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WASHINGTON—Following the fatal shooting this morning at a Connecticut elementary school that left at least 27 dead, including 20 small children, sources across the nation shook their heads, stifled a sob in their voices, and reported fuck everything. Just fuck it all to hell.
All of it, sources added.
"I'm sorry, but fuck it, I can't handle this—I just can't handle it anymore," said Deborah McEllis, who added that "no, no, no, no, no, this isn't happening, this can't be real." "Seriously, what the hell is this? What's even going on anymore? Why do things like this keep happening?"
Continued McEllis, before covering her face with her hands, "Why?"
Despairing sources confirmed that the gunman, armed with a semiautomatic assault rifle—a fucking combat rifle, Jesus—walked into a classroom full of goddamned children where his mother was a teacher and, good God, if this is what the world is becoming, then how about we just pack it in and fucking give up, because this is no way to live.
I mean, honestly, all 315 million Americans confirmed.
"Well, I suppose we have to try to pick up the pieces and make some sort of sense of this tragedy and—you know what? Fuck it, I can't do this," said Connecticut resident Michael Zaleski, his remarks understandable given the circumstances, because, holy shit, what else can one say? "I'm sorry, but I can't fucking do this. Can you? Can anyone?"
Witnesses said the gunman fired at least 100 rounds during his deadly rampage, which, according to children in the school—goddamnit, how? How? Twenty children. Dead. In a fucking school.
No. No, no, no.
"I just feel so [why does it even matter what this person said when no words can bring 20 dead kids back to life?]" said some person who, just like everyone else, is completely unable to process or handle any of this. "It's awful. Just too awful to bear."
Americans reported feelings of overwhelming disgust with whatever abhorrent bastard did this and with the world at large for ever allowing it to happen, as well as with politicians, with the NRA, and above all with their own pathetic goddamn selves, sitting in front of a fucking computer instead of doing fucking anything to help anyone—Christ, as if that were even fucking possible, as if anyone could change what happened, as if the same fucking bullshit isn't going to keep happening again and again and fucking again before people finally decide it's time to change the way we live, so what's the point? What the hell is the goddamned point?
"I…" said Tom Miller, 27, after reading an article about the tragedy online. "I just…"
"…" he added.
At press time…screw it, there's nothing else to say.


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The proposed Adserver Software Market report will encompass all the qualitative & quantitative aspects including the market size, market estimates, growth rates & forecasts & hence will give you a holistic view of the market. The study also includes detailed analysis of market drivers, restraints, technological advancements & competitive landscape along with various micro & macro factors influencing the Adserver Software market dynamics.
The Adserver Software Market sample report includes an exclusive analysis of COVID-19 pandemic on the market space under scrutiny. The sample represents the format of the overall study which is designed to provide clarity on the structure of the Adserver Software report and some data points demonstrated in an attempt to provide insights into the study quality.
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The Prominent/Emerging Players in the Adserver Software Market Research include:
Google, AdSpeed, dJAX Adserver, Epom Ad Server, iPROM, AdgGare, AVID Ad Server, NetGravity
By TypeCloud-BasedOn-PremiseBy ApplicationMedium and Small EnterpriseLarge Enterprise
The Adserver Software Market Company Profiles are individually represented for all major participants and indices such as Financial Performance, Strategic Initiatives, Product Portfolio & Company Overview.
Company Overview:
Adserver Software Company overview provides the information about location of the company where it is headquartered along with the established year, employee strength as of 2022, regions where the company is operating and the key business areas.
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Overall Adserver Software company/segment revenue for the year 2021, 2019, and 2018 is provided in the sub title Adserver Software (public listed companies) along with the analysis and explanation of the increase or decrease in the same due to factors such as mergers & acquisition, profit or loss in any strategic Adserver Software business unit (SBUs) and others.
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Product benchmarking comprises the comprehensive list of products pertaining to the respective Adserver Software market along with the application and key features.
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Adserver Software Insights pertaining to the new product launch, strategic collaboration, mergers and acquisition, regulatory approval, and other developments by the company in market are covered under strategic initiatives section.
The Adserver Software Market research study is designed keeping in focus all the major countries. Although, all these countries & their Adserver Software market trends were accounted for while composing it, detailed sections are available for only the spearheads. In case if you would be interested in specific countries which are not covered in the current scope, kindly share the list & we can customize the study based on the geographical scope defined by you.

subset: commoncrawl


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You know what's really disturbing? When adult models are Photoshopped to (or already are) my size.
So I'm like, "Ooh! That looks like it would fit me!" And then I'm like, "Oh wait, I'm 14, and look young for my age!" Then I kind of pause, and stare at the screen some more, and then I make a really disturbing noise not unlike one of those "My cat can talkz!!" videos on YouTube, and then I start flailing my arms, and then I exit out.
Here's Tao from a Michael Kors lookbook:
Here's the Nordstrom page (click to enlarge - and be the first to write a review!):
It's Ralph Lauren, too. Irony.
Ralph Lauren Black Label Mercerized Cotton Polo [Nordstrom]
Earlier: Women Protest Ralph Lauren's Ridiculous Photoshop
Yet Another Ralph Lauren Photoshop Of Horrors
Ralph Lauren Fires Photoshopped Model For Being "Too Fat"
Ralph Lauren Takes Responsibility For Photoshop Of Horrors
Ralph Lauren's Ridiculous Photoshop; More Ridiculous Rage


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It's funny what a little color can add to an otherwise drab experience. With the Windows 8 Start screen, Microsoft is providing some customization capabilities that include a set of background patterns and accent and background color swatches. Put them all together and you can see some trippy combinations.
The Start screen, like many Metro features, is customized through PC Settings, in this case Personalize, Smart screen. Here, you'll see everything described above: The available background patterns and a slider representing the various access and background color combinations. (You can't mix and match these arbitrarily, they come in pre-made sets.) Collectively these elements make up what I think of as the Start screen theme.
But what's interesting is that some of the background patterns light up with color when you choose certain accent/background color combinations. This is a good example of something that needs to be seen, not described. So check out this screenshot gallery for a look at how different combinations on background patterns and accent and background colors can really change the way Windows 8 looks.


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Customer Login
Building a new home is an exciting and important endeavor, and Sasser Homes wants the process to be as smooth and enjoyable as possible. That is why we provide each of our clients with access to a secure website with all of the details of their project.
Whether you are at home, at work, on the road, or on vacation, Sasser Homes puts information at your fingertips about your selections, upgrades, financial decisions, questions, documents, photos, and more.


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How to Avoid a Mid-life Crisis: Start a Business and Take it GlobalFebruary 27, 2014
Doug Barry is a Senior International Trade Specialist in the International Trade Administration's Global Knowledge Center.
Harold Cecil was in his early 40s when he decided to start his own business in Central Oregon. His initial investment: $2,000. That was back in 2008, just in time for the Great Recession.
Six years later, he and a team of five employees at Giant Loop are making world-class equipment carriers for motorcycles. The company does business in 21 countries with sales growing 20 percent per year. It has expanded overseas with the help of numerous government agencies, including Business Oregon, the Small Business Administration, and the International Trade Administration's (ITA) Commercial Service.
Cecil spoke with Doug Barry of ITA's Global Knowledge Center about how his small company has found success in the global market.
Barry: What's been the best sales channel for your international business?
Cecil: I'd say trade shows. One of the best is a motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, called EICMA. This was our third year exhibiting, and we have come away with distributor agreements every time. We exhibit in the U.S. Pavilion, and there we meet buyers from all over Europe and many other places. We meet them face-to-face, they can see, feel, and learn about our products; and we can learn about their needs.
Barry: How has government helped you?
Cecil: I couldn't have done it with without them. This is my first business. I've been a journalist, an ad copywriter, and a marketer. I've never manufactured anything.
As I got started, our local Small Business Development Center helped me learn how to actually run a business. I still meet with one of the counselors every month to get advice. SBA has been helpful with a working capital loan guarantee. They came through when we couldn't get a commercial loan from any bank.
The State of Oregon was a big help through the Business Oregon program. They helped us apply for and get financial assistance, which partly covered travel to the trade show in Italy and to one in Sweden.
The U.S. Commercial Service through the Portland Export Assistance Center connected us with Commerce Foreign Service officers and staff supporting the U.S. Pavilion in Milan. The Export Assistance Center has provided great market data and seminars on export mechanics. And the agencies work together to help small businesses like mine.
They are invaluable, top notch.
Barry: What else has made a positive difference for you?
Cecil: The U.S. Free Trade Agreements have been very helpful to us. That lower or zero duty rate makes our products attractive in those markets. Distributors tell us that our product is at the high end of the market because of our product costs and shipping. So any way you can shave costs helps offset our pricing disadvantage.
Barry: What does the future look like for Giant Loop? What are your biggest challenges?
Cecil: Everything is a challenge. That's what makes it fun.
We're growing. Seventy percent of the business is domestic; 30 percent is international. Strategically it's important to have a mix of international and domestic. We'll never abandon our international markets, no matter how much the domestic market grows.
We added a full-time employee in January, and we plan to hire more seasonal workers. I feel really good about creating jobs. This part of Oregon was hard hit by the recession.


text:
Except for the fact that he is most likely lying ...
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Photographer of young naked people Bruce Weber announced on his official Facebook page that he'd completed four new "Web films" for Abercrombie & Fitch — all of them were wrestling-themed, and one ended with two wrestlers looking into each other's eyes and leaning in for...a full-on dude-on-dude forehead kiss, bro. Abercrombie & Fitch, which uses Weber to shoot all of its advertising, has always profited from the frisson of homoeroticism in the photographer's work (that and all the "edgy" nudity that tells kids that Abercrombie is cool and pisses off your parents, and without which the retailer would only ever make headlines for its discriminatory hiring practices and exceedingly whiffy stores).
Because the films were by Weber, because he presented them as work done for the company, because all the male models featured wear (very little) Abercrombie clothing, and because Weber has made wrestling-themed Abercrombie ads before, many people assumed that the clips were in fact Abercrombie ads. Even the really gay one, which is embedded above — the kiss occurs at around 1:20. But apparently the lips-to-forehead same-sex contact was too much for the retailer, which disavowed the films and said they were not part of any advertising campaign.
The four clips remain on Weber's Web site, where you can see young, hard-bodied men wearing Abercrombie & Fitch to do stuff like wrestling together in an outdoor shower, wrestling in slow-motion underwater, jumping rope so fast their Abercrombie shorts fall down, wrestling on top of a lifeguard tower, and talking about trying to lose 4 lbs in one hour to make weight (which is actually pretty disturbing). It looks like Abercrombie will need a little more coaxing to come out of its glass closet. [YouTube, Bruce Weber, Facebook]
Christy Turlington and an eyeliner moustache star on the May cover of Tatler. [Fashionista]
And Victoria Beckham is on the May cover of British Harper's Bazaar. [HB]
Jessica Stam, one of the stars of Vogue Italia's controversial "Haute Mess" cover story, says that the images weren't racist because they were "all in fun" and "I don't know, whatever." She also confirmed that the shoot was based on "references pulled off of websites" (as we showed here) and that the pictures were "pretty exact to these references." [Fashionista]
Gucci's lawsuit against Guess for alleged copyright and trademark infringement has finally reached court. Gucci complained in 2009 that Guess had infringed on its intellectual property by copying nearly 1,500 of its designs, including these shoes. At issue in particular is the interlocking "G" print. Gucci says that Guess sold $221 million worth of infringing products. Guess says that of the products under consideration, 99% "could never be confused with Gucci." [Bloomberg, Fashionista]
In news that will surprise no-one, Shanina Shaik says that her boyfriend Tyson Beckford is "in the dog house." Shaik says she didn't take Beckford's creepy comments claiming credit for her modeling success seriously, but did say for the record, "He has always supported me. But he did not 'make me.' My mother made me." [GlobalGrind]
André Leon Talley is getting a reality show of his own. On Bravo, he will reportedly serve as host/mentor to four emerging designers as they put together their first collections. The show is titled Fashion Stories of NYC. [THR]
Macy's C.E.O. Terry Lundgren made over $17 million in 2011, an 18% rise from 2010. His compensation totaled
$17.7 million, [up] from $14.9 million in 2010. That includes a base salary of $1.5 million, $4.6 million in stock awards, $3.1 million in option awards, $5.1 million from a nonequity incentive plan bonus and other compensation perks, which includes the value of $69,611 for aircraft usage.
When you're the official marketing and tourism agency for New York City, which happens to host a fashion industry that is both culturally influential and economically crucial to the city, an industry which is headquartered in the shrinking but still substantial urban manufacturing zone that is the Garment District, and you're in charge of getting some t-shirts made to promote New York City through a special retail partnership with Aéropostale, it might, just might, behoove you to manufacture those New York City-promoting t-shirts in, gee, the Garment District of New York City? Instead of Central America? Call us crazy, but if you're selling t-shirts to "support" New York, shouldn't they, well, support New York? [DNAInfo]
H&M confirmed it is indeed planning to launch a new chain of stores under a different name, but did not provide any details of the price of its offerings. The Swedish fast-fashion company is rumored to be planning an expansion into "luxury" goods. [WWD]
Joseph Altuzarra: "The fashion industry has a tendency to embrace someone and drop them. You don't want to be the It boy, the flash in the pan, which is why I'm really concerned and try not to be too exposed. I don't go to too many parties or do too much press." [WaPo]
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana make a cameo as theater-goers in Woody Allen's new film, To Rome With Love. [WWD]
Ivanka Trump, who showed her licensed collection of women's wear at Lord & Taylor last night, is reportedly the most-searched designer name on the department store's Web site. [The Cut]
Jean-Paul Guerlain, who is an heir to the Guerlain cosmetics fortune but is no longer affiliated with the company that bears his name, has been convicted of hate speech and fined €6,000 by a French court. In a televised interview in 2010, Guerlain said that when he was formulating one of his most famous perfumes, "I worked like a n——. I don't know if n——s ever even worked that hard." (His exact quote was, "Je me suis mis à travailler comme un nègre. Je ne sais pas si les nègres ont toujours tellement travaillé, mais enfin." In French, "nègre" is a serious ethnic slur, often translated into English as "negro" or "nigger.") Guerlain apologized for his remarks (which the Guerlain company called "intolerable") in 2010, and again during the trial. [WaPo]
Manolo Blahnik publicly shames women he sees wearing knock-offs of his shoes.
Recently in Milan, he says he saw two Chinese women sporting shoes that were unmistakably of his design, "but in a wonderful colour I had never seen before. So I asked: 'Where did you get your shoes?' 'Manolo Blahnik.' I said: 'No, my dear: these are not Manolo, these are plastic! With a horrid little plastic buckle!'"
Blahnik also has little patience for idiots, like a fashion editor who had never heard of La Dolce Vita. "I said: 'Fellini'? and she said: 'No idea.' Oh, the poor things. I mean, they're young, but the reason they don't know is all this nonsense about technology." [Telegraph]
New York governor Andrew Cuomo's longtime girlfriend, Kwanzaa-cake-inventing T.V. chef Sandra Lee, is reportedly looking to forge more ties with the fashion industry in order to give herself a more "upscale" public image. Lee reportedly courted Anna Wintour prior to Cuomo's inauguration, and even finagled a Teen Vogue internship for Cuomo's 13-year-old daughter last summer, so this isn't exactly a new development. But she is said to be attending this year's Met Ball, and a "source" says, "She realizes first ladies leverage the fashion industry for press." [P6]
Ansel Elgort, the 18-year-old son of photographer Arthur Elgort and opera director Grethe Holby, stars in a new off-Broadway play called Regrets with Alexis Bledel and Adriane Lenox. He bought the suit he wore to the opening party on Gilt. [Vogue]
Prada's profits during 2011, the year the company went public via an IPO in Hong Kong, rose 72% over the previous year. Total profits topped $600 million, making 2011 Prada's "best year ever," according to Patrizio Bertelli. [WWD]
This is interesting: Neiman Marcus paid a dividend of some $442.6 million, or $435 per share, to investors yesterday. It borrowed $150 million to pay it. Why? Because Neiman's parent company is said to be planning an IPO, and a willingness to pay dividends apparently wins over investors. [WWD]
Model-with-a-temper Jessica White had a car waiting to pick her and her friends up from a SoHo night club, but she wanted to smoke and that's illegal so the driver wasn't having it. So she (illegally) street-hailed a black car and told the driver she'd give him more money if he let her smoke. And the driver did. And then this made the news. [P6]


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Fossil of Ancient Amphibian Choking on Last Meal Up for Auction
In rare cases, one of life's important childhood lessons — always chew your food properly — becomes fossilized. And now, anyone can own one of these reminders in rock. A specimen containing the remains of a large, predatory amphibian choking on another creature is up for auction in October.
Nearly 300 million years ago, during the Paleozoic Era, this predator attempted to eat another, smaller amphibian. The larger creature died mid-meal with the smaller one's body half-consumed. This type of fossil, in which a predator chokes on its prey, is known as an aspiration.
When a scene like this is captured forever by geology, the value of the fossil goes up, said Jim Walker, director of the nature and science department at the auction house Heritage Auctions. [See Photos of 'Choking Predators' and other Fossils for Auction]
"It affects it to the degree of eight or 10 times without any trouble at all," Walkersaid. Heritage expects this specimen to sell for between $150,000 and $250,000.
The predator in this case is a 28-inch-long (71 centimeters) creature known as Sclerocephalus haeuseri. Artists' representations of it depict an animal that looks like a cross between an alligator and a salamander, with a heavy skull and jaws, a streamlined body with a menacing-looking tail, and eyes on top of its head.
The resemblance to a crocodile or alligator is no coincidence. During the Permian Period — the last period of the Paleozoic lasting from 299 million to 251 million years ago — this ancient amphibian filled a similar ecological role to these modern aquatic predators, Walker said.
This phenomenon, when natural selection directs unrelated organisms to acquire similar traits, is known as convergent evolution. For instance, extinct marine reptiles known as ichthyosaurs are frequently cited as examples of convergent evolution, because their bodies acquired features resembling those of dolphins, tuna and sharks.
The smaller fossilized amphibian is tentatively identified as another species, Cherlyderpeton latirostris, but it may be a younger version of the animal that ate it. S. haeuseriate fish, smaller amphibians and sometimes each other.
Aspirations like this are quite rare, but the auction features two more such cautionary tales, both involving fish similar to modern-day perch known as Mioplosus labracoides, In one case, this predatory fishchoked to death while eating one of its kind, more than 50 million years ago. In the second, the Mioplosus died eating a smaller fish of another species.
Online bidding is open until 10 p.m. ET on Oct. 19 for Heritage's nature and science auction. Live bidding takes place on Oct. 20.
Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.
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Storytime: Preschool Pals
April 25 @ 10:30 am - 11:00 am
Children 3 to 5 years and their parents or caregivers will sing songs, share action rhymes and meet new friends. Children and adults will explore books to expand the imagination, inspire self-discovery and develop early literacy skills in this 30-40 minute program. For children ages 3 to 5 years and their caregivers.


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Description of Star Wolves
Buy Star Wolves as a Steam key at Gamesplanet.com
Star wolves is a 3D space RPG with deep strategy and tactical elements. The game thrusts players into a world of freelance space hunters in the XXI-XXII century A.D. during a time of political crisis for the all-powerful Empire and the three mega-corporations that control all the known worlds. Corruption prospers planet-side and only space can give a man his freedom, but not without a cost: space is not a safe place anymore. Human space pirates, rogue AI computers that rebelled against humanity and empire patrol ships roam space in search of easy prey.
Players begin the game as a bounty hunter with little more than an old, run-down space fighter and a dream, but as they advance in the game and prosper, their piloting and battle skills improve, allowing access to more advance spacecraft. Players can control a party of up to six bounty hunters, each possessing different skills, abilities and personality.
Team tactics give players vast opportunities in battles when shear fire power isn't enough. Tactical ruses, planning and executing ambushes or deploying spaceships' special abilities provide cunning commanders the ability to crush enemies according to their style of play.
- Spectacular 3D real-time battle system
- Original blend of tactical and action game play
- Variety of missions and mission-types including stealth, hit and run and assault missions
- Non-linear storyline and game play
- Secondary and secret quests along with primary missions
- Over 25 space fighters
- Dozens of energy and missile weapons
- Over 40 missions
- A choice of eight game characters, both male and female, to form your party
- Original RPG system


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Friday, November 11, 2005
Now, my ass has heard a lot of people link Scooter to Nixon…some of the conclusions are weird and some of them are valid. However, Scooter and Nixon do share one thing…they both lost their fucking minds while President.
Nixon was confronted by a nationwide student strike in response to the Kent State and Jackson State murders (student's were shot and killed while conducting peaceful protests to the Vietnam War). Nixon freaked out when students came to Washington D.C. to bring their protest to the front door of his presidency. Rather than approach these student protests with an understanding that young people were pissed off, disgusted with a war that involved the draft and generally questioning his presidency Nixon saw the protests as evidence of communist infiltration of American college campuses.
That was insane…and by acting on that insanity Nixon dived head first into the paranoid actions that eventually led to the fall of his administration.
Scooter is manifesting much of the same insane behavior. For example, he's been saying stuff like...
The rest of the world thought Iraq had WMD too.
Honey, the rest of the world knew Iraq had WMD in the 1990's. The rest of the world thought it was a good idea to find out what happened to that WMD. The rest of the world got frustrated when Iraq didn't explain what happened to it and wouldn't let the United Nations look for it. But the rest of the world didn't take that giant fucking leap from frustration and concern to...well…full on military assault. Which is why the rest of the world is watching us sink knee deep into the Iraq conflict…from their fucking living rooms.
Note to Scooter…this aint a World War, honey.
Unpatriotic folks are trying to say the administration deliberately misled Congress and the nation about the intelligence on WMD.
Hmmm. Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations to make the case for war has been proven to be…well…misleading. Colin feels mislead…the Untied Nations feels mislead…we all feel mislead.
Note to Scooter… why don't you feel mislead? The WMD wasn't there, the nuclear capability wasn't there…why aren't you pissed off? Your lack of anger is why most of us think you were in on it. Come one admit it, between us kids...you did mislead Congress and the American people, didn't you...you dirty fucking lying ignorant war loving piece of shit!
Attacks on the President and this war send the wrong message to our troops and to our enemies.
Listen, motherfucker, and my ass means listen up! A bitch has been sending THE RIGHT message to our troops – we want them home. The right message to send to the troops is that they can trust their government, depend on their leaders and know that they will be called to serve in just causes. Got that? That's the right message.
The wrong message is for our troops to think that our entire nation is in support of their never-ending involvement in a conflict built on a foundation of lies, greed and arrogance. The wrong message is to tell our troops that we don't care what they risk their life for…that we are preparing to sit down in a couple of weeks, eat our fucking turkey and shout out a drunken toast to our fallen soldiers before falling head first in a vat of sweet potato pie and passing out.
As for our enemies...they must be pretty scared of us huh…our no intelligence gathering, unable to protect our borders, dysfunctional during a natural disaster, debt ridden maniacal Christian intelligent design supporting selves! Oh yeah, got them running scared! Fucking up this war and making up the cause for war has done more to embolden our enemies than any Democratic position piece ever could…asshole.
A panel found that there was no misleading...
And as for the bipartisan committee that found no sexing up of the intelligence used to justify the Iraq War? Fuck you for trying to hide behind a panel that never looked into the aggressive multi-front assault in which the administration used that intelligence and molded it to justify war. That dawg don't hunt!
Of all the speeches to make today this wasn't it. You've alienated your base, embarrassed our nation, facilitated historical debt and gotten us into a war without a mission.
By the fucking way, what the fuck is our mission in Iraq? If a bitch listens to John McCain our mission is to finish the job…whatever that is. McCain is saying that our "job" in Iraq has nothing to do with getting Iraqi security forces up to the mark. If a bitch listens to the administration our mission is to stay the course and stand down only when Iraqis stand up. And if my ass rewinds to 2003, our mission was to secure democracy, stabilize the region and fight the terrorists on their own turf.
What the fuck are we trying to accomplish? And why the hell are you still trying to defend the cause for war when we don't even know why we are fighting anymore…and doesn't that point to a fucked up cause in the first place?
Lawd have mercy…
15 comments:
- TwinsGoddess said...
You. Rule.
- pfirsch said...
I wish you could tell Scooter about himself--to his face. I wish you could talk to Congress face to face. I wish you had a nationally broadcast radio show. I wish more people would read your blog.
- Sabre said...
Again, as always, a bitch can call it!
I've been called unpatriotic before, for daring to question and daring to call this war for what it is... a big steaming pile of bullshit. Questioning, and demanding accountability, doesn't make me unpatriotic. I love my country, I love all the dreams that she inspires, I love her people and her quirks, her sparkling towers and dirty streets.
What I don't love is what her government has done in her name. There is nothing patriotic about what Scooter and his minions have done. He is, without a doubt, the worst president in the history of our nation, and I'd like to see his ass tried for his crimes. And I'd like to wipe that smarmy smirk off his face. Personally.
- tenaceegirl said...
I agree with everything your saying gurlfriend, but you keep saying scooter, don't ya mean chimp, aka bush?
- Chloe said...
If it means anything... I heard, from someone who attended the Veterans Day speech, that he was surprised at how few Tobyhanna Army Depot employees actually attended, and that there were a lot of empty seats at the gathering.
(I live about 20 miles from Tobyhanna, PA.)
- Catherine said...
I bow before your greatness yet again. While most of us are just spluttering in outrage, you've nailed it. Again.
- Lisa said...
Word, girlfriend. Monster word.
I love how you just cut through the bullshit that just seems to be spewing forth from this whole administration.
ABB for prezident! heheh
BTW - Chloe, Scooter was ABB's chosen name for the dope in charge from way before Scooter Libby made an appearance on the screen. So, whenever ABB says Scooter, it = dubya.
- Lisa said...
And because I cannot seem to help myself:
- equeyaya said...
You are so dead on. At least more people are seeing it now... now that he doesn't have to worry about reelection, he is less careful. What we are seeing is the desperate shrieking of an imploding president realizing he will go down in history as the miserable failure that he is. The Nixon analogy is perfect.
- wwwanderer said...
Thanks for speaking my mind so clearly. He's obviously desparate and flailing - so much so that I'm worried because I know he has indeed lost his f***ing mind.
- 2complx said...
Einstein said it best.
"Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!"
I tell people the same as you. "I do support our troops. I want to bring them home so they can live and not die."
Those blind bastards.
- dmfinny said...
Like Sabre and 2complx said, I too support the troops who belong at home with their families, not exposed to toxic chemicals, and helping to build the infrastructure of THIS country. We've got plenty to serve and protect right here.
Right on, sis.
- Homer said...
It seems strange to me that our Great Leader can stand there and call me a traitor because I disagree with him. The Bush Bunch seem to be using the Red Commie rule book nowadays.
- Diane said...
Sheer genius. I love the way you think!!
- Andrea Dawson said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
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So many of you have shared condolences and support after the death of my beloved brother Bill from COVID-19. I wish I could thank you indiv...
Okay, so most of you know that this bitch has some evil assed fibroids . Most of them were successfully murdered with full premeditation se...
So many of you have shared condolences and support after the death of my beloved brother Bill from COVID-19. I wish I could thank you indiv...
I was slightly illish this weekend and took to my bed Saturday, but I did rally for Brother Rob Thurman's fantabulous cookie decorating part...


text:
Vientiane (Lao PDR), 16 February 2010 - A vibrant new painting decorates the outside front wall of the gym at the Somsanga Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Vientiane. The artwork is the result of the creative work of six centre patients, guided by Belgian graphic designer and artist Philippe Blampain.
Aside from the spiritual significance and importance of artwork of this nature and the role it plays in the recovery process of patients in many institutions of this kind, the remarkable artistic quality manifested in the detail, colour and overall impact of this representation of the Buddha is what makes this painting even more exceptional.
Mr. Blampain, who was visiting the Lao People's Democratic Republic as a tourist, had already planned to dedicate some of his time here to helping disadvantaged people. When approached by a UNODC project coordinator, he agreed to work in the centre, especially after an initial visit where he immediately felt comfortable and was welcomed by the patients.
Inspiration for the painting came after a visit to the Buddha Park in Vientiane. The wall painting was based on a small-scale print that was then reproduced on the wall in a larger scale. During the workshop, which lasted four days including preparation work, participants learned various techniques.
"I was surprised by the engagement and the motivation of the young people here," explains Blampain. "We have worked together to create something that will hopefully offer hope for those going through some difficult times."
The concept of expressing feelings and emotion through the visual arts was introduced to patients last year through a graffiti painting workshop. German graffiti artist Iven Sohmann conducted the seven-day workshop at the centre which culminated in the decoration of a large portion of the men's compound wall, as well as the interior walls of the gym.
The treatment centre in Vientiane is the oldest institution of its kind in the country. UNODC has been supporting the Lao Government in its efforts in improving services and staff capacity at the centre since 1996 through the provision of infrastructure to ameliorate patients' standards of living, recreational therapy and vocational training, as well as training for the centre's staff. Over the past few years, the centre has seen a rapid increase in cases involving the use of amphetamine-type stimulants like "yabaa". Last year, approximately 98 per cent of the centre's patients were seeking treatment for addiction to "yabaa".
Recreational therapy is one of the key components of the treatment, after the detoxification phase. Patients are encouraged to participate in a range of activities, from sports to the arts, so as to keep their minds occupied in a positive way. It is often difficult for patients to experience pleasure for quite some time after detoxification, as the brain chemistry of most addicts tends to be severely altered after prolonged drug abuse. While the process of recovery through recreational therapy is gradual, it is proven that it is one of the best ways to offset the negative impact of the drug's effect on the patient's psyche. By giving confidence through a sense of achievement, patients recover more quickly and the chances of relapse are diminished.
It is hoped that this painting will affect not only those who helped create it but also encourage more patients to participate in recreational therapy. A wide variety of activities are offered at the centre through the support of UNODC. Football, volleyball, rugby, martial arts, fitness classes, movie nights, table tennis, painting, wood carving and wax sculpting are some of the many activities available to patients to help them maintain hope in their recovery.


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Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Journal cover tutorial
77 comments:
That looks so pretty!ReplyDelete
another great tutorial, thanks so much, you make it look easy. Does the journal fit inside the fabric basket?ReplyDelete
This is MARVELOUS!! I can't wait to try it. Thanks for your wonderful tutorials.ReplyDelete
Brilliant tutorial! Such a beautiful project. I'll be adding it to my to-do list... ;o)ReplyDelete
Simple and lovely! Great tutorial too!ReplyDelete
Wonderful! I know just who to make these for. Great gift idea. Thank you!ReplyDelete
Love it! Thanks for the tutorial!ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous26 February 2009 at 20:06
I love this! A beautiful fabric combination and such a great way to make something fairly utilitarian look very swanky. I'll be giving your tutorial a go!ReplyDelete
Thank you - what a great tutorial - I've been looking for how to make something like this for a while.ReplyDelete
Hi! Thank you so much for adding this tutorial to the Make & Tell Monday meme. It was so nice meeting you. Feel free to jump in every Monday!ReplyDelete
Thank-you very much! Your cover is lovely, and your tutorial easy to follow. I had been wanting to make a cover for my notebook for ages, and now I have because your work made my work much quicker. Many thanks - now i want to cover all my notebooks like this ;-)ReplyDelete
I LOVE these journals! The work is beautiful and I can't wait to try one.ReplyDelete
I have a question though: what type of linen do you use? I always think of linen as thin and wrinkly and not washable. Can you give me some suggestions?
My email is: bschramm26 (at) gmail.com
Thank you!
Beth S.
Hi there!ReplyDelete
I just wanted to let you know that you've inspired a newbie sewer to create four of these beautiful journal covers. Thank you so much for such an inspiring and easy tutorial. I've posted about it here.
Thanks Ros, I used this tutorial tonight! Will take some pics in the morning. Big thanks, JodieReplyDelete
it´s beautiful! I´ll make a lot of these, thank you for the tutorial, it´s perfectly explained.ReplyDelete
I've made one finally for a smaller notebook! ThanksReplyDelete
Thank you for the tuorial. I've sewn the journal cover for my colleagues. You can see that on my blog :-)))(www.skittylu.blogspot.com)ReplyDelete
That is so easy and so great. Thank you.
I love this cover. I made a journal cover using your tutorial as inspiration. It was alot easier that I anticipated. The cover fits perfectly. Thanks for taking the time to create just a tutorial. You can see the cover I made at www.judycreates.blogspot.comReplyDelete
When I came across your blog and saw this journal cover I knew I had to make one! I am a beginner at sewing so mine didn't turn out as flawless as yours but I like it anyways and I think I will make some more. I posted about your tutorial and my results on my blog. Thanks!!!ReplyDelete
A fab tutorial! Thank you! I'm going to use it to cover my daughter's school journal. Lucy xReplyDelete
Your notebooks are just gorgeous.... i know quite a few people who'll be receiving these for Chrissy this year.ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for your great tutorial on the journal cover. The pattern was easy to follow and turned out great thanksReplyDelete
great tutorial! Thank you!ReplyDelete
OK - I'm new to sewing and really love this. I already made my fabric strip but my journal is more square so I need my rectangle to be 28.5x8.5...in that case, what size would I cut the two separate pieces of linen? I'm so confused.ReplyDelete
Hi Bloom!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the tutorial - have made one of your lovely journal covers. It's so fabulous that you could share it with the world =)
I've linked you at email@example.com
Thanks again :D
this will be my next project...thank you for sharing the tutorial..:)ReplyDelete
Hi again Ros...I finally make one journal cover..:) Here it is http://chez-vies.blogspot.com/2010/02/slightly-wonky-journal-cover.htmlReplyDelete
Thanks for the great tute ^_^
- Anonymous1 March 2010 at 13:24
Thanks Ros for the great tutorial. Whipped some up this morning (will have them on my blog on Wednesday)ReplyDelete
I will certainly be making more of these xx
Love your journal cover. It is so cute and can be adapted to fit everyone's personality :) I'll be linking on Facebook.ReplyDelete
I love it! It's so cute!ReplyDelete
I've linked on my blog.
Thanks for this. I am new to blogland and so enjoying visiting and also finding help when I need to do a project! I have just used it for a Christmas Journal. Thanks... I'll be visiting again....ReplyDelete
Nice effort, very informative, this will help me to complete my task.ReplyDelete
I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work.ReplyDelete
Hi! I'm from Brazil and I loved your blog. Thank you for the detailed tutorials and congratulations on a whim in his productions. A strong Brazilian hug!
Fran (artemysia.blogspot.com)
Just popping in to say a big Aussie thank you for this great tutorial.ReplyDelete
I've just this minute finished two of your journal covers as Christmas presents. They look fantastic thanks to your clear and easy to follow instructions.
What a fantastic piece of work, so nice of you for sharing this tutorial, great step by step instruction and easy to follow.ReplyDelete
i've try this tutorial.. amazing..ReplyDelete
thanks for sharing.. :)
May I ask where you get your linen for this project...Love the look and shade of this color....ReplyDelete
Shannon Margaret
Your tutorial is very easy to follow, I will try it out this weekend with my daughter, thanksReplyDelete
Thanks for the tutorial!!ReplyDelete
Merci de partager ce post, tres utile et bien écrit, félicitationsReplyDelete
Et aussi super blog
SO many times I read stupid post but this time I must say i'm impressed! Well done! Cheers!ReplyDelete
I just love this tutorial and I've been making them left, right and center. Feel free to check out the one I made and posted on my blog today.ReplyDelete
Genius! I just finished a book cover according to your tutorial and it was like magic when I turned the whole thing inside out at the end. Thank you so much for taking the time to show the rest of us how to make them!ReplyDelete
Thanks for this tutorial. When I was first reading through it I wasn't sure I'd be able to figure it out but as I went step by step things worked out JUST perfectly....well, if I'd measured my notebook correctly from the beginning. Anyway, just thought I'd post a picture of my completed project which is a gift for my Gramma.ReplyDelete
Thanks again!
I was looking for journal cover inspiration for a gift that I'm sewing up tonight and I think I found it! Great post - I'll be linking your tute later!ReplyDelete
Merry Christmas!
Great tutorial! Thank you! I made one for my Mother in law for Christmas.ReplyDelete
Shared at https://www.threadbias.com/projects/journal-cover
I finally linked your tute and wanted to tell you that EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. loved this notebook! Huge, huge hit and so fun to make. Thanks so much!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous24 January 2012 at 00:32
delighted i found your notebook cover instructions. I love this and am excited to start making some. you directions were clear, and easy to follow... thank you =)ReplyDelete
Quel beau tutoriel !ReplyDelete
Merci, je vais essayer d'en faire un.
What a great gift idea! Can't wait to start using my cute scraps that I refuse to throw out :)ReplyDelete
Hi...I just finished making this a few minutes ago. I love it!! But sadly I don't know how to post a picture of it.ReplyDelete
Oh,amazing :)ReplyDelete
Thank you! I just used your tutorial to make my journal swap gift. The front is different but it was the construction part I needed. Worked great & easily understood. Tracee xxReplyDelete
Thank you very much for the nice tutorial. As i am using up fabric scrap, this was very welcome! Actually, I was too stupid to get the point about the lining. I see that you didn't cut it the same size as the rest. Mine is now a bit thick, as you can see on my blog. Due to the fabric I used it has a real alpine touch, don't you think? Once again thank you, love your blog!!ReplyDelete
Thank you for a super duper great tutorial.ReplyDelete
Love it!
Just made one [July 2012] - will be adding a picture to Flickr soon. My Flickr name is 'amyinuk'. Thank you for your tutorial - I think I 'favourited' lots of your notebook/journal covers on Flickr as well, even before finding your blog and tutorial from 2009 I see!!! Such a simple but gorgeous and effective design! Got confused at the lining bit but got there in the end :) Thank you!ReplyDelete
I saw this tutorial over at Tip Junkie. You have some really great projects. I am your newest follower. I was never really taught how to sew, but I like doing sewing projects and embroidery. They just sometimes take me a little extra time. Tutorials like yours make it a lot easier to figure things out. :)ReplyDelete
Just tried making one and i'm confused about the lining. When I did mine, the edges were ragged. Can you be more specific? Do I sew the lining inside out and turn? I can't believe I can't figure this out. I'm so embarassed...ReplyDelete
Hello I want to thank you for your instructions I just used them to cover a address book for my sister for her Birthday it turned out awesome.Thank you so much PattyReplyDelete
Just made a huge "Jumble Of Journals" using your tutorial. Love them! And your tutorial! Thanks so much! Check out my blog post for details and pics: http://cottoncellar.blogspot.com/2013/01/journal-covers-are-finished.htmlReplyDelete
Thanks for the great Tutorial... I had to adjust the measurements but it turned out great. Thanks a bunch.ReplyDelete
Wow this is a fantastic tutorial.ReplyDelete
Thank you so much.
I just made my first version of this and blogged about it here http://lizofdandeliondaydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/journal-cover-and-my-new-favourite.html
This is totally my favourite tutorial ever. Off to check out the variation.
Very beautiful! I'm gonna try it soon (as soon as I will repair my sewing machine....). So far I have only done little coin purses, I love them but I want to improve and do something else...more difficult!ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing this!
- Anonymous4 May 2013 at 06:47
Thanks so much for this great tutorial and inspiration! I love it, I'm obsessed with my planner and got to dress it up! Today I posted about the version I made (inspired by yours) and linked to you as the original source, right here: http://paintingsunny.com/2013/05/03/before-the-blog-pinterest-inspired-projects-part-iii/ReplyDelete
Thank you! I made one last week for our road trip journal as a gift for my boyfriend.ReplyDelete
Great tutorial, so fast and easy.
I listed you as a source, check over my blog (http://ruzovysob.blogspot.sk/2013/05/cancak-road-trip-journal-cover.html)
Thank you so much for a great tutorial. I made few of them, and link you on my blog. You can see it at www.handmadebyhanki.blogspot.com.auReplyDelete
Brilliant tutorial, wonderful for birthday presents, thank you :-)ReplyDelete
I'm just about to start four of these for my son's teachers. So cute! Do you remember what seam allowance you used for the squares?ReplyDelete
looks great :)ReplyDelete
Thanks for this tutorial! Lovely!ReplyDelete
Looking for a way to make a zippered Bible cover and stumbled upon this tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing.ReplyDelete
sew and cro dot com
- mary gleason27 April 2014 at 05:21
Thank you for the tutorials.im making the journal covers for family and friends at church they are adorable can't wait to startReplyDelete
- Anonymous7 December 2014 at 20:40
Hi Thanks for this tutorial - I have tried three other styles and this is by far the best.ReplyDelete
Just made one of these and adapted to your updated tutorial using the elastic closure/pen holder! https://instagram.com/p/BCf6-BZNNdq/ReplyDelete


text:
All innovation processes begin with the generation of new ideas, the majority of which end up not being useful. To improve this process, businesses are involving customers. However, the quality of ideas generated by customers is often quite disappointing. How can companies use analogical reasoning to improve the generation of new ideas?
This article of David Gotteland, Aurélie Merle and Olivier Trendel is the sujet of the 40th Executive Summary by Grenoble Ecole de Management.
From the article
Stimuler la créativité du consommateur par la pensée analogique : comment adapter distance et contenu du transfert
David Gotteland, Aurélie Merle, Olivier Trendel
Recherche et Applications en Marketing 1–16 - DOI : 18.104.22.168/0673011701416
In innovation processes, analogical reasoning is the idea of thinking about one subject in order to generate ideas for another application. For example, you might think about hiking shoes to develop new ideas for ski boots. The researchers explored how the attractiveness of new ideas could be improved using two factors: customer expertise on the target application; and the conceptual distance between the target application and the subject of inspiration (e.g., there is lower conceptual distance between hiking shoes and ski boots than between a flower and ski boots).
How to implement analogical reasoning
The research results highlight several recommendations for companies. The general recommendation is that managers should adapt their instructions according to the customer's expertise as well as the conceptual distance between subject and target application.
The importance of conceptual distance
Thinking in abstract terms improves creativity. For example, thinking about a flower to generate new ideas for a ski boot will require significant abstract thinking. As a result, the researchers confirmed that it is beneficial to have customers think about a subject that is conceptually different from the target application.
The influence of customer expertise
Customer expertise will influence how managers encourage abstract thinking. When generating ideas for a ski boot, expert customers will immediately see the differences between shoe and boot. Encouraging them to think about similarities will promote abstract thinking.
Likewise, if non-expert customers think about flowers to generate ideas for ski boots, they will immediately think about obvious differences. Encouraging them to think about the similarities will require greater abstract thinking.
Guidelines for the analogical innovation process:
- Measure customer expertise
- Identify topics that can be used for idea generation and categorize them as conceptually close or distant from the target application.
- Provide instructions to guide customers in thinking about the subject and the target application:
- Conceptually close subject & low customer expertise: Encourage customers to think about differences.
- Conceptually close subject & high customer expertise: Encourage customers to think about similarities.
- Conceptually distant subject & low customer expertise: Encourage customers to think about similarities.
- Conceptually distant subject & high customer expertise: Encourage customers to think about differences.
Key points
- Use analogical reasoning to improve idea generation with customers
- Improve results of analogical reasoning by encouraging abstract thinking.
- For example, expert customers will see obvious differences between a hiking shoe and a ski boot. Encourage them to think about similarities.
- Conversely, non-expert customers will see obvious similarities between a hiking shoe and a ski boot. Encourage them to think about differences.


text:
All 2 entries tagged Sergio Leone
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March 01, 2008
Mise–en–scène & Textual Analysis: Part One
The Importance of Mise-en-scène and Textual Analysis: Part 1
For those visitors who are reading this piece to help them with an 'A' level textual analysis exam, you will find that the term mise-en-scène is a contested one. The OCR Textual Analysis paper specification is largely following the position of the writers Bordwell and Thompson in their book Film Art: An Introduction. Consequently there is a clear list of its expectations. an on-line page from Northallerton College has usefully put the OCR details up. You do need to be aware that there is a debate about exactly what constitutes mise-en-scène. Learning at A level should partially be a matter of recognising that things in the world aren't entirely black and white.
At the end of the day, the essay you are expected to write based upon an unseen scene from an action-adventure movie needs to discuss the creation of meaning using the various elements of film-making. In that sense the film as presented to you on the screen can be considered as an organic whole which stimulates a range of meanings and interpretations. You need to write about how these various elements contribute towards the holistic meaning. You will need to say why certain shots, for example, created a deeper sense of meaning for the audience.
The issue of mise-en-scène and textual analysis in terms of the importance of creating meaning within a film is a very large topic. Below there is some discussion about the term mise-en-scène. There is some discussion of depth of field with some video links. Use of depth of field creatively is a very important tool.There is some discussion around the notion of cinematic space and the use of different types of shots to help organise the cinematic space. Sound, which is a very important component creating meaning, is not discussed at all here and must be discussed elsewhere in order to keep the article of a manageable size. There is an extract from Once Upon a Time in the West followed by a shot and spatial analysis to show how meaning can be created. There is doubtless more that can be said here and some aspects will probably be revised and developed in due course. There are also some definitions and a Webliography and Bibliography.
What is Mise-en-Scène?
Mise-en-scène is an extremely important aspect of cinema and in many ways it is surprising that there is relatively little misè-en-scene criticism in recent film studies writing. John Gibbs (2002) focuses in the problem of misè-en-scene criticism in the opening page of his small handbook on the subject which I have paraphrased:
...mise-en-scène is sometimes used as a straightforward descriptive term but it is really a concept complicated but central to a developed understanding of film...
...Thinking and writing of misè-en-scene which is concerned with visual style in the cinema - helped the study of film reach maturity. Yet many of the textbooks of today, including those which aim to give an introduction to the subject area, underestimate the importance of misè-en-scene. (Gibbs 2002, p 1)
This term misè-en-scene originally came from theatre and meant staging. Its literal translation from the French means:
having been put into the scene
It crossed over into cinema relating to the production practices involved in the framing of shots. This covers the sets, costumes and lighting and also movement within the frame. As this is the expressive tool available to a filmmaker analysis of mise-en-scene is a way of identifying a particular filmmaker. As a theory it was developed by those interested in how the director and sometimes the team could participate in the construction of meaning.
Mise-en-scène is a term employed in theatre to designate the contents of the stage and their arrangement. In cinema however the reference is rather to the film frame, including the arrangement of the profilmic event, of everything, which is in front of the camera – settings, costumes and props. mise-en-scène also refers more broadly to what the spectator actually sees on the screen – the composition of the image and the nature of the movement within the frame. As an element of mise-en-scène, composition of the cinematic image , for example, may produce narrative meanings relating to the spatial location of the story …..In any one film, mise-en-scène will work in conjunction with other codes to produce narrative meanings. ( My emphases;Kuhn, Annette, 1982 :37 )
But it is worth challenging whether this analysis is fully adequate. Gibbs (2002) is keen to emphasise the importance of the interaction of all the parts of the film. Gibbs argues that there are many variables and elements of mise-en-scène at a film makers disposal:
...these elements are most productively thought of in terms of their interaction rather than individually - in practice it is the interplay of elements that is significant.
There is a history of mise-en-scène criticism which goes back to France in the 1950s and then taken up in the UK through the magazine Movie as Adrian Martin (2004) points out. Originally this discussion was linked to the notion of the Auteur - the idea of the director having at the moment of taking the shots the possibility to impose his (usually) / her creative vision and methods of making meaning upon the film. This was always an aspect of film criticism which was overemphasised and nowadays anybody who mentions the word auteur rapidly qualifies the expression by emphasising the team making aspects of a film.
Problematising the meaning of mise-en-scène
As is becoming apparent the notion of mise-en-scène isn't quite so 'deceptively simple' as it first appears. In the argument put forwrd by Martin below there is a concern expressed that Gibbs is in danger of making the term mise-en-scène mean everything that is the director's work and risks losing the specificity of the separate aspects of the process :
Gibbs it seems to me never frontally tackles let alone tries to resolve the foundational ambiguity that has long haunted mise-en-scène criticism. Namely: does it indicate a quite specific phase in the filmmaking process—which would be the shooting or 'principal photography' phase in which the scenes are blocked and shot within the décor—or is it a looser term a metaphor almost for film style taken more broadly and holistically? If it's the former then the definition of mise-en-scène must be meaningfully limited and not allowed to 'bleed' over other phases of the filmmaking process; and if it's the latter then is the displacement of the word style by mise-en-scène blocking our full appreciation of the complex levels of aesthetic form in cinema? This is what I believe has indeed happened in many places where film criticism is practiced.(Martin, Adrian 2004)
To some extent it seems as though film criticism is short of a concept around which consensus can be constructed. Should we use the term style to define the overall effects of what is created through the whole film-making process and which combines together in an organic whole to create layers of meaning which are available for interpretation by audiences? How does this relate to the notion of the use of the term poetics which is sometimes used to describe more artistic films and is the subject of a recent book by David Bordwell? Perhaps Martin's use of Bertolucci is helpful at this point in helping to giveus a feel of an essence of good cinema. Strangely in the spirit of serendipity this turned up on a search after I had completed the analysis of the scene of Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West co-scripted by Bertolucci.
If in this sense mise-en-scène is taken as the essence of film art, and of the auteur's 'gesture', it enshrines the three-point diagram with which Bernardo Bertolucci paid fond homage to Sergio Leone and, behind him, a vast tradition of 'organic' cinema: what matters, fundamentally, is that mobile, modulating, sinuous relationship between the camera, the actor, and the environment (whether natural or constructed).(My emphasis: Martin Adrian 2004)
For those visitors who are reading this piece to help them with an 'A' level textual analysis exam, the next part of Gibbs' argument will not become available to them as they must currently view a five minute extract unseen from a film. This means that you are likely to have only a narrative perspective which is given in that 5 minutes which is clearly very limited. This attitude to the teaching of whilst it is useful up to a point can have its limitations and is in danger of leading to mechanistic approaches to mise-en-scène analysis. Those particular visitors to this page may wish to add that mise-en-scène on Gibbs' argument needs to take into account the narrative structure as well:
Additionally we need to consider the significance acquired by the individual element by virtue of context: the narrative situation, the 'world' of the film, the accumulating strategies that the film maker adopts. (Gibbs, 2002 p 26)
Gibbs' second chapter is entitled 'The Interaction of Elements' and he notes here the importance of casting:
In addition to the expressive skills which a performer brings to a film, the casting of a role has consequences for our understanding. (Gibbs 2002 p 33)
Gibbs' third chapter is about the coherence of relationships within a film and below he refers to an examination of a scene with the film Lone Star which he examined in chapter two however the argument is relevant across cinema:
...in order to make sense of the one moment, we have had to balance a detailed examination of the sequence itself with perspectives derived from an understanding of the rest of the film, knowledge of the traditions and conventions within and with which the film is working (those of the Western for example), and information from the world outside... (Gibbs,2002 p 39)
Gibbs argues that within a film there can be two elements contributing to a sense of coherence. In the first instance this would be taken across the whole of the film. From the pespective of those reading this to help with an unseeen extract for example Gibbs' second point will probably be prioritised. We can be talking about how the form and the narrative content merge together to make a coherent whole. In this sense it is artifical to separate out form and content. We can say on that basis that style is substance providing that there is an overall holistic sense of coherence achieved. Where a film becomes known as simply being about style then it is likely to fade in people's memories fast. If it is a truly substantive film it will probably stand the test of time.
Later on in his book Gibbs makes very clear the differences between a form of criticism and analysis which values coherence (and by implication complexity) in a film compared to an older form of criticism that wasn't so aware of the issues raised by
mise-en-scène. There is always a danger of being mechanistic in applying the notion of "rules" to an analysis of say the camera angles. The mechanistic approach suggests the a high angled camera is ALWAYS signifying a position of power and a low camera angle ALWAYS signifying a position of inferiority. Of course this is not the case at all. In the scene in The Matrix where Morpheus is introducing Neo to the concept of The Matrix they start in a sterile white space containing two retro leather chairs and a retro TV. When Morpheus shows Neo the real world of The Matrix he ends up sitting down in a clear position of authroity reinforced by his dress code compared with Neo's. The dark mirror shades simply add to the position of power. Neo is standing up very much as a minion might to a sovereign lord and master! ANALYSIS MUST ALWAYS BE GUIDED BY THE FILMIC CONTEXT!
Other Critics versus Bordwell and Thompson
Gibbs moves on to challenge the evergreen Bordwell and Thompson and their classic book on Film Art: an Introduction which many students end up with on their shelf. Gibbs argues that to fail to think about the issue of the interaction of elements is a fundamental problem with Bordwell and Thompson's work:
It is my belief that the definition of mise-en-scène offered in the book is misleading. Bordwell and Thompson restrict thier definition of mise-en-scene to those elements common to film and thatre. The definition of of mise-en-scene therefore makes no reference to framing, camera movement or the position of the camera. Instead Film Art devotes a separate chapter (entitled "Cinematographic Properties") to the discussion of these areas. (Gibbs 2002, p 54)
Gibbs powerfully contributes to his cause when a little later he comments that the actual reality of film making supports his position:
...on set or location, film-makers do not stage the action and only subsequently think about where the camera is going to be placed in order to record it. Similarly to discuss the lighting of a shot without reference to the position of the camera is to misunderstand how films are made, one does not light a set and then set about where the camera is going to be placed. Rather a set is lit with the framing and the movement of the camera absolutely in mind. (Ibid)
Currently I don't have an up to date version of Bordwell and Thomson's book and Gibbs' comment relates to the 7th edition which may have changed I've taken it at face value for now. I guess it's time to update). There isn't the space to specifically discuss lighting in any depth precisely because of its importance. Cinema is after all 'writing with light'. Something on lighting will be added in due course. There is something very brief below.
Jacob Leigh is coming from the same direction as Gibbs (this is confirmed by looking at the bibliography. Immediately below though he cites the famous art historian Gombrich which is awarnig against reductionism when it comes to creating criticism:
When it comes to criticism, articulating levels of meaning or describing parts of a harmonious whole risks tearing what Gombrich calls the 'web of ordered relationships'; Gombrich notes that 'as soon as you single out a certain relationship of forms you upset precisely that balance between all the relationships of which you want to speak' (Gombrich 1993: 73). Further on, he emphasises: 'It is partly a matter of taste and tact how far we want to go in articulating these levels of meaning, for they, like all others, can only be singled out at the risk of tearing that miraculous gossamer web of ordered relationships which distinguishes the work of art from the dream' (Gombrich 1993: 79-80) [Cited Leigh Jacob]
In the early years of Hollywood lighting wasn't meant to draw attention to itself. In some countries such as Germany lighting was used very early on to create dramatic effects. Low angle , low key lighting was used in German Expressionist cinema . There are three main aspects to lighting:
- key lighting – hard light, used to highlight focused on a particular subject
- Fill lighting – used to illuminate the framed space overall
- Backlighting – this can distort and brings out silhouettes (commonly used in horror / film noir / expressionism).
Deep Focus / Shallow Focus Photography and the Construction of Cinematic Space
Mise-en-scène is, as Kuhn and also Gibbs (2002) have pointed out, a way of organising what appears to the spectator on the screen:
Space is a vital expressive element at a film-maker's disposal (Gibbs p 17)
The Term deep focus means that both the foreground and background of a shot are in focus at the same time. Correctly Andre Bazin links this technique of photography with the concept of mise-en-scène. Bazin argues that deep focus helps to make a film more realistic, however it will be argued below that this is not necessarily the case . For Bazin deep focus has three advantages:
- It brings spectators into closer contact with the image
- It is intellectually more challenging than montage which manipulates spectators to make them see what the filmmaker wants them to see, whilst deep focus gives the viewer choice in what they see;
- It allows for ambiguity essential to works of art. For example Andrè Bazin thought that Italian Neorealist film kept 'reality' intact. By shooting in deep focus less cutting is necessary so the spectator is less 'manipulated' by the narrative and more free to read the set of shots in front of them. Ideologically (see ideology) as an editing style it can be considered as counter to the Hollywood style of film making which is found in action adventure films for example.
Whilst Bazin was keen to link the concept to realism deep focus photography can of course be used for all kinds of films. It is frequently used in action adventure movies and if we add another element to that of Bazin's we can see that deep focus can often link characters together on screen whereas shallow focus could bring out the presence of one character and make a different impact upon the spectator by isolating that character from their surroundings. This would probably encourage a spectator to think in terms of the psychological state of mind of that character at that particular moment.
Deep focus is derived from the technical term within photography called depth of field. A photographer can gain greater depth of field (keeping more of the image in frame in clear focus by decreasing the aperture and taking a slower exposure. Of course if the lighting is low as well then fast movement can be a problem to capture. The diagram below taken from the wikipedia article clearly shows the effect of a shallow depth of field. Here the butterfly is only in focus in the centre ground. To capture a butterfly flying requires a very 'fast' lens with a very wide aperture. This wide aperture makes the depth of field narrow / shallow.
More photographic examples are available on this entry.
A photographer can of course use depth of field to create certain affects upon the audience. In the image below the photographer simply wants to highlight the term 'depth of field'. There are also some web based videos in the webliography which explain the basic photgraphic conects effectively.
Connecting the Characters in Cinematic Space
In this image from the William Wyler film the Best Years of Our Lives players of the piano duet are intimately connected to the rest of the bar as can be seen by the reactions to the music from the two men sitting at the bar who are plainly in focus because it is a deep focus shot.
In this shot from Touch of Evil both characters are intimately linked through the use of deep focus. This is very important in terms of narrative development. Narrative and cinematography are integrated.
Sergio Leone was an adept at utilising a low placed camera combined with a deep focus shot to link characters together within cinematic space:
The lead up to the final shoot out in The Good the Bad and the Ugly starts with a wonderful establishing shot of the scene which places all the characters literally within an arena of death which is even coloured with the pall of death to emphasise the point. Perhaps it is Leone's familiarity with amphitheatres which gives him this sense of space:
In Once Upon a Time in America the gang arrive at the farmhouse to deal with any witnesses. The small boy is linked to the gang through a deep focus tightly cropped long shot. The colour of the clothing evoke notions of a bleak dustiness and a bitter wind seems to be blowing in the desert in a shot full of forboding. There is a strange sort of symmetry constructed with the three central gang members wearing dark hats and the ones on each end wearing light hats:
The following extract from Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America is an excellent example of the construction of a cinematic space through the use of deep focus and long takes. For Bazin this might have meant reality however this is a highly stylised and choreographed scene where the villain finally meets his nemesis * in the ultimate of rvenge movies. I'm afraid this extract has got a dreadful soundtrack as somebody has made a "music video" out of it so forget that and concentrate on the visual and camera techniques!!!
An analysis of some of the film language which Sergio Leone has utilised in the extract
If one was presented with the extract as an unseen piece it is immediately obvious from the clothing and buildings that the film is a Western of sorts and it quickly transpires that there is some sort of stand-off which looks as though it is a prelude to a shoot out and that it is to the to the death. This is shown by the way the space is represented and by the way the characters are moving through the space.
Perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of the whole scene is how the cinematic space is constructed as an arena which becomes a fight to the death. This fight is handled in a highly ritualised and symbolic way utilising the iconography* of the western but embedding a combination of unusual shots and a deliberately slow unfurling of the narrative which is the climax of the film wherein poetic justice is exercised. The extract has a European flavour to it in the way it utilise longer takes than Hollywood style films and Leone's style emphasises a lot of deep focus work in this extract.
The scene starts with an LS at a normal persons height Frank's (Henry Fonda) symbolic black outfit stands out in stark contrast to dusty browns and beiges of the slightly tumbledown buildings. There is a cut to deep focus extreme close up from behind Frank's right shoulder. We see Harmonica (Charles Bronson) in the distance. Behind him is a greyish looking hill. The arean and its protagonists are established. There are no witnesses other than the spectators voyeurs in this fight to the death. There is a reverse shot with an ECU of Harmonica's left side of his face lit up facing a black figure himself set against the background building which is in deep shadow and very dark. The manichean symbolism is hard to avoid. On a crane the cameras zooms out whilst gaining height and Harmonica walks to the left. Meanwhile Frank walks slightly forward. There is a cut to an LS of the whole area taken from behind and to the right of Harmonica. The sun is casting shadows from Harmonica's left / Frank's right. They are manouvering within the arena to ensure they are not facing into the sun. Behind Harmonica there is a low wall reinforcing the sense of an arena or theatre (of death). It is a ritualistic space. In a cut the camera is now position further to the right- now only Frank is in frame. Dust gently wafts from the right hand side of the screen to emphasise the isolation of the gladiators. There is a cut to a camera position directly behind Frank at his boot level. Still in deep focus we see Harmonica who looks relaxed with his left foot on what appears to be a tree branch in the distance as Frank sheds his black cloak which is flapping in the wind as the tension is gradually built up. The grey cliffs and the sparsely vegetated hills lends an unremitting bleakness to the proceedings. The camera cuts to a MLS of Frank with the buildings still very much in focus behind him as he moves forwards and to his right. Tracking him the shot changes to an ECU of Frank head turned towards Harmonica looking concerned this time though it is in shallow focus. The spectator is only concerned with what is going through the mind of Frank. suddenly the supreme predator has a hint of doubt. The camera pans and dollies with Frank for about 7 seconds. There is a cut to Harmonica MLS still motionless. The camera tracks to the right for amoment then there is an ECU of Harmonica who is deadpan. Still in ECU the camera dollies around him to the right whilst Harmonica is watcing Frank who is clearly moving in that direction. There is a reverse cut to Frank who is still moving to his right in ECU. Then the camera cut to a full on CU of Harmonica zooming into an ECU. Then all is dark for a transitional to a flashback.
A hand is holding a harmonica which is being forced into the mouth of a youngish teenager. Only at that moment is the audience privileged to understand what has happened in the past. as the scene unfurls the narrative details become clear. The camera zooms slowly out to reveal that there is somebody standing on the teenagers shoulders. The camera continues to zoom out to reveal the rest of the surrounding scene. A young man is talking to the boy. There are a group of horses grazing in the background there is a man tending them. There are mountains in the extreme distance. This is all in deep focus. Continuing to zoom out whilst the camera is tracking backwards and going higher on a crane the spectator now sees the full scenario. The man on the boy's shoulders has a noose around his neck which is attached to something that itself is a part of a strange arch structure in the middle of a desert. Probably marking agateway to the property of the man and boy. Some other cowboys are symmetrically lounging at the bottom of each side of the arch. The camera cuts to an ECU of a younger Frank smiling viciously; there is then a reverse shot to the boy in CU who is wobbling from the strain and the heat with the harmonica in his mouth knowing that eventually he will collapse and the man on his shoulders will die. The camera tilts upwards tracking up the man man to a very low angle shot of his face in CU. As he wobbles there is a cut to the distressed features of the boy in ECU in shallow focus with the boots just showing. Again the audience is drawn into wondering what is going through his mind as the sweat drips of his face. It is clear that his hair is also drenched in the sweat of fear / physical strain / heat. Cut to a reverse slightly low angle shot of the younger Frank with a contemptuous sneer on his slightly curled lip. A moment of blackness. The camera reverses to a cut of the boy in MCU with camera at waist height. It is a shallow focus shot with the legs of a gunman whos is leaning nonchalantly against the archway to the boys right whilst behind the boy who has clearly collapsed to his knees are the pair of boots dangling at an angle which makes it clear that the wearer has now died. The camera tracks the boy down as he collapses face first into the dusty soil at a slightly high angle as he hits the ground. We see the harmonica by his mouth then there is a cut to the draw with the camera positioned at waist height behind Frank, Harmonica appears as a 'Plan Americaine' so the camera is at a slightly low angle. We seem them swiftly drawing their guns with Frank's holster in CU and in the deep focus shot we see the smoke from the muzzle of Harmonica's revolver. There is a reverse cut and the spectator sees Frank wheel to his left jerking backwards. There is a cut to a blurry shallow focus ECU of Frank. Here the audience is led to identify with Frank's subjectivity or point of view (POV)*- he has been critically wounded and his vision is going. The image snaps back into focus for a moment and then cuts away to Frank's right with the background slightly out of focus. For a couple of seconds the audience sees the hand trying to reholster the gun while the body is shaking hard in the background. Then the gun drops. There is a CU of Frank tottering forwards unbelievingly. The camera tracks back and zooms out slowly as Frank staggers forwards after it, refusing to give up on life. He comes to a stop as the camera tracks up on him whilst at the same time he falls to his knees. The camera stops moving and zooming and the head of Harmonica appears in the bottom of the frame behind and to the right of Frank. He walks forward implacably into frame in slightly low angle shot. Frank collapses to the left of the screen just the brim of his hat showing as Harmonica moves towards the right of the screen. The camera cuts to a high angle deep focus shot from behind Harmonica's left shoulder. Looking down on the stricken Frank. The shot is held for some seconds whilst Frank queries Harmonica. There is a cut to an extreme low angle shot of a now smilingly scornful Harmonica in ECU in a position of absolute power. He says nothing. There is a reverse cut high angle ECU to Frank staring up, then it cuts to a low angle medium close up of Harmonica ripping the harmonica of its string. The camera pans left following Harmonica down as he gets to his knees beside Frank. In a low angle two shot from behind Fonda with the camera seemingly at ground level Harmonica leans forward with the harmonica in his left hand. The audience know what he is going to do. The camera cuts to a very high angle shot with Frank in ECU and Harmonica's hand so close to the lens it is blurred. Frank's performance manages to combine a look of fear and loathing knowing what Harmonica is about to do. The hand implacably moves into full focus and thrusts the harmonica into Frank's mouth. Frank takes a few breaths and his eyes wander. There is a cut to the teenage boy falling into the dust and Frank knows who his nemesis* is. There is a cut back to Frank from the same high angle - he gives a slight nod of recognition then starts to fall to his side. There is cut to a two shot ECU of Frank's head from beneath him with Harmonica looming up. The camera tracks him down as he collapses dead onto the ground the camera is at ground level and Frank's face is in ECU with the harmonica so close to the lens it is slightly out of focus.
In terms of its wider meaning the film's climax is about the delivery of poetic justice (see also definition of nemesis below*), as this whole piece is about trying to get better definitions of meanings then this too needs defining. My fairly ancient Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms has this in the entry:
...the morally reassuring allocation of happy and unhappy fates to the virtuous and the vicious characters respectively, usually at the end of a narrative or dramatic work...the term may also refer to a strikingly appropriate reward or punishment , usually a 'fitting retribution' by which a villain is ruined by some process of his own making. (Baldick,1990 : Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms )
There are layers of meaning within the mise-en-scène which simply are not available to those who see the film as just this extract however on Gibb's notion of coherence in terms of the film as a whole as well as the extract in isolation we can begin to weave together certain aspects of the scene's overall coherence through the clothing and make up and performance of the actors. Even in this scene the viewer can see the difference in the way the actors are dressed. Frank in this scene and also throughout the film has a certain sartorial elegance which is amplified by his dress, posture and attitude. He is a man of the city, articulate and, knowing and powerful, able to be a leader of men albeit of the most unpleasant sort. By comparison Harmonica is taciturn in the extreme. He is almost the colour of the earth into which he collapsed in the scene and he blends with the countryside.
Bronson playing the taciturn Harmonica looks and dresses as though he has come from the earth itself, dusty and bleached out. Signifying perhaps a force from beyond the grave.
Frank's city clothes stand out he is not of this space, but he feels he can control it. However throughout the extract we see that his supreme confidence starts to take on elements of doubt. The fact that he feels the need to move. The fact that had we seen the previous scene Harmonica already had the drop on him and has given him what appears to Frank to initially be an easy chance to win in a formalised showdown sees consternation begin to emerge in his face. Why would this seemingly implacable enemy even give him this seeming chance to avoid death unless he was so confident he could beat Frank. Here Henry Fonda's performance and indeed his casting fit beautifully with the role just as Bronson's for those familiar with The Magnificent Seven know him to be both taciturn and brilliantly fast with a weapon. This of course relates to Gibbs' point about knowledge and expectations about the genre.
One can get an impression here that Frank has a better dress code than Harmonica. In the scene below Frank is is in a position of power in the ornate railway carriage interior, smoking a cigar. Here the image is in quite shallow focus. With the horses out of focus the viewer is led towards the meeting between the two men. Not only does the high angle shot make Harmonica look inferior it can be sen that Frank's dress is more in keeping with the interior. Harmonica looks out of place:
*Iconography: Buscombe came closest to arguing the position that a genre's visual conventions can be thought of as one of the defining features of a genre such as guns, cars, clothes in the gangster film. It is hard to argue this with any great consistency because the possible connections between the items or icons is unclear. More importantly it is actually very difficult to list the defining characteristics of more than a handful of genres, for the simple reason that many genres – among them the social problem film, the biopic, the romantic drama and the psychological horror film – lack a specific iconography. The genres of the western and gangsters discussed by critics McArthur and Buscombe happen to fit the concept of generic iconography very well. Others that fit well are the gothic horror film, and the biblical epic. Neale argues that the failure to apply the concept productively to other genres suggests that the defining features of Hollywood's genres may be heterogeneous.
*Nemesis: "retribution or punishment for wrong-doing; or the agent carrying out such punishment, often personified as Nemesis, a minor Greek goddess responsible for executing the vengeance of the the gods against erring humans".(Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms.)
*Point of View: The following definition is taken from the Dictionary of Literary Terms and of course literature is not cinema although there are obvious cross-overs. More work will be done on point of view (POV) later. The position or vantage-point from which the events of a story seem to be observed and presented to u. The chief distinction usually made between points of view is that between third-person narratives and first-person narratives. A third person narrator may be omniscient, and therefore show an unrestricted knowledge of the story's events, another kind of third-person narrator may confine our knowledge of events to whatever is observed by a single character or small group of characters, this method being known as 'limited point of view. A first-person narrator's point of view will normally be restricted to his or her partial knowledge or experience, and therefore will not give us access to other character's hidden thoughts. Many modern authors have also used the multiple point of view, in which we are shown the events from the positions of two or more different characters.
Filming Shakespeare's Play. A Google search of this book provides an explanation and shows how deep focus helped create a relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. go to pages 48 / 49.
Depth of field Wikipedia entry
Photography tutorial on depth of field from 'My Cambridge'
An interesting and in depth for the more advanced visitors. This blog posting and discusssion on the importance of Bazin and misè-en-scene and takes issue with some comments by the well known critic David Bordwell.
This Film Lexicon from MIT is particularly useful providing information and ideas about film language well beyond the notion of deep focus.
TV Critical Methods and Applications
Category D: A film and Media Blogspot
Jacob Leigh from the Screen Studies postgraduate training site
A useful basic glossary of moving image 'grammar'.
Baldick,1990 : Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Gibbs, John. 2002. Mise-en-scène: film Style and Interpretation. London: Wallflower Press
Kuhn, Anette. 1982. Women's Pictures. London: Routledge
January 30, 2008
Italian Directors Hub Page
Italian Directors Hub Page
Under Construction
I have decided to open this page however currently most of the entries below will not be available for visitors. As part of the development plan director pages will be made available as soon as a Google search down to page 20 has been conducted and sites deemed useful entered. Filmographies will also need to be put in place. It has been decided to proceed like this as links embedded in the chronology of European Films page are being redirected to National director pages as they are developed. Apologies for any disappointments and inconveniences in the meantime. Provided it manages to service some needs then it seems to be worth keeping it 'as a work in progress'
Antonioni, Michelangelo (Now Open)
De Santis, Guiseppe (This page is open for a filmography / webliography / bibliography with film links to kinoeye reviews when possible)
Moretti Nanni (Currently weblinks available)
Risi, Dino (Now open)
Rossellini, Roberto (Now open for bibliography and weblinks. Main overview still under construction)
Taviani, Paolo & Vittorio
Tognazzi, Ricky
Tornatore, Guiseppe
Visconti, Luchino (Currently available)
Wertmuller, Lina
Zeffirelli, Franco


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Latin Grammy Winner Alex Cuba Headlines Weekend at Blue Mountain Village
On Saturday August 4th at 8:30pm Blue Mountain Village brings Latin Grammy and Juno Award Winner Alex Cuba to the Coca-Cola Village Stage, headlining the weekend's Mosaic World Music Festival.
A musician since the age of four, Alex Cuba has in his veins the music of that tropical island whose name he has appropriated for the stage. But his music is uniquely Canadian in spirit.
His Cuban music roots run deep. Seminal Cuban artists like Matamoros, el Benny and Compay Segundo filled his ears from infancy. He played in his father's ensemble of 24 guitarists alongside his twin brother Adonis Puentes, (who will be at Summerfolk this August), appeared as a teen on Cuban national TV, won a songwriting competition at the age of eighteen.
After studying electric and standup bass, he toured Cuba and internationally. He was on a tour of Canada when he fell in love with a Canadian girl, Sarah Goodacre, daughter of a B.C. politician. She returned with him to Cuba and they were married. Later they emigrated to Canada, so that he could "creatively spread his wings" and to be close to Sarah's's family in Smithers, B. C.
In Smithers, he and his wife created an independent label Caracol Records, to distribute Alex's music. Working on their own, Alex and Sarah have built his career and a following in the Spanish-speaking world. In Cuba, his music is not heard, in keeping with that country's total rejection of artists who leave to find success elsewhere, abandoning the revolution. Like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente before him, international success excludes the country of his birth. Likewise in the U.S. labels still avoid Cuban artists, both in the aftermath of a longstanding blockade of trade between the countries and in anticipation of more of the same from the Trump administration. He succeeds in spite of these drawbacks because what he offers has a distinctive difference.
Alex's brother came to Canada as well and under the name the Puentes Brothers they made a great first impression on the Canadian music scene, picking up a Juno nomination nomination in 2001 for their first recording. In 2004 they diverged into separate recording careers in Canada, but they continue to write together.
Not long after embarking on a solo career, Alex Cuba's recordings on 2006 and 2008 won him Junos for World Music Album of the Year. Working from a Canadian base his music has had an impact on the Latin music world. He won Best New Artist at the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards, where his third album, self-titled, was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Album. In 2011 he won a BMI Latin Award for his songwriting on Nelly Furtado's #1 Spanish hit "Manos Al Aire" to which he contributed on more than half the songs. In 2012, Alex received his second Socan Hagood Hardy Award for outstanding achievement in Jazz and World Music. And he continued to win Latin Grammies with every new release.
In 2016, his Latin Grammy win was as a singer-songwriter rather than for World Music, for an album which included duets with several Canadian artists, including Ron Sexsmith, David Myles, Alejandra Ribera and Kuba Oms. His Canadian take on Latin music substitutes beautiful vocal harmonies and guitars for the horn riffs in the style of Beny Moré that normally punctuate Cuban music. "Lo Mismo Que Yo," his intoxicating duet with Sexsmith, became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching #52.
Alex is aware that he sounds different from other Latin artists and he attributes that to his "Canadian identity".
"I became a singer-songwriter, a producer, a musician in Canada. Canada has given me an identity," he told Georgia Strait, "My music was made in Canada. No Latin artist in the Latin world can sound like me, because they don't have this Canadian side that I have. They don't have the situations, the inspirations, et cetera, that I have found in this country."
Part of the Canadian influence on his sound is the guitar-oriented narrative tradition in Canada evolving from artists like Gordon Lightfoot and Bruce Cockburn to bands like The Tragically Hip. Another part is the wilderness surrounding Smithers, where he has lived for fifteen years, which he credits with giving his music a more open and airy feel, and ensuring his themes have universal appeal.
"In Cuba," he went on to tell Georgia Strait, "sometimes it's all about the rhythm; it's all about making you move, physically. But Canada, it's different. It's about making you move mentally, maybe making you move spiritually. You know what I mean? That inspired me to create that way, to incorporate that into my music—to pay more attention to the way I craft my music, my melodies, how many instruments I have on an album, et cetera, et cetera. It has given me a sound."
Ironically many Canadians won't understand his narratives because they don't understand Spanish. His music has a spiritual and rhythmic beauty that can be enjoyed even by someone who doesn't understand the words, but like other Canadian artists, he has something important to say. He cares about his lyrics.
It is special to him when he gets a chance to perform for "people that understand Spanish, that understand the power of my words," he continues. "This has been happening for me in Mexico, as well. I've been playing solo shows down there; the last one I did, I played for 2,000 people on my own, and it was unbelievable—all those people singing my songs. I felt like a kid, you know? Like I wanted to play nonstop for four hours. It was beautiful!"
The Alex Cuba concert is the highlight of a weekend of world music at Blue Mountain Village that includes Bamkanda Drumming, Greek Dancing lessons, belly dancing, and the Beinn Gorm Highlanders, along with some great rock and roll from Sean Pinchin, The Summit Band and Alysha Brilla.