. An MD5 hash is typically expressed as a hexadecimal number, 32 digits long.
However, it has since been shown that MD5 is not collision resistant; as such, MD5 is not suitable for applications like SSL certificates or digital signatures that rely on this property. In 1996, a flaw was found with the design of MD5, and while it was not a clearly fatal weakness, cryptographers began recommending the use of other algorithms, such as SHA-1 — which has since been found to be vulnerable as well. In 2004, more serious flaws were discovered in MD5, making further use of the algorithm for security purposes questionable — specifically, a group of researchers described how to create a pair of files that share the same MD5 checksum. Further advances were made in breaking MD5 in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In December 2008, a group of researchers used this technique to fake SSL certificate validity, and US-CERT now says that MD5 "should be considered cryptographically broken and unsuitable for further use", and most U.S. government applications now require the SHA-2 family of hash functions.
Emacs has MD5 algorithm builtin. For example, try this emacs lisp code
(md5 "some big text file content …"). [see Emacs: How to Evaluate Emacs Lisp Code]
In cryptography, SHA-1 is a cryptographic hash function designed by the United States National Security Agency and published by the United States NIST as a U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard. SHA stands for "secure hash algorithm". The four SHA algorithms are structured differently and are distinguished as SHA-0, SHA-1, SHA-2, and SHA-3. SHA-1 is very similar to SHA-0, but corrects an error in the original SHA hash specification that led to significant weaknesses. The SHA-0 algorithm was not adopted by many applications. SHA-2 on the other hand significantly differs from the SHA-1 hash function.
SHA-1 is the most widely used of the existing SHA hash functions, and is employed in several widely used applications and protocols.
To get a idea of what cryptographic hash functions are there, and their security status, see: Comparison of cryptographic hash functions and Hash function security summary.
- symmetric-key ciphers have a chicken-and-egg problem. Both party must first know a agreed-upon key before they can talk in private. This works fine between two spies but doesn't work for sending credit card on internet.
- public-key cryptography solved this. Each party has a pair of connected keys, public and private. You use someone's public key to encrypt a message for him to read. He uses his private key to decrypt it.
- public-key cryptography has key-trusting problem. You can't know someone's public key is really him. Thus created Certificate Authority concept.
- Certificate Authority has a problem too, because it relies on a centralized organization. The organization can be corrupt. Thus we have some decentralized system, but isn't ideal neither. A system that tries to solve the whole problem public-key trust issue is is called public-key infrastructure.
- public-key encryption is slow. In practice, web uses PKC to communicate a key and use symmetric-key encryption for communication of content, because it's much faster.
- Symmetric-key ciphers come and go, because computers get faster, or some of the ciphers are discovered to be easily broken. (Typical solution is to increase key length.) (PKC cipher also come and go, but slower.)
- {Hash, message digest, finger-print} are related idea. They condense a message into a short string as ID. These are used for different purposes, to identify or authenticate messages or any text such as certificates. Algorithm for these also changes over time.
What about HTTPS, SSH, SSL, TLS? These are networking protocols using public-key cryptography. To understand them, you must first understand TCP/IP protocols. See: TCP/IP Tutorial for Beginner.
If you have a question, put $5 at patreon and message me.


text:
The Shade Tree Advice Tool
AccessibilityOpen Access
Usage rightsCC-BY-NC-ND
MetadataShow full item record
van der Wolf J, Gram G, Bukomeko H, Mukasa D, Giller O, Kriabo E, Angebault C, Vaast P, Asare R, Jassogne L. 2017. The shade tree advice tool. CCAFS Info Note. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
Permanent link to cite or share this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/80473
Key messages: Climate change adaptation for coffee and cocoa farming requires low cost and multipurpose solutions, such as shade trees. Selecting appropriate shade trees is paramount for maximizing tree-based ecosystem services while minimizing disservices. The shade tree advice tool presented here guides coffee and cocoa farmers on choosing shade trees whose ecosystem services will best meet their needs, based on fellow coffee farmers' local knowledge in their region.
CGIAR Author ORCID iDs
Hannington Bukomekohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7460-4024
Laurence Jassognehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2106-5001
CGIAR Affiliations
AGROVOC Keywords
SubjectsCLIMATE-SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES; DATA AND TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS AND PLANNING; PRIORITIES AND POLICIES FOR CSA;
RegionsAFRICA; EAST AFRICA
- CCAFS Policy Briefs [403]


text:
It seems that people are always saying the newer OS runs faster. I decided to do some quick benchmarks on my brother's rig to see if that is the case.
Test rig:
e3400 @ 3.7 GHz
4 gigs ram
8800 gts 320 mb
Test game: Blacklight Retribution "Training room" (CPU bottlenecked in this scenario)
Did a clean install for each OS and used 304.79 BETA drivers. Used Fraps benchmark tool and did the benchmark 3 times for each OS.
Windows XP SP3 32-bit: 193 FPS average
Windows 7 SP1 64-bit: 145 FPS average
Windows 8 RTM 32-bit: 139 FPS average
Max/min fps were all about 30-40 FPS above/below average FPS.
Conclusion: I'm not sure what the results are for GPU bottlenecks, but if you are CPU bottlenecked and your PC is older, then Windows XP is the way to go.


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Bronx, NY – Keynote speaker Alexie M. Torres-Fleming told 1,000 students, the highest number on record to attend a Bronx Community College freshmen convocation, "As you start your college career aspire to be who you are supposed to be!
"Let your light shine! Don't let people negatively typecast you because you are from the South Bronx or for the color of your skin. And certainly don't let people tell you that you can only lead a better life by leaving your Bronx neighborhood to go somewhere else. Too often we believe those myths which others spread."
Torres-Fleming, founder of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice (YMPJ) in the South Bronx, who grew up in the Bronx River Houses, said she thought she became a success when she left her neighborhood, stepped into corporate job America, and was living in an apartment on West 34th Street.
"It wasn't who I was. I had succumbed to the system's opinions of what I should be, but I found that role was not what I wanted," stated Torres-Fleming.
In a turnabout in 1992, she came back to the South Bronx from Manhattan to work with parishioners from her church to resist drug dealers who had taken over a couple of crack houses in her neighborhood. The drug dealers retaliated by attempting to burn down her parish church.
This attack, far from discouraging Torres-Fleming, emboldened her to become even more involved in her old neighborhood. She founded YMPJ, a faith-based community development organization that aims to empower local youth. Using education and community organizing, YMPJ has helped a generation of Bronx young people discover that through advocacy, community organizing, journalism, environmentalism, and the arts, they can play an active role in shaping and improving their neighborhood.
The successful effort to rid the neighborhood of the crack menace influenced her to take a new career path. She changed her life to be more connected to the environment.
Her message followed that of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs George Sanchez's message: "There is no place you can plan to go in life where a college education will not be needed." He also counseled that "the journey you are taking will require persistence, sweat, tears and a willingness to never give up. If you stop and think about it, success at Bronx Community College is commonsensical. Please remember that."
Sanchez's message was also followed by Dr. Jennifer E. Misick, acting associate dean for Student Support Services. She said: "If there is any one secret to success, it is in the ability to benefit from another person's point of view and see things from his or her angle."
She then encouraged students to pay close attention to Orientation and Career Development information provided by their coaches. This information, she explained, would help students understand the culture of being in college. It is important for students to learn what behaviors will lead to their staying in college and graduating.
During the one-hour event, Music Professor Tom Cipullo led the BCC Singers in a rendition of a song from the movie Fame. Professor Sue Moss directed a performance by the BCC Dance Workshop to the theme song from the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
The successful freshmen convocation was planned and managed by the Office of Student Life.
Press, Radio, TV
Please call: Bryant Mason
Media Relations Specialist
(718) 289-5208
Bronx Community College (BCC) of The City University of New York is in its 51st anniversary year of service to students in New York City in 2008. Over the past seven years, enrollment has increased 30 per cent to 9,000 students, reflecting the reliance of the surrounding communities on it as a pathway to a better life. BCC President Carolyn G. Williams is in her 12th year of leadership service to the College, which is located on a 43-acre campus at 2155 University Avenue at West 181st Street , formerly New York University's uptown campus until 1973.
BCC students from over 109 nations receive an excellent preparation to go on to four-year colleges or to advance into successful vocational careers. Programs offered at BCC include Digital Arts, Computer Information Systems, Education Associate, Nursing, Nuclear Medicine Technology, RadiologicTechnology, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, Liberal Arts, Marketing, Accounting, Human Services, Media Technology and Paralegal Studies.
The College is home to initiatives not commonly associated with two-year institutions, such as the Center for Sustainable Energy, which promotes the use of renewable and efficient energy technologies in urban communities. The National Center for Educational Alliances (NCEA) is currently collaborating with South African Further Education and Training Colleges and universities to create linkages between these institutions. NCEA also coordinates the College's international initiatives and the annual International Education Week.
The Center has also facilitated a campus wide effort to create BCC's Center for Tolerance and Understanding. The Center for Teaching Excellence offers faculty development to promote student achievement and to stimulate discussions to keep the teaching and learning process vital and dynamic. Take a look at BCC's website at www.bcc.cuny.edu


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We've been plugging along. The classes are going well, we are educating a lot of people and that makes me happy!
Yesterday was such a beautiful, sunny, warm day here. It was Wednesday and that of course means that it was a Madelyn day.
I may have mentioned first thing to her that we could go to the park. That might have been a mistake. She was like a dog after a bone!
We ran our errands, did a little shopping at Target, and had lunch with Grumpy before we went to the park. But, we had a BLAST!
After the park, Madelyn decided that ice cream was needed.
If you look closely at the photo, you might notice Brian's fingers. Yep, he and the band saw didn't get along so well. He was working in the shop and cut his fingers. Luckily, he still has them! He had to get 13 stitches and see the surgeon. Again, he was lucky in that no surgery is needed for now. Just another day in the life of Brian P. Moritz!!
Earlier this week, we headed up to KC for a shopping trip and to visit our friends, David and Lisa. We had a great time and I got to eat at Cafe Gratitude. That made the whole trip!
Such a cool place, can't wait to go back
Our water bottle was playful!
I shopped at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Natural Grocer's and Brian got to shop for lumber at Schutte's! Good day!
Since we've been having such beautiful weather, until today (it's rainy), I've been getting outside to get my sunshine fix - and soak up some vitamin D. Did you know you only need 15 minutes every day with face and hands exposed to get your daily amount of D? Super easy. I took the kindle out and enjoyed it!
I'll try to be more of a presence on here, just haven't been feeling it lately, but am feeling better!! Thanks for hanging in there with me!


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Back in June, Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of 45 counts of child molestation with 10 boys. Tomorrow, Sandusky will be sentenced and even though he faces up to 442 years in prison, the former Penn State defensive coordinator still maintains his innocence. Prior to receiving his sentence, Sandusky will speak for 10 to 15 minutes through "prepared remarks written during his time in jail" that will surely reiterate his "not guilty" sentiment while also enraging some folks in the process.
"I'm responding to the worst loss of my life," Sandusky said in the interview, which was confirmed as authentic via the Twitter account of one of Sandusky's attorneys, Karl Rominger.
"First, I looked at myself," Sandusky continued. "Over and over, I asked, why? Why didn't we have a fair opportunity to prepare for trial? Why have so many people suffered as a result of false allegations? What's the purpose? Maybe it will help others; some vulnerable children who could be abused, might not be because of all the publicity.
"That would be nice, but I'm not sure about it. I would cherish the opportunity to become a candle for others, as they have been a light for me. They could take away my life, they could make me out as a monster, they could treat me as a monster, but they can't take away my heart. In my heart, I know I did not do these alleged disgusting acts."
According to his legal team, Sandusky will appeal their sentence, claiming that his lawyers were "overwhelmed by the mountain of evidence and incapable of preparing for witnesses or providing a reasonable defense."
RELATED: The 50 Most Infamous Criminals in Sports History
[via Yahoo! Sports]


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Ask Peter: Smoked versus unsmoked paprika
I am always stopping when a recipe these days says "paprika". Should I use the Spanish one in my pantry that is "sweet smoked" or my plain Hungarian one? Apart from the obvious smokiness of the Spanish paprika, what is the difference and when should each be used? Thanks, Felicity
The main difference between the Hungarian paprika you'll have been using for years and smoked Spanish paprika is that the latter is smoked. In the same way that you can get mild or hot paprika, you can also get mild and hot pimenton (the Spanish word for smoked paprika).
Several years ago I was cooking and teaching in Budapest and I bought several varieties of paprika from the neo-gothic Central Market, a gorgeous red brick building that you must visit if you're in town. It was completed right at the end of the 19th century and has recently been restored — food and produce on the ground floor with souvenirs and cafes on the first floor. Apart from paprika you'll be able to stock up on foie gras, caviar, the local wines Furmint and Tokaji, lots of cured meat and duck and goose confit.
I have to admit that I was really surprised to know Hungarians are as much into this dried spicy powder as the Spanish. I'd never thought of Hungarian food as being particularly spicy, but the climate in the south of the country is perfect for growing the peppers used. Hungarian goulash is perhaps their most famous dish, but there are six different grades of paprika in the localised cuisine ranging from the mild Kulonleges to the almost fiery Eros (which seems an appropriate name).
Like the Spanish version, paprika is made from peppers of varying heat intensity that are dried and then powdered. The difference occurs at this point. Hungarian peppers are generally dried in the sun, or under shade cloth although some more commercial varieties are likely kiln dried.
In Spain however, pimenton is considered so important in the cuisine that it has been given PDO status (Protected Denominations of Origin). To give it a more local example, for me, that same designation is applied to Stilton cheese and Jersey Royal potatoes.
Pimenton is grown in two main areas, Murcia in the southeast of the country, and La Vera which lies southwest of Madrid. In La Vera, once the peppers are harvested, they are laid on racks and dried in huts over smoking oak and turned by hand several times a day. In Murcia they're traditionally dried in the sun as the weather suits this more. In both cases the dried peppers are then carefully stone-ground making sure the friction from the grinding doesn't heat them up, as this deteriorates the spice and can burn the essential oils.
The drying process alone can take up to two weeks, and with all the manual handling including the harvesting, it goes some way to explaining the price of this seemingly expensive spice.
Both the Hungarian and Spanish paprikas are interchangeable in many recipes but there will be things you make that you may not want a smokiness attached to. Both are good when warmed up in advance in some recipes.
It's one thing to add some paprika to a soup or stew that you'll cook for a few hours but, if using in a dressing or sauce, you're best to warm the ground paprika in some olive oil or sizzling butter before using. The spice will burn quickly so you need to take care but sizzling it this way, before mashing into potatoes, yoghurt or a salsa, will make the flavour more obvious and appealing. So, my advice would be to use them interchangeably but be aware that they are also quite different.
In our Ask Peter series, executive chef Peter Gordon answers your curly culinary questions. If you're stumped over something food-related, send your question to firstname.lastname@example.com and keep checking in for answers. You can read more on Peter on hiswebsite, have a read of his Ask Peter articles or check out his recipes here.


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Hanneli Mustaparta
Photographer, Blogger & Model
Hanneli Mustaparta is a Norwegian model-turned influencer, brand consultant and art director, who was discovered by the photographer Per Heimly in 1999 and is now one of the leading figures in fashion today.
After making the decision to step back from modelling to pursue a career in styling and also began contributing to various fashion magazines and blogs. She soon realised the impact her posts had, not only in Norway, but on an international level. So in 2009, Hanneli set up her own blog, Hanneli.com - the success of which has led to partnerships with some of the world's biggest brands – Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Calvin Klein to name just a few, as well as the position of Contributing Photographer at Vogue and Vogue.com.
After closing the blog in 2015, Hanneli's effortless and chic Scandinavian style continued to draw the attention of luxury fashion houses all over the world, working on not just influencer projects and campaigns, but also behind the scenes, consulting and art directing as well. Creativity runs throughout her life and she strives to form valuable partnerships with brands who share that value.
Pierre Robert
The Netset
The Coveteur X Mercedes Benz
Louis Vuitton
Calvin Klein
Sandnes Garn
Max & Co


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The mammoth vehicle - the most powerful since the shuttle system - lifted clear of its pad without incident to soar high over the Atlantic Ocean.
It was billed as a risky test flight in advance of the lift-off.
The SpaceX CEO said the challenges of developing the new rocket meant the chances of a successful first outing might be only 50-50.
"I had this image of just a giant explosion on the pad, a wheel bouncing down the road. But fortunately, that's not what happened," he told reporters after the event.
With this debut, the Falcon Heavy becomes the most capable launch vehicle available.
It is designed to deliver a maximum payload to low-Earth orbit of 64 tonnes - the equivalent of putting five London double-decker buses in space.
Such performance is slightly more than double that of the world's next most powerful rocket, the Delta IV Heavy - but at one third of the cost, says Mr Musk.
For this experimental and uncertain mission, however, he decided on a much smaller and whimsical payload - his old cherry-red Tesla sports car.
A space-suited mannequin was strapped in the driver's seat, and the radio set to play a David Bowie soundtrack on a loop.
The Tesla and its passenger have been despatched into an elliptical orbit around the Sun that reaches out as far as the Planet Mars.
The Falcon Heavy is essentially three of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 vehicles strapped together. And, as is the usual practice for SpaceX, all three boost stages - the lower segments of the rocket - returned to Earth to attempt controlled landings.
More about: ElonMusk


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It was super cute. I finished it with a vanilla bean Italian butter cream, and if i remember correctly a honey syrup. The cake was tall, colorful, classic and adorable! just like my bestie!
AND her Mr man took these lovely pics for me because the pic i took with my sad camera looked like this
thanks Mr bestie. the pics are awesome.
This project reminded me of another rainbow i made. A skittles vodka rainbow. Before giftmas I soaked a whole lot of skittles in a whole lots vodka. then after they were fully dissolved, I strained the mixture and portioned it out into little jars. Before I gave the little bundles of joy to ms.waffles. I had a little taste. scrum diddly umptious! I think it would be great with soda, or as a martini, or even in shots.
tastey rainbows


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Application Process - Cohort 12, 2017
Venue - St Hugh's College
Universities are invited to nominate one candidate who has demonstrated the potential to become a future leader in primary care research. This year we are recruiting a mid-career cohort; applicants will be at least 5 years post-doctoral or have equivalent research and leadership experience. The first residential meeting for Cohort 12, which applicants must be able to attend, will be held from 9th - 14th July in Oxford. Participants will attend day and evening sessions and dinners and be accommodated in student rooms
Past participants have found the programme inspirational, influential and a career defining experience. They incorporate what they learn on the programme into their research, clinical and educational work. The support they receive from the presenters and from each other has been found to be invaluable to their roles as leaders and contributes significantly to successful promotions.
Previous participants have said about the programme:
· "I enjoy participation in the programme very much. Every year I go back home totally energized and inspired"
· "[The programme is] hugely beneficial in terms of interaction and experience with a peer group. I have experienced a huge growth in confidence as a result. The programme has opened many doors in terms of career progression"
Prospective applicants must be nominated by their Head of Department. Please use the links below to download more information on the application process:
There are ten places available in Cohort 12.


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This is a set of leaves I designed for counted cross stitch. I love leaves and I love changing seasons. Above is a fall leaf(in orange) and a winter leaf. I tried to capture winter by making holes in the winter leaf.
Here is the spring and summer leaf. If you look closely at the summer leaf, you will see a lady bug hiding in the corner!


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Thursday, March 14, 2013
Sneak Peak: Our Place
6 comments:
looking good! we have just bought a new house which is going to be a major reno project- can't wait (even with all the people telling me what a nightmare doing reno's is!!!) Looking forward to meeting you in Chch!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Megan, I love a good reno! It's as fun as you make it!! Great to meet you in CHCH and sorry we didn't get more time to talk. It was a fantastic weeken but not long enough!Delete
brilliant - I kind of want to do a massive slide down the hall in my socks though! Didn't realise you're doing the blogger thing....see you at the dinner (or come visit the studio, I'm working all weekend)ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Nin, lovely to see you on Sat night. Short and sharp - it wa sa great weekend but never long enough to properly catch up with everyone!Delete
That is the CUTEST coat rack, EVER!!!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Jen - why thanks and yes it is. It's so cute that I hate hanging anything on it!Delete


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Developed by New Zealand horticulturist, Hayward Wright in the 1920's, this kiwifruit variety is broad-oval in shape with slightly flattened sides. The skin is a light greenish-brown and is covered with fine silky hairs. Beneath this covering lies emerald green flesh filled with small black edible seeds and has a very good keeping quality.
Hayward Kiwifruit is sold primarily as a fresh fruit but can be processed into jam, used to produce juice or wine and can be frozen. Cooking wise, it is used extensively in desserts, but can also work well in savoury dishes. For best flavour, Hayward Kiwifruit should be allowed to soften slightly.
Today, nutrition guidelines emphasise the value of eating a wide variety of foods as a key to healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables are particularly important to our health for the maximum intake of nutrients and protective components.
New research reveals that the brighter and deeper the colour of a fruit or vegetable, the greater its disease fighting properties.
Green and Gold Kiwifruit are a great example. Rich in colour, they offer a powerhouse of nutrients. Perfect for a quick breakfast or a snack-on-the-run, simply cut the kiwifruit in half and scoop out the delicious, nutritious flesh.
Look out for New Zealand Gold and Green Kiwifruit in the fresh produce section in most supermarkets and selected green grocers from June onwards. Gold Kiwifruit season concludes in early September while Green Kiwifruit can be purchased until late November.
Research has shown that Green and Gold Kiwifruit pack more punch than any other fruit. In an analysis of the ability of 27 most popular fruits to provide the recommended amounts of nine essential nutrients - Protein, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Vitamin C, Calcium & Iron - Kiwifruit won! The results showed Kiwifruit to be the most nutrient dense fruit followed by Paw Paw, Orange, Mandarin & Strawberries.
So bite for bite it pays to enjoy a Kiwifruit everyday. Whether you choose the delicious tangy flesh of Green Kiwifruit or the sweetness of Gold Kiwifruit with its exotic mix of melon, peach and citrus flavours, you too are a winner.
There are even more reasons to add Kiwifruit to your diet. Kiwifruit is heart friendly, the natural way to increase your nutrient intake and acts as a friendly immune booster during the dreaded winter months.
Currently, under the New Zealand Kiwifruit Export Regulations Global Fresh can only export kiwifruit to Australia. However certain regulations provided under the Act, the controlling body Kiwifruit New Zealand ("KNZ") can approve collaborative marketing arrangements which permit the export of kiwifruit to other markets, so long as the exporter can demonstrate the program benefits the New Zealand industry.
Conventional - delicious and ready to eat - in 10kg loose pack or prepack formats
NutriClean® - having met pesticide residue free regulations for the USA markets (by special order)
Certified Organic - environmentally friendly fruit produced to Biogro® New Zealand certification
Bayfresh®, Mr Kiwi™ and "JACE"
Produce Information & Availablity
Commercial plantings began in New Zealand in 1940 and in the 1970's large scale plantings occurred in the Bay of Plenty.
Green kiwifruit is a nutrient dense fruit containing more vitamin C than orange, around 20% more folate than bananas, strawberries or oranges, good levels of potassium, magnesium and dietary fibre and a low fat source of vitamin E.
The soluble fibre (pectin) in green kiwifruit helps manage healthy cholesterol levels
The antioxidants in green kiwifruit act like bodyguards to protect cells from free-radical damage
Vitamins C and E in green kiwifruit help boosts the body's defence system and immunity
The folate in green kiwifruit is essential for women planning pregnancy and during pregnancyGreen kiwifruit is a low kilojoule, nutritious snack.
The potassium in green kiwifruit aids fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve transmission.
Green or Gold Kiwifruit can be eaten to your heart's content as they contain:
Vitamin E to help protect the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood. Kiwifruit is one of the few naturally occurring low fat sources of vitamin E.
Potent phytochemicals such as carotenoids to protect body cells from oxidative damage.
Folate to assist in decreasing levels of homocysteine, a substance that can attack artery walls.
Soluble fibre (pectin) that acts as a cholesterol lowering agent.
A very favourable sodium to potassium ratio that is important for heart health, particularly blood pressure control.
Very rich in nutrients but low in kilojoules - great news for waist watchers!
Many people, especially those over 55 years of age or those with a pre-existing medical condition, need to be mindful of drug and supplement interactions. While the choice in vitamin and mineral supplements can bamboozle, the best choice is so often nature first.
Your body is designed to process food. And foods like Green and Gold Kiwifruit are packed with nutrients along with special plant or phytochemicals. These naturally occurring antioxidants interact within the fruit in complex ways that are not reproducible in a pill or supplement. In fact, Kiwifruit contains many natural substances that science hasn't even named yet and you're unlikely to find these goodies in a capsule!
Kiwifruit is one of the only low fat sources of vitamin E and a rich source of vitamin C. In fact, Gold Kiwifruit has twice the vitamin C of an orange. Both are essential vitamins during the winter months when they assist your immune system and protect you against ills, chills, viruses and bacteria that can leave you wrung out by mid winter.
The great news is that both Gold and Green Kiwifruit are in plentiful supply during the winter months while Green Kiwifruit continues to be available well into December. So, as the body's natural defence mechanism, give your immune system a friendly boost with Kiwifruit!
As most fruits contain little protein, nutrition scientists were surprised to find the building blocks of proteins (amino acids) in Kiwifruit, more specifically the amino acid, arginine, that acts as a vasodilator to help blood flow. Arginine has been used in the treatment of impotence, so you can certainly say that the Kiwifruit can zest things up in more ways than one!
NZ Kiwifruit supply is available from mid May and is stored through until November in both conventional and controlled atmosphere conditions.
Our parent company JACE Group (visit www.jacegroup.co.nz) operate 2 leading production and post-harvest sites in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, which combined process approximately 7 million trays of kiwifruit annually. Auckland Pack & Cool and Mount Pack & Cool combined represent around 12% of the total New Zealand crop.
The Class 2 grade of fruit that is generated from this throughput is marketed by Global Fresh primarily in Australia and the domestic market.
To fill the December to April supply window, Global Fresh has connections to source kiwifruit from premium suppliers in Italy, France and California.