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|2011-05-18, 09:59
|Link #21
Senior Member
but why should we even care? i didn't even make sure i got her relationship with makoto right. (i somehow missed that she was the girl he liked and she was part of the reason he offed himself). that's how little i cared about her in general. forgot her name even.
PS. waiting on roriconfan to review this...
PPS. to teh persen who putted bad repyutatien for me gramer and ozer ppl who not like tis - fack yu.
i'm doing it cause im, whoops i'm, whoops, I'm lazy. deal with it
Last edited by idiffer; 2011-05-18 at 10:53.
|2011-05-18, 12:27
|Link #22
Waiting for more taiyuki!
Join Date: Jan 2004
|2011-05-18, 12:33
|Link #23
Senior Member
um, i think this will become a debate about wether prostitution is wrong or right. and then probably about wether the law is a measure of rightness. those are all super subjective. i don't think we can change each others minds on such serious topics.
|2011-05-18, 15:20
|Link #24
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 27
What the movie is portraying here is most likely enjo kosai.
Not saying if its right or not, but it is a prevalent issue in Japan.
|2011-05-18, 16:19
|Link #25
Feeling comfy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 44
If Haibane Renmei were adapted into a two-hour movie centred instead on a male middle-school senior, it would most probably turn out Colorful like this.
Not impossible. After all, both productions already share the same composer, Kou Otani. And the character designs did vaguely resemble those of a much younger Yoshitoshi ABe, especially the way Makoto looked towards the end of the movie — he reminded me heavily of Lain.
Great movie. Thanks for highlighting an otherwise overlooked gem. It'll take a few more viewings for some of its subtleties to sink in, I suspect, covering as it does a broad range of issues, from bullying to existential angst, family breakdowns and redemption, framed in the context of Buddhist/Japanese society.
|2011-05-19, 07:59
|Link #26
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: United States of America
Age: 28
Aah, a great movie that portrays a miser coming to terms with himself. Loved it.
The story was predictable, but very good. While people may call the story corny and naive, it's a story that is still very human. And let's face it, humans, the ones who have not yet turned cynical or have recovered from cynicism, are, by nature, very corny. Accepting the naivete and the simplicity of life is a challenge for misers and I think this movie portrayed that very well. Reconciliation with self and the surrounding is always going to appear cheesy, no helping that. The movie did a great job of keeping it real as far as I am concerned.
The primary message of the movie was clearly one of acceptance. Acceptance of flaws in oneself and in people in general. I don't think the movie condones with flaws at all. It just tells us that we should be constructive when dealing with flaws, whether our own or others. People make mistakes, no matter who they are. And to let it compound by being too fixated on the flaw and its consequences will only result in bigger losses and strained relationships. A little kindness goes a long away in helping someone reform themselves. That's true for yourself too. If you get preoccupied with being flawless, you will end up more flawed and eventually unable to even live on. Accepting your flaws is the right way to go about it. That of course doesn't mean thinking along the lines of "This here is my flaw, let's accept it and keep making it worse since I need to accept it."
Then there was the power of friendship and communication. Saemoto's and Makoto's friendship was very down to Earth and yet, very moving. It was equally as moving to see Makoto reproach Hiroka and eventually help her with her own struggles. His relationship with Sano was kinda awkward to watch but that's understandable because Sano is a very awkward person and Makoto isn't a communicative person either.
It sort of expands into relationships in general I guess. Family, friends, teachers; they all come into play and help Makoto reconcile while simply his being alive helps them reconcile. The character portrayal and interactions was clearly the biggest strength of the movie.
Makoto was a character I could kinda identify with. Cynical, miserable, illogical, somewhat imposing and yet, forgiving and rational. Despite closing his heart, he was still a human at heart. I think that's much better than beasts that put a smile on and have the entire crowd's focus but lack a heart. I am happy for him that he was able to move on.
The most striking relationship for me was between Makoto and his mom. It was so beautifully laid out. Despite never getting to see her point of view, I found it hard not to feel for Makoto's mom. And much like Makoto, despite her flaws, she was a good person. Most people in the world are. Heck she was probably better than most. Her care for Makoto was genuine and if her husband's words are anything to go by, she took equally good care of her mother-in-law who wasn't exactly appreciative of her.
Makoto's relationship with Hiroka was almost as striking.
Given her playgirl demeanor and Makoto's shunning by the rest of the school, it almost feels like she is making fun of him by acting close to him at first. That feeling is probably reinforced by the preconception due to the revelation that she was responsible for Makoto's attempted suicide and how bad her character sounds. But she is clearly more than meets the eye.
Her interest in Makoto is genuine. She visits the art club not just for appearance's sake but to truly appreciate something she finds beautiful. And despite Makoto being ostracized, her interactions with him were not to make fun of him or abuse him in any sense. She didn't mind being close to him. But her obsession with material pleasures and her obsessive compulsive personality, combined with her lack of effort and/or ability to understand his miserable self make her a far cry from the perfect romantic interest. I still liked her a lot though, probably more than any other character. She was strikingly forward with her thoughts. She has some issues, yes, but she is definitely not without hope. I totally expected to hate her when I saw her picture in the cellphone and her interpretation of Makoto's painting didn't help. But she managed to still win my heart. That's saying something. I usually don't change my initial perceptions about characters.
To people complaining that her motivations for her going out with the middle aged man weren't clear enough, well, she also has that side of hers which makes her want to destroy the things she likes. She wants to grow independent, feel like an adult, like she is in control and dating an older guy is part of it. The story wasn't from her point of view so things were bound to be left in the dark there but I do think her reasons weren't that far away from what she told Makoto. She is really a strong character, able to speak her mind clearly, mostly that is.
Also, I just absolutely love the sequence where Makoto drags her along for a run. That was just awesome. And the music was awesome tHer responses after that were quite frank and upfront too. I think by the time the sequence was over and she went back out in the rain, I could no longer despise her. She was just too frank to hate. The revelation about her destructive tendencies felt tacked on for a second but it kind of made sense by the time she was done crying. In retrospective though, the movie could definitely have done a better job of portraying that side of hers so it didn't come that way. Still, Hiroka was awesome. I like her much more than Sano. The movie argues that Sano was the one who really understood Makoto but I don't buy that. At least Hiroka didn't have a preconceived notion of how Makoto was and supported him whichever way he leaned. Sano had a set view of how Makoto was and wishes he would stay that way. "Annoying" is putting it nicely.
That said though, and despite her awkwardness, Sano was a likeable character as well. She imposes on Makoto a bit and is really socially awkward. But she does try to approach him and is pretty upfront and frank herself. I think both her and Hiroko are awesome girls because they speak their mind. They could have probably still kept her character's strengths even if she was a little less awkward though. She just felt a bit unreal. And I didn't quite like how the movie more or less made her into a pure character. She was clearly stuck into a one-sided view of Makoto; she only accepted one color of his, so to speak. As such I didn't quite like how Makoto apologized to her and gave her credit for understanding him most thoroughly. That said though, the sequence where Makoto shows her the porn magazine kind of made up for it . I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't help but laugh when I saw her reaction
Speaking of feeling unreal, Makoto's brother does kinda feel cliche. But given the very little screentime he received, I think they did a good job with him too.
And rounding up the family is Makoto's dad who is like a saint and yet doesn't feel unreal at all o.0 He just sounds mature and wise. I can kind of see why Makoto would despise his dad though. Not only is he just a salaryman, he also lets his wife get away with cheating. To a cynical Makoto, that must have lowered the credibility of the man to more or less nothing. But as he figures out during the course of the movie, his dad is actually just a very nice person. If only my dad was like that -_-
And speaking of nice people, Saemoto has no competition. His friendship with Makoto felt very real and there really was nothing special to it but the movie managed to make two unsuccessful teens sharing chicken wings and meat buns significant. It was a nice touch. Although I did feel that the bromance was getting a bit too strong at times
Lastly, the teacher. He didn't really play much part in the story and I am glad he didn't because he was just annoying. He was pretty cliched too.
The art was wonderful imo. There were some oddities here and there but it didnt detract from my enjoying the movie at all.
The music was awesome in some segments but barely noticeable in others. I am not a music person but I would say they did a good enough job if they made me notice (and love) the music in some segments at least.
I don't think there was any real religious message given that the whole reincarnation and angel deal was more a means to present the story than anything. If anything, the suggestion that a life on Earth is preferable to being removed from the rebirth cycle was amusing. I wouldn't read too much into it though; it just so happens to be the point of the movie to suggest that life is worth it, however rough it gets.
Overall, a very nice movie. It deserves those awards.
|2011-05-20, 04:43
|Link #27
Kana Hanazawa ♥
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: France
Age: 32
I think the fact the story is only told through Makoto's point of view (even literally at the beginning) is one of the movie's strength. It made it easier to sympathize with him and understand him, though as I said, I got little irritated by the way he treated his mom at some point. However, at the beginning of the movie, my reactions were very much the same as his: "why would he kill himself when he had such a great family?"; "eh, looks like his family isn't as perfect as it seems..."; "screw that, his life sucks"; etc... Thanks to this, I quickly felt myself pulled into the movie.
|2011-05-20, 10:20
|Link #28
Senior Member
Forsaken infinity
i agree with most of what you said. i just wanted to comment on the one thing i forgot in my review earlier in this thread - Makoto. to elaborate - how i liked him as a character, without the technicalities. i couldn't really identify with him because for the majority of the movie he is just someone who gets mentioned once in a while. i mean, most ppl probably didn't know that the MC is makoto. sure, i feel that i have much in common with makoto, but i don't get to SEE the drama in real time, which somewhat dulls the empathy. so for 90% of the movie i'm introduced to a main char who doesn't remember anything and am expected to sympathise with him. how can i do that without knowing anything about him? espeacially when his words and actions either weren't all too original or made sense only after learning that he IS makoto (like when he tells purapura that he doesn't care about his mom much, but still treats her like shit). besides the point, but that example somewhat fortifies my theory about non-changing reactions. makoto doesn't remember that he IS makoto, but the reaction to the fact that his mom is seeing another man, is the same - repulsion. although after being confronted by purapura, makoto said that he doesn't really care, because It's a stranger's mother (or smth along those lines).
|2011-05-20, 11:29
|Link #29
Feeling comfy
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 44
This theme appears frequently in anime, typically expressed through an emphasis on group ethics and community harmony. In Haibane Renmei, a major character also makes the same observation, realising that everyone in her town plays a role supporting one another. The gratitude within the community is implicit; people seldom need to explicitly give thanks but, still, no one is ever taken for granted.
The theme also appears in one of the concluding episodes of Planetes, when another major character realises that every human shares an invisible bond (kizuna), which in turn implies that each person is responsible for the welfare of all other people, because everyone shares the same human fate.
In practice, the philosophy implements the Golden Rule: Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you.
This was the lesson that Makoto learnt. Not just Makoto, but also his family, as well as friends like Hiroka. Everyone has his or her own demons and imperfections, but by supporting one another, the community as a whole finds the collective strength to survive. This is the same spirit that the world witnessed in the aftermath of the March 11, 2011 disasters, as shattered communities battled on stoically, despite the utter devastation around them.
Colorful explored this theme very well, not flinching away from its painful flaws, even as it shows how it provides people with the strength to carry on.
Last edited by TinyRedLeaf; 2011-05-20 at 11:39.
|2011-05-20, 17:12
|Link #30
Senior Member
well, the idea of enishi is admirable, it's also pretty obvious, at least to me. making the message corny still. i also don't think the story of "colorful" is a good way to deliver such a message. where is it emphasized that makoto contributes to the wellfare of other ppl? sure he probably does. hell, i have a theory that just by being a bum you contribute to the world's balance. but it needs more emphasis for it to feel like a message.
on second thought, the only good thing makoto did was being a friend to another loser. i don't even know if that qualifies as "support for others", following purapura's phrase.
example. if makoto reincarnated into himself and his mother then commited suicide, THEN the message would be clear.
|2011-05-21, 19:49
|Link #31
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: United States of America
Age: 28
When I said I could kinda identify with Makoto, the kinda part applies to being a morose cynic with no faith in humanity. Its precisely as his brother described; Makoto hurt people on purpose while thinking they deserved it anyway. He recovered from it to the point where his tears on that dining table were real and heartfelt. I don't know if I ever will or if I even want to. Other than that, I have very little in common with Makoto. I was the top of my class pretty much all the way through and I didn't really live a bad life nor was I ever really bullied. I guess I do also come from a Buddhist background and a middle class Asian family with some domestic conflict but after switching my settings many times, I believe that people hype the influences of such stuff much more than is applicable. People are people; no matter where they are from and most of the times, their reactions to incidents, especially repulsive ones, are very similar. The only thing that differs is just how people seek resolution and that depends more on the individual than anything else. That said though, I did see plenty of drama in real life
I don't think the movie asks the viewers to sympathize with Makoto. It is more an effect of the movie that you end up sympathizing with him than a requirement. It simply tells you a story from his point of view after his accident. To me, it was really obvious from the go that it was Makoto himself. The whole "different soul on a different body" deal was only there to drive the plot in my opinion. For all I care, it could all have been the delusional fantasy of a boy who just tried killing himself and didn't want to face reality right away. I also think, rather, wish, the "guide" he drew in the painting at the end wasn't "Purapura" but Saemoto. But it doesn't matter whatsoever. Whether or not it was Makoto himself didn't really matter when the affection his mom was showering upon him was real. I do think more or less along the lines of what you are suggesting with the non-changing reactions part though. Like I said earlier, people are people and most of the time, their reactions are very much the same.
The movie didn't dwell on the mechanisms much, it concerns itself much more with the growth of Makoto. The viewers are presented with the magnificent recovery of a boy who was struggling with his identity and completely stuck inside his own shell to the point of having committed suicide. It was bound to be cheesy. Such stuff takes years in real life and it still is cheesy. The way to go about with it is to go with the cheese pretending to be a happy hamster. Whether or not that is fair, given that going with the cheese feels like you are ignoring the very questions that drove you to despair is a question that doesn't need an answer. When you have had enough, you will realize the support you wished for has always been around you and you'll just go with it. If you are the really unlucky ones that really don't have any support then you might perish or with luck, you might come across someone who can support you. But in the end, cheesy resolutions are impossible to avoid. And when you condense the whole ordeal in a two hour movie, the cheesy feeling is obviously gonna multiply a hundred times or so.
I disagree that he was treating his mom like shit; it was just repulsion. He didn't deny her outright. I don't know about you but my reaction to my mom in a similar situation would be more or less the same. Heck I gave her attitude over much smaller stuff. Doesn't mean I didn't respect her.
I don't think the movie meant to trouble itself with deep philosophical constructs like interdependent origination. But a lot of it is common sense and there are obvious influences in society. It's not uniquely Japanese though; that concept has a stronger hold in Theravada than other schools of Buddhism actually. And it's not even uniquely Buddhist; a lot of it is also found in Hinduism (granted there are far too many forms of this religion but there are some which take the whole "everything is tied together" deal further just as much as xxxholic does if not more), the Chinese 'religions' and even western ideology. The golden rule isn't exactly derived from Enishi but since you mentioned it, well, it is found not only in the Analects of Confucius and the Neeti Sutras of Chanakya but even in the sermon on the mount. But that's all irrelevant as far as the movie goes imho. It was simply what you'd expect from a movie with reconciliation as it's theme. And an admirable message it is.
@idiffer again, yes, a lot of everything is pretty obvious but a lot of it also has deeper meaning that's not so obvious. You would be surprised at just what deep implications are of some of those 'obvious' messages. And if you are calling the Buddhist doctrine corny, you are quite off from the target. It's anything but corny and has a very pragmatic approach to life. Heck, Pope John Paul II once criticized the doctrine as Nihilistic. While I don't agree with that (especially coming from the figurehead of a religion which believes the end of the world as we know it is justice bla bla), it does tell you that things are perhaps not as obvious . But a lot of it is open to interpretation and people tend to talk more than practice the way of life. Debating philosophy is thus only part of it; living the practice is more important. Don't get lost in the wilderness thinking too much is perhaps the wisest thing the Buddha ever said.
Regarding the only good thing Makoto did being a friend to another loser, just how exactly was Sano a loser? The whole point of the movie was that there are no such things as losers. People have flaws, everyone of them does, but there is no such thing as unfathomable evil. It implies that there is no such thing as perfectly good either but that's just fine. And it sounds corny but if you think about it, it's more that that's just how it is. It only feels corny because it feels "obvious" and we don't want to admit that we ignored something that was always there. But hey, obvious as it is, most people in the world suffer. There is suffering, that's the first truth proclaimed by the Buddha. I don't want to imply this movie as Buddhist since I sincerely believe that the message is universal so I will stop. Anyway, the movie establishes that Makoto is a wonderful guy and perhaps a virtuoso as well. And Sano was the only one who could truly interpret his art. She has issues, sure, but she is anything but a loser. And Makoto helped others as well. He was the reason his otherwise dysfunctional family was putting things together instead of completely dispersing. He helped Saemoto get the motivation he needed. He accepted Hiroka with all her indignity. Hiroka is a "winner" for most of their colleagues but it is only Makoto who truly acknowledges her. His mom committing suicide would have been counterproductive. His recovery and reconciliation is precisely what helped a broken woman get back to her life. Yada yada. Whether or not being a bum contributes to the world's balance is out in the gray (you can argue for absolutely anything for argument's sake and it's fairly easy to make at least an argument for most things but whether or not such arguments are worth arguing over is again up for arguments; best thing to do is to get real and argue only when necessary, the precise definition of which is again up for argument ).
Regarding the "religious" message, like I said in my previous post, the suggestion that reincarnating back to life is better than being free of the cycle of rebirth is mildly amusing because that's antagonistic to the Buddhist goal of achieving Nirvana. Something completely unrelated to Enishi But the movie didn't expound on it enough to really derive anything from it. And destruction of a soul doesn't necessarily sound like Nirvana either. And I am repeating myself again but the movie didn't bother with the mechanisms much at all so while you are free to see and argue for deeper meaning into things, I for one am satisfied with the cheesy slice of life.
Last edited by Forsaken_Infinity; 2011-05-21 at 19:53. Reason: idk why but Animesuki has been a real pain with connections resetting all the while
|2011-05-22, 09:45
|Link #32
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Austria
Just watched the film. Thanks for recommending it.
@ soult-to-different-body ploy. I don't think it's merely a plot device. Actually, it's at the very core of the film. We all have our hang-ups and habits, and Makoto retains them, as we see by how he treats his mother. But his conscious attitude is different, because he keeps telling himself, it's just this body, this has nothing to do with me. It's an estrangement technique that helped Makoto bypass nasty blocks like, say, denial. When things would normally get to painful, and he'd get angry at himself, for example, he can now be angry at someone else, which - in turn - helps him see things from a different perspective.
Compare the technique to a simple amnesia, for example: Makoto looks at his paintings. With amnesia, he'd have known the paintings were his, and even before he really saw them, emotions as diverse as modesty or pride (and maybe both at the same time) would interfere. But by thinking someone else painted them, he can actually look at the paintings, and think, hey, that's actually nice, or was he nuts when he painted that? The reaction to the paintings would be more undiluted. (Not entirely undiluted, since there's the why-did-it-have-to-be-him? line that replaces the more self-centred emotions.)
We'd all learn a lot about ourselves, if we managed to pretend that we were someone else looking in. But that's hard without a memory wipe and trickster scheme to back you up.
|2011-05-24, 13:43
|Link #33
You disgust me.
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: UK
Age: 28
I just watched this now, I have to admit I really enjoyed it. Funny how Saotome was looking at old train tracks to get off revising for exams, because I was actually watching this film to take my mind off exams (I have an exam tommorrow).
I pretty much agree with everything Kanon's said. It's a great film, but I can't say I enjoyed it as much as other films about self-realisation, like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Overall: 8/10
|2011-05-27, 20:36
|Link #34
Senior Member
Forsaken Infinity
1) even if the movie doesn't ask us to sympathise with makoto, i still want to be able to. that's a major part
in anime, movies. if i can't, then the movie had better have smth up it's sleeve to make up for it. it does, but it's barely
enough for me.
2) i mean't makoto's guy friend, when saying "loser". Sano didn't register as a character almost.
3) well, makoto ignores his mother and has been very rude to her, all of which made her feel like shit, so...
4) yes, enishi, buddhism is corny ...IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS ANIME. the idea is presented very compact and simplified, thus
becoming corny. e=mc^2 is corny, but explaining what the hell that means - is not. it's corny and obvious, also, because 90% of viewers already knew
about the idea and are tired of it.
5) as for makoto being a great guy...hell, i don't think so. what has he really done for the family, except for being an asshole? and for hiroka? he ran with her so that she would not sleep with some old guy. ok, you say he accepted her. no big feat in my book.
srly, what's so hard
to accept about a girl who sleeps with men for money? and it's not like everyone else was shunning her (i may be mastaken here.
if i am, correct me).
|2011-05-27, 21:38
|Link #35
Waiting for more taiyuki!
Join Date: Jan 2004
And...being that age and sleeping with men for money isn't something that guys or girls are accepting of here to put it mildly.
|2011-05-31, 02:26
|Link #36
Seishu's Ace
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
I'm late weighing in, but here's a longish review of the movie:
In summation, I absolutely loved it - a classic. There was a time in anime where it was common to do stories about boys and the troubles they face growing up, but it's a real rarity these days - it doesn't make you a hit on 2chan, I guess. But there are some real issues this movie confronts - and the statistics show that boys are 6 times more likely than girls to attempt suicide. And how are boys supposed to deal with their problems? "Man up", that's how. Be tough. No tears. Don't talk about it.
I loved so much about this movie. I'll admit it hits every thematic sweet spot for me - magical realism, coming-of-age, hell - it even feeds my inner railway otaku. But I think I'm objective enough to sing its praises on its own merits. I love the family relationship, especially with the mother. I love the fact that - as so often in the real lives of teenagers - it's ultimately not a romance or even the parents but the best friend that proves the crucial relationship in getting through the hardest times. That's a theme so rarely explored with any intelligence or depth in anime these days. I love the ultimate message - the acceptance of pain as a part of life, and the enishi.
Yes, I pegged the plot twist at the end pretty early in the movie. But so what? To me it just made sense, the only proper way to end the film - so naturally, that would be the twist. Like Shinkai in a sense, I think this was poetry more than prose - the story, animation, art and music creating a collection of emotions that evolves and grows more powerful over the course of the movie. It's a beautiful and powerful work, but even more it sheds light on the very real struggles kids go through in life. That's pretty special.
Last edited by Guardian Enzo; 2011-05-31 at 02:56.
|2011-06-12, 13:07
|Link #37
According to ANN Colorful just picked up 2 awards at France's Annecy festival. They were the special mention and audience pick awards. The movie has won some awards in Tokyo already but I believe this is the first time it's drawn international recognition.
|2011-06-12, 17:21
|Link #39
Crossdressing Menmatic
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Where you live... the question is, do you see me?
Age: 26
This movie is seriously messed up. Even coming from a Western perspective, I don't know of anyone who treats their mother with such disrespect. Unfortunately, I couldn't feel any pity for the mother either, because she wouldn't stand up against her own son, or own up to her own love affair (which she probably did as a part-time job to pay for Makoto's future high school). Likewise, the shy, introverted, creepy glasses-wearing girl is utterly dysfunctional. Stutter more, please! I already have no way to understand what you mean. But to say the pretty love-hotel girl is in any better mental state would be just an outright lie. "I like to smash beautiful things every three days." While I'm at character bashing, Makoto's father deserves to be an underpaid, overworked salaryman. Just like his son, Makoto's father chooses to let everyone step all over him. This man deserves to have his son commit suicide. Thank goodness for Mitsuru's lack of screentime. I couldn't have stood another child from this twisted, sickening family.
Makoto Kobayashi. The most screwed-up character in this already screwed-up movie. He saw fit not only to kill himself, but then to make his family's lives more miserable after reincarnating. What an ungrateful bastard.
With the above rant out of my system, I now address the question: Does this movie truly deserve it's praise?
My answer is no.
The most important thing I learned from watching Colorful is the main motif - how people have different shades of color to their personality. Normally, I would have given this a glowing review like everyone else, talk about how the story was compelling, blah blah blah. Deep inside, I was seriously pissed off at Makoto for treating his mother like trash. Honestly, most of the movie made me enraged.
Then I realized everyone else watching is probably feeling the same way - they just keep it in to themselves. Like Hiroka, who goes about defacing beautiful things without telling anyone. Or Mitsuru, who truly cares for his own brother but doesn't want to hurt his feelings. Most triumphant example? Makoto, who has no friends and decides he shouldn't be alive any more. He tells no one of his own suffering; naturally no one visits him when he's takes his own life.
I'm not going to lie. I haven't gotten angry at a movie in a very long time. I would love to find whoever made this movie and beat them up.
And yet, this is why Makoto was given a second chance at life. Underneath his cold, uncaring personality also exists someone who just wants to have friends. That's why it's important to give people another chance, so you can see whether they're purely cold-blooded or if they can actually be nice to people.
Makoto judged Hiroka based on watching her enter a love-hotel with someone way older than her. She has multiple shades to her personality - she enjoys beautiful things and smashing them up, yet isn't at her core a completely cruel person. I admit, I thought Mitsuru to be even worse than his brother. But he's really a nice fellow under those large glasses.
So if you thought I hated watching Colorful based on the opening paragraph alone, you're absolutely incorrect. Sure, I got angry, but at the same time I felt really sad. And I felt truly happy for Makoto's time with his friend Saotome and his acceptance of his own parents. There's more to my personal opinion of this movie than crimson scarlet red. Nope... there's some blue and yellow, too.
Colorful should win every story-related award for the next five years. That's how many feelings I experienced on the emotional spectrum - and they were all of extreme intensity. On the other hand, I'll probably get more negative comments than the current manga chapters of Bleach, but I'll take it. If I've learned anything, it's how diverse everyone's personalities are. I'm going to do as Makoto and put who I really am out for everyone to see - both the beautiful and the ugly.
Heh... I want to give whoever made this movie a hug (after apologizing for beating them up first).
Movie Rating: 9.5/10
|2011-06-16, 00:59
|Link #40
Sekiroad Idols Sing Twice
You know, I could give a long, boring tl;dr review, but I think I'll just keep my thoughts short and sweet. I'll put them in spoiler tags just to be on the safe side.
Spoiler for Colorful and Haibane Renmei, because I can't talk about this movie without comparing them!:
Disclaimer: the above text is an opinion.
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Roger Mooking shuffles his feet a few feet away from the stage at a Stratford cooking demo, much like the way an actor psyches himself up before an opening act.
It's fitting, considering he's about to perform in the small Ontario town well regarded for its love of live theatre. The Trinidadian-Canadian chef gingerly takes to the stage and the crowd erupts in applause much like the sharp punch of citrus Mooking loves using to enhance the flavours in his dishes.
It's tough to say what's more diverse once he's on stage: the plethora of ingredients at his disposal for his cashew-chicken curry or the man's CV, which includes part-time stints as a college executive and philanthropist. At the moment, he's a guest speaker at Savour Stratford, an annual culinary event about a two-hour drive west of Toronto.
But there's a good chance Canadians are more familiar with Mooking's other endeavors: he's the host of two popular cooking shows, "Man Fire Food" and "Everyday Exotic"; a cookbook author and Juno-winning musician as a former member of R&B trio Bass is Base.
At the heart of it all, Mooking is an entertainer. That much is evident in his demonstration, constantly teasing his audience in Stratford with facts about peppers, cumin and other tasty trivia. He's not afraid to get personal either, calling up volunteers to help him mince garlic and at one point, running out of tasting spoons because too many people have sampled his curry.
The Huffington Post Canada caught up with the Toronto-based musician-turned-chef-turned-TV-personality after his cooking demo to grill him on his immigrant influences, worldly travels and his guilty love of Pringles.
What's your take-away from Savour Stratford?
I realize there are a lot of people passionate about food. We know that because I meet a lot of them in my work but here, one guy drove from Toronto and this guy drove from Hamilton, Ont. to this festival to see what they're doing locally here and that says a lot.
But also it says something to how passionate people are to get a food adventure. So many people are working here on a volunteer basis. The whole culinary team — the seven people in the back of [the stage] — are volunteers. They just want to be around and be a part of it. You can't buy that passion, man. It's just infectious and that's why people gravitate here.
What does "Canadian" food mean to you?
Canada is a country to immigrant thanks to Pierre Elliot Trudeau and so Canadian cuisine is some of the most diverse cuisine in the world. So I'd say it's about diversity. When we came to [Edmonton], we were the only black family for hundred of miles, right? There were a lot of Ukrainian and Polish immigrants in Alberta at the time but in Edmonton specifically. My mom was always curious about food and culture. So one day I'd come home and some baba is in the kitchen teaching my mom how to make cabbage rolls or Kielbasa or pierogies from scratch.
The more I travel around the world, the more I appreciate how amazing Canada is. It really is special. You go to Thailand, you get that cuisine. All day, every day. In Canada, you can get everything, you get mish-mashes of everything — you come to Alberta and you can get a kimchi and potato stuffed pierogi. It's amazing! With a miso mayo dip. It's like four cultures in one simple dish, just like that. It's amazing, right?
What is one of the first things you crave to eat when you return home from abroad?
Pho. No matter what, I love pho. I can eat pho every single day of the year...if my wife would let me. I try it with beef, everything, tendons...I'm down for the medium bowls. The large [bowls] end up being a lot.
What's your favourite food to make for yourself at home after a boozy night out?
I'm not a boozy man-on-the-town kind-of guy. I drink in moderation. I don't really drink like that -- one night a year, maybe. If I decided it's going to be a drunk night, everything goes bro. Whatever you put, it goes down the hatch. Whatever anyone drops on the table, dude. But you know, I'm not adverse to drinking. I'll have a cocktail, a glass of wine at dinner, I'll abide but very moderately.
If you could prepare only one last meal, what would it be?
Curry crabs and dumplings. My family's spread all over Canada. My sisters are in one place, my parents are there, I'm here. So when we get together, it's always "when are we going to do the feast?" And that's curry crab and dumplings. It's really messy and you take the table and you line it with newspaper and make the curry crab in one bowl and dumplings in another.
You get another bowl just for the shells and everyone's sucking the crab, all hands, no cutlery, no plates, everything's hands-on... Then you dump out the shells, wrap them up in the newspaper and in the garbage. I've got so many memories around curry crab and dumplings so that would be my last meal. That or dim sum.
What would be in your emergency "survival pantry"?
You need salt and pepper. You know, a lot of people think "oh, this dish isn't ready." You add a little salt and pepper to that thing, man, and all those flavours come alive. Also, that fresh citrus — lemon, lime, even passion fruit — element really opens up a lot of flavours. You can do a lot with a little ingredients like that and bring out the natural flavours.
Most unusual and delicious food you'd suggest people try?
Try Szechuan peppercorns. It adds a very unique sensation to your palette. It kind of numbs it, it tingles and makes food really come alive — not necessarily in a sweaty, spicy kind of way, but it a very dynamic way that no other ingredient can actually do.
What is the wildest thing you've done in a kitchen, culinary or otherwise?
This is PG, right? I don't know man... once I cooked in a kitchen that was flooded. It was the middle of restaurant service. The dining room was full of people and there was this big rainstorm flooding the kitchen and the owner went to go get knee-high boots for us. We kept cooking and serving customers in knee-high waters and no one knew.
Comes hell or high water, right?
People want their food man. They're hungry.
What would you be doing if you weren't a chef?
I make things. You know, at the end of the day, that's what I do. I make things. I'm less in the food and music business than I am in the entertainment business, right? I'd be entertaining some kind of way or creating something. I'm a creator. It's what I do, in different platforms but I just like to make things for people to enjoy, hopefully.
What is your favourite cheap food thrill?
I love Pringles, dude. Red box Pringles.
Once you pop, you can't stop?
Oh, dude. It's a curse. I'll do it like twice a year now because it's bad. I'll eat the whole box out. Red box only. Red. Box. Only.
What's your most memorable food city?
Bangkok. Everything you put in your mouth in Bangkok is delicious. On the street for two bucks, in a high-end restaurant, middle-level restaurant, street market...everything you put in your mouth in Bangkok is going to blow your brains out. Very memorable.
What's the one Canadian restaurant you'd recommend?
Ali's Roti Shop in Parkdale (Toronto)... They make the authentic roti, like how you get it in Trinidad. Don't go to a Jamaican restaurant for roti, don't go to a Trinidadian restaurant for jerk chicken. Rule of thumb.
Also on HuffPost

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Super-quick fish curry
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 10 mins
A low fat fish curry that's ready in a flash, make sure you buy your fish from a sustainable source
Nutrition and extra info
- Easily halved
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal191
- fat5g
- saturates1g
- carbs9g
- sugars6g
- fibre2g
- protein30g
- salt0.54g
Save to My Good Food
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1-2 tbsp Madras curry paste (we used Patak's)
- 400g can tomato
A member of the nightshade family (along with aubergines, peppers and chillies), tomatoes are in…
- 200ml vegetable stock
- sustainable white fish fillets, skinned and cut into big chunks
- rice or naan bread
Heat the oil in a deep pan and gently fry the onion and garlic for about 5 mins until soft. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for 1-2 mins, then tip in the tomatoes and stock.
Bring to a simmer, then add the fish. Gently cook for 4-5 mins until the fish flakes easily. Serve immediately with rice or naan
Recipe Tip
Make it mediterraneanPesto Fish Stew Fry the onion and garlic until soft, then add the tomatoes and stock along with 2 tbsp red pesto. Bring to a simmer and cook the fish as left, throwing in a handful torn basil leaves just before serving with crusty French bread.
Recipe Tip
Milder?If you prefer your food a little milder, a less spicy curry paste, such as Korma, will work as well.
You may also like
Comments, questions and tips
2nd Sep, 2016
1 whole Naan contains 76g carbs. So if you eat Naan with this curry, you will not be able to eat more than 1 tenth of a Naan. That would not satisfy anybody. For this reason the recipe is very misleading. It would be much better to have an egg (or 3) as a starter and leave out the Naan. Much healthier, much more satisfying. It's a very useful recipe but also very misleading!


text:
GEO vol. II, #7: The Cooperative Advantage
In this issue we present four excellent articles addressing seemingly diverse topics: worker cooperatives in China, spontaneous cooperatives in an intentional community in Ithaca, New York, a study comparing the worker productivity in Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) firms to traditional capitalist firms, and the state of gender equality in worker cooperatives; however, the uniting theme of the issue is the "cooperative advantage." Worker cooperatives are not only the most fair, democratic, and equitable way to organize work but also the most efficient.
Robert Ware describes the rebirth of Gung Ho in China. Originally founded during the 1930s during the Japanese occupation of China, Gung Ho is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of producer cooperatives throughout China. Ware recently visited Gung Ho and describes the current challenges of this dynamic organization.
Richard Franke chronicles the development of small spontaneous cooperatives in the context of an intentional community, Ecovillage in Ithaca, New York. These cooperatives enable the residence of the community to pool their resources to meet specific needs and build solidarity.
Brent Kramer presents an overview of a study he completed comparing worker productivity at ESOPs to traditional hierarchical capitalist firms. Using a traditional capitalist measure of worker productivity he found that workers at ESOPs outperformed workers in traditional firms.
Genna Miller describes a preliminary study she conducted investigating the state of gender equality in worker cooperatives in the United States. She concludes "women fare better in co-ops than in the mainstream capitalist labor force in terms of occupational attainment, hourly wage rates, and achievement of leadership roles." However, she did find some interesting differences between women and men in worker cooperatives. For example, male worker-owners tend to earn more money than women worker-owners, not because they make more money per hour, but because they work more hours. In sum, each article demonstrates a different aspect of the universal appeal of democratic work.
John Lawrence
Issue Editor
Permanent link to this issue is http://geo.coop/node/616
When citing this article, please use the following format:
John Lawrence(2011). The Cooperative Advantage.
Grassroots Economic Organizing (GEO) Newsletter, Volume 2,Issue 8.
A weekly email newsletter connecting you with our latest issues, articles and special features. Subscribe now!
Movement Pages
Recent Issues
- 4: Sociocracy / Dynamic Governance -NEW!
- 3: Cuban Worker Co-ops
- 2: Building Regional Solidarity Economy Networks
- 1: Expanding the Reach of Food Co-ops
- 18: The Southern Cooperative Movement
- 17: Scaling-Up the Cooperative Movement
- 16: Intentional Communities and Solidarity Economics
- 15: Advancing the Development of Worker Co-ops-ADWC 2013
- 14: The Anniversary Issue
- 13: The Frank Lindenfeld Memorial
- 12: International Year of the Cooperative
- 11: Lessons for Today from "Black Like Me"
- 10: Occupy! Connect! Create!
- 9: Collective Action: Research, Practice and Theory
- 8: Worker Cooperative Development Models
- 7: The Cooperative Advantage
- 6: Inter-cooperation is Key
- 5: Education For Economic Liberation
- 4: Land, Food, Childcare, Laundry, and a Book
- 3: Worker Cooperative Replication
- 2: Strengthening the Movement
- 1: Grassroots Democracy In Action


text: OS X Mountain Lion is now available to the general public, and you know what that means, right? Yep, bugs and glitches not exposed during the beta might crop up once millions of people install the thing. Have you noticed anything weird after installing the new OS? Let's talk about it below.


text:
In the future, when we finally get some realistic virtual reality gaming options, playing Assassin's Creed is going to be simultaneously terrifying and exciting. But I think it will take me awhile before I can leap off a building and land on a car without having a heart attack midway.
This modern-day version apparently entails pitting hidden blades against handguns. This could be dangerous if not for swift assassin moves and what looks to be dumb luck.
- WATCH: Altaïr takes on some goons in suits in the video above.
- WATCH: This landscape is very familiar. Is that Reckoning or World of Warcraft?
- PLAY: Towers N' Trolls is our Gaming App of the Day.
- PLAY: Browser-based game, LinSanity, lets you play as Jeremy Lin.
- WATCH: The Grosjean Brothers put together Part Three of their real-life version of Skyrim.
Did you see a particularly interesting video on the Internet? Know a friend who puts together awesome video game movies? If you have suggestions for Watch This, Play This, drop me a line at email@example.com and you may just see it featured here the next day.


text:
What shipping company do you use?
Do you ship same day?
Can I request a later shipping date?
Are there any shipping restrictions on gift baskets relating to weather?
How long will it take to receive a package shipped via
Is the delivery date guaranteed?
What days does FedEx pick up and deliver?
Does the pick-up day count towards the delivery
How much will the shipping cost?
Do you offer shipping insurance?
Can you ship fruit anywhere in the U.S.?
Can you ship wine anywhere in the U.S.?
Are there any other restrictions on the wine
What size are the wine bottles in your
How does the local van delivery work?
What if you run out of inventory for an
How do you package the baskets for
Do recipients have to sign for their
What happens if nobody is home to sign for a package requiring a
What about shipping to P.O. Boxes, Hospitals and
Do you offer all types of delivery service to all locations in
the U.S.?
Do you ship internationally?
What happens if I enter the wrong shipping
Can I track my shipment?
Will my information be sold to or shared with third
What shipping company do you use?
We ship our gift baskets nationwide via Ground and Express delivery services and we deliver locally by van within parts of New Jersey. For nationwide delivery, your options are Ground (1 to 5 business days, depending on location) or Express (guaranteed to arrive in 3 days, 2 days, overnight or on Saturday). For local van deliveries, your options are for same day or future service within certain zip codes.Top
We will ship any basket same day, via Ground and Express delivery services, if we receive the order before 3 P.M. EST, Monday-Friday (except for legal holidays and the weeks prior to Christmas, or unless you have chosen a delayed Order Ship Date via our website calendar). We will deliver same day by van within select parts of NJ if we receive the order before 10:30 A.M. EST, Monday-Friday (except for legal holidays). Regular orders received during the weeks prior to Christmas will be shipped out as soon as possible, usually within 2 business days. Orders with a delayed Order Ship Date will be shipped out on the date requested. Top
Yes. During checkout, you have the ability to specify on our shipping calendar the date you want your gift basket shipped and delivered. The estimated delivery date will then be displayed.Top
Yes, self-imposed ones. We want every gift basket we make to look as beautiful upon receipt as it was when it left our facility. So, we reserve the right to substitute items, like chocolates, with items of equal or greater value which are less likely to melt or otherwise be compromised, when we feel it is necessary. During warm weather, chocolates will be shipped on a limited basis; shipping via Ground delivery if it is expected to take less than two calendar days to arrive and shipping via Express delivery if going further than a 2-day zone. There is an additional handling charge for ice packs and special thermal wrapping on these deliveries. Fresh fruit can be shipped all year round via Ground delivery if it is expected to take less than three calendar days to arrive. Deliveries going further than a 3-day zone must go Express delivery.Top
As we ship from New Jersey, most Ground shipments going to the Northeast will
be delivered on the next business day. Shipments going to the Mid-Atlantic
states usually arrive in 2 business days, the South and Midwest within 3-4
business days, and the West Coast in 5 business days. Alaska and Hawaii take
longer for delivery and can cost more as shipping destinations. Ground service
does not guarantee the date of delivery -- all delivery times are estimated. For
details, please click on the color-shaded FedEx delivery map.Top
Packages going Express (Overnight, Saturday, 2-day or 3-day) are guaranteed
by FedEx to arrive on time. Top
Ground and Express delivery trucks pick up from our facility every business day and our gift baskets are delivered every day except Sundays and legal holidays. Saturday delivery is available in certain areas, for an additional delivery fee.Top
No, the pick-up day is not included when calculating the delivery date.
Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not calculated in the delivery dates
For example, a package you order on Friday before 3 P.M. Eastern to go to
California will be picked up from our facility that same day, but it will not
actually begin shipping until Monday.
A package you order on Friday after 3 P.M. Eastern to go to California may
not leave our warehouse until Monday. In that case, it will not actually
begin shipping until Tuesday.Top
The cost of shipping depends on the delivery option you choose. For Ground,
the posted rate is the same anywhere in the country. For Express, the shipping
cost is based upon the type of service requested (overnight, 2-day or 3-day),
the weight and size of the package and its destination. The cost of shipping
will be calculated upon checkout for each item ordered. There is a $5.50 Adult
Signature Fee for an adult signature on all wine shipments which is already included in the shipping price.Top
Our gifts are automatically insured against loss and damage during transit at no extra cost to you.Top
Yes, except for California. Due to restrictions on fruit by the CA Department of Agriculture, we cannot ship fruit baskets to California. We would suggest you choose from our extensive variety of gourmet baskets to send there.Top
We can ship wine to most states. Unfortunately, we cannot ship wine to a
number of states, due to specific regulations in those states. The list of
restricted states may change from time to time.
At present, the restricted states are: Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee and Utah.
We are happy to substitute Imported Sparkling Cider or additional gourmet
foods in baskets going to states where wine shipment is prohibited. We will
adjust the price of the basket, if necessary. Top
You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase or receive a wine basket
from us.
You should also know that title to, and ownership of, all wine and/or spirits
purchased on this site passes from M&M Wines Corp. (M&M) to the
purchaser in the State of New Jersey and the purchaser takes all responsibility
for the shipping it from New Jersey to his/her home state. By arranging for
transportation of the wine, M&M is providing a service to, and acting on
behalf of, the purchaser. By utilizing this service, the purchaser is
representing that he/she is acting in a fashion compliant with his/her local and
state laws regarding the purchase, transportation and delivery of wine and/or
spirits. The purchaser represents that he/she has obtained any required
permission, paid any required fees, is working through properly licensed
intermediaries where required, is legally entitled to take possession of wine
and is legally entitled to take quantities ordered and once again affirms that
he/she is at least 21 years of age.Top
How does the local van delivery work?
Local van deliveries are made Mon-Fri except legal holidays, and sometimes on Saturdays during holiday seasons. Deliveries are limited to certain zip codes within New Jersey. The delivery cost is calculated based upon the weight and size of the package, plus the destination zip code.
For a list of van delivery zip codes, please click here. Top
What size are the wine bottles in your baskets?
All of our wines come in standard 750ml bottles, unless indicated
While we try our hardest to make sure that doesn't happen, from time to time
we may be temporarily out of stock on a basket or a product. If that happens, we
will substitute it with an item of equal or greater value. Top
All items in our gift baskets rest in an attractive packing material called sizzle pack. The gift baskets are then shrink wrapped, bowed with ribbon, blanketed within a cocoon of environmentally friendly air bag material and carefully placed in a shipping box. Our protective packaging process meets or exceeds shipping requirements.Top
It depends. For wine baskets, the recipient, or someone else over 21, must
sign for the package. For all other baskets, a signature is not officially
required, but the driver does have the discretion to insist upon a
signature, if the driver feels it is unsafe to leave the package unattended
(i.e. an apartment building with no doorman). Top
What happens if nobody is home to sign for a package
requiring a signature?
The driver will leave a note at the location, informing the recipient that a delivery attempt has been made and giving instructions on how the recipient can ensure they get the package delivered on the next business day. The driver will make 3 delivery attempts, on 3 separate days. The package will then be held in the local delivery warehouse for approximately 10 days, during which time the recipient has the option to pick up the package in person. After that, the package will be returned to us.
If it becomes clear that nobody is - or will be - home to sign for the package, you have three options:
1- If you provide us with another address, in the same state, where an adult can sign for it, we will try to re-route the package while it is still in transit. There is an $11 fee for this service.
2- If the package has already been returned to us, we will re-ship it at a fee of $15.
3- If you opt not to reship, we will refund the cost of the original basket, less a 15% restock fee.
If you are sending a wine basket and are not sure if anybody will be home to sign for it, we strongly suggest you ship the basket to a work address, or to an address where somebody over 21 will be there to sign for it.
P.O. Boxes - We cannot deliver to a P.O. Box - therefore, we cannot
accept any orders going to such an address. We can have packages delivered to Rural
Route number addresses.
Hospitals - We generally do not recommend sending gift baskets to a patient in a hospital, unless you are certain the patient will still be in the hospital on the day the package is to be delivered. We are not responsible if the patient is no longer there when the basket arrives, if the basket gets misplaced within the hospital, or if the hospital staff fails to deliver the gift to the patient's room. It is a much safer bet to send the basket to the person's home and have a relative bring it to the hospital. Please keep in mind, with the current trend of shorter maternity stays, baby gift baskets being sent to a hospital usually need to be sent Overnight.
Hotel - We ask that you be absolutely sure the recipient will still be in the
hotel when your gift arrives. We are not responsible if the guest is no longer
at the hotel when the basket arrives, if the basket gets misplaced within the
hotel, or if the hotel staff fails to deliver the gift to the guest.Top
No, but we do offer most. If the package is going to a remote rural area,
one or more of the delivery options may not be available. If that occurs, we
will contact you immediately. Top
Sorry, we do not ship out of the country. Top
What happens if I enter the wrong shipping
That's a problem. We routinely monitor the shipping status of all our
packages and will often troubleshoot directly with FedEx if we discover we
have been given an incorrect or incomplete address. If we are able to get the
basket re-routed while in transit, there will be an $11.00 re-route fee.
If we are unable to get the basket rerouted while in transit, FedEx will
return the basket to us. We will then attempt to correct the mistaken address
and re-ship it to the proper destination (that's where the recipient's phone
number comes in especially handy). There is a $15.00 re-ship fee.Top
You can check on the status of your gift basket order anytime in two different ways.
Registered Members can go to "My Account" sign in and click on "View Order History".
Members and non-members alike can log onto www.fedex.com, go to "track", then "track by tracking number" and paste in the tracking number.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at (800) 691-0059 or email us at email@example.com.
Absolutely not. At winebasket.com, we respect the privacy of our customers;
we will not provide our customer information to any third party without


text:
All the twittering about syllabi got to me! I suppose I had to get around to re-reviving Bollyspace one way or the other.
Following Alisa Perren, Ben Aslinger, and Annie Peterson, I am posting the syllabus for a grad seminar on Media Globalization that I am teaching this term. Needless to say, there are several ways to approach this topic, and I did struggle to achieve focus. But in the end, I decided to structure the course in terms of a problematic that I am grappling with as I work on my book manuscript – relationships b/w space, place, and media production. I should also note that this draws from courses designed by faculty at other colleges and universities, most notably: Michael Curtin (University of Wisconsin-Madison, CA 950: Globalization of Media) and Marwan Kraidy (University of Pennsylvania, COMM 821: Theory and History of Global Communication).
Looking forward to suggestions.
International and Comparative Media
This course focuses attention on the changing dynamics of media production and patterns of circulation in an era of increasing global connectivity. We will draw on scholarship from media and cultural studies, cultural geography, and political economy to explore media production and circulation in a number of different locations including India, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Lebanon, U.S., and Canada. The first half of the course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the development of global media/communication theories and various debates that have shaped this field over the past 5-6 decades. The rest of the course is dedicated to exploring the logics of film, television, and digital media in varied sites as a way to map the spatial dynamics of media globalization. This course also provides an opportunity for students to develop an original research project on an aspect of global media industries.
1. Jan. 11 Orientations
Kwame Anthony-Appaiah, "The case for contamination." Jan 1, 2006, New York Times.
Dipesh Chakrabarty, Provincializing Europe (excerpts)
Amitava Kumar, "Theory by other means." Rethinking Marxism, 17 (2), 2006.
2. Jan. 18 Mass Communication and the world: the development paradigm
Walt Rostow (1960) The Stages of Economic Growth (pp. 1-16, 145-159)
Wilbur Schramm (1964) Mass Media and National Development (pp. 114-144)
Daniel Lerner (1964) The Passing of Traditional Society (pp. 43-75, 398-412)
Everett Rogers (1976) "Communication and Development: The Passing of the
Dominant Paradigm," Communication Research, 3(2): 121-133.
Karin Wilkins (1998) "Gender, Power and Development," The Journal of International Communication, 4(2): 102-120.
3. Jan. 25 Mass Communication and the world: the Cultural Imperialism debate
Screening: Distress Signals
Herbert Schiller (1969) Mass Communication and American Empire (pp. 153-170)
Annabelle Sreberny-Mohammadi (1997) "The many faces of cultural imperialism," in Golding, P. and Harris, P., Beyond Cultural Imperialism (pp. 49-68), London: Sage.
Joseph Straubhaar (1991) "Beyond media imperialism: Asymmetrical interdependence and cultural proximity," Critical Studies in Mass Communication 8(1): 29-38.
Anandam Kavoori and Kalyani Chadha (2000) "Media imperialism revisited: Some findings from the Asian case," Media, Culture and Society, 22(4): 415-436.
4. Feb. 1 Media and National Culture: beyond development
Screening: Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (Doordarshan, 1983-84)
From John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith (Eds.), Nationalism New York: OUP, 1994:
- Max Weber, "The Nation"
- Gellner, Ernest. "Nationalism and Modernization," "Nationalism and High Cultures"
- Eric Hobsbawm, "The nation as invented tradition"
- Benedict Anderson, "Imagined Communities"
Homi Bhabha (1990) Nation and Narration (pp. 1-7, 291-322)
Purnima Mankekar, Screening Culture, Viewing Politics (pp. 45-103)
Lila Abu-Lughod (2002) "Egyptian Melodrama," in Faye Ginsburg et al. (Eds.) Media Worlds: Anthropology on New Terrain (pp. 115-133)
5. Feb. 8 Framing Globalization
David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1990 (pp. 120-188).
Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, Empire. Cambridge, MA: Harvard U Press, 2000 (pp. 325-369 and 393-414)
Arjun Appadurai, Modernity at Large. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1996 (pp. 27-47)
John Tomlinson, Globalization and culture. Chicago: Univ of Chicago Press, 1999 (pp. 1-27)
Radhika Parameswaran, "The other side of globalization: Communication, culture and postcolonial critique," Communication, Culture and Critique, 1: 116-125.
6. Feb. 15 The local and the global
William Mazzarella, Shoveling Smoke: Advertising and Globalization in India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003 (pp. 215-287)
Toby Miller, et al. Global Hollywood. British Film Institute, 2001 (pp. 259-332)
William Mazzarella, "Culture, Globalization, Mediation," Annual Review of Anthropology, 2004, 33: 345–67
Visiting Scholar:
Feb 18: Colloquium in Communication Studies (Brian Larkin, Barnard College), 4:00-5:30 pm.
Feb 19: our seminar gets to meet and chat with Brian Larkin (9:00-10:30 am).
7. Feb. 22 On hybridity
Screenings: Goodness Gracious Me; My Beautiful Launderette
Hall, Stuart. "Diaspora and Cultural Identity," in Braziel, J.E. & Mannur, A. (Eds.),
Theorizing Diaspora. MA: Blackwell, 2003 (pp. 233-246).
Moya Luckett, "Postnational television? Goodness Gracious Me and the Britasian diaspora," in Lisa Parks and Shanti Kumar (Eds.), Planet TV. New York: NYU Press, 2000 (pp. 402-422).
Kumar, S. (2005). Innovation, Imitation, and Hybridity in Indian Television. In G. R. Edgerton & B. G. Rose (Eds.), Thinking Outside the Box: A Contemporary Television Genre Reader (pp. 314-335). Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press.
Marwan Kraidy, "Hybridity without guarantees: Toward critical transculturalism," in Kraidy M. M. (2005), Hybridity, or the Cultural Logic of Globalization. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
8. Mar. 8 The problem of space and scale
James Carey, "Space, Time, and Communications," in Communication as Culture. Boston: Hyman, 1989.
Harold Innis, "The problem of space," in The Bias of Communication. Toronto: Univ of Toronto Press, 1951.
Nick Couldry and Anna McCarthy, "Orientations: Mapping mediaspace," in MediaSpace: Place, Scale and Culture in a Media Age. New York: Routledge, 2004.
Anna Tsing, Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ Press, 2004 (pp. 55-80).
9. Mar. 15 Global Cities and Networked Economies
Screening: Coding Culture
Manuel Castells, The Rise of Network Society. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1999 (pp. 407-459).
Saskia Sassen, Global Networks, Linked Cities. New York: Routledge, 2002 (pp. 1-38).
Michael Curtin, "Media Capital: Towards the study of spatial flows," International Journal of Cultural Studies, 6(2): 202-228, 2003.
10. Mar. 22 Space, Place, and Media Production: Hong Kong, Vancouver
Michael Curtin. Playing to the World's Biggest Audience. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Serra Tinic. On Location: Canada's television industry in a global market. Toronto: Univ of Toronto Press, 2005 (excerpts)
11. Mar. 29 Space, Place, and Media Production: Hollywood/Bollywood
Nitin Govil, "Hollywood's Effects, Bollywood F/X," in Greg Elmer & Mike Gasher (Eds.), Contracting Out Hollywood. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005 (pp. 92-116).
Allen Scott. On Hollywood: the place, the industry. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ Press, 1999 (excerpts)
Tejaswini Ganti. Bollywood. New York: Routledge, 2004 (excerpts)
Kumar, Shanti. "Mapping Tollywood: The Cultural Geography of 'Ramoji Film City' in Hyderabad." Quarterly Review of Film & Video 23 (2006): 129-38.
Ravi Sundaram. Pirate Modernity: Delhi's Media Urbanism. New Delhi: Routledge, 2009 (excerpts)
12. April 5 Media, modernity, globalization: Nigeria
Screening: Nollywood Babylon (2009), at the Detroit Institute for Arts. March 13 (further details in class).
Brian Larkin, Signal and Noise: Media, Infrastructure and Urban Culture in Nigeria. Durham: Duke University Press, 2008.
Timothy Mitchell, Questions of Modernity. Minneapolis: Univ of Minnesota Press, 2000 (pp. 1-35).
13. April 12 Media, modernity, globalization: the Arab World
Marwan Kraidy, Reality TV and Arab Politics: Contention in public life. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
14. April 19 Presentations and Course wrap-up
Student presentations of research papers.


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Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it will either move the file to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or remove it.
CAUTION Manual disinfection is a risky process; it is recommended only for advanced users.
For general instructions on disinfecting a local network infection, please see Eliminating A Local Network Outbreak.
Knowledge Base
Find the latest advice in our Community Knowledge Base.
User Guide
See the user guide for your product on the Help Center.
Submit a sample
Submit a file or URL for further analysis.
When executed, the worm opens up Windows' Notepad with garbage data in it. When spreading, the infectious email used to distribute the worm copies use variable subjects, bodies and attachment names.
The worm encrypts most of the strings in it's UPX-packed body with ROT13 method, i.e. the characters are rotated 13 locations to the right in the abecedary, starting from the beginning if the position is beyond the last letter.
Mydoom also performs a Distributed Denial-of-Service attack on www.sco.com. This attack starts on 1st of February.
The worm opens up a backdoor to infected computers. This is done by planting a new SHIMGAPI.DLL file to system32 directory and launching it as a child process of EXPLORER.EXE.
Mydoom is programmed to stop spreading on February 12th.
For information on the B variant of Mydoom, see: http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/mydoom_b.shtml
The worm will launch a Notepad window with garbage contents.
When run the worm will create a mutex with the name "SwebSipcSmtxSO" to ensure only one instance of itself is running at the same time.
The worm will copy itself to the Windows System folder as 'taskmon.exe' and adds a entry in the registry:
or, if it fails:
So it's run every time Windows starts up.
It drops another file, contained encoded in its body and packed with UPX as:
This file will sequentially open TCP ports from 3127 to 3198, listening on them for incoming connections. One of the possibilities this backdoor offers is to receive an additional executable and run it on the already infected machine.
When the worm is executed in a date after the Sunday 12th of February 2004 it will exit immediately, without performing any further actions. It will not, however, uninstall itself.
The worm will look up form the Windows' Registry the value containing the users Kazaa shared folder, and it will copy itself to that location with a filename composed from the following list:
And extensions chosen from:
The worm collects addresses where to send itself from Windows' Address Book and from files with extension:
It try to bypass simple anti-spam protections i.e., like substituting the '@' symbol for ' at ' and several other combinations.
email messages sent by the worm have the following characteristics:
Subjects can be any of the following:
Body is one of the following:
Attachments are composed combining the following names:
with the following extensions:
The ZIP file itself is not harmful when doubleclicked. Inside the zip you have a copy of the worm, sharing the same file name as the .zip. For example, message.zip contains message.exe.
The sizes of the ZIP files vary, but it's typically around 22kB. The infected file inside the zip can have double extensions, like "body.htm .pif".
The final message might look like presented in the following picture:
When the machine is booted after the Sunday 1st of February at 16:09:18 (UTC) (always according to the infected system's clock). A DDoS attack will be launched against SCO website.
The worm will launch 64 threads, each of them requesting the main page of the website www.sco.com. This process of requesting simultaneously 64 times the page will be repeated roughly every second (1024 milliseconds) from each of the infected machines throughout the globe. The request is a simple "GET / HTTP/1.1", aimed to overload their webserver.
The backdoor component of Mydoom.A is dropped to the System Directory with the filename 'shimgapi.dll'. The file is added to the registy as:
This registry value makes Explorer to load the DLL as an extension so it is not visible as a separate process in Task Manager.
The backdoor listens on the first available TCP port between 3127 and 3198. Connecting to that port a remote attacker can
Date Created: -
Date Last Modified: -


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Wheeler House, built in 1795, was remodeled in the Italianate style in the 19th Century, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Connecticut Register of Historic Places. The house has three Victorian Period rooms and a gift shop. The only octagonal-roof, cobblestone barn in Connecticut, which is on the property, was completely restored over a ten-year period and houses the Museum of Westport History, displaying a diorama of the town as it looked toward the end of the 19th Century. The Betty and Ralph Sheffer Hall is a large, well-lit gallery that hosts several exhibits each year.
Research shows that Wheeler House started life as a simple house, possibly a saltbox, built by Captain Ebenezer Coley for his son Michael in 1795. Through the 19th century, the house had a succession of owners including Hezekiah Ripley, Ann Avery, Farmin Patchin, Morris Bradley and later, Julia Bradley Wheeler. Historically it has served its occupants as both a homestead and as a setting for business and mercantile interests.
During the 1850's and later in the 1860's the house and grounds received extensive renovations, according to an account in the Westport Advisor of October 16, 1867. Morris Bradley, owner of the house in 1865, enlarged and converted the simple house to the popular mid-19th century Victorian Italianate villa style. It is characterized by the flat roof cupola, decorative brackets, "eyebrow" windows and gracious front veranda. The Bradley family, Morris and his wife Mary (Fanton), their two children Julia and Abram, moved to the Village of Westport from Weston, where he had been a blacksmith. The Bradley name was prominent in Weston as it was his father and brother who built the Edgetool Factory on Bradley Street, now Lyons Plains Road. By 1870, Morris had accumulated $90,000 worth of real estate, including three stores in the village. He listed himself as "Gentleman" in the census records. In the early 1870's, Julia Bradley married Charles Wheeler of Stratford. He and his brother-in-law, Abram, ran the Bradley and Wheeler Grocery in s building which still stands in town.
Both Morris and his son died in 1886, and the widowed Mary willed the family homestead to her daughter and son-in-law Julia and Charles Wheeler. Julia died in 1933, leaving the home to her two sons, William and Lewis. Dr. Lewis Wheeler had his office in the house and continued to occupy the house until his death in 1958. Dr. Wheeler willed the estate to its last individual owner, Charlotte Darby, his housekeeper. In accordance with her wishes, the landmark is known as Wheeler House in memory of Dr. Lewis H. Wheeler and his family, who had lived and worked in it for almost a century.
A Look Inside …
When Morris and Mary Bradley purchased and remodeled the house in 1865, America was in a period of great change. The Civil War had ended and all sectors of life were experiencing unprecedented growth: urban areas, transportation and industrial production. It was a time when the common man could see the possibility of increased wealth, comfort and education for himself and his family.
The Wheeler House parlor, kitchen and bedroom c. 1865-70 have been restored to reflect this period and the lives of an average family in the rapidly growing community of Westport. Documented by estate inventories of the Bradley family, census records, news articles and clues uncovered in the house, the resulting restorations show the Bradley family to have been typical of the gentility and respectability of the middle-class American in the Victorian era.
The Parlor was the showcase of the home, and was used only for special occasions. It contained the best furniture and decorative items owned by the family. The seven-piece black walnut parlor suite, the elaborate lady's desk, the corner what-not and the panel curtains, ornamented at the top by elaborate fabric "lambrequins", evidenced the good taste of the lady of the house. Even the lamps were ornate, as in the astral lamp displayed on the center table. Small statuary, mementoes, picture albums and curiosities were all displayed. No space was wasted in the Victorian Parlor.
The Kitchen in a middle-class Victorian home was a room for working, and not used for family dining. During the restoration the original floor, when uncovered, indicated the location of the major kitchen furnishings. The cast-iron cook stove, dated 1870, was the most important item in the kitchen. The table was used as a workspace, and cooking utensils were stored on open shelves. New gadgets were flooding the market and were quickly embraced by the Victorian homemaker. Items such as the apple parer, pancake maker, coffee bean roaster, coffee grinder and lemon squeezer were guaranteed to shorten time spent in the kitchen. Decorative molds designed to enhance ice creams and puddings for the increasingly elaborate Victorian style of dining were eagerly sought.


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Silk Mimosa Art Wig
Silk Mimosa Art Wig
This is a custom made to order wig.
Please allow 2 weeks for production and shipping.
Wigs and costumes for any occasion! From the tame realistic look to something out of this world. I'm always up for a challenge.
If you are interested in a custom wig for your event please contact me about price quotes and for examples of my work in the past. Have a look at the home page gallery for other examples.


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How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify? Here's your chance to moonlight as an electrical inspector and second-guess someone else's work from the safety of your living room or office. It's your turn to identify the violation.
Hint: installer should go back to school
Find the Answer
Jim Hancock, a supervisor with Howard Organization, Inc. in Shickshinny, Pa., sent us these photos taken in a small private school in northeast Pennsylvania.
The number of Code violations associated with this building could fill many pages. Let's focus on just a few to get things started.
- A lack of proper supports for any of the wiring methods used (Chapter 3).
- Open knockouts, which violate 110.12(A) [Unused Openings].
- Panelboard installed sideways, which violates 240.81. This rule states, "Circuit breakers shall clearly indicate whether they are in the open 'off' or closed 'on' position. Where circuit breaker handles are operated vertically rather than rotationally or horizontally, the 'up' position of the handle shall be the 'on' position."
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text: Report Lost Item If you have lost a library item, please report it here. Your Name: * Your Email Address: * Your Phone Number: * Your Library Card Number (14 digits, no spaces): Title of Lost Item: * Where did you check out the item?: * - Select -Amelia GivinBoslerEast PennsboroFredricksenJohn GrahamNew CumberlandShippensburgSimpson Leave this field blank


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Facilitating the spread of knowledge and innovation in professional software development
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Kavya Joshi explores when and why locks affect performance, delves into Go's lock implementation as a case study, and discusses strategies one can use when locks are actually a problem.
Bernd Rücker talks to Wesley Reisz about Microservice Orchestration, CQRS and Event Sourcing
Petrica Voicu and Kenneth Kang talk about Hera (High Efficiency Reliable Access to data stores) – an open-source in the Go programming language – and how it helps PayPal to manage database access and deal with issues. Hera scales thousands of PayPal's applications with connection multiplexing, read-write split, and sharding.
The book Agile Leadership in Practice - Applying Management 3.0 by Dominik Maximini is an experience report of the agile transformation journey of NovaTec. Maximini shares his experiences from applying principles and practices from Management 3.0, success stories, failure stories, and learnings from experiments.
The book Continuous Delivery in Java by Daniel Bryant and Abraham Marin-Perez was released nearly ten years after the original Continuous Delivery book by Dave Farley and Jez Humble, and more than 20 years after Java's first release.
Q&A with the authors to better understand from their experience why a book on Continuous Delivery specifically for Java and the JVM ecosystem was needed.
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MARTINEZ — A 19-year-old man convicted in the Richmond High gang rape case appeared ashamed on the witness stand Thursday as he described what he and others did to a 16-year-old girl who was beaten, raped and otherwise sexually abused for more than two hours in a dark campus courtyard.
Ari Morales, who took a plea deal in exchange for a 27-year prison sentence, testified Thursday against his former co-defendants Marcelles Peter, 20, and Jose Montano, 22, at their dual jury trial. Peter and Montano each face life in prison if convicted as charged in the Oct. 24, 2009, attack on the sophomore girl the night of the school's homecoming dance after she became severely intoxicated.
Much of his testimony implicated Montano, who he said had sex with the girl while she was unconscious. He said Peter, who grew up across the street from him in San Pablo before Peter's family moved to Pinole, was there but that he "didn't see him have any contact with the victim."
Morales, who was 16 at the time, said he tried to attend the dance but was turned away for not having a school I.D. He then walked back to the school basketball courts, where a guy named Elvis directed him to the courtyard by saying, "There was a drunk white girl back there."
It was unclear whether Morales was referring to 25-year-old Elvis Torrentes, one of two men awaiting trial in the case, or an Elvis by a different surname who has been referenced by at least one other witness.
When he got to the courtyard, Morales said there were more than 20 men and boys circled around the victim as she lay unconscious on the ground. About 10 minutes later, he said, Manuel Ortega, who also took a plea deal and is serving a 32-year sentence, "started to torture" the girl.
"He got down on the floor and tried to get (orally) copulated, but he wasn't successful so he started punching her repeatedly (in the head)," Morales said.
Then he saw Montano "take a condom out of his pocket and try to put it on" before mounting the victim.
"Did he try to do it or did he do it?" senior deputy district attorney John Cope asked.
"He did it," Morales said.
"He went down to the floor, and it looked like he was having sexual intercourse with her," Morales said, describing Montano's body making "inward" and "outward" movements about "six or seven" times while Ortega continued to punch the girl in the head.
"So he was punching her when Mr. Montano was having sex with her?" Cope asked.
"Yeah," Morales said.
"Then what happened?" Cope asked.
"Montano got up and threw the condom away," Morales said.
On cross-examination, Montano's attorney, Jane Elliot, questioned Morales as to whether he ever actually saw Montano expose himself, put on the condom, or penetrate the girl, and Morales wavered about whether he saw an act of rape or an attempt.
As to his own crimes, he admitted to inserting a walkie talkie antenna into the victim, stealing her ring that he personally removed from her finger, and urinating on her.
When asked why, he said, "out of stupidity."
But, later on the stand, with his eyes gazed to the floor, he claimed that he did not urinate on her,
"Before the police were ever involved, you were telling people you peed on her, weren't you?" Cope asked.
"I don't remember," Morales said
Morales said he only was in the courtyard for "about 10 minutes," contradicting previous testimony that he and Ortega moved the victim not long before police responded to the scene and found the girl near death under a picnic table. A doctor testified Wednesday that she "probably would have died" if she did not get medical attention when she did.
"Do you remember telling me and my investigator yesterday that you left and came back and left and came back?" Elliot asked.
"No," Morales said.
The trial resumes Monday afternoon.
Contact Malaika Fraley at 925-234-1684. Follow her at Twitter.com/malaikafraley.


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My posting access was pending, so i sent an email to keydar.
This is basically same idea, but im opening it to the public:
Setting: There are no "speech" words in this comic, however sometimes there are "commentary" words at the bottom and "picture"-speech (speech bubbles with pictures instead of words)
NPC with ! over his head, speech bubble: "Evil wizard, princess, castle".
Miji stands nearby, looking heroic, with a face that looks like hes accepting the quest
Commentary at the bottom: Level 80: 15 days /played
Frame2: Miji is flying in the skies on his fly mount
Commentary at the bottom: Epic Flying Skill: 5000 gold
Frame3: Miji is in the castle, with his big shining sword and big shining shield, against an evil wizard with a magic wand.
Commentary at the bottom: Epic Sword and Shield: 2000 gold at AH
Frame4: Miji is flying back on his dragon, you can clearly see the look of triumph on his face, and *maybe* the bloodied head of the wizard in his backpack.
Commentary: Defeating the Evil Wizard : 3 wipes and 5 potions
Frame5: Miji is back at the npc, proudly presenting the npc with the bloodied head of the wizard. He is looking very proud, npc looks quite happy as well
Frame5: Npc has a white question mark on top of his head. His speech bubble has a "princess" image, followed by a question mark. He looks expecting.
Miji looks astonished, with wide-open eyes.
Last frame: Princess (gigz?) is somewhere in the wet basement, with a big metal ball attached by a chain to her legs. She is looking very very VERY angry.
Commentary: Forgetting to free the princess - Priceless


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Users can remove the wireless display of the Fluke 381 Remote Display Clamp Meter for greater flexibility, convenience and safety. The coil of the iFlex current probe reaches around oversized conductors and expands the measurement range to 2,500A ac, while its small profile fits between tightly-packed cables. Meter and probe are rated for hazard category IV (CAT IV) 600V environments (CAT IV 600V, CAT III 1,000 V).
Fluke Corp.
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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — After a solid rally earlier in the week, U.S. stock-index futures pointed to a modestly lower open Thursday as investors digested a temporary deal to reopen the U.S. government and raise the federal debt ceiling, averting a potential default.
On the corporate front, shares of investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS, -0.69% fell 2.6% in premarket action after the Dow component unveiled flat third-quarter earnings. IBM Inc. shares IBM, -0.76% slumped 7.2% in premarket trade after the tech giant late Wednesday posted a decline in revenue.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average US:DJZ3 fell 79 points, or 0.5%, to 15,170.00, while those for the S&P 500 index US:SPZ3 lost 4.9 points, or 0.3%, to 1,708.40. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index US:NDZ3 declined 4.5 points, or 0.1%, to 3,259.50.
The softer tone follows a strong rally on Wednesday, when the Nasdaq ended at a 13-year high and the S&P closed near its record, after U.S. lawmakers agreed on a deal to end the 16-day political impasse and fund the government until Jan. 15, while raising the borrowing limit until Feb. 7.
"So the expectation of a resolution in Washington was sufficient to cheer U.S. equities through yesterday's session, but seemingly as the reality of this only being a temporary solution sinks in, we're once again back with a weakening U.S. dollar and stock markets under pressure," analysts at Monex Capital Markets said in a note.
"'Financial Armageddon' may have been averted, but just how many more times global markets can be taken to the brink by U.S. lawmakers remains to be seen," they added.
The U.S. dollar index DXY, +0.20% traded at 79.878, down from late Wednesday's 80.469.
As a response to the political conflict over the debt ceiling, Chinese rating agency Dagong downgraded the U.S. to A- from A, saying the U.S. "government is still approaching the verge of default crisis, a situation that cannot be substantially alleviated in the foreseeable future."
Discuss key earnings announcements before and after results come in. Learn more
The release of some key U.S. economic statistics, including the highly anticipated nonfarm-payrolls report for September, were delayed due to the government shutdown. There is likely to be a wait for these.
Data not affected by the shutdown are being released on Thursday as scheduled, with the Labor Department reporting the number of those filing initial claims for jobless benefits fell by 15,000 to 358,000 last week.
At 10 a.m. Eastern, the Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing index is expected to show a drop to 15 in October, down from 22.3 in September.
Company news
In the corporate sector, UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH, +0.02% reported a profit of $1.57 billion, or $1.53 a share, up from $1.56 billion, or $1.50 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 12% to $30.62 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had projected earnings of $1.53 a share. Shares, however, slipped 1.1% ahead of the open.
EBay Inc. EBAY, -0.10% dropped 6.3% ahead of the open after the e-commerce firm on Wednesday laid out a weaker-than-expected forecast for the remainder of the year.
Select Comfort Corp. US:SCSS slid 26% premarket after the furniture manufacturer slashed its 2013 earnings outlook to a range of $1.14 a share to $1.22 a share, down from $1.30 to $1.45 previously.
Google Inc. GOOG, -0.71% is forecast to post earnings of $10.35 a share in the third quarter. Key areas of focus for the report are likely to be monetization improvement, volume growth, commentary around the completed Enhanced Campaign transition, Product Listing Ads adoption, and launch of the Moto X, according to Janney Capital Market analyst Shawn Milne.
In other financial markets, oil traded lower, while metals were mostly higher. European stock markets slid, and Asia markets closed mixed.


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The Galax volleyball team wrapped up a dominant run through the Mountain Empire District by dominating the all-district voting as nine Maroon Tide players and their coach were named on the three teams, including four on the all-MED first team.
Galax finished the season with a 22-4 record, the most wins ever for the Maroon Tide, and advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history after a runner-up finish in the Region C Division 1 tournament.
Galax didn't drop a game in 17 of those wins, including a midseason stretch of seven straight matches without losing a game.
Allison White, Kem Simmons, Bailey Shumate and Kelsey Reedy were all first-team selections for Galax, and Maroon Tide coach Rose Houk was voted the district's coach of the year.
White was the second-leading vote getter on the first team behind player of the year Savanna Burton of Narrows. A junior middle hitter, White led the Maroon Tide in kills (239 entering the Region C semifinals), blocks (65) and aces (52), was tied for second on the team with 126 digs and was third on the team with 134 serving points. She was also a 91.6-percent server.
A senior outside hitter, Simmons was second on the team with 153 kills and also had 11 blocks on the season.
Bailey Shumate did a little bit of everything as a setter/outside hitter. The Maroon Tide junior was third on the team with 140 kills, put up a team-high 252 assists, served for 104 points including 21 aces and totaled 95 digs on the year.
Senior libero Kelsey Reedy earned first-team recognition after coming up with 196 digs, far and away tops on the team. She was a 93.2-percent server with 32 aces on the year.
Houk was named the district's top coach a week before the Maroon Tide earned its first state tournament berth in Houk's 30-year career. The season ended with Houk having coached Galax to 339 wins in her career.
Grace Sarver of Bland County and Nancy Thacker of Fort Chiswell completed the seven-member first team.
Second-team picks included Grace Wilson and Kristen Osborne of Galax and Grayson County's Erin Barrett and Catherine Vaughan.
Wilson, a junior setter, was second on the team with 197 assists after the region quarterfinals. She had 105 serving points and was a 93.3-percent server with 20 aces.
Osborne led the Maroon Tide with 152 serving points and was second on the club with 50 aces. The senior outside hitter was good on 93.2 percent of her serves on the year.
Honorable mention choices included Kaitlin Porter (senior defensive specialist), Harley Brewer (junior middle hitter) and Morgan Neff (freshman outside hitter) for Galax, as well as Grayson County's Becca Johnson (senior middle hitter), Brandi Goad (junior setter) and Madison McCormick (sophomore setter). No statistics were available for Grayson County's players.
2010 all-Mountain Empire District
volleyball team
First team
Savanna Burton, (jr., Narrows), Allison White (jr., Galax), Grace Sarver (jr., Bland County), Kemberlea Simmons (sr., Galax), Bailey Shumate (jr., Galax), Nancy Thacker (sr., Galax), Kelsey Reedy (sr., Galax).
Player of the year
Savanna Burton, Narrows
Coach of the year
Rose Houk, Galax
Second team
Abigail Davis (sr., Narrows), Erin Barrett (soph., Grayson County), Grace Wilson (jr., Galax), Kelly Thomas (sr., Fort Chiswell), Kristen Osborne (sr., Galax), Catherine Vaughan (sr., Grayson County), Jade Campbell (sr., Fort Chiswell).
Honorable mention
Adrianna Frazier (sr., Narrows), Adrionna Johnston (jr., Narrows), Laurel Kellison (jr., Narrows), Kaitlin Porter (sr., Galax), Harley Brewer (jr., Galax), Morgan Neff (fr., Galax), Ashleya Crite (jr., Fort Chiswell), Keya Dunford (jr., Fort Chiswell), Mara Jones (jr., Fort Chiswell), Rebecca Johnson (sr., Grayson County), Brandi Goad (jr., Grayson County), Madison McCormick (soph., Grayson County), Jessie Blessing (jr., Bland County), Holly Williams (jr., Bland County), Julia Davis (soph., Bland County).
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