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Time without pity
A shining example of a gritty noir thriller from director Joseph Losey. When Losey was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, he came to England to work. This was the first film he directed under his own name since the blacklist. It tells the tale of David Graham (Michael Redgrave), an alcoholic writer who has 24 hours to save his son Alec (Alec McCowan) from being hanged for murdering his girlfriend. Tyrannical car dealer Robert Stanford (Leo McKern) knows the truth of the matter, but keeps Graham on the defensive. As the hours count down, Graham must fight against both Stanford and his own addictions if he is to save his son's life.
An engrossing and very well-acted melodrama (particularly by Michael Redgrave, a BAFTA nominee, and Leo McKern), ostensibly a murder mystery but with a manifest position against capital punishment. Interestingly, the culprit is known from the very beginning but, saddled with an alcoholic hero, one is never sure whether he'll be able to prove his son's innocence of murder; the denouement, then, is terrific - as unexpected as it is ironic. Losey's expressionist style (aided by Freddie Francis's chiaroscuro cinematography) is in full sway here: actually, according to film critic Gerard Legrand - writing in "The Movie" - this was the film where the director really came into his own. It's undeniably a powerful film (it was adapted from a play by Emlyn Williams). Losey drives his actors to fever pitch and he has chosen a most capable cast - including Ann Todd, Alec McCowen, Peter Cushing, Renee' Houston, Lois Maxwell (the future Miss. Moneypenny), Joan Plowright, Peter Copley and Richard Wordsworth. There is also an amusing appearance by the comedian Dickie Henderson.
Michael Redgrave as the father of Alec MacGowan (who is on death row) trying to find out who actually committed the murder his son is charged with. Redgrave is an alcoholic, and a failed parent, and his every effort is stymied by hostility and stonewalling. But slowly he realizes that the guilty party is a millionaire car manufacturer played by Leo McKern. Peter Cushing also appears, as the solicitor who gradually becomes convinced that Redgrave knows what he's talking about. This is a great film, particularly for the ironic way that Redgrave finally turns the tables on McKern, making it impossible for McKern to escape punishment.
The film opens with a BEA plane landing at Heathrow Airport showing scenes inside the Terminal (2 I think) and the airport access tunnel.
There is also much here for the Crystal Palace historian. There are views across the Italian and Upper terraces (prior to the 1957 statue sale) so there is still a lot of statuary and vases on display, of the Panorama building(also known as the Rotunda), and an exciting high-speed drive along the Top Terrace and around the original race track by Leo McKern in a Mercedes-Benz SLR. The final scene takes place in the then only recently completed Crystal Palace television station badged as the offices of Stanford Motors.
The film was shot between 25 June and 28 July 1956.
*** stars
88 minutes Black & White


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PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The fourth-seeded Worcester State University men's ice hockey team fell 6-1 to #1 Plymouth State University in the semifinals of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Tuesday evening at Hanaway Rink.
With the loss, the Lancers see their season come to an end with an overall record of 15-10-2. The 15 wins is tied for second all-time for wins in a season, following the 1971-72 season that saw the Lancers go 21-3. Plymouth State advances to the MASCAC Championship game.
Plymouth State took a 1-0 lead into the locker room, after Tim Perron scored on the power play at the 5:25 mark to put the hosts on the board first. Worcester State got great puck movement on a pair of first period power plays, but could not capitalize.
The second period was all Panthers right from the start. Worcester State couldn't kill off a late first period too many men on the ice penalty, as Plymouth State made it 2-0 59 seconds into the second. Plymouth State didn't let its foot off the gas the rest of the period, outscoring the Lancers by a margin of 5-0 in the frame to take a 6-0 lead into the locker room for the second intermission.
Sophomore Matthew Manning (Novi, Mich.) ended the shutout midway through the third, scoring his 12th goal of the season. Breaking in on a 1-on-1, Manning's wrist shot ramped up off the defenseman's stick and over the shoulder of a frozen Evan Morelli to put Worcester State on the board. Seniors Mike Moran (Milford, Mass.) and Mitch Purdie (Peterborough, Ont.) grabbed assists on the goal.
Freshman Ryan Hoff (Brockton, Mass.) finally got his first collegiate loss in the outing, making 14 saves before getting pulled early in the second period. In relief, sophomore Aaron Callan (South Lyon, Mich.) made 12 saves and allowed two goals.

subset: commoncrawl


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Exotic Fruit Variety Portion
An exotic fruit portion equals ± 500 g and can include mango, pineapple, lime, persimmon, grapefruit (may vary according to the season).Decoration fruits may include golden berries, redcurrant.
Classic Fruit Variety Portion
A classic fruit portion equals ± 500 g and can include apples, pears, bananas, tangerines, kiwi, oranges, plums, grapes, melons, peaches, nectarines (may vary according to the season).Decoration fruits may include golden berries, redcurrant
Barú Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Sea Salt Caramel Bar, 30 g
Ingredients: Marshmallow (43 %) (glucose fructose syrup, sugar, water, dextrose, gelatin, maize starch, honey, ground vanilla bean, acidity regulator (lactic acid)), dark chocolate (38 %) (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, skimmed cocoa powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin)), Fleur de Sel caramel (18 %) (sugar, butter oil (milk), glucose syrup, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, roasted almonds (0,9 %), condensed milk, Fleur de Sel (0,2 %), emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural flavour (vanilla)). Dark chocolate contains cocoa solids 50 % minimumAllergy Advice: Contains milk, soya, almonds and may contain traces of other nuts and peanuts Nutrition Declaration per 100g: Energy 1783 kJ / 425 kcal, Fat 17 g (of which saturates 10 g), Carbohydrate 64 g (of which Sugars 63 g), Protein 3 g, Salt 0,37 g


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Domestic Market Review: 'Ride Along', 'Lone Survivor', & 'Frozen' Drive Best January In Four Years
on January 28, 2014
By Shawn Robbins
Update: The final January market gross rang in at $892.52 million.
Previously: 2014's box office has kicked off in a very positive way for the industry as January could top $900 million for the first time in four years.
That figure would mark a 10 percent improvement over January 2013's $827 million, 9.6 percent over 2012's $831 million, and 21 percent over 2011's $755 million. The month's non-inflation-adjusted revenue will represent the third best ever for January.
In fact, even when adjusting for inflation, this month has seen higher attendance levels since Avatar was dominating the market four years ago. The estimated number of tickets sold this month is up a projected 8 percent from last year, based on NATO's most recent report that the average ticket price in the final quarter of 2013 reached a record $8.35.
Contributing to this month's success have been two of the three best January openings in history. The popularity of Kevin Hart and veteran Ice Cube helped Universal's Ride Along ($41.5 million) top Cloverfield ($40.1 million) for the three-day January weekend record, as well as the four-day Martin Luther King weekend record ($48.6 million versus $46.2 million, respectively). Not to be forgotten is Lone Survivor, also from Universal, which bagged $37.9 million in its wide expansion earlier in the month. Lone's debut was good enough for the third best ever January opening after Ride Along's record is taken into consideration.
This was the first time since 2009 that more than one film joined the list of top ten January openings. To date, Ride Along has amassed $76.9 million, while Lone Survivor stands at $94.8 million through Monday, January 27.
Outside of Universal's headliners, January releases fared modestly as a whole. The Nut Job has performed surprisingly well with $40.7 million through Monday. Behind it are franchise under-performers Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit ($31.3 million) and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones ($32.1 million). The Legend of Hercules ($17.1 million), Devil's Due ($13.1 million), and I, Frankenstein ($9.2 million) represent the month's poorest new releases. These totals are current and exclude projections for the remainder of the month.
Carrying some of the usual post-holiday weight have been various Oscar-nominated films and holdover blockbusters. Disney's Frozen stands out from the bunch with an incredible $85.5 million (projected) over the January 1-27 period, and it's on pace to overtake Despicable Me 2 ($368 million) in February as 2013's highest grossing animated release. Meanwhile, American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street have continued to ride their star power and awards buzz. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug rounds out the list of films which will have earned over $50 million this month.
Looking ahead to February, the box office should continue to ring up solid business through the likes of The LEGO Movie, George Clooney's ensemble-driven The Monuments Men, and Liam Neeson's latest action flick, Non-Stop (although its Feb. 28 release means March will carry the most benefit from its release). Kevin Hart's hot streak could also carry over into Valentine's weekend with the About Last Night remake. Underdogs, wild cards, and expected low-level performers of the month include Vampire Academy, the Robocop reboot/remake, Endless Love, Winter's Tale, 3 Days to Kill, Pompeii, Son of God, and Welcome to Yesterday. So long as one or two of those films perform reasonably well, in addition to the aforementioned four coming close to expectations, topping Feburary 2013's 11-year low $616 million market performance shouldn't be difficult.
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Our Java Bootcamp Demo Day & Open House is a great opportunity to learn more about our bootcamps. Our Java Bootcamp students will present the apps they created to showcase what they've learned in the 8 week intensive bootcamps; employers will be on hand to check out the talent; Grand Circus staff will be available to answer any questions you might have and tour you around our space.
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Each morning, I set an intention for the day. Today's intention was to savor every single second. Destiny and I headed up to Cleveland to spend the day with Annie...a girls' day. We tried a new restaurant, went to the lake, found a playground and ended with ice cream at the famous Mitchell's Homemade Ice Cream. It was the perfect day!
Sunday, March 18, 2018
Girls' Day in Cleveland SOL #18/31
I am joining Two Writing Teachers for the Slice of Life Story Challenge. I appreciate this space for writers to tell their stories and connect with each other.
6 comments:
What a perfect way to capture your day.ReplyDelete
We love in Cleveland and those pancakes look amazing -- I'm putting it on my list. It's funny how visitors to your own city help you find new things to do!ReplyDeleteReplies
Love the video from your day with your two girls. I loved seeing them in the swings, and enjoying the day together in so many ways.ReplyDelete
What a wonderful day! Thanks for sharing the video. :-) ~JudyKReplyDelete
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Dr. Wayne Baker returns today! His first column …
Wednesday is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial. Other notables gave speeches that day, but King's became famous here and around the world.
Some say King's dream words are inscribed on the hearts of Americans. It is true that "I Have a Dream" is inscribed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the very spot where he spoke—but how much of King's dream is reality today?
There are many answers to that question. We'll consider several this week, so please check back Monday through Friday.
Where do we stand financially?
Today, we look at the issue of economic freedom—a major theme in King's speech. King's speech was part of the March on Washington, as it is typically called now. Its official title was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, highlighting the twin themes of economic freedom and civil rights. The economic gulf between whites and blacks was wide 50 years ago.
QUESTION: How much do you think the financial gap has closed? A little? A lot?
ANSWER: Not at all, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. The median household income for blacks is $39,760, according to the latest U.S. Census data, while the figure for whites is $67,175. Put differently, the median household income of blacks today is 59% of the median household income for whites. In 1967, it was 55% of white household income. Since 1967, the black incomes have fluctuated between 54% to 65% of white incomes.
QUESTION: How about wealth?
ANSWER: Same story. The average net worth of a white household today is $91,405, while the wealth figure for black households is $6,446. Over time, the gap between white and black wealth has increased, says Pew.
QUESTION: How about home ownership?
ANSWER: This is one of the hallmarks of the American Dream. About three of four white households (73%) own their own homes. Among black households, the figure is 44%. The gap in home ownership has fluctuated over the years, but the rate of black home ownership is the same today as it was in 1976.
Of course, there have been some improvements, as we'll consider this week. Today, however, the economic indicators tell a grim story—at least by these measures, King's Dream is as far from reality today as it was 50 years ago.
Are you surprised by these comparisons?
How do you interpret them?
As the creator and main Our Values columnist through the years, I want to express my thanks to our guest authors this summer! I appreciate their contributions: Dmitri Barvinok, David Crumm, Rodney Curtis, Terry Gallagher, and Joe Grimm!


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Possible Bug
Select 3 col fixed ems text
check text - OK as ems
select colour scheme - pacifica - site reverts to px ??
Your friends over here at WebAssist! These Dreamweaver extensions will assist you in building unlimited, custom websites.
These out-of-the-box solutions provide you proven, tested applications that can be up and running now. Build a store, a gallery, or a web-based email solution.


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Danielle's reported 'fiance' denies engagement... or even relationship
A lot can happen over night - just after we reported yesterday that Danielle was gushing about her engagement to DJ Ironik he has come forward to deny her claims and confess his love for Mariah Carey.
They move quickly these celebrities.
The vertically challenged DJ (Danielle does tower above him!) has even revealed that they've never even been romantically involved and instead are just good friends who like to go out to parties and clubs.
Could Danielle have been telling porkies to get publicity and to up Ironik's profile?
Surely she'd never do anything like that? (ahem)
DJ Ironik said: "We're just really good friends that go out to events with each other. She is a nice girl. It's great to have a pretty girl on your arm who has a nice personality and is always there - especially when it is Danielle Lloyd. I'm 95 per cent single - as I love Mariah Carey."
We think she's married and probably a bit of out your league, Mr Ironik...
See the celebrity week in pictures here


text: I have wanted to try FRF for a long time, but kept finding excuses to put it off. After hearing such great things about it from other members I decided to give it a shot. I just took my first class this morning and really enjoyed it. Besides the fact that everyone there was very welcoming and friendly, the class itself was a great mix of everything today. I really enjoyed how comfortable I felt there and the diverse group of people. I will definitely be back and look forward to reaching my goals of getting back into shape!


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Genetic constraints
Adaptations will often be imperfect because of genetic constraints. An example of such a constraint occurs when the heterozygote at a locus has a higher fitness than either homozygote, and the population evolves to an equilibrium at which all three genotypes are present. A proportion of the population must therefore have the deleterious homozygous genotypes.
This situation arises because the heterozygotes cannot, under Mendelian inheritance, produce purely heterozygous offspring: they cannot breed true. Insofar as heterozygous advantage exists, some members of the natural populations will be imperfectly adapted. The importance of heterozygous advantage is controversial; but there are undoubted examples, such as sickle cell anemia - caused by sickle shaped blood cells, pictured opposite - which is a practical example of imperfect adaptation due to a genetic constraint.


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Alistair McKenzie
I have been blessed as an attorney to be able to practice and focus on the areas of law which I truly believe in. This gives me a distinct advantage as a litigator because my passion for standing up for what I believe in and tying that into each of my clients' cases means that as an advocate I am willing to go the extra mile that other attorneys might not go.
I am also a firm believer in the art of practicing law. I saw a percussionist give a speech a while back about the difference between listening and really listening. She was talking about being a musician and described how a person who is technically trained can play a piece of sheet music back perfectly. She played a piece of music and it was technically sound, but it lacked expression. Then she went back and played the same piece of music as she would play it, as a musician not a technician, and the piece of music came alive. She talked about the two ways of doing something as listening and really listening. In other words, engaging in the activity completely. Here is her talk:
I say this because I believe there is a difference between an attorney who is technically proficient at practicing law and an attorney who engages in the art of practicing law. Sure, the technically proficient attorney can file all the right papers, will ask appropriate questions, and will do just fine handling a case. But, because they are just mere technicians of law, they lack a sort of creativity or spark. Where on the other hand, an attorney who engages in the art of practicing law will have all of the technical abilities, but has an added edge, a passion to examine the law and rules from different angles, to look at the law and a client's case from different perspectives, and to create and execute strategies for clients that can achieve better results. These kinds of attorneys have the drive to keep asking questions and to keep improving their practice by consistent and creative applications of the law. The desire to go the extra mile for a client and to find a new road to success where other attorneys might just be happy to stick to the old road.
When choosing among the many attorneys out there, I believe the most important quality you should look for is whether the attorney just merely practices law or whether the attorney engages in the art of practicing law.
Alistair has handled cases at both the state and federal level and has argued appeals in Florida's 1st District Court of Appeals and in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. He takes cases all the way through trial and handles his own appeals.
- 2013, Southern Regional Vice-President, National Lawyers Guild, a civil rights organization for lawyers.
- 2011, J.D. (Florida International College of Law)
- 2003, B.A. English (University of Central Florida)
- Member, The Center for Constitutional Rights
- Member, The National Police Accountability Project
- Member, The American Association of Justice
- Member, The Florida Justice Association
- Member, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
Alistair's Blog
- Can I File a Complaint Against a Doctor or Hospital Who Has Injured Me?
- Police Brutality in Florida: Immediate Steps a Victim of Excessive Force can take to Preserve Evidence for a Later Civil Rights Case
- Florida's Special Protections for HIV and AIDS Patients and HIV Related Testing: HIPAA Violations and Medical Privacy Rights in Florida
- Your Medical Privacy Rights and Remedies
- HIPAA Violations: How HIPAA and Florida Law Work Together to Protect a Patient's Medical Privacy Rights


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Wednesday, November 23, 2011
American Teacher Fights To Survive
Competing for space in the American mind, which Allan Bloom famously declared closed more than twenty years ago, we have unemployment, a recessed economy, two wars, and a confederacy of dunces vying to be the next leader of the self-proclaimed "greatest country on earth." Somewhere in the middle of that pack is American education. Every yahoo running for political office from dog catcher to president wants to be known as the education candidate. Yet once in office, those same politicians offer the old tired mantras of standardized test scores and teacher accountability. We must return America's students to the top of the heap in math and science, they bray. Let's hope they can read, too.
We have been treated to a number of documentaries in the local cinema over the last few years regarding our education problems in America. There was the much ballyhooed Waiting For "Superman," (2010) by the people who brought us global warming and the Al Gore PowerPoint lecture; there were also a number of lesser known films like The Lottery (2010) and Teached (2011). Vanessa Roth and Brian McGinn have been flogging their take on the education crisis with American Teacher (2011).
The film follows the lives of several teachers as they navigate the emotional and difficult waters of a typical school year. To be fair, Roth and McGinn are not breaking new ground. The film, The First Year (2001), which aired on PBS, did a much better job of packing the emotional wallop of the daily life of an educator. That film was directed by Davis Guggenheim, who went on to do An Inconvenient Truth (2006) and Waiting For "Superman."
American Teacher was inspired by the Daniel Moulthrop, Ninive Clements Calegari, and Dave Eggers' book, Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers (New Press, 2005). Eggers went on to help produce the film. Look, one would have had to be living under a rock for the last few years not to know that teachers are the republic's version of the sacrificial lambs. They work for little pay, even less respect, and in dire circumstances to educate our children. We pay the big salaries to our corporate CEOs and professional athletes while our teachers put in eighty hour weeks and work part time at Home Depot. So the film tells us a story we already know and for which we can easily predict the outcome. However, the portions of American Teacher featuring Jamie Fidler and Erik Benner are exceptionally moving.
Fidler begins the film very pregnant while attempting to teach her class. She purchases her own supplies, and works endless hours for her students. She looks haggard and worn, and one has to wonder if her exhaustive preparation and teaching will harm her baby. Once she returns from giving birth, a miraculously short few weeks, we see her wandering the halls looking for an empty classroom or office in which to pump her breast milk. Other scenes show her spending her limited lunch break on the phone with her medical insurance carrier, determining the procedure for her upcoming pregnancy leave. But she is a diehard teacher through and through, a woman who is fiery and passionate about her work.
Benner works his time in a Texas classroom, while simultaneously coaching school teams and working evenings and weekends at the local Circuit City. He is a bear of a man, appearing to have fathomless reserves of energy. Then, his job at the electronics store is cut, and he moves to a tile and flooring emporium. His days are long and draining, and his hard work forces him to pay a price: the loss of his family. His marriage crumbles and he agonizes over whether to take on extra shifts or spend the time with his children.
Director Brian McGinn says that the film purposely avoids politics, or assailing any one party, such as teachers' unions. This film does not participate in the same dust-up instigated by films like Waiting For "Superman." They did not interview union leaders or charter school entrepreneurs. Education secretary Arne Duncan sneers his way through a comment on teachers, and Bill Gates performs his rumpled version of Steve Jobs on stage talking to an audience, but that's it. Gates contributed some money to this production, says McGinn, but only at the end when the film was finished. He did not know if Gates had even watched it.
I wonder how many Americans will sit through another documentary about teaching. This country loves the feel-good stories, the films like Stand and Deliver (1988), Dangerous Minds (1995), and even To Sir With Love (1967), none of which were documentaries, but were purported to be based on true stories. The story of education, and its failure in America, defies the classic cinematic narrative. The audience wants the white hats and black hats, the cowboys and Indians. When the house lights come up, there must be a catharsis, and an upbeat ending. We want to know that we are on the right track, and that there's a workable solution around the next bend. We do not like stories that are downers, and this is why so many films and television shows get the drama of the classroom wrong.
In American education, the happy ending is proving quite illusive. There are no easy solutions, no quick fixes. There's graft and waste and mismanagement. There are slimy politicians and shady characters waiting to make a fast buck in the rush to privatize our schools. Meanwhile, the kids languish and suffer, and we fall down as a nation.
The film makes a big deal out of other countries who have better education systems. Although they fail to give much detail about what exactly they are doing that works, it seems like the best solution might be to copy what those nations are doing, and build on that. Instead, we get the almost lemming-like focus on standardized test scores, with the resulting cheating scandals when teachers teach to the test because they are always aware of the loaded gun pointed at their heads. Teachers in America kill themselves, buy their own supplies, work outrageous numbers of hours, forego family life, and in the end, find their jobs eliminated in the latest budget bloodbath.
We do not need another documentary to tell us how bad things are. We know: the system is rigged, the fix is in, and nothing ever changes. More and more, bright, compelling, excellent teachers find other careers that offer not only a decent salary, but a chance to work more than five years without a nervous breakdown. Americans do not really want to know the true story of education, because that one isn't going to end well, and with everything else that is going wrong, we can't stomach all that darkness.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Here There Are Only Ghosts
For many of us, "Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies. Nobody that matters, that is," as Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote in 1937. It is in our sepia-toned memories of childhood that our futures are born. Never is this nostalgia for our remembrances of things past more evident than in our literature of reflection, the coming-of-age story so prevalent in our life of letters.
Giuseppe Tornatore, writer-director of the Italian film Cinema Paradiso (Miramax Films Presents, 1988; Miramax Classics, 2004), explores his remembrances of his post-war childhood through the experiences of Salvatore "Toto" Di Vita, a fictional, well-known movie director who is forced to re-examine his life's journey upon the death of his mentor, Alfredo.
"Tornatore pays homage to the American, Italian, and European films that influenced him as a child and as a director," Stanislao G. Pugliese writes in The American Historical Review. The film had a troubled, but ultimately successful history. The first cut was 185 minutes, and when shown "in 1988 at a small European festival…received a mixed response along with an ambiguous award for 'best artistic contribution to the first part of a film,'" says Stephen Holden in The New York Times. Tornatore continued to work on the film, trimming it down to 150 minutes for general release in Italy. The cut did not do well at the box office. Returning to the editing bay, Tornatore cut it down to two hours in a last ditch effort to find an audience.
Holden quotes Tornatore: "This was the autobiographical film I had waited my whole life to make, and it felt like the failure of my life." However, the two hour version was greeted with acclaim. "The shorter version proved a surprise hit at the 1989 Cannes International Film Festival," Holden writes, "where it won the special jury prize. Cinema Paradiso went on to win the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for best foreign film."
However, Tornatore was to have his director's cut after all. He released an extended cut of his film in theaters in 2002. According to Bill Desowitz in the Los Angeles Times, "It's like watching another movie. We get a sense of closure, and the story takes on greater depth and complexity. The disparity between movies and life becomes more ironic, and the great friendship between the young boy and Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), the local film projectionist who serves as his father figure is much darker."
The shorter version plays to nostalgia. It is a whimsical film, full of the magic of cinema, and the humor and subtle irony of real life. However, the 2002 film is indeed richer, darker, and even more realistic. To examine this film as literature, as history, as a reflection of changing values, of developing technology, of culture itself, we must look closely at Tornatore's cut of 2002.
Tornatore's cut differs from the two hour version by adding about 48 minutes to the end of the film. Up until that point, the versions are basically the same.
The film opens with a long pull back shot of a flower pot on a sunny veranda overlooking the sea. Tornatore, throughout the film, makes good use of his location and the bright Mediterranean sun. He shot the film on location in his hometown of Bagheria, Sicily, (Giancaldo is the fictional town in the film), and also in Cefalu on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
As the shot pulls back, we see an elderly woman on the phone. She is looking for her son, Salvatore Di Vita. She has an urgent message for him, but she fails to locate him. Her daughter, sitting across the table from her, tells her to give up her search, but she knows her son would want to hear her message, so she persists.
The film cuts to a man driving through Roman streets at night. In his apartment, we see the weariness in his walk, and in his bedroom, the woman in his bed tells him his mother has called. Someone named Alfredo has died. The man is Salvatore Di Vita, and he lies awake thinking, and the film shifts into flashback.
We see life in a small Sicilian town, post-World War II. The Catholic Church is the supreme rule, even more powerful than the government. Salvatore is nicknamed Toto as a child, a small boy serving Mass in an ancient church. After the service, the priest goes to the town's one movie theater, Cinema Paradiso, to preview the flicks that will be shown that week. Observed by Toto, the priest rings a bell during each intimate kissing scene, informing the projectionist of what he finds objectionable and what therefore must be edited out before the public sees the movie. This is our introduction to Alfredo, the projectionist, and his relationship with Toto. Alfredo is a middle-aged man with little education. He has become a father, or even grandfather figure to little Toto.
Tornatore does not delve too deeply into the historical background of the time period. He effectively alludes to the historical context. We see water rationing and a street vendor selling nylons, which could only be had at a premium after the war. Toto's father has not returned from the front lines in Russia, and we are led to believe he is probably dead. This is later confirmed for us in a heartbreaking scene where Toto and his mother are informed of his death and walk home through the rubble of the bombed out town, passing movie posters for the Italian-dubbed version of Gone With The Wind.
Actually, the films we see playing at Cinema Paradiso serve to establish the timeline of the piece. "In recycling fragments of favorite movies, including Jean Renoir's Lower Depths [Films Albatros, 1936], Luchino Visconti's Terra Trema [Universalia Film, 1948], Fritz Lang's Fury [MGM, 1936], and John Ford's Stagecoach [United Artists, 1939], Mr. Tornatore treats them as beacons of enlightenment to a benighted culture riddled with fear and superstition," says Holden.
Tornatore perfectly illustrates issues of class and economics in the film. The Bourgeois intellectuals sit in the balcony of the theater above the peasants, and one takes great pleasure in spitting on the rabble below. And from that rabble, we see something akin to Shakespeare's groundlings. Some are illiterate. They fight, fall asleep, roar epithets at the screen, throw things (including a feces-laden diaper at the spitter), mimic the actions they see, speak the lines of their favorite films, have sex both intimate and illicit, and of course, laugh and cry all while the dream-life of celluloid plays on the big screen in front of them.
Out in the town square, we see a socialist denied a chance at work—"Go ask Stalin for a job," he is told. When Toto's friend, Peppino, leaves for Germany with his family, some kids refuse to say goodbye to him because his family is communist. A mentally ill man roams around screaming at people and claiming the square is his property. The Neapolitan Ciccio wins the football lottery, and a citizen remarks that "It's always the northerners who are lucky!"
Old women wash tables. Children have their heads shaved because they "have a lice factory up there." Then they are hosed down with bitter insecticide to finish off any remaining nits.
The centerpiece of this story, however, is the relationship between Alfredo and Toto. In the beginning, it is a tug-of-war: Toto wants to be in the projection booth, but Alfredo wants to keep him out. He bugs the older man for the kissing clips that Alfredo must remove. Alfredo promises him he can have them one day, but for now, they must remain in the booth. So the boy steals pieces of film to play with at home, reenacting scenes verbatim while holding them up to the lamp light. These are his movies, his way of playing and make-believe. When the highly flammable film accidentally catches fire—it was made of nitrocellulose up until the mid-twentieth century—Toto's hobby nearly costs his sister her life. For that, and his almost unhealthy obsession with movies, Toto is banned from the projection booth and Alfredo is admonished for allowing the boy the freedom to steal film.
The punitive sentence does not last long. Toto schemes to get back into the booth, and good thing, too, as the small boy saves Alfredo's life when the projector catches fire and the theater burns down. Ciccio with his lottery wealth returns to rebuild the movie house, ending the era of Church censorship and control.
Post-fire, Toto runs the booth himself until Alfredo returns, blind and scarred. He encourages his protégé to stay in school, knowing from experience that a lack of education traps one in places like Giancaldo. Alfredo is the classic character ignorant of book learning, but rich in the wisdom of life and experience. "Now that I lost my sight," he tells Toto, "I see better."
As time passes, Toto becomes a teenager, and Cinema Paradiso takes on a more mature, titillating atmosphere. Ciccio books racier and more violent films. A prostitute operates openly in a closet, and Toto samples her wares. The manager catches boys masturbating to the nudity in a film, and Alfredo reveals that when his first wife died, no one told him until he was done with his shift so the evening's showings would not be interrupted. A small time gangster is murdered in his seat. This is a gritty movie house, not nearly as magical as Toto's childhood Cinema Paradiso.
Technology also advances. A new type of film doesn't burn, and Alfredo laments that "Progress always comes too late." He continues to offer Toto wisdom and advice, especially after he meets Elena. While watching some film footage Toto, himself, shot, Alfredo has him describe Elena to him. "Ah, the blue-eyed ones are the worst," the older man tells the lovesick teenager.
Toto's relationship with Elena develops slowly. She comes from a wealthy family, and they do not take kindly to their daughter dating a poor projectionist from a single-parent family. Again, we are reminded of class struggles in post-war Italy. Even as the 1950s progress, we see reflected in the life of Giancaldo the struggle to recover and rebuild. Cars and buses travel through the town square with herds of sheep. The old ways and the new do not meld easily.
In a particularly moving and poignant scene, Alfredo and Toto sit in a doorway. As the camera slowly moves in, Alfredo passionately relates the story of the soldier who falls in love with a princess. To prove his love, the soldier agrees to wait outside her window for a hundred nights. The weather beats him down, "birds shat on him," and by the ninety-ninth night, "He didn't even have the strength to sleep." The soldier abandons his vigil on the final evening, never to return, and letting go of his princess forever. When Toto asks what this story means, Alfredo says he has no idea. The power of the story, the poetry with which Alfredo tells it, and Tornatore's deft camera work, enhance the scene with cinematic brilliance. The comic payoff is that neither knows what the story means.
Toto is so impressed with the story that he emulates it outside Elena's window. Elena has told him she does not love him, so he decides to prove his love for her in hopes of winning her heart. It is sentimental and romantic, and Tornatore revels in it. Toto ends his one hundred day vigil at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. There are fireworks in the sky, and the citizens of Giancaldo throw plates and dishes out of their windows to crash in the streets. Out with the old, in with the new. Alas, but Elena never appears. Later, at Cinema Paradiso, she comes to Toto, kisses him, and swears her love in an emotionally cinematic embrace. The projector spins in the background as Toto and Elena twirl together. This is the marriage of cinema and life, two worlds existing in the same space in the projection booth. One is only a projection of reality, a fiction, while the two lovers are real, and although this would make for the perfect fade out at the end of a movie, in real life, things do not always work out this way.
The lovers' relationship continues to face obstacles. At the theater, television arrives, and Ciccio invests in a receiver to show the broadcasts on the big screen. Alfredo expresses his disgust with game show programming. During the summer heat, Toto shows films outdoors in a seaside amphitheater, and the cinema continues as the prominent medium of mass entertainment and culture.
Toto and Elena are eventually separated when he is drafted and she is sent off to school. In a last ditch effort to see her before they both leave, Toto abandons the projection booth, leaving Alfredo in charge, while he goes to search for Elena. He promises to return before the end of the film, since Alfredo cannot see to change reels. However, Toto fails in his quest, and when he returns, Alfredo tells him it is better. He must follow his destiny and not hold back for a girl whose parents do not want the relationship to continue.
The largest leap forward for Giancaldo comes while Toto is serving in the military. Upon his return, someone new is working the projection booth. The town is drier, more deserted and desolate, more bleak and small, especially for Toto. And Elena has disappeared. All of his letters are returned, and he has no way of locating her. Alfredo has become a recluse, rarely venturing out from his stifling rooms. Toto goes to see him and asks why he does not speak much anymore, or get out more often. "Sooner or later," the old man tells him, "a time comes when it's all the same, whether you talk or not."
He takes his elderly mentor down to the seaside, and there, in a field of twisted ships' anchors, Alfredo tells him he must flee Giancaldo. The land is cursed, he says, and there's nothing left for Toto there. "The thread is broken," Alfredo sighs. Everything has changed. When Toto asks what actor said that in what movie, Alfredo tells him nobody said it. They are Alfredo's words. "Life isn't like in the movies," he says. "Life is much harder." With intensity, the blind man leans toward Toto. "I don't want to hear you talk anymore. I want to hear others talking about you."
Tornatore cuts back to the present of the film with Salvatore sitting up in the dark of his bedroom, remembering. He cannot sleep because he is lost in the past. He jump cuts back to the train station in Giancaldo as young Toto leaves. Alfredo tells him not to come back, and as he pulls him close in an embrace, whispers, "Whatever you end up doing, love it, the way you loved the projection booth at Cinema Paradiso."
This action leads to an airplane landing on Sicily. Toto, Mr. Salvatore Di Vita, has come home for Alfredo's funeral. True to his mentor's wishes, he has not been back for thirty years. His elderly mother greets him, and he finds his bedroom preserved like a museum. His mother tells him she remodeled the house with the money he sent her.
In his old room, Tornatore sweeps his camera lens over the pictures on the wall, accompanied by Ennio Morricone's lyrically sad score. There is the lost father, Toto's first Holy Communion, and finally, the child Toto with Alfredo. The camera lingers before we cut back to see Salvatore's eyes welling with tears.
At the funeral, Salvatore sees all the old faces from Cinema Paradiso, out to pay their last respects to the projectionist. They are grey and weathered by time. They pass the theater, now closed and dilapidated, about to be torn down to build a parking lot. Nobody goes to the theater anymore, a wizened Ciccio tells him. "The old movie business is just a memory." The rise of technology killed Cinema Paradiso—television, videos, et cetera.
Later, in an eerie, haunting moment, Salvatore goes inside the shuttered theater. As he walks through the destroyed interior, he hears the cheers of the audiences of the past, the echoes of history through the dusty curtain of memory. Jacques Perrin's acting is superb here. With simple expressions, no dialogue, and Morricone's melancholy score, he conveys every heartache his character experiences in his walk through the abandon movie house.
From here, Tornatore's additional 48 minutes come into play, and the differences between the 120 minute and the 174 minute versions are clear. In the shorter version, Elena never appears again and is a wistful memory for Salvatore. Cinema Paradiso is demolished and the famous director returns to his life in Rome.
In the 2002, 174 minute film, Salvatore sees a girl on the street who appears to be Elena as he remembers her. He follows her, and wonders if she is somehow connected to Elena. Back at his mother's house, he watches his films of Elena taken back when he was a younger man. It is clear she was, and is, the love of his life, a colossal missed opportunity that has haunted him now into middle age.
He sits at the dining room table to have a talk with his mother. He apologizes for not having come home sooner. She tells him she understands that he had to go away. "Here there are only ghosts," she says with glistening eyes. Then she drops a bombshell—when she calls him, she knows none of the women who answer truly love him. She wishes he was settled, in love, happy.
Salvatore continues to follow the girl and discovers she is Elena's daughter. His former love is now married to one of Salvatore's school friends. He calls her and they meet up in the field of anchors where Alfredo told him to leave Giancaldo. There, in Elena's car, Salvatore tells her of his lifetime love of her. She tells him that she came to Cinema Paradiso that day to say goodbye, but Alfredo told her that he, Salvatore, did not want to see her anymore. Dejected, she left a note for him, but since he never got in touch with her, she had no choice but to go on with her life. Alfredo, he realizes, may have thwarted his happiness for the good of his future. According to Bill Desowitz "Alfredo seems to betray Toto since it is he who pulls the strings of the young man's life to the point of making him sacrifice the great love of his life on the altar of another love, that for the cinema." This renders the Alfredo-Toto relationship in much darker tones. The story shifts from sentimentality, comedy, and nostalgia, to bittersweet nostalgic postmodernism.
The reunion scene ends with a tryst. Tornatore backs his camera off, and we see the car in the distance, illuminated by the spot lights from the sea coast, and we hear the crashing of waves. As Elena makes clear in subsequent scenes, this long-delayed union of these two characters is a one-time thing. Cinema Paradiso, like the possibility of their lives together, is demolished, and Salvatore returns to Rome.
Giuseppe Tornatore maintains his famous conclusion in both versions. Alfredo has left a reel of film for him. Back in his screening room in Rome, Salvatore has the film cued up, and sits in the empty theater to watch. What follows is a montage of all the intimate scenes of lovers kissing that Alfredo had to remove from the movies by order of the Church. It is a beautiful denouement, cutting back and forth from the action on the screen to Salvatore's face. Once again, Jacques Perrin's expressions and Morricone's score create magic. The scene distills the power of cinema to move us and reveal the scope of human emotion. It is a sad, brilliant, bittersweet moment worthy of its place in the pantheon of exquisite cinematic moments.
When analyzing film, we find three levels of quality: flicks, movies, and films. Flicks are lighthearted, explosion-and-car chase extravaganzas, or horror pictures; movies might be character-driven, romantic comedies. Films are serious works akin to literature, and therefore can be analyzed with a critical eye like good novels or poetry. Cinema Paradiso is most decidedly a film, especially Tornatore's director's cut.
There are several key aspects of the film that we can examine using literary terms and ideas. Tornatore is a master of literary symbolism in film. His central character is Salvatore Di Vita—"salvation of life" in translation—his doppelganger who shares Tornatore's love of film. He begins with Salvatore transitioning to memory after learning of Alfredo's death. The journey into the past is symbolized and initiated by wind chimes hanging outside his bedroom window. Tornatore imposes the shadow of the chimes, gently buffeted in the breeze, across the actor's face even as their melodic tinkling can be heard.
The Catholic Church plays a key role in the life of Giancaldo as the moral and instructive force in daily events. Tornatore uses the icons and statuary of the religion to reinforce the presence of the Church in every day life. We see a Sacred Heart statue in a priest's closet, and when Cinema Paradiso burns, Tornatore gives us a tight shot of the Virgin Mary surrounded and consumed by flames. The fire ends the Church's influence on the theater and lessens its control of the town. The priest no longer censors the movies scheduled to play there, and Ciccio brings in racier and more erotic films when the theater reopens.
In the summer scene where Toto as a young man projects films outside in the amphitheater, he is lovesick for Elena. He can see nothing else in his life. "Will this summer never end?" he sighs. The film he is showing is the story of The Odyssey. The scene is Ulysses' battle with the one-eyed Cyclopes, who, like Toto, can only see the world one way and suffers for this lack of vision.
The piece de resistance of symbolism in the film is the anchor scene where Alfredo tells Toto he must leave Giancaldo. The ships' anchors take the shape of crucifixes. This small town, provincial life will keep Toto from achieving his dreams, and if he stays there, he will sacrifice his future for others, much as Christ did on the cross. It is ironic and symbolic that Alfredo tells Toto he must flee Giancaldo and never look back amid a field of anchors used to moor ships in the harbor.
In the same way, when famous movie director Salvatore returns home for Alfredo's funeral, his mother rushes to the gate to greet him. She drops her knitting, but a thread catches on her clothing. Tornatore gives us a tight shot of the cloth unraveling as she hurries downstairs to greet her son. Our lives are often unraveled by our past. This also plays into Alfredo's earlier admonishment to his protégé that he must leave Giancaldo because the "thread is broken." However, the image of the unraveling cloth tells us that we can never entirely break free of the past.
Tornatore also uses themes to deepen the resonance of his work. Love, of course, is most prominent. Unlike other more religious views of paradise, Cinema Paradiso is a paradise of imagination, of dreams and schemes played in celluloid on a forty foot screen. Meanwhile, all strata of human life are on display on the floor, the balcony, in the projection booth, and in the vice-laden nooks and crannies of the theater foyer. The theater is all of human life, brimming over with the stench and beauty, the familial and erotic, the lonely sadness and communal joy of being alive.
Religion, specifically the Catholic Church, is a thread that runs through the story. Bert Cardullo, writing in The Hudson Review, says "To be sure, the Catholic Church is still a force to be reckoned with in Giancaldo—we see the villagers at confession, at Mass, and at funerals, and Toto, himself is an altar boy to the vigilant Father Adelfio—but the Church must be content to attract believers with the promise of salvation in the hereafter, whereas the cinema can lure them with the guarantee of salvation from the here and now." Cardullo sees the movie house and the Church as "two faiths" that "manage to exist side by side."
In the face of Jacques Perrin, we see the theme of regret clearly in play. It is in this theme that we find the film's "richly textured realism," as Rita Kempley notes in The Washington Post. In the character of Salvatore, we are made aware of the sacrifice one makes to achieve his dreams. Often, this regret is a barrier to total happiness and satisfaction in life. "Toto had to give up something in order to get something," Cardullo writes, "had to give up the community of tiny Giancaldo for the individual achievement of a career in the wide world, and had to leave the village, paradoxically, in order to discover the extent of its benign influence on him." It is debatable whether one can go home again. Tornatore posits that we can, but we will find neither the place nor ourselves the same.
The biggest regrets come in Salvatore's feelings for Elena. Their separation, although necessary to his success in the future, was not of his own choosing. There is a point in life when missed opportunities transition into fate—things necessary to our advancement into the future. Salvatore had to let go of Elena to seize his destiny. Yet in the last 48 minutes of the film, we see the price of this separation. That is what makes the director's cut a better film than the earlier, shorter version.
Lawrence Kasdan, in his film, Grand Canyon (20th Century Fox, 1991), writes that "All of life's riddles are answered in the movies." Indeed, even the most exotic of science fiction films tells us about ourselves. When it is done well, film tells us what it means to be alive and what the purpose is of our existence. Cinema brings us to the altar of sorrow and joy, loneliness and communion, bitter vitriol and love. Sitting in the dark, staring up at the screen, we witness the scope and heft of our lives. This is who we are, lest we ever forget where we've been, or what we have dreamed for ourselves.
Cardullo concludes that "Cinema Paradiso, then, is a paean to the cinema at the same time that it is an elegy for the cinema, a bittersweet film whose bittersweetness is underscored by Ennio Morricone's music, which neatly combines the pensive with the buoyant, and Blasco Giurato's cinematography." Let us not forget the brilliant writing and direction of Giuseppe Tornatore. This is his film and his parallel universe, and his work ultimately leaves us glowing in the warmth of human experience.
Film can be a reference to history, a pageant dedicated to the spirit of humanity and the human condition. Film can be literature and a window on a culture. Cinema Paradiso is all these things and more.
So, after Alfredo is gone, and the substance of memory has turned to dust, Cinema Paradiso, like all films, must end. The screen fades and the house lights come up. We are startled out of our reverie. Off we go, into the harsh light of our lives, leaving behind the ghosts and landscapes of a parallel universe, the tender kisses of lovers, and the rustling leaves of regret. We are gently reminded that, like all movies, we, too, end. And so it goes.
"Saint Cinema" by Bert Cardullo, The Hudson Review (Autumn, 1990).
"Movies: A Deeper Vision of 'Paradiso'" by Bill Desowitz, Los Angeles Times 13 June 2002.
"A New 'Cut' Only Deepens The Nostalgia" by Stephen Holden, The New York Times 09 June 2002.
"Cinema Paradiso" by Rita Kempley, Washington Post 16 Feb. 1990.
"Untitled" by Stanislao G. Pugliese, The American Historical Review (April, 2001).
Saturday, November 5, 2011
One Day I Will Write About This Place
It is always interesting to pick up literature originating in another culture and find echoes of our own. In that spirit, I was intrigued by Binyavanga Wainaina's coming-of-age memoir, One Day I Will Write About This Place (Graywolf Press, 2011), set on another continent and within a completely different culture.
Wainaina writes about growing up in Kenya, the tensions among tribes and factions, his own mental breakdowns and inadequacies, and finally, his triumph upon finding his path in life centered on the twin suns of writing and literature. Even in his darkest moments, it is reading that saves him, and writing that allows him to capture the fertile decadence of his African life. Wainaina writes how he loses himself in literature, devouring books like a man steeped in hunger. This rabid reading habit comes at the expense of his social life and education. "I do not concentrate in class," he says, "but I read everything I can touch."
The echoes of American cultural influence come in the form of television. He cites cultural icons like the 1970s TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man, starring Lee Majors, reciting the show's distinctive opening narration: "Steve. Austin. A me-aan brrely alive," he writes in dialect. "Gennlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the tek-nalagee. We can build the world's frrrrst bi-anic man."
His experiences in Kenyan schools also echo American institutions. There are the tests that act as gateways to universities and higher education. There are the expectations of his parents that he will choose something lucrative, and their pressure on him to do something with his life. He struggles to find his own path.
In the first two-thirds of the book, Wainaina adopts a highly poetic, fragmentary style of writing. He mixes up descriptive words and sensory perceptions, making for some stunning prose. He speaks of his mother's voice "like shards of water and streams of glass." Examples of sound description include, "One bee does not sound like a swarm of bees. The world is divided into the sounds of onethings and the sounds of manythings. Water from the showerhead streaming onto a shampooed head is manything splinters of falling glass, ting ting ting." He uses creative juxtapositions of adjectives and modifiers as well as interesting combinations and spellings of words.
His poetry is beautiful and effective especially when he writes of his reading life. He closes his eyes to the hot African sun, only to open them a few seconds later and return to his reading. "If I turn back to my book," he writes, "the letters jumble for a moment, then they disappear into my head, and word-made flamingos are talking and wearing high heels, and I can run barefoot across China, and no beast can suck me in, for I can run and jump farther than they can."
His language is mesmerizing, intricate, crystalline, simply beautiful. "Science is smaller than music, than the patterns of the body; the large confident world of sound and body gathers. If my mind and body are quickening, lagging behind is a rising anxiety of words." He captures the rituals of the Catholic Church, which he says are "all about having to kneel and stand when everybody else kneels and stands, and crossing and singing with eyebrows up to show earnestness before God, and open-mouthed dignity to receive the bread." By far the best line is the one where he assesses his fear of ending up as a school teacher, something he calls "A fate worse than country music."
Occasionally, the language can be overdone, too obscure and obtuse for its own good. An example: "The sun is the deep yellow of a free-range egg, on the verge of bleeding its yolk all over the sky." An egg does not "free-range," only the hen laying it. I am not sure a supermarket egg might not be able to bleed the sky yellow just as competently.
Wainaina does not shy away from his more difficult moments: his breakdowns where he withdraws from everything, including his family, to hide away and read books, avoiding responsibilities or facing his own failures. These difficulties lead to statements of startling wisdom. "If there is a miracle in the idea of life," he writes, "it is this: that we are able to exist for a time, in defiance of chaos." He manages to get a handle on his "chaos" and emerge as a writer and journalist.
In the last third of the book, he shifts to a more concrete language as he struggles to write and publish. Noticeably, the tension increases. He realizes the purpose of his journey. "It often feels like an unbearable privilege—to write. I make a living from simply taking all those wonderful and horrible patterns in my past and making them new and strong. I know people better. Sometimes I want to stop writing because I can't bear the idea that it may one day go away. Sometimes I feel I would rather stop, before it owns me completely. But I can't stop." The emotional peak comes when he returns to life and embraces family and country, no longer afraid of the dichotomy. It is then that he decides that "One day I will write about this place."
The book is by turns moving, poetic, full of grace, tinged by anger and humor. Like the African art that adorns the cover, the book revels in the color, the bloodshed, the tribal conflicts that are so much a part of Africa today. Out of the heat and dust, we are indelibly marked by Binyavanga Wainaina's poetic prose. His words are infinitely earthy, primordial, ethnic. Yet, his book is filled with a tragic, desperate beauty. His story is that of a young man developing a life of the mind while never truly escaping home.
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text:
A report of a fishing trip with friends to the wildest parts of Maremma, where nature surrounds you. Want to know more? Get in touch!!!
The last house of the small village was some 20 minutes ago and we have driven through an uninhabited landscape following a rocky and sandy track. Huge holes in the asphalt – survived here and there as souvenir of old, better times – oblige us to zig-zag and proceed very slowly.
The mountain swallows us when we enter a long, dark and narrow tunnel at the end of which we are forced to protect the eyes from the bright sun.
We park the car a few meters from the ancient iron bridge, decades ago crossed by a local train. Today, the railways show the reddish color of time.
The blue ribbon of the river is some hundred meters below, and we can admire the reflection of the sun on the clear water searching its way across the boulders disseminated all along the river bed.
A small hill rests, motionless, on our left. Small round stones emerge from the short, yellowish grass. They've been rounded and levelled by the constant wind blowing through the valley. The eyes follow an unseen path carved in the tufa, now almost disappeared under the grass and reach the top of the hill, where a heap of stones and blocks of "peperino" indicate the presence of an ancient, primitive civilization, now disappeared but still alive in local people.
Everybody living in this province has, in his blood and soul, a hint of the ancient civilization of the Etruscans.
We are not far from the ruins of Luni, in the upper valley of river Mignone. We are in the middle of nowhere. We are where most of us would like to be once in a while. No computers. No portable phones. No shouting people. No bosses to tel
l you what to do. Only you and the old spirits of the Etruscans, half concealed beyond the ancient, ruined walls of the primitive village.
The river is some20 minutes' walk from the car along a hardly visible path which descends the hill. It is not a difficult passage but being careful is a must.
Trekking boots would be perfect but the river suggests waders or, at least, hip boots, often necessary to cross some deep water passages.
The ladies won't be with us: they have decided to stay up here and visit the Etruscan ruins
and tombs of this ancient village, known as Luni sul Mignone. They have their sacks with enough food and water for the day. They also have binoculars and camera: the wild nature of this land offers birds of prey, foxes, young deers, wild boars, colorful butterflies, horses, long-horned cows (known as "maremmane")… a real treasure for those interested in ancient civilizations, wild nature and photography.
It's mid morning and the sun is already high in the sky. It's hot as it should be in this period of the year and as it must be for our fishing trip. Such a weather is of no use if you go for trout but here we don't have salmonids.
The fishing technique in this kind of water is completely different from rocky mountain streams. The water is not very fast and creates big, sometimes deep pools holding savage, strong, shy chub.
Sometimes you see them from the distance, cruising a few inches under the surface, passing under overhanging vegetation or near the shore. Sometimes you don't, but they spot you even if you are some 20 meters away.
This is not light and delicate fishing. The leader is some 2mt long, ending with a 0.20mm tippet. The best rod is an 8,5" or 9" equipped with a #6 or #7 flyline.
The fly is the imitation of a terrestrial, hook #8 or even #6. A hopper would be perfect. Or a small mouse.
A caterpillar. A wasp. Any would fit. Small poppers also give good results.
The first "must" for you is shelter: never stand up in good sight but crouch so that the fish can't see you. Or use a big boulder, a bush, a tree as a screen between you and the fish.
The second "must" is detection and rapidity: find a cruising group of chub and cast – as quick as you can, keeping false casts to the minimum – the fly aiming to the tail (not the nose!) of the fish. Don't worry if the fly creates sound or water movement. If you are concealed from the fish' eyes, he will react abruptly, quickly and savagely. It reminds black bass fishing with a popper, but a little less rude.
Be ready for an immediate strike and a powerful fight. If you have decided to use barbless hooks (warmly recommended always and everywhere), after the strike keep pulling: the fish won't escape.
At the end of the slope, we are some 15 meters from the river. Rods are ready and so we are. We approach the water slowly, avoiding stepping onto the unfixed pebbles and cast the fly near the group of roots emerging from the water. There is no fish in sight but some little, almost invisible movements of the water surface – do you remember bulging trout? – near a submerged root reveals a cruising finned presence… Don't move. Don't even whisper… you know that the fish can't hear you but this is your unconscious reaction.
Again, the water surface is disturbed by the submerged presence. You step into the water. Big mistake! The waders boots hit the slippery pebbles and you grab the wading staff, in search of stability but the water you had stepped into sends thousandths of waves to the centre of the pool… to where your possible prey has taken shelter.
Your left hand squeezes the wading staff handle while the right one holds the rod, tip low to the water to avoid being seen by the fish. Stay motionless… don't breathe…
A wake breaks the water surface from the root to the centre of the pool, some 20 meters away. Damn… it's moving farther! You must move a little forward… quietly… slowly. The movements stop again but now you are within an easier casting distance. Stay still and wait.
A cloud runs over the bright sun and the water gets duller for a while and you don't notice the shadow emerging from the depth and swimming slowly in circles around the root. Go and back. Go and back… go… and the fly darts in a blink, hitting the surface somewhere near the tail of the shadow.
A huge water ball explodes on the surface and you unconsciously pull the rod back, setting the hook. You've got the devil at the end of the line. And stop breathing.
It's big. It's strong. It's a bastard. A really angry bastard aware of the fact that he's been cheated and is fighting hard for his freedom. Chub are not as resistant as trout but can give serious problems if of good size: they pull, and swim fast around roots, and rub the nose against the bottom trying to get unhooked. You rely on the thick leader and "pump" the fish: he is not going to last for long and you know you can stress him using the rod's spring action.
Soon, the heavy fish stops fighting but doesn't surrender. He relies on his weight and reaches the bottom. You pull. He pulls. Once, Twice. Thrice… he's tired, now. You bring him near your net, already mid-submerged and awaiting for the corpulent body.
He touches the net's rim… a quick movement and returns back to the river bed. The operation is repeated two o three more times and, at last!, he enters the net while you lift your prey well above the water, lowering the tired right arm holding the rod.
A nice fish, indeed. We take a photo keeping him submerged so that he can breathe easily (he's still in your net and can't escape). It is really a nice fish. May I take another snap?
You run the risk to damage him… Please! It is my firsh big chub… Please…
Ok, let's make an exception. Hurry up… done? OK. A quick movement holding the fly between thumb and forefinger and he is free to swim away and rest under the root. This is the best prize for a good fighter.
For sure, the pool contains other "monsters" but more casts to the water will get no extra catches. Chub are very shy fish and the rest of the company has – we are convinced of this – left the battlefield and we would cast to an empty pool.
Reel in, get off the water and move a little upstream, aiming to the next pool, where other giants are waiting.
The hot air is filled with our words, explanation of the fight, description of the technique and gesticulation, repeating the whole action again and again.
We approach the next pool and from the distance we see the shadows of the fish cruising in the centre of the pool. We stay far from the water and get ready for an extra long shooting. More strikes will fill the rest of the day.
Butterflies go from flower to flower while some clouds appear at the horizon. The blue-greenish shapes of bee-eaters dart in the air… swallows almost touch the water surface in a quick dance… We are in peace with us and the rest of the world. Do we need more?
We still have 2 or 3 hours to spend immersed in this untouched nature. Waiting for the sunset and the "coup de soir" is of no use here, in this period of the year. We go back to the car following an easy cow track all along the river. The ladies reach us fifteen minutes later. Tired but happy: they, too, had a pleasant and interesting day.
A call to the "pizzeria" to book our table. A quick drive and we are already tasting "Margaritas" and "Diavolas" with an excellent local wine. When we leave the "pizzeria", billions of stars welcome us.
Note: best period for this stretch of river Mignone is during hot summer days and asks for good trekking skill.


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Who We Are
Carmet Tugs are a successful and expanding family run Company and since 1971 have owned and operated tugs and workboats supporting the marine sector with services ranging from harbour towage, coastal towage and vessel charter for marine civil engineering, diving and dredging support.
The Company has over 40 year's towage experience including coastal towage services around the UK and near Continent, in addition to being the sole towage contractor for the Manchester Ship Canal since 1989.
Based on the River Mersey Carmet Tugs ongoing support to the local Ports include workboat agency services, personnel transfers, shipwright services, aids to navigation support and vessel stores delivery services.
The Carmet Group has recently expanded with the addition of a shipyard facility on the River Mersey operating under Carmet Marine Ltd. Some of the services offered include vessel building, repair, and dry-docking facilities for tugs, workboats and CTVs.
Our History
Carmet Tugs was established in 1971 by Captains Mick Carrier and Ian Metcalfe, the company name coming from the first three letters of each surname.
Over the years Carmet have completed many successful towage contracts around the UK and near Continental coasts as well as the occasional tows to and from further afield. The craft being towed include cutter suction, bucket and back-hoe dredgers, jack-up rigs, floating cranes, flat top barges with a variety of heavy lifts on board, fish farms, new built ships and pipelines. All would be delivered to their destination with minimum of delay and often in adverse weather conditions.
In addition Carmet would supply small vessels to the marine civil engineering and dredging sector assisting in the building or demolishing of jetties, bridges, piers and harbours. Their craft would be used for personnel carrying, survey work, diving support, sea bed levelling, barge handling and any other marine aspect.
Although working with aged vessels the Carmet crews have proved themselves very professional, skilled and resilient obtaining much praise from clients
The partnership split up in 1986 and since then the company has been led from strength to strength by the single minded skills and management of Captain Ian Metcalfe.
In 1989 Carmet took over the management and running of the four tugs on the Manchester Ship Canal operating a system that ensures that two tugs are always available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Since this time it is generally agreed that the standard of service and the condition of the tugs improved greatly.
In recent years the coastal towing operations have ceased and the company now operates in Liverpool, Birkenhead, the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. With approximately thirty five employee's Carmet Tug Company Ltd retains its 'family company' status.


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South Korea and China agreed to conclude their bilateral free trade negotiations by the end of this year, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.
The bodies also agreed that Korea would be able to set up an offshore renminbi trading center in Seoul, enabling clearance and settlement of trade between the two countries in Chinese currency, while Korean institutional investors have been given an 80 billion yuan quota to use Chinese money for mainland equity purchases.
This series of deals came after President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for a summit in Seoul on Thursday. Korea's presidential senior economic adviser Ahn Jong-beom said the two sides would continue to engage in their 12th trade negotiations this month, covering a wide range of issues from investment and services to tariff concessions and intellectual property.
The Korean government said that both countries would aim to seal a "comprehensive and high-quality" deal that protected the country's agriculture industry by the year's end.
The two sides started their free trade talks in 2012, and reached the first phase of their agreement concerning the timeframe of tariff reductions for goods classified as sensitive and less sensitive. Those that are "highly sensitive" to both sides have been omitted from their negotiations.
Cheong Wa Dae added that the two countries will soon select a Chinese bank operating in Seoul as the renminbi clearing and settlement bank after the Bank of Korea and the People's Bank of China reach an agreement on details of establishing the offshore yuan trading in Korea.
This would enable Korean and foreign financial companies to issue yuan-denominated bonds in the near future, the Korean government noted.
The two sides also agreed to set up a center in China that can clear and settle payments in Korean won in phases as the Korean currency further gains recognition as global money.
China has been pushing to internationalize the yuan to reduce its dependence on the dollar by allowing the establishments of offshore currency trading centers with much of renminbi clearing and settlements being done in Hong Kong.
But it has not yet fully liberalized its currency and capital markets as a means to control capital flows to maintain the weakness of the yuan for export competitiveness.
This is part of the reason China imposes investment quotas on foreign institutional funds or investors, analysts said.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen their partnerships in key strategic industrial areas such as biotechnology, materials and renewable energy.
By Park Hyong-ki (firstname.lastname@example.com)


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There is a no tolerance policy to bullying at Immanuel College.
"Bullying is conduct intended to cause hurt either physically or psychologically, which is unprovoked and which continues over a long period." It may be further defined as the deliberate and repeated attempt to humiliate, threaten, frighten or hurt someone.
Persistent bullying can severely inhibit a child's ability to learn effectively and can have a lasting impact on a person forever. Immanuel College always prioritises providing a secure and happy environment free from any type of bullying behaviour. Our policy outlines our expectations of all members of the Immanuel community to ensure that pupils feel secure, valued and happy, both in and outside of school. Our NICE mentality is publicised from the moment our pupils join the school and pupils are regularly reminded of our commitment to it.
We recognise that the Internet, whilst in so many ways a wonderful tool, can facilitate cyber-bullying and nefarious grooming. It is therefore essential that they learn to discern what is safe and what is not, what is genuine and what is fraudulent, what to ignore and what to take note of, what to delete and what to save. Most importantly, they need to feel they can always come to their teachers and know that they will help them.


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The new case in question is a website that claims to be offering a free (hacked) copy of my e-book "Nullius in Verba: Darwin's greatest secret"
I think the gleeful "look what I got for free" reviewer's pictures and language fails to match-up to the type of folks who would want to read my book. Moreover pictures of men have girls names and vice versa.
Of course for just a few Pounds/Dollars/Euro etc, it's available on Amazon - and also on my publisher's website (here), both of which are a much safer bet, I'd say.


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Wah.. i can't believe it..its another 2 weeks to our trip to my husband's hometown.. KL. I haven't done any shopping for our family in KL yet.. haiya..not sure what to bring there… everytime i went back.. the little vase.. written ..'sabah'.. is a must.. lol.. not this year.. but still thinking what to buy… think! think! think!… i will do the shopping next week.. for sure.
Its going to be a week in KL.. my husband had a few plan in mind.. the previous holidays we didn't go out much.. children were still small.. hopefully this year its a real holiday besides visiting the family.. especially my father in law.
I have cousins and friends staying in KL.. i will put them in my planning schedule… other than what i have planned earlier… we are also planning to go to the Zoo .. i am sure my kids will love this.. and my brother in law agreed to take leave on of the days to go to Melaka with us and my father in law.. . Port Dickson are in the KIV list.. lol.. for sure there are no toll free on the road..
This is a must for a blogger like me… lol..smile!
Whatever it is…. i am just hoping for a safe journey.. Amen.


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CWDM Multiplexers
SmartOptics's T-Series of CWDM and DWDM Mux/Demux's allow users to increase the capacity of the existing fiber with up to 16 CWDM or 40 DWDM wavelengths. All modules are designed to fully fulfill ITU G.694.1, ITU G.694.2 and ITU G.695 requirements. The T-Series of Mux/Demux family gives great flexibilty and performance to its users and has additonal features as low loss DWDM upgrade channels as well as easy fiber management.
SmartOptic's C-Series is an equivalent product portfolio to Cisco Systems 2nd Generation of passive CWDM devices and offers a cost-effective alternative for network operators.
Additionally, SmartOptics is one of the few vendors in the world offering CWDM multiplexers for multimode fiber applications. Enabling enterprises to pro-long the life-time of their multimode infrastructure.
Manufacturer's homepage and specifications: http://www.smartoptics.com/products/opticalmultiplexers


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Granite - Black and White
- Dimensions: 72.0" by 32.0"
- Thickness: 2cm
- Square Feet: 16.0ft2
- Stone Type: Granite
- Stone Name: Black and White
- Location: PICKEDUP
- Product ID: Z5154
About Granite
Granite is an excellent choice for any environment. Durable yet beautiful, this natural stone is available in a huge variety. Granite is naturally scratch and heat resistant; when sealed it is also stain resistant. The only maintenance required is sealing and with the proper sealant, your stone can be protected for up to eight years at a time.More About Granite Compare


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The Miss Universe competition shows us just how far we haven't come
Miss Universe has come round again. The swimsuit parade is tomorrow. That's where the competitors – all conforming to unrealistic body types and the thin ideal – get to parade in a swimsuit just before they tell us their plans for world peace and saving starving brown babies.
Despite the fact that this whole thing is about looks over substance and a narrow standard of female beauty, organisers and participants still claim the competition is about 'personality and intelligence'.
Miss Universe 2008 Laura Dundovic ran this argument on Channel 7's Morning Show today (see below for video). I wasn't exactly what you would call convinced, though I did love how she insisted on this as images of lingerie clad contestants flashed across the screen.
Miss Universe – and other pageants of their kind – promote a thin, hot, sexy body (as judged by prevailing beauty standards) as the only real valued quality of women.
Imagine a contestant who had not gone through a punishing beauty/diet/surgery/makeup/hair regime and didn't fit the beauty pageant norm. But she has a sparkling and vibrant personality and scored 'A' for algebra and science all through her school years. She wouldn't stand a chance.
Get a load of my personality and intelligence!
If it's abou t'personality and intelligence', why couldn't this be determined with the contestant in a three piece suit and not a barely-there piece of fabric across groin and breasts? Check out the 'intelligence and personality' of this past contestant below.
While the organisers of these pageants would claim to care about women's rights, really such events promote body judging, body comparison and surveillance: none of which advance the status of women.
Judging tweens and little girls on their beauty
US-style pageants for teens and children have made their way to Australia unfortunately. Miss Teen Australia also has a swimwear competition. In this section, "marks scored will be based on the Presentation, Cut and Style of the fabric". So it's the fabric that is being judged? Then why not just hold it up for the judges to see? Is this an attempt to pretend it's not really about how a teenage girl's body looks in a bikini?
Judging women on their beauty has extended to judging even little girls on theirs. We've all seen the many scarifying images that show what happens when little girls are seen as mini adult women and forced to conform to an extreme and artificial norm of female attractiveness.
These pageants make it even harder for girls to be valued for qualities other than their physical appearance. Miss Bayside Australia includes a modelling section for children from 0-13.
Have a look at the impact on children in 'Toddlers and Tiaras'
You can hear my thoughts on the subject on Channel 7's Morning Show.


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Use Money Services – powered by Western Union – to send money to loved ones in Memphis, Tennessee, in minutes†.
Whether you want to offer some financial support to friends or simply want to treat a loved one to a gift for the holidays, you can send money quickly and safely to Memphis, Tennessee, by using Money Services – powered by Western Union. Just speak to one of our store associates who will be happy to help you get started.
We have many Kroger Money Services across Memphis so your receiver won't have to go far to collect their cash. Or they can stop by their nearest participating Western Union agent location. Money Services can be found at over 2,000 locations across the wider US too, so visit our store locator page to find the best place to send and pick up money.
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We have 15+ Kroger Money Services in Memphis, Tennessee – so your loved one is bound to find one close by. Not only that, but with our convenient locations, they can pick up groceries and money all in one place.
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Choose to send cash with Money Services and you'll enjoy many great benefits.
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Across town or around the world, they'll get cash in just a few minutes from one of the 500,000 Western Union locations worldwide – or you can save on fees if there's no rush.
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You can choose from various options on how and when your cash arrives – In Minutes, Next Day† or Direct to a qualifying bank account.
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My WU® members earn points for sending qualifying money transfers, and can enjoy fast, easy and convenient transfers.
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Your cash or debit card
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Your tracking number (MTCN)
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Fees* vary based on a number of factors, but one of the most popular fees is $5 to send up to $50 for pick-up within the US.
† Date available will be displayed on receipt for international transfers over $15. Service and funds availability depends on certain factors including the Service selected, the selection of delayed delivery options, special terms applicable to each Service, amount sent, destination country, currency availability, regulatory issues, consumer protection issues, identification requirements, delivery restrictions, agent location hours, and differences in time zones (collectively, "Restrictions").
*Fees and taxes may vary by brand, channel, and location based on a number of factors. Fees subject to change without notice.


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Few, if any new bands facing the critics for the first time get very far without being described as sounding like other artists; in some cases, the comparison is laudatory, while in others, it serves as grounds for accusations of shameless imitation and unoriginality. Britains Clearlake are no exception, and their sophomore full-length, Cedars, seems to invite countless comparisons: vocalist Jason Pegg seems to have no fear of resembling any of his forbears and routinely evokes fellow British depressives Morrissey and Thom Yorke, while the band as a whole could be compared at times to just about any noteworthy British rock act from the Beatles onward. Rather than deny their influences, however, Clearlake face them head on, adopting them in such a way that they become devices in a sort of theatrical repertoire rather than defining elements in themselves. As a result, Cedars sounds strikingly familiar without being unabashedly derivative: Clearlakes own personality as a band shapes all the various musical allusions they make, allowing them to be comfortably referential without sacrificing a definite individual identity.
If any particular motif or aesthetic ties Cedars together, its a kind of theatrical creepiness: Peggs textbook-neurotic lyrics (certainly to be expected from songs with titles like The Mind is Evil and Cant Feel a Thing) recall the divided-self paranoia of canonized crazies like Poe and Dostoyevsky, while their minor-key musical settings are often melodramatic and scary in a carnival-funhouse sort of way. Clearlake shy away from the deadly serious and irony-free darkness of acts like Radiohead or Interpol, opting instead to toss a self-consciously knowing wink into the equation. Almost embarrassingly straightforward lines like I wouldnt hurt a fly, but Id really like to punish you, or sometimes I think if I killed off my heart and my mind Id be free might look laughable on paper, but work perfectly when conveyed with enough emotional exaggeration and creepy bravado. Thats not to say, however, that the fears and doubts that haunt Clearlakes music are mere jokes; rather, theyre expressions of emotions that doubt their own meaning and validity, rendered all the more potent by the self-consciousness with which theyre conveyed.
Like their lyrics, Clearlakes music manages to be simultaneously fashionably postmodern and accessibly traditional: Id Like to Hurt You juxtaposes a cold and sparse synth-driven verse with a sing-along-worthy Beatlesesque chorus, while Come Into the Darkness fuses the minor-key drone of Black Sabbath and the propulsive and primitive rhythms of Stooges into an elegant arrangement worthy of Pulp or Blur. The band retains the emotional punch present in their influences, but imbues it with a smart and modern sensibility, tying all the loose ends together with impeccably crafted songwriting and production. Clearlake may be neurotic and self-loathing, but theyre damn professional about it.
While Cedars probably wont appeal to listeners not already immersed in the Britpop canon; it will likely prove rather impressive to those who are. Its an uncommonly consistent and entertaining album, and manages to sound vital and modern without sacrificing emotional substance at the altar of style. On Cedars final track, Trees in the City, Clearlake finally seem to make a straightforward attempt at beauty, abandoning the darkness and tension of the rest of the album for a meditation upon the hope offered by beauty amidst ugliness. With gorgeous harmony vocals and a simple gospel-tinged melody, the track works beautifully as a release from all that has gone before: the lyrics turn, perhaps for the first time, away from the mind and into the outside world. Beauty, the track implies, can be found even in the most squalid settings, just as something genuinely personal and new can be created from the inescapable musical detritus of the past.
By Michael Cramer


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Approved Service Centre
Chevrolet Complete Care
The GM Certified Used Vehicles Programme is the largest manufacturer-backed certified used vehicle resource in South Africa. It offers a selection of vehicles certified to the very highest standards of testing.
Quality, reliability and safety are core values for the vehicles sold under the G2 banner. You get complete peace of mind when you buy a used Chevrolet through this programme.
Certified used Chevrolet cars are value for money cars to suit all pockets and lifestyles. From stylish and safe small cars to mid-size cars, bakkies and performance cars. You'll also find some the best family cars around. They all offer fuel efficiency, reliability and Chevrolet value. At excellent used Chevrolet prices.
The G2 Certified Used Car Programme has been designed to ensure you make a sound purchase. Quality, reliability and safety are core values for the vehicles sold under the G2 banner.


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Thousands of builders across the United States list their new home communities with BDX to connect with home shoppers and agents, drive traffic to their websites, and generate quality leads.
BDX is the exclusive provider of new home communities on Realtor.com®!
Not only do over 18 Million home shoppers visit Realtor.com® every month, but these shoppers are highly engaged. The average visitor stays on the site for 29 minutes and views 25 pages!
Exclusive Distribution to Select Partner Sites
BDX has exclusive agreements with partners like Reator.com to be the exclusive provider of new homes.
Priority Placement on Many Sites
We work with our listing partners on your behalf to ensure that all BDX listings get priority placement.
Smartfeed Technology
BDX's proprietary technology ensures new home data always displays correctly.
Your Communities Listed in Spanish on CasasNuevasAqui.com Free Benefit Of Listing With BDX
CasasNuevasAqui is the ONLY new home marketplace dedicated to Spanish speakers. With over 10K communities listed in Spanish, CasasNuevasAqui is the #1 source of new home information for the Hispanic market. When you list your communities with BDX we will automatically translate them into Spanish and feature them on the site.
Included with BDX Listings:
Showcase Pages
- Leads directed to person of your choice via phone tracking and email
- Agent/office business cards with contact information, links to builder and other listings
- Headlines, additional photos above what the MLS allows, and additional specific details
Call Tracking
- Integrates tracking phone numbers into New Home Source communities and home details pages, giving insight into call volume and sources
- Improve sales through constant monitoring
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Facebook App
- Listings show up as a dedicated app on your Facebook page
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