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Not for a year, but ever and a day...
This page is about the continued relevance of Gene Kelly in 2012, and beyond, one hundred years after his birth.
The 2012 Olympics has just ended in London. And the Americans have landed a craft on Mars. So, what has this to do with Gene Kelly? Firstly, Gene has featured very briefly in both events. In the opening ceremony of the Olympics, during a montage of famous British films, he could be seen swinging on the famous lamppost. I have no idea why Gene Kelly and Singin' In The Rain were included in a British celebration but it was very welcome. Following the landing of Curiosity on the surface of Mars, the daily report on the NASA website describes how Curiosity 'awoke' to its first day of exploration to the strains of Good Morning, also from Singin' In The Rain.
Fun items to be sure, and an indication, if it were needed, that both Gene and his most beloved film are still part of life as we know it, on this and any other planet.
But there is a deeper relationship between the Olympics, the Mars landing and Gene Kelly. I have been struck, when watching the Olympic coverage, by the words of several of the successful athletes in interviews following their triumphs. They have said, directly into the camera, that anyone can do anything if they have a deep desire and are prepared to work very, very, hard.
No doubt the technicians, scientists, designers, planners, at NASA would say the same. Their success did not come only through luck or because they were given ample funding. They did not throw a bag of mathematical formulas into the air to have it spill out every number in the correct order to facilitate the work. It was a long, hard slog, with trial and error and dedication to their dream.
I have been researching the life of Gene Kelly for several years, and it became clear almost from the beginning of my investigations that Gene had this same work ethic. It can be summed up in the song he sings to Jerry Mouse, in Anchors Aweigh. "…Don't expect to get much help if you don't help yourself. Will you try?"
There is no sign of any blood, sweat or tears when we simply watch Gene dance or see a film he has directed or produced, or hear him sing. He makes everything appear so easy, so attainable and natural that we all imagine we can jump off the sofa and go twirling our umbrella down the street. Okay, I tried it once, but my watching grandson disowned me, so my dancing career was short-lived.
I strongly believe that the reason we keep on watching him, the reason that all of his films will, by the end of 2012, be available on DVD, and An American In Paris and Singin' In The Rain are now available on Blue-ray, as well as in numerous 'special editions', is that he worked so very hard to attain perfection in all that he did, and he makes us believe we can do the same. He came to the set of every scene of every movie - no matter how good or bad he thought the movie was - fully prepared, just as our athletes and the people at NASA came to their respective events fully fit and ready to go. We merely sit back and enjoy with them the results of their toil, or, better still, rise up, inspired to go all-out to achieve whatever we have long dreamed of.
In spite of his insistence on self-help and hard graft, Gene is the ultimate encourager of others. His message was, and is, that you can do anything you want to do, if you work hard enough. This is obvious from the number of names listed on the page named I could encourage you. There are also his pupils back in Pittsburgh, some of whom tell of his great wisdom in dealing with them and his encouragement that they could do anything if they tried. There is a heart-warming story of how he encouraged a disabled girl in one of his classes to get up and dance. Others whom he personally encouraged to reach their full potential include Jeanne Coyne, his second wife, who was a pupil in his classes; Cyd Charisse and Vera Ellen, who both discovered a whole new sensual aspect to their dancing; Kenny Ortega, who went on to create High School Musical, with Zac Efron, another who asserts that Gene is his hero. The list is long. You can read the stories of how Gene encouraged, lifted and helped so many, and of his struggles and sacrifices in his quest for perfection in his work, in the pages of this site.
So, is Gene Kelly relevant in 2012? There is no doubt.
Does he have something to say in the 21st century? Certainly.
Do people still draw hope, joy and inspiration from him? Resoundingly – yes.
How else would you explain the explosion of websites, social media, videos, dedicated to him; conferences, film festivals and retrospectives, newspaper and magazine articles focusing on him; radio and TV shows featuring his work; tributes from dancers, film-makers, TV and movie and music stars?
The ensuing list is by no means comprehensive, but gives a flavour of the diverse ways in which Gene and his work are being celebrated in this special year. I will no doubt be adding to them in the coming months.
The Web:
You can find links to several Gene-related sites on my Links page. There are also numerous Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter pages dedicated to Gene.
i-love-gene-kelly.tumblr.com opens with the words: The biggest and best actor, dancer, choreographer, singer and genius that the art world has ever known. No bias there then!
There is even a Facebook page dedicated to Gene Kelly's bottom. I have no idea why!
There is to be a Centennial Blogathon on the Classic Movie Blog site.
There are countless tribute videos on Youtube and other video sites, many of which have entailed a huge amount of time and effort. Type in Gene's name on Youtube to see how many are out there.
The Film festivals and tributes:
AFI Centennial Retrospective, showed fifteen of Gene's films in February this year.
The Glasgow Film Festival showed nine films, also in February.
PBS featured Gene in its Capitol Fourth, with the National Symphony Orchestra.
TCM showed Singin' In The Rain nationally in cinemas in July, and will do so again on 22nd August.
They showed the newly restored Singin' In The Rain at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles as the highlight of the TCM Festival in April.
The Lincoln Center showed twenty-three films in July.
The BFI in London heavily featured Gene's films in two of its series.
The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences held a two-night tribute to Gene, with comments from Hugh Jackman, Justin Timberlake, Kenny Ortega and many others.
Iowa City library is holding a month-long Gene Kelly festival.
BBC Radio 2. Friday Night is Music Night. A tribute to Gene through his songs. Friday 28th September.
A theatre in Cleveland, Ohio was to have made a tribute TV show but was prevented for legal reasons. They will now show An American In Paris.
The Courses and articles:
Kelli Marshall. (Also owns a popular blogsite dedicated to Gene.) Gene Kelly in the 21st Century.
Took place earlier in the year at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference in Boston.
A course at the National Media Museum in Bradford, England, in July.
Howard Reich. Chicago Tribune. May. In which Reich describes Gene as, The greatest song and dance man who ever lived.
The Slightly bizarre:
Blackpool, a seaside town in the North West of England has created a floral tribute comprising Gene on the lamppost. Take a look. http://creativeinterpreters.com/tag/gene-kelly/
The Artist:
Perhaps one of the most unexpected ways in which Gene has become a focus for discussion is with the release of a silent, black and white film called The Artist, starring Jean Dujardin, and Bérénice Bejo. It won multiple Oscars. It is now available on DVD. It is a wonderful film in its own right but becomes more fascinating because of its obvious correlation with Singin' In The Rain and the character of Don Lockwood. It has been said that Dujardin 'channelled' Gene Kelly playing Don Lockwood, in his portrayal of George Valentin, the slightly arrogant, self-satisfied silent movie star. The most obvious similarity, for me, between Dujardin and Gene is their mutual ability to project joy from the screen into the heart. The first time I saw The Artist I left the cinema feeling good.
There has been much written about The Artist, and Gene's name has been in every item I have read. I am not sure about the motives of the creators in basing the story on a similar one to that of Singin' In The Rain, but it has been an effective, well-timed platform for discussion of Gene's work.
In An American In Paris, Jerry and Milo discuss her desire to set up an exhibition of his paintings. Jerry is not happy, feels that his work is not yet good enough. Milo says,
"It'll mean work, hard work." Jerry replies,
"That doesn't matter."
You gradually see the realisation on his face, that with the right tools and enough effort, he really could have an exhibition, where the public could see and admire his work. Maybe Jerry wasn't talented enough to make it as a top artist – he should have stuck to singing and dancing – but the principle is there – if you work hard enough, you can achieve almost anything.
Fast-forward to the climactic ballet, and there you can witness Gene's life-principle becoming reality. He worked for months; choreographing, encouraging, directing, dancing, discussing, co-operating. The result is as near perfection as is possible. Created more than sixty years ago and still delighting, inspiring and moving audiences in 2012.
Of course, 2012 is not the only time that Gene has been celebrated. A writer once said of him, "Gene Kelly never needed to make a comeback – he never went away."
How true those words are, so many years later. I believe he never was too hung up on 'special' days and times. But it is good to stop and reflect on all he has accomplished, from when he was born and grew up in Pittsburgh in a time when, if you wanted to eat, you had to work. He often made statements such as, "All I know is work."
But there is no need to quote accusingly: "All work and no play makes Jack – or Gene - a dull boy."
As with the Olympians and the people from NASA, there is great joy and pleasure and relaxation when all the hard work produces the desired result. Gene, dancing on screen, is the epitome of love, joy and dreams fulfilled. Off-screen he could be happy and relaxed in what he had achieved.
Since 2005 Gene Kelly has been an inspiration in my life. I have taken his principle, that you can do almost anything if you work hard enough and want it enough, and translated it into positive action on many occasions. Small instances, perhaps, in the great scheme of things, but real and important to me. He has, through his immense efforts in his work, and his unstoppable energy and drive, brought joy and renewed hope and a lot of pleasure into my life.
That is why I want to join with the rest of the world in celebrating him, as an artistic genius, an exceptional human being, and a genuine role model.
Not for a year, but ever and a day. Thank you, dear Mr. Kelly.
This is how Gene Kelly spent his 36th birthday, on a baseball field playing a charity match with good friends,
scooping his cake off the ground where it had been accidentally dropped.
I have a feeling that Gene enjoyed that day much more than he would enjoy any
formal recognition of special occasions in his life.
I guess he would be embarrassed, though possibly inwardly thrilled, by all the adulation
and admiration he is engendering this year.
But it is good to celebrate the achievements of a great man, and to realise that he is
probably more loved and honoured now
than he was in his most successful years.
So, Gene, you will just have to grin and bear it!
This is my personal celebration of Gene's centenary.
The poetry may leave much to be desired but the sentiment is real!
He entered the world poised, eager to move.
Rocking, bouncing on mother's knee.
He crawled, stood, tottered, walked, ran.
He raced the wind, small feet scarcely a-ground
And so the legend began.
He skated, elated.
Skipped, hop-scotched, short-stopped.
A whirlwind, acrobatic, energetic.
Fleet of foot
He sprinted, bounded, jumped long and high,
Twisted, somersaulted, sprang.
Reached for the sky and the prize
Finally, inevitably,
He danced.
He spun, split the air, leapt.
He jigged, hoofed, adept.
Stepped, flung, twirled dervish-like
Ignoring gravity.
He taught, fought, sought his best.
He learned, burned, embraced life with zest.
His world, a stage.
People flocked to see
His moves, his personality.
Like moths to a flame
His mercurial feet flew him
To fame, to fortune
He danced on film. Projected
Sad, bad, mad, glad
And every emotion between.
He clowned, splashed, duetted, pirouetted.
Creating. Amazing.
Sensual, earthy, costume tight-fitting
Hot-footed, hot-headed, hot-bodied
Trailing flaming masculinity
Filling the eye with delight.
Dancing the light -
He taps out the rhythm of our lives
With his fabulous feet.
He dances the beat of our hearts
With his passion and grace.
Quick-silver spirit, constantly reaching,
Soaring, beautiful, century-long.
Dignified, caring, strong.
Gives himself, wholehearted,
Touching, moving
To laughter, to tears,
To love, to dreams,
To inspiration.
His quest successful.
Forever in our hearts.
Dancing. Enchanting.
This is an account of my own Centenary celebrations. No, I'm not a hundred years old, I just wanted to do something special as a reminder - as if I needed reminding - of how positive an influence Gene Kelly has been in my life.
Even before the year began, in November and December 2011, the British Film Institute in London celebrated the work of MGM, and featured several of Gene's films. This was an amazingly wonderful time for me, travelling back and forth many times from my home in the centre of England. The first film was An American In Paris, preceded by an interview with Leslie Caron. She is a formidable lady, with a great memory and a lovely sense of humour. She talked about how Gene discovered her and looked after her interests when she first went to Hollywood.
This film is very special to me. Seeing it on TV back in 2005 was in some ways a turning point in my life, leaving me with a need to discover more about the man on the screen who had transfixed me with his light and energy and passion and power. So you can imagine my joy at seeing the movie as it was meant to be seen, in a theatre filled with an expectant and appreciative audience.
A few weeks later I saw it again, a few miles from Central London, on a double bill with Brigadoon. My father and a friend accompanied me, and we all thought it a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
I saw Take Me Out To The Ball Game, then It's Always Fair Weather with an Irish friend I had met through Gene. We spent only 24 hours together but our mutual love for all things Kelly meant that we felt very comfortable together and had great fun. Finally, a few days before Christmas, I took my eleven-year-old grandson to see On The Town. He freely admits to liking the Gene films he has so far seen, and we shared candy and laughed together all through the movie. I love the way Gene crosses all generational boundaries. My father is ninety-one years old and he took equal pleasure in watching Gene's films.
As I said with AAIP, it is a whole new experience seeing Gene's movies on the big screen as they were meant to be seen. Yes, everything is physically bigger, (especially that fabulous face and body of Gene's ;-)) ) but everything is also emotionally punchier, and certainly funnier. I knew of course that many of Gene's musicals are funny, but I don't remember laughing out loud too often when watching them on DVD. Even though I knew when every humorous scene or line of dialogue was coming, I still laughed out loud, along with the rest of the audience.
I thought I would never again have the opportunity to see Gene in a theatre so I made the most of the London celebration. Imagine my joy, soon after, on hearing that the Glasgow Film Festival was to honour him also. Glasgow is 300 miles in the opposite direction from London, so it was a long but pleasant train journey for myself and my friend. We saw 5 films in 5 days. We were 300 miles closer to the North Pole but it felt as if we were 300 miles closer to heaven!
(A version of this review might also be found on Kelli's blogsite, http://genekellyfans.com )
On Saturday lunchtime it was time for SITR and it was quite an experience. 400 people packed into the film theatre, the atmosphere was electric, they laughed and clapped all through and went crazy at the end. A great feeling I will not forget in a hurry. I remembered seeing it with a few fans in a tiny theatre in Toledo, Ohio, and with more than 2000 people in the open air in London when I met Betsy and Kerry. It holds many special memories for me. I did some eavesdroping on audience comments and they were all positive. The SITR audience ranged from 4 years to probably 84, male and female.
An American In Paris - 11am on Sunday. The audience was more subdued but they 'got' every subtle joke and responded to Gene amazingly. Again the atmosphere, especially for the ballet, was tangible. I was far far away in Geneland all through it. I was trying to ascertain how many times I have seen AAIP. I never grow tired of any part of it, (well, ok, I confess, I always skip Oscar Levant's self-indulgent symphony scene.)
Monday, 11am, was Anchors Aweigh, which I had never before seen on the big screen. So, auntsuzy finally got to see her Joe Brady big time! You might have heard me hitting the deck when Joe caressed the telephone! It was SSOOOO good on the big screen. I just couldn't take my eyes off him - okay, what's new, I hear you sigh!! If you thought he was perfect in DVD size, you should see him in that uniform giant size! And oh that white Pomeranian suit! I had to – almost - shut my eyes to stop them popping out! Poor Jerry mouse never got a single glance! The Spanish dance was a revelation to me and I will never again complain about the yellow shirt! In fact I never noticed it. Only on a bigger screen can you fully appreciate the beauty of his movement and the absolute perfection of his execution of the dance.
On Tuesday morning was Take Me Out to the Ball Game. I loved seeing it again on the big screen, some great close-ups and Gene was incredibly funny but I wish it had been On The Town instead, or better still, as I have not seen it in a cinema, Summer Stock. But beggars can't be choosers, and I'm not complaining. There were smaller audiences than SITR and AAIP but still a good number for 11am on a working day.
Then, to crown a great week, it was The Pirate on Wednesday. I have to say I was disappointed with it!! Yes, it's true!! Not with the content, but with the colour. It was very dark and dull. I was expecting the restored version as on the latest DVD but it was the original British Film Institute copy, which had not been restored. I think most of the films shown were BFI copies, they must have
all of Gene's films stored away in their archives. Anyway, I had to watch more closely, a real chore...
I now understand why even Gene thought it was a 'bit too much'. The man who introduced it called it 'in your face' and it certainly was. Though I am not objecting to having Gene Kelly's glistening torso 'in my face' at all. The film assaults the senses, one scene after another. Yes, I know we have seen it dozens of times on VHS or DVD but it is a totally different experience on the big screen. The audience loved every one of Gene's hammed-up facial expressions, laughed out loud in the mansion scene where Judy plays him at his own game and then almost kills him.
You get to see the vast range of Gene's skills, almost all at once - especially in the 'hanging' scene where his artistry as a performer is clear to see. Strangely, it had never really struck me before. We are so used to watching him we sometimes take him for granted I think - well I seem to have done so, but had my eyes opened again to his genius as a performer. You can see why he was such a great stage performer. He could work an audience until they were eating out of his hand. I like the slight inference that Serafin really does have supernatural powers, as when he released himself from the handcuffs and when he changed clothing almost instantly. Watching it, I suddenly thought, this could easily be made as a silent movie. You know, a lot of 'dumb show' . Everything was way over the top and no words were needed in most of the scenes. That is not a criticism it is a compliment.
A general comment: we are told, even by Gene, that The Pirate was a major critical flop, but I have read, in the archives in Boston, and in other sources, many reviews by movie critics, and they were extremely positive about it, in fact, some really raved over it, and still do.
Did I mention that Serafin was spectacularly gorgeous?? From head to toe??? But I still have no idea why he let them stick that wodge of false hair on his head. The mustache I can cope with, but the hair looked even sillier than on DVD. If it had been curly that would have been passable but it so obviously did not belong there, looked like someone had swept the floor of a barber shop and placed the clump of discarded hair on poor Gene's pate.
But all that was forgotten at the end, when his face appeared and filled the entire screen, the light from his personality and his flashing teeth almost blinding us! I should have been prepared, but I still fell back in my seat with indrawn breath. I was so stunned I think I missed the first part of the Be A Clown reprise!!
And so we ended on a high, came out of the theatre smiling and couldn't stop, even in the rain.
I almost booked us in for another night so that we could see On The Town on Thursday, but I had to return to work. I also missed the ceilidh and the showing of Brigadoon.
I think the thing I enjoyed in Glasgow - apart from the obvious - was the fact that people are still attracted to Gene. I already mentioned SITR, and the electric atmosphere.
Before each film an official from the festival, Alan Hunter, gave a short talk about the movie. He had obviously done his homework, or was an avid fan, because his facts were spot on, and he did not use a script of any kind, just spoke spontaneously. He gave many interesting facts. There was nothing new to me, except that he said Cary Grant and Greer Garson were originally meant to do Pirate!! Yes, he thought it was funny too!
He talked about the vivid colours in the film and assured us that they had not 'spiked' our coffee, it really was that bright. (But it wasn't.) He talked a little about Gene and Judy and even knew that Liza's first appearance was on Gene's TV show.
Thanks to the BFI retrospective and the Glasgow Film Festival I have now seen almost all of Gene's major musicals on the big screen, most of them more than once. That is something I never thought would happen. AAIP, SITR, Brigadoon, AA, The Pirate, TMOTTBG, OTT, It's Always Fair Weather. I now long to see Summer Stock and Living In A Big Way. All good things come to those who wait….
Here in Britain we seem to be leading the way in celebrating Gene.
There is to be some sort of celebration at the American Film Institute in Washington, but TCM's annual festival in April is so far showing only a new print of SITR, disgraceful on Gene's centenary when they have heavily featured other, less famous, artistes on their special anniversaries. My friend and I have bought a pass for the TCM festival so we are very disappointed that we will not see lots of Gene's films. But we will do our own Gene 'pilgrimage' whilst in LA for a week.
The retrospectives so far have really done Gene proud. Let's hope others in the movie and festival industries wake up to the fact that Gene Kelly is still as relevant to today's audiences as he was when he made his first film, seventy years ago.
My friend Carol and I decided to go to the TCM festival in Los Angeles as we were sure they would feature Gene heavily this year. Did they? No, only Singin' In The Rain and Cover Girl. But we made the most of every minute and had a ball. So here goes if you are interested:
After I had been on the road for around 18 hours, the first thing we did after checking into the hotel was to go round to Graumann's Theatre forecourt to see Gene's prints in the concrete. It was quite emotional. We just stood there and enjoyed the moment. The forecourt is much smaller than we expected. Gene's hands and feet are smaller than we expected too. My feet are wider than his, and my hands just barely smaller than his.
The suite - Orchid Suites in Orchid Avenue if you want a place to stay in Hollywood - was wonderful. Very clean and neat, and half the price of the Roosevelt opposite. We simply walked through a small tunnel, down some steps and we were at Graumann's. So we were able to see Gene's prints as often as we liked...which was every day…
Next morning, a lovely 'help-yourself' breakfast was included, so, suitably fortified, we set off on the tour bus to get our bearings and to find Rodeo Drive. We drove through the retail end of Rodeo, and along Beverley, past the Wilshire hotel and some of the most expensive shops in the world. But they held no fascination for us. It was the other end of Rodeo we were eager to see. We asked the bus driver the best way to walk to it and his look said it all! You want to WALK?? Luckily we had comfy shoes and it was a perfect day, so we set off. We got into the residential end of Rodeo and started to count down - or up - the blocks. Each of the surrounding streets is lined with a different species of tree. Gene's street is lined with tall, majestic Ficus trees, providing a beautifully shaped canopy which kinds of draws you in and enfolds you - rather like Mr. Kelly...
As we approached the 700s I started to feel weak at the knees. Carol and I fell silent, afraid to break the spell. Then we were there, 725, we were right in front of the place where Gene had spent the greater part of his life, almost 50 years.
He had walked, run, cycled, skated along this very street; had sat in those rooms, alone or with Carol Haney and Jeannie Coyne, and plotted and dreamed his amazing and unique dances into being; found joy, sorrow, pain, love in that pretty spot. I have seen pictures of the house but nothing compares with actually standing on the street.
Luckily no one seemed to be home or we might have found ourselves locked up for loitering. The front of the house and the driveway were smaller than they had looked in the pictures, and I imagined the drive and the street filled with the cars of friends each weekend. I hope they had tolerant neighbours. We looked for the silver birches in the front garden, which Betsy had talked about, originally three but one had died, she said, after she left. Well, there were three again, in front of the window. One of them must have dropped a seed and created a third tree again. They have grown very tall.
We strolled round to the alleyway at the rear of the house then back again. Now I really have a phobia about having my picture taken. I had agreed to Carol taking a couple of shots because of the occasion and Carol had some taken too. She commented on a gap in the bushes lining the centre of the road right in front of the house. She suggested it had been made by Gene, to get through when he was out and about and visiting neighbours on the other side of the street. But He is more likely to have jumped clean over them!
She said she would dodge the traffic and stand in the gap to take a more distant shot of the house with me in front of it. I reluctantly agreed as I would not be seen close up. I am so glad I did. As I stood on the sidewalk I happened to look down and right at my feet was the outline of a bare foot, drawn in concrete when it had been wet. Even the toes were neatly drawn. In the centre of the foot were the initials 'KK'. Now, so far as we know, only one KK has ever lived in that house – Kerry, Gene's eldest daughter. I could not believe what I was seeing. We checked along the juncture of the driveway and the street, where the concrete had been renewed several times, and there was 'GK 1959'. Next to that was 'JK 1964'. (Jeannie, Gene's second wife). We then found 'TK 1969' (son Tim) and then the word 'BRIDGET' (Gene's younger daughter) faintly inscribed nearby. We were dumbfounded and very moved that here was a record literally set in stone, of possibly the happiest parts of Gene's life in that house. What fun he must have had through the years, making the footprint and the initials with those he loved.
This was something we had never read about or heard of before and something so sweet and personal. I will never know him, or get to see him or be part of his life in the flesh, but this day came pretty darn close to making me feel that I had.
We were both floating as we eventually tore ourselves away from the house and continued the long walk to 506 Alta Drive. The house Gene, Betsy and Kerry lived in from 1942 until he went into the navy, looks rather different today. The front is smothered by tall and bushy trees. Someone was home so I just took a couple of unobtrusive snaps and we stood at a distance looking at it.
We then walked along Santa Monica Boulevard to pick up the bus once more. We think we walked around eight miles! We finished that amazing day with pizza, but were probably still in 'positive calorie equity' with all the walking!
Wednesday was cold and rainy but we took the tour bus again and alighted a couple of miles from UCLA. On the way we paid a visit to Westwood Village Memorial cemetery where Gene took his last earthly trip. We strolled briefly among the graves lost in our own thoughts. It is not a nice place, completely surrounded by high-rise buildings, erected in the '70s. In fact if we had not persevered we would not have found it. There is very little of the 'village' atmosphere in the area. We saw Natalie Wood's grave and those of many other people whom Gene would have known and had probably attended the funerals of.
On to UCLA where another little 'special something' was waiting in the media library. Gene's home movies! The first was a recording of the day Gene made his prints at Graumann's, 24th November 1969. It was a little weird and very wonderful to see him make the imprints Carol and I had touched that very morning. Jeannie was there, looking a little unwell, but smiling, with Tim trying to look nonchalant and Bridget bursting with excitement. Gene enjoyed himself. We saw why one of his footprints was not quite complete and how his left side seemed to be dominant, because of the way he had stepped into the concrete. Sad huh, such detail!!
Then there was a scene called 'babies on lawn'. Sweet to watch, we thought it was Bridget and a friend's child, but suddenly there was Betsy, and then Gene burst into the scene, wearing t-shirt and shorts and playing around delightfully not with Bridget but with Kerry! We were totally taken aback, it - okay, he - was adorable, we had to watch it several times...
We assume the clip was taken at the back of the house on Alta Drive, which we had visited, or it might have been a friend's house.
Next he was dancing and climbing barefoot over some really nasty high rocks, with Kerry on his back! Then he leapt into the water with her still precariously attached. He was bare-chested, bare-legged and unshaven if that is what floats your boat!! Me, I never look....
Next we saw Stanley Donen in a rowboat with Kerry. (He was at the TCM festival but we didn't go to listen to him. I have no desire to pay heed to someone who trashes in public what had been, on one side anyway, a dear and fruitful friendship. Seeing him here with Kerry, warmly included as part of the Kelly family, I felt it was a pity he could not swallow his bile and remain silent, if he could find nothing good to say about Gene, who always gave Donen great credit. Sorry, that's my personal opinion, you might not agree.)
There were several other sweet family clips but we guessed Gene was doing the shooting, as we didn't see him again.
After that delicious surprise we watched Children's Letter To God, which was a delight.
After a long and cold ride home on the bus we ate burgers at Johnny Rockets - still hopefully with lots of calories in hand owing to the long walks.
Thursday we took a very long bus ride to Sony Pictures studio, which is actually what remains of MGM. We had booked a tour. We were amazed to find sound stages and buildings still intact from Gene's time there. (The backlot had been sold for housing development many years ago.) Some of the old buildings are named for the stars who worked there, including a 'Kelly Building'. We had a great tour guide. Mostly they are employed there, as junior directors, sound men etc and do the tours when they are free. So they know the studios very well. For Carol and I it was heaven just to walk around, knowing that Gene had probably walked every inch that we were walking. We imagined him dashing around from soundstage to Thalberg building to commissary to recording studio etc. Right next to the gates is a building labelled 'mortuary'. It is now part of the studio but was originally really a mortuary. We remembered Comden and Green telling how they used to look right out onto a mortuary when working on scripts including Singin' In The Rain. And so another little fact came alive.
The Thalberg building looks smaller and differently placed than it appeared in Anchors Aweigh etc but the booth where Frank was turned away by the secretary who then fell for Gene's charms, (sensible girl) is still there.
Stage 6, where the guide said Gene did Singin' In The Rain, is now the offices of 'Stage 6', a part of Sony Pictures.
We were taken into the recording studio, which was unchanged since Gene's time, because of the unique acoustics of the dusty walls etc. It is world famous. Barbra Streisand records all of her albums there, it is even named for her. To stand in the centre of the room was quite an experience, imagining Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin and Conrad Salinger making their unique brand of music with the MGM orchestra, and Gene, perhaps worrying if his voice was going to make it through the day's recording work, or if his sinus trouble would interfere with the clarity of the lyrics.
I asked the guide about the old commissary we hear so much about in MGM lore, and he said he would take the party there, but he forgot, so when the 2 hour tour was over he took Carol and I back and showed it to us. It is a stunning Art Deco building, smaller than I imagined, still with original carpet, according to the tour guide. We 'saw' Gene and the Freed unit people laughing and causing rumpus in their corner of the room, and Mayer eating his 'matzo-ball' soup on the dais behind the screen.
He then took us to the new commissary and the head waiter gave us a menu, which still has that soup for sale!! He then took us into the Thalberg building and introduced us to the security guard who used to be a secret agent and was involved in trying to stop germ warfare, but that's a story for another day! We were at the studio for almost 4 hours! I think we caught the bus home or maybe we flew!!
For supper we rounded off a perfect day at the IHOP, where I tipped the calorie balance by ordering a big stack of pancakes!
Friday we had an early breakfast and saw Cover Girl at 9.30am. First time on the big screen for both of us. It was wonderful. Especially the alter ego dance and Long Ago. Superb. You can see more clearly, on the big screen, how the studio intended to have Gene conform to the 'ideal' movie-star look, especially in the Long Ago and Far Away number. His profile was perfectly delineated, his lips sculpted, skin smoothed and tinted, and not a hair out of place. Good thing MGM decided he needed no such 'improvement'. They must have realised you can't improve on perfection. (Biased?? Me??). Extra make-up or not, he lit up the screen, as did Rita.
Robert Osborne introduced it as his favourite film of the festival.
We then took a bus to the Paley Center for Media on Beverley, where we saw New York New York and a long 1975 Johnny Carson show with Fred and Gene, both of which I had seen at the New York Paley but Carol had not seen. We ordered more TV shows for Sunday, as the footage had to be transferred to tape for us.
We rounded off another good day with a meal at the Cheesecake Factory on Beverley. Okay, calorie balance going into negative now!!! We took home the cheesecake, as we were too full to eat it.
Saturday afternoon we saw a new 70th anniversary print of Casablanca at Graumann's, but we left before the end to join the line for Singin' In The Rain. We couldn't risk not getting a seat. What a thrill that was. To be in Graumann's watching the scenes which were set in the studio version of Graumann's. Quite bizarre, you felt like one of the 'extras' in the SITR audience. The theatre looks exactly as it was portrayed in the movie. The new version is stunning. Gene's face has a more natural look, less orange, and he is, well, perfection on legs. Even his voice sounded better in that huge auditorium, Incredibly sensual. And for anyone interested in that kind of thing, the back view of him in those white pants he wore for the You Were Meant For Me number, and the grey pants he wore in the Broadway Melody number, is very very sharp and clear in the new version...
Debbie Reynolds gave a short talk, her usual spiel of how she stuck gum on the ladder and tore Gene's hairpiece. The tale gets wilder each time I hear her tell it! But the audience took her as she is and laughed a lot. She told how Mayer chose her for the part and Gene didn't want her, but said that 'Gene's book' says he did want her, but she liked her story the best! Robert Osborne was not sure what to do with her, so he just let her continue.
I used to be really annoyed by Debbie, with her stories of Gene making him sound like some sort of ogre. But she did make reparation in recent years, crediting Gene with responsibility for her long career when he taught her, by example, the meaning of hard work and unconditional love. She understands why he had to work her so hard, so all is forgiven Debbie, you are a real trouper, and thanks for trying to preserve some of the old Hollywood in your museum, sorry it didn't work out. At least you tried.
There were 1100 people in the audience, all absolutely loving every minute of the movie and showing their appreciation. Another unforgettable day.
On Sunday we again saw Cover Girl, which had been scheduled for a second run as it had been oversubscribed the first time.
It is such a pity that TCM did not see fit to celebrate Gene's centenary in a fuller way. They showed only two of his movies – and Cover Girl was shown under the umbrella of 'costume design' not Gene Kelly's Genius. Everyone we mentioned his name to, either thought he was great, or adored him or knew someone who was crazy about him. One lady said 'I love him, well, everyone loves him, don't they?'
Later we went back to the Paley and saw more Carson shows, a Jackie Gleason show and Dancing, A Man's Game, which Carol had not seen. She was awestruck. And so was I, again. I so hope they release it this year. It would be a fitting anniversary tribute to the man who changed the face of dance, an excellent opportunity to listen to him expounding his beliefs and demonstrating them in real time.
In one of the Carson shows Gene related how he had broken his arm in a fall while dancing on stage at the La Salle Hotel in Chicago in 1933. He picked himself up and walked off the stage before collapsing. The hotel was one of the most exclusive in Chicago. Trust Gene to do things big-time!
In the Steve Allen 1964 show he gave a great account of his trip as a U.N. ambassador in West Africa. The details will be on the 'Just Good Friends' page.
We ended the week by seeing a newly restored version of The Thief of Baghdad, with Douglas Fairbanks. It was shown at the Egyptian Theatre, where it first premiered in 1924. Gene would certainly have seen this. It might even have been the one he played hooky to go watch, back in Pittsburgh! We were curious to see if Gene had taken anything for use in his work, from his hero-worship of Fairbanks. Well, they were the same height and weight and very athletic, but no contest lady, Gene has the charisma and the body to fill those outfits! Fairbanks was 40 when he made this film and was like a cat, leaping around. But his face we thought was not at all attractive.
I could clearly see that Gene had studied Fairbanks' mannerisms closely, especially for The Three Musketeers and of course The Pirate, where he even wore a similar black-shorts costume to Fairbanks' Pirate outfit, but filled it more spectacularly…
We had not eaten for hours, so at 11pm on the walk back we stopped at a tiny hotdog stand. They tasted so good. Forget the calorie count!!
As we walked we lifted our hotdogs in salute to beautiful Gene who had made it such a memorable and exciting few days.
I took almost 200 pictures, some of which will no doubt appear on various pages of the site, along with relevant information on things we saw and heard.
An unrelated comment:
Before I flew out to LA I stayed over in London to see The Pirate at the British Film Institute, where I seem to be spending half my life right now. They are much more pro-active than some of the American institutions in promoting Gene's work. I watched The Artist twice through too, before seeing The Pirate. I thought it was wonderful; funny, full of pathos, very well made and directed, The lead character reminded me so much of Don Lockwood; but as soon as Serafin appeared on screen - well, there's good, there's great, there's fantastic, there's wonderful - then there's Gene Kelly...................
This programme aired on ITV in Britain on June 22nd. It featured the top 20 dances as voted for by ITV viewers. ITV is possibly the most popular terrestrial channel.
The 20 dances included Thriller and Moonwalk by Michael Jackson; Dirty Dancing by Patrick Swayze; and Grease and Saturday Night Fever by John Travolta. There was Vogue by Madonna; something by Britney Spears; Gangnam Style; Flashdance; and Cheek To Cheek by Fred and Ginger.
But guess what was number One??? Yes, it was Mr. Wet and Wonderful Kelly. Even I, besotted as I am, would not have thought he would hold quite so special a place in the hearts of the British people, given the popularity of some of the more modern dancers and dances.
Several current dancers and choreographers added comments throughout the show, and here is what some of them had to say about Gene:
Len Goodman – dancer, choreographer and long-time judge on Dancing With The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing:
"If you don't like Singin' In The Rain, then get a life, there's something wrong with you. Go see a doctor.
"If Fred Astaire is champagne and caviar, Gene Kelly is beer and a burger.
"Singin' In The Rain is my favourite musical of all time. It's falling in love, head over heels and nothing else in the world matters. That's how love makes you feel, encapsulated in a dance."
George Sampson, young dancer, winner of the 2008 Britain's Got Talent show, with a Streetdance version of SITR:
"I think I first saw Singin' In The Rain when I was about seven, and it is probably one of the reasons I started dancing.
"That three minutes of my life [when he won the contest] I felt incredible, and I can imagine that's how Gene Kelly probably felt most of his life."
Arlene Phillips, dancer, choreographer and judge on Strictly Come Dancing:
"Gene Kelly had the ability to turn a prop into another human being – the umbrella, the way he used it, became his girl. Singin' In The Rain – genius!"
Other comments from dancers and choreographers:
"A true dance legend. A movie star whose innovative style influenced everyone from Justin Timberlake to Michael Jackson."
"A bit of a rogue, rough around the edges, but always so smooth. He was Showbiz!"
"Amazing how that beautiful scene can make you feel happy all of a sudden for no reason."
Ann Widdecombe, popular former British politician:
"When you've seen it you want to go out and dance in the rain."
Even Stanley Donen appeared on screen:
[He must have repented his former nastiness, or sensibly realised that the public do not want to hear Gene criticised by a grumpy old man.]
"Gene is wonderful. The song is wonderful. Gene had a way of showing happiness. He was an athletic person and could move with great freedom of expression."
[Then he's back to his whining!]
"People often say it must have been fun, making the film – are you out of your mind? There was nothing but complications." [He tells the story of the loss of water pressure when the Culver City residents watered their lawns.]
"I am delighted everyone likes it. I knew they were brilliant, the British. But now I know they are geniuses."
Ending the programme:
"Singin' In The Rain remains as popular as ever, and it's now, officially, the nation's favourite dance moment."
Quite an achievement, Gene, more than 60 years on, and interesting that many of the comments confirm once again that you accomplished, spectacularly well, what you set out to do during your long career - you make people happy. You are amazing.
On 8th and 9th March, the Royal Albert Hall in London hosted the showing of Singin' In The Rain, re-mastered and in high definition on a large screen, with the soundtrack played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I was present for both performances, accompanied by a different friend each night.
What a fabulous weekend.
How to describe the show?? Not really a 'show' but a film screening with live music. It was like nothing else, ever. The Royal Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Neil Thomson, is superb, and John Wilson, who reconstructed the score by listening to the original orchestrations and transcribing what he heard, must be a genius. The original orchestrations, of SITR and of many other musicals, created by amazingly talented arrangers and musicians like Conrad Salinger, Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin, were destroyed by MGM and used as landfill in the making of a road in Los Angeles.
In preparation for the performance, they took out all of the music, leaving only the singing voices and the dialogue. Then they replaced the orchestral soundtrack with the live performance, synchronising it exactly.
The film was shown on a huge screen with the orchestra sitting in front on a lower level. The Hall was full, both nights, with every age from 5 to 85 I would think, male and female.
The atmosphere was incredible - people actually love SITR passionately. The middle-aged man sitting next to me on Friday was very excited throughout the showing, standing and cheering and generally enjoying himself. On Saturday, we met a lady in the next seat who had been a Gene Kelly fan since childhood. It was an emotionally charged evening, both of my friends felt it also, so I wasn't imagining it. The most amazing thing for me - apart from seeing Mr drop-dead-gorgeous on a HUGE screen - was his voice. When they were deconstructing the film they seem to have changed the timbre of the singing voices, and Gene sounded like he was right there, recording the songs with the orchestra.
It was as if he was standing just behind the screen, ready to emerge and take a bow at the end. I admit to a few tears when listening to You Were Meant for Me. His voice sounded absolutely wonderful with a smoky and plaintive quality, which reached right inside.
Then there was the dancing! The audience clapped and cheered after every number. It was a natural outpouring of appreciation and enjoyment. The senses were overwhelmed, watching him perform and seeing the complexity and beauty of his movements more clearly than you ever could on a DVD. Moses Supposes was just about the most amazing and mesmerising few minutes of the evening. Maybe we should remind ourselves that he was almost 39 years old when he did it. Donald was 13 years younger, but you never notice an age difference. Parts of the Broadway Melody ballet were equally astonishing. The sheer cleverness and passion in the veil dance, seen on the big screen, is mind-blowing. It is also extremely erotic! Thankfully that fact seems to have escaped the notice of the censors in the U.S. and England!
Donald's Make 'em Laugh number has to be seen on a big screen in order to truly showcase his physical comedy talents. He brought the house down.
The live music gave an immediacy and intimacy and an entirely new dimension to every part of the movie, as if someone had pressed the 'refresh' button.
Ok, I've run out of superlatives. There were a couple of things not quite perfect. Sometimes the music was a little loud for the voices, especially when they were speaking, and a couple of times the words and the mouths uttering them were not exactly in synch - just like in the movie! But it was hardly noticeable. Sometimes the taps were a little too loud or not there at all, and there was no sound when Gene ran the umbrella against the railings in the rain number, though the squelchy taps in the dance were emphatic and convincing.
The Hall has a capacity of around 5500, and it was full, so far as I could tell, on both nights. That is 10,000+ people who were willing to pay around £45 each, in order to watch Singin' In The Rain presented in this unique way. That says so much about the incredible hold this film has on the hearts of vast numbers of people all over the world.
The place was awash with love and joy and good feelings, and everyone had a smile on their face as they left.
SITR is still not my most special Gene Kelly film - I am waiting for them to give the same treatment to An American In Paris - and I know that Gene sometimes grew a little tired of the constant focus on SITR, seemingly to the detriment, or neglect of acknowledgment, of his other work, but at least he succeeded, with this film more than any other, in his stated aim - to be a joybringer.
It was a privilege to be present on this great occasion, to be a part of the magic. And now I have more Gene memories to add to the multitude he has already blessed me with, to keep and to cherish until the stars turn cold.
Here's the first review I have found, with pics. I will post any others I come across.


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A vast majority – 72% – of U.S. adult smartphone users have encountered difficulty when trying to use a mobile banking app, research released this week has found. The survey of 600 smartphone users was conducted by The Adcom Group of Companies and commissioned by Virtual Hold Technology.
Consumers shared their specific issues with mobile banking apps: 28% said the mobile app freezes or crashes, 26% have experienced a dropped internet connection while mobile banking, 25% said there were insufficient transaction details or filtering options, 21% said they could not easily speak to a customer service representative, 20% had problems opening an app, 19% have had problems logging in or setting up an app, 18% reported missing pending transactions or balance discrepancies, 17% said there were missing historic transactions, 16% have experienced delays due to payment fulfillment constraints, 15% were unable to schedule or modify payments or transfer funds, and the list goes on.
The first two issues cited by consumers belong to the telecom service providers who provide smartphone users with connectivity. But the remaining problems can and should be taken seriously by mobile app development teams. The transaction data problems, such as lack of transaction details and missing historic transactions, suggest disconnects between mobile banking and core banking systems. Account set-up problems could likely be fixed by streamlining the account opening process, as BBVA and some others have done. The difficulty speaking to a customer service rep could be fairly easily addressed by adding click-to-call and click-to-text buttons to an app.
Consumers also reported problems with mobile reward programs. Close to half (40%) said they've had trouble finding a specific reward, 31% said they had difficulty understanding the process of redeeming rewards, 29% had issues with logging in and opening the app. This presents a strong case for clearer communication and cleaner mobile app design for reward programs. This, too, may be partially out of banks' hands and the purview of their mobile rewards partners. But financial institutions can exert some influence on these programs and insist on intuitive app design from their providers.
Banks don't necessarily hear about all of these mobile banking app problems from customers directly. The study found that 31% of consumers said they had hung up before speaking to customer service to solve their financial app use problem due to long hold times. This may be a call center staffing issue, but it would also suggest that mobile app developers need to build more ways of communicating with customer service into their programs.
All of these app use problems are more than inconvenient for customers, they have direct impact on bank providers themselves. The study found that 30% of customers would delete their smartphone app after experiencing a dead end, and 28% share such negative experiences on Facebook.

subset: commoncrawl


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For more than fifty years, the carving partnership of L. T. Ward & Bro. of Crisfield, Maryland created waterfowl decoys and decorative bird carvings that established and maintained a unique standard of realism and artistic expression. Stephen Ward (1895-1976) and Lemuel T. Ward, Jr. (1896-1984) were makers of hunting decoys until the early 1950s, when the introduction of plastic, factory-made hunting decoys and a growing collector demand for their realistic carvings prompted them to switch to the production of miniature and life-sized decorative birds.
Crisfield, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, was literally created by the seafood industry. Located on a marshy peninsula, the town was built on a base of discarded oyster shells and prospered when the railroad and steamship lines became available to carry the town's rich harvest of seafood to eastern cities.
Market hunting of waterfowl was not as widely practiced around Crisfield as it was in the upper Chesapeake Bay, and those Crisfielders who hunted for the market used methods that relied less on large spreads of decoys like the elaborate gunning rigs of the upper bay. Thus the typical round-bottomed upper bay decoy never became established in the Crisfield area.
With the outlawing of market hunting and the increasing numbers of sport hunters in the early 1900s, a distinctive style of decoy carving developed in the Crisfield area. These decoys were flat-bottomed, often oversized, with a nicely carved head that exaggerated the bird's characteristics. The overall effect was a very lifelike decoy that was highly visible and rode the water like a duck, quite differently from the upper bay decoys that rolled and danced to the movement of the waves. One of the pioneer carvers of the Crisfield school was L. Travis Ward, Sr. (1865-1926), the father of Lem and Steve.
Both Ward brothers were barbers by trade, as was their father. Neither Lem nor Steve worked as a waterman or hunted commercially, but both were avid fishermen and hunters. Their close observation of wild birds is reflected in the realistic form and painting of their decoys. Other hunters of the time could not understand why the Wards would allow ducks and geese to alight among their decoys and swim around while they studied their shapes and color patterns.
Decoy making for the Ward brothers started about 1920 between customers in the old barbershop near Asbury Church, and gradually moved to their home workshop as their decoy business increased. The Depression years of the 1930s brought an increase in the demand for their decoys as more people hunted simply to feed their families. When better economic times returned, a growing interest in sport hunting, especially at the gunning clubs that flourished on the waterfowl-rich marshes and islands of the Bay, provided a demand for their decoys from hunters who could afford the best. Many clubs sent their decoys back to the Ward's shop annually for repair and repainting.
Lem Ward was an innovator, always experimenting with new styles and paint patterns, perhaps to confound those who would copy his work, but mostly to satisfy his desire to create a more lifelike bird. Lem made a few decorative carvings as far back as 1918, but the change from making working decoys to consistently creating decorative pieces did not come until the 1950s. Steve Ward is often credited with doing most of the decoy carving and Lem with most of the painting, but this tends to oversimplify the close working relationship between the two brothers who formed a unique carving partnership.
Lem and Steve Ward had no training in art; their life in Crisfield isolated them from other artists. Neither of them owned an automobile, preferring to bicycle into town to shop and socialize. The inspiration for the carved and painted waterfowl that they created came from their keen observation of the birds that they knew so well in the surrounding marshes and waterways. Ward Brothers decoys can be generally categorized into five carving periods.
The Early Period: 1916-1932


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Viral hepatitis
Hepatitis is the inflammation (swelling) of your liver. It can be caused by certain medications, drinking too much alcohol, or more commonly, as a result of a viral infection. This is known as viral hepatitis. The most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, B and C.
Types Types of viral hepatitis
The most common types of viral hepatitis include:
- hepatitis A
- hepatitis B
- hepatitis C
Other types include hepatitis D and E, but they're less common.
Symptoms Symptoms of viral hepatitis
If you have hepatitis, you may not have any symptoms at all. If you do, they'll vary depending on the type of hepatitis you have.
Hepatitis A
Most adults who have hepatitis A get symptoms. Symptoms come on around two to six weeks after you've been infected with the virus and initially include:
- feeling sick (nauseous)
- vomiting
- abdominal (tummy) pain
- fever
- headache
These symptoms come on quickly and last for around five to seven days. You may then start to develop a different set of symptoms. These may include:
- dark urine – you'll usually notice this first
- pale or clay-coloured stool (faeces)
- a yellow tinge to your skin, known as jaundice
- itchy skin
Hepatitis B
If you have hepatitis B, you may or may not develop symptoms. Many people, when they're first infected, don't get any symptoms. If you do get symptoms, they may include things like:
- a fever
- chills
- pain in your joints
- a skin rash
Other possible symptoms include jaundice, feeling sick, vomiting and pain towards the top right-hand side of your tummy, but these are less common.
Hepatitis C
Most people with hepatitis C don't have any symptoms. If you have hepatitis C and do get symptoms, they may include jaundice or more general symptoms that aren't very specific. These include:
- feeling tired
- muscle pain
- joint pain
- loss of appetite - this may lead to anorexia
Diagnosis Diagnosis of viral hepatitis
Your GP will ask you about any symptoms you may have and discuss any risk factors which could mean you have been infected with a hepatitis virus.
Your GP will ask to take a sample of your blood and send it to the laboratory for some routine tests. Your blood sample will also be tested for specific antibodies, which may suggest you have a hepatitis infection. Antibodies are things that are made by your immune system, which help your body to fight infection. Your blood will also be tested for specific antigens. These are parts of the hepatitis virus that enable your immune system to recognise the virus and fight it. Depending on the results and the type of hepatitis, your blood might also be tested for other parts of the virus. You may also need to have an ultrasound scan of your liver.
If a cause for your symptoms isn't found, you may need to have further tests a few weeks later.
Treatment Treatment of viral hepatitis
Your treatment will differ depending on the type of hepatitis you have.
Hepatitis A
There isn't a specific treatment for hepatitis A. If you have it, treatment is based around relieving your symptoms until your body clears the infection. This includes making sure you get enough rest and drinking plenty of water. It's generally best to avoid taking pain relief and other medications to ease your symptoms. If you do need to take medications for pain, itchy skin or nausea, talk to your GP about this.
Hepatitis B
If you have hepatitis B, your GP will refer you to someone who specialises in conditions to do with the liver. This could be a hepatologist, gastroenterologist or an infectious disease specialist who has an interest in hepatology. You may not have treatment immediately. Initially, your care will mainly involve managing your symptoms. Make sure you drink plenty of water and if you have itchy skin, try to:
- wear loose clothes
- keep cool
- avoid hot baths or showers
You should also avoid drinking alcohol.
If you have chronic hepatitis B (you've had the infection for more than six months), your doctor may give you antiviral medicine to fight the virus. This can help prevent any further complications. There are two different groups of antiviral medicine used to treat hepatitis B:
- interferon therapies (such as peginterferon alfa)
- nucleotide or nucleoside analogues (including entecavir and tenofovir disoproxil)
Your doctor will decide which treatment is most suitable for you. If your doctor prescribes peginterferon alfa, you'll usually have this treatment for about a year. It comes as an injection which you'll have once a week. If after four months of having this treatment there's no improvement, your doctor may stop the treatment.
If your doctor prescribes entecavir or tenofovir disoproxil tablets, you'll need to take these daily. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication and take it as prescribed by your doctor. If after around six to nine weeks there's no improvement, your doctor may suggest trying a different treatment option.
Hepatitis C
If you have hepatitis C, your GP will refer you to a specialist. You may not have treatment immediately, as your body may fight the infection on its own. If your body fights the infection, it'll usually happen within 12 weeks. During this time it's important to take action to stop the disease from getting worse. If you smoke or drink alcohol, it's a good idea to stop. For more information on how to stop, see our topics on stopping smoking and quitting drinking. You should also try to eat healthily and maintain a healthy weight. It's also important to stop the infection from spreading to others. If you have hepatitis C, don't share razors or toothbrushes, don't donate blood, and always practise safe sex.
If your body doesn't fight the infection - you've had the infection for six months (chronic hepatitis C) - you'll begin treatment with antiviral medicines. Which antiviral medicines you have and how long you need to take them for will depend on the specific type of hepatitis C virus you have. If you have chronic hepatitis C, your doctor will prescribe the most suitable medicine for you.
Always read the patient information that comes with your medication and take it as prescribed by your doctor.
Causes Causes of viral hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B and C are caused by the viruses outlined in the table below.
Type Cause Hepatitis A Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Hepatitis B Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Hepatitis C Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Complications Complications of viral hepatitis
Complications, and how likely you are to get them, differ from one type of viral hepatitis to the next. Hepatitis A is associated with certain complications such as liver failure and problems with the flow of bile (a liquid made by your liver that helps break down the food you eat) known as cholestatic hepatitis. But the chances of you getting complications with hepatitis A are very low.
Complications are slightly more common for hepatitis B and C. Some of these complications are outlined below. If you would like to know more about these complications and how they may affect you, talk to your GP.
Hepatitis B
- Cirrhosis. If you have chronic hepatitis B, over time your liver may become damaged by the virus and develop scar tissue. This is known as cirrhosis.
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a type of liver cancer and is a result of the damage and scaring caused to your liver over time – cirrhosis. If you have hepatitis B and cirrhosis and are an older man, you're more at risk of HCC.
Hepatitis C
- Problems with your muscles and joints. This is the most common complication and includes things like muscle and joint pain, and arthritis.
- Cirrhosis. If you have chronic hepatitis C, over time your liver may become damaged and develop scar tissue - cirrhosis. If you have hepatitis C and cirrhosis, you're at an increased risk of getting HCC.
- Skin problems. Hepatitis C may cause blisters or a rash on your skin.
- Cryoglobulinaemia. This is when the things fighting your infection (antibodies) build up and deposit themselves around your body.
Prevention Prevention of viral hepatitis
There are things you can do to minimise your chances of getting viral hepatitis. They include avoiding things that put you at risk of getting infected, or having a vaccine to protect you from the infection in the first place.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is spread from one person to another by putting something in your mouth that has come into contact with contaminated faeces. Such things include water and food (such as shellfish). To prevent hepatitis A, always cook food properly and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after going to the toilet. This is important because hepatitis A virus can survive on the ends of your finger tips for up to four hours.
If you're a man who has sex with other men, you may be more at risk of hepatitis A. For this reason, it's important to practise safe sex. You may also be offered a vaccine to protect you from hepatitis A. Other people who are at a high risk of getting hepatitis A will also be offered hepatitis A vaccine. This includes people living in, or travelling to, areas that have hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is spread through blood or other bodily fluids. You could be at risk of Hepatitis B if, for example, you take drugs that you inject or have sex with someone who is infected. If you're at risk of getting hepatitis B, you can have a vaccine to protect you from the virus. There are different vaccines and vaccination schedules available. For more information about these, talk to your GP.
Hepatitis C
Most cases of hepatitis C are caused by people injecting themselves with illegal drugs. To prevent yourself from getting hepatitis C, you should avoid doing this. You should also try to avoid contact with blood. If you are considering getting a tattoo or having your ears pierced, make sure you choose a licensed practitioner to get it done. Although hepatitis C isn't usually spread by having sex with someone who is infected, it's best to practise safe sex and wear a condom.
There isn't a vaccine currently available to protect you against hepatitis C.
FAQ: Hepatitis and pregnancy I'm pregnant and have hepatitis, will my child have it?
It's possible that your child will have the condition, but it depends on which type of hepatitis you have.
More information
If you're pregnant and have hepatitis A, it's very unlikely that you'll pass it to your child. If you have the infection, your body makes things called antibodies to fight the infection. These antibodies pass through the placenta to your child and protect them from the infection.
Hepatitis B can pass between you and your child through blood and other body fluids when you give birth. However, if you have hepatitis B, there's no reason why you can't have children as your child will have a vaccination to protect them from the virus when they're born. If you have hepatitis B and have lots of the virus in your blood, you may be offered antiviral drugs in your third trimester. This will lower the amount of hepatitis B virus in your blood and reduce the chance of you passing it to your child in the first place.
If you're pregnant and have hepatitis C, the chance of you passing the infection to your child is quite low. However, the more virus you have in your blood, the greater the chance of this happening. Having HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) as well increases the chance of you passing hepatitis C to your child.
Other helpful websites Other helpful websites
Further information
- British Liver Trust
0800 652 7330
- The Hepatitis C Trust
0845 223 4424
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. www.medicinescomplete.com, accessed March 2016
- Drug induced hepatitis. PatientPlus. www.patient.info/patientplus, last checked July 2015
- Alcoholic hepatitis. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated December 2015
- Viral hepatitis. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated December 2014
- Viral hepatitis (particularly D and E). PatientPlus. www.patient.info/patientplus, last checked March 2014
- Hepatitis A. BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated June 2015
- Hepatitis A. World Health Organisation. www.who.int, updated July 2015
- Hepatitis A. PatientPlus. www.patient.info/patientplus, last checked December 2013
- Hepatitis B. World Health Organisation. www.who.int, updated July 20515
- Hepatitis B. BMJ Best practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated December 2015
- Hepatitis C. PatientPlus. www.patient.info/patientplus, last checked April 2015
- Hepatitis C. BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated September 2015
- Hepatitis B. PatientPlus. www.patient.info/patientplus, last updated August 2013
- Hepatitis A. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk, last revised April 2014
- Hepatitis B. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk, last revised March 2014
- Hepatitis C. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk, last revised March 2016
- Map of Medicine. Hepatitis A. International View. London: Map of Medicine; 2011 (Issue 2)
- Map of Medicine. Hepatitis B. International View. London: Map of Medicine; 2014 (Issue 3)
- Joint Formulary Committee. British National Formulary (online) London: BMJ Group and Pharmaceutical Press. www.medicinescomplete.com, accessed March 2016
- Map of Medicine. Hepatitis C. International View. London: Map of Medicine; 2014 (Issue 1)
- Cirrhosis. BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated September 2015
- Hepatocellular carcinoma. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated September 2015
- Porphyria cutanea tarda. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated March 2016
- Lichen planus. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated March 2016
- Cryoglobulinaemia. BMJ Best practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated June 2015
- An update on viruses in the food chain. Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food. www.food.gov.uk, March 2015
- Hepatitis in pregnancy. Medscape. emedicine.medscape.com, updated March 2016
- Hepatitis B. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), published July 2014. www.nice.org.uk
- Pan C, Lee H. Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B in pregnancy. Semin Liver Dis 2013; 33(02):138–46. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1345718
- Personal communication, Professor Martin Wiselka, Consultant in General Medicine and Infectious Diseases, May 2016
- British Liver Trust
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Reviewed by Laura Blanks, Specialist Health Editor, Bupa Heath Content Team, March 2016.
Peer reviewed by Professor Martin Wiselka, Consultant in General Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
Next review due March 2019.
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As joint venture partners, Emerus and Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) are excited to introduce SCL Community Hospital to the Colorado market. We have created a special place where patients can expect the highest level of care when every second counts. From the moment a patient walks through the door, a team of exceptional medical professionals take charge, treating patients with speed, compassion and expertise. We are building fully accredited, state-of-the-art community hospitals that provide highly individualized care, right in your neighborhood.
The purpose of this position is to perform the primary functions of a nurse in assessing, planning, directing, and evaluating patient care in the Emergency Room.
Position requires fluency in English; written and oral communication
Software Powered by iCIMS


text:
The Cake Barn
The Cake Barn
Specialty Cakes for All Occasions
The Cake Barn is a specialty cake studio located in Central Louisiana. We create specialty cakes, cupcakes, cakepops, cookie cakes, and a variety of other sweets for any and all occasions. We can make your cake dreams come true, no matter how big they may be! Browse our gallery and check out our edible art for yourself!
Keep up with us on a daily basis by following us on Facebook or Twitter! →


text:
Well I then tried to enter the BIOS and disable the Core Multi-processor option. Then it finally worked and so far it runs as a Core Solo with a maximum of 45C when loading 100% (35C in idle). What I'm confused about is that the BIOS detects it as a dual core and even give me all the options but once windows try to make use of both cores, it simply stop working.
I'm not really sure what's wrong which is why I'm asking here on the forum. My BIOS is the latest version (v3.30) downloaded from the toshiba website and the A120 is a PSAC0E version (used when selecting BIOS on the website).
NOTE: Windows XP and Vista can run with Core Multi-processor enabled as long as it's being run in safe mode so my guess is that some ACPI stuff isn't working right or something with speedstep may not be fully working with dual core.
A little extra info: I did get it to run XP once with the dual core enabled but the entire system was lagging/freezing every 10 seconds for like 5-20 seconds. I'm not sure what can cause this but I do know that I can't make it start up like that again without perhaps waiting for quite some time.


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Hulk Hogan is front and center in the media these days in light of his $100 million lawsuit against Gawker for publishing his 2012 sex tape, in which he was seen having sex with the wife of his then-friend Bubba "the Love Sponge" Clem.
Watch day five of the Hulk Hogan v. Gawker trial. https://t.co/nj1G4aJaDp pic.twitter.com/dPIztOBVwx
— Gawker (@Gawker) March 11, 2016
Ex-wife Linda says she will never forgive him. She also doesn't believe Hulk Hogan--whose real name is Terry Bolea--deserves any of the $100 million he is suing Gawker for.
"My kids to this day are still reeling, and they can't get their feet back on planet earth," she said in a recent interview with Inside Edition. "I can't get my life back on track either. I don't know, what am I supposed to do? Start over now that I'm 57? I don't know where I fit in in this world any more."
"I was honest, I was a good wife. I never cheated on him," Linda added. She and Hulk Hogan filed for divorce in 2007 after both made allegations of physical abuse and affairs.
Linda wrote a powerfully emotional letter to Hulk Hogan, which she read recently during an episode of Inside Edition.
Linda Hogan tearfully reads letter she wrote to ex Hulk Hogan amid sex tape trial https://t.co/JOrk4cQ6zk pic.twitter.com/3Ny3e4wxSA
— People Magazine (@people) March 11, 2016
"YOU have single handedly ruined our 25-year marriage and our family...my trust, my love, my future, our future family with grandchildren, holidays, weddings, our kids' lives, homes, their ability to trust, our poor animals, friends, neighbors, your career, finances, trademarks, retirement, your legacy, your reputation, your health...even your soul...You lost it ALL," she read.
"You took me for granted and never appreciated me or our beautiful family...blaming me for your horrendous mistakes," she concluded. "And yet you continue in life this very way, still. Hiding behind those sunglasses, false smile, oh...and the bandana! Until you can really apologize, to me...and to our children...I will never ever forgive you."
Hulk Hogan trial testimony against Gawker is getting raunchy https://t.co/YrISRFnHa9 By @TomKludt pic.twitter.com/RWdplTFGCd
— CNNMoney (@CNNMoney) March 8, 2016
Linda Hogan sounds like she means business. Do you think any of what she said will resonate with Hulk Hogan? Or is he simply too busy pointing fingers at Gawker to realize what his actions have cost him?


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21st, November, 2012
When The United Belize Advocacy Movement entered the arena of hemispheric and regional advocacy we did not imagine we would have sustain our history of advocacy action through the OAS Coalition facilitated currently by Heartland Alliance International,the Caribbean Forum for the Liberation of Genders and Sexuality, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities, PANCAP and many petitions sites like allout.org and avazz. We have engaged PAHO, PEPFAR at its regional meeting in the Bahamas in 2011 and the Global Commission on HIV and the Law submitting abstracts and comments to their report for the region. We have represented at the UN High Level meeting twice, the last was as part of the Belize UN Delegation.
What makes the UN resolution on Extrajudicial Killing found here http://www.iglhrc.org/binary-data/ATTACHMENT/file/000/000/610-1.pdf, especially important is that there is now visible political acknowledgement that L.G.B.T Citizens in Belize matters. What makes 2012 support important, is that, Belize is the consistent acknowledgement of the Human Rights of its Citizens from 2010 when it first expressed it support after calls were made to the Foreign Ministry. This follows efforts at the OAS since 2008 where Belize has not resisted supportive resolutions that condemns acts of violence and other human rights abuses. We are now in 2012 and have ensured with our Caribbean and Latin American partners that 5 OAS resolutions have passed called Human Rights; Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
The UN resolution on Extrajudicial Killings that included sexual orientation and gender identity, it is our hope will continue to bosom into the next voting period. See here for 2012 photo of voting:
The voting process for the resolution had three votes in the following way:
One on each of two amendments, and one on the full
resolution. Belize joined the Bahamas, Barbados and the DR in OPPOSING
the deletion of sexual orientation and gender identity from the text.
Jamaica and St. Vincent both voted to
support the deletion. That amendment failed. The rest of the Caribbean
did not vote or abstained. But Trinidad & Tobago, which abstained,
took the floor to clarify they did not support inclusion of gender
identity in the text.
the vote on the final resolution with the SOGI language intact, five
Caribbean countries abstained, Bahamas, Guyana, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and
St. Vincent, most likely because of a reference elsewhere in the text
to the death penalty and the failure of an amendment to defeat it.
Trinidad & Tobago tried to vote too late, but said they intended to
vote for the resolution.
The vote for the Singapore amendment can be seen here http://www.iglhrc.org/binary-data/ATTACHMENT/file/000/000/618-1.pdf?utm_source=ISHR+Publications+and+News&utm_campaign=067e973358-RSS_Email_Campaign_General_Assembly&utm_medium=email. However the United Emirates amendments can be seen here and this is where Jamaica voted for deletion of the SOGI reference.http://www.iglhrc.org/binary-data/ATTACHMENT/file/000/000/616-1.pdf?utm_source=ISHR+Publications+and+News&utm_campaign=067e973358-RSS_Email_Campaign_General_Assembly&utm_medium=email


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My personal opinion is that usually 6-7 schools are not nearly enough for PhD. Ok, I agree about quality applications. You shouldn't waste time, effort, and money with bad applications. However, you should easily be able to find over 10 schools to apply, and still be high quality applications. You should be really confident about your chances to apply to only 6 schools.
I also think it's always worth applying to reach schools, if it really is a match. If your research interests match, if your scores match, and so on, why not? But if you want to apply to Duke just because of its reputation, but there is no professor with similar interests among its faculty, for example, it's just a bad application probably.
So, find as many schools which match your profile as much as possible. Then apply to them. If you can only find 6, ok. But it's usually not the case, unless you are interested in researching something very few schools are interested in (and that's a problem too). If you find too many schools, probably your research interests are too general and vague, you should define them better. Those schools will probably be with a wide range of rankings too. It's not common to find too many schools of about the same ranking doing extremely similar research.
As I wrote in another post, professors are used to writing many recommendations. At least from my experience, they would be worried if there were too few applications. Basically, they write the letter once, and then copy and past when they get a link from a school.


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Words containing chattahoo
Found 1 words containing chattahoo. Browse our Scrabble Word Finder, Words With Friends cheat dictionary, and WordHub word solver to find words that contain chattahoo. Or use our Unscramble word solver to find your best possible play! Related: Words that start with chattahoo
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text:
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10409 Scenario Lane
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|Play- based
|mostly teacher led
|not formally in curriculum
|conducive environment
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|Oral language
|Nursery rhymes, poems, songs
|Storybook reading
|Emerging literacy skills
|Cognitive development
|Math & number sense
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|Time & space
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|Sci. reasoning/physical world
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|Visual arts
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|Other subjects taught
|We have an underlying focus on socialization. We believe children have many future years for adademnics.
From the Director:
Although we are a developmental preschool, in the child's third year at Playgroup, we do have 'big kids work' for 30 minutes, several days a week. This prepares the children for kindergarten. They will learn all the necessary skills they will need.
Fortunately we have a high ratio of teachers to children so we are able to assist children who are at different areas than the rest of their classmates.
The Beverly Glen Playgroup is a non-profit parent co-operative preschool whose purpose is to provide a part-time school program with the best possible supervised play experience for children. Playgroup endorses a developmental approach to learning. We believe that children learn by doing. Our focus is on the process of education versus the end product. It is important to recognize the uniqeness of each child and respect his or her individual rate of development. We believe that a child's play is his or her real work. It is through play that children integrate and understand the world aroudn them. Our program forsters positive self-esteem by promoting master, competence and independence through the many creative activities we provide each day. We hope that as children complete their years at Playgroup, they will realize their full potential as preschoolers. We look forward to the day when they enter Kindergarten with confidence and a positive attitude, eager to take ont he challenges that await them.
The children come in at 9 AM and play for about 15 to 20 minutes. We then have a morning circle time (conducted by a different teacher every day). We go over our calendar every day and the children have an opportunity to share stories with the talking stick. At 10:40 AM, we clean up and wash hands for snack. After snack, we have a daily music time (again conducted by a different teacher every day) for 30 minutes. Following music time, we go outside for art time. We have two art projects set up everyday. The children are encouraged to do art but not forced. After art, we have Story Time that is conducted by the working parent that day. After story time, we wash hands for lunch time and then the children eat their lunch and are picked up at 12:45 PM. Some children will stay until 2:15 for Extended Day 3 days a week.


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Tutorial 5: Clinical trial
This tutorial shows how to do Bayesian model selection in Infer.NET to determine if a new medical treatment is effective. We will construct two models, corresponding to an effective or ineffective treatment, and use model selection to determine the posterior probability of each, given some fictional clinical trial data.
You can run the code in this tutorial either using the Examples Browser or by opening the Tutorials solution in Visual Studio and executing ClinicalTrial.cs.
A healthy challenge
The data in this tutorial consists of the outcomes for individuals who took part in a fictional clinical trial. Each individual was either given the new treatment or given a placebo (individuals given a placebo are in the control group). A good outcome is indicated by true and a bad one by false. Here is the data:
// Data from clinical trial
Notice that we have also set up a couple of ranges i and j, which range over the people in the control group and in the treated group respectively. We'll use these later.
To determine whether the treament is effective, we will build two models of this data: one which assumes the treatment has an effect and one which doesn't. To perform Bayesian model selection, we need to introduce a boolean random variable which switches between the two models. In this analysis, we will give this variable a uniform prior. What this prior should be in the case of a real clinical trial would require some thought - what is the a priori effectiveness of a new treatment?
// Prior on being effective treatment
Cause and effect
First, let us consider if the treatment has an effect on the outcome. In this case the probability of a good outcome will be different for people in the control group and the treated group. Because we don't know these two probabilities, we define random variables for them with Beta priors and learn them during inference. The code for model is shown in the snippet below. To achieve model selection, we put this modelling code in an if block, so that the model only applies if isEffective is true.
See also:
Branching on variables to create mixture models
Computing model evidence for model selection.
probIfTreated, probIfControl;
The variables probIfTreated and probIfControl are declared outside of the if block but defined inside. This means the variables can be referred to outside of the using statement, which will allow us to infer their values later.
Notice that we have not specified whether the treatment has a good effect or not, only that it has some effect. We will be able to see if it is a good effect by comparing the posterior distributions over probIfTreated and probIfControl.
A bit of background
Now let us consider the alternative model, where the treatment has no effect i.e. the background model. In this case, the probability of a good outcome will be the same for people in both groups. Again, the value of this probability is unknown, so we will put a Beta prior on it. This time we use Variable.IfNot to create the surrounding if block, so that the model will apply in the case where isEffective is false. You can think of this as being the else clause for the previous if block.
The variable probAll is both declared and defined inside the if block, since we will not be using it later on.
Clinical accuracy
We have now fully defined the model and can go ahead and infer the distributions of interest.
InferenceEngine ie =
new InferenceEngine();
When we run this code, it prints out:
Probability treatment has an effect = Bernoulli(0.7549)
Hence, there is some evidence from this data that the treatment has an effect and, furthermore, the effect is a positive one.
If you find these tutorials to be effective, you can move on to the next.


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Leather Office Chairs
When furnishing an office, it's important to carefully select furniture and decorative items that reflect your business and your professional persona. Leather office chairs are comfortable and look fantastic in a professional setting. Investing in a high quality executive office chair can provide a comfortable seat for work while improving the look and feel of your office. Selecting an executive leather office chair that reflects the style of your company and offers the comfort and support you need while working is important. These are some of the many factors that must be considered when choosing furniture for an office.
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