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Operational efficiency moves to next level
Fleet Xpress, the hybrid Ka-band/L-band service, will redefine what's possible in maritime communications. Available now in the Indian Ocean region, global commercial service introduction is on track for early in the second half of 2015, we will offer consistent, higher bandwidth communications from a single operator.
Fleet Xpress makes video a viable proposition and enables advanced applications such as telemedicine and video surveillance, that take your operational efficiency to the next level.
It will help keep your crew happy with regular video calls back home, the ability to watch sport and the news, shop online and use social media – via their smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Exclusive access to specialist applications
Besides more bandwidth, Fleet Xpress gives you exclusive access to specialist maritime applications and content. Download the latest chart update, engine monitoring and weather-routing applications, all from a centralised source. And distribute real-time information to all the vessels in your fleet simultaneously.
Inmarsat will offer an unprecedented level of availability for VSAT services through a hybrid service combining both Global Xpress and FleetBroadband. Fleet Xpress is setting a new standard in maritime communications and it comes from a trusted supplier that's been serving the market for over 30 years.
Seamless mobility across the globe
Whatever your course, Fleet Xpress will have you covered with a global network that's owned and managed solely by Inmarsat. Purposely designed for mobility, it will provide a continuous, consistent service as traffic is handed seamlessly across each spot beam and from one satellite to another.
Because our network is global, Fleet Xpress delivers higher performance consistently to enable seamless, real-time operations between vessels and land offices, plus enhanced communications and entertainment for the crew.
Remote assistance and diagnostics can be carried out over a video link to solve problems more quickly and maximise your operational efficiency.
Simpler and quicker to install
Fleet Xpress is much simpler and quicker to install than existing systems, minimising any downtime in the dock for your vessels.
There's the option of a smaller 60cm terminal that doesn't require a crane for installation, and the set-up for all terminals will be just as simple as it is today for FleetBroadband. Once on board, our global, all-IP network enables point-and-click capability with a consistent user experience worldwide.
More affordable high-speed broadband
Global Xpress terminals for the Fleet Xpress service are lower cost than those currently available for Ku-band, and services will be available for a fixed monthly fee so you can easily manage your budget.
Global Xpress operates in the Ka-band, which is already more efficient in its use of bandwidth, but because we own and manage the entire global network, we can make more effective use of satellite resources to achieve significant cost savings. Combined with the resilience of our L-band network, which delivers 99.9% overall network availability, the net result is more affordable, more reliable high-speed broadband.


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This week, on Episode 18 of the After Action Project, we're bringing you into the student's seat of C2 Tactical's Intro to Baton Course. Tim Kash is the Instructor and your student is George!
For more information about C2 Tactical, visit https://c2tactical.com/
To support the After Action Project, become a Patron by visiting:


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Claudio Ranieri remains insistent that Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez will not be leaving the defending Premier League champions this summer, despite sustained interest from Arsenal. The PFA player of the year scored 17 top-flight goals, registered 11 assists and produced a number of captivating performances last term as the Foxes recorded one of the biggest shocks in British football history.
Having already failed to entice irrepressible striker Jamie Vardy from the King Power Stadium, Arsene Wenger, under pressure to land big names in the transfer market in order to keep pace with the free-spending Manchester clubs, quickly turned his attentions to Mahrez.
This particular saga has been bubbling throughout the summer and recent disputed reports from a consultant of French daily L'Equipe suggested that Arsenal have launched an improved offer worth £35m ($45.5m) after seeing an initial bid rejected – and the Algerian international is eager to make the switch.
Such persistent speculation does not appear to phase Ranieri, who claims that Mahrez has told him that he will remain with Leicester. The Foxes lost tireless midfielder N'Golo Kante to Chelsea in July, but their manager believes that the two cases are clearly different due to the absence of a release clause.
"He [Mahrez] stays with us," he told Sky Sports. "We wanted to keep all our players. Of course, Kante had the clause and Chelsea paid the clause. But Riyad does not have the clause and he will stay with us. Yes, he told me he will stay with us."
Rumours originating from France regarding Arsenal's pursuit of Mahrez have been challenged by reports in the UK suggesting that they are yet to submit a formal proposal. Wenger has made three signings so far during the current transfer window – in Granit Xhaka, Takuma Asano and Rob Holding – yet has been frustrated in his pursuit of Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette. Vardy chose to put pen to paper on a lucrative new four-year contract at Leicester worth approximately £100,000-per-week instead of moving to the Emirates.
Unwanted Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony is said to be the latest name on the radar, while Arsenal, who open the new 2016/17 Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on Sunday, are also hoping to conclude a deal to sign German centre-back Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia. Their options in that position look somewhat thin with knee injury victim Per Mertesacker joined in the treatment room by Gabriel, who will miss six to eight weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the latter stages of last weekend's 3-2 friendly victory over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in Gothenburg.


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Lucknow, Nov 8 (IANS) Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday attacked the family of Congress President Sonia Gandhi by dubbing it a "family synonymous with graft" and said demonetisation was a tragedy for the family.
"Demonetisation (on November 8, 2016) certainly came as a tragedy for the Gandhis as they have become so identified with corruption and ever since they have been losing one election after another" she quipped at a press conference here.
She expressed her "gratitude" to the people of India for what she claimed was their "wholehearted support" to demonetisation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Minister for Textiles and Information and Broadcasting said the country's people were with Modi in his war against corruption.
Taking a dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, she said: "When his own party is so unsure about his elevation as the party supremo, it is anybody's guess as to whether the people of Gujarat will trust such a person."
She was referring to the assembly elections to be held in Gujarat in December.
She said the Congress leader was targeting Modi because he was facing a lot of issues within the Congress.
Post Source: Ians feed


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Amid the peace and serenity of the Himalayas, at the height of 1,869 m lies the gorgeous little Ranikhet. In the valleys of this little town, one can hear the mellow sound of hundreds of bells and Himalayan forest thrush all day long. There are many best places to visit in Ranikhet that attract thousands of mountain lovers from Delhi and other major cities to this cantonment town of Almora district.
Here's a complete list of best best places to visit in Ranikhet on your next weekend trip to Uttarakahnd.
Best picnic spots in Ranikhet for families and friends
1. Golf Ground – A picturesque and expansive golf course
Golf Ground is among the best places to visit in Ranikhet on your upcoming trip. Situated at an altitude of 6132 feet and recognized as one of the highest golf courses in Asia, this is a sprawling and luxuriant nine hole golf ground, surrounded by mighty Kumaon Mountains and lush green forests.
Opening hours: Open throughout the day. One can play golf between 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Charges: There is no entry charge. For playing it is INR 150/game
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Must Read: Top 15 Places To Visit In Uttarakhand
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2. Chaubatia Garden – The sprawling fruit orchard
Spread over 600 acres of rolling land, Chaubatia Garden is one of the best tourist places in Ranikhet. Known for plantation of plums, pears, apples, and apricots, it's a beautiful orchard painted with different colours. This charming landscape is ideal for leisurely strolls and family picnics. One can also spot Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Nilkanth from here on a clear sunny day.
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
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3. Ashiyana Park – A jungle theme wonderland for kids
Featuring well-manicured lawns, herbal orchards, fountains, and most importantly, kid's play area—Ashiyana Park is one of the most picturesque theme parks not only in Ranikhet but in entire Uttarakhand. Located at the heart of the cantonment town, it is one of the best places to visit in Ranikhet.
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Suggested Read: Top 10 Summer Festivals In India You Shouldn't Miss In 2019
4. Rani Jheel – The sparkling lake of the town
Rani Jheel is an artificial lake built by Cantonment Board of Indian Army for the purpose of rainwater harvesting, but it has now become a popular tourist place in Ranikhet. Snuggled at an elevation of 2500 feet, Rani Jheel is a beautiful spot for picnics, romantic walks, and boating.
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Charges: Entry is free. INR 30-50 for a half an hour boat ride.
Trip Advisor
Suggested Read: 11 Beautiful Places To Visit In Nainital For An Incredible Vacation
5. Bhalu Dam – A natural nirvana
Perfect for camping and trekking—Bhalu Dam is an artificial lake encircled by lush green forests, valleys, and snow-capped Himalayan ranges. Tucked far away from the hustle and bustle of the main town, this serene and beautiful place is a hot favourite of couples. This is also one of the best places to visit in Ranikhet for bird watching.
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Trip Advisor
Suggested Read: The Ultimate List of Adventure Holidays In India For Summer 2019
6. Sunset Point – For a stunning view
Ranikhet is home to many sunset points, from where one can see a glorious sunset. People generally trek up to these points to feel a gush of cool Himalayan wind and enjoy the most photogenic sunset from here. Among many, Majhkhali is one such popular viewing point in Ranikhet.
Planning your holiday but confused about where to go? These travel stories help you find your best trip ever!
Real travel stories. Real stays. Handy tips to help you make the right choice.
7. Majkhali – Amazing view and astounding beauty
Well-known for immense natural beauty, Majkhali is among the best places to visit in Ranikhet for peace seekers. Situated on Almora Road, 12 kms from Ranikhet- Majkhali is a quaint and picturesque hamlet, popular for viewing Himalayan peaks, particularly Trishul. The place is a habitat for rich varieties of flora and fauna and also popular for a vintage Kali temple.
Suggested Read: 15 Best Places To Visit In North India In Monsoon For That Much Needed Break!
Religious places to visit in Ranikhet
8. Jhula Devi Temple – The wish fulfilling abode
Dedicated to mighty Goddess Durga, Jhula Devi Temple is one of the most divine tourist places in Ranikhet. Mythological stories reveal that this temple was built to protect the local people from attack of wild animals of the surrounding forests. Numerous devotees visit this auspicious place to make wishes and on fulfillment, offer a bell to the goddess as a tradition.
Opening hours: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Trip Advisor
9. Haidakhan Babaji Temple – Of peace of mind and solemn happiness
Raised by Haidakhan, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, this age old temple is surely another popular place to visit in Ranikhet. With gigantic figurines of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva, it only attracts devotees from surrounding areas but also foreigners who want to get married following Indian traditions. To attain inner peace and solitude and participate in Satsang Bhajans amid the scenic town, one must visit this temple.
Opening hours: Sunrise to sunset
Trip Advisor
10. Mankameshwar Temple – A temple raised by the Indian Army
Mankameshwar Temple is devoted to three deities—Ma Kalika, Lord Shiva, and Radha Krishna. Constructed by the Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army, this place is a must visit for spiritual tourists. A Gurdwara is also located near the temple.
Opening hours: 5:00 am to 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Trip Advisor
Further Read: Fly Like A Bird: 9 Gorgeous Places In India For An Exhilarating Paragliding Experience
Are you planning a weekend trip this week? Check out these weekend tour packages from Delhi for a pocket-friendly trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Places To Visit In Ranikhet
A. With scenic beauty and blissful tourist attractions, Ranikhet is truly worth a visit.
A. Ranikhet is famous for its boundless beauty and temples. There are many places to visit in Ranikhet that are worth visiting.
A. Yes, it does snow in Ranikhet during winter months. The temperature of Ranikhet goes down up to 3 degree celsius.
A. The nearest railway station to Ranikhet is Kathgodam railway station. Once you reach there, you can take a taxi till Ranikhet.
A. Ranikhet is located at a distance of 48 km from Almora.
A. The best time to visit Ranikhet is from February to November. During these months, the weather is suitable to explore the destination.
A. Do not forget to buy Bal Mithai from Ranikhet. Apart from that, you can buy antiques, shawls and more.
A. Xanadu resort, West View, Ananta Rasa are some of the best resorts in Ranikhet.
Long Weekend Trips Starting @ Rs 3499/-
Take a trip to spend the upcoming long weekend with your buddies.
✓ Stay at 4 star rating hotels with local sightseeing, meals and transfers.
✓ Travel in AC coach round trip (from Delhi).
✓ All Inclusive Deal– Camping, Jeep Safari & Trekking as per itinerary
✓ Sign up NOW to celebrate the long weekend out of town!
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Bobby Montez
Jungle Fantastique!
"Why spend $200-$300 on a hissy original when you can pick up the perfect new copy for a few bucks?" Not only does the management of Cubop Records ask the right questions, they also act accordingly in 2001 and reissue a superb Exotica classic and debut by multi-instrumentalist Bobby Montez (1934–2003). Called Jungle Fantastique!, originally released in 1958 on Jubilee Records and recorded with a quintet, its nine tracks are inspired by the – back then smoking hot – school of Tjaderism, as Cal Tjader's groundbreaking genre-meshing arrangements can be rightfully called. Driven by the power of the Mambo but branching out to other styles, among them Bolero, Cha Cha Cha and amalgamations thereof, this work is fueled by sunbeams, porously structured to let a gorgeous interplay unfold, and created to enthrall. Jungle Fantastique! features the talent of bandleader
Bobby Montez on the vibraphone, Carlos Ortega Avelar on the piano, an unfortunately less prominently audible Jimmy Baiz on the double bass as well as the talent of two dedicated drummers: conguero Louis Miranda and timbalist Miguel Gutierrez. Given the Latin focus, one should probably expect gallons of Latin clichés such as besotted piano tones, lovestoned shades and eruptive vibraphone curlicues of utter devotion, but nope, this is not the case. While all of these formations are indeed interwoven, the result is awash with light, carefreeness and understanding. High-titer encapsulations of various layers occasionally demand a listener with a greater love for Jazz than Exotica in general, especially so in the rapidly meandering Mambo sessions and because of the increased duration south of the four-minute mark, but there are slower pieces in here alright, ones which foreshadow the acceptance of this new Latin style and splendidly demonstrate that the term Latin is as overarching as other, more problematic genre conventions à la World, Ethnic or even Jazz itself. Don't let the poor guy's front artwork with the poor parrot fool you, this album is on par with all those better known classics. And that's that, now off to the music.
My kingdom for a Mambo, or so the credo seems, as Montez's quintet plays four and a half songs in this archetypically Latin style. The spiraling African Fantasy opens the roundelay, envisioned by Montez himself. The vibraphone is in the spotlight as expected, its cascading dots glittering in the jungular copse which is augmented by Miguel Gutierrez's timbales and Louis Miranda's congos. This frantic, upper midtempo corker does not only enchant with its drums and speed, but features one stellar peculiarity: the synchronization of Oriental tones and glaringly Latin piano scythes as played by Carlos Ortega Avelar. The result is splendid, as the tonalities themselves are common to the Exotica fan's ears when separated, but very bewildering when being enmeshed. When the song's last stage then becomes glitzier and loftier at the same time, the synergetic structure has served its purpose: surprising the bystander with a zoetrope of timbres.
Those listeners who are put off by the tempestuous whirlwinds will find the following Chango most applicable. Much more stabilized due to its sun-dried and formidably cinematic prolonged chants, friendly staccato backings, warm piano backdrops and vitreous vibes, Montez is keen on putting euphonious melodies to the foreground, making Chango one of the most accessible and festive pieces that feels like an aural rain forest, a refreshing fluxion of ligneous particles and rays of light.
The following Bolero Jungle Sunset is spectacularly languorous and silky. A downtempo ballad with whitewashed blurs of vibraphone coils, crimson chords on the piano and interstitial reverberations as accompanied by the timbales and congas, Jungle Sunset partially resembles Arthur Lyman's take on Vera Cruz off Bwana Ā (1959), but is much more colorful even without birdcalls. Side A closes with the frenzied Kon-Tiki, a unique composition of seven minutes, not to be mixed up with The Shadows' single of the same name that did not appear until 1961. Bobby Montez's long-winded Mambo extrapolates the interplay between the drummers and consequentially extenuates the helical melodies; the bandleader is still more than willed to be guarded by the partially savage tohubohu, adding another layer to the parallax coppice by playing the vibe like a rhythmic device instead of focusing on melodies that are open to scrutiny. This piece, as the saying goes, has to be experienced. Fans of Cal Tjader and Sabu Martinez will be more than pleased.
Side B kicks off with another Mambo, and once again is it of a striking luminosity: Swinging At The "M" presents greenish vibraphone tones and places them closely to Carlos Ortega Avelar's piano tones, the latter of which are less Latin than they are sunkissed. The latter half comprises of the diversion of benign sections and livelier ones. Despite the fast-paced physiognomy, Swinging At The "M" allows the decay of the drums to admix a wondrous hollowness to the mix. The following Speak Low is the first rendition of the album. Originally written by Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash, the quintet transforms the classic composition into a magical midtempo Bolero-Cha hybrid that even lives up to any string-heavy rendition. Instead of magenta-tinted violins, Bobby Montez and his men build the bewitching luminescence with the help of an aquatic vibe glissando, a genteel piano undercurrent that leaves room for bassist Jimmy Baiz to soften the fissures. Its evening aura makes Speak Low compatible with the needs of Exotica fans who prefer a meek moiré instead of the friendly turmoil.
This turmoil happens in Montez's take on Edward Eliscu's, Gus Kahn's and Vincent Youmans' Carioca. The main melody encapsulates slight tinges of pentatonicism and cheeky madness that are not detectable in the gentlemen's sheet music, but this works to the arrangement's advantage. The vibraphonist comes quite close to Tjader's style. Two highlights are a raspy guiro and a piano-vibe intertwinement that foreshadows the sunshiny vistas of the late 60's; Tjader's hyper-accessible Solar Heat (1968) comes to mind. While Cha Cha Cha Por Nueva York sees the quintet surfing on rays of light and stroll singingly through a torrid New York that is brought to life via over-the-top chants, crystalline vibe droplets and a piano base frame in adjacency to comparably orderly drum backings, the finale Summertime is a nod to the Gershwin siblings, retaining the piano-centric focus of the original, but replacing the contemplative gaze with the notion of motion, of moving unworried through the loftiest of all seasons. The timbales are lucid and work well together with the whirring vibes, the guiro skeleton and an indefatigable performance by pianist Avelar that subtends the Bolero-Mambo mixture and leads to an uplifting result. The flow is just right, and before one realizes it, the endpoint of Summertime has turned into something entirely else, with the Gershwin classic being almost unrecognizable compared to its opening section.
Jungle Fantastique! is a work of delight. Sentences like these do not develop the aroma they used to, and granted, I am to blame for this, as the alloy of many genres – called Exotica, of course – is simply too vivacious and outstanding for me to not find something positive to say about most works (this even includes Billy Vaughn's chart-topping Blue Hawaii debacle). Bobby Montez's work is, as expected, a gorgeous star among the cream of the crop. Notwithstanding the somewhat early proof in 2001 that long-forgotten and lost Exotica records can indeed be properly resurrected and restored, Jungle Fantastique! is a tropical cherubim thanks to its intrinsic qualities. Amiably inspired by Cal Tjader's works such as Latin Kick (1956), Bobby Montez finds his own concept on this debut already. Reworking classics and putting them into the Exotica corset has been done before and ever since, so it is the unique material that gleams, be it the gentle sunburst and artifact of camaraderie called Chango, the stupefyingly balmy Jungle Sunset with its rubicund gradient or the mercurial-diffractive belter Swinging At The "M", Montez knows a thing or two about a good Mambo. I for one prefer the quintet's dreamier takes and renditions, but am aware of the the fact that the gentlemen's true prestidigitation and interdependence is found in the shapeshifting Mambo material.
The secret of Jungle Fantastique! probably lies in the arrangement. This album could have worked splendidly with a quartet. That the album features the talent of timbalist Miguel Gutierrez and conguero Louis Miranda is a testimonial for the drum-oriented layering technique of this composite. Two dedicated drummers are exactly right and do not sound gimmicky at all. Although, come to think of it, the negative connotations of gimmicky have never been an issue in the flamboyant Exotica genre. Jungle Fantastique! does not sport birdcalls or animals, is not as verdured as similarly titled works and may not feature the most beautiful demi-goddess on the front artwork, but remains an important milestone in the genre, one which caters to both Jazz aficionados and their love for labyrinthine structures as well as Easy Listening fans who favor transparency and melodious hooks. Available on vinyl for ridiculous prices, on CD and as a download.
Exotica Review 308: Bobby Montez – Jungle Fantastique! (1958). Originally published on Jan. 25, 2014 at AmbientExotica.com.


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Batman Returns is the "macabre classic" of Batman movies
In 1992 I was still getting over my Joker-phobia from the first Tim Burton Batman movie. I was almost ten years old and the hysteria over the first movie had long since calmed down, but I still wasn't ready to dive into it and watch a full "adult" Batman movie yet. Reruns of the 1966 TV show were suiting me just fine.
Then I got lucky when a new Batman movie was released: Batman Returns, the sequel to the 1989 smash hit. Michael Keaton was back as The Caped Crusader and this time he was fighting Danny DeVito's Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman. I knew DeVito from reruns of Taxi and Throw Momma From the Train, but I had never heard of Pfeiffer until then. I had also never heard of Christopher Walken, which is just a crazy thing to think about that a Batman movie is how I was introduced to him as an actor. He played wealthy Gotham business owner and socialite Max Shreck who had designs on removing the mayor of the city from power, of course.
I didn't get to see Batman Returns in theaters, likely because my family was convinced that I would be just as, if not more terrified of it than I was the first movie. In fact, my godmother who did see it in theaters was convinced that The Penguin would scare the hell out of me. I could see why she thought that, but none of the commercials or advertisements even fazed me one bit and you saw plenty of Penguin in them. That summer I got a copy of the comic book adaptation of the movie and read it a bunch of times before finally getting to see the movie after imploring my dad to pick it up on VHS, which was a complete 180 from my begging him NOT to buy the first one on VHS just a few years earlier.
I loved it, but in retrospect I don't know why the movie never scared me. It's CREEPY weird as hell in a way that even the first Burton film never touched on. I mean, the Joker's origin is one thing with him falling into the vat of chemicals, going to the plastic surgeon and then revealing himself from the dark to be a grotesquely demonic clown. That's a Saturday morning cartoon compared to the Penguin's backstory, which shows his parents screaming in horror the day of his birth, him being kept in a steel cage "crib" as a baby, eating a cat that got too close to the bars and then being tossed into the river in a bassinet by his parents that no longer wanted him, where he sails the sewers of Gotham during the opening credits before finally winding up at the Penguin exhibit of the old Gotham Zoo, to be raised by them. That's how the movie STARTS.
Fast forward 33 years to present day Gotham, one that looks VERY different from the one in the first Burton film, and Batman is fending off an attack from the Red Triangle Circus Gang during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the city. It's all a prelude to The Penguin's return to essentially take over Gotham with Shreck's help as he becomes the feel good orphaned "freak" that will replace the mayor in a recall election. That's the first part of the plan. The other part involves him finding his original parents, The Cobblepots who have long since died, and in the process collect a list of all of the first-born sons of Gotham City, whom he is going to have his clown gang kidnap and kill when the city turns on him. When that doesn't work, thanks to Batman, he resorts to using an army of penguins armed with missiles to destroy the entire city.
We haven't even gotten to Selina Kyle yet, who in this movie is a weak-willed, meek secretary and assistant working for Shreck who accidentally stumbles upon his evil plan to steal energy from Gotham with his new power plant build. When Shreck discovers what she knows, he drops her out of a window into an alley, which DID kill her, but she was literally brought back to life by a swarm of alley cats who find her body and......violate it with a lot of action that we don't see on screen short of Selina's body twitching, her fingers being bitten, the cats slinking across her legs and her eyes erratically blinking until they stay open. It's the weirdest, most macabre scene in the entire movie and it's up to you to decide just what the cats were doing to her.
At any rate, Selina returns home a completely changed woman and sets about destroying her cute and cozy home just before cannibalizing her patent leather jacket to stitch together a sultry, sexualized cat outfit for her new alter ego, Catwoman. You're not totally sure what her goal is other than killing Shreck and destroying his business out of vengeance, but she does aid The Penguin in framing Batman for the Ice Princess' death at the tree re-lighting ceremony. You have to give Pfeiffer great credit for really being able to play two completely different versions of Selina in the movie because her transformation in personality is really jarring and believable in a weird sort of way, despite the fact that it is a completely weird and otherwordly explanation for her existence as a villain.
Seriously, Batman Returns is the weirdest, most macabre Batman movie in existence and that alone makes it a classic one. Tim Burton had definitely done some weird things with imagery, characters and set design in the first movie, but he took it to a "Beetlejuice" level and beyond with the sequel. Had this movie come out today as part of the DC Extended Universe, it would be absolutely skewered for the liberties it takes with all of the characters, including all of the Red Triangle Circus Gang members that Batman openly kills in combat during the movie, and it would be criticized for the continuity "issues" that it has coming from the first movie. Gotham looks radically different, the Batcave is larger and more complex, Wayne Manor has been completely remodeled from top to bottom and has moved further outside of the city, and aside from one or two small references to Vicki Vale there's almost nothing to even note that the first movie ever happened. Keaton, Michael Gough's Alfred, Pat Hingle's Commissioner Gordon and the Batmobile are the only major holdovers from the first Batman movie in 1989.
That being said, does anyone really care in retrospect about the continuity issues with Batman Returns? I really don't at all and that's just another thing about the movie that is weird but somehow works. The fact that the movie really can stand on its own as a solo Batman film while still being a viable sequel is impressive, even with Burton's trademark weirdness all over it. Maybe it is that weirdness and creepy dark quality of the movie itself that allows it to stand alone?
It's amazing to me that Batman Returns is now a 25-year old movie because it really doesn't seem that long ago and yet it has been. It was also the movie that taught me the major difference between Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis in this sense: I had the Batman Returns video game for both systems and they were both action-adventure melee combat story games. The Super Nintendo version followed the movie plot almost perfectly and I never beat it......because I didn't have a Game Genie. I got close though; all the way to the fighting Penguin at the Gotham Zoo at the end. The Sega Genesis version was another story altogether. That game didn't follow the movie at all and had you fighting gargoyles and demons that popped out of the wall and came from the crazy architecture in the re-designed Gotham City for the movie. I barely played it and wasn't even interested in finishing it. That was the day that Batman Returns proved to me that SNES was a better console than Genesis. Sure there are other reasons and that's just a personal preference for me, but I stand by that even today.
Batman Returns didn't do as well as Batman 1989 at the theater, but it was still a successful sequel and continued the Bat-mania through to the Animated Series in the same year, and the rest of the movies afterwards. You still get people who consider Pfeiffer their favorite Catwoman and the best live action version of the character to this point. It's amazing to think of how the franchise has evolved in the past 25 years and you wonder if any of us could have predicted just how much bigger Batman was going to become as a franchise.


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The Proof is in the (Bourbon Red) (Kentucky) Turkey!
It's thrilling when excellence, delight, wonder, fun, flavor and Kentucky-ness all meet on one historic street corner in the Commonwealth, as they do at 700 West Main in Louisville. That's the location for 21c Museum Hotel and Proof on Main restaurant. All this has something to do with the photo above, too. Lois Mateus, right, generously shared the photo and a Turkey Tale with me. On the left, Proof on Main's chef Michael Paley holds a prized Bourbon Red heritage turkey Lois reared at Tallgrass Farm in Mayo, Mercer County.
Lois and Tim Peters, her husband, also raise grass-fed goats and Angus cattle sustainably, and use their farm -- which is protected by an Agricultural Conservation Easement -- as a living laboratory intended "to preserve farmland from random development through conservation easements and to demonstrate that it is possible to produce food of the highest quality, working in harmony with the environment and nature."
Sadly for the turkey, though - and for Lois, who is spending a day this week "processing" her birds -- happy turkey days on the farm must end so Chef Paley can serve a Kentucky breed of turkey, grown sustainably on a Kentucky farm, at his Kentucky-centric restaurant this Thanksgiving. We know from Michael Pollan, Joel Salatin, Barbara Kingsolver and others that growing poultry sustainably on pasture can be good for the birds, the pasture, other livestock, and certainly for the humans who eat the delicious, life-sustaining results. We trust the diners will offer real gratitude for this food.
So much happens at 21c and Proof to expand the usual notions of Kentucky. In the hotel, a stately space, owners Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson display witty, engaging art from their private collection. The result, for me at least, was wonder. Wonder of the "I am so glad to be alive and be here taking this all in" sort, not an everyday experience once one passes the age of five - not even if one IS a Kentuckian surrounded by wonders every day.
Brown and Wilson's building, contents, and guest satisfaction just landed 21c the number 16 spot on Condé Nast's 2008 Readers' Choice list of the Top 100 Hotels in the United States. This follows a spot on Condé Nast's 2007 "hot list." I find the 2008 honor particularly compelling, because visitors to a 90-room hotel in a midsized lower midwest/upper south city ranked the experience so positively that 21c keeps company on the list with a slew of Four Seasons and Ritz-Carltons in Chicago, New York City, and other likelier "hotel cities."
People like 21c. Perhaps because 21c so clearly likes people.
So how did Lois Mateus, who has her own multi-faceted and quite amazing life story, end up talking turkey with the people at Proof? In part, Lois says she and 21c co-owner Steve Wilson are "best old friends and farmers who are still honing their childhood 4-H skills and rural footings as 21st century champions of local food." Steve and his wife, Laura Lee Brown, farm sustainably in Oldham County, raising bison and vegetables that show up on Chef Paley's Proof menus. Steve took part in the 4-H International Youth Exchange program, IFYE, a program I "met" when I served in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Philippines.
I do hope 4-H and FFA programs in Kentucky are going to grow and improve, developing grounded, capable leaders in cities as well as small towns. We need lots more people like these "best old friends" to guide Kentucky to its full agricultural, environmental, and human potential. All moves in that direction call for heartfelt thanksgiving.


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