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Turtle, (order Testudines), any reptile with a body encased in a bony shell, including tortoises. Although numerous animals, from invertebrates to mammals, have evolved shells, none has an architecture like that of turtles. The turtle shell has a top (carapace) and a bottom (plastron). The carapace and plastron are bony structures that usually join one another along each side of the body, creating a rigid skeletal box. This box, composed of bone and cartilage, is retained throughout the turtle's life. Because the shell is an integral part of the body, the turtle cannot exit it, nor is the shell shed like the skin of some other reptiles.
There are approximately 356 species of turtles living on land in all continents except Antarctica and in both salt water and fresh water. Tortoises (family Testudinidae) live exclusively on land and have anatomic features distinguishing them from other turtles, but the term tortoise has long been used to refer to other terrestrial testudines as well, such as the box turtle and the wood turtle. Similarly, terrapin was sometimes used to describe any aquatic turtle but is now largely restricted to the edible diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) of the eastern United States.
Despite turtles' broad distribution, there are not and never seem to have been a great many species of turtles at any time over the course of their long evolutionary history. The small number of species, however, does not equate to a lack of diversity. There are turtles with carapace lengths (the standard way to measure turtles) of less than 10 cm (4 inches), as in the flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus), and of more than 1.5 metres (4.9 feet), as in the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Some species live in seasonally cold climates with growing seasons of only about three months; others live in the tropics and grow year-round. Some tortoises rarely see water, while other turtles spend virtually their entire lives in it, be it in a single small pond or traveling the vast open ocean.
Both common and rare turtles are kept as pets. In the Western Hemisphere, pond turtles such as the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) and cooters (Pseudemys species) are very often seen in pet stores. The ornate shells that make some species valuable as pets also make them vulnerable to extinction in the wild, since these turtles frequently are found only in small geographic areas or do not breed in captivity.
Before the advent of plastics, tortoiseshell from the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) was used in eyeglass frames and decorative items. Turtles and their eggs have long been eaten in many parts of the world, and they continue to be in great demand commercially. In some areas, local populations and even entire species have been hunted to extinction.
Such exploitation is not a recent phenomenon. For example, the Native Americans who settled Florida quite possibly ate its giant tortoises to extinction as early as 11,500 years ago. The first colonists of Madagascar eliminated that island's giant tortoise (Geochelone grandidieri) between 2,300 and 2,100 years ago, and European settlers and sailors eliminated giant tortoises from the island of Mauritius during the 1700s and from Réunion by the 1840s. Every sea turtle species has long been killed for meat, with its eggs being harvested from beach nests as soon as they are laid. This practice now endangers many populations of sea turtles. Before 1969, for example, more than 3,000 female leatherback sea turtles emerged from the ocean annually to nest on the beaches of Terengganu, Malaysia. In the 1990s only 2 to 20 females appeared each year. Their disappearance resulted from years of excessive egg harvesting and the capture and slaughter of juveniles and adults during their migratory search for food. By the 2010s the species was virtually absent from Terengganu.
Overharvesting is not confined to large species. In China, turtles large and small are used for both food and medicine. By the early 1990s, many local populations of turtles had disappeared within the country, so turtles began to be imported from around the world. Some species, such as the three-striped box turtle, or golden coin turtle (Cuora trifasciata), are so popular for traditional Chinese celebrations and in traditional Chinese medicine that aquaculturists raise them and can sell individual turtles for tens of thousands of dollars (U.S.), an amazing price for a reptile less than 20 cm (about 8 inches) long.
Form and function
The turtle's shell is an adaptation that protects it from predators, which compensates for the reptile's slow crawling speed. The carapace and plastron each arose from two types of bone: dermal bones that form in the skin and endochondral bone (bone arising from cartilage) derived from the skeleton. Evolution has intricately linked these two types of bone to produce the shell of modern turtles. The carapace consists of 10 trunk vertebrae and their ribs, which are overlain by and fused to dermal plates. Another series of dermal plates forms the perimeter of the carapace. The plastron usually contains four pairs of large plates and a single one centred near the front (the anteromedial plate); these plates are large dermal bones, although the anterior ones may contain parts of the shoulder girdle. The shell is variously modified and shaped to meet the needs of defense, feeding, and movement.
Most tortoises have high, domed shells, the major exception being the pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri) of southeastern Africa. The pancake tortoise lives among rocky outcroppings, where its flat shell allows it to crawl into crevices to rest. Once in a crevice, the pancake tortoise can inflate its lungs, thus expanding the shell and lodging itself so securely that a predator cannot pull it free. The domed shell of other tortoises and land turtles such as box turtles (Cuora, Terrapene) seems to be an adaptation that makes the shell difficult for a predator to hold in its mouth and crush. Among aquatic turtles, some groups are swimmers and usually have streamlined shells; streamlining is best-developed in the sea turtles. Other aquatic turtles, such as the matamata (described below) and snapping turtles, are bottom-walkers; their shells are less streamlined and often have ridged carapaces that may assist in camouflage (see also concealing coloration).
The manner in which the neck folds is the main criteria for differentiating the two main groups (suborders) of turtles. All turtles, no matter how long or short their necks, have eight cervical vertebrae, but those that fold their neck vertically can withdraw the head into the shell. These are the so-called S-necked, or vertical-necked, turtles of the suborder Cryptodira (meaning "hidden neck"). Turtles that cannot withdraw the head belong to the suborder Pleurodira (meaning "side neck"). (See also side-necked turtle; snake-necked turtle.)
In addition to differences in the neck, skulls vary in size and shape between the two groups, though all are made up of the same bony elements. The pleurodiran and cryptodiran turtles differ fundamentally in lower jaw architecture and musculature. This difference typically yields a flatter and broader skull in the pleurodires—an architecture that may have allowed the evolution of the gape-and-suck feeding mechanism seen in many pleurodires and best developed in the South American matamata (Chelus fimbriatus or C. fimbriata). This turtle can quickly enlarge the cavity of its mouth and throat when striking at passing prey. As the turtle's head nears its victim, the greatly enlarged cavity acts like a vacuum, sucking water and prey into the mouth. As the throat area is compressed, the mouth is opened to allow water to escape but not the prey. Most carnivorous turtles use a head strike to capture their prey and when scavenging.
No present-day turtles have teeth; rather, the upper and lower jaws bear keratinous sheaths that fit onto the skull like a pair of false teeth. The edges (occasionally with serrations) are sharp and allow turtles to cut pieces of flesh from carcasses and quickly kill small prey. The cutting edges are also effective in chopping vegetation into bite-size pieces. Turtles do not chew; those that eat mollusks crush them with a broad, thick sheath inside the mouth.
All the turtle's senses are well-developed, and they are used in avoiding predators and in finding and capturing food. The eyes have the typical anatomy of other vertebrates having good vision. Aquatic turtles have eyes that quickly adjust for aerial or aquatic vision, seeing well in both situations. Tortoises appear to have colour vision, but colour vision is untested for most turtles. Turtles, particularly aquatic ones, are not strongly olfactory, but all are capable of smelling. Some aquatic species have protuberances on the chin in the form of tubercles and papillae. These appear to be mainly tactile, although some are chemosensory (that is, having the ability to sense particular chemical stimuli). The turtle ear has an eardrum flush with the surface of the head. A single bone, the stapes, transmits sound to the inner ear.
Natural history
Turtles have adapted to a remarkable variety of environments, but the greatest number of species occur in southeastern North America and South Asia. In both areas, most species are aquatic, living in bodies of water ranging from small ponds and bogs to large lakes and rivers. A few are strictly terrestrial (tortoises), and others divide their time between land and water. Although turtles as a group are broadly distributed, each species has a preferred habitat and is seldom found elsewhere. For example, both the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and the Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) live in the southern United States and are equally terrestrial, but they are not usually found together, as the box turtle prefers moist forest and the gopher tortoise open woodlands on sand ridges. The eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) is commonly considered an aquatic turtle, yet it spends the summer months in dormancy, estivating beneath vegetation in woodlands adjacent to its pond and stream habitats. The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temmincki) lives in the deep, slow-moving streams and backwaters of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Map turtles (Graptemys), on the other hand, select the faster-flowing waters of those same streams. The saltwater terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) lives in brackish coastal estuaries and marshes from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Padre Island, Texas. In some instances, juvenile sea turtles share these estuaries; larger and older sea turtles swim offshore in coastal waters to the mid-continental shelf.
A comparable range of species and preferred habitats is observed among the South Asian turtles. South Asia has a broad range of habitats and environments, ranging from desert to rainforest and from shallow tropical seas to frigid mountain forest. Turtles are found in most of these habitats, though mostly at low elevations and in waterways. Softshell turtles (family Trionychidae) have their greatest diversity in Asia and occur in most waters, from tiny ponds to large rivers. The Indian and Burmese flapshell turtles (genus Lissemys) are ubiquitous in slow-moving streams and rice paddies. Their mud colouring and relatively small size (carapaces up to 28 cm [11 inches]) make them inconspicuous and more likely to be overlooked in cultures that view all turtles as harvestable for food or medicine. On the other hand, their giant cousins, the narrow-headed softshells (genus Chitra) and the Asian giant softshells (genus Pelochelys), are inhabitants of large, deep rivers and attain shell lengths of over 1 metre (39 inches). They are poorly protected from habitat loss and harvesting, and some are critically endangered species. All softshell turtles are predominantly carnivores, though the flapshells eat some plant matter.
The Asian pond or river turtles (family Geoemydidae) show more diversity than their North American relatives (Emydidae). The six to eight species of Asian box turtles (genus Cuora) tend to be more aquatic than the American box turtles, spending much of their time in forest ponds and streams. As with the softshell turtles, Asia has two of the largest species of pond turtles—the Asian river turtle, or batagur (Batagur baska), and the painted terrapin (Callagur borneoensis)—with shell lengths to a half-metre (about 20 inches) and weights to 25 kg (55 pounds). Both are tidal river species, tolerating salinities up to about half that of marine salt water, and both include large amounts of fruits and leaves from waterside vegetation in their diet.
Asia has a few tortoises, the most widespread being the elongate tortoise (Indotestudo elongata), which is found in a variety of open woodland habitats. Although it is predominantly a herbivore, it consumes invertebrates and is not averse to eating carrion.
Turtles can be very common in some habitats, although in many places human activities have reduced their populations. Turtles also can attain surprisingly high densities, reaching 300 per hectare (120 per acre) in the red-eared slider. In contrast, the North American bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergi) lives in isolation, each bog containing only a dozen or fewer adults. The Aldabra giant tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) of the Indian Ocean has received modest protection, and, as a result, it has attained a total population of more than 100,000 according to some estimates, with densities in some areas of 30 to 160 individuals per hectare (12 to 64 per acre). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Aldabra giant tortoise as vulnerable since 1996.
Feeding behaviour
Turtles are not social animals. Although members of the same species may be observed congregating along a stream or basking on a log, there is usually little interaction between individuals (see also social behaviour, animal). Several species may inhabit the same river or lake, but each has different foods, feeding behaviours, and likely different activity periods. For example, a small lake in Georgia may be home to at least seven turtle species: snapping turtles, red-eared sliders, eastern cooters, common mud turtles, loggerhead musk turtles, stinkpots (common musk turtles), and spiny softshell turtles. The snapper is strongly carnivorous and will catch fish, frogs, snakes, and small aquatic birds. The softshell, musk, and mud turtles, meanwhile, will pursue many of the same small aquatic animals but with different preferences: the softshell hunts mainly fish and crayfish, the stinkpot eats mainly snails, insect larvae, and carrion, and the mud turtle primarily feeds on insects, mollusks, and carrion. The slider and cooter, on the other hand, have a mixed diet, the cooter's being more heavily vegetarian.
Like the Georgia turtles, most turtles eat a variety of foods. Tortoises (family Testudinidae) are herbivores that regularly eat a variety of plants and plant parts as available. Green sea turtles prefer marine grasses but, if these are not available, will eat algae. Many of the large river turtles are also herbivorous—for example, the yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), the Asian river turtle, and the Suwannee cooter (Pseudemys suwanniensis). Commonly, juvenile aquatic herbivores are insectivores and become herbivorous as they approach adulthood. There are some dietary specialists, however. For example, the Asian black marsh turtle (Siebenrockiella crassicollis), the American loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus), and the African Zambezi flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis frenatum) eat only mollusks. The leatherback sea turtle predominantly consumes gelatinous prey in the form of jellyfish and salps, apparently timing its movements into different areas to coincide with the seasonal blooms of prey.
Turtles in turn are prey for a variety of animals, mainly as eggs and hatchlings. Sharks will attack even adult sea turtles. Alligators and other crocodilians can crush the shell of most freshwater turtles, and mammalian predators can kill adult turtles on land.
All turtles lay their eggs on land, and none show parental care. Amidst this apparent uniformity, however, there is a variety of reproductive behaviours, ecologies, and physiologies.
Reproductive age and activity
The age at which turtles first reproduce varies from only a few years to perhaps as many as 50, with small species typically reaching sexual maturity sooner. Female false map turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) of the central United States, for example, are about 8 cm (3.2 inches) long and become sexually mature at two to three years. The eastern (U.S.) mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) is somewhat larger and spends three to four years as a juvenile. The much larger common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), at nearly 30 cm (one foot), takes 10 to 12 years to mature, and the slightly larger Mexican tortoise (Gopherus flavomarinatus) matures at 14 to 15 years. Age at maturity is also tied to a turtle's rate of growth, which relates to both the quantity and quality of food. Along Florida's Atlantic coast the metre-long (3.3-foot) green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) takes 24 to 28 years to mature, but in Hawaii it takes 30 to 34 years, and some Australian populations near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef take more than 40 years.
Reproductive activity is generally seasonal, and for most species it occurs in conjunction with a major annual weather change. For most turtles living in temperate regions, reproductive activity can occur with increasing day length and temperature (i.e., in springtime), whereas for many tropical species it may occur late in the dry season or early in the rainy season. Egg laying coincides with periods favourable for the development and emergence of hatchlings—for instance, times of abundant food or of optimal weather conditions.
Courtship and copulation
Courtship and copulation require cooperation because of the turtles' shells. Mating can occur only with entwined tails, thus placing the male and female vents together for insertion of the penis. Courtship patterns range from a seemingly abusive interaction to a titillation routine that entices the female's cooperation. Many male tortoises (Geochelone species) compete with one another in a series of head bobs and ramming charges. A male then uses the same behaviour along with biting to force the female into immobility and submission. In contrast, male sliders (Trachemys) and cooters are more subtle in their approach. These freshwater turtles have exceptionally long and straight claws. Depending upon the species, the male swims above or backward in front of the female with his forelimbs extended and his claws brushing the sides of the female's head. His forefeet vibrate, and the rapid, light touch of the claws titillates the female. In a few species, including the Asian river turtle, or batagur (Batagur baska), and the Argentine side-necked turtle (Phrynops hilarii), the male develops bright head and trunk colours that signal his reproductive readiness and possibly elicit a female's cooperation.
Nesting and egg laying
Leatherbacks and other sea turtles are migratory in that they traverse hundreds of kilometres from their main feeding areas to nest on the beaches where they hatched. Annual migration also occurs in some river-dwelling turtles, including the South American arrau (Podocnemis expansa) and the Asian river turtle. These turtles move tens of kilometres along rivers in order to find large sandbars on which to nest. The females of all aquatic species must leave the water to find nesting sites. Some merely move to the banks adjacent to the streams they live in; others travel hundreds of metres across land to find appropriate nesting conditions. Nesting is an arduous affair that exposes females to increased predation.
The number of eggs in a single "clutch" is variable both within and between species. Small species typically lay few eggs—only one or two in the Asian black marsh turtle or the pancake tortoise. The number of eggs increases with body size among species and occasionally within a species. However, the largest turtle, the leatherback sea turtle, produces fewer eggs (average 50–90 eggs per clutch) than do smaller sea turtles such as the hawksbill (140–160 eggs) and olive ridley (105–110 eggs). Similarly, the large Aldabran tortoise (60–80 cm [24–32 inches]) lays 12–14 eggs, yet the common snapping turtle (20–35 cm [8–14 inches]) lays 20–30 eggs, and the Suwanee cooter (14–28 cm [5.5–11 inches]) lays 15–20 eggs.
In most species, eggs are laid annually; a few species lay every other year, and some lay twice in one nesting season. The sea turtles generally nest in three- to four-year cycles, the female usually laying multiple clutches of eggs during each nesting season. Within the season, cycles of egg laying occur about two weeks apart, allowing the female time to rest from the energy-demanding excursion ashore and for ovulation and shelling of the eggs. Turtle eggshells can be leathery, as in sea turtles, or brittle, as in many tortoises. Calcium carbonate is a constituent of both types of shells; the leathery ones simply have less.
Nest digging is a fixed behavioral pattern in all but a few species. Most turtles dig chambers in which the eggs are laid. Once the female finds a desired nesting site, she begins to dig the chamber with alternate scooping movements of the hind limbs. As one hind limb supports the rear half of the body, the other one moves inward under the tail and, with a semicircular twist of the foot, spades into the soil and makes a quick sideward flip, dropping the soil to the outside as the hind foot locks into its supportive position. The opposite foot repeats the pattern, and in a slow, steady alternation the nest is dug. Digging stops when the female has reached a depth equal to the length of her outstretched hind limbs. Then, bracing herself on both hind limbs and with the tail centred over the nest, she drops her eggs into the hole. After she has expelled all of her eggs, the hind limbs resume their alternate movement, but now they drag the loose soil back into the nest. The female departs when the nest is filled. A few species, such as the stinkpot, or common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), dig a shallow nest with both the fore- and hind feet.
Egg development and hatching
The rate of development inside the egg is temperature-dependent, with warmer temperatures speeding development and cooler temperatures slowing it. As a result, incubation time is variable. For the majority of turtles, incubation ranges between 45 and 75 days. A few species, including the scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) of Central and South America and the northern snake-necked turtle (Chelodina rugosa) of Australia, have embryonic diapause, in which development stops soon after an egg is deposited. Diapause is usually triggered by an environmental stimulus, and development resumes when a contrasting stimulus (temperature and moisture) occurs. Incubation with diapause can be as long as 12 months from egg laying to hatching.
In most turtles, sex is determined by temperature. Within a narrow range of temperatures (centred at 28 °C [82 °F]), a clutch of eggs yields nearly equal numbers of females and males. Above that range all hatchlings are female, and below it all are male. The critical period for sex determination is during the second trimester of incubation, and the critical temperature seems to be the average during this period rather than the maximum or minimum.
This temperature effect is substantial. Increases in air and sea surface temperatures related to global warming and shifting regional climate patterns have had substantial effects on the sex ratios of some species. For example, the sex ratio of green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) juveniles and subadults from the beaches of the northern parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef became overwhelmingly (more than 99 percent) female between 1960 and 2016 as air temperatures rose.
Hatching consists of two separate events: exiting the egg and emerging from the nest. Hatchlings have a small, pointed, keratinous bump (caruncle) on the tip of the snout. This structure is analogous to the egg tooth possessed by hatchling birds and some other reptiles. The caruncle is pushed against the inner surface of the eggshell, breaking it. The hatchling then tears a larger opening and climbs out of the shell. After a pause to uncurl its body and shell from the cramped conditions within the egg, the hatchling begins to dig upward. This may be an individual effort, but usually several hatchlings dig together, helping one another. In sea turtles a collective effort is required because a single hatchling lacks the energy and time to do it alone. Upon reaching the surface, hatchlings of aquatic species move to the water; terrestrial ones make their way into leaf litter or dense vegetation to avoid predators. Eggs and hatchlings are the most vulnerable life stages, and many become a meal for almost any predator in their habitat.
The long lives of turtles are often proclaimed as fact, but reliable evidence is lacking for many of the claims. In some cases of exceptional longevity, written records reveal that the individual has mysteriously changed sex or species from beginning to end, hinting at a surreptitious replacement. Even so, if an individual survives to adulthood, it will likely have a life span of two to three decades. In the wild, American box turtles (Terrapene carolina) regularly live more than 30 years. Obviously, sea turtles requiring 40 to 50 years to mature will have life spans reaching at least 60 to 70 years. The giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands and Aldabra (Geochelone elephantopus and G. gigantea, respectively) have lived more than 60 years in zoos. On occasion it has been reported that individuals of a few tortoise species have lived in captivity for 100 to 250 years. In many of these cases, the reported sex of the supposedly long-lived tortoise, or the species, or even both, have mysteriously changed during captivity, making it difficult to accept the reliability of such reports. 100 years is not the maximum for a few species, especially sea turtles and giant tortoises, but, in order to surpass this age, an extremely nurturing protective environment would be required. For example, "Jonathan" (a giant tortoise residing on St. Helena) is the world's oldest known terrestrial animal; he was hatched in the early 1830s and likely owes his longevity to having been cared for by humans since the 1880s.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
sound reception: TurtlesIt is sometimes supposed that the turtle's ear is a degenerate organ, largely or even completely unresponsive to sound. Although the turtle's ear is unusual in some respects, and can be regarded as specialized in its manner of receiving and utilizing sounds, it is…
chemoreception: Hominghoming by sea turtles is dependent on imprinting of some chemical characteristics of the natal beach in the hatchling stages.…
reptile: Respiratory system…to all modern reptiles except turtles, which, because of the fusion of the ribs with a rigid shell, are unable to breathe by this means; they do use the same mechanical principle of changing pressure in the body cavity, however. Contraction of two flank muscles enlarges the body cavity, causing…
reptile: Annotated classificationTestudines (turtles) Upper Triassic to present. Three infraorders. Small (16 cm [6 inches]) to large (3.6 metres [12 feet] in shell length) armoured reptiles, terrestrial to marine. Skull without pineal opening; jaws toothless; armor in form of a shell encasing the body above (carapace) and below…
reptile: North temperate zone…Eurasia, the northern limit of turtles is about 55° N. Even though these regions are characterized by many species of turtles, most families and genera are unique to one region or another. This phenomenon also occurs in other groups of reptiles. Many lizards of temperate Eurasia belong to the families…
More About Turtle17 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- Amazon Rain Forest
- breathing
- chemoreception
- classification
- distribution
- hearing ability
- integumentary system
- longevity
- musical instruments


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How to Use
Map 1: North Carolina.
Each of the towns indicated on the map served as a meeting site for North Carolina's legislature at one time. New Bern and Raleigh, however, are the only two towns to serve as the official capital.
Questions for Map 1
1. Locate Edenton, where the legislature met from 1722-37, 1740-41, and 1743. Next, locate New Bern, which served as the capital from 1766 until 1792. What do their locations have in common? Why might they have been logical locations for the legislature to meet at the time? What might have been problems with their locations?
2. Note the locations of the various towns where the legislature met during the American Revolution: Hillsborough, Halifax, Smithfield, Wake Courthouse, Fayetteville, and Tarboro. What do their locations have in common?
3. Locate Raleigh, which became North Carolina's permanent capital in 1792. How would you describe its location? What might have been some advantages of locating the capital here?
* The map on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of Map 1, but be aware that the file may take as much as 35 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.

subset: commoncrawl


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The U.S. Justice Department on Monday asked a federal judge to deny Standard & Poor's motion to dismiss a government lawsuit against the ratings agency, saying its statements on certain financial products were fraudulent and not mere "puffery".
In a $5 billion suit, the U.S. government has accused S&P, owned by McGraw Hill Financial Inc , of issuing inflated ratings on faulty products to drum up business before the 2008 financial crisis, despite assurances that its judgments were objective.
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S&P has denounced the lawsuit, filed in February in the Los Angeles District Court, and accuses the government of cherry-picking emails to misconstrue what its analysts did.
The agency last month asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the government's case was based on vague statements that could not prove fraud.
In its defense, S&P cited a federal court ruling, upheld by an appeals court, that described statements made about its independence as insufficient evidence for a fraud conviction.
The Justice Department argued in a court filing on Monday that far from being mere "puffery", S&P made those statements knowing they would be "relied on by investors".
S&P could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters outside of regular U.S. business hours.
The case is in re USA vs McGraw-Hill Companies, Case No. 2:13-00779, U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
(This story has been corrected to fix company name to McGraw Hill Financial Inc from McGraw-Hill Companies Inc in paragraph two)
(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Stephen Coates)


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Science Friday® is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Science Friday® and SciFri® are registered service marks of Science Friday, Inc. Site design by Pentagram; engineering by Mediapolis.
Energy prices remain high, with a barrel of crude oil selling for well over $130. But thousands of megawatts of solar generated power might not see the light of day if Congress doesn't act soon. This hour, Ira and guests look at the battle over the renewable investment tax credit, and why solar industry execs are biting their nails over the legislative snarl.
Then, tired of waiting for Congress to act? We'll look at how you can bring solar to your sockets faster, without taking out a second mortgage. From the latest in panels and photovoltaics, to how you can pay for it all, we'll find out what you can do to add solar power to your world.


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Lost in the shuffle of the 21st century's transition to digitized music, is one omnipresent and obtrusive reality: MP3's just do not offer great quality sound. The format simply doesn't capture the nuanced and vibrant sound of studio sessions, and instead delivers music in a diluted, watered-down manner.
According to Rollingstone.com, musician Neil young is poised to offer a high-quality alternative to services like iTunes — services he thinks offer an inferior listening experience. The project has been dubbed Pono — Hawaiian for righteous — and its aim is to reproduce recordings as they sounded in the studio.
Along with Meridian Audio, the legendary songster plans to release a line of high-quality portable music players, coupled with a download service. The service will reportedly utilize a digital-to-analog conversion technology capable of producing digital music files of unprecedented quality.
Young's being backed in his venture by such industry giants as Warner Music Group, Sony Music, and Universal Music Group, all of whom are in the process of converting their album libraries to the new format. Warner in particular had digitized roughly 8,000 album titles into 24-bit/192kHz form before Young was even on board. The willingness of industry giants to embrace the new format suggests that Pono may truly be on track to provide a revolution in the digital music industry.
Some are saying the service may even push iTunes to improve its quality, or be pushed aside. As of yet, there have been no details on release date and/or pricing, but it's safe to say that the high-end audio Pono purports to offer will come with a hefty price tag; not to mention you'll need to re-buy any songs you currently own if you want to hear them in the new format. Still, it's always nice to see manufacturer's forego quickness and quantity in favor of quality. Stay tuned for continuing coverage.


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ND @ Virginia Game Watch
Date/Time : Saturday, 12 Sep 2015 - 2:00pm - 6:00pm | Add To Your Calendar
Location : B.D. Riley's Irish Pub, 204 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78701
John, Steve, and the entire BD Riley's family has offered to invite us back into their traditional Irish pub. We recommend you get there a few minutes early! Please park on the corner of 7th Street and San Jacinto Blvd. When you bring your parking ticket in, the wait staff will give you a credit on food and drinks equal to the cost of parking.
At this year's game watches we will be engaging fans with social media. Tag a photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram of you and your friends with both#bdrileys and #ndaustin. The owner of the past week's winning photo will win a $25 gift card to the pub.
We are still running our famous "Guess the Score" and "Notre Dame Halftime Trivia" games. For each of these games, the winner gets git cards and merchandise.
We look forward to seeing you and your family this Saturday. Go Irish!


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Trailers & Videos
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - IMAX Featurette #1
MORE IMAGE IN IMAX, OBVIOUSLY! Take it from James Gunn himself: "I personally oversee the 3D, crafting every shot, and only in IMAX do we shift aspect ratios during big scenes so that you get nearly 30% more screen size than anywhere else."


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I need to remove the white background from a text logo so it has a transparent background.
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Kappa Delta Pi, An International Honor Society in Education, was founded March 8, 1911, at the University of Illinois. Organized to recognize excellence in education, KDP elects those to membership who exhibit the ideals of scholarship, high personal standards, and promise in teaching and allied professions. It encourages improvement, distinction in achievement, and contributions to education. Kappa Delta Pi is an honor society of, about, and for educators. Selection as a member of KDP is based on high academic achievement, a commitment to education as a career, and a professional attitude that assures steady growth in the profession.
Ideals of the Society:
Fidelity to HumanityScienceServiceToil
The Psychological Society is intended to offer students the opportunity to share information and form a network of friends with similar interests in psychology. A variety of different activities are offered each semester to accomplish that mission. Some of these activities in the past have been: volunteering at a homeless shelter, cleaning a battered women's shelter, a field trip to the Field Station of the Yerkes Regional Primate Center, cleaning/painting Harbor House, cookout at the House o' Dreams, volleyball socials (highlight is end of the year senior vs. professor volleyball challenge) and alumni night. Psych Society also hosts an informal gathering of students to express concerns called Coffee Talk. As an active organization, Psych Society is an excellent way to enhance your experience in the Psychology program.
Psi Chi is the National Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. Membership is open to graduate and undergraduate men and women who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests, and who meet the minimum qualifications.
Psi Chi serves two major goals--one immediate and visibly rewarding to the individual member, the other slower and more difficult to accomplish, but offering greater rewards in the long run. The first of these is the Society's obligation to provide academic recognition to its inductees by the mere fact of membership. The second goal is the obligation of each of the Society's local chapters to nurture the spark of that accomplishment by offering a climate congenial to its creative development. For example, the chapters make active attempts to nourish and stimulate professional growth through programs designed to augment and enhance the regular curriculum and to provide practical experience and fellowship through affiliation with the chapter. In addition, the national organization provides programs to help achieve these goals, including national and regional conventions held annually in conjunction with the psychological associations, research award competitions, and certificate recognition programs.
The Berry College Georgia Association of Educators--the Student Program (GAE-SP) is a pre-professional organization of students who plan to become teachers. It is not just another student club but is sponsored by the Georgia Association of Educators and the National Education Association who work to prepare education majors and minors for a brighter professional future. GAE-SP is designed to provide college students with the opportunity to join practicing teachers in making their voices heard locally, statewide, and nationally through activities that affect their chosen profession--teaching.
GAE-SP works to help students make that smooth transition from the campus to the classroom by exploring the critical non-instructional aspects of the profession. Georgia Association of Educators--the Student Program works with its members to make sure they learn about salaries, competency testing, evaluations, discipline, certification requirements, stress, and political and legislative activities.
Georgia Association of Educators--the Student Program members and their colleagues across the nation already are professionals--demonstrating their commitment to action and making an investment toward a bright, professional future and career.
Students interested in teaching are invited to attend a meeting of the Berry College chapter of GAE-SP the second Monday of each month at 6:00 in Cook Hall.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ruth Ference
For more information, please email
GAE Homepage
National Educators Association Homepage


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ATF Gun Confiscations Getting "Easier"
As the Washington Times reported, "The Obama administration is making it easier for bureaucrats to take away guns without offering the accused any realistic due process. In a final rule published [recently], the Justice Department granted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) authority to 'seize and administratively forfeit property involved in controlled-substance abuses.'"
That may sound like property being seized from a convicted drug dealer. It's not. This gun confiscation and forfeiture (meaning, ATF can sell off the property after gun confiscations) occurs when ATF claims a crime has been ommitted in a case involving "controlled-substances."
"That means government can grab firearms and other property from someone who has never been convicted or even charged with any crime."
It is then up to the owner to prove that his or her property wasn't used in the commission of a drug crime.
"Law enforcement agencies love civil forfeiture because it's extremely lucrative," the Times contended. "The Department of Justice's Assets Forfeiture Fund had $2.8 billion in booty in 2011, according to a January audit. Seizing guns from purported criminals is nothing new; Justice destroyed or kept 11,355 guns last year, returning just 396 to innocent owners. The new ATF rule undoubtedly is designed to ramp up the gun-grabbing because, as the rule justification claims, 'The nexus between drug trafficking and firearm violence is well established.'"
Essentially, ATF now has an increased "profit motive" to initiate gun confiscations during its investigations. Of course, "Nowhere is there any recognition of the burden placed on innocent citizens stripped of their property or of the erosion of their civil liberties."
What do you think about this news? Leave a comment below or click here to talk gun rights on GunForums.com.
Learn More About Gun Laws and Gun Rights from Massad Ayoob
All gun owners should be concerned about news like this, doubly so for those who practice concealed carry. They live those laws every day. Learn more about them in the second edition of Massad Ayoob's Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry book.
Click here to order the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry from GunDigestStore.com for the best price.


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Greenpeace's "Detox" campaign is having a banner month. Not only did the environmental nonprofit convince Zara, the world's No. 1 apparel retailer, to commit to eliminating hazardous chemicals from its supply chain by 2020, but it also obtained similar pledges from two other leading high-street brands this past week alone. Following public pressure in response to Greenpeace Toxic Threads report, which pilloried the garment industry for poisoning the world's waterways with hormone-disrupting substances, Hong Kong-owned Esprit and Spain's Mango have both agreed to work towards the goal of zero discharge of chemicals like alkylphenol ethoxylates, perfluorinated compounds, phthalates, brominated and chlorinated flame-retardants, AZO dyes, and heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and chromium (VI).
Mango and Esprit are the ninth and tenth brands, after Adidas, C&A, H&M, Li-Ning, Nike, Puma, Marks & Spencer, and Zara, to make "credible commitments" to clean up their supply chains and products since Greenpeace launched its Detox campaign in 2011.
Mango and Esprit are the ninth and tenth brands to make "credible commitments" to detox their supply chains since Greenpeace launched its campaign.
Mango and Esprit are the ninth and tenth brands to make "credible commitments" to detox their supply chains since Greenpeace launched its campaign.
As part of the roadmap they've established, the companies have promised to work with their suppliers to disclose their pollution data by the end of 2013, particularly with respect to local communities living in or around discharge sites.
The nonprofit has since turned its attention to Levi Strauss, the world's leading jean manufacturer, for its lackluster chemical-management policies and programs.
"Esprit is beginning to take responsibility for its entire supply chain," Ada Kong, a Greenpeace campaigner, says in a statement. "[Its] commitment to require 30 of [its] suppliers in China to disclose discharge data by the end of 2013 is a major breakthrough for communities who are forced to share their waterways with industry. If Esprit can commit to disclose pollution data for so many of its suppliers, then why can't Levi's—as a self-proclaimed leader—beat this number?"
Although Levi's insisted in a blog post on Wednesday that it's part of a roadmap effort with clear milestones and positive, long-term outcomes, Greenpeace says the company's plan lacks "any kind of ambition."
"Right now, rivers in China, Mexico and elsewhere are being polluted with hazardous chemicals, and we need brands like Levi's— who have been caught contributing toward the problem—to take urgent action in order to stop these environmental crimes," adds Kong. "Nice words are not enough."


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Mike Super called up his spiritual friend, Desmond, with a taser then brought Mel B on stage.
Super, using what looked like a voodoo doll, had Desmond tap her on the shoulder, char her hands and then hit her with the taser. Howard hates Desmond but Heidi, Mel and Howie liked the act.
The other acts looking for one of the five spots were: Dragon House 'The Agents,' Anna Clendening, Cornell Bhangra, Kiernan & Finian Makepeace, Adrian Romoff, Wendy Liebman, Sons of Serendip, Blue Journey and Paul Ieti.


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"Siffin" Surname
Frequency of "Siffin" Surname in the US
2000 US Census
The surname "Siffin" is not included in the US Census Bureau's ranking of surnames with 100 or more people. Since fewer than 100 people with this surname were included in the 2000 Census, it is relatively uncommon.
Source: "Frequently Occurring Surnames from the Census 2000", US Census Bureau.
"Siffin" Graves on Histopolis
Histopolis currently has 1 grave(s) with the surname "Siffin".
Search the Histopols Grave Index for the surname "Siffin".
Resource Links for "Siffin"
Sorry, there are currently no resource links for the surname "Siffin".
Do you know of a web page containing information about this surname that would be useful to genealogy or history researchers? Please add it now! (Free registration required)
Surnames that Sound Like "Siffin"
The surname "Siffin" has a Soundex code of S150. The following 233 surname(s) may sound similar to "Siffin" since they share the same Soundex code.
Unconfirmed Surname
Histopolis has an entry for this surname but it might be the result of an error in the source information, since:
- It was not listed in the US Census Bureau list of most frequent surnames for either 1990 or 2000,
- Histopolis currently has few entries (1) for this surname in the Histopolis Grave Index, and
- There are no currently no links to other sites with this surname.
To confirm this surname, add a link (above) to a page with information about this surname or that references individuals with this surname.


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Opinion: Boehner to Obama: You Built the Sequester
Editorial board member Steve Moore on why President Obama is to blame for the sequester.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... House Speaker John Binner weighed in on the sequester ... on the Wall Street Journal's op ed page today ... here's an excerpt let's put that up on the screen ... having first proposed in demand and the sequester it would make sense ... that the president lead the effort to replace it ... unfortunately he has put forth no detailed plan they can pass Congress ... and the Senate ... controlled by his Democratic allies hasn't even voting on a solution ... let alone passed one strong words ... editorial board member Steve Moore joins me now from Washington ... Steve ... Bayern makes the point that House Republicans the past ... two plants ... with what they are says are common sense cuts in reforms that protect national security ... I use the focus finally shifting here too ... Democrats in the White House ... by another problem areas that the president has been all over the map on the sequester ... that the sequester cuts were racially his idea of back in ... two thousand and ten and two thousand eleven when they couldn't reach agreement on the debt ceiling agreement ... I've that exactly a year ago ... Mary he famously said that he would veto any attempt ... to get rid of the sequester and then of course yesterday he said that it would be Armageddon for the country if we let the sequester go through ... now the Republicans are very frustrated dealing with the process ... aam and the Republicans this I think makes a lot of sites which is look we can find a better way to cut ... the spending but it's not can have involved tax increases given the fact that we've just raise taxes twice this year what with Obamacare and one with the fiscal class ... and that's where the standoff that Republicans say they're not to raise taxes Obama will which says that he wants to turn off the sequester ... by raising tax on the ranch Stephen L was paint the Democrats are such a broad brush RNA are Democrats in the Senate ... who dont wanna raise taxes to win he'll do a deal with Republicans ... if the White House backed off ... oh sure there are Mariam in as you know there are ... a body that and ... what I call red state Democrats up for re-election in two thousand fourteen these are ... not Democrats who need to move the metal politically for political survival states eight ... and yes absolutely they won on a more rational solution ... by the way I should say this very I actually don't think the sequester is such a bad way to cut spending ... I mean this is what businesses do with the revenues are down a man to cut their expenditures they go to the agency's then they go to their program officers and say look we don't have everything by four or five percent white can government do that ... you know it's a great point in beta makes that point in the op ed he says ... otherwise no one should be talking about raising taxes ... basically while government is ... playing paying people to play video games and giving people free cell phones ... um Steve that's not just a throwaway line those things are actually happening ... aam is there room though the cut and none of those extremis programs to really make a dent in our budget deficit ... you not come to the view that the Republican should be read and talk about replacing this cluster I think the rhetoric should be sequester plots in other words I think we should do the sequester absolutely and that if we can get other type programs savings which there are plenty of ... every can make an reforms to entitle this we need you that I mean let's face it we got one point one trillion dollar deficit ... I we gotta do all of the above in terms of brain this time they got ... by the way it's really interesting is that Mary that ... here we have an eighty five billion dollar cut that suppose to happen this year ... Pres Obama in a state of the Union speech ... and or stay about eighty three billion dollars of new spending in that speech along that I just think Republicans don't believe that I don't believe this present is all serious about wanting to cut anything and up ... Steve do you see the stock that is really drawing a line in the sand banners saying to the press the ok ... it's time to ... tell us what you wanna do that we're not negotiating anymore ... yet ... the problem areas like outlay John Binner alot I interviewed him as you know at the beginning of the year ... I'm not so sure how much credibility the Republicans haven't these routes because as you know they back down on the fiscal cliff they backed down on the debt ceiling ... you know a lot of people in this town think that the Republicans when push comes to shop may back down here again I hope they don't I think our fiscal future really depends ... I'm not sticking to their guns here is that is very reasonable Mr President if you wanna turn this thing off you have to come up with alternative cuts ... to the Republican sticking to their guns asking the Democrats to come up with some planned something ... editorial board member Steve Moore


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Observing marmots and discovering which one warns the entire family with its whistle. Or swimming in a mountain lake and floating around on a raft – that's what the young ones want, no question! The more they like it, the more it is easy for the adults. When hiking involves a detective and mystery, then children are completely happy. Zermatt, Täsch and Randa, that means a mountain world full of adventure and fun. For young and old.
Hiking with children can be challenging for adults. It has to be interesting, otherwise they will go on strike. In Zermatt, this challenge is much less so – variety is part of the programme.


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The Bottle Organ is a real showstopper! It plays by blowing across the tops of real beer bottles, which are permanently tuned. And the music is so lovable! Driven by contemporary MIDI technology, the Bottle Organ is ideal for pubs and restaurants with a reputation for fun, where the past is respected, and where patrons appreciate the rare and unusual. Custom fabrication assures quality of the highest standard.
Finish: Natural Cherry


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Subscribe To Jane Eyre Updates
It's a natural law that when the movies roll into Netflix, at some point they they have to roll on out. June is certainly no exception, as the following list of ten are picks we think you should see before they leave the stream during that month.
Well, Brian Joseph Davis, writer and co-founder of the online literary magazine Joyland, chose to explore the divide between what we imagine and what's on the page with his intriguing blog The Composites. Here he uses composite sketch software created for identifying crime suspects to render a detailed image of a wide-array of literary figures, from Sam Spade to Madam Bovary and Lisbeth Salander.
What sets Fukunaga's production apart is it's gothic feel, its up-and-coming talent, and a good score. That may not be enough to compete with Orson Welles, Bernard Herrmann, and an early Elizabeth Taylor appearance, but you can't say they didn't put in major effort
Fassbender was tackling the role of the moody, imperious romantic hero Edward Fairfax Rochester, the enigmatic love interest played in the countless Jane Eyre adaptations by the likes of Orson Welles, George C. Scott and William Hurt. But together with co-star Mia Wasikowska as Jane, Fassbender and Fukunaga pulled off the unthinkable
Mia Wasikowska is having one hell of a year, first starring in the box office smash Alice in Wonderland and then the awesome indie darling The Kids Are All Right. Michael Fassbender
The stills don't tell us all that much, to be honest, but Wasikowska looks perfect for the role, and it will be interesting to see how Fukunaga tackles the traditional settings of the period piece
I know adaptations of centuries-old novels aren't usually the things that get the movie fan community's blood pumping, but I am excited about the upcoming movie version of Jane Eyre, and you should be too
Fukunaga's directorial debut Sin nombre was a big critical hit earlier this year, and while Jane Eyre seems like a gigantic change of pace, I can't wait to see what he does with it
Given that his directorial debut was the elegantly made and very smart Sin nombre, everyone has been wondering what Cary Fukunaga would do next I don't think anyone was expecting this


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NASA Launches Robotic Explorer To Moon From Va. [VIDEO]
NASA's newest robotic explorer has already run into some equipment trouble.
NASA officials say the LADEE spacecraft was spinning too fast after it separated from the final rocket stage. But they say the lunar probe is safe and remains on a perfect track for the moon.
An unmanned rocket blasted off from Virginia's Eastern Shore late Friday night, carrying LADEE. It was a change of venue for NASA, which typically launches its moon missions from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch provided a rare light show along the East Coast for those blessed with clear skies.
NASA expected the launch to be visible, weather permitting, as far south as South Carolina, as far north as Maine and as far west as Pittsburgh.
LADEE should reach the moon on Oct. 6. It will orbit Earth's closest neighbor for a few months, analyzing the ever-so-delicate atmosphere and lunar dust. The six-month mission costs $280 million.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)


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NCAA Ticket Lottery System Under FirePosted by rtmsf on July 19th, 2010
Last week a federal appeals court in Chicago reinstated a lawsuit against the NCAA that takes a direct shot at its lottery-based process for distributing the oh-so-coveted Final Four ducats each year. Many fans who have never attended (or tried to attend) a Final Four may not know this, but depending on the size of the venue, the NCAA offers a good number of tickets for sale to the general public every year. Next year, with Houston's Reliant Stadium (and its 71,500 seats) hosting the final weekend, the NCAA is offering 20,000 seats for sale to the public. A lottery process determines if your application is one of the lucky few. From the NCAA website:
Only one properly submitted application per individual/household will be accepted for inclusion in the NCAA's ticket selection process. The NCAA will use a random, selection process to determine successful Men's Final Four recipients in July 2010. Those individuals selected to receive tickets will be notified by the end of August. Individuals not selected to receive tickets will receive a refund of the full application deposit amount by August. Men's Final Four tickets may not be offered as a prize in a promotion, sweepstakes or contest, or auctioned for fundraising purposes unless authorized in advance by the NCAA. (emphasis added by RTC)
The rub of this lawsuit is that the NCAA also requires a nonrefundable $6-$10 processing fee with each application, regardless of whether you "win" or "lose" the tickets. So if you are one of the many unlucky applicants and your check isn't fortuitously chosen from the hopper, you will only get a refund for the value of the tickets, not the processing fee. Due to this nice little Ticketmaster-esque add-on of a few extra bucks to play the game, this "lottery" for Final Four tickets (where everyone loses even when they win) might just be illegal in the state of Indiana.
The class-action suit (of residents from New York, Arizona and Oregon) argues that the state government of Indiana (where the NCAA is HQ'd) is the only entity within the Hoosier State who may lawfully run a lottery, and as such, the NCAA's money-making fee structure is in clear violation of the law. The Court of Appeals decision agreed in stating that people who apply for Final Four tickets are not aware that they are gambling ("pay to play") when they submit an application, and the NCAA could have avoided this whole mess if they'd simply refunded the processing fees to those who did not win tickets.
The next phase of the case will be discovery and another chance in front of the District Court, but it seems from our viewpoint that the NCAA is probably going to have to pay something on this whether as part of a large settlement or a judgment against them. By refusing to refund the processing fee, there's just something that doesn't pass the sniff test here, and undoubtedly the Court of Appeals had that in mind in sending the case back. Going forward, however, it seems as if the NCAA could make a very simple change and resolve this. Either eliminate the processing fees of those who, you know, don't actually get processed (the "losers"), or take away the processing fee completely and just add $10 to the face value of every ticket. Will markedly fewer people submit applications if the lower-level seats are $210 instead of $200; or $190 vs. $180 for uppers? Not likely.


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Despite all the changes the IT channel has seen over the past three decades, basic principles that govern business practices still prevail. The ASCII Group is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and founder, chairman, and CEO Alan Weinberger says throughout the group's history, he has seen that conducting business ethically, forming partnerships within the channel community, and achieving a work-life balance have continued to be keys to success.
Weinberger says as solutions providers strive to attain a trusted advisor role, they must be honest, truthful, and ethical. Referring to Albert Einstein's quote, "Relativity applies to physics, not ethics," he comments, "Einstein said ethics and truth in the personal sphere are not relative. They're absolute. That was his concept and that, I think, is a perennial concept." He adds, "Solutions providers have an ethical obligation to do what's best for their customers." Weinberger points out that this doesn't apply only to management. Adopting the idea of "slow to hire, quick to fire" can help ensure that you have a team who also conducts themselves with character, trustworthiness, and honesty.
As an organization, Weinberger says The ASCII Group members aspire to these principles, and the group has "helped smaller businesses owners over the years to better educate themselves, learn together, grow together, and grow as a team." Weinberger gives an example of one business owner who joined the group 20 years ago. He ran a one-man shop and felt he had no one he could trust. "He felt he was an island."
After joining The ASCII Group, Weinberger says, "He found out he had hundreds of people around the country that he could trust and at any second could help out on a customer need. Because of that, he actually didn't feel like an island anymore. He could take a vacation. He expanded his business and he felt the power of the community helped him in a way he could never do himself."
Weinberger comments, "You should have a work-life balance where you can leave the office, be able to be with your family and friends — but not working 90 hours a week … You won't get the most out of your work day." As an ethic of business ownership, he adds, "Make sure the staff understands that there's more to life than just work."


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SOURCE: ALPS Advisors, Inc.
April 17, 2017 10:03 ET
BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Apr 17, 2017) - Below is the March 2017 Monthly Update for the Liberty All-Star® Equity Fund. (NYSE: USA)
Fund Style: Large-Cap Core
Fund Strategy: Combines three value-style and two growth-style investment managers. Those selected demonstrate a consistent investment philosophy, decision making process, continuity of key people and above-average long-term results compared to managers with similar styles.
Investment Managers:
Value Managers:
Aristotle Capitol Management, LLC
Macquarie Investment Management*
*Name changed from Delaware Investments
Pzena Investment Management, LLC
Growth Managers:
Sustainable Growth Advisers, LP
TCW Investment Management Company
The net asset value (NAV) of a closed-end fund is the market value of the underlying investments (i.e., stocks and bonds) in the Fund's portfolio, minus liabilities, divided by the total number of Fund shares outstanding. However, the Fund also has a market price; the value at which it trades on an exchange. If the market price is above the NAV the Fund is trading at a premium. If the market price is below the NAV the Fund is trading at a discount.
Performance returns for the Fund are total returns, which includes dividends, and are net of management fees and other Fund expenses. Returns are calculated assuming that a shareholder reinvested all distributions. Past performance cannot predict future investment results.
Performance will fluctuate with changes in market conditions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Performance information shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. Shareholders must be willing to tolerate significant fluctuations in the value of their investment. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal.
Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. If a distribution includes anything other than net investment income, the fund provides a Section 19(a) notice of the best estimate of its distribution sources at that time, available at www.all-starfunds.com. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year's distributions) contained in shareholders' 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year.
Liberty All-Star Equity Fund
Liberty All-Star Equity Fund
See all RSS Newsfeeds


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Hi Unregistered, the PSB Server is beginning to receive a lot of bounceback's and undeliverable emails associated with thread updates/subscriptions, personal message notifications etc. It would be appreciated if you could check the email address linked to your profile, and update it where necessary.
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I first saw this video at a marketing conference.
There are a lot of agency-created videos out there that give good overviews of the impact of social media, but I tend to think this one is the most vibrant. My favorite statistic in it is how if Wikipedia were made into a book, it would be 2.25 MILLION pages long. Two and a quarter MILLION pages. That's insane. Who would read that? Can you imagine trying to purchase that book at Barnes and Noble? More importantly, who would want to purchase that book?
When I was little I used to tag along grocery shopping with my mom after school on Thursdays. One day I noticed a big display of book along the main aisle. These weren't just any books, these were thick and shiny, hard-back Encyclopedias with fancy scripted writing and gold-tinted pages. From the first moment I saw them, I was in love. I remember begging my mom to buy them. I might have even cried (in my defense, I was probably about 8!) I think they were on C or D by that time, so it took some wearing down of my poor mother before she caved in and bought the first part of the set. The trick was that they were released slowly, every two weeks, by the store. For months I would happily accompany her on a boring round of errands because I knew at the end we'd end up at Albertsons and I'd get to buy the newest release.
Oh how I loved those books. I would spend hours pouring over the pages and browsing all the random entries like the Dromaeosaurus, knickers, Montana, seaweed, or the War of 1812. Sometimes my sister and I would try to look up the naughtiest thing we could think of, like "boobies" or "sex". We were eight and six, after all. But mostly I would pick up a random letter, stop at a random page, and just skim. Eventually – like all toys – I grew tired of them and moved on to more glamorous playthings like My Little Pony and Cabbage Patch Kids. But for years they remained a staple in our house, sitting quiet yet proudly in our living room shelves collecting dust. In a way it was comforting to me, knowing that they were still there, with all of their secrets and mysteries waiting patiently inside. After all, who knew when I might need to know the diameter of a softball (3.5-3.8″), how many number one singles Elvis had (14), or when the Magna Carta was issueed (1215).
But back to Wikipedia. I guess you can say I have a soft spot for it – just like those hard-back Encyclopedias of my youth. While it's not rimmed in fake gold ink, it still (to me) feels like a magical place where you can find the answer to just about anything. And while I would never buy the hard-bound copy (because let's be realistic, how would I ever get that in my car?) I will admit to browsing it from time to time, with no specific goal in mind.
Speaking of, did you know that Rhode Island, the smallest state, has a larger population than Alaska, the largest state? Well, now you do. Thanks, Wikipedia.


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Miley Cyrus takes sick dog to the hospital
The former Hannah Montana star's Yorkshire Terrier mix, named Lila, recently fell sick and worried Cyrus rushed her to the vet for immediate medical attention.
And now the animal lover has pleaded with her Twitter.com followers to send well wishes her way as she awaits news from the pet doctor.
In a post, she writes, "please pray for my baby girl Lila... She is in the hospital. I am so heart broken. Please send out vibes for her to not be afraid & to heal."


text:
Should a million dollars have an impact on criminal justice? In the abstract, most of us would say no. Does a million dollars have an impact on criminal justice? In the real world, at least on the edges, people who know the system will shrug and say probably.
Consider what happened on Kiely Boulevard in Santa Clara about 10:30 p.m. on March 20, 2011. Two drivers pulled up to a stop light at Benton Street. One of them, Vincent Mergonoto, then 19, was driving a black Mercedes-Benz CLS 63. His friend, Chandra Dicky Purnama, then 21, was driving a rented yellow Corvette.
When the light turned green, they took off racing north on Kiely, reaching speeds that prosecutors say reached more than 80 mph.
Near Kiely and Butte Street, Mergonoto's Mercedes struck a Honda driven by Ashley Krieger, 23, who was just getting off her shift at Moonlight Lanes. Krieger suffered severe head injuries and a torn aorta. Seven days later, she died at Stanford Medical Center. No drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.
Mergonoto and Purnama, affluent Indonesians who had studied at DeAnza College, were charged with vehicular manslaughter. In addition, Ashley's parents, Lance and Lori Krieger, brought a civil lawsuit against the two men.
Jail time
Last week, the two men were given 364 days in jail each by Superior Court Judge Rene Navarro. "Given the circumstances … with the loss of life, (they) deserve time in custody," Navarro said. With a discount for good behavior, the two students should be released in six months.
What makes this tragic tale more intriguing is the back story. The prosecutor, Deputy DA Mike Amaral, had urged the judge to consider prison time. Amaral says a turning point in the ultimate decision was a letter from Ashley's parents asking for leniency.
Saying that they grieved for their only child "every day and every night," the Kriegers nevertheless asked for probation and community service for Mergonoto rather than putting him behind bars. "Vincent and his entire family expressed their sincerest apologies," the Krieger letter said.
Civil settlement
That letter, dated Feb. 22, was written as the Kriegers were close to settling the civil lawsuit with Mergonoto's family, which runs a profitable coffee business in Indonesia.
The court records show that the two sides formally agreed to a deal on March 8, 2012. The Mergonotos paid $1 million to settle. Several months later, Chandra Purnama's family agreed to pay another $150,000.
A cynical reading is that the money bought off the Kriegers, who declined through their attorney to talk. Yet you have to sympathize with their loss and admire their will to forgive. A million is hardly what it was.
"In talking with the Kriegers and defense attorneys, I think there was more to it than financial considerations," said prosecutor Amaral. "They told me it was an extremely emotional experience."
But did the money play some role? Amaral says the likelihood is yes. Would two poor kids from East San Jose have gotten the same break? I doubt it.
Contact Scott Herhold at 408-275-0917 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Twitter.com/scottherhold.


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Valentine redux
As 30 Rock pointed out to me this week, Valentine's Day is really a stalker's holiday. So I made an over long, totally stalkerish Valentine to one of my favorite classic films, David Lean's Summertime (1955).
I discovered this movie as part of a series I did about summer romance/travel movies that ripped off Roman Holiday. As much as I love Roman Holiday, I think Summertime might be a little better. While Roman Holiday definitely has youth on its side, Summertime is unabashedly mature. "If age is an asset than I'm loaded," Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) says. While Roman Holiday shows postwar Rome to great advantage, Summertime shows Venice in a more realistic, although still highly romantic, light. People dump trash in the canal and Hudson's guide throughout most of the film is a barefoot homeless child who smokes and procures gondolas for adulterous couples to use as trysting places. To its credit, the film doesn't try to squirm out of these unpleasantries. Nor does it try to squirm out of the bleak dilemma that traps its central characters. While the lovers in Roman Holiday are doomed to part, Audrey Hepburn goes back to being a princess, and Katharine Hepburn goes back to being a secretary in Akron, Ohio.
Yet, Summertime is much more than a Geezer Roman Holiday. For one, it is also a David Lean film. It moves at a casual pace. Rossano Brazzi doesn't even appear in the film until 15 minutes in and then disappears for another fifteen minutes or so. Though the images are tightly controlled and composed, you don't necessarily feel like they are. You feel like you might be watching one of Jane Hudson's home movies. In that spirit, I'm taking my sweet old time, getting to the re-cap, so here goes...
The train bearing Jane Hudson arrives in Venice, seemingly floating on the water. We're introduced to her character, a single woman traveling alone. Her tail-wagging enthusiasm is endearing. Having been a solo female American on many travels I can attest that this is the best way to travel if you really want to see a place and meet its natives.
Jane meets the McIlhenny's on the "bus." They are the stereotypical ugly Americans giving offense and making fools of themselves wherever they go. Mrs. McIlhenny speaks Italian and it embarrasses her husband. Even though they are supposed to be awful, I kind of like them.
Jane arrives at Pensione Fiorini, and meets its proprietress, a widow Jane's age. Mrs. Fiorini is sophisticated and smart and she instantly takes to Jane's open heart. She thinks a lot less of Mr. McIlhenny who complains that "this WOP food is ruining my digestion." OK, when I said I liked the McIlhenny's, I meant, "outside their appalling racism." Jane refuses Mrs. Fiorini's offer of dinner with real Italians and instead decides to check out the famed Piazza San Marco.
People watching in the Piazza.
This is one of Lean's most brilliant and brilliantly simple set ups.
As Jane watches a couple of pretty girls being chased by two wolfish young men, she is shocked by the openness of the young men's approach.
In her reaction shot, we first glimpse Renato de Rossi (Rossano Brazzi) who is about to make the same completely straightforward move on her.
The noise of Janes' movie camera catches his eye and and Lean's camera follows their gaze up to the rooftops. One of the nice things is that although he lives in Venice, De Rossi always seems to be seeing the place through Jane's newcomber's eyes.
As he is about to turn away, he notices her legs.
I like these shoes, but I imagine, that's not what he's thinking about.
Jane senses she's being watched and is startled to find the wolf so close by.
She attempts to throw him off by putting on her sunglasses, which is hilariously ineffective.
Then she tries to pay the bill quickly and leave, but apparently the universal "check please" gesture doesn't work in Italy. Senior de Rossi steps in to gain the waiter's attention on her behalf to her mortification. Later when discussing their first meeting she says, merely, "you were wearing a yellow tie."
Jane flees to the quiet of the canal, where she broods a bit.
The next day Jane meets Mauro (Gaetano Autiero), a homeless boy who acts as her guide and sells her dirty postcards.
Jane is drawn to a red goblet in the window of an antiques store and goes in to inquire about buying it.
Jane is so focused on the goblet she does not notice that the attentive shopkeeper who is trying to sell it to her is the very same man from the Piazza San Marco.
"Maybe you could see it's color better if you took off your glasses," he says and she does.
There is a long beat before she finally recognizes him and then this hilarious reaction shot.
He smoothly inquires about her hotel, "in case a matching goblet ever turns up" and she responds "I'm staying in Venice" before she tells him the name of her pensione. It's hard to tell whether she is just awkward because she's nervous or used to repelling men out of habit, or both. He watches her walking away across the footbridge outside his shop and she tries to look back at him and trips, almost falling over.
That afternoon, Jane is writing a letter to her friends back home and already describing the handsome stranger as "me amico" and imagining that if her friends were there they could double date. This is so sweet and so real.
After a painful scene in which she attempts to wheedle an invitation to drinks with the Yaegers, an American couple at the hotel, Jane is left on her own again. She heads for the Piazza. She is waiting for her "amico" but sees the Yaegers walking past and doesn't want them to think that they should come join her. She puts the chair next to her up against her table as a sign that she wants to be alone. The Yaegers don't see her and Jane is relieved. Then Mr. de Rossi enters the frame from behind.
He approaches, says "good evening" and pauses.
Jane realizes too late that the chair against the table has warded him off and she makes this total "I love Lucy" face as he walks away again.
The next day, Jane gets lost exploring the back alleys of Venice. Mauro finds her and brings her back to the antique shop, where she inquires for her friend, who is out of the shop.
Then she tries to film the front of the shop and falls in the canal.
Jane's fall into the canal makes everyone's days and Mr. De Rossi turns up at the pensione to inquire after her health.
She is wearing a dish towel and keeps asking him why he's there. He tries to explain sexual attraction to her without using any words. I love how he just keeps getting closer and closer to her in this scene and we don't see him move. It's like he's on casters or something.
The McIlhenny's come in and ruin everything. They have half a dozen goblets to match the supposedly rare one Jane bought at Mr. De's store. Awkward. Mr. McIlhenny says "Arrivaderci" and that makes Mrs. McIlhenny all excited in a way that I really don't want to think about.
He tries to explain that hers is an antique but she is mad and knocks over one of Mrs. Fiorini's really old chairs. For someone who runs an antique store, Mr. De Rossi doesn't seem at all bothered by his new girl's furniture abuse, but we'll let this slide. He's in love.
Mr. De gets overly-familiar with her dishtowel and eventually asks her out on date. Jane finally accepts.
They go to a concert at the Piazza and then she surprises him by picking a white gardenia from the flower vendor. Why this is surprise, I have no idea. I guess I just don't have enough Fifties Italian flower savvy.
Jane looses her flower in the canal and he's unable to retrieve it.
Undeterred by the obvious symbolic foreshadowing, they kiss. Things get a little passionate, and she asks him why he kissed her like that, which is the kind of thing only people in old movies would say. I mean I get that she's a rookie to this whole romance thing, obviously, but it would serve her right if he would just say, "Because I'm Italian and I'll get busted down to being Belgian if I don't get to first base.." Jane first tells him she doesn't want to see him again and after another kiss, she says, "I love you" and runs away. Newbs.
The next day Jane has an old movie makeover, which is awesome. She gets her hair done, her nails painted, buys a strapless gown (which she still wears with a dishtowel-like scarf attached with a weird necklace thingy) and red high heel shoes.
The red shoe becomes a big symbol of her newly found sexy side so keep an eye on them.
Jane waits for Mr. De Rossi and his "nephew" turns up to tell her he's going to be late. Though the kid is 12, she offers him a cigarette. It's funny how the things that were shocking about this movie when it came out are kind of humdrum now, and things like this little cigarette business with the kid are scandalous.
Jane finds out that the kid is not really Mr. De Rossi's nephew but his son. What is worse, the boy's mother is still in the picture.She heads straight to Harry's bar to get shit-faced. At Harry's she meets Phyl Jaeger who has a head start on her in the whole drinking and crying department. Jane must hold it together in front of Phyl who thinks she is tough. Phyl and Jane bond--not over what pigs men are, as they would in a contemporary movie--but over how much it hurts to not be everything to the person you love.
Back at the pensione, Jane overhears Mr. Jaeger and Mrs. Fiorini arranging a late-night gondola excursion, which explains why Phyl was crying at Harry's bar.
Mauro helps the lovers get a gondola. Jane catches Mauro and freaks out at him. Just then Mr. De Rossi arrives and her anger switches to a more appropriate target.
Mr. De tries to explain that he and his wife are separated and then Jane pisses him off by asking him if Mrs. De Rossi has "gondola friends." I think that's the best euphemism ever, by the way. Jane asks him why he didn't tell her he was married and why he pretended that his son was his nephew. He answers lamely that he was afraid of scaring her away. She doesn't ask if he ever planned on telling her the truth, and I think it's because she's afraid he'll either lie again or she won't want to hear the truth.
He gives her a speech. "You wanted someone young, rich, handsome witty and of course, not married. I am not young. I am a shopkeeper. I'm not handsome or witty (I'd beg to differ on both accounts) and of course, I'm married. But I am a man. And you are a woman." Then he kisses her and at least this time she doesn't ask him why he did it. Then he gives her this beefsteak and ravioli analogy, which doesn't really work logically but has the effect of making her hungry which was all part of a clever plan to get her to go to dinner with him. Boy, is he smooth.
She decides to go for a walk and he follows, chasing her into some symbolic dead ends.
A gondola driver asks if they need a ride and Mr. De Rossi totally jumps down his throat, which would be funny if it weren't so painful.
At dinner a toy peddler comes by and Jane cheers up a bit. I mean who doesn't love wind-up monkeys? So cute!
Oh yeah, back to the adultery, which 80 minutes into the movie is finally starting to happen. After dining and dancing and lots more walking around Jane finally just decides to go for it.
Kiss with the red shoe.
It's a well-known fact that in the 1950s when people had sex, there were always fireworks.
The red shoes spend the night on Mr. De's balcony.
Sun coming up on the shoe.
We see the sun coming up on Venice, which is beautiful. Mr. De walks Jane to the dock and puts her in a gondola.
She waves goodbye with her shoe, which is genius.
Jane's walk of shame back to her room at the Pensione is adorable and the shoe makes it's final stand at symbolism. Is that a men's bathrobe she's rocking as outerwear? Also, I love how the dishtowel is now a sporty ascot.
Riding in speedboats is classic film short hand for adultery.
They rent an apartment on a little island and spend the next few days making sweet, sweet innuendo. Here's a sampling of dialog, "You sleep all day and then you don't want to sleep at night." Renato's "hungry like the wolf" look and his sleepy look are almost exactly the same. Ah, Men!
This scene is beautiful, but what distracts me is the building in the background. Is that a grain elevator or a nuclear power plant? Well anyway, it's phallic, so it works.
Jane is way more relaxed and laid back in these scenes which is hilarious when you think about it.
Jane suddenly remembers this relationship can never really go anywhere and decides that she can't wait until divorce becomes legal in Italy in 1974. Preferring to rip the bandage off quickly, she tells Mr. De that she's packed and her train leaves in two hours.
They have a fight which consists of him kissing her and her saying "Oh, Renato!!" I guess in times of distress you stick to what you know works for you.
Gut punched by love.
Jane jumps on a gondola and waves good-bye with her white shoe. It's here that I wonder about Katharine Hepburn and her real life paramour, Spencer Tracy. How much of this is just wish fulfillment for Hepburn? If she could have walked or floated away like this, I think she would have.
Even though she just totally dumped his ass, Jane seems to expect Renato to turn up at the train station. This is another one of those sweet and true to life character details that I love in this film. She says good-bye to Mauro who somehow knows she's there. There must be a Jane Hudson channel on the police scanner. Everyone always knows where she is.
As the train is pulling away, with Jane on it, Renato finally turns up with a little box. We never find out what's in it. It's too small to be a goblet. Also we hope it's not breakable because at one point it goes skittering across the platform.
Renato runs after the train, holding up a white gardenia. She is too far away to take it. This is Jane's final glimpse of him.
The movie ends with lavish hand waving and a blatant disregard for train platform safety protocols.
Yes, Summertime is an effective example of a tear-jerker romance, but what I really like are the characters. Renato di Rossi is very slick and polished and yet we get the feeling that this more a result of his being Italian than his being such a well-practiced player. Part of this is Brazzi's performance since he cleverly manages to be at once super smooth Euro dude and tired middle-aged guy. He has to realize that Jane is way more high maintenance the casual fling he'd probably originally envisioned, but he pursues her because, they are both lonely people who are practiced at putting on a brave face. When he turns up at the pensione and she pretends not to understand why he's there, he rightly points out that she's been stalking him all over the city. He cuts through all her romantic notions and dares her to take his love even though it doesn't live up to her ideals.
I can't decide whether it's because she's a "spinster" (God what a terrible word, I hate to even type it), because she's a free spirit, or because it's vacation and she just wants to enjoy herself that Jane allows him to seduce her. It is chauvinistic to conclude that if you are a woman of a certain age who has waited to fall in love because you were unwilling to "settle," you might actually end up alone. It is feminist to say that if you a woman alone you can be perfectly happy even though you do still sometimes feel like you are missing out on certain things. Miraculously, Summertime makes both conclusions without making your head explode. Then again it might have nothing to do with ones age or gender. With love , things might be more complicated than you are prepared to accept. (Try fitting that on a Valentine's Day card.) That truth hits everyone, even young people. If you don't believe me, watch Roman Holiday!
20 comments:
- Kate Gabrielle said...
Seriously, one of the most perfect reviews ever!!
- February 17, 2010 at 12:06 PM
- Jennythenipper said...
Thanks. It's all part of my diabolical plan to make reading the review take longer than actually watching the film!
- February 17, 2010 at 1:41 PM
- Millie said...
I LOVED this! I've never seen the film...but this review was brilliant!
- February 17, 2010 at 2:13 PM
- Broadway Baby said...
Awesome review! You made me actually ashamed that I don't own this movie (a situation that will soon be rectified.)
- February 17, 2010 at 2:17 PM
- Jennythenipper said...
Broadway Baby: Shame, Shame!
I highly recommend the Criterion Disc. This is one of the few movies I tivoed and then went out and bought the official DVD anyway.
- February 17, 2010 at 4:53 PM
- Sarah said...
Seriously. Wonderful. Review. And so clever catching the sexual symbology.
Rossano Brazzi- Oh. Mein. Gott. Where have I been that I haven't caught that dude sooner?
I will definitely add this to my list of must sees. Thanks!
- February 18, 2010 at 8:35 AM
- Jennythenipper said...
Sarah: OMG, I know, right. HAWT. So much so that the contemporaneous New York Times review actually said he was too handsome for Hepburn to break up with at the end. This is a stupid thing to say because a) Katherine Hepburn is pretty cougarlicious in this and b) hawt or not the dude is still married, so she would have no status in his life. She doesn't speak Italian so getting a job there doesn't seem likely. From a practical standpoint it couldn't work, especially not for someone as independent as her character.
- February 18, 2010 at 8:51 AM
- SteveQ said...
I've always liked the elegiac "last fling" atmosphere of "Summertime." The nasty American couple reminds me of a couple in my favorite holiday film, "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" starring Jacques Tati; one of the carefully planned "throwaway" jokes in it is that the woman keeps handing him things to collect, which he takes and immediately drops... and she never notices.
It'd be an odd double bill, to say the least!
- February 18, 2010 at 10:27 AM
- KC said...
Wow--amazing. This was a mesmerizing review! Excellent observations.
- February 18, 2010 at 11:32 AM
- Jennythenipper said...
Hey Steve! I agree, there is an elegaic tone to the movie--as much elegy as there can be in a movie that uses all the trappings of Rom Com (pratfalls, misunderstandings, missed opportunities, etc.).
I haven't seen Mr. Hulot's Holiday. That's terrible, I know. I'll add it to the list. We have Traffic on the Tivo at home and the boy loves it. Even though he can't read, you don't need to understand the dialog to follow what's going on or get the jokes. Also, all those cute old French cars are to die for.
- February 18, 2010 at 11:41 AM
- Jennythenipper said...
Thanks, KC! And double thanks for the link on your blog.
- February 18, 2010 at 12:10 PM
- Rupert Pupkin said...
Great post! I have to agree that SUMMERTIME is a little better than ROMAN HOLIDAY. I think it's one of Lean's films that doesn't get nearly enough attention. I'm a pretty big Hepburn fan so that probably plays into my affection for the film a bit too. It's no HOLIDAY, but its very enjoyable. Oh and I am also a big fan of the Mr. Hulot films. Highly recommended!
- February 19, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Fantastic review! I love this movie so much. Once a year I have a very cheesy "trip to Italy" day, during which I watch my favorite classic movies set in Italy -- "Roman Holiday", "Come September", "Three Coins in the Fountain" and of course "Summertime".
I wish more people knew about "Summertime", because it really is a gem. Katharine Hepburn's lonely spinster (I agree, it's a dreadful word but one that seems to fit in this case) breaks my heart, and Rossano Brazzi is super sexy.
- February 21, 2010 at 9:26 AM
- Jennythenipper said...
Rupert: I loooove Holiday too. I have a tendency to prefer drama, usually, but Summertime is one of the few weepies I really like. And as I said, it's only as weepy as you can get with the conventions of rom com in place.
Happythoughts: I love the idea of a trip to Italy. These kind of movies are wonderful if you live in Minnesota and it's February. They warm you up from the inside!
- February 22, 2010 at 10:42 AM
- rudyfan1926 said...
I'm late to this party, but had to weigh in on one of my favorite films. Le Sigh, Rossano Brazzi, Rowr! Those first shots of him, Lean's camera loved him and it made me fall in love with him, too. That yellow tie, those eyes, those expressive eyebrows and that hair. Then when he speaks, well, I'm done. Seriously, a wonderful write-up and Valentine to a lovely film. If it had been me, I would never have gotten back on the train. I would have found a job teaching English and died in Venice happier, wiser and perhaps alone, but not for long.
- March 4, 2010 at 10:10 AM
- Jennythenipper said...
Rudyfan, not too late to the party as far as I'm concerned. I agree, I never would have gotten on that train!
- March 5, 2010 at 4:58 PM
- kevin said...
I found your review when I was looking for information on Mauro's acting career (apparently non-existent). Too bad, I thought he was excellent along with the rest of the cast.
My wife selected the film and I enjoyed it and your review. If you haven't seen Avanti! with Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills, I think you would like it.
- October 15, 2011 at 3:00 AM
- Margaret Perry said...
This is such a great review - I laughed my head off! I love what you noticed about the red shoes. SUMMERTIME is one of my favorite movies! I love your pics and your play-by-play rundown of the film. Here's my recent post about SUMMERTIME - I'd really love your feedback!
- July 9, 2012 at 4:09 PM
- e.esquire said...
i've always assumed that the gardenia that renato attempts to give to jane at the train station was in the small box that you mentioned.
- September 2, 2017 at 1:50 AM
- e.esquire said...
i've always assumed that the gardenia that renato attempts to give to jane at the train station was in the small box that you mentioned.
- September 2, 2017 at 1:51 AM