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What is the final and longest section of the human small intestine?	About the Small & Large Intestines \| Children's Hospital Pittsburgh About the Small & Large Intestines About the Small and Large Intestines What Are the Intestines? The intestine is a muscular tube which extends from the lower end of your stomach to your anus, the lower opening of the digestive tract. It is also called the bowel or bowels. Food and the products of digestion pass through the intestine, which is divided into two sections called the small intestine and the large intestine. What Is the Small Intestine? The small intestine is made up of three segments, which form a passage from your stomach (the opening between your stomach and small intestine is called the pylorus) to your large intestine: Duodenum: This short section is the part of the small intestine that takes in semi-digested food from your stomach through the pylorus, and continues the digestion process. The duodenum also uses bile from your gallbladder, liver, and pancreas to help digest food. Jejunum: The middle section of the small intestine carries food through rapidly, with wave-like muscle contractions, towards the ileum. Ileum: This last section is the longest part of your small intestine. The ileum is where most of the nutrients from your food are absorbed before emptying into the large intestine. By the time food reaches your small intestine, it has already been broken up and mashed into liquid by your stomach. Each day, your small intestine receives between one and three gallons (or six to twelve liters) of this liquid. The small intestine carries out most of the digestive process, absorbing almost all of the nutrients you get from foods into your bloodstream. The walls of the small intestine make digestive juices, or enzymes, that work together with enzymes from the liver and pancreas to do this. How can the small intestine digest so much? Looking at the small intestine as a pipe, it seems hard to believe that an organ so narrow could do such a big job. However, looks can be deceiving. The absorptive surface area of the small intestine is actually about 250 square meters (almost 2,700 square feet) – the size of a tennis court! How is this possible? The small intestine has three features which allow it to have such a huge absorptive surface area packed into a relatively small space: Mucosal folds: The inner surface of the small intestine is not flat, but thrown into circular folds. This not only increases the surface area, but helps regulate the flow of digested food through your intestine. Villi: The folds form numerous tiny projections which stick out into the open space inside your small intestine (or lumen), and are covered with cells that help absorb nutrients from the food that passes through. Microvilli: The cells on the villi are packed full of tiny hairlike structures called microvilli. This helps increase the surface of each individual cell, meaning that each cell can absorb more nutrients. Although the small intestine is narrower than the large intestine, it is actually the longest section of your digestive tube, measuring about 22 feet (or seven meters) on average, or three-and-a-half times the length of your body. What Is the Large Intestine? Your large intestine is about five feet (or 1.5 meters) long. The large intestine is much broader than the small intestine and takes a much straighter path through your belly, or abdomen. Its job is to absorb water and salts from the material that has not been digested as food, and get rid of any waste products left over. By the time food mixed with digestive juices reaches your large intestine, most digestion and absorption has already taken place. What's left is mainly fiber (plant matter which takes a long time to digest), dead cells shed from the lining of your intestines, salt, bile pigments (which give this digested matter its color), and water. In the large intestine, bacteria feed on this mixture. These helpful bacteria produce valuable vitamins that are absorbed into your blood, and they also help digest fiber. The large intestine is made up of the following parts: Cecum: This first section of your large intestine looks like a pouch, about two inches long. It takes in digested liquid from the ileum and passes it on to the colon. Colon: This is the major section of the large intestine; you may have heard people talk about the colon on its own. The colon is also the principal place for water reabsorption, and absorbs salts when needed. The colon consists of four parts: Ascending colon: Using muscle contractions, this part of the colon pushes any undigested debris up from the cecum to a location just under the right lower end of the liver. Transverse colon: Food moves through this second portion of the colon, across your front (or anterior) abdominal wall, traveling from left to right just under your stomach. Descending colon: The third portion of colon pushes its contents from just near the spleen , down to the lower left side of your abdomen. Sigmoid colon: The final S-shaped length of the colon, curves inward among the coils of your small intestine, then empties into the rectum. Rectum: The final section of digestive tract measures from 1 to 1.6 inches (or 2.5 to 4 cm). Leftover waste collects there, expanding the rectum, until you go to the bathroom. At that time, it is ready to be emptied through your anus.	Ileum
What is the lair of a fox?	Anatomy of the Small Intestine About Watch and Favorite Watch Watching this resources will notify you when proposed changes or new versions are created so you can keep track of improvements that have been made. Favorite Favoriting this resource allows you to save it in the “My Resources” tab of your account. There, you can easily access this resource later when you’re ready to customize it or assign it to your students. Anatomy of the Small Intestine The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. Learning Objective Diagram the anatomy of the small intestine Key Points The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract that follows the stomach , which is in turn followed by the large intestine . The average length of the small intestine in an adult human male is 6.9 m (22 feet, 6 inches), and in the adult female 7.1 m (23 feet, 4 inches). The small intestine is divided into the duodenum , jejunum , and ileum . Much of the small intestine is covered in projections called villi that increase the surface area of the tissue available to absorb nutrients from the gut contents. Terms Full Text The Small Intestine The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract that follows the stomach, which is in turn followed by the large intestine. The small intestine is the site where almost all of the digestion and absorption of nutrients and minerals from food takes place. The average length of the small intestine in an adult human male is 6.9 m (22 feet, 6 inches), and in the adult female 7.1 m (23 feet, 4 inches). It can vary greatly, from as short as 4.6 m (15 feet) to as long as 9.8 m (32 feet). The small intestine is approximately 2.5–3 cm in diameter, and is divided into three sections: The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine and is the shortest part of the small intestine. It is where most chemical digestion using enzymes takes place. The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine. It has a lining which is designed to absorb carbohydrates and proteins . The inner surface of the jejunum, its mucous membrane , is covered in projections called villi, which increase the surface area of tissue available to absorb nutrients from the gut contents. The epithelial cells which line these villi possess even larger numbers of microvilli. The transport of nutrients across epithelial cells through the jejunum includes the passive transport of some carbohydrates and the active transport of amino acids , small peptides , vitamins , and most glucose . The villi in the jejunum are much longer than in the duodenum or ileum. The ileum is the final section of the small intestine. The function of the ileum is mainly to absorb vitamin B12, bile salts, and any products of digestion that were not absorbed by the jejunum. The wall itself is made up of folds, each of which has many tiny finger-like projections known as villi on its surface. The ileum has an extremely large surface area both for the adsorption of enzyme molecules and for the absorption of products of digestion.	i don't know
What is a word made from the initials of other words in a phrase or sequence?	Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words By Maeve Maddox The word acronym was coined in 1943 by Bell Laboratories to refer to new words like RADAR that had been created from the initials of the words in phrases. Distinctions can be made between initial letter constructions that can be pronounced as words (RADAR) and those which can be pronouced only as letters (FBI). Strictly speaking, RADAR is an “acronym,” while FBI is an “initialism.” Unless one is addressing an academic audience, the word acronym may be used to refer to any word formed from the initials of other words. For one thing, acronym is a more familiar term than initialism. For another, many words formed from initials defy easy categorization. Some don’t even have widely agreed-upon names to describe them. Letter Combinations… WAC – Women’s Army Corps NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization LASER – Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation …pronounced as initials FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation ATM – Automated Teller Machine AFL-CIO – American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations …pronounced partly as letters, partly as syllables JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group MS-DOS – Microsoft Disk Operating System CD-ROM – Compact Disc read-only memory …pronounced as words by some speakers; as letters by others: FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions ASAP – As Soon As Possible IRA – Individual Retirement Account …pronounced as letters and words AAA (Triple A) – American Automobile Association NAACP (N double-A CP) – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People …formed from letters within a word as well as initial letters DNA DeoxyriboNucleic Acid SONAR – SOund Navigation And Ranging XML – eXtensible Markup Language I’ll worry about specific labels for the different types when I’m called upon to write an academic treatise on the subject. For ordinary conversation and informal writing, I’ll go on calling them all acronyms. For those who like to make nice distinctions in such matters, this Wikipedia article is a wealth of information. Subscribe to Receive our Articles and Exercises via Email You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! Subscribers get access to our exercise archives, writing courses, writing jobs and much more! You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free! 8 Responses to “Words Formed from the Initial Letters of Other Words” temp- on January 13, 2009 3:41 am awesome work, the LASER one was surprising to me Deborah H on January 13, 2009 3:26 pm Good post. It’s always a treat to read about another angle on our language. The word scuba came to my mind, as I was reading—Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. The military is infamous for its use of acronyms. When my son was in the Navy, he would occasionally send me notes written entirely in acronyms, because he knew it would amuse me to research and figure out what he meant! Sandi O’Brien on January 13, 2009 6:19 pm Interesting article–is there still an Irish Republican Army (IRA)? There are lots of acronyms and initialisms in education also–ESL, ELL, IEP, SpEd, etc. We used to call it “educationese”. TFP on January 13, 2009 7:55 pm Great post. I never knew that there was actually a name for initialisms. We use acronyms and initialisms all the time in my line of work (air traffic controller). An airplane I’m working may request any of the following: * ILS approach (Instrument Landing System) – Pronounced I-L-S. A precision approach that gives both vertical and lateral guidance. * TACAN approach (TACtical Air Navigation) – Pronounced Tak-an. A non-precision approach that provides only lateral guidance. * Holding over a VOR (VHF Omni-directional Radio Range) – Pronounced V-O-R. A type of navigation aid that connects airways. * GPS navigation (Global Positioning System): Satellite-based, commonly used navigation system. Pronounced G-P-S. * PAR approach (Precision Approach Radar): Pronounced P-A-R. An approach where the airplane is ‘talked down’ to the runway by a controller watching them on a special scope. We also use both VHF (Very High Frequency) and UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radios to communicate with our aircraft, though we commonly refer to them as Victor and Uniform on the frequency. cmdweb on January 16, 2009 7:49 am It’s amazing the different approaches to this. I always call those that are pronouncable as words ‘acronyms’, whereas I refer to initialised abbreviations as just ‘abbreviations’. I come from a military aerospace background and the number of abbreviations and acronyms is astounding – the sector is littered with TLAs (Three Letter Abbreviations). I once printed out a compiled abbreviations document (yes, a document which was purely page after page of abbreviation lists) that ran to over 100 pages for a single recon aircraft project. Leisureguy on January 17, 2009 5:43 pm Why are some acronyms spelled with lower-case letters? For example, I’ve seen “Nato” in the NY Times, of all places. PreciseEdit on January 19, 2009 6:24 pm Sandy-You’re right about education using many acronyms, often to the point that non-educators may not understand what he or she is reading. This is a communication issue and reflects a larger problem of not considering readers’ needs. Sometimes, even the “spelled out” version doesn’t do much for comprehension. Using your examples, “ELL” is the acronym for English Language Learner. But what is an “English Language Learner”? Those not “in the know” may assume that this is any person who does not have a perfected knowledge of the English language, which is everyone. More to the point, though, is how these acronyms are used in speech and writing. “ELL” is stated as letters, not as the word sound “L.” “SpEd” is stated as a single word. The acronym for Physical Education is stated as letters: “P.E.” Actually, “P.E.” adds another level of complexity because it is always spelled with periods, unlike many other acronyms that have become part of the English lexicon. For example, “scuba” is no longer spelled “S.C.U.B.A.” Perhaps if P.E. were pronounced as a word (rhyming with “pea”), the periods would drop out of the common spelling. “LEA,” the acronym for “Local Education Agency” (i.e., school district), could be pronounced as a single word, but it isn’t, nor is it typically spelled out with periods. This might make an interesting socio-linguistic study for a graduate dissertation. PreciseEdit on January 19, 2009 10:23 pm FYI: Forgot this earlier	Acronym
The Royal Navy flagship aircraft carrier, which along with its Harrier jump jets was withdrawn from service late 2010, is HMS what?	Grammar: Abbreviations and Acronyms - Page 1 Abbreviations and Acronyms In grammar abbreviations can be somewhat tricky. When using grammar acronyms can be as well. Learn how they're used here. Abbreviations and acronyms Abbreviations and acronyms are shorter versions of existing words and phrases. They're designed to save time and take up less space (whether you're typing or writing by hand), and can even make your writing easier to read. What is an abbreviation? Abbreviations are all around us, from common titles like Dr. and Prof. to the abbreviations you see on street signs. Specifically, abbreviations are shorter spellings of words and expressions we use every day. What is an acronym? You might already know some acronyms, like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ATM (automated teller machine). An acronym is a stand-in for a string of words, usually an organization name, slogan, or something else equally wordy. Unlike abbreviations, they aren't shorter spellings of words—they're made up of the words' initials. Using abbreviations Abbreviations are usually formed using the most recognizable letters from the word or expression. This makes them easier to remember, and easy for others to read. It's almost like the letters are clues that point to the original word or expression. Some abbreviations look like acronyms (for example, mph and NY), but it's really just a coincidence. Technically, these are initialisms, which is a type of abbreviation. Thankfully, you don't have to know whether something is an abbreviation, initialism, or acronym to use it properly. You just have to know what the term means, and how to spell it—everything else will usually fall into place. Now that you know how abbreviations are formed, you may be wondering how they're pronounced. Most of the time, they're pronounced the same as the original word—whether you're reading it aloud or in your head. For example, Prof. Snape would be pronounced Professor Snape (not Prof Snape). The abbreviation etc. would be pronounced et cetera (not e-t-c). The important thing to remember is that abbreviations aren't words in the true sense—they're more like shorthand. There are some exceptions that are pronounced differently. For instance, AM, PM, i.e., and PhD are pronounced exactly the way they're spelled. This happens when the abbreviation becomes more popular than the original term—usually because the original is too long or outdated. For example, AM stands for Ante Meridiem. (That's Latin for before noon. Who knew?) Luckily, there aren't many exceptions like this, so you don't have to worry too much about making a mistake. Most abbreviations are pronounced the same as the word they're based on, like hr, min, and sec (that's hour, minute, and second). Period vs. no period This is one of the most common questions people have about abbreviations: Do you have to use a period at the end when writing it out? There's no strict rule that says you do—it's kind of up to you. Sometimes adding a period is expected and can make the abbreviation easier to read. Take the example below. Pop. is the abbreviation for the word population—without a period, it might just look like pop (as in pop goes the weasel). On the other hand, some abbreviations never use a period; for example, state postal abbreviations like NY, CA, and TX. The abbreviation for United States of America can be written with a period between each letter, but it's much more common without. The same goes for measurement abbreviations like ft, in, and cm. Common abbreviations There are abbreviations for so many different things, it would be impossible to list them all here. Here are some of the most common abbreviations you'll see and use: You may have noticed that the abbreviations for ounce (oz) and pound (lb) are a little different from the rest. They're spelled using letters that aren't part of the original word. This is because the abbreviations are based on older forms of each word—ounce comes from the Italian word onza, and pound from the Roman word libra. What about chat terms like LOL (laugh out loud), BRB (be right back), and plz (please)? Many blur the line between abbreviations and acronyms, but they're abbreviations nonetheless. In other words, they abbreviate something in a contemporary way, using initials, slang, and other shorthand. They make it possible to communicate quickly, and that's what makes them a form of abbreviation. Is it OK to use abbreviations? Look closely at the heading above, and you may find your answer. Believe it or not, OK is an abbreviation too, and we use it on the site all the time. A good rule for abbreviations is to put the reader first. Ask yourself: Will the abbreviation make the sentence easier to read, or will it confuse the reader (for example, if the abbreviation is too obscure)? If an abbreviation still sounds like a good idea, next consider the context. Abbreviations are perfectly OK in personal and casual writing—they're often OK in formal writing too. You might want to ask your boss or your teacher if you're unsure. Using acronyms As you read earlier, acronyms are used in place of a phrase or string of words. They're almost always made up of the words' initials and are spelled in all caps. They can represent all kinds of things, from organizations to mnemonics to sandwiches. Like abbreviations, there's a lot of overlap between acronyms and initialisms—but remember, this doesn't really matter when it comes to using them. It might help to think of acronyms as something catchier than abbreviations (after all, they represent longer phrases, so it helps if they're memorable). They don't just shorten words; they stand for organizations, ideas, and other things you want people to remember. Acronyms are read differently from abbreviations. Take the word BLT. If you saw that on the menu at your favorite restaurant, there's a good chance you'd just order a BLT, not a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. You wouldn't pronounce it built or belt either; you would say B-L-T. This is what makes acronyms unique—you can read them as they appear, even though they stand for something else. The pronunciation of acronyms can vary, however. While some are pronounced literally like the example above, others can actually be pronounced as a word, like UNICEF, POTUS, and NASA. Sometimes it's just a question of, "Can the acronym be pronounced as a word?" A lot of acronyms can't because they don't have the right combination of vowels and consonants. However, there's no set rule that governs this. Knowing how to pronounce acronyms depends a lot your awareness of the world around you, but it's not the end of the world if you make a mistake. When and how to use acronyms Sometimes you may need to explain the acronym when using it in writing. Style guides suggest that you write the acronym first, followed by the full name or phrase in parentheses. You can also write them in the opposite order—whatever makes more sense. In short, if the acronym is more widely known, list it first; if it's more obscure, you may want to start with the entire phrase. A lot of contemporary acronyms might need to be explained for different reasons (this also applies to the chat abbreviations that we discussed earlier). Not everyone will be familiar with slang like NIMBY (not in my back yard) and TGIF (thank goodness it's Friday). As always, this type of slang can be OK in certain contexts, but it might leave some readers feeling confused. As you now know, abbreviations and acronyms can save time and space, and they can make your writing easier to read. Below is a sample that contains the full form of several different words, phrases, and expressions. Do you know which acronyms and abbreviations could be used as substitutes? Also known as = AKA AKA is an acronym for also known as. Even though it could be pronounced as a word (it has the right combination of consonants and vowels), it's always pronounced literally—A-K-A. Junior = Jr. Jr. is the abbreviation for Junior. It can be used to refer to someone who is a junior in name (for example, Martin Luther King, Jr.), or a junior in high school or college. Sr. (Senior) is a related abbreviation—as in Martin Luther King, Sr. Répondez s'il vous plaît = RSVP RSVP stands for répondez s'il vous plaît. If you've heard the acronym before, but never knew what it stood for, that's OK. This is one of those special cases where the acronym is now more common than the original phrase. Not only is répondez s'il vous plaît long and sort of old-fashioned—it's also in a completely different language! Orange juice = OJ OJ stands for orange juice—yet another term that we didn't cover in this lesson, but it's easy to see the connection. Did you get this one right? OJ is more of a slang term than an official abbreviation or acronym. It's used almost exclusively in conversation and casual writing (and your weekly shopping list). Peanut butter and jelly = PB&J PB&J stands for peanut butter and jelly. Like OJ, it's more like slang than an official acronym. The interesting thing about PB&J is that it's sort of its own "thing," because the acronym is so memorable and symbolic. In other words, you don't have to say "PB&J sandwich"—you can just say PB&J. Miscellaneous = misc. Misc. is the abbreviation for miscellaneous. Good guess if you got this one right. Misc. is a very common substitute for miscellaneous—even in formal writing—simply because the original word is so long. Minute = min Min is the abbreviation for minute. Notice that it's not capitalized in the sentence, and it doesn't use a period either. This is common for certain types of abbreviations (especially those related to time and measurement). However, in your own writing, feel free to add a period if it makes the abbreviation easier to read. Captain = Capt. Capt. is the abbreviation for Captain. Maybe you've seen it spelled a different way on a certain cereal box—ever heard of Cap'n Crunch? That's more of a slang abbreviation, used in conversation and casual writing (sometimes as a joke). Capt. is the official abbreviation; it's used in the military, police force, and other organizations. Incorporated = Inc. Inc. is the abbreviation for Incorporated. It's one of the few abbreviations that can be pronounced literally (as in rhymes with "ink"), or the same as the word it's based on. It often depends on the business' branding, and how they prefer to be known to the public. Post Meridiem = PM PM is the abbreviation for Post Meridiem. Good job if you got this one correct! If you didn't, that's OK—the abbreviation is far more common than the expression it's based on. Luckily, you don't have to remember exactly what PM stands for. It's much easier to think of it as an abbreviation for afternoon. February = Feb. Feb. is a common abbreviation for February. We didn't discuss this in the lesson, but if you look closely at the abbreviation, you can probably see where it comes from—it's simply the first three letters of the word. There's an abbreviation for almost every month, from January (Jan.) to December (Dec.). Some months don't have an abbreviation because the spelling is already so short (May, June, and July). Very important person = VIP VIP is an acronym for very important person(s). It's common for clubs to have VIP lounges or services, but people can be VIPs too (i.e., the person is a very important person). VIP is pronounced literally (V-I-P) rather than "vip" or "veep."	i don't know
Which Cuban dictator was overthrown by Fidel Castro in 1959?	Cuban dictator Batista falls from power - Jan 01, 1959 - HISTORY.com Cuban dictator Batista falls from power Share this: Cuban dictator Batista falls from power Author Cuban dictator Batista falls from power URL Publisher A+E Networks In the face of a popular revolution spearheaded by Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista flees the island nation. As celebration and chaos intermingled in the Cuban capitol of Havana, U.S. policymakers debated how best to deal with the radical Castro and the ominous rumblings of anti-Americanism in Cuba. The United States government had supported the American-friendly Batista regime since it came to power in 1952. After Fidel Castro, together with a handful of supporters that included the professional revolutionary Che Guevara, landed in Cuba to unseat Batista in December 1956, the U.S. continued to support Batista. Suspicious of what they believed to be Castro’s leftist ideology and fearful that his ultimate goals might include attacks on U.S. investments and properties in Cuba, American officials were nearly unanimous in opposing his revolutionary movement. Cuban support for Castro’s revolution, however, spread and grew in the late 1950s, partially due to his personal charisma and nationalistic rhetoric, but also because of the increasingly rampant corruption, brutality, and inefficiency within the Batista government. This reality forced U.S. policymakers to slowly withdraw their support from Batista and begin a search in Cuba for an alternative to both the dictator and Castro. American efforts to find a “middle road” between Batista and Castro ultimately failed. On January 1, 1959, Batista and a number of his supporters fled Cuba. Tens of thousands of Cubans (and thousands of Cuban-Americans in the United States) joyously celebrated the end of the dictator’s regime. Castro’s supporters moved quickly to establish their power. Judge Manuel Urrutia was named as provisional president. Castro and his band of guerrilla fighters triumphantly entered Havana on January 7. In the years that followed, the U.S. attitude toward the new revolutionary government would move from cautiously suspicious to downright hostile. As the Castro government moved toward a closer relationship with the Soviet Union, and Castro declared himself to be a Marxist-Leninist, relations between the U.S. and Cuba collapsed into mutual enmity, which continued only somewhat abated through the following decades. Related Videos	Batista
What massive effect did these countries experience in the years stated?	1000+ images about Fidel Castro & Cuba on Pinterest \| Revolutions, Poster and Fidel castro Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was the elected President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and dictator from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution. See More	i don't know
Which fruit is used in the flavouring of the cognac-based liqueur Grand Marnier?	Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge Liqueur - Price, Reviews, Flavors Fruit Manufacturer's Description The original liqueur created in 1880 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle. A delicate blend of fine cognacs and distilled essence of tropical oranges with Marnier-Lapostolle's secret touch. Slow ageing in French oak casks gives it incomparable roundness and subtlety. Cost Per Shot Cost Per Shot One shot (or 44.36 mL) of Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge costs approximately $2.37, which is $0.77 more expensive than the average liqueur. Other Information	Orange
What colour is the cross on the national flag of Finland?	Alcohol Flavors Alcohol Flavors Blend of passion fruit & cognac Amaretto A sweet, almond liqueur created from almonds of apricots steeped in brandy Amaretto Di Saronno Brandy name of French aperitif Angostura Bitters Brandy name of bitters which comes from Venezuela Anisette Aniseed-flavored liqueur, sweet, mild aromatic liqueur with pleasant anise flavor reminiscent of licorice; sweeter and lower in proof than Anesone. White and Red Aperitif A drink of alcoholic liquor taken before a meal Applejack American term for apple brandy Apricot Brandy Flavor and aroma of selected ripe apricots; brandy base. Higher in proof and drier than Apricot Liqueur Aquavit A potato based liqueur from Scandinavia flavored with caraway seeds Arak Bailey's Irish Crï¿½me A smooth golden whiskey and fresh Irish Cream. Whisky & vanilla. Balsam Rich, yellow liqueur with the full flavor of fresh, ripe bananas. Barenjager Honey and herb liqueur, sister brand to Jagermeister Bauchant Napoleon Liqueur Orange rind/tangerine aroma is tart yet plump and juicy. Sweet, luscious marinated orange flavor. Benedictine Brandy based liqueur, amber liqueur with Cognac base, make from herbs, plants and peels. Brandy & Honey. Benedictine & Brandy (D.O.M.) Blend of Benedictine and Brandy bottled in France or made by mixing equal parts of Benedictine and Cognac Blackberry Liqueur Sweet, rich liqueur, with the flavor and aroma of fresh, ripe blackberries, sweeter and lighter proof than Blackberry Flavored Brandy Boggs Cranberry Tart, tangy taste of juice of native grown cranberries. Red. Bourgogne Brand name of French Aperitif Cactus Juice Margarita drink, made with 100% Agave tequila and triple sec. Cafï¿½ Rica Apple brandy from Normandy in France Camaya Brand name of Italian aperitif, dry, brisk-flavored bitter-sweet; garnet in color. Herbs & spices. Cassis 48 proof, Cardamomo; aguardiente flavored with cardamom; imported form Colombia. Cerasello Rich aroma and taste of black raspberries and other fruits and herbs. Chartreuse Brand name of a French liqueur either green or yellow in color, contain 130 herbs and spices. Green Chartreuse is sold at 100 proof; Yellow Chartreuse at 86 proof. Cough medicine. Cheri-Suisse Liqueur A liqueur flavored with chocolate and cherries. Cherry Heering Brand name of a Danish cherry-flavored liqueur, flavor and aroma from juices of fresh, ripe Danish cherries. Cherry Marnier Cherry flavored French liqueur. Rich cherry taste with a flavor hint of the cherry pit. Made from wild cherries. Cinnamon Schnapps 30 proof, with flavors of chocolate and coconut Coco Rhum Virgin Island light rum, coconut Coffee flavored brandy Coffee Cointreau Brand name of an orange flavored liqueur, White, Fragrant, mellow bouquet, subtle hint of orange. Produced by blending of carefully selected sweet and bitter Mediterranean and tropical orange peels. Cordial Medoc Chocolate flavored French liqueur made in Bordeaux. Dark red in color. Cranberry Liqueur Liqueur with the familiar flavor of American cranberries with an added sparkle. Cream Liqueurs Dairy fresh cream blended with spirits and natural flavoring. Most widely used spirit is Irish whiskey. Brandy, cordials, rum vodka also used. Flavor is rich, subtle with mellow bite of spirit. Shelf stable. Some brands use non-dairy creams. Popular brands include Bailey's, Carolans, Leroux, Myers', O'Darby, Crï¿½me de Grand Marnier. Crï¿½me de Almond Almond Crï¿½me de Ananas Pineapple Crï¿½me de Banana Also called banana liqueur. Full flavor of fresh, ripe bananas. Crï¿½me de Cacao (Brown & Clear) A chocolate flavored liqueur. Made of cocoa beans, vanilla and spices with traditional sweet chocolate flavor. Crï¿½me de Cassis Rich, fruity, with full flavor of black currants grown principally around Dijon, France. (Blackberry) Crï¿½me de Cerise Cherry Crï¿½me de Fraises Strawberry Crï¿½me de Framboise Raspberry flavored liqueur Crï¿½me de Menthe Green, White and Gold. Peppermint flavored liqueur with a cool, refreshing taste. Crï¿½me de Noyaux Brandy based liqueur with apricot and peach kernels. Nutty, almond. Crï¿½me de Roses Vanilla Crï¿½me de Violette Vanilla & chocolate Clear American liqueur, cousin of Southern Comfort, made from secret recipe. Curacao Orange and Blue. Rum based liqueur flavored with dried small green orange peel. Lower in proof than triple sec. Della Notte Hazelnut-flavored liqueur, with berries and herbs added. Fruit Liqueurs Flavor and aroma of fresh ripe fruit identified by product name (apricot, blackberry, etc.) Lower proof and sweeter than companion fruit-flavored brandy. Always the color of the fruit. Fruit-Flavored Brandy Flavor and aroma of selected ripe fruit identified by fruit type. Higher in proof and drier than companion liqueur. Always the color of the fruit, and always 70 proof. Galliano Licorice Godet Bellgian Liqueur Nose is milky, chocolately, not in the least sweet, with a hint of vanilla in the distance. Classy flavors are of milk chocolate and cream. Godiva Rich chocolate liqueur made with Godiva chocolate from Belgium. Goldschlager Cinnamon-flavored schnapps with tiny gold flakes suspended in the liquid. Goldwasser Brand name of Italian liqueur, rich, spicy, citrus character, yellow color. Licorice. Tia Maria Jamaican liqueur with flavor of fresh coffee. Dark brown in color. Tilus 70 proof, the first original truffle liqueur. Triple Sec Similar to Curacao but colorless, sweeter and higher in proof. Orange flavored liqueur. Truffles Liqueur de Chocolat. A delicate combination of spirits and imported chocolate flavors. Tuaca An Italian Liqueur, orange in flavor with a hint of vanilla. Coconut & caramel. Vandermint Minted chocolate liqueur from Holland; rich, creamy chocolate taste with a subtle hint of mint Wild Turkey Liqueur Fully aged bourbon and the addition of subtle natural flavorings. Yukon Jack	i don't know
A statue of which British prime minister stands outside Huddersfield railway station?	Harold Wilson - Huddersfield, UK - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com you are not logged in. [log in] Harold Wilson - Huddersfield, UK - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com Welcome to Waymarking.com! We hope you've been able to find what you are looking for. We would also like to encourage you to take some time to browse some of the other aspects of our site. We recommend viewing our featured waymarks , or perhaps the newest waymarks . You can also create a free membership to track your progress online and share your locations with others. Click here to view the complete waymark directory N 53° 38.897 W 001° 47.029 30U E 580388 N 5945077 Quick Description: Two statues of Harold Wilson stand in prominent places. This one, unveiled by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in July 1999, stands outside Huddersfield railway station in St George's Square, Huddersfield. Location: Northeast England, United Kingdom Date Posted: 6/5/2014 1:27:43 PM Waymark Code: WMKWZQ .KML File (Google Earth) Long Description: James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British Labour Party politician. Lord Wilson was born in Huddersfield in 1916. He became Labour leader in 1963, on the death of Hugh Gaitskell, and won the general election the following year. He served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1976. He won four general elections, and is the most recent British Prime Minister to have served non-consecutive terms. He finally resigned as prime minister 1976, although he continued as an MP until 1983. He died in 1995. Costing £70,000 the bronze statue, designed by sculptor Ian Walters, is based on photographs taken in 1964 and depicts Wilson in walking pose at the start of his first term as Prime Minister. His widow, Mary requested that the eight-foot tall monument did not show Wilson holding his famous pipe as she feared it would make the representation a caricature. In September 2006, Tony Blair unveiled a second bronze statue of Wilson in the latter's former constituency of Huyton, near Liverpool. The statue was created by Liverpool sculptor, Tom Murphy, and Blair paid tribute to Wilson's legacy at the unveiling, including the Open University. He added: "He also brought in a whole new culture, a whole new country. He made the country very, very different"	Harold Wilson
Controversial singer Brian Hugh Warner is better known by which name (also his band name), a combination borrowed from two iconic real American people?	Harold Wilson \| Wiki & Bio \| Everipedia Ormskirk James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG , OBE , PC , FRS , FSS (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1976. First entering Parliament in 1945 , Wilson was immediately appointed the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and rose quickly through the ministerial ranks, becoming the Secretary for Overseas Trade in 1947 and being appointed to the Cabinet just months later as the President of the Board of Trade . Later, in the Labour Shadow Cabinet , he served first as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1955 to 1961 and then as the Shadow Foreign Secretary from 1961 to 1963, when he was elected Leader of the Labour Party after the sudden death of Hugh Gaitskell . Wilson narrowly won the 1964 election , going on to win a much increased majority in a snap 1966 election . Wilson's first period as Prime Minister coincided with a period of low unemployment and relative economic prosperity, though also of significant problems with Britain's external balance of payments. In 1969 Wilson sent British troops to Northern Ireland . After losing the 1970 general election to Edward Heath , he spent four years as Leader of the Opposition before the February 1974 general election resulted in a hung parliament . After Heath's talks with the Liberals broke down, Wilson returned to power as leader of a minority government until there was a second general election in the autumn, which resulted in a narrow Labour victory. A period of economic crisis was now beginning to hit most Western countries, and in 1976 Wilson suddenly announced his resignation as Prime Minister. Wilson's own approach to socialism was moderate, with emphasis on increasing opportunity within society, for example through change and expansion within the education system , allied to the technocratic aim of taking better advantage of rapid scientific progress, rather than on the more controversial socialist goal of promoting wider public ownership of industry. He took little action to pursue the Labour Party constitution's stated dedication to such nationalisation , though he did not formally disown it. Himself a member of the Labour Party's "soft left", Wilson joked about leading a Cabinet that was made up mostly of social democrats , comparing himself to a Bolshevik revolutionary presiding over a Tsarist cabinet, but there was arguably little to divide him ideologically from the cabinet majority. Labour Party historians see his years in office as lost opportunities for major reforms. However, in keeping with the mood of the 1960s his government sponsored liberal changes in a number of social areas; they were generally not his initiatives. These included the liberalisation of laws on censorship, divorce, homosexuality, immigration, and abortion; as well as the abolition of capital punishment , which was due in part to the initiatives of backbench MPs who had the support of Roy Jenkins during his time as Home Secretary . Overall, Wilson is seen to have managed a number of difficult political issues with considerable tactical skill, including such potentially divisive issues for his party as the role of public ownership, British membership of the European Community, and the Vietnam War , while continuing to maintain a costly military presence East of Suez . [2] His stated ambition of substantially improving Britain's long-term economic performance remained largely unfulfilled. He lost his energy and drive in his second government 1974-76 and accomplished little as the leadership split over Europe and trade union issues began tearing Labour apart. Early life Wilson was born at 4 Warneford Road, Huddersfield , in the West Riding of Yorkshire , England, on 11 March 1916. He came from a political family: his father James Herbert Wilson (December 1882 – 1971) was a works chemist who had been active in the Liberal Party and then joined the Labour Party . His mother Ethel (née Seddon; 1882–1957) was a schoolteacher before her marriage, and her brother, Sir Harold Seddon , was a member of parliament in Western Australia . [3] When Wilson was eight, he visited London and a later-to-be-famous photograph was taken of him standing on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street . He was a supporter of his hometown football club, Huddersfield Town . [4] Education Wilson won a scholarship to attend Royds Hall Grammar School , his local grammar school (now a comprehensive school ) in Huddersfield in Yorkshire. In December 1930, his father, working as an industrial chemist, was made redundant and it took him nearly two years to find work. He moved to Spital on the Wirral , Cheshire in order to do so. Wilson was educated in the Sixth Form at the Wirral Grammar School for Boys , where he became Head Boy . Wilson did well at school and, although he missed getting a scholarship, he obtained an exhibition; which, when topped up by a county grant, enabled him to study Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford , from 1934. At Oxford, Wilson was moderately active in politics as a member of the Liberal Party but was strongly influenced by G. D. H. Cole . He graduated in PPE ( Philosophy, Politics and Economics ) with "an outstanding first class Bachelor of Arts degree, with alphas on every paper" in the final examinations, and a series of major academic awards. Biographer Roy Jenkins says: Academically his results put him among prime ministers in the category of Peel, Gladstone, Asquith, and no one else. But...he lacked originality. What he was superb at was the quick assimilation of knowledge, combined with an ability to keep it ordered in his mind and to present it lucidly in a form welcome to his examiners. He continued in academia, becoming one of the youngest Oxford dons of the century at the age of 21. He was a lecturer in Economic History at New College from 1937, and a Research Fellow at University College . Marriage On New Year's Day 1940, in the chapel of Mansfield College, Oxford , he married Mary Baldwin who remained his wife until his death. Mary Wilson became a published poet. They had two sons, Robin and Giles (named after Giles Alington ); Robin became a Professor of Mathematics, and Giles became a teacher. In their twenties, his sons were under a kidnap threat from the IRA because of their father's prominence. [5] Statistician for the War On the outbreak of the Second World War, Wilson volunteered for service but was classed as a specialist and moved into the civil service instead. For much of this time, he was a research assistant to William Beveridge , the Master of the College, working on the issues of unemployment and the trade cycle. He later became a statistician and economist for the coal industry. He was Director of Economics and Statistics at the Ministry of Fuel and Power 1943–44, and received an OBE for his services. He was to remain passionately interested in statistics. As President of the Board of Trade , he was the driving force behind the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, which is still the authority governing most economic statistics in Great Britain . He was instrumental as Prime Minister in appointing Claus Moser as head of the Central Statistical Office , and was president of the Royal Statistical Society in 1972–73. Member of Parliament (1945–64) As the war drew to an end, he searched for a seat to fight at the impending general election. He was selected for the constituency of Ormskirk , then held by Stephen King-Hall . Wilson agreed to be adopted as the candidate immediately rather than delay until the election was called, and was therefore compelled to resign from his position in the Civil Service. He served as Praelector in Economics at University College between his resignation and his election to the House of Commons. He also used this time to write A New Deal for Coal, which used his wartime experience to argue for nationalisation of the coal mines on the grounds of the improved efficiency he predicted would ensue. In the 1945 general election , Wilson won his seat in the Labour landslide. To his surprise, he was immediately appointed to the government by Prime Minister Clement Attlee as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works . Two years later, he became Secretary for Overseas Trade , in which capacity he made several official trips to the Soviet Union to negotiate supply contracts. In the general election of 1950, his Ormskirk constituency was significantly altered and he was narrowly elected for the new seat of Huyton near Liverpool, where he served for 33 years until 1983. [6] Cabinet Minister, 1947–51 On 29 September 1947 Wilson was appointed President of the Board of Trade , at 31 becoming the youngest member of a British Cabinet in the 20th century. He took a lead in abolishing some wartime rationing, which he referred to as a "bonfire of controls". His role in internal debates during the summer of 1949 over whether or not to devalue sterling, in which he was perceived to have played both sides of the issue, tarnished his reputation in both political and official circles. [7] Wilson was becoming known in the Labour Party as a left-winger and joined Aneurin Bevan and John Freeman in resigning from the government in April 1951 in protest at the introduction of National Health Service (NHS) medical charges to meet the financial demands imposed by the Korean War . After the Labour Party lost the 1951 election , he became the Chairman of Keep Left, Bevan's political group, but soon after he began to distance himself from Bevan. Shadow Cabinet, 1951–63 Wilson was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet by Labour Party Leader Hugh Gaitskell in 1955 as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer , and he proved to be very effective. One of his procedural moves caused a substantial delay to the progress of the Government's Finance Bill in 1955, and his speeches as Shadow Chancellor from 1956 were widely praised for their clarity and wit. He coined the term " Gnomes of Zurich " to ridicule Swiss bankers for selling Britain short and pushing the pound down by speculation. [8] He conducted an inquiry into the Labour Party's organisation following its defeat in the 1955 general election , which compared Labour's organisation to an antiquated "penny farthing" bicycle, and made various recommendations for improvements. Unusually, Wilson combined the job of Chairman of the House of Commons' Public Accounts Committee with that of Shadow Chancellor from 1959, holding that position until 1963. Wilson steered a course in intra-party matters in the 1950s and early 1960s that left him neither fully accepted nor trusted by the left and the right in the Labour Party. Despite his earlier association with the left-wing Aneurin Bevan , in 1955 he backed Gaitskell, considered the right-of-centre candidate in internal Labour Party terms, against Bevan for the party leadership. [9] He then launched an opportunistic but unsuccessful challenge to Gaitskell's leadership in November 1960 in the wake of the Labour Party's 1959 defeat , Gaitskell's controversial attempt to ditch Labour's commitment to nationalisation by scrapping Clause Four , and Gaitskell's defeat at the 1960 Party Conference over a motion supporting unilateral nuclear disarmament. Wilson would later be moved to the position of Shadow Foreign Secretary in 1961, before he challenged for the deputy leadership in 1962 but was defeated by George Brown . Opposition Leader, 1963–64 Gaitskell died in January 1963, just as the Labour Party had begun to unite and appeared to have a very good chance of winning the next election, with the Macmillan Government running into trouble. Wilson was adopted as the left-wing candidate for the leadership, defeating Brown and James Callaghan to become the Leader of the Labour Party and the Leader of the Opposition . At the Labour Party's 1963 Annual Conference, Wilson made both his best-remembered speech, on the implications of scientific and technological change. He argued that "the Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices or for outdated measures on either side of industry". This speech did much to set Wilson's reputation as a technocrat not tied to the prevailing class system. Labour's 1964 election campaign was aided by the Profumo Affair , a ministerial sex scandal that had mortally wounded Harold Macmillan and hurt the Conservatives. Wilson made capital without getting involved in the less salubrious aspects. (Asked for a statement on the scandal, he reportedly said "No comment ... in glorious Technicolor!"). Sir Alec Douglas-Home was an aristocrat who had given up his peerage to sit in the House of Commons and become Prime Minister upon Macmillan's resignation. To Wilson's comment that he was out of touch with ordinary people since he was the 14th Earl of Home , Home retorted, "I suppose Mr. Wilson is the fourteenth Mr. Wilson". [10] First term as Prime Minister (1964–70) Labour won the 1964 general election with a narrow majority of four seats, and Wilson became Prime Minister , the youngest person to hold that office since Lord Rosebery 70 years earlier. During 1965, by-election losses reduced the government's majority to a single seat; but in March 1966 Wilson took the gamble of calling another general election. The gamble paid off, because this time Labour achieved a 96-seat majority [11] over the Conservatives, who the previous year had made Edward Heath their leader. Domestic affairs Economic policies In economic terms, Wilson's first three years in office were dominated by an ultimately doomed effort to stave off the devaluation of the pound. He inherited an unusually large external deficit on the balance of trade . This partly reflected the preceding government's expansive fiscal policy in the run-up to the 1964 election, and the incoming Wilson team tightened the fiscal stance in response. Many British economists advocated devaluation, but Wilson resisted, reportedly in part out of concern that Labour, which had previously devalued sterling in 1949, would become tagged as "the party of devaluation". In the latter half of 1967, however, an attempt was made to prevent the recession in activity from going too far in the form of a stimulus to consumer durable spending through an easing of credit, which in turn prevented a winter rise in unemployment. After a costly battle, market pressures forced the government into devaluation in 1967. Wilson was much criticised for a broadcast in which he assured listeners that the "pound in your pocket" had not lost its value. It was widely forgotten that his next sentence had been "prices will rise". Economic performance did show some improvement after the devaluation, as economists had predicted. The devaluation, with accompanying austerity measures, successfully restored the balance of payments to surplus by 1969. This unexpectedly turned into a small deficit again in 1970. The bad figures were announced just before polling in the 1970 general election , and are often cited as one of the reasons for Labour's defeat. A main theme of Wilson's economic approach was to place enhanced emphasis on "indicative economic planning ". He created a new Department of Economic Affairs to generate ambitious targets that were in themselves supposed to help stimulate investment and growth (the government also created a Ministry of Technology (shortened to Mintech) to support the modernisation of industry). The DEA itself was in part intended to serve as an expansionary counter-weight to what Labour saw as the conservative influence of the Treasury, though the appointment of Wilson's deputy, George Brown, as the Minister in charge of the DEA was something of a two-edged sword, in view of Brown's reputation for erratic conduct; in any case the government's decision over its first three years to defend sterling's parity with traditional deflationary measures ran counter to hopes for an expansionist push for growth. Though now out of fashion, the faith in indicative planning as a pathway to growth, embodied in the DEA and Mintech, was at the time by no means confined to the Labour Party – Wilson built on foundations that had been laid by his Conservative predecessors, in the shape, for example, of the National Economic Development Council (known as "Neddy") and its regional counterparts (the "little Neddies"). Government intervention in industry was greatly enhanced, with the National Economic Development Office greatly strengthened, with the number of "little Neddies" was increased, from eight in 1964 to twenty-one in 1970. The government's policy of selective economic intervention was later characterised by the establishment of a new super-ministry of technology, under Tony Benn . The continued relevance of industrial nationalisation (a centrepiece of the post-War Labour government's programme) had been a key point of contention in Labour's internal struggles of the 1950s and early 1960s. Wilson's predecessor as leader, Hugh Gaitskell , had tried in 1960 to tackle the controversy head-on, with a proposal to expunge Clause Four (the public ownership clause) from the party's constitution, but had been forced to climb down. Wilson took a characteristically more subtle approach. He threw the party's left wing a symbolic bone with the renationalisation of the steel industry, but otherwise left Clause Four formally in the constitution but in practice on the shelf. Wilson made periodic attempts to mitigate inflation through wage-price controls, better known in Britain as "prices and incomes policy " (as with indicative planning, such controls—though now generally out of favour – were widely adopted at that time by governments of different ideological complexions, including the Nixon administration in the United States). Partly as a result of this reliance, the government tended to find itself repeatedly injected into major industrial disputes, with late-night "beer and sandwiches at Number Ten" an almost routine culmination to such episodes. Among the most damaging of the numerous strikes during Wilson's periods in office was a six-week stoppage by the National Union of Seamen , beginning shortly after Wilson's re-election in 1966 , and conducted, he claimed, by "politically motivated men". With public frustration over strikes mounting, Wilson's government in 1969 proposed a series of changes to the legal basis for industrial relations (labour law), which were outlined in a White Paper " In Place of Strife " put forward by the Employment Secretary Barbara Castle . Following a confrontation with the Trades Union Congress , which strongly opposed the proposals, and internal dissent from Home Secretary James Callaghan , the government substantially backed-down from its intentions. The Heath government (1970-1974) introduced the Industrial Relations Act 1971 with many of the same ideas, but this was largely repealed by the post 1974 Labour government. Some elements of these changes were subsequently to be enacted (in modified form) during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher . Wilson's government made a variety of changes to the tax system. Largely under the influence of the Hungarian -born economists Nicholas Kaldor and Thomas Balogh , an idiosyncratic Selective Employment Tax (SET) was introduced that was designed to tax employment in the service sectors while subsidising employment in manufacturing (the rationale proposed by its economist authors derived largely from claims about potential economies of scale and technological progress, but Wilson in his memoirs stressed the tax's revenue-raising potential). The SET did not long survive the return of a Conservative government. Of longer term significance, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) was introduced across the UK on 6 April 1965. [12] Across his two periods in office, Wilson presided over significant increases in the overall tax burden in the UK. In 1974, three weeks after forming a new government, Wilson's new chancellor Denis Healey partially reversed the 1971 reduction in the top rate of tax from 90% to 75%, increasing it to 83% in his first budget, which came into law in April 1974. This applied to incomes over £20,000 (equivalent to £187,970 in 2015), [13] , and combined with a 15% surcharge on 'un-earned' income (investments and dividends) could add to a 98% marginal rate of personal income tax. In 1974, as many as 750,000 people were liable to pay the top-rate of income tax. [14] Labour's identification with high tax rates was to prove one of the issues that helped the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher and John Major dominate British politics during the 1980s and early-to-mid-1990s. Wilson had entered power at a time when unemployment stood at around 400,000. It still stood 371,000 by early 1966 after a steady fall during 1965, but by March 1967 it stood at 631,000. It fell again towards the end of the decade, standing at 582,000 by the time of the general election in June 1970. [16] Social issues A number of liberalising social reforms were passed through parliament during Wilson's first period in government. These dealt with the death penalty, homosexual acts, abortion, censorship and the voting age. There were new restrictions on immigration. Wilson personally, coming culturally from a provincial non-conformist background, showed no particular enthusiasm for much of this agenda. Education Education held special significance for a socialist of Wilson's generation, in view of its role in both opening up opportunities for children from working-class backgrounds and enabling Britain to seize the potential benefits of scientific advances. Under the first Wilson government, for the first time in British history, more money was allocated to education than to defence. Wilson continued the rapid creation of new universities, in line with the recommendations of the Robbins Report , a bipartisan policy already in train when Labour took power. Wilson promoted the concept of an Open University , to give adults who had missed out on tertiary education a second chance through part-time study and distance learning. His political commitment included assigning implementation responsibility to Baroness Lee , the widow of Aneurin Bevan . By 1981, 45,000 students had received degrees through the Open University. Money was also channelled into local-authority run colleges of education. Wilson's record on secondary education is, by contrast, highly controversial. Pressure grew for the abolition of the selective principle underlying the " eleven plus ", and replacement with Comprehensive schools which would serve the full range of children (see the article Debates on the grammar school ). Comprehensive education became Labour Party policy. From 1966 to 1970, the proportion of children in comprehensive schools increased from about 10% to over 30%. Labour pressed local authorities to convert grammar schools into comprehensives. Conversion continued on a large scale during the subsequent Conservative Heath administration, although the Secretary of State, Margaret Thatcher , ended the compulsion of local governments to convert. A major controversy that arose during Wilson's first government was the decision that the government could not fulfil its long-held promise to raise the school leaving age to 16, because of the investment required in infrastructure, such as extra classrooms and teachers. Overall, public expenditure on education rose as a proportion of GNP from 4.8% in 1964 to 5.9% in 1968, and the number of teachers in training increased by more than a third between 1964 and 1967. The percentage of students staying on at school after the age of sixteen increased similarly, and the student population increased by over 10% each year. Pupil-teacher ratios were also steadily reduced. As a result of the first Wilson government's educational policies, opportunities for working-class children were improved, while overall access to education in 1970 was broader than in 1964. As summarised by Brian Lapping, "The years 1964–70 were largely taken up with creating extra places in universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, colleges of education: preparing for the day when a new Act would make it the right of a student, on leaving school, to have a place in an institution of further education." In 1966, Wilson was created the first Chancellor of the newly created University of Bradford , a position he held until 1985. Housing Housing was a major policy area under the first Wilson government. During Wilson's time in office from 1964 to 1970, more new houses were built than in the last six years of the previous Conservative government. The proportion of council housing rose from 42% to 50% of the total, while the number of council homes built increased steadily, from 119,000 in 1964 to 133,000 in 1965 and to 142,000 in 1966. Allowing for demolitions, 1.3 million new homes were built between 1965 and 1970, To encourage home ownership, the government introduced the Option Mortgage Scheme (1968), which made low-income housebuyers eligible for subsidies (equivalent to tax relief on mortgage interest payments). This scheme had the effect of reducing housing costs for buyers on low incomes and enabling more people to become owner occupiers. [17] In addition, house owners were exempted from capital gains tax. Together with the Option Mortgage Scheme, this measure stimulated the private housing market. Significant emphasis was also placed on town planning, with new conservation areas introduced and a new generation of new towns built, notably Milton Keynes . The New Towns Acts of 1965 and 1968 together gave the government the authority (through its ministries) to designate any area of land as a site for a New Town . Social Services and welfare According to A.B. Atkinson , social security received much more attention from the first Wilson government than it did during the previous thirteen years of Conservative government. Following its victory in the 1964 general election , Wilson's government began to increase social benefits. Prescription charges for medicines were abolished immediately, while pensions were raised to a record 21% of average male industrial wages. In 1966, the system of National Assistance (a social assistance scheme for the poor) was overhauled and renamed Supplementary Benefit . The means test was replaced with a statement of income, and benefit rates for pensioners (the great majority of claimants) were increased, granting them a real gain in income. Before the 1966 election, the widow's pension was tripled. Due to austerity measures following an economic crisis, prescription charges were re-introduced in 1968 as an alternative to cutting the hospital building programme, although those sections of the population who were most in need (including supplementary benefit claimants, the long-term sick, children, and pensioners) were exempted from charges. The widow's earning rule was also abolished, while a range of new social benefits was introduced. An Act was passed which replaced National Assistance with Supplementary Benefits. The new Act laid down that people who satisfied its conditions were entitled to these noncontributory benefits. Unlike the National Assistance scheme, which operated like state charity for the worst-off, the new Supplementary Benefits scheme was a right of every citizen who found himself or herself in severe difficulties. Those persons over the retirement age with no means who were considered to be unable to live on the basic pension (which provided less than what the government deemed as necessary for subsistence) became entitled to a "long term" allowance of an extra few shillings a week. Some simplification of the procedure for claiming benefits was also introduced. From 1966, an exceptionally severe disablement allowance was added “for those claimants receiving constant attendance allowance which was paid to those with the higher or intermediate rates of constant attendance allowance and who were exceptionally severely disabled.” [18] Redundancy payments were introduced in 1965 to lessen the impact of unemployment, and earnings-related benefits for maternity, [19] unemployment, sickness, industrial injuries and widowhood were introduced in 1966, followed by the replacement of flat-rate family allowances with an earnings-related scheme in 1968. From July 1966 onwards, the temporary allowance for widow of severely disabled pensioners was extended from 13 to 26 weeks. [20] Increases were made in pensions and other benefits during Wilson's first year in office that were the largest ever real term increases carried out up until that point. Social security benefits were markedly increased during Wilson's first two years in office, as characterised by a budget passed in the final quarter of 1964 which raised the standard benefit rates for old age, sickness and invalidity by 18.5%. In 1965, the government increased the national assistance rate to a higher level relative to earnings, and via annual adjustments, broadly maintained the rate at between 19% and 20% of gross industrial earnings until the start of 1970. In the five years from 1964 up until the last increases made by the First Wilson Government, pensions went up by 23% in real terms, supplementary benefits by 26% in real terms, and sickness and unemployment benefits by 153% in real terms (largely as a result of the introduction of earnings-related benefits in 1967). Agriculture Under the First Wilson Government, subsidies for farmers were increased. [21] Farmers who wished to leave the land or retire became eligible for grants or annuities if their holdings were sold for approved amalgamations, and could receive those benefits whether they wished to remain in their farmhouses or not. A Small Farmers Scheme was also extended, and from 1 December 1965, 40,000 more farmers became eligible for the maximum £1,000 grant. New grants to agriculture also encouraged the voluntary pooling of smallholdings, and in cases where their land was purchased for non-commercial purposes, tenant-farmers could now receive double the previous "disturbance compensation." A Hill Land Improvement Scheme, introduced by the Agriculture Act of 1967, provided 50% grants for a wide range of land improvements, along with a supplementary 10% grant on drainage works benefitting hill land. [3] The Agriculture Act 1967 also provided grants to promote farm amalgamation and to compensate outgoers. [3] Health The proportion of GNP spent on the NHS rose from 4.2% in 1964 to about 5% in 1969. This additional expenditure provided for an energetic revival of a policy of building health centres for GPs, extra pay for doctors who served in areas particularly short of them, a significant growth in hospital staffing, and a significant increase in a hospital building programme. Far more money was spent each year on the NHS than under the 1951–64 Conservative governments, while much more effort was put into modernising and reorganising the health service. Stronger central and regional organisations were established for bulk purchase of hospital supplies, while some efforts were made to reduce inequalities in standards of care. In addition, the government increased the intake to medical schools. The 1966 Doctor's Charter introduced allowances for rent and ancillary staff, significantly increased the pay scales, and changed the structure of payments to reflect "both qualifications of doctors and the form of their practices, i.e. group practice." These changes not only led to higher morale, but also resulted in the increased use of ancillary staff and nursing attachments, a growth in the number of health centres and group practices, and a boost in the modernisation of practices in terms of equipment, appointment systems, and buildings. The charter introduced a new system of payment for GPs, with refunds for surgery, rents, and rates, to ensure that the costs of improving his surgery did not diminish the doctor's income, together with allowances for the greater part of ancillary staff costs. In addition, a Royal Commission on medical education was set up, partly to draw up ideas for training GPS (since these doctors, the largest group of all doctors in the country, had previously not received any special training, "merely being those who, at the end of their pre-doctoral courses, did not go on for further training in any speciality). In 1967, local authorities were empowered to provide family planning advice to any who requested it and to provide supplies free of charge. In addition, medical training was expanded following the Todd Report on medical education in 1968. [3] In addition, National Health expenditure rose from 4.2% of GNP in 1964 to 5% in 1969 and spending on hospital construction doubled. The Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 empowered local authorities to maintain workshops for the elderly either directly or via the agency of a voluntary body. A Health Advisory Service was later established to investigate and confront the problems of long-term psychiatric and mentally subnormal hospitals in the wave of numerous scandals . The Family Planning Act 1967 empowered local authorities to set up a family planning service with free advice and means-tested provision of contraceptive devices while the Clean Air Act 1968 extended powers to combat air pollution. More money was also allocated to hospitals treating the mentally ill. In addition, a Sports Council was set up to improve facilities. [3] Direct government expenditure on sports more than doubled from £0.9 million in 1964/65 to £2 million in 1967/68, while 11 regional Sports Councils had been set up by 1968. In Wales, five new health centres had been opened by 1968, whereas none had been opened from 1951 to 1964, while spending on health and welfare services in the region went up from £55.8 million in 1963/64 to £83.9 million in 1967/68. Workers The Industrial Training Act 1964 set up an Industrial Training Board to encourage training for people in work, and within 7 years there were “27 ITBs covering employers with some 15 million workers.” [3] From 1964 to 1968, the number of training places had doubled. The Docks and Harbours Act (1966) and the Dock Labour Scheme (1967) reorganised the system of employment in the docks in order to put an end to casual employment. The changes made to the Dock Labour Scheme in 1967 ensured a complete end to casual labour on the docks, effectively giving workers the security of jobs for life. [3] Trade unions also benefited from the passage of the Trade Dispute Act 1965. This restored the legal immunity of trade union officials, thus ensuring that they could no longer be sued for threatening to strike. The First Wilson Government also encouraged married women to return to teaching and improved Assistance Board Concessionary conditions for those teaching part-time, “by enabling them to qualify for pension rights and by formulating a uniform scale of payment throughout the country." Soon after coming into office, midwives and nurses were given an 11% pay increase, and according to one MP, nurses also benefited from the largest pay rise they had received in a generation. [4] In May 1966, Wilson announced 30% pay rises for doctors and dentists - a move which did not prove popular with unions, as the national pay policy at the time was for rises of between 3% and 3.5%. [4] Much needed improvements were made in junior hospital doctors' salaries. From 1959 to 1970, while the earnings of manual workers increased by 75%, the salaries of registrars more than doubled while those of house officers more than trebled. Most of these improvements, such as for nurses, came in the pay settlements of 1970. On a limited scale, reports by the National Board for Prices and Incomes encouraged incentive payments schemes to be development in local government and elsewhere. In February 1969, the government accepted an "above the ceiling" increase for farmworkers, a low-paid group. Some groups of professional workers, such as nurses, teachers, and doctors, gained substantial awards. Transport The Travel Concessions Act of 1964, one of the first Acts passed by the First Wilson Government, provided concessions to all pensioners travelling on buses operated by municipal transport authorities. [4] The Transport Act 1968 established the principle of government grants for transport authorities if uneconomic passenger services were justified on social grounds. A National Freight Corporation was also established to provide integrated rail freight and road services. Public expenditure on roads steadily increased and stricter safety precautions were introduced, such as the breathalyser test for drunken driving, under the 1967 Road Traffic Act. The Transport Act gave a much needed financial boost to British Rail , treating them like they were a company which had become bankrupt but could now, under new management, carry on debt-free. The act also established a national freight corporation and introduced government rail subsidies for passenger transport on the same basis as existing subsidies for roads to enable local authorities to improve public transport in their areas. The road building programme was also expanded, with capital expenditure increased to 8% of GDP, "the highest level achieved by any post-war government". Central government expenditure on roads went up from £125 million in 1963/64 to £225 million in 1967/68, while a number of road safety regulations were introduced, covering seat belts, lorry drivers’ hours, car and lorry standards, and an experimental 70 mile per hour speed limit. In Scotland, spending on trunk roads went up from £6.8 million in 1963/64 to £15.5 million in 1966/67, while in Wales, spending on Welsh roads went up from £21.2 million in 1963/64 to £31.4 million in 1966/67. Regional development Encouragement of regional development was given increased attention under the First Wilson Government, with the aim of narrowing economic dispratiies between the various regions. A policy was introduced in 1965 whereby any new government organisation should be established outside London and in 1967 the government decided to give preference to development areas. A few government departments were also moved out of London, with the Royal Mint moved to South Wales , the Giro and Inland Revenue to Bootle , and the Motor Tax Office to Swansea . A new Special Development Status was also introduced in 1967 to provide even higher levels of assistance. In 1966, five development areas (covering half the population in the UK) were established, while subsidies were provided for employers recruiting new employees in the Development Areas. A Highlands and Islands Development Board was also set up to “re-invigorate” the north of Scotland. The Industrial Development Act 1966 changed the name of Development Districts (parts of the country with higher levels of unemployment than the national average and which governments sought to encourage greater investment in) to Development Areas and increased the percentage of the workforce covered by development schemes from 15% to 20%, which mainly affected rural areas in Scotland and Wales . Tax allowances were replaced by grants in order to extend coverage to include firms which were not making a profit, and in 1967 a Regional Employment Premium was introduced. Whereas the existing schemes tended to favour capital-intensive projects, this aimed for the first time at increasing employment in depressed areas. Set at £1.50 a man per week and guaranteed for seven years, the Regional Employment Premium subsidised all manufacturing industry (though not services) in Development Areas. Regional unemployment differentials were narrowed, and spending on regional infrastructure was significantly increased. Between 1965–66 and 1969–70, yearly expenditure on new construction (including power stations, roads, schools, hospitals and housing) rose by 41% in the United Kingdom as a whole. Subsidies were also provided for various industries (such as shipbuilding in Clydeside ), which helped to prevent a number of job losses. It is estimated that, between 1964 and 1970, 45,000 government jobs were created outside London, 21,000 of which were located in the Development Areas. The Local Employment Act, passed in March 1970, embodied the government's proposals for assistance to 54 "intermediate" employment exchange areas not classified as full "development" areas. Funds allocated to regional assistance more than doubled, from £40 million in 1964/65 to £82 million in 1969/70, and from 1964 to 1970, the number of factories completed was 50% higher than from 1960 to 1964, which helped to reduce unemployment in development areas. In 1970, the unemployment rate in development areas was 1.67 times the national average, compared to 2.21 times in 1964. Although national rates of unemployment were higher in 1970 than in the early 1960s, unemployment rates in the development areas were lower and had not increased for three years. Altogether, the impact of the first Wilson government's regional development policies was such that, according to one historian, the period 1963 to 1970 represented "the most prolonged, most intensive, and most successful attack ever launched on regional problems in Britain." Urban renewal A number of subsidies were allocated to local authorities faced with acute areas of severe poverty (or other social problems). The Housing Act 1969 provided local authorities with the duty of working out what to do about 'unsatisfactory areas'. Local authorities could declare 'general improvement areas' in which they would be able to buy up land and houses, and spend environmental improvement grants. On the same basis, taking geographical areas of need, a package was developed by the government which resembled a miniature poverty programme. In July 1967, the government decided to pour money into what the Plowden Committee defined as Educational Priority Areas, poverty-stricken areas where children were environmentally deprived. A number of poor inner-city areas were subsequently granted EPA status (despite concerns that Local Education Authorities would be unable to finance Educational Priority Areas). From 1968 to 1970, 150 new schools were built under the educational priority programme. International development A new Ministry of Overseas Development was established, with its greatest success at the time being the introduction of interest-free loans for the poorest countries. The Minister of Overseas Development, Barbara Castle , set a standard in interest relief on loans to developing nations which resulted in changes to the loan policies of many donor countries, "a significant shift in the conduct of rich white nations to poor brown ones." Loans were introduced to developing countries on terms that were more favourable to them than those given by governments of all other developed countries at that time. In addition, Castle was instrumental in setting up an Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex to devise ways of tackling global socio-economic inequalities. Overseas aid, however, bore a major brunt of the austerity measures introduced by the first Wilson government in its last few years in office, with British aid as a percentage of GNP falling from 0.53% in 1964 to 0.39% in 1969. Taxation Various changes were also made to the tax system which benefited workers on low and middle incomes. Married couples with low incomes benefited from the increases in the single personal allowance and marriage allowance. In 1965, the regressive allowance for national insurance contributions was abolished and the single personal allowance, marriage allowance and wife's earned income relief were increased. These allowances were further increased in the tax years 1969–70 and 1970–71. Increases in the age exemption and dependant relative's income limits benefited the low-income elderly. In 1967, new tax concessions were introduced for widows. [30] Increases were made in some of the minor allowances in the 1969 Finance Act, notably the additional personal allowance, the age exemption and age relief and the dependent relative limit. Apart from the age relief, further adjustments in these concessions were implemented in 1970. 1968 saw the introduction of aggregation of the investment income of unmarried minors with the income of their parents. According to Michael Meacher, this change put an end to a previous inequity whereby two families, in otherwise identical circumstances, paid differing amounts of tax "simply because in one case the child possessed property transferred to it by a grandparent, while in the other case the grandparent's identical property was inherited by the parent." In the 1969 budget, income tax was abolished for about 1 million of the lowest paid and reduced for a further 600,000 people, while in the government's last budget (introduced in 1970), two million small taxpayers were exempted from paying any income tax altogether. [4] Liberal reforms A wide range of liberal measures were introduced during Wilson's time in office. The Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970 made provision for the welfare of children whose parents were about to divorce or be judicially separated, with courts (for instance) granted wide powers to order financial provision for children in the form of maintenance payments made by either parent. This legislation allowed courts to order provision for either spouse and recognised the contribution to the joint home made during marriage. That same year, spouses were given an equal share of household assets following divorce via the Matrimonial Property Act. The Race Relations Act 1968 was also extended in 1968 and in 1970 the Equal Pay Act 1970 was passed. Another important reform, the 1967 Welsh Language Act, granted 'equal validity' to the declining Welsh language and encouraged its revival. Government expenditure was also increased on both sport and the arts. The Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969, passed in response to the Aberfan tragedy, made provision for preventing disused tips from endangering members of the public. [4] In 1967, corporal punishment in borstals and prisons was abolished. [4] 7 regional associations were established to develop the arts, and government expenditure on cultural activities rose from £7.7 million in 1964/64 to £15.3 million in 1968/69. A Criminal Injuries Compensation Board was also set up, which had paid out over £2 million to victims of criminal violence by 1968. The Commons Registration Act 1965 provided for the registration of all common land and village greens , whilst under the Countryside Act 1968, local authorities could provide facilities "for enjoyment of such lands to which the public has access". The Family Provision Act 1966 amended a series of pre-existing estate laws mainly related to persons who died interstate. The legislation increased the amount that could be paid of surviving spouses if a will hadn't been left, and also expanded upon the jurisdiction of county courts, which were given the jurisdiction of high courts under certain circumstances when handling matters of estate. The rights of adopted children were also improved with certain wording changed in the Inheritance (Family Provision) Act 1938 to bestow upon them the same rights as natural-born children. In 1968, the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act 1948 was updated to include more categories of childminders. A year later, the Family Law Reform Act 1969 was passed, which allowed people born outside marriage to inherit on the intestacy of either parent. [33] In 1967, homosexuality was decriminalised by the passage of the Sexual Offences Act. The First Wilson Government also introduced a thirty-year rule for access to public records, replacing a previous fifty-year rule. Record on income distribution Despite the economic difficulties faced by the first Wilson government, it succeeded in maintaining low levels of unemployment and inflation during its time in office. Unemployment was kept below 2.7%, and inflation for much of the 1960s remained below 4%. Living standards generally improved, while public spending on housing, social security, transport, research, education and health went up by an average of more than 6% between 1964 and 1970. The average household grew steadily richer, with the number of cars in the United Kingdom rising from one to every 6.4 persons to one for every five persons in 1968, representing a net increase of three million cars on the road. The rise in the standard of living was also characterised by increased ownership of various consumer durables from 1964 to 1969, as demonstrated by television sets (from 88% to 90%), refrigerators (from 39% to 59%), and washing machines (from 54% to 64%). By 1970, income in Britain was more equally distributed than in 1964, mainly because of increases in cash benefits, including family allowances. According to one historian, "In its commitment to social services and public welfare, the Wilson government put together a record unmatched by any subsequent administration, and the mid-sixties are justifiably seen as the 'golden age' of the welfare state". As noted by Ben Pimlott , the gap between those on lowest incomes and the rest of the population "had been significantly reduced" under Wilson's first government. The first Wilson government thus saw the distribution of income became more equal, while reductions in poverty took place. These achievements were mainly brought about by several increases in social welfare benefits, such as supplementary benefit, pensions and family allowances, the latter of which were doubled between 1964 and 1970 (although most of the increase in family allowances did not come about until 1968). A new system of rate rebates was introduced, which benefited one million households by the end of the 1960s. Increases in national insurance benefits in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1969 ensured that those dependant on state benefits saw their disposable incomes rise faster than manual wage earners, while income differentials between lower income and higher income workers were marginally narrowed. Greater progressivity was introduced in the tax system, with greater emphasis on direct (income-based) as opposed to indirect (typically expenditure-based) taxation as a means of raising revenue, with the amount raised by the former increasing twice as much as that of the latter. Also, in spite of an increase in unemployment, the poor improved their share of the national income while that of the rich was slightly reduced. Despite various cutbacks after 1966, expenditure on services such as education and health was still much higher as a proportion of national wealth than in 1964. In addition, by raising taxes to pay their reforms, the government paid careful attention to the principle of redistribution, with disposable incomes rising for the lowest paid while falling amongst the wealthiest during its time in office. Between 1964 and 1968, benefits in kind were significantly progressive, in that over the period those in the lower half of the income scale benefited more than those in the upper half. On average those receiving state benefits benefited more in terms of increases in real disposable income than the average manual worker or salaried employee between 1964 and 1969. From 1964 to 1969, low-wage earners did substantially better than other sections of the population. In 1969, a married couple with two children were 11.5% per cent richer in real terms, while for a couple with three children, the corresponding increase was 14.5%, and for a family with four children, 16.5%. [34] From 1965 to 1968, the income of single pensioner households as a percentage of other one adult households rose from 48.9% to 52.5%. For two pensioner households, the equivalent increase was from 46.8% to 48.2%. In addition, mainly as a result of big increases in cash benefits, unemployed persons and large families gained more in terms of real disposable income than the rest of the population during Wilson's time in office. As noted by Paul Whiteley, pensions, sickness, unemployment, and supplementary benefits went up more in real terms under the First Wilson Government than under the preceding Conservative administration: “To compare the Conservative period of office with the Labour period, we can use the changes in benefits per year as a rough estimate of comparative performance. For the Conservatives and Labour respectively increases in supplementary benefits per year were 3.5 and 5.2 percentage points, for sickness and unemployment benefits 5.8 and 30.6 percentage points, for pensions 3.8 and 4.6, and for family allowances -1.2 and -2.6. Thus the poor, the retired, the sick and the unemployed did better in real terms under Labour than they did under Conservatives, and families did worse.” Between 1964 and 1968, cash benefits rose as a percentage of income for all households but more so for poorer than for wealthier households. As noted by the economist Michael Stewart, "it seems indisputable that the high priority the Labour Government gave to expenditure on education and the health service had a favourable effect on income distribution." For a family with two children in the income range £676 to £816 per annum, cash benefits rose from 4% of income in 1964 to 22% in 1968, compared with a change from 1% to 2% for a similar family in the income range £2,122 to £2,566 over the same period. For benefits in kind the changes over the same period for similar families were from 21% to 29% for lower income families and from 9% to 10% for higher income families. When taking into account all benefits, taxes and Government expenditures on social services, the first Wilson government succeeded in bringing about a reduction in income inequality. As noted by the historian Kenneth O. Morgan , "In the long term, therefore, fortified by increases in supplementary and other benefits under the Crossman regime in 1968–70, the welfare state had made some impact, almost by inadvertence, on social inequality and the maldistribution of real income". Public expenditure as a percentage of GDP rose significantly under the 1964–1970 Labour government, from 34% in 1964–65 to nearly 38% of GDP by 1969–70, whilst expenditure on social services rose from 16% of national income in 1964 to 23% by 1970. These measures had a major impact on the living standards of low-income Britons, with disposable incomes rising faster for low-income groups than for high-income groups during the course of the 1960s. When measuring disposable income after taxation but including benefits, the total disposable income of those on the highest incomes fell by 33%, whilst the total disposable income of those on the lowest incomes rose by 104%. As noted by one historian, "the net effect of Labour's financial policies was indeed to make the rich poorer and the poor richer". External affairs Europe Among the more challenging political dilemmas Wilson faced was the issue of British membership of the European Community , the forerunner of the present European Union. An entry attempt was vetoed in 1963 by French President Charles de Gaulle . The Labour Party in Opposition had been divided on the issue, with former party leader Hugh Gaitskell having come out in 1962 in opposition to Britain joining the Community. After initially hesitating over the issue, Wilson's Government in May 1967 lodged the UK's second application to join the European Community. It was vetoed by de Gaulle in November 1967. [35] After De Gaulle lost power, Conservative prime minister Edward Heath negotiated Britain's admission to the EC in 1973. Wilson in opposition showed political ingenuity in devising a position that both sides of the party could agree on, opposing the terms negotiated by Heath but not membership in principle. Labour's 1974 manifesto included a pledge to renegotiate terms for Britain's membership and then hold a referendum on whether to stay in the EC on the new terms. This was a constitutional procedure without precedent in British history. Following Wilson's return to power, the renegotiations with Britain's fellow EC members were carried out by Wilson himself in tandem with Foreign Secretary James Callaghan , and they toured the capital cities of Europe meeting their European counterparts. The discussions focused primarily on Britain's net budgetary contribution to the EC. As a small agricultural producer heavily dependent on imports, Britain suffered doubly from the dominance of: (i) agricultural spending in the EC budget , (ii) agricultural import taxes as a source of EC revenues . During the renegotiations, other EEC members conceded, as a partial offset, the establishment of a significant European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), from which it was clearly agreed that Britain would be a major net beneficiary. In the subsequent referendum campaign, rather than the normal British tradition of "collective responsibility", under which the government takes a policy position which all cabinet members are required to support publicly, members of the Government were free to present their views on either side of the question. The electorate voted on 5 June 1975 to continue membership, by a substantial majority. [36] Asia American military involvement in Vietnam escalated continuously from 1964 to 1968 and President Lyndon Johnson brought pressure to bear for at least a token involvement of British military units. Wilson consistently avoided any commitment of British forces, giving as reasons British military commitments to the Malayan Emergency and British co-chairmanship of the 1954 Geneva Conference . [37] His government offered some rhetorical support for the US position (most prominently in the defence offered by the Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart in a much-publicised " teach-in " or debate on Vietnam). On at least one occasion the British government made an unsuccessful effort to mediate in the conflict, with Wilson discussing peace proposals with Alexei Kosygin , the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers . On 28 June 1966 Wilson 'dissociated' his Government from American bombing of the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. In his memoirs, Wilson writes of "selling LBJ a bum steer ", a reference to Johnson's Texas roots, which conjured up images of cattle and cowboys in British minds. Part of the price paid by Wilson after talks with President Johnson in June 1967 for US assistance with the UK economy was his agreement to maintain a military presence East of Suez . In July 1967 Defence Secretary Denis Healey announced that Britain would abandon her mainland bases East of Suez by 1977, although airmobile forces would be retained which could if necessary be deployed in the region. Shortly afterward, in January 1968, Wilson announced that the proposed timetable for this withdrawal was to be accelerated, and that British forces were to be withdrawn from Singapore, Malaysia, and the Persian Gulf by the end of 1971. [5] Wilson was known for his strong pro- Israel views. He was a particular friend of Israeli Premier Golda Meir , though her tenure largely coincided with Wilson's 1970–1974 hiatus. Another associate was West German Chancellor Willy Brandt ; all three were members of the Socialist International . [5] Africa The British "retreat from Empire" had made headway by 1964 and was to continue during Wilson's administration. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland came to present serious problems. Southern Rhodesia, which had been the economic powerhouse of the Federation, was not granted independence, principally because Wilson refused to grant independence to the white minority government headed by Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith which not willing to extend unqualified voting rights to the native African population. Smith's defiant response was a Unilateral Declaration of Independence , on 11 November 1965. Wilson's immediate recourse was to the United Nations, and in 1965, the Security Council imposed sanctions, which were to last until official independence in 1979. This involved British warships blockading the port of Beira to try to cause economic collapse in Rhodesia. Wilson was applauded by most nations for taking a firm stand on the issue (and none extended diplomatic recognition to the Smith régime). A number of nations did not join in with sanctions, undermining their efficiency. Certain sections of public opinion started to question their efficacy, and to demand the toppling of the régime by force. Wilson declined to intervene in Rhodesia with military force, believing the British population would not support such action against their "kith and kin". The two leaders met for discussions aboard British warships, Tiger in 1966 and Fearless in 1968. Smith subsequently attacked Wilson in his memoirs, accusing him of delaying tactics during negotiations and alleging duplicity; Wilson responded in kind, questioning Smith's good faith and suggesting that Smith had moved the goal-posts whenever a settlement appeared in sight. The matter was still unresolved at the time of Wilson's resignation in 1976. Defeat and return to opposition, 1970–74 By 1969, the Labour Party was suffering serious electoral reverses, and by the turn of 1970 had lost a total of 16 seats in by-elections since the previous general election. [5] By 1970, the economy was showing signs of improvement, and by May that year, Labour had overtaken the Conservatives in the opinion polls. [5] Wilson responded to this apparent recovery in his government's popularity by calling a general election, but, to the surprise of most observers, was defeated at the polls by the Conservatives under Heath. Wilson survived as leader of the Labour party in opposition. In the summer of 1973, holidaying on the Isles of Scilly , he tried to board a motor boat from a dinghy and stepped into the sea. He was unable to get into the boat and was left in the cold water, hanging on to the fenders of the motor boat. He was close to death before he was saved by passers by. The incident was taken up by the press and resulted in some embarrassment for Wilson; his press secretary, Joe Haines , tried to deflect some of the comment by blaming Wilson's dog for the problem. Economic conditions during the 1970s were becoming more difficult for Britain and many other western economies as a result of the ending of the Bretton Woods Agreement and the 1973 oil shock , and the Heath government in its turn was buffeted by economic adversity and industrial unrest (notably including confrontation with the coalminers which led to the Three-Day Week ) towards the end of 1973, and on 7 February 1974 (with the crisis still ongoing) Heath called a snap election for 28 February. [5] Second term as Prime Minister (1974–76) Labour won more seats (though fewer votes) than the Conservative Party in the General Election in February 1974, which resulted in a hung parliament . As Heath was unable to persuade the Liberals to form a coalition , Wilson returned to 10 Downing Street on 4 March 1974 as Prime Minister of a minority Labour Government. He gained a three-seat majority in another election later that year , on 10 October 1974. One of the key issues addressed during his second period in office was the referendum on British membership of the EEC (see Europe , above). Domestic affairs The Second Wilson Government made a major commitment to the expansion of the British welfare state, with increased spending on education, health, and housing rents. To pay for it, it imposed controls and raised taxes on the rich. It partially reversed the 1971 reduction in the top rate of tax from 90% to 75%, increasing it to 83% in the first budget from new chancellor Denis Healey, which came into law in April 1974. Also implemented was an investment income surcharge which raised the top rate on investment income to 98%, the highest level since the Second World War. Despite its achievements in social policy, however, Wilson's government came under scrutiny in 1975 for the rise in the unemployment rate, with the total number of Britons out of work passing 1,000,000 by April of that year. [5] Northern Ireland Wilson's earlier government had witnessed the outbreak of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. In response to a request from the Government of Northern Ireland , Wilson agreed to deploy the British Army in August 1969 in an effort to restore the peace. Out of office in the autumn of 1971, Wilson formulated a 16-point, 15-year programme that was designed to pave the way for the unification of Ireland. The proposal was not adopted by the then Heath government. [5] In May 1974, when back in office as leader of a minority government, Wilson condemned the Unionist -controlled Ulster Workers Council Strike as a " sectarian strike", which was "being done for sectarian purposes having no relation to this century but only to the seventeenth century". However he refused to pressure a reluctant British Army to face down the loyalist paramilitaries who were intimidating utility workers. In a televised speech later, he referred to the loyalist strikers and their supporters as "spongers" who expected Britain to pay for their lifestyles. The strike was eventually successful in breaking the power-sharing Northern Ireland executive. On 11 September 2008, BBC Radio Four's Document programme claimed to have unearthed a secret plan – codenamed Doomsday – which proposed to cut all of the United Kingdom's constitutional ties with Northern Ireland and transform the province into an independent dominion. Document went on to claim that the Doomsday plan was devised mainly by Wilson and was kept a closely guarded secret. The plan then allegedly lost momentum, due in part, it was claimed, to warnings made by both the then Foreign Secretary, James Callaghan, and the then Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Garret FitzGerald who admitted the 12,000-strong Irish army would be unable to deal with the ensuing civil war. [5] In 1975 Wilson secretly offered Libya's dictator Muammar Gaddafi £14 million (£500 million in 2009 values) to stop arming the IRA, but Gaddafi demanded a far greater sum of money. [5] [5] This offer did not become publicly known until 2009. Resignation On 16 March 1976, Wilson announced his resignation as Prime Minister (taking effect on 5 April 1976). He claimed that he had always planned on resigning at the age of 60, and that he was physically and mentally exhausted. As early as the late 1960s, he had been telling intimates, like his doctor Sir Joseph Stone (later Lord Stone of Hendon ), that he did not intend to serve more than eight or nine years as Prime Minister. Roy Jenkins has suggested that Wilson may have been motivated partly by the distaste for politics felt by his loyal and long-suffering wife, Mary. [7] His doctor had detected problems which would later be diagnosed as colon cancer , and Wilson had begun drinking brandy during the day to cope with stress. [2] In addition, by 1976 he might already have been aware of the first stages of early-onset Alzheimer's disease , which was to cause both his formerly excellent memory and his powers of concentration to fail dramatically. [47] Queen Elizabeth II came to dine at 10 Downing Street to mark his resignation, an honour she has bestowed on only one other Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill . Wilson's Prime Minister's Resignation Honours included many businessmen and celebrities, along with his political supporters. His choice of appointments caused lasting damage to his reputation, worsened by the suggestion that the first draft of the list had been written by his political secretary Marcia Williams on lavender notepaper (it became known as the "Lavender List"). Roy Jenkins noted that Wilson's retirement "was disfigured by his, at best, eccentric resignation honours list, which gave peerages or knighthoods to some adventurous business gentlemen, several of whom were close neither to him nor to the Labour Party." [48] Some of those whom Wilson honoured included Lord Kagan , the inventor of Gannex, who was eventually imprisoned for fraud, and Sir Eric Miller , who later committed suicide while under police investigation for corruption. Six candidates stood in the first ballot to replace him, in order of votes they were: Michael Foot , James Callaghan , Roy Jenkins , Tony Benn , Denis Healey and Anthony Crosland . In the third ballot on 5 April, Callaghan defeated Foot in a parliamentary vote of 176 to 137, thus becoming Wilson's successor as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, and he continued to serve as Prime Minister until May 1979, when Labour lost the general election to the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister. As Wilson wished to remain an MP after leaving office, he was not immediately given the peerage customarily offered to retired Prime Ministers, but instead was created a Knight of the Garter . On leaving the House of Commons after the 1983 general election he was created Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, after Rievaulx Abbey , in the north of his native Yorkshire. Retirement and death, 1983–95 Shortly after resigning as Prime Minister, Wilson was signed by David Frost to host a series of interview/chat show programmes. The pilot episode proved to be a flop as Wilson appeared uncomfortable with the informality of the format. Wilson also hosted two editions of the BBC chat show Friday Night, Saturday Morning . He famously floundered in the role, and in 2000, Channel 4 chose one of his appearances as one of the 100 Moments of TV Hell. Wilson also coined the name of charity War on Want . [49] A lifelong Gilbert and Sullivan fan, in 1975, Wilson joined the Board of Trustees of the D'Oyly Carte Trust at the invitation of Sir Hugh Wontner , who was then the Lord Mayor of London . At Christmas 1978, Wilson appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special. Eric Morecambe 's habit of appearing not to recognise the guest stars was repaid by Wilson, who referred to him throughout as 'Morry-camby' (the mis-pronunciation of Morecambe's name made by Ed Sullivan when the pair appeared on his famous American television show). Wilson appeared on the show again in 1980. Wilson was not especially active in the House of Lords, although he did initiate a debate on unemployment in May 1984. [50] His last speech was in a debate on marine pilotage in 1986, when he commented as an elder brother of Trinity House . [51] In the same year, he played himself as Prime Minister in an Anglia Television drama, "Inside Story". [53] He continued regularly attending the House of Lords until just over a year before his death; the last sitting he attended was on 27 April 1994. Wilson died from colon cancer and Alzheimer's disease in May 1995, aged 79. His death came mere months before the death of his predecessor, Alec Douglas-Home . His memorial service was held in Westminster Abbey on 13 July 1995. It was attended by Prince Charles , former Prime Ministers Edward Heath , James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher , then Prime Minister John Major and future Prime Minister Tony Blair . Wilson was buried at St Mary's Old Church, St. Mary's on the Isles of Scilly on 6 June. His epitaph is Tempus Imperator Rerum (Time the Commander of All Things). Political style Wilson regarded himself as a "man of the people" and did much to promote this image, contrasting himself with the stereotypical aristocratic conservatives who had preceded him. Features of this portrayal included his working man's Gannex raincoat, his pipe (the British Pipesmokers' Council voted him Pipe Smoker of the Year in 1965 and Pipeman of the Decade in 1976, though in private he smoked cigars), his love of simple cooking and fondness for popular British relish HP Sauce , and his support for his home town's football team, Huddersfield Town . [54] His speech showed a Yorkshire accent at times. Eschewing continental holidays, he returned every summer with his family to the Isles of Scilly . His first general election victory relied heavily on associating these down-to-earth attributes with a sense that the UK urgently needed to modernise, after "thirteen years of Tory mis-rule ...". These characteristics were exaggerated in Private Eye's satirical column " Mrs Wilson's Diary ". Wilson exhibited his populist touch in June 1965 when he had the Beatles honoured with the award of MBE (such awards are officially bestowed by The Queen but are nominated by the Prime Minister of the day). The award was popular with young people and contributed to a sense that the Prime Minister was "in touch" with the younger generation. There were some protests by conservatives and elderly members of the military who were earlier recipients of the award, but such protesters were in the minority. Critics claimed that Wilson acted to solicit votes for the next general election (which took place less than a year later), but defenders noted that, since the minimum voting age at that time was 21, this was hardly likely to impact many of the Beatles' fans who at that time were predominantly teenagers. It cemented Wilson's image as a modernistic leader and linked him to the burgeoning pride in the 'New Britain' typified by the Beatles. The Beatles mentioned Wilson rather negatively, naming both him and his opponent Edward Heath in George Harrison 's song " Taxman ", the opener to 1966's Revolver —recorded and released after the MBEs. In 1967, Wilson had a different interaction with a musical ensemble. He sued the pop group the Move for libel after the band's manager Tony Secunda published a promotional postcard for the single " Flowers in the Rain ", featuring a caricature depicting Wilson in bed with his female assistant, Marcia Williams . Gossip had hinted at an improper relationship, though these rumours were never substantiated. Wilson won the case, and all royalties from the song (composed by Move leader Roy Wood ) were assigned in perpetuity to a charity of Wilson's choosing. Wilson coined the term ' Selsdon Man ' to refer to the anti-interventionist policies of the Conservative leader Edward Heath , developed at a policy retreat held at the Selsdon Park Hotel in early 1970. This phrase, intended to evoke the 'primitive throwback' qualities of anthropological discoveries such as Piltdown Man and Swanscombe Man , was part of a British political tradition of referring to political trends by suffixing 'man'. Other memorable phrases attributed to Wilson include "the white heat of the [technological] revolution", and "a week is a long time in politics", meaning that political fortunes can change extremely rapidly. In his broadcast after the 1967 devaluation of the pound, Wilson said: "This does not mean that the pound here in Britain – in your pocket or purse – is worth any less ...", and the phrase "the pound in your pocket" subsequently took on a life of its own. Reputation Despite his successes and one-time popularity, Harold Wilson's reputation took a long time to recover from the low ebb reached immediately following his second premiership. Some accuse him of undue deviousness, some claim he did not do enough to modernise the Labour Party's policy positions on issues such as the respective roles of the state and the market or the reform of industrial relations. This line of argument partly blames Wilson for the civil unrest of the late 1970s (during Britain's Winter of Discontent ), and for the electoral success of the Conservative party and its ensuing 18-year rule. His supporters argue that Wilson's skilful management (on issues such as nationalisation, Europe and Vietnam) allowed an otherwise fractious party to stay politically united and govern. This co-existence did not long survive his leadership, and the factionalism that followed contributed greatly to the Labour Party's electoral weakness during the 1980s. The reinvention of the Labour Party would take the better part of two decades, at the hands of Neil Kinnock , John Smith and – electorally, most conclusively – Tony Blair . In 1964, when Wilson took office, the mainstream of informed opinion (in all the main political parties, in academia and the media, etc.) strongly favoured the type of technocratic, " indicative planning " approach that Wilson endeavoured to implement. Radical market-orientated reforms, of the kind eventually adopted by Margaret Thatcher , were in the mid-1960s backed only by a 'fringe' of enthusiasts (such as the leadership of the later-influential Institute of Economic Affairs ), and had almost no representation at senior levels even of the Conservative Party. Fifteen years later, disillusionment with Britain's weak economic performance and troubled industrial relations, combined with active spadework by figures such as Sir Keith Joseph , had helped to make a radical market programme politically feasible for Thatcher (which was in turn to influence the subsequent Labour leadership, especially under Blair). An opinion poll in September 2011 found that Wilson came in third place when respondents were asked to name the best post-war Labour Party leader. He was beaten only by John Smith and Tony Blair. [56] Possible plots and conspiracy theories in 2009 historian Christopher Andrew’s official history of MI5, Defend the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 included a chapter (section E part 4) specifically debunking the idea that there was any plot against Wilson in the 1970s. [6] Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher told the House of Commons on 6 May 1987: The Director General of the Security Service has reported to me that, over the last four months, he has conducted a thorough investigation into all these stories, taking account of the earlier allegations and of the other material given recent currency. There has been a comprehensive examination of all the papers relevant to that time. There have been interviews with officers in post in the relevant parts of the Security Service at that time, including officers whose names have been made public. The Director General has advised me that he has found no evidence of any truth in the allegations. He has given me his personal assurance that the stories are false. In particular, he has advised me that all the Security Service officers who have been interviewed have categorically denied that they were involved in, or were aware of, any activities or plans to undermine or discredit Lord Wilson and his Government when he was Prime Minister. The then Director General has categorically denied the allegation that he confirmed the existence within the Security Service of a disaffected faction with extreme right wing views. He has further stated that he had no reason to believe that any such faction existed. No evidence or indication has been found of any plot or conspiracy against Lord Wilson by or within the Security Service. [6] [6] In 1963, Soviet defector Anatoliy Golitsyn is said to have secretly claimed that Wilson was a KGB agent. The majority of intelligence officers did not believe that Golitsyn was credible in this and various other claims, but a significant number did (most prominently James Jesus Angleton , Deputy Director of Operations for Counter-Intelligence at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency ) and factional strife broke out between the two groups. Former MI5 officer Peter Wright claimed in his memoirs, Spycatcher , that 30 MI5 agents then collaborated in an attempt to undermine Wilson. He retracted that claim, saying there was only one man. [6] In March 1987, James Miller, a former agent, claimed that the Ulster Workers Council Strike of 1974 had been promoted by MI5 in order to help destabilise Wilson's government. [6] In July 1987, Labour MP Ken Livingstone used his maiden speech to raise the 1975 allegations of a former Army Press officer in Northern Ireland, Colin Wallace , who also alleged a plot to destabilise Wilson. Chris Mullin , MP, speaking on 23 November 1988, argued that sources other than Peter Wright supported claims of a long-standing attempt by MI5 to undermine Wilson's government. [6] In 2009, The Defence of the Realm, the authorised history of MI5 by Christopher Andrew , held that while MI5 kept a file on Wilson from 1945, when he became an MP – because communist civil servants claimed that he had similar political sympathies – there was no bugging of his home or office, and no conspiracy against him. [6] In 2010 newspaper reports made detailed allegations that the bugging of 10 Downing Street had been omitted from the history for "wider public interest reasons". In 1963 on Macmillan's orders following the Profumo Affair, MI5 bugged the cabinet room, the waiting room, and the prime minister's study until the devices were removed in 1977 on Callaghan's orders. From the records it is unclear if Wilson or Heath knew of the bugging, and no recorded conversations were retained by MI5 so possibly the bugs were never activated. [6] Professor Andrew had previously recorded in the preface of the history that "One significant excision as a result of these requirements (in the chapter on The Wilson Plot) is, I believe, hard to justify" giving credence to these new allegations. [6] Honours Wilson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1969 under Statute 12 of the Society's regulations, which covers people who have rendered conspicuous service to the cause of science or are such that their election would be of signal benefit to the Society. Statues and other tributes A portrait of Harold Wilson, painted by the famous Scottish portrait artist Cowan Dobson , hangs today at University College, Oxford. [64] Two statues of Harold Wilson stand in prominent places. The first, unveiled by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in July 1999, stands outside Huddersfield railway station in St George's Square, Huddersfield. Costing £70,000, the statue, designed by sculptor Ian Walters, is based on photographs taken in 1964 and depicts Wilson in walking pose at the start of his first term as Prime Minister. His widow, Mary requested that the eight-foot tall monument did not show Wilson holding his famous pipe as she feared it would make the representation a caricature. [65] In September 2006, Tony Blair unveiled a second bronze statue of Wilson in the latter's former constituency of Huyton , near Liverpool . The statue was created by Liverpool sculptor, Tom Murphy, and Blair paid tribute to Wilson's legacy at the unveiling, including the Open University . He added: "He also brought in a whole new culture, a whole new country. He made the country very, very different". [66] Also in 2006, a street on a new housing development in Tividale , West Midlands, was named Wilson Drive in honour of Wilson. Along with neighbouring new development Callaghan drive (named after James Callaghan ), it formed part of a large housing estate developed since the 1960s where all streets were named after former prime ministers or senior parliamentary figures. Titles from birth to death Harold Wilson (11 March 1916 – 1 January 1945) Harold Wilson, OBE (1 January 1945 – 26 July 1945) Harold Wilson, OBE, MP (26 July 1945 – 29 September 1947) The Right Honourable Harold Wilson, OBE, MP (29 September 1947 – 6 December 1969) The Right Honourable Harold Wilson, OBE, FRS, MP (6 December 1969 – 23 April 1976) The Right Honourable Sir Harold Wilson, KG, OBE, FRS, MP (23 April 1976 – 9 June 1983) The Right Honourable Sir Harold Wilson, KG, OBE, FRS (9 June – 16 September 1983) The Right Honourable The Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (16 September 1983 – 23 May 1995) [67] In popular culture Television In the Fawlty Towers episode "The Germans", Basil blames his fire extinguisher exploding in his face on "... bloody Wilson" The Lavender List (2006), played by Kenneth Cranham – a BBC Four fictionalised account by Francis Wheen of the Wilson Government of 1974–76, with Gina McKee as Marcia Williams and Celia Imrie as Wilson's wife. The play concentrated on Wilson and Williams' relationship and her conflict with the Downing Street Press Secretary Joe Haines . The Plot Against Harold Wilson (2006), played by James Bolam – aired on BBC Two on Thursday 16 March. The drama detailed previously unseen evidence that rogue elements of MI5 and the British military plotted to take down the Labour Government, believing Wilson to be a Soviet spy. Longford (2006), played by Robert Pugh – Channel 4 drama on the life of Lord Longford . In one scene, Wilson was seen dismissing Longford from his cabinet in 1968, in part because of the adverse publicity the latter was receiving for his public campaign to support the Moors Murderer Myra Hindley . The Queen a 2009 British drama-documentary showing Queen Elizabeth II , Harold Wilson was portrayed by Philip Jackson . Mrs Brown's Boys. In one episode, Agnes explains to daughter Cathy that she had too many children to find time to photograph them all, adding, "I was in labour longer than feckin Harold Wilson." Film The Boat That Rocked (2009), played by Stephen Moore (character not actually addressed or credited by name, only as 'Prime Minister') Other The Beatles reference both Harold Wilson and Edward Heath in their song Taxman (1966) A viking in the Asterix story Asterix and the Great Crossing (1975) is named Haraldwilssen, and shares his physical features The Audience (stage play, 2013, played in the premiere production by Richard McCabe ) Arms	i don't know
Medoc is a wine region in which country?	Médoc Wine Tours » CellarTours Médoc Wine Tours Chateau Lagrange Barrique Cellar Luxury Wine Tours of the mythical Médoc The Médoc wine country encompasses the mythical wine appellations of Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac, St Estéphe and Haut-Médoc, all located on the left bank of Bordeaux . This is a star studded wine region packed tightly with thousands of famous Châteaux and neat vineyards. The Atlantic ocean is to the west and the Gironde estuary to the east which both help to create the unique terroir as they affect not only the micro climate but also the soils which characterize each appellation. The grapes used on the left bank to make the region’s rich red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon (which dominates), Merlot, Cabernet Franc and occasional, very targeted Malbec and Petit Verdot. The best examples of Médoc wines are full bodied, concentrated and extremely elegant. A wine tasting tour of the Médoc is de rigeur for French wine lovers and we have created various one day tours to offer our guests a special introduction to the region’s fine food and wine. We work with an array of wonderful, hand selected wine estates offering not only incredible wines but also friendly and personalized tours, elegant hospitality and a superb wine tourism experience. Here is a sample itinerary for a day out in the Médoc. Médoc Wine Tour Highlights: Sample Médoc Wine Tour Itinerary Elegant and gracious host Marc at Chateau du Tertre This morning your private driver will collect you at your hotel or château in or around Bordeaux. Board the plush Mercedes, sit back and relax. Destination: Médoc. This flat region was once a salt marsh and it wasn’t until Dutch engineers arrived in the 1600’s and began to drain the marshes that the region was considered for viticulture. Little by little, aristocrats and tycoons of the day moved in and established large estates with enormous châteaux and vineyards. Thomas Jefferson was key in bringing the wines of the region to the world with his enthusiasm and insistence that the fine wines be bottled so he could take them home. Learn all about the history of the region today while tasting fabulous wines! 10AM Arrive to your first estate of the day such as Château Giscours. Built in the 19th century in honor of Empress Eugenie de Montijo, the winery owns 82 hectares in the prestigious Margaux appellation. The origins of the actual estate date back to the 14th century when it was a fortified dungeon. Wine has been made on the property since the 1550’s and a century later it was being served on France’s sun king Louis XIV’s tables. Your dashing Dutch host has lived in Bordeaux for twenty years and is passionate about his adopted wine region. Tour the estate and learn all about the history of Giscours, taking in the beauty of the surroundings. Then continue with your host on a private tour at the nearby Château du Tertre whose owner is the same, which happens to be one of our personal favorites. Tertre has a beautiful small château with perfectly manicured vineyards and delightful architecture. The cellar team is friendly and international and after a tour of the property, finish with a superlative vertical tasting of the wines of Giscours and Tertre. An excellent way to end your morning. 12:30PM At this stage you will be ready to settle into a terrific meal, and we have a very special treat planned- a chef’s taster menu with paired wines at the Two Michelin starred Thierry Marx restaurant at the Cordeillan Bages. Considered to be a cross between the nutty professor and gastronomic Einstein, Marx is at the very least an exceptionally talented chef. Enjoy his food art! 2:30PM After a very memorable lunch, you have another interesting activity to look forward to: an “Assemblage” private tutorial at the cru classé Château Lagrange winery in the pretty wine country of St Julien. Learn how the winemakers here select the percentage of vinified single varietal wines for their blends, and have fun making your own blend. Finish with a tasting of your blend and of course bottled Lagrange. This is an entertaining way to finish your wine tour of the Médoc. 5:30PM Your driver will drop you off at your hotel or château in Bordeaux/ St Emilion, etc. “A stellar food and wine tasting day excursion in the Médoc! ” Whats Included: Luxury Transportation with English speaking Chauffeur (Mercedes/ Deluxe Minivan) for the full day excursion in Médoc VIP Winery Visits to cru classé wine estates in Médoc Michelin starred lunch paired with Médoc wines All Local Taxes Prices: This is a SAMPLE TOUR ITINERARY. Please note that our private chauffeured luxury tours are totally customized to your needs and price varies according to the number of people in your group (please note tours require minimum 2 guests), specific suppliers included, number of services included,specific dates, transport type etc. Contact us today for more information and we would be delighted to get started on a tailor made detailed itinerary with pricing for you. Final price depends on chosen style of accommodation and dining. Please contact us with your group size (minimum 2 guests, no maximum group size), travel dates and preferences and we will send you custom pricing. Discounts available for larger groups Please note that our tours are available upon demand for PRIVATE GROUPS and are not scheduled tours for mixed groups. More Information: If you are interested in this package, contact us today for more information. This tour can also be adapted for bigger groups with a substantial discount. All of our tours are available year round upon request for your private group of minimum 2 people. If you would like us to customize a luxury gourmet tour for you, contact us with your requirements, and we can send you a free itinerary and quote with no obligations. We organize cooking packages and wine tours from 1 day, to weekends to longer food and wine discoveries throughout Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal & Italy. For Your Personalized Quote!	France
What geographical feature is shared by the nine nations of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana?	Life in Médoc : Manger Life in Médoc Life in Médoc Ah, beautiful Médoc! Having lived in Paris for so many years, my husband and I decided to take the big step and live in the country. The conditions were perfect – our kids are below 10 years of age, our work is flexible (photography, journalism) and we can travel anywhere. So why not? I admit it was more of my husband’s idea at first. When he came up with the subject one summer, I thought to myself I could never survive without the beat of the city. I am a Hong-Kong/Paris girl at heart! We’ve been living in Médoc, France, for nearly 18 months now. And it’s taken me some time to adapt. Getting out of a city is like a detox program. No one is stressed out here. Stores, banks, post offices – they have long daily lunch breaks. No one is in a rush. People you meet talk about the mushrooms they found in the forest, or where the geese are flying to (it’s an indication of how soon summer will come). It’s nice. Médoc is perfect in the sense that you have all the best on a platter – amazing châteaux and 1,500 vineyards all over, the ocean and wild white sand beaches 4 km away, wild pine forests filled with wild boars, deers, bécasses birds to name a few. Our kids have the chance to live in this rich landscape, enjoy a life ‘au naturel’, and our dogs are in heaven. ENTRIES Days of wine and oysters The magic box Bordeaux – Food shopping part I The wacky & wonderful world of cèpes 146 Responses to “Life in Médoc” bonjour mimi tres belles photos…! j adore la France…je suis Greque… je veux bien vous dire que le SAINT protecteur de tous les chefs c’ est Saint Efrosynos (fete 11.9 ) et je espere qui est avec vous dans votre maison formidable.! venez en Grece a l ete prochaine…les iles sont super… MERRY CHRISTMASS + JOYEUX NOEL … June 11, 2012 at 1:27 pm Hello from a grey and breezy Normandy. I’d like to ask, given your background in food and having met many great chefs, what is your opinion on organic food? is it important to you or not? Are there any organic foods which you believe should be used above others? I ask as a mother to 3 young children who firmly believes home-made is best although eating organically is not always easy due to the higher costs. I’d love to know your views…by the way, I look forward to every new recipe (and the beautiful photographs). June 11, 2012 at 1:48 pm Hello Elizabeth! It’s grey and raining today in Médoc – where has the summer gone? Regarding your question, organic food is important to me, but it’s not always easy to get ‘everything’ organic. I go the the markets twice a week, and I always enjoy going to 2 organic farmers. However, I also buy non-organic ‘in-between’ food at local supermarkets., like carrots, potatoes and a few fruits. So I would say I have a 60/40 ratio of organic/non-organic. For milk, dairy etc, I just but the normal goods! I do think that the label ‘organic’ has been over-exploited for commercial reason, so I am not going to buy ‘organic biscuits’, or chocolate… In my organic priority list, I would say vegetables and fruits are the most important. I find it very important to buy good-quality meat from ‘artisanal’ butchers – always know where your meat is coming from! July 9, 2014 at 8:31 am Hi Mimi and Elizabeth, I wanted to give you my two-cents worth on organic. It is more important to eat organic the higher up the food chain you go – the pesticides in food are “amplified” with each rung up the food chain. So I always buy organic milk and meat. I just eat less meat now but that’s ok, since I love vegetables, pastas and grains, while indulging in the occasional steak or burger. And the difference in taste is HUGE. Last week I cooked an organic chicken which I marinated in buttermilk brine. I think the brine was unnecessary because the chicken was sooo tender it just about melted in my mouth. My holiday turkey is legendary, and I always splurge on organic. As the saying goes, you are what you eat, and commercial meat production in the U.S. relies on overcrowding, antibiotics and growth hormones to maximize profit at the expense of our health and food quality, not to mention the inhumane way most animals are treated while being raised for food. As the saying goes, you are what you eat. The best Spanish ham, which my family in Valencia argue is the best ham in the world, is made from pigs with “la pata negra,” Black Iberian pigs who are raised on acorns and are a prized delight. Also, I’ve found the same with strawberries. After eating organic strawberries here in California, I simply can’t eat commercial strawberries or strawberries on steroids. My sister came to visit me in California from the east coast and I will never forget the look on her face as she ate an organic strawberry for the first time. It was, she admitted, the best strawberry she’d eaten in her life. And commercial strawberries – at least here in the U.S. – contain up to 53 different pesticides. So there are some things I simply won’t buy if they’re not organic. This is so important when you have young children, especially with soft-skinned fruits. There are some things you can pass on and buy non-organic, e.g. onions, avocados and other thick-skinned fruits and veggies. Livestrong.com compiles a list of 20 foods to always buy organic because of their high pesticide content http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1004202-20-foods-always-buy-organic-even-youre-budget/ . Conversely they also made a list of foods that you don’t need to buy organic, given the higher cost. http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1008640-16-foods-dont-always-need-buy-organic/ . I’m finding that here in California mainstream grocers are carrying more organic so the cost difference is often negligible, e.g. 50 cents more for organic celery than non-organic, especially when you’re buying produce in-season. Hope this was helpful – Mimi, your site is lovely I just discovered it today and can’t wait to try some of your recipes. September 20, 2012 at 12:42 pm Your beautiful blog brings back memories of a wonderful extended trip to Bordeaux and Médoc when I was still a student and on a tight budget but it was delightful in every way. – Many years later, I, too, made the move from the big city (NYC) to the country. It took adapting, and still does, but I would not swap the countryside for any city in the world – not only because I can go out and pick my own grape leaves to wrap salmon filets (no quail here, hélas). I also get so much more done here. Yes, country life is serene but it is also much more productive. February 13, 2013 at 10:01 am Hi Mimi, just stumbled upon your blog thru Vicki Archer. I have been reading your blog posts for over an hour now and I must say that you have a super fabulous blog! I love the breathtaking photographs and the fascinating stories you share with each posts. Also, you have a beautiful family. Btw, you have a strong resemblance with Angelina Jolie. Very “Hollywood-like beauty” but in a more exotic and unique way. I love your blog and will definitely be coming back to read all your posts. Your recipes are on my “list to try” food as well. Bookmarking it right now. Keep up the good works! Hi Mimi, First of all, I’m in love with your blog! Second of all, just want to let you know that I’m analyzing your blog as one of the best blogs, as I’m learning to make and maintain a blog myself for my thesis studies. Thank you and your husband for sharing all the beautiful pictures, and of course the recipes. I so wish to live in Medoc, have a beautiful house, raise a kid or two, drink wine and make food everyday. It would be my absolute dream! And I’m just curious, do you speak Cantonese? I bet you do, since you lived in Hong Kong. Anyway, I think I’m gonna take one of those French for beginner courses soon, so that I could go traveling in France without language problem one day! 🙂 Cheers and hi from Finland! Eva September 23, 2013 at 8:47 am Bonjour Kara! Thank you for your lovely comment – I am so happy toshare my cilinary diary and recipes with you! I hope you will visit France soon. Médoc is a great place to vivt with kids because you have the sea, land, vineyards – there are a lot of activities. But really, you are spoilt for choice – Paris is a fabulous city for kids, with all the museums (and Disneyland not far, hehe :)!). I love the Gers, Provence, and the key to spend a charming holiday is to find a little maison d’hôtes (they only have 4-5 rooms) and stay there, or rent a gîte where you can have your own kitchen and cook at home. when living in Paris, I would often go to Normandy and Brittany (Deauville and St Malo) – it is so much fun, so pretty and love all the creamy food! Have a great day! Mimi x October 22, 2013 at 2:21 pm Hi Mimi, It’s such a delight to read your blog. It takes me to where you are and i feel transported to Medoc whenever i read your posts. The photos are also amazing- your husband has such a keen eye for local colour. I will be travelling back to France next month! After 10 years! Unfortunately, i may only be staying in Paris. Im hoping i can still find time to go to Britanny! But i cant wait- France is such a beautiful country. I cant wait for your show too. Do post a link here so those of us who are on the other side of the world can watch it! Cheers from the Philippines! November 8, 2013 at 10:03 am Well, it’s in English, so let’s go ! I’m writing a piece on the TV guide magazine I work for (Telecable Sat Hebdo) about Les tables de Mimi, a new TV series anchored by… Mimi Thorisson ! Yes ! Beginning Nov.28 11am on Cuisine+, a cable/sat channel run by Canal+. Each episode shows Mimi looking for goods in her region to cook, then she does the recipe in her own kitchen, and finally family or friends eat it in the dining-room or the garden ! Very nice programming, I recommend it to French cable or sat subscribers ! And as I’m also going to live in the vineyard Bordeaux area with wife and daughters, I watch to it with even more interest, 🙂 December 29, 2013 at 9:29 am I’m truly mesmerized by your blog from the photos to your recipes, your beauty, your children, your way of living and the inspiration for others to love cooking and food the way you do. Thank you! I’m curious as to what a normal day looks like in your household. Could you describe it for your readers? You’ve stated that you visit the market twice weekly but what other habits surround you that you are able to make time to cook each day? I hope to visit your area of the world one day as my only exposure to France so far has been Cassis and Paris. Now I’m determined to get lost in the beauty of Medoc. February 3, 2014 at 12:24 pm Traductions : Salut Mimi, ton blog est génial !! J’ai les larmes aux yeux devant le bonheur qui s’en dégage. Je t’envie sincèrement une si belle vie 🙂 Hi Mimi, your blog is amazing !! This feeling of happiness gives me tears in the eyes. I sincerely envy such a beautiful life you have 🙂 Hola Mimi, tu blog es fenomenal !! Me saca lagrimas la felicidad que destaca. Te envidio sinceramente esa vida tan maravillosa 🙂 Hej Mimi, twoj blog jest niesamowity !! Chce mi sie plakac z takiej szczesliwosci, ktorej z niego wychodzi. Upzejmie Cie zazdroszcze takiego pieknego zycia 🙂 Salvo Mimi, il tuo blog e fantastico !! Mi fa piangere la felicità che ne emana. Sinceramente ti invidio questa meravigliosa vita 🙂 February 3, 2014 at 12:24 pm Traductions : Salut Mimi, ton blog est génial !! J’ai les larmes aux yeux devant le bonheur qui s’en dégage. Je t’envie sincèrement une si belle vie 🙂 Hi Mimi, your blog is amazing !! This feeling of happiness gives me tears in the eyes. I sincerely envy such a beautiful life you have 🙂 Hola Mimi, tu blog es fenomenal !! Me saca lagrimas la felicidad que destaca. Te envidio sinceramente esa vida tan maravillosa 🙂 Hej Mimi, twoj blog jest niesamowity !! Chce mi sie plakac z takiej szczesliwosci, ktorej z niego wychodzi. Upzejmie Cie zazdroszcze takiego pieknego zycia 🙂 Salvo Mimi, il tuo blog e fantastico !! Mi fa piangere la felicità che ne emana. Sinceramente ti invidio questa meravigliosa vita 🙂 December 5, 2014 at 5:37 am A friend of mine has just pointed me in your direction and I must say I love every part of it. I spent 5 months in a small village in the Languedoc area and left a large part of my heart there when I returned to Canada. Since I am a foodie of the first order, I couldn’t get enough of the markets and the fresh produce, cheese, real eggs, beautiful chickens, etc. I think I had more dinner parties during my time in France than I’ve had for years back home. You are truly blessed to enjoy the French country life. Thank you so much for sharing it with us January 28, 2015 at 4:44 pm This is so nice! As the temperature here in Québec is -26, (and the worse part is that most of us enjoy it), your cooking and your blog that I just discovered, is a ray of sunshine! I live in a big city and I would love to breath the country air as you do. One thing I have notice in your tv show is the perfect calm and easyness with wich you approach the act of cooking. You also said somewhere that it is never work for you. Could you tell me a little more about that wonderfull anddesirable attitude. It is very inspiring. I am francophone, so please excuse my English !! June 20, 2015 at 1:11 am Bonjour Mimi, I am a big fan of your blog and instagram posts. I appreciate people that cherish food, wine, and beauty. We live an hour away from Napa and frequent Napa as much as we can for the love of the food and wine! We’ve been to Burgundy, but haven’t had the chance yet to see Medoc. Thank you for posting about it, we are inspired to see another beautiful part of France! Thank you for the inspiration and letting us live vicariously through your blogs. Please do post any upcoming cooking classes you might have. Merci! June 29, 2015 at 6:57 am Mimi, I recently learned of you and your extroidinary blog/cooking school/pending seasonal restaurant through the article in April Food & Wine magazine. My husband, friend, and I will be traveling to your area on holiday (from the US) beginning Wed, July 8th (we will be staying at the Ormes de Pez chateau in St. Estephe). I wanted to know if your seasonal restaurant is yet opened, and if so, if you would have availability to accommodate us the evening of July 8th or July 9th. Also, where exactly is your restaurant located? How close/far would it be from Ormes de Pez? Thanks in advance for your response! Sincerely, October 28, 2015 at 1:36 am Stumbled upon your lovely cookbook today in Calgary, Canada and not only am I feeling inspired to prepare beautiful seasonal family meals, but I’m also feeling more brave and sure about my husband and mine’s decision to pack up our 3 young kids and head to France for a year (once this school year is complete). It makes no sense, it is something my heart longs to do, and I am lucky that my 4 luvs are willing to do what it takes to make it happen for me/us. Thanks for the comforting advise that following our dreams and changing our lives as we wish is a worthwhile endevour. November 10, 2015 at 5:50 pm Bonjour Mimi; Je découvre votre univers, votre cuisine, par la lecture de votre livre “la table de Mimi”; j’aime beaucoup car le lien m’a sauté aux yeux; je fabrique de petits livrets de photos-cuisine que j’intitule “les histoires de cuisine de Noëlle” et lire votre livre me laissait penser que c’était aussi “les histoires de cuisine de Mimi”; celles qui s’inscrivent dans notre vie quotidienne. De plus le Médoc, je m’y rends parfois à Lesparre en Médoc où j’achète de l’excellente viande chez le boucher Manenti. Sa côte de veau à tomber !!! Merci pour votre gentillesse, votre sens de la cuisine du bonheur à partager. Bien cordialement. Noëlle January 21, 2016 at 6:28 pm Bonjour Mimi, Expatriée depuis près de 20 ans a Miami, j’ai decouvert votre livre l’automne passe. Miami et le Medoc! Deux mondes a part. Ma lecture me fait rêver, me fait voyager en France par la pensée et me fait oublier a quel point Paris a changer et n’est plus vraiment le Paris que j’ai quitté il y a 20 ans. J’ai parcouru votre blog et aimerais en apprendre plus, non seulement a propos de vos recettes, mais également sur vos maisons et leurs decorations. Ou avez-vous démarrer? Avez-vous demenager? J’ai tellement de questions. J’espère avoir de vos nouvelles très bientôt. Many thanks! February 24, 2016 at 6:19 am Hello from Canada! I learned about you through Croatian tv program a month ago… You are so cool & inspiring & beautiful. Your recipes work and are delicious! Your family seems perfect, from your husband to your children and pets. Love where & how you live. You are living my dream. Where I come from, there is no organic. We don’t use pesticides…, we just GROW food. Organic is the old way. What they call organic now is foreign to me. Love, love & more love to you!!! Thanks for being so wonderful & true! God bless! Vive la France & Island, of course!!! Mihela April 21, 2016 at 5:54 pm Bonjour Mimi, Quel bonheur votre beau blogue où je retrouve la cuisine de mon enfance. Je vis aujourd’hui au Québec mais je suis né dans le Médoc, dans le petit village de Macau (on y fait et y sommes reconnus pour nos excellents artichauts), proche de Margaux. Je suis aussi un grand passionné de la cuisine (je l’appelle mon “yoga” à moi) et vos publications sont un enchantements pour moi! Revoir mon beau pays, mes beaux médocains et pouvoir sentir et gouter, à travers vos recettes, ma belle enfance! Wow! Un bien beau cadeau! Merci et continuez votre si beau travail! Il me tarde encore plus de retourner en vacances (cet automne) dans mon si beau pays! J’y cuisinerai à votre santé (agneau sur sarments…j’en rêve la nuit) xx	i don't know
Marnie Geneva Doud was the wife of which US president, the country's 34th?	1000+ images about Mamie Eisenhower, First Lady on Pinterest \| The white, Fudge and Palm desert Forward 'OK, this one might need just a little explanation! I love the painting "American Gothic"! This new painting is in that same genre and also in my Idiom Series. It is so ridiculous and absurd that it almost names it's self. And if your old enough to know who this is, well, I'm sorry for Ya! So here is the new Painting, a 16" x 20" Acrylic, so happens to be called "Cock-A-Mamie"' Yes it is The First Lady Mamie Eisenhower...... The Only Mamie that I know! Save	Dwight D. Eisenhower
What is the name of the fabric used to cover billiard tables and card tables?	Mamie Eisenhower - U.S. First Lady - Biography.com U.S. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was first lady of the United States when her husband, Dwight Eisenhower, was president from 1953 to 1961. IN THESE GROUPS quotes “History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.” “Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.” “Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends.” “Few women, I fear, have had such reason as I have to think the long sad years of youth were worth living for the sake of middle age.” “Vote for my husband or for Governor Stevenson, but please vote.” Mamie Eisenhower Mamie Eisenhower - Mini Biography (TV-14; 3:54) Watch a short biography of Mamie Eisenhower whose life radically changed after she married Dwight Eisenhower. Minding the economic hardships of her era, she became known as a frugal first lady. Synopsis Mamie Eisenhower's family wintered in San Antonio, Texas, and it was there in October 1915 that she met Dwight Eisenhower, a young army lieutenant, and they were married only 7 months later. Although she did not change the job of first lady, Mamie Eisenhower was a favorite of many American women, who imitated her youthful style and what her husband called her "unaffected manner." Early Life Mamie Geneva Doud was born in Boone, Iowa, on November 14, 1896, to John Sheldon Doud and Elvira Mathilde (Carlson) Doud, the second daughter of four. John made his fortune in the meat packing industry and retired at age 36, moving the family to Colorado when Mamie was 7. There, her life was one of privilege with servants and large homes in Denver and San Antonio, Texas. Soon after finishing school, Mamie Doud met a young second lieutenant, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike), at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She immediately drew his attention, and on St. Valentine's Day, 1916, he gave her a miniature of his West Point class ring to seal their engagement. The couple married at the Doud home in Denver, on July 1, 1916, when Mamie was just 19 years old. Life as a Military Wife Life radically transformed for Mamie Eisenhower as a military wife stationed in the United States, the Panama Canal Zone, France and the Philippines. In their 37 years of military duty, Mamie estimated she moved the entire household 27 times. Each move meant another step in her husband's career and more responsibilities for her. Their first child, a boy named Doud Dwight, was born in 1917, but died of scarlet fever in 1921. Their second son and only child to survive adulthood, John, was born in 1922. He enjoyed a career in the U.S. Army and later became an author and ambassador to Belgium. During World War II, Ike commanded troops in Europe and Mamie Eisenhower lived in Washington, D.C. At one point, she didn't see her husband for three years, an experience which left her incredibly isolated. She lived at the Wardman Park Hotel and worked with other Army wives at the Red Cross canteen in Washington, D.C. During this time, she wrote to her husband nearly every day and worried about him. After the war, Ike served a brief stint as president of Columbia University and the couple purchased their first home, a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1950, Eisenhower became supreme commander of NATO and the family moved again, this time to a little chateau outside Paris, France. Life as First Lady In 1952, Ike ran for the U.S. presidency and Mamie traveled with him on his campaign trips, presenting herself as a partner with her husband and appealing to both male and female voters. When the couple entered the White House, Mamie quickly took charge of the domestic staff, who dubbed her "Hostess in Chief." At the same time, she took a personal interest in the White House domestic staff, often sending them birthday cards and gifts. The Eisenhowers entertained an unprecedented number of domestic and foreign leaders, and Mamie efficiently ran the household, even going so far as to collect grocery coupons from the paper. Mamie Eisenhower was very much a woman of the 1950s and publicly kept the line between her life and that of her husband very separate. However, privately, she shared much with Ike, who learned to trust her judgment and opinions and appreciate that he could confide in her like no one else. She made sure the president had ample time for relaxation and took total charge of his care when he had health issues while in office. Publicly, she kept her opinions to herself, but privately, she displayed strong convictions of her own. She disliked Senator Joseph McCarthy and made sure he was never invited to any White House social functions. In an era when more women were voting than ever before, but generally not actively involved in politics, she supported Ellen Harris, a Republican candidate running for a seat in Congress. She also accepted an honorary membership in the National Council of Negro Women, invited African-American children to participate in the annual Easter Egg Roll, and made sure the 4-H Club Camp for Negro Boys and Girls was included in special tours of the White House, all during the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement. Eisenhower was also the first honorary chair of the Girls Clubs of America, now known as Girls Inc. After leaving the White House in 1961, the couple returned to their home in Gettysburg and enjoyed retirement until Ike died in 1969. Mamie Eisenhower continued to live on the farm, devoting her time to family and friends before her death on November 1, 1979. She is buried beside her husband in a small chapel on the grounds of the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas. 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In June 1935, which well-known but discreet support organization was founded by William G Wilson and Dr Robert Smith in Akron, Ohio?	DBIO: In 1935 In 1935 Home / Inside DBIO / DBIO History / In 1935 In 1935 This flashback column is commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the SLA Biomedical & Life Sciences Division by taking us on a journey of notable news. This short column will appear weekly spotlighting meetings, births and deaths, books and journals, and honors that happened in 1935 — the same year as our Division was started. Column maintained by Jean E. Crampon, Associate University Librarian for Science and Engineering, University of Southern California, DBIO Past Chair. If you have contributions, especially local or non-North American, please send them to [email protected] . Thank you. Weekly entries 49 50 51 52 Week 1 1. Robert C. Burdette, an entomologist who devised a method to control the pepper maggot, died in January 1935. 2. Oliver P. Jenkins, also died early in January 1935. He was Professor Emeritus of physiology from Stanford University and an authority on fish of Hawaii. 3. Gould's Medical Dictionary: the words and phrases generally used in medicine and the allied sciences, with their pronunciation and derivation. 4th rev ed, by Gould, Scott, and Brownlow, was published by Blakiston's in 1935. 4. H. S. Jennings' Genetics was published by W. W. Norton in 1935. 5. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, was published by Wiley VCH, Germany in 1935. 6. Minzoku Eisei, was published by Nippon Minzoku Eisei Gakkai, Japan in 1935. 7. Occasional Papers. Life Sciences, was published by the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada in 1935. Top of page Week 2 8. The establishment of Fort Jefferson National Monument was enacted by the U.S. Congress. The name was changed to Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992. Happy birthday to them! 9. Frederick Augustus Dixey was an evolutionary entomologist at Oxford, curator of the Hope collections at Oxford, and President of the Entomological Society of London. He applied natural selection to entomology, especially butterflies. He died in mid-January, 1935. 10. Edith Grey Wheelwright authored Physick garden: medicinal plants and their history, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1935. 11. Hans Zinsser of Harvard wrote Rats, Lice and History: being a study in biography, which, after twelve preliminary chapters indispensable for the preparation of the lay reader, deals with the life history of typhus fever, published by Little, Brown, and Co in 1935. 12. Johannes Prior, co-discoverer of the Finkler-Prior choler vibrio, died early in 1935. 13. The first issue of Museo del la Plata. Notas. Zoologia by the Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina, was in 1935. 14. The first issue of Museo del la Plata. Notas. Botanica by the Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina, was in 1935. Top of page Week 3 15. We missed an earlier in January birthday for Gene Elden Likens, born January 6, 1935. If you know him, wish him a belated happy birthday from us! He is a well-recognized and honored aquatic ecologist/limnologist and was recipient of multiple honorary degrees from the USA and Europe and winner of multiple honors and awards, including the First G. E. Hutchinson Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography in 1982, a NY Academy of Science Award in 1986, the International ECI Prize for Limnetic Ecology in 1988, the Tyler Prize for environmental research in 1993, the Naumann-Thienemann Medal from the Societe Internationale Limnologiae of Brazil in 1995 and the Lifetime Achievement Award for AIBS in 2000. 16. Laurence Charles Binford celebrated his birthday on January 11. He is a retired ornithologist and was very active in both the Western Field Ornithologists and the Cooper Ornithological Society. 17. Howard Bodley Haines celebrated his birthday on January 15. He is emeritus zoology faculty from the University of Oklahoma with interest in the physiology of vertebrates in arid environments. 18. Japanese zoologist, Chiyomatsu Ishikawa celebrated his birthday on January 17. His research focuses on the natural history of Japan, including embryology; evolution; the study of fish, crustacea, and reptiles, mostly published in Japanese, but some translated into German, Chinese, and English. 19. Margaret Simpson, a USA citizen born in Hong Kong, celebrates her birthday on January 19th. She is an invertebrate zoologist and specialist on the biology of polychaetes. 20. Zoo (Anvers), a journal published by the Societe Royale de Zoologie d'Anvers, Belgium, started in 1935. 21. The Canadian Dental Association Journal also began in 1935. Week 4 22. Bruce Joseph Roser, Director of the Company of Biologists, Ltd, was born January 21, 1935. 23. Edmund A Richards, recipient of the R.A. Gregory Award for Medical Research in 1973, the International Pharmacology Award in 1975, and the William S. Merrill Award in 1977, with experience in the US and Europe, primarily on gastroenterological research relating to pancreatic and gastric secretions and the transfer of pharmacolologically active drugs across the placenta, was born January 25, 1935. 24. Walter Lincoln Burrage, co-editor of the Dictionary of American Medical Biography and secretary for 25 years of the Massachusetts Medical Society, died on January 26, 1935. 25. Michael Grabham, author of Madeira: Its Climate and Resources and prominent naturalist for the area, with a wide knowledge of the fish and crustacea of the Madeira waters, as well as the island flora and fauna, died January 28, 1935. 26. Born January 28, 1935, in the Czech Republic, Canadian citizen Karel Josef Rakusan was emeritus professor of physiology from the University of Ottawa and recipient of the Czech Academy of Science Award in 1966. His primary research was in developmental physiology and oxygen in the heart. 27. Howard Johnson Shannon's Book of the seashore: the life experiences of a naturalist on the beach, 1st ed, was published by Doubleday, Doran & Co., in 1935. 28. The journal American Surgeon, published by the Southeastern Surgical Congress, USA, was first published in 1935. 29. The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa published the first issue of Nursing Update in 1935. Top of page Week 5 30. Albert Mann, botanist and authority on sea grasses and diatoms, died February 1, 1935. The Albert Mann Diatom Collection is at the Smithsonian Institution. 31. Louis Howard Miller was born February 4, 1935. He received the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize in 1985, and the Sixth Annual Bristol-Myers Squibb Award in Infectious Disease in 1996. 32. Victor Gladstone Vethamany, Canadian biologist, was born Febuary 7, 1935. He was a recipient of the National Science Prize in 1954 and the Bourne Prize in 1957 from the University of Madras. 33. David White died February 7, 1935. He was active in the Geological Survey (US) with interest in fossil plants of the Mesozoic and was possibly the foremost Paleozoic paleobotanist in the USA at the time. He also served as VP of the National Academy of Sciences and president of the Geological Society of America. 34. Leonhard Jores, emeritus director of the Kiel Pathological Institute, and author of The Commoner Diseases: their causes and effects, died February 7, 1935. 35.. Hokkaido University, Japan, began publishing the Scientific Papers of the Institute of Algological Research in 1935. 36. Laboratorios Hormona, SA, Mexico, began publishing Endocrinologia y Terapeutica in 1935. Top of page Week 6 37. Although Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton received his knighthood in 1935, this was only the most public of his honors. He was Hope professor of zoology at Oxford for thirty years and served as president of three organizations: the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1937, the Linnean Society of London from 1912 to 1916, and twice for the Entomological Society of London from 1903-04 and 1925-26, which named him honorary life president in 1933 when it became the Royal Entomological Society. His primary research area was with mimicry. 38. Jean Cyrus Rostand published an important work on dragonflies in 1935, La Vie des Libellules; however he went on to do more extensive work on amphibians. He received the Henry de Parville Prize in 1934 from the Academy of Sciences and the Binoux Prize in 1941. 39. Barbara McClintock was awarded an unshared Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her work on transposition of genes based on her work with zea maize. One of the most important "classical" papers on maize was by McClintock with Marcus M. Rhoades in Botanical Review 1:292, 1935, "The Cytogenetics of Maize." 40. Hildebrand Wolfe Harvey was a significant marine scientist at the Plymouth Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom for over 25 years. One of the most foundational articles on plankton was "Plankton Production and Its Control," with Leslie Hugh Norman Cooper, Marie Lebour, and Frederick Stratten Russell in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 20:407, 1935. He received the Alexander Agassiz Medal from the U.S. National Academy of Science in 1952 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1958. 41. Chancey Juday was the first president of the American Society of Limnology, the predecessor of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Although the ASL completed its official incorporation in 1936, Juday is noted as serving as president beginning in 1935. 42. Jules Bordet served as President of the Conseil Scientifique at the Institut Pasteur in Paris in 1935. 43. Izdatel'stvo Meditsina, Russian Federation, published the first issue of Arkhiv Patologii in 1935. Top of page Week 7 44. Sir George Seaton Buchanan was awarded the Jenner Medal from the Royal Society of Medicine in January 1935 for distinguished work in epidemiology. 45. J.B.S. Haldane gave the Sedgwick Memorial Lecture in January 1935 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He spoke on "Some Problems of Mathematical Biology." 46. Edna Harde Young, then at the Pasteur Institute, was awarded the Guy Amerongen Prize for Cancer Research from La Ligue Francaise contre de Cancer in February 1935 in recognition of her paper that proposed that chemically preserved foods can aid in cancer growth. 47. Lucy S. Morgan from the Tennessee State Health Dept. was awarded the Mary Pemberton Nourse Memorial Fellowship from AAUW (American Association of University Women) on February 17, 1935, to study the science of public health at Yale University. 48. Perlina Winocur from the University of Buenos Aires Medical School received an AAUW Latin American Fellowship on February 17, 1935, to go to the Johns Hopkins Hospital to continue her study on infant mortality. 49. Lucy Boyd spoke on "Women in Science in Scotland" at the Sigma Delta Epsilon graduate women's scientific fraternity meeting in conjunction with the AAAS meeting in February 1935. 50. Henry A. Pilsbry, curator of mollusca, received the George W. Carpenter Prize of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for the best piece of original scientific research. This funded publications of a later study of the land molluscs of North America. Top of page Week 8 51. Edward James Salisbury received the Veitch Memorial Award from the Royal Horticultural Society for "outstanding contributions to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture." 52. E. D. Merrill and A. B. Stout, both of the New York Botanical Garden were elected honorary fellows of the British Royal Horticultural Society and honorary life members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 53. Samuel James Gilfillan, prominent psychiatrist and worker with mental illnesses for forty years, died on February 28, 1935. He had been awarded the decoration Chevalier de l'Ordre de Leopold by the King of the Belgians and the Order of the British Empire. 54. Sir William Leslie Mackenzie, member of the Scottish Board of Health, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, died on February 28, 1935. 55. Walter Jones, professor emeritus of physiological chemistry at Johns Hopkins and author of numerous articles on nucleic acids in yeast, died on February 28, 1935. 56. The Turkish Medical Society began publishing the journal Turk tip Cemiyeti Mecmuasi, now Turk Tip Dernegi Dergisi, in 1935. 57. John S. Haldane was a major researcher in respiratory physiology. The new edition of his Respiration with John G. Priestley published in 1935 by Yale University Press was the standard for the subject for many years. He also developed an interest in philosophy as evidenced by his Philosophy of a Biologist, published by Clarendon Press in 1935. Top of page Week 9 58. Carlyle F. Jacobsen and John Fulton published an article on frontal lobe ablation in chimpanzees that changed their behavior as reported in Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry v.33. Antonio Egas Moniz tried on a human with the same result, which was the introduction of lobotomy for treatment of mental illness. 59. Legislation in NY state was the first to allow blood type evidence in court cases in March 1935. 60. Anne C Cohen was born March 1, 1935. A researcher at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, California Academy of Sciences, and the Bodega Marine Laboratory of the University of California at Davis, she received an award for Exceptional Services from the Smithsonian Institution in 1979 and the Antarctic Service Medal from the National Science Foundation in 1967. 61. Gerald S. Moss, born March 4, 1935, served as President of the Association for Academic Surgery in 1976 and was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. 62. Conrad Barnett Link, born March 5, 1935, received the L. M. Ware Award for Distinguished Teaching from the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) in 1983 and the Leonard H. Vaughan Memorial Research Award in Floriculture in 1954, was inducted as a Fellow of the ASHS, and retired as emeritus professor of horticulture from the University of Maryland. 63. Kenneth Wilson Steward was also born March 5, 1935. He was an aquatic ecologist and served as President of the North American Benthological Society 1978-79 and received their Award of Excellence in 1997. 64. George Leslie Brengelmann, born March 7, 1935, retired as Professor Emeritus from the University of Washington. He studied body temperature regulation. 65. The first issue of La Clinique Ophtalmologique was published by Laboratoires Martinet in France in 1935. The title ceased in 1991. Week 10 66. E. M. Fannin, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, died March 8, 1935. 67. Martha Tracy, dean of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania celebrated 25 years at the College and a portrait of her was presented to the College in honor of their 85th anniversary on March 9, 1935. 68. Roland Harrison Ingram, Jr., born March 10, 1935, was a pulmonary physician. He received the Edward Livingston Trudeau medal from the American Lung Association in 1996. 69. Donald E. Henson, born March 12, 1935, was Program Director at the National Cancer Institute for over 20 years. 70. George Newton Eaves, born March 12, 1935, won Director's Awards from NIH in 1976 and 1986. He studied exocellular enzymes of bacteria. 71. Sven Otto Hï¿½rstadius did major work on echinoderms, especially regarding reproduction, with the most significant being his "ï¿½ber die Determination im Verlaufe der Eiachse bei Seeigeln," published in Pubblicazioni della Stazione zoologica di Napoli 14:251 in 1935. He was later able to use the technique of vital staining to help map the cranial neural crest cells in amphibians and higher animals which was later published as a book, The Neural Crest by Oxford University Press in 1950. He also was active in professional organizations and served as Chairman of the International Union of Biological Sciences and as President of the International Council of Scientific Unions. 72. The Tree-Ring Society published the first issue of Tree-Ring Research in 1935. Top of page Week 11 73. Eberhard Karbe, born March 15, 1935, was a German veterinarian, who received the Otto Bayer Award from the Bayer Foundation for the Recognition and Support of Scientific Research in 1993. 74. Philip Leon Gildenberg, born March 15, 1935, and last of Baylor College of Medicine, was President of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery in 1993. 75. Richard Joseph Albertini, born March 15, 1935, won the Alexander Hollaender Award from the Environmental Mutagen Society in 1990 and the St. George Medal for volunteer service from the American Cancer Society also in 1990; he is Professor Emeritus of the University of Vermont. 76. The Maxim Gorky Scientific Research Institute of Medical Genetics was founded March 15, 1935. It grew out of the former Medico-Biological Institute of the Commissariat of Public Health (Nakomzdrav). 77. John Hernage Prescott was born March 16, 1935. He was an aquarium executive and worked at the Marineland of the Pacific, the New England Aquarium, among other places. He received a commendation for efforts to conserve whales from the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971 and the Annual Science Award for Conservation from the American Cetacean Society in 1969. 78. John James Rickard Macleod died March 16, 1935. He wrote Physiology and Biochemistry in modern medicine, 7th ed (title varies), published by Mosby in 1935, the year of his death; he also published a series of 12 articles in American Journal of Physiology entitled "Studies in Experimental Glycosuria" as part of some 37 papers on problems related to the metabolism of carbohydrates. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology with Sir Frederick Banting in 1923 for work on insulin. 79. Lester Breslow, born March 17, 1935, is Emeritus from the School of Public Health at the University of California - Los Angeles. He received the the Sedgwick Memorial Medal from the American Public Health Association in 1977, the Porter Prize in 1998, and the Stephen Smith Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Public Health from the New York Academy of Medicine in 2005, among others. He served as President of the Public Health Cancer Association of America in 1953, the International Epidemiological Association 1964-68, the American Public Health Association in 1969, and the Association of Schools of Public Health in 1973-75. 80. Rosemary Anne Stevens, born March 18, 1935, received the Arthur Viseltear Prize from the American Public Health Association in 1990 and the Welch Medal from the American Association for the History of Medicine in the same year. She wrote on the history of medicine and on health policy and medical education. Top of page Week 12 81. Poul Edvard Poulsson, born March 19, 1935, studied the importance of cod liver vitamins to the growing organism and a method of quantitative determination of vitamin D and wrote a Text-book of pharmacology and therapeutics that went for ten editions. 82. Gerald Ray Smith, born March 20, 1935, was Curator Emeritus of Fishes at the Museum of Zoology and Curator Emeritus of Lower Vertebrates at the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. He also served as President of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in 1991. 83. March 21, 1935, must have been a good day to be born. Here are three people who made a mark who were born that day: Kenji Mori was recipient of the Japan Academy award in 1981, received the Agricultural Society Prize from the Federation of Agriculture Societies in 1992, the Silver Medal from the International Society for Chemical Ecology in 1996, the Ernest Guenter award from the American Chemical Society in 1999, and the Sorm Medal from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 2003. Richard William Vilter received the AMA's Goldberger Award in 1960, the Daniel Drake Award in 1985 and the Daniel Drake Humanitarian Award in 1991. He served as President for the American College of Physicians in 1979-80 and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition 1960-61. Walter Fried did most of his work in various institutions in Illinois. He served as president of the International Society for Experimental Hematology in 1983. 84. Gastroenterologist Henry David Janowitz was born March 23, 1935. He won the Friedenwald medal from the American Gastroenterology Association in 1984 and a Lifetime Clinical Achievement Award from the same group in 1970. 85. William John Sinclair, director of the Princeton University paleontology museum and author of Marsupialia and New Carnivorous Marsupials for the Deseado formation of Patagonia died on March 25, 1935. The Patagonia work linked fossil Marsupials in Patagonia to the living Tasmanian Thylacine and argued for a prior geographic link between South America and Australia. 86. Ornithologist George Ralph Maxwell II was born March 27, 1935. He won the John J. Elliott Award in 1971 and 1983 from the New York State Ornithological Association and is Professor Emeritus from SUNY Oswego. He primarily studied herons and grackles. 87. Gerhard Hermann Gottschalk, German microbiologist also born March 27, 1935, received the Akademie Award Volswagenstiftung in 1978 and the Philip Morris Award from the Philip Morris Foundation in 1993. 88. Oscar Walter Johnson, born March 28, 1935, was an ornithologist who primarily studied shorebirds, particularly those with long distance migrations in the Pacific. 89. Robert Evan Kendall, psychiatrist, died on March 28, 1935. He received the Gaskell Medal and Prize of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1967, the Paul Hock Medal of the American Psychopathological Association and the Marcï¿½ Medal from the Marcï¿½ Society, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1993. Top of page Week 13 90. George Sarton, editor of the journal Isis, was unanimously elected a corresponding member of the Academia de la Historia of Madrid the end of March, 1935. 91. Sir Edward Sharpey-Schafer, Emeritus Professor of Physiology at the University of Edinburgh and known for discoveries in muscular action, died March 29, 1935. He was author of Essentials of Histology, which went to 13 editions. He received the Distinguished Service Medal of the Royal Life-Saving Society in 1909 for his method of resuscitation of the presumed asphyxiated, as well as the Copley Medal in 1924. 92. James Chase Tyler, II, born March 31, 1935, was an ichthyologist at the Smithsonian Institution. He received the Robert H. Gibbs, Jr., Memorial Award from the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in 2000 and is a Fellow of the American Society of Fishery Research Biologists. 93. F. Gregory Hall, zoology professor at Duke University uses a grant from the National Research Council to join an expedition to the Andes to study the effect of high altitude on men and animals in early April, 1935. 94. Theodore A. Brombach of the University of California was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal of the National Foundation of Optometry for his work on color field studies. This was reported in early April in Science. 95. Konrad Lorenz, born April 1, 1935, is considered the founder of modern ethology for his study of the imprinting behavior of young birds. Lorenz studied ducklings to understand imprinting by appearing before mallard ducklings and imitated a mother duck's quacking sounds, so they regarded him as the mother and they followed him. This was reported in Journal fur ornithologie v.83. He shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 1973 with Karl von Frisch and Nikolaas Tinbergen for their work on animal behavior. 96. Noe Zamel was born April 2, 1935. She received the Miguel Couto Award from the College of Medicine of the Federal Universidad de Rio Grande do Sul in 1958 and the Cecile Lehman Mayer Award from the American College of Chest Physicians in 1969. Top of page Week 14 97. Aharon Razin, born April 6, 1935, was co-recipient of the Wolf Foundation Prize in Medicine in Israel in 2008. 98. The International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens, Basel, Switzerland, was founded in April 1935. It is now the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) with its headquarters moving to Gland, Switzerland, in April 2010. 99. Sir John Rose Bradford, Bart., died April 7, 1935. He combined physiology and medicine as a physician and worked on identifying the spinal distribution of the controlling nerves in the kidneys and lungs. He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and served as its president from 1924-28. 100. Stanley John Dudrick, born April 9, 1935, was Decorated Knight of the Order St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitalier; the Stanley J. Dudrick MD Surgery Education and Research Fund was named in his honor at, St. Mary's Hospital in 2003. He received the Mead Johnson award for Research in Hospital Pharmacy in 1972, the AMA-Brookdale Award in Medicine in 1975, the Stinchfield Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery in 1981, and the Jacobson Innovation Award from the American Chemical Society in 2005. 101. Two Grants-in-aid from the AAAS were awarded April 10, 1935. Frank M. Carpenter of the Museum of Comparative Zoology received one for a collecting expedition in Kansas to study Permian insects. Robert Weill from the University of Paris received one to go to the Bermuda Biological Station to study nematocysts of Coelenterates. 102. Enrico Fermi is credited with the beginning of nuclear medicine. He proved that stable elements could be made radioactive by bombarding them with neutrons. This was reported with E. Arnaldi, O. D'Agostino, B. Pontecorvo, F. Rasetti and E. Sergre in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Ser. A , v.149 in 1935. 103. Alfred Goldscheider died April 10, 1935. He was the former director of the Third University Medical Clinic of Berlin and president of the Berlin Medical Society. 104. Rodiquesia, a journal from the Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, published its first issue in 1935. Top of page Week 15 105. Two important scientists died on April 13, 1935. Edouard Jeanselme was well known in dermatology, tropical medicine and medical history, especially in France. Leon Maria Guerrero was an eminent Filipino botanist, primarily working in the area of forestry. 106. Benjamin Mani Pulimood, gastroenterologist, was born on April 14, 1935. He received the Ath Vishista Chikalsa award from the Association of Chest Physicians in India in 1996 and the Ida Scudder Award from the Scudder Association in 1993. He also served as President of the Indian Society for Gastroenterology 1978-79 and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh. 107. Garabed Eknoyan was also born on April 14, 1935. He received the President's Award from the National Kidney Foundation in New York City in 1996 and served as president of the Foundation for 1998-2000. 108. Nancy Burton Esterly was a third April 14, 1935, birth. She was a dermatologist and she received the David Martin Carter Award from the American Skin Association and the Lifetime Career Educator Award from the Dermatology Foundation in 2002. 109. Gerhard Domagk's studies on drug metabolism of heparin against streptococcus infection in mice was first reported in Deutsch Medizinische Wochenschrift 61:250, 1935. He received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1939. 110. Jacques Gustave Marie Trefouel, Therese Trefouel Frederico Nitti, and Daniel Bovet show that Prontosil's action is due to sulfanilamide. This was reported in Comptes-Rendus des Seances. Societe de biologie120: 756, 1935. This was based on earlier work by Gerhard Domagk in 1932 on studies of drug metabolism of protosil rubrum against strep infections in mice. 111. The American Institute of Tropical Medicine opens its first Annual Meeting in New York City on April 16, 1935. 112. Bernard M. Hitzig was born April 17, 1935. He was a physiologist and biophysicist. He was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School based at Massachusetts General Hospital for 20 years. In addition, he was an advisor to MIT doctoral candidates and to postdoctoral fellows. He concentrated on biophysical research centered around the application of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to cellular physiology. 113. Fielding H. Garrison, Librarian of the Welch Memorial Library at Johns Hopkins University died April 18, 1935. He served as co-editor of Index Medicus from 1903-1912 and was the author of Introduction to the History of Medicine. Top of page Week 16 114. On April 19, 1935, the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Alfred Nobel was celebrated with a dinner in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria. Nobel laureates of the current year were invited as guests of honor and earlier winners were also invited to attend. 115. Dieter Gerhard Soll, born April 19, 1935, was a plant molecular biologist. He received the Humboldt Prize in 1988. 116. Hallowell Davis, F. A. Gibbs, E.L. Garceau, and A.J. Derbyshire, all of Harvard University demonstrated the electroencephalogram at the American Societies for Experimental Biology conference. 117. Julius Arthur Neiuwland was awarded the American Institute Gold Medal for his work on organic synthesis based on acetylene. He founded the journal The Midland Naturalist and served as curator of the E. L. Green Herbarium as well as botanical librarian. He also received the William H. Hinols Medal from the American Chemical Society for basic work on syntheses from unsaturated hydrocarbons on April 22, 1935. 118. Axel Reyn, former president of the Comitï¿½ International de la Lumiï¿½re died in Copenhagen on April 22, 1935. He was also an honorary member of the Radiological Society of North America, the American Association for Medico-Physical Research, and the Svensk Forening for Medical Radiology. 119. Jan Jakobus Beukema was born April 23, 1935. He was a marine biologist at the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and editor of Journal of Sea Research for over 20 years. 120. Gottfried Otto Helmut Naumann was born April 25, 1935. He was principal author of Pathology of the Eye, which was originally published in German, but was translated into English and Japanese. He received the William Mackenzie medal from the University of Glasgow in 1991, the T. Krwawicz Gold medal from the Polish Ophthalmology Society in 1993, the Dr. Frank Claffy medal in 2000, the Jose Rizal Gold medal from the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology in 2007, and was recognized as an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmology in Thailand in 2004, among other honors. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and received their Senior Achievement Award in 2001, the Lorenz E. Zimmerman Medal in 2003 and the International Blindness Prevention Award in 2007. Top of page Week 17 121.John Harold (Jack) Helle was born April 26, 1935. He was a fish biologist studying Pacific salmon and served as President of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists 1990-92. 122. Milislav Demerec was born in Austria-Hungary. He later became a U.S.A. citizen. He helped develop the Cold Spring Harbor Biological Laboratory and did extensive research and chromosome mapping on Drosophila melanogaster. He served as President of the Genetics Society of America in 1939 and the American Society of Naturalists in 1954 and was awarded the Order of St. Save from Yugoslavia in 1935. 123. Sack Noy Scott died April 29, 1935. He was an active member of the British Medical Association throughout his career, especially in the Section of Public Medicine and the South-Western Branch. He served as Medical Officer of Health for Plympton St Mary Rural District Council and Admiralty medical officer for the forts and coast-guard stations in the district. 124. Elsevier Masson of France started two new serials in 1935. They were Encyclopedie Medico-Chirugicale. Hepatologie and Encyclopedie Medico-Chirugicale. Maladies Infectieuses. 125. The American Society for Microbiology published the first issue of Microbe in 1935. 126. Mary E. Phillips and Lucy E. Cox's book Teaching of biology was published by the University of London Press in 1935. Top of page Week 18 127. On May 3, 1935, the American Association of Arts and Sciences elected six new Fellows in the Medical and Biological Sciences. They were Charles Henry Blake, zoologist and educator from MIT and curator at the Boston Society of Natural History; John Franklin Daniel, zoologist and educator from the Society of Natural History; Bernard Ogilvie Dodge, plant pathologist and staff member at the New York Botanical Garden; Karl Friedrich Meyer, bacteriologist, pathologist, and educator at the University of California at San Francisco and executive at the George W. Hooper Foundation; Tracy Jackson Putnam, neurologist, educator, and hospital administrator from Harvard Medical School; and William Wright Smith, botanist and educator at the University of Edinburgh and administrator at the Royal Botanic Garden. These were publicly announced at the May 8, 1935, Stated Meeting. [Thank you to the AAAS for this information.] 128. David Regan, neuroscientist born May 5, 1935, received the Forman Prize for Medical Research in 1983, the Prentice Medal in 1990, and the Sir J. W. Dawson Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in 1997. He also received the Proctor Medal in 2000, the Queen Elizabeth II medal in 2002 and the Hebb Medal in 2003. 129. Lucian W Chaney died May 6, 1935. He was a noted biologist and statistician, an expert on accident prevention, and did a significant study on dangerous occupations of women and children; Chaney Glacier in Glacier National Park is named for him. 130. Toshimasa Onaya was born May 7, 1935. He is an internist and professor emeritus from the University of Yamanashi in Japan and recipient of the Daiichi Prize from the Asia and Oceania Thyroid Association in 1991. 131. David Hershel Alpers, born May 9, 1935, was made an Honorary Member of the British Society of Gastroenterology in 1999, received the Distinguished Research Award in Gastrointestinal Physiology from the American Physiological Society in 1998, and the Julius Friedenward Medal from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in 1997. He also served as President of the AGA 1990-91. 132. Henry Eliot Howard was only an amateur ornithologist in Britain, but his theory of the territory of birds was significant. One of his later works, The Nature of a Bird's World, published in 1935, attempted to show life from the bird's point of view. 133. The first issue of the Australian Nursing Journal was published in 1935. Top of page Week 19 134. Wilhelm Kolle died May 10, 1935. He was one of the foremost bacteriologists of Germany at the time through his work on cholera, leprosy, and cattle plague and first author of the multi-volume work Handbuch der pathogenen Mikroorganisme published by G. Fischer. 135. Jose Ruiz-Herrera was born May 12, 1935. He received the Ruth Allen Award from the American Phytopathological Society in 1983 and served as President to two professional organizations in Mexico: the Sociedad Mexicana de Bioquimica 1983-85 and the Asociacion Mexicana de Microbiologia 1976-1978. 136. Marie Bridget Coyle, emeritus Professor from the University of Washington received the bioMerieux Vitek Sonnenwirth Memorial Award from the American Society for Microbiology in 1994 and the Pasteur Award from the Illinois Society for Microbiology in 1997 and is a Fellow of the American Academy for Microbiology. She was born May 13, 1935. 137. Millie Ballard Kendall, a "botanist of note," according to her New York Times obituary, she also accompanied her husband on a number of scientific collecting trips to Africa. She died May 13, 1935. 138. Julia Levy was an immunologist and co-discoverer of photodynamic anti-cancer and opthalmology drugs. She became a Decorated Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1980. She received the Friesen-Rygiel Prize in 2002 for medical research from the Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund. She served as the President of the Canadian Society for Immunology 1983-85 and the Canadian Federation for Biological Science 1983-84. She was born May 15, 1935. 139. On May 16, 1935, two scientists on opposite sides of the world and in very different life science disciplines were born. Oldrich Oï¿½tï¿½dal served as President of the Czech Pneumological Society 1991-1995 and was named to the international honorary board of the Czech Medical Journal in 1992; Yukimaru Sugiyama served as President of the Primate Society of Japan in 1997 and edited the Primate Encyclopedia in 1996 (in Japanese). Top of page Week 20 140. Salomon Bartnicki-Garcia, fungal cell biologist, received the New York Botanical Garden Award from the Botanical Society of America in 1975, the Ruth Allen Award for Outstanding Contribution in Plant Pathology from the American Phytopathology Society in 1983, and the Louis Pasteur Medal from the Mexican Society for Microbiology in 1989. He was born May 18, 1935. 141. Thomas Sargent Reese, neuroscientist, received the C. Judson Herrik Award and the Mathilde Solowey Award. He was born May 20, 1935. 142. William Parker Cutter, founding librarian of the Bermuda Biological Station for Research and author of Rare Books and Their Values, published in 1903 by the Bibliophile Society in Boston, died on May 20, 1935. 143. On May 21, 1935, E. Horne Craigie, John W. MacArthur, Wilder G. Penfield, P.A. Taverner, and E. Gordon Young were inducted as the new Biological Sciences Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. 144. May 21, 1935, marked the death of two significant figures: Hugo Marie De Vries, botanist and winner of the Darwin Medal in 1906 and the Linnean Gold Medal in 1929, and Jane Addams, American social worker and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. 145. Max Cremer died on May 22, 1935. He was formerly head of the Physiological Institute of the Veterinary College in Berlin and he combined physicochemical and physiological terms to develop a formula for the velocity of the impulse in the nerve and a mathematical expression for the processes preceding excitation. 146. Two new Polish life science journals began in 1935: Fauna Slodkowodna Polski published by Polskie Towarzystwo Hydrobiologiczne and Zoologica Poloniae published by Polskie Towarzystwo zoologiczne. Week 21 147. The first hospital for drug addicts opened in Lexington, Kentucky, May 25, 1935. 148. Gerald Seymour Gilchrist, born May 25, 1935, received the Joseph D. Early Award from the National Hemophilia Foundation in 1997 and the Abraham Jacobi Memorial Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2001 where he is also a Fellow. 149. Roger R. Taylor received the R. T. Hall Price from the Cardiac Society in 1974, the Outstanding Services Award from the Royal Perth Hospital in 1999, and the National President's Award from the National Heart Foundation in Australia. He was born May 27, 1935. 150. Adam M. Miller died May 28, 1935. He was Dean of the Long Island College of Medicine and co-author of Text-Book on Embryology, which went to five editions. 151. Sir David Prain received the Linnean Medal in 1935 from the Linnean Society of London at their meeting at the end of May. 152. Three life scientists in different disciplines were born on May 30, 1935. One was in Germany: Hermut Friedrich Warnatz, rheumatologist, received the K. Hansen Award from the Deutsche Gesellschaft Allergologie in 1969 and the Thiersch Award from the University of Erlangen in 1968. He was also awarded the Verdienstkreuz (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) by the Bundespresident in Bonn in 1991. The other two were in the United States. Jay L. Grosfeld served as President of the American Pediatric Surgical Association and the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons Foundation and as Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Pediatric Surgery. He received the Denis Browne Gold Medal from the British Association of Pediatric Surgeons in 1998 and the William E. Ladd Medal by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Finally, John William Prineas received the Arthur Weil Award from the American Association of Neuropathologists in 1969 and 1975 and the Moore Award from the same organization in 1976. 153. Swiss born Alexandre Yersin did extensive research in Indonesia and China on the plague and isolated an effective serum. After additional research at the Institut Pasteur, he returned to Indochina and founded a small colonial village that later developed into the city of Dalat. In 1935, the municipal authorities opened the Lycee Yersin at Dalat in his honor. Top of page Week 22 154. Donald House Reid, born May 31, 1935, studied aviation and space physiology. He was awarded the Fred A. Hitchcock Award for Excellence in Aerospace Physiology in 1973. 155. Bengt Saltin was born June 3, 1935. He is a physiologist and was the first President of the European College Sport Sciences in Germany in 1995 and recipient of a citation Award from the American College of Sports Medicine in 1976. 156. John Eyres Hobbie, born June 5, 1935, received the Hutchinson Medal from the American Society for Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) in 1983 and the Odum Prize from the Estuarine Research Foundation in 2005. He also served as President of ASLO 1984-86. 157. Joseph T. Cunningham died June 5, 1935. He was a marine zoologist and biologist; worked at the Naples Zoological Station; was director of the Ark, John Murray's floating laboratory at the Marine Research Station at Granton; Naturalist for the Marine Biological Association of the UK at both Plymouth and Grimsby and Fellow of University College. He was also author of Hormones and Heredity and Modern Biology: a review of the principal phenomena of animal life in relation to modern concepts and theories in 1928. 158. Two life scientists were born June 6, 1935. Elaine Ranker Monsen served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1983-2003 and was a member of the editorial board of the Council of Biology Editors 1992-96. She is a Fellow of the American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Robert J Menier was decorated Chevalier Palmes Academie de France, received the Legion of Honor in the USA, and received the international Order of Merit from Cambridge. He served as President of the Societe Limousine de Medicine du Sport 1994-98. 159. There were three new botanical journals who published their first issue in 1935. These were Botanical Review published by Springer, the Morris Arboretum Bulletin of the Arboretum from the University of Pennsylvania, and the Anuario of the Sociedade Broteriana in Portugal. Top of page Week 23 160. On June 7, 1935, Ida C. Mann was awarded the William Mackenzie Medal for "original contributions to ophthalmology of outstanding merit." 161. Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin died June 7, 1935. He was a plant geneticist and advocated wide crosses to "shake up the heredity." He also used grafting. Later authors called their anti-Mendelian doctrine "Michurinism," so it is difficult to trace his work without that influence. 162. Two notable physicians were born on June 8, 1935. Frank Erwin Speizer received the Alton Oschner Award in 1989, the Lilienfeld Award from the American College of Epidemiology in 1998, and the Charles Mott Prize from the General Motors Fund for Cancer Research in 2001. He is also a fellow of both the American College of Epidemiology and the American College of Chest Physicians. Saulo Klahr is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He served as President of the American Society for Renal Biochemistry and Metabolism 1982-84. He also received the Thomas Addis Award from the International Society for Renal Nutrition and Metabolism in 1996 and the Edward N. Gibbs Award from the New York Academy of Medicine in 2002. 163. Ida M Roper died June 8, 1935. She was a contributor of specimens for the British Botanical Exchange and honorary secretary and librarian of the Bristol Naturalists' Society for 19 years and the only woman president of the Society up to that time. 164. Marie Curie Avenue was dedicated by Mayor F. J. La Guardia on June 9, 1935. It was the 37th anniversary of the discovery of Radium. 165. The American Medical Association meets jointly with the Canadian Medical Association in Atlantic City beginning June 9, 1935. There were approximately 10,000 attendees at the joint 78th AMA and 68th CMA. Edward C. Kendall presented a paper on the isolation of cortisone from the adrenal cortex. In 1950 he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Tadeus Reichstein and Philip Showalter Hench who also studied adrenal gland extracts. 166. According to their history, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio, during a talk between a New York Stockbroker and an Akron physician on June 10, 1935. 167. Charles R. Bardeen died on June 12, 1935. Due to the alphabetic order, he was the first person to receive a medical degree from Johns Hopkins. He later served as Dean of the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Top of page Week 24 168. There were a number of life science related Guggenheim awards in mid-June 1935. They fall into two categories: Guggenheim Fellowships in Natural Sciences and Latin American and Caribbean Guggenheim Fellowships. Three Guggenheim Fellowships in Natural Sciences were awarded. Morris Moore received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Natural Sciences for the study of Molecular & Cellular Biology. He studied the causative organisms for chromomytosis in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Werner E Bachmann's Fellowship in Natural Science was used for his research on the isolation of carcinogens and creating the fastest acting carcinogenic hydrocarbons yet known. During World War II he worked on the chemistry of penicillin, which earned him the U.S. Presidential Certificate of Merit and the King's Medal of Great Britain. William Clouser Boyd received the third Fellowship in Natural Sciences for the study of Molecular & Cellular Biology in 1935. He later discovered that blood types could be determined by testing the reaction to lectins. He also wrote Fundamentals of Immunology, which went to four editions. Enrique Savino received a Latin American and Caribbean Guggenheim Fellowship in 1935 to study Public Health with an emphasis on epidemiology. He later continued his work on the use of sulpha pyradine on listerellosis in Buenos Aires. He also received fellowship support in 1936 and 1937. Pedro J Bermï¿½dez Hernï¿½ndez was a micropaleontologist. He used his Latin American and Caribbean Fellowship to study foraminifera in the Caribbean. Tï¿½ofilo Ortiz Ramirez received a Latin American and Caribbean Guggenheim Fellowship to study cardiac physiology at Harvard. He later was the General Director of the Sociedad Interamericana de Cardiologia at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia in Mexico City. 169. Lee R. Dice of the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan reported on his study of hereditary epilepsy in an American mouse, where auditory signals cause the mouse to have epileptic seizures. It was reported in Journal of Mammology v.16 in 1935. This was highly significant to the study of epilepsy. 170. Theodore Friedmann, medical geneticist, received the H.C. Jacobaeus Prize from the Nordic Research Committee in Sweden in 1995 and the Zubiran medal in 1996 and is a fellow of the AAAS. He was born June 16, 1935. 171. Charles Robertson died June 17, 1935. He was an entomologist with a series of articles entitled "Flowers and Insects" written over thirty years and appearing in such publications as Ecology and Botanical Gazette. 172. Conrad John Weiser was born June 20, 1935. He is a plant pathologist and received the Alex Lurie Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science in 1966 and the J.H. Gourley Award in 1973. He was a Fellow of the Society and served as president 1980-81. He is also a Fellow of the AAAS. 173. G. Routledge and Sons of London published two important books on very different areas of life sciences: Curt Thesing, Eden Paul and Cedar Paul's School of Biology was the first translation to English from the original German and Margaret Mead of the American Museum of Natural History had the London edition of Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies. Top of page Week 25 174. Alexis Carrel (Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research) and Charles A. Lindbergh (yes, that Charles Lindbergh) reported on a "life chamber" to keep a heart or other organ alive outside the body. It was the first successful equipment. Their article, "The Culture of Whole Organs" was published in Science 81:621-23, June 21, 1935. 175. The American Medical Association held its conference June 21-24, 1935. The Medical Women's National Association meets jointly and has 350 members attending. The AMA passes a measure to study birth control and the various state regulations regarding the topic. 176. The International Labour Organisation met June 22, 1935, to discuss the question of reducing the hours of work - the Forty-Hour Work Convention. It was adopted, then ratified and came into force 6/23/1957. It took that long to get approvals! 177. The Botanical Society of America begins its summer meeting in conjunction with the summer meeting of the AAAS in Minneapolis beginning June 24, 1935. 178. Two life scientists were born on June 24, 1935. Donald Thomas Krizek, a plant physiologist, authored over 200 articles in professional journals. He was a Fellow of the National Science Foundation 1962-64 and was made a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science in 1990. Emilio Tresalti is a Fellow of the Societï¿½ Italiana de Igiene Medicina Preventiva e Sanita Pubblica and was named Knight commander of the Order of St. Silvester from Pope John Paul II in 1981. He also is a Knight of the Order Merito della Repubblica as designated by the President of Italy in 1985. 179. John Weinzirl died on June 26, 1935. He was a professor of bacteriology and director of the McDermott Foundation at the University of Washington. The Foundation was funded for tuberculosis research. 180. Leon Abgarovich Orbeli was a student of I. P. Pavlov and was the most prominent Soviet physiologist after Pavlov's death. Orbeli was Director of the I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. and the Institute of Evolutionary Physiology. In 1935 he was elected an active member of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. and in 1945 he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Top of page Week 26 181. Wendall M. Stanley of the Rockefeller Institute at Princeton reports the "isolation of a crystalline protein possessing the properties of the tobacco mosaic virus," in Science 81:644, 1935. He received the Nichols Medal of the American Chemical Society and shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1946 with James B. Sumner and John H. Northrop for work on crystallization of enzymes. 182. Larry Spurgeon Roberts, born June 30, 1935, received the Henry Baldwin Ward Medal from the American Society of Parasitologists in 1971 and served as their President 1998-1999. 183. Thomas McCrae was more an educator than a physician, primarily at Johns Hopkins and then at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He served as president of the American Association of Physicians in 1930. A student of William Osler, he took on the editorship of the landmark textbook, Principles and Practice of Medicine from 1919 until his death on June 30, 1935. 184. Two organizations were founded in July 1935: the American Potash Institute and the Association of Industrial Medical Officers. 185. Henry Chandler Cowles was one of the pioneers in ecology in the U.S.A. He served as president of the Ecological Society of America in 1918 and the Botanical Society of American in 1922. He also helped found the Association of American Geographers and was president in 1910. A special double issue of Ecology was published in his honor in July of 1935. 186. Arthur George Tansley, an eminent British ecologist, was an advocate of Freudian psychoanalysis in the early 20th century. He coined the term "ecosystem" to focus on an integrated whole, as reported in the special issue of Ecology in his article, "The Use and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts and Terms," 16:284, July, 1935. 187. I. G. Ances, born July 3, 1935, is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a charter member of the International Society for Research in Biology and Reproduction. Top of page Week 27 188. David Meredith Seares Watson, paleontologist, was the 1935 recipient of the Lyell Medal from the Geological Society of London and the Wollaston Medal in 1965 from the same Society. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1922 and received the Darwin medal in 1942 from the Royal Society for his research on primitive fish and amphibians and the Linnean Medal in 1949 from the Linnean Society of London. 189. Shan Chen was born July 5, 1935. He received an award from the State Educational Commission of the State Science & Technology Commission on China and served as vice chairman of the Chinese Grassland Society 1980-85, Chairman of the Inner Mongolia botanical Society since 1993 and the Inner Mongolia Grassland Society since 1992. 190. Peter Oliver Behan was born July 8, 1935. He received the Pattison Medal for Research in 1985 and the International Dutch Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Award in 1995. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians of Scotland and Ireland. 191. Two life scientists were born on July 10, 1935. Richard Baltzan served as the President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1998. Satoshi Omura received the Hoechst-Roussel award from the American Society for Microbiology in 1985, the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan Award in 1986, the Japan Academy Prize in 1990, the Purple Ribbon medal from the Japanese government in 1992 and the Naranishi Prize in 2000, among others. 192. Emma Lucy Braun was the first woman to be elected as an officer to the Ecological Society of America when she was Vice President in 1935. She served as President in 1950. 193. The first issue of Jornal Brasileiro de Ginecologia, was published by Cidade Editora Cientifica Ltda, Brazil, in 1935. Top of page Week 28 194. William M Griswold, dentist, died July 13, 1935. Although trained in the USA, he practiced in Hamburg, Germany, and then in London. He was elected President of the American Dental Society of Europe; however, he died before he could start his presidential year. He was also a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. 195. Marion Dorset was especially known for his investigation of hog cholera and he developed an effective preventive serum treatment. When he received his patent on the process, he presented it to the government and public so that everyone would have access without having to pay a royalty. Dorset died July 14, 1935. 196. Elbert William Rockwood died July 17, 1935. He was the author of Laboratory Manual of Physical Chemistry and of Introduction to Chemical Analysis for Medical Students. 197. Two scientists from very different parts of the world were born on July 18, 1935. Adelola Adeloye is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He served as President of the Neurosurgery Section of the Nigerian Society for Neurological Sciences in 1988, honorary president of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, and President of the Surgical Association of Malawi 1998-2000. Lev Vladimirovitch Beloussov, Professor at Moscow State University in Russia, received the Carlo Bondi Prize from the University of Perugia in 1989. 198. Fritz Simon Bodenheimer of Germany wrote what was then considered the most authoritative work on the subject: Animal Life in Palestine: an introduction to the problems of animal ecology and zoogeography, but he was most interested in applied entomology. The book was published in 1935 in Jerusalem. 199. Haven Emerson received the Sedgwick Memorial Medal from the American Public Health Association in 1935. He was an inventor of biomedical devices and did major work on improving the iron lung. He also did extensive work in Public Health and served the Committee on Control of Communicable Diseases for about 35 years. Top of page Week 29 200. Three life scientists were born July 19, 1935. Fe Lee Sycip-Wale is a pediatrician and specialist in tropical medicine. She received the Albert Schweitzer Award in 1996, the Women Centennial Award Province of Negros Oriental in 1998, and the Outstanding Sillimanian Award in 2000. Manning Feinleib is a life Fellow of the AAAS and served as President of the American College of Epidemiology 1987-88. He received the Mortimer Spiegelman Gold medal in 1972 from the American Public Health Association. Walter Donald Duckworth was very active in professional associations and served as president of the American Institute of Biological Sciences 1985-86, the Entomological Society of America 1982-83, the Pacific Science Association 1987-91, and the Association of Systematic collections 1990-91. He was also Executive Director of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation 1971-84. 201. Two life scientists born July 20, 1935, include A. Jan Miodonski and Jozef (Jeff) Schell. A. Jan Miodonski was Recipient of the Cavalier Cross "Polonia Restituta" from the Polish Council of State in 1988 and the Prof. Jan Miodonski Award was named in his honor by the General Council of the Polish Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society in 1992. Jozef (Jeff) Schell was Prof of Genetics in Gent; worked on Agrobacterium turnefaciens, which provided the basis for the biotechnology industry. He studied the molecular level of plant tumors and was the recipient of the Francqui Prize (Belgium) in 1979 and the Wolf Prize (Israel) in Agriculture in 1990. Prof. Schell died April 17, 2003. 202. Joseph Tony Wiskich, Professor Emeritus from the University of Adelaide since 2001, was elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences in 1994. He served on the editorial boards of the Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 1975-88 and Plant Physiology 1983-92. He was born July 21, 1935. 203. Helen Chambers served as consultant pathologist at the Military Hospital, Endell St., London during the First World War. This hospital was entirely staffed by women. After the war she turned to full-time cancer research and studied radiotherapy in regard to cancer of the cervix. She helped found the Marie Curie Hospital at Hampstead in 1929 and her research and the treatments provided at Marie Curie showed a marked improvement in the treatment of cervical cancer. Ironically, she died of breast cancer on July 21, 1935. The new pathology laboratory at the Hospital was named the Helen Chambers Research Laboratory when it opened in 1937. 204. Santiago Dexeus, former Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research at the University of Barcelona, served as President of the International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy 1999-2002 and also was recognized as Honorary President of both the European Society of Gynaecologic Oncology and the Spanish Society of Cytology. He was born July 22, 1935. 205. Two life scientists died on July 24, 1935. Friedrich August Ferdinand Christian Went was a plant biologist and pathologist. He was Professor of Botany at the University of Utrecht, author of Diseases of the Sugar Cane in Java, a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) and President of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Amsterdam. Louis Francis Jermain was a physician and medical educator. He founded the Jermain Clinic in Milwaukee in 1920 and was instrumental in the merger that resulted in Marquette University School of Medicine in 1913. He served as Dean until 1926. He was adamant that students learn that their medical education was only beginning when they graduated. 206. Clarence John McCoy, Jr., born July 25, 1935, served as president of the American Society of Mammologists, Herpetologists League 1986-87 and the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles in 1972. He had a long career at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Top of page Week 30 207. Two life scientists were born July 26, 1935. Mary Margaret Herman was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, 1989-2003 and 2001-2008. She received the Weil Award in 1974 from the American Association of Neuropathologists. Daniel Gilbert William Cï¿½me was a French physiologist and recipient of the Chevalier Merite Agricole award from the French Ministry of Agriculture and the Chevalier Cross of Merit from the Order of the Polish Republic. He also served as the first President of the International Society for Seed Science 1999-2002. 208. Benjamin Lincoln Robinson was a botanist, curator of the Gray Herbarium at Harvard and co-editor of the 7th edition of Gray's Manual of Botany. He died July 27, 1935. 209. George Eastman Pickett was born July 28, 1935. He is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine and served as President 1985-87. He also served as President of the American Public Health Association. 210. Ivan P. Pavlov presided over the 15th International Physiological Congress in August 1935, with sessions in both Leningrad and Moscow. He had received the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1904 for his work on digestion. 211. Two books published in 1935 by Ginn and Company included Edward Loranus Rice's Introduction to biology and William Henry Brown's Plant Kingdom: a textbook of general botany. 212. The California Pacific International Exposition ran in both 1935 and again in 1936 in San Diego. This was a founding part of the complex of museums and other attractions in what is now known as Balboa Park. The Zoro Gardens was an adults only attraction in 1935, although it now houses a butterfly garden. 213. The National Association of Audubon Societies buys Bird-Lore from Frank Chapman in 1935. This is the predecessor of Audubon Magazine. Top of page Week 31 214. The first bird sanctuary and nature preserve in Texas opens in Austin in 1935. The W. Zilker Nature Preserve still has hiking and nature trails to this day. 215. Lydia Rabinowitsch-Kempner, former co-editor of the Zeitschrift fur Tuberkulose, and director of the Bacteriological Institute of the Moabite Hospital, Berlin, died on August 5, 1935. 216. Michael D. Benge was born on August 6, 1935. He was honored by the King of Sweden for his international work on fast-growing trees and received the J. Morton Sterling Award from the Arbor Day Foundation for his work in international forestry. 217. Hugh Simpson Tullos, Jr., was born on August 7, 1935. He held the Wilhelmina Barnhart Endowed Chair of Orthopedic Surgery as Chairman of the Department for 26 years at Baylor College of Medicine. He served on the editorial board of both the American Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. He was a founding member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and the International Society of the Knee. 218. Sergei Nikolaevitch Winogradsky received the 1935 Leeuwenhoek Medal for outstanding contributions to the advancement of microbiology. This Medal is only awarded every ten years from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (now the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences). He is numbered among the founding fathers of microbiology with Pasteur, Koch, and Beijerinck. He served as Director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg, Russia and after fleeing due to the Russian Revolution, was offered a Directorship at the Pasteur Institute in Paris where he served for 17 years. His primary research was on chemoautotrophs. 219. Two new journals started in 1935 include Current Zoology from China and Chest, which was published by the American College of Chest Physicians, USA. Top of page Week 32 220. Leigh Van Valen was born August 12, 1935. He spent most of his career at the University of Chicago. He served as editor of Evolutionary Theory from 1973 and Evolutionary Monographs from 1977. He also was a member of the editorial board of Molecular Evolution 1970-76 and Evolucï¿½on Biolï¿½gica beginning in 1988. He served as vice President of the Society for the Study of Evolution twice, 1973 and 1980, and as vice President of the American Society of Naturalists 1974-75. 221. Gordon Israel Kaye, born August 13, 1935, was professor emeritus in pathology from the Albany Medical College since 1999, editor of Current Topics in Cellular Anatomy in 1981, Associate Editor of Anatomical Record 1972-98 and recipient of the Tousimis Prize in Biology in 1984. He was also a member of a variety of professional organizations including the American Biological Safety Association,the Society for Electron Microscopists, the American Society of Cell Biology, and the American Association of Anatomists. 222. On August 14, 1935, the "Social Security Act is approved [by the U. S. Congress]. It does not include compulsory insurance due to AMA influence." This was from the AMA website searched 1/3/10. 223. Two life scientists born on August 15, 1935, were John Marius Opitz and Robert O. Wagner. Opitz was a clinical geneticist and pediatrician and Recipient of the Pool of Bethesda award for excellence in mental retardation research in 1988, the Col. Harlan Sanders Lifetime Achievement award for work in the field of genetic sciences from the March of Dimes, the Purkinje Medal from the Czech Society of Medicine, the Mendel Medal from the Czech Society of Medical Genetics in 1996, and the International Prize from Phoenix-Anni Verdi for Genetic Research in 1996. Wagner was Asst. Director of Mesker Park Zoo, Evansville, IN; Director of the Washington Park Zoo, Michigan City, IN; and Director of Jackson Zoological Park, Jackson, MS. He was the 1994 winner of the R. Marlin Perkins Award and one of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) incorporators and later Chief Execuive of the AZA. 224. The American Medical Womens' Association celebrates its 20 years anniversary in 1935. 225. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft publishes Tiergeographie des meeres by Sven Ekman in 1935. 226. Two new botanical journals in 1935 included Yaso published by the Yagai Shokubutsu Kenkyukai in Japan and Flore Illustree des Champignons d'Afrique Centrale published by the Jardin Botanique National de Belgique. Top of page Week 33 227. Rudolph Schoenheimer and David Rittenberg of Columbia University used deuterium as a tracer to label food components that could then be traced to understand food metabolism in rats, reported in Science v.82:156-157, August 16, 1935. 228. Franklin Story Musgrave, retired NASA astronaut, worked in aerospace medicine and has earned seven graduate degrees: mathematics, computer science, chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature, and psychology. He has written over two dozen articles in the areas of aerospace medicine and physiology, exercise physiology, temperature regulation, and surgery. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010. 229. Two men who had an impact in very different areas of life sciences died on August 20, 1935. John Mann was a physician and one of the founders of Nassau Hospital in Mineola, NY. Reginald Macleod, chief of the Clan Macleod, sold islet St. Kilda of the Outer Hebrides to an ornithologist for a bird refuge, which is used as a sanctuary for sea birds. 230. Robert Clar Summerfelt, born August 21, 1935, was an animal ecologist and Fellow of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists. He served as President of the Education Section of the American Fisheries Society 1981-82. 231. Two life scientists were born on August 22, 1935. Christopher James Chetsanga served as Chairman of the Research Council of Zimbabwe 1988-92 and is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. Robert John North, born in Australia, received the Friedrich Sasse Science Prize in 1984, was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, and served as President of the Reticuloendothelial Society in 1983. 232. Rhoda Erdmann was Director of the Institute for Experimental Cytology at Berlin University and founder and editor of the Archiv fur Experimentelle Zellforschung and instrumental in the founding of the International Society for Experimental Cytology. 233. Two books of interest that were published in 1935 include Conrad Hal Waddington's How Animals Develop, published in London by Allen and Unwin and Anatomy of the Cat went to its 3rd and enlarged edition. It was by Jacob Reighard, H.S. Jennings ,and Rush Elliott and published in New York by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Top of page Week 34 234. Peter H. Benson was born August 25, 1935. He served as editor of the Journal of Applied Phycology in 1989 and was a Fellow of the Allan Hancock Foundation, Los Angeles, 1965-1968. Dr. Benson died July 16, 2007. 235. Holger Nielsen was a Danish sports inspector who developed a new method for artificial respiration reported in 1932 in Ugeskrift fur Laeger 94:1201, 1932. His method was tested by Prof. Krogh was found to be 41% better in improving breath efficiency. Nielsen's arm lift was later added to the previous Schï¿½efer method of prone pressure for the Drinker combined method reported in Journal of Industrial Hygiene 17:243-246, November, 1935, by C.K. Drinker and L.A. Shaw; however, Nielsen's technique was the preferred method in Scandinavia for abouttwenty years after the first report even though it was known in the US and eventually considered the best manual technique, particularly for the ease of teaching it to a lay person (F.D. McHugh in Scientific American 154:17, January 1936 and Jane Stafford in Science News-Letter 64:282-283, October 31, 1953). 236. Charles Willis Garrison was a very active health official in Arkansas before his death August 26, 1935. His efforts led to the creation of county health units in every county of the state by 1933. He also served as one of two American delegates to the League of Nations Health Conference and served as president of the Conference of State and Provincial Health Authorities of North America in 1931. 237. Marjorie Eileen Courtenay-Latimer had been hired, with nearly no background, as Curator of the new East London Museum in East London, South Africa in 1931. In 1935 she and Eric Wilson excavate an almost complete fossil skeleton of the dicynodont Kannemeyeria simocephalus. She was a voracious collector for her Museum, but it was the call in 1938 from a fisherman to see an "unusual" item in his catch that really put her on the map. Unable to identify it, she had to have it preserved with taxidermy because no one was available to help her. In 1939 the fish was identified as a "coelacanth," long thought to be extinct. She spent her career at the Museum and died at the age of 97. 238. In 1935, John Tyson founds Tyson Foods in Arkansas. It is now one of the largest food production companies in the Fortune 500. 239. Two new journals in medicine began in Canada in 1935. The Alberta Medical Association began publishing Alberta Medical Bulletin and Health Care Communications, Canada, started publishing Canadian Doctor. The first title ceased in 1976; the second is listed as "unresolved" in Ulrichs. 240. August Albert De Hertogh was named to the Floriculture Hall of Fame from the Society of American Florists in 1988, received the medal of Honor from the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1985, the Nicholaas Dames Golden Medal from that named Foundation in the Netherlands in 1990, and the Herbert Medal from the International Bulb Society in 2000, all for his work on flowering bulbs. He was a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and served in a variety of roles for the organization, including associate Editor of their journal 1973-76 and as Chairman 1985-86. He was born August 24, 1910. Top of page Week 35 241. Noted marine scientist, Sylvia A. Earle, was born August 30, 1935. She served as a Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She received the Conservation Services award from the USA Dept. of Interior in 1970, the Nogi Award from the Underwater Society of America in 1976, the Order of the Golden Ark from the Prince of the Netherlands in 1980, the Pacon International Award in 1992, the Charles A. and Ann Morrow Lindbergh Award in 1966 and was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2000. 242. John Elliott Dowling served as President of the Marine Biological Laboratory 1998-2007 (Massachusetts), had professorial experience at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and held the Maria Moors Cabot Professorship in Natural Sciences at Harvard University 1987-2001 and the Llura and Gordon Gund professorship in Neuroscience beginning in 2001. He received the Prentice Medal from the American Academy of Optometry in 1991, the Von Allman Prize in 1992, the Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research in 2000, and the Paul Kayser International Award for Retina Research in 2008. 243. As a young zoologist at McGill University, Vero Copner Wynne-Edwards won the Walker Prize from the Boston Society of Natural History for his article, "On the Habits and Distribution of Birds on the North Atlantic," published in the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History 40:233, 1935. 244. Belgian physiologist Lï¿½on Fredericq was most known for his work on physiology, nervous physiology of sea urchins early in his career and later cardiac physiology in mammals. He died September 2, 1935. He was recognized by Albert I, King of the Belgians, who made him a baron in 1931. 245. Four distinguished life scientists were born on September 4, 1935. Robert G. Luke is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and serves as Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians for 2010, was President of the American Society of Nephrology 1996-97 and of the American Clinical and Climatological Association in 2006. Richard M. Dauphinais, Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, was President of the Clinical Ligand Assay Society 1983-84 and of the Rhode Island Society of Pathologists 1998-99. Vincent Thomas Marchesi, biochemist, served as Editor-in-chief of FASEB Journal 1996-2005 and also served as editor of Laboratory Investigation 1997-2003 and is currently a contributing editor of Blood, Cells, Molecules, & Diseases. Johannes C.G. Ottow, microbiologist, was editor-in-chief of Biology and Fertility of Soils 1985-2000. He was on the Executive Council of the German Soil Science Society (Deutsche Bodenkundliche Gesellschaft) 1978-86 and served on the executive committee 1986-90 of the International Society of Soil Science. 246. Three distinguished life scientists were born in three different parts of the world on September 5, 1935. Lawrence W Davis, radiation oncologist, received the Gold Medal from the American College of Radiology in 2008 and is a Fellow in both the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology. He was President of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 1987-88. Francisco Bruno Giannelli was Editor of Advances in Genetics and received the Feltrinelli Prize in Medicine in 1994. It is given only every five years by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Italy. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. Jose C. Zaidenweber was co-founder of the Mexican Chapter of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. 247. Two significant event in EEG technology happened in 1935. Albert Grass founds Grass Instruments (later Asto-Med's Grass-Telefactor product group). In 1935 he develops the first commercially successful electroencephalograph. Also in 1935 Lee E. Travis leads the team at a University of Iowa laboratory which is the first to record human electroencephalograph (EEG) activity. Top of page Week 36 248. On September 6, 1935, Oxford University receives a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for 500 pounds per year for five years to research the application of mathematical analysis to biological problems. It is awarded to Dorothy Wrinch to continue her work on the relationship between chromosomes and protein aggregates. 249. The International Congress of Entomology begins its 6th conference in Madrid, Spain, on September 6, 1935. 250. Chatrchai Watanakunakorn was born September 6, 1935. He was a consulting Editor of the American Journal of Medicine in 1977-78, member of the Editorial Board for Infections in Medicine beginning in 1985, and Editor of Abstracts in Infectious Disease 1991-93. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and received the 1995 Distinguished International Physician Award from the American College of International Physicians. 251. The British Medical Association begins its 103rd Annual Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, on September 9, 1935. 252. Two life scientists were born on opposite sides of the Atlantic on September 11, 1935. Alberto Malliani is a Fellow of the European Federation of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians, and the American Society of Internal Medicine. He also served a term as President of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine. Richard Isaac Mateles is a Fellow of the American institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He served as Editor of the Journal for Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 1972-2008. 253. Juan Antillon Jaramillo, born September 12, 1935, is Emeritus Professor from the University of Costa Rica since 2001. He served as Chairman of the Costa Rica National Academy of Medicine 1996-2002 and received a Distinguished Service Award from the International Health and Medical Education Consortium of the U.S. and Canada in 1998. 254. Salvador E. Luria received his M.D. summa cum laude in 1935 and received the Lepetit Prize the same year. In 1965 he received the Lenghi prize from the Accademia dei Lincei. He shared the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Max Delbruck and Alfred D. Hershey. He also was active in professional organizations and served as President of the American Society for Microbiology 1967-68. 255. Two journals dealing with women's medical care were started in South America. The Jornal Brasileiro de Ginecologia published by Cidade Editora Cientifica Ltda, Brazil ceased in 1988; however, Revista Chilena de Obstricia y Ginecologia published by the Sociedad Chilena de Obstricia y Ginecologia is still active. Top of page Week 37 256. Two life scientists were born September 13, 1935. Raymond F. Gasser served on the faculty of the Louisiana State University School of Medicine for 33 years teaching anatomy and cell biology. He served on the Editorial Boards of both the Anatomical Record and Clinical Anatomy. A member of the American Association of Clinical Anatomy since the organization started, he was selected their Honored Member for 2010. John Clarence Parker was a biological research consultant. He was born September 13, 1935, and died November 18, 2005. During his career he was Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science from 1976-1987 and received their Charles A Griffin Award in 1979. He also belonged to the American Society for Microbiology and the Federation of the American Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 257. Akhiro Kurishima, born September 14, 1935, was Editor of Japanese Journal of Physiology 1995-, on the Board of Directors of the Japan Society for Adaptation Medicine 1996-2001 and Chair 2001-2003, and on the Board of the Physiological Society of Japan and the Japanese Society for Biometerology in 1985. He was also vice-president of the International Society of Adaptive Medicine in 1990. 258. September 15, 1935, was significant for life sciences. First, Canadian ornithologist Richard Brown was born this date. He won a book prize from Outdoor Writers of Canada and Canadian Sportsmen's Show in 1983 for his Voyage of the Iceberg. Second, the International Congress of Zoology begins its 12th conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Third, C S Beck accomplishes the first operation to vascularize heart muscle in patients with angina pectoris, as reported in "The development of a new blood supply to the heart by operation," Annals of Surgery 102:801, 1935. 259. Two significant scientists were born September 16, 1935. Adriano De Guzman de la Paz served on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine Journal of Cardiology, and Philippine Journal of Nephrology. He was a Fellow of the Philippine College of Physicians, for which he served as President 1981-81. He also was President of the Philippine College of Cardiology 1982-83, the Philippine Society of Nephrology 1984-86, and the Rizal Medical Society 1972-73. Albert Eicker received a Medal for Exceptional Achievement from the University of Pretoria in 1990, was President of the South Africa Association of Botanists in 1969, and was vice-president of the Africa Association for Mycology and Biotechnology in 1993. 260. September 17, 1935, is noted for multiple events. Hugh H. Brogan, librarian of the scientific library of the U. S. Patent Office, died on that date. Nina Strï¿½mgren Allen was born on that date. She was on the Editorial Board of Cell Motility 1980-85, BioTechniques 1989-98 and the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology beginning in 1995. She also was founding Editor of the series Plant Biology. She is a Fellow of AAAS and became a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society in 1985. Dr. von Hagen wanted to erect a monument on Isla San Cristï¿½bal on September 17th, 1935, to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Darwin's visit to the island, his first stop in Galï¿½pagos. He had already arranged for a bronze plaque with an inscription written by Darwin's son, Major Leonard Darwin, and had also written to Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy at the Museum to see if it would be possible to get a plaster cast of Couper's bronze bust. The Museum made the necessary arrangements a few months later, and in fact had two casts made by E. Gargani & Sons in New York. The casts were delivered to the Museum on May 9th, and one of them was sent to von Hagen, for which he was billed $60 (plus shipping). The bust was shipped to Guayaquil and from there von Hagen had it sent up to Quito, where a local artist (name unknown) used it to create a mold for a new bust of poured concrete. Bronze filings were mixed into the concrete in the hope that this would give the bust a bronze-like patina. The purpose and location of the second plaster cast are unknown. The Galï¿½pagos Darwin Monument is now on the grounds of an Ecuadorian Naval Base, so it is not readily accessible to tourists. 261. Born September 18, 1935, Debhanom Muangman was Editor of the Thai Journal of Public Health 1968-90 and served as President of multiple organizations, including the Psychologic Research Association of Thailand in 1994, the Mind Science Institute in 1996, and the Fertility Research Association 1983-87. He also served on the Board of Directors of the National Research Council of Thailand beginning in 2000. 262. Two physicians born September 19, 1935, are Donald Overton Castell and Joï¿½o Augusto Mï¿½ttar, Jr. Castell served as President of the American Gastroenterology Association 1998-99 and had the June and Donald O. Castell Esophageal Clinical Research Award named in his and his wife's honor in 2000. He received their Distinguished Educator Award in 2001. Mï¿½ttar served on the Editorial Boards of Critical Care Medicine in 1989-90 and Acute Care in 1983. He was Founder and First President of the Sï¿½o Paulo Critical Care Society in 1977 and a founding member of the Brazilian Critical Care Society in 1982. Top of page Week 38 263. September 20, 1935, includes both a birth and a death of a life scientist. Richard Dean Allen was born. He served as Editor of Protoplasma beginning 1990, and served on the Editorial Boards for the European Journal of Cell Biology in 1975-86, and for the Journal of Protozoology and the Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry. He is a Fellow of the AAAS and a member of the Society for Protozoologists, where he received the Hutner Prize in 1978 and served as President 1981-82. Walter Hough died on this date. He was senior staff at the United States National Museum, serving as head Curator of the Department of Anthropology. 264. Robert Nicol Traquair Thin was born September 21, 1935. He served as Editor of the British Journal of Venereal Diseases 1975-80; was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and the Royal College of Physicians of London. He was also founding Chairman of the Association for Genitourinary Medicine 1992-97 and President of the Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Diseases 1987-89. 265. Two academic life scientists were born September 22, 1935. Professor of zoology at the University of Aberdeen 1975-79 and vice-Chancellor and Warden of the University of Durham 1980-90, Prof. Sir Frederick Holliday, CBE, FRSE, was Chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council 1977-80, and became vice-President of the Scottish Wildlife Trust in 1980. He served as President of the Freshwater Biological Association 1995-99 and President of the British Trust for Ornithology 1997-2002. Kathleen Gainor Andreoli, Emeritus Dean of Rush University College of Nursing, with an extensive career in nursing education, was a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of numerous nursing associations and nursing sections of broader organizations, such as the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Nursing. 266. Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Alan Edward Rainess served as President of the American Society of Psychoanalytic Physicians 1994-95 and of the Uniformed Services Society of Neurologists 1984-85. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He was born September 24, 1935. 267. September 25, 1935, was the birth date for life scientists from three different countries: England, Mexico, and Israel. Bashir Ahmad Qureshi was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health in 2006 and a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners, for which he served on the Council three times. He served as President of the General Practice Section of the Royal Society of Medicine 2000-2001. He is also the author of Transcultural Medicine. Abel Archundia-Garcï¿½a, heart surgeon in Mexico, received a National Prize of Experimental Surgery from the Asamblea National de Cirujanos in Mexico in 1973. Michael Torten received the Zur Award from the Israel Ministry of Agriculture in 1975 and was made an Honorary Diplomate of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society in 1985. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine 1985-88. 268. The Public Welfare Medals from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1935 were presented to F. F. Russell, Major in the U.S. Army for his work on preventing typhoid in the Army and Navy and Hugh S. Cumming for his work in the etiology of yellow fever. 269. The year 1935 was significant for three states in preserving natural areas. The Florida Park Service was created by the State Legislature in 1935 and opened their first State Parks: Myakka River, Hillsborough River, Torreya, and Gold Head Branch State Parks. They celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2010. The Bergen Swamp Preservation Society was established in 1935 to preserve the Bergen-Byron Swamp in western New York state. In 1964 this became one of the first National Natural Landmarks. It is privately owned. Finally, The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was added to the National Wildlife Refuge System in 1935. Top of page Week 39 270. Fritz Zernike of Groningen, Holland reported the first phase contrast microscope, "The phase contrast process in microscopic examinations," in Physikalische Zeitschrift v.36:848, 1935. He received the Nobel Prize In Physiology in 1953 for his discovery. 271. Gerrit P. Wilder, who died September 29, 1935, was a botanist at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, and author of Fruits of the Hawaiian Islands, Flora of Rarotonga, The Flora of Makatea, among others. 272. Two life scientist born on October 1, 1935, were Melvin Mayer Scheinman and Baldev Krishan Vig. Scheinman was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and received the Paul Dudley White Citation in 1978 from the American Heart Association. Vig spent most of his career at the University of Nevada at Reno working in the area of genetics. He received numerous fellowships from organizations including the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, the Gemeran Cancer Research Center and the University of Wurzburg. 273. . Thomas Francis, Jr. and Thomas P. Magill of the Rockefeller Institute successfully infected mice with a sample of influenza virus and proved that the virus can grow. This was reported in "Immunological studies with the virus of influenze," Journal of Experimental Medicine v.62:505, 1935. 274. Three life scientists were born on October 3, 1935. They were Fred Rosner, Leonid Ivanovich Frantsevich, and Kenneth Alan Bennett. Rosner is a Fellow of the International Society of Hematology, the American College of Physicians, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Bulletin 1976-78. Frantsevich received the Decorated Order of Honour from the Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet, USSR, in 1989. He spent most of his career at the Institute of Zoology in Kiev. Bennett was author of Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology, among other works and served as Editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology 1976-81, contributing Editor of Social Biology 1981-1987, and Editor and reviewer of Human Biology 1981-87. 275. Two books from 1935 reflect an interest in tropical medicine. Damaso de Rivas and Carlos T de Rivas had Clinical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, published by Lea & Febiger in Philadelphia. The 10th rev. edition of Manson's Tropical Diseases: a Manual of the Diseases of Warm Climates by Sir Philip Henry Manson-Bahr and Sir Patrick Manson was published in London by Baillire, Tindall & Cassell. Top of page Week 40 276. Edgar Thurston died October 5, 1935. He was formerly superintendent for the Government Museum in Madras, expanding the scope of the museum and contributing frequently to their Bulletin. 277. Ronald Duncan Hunt, born October 9, 1935, is Emeritus Professor of Comparative Pathology from Harvard University since 1999. He served on Editorial Boards for Lab Animal Medicine beginning in 1969, the Journal of Medical Primatology beginning 1977, the Journal of the International Life Sciences Institute beginning 1981, and the American Journal of Veterinary Research 1978-80. 278. Archibald Thorburn died October 9, 1935. He was illustrator and author of Review of British Birds, British Mammals and an Atlas of European Birds with Georges Thalmann. 279. Two life scientists were born on October 10, 1935. Antonio Marion Gotto, Jr., served as Dean of Weill Medical College of Cornell University and was Decorated Knight Order of Merit in Italy,received the Order of the Lion in Finland, and received the Albert Weinstein Prize in 1965 and the Seale Harris Award from the Southern Medical Association in 1995. David Delmar Beatty was a Canadian comparative physiologist and author of Biochemistry of Fish Visual Pigment and Physiology of Fish. 280. Sir Frederick Conway Dwyer served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He died October 10, 1935. 281. The Order Confirmation Act was passed in 1935 to preserve Scotland's natural and cultural heritage. One of the first places to be managed by the Trust was Glencoe with its mountain environment. It is in the National Trust's Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. Percy Unna, President of the Scottish Mountaineering Club led the fundraising to purchase the Glencoe and Dolness estates to preserve the home of Scottish mountaineering. The guidelines that Unna proposed have grown to be the Trust's guidelines for Wild Lands. 282. Four new journals started in 1935 by publishers in the U.K. They were Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases from the BMJ Group, UK; Balance from Diabetes UK; Recent Advances in Otolaryngology from Churchill Livingston; and the Annual Report of the British Trust for Ornithology. Top of page Week 41 283. Fergusson Escombe, who died October 12, 1935, co-authored Note on the influence of very low temperatures on the germinative power of seeds, published by Harrison & sons in London, with Horace T Brown in 1898. This was a classic work that studied the effect of refrigeration on seeds. He also wrote other papers published in the Royal Society Proceedings and their Philosophical Transactions. 284. Two life scientists born October 16, 1935 were Eugene Rosenberg and Jaime Eyzaguirre. After his NIH postdoc at Cambridge, England, Rosenberg started his career at the University of California at Los Angeles, but he finished at Tel Aviv University. He was a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow 1983-84, received the Pan Lab award from the Society for Industrial Microbiology in 1992, and the Israel Prize for a Cleaner Israel in 1994. Eyzaguirre received a Humboldt Foundation fellowship 1965-66 and served as President of the Chile Society for Biochemistry 1976-78 and is a Professor at Catholic University in Chile. 285. David Michael Young, born October 17, 1935, died in 2008. He had a distinguished career including service at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University Medical School. He served as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry beginning in 1983, and was a Fellow of the AAAS. 286. Sir J. Graham Kerr, first working in natural history with lungfishes, was a zoologist for much of his career. He served as President of the Scottish Marine Biological Association in 1949, was elected Conservative member of Parliament for the Scottish universities in 1935, and received the Linnean Medal in 1955 from the Linnean Society of London. 287. According to the ANA website, in 1935 the "American Nurses Association appointed a committee to study health insurance proposals and programs and their implications for the nursing profession." 288. Four new journals in the life and health sciences started publishing in Japan in 1935. They were Ecological Review published by Tohoku University; Circulation Journal published by the Japanese Circulation Society; the general medicine title, Nihon Onsen Kiko Butsuri Igakkai Zasshi published by Nihon Onsen Kiko Butsuri Igakkai; and the pediatrics title, Shonika Shinryo published by Shindand to Chiryosha. 289. Two books used as textbooks were published in 1935. Frank G Sarel Whitfield and Arthur Hugh Wood's Introduction to Comparative Zoology: a text-book for medical and science students published by Blakiston's in Philadelphia and J. & A. Churchill, Ltd., in London and Sir William Osler and Thomas McCrae's Principles and Practice of Medicine, designed for the use of practitioners and students of medicine, 12th ed, rev., was published by D. Appleton-Century in New York and London. Top of page Week 42 290. Two notable life scientists were born October 18, 1935. Hector Norberto Torres served as representative from the Asociacion Argentina para el Progreso de las Ciencias to AAAS as part of their Consortium of Affiliates for International Programs. He received a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1975. D. James Morrï¿½ was one of the editors of Cancer-cell Organelle. He was a recipient of a Senior Scientist Award from the WHO 1976, a Senior U.S. Scientist Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 1984, and was honored as the Tage Erlander Professor for Sweden from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrï¿½det). 291. There were three notable life scientists born on October 19, 1935. Mordecai P. Blaustein was a Fellow of the AAAS, on the Council for the American Physiology Society 1992-1995, and President of the Association of Chairmen of Departments of Physiology 1998. He received the Cardiovascular Award from the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation in 1990 and a Humboldt Sr. U.S. Scientist Award in 1993. Charles Cavanaugh Hancock, Jr., was General Secretary of the 17th Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Executive Officer of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1979 and a member of the Council of Science Editors. Subhash Chandra Arya served on the advisory Board for the Society for Research on Haematology, Calcutta, in 1988 and was a member of the expert Advisory Panel on Biologicals for WHO 1977-84. 292. Two noted life scientists died on October 19, 1935. Anna Hamilton was Directress of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing, Bordeaux, France, and Archibald P Knight was Professor Emeritus of Biology at Queen's University and Chairman of the Biological Board of Canada. 293. Herbert L. Stoddard, received the William Brewster Memorial Medal from the American Ornithologists' Union at their 85th Stated Meeting, October 21-24, 1935, in Toronto. Stoddard was a self-educated naturalist and conservationist and published the most comprehensive study of quail in 1931: The Bobwhite Quail: its habits, preservation, and increase. 294. Also on October 21, 1935, the League of Nations accepts the report of the Malaria Commission to coordinate studies and report on new methods of treatment and begins plans for third International Malaria Congress. 295. There was a life scientist born and a life scientist who died on October 22, 1935. Weifeng Chen was born on that date. He was Professor of Immunology in Beijing and Associate Editor-in-Chief of Cellular and Molecular Immunology. He died January 26, 2009. He was President of the Chinese Society of Immunology in 2006, Vice President of the Federation of Immunology Societies of Asia-Oceania 1992-2000, and elected a Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Science in 1995. He received the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chinese Society of Immunology. Harry Schelwaldt Swarth died in 1935. He was an ornithologist, associate Editor of The Condor, worked at the Field Museum, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California and the Museum of History, Science and Arts, at Los Angeles. He was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Ornithologists' Union. 296. Ettore Marchiafava, physician and anatomist with extensive work in parasitology, died October 23, 1935. The Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome was named for him, which is an alteration of nerve fibers due to chronic alcoholism. 297. October 24, 1935, was the date for the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine. Hans Spemann from the University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany, received the Prize for his discovery of the organizer effect in embryonic development by the study of frog eggs. Although Hilde Mangold had died prior to 1935, there was some controversy in Spemann being the sole recipient of the Nobel prize; however, the Nobel can only be awarded to a living person. Mangold's experimental evidence paved the way for Spemann's work. Top of page Week 43 298. Leo Loeb worked on tissue and tumor growth and the study of cancer. He received the John Phillips Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Clinical Medicine in October 1935 at the Convocation of the American College of Physicians. 299. Ora Mendelsohn Rosen was born October 26, 1935. She received the Mather Award from Columbia University in 1981 and the Freedberg Award from the New York Academy of Sciences in 1984. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. 300. Anna Laura Hintze died on October 27, 1935. She had been Assistant Professor of physiology and hygiene at Goucher College and also a former member of the staff of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory at Solomon's Island, MD. 301. Francis John Marousky was born October 28, 1935. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science and served as Vice-President of the Florida State Horticultural Society 1974-75. 302. Dov Jaron was born October 28, 1935. He is a Fellow of AAAS, served as President of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering 2000-2003 and the Engineering in Medicine and Biology section of IEEE 1986-87. 303. Warren Glenford Kinzey was born October 31, 1935. He was a biological anthropologist with a focus on primates. He was a Fellow of the American Anthropological Association and served as Program Editor for biological anthropology 1983-87. He was Consulting Editor of the American Journal of Primatology 1984-94 and Associate Editor of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology 1986-90 and served as Chair of the Anthropology Section of the New York Academy of Sciences 1987-88. 304. This item will note five books that were published in 1935. Carroll William Dodge was the author of Medical mycology; fungous diseases of men and other mammals, published by C. V. Mosby, St. Louis, MO. Frederick Parker Gay's most significant work was Agents of Disease and Host Resistance, including the principles of immunology, bacteriology, mycology, protozoology, parasitology and virus diseases, published by C. C. Thomas, Springfield, IL. Wilhelm Kolle, Heinrich Hetsch, Dagny Erikson and J W H Eyre produced Experimental bacteriology : in its applications to the diagnosis, epidemiology, and immunology of infectious diseases, the English language version based on 7th rev. German original, published by Macmillan in New York. Black's veterinary dictionary, 2nd ed rev and enl., by William C. Miller was published by Black in London. David Wechsler wrote Range of human capacities, which was published by Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD. Top of page Week 44 305. Jack David Barchas, psychiatrist, was born November 2, 1935. He was a recipient of the Bennett Research Award and Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Biological Psychiatry, Efron Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and the Thomas William Salmon Medal from the New York Academy of Medicine. 306. During this week in 1935 the American College of Surgeons meets in San Francisco for its 25th Clinical Congress. Among the reports heard at the conference are papers on on high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and the effects of cortin on personality. 307. There was a loss and a gain on November 3, 1935. Kurt Norstrom was born on that date. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Uppsala, and served as President of the Swedish Society for Microbiology 1984-88. He was also Editor of Plasmid Journal 1981-89. The loss on that date was L. L. Funk. He was a Chicago dentist and known as the inventor of pressure anaesthesia for the extraction of live nerves. 308. Jerome Charles Goldstein, born November 4, 1935, was very active in professional associations and served as President of the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery 1982-83; Founding President 1993-95 and President 1999-200 of the National Association of Physicians for the Environment; and President of the Pan Pacific Surgical Association 2004-2006. 309. Carroll Edward Cross was born November 5, 1935. He was a member of the Editorial Board for both Experimental Lung Research and the Archives of Environmental Health beginning in 1979. He also received the Joan Oettinger Memorial Research Award for excellence in cancer or lung disease research in 1977 from the University of California at Davis. 310. Significant items regarding two well known paleontologists occurred in 1935. Henry Fairfield Osborn died on November 6, 1935. He was an American paleontologist, served at American Museum of Natural History and U.S. Geological Survey, author of the textbook The Age of Mammals, recipient of the Darwin Medal of the Royal Society of London, the Wollaston Medal of the Geological Society of London, the Prix Albert Gaudry from the Geological Society of France and former president of the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Zoological Society. Edwin H. Colbert, also an American, received the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal for meritorious work in zoology or paleontology for work published in the previous 3-5 year period from the National Academy of Sciences. Colbert is best known for his work in paleontology and his competition with Henry Osborn. 311. Two life scientists were born on November 6, 1935. David T. Wong, born in Hong Kong, had a distinguished career in biochemistry with Lilly Research Labs. He received the Scientist of the Year Presidential Award from the Chinese Neurosciences Society in 1991; an Excellence Award from the Asian American Alliance, Inc,. in 2002; and the Distinguished Scientist Award for Drug Discovery in 2004 from the Society of Chinese Bioscientists of America. Leon L. Wheeless, Jr, served as President of two organizations: the International Society for Analytical Cytology 1982-84 and the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 1974-75. He also received a Centennial Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for outstanding contributions to biomedical engineering. 312. Ray L. Pawley was born November 7, 1935. He was formerly a curator of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, and he served as President of the International Herpetological Symposium in 1996. Top of page Week 45 313. Joseph Francis Fitzgerald, born November 8, 1935, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He received the Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Gastroenterology Association and was Man of the Year for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. He also received a Distinguished Service Award from the North American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Hepatology, and Nutrition. In addition he served as a member of the Editorial Board for both Pediatrics and Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 314. On November 9, 1935, Thomas Hunt Morgan of California Institute of Technology (CalTech), the 1933 Nobel prize winner for discoveries concerning functions of chromosomes and genes was given an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Paris. 315. Alan Ernest Stiven, born November 12, 1935, served as Editor of Ecology and Ecological Monographs 1967-73 and was on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 1967-71. 316. Joseph Schulman, born on an unconfirmed date in 1935, is former President and Chief Scientist of the Alfred Mann Foundation devoted to advanced medical products to "provide significant improvements to the health, security, and quality of life for people suffering from debilitating medical conditions." These include pacemakers, glucose sensors, and cochlear implants. He has over 80 patents and has authored numerous papers, primarily in biomedical engineering. 317. A number of new serials started in the clinical areas. Six of them are noted here as coming out of Europe. La Clinica was published by Cappelli Editore in Italy. A second new title out of Italy was Res Medicae published by Fatebenefratelli. The third one was Minerva Anestesiologica published by Edizioni Minerva Medica. Fiches Medicales came from Editions SIM in France. Kliniske Tandteknikere, a dentistry title that ceased in 2004, was published by Lansforeningen af Kliniske Tandteknikere in Denmark. Finally, and using Europe as a loose geographic designation, Arkhiv Patologii was published by Izdatel'stvo Meditsina of the Russian Federation. 318. There were seven clinical titles started in 1935 outside of the European countries, but they are more scattered geographically. Two titles were from Argentina. They were Anales de Cirugia, published by a company of the same name and Revista Argentina del Torax by the Liga Argentina contra la Tuberculosis. Two were from India. They were Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology published by Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd., and Indian Journal of Medicine & Surgery from KC Kapoor. In addition, Asociacion Mexicana de Gastroenterologia in Mexico started Revista de Gastroenterologia de Mexico; the Arthritis Foundation, USA, started Rheumatism Review; and Witwatersrand Univ. Pr. started South African Journal of Medical Sciences. Top of page Week 46 319. Continuing on the journals theme from last week, there were three more titles that started in 1935 in medically related areas. The National Rehabilitation Association, Washington, DC, started publishing Journal of rehabilitation; Johann Ambrosius Barth Verlag of East Germany started the occupational health title, Arbeitsmedizin: Abhandlungen ueber Berufskrankheiten und deren Verhuetung; and Facts about Nursing was started by the American Journal of Nursing. 320. In 1935 the Royal Society awarded the Davy medal to University of Manchester scientist, Arthur Harden. Harden was born November 15, 1935. 321. November 16, 1935, marked the birth and the death of significant physicians/surgeons. At the time of his retirement in 2001, Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub, born November 16, had performed more heart transplants than any other surgeon in the world. He also performed Britain's first live lobe lung transplant in 1984. In 1992 Queen Elizabeth II knighted him, in 1999 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 2004 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He was also a recipient of the Texas Heart Institute Ray C. Fish award for Scientific Achievement in Cardiovascular Disease in 1998, was a Kaufman awardee in 2001, and received the Golden Hippocrates international Award for excellence in cardiac surgery from Moscow in 2003. Love Rosa Hirschmann Gantt, who died November 16, 1935, was one of the two first women graduates of the Medical College of the State of South Carolina in 1901. She was the first female physician in Spartanburg and was one of the first women to become a member of the Southern Medical Association. During World War I, she was the only woman to serve on a draft board in the USA and she also held a commission from the Department of Commerce to be a medical examiner for pilots. 322. Matilda Arabella Evans, who died November 17, 1935, faced a hostile environment to become a physician in South Carolina. She faced competition not only from white physicians, but also from male physicians of her own race. She founded the Negro Health Association to place a black nurse in each county. She was unsuccessful, but it was an excellent effort that raised the issue of health care for all people in the state. She also founded three hospitals and in 1930 she opened a free clinic for women and children. By 1932, the Evans Clinic was supported by the county and state Boards of health. 323. On November 19, 1935, Carl Caskey Spiedel of the University of Virginia reported on the effect of alcohol on nerves of living tadpoles at the National Academy of Sciences conference in Charlottesville, VA. 324. Three life scientists were born on November 20, 1935. Henri Marcel Rochefort was a researcher and educator from INSERM, Montpellier, France, and the Cancer Research Center, CRLC in Montpellier. He was author of over 350 articles, primarily on hormones and cancer. Daniel Eugene Gormley is a Fellow of he American Academy of Dermatology, served on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery 1973-76 and as Vice President in 1980, and served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Mohs Surgery 1990-95. Nirmal Chandra Sukul was a zoologist at the Visva Bharati University in India. He received the Dr. G.D. Bhalerao Memorial Gold Medal from the Zoological Society of India in 1984. 325. James Fletcher Spann was born on November 21, 1935. He was very active with publishing and editing. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Cardiology 1972-78; an editorial consultant for Chest 1971, Heart and Lung 1971-73, the American Journal of Physiology since 1979, Circulation Research since 1982 and the New England Journal of Medicine since 1983. He was also a member of the Editorial Board of Heart Failure since 1985. Top of page Week 47 326. Fredric Winthrop Scott is Emeritus Professor from Cornell University since 1997. He was President of the American Association of Feline Practitioners 1976-78 and on their Board of Directors in 1991. He received the Carnation Award in 1990 from the American Animal Hospital Association. He was born November 22, 1935. 327. Phillip Jeffrey Bower was born November 23, 1935. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and served on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association 1979-83. 328. Two life scientists were born November 24, 1935. Kazuyoshi Yajima is a Fellow and Life member of the American Association of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine and was on the Spaceweek International Association Board of Directors in 2003. Karel Frederik Liem is a Fellow of the Linnean Society and the Zoological Society of London and a Guggenheim Fellow in 1970. He was Henry Bryant Bigelow Professor of Biology at Harvard and curator of ichthyology. 329. Laurence Pringle, born November 26, 1935, is primarily known as a children's author. It should be noted, however, that most of his works explored the natural sciences from cockroaches to dolphins to the environment. He received a Special Award from the National Wildlife Federation in 1978 and the Eva L. Gordon Award from the American Nature Study Society in 1983. 330. David Jong-Jai Lim was born November 27, 1935. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology. He received the Guyot Prize in 1992 from the University of Groningen, which is only awarded every five years; a Paparella Clinical Otological Award from the International Hearing Foundation in 1999; the Shambaugh Prize awarded only every second year from the Collegium Oto-rhino-laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum; and served as President of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology 1976-77. 331. T. Wayland Vaughan received the Alexander Agassiz Medal from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1935 for his work on corals, foraminifera, and submarine deposits. He was a leader in developing oceanographic activity on the Pacific Coast of the U.S.A. 332. Two inventions of note were announced in 1935. The American Dental Association introduced polymerized acrylin resin for artificial teeth and C.E. and C. Collins reported the use of Aloe Vera to treat Roentgen dermatitis in the American Journal of Roentgenology and Radium Therapy, 33:396-397, 1935. Top of page Week 48 333. Alberto Juan Lorenzo Macario, born December 1, 1935, was recipient of the Diploma de Honor Prize from the National University of Buenos Aires in 1961, the Bernardino Rivadavia Prize from the National Academy of Medicine in Argentina in 1967, and the Ciencie e Investigacion Prize from the Argentinian Society for the Advancement of Science in 1967. He also served as Professor of the department of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Public Health at SUNY, Albany. 334. D. H. Tennent of Bryn Mawr College presents a paper at the National Academy of Sciences conference in Charlottesville, VA, on light effects on eggs of a species of sea urchin that works as x-rays. 335. On December 4, 1935, three life scientist were born, David Serfaty, Klaus Wolff, and Jen-Kun Lin. Charles Robert Richet died on this date. Serfaty served as Chairman of the National Federation of Colleges in Medical Gynecology 1989-93 and honorary President in 1996; Chairman of the European Society of Contraception 1988-92 and honorary President in 1996 (yes, both at once), and President of the Medical Gynecological College of Paris - Ile de France. He received the City of Paris Silver Medal in 1975, the Academico Correspondiente en el Extranjero of Spain in 1991 and received two knighthoods: the National Order of Merit in 1987 and the National Order of the Legion of Honour in 1995. Wolff is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and served as President of the European Society for Dermatological Research 1975-76 and the International League of Dermatological Societies 1987-92. Lin served as President of the Chinese Biomedical Society 1987-88 and of the Chinese Toxicological Society 1991-94. Richet, who received the Nobel prize in physiology in 1913 based on his research on anaphylaxis, published an extensive memoir on the properties of gastric juices in 1878 and moved on to the central nervous system by 1883. In 1888 Richet, with Jules Hï¿½ricourt found a new type of staphylococcus bacterium in the dog and this moved his interest to tuberculosis. He tested a number of marine poisons on dogs and discovered what was called an anaphylactic ("contrary to protection") reaction. He received the Cross of the Legion of Honor in 1926. 336. The year 1935 was the founding year of many more organizations than our own DBIO. Two laboratories were founded in this year: Haskins Laboratories, a research lab affiliated with Yale University and focusing on medical research, and the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory. The medical societies founded in 1935 include: the American Board of Urology, American College of Chest Physicians, Chilean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International College of Surgeons, International Society of Blood Transfusion, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, Scottish Committee of Optometrists, Sociedad Chilena de Urologia, and Society of Occupational Medicine. 337. Beckman Company was founded in 1935 by Arnold Beckman. It provides testing equipment, such as centrifuges and DNA testing systems, to hospitals. Beckman's bought Coulter Corp. in 1997 to create Beckman Coulter, Inc. 338. The final list of 1935 books cover a broad area of life sciences. These are Science of Living Things: botany, zoology, anatomy, & physiology written by A H G Alston and published by Odhams in London; James G Needham's Guide to the Study of Fresh-water Biology: with special reference to aquatic insects and other invertebrate animals published by Comstock Pub. Co., of Ithaca, N.Y.; Paul Smith Welch's first edition of Limnology published by McGraw-Hill of N.Y. and London; and the second edition of Thomas Hunt Morgan's Scientific Basis of Evolution published by W.W. Norton & Co., of N.Y. Week 49 339. Two life scientists were born December 7, 1935 and one life scientist died on this date. Anwar Nasim was a member of the Editorial Board of Mutation Research 1994-96; the Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, Japan, 1994; and the Journal of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Taipei, Taiwan, in 1991. He received an Award for Outstanding Services from the Overseas Pakistani's Institute in 1995 and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz Civil Award in Molecular Genetics in 1999. De-qing Zhou served on the Council of the Chinese Society for Microbiology 1987-96. He was also Editor-in-Chief of the Experimental Handbook of Microbiology in 1987. He also received awards for Outstanding Teaching Achievement from the Shanghai Municipal Government in 1996 (First) and 1995 (Second) and from the State Grade of China in 1997 (Second). There was also one life scientist who died on this date. Griffith Evans, who was born nearly 100 years before on August 7, 1835, was a pioneer in the study of protozoology in relationship to infection and the first to associate trypanosomes with disease production. The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine awarded its highest honor, The Mary Kingsley medal, in 1917 "for distinguished service in the cause of tropical medicine by original research." In 1918 he received the coveted Henry Steel Memorial Medal of the Royal Veterinary College and in 1931 at the age of 96 he received the Freedom of the City of Bangor. 340. Reinard Ziegler, born December 8, 1935, received the Science Prize from the City of Ulm, Germany, in 1977 and served as President of the German Endocrine Society 1996-99. 341. Lafayette Benedict Mendel died on December 9, 1935. He had been appointed Sterling professor of physiological chemistry in 1921, one of the first to receive this honor at Yale University,and was known for his work on vitamin A and other work in the area of proteins, specifically food proteins. He served as Editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry and of the Journal of Nutrition and was President of the Society of Biological Chemistry in 1911. He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1913, received the gold medal from the American Institute of Chemists in 1927, and the Connï¿½ Medal from the Chemist's Club of New York "for his outstanding chemical contributions to medicine" in 1935. 342. There were two Nobel Prizes awarded on December 10, 1935. Frederick and Irene Joliot-Curie received the Nobel prize for chemistry for discovery of new radioactive isotopes prepared artificially in 1933 and Sir James Chadwick received the Nobel prize for physics for his discovery of the neutron in 1934. 343. William Paul Purcell was born December 11, 1935, and Harriet Cook Hubbard died on this date. Purcell is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and was one of the founders of the International Society of Quantum Biology. He also served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 1969-73. Hubbard was one of the first graduates of the New England Hospital training school for nurses. She was known for being an expert dietitian and botanist and was given credit for making the Litchfield District Nursing Association a success. 344. Alexis Carrel of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research gives his address, the "Mystery of Death" at the NY Academy of Medicine on December 12, 1935. He asserts that people could be put in storage and revived later. The theory is disputed by former colleague Anton Julius Carlson of Chicago. 345. . Joseph Reiher Jehl, Jr., born December 12, 1935, was a Fellow of the American Ornithologists Union and served on the Board of Directors of the International Council for Bird Preservation. He also was Editor of Studies in Avian Biology, 1987-93. Charles Loomis Dana, who died on this date, was the author of Textbook of Nervous Diseases, which went to ten editions, served as President of the Academy of Medicine of New York and of the American Neurological Association. He was a Professor of Nervous Diseases at Cornell Medical College. Top of page Week 50 346. Three botanical organizations were founded in 1935. They were the Norwegian Botanical Society, National Junior Horticultural Association (USA), and Cornell University's L.H. Bailey Hortorium. 347. Rowland Southern, who died on December 13, 1935, was a marine zoologist who served at the National Museum in Dublin. He was a specialist in polychaetes and participated in studies off both the south and west coasts. Later he worked on freshwater fish at a new limnological laboratory on the River Shannon. He served as Ireland's second representative to the International Council on the Exploration of the Sea. 348. The Paris Academy of Sciences awarded a number of prizes on December 16, 1935. Antoine Jullien was awarded the Montyon Prize for his work in physiology and his book on practical physiology. Louis Chauvois was awarded the Mï¿½ge Prize for his book on the circulation of the blood. Paul Marais de Beauchamp was awarded the Cuvier Prize for his researches on invertebrates. Pierre Dangeard was awarded the Desmaziï¿½res Prize for the "Traite d'Algologie." Renï¿½ Moricard was awarded the Barbier Prize for his memoir "Prolifï¿½rine sexuelle femelle. Contribution a l'ï¿½tude de la fonction de la folliculine." Robert Douin was awarded the Jean Thore Prize for his contribution to the "Flore illustre de France." Robert Echevin was awarded the Jean de Ruez de Lavison Prize for his work on metabolism of nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in dead leaves of igneous plants. 349. December 16, 1935, marks the death of Albert Spear Hitchcock, agrostologist, who worked primarily with economic aspects of botany, especially the study of grasses. He believed that work in the field, rather than just with dried specimens, was vital. He was also the first president of the Botanical Society of America at its founding in 1914. 350. Arthur H. Forer, born December 17, 1935, was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Cell Science 1972-84, the Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology 1982-93, and Cell Biology International Reports since 1984. 351. Gï¿½sta Erik Eriksson has been Emeritus Professor of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala since 2000. He received the Jubilee Medal from the Lithuanian Forest Research Institute in 1997 and became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Forestry and Agriculture of Sweden in 1981. He was born December 18, 1935. 352. Laurence Retman Young, born December 19, 1935, is a Fellow of the IEEE, receiving their Franklin V. Taylor Award in 1963. He also received the Jeffries Medical Research Award in 1992 from the Aerospace Medical Association, the Paul Hensen Award in 1995 from the Aerospace Human Factors Association, and was awarded the Koetser Foundation Prize in 1998 in Zurich. He was a founding member of the Biomedical Engineering Society and served as their President in 1979-80. Top of page Week 51 353. Walter John Kender, born December 20, 1935, is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Florida, is a Fellow of the AAAS, and has served as a Director of the American Society for Horticultural Science 1975-85 and on the Advisory Committee of the American Pomological Society, in addition to service on Florida associations and as a consultant in Pakistan and Indonesia. 354. . Two life scientists born on December 21, 1935, are Karel Hruska and David Lange Narhwold. Hruska received a Medal from the Czechoslovak Academy of Agriculture in 1985 and spent most of his later career at the Veterinary Research Institute in Brno, Czech Republic. He was Editor of International Journal for Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and a member of the advisory Board for Acta Veterinaria Hungarica. Narhwold was active in both professional organizations and editorial boards and recognized with two awards. He received the John P. Hubbard award from the National Board of Medical Examiners in 2003 and the Derrick Vail award from the American Board of Medical Specialties in 2007. As examples, he served on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons 1992-98 and as 1st vice-President 2005-2006, as Treasurer for the International Federation of Surgical Colleges 1999-2002, and as President of the U.S. Chapter of the Collegium International Chirurgiae Digestive 1988-90. He was Editor (now Emeritus) of the Journal of Laparoendoscopic Surgery 1997-2004 and member of the Editorial Boards for Surgery 1981-94, Archives of Surgery 1983-93, Digestive Surgery 1986-99, American Journal of Surgery 1994-2000, the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 1996-2000 and Current Opinion in General Surgery and Journal of Lithotripsy and Stone Disease 1988-92. 355. This is the last group of life sciences serials started in 1935. Springer started Acta biotheoretica and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. Other titles which started in Europe in 1935 are published by Urban und Fischer Verlag in Germany, Norsk Viltforskning Meddelelser from the Directorate for Nature Management in Norway, and Termeszetbuvar (general biology) from Termeszetbuvar Alapitvany in Hungary. The last title, Indian forest records (new series) Entomology, was published by Forest Research Institute & Colleges in India. 356. . William Sigmond Bowers received the J.E. Bussart Award in 1990, the Alexander von Humboldt Prize in 1989, and the Spencer Award in Agricultural Chemistry in 1994. He was born December 24, 1935. 357. Three life scientists were born on December 25, 1935. Mahmud-ul Ameen served as Editor-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Journal of Zoology 1978-80 and is a Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Science who awarded him their Gold Medal in 1990. He also served as President of the Zoological Society of Bangladesh 1994-95 and again in 1999. Jonathan Roger Beckwith received a Merit Award from the National Institutes of Health in 1986, the Eli Lilly Award for Outstanding Achievement in Microbiology in 1970, and the Genetics Society of America Medal in 1993. In 2009 he received the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology from the National Academy of Science. He is also a Fellow of AAAS. His memoir, Making Genes, Making Waves: A Social Activist in Science was published in 2002. George Franklin Vande Woude was a Fellow of the AAAS and received the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Award in 1989. 358. Two new organizations in the area of entomology were founded in 1935. These are the Amateur Entomologists' Society and the American Mosquito Control Association. 359. . Two broad environmental research centers sponsored by U.S. federal agencies were established in 1935. These are the National Ocean Service's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science - Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research and the U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station. Top of page Week 52 360. Five U.S. universities started research stations in 1935 that had a focus on the environment. Auburn University started the Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Bowdoin College founded their Bowdoin Scientific Station with a focus on Biological and Environmental Sciences, Iowa State University of Science and Technology started the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Utah State University started the Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, and Wheaton College started the Wheaton College Science Station. 361. Eight agricultural centers or organizations started in 1935. One was the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology. Another was the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Crop Diversification Centre South in Canada. The rest were in the U.S. They were the Agricultural Research Service's South Atlantic Area Food Science Research Unit, Iowa State University of Science and Technology's Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's State Seed Testing Laboratory. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Caswell Research Farm, and Purdue University's Throckmorton-Purdue Agricultural Center. 362. Edward Paul Leonard, born December 29, 1935, is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and recipient of the Carl A. Schlack Research Award from the Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. in 1989. 363. Roger Anthony Gorski, born December 30, 1935, served on the Editorial Boards of Neuroendorcrinology 1967-75, Anatomical Record 1968-77, Endocrinology 1973-77 and Biology of Reproduction 1974-78. He received the Ernst Oppenheimer Award in 1976 from the Endocrine Society and served as President of the Society for the Study of Reproduction in 1978. 364. On December 30, 1935, the Tenth Congress of the International Society of Surgery began in Cairo. 365. Robert Leroy Heinrikson was born December 31, 1935. He served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry 1978-83 and the Journal of Protein Chemistry beginning in 1982.	Alcoholics Anonymous
A hazzan, or chazzan, leads the congregation in songful prayer in which religion?	AA Christian/Biblical Roots \| Page 3 \| Christian Forums Welcome to Christian Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Christianity in a friendly surrounding. Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features: Reply to discussions and create your own threads. Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting after you have posted 20 posts and have received 5 likes. Access to private conversations with other members. Less Advertisements! Members see fewer ads and have the option to upgrade their account to ad free! We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless! AA Christian/Biblical Roots Faith: Christian I've been reading up on the early beginnings of AA. Bill Wilson had been an atheist. After Bill Wilson's conversion at Shoemaker's Rescue Mission, he assimilated the Oxford Group principles: Five C's, Four Absolutes, Surrender, Restitution, Guidance, and Witnessing. Then he took this message to Dr. Bob in Akron, Ohio. Dr. Bob has attended church, and also studied the Bible in church and Christian Endeavor. source: http://www.aabibliography.com/dickbhtml/article01.html I remember my great-great- aunt Ruth telling me about Christian Endeavor. I need to give her a call and ask her for more details .... -- vja4Him (living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace -- James 1:2 ,3; Isaiah 26:3 ) +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Faith: Christian However, I need 50 posts here to put my website. Yes, the roots of A.A. are Biblical. I cannot give you the website but if you google Recovered Through Christ you should find it. Better yet, do a yahoo search with the name. It gives you the url. Faith: Christian PM me and I will give you my e-mail, then you can send me the links. I can post the links, because I have 100 posts now!! themessagecarrier said: ↑ Better yet, do a yahoo search with the name. It gives you the url. Click to expand... Catholic Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, Pass it on, A.A. come of Age: These books draw a wonder picture of how A.A. was formed into what it is today. A lot of A.A.' s don't read their history and truly understand what spiritual fellowship that they are in. So they don't see how the steps feed into the tradition and how it all came about. Or maybe I am a nostalgic old nut, LOL. Ratings: +0 Delighted to see the content of this forum, and here are some facts that may clarify historical misconceptions about A.A. and its success rates in its early years. Is Alcoholics Anonymous Effective? A.A. Success Rates to Consider By Dick B. Copyright 2008 Anonymous. All rights reserved Is Alcoholics Anonymous Effective? There is no simple answer to that question relative to todays A.A. In fact, several problems immediately pop up. The first concerns the question whether conventional and present-day surveys of the Alcoholics Anonymous Society can or do establish whether the A.A. Program of recovery itself effectively offers permanent sobriety to those alcoholics who still suffer and enter the A.A. rooms. The second concerns the critical issue as to whether, like A.A. cofounder Robert H. Smith, M.D. (Dr. Bob), the present-day survey has asked the afflicted person, Do you believe in God, young fella? The third asks the further question of the surveyor as to just which program, which belief system, and which A.A. era is involved in the path that has been followed by the new person being surveyed. The Effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous Lets look first at the early A.A. program founded in Akron in 1935, and the evidence of its successes After 19 years of research and writing, and also by building on the recent and splendid research and writing of Richard K., I believe the following facts can be sustained and documented: 1. Who were the first 40 A.A. pioneers? The statement (albeit infrequent) that all, or most of, the 40 early A.A. pioneers got drunk or died drunk is without any foundation whatever. The reason is that this statement deals primarily or exclusively only with those whose personal stories were included either in the multilith manuscript or the First Edition of the Big Book. People mentioned in those personal stories may well have gotten drunk or even died drunk. But the people named in the personal stories were not listed because they had been members of the first 40 real pioneers. Careful research in recent years has disclosed exactly who the first 40 real AAs were and what their successes were or werent. Plainly stated, people whose personal stories were selected for publication in the First Edition of the A.A. Big Book in 1939 were not those people whose data was surveyed by A.A. cofounders Bill W. and Dr. Bob in 1937. The two groups are not identical. 2. How can we know the names of the first 40 and the names of the Cleveland A.A. pioneers who followed them? In early Akron A.A., and then in early Cleveland A.A., names, addresses, phone numbers, and data about sobriety, relapses, and ultimate outcomes were commonplace. I have copies of the address book of Dr. Bobs wife, Anne Smith. It contains data on many of the pioneers. On the walls at Dr. Bob's Home at 855 Ardmore Avenue in Akron, there are pictures of a number of these pioneers. I have in my possession several written rosters of each and every early AA pioneer with the names, dates of sobriety, dates of death, and ultimate sobriety outcome. There is a written list of the early Cleveland AAs, and the several Cleveland A.A. groups kept rosters naming these members. I have a four-page roster titled, First 220 members of A.A. That roster includes the names, street addresses, cities, and phone numbers of pioneers well-known to most historians of A.A. I either have copies of all of these or have sent them on to the Griffith Library at Bill Wilson's birthplacethe Wilson House--in East Dorset, Vermont. 3. The evidence from the A.A. cofounders themselves as to the successes of the pioneers. There is lots of eyewitness evidence about the first 40 A.A. pioneers who had achieved the astonishing 75% success rate as calculated by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob in the late fall of 1937, Bills writings record the day he sat in the living room of Dr. Bobs home with Doc and his wife, Anne Smith, counting recoveries. Bill said: A hardcore of very grim, last-gasp cases had by then been sober a couple of years. All told, we figured that upwards of 40 alcoholics were staying bone dry. In Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Bill wrote: There had been failures galore, but now we can see some startling successes too. A hardcore of very grim, last-gasp cases had by then been sober a couple of years, an un-heard-of development. There were 20 or more such people. In the memorial issue of the A.A. Grapevine, RHS, published on Dr. Bobs death, Bill W. described the evidence further: At this juncture I spent a week visiting Dr. Bob. We commenced to count noses. Out of hundreds of alcoholics, how many had stuck? How many were sober? And for how long? In that fall of 1937 Bob and I counted forty cases who had significant dry timemaybe sixty years for the whole lot of them! Our eyes glistened. Enough time had elapsed on enough cases to spell out something quite new, perhaps something great indeed. . . . God had shown alcoholics how it might be passed hand to hand. Bills biographer Robert Thomsen added this as to the counting by Bill and Bob: They were both conscious of their failures as they settled down in Bobs living room and began comparing notes. But as the afternoon wore on and they continued going over lists, counting noses, they found themselves facing a staggering fact. In all, in Ohio and in New York, they knew forty alcoholics who were sober and were staying sober, and of this number at least twenty had been completely dry for more than a year. Moreover, every single one of them had been diagnosed as a hopeless case. Pass It On adds as to the care of the count: As we carefully rechecked this score, it suddenly burst upon us that a new light was shining into the dark world of the alcoholic. . . . We actually wept for joy, and Bob and Anne and I bowed our heads in silent thanks. There have been a number of writings about the original 40 pioneers. The most careful review was done by Richard K. of Massachusetts whose books are cited below. Some of the other discussions of this topic have contained serious inaccuracies. In summary, it is not very difficult at this late point to verify with certainty not only the fact of 40 pioneer cases but also virtually to verify the name of each person constituting one of the 75% referred to by Bill W. and by the Big Book statement in Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., 2001, page xx. Concerning the relative successes of Bill Wilson as compared to those of Dr. Bob in Akron, A.A.s Pass It On states: There are also some indications that Dr. Bob was the more effective sponsor. There is certainly no denying that in the first few years, A.A. grew more rapidly in Akron than it did in New York, and there were those who attributed this success to Dr. Bobs strong leadership. Bill and Lois had permitted some of the men to live with them for as long as a year; they apparently stopped the practice when they realized it did very little to help the men actually stay sober. During this time, Bill was overoptimistic about the effectiveness of the work he was doing. In Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Bill Wilson wrote: The first Cleveland meeting started in June, 1939, at the home of Abby G. and his wife Grace. . . . But Abbys presently ran out of space. . . . These multiplying and bulging meetings continued to run short of home space, and they fanned out into small halls and church basements. . . . We old-timers in New York and Akron had regarded this fantastic phenomenon with deep misgivings. . . . Yet there in Cleveland we saw about twenty members, not very experienced themselves, suddenly confronted by hundreds of newcomers. . . . How could they possibly manage? We did not know. But a year later we did know; for by then Cleveland had about thirty groups and several hundred members. . . . Yes, Clevelands results were of the best. Their results were in fact so good, and A.A.s membership elsewhere so small, that many a Clevelander really thought A.A. had started there in the first place. . . . Many of the essentials of A.A. as we now understand them were to be found already in the pioneering groups in Akron, New York, and Cleveland as early as 1939. Documenting the extraordinary Cleveland results (a 93% success rate), A.A.s DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers quoted Cleveland founder Clarence H. Snyder as follows: They take it so casually today. I think a little discipline is necessary. I think A.A. was more effective in those days. Records in Cleveland show that 93 percent of those who came to us never had a drink again. When I discovered that people had slips in A.A., it really shook me up. Today, its all watered down so much. Anyone can wander in now. In counting those who were, and those who were not, successful among the early AAs, the surveyor must necessarily eliminate a number of potential candidates. For example, there definitely were those who floated in and out and never really tried the rigorous program that Dr. Bob conducted in Akron and that Frank Amos, the agent of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., reported. Recently, a new argument has appeared denigrating the successes of the original 40. It rests on the thesis that these 40 were pre-screened. It is enough of an answer to suggest that they certainly were pre-screened in order to become effective members of the Christian Fellowship. Most were hospitalized. All were required to profess belief in God. All accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As the reporter of the early Akron Program stated: An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never again drink anything with alcohol in it. He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope. . . . [and] he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. These elements and others were musts. To try out for the team, and to be accepted and qualified to remain in the game, the successful early AAs certainly had to prove that they were willing to believe, that they were serious about quitting permanently, and that they unhesitatingly were putting themselves in Gods hands. [The forum rules required that I shorten my article and remove the footnotes. For the full article, please search the Internet for my name.] God Bless, Dick B. Ratings: +0 Abstract A.A. had two separate and distinct roots and several distinctly different offshoots facts often ignored or forgotten. The ensuing historical amnesia may have been the results of A.A.s having two very different co-founders with very different backgrounds and viewpoints: (1) Dr. Bobs modest unwillingness to discuss his own youth, religious background, Christian convictions, and highly successful recovery work. (2) Bill Wilsons efforts to fashion a program for his Big Book that would quietly, yet primarily, incorporate and codify the ideas of the Oxford Group, the teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker, and a group of ideas calculated to bring atheists, agnostics, and unbelievers into the A.A. fold and, at the same time, to require no religious commitment from them. Unquestionably, the Oxford Group spawned the fellowship that A.A.s two founders developed. But the results of the birthing produced a far different outcome Regrettably, the original spiritual program of recovery--developed primarily from Dr. Bobs Biblical ideas and church experiences as a youngster--has faded away. It has yielded to a long-honored time-line of events that feature Bill Wilsons experiences as an atheist and one who attempted to help alcoholics find God with ideas that wound up in his Big Book program and Twelve Steps. Therefore, if you or anyone else, hopes to understand and accurately interpret A.A. history, its early A.A. successes and cures, and its easily recognized religious elements of in the 1930s, you and that person need to examine both of A.A.s separate and distinct roots and as well the progression of events that took place with respect to A.A. and its component roots and offshoots between 1925 to 1955. Prior to 1925, two separate and distinct societies were emerging in what we shall call the life-changing arena even though both could better be placed in a religious category. Christian Endeavor: A.A.s earliest and virtually unknown, unrecognized, and unmentioned major root is the United Christian Endeavor Society. The Christian Endeavor Movement began in 1888 in Williston, Maines Congregational Church. It was founded to recapture the enthusiasm of Willistons young people for their own, local, Protestant Church. The movement quickly spread to Vermonts North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury; to which Dr. Bob belonged, as a youngster. And it ultimately grew in world-wide scope and influence to a membership of over 3,500,000 a number far greater than the membership of the prior Washingtonians and the subsequent Oxford Group, and A.A. combined. It still exists today. The Oxford Group: A.A.s second, often discussed, and much later root was the Oxford Groupfirst called A First Century Christian Fellowship. This society was organized some three decades later than Christian Endeavors first society. It had no church affiliation and could properly be called the invention in 1919 of one man. Lutheran Minister Frank N. D. Buchman was its founder. His society began with a small group of followers who focused on evangelistic personal work that would help individuals eliminate sin from their lives, gain or regain a relationship with God, and live by moral principles taken from the Bible. The Oxford Group as such does not exist today in America where it began. A.A.s earlier root in the United Christian Endeavor Societywith its confession of Christ, conversion and conversion meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies, Quiet Hour, reading of Christian literature, and emphasis on love and servicecan be seen in the simple A.A. practices of the developing Akron A.A. Fellowship of the 1930s. The Akron fellowship, led by Dr. Bob, called itself a Christian Fellowship and brought members to Christ. Bible study, prayer meetings, and Quiet Time were stressed. Members read all kinds of Christian literature. They had no basic text like the Big Book. They had no Twelve Steps. They had no Twelve Traditions. Their meetings occurred once a week. And they certainly had no world, life-changing mission such as the Oxford Group teams that went all over the world. In fact, the Akron pioneer fellowship really had no significant contact with the Oxford Group, its leadership in America, or its British activists. Its emphasis was love and service. So was that of Christian Endeavor. By contrast, the Buchman followers (first known as A First Century Christian Fellowship) later came to be known as the Oxford Group. Their talk was of a personal God who had a plan, to whom man must surrender, and removal of the sin which they said had kept man from God. They used the Five CsConfidence, Confession, Conviction, Conversion, and Continuance that would eliminate the sin separating man from God. They espoused the Four Absolutes which were to replace sinful conduct and become standards for moral conduct. They embraced Quiet Time and Morning Watch practices that had become popular in the 1880s and involved Bible study, prayer, guidance, journaling thoughts, and checking. The Groups aim was its moral and spiritual awakenings and spiritual experiences. Its activists carried its message through sharing for witness, teamwork, loyalty, and fellowship. They were devoted to changing individual lives and thereby the world with the techniques mentioned above. The Group was never church-centered; it really was Frank Buchman-centered. This article will trace the impact of these two diverse, spiritual, and distinctly unrelated time-line streams to A.A. as it had developed by 1955a time when Bill Wilson believed A.A. had finally come of age. And that A.A.the A.A. of 1955, the A.A. that followed Dr. Bobs death, and the A.A. that had begun to accept all manner of religious members of every huewas most assuredly far different from the A.A. that Bill had Bob had organized and developed in Akron in 1935. The subject here is not which of the two A.A. roots was right or better, but why an understanding of both can be useful in A.A. today and perhaps end an increasingly hostile attitude in A.A. today between the so-called religious members and the so-called spiritual members. ________________________________________________________________________ Spiritual Origin Number One: Ø North Congregational Church, United Christian Endeavor, and Dr. Bob Features: Confession of Christ, Conversion meetings, prayer meetings, Bible study meetings, topics for discussion, use of religious literature, Quiet Hour, support for ones own church of choice, emphasis on love and service. The time line goes as follows: 1879: Dr. Bob Smith was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. -----: Membership in the North Congregational Church. The period when Dr. Bob, his parents, sister, and his family were all active members of this St. Johnsbury Church, where his father taught Sunday School for forty years, where his mother was a church-going lady busy with social and religious activities, and the whole family attended church at least four times each week and Dr. Bob was active in the churchs Christian Endeavor group. 1888: United Christian Endeavor. Founded in Williston, Maine at its Congregational Church, pastored by founder Rev. Francis Clark, with the movement quickly spreading to Vermont and Massachusetts. 1885: From 1885 to 1894, Bob attended elementary school in St. Johnsbury; entered the St. Johnsbury Academyan independent secondary school for the intellectual, moral, and religious training of boys and girlsand there matriculated from 1894 until graduation in 1898, when he went to Dartmouth, then to University of Michigan as a premed student, then to Rush University medical school near Chicago, and then received his medical degree in 1910. Though Dr. Bob met Anne Robinson Ripleyhis wife to beat a dance in the St. Johnsbuy Academy gym, the two were not married for 17 years and then on January 25, 1915. Anne was a student at Wellesley when the pair first met. And Anne taught school during the long courtshipa period when Dr. Bob was intensely involved both educational pursuits and the pursuit of liquor. -----: As a youngster, Bob attended some four prayer and other meetings at his church each week and was, in addition, actively involved in its Christian Endeavor Society. He indicated emphatically that he had become thoroughly familiar with the Bible during those yearsas did every active Christian Endeavorer; and he said he had received excellent training in the Bible in those dayswhich probably spanned a period from 1889 and continued through his Academy years until 1898. All the while, Christian Endeavor was growing like wildfire across the United States and abroad and pumping out literature from such famous Christian leaders as Dwight L. Moody, F. B. Meyer, Amos Wells, and Charles Sheldon. Ø The Akron Events from 1931 to 1935 and what they contributed Features: The conversion of Akrons Russell Firestone in 1931 and his miraculous recovery from alcoholism stood as proof that help for the alcoholic was available through turning to God, changing ones life, and devoting ones efforts to Gods will and purposes. In 1933, this solution became widely publicized when the Firestone family invited Oxford Group founder Frank Buchman and his entourage to come to Akron and witness. Henrietta Seiberling and Anne Smith immediately saw hope for Dr. Bob Smith. They formed a tiny clandestine lodge consisting of several Oxford Group people willing to help drunks. This small group held meetings; and they persuaded Dr. Bob to return to his religious roots through study of the Bible, prayer, seeking Gods help, and church membership. Though still drinking, Dr. Bob responded. He also began an intense three year study of the Bible, immense reading of Christian and Oxford Group literature, and church attendance. Henrietta Seiberling persisted in her efforts to help her friend Dr. Bob. When little was known of alcoholism, Henrietta received Divine revelation that Bobs problem would only be solved if he did not take one drop of liquor. She convened a special meeting of the group. After all shared shortcomings and Dr. Bob shared his drinking problem, Henrietta asked Bob if he wanted to pray. He said yes, and all prayed with Dr. Bob that his problem be removedthough Bob thereafter continued to drink. Ere long, however, in what Henrietta described as manna from heaven, there came a phone call to her from Bill Wilson of New York, asking her in finding him a drunk to help. Henrietta immediately arranged a meeting between Bill and Dr. Bob at the Seiberling Gate Lodge in Akron. The two (Bill and Bob) met the next day. Bill soon moved in with the Smiths for three months; and the earliest A.A. was considered founded on June 10, 1935 (perhaps even a few days later) when Dr. Bob took his last drink. In a matter of a few days after that, A.A.s first group, Akron Number One, was considered founded after Bill and Dr. Bob had witnessed in Akrons City Hospital to a very sick alcoholic attorney Henry Dotson. For Dotson had heard their message, turned to God, and walked from a lingering alcoholism problem to complete freedom. At that point, the three first AAs (Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, and Bill Dotson) all clearly stated that the Lord had cured them of their curse of alcoholism. Meanwhile, a totally different chain of events had been in progress in New York. God Bless, Dick B. +0 Spiritual Origin Number Two Features: While most AAs today like to begin their time-line story with the visit of New England businessman Rowland Hazard to Dr. Carl Jung in Switzerland about 1931 in Switzerland, the fact is that the wheels of Bill Wilsons Big Book program had been put in motion several years before. And the undeniable hub was A First Century Christian Fellowship founded by Dr. Frank N.D. Buchman. Buchmans ideas had been gathered and simmering from a number of diverse Christian sources. But the first printed formulation of them was in the book Soul Surgery, written by H.A. Walter in 1919 in collaboration with Buchman and Buchmans mentor Professor Henry B. Wright of Yale. That soul-surgery book described in detail a method of personal evangelism involving what Buchman had named the Five CsConfidence, Confession, Conviction, Conversion, and Conservation (the latter subsequently being called Continuance). Buchmans thesis was that mans basic problem was sin. To him, sin was estrangement from God. That sin was to be cut out by what Buchman called Gods art of soul surgery. The Five C process was soon accompanied by the other facets of Buchmans program and was intended to produce a moral or spiritual awakening which many Oxford Group people simply called changenot conversion. Buchman and his followers made no particular point of helping alcoholics, though some had achieved sobriety by following Buchmans plans. The talk was really about what Oxford Group activist T. Willard Hunter has called World Changing Through Life-Changing. The life-changing was sought through gaining the confidence of an inquirer, having that person inventory his immoral behavior, and inducing him to confess it to another and become convicted of his sins. He was to surrender his life to God; attempt to live by four moral standards of Christ; sally forth to make restitution for wrongs done; continue his quest for an understanding of, and relationship with, God through Bible study, prayer, seeking Gods guidance, and right living; and then carry the message to another so that the evangelism process could again begin. The new person was then considered converted or changed or brought to a spiritual experience and moral awakening. Furthermore, whatever revisionist historians may reluctantly concede or reject today, the heart of the program Bill Wilson codified into the Big Book is the foregoing process. And Bill Wilson himself ultimately said so. But the story of how that happened involves some other features. And here we might describe the timeline of the A.A.s second spiritual origin as follows: Ø Rev. Frank N. D. Buchman and the Oxford Group In the early 1920s, Buchman gathered several friends around him, utilized the principles described above, and began traveling the world over to change lives and bring about a spiritual and moral awakening among those to whom he and his people witnessed. Ø Rev Samuel M. Shoemaker, Calvary Church, and the Oxford Group Having met Frank Buchman in China, having inventoried his own life at Buchmans suggestion, and having made his decision in January, 1919 to entrust his life to God, Sam Shoemaker was one of the small group that joined Buchman in his personal work. In 1925, Shoemaker was called to be Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York. Shoemaker had already begun writing books about the Buchman ideas in 1921; and he soon became the most prolific Oxford Group writer as well as a close friend of Buchmans. Shoemaker, as rector, was in charge of the Calvary Rescue Mission which had its role in A.A.s founding; and he also provided Buchman and many other Oxford Group activists with housing and offices in Calvarys Churchs Calvary Housea tall building adjacent to the churchwhere Shoemaker lived and which hosted many Oxford Group meetings in its Great Hall. And by 1930, Buchmans followers had assumed new First Century name. The groups were going great guns. There were several Shoemaker books in print; and other Oxford Group followers had contributed books and pamphlets laying out the various life-changing principles and practices. Shoemakers Calvary Rescue Mission was housing and feeding thousands (mostly alcoholics); conducting religious meetings with Bible reading, prayers; and altar calls and bringing the drunks to repentance and decisions for Christ. There is scarcely one person in Bill Wilsons early New York sobriety experiences who was not an active participant in Calvary Church, in the Oxford Group, and in the Rescue Mission work. There were clergymen there from many Protestant denominationsLutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Anglican, Congregationalall active and very much sold on Buchmans ideas. These same people were, in large part, members of an Oxford Group businessmens team centered in New Yorka team in which Bill Wilson was later active, particularly in late 1935 and 1936. At the 1930 juncture, it could be said that an Oxford Group life-changing program was very much in effect and widely espoused by its adherents and teams. Ø The Rowland Hazard-Carl Jung Episodes and their impact. Rowland Hazard was an American businessman from a long line of prominent Rhode Island ancestors. But Rowland had a serious alcoholism problem. He finally sought help from the famed psychiatrist Carl Jung in Switzerland. After extended treatment, Rowland was still drinking and was advised by Jung that he had the mind of a chronic alcoholic and that Jung could not help him. Jung recommended that Rowland associate himself with a religious organization which would enable him to have a conversion and thereby be healed. Sometime in the early 1930s Rowland associated himself with the Oxford Group, became thoroughly conversant with its principles and practices, and achieved a victory over his drinking problem. And part of Rowlands Oxford Group indoctrination most assuredly involved seeking out others to whom he could witness and help them also to change their lives. Ø The Rowland Hazard-Ebby Thacher Episodes and their impact. Rowland Hazards Oxford Group witnessing work led him, with two other Oxford Group alcoholics (Shepard Cornell and Cebra Graves), to the rescue of a very sick and practicing alcoholicEdwin Throckmorton Thacher. Thacher was from Albany, New York and had previously been well- acquainted with fellow-alcoholic Bill Wilson. Hazard and his Oxford Group companions persuaded a judge to release to their care the about-to-be- incarcerated Ebby Thacher. In addition to inculcating Ebby with Oxford Group ideas, they persuaded Ebby to reside at Rev. Sam Shoemakers Calvary Rescue Mission. It was at the Rescue Mission that several startling events occurred. Ebby responded to an altar call, made a decision for Christ, and later proclaimed in conventional Oxford Group terms: I got religion. He also got sober. And then he set out to witness to another who happened to be Ebbys old drinking companion Bill Wilson who (as Ebby had been) was deep in his cups and despondent. Ø The Ebby Thacher-Bill Wilson Episodes and their impact. Perhaps no other person than Ebby could have helped Bill to turn his life around. Ebby visited a drunken Bill Wilson. He acquainted Bill with the Calvary Mission events, spoke to him of the Oxford Group program, and boldly said to Bill that he had got religion. The discussion did not, at first, find willing ears in Wilsons home. But Ebby persisted, let Bill rant on about his religious prejudices, and finally said to Bill that: God has done for me what I could not do for myself. And that message, in Bills words, hit Bill hard. After Ebby left, Bill reflected on the event, and he was soon winding a drunken path to Calvary Mission where he said he wanted what Ebby had received. Ebby had there been converted. Ø Bill Wilsons two conversion events and their impact Early in life, Bill had heard of his own grandfather William Wilsons mountain top conversion experience which had led grandfather Wilson to the local church, to a proclamation of his salvation, and to a life that was thereafter free from drink. And whether this recollection had an effect on what Bill did and experienced after he had met Ebby and had gone to the Rescue Mission, Bill never said. But the account has been mentioned by several historians. In any event, Bill went to the Mission Bill did. He answered an altar call. And, according to his wife Lois Wilson and Rev. Sam Shoemakers wife Helen Shoemaker (who said she was present), Bill made a decision for Christ. Bill had been converted. He then wandered about drunk, checked into Towns Hospital where he had been treated before, announced that he had found something, later said For sure I had been born again, and was hospitalized by his psychiatrist Dr. William D. Silkworth. Bill was visited by Ebby. He decided that he was licked and was willing to believe God could also help him. He offered his life to God, went through a process closely resembling Oxford Group life-change techniques, cried out If there is a God, let Him show himself now. He had an experience quite similar to that his grandfather Wilson had described (See Francis Hartigan, Bill W.: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Bill Wilson. NY: St Martins Press, 2000, pp. 10- 11). Grandson Bill Wilsons own conversion experience at Towns came to be called Bills hot flash experience. But it caused Bill later to remark that the Great Physician had healed him and that This was the God of the preachers. Bill never drank again. And many think this was Bills conversion experience, apparently unfamiliar with the earlier events that transpired earlier at Sam Shoemakers Calvary Mission. Of the whole situation, Bill was to write (just as Ebby had earlier declared), Ive got religion. Either through Ebby Thacher or Rowland Hazard, Wilson had obtained a copy of Varieties of Religious Experience by Harvard Professor William James. Wilson felt that the James books description of a wide variety of religious experiences validated the reality of Bills own religious experience and also the effectiveness of a conversion as the solution to alcoholism. God Bless, Dick B. Spiritual Origin Two Continued: Ø Bills Oxford Group Experiences from 1934 to 1937 and their impact. When he got sober in December of 1934, Bill Wilson had declared he was an atheist. He had never belonged to a church. He had never studied the Bible. In fact, it is not clear that he read any Oxford Group or Sam Shoemaker literature; but dive into the Oxford Group Bill did. At once. He and Lois regularly attended Oxford Group meetings and some Oxford Group Houseparties. He was in close touch with Rev. Sam Shoemaker and attended meetings led by Sam. He was further indoctrinated in Oxford Group ideas by several Oxford Group friends (Rowland Hazard, Shepard Cornell, Hanford Twitchell, Reverend W. Irving Harris and his wife Julia, Victor Kitchen, Reverend Sam Shoemaker, Reverend John Potter Cuyler, and others). He joined in and had a leadership role in some Oxford Group team events. Most of all, he began almost immediately seeking out drunks to help. He sought them at Towns Hospital, at Calvary Rescue Mission, and in Oxford Group meetings. Within 60 days of his getting sober, he received an admiring letter from Sam Shoemaker commending Bill for his work with a chemistry professor and his alcohol problem. Bill is mentioned several times in Sam Shoemakers personal journals for the period of 1935 and 1936. And Bill was a zealous message carrier for Oxford Group ideas. But he seemed to lack the ability to bring about conversions as other Oxford Groupers were doing. Not one person that Bill and Lois brought to their home achieved sobriety. For the first five months of his witnessing, Bill did not succeed in helping one single person to sobriety. He was a messenger without an adequate message. And upon consulting Dr. Silkworth, he was advised to present the alcoholism problem very hard and then to carry on his Oxford Group witnessing. Some think this enhanced Bills ability as a message carrier; but he never had real success with early AAs during the period of his Oxford Group membership which ended in August of 1937; and he said so several times. He was carrying a religious message about conversions with a background of atheism, lack of religious training, lack of Bible study, lack of church participation, and hostility toward Christianity. God Bless, Dick B. Ratings: +0 The Completely New Spiritual Direction and Program that emerged from the meeting of Bill W. and Dr. Bob in Akron Features: When Bill met Bob in Akron on Mothers Day of 1935, a completely new approach to the cure of alcoholism was the result. It neither copied the church youth-group support mission of Christian Endeavor, nor did it copy the individual and world life-changing mission of the Oxford Group. It actually belonged to neither of these groups though it drew heavily on the principles and practices of both. Dr. Bob brought to the table a deep understanding of the Bible and a wealth of reading about Christianity, other religions, and the Oxford Group. He also brought solid memories of what Christian Endeavor meetings were like. More than once, Bill Wilson showed he was in awe of Dr. Bobs spiritual practices and studies, proclaiming himself to be simply a teacher of kindergarten. On the other hand, Bill Wilson brought to the table the Oxford Group witnessing zeal a fervent desire to help others who had been suffering from alcoholism. This stress on service arrested Dr. Bobs attention at once. At first, before he began working with Sam Shoemaker and other Oxford Group people in New York, Bills knowledge of the Oxford Group program was limited though steeped in enthusiasm. From the union of A.A.s two founders emerged a new and very soon successful approach to a program that would focus on the power of God, build on basic spiritual ideas from the Bible, adopt some life- changing techniques of the Oxford Group, and concentrate only on curing alcoholics. That was something new. Medicine had been unable to effect a cure. Religion had been unable to focus on drunks. And it fell to the two A.A. founders to bring these three elements to bear on the real alcoholics they sought to help. Astonishing successes resulted and multiplied. Ø The Basic Bible ideas the program stressed Dr. Bob said the A.A. pioneers were convinced that the solution to their problems could be found in the Bible. Understandably, they insisted on a belief in God, the acceptance of Christ, study of the Bible, prayer, seeking Gods guidance, fellowship, and witness. But consistent with some Christian Endeavor ideas, there was a strong evidence on love and service as defined in the Book of James, Jesuss Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. Over and over, the pioneers were urged to study and apply the materials found in these particular parts of the Bible. Subsequent historians have almost uniformly failed to mention, to study, to analyze or to report on any of these basic Bible ideas that were so much emphasized. Ø The Basic Oxford Group principles and practices the pioneers used Until Bill wrote his Big Book and Steps, it cannot be said that the A.A. program was an Oxford Group program certainly not in Akron. But both Dr. Bob and Bill were associated with the Oxford Group prior to their meetingBob for two and a half years and Bill for about six months. Bill was still convinced that a conversion experience like his at Towns Hospital was the ticket to healing. That, Bill had been taught, would come from an application of the twenty-eight Oxford Group ideas that impacted on A.A. Dr. Bob did not entertain this idea and had no such experience. But he firmly believed that abstinence, reliance on God, improving understanding of God, adopting Christian moral standards of behavior, and seeking Gods guidance would answer their problems. The Oxford Group had no particular interest in helping drunks. It had no basic text. It was a charismatic movement that derived from the leadership of people like its founder Frank Buchman and the New York leader Sam Shoemaker. It had no steps. But it did offer surrender to God, Christian moral standards, life-changing techniques, quiet times with God, and rectification of misdeeds. Akrons A.A. pioneers adopted a pick-and- choose approach to Oxford Group ideas. Surrender fitted with the Akron idea of conversion. Self-examination, confession, and conviction were Biblical ideas that also served to challenge moral mis-behavior. Restitution was Biblical and was a large factor in Oxford Group practices. Quiet time as such was not only Biblical, but it had emerged from the same evangelistic sources that fed the YMCA, Christian Endeavor, and the Oxford Group itself. Yet until Bill Wilson wrote his Twelve Steps, the Oxford Group impact was not predominant in Akron. The Bibles was! Ø What the pioneers in Akron did In summary, these were their tactics: (1) Seeking out alcoholics to help. (2) Hospitalizing most of them. (3) Visiting them in the hospital with victory stories. (4) Having Dr. Bob test their belief in God and willingness to pray before they were discharged. (5) Urging them to study the Bible, pray, and help others without charge. (6) Insisting on individual and group quiet times with God. (7) Attending a weekly Oxford Group meeting. (8) Holding morning Bible study, prayer, guidance, and teachings sessions with Dr. Bobs wife every day. (9) Reading and using devotionals like the Upper Room and other Christian books such as The Greatest Thing in the World, being circulated by Dr. Bob. (10) Engaging in a real surrender where they asked God to take alcohol out of their lives and to help them l live by Christian principles. They were, in the manner of James 5:16 , led by about three elders who prayed with them in private. (11) Commencing almost at once to visit and seek out other alcoholics needing help. (12) In many cases, living in the homes of pioneers such as Dr. Bob and his wife, Wally Gillam and his wife, Tom Lucas and his wife, and others. (13) Attending a church of their choice. Oxford Group ideas were incorporated primarily in private meetings with Dr. Bob where the elimination of bad moral behavior was sought, living by the four absolute standards of Jesus was urged, and restitution was discussed. Ø The original, simple, 5 point spiritual recovery program of A.A. as reported by A.A. trustee-to-be Frank Amos to Rockefeller, with mention of two additional, optional points. Their impact. And the program Bill Wilson was to place in book form When Bill Wilson sought help from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Rockefeller dispatched Frank Amos to Akron to determine what the program was, how it was led, and the success it was having. The whole investigation is adequately reported in DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers at pages 121 136. Amos described the program as follows: (1) [Abstinence] An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never again drink anything with alcohol in it. (2) [Surrender] He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope. (3) [Eliminating sinsincluding the sin of drunkenness] Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him. (4) [Daily Quiet Time] He must have devotions every morninga quiet time of prayer and some r eading from the Bible and oth er religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding. (5) [Helping other alcoholics] He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions. In summary, the five point program simply required the alcoholic to quit drinking forever, to rely on God for help, to clean up his life, to maintain daily contact with and understanding of God, and fortify his resistance by helping other alcoholics. The two additional, optional points were (6) [Social and religious fellowship with cured alcoholics] It is important, but not vital that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship. (7) [Religious affiliation] Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly. This was the program that had produced cures by Divine help that medicine had been unable to produce. It was the essence of the program that had enabled the first forty pioneers to achieve sobriety. It was the essence of the program that AAs voted, with a split vote, to authorize Wilson to place in book form. An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoin Faith: Christian If you would like to see two studies of A.A.'s Bible roots and how they surfaced in the Big Book and Steps, I'd suggest The Good Book and The Big Book, as well as The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials. There are several approaches: (1) Until recently, little has been revealed about the religious training that Bill and Bob received as youngsters in Vermont, and it certainly involved salvation, Bible study, and walking by the spirit. (2) Little has been said about A.A.'s real roots in the rescue missions, evangelists, YMCA, Christian Endeavor Society, and Salvation Army. (3) Few even know how much Dr. Bob spoke about the importance of the Bible in his last major address. He pointed out that early A.A. had no Steps, no Traditions, and no stories that amounted to anything. He said they believed the answer to their problems was in the Bible, which he called the "Good Book." (4) Bob went on to point out that oldtimers considered the Book of James, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13 to be absolutely essential to the program. (5) Both Bob and Bill said that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount contained the underlying spiritual philosophy of A.A. And many of my books and articles point specifically to the Bible verses, the descriptions of the Creator, and the favoring of the Book of James to the extent that early AAs wanted to call their Society the James Club. God Bless, Dick B. Faith: Christian There is some great material in this forum and important, ongoing questions. I would quickly summarize the Bible and Christian questions concerning EARLY A.A. as follows: (1) Its roots were in the rescue missions, evangelists, YMCA, Salvation Army, Christian Endeavor, and (later) the Oxford Group and teachins of Rev. SAm Shoemaker of NY. (2) The religious training of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Vermont came largely from Congregational church sources. (3) The first three AAs were Christians, turned to God for help, were cured by the power of God and said so. (4) In the summer of 1935, Bill and Bob began developing the Original A.A. program that was summarized by Frank Amos for Rockefeller after the pioneers achieved a documented 75% success rate. (5) The program ideas were fashioned largely from the Young People's Christian Endeavor Society, in which Dr. Bob was active in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. To these were added the personal experience of both founders with alcoholism, hospitalization, conversion, and alcoholics. (6) The basic ideas, said Dr. Bob, came from the Bible. See Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book; The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials; The Conversion of Bill W.; When Early AAs Were Cured and Why; and Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Emmet Fox Myths Regularly Promulgated by A Few Against A.A Dick B. Copyright 2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved First, when someone asks about a supposed New Thought foundation for A.A. and tosses aside the very clear basic ideas A.A. took from its studies and efforts in the Bible, I often like to point out these two truths: (1) Emmet Fox did not deliver the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus did! See Matt. 5-7. (2) Emmet Fox rejected the idea of born again and salvation. Jesus made these available. Early AAs in Akron required acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Here is a relevant quote (with some new additions) from one of my articles: Number Fifteen: New Thought. Also beginning to take wing through the impetus of Christian Science and similar movements that started to flower at almost the same period as the first two sources [of A.A.] But the New Thought focus was on a new kind of goda higher powerthat took descriptive words from the Bible but saw God, good, and evil in non-salvation terms. New Thought words and phrases like higher power, cosmic consciousness, fourth dimension, and Universal Mind filtered in to the A.A. stream. Even the Christ in you-Christ in everybody nonsense that still floats in recovery circles.The New Thought expositors included Mary Baker Eddy, Waldo Trine, William James, Emmanuel Movement writers, and Emmet Fox. See The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7th ed; When Early AAs Were Cured and Why; Dr. Bob and His Library; Good Morning: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A.; God and Alcoholism. See for further relative research, see New Wine, written by an advocate for New Thought among his A.A. friends. [Source for the quote above: "A.A.s Fifteen Major Well-Springs" by Dick B. Copyright 2007 Anonymous. All rights reserved: Foxs book, along with many others, was widely read by a few early AAs. So too were the books of Oswald Chambers, Nora Smith Holm, E. Stanley Jones, Thomas aKempis, Leslie D. Weatherhead, Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr., Harold Begbie, Brother Lawrence, Ebenezer MacMillan, Sherwood Day, Julian P. Thornton-Duesbury, B. H. Streeter, Cecil Rose, Hallen Viney, Howard J. Rose, Jack Winslow, Upper Room, Robert E. Speer, Charles Sheldon, Rev. James Stalker, T.R. Glover, Geoffrey Allen, The Fathers of the Church, Henry Drummond, Toyohiko Kagawa, Glenn Clark, Mary Baker Eddy, James Moore Hickson, Ethel R. Willitts, Star Daily, Mary W. Tileston, and the Holy Bible, were all widely circulated, read, and quoted. HH HoHoh I suggest you familiarize yourself with them. Go, if you like, to Dr. Bobs Home in Akron, to the Dr. Bob Core Library in Vermont, to the Wilson House in Vermont, to Brown University, to the Shoemaker Room at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh. Viewed as a whole, you can see the foregoing books early AAs read, and many many others. But cherry picking this or that author or book and labeling it as representative of the Christian faiths, denominations, creeds, and beliefs of early AAs is just another path to the myths now being manufactured by some who are violently opposed to A.A. I also suggest you read page 13 of The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlet with your sponsees: But we were convinced that the answer to our problems was in the Good Book. To some of us older ones, the parts that we found absolutely essential were the Sermon on the Mount, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and the Book of James. There is no mention there of some particular bookonly of three essential parts of the Bible the pioneers studied with regularity. The "Sermon on the Mount" ( Matthew 5 -7) was, of course, given by Jesus, not by Emmet Fox. I suggest you encourage your sponsees to read the "real thing" to which Dr. Bob was referring rather than a watered-down version peppered with the New Thought, anti-salvation positions and declarations, and personal opinions of one man. Also, I hope you have your group or fellowship purchase many (!--even 500) copies of The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlet (Item # P-53) from A.A. and that your are giving and will continue to give a copy to every person who walks through the doors of your meeting, group, and fellowship. It is also a great tool to give to ministers, recovery pastors, sponsors and speakers. That plus The Good Book and the Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible by Dick B. have been really blessing people throughout the U.S. and in other countries such as Canada. Gloria Deo	i don't know
Which artist's studio was known as The Factory?	Andy Warhol Born: August 6, 1928, in Soho, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Died: February 22, 1987, in New York City, New York Vocations: Artist, Filmmaker, Author, Picture Book Illustrator Geographic Connection to Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Keywords: Glamor Factory; Interview; Pop Art; Studio 54; Velvet Underground Abstract: Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was an American painter, printmaker, filmmaker, and the leading figure of the Pop Art Movement. He was known for his use of the silk screening print process on the extravagant prints he made, depicting celebrities and common place items. He is also known for being the founder of Interview Magazine. Warhol lived a lavish lifestyle with sex, drugs, and rock n’roll at the center. Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987 at the age of 58. The Andy Warhol Museum was built in his honor in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Biography: “In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes,” was artist Andy Warhol’s most famous line, and throughout his career he certainly earned those fifteen minutes. Rising from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, the sickly Warhol rose to fame through taking unusual printed materials: nose-job ads, dance diagrams, and tabloid photographs and turned them into glamorous museum pieces. For the avant-garde painter who made “business art” and hardly ever touched a brush, his “fifteen minutes of fame” are still ticking away. He was a manwho changed American culture more than he changed the art world, and in doing so he became one of the most controversial and talked about people of the 20th century. Andrew Warhola was born on August 6, 1928 to Ondrej and Ulja Warhola at 73 Orr Street in Soho, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Andy had two older brothers, Jan and Pavol, who were both born in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire,in what is now the nation of Slovakia. Ulja Warhola raised the children while Ondrej labored as a construction worker for a few months before he began to mine coal. Andy Warhola had health problems growing up, and one in particular would set him on his path in life. In third grade, young Andy was diagnosed with chorea, a nervous system disease that causes involuntary movements of the extremities, and which is believed to be a complication of scarlet fever and causes skin pigmentation blotchiness. Being so sick and constantly in and out of hospitals caused Andy to fear them—not to mention his illness kept him bed ridden for the majority of his childhood. While bedridden, Warhol took to drawing, something he saw his mother doing quite often according to their neighbor, Angela Caldwell: “During the years when Andy was sick he always had around him pictures of his favorite musicians and actors, he was obsessed with celebrities before we were.” In August 1949, Andy Warhola graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology where he studied commercial art (pictorial design). Warhola attributed his aspirations to be an artist to his many years stuck in bed: “Art came naturally to me, my mother was a good artist, but what really helped me find my calling --was being alone in my room day-dreaming, drawing, and discovering.” With his degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Warhola packed up and moved to New York City, where he had recently received an offer to be an illustrator for Glamour magazine. His first task was to illustrate a pair of shoes for the magazine, and when the job was printed, the credits mistakenly read: “Drawings by Warhol.” Andy decided to credit himself as Warhol from that point on. Warhol continued making a name for himself through his ink illustrations and advertisements. With some of the success Warhol was experiencing, he began to find new work opportunities in different mediums. The 1950’s saw a boom in the record industry, and record companies needed a creative way to distinguish between their artist’s albums in the marketplace. In 1952, Warhol met Robert M. Jones, the lead art director at RCA records, and asked for some work because he the needed money. Although Jones claims to have not kept the drawings, Warhol did because “it wasn’t exactly what they were looking for.” Jones did see his talent as an illustrator and eventually offered him a contract to do album art for RCA records. Warhol’s impact on American culture began here, in the music industry. Warhol’s early covers were not full illustrations. Instead, he invented a blotted line ink technique, which was said to be invented when Warhol accidentally spilled ink onto a sheet of paper and created a stain motif by applying a second sheet of paper on top. “Warhol particularly liked the mechanical aspect of this technique, which distanced the artist from his creation,” according to Jan Greenburg, a close friend and biographer. He used the technique often in his early covers. The most famous of these came in 1955 when Warhol blotted a portrait of Count Basie. The portrait, which appeared on the album cover, heralded the cult of celebrity that would characterize his later works. A common theme began to show in his work—his weakness for celebrity. Marilyn Diptych was a silkscreen printed by Warhol in 1962, which was to be included in his first New York solo exhibit at Eleanor Ward’s Stable Gallery. The print was of Marilyn Monroe and was completed during the few weeks following her death in August 1962. The iconic image consisted of two large canvases hung next to each other; each containing 25 headshots of Marilyn Monroe taken from her film Niagara. One of the sides of the diptych was in full color, while the other was in a blotchy-faded, black and white. Although this image was well received, and according to Professor Alissa Mazow of the Pennsylvania State University: “One of the most important and influential works in the history of art,” the entirety of Warhol’s first exhibit was not. This may sound like a shocking revelation, considering many of his most famous works were on display: 100 soup cans, 100 coke bottles, and 100 dollar bills. Many critics such as Jonathan Russel Taylor, didn’t like what Warhol had to offer: The essence of Warhol’s art—and by extension that of the Factory he heads—is the straight look at things as they are, and acceptance of appearances as an important part, perhaps the most important part, of the truth. Everything is the same whether the object is a Campbell’s Soup can or the Empire State Building or some people just living, just talking, just being in front of the camera. Taylor saw Warhol’s art as having no meaning and telling the viewers that everything seen, including people in the outside world, should just be taken at face value. Other critics, even the ones who praised some of his works, were still a little skeptical about certain aspects of his work. A New York Times reporter at the show claimed: “The ‘Pop Art’ Exhibition on display at the Eleanor Ward gallery was a spectacle to say the least, the French showed a lot of enthusiasm…However, Mr. Warhol displays little to no artistic talent other than finding what already exists and placing it elsewhere. These pieces could have been made in a factory overseas for all we know.” “The Factory” was the name of Warhol’s infamous New York City studio from 1962-1968. John Cale, one of Warhol’s close friends and a member of the Velvet Underground said of the factory: “It wasn’t called the Factory for nothing. It was where the assembly line for the silkscreens happened. While one person was making a silkscreen, somebody else would be filming ascreen test. Every day it’s something new.” The Factory not only became known for the artwork it was mass producing (which commented on capitalist corporations and consumer goods); instead The Factory became more known for the people and the atmosphere. The many workers who made the silkscreens for Warhol became known as the Warhol Superstars. The Superstars were a menagerie of adult film stars, drag stars, socialites, drug-addicts, musicians, and free thinkers who not only helped with his silkscreens but starred in many of Warhol’s films; Billy Name, Ultra Violet, Mary Woronov, and The Velvet Underground are the most notable of Warhol’s Superstars. Many critics were scandalized by Warhol’s embrace of market culture: Warhol’s Superstars, as they were called, were talentless outcasts that helped print meaningless art that was made to serve an affluent consumerist society. Even his films suffered, lacking composition and traditional quality—that’s what happens when your art is mass produced. Warhol had a preference for recreation over creation and it showed in many of his films as well. In 1964, when Warhol began making films his theory was: “Movies are easier to do than pictures. All you have to do is turn on the camera.” Some of Warhol’s earliest films such as Sleep and Empire survey motionless objects for the entirety of the film; Warhol claimed that he “wanted the Empire State Building to be a star.” Many of his film’s subjects revolve around people and sexuality, with his Superstars being cast in the leads in most of the films. Lonesome Cowboy, his best received film, was a play off the American Western genre and dealt with the gay underground culture. To Warhol, the quality of the film mattered little. He would often let the camera wander and refused to edit any of his film, because it wouldn’t be a pure representation of life. The films were actor-centric; therefore Warhol gave all of the film credits to his stars and not himself. In 1968, Warhol made his last film, Blue Movie, which filmed two of his Superstars having sex for thirty-three minutes, and then doing mundane tasks for the rest of the film. After the film wrapped, he turned over the filmmaking chores to his protégé Paul Morrissey, who had previously been co-writer on all of Warhol’s films. The year 1968 also brought the end to what was known as “the Factory of the 60’s.” Warhol feared for his life, security became tight, and the excessive amounts of sex and drug usage at the Factory became non-existent, all because Valerie Solanas tried to assassinate Warhol and his curator Mario Amaya. Solanas was a marginal figure in The Factory scene and a member of Warhol’s Superstars. Before the attack, Solanas had been escorted out of The Factory, after attempting to retrieve a script she had given to Warhol, and which he claimed to have misplaced. Mario Amaya received minor injures, while Andy was seriously wounded by the shooting and barely survived. Warhol had this to say about the attack: Before I was shot, I always thought that I was more half-there than all-there–I always suspected that I was watching TV instead of living life. People sometimes say that the way things happen in movies is unreal, but actually it’s the way things happen in life that’s unreal. The movies make emotions look so strong and real, whereas when things really do happen to you, it’s like watching television--you don’t feel anything. Right when I was being shot and ever since, I knew that I was watching television. The channels switch, but it’s all television. Warhol suffered physical effects from the shooting for the rest of his life, but the shooting also profoundly affected his art. He stopped making films and even stopped attempting to make controversial art as he used to. Instead, Warhol used the late 1960’s and 70’s to become a quiet entrepreneur. Warhol spent a lot of his time after the shootings doing portraits for wealthy patrons--a list that includes: Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, John Lennon, and Michael Jackson. However, this creation of portraiture solely for profit vastly departed from who Warhol was as an artist. Many critics who bashed his early works seem to praise them as compared to his portraits. John Russel Taylor, a Warhol critic, claimed “Warhol no longer cared about compositional prowess, but instead relinquished his devotion to free the human mind and create controversy amongst the art community—asking the question ‘what is art?’ Is it only to make a quick penny?” Even Professor Mazow, a Warhol fanatic, believed this period was one of his weakest artistically: “The only good to come out of Warhol’s portrait era was that it launched Warhol from Pop Artist to celebrity, which as you know, he wanted to be his whole life.” Many more critics labeled his portraits as superficial, facile and commercial, having no depth or indication of the significance of the subjects depicted. When looking back on this period, some scholars and critics claim that “Warhol captured something irresistible about the zeitgeist of American culture in the 1970’s.” The portraits Warhol completed in the 70’s didn’t find the same success as his magazine did. Interview magazine was founded in the fall of 1969 by Warhol and his friend, British journalist, John Wilcock. (Some sources credit Gerald Manalga with being a third co-founder.) The magazine was dedicated to the cult status of celebrity which fascinated Warhol. Interview was known for its cutting edge graphics and raw-uncut celebrity interviews. Warhol used to give complementary copies of the magazine to his “in-crowd” around town in hopes they would contribute to his magazine, but it was also an attempt to attract new advertisers. Warhol eventually withdrew from everyday oversight of his magazine and turned it over to one of his editors, Bob Colacello, and the magazine began to shift focus. However, Warhol still served as ambassador to the magazine and would pass out copies to passerby in the streets of Manhattan. Manhattan served as Warhol’s nighttime playground after the collapse of The Factory’s party scene. He was known to be a frequenter of clubs like Max’s Kansas City and Serendipity 3. However, Warhol spent the most time in the infamous Studio 54. The studio opened April 26, 1977 and was owned by Steven Rubell and his partner Ian Schrager. The night before opening, Rubell and Schrager had a pre-opening dinner with Andy Warhol, Halston, and Calvin Klein. During dinner they discussed what each wanted to see out of the night club, and Warhol simply said, “Everything he was missing out on.” Studio 54 was a celebrity hot spot, featuring some of the biggest names in modeling, acting, music, and art. The Studio became known, much like The Factory was, for the hedonism that occurred within: the balconies were known for their sexual encounters and rampant drug use while the dance floor was decorated with pictures of the Moon and cocaine. Sundays at Studio 54 catered specifically to the homosexual crowd on Sundays, nights on which Warhol was known to frequent the club. During Warhol’s visits to the Studio, he was known to be quiet, shy, and a meticulous observer to all of the events going on around him. He even earned the nickname “The white mole of Union Square.” On February 4, 1980, the nightclub threw its last party and was sold to new owners to be reopened as a ‘cleaner place’ that wouldn’t hide money and cocaine behind the drywall. Warhol continued going to Studio 54 through the 1980’s but he also got back to work--inspired by some of the younger artists who had begun to dominate the market in his absence. Warhol gave up doing the portraits or “business art” and began to work on paintings that showed a side of him that very few people knew about. Andy Warhol was a practicing Byzantine Catholic and produced two religious themed works: Details of Renaissance Painting in 1984 and The Last Supper in 1986. This shocked much of the art world. Very few people knew that Warhol was a man of faith. Pavol Warhola described his brother as “really religious, but he didn’t want people to know because that was private.” What is most interesting about the religious works of Andy Warhol is the time frame in which they appeared. Until 1984, few knew how devoutly Christian Warhol was, then after seeing Details of Renaissance Painting many critics started to see the correlation between the style these works and the iconographic images evident in places of worship. Many more religious works were found throughout his home after his death in 1987. Andy Warhol died in New York City at 6:32a.m. on February 22, 1987 at 58 years old, after a “routine” gallbladder surgery. According to news reports by the Washington Post, Warhol was stable post-operative and his death was clearly unexpected. In recent years, new light has been shed on the subject. He was reportedly receiving neglectful care at the Cornell Medical Center. Supposedly, his nurse was reading the Bible instead of watching over her famous patient: “She didn’t realize who he was.” Pavol and Jan came to collect their brother’s body and return it to Pittsburgh. Warhol was buried next to his mother and father at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic cemetery. A few weeks later a memorial service was held in New York City. During his life, Andy Warhol impacted American culture, and he still affects it today. In his will Warhol asked that his entire estate be used to create a foundation that would be based around the advancement of the visual arts. In 1987, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts was founded. This is a prominent foundation in the art world, and is one of the three largest grant giving organizations for the visual arts in the U.S. With this foundation, Warhol was able to help artists who were following in the tradition of “Pop Art” (or any other form of artistic expression), like artist Jim Dine. A museum was erected on the North Shore of Pittsburgh in his honor. The Andy Warhol Museum is a member of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to a single artist, displaying over $80 million worth of original artwork. When looking back on Warhol’s art, many critics see new meaning in what was highly misunderstood and controversial art. 100 Soup Cans which received mixed reviews upon its release is now cherished as one of his best works, depicting “an affluent consumerist society”—instead of just hundreds of soup cans. Modern filmmakers attribute many of Warhol’s films as the beginning of minimalist expressionism in film. Warhol predicted, “Everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” This is easily scene with the creation of reality TV, giving ordinary people their shot at “fifteen minutes of fame.” Andy Warhol lived for 58 years and created a legacy so expansive that his “fifteen minutes of fame” will continue for years to come. Sources: “The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.”Warhol’s Legacy. 2 Feb 2010. Warhol Foundation. 20 Feb 2010. <http://www.warholfoundation.org/>. Bourdon, David. Warhol. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995. Bourdon, David. “Warhol a Filmmaker.” Art in America. 59.3 (1971): 12-16. Print. Burns, Ric. Amercian Masters: Andy Warhol-A Documentary Film. PBS and HighLine Porductions.,2006. Goldsmith, Kenneth, Reva Wolf, and Wayne Koestenbaum. I’ll Be Your Mirror: The Selected Andy Warhol Interviews 1962-1987. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2004 Greenberg, Jan, and Sandra Jordan. Andy Warhol. New York: Delacorte Press, 2004. Lenoir, Jean-Pierre. “Paris Impressed by Warhol Show.” New York Times13 May 1965: 34. Mazow, Alissa. Personal Interview. 15 Feb. 2009. Pearson, Richard. “Andy Warhol, Pioneer of Pop Art, Dies After Heart Attack.” Washington Post 23 Feb 1987: A1+. Scherman, Tony, and David Dalton. Pop: The Genius of Andy Warhol. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Sitney, P. Visionary film: The American Avant-Garde. New York: Oxford UP, 1979. This biography was prepared by Ross Gaither, Spring 2010.	Andy Warhol
Who wrote the 1899 poem/song lyrics 'The Absented-Minded Beggar', set to music and used to raise money for British Boer War soldiers?	If those walls could talk. Andy Warhol's last "Factory," the old Consolidated Edison substation on New York City's 33rd Street and Madison Avenue, is available for lease or purchase. The building, which Warhol kept until his death in 1987, is mostly rented out for individual events. It has four floors, a dozen skylights, nearly 31,000 square feet and exposed brick. Warhol used the space as a studio as well as for the headquarters of the once cutting-edge Interview magazine. After Warhol died, the contents of the Factory were sold off at an auction for a reported $25 million, most of which went to charity. The building isn't the only Warhol real estate on the market: Eothen, the Montauk, Long Island, property Warhol bought with partner Paul Morrissey, is for sale for $50 million and earned a spot on Forbes.com's list of the most expensive homes in America . notes Warhol and Modernism What for years modernists had deliberately ignored or contemptuously spurned, Warhol embraced. As appropriated mass-culture images—such as his Turquoise Marilyn (1962)—his "art" was indistinguishable from advertising—meaning it was crass and pedestrian—and thus lampooned the modern emphasis on noble sentiment and good taste . No doubt Warhol's comments about art, that it should be effortless, that it's a business having nothing to do with transcendence, truth, or sentiment, also infuriated detractors. -- Alan R. Pratt http://faculty.erau.edu/pratta/warhol/critics.htm Andy Warhol’s "Camp" Camp (1965) - Andy Warhol Andy Warhol’s 1965 response to Susan Sontag’s famous essay defining "camp" won my heart at the outset when its cast members (including Mario Montez, Gerard Malanga, and Jack Smith) start by discussing summer camps they’ve attended. Filmed at Warhol’s New York studio, the Factory, against walls covered with silver foil, each person presents a performance illustrating his or her idea of camp. Malanga reads a poem about public sex acts he’s engaged in; Smith comes "out of the closet " by creating a powerfully restrained, near-static mini drama that climaxes with the opening of a closet that contains a little Batman figure. Unlike the later Warhol films directed by Paul Morrissey, this has the raw, improvised, mistake-filled look of much of Warhol’s early art. One can see the random effects that inspired later filmmakers and performance artists, happy accidents like a crew member repeatedly adjusting a microphone within the frame or absurd stylistic elements like zooms that only sometimes find a human target. Most memorably Tally Brown explains, "I don’t think anybody’s camping. I think we’re all doing ourselves." Therein lies Warhol’s implicit quarrel with Sontag: "Camp" is not about momentary poses but about how the roles people assume define their lives. -- Fred Camper, the Chicago Reader In an attempt to define Susan Sontag's nebulous conceit, "camp," Andy Warhol amasses a bunch of performers--some of whom are Factory insiders, some not--to do some, as they used to say in the early sixties, "camping." The highlight is Jack Smith literally coming out of a closet: Smith's combination of smirks, deep but impenetrable but super-visible thoughts, and retardate behavior made him one of the most jaw-dropping performers ever recorded on nitrate. There is literally no one like him; Andy Kaufman's stunts seem like cheap SNL gags in contrast. Even those jaded jades at the Factory are utterly overwhelmed by his aura of sacredness. The other stuff is fun, too, especially a fat guy who does a routine about "Paranoid Schizophrenics for William F. Buckley, Jr." The one drag: Mario Montez's trannie dance is interrupted by puke-inducing, Austin Powers-style zooms in and out. --Matthew Wilder, imdb.com "I'd prefer to remain a mystery. I never like to give my background and, anyway, I make it all up different every time I'm asked." He was one of the most enigmatic figures in American art. His work became the definitive expression of a culture obsessed with images. He was surrounded by a coterie of beautiful bohemians with names like Viva, Candy Darling, and Ultra Violet. He held endless drug- and sex-filled parties, through which he never stopped working. He single-handedly confounded the distinctions between high and low art. His films are pivotal in the formation of contemporary experimental art and pornography. He spent the final years of his life walking around the posh neighborhoods of New York with a plastic bag full of hundred dollar bills, buying jewelry and knick knacks. His name was Andy Warhol, and he changed the nature of art forever. Andy Warhol's exact birth date is unknown, though one can assume it is between 1927 and 1930. What is known is that he was born to Czechoslovakian immigrant parents in Forest City, Pennsylvania. He was a shy quiet boy, leaving high school to attend the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. He received his bachelors of fine arts degree from there in 1949, and headed immediately to New York. In New York, Warhol found design jobs in advertising. Before long he had begun specializing in illustrations of shoes. His work appeared in GLAMOUR, VOGUE, and HARPER'S BAZAAR. In the mid-'50s he became the chief illustrator for I. Miller Shoes, and in 1957 a shoe advertisement won him the Art Director's Club Medal. During this time, Warhol had also been working on a series of pictures separate from the advertisements and illustrations. It was this work that he considered his serious artistic endeavor. Though the paintings retained much of the style of popular advertising, their motivation was just the opposite. The most famous of the paintings of this time are the thirty-two paintings of Campbell soup cans. With these paintings, and other work that reproduced Coca-Cola bottles, Superman comics, and other immediately recognizable popular images, Warhol was mirroring society's obsessions. Where the main concern of advertising was to slip into the unconscious and unrecognizably evoke a feeling of desire, Warhol's work was meant to make the viewer actually stop and look at the images that had become invisible in their familiarity. These ideas were similarly being dealt with by artists such as Jasper Johns , Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg -- and came to be known as Pop Art. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Warhol produced work at an amazing rate. He embraced a mode of production similar to that taken on by the industries he was mimicking, and referred to his studio as "The Factory." The Factory was not only a production center for Warhol's paintings, silk-screens, and sculptures, but also a central point for the fast-paced high life of New York in the '60s. Warhol's obsession with fame, youth, and personality drew the most wild and interesting people to The Factory throughout the years. Among the regulars were Mick Jagger, Martha Graham , Lou Reed , and Truman Capote . For many, Warhol was a work of art in himself, reflecting back the basic desires of an consumerist American culture. He saw fame as the pinnacle of modern consumerism and reveled in it the way artists a hundred years before reveled in the western landscape. His oft-repeated statement that "every person will be world-famous for fifteen minutes" was an incredible insight into the growing commodification of everyday life. By the mid-'60s Warhol had become one of the most famous artists in the world. He continued, however, to baffle the critics with his aggressively groundbreaking work. Putting aside much of the "pop" imagery, he concentrated on making films. His films, as his paintings had been, were primarily concerned with getting the viewer to look at something for longer than they otherwise would. Using film, Warhol could control the viewer's attention. One of his most famous films, SLEEP (1963), was eight hours of the poet John Giorno asleep in his bed. Warhol's movement into film directing and production brought him into contact with dozens of artists and actors interested in working in The Factory. One of these was actress and writer Valerie Solanas, who had for some time been trying to get Warhol to produce one of her scripts. In 1968, in anger at Warhol's disinterest, Solanas (the founder and only member of S.C.U.M., the Society for Cutting Up Men), shot and nearly killed Warhol. During Warhol's extended convalescence he began to work on a new mode of art. Considered his "Post-Pop" period, the images were primarily portraits of living superstars. Throughout the '70s and '80s, Warhol produced hundreds of portraits, mostly in silk screen. His images of Liza Minnelli, Jimmy Carter, Albert Einstein , Elizabeth Taylor, and Philip Johnson express a more subtle and expressionistic side of his work. During the final years of his life, Warhol became the hero of another generation of artists, including Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Francesco Clemente. Their work represents a continuation of an artistic revolution begun by Andy Warhol. On February 22, 1987, Warhol died of heart failure at his home in New York. Many suggested it was a poorly performed minor surgery he had had earlier that day, while others believed it was due to the general weakening of his body after the shooting. What remains certain is that during the sixty years of whirlwind and mystery that was Andy Warhol's life, the art world (and the world at large) became a more fun and interesting place.	i don't know
French farmer's wife, Marie Harel, reputedly invented which cheese in 1791?	Camembert Camembert Vieux-Boulogne Camembert is a soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Normandy in northern France. The first Camembert was made from unpasteurised milk, and the AOC variety "Camembert de Normandie" is still required by law to be made only with unpasteurised milk. Many modern cheesemakers, however, use pasteurized milk for reasons of safety, compliance with regulations, or convenience. The cheese is made by inoculating warmed milk with mesophilic bacteria, then adding rennet and allowing the mixture to coagulate. The curd is then cut into roughly 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes, salted, and transferred to Camembert moulds. The moulds are turned every six to twelve hours to allow the whey to drain evenly from the cut curds; after 48 hours, each mold contains a flat, cylindrical, solid cheese mass weighing approximately 350 grams (about 12 oz). At this point the fresh cheese is hard, crumbly, and bland. The surface of each cheese is then sprayed with an aqueous solution of the moulds Penicillium candidum and Penicillium camemberti and the cheeses are left to ripen for at least three weeks. The ripening process produces the distinctive rind and creamy interior texture characteristic of the cheese. Once the cheeses are sufficiently ripe, they are wrapped in paper and may be placed in wooden boxes for transport. Camembert can be used in many dishes, but is also popularly eaten uncooked on bread or with wine or meat, as the subtle flavour and texture does not survive heating. It is usually served at room temperature. Camembert was reputedly invented in 1791 by Marie Harel, a farmer from Normandy, thanks to advice from a priest who came from Brie. However, the origin of the cheese known today as Camembert is more likely to rest with the beginnings of the industrialization of the cheesemaking process at the end of the 19th century. In 1890, an engineer, M. Ridel invented the wooden box which was used to carry the cheese and helped to send it for longer distances, in particular to America where it became very popular. These boxes are still used today. Before fungi were properly understood, the colour of Camembert rind was a matter of chance, most commonly blue-grey, with brown spots. From the early 20th century onwards, the rind has been more commonly pure white, but it was not until the mid-1970s that pure white became standard. The cheese was famously issued to French troops during World War II, becoming firmly fixed in French popular culture as a result. It has many other roles in French culture, literature and history. It is now internationally known, and many local varieties are made around the world. The variety named "Camembert de Normandie" was granted a protected designation of origin in 1992 after the original AOC in 1983. Camembert cheese gets its characteristic flavor from many naturally occurring chemical substances, including ammonia, succinic acid and salt. When present, bitter notes may be caused by ornithine, cadaverine, and citrulline. Over-ripe camembert contains an unpleasant, excessive amount of ammonia, which is produced by the same microorganisms required for ripening. "The Persistence of Memory" is one of the most famous paintings by artist Salvador Dali. The painting has also been popularly known as "Soft Watches" or "Melting Clocks". The original idea of this painting came to Dalí on a hot summer's day. He was at home with a headache while Gala, his wife, was out shopping. After his meal, he noticed some half-eaten Camembert cheese and how runny it had become due to the heat of the sunny day. That night, while he had been searching his soul for something to paint, he had a dream of clocks melting on a landscape. He went back to the unfinished piece he had been working on, which had a plain landscape with rocky cliffs in the background and a tree on a platform. Over two or three hours, he added in the melting pocket watches which made this the iconic image it is today.	Camembert
If an insect is micropterous it has small or reduced what?	Food Timeline: 1790 to 1794 - Events in Food History An extensive selection of free food, beverage & agricultural magazines, e-books, etc. for qualified professionals FOOD HISTORY TIMELINE 1790 to 1794 1790 John Bachman was born. A Naturalist who wrote some of the text for John James Audubon's albums of birds and mammals of North America. He also published his own works on botany, agriculture and southern animals. 1790 Benjamin Franklin died. American diplomat, publisher, inventor, etc. Among his inventions were the Franklin stove and bifocal eyeglasses. He also published 'Poor Richard's Almanac.' 1790 The first U.S. copyright law was signed by George Washington. 1790 The first U.S. patent was granted to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont. The patent was for a process for producing potash and pearlash. Potash was used in soap and fertilizer. Pearlash was also used in baking. It produced carbon dioxide gas in dough, used in the first 'quick breads.' (Commercial baking powder was not available until 1857 [phosphate baking powder]). 1790 First U.S. census. We had a total of 3,939,214 mouths to feed. 1790 Farmer's account for about 90% of the U.S. labor force. 1790 Jacob Schweppe demonstrated his process for making artificial mineral water. 1790 Chrysanthemums were introduced to England from China. Both the greens and blossoms are edible, and are particularly popular in Japan, China and Vietnam. 1790 Marie, Vicomte de Botherel, born. He installed kitchens on buses in Paris suburbs in 1839, the first restaurant cars. 1790 Marie Harel is said to have developed Camembert cheese in Normandy. 1790 Obed Hussy was born. Invented a horse drawn reaper. 1790 A water-powered mill with machinery for spinning, roving, and carding cotton, began operating on the banks of the Blackstone River in Pawtuket, Rhode Island. 1791 Peter Cooper was born. American inventor and founder of the 'Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.' He also obtained the first American patent for the manufacture of gelatin. In 1895, a cough syrup manufacturer, Pearl B. Wait purchased the patent and developed a packaged gelatin dessert. Wait's wife, May David Wait named it Jell-O. 1791 Samuel Mulliken of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania received a patent for a machine to thresh corn and grain. 1791 Charles Babbage was born. He invented the adding machine, and among his other inventions is the cowcatcher, the V shaped front end on locomotives. 1792 Rufus Porter was born (died 1884). American editor and inventor. On August 28, 1845 he put out the first issue of Scientific American, but sold the magazine after 10 months. He held over 100 patents, including a fire alarm, signal telegraph, fog whistle, and a washing machine. 1792 James Mayer de Rothschild was born (died 1868). European banker and founder of the French branch of the Rothschild family. In 1868 he acquired the famous Chateau Lafite vineyards in Bordeaux, France. 1792 Under a tree near 68 Wall Street in New York City, 24 stock brokers signed an agreement on commission rates. This agreement eventually led to the establishment of the New York Stock Exchange in 1817. 1792 Samuel Slocum was born. He invented a machine to make pins with solid heads and a machine for sticking the pins in a paper holder for sale. 1792 Oranges were supposedly introduced to Hawaii. 1792 John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich died. Captain Cook named the Sandwich Islands after him (now known as Hawaii). He is supposed to have invented the sandwich as a quick meal so as not to interrupt his gambling sessions. 1792 Charles-Somon Favart died in Belleville, France. A French playwright and pastry cook, one of the founders of the opera comique. 1792 S.L. Mitchell was named as the first Professor of Agriculture, at Columbia College, New York City. 1792 The first issue of the 'Farmer's Almanac' was published by Robert Bailey Thomas. (Now called 'Old Farmer's Almanac'). 1793 Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of Louis XVI of France, was guillotined (born Nov 2, 1755). She would sometimes wear potato blossoms as a hair decoration. Attributed quote: "If they have no bread, let them eat cake." 1793 The first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick 1793 France introduces the first metric weight, the kilogram. 1793 Dr. Jared Kirtland was born. A physician, naturalist, botanist and teacher, he is credited with developing 26 varieties of cherries and six varieties of pears. 1794 The first successful toll road opened, the Lancaster Turnpike. 1794 Edmund Ruffin born. The father of soil chemistry in the U.S. 1794 Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin. 1794 The first stone was laid for the world’s largest grain windmill in Holland. Known as ‘De Walvisch’ (the whale), it is still in existence. 1794 Sylvester Graham was born in West Suffield, Connecticut. He advocated vegetarianism, temperance and the use of coarse ground whole wheat (graham) flour. He also invented the Graham cracker in 1829. 1794 James Lind died. Lind was a Scottish physician who recommended that fresh citrus fruit and lemon juice be included in the seamen's diet to eliminate scurvy. The Dutch had been doing this for almost two hundred years. 1794 The Whiskey Rebellion. Protesting the 1791 federal tax on distilled spirits a large gathering of rebels in western Pennsylvania burned the regional tax inspectors home. President Washington ordered 13,000 troops to the area, but opposition disappeared. 1794 Elias Fries was born. A Swedish botanist who developed the first system for classifying fungi.	i don't know
Which strait separates Wales form the island of Anglesey?	Anglesey, Wales Blog Anglesey, Wales The Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh) is situated off the north-west coast of Wales near the beautiful Snowdonia mountain range. It is separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait, which is spanned by two picturesque bridges, the Menai Bridge and the Britannia Bridge. Anglesey was known as Mam Cymru ('Mother of Wales') during the middle ages because its fertile fields formed the breadbasket for the north of Wales. New Sections Visit my new blog The name Anglesey is thought to have come from a Viking place name. In old Norse the -ey ending indicates an island named after a particular person (cf. Bardsey, Orkney, Ramsey, etc.). Anglesey is probably derived from "Ongl's ey", Ongl's island. Who Ongl was we have no idea. Today it has several thriving towns. The historic town of Beaumaris is the site of one of the castles built by Edward I after his defeat of the Welsh princes, as well as the historic mansion Henllys Hall, now a hotel (see their pages for more on the history of Anglesey and Wales). The town of Holyhead, on Holy Island, is the main ferry port for travel across the Irish Sea to Dublin and Llangefni, in the centre of the island, is the county town. Kovach Computing Services (the host of this site) is located in the village of Pentraeth. Anglesey also has the village with the longest place name in Britain: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (click here to hear it pronounced). The name, when translated into English, means "The church of St. Mary in a hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and near St. Tysilio's church by the red cave". The name was actually coined in the nineteenth century to attract tourists to the Island. It is abbreviated to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G. by the locals. To explore more of our site, click the menu buttons above. See more Anglesey books on our book page . Anglesey History on Twitter	Menai Strait
According to the Bible, in which river did Pharaoh's daughter find the baby Moses in a basket?	Photos: Anglesey in Photos: Kate and William’s Storybook Welsh Island \| Vanity Fair \| Crossing Over The Menai Suspension Bridge, as seen from Anglesey. Completed in 1826, the bridge is one of the earliest modern suspension bridges in the world. It is one of two allowing traffic to cross the Menai Strait, which separates the remote isle from the North Wales mainland. William has been stationed in Anglesey since last year, and, as a palace spokesperson explained at the time, “[the posting offers] a wide variety of challenging flying over mountainous terrain and hostile seas supporting both military operations and civilian emergency services across the area.” In November, the Prince made headlines for his participation in a dramatic mountainside rescue . \| Lost Oaks Royal expert Katie Nicholl has described the Anglesonians as “incredibly protective” of the royal couple. Well, then, they’re in good hands: during the first century A.D., the island was a stronghold of Celtic resistance against the Romans, who invaded in 61 A.D. Roman historian Tacitus described the spunky Celts of Anglesey in battle: “By the shore stood an opposing battle-line, thick with men and weapons, women running between them, like the Furies in their funereal clothes, their hair flowing, carrying torches; and Druids among them, pouring out frightful curses with their hands raised high to the heavens.” The rather spooked Roman soldiers slew Druid priests and destroyed the sacred oak groves, like this one photographed near Dulas Bay. By 78 A.D., Anglesey was conquered. \| Island Getaway Balloons decorating the village of Rhosneigr, near the R.A.F. Valley, where pilots, like Prince William, train. The village threw a beach party to celebrate the April 29 royal wedding, and thousands of islanders watched the nuptials on a giant TV screen at the Anglesey Agricultural Showground. Locals tend to give the royal couple their privacy, allowing William and Kate to enjoy outings such as low-key dinners at the beloved Anglesey watering hole the White Eagle. “They’re just like any other young couple in love—until you realize they’ve got armed bodyguards on the next table,” a White Eagle employee told the Daily Mail.	i don't know
In what country, the world's seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)?	In what country, the world's seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? - Quora Quora Written Dec 20, 2015 So it's not such a tough task to tell that the country which you're talking about is India. There are different kinds of prevalent and beliefs calling Christmas as Bada Din in India. It is said that before Christmas was also named as Roman Festival in India, people used to give gifts to each other in this beautiful occasion. When gradually Christian civilization began to flourish in India, they started to celebrate this festival as Bada Din. Beside this, there are many stories attached with the birth of Lord Jesus which are prevalent in India. 25th December is not the actual date of birth of Jesus Christ. Based on Aanno Dominy Times, Lord Jesus was born between 7 and 2 BC later it was known as Roman Festival and today it is also called as Bada Din. In the whole world Christmas is celebrated on 25 December but in Germany the Christmas Celebration starts from 24 December. Whether we call this day, Christmas or Bada Din, there is the flow of happiness everywhere on this day. People decorate their homes, Churches are decorated and prayers are conducted. Now there are few days left for Christmas, the market is prepared with the decorative items, greeting cards, Christmas cakes, Santa’s Cap and Costumes, Christmas tree and many other decorative items.	India
Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country?	Christmas-Themed Quiz Welcome to Forum Towers > The Drawing Room Christmas-Themed Quiz 6. Almond Peter: 1. In which country, the world's seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? 2. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country? 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? 4. sd 5. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? 6. sd 9. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? 10. biggles 11. biggles 12. Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff? 13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey drumstick? 14. biggles 15. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit)? (And for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? 16. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? 17. biggles 18. Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? 19. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? 20. What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? 21. biggles +1 22. biggles 23. Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? 24. In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari - singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? 25. Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal 'uncia uncia' is better known by what name? 26. biggles 27. biggles 28. The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; Wheaties; or Durex? 29. biggles 30. sd 31. Who composed the Lieutenant Kijï¿½ orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? 32. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? 33. biggles 34. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? 35. In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? 36. biggles 37. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? 38. In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? 39. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? 40. biggles 2. Australia........site of the UK nuclear testing back in 1958 Silvio Dante:	i don't know
'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name (that's 'name', not 'date') in Britain?	Question Answer 1. In what country, the world's seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? India 2. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country? Australia 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name (that's 'name', not 'date') in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 5. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce	Twelfth Night
The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean?	Amazon.co.uk: Customer Discussions: The Sunshine Quiz The Sunshine Quiz Sort: Oldest first \| Newest first Showing 201-215 of 215 posts in this discussion Posted on 6 May 2011 15:26:32 BDT BOF © says: I was talking to a golf fanatic (who bored me sh*tless) in the cricket club over the weekend and the question of how many clubs came up I answered 18 he came back with 14, as I had put 14 on your quiz and been told 18 on the answers I had thought no more about it but his reply made me check up. I got this from 'wiki' "A maximum of fourteen clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs which meet these parameters are usually called 'conforming'.) Violation of these rules can result in disqualification." Methinks I need an extra point (and anyone else who answered 14). best bones K I love you - no sweat. ;-) best bones Mistress K asks the questions so the answers are as per her definition so there, cut the whinging. No complaints from me K, I've maintained my position in the pecking order. Toffeeman says: One last point...just try singing Happy Birthday with all three names.... And on a related subject, the song Happy Birthday by Altered Images is thirty this year..now how old do you feel. Try not to have a heart attack... but here's a Christmas Quiz. Answers are as per my answer sheet so no quibbling. Answers to me by 12pm on 21/12/11. Christmas Quiz 2011 Music 1. Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? 2. What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called Stille Nacht? 3. The words "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes of life, of gathering gloom..." come from which Christmas carol? 4. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? 5. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what? (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit - and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? 6. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? 7. In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming? 8. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? 9. In which Christmas carol does this line feature: "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither"? 10. What was Queen's 1984 Christmas single called? 11. What Christmas-time song did James Pierpont compose in 1857? 12. What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? 13. What Paul McCartney hit song video featured the First World War Christmas Truce meeting of German and British soldiers in no-man's land between the front line trenches? 14. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics '...To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray..'? 15. In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record? 16. How many gifts are given in total in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas? 17. What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose? 18. In the song `Winter Wonderland', who do we pretend the snowman is? 19. In the traditional song, `Go Tell It On The Mountain', what are you supposed to go tell? 20. According to the song, `Frosty The Snowman', what kind of soul does Frosty have? Film and Television 1. Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? 2. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? 3. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? 4. Who is the narrator in the 1966 TV special How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? 5. What was the title of the first Christmas TV special Peanuts cartoon? 6. Christmas Crackers was the first Christmas edition of which popular UK comedy series? 7. Who is the central businessman character in the film It's a Wonderful Life? 8. What is the name of Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wizard of Oz? 9. What is Virgil Hilts' nickname in the film The Great Escape? 10. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? 11. In the movie, `Miracle On 34th Street', a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor? 12. The lyrics, "There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" are from which Christmas movie? Literature 1. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? (one point for each correctly named ghost, and a bonus point for all four) 2. Which popular poem was alternatively known as A Visit from St Nicholas? 3. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? 4. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? 5. Complete the famous rhyming line which follows: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, ... ? 6. In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's dead business partner? 7. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night Before Christmas' poem? 8. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 9. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne? 10. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the novel, `A Christmas Carol'? Food and Drink 1. What liqueur goes into making a 'snowball' cocktail? 2. Traditional in Germany at Christmas, what sort of food is stollen? 3. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? 4. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Christmas cake? 5. Brandy is made from distilling what? 6. What is a baby Turkey more correctly called, other than a chick? Religion 1. On which date is Epiphany celebrated in the traditional Western calendar? 2. Which of the Wise Men was said to have brought the gift of gold for the baby Jesus? 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? 4. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? 5. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? 6. The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on or around 1 January celebrates specifically what happening to the baby Jesus? 7. Who is regarded as the first Christian martyr? 8. Who was said to have presented the baby Jesus with Frankincense? 9. What date is St Stephen's Day? 10. True or false: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby. Pop Culture Christmas 1. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? 2. Which charity in 1949 was the first to produce a Christmas card? 3. Which author and creator of Jekyll and Hyde, gave his birthday by formal deed to Anne Ide because she disliked her own birthday of December 25th? 4. Which hugely popular actor was born on Christmas day 1899? 5. American cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with creating the traditional image of which popular Christmas character? 6. Which actress singer who charted with Santa Baby and starred as Catwoman died on Christmas day 2008? History 1. Who banned Christmas in England between 1647 and 1660? 2. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War? 3. What changed in 1752 which caused England to have a White Christmas less frequently thereafter? 4. The Christmas period of 1813-14 saw the last what in London? 5. Yorkshireman William Strickland is believed to have brought the first what to Britain from North America in 1526? 6. In Victorian England what people were popularly called robins because of their red uniforms? 7. US President Franklin Pierce introduced what to White House Christmas tradition in 1856? 8. In which city was the Salvation Army founded? 9. Which US President banned Christmas trees from the White House? 10. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847? 11. John Callcott Horsley designed what first commercial Christmas item in 1843? 12. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Christmas Around The World 1. Which US state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday? 2. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? 3. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? 4. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? 5. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? 6. In 2004, the post office of which country gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? 7. Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? 8. Before the tradition of hanging stockings up at Christmas what did Dutch children hang by the fireside? 9. In which country is it a tradition to hide all brooms in the house on Christmas Eve? 10. London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? 11. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland? 12. Which country did St Nicholas come from? Generally Christmas 1. Christmas Crackers is cockney rhyming slang for which part of anatomy? 2. What is the chemical formula of snow? 3. What red-blooming Christmas plant came originally from Mexico? 4. What is the birth sign of people born on 25 December? 5. 'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language? 6. What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word estincelle, meaning spark? 7. From what does the month of December take its name? 8. What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? Krytical says: I'm sure the meager few of you who decided to brave it are eager for the answers... so here they are: Christmas Quiz 2011 Music 1. Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus 2. What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called Stille Nacht? Silent Night 3. The words "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes of life, of gathering gloom..." come from which Christmas carol? We Three Kings of Orient Are (composed by Rev John Henry Hopkins, 1857) 4. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 5. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit - and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake's song - I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay's 2010 Xmas single - Christmas Lights) 6. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 7. In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 8. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 9. In which Christmas carol does this line feature: "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither"? Good King Wenceslas 10. What was Queen's 1984 Christmas single called? Thank God it's Christmas 11. What Christmas-time song did James Pierpont compose in 1857? Jingle Bells (or, One Horse Open Sleigh) 12. What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? White Christmas (by Bing Crosby) 13. What Paul McCartney hit song video featured the First World War Christmas Truce meeting of German and British soldiers in no-man's land between the front line trenches? Pipes of Peace 14. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics '...To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray..'? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 15. In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record? 1984 16. How many gifts are given in total in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas? 364 17. What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose? Button 18. In the song `Winter Wonderland', who do we pretend the snowman is? Parson Brown 19. In the traditional song, `Go Tell It On The Mountain', what are you supposed to go tell? That Jesus Christ is born 20. According to the song, `Frosty The Snowman', what kind of soul does Frosty have? A jolly happy one Film and Television 1. Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? George the Fifth (in 1932) 2. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 3. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? Griswold 4. Who is the narrator in the 1966 TV special How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? Boris Karloff 5. What was the title of the first Christmas TV special Peanuts cartoon? A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) 6. Christmas Crackers was the first Christmas edition of which popular UK comedy series? Only Fools and Horses 7. Who is the central businessman character in the film It's a Wonderful Life? George Bailey (played by James Stewart) 8. What is the name of Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wizard of Oz? Toto 9. What is Virgil Hilts' nickname in the film The Great Escape? The Cooler King 10. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? The Nightmare before Christmas 11. In the movie, `Miracle On 34th Street', a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor? The Post Office give all the mail addressed to Santa Claus to Kris Kringle 12. The lyrics, "There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" are from which Christmas movie? The Nightmare Before Christmas Literature 1. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Yet to Come, and Jacob Marley (one point for each correctly named ghost, and a bonus point for all four) 2. Which popular poem was alternatively known as A Visit from St Nicholas? 'Twas The Night before Christmas 3. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 4. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 5. Complete the famous rhyming line which follows: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, ... ? For Christmas comes but once a year 6. In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's dead business partner? Jacob Marley 7. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night Before Christmas' poem? Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen (or Dunder and Blixem - Incidentally Donner and Blizten mean Thunder and Lightning in German.) 8. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Dr Seuss 9. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne? Robert Burns 10. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the novel, `A Christmas Carol'? Bob Cratchett Food and Drink 1. What liqueur goes into making a 'snowball' cocktail? Advocaat (or advokatt, pronounced 'advocar' - normally a blend of brandy, egg yolks, vanilla and sometimes other ingredients.) 2. Traditional in Germany at Christmas, what sort of food is stollen? Cake 3. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 4. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Christmas cake? Mince pie 5. Brandy is made from distilling what? Wine 6. What is a baby Turkey more correctly called, other than a chick? Poult Religion 1. On which date is Epiphany celebrated in the traditional Western calendar? 6th January 2. Which of the Wise Men was said to have brought the gift of gold for the baby Jesus? Melchior 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent 5. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 6. The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on or around 1 January celebrates specifically what happening to the baby Jesus? Circumcision 7. Who is regarded as the first Christian martyr? St Stephen 8. Who was said to have presented the baby Jesus with Frankincense? Balthazar 9. What date is St Stephen's Day? 26th December 10. True or false: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby. False Pop Culture Christmas 1. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 2. Which charity in 1949 was the first to produce a Christmas card? UNICEF 3. Which author and creator of Jekyll and Hyde, gave his birthday by formal deed to Anne Ide because she disliked her own birthday of December 25th? Robert Louis Stevenson 4. Which hugely popular actor was born on Christmas day 1899? Humphrey Bogart 5. American cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with creating the traditional image of which popular Christmas character? Santa Claus (Father Christmas) 6. Which actress singer who charted with Santa Baby and starred as Catwoman died on Christmas day 2008? Eartha Kitt History 1. Who banned Christmas in England between 1647 and 1660? Oliver Cromwell 2. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War? Delaware 3. What changed in 1752 which caused England to have a White Christmas less frequently thereafter? The calendar (the English adoption of the Gregorian calendar, replacing the Julian calendar, shifted Christmas day back 12 days - and all the other days too of course - 11 days were skipped in 1752 and a further day in 1800.) 4. The Christmas period of 1813-14 saw the last what in London? Christmas Fair on a frozen River Thames (known as a Frost Fair) 5. Yorkshireman William Strickland is believed to have brought the first what to Britain from North America in 1526? Turkey 6. In Victorian England what people were popularly called robins because of their red uniforms? Postmen 7. US President Franklin Pierce introduced what to White House Christmas tradition in 1856? Christmas tree 8. In which city was the Salvation Army founded? London (1865, originally the Christian Mission, by William Booth) 9. Which US President banned Christmas trees from the White House? Theodore Roosevelt 10. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847? Christmas cracker 11. John Callcott Horsley designed what first commercial Christmas item in 1843? Christmas card 12. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe Christmas Around The World 1. Which US state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday? Oklahoma 2. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 3. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 4. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 5. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 6. In 2004, the post office of which country gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinnamon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 7. Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? Arizona and Florida 8. Before the tradition of hanging stockings up at Christmas what did Dutch children hang by the fireside? Shoes 9. In which country is it a tradition to hide all brooms in the house on Christmas Eve? Norway (according to legend, witches would steal them otherwise) 10. London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? Norway 11. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland? Hogmanay 12. Which country did St Nicholas come from? Turkey Generally Christmas 1. Christmas Crackers is cockney rhyming slang for which part of anatomy? Testicles 2. What is the chemical formula of snow? H2O 3. What red-blooming Christmas plant came originally from Mexico? Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) 4. What is the birth sign of people born on 25 December? Capricorn 5. 'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 6. What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word estincelle, meaning spark? Tinsel 7. From what does the month of December take its name? Ten (Latin, decem - it was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar) 8. What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? White	i don't know
Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut?	Love Learning \| Home-School Activities Home-School Activities The New School Year Every new school year the quizzes get tougher, the warnings are less and the rules change, but this year is the biggest changes in school. I just finished 3 weeks of middle school and I noticed the changes. Also the lessons are getting harder like Elements of Poetry, Elemento Ng Kwento (Elements of Stories in Filipino) and Identifying Sources. I know this will get harder but I still love learning and I won’t give up. Hercules Today I have been assigned to do a research of Hercules for an essay. Hercules is well known from the DISNEY® movie Hercules. He is the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. His power was strength and at birth he strangled a snake send to kill him. Some of the things he did were to: Slay the Nemean Loin. Slay the nine-headed Learnaean Hydra. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis. Capture the Erymanthian Boar. Clean the Augean stables in a single day. Slay the Stymphalian Birds. Steal the Mares of Diomes. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon. Steal the apples of the Hesperides. Capture and bring back Cerberus. Study Time Studying is the time to relax and remember what you learned. Maybe also do some homework so you can practice. But to me it is difference. When I do my homework I think just resting my memory then recalling it. After I answer the workbook and it feels like the teacher is there. When the time is right. After remembering what you have learned you can research about your lesson so you will understand the lesson more. Also the teacher won’t tell you every think so take what you remember on scratch paper until you can format it properly. This is good to review even if you have a reviewer writing it yourself will allow you to understand more. I hope you can try this format of studying Happy Today Have you ever had a friend in need? Have you ever saw someone lonely? Did you lend a helping hand? For anyone who needs a lot of help try to talk more and you may reach your goal. If you made someone happy he can do the same to someone else. Sharing some smiles can help someone who doesn’t like you because even if he doesn’t like you he might think that you want to be friends. Happiness means a lot like it can mean friendship and caring. So share a smile today and maybe he will feel love. The Planning of a Christmas Party Merry Christmas! As you know Christmas is fun but have you tried doing it with 7 of your classmates and 2 teachers? It is very hard planning the games, emcees, performances and the food. Guess what this is 1/4 of all the trivia questions we had to pick. 1. In what country, the world’s seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? India 2. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country? Australia 3. ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The North Pole, said to be Santa’s home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 5. ‘And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning…’ is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 6. Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut? Almond 7. What is the technical name of Mistletoe plant genus, and also Latin for glutinous? Viscum (hence the words viscous and viscosity, referring to semi-solid/semi-liquid and thick sticky substances – derived from the sticky quality of mistletoe berries, and also an early word for birdlime, a sticky substance made from the berries, used to trap birds) 8. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 9. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 10. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 11. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 12. Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff? King George V 13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey drumstick? Mince pie 14. The fortified wine drink Sherry is named after what town? Jerez (Spain – in Spanish, sherry is called Vino de Jerez) 15. In Coldplay’s 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock’n’roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes’s 1975 Christmas hit – and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake’s song – I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay’s 2010 Xmas single – Christmas Lights) 16. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’? Griswold 17. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 18. Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? Oklahoma 19. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 20. What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? Monday 21. Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names Little Larry and Puny Pete for which character? (Bonus point: in which Dickens novel did the character appear?) Tiny Tim – A Christmas Carol 22. Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647? Oliver Cromwell 23. Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? Hong Kong and Macau 24. In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari – singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? Greece (the name is thought to derive from kalos-kentauros, meaning ‘beautiful centaur’) 25. Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal ‘uncia uncia’ is better known by what name? Snow Leopard 26. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe 27. In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 28. The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; Wheaties; or Durex? Wheaties 29. What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918? Anwar Sadat 30. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 31. Who composed the Lieutenant Kijé orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? Prokofiev (Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev) 32. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 33. The Latin word meaning ‘coming’ gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent (as in advent calendars – the ‘coming’ basically refers to the birth of Christ) 34. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 35. In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 36. ‘Nadolig Llawen’ means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 37. ‘Olive the Other… (what?)’, is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 38. In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? Japan (because funeral notices are customarily printed in red) 39. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 40. The surname Chandler derives from the making or selling of what? Candles When ever you think of Christmas you think of songs and dances as one of the key points. So we also had to get volunteers who ended up quitting and one was still in but was like his energy has been taken from him. This is a hard thing to do because we are all stressing even the dance groups leader. Do you want to know why? It is because it is in 5 DAYS! And doing a Christmas party’s planning in 2 weeks is impossible when there are fools blocking our way. Just saying you wont survive this without an assistant. Only here come my problem, My assist only started helping know and the secretary is doing double work. Even if I am confused with him now I still give him the credit. Plus to add with that is homework and tests. Now the only thing for you is if you will or could have survive?	Almond
What is the technical name of Mistletoe plant genus, and also Latin for glutinous?	The Food Timeline--Christmas food history Buche de Noel is one of many traditional cakes baked at Christmas. As the name suggests, it is of French origin. The name of this recipe literally translates as "Christmas log," referring to the traditional Yule log burned centuries past. The ingedients suggest the cake is most likely a 19th century creation. That's when thinly rolled sponge cakes filled with jam or cream and covered with buttercream icing begin to show up in European cook books. Marzipan and meringue , typically employed for decorative purposes, date to the Medieval Ages and the 17th century respectively. We find no person/place/company credited for having invented this particular confection. "[In France] where the buche de Noel, a roll of light sponge cake, is covered in chocolate or coffee buttercream textured to resemble bark. The conceit is carried further by mounding the cream over small pieces of cake stuck to the main roll, to represent trimmed branches. The ends of the roll and the cut faces of the branches are finished with vanilla cream, imitating pale newly cut wood, and the whole is decorated with leaves made from icing, or meringue mushrooms." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson, [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 184) Buche de Noel recipe sampler [1938] "Buche de Noel.--Gateau symbolique qu l'on prepare chez tous les patissieres de France, a l'occasion de la fete de Noel. Cette buche se fait generalement avec des abaisses de genoise fine, qu l'on fourre avec des cremes diverses (le plus souvent, une dreme au beurre), qu l'on faconne en forme de buche, et que l'on decore a la poches munie d'une couille cannellee, avec une creme au beurre aux chocolate ou au moka qui cimule l'enorce de al buche. Nota: Pour le Noel, on fait aussi un autre gateau symbolique auquel on donne l'aspect d'un sabot. Ce gateau, qu l'on fait ordinarement en nougat, se garnit de petits fours divers." ---Larousse Gastronomique, Prospere Montagne [Librarie Larousse:Paris] 1938 (p. 528) [1941] "Buche de Noel Cuire des marrons, trois minutes; extraire leur chair de leur cosse. Bien les nettoyer. Les faire cuire, vingt minutes, a l'eau bouillant. Les ecraser et les melanges a chaud avec: 125 grammes de beurre fondu, 125 gr. de sucre en poudre, 125 gr. de chocolate. Rouler le tout dans un papier beurre, en forme de cylindre. Laisser refroidir, six heures. Oter le papier. Tracer les stries de la buche avec une fourchette." --- Le Livre de La Patisserie: Recettes Practiques, editions du cep [E. Pigelet, Paris Depot:Paris] 1941 (p. 141-2) [1962] "Yule Log (Buche de Noel) The yule log cake is served at the midnight feast that follows Mass on Christmas Eve. Although it does not take the place of our flaming Christmas pudding, it makes a nice dessert to serve at any time during the Christmas season. 4 egg yolks Candy canes Why are some candies associated with Christmas? Hundreds of years ago sugar was very expensive. It was a food of the wealthy. For other people, it was a special treat saved for holidays (Christmas, Easter) and other special occasions (weddings, christenings). Many of these traditions remain today. About candy . Food historians tell us that hard candies (sticks, losenges, etc.) were originally manufactured for medicinal purposes. This idea survives today in the form of cough drops. Confectioners were quick to recognize the popularity of hard candy, in its various forms. Before long, hard candies of all sorts of shapes, sizes, and flavors were produced for "recreational" purposes. "The concept of sugar as medicine probably came from the tradition of Moslem physicians. They came from a culture which knew and used sugar...That sugar was an expensive and exotic luxury, used medicinally by the subtle and learned Arabs, probably helped reinforce medieval European ideas of its intrinsic goodness. There were plenty of ailments in northern Europe for which sugar was considered suitable treatment--coughs, colds, chest infections, agues. The Christ allowed that sugar was medicinal (St. Thomas Aquinas himself apparently considered and pronounced on the subject), which meant it could be legitimately nibbled during Lent, probably adding to its appeal. It is no coincidence that our earliest information about pulled-sugar sweets in Britian, using the very word penides that travelled all the way from the Orient, comes from compilations of medicinal formulae, not elegant books on fine confectionery. A description of pulling sugar was written down about 1500 in the York manuscript, under the title To make penydes...The art of pulling sugar was evidently well understood 500 years ago..." ---Sugar-Plums and Sherbet: The Prehistory of Sweets, Laura mason [Prospect Books:Devon] 2004 (p. 84-5) "When sugar first became known in Europe it was a rare and costly commodity, valued mainly for its supposed medicinal qualities and finding its place in the pharmacopoeia of the medieval apothecary...Sugar gradually became more widely available in Europe during the Middle Ages. In Britain it was considered to be an excellent remedy for winter colds. It might be eaten in the form of candy crystals...or it might be made into little twisted sticks which were called in Latin penida, later Anglicized to pennets. The tradition of penida survives most clearly in American stick candy which is similarly twisted and flavoured with essences supposed to be effective against colds, such as oil of wintergreen." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 210) WHAT ABOUT THE CANDY CANE? The origin of the candy cane is an interesting study of food lore and legend. It is easy to find information on this topic in books and on the Internet. The most popular story is the one about the German choirmaster who handed these out to his young singers in 1670 to keep them quite during a long church service. There is also controversy as to the origin of the shape. Does it represent a shepherd's crook? Or the letter "J" for Jesus? Bear in mind, most of these stories are undocumented. How to make candy canes? This is from a professional text: "Candy canes for Christmas Run out a batch of any flavor stick candy, usually peppermint and lemon are the best sellers, spin these sticks any size you wish and in cutting these cut off at angles. Now have your helper roll them so as to keep them round an when they begin to get cold crook the angle, then set them to one side to harden. Your helper's rolling them until they become cold keeps them from getting flat on one side which affects the sale of them greatly. It is best when spinning these out to make one end of the stick smaller than the other, then place the crook on the large end and have the small end ofr the end of the cane. Candy canes can be made in any flavor or color, or any size desired." ---Rigby's Reliable Candy Teacher, W.O. Rigby, Nineteenth edition [1919?] (p. 213) Cakes of all shapes and sizes (including smaller items such as cookies) have been part of festive holiday rituals long before Christmas. Ancient cooks prepared sweet baked goods to mark significant occasions. Many of these recipes and ingredients (cinnamon, ginger , black pepper, almonds, dried fruits etc.) were introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages. They were highly prized and quickly incorporated into European baked goods. Christmas cookies, as we know them today, trace their roots to these Medieval European recipes. Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday decorations to America. Dutch New Year's cookies were also sometimes molded into fancy shapes. German lebkuchen ( gingerbread ) was probably the first cake/cookie traditionally associated with Christmas. Sugar cookie type recipes descended from English traditions. Did you know Animal crackers began as edible ornaments? "By the 1500s, Christmas cookies had caught on all over Europe. German families baked up pans of Lebkuchen and buttery Spritz cookies. Papparkakor (spicy ginger and black-pepper delights) were favorites in Sweden; the Norwegians made krumkake (thin lemon and cardamom-scented wafers). The earliest Christmas cookies in America came ashore with the Dutch in the early 1600s." ---"America's Best Holiday Cookies," McCall's [magazine], December 1994 (p. 85) The flood of cheap imported wares form Germany between 1871 and 1906 when the import laws were changed, inundated our Christmas markets with cooking utensils like...cookie cutters...Unlike homemade counterparts, or local tinsmith's wares, these tools depicted highly stylized images, often frawn from secular themes or...with subjects designed specifically to hang on the Christmas tree. Likewise, recipes appeared in popular cookbooks to better match the demands of such utensils...In a sense, with the advent of inexpensive tin cutters, new emphasis was placed on shape, where in the past, many homemade cookies simply had been square or round. Bells, Christmas trees, camels, crimped wares (cutters with zigzag edges), lilies, Sant Clauses, turkeys, all of these elaborate shapes tended to deemphasize texture and flavor." ---The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of American Yuletide Sweets, William Woys Weaver [Harper Perennial:New York] 1990 (p. 106) A sampler of Christmas cookie recipes from American cookbooks [1796] "Christmas Cookey To three pound of flour, sprinkle a tea cup of fine powdered coriander seed, rub in one pound of butter, and one and a half pound sugar, dissolve one tea spoonful of pearlash [a rising agent] in a tea cup of milk, kneed all together well, roll three quarters of an inch thick, and cut or stamp into shape and slice you please, bake slowly fifteen or twenty minutes; tho' hard and dry at first, if put in an earthen pot, and dry cellar, or damp room, they will be finer, softer and better when six months old." ---American Cookery, Amelia Simmons, 2nd edition [Albany:1796] (p. 46) [NOTE: this book is considered by most food historians to be the first American cook book.] [1845] "Christmas Cookies Take one pound and a half of flour, three quarters of a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, half a cup of milk, and two spoonfuls of caraway seeds; melt the butter before you put it in. It is rather difficult to knead, but it can be done. Roll it out and cut it in hearts and diamonds, and bake it on buttered tins." ---New England Economical Housekeeper and Family Receipt Book, Mrs. E. A. Howland [E.P. Walton:Montpelier] 1845 (p. 29) [1924] "Bohemian Christmas Cookies Yolks of 2 hard-cooked eggs, 1/3 cup butter or butter substitutes, 1/3 cup sugar, yolk of 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk, flour to stiffen for rolling, 3 tablespoons finely chopped blanched almonds. Put the hard-cooked yolks of eggs through a ricer or sieve and cream with the butter or butter substitute. Add the sugar, cream, again, then stir in the uncooked egg-yolk, the milk, and sifted flour. The dough should be stiff enough to roll. Cut into small round shapes with cooky-cutters, brush these with beatn egg-white and sprinkle with finely chopped almonds. Bake in a slow oven (300 degrees F.)." ---New Butterick Cook Book, Flora Rose [Butterick:New York] 1924 [1963] The Wellesley Cookie Exchange made this practice of swapping home made cookies among participants famous, but they didn't "invent" the idea. Our survey of historic USA newspapers confirms cookie exchanges (cookie swaps, cookie trades, cooky exhanges) first surface during WWI. They were not necessarily connected with Christmas. Some early print references suggest they might have been fund raising bake sales rather than cookie-for-cookie exchanges. This is an excellent example of how some words & phrases mean different things in different times. Newspapers confirm cookie swaps, as we know them today, were recognized as a "rising trend" in the early 1960s. [1917] "The Tri Kappas will have a bread, pie and cookie exchange at Montgomery Market Saturday at eleven o'clock." ---Fowler Benton Review [IN], October 11, 1917 [1920] The cookie exchange which was held by the Golden Bay Sunday School Class...netted the class something over $5.00." ---Burlington Hawk Eye [IA], April 25, 1920 (p. 12) [1936] "Cookie Exchange will be feature of Erwin Group." ---Syracuse Herald [NY], January 20, 1936 (p. 4) [1952] Farm Bureau to Meet...Christmas holiday. A pot luck luncheon will be served and there will be a cookie swap party.." ---Naugatuck Daily News [CT], December 8, 1952 (p. 6) [1954] "The Southwest Suburban Zeta Tau Alpha alumnae group will hold its annual Christmas party at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the home of MRs. W.J. Storm, Tinley Park. The program will include a cookie exchange and grab bag. Members will bring gifts of patients of Oak Forest." ---"Zeta Tau Alpha Unit Plans Christmas Party," Chicago Daily Tribune, December 19, 1954 (p. SW8) [1960] "Our Food Editor spots a rising trend. From coast to coast, cooks are trading cookies and recipes to make gift boxes for Christmas. Here's a sample from a 'swap party.' Put salt on the tail of a new idea; plan a Christmas cookie swap. A round of applause to the woman who gave the first 'swap party.' It provides a glamorous array of cookies for gifting, plus a hatful of leisure hours to enjoy in the last mad holiday rush. This year club groups, neighbors, or again, just a few friends are trading cookies and recipes and gift-pack ideas. Mrs. Robert Blanch of Minneapolis has held a cookie trade party for her bridge club three years in a row. 'The November meeting,' she writes, 'is given to the planning. Swap day is held late in December. Each member bakes one kind of cookie, one dozen for each of the eight members participating...That's one way to do it. Each group has its own plan...[A] swap meeting started six years ago, Mrs. Scharer's idea. Ten friends were invited to her house and the plan discussed. it was decided then to make the Christmas Cookie Swap and annual event..." Los Angeles Times, November 27, 1960 (p. TW22) [1963] "A Party Idea. A popular once-a-year party is the Christmas cooky swap party. Friends and neighbors gather, each bringing one dozen of her holiday specialty for each woman at the party. Cookies are set out to sample and admire and coffee is served. Afterward each one takes home a wonderful variety of festive cookies." ---Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, facsimile reprint of 1963 edition [Hungry Minds:New York] 2002 (p. 37) [1971] The Wellesley Cookie Exchange, arguably the most famous of American exchanges, began in 1971. According to this article, it was inspired by an ariticle in a "women's" magazine: "Snowflake Cheese Tarts. Butter Horns. Pecan Tartlets. Melting Moments. Lemon Snowballs. These are some of the cookies that document the history of the Wellesley Cookie Exchange. Each has been presented at least once in the 25 years the group has met to trade home-baked holiday goodies. This year's exchange, scheduled to take place today, will once again bring an assortment of sugar-dusted confections to Mary Bevilacqua's living room. This tradition, started by Bevilacqua and her friend, Laurel Gabel (who has since moved away), has become a beloved part of the holiday season for the 25 women who participate. Though many churches and informal groups hold cookie exchanges each year, the Wellesley group is one of the few that has inspired a cookbook. Susan Mahnke Peery of Yankee magazine collected 200 of their recipes and added her own to "The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook" (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1986). Readers from around the country still write to Bevilacqua about the book and one of the "Wellesley Cookie Exchange" recipes was published in Family Circle in December 1995. Much of the group's longevity comes from the old-fashioned fun of swapping holiday treats. But the cookie exchange also anchors the holiday season for participants who like the continuity of this once-a-year event. "We look forward to it," said Leah Rourke, who has been participating for almost 20 years. "Today, people don't bother with things a lot. Everyone's in a hurry. It's nice to keep a tradition." Bevilacqua helps set the festive tone by decorating her home with Christmas table runners, placemats and china. She also serves a buffet lunch or dinner before the official exchanging begins. Each member arrives with three dozen cookies to share and an empty container. Bevilacqua calls the crowd to order by ringing a bell. Then each person passes her cookies around for all to sample. By the end of the exchange, each participant has assembled a container full of assorted cookies - and heard plenty of humorous stories. "Everyone gets a chance to tell about her cookies. We hear who left out what, or how the name of the cookies was changed because they were supposed to be fingers and they looked like blobs," said Bevilacqua. She always bakes an extra batch in case someone has a disaster that prevents her from bringing cookies. Though some people make the same cookies each year - traditional favorites such as gingerbread men or candy-cane twists always turn up - others try a different recipe each year. "I'll be on the beach reading recipes in the summer and start thinking about what to make for the exchange," said Lynne Casale, who has been participating for 16 years. Laughing, she remembered the year her husband and stepchildren ate up all the cookies she had baked for the group, leaving her scrambling for a replacement. Though many women go all out and try recipes that would challenge a professional pastry chef, the atmosphere is more friendly than competitive. Bevilacqua said, "Brownies are fine. Not everybody makes fancy things." Kathleen Miller, who has known Bevilacqua since both were in college, said, "You get a wonderful assortment to take home. I always go home and sample one, and then another " Starting a longstanding tradition was the furthest thing from Bevilacqua's mind when she and Gabel began the exchange in 1971. "I had read a magazine article about a cookie exchange as a way to de-stress the holidays," she said. As a mother of four young children, she thought it was a good idea. Since the cookbook was published, Bevilacqua has compiled enough recipes for another book. The cookie exchange tradition has also come full circle in her family. Her two daughters participate each year, and one has started her own exchange." ---"Food Folk: Cookie Exchange shares the wealth - for 25 years," Clara Silverstein Boston Herald, December 15, 1996 (p. 57) us know . Happy to help you track them down! USA holiday cheese logs (& balls) recipe sampler [1899] "Cheese balls served hot with salads, are made of a cup of grated cheese, half a cup of fine bread crumbs, five drops of Worcestershire sauce, and one egg well beaten. Mix together, roll into balls, and place in a wire frying basket and just before time to serve plunge the basket into boiling fat and allow them to remain until a delicate brown." ---"For the Housekeeper," New York Times, June 18 1899 (p. 20) [1918] "Cheese Balls, No. 1 Take one cake of cream cheese, one-quarter of a pound of chopped figs, one-quarter of a pound of chopped walnuts, roll into balls and serve on lettuce leaves. Cheese Balls, No. 2 Mix one cake Neufchatel cheese, a piece of butter the size of the cheese, one tablespoon of cream, one-quarter teaspoon of salt and six dashes of Tabasco Sauce and form one large ball or several small ones and roll in chopped pecan nuts." ---Jewish Cook Book, Florence Kreisler Greenbaum [Bloch Publishing:New York] 1918 (p. 202) [1930] "Cheese Balls...are made by taking one square of cream cheese, mashing it into a paste, and adding enough cream to make it of a consistency to roll into small balls, chopped pecans are a nice addition to this and they are served as a garnish for the salad." ---"Page for Food Shoppers," Los Angeles Times, April 25, 1930 (p. A7) [1940] "Cheese balls are a delightful appetizer with most drinks. Mix the ingredients and make the balls with a pair of butter paddles which have been soaking in ice water for several hours before you use them. After balls are made and garnished, give them an hour or two to harden in the refrigerator. Serve them on a bed of parsley or lettuce leaves and refill the plates often, not only from popular demand, but to keep the balls cold and firm as long as possible....Roquefort Cheese Balls. Mix together equal quanties of Roquefort cheese and butter; I should say four ounces of each would be a satisfactory amount. Add to this one-half teaspoonful of dry mustard and blend it well. Form into balss the size of a marble and roll them in a mixture of finely chopped parsley and chives. I suggest a mixture of two parts chives to one part parsley." ---Hors D'Oeuvre and Canapes, James Beard [M. Barrows and Company:New York] 1940 (p. 42-44) [NOTE: This book also offers recipes for Chive Balls, Olive Cheese Balls, Curried Cheese Balls, Swiss Cheese Balls and Mexican Cheese Balls.] [1950] "Cheddar-Cheese Balls Mrs. Rockwell showed us the cheese balls chiling in the refrigerator for last-minute baking. The recipe calls for one-eighth pound of butter or margarine brought to room temperature, blended with a six-ounce crock of neutral sharp Cheddar spread, or you could use the bacon-Cheddar spread which is around in the markets. Into the cheeese add butter, work in three-fourths cup of all-purpose flour, form the mixture into balls to refrigerate several hours. Just before serving, into a hot oven for 10 minutes' baking. Serve piping hot. Crusty on the outside, melting soft within." ---"Come Over for Bridge," Clementine Paddleford, Los Angeles Times, May 14, 1950 (p. C35) [1962] ---Food in Britain: From the Stone Age to the Nineteenth Century, C. Anne Wilson [Academy Chicago:Chicago] 1991 "The Christmas bird provided by the familiar "goose club" may be compared with the German Martinmas goose. The more luxurious turkey must be relatively an innovation, for that bird seems not to have been introduced into England until the sixteenth century." ---Christmas: Customs and Traditions, Their History and Significance, Clement A. Miles [Dover Publications:New York] 1976 (p. 284) "The Martinmas or Michaelmas roast goose is actually the perpetuation of the ceremonies of Celtic Samhain or Hallowe'en and Germanic Yule, originally the first day of the New Year, now our 1st November. Van Gennep, writing on French folklore, reminds us that it was a good occasion for feasting on tender geese that had must been fattened. Originally roast goose was a thank-offering for the harvest that had been gathered in, the Erntedankfest or harvest home, a sacrifice first to the spirit of vegetation, the to the gods of Odin and Thor. The goose, ritually eaten, magically ensured the regeneration in the months to come of nature as she went underground for the winter, precisely parallel to the Greek myth of the abduction of Persephone by the lord of the underworld...The great feasts of Samhain-All Saints' and St. Martin's Day on 11th November were thus rituals uniting the assembled company of the living with the spirits of the dead...During the Renaissance the tradition of eating goose on All Saints' Day was still widely observed..." ---History of Food, Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, translated by Anthea Bell [Barnes and Noble Books: New York] 1992 (p. 352-3) "Feasting on geese has long been a tradition in the Old World, as is clear from ancient mythology. The prevalence of goose gods in numerous cultures attests to the ritual importance of geese and to the fact that these rituals date back to antiquity...The goose feast that came to characterize holiday celebrations in later times arise as a modern-day derivative of these ancient rites and sacrifices. People in Europe, Central Asia, North America, and North Africa customarily sacrified geese, particularly at the turn of the seasons. Like other migratory fowl, geese appeared and diappeared at crucial times in the yearly cycle, so eating them customairly accompanied ceremonial events in the solar and agricultural year. People have linked geese to the changing seasons for so long that originally the goose served as a sacrifice to the spirit of vegetation, in thanks for the harvest. After the goose was ceremonially killed, participants in the sacrifice feasted on its flesh in a ritual that they believed would ensure the regeneration of the Earth...Goose was served at the Celtic Samhain, or Halloween; the Germanic Yule, originally the first day of the new year; and Michaelmas, the ritual feast of the winter solstice. The Michaelmas feast is probably the most famous goose feast, apart from that at Christmas dinner...Turkeys, native to the New World, were more plentiful than geese during the period of early settlement. American settlers served turkey at Thanksgiving, making it the seasonal feast bird. In much of the Western world today, turkeys have replaced geese also at the Christmas feast; but for all practical purposes, these two birds share the same symbolism. Just as the people of the Old World connected geese to the sun, some of the North American tribes connected turkeys to the sun." ---Nectar and Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology, Tamra Andrews [ABC-CLIO:Santa Barbara CA] 2000 (p. 105-6) "Martinmas had once all the customary accompaniments of Christmas, ..but gradually, from the time of the Roman occupation of Europe and its later solistial New Year, the majority of those celebrations were moved forward to the later December date. All Souls' Day and Hallowe'en--a time of falling leaves and fire festivals to help the sun's struggle with darkness--have in most countries similarly moved forward much of their old ritual to the Christmas period...In Germany and elsewhere the goose was the recognized Martinmas dish. And in England, as a large and succulent bird, it took its place for a long time as the most popular Christmas dish...The turkey was a gift from the New World. Spanish ships first brought it back from the Aztecs of Mexico to Spain: thence it would have arrived in the Spanish Netherlands and finally it came to prosper in England's Holland of East Anglia where the great turkey farms were started. It arrived in Spain in 1519; and it is said to have been eaten in England in the third decade of that century, though possibly the bird was then confused with the guinea-fowl. When the guinea-fowl, well known to the ancient Romans and Greeks, was rediscovered by the Portuguese in Africa at the beginning of the sixteenth century, it came to England dubbed as the Turkie-Henne'." ---A Book of Christmas, William Sansom [Mcgraw-Hill:New York] 1968 (p. 144-5) The reason you won't find 16th century recipes for "egg nog" is the term didn't appear in print until the next century. Food historians/period recipes confirm English recipes for posset (esp. sack posset) and Syllabub were similar to later egg nog. References to 16th century Jamestown egg nog were published after the from 18th century forwards, it is most likely the author was using a newer/more popular & accepted American term to denote an old traditional English holiday beverage. How old is egg nog?(name in print, not the recipe) [1760s] "By the mid-1760s patrons were drinking eggnog, juleps, sling and sanger in addition to the punch and toddy already available." ---"Taverns and Tavern Culture in the Southern Colonial Frontier: Rowan County, North Carolina, 1753-1776," Daniel B. Thorpe, Journal of Southern History, Vol 4, no. 2, November 1996 (p. 686) [1796] "Rich and creamy dessert drinks, such as eggnog and syllabub, reflect the English heritage in America, especially in the South. In England posset was a hot drink in which the white and yolk of eggs were whipped with ale, cider, or wine. Americans adapted English recipes to produce a variety of milk-based drinks that combined rum, brandy, or whiskey with cream. The first written reference to eggnog was an account of a February 1796 breakfast at the City Tavern in Philadelphia. Beginning in 1839 American cookbooks included recipes for cold eggnogs of cream, sugar, and eggs combined with brandy, rum, bourbon, or sherry, sprinkled with nutmeg. Southerners enjoyed a mix of peach brandy, rum, and whiskey." ---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004, volume 2 (p. 423) The earliest reference to eggnog cited in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd edition, London] is from 1825. The beverage is defined as "A drink in which the white and yolk of eggs are stirred up with hot beer, wine, or spirits." [1839] "Egg Nogg Break six eggs, separating the whites from the yolks; beat the whites to a stiff froth, put the yolks in a bowl and beat them light. Stir into it slowly, that the spirits may cook the egg, half a pint of rum, or three gills of common brandy; add a quart of rich sweet milk and half a pound of powdered sugar; then stir in the egg froth, and finish by grating nutmeg on the top." ---The Kentucky Housewife, Lettice Bryan, facsimile 1839 edition [Image Graphics:Paducah KY] (p. 408) [1862] "New Year's Egg Nogg. Breat the yolks of five eggs and five table-spoonfuls of fine sugar together; grate into this one nutmeg; add half a pint of brandy, stirring constantly; beat the white of the eggs to a strong froth, and mix them nicely with the above; then sir in one quart of good milk; grate a little nutmeg over the top." ---Mrs. Putnam's Receipt Book and Young Housekeeper's Assistant [Blakeman & Mason:New York] new and enlarged edition, 1862 (p. 196) [1887] ---A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 266) "Posset in its earliest medieval form was a drink made from milk lightly curdled by adding an acid liquid such as wine, ale, citrus juice to it. It was sweetened and often spiced. Sometimes curds and whey were separated and the curds mixed with conventional junket curds, breadcrumbs, and honey to make an 'eating posset' that was thick enough to slice. In the 17th century sack (like sweet sherry), claret, or orange juice were used in the eating possets. There were rich versions containing cream and eggs. Later additions the 18th century included almonds and crumbled Naples biscuits...Sack posset, long the most popular type..." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2006, 2nd edition edited by Tom Jaine (p. 627) [1669] "A Sack Posset. Take three pints of Cream; boil in it a Little Cinnamon, a Nutmeg quartered, and two spoonfuls of grated bread; then beat the yolks of twelve eggs very well with a little cold Cream, and a spoonful of Sack. When your Cream hath boiled about a quarter of an hour, thicken it up with the Eggs, and sweeten it with Sugar; and take half a pint of Sack and six spoonfuls of Ale, and put into the basin or dish, you intend to make it in, with a little Ambergreece, if you please. Then pour your Cream and Eggs into it, holding your hand as high as conveniently you can, gently stirring in the basin with the spoon as you pour it; so serve it up. If you please you may strew Sugar upon it. You may strew Amberedsugar upon it, as you eat it; or Sugar-beaten with Cinnamon, if you like it." "My Lord of Carlisle's Sack-posset Take a Pottle of Cream, and boil in it a little whole Cinnamon, and three or four flakes of Mace. To this proportion of Cream put in eighteen yolks of Eggs, and eight of the whites; a point of Sack; beat your Eggs very well, and then mingle them with your Sack. Put in three quarters of a pound of Sugar into the Wine and Eggs with a Nutmeg grated, and a little beaten Cinnamon; set the basin on the fire with the wine and Eggs, and let it be hot. Then put in the Cream boyling from the fire, pour it on high but stir it not; cover it with a dish, and when it is settled, strew on the top a little fine Sugar mingled with three grains of Ambergreece, and one grain of Musk, and serve it up." ---The Closet of Sir Kenelme Digbie Opened, facsimile 1996 London edition [Mallinckrodt Chemical Works reproduction] 1967 (p. 131-132, 134) [1685] "Egg Caudle. Boil ale or beer, scum it, and put to it two or three blades of large mace, some sliced manchet and sugar; then dissolve four or five yolks of eggs with some sack, claret or white-wine, and put into the rest with a little grated nutmeg; five to a warm and serve it." "To make a Compound Posset of Sack, Claret, White-Wine, Ale, Beer, or Juyce of Oranges &c. Take twenty yolks of eggs with a little cream, strain them, and set them by; then have a clean scowred skillet, and put into it a pobble of good sweet cream, and a good quantity of whole cinamon, set it in a boiling on a soft charcoal fire, and stir it continually; the cream having a good taste of the cinnamon, put in the strained eggs and cream into your skillet, stir them together, and give them a warm them have some sack in a deep bason or posset-pot, good store of fine sugar, and some sliced nutmeg; the sack and sugar being warm, take out the cinamon, and pour your eggs and cream very high in to the bason, that it may spatter in it, the strow on loaf sugar." ---The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May, facsimile 1685 edition [Prospect Books:Devon] 2000 (p. 424-425) [1686] "166. To Make a Posset. Take a Quart of White-wine and a quart of Water, boil whole Spice in them, then take twelve Eggs and put away half the Whites, beat them very well, and take the Wine from the fire, then put in your Eggs and stir them very well, then set it on a slow fire, and stir it till it be thick, sweeten it with Sugar, and strew beaten Spice theron, and serve it in. "167. To Make a Sack Posset. Take two quarts of Cream and boil it with Whole Spice, then take twelve Eggs well beaten and drained, take the Cream from the fire, and stir in the Eggs, and as much Sugar as will sweeten it, then put in so much Sack as will make it taste well, and set it on the fire again, and let it stand a while, then take a Ladle and raise it up gently from the bottom of the Skillet you make it in, and break it as little as you can, and so do till you see it be thick enough; they put it into a Bason with the Ladle gently; if you do it too much it will whey, and that is not good. "168. Another way for a Posset. Boil a Quart of Cream as for the other, then take the Yolks of fourteen Eggs and four Whites, beat them and strain them, take the Cream from the fire, and stir in you Eggs, and have your Sack warmed in a Bason, and when the Cream and Eggs are well mixed, put it to the Sack, and sweeten it to your taste with fine Sugar, and let it stand over a Skillet of seething water for a while." ---The Queen-like Closet, Hannah Wooley, facsimile 1686 reprint [BiblioBazaar] ISBN 9780554342559(p. 70-71) Syllabub Syllabub belongs to the English family of creamy dessert beverages combining dairy products and sweet wine. Think: egg nog, caudle & posset . Originally a holiday beverage, syllabub invited many interesting variations based on viscosity and application. Dessert syllabubs , akin to trifle, flourished in the early 20th century. What was Syllabub? "The syllabub is a Tudor invention. Its defining characteristic is the mixing of white wine (or cider or fruit juice) with sweetened cream, so curdling the cream, but from earliest times it has diverged into two basic types: a stiff version eaten as a dessert, and a thinner one for drinking. The former was made with thicker cream, often reinforced by beaten egg whites, the latter with single cream or even milk, sometimes introduced directly from the cow's udder into a bowl containing the wine and other ingredients. Both sorts remained very popular until the mid-nineteenth century...but then they went out of fashion; the late twentieth century has seen a revival of the firmer sort, as a sort of historical curiosity, but not of the drink. As for the name syllabub, that remains a complete mystery. Early spellings include solybubbe, sullabub, selybube, and even sillibouk, and probably it was originally just a fanciful meaningless coinage. Syllbub became the main form around 1700, probably due to the influence of the word syllable." ---An A to Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p.332) "Syllabub.--Traditional recipes cll for agitating sweetened cream and milk, well laced with white wine or cherry (or ale or cider), until a great froth is obtained. The agitating is accomplished by methods varying from milking directly from the cow into a bowl of rich cream and wine to the use of a charming 'syllabub churn,' and ingenious device that produces a fine long-lasting froth. In addition to its other virtues, wine serves to lightly curdle the milk and 'set' the fluffy mixture. This fortifying dessert drink was known by Tudor times and became enormously popular in colonial America. As ice cream became more available, the cool creamy syllabub came to be considered increasingly old-fashioned, although it did linger in the South...Mrs. Randolph's recipe is not at all traditional and is quite quite beside the point." ---The Virginia Housewife, Mary Randolph, facsimile 1824 edition with historical notes and commentaries by Karen Hess [University of South Carolina Press:Columbia SC] 1984 (p. 293-294) Syllabub from the economic perspective: "The eighteenth-century fascination with creamy drinks can perhaps ony be explained by reference to the ingredients themselves. They are not rare or exotic, but are often either colonial or betray some important British trade connection. In other words, they seem to embody the growing power of the British Empire, especially now that ordinanary housewives can purchase sugar from the West Indies, nutmeg from the Spice Islands, lemons and sherry from Spain. The British housewife is apparently no longer aware that these were once rare and costly ingredients available only to the wealthiest consumers. This syllabub recipe, one of dozens, is something like a cross between an eggnog and a creamy dessert floating on wine." ---Food in Early Modern Europe, Ken Albala [Greenwood Press:Westport CT] 2003 (p. 181) [1685] "An Excellent Syllabub. Fill your Sillabub pot half full with cider, and good store of sugar, and a little nutmeg, stir it well together, and put in a s much cream by two or three spoonfuls at a time, as hard as you can, as though you milkt it in; then stir it together very softly once about, and let it stand two hours before you eat it, for the standing makes it curd." ---The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May, facsimile 1685 edition, with forward, introductions and glossary supplied by Alan Davidson, Marcus Bell and Tom Jaine [Prospect Books:Devon] 1994, 2000 (p. 295) [1747] "To Make Everlasing Syllabubs. Take five half Pints of thick Cream, half Pint of Rhenish, and half a Pint of Sack, the Juice of two large Seville Oranges; grate in just the yellow Rind of three Lemons, and a Pound of double-refined Sugar well beat, and sifted. Mix all together witha Spponful of Orange-flower Water, beat it well together with a Whisk half an Hour, then with a Spoon fill your Glasses. These will keep above a Week, and is better made the Day before. The best Way to whip Syllabubs is, have a fine large Chocolate-mill, wich you msut keep on purpose, and a large deep Bowl to mill them in; it is both quicker done, and the Froth stronger. The thin that is left at Bottom, have ready some Calf's Food Jelly boiled and clarified, there must be nothing but the Calf's food boiled to a hard Jelly; when cold, take out of the Fat, and clear it with the White of Eggs, run it through a Flannel Bag, and mix it with the clear, which you saved of the Syllibubs; sweeten it to your Palate, and give it a boil; then pour it into Basons, or what you please. When cold, turn it out, and it is a fine Flummery." ---The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy, Hannah Glasse, facsimile 1747 edition, with introductory essays by Jennifer Stead and Priscilla Bain, a glossary by Alan Davidson [Prospect Books:Devon] 1995 (p. 144-145) [NOTE: Mrs. Glasse also offers a recipe titled "To make Whipped Syllabubs."] [1792] "Whipt Syllabubs. Take a quart of good sweet cream, put it into a broad earthen pan, with a jill of sack, the juice of a lemon or Seville orange, and the rind of a lemon cut thin; make it pretty sweet with fine powder sugar, whip it with a whisk, and as the froth rifes take it off, and put it on a sieve to drain for half an hour; then half-fill your glasses with some red, and some white wine, and with a spoon put on your syllabub as high as you can: or you may half-fill your glasses with different coloured jelly. Never make it long before you want to send it to table." (p. 410) "Syllabub under the Cow. Put a bottle of either red or white wine, ale or cyder, into a China bowl, sweeten it with sugar, and grate in some nutmeg, then hold it under the cow, and milk into it till it has fine froth at the top; strew over it a handful of currants, clean washed and picked, and plumped before the fire. You may make this syllabub at home, only have new milk. Make it as hot as milk from the cow, and out of a tea-pot, or any such thing, pour it in, holding you hand very high."(p. 411) ---The New Art of Cookery According to Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Campbell, and B. Johnson:Philadelphia] 1792 [NOTE: This book also offers recipes for Lemon Syllabubs, Solid Solid Syllabubs and Everlasting Syllabubs.] [1824] "Syllabub. Season with milk and sugar and white wine, but not enough to curdle it; fill the glasses nearly full, and crown them with whipt cream seasoned." ---The Virginia Housewife, Mary Randolph, facsimile 1824 edition with historical notes and commentaries by Karen Hess [University of South Carolina Press:Columbia SC] 1984 (p. 181) [1845] "Very superior Whipped Syllabubs. Weigh seven ounces of fine sugar and rasp on it the rinds of two fresh sound lemons of good size, then pound or roll it to powder, and put it into a bowl with the strained juice of the lemons, two large glasses of sherry, and two of brandy; when the sugar is dissolved add a pint of very fresh cream, and whisk or mill the mixture well; take off the froth as it rises, and put it into glasses. These syllabubs will remain good for several days, and should always be made if possible, four-and-twenty hours before they are wanted for table. The full flavour of the lemon rind is obtained with less trouble than in rasping, by pairing it very thin indeed, and infusing it for some hours in the juice of the fruit. Sugar, 7 oz.; rind and juice of lemons, 2; sherry, 2 large wineglasesful; brandy, 2 wineglassesful; cream, 1 pint. Obs.--These proportions are sufficient for two dozen or more syllabubs; they are often made with almost equal quantities of wine and cream, but are considered less wholesome without a portion of brandy." ---Modern Cookery for Private Families, Eliza Acton, 1845 facsimile edition with an introduction by Elizabeth Ray [Southover Press:East Sussex] 1994, 2002 (p. 397) [1852] "Syllabub, or Whipt Cream. Pare off very thin the yellow rind of four large lemons, and lay it in the bottom of a deep dish. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a large bowl conatining a pint of white wine, and sweetene it with half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar. Then, by degrees, mix in a quart of cream. Pour the whole into the dish in which you havd laid the lemon-peel, and let the mixture stand untouched for three hours. Then beat it with rods to a stiff froth, (first taking out the lemon-peel,) and having put into each of your blasses a table-spponful or more of fruit jelly, heap the syllabub upon it so as to stand up high at the top. This syllabub, if it can be kept in a cold place, may be made the day before you want to use it. "Country Syllabub.--Mix half a pound of white sugar to a pint of fine sweet cider, or of white wine; and grate in nutmeg. Prepare them in a large bowl, just befor milking time. Then let it be taken to the cow, and have about three pints milked into it; stirring it occasionally with a spoon. Let it be eaten before the froth subsides. If you use cider, a little brandy will improve it." ---Directions for Cookery in it Various Branches, Miss [Eliza] Leslie, forthy-seventh edition, thoroughly revised with additions [Henry Carey Baird:Philadelphia PA] 1852 (p. 318-319) [1875] "Syllabubs.--Soak the thin rind of a fresh lemon in a pint of sherry or madeira, and let it remain all night. Sweeten it well,and add three tablespoonfuls of brandy, a pint and a half of rich cream beaten up wtih a white of an egg, and the juice of the lemon. Beat the mixture to froth. As it rises place it in the glasses, pile it as high as possible, and place it in a cool place. In a little time the sylllabubs will get firm, and settle into a highly-flavoured preparation covered with snowy froth. If liked, melted red-currant or black-currant jelly may be mixed with half the cream beafore it is whipped, and this will make the syllabubs contrast in colour. Syllabubs should be made the day before they are wanted." ---Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery with Numerous Illustrations [Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.:London] 1875 (p. 952) [NOTE: This books also offers recipes for Birthday Syllabubs, Common Syllabubs, Devonshire Syllabubs, Everlasting Syllabubs, Syllabubs in Glasses, Large Syllabubs, Lemon Syllabubs, London Syllabubs, Simple Syllabubs, Solid Syllabubs, Syllabubs that will keep a week or ten days, Syllbubs under the Cow, and Whipped Syllabubs.] [1909] "Sylabub. Ingredients.--1/2 pint of sherry or Madeira wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy. 3/4 pint of cream, 1 white of egg, 1 lemon, castor sugar. Method.--Remove the rind of the lemon as thinly as possible, put it into the sherry, and let it soak for 12 hours. When ready strain and add the cream, brandy, lemon juice, and sugar to taste. BBeat or whisk the mixture briskly, ad as the froth forms skim it off, and place it at once in glasses or a hair sieve with a basin under it to receive the drippings. Let it me made several hours before required. Time.-- Altogether, 18 hours. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 10 to 12 persons." ---Mrs. Beeton's Every-Day Cookery, New Edition [Ward, Lock & Co. Ltd.:London] 1909 (p. 662) [1930] "Syllabub. Whites of four eggs, four tablespoonfuls sughar, one cup cream, one teaspoonful vanilla, one-half glass (or large wine glass) of sherry wine. Beat whites of eggs and cream separately, beating the sugar into the cream. Fold together and when both are stiff, add vanilla and sherry, and put on ice for several hours. Serve in tall glasses with, if you like, a cherry on top of each." ---Old Southern Receipts, Mary D. Pretlow [Robert M. McBride & Company:New York] 1930 (p. 130) The lesser-known "definition" of syllabub is a creamy dessert inspired by English trifle . The alcohol component is traditional but not required. [1925] "Syllabub. Have ready 10 macaroons, 1 pint of cream, 4 oz. of castor sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, the finely-grated rind of 1/2 a lemon, 1 small wineglassful of sherry or Madeira, a pinch of ground cinnamon and essense of ratafia. Sufficent for 7 or 8 persons. Mix the sugar, lemon-juice and rind, cinnamon and wine together in a large basin, add a few drops of essence of ratafia, stir until the sugar is dissolved, the add the cream and whip to a froth. Arrange the macaroons compactly on the bottom of a deep dish, and as the froth is formed on the syllabub skim it off and place it on the biscuits. When the whole of the preparation has been reduced to a froth, standthe dish in a cold place, and let it reamin for at least 12 hours before serving." ---Mrs. Beeton's Cold Sweets: 350 recipes fully illustrated [Ward, Loc & Co. Ltd.:London] (p. 46) [1930] "Fruit Syllabub. Whip two cups cream very stiff, fold into it the dry-whipped whites of four eggs, one-half cup blanched almonds chopped fine, one-half cup candied cherries cut very fine, and pulverized sugar to taste. Flavor with one-half teaspoonful fresh lemon juice and one-half cup orange juice. Toss up lightly and serve in tall glasses. Angel cake is very good with syllabub." ---Old Southern Receipts, Mary D. Pretlow [Robert M. McBride & Company:New York] 1930 (p. 130) While the practice of making cakes with dried fruits, honey and nuts may be traced back to ancient times, food historians generally agree that fruitcake (as we know it today) began in the Middle ages. In those days, imported, dried fruits and nuts were very expensive and generally saved for holiday fare. Variations take their name cues from product color: white, golden & black . Japanese Fruit Cake , a favorite of the Southern regional USA, incorporates "exotic" ingredients: coconut and pineapple. Bishops bread (aka Stained Glass or Jewel Cake) are quick breads surfacing in the early 20th century. What sets fruit cakes apart from their confectionery cousins is being prepared long before they are meant to be enjoyed. Historically, alcohol provided both flavor and natural preservative. Today, that ingredient is no longer necessary and often omitted. If you are looking for a particular fruit cake recipe (from a specific book, magazine, place or period) let us know. Americans celebrated space missions by making Astronaut fruitcake . Happy to help you track it down! NOTE: Commerical cake recipes are not generally available. "Fruit cake...a British specialty...The fruit cake as known today cannot date back much beyond the Middle Ages. It was only in the 13th century that dried fruits began to arrive in Britain, from Portugal and the east Mediterranean. Lightly fruited breads were probably more common than anything resembling the modern fruit cake during the Middle Ages. Early versions of the rich fruit cake, such as Scottish Black Bun dating from the Middle Ages, were luxuries for special occasions. Fruit cakes have been used for celebrations since at least the early 18th century when bride cakes and plumb cakes, descended from enriched bread recipes, became cookery standards. The relationship between fruit breads and fruit cakes is obvious in early recipes, such as those given by Eliza Smith [1753] which include yeast... Making a rich fruit cake in the 18th century was a major undertaking. The ingredients had to be carefully prepared. Fruit was washed, dried, and stoned [taking the pits out] if necessary; sugar, cut from loaves, had to be pounded and sieved; butter washed in water and rinsed in rosewater. Eggs were beaten for a long time, half an hour being commonly directed. Yeast, or barm from fermenting beer, had to be coaxed to life. Finally, the cook had to cope with the temperamental wood-fired baking ovens of that time. No wonder these cakes acquired such mystique..." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 321-322) Our Caribbean cookery sources offer several recipes for fruitcakes, but only one titled [Jamaican] Black Cake." The recipe's headnote states: "This is a spin on fruitcake...The name comes from the cake's dark color, due mostly to the burnt-sugar coloring found in Caribbean kitchens. The coloring can be made easily...or purchased at a West Indian grocery. Molasses can be substituted with no loss of flavor, although it will make the cake dark brown, not black. The cake usually is served 2 to 3 days after it has been baked....To make the burnt sugar coloring, caralmelize 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a heavy saucepan. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and remove from the heat. Combine thoroughly. The coloring will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator." ---A Taste of the Tropics: Traditional and Innovative Cooking From the Pacific & Caribbean, Jay Solomon [Crossing Press:Freedom CA] 1991 (p. 120) [NOTE: If you want the entire recipe from this book let us know, happy to send.] This recipe presumably descends from European culinary traditions introduced to the region in the 18th century. The ingredients and method are almost identical to English Christmas fruit cake . What about the oldest fruit cake? This question falls into the realm of "urban legends." The 2002 edition of the Guinness World Book of Records does not include this category. We scoured the Web and several article databases and found plenty of stories touting fruitcake longevity claims. They are all anecdotal, not documented in a scholarly fashion. One of the classic phrases regarding the longevity of this particular food was coined in 1983 by Russell Baker: "Fruitcake is forever." Bishops Bread (Bischofsbrot) is a quick holiday fruit cake possibly descending from northern and central Europe. Bishops Bread, as we Americans know it today, is all over the culinary map. We find several fuzzy, undocumented "old fashioned" recipes for Bishop's cake (aka Bishop's Bread) which are sometimes also referred to as "Broken Glass," "Stained Glass," or "Crown Jewel" cake . The Bishop's version is basically a densely packed fruitcake which, when thinly sliced, reveals many colors. Therein lies the "jewel" or "stained glass" connection. The chocolate ingredient was introduced in the 1950s and proliferated in the 1960s. What is "Bishop's bread?" "A few weeks ago, Georgetown reader requested the recipe for bishop's cake (or bishop's bread), which is basically a fruitcake with candied pineapple and cherries, but no citron or lemon peel. That's how we ended up in Slovakia/British Columbia. Melissa Bowen, a research librarian at Johnson & Wales University, found a bishop's cake recipe at the Web site of the Slovak Heritage and Cultural Society of British Columbia. We published that recipe Nov. 14. Since then, Melissa has found a reference to the cake in a book called "Patisserie" by Aaron Maree. It mentions something called "tiffany cake" that also goes by the names "American fruitcake, stained-glass Christmas cake and bishop's cake." The book states: "This cake contains so much crystallized fruit and is so rich that it is only served in thin slices. If held to the light, a slice should look like a stained glass picture."...Evelyn Ford of Edisto Beach shared this story with a movie-star angle: "In reading the recipes for bishop's cake, I was reminded of a recipe a friend gave me about 45 years ago ... for bishop's bread." ---"Fruitcakes and tales from here, there, everywhere," Ann Burger, The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), November 28, 1999 (p. 10) Why the name? We have no clue. This appellation does not seem to refer to a specific person. In the 1930s Crisco circulated a story about an unknown circuit bishop making housecalls in the American midwest. This was rebroadcast in the 1970s. Today? Some people take it for granted the story is true. We have serious doubts. Recipe sampler & history notes teaspoon salt 12 ounces chocolate semisweet chips 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (about the size of the chocolate chips) 1 cup coarsely chopped dates (about the size of the chocolate chips) 1 cup candied cherries, coarsely chopped (about the size of the chocolate chips) Line tube pan (or 2 loaf pans) with several layers of brown paper, heavily oiled. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl, beating well. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt). Add chocolate, nuts, and fruit to dry ingredients; mix well. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture. Pour into prepared pans - batter will be thick. Bake at 325 degrees for 90 minutes - cake will not rise much. Do not overcook! Keeps wrapped tightly in foil. Can be soaked in rum, brandy, etc., before wrapping." ---"Heaven knows exactly what's in a Bishop's Cake," Ann Burger, The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), November 14, 1999 Section I, p. 1) Is there is a connection between the early American alcoholic beverage "Bishop" and this cake? Both call for oranges and sugar. May be worth investigating. Sample recipe from Eliza Leslie's Directions for Cookery [c. 1840] here: "BISHOP. --The day before you want to use the liquor roast four large oranges till they are of a pale brown. You may do them either before a clear fire or in the oven of a stove. Dissolve half a pound of loaf-sugar in half a pint of claret. When the oranges are roasted, quarter them without peeling, lay them in the bottom of a bowl or a tureen, add two beaten nutmegs and some cinnamon, and pour on them the wine and sugar. Cover it, and let it stand till next day. Then having heated the remainder of the bottle of claret till it nearly boils, pour it into a pitcher, and having first pressed and mashed the pieces of orange with a spoon to bring out the juice, put them with the sugar, &c. into a cloth, and strain the liquid into the hot claret. Serve it warm in large glasses." 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. vanilla Combine fruit and nuts. Sift together flour and salt. Combine eggs, syrup, sugar and oil. Beat into flour mixture. Pour over fruit and stir until well blended, being careful not to break fruit or nuts. Pack firmly into two loaf pans that have been greased, lined with parchment or waxed paper and greased again. Bake at 275 F for 2 to 2-1/4 hours or until tester comes out clean. Wrap in brandy-soaked cheesecloth then in several layers of foil. Sprinkle on more brandy every few days." ---"Gettin' figgy with it," Special to The Telegram, Cynthia Stone," St. John's Telegram (Newfoundland), November 12, 2002 (p. B1) Food historians confirm ginger has been flavoring foods and beverages from ancient times forward. Gingerbread, as we know it today, descends from Medieval European culinary trditions. Ginger cookies feature prominently on Northern European Christmas tables. Why do we call it gingerbread? "The cakelike consistency of gingerbread bears little resemblance to bread, so it comes as no surprise that gingerbread has no etymological connection with bread. It was originally, in the thirteenth century, gingerbras, a word borrowed from Old French which meant 'preserved ginger'. But by the mid-fourteenth century,...-bread had begun to replace -bras, and it was only a matter of time before sense followed form. One of the earliest known recipes for it, in the early fifteenth-century cookery book Good Cookery, directs that it be made with breadcrumbs boiled in honey with ginger and other spices. This is the lineal ancestor of the modern cakelike gingerbread in which treacle has replaced honey." ---An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 142) About gingerbread in America "...most early American cookies were referred to as "cakes," and gingerbread was assumed to be a form of cookie, as in Lebkuchen, a gingerbread cookie made with honey...Of all the Christmas pastries, the gingerbread cookie was one the one most loved by early American children. I suspect that a large part of this popularity hinged on the fact that gingerbread was cheap, easy to make, a small batch would yield many cookies, and that gingerbread dough stood up fairly well under the vagaries of both brick-oven and cook-stove baking. It was pretty hard to ruin it...In American cookery, there are two distinct families of gingerbread cookies, the honey-based gingerbreads of Middle European origin--mostly Germany--and the molasses shortbreads that developed in England or Scotland, depending upon which historan you wish to believe. The other developed in the late seventeenth century, using molasses as a substitute for honey...The Germans in this coutnry were the best honey cake bakers--they called the cookies Lebkuchen." ---The Christmas Cook, William Woys Weaver [Harper Perennial:New York] 1990(p. 102-4) About gingerbread shapes "Gingerbread was ...ornamented by impressing designs within wooden moulds. The moulds were sometimes very large and elaborate and beautifully carved. In England, such confections were bought at fairs and, together with other sweet treats, were known under the collective name of 'fairings'. The habit of shaping gingerbread figures of men and pigs, especially for Bonfire Night (5 November) survives in Britain." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2nd edition, 2006 (p. 339) Gingerbread houses According to the some researchers, the first gingerbread houses may have appeared as a result of the popular Grimm's fairy tales. Other food historians postulate that the brothers Grimm were writing about something that already existed. We cannot confirm either claim. Summary here: "The tradition of baking the sweetly decorated houses began in Germany after the Brothers Grimm published their collection of German fairy tales in the early 1800s. Among the tales was the story of Hansel and Gretel, children left to starve in the forest, who came upon a house made of bread and sugar decorations. The hungry children feasted on its sweet shingles. After the fairy tale was published, German bakers began baking houses of lebkuchen --spicy cakes often containing ginger -- and employed artists and craftsmen to decorate them. The houses became particularly popular during Christmas, a tradition that crossed the ocean with German immigrants. Pennsylvania, where many settled, remains a stronghold for the tradition. It is believed gingerbread was first baked in Europe at the end of the 11th century, when returning crusaders brought the bread and the spicy root back from the Middle East. Ginger wasn't merely flavorful, it had properties that helped preserve the bread. Not long after it arrived, bakers began to cut the bread into shapes and decorate them with sugar. Gingerbread baking became recognized as a profession. In the 17th century, only professional gingerbread bakers were allowed to bake the spicy treat in Germany and France. Rules relaxed during Christmas and Easter, when anyone was permitted to bake it. Nuremberg, Germany, became known as the "Gingerbread Capital of the World" in the 1600s when the guild employed master bakers and artisans to create intricate works of art from gingerbread, sometimes using gold leaf to decorate the houses." ---"Holiday Tradition with Spicy History," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 9, 2001 (p. N-9) Medieval gingerbread was more like a candy than a cake. It was composed of honey, breadcrumbs, and spices. Sample recipes here . 19th century USA gingerbread (search recipe title) Ginger featured prominently on the holiday tables of northern European tables from the Middle ages forward. Traditional Ginger bread inspired delicious cookies of various shapes, textures, sizes, and flavors. Scandinavian recipes featured cardamom. "Ginger biscuits, including 'ginger snaps' and gingernuts, are the British representatives of a much wider group of European spiced biscuits, and are closely related to, indeed sometimes overlap with, gingerbread. Most recipes rely on the old method of melting treacle, golden syrup and brown sugar with quantities of butter, before adding flour. Originally the biscuits would have been based on melted honey...The German name for a biscuit of the same general nature is Pfeffernusse; while in Scandinavia, ginger or similarly spiced biscuits, often cut into heart or star shapes and decorated with icing, have names lie pepparkaka or peppernott....Although a literal translation in 'pepper cake', the names do not refer directly to pepper, but rather to the 'Pfefferlander', the eastern countries from which spices came. The selection of spices used in continental Europe is much wider than in Britain, and includes cinnamon, cloves, aniseed, nutmeg, and, in Scandinavia, cardamom, as well as ginger." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 338) [NOTE: Some early recipes call for white pepper as an ingredient. It is quite possible there is a connection between this ingredient and traditional European recipe names.] "Ginber nut. In the eighteenth century, sweet ginger-flavored biscutis were known as gingerbread nuts...Around the middle of the nineteenth century...gingerbread nut was superseded by ginger nut. The element nut presumably refers to the biscuits' smallness and roundness...It also appears in spice nut, a now obsolete synonym for ginger net... The nearest American equivalent is called ginger snap." ---An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 142) "For Christmas over a hundred years ago, Pennsylvania German children in Lancaster County helped cut out and decorate foot-high cookies to stand in the front of windows of their stone or brick houses. These cookie people--often gingerbread men and women iced with rows of buttons and big smiles--were a cheerful sight to snow-cold passersby. Figural cookie-making was practiced in Europe at least as far back as the sixteenth century--most of them were made using intaglio molds rather than with cutters." ---300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles, Linda Campbell Franklin, 4th edition [Books Americana:New York] 1998 (p. 183) Note: this book is an excellent resource for the history of cutters, collector's catalogs & price guides, drawings and descriptions. Good for learning about which shapes were popular in specific time periods. [GERMAN Pfeffernuesse] "118. White Rifle Nuts (pfeffernuesse). 1 pound of flour, 1 pound of sugar, both sifted, 4 large eggs, 3 ounces of citron, the peel of a lemon, 1 nutmeg, 1 tablespoonful of cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful of ground cloves, baking powder and white pepper. Eggs, sugar and spices are stirred well together, mix the baking pwoder witgh the flour, mix all together, form into little balls and bake slowly." ---Gernam National Cookery for American Kitchens, Henriete Davidis, facsimile 1904 edition with an introduction by Louis A. Pitschmann [Max Kade Institute:Madison WI] 2003(p. 406) [NOTE: Recipe for Brunswick Rifle Nuts follows. Ingredients: flour, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, grlound cloves.] [SWEDISH Papparkakor] [1747] "A Yorkshire Christmas-Pye. First make a good Standing Crust, let the Wall and Bottom be very thick, bone a Turkey, a Goose, a Fowl, a Partridge, and a Pigeon, season them all very well, take half an Ounce of Mace, half an Ounce of Nutmegs, a quarter of an Ounce of Cloves, half and Ounce of black Pepper, all beat fine together, two large Spoonfuls of Salt, mix them together. Open the Fowls, then then Goose, and then the Turkey, which must be large; season them all well first, and lay them in the Crust, so as it will look only like a whole Turkey; then have a hare ready cased, and wiped with a clean Cloth. Cut it to Pieces, that is jointed; season it, and lay it as close as you can on one Side; on the other Side Woodcock, more Game, and what Sort of wild Fowl you can get. Season them well, and lay them close; put at least four Pounds of Butter into the Pye, then lay on your Lid, which must be very a very thick one, and let it be well baked. It must have a very hot Oven, and will take at least four Hours. This Pye will take a Bushel of Flour; in this Chapter you will see how to make it. These Pies are ofent sent to London in a Box as Presents; therefore the Walls must be will built." ---The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse c. 1747, facisimile first edition followed by additional recipes from the fifth edition [Prospect Books:Devon] 1995 (p. 73) "A Standing Crust for Great Pies. To a Peck of Flour the Yolk of three Eggs, then boil some Water, and put in half a Pound of try'd Suet, and a pound and half of Butter. Skim off the Butter and Suet, and as much of the Liquor as will bake it a light good Crust; work it up well, and roll it out." ---ibid (p. 75) Angelo Motta . "Panettone, or 'great big bread loaf,' is a large domed yeasted dough, with a density of aroma that belies its light but firm texture, with a golden yellow interior and a brown outer surface, the top sprinkled with candied sugar, and the inside studded with dried fruit and candied peels. The mixture is rich with sugar, honey, butter, and eggs, perfumed with vanilla and sometimes liqueurs, and has a softness and lightness that makes it an ideal cake to have around at Christmas time. It keeps well, so in many Milanese households a quarter of this festive bread would be hidden away until 3 February, the feast of San Biagio, a saint who intercedes for those with earache and sore throats, when as a potent relic of the Christmas rites it would be eaten for breakfast to ward off winter colds...This survival from ancient Christmas rites was once connected with family rituals around the ceppo, a tree trunk or log, decked with evergreen fronds, upon which gifts for the household and family were placed, and which, after their distribution, was ceremoniously burnt on the fire, libated with wine by each participant, and poked to send up glittering sparks to delight the children. The ashes were carefully preserved to protect crops from hailstorms...The industrial production of panettone orginated in Milan in the 1920s, when Angelo Motta and Giacchino Allemagna started producing them, and now they are made all over Italy. But before then, Artusi had annoyed some of his readers by printing a version perfected by his cook Marietta Sabatini using bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar (baking powder) instead of fresh yeast, so one can deduce that the Milanese version was already known, loved, and passionately defended in the early years of the 20th century." ---Oxford Companion to Italian Food, Gillian Riley [Oxford University Press:New York] 2007 (p. 357-358) [NOTE: Artusi's recipe is the only one we find using chemical leaveners instead of traditional yeast.] "Bakers made many...ritual Christmas breads, pane di Natale, by enriching the bread of everyday with lard, oil, or butter, adding eggs, and kneading in nuts, raisins, dried fruits, and clean sweet-tasting candied fruits. Scholars trace the ancestors of pannetone to the end of the fourteenth century, when Florentines folded walnuts, pine nuts, dried figs, dates, and honey into Tuscan bread dough, making pan co'santi. By the seventeenth century, the historian Vincenzo Tanara wrote that the citizens of Emilia-Romagna made pan di Natale by rolling raisins, black pepper, and hone-candied pumpkin right into ordinary bread dough. These low, dense Christmas breads, bursting with nuts and fruits, were nothing like the delicate, high-domed panettone that has become the famous Christmas bread of Milan. The more recent versions were invented in the 1920s, when Angelo Motta founded a company that used natural yeast and tall cyclindrical forms to turn out a rich, porous, high-sided panettone. Studded with raisins and bits of candied orange and citron, the new panettone was such a popular success that Motta's friend, Gioacchino Allemagna opened a competing business the next year, and in the decades that followed panettone grandually became the Christmas bread of Italy. Nowadays panettone weichs one, two, or three pounds, while reustic panettone was traditionally made in enormous six- to ten-pound rounds. It was once a real status symbol for immigrants who came to Milan and felt that they had arrived when they could set a panettone on their Christmas table." ---Celebrating Italy: The Tastes and Traditions of Italy as Revealed Through its Feasts, Festivals, and Sumptuous Foods, Carol Field [Harper Perennial:New York] 1990, 1997 (p. 257) [NOTE: Ms. Field offers a recipe for Panettone Piemontese and several additional Italian Christmas breads.] "Panettone lends itself to fabulation. The simplest fable connected with it states that its bulbous top is meant to honor the domes of Lombardy churches. One might as well maintain that Lombardy churches were given domes in honor of panettone...A more complicated fable is put forward to explain its name. Panettone, it alleges, was originally called pan de Tonio, Tony's bread. The Tony in question was supposed to be a poor 15th-century baker. A wealthy young man interested in marrying his daughter staked Tony at the Christmas season with enough money to buy the finest flour, the freshest eggs, and, as an added value, sultana raisins and candied citron peel; as a result, pan de Tonio sold like hot cakes, and has been doing so every since (Tony's backer, of course, married Tony's daughter). Unfortunately for the story, panettone is simply the word for bread plus an Italian suffix which denotes bigness (like torteloni from tortelli); it means simply 'big bread,' bigness in this case referring to quality rather than quantity--'enriched bread,' if you want. Indeed the old name for panettone was pan grande--big bread, using a word for 'big' with a definite connotation of quality. The Tony's bread story connects panettone with Christmas, and on this count is in step with tradition. Panettone is involved in a very old Christmas ceremony. At this season, the head of each family used to cut three large slices from one of these cakes, and each member of the family ate a bit of each to insure good luck. The Duke of Milan himself used to perform this rite, in the Sala dei Fabioli (Bean Hall) on the third floor of the Castello Sforzesco. Panettone is eaten all year round now, but it is still associated especially with Christmas..." ---The Food of Italy, Waverly Root [Vintage Books:New York] 1971, 1977 (p. 273-274) [1876] "The panettone alla Milanese, with a delicate cream, are just one or thwo of the good things at the table." ---"Under Foreign Mahogany...Hotel Life in Milan," Fin Bec, The Gentlemen's Magazine [London] August 1876 (p. 209) [1899] "Plum pudding, as we English know the rich, indigestible morsel, is a comparative stranger to the table. Its place is take by a kind of very light bread-cake with raisins in it known as 'Panettone.' This special piece from the bakery is as universal right through Italy as the steaming brown ball of currants and raisins and spice and peel is with us." ---"Christmas in Rome," The Westminster Budget [London], December 15, 1899 (p. 50) ---Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, Pellegrino Artusi, 1891 edition translated by Murtha Baca and Stephen Saratelli [Marsilio Publishers:New York] 1997 (p. 422-423) [NOTES: (1) This source notes Marietta Sabatini was Artusi's cook. (2) This book was first published in 1891. There were several subsequent editions. This particular translation does not specifically mention which edition was used.] [1904] "'Panettone' and 'Panetto' or 'Panattone'--Paenettone means big bread--in the sense of fine or glorified bread. The sweetened dough is made very light and spongy, with a few plums. It is the distinctive cake of Milan, and may be seen in dozens at the buffet of the station." ---"Academy Questions & Answers," The Academy and Literature [UK], February 13, 1904 (p. 182) [1937] "Italian Christmas Cake (Panettone di Natale) Crumble one-half compressed yeast cake with one teaspoon sugar and dissolve in one-fourth cup lukewarm milk. Let rise unti light and bubbly. Cream one cup butter with eleven teaspoons sugar. Break four eggs into a measuring cup, fill with milk and beat slightly. Sift together two cups cake flour and one-half teaspoon salt. Mix flour with two tablespoons chopped candied citron,one-fourth cup seedless raisins and two tablespoons chopped candied orange peel. Stir into creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. Add yeast and beat to smooth batter. Add one teaspoon vanilla. Sprinkle buttered tube pan with two tablespoons shredded almonds and fill thre-fourths full with batter. Cover closely and let rise overnight. Bake fifty to sixty mnutes in 375 dr. F. oven." ---"Foreign Dainties Add to Christmas Menu," Lona Gilbert, Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1937 (p. A8) [1941] "In the heart of Manhattan lives a baker who still remembers how to make Italian 'panettone,' and incomparable Christmas cake, round and fat and yellow with butter and eggs and fairly bursting wtih all manner of fruits. The loaf is sliced very thin and served with dry white wine--or perhaps a mulled red wine--on Christmas Eve. Or the cake may be toasted and eaten on Christmas morning, rich and delicious with the butter melting on the golden bread. The baker has not been back to his natie village in many decades (and he has a son in the American Army) but his currant cakes are still a blissful sight to any one who has ever basked in the warmth of the Italian sun." ---"Victuals and Vitaminbs: Sweets for the Holidays," Jane Holt, New York Times, December 21, 1941 (p. SM16) [1945] "A special Christmas loaf called panettone, a cross between bread and cake, always finds its way at this season into Italian homes, where it provides a between meal refreshment served with wine or coffee. Made with a yeast dough, it contains raisins, citron, aorange peel and nuts, and its flvored with anise. Zampieri Brothers, 17 Cornelia Street, sells the loaf for 50 cents a pound, and it can be found in most Italian neighborhood bakeries as well for about the same price." ---"News of Food: Christmas Eve Feasts for Europeans Often Include Some Variety of Fish," New York Times, December 24, 1945 (p. 12) [1949] "Two new imports, made especially for the holiday season by the Motta firm in Milan, and amaretti, Italian macaroons, and panettone, a sweet bread with raisins, citron and orange peel...the panettone $1.49 for one pound eleven ounces...Macy's...has these products..." ---"News of Food: Ready-Made Solution to Gift Problem is offered by the City's Delicacy Stores," New York Times, December 10, 1949 (p.9) [1950] "Panettone di Natale, Italian Christmas Bread 1 cake of package yeast 1/4 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 3/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup shredded candied peel 1//2 cup shredded citron 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds Dissolve the yeast in the milk, add 1/2 cup of the flour, and allow to stand in a warm place until bubbly. Cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the beaten eggs and then the yeast-milk mixture. Add the vanilla, salt, and enough flour to make a dough that is soft but not sticky. Turn out on floured board and knead in the fruit and nuts. Place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead again for 3 minutes. Shape into a round loaf, place in a greased baking pan, and allow to rise again until doubled in bulk. This will take longer than usual, because of the fruit. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes, Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 50 minutes longe. This may be baked in a kugelhoff pan, the bottom of which is covered with whole almonds and sprinkled with almonds." ---The Complete Book of Home Baking, Ann Seranne [Doubleday & Company:Garden City NY] 1950 (p. 58) [1953] 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup citron, chopped small 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. mace Scald milk, and then allow to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the compressed yeast. Stir and blend thoroughly with the milk. Add 2 cups of flour, and beat until blended. In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening with 1 cup of sugar. Add eggs, and whip until blended. Add this to the milk-and-flour mixture. Then add 4 cups more of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Allow to stand covered in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours to rise. Add raisins, citron, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, nutmeg and mace. Knead lightly, adding sufficient flour if necessary, as it most probably will be, to make a smooth, fairly firm dough. Roll into one large ball, and place in a large well-buttered bowl. Cover, set in a warm place, and allow to rise until about double in bulk. Break off pieces of the dough, and shape into small round loaves. Paint the top of each with a mixture of 1 beaten egg and 1 teaspoon of water. Place the loaves on a cookie sheet. Again allow to rise in a warm place until about double in bulk. Place the cookie sheet in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, and bake for 45 to 5- minutes. NOTE: This is not as hard to make as it may sound. Follow directions." ---The Dorn Cookbook, Frank Dorn [Henry Regnery Company:Chicago IL] 1953 (p. 233-234) [1955] 2/3 cup seedless raisins 1/2 cup candied citron peel, cut in small pieces This cake should be started the day before the actual baking. Sift and measure flour. Blend yeast with water and let stand 5 minutes. Add yeast to 1/2 cup flour and mix well. Make a little ball of the dough and place it in a bowl in warm place 2 hours. When ball of dough has doubled in size, put 2 cups flour on pastry board, place yeast dough in middle, add enough lukewarm water to make a soft pliable ball and knead carefully. Cover well and let stand in warm place 3 yours. Place 1 cup four on pastry board, add yeast dough and enough lukewarm water to make a soft pliable ball of dough and knead well. Let stand in war place 2 hours. When dough has risen again, place 1 1/2 cups flour on pastry board, add dough, salt and melted butter and knead together well. Beat together egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Beat until frothy. Add to dough a little at a time, kneading constantly until everything is well absorbed. Add raisins and citron and knead well to distribute fruit evenly. You may make one large panettone, or loaf, or two small ones. If you wiss to make two, divide dough into 2 parts. Let rise in warm place 4 to 6 hours, depending upon heat. The loaf or loaves should be double the original size with dough soft to the touch. Make a cross mark with a knife on each loaf and place on buttered paper on baking sheet and place in hot oven (400 degrees F.) 5 minutes. remove quickly and place 1/2 tablespoon butter in center of cross mark. Return to oven and bake at 400 degrees F. 15 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees F. and continue baking 45 minutes, or longer, according to size of loaf. This cake stays fresh a long time and is ideal served with coffee or wine." ---The Talisman Italian Cook Book, Ada Boni [Crown Publishers:New York] 1950, 1955 (p. 229-230) Christmas pudding dates back to Medieval times. Traditionally made on Stir up Sunday , this special dessert contains charms symbolizing good luck for the New Year. Hard sauce was introduced in the 19th century. How old is the tradition? "Christmas pudding, the rich culimation of a long process of development of 'plum puddings' which can be traced back to the early 15th century. The first types were not specifically associated with Christmas. Like early mince pies, they contained meat, of which a token remains in the use of suet. The original form, plum pottage, were made from chopped beef or mutton, onions and perhaps other root vegetables, and dried fruit. As the name suggests, it was a fairly liquid preparation: this was before the invention of the pudding cloth made large puddings feasible. As was usual with such dishes, it was served at the beginning of the meal. When new kinds of dried fruit became available in Britain, first raisins, then prunes in the 16th century, they were added. The name 'plum' refers to a prune; but it soon came to mean any dried fruit. In the 16th century variants were made with white meat...and gradually the meat came to be omitted, to be replaced by suet. The root vegetables disappeared, although even now Christmas pudding often still includes a token carrot...By the 1670s, it was particularly associated with Christmas and called 'Christmas pottage'. The old plum pottage continued to be made into the 18th century, and both versions were still served as a filing first course rather than as a dessert...What currently counts as the traditional Christmas pudding recipe has been more or less established since the 19th century." ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2000 (p. 184-5) "...the name Christmas pudding appears to be a comparatively recent coinage, first recorded in Anthony Trollope's Doctore Thorne (1858). The association of dishes containing mixed dried fruit and spices...with Christmas is a longstanding one, though. Most of them originally contained dried plums, or prunes, but long after these had been replaced by raisins the term plum lingrered on... Nowadays served only at Christmas...this was formerly a common year-round pudding." ---An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 76) "The plum pudding's association with Christmas takes us back to medieval England and the Roman Catholic Chruch's decree that the 'pudding should be made on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity, that it be prepared with thirteen ingredients to represent Christ and the twelve apostles, and that that every family member stir it in turn from east to west to honor the Magi and their supposed journey in that direction.'... Banned by the Puritans in the 1660s for its rich ingredients, the pudding and its customs came back into popularity during the reign of George I. Known sometimes as the Pudding King, George I requested that plum pudding be served as part of his royal feast when he celebrated his first Christmas in England after arriving from Hanover to take the throne in 1714. By 1740, a recipe for 'plum porridge' appeared in Christmas Entertainments. In the Victorian era, Christmas annuals, magazines, and cookbooks celebrated the sanctity of family as much as the sanctity of Jesus' birth, and the tradition of all family members stirring the pudding was often referenced...Poorer families made the riches version of plum pudding that they could afford...Even workhouse inmates anticipated a plum pudding on Christmas Day." ---Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History, Andrea Broomfield [Praeger:Westport CT] 2007 (p. 150-151) What is the classic recipe? There are as many recipes for Christmas pudding as there are cooks. These notes, circa 1875, sum it up best: Christmas Plum Pudding.-- The plum pudding is a national dish, and is despised by foreign nations because they never can make it fit to eat. In almost every family there is a recipe for it, which has been handed down from mother to daughter through two or three generations, and which never has been and never will be equalled, much less surpassed, by any other...It is usualy, before sending it to table, to make a little hole in the top and fill it with brandy, then light it, and serve it in a blaze. In olden time a sprig of arbutus, with a red berry on it, was stuck in the middle, and a twig of variegated holly, with berries, placed on each side. This was done to keep away witches...If well made, Christmas plum pudding will be good for twelve months." ---Cassell's Dictonary of Cookery with Numerous Illustrations [Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.: London] 1875 (p. 137) Are there really plums in plum pudding? Find out! Stir-Up Day is the name traditionally given to the day on which Christmas puddings are made in England. This day moves according to the Christian calendar. "Stir-Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent, is considered the final day on which one can make the Christmas fruit cakes and puddings that require time to be aged before being served. United Kingdom...The Collect of the Church of England for this Sunday begins, "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of they faithful people, what they plenteously bring forth the fruit of good works..." This prayer was parodied by the choirboys: "Stir up, we beseech thee, the pudding in the pot. And when we do get nome tonight, we'll eat it up hot." The Christmas pudding is traditionally "stirred up" on this day. All family members must take a hand in the stirring, and a special wooden spoon (in honor of Christ's crib) is used. The stirring must be in a clockwise direction, with eyes shut, while making a secret wish. Source: The Customs and Ceremonies of Britain by Charles Knightly. London:Thames and Hudson, 1986, p. 211." ---The Folklore of World Holidays, Robert H. Griffen and Ann H. Shurgin editors, Second Edition [Gale:Detroit] 1998 (p. 679) "In England some people still refer to the Sunday before the beginning of Advent as "Stir-Up Sunday"...In past times the words "stir up"...reminded people to begin preparing their Christmas puddings...Children chanted a rhymed verse on that day that mixed the words of the collect with requests for special Christmas fare...Thus, the preparation of the Christmas pudding eventually became associated with this day. Folk beliefs advised each member to take a turn stirring the pudding, and ace that was believed to confer good luck. Another custom encouraged stirrers to move the spoon in clockwise motion, close their eyes, and make a wish." ---Encyclopedia of Christmas and New Year's Celebrations, Tanya Gulevich, 2nd edition [Omnigraphics:Detroit] 2003 (p. 741) When is Advent ? How was the pudding stored until Christmas in the "old days?" Excellent question! Interesting to report that none of our UK/USA cookbooks (16th-19th century) address this thorny issue. Based on instructions for preparing pre-industrial alcohol-based items (most notably fruits), we presume after the puddings were they were baked/boiled/steamed, they were wrapped in alcohol-soaked (cheese?) cloth in and stored earthenware/crockery and placed somewhere cool for the duration. It is possible more alcohol was added during this period. It is also possible the puddings were sealed against air (suet, wax) to prevent bacteria growth. Pure alcohol has long been recognized for its preserving qualities. The tradition of inserting inedible trinkets into holiday foods is ancient. It descends from pagan rituals for good luck and fortune. The bean inserted into Twelfth Night/King Cake cake and coin baked in the Greek New Year Vasilopita are similar in function. It is difficult to pinpoint the genesis of inserting charms (coins, thimbles, rings) into Christmas pudding. Some sources say it developed in Victorian England; others date the practice to the Stuart period. Like their ancient counterparts, pudding charms were meant to bring luck to their finders. Today, the practice is generally skipped for health and safety reasons. Our survey of 19th century English cookbooks reveals primary sources do not provide instructions for the insertion of coins (Christmas pudding) or beans (Twelfth Night Cake). "As with the Christmas Clootie pudding in Scotland, the English Christmas pudding usually includced small trinkets that told one's fortune. After the family had all participated in stirring the batter, the mother would secretly drop in a thimble (for spinsterhood), a ring (for marriage), a coin (for wealth), a miniature horeshoe (for good luck), and various other items to be found by the diners during the Christmas feast itself." ---Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History, Andrea Broomfield [Praeger:Westport CT] 2007 (p. 150) "Another important addition to the mixture is an old coin, which is cooked in the pudding. It will supposedly bring wealth to whoever finds it on their plate on Christmas Day. An old silver sixpence or threepenny bit is the traditional coin, but a thoroughly washed 10p piece will do. Just make sure everyone knows it's there and warn them to look out for it when tucking into the pud. Other traditional additions to the pudding include a ring, supposed to foretell a marriage, and a thimble for a lucky life. If you're worried your guests may swallow them by mistake you could wrap all these lucky charms in little packages of greaseproof paper before stirring them in. (It's probably best to leave them out altogether if small children will be eating the pudding, or just sit them on the side of their plates so they're easy to spot.)" --- BBC News [No longer connecting November 15, 2009] Australian traditions: Cold Plum Pudding c. 1956 "When inserting silver coins or other articles in Christmas Pudding for pleasure of children, they must be first boiled thoroughly, dried, and then wrapped tightly in small pieces of grease-proof paper before mixing in, to cleanse and to prevent swallowing." ---The Schauer Australian Cookery Book, eleventh edition [W.R. Smith & Patterson:Brisbane Queensland] 1956 (p. 397) "Though it might be hot on Christmas day, and some Australians have been known to have Christmas dinner on the beach, there are few who would allow Christmas to pass without hot Christmas pudding. All Christmas puddings are variations of what the English call Plum Pudding, although there are no plums in the mixture. Christmas pudding is a special favorite of both old and young...The kids can hardly contain themselves, because Christmas pudding is always served with small coins hidden inside! (Only silver coins are used, which in Australia are 5, 10, and 20 cent pieces, though the 20 cent pieces are a bit large for this.) Yes, it can be dangerous, and we have known kids who have swallowed the 5 cent pieces (the smallest coin) and had to be rushed to the doctor. But nothing ever happens, not even a tummy ache. However, if you decide to try you hand at this fun tradition, we suggest that you issue several warnings to your excited guests, adults as well as kids. Also, in the olden days when coins were pure silver (or close to it) the coins were cooked right in the pudding. This is no longer a good idea because the alloys in the coins will leave a nasty taste! Boil the coins separately, then just before serving the pudding, order everyone out of the kitchen, and wedge the coins into the pudding. With a little care, one can hide the coins to they cannot be seen too easily--although the kids are pretty hard to fool. There are a lot of different traditions in families in regard to what to hide in the pudding. We know of one strange family that hid a bone button in the pudding. The person who got it was said to have a poor year next year! So much for good will to all men!" ---Good Food from Australia, Betsy Newman and Graeme Newman [Hippocrene Books:New York] 1997 (p. 200) Sugarplums Sugarplums belong to the comfit family , a confection traditionally composed of tiny sugar-coated seeds. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word sugarplum thusly: "A small round or oval sweetmeat, made of boiled sugared and variously flavoured and coloured; a comfit." The earliest mention of this particular food is 1668. The term also has another meaning "Something very pleasing or agreeable; esp. when given as a sop or bribe," which dates to 1608. "Sugarplums were an early form of boiled sweet. Not acutally made from plums...they were nevertheless roughly the size and shape of plums, and often had little wire stalks' for suspending them from. They came in an assortment of colours and flavours, and frequently, like comfits, had an aniseed, caraway seed, etc. at their centre. The term was in vogue from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, but is now remembered largely thanks to the Sugarplum Fairy, a character in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet (1892.)" ---An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 329) Visions of sugarplums /Sharon Cohen...history and instructions for making them. ---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 208) Why call them comfits? "The latin word conficere was used to describe the act of puttng together, making up or compounding their potions. From that were derived the English terms to confect and confection. Another one, comfit, came from the Latin in a more roundabout fashion, for its immediate root was the French confit. Used at first for fruits preserved in sugar, comfit soon defined sugar-covered spices (pills in other words)...By the end of the fifteenth century, confection had acquired the meaning of a sweetmeat. In the early seventeeth century, the terms comfit-maker and confectioner both described people who made sweets." ---Sugarplums and Sherbet: The prehistory of sweets, Laura Mason [Prospect Books:Devon] 2004 (p. 25) [NOTE: The word confit , decending from the same root, applies to a savory potted fowl.] Early manufacturing processs "Comfit making demanded both leisure and special equipment; a ladle, a slice, a basin to heat the sugar suspended from cords over another bowl containing hot coals, and yet another basin in which the seeds, fruits or spices were treated. Molten sugar was ladled over them, and after each application they had to be dried and cooled. Several coats of sugar were needed. Caraways will be fair at twelve coats; and even crisp and ragged comfits, for which the sugar was boiled to a greater height, required eight to ten coats. Fortunately there were professional confectioners in the larger towns. So the gentle woman unequaled to the task of creating her own banqueting fare could purchase it herself, or commission kinsfolk or friends to bring back sweetmeats when they travelled on business." ---Food and Drink in Britain: From the Stone Age to the 19th Century, C. Anne Wilson [Academy Chicago:Chicago] 1991(p. 312) ---Oxford Comnpanion to Italia Food, Gillian Riley [Oxford University Press:New YOrk] 2007 (p. 138) "The production of comfits and confections in Sicily probably kept pace with the production of sugar itself. This was greatly diminished during the turbulent decades following the extinction of the Norman dynasty, reduced perhaps to small plantations scaled to local consumption. Nonetheless, knowledge and techniques survived, ready to accompany the extroadinar expansion in sugar production that began at the end of the fourteenth century, and to satisfy the requirements of the newly established royal court. Comfits always appeared among the gifts that the city of Palermo presejted to royal amassadors and other VIPs. In 1417 the wife of a viceroy received a tribute of almond, anise, and coriander comfits...." ---Pomp and Sustenance: Twenty-Five Centuries of Sicilian Food, Mary Taylor Simeti [Ecco Press:Hopewell NJ] 1989 (p. 224) The cake is a basic yeast-based brioche filled with dried fruits and nuts. The recipe descends from Ancient Arab recipes. The practice of serving this particular cake, often with a prize or bean inside, around Christmas time predates Christian times. Ancient Romans served a similar item. The traditional King Cake, as we know it today, was made by Christians throughout most of Europe by the Middle Ages. King cakes were introduced to America by European settlers. In places settled by Spanish missionaires (Mexico, South America, Florida, California), rosca de reyes was served. In the United States, the King Cakes of New Orleans are probably the most well known. German/Bavarian Dreikonigskeuchen (recipe here ) is encased in a gold paper crown. "Twelfth-Night Cake. In many countries it was customary to celebrate Ephiphany with a feast on its eve, or Twelfth Night. A central feature of these festivities was a cake in which a bean or token was hidden. He who found it in his piece of cake was named lord of the evening's entertainments and could command guests to do his bidding. In France the cake was known as gateau des rois, or king's cake, in honour of the Wise Men, whose feast Epiphany is; in Louisiana it is "king cake"; in Germany it is Dreikongskuchen; it is the Black Bun in Scotland; in Portugal it is bola-rei; and in Spain it is rosca de reyes." ---The World of Christmas, Gerry Bowler [McClelland & Stewart:Toronto] 2000 (p. 230) "A long succession of mock kings have ruled over winter holiday merrymaking in Europe. In ancient times they presided over feasts held in honor of the Roman festival of Saturnalia...In the Middle Ages the boy bishop and the Lord of Misrule directed certain Christmas festivities...Twelfth Night celebrations, however, came under the special supervision of another mock ruler: the King of the Bean. In past centuries, the English, French, Spanish, German and Dutch celebrated Twelfth Night, or Epiphany Eve, with a feast. The Twelfth Night cake not only provided dessert, but also helped to facilitate an old custom...While preparing the cake the cook dropped a bean, coin or other small object in to the batter. The man who found the object in his slice of cake was declared "King of the Bean." If a woman received the bean, she became queen and appointed a man as king...The king presided over the rest of the evening's activities...Christmas season mock kings sprouted up regularly in mediveal Europe. Records indicate that in late medieval France thse kings were selected by a kind of edible lottery...In the sixteenth century, ordinary Dutch and German households celebrated Twelfth Night by baking a coin into a cake and acknowledging whoever received the coin in their slice of cake as king of the feast. In the next century, this Twelfth Night custom spread to England, France, and Spain..." ---Encyclopedia of Christmas and New Year's Celebrations, Tanya Gulevich [Omnigraphics:Detroit] 2nd edition, 2003 (p. 404-5) "King cake. A brioche-style cake made during the Louisiana carnival season, beginning in January and ending at Mardi Gras...By tradition the cake contains a red bean (sometimes covered in gold or silver lear) or a figurine of the baby Jesus. It is sold widely throughout Louisiana...the person who finds the bean or figurine is prmosed good luck. There are various stories as the the origins of ther cake, though most in some way derive from the legend of the Three Kings visiting the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, as described in the New Testament. In the first half of the sixteenth century France commemorated Kings' Day--the twelfth day after Christmas--with a "Twelfth Night cake." A century later King Louis XIV took part in such a feast at which gateau des Rois ("Kings' cake") contained a hidden bean or creamic figure, as it does to this day. Before the Civil War American King cakes often contained gold, diamonds, or valuable instead of beans; after the war, with the end of gala Creole balls in Louisiana, peas, beans, pecans, and coins were used, and in 1871 the tradition of choosing the queen of the Mardi Gras was determined by who drew the prize in the cake...The colors of purple (for justice), green (for faith). And gold (for power) that traditionally tint the cake's icing first appeared in 1872 after the Rex Krewe, a Mardi Gras parade organization, chose those colors to celebrate that year's festival." ---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 175) Mardi Gras traditions /New Orleans Public Library & Zulu King Cakes /Rao's Bakery Historic recipes [1832] Cake, Twelfth. Two pounds of sifted flour, two pounds of sifted loaf sugar, two pounds of butter, eighteen eggs, four pounds of currants, one half pound of almonds blanched and chopped, one hlaf pound of citron, one pound of candied orange and lemon peel cut into thin slices, a large nutmeg grated, half an opunce of ground allspice; ground cinnamon, mace, ginger, and corianders, a quarter of an ounce of each, and a gill of brandy. Put the butter into a stewpan, ina warm place, and work it into a smooth cream with the hand, and mix it with the sugar and spice in a pan, (or on your paste board) for soimetine; then break in the eggs by detrees, and beat it at least twenty minutes; stir in the brandy, and then the flour, and work it a little; add the fruit, sweetmeats, and almonds, and mix all together lightly; have ready a hoop cased with paper, on a baking-plate; put in the mixture, smooth it ont he top with our had, dipped inmilk; put the plat on another, with saw dust between, to prevent the bottom from coloring too much; bake it in a slow oven four hours or more, and when nearly cold, ice it with icing. This mixture would make a handsome cake, full twelve or fourteen inches over." ---The Cook's Own Book, MRs, N.K.M. Lee, 1832 facsimile reprint [Arno Press:New York] 1972 (p. 40) [1874] Twelfth Cake:--A twelfth cake, or any important cake, if made at home, will require care, attention, and good materials. If these are given, and the following recipe attended to, the result can scarcely fail to be satisfactory, and a considerable saving may be effected, compared considerable saving may be effected, compared with what the same cake would have cost if bought at a confectioner's. Before beginning to mix the cake all the ingredients would be prepared, the flour dried and sifted, the currants washed. Dried, and picked, the nutmegs grated, the spices pounded, the candied fruit cut into thin slices, the almonds bruised with orange-flour or rose water, but not to a paste, the sugar sifted, and the eggs thoroughly whisked, yolks and whites separately. Care should be taken to make the cake and to keep the furit in a warm place, and, unless the weather is very warm, to whisk the eggs in a pan set in another containing hot water. To make the cake, pug two pounds of fresh butter into a large bowl, then add two pounds of powdered sugar, a large nutmeg grated, and a quarter of an ounce each of powdered sinnamon, powdered mace, powdered ginger, and powdered allspice. Beat the mixture for ten minutes, add gradually twenty eggs, and beat the cake for twenty minutes. Work in two pounds of flour, four pounds of currants, half a pound of bruised almonds, half a pound each of candied citron, and, last of all, a claret-glassful of brandy, and beat the cake lightly with doubled paper well buttered, pour in the mixture, and be careful that it does no more than three-parts fill it, that there may be room for the cake to rise. Cover the top with paper, set the tin on an inverted plate in the oven to keep it from burning at the bottom, and bake in a slow but well-heated oven. When it is nearly cold, cover it as smoothly as possible with sugar-icing three quarters of an inch thick...Ornament with fancy articles of any kind, with a high ornament in the centre; these may frequently be hired of the the confectioner. In order to ascertain whether the cake is done enough, plunge a bright knife into the centre of it, and if it comes out bright and clear the cake is done. A cake of this description will, if properly made, and kept in a cool dry place, keep for twelve months. If cut too soon it will crumble and fall into pieces. It will be at it its best when it has been kept four months." ---Cassell's Dictonary of Cookery with Numerous Illustrations, [Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.:London] 1874? (p. 1023) [NOTE: This book also contains recipe for "Twelfth Cake (another way) and Twelfth Cake, Lady Caroline Lamb's. Neither of these make reference to a bean, charm or other trinket being baked into the cake.] When we think of this period, we often fondly recall the Christmas feast described in Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol The Cratchit family lovingly shared plump roast goose, oyster stuffing, mincemeat, Christmas (aka plum) pudding and Wassail. Is this what everyone ate? Likely not. England's Industrial Revolution created great social divisions based on economic station. As was traditional, people celebrated Christmas with the very best meal they could afford. This does not mean they all ate the same foods. Tables set in wealthy houses differed greatly from those enjoyed by the middle class professionals, laboring folk, or workhouse poor. Have you ever wondered why the centerpiece of Bob Cratchit's holiday meal was a Christmas goose ? How could they afford oyster stuffing ? Most of the "classic" Victorian menus and recipes printed in Victorian Christmas books, magazines, and Web sites are dated 1860-1900. If you want to recreate and 1840s meal, as was served in the Cratchit household in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the hard part will be finding authentic menus from that decade. Two of the best primary sources for this project are Alexis Soyer's Shilling Cookery for the People, published in London in 1854 and Charles Elme Francatelli's A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes, [1861]. These books were written for the working and middle classes, not the wealthy people with servants. The recipes are economical and fairly plain, which means these foods were probably the similar to those eaten by the Cratchits. Soyer's book contains a chapter titled "Soyer's New Christmas Receipts." Unfortunately, there are no suggested menus in these sources. Facsimile editions of these cookbooks were recently reissued by Pryor Publications [Kent, England]. Your librarian can help you find a copies. For most K-12 projects, simple Victorian-era menus and recipes are probably good enough to give your class a taste of the Dickens' era. You will have to make other adjustments anyhow...like omitting brandy from your Christmas pudding and Madeira from your Wassail. Some popular Victorian items may present new experiences to your students...oysters, for example. Does your budget permit such extravagance? A goose perfect, but turkey is okay too. Skip the pheasant. We suggest hot chocolate as your beverage. It was relatively new and very chic. Cider works well too. If you need recipes we recommend these books: The Charles Dickens Cookbook, Brenda Marshall [Personal Library:Toronto] 1980 ---no menus, but plenty of recipes adapted for modern kitchens. All foods in this book are cited to by Mr. Dickens in his works, exerpts provided. Christmas Feasts from History, Lorna Sass [Metropolitan Museum of Art:New York] 1981 (p. 69-81) ---very simple menu suggests: oyster loaves, roast stuffed goose [and vegetables of your choosine, suplerlative mincemeat, mince pies royal, Christmas pudding with punch sauce, & shrub. Victorian Christmas Book, Antony and Peter Miall [Pantheon:New York] 1978 American Christmas Heritage/Ruth Cole Kainen A Book of Christmas/William Sansom The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of American Yuletide Sweets/William Woys Weaver Christmas Customs and Traditions: Their History and Significance/Clement A. Miles Christmas Feasts From History/Lorna J. Sass Elizabeth David's Christmas/Elizabeth David Food and Cooking in Victorian England/Andrea Broomfield (chapter 8: "The Holidays") Victorian Christmas Book/Antony and Peter Miall Do you have a traditional family food that needs research? We are happy to track down food origins, historic recipes and anything else you might need. Happy holidays! FoodTimeline library owns 2300+ books , hundreds of 20th century USA food company brochures, & dozens of vintage magazines (Good Housekeeping, American Cookery, Ladies Home Journal &c.) We also have ready access to historic magazine, newspaper & academic databases. Service is free and welcomes everyone. Have questions? Ask!	i don't know
Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees?	Amazon.co.uk: Customer Discussions: The Sunshine Quiz The Sunshine Quiz Sort: Oldest first \| Newest first Showing 201-215 of 215 posts in this discussion Posted on 6 May 2011 15:26:32 BDT BOF © says: I was talking to a golf fanatic (who bored me sh*tless) in the cricket club over the weekend and the question of how many clubs came up I answered 18 he came back with 14, as I had put 14 on your quiz and been told 18 on the answers I had thought no more about it but his reply made me check up. I got this from 'wiki' "A maximum of fourteen clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs which meet these parameters are usually called 'conforming'.) Violation of these rules can result in disqualification." Methinks I need an extra point (and anyone else who answered 14). best bones K I love you - no sweat. ;-) best bones Mistress K asks the questions so the answers are as per her definition so there, cut the whinging. No complaints from me K, I've maintained my position in the pecking order. Toffeeman says: One last point...just try singing Happy Birthday with all three names.... And on a related subject, the song Happy Birthday by Altered Images is thirty this year..now how old do you feel. Try not to have a heart attack... but here's a Christmas Quiz. Answers are as per my answer sheet so no quibbling. Answers to me by 12pm on 21/12/11. Christmas Quiz 2011 Music 1. Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? 2. What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called Stille Nacht? 3. The words "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes of life, of gathering gloom..." come from which Christmas carol? 4. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? 5. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what? (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit - and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? 6. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? 7. In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming? 8. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? 9. In which Christmas carol does this line feature: "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither"? 10. What was Queen's 1984 Christmas single called? 11. What Christmas-time song did James Pierpont compose in 1857? 12. What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? 13. What Paul McCartney hit song video featured the First World War Christmas Truce meeting of German and British soldiers in no-man's land between the front line trenches? 14. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics '...To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray..'? 15. In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record? 16. How many gifts are given in total in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas? 17. What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose? 18. In the song `Winter Wonderland', who do we pretend the snowman is? 19. In the traditional song, `Go Tell It On The Mountain', what are you supposed to go tell? 20. According to the song, `Frosty The Snowman', what kind of soul does Frosty have? Film and Television 1. Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? 2. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? 3. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? 4. Who is the narrator in the 1966 TV special How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? 5. What was the title of the first Christmas TV special Peanuts cartoon? 6. Christmas Crackers was the first Christmas edition of which popular UK comedy series? 7. Who is the central businessman character in the film It's a Wonderful Life? 8. What is the name of Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wizard of Oz? 9. What is Virgil Hilts' nickname in the film The Great Escape? 10. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? 11. In the movie, `Miracle On 34th Street', a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor? 12. The lyrics, "There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" are from which Christmas movie? Literature 1. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? (one point for each correctly named ghost, and a bonus point for all four) 2. Which popular poem was alternatively known as A Visit from St Nicholas? 3. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? 4. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? 5. Complete the famous rhyming line which follows: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, ... ? 6. In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's dead business partner? 7. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night Before Christmas' poem? 8. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 9. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne? 10. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the novel, `A Christmas Carol'? Food and Drink 1. What liqueur goes into making a 'snowball' cocktail? 2. Traditional in Germany at Christmas, what sort of food is stollen? 3. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? 4. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Christmas cake? 5. Brandy is made from distilling what? 6. What is a baby Turkey more correctly called, other than a chick? Religion 1. On which date is Epiphany celebrated in the traditional Western calendar? 2. Which of the Wise Men was said to have brought the gift of gold for the baby Jesus? 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? 4. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? 5. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? 6. The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on or around 1 January celebrates specifically what happening to the baby Jesus? 7. Who is regarded as the first Christian martyr? 8. Who was said to have presented the baby Jesus with Frankincense? 9. What date is St Stephen's Day? 10. True or false: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby. Pop Culture Christmas 1. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? 2. Which charity in 1949 was the first to produce a Christmas card? 3. Which author and creator of Jekyll and Hyde, gave his birthday by formal deed to Anne Ide because she disliked her own birthday of December 25th? 4. Which hugely popular actor was born on Christmas day 1899? 5. American cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with creating the traditional image of which popular Christmas character? 6. Which actress singer who charted with Santa Baby and starred as Catwoman died on Christmas day 2008? History 1. Who banned Christmas in England between 1647 and 1660? 2. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War? 3. What changed in 1752 which caused England to have a White Christmas less frequently thereafter? 4. The Christmas period of 1813-14 saw the last what in London? 5. Yorkshireman William Strickland is believed to have brought the first what to Britain from North America in 1526? 6. In Victorian England what people were popularly called robins because of their red uniforms? 7. US President Franklin Pierce introduced what to White House Christmas tradition in 1856? 8. In which city was the Salvation Army founded? 9. Which US President banned Christmas trees from the White House? 10. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847? 11. John Callcott Horsley designed what first commercial Christmas item in 1843? 12. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Christmas Around The World 1. Which US state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday? 2. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? 3. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? 4. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? 5. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? 6. In 2004, the post office of which country gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? 7. Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? 8. Before the tradition of hanging stockings up at Christmas what did Dutch children hang by the fireside? 9. In which country is it a tradition to hide all brooms in the house on Christmas Eve? 10. London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? 11. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland? 12. Which country did St Nicholas come from? Generally Christmas 1. Christmas Crackers is cockney rhyming slang for which part of anatomy? 2. What is the chemical formula of snow? 3. What red-blooming Christmas plant came originally from Mexico? 4. What is the birth sign of people born on 25 December? 5. 'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language? 6. What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word estincelle, meaning spark? 7. From what does the month of December take its name? 8. What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? Krytical says: I'm sure the meager few of you who decided to brave it are eager for the answers... so here they are: Christmas Quiz 2011 Music 1. Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus 2. What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called Stille Nacht? Silent Night 3. The words "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes of life, of gathering gloom..." come from which Christmas carol? We Three Kings of Orient Are (composed by Rev John Henry Hopkins, 1857) 4. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 5. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit - and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake's song - I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay's 2010 Xmas single - Christmas Lights) 6. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 7. In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 8. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 9. In which Christmas carol does this line feature: "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither"? Good King Wenceslas 10. What was Queen's 1984 Christmas single called? Thank God it's Christmas 11. What Christmas-time song did James Pierpont compose in 1857? Jingle Bells (or, One Horse Open Sleigh) 12. What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? White Christmas (by Bing Crosby) 13. What Paul McCartney hit song video featured the First World War Christmas Truce meeting of German and British soldiers in no-man's land between the front line trenches? Pipes of Peace 14. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics '...To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray..'? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 15. In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record? 1984 16. How many gifts are given in total in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas? 364 17. What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose? Button 18. In the song `Winter Wonderland', who do we pretend the snowman is? Parson Brown 19. In the traditional song, `Go Tell It On The Mountain', what are you supposed to go tell? That Jesus Christ is born 20. According to the song, `Frosty The Snowman', what kind of soul does Frosty have? A jolly happy one Film and Television 1. Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? George the Fifth (in 1932) 2. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 3. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? Griswold 4. Who is the narrator in the 1966 TV special How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? Boris Karloff 5. What was the title of the first Christmas TV special Peanuts cartoon? A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) 6. Christmas Crackers was the first Christmas edition of which popular UK comedy series? Only Fools and Horses 7. Who is the central businessman character in the film It's a Wonderful Life? George Bailey (played by James Stewart) 8. What is the name of Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wizard of Oz? Toto 9. What is Virgil Hilts' nickname in the film The Great Escape? The Cooler King 10. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? The Nightmare before Christmas 11. In the movie, `Miracle On 34th Street', a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor? The Post Office give all the mail addressed to Santa Claus to Kris Kringle 12. The lyrics, "There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" are from which Christmas movie? The Nightmare Before Christmas Literature 1. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Yet to Come, and Jacob Marley (one point for each correctly named ghost, and a bonus point for all four) 2. Which popular poem was alternatively known as A Visit from St Nicholas? 'Twas The Night before Christmas 3. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 4. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 5. Complete the famous rhyming line which follows: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, ... ? For Christmas comes but once a year 6. In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's dead business partner? Jacob Marley 7. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night Before Christmas' poem? Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen (or Dunder and Blixem - Incidentally Donner and Blizten mean Thunder and Lightning in German.) 8. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Dr Seuss 9. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne? Robert Burns 10. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the novel, `A Christmas Carol'? Bob Cratchett Food and Drink 1. What liqueur goes into making a 'snowball' cocktail? Advocaat (or advokatt, pronounced 'advocar' - normally a blend of brandy, egg yolks, vanilla and sometimes other ingredients.) 2. Traditional in Germany at Christmas, what sort of food is stollen? Cake 3. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 4. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Christmas cake? Mince pie 5. Brandy is made from distilling what? Wine 6. What is a baby Turkey more correctly called, other than a chick? Poult Religion 1. On which date is Epiphany celebrated in the traditional Western calendar? 6th January 2. Which of the Wise Men was said to have brought the gift of gold for the baby Jesus? Melchior 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent 5. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 6. The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on or around 1 January celebrates specifically what happening to the baby Jesus? Circumcision 7. Who is regarded as the first Christian martyr? St Stephen 8. Who was said to have presented the baby Jesus with Frankincense? Balthazar 9. What date is St Stephen's Day? 26th December 10. True or false: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby. False Pop Culture Christmas 1. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 2. Which charity in 1949 was the first to produce a Christmas card? UNICEF 3. Which author and creator of Jekyll and Hyde, gave his birthday by formal deed to Anne Ide because she disliked her own birthday of December 25th? Robert Louis Stevenson 4. Which hugely popular actor was born on Christmas day 1899? Humphrey Bogart 5. American cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with creating the traditional image of which popular Christmas character? Santa Claus (Father Christmas) 6. Which actress singer who charted with Santa Baby and starred as Catwoman died on Christmas day 2008? Eartha Kitt History 1. Who banned Christmas in England between 1647 and 1660? Oliver Cromwell 2. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War? Delaware 3. What changed in 1752 which caused England to have a White Christmas less frequently thereafter? The calendar (the English adoption of the Gregorian calendar, replacing the Julian calendar, shifted Christmas day back 12 days - and all the other days too of course - 11 days were skipped in 1752 and a further day in 1800.) 4. The Christmas period of 1813-14 saw the last what in London? Christmas Fair on a frozen River Thames (known as a Frost Fair) 5. Yorkshireman William Strickland is believed to have brought the first what to Britain from North America in 1526? Turkey 6. In Victorian England what people were popularly called robins because of their red uniforms? Postmen 7. US President Franklin Pierce introduced what to White House Christmas tradition in 1856? Christmas tree 8. In which city was the Salvation Army founded? London (1865, originally the Christian Mission, by William Booth) 9. Which US President banned Christmas trees from the White House? Theodore Roosevelt 10. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847? Christmas cracker 11. John Callcott Horsley designed what first commercial Christmas item in 1843? Christmas card 12. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe Christmas Around The World 1. Which US state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday? Oklahoma 2. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 3. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 4. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 5. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 6. In 2004, the post office of which country gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinnamon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 7. Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? Arizona and Florida 8. Before the tradition of hanging stockings up at Christmas what did Dutch children hang by the fireside? Shoes 9. In which country is it a tradition to hide all brooms in the house on Christmas Eve? Norway (according to legend, witches would steal them otherwise) 10. London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? Norway 11. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland? Hogmanay 12. Which country did St Nicholas come from? Turkey Generally Christmas 1. Christmas Crackers is cockney rhyming slang for which part of anatomy? Testicles 2. What is the chemical formula of snow? H2O 3. What red-blooming Christmas plant came originally from Mexico? Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) 4. What is the birth sign of people born on 25 December? Capricorn 5. 'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 6. What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word estincelle, meaning spark? Tinsel 7. From what does the month of December take its name? Ten (Latin, decem - it was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar) 8. What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? White	T. S. Eliot
Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978?	1000+ images about T.S. Eliot on Pinterest \| Poem, Quotes and Edward gorey Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas T.S. Eliot Mornings, evenings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons--The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock 125 Pins171 Followers	i don't know
Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff?	Christmas-Themed Quiz Welcome to Forum Towers > The Drawing Room Christmas-Themed Quiz 9. Cranberry Sauce..? Peter: 1. In which country, the world's seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? 2. mel 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? 4. sd 5. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? 6. sd 10. biggles 11. biggles 12. Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff? 13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey drumstick? 14. biggles 15. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit)? (And for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? 16. sd 17. biggles 18. Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? 19. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? 20. What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? 21. biggles +1 22. biggles 23. Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? 24. In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari - singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? 25. Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal 'uncia uncia' is better known by what name? 26. biggles 27. biggles 28. The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; Wheaties; or Durex? 29. biggles 30. sd 31. Who composed the Lieutenant Kijï¿½ orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? 32. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? 33. biggles 34. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? 35. In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? 36. biggles 37. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? 38. In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? 39. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? 40. biggles Dell-Boy: No.12 George 5th.......I didn't know he gave away Christmas Puddings either. :D I just know my Monarchs. Dell-Boy:	George V
In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year?	Newspapers - dalyskennelly2000s jimdo page! Newspapers Tom Ahern. The Late Late Show on RTE Television celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. It first aired on 6th July 1962 and love it or hate it the majority of people watch it on occasion. Last Friday night the three main presenters Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny, and Ryan Tubridy came together, with a select audience to mark the milestone. It has provided many memorable moments during that time, and kick started many musical careers .My late father had the honor of being a guest on The Late Late Show, on the 9th December 1972. It was presented by Gay Byrne and the topic was matchmaking. He was a panel member with John B Keane, Willie Finucane, and Michael McElligott, all from North Kerry. He also featured on Radharc, Newsbeat, and Halls Pictorial Weekly during 1969 and 1970 mainly on rural issues, and talking about old fashioned cures for warts, and blessed wells. It was always nice to see local people we knew appearing on Television, over the years, and the late Con Greaney made a number of appearances on traditional music programmes, in the nineties. Donie and Maura Nolan, Mattie Griffin, Frances O’Connor, Mike and Jerry Murphy and the O’Sullivan family also featured on Bring down the Lamp, and The Pure Drop. Mary Lawlor, Knocknagun, appeared on Cross Country Quiz, presented by Peter Murphy, in the seventies. Pat Barrett Glenastar, and John Hayes Knockfinisk, also appeared on Quiz Shows. The Radharc Programmes, from the sixties, and Halls Pictorial Weekly also featured West Limerick people and items of local interest. The Carrigkerry Wrenboys were featured on Ear to the Ground and many others appeared on Lottery and Money Game Shows. Television has provided great entertainment over the past 50 years, and no doubt life would have been a lot duller without the box in the corner of the room. A documentary film about the life of Father Gerry Roche, “A Mighty Man” is on sale for 10 Euro at Brouders shop in Athea. For more information, or to order it to be shipped directly to you, please contact:[email protected] or 085 177 5092. What the Romans Used for Toilet Paper By Caroline Lawrence The ancient Romans were sophisticated in surprising ways. Take going to the bathroom, for example. In first century Rome, there were over one hundred public latrines, many of them with marble seats, scenes from Greek mythology on the walls, running water and ancient Roman toilet paper provided. But what DID they use for toilet paper? Well, you could use a leaf, a handful of moss or your left hand! But what most Romans used was something called a spongia, a sea-sponge on a long stick. The stick was long because of the design of Roman toilets. Public facilities had a long marble bench with holes on top – for the obvious thing – and holes at the front: for the sponge-sticks. There were no doors or dividing walls. You sat right next to your friend and did what you had to do. Most Romans wore tunics (a garment like a long tee-shirt) and probably nothing underneath. So you could just hike it up in back and sit on the cool marble seat, leaving the front of the tunic to cover your knees and your modesty. You would sit there, chatting with your friends, and when you finished your ‘task’ you would rinse the sponge in the channel of running water at your feet and – without standing up or revealing anything – you would push the spongia through the hole at the front, give your bottom a wipe, rinse off the spongia… and leave it in a basin for the next person to use! As the Romans Did, by JoAnn Shelton Pompeii, by Peter Connolly Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome, by Adkins & Adkins Artefacts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Western Wall and more than 500 relics from the pre-Byzantine period are to be displayed in New York. Gardaí. GPS features on smart phones can identify the location where the photograph is taken, which can be viewed once it is uploaded to sites , important that people in be aware of the dangers associated with posting up photographs online, that have been taken using smart phones”, said Sergeant Broderick. He stressed that these dangers could easily be avoided by turning off the GPS function on the phone’s camera “Any person who is unsure how to do this should contact their phone provider for assistance”. Andrew Carey Wednesday, 21 September 2011 University of Limerick president, Professor Don Barry has expressed his sadness at the passing last week of the 29th Knight of Glin, Desmond John Villiers Fitzgerald. “UL was privileged that the Knight presented the Glin Papers to the Special Collections Department of the Glucksman Library in 2001 and I know I speak for the UL community in expressing our sadness at his passing. “I want to convey our condolences to his wife, Olda and family.” Professor Barry said that the links between UL and the Knight go back a long way. “We are proud to be the custodians of the Glin Papers which are a unique archive of one of Ireland’s great families that have been and will continue to be a source of great scholarship and learning.” Ballydonoghue GAA Club takes in the entire parish of Ballydonoghue. But this wasn't always the case. In the early decades of the 20th century, various townlands had their own teams taking part in County competitions and North Kerry competitions (after the formation of the North Kerry Board in 1926). Ballyconry, Dromlough, Lisselton, Ballydonoghue, Gunsborough, Glouria, Guhard and Tullamore all had teams, not always at the same time, up to the 1930's. After that there was only one club, taking in the whole parish, and in the 1940's it became a major in North Kerry Football. The club won its first North Kerry Championship in 1945 and two more before the end of the decade (1946 and 1949). Apart from threeof its players being regulars on the county team (Gus Cremin, Eddie Dowling and Mick Finucane), the club also provided the backbone of the successful Shannon Rangers side of the 1940's. In the 1950's the men of Ballydonoghue continued in their role as kingpins of North Kerry Football winning the championship in 1952. This was also the golden age of Clounmacon and Duagh, and so Ballydonoghue were beaten at various stages of the championship from 1953 to 1958. In 1959 they recaptured the crown. Through the sixties and seventies the GAA continued to play an important part in the life of the parish, though success and silverware eluded the club. However the tradition of Ballydonoghue players representing their County continued (Jer D. O Connor, who captained the team in the 1965 All Ireland final and Johnny Bunyan). MAHONY, Darby Rev; ; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1856-5-5; dja MAHONY, Honoria Miss; ; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1866-2-22; dja MAHONY, Johanna ( ); ; Cork City COR IRL; The Kerry Sentinel (KER IRL); 1897-1-6; dja MAHONY, John; ; Cork City COR IRL; The Kerry Sentinel (KER IRL); 1897-1-6; dja MANGAN, Laurence Rev; ; Listowel KER>Queenstown COR IRL; Cork Examiner; 1863-8-6; dja MARTIN, Austin M'Gillycuddy; ; Flemby KER IRL>Shanghai CHN; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1864-5-27; dja MARTIN, Malachi Brendan SJ; 78; KER IRL>New York NY; San Diego U-T (CA); 1999-8-3; laz MAXEY, William; ; Tullamore KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1856-7-14; dja MILLER, John; ; Tarbert KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1856-12-17; dja MORAN, Sr Colm; ; KER IRL>Woodland Hills CA; Los Angeles T; 1999-3-25; awest MORIARTY, Walter Rev; ; KER IRL>Charles County MD; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1847-4-21; dja MORONY, Timothy John; 30; Ballylongford KER IRL>New York NY; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1863-9-16; dja MOYNIHAN, Catherine (O'CONNELL) "relict of Humphrey"; ; Rathbeg KER IRL; Irish Catholic Chronicle (DUB IRL); 1867-10-19; djaMURPHY, John [BARRY, COX, MOORE]; ; Tarbart KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1918-05-28; ajc KELLY, Teresa "Rev Mother"; ; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1864-10-21; dja KEARNEY, William [BODKIN]; ; Tarbert KER>Omney Clifden GAL IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1847-6-28; dja KANE, Cornelius; 58; Tarbert KER IRL>New Orleans LA; Daily Picayune; 1890-6-22; dja KENNELLY, ? "Mrs James" ( ); ; Blennerville KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1861-11-27; dja KENNELLY, James "son of Michael"; 13; Blennerville KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1865-2-25; dja KENNELLY, John Very Rev; 77; Athy KID IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1843-1-4; dja KENNELLY, Michael; ; Ballylangford KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1913-07-08; ajc KENNELLY, Michael; ; Tralee KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1864-1-4; dja KENNELLY, Nora; 26; Foynes LIM IRL>New York City NY; Irish-American (NYC NY); 1881-1-22; dja DENNY, E M Rev; 70; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1862-5-5; dja DILLANE, John; ; Listowell KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1878-2-5; dja DONOHUE, Bridget "relict of Patrick J" (AHERN); ; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1909-4-28; dja DOWLING, Patrick [FARLEY, FITZGERALD, DOWNS, RILEY, KIRWIN, NORTON]; ; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1913-08-03; ajc GALVIN, Catherine (FITZMORRIS) [DOLAN]; ; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1913-02-28; ajc GRODRICK, Julia (AHERN); 46; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Daily News; 1900-6-4; dja GRIFFIN, Daniel Dr; ; Limerick City LIM IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1863-8-4; dja GRIFFIN, Ellen Maria Miss "dau of late James"; ; Hip Hall LIM IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1865-2-9; dja GRIFFIN, James; ; Limerick City LIM IRL; Clare Journal (CLA IRL); 1836-2-18; dja GRIFFIN, Mary Anne Miss [WHITE]; ; Limerick City LIM IRL>New York NY; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1863-4-29; dja GRIFFIN, William; ; Askeaton LIM IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1847-3-24; dja GRIFFIN, William; ; Limerick City LIM IRL; Irish-American (NYC NY); 1857-5-30; dja This morning, Timothy M'Carthy, otherwise Souney, was sent off under an escort of the Royal Cork Volunteers, to be executed To-morrow at Dunmanway, for attacking the house of John Gilman, Esq. near that town. Any person now detected in breaking into a house, can expect no mercy after this example. 1799 RAN-A-WAY, On the 25th December inst., without any Cause whatever, HENRY MULHOLLAND, my indented Apprentice to the Blacksmith Business-had on when he absconded, a Blue Jacket, Black Waistcoat, and Corduroy Smallclothes; is about five Feet seven inches high, well made, dark Complexion, short Hair, and smooth faced. -Any Person harbouring, or employing my said Apprentice, after this Notice, shall be prosecuted as the Law directs in such Cases. HUGH MOUNTFORD. Belfast, Ann-street, Dec. 31, 1799. N. B. By said Mulholland's immediate Return, without any more Trouble, to his Employ, he may expect as good Treatment as heretofore. The Belfast News-Letter, 26 April 1800 Dublin, April 22. Napper Tandy is to be tried on Monday fe'nnight. Lloyd's List of the 11th says that the Inflexible, Wassenaar, Stately, and Alkmaar, men of war ; Romulas, Expedition, Pallas, Charon, Hebe, and Vestal frigates, and Serapis storeship, with troops on board, are bound to Waterford. In the county of Wicklow near the Glen of Imauel, Captain Dwyer's gang surprised and disarmed some soldiers, sending them not only empty but naked away. In the county Kildare, a little beyond Ballytore, last Wednesday the Post-boy was stopped and robbed by three men armed with blunderbusses. Yesterday morning, between six and seven o'clock, a Gentleman was robbed on the public road at Baggotrath, close to Dublin, by five armed men. Lifford Assizes ended on Wednesday last, and proved a maiden one, there not having been a single conviction of any kind for and offence whatever, which proves the happy state of tranquillity and industry of the county of Donegall. This circumstance intitles [sic] the Judge to a pair of gold fringe gloves from the Sheriff. Henry Stokes and Patrick Sheehan, found guilty by a General Court Martial at Limerick, of the murder of Messrs. Boland, were on Monday morning last taken form the new Barrack, under an escort of the Lancashire dragoons, to the hill of Fedamore, where they were hanged, after which their bodies were brought to Limerick and thrown into Croppies'-hole at the new gaol. Sheehan, on the morning of his execution, informed a gentleman, that if he would give him his oath that his (Sheehan's) life would be saved, he would give the most useful information, not only of nocturnal rebel-meetings, and of the vast number of arms in their possession, but of their intended robberies and assassination. Same day Moriarty, for prevarication on the trial of the above convicts, received 100 lashes at the foot of the gallows, in part of his sentence. Among the spectators who attended at the execution of the murderers at Fedamore, on Monday last, a man of the name of Patrick Haneen was recognized and brought to the county gaol, against whom we are assured, there is positive proof of his being the first person who set fire to the murdered and much lamented Mr. J. Boland's house at Manister. Saturday fe'nnight John Brien, lately tried by a Court-Martial for the murder of Nathaniel Brien, was hanged at Clonlawrence, near Beerhaven, county of Cork, pursuant to the sentence of the Court. ORANGE. AT a Meeting of Lodge No. 673, held at Portaferry on Tuesday the 1st April, 1800. Resolved-That we highly disapprove of the introduction of Political Subjects into Orange Lodges, considering such as foreign to the object of our Institution, as it must finally prove fatal to the Institution itself. Resolved-That our thanks be returned to the Grand Lodge, for their well timed instructions upon this subject, which, with any others they may favour us with, we are determined to abide by. PAT. GALWAY, M. [The foregoing advertisement was mislaid, otherwise it would have been inserted sooner.] Belfast News-Letter, 9 September 1800 Convictions in the City John Keating for forging bank notes, to be publicly whipped from gate to gate on Saturday next, and to be imprisoned twelve months. Bridget Nowlan, for conspiring with said John Keating and others to cheat and defraud the bankers of Cork, to be imprisoned 12 months. Cath. Hinchy, for stealing a bundle of cloth, the property of John Reardon, burned in the hand and to be imprisoned two calendar months. Catherine Ahern, for petty larceny, to be privately whipped in gaol. Mary Murphy, for feloniously stealing a cotton gown and several other articles of wearing apparel, the property of Mary Roberts, to be transported for seven years. Thomas Crowley, for uttering seditious expressions, fined one mark. Mary Guess, for petty larceny, to be privately whipped in gaol. During the summer of 2004 Michael Finucane was on holiday in Killarney with his family so I travelled there to meet him. Michael was born in Newtownsandes, later known as Moyvane, in May 1903. He was taught in National School by John B. Keane's father and Bryan McMahon's father - a literary education indeed. News of the Rising in Dublin on Easter Monday 1916 took some time to trickle t h rough to New t ownsandes. Not many people locally we re too interested in Republican matters, and felt that the Rising was a somewhat similar event to that organised by Jim Larkin in 1913. Later in life Michael worked in the Civil Service with a man named Paddy Boland who had been imprisoned in Germany during the Great War. He recalled an occasion when Roger Casement visited the prison camp in an attempt to get the Irish inmates interested in a potential Rising at home and he said that not one prisoner was prepared to become involved with him, as most people were loyalist, on Home Rule terms, and had been fighting with the British during the war. After the Rising the mood of the people in Ireland swung towards the Volunteers and Michael's elder brother, Paddy began "training' in a local field with his friends in an atmosphere more reminiscent of a football match. During June 1921, there was an air of quiet around the countryside but Michael recalls that during that month, as he was retuning from holidays in Clare by boat to Tarbert, he was met in the village by a British soldier who demanded that his suitcase be opened, whereupon he searched carefully among the contents with his bayonet before allowing Michael to proceed. He recalled that directly before the Black and Tans left Ireland he was walking through Listowel with IRA man Con Brosnan when they spotted twelve Tans standing outside the Barracks in the town. He remembers Con crossing the road and introducing himself. The men were stupefied, saying that they had been hunting for him for the previous two years without success. During his years in the Civil Service, Michael worked with many people who had been involved with the fight for freedom, and knew David Neligan, who played a prominent part in the events of the Civil War. My day in Killarney with Michael Finucane was very well spent, and I was very glad to have had an opportunity to listen to his fine reminiscences and recollections. The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 14 June 1895 CIVIL BILL OFFICERS. The following are the persons appointed for the service of Civil Bill Processes for the County:- DIVISION OF RATHKEALE The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 14 May 1867 A MONSTER SALMON An enormous salmon 47 lbs. in weight, was yesterday caught by a rod and line, by Mr. H. N. Seymour in the Shannon. It had to be borne on the shoulders of two men to be weighed! -The fish baffled the exertions of several tried [sic] anglers before Mr. Seymour took it. The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 28 September 1866 DEATHS This morning at Peter's Cell House, in this city, after a truly Christian life, Anne, daughter of the late James Ahern, Esq. At his residence near Ardagh, on the morning of the 25th inst. Mr. John Ambrose, aged 80 years-A good landlord, a kind neighbour, and a sincere friend. May he rest in peace. On the 16th July last, at St. Louis, state of Missourie [sic], America, Marion, aged 15 months, daughter of Mr. Andrew Jemaison, and granddaughter of Mr Wm. Moloney, Petty Sessions Clerk, Patrickswell. R.I.P. The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 31 May 1864 DECOYING IRISH GIRLS FOR PURPOSES OF PROSTITUTION --- The system which has been pursued of hiring girls in the old country, and consigning them to parties here is about to be stopped, it having come to the knowledge of the agent that this is only a plan for decoying poor girls from their homes in Ireland for the worst of purposes. On Monday a person claiming to be a friend of two young girls who he said were consigned to him, was recognised as a notorious keeper of a house of ill-fame, and the girls were not permitted to leave Castle Garden.-New York Sun. The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 29 January 1864 Mary Hurly, aged 23 years, a victim of leprosy, died in the County Infirmary Limerick, on Sunday last. This disease, it appears, she contracted by washing the clothes of some foreign sailors. The malady was malignant. In Ireland formerly every corporate city had its regal grants for a Leper Hospital-and the lands of the Limerick Leper House were very extensive. In Waterford the annual grants of land are still appropriated to the support of the medical institutions, even yet called "The Leper Hospital," and in that county, consequently, there is no county infirmary. ADARE MANOR-The Earl and Countess of Dunraven have been entertaining at Adare Manor during the last ten days a large and distinguished party of visitors, amongst whom were :- The Earl and Countess of Erne, Lady Louisa Chrichton, Marquis of Beaumont, Hon. C. Crichton, Lord and Lady Cloncurry, Hon. Emly Lawless, Hon. Valentine Lawless, Miss Cole, Miss Emily Cole, Lord Hastings, Hon. Gerald Dillon, Hon. Vesey Dawson, Captain Saunderson, Mrs. Gore Booth, Mr. Edward Saunderson, Mr. Brinsley Nixon, Mr. Llewellyn Saunderson, Mr. Burke, of Thornfield ; Stephen De Vere, Esq., &c., &c. The Limerick Chronicle The Rathkeale sessions concluded on Wednesday, the number of civil bills tried having been 600 and 25 ejectments. The grand jury were sworn on Monday, Edward Brown of Wilton, Esq., foreman. The following are the convictions: Michael Hannigen, larceny of £5 from his employer, Archdeacon Warburton, to be transported 7 years; Daniel Mulvihane, larceny, 1 month; John Neill do., one year; James Ahern, John Hayes, Michl Dillane, John Lacey, Thomas Flaherty, cow stealing, 15 years transportation; John Carroll sheep stealing, 15 years; Ellen Dwyer, larceny, one month; ...John Fraley, Michl Fraley and Edwd. Fraley, cow stealing, 9 months; John Kiely, do. 1 year; ...Michl Ryan, cow stealing, 15 years; ... The above prisoners were escorted to the county gaol on Thursday evening by sub inspector Channer and Constabulary Adare. Robert Tighe, Esq. Assistant-Barrister, opened his sessions court at Bruff this day, for trial of civil business. THE FAITH OF GREY AND THE MASSACRE OF FORT-DEL-ORE (Author Unknown) The evening sun had sunk to rest below the western sea. The red October tintings lay on grass and gorse and sea; Along the curves of Smerwick bay the ocean danced and played, The sea-birds screamed their dismal notes as o'er the beach they strayed. 2. The hoary mountains towered high above the quiet glen, The gliding shadows wandered forth from vale and cave and fen- No other sound disturbed the hush along the wave-washed shore, Save the distant hum of Spanish tongue from rock-based Fort-del-Ore. 3. Above the tide, its rugged sides by many a tempest scarred, Rose up the goodly fortress tall, with sentinels on guard - With ensigns floating proud and free from bastion wall on high, And Spanish guns with good broad swords stood piled beneath the sky. 4. The crescent moon crept up the east with timid quiv'ring light, The quiet stars, from misty depths, grew fast upon the sight: The fog unfurled its shadow flags o'er Brandon's hoary head, And shroud-like wrapped the mountain crests as cerements wrap the dead. 5. Within the fort, in careless mood, San Joseph and his men, Talked proudly of their late onslaught on Ormond in the Glen - Or Desmond's pledged but tardy aid, and marveled at his stay, ‘By good St. James' Pisano said ‘We'll brook no more delay.' 6. The morning sun rose large and red, the fog veils rolled away, Around the walls of Fort-del-Ore a large encampment lay - There to the east were Ormond's troops, beside him Zouch and Grey, And there the courtly Raleigh's men and Spencer's stopped the way. 7. Outside the bay lay Winter's fleet - thus cutting of retreat, ‘Now, by my faith', Lord Grey exclaimed, ‘We'll rouse them to their feet: Commence ye then and let them have a taste of English cannon, I'll sweep the county of the serfs from Dingle to the Shannon' 8. The cannon boomed, the trenches neared the isolated fort, The answering echoes bore the roar of cannon from the port; The Spaniards sallied, fought, retired; the English nearer drew Till sixty paces from the fort their deep entrenchment grew. 9. And then commenced the deadly fray; the air grew black with death, From iron throats the balls sped fast, from dying lips the breath, The jaded Spaniards fought and bled for God and King of Spain And watched and prayed for Desmond's aid, their prayers, alas, were vain. 10. The third sun sank upon the strife, when, lo! A banner small, Like a snow-white bird kept flutt'ring from a flagstaff on the wall - ‘Surrender - ha!' Lord Grey exclaimed to Raleigh, ‘I'll be sure To spare not man, nor maid, nor child - revenge for Glenmalure'. 11. The quiet night dropped slowly down, the moon rose o'er the hill, The echoes ceased their tumult strange, the fort and camp were still. The waves with voices weird and sad, were moaning on the strand, And veils of smoke crept low and close across the darkened land. 12. The dawn blushed coyly in the east, the truce flag fluttered white, The chain-bridge spanned the ravine ‘tween the mainland and the height; With faltering steps the Spaniards filed, San Joseph at their head, With ensigns trailed, and muskets dropped, their dark brows flushing red. 13. ‘Fair terms, Senor', San Joseph said, ‘For these my trusted men', A mocking laugh from Grey's cold lips rang out o'er hill and glen. ‘Raleigh and Mackworth, haste you both to yon den above the sea, And rid us of the carrion foul! Senor, you stay with me.' 14. A hush! A murmur! Stifled cries! Then prayers for help arose, ‘Misericordia! Dios mios! Vain words to Saxon Foes; And cries and prayers and dying wails and clash of swords went on, ‘Brave' Raleigh fleshed his maiden sword and slew till all were gone. 15. Till all were gone - Oh God! Like leaves before the blast The Spaniards fell in slaughtered heaps. Their dying forms were cast Into the seething hungry waves to rot beneath the tide And some were thrown in loathsome heaps on rock or green hillside. 16. Beyond the sea in sunny Spain, dark legends to this day, Repeat the wrongs of Fort-del-Ore and the broken faith of Grey. The AIF Project \| Next of kin Mother, Mrs Margaret Cronin, Knockanure, Newtownsands, County Kerry, Ireland Previous military service Nil Enlistment date 19 April 1915 Place of enlistment Keswick, South Australia Rank on enlistment Private Unit name Australian Stationary Hospital 1, Reinforcement 8 AWM Embarkation Roll number 26/70/2 Embarkation details Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT RMS Morea on 26 August 1915 Miscellaneous details (Nominal Roll) Name does not appear on Nominal Roll Age at death from cemetery records 24 Place of burial No known grave Commemoration details Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy. The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra. On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours. After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns. Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial 58 cemetery records Parents: Thomas and Margaret CRONIN, Knockanure, Newtownsandes, Limerick, Ireland Other details War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front Embarked Adelaide, 26 August 1915. Attached to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, Mudros, for duty, 28 October 1915; transferred to Lowlands Casualty Clearing Station, 13 December 1915; transferred to South Pier for Hospital Ship, 17 December 1915; disembarked Alexandria, Egypt, 29 December 1915. Admitted to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, Ismailia, 18 July 1916 (sick); discharged to duty, 24 July 1916. Marched in to Royal Army Medical Corps, Mustapha, 24 August 1916; proceeded from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 14 September 1916; marched in to Weymouth Command Depot, England, 28 September 1916; marched in to Convalescent Hospital, Dartford, 28 September 1916; marched in to Hurdcott Command Depot, and classified 'Class A', 28 October 1916; transferred to Convalescent Hospital, Dartford, 27 November 1917; transferred to 10th Bn Details, 24 February 1917; proceeded overseas to France, 25 February 1917; marched in to 1st Australian Division Base Depot, Etaples, France, 26 February 1917; marched out to unit, 2 March 1917; taken on strength of 10th Bn, 4 March 1917. Killed in action, France, 7 May 1917. Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal Sources NAA: B2455, CRONIN Thomas Edmond KNOCKANURE Old Church in Knockanure was a ruin according to Charles Smith in 1756. O Donovan letters 1841 describes the old Knockanure church on the hill situated about three miles east of Listowel as a well preserved ruin. The Dominicans had a Friary nearby in Barrett's land where there is a well called friars well. They Dominicans came to Knockanure after they were banished from Tralee c1652, they left Knockanure c 1804 to take up parish duties, among names mentioned were Fr Edmond Stack died 1781Fr Bartholomew Shine came to Knockanure 1791 and made PP of Brosna and died in 1827. Knockanure was part of Listowel Parish from 1803 to 1829. Lewis tells us that there was a thatched Chapel in Knockanure in 1837 it was replaced in 1865 by a stone and slate church. It was a plain church with a single chamber and three rows of seats and a small gallery at the back to accommodate abut 12 families. The church was entered by a small side porch. Windows in stained glass at the back of the altar were erected by the young ladies of the parish c1908, the church was sold and demolished in 1968. The building of the present flat roofed church with glass ends in Knockanure started in 1963, it was to cost £12,000 but soon ran to over £20,000.Michael Scott and Partners were the architects, who promised a maintenance free building, it has a litany of defects since it was built costing thousands. The Church was dedicated on the 21st of April 1964. The woodcarving of the Last Supper coat £700 in 1964and was executed by Oisin Kelly. The Stations of the Cross in Tapestry were designed and executed by Leslie McWeeney In 1824 Knockanure had two schools one attached to the Church and another run by Michael O Mahony. The National School opened in 1851 and another school now the Community Centre was built in 1874and closed in 1966 with the opening of the present flat roofed school 1710 [ca] Alexander Foster born in the north of Ireland, later emigrated to American from Londonderry (EFM 607) 1735 [ca] Alexander Foster emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland, to America, with his mother and other near relatives. Settled in Freehold, Monmouth County, NJ (EFM 607) 1728 [ca] Alexander Foster moves to Little Britain Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania (later part of Lancaster County, May 10, 1729) (EFM 607) 1730 [ca] Alexander Foster marries Polly Connor (EFM 607) 1744 Apr. 17 Alexander Foster took out warrant for 187 acres of land in northern part of Little Britain Township. 1759 April Alexander Foster died, leaving half his estate to his son John (EFM 607) 1775 Apr. 28 John Foster sold entire estate of his father to Hugh Barkley (EFM 607) 1779 Sept. 7 William Barclay Foster (Stephen's father) born, Berkeley County, Virginia (EFM 616). Son of James Foster, Revolutionary war soldier in Virginia, present at Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown (Morrison Foster, "My Brother Stephen" 9) (JTH 4) 1782 nd James Foster and family with other Scotch-Irish moved to near Canonsburg, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Became an original trustee of Canonsburg Academy, 1791, later known as Jefferson College (Morrison Foster, "My Brother Stephen" 9) 1788 Jan. 21 Eliza Clayland Tomlinson (Stephen's mother) born, Wilmington, Delaware (EFM 616) 1796 Apr. 20 William Barclay Foster rides into Pittsburgh from Canonsburg, age 16 by Jimmy Akin Tuesday, January 18, 2011 8:37 PM Comments (80) That’s the sensationalistic headline of this story in the New York Times. As usual, it’s by Laurie Goodstein, and as usual she makes significant errors in her reporting that make the story more sensationalistic in a way that (just coincidentally) paints the Holy See in an unfavorable light. (So . . . what’s up with that, Laurie? You’ve been on the beat long enough that you should be better informed on these matters.) As with previous stories of the same nature, this one involves a document from back in the 1990s that has now come to the attention of the press. It was a letter written by the Apostolic Nuncio of Ireland (that’s basically the Holy See’s ambassador to Ireland, though he also has a liaising role with the local bishops). In the letter the Nuncio—then Luciano Storero—communicated a message to the Irish bishops from the Congregation for Clergy concerning a document that the Irish bishops had drafted on child sexual abuse. This letter was immediately hailed by groups like SNAP as the “smoking gun” they’ve been waiting for, showing that the Holy See took part in the cover up of sexual abuse, allowing it to be sued in court, humiliated, and have money extracted from it. You can read (a tiny, low resolution image of) the letter itself here. Now let’s walk through it and see how the claims made about it stack up against the document itself . . . To: the Members of the Irish Episcopal conference —their Dioceses The Congregation for the Clergy has attentively studied the complex question of sexual abuse or minors by clerics and the document entitled “Child Sexual Abuse: Framework for a Church Response”, published by the Irish Catholic Bishops Advisory Committee. So here is what has happened at the time the letter was written: Priests and religious in Ireland abused children. This came to light and caused an enormous scandal. (In fact, it brought down the Irish government.) In response, the Irish bishops conference (in conjunction with the Conference of Religious in Ireland) created an Advisory Committee to draft a document proposing how to respond to cases of child sexual abuse. The result was the document referenced above, which is online here in .pdf form. At least that’s a version of the document. Whether it was the version referenced in the letter is not 100% clear. In any event, this document came to the attention of the Congregation for Clergy in Rome, and now the Congregation for Clergy has asked the Irish nuncio to convey its impressions to the Irish bishops. Note well: The Congregation for Clergy is not the same as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict) was the head of the doctrinal body, not the Congregation for Clergy. The head of that in 1997 was Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. More on him in a bit. For now the important point—given the press’s invariable attempt to read everything Vatican in terms of the pope himself—is that Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict has no connection with this letter. It wasn’t his department that was involved. The congregation wishes to emphasize the need for this document to conform to the canonical norms presently in force. So: The Congregation for Clergy has concerns that provisions in the document did not conform to canon law as it was in 1997. Fair enough. That’s not anything sinister. To give a civil law analogy, it’s a little like warning someone that parts of his proposed law appear to violate the U.S. Constitution. Warning someone that parts of his law appear unconstitutional is not a sinister thing. It’s a way of ensuring justice and avoiding a lot of headaches for everybody. One might be wrong, and provisions of the law in fact might be fully constitutional (read: canonical), but saying, “Your policy needs to be legal in terms of Church law” is not evidence of evil intent. The text, however, contains “procedures and dispositions which appear contrary to canonical discipline and which, if applied, could invalidate the actions of the same Bishops who are attempting to put a stop to these problems. If such procedures were to be followed by the Bishops and there were cases of eventual hierarchical recourse lodged at the Holy See, the results could be highly embarrassing and detrimental to those same Diocesan authorities. So the Congregation for Clergy (who is being quoted in this paragraph; note the open quotation marks) is concerned that some proposals in the Irish Advisory Committee document appear to be contrary to canon law. As a result, bishops acting on those parts of the proposal might take canonical actions against priests that are legally invalid. In other words, there could be miscarriages of justice. So what happens if miscarriages of justice occur? Well, the priests might appeal their case to Rome, and Rome might agree that there was a miscarriage of justice because the law was not applied correctly. In that case the bishop would be put in an embarrassing position. And that’s quite true. A bishop would be put in an embarrassing and detrimental position if he violated canon law and a miscarriage of justice resulted and his actions had to be undone. There’s nothing sinister about telling a bishop that. People in positions of power need to be reminded regularly that their authority has limits and they must provide justice for those whose cases they handle. The law needs to be followed closely so that we (a) don’t have innocent priests being wrongly convicted and (b) we don’t have predator priests escaping punishment because the law wasn’t followed. The exact same concerns apply in civil courts: We need to follow the law to avoid miscarriages of justice. Now, you’ll notice something that hasn’t yet been mentioned in this letter: the issue of reporting predators to the police. That hasn’t come up yet. All the discussion so far has been about making sure the Church’s own internal legal system is followed so that we don’t have miscarriages of justice. How did Laurie Goodstein frame this in her article for the Times? She wrote: “It [the letter] said that for both ‘moral and canonical’ reasons, the bishops must handle all accusations through internal church channels. Bishops who disobeyed, the letter said, may face repercussions when their abuse cases were heard in Rome.” WHOA! MAJOR MEDIA DISTORTION! The only “repercussions” mentioned in the letter is the embarrassing situation a bishop would find himself in if he failed to follow the law and a miscarriage of justice resulted and Rome overturns it on appeal. Yet Goodstein makes it sound as if the letter is threatening bishops with some kind of retaliation if they don’t “obey” the letter. This is wrong on several levels. First, the letter is not an ultimatum. It is not a set of orders. It is an advisory statement cautioning the Irish bishops that they need to make sure they follow canon law so that miscarriages of justice don’t happen and then get overturned on appeal. There is no threat of retaliation here. Worse, Goodstein makes it appear that the Vatican is threatening bishops with retaliation if they report predators to the police. The subject of reporting pedophiles hasn’t even come up yet. And she is wrong when she says that the letter states that “the bishops must handle all accusations through internal church channels,” as opposed (presumably) to reporting predators to the police. But the document says nothing of the kind. There is nothing in the document saying that a bishop must keep information about predators secret. What the Congregation objected to was mandatory reporting. One can think what one likes about the wisdom of mandatory reporting, but there is a big difference between saying, “You must keep all cases of this from the eyes of the police on pain of Vatican retaliation” and saying, “Hey, maybe there needs to be some discretion exercised and it shouldn’t be automatic reporting.” Goodstein thus implies that the letter suggests something it doesn’t. The letter doesn’t state that the Congregation for Clergy is opposed to reporting predators to the authorities. Instead, it says . . . In particular, the situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and canonical nature”. This is the end of the quotation from the Congregation for Clergy. Note the closing quotation marks. So the Congregation for Clergy is saying, “We’ve got reservations about the situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ on moral and canonical grounds.” That’s an expression of concern. It’s a cautionary statement, but it is not an order. It’s telling the Irish bishops about an issue that could come up down the road. And how unreasonable is the concern expressed? An overzealous application of a mandatory reporting policy could result in entirely innocent people being put through the wringer and having their reputations and livelihood destroyed. Would that be moral? Would you like to be on the receiving end of a policy like that? It is easy to see how one might have moral concerns about automatic reporting policies and want to make sure that there are appropriate safeguards to keep innocent people from having their lives destroyed. It also is easy to see how such a policy could fall afoul of canon law, which contains provisions protecting an individual’s right to his good reputation. An overzealous application of a mandatory reporting policy could unjustly deprive innocent people of their reputation—and more. And these moral and canonical concerns don’t just apply to priests. Think about the repercussions of a mandatory reporting policy for the victims! It has been a common experience in years past for people to come to Church authorities to warn them about the behavior of a particular priest but only on condition of confidentiality. They don’t want to get involved with the authorities. They don’t want to be hauled into court and put on the witness stand and forced to relive horrible things that were done to them under cross examination. They don’t want to come to the attention of the media and have their private sexual trauma exposed for the whole world to see. But a mandatory reporting policy would prevent Church authorities from giving these people the assurances of confidentiality that they seek. It thus could deter them from reporting predators and result in more sexual predation. Before we get back to the nuncio’s letter, let’s detour for a moment and look at what the proposed Irish policy actually says about reporting: 2.2. Recommended Reporting Policy 2.2.1 In all instances where it is known or suspected that a child has been, or is being, sexually abused by a priest or religious the matter should be reported to the civil authorities. Where the suspicion or knowledge results from the complaint of an adult of abuse during his or her childhood, this should also be reported to the civil authorities. 2.2.2 The report should be made without delay to the senior ranking police officer for the area in which the abuse is alleged to have occurred. Where the suspected victim is a child, or where a complaint by an adult gives rise to child protection questions, the designated person within the appropriate health board/health and social services board should also be informed. A child protection question arises, in the case of a complaint by an adult, where an accused priest or religious holds or has held a position which has afforded him or her unsupervised access to children. 2.2.3 The Advisory Committee recognises that this recommended reporting policy may cause difficulty in that some people who come to the Church with complaints of current or past child sexual abuse by a priest or religious seek undertakings of confidentiality. They are concerned to protect the privacy of that abuse of which even their immediate family members may not be aware. Their primary reason in coming forward may be to warn Church authorities of a priest or religious who is a risk to children. 2.2.4 The recommended reporting policy may deter such people from coming forward or may be perceived by those who do come forward as an insensitive and heavy-handed response by Church authorities. This is particularly so where the complaint relates to incidents of abuse many years earlier. 2.2.5 Nonetheless, undertakings of absolute confidentiality should not be given but rather the information should be expressly received within the terms of this reporting policy and on the basis that only those who need to know will be told. If this policy means what it says then just on suspicion that abuse may be taking place (suspicion being a subjective state that is very easy to come by) you’ve got to report the priest or religious to the police. No provision is made (at least in this section) for distinguishing between suspicions that are credible or well-founded and those that aren’t. Similarly, no provision is made for doing a preliminary investigation. Instead, Church workers are to make the mandatory report “without delay.” Furthermore, the Advisory Committee is aware that this policy will put victims on the spot and force them to relive their traumas as the authorities handle the case. It is further aware that the policy of mandatory reporting may seem “insensitive and heavy-handed,” “particularly so where the complaint relates to incidents of abuse many years earlier.” Nevertheless, the policy says, if someone comes to you and says, “I want to report a predator priest but I also want to do so confidentially so that I’m not traumatized and humiliated in public or among my own family members” then Irish Church authorities would be supposed to say, “I’m sorry, but our reporting policy does not admit of exceptions, and I can receive your information only under the terms of our reporting policy, so I cannot promise you confidentiality.” Can you imagine someone in the office of the Congregation for Clergy having concerns of a moral and canonical nature about how such a policy might be implemented? In fact, the Advisory Committee itself can recognize why people would have concerns about this exceptionless policy. Otherwise it wouldn’t have gone out of its way to respond in advance and at length to the concerns victims were sure to have. HAS LAURIE GOODSTEIN EVEN READ THIS POLICY? DID SHE DO THE TEN SECONDS OF GOOGLING IT TOOK ME TO FIND IT? IF SO, WHY DIDN’T SHE SHARE THE REPORT’S CONCERNS ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE WITH HER AUDIENCE? THESE ARE QUESTIONS HER BOSSES AS THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOULD ASK HER. Now, back to the nuncio’s letter: Since the policies on sexual abuse in the English speaking world exhibit many o[f] the same characteristics and procedures, the Congregation is involved in a global study of them. At the appropriate time, with the collaboration of the interested Episcopal Conferences and in dialogue with them, the Congregation will not be remiss in establishing some concrete directives with regard to these Policies. So . . . the Congregation for Clergy is hardly coming off as sinister here. To try to find an effective way to deal with these situations, it’s doing a study of how these things are handled in the English-speaking world. It plans to involve the relevant bishops’ conferences in the discussion, so they will have their say. And when this is all done it will issue concrete directives. This is not the language of coverup. It’s the language of, “We want to find an effective solution to this problem, and we want to work with you to make that happen.” For these reasons and because the above mentioned text is not an official document of the Episcopal Conference but merely a study document, I am directed to inform the individual Bishops of Ireland of the preoccupations of the Congregation in this regard, underlining that in the sad case of accusations of sexual abuse by clerics, the procedures established by the Code of Canon Law must be meticulously followed under pain of invalidity of the acts involved if the priest so punished were to make hierarchical recourse against his Bishop. Asking you to kindly let me know of the safe receipt of this letter and with the assurance of my cordial regard, I am Yours sincerely in Christ, And so the final part of the letter gently reminds the individual Irish bishop that the Advisory Committee’s proposal is just that—a proposal, a study document, not something that has been passed and approved and that the bishop is obliged to follow. Further, it’s a problematic document and if the bishop acts on some of its provisions it could lead to a miscarriage of justice that might blow up in his face on appeal. But the Congregation for Clergy is working on a solution for how to handle this kind of horrible situation. Please don’t implement the flawed document; give us the time to work with the relevant bishops’ conferences to find the needed solution. That’s the takehome message of this letter. Contrast that to Laurie Goodstein’s opening paragraph: A newly disclosed document reveals that Vatican officials instructed the bishops of Ireland in 1997 that they must not adopt a policy of reporting priests suspected of child abuse to the police or civil authorities. This is highly misleading. The document was of an advisory nature that expressed cautions and concerns. It did not “instruct” the bishops that they “must not adopt a policy of reporting priests suspected of child abuse to the police or civil authorities.” It advised the bishops that there were serious moral and canonical reservations about the specific reporting policy that had been proposed to them. And it expressed those concerns with good reason! If I were a priest or a victim, or someone who just knew a priest or a victim, or just a bystander (which is what I am), I’d have concerns about that policy. Now, please bear in mind that I am not saying that the Congregation for Clergy’s concerns were all well founded. The letter is so brief and is expressed in such general terms that we don’t know what their specific concerns were, either regarding the reporting policy or other aspects of the proposal. They allude in addition to multiple concerns of a canonical nature (apparently concerning the Code of Canon Law’s penal provisions). Whether they were correct in all their concerns I don’t know. I do know that they were headed at this time by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, who has a particular history on this subject. And I also know that the letter does not come off as the sinister, “under no circumstances tell the authorities” document the press is representing it as. Of course, that won’t stop the New York Times and other media outlets, and lawyers, from trying to milk this for all it’s worth. The Wall Street bombing occurred at 12:01 p.m. on September 16, 1920, in the Financial District of New York City. The blast killed 38 and seriously injured 143. Although the bombing was never solved, investigators and historians think it likely the Wall Street bombing was carried out by Galleanists (Italian anarchists), a group responsible for a series of bombings the previous year. The attack was related to postwar social unrest, labor struggles and anti-capitalist agitation in the United States. The Wall Street bomb caused more fatalities than the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building in 1910, and was the worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil up to that point. Attack At noon, a horse-drawn wagon passed by lunchtime crowds on Wall Street in New York City and stopped across the street from the headquarters of the J.P. Morgan bank at 23 Wall Street, on the Financial District's busiest corner. Inside, 100 pounds (45 kg) of dynamite with 500 pounds (230 kg) of heavy, cast-iron sash weights exploded in a timer-set detonation, sending the slugs tearing through the air. The horse and wagon were blasted into small fragments, but the driver was believed to have left the vehicle and escaped. The 38 victims, most of whom died within moments of the blast, were mostly young people who worked as messengers, stenographers, clerks and brokers. Many of the wounded suffered severe injuries. The bomb caused more than $2 million in property damage and destroyed most of the interior spaces of the Morgan building. Reaction The September 16th Wall Street bomb killed 38 people, the city's worst disaster since the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The Justice Department's Bureau of Investigation (BOI) did not immediately conclude that the bomb was an act of terrorism. Investigators were puzzled by the number of innocent people killed and the lack of a specific target, other than buildings that suffered relatively superficial, non-structural damage. Exploring the possibility of an accident, police contacted businesses that sold and transported explosives. By 3:30 p.m., the board of governors of the New York Stock Exchange had met and decided to open for business the next day. Crews cleaned up the area overnight to allow for normal business operations the next day, but in doing so they destroyed physical evidence that might have helped police investigators solve the crime. The New York assistant district attorney noted that the timing, location, and method of delivery all pointed to Wall Street and J.P. Morgan as the targets of the bomb, suggesting in turn that it was planted by radical opponents of capitalism such as Bolsheviks, anarchists, communists, or militant socialists. Investigators soon focused on radical groups opposed to U.S. financial and governmental institutions and known to use bombs as a means of violent reprisal. They observed that the Wall Street bomb was packed with heavy sash weights designed to act as shrapnel, then detonated on the street in order to increase casualties among financial workers and institutions during the busy lunch hour. Officials eventually blamed anarchists and communists. The Washington Post called the bombing an "act of war." Another interesting fact was that the Sons of the American Revolution had previously scheduled a patriotic rally for the day after (September 17) to celebrate Constitution Day at the exact same intersection. On September 17, thousands of people attended the Constitution Day rally in defiance of the previous day's attack. Died 2011 The young Catholic man spirited his Jewish girlfriend out of Auschwitz in 1944, saving her life. Yet it took 39 years for them to see each other again. Jerzy Bielecki, a German-speaking Polish inmate at the same Nazi death camp, lived to age 90 and died peacefully in his sleep Thursday at his home in Nowy Targ in southern Poland, his daughter, Alicja Januchowski said Saturday. Januchowski, a New Yorker, spoke to The Associated Press from Nowy Targ, where she had been with her ailing father. The Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem awarded Bielecki the Righteous Among the Nations title in 1985 for saving the girlfriend, Cyla Cybulska. It all happened in July 1944, when the 23-year-old Bielecki used his relatively privileged position in Auschwitz to orchestrate a daring escape for both of them. Bielecki was 19 when the Germans seized him on the false suspicion he was a resistance fighter, and brought him to Auschwitz in April 1940 in the first transport of inmates, all Poles. He was given number 243. By Anoosh Chakelian 1. She speaks fluent French and often uses the language for audiences and state visits. She does not require an interpreter. 2. The Queen has received over 3.5 million items of correspondence during her reign. 3. Since 1952, she has conferred over 404,500 honors and awards. 4. Elizabeth has personally held 610 investitures. An investiture is the ceremony in which an honor is bestowed on someone for their good services; the recognitions are published twice a year, in the Queen's Birthday Honors and New Year's Honors lists. 5. Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's 40th monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned. 6. In 2002, at 76, Elizabeth became the oldest monarch to celebrate a Golden Jubilee. The youngest was James I (James VI of Scotland), at age 51. 7. About 1.5 million people have attended garden parties at Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland since Elizabeth has been on the throne. 8. Over the course of her reign, she has given regular Tuesday-evening audiences to 12 British Prime Ministers: Winston Churchill, 1951–55; Sir Anthony Eden, 1955–57; Harold Macmillan, 1957–63; Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1963–64; Harold Wilson, 1964–70 and 1974–76; Edward Heath, 1970–74; James Callaghan, 1976–79; Margaret Thatcher, 1979–90; John Major, 1990–97; Tony Blair, 1997–2007; Gordon Brown, 2007–2010; and David Cameron, 2010-present. 9. There have been 12 U.S. Presidents during her reign. 10. Tony Blair is the first Prime Minister to have been born during her reign. He was born in early May 1953, a month before her coronation. 11. The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, introduced small, informal luncheon parties at Buckingham Palace to meet distinguished people from all professions, trades and vocations. The first was held on May 11, 1956, and the tradition continues to this day. There are usually six to eight guests and two members of the royal household in attendance. 12. Elizabeth is patron of more than 600 charities and organizations. 13. In the past 60 years, the Queen has undertaken 261 official overseas visits, including 96 state visits, to 116 different countries. 14. In 2005, she claimed ownership of 88 cygnets (young swans) on the River Thames. They are looked after by a swan marker. The first royal swan keeper was appointed around the 12th century. 15. Technically, the Queen still owns the sturgeons, whales and dolphins in the waters around the U.K. A statute from 1324, during the reign of King Edward II, states, "Also the King shall have ... whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm." This statute is still valid today, and sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins are recognized as "fishes royal": when they are captured within 3 miles (about 5 km) of U.K. shores or wash ashore, they may be claimed on behalf of the Crown. Generally, when brought into port, a sturgeon is sold in the usual way, and the purchaser, as a gesture of loyalty, requests the honor of its being accepted by Elizabeth. 16. In the summer of 2005, she opened the first children's trail in the Buckingham Palace garden for its seasonal opening. 17. The Queen joined Facebook in November 2010, with a page called the British Monarchy, which features royal news, photos, videos and speeches. However, it is not possible to poke the royal family. She joined Twitter in July 2009, with teams at Buckingham Palace tweeting daily updates. None of the royals themselves tweet. The page follows only one other Twitter account: Clarence House, the royal home of the Prince of Wales. 18. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen's first televised festive address, a YouTube channel for the royal family, called the Royal Channel, was launched in December 2007. At the time, the palace hoped it would make her annual speech "more accessible to younger people and those in other countries." 19. Elizabeth was the first British monarch to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary. 20. The Queen is the only person in Britain who can drive without a license or number plate on her state car. 21. Many of Elizabeth's official tours were undertaken on the royal yacht Britannia. It was launched by the Queen on April 16, 1953, and was commissioned for service on Jan. 7, 1954. It was decommissioned in December 1997. During that time, Britannia traveled more than 1 million miles (1.6 million km) on royal and official duties. 22. Britannia was first used by Elizabeth when she embarked from Tobruk, Libya, with the Duke of Edinburgh on May 1, 1954, for the final stage of their Commonwealth tour returning to the Pool of London. The last time Elizabeth was onboard for an official visit was on Aug. 9, 1997, for a visit to Arran, Scotland. 23. Elizabeth has visited Australia 16 times, Canada 22 times, Jamaica six times and New Zealand 10 times. 24. Since her accession to the throne in 1952, she has visited Edinburgh nearly every year, taking up residence in the Palace of Holyroodhouse during Holyrood Week, when the Queen and her husband undertake a variety of engagements in Scotland to celebrate the country's heritage. 25. During her reign, the Queen has received many unusual gifts, including a variety of live animals. The more unusual ones have been placed in the care of the London Zoo — among them jaguars and sloths from Brazil and two black beavers from Canada. There have also been gifts of pineapples, eggs, a box of snail shells, a grove of maple trees and 15 lb. (7 kg) of prawns. 26. Elizabeth has sent more than 175,000 telegrams to centenarians in the U.K. and the Commonwealth. 27. She has sent more than 540,000 telegrams to couples in the U.K. and the Commonwealth celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. 28. Her real birthday is April 21, but it is celebrated officially in June. 29. She has attended 35 Royal Variety Performances. 30. In an average year, the Queen hosts more than 50,000 people at banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and garden parties at Buckingham Palace. 31. There have been six Roman Catholic Popes during the Queen's reign (Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II and Benedict XVI). 32. She has launched 23 ships in her lifetime. The first was the H.M.S. Vanguard, which she launched as Princess Elizabeth on Nov. 30, 1944, in Clydebank, Scotland. Her first launch as Queen was of the Britannia, also from Clydebank. 33. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have sent over 37,500 Christmas cards during her reign. 34. She has given out approximately 90,000 Christmas puddings to staff, continuing the custom of King George V and King George VI. In addition, the Queen gives her entire staff gifts at Christmastime. 35. Every year she sends Christmas trees to Westminster Abbey, Wellington Barracks, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Crathie Kirk and local schools and churches in the Sandringham area of England. 36. Elizabeth learned to drive in 1945, when she joined the women's branch of the British army. Both she and Winston Churchill's daughter were members of the group, which was called the Auxiliary Territorial Service. 37. She was a Girl Guide (1937), a Scouting movement for girls and a Sea Ranger (1943), a section of the Girl Guides focused on sailing. 38. As Princess Elizabeth, she traveled in the London Underground subway system for the first time in May 1939, accompanied by her governess Marion Crawford and her sister Princess Margaret. 39. The Queen is a keen photographer and enjoys taking pictures of her family. The Duke of York is also a photography buff and has taken a number of photographs of Elizabeth, including an official photograph for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002. 40. The Queen was born in a private home at 17 Bruton St., London, on April 21, 1926. (The house was owned by the Queen's first cousins.) She was baptized on May 29, 1926, in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace and was confirmed on March 28, 1942, in the private chapel at Windsor Castle. 41. With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, Elizabeth became the first reigning sovereign to have a child since Queen Victoria, who had her youngest child, Princess Beatrice, in 1857. 42. Elizabeth has 30 godchildren. 43. The first soccer match the Queen attended was the 1953 FA Cup final. 44. She has taken the royal salute from her Household Cavalry — mounted troops known as horse guards — in every Trooping the Color ceremony since the start of her reign, with the exception of 1955, when a national rail strike forced the cancellation of the parade. Trooping the Color is a ceremony performed by British and Commonwealth regiments to celebrate the Queen's official birthday. 45. The Queen has sat for 129 official portraits during her reign, two of which were with the Duke of Edinburgh. The most recent portrait was by Isobel Peachey and was unveiled in September 2010. Elizabeth was just 7 years old when she sat for her first portrait in 1933, which was commissioned by her mother and painted by the Hungarian artist Philip Alexius de Laszlo. 46. In 2003, she sat for her first and only hologram portrait, which is made up of more than 10,000 images of the Queen layered over one another, giving it a 3-D effect. 47. The first royal walkabout took place during the Queen's visit with Prince Philip to Australia and New Zealand in 1970. The practice was introduced to allow them to meet a greater number of people, not just officials and dignitaries. 48. In 1969, the first television film about the family life of the royals was made; it was shown on the eve of the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. 49. An important innovation during her reign was the opening in 1962 of a new gallery at Buckingham Palace to display items from the royal collection. The brainchild of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen's Gallery occupied the palace's bomb-damaged private chapel. It was the first time that parts of the palace had been opened to the general public. 50. The only time the Queen has had to interrupt an overseas tour was in 1974, during a tour of Australia and Indonesia. She was called back from Australia when a general election was announced suddenly. The Duke of Edinburgh continued the program in Australia, and Elizabeth rejoined the tour in Indonesia. 51. She has opened Parliament every year except 1959 and 1963, when she was expecting her children Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively. 52. She went on her first state visit as Princess Elizabeth to South Africa with her mother and father, then King and Queen, from February to May 1947. The tour included Zimbabwe, Bechuanaland, Swaziland and Basutoland (now Lesotho). The Princess celebrated her 21st birthday in Cape Town. Her first state visit as Queen was to Kenya: her father King George VI died, and she acceded the throne during the tour, which had to be abandoned. 53. Her first Commonwealth tour began on Nov. 24, 1953, and included visits to Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, the Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar. The total distance covered was 43,618 miles (70,196 km). 54. In 1986, the Queen became the first British monarch to visit China. 55. She has made a Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth every year of her reign except 1969, when a repeat of the film Royal Family was shown and a written message from the Queen issued. In 1953, she made her first Christmas broadcast from overseas, broadcasting live from New Zealand. Her first televised broadcast was in 1957, made live. Her first prerecorded broadcast took place in 1960, allowing transmission around the world. 56. She sent a message of congratulations to Apollo 11 astronauts for the first moon landing on July 21, 1969. The message was microfilmed and deposited on the moon in a metal container. 57. The Queen has met at Buckingham Palace the first man in space, Russian major Yuri Gagarin; the first woman in space, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova; and the first men on the moon, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, as well as their Apollo 11 colleague Michael Collins. 58. She sent her first e-mail in 1976, from a British army base. 59. There have been six Archbishops of Canterbury during her reign: Geoffrey Fisher, Michael Ramsey, Donald Coggan, Robert Runcie, George Carey and Rowan Williams. 60. History was made in 1982 when Pope John Paul II visited Britain; he was the first Pope to do so in 450 years. Elizabeth, titular head of the Church of England, received him at Buckingham Palace. 61. She visited a mosque in the U.K. for the first time in July 2002, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. f 62. The Queen has attended 56 royal Maundy services (religious services on the day preceding Good Friday to honor the service of elderly people in their communities and the church) in 43 cathedrals during her reign. A total of 6,710 people have received Maundy money, coins minted especially for the occasion, in recognition of their service. Elizabeth has missed only four services — two for official tours and two for the births of Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. 63. Elizabeth has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, starting with Susan, who was a present for her 18th birthday in 1944. A good proportion of these have been direct descendants from Susan. Elizabeth currently has five corgis: Emma, Linnet, Monty, Holly and Willow. 64. Elizabeth introduced a new breed of dog known as the dorgi when one of her corgis was mated with a dachshund named Pipkin that belonged to Princess Margaret. Elizabeth currently has four dorgis: Cider, Berry, Candy and Vulcan. As well as corgis and dorgis, the Queen also breeds and trains Labradors and cocker spaniels at Sandringham House. A special Sandringham strain of black Labrador was founded in 1911. 65. She takes a keen interest in horses and racing. Her first pony, a Shetland called Peggy, was given to her by her grandfather King George V when she was 4 years old. Elizabeth continues to ride at Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor. The Queen also takes interest in horse breeding. Horses bred at the royal studs over the past 200 years have won virtually every major race in Britain. Elizabeth has about 25 horses in training each season. 66. Her racing colors consist of a purple body with gold braiding, scarlet sleeves and a black velvet cap with gold fringe. 67. She continues the royals' long association with racing pigeons, which began in 1886 when King Leopold II of Belgium made a gift of racing pigeons to the British royal family. In 1990, one of Elizabeth's birds took part in the Pau race, coming first in the Section 5th Open of the important international pigeon race, and was subsequently named Sandringham Lightning. In recognition of her interest in the sport, the Queen was named a patron of a number of racing societies, including the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. 68. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married on Nov. 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey. Her wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, with silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle. 69. Her dressmakers over the years have included Sir Hardy Amies, Sir Norman Hartnell, Karl-Ludwig Couture and Maureen Rose. Her milliners have been Frederick Fox, Philip Somerville and Marie O'Regan. 70. Her wedding ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold that came from the Clogau St. David's mine near Dolgellau. Her official wedding cake was made by McVitie and Price Ltd., using ingredients given as a wedding gift by Australian Girl Guides. 71. The Queen has an extensive collection of jewelry, most of which are crown jewels, some inherited and some gifts, including the largest pink diamond in the world. Some of her well-known pieces include a brooch of diamonds forming a spray of wattle that was presented by the Australian government in 1954 and a necklace of large square-cut aquamarines and diamonds with earrings, given as a gift in her coronation year by the ambassador of Brazil, which Elizabeth wore on her French state visit in 2004. 72. Elizabeth has laid a wreath at the Cenotaph — Britain's iconic war memorial that commemorates the dead in both world wars — on Remembrance Sunday every year of her reign, except in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1983 and 1999, when she was either pregnant or overseas on an official visit. 73. She has visited the sets of a number of popular British soap operas, including Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale. 74. In 1997, Buckingham Palace's first official website was launched. 75. In 1998, Elizabeth introduced theme days to promote and celebrate aspects of British culture. The first theme day was City Day, focusing on financial institutions. Other themes have included Publishing, Broadcasting, Tourism, Emergency Services, Maritime, Music, Young Achievers, British Design and Pioneers. 76. In June 2002, to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, the Queen hosted the first public concerts in the garden of Buckingham Palace. She attended both the classical and pop concerts. The Party at the Palace show was one of the most-watched pop concerts in history, attracting about 200 million viewers from all over the world. 77. She is the first member of the royal family to be awarded a gold disc from the recording industry: 100,000 copies of the Party at the Palace CD, produced by EMI, were sold within its first week of release. 78. She hosted Buckingham Palace's first women-only event, "Women of Achievement," in March 2004. 79. In November 2004, Elizabeth invited the cast of Les Misérables in the West End to perform for then French President Jacques Chirac at Windsor Castle. It was the first time the cast of a West End musical had performed at a royal residence. 80. As a young girl, Elizabeth acted in a number of pantomimes during World War II, including playing Prince Florizel in Cinderella in 1941. The productions took place every year in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle. 81. She once demoted a footman for giving her corgis whiskey. 82. She is supposedly the only British monarch in history properly trained to change a spark plug, as she undertook a car-maintenance course during World War II. 83. She collected clothing coupons for her wedding dress, true to the spirit of postwar austerity. 84. The Queen issued a writ against the Sun newspaper after it published the full text of her 1992 broadcast two days before its transmission. She later accepted an apology and a £200,000 donation to charity. 85. Only three other world heads of state have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee during Elizabeth's reign: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand celebrated 60 years on the throne in 2006; the former Sultan of Johor (now part of Malaysia) celebrated his in 1955; and Emperor Hirohito of Japan celebrated his in 1986. 86. The last and only other British monarch to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897, at the age of 77. At 86, Queen Elizabeth will be the oldest monarch to celebrate this occasion. For more on the royal family, visit: http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/60-facts-about-queen	i don't know
What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'?	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - Plot Summary - IMDb National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) Plot Summary Showing all 6 plot summaries It's Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon. - Written by Rob Hartill Clark Wilhelm Griswold had some disastrous vacations at both Wallyworld and in Europe. Now he wants to compensate for this by having a special "Griswold Family Christmas", and after months of careful planning he invites both of his parents, both of his wife, Ellen's parents even his uncle Louis and his senile aunt Bethany. However, what Clark does not realize that his no-manner cousin-in law Eddie was coming over in his new trailer. Clark even prepares his house for Christmas with over 20,000 lights and a tree that does not even fit in the living room. As Christmas eve comes, Clark will soon realize that a series of unfortunate events will start to unravel for him, as the Christmas Turkey would burst and have no meat, his aunt's cat would chew on the lights and his uncle Louis will burn up his tree, and he will even soon discover that his boss have cut the Christmas bonus to give him a month in the jelly club, can Clark keep it together and understand the true meaning of Christmas? - Written by John Wiggins Chicago resident Clark Wilhelm Griswold Jr has REALLY got the Christmas spirit this year, and his wife Ellen, son Rusty, and daughter Audrey have noticed it. Clark has invited Ellen's parents Arthur Smith and Francis Smith, his own parents Clark Wilhelm Griswold Sr and Nora Griswold, and his Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis to spend the holidays at the Griswold house in Chicago. Clark is obsessed with making everything go perfectly during the holiday season, but as soon as everyone arrives, things start going haywire, especially when the Griswolds receive some uninvited surprise guests from Kansas -- cousin Catherine, her sloppy husband Eddie, and two of their kids, Rocky and Ruby Sue. Clark decorates the outside of the house with 250 strands of lights with 100 bulbs on each strand for a total of 25,000 light bulbs, enough to make the power company turn on their auxiliary nuclear generator. Clark also annoys his snobby next door neighbors -- Todd Chester and his wife Margo. Even with his bumbling ways, Clark manages to keep things going as he waits for his Christmas bonus from work so he'll have enough money to have a swimming pool put in the back yard. But it turns out that Clark's boss, a scrooge whose name is Frank Shirley, does not intend to give out any Christmas bonuses this year, and this causes Clark to snap and act crazy. This situation gives Eddie the idea for the perfect Christmas gift for Clark after Clark offers to help Eddie treat Rocky and Ruby Sue to a good Christmas. Can Eddie help Clark and the family have a great Christmas? - Written by Todd Baldridge It's Christmas time - Clark decided to invite all the family to have 'the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas', which nobody shall ever forget. When the first relatives arrive, Clark soon flees on the roof to rig the lighting. The one thing the loving father wants to surprise the whole family with is the installation of a pool, which he already ordered. Unfortunately, the bonus check Clark expects any minute is overdue - and tempers rise, but not only because of the check. A big event is the arrival of uninvited cousin Eddie with his family in their mobile home, as well as a little sledding afternoon with a new lubricant from Clark's company, or his shifting relationship with the very hip and clean neighbours. Cousin Eddie chooses to top off all presents with his very own special creation, only intending to deliver a real reason to be jolly. - Written by Julian Reischl <[email protected]> This year, Clark Griswold is really into Christmas, and promises his family the best Christmas ever. However, instead of the best Christmas ever, Clark turns Christmas evening completely around, causing a domino effect of disasters that eventually seems to drive everyone crazy.	Griswold
Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday?	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Movie Review (1989) \| Roger Ebert Tweet In the course of the three National Lampoon vacation movies, Clark Griswold has become an emblem for all that is sweetest and most ineffectual in the Hollywood husband. What he wishes for his family, most desperately, is that they have a good time. All he is able to deliver is chaos and hair-raising misadventures. His wife is at least loving and grateful, but his two children are thoroughly weary of his schemes and have lost all faith in his ability to deliver on his promises. Advertisement "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," the third in the series, rings a small change on the formula. Instead of the Griswolds going on vacation, their relatives take vacations to visit them. By Christmas Eve, the Griswold household is vibrating with the pent-up anxieties and resentments of two sets of in-laws, a thoroughly wacko uncle and aunt, and a hillbilly cousin who seems to have traveled in his camper directly from Dogpatch. None of these people are particularly good examples of the Christmas spirit. And the Griswsold children have grown sullen and ill-tempered, especially when Clark tries to enlist them in such projects as decorating the home with 125,000 light bulbs. Everything that can possibly go wrong will, of course, go wrong, and that includes Griswold locking himself in the attic, falling off the roof and being assaulted by the hillbilly cousin's ravenous hound. There are long stretches in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" when this almost works. The movie is curious in how close it comes to delivering on its material: Sequence after sequence seems to contain all the necessary material, to be well on the way toward a payoff, and then it somehow doesn't work. Advertisement Chevy Chase , playing Clark Griswold once again, is lovable and dogged in his determination to provide an ideal Christmas for his family. Beverly D'Angelo , that sunny and underrated screen comedian, is a loving wife. And Randy Quaid does what he can with the thankless role of Cousin Eddie, whose secret is that he and the family are actually living in that crappy old motor home, a shack on wheels, and don't have a dime to spend on Christmas. All of these actors do what they can, but the rhythm and pacing of the movie don't help them much. I was disappointed, too, in how little was done with two sets of in-laws and the weirdo uncle and aunt. Maybe because there are simply too many characters for one movie, the in-laws are handled almost as a tour group, to be shunted around in the backgrounds of shot after shot or lined up as a quartet to react to Clark's dilemmas. The in-laws are supposed to hate each other, but not much is done with this, and indeed they hardly emerge as individuals. That's not the case with the peculiar old Uncle Lewis ( William Hickey ) and Aunt Bethany ( Mae Questel ), who are gothic caricatures. Advertisement Hickey, best remembered as the Mafia godfather in " Prizzi's Honor ," has fun acting both benignly and malevolently peculiar, and Questel (Woody Allen's mother in " New York Stories ") is his match in every way. And yet the parts don't fit. Maybe the movie's problem is with the director, Jeremiah S. Chechik , a first-timer at feature length, although he has won awards for his TV commercials. The screenplay was written by John Hughes , whose " Planes, Trains and Automobiles " was a masterful comedy about two travelers trying to find their way home for Thanksgiving, but with the Griswold saga he seems to set up sequences that Chechik isn't able to make pay off. You have the odd sensation, watching the movie, that it's straining to get off the ground but simply doesn't have the juice. Popular Blog Posts	i don't know
In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs?	Amazon.co.uk: Customer Discussions: The Sunshine Quiz The Sunshine Quiz Sort: Oldest first \| Newest first Showing 201-215 of 215 posts in this discussion Posted on 6 May 2011 15:26:32 BDT BOF © says: I was talking to a golf fanatic (who bored me sh*tless) in the cricket club over the weekend and the question of how many clubs came up I answered 18 he came back with 14, as I had put 14 on your quiz and been told 18 on the answers I had thought no more about it but his reply made me check up. I got this from 'wiki' "A maximum of fourteen clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs which meet these parameters are usually called 'conforming'.) Violation of these rules can result in disqualification." Methinks I need an extra point (and anyone else who answered 14). best bones K I love you - no sweat. ;-) best bones Mistress K asks the questions so the answers are as per her definition so there, cut the whinging. No complaints from me K, I've maintained my position in the pecking order. Toffeeman says: One last point...just try singing Happy Birthday with all three names.... And on a related subject, the song Happy Birthday by Altered Images is thirty this year..now how old do you feel. Try not to have a heart attack... but here's a Christmas Quiz. Answers are as per my answer sheet so no quibbling. Answers to me by 12pm on 21/12/11. Christmas Quiz 2011 Music 1. Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? 2. What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called Stille Nacht? 3. The words "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes of life, of gathering gloom..." come from which Christmas carol? 4. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? 5. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what? (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit - and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? 6. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? 7. In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming? 8. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? 9. In which Christmas carol does this line feature: "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither"? 10. What was Queen's 1984 Christmas single called? 11. What Christmas-time song did James Pierpont compose in 1857? 12. What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? 13. What Paul McCartney hit song video featured the First World War Christmas Truce meeting of German and British soldiers in no-man's land between the front line trenches? 14. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics '...To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray..'? 15. In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record? 16. How many gifts are given in total in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas? 17. What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose? 18. In the song `Winter Wonderland', who do we pretend the snowman is? 19. In the traditional song, `Go Tell It On The Mountain', what are you supposed to go tell? 20. According to the song, `Frosty The Snowman', what kind of soul does Frosty have? Film and Television 1. Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? 2. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? 3. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? 4. Who is the narrator in the 1966 TV special How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? 5. What was the title of the first Christmas TV special Peanuts cartoon? 6. Christmas Crackers was the first Christmas edition of which popular UK comedy series? 7. Who is the central businessman character in the film It's a Wonderful Life? 8. What is the name of Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wizard of Oz? 9. What is Virgil Hilts' nickname in the film The Great Escape? 10. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? 11. In the movie, `Miracle On 34th Street', a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor? 12. The lyrics, "There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" are from which Christmas movie? Literature 1. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? (one point for each correctly named ghost, and a bonus point for all four) 2. Which popular poem was alternatively known as A Visit from St Nicholas? 3. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? 4. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? 5. Complete the famous rhyming line which follows: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, ... ? 6. In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's dead business partner? 7. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night Before Christmas' poem? 8. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 9. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne? 10. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the novel, `A Christmas Carol'? Food and Drink 1. What liqueur goes into making a 'snowball' cocktail? 2. Traditional in Germany at Christmas, what sort of food is stollen? 3. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? 4. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Christmas cake? 5. Brandy is made from distilling what? 6. What is a baby Turkey more correctly called, other than a chick? Religion 1. On which date is Epiphany celebrated in the traditional Western calendar? 2. Which of the Wise Men was said to have brought the gift of gold for the baby Jesus? 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? 4. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? 5. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? 6. The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on or around 1 January celebrates specifically what happening to the baby Jesus? 7. Who is regarded as the first Christian martyr? 8. Who was said to have presented the baby Jesus with Frankincense? 9. What date is St Stephen's Day? 10. True or false: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby. Pop Culture Christmas 1. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? 2. Which charity in 1949 was the first to produce a Christmas card? 3. Which author and creator of Jekyll and Hyde, gave his birthday by formal deed to Anne Ide because she disliked her own birthday of December 25th? 4. Which hugely popular actor was born on Christmas day 1899? 5. American cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with creating the traditional image of which popular Christmas character? 6. Which actress singer who charted with Santa Baby and starred as Catwoman died on Christmas day 2008? History 1. Who banned Christmas in England between 1647 and 1660? 2. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War? 3. What changed in 1752 which caused England to have a White Christmas less frequently thereafter? 4. The Christmas period of 1813-14 saw the last what in London? 5. Yorkshireman William Strickland is believed to have brought the first what to Britain from North America in 1526? 6. In Victorian England what people were popularly called robins because of their red uniforms? 7. US President Franklin Pierce introduced what to White House Christmas tradition in 1856? 8. In which city was the Salvation Army founded? 9. Which US President banned Christmas trees from the White House? 10. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847? 11. John Callcott Horsley designed what first commercial Christmas item in 1843? 12. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Christmas Around The World 1. Which US state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday? 2. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? 3. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? 4. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? 5. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? 6. In 2004, the post office of which country gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? 7. Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? 8. Before the tradition of hanging stockings up at Christmas what did Dutch children hang by the fireside? 9. In which country is it a tradition to hide all brooms in the house on Christmas Eve? 10. London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? 11. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland? 12. Which country did St Nicholas come from? Generally Christmas 1. Christmas Crackers is cockney rhyming slang for which part of anatomy? 2. What is the chemical formula of snow? 3. What red-blooming Christmas plant came originally from Mexico? 4. What is the birth sign of people born on 25 December? 5. 'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language? 6. What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word estincelle, meaning spark? 7. From what does the month of December take its name? 8. What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? Krytical says: I'm sure the meager few of you who decided to brave it are eager for the answers... so here they are: Christmas Quiz 2011 Music 1. Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus 2. What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called Stille Nacht? Silent Night 3. The words "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes of life, of gathering gloom..." come from which Christmas carol? We Three Kings of Orient Are (composed by Rev John Henry Hopkins, 1857) 4. 'And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...' is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 5. In Coldplay's 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock'n'roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes's 1975 Christmas hit - and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake's song - I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay's 2010 Xmas single - Christmas Lights) 6. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 7. In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 8. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 9. In which Christmas carol does this line feature: "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither"? Good King Wenceslas 10. What was Queen's 1984 Christmas single called? Thank God it's Christmas 11. What Christmas-time song did James Pierpont compose in 1857? Jingle Bells (or, One Horse Open Sleigh) 12. What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? White Christmas (by Bing Crosby) 13. What Paul McCartney hit song video featured the First World War Christmas Truce meeting of German and British soldiers in no-man's land between the front line trenches? Pipes of Peace 14. Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics '...To save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray..'? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 15. In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record? 1984 16. How many gifts are given in total in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas? 364 17. What did Frosty The Snowman have for a nose? Button 18. In the song `Winter Wonderland', who do we pretend the snowman is? Parson Brown 19. In the traditional song, `Go Tell It On The Mountain', what are you supposed to go tell? That Jesus Christ is born 20. According to the song, `Frosty The Snowman', what kind of soul does Frosty have? A jolly happy one Film and Television 1. Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? George the Fifth (in 1932) 2. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 3. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'? Griswold 4. Who is the narrator in the 1966 TV special How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? Boris Karloff 5. What was the title of the first Christmas TV special Peanuts cartoon? A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) 6. Christmas Crackers was the first Christmas edition of which popular UK comedy series? Only Fools and Horses 7. Who is the central businessman character in the film It's a Wonderful Life? George Bailey (played by James Stewart) 8. What is the name of Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wizard of Oz? Toto 9. What is Virgil Hilts' nickname in the film The Great Escape? The Cooler King 10. The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? The Nightmare before Christmas 11. In the movie, `Miracle On 34th Street', a man is on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. What convinces the judge to rule in the man's favor? The Post Office give all the mail addressed to Santa Claus to Kris Kringle 12. The lyrics, "There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" are from which Christmas movie? The Nightmare Before Christmas Literature 1. Who are the four ghosts in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? Christmas Past, Christmas Present, Christmas Yet to Come, and Jacob Marley (one point for each correctly named ghost, and a bonus point for all four) 2. Which popular poem was alternatively known as A Visit from St Nicholas? 'Twas The Night before Christmas 3. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 4. 'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 5. Complete the famous rhyming line which follows: "At Christmas play and make good cheer, ... ? For Christmas comes but once a year 6. In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's dead business partner? Jacob Marley 7. Name the original eight reindeer from the 'Twas the night Before Christmas' poem? Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen (or Dunder and Blixem - Incidentally Donner and Blizten mean Thunder and Lightning in German.) 8. Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Dr Seuss 9. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne? Robert Burns 10. What is the name of Tiny Tim's father in the novel, `A Christmas Carol'? Bob Cratchett Food and Drink 1. What liqueur goes into making a 'snowball' cocktail? Advocaat (or advokatt, pronounced 'advocar' - normally a blend of brandy, egg yolks, vanilla and sometimes other ingredients.) 2. Traditional in Germany at Christmas, what sort of food is stollen? Cake 3. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 4. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Christmas cake? Mince pie 5. Brandy is made from distilling what? Wine 6. What is a baby Turkey more correctly called, other than a chick? Poult Religion 1. On which date is Epiphany celebrated in the traditional Western calendar? 6th January 2. Which of the Wise Men was said to have brought the gift of gold for the baby Jesus? Melchior 3. 'Three Kings Day' is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent 5. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 6. The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on or around 1 January celebrates specifically what happening to the baby Jesus? Circumcision 7. Who is regarded as the first Christian martyr? St Stephen 8. Who was said to have presented the baby Jesus with Frankincense? Balthazar 9. What date is St Stephen's Day? 26th December 10. True or false: Joseph was the one that told Mary she was going to have a baby. False Pop Culture Christmas 1. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 2. Which charity in 1949 was the first to produce a Christmas card? UNICEF 3. Which author and creator of Jekyll and Hyde, gave his birthday by formal deed to Anne Ide because she disliked her own birthday of December 25th? Robert Louis Stevenson 4. Which hugely popular actor was born on Christmas day 1899? Humphrey Bogart 5. American cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with creating the traditional image of which popular Christmas character? Santa Claus (Father Christmas) 6. Which actress singer who charted with Santa Baby and starred as Catwoman died on Christmas day 2008? Eartha Kitt History 1. Who banned Christmas in England between 1647 and 1660? Oliver Cromwell 2. Which river did George Washington cross on Christmas night in 1776 in the American Revolutionary War? Delaware 3. What changed in 1752 which caused England to have a White Christmas less frequently thereafter? The calendar (the English adoption of the Gregorian calendar, replacing the Julian calendar, shifted Christmas day back 12 days - and all the other days too of course - 11 days were skipped in 1752 and a further day in 1800.) 4. The Christmas period of 1813-14 saw the last what in London? Christmas Fair on a frozen River Thames (known as a Frost Fair) 5. Yorkshireman William Strickland is believed to have brought the first what to Britain from North America in 1526? Turkey 6. In Victorian England what people were popularly called robins because of their red uniforms? Postmen 7. US President Franklin Pierce introduced what to White House Christmas tradition in 1856? Christmas tree 8. In which city was the Salvation Army founded? London (1865, originally the Christian Mission, by William Booth) 9. Which US President banned Christmas trees from the White House? Theodore Roosevelt 10. What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847? Christmas cracker 11. John Callcott Horsley designed what first commercial Christmas item in 1843? Christmas card 12. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe Christmas Around The World 1. Which US state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas a legal holiday? Oklahoma 2. The North Pole, said to be Santa's home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 3. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 4. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year's Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 5. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 6. In 2004, the post office of which country gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinnamon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 7. Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? Arizona and Florida 8. Before the tradition of hanging stockings up at Christmas what did Dutch children hang by the fireside? Shoes 9. In which country is it a tradition to hide all brooms in the house on Christmas Eve? Norway (according to legend, witches would steal them otherwise) 10. London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? Norway 11. What is New Year's Eve called in Scotland? Hogmanay 12. Which country did St Nicholas come from? Turkey Generally Christmas 1. Christmas Crackers is cockney rhyming slang for which part of anatomy? Testicles 2. What is the chemical formula of snow? H2O 3. What red-blooming Christmas plant came originally from Mexico? Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) 4. What is the birth sign of people born on 25 December? Capricorn 5. 'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 6. What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word estincelle, meaning spark? Tinsel 7. From what does the month of December take its name? Ten (Latin, decem - it was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar) 8. What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? White	Ukraine
Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647?	Australia travel guide - Wikitravel dial 000 Map of Australia and the External Territories. Australia is world famous for its natural wonders and wide open spaces, its beaches, deserts, "the bush", and "the Outback ". Australia is one of the world's most highly urbanised countries; it is well known for the attractions of its large cities such as Sydney , Melbourne , Brisbane and Perth . Geography[ edit ] Australia is the sixth-largest country by land area. It is comparable in size to the 48 contiguous United States . Australia is bordered to the west by the Indian Ocean, and to the east by the South Pacific Ocean. The Tasman Sea lies to the southeast, separating it from New Zealand , while the Coral Sea lies to the northeast. Papua New Guinea , East Timor and Indonesia are Australia's northern neighbours, separated from Australia by the Arafura Sea and the Timor Sea. Australia is highly urbanised with most of the population heavily concentrated along the eastern and south-eastern coasts. Most of the inland areas of the country are semi-arid. The most-populous states are Victoria and New South Wales , but by far the largest in land area is Western Australia . Australia has an area of 7,682,300km² (2,966,152 square miles) and the distances between cities and towns are easy to underestimate. The Government has published a National Public Toilet Map . Australia has large areas that have been deforested for agricultural purposes, but many native forest areas survive in extensive national parks and other undeveloped areas. Long-term Australian concerns include salinity, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. Climate[ edit ] As a large island a wide variation of climates are found across Australia. Most of the country receives more than 3,000°hr of sunshine a year. Generally, the north is hot and tropical, while the south tends to be sub-tropical and temperate. Most rainfall is around the coast, and much of the centre is arid and semi-arid. The daytime maximum temperatures in Darwin rarely drop below 30°C (86°F), even in winter, while night temperatures in winter usually hover around 15-20°C (59-68°F). Temperatures in some southern regions can drop below freezing in winter and the Snowy Mountains in the South East experiences metres of winter snow. Parts of Tasmania have a temperature range very similar to England . As Australia is in the southern hemisphere the winter is June-August while December-February is summer. The winter is the dry season in the tropics, and the summer is the wet. In the southern parts of the country, the seasonal temperature variation is greater. The rainfall is more evenly distributed throughout the year in the southern parts of the East Coast, while in the rest of the south beyond the Great Dividing Range, the summers are dry with the bulk of the rainfall occurring in winter. History[ edit ] Based upon scientific evidence and theory, the island of Australia was most likely first settled more than 50,000 years ago with successive waves of immigration of people from south and south-east Asia . With rising sea levels after the last Ice Age, Australia became largely isolated from the rest of the world and tribes developed a variety of cultures, based on a close spiritual relationship with the land and nature, and extended kinship. Australian people maintained a hunter-gatherer culture for thousands of years in association with a complex artistic and cultural life - including a very rich 'story-telling' tradition. While the modern impression of Australian people is largely built around an image of the 'aboriginal desert people' who have adapted to some of the harshest conditions on the planet (equivalent to the bushmen of the Kalahari), Australia provided a comfortable living for the people amongst the bountiful flora and fauna on the Australian coast - until the arrival of Europeans. Although a lucrative Chinese market for shells and beche de mer had encouraged Indonesian fishermen to visit Northern Australia for centuries, it was unknown to Europeans until the 1600s, when Dutch traders to Asia began to 'bump' into the Northwestern Coast. Early Dutch impressions of this extremely harsh, dry country were unfavourable, and Australia remained for them a symbolic road sign pointing north to the much richer (and lucrative) East Indies (modern Indonesia). Deliberate exploration of the Australian coast was then largely taken over by the French and the British. Consequently place names of bays, headlands and rivers around the coastline reflect a range of Dutch, French, British, and Aboriginal languages. In 1770, the expedition of the Endeavour under the command of Captain James Cook navigated and charted the east coast of Australia, making first landfall at Botany Bay on 29 Apr 1770. Cook continued northwards, and before leaving put ashore on Possession Island in the Torres Strait off Cape York on 22 Aug 1770. Here he formally claimed the eastern coastline he had discovered for the British Crown, naming it New South Wales. Given that Cook's discoveries would lead to the first European settlement of Australia, he is often popularly conceived as its European discoverer, although other European nations preceded his arrival by more than 160 years. Following the exploration period, the first British invasion and settlement in Australia was founded in 1788 at what is today Sydney , led by Captain Arthur Philip who became the first governor of the colony of New South Wales. This started a process of colonisation that almost entirely displaced the Aboriginal people who inhabited the land. This reduced the indigenous population drastically and marginalised them to the fringes of society. Originally comprising the eastern two-thirds of the island, the colony of New South Wales was later split into several separate colonies, with Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) becoming a separate colony in 1825, followed by South Australia in 1836, New Zealand in 1841, Victoria in 1851 and Queensland in 1859. The western third of the island was not settled by Europeans until the British establised a naval base in Albany , then known as King George Sound in 1826. The Swan River Colony was formally established in 1829 at what is today Perth . The Swan River Colony was officially renamed Western Australia in 1832. While Australia began its modern history as a British penal colony, the vast majority of people who came to Australia after 1788 were free settlers, mainly from Britain and Ireland , but also from other European countries. Convict settlements were mostly along the east coast, with scattered pockets of convict settlements in Western Australia. The state of South Australia was settled entirely by free settlers. Many Asian and Eastern European people also came to Australia in the 1850s, during the Gold Rush that started Australia's first resource boom. Although such diverse immigration diminished greatly during the xenophobic years of the White Australia policy, Australia welcomed a successive series of immigrants from Europe, the Mediterranean and later Asia to form a highly diverse and multicultural society by the late 20th century. The system of separate colonies federated to form the self-governing British dominion of Australia in 1901, each colony became a state of Australia, with New Zealand opting out of the federation. The new country rapidly developed its natural resources including agricultural and manufacturing industries. This development resulted in a large contribution (in relation to size of the population) to the Allied war effort in World Wars I and II. Australian troops made a valuable, and sometimes controversial, contribution to the wars in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq . Australian Diggers retain a reputation as some of the hardest fighting troops along with a great social spirit. Australia and Britain passed the Australia Act in 1986, ending the official power that the British parliament may have had to pass laws for Australia, and ended appeals by Australia to British courts. While the parliament lost that power, the Queen of Australia and her appointees retained full rights to exercise all power. Economy[ edit ] Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies and that has been remarkably resilient to the recent worldwide economic downturn. The service industries, including tourism, education, and financial services, account for the majority of the Australian Gross Domestic Product – about 69%. Within the service sector, tourism is one of the most important industries in Australia, as it provides employment, contributes $73 billion to the economy each year and accounts for at least 11% of total exports. The primary industries - mining and agriculture - account for most of Australia's exports. Iron ore and coal are by far the largest exports, with wheat, beef and wool declining in importance. Australia has a comprehensive social security system, and a minimum wage higher than the United States or the United Kingdom. Politics[ edit ] Australia has a federal system of government, with eight state and territory governments and a national government. Each of these governments has an elected parliament, with the leader of each government, known as the Premier, being the leader of the largest party represented in the lower house. The national parliament is based on the British "Westminster system", with some elements being drawn from the American congressional system. At the federal level it consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Each Member of the House of Representatives (colloquially known as a Member of Parliament (MP)) represents an electoral division, with more populous states having more electoral divisions and hence, more MP's. Similar to the US Senate, each Australian state has an equal number of senators, with 12 senators being directly elected by the people in each state, and 2 senators each from the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. The political party (or coalition of parties) which has the most members in the House of Representatives becomes the governing party and forms the national government. Ministers are drawn from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, though by convention, the Prime Minister comes from the House of Representatives. The current Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is the current leader of the national government and the Liberal- National Coalition which holds a majority in the House of Representatives. The Queen remains the head of state, and her representative in Australia - the Governor-General - according to conventional wisdom and lampoon - has a ceremonial and politically powerless role (while holding the ultimate power to dismiss the Prime Minister). In practice, the Prime Minister is believed to wield the most authority in government. A referendum to change Australia's status to a republic was defeated in 1999, but the issue remains a regularly debated topic. The two major political parties in Australia are the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Liberal Party, which operates in coalition with the National Party. Emerging in power is the social democratic Greens Party, which maintains an environmentalist policy platform and is effectively a partner of the ALP. It should be noted that the Liberal Party is (traditionally) a centre-right, conservative party - the term liberal refers to maintaining a free market economy. Culture[ edit ] Australia has a multicultural population practising almost every religion and lifestyle. Over one-quarter of Australians were born outside Australia, and another quarter have at least one foreign-born parent. Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney are centers of the multicultural. All three cities are renowned for the variety and quality of global arts, intellectual endeavors, and cuisine available in their many restaurants. Sydney is a hub of art, culture, and history containing the world class architectural gem, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Melbourne especially promotes itself as a centre for the arts, while Brisbane promotes itself through various multicultural urban villages. Adelaide must be mentioned in addition, as it is known for being a centre for festivals as well as Germanic cultural influences. Perth, also, is known for its food and wine culture, pearls, gems and precious metals as well as the international fringe arts festival. There are quite a few more that deserve mention, but this gives an idea via introduction. Smaller rural settlements generally reflect a majority Anglo-Celtic culture often with a small Aboriginal population. Virtually every large Australian city and town reflects the effect of immigration from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific that occurred after World War II and continued into the 1970s, in the half century after the war when Australia's population boomed from roughly 7 million to just over 20 million people. There are approximately half a million Australians who identify as being of Aboriginal descent. Less maintain elements of traditional Aboriginal culture. Descendants of the population of convicts mentioned in the country's history are currently a smaller minority compared to the estimated 50% of the population originally comprised of them when Britain and others landed on the shores and inhabited the land. Long ago during the involuntary transportation and relocation from Europe and other places, it must be noted that all records were not kept nor available to others, nor have those records that existed all survived the uses of people throughout history. The English of Australia were once known for local colour and colloquialisms but that largely has been lost to outside influence and influx. People in rural areas still tend to speak in a broader, colloquial accent and have a different manner, using many of the slang words that have become outmoded in metropolitan areas. Accents tend to be broader and slower outside of the large cities. There are overall small pronunciation differences based upon culture of origin in the cities, but these are becoming less common. Speech has become more generic. For example the word "you" colloquially, is often rolled off the tongue sharply on the south east coast, almost as "ewe" as opposed to the west coast and other regions. Another modern variation based upon migrants from Africa is found in Afrikaans accents on the west coast, modifying the local accents slightly due to the larger population and numbers of Afrikaans and Boer African immigration there. In the urban English speaking world, an educated, white-collar and/or conservative Australian accent is softer or generic in tonal quality, rather than the sharp tones in some rural areas. Regarding other variations in speech, usually native speakers can recognise the subtle regional variations. A trend among Australians is social conservatism compared to some European cultures and an acquired balanced attitude, defining their European origins within a preference for the growing Asian influence. They tend to be relaxed regarding religious observance. The Australian sense of egalitarianism in its gungho form has moderated; while modes of address still tend to be casual and familiar compared to some other cultures, such as Asian. Most Australians will tend to address you by your first name and will expect that you reciprocate. The national holidays in Australia are: 1 January: New Years' Day 26 January: Australia Day, marking the anniversary of the First Fleet's landing in Sydney Cove in 1788. Easter weekend ("Good Friday", "Easter Saturday", "Easter Sunday" and "Easter Monday"): a four day long weekend in March or April set according to the Western Christian calendar. 25 April: ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps), honouring military veterans Second Monday in June: Queen's birthday holiday (celebrated in Western Australia in September) (WA observes Foundation Day a week earlier) 25 December: Christmas Day 26 December: Boxing Day Many states observe Labour Day, but on different days. Most states have one or two additional state-wide holidays, with Victoria and South Australia having a day off for a horse race (The Melbourne Cup and The Adelaide Cup). Western Australia has Foundation Day typically the first Monday in June (recognising the founding of the state since 1829) but also celebrates the Queen's Birthday on a different date than the rest of the country, either at the end of September or early October, due to the usual June date's close proximity to Foundation Day. When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday (and Tuesday if necessary) are usually declared holidays in lieu, although both the celebrations and the retail closures will occur on the day itself. Most tourist attractions are closed Christmas Day and Good Friday. Supermarkets and other stores may open for limited hours on some public holidays and on holidays in lieu, but are almost always closed on Christmas Day (25 Dec), Good Friday, Easter Sunday and ANZAC Day morning. Peak holiday times[ edit ] Most attractions in Australia remain open year-round, some operating at a reduced frequency or shorter hours during the off-peak season. Salaried Australians have four weeks of annual leave and school children in the major population centres have January as a long break. Domestic tourism is strongest during January and the Easter school holidays. Summer tends to be the peak travel season through much of the south, with the winter (dry) season the peak travel season in the tropics. Australian teenagers finishing high school celebrate the end of school (colloquially known as "Schoolies") for a week beginning at the end of October to mid to late November (depending on area). The volume of teen revellers can completely change the nature of some of the cities and towns they choose to visit, (particularly the nationally popular Gold Coast) especially seeing as the vast majority of school-leavers will have reached the legal drinking age of 18. Time[ edit ] Australia can have up to five different time zones during the daylight savings period, and three at other times. In the east, Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria always have the same time. Queensland doesn't observe daylight saving, so it is an hour behind the other eastern states during that period. However Broken Hill, a town in western NSW, keeps South Australian time. In the centre, South Australia and the Northern Territory are half an hour behind during the winter, but the Northern Territory doesn't observe daylight saving while South Australia does. During daylight saving South Australia remains half an hour behind New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, but moves half an hour ahead of Queensland. The Northern Territory remains half an hour behind Queensland, but moves an hour and half behind New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. In the west, Western Australia is two hours behind the eastern states in winter, and also doesn't observe daylight saving. It moves three hours behind the eastern states that observe daylight saving (remaining two hours behind Queensland). There are no official abbreviations or names for Australian time zones, and you may see a few variations used. EST, CST, WST along with EDT, CDT are sometimes used. Sometimes AEST, etc, with the 'A' prefix distinguishing them from the North American time zones with the same names. In conversation, the abbreviations aren't used. People tend to say Sydney time, Brisbane time, or Perth time. Expect blank stares from most if you start talking about Central Summer Time. In those states which observe daylight saving, it commences on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April. State/Territory Cities[ edit ] Canberra — the purpose-built national capital of Australia Adelaide — the wine capitol of the world, a relaxed South Australian alternative to the big eastern cities Brisbane — capital of sun-drenched Queensland and gateway to beautiful sandy beaches Cairns — gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, Daintree National Park, and many beautiful beaches and resorts; a great place for people to getaway to and relax Darwin — Australia's tropical northern capital, at the top end of the Northern Territory Hobart — picturesque and quiet capital of Tasmania, the site of the second convict settlement in Australia Melbourne — Australia's second largest city, Melbourne is a large sporting, shopping and cultural capital; it is regarded as Australia's most European city in style Perth — the most remote continental capital city on Earth, on the south-western edge of Western Australia Sydney Harbour, with the city skyline and Harbour Bridge, viewed from Kiribilli at night Sydney — Australia's oldest and largest city, famous for its picturesque harbour Other destinations[ edit ] Blue Mountains — a mountainous region in New South Wales, including the Three Sisters Dandenong Ranges — these beautiful ranges offer world class gardens and the picturesque villages of Mt. Dandenong Great Barrier Reef — off the coast of Queensland, easily accessible from Cairns, and even as far south as the Town of 1770 Great Ocean Road — a spectacular coastal drive in Victoria past many scenic icons including the 12 Apostles Kakadu National Park — outback adventure travel, aboriginal culture and nature activities in the Northern Territory Nitmiluk National Park — the amazing Katherine Gorge, close to the town of Katherine Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast — beachside and national park playgrounds north and south of Brisbane] Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park — Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) are iconic rock formations in the Red Centre Watarrka National Park — most famous for Kings Canyon, a mighty chasm reaching a depth of 270 metres Wilson's Prom - magnificent white sandy beaches and rock formations. Great scenic walks though natural bush to hidden beaches, all very doable in a day's walk, while same can include a camp overnight along the way. Phillip Island - site of the Fairy Penquin parade each evening Get in[ edit ] All visitors - apart from citizens of New Zealand - require a visa in advance of travel. If you are visiting for a holiday of less than three months, there are three types of visas you may apply for, depending on your nationality: eVisitor (subclass 651) for citizens of the 31 EEA countries as well as citizens of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City. These visas are free, but otherwise effectively identical to the ETA. You must apply on-line . Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) (subclass 601) is available on-line to nationals of Brunei , Canada , Hong Kong SAR , Japan , Malaysia , Singapore , South Korea (ROK) and United States . The citizens of some eVisitor eligible countries and citizens of Taiwan may also apply for the ETA but solely through a travel agent, airline, specialist service provider or an Australian visa office outside Australia. A service fee of AUD20 applies. This fee can be waived if you obtain your ETA through a travel agent. However, there are on-line services which charge much more, as much as double, for the ETA. If applying on-line, stay with the government service to save money. Online Visitor visa (subclass e600). Holders of passports of all the ETA and eVisitor eligible countries and also the following 27 eligible countries Algeria , Argentina , Bahrain , Belarus , Brazil , Chile , Egypt , Macedonia , Kazakhstan , Kuwait , Libya , Maldives , Micronesia , Moldova , Montenegro , Morocco , Nauru , Oman , Papua New Guinea , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Serbia , Sudan , Tunisia , Turkey , UAE and Ukraine can make visa applications online . The fee for this is AUD130. Visitor visa (subclass 600). Other nationalities must apply using the paper form, and may need to visit an embassy or visa processing centre. Like the ETA and eVisitor, a 600 Visa is by default issued for a three-month stay. Unlike the other options however, a 600 visa can be issued for longer stay of up to one year. That said, immigration is somewhat reluctant to approve tourist visas for more than three months, no matter how legitimate your reasons for staying so long. You will likely be asked for extensive supporting documentation about the reason for your visit and your ties to your country of origin and may need to attend an interview. Depending on your nationality, the embassy or visa processing centre may also require you to have an Australian sponsor prior to issuing the visa. The fee is AUD130. In most cases, Electronic Travel Authorities and eVisitors are approved instantly and the visa will be issued and available for use immediately. Nationals of certain countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania and other Eastern European EU member states, are rarely issued eVisitor visa automatically and must provide additional documentation. If you are visiting Australia for employment, study or for medical treatment you will need to obtain the appropriate visa. If you are staying longer than 3 months continuously you are ineligible for an ETA or eVisitor, and should apply for a Visitor Visa (subclass 600). For all visitor visa classes, you must be able to demonstrate your ability to support yourself financially for the time you intend to spend in Australia. If you have a criminal conviction, obtain advice from the Australian Embassy or visa processing centre. All fees are payable in Australian dollars, converted to your local currency at the current rate of exchange. If you are transiting through Australia, remain airside for a maximum of 8 hours, have a confirmed onward booking, have the correct entry documentation for the onward destination and are a citizen of New Zealand, the European Union, Andorra , Argentina , Brunei , Canada , Cyprus , the Federated States of Micronesia , Fiji , Iceland , Indonesia , Japan , Kiribati , Liechtenstein , Malaysia , Mexico , Monaco , Nauru , Norway , Palau , Papua New Guinea , Philippines , South Africa , the Republic of Marshall Islands , Samoa , San Marino , Singapore , Slovakia , Slovenia , Solomon Islands , South Korea (ROK), Switzerland , Taiwan , Thailand , Tonga , Tuvalu , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom (regardless of nationality status), the United States , the Vanuatu or Vatican City , you do not need to apply for any advance visa. All other passengers who transit through Australia must apply for a free-of-charge Transit Visa (subclass 771) prior to travel. New Zealand citizens may travel to and work in Australia for any length of time without a pre-arranged visa. Non-citizen permanent residents of New Zealand are not eligible for visa-free entry. New Zealand citizens may still be rejected entry on the basis of criminal convictions or being HIV-positive and should seek advice before travel. Customs and quarantine[ edit ] Australia has strict quarantine requirements regarding importing animal and vegetable derived products (any food, wooden products, seeds, etc). You must declare all such material and baggage is frequently scanned and may be examined by dogs. You may be fined $220 on-the-spot if you fail to declare, or even prosecuted in very serious cases. Processed and sealed commercially prepared foods (chocolates, cookies, etc) are often permitted. They will be examined and returned to you, but still must be declared. Some prohibited items can be treated by quarantine at your expense and picked up at a later time. Some shells, coral and items made from a protected species are also prohibited to discourage the trade in items that may originate from a threatened ecosystem or species. While there are no restrictions on the amount of money that can be brought in or out, Australian customs also requires you to declare if you are bringing AUD10,000 (or equivalent in foreign currency) or more in or out of the country and you will be asked to complete some paperwork. By plane[ edit ] Australia is a long way from anywhere else in the world, so for most visitors, the only practical way of getting into Australia is by air. Approximately half of all international travellers arrive first in Australia in Sydney, the largest city, ( IATA : SYD). After Sydney, significant numbers of travellers also arrive in Australia in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. There are also direct international services into Adelaide, Cairns, Darwin, the Gold Coast and Christmas Island though these are largely restricted to flights from New Zealand, Oceania, or Southeast Asia. To Sydney it is a 3 hour flight from New Zealand, a 7-11h flight from countries in Asia, a 14 hour flight from the west of the United States and Canada, a 14 hour flight from Johannesburg , a 13-16h flight from South America , and up to a 24h+ flight from western Europe . On account of long journey times from some destinations, some travellers from Europe opt to have a stop-over, commonly in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai , Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur . If you have to change to a domestic flight in a gateway city, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth all have distinct domestic terminals, requiring some time and complexity to transit, check the guides. Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns and the Gold Coast have all gates in the one terminal building or within easy walking distance of each other. Discount airlines[ edit ] There are some routes into Australia that are operated by discount airlines. These can often be combined with other fares to make getting to Australia cheaper. Select your point of entry and exit to give you a cheaper round-trip, and possibly some interesting stopover opportunities on the way. Air Asia X, flies into the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide from Kuala Lumpur, at often deeply discounted fares. You can save money from Europe if having a stopover in Malaysia . Sometimes this is possible also stopping in Bangkok. Air Asia Indonesia flies into Darwin and Perth from Denpasar , Indonesia Scoot flies into Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney from Singapore. Tiger flies from Singapore to Perth. Jetstar Airways flies to Hawaii and several Asian destinations, including Denpasar, Osaka , Phuket , Ho Chi Minh , via Darwin, and also operates a substantial Asian regional hub in Singapore. Virgin Australia flies between Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, and Los Angeles , and competes strongly with Qantas and Delta on these routes. By boat[ edit ] November to February is the cruising season, and there are usually about 10 ships that arrive in Australia from other countries during this time. You can cruise to Australia, and then fly home. Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean, all offer cruises to Australia across the Pacific. Alternatively, you may sail to Australia in your own yacht, but beware of customs regulations. See Australian Customs for details By overland transport[ edit ] There was a time when a couple of tour operators offered overland trips from London to Sydney, with only a short hop by air from South East Asia to North Western Australia while the bus went by barge. Currently, the only such tour operator is Madventure which runs 4 different routes: 26 weeks through Iran, Pakistan, & India; 26 weeks through the Caucasus and Central Asia; 64 weeks around Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia; and 64 weeks through Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, & Central Asia. For those determined to travel overland as much as possible from Europe, you can travel independently to Singapore from Europe by train and/or bus on scheduled services, and fly from there to Perth (3,500 flight kilometres). For the truly determined overland traveller, you can get a ferry from Singapore to Indonesia and make your way across to Bali, where you can fly to Darwin (2,000 flight km). For the intrepid, ferries to West Timor, a bus to Dili and a flight to Darwin will mean only 700 km in the air. Get around[ edit ] Australia is huge but sparsely populated, and you can sometimes travel many hours before finding the next trace of civilisation, especially once you leave the south-eastern coastal fringe. Almost all modern Australian maps, including street directories, use the Geocentric Datum of Australia (GDA) as their grid reference, which is for all purposes identical to the WGS84 used by the GPS. You can locate most things on an Australian map or street directory if you just have the "GPS coordinates". Quarantine[ edit ] There are restrictions on carrying fruit and vegetables (including honey) between states and even between regions of states that are involved in fruit growing. If you are driving long distances or interstate, or flying between states, don't stock up on fruits and vegetables. These restrictions are enforced very strictly at airports and sea ports and it is not very uncommon to see sniffer dogs trained to find these goods. By car[ edit ] Australia has a generally well-maintained system of roads and highways, and cars are a commonly used method of transport. Most of the state capitals are linked to each other by good quality highways. Some parts are dual carriageway but many sections are one lane each way. Major regional areas have sealed (paved) dual-lane roads, but isolated areas may have poorly maintained dirt roads or even tracks. Distances and speeds are specified in kilometres and fuel is sold by the litre. There are no tolls on roads or bridges outside of the urban areas of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Australia drives on the left. Overseas visitors who are used to driving on the right should take care when they first drive, and again when they are driving on country roads with little traffic. One major frustration for visitors is that many Australian vehicles reverse all controls when they are redesigned to mount the driver's controls on the right front seat, including the levers on the steering column. This causes newly arrived visitors to inadvertently operate the windscreen wipers when they are trying to signal a lane change or turn on headlights, and vice versa. Generally, overseas licenses are valid for driving in Australia for three months after arrival. If the licence is not in English an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required in addition to your licence. Licensing regulations and road rules vary slightly from state to state. Australia's low population density and large size makes for long driving times between major centres. Some indicative travel times, not including any rest periods, are: Melbourne to Sydney: 9-10 hours (900km / 560 mi) Brisbane to Sydney: 12-13 hours (1,000km / 621 mi) Perth to Sydney: 45 hours (4,000km / 2500 mi) Sydney to Canberra: 3.5 hours (300km / 185 mi) Adelaide to Melbourne: 8-10 hours (750km / 465 mi) Brisbane to Melbourne: 19-20 hours (1,700km / 1056 mi) Melbourne to Perth: 40 hours (3,500km / 2175 mi) Perth to Adelaide: 32 hours (2,700km / 1677 mi) Brisbane to Cairns: 22-24 hours (1,700km / 1,056 mi) It is almost impossible to predict your travel time just by knowing the distance. Seek local advice for the best route, and how much time to allow. Averaging 100km/h or more is possible on some relatively minor highways when they are straight and there are few towns. On other national highways that traverse mountain ranges and travel through small towns, even averaging 60km/h can be a challenge. While major highways are well serviced, anyone leaving sealed (paved) roads in inland Australia is advised to take advice from local authorities, check weather and road conditions, carry sufficient spare fuel, spare parts, spare tyres, matches, food and water. Some remote roads might see one car per month or less. Cellular coverage is non-existent outside of major highways and towns and you should take some precautions in case of emergency. It is a good idea to advise a person you know and trust of your route and advise them to alert authorities if you do not contact them within a reasonable amount of time after your scheduled arrival at your destination. Carrying a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or satellite phone should be considered when travelling in remote areas, especially where you may not be able to make contact for several days. Police will not automatically start looking for you if you don't report in. Make sure you get one with a GPS built in. These can be borrowed from some local police stations, such as those in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. If you want to hire one, sort it out before you leave a major city, as you won't find hire places in small towns. Expect to pay around $100 to hire for a week, or $700 to buy one. Don't expect an immediate rescue even if you trigger a PLB. Heat and dehydration at any time of year can kill you. If stranded, stay with your vehicle and do what you can to improve your visibility from the air. Do not take this advice lightly; even local people die out there when their car breaks down and they are not reported missing. If you do have to abandon your car (say you break down and then get a lift), call in quickly to the local police station, to avoid the embarrassment and cost of a search being started for you. Car rental[ edit ] Major cities around Australia have multiple outlets providing a wide range of rental vehicles from major international rental companies. In smaller towns car rental can be difficult to find. One way fees often apply from smaller regional outlets. Contractual restrictions Conditions upon the use of rental vehicles usually exist on travelling into or out of Western Australia and the Northern Territory or on the car ferries to Tasmania, Kangaroo Island and Fraser Island . Rental cars in capital cities usually have unlimited mileage. In small towns they usually only include 100km a day before a surcharge is applied. Some companies allow travel on any gazetted road, while others forbid travel on a gravel/dirt road unless you hire a four wheel drive. Always ensure you thoroughly check the vehicle for any damage, including all window glass and the roof panels, and document any found in detail with the renter before leaving the depot. You will need to have a licence written in English or an International Driving Permit (IDP) from your home country to drive anywhere in Australia. Check the contract conditions carefully if you are under 25 and also check that your licence class matches the vehicle you wish to rent before you book it. Car purchase[ edit ] There is a substantial second hand market in cars and campers for backpackers wishing to do extended road trips around Australia. Take common sense precautions if purchasing a car. Free state government services are available to ensure it is unencumbered by a finance arrangement and that it has not been previously written off as a result of an accident. By plane[ edit ] Due to the large distances involved, flying is well-patronised in Australia. Services along the main business travel corridor (Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane) are run almost like a bus service, with flights leaving every 15min during the day. The only way to get the best airfare is to visit each of the airlines pages directly, and compare fares. Never assume that the Qantas fare will be more expensive, as their online deals are often the cheapest available on a route. The best fares are always available on the most competitive routes. Consolidator websites and travel agents almost invariably add a surcharge to the direct booking price. Use them to compare, but always check the airline website before booking. There are four domestic airlines in Australia that operate jet aircraft linking capital cities and major destinations: Qantas , a nation-wide full service airline, flys to major cities and some larger regional towns; Virgin Australia , recently upgraded to a full service airline, flys to all capital cities and many larger regional destinations. Virgin have recently offered a complimentary snack on all domestic flights and checked baggage included in even the minimum fare class; Jetstar , Qantas's discount arm with limited service and limited pre-assigned seating. Serves all capital cities and many major regional and tourist destinations. Tiger Airways Australia , one of Asia's largest low cost carrier (LCC) has a hub in Melbourne and flies to all other capital cities and select destinations with very competitive prices. On 2 July 2011 Tiger Airways Australia was suspended from flying by Australian civil aviation authorities due to safety concerns. Tiger recommenced operations on 12 August 2011 but with a much reduced schedule and a smaller operational aircraft fleet. Several airlines service regional destinations. Expect discounts on these airlines to be harder to come by, and for standard airfares to be above what you would pay for the same distance between major centres. Qantaslink [1] , the regional arm of Qantas, covering the smaller cities in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia; Regional Express [2] , covering larger towns & cities on the eastern seaboard as well as country South Australia; Skywest [3] , covering regional Western Australia, Bali and Darwin; Airnorth [4] , covering the Northern Territory; Skytrans Airlines [5] , covering regional Queensland. Sharp Airlines [6] , covering several regional towns in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Northern Territory Air Services [7] , covering the remote communities of central Australia. By train[ edit ] Visitors from countries with well-developed long distance rail systems such as Europe and Japan may be surprised by the lack of high-speed, inter-city rail services in Australia. A historical lack of cooperation between the states, combined with sheer distances and a relatively small population to service, have left Australia with a national rail network that is relatively slow and used mainly for freight. As a result, travel between major cities will not only be faster by air, but often cheaper as well. Train travel between cities is, however, more scenic, and tourists are likely to see more of Australia travelling by train than they would otherwise see, as well as cutting down on their carbon footprint. It is also often a cost effective way of getting to regional towns and cities, which don't have the frequent and cheap flights found between the capital cities. The long-distance rail services that do exist are mainly used to link regional townships with the state capital, such as Bendigo to Melbourne, or Cairns to Brisbane. In Queensland, a high speed train operates from Brisbane to Rockhampton and Brisbane to Cairns. Queensland also has passenger services to inland centres including Longreach (The Spirit of the Outback), Mount Isa (The Inlander), Charleville (The Westlander) and Forsayth (The Savannahlander). There are also inter-city train services operated by Great Southern Railways on the routes Melbourne- Adelaide (The Overland), Sydney-Adelaide- Perth (Indian Pacific), Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin ( The Ghan ) however as noted above, these are not "high speed" services, so if you do not enjoy train travel as part of your holiday in its own right then this is probably not for you. Tasmania has no passenger rail services. The Northern Territory has the rail line linking Darwin to Adelaide through Alice Springs only, and the Australian Capital Territory has only a single railway station close to the centre of Canberra. Long distance train operators[ edit ] Great Southern Railways [8] . A private train operator running tourist train services, The Ghan, The Indian Pacific and The Overland between Sydney, Broken Hill , Adelaide, Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth and Melbourne. CountryLink [9] - Links Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, and regional connections to most New South Wales towns, including Dubbo , Coffs Harbour , and Wagga Wagga . V/Line Passenger [10] - Train & coach services in Victoria, including combined Train and Coach services between Melbourne and Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra. Queensland Rail - Traveltrain [11] - Long distance passenger train services in Queensland The Savannahlander [12] - A Queenstrain service that links Cairns with the outback town of Forsayth , using old heritage trains, and providing overnight accommodation and tours on the way. TransWA [13] - State government run, operating train services to Kalgoorlie and Bunbury . Also operates coach services to much of the state, especially the South West. Rail passes[ edit ] There is no pass that includes all train travel throughout Australia. However, if you are a train buff that intends travelling extensively by rail, there are some passes that may save you money. Plan your trip carefully before investing in a rail pass. Country train services are infrequent and can arrive at regional destinations at unsociable hours. East Coast Discovery Pass [14] . Get on and off as many times as you like on the east coast trains between Melbourne and Cairns using the Queensland Rail and NSW Countrylink services. Different prices apply depending on which section of the line you want to traverse. One way travel only is permitted. Discounts apply on other train journeys, and often bus connections to local towns are included. This ticket is available to everyone, but international visitors can get a 10% discount. You'll want to be breaking your journey between capital cities several times to get value from this pass. There are four passes that all include Great Southern Railways (GSR) services and optionally NSW Countrylink and Queensland Rail that are available to overseas travellers only. Remember that NSW Countrylink operate the XPT services from Sydney to Melbourne, so passes that include NSW Countrylink can also be used on that service. Rail Explorer Pass. GSR only ($450/3 months) Trans Aus. GSR + NSW Countrylink. ($598/3 months) Aus Reef and Outback. GSR + Queensland Rail. ($672/3 months) Ausrail Pass. GSR + NSW Countrylink + Queensland Rail Local public transport[ edit ] Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Wollongong and Newcastle have train and bus services integrated into the city public transport, with trams also running in Melbourne and Adelaide, and ferries in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. The remaining capital cities have bus services only. See those city guides articles for public transport details. Some regional cities and towns have local bus services, but see the destination guides for service information, as frequency can be poor and weekend and evening services non-existent. Larger towns and cities have taxi services. By motorail[ edit ] Some trains allow you to carry your car with you on special car carriages attached to the back of the train. The Ghan and the Indian Pacific allow you to transport cars between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Perth, and Darwin. You cannot remove your car at any of the intermediate stations. Queensland Rail have motorail services on the Sunlander and the Spirit of the Outback, allow cars from Brisbane to Cairns and Longreach . By bus[ edit ] Bus travel in Australia is cheap and convenient, although the distances involved can be daunting. Greyhound has the largest bus route network. Firefly Express, ☎ 1300 730 740 (+61 3 8318-0318 - international callers, [email protected] ), [15] . Firefly Express has services connecting Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. edit Greyhound, ☎ 1300 473 946 ( [email protected] ), [16] . Greyhound travels to over 1100 destinations in Australia daily every day of the year. It has a variety of ticketing options allow you to travel at your own pace, hopping on and off as many times as your ticket allows. edit By boat[ edit ] Many major Australian cities have ferries as part of their public transport system. Some smaller roads in the regional areas still have punts to carry cars across rivers and canals. The islands of the Barrier Reef have some scheduled services, and there are a few cruises that cross the top of Australia as well. However, large inter city transportation ferry services are not common. The Spirit of Tasmania . The only long distance ferry route connects Tasmania to the mainland and runs between Melbourne and Devonport . The Spirit of Tasmania carries cars and passengers on the route across Bass Strait daily. Sealink connects Kangaroo Island, Australia's second largest southern island with regular car and passenger ferries. Sea SA offers a short cut across the Spencer Gulf between Adelaide and the Eyre Peninsula , running daily car ferry services. By thumb[ edit ] It is legal to hitchhike in some states in Australia, so long as certain guidelines are followed. However, it is less commonly done than in neighbouring New Zealand. In Australia hitchhiking is often frowned upon by locals and police, especially in metropolitan areas. Hitch hiking is illegal in Victoria and Queensland. It is also illegal to stand on the verge or walk along freeways (often called "motorways" in New South Wales) in all states (effectively making hitchhiking illegal in many practical places, in all states). If forced to hitchhike due to an emergency you may find a motorist willing to take you to the nearest town to obtain help. (Some major inter-city highways and freeways have telephones to request help.) It's most common to see a tourist hitching in rural areas. The best time to hitchhike is early morning. The best location is near, but not on, the main exit from the town you are in. By bicycle[ edit ] Cycling the long distances between towns is not particularly common, and most long distance highways in Australia have poorly developed facilities for cyclists. Nevertheless some intrepid travellers do manage to cover the longer distances by bicycle, and have a different experience of Australia. Trips and routes need careful planning to ensure the correct supplies are carried. To cycle between Sydney and Brisbane you would have to allow 2-3 weeks with around 80-100km per day. Wildlife[ edit ] Koala Australian flora and fauna is unique to the island, the result of having been isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. Amongst Australian animals are a large group of marsupials (mammals with a pouch) and monotremes (mammals that lay eggs). Just some of the animal icons of Australia are the kangaroo (national symbol) and the koala. A visit to Australia would not be complete without taking the chance to see some of these animals in their natural environment. Wildlife parks and zoos[ edit ] Wildlife parks and zoos are in every capital city, but also check out the animal parks if you are passing through smaller towns, like Mildura or Mogo , or staying on Hamilton Island . See the Warrawong Fauna Sanctuary if you are in South Australia, or visit the koalas with best view in the world, at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. In the wild[ edit ] Kangaroos in Australia Kangaroos and wallabies reside in national parks all around the country. You won't see any kangaroos hopping down the street in Central Sydney , but they are common on the outskirts of most urban areas. There is also a famous group which make their home on the of grounds of the University of the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland. Wombats and echidna are also common, but harder to find due to their camouflage and tunnelling. See lots of echidnas on Kangaroo Island. Koalas are present in forests around Australia, but are very notoriously hard to spot, and walking around looking upwards into the boughs of trees will usually send you sprawling over a tree root. Best seen during the day, there is a thriving and friendly population on Raymond Island near Paynesville in Victoria. You have a good chance on Otway Coast, on the Great Ocean Road , or even in the National Park walk near Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. Emu are more common in central Australia. You will certainly see some if you venture to the outback national park at Currawinya Platypus are found in reedy flowing creeks with soft river banks in Victoria, Southern New South Wales, and the very southern region of Queensland - seen at dusk and dawn - you have to have a bit of luck to see one. Try the platypus reserves in Bombala or Delegate in New South Wales, or in Emu Creek at Skipton just out of Ballarat . Landmarks[ edit ] Australia has many landmarks, famous the world over. From Uluru in the red centre, to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in Sydney. Sports[ edit ] Sport is an integral part of the Australian culture from the capital cities to country towns. The majority of games are played over the weekend period (from Friday night to Monday night). In the winter in Victoria Aussie Rules (Australian Rules Football) is more than just a sport, it is a way of life. Catch a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Australian Football League is a national competition with teams from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and the Gold Coast, but roughly half of the teams (and hence, most of the matches) are Melbourne-based. In summer, international cricket is played between Australia and at least two touring sides. The games rotate around all the capital cities. To experience the traditional game catch a day of the New Year's test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, usually beginning on January 2nd, or the Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Whilst 'test matches' last for up to five days, many spectators attend just one day, or watch from the comfort of their own home. For a more lively and entertaining form more suited to those unfamiliar with the sport, try a Twenty20 match, which only takes a few hours. Only a handful of international T20 matches are played each year, with no more than one per city, but the domestic Big Bash League runs throughout the summer, providing more frequent spectating opportunities. A third form is "One Day" Cricket, with international matches generally starting at 13:00 and finishing at 22:00 or 23:00 (a "Day-Nighter"), with most domestic and occasional international matches played from 11:00 to 18:00. The Australia Day One Day International is usually held in Adelaide on 26 January. The Australian Open, one of the tennis Grand Slams, is played annually in Melbourne . Or the Medibank International in Sydney Olympic Park in January. Catch a rugby union Super Rugby game, with teams playing from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney during late Summer/Autumn. The Australian national team, the Wallabies, also host international teams during winter, including New Zealand, South Africa and (starting in 2012) Argentina for The Rugby Championship (formerly the Tri Nations tournament). Rugby League is the dominant winter sport in New South Wales and Queensland. The National Rugby League (NRL) competition includes teams from Melbourne in Victoria, Brisbane, North Queensland and the Gold Coast in Queensland, a team from New Zealand, with the rest of the teams coming from suburban areas in Sydney, and some in regional areas of New South Wales such as Newcastle and Canberra. Aside from the NRL Grand Final, Rugby League's centrepiece is an annual series of three 'State of Origin' games played between New South Wales and Queensland. Netball is Australia's largest female sport, and there are weekly games in an international competition between Australia and New Zealand teams. Football (Soccer) is a small event by European standards, but there is a national A-League, which is a fully professional league involving teams from Australia and one from New Zealand, with games played weekly during the summer. Most cities have a semi-professional "state league" played during winter, with most clubs being built around a specific ethnic/migrant community. Melbourne also hosts the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, which is run once a year. The 2013 race will take place between the 14th and 17th of March, with the main race on the 17th. Horse Racing - All major cities and most regional towns have their own courses and race betting is popular throughout the country. The annual Melbourne Cup is possibly the best known meet when most Victorians take a day off work to celebrate or attend. It is common to see some of the country's top celebrities dressed in their finest in the stands. Swim[ edit ] in the surf. Australia has seemingly endless sandy beaches. Follow the crowds to the world famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, or Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Or find a stretch all for yourself (but beware of dangerous rips on beaches, it is considerably safer to find a patrolled beach). The surf is smaller and warmer in the Tropical North, where the reef breaks the swell, and larger and colder in the south with waves rolling in from the Southern Ocean. (And yes, in the middle it is just right). in calm tropical oceans. Cable Beach in Broome is swept pristine daily by the tide, has perfect sand, and warm water - go in winter. in thermal pools. South of Darwin there are many natural thermal pools such as Berry Springs & Mataranka, surrounded by palms and tropical foliage. in freshwater lakes. Inland Australia tends to be dry, but there are freshwater lakes where you would least expect them. Explore inland of Cairns at the Atherton Tablelands, or head outback to the Currawinya National Park . in rivers. If its hot, and there is water, there will be a place to swim. Wherever you are, just ask around for the favourite swimming spot, with a waterhole and rope to swing on. Watch out for crocodiles. in man-made pools. The local swimming pool is often the hub of community life on a summer Sunday in the country towns of New South Wales and Victoria. Many of the beachside suburbs of Sydney have man made rock pools for swimming by the ocean beaches. on the beach! Find your spot by the water, and get out the towel. Tropical north in the winter, down south in the summer. As always when in Australia, protect yourself from the sun. Diving[ edit ] Snorkelling take a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef on the Queensland coast, or the Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Western Australia. Or take a trip out to Julian rocks off Byron Bay , or just dive in off the beach to see the tropical fish in Bundaberg . Activities[ edit ] Bushwalking is a popular Australian activity. You can go bushwalking in the many National parks and Rainforests in the country. Gamble[ edit ] It has been said that if there are two flies crawling up a wall, then you just need to look around to find the Aussie who will be running a book. Casinos. Crown Casino in Melbourne is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, nicely located at Southbank, but there are others scattered in every capital city as well as Cairns, Launceston , the Gold Coast and Townsville . Day at the races. All capital cities have horse racing every weekend, with on-track and off-track betting available, they are usually family occasions, and fashion and being seen are part of the event. Just about every pub in New South Wales will have a TAB, where you can place a bet without leaving your chair at the bar. Greyhound racing and trotting happens in the evenings, usually with smaller crowds, more beer, and less fashion. Smaller country towns have race meetings every few months or even annually. These are real events for the local communities, and see the smaller towns come to life. Head outback to the Birdsville races, or if you find the streets deserted it is probably ten past three on the first Tuesday in November (the running of the Melbourne cup). The unusual. The lizard races, cane toad races, camel races, crab races. Betting on these races is totally illegal, and at you will find the TIB (Totally Illegal Betting) around the back of the shed at the annual guinea pig races at Grenfell . Two up. If you are around for Anzac Day (25 April), then betting on coins thrown into the air will be happening at your local RSL club, wherever you are. Australia has almost a quarter of all the slot machines (locally known as "pokies" or "poker machines") in the world, and more than half of these are located in New South Wales, where most pubs and clubs have gaming rooms (labelled "VIP lounges" for legal reasons) where one can "have a slap" and go for the feature. If none of this appeals, and you just have too much money in your pocket, every town and suburb in Australia has a TAB. Pick your sport, pick a winner, and hand over your money at the counter. Gambling is illegal for under-18's. This can often restrict entry to parts of pubs, clubs, and casinos for children. Talk[ edit ] Expect everyone in Australia to speak English. As Australia is a multicultural society, you will notice the presence of many other languages and accents. Australians who were born in Australia or immigrated as children will have an Australian accent. Australians who immigrated to Australia as adults will generally not have an Australian accent. The Australian accent is suprisingly easy to understand. There is very little regional variation across Australia, just expect people to speak broader and use more slang in rural areas. Australia is traditionally a land of immigrants, plus there are many people from all over the world working or studying in Australia, plus many backpackers and foreign tourists. Because of this, Australians are VERY used to speaking with others whos first language is not English or who are not used to the Australian accent. They will speak slower with you and are very aware of what is Australian-only vocabulary and slang and will avoid it. It is also worth noting many Australians of non-English speaking family backgrounds will generally always prefer to speak English with people outside their family. Even if they speak your language fluently at home or grew up with that language inside their home they will often pretend they cannot speak it with a visitor from that country. Australian slang should not present a problem for tourists except possibly in some isolated outback areas. A few words and euphemisms that are considered offensive elsewhere are common vernacular in Australian speech. Fanny, as in the UK, means vagina and is not used widely. The word "thong" generally refers to flip-flops in Australia, and not necessarily a G-string as it does in most other places. Still, Australians are familiar enough with the differences to know what you mean, but they may still have a laugh at your expense. Visitors who do not speak basic English will find communicating with Australians difficult, and should do some advance planning. There are some tour companies who specialise in offering package deals for Australian tours complete with guides who speak particular languages. There are over a hundred Aboriginal languages still known and spoken by Aboriginal people. These languages are all different, and you won't see an Aboriginal phrasebook in the travel bookshops. Many Aboriginal place names derive from Aboriginal languages that have been lost, and their meanings remain uncertain. Aboriginal people living in rural Aboriginal communities continue to speak their respective languages. The Torres Strait Islander people, who originate from a group of islands in northern Queensland near Papua New Guinea also continue to speak their own languages. Almost all Aboriginal people speak English as well, although some elders may not be fluent. The standard sign language in Australia is Auslan (a contraction of "Australian Sign Language"), a member of the British Sign Language (BSL) family. Another closely related language is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). When interpreters are present for public events, they will use Auslan. Users of BSL or NZSL may be able to understand Auslan; the languages share a significant amount of vocabulary and syntax, plus the same two-handed manual alphabet. By contrast, users of languages in the French Sign Language family, which includes American Sign Language and Irish Sign Language, will not be able to understand Auslan. Much of the vocabulary and syntax are different, and those languages use a one-handed manual alphabet. Currency[ edit ] Australia uses the Australian dollar (AUD) and the currency is symbolised locally as "$". There are 100 cents in every dollar. No other currency is officially accepted for transactions in Australia. (Although it was not unusual to find some of the older New Zealand coins in your change from time to time, it is now practically unheard of since New Zealand completely overhauled and resized its coinage. It no longer matches the size of Australian coins.) The coin denominations are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2. The Australian coins are large and heavy relative to their value. For example, the Australian ten cent coin is the size of a US 25 cent coin and the Australian fifty cent coin is among the largest circulating coins anywhere in the world by size. The note denominations are $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Australian notes are produced in plastic polymer rather than paper. If the total of a transaction is not a multiple of 5 cents the amount will be rounded to the nearest five cents if you are paying in cash. The exact amount will be charged if paying by card. Old paper notes or bronze 1c and 2c coins will be exchanged at a bank but will be difficult at shops. The dollar is not pegged to any other currency, and is highly traded on world foreign exchange markets, particularly by currency speculators. Its exchange value to other currencies can be quite volatile, and 1-2% changes in a day are a reasonably common occurrences. Money changers in Australia operate in a free market, and charge a range of flat commissions, percentage fees, undisclosed fees built into the exchange rate, and a combination of all three. Generally the best bet is to avoid airports and tourist centres when changing money, and use banks in major centres. Expect fees to vary considerably between institutions. Always get a quote before changing money. When arriving in Australia with more than AUD$10,000 in any currency you must declare it to customs on the arrival card and complete paperwork you will be provided. Cash[ edit ] Cash dispensing Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) are available in almost every Australian town. Australian ATMs are deregulated and may impose a surcharge over what is charged by your bank or card issuer. The fees can vary between institutions and between locations, but are usually around $2. The ATM will display the charges and you will have the option to stop the transaction before you are charged. Check with your bank as to what additional fees they apply to withdrawals in Australia. Dedicated currency exchange outlets are widely available in major cities, and banks can also exchange most non-restricted currencies. These exchange outlets - especially the ones at the airport - can charge 10% over the best exchange that can be obtained from shopping around. Australian banks usually offer an exchange rate around 2.5% from the current exchange midpoint. A flat commission of $5-8 can be charged on top. Some outlets advertise commission free exchange, usually accompanied by a worse rate of exchange. Don't assume every bank will offer the same exchange. A simple calculation will let you know what offers the best deal for amount you wish to exchange. There are vouchers for commission free exchange at American Express available in the tourist brochure at Sydney Airport. There is also no need to arrive in Australia with cash if you have a Cirrus, Maestro, MasterCard or Visa card: international airport terminals will have multiple teller machines that can dispense Australian currency with just the fees imposed by your bank plus the ATM fee. Credit cards[ edit ] Credit cards are widely accepted in Australia. Almost all large vendors such as supermarkets accept cards, as do many, but not all, small stores. Australian debit cards can also be used via a system known as EFTPOS. Any card showing the Cirrus or Maestro logos can be used at any terminal displaying those logos. The use of credit or debit cards for transactions under about $5.00 is generally discouraged, and some stores may even have a minimum purchase amount to use a credit or debit card. Note that the term EFTPOS is often used to mean cards of any kind - so a sign in a shop indicating an "EFTPOS minimum" refers to credit and debit cards of any kind. VISA or MasterCard are commonly accepted and are both accepted everywhere credit cards are accepted. American Express and Diners Club are accepted at major supermarket and department store chains and many tourist destinations. JCB is only accepted at very limited tourist destinations. Discover is never accepted. Travelex sells prepaid Australian dollars credit/debit cards at airport locations with a 1% commission off what you load onto it. The big advantage here is you can bring Australian cash acquired at home through proper exchange channels and turn it into plastic with no exchange fees and minimal service charges without need for exchanging currency at the airport or carrying large amounts of cash everywhere. Excellent for security and you can get two cards with different numbers drawing from the same loaded money, allowing any two people to share a card on the same account. Other prepaid Australian dollar stored value cards bearing MasterCard or Visa emblems are available at larger post offices or grocery stores. Read terms and conditions closely, some can refund unused balances but only to an Australian bank account. Others you just have to spend it all in Australia or abroad. Travelex will refund unused balances for cash at airport locations for a $10.00 fee. Be careful using these cards for car hire. Agencies generally accept only cards with raised print for car hires and the name of the renter on it (prepaids do not have this). Even if you hire the car with a foreign card but settle the bill on return with a prepaid they often will not accept it, even with the other card as a backup. You will have to settle using the foreign card most of the time. Sometimes they don't pay attention and you get away with it but don't plan on it. Elsewhere these cards work everywhere MasterCard/Visa are accepted without incident. Credit card surcharges are imposed at all car rental agencies, travel agents, airlines, and at some discount retailers and service stations. Surcharges are far more common for American Express and Diners Club (typically 2%-4%) than they are for VISA and Mastercard (typically 1.5%). Costs[ edit ] Dorm accommodation in a capital city is around $30, but can run as low as $15 in Cairns or cheaper backpacker centres. A basic motel in the country or in the capital city suburbs would cost around $100 for a double. City Centre hotel accommodation in capital cities can be obtained for around $150 upwards for a double. Formule 1/Motel 6 style hotels (which are not common) can be around $60-$90 for a double. Car hire will cost around $65 a day. Public transport day passes from $10-20 per day depending on the city. Petrol is approximately 33% more expensive than the US, 10% more than Canada, and about 40% cheaper than Europe.... but can be even more expensive in remote areas where choices are few and the vendors more than a little enterprising to reflect additional delivery costs. A cafe meal costs around $10-$15, and a main course in a restaurant goes from around $17 upwards. A basic takeaway meal - a burger, fancy sandwich, or couple of slices of pizza would cost $5-10, a Big Mac costs $5.50, and you can usually grab a pie for around $4.50, or a sausage roll for $3.50. A takeaway pizza from Pizza Hut big enough to feed two costs around $10. A middy/pot (285mL) of house beer will cost you around $6, and a glass of house wine around $6 in a low end pub. To take away, a case of 24 cans of beer will cost around $40, or a bottle of wine around $8. A standard 500ml bottle of soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi will cost around $3.00 in a large grocery store, $4.20 at a corner convenience store (called milk bars) or $5.20 or more at outback roadhouses. Cans run around $1.00 or more if bought in the 24 pack at grocery store. Bottled water isn't much cheaper. You can make yourself feel better about it by buying brands that are not available in foreign countries, such as the delicious Kirk's Dry Ginger Ale. Some American brands are not available. Ordinary coffee takeaway such as from a petrol station will run around $4.00 but usually comes with a biscuit too. An airfare between neighbouring eastern capitals is around $120 each way but can get as low as $60 if you book at the right time, or around $350 to cross the country assuming that you are flexible with dates and book in advance. A train trip on the state run trains will usually cost slightly less. A bus trip, a little less again. A train trip on the private trains will be the most expensive way to travel. There is usually no admission charge to beaches or city parks. Some popular National Parks charge between $10-20 per day (per car, or per person depending on the state) while more out of the way National Parks are free. Art Galleries and some attractions are free. Museums generally charge around $10 per admission. Theme parks charge around $70 per person. Because of Australia's high wages by comparison to other countries such the USA, you will find prices of things involving service such as restaurants especially high by comparison. A rule of thumb is the restaurants will cost close to double what you would expect of the same thing in the USA, and that holds for beverages also. Haggling[ edit ] Bargaining is uncommon in Australian stores, though vendors are usually willing to meet or beat a quote or advertised price from a competing retailer. It's also worth asking for a "best price" for high-value goods or purchases involving several items. For example, it would not be unusual to get 10% off an item of jewelry that was not already reduced in price. The person you are dealing with may have limited authority to sell items at anything other than the marked price. Tipping[ edit ] Tipping is never compulsory and is usually not expected in Australia. Staff are seen to be paid an appropriate wage and will certainly not chase you down for a tip. It is acceptable to pay the amount stated on the bill. When Australians do tip, it will often be in the form of leaving the change from a cash payment (usually as a convenience so the change does not hang around loose on someone's person - not as a gratuity), rather than a fixed percentage. In a suburban or country restaurant where table service is offered, they will certainly take a tip of 5%-10% should you decide to leave one, but it is almost always not expected, and locals usually do not leave any. In a cafe or more informal restaurant, even with table service, and even in tourist centres, leaving a tip is unusual. Sometimes there is a coin jar by the cashier labelled 'Tips', but more often than not, diners do not leave one. Tipping is also not expected in taxis, and drivers will typically return your change to the last 5 cents, unless you indicate that they should round the fare to the nearest dollar (it is not unusual for passengers to instruct the driver to round up to the next whole dollar). Trading hours[ edit ] Australia's base trading hours are Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM. Shops usually have a single night of late night trading, staying open until 9PM on Fridays in most cities and on Thursdays in Brisbane and Sydney. Sunday trading is common but does not exist in all rural areas. Opening hours beyond these base hours vary by the type of store, by location, and by state. See the guides for more local information. Major supermarket chains such as Coles and Woolworths and department stores like K-Mart and Target in main centres are generally open at least until 9pm. Smaller convenience stores like 7/11 are open 24 hours in major centres. Fast Food restaurant chains are commonly open 24 hours or at least very late. Fuel/Service stations are open 24 hours in major centres, but often close at 6pm and on Sundays in country towns. Even in cities with populations exceeding 50,000 finding a 24 hour petrol station can be difficult, or at least should not be assumed to be easily found. Make sure to locate one in advance if you have an early morning flight with a rental car to return. Australia's weekend is on Saturday and Sunday of each week. Retail trading is now almost universal in larger cities on weekends, although with slightly reduced hours. Again, Western Australia is an exception with restrictions on large stores opening on Sundays. In smaller country towns shops are closed on Sundays and often also on Saturday afternoons. Tourist-oriented towns and shops may stay open longer hours. Tourist areas within cities, such as Darling Harbour in Sydney has longer trading hours every night. Australian banks are open Monday-Friday 09:00-16:00 only, often closing at 17:00 on Fridays. Cash is available through Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) 24 hours, and currency exchange outlets have extended hours and are open on weekends. Tax[ edit ] Australia has a sales tax known as the Goods and Services Tax or GST that applies to all goods and services except unprocessed foods, education and medical services. GST is always included in the price of any item you purchase rather than being added at the time of payment. Receipts (tax invoices) will contain the GST amount, which is one eleventh of the total value of taxable supplies. Sales tax refunds[ edit ] If you buy items over $300 at one place within 60 days of departing the country, you can obtain a refund of the GST upon leaving Australia. As of April 2013 the items can be purchased in separate transactions, as long as the total comes to over $300 and they are all from the same store. Pack the items in hand luggage, and present the item(s) and the receipt at the TRS, after immigration and security when leaving Australia. Also allow an extra 15 minutes before departure. The refund payment can be made by either cheque, credit to an Australian bank account, or payment to a credit card. There is no refund available for services. You also cannot get a refund if you are too close to your flight departure time. A flight departure screen assists agents and they will refuse your transaction if your flight is on it. Check for current regulations about buffer time for flights if you want a GST refund. Places to eat[ edit ] Breakfast in Prahran Restaurants, Australians eat out frequently, and you will usually find one or two options to eat out even in small towns, with a wider range in larger towns and cities. BYO restaurants, BYO stands for Bring Your Own (alcohol). In many of the urban communities of Australia you will find small low-cost restaurants that are not licensed to serve but allow diners to bring their own bottle of wine purchased elsewhere. This is frequently much cheaper than ordering a bottle of wine in a restaurant. Beer can be taken to some BYO restaurants, others allow only wine. Expect to pay a corkage fee which can vary from $2-15, or may be calculated by head. BYO is not usually permitted in restaurants that are licensed to sell alcohol. Pubs, the counter lunch or pub meal is the name for a lunch served in the bar of a pub. Traditionally served only at lunchtime in the lounge. Today most pubs provide lunch and dinner and many have a separate bistro or restaurant. Meals of steak, chicken parmigiana, fish and chips, or nachos are common. Clubs, clubs, such as bowling clubs, leagues clubs, RSLs are in many towns and cities. They are most common in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. Most allow visitors, and sometimes offer good value meals. Some offer attractive locations, like the water views from the Twin Towns in Tweed Heads . Cafes, most towns and suburbs have a cafe or coffee shop, serving breakfast and light meals and cakes throughout the day. Not unusual for them to close before dinner. Bakeries, usually a good place to buy bread rolls, a pie or a sausage roll. Some, like the Beechworth bakery, or the bakery in historic Gundagai offer an experience as well. Fast food restaurants, McDonalds, Subway and KFC are common. Burger King is known as Hungry Jack's. Red Rooster is a Australian chain, offering barbecued chicken and other mostly chicken-based items. Take-away, milk bars (known as a Deli in SA) or take-away stores usually sell pies, barbecued (rotisserie) chicken, hamburgers, fish and chips, gyros, kebabs. Ubiquitous in every town and suburb. Food courts, most shopping centres have a food court, even in country towns. Picnic, the Australian climate is usually amenable to getting whatever food you can, and heading to the nearest park, river, lake or beach. Barbecue, is a popular Australian pastime and many parks in Australia provide free barbecues for public use. Contrary to the stereotype, Australians rarely "Throw a shrimp on the barbie" (also, in Australia a shrimp is more commonly referred to as a prawn). Steaks, chops, sausages, chicken fillets, fish, kebabs are popularly barbecued. Native foods[ edit ] Try the pie Kangaroo, if you fancy some, it is commonly available from most supermarkets and butchers shops. Head to the nearest park, and barbecue it until medium rare. Best not to overcook as it may become quite tough. It tastes much like beef. It occasionally makes it onto the menu in restaurants, mostly in tourist areas. Kangaroos aren't endangered, and kangaroo grazing does far less damage to the sensitive Australian environment than hoofed animals, and far less carbon emissions too. If you are not ready to go vegetarian, kangaroo is the best environmental statement you can make while barbecuing. Crocodile, meat from farms in the Northern Territory and Queensland is widely available around the top end, and occasionally elsewhere. At Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia, you can see the ancient reptile on a farm while munching on a croc burger. Emu, yes, you can eat the Australian Coat of Arms. Emu is low in fat, and available in some speciality butchers. Try the Coat of Arms pie in Maleny on the Sunshine Coast. Bush tucker, many tours may give you an opportunity to try some bush tucker, the berries, nuts, roots, ants, and grubs from Australia's native bush. Macadamia nuts are the only native plant to Australia that is grown for food commercially. Taste some of the other bush foods, and you will discover why. Lamington Pie floater Vegemite, a salty yeast-based spread, best spread thinly on toast. If you aren't up for buying a jar, any coffee shop will serve vegemite on toast at breakfast time. It may not even be on the menu, but the vegemite will be out the back in the jar next to the marmalade. If you do buy a jar, the secret is it to spread it very thin, and don't forget the butter as well. It tastes similar to Marmite or Cenovis. Australians are quite used to the taste, and may spread the Vegemite very thick; but this is not recommended for first-timers. The Tim-Tam, is a popular chocolate fudge-filled sandwich of two chocolate biscuits, all dipped in chocolate. You can buy a packet (or two) from any supermarket or convenience store. Tim-Tams are required to perform the Tim-Tam Slam manoeuvre. This requires biting off both ends of the Tim-Tam, then using it as a straw to drink your favourite hot beverage, typically coffee. The hot drink melts the fudge centre and creates an experience hard to describe. Finesse is needed to suck the whole biscuit into your mouth in the microseconds between being fully saturated and dissolving. Although performed by some Australians, the manoeuvre is rarely performed and the Tim-Tam is generally eaten by itself. During summer, Tim-Tams are often stored in the freezer, and eaten ice cold. The lamington is a cube of sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and dipped in desiccated coconut. It's named after Lord Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. The home-baked form can be found at a local Saturday morning market, or you can buy one from a bakery if you are desperate. Avoid at all costs the plastic wrapped varieties sold in supermarkets. The pavlova is a meringue cake with a cream topping usually decorated with fresh fruit. Served on special occasions, or after a lunchtime barbecue. Often the source of dispute with New Zealand over the original source of the recipe. ANZAC biscuits are a mix of coconut, oats, flour, sugar and golden syrup. They were reputedly sent by wives and care organisations to world war soldiers in care packages, but the story is likely apocryphal. They are available from bakeries, cafes and supermarkets, and are popular in the lead up to ANZAC day (25 April). Damper is a traditional soda bread that was baked by drovers and stockmen. It has basic ingredients (flour, water and perhaps salt) and usually cooked in the embers of a fire. It is not routinely available in bakeries and only commonly served to tourists on organised tours. Best eaten with butter and jam or golden syrup as it is dry and bland. A pie floater is a South Australian dish available around Adelaide. It is a pie inverted in a bowl of thick mushy pea soup. Similar pie variations are sometimes available in other regions. A Chiko roll is a deep-fried snack inspired by the egg roll or the spring roll. Despite the name, it contains no chicken. Its filling is boned mutton, vegetables, rice, barley, and seasonings. Its shell is thicker than an egg roll, meant to survive handling at football matches. Available anywhere you can buy fish and chips. Other cuisines[ edit ] Cuisines widely available in Australia, often prepared by members of the relevant culture, include: Chinese, synonymous with the term "takeaway" in the past generations. Many Chinese restaurants still cater to takeaway addicts today, mostly of the Australianized Chinese variety, but major cities have small "Chinatowns" or suburbs with a large number of ethnic Chinese residents, that have excellent restaurants serving authentic Chinese food. Thai, as above. Suburban Thai restaurants of indifferent quality are starting to replace the previous generation of Chinese restaurants of indifferent quality, but Australia also has excellent and authentic Thai restaurants. Italian, the Italian community is one of the largest ethnic communities of non Anglo-Saxon origin in Australia, and they have contributed greatly to the cafe culture that has flourished across the major cities over the past few decades. Restaurants either serve Italian food that has been adapted to suit Australian tastes, or authentic regional Italian food, with the latter tending to be pricier and in more upmarket surrounds. Greek, as above, and especially in Melbourne, which has the largest Greek population outside Greece. Lebanese, especially in Sydney. Vegetarian[ edit ] Eating vegetarian is quite common in Australia and many restaurants offer at least one or two vegetarian dishes. Some will have an entire vegetarian menu section. Vegans may have more difficulty but any restaurant with a large vegetarian menu should offer some flexibility. In large cities you will find a number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, as well as in the coastal backpacker-friendly towns along the east coast. The market town of Kuranda or the seaside towns of Byron Bay are a vegetarian's paradise. In other regional areas vegetarians are often poorly catered for, but most towns will have a Chinese restaurant that will provide steamed rice and vegetables. Sydney and Melbourne in particular cater well for vegans and vegetarians with a large number of purely vegetarian restaurants, vegan clothing stores and vegan supermarkets. Religious diets[ edit ] People observing halal diets will easily be able to find specialist butchers in the capital cities, and will also find a number of restaurants with appropriate menus and cooking styles. People observing kosher diets can easily find kosher food in suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne that have a high amount of Jews (eg. Caulfield in Melbourne, Bondi in Sydney). In other cities it is very hard to find kosher food, and the little kosher food there is, is usually imported from Melbourne or Sydney, so it is very overpriced. Outside the capital cities, it will be much more difficult to find food prepared in a strict religious manner. Markets[ edit ] All of the capital cities and many regional towns in Australia host a "farmer's market", which is generally held each week in a designated area on a Saturday or Sunday. These markets mostly sell fresh fruits and vegetables, as hygiene standards in Australia forbid the selling of meat directly from market stalls. Butchers who set up shop at a farmer's market would usually trade their wares from a display cabinet within their truck. The attraction of markets is the lower prices and freshness of the produce. The attraction for the traveller will be the cheap and excellent fruits on offer - depending on the region and season. In regional areas the market is usually held outside the town itself in an empty paddock or sports field, markets in capital cities are easier to reach but the prices are typically more in line with those you would find in supermarkets. See the destination guides for details. Beer[ edit ] Drinking beer is ingrained in Australian culture. Although Fosters is promoted as an Australian beer overseas, it is rarely consumed by Australians in Australia, and is almost impossible to find. Beers are strongly regional and every state has its own brews: Coopers and West End in South Australia, Carlton and VB in Victoria, Tooheys in NSW, XXXX in Queensland, Boags and Cascade in Tasmania, and Swan in Western Australia. There are also local microbrew choices, which can be harder to find, but are often worth seeking out. A wide range of imported European and American bottled beers are available in all but the most basic pub. Light (Lite) beer refers to lower alcoholic content, and not lower calories. It has around half the alcohol of full strength beer, and is taxed at a lower rate, meaning it is also cheaper than full strength beer. Because Australians like their beer to stay cold while they drink it, draft beer glasses come in a multitude of sizes, so that you can drink a whole glass before it warms up in the summer heat. The naming of beer glasses varies widely from state to state, often in confusing ways: a schooner is 425 ml everywhere except South Australia, where it's only 285 ml, a size that's known elsewhere as a middy or pot, except in Darwin where it's a handle, but in Adelaide a "pot" means a 570 ml full pint, and a pint means what a schooner does elsewhere, and... you get the idea. The local beers and the local descriptions are covered in detail in the state guides. Bottle naming is a little easier: the standard sizes across Australia are the 375 ml stubby and the 750 ml long neck or tally. Cans of beer are known as tinnies and 24 of them make up a slab, box, carton, or a case. Wine[ edit ] Australia produces quality wine on a truly industrial scale, with large multinational brands supplying Australian bottleshops and exporting around the world. There are also a multitude of boutique wineries and smaller suppliers. Very good red and white wine can be bought very cheaply in Australia, often at less than $10 a bottle, and even the smallest shop could be expected to have 50 or more varieties to choose from. The areas of the Barossa Valley , Hunter Valley , McLaren Vale , Clare Valley and Margaret River are particularly renowned for their wineries and opportunities for cellar door sampling, but northern Victoria and Mudgee , also have a large variety. You are never too far from a wine trail anywhere in southern Australia. Try the local wines wherever you can find them, and ask for local recommendations. Try not to get taken in by the label, or the price tag. The best wine is rarely the one with the best artwork, or the most expensive price. However, it is probably wise to avoid the house wine if it comes straight from a cask (4-litre container). Wines at the cellar door are almost invariably sold at around 20% premium to the same wine in the shops in the local town. If you still prefer overseas wines, the Marlborough region of New Zealand is usually well represented on wine lists and in bottle shops in Australia. Spirits[ edit ] Bundaberg Rum (Bundy) is an Australian dark rum particularly popular in Queensland and many Queenslanders will not touch any other brand of rum, while many other Australians will not touch Bundy. It is probably the most famous Australian made spirit, mass produced in Bundaberg and available everywhere. You will have to search much harder to find other Australian distilled spirits, mostly from niche players, but there are distilleries in every state of Australia if you look hard enough. Drop into the Lark Distillery on the scenic Hobart waterfront precinct. Pick up a bottle of 151 East Vodka in Wollongong or after a few days in Kununurra you are definitely going to need an Ord River Rum. Mixed drinks are also available, particularly vodka, scotch, bourbon and other whiskey mixers. Jim Beam bourbon is probably the most commonly drunk, so those from Kentucky should feel right at home. Spirits are also available as pre-mixed bottles and cans but are subject to higher taxation in this form, so it is cheaper to mix them yourself. Spirits are served in all pubs and bars, but not in all restaurants. Legal aspects[ edit ] The legal drinking age throughout Australia is 18 years. It is illegal to purchase alcohol for yourself if you are under 18 years of age. It is illegal to purchase alcohol on behalf of someone who is under 18 years of age. The only legally acceptable proof-of-age is an Australian drivers licence, state-issued proof-of-age card or a passport, and it would be wise to carry one if you want to purchase alcohol or tobacco and look under 25. It is illegal to go into a gambling area of a pub or club when under 18. Often there is a lounge, restaurant or bistro area in a pub or club that permits under-age people provided they are accompanied by a responsible adult over 18 and don't approach the bar or wander around. Some city pubs even have video games and playgrounds for children. Some country pubs have large open areas out in the back where kids can run and play. In general, you can take alcohol (say a bottle of wine or beer) to consume at a park or beach. However, in the state of Queensland public consumption of Alcohol is illegal. Alcohol consumption is banned in some public places as 'street drinking'. These are often indicated by signs and is particularly the case in parks and footpaths where public drunkenness has been a problem. However, if you are a family with your picnic basket and blanket out at lunchtime with a bottle of wine, you are unlikely to encounter any problems. Alcohol can be purchased for consumption on premises only in licensed venues: pubs, clubs and many restaurants. You can purchase alcohol for private consumption in bottle shops, which are separate stores selling bottled alcohol. In some but not all states you can buy alcohol in supermarkets. In those states where you can't, bottle shops and major supermarkets are often found in very close proximity. Although licensing laws and hours vary from state to state, and individual stores have different trading hours, as a rule of thumb, alcohol is generally available in towns to take-away seven days a week, between the hours of 8AM and 11PM, from bottle shops, supermarkets, licensed grocers/milk-bars and pubs. Outside of these hours though, it is almost impossible to buy alcohol to take home; so if you're planning on a party at home, it's a good idea to stock up and check on the local trading hours so you don't run out at 00:30 with no opportunity to buy more. In the state of New South Wales, takeaway alcohol cannot be sold after 10pm. Alcohol is not available at petrol stations or 24-hour convenience stores anywhere in Australia. Public drunkenness varies in acceptability. You will certainly find a great deal of it in close proximity to pubs and clubs at night time but much less so during the day. Public drunkenness is an offence but you would only likely ever be picked up by the police if you were causing a nuisance. You may spend the night sobering up in a holding cell or be charged. Driving while affected by alcohol is both stigmatized and policed by random breath testing police patrols in Australia, as well as being inherently dangerous. Drink driving is a very serious offence in Australia, punishable by a range of mechanisms including loss of license. The acceptable maximum blood alcohol concentration is 0.05% in all states, often lower or not allowed for operators of heavy vehicles and young or novice drivers. Police officers are also empowered to randomly test drivers for the recent use of prohibited drugs. The operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of prohibited drugs or alcohol will always result in arrest and a required court appearance many weeks from the date of arrest and it can comprehensively disrupt travel plans. Random breath testing is common early Saturday and Sunday mornings, and many people are caught the morning after. A shout[ edit ] Buying a round of drinks is a custom in Australia, as in many corners of the world. It is generally expected in a pub that when you arrive and make your first trip to the bar that you will offer to buy a drink for others you are drinking with. This is what's known as a 'shout'. In entering a shout you are expected to take turns buying drinks for everyone in your shout when it is your turn. It is considered poor etiquette to drink something much more expensive that what others in the shout are drinking. If you cannot keep pace during a shout you are still expected to buy a round of drinks when it is your turn and as such it is advisable to drink with people who pace themselves at a similar rate. If someone from outside the shout offers to buy you a drink politely decline and let them know you are already in a shout. Likewise if someone buys you a drink don't be surprised if they expect one from you later on in the evening as it's now your shout. If you don't want to join a shout, or would like to drop out of one this can be awkward in some groups, however if you provide a viable reason such as having to drive or being on medication people will normally respect this explanation. It is considered very poor etiquette to leave before your shout. Learn[ edit ] If you are intending to study in Australia, you may need to be on a visa class that allows this, rather than a tourist visa. Students and academics invited to visit Australian universities will generally also need an appropriate visa, even if their visit is of a short enough period to be covered by a tourist electronic visa. For extremely short term or part time courses, check with your Australian consulate or embassy. Australian students attend high school for six years, and enter university at seventeen or eighteen years of age. (In Australia, neither "school" nor "college" are used to refer to tertiary institutions; they are referred to only as "universities" - in fact, some primary and secondary educational institutions are referred to as 'colleges'). Australian undergraduate programs are usually three to four years in length. A fifth year is compulsory in some professional undergraduate programs such as engineering, law, medicine and dentistry. Students in three-year degree programs can take an optional fourth year known as honours if they want to proceed into a postgraduate research program, whereas students enrolled in four year programs can typically incorporate their honours thesis into their fourth year. Australia does not have universities whose prestige competes with Harvard or the other Ivies in the US or Oxford or Cambridge in the UK. However many are ranked in the top 200 in the world (Times Higher Education Supplement). All tuition at university level is in English, save for courses that specifically focus on other languages. Students who have not previously earned a qualification in an English speaking program (or passed high school English) will have to take one of a number of English competency tests before being allowed to enrol. Postgraduate studies in Australia fall into two classes: coursework and research. Coursework degrees are generally at the Masters level. Research degrees are at the Masters and Doctoral level. Universities[ edit ] There are 42 Universities in Australia that all compete vigorously for overseas students. All have administrative departments and sections on their websites which describe the courses available to overseas students, and they will help you to apply and obtain accommodation and transport. Applications for university courses (and the appropriate visa) will need to be lodged before coming to Australia. Courses range from single year diplomas to full length undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. There is a choice of the sandstone universities, with their history and prestige, modern city universities with their vocational programs, and regional (country town) universities, with open space and cheaper accommodation. Admission[ edit ] Undergraduate admission to university is centralised at the state level. You make a single application for admission to the state admissions body stating your course preferences. The universities select students from this common applicant pool based upon their ranking and preferences. Unless you are applying for a creative arts degree, your ranking will be based solely on previous academic performance at both high school and previous university studies. Postgraduate admission is managed by individual universities and you will need to apply separately to each institution you are considering. Tuition fees[ edit ] The full fees payable by overseas students are competitive compared to many Western universities. Australian citizens have the option of substantially reduced fees and also have the option of deferring payment until they are earning income. Other students will generally be required to pay full tuition on enrolment each semester. Scholarships are rarely awarded for undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degrees. A comparatively large number of scholarships are available for postgraduate research usually covering both tuition, where required, and living costs. These are awarded by individual universities. Camping[ edit ] Camping is a popular pastime. Most caravan parks will rent camping sites by the night, where you can pitch a tent, and these are available in most towns and cities. The caravan park will provide showers and toilets, and sometimes washing and cooking facilities. Sometimes for an additional fee. Expect to pay around $20 for a tent site, and a few dollars per person. You can even find caravan parks right on the beach, with lagoon swimming pools and playgrounds all free for guests. National parks often provide free camping sites, which expect you to be more self-sufficient. Often toilets are provided and sometimes cold showers. Camping permits are sometimes required at popular parks, with some popular spots filling up during the holidays in summer. In Australia it is common to be within an hours drive of a national park or recreation area that will permit some form of camping, even in the capital cities. Expect to pay around $5-$10 per night per person for a camping permit, and national park admission fees in the more popular national parks (eg: Wilsons Promontory National Park, Kosciuszko National Park, etc), however entry and camping is free in the majority of national parks further from population and tourist centres. Some other camping areas are run by government or even local landowners. Expect around $10 per person per night, depending on the time of year. You can try your luck sleeping on a beach or pitching a tent overnight in a highway rest area, or out in the bush for a free bed. Most rest areas and beaches prohibit camping and many even prohibit overnight parking to discourage this. Generally the closer you are to civilisation or a tourist area, the greater the chance of being hassled by the authorities. Camping in state forests is often preferable to national parks if you're after a camping experience over sightseeing, as collecting of your own fire wood is allowed (sometimes felling of trees is permissible dependent on the area) and camping is not restricted to camp sites. Some other activities that are generally allowed in state forests that are not allowed in national parks are: bringing in dogs/pets, open fires, motorbikes and four-wheel driving. State forests are generally free to stay in, although you will need to check locally if public access is allowed. Hostels and Backpackers[ edit ] Budget hostel-style accommodation with shared bathrooms and often with dormitories is approximately $20-$30 per person per night. Facilities usually include a fully equipped kitchen with adequate refrigeration and food storage areas. Most hostels also have living room areas equipped with couches, dining tables, and televisions. There are several backpacker hostel chains in Australia. If you are staying many nights in the same brand of hostel, consider their discount cards, which usually offer a loyalty bonus on accommodation, and other attraction and tour discounts negotiated by the chain. Pubs[ edit ] Traditionally Australian pubs (public bars) would be part of a hotel that offered accommodation. Some of these traditional hotels still offer some form of accommodation. It can vary from very basic shabby rooms, to newly renovated boutique accommodation. The price is usually a good reflection of what you are in for. It is still quite unusual to have a private bathroom, even in the nicer hotels. Unlike motels, traditional hotels usually charge a discounted rate for single rooms. In some smaller towns this might be the only type of accommodation available, though it is also available in the centre of Sydney making getting back to your room after a beer a simple endeavour. Many of the older pubs in country towns are housed in grande and ornate buildings on the main street of the town and can present a unique accommodation option. Inner city areas of Australian cities are dotted with many old pubs which will often be smaller and less interesting, and less likely to provide accommodation. A motel won't generally have a public bar. A motel that does have a bar attached will be called a hotel/motel. Motels[ edit ] Typically, motel-style accommodation will have a private room with a bed or number of beds, and a private shower and toilet. Many motels have family rooms, that will usually have a double bed and two single beds in the one room. Motel rooms in the cities will generally cost upwards from $80. Usually the cost is the same for one or two adults, with any extra people charged an additional fee. Prices for additional children can range from free to $20 per child. During quiet times its not unusual for motels to offer standby discounts. Most motels will serve a cooked or continental breakfast to your room in the morning, for an additional charge. Some may have a restaurant or serve an evening meal. Some may have a toaster in the room. A number of local and international chains offer motel-style accommodation: Hotels[ edit ] All state capitals have at least one major hotel at 5 star standard, with several available in the major capitals. The majority of Australia's hotels are located in the Central Business Districts (CBD) of the capital city. Hotel services and hospitality are often excellent such as room cleaning services, free morning newspapers, meals to your door and a high-speed internet connection up to 24mb/s (often with a premium fee). All hotels have a restaurant (or bistro, depending on the type of hotel you are staying in). The restaurant or bistro often serves food that is comparable to many other up-market restaurants outside the hotel. Also on the ground floor would normally be a fully equipped bar. Cabins[ edit ] Cabins are an economical way for families to stay while travelling. Sometimes built on private land, sometimes in caravan parks, cabins typically have a kitchen / lounge area, and one, two or three bedrooms. Farm Stay[ edit ] Much as the name suggests, this usually involves a cabin or homestead accommodation on a working property. Suited for a stay of two or more days, this accommodation usually allows you to get a little involved in the running of the farm if you wish. It is common for dinner to be provided in the homestead, and a breakfast pack to be provided to your cabin. Holiday home[ edit ] Holiday homes are homes rented by their owners, often using local real estate agents or specialised web sites. Sometimes they're located in prime positions, but more often in the suburbs of cities and towns. Minimum rental periods of at least 2 days usually apply, rising to a week during periods when they are busy. At a minimum, they will have bedrooms, a lounge, bathroom and kitchen. Bed and Breakfasts[ edit ] Bed and Breakfasts tend to be a premium form of accommodation in Australia, often focussed on weekend accommodation for couples. They certainly don't offer the discount form of accommmodation they do in part of the United Kingdom , and the local motel will usually be cheaper. Sometimes extra rooms in a person's home, but often a purpose built building. You should expect a cosy, well kept room, a common area, and a cooked breakfast. Possibly private facilities. Substantial discounts often apply for mid-week stays at bed and breakfasts. Resorts[ edit ] There are many true resorts around Australia. Many have lagoon pools, tennis, golf, kids clubs, and other arranged activities. The island of the Whitsundays have a choice of resorts, some occupying entire islands. Port Douglas also has many resorts of a world standard. Serviced apartments[ edit ] Serviced apartments are widely available, for stays as short as one night. Amenities typically include kitchen, washer and dryer, and separate bedrooms. Caravanning, Campervan, Motorhome and RV[ edit ] Caravan parks exist in most towns and cities in Australia that will provide powered and unpowered sites for Caravans. You will commonly see the Grey Nomad brigade on their trips around Australia in motorhomes and caravans. The camper trailer has also become very popular in Australia. It is perfect for the Australian camping lifestyle, whether it be weekends away or an extended trip into the great outdoors where no facilities exist. You will need to be self-sufficient and carry suitable spares and a good tool kit Station Wagons / Vans[ edit ] In most parts of Australia it is illegal to sleep in your vehicle but it is possible to get around this by simply rigging up curtains all around the windows so no one can see in from the outside. Trade vans can be picked up for as little as $1,000, with a more trustworthy van setting you back no more than $3,000-$4,000. Add a mattress, pillow, portable gas cooker, cookware and a 20 lt water container and you are off. If you get caught the fine could be as much as $150 each, so do it at you own risk. But if you are strategic in where you stay you probably won't get caught. Just be sensible and don't disturb the locals. Also, be aware of parking restrictions in certain parts of the cities and town, including overnight parking restrictions. The parking inspectors can be ruthless and a $100+ fine is not uncommon. All cities and towns in Australia have free public toilets. Many parks, and most beaches have free electric BBQ's as well. Popular beaches have fresh water showers to wash the salt water off after you swim, so for those on a tight budget (or for those that just love waking up at the beach) simply wash in the ocean (please do not pollute the ocean or waterways by using detergents or soaps) and rinse off at the showers. Almost all taps in Australia are drinking water, the ones that aren't will be marked. Service stations (petrol/gas) almost always have taps, so these are a good place to refill the water containers each time you refuel. Some of the best experiences you may have in Australia will be by taking that road on the map that looks like it heads to a beach, creek, waterfall or mountain and following it. You may just find paradise and not another soul in sight. And lucky you, you've got a bed, food and water right there with you. Travelling in a small group lowers the fuel bill per head, as this will likely be your biggest expense. Enjoy, and respect the land by taking your rubbish/bottles/cigarette butts with you and disposing of them properly. Work[ edit ] Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and permanent residents of Australia can work in Australia without any further permits, but others will require a work visa. All visitors who do not hold Australian permanent residency or citizenship (including New Zealand citizens who aren't also Australian permanent residents or citizens) are not allowed to access Australian social security arrangements for the unemployed, and will have limited, or more usually, no access to the Australian government's health care payment arrangements. Minimum wage[ edit ] Minimum wage rates are under the jurisdiction of the federal government; there are other minimum wages depending on your job, years of experience, how much education you have, how long you've been done with your education and your previous job history, so this minimum wage can fluctuate a vast amount. Payment and taxes[ edit ] Most Australian employers pay via direct deposit to Australian bank accounts. Open a bank account as soon as you arrive. Your passport will not be enough ID to open a bank account. You will need to show the bank teller 100 points of ID [20] . As soon as you have an address it is wise to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN). You can apply for it online (though, only in Australia) for free at the Australian Tax Office website [21] , though you can generally get it quicker if you just go to one of their offices. The Australian financial year runs from July 1 to June 30, and tax returns for each financial year are due on October 30, four months after the accounting period concludes. Check with Australian tax agents about Australian tax liability and filing an Australian tax return. Australian employers will make compulsory payments out of your earnings to an Australian superannuation (retirement savings) fund on your behalf. Temporary visitors who are not citizens of either Australia or New Zealand can have this money returned to them [22] when they leave Australia. Working holidaymaker scheme[ edit ] Australia has a working holidaymaker program for 18-30 yr old citizens of certain countries. It allows a stay in Australia for 12 months from the time of first entry. You may work during that time, but only for 6 months at any one employer. The idea is for you to take a holiday subsidised by casual or short-term jobs. If you're interested in a working holiday, some useful skills and experience might be: office skills to be used for temp work; or hospitality skills to be used for bar or restaurant work. An alternative is seasonal work like fruit-picking, although much seasonal work will require that you work outside the major cities. Working for 3 months in seasonal work will allow you to apply for a second 12 month visa. You can apply online for a working holiday visa, but you must not be in Australia at the time. It takes just a few hours to process usually and costs about $420 (as of June 2014). On arriving in Australia ask for the working holiday visa to be "evidenced", so you can show your future employer. Sponsored work visas[ edit ] The easiest way to get a work visa is to find an Australian employer who will sponsor you. However, this is just 'easier', not 'easy' as such. Your employer will need to demonstrate that they cannot hire anyone with your skills in Australia, and the approval will take several months. If in search of sponsorship, be prepared for a long wait. Note that getting the visa might take a couple of months from the beginning of the application process, and that you will need a medical examination by a doctor approved by the immigration officials before it can be granted (among other things, you will need a chest x-ray to show that you do not have tuberculosis). Check with your local Australian High Commission, Consulate or Embassy and the the Immigration Department's website [23] . Immigration[ edit ] You can apply to immigrate as a skilled person or business person, but this process will take longer than receiving a work visa. You can also apply for permanent residency as the holder of a work or study visa, but your application will not be automatically accepted. After four years of permanent residency you are eligible to apply for Australian citizenship. Volunteering[ edit ] There are several volunteer opportunities in Australia. Many worldwide organisations offer extended travel for those wanting to volunteer their time to work with locals on projects such as habitat restoration, wildlife sanctuary maintenance & development, scientific research, & education programs. Respect[ edit ] Unless you are actively trying to insult someone, a traveller is unlikely to insult or cause offence to an Australian through any kind of cultural ignorance. Australian modes of address tend towards the familiar. It is acceptable and normal to use first names in all situations, even to authority figures or people many years your senior. Australia is a nation that prides itself on witty and imaginative nicknames and thus fond of using and giving nicknames - even to recent acquaintances. It is likely being called such a name is an indication that you are considered a friend and is it would be rare they are being condescending. While attitudes towards alcohol in Australia have moderated in recent years, there is still much goodwill in venturing and accepting the sharing of a drink (mainly beer) amongst newly made acquaintances. In rural locations especially, refusing the offer of a quiet drink is still something that is capable of causing offence. Within the bounds of health, safety and culture, one should try and accommodate this custom, even if you only partake of a glass of lemonade. It is generally acceptable to wear revealing clothing in Australia. Bikinis and swimming attire is okay on the beach, and usually at the kiosk across the road from the beach. It is normal to wear at least a shirt and footwear before venturing any further. Most beaches are effectively top optional (topless) while sunbathing. Just about all women wear a top while walking around or in the water. There are some clothing optional (nude) beaches, usually a little further removed from residential areas. Thong bikinis (more commonly called g-string bikinis in Australia as thongs refer to flip-flop footwear) are fine on all beaches and some outdoor pools for both women and men although they are not as common as conventional beachwear. Some outdoor pools have a "top required" policy for women. Cover up a little more when visiting places of worship such as churches. In warm conditions casual "t-shirt and shorts" style clothing predominates except in formal situations. Business attire, however, is considered to be long sleeved shirt, tie, and long trousers for men, even in the hottest weather. (In the northern part of the country, a short sleeved, open neck shirt with slacks, known as 'Darwin Rig', is acceptable). Using Australian stereotypical expressions may be viewed as an attempt to mock, rather than to communicate. If you pull it off well, you might raise a smile. Australians are often self-deprecating, and are rarely arrogant. However, it is rude to ever agree with a self-deprecating remark. Boasting about achievements is rarely received well. Most Australians are happy to help out a lost traveller with directions, however many urban dwellers will assume that someone asking "Excuse me", is going to be asking for money, and may brush past. Looking lost, holding a map, looking like a backpacker or getting to the point quickly will probably help. It is common in Australia to call random strangers 'Mate'. Profanities may not hold the same offensive value as they do in other English-speaking countries. Indigenous Australians[ edit ] It is best not to mention the name of a deceased person to an indigenous Australian. Though Aboriginal custom varies, it is best to avoid the possibility of offence. Permission to photograph an Aboriginal person should always be asked, but in particular in the more remote areas such as Arnhem Land. There is an old belief among them that having their photograph taken will steal their soul. Some areas of land are sacred to Aboriginal people, and require additional respect. Many areas of Aboriginal land are free to enter. Some areas carry a request from the Aboriginal people not to enter, and you may choose yourself whether or not to honour or respect that request. An example of an Aboriginal request is climbing Uluru (Ayers Rock). No law prohibits people from climbing the rock (except in heat, rain or strong winds), however, local indigenous communities (The Anangu) request that you do not climb. Uluru holds great spiritual significance to the Anangu. The Anangu feel themselves responsible if someone is killed or injured on their land (as has happened many times during the climb) and request tourists not to place themselves in harm through climbing. Many people who travel to Uluru do climb, however, so you certainly won't be on your own if you choose to do this. Some Aboriginal land requires permission or a permit, and some areas are protected and illegal to enter. You should check before making plans to travel off the beaten track. Permits are usually just a formality for areas which regularly see visitors, or if you have some other business in the area you are travelling through. Often they are just an agreement to respect to the land you are travelling on as Aboriginal land. Some Aboriginal Land Councils make them available online. If you need to refer to race, the politically correct term is Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal people is usually okay and referring to sacred sites and land as Aboriginal sites, or Aboriginal land is okay too. Avoid using Aborigine or Aboriginal as a noun to describe a person, as some people see negative connotations in these words. The contraction "Abo" is deeply offensive and should never be used. The word Native should also be avoided when referring to a person, as should colour-based terminology such as Black or White (the polite term for Australians of British or Irish descent is Anglo-Celtic). Stay healthy[ edit ] Certain areas of Australia, including the Northern Territory and Queensland , typically carry more socially conservative views. While the LGBT community is gaining more widespread tolerance travelers are advised to avoid public displays of affection. Queenland has a gay panic defense which is used to defend anti-lgbt attackers [27] . Also Queensland areas view homosexuality as a sin [28] and LGBT protections are not well enforced in Queensland so any gay visitors will likely face discrimination in the provision of goods and services [29] . LGBT travel should be discreet. Emergencies[ edit ] The number 000 (called 'triple zero' or 'triple oh') can be dialled from any telephone in Australia free of charge. This number will connect you with emergency operators for the police, fire brigade, and ambulance service. The first question that the operator will ask is which service you need. If you require assistance during a flood, storm, cyclone, tsunami, earthquake or other natural disaster you can contact the State Emergency Service in each state (except for Northern Territory) on 132 500. You will be connected with your local unit and help can be organised from there. Note that if the emergency is life-threatening, call triple zero. If you want to contact these services but the situation is not an emergency, don't call 000: you can call the police assistance line on 131 444. Poisons information advice, which can also advise on snake, spider and insect bites, is available on 131 126. Information on locating the nearest medical services can be obtained by calling 1800 022 222 (except for Tasmania). You can dial 000 from all mobile phones. Mobile phones sold in Australia recognise it as the emergency number and will use any available network to place the call. However, if you have a phone obtained outside Australia, using the universal emergency number 112 is a better idea. Using 112 will use any available network, will work even if your phone is not roaming, and will work even if the phone does not have a SIM. 112 works from Australian purchased phones too. Hearing or speech impaired people with TTY equipment can dial 106. Those with Internet connectivity can use the Internet Relay Service, via the website . Calls from fixed line (landline) phones may be traced to assist the emergency services to reach you. The emergency services have limited ability to trace the origin of emergency calls from mobile phones, especially outside of urban areas, so be sure to calmly and clearly provide details of your location. Because of the number sequence for emergency calls, around 60% of calls to the emergency numbers are made in error. Nobody will likely respond to your call unless you can effectively communicate to the operator that you need assistance. If you are in need of assistance, but cannot speak, you will be diverted to an IVR and asked to press 55 to confirm that you are in need of assistance and have not called by accident. Your call will then be connected to the police. Emergency numbers from other countries (for example, '911' in the USA) do not work in Australia. '112' will not work from a landline phone. Driving[ edit ] Keep a sense of perspective. Tourists are far more likely to be killed or injured as pedestrians, drivers or passengers on Australian roads than all the other causes of death and injury combined. Driving between cities and towns can take longer than you think, especially if you are used to freeway or motorway driving in Europe or North America. Speed limits vary by location, road and by state. Avoid the stresses of fatigue by not planning to drive too far in a day. It's also worth noting that speed limits are strictly enforced in Australia and going more than 2 kilometres over the speed limit can result in a large fine. Note also that in many places the speed limit cannot in practice be safely reached. Speed limits are indeed limits and a certain amount of credit is being given to the driver to adjust their driving habits to the conditions. Even if weather is not a factor, driving for example in Tasmania is just not possible at the posted speed limit continuously. To attempt to do so will put yourself and others in danger. A danger which magnifies at night with the immense wildlife population, and when weather is inclement. The wise motorist will observe how fast other drivers are travelling and also start out travel on unfamiliar roads well below the posted limit, and work up to a comfortable speed once the road has been evaluated as to its safety at various speeds. In practice, top limits are generally only possible in a sustained fashion on double lane freeways. Driving between towns and cities comes with a risk of hitting or crashing due to swerving to avoid wildlife. Kangaroos have a habit of being spooked by cars and then, bewilderingly, jumping in front of them. Take extra care when driving through areas with vegetation close to the road and during dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active. Wildlife is not usually an issue in major urban areas (with the exception of Canberra where a series of parks provides ample habitat for kangaroos, which often cross major roads). Urban Australians jaywalk, dodge cars, and anticipate the sequence of lights; Australians from towns and regional cities are more likely to respect the pedestrian lights. Although most drivers will stop for a red light, running the amber light is common, so ensuring the traffic has stopped before stepping from the curb is always a good idea. People from countries who drive on the right will take a while to get used to looking the correct way when crossing. Roundabouts are common, always give way to traffic already in the circle. Complete novices to right hand drive cars and left lane traffic flow will find value in visiting the local police station and picking up a free copy of the booklet used by young people who are trying to get a driving license. It will describe many Australian situations you may not be aware of, and its good as a refresher in any case. For example, it is not legal to turn left on red (or right as the case may be), which is a permitted action in many other major countries. Beaches[ edit ] Around 10-20 overseas travellers drown in Australia each year. Most of these drownings occur at ocean beaches, where statistics put visitors at significantly higher risk than locals. Check the Beach Safety website . Beach goers should swim between the red and yellow flags which designate patrolled areas. Beaches are not patrolled 24-hours a day or even during all daylight hours. In most cases the local volunteer surf lifesavers or professional lifeguards are only available during certain hours, and at some beaches only on weekends, and often only during summer. If the flags aren't up, then there's no one patrolling - and you shouldn't swim. If you do choose to swim, be aware of the risks, check conditions, stay within your depth, and don't swim alone. Hard surfboards and other water craft such as surf skis, kayaks etc., are not permitted between the red and yellow flags. These craft must only be used outside of the blue 'surf craft permitted' flags. Australian ocean beaches can sometimes have strong rips that even the strongest swimmers are unable to swim against. Rips are invisible channels of water flowing away from the beach. These channels take out the water which the incoming surf waves bring into shore. Beach goers can mistakenly use these channels or areas since they can appear as calm water and look to be an easier area into which to swim. Problems arise when the swimmer tries to swim back into shore against the outgoing current or rip, tire quickly, and end up drowning. Rips can be recognised by one or more of these signs: a rippled appearance when the surrounding water is fairly calm; foam that extends beyond the break zone; brown, sandy coloured water; waves breaking further out on either side of the rip. If you are caught in a rip at a patrolled beach, conserve your energy, float or tread water and raise one hand. The surf lifesavers will come out to you. Don't wait until you are so tired you can't swim any more. You will probably find that local swimmers or surfers will also quickly come to your aid. Usually the flags are positioned where there are no rips, but this isn't always the case as rips can move. If you are caught in a rip at an unpatrolled beach stay calm to conserve energy and swim parallel to the beach (not against the pull of the current). Most rips are only a few metres wide, and once clear of the undertow, you will be able to swim or catch a wave to return to shore. Never swim alone. Don't think that the right technique will get you out of every situation. In the surf out the back of the beach, treading water can be hard with waves pounding you every few seconds. Unless you have seen it happen, its hard to appreciate how quickly a rip can take you 50 m out to sea and into much larger wave breaks. If you are at an unpatrolled surf beach, proceed with great caution and never go out of your depth. Beach signs often have a number or an alphanumeric code on them. This code can be given to emergency services if required so they can locate you quickly. Crocodiles and Box Jellyfish are found on tropical beaches, depending on the time of year and area. Sharks occur on many of Australia's beaches. See the section below on dangerous creatures. Patrolled beaches will be monitoring the ocean for any shark activity. If you hear a continuous siren, go off at the beach and a red and a red and white quartered flag is waved or held out of the tower as it indicates a shark sighting, so make your way to shore. Once it is clear, a short blast of the siren will be sounded, which usually means that it is safe to return to the water. Cyclones[ edit ] Tropical cyclones (hurricanes) occur in the tropics during summer. Information on and advanced warnings of severe weather is available from the Bureau of Meteorology’s warning page [30] or by calling the National Telephone Weather Services Directory on 1900 926 113 (beware, premium rates apply). Floods[ edit ] In the tropical north the Wet Season occurs over the summer months of December, January and February, bringing torrential rains and frequent floods to those regions. It is not unusual for some coastal areas to be cut off for a day or two while the water recedes. It can still be a good time to visit some of the well populated, tourist-oriented areas, and, except in unusually heavy flooding, you can still get to see the pounding waterfalls and other attractions that can make this an interesting time to visit. Floods in outback and inland Australia are rare, occurring decades apart, so you would be unlucky to encounter them. However, if you are planning to visit the inland or the outback and the area is flooded, then you should reconsider. The land is flat, so the water can take weeks to move on, leaving the land boggy. Insects and mosquitoes go crazy with all the fresh water pooling around, and these things eat insect repellent for breakfast and are still hungry. Roads close, often adding many hours to driving times. Many attractions often lie on a short stretch of dirt road off the main highways, and these sections become impassable, even if the main road remains open. Plan to return in a few weeks, and the land will still be green, the lakes and rivers will still be flowing, and the bird life will still be around. The wettest period for the south of the country is usually around the winter months of June, July, and August. There is rarely enough rain at one time to cause flooding. The capital cities are rarely affected by floods, however, in recent years (2010-11 and 2013) Brisbane has been victim to devastating floods, cutting off suburban roads, damaging infrastructure and halting public transport. Additionally, after long dry periods, sudden storms can cause flooding due to hardened ground, poor infrastructure and blocked drains. Fires[ edit ] National parks and forested areas of southern Australia, including some parts of major cities next to national parks and forests, can be threatened by bushfires (wildfires) in summer. If the fire risk is extreme, parks may be closed, especially the backcountry areas, so you will need to have an alternative plan if you intend to camp or hike in parks during summer. If there is a fire in a park, it will usually be closed entirely. Entire country towns can sometimes be evacuated when there is a bushfire threatening them. Often there can be no signs of the fire at evacuation time, but you should leave early, as evacuating through a fire front is dangerous. The best advice is just to move on, and not stay around to watch. Make sure any fires you light are legal and kept under control. The fire service operates a fire ban system during periods of extreme fire danger. When a fire ban is in place all outdoor fires are forbidden. Most parks will advertise a ban, and it is your responsibility to check the local fire danger levels. Fines or even jail terms apply for lighting fires that get out of control, not to mention the feeling you may get for being responsible for the property, wildlife, and personal damage that you may cause. If you are caught in a bushfire, most fires will pass over quickly. You need to find shelter that will protect you from the smoke and radiant heat. A house is best, then a car, then a clearing, a cave, or on the beach is the best location. Wet everything what you can. Stay low and cover your mouth. Cover yourself with non-flammable (woolen) clothing or blankets, and reduce the skin directly exposed to the heat. If you have access to a tap gather water early, don't rely on water pressure as the fire front approaches. If your holiday goes no further than cities, major towns, and beaches, this won't really concern you. Water supply[ edit ] Australia is a very dry country with large areas of desert. It can also get hot. Some parts of the country are always in drought. When travelling in remote areas, away from sealed roads, where the potential to become stranded for up to a week without seeing another vehicle is very real, it is vital that you carry your own water supply (4 gal or 7 L per person per day). Do not be misled by entries on maps such as 'well' or 'spring' or 'tank' (or any entry suggesting that there is a body of water). Nearly all are dry, and most inland lakes are dry salt pans. Many cities and towns have water restrictions, limiting use of water in activities like washing cars, watering gardens, or public showers. It is common to see signs in accommodation asking visitors to limit the length of their showers. Venomous and dangerous creatures[ edit ] Australia is home to many of the deadliest species of insects, reptiles and marine life on the planet. However the average tourist is unlikely to encounter any of these in an urban environment. The vast majority of deaths from bites and stings in Australia are due to allergic reactions to bees and wasps. Some of the information spread about Australia's dangerous wildlife is blown out of proportion. However, you should take warnings about jellyfish and crocodiles seriously in the tropics, and keep your distance from snakes in the national parks and bushland. If travelling in rural areas it would be a good idea to carry basic first aid equipment including compression bandages and to learn what to do after a snake or spider bite. The cane toad that has been rampaging in its millions across northern Australia is in fact poisonous when consumed. This poses little danger to humans as long as you don't eat one, but if a cane toad is consumed by a pet or even another wild animal will almost surely lead to death. Australian Parks service has a program in the north to train indigenous wild animals not to eat cane toads, with growing success. Snakes and spiders[ edit ] Australia is home to six of the top ten deadliest snakes in the world. Never try to pick up any snake, even if you believe it to be a non-venomous species. Most people bitten by snakes were trying to pick up the snake, kill the creature, or inadvertently step on one whilst out walking. Snakes will generally try to put as much distance between themselves and you as possible, so if you see a snake while out walking, simply go around it or walk the other way. Walking blindly into dense bush and grassy areas is not advisable, as they are places where snakes may hide. For the most part, snakes fear humans and will be long gone before you ever get the chance to see them. It is common to see spiders in Australia, and most will do you no harm. Wear gloves while gardening or handling leaf litter. Check or shake out clothing, shoes, etc that have been left outside before putting them on. Don't put your fingers under rocks, into tree holes, where spiders might be. The world's deadliest spider is the Sydney Funnel Web spider, found in and around Sydney and eastern New South Wales. Until the late 1970s a bite from this spider could result in death, but anti-venom is now available. The spider is anywhere up to 5 cm large, and is usually black. If you are in an area that is known for having Funnel Web spiders and you are bitten by a spider that you believe could be a Funnel Web it is important you get to hospital as quickly as possible. Funnel Webs can seek shelter indoors when there is a lot of rain, however they are usually found under rocks, especially if recent gardening has taken place. The Red Back spider (usually easily identified by a red mark on its abdomen), is common and after a bite it is important to seek medical attention, however it is not as urgent as with a Funnel Web. Red Backs typically hide in dark places and corners. It is highly unusual to see them indoors, however they can hide in sheds, around outdoor tables and chairs and under rocks or other objects sitting on the ground. Anti-venom is available for most spider and snake bites. If bitten you should immobilise the wound (by wrapping the affected area tightly with strips of clothing or bandages) and seek immediate medical help. Do not clean the wound as hospitals can test venom residues to determine what species anti-venom should be used. If you are in an isolated area send someone else for help. The venom of some snakes (the taipan in particular) can take effect within fifteen minutes, but if the wound is immediately immobilised and you rest it is possible to delay the onset of poisoning by one to a few hours, depending on the creature. If possible, you should attempt to identify the creature that bit you (in the case of spiders it might be possible to trap it in a jar and take it to the hospital) so that the appropriate anti-venom can be administered swiftly. Unlike snakes in other parts of the world, Australian snakes have short fangs. Getting bitten means the venom will enter your lymphatic system, rather than the circulatory system, so there is no need to cut off blood flow, but the wound should be immobilised using tight bandages. You should avoid moving, as this will cause the venom to move more quickly through your body. A traditional Aboriginal method of dealing with snake bites was for the person to rest for a few days until the venom left their system and they had recovered. However, you should send for help and seek medical attention if bitten. First aid treatment for spider bites may vary in Australia compared to other areas of the world. Always seek medical advice after a bite has occurred. Jellyfish[ edit ] Travellers in northern Queensland , the Northern Territory , or northern Western Australia should be aware of the risk of fatal stings from the Box Jellyfish if swimming in the ocean between October and May. They are very hard to detect and can be found in very shallow water. Stings from these jellyfish are 'excruciating' and often fatal. Vinegar applied immediately to adhering tentacles will lessen the amount of venom injected, but immediate medical assistance will be required. The danger season varies by location. In general the jellyfish are found close to shore, as they breed in the estuaries. They are not generally found out on the Great Barrier Reef, and many people swim on the reef without taking any precautions. Seek out reliable local information. Some locals at the beach can be cavalier to the risks. Irukandji are another species of tiny (fingernail sized) jellyfish that inhabit the waters off Northern Australia and the surrounding Indo-Pacific islands. They are also very hard to see, and can be dangerous, although stings are rare. Unlike the box jellyfish they are found out on the reef. The initial bite can go unnoticed. There is debate as to whether they can be fatal, but they certainly can place a victim in hospital, and cause extreme pain lasting days. If you have nausea or shooting pains not long after emerging from the water seek medical treatment. A "stinger-suit" that is resistant to jellyfish stings costs around $100 or can be hired for around $20 a week. Blue ring octopus[ edit ] Found in rock pools around the coasts of Australia is the tiny Blue Ring Octopus. Usually a dull sandy-beige colour, the creature has bright blue circles on its skin if threatened. The Blue Ring Octopus is rare and shy. Avoid placing your hand under rocks or in crevaces in rock pools or near the shore as this is where they tend to hide. Most locals do the same. It has a powerful paralysing toxin which can result in death unless artificial respiration is provided. In the history of Australia there are only two confirmed deaths by Blue Ring Octopus. Crocodiles[ edit ] Travellers in northern Queensland, the Northern Territory or north Western Australia should be aware of the risk of fatal attacks by saltwater crocodiles in and adjacent to northern waters (ocean, estuarine and fresh water locations) between King Sound, Western Australia, and Rockhampton, Queensland. Saltwater crocodiles in these areas can reach 25 feet (about 7.5 meters) in length and can attack in water without warning. Despite what their name implies, they can be found in both salt and fresh water. On land, crocodiles usually lie motionless, but they have the ability to move with extraordinary speed in short bursts. There are relatively few attacks resulting in injury — most attacks are fatal. Dangerous swimming areas will usually have prominent warning signs. In these regions only swim in inland waters if you are specifically advised that they are safe. Since 1970 there has been about one crocodile attack on a human each year. The smaller freshwater crocodile is, unlike the saltwater, timid and will avoid humans if possible. The freshwater may attack to defend itself or its eggs or if startled. They can inflict a nasty bite but due to their small jaws and teeth this will rarely cause death in humans. Make sure to check warning signs around freshwater lakes and pools. Dangerous flora[ edit ] The Gympie bush (Dendrocnide moroides), also known as the stinging tree, is a stinging plant, whose microscopic stinging hairs on leaves and branches can cause severe pain for up to several weeks. They are mostly found in North-east Queensland, especially in rain forest clearings. However, the Gympie bush and other closely related species (there are about five) of stinging tree can be found in south-east Queensland, and further south in eastern Australia. People bushwalking in such areas are advised not to touch the plant for any reason. Crime[ edit ] Crime rates in Australia are roughly comparable with other first world countries: few travellers will be victims of crime. You should take normal precautions against bag snatching, pick pocketing and the like. There are some areas of the large cities that are more dangerous after dark, but there generally are no areas that the police refuse to patrol or that are dangerous to enter if you aren't a local. Australian police are approachable and trustworthy, and you should report assaults, theft or other crime to the police as soon as possible. Under no circumstances should you offer an Australian police officer (or for that matter, any other government official such as a customs officer) a bribe or gratuity, as this is a crime and they will enforce the laws against it. When leaving your car alone, make sure it is locked, that the windows are rolled up, and that there are no obvious targets for theft in the vehicle, as thieves will often smash windows to get at a phone, GPS or bag that is visible in the car. Racism[ edit ] Racism is a sensitive subject in Australia. There are laws against any form of racial vilification or discrimination with jail terms possible for breaches of some states racial vilification laws. It is rare to find someone who will openly express aggression towards any racial group. Australia is outwardly a multicultural and racially tolerant society. However, a very strong sense of nationalism runs high in Australia, especially in more rural communities, and this can incite racist sentiments towards foreigners. Some language used for ethnic groups that you may find offensive may not be considered offensive by the standards of some Australians. Terms such as Yank, Pom, Paki and to a lesser extent Wog are used in casual conversation in the presence of those respective nationalities, often between friends, and as such are not seen as offensive. However, tread carefully before using slang racial descriptors yourself, to avoid the possibility of offence. The indigenous population of Australia are sometimes called "Abos". This is considered a racist term. It is not offensive to use Aussie (Ozzie) to describe Australian people, in fact many Australian's use it to identify themselves, though some see it as low-brow. They are likely to apply it to things (Aussie Rules, etc.) as well as to themselves. When the chant of Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Oi Oi Oi goes up at an international sporting event, some Australians will cringe, and others will join in. Often this depends on their own perceived social standing, or their state of inebriation, or both. Scams[ edit ] Attempts to scam tourists are not prevalent in Australia; but take some precautions such as finding out a little bit about your destination. There have been instances of criminals tampering with ATMs so that cash is trapped inside them, or so that they record card details for thieves. You should check your transaction records for odd transactions after using an ATMs and immediately contact the bank controlling the ATM if a transaction seems to be successful but the machine doesn't give you any cash. Always cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN to prevent any skimming devices which have cameras recording your PIN. Illegal drugs[ edit ] Opium, heroin, amphetamines (speed), cocaine, LSD and ecstasy among other drugs are all illegal both to possess and to sell in all states of Australia. Trafficking offences are federal offences, and carry a long jail term. Australia shares information on drug trafficking with other countries, even those with the death penalty. Penalties for possession or sale of small amounts of marijuana are typically lower than for other drugs, but laws vary between states and territories. In South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory jail terms do not apply to first time marijuana offences. Small scale (personal) marijuana growing is decriminalised in the ACT, South Australia and Western Australia, so tourists can expect smoking weed to be more accepted in these places. Some states can issue on-the-spot fines for small amounts of marijuana whereas others always require a court appearance. Foreigners should not expect more lenient treatment than locals from Australian police for drug offences. Amongst the youth in Australia, minor drugs (such as cannabis) are more socially acceptable. Travellers to the main cities are more likely to experience Alcohol violence over any form of drug violence or problem, if you choose to possess an illicit substance police patrols can be high within Metropolitan areas bringing Police Dogs through even the smallest of Pubs. Skin[ edit ] Exposure to the sun at Australian latitudes frequently results in sunburn. Getting sunburnt can make you feel feverish and unwell and may take a few days or weeks to heal depending on the severity. It means you can't go back out into the sun until the sunburn fades, so getting sunburnt on the first day of your beach holiday can seriously reduce the fun of your trip. It can take as little as 15 minutes to burn in Australia on a fine summer's day. You should wear sunscreen (SPF 30+), clothing, and a hat to shade the sun. Reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours throughout the day as it wears off quickly if you are sweating or swimming. Make sure to cover all parts of your body. UV radiation in the middle of the day can be double what it is in the early morning or later afternoon, so if possible avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day. Daily UV forecasts are issued by the Bureau of Meteorology and are available online. [31] If you are heading to the beach, consider buying a sun-tent (less than $20 from discount and hardware stores). You can't hire beach umbrellas at Australian beaches, and they are very exposed. Food Preparation[ edit ] Australia's cleanliness standards are high. Restaurants are required to observe strict food preparation standards and food poisoning is no more common than it is in other first world nations. Visitors might observe Australian food preparation and vending standards far exceed their own. All food in self serve restaurants, for example, must be taken on to a plate... no food is allowed on the countertops, even a muffin in a paper wrapper. Water[ edit ] The tap water in Australia is almost always safe to drink, and it will be marked on the tap if this is not the case. The taste and hardness of the tap water will vary considerably across the country. Bottled water is also widely available. Carrying water on hot days is a good idea in urban areas, and it is a necessity if hiking or driving out of town. At sites where tap water is untreated, water sterilization tablets may be used as an alternative to boiling. Vaccinations[ edit ] Australia does not have endemic communicable diseases that will require non-standard vaccinations. Like many other countries, it will require evidence of yellow fever vaccinations on entry if you will have been in a country with a risk of infection within 6 days before your arrival in Australia. There is no rabies in Australia. Mosquitoes[ edit ] Mosquitoes are present all year round in the tropics, and during the summer in southern areas. Screens on windows and doors are common, and repellent is readily available. Ross River Virus is spread by mosquitoes in the tropics, and can make you sick for a few weeks. There have been cases of dengue fever . Malaria is not present in Australia. Medical care[ edit ] As described above, 000 is the Australian emergency services number and in any medical emergency you should call this number and ask for an ambulance and other emergency services as necessary, to attend. Australia has first world medical standards. In particular, it is safe to receive blood transfusions in Australia, as donors are screened for HIV, hepatitis and many other blood borne illnesses. However, since Australia's population density is low, parts of Australia are a long way from medical facilities of any kind. Towns with populations of 5,000 or more will have a small hospital capable of giving emergency treatment in serious emergencies, and larger towns will have a base hospital capable of routine and some kinds of emergency surgery. In severe cases, particularly any kind of injury requiring microsurgery, you will need to be evacuated to one of the capital cities for treatment. Evacuation procedures are well established and normally involve being evacuated by plane or helicopter. For this reason travel insurance or ambulance membership is highly recommended for those travelling to remote areas as helicopter evacuation could cost thousands. Capital cities will have medical centres where you can drop in, often open on weekends or until late. In country towns you may have to make an appointment, and may have no alternative other than the closest hospital after hours and weekends. You can also expect to wait a few hours if your condition isn't urgent. Australian citizens and permanent residents who live in the country can receive health care through the taxpayer funded Medicare. Travellers from New Zealand , Ireland , United Kingdom , Sweden , the Netherlands , Finland , Belgium , Italy , Slovenia , Malta and Norway are entitled to free reciprocal Medicare treatment for medical problems that occur during their visit, but should familiarise themselves with the conditions of the reciprocal arrangement. For example Irish and New Zealanders are only entitled to free treatment at a hospital, whereas the other reciprocal nationalities are entitled to subsidised treatment at general practitioners as well. No reciprocal programs cover private hospitals, and the full cost will have to be met. Consider travel insurance . If not a citizen or permanent resident of a reciprocal country, you can expect to pay around $60 to see a general practitioner, plus any additional costs for any pathology or radiology required. The charge to pay to visit a local hospital can be much more expensive, private hospitals even more so, up to $500 even if you are not admitted, and thousands if you are. Further information about reciprocal healthcare arrangements is available from the Department of Human Services [32] . Poisons Information Hotline 13 11 26. Will give free advice if any medication or poisons is taken inadvertently. Will also give advice on what treatment is necessary for things like a spider bite. Internet[ edit ] Australia offers many Internet access options for travellers. Be aware that many internet companies cap usage, finding an unlocked Wi-Fi connection is uncommon. Internet speeds generally range from ADSL speeds to Cable (30Mbps). Some cities have access to the new fibre optic network which means speeds of up to 100Mbps can be attained. Telstra is developing the world's largest WiFi network which means travellers will be able to connect to WiFi on public transport and in public areas around the nation. Terminals[ edit ] Internet cafés abound in most centres of population that normally cost $4-$5 per hour. Many internet cafés have 12-20 computers sharing a single broadband connection, sometimes making the internet painfully slow. If possible ask if you can check the speed of a café's connection before forking out $4-$5 for an hour. Public libraries usually offer some for of Internet access to travellers, either free or for a small fee. Some restrict access to email, promoting research use of their facilities. Others offer Wi-Fi as well as terminals, with Wi-Fi usually being free of restrictions. Major hotels offer Internet access, usually for a fee. It is still unusual to find in-room Internet access in smaller hotels and in motels. Most youth hostels and backpacker accommodation have at least an Internet terminal at reception. Many coffee shops offer Wi-Fi free to their customers. McDonalds has free Wi-Fi in just about all their stores. Internode [33] has free Wi-Fi hotspots, including much of Adelaide city centre. Brisbane offers free uncapped public Wi-Fi in the Queen St Mall, South Bank Parklands and a free capped amount on a handful of Wi-Fi enabled trains Perth's inner city center provides free Wi-FI to the public. Some accommodation providers offer Wi-Fi to their guests, almost always with a charge. 3/4G Wireless[ edit ] GPRS and 3G wireless Internet connections are available through all cellular phone networks. Australia has cellular networks operated by Telstra [34] , Optus [35] and Vodafone [36] , and each of the networks have several resellers with different price plans. OpenSignal provide independent cellular coverage maps of Australia . If you have a 3G/UMTS-enabled phone, make sure it supports the appropriate frequencies: 850/2100 MHz for Telstra, and 900/2100 MHz for Optus and Vodafone. Also check with your home carrier for data roaming fees (likely quite expensive). 4G LTE Networks have been rolled out via Telstra and Optus in major cities on the 1800mhz frequency band. Several carriers offer prepaid 3G access with no contract from around $25 per month with various bundles and inclusions, which can be found in shopping centres and supermarkets. For around $40 you can get a USB modem or WiFi dongle. If you plan to stay for more than a month, LiveConnected [37] (which runs on the Optus network) offer the best value mobile plans with no contracts, starting at $8 per month, however the service must be ordered online. TPG (also runs on Optus network) is another company which offers mobile and broadband services, and offers the most affordable mobile and ADSL broadband. [38] It should be noted that while most phone providers will give good coverage in metropolitan and most regional areas, Telstra's mobile network is generally regarded as to having superior coverage, particularly in less built up areas. However, their rates are often significantly higher. See coverage maps for Vodaphone [39] , Optus [40] and Telstra [41] . There are no restrictions on overseas residents getting an Australian prepaid SIM card. In fact, it is extremely easy to go into Woolworths/Safeway (Australia's largest grocery chain) and buy a SIM card over the counter, either for $2 with no pre-loaded value or $30 with $30 pre-loaded.. Take your passport for identification in case it is required. Dialup[ edit ] There are many small but reliable ISPs offering dialup Internet the $12–$15 per month flat rate range. There are also several ISPs who have a pre-paid arrangement at about $1 per hour of use. It can be surprisingly difficult to find Australian dialup ISPs with instant online signup, but they do exist (Beagle [42] is one). You can buy prepaid dialup cards for several ISP's from Dick Smith stores, for around $20 per month unlimited. In the cities, many small business mobile phone shops sell a large range of prepaid phone cards, including prepaid dial-up cards. The ISPs Dodo [43] and Planet for example have prepaid internet cards available for around $10 a month from a variety of retail outlets. If moving around, check that your ISP has an access number that can be reached via a local call from landlines nationwide (the access number starts with 019 or 13), rather than just in the ISP home city. All prepaid cards that can be purchased from Dick Smith have access from anywhere in Australia for a local call fee. Dialling codes[ edit ] The country code for international calls to Australia is 61. When dialling from overseas, omit any leading '0' in the area code. For example, the local number for the Broken Hill tourist information is 8080-3300. The area code is 08 as Broken Hill is in the Central & West area code region. To dial the number from Adelaide or anywhere else inside the same area code region you can optionally omit the area code, and just dial 8080-3300. To dial the number from Sydney or anywhere in Australia outside the area code region, you will need to dial 08 8080-3300. If you don't know your area code region, you can still dial the area code, and it will still work. To dial the number from overseas you will need to dial your local international access code (00 for most of Europe or 011 in the USA and Canada ) and then dial 61 8 8080-3300, that is drop the leading '0' from the area code. There can be many ways of writing the same number, as people try to present the number from the caller's perspective. +61 8 8080-3300 61 8 8080 3300 8080 3300 are all the same number, and the same rules apply. If you are dialling within Australia the area code must begin with a '0'. If you are dialling internationally, there is no leading '0'. Note that numbers are sometimes written as just the last six or seven digits (e.g. 311 202 is used on road signage as opposed to the full number 08 90311202 for the Laverton Shire Council in Western Australia). This occurs due to the change in the Australian numbering plan in the 1990s, where all numbers were changed and made a uniform length. In this change, the old area code was incorporated in to the start of the new, 8 digit number, and thus locals often still regard this as the 'area code' sometimes omitting it when written. These numbers are not to be confused with 13 numbers (see Special Numbers). Australian Area Code List: 01 = Special numbers (satellite phones, dial-up Internet) 02 = Central East (New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and north-eastern fringe of Victoria) 03 = South East (Southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania) 04 = Mobile phones Australia-wide (higher call charges apply). 07 = North East (Queensland) 08 = Central & West (Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and far Western New South Wales) The outgoing international dialling access code (+) from within Australia, is 0011 (note that 00 and similar codes common elsewhere in the world, will not work in Australia). Local calls are about $0.20 on most fixed lines and $0.50 per minute on all Telstra public phones. SMS from Telstra public phones costs $0.20. If calling an Australian number from a mobile phone outside Australia it is best to use the format +61880803300 with no spaces and no (0) prefixes included. If making an international call from your mobile phone from within Australia use the '+' followed by the country code, followed by destination area code, followed by the local number at the destination. Omit all leading '0' prefixes and do not include any spaces. If dialling from a mobile telephone in Australia it is not necesssary to use an international dialling prefix (such as 0011). The '+' symbol followed by the destination country code is all that is needed to access the international telephone system from your handset. Special Numbers[ edit ] Numbers commencing with 13 are charged at a local call rate, and what they connect you to can vary according to your location. They can be 10 or 6 digit numbers. For example 1300 796 222, will connect you with the Albury tourist information, no matter where you are in Australia. However, 131 008 will connect you with a different local taxi service depending on where you are. 13 22 32 will connect you to New South Wales Railways in Sydney or Victorian Railways in Melbourne. Calling 'special' numbers internationally can be problematic, or often simply impossible. Many locations will provide an alternate, ordinary number for you to call internationally. Numbers commencing with 18 are free when dialled from a payphone or fixed line, and commonly used for hotel reservation numbers, or tourist information numbers. Numbers commencing with 19 are premium numbers, often with very hefty call charges (make sure you check before dialling). Numbers commencing with 12 are operator services, and are dependent on what network you are using. Some 12 numbers may charge higher-than-usual rates. Reverse charge (collect) calls may be made by using the 12550 service, or third-parties such as 1800 Reverse (1800 738377). Note that these services may charge very high rates and should be used sparingly - it costs upward of $20 to accept a 1800 Reverse mobile call. Directory assistance is available on 1223 and international directory assistance is available on 1225. (From fixed lines, 1223 is free of charge, 1225 is upwards of $1.20). Mobile Cellular Phones[ edit ] Australia has three nationwide cellular (mobile) phone networks based on the GSM standard (900 and 1800mhz) operated by Telstra , Optus [44] and Vodafone [45] . There are also four UMTS networks, two of which are nationwide. One is operated by Telstra (UMTS 850mhz, also marketed by Telstra as Next G) and the other by Optus (a combination of UMTS 2100mhz and 900mhz). The other two networks are limited to capital cities, are on the 2100mhz band and are operated by Vodafone and Three. Vodafone have announced a nationwide 3G (UMTS) rollout on the 900mhz band. For those holding foreign SIM cards, international roaming is generally seamless onto Australia's GSM 900/1800 and 3G (UMTS/W-CDMA) networks, subject to agreements between operators. Check with your home operator before you leave to be sure. All carriers offer service in major cities, large towns, and major highways on the East Coast. No carriers offer service in unpopulated areas away from major roads. Telstra's 850mhz 3G network provides wider coverage in smaller towns and lightly populated areas. Web address for coverage maps are linked below: Vodafone [47] You can buy a cheap prepaid mobile phone in Australia with a SIM for around $40 in most retail outlets, supermarkets, and post offices, or a SIM for your existing phone at around $2-$3. You can then top it up with credit using recharge cards you can purchase at all supermarkets, newsagents, some ATMs, and other outlets. Prepaid calls cost roughly 60c per minute plus 30c flagfall, again depending on the network. SMS is generally 25c. You can buy a seemly infinite variety or packages, caps and bundles, with combinations of data, sms, call time, and SIM cards. Read the fine print, and as a rule, the more "value" that is included in your "package" or "cap", the more expensive the elements of the package are. For example call charges can rise from 60c to $1.20 per minute on a $29 cap that includes $150 value. All is fine if you stay within the minutes allowed for the cap you choose, but it can cost a fortune very quickly if you exceed what you thought you would use. There are no restrictions on overseas residents getting a Australian prepaid SIM card. Take your passport for identification in case it is required. Satellite phones[ edit ] If you need comprehensive coverage in rural and remote areas, you can use a satellite phone. Iridium, Globalstar and Thuraya satellite services are available in Australia. Expect to pay around $120 per week to hire a satellite phone, plus call costs. Satellite messaging units, which send your location and a help SMS or email, that can be hired for around $80 per week. These units are only available from specialist dealers, often only in major cities (away from the remote areas you may be visiting). You should be able to acquire or hire these units in your home country before departure if you wish. SMS[ edit ] Text messages can be sent from many public phones, using the keypad in much the same way as a mobile phone. Follow the instructions on the phone display. Post[ edit ] Australia Post runs Australia's postal service. Letters can be posted in any red Australia Post posting box, which are found at all post offices and many other locations, often on roadsides in residential areas or town centres. All stamps can be purchased from post offices, and some stamps can be purchased from newsagents and hotels. Posting a standard letter costs $1.00 anywhere in Australia (up to 250g), with rates varying for elsewhere, generally upwards of $1.85 (Canada, UK, US & Ireland costs $2.75 for under 50g). Parcels, express post and other services are also available, for rates usually upwards of $20. When purchasing stamps, make sure you specify either 'international' or 'domestic,' as the two are separate. This is due to the difference in tax between international and domestic articles. It is possible to use domestic stamps on international articles, however; this will be more expensive (and sometimes impractical due to the amount of stamps required). You cannot use international stamps on domestic services. You can receive mail via Poste Restante in any city or town. To receive mail addressed to you via the Poste Restante service, you may visit a post office and present your passport. Having mail addressed to you should stick to this format: (Full name) c/- Poste Restante (town) POST OFFICE (state) (postcode) AUSTRALIA For example, for Poste Restante addressed to John Smith visiting Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, one would write: John Smith c/- Poste Restante KALGOORLIE POST OFFICE W.A. 6430 AUSTRALIA This country guide is usable . It has links to this country's major cities and other destinations (and all are at usable status or better), a valid regional structure and information about this country's currency, language, cuisine, and culture is included. At least the most prominent attraction is identified with directions. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow !	i don't know
In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari - singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas?	Love Learning \| Home-School Activities Home-School Activities The New School Year Every new school year the quizzes get tougher, the warnings are less and the rules change, but this year is the biggest changes in school. I just finished 3 weeks of middle school and I noticed the changes. Also the lessons are getting harder like Elements of Poetry, Elemento Ng Kwento (Elements of Stories in Filipino) and Identifying Sources. I know this will get harder but I still love learning and I won’t give up. Hercules Today I have been assigned to do a research of Hercules for an essay. Hercules is well known from the DISNEY® movie Hercules. He is the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. His power was strength and at birth he strangled a snake send to kill him. Some of the things he did were to: Slay the Nemean Loin. Slay the nine-headed Learnaean Hydra. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis. Capture the Erymanthian Boar. Clean the Augean stables in a single day. Slay the Stymphalian Birds. Steal the Mares of Diomes. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon. Steal the apples of the Hesperides. Capture and bring back Cerberus. Study Time Studying is the time to relax and remember what you learned. Maybe also do some homework so you can practice. But to me it is difference. When I do my homework I think just resting my memory then recalling it. After I answer the workbook and it feels like the teacher is there. When the time is right. After remembering what you have learned you can research about your lesson so you will understand the lesson more. Also the teacher won’t tell you every think so take what you remember on scratch paper until you can format it properly. This is good to review even if you have a reviewer writing it yourself will allow you to understand more. I hope you can try this format of studying Happy Today Have you ever had a friend in need? Have you ever saw someone lonely? Did you lend a helping hand? For anyone who needs a lot of help try to talk more and you may reach your goal. If you made someone happy he can do the same to someone else. Sharing some smiles can help someone who doesn’t like you because even if he doesn’t like you he might think that you want to be friends. Happiness means a lot like it can mean friendship and caring. So share a smile today and maybe he will feel love. The Planning of a Christmas Party Merry Christmas! As you know Christmas is fun but have you tried doing it with 7 of your classmates and 2 teachers? It is very hard planning the games, emcees, performances and the food. Guess what this is 1/4 of all the trivia questions we had to pick. 1. In what country, the world’s seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? India 2. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country? Australia 3. ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The North Pole, said to be Santa’s home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 5. ‘And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning…’ is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 6. Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut? Almond 7. What is the technical name of Mistletoe plant genus, and also Latin for glutinous? Viscum (hence the words viscous and viscosity, referring to semi-solid/semi-liquid and thick sticky substances – derived from the sticky quality of mistletoe berries, and also an early word for birdlime, a sticky substance made from the berries, used to trap birds) 8. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 9. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 10. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 11. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 12. Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff? King George V 13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey drumstick? Mince pie 14. The fortified wine drink Sherry is named after what town? Jerez (Spain – in Spanish, sherry is called Vino de Jerez) 15. In Coldplay’s 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock’n’roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes’s 1975 Christmas hit – and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake’s song – I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay’s 2010 Xmas single – Christmas Lights) 16. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’? Griswold 17. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 18. Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? Oklahoma 19. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 20. What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? Monday 21. Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names Little Larry and Puny Pete for which character? (Bonus point: in which Dickens novel did the character appear?) Tiny Tim – A Christmas Carol 22. Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647? Oliver Cromwell 23. Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? Hong Kong and Macau 24. In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari – singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? Greece (the name is thought to derive from kalos-kentauros, meaning ‘beautiful centaur’) 25. Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal ‘uncia uncia’ is better known by what name? Snow Leopard 26. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe 27. In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 28. The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; Wheaties; or Durex? Wheaties 29. What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918? Anwar Sadat 30. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 31. Who composed the Lieutenant Kijé orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? Prokofiev (Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev) 32. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 33. The Latin word meaning ‘coming’ gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent (as in advent calendars – the ‘coming’ basically refers to the birth of Christ) 34. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 35. In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 36. ‘Nadolig Llawen’ means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 37. ‘Olive the Other… (what?)’, is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 38. In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? Japan (because funeral notices are customarily printed in red) 39. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 40. The surname Chandler derives from the making or selling of what? Candles When ever you think of Christmas you think of songs and dances as one of the key points. So we also had to get volunteers who ended up quitting and one was still in but was like his energy has been taken from him. This is a hard thing to do because we are all stressing even the dance groups leader. Do you want to know why? It is because it is in 5 DAYS! And doing a Christmas party’s planning in 2 weeks is impossible when there are fools blocking our way. Just saying you wont survive this without an assistant. Only here come my problem, My assist only started helping know and the secretary is doing double work. Even if I am confused with him now I still give him the credit. Plus to add with that is homework and tests. Now the only thing for you is if you will or could have survive?	Greece
Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal 'uncia uncia' is better known by what name?	December Magazine by The Camposol District Journal - issuu issuu THE Costa Cálida’s AWARD WINNING free magazine Águilas - Lorca - Totana - Condado - Alhama - Camposol - Fuente Alamo - Pto de Mazarrón - Cartagena - Calasparra - Caravaca - Cehegín - Pliego - Mula - Moratalla Merry Christmas to all our readers Spice Villa Indian Restaurant and Takeaway- 968 199 226 See our advert on page 40 see our advert on page 3 Tel: 650 631 719 JOURNAL THE Dear Readers, Here we are once again in December! It’s really becoming frightening how quickly time flies! It has been a busy time here at our office as not only have we been working hard to bring you another quality magazine with great content and features, but we have also been brainstorming and planning exactly what we will be doing in 2015 to make the magazine even better than before! Finally it seems that the colder weather has descended upon us, and the first sign that winter is approaching is when we find ourselves unable to resist the temptation to light the log burner! As our regular readers will know, “Log Burner Time” is one of my favourite times of the year! If you are considering having a log burner installed then see the advert form Llamas Chineas on page 18. These guys are the experts and can have your dream log burner installed in less than a day, and in time for Christmas! If you already have a log burner installed then don’t forget to have your chimney swept! This is really important from a safety point of view. You will find Tony the Chimney Sweeps number on page 15. This brings us to the next topic- Christmas!! There is LOTS going on in and around the area this Christmas time. To help you plan what to do and where to go, check out our Events Guide for what is going on where, and also you will find the dates and times for the Christmas Carol Services by the Wellspring Victory Church. This month in the magazine we have swapped the usual riddles and Sudoku for a Bumper, 40 Question, Christmas Quiz! Can anyone complete it without finding the answers on the internet? If so let me know and I will offer you a lucrative contract to join my pub quiz team! Also, we would like to say a huge well done once again to Mercers Estate Agents for winning the “Best Real Estate Agency in Spain” Award. Chris and his team work tirelessly and truly deserve every bit of recognition that they receive. Keep up the good work in 2015! Well folks, that about sums it up. Another year over and another to look forward to. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, from everyone here at The Award Winning Journal, we want to thank you for reading/advertising in our magazine, and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be happy, be kind, and love thy neighbour! See you in 2015!! Robert Rutherford Proud to be a climate neutral publication The Journal Spain Follow us on @ TheJournalSpain page 2 Note to all advertisers, and contributors: Any new adverts, changes to existing adverts or articles for inclusion in the following month’s magazine should be with us by no later that the 13th of the current month. Any information we receive after this time may be too late for inclusion. Thank you for your co-operation and help in making us the most popular free Lifestyle Magazine on the Costa Calida. www.thejournalspain.es Staff CONTACT US: GENERAL MANAGER Robert Rutherford [email protected] 664 287 099 FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Gemma Barnes ART WORK Danny McCarthy Insignia Graphics 618 615 903 CONTACT DETAILS www.thejournalspain.es 968 103 008 CONTRIBUTORS Dawn Llewellyn-Price John Brown Patrick Waller Shirley Ann Fisher Anne Bennett Allan Doyle Debs Jenkins TO ADVERTISE CALL: 664 287 099 2014 REF: FOB168 – SPECIAL villa with lots of EXTRAS & IMPROVEMENTS. 3 Bedrooms, 3 baths (1 EN-SUITE). Landscaped gardens. SWIMMING POOL with large terrace. Utility room. HUGE BASEMENT (potential for develop ment). Well maintained. Fully furnished. WALK to SHOPS etc! 155,000 At MERCERS we speak 5 languages fluently. We reach more markets than anyone else. We are the only true multi-lingual Estate Agency in the area. If you are thinking of selling please come and talk to us first. No one beats us on Experience, Honesty, Service or Results. If you want the best, talk to Mercers, the No1. Agent for Camposol & Mazarrón! STOP PRESS!... The Mercers team have just won the award for “Best Spanish Real Estate Agent 2014/15” in the European Property Awards…. So we would like to wish all of our past, present & future clients a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year and thank you for making 2014 such a great year! REF: ROD131 – VILLA with a GYM. Workout then jump in your own rooftop HOT TUB! 2 Bed, 2 bath (1 EN-SUITE) villa with PRIVATE POOL. Covered front porch. Fully Furnished. Air-conditioning. Great Location. Rooftop GYM or 3rd bedroom. Just reduced!. - 125,000 125,000 REF: NED239i – SUPER VIEWS from this detached 3 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom (2 EN-SUITE) villa with internal stairs. SWIM MING POOL with large area of terrace and poolside changing room and cabana. Additional terraces. Covered porch. Solarium. Fully furnished. MASSIVE under-build with lots of potential! - 155,000 155,000 The Camposol District and Independence Party Meet With Camposol Residents The CDIP hosted their first meeting with residents on the 17 of October at Marianos restaurant. With over 100 residents attending the meeting was lively with an exceptional amount of participation from the attendees. The panel introduced themselves as Tom Finnegan, Party Secretary, Pilar Garcia, Vice President, Dr Peter Pitt, President, Keith Donovon publicity director, Grahame Colquitte recruitment, Grahame Jackson Country Club representative. Peter Dahlin, Scandinavian organiser, before laying out their manifesto to the audience, with a strong emphasis on the fact that the CDIP wish to be of service to every district in the Mazarron municipality, but to start where the help is needed the most, on Camposol. Questions and comments from the audience were wide far ranging, covering the entire spectrum of problems that Camposol and the Mazarron Country Club face, and what could be done by the CDIP to find solutions to these should they win seats in the forthcoming elections. Several members of the audience joined the CDIP on the day, giving the number of party members a significant increase. “We are delighted with the number of people who came along to ask questions and pledge their support. We are committed to working relentlessly on behalf of the people, to provide them with fair and honest representation in Mazarron council.” Gibraltar-Tangier flight route to launch next March Thursdays and Sundays. As one of the world’s shortest intercontinental flights, it will link the continents of Europe and Africa in just under 30 minutes. The two cities share a long history with transport links dating back to the 1930s, but have not had an air link since the 1990s. The service is part of a wider effort by the Gibraltar Government to promote the Rock’s tourism industry, financial services and commercial affairs in Morocco. Tourism minister Neil Costa said: ““Gibraltar has enjoyed strong links with Morocco for years and thanks to the Government of Gibraltar’s initiative to allow Moroccan nationals with Schengen visas to visit for a maximum of 21 days, this will allow the discovery of Gibraltar as a unique destination for shopping and leisure. “This service will also be conveniently timed so that passengers can connect from Casablanca with one-stop at Tangier, opening up Gibraltar to the largest city in Morocco.” Flights will be operated by Royal Air Maroc’s fleet of 70 seat ATR72 turboprop aircraft and offer both economy and business seating. Ebola survivor seeks €150,000 for defamation Don’t follow the crowd A new flight route between Gibraltar and Tangier in Morocco is being launched in March next year. Moroccan national airline Royal Air Maroc will operate the service on advertise in The Journal ALL ELECTRICAL WORK UNDERTAKEN SURGE PROTECTION AND CARD METERS FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES NO CALL OUT CHARGE ON CAMPOSOL FREE ADVICE AND QUOTATIONS LEGAL & REGISTERED 617 644 339 page 4 A Spanish nursing assistant who is the first person known to have caught Ebola outside of Africa has demanded €150,000 compensation from Madrid’s health minister for comments he made which she claims “seriously damaged her reputation”. Madrid’s health chief, Javier Rodríguez, angered a large part of the Spanish population and even caused divisions within his party, Spain’s ruling Popular Party (PP), when he made a series of unfavourable comments about Teresa Romero while she was fighting for her life in hospital. Romero became infected with the Ebola virus while volunteering to help with the treatment of a repatriated priest but the 70-year-old official said that Romero may had lied about how she contracted the virus. Rodríguez then made the situation worse with remarks such as “You don’t need a Masters Degree to learn how to put on and take off a suit” or “some people are better at learning than others”. The regional health chief for Madrid eventually came close to apologising, describing his comments as “unfortunate” but Romero’s legal team, Garzón Abogados, say that that is not enough. José María Garzón told press that Rodríguez’s comments “seriously damaged the reputation and privacy” of the Spanish nursing assistant. Romero has indicated that she will donate the money to animal protection charities if she wins the case. Her own dog, Excalibur, was put down by Spanish authorities as a precautionary measure while Romero lay in hospital. An animal rights group has presented a petition demanding the resignation of Spanish Health Minister Ana Mato who oversaw the decision. a Gas & Oil lid C áRoca & Junkers Service Engineers All spare parts stocked t&TUBCMJTIFEO5IF"SFB4JODF t(BT0JM$FOUSBM)FBUJOH t8BUFS)FBUFST t4PMBS1BOFMT t8BUFS5BOLT t7BMPS#BYJ(BT'JSFT t(BT3FHVMBUPST4VQQMJFE'JUUFE t'SFF$BSCPO.POPYJEF5FTUJOH t&Y#SJUJTI(BT5JNF4FSWFE&OHJOFFS Tel: 659 761 771 email: [email protected] www.thejournalspain.es Registered for gas XJUI'3&..JO4QBJO 2014 www.thejournalspain.es 2014 n Sea u & yo e Sara m co wel to Homemade Cakes and Pastries Baked Fresh Daily Wednesday: BINGO!! Eyes Down 1pm! Full English Breakfast2 of everything! Only 3.50€ Wednesday: Quiz Night With Eddie B Every Wednesday! Fish And ChipsFresh Beer Battered Cod, Chips And Peas, 6.50€ 6-9pm Followed By Fun Quiz “Booking Advised” Thursday: Karaoke with Bernie Mac 9pm Till Late Sunday Lunches From 5.50€! Booking Advised! Full Menu With Sandwiches, Snacks And Main Meals Available In The Bar! Thursday: FAT CLUB! 11-12pm Friday: Bingo Eyes Down 7.30pm Saturdays: All Sporting Events Shown! Sunday 9pm: Fun Quiz From 9PM “The Best For Food, Drinks, Entertainment And Sports” Xmas Eve afternoon 3 till 6 Xmas spectacular 2 shows in 1, Divas and all your Xmas songs + mince pies and mulled wine with Suzy G Camposol sector A New Years Eve! The one and only party man DJ Bernie mac 9 till late Free entry but reserve table to guarantee a seat. games,prizes,music and much more.... Th best party in town! The Mayor of Mazarron Meets With Camposol Residents The mayor of Mazarrón, Francisco Garcia, has held a meeting with approximately a hundred residents of Camposol. The meeting took place at page 6 The latest figures and statistics from the Department of Industry, Energy and Tourism have reaffirmed that the tourism and hospitality sectors are key in Spain’s economic recovery. This has been noted in the record number of international visitors that holidayed in Spain this summer, and the amount of money they spent whilst here. Figures have revealed that a total of 24.4 million foreigners visited Spain between July and September, which is 8% more than in 2013, making it the best summer on record for number of visitors. This has also been reflected in the hospitality trade and the increased number of jobs generated this year in comparison to previous years, as employment in this sector rose by 6% during the third quarter of 2014. The number of international visitors also increased this year during the first nine months. Between January and September, Spain received 52.4 million tourists – 7.4% more than last year for the same period. However, August was the best month on record of all times as a total of 9.07 million visitors came to Spain, and while September only attracted 7.02 million tourists, this was still the best September ever for holidaymaker numbers. Spain is now the third most visited country in the world after America and France. It is hoped that Spain closes this year with around 62 million visitors having holidayed in this country. If this is the case, it will beat last year’s record figure www.thejournalspain.es 2014 Mariano`s Restaurant on Camposol Sector A where Francisco Garcia was accompanied by Councillor of Services, Juan Miguel Muñoz Blaya, Councillor for Foreigners, Ismael Gomez and Social Policy Councillor, Maria Martinez. During the meeting the residents of Camposol who were present were given the opportunity to inform the Mayor of a number of problems across the urbanisation, that urgently need to be addressed. Among the issues raised were the recent floods on D sector, problems with street lighting and the poor condition of road surfaces. The mayor said that these issues were being dealt with and reiterated his commitment to finding a solution to prevent large scale flooding on the urbanisation in the future. Tourism and Hospitality Are Key Sectors to Spain’s Recovery of 60.6 million. Spainâ€™s attractions It seems that many visitors are attracted to this country for itsÂ gastronomy, culture and cheap hotel accommodation. Some might say that tourists only come for the sun, sea and cheap beer. Well, they might actually be right as figures show that the consumption of coffee, wine and beer have increased substantially this year. In fact,Â beer has become the alcoholic drink that contributes the most to the Spanish economyÂ through tax revenue, the creation of Jobs and consumption. According to a survey, 70% of tourists that visit this country drink beer throughout more than half of their stay, while 47% say they drink beer every day of their holiday. This is great for Spanish beers, which are now being recognised much more in other countries and has increased the volume by which they are being exported by 10% in the last year. â€œMr Bicepsâ€? Spanish Riot Cop, Heats Up Instagram A photograph of a handsome Spanish anti-riot policeman on the forceâ€™s Instagram page has proved a winner with visitors, the latest success story for the innovative social media team at Spanish Police. The image of the agent dubbed â€˜brazacosâ€™ (Mr Biceps) accompanies a tongue-in-cheek Instagram message which reads: â€œYou and your security needs are our reason for being. If you need us, call us! 091 Policeâ€?. The picture of the officer who canâ€™t be identified for security reasons has received 2,000 likes on the social media site since it was posted in midOctober. But while it is the policemanâ€™s chiselled jaw and the bulging biceps which have caught peopleâ€™s attention, the message is also another illustration of the enormous success Spanish Police has had in reaching out to people. The PolicĂa Nacional Twitter account can now boast of 1.16 million followers, or more than US Federal Bureau of Investigations, largely thanks to the efforts ofÂ Carlos FernĂĄndez Guerra, the forceâ€™s social media manager. In early 2013, for example, his team captured plenty of attention when they tweeted tips on smuggling drugs to a Spanish cultural magazine. Even though the Policia Nacionalâ€™s award-winning social media team rounded off the â€” now deleted â€” conversation by saying â€œyou still risk a penalty for public consumptionâ€?, the message caused a Twitter storm and won them more followers. â€œWe try not to be very boring or too institutional or else people lose interest,â€? Carlos FernĂĄndez Guerra. Car Rentals &Sales â€” Van Rental now available ! Also available from Alicante, Murcia & Valencia Airports ' ' ( 2 , 2 2 322 , + , 4( )(2 , 2 (22 ) !5&6 4) 3 ) ( 3)(, , 7, 2 (22 ) 586 ,- ./- 0.1 Opening Hours Mon-Fri 09:30 â€” 14:15 and 17:00 â€” 19:30, Sat 09:30 â€” 14:15 968 199 156 !"#$$%&% Merry Christmas to all our readers page 7 insignia GRAPHICS O ffi c e : 9 6 8 1 5 2 1 91 Mobile: 6 1 8 6 1 5 903 Printing Signwriting Textile Printing Graphic Design #VTJOFTT$BSETt'MZFSTt.FOVTt54IJSUT t1PMPTt)BUTt (SBQIJDTGPS7FIJDMFTt#BSTt4IPQT Wednesday Fish and Chips 5-7pm. Fish, Chips, Mushy Peas, Bread and Butter, Tartare Sauce, ONLY6.50 TAKE AWAY ALSO AVAILABLE! Wednesday Night is QUIZ NIGHT from 8.30pm with Sue. Thursday Darts and Dominos night! Bar Open 7 Days A Week Come And Dine In Our Beautiful Restaurant With Panoramic Views 3 course Menu Del Noche for 9.95 with a choice of Starters, Mains and Desserts Regular Live Music Sunday Carvery 10.95€, Plated dinner 5.95€ On a Sunday, with Eddie B from 4pm For information and reservations please call Email: [email protected] Branch of Nazi party Golden Dawn legalised in Spain Sierra Nevada ski resort sees €3.1 million investment THE Spanish branch of neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn has been registered as a political party in Spain. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior registered the Valencia based Amanecer Dorado on the register of political parties. Party president Antonio Vicedo Valdes is a former member of extreme rightwing party Alianza Nacional. Valdes has not hidden his right-wing views and was arrested in 2001 for putting up neo-Nazi propagandist posters. Golden Dawn grew in stature in Greece last year, where they claimed 9.4% of the vote in May’s European elections – taking three seats in EU parliament. At the moment Amanecer Dorado has neither a website nor a public program, but does have a Twitter account FAMILIES will be flocking to the Sierra Nevada this season, as €3.1 million is invested in making the resort more family-friendly. The promotional campaign – which is to Don’t miss out on the opportunity to taste our famous cakes and pastries “your meeting place in the port” ±%VERYTHINGSTHESAMEEXCEPTTHENAME See our main advert on the back page page 8 be launched before the start of the season – is a joint action between the Cetura Sierra Nevada resort and the Andalucian tourist board. Three new lifts, as well as the full renovation of two existing lifts, and a new website will be among the novelties of this winter season. And as an added bonus, the price for a ski pass will remain the same for the fourth consecutive season. -ILES"ETTER7INDOW#LEANING3ERVICESFORMERLY !930ROFESSIONAL7INDOW#LEANING3ERVICES Call Derek Miles 619 877 303 or email [email protected] facebook group Miles Better Water Filters www.thejournalspain.es 2014 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA CHRISTMAS THIS MONTH – HELP I have only just finished the cleaning and swapping the summer and winter clothes around, this mild start to the winter has really put out my season clock. There’s the Christmas cards to do let alone decide what we are going to do for Christmas, did think of going away but found out today that the kennels are full already. Need another idea as long as it does not include cooking. and terracotta and there’s those nice wood effect ones too, spoilt for choice for her present. That’s two presents sorted and here I was worrying about Christmas. A lady has been in this afternoon worrying about her husband’s present and she would like to get him something special this year. So she has bought him a recliner chair that he has wanted for a long while. She was saying he prefers a chair to sitting on the sofa and I have to admit many men do. It has to be a “Men Thing”. So we are going to wrap the chair up in some nice Christmas paper for her and delivery it Christmas Eve on our way home. I have another friend who has just moved to a bigger house and I spotted all the different pots we have in stone white Shame Roy my husband already has a recliner chair so thinking cap is required again and just as I thought this Christmas lark was getting easy. Jumpers seem boring after the thought of a nice chair or the like. However we have just decorated his office come music room at home, may be a new lamp would be the thing! Shall I go for a wood or metal one? I am rather taken with the bamboo lamps we have in the showroom, a little bit different and we like different. This could be the answer and I have not left the showroom. Great news on my part as I hate shopping, all I hope is he does not read this or he will know what is coming his way on Christmas Day if I don’t get to any other shops before Christmas. 2014 Merry Christmas to all our readers Just started putting Christmas decorations up in the showroom, a bit late for the over commercial world of England but just about right for here. Going around the showroom putting out the Christmas serviettes in the glasses it dawned on me that I could give some nice beaded scatter cushions to my friend who is really into cushions on everything and her bed is cluttered with them. Glad I bought them now as they come in so many different colours and designs and make great presents. Can a girl have too many cushions? Leaving happy Christmas thoughts behind I can I remind you we are sponsors for the charity Helping Hands. This is a small band of people in a small ex-pat community in the Aguilas area. This charity helps people and animals too. They are the charity that raised over 5,000.00 Euros for Rita who had a dreadful accident while working for another charity. Helping Hands have a charity shop in Aguilas and needs help in re-stocking their shop for Christmas as there are many families in this area that need help and depend on the shop for their existence. So if you have any old clothes, unwanted household goods or toys please drop them off to us at Furniture Plus and we will deliver them to Helping Hands shop for you. Looking forward to bag loads of goodies for this Christmas, to help a small band of people to help others. In the mean time I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year from us, Chris & Roy, and our team at Furniture Plus. Don’t follow the crowd advertise in The Journal page 9 CAMPOSOL SURVEILLANCE Improved villa inspection to check that your house is in good order for your peace of mind At least one, or more, inspections of your villa every night Key hold & custody of your villa when you are away for a period of time Emergency response service included If you feel threatened or intimidated when in your villa, call our special emergency number for assistance. We will initiate the necessary measures and actions in co-operation with the Police/Guardia Civil. (Available during our normal surveillance periods) Discounted cost for specialist support if police station visit needed (Available for reporting break-in or theft from your villa) Three month / Six month / Annual contracts available 15€ + IVA per month Published and printed by Luis Canovas & Global de Servicios, Seguridad, Guarda Rural y Control, S.L. Camposol Business Center Tel: 968 103 008 Please Note: This special offer is available to ALL Poligonos on Camposol Its availability is subject to a large majority of the villas on the Poligono signing up for the service Further reduction in the monthly fee possible, depending on the size and take-up of the Poligono It is intended to begin the service from 1st January 2012 Further details available from Luis Cánovas at the Camposol Business Centre Telephone: or email 968 103 008 EARLY BIRD MENU LUNCH MENU DRINKS : Small beer, glass of wine, any soft drink, or bottle of wine per couple ANY STARTER ANY CHICKEN OR LAMB DISH WITH RICE OR NAAN BREAD ONLY 5,90 euro ANY CHICKEN CURRY WITH RICE OR NAAN BREAD Small beer, glass of wine or soft drink ONLY 9,90 euro PAPADOMS ANY STARTER ANY CHICKEN OR LAMB DISH WITH RICE OR NAAN BREAD Small beer, glass of wine or soft drink ONLY 12.50 euro between 6pm - 8pm PALACE Welcome Palace Camposol OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 12pm-3.30pm & 6pm - midnight FREE BOTTLE OF WINE WITH EVERY TAKE AWAY ORDER OVER 17 euro Tel: 968 199 298 - 631 723 832 page 10 [email protected] www.thejournalspain.es Urb. Camposol, Sector B Local 49 30875 Mazarrón, Murcia 2014 l o s o p m Ca HEALTH CLIN IC DOCTOR Dr. Daniel Lucas . Graduate of Medicine at the University of Murcia. Specialist in Clinical Immunology and Bio-Regulatory Medicine. General Practitioner for the National Health Service and member of the Emergencies Department – Hospital de la Vega. Murcia. DOCTOR Dr. Jorge Rubio . Graduate of Medicine and Surgery at the Medical School of Montevideo-Uruguay 1985, Intensive Care and Chemical Pathology Specialist. General Practitioner for the National Health Service and member of the Emergencies Department – Hospital de la Vega. Murcia DOCTOR Dr. Diana Navas Carrillo. Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Murcia. Specialist in General and Digestive Surgery. Masters in Professional Development. PhD course at the University of Murcia. Extra Training Hospital of Amsterdam (Free University Amsterdam). Surgeon at National Health Hospital Lorenzo Guirao. NURSE VIRGINIA MORENO GONZALEZ Jose Andrez Sanchez Del Alamo. Diploma in nursing in the faculty of Murcia Official Master in Emergency, Critical and Outpatient Nursing 5 years Hospital experience in A+E, and Primary Healthcare nursing. Diploma in Physiotherapy in the Catholic University San Antonio, Murcia Specialist in Sports Injuries. Club Physiotherapist for Club Deportivo Minera Master of Osteopathy from the School of Osteopath in Madrid The Camposol Health Clinic , located at the Business Centre, Sector A has launched a new membership scheme, under which any person, can join as a Camposol Health Clinic member. Membership status provides magnificent advantages to those patients who wish to utilise the benefits of our private clinic. For a small monthly fee members will receive: UNLIMITED ACCESS TO GP SERVICES The member may refer to Camposol Health Clinic GP for consultation as often as the associated patient may require, without any extra charge, just by making an appointment. UNLIMITED ACCESS TO NURSE SERVICES The member may refer to Camposol Health Clinic nurse for consultation as often as the associated patient may require, without any additional charge, just by making an appointment. Members will recieve nursing treatment with 50% discount. Access to PHYSIOTHERAPY Services Members may access Physiotherapy treatment at Camposol Health Clinic under preferential discounts and rates. FREE ACCESS SERVICES : GP PRIMARY HEALTH CARE... INCLUDED NURSE CONSULTATION... INCLUDED Membership services : PRESCRIPTIONS € 0,50 per prescription. VACCINATION€ 3,00 INJECTIONS € 3,00 SIMPLE TREATMENT ( Blood Pressure and Glucose ) € 3,00 Dressings , EARWAX PLUGS , SUTURES € 5,00 EKG € 5,00 PHYSIOTHERAPY € 20,00 KINESIOTAPE € 3,00 DRY NEEDLING € 3,00 FUNCTIONAL BANDAGE € 3,00 BLOOD TEST as per type . Camposol Health Clinic, has two types of Membership fees : INDIVIDUALS :Only € 12 per month COUPLES: Only € 20 per month COUPLES WITH CHILDREN: Only 20 per month + 5€ for each child To sign up to the membership scheme, simply bring a copy of your N.I.E and your bank details to the Campsosl Business Centre. For more detailed information please call 968 103 008 or directly at the reception of the Business Centre, Sector A. 2014 Merry Christmas to all our readers page 11 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA Wellspring Victory Church Wellspring Victory Church- Carols On Camposol Wellspring victory church are delighted to invite you to our annual Christmas carol singing around Camposol. This is the fifth year of this community event and as always everybody is most welcome. There will be traditional carols and music sung and performed by the wellspring choir and of course free mulled wine and mince pies to keep you warm. The dates are as follows Monday 15th December C5 triangle roundabout Wednesday 17th Sector A outside Cats bar Friday 19th Sector D dual carriageway near St Nicholas church Monday 22nd Sector B outside Oscars Bar or inside if too wet or cold All will start at 6.0pm and last approx half an hour. Please come along, bring your friends and join in the singing ,we will even supply song sheets for those who cant remember all the words .We hope you will feel uplifted by this traditional start to your Christmas celebrations. climates such as the Mediterranean, are now becoming more common occurrences. That’s why its important to take out a quality home insurance policy. RAIN, WIND, HAIL, SNOW & FIRE. WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HOME IS DAMAGED BY ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON. Peace-of-mind with Linea Directa We understand that your peace-ofmind is important, especially in your home. As adverse weather conditions become more common, Linea Directa will ensure you are fully covered from their diverse effects to your property and their contents. When you take out a home insurance policy from Linea Directa you can breath more easily. We can’t predict when extreme atmospheric conditions occur, but we be there to ensure that if any damage should result, you won’t have to worry. Our aim is to provide you with added peace-of-mind. General weather conditions in Spain As the climate has warmed globally, some types of extreme weather have become more frequent and severe in recent decades. Extreme heat, intense precipitation, and drought, are on the increase. Heat waves are becoming longer and hotter. Heavier rainfalls and flooding are more frequent. In a wide swing between extremes, drought is also more intense and more widespread. Small changes in the averages of many key climate variables can correspond to large changes in the weather. These changes are extremely difficult to predict and this weather variability can be extremely costly. Other atmospheric phenomena, such as hail, snow and fire, previously uncommon in regional Brian Jones & co Persianas (Shutter Blinds) Pergolas Whole House Water Filter Systems Windows, Doors, Conservatories Security Improvement Your "One Stop Shop" for all your property maintenance needs Tel 646 705 021 All Areas Covered, Monday to Saturday, Free no obligation quotes and security advice. page 12 We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 902 123 069 More information on Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.es Ba r Plumbing Works (including Boiler Supply, Repair and Maintenance) ncy rge ut e Em all O ce C rvi Se With Linea Directa you are covered for damage by atmospheric phenomena As global climate conditions vary, Linea Directa adapts their home insurance policies to ensure that customers are covered for damage resulting from some types of extreme weather. Linea Directa includes cover for these unpredictable events in their insurance policies. a P i z ri ze BAR PI Z Z ER IA JUAN Y ANA T h e pla ce wh e re ex pats m e et D ri n ks, Ta pa s, A la ca rte Me n u, Pizza s, Pa e lla s, En glish Brea kfa sts Me n u de l Di a 9 € Frida y Me n u De l Di a only 7 € A ut h e ntic Pa e lla s by pre-orde r 968 48 31 61 Avd L a Est a cion Espa rra ga l - Pu e rto L u m bre ra s www.thejournalspain.es 2014 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA WOW ! WOW ! WOW! The MAZARRÓN LIONS are totally over the moon with the response of donations from the Club, PUBS & Businesses on Camposol. We decided to run our Annual Xmas Draw again this year and the response from our benefactors has overwhelmed us that we are now able to offer at least 30+ prizes in this year’s draw. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. In no particular order, thanks to... Vista Bar, Tropicana´s, Cats Bar , Carols Hairdressing, Trevi Bar, C & M Constructions, T.J. Electricals t/a Euronics, Amber pools, The Black Bull, Multi Opticas, Holmes and Pegg, C.H.M., Just Fabulous, The Cutting Crew, Villaquest, 2 Let 2 To Sell To Buy, Liz´s Cafe, Miles Better, Bodegas Martinez, Freedom Health and Beauty, Luz Del Sol, Canadas Del Romero Social and Cultural Centre, Quality Indian Restaurant, Costa Cafe, Quick Save, Mercers, The English Butcher. The Steak Out, Tels Bar, A Sector Ferreteria , Spice Villa Indian Restaurant, and Camposol Bridge Club. Our thanks also to INSIGNIA GRAPHICS for producing our tickets at less than the cost price, all we ask now is when you see our people out and about that you help us by purchasing as many tickets as possible. If you are interested in joining the LIONS please contact Nigel Barker on 968978810 or by e-mailing us at www. lionsmazarron.org. Alternatively speak to any LION on our stall on Fridays outside of Oscars Bar on Camposol Sector B commercial Centre. We sincerely thanks each and every one of you and wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and 3 Reyes Tambien. CAMPOSOL CARPENTRY City and Guilds Qualified Construction- Installation- Renovation Kitchens, Wardrobes, Cupboards, Windows, Laminate flooring, Doors, Car Ports, and Pergolas. Plasterboard & Dry Lining Specialist • Smooth Finish Walls • No more cracks • Reduces heat loss • Improves sound proofing Also man and a transit van” removals and pickups in the local area including IKEA La V da Bistro & Bar Hours:- Monday closed Tuesday-Saturday Bar 11am till close/ kitchen 11-3 & 5-9 Sunday Bar 11-5/ Kitchen (Sunday Lunch) 12.30-4 Breakfasts from 11am, Sunday Breakfast Sandwiches Only STEAK NIGHT WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY 2 courses 9.95, 3 courses 11.50 includes a glass of wine per person British Classics Tuesdays and Thursdays FRIDAY FISH AND CHIPS Eat In Or Takeaway. Small 5.50€ and Large 7.50€ Followed by our popular Friday night fun quiz with Quizmaster Leon starts at 9pm, prizes to be won. SUNDAY ROAST LUNCH Booking Advisable Due To Popular Demand Pre Christmas lunches and dinners on Thursdays from November 27th Call Dave for a no obligation quote on 634 330 706 Email: [email protected] Serving the Public for over 30 years Free Estimates- Honest and reliable- No Job too Small page 14 RESERVATIONS CALL 625 917 425 EL PARETON - CANTEREROS www.thejournalspain.es LEO LIONS CLUB - FIRST AID TRAINING F.A.S.T. NEWS FAST apologizes for the event cancelled in October - ‘Trevi’s Bar with Elvis and Friends’, regrettably due to reasons beyond our control. We wish to convey our grateful thanks to Elvis for his generosity and support. The LEOS recently undertook First Aid training, learning life saving skills Additional thanks from Sector D for the help given, clearing debris etc following the flooding. ‘Well done’ to the LEOS, leaders and parents too! Visit the FAST STALLS - Sector B, obtain info, tickets and books. The FAST Team will be happy to provide help, information, answer questions or just chat to you! Paddy Snell John Snell - Photographs instructed by Gerry Bradshaw, Head Trainer of FAST and his assistant Sally Bridges,. Aged between 12 and 18, the LEOS now have knowledge to help in an emergency situation. They enjoyed the sessions too! What a delightful group they are, also deserving praise for B 5€ low ev dr er ys yF o rid nly ay ! RECRUITING NEW RESPONDERS FAST held an ‘Induction Meeting’ on Tuesday 14th November at The Cultural Centre in order to recruit more Responders. The morning proved to be a great success as the following week 18 people arrived at 9:00 a.m. ready and eager to commence training with Gerry Bradshaw, Head Trainer and his assistant Sally Bridges. This is great news for Camposol and the FAST Team! Keep watching for news updates! A message from the Head Trainer: Gerry has expressed his delight with the response and the enthusiasm displayed by the new Responders, so much so that he is expecting to get them all through their training by mid December. However, he has stated that FAST must not sit back on its laurels but continue to actively recruit even more people into the fold. So if there are individuals looking to learn new skills and at the same time help in this worthwhile cause for the Community please get in touch or come and see us. We will happily answer any questions you may have. F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE S TU FEA Twork URE and FEAmoney raising the voluntary FEA TURES A helping so many people. they carryFEout, Opening times 10 - 6 Monday to Friday Saturday by appointment between 10-2pm Tel: 868 188 706 / 657 713 571 Rio Guadalquivir no 1 La Estacion Esparragal Puerto Lumbreras 30891 Your first port of call when undertaking any aspect of home improvements. We are specialists in all types of general building workFrom major construction projects to fitted bathrooms, kitchens and conservatories, give us a call for a free, no obligation quote. All our team are fully qualified professionals with over 20 years construction experience in Spain. We understand that spending money improving your home is an important decision. Thats why we pride ourselves on being honest, reliable, and getting the job done right, first time, at a fair price. For more details visit our website: www.cmconstruction.es Or come and visit our office on A Sector, next to the ferriteria. Or call us: Mark: 659 159 948 - Colin: 676 306 718 CM CONSTRUCTIONS "The Name You Can Trust" 2014 legal & registered seven years Merry Christmas to all our readers page 15 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA 24 Words That Have A Different Meaning In... Liverpool 1. “Bail”. What it normally means: The temporary release of a prisoner. What it means in Liverpool: To run very fast. 2. “Wool”. What it normally means: A soft material that comes from sheep. What it means in Liverpool: Someone who doesn’t come from Liverpool, but comes from its surrounding areas. 3. “Snide”. What it normally means: Sneaky or vindictive. What it means in Liverpool: Horrible clothing. 4. “Pure”. What it normally means: Something with a uniform composition; devoid of unnecessary embellishment. What it means in Liverpool: Lots of something. page 16 5. “Laughing”. What it normally means: The physical act of expressing enjoyment. What it means in Liverpool: OK. 11. “Reds”. What it normally means everywhere else: One of the three primary colours. What it means in Liverpool: Liverpool Football Club. 6. “Last”. What it normally means: The final position. What it means in Liverpool: Bad. The “last Rolo” isn’t coveted in Liverpool. 12. “Bevy”. What it normally means: A group of people, often followed by “of beauties”. What it means in Liverpool: An alcoholic drink, often followed by vomit. 7. “Me”. What it normally means: Yourself. What it means in Liverpool: Something you own. For example, “me car”. 13. “West”. What it normally means everywhere 8. “Clobber”. What it normally means: Hitting someone or something very hard. What it means in Liverpool: Clothing. Lots of clothing. 9. “Boss”. What it normally means: A superior in your place of work. What it means in Liverpool: Anything even remotely good. 10. “Toffees”. What it normally means: Golden sweets that stick to your teeth. What it means in Liverpool: Everton Football Club. www.thejournalspain.es 2014 else: A direction on a compass. What it means in Liverpool: A twisted state of mind. singer. What it means in Liverpool: Something very good. 14. “Bird”. What it normally means: An animal that flies and sings. What it means in Liverpool: The love of a man’s life. 21. “Like”. What it normally means: To appreciate something. What it means in Liverpool: A word used instead of pausing for breath. Essentially punctuation. 15. “Swerve”. What it normally means: To veer off towards another path. What it means in Liverpool: Declining to attend an event. 16. “Bill”. What it normally means: A letter confirming the money you owe for goods or services. What it means in Liverpool: Being on your own. 22. “Bins”. What it normally means everywhere else: Containers for rubbish. What it means in Liverpool: Spectacles. 23. “Webs”. What it normally means: Spiders’ traps. What it means in Liverpool: Trainers. 24. “Minty”. What it normally means: A fresh, clean aroma. What it means in Liverpool: Somewhere dirty or scruffy. F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA included us in the service. We welcomed the opportunity to participate. Retired RAF Bandmaster Flt. Lt. Deryck Davison read a poem entitled ¨How long is a man’s life” by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda who won the International Remembrance Day Peace Prize in 1950 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 just 2 years before his death aged 69. 17. “Bills”. What it normally means: Letters confirming the money you owe for goods or services. What it means in Liverpool: Your underwear. 18. “Creased”. What it normally means everywhere else: Something unironed or poorly folded. What it means in Liverpool: Laughing a lot. 19. “Bulk”. What it normally means: A significant portion of something large. What it means in Liverpool: Laughing even more than when you were creased. 20. “Belter”. What it normally means everywhere else: A particular style of theatrical The wreath was laid by Humanist group secretary Martin Rushtons. Amid the swirl of umbrellas and a torrential downpour 15 members and friends of the Murcia Humanists attended the Remembrance Day service on Camposol at the garden of remembrance. For us this year was different as the local churches who organised the day SITUATED ONLY 4 MINUTES FROM CONDADO DE ALHAMA AND 6 MINUTES FROM CAMPOSOL! English: 642 45 04 66 Spanish: 968 00 20 02 www.amazebolz.com www.facebook.com/Amazebolz THE ULTIMATE PAINTBALL AND WATERWALKER EXPERIENCE! Merry Christmas to all our readers page 17 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA La Mariposa 968 631 008 FULLY LICENSED ACTIVITY CENTRE Music night deals; +"&c^\]ihVXXdbbdYVi^dc^cVYdjWaZ Zc"hj^iZgddb 'eZdeaZ !'m&XdjghZZkZc^c\ bZVa!bjh^X$ZciZgiV^cbZciVcYVWj[[Zi Xdci^cZciVaWgZV`[Vhi# -"&c^\]ihVXXdbbdYVi^dc^cVYdjWaZ Zc"hj^iZgddb 'eZdeaZ !'m)XdjghZZkZc^c\ bZVa!bjh^X$ZciZgiV^cbZciVcYVWj[[Zi Xdci^cZciVaWgZV`[Vhi# From 15th November 2014 to 15th December 2014 ONLY If you book 2 single quads, for 2 hours which includes 2x4 course meals - we will throw in a double en-suite room for 1 night, and 2x buffet continental breakfasts at no extra cost! So for the price of 2 single quads for 2 hours you get (65euros p.p): 2 hour tour (for 2 people on 2 bikes), evening meal, a double en-suite room & breakfast. (65euros p.p) >[ndjVgZcdilVci^c\idhiVn[dgi]Zc^\]i!Wji h^beanlVciidXdbZjeidZc_dni]Zbjh^XVcY bZVa!i]Zci]ZXdhi^h&Ă¤eZgeZghdc ;dgV) XdjghZZkZc^c\bZVaVcYi]ZZciZgiV^cbZci ;gZZb^c^Wjh[dg\gdjehd[+"-eZdeaZ^h VkV^aVWaZ!dcXZVaagddbhVgZWdd`ZY Music nights 6th Dec - Disco & Karaoke with BJ QUAD BIKING 3 NEW ROUTES Quad biking trips from 39 euros inclusive of a 4 course lunch! see website for details. Quad biking and Kayaking tours available 365 days of the year! Off road buggies now also available see website for photos and info uary 16th 19th, Jan ith virtually & th 9 r e w Decemb untain bike day includes the mo on A gentle g, 35 per pers e guide, the in th ll a t, d n e e p , m o n ty equip e EspuĂąa bike, safert to the top of thurse lunch. transpo hicle and a 4 co ve support Our famous guided walks are back December 8th, 29th January 12th, & 26th Easy to medium 3hour guided walk Only12 per person, thatâ€™s for the walk, 4 course ''Walkers meal'' and wine, beer and water on the table. Mariposa Offer January 3rd to the 7th 2015 we are offering a gentle multi activity short break for couples and groups. For people that love doing activities, but gentle activities. A sample Itinerary is.... Day 1 is a quad bike/buggy tour around the Barrancos de Gebas which is a lunar landscape (badlands area) all off road and amazing scenery so make sure you bring a camera! Day 2 Want to stand out from the crowd? VVVDROTM@ @CUDMSTQDBNL )MEN DROTM@ @CUDMSTQDBNL is a guided walk on the Sierra espuna nature reserve. Hopefully we will spot some wildlife within the park (please bring some ankle protected footwear Day 3 is a 4x4 plus kayaking tour on the beautiful stunningly blue lake (Embalse de algeciras) Day 4 is a cycle ride along a canal that is cut through the mountains. page 18 El[h)&o[Whi[nf[h_[dY[ ':Wo"DeC[ii?dijWbbWj_ed All activities are guided, all equipment is supplied. ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED, accommodation in our hotel is included, even wine and beer with your evening meal. Advertise in The Journal This would make a great Christmas present, for the person who has everything ONLY 239â‚Ź per person.! mmm$Y^_c[d[WibbWcWi$[i /,.+/'&)&#,'++&''&. www.thejournalspain.es 2014 THE ENGLISH FUNERAL DIRECTOR & MAZARRÓN’S NEW TANATORIO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP The English Funeral Service is owned and run by Tony Smith. Tony says "I am the only qualified English Funeral Director working in the Costa Calida & Costa Blanca regions. My company provides a complete 24hr English Funeral Service to the expatriate community. I am first and foremost a professional, fully qualified Funeral Director with over 27 years experience. I also offer many different ways of paying for the funeral; Spanish Funeral Insurance (see below); Golden Leaves; Register with The English Funeral Director, or simply pay at the time of the funeral. English: Tony Smith 650 631 719 Spanish: Mariano Canovas Montiel 649 821 384 WORLDWIDE FUNERAL INSURANCE WITH COVER FROM DAY ONE. Includes delaying the Funeral for minimum of 5 days CALL 650 631 719 Merry Christmas to all our readers page 19 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA Humanists of Murcia Walking Group Fifteen intrepid walkers set off on an exploration of the north, or maybe east. They took to the AP-7 and drove, at least, for an hour and a half from Mazarrón. Hotel Costa Narejos in, would you believe it, is in Los Narejos next to Los Alcázares. They have this offer on, eat breakfast and evening meal and stay for free, and Humanists being free thinkers (cheap) go for this sort of thing. The idea was to walk for four days around the La Manga area without going to La Manga. On the way to the hotel many of the group stopped off at the mines in La Union. Two hour trip with guide and train ride for group discount 10€. The first walk was a killer. Starting at Los Bellones, walking to the coast and heading towards Cabo de Palas via Calblanque. Beautiful walk with stunning scenery, only five hours. “Round the next corner” became the catch phrase. The narrow path and rope guide rail and 50m drop nearly did for Joan. Day two was a swift 3 hours from the marina in Portman to the Cenizas Battery where two 381mm guns made by Vickers and Armstrong in 1923 throw a shell 35km. A leisurely 2-hour walk up along with friendly groups of Spanish and a quick slightly steep slope down brought the group to the marina bar for a welcome caña. The third walk was around the Salinas in San Pedro del Pinetar, which have been worked since the Roman Empire. Some walkers took to the waters after covering themselves in “healthy” black mud and the beautiful bodies and complexions could be seen at dinner. The last day took the walkers back to Portman where they followed the track that the miners took to go to the mines. It was a great four days and thanks to John and Rhian for organising it. Also, thanks to the Green Freelander that guided the group to their destination, usually by quick and sometimes scenic routes. It was sorely missed on the last day when exits were not exited and pedestrians had to leap to safety in Cartagena. The next walk will be in the San Juan area led by Crazy Horse on Saturday, 13 December 2014 and there is also a Winter Solstice on Sunday 21 December. For more details, go to www.bolnuevo. com and click on “Humanists”. Wellspring Wanderers Mobile: 620 27 76 90 Fax: 968 59 29 08 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Camposol Insurances C/Castellon de la Plana,229 Urb Camposol A 30870 Mazarron (Murcia) Open Monday to Friday 10am till 1pm & 2pm till 5pm Mazarron Office Tel: 968 59 28 28 J.M.L. Professional Building Services Tel: 669 05 46 52 • GENERAL BUILDING SERVICES • BRICKLAYING • RENDERING • PLASTERING • TILING • SLABBING • ROOFING • WALL RAISING • KITCHEN AND BATHROOM REFORMS • EXPERIENCED FINCA REFORMS • EXTENSIONS • GARAGES • BASEMENTS • DRIVEWAYS • ELECTRICS • PLUMBING • CARPENTRY page 20 2014 • METALWORK • GLAZING SERVICESwww.thejournalspain.es Email:[email protected] During October the Wanderers enjoyed two great walks in this beautiful province of Murcia. Our first was in a circuit around the village of Atalaya where we walked approx 5km, following a great breakfast together at Cats Bar on Camposol. It was a lovely day for our good sized group and we enjoyed beautiful sunshine as we walked through the countryside... I even saw my first wild tortoise. the ever changing colours of the forest and hillsides was beautiful to behold.. we certainly live in a spectacular part of the world. We finished up with drinks at the campsite restaurant in El Berro to complete a wonderful walk together. For more information and pictures of our walks please check out our Wellspring Wanderers Facebook Page or contact Phil on 660 743 603. XMAS FAYRE – SATURDAY 6TH DECEMBER Our second, and more difficult walk was in the mountains. We met up at the hillside village of El Berro and then walked an 8km circuit along the forest tracks, stopping midway for a picnic lunch before continuing on to where we started out. It was quite an uphill climb back up to the village, but we took our time and enjoyed our time together. The scenery was stunning and Don’t miss Age Concern´s Christmas Fayre, at the usual venue – Cafeteria Lagarto Verde, Via Axial, Puerto de Mazarrón. Open from 11am to 3pm there will be lots to do and see. Plenty of stalls where you can get your Xmas presents, cards and plenty of cakes, pies and pastries to fill the freezer! This year we have the Carousel Choir singing carols and popular songs. The café and bar will be open all day serving breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Only 1€ entrance F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE A TU FEyou RESchance FEA to win a TUthe also gives FEA TU RES hamper. FEA Contact 634 336484 for more details. Also in December there is the Xmas social at Camposol on Wednesday 3rd and, on Tuesday 9th December, a trip to Cartagena. On 1st October our Social activities afternoon welcomed the Carousel Musical Theatre for a performance of songs from South Pacific. These were beautifully sung by the lovely ladies shown but was more than just singing it was a full production which everyone enjoyed. Our numbers were swelled by many of their friends and we were assisted by 2 lovely ladies who kindly gave up their time to make the tea and coffee. Our sincere thanks go to the Carousel Musical Theatre and all the hard work that had been put into their show and really look forward to being the first to hear their next production. We have a number of wheelchairs and other mobility equipment which we lend to our clients. When not on loan we need to store them so we are looking for a generous donor to allow us to use an underbuild (or part). Ideally on Camposol or nearby. Contact 634 310216. INDIAN RESTAURANT SECTOR B CAMPOSOL Extra Special Xmas Day Menu- Only 12.50! Includes a Small Drink and Dessert! Call for Details and Reservations! We are open 7 days a week 12pm until 3.30pm and 6pm until 12am Special lunch menu 9.95 Special evening menu 12.95 Quality cuisine Great prices & special menu of the day TAKE AWAY SERVICE Te l 9 6 8 1 9 9 1 9 8 free delivery on Camposol www.qualityindian.es and surrounding 2014 pageareas 21 Merry Christmas to all our readers er y r y ou hly r t d e an ing fres ey m o C inn idn d w ak & K r a aw e Ste ngs n mad puddi in W rd ow! a w R Pudding A nA 3 Ye a r s I ! Pre- Xmas and Xmas Day Menu Now Available: Call For Details! d a e nd ch erv g , SuLun ros Sookinoid on u b av t, mm 0 e 30- to en Ga e. 6.5 12. le ntm b, r Pi b i om m a o am o fr o is p f, L en r v a f ad iss ee ick d B h of k, C ce r oi Po Ch F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA Full English breakfast 4.00 10am-1pm (Mon-Sat) Value main meals available 12 till 3.30pm €4.95 Menu del dia €9.50 for 3 courses + coffee Menu del noche 3 courses €12.00 Fish and Chip Day Monday to Saturday Special offer 2 large fish chips & peas with a bottle of wine only €19 Childrens Menu Available: Main, Ice-Cream and Soft Drink €4.95€ Evening Menu, Sirloin, Ribeye, Fillet and Argentinian Rump, Leg of Lamb Steak, Gammon Steak, Poached Fillet of Salmon and Grilled Fresh Trout, Medallions Of Pork Tenderlion, Pan Fried Chicken Fillet and Our Famous Mixed Grill Try our Homemade Pies- Steak and Ale Chicken and Ham and More! Private Parties Catered For Come And Visit Bolnuevo´s Award Winning Restaurant please book on 968 158 499 www.elliots.es Costa Calida Country Music Club normally taught, before the live act comes on at 9 pm ---entry is €4 We now have a facebook page , where all details of our club is shown – If you would like any further information we can also be contacted at thw35@ yahoo.co.uk or 610 632 152 Saturday’s : Local Cultural Trips and Menu Del Dia. Pottery Factory in Totana, Olive Oil Factory, and Wine Bodega at Tobarra Albacete. Spaces Limited! Call or visit us for more details. Our “big screen “ night went well , with several people asking for another one ---Will do it again next April Really looking forward to our next night on Friday 5th December ---when we have the “Stetsons and Petticoat show “ with Christine and Red Strokes –This is shaping up to be the night of the year ---We don’t normally reserve tables , as Marianos is so big , but as a couple of large parties have already indicated they are coming ,their tables have already been “reserved “ We meet the 1st Friday of each month in Marianos Restaurant ,Camposol---This venue is heaven for dancers , as it is by the biggest danced floor in this area ---Starting at 7.45, requests are played , a line dance , and a partner dance are page 22 NEW BUS SERVICE! 19.30 Coach Collects At Condado to Canadas and then Roundabouts at All the Sectors on Camposol. Return journey at around midnight! Return Fare Only 3€!!!! Bokwa and fitness with qualified fitness coach Ian Field Petanca Club Tapas menu Free translation services and language exchange www.thejournalspain.es 2014 scar O ’S Oscars- The number 1 Sports & Entertainment Bar in Mazarrón bringing you the biggest acts from around Europe! Welcome to the ALL NEW Oscars Bar! LIVE SPORTS DAILY Oscars Sports Bar Come And Visit The ALL NEW Cañadas Social Centre! We are delighted to welcome you to your new Social Centre! A place where you can relax, meet with friends, join in activities and enjoy great food, drinks and company. We can help you learn the language, advise you on how to get things done in Spain and make the most of expat life here! Add to this all of our fantastic activities, from cooking lessons to our Petanca club, and we really are the place to be for all of our local residents! Canadas Del Romero Social Centre Program for December: Tuesdays 13:00 Spanish Cooking Lessons (7€ per person) 15:30 free Spanish lessons Wednesdays 16:00 Local History and Traditions Talk- Free of Charge 17:00 For the First 3 Weeks In December Every Wednesday We Will Have A Spanish Lawyer To Answer Residents Legal Questions. This service is completely FREE OF CHARGE! Thursdays 1300 Spanish Cooking Lessons Friday 19:30 BBQ Buffet and Music for only 7€ CALL US FOR MORE INFO ON 680 753 819 or e-mail [email protected] or drop into the bar and see Antonio Tuesday to Saturday after 1pm! F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA December, 2014 find out more about the Book Club, then please ring either Chris or Anne. Chatterbox Report The Chatterbox Genealogy Group also met in November , and plans to hold regular meetings in the Cultural Centre on the 4th Thursday of each month, starting at 2pm. This will be a regular slot from January 2015. The November meeting was our Christmas Fashion Show, held in Mariano’s Restaurant on Sector A, Camposol. It was very well attended, and gave us the opportunity to see and try on some lovely Christmas fashions and jewellery. A big thank you to Diane of STYLE Fashions for putting together such a professional show. The Chatterbox SEW and SEW Report: “SEW and SEW had a very good productive month again, and even managed to fit in a fabric shopping trip to Cartagena, and lunch at Death by Pasta, so we all had a good end to the day. The Chatterbox Christmas Lunch will be held on the 11th December in the Amapola Restaurant in Bolnuevo. There is still time to book your place - just ring Anne or Chris on one of the numbers below. There will also be a raffle of Christmas produce. The Committee is now putting together a programme for 2015, which we feel sure you will find has something for everyone. Details to follow, but we can tell you that at the January meeting we are having a demonstration of flower arranging. Karen, who masterminded the beautiful displays for the Flower Festival, at St. Nicholas Church, earlier this year, will be presenting this demonstration, and has promised to show us how to produce some attractive table decorations. The Chatterbox Book Club has received a lot of interest, and the first meeting took place in the Cultural Centre in November. If you enjoy reading, and would like to THE NEW ROYAL restaurant bar Turkey & Tinsel Menu Every Wednesday and Saturday Night in December, between 7pm & 9pm Every member has worked very hard for our Craft Fair, which was on the 22nd November, and we also had a stall at the F.A.S.T. Christmas Fair held in Mariano’s in late November. We hope you managed to come along and buy some Christmas presents. Donations from our Christmas Fair will be added to the monies collected from the Chatterbox Smartie Tube donations and given to the Forgetme-Not charity. Thank you ladies for all your hard work. Our weekly meetings are held Christmas Day Menu Starters Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup served with Crusty Bread Roasted Mushrooms stuffed with Stilton and Cranberry Crispy Pressed Belly Pork with Caramelised Red Onion On Friday 19th December "Special Classical Concert Pre-Show/After Show Dinner" Starters Broccoli and Stilton Soup served with Crusty Bread Farmhouse Pate served with Salad and Tostada Prawn Cocktail Main Course A choice of Roasted Turkey Crown or Prime Topside of Beef served with Sausage wrapped in Bacon, Yorkshire Pudding, Stuffing and Seasonal Vegetables Vegetarian Option Available on Request Main Course Roast Turkey Crown or Prime Top Side of Beef served with Stuffing and Seasonal Vegetables Vegetarian Option Available on Request Desserts Christmas Pudding with Fresh Cream, Ice Cream or Custard Cherry Tart with Fresh Cream, Ice Cream or Custard Baileys Cheesecake served with Fresh Cream Desserts A Choice of Seasonal Desserts 15 euro per person Coffee and Mince Pie page 24 every Monday, in the Cultural Centre on Sector B, Camposol, from 2.30pm 4.30pm. We are a very friendly group, who have lots of different skills between us, from hand and machine embroidery, lace making, dress making, and many crafts too numerous to mention. If you are interested, just ring Sue on the number below.” Contact Numbers Chatterbox: Chris Leiper 968 199 441; Anne Patrick 618 410 274 Genealogy Group: Jean Dore 968 199 080 SEW and SEW: Sue 605 737 107; Karen 696 668 084 Book Club: Chris or Anne as above Want to stand out? Low cost effective advertising The Journal 968 103 008 664 287 099 New Years Eve Dance into the New Year with Los Duques. With Hot Buffet including, Chilli Con Carne, Curry and Bolognese. 10 Euro pp Only 27.50 euro per person www.thejournalspain.es Call 968 595 864 www.mazarronentertainments.com El Alamillo Plaza, Puerto de Mazarrón 2014 Turkey & Tinsel Menu Every Wednesday and Saturday Night in December, between 7pm and 9pm (exc Wed 3rd December) Starters Broccoli and Stilton Soup served with Crusty Bread Farmhouse Pate served with Salad and Tostada Prawn Cocktail oody with W0pm r e n n ve Di m and 9.3 Main Course mas E p Christd between 7 Roast Turkey Crown or Prime Top Side of Beef usty r C serve h s t r i Starteup served w served with Stuffing and Seasonal Vegetables d So r e d lad an n a a Vegetarian Option Available on Request S i d r h o a t e C Br erved wi t and s s uce n n i Carro w m a u r and C ered P illi Sa Desserts y Batt Sweet Ch ith a Honey Lightl w s e A Choice of Seasonal Desserts l b a et Sauce ra Veg 15 euro per person h t i Tempu ng w e Cours to your liki n i a M cooked k s utter p Steaice of Sauce ic Lemon B m u R n or a cho ith a Garl n Sirloi n Baco ass w auce a e pped i S B a S r d e W i r ast y Pan F v nal en Bre Three Chick h Onion Graoes and Seaso d Kings e l l i r t t i g a r Lunch t w o a P t Ch s a o Tuesda R s h e t l i b w a y 6th t d e e g v e r V e s Janua l l A 1st Co ry Brocco R u o a r s s s t l t e s i e r t d e a r s e n R s s d e d De onal des S t P i e lton S ly. eas oup wpper or how on ce of s ith Cr Presse euro s 5 A choi usty B r d o and A Belly of 2nd Co rson read. e p r p u P e p r p o s r l o e e k r M S u w int Ra alsa or ith Ca 20 e rame Chic ita o a Honr Tempura kBen Tikka Slised Red O ey and n k Soy Dattered Veg ewers withion ipping etable a ( all s Sauce s with e . Seasonrved with D 3rd Cour Rich al Vege auphin se Bass w Red Wine tables) Beeoise or Roa and M ith a LemoSauce or Paf Wellingtst Potato an on ustard n and d n Glaze VermouFried Fille with a d Gam t t o h f S Se a Salsa.mon with auce or Honea Pinea y ( all s pple Sticky erved with 4th Cou Toffee Custa rse rd or V Pudd Lemoning, Toffee anilla Ice Merin Apple Cream) gue Pi Crumb 4 Cou e le or rses 2 0euro per pe rson “Family Christmas Open House” Thursday 18th December 5.30-7.30pm Carol Singing, Mince Pies, Santa Claus. Free Entry New Years Eve Buffet with Live Music from The Geckos Only €20 2014 Reservations Tel: 968 978 855 Merry Christmas to all our readers www.mazarronentertainments.com p a F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA ’s 4 Bowling Lanes 7 large TV screens Showing All Sports, Arcade Ga mes, 2 Pool Tables, 3 Dartboards, Internet Café & Free Wifi, 2 Full Size Snooker Tables Saturday 13th December The Fabulous Angie McKay as "Cher" New Y ear’s Eve Cabaroke with Suzy G “Keep Country Rocking” Country and Western Night Friday 30th January \Tickets 10 Euro includes Cowboy Dinner. Telephone 968 978 869 page 25 www.mazarronentertainments.com Technology A Device That Can Diagnose Disease With A Single Drop Of Blood The digital health revolution is still stuck. Tech giants are jumping into the fray with fitness offerings like Apple Health and Google Fit, but there’s still not much in the way of actual medicine. The Fitbits and Jawbones of the world measure users’ steps and heart rate, but they don’t get into the deep diagnostics of, say, biomarkers, the internal indicators that can serve as an early warning sign of a serious ailment. For now, those page 26 who want to screen for a disease or measure a medical condition with clinical accuracy still need to go to the doctor. Dr. Eugene Chan and his colleagues at the DNA Medical Institute (DMI) aim to change that. Chan’s team has created a portable handheld device that can diagnose hundreds of diseases using a single drop of blood with what Chan claims is gold-standard accuracy. Here’s how it works: One small drop of blood is dropped into a small receptacle, where nanostrips and reagents react to the blood’s contents. The whole cocktail then goes through a spiral micromixer and is streamed past lasers that use variations in light intensity and scattering to come up with a diagnosis, from flu to a more serious illness such as pneumonia -- or even Ebola -- within a few minutes. There’s also a vitals patch that users can wear to get continuous health readings -- EKG, heart rate, body temperature -- delivered to their Smartphone or the device itself via a Bluetooth link. An app called CHAS (Comprehensive Health Assessment Unit) can walk the user through the process of selfdiagnosis. The real innovation, according to Chan, is in getting all the diagnostics technologies packed together into one handheld device. By shrinking its components so much compared to traditional devices, Chan says, patients will need to give 1,500 times less blood than they would for regular tests. Since it was originally developed for NASA, the device has even been tested in simulated lunar and zero gravity. When the device finally does become available to consumers, Chan says the hope is that people www.thejournalspain.es will use the technology to make meaningful lifestyle changes based on the real, robust medical data from the device -- a step beyond what he sees as the typical fitness tracker. “It’s interesting to see how people interact with wearables,” says Chan. “A lot of them think of them as toys or gadgets. That’s not what this is. It’s really meant to help you take care of yourself when you’ve got a serious health condition.” Amazon Is Expanding Its R&D In Cambridge, U.K., With A Focus On Prime Air Drones And Speech Tech Amazon is expanding its R&D operations in Cambridge, U.K., with a plan to staff open a large research lab. Cambridge is feted for its worldclass university which, in turn, acts as a hub for concentrating science and technology talent, naturally leading to many startups spinning out from it. Amazon is evidently hoping to grab itself a larger slice of this local talent. A source familiar with the company’s plans said it will focus on Prime Air, its autonomous delivery drones project, and on expanding its speech technology R&D team. The e-commerce giant has been staffing up for Prime Air over the summer, including seeking staff in Cambridge. It has continued advertising for Prime Air positions in the U.K. university town this autumn, including a Flight Operations Engineer role posted this month, a Site Leader role posted in October and a Senior Research 2014 Scientist role posted in September. The latter asks for “experience applying machine learning approaches to complex problems,” among other skills. Amazon’s expanded Cambridge presence will also see it tool up its speech group significantly, tapping Cambridge’s pull and talent pool here too. Job roles Amazon is currently recruiting for include a Quality Assurance Engineer, a Senior Technical Program Manager and various software developer roles. Last month, Amazon unboxed Echo: a connected speaker with an always-on, voice-activated assistant linked to other Amazon services, such as streaming music playback. So it’s not a huge leap to see Amazon pushing Echo into a fully fledged voice-activated shopping portal, with making a purchase made as frictionless as saying “order me Taylor Swift 1989″ — assuming the voicerecognition technology in question is up to snuff. Hence Amazon ramping up its R&D in speech recognition. Other possible research areas that could play to Amazon’s retail interests, and that have existing researchers and startup players located in Cambridge, include computer vision technology and augmented reality — technologies that offer to spice up the online buying experience in other ways. Amazon is not the only tech giant that’s been connected to Cambridge recently. Earlier this week Apple was linked with the city, with rumors suggesting the company might be looking to establish an office there, possibly with an R&D component. Google has also previously been rumored to 2014 be interested in setting up a base in the city, although TechCrunch’s source suggested Mountain View’s interest in Cambridge may have waned for now. Other tech giants already have long established R&D labs in the city, includingNokia and Microsoft. We’ve asked Amazon for more details on its plans for its expanded Cambridge research lab and will update this post with any response. Currently the company lists U.K. development centers in London and Edinburgh, working on digital media R&D and new technologies for its global websites, respectively. Mercadona Introduce Contactless Payment Technology Mercadona has invested 5 million euro developing and installing the latest ‘contactless’ technology in all of its stores. The new ‘payment by proximity’ technology and terminals have been piloted in ten stores across the country since February this year and after seven months of developing the technology since the positive results from the pilot scheme, Mercadona is ready to launch the new operating system from 1 December this year in every single one of its supermarkets. The company has installed a total of 16,000 contactless terminals in total across its stores. What is contactless payment? The contactless payment system involves being able to pay for purchases under 20 euro with a credit or debit card, key fob, Merry Christmas to all our readers smartcard, mobile phone or other device by simply waving it over a special reader machine located at the checkout of a shop. The device with which you make your purchase, whether it be a credit card, mobile phone or key fob, has been fitted with radiofrequency identification that make secure contactless payments possible. You won’t even have to enter a PIN number in the majority of cases and all purchases are protected. How do I know if I can use my Visa card to make a contactless purchase? If your credit card has a contactless symbol on the front of it, you will be able to use it straightaway for this type of purchase. The symbol is similar to a sideways wireless symbol! What are the advantages of this system? As we are only dealing with small amounts of money, 20 euro or less, there are a great number of advantages to the contactless system. They are outlined below: Makes paying much faster and simpler You won’t have to queue up for so long You won’t get stuck if you forget your PIN number There will be no need to fiddle about looking for the right change If you are not carrying any cash, you won’t have to search around for a cash machine If you pay with your phone, you won’t even need a credit card either It’s a straightforward method of payment The contactless payment system is already popular in the UK with many popular retailers already operating it. Some of them include McDonalds, Costa Coffee, M&S, Ikea, Aldi, Spar and Waitrose. In the company’s press release, Mercadona has said that from December clients will be able to use their mobile phones to pay for their purchases as well as a credit card or other device, something which is not yet available in the UK. Mercadona commented that its own IT department and technology team of 30 experts have spent seven months developing the new system themselves. page 27 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA Dawn Llewellyn-Price Most of us here in Spain actually enjoy the local cuisine, and I would hope the ‘where’s the nearest fish and chip shop’ mentality of the traditional ‘Brit Abroad’ has waned somewhat, even if it’s alive and kicking on the Costas. Menu Del Dias, offering a sampling of the various aspects of Spanish cooking, alongside tapas, our favourite bar snack must have given everyone a taste for something truly traditional. So, when it was announced that Spanish cookery classes were about to commence at the little social centre in Canadas del Romero, wedged somewhere secret between Totana and Mazarron, it was time to rush over there, pen and notepad, camera and cameraphone at the ready. Wouldn’t want to miss anything. So, as airport schedules and relatives meant I would indeed, have to miss the first two, it was numero tres I finally rolled up for, under the guidance of Oscar and his salt pot, with translation by Antonio, and what a duo they made. Laurel and Hardy, Little and Large, Eric and Ernie, all rolled into one, as with humour, history, and that infamously bottomless salt pot the Spanish so adore, we were shown how to cook everything from alioli, to Spanish stews, Russian salad, calamares, albondigas, magre, cod in tomato sauce (not all in one day, of course) and better still got to eat it all, along with sampling Oscar’s own family produced wines. All for a modest fee, with plenty of added salt. The course had started with one day a week, and ended up rapidly evolving into two, as the large numbers of attendees meant getting them all into the kitchen to watch the hot dishes being prepared was impossibility. Silencing the background chit chat was a secondary task. But onwards we ploughed, scribbling in notepads like reporters with ‘scoops ‘Keep the blender on a slow speed and in one position’ and ‘you can use milk in summer instead of eggs’ were the secrets of decent alioli. More wine, or beer anyone? Yes, there were even men keen to know the secrets of the Spanish kitchen. There was even a demonstration of how to cut the famous ‘Jamon’ where anyone who wanted to attempt it, was handed the lengthy cuchillo. ‘Keep the blender on a slow speed and in one position’ and ‘you can use milk in summer instead of eggs’ were the secrets of decent alioli. More wine, or beer anyone? Yes, there were men keen to know the secrets of the Spanish kitchen. There was even a demonstration of how to cut the famous ‘Jamon’ where anyone who wanted to attempt it, was handed the lengthy lethal weapon required for this precision surgery, and tutored in the act of post slaughterhouse butchery on a sturdy stand. Oscar’s shoulder of pork was my favourite. Not just a lump of meat, rubbed with salt pepper and butter, this once ‘oinking’ creature was doused in brandy, beer, red wine and a slosh of water before being cooked with sliced onions and tomatoes. It came out the Blue Peter Oven (here’s one I made earlier) and we all dived on it. So, when a couple of weeks later, I entered a raffle at one of Oscar’s live music nights on Camposol, I ended up not with the technological Tablet on offer, but a leg of pork. As we Welsh say, it was lush. Try it for Christmas. Feliz Navidad! D Sector Community Group The 25th September is a day many residents on Sector ‘D’ will never forget. Their homes and gardens were shattered in a Gota Fria. Fortunately no-one was hurt but the aftermath was horrendous. Residents had to cope with the loss of cars, swimming pools, walls , gardens, garden furniture, and pollution in many pools. The Mayor, police and fire brigade were on the scene very quickly and worked endlessly to help everyone. Our thanks go to them all, including Ishmal (councillor for foreigners) for all their help in this disaster. Luckily the ‘D’ spirit quickly took over and Kaz Moore, Mike Drummond and a ALL METAL WORK & HOME SECURITY MOBILE WELDING, WE COME TO YOU! REJAS, DOORS, GATES, RAILINGS, ETC......... Allotments available to grow your own vegetables and organic produce! 5 Minutes from Camposol, 7 minutes from Condado, Finca Butron is a beautiful location where we you can have your very own piece of paradise to cultivate your own produce. Summer offer: allotment 100m2 including water, iva, maintenance, advice and general help only 29,95 children 50% discount. Special rates for long term unemployed! Call Stan on 636 050 008 www.eriksmetalwork.com [email protected] Bigger plots available Email: [email protected] or call 680 753 819 page 28 2014 SPICE VILLA F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA Indian Restaurant & Take Away New Year’s Eve Party! 30€ per person Bo Ad okin visa g ble !! Entertainment by Choice of Starters, DJ, Bollywood Dancer, Main Course Unlimited Drinks Bhangra and Fireworks Open 7 days a week 12:00 -15:00 & 17:00 till late at night Camposol Sector A - Tel 968 199 226 // www.spicevilla.es team of helpers, including help from other sectors, started the clean-up. They have worked very, very hard to clear up all the debris. A big, big thank you to you all, you know who you are. Following on from the disaster many people have come forward offering monetary help. It has been decided to set up a separate committee who will oversee the distribution of this money, which will not be given to individuals, but to help rebuild all the ‘D’ Sector common ground, to bring it back to its former glory. Different functions are being arranged and these will be advertised accordingly. On a happier note the ‘D’ Sector Christmas Party will be held on the 13th December at the Clubhouse. The cost is 15 euros for a three course meal with bottle of wine for two. Entertainment will be courtesy of Mark Ellis, a singer from Benidorm. This is the last event Lin and Les are organising as they are retiring after five years. Please let it be a really good bash, so we can go out with a bang. Ring Linda on 606874193 after the 1st December to reserve your ticket. Carol, John and Ryan from the Black Bull on Camposol Sector B would like to wish all their customers a very 2014 Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. For night to remember with a huge NYE party the festive season they have got loads with Lisa B and a FREE Buffet! Make going on! From the 1st to the 23rd of the most of this Xmas and visit the Black December they are offering a “Turkey Bull! and Tinsel” 4 course meal for only 16.95, including a bottle of wine between 2. For a work, group Carol, John and Ryan or society, Xmas gathering there really Welcome is no better place to you to the go, than the Black Bull! Call them or Pool League Starts on 2nd December drop in the bar to make a reservation! Sunday Roasts available throughout Throughout the December month of December they will still be offering their famous December 1st - 23rd Turkey & Tinsel 4 Course Menu at Sunday Roasts. This only 16.95€ including a bottle of wine for 2! Call or Ask At Xmas the Black Bar For Reservations. Bull will be hosting Christmas Eve: Children’s Party With Santa From 2pm a Bumper Xmas Raffle with the top prize being a 50 inch OPEN Christmas Day from 6pm! razor thin HD LCD Boxing Day - Football day, snacks available, normal hours TV! There are also Xmas hampers as NYE Party with Lisa B, Free Buffet!! See in 2015 in style! prizes, full of British Sunday Lunch Now Available From 12.30pm- booking advised goodies! On Xmas Eve from 2pm it is All Major Sporting Events Shown! family time at the Black Bull with the Open Monday to Saturday 9.30 till late and Sunday 10 till Childrens Xmas late Party from 2pm with a surprise visit from Call us on 634 374 381 or Website: www.blackbullcamposol.com Santa! This New Years Eve will be a Blackbull Camposol Merry Christmas to all our readers page 29 F R T S A FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE S FEA TURES FEATU RES FE ATURE FEA TURES FEATU RES FE FEA TURES FEATU FEA TURES FEA CAMPOSOL AND DISTRICT INDEPENDENCE PARTY STATEMENT OF INTENT The CDiP was formed as a response to the perceived need for independent representation by the residents of Camposol and The Country Club on Mazarron Council. Whilst Camposol and the Country Club have been amongst the largest wealth contributors (30 to 50 million Euros) to the prosperity of Mazarron, neither urbanization has received fair treatment or a reasonable share of funding available from the Town Council. We believe that the Council has clearly failed in its duty of care. We have, therefore, decided to seek representation on Mazarron Council by electing councilors, dedicated to achieving a proper distribution of council wealth. We believe that given adequate organisation we should be able to return up to five elected representatives. On achieving electoral representation, our representatives will seek the following measures. DID YOU KNOW? If you are not registered on the Padron and registered to vote by the 31st December, you will not be eligible to vote in next year’s local elections. You may be registered on the Padron but not registered to vote. You should check your registration either at the Town Hall or at the Cultural Centre on Sector B which is again open for registration between the hours of 10am and 12 noon. NOT ON THE CENSUS BY 31ST DECEMBER = YOU HAVE NO VOTE JUST BEING ON THE PADRON DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN VOTE. YOU MUST ALSO BE REGISTERED TO VOTE BY ENTRY ON THE CENSUS TOO This is a public information notice issued by the Camposol and District Independent Party. If you wish to join the CDiP or actively take part in organizing support please leave your name and address and telephone number on our e-mail address: [email protected] One of our agents will contact you shortly. If you are a member of the CRA please ensure you attend the EGM on the 16th August and vote for Proposal 3, this proposal is critical to the future of the CDiP Look out for next month’s advertisement; we will be taking you through the necessary steps to register on the Padron and onto the electoral role. N.B. The CDiP is a Spanish Political Party, legally registered in Madrid and is empowered to seek council page 30 www.thejournalspain.es 2014 office through the electorate under Spanish law. What’s going on... Michelle´s Miles Better Entertainment Guide – December 2014 Every Monday Quiz - The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf 7.30pm Bowling League – Alley Palais Camposol B Mazarron Bay Bridge Club – Hotel Playa Grande, Puerto de Mazarron 9.30am Recipes Camposol B 7pm Bingo – Cat´s Bar Camposol A 7.30pm Every Saturday Live Music at The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf & The New Royal, Puerto de Mazarrón. Free Entry. See Gig Guide. Every Sunday Lunchtime Carvery, The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf & Hotel La Mariposa, Gebas Every Tuesday Sunday Lunches – The New Royal, El Puerto de Mazarrón, La Vida, El Pareton, Elliot´s Bolnuevo, 3 Course Steak Night – The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf 15 € 7-9pm Karaoke with Bernie Mac- The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf 8pm 3 Course Steak Night – The New Royal, Puerto de Mazarron 15 € 7-9pm Fun Quiz – Cat´s Bar Camposol A 9pm Every Wednesday Poker Night Black Bull Camposol B 8pm Hotel La Cumbre, Puerto de Mazarrón Miles Better Christmas Classical Concert (Ticket Only) 12 Euro. Tel 634 382 968 Alley Palais, Camposol Sector B Cabaroke with Suzy G Saturday 20th December The New Royal, Puerto de Mazarrón Johnny Sax The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Scott James Restaurante La Proa, Puerto de Mazarron Pitu The Clover, Condado de Alhama JJ Soulman Association of San Isidro Vecinos Karen Noble Christmas Eve The New Royal, Puerto de Mazarrón Michelle & Stevie T Christmas Party (Free Entry/Buffet) Midweek Carvery – The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf From 9€ 6.308.30pm Saturday 6th December Steak Night – La Vida, El Pareton from 9.95€ inc Glass of Wine The New Royal , Puerto de Mazarrón Highway 61 Kids´Disco/Karaoke/Disco with Lisa B -Blackbull Camposol B From 7.30pm The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Andy Jones Fish and Chip Night – Trevi Bar, Camposol B 5-7pm Restaurante La Proa, Puerto de Mazarron Live Entertainment The New Royal, El Puerto de Mazarrón Two Tone – Reggae/Ska Duo from Benidorm Quiz Night With Sue – Trevi Bar, Camposol B, 8.30pm Hotel La Mariposa, Gebas Disco/Karaoke with BJ The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Chloe Leigh Bingo – Cat´s Bar Camposol A, 1pm Restaurante La Proa, El Puerto de Mazarrón Chloe Leigh Restaurante La Proa, El Puerto de Mazarrón Vanessa Vermeij Sunday 7th December Association of San Isidro Vecinos Pitu Association of San Isidro Vecinos Trio Jema (Spanish/English) New Year´s Eve Quiz Night with Eddie B – Cat´s Bar, Camposol A Every Thursday Bingo – The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf 1-3pm Quiz Night with Eddie B – The Blackbull Camposol B 8pm “Jam” Night & 3 Course Menu Del Noche – The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf 12.50€ inc drink Darts League – Alley Palais , Camposol B Darts and Dominoes Night – Trevi Bar. Karaoke with Bernie Mac – Cat´s Bar Sector A 9pm Every Friday Gig Guide Wednesday 10th December The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Suzy G Christmas Show with Turkey & Tinsel Dinner Saturday 13th December The New Royal, Puerto de Mazarron The Stoned (Rolling Stones and Rock n Roll) The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Mark Ellis (From Benidorm) Alley Palais, Camposol B Angie McKay (Free Entry. 5 Euro Menu Available) Quiz Night at The New Royal 8pm Restaurante La Proa, Puerto de Mazarrón Paco El Cubano Bridge Club – Trevi Bar Camposol B 9.30am The Clover, Condado de Alhama Sandy Fitz Find The Joker – Black Bull Camposol B 7pm Thursday 18th December Fish & Chip Nights at The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf, The New Royal, Puerto de Mazarrón, La Vida, El Pareton The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Traditional Family Christmas Open House 5.30pm – 7.30pm Carol Singing, Mince Pies and Santa!! (Free Entry) Karaoke Disco with Lisa B Black Bull Friday 19th December The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Woody!! (5 Euro or 20 Euro with Dinner) The Clover, Condado de Alhama Karen Noble Pre Christmas Party Saturday 27th December The New Royal, El Puerto de Mazarrón Los Duques. 10 Euro inc Hot Buffet. The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf The Geckos 20 Euro inc Luxury Buffet Association of San Isidro Vecinos Karaoke Mississippi (Free Grapes, Cava & Cidra) Camping Las Torres Karen Beverley Saturday 3rd January 2015 The New Royal, El Puerto de Mazarrón Snowblind The Clubhouse, Camposol Club de Golf Andy Jones &Gardens Homes Los Palacios Gardening & Community Group October and November have seen many improvements to Los Palacios (Sector A), with the Council honouring their promise to invest some funds in Camposol. Their method of liaising with the people of Camposol to gain knowledge of what improvements were needed, was to contact the Gardening Groups. This is the way forward, building working relationships and resulting in repairs to roads, paths and even the Welcome Wall being built. Our Councilor for Foreign Residents, Ismael Gómez Alonso, played a strategic part in the co-ordination of meetings and liaison between the Mayor and residents. The Council has also provided a Portacabin to extend the Friday Book Cabin. This will enable most of the books to be kept under cover just in time for the winter weather. Pauline and her ladies have been working hard cleaning and getting the cabin ready for use. A mural for the front of the cabin is planned. We are pleased to say that we have recently gained some new members. As people see the work that the Volunteers are doing, it is evident that things are moving forward. The tonnes of gravel donated by the Council has to be spread over membrane by somebody. I´m sure we are all very grateful for all the hard work of the few who give up their time to do this. Thankfully, the new members were just in time to help prepare the Memorial Park for the Remembrance Day Service on 11th November. Much hard work has been put into this to ensure the Park is at its best on the day. Our Race Night on 17th October raised €384 - €200 of which will be donated to MABS. Our next social event is the Christmas Party at the Amapola on 13th December. Martin Ross is providing the entertainment and you can enjoy a fantastic meal in the usual Amapola style. Email me on: events@ lospalacios-gardeners.com for details or see our notice board opposite the post room on the Commercial Centre. A huge thank you goes to all our sponsors who continue to support us. For details of this please see our website. Money raised goes towards gravel and membrane for the communal areas and tools to carry out the work. At the last monthly meeting we were gathering suggestions to improve our Camposol environment for the future. Watch this space for details.......... Joce Grant - Group Secretary www.lospalacios-gardeners.com Camposol ‘B CLEAN’ Gardening Group Newsletter Now the cooler months are with us we have resumed our weekly working sessions keeping B Sector tidy. The exceptionally hot dry summer has taken its toll on some of the Oleanders lining the roads, however, thanks to the efforts of a few of our members who carried on with a maintenance programme throughout the summer, damage has been limited to some of the less mature plants. Clearing the enormous amount of litter, especially from the area surrounding the commercial centre and car parks, has been quite a task. Green’ Garden Waste Containers. The green skip, provided by the council at the lower Commercial Centre car park, quickly fills up - often on the same day that it is emptied. Some individuals seem to think that it is acceptable to allow their green garden waste to spill over around the Skip. Presumably, they also think that is OK if B Clean Volunteers or Council Contractors keep having to clear up their rotting fruit and thorny palm tree cuttings. IT IS NOT. If the Skip is full, please take your rubbish to the Eco Park - just a short drive away. Council Action to Help! During the summer months we have had a number of meetings with Council Representatives who have agreed to address many of the problems that exist on Sector B. Helen and Glyn, accompanied by the Councilor for Foreign Residents, Ismael Gomez and other Officials toured around the Sector and compiled a ‘document of minimum actions’, identifying the work necessary to bring the sector up to a satisfactory standard. Work was due to have started in October but the recent severe flooding crisis on D Sector had obviously to take precedence over available resources. However, work has now started which we hope will include repairs to existing pavements and laying of new ones, replacement of curbstones, painting yellow ‘No Parking’ lines and Signs on the approaches to the Consum car park, repainting of Zebra Crossings by the shops, Road Sweeping, increased Police presence, and a number of other activities. Tree Planting. In the coming weeks we intend to plant a variety of trees along the approach road to the Commercial Centre and the recently graveled road at the side of the Rambla leading from the bottom of the dual carriageway to the bridge. A total of 50 trees - Mimosa, Jacaranda, and Acacia are in the process of being ordered and, subject to our being satisfied with the quality of the trees, we hope planting will take place within the last two weeks of November. Planting in other areas, including the road connecting B5 (Cultural Centre) to B15/B22. will follow later in the season. Please Adopt a Tree: Once the trees have been planted they will need watering regularly, especially until their roots have become established. We are proposing that each tree will be given a number and we are hoping that residents will come forward and volunteer to Adopt a Tree (or a few) and will take responsibility for the watering of the tree(s) in their care. Councilor Gomez has very kindly agreed to provide 4 Watering Points near the areas we are planting. We still need willing volunteers! The numbers coming forward to give help with the planting, weeding, litter clearing, watering, etc. are few. So...Once again… please contact us if you can offer some assistance. We meet every Tuesday morning for a couple of hours and each extra pair of hands makes a great difference. Come to our monthly meetings held on the last Tuesday of each month at Trevi’s 4 till 5 p.m. and tell us what improvements you would like to see happen on or near your poligono. ‘B Clean’ Community Group Scheme. We will be contacting all current members of the Scheme shortly, who we hope will continue to subscribe in the coming year. The scheme continues to gradually attract more members and we are grateful to all who have already joined, and to those who so kindly stop to donate as they drive past our working volunteers. Please join the scheme and subscribe just 5 euros a month to help us keep Camposol looking great. If you are willing to add your name to the growing list of members, please contact Sandy or Helen for details (See below.) The more subscribers we have - the better Camposol will look. Information: SANDY (Treasurer): 968986030 email [email protected] HELEN (Secretary) : 968199506 email [email protected] Camposol ‘C’ Green Fingers Gardening and Social Group Welcome to our lovely days of Winter sunshine, and the cold night-time temperatures! Our dedicated group of maintenance workers and volunteers still turn out regularly despite the cold mornings and we continue our search for new volunteers: Even if you aren’t resident and just holiday here you are very welcome to join us: We offer bacon or sausage butties every Wednesday as an incentive! If you’d like to offer your skills just get in touch with John, our Chairman. If you’re not able to join our working parties but you’d like to donate a raffle prize or plants, we’d love to hear from you; No offer of help is too small! We always have ongoing projects but please let us know if you have any particular task you would like us to tackle in your area? This month we have a couple of newly sponsored areas; a raised bed maintained by Quickprint and a roundabout supported by Inside Out (a great way to promote your business!). Our volunteers spread 22 tons of chippings, replacing those washed away in the Gota Fria. 10 tons were donated by Mazarron Council, arranged by councillor Ishmael Gomez. Many tons of soil were also moved to fill in holes made by the flood water and special thanks go to Mark, who repaired a hole in the Pig farm road in his own time. now, with its’ pretty planted areas and features - it is no longer looking very overgrown and ‘forgotten’ even though some of the work has been backbreaking! If you would like to become a member and enable the good work to carry on keeping our streets cleaned, swept and sprayed regularly, and know that you are giving your support to making ‘C’ one of the nicest areas to live, please contact John or your local representative. We’d like to ask any new homeowners There has been a huge demand for tickets on ‘C’ to consider joining our community to our Christmas Meal & Dance on 3rd Maintenance Scheme; our members pay December at the Golf Club with live just Euros15 per quarter to improve the music from Al Jay but there may still whole area of lower ‘C’, which is great be a few available as this goes to print; value as Green Fingers have made a vast please contact John on 634 325 427. difference to the look of our streets: Neat, Also, check chalkboards, Facebook and gravelled verges, dustbins off the roads, website for any more news http://www. water butts installed, landscaped areas greenfingersgardenandsocialgroup.com/ with benches, many new plants and trees now becoming established and repairs to kerbs and roads where needed. The Maintenance scheme and our volunteers have Pellet Stoves, Biomass Boilers undertaken these and Solar Water heating tasks only until solutions in Murcia Almeria the local council and Alicante. totally take over contact us for a no obligation chat responsibility for to discuss your requirements. Camposol ‘C’ and T: +34 697949519 it’s lovely to look E: [email protected] around our sector W: www.solpellet.com w w. cr Vi sit ist we our al bs ne er it w ia e pa ga n. co m There have been few changes to our committee this month: We’re very sorry to say goodbye to Adrian, our Project Manager for the volunteers, and his wife Jo, our treasurer. A huge thank-you to them both from us all; having worked tirelessly for many years they will be sorely missed. Lesley has taken the role of Treasurer, Coral is our new Secretary and we welcome Mark and Ken who share the post of Project Manager for our volunteers. Windows Awnings Fly Screens Pool covers Mosquito nets Walls and ceilings Glass curtains Sliding/folding doors 689 589 356 968 659 046 Librilla, Calle Totana No6 [email protected] www.cristaleriapagan.com Health &Wellbeing KIDNEY DISEASE. Introduction. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a longterm condition where the kidneys do not work effectively. CKD does not usually cause symptoms until reaching an advanced stage. It is usually detected at earlier stages by blood and urine tests. Main symptoms of advanced kidney disease include: • tiredness • swollen ankles, feet or hands (due to water retention) • shortness of breath • nausea • blood in the urine Chronic kidney disease is most frequently diagnosed through blood and urine tests. If you are at a high risk of developing CKD, you may be screened annually. Screening may be recommended if you have: • high blood pressure (hypertension) • diabetes • a family history of CKD Why does it happen. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on either side of the body, just beneath the ribcage. The main role of the kidneys is to filter waste products from the blood before converting them into urine. The kidneys also: • help maintain blood pressure • maintain the correct levels of chemicals in your body which, in turn, will help heart and muscles function properly • produce a type of vitamin D that keeps bones healthy • produce a substance called erythropoietin, which helps stimulate production of red blood cells Chronic kidney disease is the reduced ability of the kidney to carry out these functions in the long-term. This is most often caused by the strain placed on the kidneys by other conditions, most commonly diabetes and high blood pressure. Treating chronic kidney disease. There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, although treatment can slow or halt the progression of the disease and can prevent other serious conditions developing. People with CKD are known to have an increased risk of a stroke or heart attack because of changes that occur to the circulation. In some people, CKD may cause kidney failure, also known as established renal failure (ERF) or end-stage kidney disease. In this situation, the usual functions of the kidney stop working. In order to survive, people with ERF may need to have artificial kidney treatment, called dialysis. Preventing chronic kidney disease. The main way to reduce the chances of CKD developing is to ensure any existing conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are carefully managed. page 34 Some lifestyle changes can also reduce the risk of CKD developing, including: • having a healthy diet • avoiding drinking excessive amounts of alcohol • exercising regularly Diet. A healthy diet is important for preventing chronic kidney disease. It will lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood and keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (five portions a day) and whole grains. Limit the amount of salt in your diet to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day. Too much salt will increase your blood pressure. One teaspoonful of salt is equal to about 6g. Avoid eating foods high in saturated fat because this will increase your cholesterol level. Foods high in saturated fat include: • meat pies • sausages and fatty cuts of meat • butter • ghee (a type of butter often used in Indian cooking) • lard • cream • hard cheese • cakes and biscuits • foods that contain coconut oil or palm oil Sponsored by Camposol Farmacia a pub measure (25ml) of spirits. Exercise. Regular exercise should help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of developing CKD. At least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as cycling or fast walking) every week, is recommended. Smoking. Smoking increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks or strokes, and it can increase the likelihood that any existing kidney problems will get worse. If you stop smoking, you will improve your general health and reduce your risk of developing other serious conditions, such as lung cancer and heart disease. What’s safe and what’s not HEADACHES Paracetamol is safe and the best choice of painkiller to treat a headache, but avoid soluble products as they are high in sodium. If your kidney function is less than about 50%, avoid painkillers containing aspirin, ibuprofen or similar drugs such as diclofenac. These products can deteriorate the function of damaged kidneys. Low-dose aspirin of 75-150mg a day can be used if it’s prescribed for the prevention of vascular disease.You should also avoid ibuprofen if you’re taking antirejection treatment following a kidney transplant. COUGHS AND COLDS Eating some foods that are high in unsaturated fat can help decrease your cholesterol level. Foods high in unsaturated fat include: • oily fish • avocados • nuts and seeds • sunflower oil • rapeseed oil Complete Transformation • olive oil Health & Fitness What To Expect Over Time.... Healthy Weight - Improved Immunity Better Digestion - Sleep Better - Fewer Allergies - More Energy - Healthier Hair, Skin, Nails and Gums Reduced Systemic Inflammation Optimal Mental, Physical and Emotional Health Alcohol. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol will cause your blood pressure to rise, as well as raising cholesterol levels in your blood. Therefore, sticking to the recommended alcohol consumption limits is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) and English Speaking CKD. Dentist CAMPOSOL DENTAL CLINIC The recommended limits for alcohol are: Revolutionary • 3-4 units of alcohol 3 Phase Dental Cleaning! a day for men Phase 1: Plaque removal • 2-3 units of alcohol Phase 2: Complete dental surface polish a day for women Phase 3: Removal of stains caused by A unit of alcohol is Tobacco, Coﬀee, Red Wine, etc. equal to about half a pint of normal URB. CAMPOSOL-SECTOR A strength lager, a small glass of wine or 968 103 008 www.thejournalspain.es Onlyros! 30 eu 2014 Health &Wellbeing Many of the products available for coughs and colds contain a mixture of ingredients, so check the packaging carefully. Some products contain paracetamol, which is safe, but others contain high doses of aspirin, which it’s best to avoid. Many cold remedies also contain decongestants, which you should avoid if you have high blood pressure. The best way to clear congestion is by steam inhalation with menthol or eucalyptus. For coughs try honey and lemon to soothe your throat. MUSCLE AND JOINT PAINS If you have muscle or joint pain, it’s ideal to use topical preparations (applied to the skin), which are rubbed on to the painful area. Avoid tablets containing ibuprofen or similar drugs such as diclofenac if your kidney function is below 50%. Ibuprofen gel or spray is safer than ibuprofen tablets, but it isn’t completely risk-free as a small amount of the drug penetrates the skin into the bloodstream. Kidney failure About 1% of people with stage three CKD develop kidney failure, also called established renal failure or ERF. Kidney failure has a major impact on your life and the lives of those close to you. People diagnosed with kidney failure usually go through shock, grief and denial before they accept their condition. This is all for now. If you have any questions do not hesitate and ask to Camposol pharmacy team. By Jose Luis Martínez-Lozano Martínez (Pharmacist). How Cambridge 800 Helped Me, by Mel Lay needed, and I lost 14lbs in 3 weeks, and I felt really healthy. The Cambridge plan Inspired me so much that I decided I too wanted to help other people lose weight just as my Consultant Angie helped me. I underwent extensive training and am now an Accredited Cambridge 800 Consultant living and working in the Camposol & Mazarron area. I have a consultation room on Camposol and I can also come to your own home. or a programme combining Cambridge products with conventional healthy foods there is a programme for everyone. There are Shakes, Soups, Porridges, Bars, and they are delicious, nutritious and you don’t feel hungry and a choice of flavours to suit most tastes. Plus you get my one to one free confidential support to help you lose weight, stabilise your weight and all the way through into long term weight maintenance. It’s not a fad or a new diet {it’s been around for 30 years this year}, but a clinically proven, ethical way to healthily lose weight and keep it off for good, and we can also help both Type 1 and Type 2 DIABETICS lose weight with Cambridge too. So if you have tried all the diets, only to gain more weight with each attempt, why not lose weight once and for all, lose weight with Cambridge 800. For more information, or to arrange your confidential free consultation contact: Mel Lay673162695 Email [email protected] Facebook page: Cambridge800.mel.lay website www.cambridge800.es So why is Cambridge so great? It´s clinically proven, it has had numerous historical clinical trials and more than 5 currently under way. It It´s cost effective and easy to use. There are 5 different programmes, so whether it´s total meal replacement Cambridge 800 launched in Spain in 2012. It´s part of the Cambridge Weight Plan Group of Companies, formerly known as the Cambridge Diet, manufactured in the UK. Cambridge is exported all over the world and has helped millions of people to lose weight ,and importantly, keep it off for good. I knew of Cambridge as my friend is a UK Consultant and she lost her weight herself with Cambridge. My weight had steadily crept on, and although I didn’t have a lot of weight to lose, my clothes were uncomfortable and I didn’t feel like me. I wanted to get back to my previous healthy self, but I didn’t want to take 6 months to achieve my goals. I wanted something that was effective, where I was supported whilst losing weight and that was safe and proven. Cambridge offered everything that I 2014 Merry Christmas to all our readers page 35 Sports tournaments at Camposol on Weds. 12th November, where it was a pleasure to welcome 3 new guest players. A lot of praise has to go to all of the ground staff, as the course is fast becoming one of the better courses in the area. We were able to have a split start, which got us back into the clubhouse a little earlier than normal, although several players were not keen on starting with the tougher back nine. For some time whilst the cards were coming in Gerry Taylor & Les Bryon, both on 33 were looking as though we would have a tie, but then in came Ian Last of the Summer Wine. The society has played the last of our summer tournaments at Hacienda del Alamo on the 28th October where a good turnout of members ensured stiff competition for the placings. Unfortunately there was a medical emergency during the early part of the round which caused concern and put one or two off of their stroke for a while. All was well however at the end of the round, and the unfortunate player fully recovered. The cards were checked and indeed it had been close, with Geoff Braine, Dalley (pictured) with a score of 40 points. After having recently returned from hospital treatment, some members wondered whether we should drugs test him to see what he had left in his system. Seriously, well done Ian, a good effort, but wait until the handicap secretary sorts you out next month. in balance 4x wins & 3x loss. Sporting is playing good football and soon the results will come. Like with any football team, some matches are very good and other matches could be better, but always with the idea to play football. Also this year there are many young players to see. Two young English players aged 16 already made their debut in the first squad. The aim for young players to o be home grown in the region is going very well. Sporting Camposol is the only football team in the region that have only players from the Mazarron area in the team. Why is that i ask Jelco Oosterhof: main coach It’s quite simple, we have a philosophy and we stay with that. Educating young players from the region ourself. It is ridiculous that you pay money for players from another región so that they come play football over here. That stops the development of our own young players. That has nothing to do with philosophy. That has to do with shortterm results. And we do not believe in that. And that is exactly what Sporting Camposol want to achieve long term results. And that takes time. Sporting Camposol has four new main sponsors for this season. Blue Med Invest , Amber Pools, Diverty Bar Mazarron, Furniture Plus. Also in December the team is going play a futbol sala tournament in the Netherlands. This will take place on 23 and December 28. Also players are will be viewed by various professional clubs. Last season, there were two players chosen for a traineeship with an proffesionall club from the Netherlands. This will be a great experience for these young guys . For anyone that is looking for a good game of football , keep an eye on the facebook page Sporting Camposol for further news . Or by an season ticket for only 20€. Everyone is welcome , of course . By Rob The nearest the pin winner was Paul Allsop. The Christmas fun day and trophy presentations will be at Torre Pacheco on the 3rd December. Los Amigos De Mazarrón F.C Geoff Sharp [email protected] (pictured above) coming out on top with 31 points, followed in 2nd place by Dave Bennett on 29, and Mike Harrison 3rd on 28 points. The nearest the pin winner was Steve Foster. We have now started the winter season page 36 SPORTING CAMPOSOL SO FAR What happened over the last few months and what else is on the program. The results are acceptable. Sporting gone as number 8 in the league up to the primero Autonomica and Sporting is www.thejournalspain.es Mazarron’s good start to the season faltered somewhat with only one win and a draw from their next four matches which saw them drop to eighth position in mid November. However, at the time of writing, they remain only two points away from a play-off position and the return of crowd favourites Cristian and Cecilio from commitments in France should improve their chances of pushing 2014 Mazarron’s home games are normally played on Sundays with varying kick off times. Admission is just €4 with juveniles free. Los Amigos de Mazarron FC also organise a supporters’ coach to most away games, something unique in this area where away support is almost non-existent. Full details of all games, date and kick off times and coach departure times both home and away, are normally not announced until the Wednesday before the weekend on which the game is to be played and advertised in the local media, on www.mazarronfc.es, on our own Los Amigos de Mazarron FC Facebook page, and on posters at various points throughout Camposol and Mazarron. Forthcoming fixtures are:Sunday 7th December THADER ALCANARILLA (HOME) Sunday 14th December CD Alberca (Away) Sunday 21st December EF LOS ALACAZARES (HOME) Sunday 28th December NO GAME Sunday 4th January CD Lumbreras (Away) The Los Amigos monthlyLuncheon Club will not be meeting in December as we are having a “Turkey & Tinsel” Christmas Dinner at the Club House, Camposol Club de Golf on Wednesday 10th December (7pm). The cost of the three course meal is 15€. For bookings for the Christmas Dinner and information about future Luncheon Club activities please call at the weekly Los Amigos meetings or send an email to [email protected]. All the rooms we reserved for the two-night trip to Valencia in January have been taken but there is still some availability at the Expo Hotel if anyone would like to join us. We will be leaving Camposol by coach at 8.30 am on Saturday 17th January departing Valencia for the return journey at around 5 pm on Monday 19th January The cost, including coach travel and 2 nights hotel accommodation is 87.50€ per person sharing a twin/double room We require a deposit of 40€ per person to secure the booking with the balance payable by 19th December. Please email losamigosdemazarronfc@hotmail. co.uk for further details or to make a reservation for this trip. 2014 The guest speakers are former Newcastle United and Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy and former WBC World Welterweight Boxing Champion John H Stracey. Also in attendance will the the Los Amigos de Mazarron FC UK Ambassador Tony Currie. The former Sheffield United, Leeds and England International will be making his fifth visit to Mazarron to support our Gala Evening. Tickets are 40€ which includes a five course meal with beer, wine and soft drinks included during the serving of dinner and there are a limited number of VIP tickets available at 50€ which includes preferential seating and admission to a VIP Reception with the Celebrity Guests in a private room at the hotel immediately prior to the dinner. We are delighted to announce that one of the Costas’ most respected financial advisory firms will be the flagship sponsor of the Celebrity Golf Tournament which is part of Los Amigos de Mazarron FC’s March 2015 Gala Week events. Expat Pensions, the trading style in the EU of the UK-based Magna Wealth Management Ltd, is well known to many in the Mazarron area who have benefitted from Managing Director Angela South’s help and advice. Angela is a familiar figure in the area and has worked with Shirley Fisher Legal & Financial Services, in the offices they share at the Camposol Business Centre for many years. Angela said: “We are really looking forward to the Celebrity Golf Tournament and myself and my colleagues from Expat Pensions will be on hand if anyone wishes to chat about their financial affairs or ask us to look at a particular issue for them”. Alan Kennedy, John H Stracey and Tony Currie will be joining other celebrity guests and local golfers in this prestigious event which will take place on Tuesday 10th March at the Camposol Club de Golf Last year’s event proved really successful with nine teams competing for the Los Amigos de Mazarron Celebrity Golf Trophy. The winners were the Condado del Alamo “B” team captained by former Charlton Athletic player Peter Reeves. This year we are inviting even more teams to take part with a shotgun start at 9.15 am. Green fees are 25€ with buggies available at an additional cost of 10€ per person sharing a buggy. There are also a limited number of places available at a cost of 45€ per person for three players to make up a team with each of the Celebrities. Following the golf there will be a two course carvery meal in the Club House (price will be available shortly) before presentations of trophies for the winning team, longest drive and nearest the pin competitions. If you wish to take part in the golf competition please ring 634 338 770 or email losamigosdemazarronfc@hotmail. co.uk as soon as possible. Los Amigos de Mazarron FC weekly meetings are held every Thursday at the Club House, Camposol Club de Golf at 4 pm with the exception of the last Thursday of each month which is reserved for the Members Business Meeting and open to members only. The membership year runs from 1st August in each year at a cost of 10€. Membership forms are available at our weekly meetings or by sending an email to the Los Amigos Secretary, Barbara Marchant, at [email protected] If you are interested in football, or just want to take part in the various social events we will be organising or just want a chat and a drink among friends in pleasant surroundings why not join us for an hour (or two) on a Thursday afternoon? You will be most welcome. Garment Printing Office 968 152 191 Mobile 618 615 903 Merry Christmas to all our readers mum Ord ini 1 er Tickets for the 6th Annual Los Amigos de Mazarron FC Gala Evening and Dinner, to be held at the Hotel La Cumbre, Puerto de Mazarron on Wednesday 11th March are already selling very well. This year’s event is jointly sponsored for the fifth year running by Ibex Insurance of Avenida Doctor Mesa S/N, Centro Commercial, Upper Local 2, Puerto de Mazarron and our new joint sponsors The Club House, Camposol part of the Mazarron Entertainments Group. M hard for a top six spot. page 37 The ultimate flagship of the Mercedes-Benz range to come with a matching price tag. The name synonymous with luxury has been revamped two years after it was killed off, and will be used as a sub-brand for the German car maker’s most lavish S-Class in history. The MercedesMaybach S600 will be introduced from next year, and will naturally rival Rolls-Royce’s Phantom and Bentley’s Mulsanne. The Maybach will likely become the most expensive vehicle in the local S-Class line-up when it goes on sale in Australia late next year. Pricing is tipped to come in at over 400,000€. During the S600’s launch at the LA motor show, it was confirmed that Mercedes would leverage the Maybach name in the future to represent a hyper luxury derivative in other models, in the same way AMG is used to represent performance. At 5453mm long, the MercedesMaybach S600 adds 200mm to wheelbase of the standard longwheelbase S-Class and 207mm to its features. You can even opt for a hot-rock style massage function. The interior offers 159mm more leg room than the long-wheelbase S-Class, while the rear backrests can recline back to 43.5 degrees – up from the normal 19 degrees. First Official Photos of the Bentley Grand Convertible Bentley has lopped the top off the Mulsanne in this shapely decapitation called the Bentley Grand Convertible. And if you’re wondering if this looks suspiciously production-ready, we’d agree with you. Although Bentley will only say, for now, that it’s ‘developed to signify Bentley’s intentions for the future.’ We’ll take that as a production certainty, then. The company are calling this ‘the most sophisticated open-top car ever created by Bentley’. There are no tricky folding hard tops at play here, just a very thick, very expensive canvas folding hood. It folds flat beneath a stunning burr walnut tonneau cover - said to be the largest single-piece veneer ever applied to a Bentley. It’s mirror-finished, darkstained and steel-tipped for that lovingly The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is said to be the quietest car in the world in terms of road and wind noise, with a drag co-efficient of 0.26. Withstanding that feature, Mercedes has also introduced voice-amplification technology that allows front and rear seat occupants to converse without having to raise their voices. “The history of prestige vehicles made by Daimler extends back to the earliest days of the motor car,” Mercedes-Benz board member for sales, Ola Kallenius, said. “We have now commenced a new chapter with the MercedesMaybach S-Class. CAR VINYL WRAPPING As an addition to the portfolio of S-Class sedans, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sets new standards in the luxury segment,” he t8JOEPXUJOUJOHQSPUFDUT claimed. DBSJOUFSJPSTBOEUIFQFPQMFXIPPDDVQZUIFN Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre V12 producing 390kW of t*GZPVIBWFTVOCMFBDIFEPSDSBDLFE power and 830Nm of torque from as QBJOUXPSLXIZOPUDPOTJEFSWJOZMXSBQQJOH low as 1900rpm. The engine is tied to a sevent)PNF8JOEPX %PPSBOE$POTFSWBUPSZ5JOUJOH speed automatic transmission, with fuel consumption rated at 11.7L/100km combined. There is also speculation the Maybach will be offered with a biturbo V8 engine WINDOW TINTING overall length. In total it measures 186mm longer than the longwheelbase Audi A8, 241mm longer than the long-wheelbase BMW 7 Series, 206mm longer than the long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ and 54mm longer than the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Inside are reclining hand-stitched rear seats and a unique fragrance filtered through the cabin by the Air-Balance perfume pack in the glovebox. There are optional champagne flutes, heated and cooled drink holders, a panoramic sunroof, pop-up picnic tables, a Designo leather headliner and a premium Burmester 3D stereo, among myriad other page 38 UK: 07542 445 885 ESP: +34 644 953 514 [email protected] /NP SKINZ www.thejournalspain.es 2014 hand-crafted Bentley look. Although it’s suspiciously similar to Rolls’ decking on their upmarket cabrios… Wolfgang Durheimer, Bentley’s former-and-now-back-in-the-hot-seat chairman and CEO, said: ‘This concept demonstrates Bentley’s ability to create There’s a 530bhp 6.8-litre twin-turbo V8, mustering a more-than-adequate 811lb ft of torque. No performance figures have been issued yet. Note also the Sequin blue paint job (originally created to match a customer’s dressing gown!) and contrasting liquid metal finish to the bonnet and windscreen frame. Remind you of anything? Yes, it’s a Xerox job on RollsRoyce’s twin-tone Phantom and Ghost to these eyes. Volkswagen reveals hot Golf R estate a pinnacle convertible Grand Tourer, while embodying elegance beyond compare. With this car we combine the opulent Mulsanne experience with the full sensory indulgence of open-air touring, continuing to unite luxury and performance in new ways. ‘We are eagerly awaiting the response of our customers to this car. We will ensure that this car - if it reaches the roads – will be a highly exclusive, extremely limited collector’s piece.’ There are no surprises under the bonnet. The fourth-generation Volkswagen Golf R line-up has been extended with the launch of a rapid new estate model. Re-Plate Your Car In Line With The New Spanish Law. We Make It Simple And Hassle Free. Call For Details. E Revealed at the Los Angeles motor show, the Golf R estate is slated for UK delivery next spring. Power comes from the same turbocharged 2.0-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine as the existing three- and five-door hatchback versions of the Golf R. With 296bhp and 380lb ft of torque, it drives through a standard six-speed dual shift gearbox and multi-plate clutch fourwheel drive system to provide the Golf R estate with an official 0-62mph time of 5.1sec and limited 155mph top speed along with combined fuel consumption of 40.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 163g/ km. Load capacity increases by 262-litres over the fivedoor Golf R, at 605 litres, extending to 1620 litres when the rear seats are folded away. The car has been spotted testing at the Nürburgring in various guises this year, with the project reputedly given the green light due to the flexibility of the R badge compared to other VW offerings like the GTI line-up Property, Financial and Legal CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Yes - its that time of year again ! I would like to extend to all my clients past and future all good wishes for the Christmas Season and the New Year – Feliz Navidad! For a lot of us this is a wonderful time of year – when we will be with our friends and families and partaking of the usual Christmas festivities. Goodwill to all men being the theme – although it can be a time of mixed feelings and a time of great loneliness for some people without family or friends. So its an opportunity for us to impart goodwill and think of those less fortunate than ourselves. We also should take time to remember all those people who were killed in the Great Wars or gave service for our country and those who will be away from their families because of active service. This time of year also gives us an opportunity for reflection – how we spent Christmases past and how different it is now we are living in Spain. Maybe you go back to see your family or perhaps you split the Christmas and New Year into two parts so that you can CAB494 divide your time on both sides of the water. It can be a good opportunity to think about your legal and financial affairs and make arrangements to put them in order or at least to make Legal & Financial Services a list addressing The ONLY qualified and experienced UK Lawyer in your concerns. this area providing a comprehensive range of services These issues could covering English and Spanish matters including involve anything QROPS Pension transfers to unlock your UK private at all ie property, pension Wills (Spanish or UK) tax or pension For an initial discussion please telephone 634 053 976 issues. I would or email:[email protected] urge you, for Camposol Business Centre example, to look at Calle Madrid 19, Sector A your existing Wills Camposol, Mazarron and to ask whether MURCIA 30875 they reflect your current wishes and FOR AN APPOINTMENT circumstances. Tel: 968 103 008 FAX: 968 199 664 Maybe you are looking to buy or sell property and want information regarding the process; maybe something has changed in your circumstances and you need to make Shirley Fisher Rosa – 128,000€ CAD599 CORNER PLOT Immaculate central heated 2 bed, 2 bath detached villa with off road parking, carport, basement garage, storage and sitting room, swimming pool, sun terrace, lounge, dining room, ceiling fans, solarium, low maintenance garden. located on D. Fully furnished. page 40 Carmen– 139,950€ VALUE FOR MONEY Stunning immaculately presented unique 2 bed 2 bath detached villa on a large plot with brick built car port, basement workshop, low maintenance gardens, private swimming pool, double glazing, sun lounge, terrace, fireplace, ceiling fans, solarium, mountain views. located on D. Part furnished. CLOSE TO AMENITIES Lovely 3 beds, 3 baths, detached villa short walk to the shops, off road parking, basement, full length glazed sun lounge, log burner fire, brand new fitted kitchen, Jacuzzi, pergola, low maintenance garden, storage, solarium, raised garden walls. Located on B. Part furnished. CAD520 a new Will; maybe you want advice on your tax responsibilities as a property owner here in Spain; or need advice regarding a private pension plan which you still hold in the UK. www.thejournalspain.es Neptuno Deluxe - 189,000€ QUIET LOCATION Excellent extended 4 beds, 3 bath, central heated detached villa with off road parking, swimming pool, decked surround, huge basement, raised garden walls, glazed sun terrace, ceiling fans, self contained top floor accommodation. located on D. Part furnished. 2014 in this regard is one which is also tax efficient! Tax INEFFICIENT investments benefit only 1 person – the Taxman! Maybe you need advice on investments, to be sure your money is doing the best for you – its important that your choice 0 9 4 2 % % 0 ( / 4 4( 2 & / /. A detached villa close to the coast in the lovely town of Bolnuevo. This individually designed villa sits on a 400m2 fully walled plot with views to the sea. Fully Fitted Kitchen, Air Con. Large Lounge/Diner, 8x4 Pool. 4 Double Beds, 2 Baths. Sea Views. Rejas and Fly Screen Whatever the issue, dont hesitate to contact me so that an appointment can be arranged to discuss your legal and financial affairs in a confidential and professional environment. Shirley Ann Fisher, UK Lawyer & Commissioner of Oaths, Camposol Business Centre, Calle Madrid, Sector A (next to Mariano’s Restaurant) Tel. 968 103 008 leave a message withAntonio if I am unavailable, or ring my mobile 634 053 976, or do send me an email to [email protected] Banks Open Up to Greater Credit for Mortgages In 2007, at the height of the property boom, it was common for banks to offer 100% mortgages. Some even stretched to 110%. The average amount given to those that asked for a loan reached maximums of 170,000 euros, which Price: Only 249,950 Properties needed for sale and rental for Camposol and surrounding areas! Spain: (0034) 968 592 679 UK local call numbers: 0161 4082144 www.anotherworld-properties.com ng o lo ls t ts t & ta ge or ren ud Sh m ll b r te it a su Why stay in expensive hotels or fixed package accommodation when you can enjoy the cost effective and flexible choice of staying in private villas with their own pools, town houses with communal pools or apartments close to the sea and all within a short drive from the soon to be built Paramount Theme Park, Life Style Centre and the beautiful beaches of the Costa Calida. (0034) 968 970 614 (0034) 608 631 700 [email protected] www.sensolgolfvillarentals.com Property, Financial and Legal plummeted to 110,000 during the crisis. But the situation has improved, and figures are backing this up and showing that there is, indeed, a change in tendency. Now, in 2014, banks are gradually lending again, and with a greater confidence in the Spanish economy and its future, the average amount lent out by the country’s moneylenders has inched its way up to 120,000 euros. And, as the amount offered by banks has gone up, so too has the percentage that this represents in relation to the total value of the property – from 56% to 60% - and how much of a household’s earnings is needed to repay the loan each year (33% to 34%). This is also the case for the number of years that the mortgage can be repaid. In 2007, it was common to receive a 30year loan. Last year, clients were given 21 years to repay their mortgage loan, but this year, the figure has increased to 22.5 years. While banks are now offering greater loans, they, and those involved in the real-estate sector, are certain that we will never see loans of 100% again. The lessons have been learned. We will probably struggle to even achieve 80% of the value of the property. This is partly due to the fact that the mentality of the Spanish property buyer has also changed. Now, they will ensure that they have enough money to pay the deposit and all the costs before even looking at a property to buy. The number of mortgages granted this year has also risen significantly. During the first nine months of 2014, there was a 29% increase in the number of mortgages taken out compared to the same period in 2013. Interest rates are also more attractive at the moment and there are more and more mortgage offers out there that offer the Euribor + 2% or less. This was almost unheard of even just 12 months ago. Obviously, the more solvent the client, the better deal he will achieve. There are also discounts for wages or a pension being paid into the bank each month and for extras being taken out such as house or life insurance. Many of those in the industry believe that banks are willing to lend again, yet this notion is not popular knowledge. As soon as people realise that this is the case, they believe that the market will normalise and that the demand for property will increase. This should all take place over the next few months, say the experts. Many of the banks had disappeared or laid low for the last couple of years as their first priority was their own stock of property that they had been lumbered with at the start of the crisis. Now, they are ready to work with other estate agents, stop selling their own properties, and start lending again. Send international payments premium class at zero cost Every day we help hundreds of people buy or manage their dream home abroad by offering great rates and a service that banks find hard to beat. International payments and foreign exchange is all we do. Our friendly and efficient team of specialists make the whole process simple and hassle-free. So if you’re buying, selling, living or investing abroad – we can make it easy! Costa Almeria: Avenida Mediterráneo 341 04638 Mojácar (Almeria) T: +950 478 914 E: [email protected] W: www.currenciesdirect.com/mojacar www.currenciesdirect.com Head Office: 51 Moorgate, London, EC2R 6BH, UK t NO MINIMUM or MAXIMUM transfer amounts t NO commissions t NO receiving fees with any Spanish bank t Avoid ALL Spanish bank fees when moving funds out of Spain to any other country t Superior exchange rates on all the world’s major currencies t Exceptional service t Hold exchange rates for up to 12 months The Journal Bumper Quiz!! Sponsors of theXmas puzzle page 1: In what country, the world’s seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? 2: Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country 3:’Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name (that’s ‘name’, not ‘date’) in Britain? 4:The North Pole, said to be Santa’s home, is located in which ocean? 5:’And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning...’ is from which Christmas carol? 6:Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut? 7:What is the technical name of Mistletoe plant genus, and also Latin for glutinous? 8:Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? Riddles 9:Which Christmas condiment is made from sometimes to as Q:fruit There are tworeferred planes. marshworts? One is going from New York to London at a speed of 600 10:MPH. WhichThe American-born English poet, other is traveling from London New Stearns, York at a having first names to Thomas speed of 500 MPH. wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? When the planes meet which one will be closer to London? 11: Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust Q:inA1978? murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose three rooms. The1865, 12:between Which British monarch (born first is full of raging fires, died 1936) introduced the customthe of second is full of assassins with giving thousands Christmas puddings loaded guns,ofand the third is to staff? full of lions that haven’t eaten in 3 years. Which room is 13:safest In the UK is traditionally believed forithim? that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings Q: If itthe takes threeyear: menSausage; two happiness following days to dig a hole, how long Mince pie; or Turkey drumstick? does it Carrot; take one man to dig half of a hole? 14: The fortified wine drink Sherry is named after what town? Q: Everyday I stalk you all long, 2010 Christmas single 15:day In Coldplay’s With move Credo you make, video, theevery Latin phrase Elvem I never make one wrong. Etiam Vivere twice (seen above stage) I vanish a daythe with the loosely what? sun’smeans height and fall, I will follow you anywhere, 16:even What the is the surname ofstall. the family bathroom What am I? in the 1989 film ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’? Griswold Suduko Puzzles Answers in next month’s magazine 17: Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? 18: Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? 19: In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? 20:What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? 21: Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names Little Larry and Puny Pete for which character? (Bonus point: in which Dickens novel did the character appear?) 23: Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? 24: In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari - singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? 26: Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? 27: In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming? 30: Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? 31: Who composed the Lieutenant Kijé orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? 32: In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? 33: The Latin word meaning ‘coming’ gave us what term which still refers to the coming Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Cars 22: Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647? 25: Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal ‘uncia uncia’ is better known by what name? 29: What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918? 34: In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? 35: In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinnamon, gingerbread or honey wax? 36: ‘Nadolig Llawen’ means Merry Christmas in which western European language? 37: ‘Olive the Other... (what?)’, is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? 38: In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? 39: The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? 28: The first singing radio commercial,FORD 40:The surname Chandler derives from ASSIGNMENT the making or sellingVIPER of what? which aired in the US on Christmas Eve SMALL DELOREAN COPY 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; CHEVELLE PORSCHE Wheaties; or Durex? MUSTANG AUDI FERRARI READING CAMARO JEEP TESLA CHRYSLER LAMBORGHINI CORVETTE PINTO Useful Numbers activities Amazebolz 642 450 466 Mariposa 968 631 008 Airconditioning: AC Services: 672 850 963 TJ Electricals: 868 181 121 Bar, restaurants & cafes AP’s 968 978 869 Bar Trevi 968 199 939 Cat’s Bar 666 188 353 Club House Bistro 968 978 855 Elliots 968 158 499 La Vida 625 917 425 Mariposa 968 631 008 Quality Indian restaurant Tel 968 199 198 Sartaj Indian Restaurant: 968 115 260 Seventh Heaven 968 332 088 Spice Villa 968 199 226 The New Royal 968 595 864 Welcome Place: 968199 298 Beauty Care & Health Clinical complementary therapies 634 327 241 Heather mobile 636 657 481 Freedom Mobility 968 153 620 Builders Brian Jones and Co: 646 705 021 CM Constructions 659 159 948 JML Building: 669 05 46 52 Car Hire & SERVICES F&C Rental 968 199 156 Car mechanics & car sales Ken Sherwood mechanics 679 646 859 Carpentry Dave Davidson 634 330 706 Camposol Business Centre District Journal, Security, Dentist, Chiropodists, Camposol Health Clinic 968 103 008 Central Heathing & Plumbing Calida Gas & Oil 659 761 771 Charities Age Concern 634 310216 Andreas animal rescue 690 906 565 FAST: 968 131 893 PALS 968 422 228 / 626460 465 Lions 682 104 635 Mabs 639 665 370 Making a Difference 634 357 137 Chimney Sweep Tony 646 438 694 Chiropodists Nathalia 968 103 008 Computer design services Daniel White www.danielwhitedesign.com Dentists Camposol Business Centre 968 103 008 Ear Candling Heather mobile 636 657 481 Electricians Andy 617 644 339 Funerals and funeral plans Tony Smith, Funeral director 650 631 719 Fish & Chips Cats Bar: 666 188 353 Elliots Bolnuevo 968 158 499 Trevi Bar: 968 199 939 Hairdressers Carols 968 974 989 Home Furnishings & furniture Furniture Plus 968 153 907/678 083 491 Insurance & Asesoria Nash Warren, Bolnuevo 968 156 583 Liberty Seguros 968 138 516 / 620 277 690 El Pilar 968 425 210 Law services Shirley Ann Fisher 968 103 008 Metalwork Eriks 636 050 008 Mobility, aids & equipment Freedom & mobility 968 153 620 Property services Camposol Properties 968 592 679 Helping Hands Home Care675 865 636 Kevins Fly Screens 650 662 579/616 984 652 Pool cleaning, maintenance & repair Camposol Properties 646 476 911 Kohn Pool Services 968 138 638/626 684 979 Pool Cleaning Mazarron 605 081 954 Tony, the pool diver 646 438 694 Printing & Design Insignia Graphics, 618 615 903 Mister print 638 893 357 SALES AND RENTAL AGENTS 2let2buy2sell 968 979 876 UK 00 44 1223 968 199 Another World 968 592 679 Costa Calida Property Services 968 199 251 Mercers 968 199 188 UK 08450 177 805 Sensol Golf Villa Rentals 968 970 614/608 631 700 VillaQuest 968 974 918 Spanish interpreters and courses Debbies translations & interpreting, 677 353 136 Pilar Garcia 630 21 99 82 Television Services Rainbow, 686 358 475 Window cleaning services AYS 619 877 303 Miles Better: 619 877 103 Water, purification services Waterfiltersspain: 677 353 136 Miles Better Water Filters 619 877 303 Getting in touch with the committees and organisations CRA Camposol Residents Association. The cabin is now located alongside the Cultural Centre on B SECTOR. and is open Monday and Friday until after Easter. Bob Owen can be contacted at chairman. [email protected] The duty Committee member can be contacted on 634 364 739. Their web site which is interactive and very informative is www.cracamposol.com Sector A committee. Have their own web site at www.a-camposol.com They can be emailed at [email protected]. The telephone contact number for the committee is 603109974 This number is manned every morning Monday thru Friday 10am / 12noon Sector A gardening Group is Chaired by John Grant.Web address: www.lospalacios-gardeners. com. Contact the Secretary for details of monthly meetings on:[email protected] Friday morning bookstall outside the post room on A. Sector B & B-clean (their gardening group) NB B sector community group is newly formed. Helen White 968 199 506 is the pro tem organisor. Sector C Greenfingers gardening group, Chairman, John Osborne- Tel 634 325 427 email: [email protected]. Camposol Community Group D Sector The group meets monthly on the first Monday at 4PM at The Clubhouse. Chairman Mick Drummond 968131971or 660038015 Secretary Les Crook 968979831or 606874193 A car with tow bar and trailer is now available for sector D residents to take garden waste to the Eco park, contact Alan Muncaster 654 024 474 Age Concern can be found at the Cultural Centre on Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am to 1pm and Fridays 12.30 to 3.30pm. Telephone 634 310216, email [email protected] Camposolers The registered group site for residents of Camposol, the proprietor is Reg Rogers who can be contacted by e-mailing reg [email protected]. Apply to Reg for membership. NB there is an underline dash between reg and rogers!!!!!! Town Hall can now be contacted through an office in the Cultural Centre Sector B, by the roundabout down from the roundabout by the filling station. Tatiana Andres is there to help you every weekday morning. Phone 968 131 717, email [email protected] MABS now have an office on the main dual carriage way on Sector B. LIONS, Membership: Lion nigel 651867105 Welfare:Lion Gina 654874563 ANNOUNCEMENTS Welcome book club every second and fourth Tuesday in the underbuild at the former medical centre on Sector B. In the event of a medical emergency call 112 and then phone F.A.S.T on 968 970 626 (Camposol Only) HELPING HANDS HOME CARE Gardening, Painting, General DIY, NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL Fully Legal Call Karen on 675 865 636 Well the festive time will soon be here, and how quick it’s come round. In this our 6th year we will be holding our annual sherry and mince pies on MONDAY 15th DECEMBER 11.30 /1.30, on the carpark, Camposol B sec. ALSO BY SPECIAL REQUEST, 2 of our resident donkeys will also be attending to wish you all a very merry Christmas, pop along to see them, they love carrots and apples, of course we will still be excepting donations on that day, please come and have a little tot of sherry / juice / wine with us and celebrate Christmas. Momma & Little Ronnie October was an extremely busy month for us here at AAR, with the rescue of 2 momma donkeys and their foals, one in particular was so thin he could hardly stand up, suffering from malnutrition; the vet thought he was approx 2 months old!! Wrong he’s 7 months old!! Momma and little Ronnie who has been sponsored by Christine is doing great at the moment, fingers crossed he continues to thrive .they will stay with AAR for the time being. The other Momma, Lilly and her foal Franklin were homed straight away to a family near Mazarron, I’ve been to see these 2 and there coming on great ... Keep up the good work, and thank you so much Tor. We also rescued a horse, who’s now in livery in Cartagena, Again in the same condition just skin and bone, and in disparate need of a vet and Farrier which we saw too as soon as she was safe, many thanks to Caralyn and Gary for sponsoring this beautiful girls livery they have named her cloud, and she really does suit the name, the situation for equines is dire, many people just don’t have the money to feed them , and therefore we are getting more and more calls for help. Another rescue was a donkey that came from San Pedro del Pinitar ,what shocks me is when I first got to see them how depressed they are ... ,their eyes tear my heart apart this girl had nothing there , I swear she had given up !!We had to get this girl no question about it. A week with us here at AAR.... And you guessed it she’s skipping around, clicking her heels ... And enjoying life!! The difference is amazing. Many thanks to Jodie and Allan for sponsoring this beautiful girl who they have named Coco Coco ...we will keep you up dated on all our rescues; you can also follow us on face book. Just look for Andrea’s animal rescue!! We now have 18 donkeys and 5 horses we are always in need of help, whether it be hands-on help with the animals or working in the shops, to donating items for us to sell, even that small bag of change really does add up. As I said we had a very busy October saying good bye to 7 of our dogs, when AAR dogs leave there’s ALWAYS a home waiting for them that has been fully home checked. Talia went to Valencia, April to Pinosos, Teddy, Dobbi, Blanca page 45 and Fifi went to the UK, and Freya to USA. Lots of luck to all our dogs and their new family’s in their new homes. Ok I think that’s it.... All that’s left for me to say is we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year, a special thank you to the committee and volunteers that have kept the charity running. Thank you to everyone who has supported AAR over the last 6 years...and of course Robbie and all the staff at the journal We look forward to an exciting year, with many things planned and hope to see you all in 2015 Andrea and all at AAR. Christian Humanitarian Aid Charity in Mazarrón & the surrounding area helping those in need irrespective of race, creed or status. We would like to thank all the ladies who supported our third seasonal Autumn/Winter Fashion Show at Mariano’s Restaurant on 27th October and to all those volunteers who gave their time and effort to help us raise the sum of €1076 towards our cause. Thanks also to Peter Smith the photographer and Lisa B the DJ for giving their time to make it a fun afternoon, together with our models, dressers and compère Carol Harvey. Without them all we would not have had a show to put on. We will now be busy organising our Spring/Summer show to take place sometime in April. If you have any summer garments you feel you can donate to us, please bring them to either of the shops, or on the table top days, that is every second and last Friday in the month, when our van will be in the large car park on B. The van is also in the car park on A every Tuesday from 11am & 1pm. If you have large items or a lot of small items you are unable to carry, please call 634007594 or the Mazarrón shop on 634321161 and we will arrange collection. ,0On October 31st we gratefully received a donation of €1000 from The Sierra Espuña Freemasons Lodge 136. Jeff Balshaw, the Immediate Past Master of the Lodge, together with Tony our President and the indispensable Badr and Mohamed, went to Lidl supermarket and purchased oil, tuna and cheese triangles, enabling us to distribute these extra items together with our Red Cross food on our three Aid Days per month. We thank them for their kind and generous donation and to Lidl supermarket, who for several years now, have helped us in our cause to help the less fortunate in our area. We appeal again this month for toiletries, sanitary towels and nappies. For our Christmas Present Appeal items such as pencil cases, crayons, chocolate treats and any thing you think suitable for both boys and girls would be gratefully received. These will be distributed on our December Aid Days on 3rd, 10th and 17th December. If you feel you would like to volunteer your time to help in the shops or at the Aid Days please call either one of the phone numbers above, email us ([email protected]) or visit one of our shops. We need more volunteers, both in the shops and in outreach. If you can spare a few hours, please come and see the people we help on a daily basis in our local area. Thank you for your continued support; without your generous donations towards our cause a lot of people’s lives would be much harder to bear. www.thejournalspain.es 2014 [email protected] Answers to last month’s Riddles A: They will be the same distance away when they meet. Last month’s Suduko answers A: The third room. Lions that haven’t eaten in three years are dead. A: You can’t dig half of a hole, a hole’s a hole. As soon as digging starts there is a hole, so there is also half a hole. A: Your shadow. OCTOBER PROPERTY BARGAINS Visit our website www.bluemedinvest.com or call into our new offices in Puerto de Mazarron No 72 Avenida Tierno Galvan New Build Villas in Bolnuevo. Completion due June 2015. 3 & 4 Bedrooms From only 179.000 €. High quality. Beach Side Bargain In Bolnuevo. 20 Meters to Sandy beaches. 2 Bedrooms Penthouses only 79.000 €!. Best location in Bolnuevo, Sea Country Club Detached Villa only 82.900 € xxl paladio style villa on 500 m2 plot, 3 bedrooms & 1 bathroom. STAFF REQUIRED: SALES EXECUTIVES AND TELEMARKETING. CONTACT US AND JOIN THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS REAL ESTATE COMPANY PROPERTIES FEATURED ON; Call 968 595 684 for more information Come and visit us and experience views to Dine for! -R Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the team at 7th Heaven! s s i Pat â€œYour meeting place in the Portâ€? e Restaurante Region de Murcia www.murciaturistica.es Thank you for all your custom throughout 2014, and for helping to make us â€œYour meeting place in the Portâ€? This year has been fantastic and we have worked hard to provide you with the same level of service and quality for which 7th Heaven has become renown. Having spent this year working so hard, we would like to inform all our customers that the restaurant will be closing for its annual holiday from the 12th of December until the 11th of January. Tel: 968 332 088 E-mail: [email protected] Nuevo deportivo, Plaza del Muelle 30860 Puerto de Mazarron. When we return in the New Year please come and see us as we have lots of new and exciting things taking place! Once again have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year! See you in 2015! For more information, or to make a booking call: 968 332 088 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Free WiFi Come and visit us at 7th Heaven where we have â€œViews to Dine for! October our fabulous upstairs BBQ restaurant will remain open All of your ChristmasThisneeds are now As always we will be serving the finest, mouth-watering grilled Stea available at Just Fabulous in Fish Camposol! Chicken, Lamb, and Vegetables, cooked on the only genuine wo and charcoal fired BBQ in the Port. Christmas cards, We now have a wide range of boxed cards, crackers, individual diaries and calendars for next year in stock! Including the 2015 With unparalleled views of the stunning coastline and Mediterranea Spanish calendars exclusive to us inSea, thethis MazarrĂłn unique finearea! dining experience is guaranteed to be an eveni to remember. Now 3 for the price of 2 on all Christmas Call Us To Reserve Your Table! Boxed Cards! (Ask in store for details) SPECIAL OCTOBER OFFER! This card is Illustration by Simon Treadwell Courtesy of www.image-source.co.uk 5 So come in and see our extensive range of cards and gifts, including Present a copy of this magazine or the voucher on page .. and receiv our exclusive Camposol Christmas cards! We Feliz Navidad desde FREE bottle of Red or White wine when 2 dine from the BBQ menu! Camposol have a wide variety of products you Offer Valid from the 1st to the 15th of October 2014. ZRQÂˇWĂ€QGDQ\ZKHUHHOVHVRZK\QRW come and see what we have to offer! 021734 900904 Code + ÂŠ Noel Tatt, Canterbury, CT1 3TE Tel: 01227 811600 38533 5 021734 385336	i don't know
In the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas', how many swans were a-swimming?	The Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas Song This site uses cookies. See our Cookie Policy for information The Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas Song Learn about Christmas in England from the children who live in Britain Christmas traditions why do what we do at chrsitmas time There is great debate as to the meaning of the carol, 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. A Secret Code A popular theory why we sing the song dates back to the time when Roman Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith openly (1558 until 1829). The song was written as a way of teaching young catholics and had two levels of meanings: a surface meaning and a hidden meaning known only to their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember. The "true love" of the song refers to God. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two Turtle Doves were the Old and New Testaments. Three French Hens stood for Faith, Hope and love. The four Colley Birds* were the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, luke and John. The five Golden Rings recalled the Torah or law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The six Geese A-laying stood for the six days of creation. Seven Swans A-swimming represented the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy. The eight Maids A-milking were the eight beatitudes. Nine Ladies Dancing were the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. The ten Lords A-leaping were the ten commandments. The eleven Pipers Piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. The twelve Drummers Drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostle's Creed. *Although most people say / sing "four calling birds", the actually birds are "four colley birds" (blackbirds). A Children's Game Another theory was the song originated from a children's game. Leigh Grant, in his book 'Twelve Days of Christmas: A Celebration and History', says the words from The Twelve Days of Christmas song first appeared in a book titled 'Mirth without Mischief' published in 1780s in England. The words were part of a memory and forfeits game played by children at that time. The leader recited the first verse, the next child recited the second verse, and this continued until someone missed his or her verse and had to pay some kind of penalty in the game. (The tune to the song is thought to date back much further and possibly originated from France.) "The Twelve Days of Christmas" became popular at the " Twelfth night parties " that took place in the Christmas season. How many gifts were handed out in the Twelve Day of Christmas song? The answer is not 78 but 364, almost one for every day of the year. On day one, the character in the song gets a single present (a partridge in a pear tree). But on day two, the beneficiary receives a new present (a pair of turtle doves) plus another partridge in a pear tree. Day three brings a second helping of day two's gifts, plus more new items (three French hens). This carries on all the way to the twelfth day when 12 drummers drumming, and new copies of all the previous day's gifts are received. Table showing number of Presents received Gift	seven
The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand?	7 Swans a-Swimming Cost How Much? Price of '12 Days of Christmas' Gifts Rises for 2013 7 Swans a-Swimming Cost How Much? Price of '12 Days of Christmas' Gifts Rises for 2013 December 2, 2013 – 11:35 AM – 0 Comments 10 Awe-Inspiring Military Monuments to Visit on the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor (Getty Images) Ever wonder what ten lords a-leaping or eleven pipers piping really cost? Every year, PNC Wealth Management calculates the prices of all the extravagant gifts listed in the classic carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” In 2013, the cost of gifting everything in the song—all 364 presents—to your true love is $114,651, which is 6.9 percent more than it cost last year, the AP reports . The prices of many of the gifts—the partridge, the two turtle doves, and the five golden rings, for example—stayed the same this year. But the cost of nine ladies dancing and ten lords a-leaping surged. This year, it would cost $7,553 to hire nine female dancers for a performance and it’d set you back $5,243 to commission ten “lords a-leaping” performers. The cheapest gift in the song is, surprisingly enough, the eight maids a-milking, which would cost just $58 (the price to hire eight milk maids at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for an hour). The most expensive gift? The seven swans a-swimming, at $7,000. To calculate these price estimates, PNC consults with jewelry and pet stores, dance companies (like the Pennsylvania Ballet Company), and other sources. Check out the full price breakdown: Partridge: $15 (last year: same) Pear tree: $184 (last year: $189.99) Two turtle doves: $125 (last year: same) Three French hens: $165 (last year: same) Four calling birds (canaries): $600 (last year: $520) Five gold rings: $750 (last year: same) Six geese a-laying: $210 (last year: same) Seven swans a-swimming: $7,000 (last year: same) Eight maids a-milking: $58 (last year: same) Nine ladies dancing (per performance): $7,553 (last year: $6,294) Ten lords a-leaping (per performance): $5,243 (last year: $4,767) Eleven pipers piping (per performance): $2,635 (last year: $2,562) Twelve drummers drumming (per performance): $2,855 (last year: $2,776) Watch a cappella group Straight No Chaser perform “The Twelve Days of Christmas”: Leave A Comment Uh-oh! Empty comment.It looks as though you’ve already said that.You seem to be logged out. Refresh your page, login and try again.Whoops! Sorry, comments are currently closed. You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down. Login	i don't know
Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer?	Chris Rea — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm singer-songwriter Christopher Anton Rea (pronounced Ree-ah), born 4 March 1951, is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Middlesbrough, England. Rea's recording career began in 1978. Although he almost immediately had a US hit single with "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", Rea's initial focus was on continental Europe, releasing eight albums in the 1980s. It wasn't until 1985's Shamrock Diaries and the songs "Stainsby Girls" and "Josephine," that UK audiences began to take notice of him. Follow up albums… read more	Chris Rea
The Latin word meaning 'coming' gave us what term which still refers to the coming Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children?	Chris Rea on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography British singer and guitarist Chris Rea has enjoyed a run of popularity in Europe during the late '80s and early '90s after almost a decade of previous recording. Rea started out performing with a local group called Magdalene, taking David Coverdale's place; the band won a national talent contest in 1975 as the Beautiful Losers, but still failed to get a record contract. Rea left the band and recorded the album Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, which alluded to a discarded stage name, which went gold on the strength of the U.S. Top 20 hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)." Rea was not heard from again in the U.S. for some time, concentrating his efforts on his main fan base of Europe. A compilation of tracks from Rea's '80s albums, New Light Through Old Windows, was released in 1988 and sold well in the U.K. and Europe and charted in the U.S. Rea followed it up with the critically acclaimed The Road to Hell, which many regarded as his best album. It and its follow-up, Auberge, went to the top of the U.K. album charts, but did not prove as successful in the U.S., where he has failed to chart with his subsequent releases. He released his most ambitious project in 2005, an eleven-album, 130-track box set of all new material inspired by the blues and his own paintings called Blue Guitars. The fun The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Blue Notes appeared in 2008. ~ Steve Huey Top Songs	i don't know
In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO?	Christmas 2015 Jeopardy Template In which state is Santa is called Kanakaloka? 100 How do many people spend Boxing Day? A) Working. B) Shopping C) Wrapping presents. 100 What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? 100 Just like the ones I used to know What's the second line of "I'm dreaming of a white christmas"? 100 True or false: Joseph married Mary immediately after the angel appeared to him? 200 Arizona and Florida Which two states in the US have towns called Christmas? A)Arizona and Florida B)Maine and South Dakota C)Washington and Utah D)Louisiana and Alabama 200 Norway London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country? A) Canada B) Norway C) Denmark D) Scotland 200 How many points does a snowflake have? 200 I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus Child star Jimmy Boyd sang which hugely popular 1950's Christmas song, which was initially banned by the Catholic Church in Boston because it supposedly mixed sex and Christmas? 200 Canada In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode: HOH OHO? A) The U.S. B) Canada C) New Zealand 300 Snowflake, Texas Which of the following places is NOT a real U.S. city or town? A) Snowflake, Texas B) Noel, Missouri C) St. Nicholas, Florida D) Santa Claus, Georgia 300 A six pence (a coin) What's lucky to find in your Christmas Pudding? 300 What country did Christmas Trees originate from? 300 White Christmas (by Bing Crosby) What is the title of biggest selling Christmas single, globally? 300 Charles Dickens One of the most loved Christmas books is A Christmas Carol. Who wrote it? A) Mark Twain B) Charles Dickens C) Hans Christian Andersen D) Thomas M. Sawyer 400 The French drink 'Lait de Poule' What drink was adapted to become the American Christmas drink 'Egg Nog'? A) The Scandinavian drink 'Gløgg' B) The Austrian drink 'Gluhwein' C) The German drink 'Biersuppe' B) The French drink 'Lait de Poule' 400 In the U.S., he's called "Santa Claus" - what's his British name? 400 Rudolph Which of the following names is NOT a name of one of Santa's original reindeers? A) Comet B) Cupid C) Dasher D) Dancer E) Prancer F) Vixen G) Donner H) Rudolph Blitzen 400 1984 (bonus points - Band Aid II was 1989, Band Aid 20 was 2004) In what year was Band-Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas the UK Christmas chart-topping record (bonus point each for the years of reissue success by Band Aid II and Band Aid 20)? Bonus points (100 each): years of band Aid II + Band Aid 20 400 B: A lump of coal Santa keeps close track of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice! Nice children often receive toys and candy in their stockings, but naughty children may receive: A) A book B) A lump of coal C) An old shoe D) An orange 500 North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) What major U.S. facility provides up-to-date information every Christmas Eve on the flight path of Santa Claus? A) The U.S. National Weather Service B) North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) C) The U.S. Geological Survey D) International Arctic Research Center 500 Sandringham House Where does the British Queen traditionally spend Christmas? A) Windsor Castle B) Buckingham Palace C) Sandringham House D) Balmoral castle 500 Ten (Latin, decem - it was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar) From what does the month of December take its name? 500 Silent Night What is the English title of the carol written in 1818 by Austrian priest Josef Mohr originally called "Stille Nacht"? 500 Matheus Which of the following names does NOT belong one of the Three Kings? A) Caspar B) Balthazar C) Matheus D) Melchior	Canada
In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax?	Love Learning \| Home-School Activities Home-School Activities The New School Year Every new school year the quizzes get tougher, the warnings are less and the rules change, but this year is the biggest changes in school. I just finished 3 weeks of middle school and I noticed the changes. Also the lessons are getting harder like Elements of Poetry, Elemento Ng Kwento (Elements of Stories in Filipino) and Identifying Sources. I know this will get harder but I still love learning and I won’t give up. Hercules Today I have been assigned to do a research of Hercules for an essay. Hercules is well known from the DISNEY® movie Hercules. He is the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. His power was strength and at birth he strangled a snake send to kill him. Some of the things he did were to: Slay the Nemean Loin. Slay the nine-headed Learnaean Hydra. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis. Capture the Erymanthian Boar. Clean the Augean stables in a single day. Slay the Stymphalian Birds. Steal the Mares of Diomes. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon. Steal the apples of the Hesperides. Capture and bring back Cerberus. Study Time Studying is the time to relax and remember what you learned. Maybe also do some homework so you can practice. But to me it is difference. When I do my homework I think just resting my memory then recalling it. After I answer the workbook and it feels like the teacher is there. When the time is right. After remembering what you have learned you can research about your lesson so you will understand the lesson more. Also the teacher won’t tell you every think so take what you remember on scratch paper until you can format it properly. This is good to review even if you have a reviewer writing it yourself will allow you to understand more. I hope you can try this format of studying Happy Today Have you ever had a friend in need? Have you ever saw someone lonely? Did you lend a helping hand? For anyone who needs a lot of help try to talk more and you may reach your goal. If you made someone happy he can do the same to someone else. Sharing some smiles can help someone who doesn’t like you because even if he doesn’t like you he might think that you want to be friends. Happiness means a lot like it can mean friendship and caring. So share a smile today and maybe he will feel love. The Planning of a Christmas Party Merry Christmas! As you know Christmas is fun but have you tried doing it with 7 of your classmates and 2 teachers? It is very hard planning the games, emcees, performances and the food. Guess what this is 1/4 of all the trivia questions we had to pick. 1. In what country, the world’s seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? India 2. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country? Australia 3. ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The North Pole, said to be Santa’s home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 5. ‘And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning…’ is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 6. Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut? Almond 7. What is the technical name of Mistletoe plant genus, and also Latin for glutinous? Viscum (hence the words viscous and viscosity, referring to semi-solid/semi-liquid and thick sticky substances – derived from the sticky quality of mistletoe berries, and also an early word for birdlime, a sticky substance made from the berries, used to trap birds) 8. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 9. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 10. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 11. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 12. Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff? King George V 13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey drumstick? Mince pie 14. The fortified wine drink Sherry is named after what town? Jerez (Spain – in Spanish, sherry is called Vino de Jerez) 15. In Coldplay’s 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock’n’roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes’s 1975 Christmas hit – and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake’s song – I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay’s 2010 Xmas single – Christmas Lights) 16. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’? Griswold 17. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 18. Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? Oklahoma 19. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 20. What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? Monday 21. Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names Little Larry and Puny Pete for which character? (Bonus point: in which Dickens novel did the character appear?) Tiny Tim – A Christmas Carol 22. Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647? Oliver Cromwell 23. Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? Hong Kong and Macau 24. In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari – singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? Greece (the name is thought to derive from kalos-kentauros, meaning ‘beautiful centaur’) 25. Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal ‘uncia uncia’ is better known by what name? Snow Leopard 26. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe 27. In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 28. The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; Wheaties; or Durex? Wheaties 29. What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918? Anwar Sadat 30. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 31. Who composed the Lieutenant Kijé orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? Prokofiev (Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev) 32. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 33. The Latin word meaning ‘coming’ gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent (as in advent calendars – the ‘coming’ basically refers to the birth of Christ) 34. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 35. In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 36. ‘Nadolig Llawen’ means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 37. ‘Olive the Other… (what?)’, is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 38. In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? Japan (because funeral notices are customarily printed in red) 39. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 40. The surname Chandler derives from the making or selling of what? Candles When ever you think of Christmas you think of songs and dances as one of the key points. So we also had to get volunteers who ended up quitting and one was still in but was like his energy has been taken from him. This is a hard thing to do because we are all stressing even the dance groups leader. Do you want to know why? It is because it is in 5 DAYS! And doing a Christmas party’s planning in 2 weeks is impossible when there are fools blocking our way. Just saying you wont survive this without an assistant. Only here come my problem, My assist only started helping know and the secretary is doing double work. Even if I am confused with him now I still give him the credit. Plus to add with that is homework and tests. Now the only thing for you is if you will or could have survive?	i don't know
'Nadolig Llawen' means Merry Christmas in which western European language?	1000+ images about Nadolig Llawen on Pinterest \| Christmas trees, Christmas stockings and Snow Nadolig Llawen Bauble £3.00 : Seld, chic interiors from wales. Offering welsh gifts, homewares, furniture and accessories with a contemporary, unusual, unique, design led feel See More	Welsh
'Olive the Other... (what?)', is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold?	Decoration - Wooden Circle - Nadolig Llawen – The Welsh Gift Shop Perfect little stocking filler or slip into a Christmas card - or on your own tree! "Nadolig Llawen" means "Merry Christmas" in Welsh! Features a simple Christmas wreath design in red and grey Looped with red bakers twine Lovingly screen printed by hand Measures roughly 9.1cm at their widest point across. Made in Wales by artist, Megan Tucker We aim to post your package by the next working day, but if you get your order in by 2pm between Mon-Fri we will try our best to post same day! Please check to see if your gifts are handmade, as these have longer lead times. You can view this information in the product description tab. We can post this item Worldwide! Please note, international postage may vary, the below is an estimate. Please get in touch for an accurate charge for worldwide orders. UK Saver Delivery (Delivery aim: 3-5 working days): £1.00 UK 1st Class (Delivery aim: 1-2 working Days): £1.20 Europe (Delivery aim: 3-5 working Days): £3.00 USA, Australia and Rest of World estimate (Delivery aim: 5-10 working Days): £4.00 Remember: We combine postage so the more you buy, the more you save! You can view your combined postage amount during checkout. CUSTOM CHARGES: If ordering from outside the EU, you may have to pay Customs Duty, Excise Duty or Import VAT on top of the advertised purchase price. Unfortunately this is the customer's responsibility as we have no control over the charges and cannot predict them. Look who's talking about us! Our Welsh Gifts are mentioned in: Useful Links	i don't know
In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards?	Love Learning \| Home-School Activities Home-School Activities The New School Year Every new school year the quizzes get tougher, the warnings are less and the rules change, but this year is the biggest changes in school. I just finished 3 weeks of middle school and I noticed the changes. Also the lessons are getting harder like Elements of Poetry, Elemento Ng Kwento (Elements of Stories in Filipino) and Identifying Sources. I know this will get harder but I still love learning and I won’t give up. Hercules Today I have been assigned to do a research of Hercules for an essay. Hercules is well known from the DISNEY® movie Hercules. He is the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. His power was strength and at birth he strangled a snake send to kill him. Some of the things he did were to: Slay the Nemean Loin. Slay the nine-headed Learnaean Hydra. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis. Capture the Erymanthian Boar. Clean the Augean stables in a single day. Slay the Stymphalian Birds. Steal the Mares of Diomes. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon. Steal the apples of the Hesperides. Capture and bring back Cerberus. Study Time Studying is the time to relax and remember what you learned. Maybe also do some homework so you can practice. But to me it is difference. When I do my homework I think just resting my memory then recalling it. After I answer the workbook and it feels like the teacher is there. When the time is right. After remembering what you have learned you can research about your lesson so you will understand the lesson more. Also the teacher won’t tell you every think so take what you remember on scratch paper until you can format it properly. This is good to review even if you have a reviewer writing it yourself will allow you to understand more. I hope you can try this format of studying Happy Today Have you ever had a friend in need? Have you ever saw someone lonely? Did you lend a helping hand? For anyone who needs a lot of help try to talk more and you may reach your goal. If you made someone happy he can do the same to someone else. Sharing some smiles can help someone who doesn’t like you because even if he doesn’t like you he might think that you want to be friends. Happiness means a lot like it can mean friendship and caring. So share a smile today and maybe he will feel love. The Planning of a Christmas Party Merry Christmas! As you know Christmas is fun but have you tried doing it with 7 of your classmates and 2 teachers? It is very hard planning the games, emcees, performances and the food. Guess what this is 1/4 of all the trivia questions we had to pick. 1. In what country, the world’s seventh largest by geographical area, is Christmas known as Bada Din (the big day)? India 2. Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, is a territory of which country? Australia 3. ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain? Twelfth Night 4. The North Pole, said to be Santa’s home, is located in which ocean? Arctic Ocean 5. ‘And all the bells on earth shall ring, on Christmas day in the morning…’ is from which Christmas carol? I Saw Three Ships 6. Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut? Almond 7. What is the technical name of Mistletoe plant genus, and also Latin for glutinous? Viscum (hence the words viscous and viscosity, referring to semi-solid/semi-liquid and thick sticky substances – derived from the sticky quality of mistletoe berries, and also an early word for birdlime, a sticky substance made from the berries, used to trap birds) 8. Peter Auty sang Walking In The Air in what film? The Snowman 9. Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as marshworts? Cranberry sauce 10. Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees? T S Eliot 11. Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978? A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas 12. Which British monarch (born 1865, died 1936) introduced the custom of giving thousands of Christmas puddings to staff? King George V 13. In the UK it is traditionally believed that eating a what each day of the twelve days of Christmas brings happiness the following year: Sausage; Mince pie; Carrot; or Turkey drumstick? Mince pie 14. The fortified wine drink Sherry is named after what town? Jerez (Spain – in Spanish, sherry is called Vino de Jerez) 15. In Coldplay’s 2010 Christmas single video, the Latin phrase Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere (seen above the stage) loosely means what (combining an ironic rock’n’roll myth, with a seasonal sentiment popularised by Greg Lakes’s 1975 Christmas hit – and for two bonus points: name the Greg Lake song, and the Coldplay 2010 Christmas single)? I Believe Elvis Lives (Greg Lake’s song – I Believe In Father Christmas; Coldplay’s 2010 Xmas single – Christmas Lights) 16. What is the surname of the family in the 1989 film ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’? Griswold 17. Who composed the music known as The Nutcracker Suite, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892? Tchaikovsky 18. Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? Oklahoma 19. In which country, the largest of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs? Ukraine 20. What day of the week was Christmas day in the year 2000 (in the conventional western calendar)? Monday 21. Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names Little Larry and Puny Pete for which character? (Bonus point: in which Dickens novel did the character appear?) Tiny Tim – A Christmas Carol 22. Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647? Oliver Cromwell 23. Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for whom Christmas day (as at 2010) remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? Hong Kong and Macau 24. In which European country is it said that malicious goblins called Kallikantzoroi (or Kallikantzari – singular Kallikantzoros) play troublesome pranks at Christmas? Greece (the name is thought to derive from kalos-kentauros, meaning ‘beautiful centaur’) 25. Very loosely related to Christmas, the predatory animal ‘uncia uncia’ is better known by what name? Snow Leopard 26. Which traditional Christmas plant was once so revered by early Britons that it had to be cut with a golden sickle? Mistletoe 27. In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming? Seven 28. The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand: Rolex; BMW; Wheaties; or Durex? Wheaties 29. What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918? Anwar Sadat 30. Driving Home For Christmas was a 1988 hit single for which singer? Chris Rea 31. Who composed the Lieutenant Kijé orchestral suite, for a 1934 film of the same name, including the Troika movement, commonly used as Christmas theme music, usually with prominent sleigh bells? Prokofiev (Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev) 32. In Mexico, it is said that wearing what colour/color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year: Yellow; Green; Red; or Brown? Red 33. The Latin word meaning ‘coming’ gave us what term which still refers to the Christmas period, and also to a particular tradition popular with children? Advent (as in advent calendars – the ‘coming’ basically refers to the birth of Christ) 34. In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode HOH OHO? Canada 35. In 2004, the post office of which country (international dialling code 49) gave away twenty million free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell like fir trees, cinammon, gingerbread or honey wax? Germany 36. ‘Nadolig Llawen’ means Merry Christmas in which western European language? Welsh 37. ‘Olive the Other… (what?)’, is a Christmas book by Vivian Walsh and J Otto Seibold: Reindeer; Snowman; Otter; or Orangutan? Reindeer 38. In which country, an archipelago of 6,852 islands, is it considered inappropriate to send red Christmas cards? Japan (because funeral notices are customarily printed in red) 39. The early pagan religious winter festival celebrated by archaic Scandinavian and Germanic people, later absorbed into Christmas celebrations, is still referred to in what alternative word for the Christmas season? Yule (or Yule-tide) 40. The surname Chandler derives from the making or selling of what? Candles When ever you think of Christmas you think of songs and dances as one of the key points. So we also had to get volunteers who ended up quitting and one was still in but was like his energy has been taken from him. This is a hard thing to do because we are all stressing even the dance groups leader. Do you want to know why? It is because it is in 5 DAYS! And doing a Christmas party’s planning in 2 weeks is impossible when there are fools blocking our way. Just saying you wont survive this without an assistant. Only here come my problem, My assist only started helping know and the secretary is doing double work. Even if I am confused with him now I still give him the credit. Plus to add with that is homework and tests. Now the only thing for you is if you will or could have survive?	Japan
The surname Chandler derives from the making or selling of what?	uzumaki kiryu uzumaki kiryu BROS JILBAB the varies price. depending on the level of difficulty.please, call my number (089-75911026, 085-774878630).if you buy this...... for bros, the price about Rp.8000,- s/d Rp.15.000.- (depending on the level of difficulty) for syale, the price about Rp.30.000,- s/d Rp.35.000,- (depending on the level of difficulty) for pencil holder, the price about Rp.20.000,- syale Article unique facts about japan Japan is known for its culture and traditions. There are many interesting facts about this country that will be discussed in this article. Let us begin our journey about the Land of the Samurai's with some facts about its geographical location. Geographical Facts Situated in Asia, Japan is the immediate neighbor to China, Russia, North Korea and South Korea. Although, Japan is referred to an island nation, it is an archipelago made up of 6852 islands. The four main, largest and prominent islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. These four islands make up about 97% of the total land mass of the country. Japan is the 60th largest country in the world, slightly bigger than Germany and about 9 times the size of the Netherlands. The total area is 377,835 km2, of which the total landmass is 374,744 km2. As of 2010, the population is said to be over 127 million. The climate in Japan is diverse, with tropical in the South of the country and cool temperate in the North. There are three seasons in Japan, namely summer, monsoon and winter. One can expect similar climate in most of the neighboring South Asian countries. Being extremely earthquake prone Japan has an average of 1500 earthquakes every year. The number of volcanoes is approximately 200. The land is often also called the land of tsunamis. The biggest and the most devastating the tsunami hit the nation on Friday, 11 March 2011. The magnitude of this earthquake was 9M w on the Richter scale. The earthquake lasted for 6 minutes. This earthquake is among the five most powerful earthquake to have shaken the earth. Honshu is the largest island, measuring an area of 87,805 square miles. Almost 80 percent of the country's population lives here. The capital of the country is also located on this island. Japan's tallest mountain Mount Fuji (3,776m) is situated here. Although the volcano here has been dormant since 1708, geologists classify it as an active volcano. Tokyo stands on the Kanto plain. The Kanto plain is Japan's largest lowland, spreading across from the Japanese Alps to the Pacific. Situated in northernmost part of the archipelago, Hokkaido is the second largest of the four islands, covering an area of 30,144 square miles. Consisting mainly of mountains and forests, this island houses just 5% of the total population. The economy here depends almost entirely on fishing, forestry and dairy-farming. Sapporo is the largest city and administrative center of Hokkaido. Kyushu is situated in the southernmost part of the archipelago and is the third largest of the four islands. It covering an area of 13,760 square miles. About 11% of the population lives here. This island has a mountainous terrain. The most active volcano of the country, Mount. Aso is located on this island. The entire island is dotted by a number of hot water springs. The economy of this island is governed by agricultural products, silk, porcelain and heavy industry. Shikoku is the smallest of the four islands and the least populated. This island is situated to the south of Honshu and to the east of Kyushu. It is the 50th largest island by area of all the islands in the world. The economy of this island revolves around copper ore processing, agriculture (in the alluvial plains) and fruit cultivation. Yoshino river is the main river of this island and is famous for white-water rafting. Historical Facts Another fascinating fact is that it is the oldest surviving monarchy, rather the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. The monarch belongs to the Yamato dynasty and 125 monarchs have ruled Japan since February 11, 660 B.C., including the incumbent Emperor Akihito. He will be succeeded by Crown Prince Naruhito, the eldest son of the Emperor. Japan's national flag is called the Hinomaru . The flag has a red circle against a white background. This red circle symbolizes the rising sun. The Japanese deity Amaterasu Omikami is a sun goddess. "Nippon", Japan's name in Japanese, means "origin of the sun". Kimigayo which means "The Emperor's Reign", is the national anthem. The lyrics are from a 5-line, 31-syllable poem written in the tenth century. The music was composed in 1880 by an Imperial Court musician Hiromori Hayashi and later harmonized according to the Gregorian mode. Political Facts Although it has longest surviving monarchy, it is a constitutional monarchy. The Emperor is the ceremonial head of the state and is described in the constitution as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". There is universal suffrage and every person above the age of 20 years is eligible to vote. The actual power rests in the Parliament, called Diet. Like in the United States, the Japanese Parliament is a bicameral Parliament, made up of House of Representatives and House of Councilors. Unlike in a number of other democracies, the Prime Minister is elected by the members of the Parliament, who is then formally appointed by the Emperor. It is the Prime Minister, who has the power to appoint and dismiss the Ministers. Culture Facts The following list will cover a few quick facts about Japan's culture. Food Facts It is not uncommon to see rice been served for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Japan. In other words, rice is the staple food of the Japanese. Miso soup is an all time favorite and like rice could be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Its main ingredients are a soybean paste dissolved in a seaweed stock. The traditional breakfast is steamed rice topped with natto, which is made from fermented soy beans. Tea is served practically with all meals. Fruits are forbiddingly expensive in Japan. One may end up paying up to $2 for a single apple or peach. The Japanese love their pizzas topped with mayonnaise, sesame seeds and corn. Japanese use a lot of fish, beef, pork, chicken and variety of seafood in their cooking. Most of their dishes are mildly spiced, flavored with a variety of soy sauces. Sushi is a Japanese delicacy of rice and fish dipped in vinegar, wrapped in seaweed, which has become popular worldwide. The Japanese eat with chopsticks known as hashi. While eating in Japan the chopsticks are never to be put upright into the bowl, as this is the way to offer food to the dead. Slurping while eating is a common practice. Here, you are expected to slurp while having liquids such as soups. If you do not, it is considered that you do not like the food and the host may feel offended. The tatami (mat) is used for sitting on while eating. Art Facts Haiku is Japanese poetry consisting of only 3 lines. Origami is an ancient Japanese art of paper-folding. Noh, an ancient and very popular type of Japanese theater can last for up to eight hours. One of its kind in the world is the fact, that four different writing styles are used, namely Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji and Romaji Interesting Facts Sumo wrestling is the national sport of this country. Japanese always remove their footwear before entering a home. Often houses have an elevation made, which signify that shoes have to be removed. Slippers are worn in the house, but shoes are never worn in the house. However, slippers are also never worn while sitting on the tatami to have meals. Many women wear platform shoes that are 4 to 6 inches high. The Japanese will shop daily for their meat, fish and vegetable requirements, as they like all their food fresh and without preservatives. This is one of the prime reasons that small and medium-sized refrigerators are sold the most in Japan. Life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world. Very few countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, San Marino, Andorra, and Macau have a slightly higher life expectancy than Japan. On an average the Japanese lives 4 years longer than an American. While smoking is allowed practically anywhere in Japan, you are not allowed to smoke in local trains. Long distance trains have got designated smoking zones. Vandalism rates in Japan are among the least in the world. A vending machine for a variety of daily requirements is installed at practically every corner in Japanese cities. Kendo, meaning "the way of the sword', is Japan's oldest form of martial arts. Japanese do not submerge themselves into the bathtub and then lather. They soap outside the tub and rinse it off. Only then do they submerge themselves neck-deep into the hot water to refresh and relax. Japanese drive on the left, and have their steering wheels on the right, exactly opposite of what it is in America. In villages there is no need to send invitations for a wedding or a funeral. They are considered community events and the entire village will help in preparing the food, and taking care of all the required arrangements. An interesting fact is that religion does not have a big role to play in the lives of the Japanese. Shinto and Buddhism are the two most practiced religion. About 1% of the population practices Christianity. Finally, the Japanese are extremely courteous people. If you require something, they will go out of their way and try to help you. Therefore, most people like visiting the country and enjoying the hospitality of the land of Sumos and Origami. Unique Facts About Japan Many people aren't aware of some of the quirky and interesting facts about Japan. There are a whole variety of strange and fun and cool facts. Here they are: Hello Kitty originated in Japan in the 70s. Macdonald's, Haagen Daaz, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are very popular in Japan. Japanese eat mostly rice and fish. Japanese people still wear kimonos at festivals and special events. The more traditional houses have tables that are very low, so that you can sit on the floor as you eat. In a traditional Japanese house, you don't sit on chairs or sleep on beds. Some farmers grow square watermelons in Japan. In Japan, the most popular topping for pizza is Squid. In Japan it is common to eat rice, soup or steamed vegetables in the morning. Japanese only wear slippers in their houses. There are special slippers for restroom usage. In Tokyo a bicycle is usually faster than a car for most trips up to 50 minutes. There are wild monkeys in Japan. Japan is an Asian country that has many interesting facts concerning it. Did you know that it is considered quite rude to blow your nose in public? Did you know that in 1192 Yortomo was named the first shogun by the emperor? His family ( the Minamoto clan) governed Japan. Did you know that the Japan`s National Anthem`s name is Kimigayo? It means "His Majesty`s Reign." Did you know that there is a meaning for that boring little red dot on Japan`s flag? The boring little red dot stands for the sun. Did you know that in Japan they have Poke'mon cards? They call them Poke'monsters. Japan is made up of · Japan is 70% mountains · Everyone hangs their clothes outside to dry · Japan is the world’s largest consumer of tropical rainforest timber · Japan has 28 National Parks and 55 Quasi-National Parks · Japan is divided into nine large regions and further divided into 47 smaller prefectures · Japan has the seventh largest population in the world · You can catch a train to and from Nagoya every 15 minutes · You can catch a subway train every three minutes in Nagoya · The Shinkansen (bullet train) passes Kris and Jessica’s house every fifteen minutes · The Japanese know more about American politics than Americans do · Popular Japanese bands are: Glay, Smap, Hana Hana, Shingo Mama, The Yellow Monkey, Luna Sea, Whiteberry, Arc~en~Ceil, Da Pump, Kinki Kids, etc… · Popular Japanese music is terrible · Western celebrities in Japanese commercials are: Catherine Zeta-Jones for Lux Super Rich Shampoo, Cameron Diaz for Aeon Language School, Ewan McGregor for Aeon Language School, Nicholas Cage for Pachinko (what a dork), Brad Pitt for both Roots canned coffee and jeans, Tiger Woods for Wonda canned coffee, George Clooney for Toyota, Naomi Campbell for Lipton Canned Tea · In Japan you can buy canned coffee, hot or cold, in vending machines · In Japan, Pert shampoo is called Rejoy · In Japan, 20 capsules of cold medicine cost $15 · Because Japan has a socialized medical system, if you get the tiniest bit sick people think you should go to the doctor so you can get your medicine for free instead of paying $15 for cold medicine · Kyoto and Nara were consciously spared from bombing during World War 2 because of the cultural significance of their architecture and way of life · The name “Tokyo” when broken down into kanji means “east” and “capital” · The name “Kyoto” when broken down into kanji means “capital” and “capital” · Noh, a type of Japanese theatre, can be up to eight hours long · In Japanese, languages all end in –go : Nihongo, Eigo, Spango, etc… · In Japanese, citizen terms end in –jin : Nihonjin, Amerikajin, Perujin, etc… Fast Facts: Japan Motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods Religion(s) Shinto; Buddhism Life Expectancy On average, men live to be 78 years old, and women live to be 85. (The current world average is 67.) DETAILED BACKGROUND Japan is an island nation of East Asia. It is composed of four large islands and many smaller ones, which extend in a narrow arc, northeast to southwest, for a distance of about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) off the eastern coast of Asia. The four main islands are Honshu (the largest and most populous), Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Japan's culture is a blend of traditional Japanese values and modern Western ideas. Japan is the world's oldest monarchy. Its emperors traced their descent from Jimmu. Jimmu, according to mythical tradition, unified Japan and became its first emperor more than 2,500 years ago. Modern Japan, however, is a constitutional monarchy. The emperor is the symbol of the nation, with little political power. Until slightly more than a century ago, Japan, by its own choice, was almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. It reluctantly opened to Western countries in the mid-1800's. It adopted modern technology and quickly became an industrial and military power. Following the destruction of World War II, Japan rebuilt its economy and now ranks among the world's leading industrialized nations. People The islands of Japan were probably settled by peoples migrating from the mainland of Asia. Over a period of many centuries they developed into a distinctive people, the Japanese. The Ainu, a people quite different from the Japanese, are the descendants of the earliest settlers of the islands. Only a few thousand have survived. Most Ainu now live on the northern island of Hokkaido. Japan is one of the world's most densely populated countries. It has about half the population of the United States. But in area it is smaller than the state of California. Nearly two-thirds of the Japanese are city dwellers. And the number is increasing. Religion Shinto and Buddhism are the major religions of Japan. A very small minority of Japanese are Christians. Shinto, meaning "the way of the gods," is a native Japanese religion. Its followers worship the forces of nature and emphasize cleanliness. Its gods, like those of ancient Greece, often personify the forces of nature. Shinto came under the influence of Buddhism, which was introduced from China. Buddhism brought a new faith and a new philosophy to Japan. Today, most Japanese see no contradiction in participating in both Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies. In fact, the typical Japanese marriage ceremony is performed according to Shinto rites, while the funeral service is Buddhist. Way of Life Dwellings. A traditional Japanese house is small. It is made of wood and has a tiled roof. Most houses are surrounded by a bamboo fence or hedge. Because Japan is such a densely populated country and space is limited, Japanese gardens are small. They usually contain some shrubbery and perhaps a group of carefully arranged rocks, all designed to give a feeling of peace and quiet. On entering a Japanese house one takes off one's shoes. The floors in the inner rooms are covered with tatami, or rush matting. Sliding doors made of wood and paper enclose the rooms. Ideally, the Japanese house is sparsely furnished. But because of limited space, the average house tends to be cluttered. To one side of the main room is the tokonoma, an alcove (a small separate area) decorated with a hanging scroll. The scroll is usually a painting or a poem beautifully written with a brush. Next to the scroll is a flower arrangement of simple beauty and perhaps one or two art objects. A low, wide table is used for eating and writing. Japanese traditionally sit on zabuton, or cushions, instead of chairs. Bedding, called futon, is laid out at night on the tatami and put away in closets during the day. This traditional style of living is rapidly changing, particularly in the cities. Apartment houses are replacing the small homes. Western-style furniture, electrical appliances, and modern kitchen equipment are now common in Japanese homes. Few homes have central heating, however, even in the cities. Portable kerosene stoves provide the main source of heat. Many houses also contain a kotatsu. This is a sunken area heated by an electric coil under a table. The kotatsu is usually located in the main room. When a quilt is placed over the table, family members can tuck their feet into the sunken area and sit in comfort or eat a meal, even in the cold of winter. The Traditional Bath. Many new homes and apartments have Western-style baths and showers. But the majority of Japanese still prefer the traditional Japanese bath. The bathtub is made of wood. It is quite deep and large enough to accommodate several people. The custom is to wash oneself thoroughly with soap and water before getting into the tub to soak. For this reason, the floors of the bathrooms are built to allow water to drain. One takes a bath to relax in the hot water, not just to get clean. Marriage. The once-usual custom of arranged marriages is rapidly changing. But even when a man and woman have independently chosen each other, they still favor a traditional marriage ceremony. A Japanese bride wears an ancient hairstyle, now usually a wig rented for the occasion. A white band is tied around the top of her hair to hide the "horns of jealousy" that every woman is believed to possess. The bride's ceremonial kimono, or robe, is black or white, with a colorful design at the hem. Her obi (a sash used to fasten the kimono) is tied at the back in a butterfly knot--the symbol of a young, unmarried woman. If she wears traditional dress after she is married, she will tie the obi in a drum knot. It is fashionable for the groom to wear Western-style attire, rather than the formal men's kimono with a pleated overskirt called hakama. Dining and Etiquette. An invitation for dinner to a Japanese home is considered a great honor. Japanese etiquette, or prescribed behavior, is quite different from that of Western countries. At a family-style dinner, the dishes are placed in the center of the table. Everyone reaches for the food with chopsticks. For more formal dinners, the guests are provided with individual serving trays. The plates and bowls are often purposely unmatched. They are chosen to enhance the food, which is artistically arranged. A typical dinner might consist of steamed rice, pickled vegetables, and a main dish of tempura--fish or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried in oil. Or the main dish might be sukiyaki. This is a combination of sliced beef or chicken with an assortment of vegetables. It is cooked at the table. The Japanese language has many polite phrases appropriate for different social situations. It would be considered rude if a guest, or even members of the family, started to eat without first bowing and saying, "Ita-dakimasu [I gratefully receive this food]." After the meal is over, one bows again and says, "Gochiso-sama [Thank you for the delicious meal]." Formal bows are once again exchanged when the guest is ready to leave. The guest says, "Arigato gozaimasu [Thank you]" and "Sayonara [Good-bye]," and the host tells the guest repeatedly, "Mata dozo [Please come again]." The Tea Ceremony. Tea is the favorite beverage of the Japanese and an ever-present part of daily life. A cup of tea is always offered to a guest. The formal tea ceremony, during which the tea is brewed and served, requires quiet concentration and the strict observance of rules. The ceremony is filled with spiritual meaning. Its correct performance was once considered one of the necessary social graces of Japanese women. Business Practices. The business world of Japan has become completely Westernized. But some traditional customs remain. Checks and documents are stamped with the seal of a person's name or of a company, instead of being signed. People in business exchange name cards when they first meet. Japanese surnames, or last names, come before the given name. For instance, Yukio (given name) Ogawa (surname) is addressed as Ogawa Yukio-san. (San is used for Mr., Mrs., and Miss.) One's rank is strictly observed in business. At New Year's and mid-summer, gifts are sent to clients and superiors. In small offices and shops, the soroban, or abacus (an ancient but rapid calculating device), is used. However, most business establishments in Japan, as in the United States or Europe, have the latest electronic equipment. Language The Japanese language is thought to be related to Korean, Manchurian, and Mongolian, and more distantly to Finnish and Hungarian. But these connections lie in the remote past. Until the 400's or 500's A.D., when Chinese characters were introduced, the Japanese had no writing system. Thereafter, a system was developed for writing Japanese using Chinese characters (kanji). Using kanji as a base, the Japanese devised two syllabic alphabets--hiragana and katakana. Each represents the same 47 syllables. The alphabets are used together with kanji in writing modern Japanese. Children first learn hiragana and katakana and are gradually introduced to kanji. There are more than 60,000 kanji. But most people have a general knowledge of from 3,000 to 4,000 kanji. To simplify matters, most books and newspapers use only 1,850 kanji. This is the same number that high school graduates are expected to master. There is also a method of writing Japanese--called romaji--using the Roman alphabet. Japanese is traditionally written from top to bottom, beginning at the right-hand side of the page. In modern books, especially those dealing with scientific subjects, the text appears in Western style--straight across from left to right. Children do their homework with a pen or pencil. But, because the art of beautiful writing, or calligraphy, is much esteemed, they also learn to write Japanese using a brush and black ink. Education The Japanese place a high value on education. Modern schools began in Japan more than a century ago. After World War II, Japanese schools adopted a system similar to that of the United States. Nine years of schooling (six of primary school and three of middle school) are compulsory for Japanese children. Nearly all continue on to high school for three additional years. Higher education also resembles the four-year college system of the United States. There are more than 450 colleges and universities in Japan. There are also many specialized schools and junior colleges. Holidays and Festivals The four seasons bring welcome changes to the nature-loving Japanese. Numerous holidays and festivals are celebrated throughout the year. They honor nature, children, and the Shinto and Buddhist religions. New Year. By far the most important holiday is New Year's Day. At year's end people rush about paying debts and preparing for the festivities, which last a week. At midnight on December 31, the temple bells announce the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new. It is customary to eat long noodles called soba as the last meal of the year. Decorations of bamboo and pine, which stand for strength, devotion, and faithfulness, are placed at the front gate of each house. On New Year's Day itself, everyone eats mochi. These are little dumplings made of pounded boiled rice. Temples and shrines are filled with people. Many of them dress in colorful kimonos. New Year's Day is also one of the two occasions in the year when the gates of the emperor's palace grounds are open to the people. The emperor and empress appear on the palace balcony. They greet the throngs of people who have come to wish them "Banzai." This means "ten thousand years." It is their way of saying "Long may you live." At home, boys fly kites, while girls play a game much like badminton. Girls' Day. March 3 is celebrated as Girls' Day. It is also known as the Festival of Dolls. Because it is the time that peach blossoms are in full bloom, it is also called the Peach Festival. Young girls wear their best kimonos and visit each other to admire their dolls. Cherry Blossom Viewing. By early April the cherry blossoms are at their peak. There is no formal festival as such. But it is customary for families to go on picnics at this time to enjoy the flower most loved by the Japanese. Iris Festival. Traditionally, May 5 was observed as Boys' Day or the Iris Festival. The long, bladelike leaves of the Japanese iris were placed in a boy's bath to give him a martial, or fighting, spirit. The festival is now celebrated by all children. But the symbols of courage and strength honor boys especially. Brightly colored paper or cloth carp--a fish known for its courage--are flown from tall bamboo poles. The poles are set up in front of every home where there is a boy. Star Festival. Held on July 7, the Star Festival commemorates a romantic legend about the Princess Weaver Star. She falls in love with a cowherd star on the banks of the Heavenly River (the Milky Way). But she is fated to meet him only once a year. Feast of the Lanterns. The Buddhist Feast of the Lanterns, or Obon, is held on July 15 in some areas and on August 15 in others. It honors the spirits of one's ancestors. Ancestors are believed to return once a year to visit their families. During the day families visit the graves of their ancestors. In the evening the streets are decorated with brightly colored lanterns to light the way for the visiting spirits. A communal dance, the bon odori, is performed energetically. After the celebration the spirits are escorted to a river or lake if there is one nearby. They are sent off in miniature straw boats filled with food and incense. Harvest Thanksgiving Festival. This festival is celebrated in October. Farmers express their gratitude to the Shinto gods of the harvest by offering them the first fruits of the field. Shichi-Go-San. November 15 is a day of much excitement for girls of 7, boys of 5, and all children of 3. This festival is called Shichi-Go-San ("7-5-3"). It is a day when the children receive presents. They also visit shrines with their parents to pray to the Shinto gods for health and happiness. Apart from these traditional holidays, in recent years Christmas has become popular in Japan, even though Christians are only a tiny minority. It is not unusual for young Japanese to exchange presents or to visit a department store to see a huge Christmas tree or Santa Claus on display. However, New Year's remains the customary time for Japanese families to gather for a reunion. Entertainment and Sports Noh and Kabuki. Entertainment in Japan is rich and varied. It ranges from ancient stage dramas to the types of modern drama performed in Western countries. In the classical theaters of Noh and Kabuki, the actors are all men, who play the roles of beautiful women, villains, and heroes. The older Noh plays are slow moving and simple in plot. Actors wear masks and move with studied gestures, which have deep symbolic meaning. In the more lively Kabuki plays there are many thrilling moments. When a popular actor makes his entrance on the "flower walk," a narrow platform leading from the back of the theater to the stage, devoted fans shout words of praise and applaud him as he walks by. Kabuki actors do not wear masks. Instead, their faces are elaborately painted to show the characters they play. Bunraku. Another ancient and popular theatrical art is Bunraku, a puppet play. The puppets are much larger than Western ones and are themselves works of art. Each puppet is guided by three puppet players. The players are dressed entirely in black so as to remain unseen by the audience. The master player controls the head and right hand; a senior assistant, the left hand; and a junior assistant, the body and legs. As the puppets dance, laugh, cry, and do battle, they look almost human. Geishas. Geishas provide yet another form of entertainment, mainly for men. A geisha is a female entertainer who has been trained from her youth to move and speak with grace. She also learns to sing, dance, and play musical instruments--all of the traditional kind. And she becomes expert in the art of flower arrangement and the tea ceremony. Geishas are expected to dress with taste and elegance. Hiring geishas for an evening's entertainment can be very expensive. It is usually reserved for business affairs. Movies. Movies and television are the chief sources of popular entertainment today. Japanese have won awards at international film festivals for pictures such as Rashomon and Gate of Hell. Other acclaimed Japanese films are The Seven Samurai and Ran. Young Japanese are also fond of American movies, jazz, and rock music. Sports. Japan is a sports-minded nation. Baseball, tennis, golf, and skiing are all popular. Indeed, baseball is almost the national sport, and professional and amateur teams are followed with wild enthusiasm. One traditional Japanese sport is sumo, an ancient form of wrestling. Sumo wrestlers are generally very big and heavy. A wrestler's hair is tied up in a coiled knot on top of his head. He wears a type of loincloth so that the audience can see every muscle in his body. The match is lost by the wrestler who first steps outside the ring or touches the ground with anything but the soles of his feet. Two other traditional sports are karate and judo, which are also useful for self-defense. In karate, one uses the hand, either open or closed; the elbows; and the feet. In judo, the student is trained to use the movements of an opponent to achieve the momentum needed for a throw. Land About 200 million years ago the continental shelf of the Asian mainland rose up to form a long crest of islands, of which Japan is a part. The islands are actually the peaks of submerged mountain ranges. Like all the lands along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, Japan has many active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Most earthquakes are minor and cause little or no damage. But some have been violently destructive. The worst earthquake in Japan's history struck the area around Tokyo, the capital, in 1923, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. The major bodies of water surrounding Japan are the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Philippine and East China seas in the south, and the East Sea (Sea of Japan) in the west. Japan faces three nations on the Asian mainland. They are China, Korea, and the Russian Federation. Mountains and Forests Almost 75 percent of Japan's land is mountainous, and about two-thirds of it is forested. Japan's most famous mountain and the highest in elevation is Mount Fuji. It rises to 12,388 feet (3,776 meters). Located on the island of Honshu, Fuji is a dormant (inactive) volcano, which the Japanese regard as sacred. Its graceful, snowcapped form has long inspired poets and artists. Rivers Japan has no long rivers. The largest river, the Shinano, has a length of only about 230 miles (370 kilometers). Most of the others are too short and swift-flowing to be suitable for transportation. They are, however, important as sources of hydroelectric power. The Inland Sea The Inland Sea is a picturesque waterway dotted with about 700 islets. It is partly enclosed by the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kiyushu. Ships and fishing boats travel between its coastal ports. The beauty of the sea has been depicted in traditional Japanese paintings. ClimateThe country's climate is affected by two ocean currents. The warm Japan Current flows northward from the Philippines along Japan's eastern, or Pacific, coast. This area, as a result, has a milder climate than the western coast. The cold Oyashio Current originates in the Bering Sea off the coast of Siberia. It flows southward along the eastern coast of Hokkaido, producing a much cooler climate in this region. Japan's location also makes it vulnerable to typhoons (hurricanes that occur in the western Pacific Ocean) and the mudslides that result from these violent storms. In 2004, Japan suffered the worst typhoon season in more than twenty years. Japan has abundant rainfall, ranging from about 40 to 100 inches (1,000 to 2,500 millimeters) annually. Because of this, much of Japan is covered with green foliage. The year falls into four distinct seasons. They are pleasant springs; generally hot and humid summers; clear, bright autumns; and cool to cold winters, with frequent snowfall in some areas. Mineral Resources Japan does not have an abundance of mineral resources. It has many kinds of minerals, but except for some coal, copper, and lead, none exist in any quantity. The Main Islands Japan is made up of thousands of islands. But most of them are quite small. The four main islands make up almost all of Japan's land area. They are home to virtually all of its people. Honshu. This largest and most populous of the four main islands has about 60 percent of Japan's total land area. It contains many of the largest cities and has about 80 percent of the country's population. The Kanto Plain, situated in the eastern part of the island, is a major agricultural and industrial region and the site of the capital, Tokyo. Other chief cities of Honshu are Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located near Kyoto. Hokkaido. The northernmost island, Hokkaido is second largest in area but only third in population. It is a rugged land, without the quiet beauty of the other islands. Because of its climate--cold and bleak for much of the year with heavy snowfall--Hokkaido was, until about a century ago, regarded as an outpost. It now has large cities and flourishing industries. It is a popular resort area for winter sports. The chief city is Sapporo. Kyushu. The most southerly of the main islands, Kyushu is second in population after Honshu and third in area after Hokkaido. Because of its relatively small size, it is the most densely populated of the islands. Its major cities include Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and Nagasaki. Shikoku. Shikoku is the smallest of the main islands, both in area and population. Until the recent completion of a bridge linking it to Hiroshima on the island of Honshu, Shikoku was fairly isolated from the rest of the country. Its largest city is Matsuyama. Other islands of importance are the Ryukyus and Bonins. The Ryukyus are a chain of more than 100 mountainous islands situated south of Kyushu. Okinawa is the largest and most important of the Ryukyus. The lightly populated Bonins lie about 600 miles (970 kilometers) southeast of the main islands. Major Cities The Japanese are chiefly a nation of city dwellers. Cities are scattered throughout the islands, although most of the largest are on Honshu. Twelve Japanese cities have populations of 1 million or more. They are Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Saitima, Sendai, Tokyo, and Yokohama (all on Honshu), Fukuoka (on Kyushu), and Sapporo (on Hokkaido). Hiroshima is perhaps best known internationally. This is because of its devastation by an atomic bomb in 1945, during World War II. Tokyo Tokyo, the capital, is one of the world's largest cities. Formerly called Edo, it was renamed when it became the imperial capital in 1868. It was given the name Tokyo ("eastern capital") to distinguish it from the former capital, Kyoto, in western Honshu. Tokyo is not only the center of government, but of industry, commerce, finance, and education as well. The city is described in greater detail in the article Tokyo. Yokohama Located just south of Tokyo, Yokohama is Japan's second largest city and its largest port. It is a center of heavy industry, including steelmaking, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of trucks and other motor vehicles. Originally a small fishing village, Yokohama grew rapidly after it was opened to foreign trade in 1858. The city was heavily damaged by bombing in World War II but has been rebuilt with wide boulevards and modern buildings. Osaka Situated on Osaka Bay, the eastern arm of the Inland Sea, Osaka is one of Japan's leading seaports, along with Yokohama and Kobe. Often likened to the U.S. city of Chicago, Osaka is one of Japan's most industrialized cities. It is the subject of a separate article in this encyclopedia. Kyoto Kyoto was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years, until the seat of government was moved to Tokyo in 1868. The city is still the center of religion and of traditional Japanese arts. Kyoto and its places of interest are described further in this encyclopedia. Nagoya Nagoya is situated almost in the center of Honshu. Located on Ise Bay, it has an excellent harbor. It is the heart of Japan's automobile industry. It is also noted for its fine pottery, porcelain, and enamelware. Sapporo The capital of Hokkaido, Sapporo is a rapidly growing city. Its major industries include food processing, machinery repair, printing, construction, and mining. It was host to the 1972 Winter Olympic Games. Kobe Located in western Honshu on Osaka Bay, across from the city of Osaka, Kobe is Japan's second most important seaport. It is an industrial city as well, producing ships, iron and steel, and textiles. Economy In the middle of the 1800's, Japan was still a predominantly agricultural country. Within two generations, the Japanese created an industrial and commercial power of international importance. Despite the enormous destruction of World War II (1939-45), Japan quickly rebuilt its economy. It did this with a combination of government leadership and private enterprise. The Japanese economy expanded in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but slowed greatly in the 1990s. The economic decline continued into the 21st century. In 2009, the nation's industrial production decreased by 17 percent. And in 2010, fast-growing China replaced Japan as the world's second largest economy, after the United States. Services The services sector contributes over 75 percent to GDP, or gross domestic product. (GDP is the total amount of goods and services produced by an economy in one year.) Advertising, tourism, and financial services are important to Japan's economy, as are government services. Manufacturing Industry accounts for about 22 percent of Japan's GDP and employs a slightly higher percentage of its workforce. Japan is among the world's largest and technologically advanced providers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, ships, chemicals, and processed foods. Shipbuilding and iron and steel production, however, are declining in importance. Japan is also moving rapidly to leadership in the field of biotechnology. Biotechnology involves the design and manufacture of artificial body parts. It also includes creation, in the laboratory, of new genetic materials and methods of fighting disease. Today Japan's industries face growing competition from other countries such as China and South Korea. Many products once made in Japan are now being made elsewhere in Asia. Agriculture Agriculture contributes just over 1.5 percent to GDP and employs 4 percent of the Japanese workforce. Because so much of Japan is mountainous and forested, only about 15 percent of its total land area can be used for farming. Every bit of usable land is valuable, and Japanese farmers grow crops on plots of land that often seem too small or too steep to be cultivated. Even so, Japan must import a large portion of its food to feed its people. Rice is the staple food of Japan. In fact, the term for "boiled rice" has the same meaning as "meal." Small, neat patches of green rice paddies dot the countryside. Rice seedlings are planted during the rainy season, which begins in early June. The rice is harvested in September. After rice, the leading food crops include sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, and tea. Silkworms are grown for their silk. Japan grows all the rice it needs, but among the foods it must import are soybeans, which form an important part of the Japanese diet. As eating habits have changed, livestock raising has become increasingly important. Shortage of good pastureland, however, limits the raising of cattle. Much of Japan's meat and dairy products come from Hokkaido or abroad. Fishing Japan is one of the world's foremost fishing nations. Fish and shellfish are a basic food of the Japanese. The waters surrounding Japan are rich in a variety of fish. These include sardines, mackerel, and yellowfin tuna. Octopus, cuttlefish, and eels are other delicacies. Seaweed is also harvested for food. Japanese fishing fleets also regularly travel the waters of the world with factory ships equipped to process the catch at sea. Cultured Pearls The cultured-pearl industry is distinctive to Japan. In the late 1800's the Japanese Mikimoto Kokichi created the modern cultured-pearl industry. He devised a practical method of producing pearls artificially by injecting an irritant into the oyster. Some of the largest pearl farms are located at Pearl Island in Ago Bay. There the water temperature and other conditions are ideal for the oysters. Foreign Trade Among Japan's major exports are transportation equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, and chemicals. Its major export partners are China, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Japan imports machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, and raw materials. Its major import partners are China, the United States, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Energy Japan is heavily dependent on imported fuels. The country's major energy sources are water power, imported petroleum and natural gas, and nuclear energy. Production of coal has declined steadily, and many Japanese mines have been closed. Nuclear energy now supplies about one-third of Japan's electric power. Transportation Japan has a very modern transportation network. It ranks relatively high among the nations of the world in air transportation. It ranks very high with respect to its railroads and roadways. Japan is known for its large fleet of commercial ships and its modern and well-equipped ports and trade terminals. Communication Japan has an excellent domestic and international telephone service. It has hundreds of radio and television stations. About 96 million Japanese access the Internet. Government Japan is governed under a constitution that went into effect in 1947. The lawmaking body is the National Diet, which is composed of two houses, the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The House of Representatives, made up of 500 members, is elected for a term of four years. The House of Councillors, made up of 252 members, is elected for six years, with one half of its membership elected every three years. The head of government is the prime minister, who is chosen by the Diet. The prime minister, in turn, appoints the other ministers of the cabinet, all of whom are responsible to the Diet. The Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP), a conservative political party, governed Japan from its founding in 1955 until 1993, when it fell from power after a series of scandals and charges of corruption. Three prime ministers (including Japan's first socialist leader since 1946) successively led opposition coalition governments before the LDP regained the prime ministership in 1996. The emperor, who formerly held great power, now serves as the symbolic head of state under the present constitution. He now has only ceremonial duties. The judicial branch of the government consists of the various courts, headed by the Supreme Court, which has a chief justice and 14 other justices. Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, each of which is administered by an elected governor. History Japan's geographical location has played an important role in its history. Japan lies close enough to the mainland of Asia to have been strongly influenced by China. At the same time, the waters surrounding the Japanese islands long served as a barrier against invasion. After the first migrations of peoples from the mainland in the far distant past, Japan successfully resisted attempts at invasion until its defeat in World War II. This water barrier also encouraged the isolation that marks periods of Japanese history. Legend of the Sun Goddess The Japanese call their country Nippon or Nihon. It means "base of the sun," suggesting that Japan, the easternmost country of Asia, is the land where the sun rises. The national flag depicts the sun --a red ball--against a white background. The Japanese emperors traced their ancestry to a sun goddess, who in turn was descended from the god Izanagi. A myth tells how the Japanese islands were created: One day long, long ago the heavenly being Izanagi dipped his jeweled spear into the deep waters, and the shining crystal drops that scattered formed the islands of Japan. Izanagi had made the sun goddess, Amaterasu, the ruler of the heavenly kingdom. She loved the beautiful islands that sparkled in the blue waters below and proclaimed that they should always be ruled by her descendants. "You, my grandson," she told Prince Ninigi, "go, and govern these islands, and may the prosperity of the imperial house be as everlasting as that of heaven and earth." The prince descended over the floating bridge of heaven to the Japanese islands. For many hundreds of years the legend of the Sun Goddess was accepted as history by the Japanese. The goddess is worshipped at the Grand Shrine of Ise, in western Honshu. It is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and is also the family shrine of the emperor. According to the 700's text Kojiki ("Record of Ancient Matters"), which is Japan's earliest written history, Jimmu, the great- grandson of Prince Ninigi, became Japan's first emperor in 660 B.C. This document also stated that all succeeding emperors were to be regarded as sons of heaven--an idea that originated in China. The mythical origins of the imperial family have since been rejected by the Japanese, and the emperor is no longer looked upon as divine. However, the emperor and his family are still regarded with affection and respect by most Japanese, especially those of the older generation. Early Settlers The earliest settlers of Japan about whom much is known were the Jomon people, who came from the Asian mainland. They fashioned pottery, used tools and weapons made of stone, and lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering nuts and fruits. They lived in Japan from about 8000 B.C. to 300 B.C. They were followed by waves of new settlers, who migrated to Japan from northeastern Asia by way of the Korean peninsula. They landed in Kyushu and pushed northward. It is these new settlers, in the main, who are considered the ancestors of the Japanese. Some of the Jomon people were killed. Some mingled with the new immigrants, while others fled to the northernmost island. It is thought that the Ainu are in part the descendants of the Jomon people. Ainu Customs The customs of the Ainu were quite different from those of the Japanese. Their chief deity (a god or goddess) was the goddess of fire. The bear held an important place in Ainu customs. A cub was raised, sacrificed, and eaten with great ceremony in a religious ritual. This feast of thanksgiving, called the Bear Festival, was held to bid farewell to the god of the mountains, who was said to visit the earth in bearskins and bring gifts of bear meat for the people. The Yamato State: Chinese Influence The new settlers in Japan were organized in clans, or large social groups related through a common ancestor. Gradually, regional states were formed. One of these, known as the Yamato state, unified Japan politically sometime in the 300's or 400's A.D. Its leader became the emperor, and its gods became the gods of Japan. Japan first came under the influence of China in the 200's or 300's A.D. The development of the Yamato state would have been very different without the influence of this powerful, highly civilized neighbor. China at the time had a written language, a sophisticated tradition of philosophy and literature, the Buddhist religion, and an advanced system of bureaucratic government. Between the 500's and 600's these Chinese elements began to enter Japan in increasing volume. The Japanese adopted the Chinese writing system. They learned Chinese arts and crafts, including how to cast bronze and make fine pottery and porcelain, and how to grow tea, raise silkworms, and weave silk. Buddhism, too, was adopted by the Japanese, and while it did not replace Shinto, it soon became the major religion. The first capital, built in 710 at Nara on Honshu, was designed in the Chinese style. Fujiwara Rule From the end of the 700's until the 1100's, Japan was governed by the imperial and other aristocratic clans. Only those born within these clans could hold offices at the emperor's court. The most important clan was the Fujiwara, who held the highest offices. Fujiwara daughters became the wives of emperors. The emperors themselves often ruled only as ceremonial figureheads, while the Fujiwara held real power. During the centuries of Fujiwara rule, life in the countryside was backward. The people were poor and heavily taxed. In contrast, Kyoto, which had become the new capital in 794, was filled with magnificent palaces and temples. Masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and literature were created by the Kyoto nobility. The noblemen wrote in Chinese. However, it was the women, writing in Japanese, who created the classics that are still read today. One, The Tale of Genji, is the story of the life and loves of Genji, the "shining prince." Another, The Pillow Book, is filled with descriptions, often amusing, of the court. Samurai While aristocratic life flourished in Kyoto, new forces were emerging in more distant regions of Japan. To maintain law and order and to protect their rice fields, a new class of mounted warriors arose. They were called samurai, which means "those who serve." The samurai fought with bows and arrows and with swords. They were very much like the European knights of the Middle Ages. At first these warriors held only local power in the countryside, where they co-operated with governors sent out from the imperial court. But eventually the samurai became more powerful, and from the 1100's to the 1800's, they were the rulers of Japan. Kamakura Rulers: The First Shoguns The first military government was established in Kamakura in eastern Honshu in 1185. Its founder took the title of "Barbarian-Conquering-General"--whose shortened form in Japanese is shogun. He claimed to be merely the military ruler, while the emperor ruled over the civil government in Kyoto. But, in fact, he gradually gathered all power into his own hands and those of his samurai followers, leaving the emperor more powerless than ever. The "Divine Wind" During the 13th century, the Mongol emperor of China, Kublai Khan, sent emissaries to Japan with the demand that it submit to his rule. The shogun in Kamakura ignored the demand and beheaded the emissaries. Kublai Khan was so angered that he sent thousands of ships to invade Japan. The first attack was inconclusive, but during the second, a great storm appeared that destroyed many of the enemy ships. The rest of the ships were forced to retreat. The Japanese called this storm kamikaze, or "divine wind," in the belief that it had saved them from foreign invasion. Kyoto Shogunate: The Ashikaga The second period of military rule began in the early 14th century. The samurai had become so numerous and so overly ambitious that the rulers in Kamakura could no longer control them. After rebellions broke out, a new military government took power, headed by the Ashikaga clan. The new shogun settled in Kyoto, where he built himself a magnificent palace. The emperor still resided in Kyoto. But a separate civil government no longer existed, except on paper. The Ashikaga shoguns built great temples and gardens, which still can be seen today. Several, like the Silver Pavilion, are national treasures. It was the great age of Zen Buddhism. The Ashikaga were patrons of monasteries and of painters, poets, and writers. The Dark Age As Ashikaga rule began to decline in the middle of the 1400's, Japan was plunged into a dark age of constant warfare, which was to last for nearly a century. Feudal lords, called daimyo, each with his fortified castle and army of samurai, arose in every part of Japan. Hundreds of such daimyo competed for power, drafting foot soldiers from among the peasants to enlarge their armies. The First Europeans Just at this time the first Europeans arrived in Japan. In 1543 three Portuguese traders who had been sailing along the China coast were blown out to sea and eventually landed on an island south of Kyushu. They were treated hospitably. Their firearms, in particular, aroused much excitement among the samurai, who quickly copied them and used them to advantage in their wars. News of the coming of the foreigners and of their unusual possessions spread throughout the country. The Portuguese themselves, on hearing of the discovery of Japan, at once fitted out expeditions to trade in this new market. Within a few years the traders were followed by missionaries. Other foreign expeditions also made their way to the Japanese islands. During the short but successful mission of the Spanish Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier, the first Christian church was built in Japan, and hundreds of Japanese were converted to the Roman Catholic religion. Three Leaders of the 1500's Three men--Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu--were destined to play important roles in the history of Japan in the 1500's. A well-known story compares the characters of the three. Nobunaga says: "Nightingale, if you do not sing, I shall kill you." Hideyoshi says: "Nightingale, if you do not sing, I shall make you." Ieyasu says: "Nightingale, if you do not sing now, I shall wait until you do." Oda Nobunaga was the first to gain power. After ousting the weakened Ashikaga shogun from Kyoto, he eliminated all of his rivals, successfully using the new firearms in a decisive battle. But the ruthless Nobunaga was not popular. In 1582, after a brief rule of nine years, he was killed by one of his own men. He was succeeded by Hideyoshi. Many stories are told about Hideyoshi. Beginning as a common soldier, who could neither read nor write, he became Japan's greatest warrior. He was an ugly man--his nickname as a child had been Kozaru, or "Little Monkey." After several years at a monastery, to which his despairing parents had sent him, he entered the service of a daimyo. He then joined Nobunaga's army, where he quickly rose to become his chief general. By 1590, Hideyoshi had brought all of Japan under his control. But the arrogant and boastful warrior had an even greater ambition: He dreamed of conquering China. The armies he sent to the mainland, however, suffered severe losses in Korea, and they were withdrawn soon after Hideyoshi's death in 1598. Tokugawa Ieyasu was a clever politician as well as a brilliant general. He was known for his patience and his sense of justice. After defeating all of his opponents in battle in 1600, he established a military government that lasted until the middle of the 1800's. Under the Tokugawa shoguns, Japan enjoyed two and a half centuries of peace. The Tokugawa Shogunate Following the example of the first Kamakura shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu established his shogunate, or military government, in eastern Japan, at Edo (the future Tokyo). Originally a small village, within a century it was to grow into a city of a million inhabitants. Ieyasu took direct control of one third of Japan, settling his own soldiers in Edo. The rest of the land he distributed to other lords, especially favoring those who had proved their loyalty to him in battle. Those he trusted most were settled, along with their thousands of samurai, on lands bordering his own. Those he least trusted were sent to distant regions in Kyushu or Shikoku. Ieyasu also formed a council of the most trustworthy lords as his advisers. When later shoguns were too young or too weak to rule effectively, the council took over and governed Japan. Some Important Events Under the Tokugawa In the 1630's, under the third shogun, Christianity was banned in Japan. Fearing that the Japanese lords who had converted to Christianity would not remain loyal to his government, the shogun ordered all foreigners to leave Japan and all Christian converts to give up their new religion. Anyone who refused to obey the order was sentenced to death. Many Japanese did renounce Christianity, but others died for their faith. Beginning in the mid-1600's, not only were foreigners forbidden to enter Japan, the Japanese themselves were forbidden to travel outside the country. Any who did so were liable to execution on returning. The reason for this harsh law, like the one banning Christianity, was to ensure the security of Japan. The one exception to the order against foreigners was in the port city of Nagasaki on Kyushu, far from the capital at Edo, where a handful of Dutch, Chinese, and Korean merchants were permitted to trade. For two centuries, Nagasaki remained Japan's only outlet to the rest of the world, through which a few books on Western science entered. Commerce grew within Japan as peace and a more stable society brought economic expansion. Art, literature, and drama reached new heights of expression. The Kabuki play--more realistic than the earlier NÅÂÂÂ drama--became popular among the emerging middle classes in the cities. While some literature was serious and dealt with heroes and military virtue, most city people preferred romances and comic sketches of ordinary folk. The function of the samurai changed. After many years of peace, they became a class of hereditary government officials rather than warriors. They still wore swords and trained in the military arts. But education and learning had now become more important. Arrival of Perry: Fall of the Tokugawa In 1853, Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the United States Navy arrived in Japan with four warships. He carried a letter from U.S. president Millard C. Fillmore. It requested Japan to open its ports to trade and to give better treatment to American sailors shipwrecked on Japanese shores. Perry returned the following year with additional ships. The Tokugawa government was aware that China had been defeated by the British in the Opium War of 1841. And it was fearful of the guns of Perry's warships. So it agreed to his demands for a treaty. The Treaty of Kanagawa granted the United States trading rights at two ports and permitted an American diplomat to reside in the country. A more extensive commercial treaty was signed in 1858. Japan signed similar treaties with other Western nations. These outside contacts upset the political balance within Japan. In 1868 the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown and a new government took its place. Modernization of Japan: Meiji Period In theory the new government was a return to power by the emperor, who left Kyoto and settled in Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. The period in Japanese history that followed is known as the Meiji Period, after the Emperor Mutsuhito (1852-1912). He took the name Meiji, meaning "Enlightened Rule." In practice, however, the new government was controlled by a very capable and tough-minded group of young samurai. They were determined to make Japan a strong, modern nation, on the model of Western nations. They built railroads, factories, and dockyards, laid telegraph lines, and established banks--all that was necessary, in fact, to the economy of a modern nation of the time. They also created a new army and navy, equipped with the latest weapons and powerful warships. With these Japan defeated China in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), thus establishing itself in the eyes of the world as a power to be taken seriously. More important, Japan's leaders created a new school system and modern universities. By about 1900, nearly all Japanese, rich and poor, could read and write. Young people were also sent abroad to study, and foreigners were invited to Japan to advise the government. In 1889 a constitution was proclaimed. It was not fully democratic, but it did provide for elections. Political parties were gradually formed, and the people began to have a voice in the government. Imperial Expansion As a result of its victories over China and Russia, Japan acquired Taiwan, southern Sakhalin Island, and the Liaotung Peninsula on the Chinese mainland. It gained a foothold in China's northern region of Manchuria and control of Korea, which it formally annexed in 1910. Like the Western powers on which it had modeled itself, Japan had become not only a highly industrialized nation, but one with imperialist ambitions and colonies of its own. During World War I (1914-18), Japan sided with the Allied Powers, which included Britain, France, and, from 1917, the United States. Although Japan saw little fighting, it won additional territory in China as well as island colonies in the Pacific. These had formerly belonged to Germany, the defeated leader of the Central Powers. Rise of the Militarists The decade following the end of the war was a period of prosperity and relative political freedom for Japan. In the late 1920's and early 1930's, however, there was a growing worldwide economic depression. Military extremists began to exert growing pressure on the government. In 1931, Japanese military officers in Manchuria used the pretext of a bombing by Chinese of a Japanese-owned railroad (the Mukden Incident) to occupy all of Manchuria, which became a puppet state of Japan. Soon after, the civilian government of Japan was replaced by one dominated by military leaders. In 1937, following a clash between Chinese and Japanese troops at the Marco Polo Bridge near Peking, Japan began a full-scale invasion of China. By 1938, Japanese forces had gained control of the eastern part of the country. World War II World War II began in Europe with Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939. In 1940, Japan formed an alliance with Germany and Italy as an Axis Power. Japan's policy of expansion in Asia led to increasing tension with the United States. When Japanese troops moved into French Indochina (now Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) in 1940-41, the United States cut off all trade with Japan. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack against the U.S. naval and military bases at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack brought the United States into the war against Japan and Germany on the side of the Allies. In the early stages of the war in Asia, the Japanese won dramatic victories. They occupied Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore, the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia), Burma (now Myanmar), the Philippines, and many Pacific islands. Defeat of Japan Eventually the superior economic strength of the United States and its increasing military and naval power began to tell. The Japanese forces were slowly pushed back from their initial territorial gains. By 1945, they were fighting for the survival of their own home islands. Japan had suffered millions of battlefield casualties, the collapse of its economy, and the devastation of many of its cities by bombing. When Japan's leaders ignored calls for surrender, U.S. President Harry S. Truman reluctantly ordered the dropping of the newly developed atomic bomb. The bomb, dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killed or injured more than half the city's population. Two days later, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and sent its troops into Manchuria. A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9. On August 14, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan. The official surrender document was signed on board the battleship USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, on September 2, 1945. For more information on World War II, see the article World War II. Postwar Period: A Changing Society An Allied army, under U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and composed mainly of American forces, remained in Japan until 1952. Under MacArthur's administration, political, social, and economic reforms were introduced that greatly changed Japanese society. In 1945, Emperor Hirohito, in a nationwide broadcast, told the Japanese people that he was not divine. Later, the crown prince, Akihito, the heir to the throne, broke an ancient tradition by marrying a commoner. (A commoner is a person who does not belong to a noble family.) In 1947 a new, democratic constitution came into force. It established a parliamentary system. Women were permitted to vote and to own property for the first time. And Japan renounced war forever. Other changes included the distribution of land among the farmers who worked it. Schools were reorganized and textbooks were rewritten to give more accurate accounts of Japan's historical beginnings. In 1989, Akihito succeeded his father, Hirohito, as emperor. Japan Today Young Japanese are growing up in a Japan far different from the one their parents and grandparents knew. Young men and women now have a more relaxed attitude toward each other. And there is more respect for individual rights. A higher standard of living and a more varied diet have increased the average Japanese life span to more than 82 years, the third highest in the world. The Japanese have made enormous strides in science, industry, and technology. These have challenged Japan's traditional ways of doing business. And despite its economic decline in the 1990's and 2000's, the country is still the world's third largest economy. In 2001, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) swept the general elections, and party leader Junichiro Koizumi became prime minister. The LDP also won a majority in the elections of 2003 and 2005. In 2006, Koizumi resigned as leader of the LDP. His successor as LDP leader, Shinzo Abe, was named prime minister. The LDP's Yasuo Fukuda was made prime minister in September 2007 after the resignation of Abe, whose short time in office was filled with political scandals. In September 2008, Prime Minister Fukuda announced his resignation and was succeeded by LDP party leader Taro Aso. In August 2009, however, the LDP, which had ruled Japan for almost 54 years (except for 11 months in 1993-94), was defeated in parliamentary elections. The left-of-center Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was the victor. The DPJ leader, Yukio Hatoyama, became prime minister in September. U.S. president Barack Obama visited Japan in November 2009 and met with Hatoyama. There were signs that the once-close U.S.-Japanese ties were loosening. A major point of contention between the two countries was a U.S. Marine air base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The people of Okinawa have long demanded that the air base be removed. U.S. bases occupy almost one-fifth of Okinawa. Okinawans complain about the noise and air pollution from airplanes and about crime. Hatoyama resigned in June 2010, after only eight months in office. He was the fourth prime minister to step down in four years. A major reason for his resignation was his failure to resolve the Okinawa issue. He was also criticized for his inability to halt the decline of Japan's economy. Naoto Kan, the finance minister, was elected leader of the DPJ and replaced Hatoyama as prime minister. He promised to end Japan's economic stagnation and reduce its huge government debt. He also said that the Marine air base would be allowed to stay on Okinawa, but that it would be moved to a less populated area of the island. The United States had already agreed to this. In late 2010, Japan's economy showed a few signs of improvement. With the worldwide recession seeming to end, Japan's industrial production and exports began to rise. And some companies began to hire more workers. But it was feared that Japan's economy would not have a strong recovery. One reason was the huge government debt. Another was that many Japanese held on to their money--they did not spend or invest it. Also in 2010, tensions increased between Japan and China. In September, the Japanese navy detained the captain of a Chinese fishing boat. The Japanese said that the ship had rammed two Japanese ships in the East China Sea. Japan soon released the captain, but China demanded an apology. China also temporarily halted the export of rare earth minerals to Japan. These minerals are vital in certain industrial processes, and China mines almost all of the world's supply. GANBATTENE !!!!!	i don't know
Name the pin-up celebrity who appeared on a provocative poster for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 2010, with her body marked as if for cuts of meat?	Issue 172 by East Cork Journal (page 54) - issuu issuu Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal The Puzzler WIN2TICKETS FOR... TEL. (021) 4630066 WITH OUR 3 4 Congratulations to last week’s winner: CAROLINE GRIFFIN, Midleton ACROSS 8. Viewpoint (7) 9. Inheritors (5) 10. Winning card suit (5) 11. Low wall on a roof (7) 12. Swerve (4) 13. Mechanic (8) 16. Formal dress for a dance (4, 4) 18. Elegant (4) 21. Reaches a set level (7) 23. Cure (5) 25. Selected (5) 26. Passionate (7) DOWN 1. Ship (4) 2. Number (6) 3. Bundles (5) 4. Cut (4) 5. Pickled cucumber (7) 6. Small hollow on the skin (6) 7. Mysterious (8) 12. Vigour (8) 14. Fresh (3) 15. Sets on fire (7) 17. Soothing substance (6) 19. Radiator (6) 20. Trinket (5) 22. Gentle (4) 24. Poses(4) ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD: ACROSS: 8. Ovation 9. Peach 10. Melee 11. Problem 12. Jest 13. Magnetic 16. Generate 18. Fell 21.Lottery 23. Eagle 25.Novel 26. Absence. DOWN: 1. Boom 2. Faults 3. Hiker 4. Snap 5. Appoint 6. Ballot 7. Chemical 12. Juggling 14. Act 15.Briefly 17. Native 19. Engine 20. Cease 22. Year 24. Even. Name: ______________________________ Address: ____________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Tel (mobile):______________________________ Home:_______________________________ Entries to East Cork Journal, 1st Floor, Watersedge, Riverside Way, Midleton O D Test your concentration with this word ladder L E A P P A R K Five Minutes - Five Questions 1. Name the pin-up celebrity who appeared on a provocative poster for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 2010, with her body marked as if for cuts of meat? 2. Name Microsoft's hands-free gaming system launched in June 2010, a madeup word alluding to joining? 3. Charles Taylor, in court (along with witnesses Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow) at the Hague in 2010, the first African president to face trial for war crimes, led which nation? 4. In 2010 India announced the reintroduction of which animal, sixty years after being hunted to extinction in the wild? 5. The new £340m Aviva Stadium in Ireland opened in 2010 on the site of which previous famous sports ground? Answer to last week’s Medium 8 2 ANSWERS TO WORDGAMES: 1. NOSEDIVED 2. LEAK PEAK PERK ANSWERS: 1. Pamela Anderson 2. Kinect 3. Liberia 4. Cheetah 5. Landsdowne Road 1 Find the 9 letter word hidden in this word wheel Answer to last week’s Difficult Tea-Break Crossword SUDOKU	Pamela Anderson
What material invented by Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding originally as a textured wallpaper celebrated 50 years of quite different and popular use in 2010?	Issue 172 by East Cork Journal - issuu issuu Issue No. 172 €10M INVESTMENT FOR YOUGHAL WASTE RECOVERY PLANT IN 2011 CORK-BASED waste treatment and recycling plant, Eras Eco, has announced plans for a €10 million investment in new, environmentally-friendly technology at its site at Foxhole, Youghal. 10 new full-time jobs will be created once the new facilities are commissioned, in addition to approximately 20 jobs during the construction and installation phase. The key element will be a new green and renewable system for the safe and complete destruction of aqueous organic waste, known as AquaCritox®, which has been extensively developed and tested in Ireland and Sweden over the past five years. The company additionally plans to further develop its green energy credentials with the construction of an above ground anaerobic digestion facility on the site to allow for enhanced treatment of bio-solids. The resultant production of methane gas will be used to produce electricity for use on-site through a combined heat and power generator. The upgraded facilities will utilise existing buildings and plant on the site. There will be no increase in the amount of waste permitted under existing permissions and no new entrance points to the site required. To facilitate the development, Eras Eco has applied for planning permission to allow for the upgrading of the existing Waste Recovery Facility to an Integrated Waste Management Facility. Separately, a review of the current Waste License will be applied for from the Environmental Protection Agency. The planning application was submitted on December 23rd, and can be viewed at the offices of Cork County Council for a period of five weeks from that date, when submissions and observations may also be made in writing. (Photo: Michael Hussey, YoughalOnline.com) 2 SIRLOIN STEAKS, 3 CHICKEN FILLETS, 3 PORK CHOPS, 1LB MINCE BEEF, 6 STEAK BURGERS AND FREE PEPPER CREAM SAUCE €20 Bridgestone food Guide LYNCH TILE CENTRE LTD. award winner 2010 NOW ON Christmas tide-ins for hapless SALE Unit C3 Eastlink House, adventurers in Ballycotton Eastlink Business Centre, SPARE a thought for the Ballycotton RNLI members who didn’t get to finish their Christmas Day turkey, when the alarm was raised at 4pm on December 25th. Just when most people are settling in for a postdinner snooze, the RNLI lifeboat pagers were activated, dinners - and families - were abandoned and the crew members assembled at the lifeboat station. Four hapless foreign nationals, visiting Ballycotton for the day, decided to explore the small island between Ballycotton Pier and the lighthouse off shore. The boarding boat was launched with three lifeboat crew members aboard, who proceeded to safely recover the four unfortunate adventurers. Satisfied that the casualties were not suffering any ill effects of their adventure, the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat crewmembers returned home to resume their dining or after-dinner nap. However, not realising how quickly the tide turns, they quickly became stranded and had to wait until they caught someone’s attention on the shore. $ /26* :.,-7 +25 ,22) €2 A WATERGRASSHILL man was convicted of exposing himself to two young children in a Midleton store. Adrian O’Connell, aged 44, of Bishop’s Island, Watergrasshill, committed the indecent exposure offence in a Main Street store on September 11th last. Mr. O’Connell pleaded guilty to the offence in court. He had one previous conviction for a similar lewd offence dating back to 1999. Mr. O’Connell’s solicitor stated that his client had recently become traumatised at the loss of his parents, and had only one other sibling who worked abroad. He further stated that Mr. O’Connell continued to be employed, but had lost community support. In closing Judge Pattwell said Mr. O’Connell had previously received an opportunity from the courts to redeem his character, but in committing this offence, had failed to do so. The judge convicted Mr. O’Connell and imposed a sentence of one month’s imprisonment. 5 3 9 1 5 1 2 5 8 4 6 7 2 !" " 267 = .1(/8)6 .1).9.)8&/ &7.1, ;5(.6 3/&1 DAVID STANTON TD Cobh clinic in Saudi Arabian expansion deal 2 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: 29 St Mary’s Road, Midleton OPEN: 10AM - 1PM, 2PM - 4.30PM (MONDAY-FRIDAY) for advice or assistance Tel: 021 4632867, Fax: 021 4621133 Email: [email protected] Please visit my website www.stanton.ie THE AST Rehabilitation Clinic in Cobh has just announced plans for a major international expansion into Saudi Arabia. Adrian and Suzanne Tanzer recently returned from the Middle East with the blueprint for this new development, where AST will be responsible for the establishment and management of a chain of statewide clinics for the Saudi Arabian rehabilitation programme. They will also be assisting with recruitment for physiotherapy and occupational personnel at the hospital ‘Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City,’ just north of Riyadh. AST have formed a partnership with Kussay Al-Rammah, who has studied in the USA and is the former CEO of the medical division of Saudi Aramco, the stateowned national oil company and the largest oil corporation in the world. Oil companies in Saudi provide hospitals and medical facilities for their employees. He was previously responsible for all medical management, plus health and safety administration for the corporation. The medical infrastructure is only beginning to develop in Saudi Arabia, and Fermoy whist drive Announcing plans for the new AST venture in Saudi Arabia are Mazen H. Al- Humaidan, Mr Kussay Al-Rammah and Adrian Tanzer at the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City Hospital in Riyhad Kussay is a man with a vision to AST would be operating the new bring a first class health care sys- Saudi venture, ‘Initially, four tem to the entire Arabian Penin- treatment centres, catering for up sula. to 300 patients per day, will be set up in different communities The importance of an informa- around the peninsula. These will tive web site played a major role be located in the provinces of Ad in this exciting development for Damman in the Eastern Region, AST. An email arrived in the Riyadh in central Ar Riyad reinbox of info@ astphysiother- gion, Jeddah in Makkah and apy.com last year from Kussay Ha’il to the north.” Adrian went Al-Rammah with a business pro- on to note, “With his well estabposal. How many of us would lished connections in Saudi Arahave binned that mail as trash? bia, our partner, Kussay Al-Rammah, will act as the liaiSpeaking on his return to Cork, son between AST and the releAdrian Tanzer described how vant authorities, such as health INFINITY HAIR & BEAUTY Results from Sunday, January 2nd Best overall score: Fr. Aquin Casey Winning ladies: Mary K. Dowling, Kay Clifford, Esther Lomasney, Mary Mason, Claire Kennedy, Marie Roche, Joan McHugh and Brigid O’Donnell. 6 Connolly Street, MIDLETON 021 4634669 * * * * * * * * Winning gents: Frank Roche, M. Moran, E. Ring, Gerard Donovan, John Casey James Leamy, M. Fenton and Henry Forde. Raffle: Abina Murphy, Ina O’Brien & Tadgh Donovan. Whist drive every Sunday night at 8.30pm sharp at the Fermoy Bridge Centre. All welcome. Enquiries to 025 32086. All aspects of hair care Hair clips * Hair glue Braiding * Dreadlocks Fixing Weaveon Ghana Braids Retouching Plant Single Braids Afro * Weaves For any hair, for any occasion... Infinity Tel. 087 7736198 Open Monday - Saturday: 10.30am - 8pm East Cork Journal NOW ON boards and the planning authorities. Kussay’s role will be to source appropriate properties for the clinics and to obtain the necessary planning permissions, etc. AST, on the other hand, will be responsible for the recruitment and training of staff for the new clinics and the Humanitarian City. In partnership with Sven Conrad, MD of Secona Conrad GmbH, they will also be responsible for the design layout of the clinics and the provision of all medical equipment.’ Work has already commenced on the project and AST have begun to recruit medical staff for both the new clinics and the Humanitarian City Hospital. Personnel will be recruited from Ireland, Europe and North America. In addition to pre-paid tickets, successful candidates will have free accommodation in the specially planned estates for Westerners in Riyadh. Adrian will be returning to Saudi in January to check out the premises for the first clinic which AST plan to open next March/April. AST will continue to provide rehabilitation and physiotherapy therapies at their clinic in Rushbrooke in Cobh. Get the headlines a day early! Enter our weekly People’s Poll Solve riddles, win prizes Add your own comments Stay on top of local news, wherever you are! facebook.com/eastcorkjournal Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 3 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal +DV W KH U HFHQW ZHDW KHU GDPDJHG \RXU SU RSHU W \" Meet the class of 2028! CONGRATULATIONS to Regina Kelleher, Glanmire (below), who gave birth to the first baby of 2011, little Conor, weighing 4kgs, at 3.21am, shortly followed - just 9 minutes later - by baby Max, weighing 3.2kg at 3.30am - son of Cobh's Jennifer Costa (left). (Photos: Michael MacSweeney, Provision) Happy birthday, Chris & John! Happy 12th birthday to Chris Power lots of love from Mam, Dad and Alan. X Happy 12th birthday to Chris Power, lots of love from Nana and Maggie. X Happy 12th birthday to Chris Power, love from your godfather Dave, Niamh and Jordan. X Happy 12th birthday to Chris Power, have a great day, love from John, Melissa and Josh. X Happy 12th birthday to Chris Power, love from Teresa and Kevin. X Happy birthday to John Power, love from Melissa and Josh. X Happy birthday to John Power, love from Mam and all the family. X Are you… Sick and tired of being overweight? Frustrated by fad diets, quick fixes, false promises? Ready to lose weight safely, comfortably, privately? Ready to be treated as YOU, not just a number? Ready to enjoy and live your life now? Ruth who lost 4 stone YES If you answered YES to all these questions, you’re ready for NO MOTIVATION! w w w. m o t i v a t i o n . i e MIDLETON: 2nd Floor, Distillery Lanes, Midleton (Wheelchair Accessible) GLANMIRE: Crestfield Shopping Centre DUNGARVAN: 20 Grattan Square LOSE A STONE IN 4-6 WEEKS Call 1890 909 909 today Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 4 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Cork GAA legend presents certificates to National Learning Network students from East Cork MANAGER of the Cork Senior Football team, Conor Counihan, returned to his previous workplace when he visited the National Learning Network centre in Hollyhill on Wednesday, December 8th, to present a group of learners with certificates marking their achievements over the past year. The event was also attended by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Michael O’Connell and Donal Kerr, FÁS Regional Director. A total of 120 students from National Learning Network centres in Hollyhill and the Model Farm Road received certificates accredited by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), City and Guilds, and the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). The Hollyhill and Model Farm Road centres, together with outreach centres in Mallow, Midleton, Carrigaline and Penrose Wharf, currently cater for close to 240 students. The students are offered vocational programmes funded by FÁS and rehabilitative programmes funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and are supported in developing the skills that they need to build lasting careers in jobs that reflect their interests and abilities. Courses at the National Learning Network are designed to meet the specific needs of each individual student, and, for this reason, they offer a continuous intake throughout the year. In 2009, nearly 90 per cent of those who completed a course at the Hollyhill and Model Farm Road centres progressed to further education, training and employment. Speaking at the event, Noel Shannon, Area Manager for National Learning Network in Hollyhill, said, ‘Today is a day of celebration, not only for those receiving certificates, but also for their families and friends. I’m delighted to welcome them here. Community integration is a key element of the National Learning Network’s programmes. In particular, we owe much to the many local employers whose support is vital to the success of the work experience and job placements organised by the National Learning Network centres in Cork. The diversity of training and experience that local employers offer to learners is a key ingredient in the daily delivery of our programmes, and we’d like to thank them for their ongoing support.’ According to Mr Shannon, partnerships are an important feature of programmes at the National Learning Network centres in Cork, and students are involved in a number of activities within the local community. These include participation in healthy lifestyle plans developed by students from Cork Institute of Technology and staff from Leisureworld. The centres also have strong links with the local Citizen Information Centre, as well as Altrusa and Write Together Adult Literacy Services, Eoin Kelly, Area Manager of the National Learning Network in Model Farm Road, Donal Kerr, FÁS Regional Director, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Michael O’Connell, Conor Counihan, Manager of Cork Senior GAA Football team, Superintendent Con Cadogan, Noel Shannon, Area Manager of the National Learning Network in Hollyhill and Michael O’ Sullivan Regional Director of the National Learning Network at the awards presentation (Photos: Tadhg Crowley) Conor Counihan, Manager of the Cork Senior Football Team presents Jeremy Costine from Midleton with his FETAC certificate which provide a volunteer literacy tutor service direct to students. Funded by FÁS, the National Learning Network offers the following vocational training courses at the Hollyhill / Model Farm Road centres: Offered at both centres, Employer-based Training enables the participants to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to gain and retain employment while partaking in on-the-job training in the business area of their choice. In Hollyhill, the students can also avail of the following vocational programmes: Information Technology by Distance Learning allows students who cannot access a training centre to gain their qualification from home, with the support of home visits and group meetings. Culinary and Catering Assistant Skills provides students with the skills to gain employment, or to do further training in the hospitality sector. The PC Maintenance and IT Systems course enables students to gain skills in PC maintenance, networking and other computer-related areas. Offered at the Model Farm Road centre, the Paces programme is an introductory skills level course specifically catering for those people who have left school early or would benefit from alternative learning approaches. Most of the students who participate in the training course are in their early twenties, and take the opportunity to sample different types of work to prepare for employment or further education / training. The Fresh Start programme, as its name implies, provides skills training to people who may have to change their career direction due to an accident, illness, or disability. The programme equips participants with the personal development, IT and job-seeking skills required in order to progress to further education and/or employment. Conor Counihan presents Richie Moran from Cobh with his FETAC certificate Conor Counihan presents Donal O’Driscoll, an instructor at the National Learning Network, with his IOSH Safety at Work certificate Funded by the Health Service Executive, the National Learning Network offers the following rehabilitative training programmes in Cork: The highly-acclaimed Focus programme operates at a number of outreach centres in the county (Midleton, Mallow – ‘Pathways’, Carrigaline and Penrose Wharf) and is designed for learners who have experienced mental health difficulties. The course supports learners in clarifying their future options. It has a particular focus on maximising the use of community-based resources and facilities. These programmes aim to give participants with disabilities the opportunity to take stock of where they are in their lives, and provide them with a range of personal, social and work-related Conor Counihan presents Gobnait Coleman from Whitegate with her FETAC certificate Conor Counihan presents Catherine Harrington from Youghal with her FETAC certificate skills so that they can progress to and present, and their families and greater levels of independence friends, as well as invited guests and community integration. Di- from the National Learning Netrections is a foundation training work, FÁS, the HSE and reprecourse that operates from the Hol- sentatives from a number of lyhill centre. It enables students to businesses and voluntary organiacquire personal, social and work- sations in the local community. related skills and to explore their Following the presentation of cerfurther training and employment tificates, refreshments were options. served and guests had the opporIn attendance at the certification tunity to mingle with students and ceremony were students, both past staff from the centre. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Walking a mile in their shoes: The Ballynoe GOAL Mile Walk 5 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal ON Christmas Day morning, Ballynoe hosted a mile walk on behalf of the GOAL charity. The day was cold, but the clear blue skies and weak sun provided beautiful views across the valley, ideal conditions for walking or jogging four laps of the St. Catherine’s GAA pitch and raising money for this worthwhile cause. Trish, Aiden, Sara, Lucy and Ellie Barry Mary, Laura and Grace Ahern Thank you to everyone who took part or supported the event during a busy family day. In one and a half hours, the group raised in excess of €400. The O’Keeffe and Dunning families Claire, Pat, Mark and Kevin Geary Laura and James Hayes Kevin and Doireann Hayes 38 M AIN STREE T, M IDLET ON (021) 4631221 & WES T BEA CH, CO BH ( 021) 4813337 Blinds from €18 Rugs from €11 Mattresses from €79 Wool carpet from €7.95 Vinyl from €6.95 Wood flooring €7.95 Lamps from €9 inc. underlay LARGE RANGE OF DINING SETS FROM €169 Wardrobe was €595 Mirror €49 HOMEWARES REDUCED Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Killeagh NS Bumper Raffle proves winning IS everything! Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Iryna Harty, who kindly donated her beautiful watercolour for the raffle, with Sasha Merkusheva Denis McDonald and family - winner of the first prize hamper from Centra, with Elaine Martin, Chairperson, Parents'Association Seamus and Mary Murphy with Caroline Walsh Jamie Moloney, who won two prizes in the raffle, with his mum and brother, Diarmuid 6 Congratulations to all the winners of the Killeagh Parents' Association Bumper Raffle. The draw took place at Tattan's Bar in Killeagh on Saturday, December 11th, with Denis McDonald scooping first prize of a hamper from Centra - just in time for Christmas! Music was provided by Packie O'Mahoney and Brian Desmond and a great crowd turned out to help raise funds for the school and its pupils. Tina Dunne, Sharon Roche and Linda Bashford, Principal, Killeagh NS Musicians for the night, Packie O'Mahoney and Brian Desmond Orla and Donal Kelly with Una Furey Sarah Kelly, Treasurer, Parents' Association with Chris Sinclair Mary Landers, who donated a beautiful freezer-ready lamb for the raffle with Anne Motherway Jeni Lee, Tom Martin, Noreen Lynch, Elaine Martin & Richard Lynch Paudie Lee and Liz Sinclair, Secretary, Parents' Association Martin and Celia Daly Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Cloyne's Terry starts 2011 in style! 7 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal TERRY Heffernan, Church Street, Cloyne got a surprise Christmas present in the form of a brand new Mazda 2, courtesy of O'Brien's Garage, Cork Road, Midleton and Midleton Credit Union. Terry picked up the keys to his new car, alongside his wife Ann and daughter Alice on December 23rd and couldn't believe his luck, as the last winner of the Credit Union's Car Draw in 2010. Terry was congratulated by John Fenton, Manager, Midleton Credit Union, Ann Whyte and Pat Burke, as well as Philip O'Brien, O'Brien's Garage who stated, 'Christmas doesn't get much better than this!' And, with the ice finally on its way out, Terry got to try out his shiny new Mazda 2 in style - and in more than first gear! DANĂ‰LLE Merricks Department Store, YOUGHAL 024 91202 MASSIVE R E L O C AT I O N CLEARANCE SALE Starts today, Wednesday, January 5th includes shop ďŹ ttings & display cases Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal The Economic Review Most Irish firms are upbeat about 2011 MOST Irish firms expect to see their fortunes improving in the New Year, a new survey on business sentiment has shown. Specifically, the suit alleges that the ad networks are able to trace an iPhone or iPad using the unique device identifier, or UDID, which is a number specific to each unit that can't be blocked by users. Claiming that sending personal data without consent violates federal computer fraud and privacy laws, the suit is seeking class action status on behalf of all Apple iPhone and iPad users who downloaded an app between December 1, 2008, and December 2010, according to Bloomberg. Privacy concerns over mobile data have heated up lately. A Wall Street Journal article asserted that mobile apps send certain information without the user's consent or knowledge. That article helped light a fire under the Mobile Marketing Association, an industry group that is now calling for new, more transparent privacy guidelines to tell consumers what information gets sent to advertisers and how it's used. The Journal article had specifically mentioned Pandora, which it found was sending age, gender, and other personal information to ad networks, and Paper Toss, which the paper asserted was transmitting UDIDs. Export firms expect things to continue to get better , but many companies selling into the Irish market predict a worsening in their situation. Firms face big losses from water crisis Conditions vary widely from sector to sector, according to Austin Hughes, chief economist at KBC Bank. IRISH companies are facing losses of millions of euro because of water cut offs and pressure reductions, according to the small firms body, ISME. "About a third of companies are well into recovery at the moment," he says. Also, the proportion of firms in consumer related areas reporting a weakening in business volumes increased to almost a half of those surveyed from around one third in the previous quarter. Property and construction related Jonathan Lalo, who filed the lawsuit on Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., alleges that Apple's iPhones and iPads let ad networks track which applications people download, how often they're used, and for how long, according to a Bloomberg article published recently. Along with Apple, the lawsuit names as defendants certain mobile apps, such as Pandora, Paper Toss, Weather Channel, and Dictionary.com, Bloomberg reported. However, the survey by KBC Bank and Chartered Accountants Ireland reveals a widening gap between exporters and firms reliant on the home market. "And their business is focused on construction or on Irish consumers." Apple sued over privacy in iPhone, iPad apps APPLE is being sued for allegedly letting mobile apps on the iPhone and iPad send personal information to ad networks without the consent of users. email: news@ eastcorkjournal.ie "Exports are doing well, manufacturing is doing quite well, food companies are doing ok. But what we see is another third of companies that are seeing their business environment actually get worse as we start into 2011. 8 "It's hard to estimate but you are talking about millions," says Jim Curran, the body's head of research. "It really depends on how long it lasts." firms also report continued weakening. The results suggest that the country's financial situation in the past three months has lowered household and business spending plans again. "The encouraging point is that most businesses actually think that IMF/EU assistance will help economic prospects," Mr Hughes said. "So there is broadly-based support that this will actually help the Irish economy, and that's an encouraging finding." The main points of the survey are: - Business activity broadly steady at end 2010 but conditions vary widely between sectors. - Gap between improving 'traded' sectors and weakening domestic demand increasing. - Slight improvement expected in early 2011 but divergences set to widen further. - Employment falling modestly as downward pressure on costs intensifies. - â‚Ź6bn budget cuts judged about right but business feels tax increases went too far. - Government economic forecasts felt to be 'slightly' too optimistic but majority feel 4 year plan provides a reasonable framework. On a positive note, the survey indicates that 61pc of Irish businesses think the EU/IMF rescue package improves Irish economic outlook, while 16% think it worsens prospects. The survey was conducted between December 8th and 16th and the results presented are based on roughly 360 completed responses. He says the losses include flood damage, higher insurance costs and lost business. Mr Curran says that businesses should be entitled to tax rebates because they pay water rates. Among the worst victims of the water shortage are restaurants and pubs. "Some of our members have reported a 50% to 60% drop in trade this month with the weather a massive contributor," says the chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins. Council workers around the country are still working to fix thousands of leaks. Environment Minister, John Gormley has defended the government's role in the crisis. "This was an operational matter and the operational matters are dealt with primarily by the local authorities themselves," he said. He said the problems were caused by an unprecedented change in the temperature from -15 degrees on Christmas night to 10 degrees only hours later. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 9 Wednesday, January 5th. 2011 - The East Cork Journal The Ecclesiastical Review not just January 6th but... The Epiphany, Three Kings' Day, Twelfth Night, La Befana, Little Christmas East Cork Ecclesiastical Events Parish of Midleton & Ballintotas First Friday NEXT Friday, January 7th, is the First Friday. There will be Mass in the Holy Rosary Church on Friday evening at 7.30pm. Vigil Mass of the Epiphany tonight Soprano Catherine Welsh, with musical accompaniment from Fintan Finn, will sing at the 6.10pm Vigil Mass of the Epiphany tonight, Wednesday, January 5th at the Church of the Most Holy Rosary, Midleton. JANUARY 6th is a special day in many countries and cultures--and is celebrated with various traditions all over the world. The Christian holiday known as The Epiphany is celebrated each year on January 6th. The holiday is a feast that began to commemorate the introduction of Jesus in human form—the specific date of January 6th was first mentioned in 361. Eastern Christians believe that The Epiphany was the day Christ was baptised in the Jordan River, while Western Christians believe the day commemorates the day the Magi (also known as the Three Kings and Three Wiseman) visited the baby Jesus Christ bringing gifts. Many countries celebrate January 6th as Three King’s Day, celebrating the day Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar visited Jesus as a child bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In Spain, the Philippines, and certain parts of Latin America, El Día de los Reyes (The Day of the Kings) is celebrated with children leaving shoes out overnight to collect gifts from the Kings and sweets, drink, and hay as a gift for the Kings and their camels. A special cake known as Rosca de Reyes is made with a small doll of Jesus baked inside—depending on the country, the finder of the doll must pay for the cake, host a party later in the year, or simply serves as king for the day. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the day is known as Drie koningen (Three King’s Day). Three children dress in costume to represent the three kings and visit houses singing songs, receiving sweets or coins from each door. German children also visit houses singing songs dressed as the three kings, but leave behind the initials of the three kings above the door frames to bless the family for the new year. Twelfth Day of Christmas (some parts of the United States, United Kingdom) According to many historians, the well-known twelve days of Christmas actually represent the twelve days between December 25th and January 6th, not the twelve days before Christmas. In the past, these days were celebrated with gift giving feasts with January 6th serving as the Twelfth Night, made popular by William Shakespeare’s play. Some traditions are still carried out around the world, with a yule log burning all twelve nights in America and Christmas decorations being taken down on the 6th in the United Kingdom (some think it’s unlucky to do so earlier). Little Christmas/Women’s Christmas (Ireland) In Ireland, January 6th is known as Women’s Little Christmas because, until the Gregorian calendar began being used, Christmas was actually celebrated on the 6th of January, and not on the 25th of December. The day is also known as Women’s Christmas because in many Irish homes around the world, women have the “day off” to celebrate with friends and go out to eat with other women, while the men take over the household duties. La Befana (Italy) In Italy, La Befana visits children on the night of January 5th delivering gifts and candy to the waiting shoes of well-behaved children. If the children misbehaved, they will instead receive a lump of coal. According to legend, La Befana was asked to join the three kings on their journey, but she declined and later regretted it—which is why she’s still searching for the child. If you wish to contribute to this page, please contact Denise on 087 8128262 or email [email protected] No Padre Pio Mass this week There will be no Padre Pio Mass in the Hospital Chapel, tonight, Wednesday, January 5th, as it is the eve of the Feast of The Epiphany, a holy day of obligation. Singing for Simon Just before Christmas, the Lisgoold Choir and members of the East Cork Male Choir, under director Dan McCarthy, and with flautist Philip Jordan, raised €806 for Cork Simon, by performing in the town. The IMP Choir followed suit, under director Maureen Laffan, and, with further members of the male choir and guitarist Michael O'Neill, raised a further €664. The total figure raised, which included some postal donations, was €3,470 and organiser, Cllr. Noel Collins would like to thank everyone concerned for their help and generosity. Parish of Youghal Feast of Epiphany, January 6th Holy day of obligation - Masses 8am - St. Mary's Church 9.30am - St. Ita's Church 10am - Our Lady of Lourdes Church 12 noon - St. Mary's Church 7.30pm - Holy Family Church A message from Archbishop Dermot Clifford, Apostolic Administrator of Cloyne: ‘A Difficult time for all of us’ AS we begin this New Year of 2011, I wish to remind you of the invitation of Pope Benedict in his letter to the people of Ireland that we offer prayer and penance to obtain grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. As this year will see the publication of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the handling of complaints of Clerical Child Sex Abuse in the diocese of Cloyne, which will be a difficult time for all of us, it is important tht we in Cloyne diocese make a special effort to respond generously to the Pope's invitation, and pray especially for those who have been so grievously wronged by some priests of our diocese. I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year, and pray that the Lord may grant all of us healing grace in the days ahead. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 10 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal The swim that went ahead DENISE FITZGERALD REPORTS CHRISTMAS Day Swim in Youghal is the traditional Lions Club fundraising event, when the people from all around the East Cork area brave the cold waters of the Atlantic in an effort to help raise funds for those in need. Christmas day, 2010 was, however, one of the coldest and treacherous weather wise that has been seen, and as a result of the dangers of hypothermia, a decision was taken to postpone the swim on the basis of health and safety. This, however, did not stop the hardy swimmers who arrived in their hundreds to undertake their annual dip. With people from Australia, Germany, England, Turkey and the U.S.A. all anxious to discover for themselves the horrendous cold of the Atlantic, there was nothing going to stop them in their efforts. Children, grandchildren, mams and dads, and the Christmas toys, all had a grandstand view of the their goose-pimpled relatives and friends as they dashed down the beach, dived into the waves, shivered and shook, and ran back up the sand again to tumultuous applause. An atmosphere of excitement, enjoyment and cheer prevailed as the brave swimmers were quickly wrapped in warm towels and supplied with the traditional hot whiskies, before getting together wit friends and family before leaving for their warm homes, Christmas dinner, and celebratory drinks. Just another fantastic Christmas morning swim on the lovely beach at Youghal. All photos available to buy 021 4638022 English visitors enjoying the spectacle Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 11 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Youghal bear the cold and bare all Getting ready to go in.... JOIN SKY TODAY! Call into your local, authorised agent at MARKET GREEN FOR THE BEST ADVICE ON PACKAGES TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS AND BUDGET New Year, New You with the Nutricise 7 week Weight Loss Programme From Bondi Beach to Youghal’s Front Strand, Alicia, Cecily, Simon and Ruth TAKE a step towards a new slim you, by signing up to Nutricise today. Do you want to lose weight without feeling hungry? Do you want toned arms and abs? Do you want increased energy levels? Nutricise is a 7 week weight loss programme that seeks to provide just that. 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Standard installation €30 Terms & conditions apply Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 'Favourable consideration' from Irish Rail for 'Free Gratis' train station parking in Midleton 12 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Bitesize News MIDLETON Compiled by Kathleen Woulfe Blood Pressure & A Christmas celebration for Cholesterol Clinic COPE at Judy's The above takes place at the Family Resource Centre, Midleton today, Wednesday, January 5th from 2.30pm to 4pm. All welcome to attend. For more information, please contact the Regional Office on 021 4505822. Midleton Farm Family Group THE annual Christmas get-together on Sunday last at the home of Judy Cuddy, Baneshane, Midleton, was a very enjoyable and entertaining evening. Starting with a mulled wine reception with canapes, then a hot buffet meal was served by the very kind helpers. A sing-along in the sitting room with Sean Curtin on piano and a traditional session in the sunroom with Ken Barrett were the highlights of the evening, and ensured that the singers and dancers were certainly in a festive mood, which continued late into the evening. Thanks to Judy for making the COPE Foundation the beneficiaries of donations received on this occasion. Judy's brother, William is Chairman of the COPE Foundation in Cork. Judy organises this event every year for different charities and, on behalf of all present - including myself, heartfelt thanks are extended to her for her kindness and hospitality and best wishes to her and the rest of the Cuddy family in 2011. Happy birthday! There will be no meeting of the Midleton Farm Family Group in January and the postponed Christmas Lunch will now be held on February 2nd at the Midleton Park Hotel. Call 021 4638994 for further details and New Year's greetings to all. Midleton GAA Pavilion Anne and Pat Wafer, management and staff of the Midleton GAA Pavilion would like to thank their patrons for their support in 2010 and look forward to seeing them in 2011. And, before you can even say 'Happy New Year!', they've announced their Saturday dancing diary for the coming weeks as follows: * January 8th: Dancing to the music of Peter Burke * January 15th: Music by Sam O'Doherty * January 22nd: First appearance of the Furlong Band * January 29th: Music by Dave Rea And, tomorrow night, Thursday, January 6th, there'll be a party night in the lounge with music by Two In Tune. - Cllr. Tom Cashman IN recent months I received complaints from some residents living in close proximity to Midleton Railway Station, about the major congestion caused by parked cars in their respective areas, since the reopening of the Cork / Midleton rail-line, which we all welcome. The indiscriminate parking concerns of residents I pursued with Irish Rail. For the record, Irish Rail has two car parks at Midleton Station, at a cost of €2 a day for commuters, which remain almost empty on a daily basis. My most recent efforts to have the parking problem resolved or compromise reached, Midleton Town Council, of which I am a member, at it's November meeting, adopted the following proposal in my name: 'That Midleton Town Council request Irish Rail to allow motorists to park in the two car parks at the Railway Station 'Free Gratis' to eliminate traffic congestion at McSweeney Terrace and the adjoining council estates.' I am pleased to report that Irish Rail has given favourable consideration to the proposal. On behalf of the concerned residents, I express my appreciation and thanks to Irish Rail. Water under the bridge for Christmas swimmers - Cllr. Tom Cashman Crystal Swing are coming! New Year's Birthday greetings to Maura Mullins, Natasha Buckley and her daughter, Susan, Mary Horgan, Brian Murphy and his mother Nano and brother Michael Hennessy, Betty Sinclair, Emily Jane Mulcahy and Martha Martin Thomas. Midleton Active Retirement takes up the choral quest Midleton Active Retirement's newly formed choir, under the batonship of Anne Crowley and accompanist Sean Curtin, will next stretch their vocal chords in practice on Wednesday, January 12th at the Edmund Rice Centre in Midleton from 2pm to 3.30pm. Anne extends New Year's greetings to all and looks forward to some great singing in 2011! THE annual Christmas Day Swim at Moore's Bridge, Midleton proved to be a roaring success this year, with around 25 participants battling the elements in arctic conditions to raise money for St. Vincent de Paul, Midleton. A large number of supporters attended and a great festive spirit was enjoyed by all. Yes, Lisgoold's most famous sons and daughters will perform at Midleton GAA Pavilion on Feb€2,600 was raised this year. €10,000 has been raised ruary 20th, 2011. Watch this space for more deover the past three years for local charities. A cheque tails. was presented by Pat Fox to Tom Savage on behalf of St. Vincent de Paul. It is intended next year to raise funds for Midleton Lourdes Invalid Fund. Thanks to all those who participated, those who attended and all who supported the event so generously. Tom Savage extended good luck and New Year's wishes and renewed thanks to all. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 13 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal ONE NIGHT ONLY: Ireland’s most sought after wedding experts at Fota Island Resort Karen Devlin, Donegal and Helen Fitzgerald, Carrigtwohill at the annual Fota Island Resort Wedding Forum. (Photos: Gerard McCarthy) Edwina Nyhan and Derek Peyton from Midleton Kay Whooley and Juliann Hayes from Glanmire Lower Aghada Pier Development Group await final drawings for landing pontoon WHILE the traditional boating season has come to an end, the Lower Aghada Pier Development Group are still working hard in progressing with plans for the Lower Aghada Pier. To date the following has occurred; A meeting has taken place on site with Mr. Martin Riordan, Cork County Manager and Mr. Noel O’Keeffe, Senior Executive Engineer, Cork County Council; our engineering team has been appointed and has prepared drawings for a planning application; a clean up of the pier area has been completed; the car park area has been resurfaced by the group; meetings Jennifer Garry, Carrignaver and Gillian Kiely, Glanmire have taken place with Cork County Council and Port of Cork representatives. At our most recent meeting, a design for a landing pontoon to be located at the existing steps was approved, and we are awaiting final drawings and exact costing for the supply and installation of same. This is the first step in our project, but a very significant one as it will allow for easier and safer boarding of boats at the pier. The cost of this part of the project is estimated to be in the region of €25,000 to €30,000. To date €6,300 has been raised by way of donations, Save Aghada sticker sales and our very successful quiz night, which was held in Rosie’s Bar in Lower Aghada. With this target in mind we have decided to run a race night on Friday, February 25th, at Rosie’s Bar. Lower Aghada. So keep that date free for what promises to be a great night of racing, craic and a whole lot more. Our group is there for the community and anyone who would like to get involved can contact us via our website. For up to date news and events, visit our website at www.saveaghadapier.com Finally, may we take this opportunity to wish the entire community a happy and prosperous New Year - Shane Russell, Chairperson of Lower Aghada Pier Development Group. Model, Rebecca Buckley wearing a dress from the Sharon Hoey collection ON Thursday, December 9th, the annual Fota Island Resort Wedding Forum took place, with Ireland’s best and brightest offering all information on aspects of the ‘Big Day’, gathered together for one supremely useful and informative evening. With beauty experts, boutique owners, bridal fashions, chef’s expertise, makeup artists, photography tips, travel information, and glamorous presenter Pamela Flood hosting the evening, Fota Island Resort’s Wedding Forum proved a huge success with those planning on tying the knot. Phyl Clarke, Beauty Editor for the Irish Times, passed on her extensive knowledge to brides-to-be to ensure their skin looks flawless and picture prefect on the big day. Meanwhile, top Dublin makeup artist, Leonard Daly, demonstrated his much sought after makeup tips. Sharon Hoey Bridal Boutique showcased their collection for 2011, as well as that of Olivia Couture, the modern romantic couture gowns exclusive to Sharon in Ireland, and voted by Vogue Brides and Cosmo Brides as some of their favourite wedding designs. Head Chef at Fota Island Resort, Craig Coady, imparted his extensive culinary knowledge on the evening and Nelius Buckley, award winning photographer from Kinsale, pointed out some of the key issues to look out for when planning your wedding pictures. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 It’s a strange world Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 14 WEIRD WORLD NEWS... AND IT’S ALL TRUE I will get my, All about the comma, problems, under control this year's weirdest resolutions? A few resolution suggestions underwear South America IN various South American countries like Bolivia, Ecuador or Brazil, people celebrate New Year’s wearing a pair of brightly colored underwear, for good luck. According to tradition, wearing a pair of yellow underwear at midnight will bring you great wealth and prosperity, while wearing red will help you find true love. * Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my nightdress. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom. * I will no longer waste my time reliving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future. IF you think that New Year's resolutions were just limited to losing weight, shaping up and treading cautiously with money, here's a list of some of the most weirdest resolutions made this new year that would drive you crazy. Eating raw yak, learn to belch the alphabet, get my comma problems under control and learning the names of flowers are some of the most bizarre New Year resolutions compiled from the blogosphere and Twitter. Jeff, the owner of blog 'Weird Meat' has made a new resolution to eat as many "weird meats" as possible. Some of them included raw yak, crickets, ostrich sandwich and deer penis wine, reports the Courier Mail. A Kiwi fashion blogger, Gala Darling has made two resolutions: "learn a party trick -- weird stomach contortion, belching the alphabet and handstand push-up demonstrations" or 'learn the names of flowers - it's such an odd thing to master, but it's so utterly charming. The most interesting resolution from Twitter said, "(I've) thought long and hard, and decided on my New Year's resolution. 1024x768." Other resolutions include 'Must remember to suck less on a daily average', 'find a snuggle partner', get my comma problems under control, 'read and memorise more poetry' and 'make no propositional statements in 2011.' * I will not bore my boss with the same excuse for taking leaves. I will think of some more excuses. * I will give up chocolates totally. 100%. Completely. Honestly.... * I will try to figure out why I really need nine e-mail addresses. * I will stop sending e-mail, ICQ, Instant Messages and be on the phone at the same time with the same person. * I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it. * I will think of a password other than "password." Round shapes – The Philippines * I will not tell the same story at every get together. . FILIPINOS associate roundness with coins and wealth, so to ensure the coming year is a prosperous one, on New Year’s Eve they like to surround themselves with round stuff. People dress in outfits covered with circular patterns, like Polka dots, and eat 13 round fruits, for good fortune. But it’s really the fruit vendors who enjoy the prosperity, as their sales soar on the night between years. Frozen turkey on luggage list at Cardiff Airport PEOPLE find it hard to part with the things they love the most and are forced to take them on their flight. However, a list of items from Cardiff Airport may challenge these relationships with personal luggage. Among the crazy discoveries at the terminal are a goldfish, a briefcase full of bricks and a frozen turkey. A frozen turey and goldfish were taken into Cardiff Airport (PA) Despite wholesale improvements to security checks after the September 11th attacks in 2001, people have still felt the need to bring bizarre items along with them on their flights. The Christmas delight of a 10lb frozen turkey was one passenger's idea of a normal item for hand luggage. What's more, his only concern was whether or not it would defrost by the time he reached his destination. A butcher's knife was also passed off as something used for gardening, while no-one quite knows why ten bricks were needed by the briefcase owner. The owner of the goldfish tried to take their pet on their plane as hand luggage and, failing this, tried to check it in, though they were politely told this could not happen. One passenger even tried to check in a palm tree, while other items denied boarding rights include a bowling ball, two unpackaged armchairs and a chainsaw. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 N -7º C? S Eel meat again? ‘Not too bad’ say Cobh swimmers 15 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal ATURALLY PEAKING with John Whelan-Curtin WITH temperatures hovering around -7º C, it was a hardy bunch indeed who took to the water in Cuskinny, for the annual Christmas Day Swim in aid of Cobh Community Hospital. About 35 swimmers took part in the main swim at 11.30am. The sunshine was glorious but made little difference to the swimmers who variously described the water as bitter, f-f-f-freezing and not too bad! If the large crowd of spectators and well wishers continues to grow, a traffic management plan will be needed for 2011. Start training now! URGENT SAFETY WARNING IF you’ve ever seen a freshwater eel in Ireland it was quite possibly caught while fishing for some other far more appetizing fish from a stream, river or lake. The slimy, writhing beast that emerges on the end of the hook is a nightmare to dislodge, as it coils and tangles around both the line and the poor fisherman’s hands as he tries to send it back from whence it came. This weird and seemingly unwanted beast is one of the most mysterious creatures we have on the island, and despite our aversion, is a fish that employs over 25,000 Europeans in catching and serving as a delicacy. The amazing thing about these eels is their life cycle and migration. There are five distinct stages in the life cycle of the eel and these stages are so different from each other that for a long time they were believed to be five different species. The eels that grow to maturity in the fresh water of our streams will leave for the Sargasso Sea to breed. The Sargasso Sea is a sea in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, bordered not by land but by different currents. It is here that eels are believed to mate, allowing their eggs and the subsequent larvae to begin their massive journey back to Europe. By the time they reach here they have transformed from a tiny leaf shaped creature to a skinny version of their future selves, called a glass eel. When they reach land they will swim up stream to begin the long process of feeding and growing into an “elver”, then a yellow eel and then a silver eel before, as much as 20 years later, returning to the Sargasso Sea to breed and die. This insistence to breed so many miles away has made it very difficult to learn about them. For thousands of years it was a mystery as to how they even reproduced because they don’t breed here. The eels presented such a mystery that it is reported that Pliny, an ancient Roman naturalist, thought elvers grew from horse hair that fell in the water, and Aristotle himself reckoned the explanation could be athat they just “formed” out of the mud at the bottom of rivers. To this day our knowledge of them is incredibly patchy and work is ongoing to pin down facts on how they actually migrate and reproduce. These eels are commonly found at a length of 60-80cm, but can grow up 150cm (almost 5 feet), which might be an unpleasant thought for those who enjoy paddling in fresh water. No need to feel too safe on dry land, though, as the European eel is not water-bound either. During parts of its life cycle the eel can actually slither out of the water and travel on land. The amazingly resilient little monster can survive for up to two days out of water. The European eel is amongst one the most threatened animals we have on the island, listed as critically endangered on the IUCN red list. In the last ten years the number of larvae that have made it to the second stage of the life cycle (becoming glass eels) has dropped by an absolutely staggering 95-99%! So far this has translated into about halving the populations resident in our freshwaters but we could see these numbers plummet in a very short few years. A troubling fact is that the mysterious nature of these creatures which makes them so very fascinating, also makes it very difficult to identify what could be wiping them out. GEMINOX WATER CYLINDER FAULTY IMMERSION CYLINDER CAN CAUSE FIRES GeminoX is seeking to locate its Ebs Immersion Water Cylinder · CHECK YOUR HOTPRESS TO SEE IF YOU HAVE A GEMINOX CYLINDER · SWITCH IT OFF IMMEDIATELY Lo-call 1850 427 947 or email [email protected] ALL AFFECTED MODELS WILL BE MODIFIED FOR FREE Supported by the NCA TRADE: IF YOU INSTALLED ONE OF THESE MODELS PLEASE CONTACT US Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Top marks for Midleton managers 16 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal CASH FOR GOLD BROKEN OR UNWANTED ANY CARAT Bernard Wilkie Jewellers 12 Main Street, Midleton Tel: 021 4631540 You’re never too young to tinkle the ivories Midleton & District Active Retirement Association calendar of events Wednesday, January 5th: Swimming available at Midleton Park Hotel Leisure Centre & Spa from 11.30am to 12.30pm. Monday, January 10th: Tai Chi Exercises at Community Forum, Youghal Road, 10.30am to 11.30am & 11.30am to 12.30pm. Indoor Bowling at the GAA Pavilion from 2pm to 4 pm. Tuesday, January 11th: 45 Drive at the Edmond Rice Centre at 2.30pm. Wednesday, January 12th: Choir practise at the Edmond Rice Centre at 2pm. MIDLETON FOOT CLINIC PIANOS and piano playing run in one year old Lily Rose Moloney’s blood. She is the daughter of Peter and Jude, Moloney Pianos, Midleton and grand-daughter of acclaimed music teacher and organiser of Feile an tSamhraidh, Betty Moloney and, over Christmas, at a family party, couldn’t resist taking her place in the spotlight and showing some of the older music lovers in the room, how it should be done! Putting you and your feet first... * General and Advanced * Chiropody * Diabetes care * Verruca treatment * Fungal infections * Nail Surgery for ingrown nails under local anaesthesia * Sweaty feet and hand treatment * Allergy testing available Midleton Foot Clinic has been giving continual Foot Care Services to the area for the last 10 years. We are now delighted to announce a new service of Pedicure and Manicure including nail painting and polishing which is being carried out by our new, professionally qualified, member of staff, Fay. TRAINEE managers, Niall Griffin and Denis O’Brien from Hurley’s SuperValu, Midleton recently graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology after completing a Diploma in Retail Management, and were presented with their awards by Mike Mulvey, Head of Academic Affairs, DIT Appointments 021 4621044 Robert Sullivan Commenting on the achievements, store manager, Tommy Grimes said the team at Hurley’s SuperValu are very proud of Niall and Denis. 'It’s not easy to work full-time and study, yet Niall and Denis have demonstrated that it is possible to do both and reach your goals. The fact that the course is directly relevant to the role in the store makes it a very practical course, with knowledge put into practice immediately. It’s great to see such dedicated employees like Niall and Denis, who are committed to providing the most professional service and are prepared to work hard to get results.' Why not combine your chiropody with a pedicure and / or a manicure at your ONE STOP SHOP BSc. (Hons.) Podiatry, Cert LA, FSSCh., M. Inst ChP Dept. of Health Approved. Health Professions Council Registered. Eighteen students received their diploma in Retail Management, while ten students were the first graduates to complete the Bachelor of Business Studies (Hons.) degree. These programmes, run in partnership with Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland, are available exclusively to SuperValu, Centra and Musgrave employees. In a collaborative partnership between Dublin Institute of Technology, Musgrave and their retail partners, the programme is aimed at developing retail owners, managers and experts of the future. Now serving all day Jumbo Breakfast for just €7.95 Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 17 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal CHURCH LANE, MIDLETON 021 4633233 Your Perfect Holiday at unbelievable prices! Happy New Year to all our customers from all at East Cork Travel Why not kick off the New Year in the Sun!? LANZAROTE 7 Nights Costa Mar, Los Pocillos Jan 9th €718 per person sharing Jan 16th €658 per person sharing TENERIFE 7 nights Las Floritas apts, Playa de las Americas Jan 15th €460 per person sharing AMAZING REDUCTIONS ON LUXURY HOLIDAYS ASIA • DUBAI • MAURITIUS • CARIBBEAN • CRUISES EGYPT • ORLANDO • EUROPEAN SUN FUERTEVENTURA GRAN CANARIA 7 nights 4* Gloria Palace Amadores, Puerto Rico Free Upgrade to Half Board! Jan 8th or 15th €649 per person sharing – ex Dublin 7 Nights Puerto Plata, Puerto Rico Jan 15th €658 per person sharing 7 nights Broncemar Apts Jan 23rd €395 per person sharing MOROCCO 463 3233 FOR A BROCHURE www.eastcorktravel.ie 7 nights 3* Intouriste Apartments S/C Jan 8th or 15th €299 per person sharing VISIT US ON TWITTER & FACEBOOK 7 nights 4* Agadir Beach Club Hotel BB Jan 8th or 15th €489 per person sharing Explore the Southern Caribbean aboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas CRUISE CORNER 2010 Check out our amazing Skiing offers:- 7 nights 2* Snowhouses Mayrhofen January 8th from €399 BB 2 share ex Dublin 7 nights 3* Post Hotel, Westendorf January 8th from €529 HB 2 share ex Dublin 7 nights 2* Pension Eberharter, Mayrhofen January 22nd from €409 BB 2 share ex Dublin Discover… Thailand • Vietnam • Cambodia • Laos • China Hong Kong • Macau • Singapore • Malaysia • Bali • Maldives Sri Lanka • Egypt • Dubai • Abu Dhabi CALL 1850 200 544 FOR A BROCHURE www.discovertravel.ie 7 nights 3* Hotel Caravasc, Livigno January 8th from €439 BB 2 share ex Dublin Jan 23rd - 7 nights - €435 per person (Cruise Only) Itinerary includes Puerto Rico, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten & The Virgin Islands EARLY BOOKING OFFER KUSADASI, TURKEY 2011 Ex Dublin, Cork & Shannon to Izmir €50 off per adult on all properties * No Single supplements 4* Palmin Hotel BB from €439 per adult 4* Sea Pearl Hotel BB from €429 per adult 4* Palmin Sunset Plaza Hotel BB from €409 per adult 3* Tropicana Garden Hotel BB from €379 per adult FAMILY SPECIALS FOR MAY 2011 May 5th Vista Club, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca €1648 May 5th Alvorferias Club, Alvor, Portugal €1535 May 15th Cinco Plazas, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote €1689 June 19th Pine Club, Kusadasi, Turkey €1929 All prices based on 2 Adults & 2 Children for 2 weeks Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 18 Ardmore get their togs on for annual swim Hannah Power gets ready to swim THE weather was really kind for the Christmas Day morning swim in Ardmore in aid of the RNLI. Pleasant sunshine greeted the swimmers who were in good spirits despite the cold weather. The water was freezing but the swimmers braved the elements for a good cause and all who took part were cheered loudly by the huge crowd of onlookers tempted outdoors by the nice pleasant morning. All in all a great Christmas morning swim in Ardmore with plenty of funds raised for a worthy cause, with the Youghal and Helvick crews on standby to make sure everyone was safe. PHOTO: April Dunne with Kathleen Hourigan and Claire O’Neill 021 4638022 Shirley Allen with her daughter Tracey Brookes All photos available to buy Mary and Siobhan Murray with Buddy Hourigan Paudi Breathnach and Alan Kelly from the Helvick RNLI lifeboat crew with Ciáran Fitzgerald On the way in Ardmore It’s a cold morning for these swimmers Ladies in Red Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 19 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Ready, set, go! for the Christmas Day swim The Keating family, Ciáran, Caoimhe and Dervula with Ann Marie King, Linda Coree and Corey All smiles in Ardmore as Kate Hourigan and Holland wrapped up for the conditions on Christmas morning Saoirse Ver Molan complete the swim Tiernan Beresford last man out in Ardmore 021 4638022 All photos available to buy Rebecca Colbert and Muirean Moloney Laura Brabazon The Keating brothers Ciáran and Stephen Marcella and Ber Keevers both teachers in Tallow and Ardmore They made it Thank God it’s over Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Bitesize News Compiled by Denise FitzGerald 087 812 8262 / [email protected] YoughalhastheYFactor-again! Picture perfect at Greenbarn Due to the huge success of the exhibition at Greenbarn Lifestyle and Bistro by local artist, Pauline Jones, who is famous for her colourful wildlife paintings, complemented by a variety of talented artists in the function room, other exhibitions are planned by Greenbarn from the New Year onwards. Greenbarn is now inviting submissions from quality artists, to exhibit their work which will be on view to customers and visitors alike. For further enquiries, please ring 024 90166. First Defibrillators for Killeagh The Killeagh/Inch Community Defibrillator Group are delighted that their first Community Defibrillater has been affixed to the wall at the Killeagh Credit Union. New training courses will commence in January 2011, and it is hoped that more people will come on 20 board and join the group. It is also hoped to fundraise for a second Defibrillator for the Mount Uniacke/Inch area, early in the New Year. Gortroe to party like itâ€™s 2011! The Christmas Party at Gortroe will incorporate the official opening of the beautifully refurbished hall, and the event takes place on Saturday, January 8th next. The doors will open at 8pm, with music and entertainment featuring Connie and Colette Prendergast. Light refreshments will also be served on the night. Tickets at â‚Ź10 are available at local shops, and at the door on the night. Christmas might be over but in Gortroe the fun is only just starting...... Birthday wishes HAPPY birthday to Stephanie Hanna of Blackwater Heights, Youghal who celebrated her 21st birthday on January 4th. With love from her Mum, Dad and family. Y Factor finalists 'Indecision' - aka Oisin & Finn Mullins, Padraig Walsh and Diarmuid Beecher ALMOST 30 acts auditioned in The Hot Spot Youth Centre, Youghal on Saturday, December 18th, for a chance to perform at The Y Factor Talent Show 2010 at the Walter Raleigh Hotel this coming Saturday night, January 8th. The show, organised by Sacred Roots, will be hosted by CRY fm's Jane Holly Show along with some special guests. Twelve performers - six under 14 & six over 15 - were ready to strut their stuff on the night in front of three judges, who will choose two winners from each category to receive the accolade of Y Factor winner 2010, plus a cash prize and studio time courtesy of Claycastle Recording Studios, Youghal. It's gonna be a cracker so don't miss it! The auditions and the show will be filmed and available on DVD shortly. Sacred Roots is a non-profit voluntary run project encouraging and helping people realise their potential through the form of music. Holly Twomey congratulates Y Factor finalist, Sam Forest Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 21 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal In The Driving Seat Our regular motoring guide Men use SatNavs more often than women 10% have near miss or collision whilst using SatNav IT’S one of the age old debates, who has the better sense of direction, men or women? Whilst the AA couldn’t hazard a guess, they can reveal that it’s men who use their SatNavs the most often. An AA Motor Insurance poll of close to 4,000 SatNav users reveals that a quarter of men use their SatNav on a regular basis compared with just 14% of women. Overall 5% of respondents in the AA Motor Insurance Poll said that they use their SatNavs every single day. A considerable number of these said that they habitually input their destination to track their arrival time. On the other hand, four fifths of the SatNav owners surveyed by AA Motor Insurance said that it’s only on rare occasions that they use the device, most notably when abroad or in an unfamiliar city. Whilst those lucky enough to have received a new SatNav in their Christmas stocking this year will enjoy the most up-todate road maps, 54% of existing SatNav owners have never downloaded updates, according to the AA Motor Insurance poll. This is despite a number of key infrastructural projects, such as the completion of our motorway network, coming on stream in 2010. Those in receipt of the latest SatNav systems can also enjoy useful features such as the latest speed camera locations, Lane Assistance tool, traffic avoidance information and Bluetooth technology which facilitates hands free phone calls. Despite the many benefits, it’s not always plain sailing when it comes to SatNavs, according to the results of the AA Motor Insurance Poll. their Sat Nav and going drastically off course. Others said they had accidentally set it to “Lorry Mode” or to the “Avoid Motorways” setting meaning they unintentally took the scenic route to their destination. Avoiding SatNav calamities “Our advice to Sat Nav users, particularly those who may have just received one for Christmas, is to programme your device properly in advance of setting off,” says John Farrell, Director of AA Motor Insurance. “Programming your SatNav while driving can be just as distracting, if not more so, than using your mobile phone. According to the results of our poll, 10% of SatNav users have had a near miss or a collision while using the touch screen.” 27% of respondents also admitted to being left red faced after accidentally misprogramming “Whilst it’s a fantastic tool, it’s also important to remember that your SatNav isn’t infallible,” says John Farrell, Director of AA Motor Insurance. “If your instincts tell you you’re not on the most practical course, take out your trusty map and double check. We have had stories of drivers making the most ridiculous mistakes because of blindly following the device’s directions. In fact, in the UK one local authority even had to put up special signs to warn people not to trust their SatNavs. That was in Exton in Hampshire in England where the County Council actually had to erect a warning sign for drivers instructing them to ignore their SatNav system and take an alternative route as the street was too narrow for vehicles.” On a more whimsical note, 26% admitted to swearing at the inanimate device at least occasionally. A higher percentage of women than men admitted to cursing their SatNav on a regular basis. “It can also be quite the catalyst when it comes to arguments,” says Farrell. “40% of respondents in our Motor Insurance poll admitted to having a barney with their partner or passenger at some stage over the head of it. Whilst we might laugh about it, arguments while driving can be very distracting so it’s best to try and keep them to a minimum or pull over somewhere safe.” Stock Clearance Sale 50% oFF all carpets & timber ﬂoors in stock at Walsh s ; Unit 2 Towns Park, Dungourney Road, Midleton, Co.Cork 021 463 9000 CARPETS & FLOORING Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 22 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Only the Best for Killeagh Guests DENISE FITZGERALD REPORTS CANTEMUS, Killeagh Choir, Peter Lee and Gazabo Restaurant – only the best was laid on for the eighty or so members of the Killeagh/Inch Monday Club who arrived along on Monday, December 13th last for their annual Christmas Dinner. The East Cork Journal, on arrival, was met with the sounds of the most wonderful singing and piano playing from the Killeagh choir, and a room full of people who were very much enjoying the entertainment. The room was warm, beautifully and seasonally decorated, all lending a wonderful ambience to the occasion. Finbar Motherway told the East Cork Journal that there were approximately eighty people present at the party night, most of whom would Mai Motherway and Noreen Dillon know each other well, being members of the Killeagh/Inch Monday Club. This club, which caters for ‘the less young’ people from the Killeagh Inch area, is very well supported by the members, who meet on a Monday night once monthly. Various events and activities are a big part of the Club, which offers not only an opportunity to meet with friends and neighbours on a regular basis, but also to get involved in the different and varied activities, all of which help to keep the members active and interested. Well known Killeagh residents, Sean and Phyllis, always support the Monday Club A delicious meal was served to the members by the courteous staff of Gazabo, after which the merriment and celebrations continued well into the evening. Asking one of the party revellers what they thought was the best time of their life, “Now” was the immediate and spontaneous reply received, much to the great delight of the East Cork Journal, and provSimon Coady and Tom Sheehan ing once again that you are only as young as you feel. 021 4638022 All photos available to buy Paudi Kearney with the ‘Mayor of Killeagh’ Sean Murphy Peg Walsh and Kathleen Donnelly having a good time at the Christmas Party Margaret Coady and Phil Kearney Micheál and Peter Lee – Peter is well known for his superb singing voice and his voluntary entertainment, fundraising for charities Mary O’Connor with Sheila and Helen Cotter having a lovely time at the Christmas party Mary Motherway and Carmel Barry enjoying the great night Enjoying the sing song is Eileen O’Sullivan from Killeagh Alec Jennings with Mary Buckley Carmel Power from Youghal whose husband, Sean, is well known singer and a member of the Killeagh Choir Well known Youghal residents enjoying the Killeagh/Inch get together, Mary and Moss Lynch Mary and Pat Barron, great supporters of the Killeagh/Inch Monday Club Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 23 Killeagh AND INCH DO LIKE MONDAYS Enjoying the entertainment are Noelle Smyth, Noreen Kelly and Joan Black Kathleen Sewell, Dolly Donovan and Mary O’Mahony at the Monday Club Christmas Dinner partyA Richard Collins enjoys the company of his wife, Mary and friend Beryl Jennings Mary and Richard Carey with Pat Kirby Lady friends Nora Riordan, Kathleen Coleman, Ann O’Neill, Ronnie Riordan and Mary Lee 021 4638022 All photos available to buy Nellie Keniry, Maureen O’Sullivan and Breeda Cunningham smile for the East Cork Journal Hats off to Bridie Landers, Mary Lenihan, Siobhán Foley, Catherine Foley and Eileen Meade In a cosy nook at the Killeagh/Inch Christmas party are Helen Kennedy, James Rohan, Mary O’Neill and Kathleen Rohan Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 24 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal The Christmas swim a big success in Ardmore Way Brendan Grace for Cappoquin Cold spell continues but aftermath of Christmas leaves roads in bad shape heading into the New Year THANKFULLY the ice and snow have faded away but the effects of all the melted snow has left pipes broken and water flowing onto roads. The result is that further potholes are now appearing on already stretched roads. Even the main Cork to Waterford road has not escaped and a number of pretty bad pot holes are now emerging. The result is that more cars will now become damaged, while hard pressed local authorities will have to find further money for repairs. One good thing about the recent bad weather was that drivers had to slow down, and as a result many lives were probably saved. Watch out and light up NOW that the New Year is in many people will have embarked on a regime to get into shape. For many this means taking to the roads in some form or other, be it walking, cycling or running, while others will go to the gym or take up swimming. For those who chose the external route please light up at this time of year as it continues to get dark early, so if you are out on the road in any form please make sure that you can be seen by oncoming traffic, and wear reflective clothing. THE Annual Christmas Day swim in aid of the RNLI was once again well supported in Ardmore on Christmas morning. The sun shone brightly and while the water was freezing, all of the swimmers enjoyed the day while, more importantly, the valuable funds raised for the RNLI were very much appreciated. Local organisers, Catherine Hourigan and April Dunne, along with their helpers were again delighted with the turnout and thank all those who supported this worthy cause for their effort and contributions on the day. BAD still looking for GOOD carpenters in Ballinameela THE Ballinameela and Aglish Dramatic Society will be putting on a play in Carriglea in February, but right now they are badly looking for a bit of help with set construction with carpenters especially needed. Seanachaí on the double As we all know the roads are in bad shape so make sure that you do not become a victim of your own desire to lose weight, so take the proper precaution before embarking onto the roads. TICKETS are selling out fast for the first appearance of Brendan Grace in Cappoquin Community Centre on Friday January 28th. Tickets priced at €30 can be got by calling 058-52746 for what is sure to be a great night’s entertainment with one of Ireland’s funniest comedians. Ardmore's Paul not left high and dry In this the year of the volunteer why not give a hand out, so if you are a carpenter, painter or have any other skill that might be useful, then “BAD” would love to hear from you. If you can help out then give Vikki Mulhall a call on 087-8196264 as they would be delighted to hear from you. THE Seanachaí Bar & Restaurant just off the N25 at Pulla was recently nominated for two categories in the FBD Chamber of Commerce Awards in Dungarvan. Clubs with news or sporting events IT is not easy to keep track of everything that is going on in the West Waterford locality so if you are a group, club or organisation and you wish to get your notes in to me, then please feel free to send them to [email protected] marked West Waterford Notes or call me on 087-9126566 as I will be happy to assist you in any way in 2011. CONGRATULATIONS to Paul Mulcahy, Ardmore, who was the winner of the Apollo Dry Cleaners and Launderette, Youghal's Christmas Hamper, which was presented to him by Norah Walsh, proprietor and Catherine Barron & Aileen Smith of Apollo Cleaners. The old style pub and restaurant was nominated in the Best Place to Eat and Customer Service Category, and received certificates in both from Town Mayor Tom Higgins. Owners, John and Margaret Hurley were delighted as the Seanachaí is a true traditional pub and its old world charm lends itself to the ethos that good food and good service make a good night out. An Seanachaí is open every day and can be contacted at 058-46755 or check it out online at www.seanachie.ie Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Making a splash for Ballycotton RNLI 25 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal New Year’s Greetings from Cllr. Noel Collins I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to the many people who have helped me in so many ways in the past year and over the Christmas period to make the lives of our less fortunate that little bit easier. Carol Singing for Cork SIMON A CHRISTMAS Day Swim at Garryvoe Beach has become a tradition for many hardy men and women to raise funds for charity. Ralph Gunn and his friends run into the waves across the bay from the small village of Ballycotton to help raise funds for Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat. The event has become very popular for many people who turn out to cheer them on and 2010 was no different. The sun shone warmly on the keen fundraisers, who took time to pose for photographs before noon. The tide was receding when the clock struck 12 and the swimmers started their trek towards the waiting waves. They were cheered on by supporters lining the seafront and watched from the sea by three RNLI lifeboat crewmembers in the Ballycotton lifeboat boarding boat. When all the fundraising swimmers were safely ashore the lifeboat boarding boat returned to Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat station and lifeboat crewmembers, fundraising swimmers and supporters turned to celebrating Christmas with their families. Midleton says ‘Raise a toast to 2011’ NOW that the New Year has begun and people are looking towards what they can accomplish in 2011, why not call down to see what Toastmasters has to offer? Toastmasters is a proven way to improve your self-confidence through the improvement of communication and leadership skills. Every two weeks, club members meet to deliver and listen to talks on a wide variety of subjects, and to practice thinking on their feet by talking on random topics prepared by another member of the club. Members practice public speaking through a large number of projects and there are numerous competitions and events each year. Each meeting is very participative and each member gets to perform a large number of different roles during their time in the club. The whole aim is simple - self confidence and the ability to speak up in a wide variety of social settings. New guests are more than welcome to come along. The meetings are free, and the overall cost of joining Toastmasters is very low. In our last meeting in December we had two speeches from Catherine Kelly and John Finn. The meeting organiser was Chris Bailey. Marguerite Fleming was the Topics-master and Victor O’Flynn was the General Evaluator. Our next meeting is on Wednesday, January 12th, at 8pm upstairs in McDaid’s Pub on Main Street. For more information please search for Midleton Toastmasters on the web, or call Colm on 087 2353889. The above event - now in its 27th year - despite the inclemency of the weather, proved very successful, on Thursday, December 23rd, when the Lisgoold Choir and some members of the East Cork Male Choir, under the direction of Dan McCarthy, presented a very pleasant few hours of music and song, with Philip Jordan on flute at Market Green Shopping Centre, courtesy of Tesco. The choir included D. McCarthy, J. Howick, P. Ryan, M. O'Shea, K. O'Sullivan, A. Crowley, R. Maher, G. Kelleher, J. Barrett, B. McMahon, B. Kenneally, D. O'Daloigh, M. Crowley, J. McCarthy, DJ McCarthy and B. McCarthy (Santa). The proceeds from this event realised €806. The next choir to participate was the IMP, again joined by some members of the ECMC, under the direction of Maureen Laffan with Michael O'Neill on guitar. Members of the choir included E. Bailey, J. McCarthy, D. O'Donoghue, K. Lordan, T. Jordan, R. Savage, C. Jordan, D. Savage, K. Whelan and B. Foley. The proceeds from this event came to €664. Unavoidably absent this year from the carol singing were James Ahern, Broomfield and Mrs. Eileen Forrest, Leamlara, to whom the organiser extended sincere sympathy on behalf of the Cork SIMON Community, on their recent bereavements. The total figure collected came to €3,470, which includes some private donations already acknowledged. Declaration form of the money collected, under Garda Permit, has been forwarded to: Chief Superintendent Kieran T. McGann, Fermoy, as requested, under the regulations governing collection permits. Thanks to Ursula Mahony and Brendan Barry who counted this mixed collection, which has now been lodged to the account of the Cork SIMON Community. Other donors of cash & goods Other donors of cash & goods included C. Murray, C. Doocey, Dean Marley, M. & G. Walsh, E. Beausang, D. Dennehy, M. & M. Casey, M. & P. Sheedy, M. & P. Keirns, M. Walsh, W. & N. Murphy, M. & F. Ahern, J. Griffin, J.G. & J. Williams, S. Egan, E. Allen, H. & B. Tansey, L. & N. Fitzgerald, M. Hennessy, A.C. & U. Muckley, K. Woods, M. & P. Butler, M. & J. Healy, M. Smiddy, M. & M. Noonan, M. Daly, K. & C. Horgan, G. Cuddigan and Cllrs. Neville, Woods, Hegarty, Wall, McLellan and Cashman, plus a very generous donation from the proprietor of a long-established family grocery business in the town, who wishes to remain anonymous. Thanks to Mary Hennessy for receiving goods and messages for me in my absence from home. For the delivery of goods to Cork SIMON and others, my thanks to J. Healy, J. Kennedy, M. Casey, J. Connors, G. Walsh, E. O'Shea and Cllrs. Michael Hegarty and Ted Murphy. If you were away and missed the collection don't get upset - you can still send a donation by cheque or bank draft, crossed and made payable to Cork SIMON Community, St. Nicholas House, Cove Street, Cork. Christmas Crib My thanks to the people who helped with the construction of the Christmas Crib in the town. For this I am deeply indebted to Mary Bermingham, Branch Manager, AIB Midleton, for allowing the development in the grounds of the bank. The supervision of the construction and lighting of the crib was left in the capable hands of AIB staff member, Michael Fenton, ably assisted by Finbarr O'Shea and John Healy, Carrigtwohill. The ecumenical blessing ceremony was performed by Dean Alan Marley, Dean of Cloyne and Fr. Gerard Cremin CC, Midleton, with the Lisgoold Choir providing music and song. The Baby Jesus was placed in the crib by Emma Healy. Those present includeed Supt. Flor Horan, Cllr. Niall O'Neill, Mayor of Midleton, Mr. Joe McCarthy, Town Clerk, Cllrs. Tom Cashman, Michael Hegarty and Ted Murphy, all of whom helped in a splendid way to make the ceremony possible. A general thank you During the recent very bad weather conditions, my thanks to the farmers who loaned hay rick covers to families awaiting funding for house roof repairs. Thanks to John Deady and family for their help in the past year with the maintenance and upkeep of St. Joseph's (The Paupers) Cemetery, Gortacrue, Midleton. Letters and callers to me, with various social issues, over the Christmas period, I will attempt to address when the relevant offices reopen in the New Year. Apologies, meanwhile, for the delay. Thanks to the management of Isaacs Bar & Bistro, Church Lane, Midleton, for their continued patience and kindness to me. Renewed and sincere thanks to all. Nollaig Shona agus Ath-Bhliain Faoi Mhaise Do Chach. Noel Collins PS. Additional funding received for Cork SIMON - €150 from the IMP Choir, Midleton and €20 Anon. Many thanks. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 26 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Joy to the world at Gaelscoil Youghal The Wriggly Nativity DENISE FITZGERALD REPORTS THE boys and girls of Gaelscoil Youghal showed, yet again, their complete enjoyment and love of presenting their annual versions of the Christmas story. This year, four classes took part in what can only be termed superb entertainment, with each giving a varied and highly delightful rendition of Christmas and what it entails. The students of Julie Ní Bhuachalla, the first to tread the boards, were a mass of amazing colours and stunning costumes, chickens, cows and sheep, innkeepers and villagers, all telling the story of the Nativity. Angels Shauna and Lauren from Muinteoir Ní Bhuachalla’s class performed in the ‘Wriggly Nativity’ Fiona,Aaron and Molly aka anAngel, Joseph and the inn-keeper Following this were the students of Úna de Paor, all very well behaved and excited at the thought of their Little Bo Peep and other stories being presented to their Mams and Dads. Rang Naíonain Mhóra, Póilín Ní Ghrifín, presented “Seán agus an Fathach (to most of us Jack and the Beanstalk), and the show included Nathan O’Halloran as Jack, with Daniel as a mouse, Sarah as an Angel and Abigail as a Fairy. Ewan was a Leprecaun and Flavia looked wonderful as an Angel. The final entertainment was presented by Rang a hAon le Liam ÓRhiain and told the story of Scéal na Nollaig. The School Hall was filled to capacity with parents, grandparents, siblings, neighbours and friends all of whom were either laughing, crying, or taking photographs – in fact, some were doing all three at the same time. Well done to the teachers, in particular, to the children especially, and to all who helped in any way to continue this wonderful tradition where, each year, the students of Youghal Gaelscoil bring Joy to their World. A Shepherd with her sheep – Kelly and Daniel Aoife ready for her ‘big scene’ as Mary Angel, Ruby with Villager Aoife 021 4638022 Conor seriously investigates the camera Julie Ní Bhuachalla agus Ailbhe Ní Loingsigh TÁIM S Á S TA Emma, Aine, Caoimhe, Maisie and Emily aka Little Bo Peep, Elf and Angels from Úna de Paor’s class All photos available to buy Yellow chickens and Fresian Cows in this wonderful Christmas show A very wise man! An Muinteóir Úna with her very excited pupils, all looking forward to their performance Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Scéal na Nollaig Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 27 Caitlin in ﬁne form prior to her class’s performance of Scéal na Nollaig Seán agus an Fathach Three Blind Mice.... Liam ÓRhiain pictured with his students prior to the Christmas production of Scéal na Nollaig 021 4638022 All photos available to buy Leprechaun Ewan Mousy business with Daniel Little Angel (aka Sarah) with lovely fairy (aka Abigail), students of Póilín Ní Ghrífín Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 “Doubles for James Moore and Declan Queally at Lisgoold” 28 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal THE eight race card on Sunday in Leadington, Lisgoold saw plenty of excitement as the 2011 Point to Point season got underway with punters having a tough task in picking winners. In the opener Nevada Knight, a 13/2 shot, led for most of the way and was a comfortable winner in the hands of Damien Murphy, with Owenacurra in second spot ahead of Moonax Pride in this Cork Oil Products and Terry Ryan Confined Maiden. The second race saw the well backed “Micks” in the hands of Pa King get the better of Cian Boy on the run in to win the Tatterstalls Ireland 5-Y-O Maiden at a nice price of 9/2 while Catching Dreams took third spot. Next up was the Gain Feeds 5 &6 Mares Maiden and this was divided with Serra Nova in the hands of local pilot, James Joyce coming with a late flourish to catch long time leader, Miss Junior with Thynetocatcher in third spot here. The second division of this race saw Blackberryblossom, in the hands of Declan Queally, get the better of Tango Moll in a great finish with the 6/1 shot just getting home in front with Mary What’s Up in third place. The 5th race on the day was the Peagus Horse Feeds 6-Y-O Geldings Maiden and this, too, was a hugely exciting contest with No Loose Change in the hands of JD Moore at 7/1 getting the better of Mongress Boy and Clount’s Native to record a fine victory in a very competitive race. Owner of the winner, Terry Ryan, originally hails from Lisgoold so was a very popular choice for many punters. The 6th race on the day saw 19 runners go to post in “The Hurley’s SuperValu” Winners of two and Session or Ression a 5/1 shot in the hands of Jamie Codd came home a comfortable 6 lengths in front of Springfield Way, while Verumonatanum was a further four lengths back in 3rd spot. The 7th race on the day was the “O’Farrell Meats & Moran Gallops 7-Y-O” and upwards maiden and it, too, was divided with Castleguille in the hands of Declan Queally managing to survive best in a race Local girls, Eva Murphy, Orla Fleming and Sarah Rohan that saw a lot of fallers to take the 1st Division. Castleguille was another 5/1 shot and benefitted from the exit of Thawmemetoesout to hold out from Kilbeg Opera with Watchovia taking 3rd spot here. The final race of the day was the second division of the “O’Farrell Meats & Moran Gallops” and here it was Valentine ‘O’Seven, in the hands of James Moore, that just got the better of Dog Barrel Hill by a neck in the closest finish of the day with Satoire picking up the third place. All in all it was a great day’s racing with the bookmakers and punters both happy enough as this new, left handed, course proved a winner for the Lisgoold Point to Point committee who had everything in tip top condition. Liam and Fintan Fitzgerald Point to Point Chairman, Willie Sheehan with Safety Officer Rose Fitzgerald who were delighted with the turn out at their new course Mike Barrett, Shane Murphy and Willie O’Brien 021 4638022 All photos available to buy The Dennehy family Ina, Paddy and Frances Kearney Mary Kilduff and Nicola Knowles Mary Chandler and Marianne Queally doing some fundraising for the Lisgoold/Leamlara Community Playground The Lisgoold Stewards get ready for action Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Fantastic views and terrific ground at the new Lisgoold Point to Point course Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Eugene Hegarty with sons Jason and Mark, friend Ava Savage and Mossy Walsh 021 4638022 John Barry with Liam and Mark Oâ€™Keeffe and Kevin Hogan All photos available to buy Lisgoold boys Liam Oâ€™Shea, James Murphy and Peter Duggan Michael and Neilus McGrath with Conor Kearns No 7 leads over the last to become the first winner of the 2011 Point to Point season Anne McCarthy with her daughter Ruby and friendAnne Marie Leahy The chase is on The McSweeney family Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 A sporting chance Youghal Cycling Club 30 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Here we go again A New Year and a New Season for the club when those without hangovers turned up at Moby Dick’s for our first weekly club spin of the year on Sunday last, January 2nd. A group of 12 departed at 9am sharp for a trip around the coast of West Waterford. Out the main road we headed for Dungarvan before turning off at Ardmore cross for a loop around the sleepy sea side resort. Two flat tubes later we headed back up out of Ardmore and took the coast road through Old Parish and finally opened up the throttle down into Helvik for the Coffee break. Suitably refreshed, we headed back up towards Dungarvan and diverted up to the Shanachie. With the wind on our backs, we rolled home at a comfortable pace back down into Youghal and the sprint up the bypass at 12.30pm. 70km nicely completed for our first spin of the year. On a lighter note, the club would like to welcome its newest member of the Flynn family to the club who arrived just before Christmas. Congrats to Jon, Alison & Shay on their new arrival. Birthday wishes are also conveyed to the young Village Greengrocer who celebrated his 18th Birthday last week with his first ever pint. Congrats John. But don’t get too fond of the stuff because apparently it can hamper your performance on the bike, or so I have heard !!. Finally, get well wishes are also to be extended to the Hamster and the Chairman. The Hamster is apparently sulking after missing last weekends spin as he is now no longer the fittest man in the club. Sorry John, miss a week and you will move down the fitness line. Meanwhile, the Chairman is complaining An Bol-Chumann East Cork region Underage trial The final Underage Trial will be held in Cloyne on Saturday next, January 8th at 1pm.The grades are Girls U12, 14 & 16 and Boys U10, 12 & 14. Next meeting Our next meeting will be held in O’Meara’s Bar, Ballinacurra, on Monday, January 17th at 9pm. This is the closing date for 2011 Championship. Entries, Junior and Novice is €55, U18 is €15 and all other underage cost is €5. This is also the closing date for clubs to affiliate for 2011. Fixture Saturday, January 8th - John Cronin Cup in Clashmore at 2pm - Patrick Butler vs. Thomas Boyle. about a sore leg after a run in with a laser last September. Get over it Sean, there will be no sympathy coming from here! Club monthly meeting Our Club Monthly Meeting will take place tonight, Wednesday, January 5th, at the Holy Family Church, Youghal at 8pm. All club members are asked to attend with membership fees, as well as deposits for the Mizen to Malin Head cycle, now overdue. New members are also welcome to attend. Results Sean Twomey defeated William O’Donoughue in the Christy Coleman Cup Final in Cloyne. Eoin Riordan made it a double for the Ballincurrig Club, when he won the Paddy Hennessy Cup Final in Clashmore. He played Johnny Walsh, Cobh, in the final. Eoin gave a great display with four huge opening shots and this was the foundation he built on to defeat his opponent from the veterans grade. Eoin was presented with the beautiful Paddy Hennessy Memorial Cup afterwards by the widow of the late Paddy. Paddy will be remembered as a great bowling supporter who attended many scores in the area, played numerous Tournments, brought his children to underage scores and always had the good of the game at heart. This annual tournament is a fitting way to keep his memory alive. Club website Information about the club, cycling in the area and cycling in general, can be viewed at our club website. It has to be seen by all at www.youghalcyclingclub.com Weekend spins As you are all well aware by now, there is a weekly spin every Sunday morning at 9am sharp leaving from Moby Dick’s Pub by the Clock Gate. This spin, which runs on various routes every week ,usually takes between 2 to 3 hours (weather permitting) and covers on average between 40 to 50km. The pace is comfortable and we usually stop half way around for a coffee or tea. A second group also goes on a weekly spin every Sunday morning at 10am sharp leaving from Moby Dick’ Pub by the Clock Gate. This spin, which runs on various routes every week, usually takes around 3 hours to complete and covers on average between 30 to 40km. The pace is again very comfortable. This is an ideal group for anyone interested in taking up the sport. New members or visitors to the area are always welcome. If you have any questions about the club or attending one of our weekend spins, please contact our Club Secretary, Jonathan at 0868563292 for details. See you all Sunday morning! Until next week, safe cycling! Churchtown South Coursing Club Annual Raffle results 1st prize, hamper: Taylor Long, Ballinamona 2nd prize, €100: Noel Condon, Ballinacurra 3rd prize, €100: Áine Higgins, Maytown 4th prize, voucher for Harty's: Anne-Marie Kennedy, Cloyne 5th prize, €50: Colm Crowley, Churchtown South 6th prize, €50: Tom Leahy 7th prize, bottle of brandy: Michael Barry, Castlemary 8th prize, bottle of whiskey: Neillie Horgan, Cork Road We would like to thank everyone for buying tickets and for their continued support. We wish you all a very Happy New Year. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 31 Afternoon start for Castlemartyr Long Puck sees temperatures rise HELD in the afternoon, the Castlemartyr Long Puck on St. Stephenâ€™s Day, saw the temperatures rise a little, with a few hot tipples helping too. It was another enjoyable event with the back road to Mogeely thawed out sufficiently to make it safe for the competitors who again enjoyed themselves as they were able to get out into the fresh air. All photos available to buy Denis McCarthy, Dwane Bernard and Eddie Clifford 021 4638022 Postman John Whyte shows how to deliver the long puck Cormac and John Whyte Maurice Cahill, Richard Norris and Robert Cahill Oran, Oisin and Brendan Cantwell Michael John Cremin, Bernard Lawton and Brian Lawton Chris Moran with Peter and Cian Abernethy The Martin family, William, Liam, Cathal and Eoin kitted out for the day Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Cloyne road bowling club Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Underage trials THE third and final underage trial will be held in Cloyne this Saturday, January 8th at 1pm. Competitions are for Girls U12, 14&16 and Boys, U10,12&14. The Regional Teams of three boys & three girls will represent East Cork in the County Youth Finals in West Cork on Sunday, February 13th. 2011 Championships The closing date for the Novice and Youth East Cork Championships is at the club’s next monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 11th at 9pm at Harty’s Bar. The Novice cost of entry is €55, the U18 entry is €15 and the younger grades cost €5. Please forward your entries to the committee this weekend. Entries for underage can be paid at next Saturday’s trials. IIBA Short Mat Bowls Results and Fixtures (Cork Zone) The following ladies were selected to represent the Cork Zone (I.I.B.A.) in the Inter Zone match against West Down Zone on Saturday, January 8th, 2011 (Team 1):- Mary Middleton (Crosshaven), Joan Williams (Highfield), Frances Thompson (Ballincollig Community) and Val Todd (Carrigaline Community)(Skip) (Team 2):- Kay McCarthy (Wilton), Majella Conlon (Watergrasshill), Betty Kenneally (Douglas GAA) and Pat Collins (Carrigaline Community)(Skip) (Team 3):- Marie Barry (Highfield), Sheila O’Driscoll (Douglas Community School), Sheila O’Leary (Ballincollig GAA) and Carmel Eadie (Highfield)(Skip), Team 4):- Josie O’Riordan (Watergrasshill), Grainne Murphy (Crosshaven), Callie O’Sullivan (Midleton) and Ber. O’Regan (Conna)(Skip) (Team 5):- Elizabeth Fitton (Ballincollig Community), Ina Foley (St. Vincent’s), Hazel Payne (I.C.I.C.Y.M.A.) and Hazel Foley (I.C.I.C.Y.M.A.)(Skip) (Team 6):- Mary Boyde (Ballincollig GAA), Eithna Linehan (Ballincollig GAA), Bridie Hamilton (Conna) and Marian Canning (Glounthaune)(Skip). (Subs):- Mary Fitzlogan (I.C.I.C.Y.M.A.), Catherine O’Regan, Noreen O’Shaughnessy and Ann O’Sullivan (D.C.S.), The coach will leave Garryduff Sports Centre at 10am on Friday, January 7th, for Co. Down and returning on Saturday, January 8th. Cork Zone (I.I.B.A.) Inter Club League (Round 5)(Sponsored by O’Brien’s Garage, Midleton) Section 1:- Ballincollig GAA (GR) beat Highfield (GR)(2/1) and St. Vincent’s beat Carrigaline Community (GR) Section 2:- Cathedral Parish (GR) beat Lower Aghada, Mitchelstown beat Cox’s Hall (2/1) and Douglas GAA beat Rockies (YW) Section 3:- Conna (GR) beat St. Luke’s and Kinsale beat Mahon (2/1) Section 4:- Sacred Heart beat Pfizers (GR)(2/1) Section 5:- Midleton (GR) beat St. Mary’s O.T.Hill and Ballinlough beat Wilton (GR) Section 6:- Carrigaline Community (YW) beat Midleton (YW) Section 7:- I.C.I.C.Y.M.A (GR) beat Iona (GR) Section 8:- Ballincollig Community beat Barrs (YW) Christy Coleman Cup The above final was played in Cloyne on Tuesday, December 28th between Sean Twomey, Ballincurrig, and William O’Donoghue. Sean was favourite and he played a steady score, going up a bowl of odds at Kilcrone House. Up the rise, Sean continued to dominate over an out of form Willie who despite his best efforts - was 2 bowls behind at the ‘no play lines’. But from here, Willie held his own, losing to Sean by almost 2 bowls of odds. The magnificent trophy, in memory of Christy from nearby Saleen, was presented afterwards by Regional Chairman,Willie Dennis. Club Monthly Meeting Our next meeting is in Harty’s Bar,on Tuesday, January 11th at 9pm. This is also the closing date for championship entries. Boylesports’ Top Sporting Bets for the New Year A GREAT sporting year is behind us but another is just around the corner. Boylesports, Ireland’s leading independent bookmaker, takes a look at the next 12 months and seeks out the value for punters. Reigning All Ireland Football champs, Cork, are 9/4 to successfully defend their title while Dublin are 6/1 to end their 16 year wait to get their hands on Sam. Tipp are 6/4 to make it back to back All Ireland Hurling titles, while Cody’s Cats are 11/10. In rugby, Ireland is 13/2 to win the Grand Slam and 3/1 to win either the 6 Nations Championship or the Triple Crown. Declan Kidney’s men are 5/2 to top their RWC Pool in New Zealand and with Leinster, Munster and Ulster still in the hunt in Europe, an Irish province winning the Heineken Cup is available at 7/2. Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland are 11/4 to qualify for Euro 2012, while Shamrock Rovers are 5/4 to win the Airtricity Premier Division and 9/1 to secure the double that they just missed out on in 2010. 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, AP McCoy, is 12/1 to win the Grand National and Richard Hughes is 8/1 to be crowned Flat Champion Jockey. Odds of 50/1 are available for Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins to win the four Championship Races at Cheltenham in 2011. In the world of golf, the Irish players will be looking to build on the success of 2010. US Open winner, Graeme McDowell, is 7/1 to win a major in 2011 while Rory McIlroy is 9/2 to claim a major in the next 12 months. Padraig Harrington will want to put 2010 behind him and the Dubliner is 8/1 to claim the fourth major of his career in 2011. An Irishman winning a major in 2011 is available at 7/5. Leon Blanche, Head of PR for Boylesports, commented, “Who can tell what 2011 will bring. The Irish rugby team have a great chance of success, with both England and France coming to the Aviva Stadium and who knows maybe it will be sweet sixteen for the Dubs. Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins could very well dominate Cheltenham in March, and with Irish golf on such a high there is no reason to think that Messrs McDowell, McIlroy and Harrington won’t deliver in 2011.” The Week In Sport with Declan Barron WELCOME back for the New Year to all our readers. Sport was one of the many things to suffer over the month of December, but thankfully things are now beginning to get back to normal. Even so there was an amount of events that did manage to escape over the Christmas, with Rugby being one of the best sports to survive. For the coming year we, in the East Cork Journal, welcome all sports and whatever your sports is please let us know by e-mailing us your notes and if you have events to be covered on a one off occasion please let us know. Magners League Munster kept their great run in the Magners League by getting good wins over Connaught and Ulster and they sit proudly on top of the league at present. They come to Cork on this Saturday night to take on the Glasgow Warriors, content in the knowledge that they have a commanding lead at the top of the table with a nine point advantage at present. With a huge game on the following weekend in Toulon, Munster will want to get through this game injury free, as their Heineken Cup assignment is what will be on their minds at present. Leinster, too, are going well in third spot so Irish Rugby is in a healthy state at present. Premiership What is turning out to be one of the most exciting premiership races since its inception is now unfolding with five contenders battling it out for top spot. What is intriguing is that no side is displaying top form at present. While Manchester United remain unbeaten and are now in pole position with games in hand on all their main rivals, they are by no means certain of winning the title. Rivals, Man City, are hot on their heels while Arsenal in third spot are, perhaps, in the best position to challenge. Tottenham are now up to 4th spot while champions, Chelsea have now slipped to sixth spot, six points behind United with one game more played, so they now have it all to do to retain their title. On the one hand these overpaid superstars are providing a great title race, but on the other hand much of the football being played is really awful and would not even grace a park pitch on a Sunday morning, where you would see how penalties might be taken. The media circus that supports the premiership as the best league in the world, knows very little about football and much of what is on offer at present is a terrible advert for the game. With the transfer window now open it remains to be seen if any major signings will be made by those in the title race, while the relegation battle is almost as exciting with up to eight clubs still involved in the bottom half of the table. Cork footballers back in action The new season will resume on this Sunday for a Cork football selection who will face WIT in the opening round of the McGrath Cup in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday at 2pm. Few, if any, of the current Cork panel will be in action in this game as they are away on holiday in South Africa but it will be an opportunity for the selectors to run the rule over some of the fringe players who will be pushing for inclusion in 2011. Youghal RFC XV continue their winning ways Youghal 15 Waterford City 5 THE Youghal XV were still firing on all cylinders when they travelled to Waterford City on a very cold evening with the match played under floodlights. The ground was very hard and the Referee was very close to calling it off. When the game did get under way it was looking like it was going to be a very tough encounter. but after a few scrums and lineouts Youghal started to read their game. Youghal were well in control of the scrums with some great scrumming from John Flavin, Conor Lane and Steve O’Shea. Our backs then started to put together some great moves and a superb try was scored by Niall Clohessy. Youghal’s out half, Brendan Murray, then got his backs attacking again and just before half time Niall Clohessy again got another great try. Half time score was Youghal 10 Waterford 0.The ground was now really getting hard and the frost was moving in big time. The second half started well again for Youghal who were now in full control of the game.Youghal’s John O’Riordan received a back injury, so on came Richard Mulcahy. So in the Pack we now we had two players, Steve O Shea and Richard Mulcahy, whose ages between them added to 105. Surely a record? Back to the game....Youghal’s pack rucked very well to the line for Aaron Walsh to get a great try. A well worked try from the whole pack . After this Youghal player, Steve O Shea, suffered a bad injury, breaking his ankle, and was taken off. With only four minutes left Waterford got a late try for the game to finish Youghal 15 Waterford 5. All the team members send their best wishes to Steve for a speedy recovery. TEAM: John Flavin, Conor Lane, Steve O‘Shea, Aaron Walsh, Justin McCarthy, Barney O’Brien, John O’Riordan, Anthony Frahill O’Connor, John White (Captain), Brendan Murray, David Mulcahy, Killian Daly, Niall Clohessy, Wayne Pratt and Niall Daly. SUPER SUB: Richard Mulcahy. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 33 Thatch in sight for Killeagh Long Puck Greg Leahy, Eric Murphy and Jamie O’Rourke David Meade and Andy Walsh delighted to be finished All photos available to buy Declan, Paul and Al Fogarty reach the finish line 021 4638022 THE Killeagh juvenile and adult club brought the St. Stephen’s Day afternoon proceedings to a halt as they, too, enjoyed the best of the conditions although the Inch Road was pretty tough for competitors who were delighted to get the ‘Old Thatch’ in sight at the end of a fine afternoon of Long Pucks. Vincent Cashman, Ben Crotty, Pat O’Keeffe, Ber Hynes, Pat Fitzgibbon, Pat Lineen and John Collins with the Old Thatch in sight This bunch are all smiles after completing the Killeagh Long Puck course. Theo Coleman, Sam Desmond and Cillian Treacy Andrew Leahy, Cian Budds and Eoin Fitzgibbon Ger and Deirdre Fitzgibbon Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 34 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal W.W.E.C. INCH AND CAPPOQUIN INCREASE LEAD IN PREMIER PINEWOOD AND CLASHMORE SETTING THE PACE IN PROMOTION RACE OSCAR TRAYNOR CUP THIS WEEKEND AT long last we got back to football after the snow, and pitches were playable again. Fixtures for Christmas fell foul of the weather as last season, and we had to wait until last Sunday to enjoy football again. Everyone was delighted to be able to get out to the various venues on Sunday, and while the pitches were on the soft side, at least we were able to stand on the touch lines, even though with all games at 2pm, the evening did get cold. Less of the sarcasm, we can feel the cold a lot more now, after all a year older! Inch and Cappoquin increased their lead at the top of the table, as their nearest challengers all drew, with Mogeely losing at Sexton Park. In the first division, Pinewood and Clashmore A continue to set the pace and with seven games remaining, must be favourites to play Premier football next season, although much can happen between this and the end of the season. This coming Sunday the Wicklow League will be visitors to Cappoquin to play the WWEC League in the Oscar Traynor Cup, and by the time our notes appear in print, the WWEC Youth Inter League team will have played the Waterford League in the final group game of the FAI Umbro Youth Inter League Cup. We travelled to Sexton Park on Sunday afternoon last for this top of the table and local derby clash. On a pitch that held up well after the weather, both sides played well, but as a spectacle it did not live up to our expectations. With so much at stake, neither side was prepared to take too many chances going forward for fear of the counter attack, and in fact both keepers, Gary Sweetman and David Coleman, were never really tested for the 90 minutes. Inch 1 Mogeely 0 Chances were created, but neither side showed any conviction in front of goal, and Inch played with five across mid field, leaving Leonard Byrne as a lone striker. Mogeely found the home midfield difficult to break down, but in the second half the visitors had the better of the exchanges straight from the restart. Alan Collins, Jake O’Shea and Dwayne Bernard all came more into the game and started to put pressure on the Inch defence, but credit the home side as they weathered each attack and found the space to attack on the flanks where Brian McDermott on the right wing started to come more into the game. Noel Earley was outstanding for the visitors at the heart of the Mogeely defence, but the back four were caught flat footed when a route one was adopted by Inch and James Fogarty ran on to a high ball as the visiting defence looked for an off side and Fogarty on a one to one with Sweetman, found the net to give the home side the lead. Mogeely then went in search of an equaliser, but the home defence stood firm with Brian Keane leading from the back. Mogeely huffed and puffed, but still could not trouble the home ‘keeper and at the final whistle Inch collected all three points. Mogeely were disappointed and in fairness deserved a draw, but their inability to work the home ‘keeper tells its own story. Overall, not a classic and definitely not a great local derby, but at the end of the day Inch are the happier of the two sides as they have the three points and now open a gap with Cappoquin to the rest of the teams in the chasing pack. Accrington 2 Cappoquin 5 This was a game Cappoquin had to win to keep in touch with Inch, and this they duly did when collecting all three points at the Pike Road venue. Daithi Wilkinson gave the visitors the lead before Nathan Byrne equalised for the home side. Paul Murray then restored the Cappoquin lead and this was the score at half time. In the second half, Murray scored again, as did David Leahy and Terence Wash, to leave Cappoquin leading by 5 goals to 1 goal before Shane O’Brien added a second for Accrington, a score which came much too late to have any input on the result. This win sees Cappoquin lie two points adrift of Inch with the same number of games played. Accrington have still to record a victory in the league and are dangerously close to being relegated with only six league games to play. Castlebridge are three points better off, but have four games less played, so for Accrington they need points and quickly. Cappoquin are having one of their best seasons for a while and with Ray Murphy at the helm they seem to be serious title challengers but, like Inch, nothing is won with eight games remaining. Kilworth 2 Brideview 2 Down through the years we have reported on teams coming back literally from the dead, and last Sunday in Kilworth is no exception. Brideview led by two goals to nil with two minutes remaining, but somehow Kilworth, or should we say Paudie Lynch, found the reserve to score twice in those crucial minutes for a share of the points, points that seemed destined for Tallow entering those final minutes. We sent our roving reporter to this game as we were in Sexton Park, and the report reaching us at half time was a Shane O’Connor goal had Brideview in the lead. When the same player added his and the visitor’s second goal after the restart, it looked as if Brideview would be in a challenging position to retain the title on Sunday night. With only 2 minutes remaining, and Brideview cruising to victory, Paudie Lynch struck to reduce the deficit. Straight from the kick off, Kilworth went in search of the equaliser and they were rewarded when Lynch scored again, a goal that guaranteed a share of the points. This left Brideview shell shocked, and they must wonder how they lost a two goal lead in the last two minutes, and more importantly drop two points, points that may have a bearing on the title at the end of the season. Credit Kilworth for a wonderful fight back, and they find themselves in the top five of the league, a very good position for a side that was promoted at the end of last season. Valley Rangers 1 Blackwater 1 This was a game from which both sides needed all three points, but at the final whistle they had to settle for a share of the points. Blackwater now have three draws in their ten league games, and this has resulted in their position in the league table. Valley Rgs are only a point better off with four draws. After a scoreless opening half, Jason Roche gave Valley the lead, but Carach Shalloe levelled matters and so both sides came away Inch United remain top of the premier division following their 1-0 win over Mogeely on Sunday from Conna with a point each. This is turning out to be a disappointing season for both teams, as both had aspirations of challenging for the title when we kicked off the league last August. But inconsistency by both sees them in the wrong half of the table with eight games each left to play, and their title hopes would appear to be failing with so much ground to make up. But as we continuously write, football is a funny old game, and one never knows. First Division Pinewood 4 Railway Ath 0 Played at the Ballymac’ venue, Pinewood continued their impressive run of victories and lead the table and promotion hopes following this comprehensive victory over Railway last Sunday afternoon. Keith Guiry gave the home side a goal lead at half time and further scores from Keith again, Joe Whelan, and Ollie Smith gave all three points to Pinewood, and outright leadership of the division. With seven games remaining, Pinewood are in a promotion position and their postponed game with Clashmore A, when played, will have a big bearing on who will be promoted as champions. At the start of the league we made Pinewood our favourites for promotion, and nothing has changed in the interim. Clashmore A 3 Brideview B 0 A comprehensive victory for the home side as they continue to keep the pressure on leaders Pinewood, in their quest for promotion. Goals from Dec Gleeson and J P Carey had the home side in a comfortable lead at the break. In the second half John Mason wrapped up the victory and points when he scored a third goal for the Clashmore side. Brideview, who had won mid week against Valley Rgs, did not produce the same form as displayed in Conna, and at the end there was no disputing that the better team won on the day. There are only a few points between the top three teams as they chase the two promotion spots and with seven games remaining, any point lost will be detrimental to the losing team. Brideview can not afford to lose many more points if they want promotion at the end of April. Clashmore A is playing well enough to secure that promotion spot, but they must continue to get the points, as any lost will help the sides chasing them. Ballybridge 1 Glen View 0 Glen View continue to lead the lower half of the division, but only just, as Ballybridge cut the lead to the minimum following their victory at the Fr. O’Neill’s Community Field on Sunday afternoon. Glen View seemed to be creating the chances in the opening half, but they had no one to put the ball in the back of the net. Ballybridge depended on the break way from defence, and just on the stroke of half time James Furlong scored for the home side. The Melleray outfit will say this was against the run of play, but to see the net bulging is the purpose of the exercise, and this Glen View could not do in that opening half. The same applied for the second half, and with all their attacking options, the visitors could not find the net. Ballybridge soaked up the pressure and hit the visitors when they could, and were unlucky in the final minutes when they saw an effort come back off a post. This was a good victory for the home side and they can, with only seven games to play, over take Glen View and win the lower half of the division. If Glen View wishes to stay tops, they will have to convert all the chances that they create as, at the end of the day, goals win matches. Clashmore B 4 Cappoquin B 0 A fantastic victory for the Clashmore second string and a victory that lifts them off the bottom of the table since the middle of September. Goals from J P Hickey, Ian O’Sullivan, Chris Royle and Paudie Allen gave the visitors all three points and a win that see Clashmore B leap frog Kilworth into second last position, but with a game more played. Valley Rangers B 1 Brideview B 3 The only league game played on the Monday after Christmas took place in Conna, where Brideview’s second string proved too strong for the second team of Valley Rangers. Played in non-stop rain and on a pitch which cut up, John Paul Flynn gave the home side the lead before Tommie Daly equalised for the visitors from the penalty spot to leave the sides level at the break. In the second half as the conditions deteriorated, Brideview struck twice without reply through Kieran Casey and Alan O’Riordan, to give Brideview all three points and second place in the table until last Sunday. The conditions did not help either side in this local derby, but the points were all important to the winners. MARI MINA PHARMACY PREMIER Valley Rangers 1 Blackwater 1 Kilworth 2 Brideview 2 Accrington 2 Cappoquin 5 Inch 1 Mogeely 0 RESULTS LISMORE HOUSE HOTEL 1st DIV Valley Rangers B 1 Brideview B 3 Pinewood 4 Railway Ath 0 Ballybridge 1 Glen View 0 Clashmore A 3 Brideview B 0 Cappoquin B 0 Clashmore B 4 This Wednesday night, January 5th, the WWEC Youth Inter League team play the Waterford League in Cappoquin with a 7.30pm kick off. PREVIEWS On Sunday, the WWEC Oscar Traynor team play The Wicklow League also in Cappoquin in the last group game of the Oscar Traynor Cup and this game kicks off at 2.30pm. On Saturday we have Premier league games, but with players CONTINUES NEXT PAGE Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 35 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE playing Oscar Traynor Cup on Sunday, some of those listed games may not take place, as some players may not want to play a league game 24 hours before the inter league game. We would advise players to contact their clubs to ascertain if games are or not. We will, however, preview games as we received them from the Hon. League Fixture Secretary. WWEC vs. The Wicklow League This will be the first time the WWEC will have played the Wicklow League, and our knowledge of them rests entirely with their performances in the Oscar Traynor though the years, and also our knowledge that the Wicklow League is one of the strongest in the country. With players coming from the borders of the Dublin leagues this, in itself, is a testimony to their strengths. The WWEC League recorded a very creditable draw in their last outing against the Carlow league in Tullow in November, and a victory on Sunday next, while not guaranteeing them a passage into the open round of the competition, will put pressure on both Carlow and Wicklow when they play this month. The game in Tullow showed the spirit of the WWEC team, and if they can reproduce the same form and spirit on Sunday, well we think they have a very good chance of progressing in the competition. The weather has caused all kinds of problems with no league games taking place in the past few weeks and training for the panel disrupted also. However, we know that manager, Joe O’Riordan, and Tom Guiry along with Coach, Michael Looby will have the team in top shape for Sunday’s encounter. Wicklow have found the weather more disruptive than ourselves, as snow has cancelled out games in the Wicklow league for at least four weeks, so with that we are starting off very much on a level playing pitch. Our verdict? Having seen the team play in Tullow, we think we can record a victory in Cappoquin on Sunday afternoon. We would ask the clubs to come along and support the team and Fixture Hon Secretary Noel Hegarty has given all the clubs an ideal opportunity to come along to Cappoquin to show their support. After all, the team is representing the League. Kick off is 2.30pm. Kilworth vs. Castlebridge Castlebridge make the short journey to the Pound Lane venue on Saturday, not having played a game since November 21st when they lost to Piltown in the Munster Junior Cup. Kilworth, on the other hand, played last weekend against Brideview and came from two goals down in the last two minutes to salvage a draw. This was a great come back by Kilworth, and Castlebridge know if they are to come away with at least a point, they will have to be at their best. We think Kilworth will come out on top and take all three points. Blackwater take to the road for the second weekend in a row, having travelled to Conna last Sunday, coming away with a point. At the same time, Inch was cementing their place at the top of the table with a win at home against neighbours, Mogeely. If Blackwater want to win the title, then a win is a must on Saturday. Inch, while not playing well last Sunday, did enough to get all three points and on current form it is difficult to see them losing on Saturday. With so much at stake for both teams, a draw could be the result, although we think with home advantage Inch may take all three points. Inch vs. Blackwater Mogeely disappointed last Sunday when losing to Inch, while Brideview let a two goal lead slip in the last few minutes to Kilworth to end up with a draw. Those two results sees both sides with an awful lot to do to win the title. Brideview are a side never to underestimate, as they have so many times proved in their illustrious career, and with nine games remaining for them to play, they will still fight to the end to retain their title. Mogeely can not afford to drop points either, and will want to get back to winning ways. However, without the suspended Jake O’Shea they might find this difficult and a draw would be the most they can hope for. This may be the result. Mogeely vs. Brideview Valley Rangers vs. Accrington The only premier game on Sunday and this local derby is in Conna on Sunday morning. Valley drew at home last Sunday with Blackwater, while Accrington was losing at home to Cappoquin. Accrington has yet to register a league victory in their ten games played to date, with only one draw to their name. We saw them play this season and felt if they had a striker they could have had a few wins. In Conna it is difficult for any visiting team to record a victory and so we think Valley will win. Railway vs. Clashmore A Both sides met at the Danes Field on December 12th with the visitors winning by two goals to nil. Clashmore will have to continue their winning ways on Saturday if they want to stay with the leaders, Pinewood, who have no game this weekend. A win for Clashmore would see them go top of the table. On Sunday last they defeated Brideview at Pablo Park, while Railway lost away to Pinewood. This is a game that may not take place as both teams have players in action the following day in the Mari Mina Pharmacy Premier Division League Table Inch Utd. Cappoquin A Brideview Utd. A Mogeely FC Kilworth Celtic Valley Rangers A Blackwater FC Castlebridge Celtic Accrington Celtic W 7 6 4 4 3 3 3 1 0 P 10 10 9 9 10 10 10 6 10 L 2 2 2 3 2 3 4 4 9 D 1 2 3 2 5 4 3 1 1 PTS 22 20 15 14 14 13 12 4 1 Lismore House Hotel First Division League Table Pinewood Rangers Clashmore Ramblers A Brideview United B Railway Ath. Valley Rangers Ballybridge Utd. Glenview Utd. Cappoquin B Clashmore Ramblers B Kilworth Celtic B P 11 10 11 10 11 10 9 10 10 9 W 8 8 7 5 5 4 3 3 2 2 D 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 L 1 2 3 5 6 6 5 6 7 7 PTS 26 24 22 15 15 12 10 10 7 6 Oscar Traynor Cup. But if it does, we think Clashmore will come out on top and take all three points. Ballybridge vs. Cappoquin B Ballybridge play at home for the second consecutive week when they entertain Cappoquin’s 2nd string. Last week Ballybridge defeated Glen View, while Cappoquin were losing at home to Clashmore B. A win for Ballybridge will see them take over as leaders of the lower half of the division, and that may be incentive enough for them. Ballybridge to win. Clashmore B vs. Kilworth B Clashmore recorded their second league win of the season last Sunday when they defeated Cappoquin in Cappoquin and that win saw them leapfrog Kilworth in the league table with the Cork side now bottom of the table, but with a game less played. We think Clashmore will win. 5/1/11: FAI UMBRO YOUTH INTER LEAGUE WWEC vs. Waterford League at Cappoquin, 7.30pm, J. O’Riordan, D. Coleman, M. Curran 8/1/11: MARI MINA PHARMACY PREMIER Kilworth vs. Castlebridge, 2pm, E. Cusack Inch vs. Blackwater, 2pm, M. Curran Mogeely vs. Brideview, 2pm, D. Coleman FIXTURES LISMORE HOUSE HOTEL 1st DIV Railway Ath vs. Clashmore A, 2pm, J. O’Riordan 9/1/11: UMBRO OSCAR TRAYNOR CUP WWEC vs. Wicklow League at Cappoquin, 2.30pm, E. Cusack, D. Coleman, D. O’Sullivan. MARI MINA PHARMACY PREMIER Valley Rangers vs. Accrington, 11.30am, P. Browne LISMORE HOUSE HOTEL 1st DIV Ballybridge vs. Cappoquin B, 11.30am, P. Griffin Clashmore B vs. Kilworth B, 11.30am, K. Griffin. Following last Sunday’s games there are some changes in the Golden Boot, sponsored by The Red Store, Youghal. In the Premier Division, Leonard Byrne, Inch, is the leader with 10 goals, while there are three players with 8 goals each, Shane O’Connor, Brideview, Paudie Lynch, Kilworth, and Jason Roche, Valley Rgs. In the first division, Alan O’Riordan, Brideview has 10 goals with Vinnie Coonan, Clashmore A on 9 goals. GOLDEN BOOT NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS As these are our first notes for 2011, we take this opportunity to wish all our readers, and all involved with the clubs, the referees and our sponsors a very Happy and Peaceful Year. We were delighted to receive greetings from some ex committee members on New Year’s Eve, especially Jim Foley and Sean Kerins who still keep in contact with the league. Many thanks. There is a Delegate Meeting of the WWEC this Monday night, January 10th, at the Brideview Complex, Tallow, commencing at 8.30pm, and please note the meeting will commence at 8.30pm sharp as there is a busy agenda to be discussed. The draw for the Ned Barry Cup and the Liam Fitzgerald Cup will be held during the meeting. It is important that all clubs are represented on the night as this is the first meeting of 2011, and fixtures for League and Cups will be announced by the Hon. Fixture Secretary. With so many weekends already lost through the bad weather, Noel will have to have the co-operation of clubs and ref- DELEGATE MEETING erees to make up the lost weekends. We are told that there will be a full fixture list on St. Patrick’s Day next, and this is giving all clubs adequate notice to make the necessary arrangements. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR SAYS THANKS We received a letter from Packie Bonner, Technical Director of the FAI, whose contract expired on the 31st December last. Packie wished to thank all in the league for their help and co-operation in the eight years he held the position. He visited the WWEC League on many occasions, especially in the setting up of the Football Sports Partnership within the league. The partnership was an outstanding success and of course is the bench mark for all of the partnerships now being rolled out throughout the country by the FAI. As Packie said on one of his visits, while the WWEC League is one of the smallest in the country, it is one of the most progressive leagues within the Association. We take this opportunity to wish Packie Bonner the very best in the future. Mogeely FC 0 Inch FC 1 Mogeely who lost 1-0 to Inch in their local derby played on Sunday last WELL, after an over-extended break with all the snow and ice on the pitches we got back to doing what we all wanted: spending Sunday playing soccer. It was a cold day, with a 2pm kick off away to Inch, but when this game started you could see both teams needed time to get going. It was tit for tat for most of the half with both defences well on top and it was the 35th minute before the keeper was called into action. That was when Dwain had a good shot saved, when he pushed it around the post for a corner. After a poor first half, the scores were 0-0, so we were all looking for a better second half so that we could get a bit of excitement and keep us a bit warmer on the sidelines. At the start of the second half, the game livened up a bit with some strong tackles going in, which led to a couple of yellow cards on both sides. Then, on the 14th minute, Shane cleared the ball off the line to keep us in the game, and seconds later Doly took a long range shot that was just wide. Then, on the 22nd minute, John O’Donovan had a header that landed on top of the net with the keeper beaten, but then disaster struck when a long ball went through and the Inch players followed it in, even though they looked off-side, but they tucked the ball away and the goal stood. Against the run of play the home team were ahead. Soon after, Timmy made a change of personnel and formation, bringing on Dave for Dec, so now we had 3 up front pushing on for a share of the points but, as hard as the team tried, they could not get the goal they deserved. The last bit of action was down to the ref when he showed Doly a red card for a hard tackle out by the sideline. So, with a hard game after a long break, we didn’t get the point that the team deserved from this one, but it was still a great team display - better luck next week. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 36 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Sarsfields Long Puck rings in the New Year SARSFIELDS Long Puck was one of the events held over until the New Year and took place on Sunday, January 2nd. As a result the club had a fine turnout - in much better weather conditions - for this very much family orientated event. All who took part enjoyed the day, with the fine fresh weather helping to make it a great success. The adult competition was won by Andrew Murphy, Ian Graham and Simon Morgan, with the runners-up Alan Kennedy, Gary Grey and Cormac Duggan. Camogie Winners Sarsfields' Tadhg Murphy congratulates Amy Edwards, Eimear O'Farrell and Edel Murphy on their Adult Camogie wina Juvenile Camogie Brendan Coppinger with juvenile camogie winners, Ciara Mullane and Courtney Casey, alongside Tadhg Murphy Open Adult Winner Sarsfields' Tadhg Murphy congratulates the Open Adult section winners: Andrew Murphy, Ian Graham and Simon Morgan Adam Dunne, Killian Murphy and Daniel Kelleher Susan and Shane Geary, Cathal Shine and Andrew and Margaret McCarron In the juvenile section, Edward Gaffey, Donal English and Luke Hackett came first, while in the adult camogie section it was Eimear O'Farrell, Amy Edwards and Edel Murphy who emerged victorious. Finally, in the juvenile camogie section, Ciara Mullane, Courtney Casey and Casey Marnell took the plaudits. Open Adult Runner Up Tadhg Murphy congratulates Gary Grey and Cormac Duggan on being runners-up in the adult section Pat Fahy, John Flannery and Diarmuid Looney Edel Meaney, Louise Murphy, Niamh Oâ€™Callaghan and Orla Kearney Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 37 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Sarsfields line up to take their best shot Cian Looney, Owen Flannery and Dylan Flannery Paul Moriarty, Dylan Walsh and Sean Dolan Young Oisin Walsh with Lucy Moriarty The La Grue Family Sinead, Chloe and Susan from the Sars Camogie club Eve, Chloe and Pat Hallahan Cian, Dan and John Murray Pat Higgins and Jack Oâ€™Connor The Lynch family Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 East Cork Ladies Football AGM East Cork Darts Association Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal WELCOME back for the next rounds of the East Cork Darts Association. The next games take place on this coming Friday night, January 7th. FIXTURES, 7/1/11: PREMIER DIVISION: Central Star has a bye Tosh Cahill’s vs. Maggie May’s A O’Coileain’s vs. Thatch, Killeagh Two Mile Inn vs. McGrath’s Youghal golf club 38 DIVISION 1: Gaelic A has a bye Sars GAA vs. Schooner Maggie May’s B vs. Session Barry’s, Bartlemy vs. Wood’s DIVISION 2: Colbert’s has a bye Harty’s vs. Batts Mackey’s vs. Thatch, Lisgoold. Inch Rovers in action in the 2010 Munster Final THE Annual General Meeting of the East Cork Ladies Football Board was held on Tuesday, December 14th, in Carrigtwohill Community Hall. The 2010 officers were as follows; Chairman: John Hickey (Lisgoold) Secretary: Caroline O’Neill (St. Colmans) Fixtures Secretary: Arthur O’Leary (Carrigtwohill) and Christine Garde (Carrigtwohill) Treasurer: Mairead Kennedy (Inch Rovers) GPC Officer: Billy McCarthy (Fermoy) Children’s Officer: Catherine Garde (Carrigtwohill). A big thank you was issued to these officers who each did trojan work for the board over the past year. The Chairman’s address was given by John Hickey. He thanked the various referees who took charge of East Cork games throughout the year, and recognised their difficult job. He also thanked both Arthur O’Leary and Christine Garde for their hard work in successfully getting the many games played on time. A special congratulations was issued to Noel O’Connor and to the Inch Rovers team who achieved huge success in 2010, winning both the Munster Senior Club title and the All-Ireland Senior Club title. Inch Rovers, Watergrasshill and Aghada were also congratulated for winning hard earned County titles. The Secretary’s Report was issued by Caroline O’Neill who echoed the thanks and the congratulations given by the Chairman. She welcomed the three additional clubs who joined the East Cork division this year; Cloyne, Mayfield, and Rockbán. She also offered her thanks to Arthur O’Leary for organising the use of the meeting room in Carrigtwohill community hall. A warm recognition was also given to the clubs of Glanmire, Carrigtwohill, Fermoy, Aghada, Inch Rovers, Watergrasshill, Midleton, Rockbán, St. Colmans, Ballinacurra, Lisgoold, Bride Rovers, Mayfield and Erins Own who achieved success in 2010 competitions at various grades. A very comprehensive report on the financial matters of the year was given by Treasurer, Mairead Kennedy. A final good luck message was distributed to all teams for 2011 by Chairman, John Hickey and especially to those taking part in the Féile which will be held in Cork next year. East Cork Board Officers to date for 2011; Chairman: John Hickey (Lisgoold) Secretary: Philip Harrington (Glanmire) Treasurer: Shirley Johnson (Bride Rovers) Fixtures Secretary: Arthur O’Leary (Carrigtwohill) Tim Hegarty (Rockbán) PRO: Diana Kelleher (Watergrasshill). All clubs are reminded to text in results to Stef at (089) 4170405 after games have been played. Also could you update if any match from Friday, December 3rd, has been played so the tables can be updated. Outstanding results from Friday, December 3rd Division 1: Gaelic A (4) Sars (3) (29/12/10) At this stage all these games should have been played, so please update us for the league tables. EXHIBITION MATCH The above takes place between Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis and Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ Baxter at the Midleton Park Hotel on Saturday, February 12th at 8.30pm. Tickets cost €10, in aid of Marymount Hospice, and are available from any member of the ECDA at 086 0215258 or 089 4170405. Lismore golf club RESULTS 26/12 to 2/1 - 12 Hole 3 person Champagne 1st J.O’Mahony (7), M. Roche (17) & L. Roche (24) 74 pts 2nd P. Morrissey (11), K. Whelan (13) & M. O’Driscoll (15) 68 pts 3rd D. Galvin (13), L Feeney (8) & P O’Donoghue (13) 67 pts (L6) FIXTURES 3/1 to 9/1: 12 Hole Singles Stableford The committees of Lismore Golf Club hope all our members and their families had a wonderful Christmas and wish all a very Happy New Year. We had a great turn out for our 3 person Champagne scramble which proved very popular as most of us were unable to play over the last number of weeks due to the harsh weather. The winning team of John O’Mahony (7) Martin Roche(17) and Lorraine Roche (24) had a very impressive 74pts. This was made up by scoring 6pts at eight holes and 7pts at three of the remaining four holes. Impressive scoring in winter conditions. In 2nd place were Pa Morrissey (11) Kevin Whelan (13) and Martin O’Driscoll (15) with 68 pts. They played consistent golf and their 7pts on the 12th with a birdie and two pars stole the slot from Denis Galvin (13) Liam Feeney (8) and Patsy O’Donoghue (13). They won the third prize on a last 6 countback. The 9pts on the 12th was their clincher. NOTE Entry Sheet is now up in clubhouse for our Annual Spring League 2011 which is kindly sponsored by Dermot O’Leary Agri. The closing date for entry is January 9th. SUBSCRIPTIONS Just a gentle reminder to anyone that has yet to pay their annual subscriptions to do so as soon as possible. 16/12 - 14 Holes Singles Stableford 1st Michael T. Mc Carthy (12) 31pts 28/12 - 14 Holes Singles Stableford Cat 0-7: John Hooley (5) 30pts Cat 8-13: Anthony O’Regan (9) 34pts Cat 14-18: Tadgh O’Mahony (14) 32pts Cat 19+ Michael J. Murphy (19) 29pts 30/12 - 18 Holes Singles Stableford Cat 0-7: Eddie Ryan (7) 31pts Cat 8-13: Luke Swayne (10) 35pts, Donie Mc Carthy (11) 34pts Cat 14-18: James Roche (14) East Cork 34pts Cat 19+ Michael J. Murphy (19) 27pts 31/12: Threeball Yellowball 1st Genie Shiels (12) PJ Bunyan (8) Tony Kearns (6) 70pts 2nd Dermot Dromgoole (16) John Harrington (16) Paul Morrison (15) 69pts 1/1/11 - Captain’s & Presidents Mixed Fourball 1st Luke Swayne (10) Tom O’Donoghue (12) Breda O’Donoghue (22) Jo Swayne (22) 76pts 2nd Eddie Ryan (7) John Greene (13) Dermot Dromgoole (16) Siobhan Hooley (19) 76pts 3rd Tony Coyne (10) Bertie Lupton (18) Sharon Lupton (17) Amanda O’Neill Coyne (25) 75pts 4th Cyril O’Brien (6) Morgan Madden (10) Tim Mason (10) Catherine Kearney (28) 75pts 5th John Hooley (5) Patsy O’Regan (18) Jim Condon (19) Frances Barry (21) 74pts 6th Jim Coleman (12) Peter Lehane (13), Brendan Coleman (16) Mary Coleman (27) 72pts 7th Michael Coyne (9) Tom Kenneally (13) Mce Power (15) Frances Barry (21) 71pts 2/1/11 - 14 Holes Singles Stableford Cat 0-7: Willie Jones (1) 32pts Cat 8-13: Denis O’Connell (11) Tom O’Donoghue (12) 34pts, Jimmy McCarthy (9) 33pts Cat 14-18: Keith Griffin (14) 34pts Cat 19+ Stephen Mulcahy (21) 30pts 3/1/11: 14 Holes Threeball 1st Luke Swayne (10) Jo Swayne (22) Sharon Lupton (17) 72pts 2nd Tom O’Donoghue (12) Liam Leahy (14) Breda O’Donoghue (22) 71pts 3rd Genie Shiels (12) PJ Bunyan (8) Tony Kearns (6) 69pts Fixtures: 8/1/11: Open Singles 9/1/11: Open Fourball. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 39 True grit for Lisgoold Long Puck All photos available to buy INSET: The Ryan’s about to tackle the hill in Lisgoold A happy group about to set off on the Lisgoold long puck David, Cian and Aoife Healy with James Murphy 021 4638022 IN Lisgoold the start was a little later than normal, but being further inland - the cold wind was there in abundance as the competitors faced tough conditions, both overhead and on the course itself, as gritted roads with icy patches made for plenty of enjoyable and breath-holding moments. Jerry O’Connell Snr, John Cashman and Maurice O’Connell Shirley, Aoife, Chloe and Saeltha brave the cold in Lisgoold Eoin Hegarty, Jamie Woods, David O’Sullivan and Peter Leahy Liam O’Driscoll, Tim O’Driscoll, Brendan Healy, Owen Healy, Cian Cashman and Ger Cashman Catherine O’Connell, David Robertson from Scotland and Jerry O’Connell Cian Scanlon, John O’Shea and Kieran O’Driscoll Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 40 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Clubs look ahead to championship action when titans will clash NOW that the old year has passed into the realms of history, clubs will be gearing up for the new season. Already the championship draws have taken place and have thrown up some interesting pairings that have the fans eagerly looking forward to these mouth watering clashes. B. Na Piarsaigh vs. Douglas C. St. Finbarrs vs. Newcestown D. St. Nick’s vs. Castlehaven E. Carbery Rangers vs. Ilen Rovers F. Dohenys v Bishopstown G. Clonakilty vs. O’Donovan Rossa H. Valley Rovers vs. Aghada ROUND 2 (LOSERS) A vs. B C vs. D E vs. F G vs. H Senior Hurling Champions Sarsfields will open their defence with an East Cork derby game against Cloyne, who will hope to catch the champs on their first day out and this should draw a fine crowd, most likely to the Midleton venue. Another East Cork side with tough opposition will be Killeagh who have drawn last years defeated finalists, Glen Rovers, and this too promises to be a cracking contest and could form part of a double header. Carrigtwohill have been paired with Ballinhassig and this will give them a 50/50 chance of a win first time out, as Ballinhassig have improved greatly in recent seasons. Last year’s unlucky team were Midleton and they should be able to get off to a winning start against Bishopstown. If things go their way they could well make a bold bid for success in 2011. Erin’s Own came close last year, as did St Finbarr’s and both square up to one another first time out on this occasion. If Erin’s Own recapture last season’s form they should be good enough to win. Bride Rovers have pulled a tough draw as they face Na Piarsigh, but the Rathcormac men like nothing better than a tough challenge and if they get an East Cork venue they could well spring a shock here. Newtownshandrum will meet promoted Ballymartle and this could be an interesting one, while the all city meeting of Douglas and Blackrock could be another exciting affair. The divisional side will play a round robin system this year with Imokilly meeting Muskerry, Duhallow and Avondhu in that order, and with the group winner meeting UCC and the Group runner up meeting CIT there should be plenty of competition to look forward to before the final two from this section rejoin the championship in round 4. All in all the draw has thrown up some really interesting contests, and from an East Cork point of view only one all divisional pairing has given every club a great chance of saving their status on the opening day. Senior Football Championship Senior Hurling Championship Draw A. Douglas v Blackrock B. Ballinhassig vs. Carrigtwohill C. Glen Rovers vs. Killeagh D. Bishopstown vs. Midleton E. Sarsfields vs. Cloyne F. Ballymartle vs. Newtownshandrum G. Erin’s Own vs. St. Finbarr’s H. Bride Rovers vs. Na Piarsaigh ROUND 2 (LOSERS) A vs. B C vs. D E vs. F G vs. H Senior Hurling Championship DIVISIONS/COLLEGES Round 1 - Round Robin Phase 1 Imokilly vs. Muskerry Duhallow vs. Avondhu Phase 2 Imokilly vs. Duhallow Muskerry vs. Avondhu Phase 3 Imokilly vs. Avondhu Muskerry vs. Duhallow ROUND 2 CIT vs. Runners up Round Robin UCC vs. Winners Round Robin Senior Football Championship Every year the contenders for the Senior Football championship line up with Nemo Rangers at the top, and this season will be no different as a host of potential contenders will look to depose the Capwell side who will be preparing for the All Ireland Munster club final at present. Nemo will open their campaign against Ballincollig and this will certainly test the holder’s first time out. Other games with exciting potential will be the meeting of Carberry Rangers and Ilen Rovers, and Clonakilty and O’Donovan Rossa. These West Cork pairings will ensure a full house for whatever venue hosts them, and all four sides are potential finalists later on in the year. For Aghada the draw could have been worse and a meeting with Valley Rovers gives the East Cork side every chance of making their status safe, first time out. Elsewhere Na Piarsigh will meet city rivals, Douglas, while Dohneys v Bishopstown and Castlehaven v St Nick’s are other decent match ups. In the Divisional set up the football divisions are stronger than the hurling and these take part in two groups with the winner of Group 1 meeting UCC and Group 2 meeting CIT for a place in the 4th round draw. Imokilly are with Carberry, Muskerry and Duhallow and as such could not be in a harder group. However, if the selectors can get a group together early and play a few games they could give a good account of themselves as there are plenty of fine footballers in the division, and with three games guaranteed it could just work in their favour. Senior Football A. Nemo Rangers vs.Ballincollig DIVISIONS/COLLEGES Round 1 - Group 1 Phase 1 Imokilly vs. Carbery Duhallow vs. Muskerry Phase 2 Imokilly vs. Duhallow Carbery vs. Muskerry Phase 3 Imokilly vs. Muskerry Carbery vs. Duhallow Round 1 - Group 2 Phase 1 Avondhu vs. Beara Phase 2 Avondhu vs. Seandún Phase 3 Beara vs. Seandún ROUND 2 UCC vs. Winners Group 1 CIT vs. Winners Group 2 Premier Intermediate Hurling Three East Cork clubs represent the division in the Premier Intermediate Hurling grade and all three have managed to steer clear of one another in the opening two rounds. Castlelyons, who won Minor and U21 county titles in 2010, will fancy a cut off Argideen Rangers. Two of the fancied sides in 2010, Youghal and Ballincollig, will meet in round one while Watergrasshill will face last year’s defeated finalists, Tracton. So, the three East Cork sides have tough draws in what is always a competitive championship. Premier Intermediate Hurling A. Aghabullogue vs. Kilbrittain B. Argideen Ranger’s vs. Castlelyons C. Ballincollig vs. Youghal D. Carrigaline vs. Mallow E. Blarney vs. Valley Rovers F. Watergrasshill vs. Tracton G. Inniscarra vs. Courcey Rovers H. Ballyhea vs. Newcestown ROUND 2 (LOSERS) E vs. H F vs. C A vs. G D vs. B Intermediate Hurling Here East Cork will have four clubs starting out and Aghada, Cobh, Fr O’Neill’s and St Catherine’s will all hope to make it into round 4. All have tough draws, however, with Aghada facing Ballygarvan, Cobh meeting Fermoy, Fr O’Neill’s getting newly promoted Meelin, and St Catherine’s playing Bandon. All of these games are certain to be competitive but I think all four sides are capable of making it to the knockout stages. Intermediate Hurling A. Aghada vs. Ballygarvan B. Dromina vs. Kanturk C. Cobh vs. Fermoy D. Milford vs. Éire Óg E. Kilworth vs. Blackrock F. St. Catherine’s vs. Bandon G. Fr. O’Neill’s vs. Meelin H. Barryroe vs. Dripsey ROUND 2 (LOSERS) C vs. F A vs. E B vs. G D vs. H Premier Intermediate Football Glenville are the only side from the Imokilly division in action here, and they will face tough competition as the race for this title intensifies. Glenville have some fine footballers in their ranks but winning this division might prove a step too far for them. They can, however, make it to the knockout stages but it could take them a second bite as Mallow will be a hard nut to crack first time out. Premier Intermediate Football A. Bantry Blues vs. Newmarket B. Grenagh vs. Macroom C. Nemo Ranger’s vs. St. Vincent’s D. Ballinora vs. Kiskeam E. St. Michael’s vs. Mayfield F. Glenville vs. Mallow G. Naomh Aban vs. Clyda Rovers H. Béal Athá an Ghaorthaidh vs. Carrigaline DECLAN BARRON TAKES A LOOK AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP DRAWS ROUND 2 (LOSERS) G vs. H E vs. F C vs. B D vs. A Intermediate Football Glanmire, who were relegated in 2010 and Cloyne, who came up from junior ranks along with Youghal, will fly the flag for Imokilly and as luck would have it Glanmire and Youghal are both in the top half of the draw. Should they lose their opening games against Ballydesmond and Glanworth, they will then meet. Cloyne, on the other hand, will face a tough opponent in Eire Óg first time out but again all three will harbour ambitions to make it into round 4 and the knockout stages. Intermediate Football A. Glanmire vs. Ballydesmond B. Youghal vs. Glanworth C. Kinsale vs. Ballyclough D. Aghabullogue vs. Canovee E. Adrigole vs. Killavullen F. Castletownbere vs. Fermoy G. Cill Na Martra vs. Kildorrery H. Éire Óg vs. Cloyne ROUND 2 (LOSERS) B vs. F A vs. E H vs. G D vs. C The divisional winners will also fight it out in the Junior and U21 ranks and the divisional draw for these competitions sees Imokilly get a first round bye in hurling, while in football the division’s winners will meet the Duhallow representatives. Inter-Divisional Draws Junior A & U21 Hurling Carbery vs. Duhallow Avondhu vs. Carrigdhoun Seandun vs. Muskerry Imokilly bye Junior A & U21 Football Seandún vs. Carbery Imokilly vs. Duhallow Carrigdhoun vs. Muskerry Avondhu vs. Beara All in all then there will be plenty of action to look forward to in the coming months as the clubs will have league action to get them prepared for when the real cut and thrust of championship action begins. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 41 Better late than never for Midleton GAAâ€™s Long Puck ON Bank Holiday Monday, January 2nd, while most people were still asleep in their beds (alas, not us), Midleton GAAâ€™s stalwarts took to the roads for their annual Long Puck. Long Puck adult winners Long Puck adult runners up Despite postponements due to the weather and clashing events, the men, women and children headed off to Lisgoold in the morning and played back to Midleton, arriving back at the GAA Pavilion just after 11am, where the presentation of prizes took place in a bustling atmosphere. (Photos: Alan Donergan) Long Puck juvenile winners Still a scary shot Long Puck juvenile runners up Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Pucking up: Fr. O’ Neill’s takes to the roads... Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal AS the north wind blew the smoke from the chimneys over the picturesque village of Ballymacoda on Sunday last, the local boys wielding their hurleys prepared to take to the roads around the village for the annual Long Puck. Kiltha Óg AGM 42 WELL it’s that time of the year again when we review the year past and look ahead to 2011. 2010 was a historic year for the club with our fé 16 team providing the highlight when winning the double at ‘A’ level in East Cork. They also added the football league title late in the year. We were very pleased with all our other teams which competed very well at a high standard. Date for the AGM is Thursday, January 13th, with Castlemartyr School the venue. Proceedings will begin at 8.30pm and we look forward to a good attendance. Happy New Year to all our members and their families and we look forward to many great days again in 2011. Cork Colleges GAA fixtures ‘Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh si’ This is what being involved in a club means to these locals, gathering after Mass with woolly hat, woolly scarf and club wind breaker on a cold body, after finding the one hurley left in the boot of the car since the last championship match last August. Finals on the week returning to school. Under 16A Hurling Final: 13/1/11 at 1.30pm in Killeagh - Midleton CBS vs. Blackwater CS. Referee G. Buckley. Our Munster Intermediate Player of the Year, Eoin Conway, was on hand to set the pace for the afternoon heading east towards Ladysbridge. Simcox Cup (SF) Final: 14/1/11 at 7.30pm in Pairc Uí Rinn - St. Fachtna’s vs CC Rí. Referee James Birmingham. With 32 teams it was going to be tight as they all knew the route so well, but turning at O’ Connell’s Cross and taking the road to ‘the field’ things began to spread out and one noticed how the young fellas were in a mad rush to round the next corner... However, experience came into play in the closing stages of the competition when Eoghan McCarthy, Luke Swayne Jnr. and Shane Donnelly placed their shots perfectly to come home with the lowest score. All in all a great day was enjoyed by all with the weather perfect for the occasion and with some good club ‘bonding’ during the day all were happy with the days event. Winners; Eoghan McCarthy, Luke Swayne Jnr and Shane Donnelly. Second; Noel O’ Driscoll, Pat Reynolds and Brian McCarthy. Juvenile Winners; Kevin O’ Sullivan, David O’ Reilly and Pat Steele. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 43 On the ball! Aghada Ladies Long Kick THE Aghada Ladies Football Club held their Long Kick on Saturday, January 1st in Whitegate. The winners are pictured in the top left photo and are as follows: back from left Julie McInnis (Sponsor Schooner Bar), Deidre Culligan Chairperson Aghada Ladies football Club. Front from left; Aaron Berry, John Looney, Ciarán O’Shea, Gavin Kelly. What a great start to to the New Year, with so many people from the community turning out. Here’s to a GAA filled 2011! (Photos: Michael O’Brien) Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 44 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal East Cork acquits itself well in County Scór na nÓg Finals CONGRATULATIONS to the talented young musicians, public speakers, singers and question time contestants from across East Cork who participated in the recent Cork County Scór na nÓg Finals, which were held in Ovens. Youghal’s Jane Crowley, Luke McCarthy, Emily Breslin and Daniel Ryan, represented Imokilly in the Instrumental Music section, while Abby Ní Loinsigh from Cobh picked up the runners-up prize in the Solo Singing competition. Question Time finalists, Shane Hegarty and Conor and Brendan Coakley, represented Dungourney while Ciaran O’Shea, on behalf of Lisgoold Ladies Football Club was a participant in the Recitation competition. In the Novelty Action section, Lisgoold Ladies Football Club also performed - this time it was James Duggan, Ella O’Brien, Aoife Healy, Laura Walsh, Ciaran O’Shea, Meabh Russell, Leanne Woods and Frances Coniry who trod the boards. Finally, St. Catherine’s Ballad Group - which represented the Imokilly division - including Niamh Clohessy, Emma & Rachel Spillane and Maeve & Mary The Youghal Group of Jane Crowley, Glavin wowed the judges. Luke McCarthy, Daniel Ryan and Emily Breslin who represented Imokilly at the Cork All in all, a great end to the year for the Cork Scór na County Scór na nOg Instrumental Music finals nÓg competitors. held at Ovens. (Photos: Mike English) The St. Catherine’s Ballad Group - Maeve and Mary Galvin, Niamh Clohessy and Emma and Rachel Spillane Cobh Puc Fáda goes ahead on St. Stephen’s Day ON a day where many of the long puck competitions organised had to be cancelled, we were lucky enough to be able to go ahead with ours on the usual course from Ballymore to the St. Colman’s cemetery roundabout. Back in the clubhouse the ‘competitors’ enjoyed the sandwiches provided by the club and were entertained into the evening by Karl Long. To add to the entertainment Ger McElhone gave a rendition of ‘The Broad Black Brimmer’ as part of his celebrations of his engagement. Given the weather conditions, the 68 teams who participated was a great number. This year the money raised on the day went to a very deserving Cobh family, and the GAA floodlighting project. The winners of the Puc Fada competition itself were Conor McDowall, Eoin McMichael O’Connor and his girls, Niamh & Aoife, took the famSweeney and Alan Alcock with an ily prize at Cobh Puc Fáda incredible score of 35 shots. Michael O’Connor and his girls, Niamh and Aoife, took the family prize. Mari Moynihan, Aoife Richardson and Lorraine Looney took the camogie prize while the team of Kevin Murphy, Sean Damery and Adam O’Donovan came out on top in the juvenile section. “Take part and have fun” is the motto of the Cobh Puc Fada and this, along with the fact that the money raised always goes to local causes, makes it very much a family day out. Laura Fitzgerald, granddaughter of Seamus Ó Ríordáin, one of Cobh’s great Gaels, was on hand to present the trophies on behalf of the Riordan family. Lisgoold Ladies Football representatives in the Novelty Act section- James Duggan, Ella O’Brien, Ciaran O’Shea, Aoife Healy, Meabh Russell, Laura Walsh, Frances Conniry and Leanne Woods The Cobh Puc Fada has now been running for twenty years and once again Patsy Ronan organised a day of fun on the roads of Cobh, while Sandra Farrell, aided by John O’Keeffe, ensured a great afternoons’ entertainment back at the clubhouse. Well done to all who took part and supported this great Christmas tradition. Juvenile Section AGM The above takes place on Wednesday, January 12th at 8pm. All interested parties are welcome to come along. Barry Cogan, Vice-Chairman, Scór Committee, presents the runners-up prize in Solo Singing to Abby Ní Loinsigh, Cobh Recitation competition participant, Ciaran O’Shea, representing the Lisgoold Ladies Football Club Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 45 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal St. Ita’s Long Puck one of the lucky ones to go ahead FOLLOWING the recent spell of bad weather prior to the Christmas Day thaw, it was almost a no-go area in many places. Thankfully, for many clubs the thaw came in time and the usual fun of the St. Stephen’s Day Long Pucks took centre stage, with members joining in the fun to raise funds for worthy causes. Some, unfortunately, had to be rescheduled, but these will go ahead in the New Year. Emma Ferriday, Dan Long and Shane Supple enjoy the morning Jess Swayne, Finbarr Foley and Paddy Quinn St. Ita’s got the morning underway in Gortroe and while it was cold the competitors were in fine spirits as they started and finished early. Nelius Foley, Andrew O’Neill and Luke Swayne John Smiddy, Art Supple and Sean Harnedy David and Daniel Hickey with Cathal Dunne 021 4638022 All photos available to buy Anthony Horgan, Evan Ryan and Michael Cronin David Cunningham gives it a go John Hickey and David Cunningham Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 46 Aghada Juvenile GAA Puc Fhada THE Aghada Juvenile GAA Puc Fhada was held on Sunday, January 2nd in Whitegate for the Tony Ahern Memorial Trophy. The winners in the top left photo are as follows:back from left; Eoin Savage, Julie McInnis (Sponsor Schooner Bar), Pat Oâ€™Connell (Chairman Aghada Juvenile), John David Mulcahy, Anthony Ahern (family). Front from left Ursula Day, Finbarr Day Capt, Barry Day, Anthony Ahern presented the Tony Ahern Memorial Trophy to Finbarr Day in the top right photo. Anthony Ahern presented Trophy to Eoin Savage on the left and on the right, Anthony Ahern presented a trophy to Barry Day. A great day was had by all. (Photos: Michael Oâ€™Brien) Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 47 Aghada Juvenile give it their best shot Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 48 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal INTRODUCTIONS COMPUTERS Your One Stop Shop For East Cork Services C.Spa Thai Massage MON. TO SAT. 11AM TO 8PM No.12 New Cork Road, Midleton Relieves muscle fatigue and pain Improves flexibility Aids injury recovery Increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissues Contact 086 3337223 021 4639480 PLANNING NOTICE CORK COUNTY COUNCIL The Board of Management of Castlemartyr National School are applying to Cork County Council for full permission to erect 2 new classrooms, meeting room, staff room, teaching resource room and all ancillary works associated with same at Gortnahomna More, Castlemartyr. The planning application may be inspected or purchased, at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, County Hall, Carrigrohane Road, Cork during its public opening hours, i.e. 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, on payment of a fee of €20. SEWING CREATIVE SEWING 46 Main Street, Midleton Tel: 021 4632029 Over Ballycotton Seafood Ladies & Gents Alterations and Repairs Jeans take up only €5.00 No job to big or small Bridal & Debs Alterations Curtains made, re-lined & taken up OPENING HOURS Mon / Fri 10am to 5pm Wed /Sat 10am to 1pm Lunch 12.30am to 1.30pm SEE US ON FACEBOOK (RITA COTTER) TENDER NOTICE Knockgriﬃn Community Enterprise Centre Ltd Invitation for inclusion on tender list to Building Contractors. Knockgriffin Community Enterprise Centre Ltd. are intending to issue a tender during January 2011 for building works which will be carried out in their premises located at Owenacurra Business Park, Midleton. It is anticipated that the proposed works would be completed in phases during 2011. The works will comprise alterations and renovations to an existing steel framed building with structural modifications, building works and internal finishes together with associated external works. The application for inclusion on the tender list should include a minimum of the following information: Details and value of building works carried out in the last four years and related references. Details of current employees, equipment and financial economic standing. Current tax clearance certificate, copy of current public and employer’s liability insurances, copy of current Company Registration Office details of the company if applicable, safety statement and details of project supervisor construction stage ( PSCS ) appointments. Building Contractors are invited to apply for inclusion on a select tender list which will be prepared following assessment of the minimum details listed above, by applying in writing by no later than January 13th, 2011 to the following address : Mr. Donal Kelleher, Kelleher & Associates Ltd. Roxboro. Midleton. Tel : 021 4 634364 ; 086 8170242. [email protected] SOUL MATES To meet that special person for the rest of your life At your office or home At time that suits you. INTRODUCTIONS Tel: 021 4315180 or 087 2902320 TAILOR NOW OPEN PEADAR’S ABOVE GEMINI, 95 MAIN STREET, MIDLETON TAILORING AND ALTERATIONS SUITS, DRESSES, SKIRTS, TROUSERS, JEANS, CURTAINS, LEATHERS, SUEDES NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10AM - 5PM SATURDAY 10AM - 4PM TEL 021 4634592 ATTENTION! LEAKING ROOFS Can be sealed instantly for €10 a square metre Torch-on felt a speciality Slating, tiling, re-roofing Lead valleys and chimneys renewed * OLD SLATES RESTORED AS NEW WITH AQUA SEAL ESTIMATES FREE Unbeatable prices assured All work is fully guaranteed by registered contractors Contact Ger O’Connor anytime on 087 1438830 Small Groups & 1-to-1 Word, Excel, Internet, email, etc Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n / bo okin gs pho ne Zit a 086-2268395 WATER SOFTENERS LIMESCALE CAUSES EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS Bartley Water Softeners Water Softeners (limescale removal) ph Correction (acid water) * Carbon filters (taste & odour removal) * UV Sterilisers (bacteria removal) all work guaranteed free survey without obligation call TONY on 087 2847612 / 025 37900 CHILDMINDER PLANTING TIME! WANTED WANTED Experienced childminder to care for four children in children’s own home. Midleton area. Must have own car. Full time position Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Please contact 086 1025520 HANDYMAN ..% 0$/ (01 + 2$1 2(+$1 $+36 (-#.51 %(22$# + 2 0..%1 2.0"' .- %$+2 . ).! , ++ +3,!(-& ).!1 2.. !(& (+(-& .% 5 ++1 .0 1, ++ -# %+..01 ++ 27/$1 .% #..01 +."1 0$/+ "$# + 12$0(-& (-2$0(.0 $62$0(.0 2(.1 2'1 0(4$5 71 22(" ++ -13+ 2(.22(" 2 (01 .5$0 1'(-& .% 1"( .%%(2 322$0 +$ -(-& $/ (0 $-$0 + 0./$027 (-2$- -"$ '$1$ 0$ )312 1.,$ .% 2'$ 1$04("$1 5$ .%%$0 % 7.3 #.-82 1$$ 1.,$2'(-& .- .30 +(12 &(4$ 31 " ++ .- 3 +(%($# 20 #$1,$3++7 (-130$# PLANTING TIME! Beech, Whitethorn, Laurel and more hedging trees and native plants for landscapers, REPS, farms and gardens www.fermoywoodland.ie Contact 086 8068226 Sisk School of Motoring A.D.I. and I.S.M. Certified Excellent rates Dual control car available All skill levels GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE Contact Pat on 086 3493342 or email [email protected] Your One Stop Shop For East Cork Services Email us at [email protected] call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 49 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Your One Stop Shop For East Cork Services LANDLORDS! ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DEATH NOTICES DOWMAN: Rosemary, of Roche's Point, Whitegate on Sunday, January 2nd, 2011. RIP. Funeral arrangements to be confirmed. WALSH: Mai (née Madden), of Castlejane, Glanmire on Friday, December 31st, 2010. RIP. Requiem Mass on Tuesday last at St. Joseph's Church, Springhill. Funeral afterwards to St. Joseph's Cemetery, Little Island. BROSNAN: Mary Frances (née Buckley), of Seaview, Front Strand, Youghal on Wednesday, December 29th, 2010. RIP. Requiem Mass on Friday last. Funeral afterwards to North Abbey Cemetery. HIGGINS: Mary Josephine (née O'Sullivan), of Cobh on Wednesday, December 29th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Friday last at St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh. Funeral afterwards to Old Church Cemetery. LYNCH: Kevin, of Midleton on Thursday, December 30th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Saturday last at the Church of the Most Holy Rosary, Midleton, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. COURTNEY: Mary (née Barry), of Blackrock, Cork and Ballybrowney, Rathcormac on Friday, December 17th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Friday last at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Rathcormac. Funeral afterwards to the local cemetery. CROTTY: Greg, of Youghal on Monday, December 27th. RIP. Requiem Mass at the Holy Family Church, Youghal. Cremation afterwards at the Island Crematorium. CRONIN: Christine, of Youghal on Wednesday, December 22nd. RIP. Requiem Mass on Wednesday last at St. Patrick's Church, Lower Glanmire Road. Funeral afterwards to St. Oliver's Cemetery, Model Farm Road. ANNIVERSARY Michael Naughton - 2nd Anniversary LANDEN: Hannah Henrietta (Etta) (née Sunderland), of Castlemartyr on Friday, December 24th. RIP. Funeral on Wednesday last. Burial afterwards in St. Mary's Churchyard Cemetery, Glenville. MURRAY: Michael John (Hammer), of Spittal Place, Cloyne on Monday, December 27th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Wednesday last at St. Colman's Church, Cloyne. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. FOGARTY: Margaret (née Ryan), of Cobh on Sunday, December 26th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Tuesday week last at St. Colman's Cathedral, followed by burial in St. Colman's Cemetery. FOLEY: Ellen (Mammy), of Lower Glanmire Road, Cork and late of Glyntown, Glanmire on Sunday, December 26th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Tuesday week last at St. Patrick's Church, Lower Glanmire Road. Funeral afterwards to Rathcooney Cemetery. NEILSON: Christopher, of Cherrywood Heights, Midleton and formerly of Carrigtwohill, England and Scotland, on Saturday, December 25th. RIP. RUXTON: Margaret, of Youghal on Thursday, December 23rd. RIP. Cremation took place at the Island Crematorium. Mass at the Holy Family Church, Youghal. Burial of ashes took place at North Abbey Cemetery. BRODERICK: Michael, of Lisquinlan, Ladysbridge on Sunday, December 26th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Tuesday week last at St. Mary's Church, Ladysbridge. Funeral afterwards to Mogeely Old Cemetery. McCARTHY: Elizabeth (Lilly), of Condonstown, Leamlara on Sunday, December 26th. RIP. Requiem Mass on Wednesday last at the Sacred Heart Church, Leamlara. Funeral afterwards to Lisgoold Cemetery. William Kennedy Churchtown North, Midleton Acknowledgement & 1st Anniversary The family of William Kennedy, Churchtown North, Midleton, would like to thank everybody for their support over the last year. Maybe a small word or a fast hello - we thank you all. HOUSES WANTED IN MIDLETON, CASTLEMARTYR, WHITEGATE, CARRIGTWOHILL & CLOYNE AREAS Contact Vince on 087 7748616 Office on 021 4533928 Thank you to the doctor, ambulance crew, fire brigade, Cork University Hospital and Hyde's Funeral Home, who helped William in his hour of need. HYDE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT On behalf of the Kennedy family, have a peaceful and happy New Year. KENNEALLY ROCHFORD & ASSOCIATES LTD. A Mass has been said for all your intentions. The welding rod is quiet, For Dad is at peace... With his wife Mary. The stars are shining, Bright each night... Dad's singing of 'Show me the way to go home' and 'I never felt more like singing the blues' is missed by all. Our Dad, Grandad and Great-Grandfather is missed by all. ‘The seat is empty by the fireside... The house is still... We know you're happy with Mum, Nana and Great-Grandmother, Love always to you both.' Your daughters Bernadette and Jackie, sons Thomas and John, grandchildren Irene, Marie, Colin, Sarah, Shane, Jamie and Emma and great-grandchildren Marc, Leon, Mia, Maya and Kaylen. William's First Anniversary Mass will be held in Ballintotis on January 16th, 2011. MORGAN: Elizabeth (Betty) (née Murphy), of New Inn, Glanmire on Thursday, December 23rd. RIP. Requiem Mass on Monday week last at St. Joseph's Church, Springill. Funeral afterwards to Dun Bolg Cemetery. WHELAN: John (Johnny), of Piltown, Kinsalebeg, Youghal on Wednesday, December 22nd. RIP. Requiem Mass on Friday, December 24th at St. Bartholomew's Church, Piltown. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. ENGINEERING MAIN ST., KILLEAGH, CO. CORK PLANNING APPLICATIONS PROJECT & SITE SUPERVISION HOUSE SURVEYS & SNAG LISTS. BUILDING ENERGY RATING CERTIFICATION. Contact Anthony on: 024 95857 Fax 024 95856 * CORK INSTITUTE OF FRENCH * CORK INSTITUTE OF FRENCH * Late of Hillcrest, Sculleen, Cloyne and Cobh. Thinking today and everyday of the best Dad anyone could have on this his second anniversary. We feel a special kind of closeness, When we think about you Dad, The memories of the years gone by, Of the happy times we had. There a special kind of caring, We reserve for you alone, There’s a place within our hearts, Only you can own. Lovingly remembered by John, Ann, Gillian, Michael, John (Junior) and Cian. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 50 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal Fo o d fo r t h o u g h t Sponsored by Well & Good, Broderick Street, Midleton Tel. (021) 4633499 Get 2011 off to a good EUROPEAN FOOD start with healthy eating SAFETY AUTHORITY Blackforest trifle Chilli con carne wraps SERVES 4 Meat filling 2tbsp oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 400g lean minced beef 1 tin chopped tomatoes 3 chillies, seeded and finely chopped 1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed salt pinch of brown sugar 1 bay leaf Guacamole 1 ripe avocado, stoned and peeled 1 clove of garlic, crushed pinch of salt 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1tsp lemon juice 1 small green pepper, seeded and finely chopped 2tsp fresh coriander or parsley, chopped To serve 4 large flour tortillas Method 1 Prepare the meat filling first. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden brown. Add the meat and stir until evenly browned. Add the tomatoes, chillies, kidney beans, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Bring the pan to boiling point, cover and lower the heat. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding a little water, if the mixture seems too dry. Remove the bay leaf and check the seasoning. 2 Meanwhile, prepare the guacamole. Dice or mash the avocado flesh. Add the garlic, salt, onion, lemon juice, green pepper and coriander or parsley. 3 Heat the tortillas in a dry frying pan or in a warm oven and divide the meat filling amongst them. Roll up neatly, tucking in the edges, and serve with the guacamole. SERVES 10-12 12 chocolate muffins 2 tins of stoned cherries 500g cream cheese 2 tins of condensed milk 1 lemon, juice 125ml brandy 500ml cream 2 small packets Maltesers, to decorate icing sugar, to dust mint leaves, to garnish Method 1 Cut the muffins in half. 2 Drain the juice from the cherries. Mix the cream cheese and condensed milk together in a bowl and stir in the lemon juice. 3 Place a layer of muffins in the bottom of a large transparent bowl or individual glasses and pour the brandy over. 4 Spoon a layer of the cream cheese mixture over the muffins, and then a layer of cherries. Repeat the process. 5 Beat the cream until stiff and spoon over the top. Decorate with Maltesers and sieve the icing sugar over the top. Refrigerate for two hours and garnish with mint leaves before serving. Fat 13g Carbs 16g Energy 209kcal Protein 8g Sodium .2g Fibre 2g CHILLI CON CARNE WRAPS Fat 54g Carbs 98g Energy 944kcal Protein 15g Sodium .5g Fibre 1g BLACKFOREST TRFILE THE European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) doubtless does address genuine food safety issues, but it needs to be asked if it always works on behalf of the consumer independently of major business interests. EFSA is currently working on proposals for maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals which we fear will fall very far short of what has been on open sale for decades – with what safety issues? The Food Supplements Directive (FSD) is based on out-dated science and uses a sledgehammer to crack a very tiny nut. For example, in Brussels last summer an EFSA representative used a presentation on food additives (colourings, flavourings etc) to explain EFSA’s procedures regarding the assessment of vitamin and mineral supplements, as if vitamins and minerals could be equated with artificial food additives in terms of potential hazards. See www.anhcampaign.org for further information on the Food Supplements Directive and the Directive on traditional herbals (THMPD). Following on last week’s article on artificial sweeteners, this week I am looking specifically at a single one which EFSA persists in saying is safe, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. The baddie is Aspartame. Aspartame (Canderel, NutraSweet etc) is one of the most lucrative food additives ever produced. Found in over 6000 products, from food to drinks to toothpastes and even food supplements, eaten by over 200 million people, it is a huge earner for the pharmaceutical industry – which also tries to make us healthy! From the 1960s, pressure on the US FDA to permit its use in food and drinks has been intense at a political level. The list of potential side effects ranges from headaches, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea, memory loss, sleep problems and fatigue, to far more serious problems. Brain tumours are a major concern, found in rats fed on aspartame. (Obviously all trials have been carried out on laboratory animals rather than humans.) Aspartame also affects brain function and mood and can be seriously damaging for people with depression and for people with epilepsy. The most alarming recent concerns relate to aspartame’s connection with the development of cancers, found by highly respected studies in Italy and Hungary. When the results of this extensive research were presented to EFSA, they were brushed aside. So you can still buy processed products targeted at sugar-avoidance and weight loss, all laced with aspartame, but many people would go out of their way to avoid them and would never dream of giving them to children or pregnant women. Buyer beware! Well & Good Broderick Street, Midleton * Tel. / Fax. (021) 4633499 Daily calorie intake YOU CAN’T GET IT FROM US! for men and women 2500 calories a day for men 2000 calories a day for women (2,500 in third trimester of pregnancy) 1800 calories a day for children aged 5-10 For an easy online personal daily calorie calculator, go to: h t t p : / / w w w. m a y o c l i n i c . c o m / h e a l t h / c a l o r i e calculator/NU00598 MEMBERS of the Irish Association of Health Stores have a policy regarding aspartame: we don’t stock any products containing it. We like to keep our customers in good health! Well and Good does stock some organic sugar, but also a variety of healthier products. Try Rapadura, a less processed sugar still high in micronutrients, low GI Agave syrup from a cactus, iron-rich molasses, and honeys from round the world, including 4 local honeys. Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 51 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal FASHION FOCUS GET READY FOR A NEW YEAR OF HIGH CLASS FASHIONS AT HIGH STREET PRICES AT ARCADE MIDLETON N O W BOUTIQUE BRANDS, HIGH STREET LABELS, KIDS FASHIONS & INTERIORS HUGE JANUARY O N Communion 2011 new stock in store! DRESSES FROM €59.99 Boys 5 piece suites from €59.99 A wealth of accessories available, to suit all tastes Tunics €5 €20 rails Dresses €19.99 Coats €15 €50 rails Sunday 2pm - 6pm Monday - Wednesday 9am - 7pm Thuursday & Friday 9am - 8pm Th Saturday 9am - 6pm €10 rails Shoes €5 Xpresso Cafe: Winter treats galore A visit to Arcade Midleton won't be complete without a trip upstairs to the XPresso Cafe, where winter warmers abound! Choose from a tasty bowl of homemade soup, fresh scones, cupcakes, paninis and, as it's that time of the year, mince pies! Pick up a cup of coffee or tea for that walk back to the car too! sponsored by: arcade Pushing prices down 94 Main Street, Midleton Open 7 Days a Week – Customer Car Park on Riverside Way Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 52 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal THE PLACE TO BE 2011 IRISH CELEBRITY BETTING PREVIEW PADDY Power have chalked up a wide array of New Year’s Irish celebrity bets to help usher in 2011. Ex-Wifelife front man, Brian McFadden and fiancée Delta Goodrem are tipped to be the first celebrity couple to tie the knot in 2011 at odds of 5/4. Other contenders to be first up the aisle include Nadine Coyle and Jason Bell at 6/4 and Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Reena Hammer at 8/1. Best selling novelist, Cecelia Ahern and David Keoghan are the 2/1 favourites to be the first couple to announce a pregnancy in 2011 ahead of Robbie & Claudine Keane at 7/4. Former Miss Ireland, Rosanna Davison and partner Wesley Quirke are considered 10/1 shots by the bookie. Paddy Power are also taking bets on which eligible Irish bachelor will be first to get engaged in 2011 with Dublin footballer, Bernard Brogan the hot 5/4 favourite. RTE front man, Ryan Tubridy is the 9/4 second favourite ahead of Galway man, Daithi O'Sé at 11/4. First celeb wedding of 2011 5/4 6/4 8/1 10/1 12/1 12/1 20/1 2/1 7/4 4/1 4/1 8/1 8/1 10/1 12/1 12/1 12/1 Brian McFadden & Delta Goodrem Nadine Coyle & Jason Bell Jonathan Rhys Meyers & Reena Hammer Rosanna Davison & Wesley Quirke Nadia Ford & Mark Noble Daithi O'Sé & Rita Talty Ryan Tubridy & Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabhain First couple to announce a pregnancy in 2011 Cecelia Ahern & David Keoghan Robbie & Claudine Keane Jonathan Rhys Meyers & Reena Hammer Stephen Ireland & Jessica Lawlor Rosanna Davison & Wesley Quirke Nadine Coyle & Jason Bell Nadia Ford & Mark Noble Brian McFadden & Delta Goodrem Daithi O'Sé & Rita Talty Ryan Tubridy & Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabhain First band to split in 2011 3/1 4/1 5/1 8/1 8/1 8/1 8/1 10/1 40/1 66/1 Wonderland The Blizzards The Saturdays Bell X1 The Script Two Door Cinema Club Snow Patrol Boyzone Westlife U2 3/1 4/1 4/1 5/1 6/1 8/1 10/1 12/1 16/1 First engagement in 2011 Rosanna Davison Georgia Salpa Nadia Forde Karen Koster Ryan Tubridy Daithi O'Sé Glenda Gilson Colin Farrell Andrea Roche First bachelor to get engaged in 2011 5/4 9/4 11/4 10/1 10/1 33/1 Bernard Brogan Ryan Tubridy Daithi O'Sé Colin Farrell Graeme McDowell Louis Walsh H COLBERT’S BAR BALLINACURRA 021 4631993 * Pool table * Darts and juke box * Watch sports on 50” and 42” HD screens Thursday, January 6th & Saturday, January 8th: KARAOKE KWEENS First to split in 2011 3/1 7/2 4/1 5/1 8/1 12/1 12/1 12/1 16/1 Brian McFadden & Delta Goodrem Pippa O'Connor & Brian Ormond Rosanna Davison & Wesley Quirke Nadine Coyle & Jason Bell Michelle Heaton & Hugh Hanley Nicky & Georgina Byrne Brian O'Driscoll & Amy Huberman Robbie & Claudine Keane Bill Cullen & Jackie Lavin arty’s Bar & Restaurant CLOYNE open 7 days a week 021 4652401 www.hartysrestaurantcloyne.com [email protected] women’s little christmas 4 course menu €19.50 complimentary mulled wine & canape reception on arrival. traditional music on the night from 9.30pm 4 course meal for €19.50 every friday and saturday for the month of january from 5pm - 9pm We would like to wish all our customers a Happy New Year Come join us on Facebook: Harty’s Cloyne * Abba could reform after more than 30 years apart * David Arquette has checked himself into rehab * Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 53 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal E N T E R TA I N M E N T G U I D E ! Shane Supple’s Wallis’ BAR musical connections... A year of Musical Connections MIDLETON Where a smile & a warm welcome await... EARLY OPENING 9AM MON - SAT TEAS, COFFEES, HOMEMADE SCONES ETC. Thursday, January 6th: WELL, as we say goodbye to 2010 and welcome in 2011, I wonder what’s in store for us musically? Looking back on the last year it’s interesting to see the newcomers on the scene and the old stagers still working away, holding their own. Today we are not doing an interview but rather a retrospective look at the year gone by. 2010 was a good year for local music with artists like Eva Porter from Carrigtwohill taking to the stage and releasing her first album. Since her album release and our interview she has gone from strength to strength. With several awards under her belt and lots of airplay, performing constantly and even playing support to John Spillane, it’s been a good year for this mother of three who has quite literally exploded on to the scene with her own brand of music. Speaking of John Spillane, I was lucky enough to be able to sit and chat with John during the year, and his star is still burning brightly on the Irish and international music scene. Staying in Carrigtwohill, we have another local singer / songwriter, Nicole Maguire, who has been to Nashville recording songs for her new album. In a year that saw her guesting alongside world renowned singer / songwriter Nancy Griffiths, it’s easy to see why her appeal is growing on the international songwriting scene, with Nancy’s own producer taking time out to work with her and record some new songs with Nicole - who’s already showing a wealth of talent. Moving away from country music, we arrive in Youghal where local lad Michael Del Punta, who we have written about several times over the last year, has released his first album which is selling quite well. From singing in a restaurant to working on stage and recording, it’s been a great year for this rising star with a voice askin to that of one Mr. Michael Buble. We have had the Showband Legends, Brendan Bowyer and Art Supple at the other end of the scale. With a long history of entertaining between them they would be considered the elder statesmen of the showband scene, both having crafted their skills on stages across the globe entertaining many thousands over several decades. Let’s not forget Phil Coulter, a man who has written songs for all the big names including Elvis, The Bay City Rollers, Westlife, The Four Tenors and Boyzone, to name but a few. We can also look back at the new bands we spoke with in 2010 including Ugly Beautiful from Cork; Palko who have been working non-stop drawing crowds to their different music stylings; singer songwriter LJ Devlin who, as we speak, is beginning to make a name for herself; Paulina Drozd who arrived from Poland, settled in here and started singing; Shanagarry’s Bebhinn Hurley who is working on a new album; Clare Horgan from the Kerry side, who has Women’s Little Christmas graced many a jazz festival and Louise Lanagin, who brought her own style to the country songs she put on her album check her out on Youtube. Of course, we are not forgetting the lads here. The bard himself, Jimmy Crowley, still singing songs as soft and gentle as any poet, to the upcoming international songwriting winner, Barry Tierney and local folk singer from Cork, Roy Buckley, with a voice as strong and powerful as the Ballycotton foghorn on a dark night! Moving back to the bands, how can we write an article on Irish music and not mention Aslan? Or 2010’s biggest and funniest success story - that of Ballymacoda band Hell for Leather. We spoke with Harrison Roche, making a name for himself on the vibrant New York scene and Gavin Moore, nephew to the one and only Christy Moore. A fine singer songwriter in his own right and a hell of a nice guy. One of the more interesting interviews I had during the year was with John Joyce, nephew to the famous James Joyce. As the saying goes, the apple didn’t fall far from that tree. In case you’re thinking that it’s all young rock bands, folk singers and writers, we also had a great chat with Darragh McGann from Cobh, better known as the Singing Taxi Driver - another fine singer who is flying with new management and has a new album on the way. Scruffy Sunday, January 9th: CC. Monday, January 10th: Texas Hold ‘Em Finally, for me, one of the nicest and most talented people I spoke with was Tomás O’Dubghail, a man who, after all this time, recorded some songs over Christmas. What made this so special was the fact that Tomás is in his 70’s and still going strong. Looking back, it’s easy to be filled with optimism with so much talent still on offer and so many fine singers coming through. Things change, but the music lives on through it all. The last time the music scene brought out lots of new talent was in the 80‘s when every town in East Cork had several bands, singers and songwriters. Amazing what a recession can do for the music world... Here’s looking forward to a great 2011 and remember, if you have any friends or relatives that you think we should be talking about in the music world then get in touch... Thursday, January 13th: Montana Ramblers Sunday, January 16th: Hell for Leather Thursday, January 20th: MARY GREENE & NOEL SHINE Sunday, January 23rd: Bog the Donkey TRAD SESSIONS Tuesdays, 9.30pm MID-WEEK OPEN MIC with JAMES MCGRATH Wednesdays, 9.30pm STRING QUARTET Fridays 6.45pm - 8pm IN-HOUSE MUSIC Every Fri & Sat, 9.30pm - close * 'You're The One That I Want' named best-selling duet * Friend’s death inspired Elton John to become a father * Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 54 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal The Puzzler WIN2TICKETS FOR... TEL. (021) 4630066 WITH OUR 3 4 Congratulations to last week’s winner: CAROLINE GRIFFIN, Midleton ACROSS 8. Viewpoint (7) 9. Inheritors (5) 10. Winning card suit (5) 11. Low wall on a roof (7) 12. Swerve (4) 13. Mechanic (8) 16. Formal dress for a dance (4, 4) 18. Elegant (4) 21. Reaches a set level (7) 23. Cure (5) 25. Selected (5) 26. Passionate (7) DOWN 1. Ship (4) 2. Number (6) 3. Bundles (5) 4. Cut (4) 5. Pickled cucumber (7) 6. Small hollow on the skin (6) 7. Mysterious (8) 12. Vigour (8) 14. Fresh (3) 15. Sets on fire (7) 17. Soothing substance (6) 19. Radiator (6) 20. Trinket (5) 22. Gentle (4) 24. Poses(4) ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD: ACROSS: 8. Ovation 9. Peach 10. Melee 11. Problem 12. Jest 13. Magnetic 16. Generate 18. Fell 21.Lottery 23. Eagle 25.Novel 26. Absence. DOWN: 1. Boom 2. Faults 3. Hiker 4. Snap 5. Appoint 6. Ballot 7. Chemical 12. Juggling 14. Act 15.Briefly 17. Native 19. Engine 20. Cease 22. Year 24. Even. Name: ______________________________ Address: ____________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Tel (mobile):______________________________ Home:_______________________________ Entries to East Cork Journal, 1st Floor, Watersedge, Riverside Way, Midleton O D Test your concentration with this word ladder L E A P P A R K Five Minutes - Five Questions 1. Name the pin-up celebrity who appeared on a provocative poster for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 2010, with her body marked as if for cuts of meat? 2. Name Microsoft's hands-free gaming system launched in June 2010, a madeup word alluding to joining? 3. Charles Taylor, in court (along with witnesses Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow) at the Hague in 2010, the first African president to face trial for war crimes, led which nation? 4. In 2010 India announced the reintroduction of which animal, sixty years after being hunted to extinction in the wild? 5. The new £340m Aviva Stadium in Ireland opened in 2010 on the site of which previous famous sports ground? Answer to last week’s Medium 8 2 ANSWERS TO WORDGAMES: 1. NOSEDIVED 2. LEAK PEAK PERK ANSWERS: 1. Pamela Anderson 2. Kinect 3. Liberia 4. Cheetah 5. Landsdowne Road 1 Find the 9 letter word hidden in this word wheel Answer to last week’s Difficult Tea-Break Crossword SUDOKU Email us at [email protected] * call us at (021) 4638 022 * TEXT US AT 086 807 3862 55 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal The Big Screen Love is the best drug DVD J 7 -13 Midleton Corner ANUARY TH TH THE NEXT 3 DAYS (12A) 2.00 5.30 8.15PM L/S FRI/SAT @ 11.00PM SEASON OF THE WITCH (12A) 2.00 4.15 6.30 9.00 L/S FRI/SAT @ 11.15PM MEET THE PARENTS: LITTLE FOCKERS (15A) 6.30 9.00PM L/S FRI/SAT @ 11.15PM LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS (15A) 8.30PM L/S FRI/SAT @ 11.15PM Scott Pilgrim will fight his way into your heart THE WAY BACK (12A) 5.45 8.30PM GULLIVERS TRAVELS 3D (PG) LOVE & Other Drugs is loosely based on Jamie Reidy’s memoir “Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman” and this engaging film blends a true story with fiction, morphing from a rom-com into a moving drama as it goes along. Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal) has discovered his gift as a salesman and, in need of a higher-paying job, he trains as a Pfizer pharmaceutical rep in the Ohio River Valley. It takes awhile to learn the ropes, and sales are tough due to a fierce rival (Macht). But when Pfizer introduces Viagra, his numbers improve dramatically, to say the least. Meanwhile, he meets Maggie (Hathaway), a feisty young woman with early-stage Parkinson’s who challenges his view of himself. The characters are utterly believable in each situation, whether playing for laughs or tears. Jake Gyllenhaal is excellent as the charming, charismatic Jamie; he might be a shameless operator but you’re never in any doubt that there’s plenty of heart underneath. He also has terrific chemistry with Anne Hathaway, who delivers a superb performance as Maggie, masking deep emotional pain with a tough-talking exterior. In addition, there’s superb comic support from Josh Gad (as Jamie’s porn-obsessed brother, whose marriage is in trouble), the always-excellent Oliver Platt (as Jamie’s drug rep partner), Judy Greer (as a nurse Jamie uses to get close to the doctors he’s targeting) and Hank Azaria as a doctor who’s frustratingly resistant to all Jamie’s usual tricks. Love & Other Drugs is an enjoyable, frequently funny and ultimately moving comedy-drama with terrific performances and powerful chemistry between its two smoking hot leads. RATING: ** 2.00 4.15 6.30PM PLUS FRI/SAT/SUN @ 11.30AM ARTHUR AND THE GREAT ADVENTURE (GEN) 1.30 3.45PM PLUS FRI/SAT/SUN @ 11.30AM ANIMALS UNITED (GEN) 2.00 4.15PM PLUS FRI/SAT/SUN @ 11.30AM FRED (12A) CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG) FRI/SAT/SUN @ 11.30AM Book online at www.corkcinemas.com THIS fun adaption of the comic book of the same name was, unfortunutely, mostly ignored at the box office. Now released on DVD, I hope that more people will give it a go and will be thankful, as this hyperactive, inventive journey of entertainment is one of the best things I've seen all year. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a Canadian 20-something who plays bass in a punkish band Sex Bob-omb, and since his rock star girlfriend, Envy Adams dumped him, has been mostly moping. He pursues a totally chaste relationship with cute high school girl, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), which his sister (Anna Kendrick) and gay room-mate, Wallace (Kieran Culkin) think is scandalous as she's only 17. When Amazon delivery girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) skates into his dreams and then onto his porch, his life is changed when he falls head over heels. Apart from the fact that he already has a girlfriend, in order to be Ramona's boyfriend, he must defeat her seven evil exes, all of whom have magical powers. The duels that ensue are reminiscent of escalating levels in an arcade video game, complete with coins and extra lives. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is packed full of pop culture references, computer game moments and cinematic tricks which will keep you glued to the screen for the entire film. It can sometimes feel like there is too much being thrown at you, but you are kept too entertained to mind. Definitely one to re-watch, Scott Pilgrim is funny and witty and will keep the little geek inside you completely satisfied. Game on. RATING: ** St. Mary's TY students recipe for success? Let Your Ovens Shine! 56 Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - The East Cork Journal 'GOD, IT'S FREEZING.' These were the first words spoken when the East Cork Journal arrived at St. Mary's High School, Midleton just before Christmas for a special ceremony where TY students Chloe O'Keeffe, Claragh Lucey, Sinead Mulry and Niamh Barry were congratulated on their mini-company success. that later), the girls had published 100 copies - and had less than 10 left when the ECJ arrived. Reliably informed by one of the teachers that the temperature in Lisgoold was already at -7oC, the East Cork Journal was ready for a cold morning - but we weren't expecting such a warm welcome. Claragh Lucey, a member of Tasty Treats, the team behind 'Let Your Ovens Shine' - a play on the school's motto - told the East Cork Journal, 'We started work on this in September and, as we all love cooking, it just made sense to do something in that vein. We asked the other girls to send us recipes and, after a slow start, we started compiling a list of recipes.' The quartet in question - Chloe, Claragh, Sinead and Niamh had created a recipe book for their TY mini-company project, entitled 'Let Your Ovens Shine,' which included recipes reaped from students, teachers, family and friends. Even Darina and Rachel Allen had offered some sage culinary words for the tome. With over 60 recipes (including one for Success - but more on With many great ideas over the years, St. Mary's High School's TYs had - unbelievably - never thought of a cookbook before, and it was an idea that impressed both Elizabeth Nagles, TY coordinator and Bridget Glasheen, TY teacher, who supplied her own 'Recipe for Success' for the book. Tasty Treats won the overall award at the TY Trade Fair in December, where Crystal Swing were special guests and the girls got to meet another East Cork celebrity two weeks later when Rachel Allen attended the congratulatory ceremony. Visiting local restaurants to get their recipes too - including Sage - Claragh still has a sweet tooth and soft spot for her favourite recipe: Gluten-Free Brownies, while Niamh leans towards her granny's Christmas Pudding. 'Let Your Ovens Shine' was printed and sold at a cost of â‚Ź5 in Midleton Books and in the school itself, with profits divided between the Irish Premature Babies charity, the school and, naturally, the girls themselves. A second run of the book is not out of the question although, for now, the girls and their classmates seemed happier eating the recipes than thinking about the business aspects of it all! E L A S W O N 50% OFF ALL CLOTHING N O 30% OFF GUESS MARKET GREEN, MIDLETON New spring arrivals not in sale OPENING HOURS	i don't know
Name the long-standing Rwanda president in the news during 2010 after human rights criticisms?	Rwanda: Repression Across Borders \| Human Rights Watch January 28, 2014 12:50PM EST Rwanda: Repression Across Borders Attacks and Threats Against Rwandan Opponents and Critics Abroad Languages Expand Seven Rwandan Victims of Attacks or Threats Abroad. Top row, from left to right: Kayumba Nyamwasa (victim of assassination attempt), Joël Mutabazi (forcibly returned), Patrick Karegeya (murdered). Bottom row, from left to right: René Mugenzi (victim of threats), Augustin Cyiza (disappeared), Charles Ingabire (murdered), Seth Sendashonga (murdered). © 2012 AP, Reuters, ISCID, Jerome Sharkey, Private. Since the genocide which devastated the country and claimed more than half a million lives in 1994, Rwanda has made great strides in rebuilding its infrastructure, developing its economy, and delivering public services. But civil and political rights remain severely curtailed, and freedom of expression is tightly restricted. The government dominated by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)—a former rebel movement that ended the genocide—does not tolerate opposition, challenge, or criticism. In the 19 years since the RPF took power, Human Rights Watch has documented numerous cases of arbitrary arrests, detentions, prosecutions, killings, torture, enforced disappearances, threats, harassment, and intimidation against government opponents and critics. These abuses emerged in the immediate post-genocide period in the mid-1990s and have continued to this day. In addition to the repression of critical voices inside Rwanda, dissidents and real or perceived critics outside the country—in neighboring Uganda and Kenya, as well as farther afield in South Africa and Europe—have been victims of attacks and threats. This document highlights some of the cases involving attacks or threats against critics outside Rwanda since the late 1990s. This list is not exhaustive. Human Rights Watch has documented these cases or received reliable information indicating that the victims are likely to have been targeted because of their criticisms of the Rwandan government, the RPF or President Paul Kagame. There have been other cases of Rwandans who were murdered, attacked, threatened, or who died in unclear circumstances in various countries, but are not included because of insufficient information surrounding these attacks. [1] Background on Attacks The victims of the attacks abroad have tended to be political opponents or outspoken critics of the Rwandan government or President Kagame himself. Former RPF officials who have turned against President Kagame and become opponents in exile have particularly been targets of attacks and threats. There are similarities between attacks in high-profile cases, for example, the assassinations of former Minister of Interior Seth Sendashonga in 1998 and former Head of External Intelligence Patrick Karegeya in 2014, and the attempted assassination of former army Chief of Staff Kayumba Nyamwasa in 2010, the former in Kenya, and the latter two in South Africa. A number of the victims had been granted refugee status in the country to which they had fled, in recognition of the risks they faced in Rwanda. The fact that even recognized refugees have fallen prey to such attacks has heightened fears among exiled Rwandans, who now believe that no one is out of reach. The persistence of attacks on Rwandan government critics in exile, going back almost 20 years, is striking, with the latest such murder—that of Patrick Karegeya—taking place in January 2014. As critics or opponents of the government, the victims all share a certain profile; prior to these attacks many had been threatened by individuals who were part of, or close to, the Rwandan government. The fact that within Rwanda itself, many government opponents have also faced threats and attacks, and the context of the broader persecution of government critics, provide credibility to the allegation that these attacks were politically motivated. They also raise serious and plausible concerns about the possibility of official state collusion in, or tolerance of, these attacks. When there is an allegation or suggestion that there may have been collusion of state agents in a killing or an attack, international human rights law requires a prompt, public, independent, and effective investigation to examine the possibility of collusion, seriously and effectively. However, an issue of concern in almost all the cases cited in this document is the failure to make progress in effective investigations capable of identifying the perpetrators, particularly those who ordered the attacks, and bringing them to justice. With the exception of the trial of six people accused of involvement in the attempted assassination of Kayumba Nyamwasa in South Africa in 2010, which was ongoing at the time of writing, there have been few arrests and even fewer prosecutions. Three men charged and tried in connection with the assassination of one of the most prominent victims, Seth Sendashonga, in Kenya in 1998, were acquitted. No one has been convicted of his murder. The Rwandan Government Response The Rwandan government has consistently denied any involvement in attacks and threats against its political opponents and critics, and reacted with indignation to allegations that these attacks may have been ordered or facilitated from Kigali. On occasion, Rwandan government officials have attempted to discredit or insult the victims soon after their death, especially when they have been outspoken government opponents. For example, reacting to allegations that the Rwandan government may have been behind the murder of journalist Charles Ingabire in Uganda in November 2011, President Kagame told journalists: “That is merely one of the assumptions and I don’t think we need to work on just one assumption and neglect the facts. It is wrong, absolutely wrong.” Claiming that the Rwandan authorities had evidence that Ingabire had embezzled money before fleeing to Uganda, he said: “We have many cases like this in Rwanda of people committing crimes and claiming political persecution.” [2] More recently, following the murder of Patrick Karegeya in South Africa in January 2014, the Rwandan president, prime minister and ministers of foreign affairs and defence all publicly used strong language, branding Karegeya as a traitor and an enemy and implying that he got what he deserved. Minister of Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo wrote on Twitter on January 5, 2014: “It's not about how u start, it's how u finish. This man was a self-declared enemy of my Gov & my country, U expect pity?” The following day, Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi tweeted: “Betraying citizens and their country that made you a man shall always bear consequences to you.” @ClaudeKabengera It's not about how u start, it's how u finish. This man was a self-declared enemy of my Gov & my country, U expect pity? — Habumuremyi P.D (@HabumuremyiP) January 6, 2014 An article in News of Rwanda quoted Minister of Defence James Kabarebe saying, during a speech in Gisenyi on January 11, 2014: “Do not waste your time on reports that so and so was strangled with a rope on flat 7 in whatever country [3] …When you choose to be a dog, you die like a dog, and the cleaners will wipe away the trash so that it does not stink for them. Actually, such consequences are faced by those who have chosen such a path. There is nothing we can do about it, and we should not be interrogated over it.” [4] Most significantly, President Kagame came close to condoning Karegeya’s murder in a public speech on January 12, 2014, when he stated: “Whoever betrays the country will pay the price. I assure you. Letting down a country, wishing harm on people, you end up suffering the negative consequences. Any person still alive who may be plotting against Rwanda, whoever they are, will pay the price…Whoever it is, it is a matter of time.” He added: “I hear some of our people saying: we are not the ones who did it. It’s true they were not the ones who did it, but that is not my concern, because you should be doing it… What is surprising is that you are not doing it. People who dare to betray, betray the country!” Kagame referenced a series of grenade attacks in Kigali, which the government had previously blamed on Karegeya and his collaborators, and said: “And we have to be apologetic about that? Never!” [5] On the same day, the following tweet was posted from the official twitter account of the President’s office: “I do not have to be apologetic about people who forgot that Rwanda made them who they are and kill innocent people and children”; and “Those who criticize Rwanda know how far they go to protect their own nation.” President #Kagame :I do not have to be apologetic about people who forgot that #Rwanda made them who they are&kill innocent people&children — Presidency \| Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) January 12, 2014 The Role of Foreign Governments In most cases, there is no suggestion that the host governments of the countries where the victims were living colluded in these attacks in any way. On the contrary, these incidents have at times strained diplomatic relations between Rwanda and some of its most important allies, such as Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Uganda The situation in Uganda is less clear, mainly because there has been a lack of transparency in the Ugandan authorities’ efforts to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of attacks on Rwandans in Uganda. Human Rights Watch is not aware of evidence that Ugandan government authorities have been officially or directly involved in particular incidents, though in at least one case, a high-ranking Ugandan police officer facilitated the forcible return of a Rwandan refugee from Uganda to Rwanda. However, longstanding personal relationships between some Ugandan and Rwandan officials may obstruct access to information about possible collusion to facilitate the commission of these crimes. Many Rwandans initially flee to Uganda because of its proximity. However, it has become one of the least safe countries for Rwandans facing political persecution because of the close links between the police and intelligence services of the two countries. Diplomatic relations between Uganda and Rwanda have fluctuated over the years, but many senior Rwandan officials, particularly those who grew up in Uganda and served in the Ugandan security forces or intelligence services, retain close links in the country. Rwandan agents can therefore operate in Uganda with considerable ease. In the past four years alone, numerous Rwandan refugees and asylum-seekers in Uganda have reported to Human Rights Watch a range of incidents, including personal threats by people they know or believe to be Rwandan, attacks on their homes, beatings, attempted abductions, and, in the most serious cases, killings or attempted killings. Some have also reported being threatened and intimidated by Rwandan diplomatic representatives in Uganda. Refugees or asylum-seekers who are known to be political opponents, critics, or outspoken journalists, are particularly at risk. For example, following the 2010 presidential elections in Rwanda, several members of Rwandan opposition parties and journalists who had fled Rwanda for their safety were personally threatened in Uganda. Most of them have since moved to other countries. Ugandan journalists who have investigated or reported on security threats against Rwandans in Uganda have also raised concerns for their own security, particularly in 2013. Need for Action Human Rights Watch calls on governments of host countries to heighten protection of Rwandan refugees and asylum-seekers who may have well-founded fears for their security in exile, and to carry out thorough investigations into attacks and threats against Rwandan government opponents and critics on their territory, in order to bring those responsible to justice. The Rwandan government should cooperate fully with such investigations. Donors and foreign governments with links to Rwanda should press for thorough investigations into these incidents and for full cooperation by the Rwandan government with the authorities of the countries concerned. Attacks and Threats Against Rwandan Opponents and Critics Abroad: 1996—2014	Paul Kagame
What state in Mexico was hit by a devastating mudslide in September 2010?	San Francisco Bay View » Rwandan President Paul Kagame wants a safer Rwanda … safer for whom? Rwandan President Paul Kagame wants a safer Rwanda … safer for whom? by Godwin Agaba and Ann Garrison Introduction by San Francisco journalist Ann Garrison Godwin Agaba, Rwandan correspondent for the African Great Lakes regional outlet 256.com , is now in hiding, though still reporting. On March 9, I spoke to him for KPFA Radio regarding grenade attacks in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, in the run up to this year’s presidential election, scheduled for Aug. 9: This week Godwin Agaba confirmed what I had concluded: that Rwanda’s presidential election is effectively closed; all the viable opposition has been excluded. Many now fear that Bernard Ntaganda, the presidential candidate of the Parti Social-Imberakuri , may soon be in prison for “divisionism,” meaning political opposition to the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front Party, and “genocide ideology,” a speech crime unique to Rwanda, which I described here in the Bay View, in “ Rwanda’s packed prisons and genocide ideology law .” Mr. Ntaganda himself says that he is in imminent danger of arrest and under constant surveillance, even in his own office, though he has managed to remain his party’s leader, despite RPF harassment and infiltration. Rwandan security is also investigating Victoire Ingabiré Umuhoza , presidential candidate of the FDU Inkingi Party , for the genocide ideology speech crime, and the government has announced that she will not be allowed to run for office until she is cleared – meaning that she will not be allowed to run. And the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda continues to be halted at military bureaucratic roadblocks and checkpoints, enduring meeting after meeting about whether they might have another meeting about the possibility of having yet another meeting to determine whether or not their party might finally be able to meet so as to register and field a presidential candidate. On April 14, the government shut down the independent African language (Kinyarwanda) tabloid press for the next six months. Since 70 percent of the population speak only Kinyarwanda, not English or French, and only 3 percent have internet access, this means that most will have no information except that in state run newspapers from now until well after the Aug. 9 polls. European Union election monitors are scheduled to travel to Rwanda but there is nothing left to observe except the effective coronation of incumbent Rwandan President Paul Kagame . The election monitors should stay home in protest rather than validate this charade, unless by some miracle “donor nations,” most of all the U.S. and U.K., choose to heed the Feingold Statement on the Fragility of Democracy in Africa and make civil and political rights, and a real election, a condition of their ongoing support for Rwanda. Rwandans’ thwarted effort to contest the presidential election is also of great importance to the people of neighboring D.R. Congo, where at least 6 million Congolese people have died in the Rwandan and Ugandan invasions and occupations of Congo since Kagame seized control of Rwanda during the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. The silence of the U.S. press about the loss of African life and U.S. Pentagon responsibility is deafening. Editorial by Rwandan journalist Godwin Agaba Godwin Agaba Anyone who has been following events in Rwanda over the last few weeks will agree with me that it is now clear what President Paul Kagame really wants. A safer Rwanda! A Rwanda where there is no political upheaval, no opposition politics, no sentimental politicians, no old friends, no dissent and, above all, no critical newspapers to report the prevailing “peace and tranquility.” Presidential elections will go ahead as planned in August and when the dust has settled in September, those still living will witness a sympathetic, loving and caring president, a head of state ready to forgive and forget as he embarks on another seven year term as head of state. How cool is that! Gen. Marcel Gatsinzi will be hauled to court to answer the genocide charges that continue to linger around his back before being thrown into jail. Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga will be sent to Rwanda’s Pentagon and given a few challenging but less empowering tasks and Gen. Kabarebe will most likely retire. Rwandans will have a newly elected leader and The New Times will struggle not to lead with the PK [Paul Kagame] rigs to set a new world record! The High Council of the Press will come up with yet another silly document which Patrice Mulama, posing in front of cameras, will read confirming that Umuseso and Umuvugizi newspapers have been reinstated. It will be business as usual and the international community will continue to pour money into Rwanda with the aim of ending poverty and fostering economic development. Right path? Don’t ask me for I really don’t know. What is clear though is that Paul Kagame, having commanded the forces that he says ended the genocide and helped restore order in chaotic Rwanda, has embarked on a self-destructing campaign. He will stop at nothing to make himself clear and louder to all that Rwanda belongs to him and only he knows what is good for the country. He does not even appear bothered by the idea of ruling the country as if it is some family ranch, because according to what he knows, he is popular, charismatic and knows his country’s history better than anyone else. And who are we to challenge him? What exactly do we know? To him we are rejects who should either shut up or put up with whatever nonsense is being paraded as long as we rise up at the end of the day to toss to the monsieur – only this time, in English! Make no mistake: The president is in charge. When coup rumors went around a month ago, he was very stern as he was precise in his assurances to his audience that Rwanda will never have a coup. “A coup in Rwanda, never … not here,” he said. If that was a statement that lacked the marrow, he made certain a few days ago with impromptu changes in the army. Gen. Gatsinzi, the hitherto docile defense minister, was dropped for a close friend (former friend some will argue), Gen. James Kabarebe. On April 14, President Kagame announced a six-month shutdown of these two newspapers, Rwanda’s only independent papers printed in Kinyarwanda, the only language spoken by 70 percent of the population. Since only 3 percent have access to the internet, that leaves most Rwandans with no other perspective on the news but that of the government-run media. Umuseso editor Didas Gasana is preparing for a lawsuit challenging the suspension of his newspaper. - Photo: KigaliWire1, http://www.facebook.com/l/23bad;bit.ly/aTu5sN Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga, who many basing their conviction on local media reports thought was under house arrest, got in to replace Gen. Kabarebe. Some will argue this was a tactical move by the man in charge. Technically demote the popular Gen. Kabarebe by making him defense minister and bring Kayonga closer in a more demanding position where he can be checked on and made too busy to even think of a coup. I’m not very knowledgeable about the finer intricacies of army changes but speculation has never been my specialty either. It is very plausible though that it is much easier to look after and maintain an eye on a chief of defense forces than it is on someone who is head of land forces. For the sake of the issue at hand, I will take what the official version is and leave the rest to you, my readers. Fortunately, there is no official version of the changes, just a routine reshuffle. Political temperatures in Kigali continue to rise. Kagame continues to impress. He seems very popular with the wanainchi [the people, citizens or masses] or at least it looks that way whenever he pays them visits. Opposition politics in Rwanda remains a far cry. Those who have dared to challenge the establishment now find themselves in limbo fearing not only for their lives but, at the moment, for their political parties as well. Victoire Ingabire has been summoned to the Criminal Investigations Department more times than she has been allowed to go to church unattended. She is religious, but the government would rather she was not. Religious people get to meet others when they go to church. And when you don’t want someone to mix with others for fear that they will talk about their political agenda, you so wish they were pagans. Those who have dared to challenge the establishment now find themselves in limbo fearing not only for their lives but, at the moment, for their political parties as well. Frank Habineza, another of the political hopefuls, a former Rwandese Patriotic Front member who broke ranks to form the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda – a party whose registration seems to bother Kagame more than the poverty in the country – is not having it smooth either. He has on several occasions been in the news complaining about scary emails and intimidating phone calls from state agents who continue to threaten him unless he gets out of politics. Bernard Ntaganda, who until a week ago was party chairman for Rwanda’s only vocal political party, PS-Imberakuri, was successfully ousted by a party wrangle within his own party that many believe was orchestrated by the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front. With these under control, in dissaray, under investigation or currently being accused of one or several offences, Kagame will definitely emerge as the one and only presidential candidate come August. He will achieve what he has set out to achieve – ruling Rwanda – forever. And as long as the elections are held at the hindsight of local and international observers, we will have no legal reason to believe that his victory was manipulated. The media, which in such an environment would have provided credible evidence as to the real situation on the ground, has been manipulated. Those like Umuseso, who have not been so keen at accepting government tokens, have now been suspended. The six months suspension effectively rules out Umuseso in the media life of Rwandans until, well, after the elections. If that is not calculated, then I stand to be corrected as to whether Kagame is not preparing himself to be the father figure and self-appointed Lord of Rwanda he wishes and claims to be. Godwin Agaba was a Rwandan correspondent for Great Lakes regional outlet 256.com ; he is now in hiding but still publishing without his byline. On April 7, 2010, in his address at the Kigali Memorial Center, Rwandan President Paul Kagame blamed “you,” a conveniently flexible and expandable category, and all those calling for political space and press freedom for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, in which a million Rwandans died. This is the English language section of his English and Kinyarwanda address particularly concerned with press freedom. For the entire English language section of the address, click here . One week after this address, on April 14, 2010, Kagame’s “High Media Council” shut down the independent African language newspapers that most Rwandans depend on. -	i don't know
In 2010, scenes of tobacco smoking attracted a fine for the broadcasters of what 1950-60s boy-hero cartoon series in Turkey?	Gary Dretzka « Movie City News Naked Nazi Return to BloodFart Lake In the world of micro-budget and do-it-yourself filmmaking, the difference between being seen and being ignored often boils down to choosing the right title. A few weeks ago, I was drawn to a movie that promised more gore and abhorrent behavior than I normally care to see in a month of reviewing DVDs. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that “Dead Hooker in a Trunk” lived up to the promise of its title. While Joseph Guzman’s “Nude Nuns With Big Guns” comes close enough to earn a cigar, it falls well short of enshrinement in the Grindhouse Hall of Fame. This isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of nude nuns or big guns in the story, because there are. Too often, though, they merely compensate for a decreasingly coherent narrative. Here, the bishop of a Spanish-speaking archdiocese is in cahoots with the motorcycle gang, Los Muertos, to distribute heroin. Nuns are required to package the powder, but only after shedding their habits. After a drug transaction with the bikers goes sour, the drug-czar bishop offers Sister Sarah (Asun Ortega) in exchange for the missing heroin. Naturally, the leader of the gang, Chavo (David Castro), enslaves the pretty young nun to heroin and turns her out in a shithole brothel in the desert. Just as she’s about to hit rock bottom, God appears to Sister Sarah, instructing her to exact revenge on the bikers and corrupt priests. This, she does. “NNWBG” is targeted at several generations of Catholic males, who, as lackadaisical students, idled away with their days imagining how their teachers would look naked. The bonus features include the short film that inspired Guzman to make “NNWBG.” Made on a budget estimated to be in the neighborhood of $10,000, “Porn Star Zombies” is exactly the movie you’d imagine it to be. Yes, it revolves around a scene in which a ravenous porn star reveals her true nature by biting off her co-star’s penis. Almost everything else is incidental to the story. Keith Emerson’s debut film may be crudely made, thoroughly predictable and poorly acted, but every penny of the $10,000 can be found on the screen, in one way or another. “Naked Nazi” isn’t so much a horror movie as it is an excuse to show Michelle Young (a.k.a., Amber Lee) masturbating in Nazi fetish gear … minus the matching Hello Hitler bra-and-panties set. After being raped by a client, Young’s Naked Nazi decides to turn the tables on non-Aryan male pigs by dominating and killing them. Only another Nazi fetishist can stop her. Young and Jason Impey last collaborated on “Women Prisoners of SS Camp From Hell,” in which our fair maiden played “Hitler’s slut.” Released in 2009, “Terror at Blood Fart Lake” was a micro-budget parody of such horror flicks as “Sleepaway Camp” and other slasher epics set on the shores of a lake, in a rustic cabin or among vacationers about to be slaughtered by a guy wearing a mask. It follows, then, that “Return to Blood Fart Lake” is parody of “Return to Sleepaway Camp” and other uninspired sequels. Even after watching the movie, I can’t explain what happens in it, except that the “Scarecrow Killer,” Jimmy Van Brunt, is back and still pissed off about something or other. “Return to Blood Fart Lake” is all title and no movie. – Gary Dretzka The Devil’s Rock By all rights, “The Devils Rock” and “Naked Nazi” belong in the same capsule review, if only because the jackets of both movies feature sexy, semi-dressed women wearing Gestapo gear. (The original poster art for “Devil’s Rock” was far less suggestive.) Far more artistically legitimate, Paul Campion’s debut film is a blend of WWII intrigue and satanic horror. It opens with a New Zealand commando team landing on the beach of a heavily fortified island in the English Channel. Their job is to sabotage artillery positions, causing the Germans to think the D-Day landing will occur somewhere other than Omaha and Normandy beaches. As the soldiers descend deeper into the tunnels of the bunker, screams emanating from below grow louder and more terrifying. Upon reaching the command center, they are greeted by a scene from an old-fashioned charnel house and a Nazi officer, who kills one of the Kiwis and interrogates the other on the inevitable assault. Given the movie’s title, it’s safe to assume something other than German intelligence and defense is at work on the island. We know that Hitler had a keen interest in the occult and assigned agents to investigate the possibility of exploiting paranormal phenomena in the war against the Allies. The Gestapo agent here has conjured the devil and chained it to a wall. In the presence of the Kiwi officer, it assumes the identity of his recently deceased girlfriend and attempts to seduce him into revealing plans for the invasion of Europe. Apparently, it’s not the first time such shape-shifting has been employed. It accounts for the carcasses of soldiers who likely bought into its deceit. The making-of material, which specifies how the actual bunkers and tunnel systems informed the production, is quite interesting, as is the discussion of special makeup effects. – Gary Dretzka Ocean Heaven: Blu-ray My Kingdom All great actors enjoy a change in scenery and wardrobe every so often, even those whose names have become synonymous with a particular genre. Martial-arts master Jet Li couldn’t be any further removed from hand-to-hand-to-foot combat than he is in “Ocean Heaven.” In it, Li’s aquarium technician is confronted with a sad reality faced by many parents of autistic and otherwise disabled children. Already a widower, Sam Wong has recently been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and he knows that his 22-year-old son, David (Lunmei Kwai), probably couldn’t survive without him. His first inclination is to conduct an act of filicide and suicide, while on a boat at sea. Because David is more at home in water than anywhere else, it fails. As long as Sam lives, David is allowed to swim and cavort among the fish and turtles in the aquarium’s largest pools. Once on dry land, however, David has trouble remembering his own name. Compounding Sam’s fears is the reluctance of Chinese social-service agencies to accept an autistic adult into government-run residences and schools. His only recourse is to teach the young man how to perform the most rudimentary of daily tasks and finding someone to provide a roof under which he can sleep. The process is exhausting for everyone involved – the audience, too – but reaps benefits down the road, as David finds kindness in unexpected places. “Ocean Heaven” succeeds as a tear-jerker, albeit one with which western audiences will already be familiar. I’m pretty sure that Xiao Lu Yue intended for Chinese viewers to gain a greater understanding of the problems faced by families with kids who are autistic or have Down’s syndrome. The Blu-ray package arrives with deleted scenes and an interview with Li about autism. The often exhilarating and spectacularly staged “My Kingdom” provides a perfect example of what can happen when a work of art loses its balance and symmetry. Gao Xiaosong’s story opens in stunning fashion, with the mass beheadings of an entire Chinese clan by the Prince Regent of the Qing dynasty. A defiant elder warns the Prince Regent that his descendants will avenge his death, if any are left after the slaughter. Before he steps to the butcher’s block, a boy bravely forces the executioner to wait until he sings a mournful song for the young girl ahead of him. In the crowd is a famous actor in the Beijing Opera and his adopted son. The boy begs Master Yu to step up and adopt the obviously talented child, which, remarkably, he’s allowed to do. Under their master’s tutelage, the boys grow into two of the opera’s most promising stars. When Yu loses a non-lethal, but spectacularly choreographed winner-take-all showdown to a younger actor from Shanghai, the boys vow to avenge his embarrassment, as well. They will get their opportunity in another 15 years or so, when they show up at the historic Shanghai Opera House and demand satisfaction. For those unaware of how the Beijing and other regional operas operated before Chairman and Mrs. Mao shut them down, it’s important to understand that performances combined dance, acting, pageantry, discordant music and song, and martial arts, with the actors dressed in elaborate costumes and amazing cosmetic masks. The face-offs, staged by Sammo Hung, are among the greatest fights — lethal or non-lethal – I’ve seen on film. The actor’s goal in these fights is to clearly destroy the opposing actor’s ego without actually killing or maiming him. This requires the razor-sharp dexterity, split-second timing and athletic abilities of a Bruce Lee and Baryshnikov clone. Unlike Yu, the defeated Master Yue elects to commit suicide, rather than suffer the indignity of losing his troupe and never being able to perform on stage again. Meanwhile, the boys have instantaneously become superstars. So far, “My Kingdom” is a heck of a movie. Unfortunately, it will take all the second half for the “opera warriors” to simultaneously avenge the executions, enjoy their newfound celebrity, romance the opera’s star actress and perform other narrative tasks. Sadly, none of them are as exciting as anything that happens previously on the opera stages. Neither do the young men look mature enough – sans makeup and costumes – to scare anyone who threatens them offstage. Apparently, the actors Wu Chun and Han Gen are big pop stars in China and Taiwan, as are Barbie Hsu and Louis Liu, and the producers hope to attract men and women of their generation to the venerable opera tradition. For all I now, young Chinese might dig the plotting and romance in the second half more than all of the scenes on the opera stage. “My Universe” is one DVD that really would have benefitted from a decent making-of featurette. –Gary Dretzka Elite Squad: The Enemy Within: Blu-ray No sooner had it been announced that Rio de Janeiro and Brazil would host the Summer Olympics and World Cup than fears were raised about the safety of tourists and fans. Crime was at epidemic levels in Rio and Sao Paolo, but the government pledged that it would be held in check by the time the games began. One way of accomplishing such a difficult task was for the police to declare war on the gangs that control the favelas and slums. This accomplished, however, the same communities apparently came under the control of corrupt and blood-thirsty police. “Elite Squad: The Enemy Within” flows naturally from “Elite Squad,” which, in 2007, described the efforts of a select division of the police department to remove potential dangers and embarrassments before the pope’s visit to Rio in 1997. In “The Enemy Within,” Wagner Moura reprises the role of Capitao Nascimento, head of the crack BOPA task force. As the sequel opens, Nascimento is required to put down a rebellion by gang leaders in a nearby prison. Following his orders, instead of those of politicians, the cops mercilessly gun down the perpetrators. It causes a huge stink among the politicians still on the payroll of the gangs, but the massacre couldn’t have been more popular with the citizenry. Seeing Nascimento as something of a loose cannon, the state’s governor decides to give him a position monitoring illegal wiretaps. Even here, it’s difficult to avoid the corruption of the police and government officials who benefit from the power vacuum. This time, however, the closer he gets to the truth, the farther out in the pasture he finds himself. So much money and power are at stake that the established powers are willing to take on a hero and threaten his family. In an interesting subplot, Nascimento’s former wife has married a high-profile reformer, who has convinced their son that daddy’s a fascist. It all comes together in an extremely exciting and unexpected climax. Fans of recent Brazilian cinema will recognize the name of writer/director José Padilha in the credits of both “Elite Squad” installments. He’s also responsible for the documentary “Bus 74,” which described a dramatic hijacking that captured the attention of the Brazilian media in 2000. Likewise, Braulio Mantovani, who wrote the screenplay to “City of God,” collaborated with Padilha on the story and screenplays for both “Elite Squad” entries. Anyone looking for movies that reverently borrow stylistic mannerisms from Martin Scorsese’s gangland dramas will find a good one here. – Gary Dretzka Mozart’s Sister: Blu-ray Watch “Mozart’s Sister” alongside “Amadeus” and you’ll gain a pretty good understanding of what show business was like in 1763, at least as practiced in the salons of the crowned heads of Europe. Written and directed by Rene Feret, “Mozart’s Sister” follows the musical family – father, Leopold; mother, Anna-Maria; sister, Nannerl; and, of course, boy-genius Wolfgang – as it crisscrosses the continent in a rickety carriage in search of paid gigs, commissions, free meals and accommodations, both posh and modest. In some ways, things haven’t changed all that much in 250 years. The focus here is on Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart, Wolfgang’s older sister by nearly five years and a brilliant musician in her own right. The children dote on each other and collaborate under the tutelage of Leopold, who serves as teacher, promoter, manager, banker and parent. As a girl, Nannerl is at a distinct disadvantage in the showdowns among child prodigies, all seeking the approval and patronage of royalty. She was discouraged from playing the violin and composing, even by her father, who requires she accompany her brother on the harpsichord, at least in public. This she also does very well. Fresh-faced Marie Feret is delightful as Nennerl, equally at home pillow-fighting with Wolfie and conversing with dauphins and princesses. Her story is blessedly free of such dramatic staples as parental abuse, life-threatening illnesses and a broken heart. Certain things were taken for granted when dealing with the royals, including the impossibility of their marrying commoners. Instead, viewers are encouraged to gorge themselves on the period fashions, regal surroundings and beautiful music. It isn’t until the postscript that we learn the true fate of a woman, however brilliant, in a society where women mostly serve as ornaments. Even her friend and confidante, Princess Louise de France, couldn’t escape the borders enforced on women. Wolfgang Mozart’s story already has been wonderfully dramatized in “Amadeus,” which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven others in 1985. Nannerl’s is every bit as worthy of the attention that movie received. A CD featuring selections from the soundtrack is included in the Blu-ray package. – Gary Dretzka Taylor Swift: American Beauty: Unauthorized Yardbirds: Performances Only 22, superstar singer/songwriter Taylor Swift already has an unauthorized biography based on her life and career. “American Beauty” isn’t at all salacious or embarrassing. It’s simply a recitation of quotes, by actors, attributed previously to Swift, family members, friends and music-industry weasels. In fact, it’s not even clear what the actors say can be attributed to real people, just as none of the songs have anything to do with the favorite daughter of Reading, Pa. The most interesting segment is a dramatization of Swift’s 30-second, over-the-phone breakup with one of the Jonas boys. After a crying jag, she goes on to write a withering song about it. That’a girl. “Yardbirds: Performances” is comprised of videos made by the heavily influential British band, during various stages in their career. The early ones, unfortunately, are basically unlistenable. The interest in this collection is the participation of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as successive lead-guitar gods. Even then, the camera focuses on singer Keith Relf far more often than the soon-to-be superstars. The transition from garage blues band to psychedelic virtuosos is the most noteworthy thing about the DVD. I found the videos to be unusual, but it’s entirely possible that all of them already are in circulation. – Gary Dretzka Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story How to Die in Oregon Elevate Urbanized Like nearly everyone else in America, I grew up playing Monopoly. If nothing else, it taught me the true value of play money and that rich people always wear tuxedos and top hats. I’ve since participated in the Monopoly contest at McDonald’s and played 15 iterations of the slot-machine game in Las Vegas. Watching Kevin Tostado’s entertaining and informative documentary, “Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story,” I was surprised to learn how much the board game has changed since the last time I tossed the dice. For example, I had no idea that hard-core players now throw three cubes in competition … two white and one red. From what I can tell, the extra die serves as something of wild card, allowing for shorter, if considerably more intense contests. Neither was I aware of the fact that the laws of mathematical probability are as important in competitive Monopoly as they are in poker. Am I the only one who doesn’t know that the last time an American won the Monopoly World Championship was in 1974 and the current title-holder is frickin’ Norwegian? That’s the kind of otherwise useless information that makes “Under the Boardwalk” so fascinating. The filmmakers follow the now-familiar pattern of attempting to identify likely finalists beforehand and explain the nuances of the game through them. Although that strategy doesn’t quite work here, Tostado’s choices reflect the intensity and intricacies of Monopoly, as it’s played among professionals. He also provides fans with a very decent history lesson on the origins and evolution of it. The DVD package adds footage from a class taught by one of the masters of the “mind sport” and clips from memorable championships. Basketball may not qualify as a “mind sport,” but it definitely takes brains to play it well. Like Monopoly, the sport no longer is dominated by American players. If it were, the U.S. Olympic squad would still be manned – and womanned – by amateurs, not multi-millionaires. Still, countries with no deep history of hoops occasionally step up their game to a level where they can beat our “dream teams.” Anne Buford’s ambitious doc, “Elevate,” opens at the SEEDS Academy in Dakar, Senegal, where the cream of West Africa’s basketball crop competes for scholarships to American high schools and colleges. They also learn what it takes to compete in the classrooms of some the America’s finest basketball factories, er, prep schools and universities, while occasionally daydreaming about a possible pro career. As one might imagine, West African teens are among the tallest and deceptively graceful athletes in the world. Outside of SEEDS, their schools and training facilities are primitive. Inside of it, however, there are few distractions to interfere with the business at hand; the courts are adequate to the task; the food is good; and everyone has closet full authorized NBA gear, shoes, team T-shirts and bags. The kids aren’t pampered, by any stretch of the imagination, but as future representatives of Senegal and Africa, they do enjoy some privileges. We follow two of the players from SEEDS to the Kent Academy, in Connecticut, and Lake Forest Academy, near Chicago. Another player is a couple of days away from boarding a plane to America when he’s told by the embassy that he’s not wanted here (no reason given by staff or the filmmakers, although we know that most of the boys practice Islam). It’s a truly heartbreaking moment in an otherwise uplifting documentary. Anyone with a lazy, underachieving kid at home might consider forcing them to watch “Elevate.” Once exposed to “How to Die in Oregon,” it would be impossible for even an ardent opponent of physician-assisted suicides not to ponder whether it’s better for a terminally ill friend or relative to die painlessly of his or her own volition or to condemn them to an excruciating, undignified and prolonged death. That person may come away with their core belief unchanged, but, at least, they’ll have a better understanding of what’s at stake. In 1994, Oregon voters approved doctor-assisted suicides and, since then, several hundred men and women have taken advantage of the law. (I thought the count might be higher.) We’re introduced to several of these people in the weeks, days and moments before they die. Clearly all are in severe pain and none wants to be a burden on their families. They’re lucid and fully understand the consequences of their decision. They’re also told that the decision is reversible any time before they drink the fatal cocktail. (“It tastes woody,” one says, just before we watch him take his last breath.) While director Peter Richardson’s sympathies clearly lie with the terminally ill individuals, “How to Die in Oregon” falls well short of advocacy filmmaking or exploitation. Everything one needs to know about the seriousness and compassion with which he approached his project can be read in the eyes and final dignity of his subjects. Gary Hustwit’s “Urbanized” is the final chapter in a documentary trilogy that considers how we relate to the designs of such everyday things as typography, manufactured objects and urban planning. As in “Helvetica” and “Objectified,” Hustwit consults with design experts to determine their opinions on historical miscalculations, successes, trends, fads and long- and short-term solutions. About urban development, the one thing upon which almost everyone in the film agrees is that nothing works anymore and that it’s not their fault. Complacent architects, planning commissions, politicians, short-sighted modernists and greedy developers all share the blame for the mess. Once these learned men and women get past their egos, however, many interesting things are discussed and ideas forwarded. Hustwit’s itinerary includes stops in New York, Paris, Santiago, Bogota, Capetown, Mumbai, Phoenix and Rio, where old and new elements often are required to co-exist in eternal discordance. He also visits Brasilia, which, when it was founded in 1960, was considered to be the most progressive and harmoniously designed capital in the world. Today, one of the architects describes Brasilia’s open spaces and widely separated buildings as a nightmare for people who can’t afford cars or chauffeurs. Indeed, the one common thread running through “Urbanized” is how often cars take precedence over humans in most modern cities and how easy it is to correct the imbalance. The discussions are thought-provoking and blessedly accessible to lay viewers. – Gary Dretzka Dragon Age: Redemption If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a noise? If you’re only famous on the Internet, does that make you a star in the real world? Felicia Day is the kind of frequently employed actor, whose face people recognize from a dozen different television appearances but can’t place. On the Internet, everyone seems to know the chronically cute Alabama-born redhead. That’s because she’s found a niche on the Web as someone who understands things that studio executives in the analog world can’t quite grasp. For one thing, she appears to be satisfied with a fan base limited primarily to “gamers” and “geeks.” She understands their world, is an avid player and is able to dramatize – add another dimension, if you will — the games they love. At 32, she probably could still pass for a perky college cheerleader, as she did in “Bring It On, Again”; a vampire slayer on the WB; or too-adorable-to-die patient on a hospital series, such as “House.” It’s on the Internet, however, that she’s a force with which to be reckoned. In 2007, Day launched the YouTube series, “The Guild,” which follows a clan of gamers addicted to a “massively multiplayer online role-playing game.” It’s since expanded its reach to include several other multimedia platforms. The success of “The Guild” prompted producer Joss Whedon to create the Internet musical, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” a show that also starred Neil Patrick Harris. Day is also responsible for the Web series “Dragon Age: Redemption,” a six-episode live-action adventure based on the fantasy role-playing game developed by BioWare. She’s played a fairy in at least two Internet series and provides a voice in “Fallout: New Vegas.” In addition to being an award-winning actor and writer, she also is a partner in a production company. In the geek universe, she might as well be Angelina Jolie. Not being a gamer, I don’t know what to make of “Dragon Age: Redemption.” The webisodes require grownups to dress as pixies, elves, sorcerers and Templar knights, and then wander around a forest near L.A., killing each other with medieval and special-effects weaponry. It feels as if it only cost a few bucks to stage, but, on the Internet, looks usually are deceiving. In any case, it’s popular with the people who count: gamers. The DVD package includes all six episodes and more than 40 minutes of extra stuff. An extensive making-of featurette, interviews with Day and creative director Mike Laidlaw; commentary; bloopers; a script; and marketing material for new “Dragon Age” products. – Gary Dretzka Mama I Want to Sing Adapted from the long-running off-Broadway musical of the same title, “Mama I Want to Sing” was inspired by the careers of such church-nurtured singers as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Donna Summer, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan and playwright Vy Higginsen’s sister, Doris Troy (“Just One Look). Its release, only three days after the death of Whitney Houston, also reminds us of that great diva’s gospel roots and her rise through the ranks of pop and R&B artists. Here, the future superstar, Amara (Ciara), is tutored by her father, the Reverend Dr. Kenneth Winter (Marvin Winans), and mother, Lillian Winter (Lynn Whitfield), who is a diva in her own right. Before he died of a heart attack while preaching to his congregation, the dynamic Reverend Winter taught Amara and her younger brother, Luke (Kevin Phillips), that they not only are blessed as a gifted singer and photographer, but also as African-Americans with no borders on their horizon. His wife, though, would prefer for her children to limit their dreams to the church and within shouting distance of their nest. Naturally, Amara is discovered by a producer of pop hits (Billy Zane) and, as part of her transition from gospel, is required to wear outfits and sing lyrics that Mrs. Winter ascribes to hoochie-mommas. (Troy reportedly was discovered by James Brown, while Houston was famously molded by Clive Davis.) It creates a rift between the two headstrong women that is as familiar as it is melodramatic. Ultimately, a tragedy brings them together in welcome compromise. As interpreted by Charles Randolph-Wright, “Mama, I Want to Sing” is an extremely broad musical and dramatic experience. Whitfield, especially, appears to be playing to the customers in the balconies. Even so, everyone involved knows what’s demanded by fans of such gospel musicals and delivers the goods in large strokes. The music, of course, is very good, and the inspirational messages are universal. If Amara manages to avoid the tragic path taken by Houston, we know it’s by the grace of God and gospel music. – Gary Dretzka Beavis & Butthead: Volume 4: Blu-ray Storage Wars: Volume 2 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie Dora’s Easter Adventure For a certain caste of television viewers, the highlight of the current season hasn’t been the return of “Downton Abbey” or even the renewal of the “Hawaii Five-0” franchise. It was the welcome, by some, revival of MTV’s strangely wonderful “Beavis & Butthead” in new episodes. The show, created by Mike Judge, originally ran on the cable network from March 8, 1993, to November, 1997. Among other things, the dimwitted friends were blamed for the “dumbing-down” of America and encouraging teens to become serial arsonists. The show also is credited with putting MTV on the map as a purveyor of original programming, including “Jackass” and “Jersey Shore,” both of which make “B&B” look like “Masterpiece Theater.” In the new season, the animated pals don’t appear to have aged a day since 1997. They’re just as stupid as they were in the 1990s, wear the same clothes, listen to the same kind of music and remain virgins. None of the other characters have evolved, either. Thematically, though, the new episodes do reflect the passage of time, most obviously in the music and YouTube videos they critique. Snooki and “The Twilight Saga” also take some direct hits. The Blu-ray is comprised of 24 segments, including “Werewolves of Highland,” “Holy Cornholio,” “Drones,” “Supersize Me” and “Bathroom Break,” “Copy Machine,” “Massage” and “Whorehouse.” Blu-ray extras are “2011 San Diego Comic-Con Panel,” during which Judge and Johnny Knoxville discuss the show’s history; phone conversations between B&B the cast of “Jersey Shore”; and the PSA, “Silence Your Cell Phone.” If Beavis and Butthead were ever allowed to grow into adults, they might find work as pilferers of abandoned storage units. As we learn in the offbeat A&E series, “Storage Wars,” practitioners require only cash and an ability to judge, sometimes incorrectly, what other people’s castoffs are worth. Just as one man’s trash is another’s treasure, a less authoritative metal-head might spot gems passed over by the more seasoned buyers … vintage Metallica and AC/DC T-shirts, for example. In the second season, which is only partially collected here, Dan and Laura Dotson of American Auctioneers return to orchestrate sales and coax top dollar for the opportunity to strike gold or overpay for useless junk. There are no guarantees. Lest we forget the occasion of Valentine’s Day, Disney sends out “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I (Heart) Minnie.” Coincidentally, it’s also her birthday. The collected episodes include the newly shown “Minnie & Daisy’s Flower Shower,” “Daisy’s Dance,” “Daisy’s Pet Project,” “Minnie’s Rainbow” and “Minnie’s Birthday,” in which the Clubhouse gang attempts to arrange and set up a surprise party. In “Dora’s Easter Adventure,” Our Heroine and Boots are called upon to retrieve a basket filled with holiday confections. Two other episodes involve the Grumpy Old Troll and Troll Land. The DVD adds several interactive karaoke numbers, during which kids are encourage to follow the bouncing Easter egg. – Gary Dretzka Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe: Blu-ray Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani: The Peter Davison Years, 1982-84 Doctor Who: The Sensorites: The William Hardin Years, 1963-1966: Blu-ray The floodgates have yet to shut on the flow of titles from the BBC’s “Doctor Who” catalogue. The newly available material runs the full gamut of the show’s life. Indeed, it’s only been two months since Christmas and the enduring series’ 2011 holiday special, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe,” is already available in Blu-ray. By contrast, it’s taken 46 years for “The Sensorites” to arrive in hi-def and 28 for “The Caves of Androzani,” in DVD. “The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe” borrows freely from the C.S. Lewis classic, in ways suggested by the fractured title of the disc. The special episode opens in 1938, with the doctor stuck on a damaged alien spacecraft in Earth-orbit. Just in the nick of time, he dons his impact suit and plummets to the surface, where a kindly British woman helps the hapless spaceman get his bearings, so he can locate his TARDIS. Skip ahead three years to the Blitz. The woman’s pilot husband is missing in action over the English Channel and the she’s taken the kids to a relative’s house in Dorset to avoid the incessant bombing. We recognize the home’s caretaker as the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith), even if the woman doesn’t. His desire to give the family a happy Christmas inadvertently results in the opening of a gift that leads to a time portal, into which the son disappears. The daughter and doctor follow the light to an enchanted forest. Meanwhile, mom bumps into a group of miners from the ecologically threatened Androzani Major. There’s more, but I’m already confused. And, speaking Androzani, it’s on Androzani Minor that the TARDIS drops the 5th Doctor (Davison) and Peri, during the show’s 21st season. As usual, the planet is wracked with turmoil, including the pursuit of a compound, excreted by bats, that is believed to extend life. Rebels are battling the dominant corporation for access to the substance. It probably wasn’t one of the doctor’s best ideas to intervene in the fracas, and by the end of the episode, a 6th Doctor has been regenerated to save the planet and solar system. Many aficionados consider “The Caves of Androzani” to be their favorite episode. “The Sensorites” is No. 007 in the “Doctor Who” canon. Shown in six parts in the 1964 season, it stars William Hartnell as the 1st Doctor and companions played by Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. When the doctor arrives, the Sensorites are holding a capsule inhabited by Earthlings frozen in orbit. A previous survey team had discovered something valuable on the planet and caused much damage there. In an effort to get both problems solved, open-minded Sensorites allow the doctor and his team to join them in finding a cure for mass-poisoning and other disasters. Clearly, one of the reasons cultists love “Doctor Who” is that the complexity of the plots and story arcs discourages easy access to newbies, like me. – Gary Dretzka Steve Coogan Live Geek Charming Admirers of so-called “quality television” who haven’t already watched one season, at least, of “Downton Abbey,” are missing one of the great viewing experiences of the decade. The first installment of Julian Fellowes’ brilliant “Masterpiece Theater” mini-series either won or was nominated for every major television award the American and British industries bestow. Even if one hasn’t seen a single episode, however, a working knowledge of “Upstairs, Downstairs” would suffice as an introduction. “Downton Abbey” is “Upstairs, Downstairs,” but among the landed gentry. Set during approximately the same period in English history, the series chronicles the roller-coaster affairs of the Earl and “Countess” of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern) and the rest of the aristocratic Crawley family, as well as their servants, during the reign of King George V. The first season began with the sinking of the Titanic and ended in anticipation of World War I. The second covers the war years 1916 to 1919, both in pastoral Yorkshire and the Somme killing fields; the 1918 flu pandemic; and the first stirrings of the war for independence in Ireland. The 2011 “Christmas Special” wraps the decade up in a bright bow, leaving us in early 1920 and salivating for the start of Season 3, when Shirley MacLaine joins the cast as the Countess’ American mother. While everyone is very good in the cast, Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess steals every scene with her precise use of the English language, toxic sarcasm and ability to surprise viewers and characters with unexpected acts of kindness. Jim Carter, as butler Charles Carson, is similarly memorable. Both are front and center when it comes to dealing with the various intrigues, which include love, loss, blackmail and betrayal … just like in “Dallas.” In Blu-ray, the magnificent Highclere Castle and beautiful Hampshire countryside are wonderful to watch and savor. The set adds the featurettes, “Fashion and Uniforms,” “Romance in a Time of War” and “House to Hospital.” Also from “Masterpiece Theatre” comes Niall MacCormick’s short but withering play, “The Song of Lunch,” in which ex-lovers reunite after 15 years to see if they still have anything in common. Alan Richman plays “He,” while Emma Thompson is “She.” Facebook junkies of a certain age will recognize the urge to re-connect with old flames after a long passage of time. MacCormick points out what some of the Facebook daters have already learned: most graves are best left undisturbed. In the ensuing 15 years, She has married a writer who He doesn’t respect. She lives in Paris with their two children. By all accounts, He is a poet of no standing and publisher of works he despises. If he isn’t an alcoholic, He turns in a masterful impression of one over lunch. He’s aggressively passive-aggressive, petty and distant to the woman he loved and happily made the jump over the channel to see him. Moreover, even before the main course is set before him in the restaurant they once frequented, He has consumed nearly two bottles of wine. How one man could be so boorish in the presence of such grace is a mystery that doesn’t require much of an investigation, really. Times change, places change and our perceptions of people we once loved can change, as well. Thompson is especially well suited for the role of She. I’d like to think Richman had to work overtime to come up with a character as pathetic as He, however. For American audiences only aware of British comedian Steve Coogan from his appearances in such movies as “The Trip,” “Our Idiot Brother” and “24 Hour Party People,” the in-performance DVD “Steve Coogan Live” might come as a revelation. Like Sacha Baron Cohen, he has a tremendous gift for mimicry and creating characters that seem to have lives of their own. His most recognizable creation is the unctuous, self-absorbed British talk-show host, Alan Partridge. “Steve Coogan Live” contains the stage presentations, “The Man Who Thinks He’s It” and “Live & Lewd,” during which he becomes such bizarre characters as “lager lout” Paul Calf and his slutty sister, Pauline; Portuguese Eurovision-winner Tony Ferrino; the incompetent stand-up comedian, Duncan Thicket; and Partridge, who has no regard for his guests, audience or the limits of his own talent. They’re joined on stage and in backstage interludes by the “politically correct” comic Bernard Righton (John Thomson), Simon Pegg and Julia Davis. The rest of the two-disc set is comprised of highlights from Coogan’s Australian tour; the featurette, “Steve Coogan: An Inside Story”; and “Animations of Paul and Pauline Calf.” The often bawdy comedy is distinctly British and may go under the heads of American audiences, just as the coarse language may offend some tender American ears. Sarah Hyland (“American Family”) is the main reason for anyone over 17 to watch the Disney Channel’s “Geek Charming.” In it, she assumes the role once mastered by Alicia Silverstone, in “Clueless.” Her Dylan Schoenfield is the spokewoman for all that’s cool, trendy and expensive at Woodlands Academy, in L.A. Since she already owns everything she covets, Dylan isn’t particularly interested in anything that doesn’t involve her A-list boyfriend or the school’s Fall Formal Blossom Queen competition. When offered an opportunity to be the star of a nerd’s entry into the school’s film festival, she senses that it could make her the idol of teenagers far beyond Woodland Academy and accepts his invitation. If you think the good guy will lose in a Disney Channel movie, you’d always be wrong. The set also arrives with 10 episodes of the “Glee”-ish “Shake It Up” series and a “Best Friend Charm Set.” – Gary Dretzka 3 What Happens Next German filmmaker Tom Tykwer made such a splash with “Run Lola Run” that expectations for his success in America likely were raised to a point no director of arthouse fare could meet. His big-budget action thriller, “The International,” is memorable solely for its exquisitely staged shootout inside New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Constructed on a far more modest foundation, “3” may be his finest film since “Lola.” Set in Berlin, “3” observes a trio of aging yuppies, anxious to achieve sexual fulfillment before becoming middle-age crazy. There’s no question that Simon and Hanna are happy together, even after 20 years together. Hanna develops a crush on a teacher of one of her post-graduate classes, even fantasying about him as she daydreams her way through his dry lectures. After several coincidental meetings and a fun night on the town with his friends, Hanna decides to give the younger man a shot in the sack. Her timing is awful, in that it coincides with Simon’s unplanned operation to remove a cancerous testicle. Genuinely unhappy that she missed his surgery, but not exactly wracked with guilt, she repeats her declaration of love for Simon and we have no reason not to believe her. Weeks later, in another chance meeting, Simon hooks up with Adam at a cool Berlin swimming facility, which appears to double as a pickup spots for gay men. More time passes and Hannah discovers she’s pregnant with twins. This situation could have been handled, poorly, in several different ways. Tykwer settled on one that leaves several questions unanswered, but is satisfying in other significant ways. Because of the occupations of the three characters, it was possible for Tykwer to make “3” look as sleek and hip as possible, without losing any old-world flavor. All of the actors (Sophie Rois, Sebastian Schipper, Devid Striesow) are very good in untypical roles. And, while erotic, the sex in “3” is likely to offend only people willing to vote for the current slate of Republicans seeking the White House. Americans still have a long way to go before they’ll accept gay dramas and rom-coms in mainstream movies, even ones as innocuous and unchallenging as “What Happens Next.” In writer/director Jay Arnold’s debut feature, it takes being fired from his job for a rich businessman, Paul (Jon Lindstrom), to accept his sexual reality. Meanwhile, his sister (Wendie Malick) is desperately attempting to come to grips with her son’s homosexuality. Paul finally is able to act on his deeply sublimated feelings after meeting a much-younger gay man, Andy (Chris Murrah), in the local dog park, where he walks the puppy he received as a going-away gift. Meanwhile, Paul’s sister continues to arrange hetero dates for him. “What Happens Next” feels quaint by comparison to more sophisticated gay-and-lesbian fare, including “3.” As the clichés mount – the mandatory fag hag and sissy boy, among them — it’s possible to wonder who the movie was intended to impress, gay daters or closet cases. – Gary Dretzka The Dead: Blu-ray As zombie movies go, “The Dead” isn’t particularly scary. It does, however, contain many scenes of undead dismemberment, gore and shooting. What separates “The Dead” from a zillion other such flicks are the bleak Burkina Faso and Ghana locations, which recall news footage of starvation in sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, many of the zombies look healthier – from a distance, at least – than the victims of neglect, starvations and internecine war. In Howard and Jonathan Ford’s arid thriller, U.S. Air Force engineer Lt. Brian Murphy is the sole survivor of a plane crash off the coast of war-torn Africa. No sooner does he wash up on shore than he’s confronted with zombies drawn to him like a lighthouse. Because Murphy is a dead shot, he avoids being eaten fairly easily. On his trek to the interior, Murphy is joined by an African soldier (Daniel Dembele) also desperate to leave the area. When their vehicle expires, they proceed by foot through the badlands. The quest for survival is more interesting as a reverse-travelogue than as a creature feature, but that’s OK. There’s a deleted scene and making-of piece, showcasing the special makeup effects work. – Gary Dretzka David E. Talbert’s What My Husband Doesn’t Know If it weren’t for Tyler Perry, David E. Talbert might be the country’s best-known creator of plays and musicals, movies and TV shows, novels and DVDs targeted primarily at the African-American audience. Rather than restage the plays for the movies, Talbert shoots the stage production and sends it out on DVD. It captures the intimacy of the production, while saving lots of money. “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” is the first one I’ve seen that justifies taking the shortcuts. Here, Michelle Williams plays Lena, the beautiful wife of an older, wealthy developer (Clifton Davis) who neglects his wife’s sexual needs. In a moment of weakness, she succumbs to the physical attributes of a younger man (Brian White) hired to fix the house’s plumbing. When her husband smells a rat and pledges to pay closer attention to Lena, she decides to end the affair. Easier said than done, of course. The plumber becomes her stalker. It makes for a dramatic climax, but, what I didn’t expect was that “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” would be so legitimately risqué and funny. Even the pastor is a man with a sexual past. I especially enjoyed the innuendo and double entendre delivered by Lena’s horny BFF, played hilariously by sexy Tiffany Haddish. As is typical with these sorts of productions, there are plenty of belt-it-out singing and larger-than-life characters. “WMHDK” is well acted and stylishly directed by Talbert. It may not be Neil Simon, but it doesn’t need to be. The DVD adds interviews and a backstage tour. – Gary Dretzka All Things Fall Apart In this overburdened sports melodrama, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson not only is responsible for carrying the ball, but also recovering the occasional fumble in the narrative. Besides starring in “All Things Fall Apart,” as an NFL-bound football player cruelly stricken with cancer, Jackson is credited as writer (with Brian A. Miller) and producer. His character, Deon, is a natural born athlete. By the time he blossoms as a running back, Deon’s also amassed an impressive display of dreadlocks, which flow from under his helmet and partially hide his handsome face. He’s built like the proverbial brick shithouse and probably could run through a concrete wall, as well. Until a potentially deadly tumor is discovered near his heart, Deon’s biggest problems are caused by an overbearing brother (Mario Van Peebles, who also directs) and avoiding the temptations associated with being a soon-to-be millionaire. Chemotherapy causes Deon – and 50 Cent — to lose more than 40 pounds of bulk, braids and most of his energy. His older brother is devastated by the reality of never being able to share Deon’s fame and fortune; his mother (Lynn Whitfield) is working triple-time to make ends meet; and a younger brother has finally begun to assert himself as something other than a sidekick, forced to sacrifice his dreams for Deon’s career. After losing his scholarship, insurance and likelihood of supporting himself doing the only thing he’s qualified to do, Deon goes from bad to worse. It isn’t until the young man hits rock bottom is he able to beg his younger brother for a job at a used-car dealership. Turns out, he’s a natural salesman, as well. The surprises don’t stop there, either. “All Things Fall Apart” has so many things going on in it that it’s impossible to keep track of all of them. 50 Cent still has a way to go before he can carry a film on his acting skills, instead of his looks and personality. Van Peebles’ capable direction keeps the movie from drifting too far into territory previously mined by “Brian’s Song” and other sports tragedies, and it looks good. There’s also a pounding hip-hop soundtrack and Ray Liotta playing a surgeon. That’s a lot of heavyweight stuff for a direct-to-DVD picture to address, even in 110 minutes. – Gary Dretzka The Other F Word Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess What’s the greater disconnect, watching 68-year-old multimillionaire Mick Jagger prancing around a giant stage demanding satisfaction or watching a documentary about punk-rock stars attempting to avoid the mistakes made by their parents, while raising their own children? Both images are pretty hair-raising, I suppose. “Janie Jones” and “The Other F Word” have a lot in common in the area of child-rearing and musicians’ accepting the realities of age. In the former, a temperamental singer-songwriter freaks out when he’s introduced to the 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had, by a groupie he can’t remember meeting, let alone having unprotected sex. It’s popular male nightmare, especially in the worlds of music and professional sports. Here, the mother of the girl, Janie (Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Breslin, respectively), insists that she couldn’t wait any longer, because she’s strung out, requires lengthy detox and has nowhere else to turn. Even though, the mother isn’t demanding any money from singer Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), he chooses not to believe her. While performing on stage, however, she takes a powder, leaving Janie to her own devices. After the police pick up the girl for vagrancy – and being in a free-fire zone for pimps looking for fresh talent – Ethan reluctantly allows Janie to hop on the bus, heading for the next gig. It doesn’t take long before the singer’s drinking problem blossoms into a full-blown crisis and his band decides not to stick around for the explosion. The rest of “Janie Jones” chronicles how Ethan and Janie’s passion for music – she’s a natural singer-songwriter — ultimately creates a bridge between them. Writer-director David M. Rosenthal (“Falling Up”) has avoided most of the traps inherent in these scenarios, thanks to an unsentimental portrayal of a father and daughter at loose ends and in desperate need of a helping hand. Breslin and Nivola are terrific and Shue is extremely convincing as a junky who missed too many exit signs on the road to rock-’n’-roll hell. Peter Stormare also is good as the band’s seen-it-all manager. Nivola and Breslin sing original music by Gemma Hayes and Eef Barzelay. The title, “The Other F Word,” refers both to fatherhood and the barrage of F-bombs lobbed during the course of the average punk-rock concert. Among the many ironic twists informing Andrea Blaugrund Nevins’ frequently heart-warming documentary is watching the musicians attempt to balance their anarchic stage personae with the realities of 21st Century parenting. It would have been all too easy for a filmmaker to locate the kids of musicians and ask them what it was like to be raised by rock stars – men and women, both – in a society obsessed with celebrity, wealth and pop culture. For every Jakob Dylan, Miley Cyrus, Stella McCartney and Sean Lennon, there probably are an equal number of train-wreck childhoods. Going blind into “F Word,” I wondered if Nevins anticipated finding a mix of success stories and disasters; tattooed toddlers in leather jackets; musicians too stoned or drunk to remember to pick up the kids at school; and retired-groupie moms in fishnets and industrial-strength mascara. Instead, the parents we meet here lead relatively normal lives with their seemingly normal children, who are encouraged to do their homework and play nice with the other kids at school. The common problems faced by those interviewed in “F Word” is the same one that’s haunted musicians, actors and athletes for more than 100 years. How much damage is done to kids, adults and marriages if a parent is required to spend months at a time on the road, performing and promoting projects? Would even greater problems arise if the parent stayed at home, vegged out and rested on his royalties? Can children be traumatized by a parent’s hairstyle, body ink or attire? Among the musicians interviewed are Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against the Machine’s Tim McIlrath and Pennywise’s Jim Lindberg, whose band’s anthem is “Fuck Authority.” On the other hand, not all punk rockers grow old gracefully or can escape the stereotypes of the genre. “Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess” chronicles the troubled personal life and chaotic career of Marion Anderson. Abused as a child by her father, Anderson attempted to escape her pain through drugs, street life and outrageous behavior. After a stint in juvenile detention, she committed herself to a type of music that was as angry and unforgiving as she was. And, for a while, Anderson was able to hold off the demons of bi-polarity. As lead singer of the Bay Area punk group the Insaints, she developed a reputation for acting out her hostility and sexual proclivities on stage. Law-enforcement agencies attempted to shut down her act, of course, but the ACLU took her side in the argument over the limits of artistic expression and won. After moving to Los Angeles, the very pretty Anderson began to moonlight as a fetish model and dominatrix, somewhere along the way acquiring a taste for heroin. Her death didn’t prompt the same media coverage as that of other doomed pop stars, so Lilly Scourtis’ “Last Fast Ride” provides a proper eulogy. Narrated by Henry Rollins, the movie is loaded with interviews, concert footage and the recollections of her family and girlfriend. It’s an interesting portrayal, but one that fits a pattern familiar to other pop idols. – Gary Dretzka Manhattan/Annie Hall: Blu-ray Woody Allen: A Documentary Among the many things for which Woody Allen is widely known is his reluctance to add bonus material and commentaries to his movies as they’re released in video, DVD and Blu-ray. A few years ago, he told a reporter for Total Film, “I’m really not interested. I want my films to speak for themselves. And hopefully they do.” He’s granted many such interviews over the course of his long career, but not the kind of frame-by-frame analysis collectors of laserdiscs, DVDs and Blu-rays relish. The Blu-ray release of “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” – arguably, his two most popular and enduring titles – once again raises the question as to how Allen managed to resist the temptation to flog his projects. It seems like such fun, after all. Certainly, enough already has been revealed about these two movies, so that commentaries might only serve as the icing on the cake or cherry on the sundae. In a very real sense, “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” do speak for themselves. “2001: A Space Odyssey,” they’re not. The only real question to be answered, then, is how well the hi-def presentation compares to the theatrical and DVD experience. Very well, thank you. Cinematographer Gordon Willis’ magnificent black-and-white work in “Manhattan” remains transcendent and the studio has decided not to mess arbitrarily with the original audio presentations. That’s enough to recommend them. Patient admirers of Allen’s films need only wait another two weeks for Robert Weide’s “Woody Allen: A Documentary,” a 191-minute exploration of the artist, his work and influences. Allen is interviewed at length, as are such actors as Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, John Cusack, Larry David, Mariel Hemingway, Scarlett Johansson, Julie Kavner, Diane Keaton, Martin Landau, Louise Lasser, Sean Penn, Tony Roberts, Chris Rock, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest and Owen Wilson; collaborators Marshall Brickman, Mickey Rose and Doug McGrath; cinematographers Gordon Willis and Vilmos Zsigmond; Allen’s sister and aide, Letty Aronson; longtime manager Jack Rollins; casting director Juliet Taylor; and friends Dick Cavett and Martin Scorsese. Not all of what’s said about Allen is particularly new or revelatory, but all of the pieces add up to a recognizable whole. Allen also opens up a little on his personal life and the controversies that continue to dog him. The documentary takes viewers from Allen’s earliest writing jobs and Marxian comedies, through the highs and lows of his movie career, and to the surprising success of “Midnight in Paris.” It’s a fascinating portrait and not a minute too long. The bonus material on the DVD includes “12 Questions With Woody Allen,” deleted scenes and interview material, and an interview with Weide. – Gary Dretzka Notorious/Spellbound/Rebecca: Blu-ray The Apartment: Blu-ray In the world of Blu-ray, some weeks are better than others. Sure, hardly a week goes by without the release of one or two current hits, sure to top the list of best-selling and best-renting titles. What makes buffs stand up and applaud, though, is the concurrent release of important catalogue classics, which took their own sweet time to arrive, but are in as good a shape as the latest technology allows. This is one of those weeks. It’s pretty tough to beat the near simultaneous releases of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” “Spellbound” and “Notorious”; Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment”; and Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall.” The movies speak for themselves as necessary additions to anyone’s library. If not, the duly noted Academy Award nominations and Oscars make the case even clearer. Besides being examples of Hitchcock working at full speed, the movies are populated with such immortal acting talents as Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Claude Rains, Leo G. Carroll and Rhonda Fleming (in her second credited role), as well as the writing of Robert Sherwood and Ben Hecht. “Rebecca” may be the most significant in that it represents Hitch’s first American-made feature, under notorious meddler/genius David O. Selznick, and the only one of his titles to win the Best Picture Oscar. Adapted from a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, “Rebecca” tells the story of a pretty, if oddly unfashionable young woman (Fontaine) who falls quickly and deeply in love with a filthy-rich older man (Olivier). Their days at the Manderley mansion would become increasingly dark as the clouds of controversy, conspiracy and fear continue to roll in and the specter of the owner’s recently dead wife haunts the narrative throughout. It’s one of the rare movies in which the suspense continues to build, even as final credits are about to roll. The Blu-ray bonus package adds commentary by Richard Schickel; isolated music and effects tracks; the featurettes, “The Making of ‘Rebecca’” and “The Gothic World of Daphne DuMaurier”; screen tests, including those of Margaret Sullavan and Vivien Leigh; and radio plays; audio interviews with Hitchcock. “Spellbound” is famous largely for the inclusion of a trippy dream sequence conceived by Salvador Dali. Otherwise, according to Hitchcock, the film is “just another manhunt wrapped up in pseudo-psychoanalysis,” albeit a very enjoyable one. Bergman plays a dedicated psychiatrist, who falls in love with a doctor (Peck) whose true identity is masked by amnesia and abnormal behavior. The police believe him to be a murderer, but the psychiatrist isn’t convinced. “Calling Dr. Freud …” Here, the extras include commentary with film historians Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg; the excellent featurettes, “Running With Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali,” “Guilt By Association: Psychoanalyzing ‘Spellbound,’” and “A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming”; a 1948 radio play, directed by Hitchcock; and interviews conducted by Peter Bogdanovich. The spy thriller “Notorious” is many people’s favorite Hitchcock movie, if only because of the steamy post-war romance between an American intelligence officer and the playgirl daughter of a Nazi spy that he recruits to infiltrate a nest of Nazi spies in Brazil. Despite the fact that her father was convicted in court and elected to commit suicide instead of serving time, Alicia Huberman professes a love for America and accepts the challenge. She even agrees to marry a former friend (Rains) of her father and member of a gang of unrepentant Nazis. One of Hitchcock’s tricks here is to give us more information about Alicia than what’s available to her control agent, Devlin (Grant) – who still considers her to be a loose cannon — setting up the possibility of a Shakespearean tragedy. The romantic scenes pushed the borders of the Hollywood Production Code, as did the ambiguity surrounding Alicia’s sexual past. The closer Alicia gets to exposing her true colors to her husband and his fascist mother, the hotter the romance grows between her and Devlin. The broken-bottle scene in the wine cellar is a classic example of how Hitchcock builds tension, without resorting to thriller conventions or superfluous dialogue. The Blu-ray adds commentaries by film professors Rick Jewell and Drew Casper; isolated movie and effects tracks; making-of featurettes, including one on the development of the love scenes; a 1948 radio play with Bergman and Joseph Cotton; a short piece of an AFI honored bestowed on Hitch; and his discussions with Bogdanovich and Francois Truffaut. It amazing that some of the most romantic moments in cinema history have been orchestrated by someone who doesn’t look as if he could get laid in a whorehouse. Discussions about Hitchcock’s often testy relationship with Selznick also are fascinating. The numbing sameness of factory work has been dramatized in movies for almost as long as there have been movies, with Charles Chaplin’s 1936 “Modern Times” scoring a direct hit on the dehumanizing effects of assembly lines, automation and unsafe conditions in the workplace. In Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment,” employees of the giant Consolidated Life Insurance Company aren’t much happier than Chaplin’s hapless nut-tightener. The only thing missing in Wilder’s depiction of Consolidated’s vast un-partitioned workspace is an open window, from which the miserable clerks and bean-counters could commit suicide. It’s a miracle that any single drone could be singled out for special duty by the office managers, but C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) benefits from his willingness to allow married senior executives to use his nearby apartment for their trysts with young female employees. To a man, the executives are first-rate cads and exploiters of women who believe their lies about divorcing their wives. Baxter is led to believe that his cooperation could enhance his chance for promotion and, indeed, it does. Even when his bosses begin to abuse the privilege, Baxter literally allows himself to be left out in the cold Manhattan winter, catching a world-beater cold. Shirley MacLaine is wonderful as Fran, the elevator operator who breaks Baxter’s heart when the big boss leaves her at the apartment, despondent and betrayed. He helps her survivea suicide attempt, but is dismayed when Fran leaves herself open to more heartache. C.C. and Fran may be perfectly suited to each other, but it takes more courage than they’re usually able to muster to declare their independence in this often very dark comedy. Wilder won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay (co-written with longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond). Lemmon and MacLaine were nominated in the Best Actors categories. The Blu-ray package includes the informative commentary of film historian Bruce Block; the featurettes, “Inside ‘The Apartment’” and” Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon,” in which Chris Lemmon discusses the life and career of his father. – Gary Dretzka Shakespeare in Love: Blu-ray Up the Creek Monsigner With the nomination process behind us for another year, there’s no better time to recall the great upsets in Oscar history. I’m not sure anything would qualify as an upset this time around, although “The Artist” is the current favorite. One of the biggest surprises was the awarding of the Best Picture trophy to “Shakespeare in Love,” and victories for Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, writers Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, composer Stephen Warbeck, costume designer Sandy Powell and art directors Martin Childs and Jill Quertier. Director John Madden lost out to Steven Spielberg, whose “Saving Private Ryan” was considered to be the prohibitive favorite for more than six months. Most, if not all of the credit for the upset was given to Harvey Weinstein, whose lobbying efforts forever changed the way Oscar campaigns would be organized. It certainly has impacted on the release patterns, which practically ensure that potential Best Picture candidates no longer will open before Thanksgiving. Even if the debate continues, there’s no questioning that “Shakespeare in Love” is a wonderful entertainment. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary with Madden alone; a separate track with the commentary of cast and crew members; the post-Oscar featurette, “‘Shakespeare in Love’ and on Film”; deleted scenes; a profile of costume designer Powell; and marketing material. “Radio Inside” is a curious romantic drama from 1994. As far as I can tell, it wasn’t accorded a theatrical release, debuting on VHS four years later. Considering that William McNamara, Elisabeth Shue and Dylan Walsh had yet to emerge as stars, and the subject matter was pretty dark, the studio must have decided not to throw good money after bad. Fact is, it’s pretty good. McNamara plays Matthew, a Midwestern youth who moves to Miami to live with his older brother, Michael (Walsh), after the accidental death of their father. Michael is a genuinely nice guy and devoted brother, whose relationship with his girlfriend, Natalie (Shue), suffers an inability to push himself away from his desk. Matthew’s arrival is convenient in that he and Natalie can keep each other company, while Michael is working overtime or generally running late. Naturally, something happens that brings Matthew and Natalie together in a way that feeds on both of their insecurities. What isn’t predictable, however, is Matthew’s fantastical relationship with Jesus Christ – who is available by phone — and withdrawal into memories of the time he spent with his father in the North Woods. It takes a while to understand the young man’s fear of and fixation with water, but it finally makes sense in a strange sort of way. What truly distinguishes “Radio Inside” from the thousands of other offbeat indies made in the last 20 years is the cinematography of Brian Capener, which shows Miami in a more flattering and meteorologically dramatic light than any other movie I’ve seen. The shots of storm clouds and sunsets, alone, are worth the cost of a rental. The MGM title is available on a manufactured-on-demand basis through Internet retailers. There are no extras. Other new MOD titles include “Vice Squad,” a 1953 procedural in which Edward G. Robinson plays an LAPD captain “during the course of an ordinary day,” if you consider two police shootings, a bank heist and personal visits from a friendly madam normal. Shot largely on location, the inaccurately titled “Vice Squad” is fun to watch for its nostalgia value, if nothing else. Released in 1989, “Getting It Right” reminds me of a British version of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” In the place of wild and wacky Steve Carell is Jesse Birdsall, a subdued London hairdresser whose sexual awakening is sparked by eccentrics played by Lynn Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter and Jane Horroks. John Gielgud and Peter Cook also have memorable turns in this very British comedy. “Up the Creek” is a wildly uneven comedy from the Golden Age of gross-out and slob movies. Six years after “Animal House,” Tim Matheson and Stephen Furst are still in no hurry to graduate college, if only because they’re having too much fun and don’t feel any obligation to study. The dean (John Hillerman) is so anxious to see them leave that he offers them the degree of their choice if they win an annual collegiate white-water rafting competition against teams of stereotypical jocks, ROTC geeks, fraternity thugs, sorority sluts and other undergraduate misfits from other schools. If “Up the Creek” isn’t nearly as funny as “Animal House,” it’s because the writers don’t appear to have had any association with the National Lampoon. “Porky’s” regular Dan Monahan also is part of the home team. Christopher Reeve took on “Monsignor” in the hiatus between the second and third installments of “Superman.” Its status as one of Hollywood’s great turkeys – on a dollar-for-dollar, frame-by-frame basis, anyway – isn’t mentioned in the notes on the DVD cover, but its notoriety is the only possible reason the rascals at Shout! Factory would release it some 30 years later. Reeve is an American priest and war hero, whose rise in the Catholic Church is greased by his dealings with the Mafia and other shady businessmen. The most notorious moments occur when he breaks his vow of celibacy with a nun played by Geneviève Bujold, and who could blame him? There no bonus features. – Gary Dretzka Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles The Toynbee Tiles are the stuff that urban myths are made of … or would be if they weren’t so prevalent and well recorded by cultists and pop-culture historians. For the uninitiated, the tiles have been found embedded in roadways across much of the United States and several South American capitals. Each placard carries the words, “TOYNBEE IDEA/IN Kubrick’s 2001/RESURRECT DEAD/ON PLANET JUPITER,” or some variation of them. What they mean precisely can’t be known for sure because the perpetrator of the phenomenon has yet to be identified with any certainty, although the producers of “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” have found a couple of likely candidates. The most common theory holds that the messages refer to theories by historian Arnold Toynbee about death and resurrection and their relation to the “Space Baby” sequence in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The mystery has attracted the kind of attention usually reserved for crop circles, the JFK assassination, Trilateral Commission and Elvis Sightings. Jon Foy’s documentary addresses the history of the tiles and the many theories surrounding them. There’s a photo gallery of the tiles, which are all slightly different, as well as other bonus material. – Gary Dretzka Electric Daisy Carnival Experience Imagine coming home from work one day and seeing a Big Top on one end of your street, one sidewalk filled with midway attractions and the other lined with food trucks. In between them, several thousand people are wandering around waiting for the circus to begin. That’s kind of how I felt while watching “Electric Daisy Carnival Experience,” a DVD chronicling an annual two-day dance-music party held at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2010. Here were tens of thousands of young men and women, seemingly from around the world, gyrating to the pulsating sounds of house, dance and electronic music, delivered by the some of the genre’s most popular deejays. There was a Ferris wheel on one end of the field and a giant stage dominated by a single “spinner,” his mix kit and a bunch of sexy clowns on the other. How come I wasn’t invited? Probably because I would have passed out and died after the first six hours of jumping up and down while wearing some insane costume and candy-chain bracelets. These sorts of parties have been going on for years in Europe, where a large part of the underground economy is fueled by Ecstasy sales. Here, the parties have been smaller, more impromptu affairs. Apparently, though, the sheer magnitude of the 2010 “EDCE” surprised even seasoned deejays and promoters. A veritable horde of peaceful young freaks filled the football field and much of the grandstands; dozens of clowns and acrobats performed; and a couple dozens of deejays entertained the throng estimated at 100,000. Among those represented in the DVD are Steve Aoki, Moby, will.i.am, Laidback Luke, MSTRKRFT, Skrillex, Travis Barker vs A-Trak and a bunch of acts my kids would recognize, but I don’t. The “EDCE” film is a first-class, no-expenses-spared effort. It looks great on 2D, too. – Gary Dretzka Hunted by Night Potnah Unless one is a bow-hunter, the thrills in “Hunted by Night” are pretty much limited to watching Cuban-American heartthrob and People magazine coverboy Jencarlos Canela almost single-handedly wipe out a small army of cocaine traffickers and their stooges. The action begins in the Florida Everglades, where three friends are spending a few days hunting deer with high-tech bows and arrows. When one of the men spies a low-flying plane dropping bales of blow on what appears to be a designated pickup spot, we almost are able to see dollar signs emerging from a cartoon balloon over his head. He manages to convince one of his buddies to go along with his plan to rip-off the cartel, but is less successful with the hunter played by Canela, who senses a disaster waiting to happen. Within hours, a posse of heavily armed Hispanics shows up in their swamp buggies and Escalades, anxious to pick up the packages and ruin the lives of school children and fashion models across the U.S. of A. Instead of cocaine, they find a misplaced arrow, which, of course, leads them to the hunters. The remaining 90 minutes of the movie are taken over by chases, ambushes, shootouts, martial-arts action and well-placed arrows with razor-sharp broadheads. Did I mention that the extremely buff Canela also is a world-class kick-boxer? Anyway, that kind of wraps up what happens in “Hunted by Night.” The action is very good, but I would have expected veteran stuntman and freshman director Juan C. Bofill to up the ante by adding some alligators, man-eating pythons and cougars to the cast. When was the last time you saw a movie about illegal cigarette trafficking in the ’hood? Yeah, me neither. If the idea sounds appealing, check out “Podnah,” a do-it-yourself crime story directed by Darrell Smith and written by Kyron Hodges, a self-admitted graduate of the New York State Correctional Facility and budding multimedia magnate. “Podnah” appears to have been drawn from Hodges’ personal experiences in the cigarette trade, at least until, “the feds got jealous.” Hodges also stars in the micro-budget indie, which offers a thug’s-eye view of the life in the criminal underworld. It isn’t pretty, but “Podnah” does deliver some cheap thrills. – Gary Dretzka Tabitha’s Salon Takeover: Complete Season 2 The Rachel Zoe Project: eason 4 The Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 5 Ancient Aliens: Season Three For most of its first 20 years of existence, the Bravo network was known as a repository for shows highlighting the performing arts, drama, British television serials and independent film. For the past 10, it’s been a testing ground for reality-based shows no sane person could have imagined in the early days of cable television. The changeover began in 2003, with the unlikely success of the fashion-makeover series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” It would spawn such kindred shows as “Project Runway” and “Real Housewives.” For those too poor (or snooty) to afford a cable subscription, Bravo Media makes available full-season collections of all of its original programming. Generally speaking, these compilations pop up a week or two before the launch of a show’s new season, adding the reunion specials, confrontations between the shows’ stars and added footage. In the case of “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover,” there’s been a bit of a lag between the newly begun Season 4 and release of the Season 2 collection. Aussie salon owner and former “Shear Genius” contestant Tabatha Coffey has been assigned the task of rescuing businesses that are on the brink of disaster and consoling employees at loose ends. In Season 2, the blond-tressed, black-clad fashion dominatrix visited 10 salons in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. In doing so, she takes over control of the facility and makes all the difficult decisions. If only she could do the same thing with Congress. Also available in an exclusive deal with Target are “Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 6” and “The Rachel Zoe Project: Season 4.” When, in 2006, the SoCal housewives found a ready audience for their bad behavior and pathetic addiction to consumerism, it was inevitable that groups of similarly spoiled MILFs would be found in other major American cities, including New York, Washington, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Miami and Atlanta. (There also are spinoffs in Athens, Israel, Brazil and Vancouver.) In Season 5 Alexis Bellino replaces original housewife Jeana Keough. Tamra and Simon are feuding and Lynne and her family facing eviction. The widow Gretchen has begun dating Slade, the slimeball once engaged to Jo De La Rosa. Rachel Zoe began her television life as a much-in-demand stylist to the stars. What, you think celebrities could dress and accessorize that hideously on their own? The series now is more about the otherwise talentless Zoe, her staff, family and ancillary businesses than her celebrity clients. In the fourth stanza, Zoe and Roger appear to have settled their differences and she’s six months pregnant. If a baby can’t slow Zoe down, as her husband has requested, what hope is there for her wannabes? Former aide Brad Goreski now has a series of his own, “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” which, of course, is on Bravo. Meanwhile, over on the History Channel, Season 3 opened with a nod to the newly released sci-fi Western, “Cowboys & Aliens,” in that the show explores Native American myths and visits a cemetery, where, in 1897, an “ancient astronaut” is rumored to have been buried. It also examines how genetics, religions, cults and our Founding Fathers might have been influenced by alien contacts. It’s worth mentioning, here, that shipwreck finders recently found what they believe to be one or two UFO’s 300 feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea. With news like that, “Ancient Aliens” could run forever. – Gary Dretzka The Tuskegee Airmen/The Josephine Baker Story/Thurgood: Blu-ray Pacific Blue: The Complete Series The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show BBC: Waking the Dead: The Complete Season Six “America in Primetime,” which aired on PBS stations last fall, is the latest in a long line of documentary series to find some deeper meaning in the medium that dominates the free time of so many Americans. Television, especially of the broadcast variety, has shaped how we see ourselves and each other, even if the characters tend to be mere composites of various types. If all bigots were as lovable as Archie Bunker and George Jefferson, for example, the world would be a much better place. Likewise, if all gang-bangers were as harmless as the Fonz, our big cities would be as safe as Disneyland. Are the housewives of Wisteria Lane the natural descendants of June Cleaver, Donna Reed and Mary Tyler Moore or is their DNA shared with the “real housewives” of Beverly Hills and Orange County. “America in Primetime” examines 60 years of television programming with an eye toward the evolution of character types. It’s the kind of thing PhD’s study endlessly from the vantage point of their ivory towers and viewers take entirely for granted. For most of us, it’s enough to know we’re being entertained by characters who look, more or less, like people we recognize. If they more closely resembled our neighbors, co-workers and bosses, there would be no reason to watch them. It explains why “The Office” is such an anomaly. Its characters are exactly like people we’ve known since high school and went to college to avoid. And, yet, through some creative alchemy, we can’t wait to join them each week. It would be impossible to wrap up several generations’ worth of characterizations and archetypes in four hours and develop a cohesive understanding of the medium. What makes “America in Primetime” entertaining are the many clips from beloved shows and the comments of such folks as Jason Alexander, Judd Apatow, Alec Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, James L. Brooks, Diablo Cody, Larry David, Danny DeVito, Edie Falco, Dennis Franz, Michael C. Hall, Patricia Heaton, Ron Howard, Felicity Huffman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Lynch, Julianna Margulies, Jerry Mathers, Mary Tyler Moore, Elisabeth Moss, Mary-Louise Parker, Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke and Rainn Wilson. Don’t worry if the producers have missed your favorite show or character. Another documentary will be pulling into a PBS station near you in another few months, or so. With the Martin Luther King holiday now behind us and Black History Month two week away, it’s fitting that HBO has released a trio of its original movies, describing the contributions of important African-Americans. The package includes “The Tuskegee Airmen,” “The Josephine Baker Story” and “Thurgood,” all of which have been accorded numerous Emmy nominations and awards and arrive here on Blu-ray for the first time. The newest entry is “Thurgood,” with Laurence Fishburne playing the first African-American appointed to Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall. George Stevens Jr. wrote the one-man play, which, before debuting on HBO last February, was staged at Connecticut’s Westport County Playhouse, with James Earl Jones, and Broadway and the Kennedy Center, with Fishburne playing the justice. Throughout his career, Marshall defied the odds against a black man not only becoming a lawyer, but also arguing before the Supreme Court and then being appointed to the same body. Fishburne also appears in 1995’s “The Tuskegee Airmen,” the true story of the black pilots, navigators, bombardiers and support staff who broke the color barrier in the U.S. Army Air Corps and distinguished themselves over the skies of Europe. It is essentially the same story told in the new feature film, “Red Tails.” (Cuba Gooding Jr. appears in both pictures.) Like Marshall, the airman took flack from racists of all stripes, but persevered to become largely unsung American heroes. Along with Fishburne, Andre Braugher was nominated for a Supporting Actor Emmy. In 1991, Lynn Whitfield was awarded the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for her portrayal of Josephine Baker, one of the great entertainers of the 20th Century. Born in St. Louis, where she danced on street corners to make money, it wasn’t until Baker moved to Paris, in 1925, that she became a star. The HBO movie describes in glorious (and, perhaps, silicone-enhanced) detail how her erotic performances made her the toast of Europe. It also recalls her stormy romances and evolution of talents not limited to dancing around the stage in a skirt made of bananas. She didn’t find the same success in New York, when she agreed to star in a Ziegfeld Follies production. The critics portrayed in the movie appear to have resented both her race and success across the pond. During World War II, she agreed to spy for the Allies and support the Resistance by exploiting her popularity with enemy occupiers. She would also become an outspoken supporter of the American civil rights movement. The Blu-ray adds new commentary from Whitfield, writer Ron Hutchinson, and associate producer Alisa Taylor. As ridiculous as it sounds on paper, a show about an “elite unit of bicycle cops” managed to stay on the USA cable network from 1996-2000. Considering that it was set in Santa Monica, its longevity probably can be attributed as much to the scantily clad beach bunnies as the pursuit of purse snatchers on the bike paths and Promenade. “Pacific Blue” also benefitted from young and hot cops who could never be mistaken for police anywhere except southern California. It included Darlene Vogel, Shanna Moakler, Amy Hunter, Jim Davidson, Paula Trickey and current ass-kisser-to-the-stars, Mario Lopez. The set includes all 101 episodes of the show, described here as “‘Baywatch’ on bikes.” Time-Life has released the second volume of “King of Cool: The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show,” which originally had been sold on infomercials. I don’t know if anyone under 40 would enjoy revisiting the era of variety shows on television, but those who remember the extinct species will delight in the six-disc set, which comes with an episode guide. Among Dean’s guests are Red Buttons, Mickey Rooney, Sid Caesar, Jackie Mason, Bill Cosby, Carroll O’Connor, Bob Newhart, Ella Fitzgerald, Eddie Fisher, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Mathis, Liberace, Herb Albert, the Supremes and a bunch of long-forgotten acts. The latest collection of stories from BBC’s cold-case series, “Waking the Dead,” represents the sixth season, which ran in early 2007. The titles include “The Fall,” “Deus Ex Machina,” “Wren Boys,” “Mask of Sanity,” “Double Blind” and “Yahrzeit,” all multi-parters. Tara Fitzgerald is now a regular cast member, as pathologist Dr. Eve Lockhart. Any fan of American forensics and CSI series is a likely candidate to get hooked on “Waking the Dead.” – Gary Dretzka Titanic: The Definitive Documentary Collection The Race to Space: America’s Greatest Journey Civil War: Commemorative Documentary Collection Every time a floating hotel makes an unscheduled stop on a submerged shoal or rock formation, survivors compare the experience to being on the Titanic. It happened again a few days ago in Italy and, unlike the Titanic, most of the passenger survived. The ship will need some body work, but it likely will be made to float again. The same, of course, can’t be said of the Titanic, whose memorabilia are being offered for sale on eBay, as we speak. Mill Creek’s “Titanic: The Definitive Documentary Collection” includes five documentaries about the disaster, covering facts, myths, legends, mysteries, interviews and information collectors would specifically enjoy. “The Race to Space: America’s Greatest Journey” is interesting for its place in television history. Among other things, the 10-part documentary collection represents filmmaker David L. Wolper’s first forays into television. “The Race for Space” was shown in 1959, when Americans were still reeling over the fact that the commies had beaten us into space. Wolper would return to the subject several more times in his career. The docs include space footage and other material collected from NASA and Soviet space agencies. Much of the material, of course, will appear dated on modern television sets, but it recalls a time when anything seemed possible and we all stood in awe of the astronauts and the people who lit their candles. This being the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War, it’s a good time to get reacquainted with the events and issues – in addition to slavery — that led to the conflagration and controversies that contributed to the hatred and rivalries that continue until today. Mill Creek’s “Civil War: Commemorative Documentary Collection” set is comprised of nearly eight hours of interviews, archival material, battlefield tours, and re-enactments. The episodes are titled “The Life and Death of the Army of Northern Virginia,” “Mr. Lincoln’s Army: Fighting Brigades of the Army of the Potomac,” “The Battles for Atlanta,” “Shadow in the Valley: The Battle of Chickamauga,” “Diary of a Confederate Soldier,” “Civil War” and “Abraham Lincoln: Father of Freedom.” – Gary Dretzka Nova: Finding Life Beyond Earth: Blu-ray Nature: The Animal House Nova: Deadliest Volcanoes Frontline: Lost in Detention: The Hidden Legacy of 9/11 I don’t think it was the intention of the History Channel to completely deflate several centuries’ worth of legends and lore involving King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but someone had to do it, I suppose. Fortunately, the producers of “King Arthur and Medieval Britain” had the decency to fill the vacuum with lots more mystery, conjecture and provocative history. It dates back to the arrival of the Romans, building of Hadrian’s Wall and the invasions of various hordes. Allusions to Arthurian figures and events that may have contributed to the myth can be found almost everywhere in ancient texts and other passed-along material. Pinning down a particular 6th Century warlord, however, proves difficult. The story is told through dramatizations and archival images. The series also deals with the origins of Lancelot, Guinevere, Merlin and Excalibur; the history of arms and armor and the quest for the Holy Grail. History’s similarly exhaustive “Frozen World” and Nova’s fascinating “Iceman Murder Mystery” take viewers back to a period in Earth’s history when global warming was something to be welcomed, not feared. The changes wrought by the thick blanket of ice continue to shape how we live today. The great thing is that evidence of the changes surrounds us and can be seen without the employment of either a telescope or microscope. That we can still be surprised by the evidence, though, is just part of the appeal of “Iceman Murder Mystery.” For the past 20 years, scientists of several different stripes have been investigating the cause of death for a Copper Age man who was buried under ice for more than 5,000 years in the Italian Alps. The autopsy reveals clues that could keep the characters on “CSI” guessing for an entire season, including the contents of his stomach and presence of a bow and arrow. “Finding Life Beyond Earth” revives the question that’s been perplexing mankind for as long as humans could ask questions: where can I find a trustworthy mechanic? No, it’s “Are we alone in the universe?” and some scientists believe we may be getting close to an answer. We meet some of them in this DVD and Blu-ray. Another persistent question is, “Where do animals go when it rains?” Why do some animals build structures and others don t? Most of know where beavers live and how their houses get made, but where do less busy critters go? As far as I know, most of the animals featured in “The Animal House” have yet to earn a degree in architecture. Of all the horrific ways people can be killed in natural disasters, being devoured by a lava flow may be the coolest. Buried in ash, not so much. The “Nova” episode, “Deadliest Volcanoes” tackles the endlessly fascinating study of volcanology and how the eruptions have changed not only the landscape, but also the way people live in their shadow. Republican candidates for president enjoy beating up President Obama for not being tougher on illegal immigrants than he already is. “Frontline: Lost in Detention: The Hidden Legacy of 9/11” argues that Democrats don’t have to take a backseat to anyone on deportations and crappy treatment of our unwanted guests. The show examines Obama’s enforcement strategies, who is being detained and what is happening to them. – Gary Dretzka Astral City: A Spiritual Journey This Brazilian export combines key aspects of “Heaven Can Wait” and “Defending Your Life,” in the interest of a story about reincarnation. It was adapted by Wagner de Assis from a novel said to have been written by the spirit, Andre Luiz, through the Brazilian medium, Francisco Candido Xavier. Or, something like that. Here, the self-centered Dr. Luiz dies and awakes in the limbo-like realm of “Umbral.” It resembles a swamp, teeming with zombies instead of alligators. At some point, the doctor is snatched from the mud flats and brought to the spiritual city of “Nosso Lar” (“Our Home”), which could have been inspired by the Albert Brooks comedy. It’s here that Luiz is introduced to people working to improve and perfect the reincarnation process, which apparently needs fixing. The doctor probably could have used a bit more time in purgatory, as he routinely gave in to temptations of the seven deadly sins. He has other things to offer the community, though, than his personal redemption. “Astral City” reportedly was the most expensive movie to make in Brazilian history. The visual effects probably won’t impress most American audiences, as the backgrounds look as if they were lifted from a storybook. It’s intended, I think, for the kind of viewers who would like to see crystals and talismans sold at concession stands, alongside the popcorn. – Gary Dretzka Shark Night: Blu-ray Ice Quake: Blu-ray In the world of horror, it’s next to impossible to kill off a popular franchise, such as “Final Destination.” When all forward progress has been halted, the producers can always slip into reverse and pull a prequel out of their butt, thus advancing the series by going backwards. “FD 5” is set in the late 1990s, just before the release of the first “FD,” and a decade before the release of “FD4,” which we were led to believe was the final “Final Destination.” The enigmatic coroner, Bludworth, returns to the series to explain to the doomed characters that it’s impossible to cheat death simply by avoiding it once or twice. He’s introduced at the funeral of co-workers killed in a catastrophic bridge collapse, which serves as the movie’s first and best set piece. One of the passengers in a bus headed to a company retreat had envisioned the collapse right down to the impalements and crushed bodies. After awaking with a start, Sam realizes that the bus has only now reached the bridge and is in the same position it was when the road began to crumble in his dream. This time, he’s more successful at alerting his co-workers and getting more of them to safety than he was able to previously. Just when the survivors are feeling good about their chances of someday collecting Social Security, Bludworth’s warning begins to ring true. As usual, the deaths are designed to be as gory and disturbing as possible, especially when viewed in 3D. Besides the intricately choreographed bridge collapse, “FD5” features an exciting midair plane disaster and other stomach-churning “accidents.” Given the convenient placement of fans blades and other sharp objects, fans will be able to foretell scenes of unspeakable horror with the same accuracy as the most clairvoyant of characters. It spoils any notion of spontaneity but gives the punters their money’s worth. The Blu-ray edition adds alternate death scenes, a making-of featurette that explains how the green-screen set pieces were created and side-by-side comparisons of visual-effects sequences. Rated PG-13, “Shark Night” (a.k.a., “Shark Night 3D”) is built from the same template as such killer-animal flicks as “Piranha,” “Alligator,” “Lake Placid,” “Barracuda,” “Humanoids From the Deep” and, of course, the many sequels to those creature features. A group of college students decide to enjoy a few days off from school at a vacation home owned by the family of one of the girls. It’s located on a large, secluded lake in southern Louisiana. Before hopping on the motorboat that will transport them to the remote location, the students are confronted by a pair of belligerent local yokels, who will keep reappearing throughout the movie. No sooner do the students reach the cabin and begin entertaining themselves with various aquatic activities than critters we know to be sharks begin picking them off one by one. What, you ask, are sharks doing in a fresh-water lake? That’s for the filmmakers to know and very patient viewers to find out. It’s easy to figure out where the 3D effects would have appeared in “Shark Night,” if the distributors had elected to release the stereoscopic version. Nothing, though, could have turned the movie into something in the same league as the Corman classics or even “Piranha 3D,” which, at least, had the whimsy to add porn divas to the fishes’ menu. Indeed, there’s precious little skin here and the gore is inexplicably tame and predictable. While not nearly as crazy as some of Corman’s work for Syfy, “Shark Night” could easily find a home there. The Blu-ray arrives with a “Shark Attack Kill Machine!,” which allows viewers to skip ahead to the bloody bits; a profile of director David R. Ellis (“Snakes on a Plane” and two “Final Destination” installments; and the featurettes, “Shark Night’s Survival Guide” and “Fake Sharks, Real Scares.” “Ice Quake” is a fairly typical Syfy channel product in that a decent world-in-peril conceit isn’t supported by a budget that can make it look plausible. Apparently, a massive ice shelf has collapsed in Russia, causing earthquake-like shock waves to ripple through the entire polar region. Among other dire ramifications, huge geysers, fissures and avalanches are being recorded and methane is leaking through the permafrost, threatening to blow up the planet. An attractive cast, which includes Brendan Fehr and Victor Garber, is called upon to marshal their resources to save the Earth from an obnoxiously smelly demise. The British Columbia setting helps make “Ice Quake” easy on the eyes, if not the brain, and, if nothing else, productions like these keep Canadian actors gainfully employed. The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka Dispatch Set exclusively in the garage of a Los Angeles limousine service, “Dispatch” feels as if it might have been written for the stage and expanded to fit the dimensions of a vanity project for the screen. Steven Sprung and Michael Bershad do the heavy lifting in this Hollywood morality play. Bershad plays a screenwriter who has enjoyed success in the past, but refuses to take on the kind of lucrative assignments he feels are beneath him. Instead, he’s taken on the role of dispatcher at the limo company. Trouble is, he’s in the middle of a painful divorce and needs a chuck of money to make things right. A degenerate gambler, as well, he senses an opportunity when an old acquaintance – a cocky chauffeur, named Killer – returns to work, dropping hints about a sure-fire restaurant investment. Instead, it’s anything but a guaranteed success and Killer ain’t what he appears to be. “Dispatch” probably would be more effective if viewed in a non-equity production at a small theater. As a DVD rental, it isn’t a bad investment, either. – Gary Dretzka Cast Me If You Dare This amusing Japanese confection involves an actor who specializes in supporting roles and commercials, but can’t seem to escape from the shadow of his highly respected playwright father. As such, Hiroshi is a droopy fellow who rarely smiles and often is mistaken for other people, including wanted criminals. In addition to the ensuing comedy of errors, Hiroshi becomes the object of desire for a sweet aspiring actress, who’s as impressed with his credits as those of his father. Instead of embracing Aya’s advances, Hiroshi pushes her away from him. Eventually, the physical opposites attract, but it takes a large dollop of slapstick comedy before they do. “Cast Me If You Dare” is the kind of movie that grows on you. – Gary Dretzka The Fat Boy Chronicles Inspired by a true story and adapted from a book by Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan, who also wrote the screenplay, “The Fat Boy Chronicles” is a surprisingly entertaining story about a kid who overcomes huge obstacles in his struggle to be accepted by his high school classmates. Although not morbidly obese, Jimmy (Christopher Rivera) is well on his way to an early heart attack. He’s bullied unmercifully by the jock elite at his school and played for a sucker by some of the “popular” girls. Nevertheless, he dedicates himself to losing weight and finding a niche that fits his friendly personality. It isn’t easy, of course, but he finds support in the company of an outcast boy with an alcoholic father and the school’s resident “emo/goth chick.” Being a Dove-approved family film, “Fat Boy Chronicles” affords Jimmy the backing of understanding parents and the comfort of Sunday church services. The writers also put him in contact with adults who’ve either been victims of bullying, themselves, or have overcome some kind of social handicap. Watching Jimmy pick himself up by his own bootstraps is inspirational and heart-warming. Thirty years ago, a movie like this might have found a home on network TV as an “Afterschool Special.” Today, I don’t see any reason why a kids-oriented cable channel wouldn’t find a home for “Fat Boy Chronicles” on its schedule. The DVD adds interviews with the stars and some background on the national campaign to make adults aware of the bullying crisis in schools. – Gary Dretzka X: The Unheard Music: The Silver Edition Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Live: Blu-ray Chris Isaak: Live/Greatest Hits: Live: Blu-ray Ringo Starr and the Roundheads: Live: Blu-ray The title, “X: The Unheard Music,” refers not only to the band’s tough road to relative stardom, but also to the struggle of all L.A. underground and punk groups in the late 1970s simply to be heard. As crazy as it might seem in 2012, the club scene in Los Angeles was practically non-existent outside the mainstream venues; AM and FM radio both sucked; major labels and their handmaidens at MTV were completely risk-averse; and CDs, the Internet, iPods and satellite radio weren’t even at the pipedream stage. The Ramones and Sex Pistols had already established a beachhead in New York and London, and the media simply didn’t know what to make of them. Punk rock was being played in Los Angeles and Orange County, but only a few adventurous media outlets paid any attention to it. That would change in due course and the music industry would tie itself up in knots trying to recover. W.T. Morgan’s “X: The Unheard Music” was released about five years after Penelope Spheeris’ 1981″The Decline of Western Civilization” introduced the world to some of the L.A. punk bands mentioned in the X song, “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” (“We’re the last American band to be played on the radio …”). As much a visual essay on life in a steadily decaying Los Angeles, as it is a performance film, the documentary took five years to complete. In Blu-ray, it looks and sounds terrific, while the music and message aren’t at all dated. The same baloney spieled by the radio and music executives interviewed 25 years ago applies to the industry in 2012, except that today’s listeners have many more recording and playback options and availability to emerging artists via You Tube is unlimited. The execs’ attitudes also help explain why music lovers today aren’t at all sympathetic to the labels’ complaints about sagging profits and fierce competition from new-media outlets. The Silver Edition package includes lots of music, fresh interviews, a “dialogue” with John Doe and Exene Cervenka, a songbook and live outtake of “Some Other Time.” I don’t think X ever performed on “Soundstage,” but plenty of other excellent groups were represented on the live-performance series. The concerts look especially vibrant on Blu-ray, if only because the PBS technicians have always been way ahead of the curve when it comes to hi-def. The latest group of releases showcases Tom Petty & the Hearbreakers, Chris Isaak and Ringo Starr, who pretty much stick to their big hits and a handful of surprise songs. Petty strays into unknown territory a bit more than Isaak and Starr, with some blues and country standards, but there’s plenty of familiar stuff, too. Isaak displays a warm and funny stage presence and includes several acoustic songs in the two concerts included in the Blu-ray package. Raul Malo also appears on the disc. Ringo and the Roundheads perform such Beatles and post-Beatles classics as “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Octopus’ Garden,” “Choose Love,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Don’t Pass Me By,” “Photograph,” “Back Off Boogaloo,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Act Naturally” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” The former Mr. Starkey still is enjoying a surprisingly fruitful musical career. – Gary Dretzka In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds: Blu-ray Infamous director Uwe Boll returns to the wonderful world of swords and sorcery in this sequel to the 2006 dud, “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale,” which was based on the role-playing video game, “Dungeon Siege.” Box-office results didn’t warrant a sequel, especially considering the $60-million budget and a cast that probably didn’t work for peanuts. The fact that the subsequent DVD and Blu-ray releases of the original out-performed the theatrical release probably inspired the producers to risk this straight-to-video sequel at approximately a tenth of the cost and with only one truly recognizable star, Dolph Lundgren. He plays a Granger, a former Special Forces soldier who is transported back to a time when sorcerers and dragons competed with knights and kings for supremacy. No dummies, the royals seem perfectly content to let the time-traveler handle the Dark Ones for them. “Two Worlds” has been sent out with an “R” rating, for violence, which isn’t nearly the handicap in DVD as it is in a theatrical release. The Blu-ray arrives with commentary by Boll and writer Michael Nachoff (“Bloodrayne: The Third Reich”) and featurettes on the writing process and production. – Gary Dretzka Justified: The Complete Second Season Archer: The Complete Season Two Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob’s Frozen Face-Off Dora Loves Boots A survey of this year’s top-10 lists compiled by television critics would find the FX series “Justified” close to the top of the heap. With only two seasons under its belt, “Justified” has become one of the most anxiously awaited shows on the tube. It also has the distinction of being honored with a Peabody Award, several Emmy nominations and a much-deserved win for veteran character actor Margo Martindale. She played the sociopathic matriarch of the Crowder crime family, which initiated must of the mayhem in the show’s second season. You can see what all the fuss is about in “Justified: The Complete Second Season,” which is comprised of 547 minutes of creatively violent action, along with a set visit, outtakes and “Clans, Feuds and Apple Pie.” For the uninitiated, “Justified” is a spinoff of the Elmore Leonard short story, “Fire in the Hole,” and is as representative of the master’s prose as any movie adapted from a Leonard novel. Timothy Olyphant plays Raylan Givens, a young U.S. Marshal whose reputation for being quick on the trigger has been fairly earned and deemed perfectly legal by authorities. Even so, he was shipped for his own protection from Miami to his childhood home of Harlan County, Kentucky, which is crawling with in-bred hillbilly hoodlums, many of whom went to school with or played sports opposite Givens. In Season 2, Givens also was required to deal directly with the many failings of his outlaw dad. FX also is home base for the animated espionage comedy, “Archer,” soon to enter the second half of its third season. Deliberately irreverent, the characters resemble familiar genre archetypes from nearly 50 years’ worth of spy movies, from 007 to OSS 117. The best part, perhaps, is the many references to the characters’ sexual history, inner-office intrigue and dialogue laced with raunchy innuendo. Dubbed the “world’s most dangerous spy,” Sterling Archer often is more of menace to himself than the villains he pursues. In the second stanza, he also battled daddy issues. The Blu-ray comes with “Archersaurus: Self Extinction,” a mini-episode in which Archer is transmogrified into a velociraptor; “Ask Archer,” in which he answers viewers’ questions; “Semper Fi,” which acknowledges the soldiers of Able Company, serving in Afghanistan; “L’espion Mal Fait,” a kooky role-reversal short; and “ISIS Infiltrates Comic-Con.” The latest collection of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes opens with a nod to winter in “Frozen Face-Off.” In it, the residents of Bikini Bottom participate in a worm-sled race to the South Pole. Other episodes take on more familiar issues, such as SpongeBob learning to drive and his hoarding fetish. The DVD also includes bonus episodes. In “Dora Loves Boots,” the show’s star helps the red-booted monkey learn how to ride a bike, plan for a visit to the Rainforest Campground, adjust to bouncy new boots and reverse a magic spell that turns him into a chicken. – Gary Dretzka Greatest Super Bowl Moments It would be easier to shut off the flow of water to Niagara Falls than to keep NFL Films from re-purposing its vast inventory of Super Bowl and playoffs footage in the run-up to the Big Game. What are we up to now, 45? It’s been a while since producers of the “Greatest Super Bowl Moments” series have been required to pad or use filler to come up with 156 minutes of exciting action and still-vivid memories. More often than not, the games have provided plenty of noteworthy moments, drama and inspired decision-making. What we’ve yet to see from NFL Films is “Greatest Moments in Pro Bowl History.” Given the patty-cake guidelines for the annual event – now inexplicably held the weekend before the Super Bowl – it isn’t likely we ever will. – Gary Dretzka The Last Lions Lions aren’t exactly underrepresented in the world of nature documentaries. Fortunately, though, the undeniable majesty and sheer presence of these and other big cats – as photographed in the wild – flies in the face of the dictum, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” National Geographic and Dereck Joubert’s latest examination of life in Africa uses one startling statistic, along with 88 minutes of often spectacular cinematography, to justify its inclusion in the genre. It’s estimated here that Africa’s lion population has decreased from almost a half-million 50 years ago, to around 20,000 today. That’s fewer than the number of protected elephants extant on the continent. As one of Africa’s greatest tourist attractions, the loss of more lions not only could spell an economic calamity in places like Botswana – seen here – it also could pose the kinds of problems caused when an animal at the top of the food chain disappears. Beyond that staggering statistic, though, “The Last Lions” represents several years’ worth of dedication by Joubert in the field. As we have learned in other documentaries, lions faces dangers of their own, not the least of which are crocodiles and animals that stand up to them in mortal combat. If Jeremy Irons’ narration sometimes comes off as a tad cloying at times, it’s easy enough to turn down the sound and overlay the “Born Free” soundtrack over the splendid hi-def visuals. – Gary Dretzka Murder Obsession Branded to Kill: The Criterion Collection: Blu-ray Christmas has come early for fans of niche horror, extreme cult and otherwise wacked out movies from Italy and Japan. The latest package from increasingly essential Raro Video collection contains a juicy sex farce from 1970, a gory giallo from 1992 and an even bloodier giallo from 1981. From Criterion Collection comes a completely off-the-wall yakuza thriller, from 1967, which is every bit as enigmatic as anything that came out of France and Italy during the same period. “Come Have Coffee With Us” stars Ugo Tognazzi (“La Cage aux Folles”) as an unscrupulous tax collector in a scenic town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, near the Swiss border with Italy. Emerenziano’s records have led him there as he pursues love, marriage and wealth without actually having to raise a sweat. The targets of his gold-digging affections are three physically mismatched sisters, whose late father left them a huge inheritance. Not particularly young or conventionally attractive, the sisters might as well be nuns for all the sexual experience they display individually and collectively. Even as he convinces the oldest sister — painfully shy and with freakishly long black hair – to marry him, Emerenziano is plotting affairs with the other two. To his shock, the women not only go along with his whims, but begin to display insatiable desires for sex. Turns out, each of the sisters has one physical attribute that keeps the tax collector coming back for more, even when he’s become exhausted. Before long, Emerenziano is transformed from cad to boy-toy. For all the bed-hopping that takes place in “Come Have Coffee With Us,” there’s precious little nudity. The steam we see emanating from the screen is a byproduct of the sisters’ palpably volcanic passions. As far as I can tell, Alberto Lattuada’s comedy didn’t find distribution in the U.S. Maybe it didn’t contain enough nudity to satisfy audiences whose appetite for it was growing with each new title from Radley Metzger, Kenneth Russell and the newly liberated Swedes. In any case, Tognazzi makes “Coffee” come alive in a way that will make many middle-age viewers feel nostalgic. Lamberto Bava’s “Body Puzzle” appears to have been targeted at English-speaking audiences looking for some garish Italian horror. It stars Joanna Pacula, as the widow of famous pianist who suddenly begins finding the amputated appendages and vital organs of murder victims in her home. Tomas Arana plays the police detective, who, while investigating the case, falls in love with the freaked-out blond. Unlike the cops, we know who’s behind the attacks almost as soon as the first one is perpetrated. What’s prompting them successfully remains a mystery throughout most of “Body Puzzle.” That’s a good thing. By 1992, the distinctive giallo texture and depictions of extreme violence weren’t selling here and there was no urgency to import the movie. On DVD, however, it could find a home among hard-core fans of offbeat slasher movies. “Murder Obsession” is even more garish a giallo than “Body Puzzle,” as it combines slashing and dismembering with the black arts, movie magic and lots of sex. The mayhem takes place in the spooky, decaying mansion once inhabited by the star of a horror movie. Something horrible had happened here, but the details aren’t precisely clear in the young man’s mind. His mother still lives there with a creepy valet at her beck and call. When the son arrives ahead of a production team for his next project, he mysteriously decides not reveal the true nature of his relationship with the woman he brought with him. Things get even stranger when cast members move into the spare bedrooms and become the targets of the unseen killer. As for the nudity, two words: Laura Gemser. The Javanese star of countless soft-core classics is one of several beautiful women – it would be giallo scream queen Anita Strindberg’s final movie — that disrobe here in the service of Italian genre cinema. And, for their loyalty, are cruelly dispatched. If the special makeup effects in “Murder Obsession” occasionally look prehistoric by current industry standards, the blood still looks pretty real. The movies arrive with interviews with key participants in the productions. From Japan comes Seijun Suzuki’s nearly indescribable gangland action-thriller, “Branded to Kill,” in a splendidly restored edition from Criterion Collection. It is such a strange concoction that it actually caused Suzuki (“Tokyo Drifter,” “Tattooed Life”) to be fired from his studio position when he handed it in to his bosses. The chipmunk-cheeked actor, Joe Shisgido, plays a mob assassin, Hanada, who accepts an assignment that ultimately leads to some serious backstabbing and an impromptu competition between hitmen for the title of No. 1 killer. Not being an expert on mid-century Japanese cinema, the closest I can come to a simple description is that “Branded to Kill” blends several then-popular genres in the service of B-movie existentialism. When it isn’t being deadly serious, the movie is hilarious in the same twisted way that Quentin Tarantino’s flicks often are. Hanada is, at once, ruthless and vulnerable. An assassin performing at Hanada’s level may be capable of taking out his or her victim in ways that border on the mystical, but, as accomplished as they are, they can never be satisfied with No. 5 or No. 2. Moreover, to maintain their edge, they must forgo close relationships with other people and learn to live in the shadows. “Branded to Kill” has more sex and nudity than I can recall being in similar Japanese crime pictures of the period, although we’re now seeing more representatives of the so-called Toei Pink and Roman Porno genres. Suzuki pushes the borders of the conceit to the limit by requiring Hamada to breathe in the scent of boiling rice before he can become sexually aroused. He also plays tricks with music, cinematography and other atmospheric elements. The high-def digital restoration captures all of the nuances. The Blu-ray package adds several highly entertaining interviews with Suzuki, Shishido and second-unit director Masami Kuzuu, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic and historian Tony Rayns. – Gary Dretzka Circumstance Life in contemporary Tehran is put under the microscope in Maryam Keshavarz’ scathing drama about choices and borders, “Circumstance.” At its most obvious level, it is a story about a brother and sister who fall in love with the same girl. Scratch the surface, though, and “Circumstance” is a heart-breaking examination of how it feels to be young, full of life and already deprived of the freedom to make meaningful choices in a world full of them. Shireen and Atafeh are high school girls with rebellious streaks that can’t be hidden beneath a shawl and chador. Atafeh’s liberal, well-educated and wealthy parents returned to Tehran from the United States after the Islamic revolution. Thirty years later, they are faced with the reality that they’ve sentenced their children to a life sentence in the same posh prison in which they now life. Lately, Atafeh’s attempts to break out of that prison have been thwarted by the moral imperatives of corrupt mullahs and their ignorant thug militias. Whenever they can, Shireen and Atafeh frequent underground nightclubs, where they’re free to dance, sing, smoke cigarettes and enjoy the company of like-minded people. Anyone who’s seen “No One Knows About Persian Cats” will recognize the music and spirit of young Iranians, as well as the palpable fear of being busted by the morality police. At the same time, Atafeh’s brother Mehran has given up his aspirations for becoming a classical pianist and traded a heroin habit for Islamic fundamentalism. Even as he sinks deeper into the culture of spying and squealing encouraged by his spiritual leaders, there’s a spark of something decent in the young man. He’s aware of the girls’ sexual attraction to each other, but takes every opportunity to protect Shireen and win her heart with his wealth, love and vulnerability. The American-born filmmaker knew it would be impossible to shoot “Circumstance” in Tehran and wisely chose Beirut as a reasonable facsimile. Her casting choices couldn’t be more spot-on, either. Sarah Kazemy and Nikohl Boosheri are alternately radiant and tragic as the star-crossed teens, and Reza Sixo Safai keeps us guessing as to what the brother’s true intentions really are. “Circumstance” was completed before last year’s bloody protests in the streets of Tehran. Ironically, one of the young male characters – an Iranian educated at Harvard – is attempting to incite dissent by dubbing “Milk” into Farsi and showing young people how campaigns for human right are launched in America. Considering that the president of the Islamic Republic has asserted that homosexuality doesn’t exist in Iran, but, if it did, gays and lesbians likely would be put to death, it’s an odd choice for a rallying point. The DVD arrives with a making-of featurette and commentary. – Gary Dretzka 99 And 44/100% Dead/The Nickel Ride: Double Feature 1973 was a helluva year for Jason Miller, star of the newly re-released on DVD crime-thriller “The Nickel Ride.” First, he landed the key role of Father Karras in “The Exorcist” – his performance would qualify him for an Oscar nomination — and then he won the Pulitzer Prize for his play, “That Championship Season.” The next year, he was handed the lead role in Robert Mulligan’s L.A. noir, “Nickel Ride,” as an overwhelmed fixer for the mob. In a rare predicament, truck hijackers have been so successful in their quest for recyclable merchandise that their warehouses are overflowing with swag. It’s the responsibility of Miller’s character, Cooper, to find the vacant warehouse space needed to keep operations moving smoothly. For some reason, the market for warehouse space in downtown Los Angeles has turned sour and Cooper’s usual sources have been unable to fulfill their promises. Another associate has reneged on a pledge to throw a fight. There’s been a change in leadership in gangland circles and the new bosses have little patience for old-school guys, like Cooper, who now fears for his life. If this sounds a bit like the scenario for “The Friends of Eddie Coyle,” well, stranger coincidences have happened. George V. Higgins’1970 novel has far snappier dialogue and Robert Mitchum fit the mold of a soon-to-be-extinct mob dinosaur better than Miller in the screen adaptation, but Mulligan was similarly proficient in capturing the city’s underworld milieu. Throw in a pretty blond moll (Linda Haynes), a sadistic hitman (Bo Hopkins) and an icy boss (John Hillerman), and you have a nifty example of mid-century pulp fiction. Also released in 1974, “99 and 44/100% Dead” takes a pulpy premise and builds a kooky, inky-black action-parody around it. Richard Harris plays highly proficient assassin, Harry Crown, hired by elderly Mafia boss Uncle Frank (Edmond O’Brien) to eliminate chief rival, Big Eddie (Bradford Dillman). Anticipating Harry’s arrival, Eddie brings in the one-armed enforcer, Marvin ’Claw’ Zuckerman (Chuck Connors), who has more tricks up his nearly empty sleeve than David Copperfield. The dames are pretty swell here, too. (Ann Turkel as a school-bus driver in heels, anyone?) John Frankenheimer has all sorts of fun, messing with genre conventions, character stereotypes and interesting camera angles. Among other things, he opens the movie with a visit to Davy Jones’ Locker, where the mob buries the people and things it no longer needs. There are wild chases and alligators sharing space in the sewers with homeless people. Anyone looking for a completely unconventional crime movie will find it here. – Gary Dretzka Heavenly Creatures: The Uncut Version: Blu-ray Velvet Goldmine: Blu-ray City of God: Blu-ray It behooves anyone whose viewing habits have been changed by the addition of a home-theater unit to keep track of new releases, otherwise they might miss the arrival of some long-awaited titles or cult gems (such as the aforementioned “Nickel Ride” and ““99 and 44/100% Dead”). The good folks at Lionsgate/Miramax have just released a trio of films that are interesting for all sorts of reasons. Based on a true story, “Heavenly Creatures” describes how a pair of teenage outcasts in the land of the Kiwi becomes such close friends that they commit murder to prevent being separated by a concerned mother. The girls, who spend much of their time together creating elaborate fantasies, are chillingly portrayed by Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey (Rose, in “Two and a Half Men). The movie was directed by little-known Peter Jackson, who, eight years later, would begin rolling out a continuing string of Tolkien adaptations. As a modern horror story, “Heavenly Creatures” wasn’t that much of a stretch for Jackson, who had already dabbled in the genre with “Bad Taste” and “Dead Alive,” and would follow it with “The Frighteners.” Even as we are repelled by their crime, it’s difficult not to sympathize with the girls’ situation. The Blu-ray adds 20 minutes previously eliminated footage. Likewise, “Velvet Goldmine” would provide a springboard for Todd Haynes to gain mainstream attention. Previously known as the creator of the kooky “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story” (told with Barbie dolls), would build on the success of the exquisitely staged “Velvet Goldmine” and become a Hollywood darling with “Far From Home” and, more recently, “Mildred Pierce.” Borrowing elements of “Citizen Kane,” “VG” is an investigation into the disappearance of a Bowie-like pop sensation who disappeared from view after staging his own mock execution on stage. On the 10-year anniversary of that headline-making occurrence, a journalist played by Christian Bale embarks on the trail of Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Several years earlier Bale’s Arthur Stuart was just another teenage fan, struggling with sexual identity and acne. He would be inspired by the music and unisex personae of the post-Beatles, pre-glam rockers who began popping up in the early 1970s. They wore makeup, colored their immaculately cut hair and aspired to be fashion icons, as well as musicians. Neither were they reluctant to flaunt their bi-sexuality and divine decadence in front of the media, which ate it up and spit them out. Naturally, the desire to one-up their fellow musicians on and off stage would lead to mad adventures fueled by hard drugs, booze and promiscuity. Only the strong survived … but just barely. Also very good here is Ewan McGregor, as an American rocker modeled after Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. His balls-to-the-wall approach to the music and no-holds-barred lifestyle impressed Slade immensely. That admiration would lead to a love triangle, which also included Slade’s wife (Toni Collette), and be exploited by their manager (Eddie Izzard). This was topped by the arrival of the even more outrageous musician and producer, Brian Eno, in London. Lurking in the background throughout this whole crazy period was fanboy, Arthur; the ghost of Oscar Wilde; and the rising specter of anarchy and anti-fashion, as represented by the Sex Pistols. Haynes captures all of it with an eye for detail that was uncanny. The wardrobe design was wonderfully period-specific and the visualizations of rock dreams nothing short of dazzling. The music is good, too. Added features include commentary with Haynes and producer Christine Vachon. “City of God” benefits, as well, from the Lionsgate/Miramax restoration and its arrival is especially timely because Rio de Janeiro is about to become the center of the sports world, hosting the World Cup and Summer Olympics in succession. Upon its release in 2002, “City of God” was one of the very few films allowed access to the city’s teeming favelas and gang culture. It remains a frighteningly intimate document. The story, such as it is, is told through the eyes of a young warrior whose life is validated when he is given a camera and told to shoot what he knows. The Blu-ray adds the documentary, “News from a Personal War,” which describes the impact of the drug trade on the favelas. – Gary Dretzka The Black Power Mixtape, 1967-1975 I don’t expect this intriguing documentary will find much traction during Black History Month, even though it’s far more relevant than most of the material offered high school students. Using footage taken by Swedish documentary crews during the most turbulent period in modern American history, “The Black Power Mixtape” recalls how the non-violent activism at the heart of the civil-rights movement was challenged by young people who had become frustrated by the pace of change and charismatic leaders in the Nation of Islam. The assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy would serve to validate the anger and impatience of militants, including the Black Panther Party and Black Guerrilla Nation. Because the American media tended to treat such vocal Black Power advocates as Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale as commie freaks, their message remained undelivered by the media. Open displays of guns and a willingness to use them would interest the press, while corrupting the message that comes through loud and clear in the clips in “Mixtape.” Nor was the media willing to accept the widely held belief among radicals of all stripe that the FBI had dedicated itself specifically to destroying the Black Panthers, even if it meant infiltrating local chapters and instigating violence when none was planned. J. Edgar Hoover is quoted as saying that the Panthers’ free-breakfast program was the most dangerous tactic being employed by the movement and no one in the mainstream media rose to challenge him. The agency’s COINTELPRO program, along with the subsequent rise of drug addiction and the dramatic display of establishment power at Attica and San Quentin, effectively drained the Black Power cause of its leaders, leaving nothing in its place to buoy minority citizens. To supplement the archival footage, the producers of “Mixtape” returned to the U.S. decades later to record the impressions of artists and intellectuals who were influenced by things that happened, sometimes before they were born. Among those selected by director Goran Hugo Olsson are Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Abiodun Oyewole, John Forte, and Robin Kelley. It’s also interesting to hear the editor of TV Guide, a magazine not known for its insightful political coverage, defend a cover story, which, at the time, branded Dutch and Swedish television the most anti-American in the world. That the magazine was owned by one of the most powerful and wealthy men in America – and someone intimate with Richard Nixon and other presidents — was a fact ignored in the piece. While the documentary does come down on the side of the progressives within the Black Power movement, its reporters don’t fall blindly into the trap of buying into the fiery rhetoric advocating armed revolt. Its depiction of life in the impoverished communities inhabited largely by African-Americans pretty much speaks for itself. A longer film might have dug deeper into the flameouts experienced by the most charismatic and vocal leaders of the time and the reluctance on the part of average African-Americans to pick up the torch and carve a movement more to their liking. The DVD comes with a contemporary musical soundtrack, additional documentary footage and interviews. – Gary Dretzka Intruder: Director’s Cut: Blu-rayAstron-6 Collection Jessicka Rabid Klown Kamp Massacre Psycho Sleepover In the arena of micro-budget and do-it-yourself movie making, it isn’t unusual to find a few chunks of gold among the dross and detritus formed by awful acting, cheeseball effects and pointless plots. Those moments often are reason enough to invest 90 minutes of one’s time on Earth watching them. The filmmakers would have made the movies anyway, so catching the eye of someone at Troma or Synapse and seeing their twisted little movies released into the straight-to-DVD market is hardly a disappointment. With luck, the DVD will capture the fancy of a niche blogger or discerning geeks and their endorsement will encourage buffs to rent a copy and recommend it to friends. Entire careers have been founded on less evidence of potential than that. I picked up the Blu-ray screener of “Intruders” not knowing anything about the picture, except what it said on the cover about being produced by “the creators of ‘Evil Dead II.’” Beyond that, though, it was mystery? In fact, what I took to be a standard-issue, straight-to-DVD slasher flick had been made in 1989 and sent out long ago on VHS. It was directed by Scott Spiegel and co-written with Lawrence Bender, both of whom would graduate to bigger things. Among its stars were such now-recognizable faces as Renee Eztevez, Dan Hicks, Sam and Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Eugene Robert Glazer. “Intruder” takes place on the overnight shift at an old-fashioned supermarket in Michigan. A madman is loose in the store and it isn’t the most likely suspect, a deranged former boyfriend of a pretty blond sales clerk. What distinguishes “Intruder” from a million other indie horror flicks, before and since 1989, are the special makeup effects associated with the murders. They’re grotesque, even by today’s standards and predictive of the kind of work these people would do later. For this reason alone, the entertaining and informative making-of featurette is must-viewing. The Blu-ray edition of the uncensored “Director’s Cut” is distinguished, if you will, by a 2K digital restoration, commentary with Spiegel and Bender, extended murder sequences from the original work print, outtakes from the lost short, “Night Crew,” audition footage and a stills gallery. Apart from being a holiday in Tolkien lore, Astron-6 is the name of a quintet of singularly deranged sketch artists based in Winnipeg. The team specializes in demented parodies of movies, trailers and sexual stereotypes. Not only are the sketches politically incorrect, but they’re incorrect in most every other way possible, as well. As such, the troupe’s best material bares a passing resemblance to that of Kids in the Hall, SCTV and the Whitest Kids U’ Know, only far less ready for prime time. It took me a while to figure out what exactly Astron 6 was doing, but, once I got in step with the gang’s rhythm and twisted takes, I quite enjoyed what I was seeing. In addition to being faux violent, the sketches are very raunchy. Sensitive types should probably avoid it. From Troma comes “Jessicka Rabid,” a truly sick and uniquely pointless torture-porn in which a young woman is kept in dog cage, brutalized and raped whenever the mood strikes her demented keepers. They include one of the men’s girlfriend, who enjoys having Jessicka lick peanut butter off her nipples … presumably, just as she would if a real dog was doing it. The real fun begins when Jessicka escapes the clutches of her captors and turns the tables on them, and that’s not all that much fun, either. The movie comes with commentary and a making-of piece. “Klown Kamp Massacre” is another movie that looks as if its budget was limited to somewhere in the vicinity of $15,000 and most of that was squandered on crack. Given time, though, the movie begins to work a spell on you. It’s set at rural camp for aspiring clowns. The founder was humiliated on graduation night at just such a school and now teaches students the art of throwing toxic pies, squirting caustic liquids at the rubes and killing audiences with otherwise harmless props. Not even the instructors are immune from killer comedy. The DVD includes more than two hours of special features. As if on cue, a clown becomes an early victim of slap-stick tragedy in “Psycho Sleepover,” and its head makes return appearances throughout the rest of the movie. As veterans of “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency,” Adam Deyoe and Eric Gosselin know the face of terror when they see it. “Psycho Sleepover” is insane parody of the sub-subgenre of horror films set during sleepover parties hosted by really, really skanky teenage girls. Because this one coincides with a breakout at a local prison for the criminally insane, the results are especially twisted. The sudden appearance of sexually voracious loons makes it difficult to distinguish them from the usual array of male party crashers. “PS” is more silly than scary, but some viewers might find the violence in “Psycho Sleepover” less than appetizing. If they keep repeating, “It’s only Caro syrup, mixed with water, food coloring and corn flour,” they should get through it OK. – Gary Dretzka Portlandia: Season One: Blu-ray PBS: Steve Jobs: One Last Thing Sledge Hammer! The Complete Series Switched at Birth: Volume One History: Swamp People Season Two G.I. Joe: Series 2, Season 1 Sarah Jane Adventures: Complete Fourth Season One needn’t have grown up in Oregon or even spent much time in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy the IFC sketch comedy “Portlandia.” It does help, however, to be conversant in many conceits and conventions associated with life in one of America’s most notorious hipster colonies. Once populated with lots of hard-working, lumberjack types, Portland has been overrun by politically correct, proto-hippies who speak in gentle tones and are intolerant of (almost) all points of view that don’t square with their own. Bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation, unless their cars run on waste products or the batteries are powered by the occasional glimpse of sunshine between rain clouds. Hipster clothing is made from natural fibers and the anniversary Jerry Garcia’s death is a civic holiday. If anything, as representative citizens of Portland, Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live”) and Carrie Brownstein (the Sleater-Kinney band) sometimes hit too close to the button and satire appears to merge with ridicule. That’s perfectly OK with me, but explains how the humor might offend sensitive types. On the other hand, it’s difficult for me to imagine anyone without a working knowledge of hipster culture stumbling across the show accidentally and knowing what it’s about. Kyle MacLachlin plays the city’s impossibly upbeat mayor, who calls on Fred and Carrie for guidance on creating a city song and ways to land a Major League baseball team; Aimee Mann appears as herself, playing a maid; and Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”), Steve Buscemi, Heather Graham, Selma Blair, Jason Sudeikis, Gus Van Sant and Sarah McLachlan also make cameos. The Blu-ray set contains all six episodes (a new season arrives soon), deleted and alternate scenes, a blooper reel, “Thunderant” videos and commentary. It took cancer to make Steve Jobs a larger-than-life character in the story of America. Since his death, the Apple founder has been accorded the respect and admiration generally reserved for the presidents whose likenesses are carved into a cliff on Mount Rushmore. His sins against consumer freedom-of-choice have been forgiven and his idiosyncrasies rendered folkloric. Jobs had detractors, to be sure, but his ability to turn ideas into gold for shareholders trumped most negative observations about his business practices, temperament, hygienic quirks and ability to ignore the complaints of his customers if they conflicted with his principles. “One Last Thing” largely takes the man at his word, expounding on his philosophies and focusing on the people who made him what he later became. The 60-minute bio-doc is built around a never-before-seen interview. David Rasche, still one of our finest character actors, starred in the short-lived sitcom, “Sledge Hammer!,” which ran on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The sneaky-funny Second City graduate frequently plays characters that while completely full of themselves never quite understand how silly and transparent they look to everyone around them. As Dirty Harry-wannabe Sledge Hammer, Rasche solves crimes with all the subtlety of the tool after which he’s named. He’s been suspended from the force several times, primarily for using weapons and interrogation techniques usually reserved for sadists in the CIA. He even fires warning shots at jaywalkers. It isn’t likely that “Sledge Hammer!” could have existed without the ice-breaking done by “Naked Gun!,” but the show managed to outlive its offshoot, “Police Squad!,” by 35 episodes, all of which are collected here. The possibility that a nurse or doctor may have confused the identities of babies born within minutes of each other and switched the names on their ID bracelets is a concern many parents have shared, especially if their kids don’t resemble them or display sociopathic tendencies. There have been enough recorded cases of such terrible mistakes to warrant some suspicion, at least, of it having happening again. Naturally, Hollywood has capitalized on these fears and built comedies and dramas around them. The latest is the ABC Family series, “Switched at Birth,” starring Katie Leclerc and Vanessa Marano. In it, girls from opposite backgrounds don’t discover that they’ve been switched until they’re well into their teens. One grows up in a household surrounded by all the trappings of wealth, as well as a brother, while the other lost her hearing at an early age due to meningitis. She lives in a single-parent household in a working-class neighborhood. The truth isn’t at all funny or comforting to the girls, but they struggle to deal with it on a weekly basis. The show also stars Lea Thompson, Marlee Matlin, Constance Marie and D.W. Moffett. Fortunately for the fans and producers of History’s “Swamp People,” a few alligators were left alive after the debut stanza to allow at least one more go-round in the Atchafalaya Swamp of Louisiana. In Season 2, the newly arrived gator season means it’s time for Captain Troy Landry, Jacob Landry and the Edwards boys to get back in the boat and start hunting for “honey holes” and monster skins. The competition has intensified with new swampers attempting to steal their trophies out from under them. The DVD includes additional footage. The latest collection of “G.I. Joe” adventures is comprised of material from the second animated TV series, which began in 1990. In it, America’s top-secret mobile strike force battles Cobra, Serpentor and Cobra Commander. The set includes the miniseries, “Operation Dragonfire.” In the BBC’s “Dr. Who” spinoff, “The Sarah Jane Adventures,” investigative journalist, Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), and her three teenage sidekicks combine their diverse talents to save the world from extraterrestrials. The fourth season is noteworthy as being the final one in which Sladen appears. She died of cancer, at 65, just as the new chapters were beginning to unfold, and, typical of the series, the loss was worked into narrative as a teaching opportunity for young fans. Making a guest appearance are the current Doctor (Matt Smith) and a former doctor’s companion, Jo Grant (Katy Manning). The stories include “The Nightmare Man,” “The Vault of Secrets,” “Death of the Doctor,” “The Empty Planet,” “Lost in Time” and “Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith.” – Gary Dretzka Peter Cetera: Live: Blu-ray The latest addition to Image Entertainment’s catalogue of “Soundstage” concerts features Peter Cetera, a founding member of Chicago and highly successful solo artist. The Windy City native doesn’t often appear in concert, so this should come as an especially welcome treat for four decades’ worth of fans. In the 2003 concert recorded here, Cetera was joined by Amy Grant. Together, they perform “Baby, Baby,” “Simple Things,” “Next Time I Fall,” and “El-Shadaii.” The singer, songwriter and bassist also offers songs from across the wide spectrum of his career, including his first hit, “25 or 6 to 4.” If “Soundstage” looks particularly good in Blu-ray, it’s because Chicago’s PBS station was an early adopter of hi-def technology and learned out to do things right. — Gary Dretzka Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure The sixth sequel in the series that began with 1992’s hit family comedy, “Beethoven,” puts the lumbering St, Bernard in a position to play the hero by saving Christmas for all good boys and girls. Crime must be rampant on the North Pole, because every other holiday DVD I see involves some kind of an attempt to derail Santa’s annual mission, starting with the re-release of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” This time, an elf named Henry (Kyle Massey) takes an unscheduled flight on Santa’s sleigh from the North Pole, with his constantly expanding bag of toys in tow. When he crash lands somewhere in Suburbia USA, the valuable cache goes missing. Beethoven and his teenage friend, Mason (Munro Chambers) volunteer to save the day. The good news here is that Beethoven finally speaks, as all CGI critters must ultimately do. The bad news is that he sounds very much like Tom Arnold. The DVD comes with deleted scenes, a gag reel, a making-of featurette and “Beethoven Goes Caroling.” – Gary Dretzka History: Vietnam in HD: Blu-ray PBS: Women War & Peace It’s interesting, if not overly instructive, to note “Tora! Tora! Tora!” cost an estimated $25 million to stage, while, 31 years later, Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor” was handed an estimated budget of $140 million with which to work. Both movies were expected to be blockbusters, but only “Pearl Harbor” made back its initial investment at the domestic box-office … not taking into account costs associated with prints and marketing, splits between theater owners and distributors, and the creativity of Hollywood accountants. Among other things, too, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” did better financially in Japan than in the U.S., if only because half of the movie was shot by directors Hideo Oguni and Ryuzo Kikushimall and it chronicled Japan’s greatest wartime victory. (Akiri Kurosawa took an early powder, reportedly after learning that his Hollywood counterpart would be Richard Fleischer, not David Lean, as promised.) Roger Ebert hated both movies, almost equally. Even more remarkably, the movie was and still is rated, “G.” The Blu-ray edition arrives on these shores with several new and formerly available features, including commentary by Fleischer and Japanese-film historian Stuart Galbraith IV; the documentaries, “Day of Infamy” and “History vs. Hollywood: A Giant Awakes”; the “AMC Backstory” presentation, “Tora! Tora! Tora!”; a behind-the-scenes gallery and production gallery; several vintage newsreels from Fox Movietone News; the original theatrical trailer; and a collectible hardcover book. Sadly, it doesn’t include the extra 15 minutes of film included in the Japanese edition. “Vietnam in HD” is built from the same template as was used to create “WWII in HD,” a compilation of largely unseen footage taken by personnel in the field, military historians, news organizations and other interested observers. The action and images are recorded in color, if by not hi-def digital cameras as the title implies, and, therefore, is slightly grainy but extremely clean and free of visual artifacts. The six-hour miniseries begins slightly before the initial troop build-up, in 1965, and ends with the fall of Saigon a decade later. The stories are told by the men and women who were there and put in harm’s way by our government in defense of the since-discredited domino theory. In some cases, actors read from the memoirs and letters of the same veterans. Because 8mm cameras were widely available at the time, it wasn’t unusual for soldiers to make “home movies” that are extremely intimate and ultimately heart-breaking. Early on, the letters home were full of gung-ho sentiments, parroting the official line about the war being over in a few months. Soon, those same letters reflect the reality of the situation on the ground and patriotic exuberance turns to near-despair. It’s a fascinating, if sobering series. Clearly, today’s leaders didn’t really pay attention to the lessons taught by the Viet Cong and NVA, and consequently put us in the quagmire we’re now experiencing in Afghanistan. The two-disc set represents 282 minutes of sometimes amazing footage, as well as 3D maps and graphics that amplify on the physical challenges facing U.S. troops. Just as women have made their presence felt top-down in the U.S. military – performing tasks previously reserved for men and sometimes fighting alongside them – their counterparts in less developed nations have begun assuming leadership roles in promoting diplomacy and updating our notions of war. The five-part PBS mini-series, “Women, War & Peace,” demonstrates how women have taken significant roles in situations where gangs and warlords still rule and the proliferation of small arms and improvised weapons is a continual barrier to peace. Then, too, women not in uniform are increasingly being targeted by religious and political extremists. The series spotlights the stories of women in such troubled places as Bosnia, Afghanistan, Colombia and Liberia. The narration team includes Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard. – Gary Dretzka 2011 World Series Collector’s Edition This year’s World Series didn’t figure to be a world beater ratings-wise. The St.Louis Cardinals may be one of the game’s most venerable franchises, but, beyond Albert Pujols, the 2011 iteration lacked charisma and spice. The Texas Rangers had been to the Big Dance the year before, losing to the San Francisco Giants. And, yet, it proved to be one of the most exciting championship series in history. The Cardinals had fought their way to the finals as a wildcard team, while the Rangers had to overcome flashier teams with larger payrolls. Together, they were about as evenly matched as could be imagined. As fans figured out that this World Series was one for the ages, the ratings went from lackluster to spectacular. The lowest number of viewers was for Game 3, during which Pujols stunned the sports world by hitting three home runs. By the time Game 7 rolled around, the ratings and share numbers more than doubled. “The 2011 World Series Collector’s Edition” is distinctly Cardinal-centric, so Rangers partisans aren’t likely to rush to their local purveyor of DVDs. The eight-disc DVD compilation includes all seven games, from the first to last pitch. Fans can enjoy them as described by Fox Sports announcers and broadcasters or with the local radio feed attached. The special features include “Walk-Off Winners and “Milestones”; victory celebrations; the trophy presentation and victory parade; and coverage in Spanish on ESPN Deportes Radio. Also available, in Blu-ray, is the four-hour “Official 2011World Series Film,” which is comprised of extended highlights, the entire NLDS Game 5, excerpts from “This Week in Baseball” and “Prime 9,” and coverage of post-series events. – Gary Dretzka He’s Mine, Not Yours Cheaper to Keep Her Romantic melodramas targeted at African-American audiences remind me a lot of the romantic comedies of the 1960s, some of which starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson. “He’s Mine, Not Yours” and “Cheaper to Keep Her,” both of which have been given a boost on BET, are remarkably chaste and moralistic, even as they deal with such topics as infidelity, physical attributes and lust. Even partial nudity is non-existent and, apart from the requisite Jezebel, the women are the more honorable half of the romantic coin. It’s a formula, but, given the realities of niche distribution, one that’s safer to adhere to than dismiss. In “He’s Mine, Not Yours,” a professional seductress tests the faithfulness of men for her female clients. Far more often than not, the P.I. (Caryn Ward) is able to prove that their men are dogs and not worthy of their time, let alone their hand. That’s because she’s exceptionally beautiful and can easily spot a man’s most vulnerable spots. Considering that a woman like that wouldn’t normally look twice at the type of men she’s seducing, it simply isn’t fair. Before Brooke (Gabrielle Dennis) commits to Kent (Jason Weaver), she hires Mandy to test the former playboy’s fidelity. Even when he proves to be true blue, Brooke doubts his allegiance to her. Mandy decides that Kent’s too good to pass up and insists that Brooke put up or shut up about him. Their rivalry only serves to make Kent feel as if he’s the luckiest guy on Earth. Also in the cast are Carl Payne, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nadine Ellis and Darius McCrary. “Cheaper to Keep Her” is a bit more raunchy, but only in the number of sexual innuendos exchanged by the women whose men don’t behave as well as they would like. There also are more frequent allusions to church matters and God’s will. Vivica A. Fox is cheated upon by her husband, who has a hankering for white meat and red hair. She’s devastated, of course, but has to be talked into suing for what she’s rightfully due. Amazingly, she allows the cad to share their home after the divorce. Hoping to avoid costly alimony payments, he invites an old flame of his ex-wife to rekindle past feelings. She takes the bait, but has second thoughts about the value of her ex-husband. None of it makes a lot of sense, especially considering the acrimonious split. But, then, what kind of man would cheat on a woman as splendid as Fox? A stupid one, that’s who. “Cheaper to Keep Her” was staged in front of a live audience and rolling cameras. While it’s not a terribly fresh or effective approach to the material, it’s a format I’m seeing more often, lately, so it must sell DVDs. The play also contains some very decent soul tunes and choreographed banter. – Gary Dretzka Underbelly: The Trilogy The Simpsons: The Fourteenth Season Tavis Smiley Reports: Too Important to Fail “Underbelly” is a terrific crime series from Australia about vice, violence and corruption in places where most Americans assume kangaroos still roam. The stories are based on actual investigations and the headline-producing prosecution of underworld kingpins and police detectives with common financial interests. The characters represent all strata of life on the nation’s underbelly, from drug mules and pimps, to politicians and business executives. The talk is tough and the violence is scary. Just as it would on HBO and Showtime, “Underbelly” contains rough language and nudity, most of it not at all gratuitous. The “Trilogy” is comprised of individual13-part mini-series – “A Tale of Two Cities,” “The Golden Mile,” “War on the Streets” – spanning a lawless period between the 1970s and turn of the last century. The acting is uniformly excellent, the action is ferocious and the police work feels authentic. It can also be sexy. The DVD set also contains three making-of featurettes. By the time Season 14 of “The Simpsons” rolled around, 292 episodes had aired and it was still pulling in awards by the bus load. It had become such a firmly entrenched institution that, instead of greeting each new chapter with enthusiasm, fans began to compare them to earlier triumphs and pick new episodes apart as if they were Buffalo chicken wings. Many considered Season 14 to be lacking in several key areas. And, yet, network television offered few alternatives. “The Simpsons” was and continues to be as fine an entertainment as TV offers. It had the nominations and trophies to prove it. Among other goodies, the season features guest appearances from Mick Jagger and Lenny Kravitz. The three-disc Blu-ray set presents all 22 episodes in their broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound. The bonus material includes audio commentaries on every episode, “A Haunting Invite From Matt Groening,” four making-of featurettes, deleted scenes with commentary, a multi-angle animation showcase, original sketches and bonus “Treehouse of Horror” episodes. Tavis Smiley reports and hosts “Too Important to Fail,” an investigative report on the challenges facing African-American boys as they reach high school. The drop- out rate is almost 50 percent and the choices for those who do matriculate are extremely limited. Smiley visits schools in Philadelphia, Oakland, Chicago and Los Angeles, where the teens have dedicated themselves to excelling and getting scholarships to college, so as to achieve meaningful careers. “Too Important to Fail” is an upbeat document, but not to the point where it’s unreasonably optimistic. School districts are strapped for cash and only a handful of boys are accepted to such charter programs and academies each year. Otherwise, it’s the same old, same old. We’ve seen stories like this on “60 Minutes” and in such documentaries as “The Providence Effect,” but another good one certainly can’t hurt. – Gary Dretzka Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special: Blu-ray Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 7th Season If one cares to do the math, the last full-sized wooly mammoth walked the earth some 3,700 before the birth of Jesus Christ, while saber-toothed tigers and giant ground sloths were gone even before then. A cynic might wonder how Manny, Sid, Diego and the rest of the “Ice Age” gang came to celebrate an event that wouldn’t occur for another three millennium. Saint Nicholas of Myra, the model for Santa Claus, wouldn’t come along for another 400 years. At best, this would make Sid, Peach, Crash and Eddie’s trek to the North Pole problematic. But, what the heck, cartoons aren’t supposed to bear much resemblance to reality. Otherwise, roadrunners would be flourishing in the American west and coyotes would be nearing extinction. In “A Mammoth Christmas Special,” which aired last month on Fox, Sid breaks Manny’s precious Christmas rock and everyone fears Santa’s wrath. A trip to the North Pole doesn’t work out as planned, but, really, how much harm can be done in 26 minutes? Even Scrat gets into the act, when an errant acorn leads him to Santa’s sleigh. The Blu-ray also includes a preview of next summer’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift” and a three-minute “Swingin’ Jingle Bells” music video. The first five episodes of the Hub network’s “Transformers Prime” formed a story arc under the “Darkness Rising” banner. Apparently, the latest “Transformers” spinoff performed well enough to earn a second season, which began last month. In “Darkness Rising,” the rascally Decepticons are getting dangerously close to the Earth’s Energon deposits and Autobot Cliffjumper is kidnapped. Peace is broken, but a trio of human teenagers joins forces with Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee to put a stop to the madness. Like Ol’ Man River and “The Simpsons,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” just keeps rolling along. The 30-episode seventh season ran from June 2009 to July 2010 and included such titles as “I Heart Dancing,” “Someone’s in the Kitchen with Sandy,” “Growth Spout,” “Tentacle-Vision,” “The Inside Job,” and “Stuck in the Wringer,” as well as the entire multi-chapter special, “Legends of Bikini Bottom.” The nine-hour, four-disc set also chronicles Spongebob’s entire modeling career, Squidward’s public television career and Mrs. Puff’s Krusty Krab career. – Gary Dretzka Chillerama Needle Upon its English-language release, late in 1973, “Horror Express” was pretty much dismissed as just another micro-budget genre thriller destined to be shown at the tail end of a triple-feature at the drive-in. Even though American horror buffs had taken a shine to the Hammer horror pictures, especially those starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, it would take a bit longer for mainstream horror fans here to embrace knock-offs from southern Europe. Dubbing was a problem, as were the garish special effects. Moreover, distributers weren’t fond of the gratuitous sex and hyper-violence that characterized giallo and its imitators. Today, of course, the best titles are considered to be classics of the form and they look better than ever in DVD and Blu-ray. “Horror Express” is a Spanish hybrid of Hammer and giallo. Directed by the prolific Eugenio Martin and shot at Estudios Madrid, it starred Lee, Cushing and Alberto de Mendoza in the lead roles. Telly Savalas’ presence gave the marketing team an American name to promote, although the producers couldn’t have known how much his stock would rise between the completion of “Horror Express” and popularity of “Kojack.” It helps explains why the movie, in which Savalas plays only a small part, was released in the U.S. and other markets two years after it debuted at the Catalonian Film Festival. No capsule review could do “Horror Express” justice, but, suffice it to say, it is equal parts “The Thing” and “Murder on the Orient Express.” Lee’s knighted professor, Alexander Saxon, is about to embark on a journey from Manchuria to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express, which apparently was quite comfortable in czarist Russia. While awaiting their departure, Cushing’s friendly rival, Dr. Wells, becomes fascinated with a mysterious coffin-like crate belonging to Saxon. The box contains the partially thawed corpse of a humanoid Saxon believes could represent the fabled “missing link” between ape and man. What we know and the passengers on the train are about to learn is that the creature possesses the ability to fry the brain of anyone foolish enough to stare into its mystic eyes. Naturally, it gets loose on the train and mayhem ensues. Adding to the fun are Mendoza’s mad monk, who serves as an adviser to Countess Irina Petrovski, and Savalas’ scenery-chewing Cossack. (Savalas and Martin had collaborated previously on “Vendetta” – he played Pancho Villa — from which the train interiors were borrowed.) Severin Films rescued “Horror Express” from public-domain hell and restored it as well as anyone could have, given the degraded quality of the print. There are scratches and other visual artifacts and the dialogue doesn’t always match lip movements. The outdoor scenes reveal the train’s miniature origins, as well. Other than that, it’s in good shape. (Most of the dialogue was recorded after the scenes were shot, probably because almost every supporting actor spoke Spanish exclusively.) On the plus side, the bright colors really pop on Blu-ray and it accentuates the contrasts between dark and light in the ominous moments before the beast is about to strike his prey. The impromptu autopsies, boiled corneas and infrared eyes look pretty cool in hi-def, as well. Buffs will savor the bonus package, which includes extended interviews with Cushing, Martin, blacklisted producer Bernard Gordon and composer John Cacavas; an introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander; and trailers from the Severin line. With all the attention being paid to grindhouse and other B-movie fare, it was only a matter of time before someone who isn’t named Tarantino or Rodriguez did a parody that both hits home and actually is funny. “Chillerama” reminds me of such riotous sketch comedies as “Amazon Women on the Moon,” “Hollywood Shuffle” and “Kentucky Fried Movie,” but with a twist. It is the closing night of the last drive-in theater in America and the owner plans to go out with a bang. He’s held back four movies that are considered to be so obscure and outrageous that they’ve never been exhibited in public. The titles pretty much explain why: “Wadzilla,” in which a giant spermatozoa attacks the Statue of Liberty, among other women; “I Was A Teenage Werebear,” about fat and hairy gay teens who prey on their straight classmates and turn them into werewolfs, er, werebears; “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein,” an impossibly outrageous combination of “Young Frankenstein” and “The Diary of Anne Frank”; the insanely scatological “Deathication” ; and the framing device, “Zom-B-Movie,” during which the suddenly undead audience turns on itself. A lot of spurting and splatting takes place during the four features and most of it involves blood and semen, if you get my drift. Not all of the gags come off as planned, but, considering the intended audience, the batting average is pretty good. The segments were written and directed by Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan. It comes with plenty of bonus features, including making-of pieces, interviews, commentaries and mock trailers. Few words conjure images of extreme pain and suffering more immediately than “needle.” Anyone old enough to remember “SNL” head writer Michael O’Donoghue’s skit involving celebrities and the 6-inch-long steel needles he’d like to see jammed into their eyes probably has been scarred for life by it. Aussie writer/director John V. Soto’s supernatural thriller, “Needle,” has about as much in common with needles as a sewing machine has with a deejay’s turntable, however. A long time ago, they might have been related, but other things got in the way. Specifically, here, the needles are used in conjunction with the voodoo dolls created to inflict great harm on a group of college students. The dolls are created by the person who stole a magic voodoo box from the dorm room of a student whose father had just died and left it to him. I think a haunted sewing machine would have been scarier, but what do I know? “Needle” also is the story of estranged brothers forced to join forces to unravel the cruel mystery they inherited from their father. It isn’t a bad movie, just undernourished in the area of thrills and chills. The young cast is attractive, however, so fans of coeds-in-peril flicks might find something here to their liking. Aspiring do-it-yourselfers should enjoy the informative making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka In My Sleep: Special Edition: Blu-ray Marcus is a masseuse, sex addict, parasomniac and possibly a murderer. Among the women with whom he’s recently slept is the wife of his best friend. He can’t remember if he enjoyed the experience or not because he hooked up with her while he was sleep walking, sleep driving and sleep screwing. One morning, ostensibly after a night of sleep revelry, Marcus wakes up in his own bed with blood stains all over the sheets and his hands, and a knife lying on the floor. Coincidentally, police officers arrive at his door just as he’s wiping the sleep – and disbelief – out of his eyes. He manages to distract them long enough to disguise most of the blood stains, but he’s baffled at the lack of other incriminating evidence and any indication of a woman’s presence. Given Marcus’s history of somnambulism, he can’t eliminate himself from the list of potential suspects. Instead, he attempts to get to the root cause of his problem, first by analyzing his own sordid dreams and, then, confronting his shrew of a mother about why his dead father keeps making guest appearances in them. In the meantime, Marcus enlists a pretty young neighbor to tuck him in at night and make sure he’s firmly handcuffed to the bedframe. In his first feature film since his 1995 senior thesis, “Harlem Grace,” writer/director/producer Alan Wolfe has attempted to create a Freudian thriller with a Hitchcockian twist. It’s a difficult enough trick for an experienced filmmaker to pull off without also having to create board games, as he did, to finance the project. “In My Sleep” isn’t particularly suspenseful, but it’s well made and the actors are attractive. The “Special Edition” Blu-ray arrives with an abundance of bonus material, including lots of deleted and alternate scenes, interviews, sleepwalking stories, a gag reel and making-of featurettes. As straight-to-DVD titles go, I’ve seen a lot worse. – Gary Dretzka The Rules of the Gamer: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray 12 Angry Men: The Criterion Collection: Blu-ray It should go without saying by now that anyone who professes to love cinema and hasn’t watched “The Rules of the Game” once, at least, probably ought to consider returning to film school. If that’s out of the question, however, they should pick up a copy of Jean Renoir’s 1939 classic (for lack of a better cliché) and study it as if it were the Holy Grail. Set between the great wars, “Rules of the Game” is a critique of French aristocracy and the bourgeois conventions that allowed it to blissfully ignore what was happening in Germany and Italy. Seventy years later, the movie retains its ability to surprise, inform and entertain. Criterion’s Blu-ray represents the latest attempt to repair the damage to “Rules of the Game,” first by French censors and outraged audiences, then the Allied bombers that destroyed a warehouse containing the original negative. It had already been trimmed by from 94 to 81 minutes to appease distributors, but enough original pieces were recovered to piece together a 106-minute version, which Renoir approved and has been used as the model for all future upgrades. And, yes, it looks and sounds terrific. Owners of previous DVD editions are advised to compare editions to see how much more supplemental material is available in the Blu-ray iteration. The new version has undergone a hi-def digital restoration, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. It is introduced by Renoir; features commentary by film scholar and Renoir’s friend, Alexander Sesonske, as read by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; a comparative analysis of the movie’s two endings; a documentary comparing the 106-minute re-edit with Renoir’s original script; scene analysis by Renoir historian Chris Faulkner; excerpts from a 1966 French television program by filmmaker Jacques Rivette; Part One of a two-part 1993 BBC documentary by David Thompson; a video essay about the film’s production, release and 1959 reconstruction; a 1965 interview from a French television series, in which Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand discuss their reconstruction and rerelease of the film; interviews with set designer Max Douy, Renoir’s son, Alain and actress Mila Parély; and a booklet featuring writings by Renoir, François Truffaut, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Bertrand Tavernier; an essay by Sesonske; and tributes to the film and Renoir by J. Hoberman, Kent Jones, Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders, Robert Altman, and others Now that the latest “trial of the century” has reached its conclusion and theoretically, at least, Michael Jackson can rest in peace, it may be the ideal time to revisit Sidney Lumet’s intense jury-room drama, “12 Angry Men.” Made in 1957, Lumet’s directorial debut followed both the television and Broadway productions of Reginald Rose’s teleplay. It takes place, of course, during the course of deliberations in a murder case. All we in the audience know about it, really, is what can be gleaned in the arguments between jurors seeking a unanimous decision. One by one, the men are asked to search their souls for any sign of reasonable doubt or absolute certainty. The cast in the 1957 theatrical film includes Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda and Ed Begley, of which only Fonda and Begley already were household names. It’s truly an actor’s showcase. The Criterion Blu-ray has been restored to hi-def digitally, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. It also comes with Frank Schaffner’s 1955 television version, with an introduction by Ron Simon, director of the Paley Center for Media Studies; the video essay,“‘12 Angry Men’: From Television to the Big Screen,” which compares both of these editions; archival interviews with Lumet; new interviews with writer Walter Bernstein, Reginald Rose, cinematographer John Bailey; “Tragedy in a Temporary Town ,” a 1956 teleplay directed by Lumet and written by Rose; the original theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by writer and law professor Thane Rosenbaum. – Gary Dretzka The Cycle Released just before the Islamist revolution in Iran and fall of the shah, “The Cycle” paints a portrait of top-down corruption and engrained cynicism that’s almost unimaginable. Saeed Kangarani plays a handsome, if dirt-poor teenager who accompanies his desperately sick father to Tehran for medical care. The men huddle in the streets outside a hospital at night, without any real hope of being seen by a doctor. Almost miraculously, they connect with a crooked doctor who pays homeless men and women for their blood, no questions asked. He sells it back to the hospital at a huge profit. The doctor takes a shine to the young man, Ali, whose good looks and easy demeanor make him a perfect front for a black-market operation. Meanwhile, he also ingratiates himself with a nurse at the hospital, who has friends also in need of cheap labor and a shrewd mind. Before long, Ali has made a lucrative niche for himself in the illegal blood trade and has stopped worrying much if it’s safe. Everyone in the pecking order, right up to the shah, had a taste for quick and relatively easy money in the 1970s and, of course, that hunger demanded to be fed. By 1980, the party was over and a different breed of criminal took control of Iran. It’s a fascinating movie, made by one of the leading lights of the Iranian New Wave, Dariush Mehrjui. “The Cycle” was banned from view at the behest of Iranian medical officials for three years. Mehrjui’s was among the throngs of people demanding change in Tehran and an early supporter of the revolution. His faith in the new regime would be short-lived, however. – Gary Dretzka Whitechapel: The Ripper Returns In the original, British version of “Prime Suspect,” Jane Tennison spent two seasons, at least, proving to her male colleagues that she, first, was up to the task of being a DCI and, next, that she was capable of being detective superintendent. It was as much a part of the show as the murders being solved. Kyra Sedgwick’s Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson faced the same hostility in “The Closer.” It goes with the territory. In the recent ITV/BBC America mini-series “Whitechapel,” Rupert Penry-Jones (MI-5) is assigned the role of Joseph Chandler, an outsider clouted into the position of superintendent by colleagues at Scotland Yard. Called to the scene of his first murder, Chandler arrives wearing the tuxedo he was in while being toasted on his promotion at some posh London club. It made a bad first impression on the slovenly group of detectives who would report to him in the coming weeks on a sensational case. To say they put their new boss through the ringer is an understatement. The question at the heart of the three part mini-series is whether, given today’s technology and forensics science, modern London cops could do something their forebears on the force couldn’t accomplish in the 1880s: identify and catch Jack the Ripper. Although his detectives are too cynical to believe there’s a copycat killer loose in London, Chandler is willing to give a so-called Ripperologist the benefit of a doubt. Steve Pemberton is wonderful as the obsessive historian who’s written a book on the subject, has a website dedicated to Jack the Ripper and gives crime-scene tours to tourists. Although he qualifies as a person of interest, himself, Edward Buchan convinces Chandler not to depend entirely on modern forensics, CCTV and DNA. His belief is that a copycat killer would rely entirely on archival reports and photographs, period clothing and historic maps. Could the Ripper escape justice twice, 130 years removed from the last known murder? Tune in and stay for the making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka Smallville: The Complete Series Hot in Cleveland: Season Two The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series After some initial reluctance to enter the superhero arena, programming executives at Warner Bros. Television and The WB network realized that the bottle they were handed on October 17, 2001, contained the lightening captured the night before, upon the debut of “Smallville.” The series, which would go on to enjoy a 10-year run, had just become the network’s highest-rated debut, with 8.4 million viewers. Moreover, while finishing first in the 12–34 demographic, the premiere also broke The WB record in the even more lucrative bracket reserved for adults age 18–34. That’s the television equivalent of a rookie slugger, playing for an expansion team, hitting a grand-slam home run on his first at-bat. Clearly, even as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s comic-book creation, Superman, continued its reign as one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history – subsequently spawning a newspaper comic strip, radio and movie serials, cartoon shorts, a landmark live-action television show, a Broadway musical, five mega-budget feature films, several more animated and live-action TV series, novels and a not terribly impressive video game — there was still plenty of room left for origin story, “Smallville.” Alfred Gough and Miles Millar’s action-packed and sneaky-sexy adaptation arrived at a most opportune time. With Tom Welling playing a young, buff, chivalrous, capeless and flightless Clark Kent, “Smallville” could be positioned alongside The WB’s teen-skewing hits “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Felicity,” “Charmed” and “Dawson’s Creek.” Dynamic visual and audio effects had become affordable for television producers, as did the British Columbia locations. A rocking soundtrack put the cherry on top of the sundae. Just in time for what would have been Christmas on Krypton, Warner Home Video has released “Smallville: The Complete Series” on DVD and “Smallville: The Complete Tenth Season” on DVD and Blu-ray. For newcomers, the series encompasses Superman’s earthly progression from the newly arrived baby Kal-El to Clark Kent’s emergence as a superhero finally capable of flight. Unlike George Reeves, who mostly saved Metropolis from crooks and gangsters, Welling would be called upon to battle myriad supervillains. The character and narrative structure would evolve through the 10-year stretch, but the origin myth continued to progress in a logical way. (I’m still not sure when Clark would make his first trip to the optometrist, however.) Fans should brace themselves before they attempt to lift the complete-series box, as its 62 discs contain all 218 episodes of the hourlong series (minus commercials); more than five hours of newly added special features, including a 90-minute series retrospective; new interviews; the unaired 1961 “Superboy” pilot; an episode guide, with production art and behind-the-scenes photos; coverage of the 2010 Comic Con panel; and an exclusive issue of the Daily Planet, created by DC Comics. If that weren’t sufficient cause for celebration, the package also includes more than 100 hours of featurettes from the a la carte editions. That’s a lot of stuff. The 10th-season Blu-ray adds commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes on “A Smallville Homecoming” and “The Son Becomes the Father” episodes, and “How Do We Do” music video. Adapted from Adam Rifkin’s movie of the same title, “Look” was a Showtime series based on the theory that something worth watching always is being recorded by and transmitted from the 40 million surveillance cameras installed in American stores, schools, dressing rooms, gas stations and neighborhoods. The digital image could be as mundane as a fat shopper picking his nose, as hideous as a cocaine-amped MILF getting her butt waxed, as disgusting as a bum barfing on the floor of a convenience store, as provocative as a study-hall beaver-shot, as goofy as maintenance workers skateboarding in the empty aisles of a mall after midnight and as shocking as watching a woman being attacked in a parking lot while the security guard is asleep. Some of the people we meet are aware of the presence of cameras, while others don’t realize they’re being surveilled until they see themselves doing something embarrassing on YouTube … repeatedly and from differently placed cameras. Throughout the course of the nearly six-hour presentation, the lives of the characters intersect and impact on each other. What do “Hot in Cleveland” and “The Girls Next Door” have in common, beyond the fact both shows star women? If “Hot in Cleveland” lasts another 20 years, or is revived for a new generation of viewers, it’s entirely possible that Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and Betty White could be replaced by Holly, Bridget, Kendra, Crystal, Karissa and Kristina as the cougars in residence. I can’t imagine the gags and sitcom setups needing much in the way of freshening and, maybe, in the meantime, Hef’s ladies might have learned how to act. TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland” probably would have been an easy fit on network television 20 years ago, but the only actors getting those roles these days are skinny, blond and look good in a mini-skirt. (Melissa McCarthy being the exception that proves the rule.) The second-season DVD package includes all 22episodes, an appearance by Susan Lucci, a cast visit to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making-of material, interviews, the pilot and first episode of TVLand’s new “The Exes” and an extended Betty “Benderover” blooper. Given Hugh Hefner’s recent detour on the way to the altar, it’s unlikely a seventh season “The Girls Next Door” will appear any time soon, and probably not on E! That’s unless, of course, the Kardashian bimbos move in to the mansion and agree to give him a tumble every now and again. Until then, fans of the show will have to settle for the 2,100 minutes of material collected in the “Complete Series” edition, which also includes one season with “the twins” and the ungrateful hussy who unceremoniously dumped her sugar daddy. Meanwhile, Kendra, Holly and to a lesser degree Bridget have found an afterlife in television series of their own. – Gary Dretzka NFL: Green Bay Packers: Road to XLV I grew up in Wisconsin and continue to live and die with the fortunes of the Green Bay Packers. I can easily recall the great teams of the 1960s, whose exploits led to the city being branded Titletown USA, even during the 30 lean years that followed. Back then, the players all wore black football shoes with long cleats – the exception being Billy “White Shoes” Johnson – and end-zone celebrations were limited to pats on the back and handshakes. Green Bay was a speck on the map then and it’s not any bigger today. And, yet, every seat in Lambeau Field has had a fanny on it for every game since Vince Lombardi made the city famous for something other than its proximity to scenic Door County and being home to Schneider National, the largest privately owned truck fleet in the country. Last season, when the Packers began their run for the Super Bowl championship, few people gave the team much of a chance to succeed. As the wildcard selection in its division, the Packers wouldn’t play even one game in front of friendly fans on Lambeau’s famously frozen tundra. The team also would be required to play one additional playoff game to those contested by the favorites. They won all of those games in convincing fashion and have kept on winning throughout the 2011 season. Credit for that belongs to the emergence of Aaron Rodgers as one of the premiere quarterbacks in the NFL and general manager Ted Thompson’s ability to find players capable of filling the many holes left by season-ending injuries to key players. All of those memories are recalled, almost ad nauseam, in “Road to XLV,” from Vivendi and NFL Films. The many factoids about football in Green Bay and Wisconsin filled the gaps between plays and commercials during the NFC Wildcard Playoffs, NFL Division Playoffs, NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. All of those games are included in the “Post-Season Collector’s Edition.” In two months, we’ll know which team will carry home the Lombardi Trophy. No matter who wins, however, a “Road to XLVI” is sure to follow. – Gary Dretzka Super 8: Blu-ray Spy Kids 4: All Time in the World As residents of the placid Ohio town of Lillian are being rounded up and bussed to an Air Force base – ostensibly to protect them from a mysterious virus – I remembered that I’d seen this movie before, dozens of times in the last 30-40 years. Contrary to expectations planted by a spectacular train-wreck set piece early on, “Super 8” adheres to the long-established cinematic conceit that government conspiracies can be thwarted by children. Here, a group of movie-mad mini-Spielbergians stands up to an unblinking USAF security team, attempting to contain and conceal the demons released in the train accident. The only weapon the kids on their side is the truth, which is contained in a Super 8 camera. Why the Air Force, of all branches of the military, is set up as the enemy here remains something of a mystery to me. Were all of the C130J Hercules transport planes out delivering groceries to the troops that day? No matter, it’s nice to know that someone in government still has faith in railroads. As the train carrying the dangerous cargo speeds through Lillian in the dead of night, the teens are hoping it will provide an interesting background element for their zombie movie. In a coincidence inspired as much by producer Steven Spielberg as the imagination of writer/director J.J. Abrams, the most responsible of the boys spots an automobile jumping the tracks and heading directly towards the train’s engine. The collision causes all of the cars to derail. In their mad dash to escape disaster, the kids leave the still-running Super 8 camera behind on the platform of the abandoned railway station. Conveniently, the lens is pointed in the best possible position to capture the mayhem and release of mysterious metallic objects resembling Rubik’s Cubes. Within hours, the Air Force team quarantines the area and initiates a disinformation campaign designed to pacify local residents, including a recently widowed sheriff whose son is among the shutterbugs. No amount of spoiler alerts could prevent most viewers from guessing what transpires in Lillian over the next hour or so and whose concept of the truth prevails. Considering that “Super 8” is set in 1979, it is to Abrams’ credit that it feels more analog than digital. The story harkens more to the “Hardy Boys” novels and “Spin & Marty” serials on “The Mickey Mouse Club” than, say, to “Spy Kids.” And, yes, a super-cute blond girl (Elle Fanning) has been added to the mix, as both leading lady and puppy-love interest for two of the boys. As predictable as “Super 8” may be, however, Abrams’ story proves sufficiently diverting to hold our interest until the wildly manic climax, which transports viewers back to the Digital Age. Even so, the primary selling point for the Blu-ray/DVD package likely will be the generous package of bonus features, including “Deconstructing the Train Crash” and eight other fine making-of featurettes; 14 deleted scenes; commentary; and a digital copy. Two of the pieces that stand out are “The 8mm Revolution,” which looks back at a time when film spooled through cameras and it took days for it to be developed, and an audition reel describing the search for fresh new faces. The latest addition to Robert Rodriguez’ imaginative “Spy Kids” franchise is aimed at viewers even younger than those targeted by “Super 8.” Critics weren’t terribly impressed by it, but their opinions, shouldn’t dissuade pre-tweeners from enjoying the silly sight gags, pranks, gadgets and overriding precociousness of new spy-kids, Rebecca and Cecil (Rowan Blanchard, Mason Cook). They are the children of TV journalist and clandestine spy hunter, Wilbur (ever-snarky Joel McHale), and stepchildren of undercover spy-wife, Melissa (Jessica Alba). Parents may miss original spy-parents Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino, but, again, most young audiences won’t even notice they’re gone. Original spy-kid-actors Alexa Vega and Darryl Sabara have been included here in supporting roles, 10 years older and considerably more attractive. “All the Time in the World” introduces Melissa as a new mom of a baby girl and stepmom of a pre-teen boy and girl obsessed with driving adults nuts. Melissa has been called back to OSS duty to combat the evil Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven), who threatens to freeze time and destroy the world. Rebecca and Cecil discover her mission and decide to beat her to the punch. Unlike “Super 8,” which largely played out against a real-world background, “Spy Kids” is set in a green-screen universe, in which all things are possible. In theaters, “Spy Kids 4” not only was shown in 3D and 2D formats, but also “4D Aroma-Scope.” Not having seen it on the big screen, I can’t say with any certainty if Aroma-Scope captured the unique scents associated with the many fart, dirty-diaper and vomit jokes. If so, that fact alone would cause a mainstream critic to recoil in disgust. That element isn’t available in the new four-disc Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and digital-copy package, but feel free to supply your own smells, instead. And, what kids flick today would be complete without a talking dog? Here, that voice is supplied by Ricky Gervais. The bonus package adds deleted scenes, Rodriguez’ interview with a young reporter from a kids-news outlet, “Rowan & Mason’s Video Diary,” “How to Make a Robotic Dog,” “Spy Kids: Passing the Torch,” “Ricky Gervais as Argonaut” and a look at the movie’s gadgets. – Gary Dretzka The Devil’s Double If the story weren’t so horrifyingly real, you’d find “The Devil’s Double” on a short list of thug classics alongside Brian DePalma’s “Scarface.” In fact, I’m surprised that movie wasn’t playing in the background somewhere during this faux-biography of Uday Hussein, another coke-snorting, woman-abusing and gun-obsessed fiend. The similarities between Tony Montana and the sadistic son of Saddam Hussein are inescapable. In an interview included in the DVD bonus package, director Lee Tamahori (“Once Were Warriors”) explains that he purposefully embellished Oday’s bad behavior – as related in the memoirs of body-double Latif Yahia – to distinguish it from traditional bio-pics, which can be judged according to their accuracy. In doing so, Oday’s misdeeds are made mythic and “Devil’s Double” becomes more operatic in tone. Tamahori also wanted to create a new archetype for the associates of rich and powerful people who take advantage of their position to commit crimes against humanity. It’s possible, too, that Tamahori was influenced by reports that Yahia had made up the story and he didn’t want facts to get in the way of a good movie. And, from what we’ve learned about Uday, “Devil’s Double” would be a powerful yarn even if only half of it were true. The late Moammar Ghadafi’s sons appear to have been cast from the same mold. Brit actor Dominic Cooper plays both men in “Devil’s Double” in an extremely convincing manner. Because their personalities were diametrically opposed to each other, Cooper must have felt as if he were rehearsing for two different movies. The common denominator here is Uday’s outlandish wardrobe, which both men would share and looked as if it were ordered from Pimps-R-us.com. Another thing they share, although not with Uday’s express permission, is the beautiful and duplicitous seductress, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier). Yahia isn’t shown indulging in Uday’s many other party favors, even though they were abundant and his for the taking. Mostly he tried to avoid eye contact with his former prep school and college classmate, as he murdered anyone who crossed him and viciously raped girls and women on mere whims. If anything, the parties depicted in “Devil’s Double” are sleazier than the decadent nightclub scenes in “Scarface.” At one point, the coked-out potentate demonstrates just how much fun he’s having by demanding that all of his guests remove their clothes. And, of course, they do. Other scenes that should resonate with American viewers are those set during the intense bombing of Baghdad, during the first Iraq war, and when Yahia visited front-line troops in the Iran-Iraq war disguised as Oday. The DVD arrives with interviews with Tamahori, Latif and Cooper, as well as deleted scenes. – Gary Dretzka Sarah’s Key: Blu-ray Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s adaptation of Tatiana de Rosnay’s best-selling novel, “Sarah’s Key,” once again begs a question that’s perplexed novelists and screenwriters ever since the full extent of Nazi atrocities began to be reported: Is it possible to create a work of fiction about the Holocaust that neither minimizes the horror nor exploits the suffering of the victims and survivors? Just as in William Styron’s “Sophie’s Choice,” De Rosnay’s focus is on a survivor whose life was permanently altered by terrible decisions made under the threat of death. Here, 10-year-old Sarah Starzynski (Mélusine Mayance) locks her younger brother in a hidden closet of their Paris apartment just before collaborationist police take the family to the Vél d’Hiver velodrome. It was here that Jews were warehoused in advance of being transported to the death camps. The girl, Sarah, was led to believe that the French authorities were merely going to take information from the Jewish families and allow them to return home. Instead, after several miserable days inside the increasingly fetid velodrome, the families are trucked to a relocation camp outside the city and separated by gender and age. Still carrying the key, Sarah is desperate to escape and rescue her brother. In the next hour or so, we watch as the girl escapes from the camp, finds refuge in a nearby town, returns home to find the flat occupied by another family and attempts to live with her grief. It’s a harrowing story. In a parallel narrative, American journalist Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas) and her French husband are in the process of renovating an apartment his family has owned and occupied for more than 50 years. Coincidentally, she’s also become absorbed in researching an article she’s been assigned on the Vél d’Hiver roundup by a prestigious magazine. During an interview with a historian who is computerizing information about Jews taken to the velodrome, Julia asks if there’s any data on the Marais flat being renovated. In mere seconds, Julia learns the names of its former occupants and the fate of the Sarah’s parents. Putting two and two together, Julia fears that her in-laws may have been awarded the apartment after the roundup in return for work done to benefit the Vichy government. Further obsessive research puts the reporter on the same trail taken by Sarah in the wake of her family’s transfer to the makeshift camps. It leads to the home of a generous and kindly rural couple, to the apartment, America and Italy. No need to spoil anything beyond that point in the movie. Suffice it to say, Sarah and Julia’s path eventually merge but not in any predictable way. All of the actors in “Sarah’s Key” are excellent, as are the period re-creations. After decades of denial and deflection, France’s collaboration with the Nazis remains an extremely hot potato in the country and most people would prefer letting it cool. The velodrome has since been replaced by a school and you’d need a GPS device to find any memorials to the victims. Although everyone involved in the project clearly was up to the challenge of adapting the novel, the task of stuffing 300-plus pages of intense drama, myriad characters, interlocked narratives and a divorce into a 111-minute package has proven difficult. Too many important questions are left unanswered and the adult Sarah remains an enigma until the end. The bonus package adds a lot of good background material on the period, book and adaptation, with several worthwhile interviews. – Gary Dretzka Carjacked: Blu-ray I know better than to expect an entirely satisfying movie-going experience based simply on the names of the actors on the cover of a DVD. Still, even given the vagaries of the straight-to-video market, hope springs eternal. So, if I receive a movie in which Maria Bello and Stephen Dorff are the featured attractions, there’s a reasonable expectation on my part that something inside the box is worth my time. “Carjacked” isn’t a bad movie, per se, but it’s no match for the firepower Bello and Dorff bring to a project at this point in their careers. Ten years ago, such a claustrophobic thriller could have served as a stepping stone to bigger things. Today, neither actor needs the credits or aggravation of spending three or four weeks in Baton Rouge. It only makes sense if they were helping a relative or friend get a leg up in the business or the producers made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Given the finished product, I can’t imagine either of those cards was on the table. Bello plays a down-on-her luck divorced mom, who makes the mistake of leaving the door of her car unlocked while a desperate bank robber (Dorff) is on the loose in the vicinity. After paying for gas, she’s surprised by the presence of her young son’s new friend, who’s sitting in the back seat and he needs a ride to the hidden loot. Naturally, after a close call at a roadblock and some comforting repartee, Roy gives Lorraine hope that she and her 8-year-old son will escape the ordeal unscathed. Instead, whenever it looks as if they might be developing a cautious rapport, Lorraine does something unnecessary to piss him off. Sherry and Michael Compton’s script is so full of holes that you could drive a Winnebago through it. And, John Bonito’s direction isn’t much better. Lack of experience is a legitimate excuse on their parts, but it doesn’t explain what prompted Bello and Dorff to contribute their talent. To their credit, neither of them appears to have phoned in their performance. As for action and thrills, I’ve seen worse. That’s all. – Gary Dretzka Trigger Originally conceived as a sequel to Bruce McDonald’s punk mockumentary “Hard Core Label,” “Trigger” was rewritten to accommodate a story about a hit riot grrrl duo that crashed and burned 10 years earlier and is reuniting for the first time since then. As portrayed Molly Parker and the late Tracy Wright, Vic and Kat have several unresolved issues to deal with before they can feel comfortable with each other again and none of them is petty. The occasion of their reunion is a benefit concert to honor women in rock, sponsored by a Toronto record label. Vic and Kat are accorded living-legend status with the predominantly lesbian audience and the reception buoys both women. The question that takes all night for them to resolve is whether they can bury their respective hatchets – neither has completely conquered the temptations of booze and drugs – before one of them succumbs to a killer disease. The dialogue here is sharp and witty, and the undercurrents of bitterness, resentment and longing are palpable, as well. Wright and Parker appear to have been born to play female rock stars of a certain age, struggling to make sense of their place in an industry still dominated by men and worshipful fans old enough to be their daughters. It certainly helps that the musical soundtrack reflects what’s happening in their lives and on the screen. Sadly, 50-year-old Wright died of the same pancreatic cancer as was diagnosed in her character during post-production of “Trigger.” Whether her illness was used to inform the story, or it was a tragic coincidence, isn’t made clear. In any case the movie stands as a fitting tribute to the popular Canadian actor. – Gary Dretzka The Family Tree: Blu-ray Dark family comedies are a common starting place for debuting indie filmmakers. Too often, though, they confuse bizarre behavior with dysfunction, which has become the umbrella term for any family whose members argue too much and have peculiar habits. In “The Family Tree,” the Burnetts of Suburban U.S.A., merely are tired of being in each other’s presence and their boredom is reflected in their respective drives for sexual satisfaction (mom, Hope Davis), social acceptance (twin daughter, Brittany Robertson), spiritual direction (twin son, Max Theriot) and career advancement (dad, Dermot Mulroney). When mom is knocked unconscious in mid-tryst with an African-American neighbor (Chi McBride), most memories of her past life and recent sexual dalliances have been wiped from her memory. Slowly, she begins to recall deeply buried memories, including what attracted her to her husband in the first place. This doesn’t stop her lovers from attempting to rekindle the flame, though. Things come to a head when a pair of aspiring gangstas invades the house, demanding the horde of jewelry they’ve heard is stashed somewhere out of sight. Her lover knows where it is, but admitting it would blow his cover as someone interested only in being a good neighbor. Meanwhile, the son is taking shooting lessons from a gun-nut priest and hanging out with sociopathic Jesus freaks. The desperately horny daughter snaps a picture of a lesbian teacher cuddling with a crippled student in a stall in a high-school washroom and uses it to turn an “F” into a “B.” If the tail finally ends up wagging the dog here, it’s still fun to watch cameos by Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”), Gabrielle Anwar (“Burn Notice”), Madeline Zima (“Californication”), Rachel Leigh Cook (“Psych”), Selma Blair, Jane Seymour, Keith Carradine and Bow Wow. Typically, though, it’s Davis and Mulroney who make “Family Tree” worth the price of a rental. – Gary Dretzka Streets/Angel in Red: Roger Corman Double Feature Already co-starring in one of TV’s most successful sitcoms, “Married With Children,” Christina Applegate made her feature film debut in the hookers-in-peril drama. “Streets.” Exec-produced by Roger Corman and directed by exploitation specialist Katt Shea, the gritty low-budget thriller documents what can happen to a working girl when she refuses to meet the expectations of a psycho cop (Ed Lottimer) and leaves claw marks on his face during her escape. In fact, Dawn is that rarest of Venice street hookers – circa 1990, when the beach community was infested with gangs — who limit her skills to hand-jobs and BJs, without making it clear in advance that’s all she’ll do. After the cop is thwarted in his demand for the real thing, he spends the rest of the movie chasing her and killing anyone who doesn’t provide him with information about her whereabouts. Dawn finds an ally in a runaway teen boy, who’s fearless, if overmatched against the brutal motorcycle jockey. Meanwhile, Dawn isn’t doing herself any favors by slipping back into a heroin habit. “Streets” exhibits a certain grindhouse appeal, but, as a rising mainstream star, Applegate wasn’t about to deliver the goods devotees expect from flicks about misguided hookers. In “Angel in Red” (a.k.a., “Uncaged”), the prevailing menace is a vicious white pimp – as rare a creature as the albino buffalo — whose jealousy and paranoia puts him on a collision course with the most powerful black pimps in Hollywood. If it looks familiar to grindhouse buffs, it’s because “Angel in Red” is a west-coast reiteration of “Streetwalkin’,” an earlier Times Square-based, hooker-in-peril picture that starred Melissa Leo. Here, Mickie (Leslie Bega) and her brother run away to L.A. from Hooterville, or some such burg, where they almost immediately get swallowed up by a pimp named Sharkey. For a while, Mickie is devoted to Sharkey. When he starts beating up her johns, however, she starts looking for another “daddy.” Then, he really goes berserk. Bega’s really pretty, but she’s no match in the acting department for Leo. – Gary Dretzka Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Stand-Up Revolution Pablo Francisco: They Put It Out There In his introduction to “Stand-Up Revolution,” Gabriel Iglesias describes how some comedy clubs ghettoize black and Hispanic comics by grouping them together and building weekly theme nights around them. He makes light of the booking strategy by speculating on how club owners might characterize a program intentionally comprised of niche white comics or those from different countries. “Fluffy” may be kidding, but he’s doing it on the square. Unlike television, where even a 1.1 rating for niche programming translates into big numbers, it probably isn’t a good idea for club owners to segregate their customers. You certainly don’t have to be Mexican-American to enjoy Iglesias’ monologues and the rowdy routines of his guests. Indeed, because the material speaks to experiences commonly shared by Spanish-speaking Americans, the comics are free to ratchet up the craziness and on-target satire before largely Hispanic audiences. When, for example, the show is staged in a Phoenix nightclub, everyone in the room “gets it” when Iglesias rips into the politicians and law-enforcement officials who are exploiting the current controversy over illegal immigration for their own benefit. In any case, “Stand-Up Revolution” is often hysterically funny, and the presence of house band Ozomatli is definitely a plus. The two-disc DVD includes all seven extended episodes and new material by Iglesias. By now, Chilean-American comic Pablo Francisco needs no introduction to Comedy Central audiences. He’s been playing in the big leagues for quite a while now. In “They Put It Out There,” Francisco reminds me a lot of Dane Cook – for better or worse – but with a more formidable arsenal of characters, sound effects and wacky impressions. Every five minutes or so, he breaks into his trademark “Movie Voiceover Guy” persona, which gets old after a while. Still, anyone already in Francisco’s camp isn’t going to object to such overkill in “They Put It Out There.” The DVD adds “Infomercial,” outtakes, a photo shoot, makeup break and “Scandinavian Sunglasses.” – Gary Dretzka Women’s Superstars Uncensored: Volume 1 In the world of women’s professional wrestling, Women’s Superstars Uncensored is to the WWE Divas what Formula 1 racing is to Monster Truck rallies. These grapplers couldn’t be any less glamorous if they tried. For one thing, their costumes look as if they were purchased at a post-Halloween sale at Walmart. For another, the women look as if they learned their trade in prison and the matches are held as part of a work-release program. To make matters worse, I didn’t count more than 30 people in any of the crowds shown in this generous five-hour package from Kick Ass Films. The DVD set features highlight matches from the organization’s five-year history, interviews and commentaries, all of which harken to an era before professional wrestling went MTV. – Gary Dretzka Helldriver Bill Zebub Productions: Antfarm Dickhole Slaughter Claus Haunted Changi My Stepdad’s a Freakin’ Vampire! Not being a connoisseur of Japanese exploitation films, I didn’t quite know what to expect from “Helldriver,” a balls-to-the-wall gorefest from Sushi Typhoon and writer/director Yoshihiro Nishimura. Apparently, Sushi Typhoon is Japan’s answer to Troma Entertainment, in spirit and in content. Among the directorial credits for special-effects wizard Nishimura are “Mutant Girls Squad,” “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” and “Tokyo Gore Squad.” In any case, I’ve never seen anything quite like “Helldriver.” In it, an epidemic of ghouls has split Japan in half and a zombie-proof wall has been constructed to keep a mysterious alien-spawn mist from traveling south. (The movie was made before the tsunami and nuclear-plant disaster, but it easily can be viewed now as commentary on the still-hidden dangers.) The virus begins to spread after an evil older woman is struck by a meteorite while she’s arguing with her daughter, Kika. The rock goes through her chest, leaving a hole where her heart once pounded. She immediately thrusts her hand into her daughter’s chest stealing her heart. The girl is encased in an amber-like substance that emits the deadly mist. After the wall is built, the government implants an artificial heart into Kika’s chest, in effect creating a dynamo to which a power saw is attached. It becomes Kika’s mission to eliminate the zombie threat. What ensues is a bloodbath comparable to the one inflicted on the Turks by Vlad Tepes. Indeed, the rest of the movie is non-stop horror, with zombies adapting to their environment by using corpses in ways the good lord never intended. Can Kika end the plague or succumb to it? Don’t expect any clear cut answers from “Helldriver.” Oddly enough the Blu-ray enhances the red mist and gore to an even greater degree. The DVD arrives with several short films. This month’s ration of insanity doesn’t end with “Helldriver.” Bill Zebub’s inappropriately titled “Antfarm Dickhole” is about as anti-social and twisted as movies get these days. And, yes, that’s saying a mouthful. It’s also hilarious, in a truly perverse sort of way. Made on a miniscule budget, “Antform Dickhole” conjures the distasteful image of a young slacker with the bad luck to have South American army ants crawl into his urethra and lay eggs inside of him. The critters don’t take kindly to folks messing with their makeshift home and they will attack and devour intruders. This includes the women who get intimate with their host. And, by women, I mean strippers likely to have been recruited from the nearest biker bar. The sight gags often are disgusting to watch, but only in a far-fetched sort of way. The dialogue sometimes is pretty funny, too. My advice is to approach “Antfarm Dickhole” with extreme caution and give Zebub credit for making a passable DIY comedy with a budget that must have approached $150. “Slaughter Claus” is another nutso horror/comedy that requires a strong stomach and perverse sense of humor. In it, a facially disfigured Kris Kringle and his bipolar elf get their jollies ruining other people’s holiday. This includes cute little kids, who are rarely shown being murdered in horror flicks. It’s done for laughs, of course, but a lot of viewers won’t find it all that amusing. There’s an anti-materialism message buried in the gore, so, I guess, it’s educational. “Haunted Changi” transports the student-film methodology employed in “Blair Witch” – and its countless imitators – to Singapore, where a group of filmmakers investigates reports of hauntings at a hospital once used by Japanese soldiers for cruel experiments and torture. The facility was abandoned after the war, but the ghosts apparently decided to stay … or did they? The spookiest material comes when the director becomes obsessed with a Chinese squatter, who may or may not exist and splits from the group to look for her in the tunnels and hidden chambers. Too much of the movie is a tease for what happens at night in the hospital, but there are a few truly hair-raising moments. The title, “My Stepdad’s a Freakin’ Vampire!,” takes away most of the suspense in this low-budget indie thriller. A high school student discovers the truth about his mother’s new husband, but, of course, no one believes him. The truth doesn’t come out until the boy digs up his father’s grave and unearths a deep, dark secret. – Gary Dretzka The Mugger Kill a Dragon This month’s batch of manufactured-on-demand titles from MGM/Fox is full of the usual surprises and curiosities. “The Mugger” is interesting mostly as an early adaptation of an Ed McBain crime novel. The black-and-white procedural from 1958 could hardly look more old-fashioned, even by the standards of TV series from that period. And, yet, there is something nostalgic about watching big-city cops mingle with crooked nightclub owners and participants in a floating crap game, as if they had just stepped out of touring company of “Guys and Dolls.” A police psychiatrist is assigned to be point man in an investigation of a mugger, who cuts his women victims on the face before running away with their purses. It isn’t long before the shrink has profiled the creep, whose identity pretty much comes out of left field. Meanwhile, a murder takes place that’s made to look as if it were committed by the mugger, but clearly wasn’t. Among the faces that would be become familiar in popular ’60s TV series are James Franciscus, George Maharis and Renee Taylor. McBain’s material would be better served a few years later in “87th Precinct.” When “Kill a Dragon” was released in 1967, the martial-arts genre was still in its infancy – “The One-Armed Swordsman” broke the million-dollar barrier (HK) that year – and Bruce Lee was making TV shows in the U.S. While not technically a kung-fu movie, “Kill a Dragon” contains a lot of fight scenes and was shot entirely in Hong Kong, Kowloon and Macau. It involves an evil crime boss (Fernando Lamas) attempting to keep a group of islanders from reaping profits off a cargo of nitro-glycerin that washes up on shore. They hire an American mercenary (Jack Palance), who convinces buddies (Aldo Ray, Don Knight) to put together a team of fighters for a battle royal. A former Miss Israel and Miss Hong Kong also get plenty of screen time. Everyone else in the large cast was Chinese. – Gary Dretzka Hallmark: Love Begins “Love Begins” is the prequel to Hallmark’s 10-part series of westerns adapted from Janette Oke’s “Love Comes Softly” novels. In an earnest and genuinely wholesome manner, the books describe the grit of women and girls who pioneered the American frontier, often in the absence of makes in traditional roles. In “Love Begins,” a young adult woman, Ellen Barlow (Julie Mond), and her teenage sister, Cassie (Abigail Mavity), struggle to maintain the family farm outside a dusty western town after the death of their father. While most of the men in Anderson’s Corner are off in California, panning for gold, the property is ravaged by the elements and age. After being arrested for joining a brawl started by his rambunctious partner, Clark Davis (Wes Brown) is allowed to work off the debt he owes a restaurant owner by fixing up the Barlow place. Predictably, after a rocky start, Ellen and Clark begin to hit it off as something more than boss and farmhand. Their relationship hits a pothole, not when Clark’s buddy escapes from a chain gang and returns to town to talk him into committing a crime, as would be the most likely scenario, but when Ellen’s boyfriend returns unexpectedly from the goldfields. After two years and no correspondence between them, he attempts to renew their romance. The newly wealthy and handsome miner isn’t portrayed as a heel, so Ellen’s must decide between wealth and obligation and love. All of the movies adapted from the Oke novels are lumped together in the family-friendly category, if only because the connections between love, hardship, loneliness and physical romance are dealt with in a way consciously designed not to offend anyone. When Clark and Ellen are about to exchange their first kiss, a missing cow makes its presence known by mooing loudly. It causes them to postpone the kiss, at least until the camera stops shooting. It’s a cute moment, but not plausible to anyone older than 10 or a card-carrying member of America’s Christian Taliban. Nevertheless, “Love Begins” is competently made and the actors seem to be enjoying themselves. It’s worth noting how many actresses have used starring roles in the episodes as a springboard for more high-profile work down the road: Katherine Heigl, January Jones, Erin Cottrell, Scout Taylor-Compton, Sarah Jones and Hayley Duff. – Gary Dretzka Nature: My Life as a Turkey: Blu-ray These Amazing Shadows: Movies That Make America: Blu-ray Nova: Fabric of the Cosmos Frontline: Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero Zalman King’s Body Language: Season One Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series With another Thanksgiving suddenly upon us, PBS has released a delightful documentary from “Nature” on the bird Benjamin Franklin considered to be “more respectable” than the bald eagle and worthy of being designated our national bird. “My Life as a Turkey” chronicles the year naturalist and wildlife artist Joe Hutto spent living among 16 newly hatched turkey poults in a forest in Florida. It is extremely rare for a human to come across a nest of fertilized eggs, which haven’t been ravaged by predators or abandoned by the mother. The production is a dramatization of Hutto’s book, “Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey,” with the naturalist reading from the text. There’s nothing in the film that looks staged or phony, however. In fact, like “Bambi,” younger viewers might be horrified by the realities of life in the deep woods. (Anyone frightened of snakes might want to skip this documentary altogether.) Unlike fawns, turkeys stop being cute soon after leaving the nest, so it isn’t likely that watching the film will convince anyone to not join in Thanksgiving festivities. Neither is there anything predictable in the behavior of the birds once they come of age. “These Amazing Shadows: Movies That Make America” is a must-see for anyone whose love of movies extends beyond a subscription to Netflix and dreams of having their handprints enshrined at the Chinese Theater. The documentary describes the significance of the National Film Registry, the federal agency that designates 25 titles annually for preservation, protection and special consideration by all connoisseurs of the cinematic art. Not only do the lists contain the titles of Academy Award-winners and blockbusters, but also indies, oddities and movies of strictly historic importance. In the wake of Ted Turner’s purchase of a huge film library and proclamation that he’d colorize any movie he damn well pleased, Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act and National Film Preservation Board, under the auspices of the Librarian of Congress. Some 550 films have since been honored. “These Amazing Shadows” balances the geek-speak and academic testimony with commentary by filmmakers, actors and journalists. They discuss the criteria for judging movies for such honor and provide personal memories of discovering the power of the cinema. We also visit the rare nitrate-film vaults at the Packard Campus of the Library of Congress, which opened six years ago in Culpepper, Virginia. The preservationists have discovered long-lost segments of movies removed in advance of censorship by the Hays Office, and they’re shown side-by-side with the released versions. The DVD and Blu-ray include a great deal of interesting bonus material. Currently airing on some PBS affiliates, “The Fabric of the Cosmos” explores the borders separating physics and metaphysics. It is hosted by physicist Brian Greene, whose “The Elegant Universe” introduced “Nova” audiences to such mind-blowing concepts as string theory, wormholes, quantum mechanics, parallel realities and alternate universes. “Fabric of the Cosmos” is explained best in chapter titles, “What Is Space?,” “The Illusion of Time,” “Quantum Leap” and “Universe or Multiverse?” In other words, all the stuff acid heads contemplated while tripping their brains out now is being addressed by the scientific community. It’s about time. When, on 9/11, four hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a patch of farm land in Pennsylvania, believers around the world asked themselves the same question: How could the terrorists possibly believe that God, Mohammad and a gaggle of virgins would welcome them to Paradise after committing such heinous acts? The terrorists studied the same Koran as tens of millions of other Muslims, yet derived from it completely opposite meanings. The “Frontline” documentary,“Faith & Doubt at Ground Zero,”revisits that perplexing debate and the greatest of question of them all, “If there is a God, why do such horrible things continue to happen, especially to innocent people?” Americans from disparate backgrounds and religious beliefs — and none at all – were interviewed for the documentary. Was God on the minds of the people who leaped hand-in-hand from the top floors of the WTC or did they act out of desperation? If desperation, would God consider their suicides to be a mortal sin, as is taught in some religions, or would the Almighty grant them a one-time waiver? If viewers don’t go into “Faith & Doubt” looking for definitive answers, there’s a good chance they’ll find value in the debate, at least. Zalman King, who has introduced countless Americans to the pleasures of soft-core porn in “9½ Weeks” and “Red Shoe Diaries,” returned to Showtime with “Body Language.” Set in a so-called gentlemen’s club, the series asks us to believe that most of the troubles in the world could be resolved, if only people listened to the theories of lap dancers, bartenders and bouncers. Each episode, college student and mixologist Samantha (Jessica Rimmer) addresses the issues vexing a different stripper, who typically charges more for her time then a psychiatrist could justify. The DVD package adds material deemed too hot even for premium-cable subscribers, so anyone who liked the original series will love the extended cuts. King’s ability to produce couples-friendly erotica is on full display here. There seems to be an infinite inventory of “Doctor Who” material, which isn’t surprising considering how long it’s been on the air. The sixth series opens with Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Amy (Karen Gillen) ensconced in the honeymoon suite of a giant space liner that wanders into the toxic atmosphere of an alien planet. A call from Amy summons the TARDIS, which carries the doctor (Matt Smith) to the planet and the person who literally owns the air. The doctor must convince atmosphere mogol Kazran Sardick to help him rescue the passengers or save the spacecraft from destruction, before he can proceed with the remainder of the season’s episodes and an unusual visit to Earth. The DVD and Blu-ray package combines the two halves of the sixth series, while adding the 2010 Christmas special, commentary and other bonus material. – Gary Dretzka The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 1 Beauty and the Beast’s Enchanted Christmas: Blu-ray /Belle’s Magical World Prep & Landing In an unusual scheduling twist, American audiences will have to wait for Christmas to see what international fans of “The Adventures of Tintin” overseas have already experienced. Steven Spielberg’s adaptation employs motion-capture animation and CGI to retain the visual flavor of Belgian artist Hergé’s beloved comic strip, which debuted in Europe in 1929. American audiences ought to consider doing some homework before attempting the movie and, apart from picking up the books, the easiest way to do so would be studying the animated television series, which ran from 1991-93 on HBO. Season One of “The Adventures of Tintin,” introduces newcomers to the young Belgian reporter, his canine companion Snowy, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus and detectives Thomson & Thompson. Disney’s hugely successful “Beauty and the Beast” spun off a pair of holiday specials in 1997 and 1998, as DVD originals. “Enchanted Christmas” gets the full Blu-ray treatment, with plenty of bonus features and a DVD disc. In it, Belle continues her mission to make the Beast feel welcome among normal-looking folks. The story is told in the form of one of Mrs. Potts’ “tales as old as time.” Composer Forte is determined to keep the lovers apart from each other, but Christmas spirit is more powerful than spite. The attractive hi-def presentation adds a behind-the-scenes featurette on the animation; “Forte’s Challenge” memory game; an “Enchanted” environment feature with animated fireplace scenes; sing-along tracks that can be played separately or during the feature film; and music video, “As Long As There’s Christmas,” by Play. “Magical World” hasn’t been accorded a full-blown makeover. It tells three stories based on the themes of forgiveness, kindness and love. Disney made the holiday featurette, “Prep & Landing,” to fit the needs of ABC television, which was looking for a Christmas special that wouldn’t grow old with repeated airings. Made under the supervision of exec-producer John Lasseter, “P&L” follows the elves as they prepare homes for Santa’s visit and makes sure the kids know the drill. It’s a cute addition to the Disney/Pixar family. “P&L” arrives with the shorts “Operation Secret Santa,” “Tiny’s Big Adventure” and four Kringle Academy training videos. – Gary Dretzka New York Dolls: Lookin’ Fine on Television One of the reasons crusty old rock-’n’-roll journalists take the Hall of Fame less than seriously is the nominating committee’s tendency to honor performers whose ability to sell records trumps innovation, sacrifice and influence. Some musicians and singers have been inducted several times, while others are only considered after the uproar gets too loud to ignore. The fact that such mainstream entertainers as Billy Joel are members and not hard-core acts like the New York Dolls demands loud debate. Watch “Lookin’ Fine on Television” and I think you’ll see the case to be made for the Dolls. Directly influenced by the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and the Faces, the Stooges and MC5, the Dolls may have been the first American band to embrace Britain’s emerging Glam Rock and Punk movements and convincing suburban teenagers that boys have the same right to wear makeup and tease their hair as their girlfriends. Among the bands the Dolls influenced were Alice Cooper, Kiss, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, the Ramones, Guns N Roses, Poison, R.E.M., Aerosmith and Clash. David Johansen was able to survive by morphing into the persona of lounge lizard Buster Poindexter and making songs for hipper elements among the disco crowd. Filmmakers Bob Gruen and Nadya Beck have compiled clips from the band’s formative years in L.A. and N.Y.C., as well as vintage interviews. From MVD, it’s one of the best rock docs I’ve seen in a while. – Gary Dretzka The Big Country: Blu-ray Quigley Down Under: Blu-ray The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Blu-ray William Wyler’s epic western, “The Big Country,” is set on a pair of ranches so large that everyone involved says, “It’s a big country …,” whenever they run out of other ways to comment on life’s mysteries. Gregory Peck stars as a sea captain, who, after making a fortune on the high seas, moves west to marry Carroll Baker and work the ranch owned by her father. It’s difficult to imagine anyone thinking cattle would thrive on such a barren location, but dumber notions have succeeded, I suppose. No sooner does the seaman reach town than he finds himself caught in a range war between a pair of old-goat patriarchs who bicker over everything, including the Big Muddy that doesn’t exactly flow between the two properties. He also crosses the ranch’s top hand (Charlton Heston), who covets Peck’s fiancé. The cowboys can’t understand why the easterner won’t fight when provoked. Baker, too, can’t understand why he’s such a coward, which, of course, he isn’t. At three hours, “Big Country” moves a tad slow for a western. It looks good in Blu-ray, though, and the acting is top-notch. Also swell are Burl Ives, Chuck Connors, Charles Bickford and Jean Simmons. A making-of featurette also is included. “Quigley Down Under” was released in 1990, when westerns were an even rarer commodity than they are now. Unless the protagonist was played by Clint Eastwood, he might as well have been from another planet … or Australia. That’s where we find Tom Selleck, who plays a marksman from Montana hired by an Aussie landowner (Alan Rickman) to shoot Aborigines. Once informed of this end of the deal, Quigley decides not to participate, however. After taking a beating, he decides to settle the score, alongside Laura San Giacomo, who also was brutalized by the land baron. Australia is the real star of the show here, although Selleck and Rickman always earn their money. The Blu-ray adds a featurette, “The Rebirth of the Western.” The recent remake of “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” had its good points, to be sure, but the original was a doozy. Made in 1974, when New York was a bit more gritty than it is today, Joseph Sargent’s tick-tock thriller is loaded with atmosphere and tension. In addition to the intricately designed and precisely timed heist of a cash-carrying subway train, the movie featured excellent performances by Walter Matthau, Jerry Stiller, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam and Robert Shaw. –Gary Dretzka H.H. Dalai Lama: Essence of Mahayana Buddhism H.H. Dalai Lama: Message of Peace and Compassion The latest entries in MVD’s collection of lectures conducted by the Dalai Lama captures His Holiness as he consoles westerners interested in following Buddha’s path. In his 165-minute lectures, which are mostly in English, he summarizes the essence of Mahayana Buddhism as the unified practice of compassion and wisdom. He also adds practical advice to westerners practicing dharma and takes questions from the audience. – Gary Dretzka Bite Marks Lost Everything If any proof were needed that someone in this country is capable of making a romantic dramedy that is intelligent, moving, funny and authentic, and doesn’t rely on pratfalls, cheap sentiment and star power to hold its audience, it can be found in “Beginners.” Mike Mills’ often very moving story isn’t for everyone, certainly. Viewers who still are uncomfortable watching gay men openly demonstrate their love for other in public settings – in distinctly non-pornographic ways — may lack the patience required to allow the movie to win them over, as it will less squeamish people. Neither is it fun to watch an extremely likable character cope with the inevitability of a painful death to cancer (not AIDS-related). Ewan McGregor plays a graphic artist, Oliver, whose father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), happily exited the closet after the death of his longtime wife. In doing so, Hal finally acknowledged something he knew to be true ever since he was 13. Growing up, Oliver had suspected an invisible force was coming between his parents, but he wasn’t sure what it was. The revelation of his father’s sexuality doesn’t appear to have wounded the son in any concrete way, however. If anything, the loss of the woman in both of their lives served to bring them closer. Learning that his father would die, just he was experiencing an emotional rebirth as a gay man, had a far harsher impact on Oliver. “Beginners” unfolds as a memory play, with much time shifting and space for reflection. It begins in the present, as Oliver is about to be rescued from his terrible loneliness by a quirky French actress, Anna (Melanie Laurent), who is pretty, funny and wise, but fearful of commitment. Again, unlike most Hollywood romances, “Beginners” never attempts to assure its viewers the kind of traditional, feel-good ending in which everyone lives happily ever after. Somehow, too, Mills (“Thumbsucker”) managed to add a Jack Russell terrier to most scenes and keep it from detracting from what’s happening around him. Oliver inherited the emotionally needy dog from Hal and eventually it becomes a loyal companion to him. The terrier does possess one remarkable talent, which, if taken out of context, would sound too preposterous for any director to execute. How Oliver responds to it speaks volumes about his depressed state of mind and Mills’ faith in indie audiences to go along with the conceit. Also doing a nice job here are Goran Visnjic, as Hal’s lover, and Mary Page Keller as his flakey wife. “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” is a charming bio-doc about what we’re told is “the world’s only yodeling, country-singing-and-comedy lesbian-sibling duo.” Individually, none of those qualities would make Jools and Lynda Topp worthy of an 84-minute film. When combined with the fact they were born on a New Zealand dairy farm and appeal as much to rodeo crowds as left-wing activists, Topp Twins suddenly become something larger than the sum of their individual parts and interesting to non-Kiwis. On stage, the impossibly energetic duo combines beautifully tight harmonies and politically charged songs, with sight gags, sing-alongs and novelty routines that wouldn’t be out of place on “Hee-Haw.” The characters they’ve invented are as much a part of New Zealand’s cultural identity as Peter Jackson and exported lamb chops. Watching the Topps perform before crowds that range from farmers to soon-to-be-arrested protesters tells us as much about the country as it does about the women. New Zealand is a country small enough to embrace such unconventional performers as neighbors and friends, yet large enough to send voter-sanctioned messages to world powers on nuclear proliferation, racism, sexism, homophobia and respect for the rights of its aboriginal people, although none came without some kind of fight. LeAnne Pooley’s camera follows Jools and Lynda to their rural homes, which they share with their lovers and various farm and domesticated animals, as well as on tour and at rallies. We meet their parents, watch home movies and follow their show-biz progression from mullet-wearing buskers to creators of a hit television show. The emotional centerpiece of “Untouchable Girls” comes when Jools is diagnosed with breast cancer and Lynda attaches herself to the rungs of her hospital, providing solace and support. Pooley uses Jools’ treatment and convalescence as an example of how close these women are to each other, although that question is never really in doubt. Not having heard of the Topps until two weeks ago, I sometimes felt as if I were intruding on a very private moment in their lives. The movie broke several box-office records for documentaries in New Zealand and very well could find a niche here, as well. “Bite Marks” is a fairly standard vampire movie, with an entertaining gay twist. Played more for laughs than terror, freshman writer/director Mark Bessenger had no trouble finding horror conventions to parody, while also opening up the script to include some flirtatious fun. While backpacking their way across country, Cary and Vogel decide to accept a lift from a trucker hauling coffins. The driver is filling in for his brother, who was killed early in the movie by one of the coffin’s inhabitants, and has the bad luck to be assigned a trailer full of ghouls. If that weren’t enough bother, recent problems in the sack with women have made him susceptible to the approaches of the hitch-hikers. Just as the trucker is about to succumb to their advances, he’s pulled out of the cab and forced to deal with monsters who are more interested in sucking his blood than sucking … well, you know. The final showdown occurs in an abandoned junkyard, where the truck was led by vampire GPS. None of the action is realistic and the vampires aren’t at all scary. Still, the dialogue is often funny and loaded with double entendre. The DVD comes with commentary, interviews and a gag reel. “Lost Everything” is quasi-thriller that feels as if it were made in the 1980s not 2011. That’s because of the lengths the closeted celebrity, Brian Brecht, is willing to go to maintain the ruse that he’s straight and a real lady’s man. While in Miami on a publicity tour, it takes him all of five minutes to hit on the handsome bartender he’ll use and abuse in the next few days. His manager hires a dreamy female hooker as a companion, just in case the tabloids are stalking Brian … which, of course, they are. Meanwhile, across town, the son of a prominent preacher rejects his father’s invitation to be deprogrammed at a Christian camp in Colorado. After he refuses, the old hypocrite hires a “fixer” to eliminate his son’s boyfriend. Another storyline involves an assassin who falls in love with a woman he rescues from her brute ex-husband. He knows better than to get involved with a civilian, but does anyway, putting his own life in jeopardy. That’s a lot of plot to hang on an undernourished screenplay. The interconnectedness of the story is wasted, but the boys and girls are cute. – Gary Dretzka Life in a Day When Strangers Click Remember that large-format book of photographs, “A Day in the Life of America,” that could be found on everyone’s coffeetables in the late 1980s? It collected the work of 200 of the world’s finest photographers, all of whom were assigned by the book’s editors to be different places in the U.S. on May 2, 1986, and shoot something that moved them. “Life in a Day” is the Digital Age equivalent of that ambitious project. Instead of still photographs, the movie is comprised of footage captured and uploaded by YouTube users on July 24, 2010. It was edited down from 4,500 hours of material representing 80,000 entries and 192 nations. As anyone who spends much time on the social network probably already can guess, the 95-minute movie is more interesting and entertaining, than revelatory or provocative. It begins and ends in the dead of night and follows the sun from one corner of the Earth to all the rest of them, in no particular order other than time of day. No segment lasts more than about 30 seconds and some go by in the blink of an eye. I suppose that “Life in a Day” qualifies as a social experiment, but, ultimately, it came down to the judgment of director Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”) and seven co-directors; exec-producers Ridley and Tony Scott (“Alien”); music supervisor John Boughtwood; editor Joe Walker; and their teams to stitch together the final product. Social networks can only do so much. So many horror stories have been told about Internet dating and the lies shared on social-network sites that it’s somehow comforting to learn not all such experiences have been unpleasant or creepy. That is what happens in “When Strangers Click,” a HBO documentary about people who’ve found success in the Internet dating pool or, if not success, exactly, something that didn’t end badly. It hardly qualifies as news that the people we meet probably had failed miserably in more conventional approaches to dating and romance. Lots of normal folks have perfectly acceptable reasons for trolling the Internet, not the least of which being too little opportunity to meet interesting people and chronic shyness. It’s what happens when the people we meet here finally do connect that makes “When Strangers Click” interesting. One reasonably attractive woman starts out looking for potential partners within a close radius to her New York home, but finds love in Hungary with a Siberian man who can barely speak English. Two other widely separated people introduce themselves to each other – then date and arrange to meet – through their greatly exaggerated “avatar” personae. A young gay man finds the support he needs to exit the closet on the web, but then is hustled by the mayor of the city to which he’s moved. Robert Kenner (“Food, Inc.”) has hopes of spinning a TV series off “When Strangers Click.” I wonder how easy it will be to find stories as compelling as the first five. – Gary Dretzka Flypaper: Blu-ray If Mack Sennett and Hal Roach were still around, making movies, they might have attempted to produce one like “Flypaper.” It has a slapsticky plot, perfectly suited for the zaniest and misshapen of silent-era comedians, and the dialogue is largely extraneous to anything that’s happening on the screen. In it, two teams of robbers arrive at a bank at the same time, hoping to relieve its safe of the money it contains. One uses high-tech tools, while the other just plans to wing it, as would befit a pair of bumpkins named Peter Butter and Jelly (roles well-suited to Pruitt Taylor Vince and Tim Blake Nelson). Neither team is able to prevent the bank from locking itself down, as usual, so they’re forced to hold their hostages overnight and wait for the systems to return to normal. Meanwhile, with nothing to do but scheme, the hostages find ways to amuse themselves and annoy the robbers, who continue to attempt to break into the safe and ATMs. The comedy turns inky black when characters start dying in a way Agatha Christie might have envisioned. Then there’s Patrick Dempsey, who finds himself in the middle of the heist with his eyes on a pretty teller (Ashley Judd) and a scheme of his own device. The movie’s biggest crime, though, is wasting the considerable talents of the rarely seen auto-racing fan, Judd, who could have phoned in her assignment here. – Gary Dretzka What Women Want The Warring States Somewhere, Chairman Mao and Madam Mao are spinning in their graves. As the architects of China’s bloody Cultural Revolution, how could they have anticipated the exploitation of the masses by a new breed of gluttonous, western-style capitalists; that clothing made of green khaki material would be replaced by Armani and Brooks Brothers; and that one of the world’s great cinemas would be reduced to adapting decadent Hollywood rom-coms? It’s stunning to see how easily the Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt vehicle, “What Women Want,” fits within the context of contemporary Beijing yuppie-dom. The capital isn’t routinely used as a backdrop for contemporary films and, absent any references to the Forbidden City, Tiananman Square or billions of people commuting by bicycle, it looks pretty much like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei, if not the movie’s original setting, Chicago. Corporate offices, high-rise apartments and discos look pretty much the same everywhere. Otherwise, the story remains the same. Advertising executive Zigang Sun (pop star Andy Lau) is a chauvinistic playboy, whose work and dating don’t leave much time for the needs of his daughter and father. After a bizarre accident, he gains the ability to read the minds of women around him. The timing is convenient as the agency has just hired the attractive and professionally formidable Yilong Li (Gong Li, still ravishing at 45), to accept the promotion he assumed was his for the taking. She won the job because the agency was desperately in need of a creative executive who understands what fashionable women want to were at work, on dates and at play. Zigang uses his newly acquired talent to eavesdrop on the deepest thoughts of the women around him and steal the ideas of his new manager. By the time Yilong figures out what’s happening, Zigang has created campaigns that have impressed the big boss and convinced her that he might not be such a jerk, after all. She doesn’t feel the same way after she’s laid off and her nemesis cops to his hidden talent. Anyone who’s seen Nancy Meyers and Josh Goldsmith’s original, or watch any Hollywood rom-com in the last 30 years, already knows what happens next. It’s entirely possible that the finale came as a surprise to Chinese audiences conditioned to political tracts, martial-arts action and historical epics, but I doubt it. Writer/director/co-star Chen Daming lived and worked in in America before moving back to Beijing, so nailing genre conventions probably didn’t present many problems for him. Li and Lau also look as if they were born for their parts. Chinese censors are even tougher on sex than the prudes at the MPAA, so “What Women Want” could easily pass for “PG” here. I have no way of knowing how critics and audiences greeted the movie overseas, so I will resist the temptation to critique it for Chinese-speaking audiences. I definitely could have done without the schmaltzy love songs, most rendered in English, though. The DVD arrives in Mandarin, with English and Chinese subtitles Like “What Women Want,” Jin Chen’s far more familiar feudal-wars epic “The Warring States” is from China Lion Film Distribution. It is a story not only of powerful man and women willing to go to extreme lengths to maintain wealth and status, but also the military strategists they retain – or, here, kidnap – to keep the wolves from their doors. Sun Bin (Sun Hong-Lei), a descendant of “The Art of War” author Sun Tzu, is an especially brilliant strategist in China’s Warring States Period (5th to 3rd centuries, BC). His most formidable rival is his brother, Pang Juan (Francis Ng), a general who imprisoned and tortured Sun Bin, in order to convince opponents he was insane and of no use to them. Pang’s sister Fei (Kim Hee-seon), the princess of Wei, is both beautiful and a fearsome warrior. In the war for control of the states, there’s a separate blueprint for peace and compromise. Nothing comes easy, though. American viewers probably won’t be impressed by the CGI tricks, but there’s no denying the skill that went into the costumes, hair and other production values. It, too, is in Mandarin with English subtitles.—Gary Dretzka Rio Sex Comedy Welcome to L.A. The characters in Jonathan Nossiter’s beyond-offbeat ensemble rom-com live in Rio de Janeiro, but the movie’s many conceits were mined from territory Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph once explored and Henry Jaglom continues to chart. I say this because to appreciate “Rio Sex Comedy” on its own terms, viewers must be willing to forgo content for character, and accept that some of the people we meet aren’t at all likeable. Nossiter provides only sketchy backgrounds for them, believing, I think, that we’ll judge them primarily by how they look in and out of clothing. To some degree, he’s probably right. The fascinating settings can’t help but overwhelm some of the dialogue, at least, while the narrative only asks of viewers that they stick around to find out which of the characters ends up in bed with whom. What’s more interesting is the interaction between the actors and non-professionals who appear to have been plucked from the streets, beach, kitchens and favelas of Rio and invited Nossiter’s crew into their homes. It gives “Rio Sex Comedy” a texture that mimics documentaries and travelogues. The favelas are governed and policed by well-armed thugs, who are more representative of the residents than police and politicians would want us to believe. It’s amazing that Nossiter was given permission to shoot scenes in the same slums that are currently being raided by police in advance of the World Cup and Olympics. Fischer Stevens plays a guide who escorts tourists through the favelas and surrounding forest, and arranges for them to witness an exotic mating ritual performed by Indians who could have stepped out of the pages of Vogue. Bill Pullman’s U.S. ambassador stages his own kidnapping, so he can get closer to poor residents and devise cock-eyed schemes to make their lives less miserable … in his eyes, anyway. French star Irene Jacob (“Red,” “The Double Life of Veronique”) is researching the working conditions of maids, who clean the apartments of wealthy Brazilians, raise their kids, put up with their employers’ groping and dodge bullets on their way home to the favelas. Charlotte Rampling (“Swimming Pool”) plays a prominent British plastic surgeon, who after ditching her longtime husband, moves to Rio. She spends more time urging potential patients to reconsider their decision to have work done than performing operations. (She convinces a young and beautiful woman that all she needs to look younger is a radical new hairdo.) Other attractive characters come and go, adding pretty faces here and there, as if to showcase the class disparity in the city. The same viewers who had trouble with Altman’s early ensemble pieces and continue to avoid Jaglom’s talky hybrids might find “Rio Sex Comedy” to be a similarly excruciating exercise in cinematic navel-gazing. Those who have enjoyed Nossiter’s previous work – “Sunday,” “Signs & Wonders” and the documentary “Mondovino” – should welcome the challenge. As usual, the seductive charms of Rio de Janeiro are on full display and work miracles with the cultural tourists. The DVD adds many deleted and alternative scenes. MGM/Fox has just released Alan Rudolph’s “Welcome to L.A.,” which “Rio Sex Comedy” resembles architecturally. A longtime associate of Robert Altman, Rudolph frequently worked with ensemble casts of high-profile, if not always A-list actors and musicians, playing characters whose issues and moods mirror those of the cities in which they lived. The music also reflects the settings. The pecking order of the characters often is obscured by the constant intersection of events during which they meet, mate and share the prevailing gestalt, for lack of a better word. In “Welcome to L.A.,” the characters exist on the periphery of the music industry and, as such, most are pretentious, when they’re not outright phony; wealthy, if completely devoid of worthwhile qualities themselves; and lonely, even while surrounded by several million other residents. Being Christmastime, the highs are heightened and the lows deepened. This vision of L.A. may be less Disneyland, than Forest Lawn, but it is recognizable. The sterling cast includes Keith Carradine, Sally Kellerman, Geraldine Chaplin, Harvey Keitel, Lauren Hutton, Viveca Lindfors, Denver Pyle and John Considine. The most telling image is supplied by Sissy Spacek, playing a flower-child maid who vacuums topless. “Welcome to L.A.” is available on a manufactured-on-demand basis, through Amazon and other outlets. – Gary Dretzka Pound of Flesh: Blu-ray Of all the fine movies in which Malcolm McDowell has appeared, none probably will be as insignificant as “Pound of Flesh.” It practically doesn’t exist. There are no reviews of it on Amazon – by publicists, relatives or friends – and only one critic’s notice, in Dutch, at IMDB. Someone at Odyssey Moving Images thought enough of “Pound of Flesh,” however, to accord it a modest marketing push and release it in Blu-ray, as well as DVD, which has to count for something. Tamar Simon Hoffs’ erotic thriller opens with the shooting death of a naked woman who just scrambled out of the bed of her lover. After a brief stop at the local police station, we’re taken to a small private college where fall semester is about to begin. Naturally, several young women are tanning in their bikinis, discussing the relative merits of big cocks. McDowell’s voiceover informs us of his delight that school’s opening, although we won’t find out why exactly until he morphs into Humbert Humbert. His Shakespeare class is populated with way too many gorgeous young women, some of whom aren’t even enrolled in the course. They all defer to him in ways that don’t necessarily suggest he’s either trading grades for sex or that he’s even that inspirational a teacher. He’s definitely a smooth talker, though, and far better liked by male faculty members than women. One thing that is made clear, however, is how incredibly inept are the local police, whose idea of a thorough investigation is attending a class and wondering how MacDowell gets away with whatever it is he’s trying to get away with. In any case, we figure it out before they do and don’t believe it, either. If you miss it at the local video store, I’m sure it will show up on Cinemax around midnight sometime soon. – Gary Dretzka Money Matters If it weren’t for festivals devoted to niche audiences — gay and lesbian, children, documentary, urban and other ethnic groups – hundreds of movies simply would be ignored and left to sit on a shelf somewhere. Each week, dozens of new DVD titles are released without the benefit of a theatrical run. Some are good, most aren’t. All represent the collaborative work of dozens of dedicated people and deserve some recognition outside the immediate families of the cast, crew and caterers. Ryan Richmond’s heartbreaking urban drama, “Money Matters,” is better than most movies that go directly from the festival circuit to the crowded straight-to-DVD marketplace. Although the characters are living in a different hell than the one inhabited by Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique in “Precious,” they would recognize each other immediately. Monique “Money” Matters (newcomer Terri Abney) is teetering on the brink of adolescence, trapped between two worlds. She lives with her mother, Pamela Matters (Aunjanue Ellis), in a crummy apartment nearly in the shadow of the Washington Monument and Capitol Building. The identity of her father is held from her as if it were a state secret. Money’s three-bus commute to the Catholic school she attends would be considered an ordeal, even if it didn’t take her from one world in which she feels uncomfortable to another, just as foreign. In class, she occasionally drifts off into space, writing poetry and sketching pictures. Tired of Money’s lack of focus, a teacher confiscates her notebook. Instead of embarrassing the teenager in front of her peers, however, the teacher discovers a talent for writing even Money didn’t consider valuable outside her own head. Certainly, her mother hasn’t encouraged her to pursue it. As if an identity crisis weren’t sufficiently distracting, Money also is experiencing all the usual problems associated with coming of age sexually. Having observed Pamela’s catastrophic relationships at close range, Money doesn’t know if a couple of minutes of pleasure are worth the days of abuse that inevitably follow. Her mother would prefer for Money to find pleasure in the bible and avoid the same sort of neighborhood boys who grew up to be pimps, dealers and convicted felons in her day. Any movie that treats the bible with something other than derision or condescension tends now to be lumped together in a category reserved for so-called faith-based entertainments. “Money Matters,” though, wouldn’t be welcome in most bible-study classes in that it contains raw language, partial nudity and real-world problems that can’t necessarily be cured solely by prayer. And when the girl discovers who her father is, it isn’t clear if Richmond is exploiting actual events or offering a meaningful solution for two women in a world of hurt. By the time this happens, though, we’ve bought into Money’s story and hope she’ll be smart enough to use every means at her disposal to grow into womanhood unscarred by childhood. — Gary Dretzka Bellflower In Evan Glodell’s nihilistic portrayal of American slacker culture, it’s amazing the characters have the energy and desire to get out of bed each day. They certainly lack the enthusiasm it would take to apply for the one or two jobs available to young people today or to join the armed forces, where they can kill people and blow stuff up without fear of getting arrested for having a good time. We’ve met such characters before, in “Alpha Dog” and “River’s Edge,” and pray that people like them never move into a house next to us. In “Bellflower,” two young men dream of living in a “Mad Max” world, where people will judge them solely for their cool cars, cool guns and flamethrowers, and cool willingness to beat the crap out of anyone who doesn’t think they’re cool. In this teenage wasteland, girlfriends exist primarily to make their men feel cooler than they are and pretend to crave sex as much as boys do. If a gal breaks up with a guy before he breaks up with her, the slight could result in a lingering state of depression and/or a desire to commit murder. In the making-of featurette, we’re told that “Bellflower” is a movie about how some people deal with broken hearts. It helps explain why the guys here invest their true feelings in cars, guns and tools. The object of bro-mance in this case is a souped-up 1960s muscle car with flame-throwing exhaust pipes and a constant need for TLC. When the apocalypse happens, the Medusa will lead its owners (Glodell, Tyler Dawson) to some remote encampment where other surviving gearheads have gathered to hunt for fuel depots and tell each other how cool their cars are. Someone, they have convinced themselves that this variation on Charles Manson’s Helter-Skelter dream is a real possibility. If so, I suspect they’ll find the characters from “Two-Lane Blacktop” and “Gone in 60 Seconds” there racing for pink slips, as well. Lest my comments make it sound as if “Bellflower” is a loud waste of time, it isn’t. Made on a budget estimated to be less than the cost of building the Medusa – a car that does in real life what is shown on film — it is fully engrossing and entertaining in a down-and-dirty, do-it-yourself, indie grindhouse sort of way. The Impressionistic camerawork approximates what it must be like to go through life in a constant, beer-induced haze and the acting is as good as it has to be … especially that of Jessie Wiseman, the blond girlfriend who takes most of the abuse in “Bellflower.” The making-of featurettes are essential viewing for anyone who enjoys the movie. Considering how personal a project “Bellflower” was for everyone involved, I’m anxious to see what Glodell & Co. will do next. – Gary Dretzka An Injury to One Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie Between dodging tear-gas canisters and keeping their tents habitable, I don’t know how the Occupy activists spend their idle hours. We’re told by the media that some of their time is spent smoking pot, making music and finding unoccupied bathrooms and Porta-Potties. It sounds like what happens outside the Chinese Theater whenever there’s a new episode of “Star Wars” and “Twilight.” In the last two months, alone, I’ve watched enough good documentaries to think an Occupy Film Festival could be organized and – thanks to the portability of DVDs and digital projection hardware – be passed from laptop to laptop, tent to tent and city to city, within hours. Although any such activity would qualify as preaching to the choir, it’s important for true believers to remain motivated, inspired and educated. That was the mission of the filmmakers who contributed to the “Why We Fight” series, during World War II. Apart from some government-dictated propaganda and ethnic stereotypes, the films made a convincing case against isolationism and for sending our soldiers to places most people didn’t know existed. Made in 2002, “An Injury to One” would remind protesters of a time when industrialists were free to hire thugs to break up strikes and eliminate union activists with deadly force. One telegram to a governor or senator could result in the deployment of soldiers to keep strikers at bay and get pro-industry legislation passed. The protesters’ rhetoric may have been heard in big cities, far away, but closer to home their arguments were stifled by editors employed by the mine and factory owners who also owned the local newspapers. Compared to what happened in Butte, Montana, less than 100 years ago, the recent skirmishes in the streets of Oakland, Portland, Denver and Manhattan were rehearsals for “Dancing With the Stars.” Travis Wilkerson’s Impressionistic documentary describes how mine owners conspired, first, to neutralize and dismantle the Industrial Workers of the World and, later, completely reverse gains made decades earlier in wages and benefits. The film also describes the brutal measures employed by mine owners and private security firms to permanently silence Frank Little, a half-white, half-Cherokee organizer for the IWW. Cast in the same mold as the late, lamented Joe Hill, Little stood up to Anaconda Mining, which literally was getting away with murder in its mines. One night, though, he was dragged out of bed and lynched. A note attached to his body bore the numbers 3, 7, 77 (the feet-and-inches dimensions of a Montana grave). No one was prosecuted, even after Pinkerton operative Dashiell Hammett – his novel, “Red Harvest,” recalled his time in Butte — admitted he was offered a small fortune to murder Little. Former Butte resident Wilkerson makes his points in interesting ways. Instead of banging viewers over the head with dramatizations or emotionally charged narration, he lays words over landscapes and amplifies them with atmospheric music. He then divides interviews with voiceover narration and archival newspaper clippings, photographs and graphics. Moving on from 1917, which was the height of mining activity, to the 1950s, the documentary skips forward to the 1950s, when pit mining began. Wilkerson recounts how Anaconda continued to ignore evidence of pollution and other environmental damage so severe and obvious that Butte was designated a Superfund site. ARCO purchased Anaconda in 1977, but the drop in price for metals caused it to close the pits. The mile-long, half-mile-wide and 1,780-feet-deep Berkeley Pit was abandoned in 1982 and, ever since, has been filling up with water contaminated by poisonous metals and chemicals. The lake’s toxicity made headlines when, in 1995, flocks of migrating geese became confused by a storm and landed in it. .Very soon thereafter, the carcasses of 342 geese were discovered. ARCO attempted to divert the blame, but necropsies showed the deadly presence of copper, arsenic and cadmium in their systems. Clearly, then, the battle against corporate greed and malfeasance didn’t begin last month with the occupation of a park on Wall Street and it won’t end with an uptick in the economy. A poisonous lake in Montana is proof of that. There are many moments in “Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie” that will have flower children of a certain age wincing with recognition and it’s not just because of the tie-dye fashions, peace fingers and chanting. Some will mourn their lost youth and missed opportunities, while others will wonder how they possibly could have voted for George Bush … twice. Born Hugh Romney, Wavy Gravy was then and still is the clown prince of the counterculture, anti-war and pro-love movements. For more than a half-century, the poet/activist/clown has been supporting progressive causes, feeding hungry people, performing good deeds and making people smile, sometimes simultaneously. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Hog Farm residents had gassed up their psychedelic bus and driven to the nearest Occupy site in support of the protesters, just as they had at Woodstock and countless anti-war rallies. For his troubles, Wavy has been beaten by police so severely it required being put in a body cast. There’s nothing a cop hates as much as a non-violent clown. Today, he still dons colorful costumes to entertain kids at his circus and performing-arts camp in Laytonville, California, and benefit the international health foundation, Seva, which he founded with Dr. Larry Brilliant and Ram Dass. “Saint Misbehaving” is a mostly glowing chronicle of Wavy’s life and times, from his days spent reading poetry in Greenwich Village cafes and hanging out with such luminaries as Lenny Bruce and Bob Dylan, through daily life at the Hog Farm with friends and wife, Jahanara. At 75, he’s still spry and not at all embarrassed to be interviewed with a red bulb on his nose. The DVD adds lots more interview material deleted from the documentary. – Gary Dretzka History: WWII in HD: Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray It’s odd to recall just how much the success of cable television is owed to the people who documented our 20th Century wars. At a time when programming executives literally counted every penny at their disposal, footage held in the public domain and taxpayer-supported museums, libraries and archives was continually repurposed to suit the needs of dozens of documentaries. Some nights the shows on History and A&E – each dubbed at various times as the Hitler Channel — were the most compelling options available to viewers looking for relief from the mediocre shows available to them on the broadcast networks. The ratings weren’t huge, but they didn’t have to be. How, after more than 60 years, is it then possible that unseen war footage is still being discovered? Good question. The latest great cache of films to be discovered included original color footage taken on the battlefields, beachheads, encampments and skies above German- and Japanese-held territories. For Americans who came of ticket-buying age in the 1940-50s, color added a dimension of reality missing in earlier pictures. Documentary and newsreel producers waited until it became affordable to make the switch. Indeed, much of the color footage revealed in History’s “WWII in Color” series rivaled that of the gung-ho movies being churned out by Hollywood in the post-war era. It would take another 50-plus years for most viewers and war buffs, however, to see it. The material, we’re told, was discovered in a far-flung search that took two years to complete. Its historical significance was further enhanced by the decision made by cable-television and DVD programmers to include extremely graphic and previously censored combat images in their presentations. It included haunting footage of dead and dying soldiers, taken on both sides of the front lines; desperate attempts to mend the wounded in field hospitals; Japanese soldiers committing suicide on Saipan, rather than surrender; emaciated children, left abandoned or orphaned by their parents; leprous survivors of Japanese occupation in Okinawa, and refugees mistakenly attacked there by American troops; and the complete and utter destruction of once-thriving cities. Such films demand to be seen by the citizens of any nation willing to send men and women to war, especially for dubious political, religious and economic reasons. Instead, government and broadcast censors continue to filter images from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – flagged coffins, even – for tender American eyes. High-definition adds an “immersive” sheen to the material already shown in color, but not always to the degree casual viewers might notice it. What is clear, however, is that the images are cleaner and less affected by visual artifacts. “WWII in HD” is further enhanced by the first-hand testimony of a dozen veterans – soldiers, nurses and combat reporters, alike – who wrote eloquently about their experiences in letters written home, books and other accounts. In some cases, the combat footage, recollections and narrated text dovetail each other, adding an even more dramatic edge to the films. The four-disc, 605-minute presentation includes the feature-length “WWII in HD” specials, “The Battle for Iwo Jima” and “The Air War”; profiles of the men and women interviewed; and behind-the-scenes featurettes, “Finding the Footage” and “Preserving the Footage.” If such documentary material were made available to Americans concerned about our involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places where our soldiers are committed, the wars might have ended wars ago. – Gary Dretzka It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series Farscape: The Complete Series: Blu-ray Being Human: The Complete First Season History: American Restoration: Volume 1 Half Pint Brawlers: Season 1 Nature: Jungle Eagle: Blu-ray By the time “It Takes a Thief” debuted on ABC, in 1968, TV audiences had tired of watching make-believe spies and other James Bond clones. It explains why the show’s writers kept reminding viewers that Robert Wagner’s suave Alexander Munday was a thief, not a spy, even though he reported to a secret American intelligence agency known as SIA. Munday’s was rescued from prison by SIA honcho Noah Bain (Malachi Throne), the man who had captured the masterful cat burglar and understood how such skills could be used to benefit the country. The ruse included putting Munday under house arrest in an estate guarded by several beautiful women who knew jiu-jitsu and whose rooms were monitored by video cameras. The women agents were no match for the thief’s charm, however, and the cameras could have been neutralized by a naughty child. No matter, Bain kept Munday’s get-out-of-jail-free card in his pocket and convinced his new agent that he was just nasty enough to revoke it, if necessary. There was no mistaking Munday’s roots, though, Like Sean Connery and Cary Grant, Wagner looked as formidable in a tuxedo as he did in the uniform of a cat burglar. Like the agents on “Mission:Impossible,” Munday had more disguises at his disposal than Macy’s at Halloween. The only real drawbacks to the series were the cheeseball sets and lame fight scenes required by tight television budgets. The 18-disc boxed set opens with “Magnificent Thief,” written by the show’s creator, Roland Kibbee, and directed by Leslie Stevens. It is the feature-length version of the pilot episode, “A Thief Is a Thief Is a Thief,” which was re-made for distribution overseas. In the next 2½ years, the show would lose much of the sharp edge built into it during Season One. Munday would be allowed to freelance his talents more often and not live under the cloud of a parole revocation. The biggest change came in 1969, when Fred Astaire joined the cast as Munday’s even more criminally skillful father. Although the two men sparked occasionally over unsettled personal issues, they made a formidable team. “It Takes a Thief” represented Wagner’s first foray into series television and most of his characters since then have shared Munday’s same easy-going charm and classy wardrobe. The DVD set also includes digitally re-mastered versions of all 66 episodes; “The King of Thieves: Interview with Robert Wagner” and “A Matter of Larceny: Interview with Glen A. Larson”; a limited-edition Senitype (reproduced 35mm film frame); a themed four-piece coaster set; and a collectible booklet with retrospective essay. Anyone wondering what Jim Henson Productions was doing over the last decade, while its ownership was being tossed around like a hot potato, might want to check out “Farscape: The Complete Series.” (Rights to the Muppets now are owned by Walt Disney Co., which is releasing the new feature-length “The Muppets.”) The science-fiction series, which combined live-action with puppetry, prosthetic effects and CGI, was shot in Australia and could be seen on the BBC and the Sci-Fi Channel between 1999 and 2003. Its abrupt cancellation resulted in the three-hour mini-series “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars,” a year later. At the time, the cable and broadcast networks were overflowing with sci-fi and fantasy programming, and the cult following for “Farscape” wasn’t sufficiently powerful to pay the bills for all the special effects. The series resembles “Dr. Who” and various “Star Trek” wannabes in that its lead character, John Crichton (Ben Browder), is an astronaut, who, after being sucked through a wormhole, becomes an intergalactic refugee abroad the spaceship Moya. The passengers remained on the run from the militaristic Peacekeepers for the whole time. All along, Crichton seemed as strange to his fellow aliens as they did to him. The Blu-ray presentation probably could look better, but fans won’t be disappointed by the impressive collection of bonus features. They include all 88 episodes of the series; more than a half-dozen making-of featurettes; 31 audio commentaries; deleted scenes, director’s-cut scenes and an alternate version of the Season 2 premiere; video profiles and behind-the-scenes interviews with the characters, cast and creative team; and original marketing material. “The Peacekeepers Wars” has yet to be given the hi-def makeover. Last year, Syfy adapted the imaginative British series “Being Human” for American audiences that may or may not have caught the original on BBC America. Generally, speaking I’m not a big fan of such transplants, but it fits pretty well on Syfy, whose shows aren’t blessed with the same budgets and marketing strength of the BBC. The premise remains the same, however. Three young and attractive roommates share something besides doing dishes and vacuuming the floors. Theoretically, none of them exists. Aidan (Sam Witwer) is a vampire; Sally is a ghost (Meaghan Rath); and Josh (Sam Huntington) is a werewolf. Such pairings couldn’t work, even in the spiritual realm, of course. On TV, such rules don’t apply. If Dexter Morgan can be a cop and a serial killer simultaneously, and talk to his dead father and brother, what’s to prevent a ghost, werewolf and vampire from cohabitating? Together and individually, the trio not only is required to deal with naturally fearful humans, but also enemies from their own species. Bonus features include “The Making of Being Human,” “What Would You Choose?” interview with cast members and material from San Diego Comic-Con. The show’s new season begins in January and the BBC’s third season package already in available in DVD and Blu-ray. In History’s “American Restoration,” viewers follow Rick Dale and his crew of fixer-uppers – the less-classy word for “restoration artists” – as they scour the west for potentially valuable junk and antiques in need of a makeover. It’s not the most original concept for a reality show, but there’s always something fascinating in watching alchemists at work. The show began as a spinoff from “Pawn Stars,” also set in Las Vegas. The pawn shop’s owners frequently turn to Rick’s Restorations to see if a particular item is salvageable and therefore valuable beyond the cost of an expired pawn ticket. In turn, Rick’s gang endeavors to find original parts or blueprints to construct new ones. In Season One, they cleaned the rust off a ’40s-vintage gas pump and Hopalong Cassidy bicycle and golf cart from the 1950s. Being Las Vegas, plenty of slot machines have come through their doors, as well. “American Restoration,” like so many other such shows, accentuates the family-business theme. How much one enjoys “Half Pint Brawlers,” which aired on Spike, depends mightily on how far across the grain of politically correct America one is willing to cut. The title and company of the same name, of course, refers to the time-honored non-sport of “midget wrestling.” Activists from Little People of America have routinely protested the frequent use of the word, “midget,” at Brawlers activities and, naturally, the bottom-feeders at TMZ have exploited the “controversy” for whatever ratings value it might have. The Brawlers will accept all the free media attention they can muster, thank you very much. The natural appeal of watching smallish people throwing each other around a ring is enhanced by adding the same degree of difficulty associated with “Jackass” movies. As such, the potential for real harm is heightened exponentially. It’s more fun to watch the wrestlers misbehave at venues and in hotel rooms. The troupe’s owner, Puppet “The Psycho Dwarf,” is required to keep the billable damage to a minimum and deflect the flack shot at them by do-gooders, some of whom have been able to get their fights banned and canceled. Venezuela’s Orinoco River basin not only is one of the most remote and spectacularly beautiful regions on Earth, but it also is home to many rarely seen animal species. In “Jungle Eagle,” the cameras of PBS’ “Nature” tag along with wildlife filmmaker Fergus Beeley as he leads a team of cameramen to the high-canopy forest to learn everything they can about harpy eagles. Beeley considers the harpy eagle to be the most powerful bird of prey in the world, and one of the least observed. Imagine a bird that captures monkeys and sloths on the wing and returns with them to the nest for the nourishment and amusement of the chicks. As we can see, too, the eagles aren’t at all reluctant to attack humans climbing trees to camera positions aloft. It’s a fascinating documentary. If you’re repulsed by the thought of a bird dining on monkey meat, consider that the capuchin would happily return the favor if given an opportunity to devour a chick. Among other threats are vultures, army ants and lethal flies. – Gary Dretzka The Littlest Angel Dora the Explorer: Dora Celebrates Three-Pack Spongebob Squarepants: Holidays With Spongebob My pile of animated holiday-themed DVDs is topped by “The Littlest Angel,” which is adapted from the immensely popular children’s book, published in 1946, by Charles Tazewell. It is the story of a wee lad, born in Old Testament times, who dies too early in life and arrives at the pearly gates without anything to keep his mind and hands occupied. Even then, the median age in the kingdom is much higher than 5, so there aren’t many kid angels around with whom he can hang out. Lonely and more than a little bit antsy – this is paradise? – our little angel convinces a sympathetic elder to let him return home briefly to recover some of his treasured possessions. When he learns that Baby Jesus is about to be born, he humbly asks God if he can give his box to him as a present, which the deity magically transforms into the Star of Bethlehem. I’m not sure the theology is 100 percent correct, but it’s a story younger children have enjoyed hearing read to read them for more than 50 years. I find it interesting that “Sons of Anarchy” star Ron Perelman was chosen to be the voice of God. It is 83-minutes long, but the CGI animation makes it seem shorter. Two new collections from Nickelodeon take advantage of the season with hours of babysitting-safe entertainment in gift-ready boxes. “Celebrate With Dora” includes “Dora’s Christmas,” “Dora’s Halloween” and “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure,” which measure 295 minutes in total. “Holidays With SpongeBob” weighs in at the same length. It is comprised of the 2011 edition of “SpongeBob SquarePants Halloween,” the 2008 “SpongeBob SquarePants Halloween” and the Valentine’s Day compilation, “To Love a Patty.” As is the case with any Nickelodeon is worth checking out ahead of time if your child already has the episodes contained therein. – Gary Dretzka Superheroes Assassin’s Creed: Lineage: Blu-ray Mortal Kombat: Legacy: Blu-ray Red vs. Blue: Season 9 OK, now I get it. I’ve seen several movies lately in which everyday people who don’t simply impersonate superheroes – “Kick-Ass,” “Defendor,” “Super,” “Special” – they actually believe they can prevent crimes and vanquish villains. Why now, I wondered? Turns out there really are people out there who believe they are caped crusaders and masked marvels. Michael Barnett’s documentary, “Superheroes,” introduces us to several such wannabes, who routinely swap personae, crossing the line from mild-mannered civilians to amateur crimefighters in home-stitched costumes and with names like Mr. Xtreme, Dark Guardian, Vigilante-Spider and the four-person New York Initiative. Apparently, there are 300 such posers in the United States and they’re deadly serious about what they do. The DVD includes deleted scenes. Here’s another new one on me. The 2009 film “Assassin’s Creed: Lineage,” newly released in Blu-ray, is the prequel to a series of three video games set in 15th Century Italy. The movie apparently was made to promote the games, which expand on a conspiracy that leads to the death of the Duke of Milan and spreads through the country’s ruling families and the Vatican. Assassin Giovanni Auditore is hired to investigate the crime, but soon finds himself in the position of being stalked. Not having attempted the video game, I’m unclear as to where the intrigue in the dark and mysterious prequel leads. The Blu-ray adds more than 90 minutes of bonus material, including “Assassin’s Creed: Ascendance” and developer diaries. “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” is the Blu-ray byproduct of a dream that became reality for Kevin Tancharoen, whose love for the video-game franchise spawned this collection of nine Internet shorts. They expand on characters and storylines familiar to diehard fans, while also providing plenty of ferocious action. They also could contribute to the effort to create a “Mortal Kombat” feature film. The Blu-ray also comes with five featurettes that delve deeper into the MK mythology: “Fight,” “Fan Made,” “Expanding the Netherrealm,” “Mysticism” and “Gear.” “Red vs. Blue” is another spinoff of a video game, this one Xbox’s “Halo.” The ninth season existed as a sequel to “Revelation” and precursor to “The Blood Gulch Chronicles,” a fact fans will understand, but continues to baffle me. Here, we’re alerted to the creation of Project Freelancer, an experimental military program designed to to create a new breed of warrior. Bonus features include director’s commentary; special videos and PSAs; outtakes and deleted scenes; cast interviews; and behind-the-scenes videos. – Gary Dretzka In a Glass Cage: Blu-ray Blue Velvet: Blu-ray If anyone needed any concrete evidence of the existence of monsters and unimaginable horrors in our midst, it was provided by Adolph Hitler and the men and women who prospered under his evil reign. And, while it’s easy to blame many of the atrocities on pea-brained bumpkins and bigots who claimed they were merely following orders, what excuse could the physicians and academics have had for carrying out the most heinous experiments ever perpetrated in the name of science. Curiosity? Sadism? Fear? Privilege? As “In a Glass Cage” opens, a man flogs the corpse of teenage boy in an exercise in sexual gratification. It’s so utterly grotesque, we feel no pity for the perpetrator in the next scene, as he lays face-up in an iron lung, incapable of wiping his own ass. After a teenage boy arrives at the villa, declaring himself to be the man’s nurse and care-provider, it isn’t long before we learn that the patient is a fugitive Nazi doctor who experimented on children in the death camps. When alone with the fiend, the boy reads to him from his journals, which describe procedures the old man can’t bear recalling. It’s now safe to assume that the boy had witnessed the earlier beatings and stolen the doctor’s diaries after he fell off the villa’s roof, leaving him a paraplegic. The sight must have fried the kid’s brain, because he’s grown into a full-blown sadist who gets off on re-creating the same sick experiments on other kids and forcing the doctor to watch them in the reflection of a mirror. Director Agusti Villaronga argues that repeated exposure to violence and perversity can numb the emotions of witnesses and victims to the point where they can’t help but follow suit. As the boy becomes friendly with the doctor’s pre-teen daughter, she, too, becomes a willing participant. Made in 1987, “In a Glass Cage” is still capable of provoking extreme responses in viewers. Alternately fascinating and disgusting, it is the work of a filmmaker who isn’t reluctant to ask viewers how they might react in similar circumstances or at the point of a gun. It comes with a festival Q&A with the director and three completely bizarre short films. No stranger to arthouse horror himself, David Lynch has been playing with people’s minds ever since “Eraserhead” became a midnight-movie favorite in 1977. “Blue Velvet” may not fit the common definition of a genre film, but all of its ingredients say it is. In the 1986 psycho-drama, Lynch demanded of his fans that they look below the surface of their sodded suburban lawns – or behind the shiny, happy faces of their neighbors — to find the monstrous things hiding in plain sight. Here, of course, it was a severed ear that provided the catalyst for so much intrigue and insane behavior in Lumberton. Twenty-five years later, “Blue Velvet” hasn’t lost any of its power to disturb viewers. The excellent Blu-ray upgrade was supervised by Lynch and perfectly complements the bonus package, which includes a standard-definition retrospective, “Mysteries of Love”; a few outtakes; a 1986 review on “Siskel and Ebert: At the Movies”; a few short “vignettes,” with interviews; and 52 minutes of “newly discovered lost footage,” with even more cool Lynchian stuff. – Gary Dretzka Lust for Vengeance: 10th Anniversary Edition The Teacher We’ve seen plenty of movies about the process of making movies, some of which are instructive and entertaining. Most represent little more than a couple of hours of killed time. John Wesley Norton’s “Not Another B Movie” may be of the latter variety, but it does contain a few redeeming qualities, at least. Basically, a writer, director, producer and star get together at a local watering hole to kick around ideas for a genre picture. The writer, who stands behind every word in his script, is required to listen to the philistines add and subtract characters, demand more gore and T&A, and edit the storyline beyond any recognition. Considering the nature of the horror game these days, however, their ideas are probably sounder than his. In addition to a cast of newcomers, “Not Another B Movie” boasts such familiar (barely) names as Ed Asner, Joe Estevez, Erin Moran, Robert Z’Dar, Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman, David Faustino and Al Capone’s grandnephew, Dominic. For my money, though, the movie’s marquee attraction is Larry Thomas, who will forever be known for playing the “Soup Nazi,” in “Seinfeld.” The making-of material is better than movie. “ThanksKilling” is another DIY effort that proves just how difficult it is to make a movie that’s so bad it’s good and, therefore, funny. There are several pretty decent gags in Jordan Downey’s twisted holiday comedy, but most viewers over the age of 15 will be embarrassed to admit they laughed at them. The killer turkey is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog with a waddle. As with most such genre parodies, “ThanksKilling” runs out of steam at the halfway mark, causing redundancies and much forced humor. As late-night treat for stoners on Thanksgiving, though, it certainly beats watching reruns of the Macy’s parade and mainlining tryptophan. Horror auteur Sean Weathers claims “Lust for Vengeance” is the “first and only true giallo film ever made in the U.S. to date.” That boast won’t mean anything to 99 percent of all American moviegoers, but it’s nice that he thinks it’s true. Giallo, “yellow” in Italian, shares the same roots as American pulp. From about 1930 to the mid-’50s, the work of even our best mystery writers was limited to cheap paperbacks with lurid covers. In Italy, the pages of almost all such mysteries were bound within yellow covers, hence the name. Even more than American exploitation specialists, Italian giallo directors amped up the sex, violence and horror, by lingering on displays of nudity, gore and rape. That’s what distinguishes “Lust for Vengeance: 10th Anniversary Edition” from other DIY horror flicks. The story is divided into five separately hued segments, in which a different woman is slaughtered by a guy who felt dissed by them in high school. (The cast is unusually diverse for this sort of thing.) That’s it. I’m not quite sure why “The Teacher” is being re-released by Cheezy Flicks. The classic exploitation flick from Crown International Pictures was recently included in a collection of cult favorites compiled by Mill Creek Entertainment and it doesn’t look a scratch less threadbare. Neither have the primary reasons for watching Howard Avedis’ film changed: Angel Tompkins as the cougar teacher, Diane; Jay North (a.k.a., Dennis the Menace) as Sean, the horny high school graduate she seduces; and bad-guy actor Anthony James, one of the American cinema’s creepiest fiends. James plays the recently released mental patient, Ralph, who blames Sean for the accidental death of his brother. The teenager fell from a ledge high above the shipping canal where Diane is sunbathing topless in her small boat. Ralph isn’t happy that his voyeur’s nest has been invaded and vows to thwart Sean’s blossoming relationship with Diane. Tragically, for Ralph, he’s too inept to make good on his threats. It’s a crime they don’t make sexploitation pictures like this anymore. – Gary Dretzka Alleged: Blu-ray Set against the backdrop of the landmark Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925, “Alleged” is a distinctly faith-based movie that’s more concerned about the personal ethics of its characters than the debate over evolution and creationism. Considering the film’s budget, attempting to re-imagine “Inherit the Wind” for a contemporary Christian audience probably would have been a fruitless exercise. That’s not because the acting talent wasn’t available, because Fred Thompson and Brian Dennehy are excellent in the more familiar roles of William Jennings Bryant and Clarence Darrow, and Colm Meaney makes a credible H.L. Menken. In Tom Hines’ mildly romantic drama, the emphasis is on the fissures that split the relationship of small-town reporter Charles Anderson (Nathan West) and office mate, Rose (Ashley Johnson), to whom he’s engaged. She becomes upset with him after he uses unethical tricks to juice up an already pretty good story. Charles sees the trial as a vehicle to put economically fragile Dayton, Tennessee, back on the map and, not incidentally, a leg up to a job in the big city. For Rose, her fiancé’s behavior raises a red flag. Filmed at Crossroads Village, near Flint, Michigan, “Alleged” looks very much like a 1925-vintage American town. All things considered, the drama and romance fit the small screen pretty well, too. The Blu-ray arrives with a discussion guide for church and home-group study. It attaches scripture to questions raised in the story. – Gary Dretzka The Sleeping Beauty It’s safe to say, you won’t find another version of Charles Perrault’s “Sleeping Beauty” – or, here, Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” – that’s quite so deliberately poetic and sensually provocative as Catherine Breillat’s small gem. Instead of merely describing how the curse that leaves Anastasia comatose affects those around her, the France provocateur imagines what a child of royalty might dream given 100 years of REM sleep. As we know, Anastasia was cursed by an evil fairy at birth to prick her finger at 16 and die. Fortunately, three fairy sisters just happen to be in the neighborhood. They override the curse by ordaining that Anastasia will avoid death by being pricked earlier in her life and slipping into a much longer dream state. She’s allowed to grow older in her dreams, but only in a fragmented sequence of fantastical encounters and under the tutelage of an odd assortment of parent figures. Along the way, she’s also able to fall in love … Breillat-style. At 82 minutes, “The Sleeping Beauty” invites repeated viewing, if only to savor the wonderfully imaginative backdrops. This is the second of three fairytales the director plans to adapt, the first being “Bluebeard.” There is some nudity, but nothing a very sharp teenager would find shocking over over-stimulating. – Gary Dretzka 1 in the Gun Restitution Talk about a tightly focused story, “13” traces the evolution of an underground Russian roulette tournament from the recruitment of a contestant to the finals, after which the winner gets to go home with a bag of money in his hand and the loser is carried out in a bag. If that makes “13” sound as if it’s a rip-off of “The Deer Hunter,” I wouldn’t disagree. Actually, I’m surprised no one’s thought of it before now. The premise is surprisingly simple. Sam steals an envelope intended for a man who dies while he’s doing electrical work in the house. Mysterious instructions cause Sam to hop on a train and get off at a designated location. From there, he’s whisked away to a secluded mansion. There to greet him are several gentlemen of means – Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, 50 Cent, Ben Gazzara — who are confused by his presence. They’re disappointed by the death of the intended guest, but are pleased to learn that the imposter is so desperate for cash that he’ll stand in his place … with a pistol in his hand, pointed at the back of another contestant’s head, and someone else’s gun aimed point-blank at his head. In the first round, more than a dozen men are given one bullet each and told to spin the cylinders. With the flash of a light, they’re instructed simply to shoot. The odds that all of the men could die in the first round are extremely slim, if only because “13” is 97 minutes long and none of the bettors would benefit. Neither would the punters be happy if all of the men survived the first round, after which another betting cycle begins. In the succeeding rounds, survivors are given one more bullet than they had before. Ultimately, two men stand opposite each other with five bullets in their six-shooters. Writer/director Gela Babluani allows us to get to know a few of the contestants – Ray Winstone, Sam Riley, Mickey Rourke – but not well enough to be terribly disappointed if they died. There’s a bit of extracurricular excitement after the final shot, but it feels as if it were tacked on for sentimental value. “13” won’t make anyone forget what happened in “Deer Hunter,” as Saigon braced for the NVA invasion. The raw intensity of referee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road) makes up for any deficiencies in the script, though. Rolfe Kanefsky’s psycho-thriller “1 in the Gun” also includes an extended game of Russian roulette, but it’s difficult to tell whether it’s taking place in real life or the Twilight Zone. While I found the movie to be different enough to be entertaining as a novelty, I can easily imagine viewers tuning out when the going gets weird. The movie starts normally enough, when a drifter is hired by a sexy MILF to paint the house she shares with her rich husband and enlists him in a plot to kill the brute. If the drifter had watched a few more noir classics, he’d know not to trust the seductress … and vice-versa. Things get strange when the drifter drives into the desert with a body in his trunk and a suitcase full of money on the bag seat. It isn’t long before he loses both at a crappy motor-court motel/restaurant in the middle of nowhere. The joint is populated with oddball characters who appear to have escaped from a David Lynch movie. Part of the job for viewers is separating fact from fantasy in the drifter’s mind and it ain’t easy. The women we meet in the desert are beyond description. No one is playing Russian roulette in “Restitution,” but almost everyone involved points a gun at someone else during the course of the movie. It would be easy to dismiss Lance Kawas’ straight-to-DVD flick as a paint-by-numbers thriller, if any of the numbers added up to something credible. If anything, it resembles any number of police dramas that circulated on television during the “Magnum P.I.” era. While it’s always nice to see Mena Suvari in a bikini, co-writer/producer Mark Bierlein makes the rookie mistake of allowing himself to be seriously out-acted in the lead male role by Tom Arnold. For the record, “Restitution” describes a series of drug deals gone bad along the Detroit waterfront and a P.I. who gets caught in the middle of them. – Gary Dretzka Dirty Pictures Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants Étienne Sauret’s intriguing documentary, “Dirty Pictures,” locates the exact point at which clinical pharmacology meets the rave community, beyond the ritual ingestion of Ecstasy and into the cluttered makeshift laboratory of its developer, Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin. A onetime corporate chemist employed by Dow, Shulgin was given free rein to explore how molecules interacted and formed useful new compounds. Such pure research on psycho-active substances could have resulted in drugs used to interrogate prisoners of war – Merry Prankster “acid tests” were a byproduct of LSD testing on behalf of the military – or to control mental illness and multiple neuroses. Shulgin, we’re told here, is the scientist behind more than 200 such compounds including MDMA (a.k.a., Esctasy). Historically, Dow Chemical and other major pharmaceutical interests have been far more interested in exploring products that can be exploited for large, continuous profits in medicine, agriculture and times of war than to explore the mysteries of the mind … and, let’s face it, for recreation. Once that happens, of course, politicians, drug-enforcement agents and lobbyists for the medical establishment stumble over themselves to ban anything that might result in enlightenment, culture and/or joy. Once that happens, the unregulated production of such substances is turned over to “cookers” and mad scientists in the employ of biker gangs and mob-connected smugglers. Unlike Timothy Leary, who feasted on the attention paid to him by the media, Shulgin’s prominence remains within the chemist community and among “heads” who actually pay attention to the compounds they ingest. It’s fun to compare Shulgin’s facilities to those of the more clean-cut and less arbitrarily dressed scientists who testify in his defense in “Dirty Pictures.” Even so, they all speak the same scientific language and can read charts and substance diagrams (“dirty pictures”) the way most of us civilians scan newspaper headlines. By breaking down compounds found in cacti and other plants, they’re discovering how Serotonin, for example, is prevalent throughout nature and why it’s considered to be a “miracle drug” by some psychiatric patients. Some scientists believe, as well, that we’ve only scratched the surface in the hunt for new and more effective anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs. It’s only when such concepts as “empathy,” “love,” “consciousness” and “spirituality” enter the equation that the DEA starts paying attention. Shulgin admits to working “around the edge of the law” and, along with his wife, being his own best guinea pig. “Dirty Pictures” paints a fascinating portrait of a true American explorer, whose knowledge could be used to help people legally and without cultural prejudice. Anyone old enough to recall the fuss made over Carlos Castenada, the Peruvian-born anthropologist who wrote a series of books describing his training in Yaqui shamanism, will recognize what’s happening in “Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants.” Alberto Villoldo is an anthropologist/psychologist/author who has spent more than 25 years studying shamanic healing practices of Amazonian tribes. That jungle tonics, plants and other vegetation have been woefully underutilized in the treatment of common psychological maladies is an inarguable fact of life in American medicine. That some of the plants to which we’re introduced here share things in common with drugs used to treat anxiety and depression – Serotonin, for example – also is indisputable. Villoldo makes a convincing case for broadening our horizons as pertains to traditional healing processes. The problem for me comes in the testimonials by non-natives, some of whom sound as if they dropped out of the Esalen Institute because it wasn’t sufficiently cosmic. The shamans, themselves, primarily are shown blowing smoke and waving pipes over their “patients,” if you will. That’s where “Amazonia” differs substantially from “Dirty Pictures,” in which the hippies and recreational partakers remain in the tie-dyed background of concerts and events like Burning Man. I would have liked to hear more from native people as to their interactivity with shamans. The True Mind documentary works best as an introduction to the concept of combining spiritual belief with the healing powers of native jungle plants, in the interest of treating the “whole” person. Practitioners from Peru’s Madre de Dios River in the Amazon watershed heal with a “brew” called Ayahuasca (“the vine of the souls”), which allows partakers to look inside themselves and investigate the root causes of their pain. As was the case in the treatments forwarded by Castenada, some puking is required to achieve the maximum benefit. – Gary Dretzka Twelve Thirty In such offbeat indies as “Childhood’s End,” “Flannel Pajamas” and “Once More With Feeling,” writer/director Jeff Lipsky demonstrated a willingness to let dialogue carry the weight of the story, sometimes at the expense of narrative flow. In “Twelve Thirty,” a sexually insecure 22-year-old manages to worm his way into the lives of three neurotic Iowa women – a divorced mother and her two very different daughters – causing more trouble in a week than most men do in a lifetime. Mom Vivien (Karen Young) is a freelance dealer in fur coats, who rarely leaves her home and still prefers having sex with her gay ex-husband to any of her boyfriends. Mel (Portia Reiners) is a pretty, sexually confident 19-year-old whose heart likewise belongs to her over-protective daddy. Maura (Mamie Gummer), also 22, is lost in the material world, emotionally and sexually. As the movie opens, Jeff (Jonathan Groff) tells co-worker and longtime acquaintance Mel that he’s fond of her, but avoids intimacy because he’s embarrassed by the shape of his penis. Mel, who’s been waiting for him to make a move, first assures Jeff that his unit looks perfectly normal and, then, proves that it’s also completely functional. Even so, he seeks solace and fellowship at the small, stone “Church of the Open Door,” where everyone’s welcome … except when that door is locked, as it is here. Within the next few days, Jeff helps Maura lose her virginity, albeit in a closet, during a party. For her part, mom Vivien saw an opportunity and took it, using Jeff as a boy-toy for a few hours. None of them is reluctant to share the experience with Dad, who confronts Jeff in a mock inquisition designed mostly to freak him out. It works. If this description doesn’t make “Twelve Thirty” sound remotely entertaining, you should know that the movie is otherwise distinguished by some of the most brilliantly acted exchanges between related characters that I’ve seen in a long time. The dialogues almost tear your heart out with their intimacy. I’m not sure I buy the context, but the power of the words can’t be denied. It’s interesting to learn that two of the key actors are show-biz Thoroughbreds: Mamie is the daughter of Meryl Streep, while Haley Feiffer, who plays Maura’s quaintly Satanic friend, Irina, is the daughter of cartoonist/playwright Jules Fieffer and comedian Jenny Allen. – Gary Dretzka The River Why: Blu-ray It’s nice to think that there still are places on Earth where a boy can make the passage into adulthood, not with a gun or diploma in his hand, but with a fishing rod. Maybe, such spots exist solely in the mind of a novelist or screenwriter. Maybe, the setting isn’t a remote stream and the fishing rod is a golf club, or a sailboat, or a piece of sculpture, or a movie. Perhaps, the boy is a girl. Such thoughts flow through the mind unabated while watching a movie as visually and intellectually stimulating as “The River Why.” Inspired by a best-selling 1983 novel by David James Duncan – whose name is conspicuously missing from the credits – “The River Why” describes how 20-year-old Gus Orviston (Zach Gifford) decides that the nest has gotten too small for two self-absorbed adults and a son who’s grown tired of their opposites-attract act. All three are obsessed with fishing, but for different reasons. Dad (William Hurt) is a tweedy Brit who personifies the classic stereotype of an effete angler – he’s written extensively on the subject — while mom is the archetypal American worm-drowner. When Gus finally decides to leave the shadow of his parents, he moves into a shack alongside a scenic, trout-heavy Oregon river, where he’s determined to fish 15 hours every day. Given all that time in voluntarily solitude, albeit in God’s own backyard, Gus eventually comes to the inevitable conclusion that something is missing in his life and it isn’t his parents. His salvation arrives in the person of a pretty, if elusive blond (Amber Heard), who loves fishing as much as he does and, like his mother (Kathleen Quinlan), has a far more grounded self-image. Apparently, Duncan wasn’t pleased with the script and tried to keep the movie from being produced. Whether this occurred after he was paid for the rights to his novel, or not, I don’t know. My guess is that the movie, as written, wasn’t sufficiently epic to contain all of the philosophical and environmental ideas he fleshed out in his book and this pissed him off. A settlement was worked out and the movie suffered from the delays and animosity. There’s no reason I can see for “The River Why” not being distributed theatrically, but it’s good to see it in Blu-ray, after all. The scenery is magnificent and the actors – Dallas Roberts and William Devane, among them — all look as if they belong there. The Blu-ray adds a series of in-depth interviews. – Gary Dretzka Mutiny on the Bounty: Blu-ray The Cannonball Run: Blu-ray They don’t make historical epics like “Mutiny on the Bounty” anymore and, for that, at least two generations of studio executives are thankful. The one-two punch of “Mutiny on the Bounty” and “Cleopatra” in 1962 and 1963 not only demonstrated the limits of stardom, but also the inability of high-power executives to say “no” to their meal tickets. For all the negative things that can said about the dominance of CGI-enhanced filmmaking, no computer has ever threatened to walk off a set or demand that Chasen’s chili be flown from Beverly Hills to Rome. A half-century later, stories about those near-disastrous productions seem quaint and attributable to human folly, not the development of expensive new software or the rights to pop music. More to the point, absent the bad press, both movies are downright fun to watch. Even Marlon Brando’s foppish portrayal of Fletcher Christian doesn’t seem nearly the catastrophe today as it must have in 1962. Maybe it’s because we know exactly how much time, effort and money were invested in the creation of the H.M.S. Bounty, alone, that we cut the picture so much slack. The scene in which British sailors help the locals drive hundreds of fish to the shore is worth the price of the rental, alone. The Blu-ray presentation is pretty good, especially in the reproduction of Bronislaw Kaper’s score. The bonus package is dominated by interesting featurettes on the history of the rebuilding of the H.M.S. Bounty and its subsequent travels. There’s also a prologue and epilogue originally intended to bookend the movie in flashback form. I imagine that everyone involved in the production of “The Cannonball Run” – also new to Blu-ray — enjoyed the experience a whole lot more than those assigned to “Bounty” and “Cleopatra.” For one thing, the stakes weren’t nearly as high for the studio and all of the talent appears to have been in on the joke. Like the otherwise unrelated 1976 action movie “The Gumball Rally,” “Cannonball Run” is set during a coast-to-coast race contested by lovers of fast cars and eluding the Highway Patrol. Hal Needham, Brock Yates and Burt Reynold’s interpretation of the annual underground event owed far more to the success of “Smokey and the Bandit” than Charles Bail’s “Gumball Rally,” which starred Gary Busey, Michael Sarrazin and hardly anyone else viewers might recognize today. By contrast, “Cannonball Run” resembled “Ocean’s 11” in the number of familiar names it attracted (including Rat Packers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.). Reynolds could do no wrong in those days and, here, he was surrounded by such flakey sorts as Dom DeLuise, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr, Adrienne Barbeau, Peter Fonda, Jackie Chan, Farrah Fawcett, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Elam, Mel Tillis, Bianca Jagger, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, Valerie Perrine and non-flake Roger Moore. In truth, “Cannonball” often is no funnier than a flat tire at the Indy 500, but that was never really the point. Reynolds had a way of making viewers feel as if they were as important to the show as the actors themselves, and, of course, they are. The Blu-ray comes with commentary by director Needham and producer Albert S. Ruddy. – Gary Dretzka Mr. Magoo on TV Collection Masterpiece Contemporary: Page Eight Rickey Smiley: “Open Casket Sharp” How the States Got Their Shapes: Season 1 “Gia” wasn’t the first movie in which Angelina Jolie’s acting talent came to the fore. She’d stolen part of the spotlight, at least, in “Hackers,” “Foxfire” and HBO’s “George Wallace,” for which she won a Golden Globe in a supporting category. As the troubled supermodel, Gia Carangi, Jolie would convince the remaining doubters she could carry a movie all by herself. Apart from her undeniable acting chops she has an ooo-la-la body and, back then, wasn’t reluctant to show it. She even resembled the model, who while still in her teens went from hash-slinging in her father’s Philadelphia diner to the covers of Vogue and other fashion magazines. The photographers who favored her look represented the top shooters in the business. Gia was a rising star in an industry that had yet to begin churning out models as famous as the designers whose clothes they wore. Sadly, Gia’s fame also brought with it addictions to cocaine, heroin and then-shocking sexual preferences. Soon, her habits would cause her to blow assignments and come to work looking less than spectacular. When she was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS, it had not yet become identified with intravenous drug use and very few women had fallen victim to it. Her death in 1986 drew scant attention in the press and many of her co-workers didn’t learn of it until weeks later. “Gia” would draw attention to the model’s ordeal, but it was Jolie who would benefit the most from the movie. It brought her a second Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and SAG award. “Gia” aired at approximately the same time as the first DVD players were being introduced and hi-def TV was still a long way from reality. The Blu-ray transfer is excellent, but it comes unencumbered by any special features. It is, though, five minutes longer than the original. As for being “Unrated,” remember that TV merely adds parental guidelines to its products, not ratings, per se, When Mr. Magoo made his theatrical debut in 1949, it was considered highly unusual to feature a human as the sole cartoon protagonist: if Elmer Fudd was on screen, it was a safe bet that Bugs Bunny was somewhere in the vicinity, as well. Even so, Magoo would become one of the single most endearing characters in the cartoon menagerie. Short, squat and dangerously nearsighted, Magoo was always a step or two away from disaster. Somehow, though, he always managed to avoid it. As voiced by Jim Backus (Thurston Howell III, for fans of “Gilligan’s Island”), Magoo started out life as a parody of certain political figures in the era of the Hollywood Blacklist. By 1960, when the cartoon became a fixture on television, the wealthy Rutgers alumnus was completely de-politicized and he even became a spokes-character for GE products, an eyeglass concern, beer and preserves. Shout! Factory’s 11-disc “On TV Collection,” is comprised of three different series, more than 180 cartoons and specials. Anyone sensitive to racial stereotypes should know in advance of Charlie, Magoo’s Chinese houseboy during the 1960s. He’s as offensively drawn as one can imagine, but quite smart and dedicated to his boss’ well-being. (The tables were turned in 1997 when support groups for visually impaired people protested the release of Leslie Nielsen’s live-action “Mr. Magoo.” Although it was making money for Disney, the picture was pulled from release after two weeks.) “Page Eight” is another terrific thriller from the fine folks at BBC/PBS’ “Masterpiece Contemporary.” In it, Bill Nighy plays a long-serving, long-suffering MI5 officer who senses he’s being frozen out of the intelligence agency by a new breed of politically expedient political leaders. He loses his last for-sure ally when his boss (Michael Gambon) dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, taking with him a secret that could topple the current government. Trusting no one in MI5, he turns to a pretty next-flat neighbor (Rachel Weisz) who’s suddenly begun to insinuate herself into his life. Her brother recently was killed by Israeli police and it appears as if the government is covering up the true nature of his death. Finally, they turn to each other for help in solving their respective problems. Thanks to a no-frills script by writer/director David Hare, the 99-minute program zips along briskly, without skimping on the details of the story. “Page Eight” was shot in London and Cambridge. Rickey Smiley shares a lot in common with Steve Harvey, a close friend who introduces him at this recorded concert, which was shown on BET. Both are comedians, as well as TV and radio personalities, whose sense of professional balance must be extremely acute. Here, the easy-to-like comic shares his observations on his family, friends, Southern marching bands and, yes, funerals. The DVD adds bonus sketches “First 48 With Little Darryl” and “The Church Lady.” You might think a show called “How the States Got Their Shapes” could be found on cable’s Geography Channel, instead of the History Channel. (There is one, isn’t there?) Fact is, though, it’s impossible to separate the two disciplines in America. And, of course, therein lay 50 pretty interesting stories. Host Brian Unger travels the country, letting local experts fill us in on the details of how our borders evolved and why. Many of the explanations will surprise you. In Season 1, the episode titles include “A River Runs Through It,” “The Great Plains, Trains, & Automobiles,” “Force of Nature,” “State of Rebellion,” “Living on the Edge,” “Use It or Lose It,” “Church and States,” “A Boom With a View,” “Culture Clash” and “Mouthing Off.” Needless to say, adults will learn almost as much from the series as their kids. – Gary Dretzka Lifetime: A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride Lifetime: A Christmas Wedding Lifetime: Holiday Wishes In another collection taken from the 1989 HBO and CBC series, Babar the elephant king is required to save Christmas for the boys and girls of Celesteville. They had written a letter to Father Christmas, inviting him to visit the kingdom for the holiday, but never was delivered. Unbeknownst to them, the invitation was intercepted by Rataxes the evil rhinoceros, who wants all of Santa’s toys for himself. Babar takes it upon himself to find Father Christmas and deliver the message personally. The DVD set adds a pair of bonus episodes — “A Child in the Snow” and “The Gift” – and an eight-page holiday coloring book. Lifetime churns out Christmas-themed melodramas as if they were so many candy canes. All involve some sort of dilemma that needs to be addressed or miracle waiting to happen. In “Under the Mistletoe,” Susan (Jaime Ray Newman) is a reporter whose husband dies in a car accident. His ghost appears before their teenage son and, together, they conspire to find a new mate for mom. They arrange for her to enter a radio station’s dating game, hoping she’ll be attracted to the boy’s coach, who’s also lost his spouse. She’s leaning to another man, however. “A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride” pits an attractive middle-age woman (Helen Shaver) against her wedding-planner daughter (Joanna Garcia), who disapproves of mom’s hastily conceived plans for marriage. The daughter’s only recourse is to take arrange the details of the wedding and control things from there. Ultimately, they learn a lot about life from each other’s concerns. In “A Christmas Wedding,” a woman (Sarah Paulson) who’s always dreamt of having the perfect wedding must turn control of the final details over to her soon-to-be husband (Eric Mabius), who’s a classic procrastinator. Determined to get it right, Ben tries a bit too hard, getting mired in such things as bridal shows and seating charts. Finally, the biggest threat to the wedding is something beyond both of their control, the weather. “Holiday Wishes” imagines a scenario in which young women (Katie Keating, Britney McKilllip) from opposite sides of the economic divide wish upon a department-store Santa, only to wake up the next day in each other’s bodies. Their wishes are answered, but not in the way they wanted them to be. It’s left to a party planner (Amber Benson), with a dream of her own, to straighten things out and make sure everyone’s learned a lesson or two. – Gary Dretzka A Child’s Garden of Poetry If wonder if poetry is as much a part of the curriculum today as when I was a student and William Shakespeare was still wearing knickers. Probably not. Like trigonometry and physics, there simply isn’t much call for it at a time when lyrics to most pop songs aren’t required to rhyme. “A Children’s Garden of Poetry” makes a good case for hooking kids on poetry at an early age, when they’re open to new things and poetry can be made to seem like a game, with rules that are more challenging than restrictive. This 27-minute DVD collects 15 poems by such writers as Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Shakespeare. They are read and sung by a cast that includes Julianne Moore, Dave Matthews, Natalie Merchant and Liam Neeson. Some vintage poems are read by poets e.e. cummings, Carl Sandburg and Edna St. Vincent Millay. They are accompanied by animation sequences and short live-action films. Time is also set aside for children to discuss poetry and what it means to them. – Gary Dretzka It’s a Wonderful Life Gift Set: Blu-ray The Perfect Gift Dear Santa Hoax for the Holidays In 1988, Bill Murray was as hot a commodity as any other actor in the business. Although the “SNL” alum had proven that he couldn’t pass for a romantic leading man — in the classic sense of the word, anyway — Murray had no problem making people laugh uproariously. That ability, in itself, is worth far more than the price of gold in Hollywood. Murray also possessed a snarky sense of humor and deadpan approach that appealed to the “hip” demographic. Who better, then, to play the world’s most famous miser and grump, Ebenezer Scrooge, a.k.a., TV executive Frank Cross. He’s a mean and venal S.O.B., if there ever was one, and the kind of fellow who would staple antlers on a mouse, insult carolers and make a movie about a fire fight between terrorists and Santa Claus. Of course, after being taken on an overnight ride by the three Christmas ghosts, he becomes an entirely different person, even without having to call Ghostbusters. If most critics were unenthusiastic about the conceit, everyday audiences showed their approval by making “Scrooged” a seasonal hit and perennial DVD and VHS favorite. The Blu-ray arrives without any bonus material. Ever since legal battles over its ownership were settled, “It’s a Wonderful Life” has enjoyed a pretty wonderful afterlife of its own. As long as the Frank Capra classic was in public-domain status, it seemed as if anyone with a VCR could make a crappy copy and sell it at a local convenience store. Now that Paramount Home Entertainment owns its rights, it’s been made to look and sound better than ever. Neither is it allowed to be overexposed on television between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Already released once in Blu-ray, in 2009, the changes to the new “Gift Set” edition are limited to holiday packaging, a bell ornament and commemorative booklet. Otherwise, it’s the same fine movie. In “The Perfect Gift,” Ruben Studdard looks as if he could either be a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears or ate the backfield for breakfast. All I could do was feel pity for his character’s skinny-Minnie wife, played by Golden Brooks (“Girlfriends”). The “American Idol” winner is given the task of portraying a husband and father whose Christmas is turned upside-down when his wife’s parents make an unannounced visit. With the help of God and his family, the holiday is saved by the discovery of the perfect gift, which was staring back at him all along. The straight-to-DVD movie, which arrives with a bonus soundtrack CD, was shot during a performance of Alvin Moore Jr.’s stage play. In the Jason Priestly-directed TV movie “Dear Santa,” a spoiled rich girl (Amy Acker) is led to true love and frugality by a 7-year-old girl’s letter to Santa. In it, she asks for a new wife for her widowed dad. To win the guy over, she volunteers at his struggling soup kitchen. (Soup kitchen?) What she doesn’t anticipate is the man’s coldly calculating girlfriend. It’s a holiday rom-com with lots of pretty, mostly Canadian people. And speaking of Canadian exports, here’s something new and different. In “Hoax for the Holidays” (a.k.a., “Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage”), a rebellious teenager overwhelmed by the death of a sister discovers an unusual way to make lots of money, fast. While at work at a donut shop, she throws a cup of coffee at the wall, and with a little help, is able to convince customers that it’s the image of Jesus Christ. This causes a stir in her small, god-fearing town, but no more so than with her father, who sees it as a sign from his daughter in heaven. Meanwhile, she tries to haul in enough money from the miracle to make ends meet at home. – Gary Dretzka Cop Land: Blu-ray Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: Blu-ray In 1997, no movie was more highly anticipated than “Cop Land” – OK, maybe “Titanic” – if only because of a cast that included Sylvester Stallone, Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta. Writer/director James Mangold had made his debut with the indie hit, “Heavy,” and the Miramax marketing team was pushing the angle of Stallone finally getting to show off his acting chops in a dramatic role. It also was reported that the key actors had agreed to work for scale, so “Cop Land” could fit within a $10-million budget, and Stallone had gained 40 pounds for the role. The reviews were mostly positive and it quadrupled its miniscule budget at the box office. The story concerns shady dealings in a New Jersey town populated with an inordinate number of New York City cops. Stallone plays a local sheriff who is asked by an NYPD internal-affairs officer (DeNiro) to help him make a case against renegade New York cops, living in the small town. As such, it’s pretty much a suicide mission. Stallone’s character is looking for redemption, though, so why not? It’s an excellent police drama. The Blu-ray package comes with an extended cut of the film, with 10 additional minutes of footage; deleted scenes; audio commentary; a making-of featurette; and storyboard comparison. “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” was anticipated more as a bizarre novelty than anything else. Besides the fact it represented George Clooney’s directorial debut, Charlie Kaufman had adapted “Dangerous Mind” from Chuck Barris’ highly questionable autobiography. Barris was notorious for producing such outrageous game shows as “The Dating Game,” “The Newlywed Game” and “The Gong Show,” which predated “American Idol” by 30 years, but featured entertainers of the same dubious quality. In his book, Barris admitted to being a CIA assassin, whose assignments not coincidentally took him to the same places as the winning daters he chaperoned. It wasn’t an easy scenario to get one’s head around. Somehow, Clooney made it work with assistance of Sam Rockwell, Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, with an assist from participants in the ’60s-era shows. Even so, it made almost no money. The Blu-ray includes commentary, deleted scenes, “The Real Chuck Barris” documentary and Sam Rockwell’s original screen test. – Gary Dretzka Pearl Jam Twenty Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon Stevie Winwood: Live in Concert: Blu-ray Chicago: Live in Concert: Blu-ray Michael McDonald: Live/A Tribute to Motown: Live: Blu-ray I don’t know a lot about the rock bands that have broken through the crowd over the last 20 years. My MP3 and iTunes playlists pretty much are limited to bands and musicians that were popular before my son entered high school, at which point I decided to accept the fact I’d reached geezer-hood. Among the bands we could agree upon was Pearl Jam, a band born in the shadow of Nirvana and lumped among grunge acts simply because it was from Seattle. Frontman Eddie Vedder’s voice was a cut above most other rockers, before and since he was recruited to replace the recently OD’d lead singer of Mother Love Bone. He also had a riveting personality and willingness to showboat on stage. Rock journalist and Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe had moved to Seattle at the same time as Pearl Jam was breaking into the public eye. He culled the material included in “Twenty” from 1,200 hours of footage he’s shot for interviews, articles and just because he felt like it. It was merged with 24 hours of recently shot concert and interview footage. Not surprisingly, the movie looks and sounds great. Fans will enjoy getting up-close and personal with the musicians and newcomers will see what all the fuss is about. In addition to the feature-length documentary, there are 26 minutes of take-outs with individual band members. Likewise, the Kings of Leon were a mystery to me until I watched “Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon,” a fascinating documentary about a band no Hollywood screenwriter could invent. It is comprised of three brothers and a cousin from the Followill family of Oklahoma and Tennessee. They named their band for their grandfather, Leon, a singer of some local repute, who hailed from Talahini, Oklahoma. The Followill brothers were raised by their father, a Pentecostal minister whose fire-and-brimstone preaching reverberates through the band’s music. The fevered dancing and incomprehensible tongue-talking that begins when the Holy Ghost invades the soul of a parishioner or tent-show attendee also inform their stage presence. What separates “Talihina Sky” from other rock bio-docs, however, is the focus on the extended Followill family at home and family gatherings. They make the Beverly Hillbillies look like the Ewings of Dallas … but, in a very good way. The old-timers love their boys and enjoy their music, but still fear for their souls. For their part, the boys love their family and respect their traditions and country ways. Stephen C. Mitchell’s film is fascinating both as a family history and performance experience. The DVD adds deleted scenes, home movies and commentary tracks. The latest batch of “Sound Stage” Blu-rays from Image Entertainment includes concerts featuring classic-rock faves Steve Winwood, Chicago and Michael McDonald. I don’t know how many fans of Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon would enjoy the music contained in these sets, but their parents probably know the songs by memory. Winwood’s set list includes music from his days with Traffic, Cream, Blind Faith and his later solo albums. His distinctive voice is in tip-top shape and the Blu-ray presentation adds greatly to the experience. Chicago began its life in 1967 as Chicago Transit Authority, or CTA, for short. Beyond the blues, the city had developed a reputation for turning out bands – the Ides of March, Cryan’ Shames, Buckinghams, Shadows of Knight – that produced radio-ready songs with brass, sass and lively harmonizing. Soon, though, bands from San Francisco, L.A. and London would dominate playlists. CTA didn’t surrender to flower power or recycled Chicago blues. Instead, it built on recent tradition by becoming one of the first of the new-era bands to embrace cross-genre fusion. It was influenced as much by the increasingly popular San Francisco jam bands, R&B, jazz and funk, as au courant psychedelic rock. Unlike many of their peer artists, Chicago willingly created songs that fit the three-minute-long demands of AM radio, in addition to longer workouts. And, the group sold a lot of albums and singles, without simultaneously touring itself to an early grave. Some of the band members, circa 2004, have gotten pretty long in the tooth, but they definitely can still kick their ancient hits on video. Michael McDonald has taken more than his fair share of ribbing during a career that’s included stints with Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers and singing backup with too many top artists to count. His willingness to lend his melodious baritone voice to other people’s records has inspired caricatures on shows ranging from “SCTV” to “Family Guy.” As was the case with Chicago, though, there’s no arguing with success. In addition to a hi-def performance of personal standards – some with former Doobies and Ashford & Simpson — the Blu-ray package includes a separate concert in which 14 Motown classics are shared. In it, McDonald is joined by Indira.Arie, Toni Braxton, Take 6 and Billy Preston. – Gary Dretzka Without a Home The Last Mountain Hot Coffee How many documentaries about the plight of America’s homeless population will it take before someone in Washington acknowledges that a problem exists and it’s worth fixing? A lot more probably because homeless people simply can’t afford to hire lobbyists or simply purchase a politician to advance their complaints. Without one, no one in government is going to pay attention to a crisis their benefactors deny even exists. Conversely, now that the problem has blossomed into a full-blown crisis, legislators are free to throw up their hands and surrender to the difficulty of finding a cure. Filmmaker Rachel Fleischer spent four years attempting to put a recognizable face on the issue of homelessness and finding cures for the root causes of it, including addiction to drugs and alcoholism, chronic mental problems and lack of health-care solutions. Sometime after Fleischer began recording the problems of homelessness and poverty, she broke the cardinal rule of documentary making by inserting herself into the narrative. In addition to covering the experiences of six homeless or virtually homeless individuals in Los Angeles, she began lending her skills at finding temporary shelter, rehabilitation clinics and other resources to her subjects. Before long, however, she gets sucked into serving as their valet, chauffeur and counselor and, of course, they become as dependent on her as on their drugs, alcohol and medication. If she didn’t become involved, however, who would? The DVD adds interviews with sociologists, deleted scenes, anecdotal and making-of material, profiles and a recording of the song “Without a Home.” Two weeks ago, I reviewed a documentary made in the 1960s about protests that led to reforms in Kentucky’s strip-mining industry. The activists in “You’ve Got to Move” used sit-ins and sing-ins to make their points and win a temporary victory, at least. This was before Richard Nixon signed sweeping environmental legislation — passed with bipartisan support in Congress — and Americans finally could breathe an unfiltered sigh of relief. Forty years later, Republicans in Congress are close to overturning the legislation signed by Nixon, while Democrats twiddle their thumbs. “The Last Mountain” describes the fight to keep West Virginia companies from blowing up and strip-mining every mountain containing coal and polluting the environment surrounding the mining operations. As the movie demonstrates, it’s an uphill battle for residents who have already lost most of their traditional way of life. Politicians refuse to listen, company representatives invent new lies every time they’re interviewed and workers are so desperate to keep their jobs they’ll parrot the company line when confronting their unemployed neighbors. It’s fair to wonder how far Bill Haney’s scrupulously researched “The Last Mountain” would have gotten without the continual presence in Appalachia of professional activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose name carries weight even in the camp of his opponents. Among the bonus features are outtakes and deleted scenes; a Q&A with Kennedy; and PSAs in support of “The Last Mountain” from Emmylou Harris, Naomi Judd, Kathy Mattea. Just when you thought it was safe to feel sorry for large corporations faced with so-called “frivolous” lawsuits, a documentary comes along to disavow you of that notion. The title, “Hot Coffee,” refers to the elderly Albuquerque woman who was burned by scalding-hot coffee and successfully sued McDonald’s for a couple of million bucks. As ridiculous as the case sounded when recounted by TV news anchors, pinhead radio pundits, late-night talk-show hosts and “Seinfeld” writers, there was another side to the story and it’s the one that wasn’t passed along in the media. In fact, the water in which the coffee was brewed was “as hot as the water in a car’s radiator after being driven for a while.” According the McDonald’s guidelines, the water was far too hot to serve and the Albuquerque woman was one of 700 customers who had suffered similar burns. In fact, the $2.9 million penalty would be reduced to $480,000 dollars by the judge and settled out of court, probably for even less. Ironically, it also was a godsend for companies that wanted to limit the consumers’ right to take them to court. Lobbyists used the coffee case as a rallying cry, passing legislation that was vetoed by President Clinton. Failing in Washington, the so-called American Tort Reform Association took their case to the state legislators who could be bought and sold for Green Stamps. The media took the bait, as well, when President Reagan pushed the association’s agenda by exaggerating the facts of notorious lawsuits. Karl Rove, who worked for Philip-Morris and then-Gov. George Bush simultaneously, would conspire with insurance companies to limit judgments in Texas, both frivolous and legitimate. Bush had no problem raising campaign funds among those who benefitted from such legislation. All he had to do was convince people that their tax dollars were being used to bankroll such suits and the deal was done. Presumably, these people hadn’t been in a position to be damaged by an accident or mistake caused by a corporation or doctor. “Hot Coffee” is important because it questions common wisdom, media ineptitude and political rhetoric at a time when American voters are willing to blame the victims of malfeasance for their own unhappiness and despair. Is this a great country or what? – Gary Dretzka Frontline: The Man Who Knew Frontline: Top Secret America Victorious: Season 1, Volume 2 It amazing what journalists can learn and report if only their employers let them do their jobs. PBS’ investigative series, “Frontline,” provides visible proof of that notion every week of the year on television and, then, a few weeks later, on DVD. In each hour-long episode, “Frontline” reporters offer viewers a version of America unseen on other media outlets. It’s rarely a pretty picture. In “The Man Who Knew” and “Top Secret America,” we learn how American intelligence officials dropped the ball on Al Qaeda before 9/11 and, after the attacks, spread lies about weapons of mass destruction and the corporatization of the military. Moreover, the many embarrassing lapses prompted President Bush to authorize the creation of an intelligence bureaucracy that grew like Topsy but was little more efficient than the ones it oversaw … which is to say, not very. In “The Man Who Knew,” it is revealed how one FBI counterterrorism gadfly banged the Al Qaeda drum so loudly and so often that his Washington superiors stopped listening to it. Among the things John O’Neill was able to do on his own was identify Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden as specific threats to the United States, even to the point that its operatives had brazenly enrolled in flight schools here. He also anticipated the attack on the USS Cole. This isn’t to say, however, that anyone in Washington would suddenly begin to take him seriously. O’Neill was branded a maverick by the political appointees to whom he reported and, as such, a threat to FBI protocol. The managers who felt threatened by his expertise most made his life miserable, while also ignoring the facts he had given them. As in all “Frontline” reports, the information presented is backed up by interviews with key players and classified documents. Oh, yeah, in a final ironic note, we’re told that O’Neill died as he attempted to flee his new, civilian office in the World Trade Center on 9/11. He was killed, in effect, by the same people he had investigated before being forced to retire from the bureau for insisting too loudly on the threat they posed. In the wake of 9/11, American citizens were apprised of the fact that the country they knew prior to the attacks was going to change dramatically as Bush administration officials pursued the perpetrators. According to “Top Secret America,” this would the last time people like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld would share anything factually revelatory with the public. As journalists were to learn, America’s intelligence agencies competed with each other for teacher’s attention and refused to share vital information with each other. Indeed, much of the information proved to be contradictory. Because the CIA already had a plan for dealing with the Taliban, if not Al Qaeda, the president decided that it would be the agency to conduct the secret war, instead of Rumsfeld’s minions. To keep everyone in the loop, he also ordered the creation of an entirely new umbrella agency. What began as the brunt of jokes among intelligence insiders has grown into an uber-bureaucracy of its own, with an expensive new building and outposts in strip malls and industrial parks throughout the U.S. As was the case with the “Underwear Bomber,” it sometimes is no more effective than the spell-check function on its computers. The most publicized threats to our safety were thwarted by troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan and sharp-eyed cops and civilians who can see what spy satellites don’t. The material forwarded in “Top Secret America” was reported by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dana Priest. Just as there’s no “I” in “team,” without T-O-R-I, there’s no “Victorious” on Nickelodeum. Breakout-star-in-waiting Victoria Justice portrays Tori Vega in the popular Nickelodeon sitcom, which is set at mythical Hollywood Arts high school. Justice is the most prominent member of an excellent ensemble cast of talented young performers who simply can’t wait to become famous and eventually rich. First, though, the kids have to pay some dues, and, in L.A., they aren’t cheap or easy … unless one is comparing the experience to that of normal teens in other performing-arts high schools. Still, give or take a puppet or two, they’re fun to watch. The episodes collected here are from summer and fall of 2010 and represent only half a season’s output, in no discernible order. The second half of the second season is already in progress. The DVD adds a music video of “Best Friend’s Brother,” the “iCarly” cross-over special and a making-of featurette of the mash-up version of that show. – Gary Dretzka Captain America: The First Avenger The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Volumes 3, 4 A couple of months ago, in reviewing the 1990 adaptation of “Captain America,” I wondered how the no-frills version would measure up to the monster-budget “The First Avenger,” which I had yet to see. Not surprisingly, the special effects in the 2011 version are a million times better those in the original, which weren’t at all special or, for that matter, effective. Ironically, though, if I hadn’t seen the 1990 film – directed by exploitation specialist Albert Pyun – I would have had trouble understanding the story behind the summer blockbuster. The primary antagonist in both movies is Red Skull, a Nazi whose powers were developed at approximately the same the same time as scientist Abraham Erskine (a.k.a., Dr. Josef Reinstein ) introduced the Super-Soldier Serum into the puny human guinea pig, Steve Rogers. Although the comic-book Captain America would do battle with several Nazi villains, sympathizers and spies, only Red Skull was allowed to survive the war and reignite his rivalry with Captain America. After being awakened from a decades-long nap, Rogers and his alter ego would continue to confront international villainy under the auspices of Marvel’s Avengers. Indeed, there are several times in “Captain America: The First Avenger” when the superhero’s “origin story” feels more like a teaser for next year’s summer smash, “The Avengers” – featuring Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, the Hulk, Loki and Pepper Potts – than a movie designed to stand on its own two feet. Comic-book loyalists probably will favor the origin story over the spectacularly loud battles between the forces of good and evil in “The First Avenger.” Rogers’ transformation isn’t nearly as amazing as that ascribed to Bruce Banner and the Hulk, so kids nurtured CGI-enhanced action epics likely will merely tolerate the breaks for humorous exposition. While not at all credible as history, the movie stops well short of suggesting one superhero could change the tide of war single-handedly or even in the company of a special forces team of his choosing. It is fitting, then, that the most compelling moments are those in which Steve Rogers is attempting to make the grade as a soldier. Through the sheer force of his will, the runt of the Rogers’ family’s litter convinces his superiors – played by Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell and Stanley Tucci – that he’s got the right stuff. Unless viewers are familiar with Chris Evans from “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” – he played Johnny Storm/Human Torch – it will require a certain suspension of disbelief to accept him in the role of a more pumped-up superhero. It won’t take long, though. Beyond that, “Captain America” is standard issue. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary with director Joe Johnston, director of photography Shelly Johnson and editor Jeffrey Ford; an amusing short, “Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer”; several background and making-of featurettes; a profile of Red Skull; deleted scenes; a preview of “The Avengers”; a digital and DVD copy. A Blu-ray 3D version also is available in combination with the other formats. For those fans of the Avengers who simply can’t wait until next summer’s big show, there’s Marvel’s “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” The second season of Disney XD’s animated series has just begun, so it’s the perfect time for latecomers to catch up. Volumes 3 and 4 wrap up Season One. In the first disc, the Avengers face off against Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil. Defeat could open the door for a full-scale alien invasion, led by the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror. As if that threat weren’t sufficiently frightening, the season closes with a seven-episode arc in which Ultron, his army of robots and Loki put all of humanity in jeopardy. Among the extras are “Avengers Unmasked: Masters of Evil”/“Hail, Hydra!” an animated in-episode comic-book experience with trivia and backgrounders on the heroes and villains. – Gary Dretzka Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy: Blu-ray Dinosaurs have been very good to Steven Spielberg. Besides directing and/or producing the first three entries in the “Jurassic Park” franchise – newly repackaged in an all-inclusive Blu-ray boxed set – Spielberg has announced progress on a fourth edition, and his Fox TV series, “Terra Nova,” has been picking up steam in the prime-time ratings. If “Jurassic Park” represents something of a “Back to the Future” approach to paleontology, “Terra Nova” first requires viewers to leap forward to 2149, before being put into reverse 85 million years to dinosaur days. Without the ideas formulated in “Jurassic Park,” “Terra Nova” might have looked a lot like a live-action version of “The Flintstones.” Ironically, much of the magic on display in “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World” and “Jurassic Park III” derived from pre-CGI special-effects techniques and the ink-on-paper genius of novelist Michael Crichton. Anyone who saw “Jurassic Park” in its debut run will never forget how truly thrilling it was to witness entirely credible depictions of life in prehistoric times. There had been nothing else quite like it then and very few movies since then have been able to top it for sheer audacity and as pure entertainment. Watching the predator sequence in Terence Malick’s “Tree of Life,” it’s impossible not to recall when Spielbergian reptiles roamed Hollywood production studios. All three of the “JP” movies have been digitally re-mastered for enhanced picture and sound. The supplemental material also includes a digital copy of all three films; “Return to ‘Jurassic Park’”: a six-part documentary, featuring new interviews with Spielberg, “JPIII” director Joe Johnston cast and crew members; feature commentary; deleted scenes; animatics; visual effects, before and after; Foley artists; storyboards; visits to Stan Winston Studio and ILM; production stills, sketches, models, posters and toys; “‘Jurassic Park’: Making the Game”; and more new and archived featurettes than you can shake a stegosaurs’ tail at. Among them are “Hurricane in Kauai,” “A Discussion With Author Michael Crichton,” “The Compie Dance Number: Thank You Steven Spielberg From ILM,” “Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs,” “Spinosaurus Attacks the Plane,” “Raptors Attack Udesky” and “The Lake.” – Gary Dretzka Aftershock For most of the last seven or eight years, natural disasters have dominated the world’s headlines. Millions of people’s lives have been destroyed or seriously altered by events way beyond anyone’s control. Special-effects wizards have attempted to approximate the look and force of tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, but images captured by civilians on hand-held digital cameras and cell-phones have trumped everything Hollywood’s thrown our way. What can’t be duplicated on film, however, is the raw human drama that unfolds when the cameras go away and survivors are left to their own devices. Because Hurricane Katrina happened in our own back yard and ignorant politicians compounded the tragedy with their indifference and racism, Spike Lee and other fine filmmakers were inspired to record our government’s shame for posterity. (It also helped that Sean Penn and Brad Pitt committed their resources to relief efforts.) Xiaogang Feng’s powerful drama, “Aftershock,” adapted from a novel by Ling Zhang, depicts events surrounding the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. With a magnitude estimated at between 7.8 and 8.2, the 23-second-long quake leveled a city of 1million inhabitants in northeastern China, leaving at least 240,000 of them dead. If you weren’t aware of the disaster until now, it’s only because the Communist government refused to accept international aid through the UN, preferring instead to rely on the combined forces of medical relief teams from Shanghai and the People’s Liberation Army. Immediately after the rescue missions were completed, the government committed itself to rebuilding the industrial city, which it did. Large sections of New Orleans still resemble a war zone. The human story told in “Aftershock” is even more fascinating. It focuses on truck driver Da Qiang, his wife Yuan Ni and their twins, Fang Da and Fang Deng, an otherwise ordinary proletarian family. When the earthquake hits, mom and dad are downstairs from their modest apartment, sharing some private time inside his truck. The twins are upstairs, sleeping. So devastating is the initial shock that the street separating the parking lot from the apartment literally is shredded. The building collapses before anyone can mount a rescue effort. Da Qiang is killed in an aftershock. Fortuitously, the children survive the collapse, but are stuck in the rubble, badly wounded. After several hours pass, Yuan Ni is given the impossible choice of picking which child will survive the lifting of a child chunk of concrete. Within earshot of the girl, Yuan Ni reluctantly picks the son, Fang Da, whose hand has already been shattered. Fang Deng’s body is loaded onto a truck along with that of her father. In an amazing twist of fate, the girl awakens from her terrible sleep and departs the truck when she realizes that everyone is dead. Too traumatized to speak, she’s comforted by a married couple who serve together in the army. Childless, they are granted permission to adopt Fang Deng and raise her at their military compound, where she will be loved and educated. (There’s no indication any members of her family survived.) Meanwhile, Fang Da has adapted to life with his prosthetic hand. Yuan Ni remains overprotective of her son, who, she fears, will be scorned by society for his condition. Fang Da worships his mother, but is determined to prove her wrong. There’s no need to spoil any surprises, except to acknowledge what most of you already suspect. The twins eventually will be reunited, but only after growing into adulthood with some of their wounds yet to be fully healed. If “Aftershock” tends to wallow in melodrama occasionally, it neatly fits the mold of most epic family dramas and depicts a sleeping giant about to emerge from its isolationist shell. The characters feel completely genuine and free of any propagandistic baggage. It’s simply a terrifically engaging story, well told. Upon its release, “Aftershock” became the most successful Chinese-produced movie in nation’s history, topping “The Founding of a Republic.” Oh, yeah, American viewers may not grasp the significance of the swarm of dragonflies that appears over the city as the movie opens. Traditionally, such events have served as an early-warning system by earthquake watchers in China and the dragonflies appeared, on cue, along with other natural phenomenon, prior to the disaster. – Gary Dretzka Father of Invention Kevin Spacey is the best and probably only good reason to stick with the badly undernourished dramedy, “Father of Invention.” In it, the two-time Academy Award-winner plays a highly successful infomercial huckster, Robert Axle, sent to prison for eight years after one of his “fabrications” (a.k.a., inventions) malfunctions, leaving gullible customers with missing fingers. Worse than having to spend time in prison, however, is coming to grips with the damage done to his family, especially his estranged daughter, Claire (Camilla Belle). Penniless, Robert is turned away from the Lake Ponchartrain mansion he once shared with Clair and his ditzoid mother (Virginia Madsen). Desperate, he begs his daughter to allow him to crash on the couch of the apartment she shares with two roommates, one of whom is a lesbian (Heather Graham) and the other an emotional basket case (Anna Anissamova). All of the women treat him as if he just dragged dog shit onto an heirloom rug. As a term of his probation, Robert takes a job at a discount store, where he’s constantly reminded of the products he once pitched. In almost record time, he’s fired by a sympathetic, if no-nonsense boss (Johnny Knoxville). “Father of Invention” really goes off the deep end when Robert cooks up an invention that could get him back on track again. First, though, he must secure $5,000 to hire his former techie buddy. His status as a felon and ex-con precludes him from receiving even that insignificant amount through normal sources, so he does the most short-sighted and unethical thing he could possibly do to come up with the money, by stealing it from someone who has come to trust him. (He would have tried to borrow or steal it from his ex-wife, if she hadn’t squandered every cent of her $300-million-plus divorce settlement.) By tacking on an overly sentimental and completely improbable ending, writer/director Trent Cooper (“Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector”) only digs a deeper grave for his sophomore feature. Spacey fans, however, won’t be any more disappointed in killing time with “Father of Invention,” than they were watching him in the marginally better “Horrible Bosses.” Too bad no one beat Cooper to the punch by adapting Ron Popeil’s autobiography for the screen and casting Spacey as the master pitchman and legendary inventor of gizmos consumers didn’t know they needed, until they saw them on TV. – Gary Dretzka Winnie the Pooh: Blu-ray Anyone who thinks that America’s dwindling corps of movie critics is comprised entirely of jaded eggheads with an ax to grind against G-rated Hollywood entertainment would do well to consider the case of “Winnie the Pooh.” The crusty curmudgeons were overwhelming in their approval of this, the fifth feature-length adaptation of A.A. Milne’s beloved books from Disney. At 69 gently flowing minutes, “Winnie the Pooh” must have felt like the cinematic equivalent of a palate-cleansing sherbet, compared with most of loud and brainless junk to which they’re subjected on a daily basis. Moreover, “Winnie the Pooh” was simply drawn and not remotely beholding to CGI wizards or 3D for enjoyment. The critics didn’t even seem to mind that Disney might be able to parley the movie’s good vibes into another zillion dollars worth of toys and honey jars sold. The film is comprised of three Milne stories: “In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One,” “In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump” and “In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings.” In addition to the most popular inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods in attendance here, there’s the possibly mythical monster, Backson. It is rumored to have abducted Christopher Robin, adding one more problem to the ones associated with Eeyor’s missing tail, Owl’s poor spelling skills and Pooh’s endless appetite for honey. What’s especially clever here is imaginative use of animated words, letters and typography to advance the narrative, without diminishing or disturbing E. H. Shepard’s water-color backgrounds. Among the voice actors are narrator John Cleese, Craig Ferguson (Owl), Jim Cummings (Pooh, Tigger) and SoCal media curiosity Huell Howser (Backson). Zooey Dechanel and M. Ward (a.k.a., She & Him) supply songs. The Blu-ray presentation is excellent, not that your kids will know the difference. The bonus material includes the backgrounder, “Winnie the Pooh and His Story, Too,” which explains the origins and history of Milne’s books; 15 minutes worth of deleted and alternative scenes, some in sketch form; the bonus shorts, “The Ballad of Nessie” and “Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Pooh’s Balloon”; sing-along versions of the movie’s songs; and, for parents-to-be “Creating the Perfect Winnie the Pooh Nursery.” – Gary Dretzka Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale: Blu-Ray Santa Claus Conquers the Martians Mardi Gras Spring Break Tired of sitting around, waiting for the millionth showings of “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” every time December rolls around? Start your own holiday tradition by putting “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale” on the old Blu-ray player and enjoying a truly twisted interpretation of the Father Christmas legend. According to European lore, Saint Nicholas once traveled in the company of a freakish little devil known as Black Peter. Together, they would judge the boys and girls to determine if they were deserving of gifts of sweets and nuts or lumps of coal … or worse. It wasn’t until commercialism subverted the true meaning of Christmas that Black Peter’s role was reduced and St. Nicholas took on the characteristics of the Santa Claus found in Coca-Cola commercials. “Rare Exports” subverts the legend even more by adding a palpable aura of horror. “Rare Exports” is set in contemporary Lapland, where reindeer herdsmen are suffering from a mysterious shortage of migrating animals to hunt. At the same time, miners working for a foreign company have discovered within Korvatunturi Mountain the grotesque body of a long-buried creature, which bears a resemblance to paintings of Black Peter. And, where Black Peter lies, Father Christmas can’t be far away. Here, though, there are several as-yet-unformed Father Christmases in the nearby forests and they all look as if they spend their summers living in a cardboard box in an alley off Times Square. They’re scrawny, bearded, extremely dirty and not at all jolly. In the absence of reindeer, though, these nasty little men could prove to be a valuable commodity if trained to be bearers of good tidings in countries without Santas of they’re own. Already, they’ve been offered a considerable sum for the one specimen they’ve managed to trap. The trick will be rounding up other geezers and herding them into the pens once reserved for reindeer. The idea for such an unlikely movie sprang from a pair of short films writer/director Jalmari Helander distributed as Christmas cards to friends and clients of his production company. They became an Internet sensation and are included in the Blu-ray package, along with interviews and making-of featurettes. For some bizarre reason, the good folks at Oscilloscope thought it would be a grand idea if they added an extra special treat, “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” a movie that benefits not at all from being shown in hi-def. The 1964 kiddies’ thriller is notorious for two things: 1) displaying no discernible production values, and 2) introducing unsuspecting audiences to 10-year-old Pia Zadora. Yes, it’s a terrible movie. Fact is, though, I’ve seen plenty worse, including this week’s entry “Mardi Gras Spring Break.” “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” remains a movie that is intended for the enjoyment of post-toddlers, not fans of “MST3K” … if such a show was even conceivable in 1964. For the one or two people out there unfamiliar with Nicholas Webster’s cinematic atrocity, the plot is simplicity itself. An expeditionary force of green Martian commandoes endeavors to kidnap Santa Claus, who they blame for corrupting their children. That’s right, American television is available on Mars. Instead of landing at the North Pole, however, they head straight to the house belonging to Zadora and her movie brother. Sensing that the spacemen are up to no good, the kids stow away on their rocket ship. They hope to warn Santa of the dastardly plan, but first are required to evade the phoniest polar bear in the history of the movies. Even if the title ruins the suspense, there’s no need to spoil any more of the “fun.” Any list of the worst movies of all time that includes “SCCTM” and not “Mardi Gras: Spring Break” has no credibility whatsoever. It’s so bad, it makes the raunch-fests “presented” by National Lampoon look like Neil Simon night on TMC. In it, three college seniors head for New Orleans for Mardi Gras, which this year corresponds somehow with spring break. The lure, of course, is the likelihood they’ll see the breasts of hundreds of women trolling for beads. If not on Bourbon Street, then the countless wet T-shirt contests that pass for entertainment during any spring break. When the boys aren’t soliciting tit-shots, they’re vomiting, passing out, playing with their feces, trying to sneak into nightclubs, jumping off balconies, trying not to act gay and vomiting some more. Carmen Electra makes an extended cameo, but, sadly, remains uncharacteristically chaste. That’s it. – Gary Dretzka Shaolin: Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray Roger Corman’s Cult Classic’s Lethal Ladies Collection I’m no expert on martial-arts movies, but, as they say, I know what I like, and I liked “Shaolin” a lot. Or, maybe it’s because I don’t know a great deal about martial-arts movies that I enjoyed “Shaolin” as much as I did. No matter, it only opened in a handful of theaters here and didn’t do enough business to warrant a wider release. So, what do I know? Set at a time when warlords fought for control of territory coveted as much by foreign business interests as the fledgling Republic of China, “Shaolin” describes an epic confrontation between the forces of good and evil. In one corner stand the fighting monks of the ancient Shaolin temple, while, in the other, reside the dueling warlords and British imperialists intent on razing the property for railroad right-of-way. The monks are pretty much limited to long sticks and fists of fury, which normally would provide sufficient defense. The militarists have at their disposal an arsenal full of guns, cannon, axes, swords and battle-ready horses. It’s nearly a draw. The drama at the heart of the story involves a three-way feud between ambitious sibling warlords and their greedy mentor. In a classic triple-cross, the subordinate brother, Cao Man, avenges perceived insults by perverting a scheme hatched by his older sibling, Hou Jie (Andy Lau), to assassinate the boss and take control of the capital. Days earlier, Cao Man had chased a wounded enemy warlord into the temple, where he sought and was granted temporary sanctuary. Hou Jie pretended to honor the abbot’s wishes, but shot the man, anyway. His brutality and lack of honor are duly noted by the monks, who value mercy over revenge. His daughter couldn’t be saved, but Hou Jie correctly blames himself for the tragedy and seeks redemption in the monastic life. When, much later, the increasingly evil Cao Man (Nicholas Tse) learns that Hou Jie is alive and living in the temple, he lays siege to the monastery. Not only are the lives of the monks threatened, but also those of hundreds of refugees fleeing enforced servitude to the railroad builders and certain death when they’re too exhausted to work. This time through, the monks don’t stand idly by as the outsider attacks the temple, and the ensuing battle is fierce. A surprise ending and satisfying epilogue demonstrate how karma cuts both ways. Needed comic relief is provided by the ubiquitous Jackie Chan, who uses kung-fu techniques to prepare meals for the monks. The youngest monks in training observe his methodology and employ it in their own martial-arts training. The sharp Blu-ray presentation accentuates the beautiful settings and costumes. A Blu-ray featurette blends deleted scenes with making-of footage, including that of the wire work. And, now, let’s move from the sublime to the ridiculous, in the form of a trilogy of kung-fu exploitation flicks from Roger Corman. “Firecracker,” “TNT Jackson” and “Too Hot To Handle” are distinguished solely by the appearance of supremely hot female protagonists, played by Jullian Kesner, Jeannie Bell and Cheri Caffaro, respectively. “TNT Jackson” is a two-fer, in that it also qualifies as a blaxploitation classic. All of the movies were shot largely in the in the Philippines and Hong Kong and feature a supporting cast of smarmy locals. The plots resemble each other in that all three of the women arrive from the U.S. to avenge the death of a sibling, friend or fellow drug smuggler. Equally sexy women play deep-cover narcotics agents, pretending to be gangsters’ molls. The fighting scenes are pretty good, too, especially when clothes are ripped off. Besides some scratchy trailers, the only bonus feature is commentary with Caffaro, who plays an international hit woman involved in James Bond-ish escapades in Manila and sees herself as a pioneer in female-entitlement roles. She’s probably right. As goofy as they may be, all three of the movies are great fun to watch. – Gary Dretzka A Little Help: Blu-ray Sometimes, it’s really easy to figure out what went wrong with a feature film, even one with highly recognizable stars and a serviceable script. More often than not, material that’s fragile in the first place is allowed to stay in the hands of a writer who believes he’s the best person to direct his brainchild. The blame can also be laid at the feet of young directors who don’t know or refuse to acknowledge when they’re in over their heads. In the specific case of “A Little Help,” writer/director Michael J. Weithorn – a veteran of the television-sitcom wars — seemingly failed to take into account the differences between small-screen-comedy conventions and those governing big-screen dramas. There’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with a script that finds similarities in the emotional aftereffects of 9/11 and the PTSS experienced by a suburban mother and son who’ve suddenly and unexpectedly lost the rock in their life to a heart attack. The movie is set on Long Island, circa 2002, after all, and everybody felt a bit unhinged. Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) portrays the mother of a 12-year-old boy and a dental hygienist, who’s recently returned to work and admittedly has stopped caring much about how she looks. On the same day Laura decides to confront her husband (Chris O’Donnell) about her fears about his cheating on her, he suffers two heart attacks, one of which was misdiagnosed and the other fatal. Shell-shocked, Laura allows herself to be manipulated by her overbearing mother (Lesley Anne Warren) and sister (Brooke Smith), who convince her to enroll her son in a private school and sue her husband’s doctor, neither of which she wants to do. As the prototypical new kid in school, Dennis overcomes his inferiority complex by telling everyone his dad died in 9/11, thus engendering waves of sympathy. Seeing how desperate Dennis was for positive attention, Laura decides against admitting the truth to his classmates and teachers. The ruse has an obvious downside, but they get away with it for a while. In the meantime, though, Laura bandages her own pain with risky short-term solutions, including beer and a humiliating one-night stand. “A Little Help” is billed as a comedy/drama, but I found the laughs to be hidden behind a thick wall of darkness, allowing only occasional opportunities for Laura to brighten her dour expression. Indeed, most of the comedy derives from Ron Leibman’s crusty take on Laura’s father, who’s rapidly approaching senility. The Blu-ray edition arrives with a slew of interview snippets, collected from promotional send-outs and a Jakob Dylan music video. Dylan’s songs, while perfectly fine, appear to have been included as substitutes for meaningful dialogue. – Gary Dretzka Uncle Bob Gigola The Cost of Love Formed in 2009, Breaking Glass Pictures is one of the most interesting new distribution labels in the DVD marketplace. The selections in the company’s 70-title catalogue run the genre gamut, from horror, thriller and sci-fi, to BDSM, erotic drama and romance, and almost everything else in between. Almost none of them have enjoyed wide release, anywhere, but there are some very obvious reasons for such neglect. Just as its Vicious Circle sidebar covers extreme horror, QC Cinema specializes in gay & lesbian theatrical and documentary releases. A recent sampling is indicative of the selections available. “Uncle Bob” is a documentary that answers the musical question, “Whatever happened to the guy who streaked the 1974 Oscar ceremony?” Firstly, his name was Robert Opel and he was a performance artist who believed that societal hang-ups over nudity couldn’t be addressed, let alone cured, if mainstream Americans were afraid to look at naked people. Coming out of the ’60s, such an idea was hardly revolutionary. Neither, by this time in American history, was streaking considered to be particularly radical. He would routinely appear on TV talk shows as the date for new Academy Awards presentations approached. In 1979, he was murdered in his San Francisco in circumstances his nephew, filmmaker Robert Oppel – yes, two p’s — still considers to be mysterious. In “Uncle Bob,” Oppel paints a fascinating portrait of extremely personable gay activist, performance artist, photographer and gallery owner. It also extends the story told in Gus Van Sant’s “Milk” of a pre-AIDS San Francisco bursting at the seams with counter-cultural energy and a mad desire to be unshackled from society’s chains. Among the eyewitnesses and friends interviewed are filmmaker and producer Abel Ferrara; singer and companion Camille O’Grady; HRH Lee Mentley, the Princess of Castro Street; photographer and Milk associate Daniel Nicoletta; former Cockette Ruby Missabu; and educator Jack Fritscher. Also shown in archival interviews are John Waters, Divine and Mike Douglas. Oppel introduces his theories about his uncle in loosely staged dramatizations. The bonus features includes Robert Opel’s complete interview with Divine, at Fay Wey Studios; Robert Oppel’s short film “Trip Back Forward,” with the Cockettes; the “Red, White & Blue Me” music video; and a photo gallery. The title character of “Gigola” comes exactly as advertised: a cross-dressing Parisian lesbian, who’s as much a companion to her older female clientele as she is a prostitute. When we meet her, sometime in the early 1960s, Georgia (Lou Doillon) has the long dark hair associated with most college students her age. Upon passing her exams, she demands of her older lover that she cut her hair in a style that approximates that of a Pigalle “dandy.” It’s not an unusual look for women who frequent the exclusive clubs and bars of the nightclub district, but, for someone her age, it’s pretty severe. She also favors a top hat, precisely cut tuxedo and cobra-tipped cane, which she carries both for protection and as an affectation. Her social circle is comprised of women of all ages and income brackets, all of whom dress alike. After her lover commits suicide, Georgia re-names herself Gigola. With the name comes a sharp new edge that causes her to be more comfortable as a pimp than a whore and an antagonistic presence in her mother’s (Marissa Berenson) life. Somewhere along the line, Gigola runs afoul of the local mob and voluntarily becomes pregnant, although not necessarily in that order. She may think she’ll know how to remain self-sufficient when the mob closes in and her baby pushes out, but she doesn’t. First-time filmmaker Laure Charpentier does better at capturing the period atmosphere than developing a story that ebbs and flows naturally. The sex, while plentiful, isn’t remotely pornographic. Also from QC, “The Cost of Love” is about a male escort and confirmed cruiser based in Greenwich, England, who has everything working in his favor, except love. Unfortunately, the man Dale cares most about is a doctor, straight and about to be married. Naturally, Dale turns for advice to his friend, Sean, a drag artist with strong feelings for him. And, of course, at 28, an escort with Dale’s appetite isn’t getting any younger. Writer/director Carl Medland isn’t afraid to put his diverse cast of characters through the ringer. – Gary Dretzka A Serbian Film: Blu-ray Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings Beware Pre-Halloween cult horror Consider the images we’ve just witnessed of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi being pummeled, shot and dragged lifeless down a highway by his captors, before being left in a meat locker to be gawked at and rot. Then, recall the photographs of naked Iraqi prisoners being humiliated and tortured by bored National Guard troops. Try to imagine, as well, what kind of sickness would prompt Sudanese soldiers to stand by and watch as millions of people are being allowed to starve to death in an endless war. Meanwhile, at the United Nations, the world’s richest and most powerful nations can’t even agree on the number of unarmed Syrian protesters have to die before a bounty is put on Bashar al-Assad’s head. That’s the kind of stuff a master of horror could use to his advantage. It’s real and it’s supremely frightening. If the characters didn’t drop more than one or two f-bombs, expose their nipples or rip each other’s heads off, such a movie theoretically could be rated PG-13. And, yet, censorial bodies and distributors around the world routinely decide that obviously fictitious depictions of extreme sexual behavior and violence require censorship and, in the case of “A Serbian Movie,” outright banishment. Even Netflix, a seemingly open-minded operation, has decided that adults aren’t prepared to watch such a provocative movie in the comfort of their own homes. Such hypocrisy isn’t ignored in the bombardment of points that director Srdjan Spasojevic makes “A Serbian Film.” On its pock-marked surface, this much-reviled movie is an allegory in which a retired porn star is unable to resist the lure of easy money, even when he’s left completely in the dark as to what he’ll have to do to earn it. The porn star, Milos, accepts the offer believing that he’s already performed every conceivable sexual stunt – short of pedophilia, necrophilia or actual incest – throughout his long and profitable career and there’s precious little left to surprise him. That logic might apply in a lot of places, but not in the once vibrant, ethnically diverse region formerly known as Yugoslavia. Once the Iron Curtain was lifted, tinhorn potentates encouraged their loyalists to ignore every moral principle drilled into them at the feet of their teachers, clergy and parents, all in the name of nationalistic pride. Like the many soldiers forced to obey the unconscionable orders of madmen and sadists, Milos really should have questioned where the producer of such a movie would draw the line. This man, Milos, who believed he had seen and done everything a porn icon could be asked to do, quickly would discover veins of depravity even a coke whore would refuse to mine. When Milos decides it’s to pull the plug on his participation in the psycho-sexual horror show, he’s no longer in control of his own fate. Dead or alive, the movie within the movie in “A Serbian Film” will be finished. Instead of being an actor, Milos could just as well have been asked to portray an investment banker ordered to foreclose on homes owned by laid-off nurses, teachers and factory workers, or a political operative assigned to destroy the reputation of a kind and honorable opponent. These are the horrors of our time. Even though “A Serbian Film” is Spasojevic’s first movie – screenwriter Aleksandar Radivojevic already had penned “Tears for Sale” – it is an extremely accomplished work. The lighting, music and set design all contribute to the movie’s we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore atmosphere, when Milos realizes he’s passed the been-there/done-it barrier. By then, however, he’s barely capable of distinguishing between his nightmares, drug-induced hallucinations and real life. So are we. At this juncture, Milos’ hysteria resembles that of the characters in “Requiem for a Dream,” the movie “A Serbian Film” most resembles. To be sure, “A Serbian Film” is strictly for adult eyes and discerning ones, at that. Like Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Salo” – also newly released in Blu-ray — it will test even the most open-minded of viewers. A horror movie that’s already being promoted at Netflix and the even more censorial Blockbuster is “Wrong Turn 4: Unrated.” Like the aforementioned “Mardi Gras: Spring Break,” Declan O’Brien’s bloodbath is gratuitous in every conceivable way: violence, nudity, stupidity. It doesn’t have a single new idea going for it and reveals nothing – new or old – about the human condition. Creatively, it exists simply as an excuse to showcase the makeup-effects chops of a bunch of Hollywood kids who majored in gore at film school. Commercially, it exists … well, as yet another hit-and-run sequel in a brand-name franchise. Normally, I wouldn’t waste a lot of time decrying gratuitous violence and sex in a genre film, especially one capable of inspiring three sequels. If I had to choose between pulling the proverbial plug on “A Serbian Film” or “Wrong Turn 4,” I’d come down on the side of the latter. Even horror has its limits, or should have. Anyone committed to exhibiting 94 minutes of non-stop dismemberment, cannibalism, deformed mental patients, voyeuristic sex, the constant misuse of cutlery and dimwitted college students deserves to be hung by his thumbs during a screening of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” The fourth chapter opens with the origin story of the inbred hillbilly brothers we met in the original 2003 “Wrong Turn.” This time around, it’s the dead of winter and a group of stranded college kids takes refuge in the now dark and presumably empty West Virginia sanitarium. It’s not uninhabited, of course. The hillbilly-cannibal brothers and a few of their demented friends make their presence known only a few minutes after the second of two sex scenes. After that, it’s non-stop carnage … none of which is terribly scary. “Beware” is slightly less gory than “Wrong Turn,” but benefits from infinitely better character development and a semblance of a plot. It’s the story of a boy named “Shane,” who was tortured and chained to a tree after his dad went nuts and killed his mother and her boyfriend (possibly Shane’s real father). After escaping, he grew up in the woods and slaughtered anyone who came too close to his secretly demented sister. The latest victims are a group of Hispanic teens heading to a rock concert. When their car breaks down in a most inopportune place, who ya gonna call? Will anyone survive to star in a squeal? Stay tuned. For those whose appetite for depravity and bloodlust knows no bounds, the gentle folks at MVD Visuals have released a slew of micro-budget, do-it-yourself thrillers: “Hellweek: Grindhouse Bootleg Edition,” “Demon Divas and the Lanes of Damnation,” “The Resurrection Game: 10th Anniversary Edition,” “Lust for Vengeance: 10th Anniversary Explicit Version” and “House of the Damned.”Among the many “highlights”: in addition to the fresh original cut of “Hellweek,” there’s a grind-house version “with all the dirt, filth and scratches from 42nd Street”; in “Demon Divas,” scream queens help a pair of nerdy college girls get even with their tormenters … at a bowling alley; “The Resurrection Game” imagines a society in which zombies are merely a nuisance and cogs in a much large conspiracy; “Lust for Vengeance” … sex, drugs and a serial killer; and in the “House of the Damned,” Mommie Dearest harvests the youth of her daughter. – Gary Dretzka When Harry Tries to Marry I can’t imagine why anyone would name a romantic comedy, “When Harry Tries to Marry.” Maybe it rolls off the tongue in Bengali,Punjabi, Hindi or Tamil, but, in English, it sounds unfinished. The title does, however, sum up what happens in writer/director Nayan Padrai’s sweet, if uneven debut. Harry is an Indian college student living in New York. After comparing the results of his grandparents’ arranged marriage with the results of the shotgun nuptials of his parents, Harry decides he’ll go the traditional route by asking an uncle to find a suitable wife for him. And, this he does. The two connect long-range, via Skype, forging a bond that normally would lead to marriage, as it almost does. Freed from the encumbrance of having to obsess over finding suitable marriage material, Harry is free to make female friends and enjoy his undergraduate years. The problem, of course, comes when this newly found freedom allows him to become too close to a classmate who is perfect in every possible way, except that she’s a tall, sexy redhead of the American persuasion. While Harry enjoys everything about having a platonic relationship with a really nice woman, Theresa has become enchanted with his openness, concern and kindness. Harry remains blind to her attentions until two nights before their gala Indian wedding, when she alerts him to her true feelings for him, and he reciprocates. No surprise there, either. “When Harry Tries to Marry” is a well-meaning confection that gets stuck in too many ruts wheels during its 93-minute length. I could have done with a bit more Bollywood and a lot less New York, but the movie appears to be targeted at American audiences, especially14-year-old Bridezillas-in-waiting. The movie picks up some steam when everyone arrives in India for the wedding. Even without Blu-ray, the DVD sparkles with the brilliant colors associated with Indian social gatherings. It comes with making-of material and music videos. – Gary Dretzka Maxwell Street Blues Fire in Babylon Boys of Summer Turkey BowlIn the early 1900s, Chicago’s Maxell Street was a bustling commercial district largely populated by Jewish immigrants. It had already served as a gateway neighborhood for Irish, Bohemian, German, Russians, Italian and Greek newcomers, and would later provide temporary housing for southern blacks and Mexicans. If residents felt as if they were sitting at the crossroads of world commerce, they weren’t far from the truth. Although stores lined Maxwell Street, it was the open-air market that became known far and wide as a place to find treasures, junk sold as antiques, trinkets and novelties, food from the Old Country, work clothes, First Communion outfits and the shiny new tires stolen off your car. It was as synonymous with Chicago as gangsters and meat packing. (The Daleys would come later.) Eventually, the market would be forced to make way for freeways, colleges, urban renewal and other economic realities. The only constant over the final few decades of Maxwell Street’s life were the blues buskers who played for tips and occasionally were hired by bar owners looking for inexpensive talent. Made in 1981, “Maxwell Street Blues” documents the shuttering of that era. Linda Williams and Raul Zaritsky strolled among the ruins, filming the blues musicians who, by and large, no longer were ready for prime time (and the burgeoning North Side blues scene.) These man and women may have been ancient, but they could still hold a tune and spin a yarn. Maxwell Street doesn’t even exist as a graveyard anymore. A college-owned residential complex and other facilities have been built on its ruins and the market has been moved further south. This wonderful documentary provides a snapshot of a nearly forgotten moment in time. It’s been lovingly restored and comes with an update featurette. While not a documentary, “Prince of Broadway” looks very much like one. It had me fooled for 15 minutes, anyway. Having just watched “Maxwell Street Blues,” Sean Baker’s micro-budget indie could be describing a contemporary Maxwell Street, New York-style. Manhattan’s wholesale-fashion district is an entirely reasonable facsimile of Maxwell Street in the early 1900s. It’s a magnet for immigrants, some of whom arrived on these shores legally, and the provenance of the merchandise is frequently questionable. Lucky (Prince Adu) is an illegal Ghanaian immigrant who makes a meager living roping pedestrians into a store where knock-off shoes and purses are sold inside of a hidden room. His boss, Levon (Karren Karagulian), is an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, who sets the prices and keeps an eye out for the “5-O.” Like too many men in Lucky and Levon’s situation, the most direct route to the American Dream is patrolled by cops from a half-dozen different law-enforcement agencies. Lucky’s life suddenly gets even more complicated when an old hookup drops a toddler on him, claiming that he’s the father, and splits for a couple of weeks of serenity. For his part, Levon is having problems keeping his green-card wife happy. Then, just when Lucky is getting used to having the kid around, someone breaks into his van and steals a load of expensive sneakers. Baker shot “Prince of Broadway” with a palm-sized camera, which was affixed to his shoulder, so he could capture street scenes and crowds without drawing attention to himself or the fact he’s working without a permit. Alternately funny, sad and strangely sentimental, “Prince of Broadway” is as good a movie as any that’s been limited to a single-screen release. That, right there, qualifies as a crime greater than selling counterfeit accessories to rubes. The DVD arrives with a behind-the-scenes featurette and audio commentaries. If anything could spark interest in cricket in America – and I’m pretty sure nothing can – it would be “Fire in Babylon,” a movie about a team of West Indian athletes that stunned the British and Commonwealth sporting establishment and forever changed the way the game would be played. Upon entering international competition in the early 1970s, the team was as hapless as its foes anticipated. Gradually, though, the upstarts would learn from their mistakes and field a team that wouldn’t embarrass anyone, at least. What elevated the team were memories of enslavement and repression – hence, Babylon – and racial epithets hurled by opposing cricketeers and racists in the cheap seats, alike. If this makes “Fire in Babylon” sound like a candidate for a double feature with “Invictus,” you’ve already gotten the picture. The story is told in the words of the men who made it happen, against a background of reggae and other Caribbean sounds. If “Fire in Babylon” is a close match to “Invictus,” “Boys of Summer” is nearly a dead-ringer for “The Perfect Game.” Both describe an upset in the Little League World Series of epic proportions. The primary difference between the two teams came in the fact that one had to convince itself it was good enough to compete, while the other was routinely beating up teams around the Caribbean and South America. Even so, it would be like a team from a small town in Montana dominating all American comers. In the summer chronicled by director Keith Aumont, the boys from Curaçao faced more challenges than usual. Extras include “Frank Curiel: The Coach Above the Field,” “Vernon Car Crash,” “Strategy” and “Curaçao Tourney.” “Turkey Bowl” is another low-budget indie that looks as if it were an assignment in a film-school class on cinema-verite, and I mean that in a good way. Each year, a mixed group of eight friends – as well as the occasional ringer — gathers to play a game of touch football. The only thing at stake is a Butterball turkey and, maybe, some bruised egos and scrapped elbows, but over the course of 64 minutes, many recognizable truths and feelings are revealed. If “Turkey Bowl” had been five minutes longer, however, it probably would have begun unraveling … just like some relationships. – Gary Dretzka The Music Lovers The White Bus (Red, White and Zero) Consuming Passions The Quatermass Xperiment (The Creeping Unknown) The current crop of DVDs released as part of MGM/Fox’s manufactured-on-demand program is heavy on British dramas and comedies from the 1960s and ’70s. Back then, no filmmaker was more outrageous, brave and controversial than Ken Russell. At the time, the British film industry was dominated by gritty, downbeat “kitchen sink” dramas about life among the country’s working poor. Russell brought bright colors, glorious classical music, lavish sets, ornate costumes and explicit sexuality to an industry whose basic color scheme was gray and shades of gray. Russell’s work often was compared to Fellini’s, but it took far more commercial risks. Not all of them were rewarded with positive reviews and box-office success, however. Depictions of perverse sexuality, full-frontal male and female nudity, and homosexuality stretched the limits on what censors and ratings boards would accept. Neither did academics and historians always buy into portrayals of well-known figures, who, more often than not, were composers, artists and writers. (With “Tommy,” he may have invented the modern music video.) What couldn’t be disputed, though, was Russell’s ability to wring awards-quality performances from such high-profile actors as Glenda Jackson, Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, Ann-Margret, Twiggy, William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Amanda Donohoe and Gabriel Byrne. Having to compete against Russell’s many narrative conceits is a challenge only the best actors can handle, and, in Jackson, Reed and Bates, you’re seeing greatness at work. “The Music Lovers” is Russell’s 1970 sexual hagiography of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky, starring Richard Chamberlain as the composer and Jackson as his wife, Antonina. Russell’s interpretation of their ruinous marriage corresponds with the generally accepted belief that he married her, in large part, to conceal his homosexuality. He also was delighted by the worshipful letters she wrote to him. In “Music Lovers,” Tchaikovsky is extremely close to three women – including patron Madame Nadedja von Meck – and one man, Count Anton Chiluvsky. Their relationships play out almost silently, as dreams, nightmares and elaborately staged music videos, with Tchaikovsky’s greatest compositions being played over them. Some of the movements are quite enchanting, while others are purposefully disturbing. Again, while it wouldn’t be wise to base a term paper on Russell’s interpretation of the composer’s life, it’s a movie that dares you to take your eyes off of it. And, at a time in cinematic history when a biopic based on a composer is as rare as a $3 box of popcorn, it makes an enticing novelty. If it encourages any young viewers to sample other movies by Russell, well, so much the better. Lindsay Anderson’s 1967 curiosity, “The White Bus,” was originally commissioned by producer Oscar Lewenstein to be part of a feature called “Red, White and Zero,” comprised of three short films based on stories by Shelagh Delaney (“A Taste of Honey”). They were to be directed by “Free Cinema” advocates Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson and Anderson. Peter Brook would fill in for Reisz when he committed to making “Morgan, A Suitable Case for Treatment,” but the segments were destined to be released separately. “The White Bus” refers to the vehicle that carries a bored office worker from London to her home in the north, alongside a motley crew of English archetypes. As befits the surrealistic tone, Miroslav Ondricek’s camera captures some scenes in black-and-white and others in color. Along the route, the bus passes an iron lung on a railway platform and the passengers witness a kidnapping in progress. They visit a steel mill, a science museum and a civil-defense display, and partake in several unusual activities while there. No one is struck by the craziness of it all, however. Film students and buffs will find “The White Bus” more interesting than most other viewers. “Consuming Passions” is a very broad and exceedingly silly British comedy about crisis management at a chocolate factory. Adapted from a play by Michael Palin and Terry Jones, it follows a clumsy intern who accidentally causes three workers to fall into a vat of chocolate, drown in the mixture, be packaged and distributed in that day’s deliveries. The intern is then assigned the task of informing next-of-kin and getting them to sign awcay their rights to sue. The final twist comes when a survey reports that consumers favor the new flavor and the comedy turns very dark, indeed. A wild turn by Vanessa Redgrave, as an Amazonian nymphomaniac, is worth the price of a rental. Released in 1955, “The Quatermass Xperiment” was the “Contagion” of its day. At the dawn of the space race, a British mission returns with two of its three crewmen missing. The survivor has brought back with him an infection that is mutating into an alien organism. If it progresses any further, humanity will be “devoured.” There’s only one sure way to nip that problem in the bud and it isn’t pretty. Highly popular in England, “Quartermass” became the first Hammer title to make the jump over the pond, as “The Creeping Unknown.” – Gary Dretzka Barney Miller: The Complete Series Thundercats: Season 1 Book 1 Nazi HuntersABC’s character-driven workplace sitcom “Barney Miller,” which ran from 1974-82, was noteworthy for many reasons. Because it was set in a Manhattan cop shop and the ensemble cast was ethnically and philosophically diverse, the show’s writers were able to address sensitive issues in a timely and humorous manner. It was overtly politically incorrect before overt political correctness was cool. Quirky incidental characters — introduced each week after being arrested or barging into the squad room with oddball demands – were a mix of familiar Big Apple archetypes and the new generation of dope fiends, political activists and lost souls. In a very real sense, “Barney Miller” was the missing link between “Car 54, Where Are You?” and “Hill Street Blues.” Using 20/20 hindsight, Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker’s brainchild may seem to have been a no-brainer. In fact, it was anything but a sure bet. As the two failed pilot episodes indicate, “Barney Miller” opened conventionally with Barney making small talk with his wife and son before heading off to work, where something crazy invariably was unfolding. Ten or 12 hours later, he’d return home and be required to deal with completely different situations. No half-hour episode could contain so much mishigas and address anyone else’s problems. Ultimately, only 13 of 171 episodes were set outside the station. Neither was the cast nailed down in the first go-rounds. Abe Vigoda’s “Fish” was a natural, of course, but rest of the flavors in the cocktail had yet to gel. Besides Hal Linden and Vigoda, the core cast of detectives included Max Gail, Ron Glass, Steve Landesberg, Jack Soo and Ron Carey. Or to put it another way, you had the seasoned, compassionate and patient leader, Barney; seen-it-all, ready-to-retire veteran, Fish; by-the-book, decreasingly narrow-minded Vietnam vet, Wojo (Polish, natch); dapper, career-conscious African-American, Harris; the calm, knows-everything New York Jew, Dietrich; curmudgeonly, horse-playing Asian-American, Yemana; and occasionally annoying office functionary, Levitt. Barbara Barrie played Barney’s mostly invisible wife; James Gregory, played his old-school, often clueless supervisor; and Gregory Sierra played a dedicated, if weary Puerto Rican detective for the first two years, after which Spanish-speaking prisoners would be asked to translate. That’s a lot of voices to accommodate each week. The new boxed set is complete in every possible way. Besides containing all of the episodes and pilots, there’s a 32-page commemorative booklet; new interviews with Linden, Gail and Vigoda; the first season of the spin-off show, “Fish”; the original unaired pilot, with Abby Dalton as Barney’s wife; and writers commentary on select episodes. It’s amazing to see how many cartoon series that debuted in the 1980s – a period known more for schlocky animation than classic entertainment – have found new life in today’s crowded television marketplace. I’m not sure why that’s happening, exactly. These days, brand identification trumps memories of mediocrity. Of course, that observation comes from someone who grew up on hand-drawn cartoons originally shown between feature films and repackage for television. I’m not sure there’s a qualitative difference between “Huckleberry Hound” and “Thundercats” or “Transformers.” Neither can hold a candle to Looney-Tunes and “Merrie Melodies.” That rant vented, though, it’s also clear that a lot more care is being accorded cartoons made for general consumption today, than there was 25 years ago. Cartoon Network re-booted the series this summer with an hourlong refresher episode. It is represented here in “Thundercats: Season 1 Book 1,” which is comprised of the new season’s first eight episodes. I’d like to say that I understand what’s happening, apart from the near-destruction of the cat civilization at the hands of the evil Mumm-Ra and his lizard army. To survive, the Thunderians must locate and study the missing Book of Omens. Even though World War II ended more than 55 years ago, several perplexing mysteries remain unsolved. Most involve the flight, disappearance and capture of Nazi war criminals, some of whom have died as free men or are still at large. “Nazi Hunters,” a Cineflix mini-series that aired on the National Geographic Channel, examines the results of eight such missions through actual film footage, interviews photographs, records and dramatizations. The fugitives include Herbert Cukurs, “the hangman of Riga”; “Butcher of Lyons” and former CIA employee, Klaus Barbie; Adolf Eichmann; Erich Priebke; “Angel of Death,” Joseph Mengele, French Gestapo chief Kurt Lischka, who was protected under German law; Paul Touvier, who escaped justice several times; “Beast of Sobibor,” Gustav Wagner; and Franz Strangl. The presentation is crisp, to the point and largely unadorned with sentiment. – Gary Dretzka History: American Pickers: Volume Two History: Top Shot: Reloaded: Season 2 History: Pawn Stars: Volume Three Celtic Angels at Christmas It isn’t often that the untimely death of an actor playing the protagonist in a popular television series presents the show’s producers with both a dilemma and an opportunity. Such was the case when two-time BAFTA-winner John Thaw (a.k.a., Chief Inspector Morse) died in 2002, creating a vacuum ultimately filled by his series’ fictional subordinate, Inspector Robert Lewis (a.k.a., Kevin Whately). Conveniently for Granada/WGBH, Lewis was available, having spent a couple of years on sabbatical in the British Virgin Isles, and so was Newcastle-native Whatley. He returned to Oxford, newly widowed and reluctantly in charge of a murder case involving the murder of a mathematics student shot while participating in a sleep-deprivation study. In England, that scenario was used to introduce “Lewis” to viewers hungry for more of the same good thing. The pilot is included in the new 10-disc PBS collection, “Masterpiece Mystery: Complete Inspector Lewis,” which is comprised of all 20 mysteries, through the fourth American season. (Don’t worry fans, the episodes are shown at their original lengths, not the abridged American versions.) Lewis is joined by Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent (Rebecca Front) and Dr. Laura Hobson (Clare Holman). As always the splendid Oxfordshire countryside and colleges are as important to the enjoyment of the show as anything else. ABC may have canceled its sci-fi soap, “V,” after a couple of its “bubble” shows burst, but the way things are going with some of the network’s replacement series, it might need a quick fix with a reliable fan base, however marginal.ABC execs probably thought “Charlie’s Angels” was a no-brainer, but it already has been canceled. “V” was a remake of the two-part 1983 mini-series, which aired on NBC and spawned a sequel, a weekly series and a novelization. In the updated series, the alien Visitors are led by the mysterious queen Anna, who advises from above, “Don’t be frightened. We mean you no harm,” which translates to, “Obey or die.” Motherships hover over 29 different cities. In the 10-episode Season 2, it’s revealed why such an odd number of vehicles are involved in the invasion. Meanwhile, an underground unit of resistance fighters — the Fifth Column – struggles to undermine the reptilian intruders. The Blu-ray set adds a pair of making-of featurettes, with cast interviews; unaired scenes; and a blooper reel. As part of the national outpouring of grief that accompanied the 10th anniversary of 9/11, dozens of shows commemorating those who died aired on television. There were nearly as many programs that celebrated the recovery efforts by relatives and survivors. Not surprisingly, PBS’ “Nova: Engineering Ground Zero” took a different tack. Just as the terrorists’ living victims struggled to rebuild their lives on a foundation poured by slain loved ones, so, too, did an army of engineers, architects and construction workers labor to create a fitting memorial to the people who died there. Beyond that, they have endeavored to replace the commercial entity specifically and symbolically targeted by the hijackers on that awful day. Their story is more than one of iron and steel. The negotiations and debates that preceded construction of One World Trade Center created an aura of drama that, in some ways, continues today. Among those interviewed are architect David Childs; Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chairman of the 9/11 Memorial Foundation; and Michael Arad, who conceptualized the 9/11 Memorial. Once upon a time, I was employed as a garbage man. This was before the days when residents were required to roll their containers to the curb, so as to save time and reduce the challenge of carrying overloaded cans to the truck without dropping half the load on the driveway. Separating garbage into refuse, recyclables and garden waste was an idea too far-fetched for any of us to imagine. For our labors, some of the residents on our routes would leave six-packs of beer or pop, which we would consume at the dump, if we had some time to kill. Apparently, the guys who spent their free time sifting through the piles of garbage, looking for discarded treasures and recyclable metals where decades ahead of their time. Today, they would have a television show of their own, just like “American Pickers.” Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, we’re told, “are just two ordinary guys looking for extraordinary things. ‘American Pickers’ follows them as they scour the country’s junkyards, basements and barns for hidden gems.” In the show’s second season, the pickers were rewarded at “honey holes” filled with coin-operated games and pinball machines, civil war artifacts, circus leftovers, toys, signs and other goodies. Who knew? History’s competition series, “Top Shot,” is “Survivor,” with weapons. Contestants are required to demonstrate mastery of weapons from all eras of human history, from primitive rocks to sophisticated firearms. They are required, as well, to endure grueling physical tests to stay in the game. High-speed, high-definition cameras capture the skillful execution of each test in extreme slow motion Like “Survivor,” the competitors can be every bit as petty and unreasonable as children playing cowboys and Indians. With $100,000 at stake, who can blame them? Among the stunts required of the contestants are shooting while hanging from a crane; riding on the back of a jeep; standing 1,000 yards from the target; and using Civil War rifles. Ever notice how “Pawn Stars” and other reality-based shows involving previously owned junk and artifacts resemble PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow”? All feature professionals whose job it is to evaluate property ranging in value from priceless to worthless, and everything in between. Pawn-shop employees not are experts at assessing value, but also getting customers to accept low-ball offers. If the property is worth anything, they benefit from charging interest – usually less than your average bank-backed credit card – and/or the inability of the pawnee to meet certain deadlines. Some proprietors can be unscrupulous, but rarely the ones willing to risk their reputations in front tens of thousands of viewers each week. Fans should know that “Volume Three” is comprised of only 16 of the show’s 28 episodes. First screened on Canadian television in 2006, “Celtic Angels at Christmas” is a lovely seasonal presentation that showcases the songs and steps of Celtic artists from Cape Breton and other strongholds of Scottish heritage in eastern Canada. The traditional Gaelic hymns and carols are as inspiring as they are unfamiliar to most American ears. Fiddler Kendra MacGillivray is an energetic interpreter of Scottish songs and fellow Angel Sabra MacGillivray dances, as well as sings. She is joined, as well, by some very young step dancers. Maggie MacInnes performs on the clarsach (Celtic harp), while Patricia Murray, Gillian Boucher and Stephanie Hardy round out the ensemble. Close your eyes and you won’t be distracted by the Spartan backgrounds. — Gary Dretzka I clowns: Blu-ray Specialty distributor RaroVideo made Federico Fellini’s delightful “docu-comedy” of the history of clowns and their continuing role they play in and out of circuses one of its first releases here. “I clowns” also recounts the maestro’s lifelong fascination with the circus, and its place in his movies. RaroVideo has now done movie lovers the very great favor of sending out the wildly colorful “I clowns” in Blu-ray. Among the guest stars are Anita Ekberg, Geraldine Chaplin and the director himself. The enchanting score was composed by Nino Rota. The Blu-ray bonus package is similar to that of the DVD: “The Matrimonial Agency,” Fellini’s 16-minute short, conceived for the 1953 anthology “Love in the City”; a video essay by Adriano Aprà on the creation of “I clowns”; and a 50-page booklet with Fellini’s notes and sketches for the film. – Gary Dretzka The Hillside Stranglings South of Heaven If the the slasher era in horror has introduced a more naturally sinister-looking actor than Robert Z’Dar, I’ve yet wait to meet him. Even without the makeup he’s required to wear in “Maniac Cop,” his gigantic head and iron chin qualify him as the proverbial stranger you’d least like to meet in a dark alley. He seems like a decent enough chap in the interview included in the Blu-ray’s bonus features, but he remains one scary dude in the movie. The first time we meet Z’Dar’s title character, he’s the beacon of hope reaching out to a young woman being attacked by a pair of New York alley slugs. No sooner is she able to breathe a sigh of relief, though, when the hulking cop grabs her by her throat and shakes the life out of her. After a few more innocent Manhattanites are murdered in the same way, police detectives start believing the accounts of witnesses and put out a dragnet for a massive, deranged police officer. Even when they do manage to stumble upon him one night, using a decoy prostitute, Maniac Cop is able to escape several direct hits to his head and body. His greatest mistake comes in killing a cop’s wife, after she’s caught her husband cheating on her with a female officer. In the ensuing investigation of the spouse, certain clues lead to an overly vigorous hero cop who was thrown into prison and murdered by inmates … or was he? Undead or not, Maniac Cop has clearly gone over to the dark side, killing innocents who mistake his uniform for refuge. The movie, a collaboration of genre favorites William Lustig and Larry Cohen, falls completely apart under close scrutiny, but why bother? After 23 years in circulation, “Maniac Cop” still has plenty of admirers. If nothing else, it’s fun to watch veteran hard guys Z’Dar, William Smith, Bruce Campbell, Tom Adkins, Richard Roundtree and, yikes, even boxer Jake Lamotta chew the scenery. Cult faves Sheree North and Lauren Landon also have key roles. The restored and remastered Blu-ray presentation allows the nighttime scenes to come alive much better than in previous VHS editions. The set adds interviews, commentary and other hard-core goodies, some of which already have been made available. The best reason to pick up “Vlog” is to check out Internet sensation Brook Marks, who stars as herself. Remarkably personable and articulate, Marks chats with her fans while clad in a bikini or lingerie against a constantly changing array of background images. It’s the conceit of director Joshua Butler that she’s murdered, live, on her “Brooks Marks the Spot” website, after vlogging details of recent dates and nights out on the town. These webcasts have pissed off the owner of the “How to Erase People From the Face of the Earth” site. Suddenly, boyfriends and other acquaintances begin disappearing and Marks can’t help but watch them being slaughtered and turned into human confetti. When she finally does contact the police, they can’t find the victims, either. Is it an Internet stunt or the real murderous deal? If the latter, who’s the culprit? Frankly, though, who cares? Like most Internet vlogs and serials, it’s what’s up front that counts and Marks makes the whole feature-length exercise worthwhile. She reminds me of Teri Garr, back when she was a regular on David Letterman’s show and they spent each segment flirting with each other. The DVD adds several mostly repetitious deleted scenes. The legend of the Slit Mouth Woman goes back hundreds of years in Japanese history, with panics being reported as recently as the 1980s. If the Bogeyman had a face, it might look like very much like the antagonist in “The Slit Mouthed Woman” (a.k.a., “Carved”), from Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme. (There are several other movies with the same title, but this is the most recent.) As the story goes, the face of a beautiful long-haired woman once was disfigured by a jealous husband. When her spirit appears in modern times, she’s wearing a trench coat and surgical mask, which hides her butchered face, and is carrying a extra-long scissors. As she approaches children in the street, she removes the masks and demands to know, “Am I pretty?” No matter what they answer — most are too frightened to reply – they tend to be carted off to places unknown. Some will have their faces rearranged by the woman. Koji Shiraishi’s thriller combines elements of horror, ghost stories and urban legend in the service of a movie that won’t impress many adult genre buffs, but will scare the crap out of kids. As rumors about the Slit Mouth Woman’s reappearance spread, a pair of teachers attempt to work out their bad karma by trying to protect students from the villain, who also seems capable of shape shifting. The DVD comes with cast interviews and a making-of featurette. Also new or newly re-released from the Palisades Tartan family are movies representing Korea, Portugal and the United States. If the descriptions sound familiar, it’s possibly because they’ve carried various other titles. From Korea, “Root of Evil” (a.k.a., “Akasia,” “Acacia”) is the story of a childless couple who decide to take the adoption route after other means of pregnancy fail. That, of course, means weird things will begin to happen shortly after the 6-year-old begins feeling comfortable in his new home. The boy, Jin-Sung, was chosen by the mother because he showed an affinity for art, especially eerie drawings of trees. Sure enough, once he’s settled in, Jin-Sung is drawn to a long-dormant acacia tree in the back yard. In short order, two miracles occur: the mother becomes pregnant and the tree begins to bloom. More sinister things begin to happen after the baby is born and Jin-Sung accurately perceives that he’s being shoved aside. And, as we all know, there’s no greater force in nature – or genre pictures — than an adopted child scorned. “Blood Curse” (a.k.a., “Coisa Ruim,” “Bad Blood”) describes what happens when a Portuguese family is dragged from its Lisbon home and forced to live in a house in the country that once belonged to a distant relative of the professor father. Being a man of science, the father attempts to explain away a series of bizarre events that occur after the family moves into the house. Unlike the professor, local residents have a more likely explanation for the disturbances: the house is cursed and the family inherited the curse with the house. In fact, everything in the village feels a bit off-kilter. “The Hillside Stranglings” (a.k.a., “The Hillside Strangler”) re-tells the story of a demented serial killer and his cousin, who held Los Angeles in the grip of terror in the late 1970s. Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono were convicted of kidnapping, raping and torturing at least 12 women, many of whom were prostitutes. Their bodies were dumped on hillsides or off freeway ramps. The new DVD edition of Chuck Parella’s gruesome account comes in an unrated version. C. Thomas Howell and Nicholas Turturro play the fiends. As with all the Palisades Tartan releases, it comes with several supplemental materials. “South of Heaven” is a nutty micro-budget anti-thriller that travels in several different directions to get to the same violent destination, and it’s a town called South of Heaven. After being released from the Navy, an aspiring writer named Roy (Adam Nee) travels to San Francisco to visit his brother, Dale. Once he gets to the apartment, Roy is mistaken for Dale by a couple of enforcers dressed like sideshow barkers. They’re waiting to punish him for ditching a debt and absconding with their boss’ girlfriend in the company of a goon named Mad Dog. Instead of waiting for an explanation, look-alike Roy is beaten and tortured within an inch of his life. (One of them wears a lobster bib while cutting of Roy’s fingers.) After several such beatings, Roy looks like a seriously deformed potato and is missing most of his fingers. He assumes the name, Nobody, and ultimately will exacts his revenge in several nasty ways. Newcomer J.L. Vara employs animation, noir, surrealism, deliberately phony sets and other Coen-esque touches in the service of a genuinely clever story. The set adds commentaries and three short films from writer/director Vara. – Gary Dretzka The Heart Specialist: Blu-ray Like “Jumping the Broom” and “N-Secure,” Dennis Cooper’s “The Heart Specialist” is a hybrid entertainment that combines romance, drama and comedy, in unequal measures. Targeted specifically at so-called urban audiences hungry for characters with whom they can identify, these low-budget pictures borrow the formula formulated by Tyler Perry, without relying quite as heavily on Christian faith for answers to life’s problems. If shortcuts are taken in the screenwriting process and with production values, there are plenty of recognizable stars to enjoy. In “The Heart Specialist,” Wood Harris and Brian White play doctors at a south Florida hospital that caters to HBO subscribers. Harris has committed his energy to helping White’s Harvard-educated intern mature. When White is on call, he invariably can be found in a storage room having sex with a nurse or receptionist. For his part, Harris moonlights as a standup comedian, using his workplace experiences as fodder for laughs. As if … “The Heart Specialist” first hit the festival circuit in 2006, but only was picked up for distribution in January. It’s likely that the deciding factor was being able to put Zoe Saldana’s name on the cover. Also familiar are Mya, Brittany Ishibashi, Ed Asner, Marla Gibbs, Fatso-Fasano, Jasmine Guy, Method Man and Irene Tsu. – Gary Dretzka Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Based on a series of books by Megan McDonald, “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” looks as if it were constructed out of leftover design elements from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Everything is so darn bright, bubbly and self-consciously kooky that you’d think it was part of an experiment designed to figure out exactly what floats the boats of fickle ’tween audiences. The story is pretty simple, actually. The parents of a hyper-imaginative third-grade girl, Judy (Jordana Beatty), and a Bigfoot-obsessed boy, Stink, have been called to California for the summer to tend for an ailing relative. In their place, they’ve arranged for Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) to supervise the kiddies. Inviting Opal to babysit is kind of like hiring the Cat in the Hat to substitute teach a kindergarten class full of children with ADD. She’s hardly house-broken herself. Besides all the brilliant colors and nutty set designs, director John Schultz has seen fit to add several animated and CGI interludes and inset music videos. It’s a lot to absorb for an adult, but 10-year-olds probably are more adept at controlling sensory overload. It arrives with plenty of supplemental features, including “Join The Toad-Pee Club,” “Flippin’ Out With the Cast,” Camryn’s “Wait and See” music video, “10 Things You Need to Know About Judy Moody,” “Judy Moody’s Guide to Making a Movie” and deleted scenes. It’s also nice to see Jaleel White (a.k.a., Urkel) in the role of popular teacher. – Gary Dretzka Snuff Box: The Complete Series Masterpiece Classic: Wuthering Heights/Northangar Abbey/Wuthering Heights: Blu-ray PBS: The War of 1812 Chuck 4: The Complete Fourth Season: Blu-ray Bones: The Complete Sixth Season: Blu-ray Hallmark: Call Me Mrs. Miracle As any faithful viewer of BBC America and PBS could tell you, British comedy shows take several different forms and much getting used to, whether they’re warm and cozy (“As Time Goes By,” “Are You Being Served”) or silly and off-the-wall (“Monty Python,” “Absolutely Fabulous”). Lately, such rude and demented shows as “The Mighty Boosh,” “The IT Crowd,” “Little Britain,” “Peep Show” and “Ideal” have begun popping up on various cable outlets. The inky-dark sketch-comedy series “Snuff Box” may be the most outrageous of all of these titles. Indeed, even fans of the innovative BBC 3 network often found it to be beyond the pale. For people unafraid to laugh at capital punishment, misogyny, frequent F- and C-bombs, public humiliation, cruel insults and other degrading behavior, “Snuff Box” is the ticket. The series was written by and starred Brit Matt Berry (“The IT Crowd,” “The Mighty Boosh”) and American Rich Fulcher (“Funny or Die Presents,” “The Sarah Silverman Program”). Each show contains a wildly inappropriate gallows scene, during which a profane Vicker, bumbling hangman and cynical prison official exchange jokes and alternately ignore and provoke the doomed man. Another on-going sketch involves a polite young man (Berry) who offers to help damsels in distress, until they casually mention they have a boyfriend or fiancé. The guy then drops whatever burden he’s taken on and hurls an expletive at the woman. Even though we know what’s going to happen as soon as the faux-gallant fellow offers to carry something for a pretty young woman, the F-You moment is always funny. The DVD packages come with testimonials by a dozen or so American comics and comedy writers; a history and walking tour of the show; and look at the creation of the catchy song that is repeated throughout it. And, now, for something completely different from the Britain: Fans of PBS’ “Masterpiece Classics” love a good British period drama, because they know the acting will be superb, the settings romantic and the costumes out of this world. The original U.K. versions of the productions are even better. For the first time in Blu-ray come Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park” and “Northanger Abbey,” and Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” As one would expect, these are all first-class adaptations, loaded with literary nutrition and highly entertaining. Among the stars represented here are Billie Piper, Carey Mulligan, Tom Hardy, Felicity Jones, Andrew Lincoln and Blake Ritson. A making-of featurette is included in “Wuthering Heights” I wonder how many of today’s students are required to spend more than a half-hour reading about and discussing the War of 1812, or, for that matter, know which conflagration inspired the “1812 Overture.” Unless one lives in New Orleans, Quebec or has taken a tour of the White House, which was set ablaze by British troops, it isn’t high on the list of must-know topics. After watching PBS’ “The War of 1812,” I realize how little I recall from my lessons, even as taught by tough, old-school teachers. Apart from being absolutely fascinating, the DVD explains a lot about how the fledgling democracy was viewed inside and outside the borders of our country. When Native Americans and Canadians, along with the French and British colonists, looked across the borders of their nations, the only United States they saw was one comprised of political and religious hypocrites, proponents of greed-driven expansionism and government-sanctioned genocide. In the name of unfettered freedom, Americans had shot down the idea of maintaining a standing army and government coffers weren’t yet reliant on taxes. Still smarting from the loss of its American colonies, the British war machine was only too happy to take advantage of our scrawny militias and exploit the unhappiness of our neighbors. Once again, it seriously underestimated American resolve and our ability to compete in battles at sea. The release of the fourth season of “Chuck,” on Blu-ray, was pushed back a month to more closely coincide with the belated start of the new stanza, during which the accidental spy will take over a spy agency of his own. Much of the action contained in the box set involves Chuck’s efforts to track his mother (Linda Hamilton) and maintain his relationship with Sarah, as the date for their marriage approaches. Timothy Dalton, Robin Givens, Ray Wise and Stacy Keibler make guest appearances. NBC had signaled plans to cancel “Chuck,” but fans pressured the network and it was extended for 13 more episodes and, then, another 13. The Blu-ray package includes “Declassified Scenes,” a gag reel and the featurettes “Chuck Versus Directing,” “Chuck Versus the Leftovers,” “Spying on the Cast,” with Operation Gomez items, “Buy Hard: The Jeff and Lester Story Shorts” and “The Top Secret Chuckipedia Interactive Experience.” Zooey Deschanel may be TV’s flavor of the month, but older sister, Emily, maintains a steady pace as forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan in “Bones.” The sixth-season Blu-ray package covers a lot of ground as the Jefferson Institute team faces a murderous Chupacabra, takes a trip to the Jersey Shore, confronts the Gravedigger and discovers a line to Booth’s past through a vigilante sniper. The Blu-ray set includes commentary on “The Doctor in the Photo” and “The Blackout in the Blizzard”; a pair of extended episodes; a gag reel; a piece on the show’s visual effects; and the pilot episode of “The Killing.” Five-time Emmy Award-winner Doris Roberts returns to the Hallmark Channel as Mrs. “Miracle” Merkle. One of many beloved characters created by romance novelist Debbie Macomber, Mrs. Merkle last was seen wrangling a set of wild twin boys for a recent widower and making love matches. This time around, in “Call Me Mrs. Miracle,” she’s working at a department store owned by a Scrooge-like widower. His son is in charge of the toy department. It is his decision not to stock the season’s hottest toy, choosing instead to promote classics and items that require a bit more imagination. It’s not exactly a winning proposition. Once again, Mrs. Miracle is required spread seasonal cheer over people separated from loved ones, and match compatible friends. Like many other Hallmark productions, this one often feels like a holiday card that’s somehow come to life. – Gary Dretzka The Lion King: Diamond Edition: Blu-ray/Digital Copy/DVD/3D Disneynature: African Cats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo After 17 years in circulation, one way or another, it would be reasonable to think that the only people who would be interested in shelling out even more hard-earned money to see “The Lion King,” would be those viewers who collect their favorites in every conceivable format or whose kids finally are old enough sit through a 90-minute. But, there’s no stopping this animated juggernaut. “Lion King” is that rare creature that attracts new and repeat audiences wherever it’s playing and whenever it’s re-released into theaters, on stage and in video, DVD, Blu-ray and now 3D. Its current theatrical re-release has found “Lion King” at or near the top of the box-office heap for the past three weekends, passing the $400-million milestone in domestic revenue alone on Sunday. If the animated treasure hasn’t reached No. 1 on the video charts by the time one reads this review, it soon will. I don’t own a Blu-ray 3D player, but everything I’ve been able to experience in the Diamond Edition tells me it’s damn near perfect. This time around, repeat viewers might want to experiment with the picture-in-picture experience and focus on specific cinematic attributes, instead of merely sitting back and enjoying the story. That much hasn’t changed, after all. Concentrate on the wildebeest stampede, for example. It took three years to complete and sounds as if the techies were able to capture thunder in a bottle. Look for the hidden messages in the stars, smoke and dust clouds. Study the raw sexuality in the adult Nala’s eyes, when she recognizes the grown-up Simba. Check out the similarities to “Hamlet,” “Bambi,” Egyptian mythology and the Bible. Then, sample the bonus features, which include commentary with producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff; the sing-along track; and Disney Second Screen, which syncs the movie with interactive and informational content, via a downloadable app. Other HD extras include a pair of making-of featurettes, deleted and alternate scenes, bloopers and outtakes, an interactive art gallery and “The Morning Report,” which brings a song written for the stage to animated life. The “Virtual Vault” holds much previously released supplemental content. A second disc adds the DVD copy, as well as background featurettes, animated games and two navigational platforms. It isn’t necessary for DVD owners to buy the all-inclusive Blu-ray, 3D and Digital version of the Diamond Edition. Anyone considering purchasing a 3D platform for the holidays probably would do well to pick up the combo now, instead of later, though. While you’re at it, pick up a Blu-ray copy of “African Cats.” Know this, however, ahead of time. Like “Lion King,” Disney’s perfectly complementary documentary, “African Cats,” scored a “G” from the MPAA ratings board. I think some parents might find that rating to be a tad generous … a break cut for Disney that other distributers don’t necessarily get. It’s nothing new. When “Bambi” was re-released in theaters, in the 1970s, it received a G, as did all of the classic animated features with nasty old witches, wicked stepmothers, comatose princesses, prosthetic-wearing pirates and cursed donkey boys. If “Old Yeller” had been re-released, as well, it would likely have gotten a “G,” despite the title character’s untimely demise, due to rabies and bullets. (For some boys, that scene was more upsetting than anything in “Bambi.”) If any other studio, besides Disney, had made and released these movies, there’s a very good chance that three of them, at least, would have went out “PG.” Don’t get me wrong, I consider the vast majority of all movies that wave the Walt Disney banner – as opposed to its Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures labels and, until last year, Miramax – to be genuinely family friendly. The fact is, though, just as the NC-17 rating has been misinterpreted by exhibitors, media outlets and pundits, so, too, is the hair’s-breadth difference between “G” and “PG.” If the MPAA doesn’t expect exhibitors and their landlords to ban NC-17 titles, strictly based on financial factors, then it should be honest about the commercial benefits of going out “G,” instead of the similarly harmless “PG.” I only mention this because, while the words to “Circle of Life” may sound terrific on a soundtrack album, the facts of life as they play out in the wild aren’t always so pretty. Add dynamic sound effects to images of animals dying, being separated from a parent or threatened by menacing predators and a child’s learning experience can instantly turn into a waking nightmare. Some, if not all children need parental guidance to interpret what they’re seeing on the big or small screen, and, for that to happen, an adult or older sibling must be within spitting distance of the impressionable viewer. Such, I think, is the case with “Lion King” and “African Cats,” both of which contain images from the dark side of the circle of life. That said, however, I have no trouble encouraging parents to plan a double-feature of “African Cats” and “Lion King,” with refreshments, trailers and a sing-along feature to complete the party. Today’s home-theater systems are perfectly capable of reproducing the megaplex experience – even 3D — and bathroom breaks merely require a pause button. As is typical in Disney’s long history of nature documentaries, the lions and cheetahs in “African Cats” are given names and implied personality traits. It’s an entry point discouraged by most other documentarians, as the conceit allows a palpable degree of subjectively to creep into the narrative. Certainly, it’s easier to take sides in a naturally occurring standoff between a lion and crocodile if one knows the name of the pride’s guardian, Fang, and his oldest concubine, Layla. If we feel little pity for the gazelle run down by a cheetah named Sila, it’s because we’ve already met her hungry, sightless and impossibly cute cubs and her prey is anonymous. Even narrator Samuel L. Jackson is pulling for Fang, Layla and Sila. I’m not sure which of the two movies I would choose to open my fantasy double-feature. The stories parallel each other, right down to the wildebeest stampedes, threatening storms and majestic vistas. A confrontation between Sila and a potential young-buck rival to Fang is, at once, fascinating, exhilarating and exciting to witness. When Jackson tells us that hyenas have carried away two of Sila’s cubs, while she was fending off the upstart lion, I found it difficult to keep tears from welling in my eyes. The filmmakers dial up the drama, as well, when the seriously wounded and elderly Layla is shunned by the pride’s other lionesses, along with her still-needy “daughter,” Mara. Hey, it’s a jungle out there. Documentary directors Alastair Fothergill (“Planet Earth”) and Keith Scholey (“Nova,” “Nature”), along with cinematographers Sophie Darlington and Simon Werry, do a masterful job capturing both the drama and banality of everyday life in Kenya’s Maasi Mara National Reserve. Their hi-def equipment keeps everything in extreme focus, whether it’s Fangs blood-soaked whiskers, a mid-range chase between rival cats or a distant mountain. The soundtrack neatly captures the regal power of the lions’ roars, without diminishing any of Fang’s post-meal grunts or Sila’s delicate chirps, as she futilely attempts to reconnect with her lost cubs. The poignancy of her despair is heart-breaking. Repeat viewers will want to experiment with “Filmmaker Annotations,” an interactive picture-in-picture experience in which the filmmakers share their memories of the shoot, and access is provided to deleted scenes, pop-up trivia, factoids and making-of material. Much shorter pieces describe conservation and fund-raising efforts, and there’s a Jordin Sparks music video. – Gary Dretzka White Wash Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story For nearly 50 years, surfers have been portrayed as being universally white and almost always blond, with tattoos and wetsuits optional. If it weren’t Annette Funicello and the half-dozen or so actresses who played Gidget, the media might not have known that women surfed, too. Now, of course, they compete on an international circuit of their own and Hollywood has stopped portraying them as weak sisters and “surfer girls.” If women athletes no longer are strangers to the sports pages, nightly news wrap-ups and movies, the presence of blacks in niche sports – surfing including — continues to be underreported. Ted Woods’ enlightening documentary, “White Wash,” somewhat rectifies that situation. Lest one forget, the surfers who greeted Captain James Cook, when he became the first European explorer to visit the Hawaiian Island, were Polynesians of color. Native Hawaiian George Freeth, several princes and a duke, Kahanamoku, would introduce the sport to California and Australia, and, a half-century later, the Beach Boys would sell a more Aryan myth to the world. In “White Wash,” we learn that African-Americans not only have enjoyed surfing our breaks for as long as “beach culture” has been recognized, but some have also excelled at the sport. Not many, to be sure, but enough to suggest that there might have been more, if social, cultural and racial factors hadn’t intervened. The most prominent barrier, not surprisingly, was segregation. Just as black historically were barred from swimming in pools designated whites-only, the best beaches also were made off-limits to them, and not only in the South. With few pools and beaches open to them, it was almost impossible for them to learn how to swim well enough to test the big surf and razor-sharp coral below them. It’s also true that beach culture was so closely identified with young whites that black surfers were ridiculed by members of their own race. In turn, companies that exploited the beach phenomenon saw no point in marketing to such a limit customer base. Were these people racist, per se, or is green truly the only color that motivates Madison Avenue. Hardly anyone markets to white surfers, either. It’s telling, perhaps, that “White Wash” is hosted by musicians Ben Harper and Tariq5 “Black Thought” Trotter, both of whom have had to overcome being pigeon-holed by critics, labels and record-buyers. Raymond Gayle’s 2005 documentary, “Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker,” makes many of the same points as Woods does in “White Wash.” Selling the accoutrements of beach culture to women has never been a problem for the Don Drapers of the world, but it took teenage Kathy “Gidget” Kohner to sell surfing to women. As “Accidental Icon” demonstrates, only a girl with an overabundance of chutzpah could have done it. The guys who surfed Malibu in 1956 — Kahuna, Moondoggie and Tubesteak, among them – adopted the brash kid, who literally demanded to be taught surfing. Her nickname came naturally: “girl” plus “midget” equaled “Gidget.” Kohner kept a diary, which, when it was discovered by her screenwriter father, was turned into a best-selling book. It would inspire a half-dozen movies and a pair of TV series. A half-century later, petite teenage girls who catch the surfing bug still wear the nickname with pride. Brian Gillogly’s “Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story” is informed by the lively recollections of Kohner, survivors of the 1950s’ Malibu crowd, several pro surfers, actors Gregory Harrison (“North Shore”), Cliff Robertson (Big Kahuna, in “Gidget”), James Darren (Moondoggie in “Gidget,” “Gidget Goes Hawaiian,” “Gidget Goes to Rome”) and Caryn Richman (“Gidget’s Summer Reunion,” “The New Gidget”). Neither documentary would score well in a contest based solely on style points, but both shine a bright light on a niche pursuit that still says a lot about the way some of us were, 50 years ago. – Gary Dretzka Submarine: Blu-ray Knowing that writer/director Richard Ayoade acted in and wrote such offbeat British entertainments as “The IT Crowd,” “Benny and the Bull,” “The Mighty Boosh” and “Snuff Box” should give those unfamiliar with “Submarine” a reason to take a chance on it. Even the coming-of-sexual-age theme has nearly been beaten to death, “Submarine” still manages to feel completely fresh and non-generic. For one thing, it wastes little time dispensing with all the usual mystery, trauma and exhilaration associated with a teenager’s loss of virginity. Sure, the once-in-a-lifetime event floats like a puffy white cloud over the rest of the movie, but it doesn’t overshadow Ayoade’s broader target, which is the inability of adults to cope with the vagaries of their own sexuality. “Submarine” is set in Wales, a corner of the United Kingdom that time and fashion appear to have forgotten. Judging from the hairstyles and clothes favored by the grownups, the events depicted in the movie could have occurred 40 years ago or yesterday. The teen characters look a bit more au courant, but it’s tough to pin them down to a precise decade. In any case, it doesn’t much matter. At 15, Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) spends an inordinate amount of time daydreaming about love, death and other weighty subjects. He’s smart enough to do well at school, but too insecure to ignore the sexual braggadocio and stupid advice of his male friends. It causes him to rush into a sexual relationship with the first girl (Yasmin Paige) who makes him feels as if he’s not alone in the world. For her part, Jordana Bevan treats the relinquishment of her own virginity as a welcome diversion from the serious illnesses afflicting her mother and pet dog. Their romance is interrupted by Oliver’s obsession with saving his parents’ emotionally stunted marriage and Jordan’s desire to spend as much time with her mother as possible. A teenager as fixated with sex as Oliver would have to be deaf and blind not to notice the fissure growing between his parents, Lloyd and Jill (Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins). By his calculations, they haven’t had sex for seven months and a new neighbor has captured her fancy. As played by Paddy Considine, the mullet-haired newcomer, Graham, is something of a New Age snake-oil salesman. By comparison to Lloyd – an extremely boring and socially inept marine biologist – Graham might as well be Bruce Springsteen. Apparently, Jill has some previous history with Graham and Oliver fears his father simply can’t compete with the flashy interloper. Although Oliver’s desperate attempt to save their marriage, by revealing Graham as a charlatan, backfires – he’s too young to understand how sexual ennui and depression can be mistaken for irreconcilable differences — things eventually work out fine for everyone involved. If that sounds to you like a spoiler, know that real fun here comes in watching some of Britain’s finest actors at work and marveling at Ayoade’s ability to keep pulling rabbits out of his hat. The scenery isn’t bad, either. The Blu-ray comes with a decent making-of featurette. “Submarine” was executive-produced by Ben Stiller, among several others, and features original songs by Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. – Gary Dretzka Fast Five: Blu-ray Watching the intricately choreographed race sequences in “Fast Five,” I wondered how all the expensive vehicles could maintain their high-gloss shine and avoid being trashed, even after being pushed off trains and careening through the streets and teeming favelas of Rio de Janeiro. I can’t drive two blocks without needing a car wash or hit a curb without flattening a tire. Even after watching the featurette that explains how the stunt coordinators pulled off the scene in which three expensive automobiles are stolen from a moving train, I couldn’t understand how it was accomplished. Leaving a theater bewitched, bothered and bewildered by what you’ve just witnessed is what Hollywood moviemaking is all about, though. No matter how much money is budgeted for stunts and special effects, few movies these days leave any impression at all. Upwards of $125 million reportedly were spent to make “Fast Five” and every penny of it can be found on the screen. This isn’t to say the fourth sequel to the 2001 “The Fast and the Furious” – whose title, at least, came from a 1955 Roger Corman production – is anything more substantial than a very well made and hugely expensive genre picture. As heist pictures go, however, “Fast Five” is several times more entertaining than the most recent “Ocean’s …” pictures, which it resembles in several unmistakable ways. In it, Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto escapes police custody with the assistance of characters introduced in previous “TF&TF” installments. They include Paul Walker’s former federal agent Brian O’Conner and his girlfriend, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), who’s also Dom’s sister. To escape federal prosecution and extradition, they split for Rio de Janeiro. After robbing the train of three hot sports cars, they discover that they are in possession of something of great value to American agents, led by Dwayne Johnson, and a Brazilian crime kingpin. It’s a computer chip listing the locations of drug houses and bank accounts belonging to the well-connected mobster. The cache amounts to $100 million, which is a juicy enough sum to lure the old gang to Brazil and exploit their individual skills to crack an impenetrable safe at police headquarters, which is where the money now is being stashed. The rest of the movie is dominated by one long chase, interrupted by loud gun fights, brief strategizing sessions and chaotic fist fights. It’s all a lot of fun, with a high body count and a mountain of destroyed automobiles. The bonus supplements are unusually plentiful, with interesting making-of featurettes and character studies; the theatrical release and slightly longer extended cut; second-screen interactive viewing; a U-Control picture-in-picture track and scene explorer; and several other backgrounders. – Gary Dretzka The High Cost of Living It isn’t unusual for someone who’s committed a crime or caused someone physical harm to think he can ease his conscience by approaching the victim and apologizing in person. If things work out, the victim will accept his apology and agree that the act was an aberration. If they don’t, such a confrontation could add to victim’s pain or a good ass-kicking from her dad or brothers. Some perpetrators delude themselves further, by thinking romance could make both parties whole, again. More or less, that’s what happens in Deborah Chow’s debut feature, “The High Cost of Living,” a drama in which none of the characters acts in ways normal people do. In it, Zach Braff plays a fashionably scruffy American deal dealer, Henry, who feels right at home among the French-speaking yuppies of Montreal. While responding to a call from a desperate customer, Henry turns the wrong way into a one-way street and hits a young woman hailing a cab. The woman, Nathalie (Isabelle Blais), is entering the third trimester of her pregnancy and is experiencing pains that resemble premature labor. Her inconsiderate, if dreamy-looking husband has been spending as little time as possible with her and isn’t available to drive her to the hospital. Henry’s first thought was to avoid being busted for the drugs in the car, so he merely heads for the nearest pay phone, calls paramedics and splits. The next day, Nathalie learns that, while she’s only suffered a concussion, the baby will have to be delivered stillborn. She’s devastated by the news but her husband treats it as if it’s just another pothole in the road of life. It’s agreed that Nathalie will have to undergo an induced pregnancy, but she balks at the last minute. Indeed, she hadn’t even taken off the blouse she was wearing at the time of the accident. The thought of eliminating any evidence she was pregnant paralyzes her. It’s at this point that Henry re-enters the picture. To learn her name and condition, he pays a teenager to make inquiries. Once that’s accomplished, Henry puts himself in a position to observe her movements and, perhaps, cross paths. As Nathalie’s relationship with her husband collapses, Henry’s in the perfect place to make contact. Instead of immediately revealing the truth, he allows himself to become her unwitting friend and confidante. Meanwhile, the police have come to the conclusion that the teenage boy is the hit-and-run driver. The possibility that his young friend might end up taking the fall for him concerns Henry, but not to the point where he’ll admit his guilt either to the police or Nathalie. Finally, of course, the truth can be hidden from the still-fragile young woman no longer and, once again, her heart is broken. Like any yuppie worth his sea salt, Henry fills as badly for himself as he does for Nathalie, the dead baby and a customer he’s just learned has OD’d and is fighting for her life. Chow is too inexperienced a director to keep “High Cost of Living” from becoming maudlin and emotionally unrealistic. I don’t know how drug dealers dress these days, but Braff is reasonably believable as someone who makes his living meeting requests for strictly regulated prescription pills. Blais is mostly asked to look blank, which she does pretty well. The only extra is a perfunctory interview with Zach Braff. – Gary Dretzka Buck Wild Horse Hank At first glance, “Buck” looks as if it might be just another documentary about an aw-shucks cowpoke, who through the sheer force of cross-species charisma, is able to make horses do things they might not otherwise do voluntarily. A dozen years ago, Buck Brannaman served as the equine adviser on “The Horse Whisperer,” impressing Robert Redford with his ability to get his horses to perform stunts the specially trained Hollywood nags needed weeks to rehearse. Soft-spoken, but as tough as they come, Brannaman’s story was a movie waiting to be made. “Buck” is it. I can’t imagine any Hollywood portrait coming out any better. First-time documentarian Cindy Meehl knocked around the country with Brannaman, from North Carolina to California, as he conducted seminars in front of serious horse enthusiasts, who, ostensibly, want to do something more than visit their oversized pets on the weekend. Here, Brannaman demonstrates such things as humanely breaking and training a colt, and teaching the owners how convince their horses that good behavior isn’t a virtue limited to humans. Not surprisingly, Buck is as patient with his students as he is with their animals. When need be, he can also be stern, laid back and humorous in equal measure. New, I enjoy watching horses perform as much as the next guy, especially if the next guy is standing next to me at Santa Anita. I’m less keen on watching them being trained, even if they’re responding to whispers, instead of whips and spurs. What’s wonderful about “Buck” is witnessing the similarities between horses and humans, and how Brannaman’s wisdom applies equally to both. As a boy, Buck and his brother were raised by an alcoholic father who put together an act that included rope tricks. If they didn’t do well and, sometimes, even when they did, the boys would get whipped by their dad. Placed in a foster home after a gym coach reported the welts on his body to police, Buck found refuge in the home of a couple who understood that country ways didn’t preclude treating a stray with respect and love. His real break came when he reluctantly agreed to attend a clinic staged by Ray Hunt, a founder of the natural-horsemanship movement. In some ways, what Hunt was doing with horses, Buck’s foster parents were doing with him. He became a disciple of the natural method and continues to teach the discipline, today. In “Buck,” Meehl also introduces us to Brannaman’s family and the rigors of living on the road for such a large portion of the year. Not surprisingly, perhaps, quite a bit of time is spent sitting around a cooler, swapping stories, showing off rope tricks and relaxing in the cool country air. The film’s most compelling scene is also its saddest. A young woman brings an unruly colt to the clinic, hoping Buck can find a way to mellow him out. Having survived a physically traumatic birth, the butter-hued colt has been a menace to himself and anyone who tries to tame him. Just when it looks as Buck may have gotten a handle on its misbehavior, the colt freaks out and nearly kills an experienced hand. Brannaman reluctantly agrees that the animal can’t be rescued and probably should be put down. Before giving up, however, Buck makes sure everyone at the clinic – including the owner – understands that the colt was being asked to do impossible things, given its condition. By not understanding its limits, the owner was effectively sealing the horse’s doom. After asking the owner a few more questions about her herd and stable, Buck revealed a psychological need in the woman that might have led to the core problem. Needless to say, Buck saw a whole lot of himself in that colt. The DVD adds a bunch of deleted scenes and commentary. In 1979, the post-“Exorcist” Linda Blair starred alongside Richard Crenna in the contemporary family western, “Wild Horse Hank.” In it, Blair plays the title character, a college student who tries to save a herd of wild horses from being rounded up and sold for dog food by poachers. Hank devises a plan to round up the horses and escort them to federal land 150 rugged miles away from home. (That strategy might have worked 30-some years ago, but, today, the federal government would be in cahoots with the hoodlums attempting to exact blood money for the horses.) “Wild Horse Hank” was adapted from a novel by Mel Ellis. Shot in Alberta, Canada, it’s been difficult to find in video. Pair it with “Buck” and aspiring horsemen and horsewomen will find plenty to enjoy on a rainy weekend afternoon. – Gary Dretzka Nostalgia for the Light In Chile’s Atacama Desert, rain is more rumor than fact. At 10,000 feet above sea level, it is the driest place on Earth. Evidence of past aquatic and human life is everywhere, but it’s limited to fossils, shells and pictographs carved into the rocky cliffs. From the desert’s heights, an international team of astronomers studies the solar system, frequently capturing images of stars being born, dying and coming together in ways that seem to carry God’s own fingerprints. Nearby, in the desert, Satan’s handiwork lies inches below the Earth’s surface. The absence of humidity and harsh sunlight have conspired to limit the deterioration of bodies, be they the mummified remains of pre-Columbian inhabitants, the skeletons of explorers and miners, or the bodies of political prisoners who were murdered by police and soldiers in the wake of the U.S.-backed military coup, in 1973. The perforated and fractured skulls of anonymous students, activists and intellectuals reveal the cause of their deaths, if not the reasons why they were deemed too dangerous to be allowed to live. The affects of torture are evident on some decomposed bodies. While the astronomers go about their daily business, scanning the skies, the mothers, sisters and wives of “disappeared” activists sift the earth for evidence that their loved ones are buried there or if they existed at all. The discovery of mass graves keeps Chileans from forgetting what happened to their neighbors, associates and loved ones, who simply disappeared after right-wing militarists ousted Salvatore Allende, the first freely elected Marxist to become president of a Latin American nation. Patricio Guzman has spent the better part of the last 40 years producing documentaries about Chile, before, during and after Allende presidency. In the face of political leaders who’ve asked citizens to put behind them the hellish events perpetrated during the Pinochet regime, Guzman has continually stood with mothers of the “disappeared” to ensure no one does. Even it’s impossible not to come to the same conclusions as those made in his previous docs, “Nostalgia for the Night” is far from being a rehash of old atrocities or a polemic. As poetic as it is informative, Guzman’s film tells several interesting stories simultaneously. First, we learn about the geological history of the remote Atacama Desert, where, last year, 33 miners were rescued after 69 days of being trapped 2,300 feet below ground. As we near the telescopes, we see the remains of concentration camps that housed political prisoners and labor leaders who were more fortunate than the already dead students, who were buried in the same desert or at sea. Inside the scientific encampments, we meet the men and women who are photographing the heavens, in search of evidence of its creation and clues to man’s origins. In Blu-ray, those images are spectacular. Finally, a visit to the mass graves forces us to address the persistence of memory and why it’s important not to forget the past. The bountiful bonus package adds several featurettes that are more tightly focused on the individual political and scientific aspects of the documentary. The scientists get to expound on their discoveries and theories, while academics, politicians, relatives of the “disappeared” and survivors of torture discuss the importance of moving forward from the junta nightmare, without forgetting what happened. Among the more interesting speakers is a military official, old enough to remember taking orders from the leaders of the coup and police actions. His point of view is one not often registered in a country too ashamed of its past to try to learn from it. – Gary Dretzka Dust Stack enough tiny things on top of each other and eventually you’ll have a whole lot of something. That’s approximately half of the argument made in Harmtmut Bitomsky’s diverting documentary, “Dust.” The other half posits that dust, even at its least-visible manifestation, is so formidable a substance it can trigger devastating diseases and contribute to the creation of astonishingly beautiful things. Like the proverbial hot dog, though, the more closely one examines how dust is created, the less appetizing is the result. It can derive from something as simple as lint or flaking skin. Or it can be the detritus of things far less common and innocent. Without dwelling on the subject to the point of morbidity, Bitomsky reveals how dust still buried in nooks and crannies of buildings and subway tunnels of lower Manhattan — where the World Trade Center once stood — is composed, among other things, of construction debris, toxic garbage and human remains. Soldiers returning from our wars in Iraq have brought home with them minute particles of the depleted uranium used to make armor plating and armor-piercing projectiles. The photos of deformed fetuses, possibly the result of exposure to such poisonous dust, are not for the faint of heart. “Dust,” however, doesn’t dwell on the dark side of dust. Indeed, the larger portion of it has fun with the impossible task of eliminating dust at home, work and play. Here, we watch fastidious German homemakers as they rid surfaces of a week’s worth of dust, but fail to conquer the particles trapped inside their televisions and other appliances. A janitor at a paint-making facility tries to sweep red particles onto a dustpan, always leaving a few visible on the floor. It also visits a plant where dust-cleansing machines are manufactured, thus perpetuating the myth that such a thing is even possible. The narrator delivers this news in a dry, matter-of-fact voice. The facts, after all, speak for themselves. Dust can devour entire cities, as happened in America’s Dust Bowl, and send its refugees packing for the green grass on the other side of the fence. It can clog essential water-delivery systems, from rivers to faucets. Without dust, the solar system as we know it couldn’t exist, let alone evolve. Hoagy Carmichael wrote “Stardust,” without knowing such a thing even existed. The documentary doesn’t demand that we take action against the proliferation of dust, even though it’s probably a good idea to sweep the kitchen floor every so often. Neither does it promote a “green” agenda, per se. Anyone who doubts air pollution can be reduced, without devastating the local economy, need only compare photographs of Los Angeles from the 1950s to 2011 to see how regulations have worked to reduce smog. Informative and accessible, “Dust” is the kind of documentary that could be shown to high school science classes and not raise clouds of dissent from conservative parents or Tea Party activists. – Gary Dretzka Soapdish Although “Soapdish” isn’t often mentioned in the same breath as the genre parodies produced by Mel Brooks, the Wayans Brothers and the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker comedy factory, it should be. I’ve watched it several times and still find new things to enjoy. Not only do director Michael Hoffman and writers Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman send up the conventions, clichés and stereotypes of the networks’ afternoon soap operas – at a time, 1991, when there were several more such shows – but it also savages television executives, in general. Mostly, it has fun playing the actor against type, in roles that can only be described as outrageous. It would take a whole day to explain all of the plot twists, but it basically describes how far some actors, writers and executive-producers will go to sabotage the careers of their enemies and improve the odds for their own success. Sally Field stars as a soap-opera diva, Celeste Talbert, so unpopular with her co-workers that they conspire to get her killed off the show. When that proves difficult, they import a hated former boyfriend, Jeffrey Anderson (Kevin Kline), who’s spent the last 20 years playing dinner theaters in Florida. Arriving in New York at about the same time is pretty ingénue Lori Craven (Elizabeth Shue), who’s grown up believing she’s Fields’ niece. In fact, the relationship is a bit more complicated, as becomes clear when Fields thinks Kline is hitting on the girl and the “All About Eve” subplot kicks in. Meanwhile, Cathy Moriarty’s Montana Moorehead (a.k.a., Nurse Nan) exchanges sexual favors for better parts with the director, played by Robert Downey Jr. Also appearing in key roles are Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Garry Marshall, Kathy Najima, Leeza Gibbons, John Tesh, Carrie Fisher, Costas Mandylor and Ben Stein. I’m not sure what, if anything is different in this DVD edition from previous ones, except for new cover art and a sticker marking the movie’s 20th anniversary. There’s also a making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka Scream 4: Blu-ray Elvira’s Haunted Hills It isn’t often that a movie franchise is able to retain its director, writer, composer, DP and several of its stars over the course of four chapters and 15 years. The law of diminishing returns, alone, is sufficient cause for most of the original cast and crew to jump ship and find something else to do. If there’s a demand for another chapter, it makes more sense to hire younger, less expensive talent and release the sequel or prequel straight-to-video. Such is the respect accorded horror-meister Wes Craven that he was able to reunite writer Kevin Williamson, composer Marco Beltrami, cinematographer Peter Deming, voice actor Roger Jackson and stars Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell, for “Scream 4,” while also attracting a dozen or so of today’s brightest young actors. Anxious to be the next generation of pretty young things to be sliced and diced by Ghostface Killer were Lucy Hale, Shenae Grimes, Dane Farwell, Aimee Teegarden, Emma Roberts, Britt Robertson, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Marley Shelton, Rory Culkin, Adam Brody and Anthony Anderson. Ten years after the last attacks, Ghostface has been elevated to cult status by students at Woodsboro High. The re-emergence of the hooded assassin coincides with the return of author Sidney Prescott (Campbell) to the town. Now married, Cox and Arquette’s characters also take the lead in investigating the bloody crimes. The students are more blasé, following the trail of mayhem on their cellphones and streaming video. For viewers, the horror owes more to the Foley artists and sound engineers than anyone else in the production. The vicious knife attacks would be much scarier, if we hadn’t entered the age of torture-porn in the period between No. 3 and No. 4. Now, the brutality is almost comical. Still, Craven and the returnees add a palpable touch of class to the proceedings. The Blu-ray edition adds a making-of featurette, commentary, an alternate opening and ending, 15 deleted scenes and a gag reel. The double entendres in “Elvira’s Haunted Hills” begin with the title and end with … well … they never really end. While on her way to Paris, in 1851, the Mistress of the Dark is hijacked to a Carpathian castle, owned by an evil count who comes to believe she’s the incarnation of his late wife. While ensconced in the castle with her trusty maidservant, ZouZou, Elvira runs afoul of Lord Hellsubus’ current wife and mistress. Against them, Elvira’s feminine wiles prove to be pretty much worthless. If she isn’t rescued by the men she has under her spell, the Mistress of Darkness will be sliced in half, laterally, by a razor-edged pendulum. As the silver blade cleaves the canyon between her mountainous breasts, the title, “Elvira’s Haunted Hills,” is given added meaning. This scene and the few others that work owe everything to our memories of such Vincent Price/Roger Corman/Edgar Allan Poe collaborations as “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “House of Usher” and “Tomb of Ligeia.” These are titles Elvira’s alter ego, Cassandra Peterson, reveres and inform the entire project, which is less parody than homage. She gets solid support from veterans of the Groundlings comedy troupe and other sketch-comedy practitioners. Lord Hellsubus is played by Richard O’Brien, memorable as Riff-Raff in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The DVD includes a making-of featurette, “Transylvania or Bust”; a Richard O’Brien interview; outtakes; a photo gallery; and audio commentary.The cast and crew’s stories about working under primitive conditions in Romania are funnier than most of the gags in the movie, itself. “Elvira’s Haunted Hills” feels more like an extended sketch on SCTV than a fully realized feature. Elvira’s fans should enjoy it, though. – Gary Dretzka Legend of the Millennium Dragon: Blu-ray Gamera: Trilogy: Blu-ray Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris: Blu-ray For the past 300 years, or so, American children of European descent have led a bland spiritual life, compared, at least, with kids whose heritage allowed for more than one god and other mystical lords of creation. The Old Testament is pretty entertaining, but, apart from the occasional serpent, polytheism is pretty much discouraged. Conquistadors made sure Aztecs and Incas bought into the New Testament, while the U.S. Cavalry made the American west safe for stodgy old monotheism. In return, the protectors of the faith were allowed to plunder any gold and land left behind. The recent spate of movies based on mythical and/or paranormal beings – “Thor,” “Clash of the Titans,” “Harry Potter,” “Twilight” – suggests that American kids are looking for heroes and quick fixes to this world’s problems. If someone dared make a movie about a caped and masked Jesus, who stopped terrorists and sexual predators in their tracks, a franchise could be built around his exploits. Watching fantastical DVDs such as “Legend of the Millennium Dragon,” “Gamera” and too many others to count, I’m reminded that Asian, African, Native American and other aboriginal peoples have found answers to life’s most difficult questions in places biblical fundamentalists wouldn’t bother to look, including enchanted forests, great pyramids, the ruins of Atlantis or the ghosts of ancestors. I, for one, would be delighted to pick up a newspaper one morning and learn that a giant fire-breathing turtle, multi-headed dragon or Transformer had wiped out every military command post from North Africa to Kashmir. As it is, the End of Days scenario looks more plausible every day. In the anime, “Legend of the Millennium Dragon,” a restive 15-year-old boy from present-day Japan is spirited 1,200 years back in time to prevent the future from becoming any more twisted than it already is. The boy, Jun, was born with a dragon-shaped birthmark on his chest, suggesting he is a descendent of tribe of warriors from the Heian period. Hairy demons are besieging the kingdom – upon which Kyoto now sits — and the rulers believe Jun can awake the resident sleeping dragon, Orochi, and save their regime. Not being quite what they appear to be, the demons kidnap Jun for the purposes of educating him about the true peaceful nature of his ancestors and the threat the current rulers pose to the health of the planet. A wimp in either millennium, Jun can’t imagine how he might be able to go against the demons or ride a dragon, let alone be anyone’s “savior.” His only experience with violence is destroying monster villains of the video-game variety. Even so, he listens to the arguments of both sets of combatants, before committing himself. “Millennium Dragon” benefits from some splendid animation. The natural backgrounds, temples and forests pop nicely in Blu-ray. As usual, though, the humans are drawn to resemble a generic ideal. By merging all nationalities into one, none stand out as being special … even Jun. The demons and dragons display more personality than the humans. The Blu-ray adds a concept-art gallery. My exposure to Japan’s “Gamera” films is strictly through recent DVD compilations. The cult appeal of the cheeseball monster is obvious, but, having grown up on Godzilla and other mutant monsters, I wasn’t all that impressed with the giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle. The original series hit a wall in the early 1980s, when American special-effects wizards began turning out far more credible creatures. That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised by the “Gamera” trilogy that arrived for my consideration this week. The difference is so telling, we might as well be talking about two different super-turtles. Launched in 1995, the films represent a quantum leap in Japanese special-effects work and story-telling. Instead, of looking like a poor relation to “Godzilla,” the adventures of the greatly misunderstood reptile is given a pedestal of his own on which to stand. The robotics and CGI effects look far more realistic against the green screen and miniature sets, and the human characters appear to be reacting to a real threat, instead of cardboard cutouts. Moreover, the trilogy really sparkles terrific in Blu-ray. After about a 15-year absence, the Heisei Gamera trilogy relaunched with “Guardian of the Universe.” It was followed in short order by “Attack of Legion” and “Revenge of Iris.” The threats to Japan in this series include huge man-eating birds; meteor-borne insects; and a blood-sucking squid-like creature. Gamera comes to Japan’s rescue, but the military continues to doubt its intentions. Fans will want to check out the bonus features, which include making-of featurettes; extended scenes; camera tests; remixes; interviews; and trailers. – Gary Dretzka Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On: Blu-ray The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway Pee-wee’s Big Adventure: Blu-ray Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Blu-ray It takes a very special entertainer to fill the 4,100-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace night after night for months at a time. In their prime, Sinatra, Elvis, Liberace and Michael Jackson probably could have done it. Streisand could, but won’t. Celine Dion and Elton John will continue to alternate months-long stints there, at least through 2012. After a somewhat shaky start, in 2008, Bette Midler kept the turnstiles turning with her trashy-flashy revue, “The Showgirl Must Go On,” for two years. The Colosseum is unique among Vegas venues in that the extremely wide and deep stage tends to gobble up lesser entertainers and make them disappear, at least from the top-level seats. Midler’s been a larger-than-life performer, ever since the early 1970s, when she began performing at New York’s Continental Baths, accompanied by Barry Manilow. A year later, during her tour in “Tommy,” she would make the first of many appearances on “The Tonight Show.” At Caesars, she was joined on stage by a 13-piece band; her backup singers, the Harlettes; and 16 dancers, the Caesar Salad Girls. Her costume changes, alone, were worth at least a portion of the steep ticket price. Unlike most such Vegas extravaganzas, Midler’s flight of fancy is available now on Blu-ray. The brisk 70-minute show includes such songs “The Rose,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “From a Distance,” “Hello in There,” “Friends” and “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Pee-wee Herman’s stage presence may not be quite as dynamic as Midler’s, but he’s every bit as unique a performer. The evidence can be seen in this recording of his Broadway show, which first aired in a 90-minute HBO special. Ever since Pee-wee’s alter ego, Paul Reubens was busted in a Florida movie theater for lewd behavior, he’s has been struggling to convince promoters and studio executives that he’s not a dangerous sex fiend and millions of fans still love him. Over-cautious casting directors, however, choose instead to ignore the fact that Pee-wee appealed as much to adults as kids, and kept him in professional limbo for most of the last 20 years. After appearing in several out-of-character roles in high profile movies and TV shows, Reubens reinvented “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” for the stage. It was an immediate success. The show revolves loosely around Pee-wee’s longtime desire to fly. It boasts 11 actors, 20 puppets, original songs and the same kooky attitude that enchanted a generation of now-middle-age adults. The vibrant colors of the set furniture, costumes and wigs are a natural fit for the Blu-ray format. It also includes commentary. In 1985, Reubens and aspiring filmmaker Tim Burton collaborated on the delightful feature-length “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” In it, Our Hero sets off on a wild cross-country journey, in search of his stolen bicycle. As strange as it is to watch an adult obsess over something only a kid could take that seriously, it’s just as weird to observe the pre-pubescent character pretending to be a grown-up when the occasional rose. Many of the signature touches that would come to characterize Burton’s work are already on display in “Big Adventure,” although it isn’t easy to tell exactly if they originated with Reubens or Burton. Some of the fun here comes in recognizing Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, James Brolin, Tony Bill, Dee Snider, Milton Berle and Elizabeth Daly. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary by Reubens and Burton, additional scenes, sketches and storyboards, and a music-only track with Danny Elfman. Pee-wee’s character has been so consistent and recognizable – going on 30 years, now – that it isn’t hard to believe he would have fit well alongside such silent greats as Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd and Fatty Arbuckle, whose popularity demanded they never stray very far from the character that paid the bills. Twenty years later, Burton and Elfman would re-team on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The darkish fantasy was adapted, if quite differently from the same Roald Dahl novel as “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Reportedly, Dahl was so unhappy with that production that he refused to listen to overtures for a sequel and put strict limits on who could remake it. That Burton would choose Johnny Depp to portray the chocolate magnate came as no surprise to anyone familiar with their collaborative history. Depp’s interpretation, however, drew unfavorable comparisons to Michael Jackson, who was at the height of his legal troubles at the time. It might have cut into revenues a bit, but the darker adaptation found an appreciative audience here and in international markets. The wildly imaginative and brilliantly colorful chocolate factory stands in sharp contrast to the Dickensian look of Charlie Bucket’s neighborhood, and demands a second screening just to absorb all of its cavity-inducing pleasures. Among the many visual effects is the digital multiplication of actor Deep Roy into dozens of Oompa-Loompas. The Blu-ray captures all of it marvelously, adding a dozen bonus features, including “Attack of the Squirrels,” “The Fantastic Mr. Dahl,” pre-visualizations, commentary and a separate music track. – Gary Dretzka Up From Slavery Slavery in the American South represented one of the greatest disconnects in the history of mankind. Even as our young democracy held itself up as an example for all nations to follow, millions of forcibly transplanted Africans were required to work in the fields of plantation owners who probably had the family bible on display in their libraries. The myth held that farmers couldn’t sustain themselves if it weren’t for unpaid laborers, and, by extension, the agricultural South would fall behind the industrial North as commercial force. The same excuses that weren’t true in the 1800s, however, are being used today when manufacturers close factories in the U.S. and move their operations to countries that condone near-slave-labor conditions. Even the greatest political, religious and military leaders of the nascent United States – South and North — couldn’t bring themselves to equate the tyranny of British monarchs to the inherent evil of slavery. As the country matured, the case for the abolition of slavery was adopted by many powerful voices in the North and, of course, the impasse led to a devastating Civil War. Among other concerns, working people feared that a Confederate victory could mean slavery would be adopted by northern industrialists. Today, 150 years after the first gun was fired, it’s difficult to understand how God-fearing men and women could defend slavery, even in the face of temporary economic doldrums. The seven-part “Up From Slavery” chronicles the history of slavery in America, from the arrival of African slaves at Jamestown in 1619, to the Civil War and ratification of the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed the right to vote to all citizens. It would be replaced by Jim Crow racism, the Klan and poll taxes, of course, but it represented a fresh start. The mini-series is informed by historical re-enactments, archival photographs and documents, interviews with scholars and historians, and the reading of first-hand accounts. – Gary Dretzka The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season: Special Edition George: A Zombie Intervention This being the Golden Age of zombie movies and all, I think it’s fair to wonder if undead audiences rent horror movies when they’re at home or watch “Seinfeld” re-runs, like everyone else. I can’t recall a week in which a new zombie-vampire screener hasn’t arrived in the mail. Most are tedious, while the rest are divided between surprisingly good and downright unwatchable. Only occasionally does something that elevates the horror genre make its presence known. This week’s special something is the deluxe first-season Blu-ray edition of “The Walking Dead.” Produced by Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) and Gale Anne Hurd (“Aliens”) and based on the graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, the limited-run series successfully filled a gaping hole on the AMC schedule left by smash successes “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” and weak sisters – ratings-wise, anyway — “The Prisoner” and “Rubicon.” Zombies? Who knew? Like several other post-apocalyptic dramas released lately, “Walking Dead” follows a sheriff’s deputy, who wakes from a coma to find his wife and son missing and the world in a state of collapse. After tracing his family to Atlanta, he joins a band of Atlanta-based survivors, willing to help him find his wife and son. What separates the wheat from the chaff here is the producers’ ability to spread the violence, gore and mayhem over six episodes, instead of two hours, thus allowing room for the drama and suspense to evolve naturally. The writing is excellent and performances inspired. A first-season DVD and Blu-ray were released last spring, but this special edition is targeted specifically to serious fans and horror geeks. In addition to all six episodes and making-of featurettes, the three-disc, collector’s-tin package adds a black-and-white (a.k.a., noir) version of the pilot; audio commentaries on all six episodes; and new featurettes, “We Are the Walking Dead,”; “Bring Out the Dead: KNB and the Art of Making Zombies,” “Digital Decay: The VFX of ‘The Walking Dead,’” “No More Room in Hell: ‘The Walking Dead’ Phenomenon,” “Adapting ‘The Dead’” and “Killer Conversations: Frank Darabont & Greg Nicotero.” Previously released special features are included, as well. On the other end of spectrum resides “George: A Zombie Intervention” (a.k.a., “George’s Intervention”), a micro-budget genre flick that is sporadically funny, but finally defeated by its lack of resources. George is a zombie whose appetite for flesh has increased to the point of addiction. In an effort to keep George from going off the deep end, his friends arrange an intervention. His recovery is derailed, however, when various guests are killed and put on George’s menu du jour. When he runs out of interventionists to eat, George sates his between-meal urges by noshing on Mormon missionaries and a pair of strippers, who arrive at his door unexpectedly. The funniest moments, by far, come early. The film opens with a government PSA designed to educate children about the origin and nature of zombies. Like the vampires in “True Blood,” they function like most other human beings, unless they become addicted to flesh. In his first feature, writer/director J.T. Seaton demonstrates an ability to do a lot with a little and wring laughs from marginal material. The DVD arrives with commentary, deleted and alternate scenes, and featurette not included in the screener I received. – Gary Dretzka The Honeymooners : Lost Episodes 1951-1957: The Complete Restored Series Bored to Death: The Complete Second Season The League: Season 2 Lie to Me: Season 3 It can be argued that all television sitcoms are rooted in earth tilled in the 1950s by Jackie Gleason and “The Honeymooners.” Despite the fact that it began as a series of sketches on the DuMont Network’s “Cavalcade of Stars” and was shot on set that looked as if it were cobbled together with Salvation Army discards, “The Honeymooners” would become – and remain – one of the funniest shows in the history of television. The characters never rose above their working-class station in life, nor would Ralph Kramden realize any of his pipedreams. The couples fought like real people did everyday in apartment buildings everywhere – loud enough to be heard on the street – but demonstrated on a weekly basis how love is stronger than anger. The so-called “lost episodes” of CBS’ “The Jackie Gleason Show” – actually, sketches within the immensely popular hourlong variety program – were believed to be lost, as they were shot live and never rebroadcast. Decades later, Kinescopes of the episodes were recovered from Gleason’s personal archives. Sixty years later, MPI Home Video and Jackie Gleason Enterprises have combined efforts on this collection, giving the episodes a thorough makeover and adding other vintage material. For those who weren’t even a gleam in the eyes of their grandparents when the shows first aired, Gleason played a Brooklyn bus driver and his best friend, Ed Norton (Art Carney), was a sewer worker … and proud of it. Their wives, Alice (Audrey Meadows) and Trixie (Joyce Randolph), have been universally described as long-suffering women, who stretched limited resources to make ends meet. They were, however, the equal of their spouses in most every way allowed them on the fledgling medium, and stood up to their husband’s rants and antics in ways sitcom wives wouldn’t do for the next 30 or more years. Watching “The Honeymooners” in 2011 shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere exercise in nostalgia. Like “I Love Lucy,” “Burns and Allen,” “The Jack Benny Program” and “The Phil Silvers Show,” “The Honeymooners” remains funnier than 95 percent of the sitcoms that have been produced in the ensuing 60 years of prime-time television. The 15-disc DVD set contains all 107 live episodes; 8 musical episodes; 9 episodes from “Cavalcade of Stars”; 2 radio episodes; interviews with the stars; original introductions, curtain calls and cast commercials; color home movies on the set; a booklet with historical text and photos; original scripts for three missing episodes; and digital restorations. The HBO sitcom “Bored to Death” chronicles the misadventures and missed opportunities of unlicensed P.I. and failed novelist Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) as he plies his trades in the streets, college classrooms and penthouses of New York. During the show’s second season, the storylines of characters played by Jake Galifianakis (an ill-tempered comic-book author) and Ted Danson (a millionaire publisher) are allowed more time to develop, while Ames’ assignments grow increasingly stranger. “Bored to Death” is targeted at hipsters willing to abide with Schwartzman’s deadpan acting and plots that take their own sweet time to develop. This season, Danson’s character is required to deal with cost-cutting initiatives and drug tests at work, as well as a cancer scare; Galifianakis’ Ray fails a yoga test, hits paydirt with a new comic and gets within one-degree of separation of Kevin Bacon; and Ames’ investigations lead him to a S&M dungeon, Asian health spa, Brooklyn ComicCon and an unlucky-in-love limousine driver. The Blu-ray set adds deleted scenes and outtakes, making-of pieces and commentary. FX’s “The League” is a dudes-will-be-dudes comedy set against the backdrop of an annual Fantasy Football competition. The characters, who have known each other since high school, are so obsessed with the childish demands of Fantasy Football that they refuse to let anything – spouses, girlfriends and work included – get between them and a possible league championship. Things get complicated when one of the wives begins to think that filling a vacancy in her husband’s league could be an opportunity to bond. It isn’t. If the sitcom’s core conceit sounds as if it might be driven by testosterone, potential women viewers should know that the male characters are typical yuppie doofuses, who couldn’t tie their shoes without a woman telling them how to do it. (At a Vegas strip club, the guys ignore a nearly naked dancer until she tells them about the bad habits of some of the players. Instead of throwing dollar bills at her, they pay her $200 for a trip to the Champagne Room, where the forgo lap dances and simply compare notes on the upcoming fantasy draft.) Guest appearances are made by NFL stars Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Suggs and Josh Cribbs. The DVD set adds several deleted and extended scenes, as well as other uncensored material. At a time when so many police investigators are blessed – or cursed – with a sixth sense that allows them to read minds, solve crimes using ESP and time-shift, the ability to translate body language wouldn’t seem to be much of a superpower. It was, however, good enough reason for fans and Fox to stay with Fox’s “Lie to Me” for four seasons. The show shut down production last season, despite the estimable presence of Brit actor Tim Roth in the lead role and a supporting cast that includes Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund and Hayley McFarland. The DVD set includes all 13 final-season episodes, deleted scenes and an “In Character” with Roth. – Gary Dretzka Ken Burns: Prohibition; Blu-ray Jacques Pepin: The Essential Pepin American Experience: Houdini Nova: Ancient Marvels: Explorer Collection Best of Antiques RoadshowIn markets underserved by PBS, including Los Angeles, it will come as good news that Ken Burns’ latest documentary project, “Prohibition,” already is available in DVD and Blu-ray. The mini-series, currently airing on many public-broadcasting outlets, exhaustively recalls one of the great failures of American democracy. Burns’ team examines the role played by demon rum and beer throughout the history of the U.S. – even before baseball became a pastime, alcohol was as American as mom, hot dogs and apple pie – and the disparate forces that convinced politicians that banning it was a good idea. As has been made clear in HBO’s complementary “Boardwalk Empire,” the most telling results of Prohibition were the growth of organized crime and widespread flaunting of the Volstead Act by otherwise law-abiding citizens. As is typical of any Burns project, “Prohibition” is as much a cultural portrait of the times as it is a study of a single divisive issue or pastime. The Blu-ray package contains more than two hours of interviews, scenes and studio material not included in the PBS presentation. Along with former collaborator Julia Child, Jacques Pepin was encouraging Americans to cook with and enjoy “good” food, decades before the launch of the Food Network and green-is-groovy craze. His new PBS cooking series, “Essential Pépin,” demystifies the creation of classic gourmet dishes, without ignoring traditional meals that might have come out of grandma’s kitchen. The new DVD is comprised of 26 half-hour episodes, all of which are preceded with an introduction and add step-by-step recipes. Pepin often shares his oven with family members and guest chefs. Few performers in the history of show business enjoyed the popularity and cult-like following of Harry Houdini, a magician whose escape tricks brought him closer to death than he would ever admit. “American Experience: Houdini” documents his rise from circus performer, sideshow attraction and vaudeville, to the grand theater circuit and public challenges before thousands of people. A master contortionist, he invented tricks, escapes and machinery still being performed today. He also dabbled in aviation and film production, and performed a public service by debunking spiritualists. The hourlong program includes commentary with David Copperfield, the Amazing Randi and E.L. Doctorow, who made Houdini a key character in “Ragtime.” It also is informed by much archival film footage and photographs. Also from PBS, “Ancient Marvels” carries viewers to the far ends of the Earth to experience some of man’s greatest architectural achievements. Even today, answers to questions relating to the construction of these wonders remain elusive. The five-disc set DVD set is comprised of “Nova” productions, “Ghosts of Machu Picchu,” “Riddles of the Sphinx,” “Secrets of Stonehenge,” “Secrets of the Parthenon” and “Secrets of Lost Empires II: Easter Island,” with the bonus episode, “China Bridge.” A red, white and blue edition of “Best of Antiques Roadshow” contains episodes “Simply the Best,” “Trash to Treasure” and “Politically Collect.” It’s interesting that the show, which began on the BBC in the ’70s, now has been transplanted in a half-dozen different countries, including the U.S. That may not be comparable to the syndication numbers put up by “Wheel of Fortune,” but it’s not bad for a PBS reality show. – Gary Dretzka Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas I don’t know how to break this to parents who use the Cartoon Network as a video baby-sitter, but if “Adventure Time” had been around in the ’60s, it might have been designated the official TV show of the Haight-Ashbury. Its brilliant color palette, which changes with the drop of a hat, recalls the trippy paintings of Peter Max, while the stories and dialogue are similarly unconventional. The episodes collected in the “My Two Favorite People” DVD follow 12-year-old Finn, as he embarks on ever-more-bizarre adventures in the land of Ooo with his best friend, Jake, a 28-year old dog with magical powers. The names of other featured characters include Princess Bubblegum, Ice King, Peppermint Butler, Lumpy Space Princess, Lady Rainicorn and Marceline the Vampire. What happens to them in each psychotropic episode is the stuff dreams and nightmares are made of. Kids don’t have to be aspiring acid heads to enjoy “Adventure Time,” though, because the stories are wonderfully fanciful, imaginatively drawn and open to myriad interpretations. Parents and grandparents of a certain age, however, may consider saving the disc for later consumption, when the lighting of a joint might enhance the experience. Nickelodeon’s “Merry Christmas” takes this year’s prize for first holiday DVD to be released almost a month before Halloween. Early-bird buyers should know that the 148-minute set is comprised of previously shown Christmas-themed episodes of “Dora the Explorer,” Go, Diego, Go!,” “The Wonder Pets!,” “Blue’s Clues,” “Team Umizoomi” and “Ni Hao, Kai-lan.” – Gary Dretzka Pulp Fiction: Blu-ray Jackie Brown: Blu-ray So much has been written about “Pulp Fiction,” it hardly seems necessary to remind anyone of the plot, which, in any case, defies description. Quentin Tarantino weaves several seemingly unrelated storylines throughout the movie’s 154 minutes, merging them at various points in the narrative and separating them, again, almost arbitrarily. Each story string is thematically compelling, extremely well acted and precisely written. Tarantino took risks, even in the casting, few directors would have attempted. Within two years, dozens of other filmmakers attempted to follow in his footsteps, making him one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. The better ones found ways to take advantage of the freedom accorded by the commercial and critical success of “Pulp Fiction,” while carving new paths of their own. The lesser ones will go to the graves with the label, “Tarantino wanna-be.” So, what’s new here, besides the audio/video upgrade? The Blu-ray edition adds fresh interviews with the cast and a critics’ roundtable to several previous featurettes. In total, the bonus content adds up to six hours. Compared to “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown” feels downright mainstream, which isn’t to say that it isn’t full of surprises of its own. Tarantino could just as easily have taken the source material, Elmore Leonard’s “Rum Punch,” and kept it in Miami, using the same characters and criminal acts. Instead, he transferred the setting to Los Angeles, made several of the key characters black, and changed the sexes of Ordell’s henchmen. In doing so, Tarantino was able to bring the film’s geographical and cultural references closer to his L.A. home; add a soundtrack heavy on classic R&B; and trim some weight from Robert Forster’s jaded bail-bondsman, Max Cherry. His greatest coup, besides reminding us of how talented Forster still is, was deciding early-on to hand the title role to blaxploitation icon Pam Grier and letting her run with it. As far as I can tell, the only new bonus feature in the Blu-ray edition is an extension of the same critics’ roundtable found in “Pulp Fiction.” The pre-packaged material adds another 2½ hours to supplemental material. – Gary Dretzka The Anaheim Angels: 2002 World Series Collector’s Edition Angels Memories: The Greatest Moments in Angels Baseball History Now that the baseball playoffs have begun, millions of fans are being forced to grin and bear their favorite team’s absence, while watching more fortunate teams perform. One way to lessen the pain somewhat is to check out the Major League Baseball website to see if it’s gotten around to recording their team’s glory years, as is the case here with the Angels. The latest installment of the franchise DVD collection includes highlights from the 50-year history of the Anaheim Angels (a.k.a., California Angels and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). Gene Autry founded and owned the team, which originally played its games at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field and, then, the new Dodger Stadium, before moving to its current digs in Anaheim. The 2002 World Series edition follows the exciting post-season saga of the Angels, which became the first American League wild-card team to win the World Series championship. The seven-DVD collection contains every pitch, hit, clutch home run and sterling defensive play in the seven-game series against the San Francisco Giants, as well as guest appearances by Rally Monkey. A special feature allows fans to watch the World Series television broadcast and listen to the play-by-play coverage of Angels Radio Network announcers. “Angels Memories” celebrates all 50 years of the team’s history, with special attention paid to such star players as pitchers Nolan Ryan, Frank Tanana, Mike Witt, Don Sutton, John Lackey and Jered Weaver; hitters Rod Carew, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Reggie Jackson, Garret Anderson and Fred Lynn; and managers Bill Rigney, Gene Mauch, Jim Fregosi and current skipper Mike Scioscia. Many other milestones are represented along the way. – Gary Dretzka	Tintin
With which country did France agree a 50 year treaty in November 2010 entailing joint forces, and sharing an aircraft carrier and nuclear technology?	Gary Dretzka « Movie City News Naked Nazi Return to BloodFart Lake In the world of micro-budget and do-it-yourself filmmaking, the difference between being seen and being ignored often boils down to choosing the right title. A few weeks ago, I was drawn to a movie that promised more gore and abhorrent behavior than I normally care to see in a month of reviewing DVDs. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that “Dead Hooker in a Trunk” lived up to the promise of its title. While Joseph Guzman’s “Nude Nuns With Big Guns” comes close enough to earn a cigar, it falls well short of enshrinement in the Grindhouse Hall of Fame. This isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of nude nuns or big guns in the story, because there are. Too often, though, they merely compensate for a decreasingly coherent narrative. Here, the bishop of a Spanish-speaking archdiocese is in cahoots with the motorcycle gang, Los Muertos, to distribute heroin. Nuns are required to package the powder, but only after shedding their habits. After a drug transaction with the bikers goes sour, the drug-czar bishop offers Sister Sarah (Asun Ortega) in exchange for the missing heroin. Naturally, the leader of the gang, Chavo (David Castro), enslaves the pretty young nun to heroin and turns her out in a shithole brothel in the desert. Just as she’s about to hit rock bottom, God appears to Sister Sarah, instructing her to exact revenge on the bikers and corrupt priests. This, she does. “NNWBG” is targeted at several generations of Catholic males, who, as lackadaisical students, idled away with their days imagining how their teachers would look naked. The bonus features include the short film that inspired Guzman to make “NNWBG.” Made on a budget estimated to be in the neighborhood of $10,000, “Porn Star Zombies” is exactly the movie you’d imagine it to be. Yes, it revolves around a scene in which a ravenous porn star reveals her true nature by biting off her co-star’s penis. Almost everything else is incidental to the story. Keith Emerson’s debut film may be crudely made, thoroughly predictable and poorly acted, but every penny of the $10,000 can be found on the screen, in one way or another. “Naked Nazi” isn’t so much a horror movie as it is an excuse to show Michelle Young (a.k.a., Amber Lee) masturbating in Nazi fetish gear … minus the matching Hello Hitler bra-and-panties set. After being raped by a client, Young’s Naked Nazi decides to turn the tables on non-Aryan male pigs by dominating and killing them. Only another Nazi fetishist can stop her. Young and Jason Impey last collaborated on “Women Prisoners of SS Camp From Hell,” in which our fair maiden played “Hitler’s slut.” Released in 2009, “Terror at Blood Fart Lake” was a micro-budget parody of such horror flicks as “Sleepaway Camp” and other slasher epics set on the shores of a lake, in a rustic cabin or among vacationers about to be slaughtered by a guy wearing a mask. It follows, then, that “Return to Blood Fart Lake” is parody of “Return to Sleepaway Camp” and other uninspired sequels. Even after watching the movie, I can’t explain what happens in it, except that the “Scarecrow Killer,” Jimmy Van Brunt, is back and still pissed off about something or other. “Return to Blood Fart Lake” is all title and no movie. – Gary Dretzka The Devil’s Rock By all rights, “The Devils Rock” and “Naked Nazi” belong in the same capsule review, if only because the jackets of both movies feature sexy, semi-dressed women wearing Gestapo gear. (The original poster art for “Devil’s Rock” was far less suggestive.) Far more artistically legitimate, Paul Campion’s debut film is a blend of WWII intrigue and satanic horror. It opens with a New Zealand commando team landing on the beach of a heavily fortified island in the English Channel. Their job is to sabotage artillery positions, causing the Germans to think the D-Day landing will occur somewhere other than Omaha and Normandy beaches. As the soldiers descend deeper into the tunnels of the bunker, screams emanating from below grow louder and more terrifying. Upon reaching the command center, they are greeted by a scene from an old-fashioned charnel house and a Nazi officer, who kills one of the Kiwis and interrogates the other on the inevitable assault. Given the movie’s title, it’s safe to assume something other than German intelligence and defense is at work on the island. We know that Hitler had a keen interest in the occult and assigned agents to investigate the possibility of exploiting paranormal phenomena in the war against the Allies. The Gestapo agent here has conjured the devil and chained it to a wall. In the presence of the Kiwi officer, it assumes the identity of his recently deceased girlfriend and attempts to seduce him into revealing plans for the invasion of Europe. Apparently, it’s not the first time such shape-shifting has been employed. It accounts for the carcasses of soldiers who likely bought into its deceit. The making-of material, which specifies how the actual bunkers and tunnel systems informed the production, is quite interesting, as is the discussion of special makeup effects. – Gary Dretzka Ocean Heaven: Blu-ray My Kingdom All great actors enjoy a change in scenery and wardrobe every so often, even those whose names have become synonymous with a particular genre. Martial-arts master Jet Li couldn’t be any further removed from hand-to-hand-to-foot combat than he is in “Ocean Heaven.” In it, Li’s aquarium technician is confronted with a sad reality faced by many parents of autistic and otherwise disabled children. Already a widower, Sam Wong has recently been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and he knows that his 22-year-old son, David (Lunmei Kwai), probably couldn’t survive without him. His first inclination is to conduct an act of filicide and suicide, while on a boat at sea. Because David is more at home in water than anywhere else, it fails. As long as Sam lives, David is allowed to swim and cavort among the fish and turtles in the aquarium’s largest pools. Once on dry land, however, David has trouble remembering his own name. Compounding Sam’s fears is the reluctance of Chinese social-service agencies to accept an autistic adult into government-run residences and schools. His only recourse is to teach the young man how to perform the most rudimentary of daily tasks and finding someone to provide a roof under which he can sleep. The process is exhausting for everyone involved – the audience, too – but reaps benefits down the road, as David finds kindness in unexpected places. “Ocean Heaven” succeeds as a tear-jerker, albeit one with which western audiences will already be familiar. I’m pretty sure that Xiao Lu Yue intended for Chinese viewers to gain a greater understanding of the problems faced by families with kids who are autistic or have Down’s syndrome. The Blu-ray package arrives with deleted scenes and an interview with Li about autism. The often exhilarating and spectacularly staged “My Kingdom” provides a perfect example of what can happen when a work of art loses its balance and symmetry. Gao Xiaosong’s story opens in stunning fashion, with the mass beheadings of an entire Chinese clan by the Prince Regent of the Qing dynasty. A defiant elder warns the Prince Regent that his descendants will avenge his death, if any are left after the slaughter. Before he steps to the butcher’s block, a boy bravely forces the executioner to wait until he sings a mournful song for the young girl ahead of him. In the crowd is a famous actor in the Beijing Opera and his adopted son. The boy begs Master Yu to step up and adopt the obviously talented child, which, remarkably, he’s allowed to do. Under their master’s tutelage, the boys grow into two of the opera’s most promising stars. When Yu loses a non-lethal, but spectacularly choreographed winner-take-all showdown to a younger actor from Shanghai, the boys vow to avenge his embarrassment, as well. They will get their opportunity in another 15 years or so, when they show up at the historic Shanghai Opera House and demand satisfaction. For those unaware of how the Beijing and other regional operas operated before Chairman and Mrs. Mao shut them down, it’s important to understand that performances combined dance, acting, pageantry, discordant music and song, and martial arts, with the actors dressed in elaborate costumes and amazing cosmetic masks. The face-offs, staged by Sammo Hung, are among the greatest fights — lethal or non-lethal – I’ve seen on film. The actor’s goal in these fights is to clearly destroy the opposing actor’s ego without actually killing or maiming him. This requires the razor-sharp dexterity, split-second timing and athletic abilities of a Bruce Lee and Baryshnikov clone. Unlike Yu, the defeated Master Yue elects to commit suicide, rather than suffer the indignity of losing his troupe and never being able to perform on stage again. Meanwhile, the boys have instantaneously become superstars. So far, “My Kingdom” is a heck of a movie. Unfortunately, it will take all the second half for the “opera warriors” to simultaneously avenge the executions, enjoy their newfound celebrity, romance the opera’s star actress and perform other narrative tasks. Sadly, none of them are as exciting as anything that happens previously on the opera stages. Neither do the young men look mature enough – sans makeup and costumes – to scare anyone who threatens them offstage. Apparently, the actors Wu Chun and Han Gen are big pop stars in China and Taiwan, as are Barbie Hsu and Louis Liu, and the producers hope to attract men and women of their generation to the venerable opera tradition. For all I now, young Chinese might dig the plotting and romance in the second half more than all of the scenes on the opera stage. “My Universe” is one DVD that really would have benefitted from a decent making-of featurette. –Gary Dretzka Elite Squad: The Enemy Within: Blu-ray No sooner had it been announced that Rio de Janeiro and Brazil would host the Summer Olympics and World Cup than fears were raised about the safety of tourists and fans. Crime was at epidemic levels in Rio and Sao Paolo, but the government pledged that it would be held in check by the time the games began. One way of accomplishing such a difficult task was for the police to declare war on the gangs that control the favelas and slums. This accomplished, however, the same communities apparently came under the control of corrupt and blood-thirsty police. “Elite Squad: The Enemy Within” flows naturally from “Elite Squad,” which, in 2007, described the efforts of a select division of the police department to remove potential dangers and embarrassments before the pope’s visit to Rio in 1997. In “The Enemy Within,” Wagner Moura reprises the role of Capitao Nascimento, head of the crack BOPA task force. As the sequel opens, Nascimento is required to put down a rebellion by gang leaders in a nearby prison. Following his orders, instead of those of politicians, the cops mercilessly gun down the perpetrators. It causes a huge stink among the politicians still on the payroll of the gangs, but the massacre couldn’t have been more popular with the citizenry. Seeing Nascimento as something of a loose cannon, the state’s governor decides to give him a position monitoring illegal wiretaps. Even here, it’s difficult to avoid the corruption of the police and government officials who benefit from the power vacuum. This time, however, the closer he gets to the truth, the farther out in the pasture he finds himself. So much money and power are at stake that the established powers are willing to take on a hero and threaten his family. In an interesting subplot, Nascimento’s former wife has married a high-profile reformer, who has convinced their son that daddy’s a fascist. It all comes together in an extremely exciting and unexpected climax. Fans of recent Brazilian cinema will recognize the name of writer/director José Padilha in the credits of both “Elite Squad” installments. He’s also responsible for the documentary “Bus 74,” which described a dramatic hijacking that captured the attention of the Brazilian media in 2000. Likewise, Braulio Mantovani, who wrote the screenplay to “City of God,” collaborated with Padilha on the story and screenplays for both “Elite Squad” entries. Anyone looking for movies that reverently borrow stylistic mannerisms from Martin Scorsese’s gangland dramas will find a good one here. – Gary Dretzka Mozart’s Sister: Blu-ray Watch “Mozart’s Sister” alongside “Amadeus” and you’ll gain a pretty good understanding of what show business was like in 1763, at least as practiced in the salons of the crowned heads of Europe. Written and directed by Rene Feret, “Mozart’s Sister” follows the musical family – father, Leopold; mother, Anna-Maria; sister, Nannerl; and, of course, boy-genius Wolfgang – as it crisscrosses the continent in a rickety carriage in search of paid gigs, commissions, free meals and accommodations, both posh and modest. In some ways, things haven’t changed all that much in 250 years. The focus here is on Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart, Wolfgang’s older sister by nearly five years and a brilliant musician in her own right. The children dote on each other and collaborate under the tutelage of Leopold, who serves as teacher, promoter, manager, banker and parent. As a girl, Nannerl is at a distinct disadvantage in the showdowns among child prodigies, all seeking the approval and patronage of royalty. She was discouraged from playing the violin and composing, even by her father, who requires she accompany her brother on the harpsichord, at least in public. This she also does very well. Fresh-faced Marie Feret is delightful as Nennerl, equally at home pillow-fighting with Wolfie and conversing with dauphins and princesses. Her story is blessedly free of such dramatic staples as parental abuse, life-threatening illnesses and a broken heart. Certain things were taken for granted when dealing with the royals, including the impossibility of their marrying commoners. Instead, viewers are encouraged to gorge themselves on the period fashions, regal surroundings and beautiful music. It isn’t until the postscript that we learn the true fate of a woman, however brilliant, in a society where women mostly serve as ornaments. Even her friend and confidante, Princess Louise de France, couldn’t escape the borders enforced on women. Wolfgang Mozart’s story already has been wonderfully dramatized in “Amadeus,” which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven others in 1985. Nannerl’s is every bit as worthy of the attention that movie received. A CD featuring selections from the soundtrack is included in the Blu-ray package. – Gary Dretzka Taylor Swift: American Beauty: Unauthorized Yardbirds: Performances Only 22, superstar singer/songwriter Taylor Swift already has an unauthorized biography based on her life and career. “American Beauty” isn’t at all salacious or embarrassing. It’s simply a recitation of quotes, by actors, attributed previously to Swift, family members, friends and music-industry weasels. In fact, it’s not even clear what the actors say can be attributed to real people, just as none of the songs have anything to do with the favorite daughter of Reading, Pa. The most interesting segment is a dramatization of Swift’s 30-second, over-the-phone breakup with one of the Jonas boys. After a crying jag, she goes on to write a withering song about it. That’a girl. “Yardbirds: Performances” is comprised of videos made by the heavily influential British band, during various stages in their career. The early ones, unfortunately, are basically unlistenable. The interest in this collection is the participation of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as successive lead-guitar gods. Even then, the camera focuses on singer Keith Relf far more often than the soon-to-be superstars. The transition from garage blues band to psychedelic virtuosos is the most noteworthy thing about the DVD. I found the videos to be unusual, but it’s entirely possible that all of them already are in circulation. – Gary Dretzka Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story How to Die in Oregon Elevate Urbanized Like nearly everyone else in America, I grew up playing Monopoly. If nothing else, it taught me the true value of play money and that rich people always wear tuxedos and top hats. I’ve since participated in the Monopoly contest at McDonald’s and played 15 iterations of the slot-machine game in Las Vegas. Watching Kevin Tostado’s entertaining and informative documentary, “Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story,” I was surprised to learn how much the board game has changed since the last time I tossed the dice. For example, I had no idea that hard-core players now throw three cubes in competition … two white and one red. From what I can tell, the extra die serves as something of wild card, allowing for shorter, if considerably more intense contests. Neither was I aware of the fact that the laws of mathematical probability are as important in competitive Monopoly as they are in poker. Am I the only one who doesn’t know that the last time an American won the Monopoly World Championship was in 1974 and the current title-holder is frickin’ Norwegian? That’s the kind of otherwise useless information that makes “Under the Boardwalk” so fascinating. The filmmakers follow the now-familiar pattern of attempting to identify likely finalists beforehand and explain the nuances of the game through them. Although that strategy doesn’t quite work here, Tostado’s choices reflect the intensity and intricacies of Monopoly, as it’s played among professionals. He also provides fans with a very decent history lesson on the origins and evolution of it. The DVD package adds footage from a class taught by one of the masters of the “mind sport” and clips from memorable championships. Basketball may not qualify as a “mind sport,” but it definitely takes brains to play it well. Like Monopoly, the sport no longer is dominated by American players. If it were, the U.S. Olympic squad would still be manned – and womanned – by amateurs, not multi-millionaires. Still, countries with no deep history of hoops occasionally step up their game to a level where they can beat our “dream teams.” Anne Buford’s ambitious doc, “Elevate,” opens at the SEEDS Academy in Dakar, Senegal, where the cream of West Africa’s basketball crop competes for scholarships to American high schools and colleges. They also learn what it takes to compete in the classrooms of some the America’s finest basketball factories, er, prep schools and universities, while occasionally daydreaming about a possible pro career. As one might imagine, West African teens are among the tallest and deceptively graceful athletes in the world. Outside of SEEDS, their schools and training facilities are primitive. Inside of it, however, there are few distractions to interfere with the business at hand; the courts are adequate to the task; the food is good; and everyone has closet full authorized NBA gear, shoes, team T-shirts and bags. The kids aren’t pampered, by any stretch of the imagination, but as future representatives of Senegal and Africa, they do enjoy some privileges. We follow two of the players from SEEDS to the Kent Academy, in Connecticut, and Lake Forest Academy, near Chicago. Another player is a couple of days away from boarding a plane to America when he’s told by the embassy that he’s not wanted here (no reason given by staff or the filmmakers, although we know that most of the boys practice Islam). It’s a truly heartbreaking moment in an otherwise uplifting documentary. Anyone with a lazy, underachieving kid at home might consider forcing them to watch “Elevate.” Once exposed to “How to Die in Oregon,” it would be impossible for even an ardent opponent of physician-assisted suicides not to ponder whether it’s better for a terminally ill friend or relative to die painlessly of his or her own volition or to condemn them to an excruciating, undignified and prolonged death. That person may come away with their core belief unchanged, but, at least, they’ll have a better understanding of what’s at stake. In 1994, Oregon voters approved doctor-assisted suicides and, since then, several hundred men and women have taken advantage of the law. (I thought the count might be higher.) We’re introduced to several of these people in the weeks, days and moments before they die. Clearly all are in severe pain and none wants to be a burden on their families. They’re lucid and fully understand the consequences of their decision. They’re also told that the decision is reversible any time before they drink the fatal cocktail. (“It tastes woody,” one says, just before we watch him take his last breath.) While director Peter Richardson’s sympathies clearly lie with the terminally ill individuals, “How to Die in Oregon” falls well short of advocacy filmmaking or exploitation. Everything one needs to know about the seriousness and compassion with which he approached his project can be read in the eyes and final dignity of his subjects. Gary Hustwit’s “Urbanized” is the final chapter in a documentary trilogy that considers how we relate to the designs of such everyday things as typography, manufactured objects and urban planning. As in “Helvetica” and “Objectified,” Hustwit consults with design experts to determine their opinions on historical miscalculations, successes, trends, fads and long- and short-term solutions. About urban development, the one thing upon which almost everyone in the film agrees is that nothing works anymore and that it’s not their fault. Complacent architects, planning commissions, politicians, short-sighted modernists and greedy developers all share the blame for the mess. Once these learned men and women get past their egos, however, many interesting things are discussed and ideas forwarded. Hustwit’s itinerary includes stops in New York, Paris, Santiago, Bogota, Capetown, Mumbai, Phoenix and Rio, where old and new elements often are required to co-exist in eternal discordance. He also visits Brasilia, which, when it was founded in 1960, was considered to be the most progressive and harmoniously designed capital in the world. Today, one of the architects describes Brasilia’s open spaces and widely separated buildings as a nightmare for people who can’t afford cars or chauffeurs. Indeed, the one common thread running through “Urbanized” is how often cars take precedence over humans in most modern cities and how easy it is to correct the imbalance. The discussions are thought-provoking and blessedly accessible to lay viewers. – Gary Dretzka Dragon Age: Redemption If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a noise? If you’re only famous on the Internet, does that make you a star in the real world? Felicia Day is the kind of frequently employed actor, whose face people recognize from a dozen different television appearances but can’t place. On the Internet, everyone seems to know the chronically cute Alabama-born redhead. That’s because she’s found a niche on the Web as someone who understands things that studio executives in the analog world can’t quite grasp. For one thing, she appears to be satisfied with a fan base limited primarily to “gamers” and “geeks.” She understands their world, is an avid player and is able to dramatize – add another dimension, if you will — the games they love. At 32, she probably could still pass for a perky college cheerleader, as she did in “Bring It On, Again”; a vampire slayer on the WB; or too-adorable-to-die patient on a hospital series, such as “House.” It’s on the Internet, however, that she’s a force with which to be reckoned. In 2007, Day launched the YouTube series, “The Guild,” which follows a clan of gamers addicted to a “massively multiplayer online role-playing game.” It’s since expanded its reach to include several other multimedia platforms. The success of “The Guild” prompted producer Joss Whedon to create the Internet musical, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” a show that also starred Neil Patrick Harris. Day is also responsible for the Web series “Dragon Age: Redemption,” a six-episode live-action adventure based on the fantasy role-playing game developed by BioWare. She’s played a fairy in at least two Internet series and provides a voice in “Fallout: New Vegas.” In addition to being an award-winning actor and writer, she also is a partner in a production company. In the geek universe, she might as well be Angelina Jolie. Not being a gamer, I don’t know what to make of “Dragon Age: Redemption.” The webisodes require grownups to dress as pixies, elves, sorcerers and Templar knights, and then wander around a forest near L.A., killing each other with medieval and special-effects weaponry. It feels as if it only cost a few bucks to stage, but, on the Internet, looks usually are deceiving. In any case, it’s popular with the people who count: gamers. The DVD package includes all six episodes and more than 40 minutes of extra stuff. An extensive making-of featurette, interviews with Day and creative director Mike Laidlaw; commentary; bloopers; a script; and marketing material for new “Dragon Age” products. – Gary Dretzka Mama I Want to Sing Adapted from the long-running off-Broadway musical of the same title, “Mama I Want to Sing” was inspired by the careers of such church-nurtured singers as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Donna Summer, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan and playwright Vy Higginsen’s sister, Doris Troy (“Just One Look). Its release, only three days after the death of Whitney Houston, also reminds us of that great diva’s gospel roots and her rise through the ranks of pop and R&B artists. Here, the future superstar, Amara (Ciara), is tutored by her father, the Reverend Dr. Kenneth Winter (Marvin Winans), and mother, Lillian Winter (Lynn Whitfield), who is a diva in her own right. Before he died of a heart attack while preaching to his congregation, the dynamic Reverend Winter taught Amara and her younger brother, Luke (Kevin Phillips), that they not only are blessed as a gifted singer and photographer, but also as African-Americans with no borders on their horizon. His wife, though, would prefer for her children to limit their dreams to the church and within shouting distance of their nest. Naturally, Amara is discovered by a producer of pop hits (Billy Zane) and, as part of her transition from gospel, is required to wear outfits and sing lyrics that Mrs. Winter ascribes to hoochie-mommas. (Troy reportedly was discovered by James Brown, while Houston was famously molded by Clive Davis.) It creates a rift between the two headstrong women that is as familiar as it is melodramatic. Ultimately, a tragedy brings them together in welcome compromise. As interpreted by Charles Randolph-Wright, “Mama, I Want to Sing” is an extremely broad musical and dramatic experience. Whitfield, especially, appears to be playing to the customers in the balconies. Even so, everyone involved knows what’s demanded by fans of such gospel musicals and delivers the goods in large strokes. The music, of course, is very good, and the inspirational messages are universal. If Amara manages to avoid the tragic path taken by Houston, we know it’s by the grace of God and gospel music. – Gary Dretzka Beavis & Butthead: Volume 4: Blu-ray Storage Wars: Volume 2 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie Dora’s Easter Adventure For a certain caste of television viewers, the highlight of the current season hasn’t been the return of “Downton Abbey” or even the renewal of the “Hawaii Five-0” franchise. It was the welcome, by some, revival of MTV’s strangely wonderful “Beavis & Butthead” in new episodes. The show, created by Mike Judge, originally ran on the cable network from March 8, 1993, to November, 1997. Among other things, the dimwitted friends were blamed for the “dumbing-down” of America and encouraging teens to become serial arsonists. The show also is credited with putting MTV on the map as a purveyor of original programming, including “Jackass” and “Jersey Shore,” both of which make “B&B” look like “Masterpiece Theater.” In the new season, the animated pals don’t appear to have aged a day since 1997. They’re just as stupid as they were in the 1990s, wear the same clothes, listen to the same kind of music and remain virgins. None of the other characters have evolved, either. Thematically, though, the new episodes do reflect the passage of time, most obviously in the music and YouTube videos they critique. Snooki and “The Twilight Saga” also take some direct hits. The Blu-ray is comprised of 24 segments, including “Werewolves of Highland,” “Holy Cornholio,” “Drones,” “Supersize Me” and “Bathroom Break,” “Copy Machine,” “Massage” and “Whorehouse.” Blu-ray extras are “2011 San Diego Comic-Con Panel,” during which Judge and Johnny Knoxville discuss the show’s history; phone conversations between B&B the cast of “Jersey Shore”; and the PSA, “Silence Your Cell Phone.” If Beavis and Butthead were ever allowed to grow into adults, they might find work as pilferers of abandoned storage units. As we learn in the offbeat A&E series, “Storage Wars,” practitioners require only cash and an ability to judge, sometimes incorrectly, what other people’s castoffs are worth. Just as one man’s trash is another’s treasure, a less authoritative metal-head might spot gems passed over by the more seasoned buyers … vintage Metallica and AC/DC T-shirts, for example. In the second season, which is only partially collected here, Dan and Laura Dotson of American Auctioneers return to orchestrate sales and coax top dollar for the opportunity to strike gold or overpay for useless junk. There are no guarantees. Lest we forget the occasion of Valentine’s Day, Disney sends out “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I (Heart) Minnie.” Coincidentally, it’s also her birthday. The collected episodes include the newly shown “Minnie & Daisy’s Flower Shower,” “Daisy’s Dance,” “Daisy’s Pet Project,” “Minnie’s Rainbow” and “Minnie’s Birthday,” in which the Clubhouse gang attempts to arrange and set up a surprise party. In “Dora’s Easter Adventure,” Our Heroine and Boots are called upon to retrieve a basket filled with holiday confections. Two other episodes involve the Grumpy Old Troll and Troll Land. The DVD adds several interactive karaoke numbers, during which kids are encourage to follow the bouncing Easter egg. – Gary Dretzka Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe: Blu-ray Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani: The Peter Davison Years, 1982-84 Doctor Who: The Sensorites: The William Hardin Years, 1963-1966: Blu-ray The floodgates have yet to shut on the flow of titles from the BBC’s “Doctor Who” catalogue. The newly available material runs the full gamut of the show’s life. Indeed, it’s only been two months since Christmas and the enduring series’ 2011 holiday special, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe,” is already available in Blu-ray. By contrast, it’s taken 46 years for “The Sensorites” to arrive in hi-def and 28 for “The Caves of Androzani,” in DVD. “The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe” borrows freely from the C.S. Lewis classic, in ways suggested by the fractured title of the disc. The special episode opens in 1938, with the doctor stuck on a damaged alien spacecraft in Earth-orbit. Just in the nick of time, he dons his impact suit and plummets to the surface, where a kindly British woman helps the hapless spaceman get his bearings, so he can locate his TARDIS. Skip ahead three years to the Blitz. The woman’s pilot husband is missing in action over the English Channel and the she’s taken the kids to a relative’s house in Dorset to avoid the incessant bombing. We recognize the home’s caretaker as the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith), even if the woman doesn’t. His desire to give the family a happy Christmas inadvertently results in the opening of a gift that leads to a time portal, into which the son disappears. The daughter and doctor follow the light to an enchanted forest. Meanwhile, mom bumps into a group of miners from the ecologically threatened Androzani Major. There’s more, but I’m already confused. And, speaking Androzani, it’s on Androzani Minor that the TARDIS drops the 5th Doctor (Davison) and Peri, during the show’s 21st season. As usual, the planet is wracked with turmoil, including the pursuit of a compound, excreted by bats, that is believed to extend life. Rebels are battling the dominant corporation for access to the substance. It probably wasn’t one of the doctor’s best ideas to intervene in the fracas, and by the end of the episode, a 6th Doctor has been regenerated to save the planet and solar system. Many aficionados consider “The Caves of Androzani” to be their favorite episode. “The Sensorites” is No. 007 in the “Doctor Who” canon. Shown in six parts in the 1964 season, it stars William Hartnell as the 1st Doctor and companions played by Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton. When the doctor arrives, the Sensorites are holding a capsule inhabited by Earthlings frozen in orbit. A previous survey team had discovered something valuable on the planet and caused much damage there. In an effort to get both problems solved, open-minded Sensorites allow the doctor and his team to join them in finding a cure for mass-poisoning and other disasters. Clearly, one of the reasons cultists love “Doctor Who” is that the complexity of the plots and story arcs discourages easy access to newbies, like me. – Gary Dretzka Steve Coogan Live Geek Charming Admirers of so-called “quality television” who haven’t already watched one season, at least, of “Downton Abbey,” are missing one of the great viewing experiences of the decade. The first installment of Julian Fellowes’ brilliant “Masterpiece Theater” mini-series either won or was nominated for every major television award the American and British industries bestow. Even if one hasn’t seen a single episode, however, a working knowledge of “Upstairs, Downstairs” would suffice as an introduction. “Downton Abbey” is “Upstairs, Downstairs,” but among the landed gentry. Set during approximately the same period in English history, the series chronicles the roller-coaster affairs of the Earl and “Countess” of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern) and the rest of the aristocratic Crawley family, as well as their servants, during the reign of King George V. The first season began with the sinking of the Titanic and ended in anticipation of World War I. The second covers the war years 1916 to 1919, both in pastoral Yorkshire and the Somme killing fields; the 1918 flu pandemic; and the first stirrings of the war for independence in Ireland. The 2011 “Christmas Special” wraps the decade up in a bright bow, leaving us in early 1920 and salivating for the start of Season 3, when Shirley MacLaine joins the cast as the Countess’ American mother. While everyone is very good in the cast, Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess steals every scene with her precise use of the English language, toxic sarcasm and ability to surprise viewers and characters with unexpected acts of kindness. Jim Carter, as butler Charles Carson, is similarly memorable. Both are front and center when it comes to dealing with the various intrigues, which include love, loss, blackmail and betrayal … just like in “Dallas.” In Blu-ray, the magnificent Highclere Castle and beautiful Hampshire countryside are wonderful to watch and savor. The set adds the featurettes, “Fashion and Uniforms,” “Romance in a Time of War” and “House to Hospital.” Also from “Masterpiece Theatre” comes Niall MacCormick’s short but withering play, “The Song of Lunch,” in which ex-lovers reunite after 15 years to see if they still have anything in common. Alan Richman plays “He,” while Emma Thompson is “She.” Facebook junkies of a certain age will recognize the urge to re-connect with old flames after a long passage of time. MacCormick points out what some of the Facebook daters have already learned: most graves are best left undisturbed. In the ensuing 15 years, She has married a writer who He doesn’t respect. She lives in Paris with their two children. By all accounts, He is a poet of no standing and publisher of works he despises. If he isn’t an alcoholic, He turns in a masterful impression of one over lunch. He’s aggressively passive-aggressive, petty and distant to the woman he loved and happily made the jump over the channel to see him. Moreover, even before the main course is set before him in the restaurant they once frequented, He has consumed nearly two bottles of wine. How one man could be so boorish in the presence of such grace is a mystery that doesn’t require much of an investigation, really. Times change, places change and our perceptions of people we once loved can change, as well. Thompson is especially well suited for the role of She. I’d like to think Richman had to work overtime to come up with a character as pathetic as He, however. For American audiences only aware of British comedian Steve Coogan from his appearances in such movies as “The Trip,” “Our Idiot Brother” and “24 Hour Party People,” the in-performance DVD “Steve Coogan Live” might come as a revelation. Like Sacha Baron Cohen, he has a tremendous gift for mimicry and creating characters that seem to have lives of their own. His most recognizable creation is the unctuous, self-absorbed British talk-show host, Alan Partridge. “Steve Coogan Live” contains the stage presentations, “The Man Who Thinks He’s It” and “Live & Lewd,” during which he becomes such bizarre characters as “lager lout” Paul Calf and his slutty sister, Pauline; Portuguese Eurovision-winner Tony Ferrino; the incompetent stand-up comedian, Duncan Thicket; and Partridge, who has no regard for his guests, audience or the limits of his own talent. They’re joined on stage and in backstage interludes by the “politically correct” comic Bernard Righton (John Thomson), Simon Pegg and Julia Davis. The rest of the two-disc set is comprised of highlights from Coogan’s Australian tour; the featurette, “Steve Coogan: An Inside Story”; and “Animations of Paul and Pauline Calf.” The often bawdy comedy is distinctly British and may go under the heads of American audiences, just as the coarse language may offend some tender American ears. Sarah Hyland (“American Family”) is the main reason for anyone over 17 to watch the Disney Channel’s “Geek Charming.” In it, she assumes the role once mastered by Alicia Silverstone, in “Clueless.” Her Dylan Schoenfield is the spokewoman for all that’s cool, trendy and expensive at Woodlands Academy, in L.A. Since she already owns everything she covets, Dylan isn’t particularly interested in anything that doesn’t involve her A-list boyfriend or the school’s Fall Formal Blossom Queen competition. When offered an opportunity to be the star of a nerd’s entry into the school’s film festival, she senses that it could make her the idol of teenagers far beyond Woodland Academy and accepts his invitation. If you think the good guy will lose in a Disney Channel movie, you’d always be wrong. The set also arrives with 10 episodes of the “Glee”-ish “Shake It Up” series and a “Best Friend Charm Set.” – Gary Dretzka 3 What Happens Next German filmmaker Tom Tykwer made such a splash with “Run Lola Run” that expectations for his success in America likely were raised to a point no director of arthouse fare could meet. His big-budget action thriller, “The International,” is memorable solely for its exquisitely staged shootout inside New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Constructed on a far more modest foundation, “3” may be his finest film since “Lola.” Set in Berlin, “3” observes a trio of aging yuppies, anxious to achieve sexual fulfillment before becoming middle-age crazy. There’s no question that Simon and Hanna are happy together, even after 20 years together. Hanna develops a crush on a teacher of one of her post-graduate classes, even fantasying about him as she daydreams her way through his dry lectures. After several coincidental meetings and a fun night on the town with his friends, Hanna decides to give the younger man a shot in the sack. Her timing is awful, in that it coincides with Simon’s unplanned operation to remove a cancerous testicle. Genuinely unhappy that she missed his surgery, but not exactly wracked with guilt, she repeats her declaration of love for Simon and we have no reason not to believe her. Weeks later, in another chance meeting, Simon hooks up with Adam at a cool Berlin swimming facility, which appears to double as a pickup spots for gay men. More time passes and Hannah discovers she’s pregnant with twins. This situation could have been handled, poorly, in several different ways. Tykwer settled on one that leaves several questions unanswered, but is satisfying in other significant ways. Because of the occupations of the three characters, it was possible for Tykwer to make “3” look as sleek and hip as possible, without losing any old-world flavor. All of the actors (Sophie Rois, Sebastian Schipper, Devid Striesow) are very good in untypical roles. And, while erotic, the sex in “3” is likely to offend only people willing to vote for the current slate of Republicans seeking the White House. Americans still have a long way to go before they’ll accept gay dramas and rom-coms in mainstream movies, even ones as innocuous and unchallenging as “What Happens Next.” In writer/director Jay Arnold’s debut feature, it takes being fired from his job for a rich businessman, Paul (Jon Lindstrom), to accept his sexual reality. Meanwhile, his sister (Wendie Malick) is desperately attempting to come to grips with her son’s homosexuality. Paul finally is able to act on his deeply sublimated feelings after meeting a much-younger gay man, Andy (Chris Murrah), in the local dog park, where he walks the puppy he received as a going-away gift. Meanwhile, Paul’s sister continues to arrange hetero dates for him. “What Happens Next” feels quaint by comparison to more sophisticated gay-and-lesbian fare, including “3.” As the clichés mount – the mandatory fag hag and sissy boy, among them — it’s possible to wonder who the movie was intended to impress, gay daters or closet cases. – Gary Dretzka The Dead: Blu-ray As zombie movies go, “The Dead” isn’t particularly scary. It does, however, contain many scenes of undead dismemberment, gore and shooting. What separates “The Dead” from a zillion other such flicks are the bleak Burkina Faso and Ghana locations, which recall news footage of starvation in sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, many of the zombies look healthier – from a distance, at least – than the victims of neglect, starvations and internecine war. In Howard and Jonathan Ford’s arid thriller, U.S. Air Force engineer Lt. Brian Murphy is the sole survivor of a plane crash off the coast of war-torn Africa. No sooner does he wash up on shore than he’s confronted with zombies drawn to him like a lighthouse. Because Murphy is a dead shot, he avoids being eaten fairly easily. On his trek to the interior, Murphy is joined by an African soldier (Daniel Dembele) also desperate to leave the area. When their vehicle expires, they proceed by foot through the badlands. The quest for survival is more interesting as a reverse-travelogue than as a creature feature, but that’s OK. There’s a deleted scene and making-of piece, showcasing the special makeup effects work. – Gary Dretzka David E. Talbert’s What My Husband Doesn’t Know If it weren’t for Tyler Perry, David E. Talbert might be the country’s best-known creator of plays and musicals, movies and TV shows, novels and DVDs targeted primarily at the African-American audience. Rather than restage the plays for the movies, Talbert shoots the stage production and sends it out on DVD. It captures the intimacy of the production, while saving lots of money. “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” is the first one I’ve seen that justifies taking the shortcuts. Here, Michelle Williams plays Lena, the beautiful wife of an older, wealthy developer (Clifton Davis) who neglects his wife’s sexual needs. In a moment of weakness, she succumbs to the physical attributes of a younger man (Brian White) hired to fix the house’s plumbing. When her husband smells a rat and pledges to pay closer attention to Lena, she decides to end the affair. Easier said than done, of course. The plumber becomes her stalker. It makes for a dramatic climax, but, what I didn’t expect was that “What My Husband Doesn’t Know” would be so legitimately risqué and funny. Even the pastor is a man with a sexual past. I especially enjoyed the innuendo and double entendre delivered by Lena’s horny BFF, played hilariously by sexy Tiffany Haddish. As is typical with these sorts of productions, there are plenty of belt-it-out singing and larger-than-life characters. “WMHDK” is well acted and stylishly directed by Talbert. It may not be Neil Simon, but it doesn’t need to be. The DVD adds interviews and a backstage tour. – Gary Dretzka All Things Fall Apart In this overburdened sports melodrama, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson not only is responsible for carrying the ball, but also recovering the occasional fumble in the narrative. Besides starring in “All Things Fall Apart,” as an NFL-bound football player cruelly stricken with cancer, Jackson is credited as writer (with Brian A. Miller) and producer. His character, Deon, is a natural born athlete. By the time he blossoms as a running back, Deon’s also amassed an impressive display of dreadlocks, which flow from under his helmet and partially hide his handsome face. He’s built like the proverbial brick shithouse and probably could run through a concrete wall, as well. Until a potentially deadly tumor is discovered near his heart, Deon’s biggest problems are caused by an overbearing brother (Mario Van Peebles, who also directs) and avoiding the temptations associated with being a soon-to-be millionaire. Chemotherapy causes Deon – and 50 Cent — to lose more than 40 pounds of bulk, braids and most of his energy. His older brother is devastated by the reality of never being able to share Deon’s fame and fortune; his mother (Lynn Whitfield) is working triple-time to make ends meet; and a younger brother has finally begun to assert himself as something other than a sidekick, forced to sacrifice his dreams for Deon’s career. After losing his scholarship, insurance and likelihood of supporting himself doing the only thing he’s qualified to do, Deon goes from bad to worse. It isn’t until the young man hits rock bottom is he able to beg his younger brother for a job at a used-car dealership. Turns out, he’s a natural salesman, as well. The surprises don’t stop there, either. “All Things Fall Apart” has so many things going on in it that it’s impossible to keep track of all of them. 50 Cent still has a way to go before he can carry a film on his acting skills, instead of his looks and personality. Van Peebles’ capable direction keeps the movie from drifting too far into territory previously mined by “Brian’s Song” and other sports tragedies, and it looks good. There’s also a pounding hip-hop soundtrack and Ray Liotta playing a surgeon. That’s a lot of heavyweight stuff for a direct-to-DVD picture to address, even in 110 minutes. – Gary Dretzka The Other F Word Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess What’s the greater disconnect, watching 68-year-old multimillionaire Mick Jagger prancing around a giant stage demanding satisfaction or watching a documentary about punk-rock stars attempting to avoid the mistakes made by their parents, while raising their own children? Both images are pretty hair-raising, I suppose. “Janie Jones” and “The Other F Word” have a lot in common in the area of child-rearing and musicians’ accepting the realities of age. In the former, a temperamental singer-songwriter freaks out when he’s introduced to the 13-year-old daughter he never knew he had, by a groupie he can’t remember meeting, let alone having unprotected sex. It’s popular male nightmare, especially in the worlds of music and professional sports. Here, the mother of the girl, Janie (Elisabeth Shue and Abigail Breslin, respectively), insists that she couldn’t wait any longer, because she’s strung out, requires lengthy detox and has nowhere else to turn. Even though, the mother isn’t demanding any money from singer Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), he chooses not to believe her. While performing on stage, however, she takes a powder, leaving Janie to her own devices. After the police pick up the girl for vagrancy – and being in a free-fire zone for pimps looking for fresh talent – Ethan reluctantly allows Janie to hop on the bus, heading for the next gig. It doesn’t take long before the singer’s drinking problem blossoms into a full-blown crisis and his band decides not to stick around for the explosion. The rest of “Janie Jones” chronicles how Ethan and Janie’s passion for music – she’s a natural singer-songwriter — ultimately creates a bridge between them. Writer-director David M. Rosenthal (“Falling Up”) has avoided most of the traps inherent in these scenarios, thanks to an unsentimental portrayal of a father and daughter at loose ends and in desperate need of a helping hand. Breslin and Nivola are terrific and Shue is extremely convincing as a junky who missed too many exit signs on the road to rock-’n’-roll hell. Peter Stormare also is good as the band’s seen-it-all manager. Nivola and Breslin sing original music by Gemma Hayes and Eef Barzelay. The title, “The Other F Word,” refers both to fatherhood and the barrage of F-bombs lobbed during the course of the average punk-rock concert. Among the many ironic twists informing Andrea Blaugrund Nevins’ frequently heart-warming documentary is watching the musicians attempt to balance their anarchic stage personae with the realities of 21st Century parenting. It would have been all too easy for a filmmaker to locate the kids of musicians and ask them what it was like to be raised by rock stars – men and women, both – in a society obsessed with celebrity, wealth and pop culture. For every Jakob Dylan, Miley Cyrus, Stella McCartney and Sean Lennon, there probably are an equal number of train-wreck childhoods. Going blind into “F Word,” I wondered if Nevins anticipated finding a mix of success stories and disasters; tattooed toddlers in leather jackets; musicians too stoned or drunk to remember to pick up the kids at school; and retired-groupie moms in fishnets and industrial-strength mascara. Instead, the parents we meet here lead relatively normal lives with their seemingly normal children, who are encouraged to do their homework and play nice with the other kids at school. The common problems faced by those interviewed in “F Word” is the same one that’s haunted musicians, actors and athletes for more than 100 years. How much damage is done to kids, adults and marriages if a parent is required to spend months at a time on the road, performing and promoting projects? Would even greater problems arise if the parent stayed at home, vegged out and rested on his royalties? Can children be traumatized by a parent’s hairstyle, body ink or attire? Among the musicians interviewed are Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against the Machine’s Tim McIlrath and Pennywise’s Jim Lindberg, whose band’s anthem is “Fuck Authority.” On the other hand, not all punk rockers grow old gracefully or can escape the stereotypes of the genre. “Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess” chronicles the troubled personal life and chaotic career of Marion Anderson. Abused as a child by her father, Anderson attempted to escape her pain through drugs, street life and outrageous behavior. After a stint in juvenile detention, she committed herself to a type of music that was as angry and unforgiving as she was. And, for a while, Anderson was able to hold off the demons of bi-polarity. As lead singer of the Bay Area punk group the Insaints, she developed a reputation for acting out her hostility and sexual proclivities on stage. Law-enforcement agencies attempted to shut down her act, of course, but the ACLU took her side in the argument over the limits of artistic expression and won. After moving to Los Angeles, the very pretty Anderson began to moonlight as a fetish model and dominatrix, somewhere along the way acquiring a taste for heroin. Her death didn’t prompt the same media coverage as that of other doomed pop stars, so Lilly Scourtis’ “Last Fast Ride” provides a proper eulogy. Narrated by Henry Rollins, the movie is loaded with interviews, concert footage and the recollections of her family and girlfriend. It’s an interesting portrayal, but one that fits a pattern familiar to other pop idols. – Gary Dretzka Manhattan/Annie Hall: Blu-ray Woody Allen: A Documentary Among the many things for which Woody Allen is widely known is his reluctance to add bonus material and commentaries to his movies as they’re released in video, DVD and Blu-ray. A few years ago, he told a reporter for Total Film, “I’m really not interested. I want my films to speak for themselves. And hopefully they do.” He’s granted many such interviews over the course of his long career, but not the kind of frame-by-frame analysis collectors of laserdiscs, DVDs and Blu-rays relish. The Blu-ray release of “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” – arguably, his two most popular and enduring titles – once again raises the question as to how Allen managed to resist the temptation to flog his projects. It seems like such fun, after all. Certainly, enough already has been revealed about these two movies, so that commentaries might only serve as the icing on the cake or cherry on the sundae. In a very real sense, “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” do speak for themselves. “2001: A Space Odyssey,” they’re not. The only real question to be answered, then, is how well the hi-def presentation compares to the theatrical and DVD experience. Very well, thank you. Cinematographer Gordon Willis’ magnificent black-and-white work in “Manhattan” remains transcendent and the studio has decided not to mess arbitrarily with the original audio presentations. That’s enough to recommend them. Patient admirers of Allen’s films need only wait another two weeks for Robert Weide’s “Woody Allen: A Documentary,” a 191-minute exploration of the artist, his work and influences. Allen is interviewed at length, as are such actors as Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, John Cusack, Larry David, Mariel Hemingway, Scarlett Johansson, Julie Kavner, Diane Keaton, Martin Landau, Louise Lasser, Sean Penn, Tony Roberts, Chris Rock, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest and Owen Wilson; collaborators Marshall Brickman, Mickey Rose and Doug McGrath; cinematographers Gordon Willis and Vilmos Zsigmond; Allen’s sister and aide, Letty Aronson; longtime manager Jack Rollins; casting director Juliet Taylor; and friends Dick Cavett and Martin Scorsese. Not all of what’s said about Allen is particularly new or revelatory, but all of the pieces add up to a recognizable whole. Allen also opens up a little on his personal life and the controversies that continue to dog him. The documentary takes viewers from Allen’s earliest writing jobs and Marxian comedies, through the highs and lows of his movie career, and to the surprising success of “Midnight in Paris.” It’s a fascinating portrait and not a minute too long. The bonus material on the DVD includes “12 Questions With Woody Allen,” deleted scenes and interview material, and an interview with Weide. – Gary Dretzka Notorious/Spellbound/Rebecca: Blu-ray The Apartment: Blu-ray In the world of Blu-ray, some weeks are better than others. Sure, hardly a week goes by without the release of one or two current hits, sure to top the list of best-selling and best-renting titles. What makes buffs stand up and applaud, though, is the concurrent release of important catalogue classics, which took their own sweet time to arrive, but are in as good a shape as the latest technology allows. This is one of those weeks. It’s pretty tough to beat the near simultaneous releases of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” “Spellbound” and “Notorious”; Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment”; and Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall.” The movies speak for themselves as necessary additions to anyone’s library. If not, the duly noted Academy Award nominations and Oscars make the case even clearer. Besides being examples of Hitchcock working at full speed, the movies are populated with such immortal acting talents as Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Claude Rains, Leo G. Carroll and Rhonda Fleming (in her second credited role), as well as the writing of Robert Sherwood and Ben Hecht. “Rebecca” may be the most significant in that it represents Hitch’s first American-made feature, under notorious meddler/genius David O. Selznick, and the only one of his titles to win the Best Picture Oscar. Adapted from a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, “Rebecca” tells the story of a pretty, if oddly unfashionable young woman (Fontaine) who falls quickly and deeply in love with a filthy-rich older man (Olivier). Their days at the Manderley mansion would become increasingly dark as the clouds of controversy, conspiracy and fear continue to roll in and the specter of the owner’s recently dead wife haunts the narrative throughout. It’s one of the rare movies in which the suspense continues to build, even as final credits are about to roll. The Blu-ray bonus package adds commentary by Richard Schickel; isolated music and effects tracks; the featurettes, “The Making of ‘Rebecca’” and “The Gothic World of Daphne DuMaurier”; screen tests, including those of Margaret Sullavan and Vivien Leigh; and radio plays; audio interviews with Hitchcock. “Spellbound” is famous largely for the inclusion of a trippy dream sequence conceived by Salvador Dali. Otherwise, according to Hitchcock, the film is “just another manhunt wrapped up in pseudo-psychoanalysis,” albeit a very enjoyable one. Bergman plays a dedicated psychiatrist, who falls in love with a doctor (Peck) whose true identity is masked by amnesia and abnormal behavior. The police believe him to be a murderer, but the psychiatrist isn’t convinced. “Calling Dr. Freud …” Here, the extras include commentary with film historians Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg; the excellent featurettes, “Running With Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali,” “Guilt By Association: Psychoanalyzing ‘Spellbound,’” and “A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming”; a 1948 radio play, directed by Hitchcock; and interviews conducted by Peter Bogdanovich. The spy thriller “Notorious” is many people’s favorite Hitchcock movie, if only because of the steamy post-war romance between an American intelligence officer and the playgirl daughter of a Nazi spy that he recruits to infiltrate a nest of Nazi spies in Brazil. Despite the fact that her father was convicted in court and elected to commit suicide instead of serving time, Alicia Huberman professes a love for America and accepts the challenge. She even agrees to marry a former friend (Rains) of her father and member of a gang of unrepentant Nazis. One of Hitchcock’s tricks here is to give us more information about Alicia than what’s available to her control agent, Devlin (Grant) – who still considers her to be a loose cannon — setting up the possibility of a Shakespearean tragedy. The romantic scenes pushed the borders of the Hollywood Production Code, as did the ambiguity surrounding Alicia’s sexual past. The closer Alicia gets to exposing her true colors to her husband and his fascist mother, the hotter the romance grows between her and Devlin. The broken-bottle scene in the wine cellar is a classic example of how Hitchcock builds tension, without resorting to thriller conventions or superfluous dialogue. The Blu-ray adds commentaries by film professors Rick Jewell and Drew Casper; isolated movie and effects tracks; making-of featurettes, including one on the development of the love scenes; a 1948 radio play with Bergman and Joseph Cotton; a short piece of an AFI honored bestowed on Hitch; and his discussions with Bogdanovich and Francois Truffaut. It amazing that some of the most romantic moments in cinema history have been orchestrated by someone who doesn’t look as if he could get laid in a whorehouse. Discussions about Hitchcock’s often testy relationship with Selznick also are fascinating. The numbing sameness of factory work has been dramatized in movies for almost as long as there have been movies, with Charles Chaplin’s 1936 “Modern Times” scoring a direct hit on the dehumanizing effects of assembly lines, automation and unsafe conditions in the workplace. In Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment,” employees of the giant Consolidated Life Insurance Company aren’t much happier than Chaplin’s hapless nut-tightener. The only thing missing in Wilder’s depiction of Consolidated’s vast un-partitioned workspace is an open window, from which the miserable clerks and bean-counters could commit suicide. It’s a miracle that any single drone could be singled out for special duty by the office managers, but C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) benefits from his willingness to allow married senior executives to use his nearby apartment for their trysts with young female employees. To a man, the executives are first-rate cads and exploiters of women who believe their lies about divorcing their wives. Baxter is led to believe that his cooperation could enhance his chance for promotion and, indeed, it does. Even when his bosses begin to abuse the privilege, Baxter literally allows himself to be left out in the cold Manhattan winter, catching a world-beater cold. Shirley MacLaine is wonderful as Fran, the elevator operator who breaks Baxter’s heart when the big boss leaves her at the apartment, despondent and betrayed. He helps her survivea suicide attempt, but is dismayed when Fran leaves herself open to more heartache. C.C. and Fran may be perfectly suited to each other, but it takes more courage than they’re usually able to muster to declare their independence in this often very dark comedy. Wilder won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay (co-written with longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond). Lemmon and MacLaine were nominated in the Best Actors categories. The Blu-ray package includes the informative commentary of film historian Bruce Block; the featurettes, “Inside ‘The Apartment’” and” Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon,” in which Chris Lemmon discusses the life and career of his father. – Gary Dretzka Shakespeare in Love: Blu-ray Up the Creek Monsigner With the nomination process behind us for another year, there’s no better time to recall the great upsets in Oscar history. I’m not sure anything would qualify as an upset this time around, although “The Artist” is the current favorite. One of the biggest surprises was the awarding of the Best Picture trophy to “Shakespeare in Love,” and victories for Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, writers Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, composer Stephen Warbeck, costume designer Sandy Powell and art directors Martin Childs and Jill Quertier. Director John Madden lost out to Steven Spielberg, whose “Saving Private Ryan” was considered to be the prohibitive favorite for more than six months. Most, if not all of the credit for the upset was given to Harvey Weinstein, whose lobbying efforts forever changed the way Oscar campaigns would be organized. It certainly has impacted on the release patterns, which practically ensure that potential Best Picture candidates no longer will open before Thanksgiving. Even if the debate continues, there’s no questioning that “Shakespeare in Love” is a wonderful entertainment. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary with Madden alone; a separate track with the commentary of cast and crew members; the post-Oscar featurette, “‘Shakespeare in Love’ and on Film”; deleted scenes; a profile of costume designer Powell; and marketing material. “Radio Inside” is a curious romantic drama from 1994. As far as I can tell, it wasn’t accorded a theatrical release, debuting on VHS four years later. Considering that William McNamara, Elisabeth Shue and Dylan Walsh had yet to emerge as stars, and the subject matter was pretty dark, the studio must have decided not to throw good money after bad. Fact is, it’s pretty good. McNamara plays Matthew, a Midwestern youth who moves to Miami to live with his older brother, Michael (Walsh), after the accidental death of their father. Michael is a genuinely nice guy and devoted brother, whose relationship with his girlfriend, Natalie (Shue), suffers an inability to push himself away from his desk. Matthew’s arrival is convenient in that he and Natalie can keep each other company, while Michael is working overtime or generally running late. Naturally, something happens that brings Matthew and Natalie together in a way that feeds on both of their insecurities. What isn’t predictable, however, is Matthew’s fantastical relationship with Jesus Christ – who is available by phone — and withdrawal into memories of the time he spent with his father in the North Woods. It takes a while to understand the young man’s fear of and fixation with water, but it finally makes sense in a strange sort of way. What truly distinguishes “Radio Inside” from the thousands of other offbeat indies made in the last 20 years is the cinematography of Brian Capener, which shows Miami in a more flattering and meteorologically dramatic light than any other movie I’ve seen. The shots of storm clouds and sunsets, alone, are worth the cost of a rental. The MGM title is available on a manufactured-on-demand basis through Internet retailers. There are no extras. Other new MOD titles include “Vice Squad,” a 1953 procedural in which Edward G. Robinson plays an LAPD captain “during the course of an ordinary day,” if you consider two police shootings, a bank heist and personal visits from a friendly madam normal. Shot largely on location, the inaccurately titled “Vice Squad” is fun to watch for its nostalgia value, if nothing else. Released in 1989, “Getting It Right” reminds me of a British version of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” In the place of wild and wacky Steve Carell is Jesse Birdsall, a subdued London hairdresser whose sexual awakening is sparked by eccentrics played by Lynn Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter and Jane Horroks. John Gielgud and Peter Cook also have memorable turns in this very British comedy. “Up the Creek” is a wildly uneven comedy from the Golden Age of gross-out and slob movies. Six years after “Animal House,” Tim Matheson and Stephen Furst are still in no hurry to graduate college, if only because they’re having too much fun and don’t feel any obligation to study. The dean (John Hillerman) is so anxious to see them leave that he offers them the degree of their choice if they win an annual collegiate white-water rafting competition against teams of stereotypical jocks, ROTC geeks, fraternity thugs, sorority sluts and other undergraduate misfits from other schools. If “Up the Creek” isn’t nearly as funny as “Animal House,” it’s because the writers don’t appear to have had any association with the National Lampoon. “Porky’s” regular Dan Monahan also is part of the home team. Christopher Reeve took on “Monsignor” in the hiatus between the second and third installments of “Superman.” Its status as one of Hollywood’s great turkeys – on a dollar-for-dollar, frame-by-frame basis, anyway – isn’t mentioned in the notes on the DVD cover, but its notoriety is the only possible reason the rascals at Shout! Factory would release it some 30 years later. Reeve is an American priest and war hero, whose rise in the Catholic Church is greased by his dealings with the Mafia and other shady businessmen. The most notorious moments occur when he breaks his vow of celibacy with a nun played by Geneviève Bujold, and who could blame him? There no bonus features. – Gary Dretzka Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles The Toynbee Tiles are the stuff that urban myths are made of … or would be if they weren’t so prevalent and well recorded by cultists and pop-culture historians. For the uninitiated, the tiles have been found embedded in roadways across much of the United States and several South American capitals. Each placard carries the words, “TOYNBEE IDEA/IN Kubrick’s 2001/RESURRECT DEAD/ON PLANET JUPITER,” or some variation of them. What they mean precisely can’t be known for sure because the perpetrator of the phenomenon has yet to be identified with any certainty, although the producers of “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” have found a couple of likely candidates. The most common theory holds that the messages refer to theories by historian Arnold Toynbee about death and resurrection and their relation to the “Space Baby” sequence in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The mystery has attracted the kind of attention usually reserved for crop circles, the JFK assassination, Trilateral Commission and Elvis Sightings. Jon Foy’s documentary addresses the history of the tiles and the many theories surrounding them. There’s a photo gallery of the tiles, which are all slightly different, as well as other bonus material. – Gary Dretzka Electric Daisy Carnival Experience Imagine coming home from work one day and seeing a Big Top on one end of your street, one sidewalk filled with midway attractions and the other lined with food trucks. In between them, several thousand people are wandering around waiting for the circus to begin. That’s kind of how I felt while watching “Electric Daisy Carnival Experience,” a DVD chronicling an annual two-day dance-music party held at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2010. Here were tens of thousands of young men and women, seemingly from around the world, gyrating to the pulsating sounds of house, dance and electronic music, delivered by the some of the genre’s most popular deejays. There was a Ferris wheel on one end of the field and a giant stage dominated by a single “spinner,” his mix kit and a bunch of sexy clowns on the other. How come I wasn’t invited? Probably because I would have passed out and died after the first six hours of jumping up and down while wearing some insane costume and candy-chain bracelets. These sorts of parties have been going on for years in Europe, where a large part of the underground economy is fueled by Ecstasy sales. Here, the parties have been smaller, more impromptu affairs. Apparently, though, the sheer magnitude of the 2010 “EDCE” surprised even seasoned deejays and promoters. A veritable horde of peaceful young freaks filled the football field and much of the grandstands; dozens of clowns and acrobats performed; and a couple dozens of deejays entertained the throng estimated at 100,000. Among those represented in the DVD are Steve Aoki, Moby, will.i.am, Laidback Luke, MSTRKRFT, Skrillex, Travis Barker vs A-Trak and a bunch of acts my kids would recognize, but I don’t. The “EDCE” film is a first-class, no-expenses-spared effort. It looks great on 2D, too. – Gary Dretzka Hunted by Night Potnah Unless one is a bow-hunter, the thrills in “Hunted by Night” are pretty much limited to watching Cuban-American heartthrob and People magazine coverboy Jencarlos Canela almost single-handedly wipe out a small army of cocaine traffickers and their stooges. The action begins in the Florida Everglades, where three friends are spending a few days hunting deer with high-tech bows and arrows. When one of the men spies a low-flying plane dropping bales of blow on what appears to be a designated pickup spot, we almost are able to see dollar signs emerging from a cartoon balloon over his head. He manages to convince one of his buddies to go along with his plan to rip-off the cartel, but is less successful with the hunter played by Canela, who senses a disaster waiting to happen. Within hours, a posse of heavily armed Hispanics shows up in their swamp buggies and Escalades, anxious to pick up the packages and ruin the lives of school children and fashion models across the U.S. of A. Instead of cocaine, they find a misplaced arrow, which, of course, leads them to the hunters. The remaining 90 minutes of the movie are taken over by chases, ambushes, shootouts, martial-arts action and well-placed arrows with razor-sharp broadheads. Did I mention that the extremely buff Canela also is a world-class kick-boxer? Anyway, that kind of wraps up what happens in “Hunted by Night.” The action is very good, but I would have expected veteran stuntman and freshman director Juan C. Bofill to up the ante by adding some alligators, man-eating pythons and cougars to the cast. When was the last time you saw a movie about illegal cigarette trafficking in the ’hood? Yeah, me neither. If the idea sounds appealing, check out “Podnah,” a do-it-yourself crime story directed by Darrell Smith and written by Kyron Hodges, a self-admitted graduate of the New York State Correctional Facility and budding multimedia magnate. “Podnah” appears to have been drawn from Hodges’ personal experiences in the cigarette trade, at least until, “the feds got jealous.” Hodges also stars in the micro-budget indie, which offers a thug’s-eye view of the life in the criminal underworld. It isn’t pretty, but “Podnah” does deliver some cheap thrills. – Gary Dretzka Tabitha’s Salon Takeover: Complete Season 2 The Rachel Zoe Project: eason 4 The Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 5 Ancient Aliens: Season Three For most of its first 20 years of existence, the Bravo network was known as a repository for shows highlighting the performing arts, drama, British television serials and independent film. For the past 10, it’s been a testing ground for reality-based shows no sane person could have imagined in the early days of cable television. The changeover began in 2003, with the unlikely success of the fashion-makeover series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” It would spawn such kindred shows as “Project Runway” and “Real Housewives.” For those too poor (or snooty) to afford a cable subscription, Bravo Media makes available full-season collections of all of its original programming. Generally speaking, these compilations pop up a week or two before the launch of a show’s new season, adding the reunion specials, confrontations between the shows’ stars and added footage. In the case of “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover,” there’s been a bit of a lag between the newly begun Season 4 and release of the Season 2 collection. Aussie salon owner and former “Shear Genius” contestant Tabatha Coffey has been assigned the task of rescuing businesses that are on the brink of disaster and consoling employees at loose ends. In Season 2, the blond-tressed, black-clad fashion dominatrix visited 10 salons in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. In doing so, she takes over control of the facility and makes all the difficult decisions. If only she could do the same thing with Congress. Also available in an exclusive deal with Target are “Real Housewives of Orange County: Season 6” and “The Rachel Zoe Project: Season 4.” When, in 2006, the SoCal housewives found a ready audience for their bad behavior and pathetic addiction to consumerism, it was inevitable that groups of similarly spoiled MILFs would be found in other major American cities, including New York, Washington, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Miami and Atlanta. (There also are spinoffs in Athens, Israel, Brazil and Vancouver.) In Season 5 Alexis Bellino replaces original housewife Jeana Keough. Tamra and Simon are feuding and Lynne and her family facing eviction. The widow Gretchen has begun dating Slade, the slimeball once engaged to Jo De La Rosa. Rachel Zoe began her television life as a much-in-demand stylist to the stars. What, you think celebrities could dress and accessorize that hideously on their own? The series now is more about the otherwise talentless Zoe, her staff, family and ancillary businesses than her celebrity clients. In the fourth stanza, Zoe and Roger appear to have settled their differences and she’s six months pregnant. If a baby can’t slow Zoe down, as her husband has requested, what hope is there for her wannabes? Former aide Brad Goreski now has a series of his own, “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” which, of course, is on Bravo. Meanwhile, over on the History Channel, Season 3 opened with a nod to the newly released sci-fi Western, “Cowboys & Aliens,” in that the show explores Native American myths and visits a cemetery, where, in 1897, an “ancient astronaut” is rumored to have been buried. It also examines how genetics, religions, cults and our Founding Fathers might have been influenced by alien contacts. It’s worth mentioning, here, that shipwreck finders recently found what they believe to be one or two UFO’s 300 feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea. With news like that, “Ancient Aliens” could run forever. – Gary Dretzka The Tuskegee Airmen/The Josephine Baker Story/Thurgood: Blu-ray Pacific Blue: The Complete Series The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show BBC: Waking the Dead: The Complete Season Six “America in Primetime,” which aired on PBS stations last fall, is the latest in a long line of documentary series to find some deeper meaning in the medium that dominates the free time of so many Americans. Television, especially of the broadcast variety, has shaped how we see ourselves and each other, even if the characters tend to be mere composites of various types. If all bigots were as lovable as Archie Bunker and George Jefferson, for example, the world would be a much better place. Likewise, if all gang-bangers were as harmless as the Fonz, our big cities would be as safe as Disneyland. Are the housewives of Wisteria Lane the natural descendants of June Cleaver, Donna Reed and Mary Tyler Moore or is their DNA shared with the “real housewives” of Beverly Hills and Orange County. “America in Primetime” examines 60 years of television programming with an eye toward the evolution of character types. It’s the kind of thing PhD’s study endlessly from the vantage point of their ivory towers and viewers take entirely for granted. For most of us, it’s enough to know we’re being entertained by characters who look, more or less, like people we recognize. If they more closely resembled our neighbors, co-workers and bosses, there would be no reason to watch them. It explains why “The Office” is such an anomaly. Its characters are exactly like people we’ve known since high school and went to college to avoid. And, yet, through some creative alchemy, we can’t wait to join them each week. It would be impossible to wrap up several generations’ worth of characterizations and archetypes in four hours and develop a cohesive understanding of the medium. What makes “America in Primetime” entertaining are the many clips from beloved shows and the comments of such folks as Jason Alexander, Judd Apatow, Alec Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, James L. Brooks, Diablo Cody, Larry David, Danny DeVito, Edie Falco, Dennis Franz, Michael C. Hall, Patricia Heaton, Ron Howard, Felicity Huffman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Lynch, Julianna Margulies, Jerry Mathers, Mary Tyler Moore, Elisabeth Moss, Mary-Louise Parker, Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke and Rainn Wilson. Don’t worry if the producers have missed your favorite show or character. Another documentary will be pulling into a PBS station near you in another few months, or so. With the Martin Luther King holiday now behind us and Black History Month two week away, it’s fitting that HBO has released a trio of its original movies, describing the contributions of important African-Americans. The package includes “The Tuskegee Airmen,” “The Josephine Baker Story” and “Thurgood,” all of which have been accorded numerous Emmy nominations and awards and arrive here on Blu-ray for the first time. The newest entry is “Thurgood,” with Laurence Fishburne playing the first African-American appointed to Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall. George Stevens Jr. wrote the one-man play, which, before debuting on HBO last February, was staged at Connecticut’s Westport County Playhouse, with James Earl Jones, and Broadway and the Kennedy Center, with Fishburne playing the justice. Throughout his career, Marshall defied the odds against a black man not only becoming a lawyer, but also arguing before the Supreme Court and then being appointed to the same body. Fishburne also appears in 1995’s “The Tuskegee Airmen,” the true story of the black pilots, navigators, bombardiers and support staff who broke the color barrier in the U.S. Army Air Corps and distinguished themselves over the skies of Europe. It is essentially the same story told in the new feature film, “Red Tails.” (Cuba Gooding Jr. appears in both pictures.) Like Marshall, the airman took flack from racists of all stripes, but persevered to become largely unsung American heroes. Along with Fishburne, Andre Braugher was nominated for a Supporting Actor Emmy. In 1991, Lynn Whitfield was awarded the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for her portrayal of Josephine Baker, one of the great entertainers of the 20th Century. Born in St. Louis, where she danced on street corners to make money, it wasn’t until Baker moved to Paris, in 1925, that she became a star. The HBO movie describes in glorious (and, perhaps, silicone-enhanced) detail how her erotic performances made her the toast of Europe. It also recalls her stormy romances and evolution of talents not limited to dancing around the stage in a skirt made of bananas. She didn’t find the same success in New York, when she agreed to star in a Ziegfeld Follies production. The critics portrayed in the movie appear to have resented both her race and success across the pond. During World War II, she agreed to spy for the Allies and support the Resistance by exploiting her popularity with enemy occupiers. She would also become an outspoken supporter of the American civil rights movement. The Blu-ray adds new commentary from Whitfield, writer Ron Hutchinson, and associate producer Alisa Taylor. As ridiculous as it sounds on paper, a show about an “elite unit of bicycle cops” managed to stay on the USA cable network from 1996-2000. Considering that it was set in Santa Monica, its longevity probably can be attributed as much to the scantily clad beach bunnies as the pursuit of purse snatchers on the bike paths and Promenade. “Pacific Blue” also benefitted from young and hot cops who could never be mistaken for police anywhere except southern California. It included Darlene Vogel, Shanna Moakler, Amy Hunter, Jim Davidson, Paula Trickey and current ass-kisser-to-the-stars, Mario Lopez. The set includes all 101 episodes of the show, described here as “‘Baywatch’ on bikes.” Time-Life has released the second volume of “King of Cool: The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show,” which originally had been sold on infomercials. I don’t know if anyone under 40 would enjoy revisiting the era of variety shows on television, but those who remember the extinct species will delight in the six-disc set, which comes with an episode guide. Among Dean’s guests are Red Buttons, Mickey Rooney, Sid Caesar, Jackie Mason, Bill Cosby, Carroll O’Connor, Bob Newhart, Ella Fitzgerald, Eddie Fisher, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Mathis, Liberace, Herb Albert, the Supremes and a bunch of long-forgotten acts. The latest collection of stories from BBC’s cold-case series, “Waking the Dead,” represents the sixth season, which ran in early 2007. The titles include “The Fall,” “Deus Ex Machina,” “Wren Boys,” “Mask of Sanity,” “Double Blind” and “Yahrzeit,” all multi-parters. Tara Fitzgerald is now a regular cast member, as pathologist Dr. Eve Lockhart. Any fan of American forensics and CSI series is a likely candidate to get hooked on “Waking the Dead.” – Gary Dretzka Titanic: The Definitive Documentary Collection The Race to Space: America’s Greatest Journey Civil War: Commemorative Documentary Collection Every time a floating hotel makes an unscheduled stop on a submerged shoal or rock formation, survivors compare the experience to being on the Titanic. It happened again a few days ago in Italy and, unlike the Titanic, most of the passenger survived. The ship will need some body work, but it likely will be made to float again. The same, of course, can’t be said of the Titanic, whose memorabilia are being offered for sale on eBay, as we speak. Mill Creek’s “Titanic: The Definitive Documentary Collection” includes five documentaries about the disaster, covering facts, myths, legends, mysteries, interviews and information collectors would specifically enjoy. “The Race to Space: America’s Greatest Journey” is interesting for its place in television history. Among other things, the 10-part documentary collection represents filmmaker David L. Wolper’s first forays into television. “The Race for Space” was shown in 1959, when Americans were still reeling over the fact that the commies had beaten us into space. Wolper would return to the subject several more times in his career. The docs include space footage and other material collected from NASA and Soviet space agencies. Much of the material, of course, will appear dated on modern television sets, but it recalls a time when anything seemed possible and we all stood in awe of the astronauts and the people who lit their candles. This being the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War, it’s a good time to get reacquainted with the events and issues – in addition to slavery — that led to the conflagration and controversies that contributed to the hatred and rivalries that continue until today. Mill Creek’s “Civil War: Commemorative Documentary Collection” set is comprised of nearly eight hours of interviews, archival material, battlefield tours, and re-enactments. The episodes are titled “The Life and Death of the Army of Northern Virginia,” “Mr. Lincoln’s Army: Fighting Brigades of the Army of the Potomac,” “The Battles for Atlanta,” “Shadow in the Valley: The Battle of Chickamauga,” “Diary of a Confederate Soldier,” “Civil War” and “Abraham Lincoln: Father of Freedom.” – Gary Dretzka Nova: Finding Life Beyond Earth: Blu-ray Nature: The Animal House Nova: Deadliest Volcanoes Frontline: Lost in Detention: The Hidden Legacy of 9/11 I don’t think it was the intention of the History Channel to completely deflate several centuries’ worth of legends and lore involving King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but someone had to do it, I suppose. Fortunately, the producers of “King Arthur and Medieval Britain” had the decency to fill the vacuum with lots more mystery, conjecture and provocative history. It dates back to the arrival of the Romans, building of Hadrian’s Wall and the invasions of various hordes. Allusions to Arthurian figures and events that may have contributed to the myth can be found almost everywhere in ancient texts and other passed-along material. Pinning down a particular 6th Century warlord, however, proves difficult. The story is told through dramatizations and archival images. The series also deals with the origins of Lancelot, Guinevere, Merlin and Excalibur; the history of arms and armor and the quest for the Holy Grail. History’s similarly exhaustive “Frozen World” and Nova’s fascinating “Iceman Murder Mystery” take viewers back to a period in Earth’s history when global warming was something to be welcomed, not feared. The changes wrought by the thick blanket of ice continue to shape how we live today. The great thing is that evidence of the changes surrounds us and can be seen without the employment of either a telescope or microscope. That we can still be surprised by the evidence, though, is just part of the appeal of “Iceman Murder Mystery.” For the past 20 years, scientists of several different stripes have been investigating the cause of death for a Copper Age man who was buried under ice for more than 5,000 years in the Italian Alps. The autopsy reveals clues that could keep the characters on “CSI” guessing for an entire season, including the contents of his stomach and presence of a bow and arrow. “Finding Life Beyond Earth” revives the question that’s been perplexing mankind for as long as humans could ask questions: where can I find a trustworthy mechanic? No, it’s “Are we alone in the universe?” and some scientists believe we may be getting close to an answer. We meet some of them in this DVD and Blu-ray. Another persistent question is, “Where do animals go when it rains?” Why do some animals build structures and others don t? Most of know where beavers live and how their houses get made, but where do less busy critters go? As far as I know, most of the animals featured in “The Animal House” have yet to earn a degree in architecture. Of all the horrific ways people can be killed in natural disasters, being devoured by a lava flow may be the coolest. Buried in ash, not so much. The “Nova” episode, “Deadliest Volcanoes” tackles the endlessly fascinating study of volcanology and how the eruptions have changed not only the landscape, but also the way people live in their shadow. Republican candidates for president enjoy beating up President Obama for not being tougher on illegal immigrants than he already is. “Frontline: Lost in Detention: The Hidden Legacy of 9/11” argues that Democrats don’t have to take a backseat to anyone on deportations and crappy treatment of our unwanted guests. The show examines Obama’s enforcement strategies, who is being detained and what is happening to them. – Gary Dretzka Astral City: A Spiritual Journey This Brazilian export combines key aspects of “Heaven Can Wait” and “Defending Your Life,” in the interest of a story about reincarnation. It was adapted by Wagner de Assis from a novel said to have been written by the spirit, Andre Luiz, through the Brazilian medium, Francisco Candido Xavier. Or, something like that. Here, the self-centered Dr. Luiz dies and awakes in the limbo-like realm of “Umbral.” It resembles a swamp, teeming with zombies instead of alligators. At some point, the doctor is snatched from the mud flats and brought to the spiritual city of “Nosso Lar” (“Our Home”), which could have been inspired by the Albert Brooks comedy. It’s here that Luiz is introduced to people working to improve and perfect the reincarnation process, which apparently needs fixing. The doctor probably could have used a bit more time in purgatory, as he routinely gave in to temptations of the seven deadly sins. He has other things to offer the community, though, than his personal redemption. “Astral City” reportedly was the most expensive movie to make in Brazilian history. The visual effects probably won’t impress most American audiences, as the backgrounds look as if they were lifted from a storybook. It’s intended, I think, for the kind of viewers who would like to see crystals and talismans sold at concession stands, alongside the popcorn. – Gary Dretzka Shark Night: Blu-ray Ice Quake: Blu-ray In the world of horror, it’s next to impossible to kill off a popular franchise, such as “Final Destination.” When all forward progress has been halted, the producers can always slip into reverse and pull a prequel out of their butt, thus advancing the series by going backwards. “FD 5” is set in the late 1990s, just before the release of the first “FD,” and a decade before the release of “FD4,” which we were led to believe was the final “Final Destination.” The enigmatic coroner, Bludworth, returns to the series to explain to the doomed characters that it’s impossible to cheat death simply by avoiding it once or twice. He’s introduced at the funeral of co-workers killed in a catastrophic bridge collapse, which serves as the movie’s first and best set piece. One of the passengers in a bus headed to a company retreat had envisioned the collapse right down to the impalements and crushed bodies. After awaking with a start, Sam realizes that the bus has only now reached the bridge and is in the same position it was when the road began to crumble in his dream. This time, he’s more successful at alerting his co-workers and getting more of them to safety than he was able to previously. Just when the survivors are feeling good about their chances of someday collecting Social Security, Bludworth’s warning begins to ring true. As usual, the deaths are designed to be as gory and disturbing as possible, especially when viewed in 3D. Besides the intricately choreographed bridge collapse, “FD5” features an exciting midair plane disaster and other stomach-churning “accidents.” Given the convenient placement of fans blades and other sharp objects, fans will be able to foretell scenes of unspeakable horror with the same accuracy as the most clairvoyant of characters. It spoils any notion of spontaneity but gives the punters their money’s worth. The Blu-ray edition adds alternate death scenes, a making-of featurette that explains how the green-screen set pieces were created and side-by-side comparisons of visual-effects sequences. Rated PG-13, “Shark Night” (a.k.a., “Shark Night 3D”) is built from the same template as such killer-animal flicks as “Piranha,” “Alligator,” “Lake Placid,” “Barracuda,” “Humanoids From the Deep” and, of course, the many sequels to those creature features. A group of college students decide to enjoy a few days off from school at a vacation home owned by the family of one of the girls. It’s located on a large, secluded lake in southern Louisiana. Before hopping on the motorboat that will transport them to the remote location, the students are confronted by a pair of belligerent local yokels, who will keep reappearing throughout the movie. No sooner do the students reach the cabin and begin entertaining themselves with various aquatic activities than critters we know to be sharks begin picking them off one by one. What, you ask, are sharks doing in a fresh-water lake? That’s for the filmmakers to know and very patient viewers to find out. It’s easy to figure out where the 3D effects would have appeared in “Shark Night,” if the distributors had elected to release the stereoscopic version. Nothing, though, could have turned the movie into something in the same league as the Corman classics or even “Piranha 3D,” which, at least, had the whimsy to add porn divas to the fishes’ menu. Indeed, there’s precious little skin here and the gore is inexplicably tame and predictable. While not nearly as crazy as some of Corman’s work for Syfy, “Shark Night” could easily find a home there. The Blu-ray arrives with a “Shark Attack Kill Machine!,” which allows viewers to skip ahead to the bloody bits; a profile of director David R. Ellis (“Snakes on a Plane” and two “Final Destination” installments; and the featurettes, “Shark Night’s Survival Guide” and “Fake Sharks, Real Scares.” “Ice Quake” is a fairly typical Syfy channel product in that a decent world-in-peril conceit isn’t supported by a budget that can make it look plausible. Apparently, a massive ice shelf has collapsed in Russia, causing earthquake-like shock waves to ripple through the entire polar region. Among other dire ramifications, huge geysers, fissures and avalanches are being recorded and methane is leaking through the permafrost, threatening to blow up the planet. An attractive cast, which includes Brendan Fehr and Victor Garber, is called upon to marshal their resources to save the Earth from an obnoxiously smelly demise. The British Columbia setting helps make “Ice Quake” easy on the eyes, if not the brain, and, if nothing else, productions like these keep Canadian actors gainfully employed. The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka Dispatch Set exclusively in the garage of a Los Angeles limousine service, “Dispatch” feels as if it might have been written for the stage and expanded to fit the dimensions of a vanity project for the screen. Steven Sprung and Michael Bershad do the heavy lifting in this Hollywood morality play. Bershad plays a screenwriter who has enjoyed success in the past, but refuses to take on the kind of lucrative assignments he feels are beneath him. Instead, he’s taken on the role of dispatcher at the limo company. Trouble is, he’s in the middle of a painful divorce and needs a chuck of money to make things right. A degenerate gambler, as well, he senses an opportunity when an old acquaintance – a cocky chauffeur, named Killer – returns to work, dropping hints about a sure-fire restaurant investment. Instead, it’s anything but a guaranteed success and Killer ain’t what he appears to be. “Dispatch” probably would be more effective if viewed in a non-equity production at a small theater. As a DVD rental, it isn’t a bad investment, either. – Gary Dretzka Cast Me If You Dare This amusing Japanese confection involves an actor who specializes in supporting roles and commercials, but can’t seem to escape from the shadow of his highly respected playwright father. As such, Hiroshi is a droopy fellow who rarely smiles and often is mistaken for other people, including wanted criminals. In addition to the ensuing comedy of errors, Hiroshi becomes the object of desire for a sweet aspiring actress, who’s as impressed with his credits as those of his father. Instead of embracing Aya’s advances, Hiroshi pushes her away from him. Eventually, the physical opposites attract, but it takes a large dollop of slapstick comedy before they do. “Cast Me If You Dare” is the kind of movie that grows on you. – Gary Dretzka The Fat Boy Chronicles Inspired by a true story and adapted from a book by Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan, who also wrote the screenplay, “The Fat Boy Chronicles” is a surprisingly entertaining story about a kid who overcomes huge obstacles in his struggle to be accepted by his high school classmates. Although not morbidly obese, Jimmy (Christopher Rivera) is well on his way to an early heart attack. He’s bullied unmercifully by the jock elite at his school and played for a sucker by some of the “popular” girls. Nevertheless, he dedicates himself to losing weight and finding a niche that fits his friendly personality. It isn’t easy, of course, but he finds support in the company of an outcast boy with an alcoholic father and the school’s resident “emo/goth chick.” Being a Dove-approved family film, “Fat Boy Chronicles” affords Jimmy the backing of understanding parents and the comfort of Sunday church services. The writers also put him in contact with adults who’ve either been victims of bullying, themselves, or have overcome some kind of social handicap. Watching Jimmy pick himself up by his own bootstraps is inspirational and heart-warming. Thirty years ago, a movie like this might have found a home on network TV as an “Afterschool Special.” Today, I don’t see any reason why a kids-oriented cable channel wouldn’t find a home for “Fat Boy Chronicles” on its schedule. The DVD adds interviews with the stars and some background on the national campaign to make adults aware of the bullying crisis in schools. – Gary Dretzka X: The Unheard Music: The Silver Edition Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Live: Blu-ray Chris Isaak: Live/Greatest Hits: Live: Blu-ray Ringo Starr and the Roundheads: Live: Blu-ray The title, “X: The Unheard Music,” refers not only to the band’s tough road to relative stardom, but also to the struggle of all L.A. underground and punk groups in the late 1970s simply to be heard. As crazy as it might seem in 2012, the club scene in Los Angeles was practically non-existent outside the mainstream venues; AM and FM radio both sucked; major labels and their handmaidens at MTV were completely risk-averse; and CDs, the Internet, iPods and satellite radio weren’t even at the pipedream stage. The Ramones and Sex Pistols had already established a beachhead in New York and London, and the media simply didn’t know what to make of them. Punk rock was being played in Los Angeles and Orange County, but only a few adventurous media outlets paid any attention to it. That would change in due course and the music industry would tie itself up in knots trying to recover. W.T. Morgan’s “X: The Unheard Music” was released about five years after Penelope Spheeris’ 1981″The Decline of Western Civilization” introduced the world to some of the L.A. punk bands mentioned in the X song, “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” (“We’re the last American band to be played on the radio …”). As much a visual essay on life in a steadily decaying Los Angeles, as it is a performance film, the documentary took five years to complete. In Blu-ray, it looks and sounds terrific, while the music and message aren’t at all dated. The same baloney spieled by the radio and music executives interviewed 25 years ago applies to the industry in 2012, except that today’s listeners have many more recording and playback options and availability to emerging artists via You Tube is unlimited. The execs’ attitudes also help explain why music lovers today aren’t at all sympathetic to the labels’ complaints about sagging profits and fierce competition from new-media outlets. The Silver Edition package includes lots of music, fresh interviews, a “dialogue” with John Doe and Exene Cervenka, a songbook and live outtake of “Some Other Time.” I don’t think X ever performed on “Soundstage,” but plenty of other excellent groups were represented on the live-performance series. The concerts look especially vibrant on Blu-ray, if only because the PBS technicians have always been way ahead of the curve when it comes to hi-def. The latest group of releases showcases Tom Petty & the Hearbreakers, Chris Isaak and Ringo Starr, who pretty much stick to their big hits and a handful of surprise songs. Petty strays into unknown territory a bit more than Isaak and Starr, with some blues and country standards, but there’s plenty of familiar stuff, too. Isaak displays a warm and funny stage presence and includes several acoustic songs in the two concerts included in the Blu-ray package. Raul Malo also appears on the disc. Ringo and the Roundheads perform such Beatles and post-Beatles classics as “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Octopus’ Garden,” “Choose Love,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Don’t Pass Me By,” “Photograph,” “Back Off Boogaloo,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Act Naturally” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” The former Mr. Starkey still is enjoying a surprisingly fruitful musical career. – Gary Dretzka In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds: Blu-ray Infamous director Uwe Boll returns to the wonderful world of swords and sorcery in this sequel to the 2006 dud, “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale,” which was based on the role-playing video game, “Dungeon Siege.” Box-office results didn’t warrant a sequel, especially considering the $60-million budget and a cast that probably didn’t work for peanuts. The fact that the subsequent DVD and Blu-ray releases of the original out-performed the theatrical release probably inspired the producers to risk this straight-to-video sequel at approximately a tenth of the cost and with only one truly recognizable star, Dolph Lundgren. He plays a Granger, a former Special Forces soldier who is transported back to a time when sorcerers and dragons competed with knights and kings for supremacy. No dummies, the royals seem perfectly content to let the time-traveler handle the Dark Ones for them. “Two Worlds” has been sent out with an “R” rating, for violence, which isn’t nearly the handicap in DVD as it is in a theatrical release. The Blu-ray arrives with commentary by Boll and writer Michael Nachoff (“Bloodrayne: The Third Reich”) and featurettes on the writing process and production. – Gary Dretzka Justified: The Complete Second Season Archer: The Complete Season Two Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob’s Frozen Face-Off Dora Loves Boots A survey of this year’s top-10 lists compiled by television critics would find the FX series “Justified” close to the top of the heap. With only two seasons under its belt, “Justified” has become one of the most anxiously awaited shows on the tube. It also has the distinction of being honored with a Peabody Award, several Emmy nominations and a much-deserved win for veteran character actor Margo Martindale. She played the sociopathic matriarch of the Crowder crime family, which initiated must of the mayhem in the show’s second season. You can see what all the fuss is about in “Justified: The Complete Second Season,” which is comprised of 547 minutes of creatively violent action, along with a set visit, outtakes and “Clans, Feuds and Apple Pie.” For the uninitiated, “Justified” is a spinoff of the Elmore Leonard short story, “Fire in the Hole,” and is as representative of the master’s prose as any movie adapted from a Leonard novel. Timothy Olyphant plays Raylan Givens, a young U.S. Marshal whose reputation for being quick on the trigger has been fairly earned and deemed perfectly legal by authorities. Even so, he was shipped for his own protection from Miami to his childhood home of Harlan County, Kentucky, which is crawling with in-bred hillbilly hoodlums, many of whom went to school with or played sports opposite Givens. In Season 2, Givens also was required to deal directly with the many failings of his outlaw dad. FX also is home base for the animated espionage comedy, “Archer,” soon to enter the second half of its third season. Deliberately irreverent, the characters resemble familiar genre archetypes from nearly 50 years’ worth of spy movies, from 007 to OSS 117. The best part, perhaps, is the many references to the characters’ sexual history, inner-office intrigue and dialogue laced with raunchy innuendo. Dubbed the “world’s most dangerous spy,” Sterling Archer often is more of menace to himself than the villains he pursues. In the second stanza, he also battled daddy issues. The Blu-ray comes with “Archersaurus: Self Extinction,” a mini-episode in which Archer is transmogrified into a velociraptor; “Ask Archer,” in which he answers viewers’ questions; “Semper Fi,” which acknowledges the soldiers of Able Company, serving in Afghanistan; “L’espion Mal Fait,” a kooky role-reversal short; and “ISIS Infiltrates Comic-Con.” The latest collection of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes opens with a nod to winter in “Frozen Face-Off.” In it, the residents of Bikini Bottom participate in a worm-sled race to the South Pole. Other episodes take on more familiar issues, such as SpongeBob learning to drive and his hoarding fetish. The DVD also includes bonus episodes. In “Dora Loves Boots,” the show’s star helps the red-booted monkey learn how to ride a bike, plan for a visit to the Rainforest Campground, adjust to bouncy new boots and reverse a magic spell that turns him into a chicken. – Gary Dretzka Greatest Super Bowl Moments It would be easier to shut off the flow of water to Niagara Falls than to keep NFL Films from re-purposing its vast inventory of Super Bowl and playoffs footage in the run-up to the Big Game. What are we up to now, 45? It’s been a while since producers of the “Greatest Super Bowl Moments” series have been required to pad or use filler to come up with 156 minutes of exciting action and still-vivid memories. More often than not, the games have provided plenty of noteworthy moments, drama and inspired decision-making. What we’ve yet to see from NFL Films is “Greatest Moments in Pro Bowl History.” Given the patty-cake guidelines for the annual event – now inexplicably held the weekend before the Super Bowl – it isn’t likely we ever will. – Gary Dretzka The Last Lions Lions aren’t exactly underrepresented in the world of nature documentaries. Fortunately, though, the undeniable majesty and sheer presence of these and other big cats – as photographed in the wild – flies in the face of the dictum, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” National Geographic and Dereck Joubert’s latest examination of life in Africa uses one startling statistic, along with 88 minutes of often spectacular cinematography, to justify its inclusion in the genre. It’s estimated here that Africa’s lion population has decreased from almost a half-million 50 years ago, to around 20,000 today. That’s fewer than the number of protected elephants extant on the continent. As one of Africa’s greatest tourist attractions, the loss of more lions not only could spell an economic calamity in places like Botswana – seen here – it also could pose the kinds of problems caused when an animal at the top of the food chain disappears. Beyond that staggering statistic, though, “The Last Lions” represents several years’ worth of dedication by Joubert in the field. As we have learned in other documentaries, lions faces dangers of their own, not the least of which are crocodiles and animals that stand up to them in mortal combat. If Jeremy Irons’ narration sometimes comes off as a tad cloying at times, it’s easy enough to turn down the sound and overlay the “Born Free” soundtrack over the splendid hi-def visuals. – Gary Dretzka Murder Obsession Branded to Kill: The Criterion Collection: Blu-ray Christmas has come early for fans of niche horror, extreme cult and otherwise wacked out movies from Italy and Japan. The latest package from increasingly essential Raro Video collection contains a juicy sex farce from 1970, a gory giallo from 1992 and an even bloodier giallo from 1981. From Criterion Collection comes a completely off-the-wall yakuza thriller, from 1967, which is every bit as enigmatic as anything that came out of France and Italy during the same period. “Come Have Coffee With Us” stars Ugo Tognazzi (“La Cage aux Folles”) as an unscrupulous tax collector in a scenic town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, near the Swiss border with Italy. Emerenziano’s records have led him there as he pursues love, marriage and wealth without actually having to raise a sweat. The targets of his gold-digging affections are three physically mismatched sisters, whose late father left them a huge inheritance. Not particularly young or conventionally attractive, the sisters might as well be nuns for all the sexual experience they display individually and collectively. Even as he convinces the oldest sister — painfully shy and with freakishly long black hair – to marry him, Emerenziano is plotting affairs with the other two. To his shock, the women not only go along with his whims, but begin to display insatiable desires for sex. Turns out, each of the sisters has one physical attribute that keeps the tax collector coming back for more, even when he’s become exhausted. Before long, Emerenziano is transformed from cad to boy-toy. For all the bed-hopping that takes place in “Come Have Coffee With Us,” there’s precious little nudity. The steam we see emanating from the screen is a byproduct of the sisters’ palpably volcanic passions. As far as I can tell, Alberto Lattuada’s comedy didn’t find distribution in the U.S. Maybe it didn’t contain enough nudity to satisfy audiences whose appetite for it was growing with each new title from Radley Metzger, Kenneth Russell and the newly liberated Swedes. In any case, Tognazzi makes “Coffee” come alive in a way that will make many middle-age viewers feel nostalgic. Lamberto Bava’s “Body Puzzle” appears to have been targeted at English-speaking audiences looking for some garish Italian horror. It stars Joanna Pacula, as the widow of famous pianist who suddenly begins finding the amputated appendages and vital organs of murder victims in her home. Tomas Arana plays the police detective, who, while investigating the case, falls in love with the freaked-out blond. Unlike the cops, we know who’s behind the attacks almost as soon as the first one is perpetrated. What’s prompting them successfully remains a mystery throughout most of “Body Puzzle.” That’s a good thing. By 1992, the distinctive giallo texture and depictions of extreme violence weren’t selling here and there was no urgency to import the movie. On DVD, however, it could find a home among hard-core fans of offbeat slasher movies. “Murder Obsession” is even more garish a giallo than “Body Puzzle,” as it combines slashing and dismembering with the black arts, movie magic and lots of sex. The mayhem takes place in the spooky, decaying mansion once inhabited by the star of a horror movie. Something horrible had happened here, but the details aren’t precisely clear in the young man’s mind. His mother still lives there with a creepy valet at her beck and call. When the son arrives ahead of a production team for his next project, he mysteriously decides not reveal the true nature of his relationship with the woman he brought with him. Things get even stranger when cast members move into the spare bedrooms and become the targets of the unseen killer. As for the nudity, two words: Laura Gemser. The Javanese star of countless soft-core classics is one of several beautiful women – it would be giallo scream queen Anita Strindberg’s final movie — that disrobe here in the service of Italian genre cinema. And, for their loyalty, are cruelly dispatched. If the special makeup effects in “Murder Obsession” occasionally look prehistoric by current industry standards, the blood still looks pretty real. The movies arrive with interviews with key participants in the productions. From Japan comes Seijun Suzuki’s nearly indescribable gangland action-thriller, “Branded to Kill,” in a splendidly restored edition from Criterion Collection. It is such a strange concoction that it actually caused Suzuki (“Tokyo Drifter,” “Tattooed Life”) to be fired from his studio position when he handed it in to his bosses. The chipmunk-cheeked actor, Joe Shisgido, plays a mob assassin, Hanada, who accepts an assignment that ultimately leads to some serious backstabbing and an impromptu competition between hitmen for the title of No. 1 killer. Not being an expert on mid-century Japanese cinema, the closest I can come to a simple description is that “Branded to Kill” blends several then-popular genres in the service of B-movie existentialism. When it isn’t being deadly serious, the movie is hilarious in the same twisted way that Quentin Tarantino’s flicks often are. Hanada is, at once, ruthless and vulnerable. An assassin performing at Hanada’s level may be capable of taking out his or her victim in ways that border on the mystical, but, as accomplished as they are, they can never be satisfied with No. 5 or No. 2. Moreover, to maintain their edge, they must forgo close relationships with other people and learn to live in the shadows. “Branded to Kill” has more sex and nudity than I can recall being in similar Japanese crime pictures of the period, although we’re now seeing more representatives of the so-called Toei Pink and Roman Porno genres. Suzuki pushes the borders of the conceit to the limit by requiring Hamada to breathe in the scent of boiling rice before he can become sexually aroused. He also plays tricks with music, cinematography and other atmospheric elements. The high-def digital restoration captures all of the nuances. The Blu-ray package adds several highly entertaining interviews with Suzuki, Shishido and second-unit director Masami Kuzuu, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic and historian Tony Rayns. – Gary Dretzka Circumstance Life in contemporary Tehran is put under the microscope in Maryam Keshavarz’ scathing drama about choices and borders, “Circumstance.” At its most obvious level, it is a story about a brother and sister who fall in love with the same girl. Scratch the surface, though, and “Circumstance” is a heart-breaking examination of how it feels to be young, full of life and already deprived of the freedom to make meaningful choices in a world full of them. Shireen and Atafeh are high school girls with rebellious streaks that can’t be hidden beneath a shawl and chador. Atafeh’s liberal, well-educated and wealthy parents returned to Tehran from the United States after the Islamic revolution. Thirty years later, they are faced with the reality that they’ve sentenced their children to a life sentence in the same posh prison in which they now life. Lately, Atafeh’s attempts to break out of that prison have been thwarted by the moral imperatives of corrupt mullahs and their ignorant thug militias. Whenever they can, Shireen and Atafeh frequent underground nightclubs, where they’re free to dance, sing, smoke cigarettes and enjoy the company of like-minded people. Anyone who’s seen “No One Knows About Persian Cats” will recognize the music and spirit of young Iranians, as well as the palpable fear of being busted by the morality police. At the same time, Atafeh’s brother Mehran has given up his aspirations for becoming a classical pianist and traded a heroin habit for Islamic fundamentalism. Even as he sinks deeper into the culture of spying and squealing encouraged by his spiritual leaders, there’s a spark of something decent in the young man. He’s aware of the girls’ sexual attraction to each other, but takes every opportunity to protect Shireen and win her heart with his wealth, love and vulnerability. The American-born filmmaker knew it would be impossible to shoot “Circumstance” in Tehran and wisely chose Beirut as a reasonable facsimile. Her casting choices couldn’t be more spot-on, either. Sarah Kazemy and Nikohl Boosheri are alternately radiant and tragic as the star-crossed teens, and Reza Sixo Safai keeps us guessing as to what the brother’s true intentions really are. “Circumstance” was completed before last year’s bloody protests in the streets of Tehran. Ironically, one of the young male characters – an Iranian educated at Harvard – is attempting to incite dissent by dubbing “Milk” into Farsi and showing young people how campaigns for human right are launched in America. Considering that the president of the Islamic Republic has asserted that homosexuality doesn’t exist in Iran, but, if it did, gays and lesbians likely would be put to death, it’s an odd choice for a rallying point. The DVD arrives with a making-of featurette and commentary. – Gary Dretzka 99 And 44/100% Dead/The Nickel Ride: Double Feature 1973 was a helluva year for Jason Miller, star of the newly re-released on DVD crime-thriller “The Nickel Ride.” First, he landed the key role of Father Karras in “The Exorcist” – his performance would qualify him for an Oscar nomination — and then he won the Pulitzer Prize for his play, “That Championship Season.” The next year, he was handed the lead role in Robert Mulligan’s L.A. noir, “Nickel Ride,” as an overwhelmed fixer for the mob. In a rare predicament, truck hijackers have been so successful in their quest for recyclable merchandise that their warehouses are overflowing with swag. It’s the responsibility of Miller’s character, Cooper, to find the vacant warehouse space needed to keep operations moving smoothly. For some reason, the market for warehouse space in downtown Los Angeles has turned sour and Cooper’s usual sources have been unable to fulfill their promises. Another associate has reneged on a pledge to throw a fight. There’s been a change in leadership in gangland circles and the new bosses have little patience for old-school guys, like Cooper, who now fears for his life. If this sounds a bit like the scenario for “The Friends of Eddie Coyle,” well, stranger coincidences have happened. George V. Higgins’1970 novel has far snappier dialogue and Robert Mitchum fit the mold of a soon-to-be-extinct mob dinosaur better than Miller in the screen adaptation, but Mulligan was similarly proficient in capturing the city’s underworld milieu. Throw in a pretty blond moll (Linda Haynes), a sadistic hitman (Bo Hopkins) and an icy boss (John Hillerman), and you have a nifty example of mid-century pulp fiction. Also released in 1974, “99 and 44/100% Dead” takes a pulpy premise and builds a kooky, inky-black action-parody around it. Richard Harris plays highly proficient assassin, Harry Crown, hired by elderly Mafia boss Uncle Frank (Edmond O’Brien) to eliminate chief rival, Big Eddie (Bradford Dillman). Anticipating Harry’s arrival, Eddie brings in the one-armed enforcer, Marvin ’Claw’ Zuckerman (Chuck Connors), who has more tricks up his nearly empty sleeve than David Copperfield. The dames are pretty swell here, too. (Ann Turkel as a school-bus driver in heels, anyone?) John Frankenheimer has all sorts of fun, messing with genre conventions, character stereotypes and interesting camera angles. Among other things, he opens the movie with a visit to Davy Jones’ Locker, where the mob buries the people and things it no longer needs. There are wild chases and alligators sharing space in the sewers with homeless people. Anyone looking for a completely unconventional crime movie will find it here. – Gary Dretzka Heavenly Creatures: The Uncut Version: Blu-ray Velvet Goldmine: Blu-ray City of God: Blu-ray It behooves anyone whose viewing habits have been changed by the addition of a home-theater unit to keep track of new releases, otherwise they might miss the arrival of some long-awaited titles or cult gems (such as the aforementioned “Nickel Ride” and ““99 and 44/100% Dead”). The good folks at Lionsgate/Miramax have just released a trio of films that are interesting for all sorts of reasons. Based on a true story, “Heavenly Creatures” describes how a pair of teenage outcasts in the land of the Kiwi becomes such close friends that they commit murder to prevent being separated by a concerned mother. The girls, who spend much of their time together creating elaborate fantasies, are chillingly portrayed by Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey (Rose, in “Two and a Half Men). The movie was directed by little-known Peter Jackson, who, eight years later, would begin rolling out a continuing string of Tolkien adaptations. As a modern horror story, “Heavenly Creatures” wasn’t that much of a stretch for Jackson, who had already dabbled in the genre with “Bad Taste” and “Dead Alive,” and would follow it with “The Frighteners.” Even as we are repelled by their crime, it’s difficult not to sympathize with the girls’ situation. The Blu-ray adds 20 minutes previously eliminated footage. Likewise, “Velvet Goldmine” would provide a springboard for Todd Haynes to gain mainstream attention. Previously known as the creator of the kooky “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story” (told with Barbie dolls), would build on the success of the exquisitely staged “Velvet Goldmine” and become a Hollywood darling with “Far From Home” and, more recently, “Mildred Pierce.” Borrowing elements of “Citizen Kane,” “VG” is an investigation into the disappearance of a Bowie-like pop sensation who disappeared from view after staging his own mock execution on stage. On the 10-year anniversary of that headline-making occurrence, a journalist played by Christian Bale embarks on the trail of Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Several years earlier Bale’s Arthur Stuart was just another teenage fan, struggling with sexual identity and acne. He would be inspired by the music and unisex personae of the post-Beatles, pre-glam rockers who began popping up in the early 1970s. They wore makeup, colored their immaculately cut hair and aspired to be fashion icons, as well as musicians. Neither were they reluctant to flaunt their bi-sexuality and divine decadence in front of the media, which ate it up and spit them out. Naturally, the desire to one-up their fellow musicians on and off stage would lead to mad adventures fueled by hard drugs, booze and promiscuity. Only the strong survived … but just barely. Also very good here is Ewan McGregor, as an American rocker modeled after Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. His balls-to-the-wall approach to the music and no-holds-barred lifestyle impressed Slade immensely. That admiration would lead to a love triangle, which also included Slade’s wife (Toni Collette), and be exploited by their manager (Eddie Izzard). This was topped by the arrival of the even more outrageous musician and producer, Brian Eno, in London. Lurking in the background throughout this whole crazy period was fanboy, Arthur; the ghost of Oscar Wilde; and the rising specter of anarchy and anti-fashion, as represented by the Sex Pistols. Haynes captures all of it with an eye for detail that was uncanny. The wardrobe design was wonderfully period-specific and the visualizations of rock dreams nothing short of dazzling. The music is good, too. Added features include commentary with Haynes and producer Christine Vachon. “City of God” benefits, as well, from the Lionsgate/Miramax restoration and its arrival is especially timely because Rio de Janeiro is about to become the center of the sports world, hosting the World Cup and Summer Olympics in succession. Upon its release in 2002, “City of God” was one of the very few films allowed access to the city’s teeming favelas and gang culture. It remains a frighteningly intimate document. The story, such as it is, is told through the eyes of a young warrior whose life is validated when he is given a camera and told to shoot what he knows. The Blu-ray adds the documentary, “News from a Personal War,” which describes the impact of the drug trade on the favelas. – Gary Dretzka The Black Power Mixtape, 1967-1975 I don’t expect this intriguing documentary will find much traction during Black History Month, even though it’s far more relevant than most of the material offered high school students. Using footage taken by Swedish documentary crews during the most turbulent period in modern American history, “The Black Power Mixtape” recalls how the non-violent activism at the heart of the civil-rights movement was challenged by young people who had become frustrated by the pace of change and charismatic leaders in the Nation of Islam. The assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy would serve to validate the anger and impatience of militants, including the Black Panther Party and Black Guerrilla Nation. Because the American media tended to treat such vocal Black Power advocates as Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale as commie freaks, their message remained undelivered by the media. Open displays of guns and a willingness to use them would interest the press, while corrupting the message that comes through loud and clear in the clips in “Mixtape.” Nor was the media willing to accept the widely held belief among radicals of all stripe that the FBI had dedicated itself specifically to destroying the Black Panthers, even if it meant infiltrating local chapters and instigating violence when none was planned. J. Edgar Hoover is quoted as saying that the Panthers’ free-breakfast program was the most dangerous tactic being employed by the movement and no one in the mainstream media rose to challenge him. The agency’s COINTELPRO program, along with the subsequent rise of drug addiction and the dramatic display of establishment power at Attica and San Quentin, effectively drained the Black Power cause of its leaders, leaving nothing in its place to buoy minority citizens. To supplement the archival footage, the producers of “Mixtape” returned to the U.S. decades later to record the impressions of artists and intellectuals who were influenced by things that happened, sometimes before they were born. Among those selected by director Goran Hugo Olsson are Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Abiodun Oyewole, John Forte, and Robin Kelley. It’s also interesting to hear the editor of TV Guide, a magazine not known for its insightful political coverage, defend a cover story, which, at the time, branded Dutch and Swedish television the most anti-American in the world. That the magazine was owned by one of the most powerful and wealthy men in America – and someone intimate with Richard Nixon and other presidents — was a fact ignored in the piece. While the documentary does come down on the side of the progressives within the Black Power movement, its reporters don’t fall blindly into the trap of buying into the fiery rhetoric advocating armed revolt. Its depiction of life in the impoverished communities inhabited largely by African-Americans pretty much speaks for itself. A longer film might have dug deeper into the flameouts experienced by the most charismatic and vocal leaders of the time and the reluctance on the part of average African-Americans to pick up the torch and carve a movement more to their liking. The DVD comes with a contemporary musical soundtrack, additional documentary footage and interviews. – Gary Dretzka Intruder: Director’s Cut: Blu-rayAstron-6 Collection Jessicka Rabid Klown Kamp Massacre Psycho Sleepover In the arena of micro-budget and do-it-yourself movie making, it isn’t unusual to find a few chunks of gold among the dross and detritus formed by awful acting, cheeseball effects and pointless plots. Those moments often are reason enough to invest 90 minutes of one’s time on Earth watching them. The filmmakers would have made the movies anyway, so catching the eye of someone at Troma or Synapse and seeing their twisted little movies released into the straight-to-DVD market is hardly a disappointment. With luck, the DVD will capture the fancy of a niche blogger or discerning geeks and their endorsement will encourage buffs to rent a copy and recommend it to friends. Entire careers have been founded on less evidence of potential than that. I picked up the Blu-ray screener of “Intruders” not knowing anything about the picture, except what it said on the cover about being produced by “the creators of ‘Evil Dead II.’” Beyond that, though, it was mystery? In fact, what I took to be a standard-issue, straight-to-DVD slasher flick had been made in 1989 and sent out long ago on VHS. It was directed by Scott Spiegel and co-written with Lawrence Bender, both of whom would graduate to bigger things. Among its stars were such now-recognizable faces as Renee Eztevez, Dan Hicks, Sam and Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Eugene Robert Glazer. “Intruder” takes place on the overnight shift at an old-fashioned supermarket in Michigan. A madman is loose in the store and it isn’t the most likely suspect, a deranged former boyfriend of a pretty blond sales clerk. What distinguishes “Intruder” from a million other indie horror flicks, before and since 1989, are the special makeup effects associated with the murders. They’re grotesque, even by today’s standards and predictive of the kind of work these people would do later. For this reason alone, the entertaining and informative making-of featurette is must-viewing. The Blu-ray edition of the uncensored “Director’s Cut” is distinguished, if you will, by a 2K digital restoration, commentary with Spiegel and Bender, extended murder sequences from the original work print, outtakes from the lost short, “Night Crew,” audition footage and a stills gallery. Apart from being a holiday in Tolkien lore, Astron-6 is the name of a quintet of singularly deranged sketch artists based in Winnipeg. The team specializes in demented parodies of movies, trailers and sexual stereotypes. Not only are the sketches politically incorrect, but they’re incorrect in most every other way possible, as well. As such, the troupe’s best material bares a passing resemblance to that of Kids in the Hall, SCTV and the Whitest Kids U’ Know, only far less ready for prime time. It took me a while to figure out what exactly Astron 6 was doing, but, once I got in step with the gang’s rhythm and twisted takes, I quite enjoyed what I was seeing. In addition to being faux violent, the sketches are very raunchy. Sensitive types should probably avoid it. From Troma comes “Jessicka Rabid,” a truly sick and uniquely pointless torture-porn in which a young woman is kept in dog cage, brutalized and raped whenever the mood strikes her demented keepers. They include one of the men’s girlfriend, who enjoys having Jessicka lick peanut butter off her nipples … presumably, just as she would if a real dog was doing it. The real fun begins when Jessicka escapes the clutches of her captors and turns the tables on them, and that’s not all that much fun, either. The movie comes with commentary and a making-of piece. “Klown Kamp Massacre” is another movie that looks as if its budget was limited to somewhere in the vicinity of $15,000 and most of that was squandered on crack. Given time, though, the movie begins to work a spell on you. It’s set at rural camp for aspiring clowns. The founder was humiliated on graduation night at just such a school and now teaches students the art of throwing toxic pies, squirting caustic liquids at the rubes and killing audiences with otherwise harmless props. Not even the instructors are immune from killer comedy. The DVD includes more than two hours of special features. As if on cue, a clown becomes an early victim of slap-stick tragedy in “Psycho Sleepover,” and its head makes return appearances throughout the rest of the movie. As veterans of “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency,” Adam Deyoe and Eric Gosselin know the face of terror when they see it. “Psycho Sleepover” is insane parody of the sub-subgenre of horror films set during sleepover parties hosted by really, really skanky teenage girls. Because this one coincides with a breakout at a local prison for the criminally insane, the results are especially twisted. The sudden appearance of sexually voracious loons makes it difficult to distinguish them from the usual array of male party crashers. “PS” is more silly than scary, but some viewers might find the violence in “Psycho Sleepover” less than appetizing. If they keep repeating, “It’s only Caro syrup, mixed with water, food coloring and corn flour,” they should get through it OK. – Gary Dretzka Portlandia: Season One: Blu-ray PBS: Steve Jobs: One Last Thing Sledge Hammer! The Complete Series Switched at Birth: Volume One History: Swamp People Season Two G.I. Joe: Series 2, Season 1 Sarah Jane Adventures: Complete Fourth Season One needn’t have grown up in Oregon or even spent much time in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy the IFC sketch comedy “Portlandia.” It does help, however, to be conversant in many conceits and conventions associated with life in one of America’s most notorious hipster colonies. Once populated with lots of hard-working, lumberjack types, Portland has been overrun by politically correct, proto-hippies who speak in gentle tones and are intolerant of (almost) all points of view that don’t square with their own. Bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation, unless their cars run on waste products or the batteries are powered by the occasional glimpse of sunshine between rain clouds. Hipster clothing is made from natural fibers and the anniversary Jerry Garcia’s death is a civic holiday. If anything, as representative citizens of Portland, Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live”) and Carrie Brownstein (the Sleater-Kinney band) sometimes hit too close to the button and satire appears to merge with ridicule. That’s perfectly OK with me, but explains how the humor might offend sensitive types. On the other hand, it’s difficult for me to imagine anyone without a working knowledge of hipster culture stumbling across the show accidentally and knowing what it’s about. Kyle MacLachlin plays the city’s impossibly upbeat mayor, who calls on Fred and Carrie for guidance on creating a city song and ways to land a Major League baseball team; Aimee Mann appears as herself, playing a maid; and Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”), Steve Buscemi, Heather Graham, Selma Blair, Jason Sudeikis, Gus Van Sant and Sarah McLachlan also make cameos. The Blu-ray set contains all six episodes (a new season arrives soon), deleted and alternate scenes, a blooper reel, “Thunderant” videos and commentary. It took cancer to make Steve Jobs a larger-than-life character in the story of America. Since his death, the Apple founder has been accorded the respect and admiration generally reserved for the presidents whose likenesses are carved into a cliff on Mount Rushmore. His sins against consumer freedom-of-choice have been forgiven and his idiosyncrasies rendered folkloric. Jobs had detractors, to be sure, but his ability to turn ideas into gold for shareholders trumped most negative observations about his business practices, temperament, hygienic quirks and ability to ignore the complaints of his customers if they conflicted with his principles. “One Last Thing” largely takes the man at his word, expounding on his philosophies and focusing on the people who made him what he later became. The 60-minute bio-doc is built around a never-before-seen interview. David Rasche, still one of our finest character actors, starred in the short-lived sitcom, “Sledge Hammer!,” which ran on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The sneaky-funny Second City graduate frequently plays characters that while completely full of themselves never quite understand how silly and transparent they look to everyone around them. As Dirty Harry-wannabe Sledge Hammer, Rasche solves crimes with all the subtlety of the tool after which he’s named. He’s been suspended from the force several times, primarily for using weapons and interrogation techniques usually reserved for sadists in the CIA. He even fires warning shots at jaywalkers. It isn’t likely that “Sledge Hammer!” could have existed without the ice-breaking done by “Naked Gun!,” but the show managed to outlive its offshoot, “Police Squad!,” by 35 episodes, all of which are collected here. The possibility that a nurse or doctor may have confused the identities of babies born within minutes of each other and switched the names on their ID bracelets is a concern many parents have shared, especially if their kids don’t resemble them or display sociopathic tendencies. There have been enough recorded cases of such terrible mistakes to warrant some suspicion, at least, of it having happening again. Naturally, Hollywood has capitalized on these fears and built comedies and dramas around them. The latest is the ABC Family series, “Switched at Birth,” starring Katie Leclerc and Vanessa Marano. In it, girls from opposite backgrounds don’t discover that they’ve been switched until they’re well into their teens. One grows up in a household surrounded by all the trappings of wealth, as well as a brother, while the other lost her hearing at an early age due to meningitis. She lives in a single-parent household in a working-class neighborhood. The truth isn’t at all funny or comforting to the girls, but they struggle to deal with it on a weekly basis. The show also stars Lea Thompson, Marlee Matlin, Constance Marie and D.W. Moffett. Fortunately for the fans and producers of History’s “Swamp People,” a few alligators were left alive after the debut stanza to allow at least one more go-round in the Atchafalaya Swamp of Louisiana. In Season 2, the newly arrived gator season means it’s time for Captain Troy Landry, Jacob Landry and the Edwards boys to get back in the boat and start hunting for “honey holes” and monster skins. The competition has intensified with new swampers attempting to steal their trophies out from under them. The DVD includes additional footage. The latest collection of “G.I. Joe” adventures is comprised of material from the second animated TV series, which began in 1990. In it, America’s top-secret mobile strike force battles Cobra, Serpentor and Cobra Commander. The set includes the miniseries, “Operation Dragonfire.” In the BBC’s “Dr. Who” spinoff, “The Sarah Jane Adventures,” investigative journalist, Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), and her three teenage sidekicks combine their diverse talents to save the world from extraterrestrials. The fourth season is noteworthy as being the final one in which Sladen appears. She died of cancer, at 65, just as the new chapters were beginning to unfold, and, typical of the series, the loss was worked into narrative as a teaching opportunity for young fans. Making a guest appearance are the current Doctor (Matt Smith) and a former doctor’s companion, Jo Grant (Katy Manning). The stories include “The Nightmare Man,” “The Vault of Secrets,” “Death of the Doctor,” “The Empty Planet,” “Lost in Time” and “Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith.” – Gary Dretzka Peter Cetera: Live: Blu-ray The latest addition to Image Entertainment’s catalogue of “Soundstage” concerts features Peter Cetera, a founding member of Chicago and highly successful solo artist. The Windy City native doesn’t often appear in concert, so this should come as an especially welcome treat for four decades’ worth of fans. In the 2003 concert recorded here, Cetera was joined by Amy Grant. Together, they perform “Baby, Baby,” “Simple Things,” “Next Time I Fall,” and “El-Shadaii.” The singer, songwriter and bassist also offers songs from across the wide spectrum of his career, including his first hit, “25 or 6 to 4.” If “Soundstage” looks particularly good in Blu-ray, it’s because Chicago’s PBS station was an early adopter of hi-def technology and learned out to do things right. — Gary Dretzka Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure The sixth sequel in the series that began with 1992’s hit family comedy, “Beethoven,” puts the lumbering St, Bernard in a position to play the hero by saving Christmas for all good boys and girls. Crime must be rampant on the North Pole, because every other holiday DVD I see involves some kind of an attempt to derail Santa’s annual mission, starting with the re-release of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” This time, an elf named Henry (Kyle Massey) takes an unscheduled flight on Santa’s sleigh from the North Pole, with his constantly expanding bag of toys in tow. When he crash lands somewhere in Suburbia USA, the valuable cache goes missing. Beethoven and his teenage friend, Mason (Munro Chambers) volunteer to save the day. The good news here is that Beethoven finally speaks, as all CGI critters must ultimately do. The bad news is that he sounds very much like Tom Arnold. The DVD comes with deleted scenes, a gag reel, a making-of featurette and “Beethoven Goes Caroling.” – Gary Dretzka History: Vietnam in HD: Blu-ray PBS: Women War & Peace It’s interesting, if not overly instructive, to note “Tora! Tora! Tora!” cost an estimated $25 million to stage, while, 31 years later, Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor” was handed an estimated budget of $140 million with which to work. Both movies were expected to be blockbusters, but only “Pearl Harbor” made back its initial investment at the domestic box-office … not taking into account costs associated with prints and marketing, splits between theater owners and distributors, and the creativity of Hollywood accountants. Among other things, too, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” did better financially in Japan than in the U.S., if only because half of the movie was shot by directors Hideo Oguni and Ryuzo Kikushimall and it chronicled Japan’s greatest wartime victory. (Akiri Kurosawa took an early powder, reportedly after learning that his Hollywood counterpart would be Richard Fleischer, not David Lean, as promised.) Roger Ebert hated both movies, almost equally. Even more remarkably, the movie was and still is rated, “G.” The Blu-ray edition arrives on these shores with several new and formerly available features, including commentary by Fleischer and Japanese-film historian Stuart Galbraith IV; the documentaries, “Day of Infamy” and “History vs. Hollywood: A Giant Awakes”; the “AMC Backstory” presentation, “Tora! Tora! Tora!”; a behind-the-scenes gallery and production gallery; several vintage newsreels from Fox Movietone News; the original theatrical trailer; and a collectible hardcover book. Sadly, it doesn’t include the extra 15 minutes of film included in the Japanese edition. “Vietnam in HD” is built from the same template as was used to create “WWII in HD,” a compilation of largely unseen footage taken by personnel in the field, military historians, news organizations and other interested observers. The action and images are recorded in color, if by not hi-def digital cameras as the title implies, and, therefore, is slightly grainy but extremely clean and free of visual artifacts. The six-hour miniseries begins slightly before the initial troop build-up, in 1965, and ends with the fall of Saigon a decade later. The stories are told by the men and women who were there and put in harm’s way by our government in defense of the since-discredited domino theory. In some cases, actors read from the memoirs and letters of the same veterans. Because 8mm cameras were widely available at the time, it wasn’t unusual for soldiers to make “home movies” that are extremely intimate and ultimately heart-breaking. Early on, the letters home were full of gung-ho sentiments, parroting the official line about the war being over in a few months. Soon, those same letters reflect the reality of the situation on the ground and patriotic exuberance turns to near-despair. It’s a fascinating, if sobering series. Clearly, today’s leaders didn’t really pay attention to the lessons taught by the Viet Cong and NVA, and consequently put us in the quagmire we’re now experiencing in Afghanistan. The two-disc set represents 282 minutes of sometimes amazing footage, as well as 3D maps and graphics that amplify on the physical challenges facing U.S. troops. Just as women have made their presence felt top-down in the U.S. military – performing tasks previously reserved for men and sometimes fighting alongside them – their counterparts in less developed nations have begun assuming leadership roles in promoting diplomacy and updating our notions of war. The five-part PBS mini-series, “Women, War & Peace,” demonstrates how women have taken significant roles in situations where gangs and warlords still rule and the proliferation of small arms and improvised weapons is a continual barrier to peace. Then, too, women not in uniform are increasingly being targeted by religious and political extremists. The series spotlights the stories of women in such troubled places as Bosnia, Afghanistan, Colombia and Liberia. The narration team includes Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard. – Gary Dretzka 2011 World Series Collector’s Edition This year’s World Series didn’t figure to be a world beater ratings-wise. The St.Louis Cardinals may be one of the game’s most venerable franchises, but, beyond Albert Pujols, the 2011 iteration lacked charisma and spice. The Texas Rangers had been to the Big Dance the year before, losing to the San Francisco Giants. And, yet, it proved to be one of the most exciting championship series in history. The Cardinals had fought their way to the finals as a wildcard team, while the Rangers had to overcome flashier teams with larger payrolls. Together, they were about as evenly matched as could be imagined. As fans figured out that this World Series was one for the ages, the ratings went from lackluster to spectacular. The lowest number of viewers was for Game 3, during which Pujols stunned the sports world by hitting three home runs. By the time Game 7 rolled around, the ratings and share numbers more than doubled. “The 2011 World Series Collector’s Edition” is distinctly Cardinal-centric, so Rangers partisans aren’t likely to rush to their local purveyor of DVDs. The eight-disc DVD compilation includes all seven games, from the first to last pitch. Fans can enjoy them as described by Fox Sports announcers and broadcasters or with the local radio feed attached. The special features include “Walk-Off Winners and “Milestones”; victory celebrations; the trophy presentation and victory parade; and coverage in Spanish on ESPN Deportes Radio. Also available, in Blu-ray, is the four-hour “Official 2011World Series Film,” which is comprised of extended highlights, the entire NLDS Game 5, excerpts from “This Week in Baseball” and “Prime 9,” and coverage of post-series events. – Gary Dretzka He’s Mine, Not Yours Cheaper to Keep Her Romantic melodramas targeted at African-American audiences remind me a lot of the romantic comedies of the 1960s, some of which starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson. “He’s Mine, Not Yours” and “Cheaper to Keep Her,” both of which have been given a boost on BET, are remarkably chaste and moralistic, even as they deal with such topics as infidelity, physical attributes and lust. Even partial nudity is non-existent and, apart from the requisite Jezebel, the women are the more honorable half of the romantic coin. It’s a formula, but, given the realities of niche distribution, one that’s safer to adhere to than dismiss. In “He’s Mine, Not Yours,” a professional seductress tests the faithfulness of men for her female clients. Far more often than not, the P.I. (Caryn Ward) is able to prove that their men are dogs and not worthy of their time, let alone their hand. That’s because she’s exceptionally beautiful and can easily spot a man’s most vulnerable spots. Considering that a woman like that wouldn’t normally look twice at the type of men she’s seducing, it simply isn’t fair. Before Brooke (Gabrielle Dennis) commits to Kent (Jason Weaver), she hires Mandy to test the former playboy’s fidelity. Even when he proves to be true blue, Brooke doubts his allegiance to her. Mandy decides that Kent’s too good to pass up and insists that Brooke put up or shut up about him. Their rivalry only serves to make Kent feel as if he’s the luckiest guy on Earth. Also in the cast are Carl Payne, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nadine Ellis and Darius McCrary. “Cheaper to Keep Her” is a bit more raunchy, but only in the number of sexual innuendos exchanged by the women whose men don’t behave as well as they would like. There also are more frequent allusions to church matters and God’s will. Vivica A. Fox is cheated upon by her husband, who has a hankering for white meat and red hair. She’s devastated, of course, but has to be talked into suing for what she’s rightfully due. Amazingly, she allows the cad to share their home after the divorce. Hoping to avoid costly alimony payments, he invites an old flame of his ex-wife to rekindle past feelings. She takes the bait, but has second thoughts about the value of her ex-husband. None of it makes a lot of sense, especially considering the acrimonious split. But, then, what kind of man would cheat on a woman as splendid as Fox? A stupid one, that’s who. “Cheaper to Keep Her” was staged in front of a live audience and rolling cameras. While it’s not a terribly fresh or effective approach to the material, it’s a format I’m seeing more often, lately, so it must sell DVDs. The play also contains some very decent soul tunes and choreographed banter. – Gary Dretzka Underbelly: The Trilogy The Simpsons: The Fourteenth Season Tavis Smiley Reports: Too Important to Fail “Underbelly” is a terrific crime series from Australia about vice, violence and corruption in places where most Americans assume kangaroos still roam. The stories are based on actual investigations and the headline-producing prosecution of underworld kingpins and police detectives with common financial interests. The characters represent all strata of life on the nation’s underbelly, from drug mules and pimps, to politicians and business executives. The talk is tough and the violence is scary. Just as it would on HBO and Showtime, “Underbelly” contains rough language and nudity, most of it not at all gratuitous. The “Trilogy” is comprised of individual13-part mini-series – “A Tale of Two Cities,” “The Golden Mile,” “War on the Streets” – spanning a lawless period between the 1970s and turn of the last century. The acting is uniformly excellent, the action is ferocious and the police work feels authentic. It can also be sexy. The DVD set also contains three making-of featurettes. By the time Season 14 of “The Simpsons” rolled around, 292 episodes had aired and it was still pulling in awards by the bus load. It had become such a firmly entrenched institution that, instead of greeting each new chapter with enthusiasm, fans began to compare them to earlier triumphs and pick new episodes apart as if they were Buffalo chicken wings. Many considered Season 14 to be lacking in several key areas. And, yet, network television offered few alternatives. “The Simpsons” was and continues to be as fine an entertainment as TV offers. It had the nominations and trophies to prove it. Among other goodies, the season features guest appearances from Mick Jagger and Lenny Kravitz. The three-disc Blu-ray set presents all 22 episodes in their broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound. The bonus material includes audio commentaries on every episode, “A Haunting Invite From Matt Groening,” four making-of featurettes, deleted scenes with commentary, a multi-angle animation showcase, original sketches and bonus “Treehouse of Horror” episodes. Tavis Smiley reports and hosts “Too Important to Fail,” an investigative report on the challenges facing African-American boys as they reach high school. The drop- out rate is almost 50 percent and the choices for those who do matriculate are extremely limited. Smiley visits schools in Philadelphia, Oakland, Chicago and Los Angeles, where the teens have dedicated themselves to excelling and getting scholarships to college, so as to achieve meaningful careers. “Too Important to Fail” is an upbeat document, but not to the point where it’s unreasonably optimistic. School districts are strapped for cash and only a handful of boys are accepted to such charter programs and academies each year. Otherwise, it’s the same old, same old. We’ve seen stories like this on “60 Minutes” and in such documentaries as “The Providence Effect,” but another good one certainly can’t hurt. – Gary Dretzka Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special: Blu-ray Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 7th Season If one cares to do the math, the last full-sized wooly mammoth walked the earth some 3,700 before the birth of Jesus Christ, while saber-toothed tigers and giant ground sloths were gone even before then. A cynic might wonder how Manny, Sid, Diego and the rest of the “Ice Age” gang came to celebrate an event that wouldn’t occur for another three millennium. Saint Nicholas of Myra, the model for Santa Claus, wouldn’t come along for another 400 years. At best, this would make Sid, Peach, Crash and Eddie’s trek to the North Pole problematic. But, what the heck, cartoons aren’t supposed to bear much resemblance to reality. Otherwise, roadrunners would be flourishing in the American west and coyotes would be nearing extinction. In “A Mammoth Christmas Special,” which aired last month on Fox, Sid breaks Manny’s precious Christmas rock and everyone fears Santa’s wrath. A trip to the North Pole doesn’t work out as planned, but, really, how much harm can be done in 26 minutes? Even Scrat gets into the act, when an errant acorn leads him to Santa’s sleigh. The Blu-ray also includes a preview of next summer’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift” and a three-minute “Swingin’ Jingle Bells” music video. The first five episodes of the Hub network’s “Transformers Prime” formed a story arc under the “Darkness Rising” banner. Apparently, the latest “Transformers” spinoff performed well enough to earn a second season, which began last month. In “Darkness Rising,” the rascally Decepticons are getting dangerously close to the Earth’s Energon deposits and Autobot Cliffjumper is kidnapped. Peace is broken, but a trio of human teenagers joins forces with Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee to put a stop to the madness. Like Ol’ Man River and “The Simpsons,” “SpongeBob SquarePants” just keeps rolling along. The 30-episode seventh season ran from June 2009 to July 2010 and included such titles as “I Heart Dancing,” “Someone’s in the Kitchen with Sandy,” “Growth Spout,” “Tentacle-Vision,” “The Inside Job,” and “Stuck in the Wringer,” as well as the entire multi-chapter special, “Legends of Bikini Bottom.” The nine-hour, four-disc set also chronicles Spongebob’s entire modeling career, Squidward’s public television career and Mrs. Puff’s Krusty Krab career. – Gary Dretzka Chillerama Needle Upon its English-language release, late in 1973, “Horror Express” was pretty much dismissed as just another micro-budget genre thriller destined to be shown at the tail end of a triple-feature at the drive-in. Even though American horror buffs had taken a shine to the Hammer horror pictures, especially those starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, it would take a bit longer for mainstream horror fans here to embrace knock-offs from southern Europe. Dubbing was a problem, as were the garish special effects. Moreover, distributers weren’t fond of the gratuitous sex and hyper-violence that characterized giallo and its imitators. Today, of course, the best titles are considered to be classics of the form and they look better than ever in DVD and Blu-ray. “Horror Express” is a Spanish hybrid of Hammer and giallo. Directed by the prolific Eugenio Martin and shot at Estudios Madrid, it starred Lee, Cushing and Alberto de Mendoza in the lead roles. Telly Savalas’ presence gave the marketing team an American name to promote, although the producers couldn’t have known how much his stock would rise between the completion of “Horror Express” and popularity of “Kojack.” It helps explains why the movie, in which Savalas plays only a small part, was released in the U.S. and other markets two years after it debuted at the Catalonian Film Festival. No capsule review could do “Horror Express” justice, but, suffice it to say, it is equal parts “The Thing” and “Murder on the Orient Express.” Lee’s knighted professor, Alexander Saxon, is about to embark on a journey from Manchuria to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express, which apparently was quite comfortable in czarist Russia. While awaiting their departure, Cushing’s friendly rival, Dr. Wells, becomes fascinated with a mysterious coffin-like crate belonging to Saxon. The box contains the partially thawed corpse of a humanoid Saxon believes could represent the fabled “missing link” between ape and man. What we know and the passengers on the train are about to learn is that the creature possesses the ability to fry the brain of anyone foolish enough to stare into its mystic eyes. Naturally, it gets loose on the train and mayhem ensues. Adding to the fun are Mendoza’s mad monk, who serves as an adviser to Countess Irina Petrovski, and Savalas’ scenery-chewing Cossack. (Savalas and Martin had collaborated previously on “Vendetta” – he played Pancho Villa — from which the train interiors were borrowed.) Severin Films rescued “Horror Express” from public-domain hell and restored it as well as anyone could have, given the degraded quality of the print. There are scratches and other visual artifacts and the dialogue doesn’t always match lip movements. The outdoor scenes reveal the train’s miniature origins, as well. Other than that, it’s in good shape. (Most of the dialogue was recorded after the scenes were shot, probably because almost every supporting actor spoke Spanish exclusively.) On the plus side, the bright colors really pop on Blu-ray and it accentuates the contrasts between dark and light in the ominous moments before the beast is about to strike his prey. The impromptu autopsies, boiled corneas and infrared eyes look pretty cool in hi-def, as well. Buffs will savor the bonus package, which includes extended interviews with Cushing, Martin, blacklisted producer Bernard Gordon and composer John Cacavas; an introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander; and trailers from the Severin line. With all the attention being paid to grindhouse and other B-movie fare, it was only a matter of time before someone who isn’t named Tarantino or Rodriguez did a parody that both hits home and actually is funny. “Chillerama” reminds me of such riotous sketch comedies as “Amazon Women on the Moon,” “Hollywood Shuffle” and “Kentucky Fried Movie,” but with a twist. It is the closing night of the last drive-in theater in America and the owner plans to go out with a bang. He’s held back four movies that are considered to be so obscure and outrageous that they’ve never been exhibited in public. The titles pretty much explain why: “Wadzilla,” in which a giant spermatozoa attacks the Statue of Liberty, among other women; “I Was A Teenage Werebear,” about fat and hairy gay teens who prey on their straight classmates and turn them into werewolfs, er, werebears; “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein,” an impossibly outrageous combination of “Young Frankenstein” and “The Diary of Anne Frank”; the insanely scatological “Deathication” ; and the framing device, “Zom-B-Movie,” during which the suddenly undead audience turns on itself. A lot of spurting and splatting takes place during the four features and most of it involves blood and semen, if you get my drift. Not all of the gags come off as planned, but, considering the intended audience, the batting average is pretty good. The segments were written and directed by Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan. It comes with plenty of bonus features, including making-of pieces, interviews, commentaries and mock trailers. Few words conjure images of extreme pain and suffering more immediately than “needle.” Anyone old enough to remember “SNL” head writer Michael O’Donoghue’s skit involving celebrities and the 6-inch-long steel needles he’d like to see jammed into their eyes probably has been scarred for life by it. Aussie writer/director John V. Soto’s supernatural thriller, “Needle,” has about as much in common with needles as a sewing machine has with a deejay’s turntable, however. A long time ago, they might have been related, but other things got in the way. Specifically, here, the needles are used in conjunction with the voodoo dolls created to inflict great harm on a group of college students. The dolls are created by the person who stole a magic voodoo box from the dorm room of a student whose father had just died and left it to him. I think a haunted sewing machine would have been scarier, but what do I know? “Needle” also is the story of estranged brothers forced to join forces to unravel the cruel mystery they inherited from their father. It isn’t a bad movie, just undernourished in the area of thrills and chills. The young cast is attractive, however, so fans of coeds-in-peril flicks might find something here to their liking. Aspiring do-it-yourselfers should enjoy the informative making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka In My Sleep: Special Edition: Blu-ray Marcus is a masseuse, sex addict, parasomniac and possibly a murderer. Among the women with whom he’s recently slept is the wife of his best friend. He can’t remember if he enjoyed the experience or not because he hooked up with her while he was sleep walking, sleep driving and sleep screwing. One morning, ostensibly after a night of sleep revelry, Marcus wakes up in his own bed with blood stains all over the sheets and his hands, and a knife lying on the floor. Coincidentally, police officers arrive at his door just as he’s wiping the sleep – and disbelief – out of his eyes. He manages to distract them long enough to disguise most of the blood stains, but he’s baffled at the lack of other incriminating evidence and any indication of a woman’s presence. Given Marcus’s history of somnambulism, he can’t eliminate himself from the list of potential suspects. Instead, he attempts to get to the root cause of his problem, first by analyzing his own sordid dreams and, then, confronting his shrew of a mother about why his dead father keeps making guest appearances in them. In the meantime, Marcus enlists a pretty young neighbor to tuck him in at night and make sure he’s firmly handcuffed to the bedframe. In his first feature film since his 1995 senior thesis, “Harlem Grace,” writer/director/producer Alan Wolfe has attempted to create a Freudian thriller with a Hitchcockian twist. It’s a difficult enough trick for an experienced filmmaker to pull off without also having to create board games, as he did, to finance the project. “In My Sleep” isn’t particularly suspenseful, but it’s well made and the actors are attractive. The “Special Edition” Blu-ray arrives with an abundance of bonus material, including lots of deleted and alternate scenes, interviews, sleepwalking stories, a gag reel and making-of featurettes. As straight-to-DVD titles go, I’ve seen a lot worse. – Gary Dretzka The Rules of the Gamer: Criterion Collection: Blu-ray 12 Angry Men: The Criterion Collection: Blu-ray It should go without saying by now that anyone who professes to love cinema and hasn’t watched “The Rules of the Game” once, at least, probably ought to consider returning to film school. If that’s out of the question, however, they should pick up a copy of Jean Renoir’s 1939 classic (for lack of a better cliché) and study it as if it were the Holy Grail. Set between the great wars, “Rules of the Game” is a critique of French aristocracy and the bourgeois conventions that allowed it to blissfully ignore what was happening in Germany and Italy. Seventy years later, the movie retains its ability to surprise, inform and entertain. Criterion’s Blu-ray represents the latest attempt to repair the damage to “Rules of the Game,” first by French censors and outraged audiences, then the Allied bombers that destroyed a warehouse containing the original negative. It had already been trimmed by from 94 to 81 minutes to appease distributors, but enough original pieces were recovered to piece together a 106-minute version, which Renoir approved and has been used as the model for all future upgrades. And, yes, it looks and sounds terrific. Owners of previous DVD editions are advised to compare editions to see how much more supplemental material is available in the Blu-ray iteration. The new version has undergone a hi-def digital restoration, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. It is introduced by Renoir; features commentary by film scholar and Renoir’s friend, Alexander Sesonske, as read by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; a comparative analysis of the movie’s two endings; a documentary comparing the 106-minute re-edit with Renoir’s original script; scene analysis by Renoir historian Chris Faulkner; excerpts from a 1966 French television program by filmmaker Jacques Rivette; Part One of a two-part 1993 BBC documentary by David Thompson; a video essay about the film’s production, release and 1959 reconstruction; a 1965 interview from a French television series, in which Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand discuss their reconstruction and rerelease of the film; interviews with set designer Max Douy, Renoir’s son, Alain and actress Mila Parély; and a booklet featuring writings by Renoir, François Truffaut, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Bertrand Tavernier; an essay by Sesonske; and tributes to the film and Renoir by J. Hoberman, Kent Jones, Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders, Robert Altman, and others Now that the latest “trial of the century” has reached its conclusion and theoretically, at least, Michael Jackson can rest in peace, it may be the ideal time to revisit Sidney Lumet’s intense jury-room drama, “12 Angry Men.” Made in 1957, Lumet’s directorial debut followed both the television and Broadway productions of Reginald Rose’s teleplay. It takes place, of course, during the course of deliberations in a murder case. All we in the audience know about it, really, is what can be gleaned in the arguments between jurors seeking a unanimous decision. One by one, the men are asked to search their souls for any sign of reasonable doubt or absolute certainty. The cast in the 1957 theatrical film includes Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda and Ed Begley, of which only Fonda and Begley already were household names. It’s truly an actor’s showcase. The Criterion Blu-ray has been restored to hi-def digitally, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. It also comes with Frank Schaffner’s 1955 television version, with an introduction by Ron Simon, director of the Paley Center for Media Studies; the video essay,“‘12 Angry Men’: From Television to the Big Screen,” which compares both of these editions; archival interviews with Lumet; new interviews with writer Walter Bernstein, Reginald Rose, cinematographer John Bailey; “Tragedy in a Temporary Town ,” a 1956 teleplay directed by Lumet and written by Rose; the original theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by writer and law professor Thane Rosenbaum. – Gary Dretzka The Cycle Released just before the Islamist revolution in Iran and fall of the shah, “The Cycle” paints a portrait of top-down corruption and engrained cynicism that’s almost unimaginable. Saeed Kangarani plays a handsome, if dirt-poor teenager who accompanies his desperately sick father to Tehran for medical care. The men huddle in the streets outside a hospital at night, without any real hope of being seen by a doctor. Almost miraculously, they connect with a crooked doctor who pays homeless men and women for their blood, no questions asked. He sells it back to the hospital at a huge profit. The doctor takes a shine to the young man, Ali, whose good looks and easy demeanor make him a perfect front for a black-market operation. Meanwhile, he also ingratiates himself with a nurse at the hospital, who has friends also in need of cheap labor and a shrewd mind. Before long, Ali has made a lucrative niche for himself in the illegal blood trade and has stopped worrying much if it’s safe. Everyone in the pecking order, right up to the shah, had a taste for quick and relatively easy money in the 1970s and, of course, that hunger demanded to be fed. By 1980, the party was over and a different breed of criminal took control of Iran. It’s a fascinating movie, made by one of the leading lights of the Iranian New Wave, Dariush Mehrjui. “The Cycle” was banned from view at the behest of Iranian medical officials for three years. Mehrjui’s was among the throngs of people demanding change in Tehran and an early supporter of the revolution. His faith in the new regime would be short-lived, however. – Gary Dretzka Whitechapel: The Ripper Returns In the original, British version of “Prime Suspect,” Jane Tennison spent two seasons, at least, proving to her male colleagues that she, first, was up to the task of being a DCI and, next, that she was capable of being detective superintendent. It was as much a part of the show as the murders being solved. Kyra Sedgwick’s Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson faced the same hostility in “The Closer.” It goes with the territory. In the recent ITV/BBC America mini-series “Whitechapel,” Rupert Penry-Jones (MI-5) is assigned the role of Joseph Chandler, an outsider clouted into the position of superintendent by colleagues at Scotland Yard. Called to the scene of his first murder, Chandler arrives wearing the tuxedo he was in while being toasted on his promotion at some posh London club. It made a bad first impression on the slovenly group of detectives who would report to him in the coming weeks on a sensational case. To say they put their new boss through the ringer is an understatement. The question at the heart of the three part mini-series is whether, given today’s technology and forensics science, modern London cops could do something their forebears on the force couldn’t accomplish in the 1880s: identify and catch Jack the Ripper. Although his detectives are too cynical to believe there’s a copycat killer loose in London, Chandler is willing to give a so-called Ripperologist the benefit of a doubt. Steve Pemberton is wonderful as the obsessive historian who’s written a book on the subject, has a website dedicated to Jack the Ripper and gives crime-scene tours to tourists. Although he qualifies as a person of interest, himself, Edward Buchan convinces Chandler not to depend entirely on modern forensics, CCTV and DNA. His belief is that a copycat killer would rely entirely on archival reports and photographs, period clothing and historic maps. Could the Ripper escape justice twice, 130 years removed from the last known murder? Tune in and stay for the making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka Smallville: The Complete Series Hot in Cleveland: Season Two The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series After some initial reluctance to enter the superhero arena, programming executives at Warner Bros. Television and The WB network realized that the bottle they were handed on October 17, 2001, contained the lightening captured the night before, upon the debut of “Smallville.” The series, which would go on to enjoy a 10-year run, had just become the network’s highest-rated debut, with 8.4 million viewers. Moreover, while finishing first in the 12–34 demographic, the premiere also broke The WB record in the even more lucrative bracket reserved for adults age 18–34. That’s the television equivalent of a rookie slugger, playing for an expansion team, hitting a grand-slam home run on his first at-bat. Clearly, even as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s comic-book creation, Superman, continued its reign as one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history – subsequently spawning a newspaper comic strip, radio and movie serials, cartoon shorts, a landmark live-action television show, a Broadway musical, five mega-budget feature films, several more animated and live-action TV series, novels and a not terribly impressive video game — there was still plenty of room left for origin story, “Smallville.” Alfred Gough and Miles Millar’s action-packed and sneaky-sexy adaptation arrived at a most opportune time. With Tom Welling playing a young, buff, chivalrous, capeless and flightless Clark Kent, “Smallville” could be positioned alongside The WB’s teen-skewing hits “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Felicity,” “Charmed” and “Dawson’s Creek.” Dynamic visual and audio effects had become affordable for television producers, as did the British Columbia locations. A rocking soundtrack put the cherry on top of the sundae. Just in time for what would have been Christmas on Krypton, Warner Home Video has released “Smallville: The Complete Series” on DVD and “Smallville: The Complete Tenth Season” on DVD and Blu-ray. For newcomers, the series encompasses Superman’s earthly progression from the newly arrived baby Kal-El to Clark Kent’s emergence as a superhero finally capable of flight. Unlike George Reeves, who mostly saved Metropolis from crooks and gangsters, Welling would be called upon to battle myriad supervillains. The character and narrative structure would evolve through the 10-year stretch, but the origin myth continued to progress in a logical way. (I’m still not sure when Clark would make his first trip to the optometrist, however.) Fans should brace themselves before they attempt to lift the complete-series box, as its 62 discs contain all 218 episodes of the hourlong series (minus commercials); more than five hours of newly added special features, including a 90-minute series retrospective; new interviews; the unaired 1961 “Superboy” pilot; an episode guide, with production art and behind-the-scenes photos; coverage of the 2010 Comic Con panel; and an exclusive issue of the Daily Planet, created by DC Comics. If that weren’t sufficient cause for celebration, the package also includes more than 100 hours of featurettes from the a la carte editions. That’s a lot of stuff. The 10th-season Blu-ray adds commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes on “A Smallville Homecoming” and “The Son Becomes the Father” episodes, and “How Do We Do” music video. Adapted from Adam Rifkin’s movie of the same title, “Look” was a Showtime series based on the theory that something worth watching always is being recorded by and transmitted from the 40 million surveillance cameras installed in American stores, schools, dressing rooms, gas stations and neighborhoods. The digital image could be as mundane as a fat shopper picking his nose, as hideous as a cocaine-amped MILF getting her butt waxed, as disgusting as a bum barfing on the floor of a convenience store, as provocative as a study-hall beaver-shot, as goofy as maintenance workers skateboarding in the empty aisles of a mall after midnight and as shocking as watching a woman being attacked in a parking lot while the security guard is asleep. Some of the people we meet are aware of the presence of cameras, while others don’t realize they’re being surveilled until they see themselves doing something embarrassing on YouTube … repeatedly and from differently placed cameras. Throughout the course of the nearly six-hour presentation, the lives of the characters intersect and impact on each other. What do “Hot in Cleveland” and “The Girls Next Door” have in common, beyond the fact both shows star women? If “Hot in Cleveland” lasts another 20 years, or is revived for a new generation of viewers, it’s entirely possible that Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and Betty White could be replaced by Holly, Bridget, Kendra, Crystal, Karissa and Kristina as the cougars in residence. I can’t imagine the gags and sitcom setups needing much in the way of freshening and, maybe, in the meantime, Hef’s ladies might have learned how to act. TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland” probably would have been an easy fit on network television 20 years ago, but the only actors getting those roles these days are skinny, blond and look good in a mini-skirt. (Melissa McCarthy being the exception that proves the rule.) The second-season DVD package includes all 22episodes, an appearance by Susan Lucci, a cast visit to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making-of material, interviews, the pilot and first episode of TVLand’s new “The Exes” and an extended Betty “Benderover” blooper. Given Hugh Hefner’s recent detour on the way to the altar, it’s unlikely a seventh season “The Girls Next Door” will appear any time soon, and probably not on E! That’s unless, of course, the Kardashian bimbos move in to the mansion and agree to give him a tumble every now and again. Until then, fans of the show will have to settle for the 2,100 minutes of material collected in the “Complete Series” edition, which also includes one season with “the twins” and the ungrateful hussy who unceremoniously dumped her sugar daddy. Meanwhile, Kendra, Holly and to a lesser degree Bridget have found an afterlife in television series of their own. – Gary Dretzka NFL: Green Bay Packers: Road to XLV I grew up in Wisconsin and continue to live and die with the fortunes of the Green Bay Packers. I can easily recall the great teams of the 1960s, whose exploits led to the city being branded Titletown USA, even during the 30 lean years that followed. Back then, the players all wore black football shoes with long cleats – the exception being Billy “White Shoes” Johnson – and end-zone celebrations were limited to pats on the back and handshakes. Green Bay was a speck on the map then and it’s not any bigger today. And, yet, every seat in Lambeau Field has had a fanny on it for every game since Vince Lombardi made the city famous for something other than its proximity to scenic Door County and being home to Schneider National, the largest privately owned truck fleet in the country. Last season, when the Packers began their run for the Super Bowl championship, few people gave the team much of a chance to succeed. As the wildcard selection in its division, the Packers wouldn’t play even one game in front of friendly fans on Lambeau’s famously frozen tundra. The team also would be required to play one additional playoff game to those contested by the favorites. They won all of those games in convincing fashion and have kept on winning throughout the 2011 season. Credit for that belongs to the emergence of Aaron Rodgers as one of the premiere quarterbacks in the NFL and general manager Ted Thompson’s ability to find players capable of filling the many holes left by season-ending injuries to key players. All of those memories are recalled, almost ad nauseam, in “Road to XLV,” from Vivendi and NFL Films. The many factoids about football in Green Bay and Wisconsin filled the gaps between plays and commercials during the NFC Wildcard Playoffs, NFL Division Playoffs, NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. All of those games are included in the “Post-Season Collector’s Edition.” In two months, we’ll know which team will carry home the Lombardi Trophy. No matter who wins, however, a “Road to XLVI” is sure to follow. – Gary Dretzka Super 8: Blu-ray Spy Kids 4: All Time in the World As residents of the placid Ohio town of Lillian are being rounded up and bussed to an Air Force base – ostensibly to protect them from a mysterious virus – I remembered that I’d seen this movie before, dozens of times in the last 30-40 years. Contrary to expectations planted by a spectacular train-wreck set piece early on, “Super 8” adheres to the long-established cinematic conceit that government conspiracies can be thwarted by children. Here, a group of movie-mad mini-Spielbergians stands up to an unblinking USAF security team, attempting to contain and conceal the demons released in the train accident. The only weapon the kids on their side is the truth, which is contained in a Super 8 camera. Why the Air Force, of all branches of the military, is set up as the enemy here remains something of a mystery to me. Were all of the C130J Hercules transport planes out delivering groceries to the troops that day? No matter, it’s nice to know that someone in government still has faith in railroads. As the train carrying the dangerous cargo speeds through Lillian in the dead of night, the teens are hoping it will provide an interesting background element for their zombie movie. In a coincidence inspired as much by producer Steven Spielberg as the imagination of writer/director J.J. Abrams, the most responsible of the boys spots an automobile jumping the tracks and heading directly towards the train’s engine. The collision causes all of the cars to derail. In their mad dash to escape disaster, the kids leave the still-running Super 8 camera behind on the platform of the abandoned railway station. Conveniently, the lens is pointed in the best possible position to capture the mayhem and release of mysterious metallic objects resembling Rubik’s Cubes. Within hours, the Air Force team quarantines the area and initiates a disinformation campaign designed to pacify local residents, including a recently widowed sheriff whose son is among the shutterbugs. No amount of spoiler alerts could prevent most viewers from guessing what transpires in Lillian over the next hour or so and whose concept of the truth prevails. Considering that “Super 8” is set in 1979, it is to Abrams’ credit that it feels more analog than digital. The story harkens more to the “Hardy Boys” novels and “Spin & Marty” serials on “The Mickey Mouse Club” than, say, to “Spy Kids.” And, yes, a super-cute blond girl (Elle Fanning) has been added to the mix, as both leading lady and puppy-love interest for two of the boys. As predictable as “Super 8” may be, however, Abrams’ story proves sufficiently diverting to hold our interest until the wildly manic climax, which transports viewers back to the Digital Age. Even so, the primary selling point for the Blu-ray/DVD package likely will be the generous package of bonus features, including “Deconstructing the Train Crash” and eight other fine making-of featurettes; 14 deleted scenes; commentary; and a digital copy. Two of the pieces that stand out are “The 8mm Revolution,” which looks back at a time when film spooled through cameras and it took days for it to be developed, and an audition reel describing the search for fresh new faces. The latest addition to Robert Rodriguez’ imaginative “Spy Kids” franchise is aimed at viewers even younger than those targeted by “Super 8.” Critics weren’t terribly impressed by it, but their opinions, shouldn’t dissuade pre-tweeners from enjoying the silly sight gags, pranks, gadgets and overriding precociousness of new spy-kids, Rebecca and Cecil (Rowan Blanchard, Mason Cook). They are the children of TV journalist and clandestine spy hunter, Wilbur (ever-snarky Joel McHale), and stepchildren of undercover spy-wife, Melissa (Jessica Alba). Parents may miss original spy-parents Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino, but, again, most young audiences won’t even notice they’re gone. Original spy-kid-actors Alexa Vega and Darryl Sabara have been included here in supporting roles, 10 years older and considerably more attractive. “All the Time in the World” introduces Melissa as a new mom of a baby girl and stepmom of a pre-teen boy and girl obsessed with driving adults nuts. Melissa has been called back to OSS duty to combat the evil Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven), who threatens to freeze time and destroy the world. Rebecca and Cecil discover her mission and decide to beat her to the punch. Unlike “Super 8,” which largely played out against a real-world background, “Spy Kids” is set in a green-screen universe, in which all things are possible. In theaters, “Spy Kids 4” not only was shown in 3D and 2D formats, but also “4D Aroma-Scope.” Not having seen it on the big screen, I can’t say with any certainty if Aroma-Scope captured the unique scents associated with the many fart, dirty-diaper and vomit jokes. If so, that fact alone would cause a mainstream critic to recoil in disgust. That element isn’t available in the new four-disc Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and digital-copy package, but feel free to supply your own smells, instead. And, what kids flick today would be complete without a talking dog? Here, that voice is supplied by Ricky Gervais. The bonus package adds deleted scenes, Rodriguez’ interview with a young reporter from a kids-news outlet, “Rowan & Mason’s Video Diary,” “How to Make a Robotic Dog,” “Spy Kids: Passing the Torch,” “Ricky Gervais as Argonaut” and a look at the movie’s gadgets. – Gary Dretzka The Devil’s Double If the story weren’t so horrifyingly real, you’d find “The Devil’s Double” on a short list of thug classics alongside Brian DePalma’s “Scarface.” In fact, I’m surprised that movie wasn’t playing in the background somewhere during this faux-biography of Uday Hussein, another coke-snorting, woman-abusing and gun-obsessed fiend. The similarities between Tony Montana and the sadistic son of Saddam Hussein are inescapable. In an interview included in the DVD bonus package, director Lee Tamahori (“Once Were Warriors”) explains that he purposefully embellished Oday’s bad behavior – as related in the memoirs of body-double Latif Yahia – to distinguish it from traditional bio-pics, which can be judged according to their accuracy. In doing so, Oday’s misdeeds are made mythic and “Devil’s Double” becomes more operatic in tone. Tamahori also wanted to create a new archetype for the associates of rich and powerful people who take advantage of their position to commit crimes against humanity. It’s possible, too, that Tamahori was influenced by reports that Yahia had made up the story and he didn’t want facts to get in the way of a good movie. And, from what we’ve learned about Uday, “Devil’s Double” would be a powerful yarn even if only half of it were true. The late Moammar Ghadafi’s sons appear to have been cast from the same mold. Brit actor Dominic Cooper plays both men in “Devil’s Double” in an extremely convincing manner. Because their personalities were diametrically opposed to each other, Cooper must have felt as if he were rehearsing for two different movies. The common denominator here is Uday’s outlandish wardrobe, which both men would share and looked as if it were ordered from Pimps-R-us.com. Another thing they share, although not with Uday’s express permission, is the beautiful and duplicitous seductress, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier). Yahia isn’t shown indulging in Uday’s many other party favors, even though they were abundant and his for the taking. Mostly he tried to avoid eye contact with his former prep school and college classmate, as he murdered anyone who crossed him and viciously raped girls and women on mere whims. If anything, the parties depicted in “Devil’s Double” are sleazier than the decadent nightclub scenes in “Scarface.” At one point, the coked-out potentate demonstrates just how much fun he’s having by demanding that all of his guests remove their clothes. And, of course, they do. Other scenes that should resonate with American viewers are those set during the intense bombing of Baghdad, during the first Iraq war, and when Yahia visited front-line troops in the Iran-Iraq war disguised as Oday. The DVD arrives with interviews with Tamahori, Latif and Cooper, as well as deleted scenes. – Gary Dretzka Sarah’s Key: Blu-ray Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s adaptation of Tatiana de Rosnay’s best-selling novel, “Sarah’s Key,” once again begs a question that’s perplexed novelists and screenwriters ever since the full extent of Nazi atrocities began to be reported: Is it possible to create a work of fiction about the Holocaust that neither minimizes the horror nor exploits the suffering of the victims and survivors? Just as in William Styron’s “Sophie’s Choice,” De Rosnay’s focus is on a survivor whose life was permanently altered by terrible decisions made under the threat of death. Here, 10-year-old Sarah Starzynski (Mélusine Mayance) locks her younger brother in a hidden closet of their Paris apartment just before collaborationist police take the family to the Vél d’Hiver velodrome. It was here that Jews were warehoused in advance of being transported to the death camps. The girl, Sarah, was led to believe that the French authorities were merely going to take information from the Jewish families and allow them to return home. Instead, after several miserable days inside the increasingly fetid velodrome, the families are trucked to a relocation camp outside the city and separated by gender and age. Still carrying the key, Sarah is desperate to escape and rescue her brother. In the next hour or so, we watch as the girl escapes from the camp, finds refuge in a nearby town, returns home to find the flat occupied by another family and attempts to live with her grief. It’s a harrowing story. In a parallel narrative, American journalist Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas) and her French husband are in the process of renovating an apartment his family has owned and occupied for more than 50 years. Coincidentally, she’s also become absorbed in researching an article she’s been assigned on the Vél d’Hiver roundup by a prestigious magazine. During an interview with a historian who is computerizing information about Jews taken to the velodrome, Julia asks if there’s any data on the Marais flat being renovated. In mere seconds, Julia learns the names of its former occupants and the fate of the Sarah’s parents. Putting two and two together, Julia fears that her in-laws may have been awarded the apartment after the roundup in return for work done to benefit the Vichy government. Further obsessive research puts the reporter on the same trail taken by Sarah in the wake of her family’s transfer to the makeshift camps. It leads to the home of a generous and kindly rural couple, to the apartment, America and Italy. No need to spoil anything beyond that point in the movie. Suffice it to say, Sarah and Julia’s path eventually merge but not in any predictable way. All of the actors in “Sarah’s Key” are excellent, as are the period re-creations. After decades of denial and deflection, France’s collaboration with the Nazis remains an extremely hot potato in the country and most people would prefer letting it cool. The velodrome has since been replaced by a school and you’d need a GPS device to find any memorials to the victims. Although everyone involved in the project clearly was up to the challenge of adapting the novel, the task of stuffing 300-plus pages of intense drama, myriad characters, interlocked narratives and a divorce into a 111-minute package has proven difficult. Too many important questions are left unanswered and the adult Sarah remains an enigma until the end. The bonus package adds a lot of good background material on the period, book and adaptation, with several worthwhile interviews. – Gary Dretzka Carjacked: Blu-ray I know better than to expect an entirely satisfying movie-going experience based simply on the names of the actors on the cover of a DVD. Still, even given the vagaries of the straight-to-video market, hope springs eternal. So, if I receive a movie in which Maria Bello and Stephen Dorff are the featured attractions, there’s a reasonable expectation on my part that something inside the box is worth my time. “Carjacked” isn’t a bad movie, per se, but it’s no match for the firepower Bello and Dorff bring to a project at this point in their careers. Ten years ago, such a claustrophobic thriller could have served as a stepping stone to bigger things. Today, neither actor needs the credits or aggravation of spending three or four weeks in Baton Rouge. It only makes sense if they were helping a relative or friend get a leg up in the business or the producers made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. Given the finished product, I can’t imagine either of those cards was on the table. Bello plays a down-on-her luck divorced mom, who makes the mistake of leaving the door of her car unlocked while a desperate bank robber (Dorff) is on the loose in the vicinity. After paying for gas, she’s surprised by the presence of her young son’s new friend, who’s sitting in the back seat and he needs a ride to the hidden loot. Naturally, after a close call at a roadblock and some comforting repartee, Roy gives Lorraine hope that she and her 8-year-old son will escape the ordeal unscathed. Instead, whenever it looks as if they might be developing a cautious rapport, Lorraine does something unnecessary to piss him off. Sherry and Michael Compton’s script is so full of holes that you could drive a Winnebago through it. And, John Bonito’s direction isn’t much better. Lack of experience is a legitimate excuse on their parts, but it doesn’t explain what prompted Bello and Dorff to contribute their talent. To their credit, neither of them appears to have phoned in their performance. As for action and thrills, I’ve seen worse. That’s all. – Gary Dretzka Trigger Originally conceived as a sequel to Bruce McDonald’s punk mockumentary “Hard Core Label,” “Trigger” was rewritten to accommodate a story about a hit riot grrrl duo that crashed and burned 10 years earlier and is reuniting for the first time since then. As portrayed Molly Parker and the late Tracy Wright, Vic and Kat have several unresolved issues to deal with before they can feel comfortable with each other again and none of them is petty. The occasion of their reunion is a benefit concert to honor women in rock, sponsored by a Toronto record label. Vic and Kat are accorded living-legend status with the predominantly lesbian audience and the reception buoys both women. The question that takes all night for them to resolve is whether they can bury their respective hatchets – neither has completely conquered the temptations of booze and drugs – before one of them succumbs to a killer disease. The dialogue here is sharp and witty, and the undercurrents of bitterness, resentment and longing are palpable, as well. Wright and Parker appear to have been born to play female rock stars of a certain age, struggling to make sense of their place in an industry still dominated by men and worshipful fans old enough to be their daughters. It certainly helps that the musical soundtrack reflects what’s happening in their lives and on the screen. Sadly, 50-year-old Wright died of the same pancreatic cancer as was diagnosed in her character during post-production of “Trigger.” Whether her illness was used to inform the story, or it was a tragic coincidence, isn’t made clear. In any case the movie stands as a fitting tribute to the popular Canadian actor. – Gary Dretzka The Family Tree: Blu-ray Dark family comedies are a common starting place for debuting indie filmmakers. Too often, though, they confuse bizarre behavior with dysfunction, which has become the umbrella term for any family whose members argue too much and have peculiar habits. In “The Family Tree,” the Burnetts of Suburban U.S.A., merely are tired of being in each other’s presence and their boredom is reflected in their respective drives for sexual satisfaction (mom, Hope Davis), social acceptance (twin daughter, Brittany Robertson), spiritual direction (twin son, Max Theriot) and career advancement (dad, Dermot Mulroney). When mom is knocked unconscious in mid-tryst with an African-American neighbor (Chi McBride), most memories of her past life and recent sexual dalliances have been wiped from her memory. Slowly, she begins to recall deeply buried memories, including what attracted her to her husband in the first place. This doesn’t stop her lovers from attempting to rekindle the flame, though. Things come to a head when a pair of aspiring gangstas invades the house, demanding the horde of jewelry they’ve heard is stashed somewhere out of sight. Her lover knows where it is, but admitting it would blow his cover as someone interested only in being a good neighbor. Meanwhile, the son is taking shooting lessons from a gun-nut priest and hanging out with sociopathic Jesus freaks. The desperately horny daughter snaps a picture of a lesbian teacher cuddling with a crippled student in a stall in a high-school washroom and uses it to turn an “F” into a “B.” If the tail finally ends up wagging the dog here, it’s still fun to watch cameos by Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”), Gabrielle Anwar (“Burn Notice”), Madeline Zima (“Californication”), Rachel Leigh Cook (“Psych”), Selma Blair, Jane Seymour, Keith Carradine and Bow Wow. Typically, though, it’s Davis and Mulroney who make “Family Tree” worth the price of a rental. – Gary Dretzka Streets/Angel in Red: Roger Corman Double Feature Already co-starring in one of TV’s most successful sitcoms, “Married With Children,” Christina Applegate made her feature film debut in the hookers-in-peril drama. “Streets.” Exec-produced by Roger Corman and directed by exploitation specialist Katt Shea, the gritty low-budget thriller documents what can happen to a working girl when she refuses to meet the expectations of a psycho cop (Ed Lottimer) and leaves claw marks on his face during her escape. In fact, Dawn is that rarest of Venice street hookers – circa 1990, when the beach community was infested with gangs — who limit her skills to hand-jobs and BJs, without making it clear in advance that’s all she’ll do. After the cop is thwarted in his demand for the real thing, he spends the rest of the movie chasing her and killing anyone who doesn’t provide him with information about her whereabouts. Dawn finds an ally in a runaway teen boy, who’s fearless, if overmatched against the brutal motorcycle jockey. Meanwhile, Dawn isn’t doing herself any favors by slipping back into a heroin habit. “Streets” exhibits a certain grindhouse appeal, but, as a rising mainstream star, Applegate wasn’t about to deliver the goods devotees expect from flicks about misguided hookers. In “Angel in Red” (a.k.a., “Uncaged”), the prevailing menace is a vicious white pimp – as rare a creature as the albino buffalo — whose jealousy and paranoia puts him on a collision course with the most powerful black pimps in Hollywood. If it looks familiar to grindhouse buffs, it’s because “Angel in Red” is a west-coast reiteration of “Streetwalkin’,” an earlier Times Square-based, hooker-in-peril picture that starred Melissa Leo. Here, Mickie (Leslie Bega) and her brother run away to L.A. from Hooterville, or some such burg, where they almost immediately get swallowed up by a pimp named Sharkey. For a while, Mickie is devoted to Sharkey. When he starts beating up her johns, however, she starts looking for another “daddy.” Then, he really goes berserk. Bega’s really pretty, but she’s no match in the acting department for Leo. – Gary Dretzka Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Stand-Up Revolution Pablo Francisco: They Put It Out There In his introduction to “Stand-Up Revolution,” Gabriel Iglesias describes how some comedy clubs ghettoize black and Hispanic comics by grouping them together and building weekly theme nights around them. He makes light of the booking strategy by speculating on how club owners might characterize a program intentionally comprised of niche white comics or those from different countries. “Fluffy” may be kidding, but he’s doing it on the square. Unlike television, where even a 1.1 rating for niche programming translates into big numbers, it probably isn’t a good idea for club owners to segregate their customers. You certainly don’t have to be Mexican-American to enjoy Iglesias’ monologues and the rowdy routines of his guests. Indeed, because the material speaks to experiences commonly shared by Spanish-speaking Americans, the comics are free to ratchet up the craziness and on-target satire before largely Hispanic audiences. When, for example, the show is staged in a Phoenix nightclub, everyone in the room “gets it” when Iglesias rips into the politicians and law-enforcement officials who are exploiting the current controversy over illegal immigration for their own benefit. In any case, “Stand-Up Revolution” is often hysterically funny, and the presence of house band Ozomatli is definitely a plus. The two-disc DVD includes all seven extended episodes and new material by Iglesias. By now, Chilean-American comic Pablo Francisco needs no introduction to Comedy Central audiences. He’s been playing in the big leagues for quite a while now. In “They Put It Out There,” Francisco reminds me a lot of Dane Cook – for better or worse – but with a more formidable arsenal of characters, sound effects and wacky impressions. Every five minutes or so, he breaks into his trademark “Movie Voiceover Guy” persona, which gets old after a while. Still, anyone already in Francisco’s camp isn’t going to object to such overkill in “They Put It Out There.” The DVD adds “Infomercial,” outtakes, a photo shoot, makeup break and “Scandinavian Sunglasses.” – Gary Dretzka Women’s Superstars Uncensored: Volume 1 In the world of women’s professional wrestling, Women’s Superstars Uncensored is to the WWE Divas what Formula 1 racing is to Monster Truck rallies. These grapplers couldn’t be any less glamorous if they tried. For one thing, their costumes look as if they were purchased at a post-Halloween sale at Walmart. For another, the women look as if they learned their trade in prison and the matches are held as part of a work-release program. To make matters worse, I didn’t count more than 30 people in any of the crowds shown in this generous five-hour package from Kick Ass Films. The DVD set features highlight matches from the organization’s five-year history, interviews and commentaries, all of which harken to an era before professional wrestling went MTV. – Gary Dretzka Helldriver Bill Zebub Productions: Antfarm Dickhole Slaughter Claus Haunted Changi My Stepdad’s a Freakin’ Vampire! Not being a connoisseur of Japanese exploitation films, I didn’t quite know what to expect from “Helldriver,” a balls-to-the-wall gorefest from Sushi Typhoon and writer/director Yoshihiro Nishimura. Apparently, Sushi Typhoon is Japan’s answer to Troma Entertainment, in spirit and in content. Among the directorial credits for special-effects wizard Nishimura are “Mutant Girls Squad,” “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” and “Tokyo Gore Squad.” In any case, I’ve never seen anything quite like “Helldriver.” In it, an epidemic of ghouls has split Japan in half and a zombie-proof wall has been constructed to keep a mysterious alien-spawn mist from traveling south. (The movie was made before the tsunami and nuclear-plant disaster, but it easily can be viewed now as commentary on the still-hidden dangers.) The virus begins to spread after an evil older woman is struck by a meteorite while she’s arguing with her daughter, Kika. The rock goes through her chest, leaving a hole where her heart once pounded. She immediately thrusts her hand into her daughter’s chest stealing her heart. The girl is encased in an amber-like substance that emits the deadly mist. After the wall is built, the government implants an artificial heart into Kika’s chest, in effect creating a dynamo to which a power saw is attached. It becomes Kika’s mission to eliminate the zombie threat. What ensues is a bloodbath comparable to the one inflicted on the Turks by Vlad Tepes. Indeed, the rest of the movie is non-stop horror, with zombies adapting to their environment by using corpses in ways the good lord never intended. Can Kika end the plague or succumb to it? Don’t expect any clear cut answers from “Helldriver.” Oddly enough the Blu-ray enhances the red mist and gore to an even greater degree. The DVD arrives with several short films. This month’s ration of insanity doesn’t end with “Helldriver.” Bill Zebub’s inappropriately titled “Antfarm Dickhole” is about as anti-social and twisted as movies get these days. And, yes, that’s saying a mouthful. It’s also hilarious, in a truly perverse sort of way. Made on a miniscule budget, “Antform Dickhole” conjures the distasteful image of a young slacker with the bad luck to have South American army ants crawl into his urethra and lay eggs inside of him. The critters don’t take kindly to folks messing with their makeshift home and they will attack and devour intruders. This includes the women who get intimate with their host. And, by women, I mean strippers likely to have been recruited from the nearest biker bar. The sight gags often are disgusting to watch, but only in a far-fetched sort of way. The dialogue sometimes is pretty funny, too. My advice is to approach “Antfarm Dickhole” with extreme caution and give Zebub credit for making a passable DIY comedy with a budget that must have approached $150. “Slaughter Claus” is another nutso horror/comedy that requires a strong stomach and perverse sense of humor. In it, a facially disfigured Kris Kringle and his bipolar elf get their jollies ruining other people’s holiday. This includes cute little kids, who are rarely shown being murdered in horror flicks. It’s done for laughs, of course, but a lot of viewers won’t find it all that amusing. There’s an anti-materialism message buried in the gore, so, I guess, it’s educational. “Haunted Changi” transports the student-film methodology employed in “Blair Witch” – and its countless imitators – to Singapore, where a group of filmmakers investigates reports of hauntings at a hospital once used by Japanese soldiers for cruel experiments and torture. The facility was abandoned after the war, but the ghosts apparently decided to stay … or did they? The spookiest material comes when the director becomes obsessed with a Chinese squatter, who may or may not exist and splits from the group to look for her in the tunnels and hidden chambers. Too much of the movie is a tease for what happens at night in the hospital, but there are a few truly hair-raising moments. The title, “My Stepdad’s a Freakin’ Vampire!,” takes away most of the suspense in this low-budget indie thriller. A high school student discovers the truth about his mother’s new husband, but, of course, no one believes him. The truth doesn’t come out until the boy digs up his father’s grave and unearths a deep, dark secret. – Gary Dretzka The Mugger Kill a Dragon This month’s batch of manufactured-on-demand titles from MGM/Fox is full of the usual surprises and curiosities. “The Mugger” is interesting mostly as an early adaptation of an Ed McBain crime novel. The black-and-white procedural from 1958 could hardly look more old-fashioned, even by the standards of TV series from that period. And, yet, there is something nostalgic about watching big-city cops mingle with crooked nightclub owners and participants in a floating crap game, as if they had just stepped out of touring company of “Guys and Dolls.” A police psychiatrist is assigned to be point man in an investigation of a mugger, who cuts his women victims on the face before running away with their purses. It isn’t long before the shrink has profiled the creep, whose identity pretty much comes out of left field. Meanwhile, a murder takes place that’s made to look as if it were committed by the mugger, but clearly wasn’t. Among the faces that would be become familiar in popular ’60s TV series are James Franciscus, George Maharis and Renee Taylor. McBain’s material would be better served a few years later in “87th Precinct.” When “Kill a Dragon” was released in 1967, the martial-arts genre was still in its infancy – “The One-Armed Swordsman” broke the million-dollar barrier (HK) that year – and Bruce Lee was making TV shows in the U.S. While not technically a kung-fu movie, “Kill a Dragon” contains a lot of fight scenes and was shot entirely in Hong Kong, Kowloon and Macau. It involves an evil crime boss (Fernando Lamas) attempting to keep a group of islanders from reaping profits off a cargo of nitro-glycerin that washes up on shore. They hire an American mercenary (Jack Palance), who convinces buddies (Aldo Ray, Don Knight) to put together a team of fighters for a battle royal. A former Miss Israel and Miss Hong Kong also get plenty of screen time. Everyone else in the large cast was Chinese. – Gary Dretzka Hallmark: Love Begins “Love Begins” is the prequel to Hallmark’s 10-part series of westerns adapted from Janette Oke’s “Love Comes Softly” novels. In an earnest and genuinely wholesome manner, the books describe the grit of women and girls who pioneered the American frontier, often in the absence of makes in traditional roles. In “Love Begins,” a young adult woman, Ellen Barlow (Julie Mond), and her teenage sister, Cassie (Abigail Mavity), struggle to maintain the family farm outside a dusty western town after the death of their father. While most of the men in Anderson’s Corner are off in California, panning for gold, the property is ravaged by the elements and age. After being arrested for joining a brawl started by his rambunctious partner, Clark Davis (Wes Brown) is allowed to work off the debt he owes a restaurant owner by fixing up the Barlow place. Predictably, after a rocky start, Ellen and Clark begin to hit it off as something more than boss and farmhand. Their relationship hits a pothole, not when Clark’s buddy escapes from a chain gang and returns to town to talk him into committing a crime, as would be the most likely scenario, but when Ellen’s boyfriend returns unexpectedly from the goldfields. After two years and no correspondence between them, he attempts to renew their romance. The newly wealthy and handsome miner isn’t portrayed as a heel, so Ellen’s must decide between wealth and obligation and love. All of the movies adapted from the Oke novels are lumped together in the family-friendly category, if only because the connections between love, hardship, loneliness and physical romance are dealt with in a way consciously designed not to offend anyone. When Clark and Ellen are about to exchange their first kiss, a missing cow makes its presence known by mooing loudly. It causes them to postpone the kiss, at least until the camera stops shooting. It’s a cute moment, but not plausible to anyone older than 10 or a card-carrying member of America’s Christian Taliban. Nevertheless, “Love Begins” is competently made and the actors seem to be enjoying themselves. It’s worth noting how many actresses have used starring roles in the episodes as a springboard for more high-profile work down the road: Katherine Heigl, January Jones, Erin Cottrell, Scout Taylor-Compton, Sarah Jones and Hayley Duff. – Gary Dretzka Nature: My Life as a Turkey: Blu-ray These Amazing Shadows: Movies That Make America: Blu-ray Nova: Fabric of the Cosmos Frontline: Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero Zalman King’s Body Language: Season One Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series With another Thanksgiving suddenly upon us, PBS has released a delightful documentary from “Nature” on the bird Benjamin Franklin considered to be “more respectable” than the bald eagle and worthy of being designated our national bird. “My Life as a Turkey” chronicles the year naturalist and wildlife artist Joe Hutto spent living among 16 newly hatched turkey poults in a forest in Florida. It is extremely rare for a human to come across a nest of fertilized eggs, which haven’t been ravaged by predators or abandoned by the mother. The production is a dramatization of Hutto’s book, “Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey,” with the naturalist reading from the text. There’s nothing in the film that looks staged or phony, however. In fact, like “Bambi,” younger viewers might be horrified by the realities of life in the deep woods. (Anyone frightened of snakes might want to skip this documentary altogether.) Unlike fawns, turkeys stop being cute soon after leaving the nest, so it isn’t likely that watching the film will convince anyone to not join in Thanksgiving festivities. Neither is there anything predictable in the behavior of the birds once they come of age. “These Amazing Shadows: Movies That Make America” is a must-see for anyone whose love of movies extends beyond a subscription to Netflix and dreams of having their handprints enshrined at the Chinese Theater. The documentary describes the significance of the National Film Registry, the federal agency that designates 25 titles annually for preservation, protection and special consideration by all connoisseurs of the cinematic art. Not only do the lists contain the titles of Academy Award-winners and blockbusters, but also indies, oddities and movies of strictly historic importance. In the wake of Ted Turner’s purchase of a huge film library and proclamation that he’d colorize any movie he damn well pleased, Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act and National Film Preservation Board, under the auspices of the Librarian of Congress. Some 550 films have since been honored. “These Amazing Shadows” balances the geek-speak and academic testimony with commentary by filmmakers, actors and journalists. They discuss the criteria for judging movies for such honor and provide personal memories of discovering the power of the cinema. We also visit the rare nitrate-film vaults at the Packard Campus of the Library of Congress, which opened six years ago in Culpepper, Virginia. The preservationists have discovered long-lost segments of movies removed in advance of censorship by the Hays Office, and they’re shown side-by-side with the released versions. The DVD and Blu-ray include a great deal of interesting bonus material. Currently airing on some PBS affiliates, “The Fabric of the Cosmos” explores the borders separating physics and metaphysics. It is hosted by physicist Brian Greene, whose “The Elegant Universe” introduced “Nova” audiences to such mind-blowing concepts as string theory, wormholes, quantum mechanics, parallel realities and alternate universes. “Fabric of the Cosmos” is explained best in chapter titles, “What Is Space?,” “The Illusion of Time,” “Quantum Leap” and “Universe or Multiverse?” In other words, all the stuff acid heads contemplated while tripping their brains out now is being addressed by the scientific community. It’s about time. When, on 9/11, four hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a patch of farm land in Pennsylvania, believers around the world asked themselves the same question: How could the terrorists possibly believe that God, Mohammad and a gaggle of virgins would welcome them to Paradise after committing such heinous acts? The terrorists studied the same Koran as tens of millions of other Muslims, yet derived from it completely opposite meanings. The “Frontline” documentary,“Faith & Doubt at Ground Zero,”revisits that perplexing debate and the greatest of question of them all, “If there is a God, why do such horrible things continue to happen, especially to innocent people?” Americans from disparate backgrounds and religious beliefs — and none at all – were interviewed for the documentary. Was God on the minds of the people who leaped hand-in-hand from the top floors of the WTC or did they act out of desperation? If desperation, would God consider their suicides to be a mortal sin, as is taught in some religions, or would the Almighty grant them a one-time waiver? If viewers don’t go into “Faith & Doubt” looking for definitive answers, there’s a good chance they’ll find value in the debate, at least. Zalman King, who has introduced countless Americans to the pleasures of soft-core porn in “9½ Weeks” and “Red Shoe Diaries,” returned to Showtime with “Body Language.” Set in a so-called gentlemen’s club, the series asks us to believe that most of the troubles in the world could be resolved, if only people listened to the theories of lap dancers, bartenders and bouncers. Each episode, college student and mixologist Samantha (Jessica Rimmer) addresses the issues vexing a different stripper, who typically charges more for her time then a psychiatrist could justify. The DVD package adds material deemed too hot even for premium-cable subscribers, so anyone who liked the original series will love the extended cuts. King’s ability to produce couples-friendly erotica is on full display here. There seems to be an infinite inventory of “Doctor Who” material, which isn’t surprising considering how long it’s been on the air. The sixth series opens with Rory (Arthur Darvill) and Amy (Karen Gillen) ensconced in the honeymoon suite of a giant space liner that wanders into the toxic atmosphere of an alien planet. A call from Amy summons the TARDIS, which carries the doctor (Matt Smith) to the planet and the person who literally owns the air. The doctor must convince atmosphere mogol Kazran Sardick to help him rescue the passengers or save the spacecraft from destruction, before he can proceed with the remainder of the season’s episodes and an unusual visit to Earth. The DVD and Blu-ray package combines the two halves of the sixth series, while adding the 2010 Christmas special, commentary and other bonus material. – Gary Dretzka The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 1 Beauty and the Beast’s Enchanted Christmas: Blu-ray /Belle’s Magical World Prep & Landing In an unusual scheduling twist, American audiences will have to wait for Christmas to see what international fans of “The Adventures of Tintin” overseas have already experienced. Steven Spielberg’s adaptation employs motion-capture animation and CGI to retain the visual flavor of Belgian artist Hergé’s beloved comic strip, which debuted in Europe in 1929. American audiences ought to consider doing some homework before attempting the movie and, apart from picking up the books, the easiest way to do so would be studying the animated television series, which ran from 1991-93 on HBO. Season One of “The Adventures of Tintin,” introduces newcomers to the young Belgian reporter, his canine companion Snowy, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus and detectives Thomson & Thompson. Disney’s hugely successful “Beauty and the Beast” spun off a pair of holiday specials in 1997 and 1998, as DVD originals. “Enchanted Christmas” gets the full Blu-ray treatment, with plenty of bonus features and a DVD disc. In it, Belle continues her mission to make the Beast feel welcome among normal-looking folks. The story is told in the form of one of Mrs. Potts’ “tales as old as time.” Composer Forte is determined to keep the lovers apart from each other, but Christmas spirit is more powerful than spite. The attractive hi-def presentation adds a behind-the-scenes featurette on the animation; “Forte’s Challenge” memory game; an “Enchanted” environment feature with animated fireplace scenes; sing-along tracks that can be played separately or during the feature film; and music video, “As Long As There’s Christmas,” by Play. “Magical World” hasn’t been accorded a full-blown makeover. It tells three stories based on the themes of forgiveness, kindness and love. Disney made the holiday featurette, “Prep & Landing,” to fit the needs of ABC television, which was looking for a Christmas special that wouldn’t grow old with repeated airings. Made under the supervision of exec-producer John Lasseter, “P&L” follows the elves as they prepare homes for Santa’s visit and makes sure the kids know the drill. It’s a cute addition to the Disney/Pixar family. “P&L” arrives with the shorts “Operation Secret Santa,” “Tiny’s Big Adventure” and four Kringle Academy training videos. – Gary Dretzka New York Dolls: Lookin’ Fine on Television One of the reasons crusty old rock-’n’-roll journalists take the Hall of Fame less than seriously is the nominating committee’s tendency to honor performers whose ability to sell records trumps innovation, sacrifice and influence. Some musicians and singers have been inducted several times, while others are only considered after the uproar gets too loud to ignore. The fact that such mainstream entertainers as Billy Joel are members and not hard-core acts like the New York Dolls demands loud debate. Watch “Lookin’ Fine on Television” and I think you’ll see the case to be made for the Dolls. Directly influenced by the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and the Faces, the Stooges and MC5, the Dolls may have been the first American band to embrace Britain’s emerging Glam Rock and Punk movements and convincing suburban teenagers that boys have the same right to wear makeup and tease their hair as their girlfriends. Among the bands the Dolls influenced were Alice Cooper, Kiss, Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, the Ramones, Guns N Roses, Poison, R.E.M., Aerosmith and Clash. David Johansen was able to survive by morphing into the persona of lounge lizard Buster Poindexter and making songs for hipper elements among the disco crowd. Filmmakers Bob Gruen and Nadya Beck have compiled clips from the band’s formative years in L.A. and N.Y.C., as well as vintage interviews. From MVD, it’s one of the best rock docs I’ve seen in a while. – Gary Dretzka The Big Country: Blu-ray Quigley Down Under: Blu-ray The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Blu-ray William Wyler’s epic western, “The Big Country,” is set on a pair of ranches so large that everyone involved says, “It’s a big country …,” whenever they run out of other ways to comment on life’s mysteries. Gregory Peck stars as a sea captain, who, after making a fortune on the high seas, moves west to marry Carroll Baker and work the ranch owned by her father. It’s difficult to imagine anyone thinking cattle would thrive on such a barren location, but dumber notions have succeeded, I suppose. No sooner does the seaman reach town than he finds himself caught in a range war between a pair of old-goat patriarchs who bicker over everything, including the Big Muddy that doesn’t exactly flow between the two properties. He also crosses the ranch’s top hand (Charlton Heston), who covets Peck’s fiancé. The cowboys can’t understand why the easterner won’t fight when provoked. Baker, too, can’t understand why he’s such a coward, which, of course, he isn’t. At three hours, “Big Country” moves a tad slow for a western. It looks good in Blu-ray, though, and the acting is top-notch. Also swell are Burl Ives, Chuck Connors, Charles Bickford and Jean Simmons. A making-of featurette also is included. “Quigley Down Under” was released in 1990, when westerns were an even rarer commodity than they are now. Unless the protagonist was played by Clint Eastwood, he might as well have been from another planet … or Australia. That’s where we find Tom Selleck, who plays a marksman from Montana hired by an Aussie landowner (Alan Rickman) to shoot Aborigines. Once informed of this end of the deal, Quigley decides not to participate, however. After taking a beating, he decides to settle the score, alongside Laura San Giacomo, who also was brutalized by the land baron. Australia is the real star of the show here, although Selleck and Rickman always earn their money. The Blu-ray adds a featurette, “The Rebirth of the Western.” The recent remake of “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” had its good points, to be sure, but the original was a doozy. Made in 1974, when New York was a bit more gritty than it is today, Joseph Sargent’s tick-tock thriller is loaded with atmosphere and tension. In addition to the intricately designed and precisely timed heist of a cash-carrying subway train, the movie featured excellent performances by Walter Matthau, Jerry Stiller, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam and Robert Shaw. –Gary Dretzka H.H. Dalai Lama: Essence of Mahayana Buddhism H.H. Dalai Lama: Message of Peace and Compassion The latest entries in MVD’s collection of lectures conducted by the Dalai Lama captures His Holiness as he consoles westerners interested in following Buddha’s path. In his 165-minute lectures, which are mostly in English, he summarizes the essence of Mahayana Buddhism as the unified practice of compassion and wisdom. He also adds practical advice to westerners practicing dharma and takes questions from the audience. – Gary Dretzka Bite Marks Lost Everything If any proof were needed that someone in this country is capable of making a romantic dramedy that is intelligent, moving, funny and authentic, and doesn’t rely on pratfalls, cheap sentiment and star power to hold its audience, it can be found in “Beginners.” Mike Mills’ often very moving story isn’t for everyone, certainly. Viewers who still are uncomfortable watching gay men openly demonstrate their love for other in public settings – in distinctly non-pornographic ways — may lack the patience required to allow the movie to win them over, as it will less squeamish people. Neither is it fun to watch an extremely likable character cope with the inevitability of a painful death to cancer (not AIDS-related). Ewan McGregor plays a graphic artist, Oliver, whose father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), happily exited the closet after the death of his longtime wife. In doing so, Hal finally acknowledged something he knew to be true ever since he was 13. Growing up, Oliver had suspected an invisible force was coming between his parents, but he wasn’t sure what it was. The revelation of his father’s sexuality doesn’t appear to have wounded the son in any concrete way, however. If anything, the loss of the woman in both of their lives served to bring them closer. Learning that his father would die, just he was experiencing an emotional rebirth as a gay man, had a far harsher impact on Oliver. “Beginners” unfolds as a memory play, with much time shifting and space for reflection. It begins in the present, as Oliver is about to be rescued from his terrible loneliness by a quirky French actress, Anna (Melanie Laurent), who is pretty, funny and wise, but fearful of commitment. Again, unlike most Hollywood romances, “Beginners” never attempts to assure its viewers the kind of traditional, feel-good ending in which everyone lives happily ever after. Somehow, too, Mills (“Thumbsucker”) managed to add a Jack Russell terrier to most scenes and keep it from detracting from what’s happening around him. Oliver inherited the emotionally needy dog from Hal and eventually it becomes a loyal companion to him. The terrier does possess one remarkable talent, which, if taken out of context, would sound too preposterous for any director to execute. How Oliver responds to it speaks volumes about his depressed state of mind and Mills’ faith in indie audiences to go along with the conceit. Also doing a nice job here are Goran Visnjic, as Hal’s lover, and Mary Page Keller as his flakey wife. “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” is a charming bio-doc about what we’re told is “the world’s only yodeling, country-singing-and-comedy lesbian-sibling duo.” Individually, none of those qualities would make Jools and Lynda Topp worthy of an 84-minute film. When combined with the fact they were born on a New Zealand dairy farm and appeal as much to rodeo crowds as left-wing activists, Topp Twins suddenly become something larger than the sum of their individual parts and interesting to non-Kiwis. On stage, the impossibly energetic duo combines beautifully tight harmonies and politically charged songs, with sight gags, sing-alongs and novelty routines that wouldn’t be out of place on “Hee-Haw.” The characters they’ve invented are as much a part of New Zealand’s cultural identity as Peter Jackson and exported lamb chops. Watching the Topps perform before crowds that range from farmers to soon-to-be-arrested protesters tells us as much about the country as it does about the women. New Zealand is a country small enough to embrace such unconventional performers as neighbors and friends, yet large enough to send voter-sanctioned messages to world powers on nuclear proliferation, racism, sexism, homophobia and respect for the rights of its aboriginal people, although none came without some kind of fight. LeAnne Pooley’s camera follows Jools and Lynda to their rural homes, which they share with their lovers and various farm and domesticated animals, as well as on tour and at rallies. We meet their parents, watch home movies and follow their show-biz progression from mullet-wearing buskers to creators of a hit television show. The emotional centerpiece of “Untouchable Girls” comes when Jools is diagnosed with breast cancer and Lynda attaches herself to the rungs of her hospital, providing solace and support. Pooley uses Jools’ treatment and convalescence as an example of how close these women are to each other, although that question is never really in doubt. Not having heard of the Topps until two weeks ago, I sometimes felt as if I were intruding on a very private moment in their lives. The movie broke several box-office records for documentaries in New Zealand and very well could find a niche here, as well. “Bite Marks” is a fairly standard vampire movie, with an entertaining gay twist. Played more for laughs than terror, freshman writer/director Mark Bessenger had no trouble finding horror conventions to parody, while also opening up the script to include some flirtatious fun. While backpacking their way across country, Cary and Vogel decide to accept a lift from a trucker hauling coffins. The driver is filling in for his brother, who was killed early in the movie by one of the coffin’s inhabitants, and has the bad luck to be assigned a trailer full of ghouls. If that weren’t enough bother, recent problems in the sack with women have made him susceptible to the approaches of the hitch-hikers. Just as the trucker is about to succumb to their advances, he’s pulled out of the cab and forced to deal with monsters who are more interested in sucking his blood than sucking … well, you know. The final showdown occurs in an abandoned junkyard, where the truck was led by vampire GPS. None of the action is realistic and the vampires aren’t at all scary. Still, the dialogue is often funny and loaded with double entendre. The DVD comes with commentary, interviews and a gag reel. “Lost Everything” is quasi-thriller that feels as if it were made in the 1980s not 2011. That’s because of the lengths the closeted celebrity, Brian Brecht, is willing to go to maintain the ruse that he’s straight and a real lady’s man. While in Miami on a publicity tour, it takes him all of five minutes to hit on the handsome bartender he’ll use and abuse in the next few days. His manager hires a dreamy female hooker as a companion, just in case the tabloids are stalking Brian … which, of course, they are. Meanwhile, across town, the son of a prominent preacher rejects his father’s invitation to be deprogrammed at a Christian camp in Colorado. After he refuses, the old hypocrite hires a “fixer” to eliminate his son’s boyfriend. Another storyline involves an assassin who falls in love with a woman he rescues from her brute ex-husband. He knows better than to get involved with a civilian, but does anyway, putting his own life in jeopardy. That’s a lot of plot to hang on an undernourished screenplay. The interconnectedness of the story is wasted, but the boys and girls are cute. – Gary Dretzka Life in a Day When Strangers Click Remember that large-format book of photographs, “A Day in the Life of America,” that could be found on everyone’s coffeetables in the late 1980s? It collected the work of 200 of the world’s finest photographers, all of whom were assigned by the book’s editors to be different places in the U.S. on May 2, 1986, and shoot something that moved them. “Life in a Day” is the Digital Age equivalent of that ambitious project. Instead of still photographs, the movie is comprised of footage captured and uploaded by YouTube users on July 24, 2010. It was edited down from 4,500 hours of material representing 80,000 entries and 192 nations. As anyone who spends much time on the social network probably already can guess, the 95-minute movie is more interesting and entertaining, than revelatory or provocative. It begins and ends in the dead of night and follows the sun from one corner of the Earth to all the rest of them, in no particular order other than time of day. No segment lasts more than about 30 seconds and some go by in the blink of an eye. I suppose that “Life in a Day” qualifies as a social experiment, but, ultimately, it came down to the judgment of director Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”) and seven co-directors; exec-producers Ridley and Tony Scott (“Alien”); music supervisor John Boughtwood; editor Joe Walker; and their teams to stitch together the final product. Social networks can only do so much. So many horror stories have been told about Internet dating and the lies shared on social-network sites that it’s somehow comforting to learn not all such experiences have been unpleasant or creepy. That is what happens in “When Strangers Click,” a HBO documentary about people who’ve found success in the Internet dating pool or, if not success, exactly, something that didn’t end badly. It hardly qualifies as news that the people we meet probably had failed miserably in more conventional approaches to dating and romance. Lots of normal folks have perfectly acceptable reasons for trolling the Internet, not the least of which being too little opportunity to meet interesting people and chronic shyness. It’s what happens when the people we meet here finally do connect that makes “When Strangers Click” interesting. One reasonably attractive woman starts out looking for potential partners within a close radius to her New York home, but finds love in Hungary with a Siberian man who can barely speak English. Two other widely separated people introduce themselves to each other – then date and arrange to meet – through their greatly exaggerated “avatar” personae. A young gay man finds the support he needs to exit the closet on the web, but then is hustled by the mayor of the city to which he’s moved. Robert Kenner (“Food, Inc.”) has hopes of spinning a TV series off “When Strangers Click.” I wonder how easy it will be to find stories as compelling as the first five. – Gary Dretzka Flypaper: Blu-ray If Mack Sennett and Hal Roach were still around, making movies, they might have attempted to produce one like “Flypaper.” It has a slapsticky plot, perfectly suited for the zaniest and misshapen of silent-era comedians, and the dialogue is largely extraneous to anything that’s happening on the screen. In it, two teams of robbers arrive at a bank at the same time, hoping to relieve its safe of the money it contains. One uses high-tech tools, while the other just plans to wing it, as would befit a pair of bumpkins named Peter Butter and Jelly (roles well-suited to Pruitt Taylor Vince and Tim Blake Nelson). Neither team is able to prevent the bank from locking itself down, as usual, so they’re forced to hold their hostages overnight and wait for the systems to return to normal. Meanwhile, with nothing to do but scheme, the hostages find ways to amuse themselves and annoy the robbers, who continue to attempt to break into the safe and ATMs. The comedy turns inky black when characters start dying in a way Agatha Christie might have envisioned. Then there’s Patrick Dempsey, who finds himself in the middle of the heist with his eyes on a pretty teller (Ashley Judd) and a scheme of his own device. The movie’s biggest crime, though, is wasting the considerable talents of the rarely seen auto-racing fan, Judd, who could have phoned in her assignment here. – Gary Dretzka What Women Want The Warring States Somewhere, Chairman Mao and Madam Mao are spinning in their graves. As the architects of China’s bloody Cultural Revolution, how could they have anticipated the exploitation of the masses by a new breed of gluttonous, western-style capitalists; that clothing made of green khaki material would be replaced by Armani and Brooks Brothers; and that one of the world’s great cinemas would be reduced to adapting decadent Hollywood rom-coms? It’s stunning to see how easily the Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt vehicle, “What Women Want,” fits within the context of contemporary Beijing yuppie-dom. The capital isn’t routinely used as a backdrop for contemporary films and, absent any references to the Forbidden City, Tiananman Square or billions of people commuting by bicycle, it looks pretty much like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei, if not the movie’s original setting, Chicago. Corporate offices, high-rise apartments and discos look pretty much the same everywhere. Otherwise, the story remains the same. Advertising executive Zigang Sun (pop star Andy Lau) is a chauvinistic playboy, whose work and dating don’t leave much time for the needs of his daughter and father. After a bizarre accident, he gains the ability to read the minds of women around him. The timing is convenient as the agency has just hired the attractive and professionally formidable Yilong Li (Gong Li, still ravishing at 45), to accept the promotion he assumed was his for the taking. She won the job because the agency was desperately in need of a creative executive who understands what fashionable women want to were at work, on dates and at play. Zigang uses his newly acquired talent to eavesdrop on the deepest thoughts of the women around him and steal the ideas of his new manager. By the time Yilong figures out what’s happening, Zigang has created campaigns that have impressed the big boss and convinced her that he might not be such a jerk, after all. She doesn’t feel the same way after she’s laid off and her nemesis cops to his hidden talent. Anyone who’s seen Nancy Meyers and Josh Goldsmith’s original, or watch any Hollywood rom-com in the last 30 years, already knows what happens next. It’s entirely possible that the finale came as a surprise to Chinese audiences conditioned to political tracts, martial-arts action and historical epics, but I doubt it. Writer/director/co-star Chen Daming lived and worked in in America before moving back to Beijing, so nailing genre conventions probably didn’t present many problems for him. Li and Lau also look as if they were born for their parts. Chinese censors are even tougher on sex than the prudes at the MPAA, so “What Women Want” could easily pass for “PG” here. I have no way of knowing how critics and audiences greeted the movie overseas, so I will resist the temptation to critique it for Chinese-speaking audiences. I definitely could have done without the schmaltzy love songs, most rendered in English, though. The DVD arrives in Mandarin, with English and Chinese subtitles Like “What Women Want,” Jin Chen’s far more familiar feudal-wars epic “The Warring States” is from China Lion Film Distribution. It is a story not only of powerful man and women willing to go to extreme lengths to maintain wealth and status, but also the military strategists they retain – or, here, kidnap – to keep the wolves from their doors. Sun Bin (Sun Hong-Lei), a descendant of “The Art of War” author Sun Tzu, is an especially brilliant strategist in China’s Warring States Period (5th to 3rd centuries, BC). His most formidable rival is his brother, Pang Juan (Francis Ng), a general who imprisoned and tortured Sun Bin, in order to convince opponents he was insane and of no use to them. Pang’s sister Fei (Kim Hee-seon), the princess of Wei, is both beautiful and a fearsome warrior. In the war for control of the states, there’s a separate blueprint for peace and compromise. Nothing comes easy, though. American viewers probably won’t be impressed by the CGI tricks, but there’s no denying the skill that went into the costumes, hair and other production values. It, too, is in Mandarin with English subtitles.—Gary Dretzka Rio Sex Comedy Welcome to L.A. The characters in Jonathan Nossiter’s beyond-offbeat ensemble rom-com live in Rio de Janeiro, but the movie’s many conceits were mined from territory Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph once explored and Henry Jaglom continues to chart. I say this because to appreciate “Rio Sex Comedy” on its own terms, viewers must be willing to forgo content for character, and accept that some of the people we meet aren’t at all likeable. Nossiter provides only sketchy backgrounds for them, believing, I think, that we’ll judge them primarily by how they look in and out of clothing. To some degree, he’s probably right. The fascinating settings can’t help but overwhelm some of the dialogue, at least, while the narrative only asks of viewers that they stick around to find out which of the characters ends up in bed with whom. What’s more interesting is the interaction between the actors and non-professionals who appear to have been plucked from the streets, beach, kitchens and favelas of Rio and invited Nossiter’s crew into their homes. It gives “Rio Sex Comedy” a texture that mimics documentaries and travelogues. The favelas are governed and policed by well-armed thugs, who are more representative of the residents than police and politicians would want us to believe. It’s amazing that Nossiter was given permission to shoot scenes in the same slums that are currently being raided by police in advance of the World Cup and Olympics. Fischer Stevens plays a guide who escorts tourists through the favelas and surrounding forest, and arranges for them to witness an exotic mating ritual performed by Indians who could have stepped out of the pages of Vogue. Bill Pullman’s U.S. ambassador stages his own kidnapping, so he can get closer to poor residents and devise cock-eyed schemes to make their lives less miserable … in his eyes, anyway. French star Irene Jacob (“Red,” “The Double Life of Veronique”) is researching the working conditions of maids, who clean the apartments of wealthy Brazilians, raise their kids, put up with their employers’ groping and dodge bullets on their way home to the favelas. Charlotte Rampling (“Swimming Pool”) plays a prominent British plastic surgeon, who after ditching her longtime husband, moves to Rio. She spends more time urging potential patients to reconsider their decision to have work done than performing operations. (She convinces a young and beautiful woman that all she needs to look younger is a radical new hairdo.) Other attractive characters come and go, adding pretty faces here and there, as if to showcase the class disparity in the city. The same viewers who had trouble with Altman’s early ensemble pieces and continue to avoid Jaglom’s talky hybrids might find “Rio Sex Comedy” to be a similarly excruciating exercise in cinematic navel-gazing. Those who have enjoyed Nossiter’s previous work – “Sunday,” “Signs & Wonders” and the documentary “Mondovino” – should welcome the challenge. As usual, the seductive charms of Rio de Janeiro are on full display and work miracles with the cultural tourists. The DVD adds many deleted and alternative scenes. MGM/Fox has just released Alan Rudolph’s “Welcome to L.A.,” which “Rio Sex Comedy” resembles architecturally. A longtime associate of Robert Altman, Rudolph frequently worked with ensemble casts of high-profile, if not always A-list actors and musicians, playing characters whose issues and moods mirror those of the cities in which they lived. The music also reflects the settings. The pecking order of the characters often is obscured by the constant intersection of events during which they meet, mate and share the prevailing gestalt, for lack of a better word. In “Welcome to L.A.,” the characters exist on the periphery of the music industry and, as such, most are pretentious, when they’re not outright phony; wealthy, if completely devoid of worthwhile qualities themselves; and lonely, even while surrounded by several million other residents. Being Christmastime, the highs are heightened and the lows deepened. This vision of L.A. may be less Disneyland, than Forest Lawn, but it is recognizable. The sterling cast includes Keith Carradine, Sally Kellerman, Geraldine Chaplin, Harvey Keitel, Lauren Hutton, Viveca Lindfors, Denver Pyle and John Considine. The most telling image is supplied by Sissy Spacek, playing a flower-child maid who vacuums topless. “Welcome to L.A.” is available on a manufactured-on-demand basis, through Amazon and other outlets. – Gary Dretzka Pound of Flesh: Blu-ray Of all the fine movies in which Malcolm McDowell has appeared, none probably will be as insignificant as “Pound of Flesh.” It practically doesn’t exist. There are no reviews of it on Amazon – by publicists, relatives or friends – and only one critic’s notice, in Dutch, at IMDB. Someone at Odyssey Moving Images thought enough of “Pound of Flesh,” however, to accord it a modest marketing push and release it in Blu-ray, as well as DVD, which has to count for something. Tamar Simon Hoffs’ erotic thriller opens with the shooting death of a naked woman who just scrambled out of the bed of her lover. After a brief stop at the local police station, we’re taken to a small private college where fall semester is about to begin. Naturally, several young women are tanning in their bikinis, discussing the relative merits of big cocks. McDowell’s voiceover informs us of his delight that school’s opening, although we won’t find out why exactly until he morphs into Humbert Humbert. His Shakespeare class is populated with way too many gorgeous young women, some of whom aren’t even enrolled in the course. They all defer to him in ways that don’t necessarily suggest he’s either trading grades for sex or that he’s even that inspirational a teacher. He’s definitely a smooth talker, though, and far better liked by male faculty members than women. One thing that is made clear, however, is how incredibly inept are the local police, whose idea of a thorough investigation is attending a class and wondering how MacDowell gets away with whatever it is he’s trying to get away with. In any case, we figure it out before they do and don’t believe it, either. If you miss it at the local video store, I’m sure it will show up on Cinemax around midnight sometime soon. – Gary Dretzka Money Matters If it weren’t for festivals devoted to niche audiences — gay and lesbian, children, documentary, urban and other ethnic groups – hundreds of movies simply would be ignored and left to sit on a shelf somewhere. Each week, dozens of new DVD titles are released without the benefit of a theatrical run. Some are good, most aren’t. All represent the collaborative work of dozens of dedicated people and deserve some recognition outside the immediate families of the cast, crew and caterers. Ryan Richmond’s heartbreaking urban drama, “Money Matters,” is better than most movies that go directly from the festival circuit to the crowded straight-to-DVD marketplace. Although the characters are living in a different hell than the one inhabited by Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique in “Precious,” they would recognize each other immediately. Monique “Money” Matters (newcomer Terri Abney) is teetering on the brink of adolescence, trapped between two worlds. She lives with her mother, Pamela Matters (Aunjanue Ellis), in a crummy apartment nearly in the shadow of the Washington Monument and Capitol Building. The identity of her father is held from her as if it were a state secret. Money’s three-bus commute to the Catholic school she attends would be considered an ordeal, even if it didn’t take her from one world in which she feels uncomfortable to another, just as foreign. In class, she occasionally drifts off into space, writing poetry and sketching pictures. Tired of Money’s lack of focus, a teacher confiscates her notebook. Instead of embarrassing the teenager in front of her peers, however, the teacher discovers a talent for writing even Money didn’t consider valuable outside her own head. Certainly, her mother hasn’t encouraged her to pursue it. As if an identity crisis weren’t sufficiently distracting, Money also is experiencing all the usual problems associated with coming of age sexually. Having observed Pamela’s catastrophic relationships at close range, Money doesn’t know if a couple of minutes of pleasure are worth the days of abuse that inevitably follow. Her mother would prefer for Money to find pleasure in the bible and avoid the same sort of neighborhood boys who grew up to be pimps, dealers and convicted felons in her day. Any movie that treats the bible with something other than derision or condescension tends now to be lumped together in a category reserved for so-called faith-based entertainments. “Money Matters,” though, wouldn’t be welcome in most bible-study classes in that it contains raw language, partial nudity and real-world problems that can’t necessarily be cured solely by prayer. And when the girl discovers who her father is, it isn’t clear if Richmond is exploiting actual events or offering a meaningful solution for two women in a world of hurt. By the time this happens, though, we’ve bought into Money’s story and hope she’ll be smart enough to use every means at her disposal to grow into womanhood unscarred by childhood. — Gary Dretzka Bellflower In Evan Glodell’s nihilistic portrayal of American slacker culture, it’s amazing the characters have the energy and desire to get out of bed each day. They certainly lack the enthusiasm it would take to apply for the one or two jobs available to young people today or to join the armed forces, where they can kill people and blow stuff up without fear of getting arrested for having a good time. We’ve met such characters before, in “Alpha Dog” and “River’s Edge,” and pray that people like them never move into a house next to us. In “Bellflower,” two young men dream of living in a “Mad Max” world, where people will judge them solely for their cool cars, cool guns and flamethrowers, and cool willingness to beat the crap out of anyone who doesn’t think they’re cool. In this teenage wasteland, girlfriends exist primarily to make their men feel cooler than they are and pretend to crave sex as much as boys do. If a gal breaks up with a guy before he breaks up with her, the slight could result in a lingering state of depression and/or a desire to commit murder. In the making-of featurette, we’re told that “Bellflower” is a movie about how some people deal with broken hearts. It helps explain why the guys here invest their true feelings in cars, guns and tools. The object of bro-mance in this case is a souped-up 1960s muscle car with flame-throwing exhaust pipes and a constant need for TLC. When the apocalypse happens, the Medusa will lead its owners (Glodell, Tyler Dawson) to some remote encampment where other surviving gearheads have gathered to hunt for fuel depots and tell each other how cool their cars are. Someone, they have convinced themselves that this variation on Charles Manson’s Helter-Skelter dream is a real possibility. If so, I suspect they’ll find the characters from “Two-Lane Blacktop” and “Gone in 60 Seconds” there racing for pink slips, as well. Lest my comments make it sound as if “Bellflower” is a loud waste of time, it isn’t. Made on a budget estimated to be less than the cost of building the Medusa – a car that does in real life what is shown on film — it is fully engrossing and entertaining in a down-and-dirty, do-it-yourself, indie grindhouse sort of way. The Impressionistic camerawork approximates what it must be like to go through life in a constant, beer-induced haze and the acting is as good as it has to be … especially that of Jessie Wiseman, the blond girlfriend who takes most of the abuse in “Bellflower.” The making-of featurettes are essential viewing for anyone who enjoys the movie. Considering how personal a project “Bellflower” was for everyone involved, I’m anxious to see what Glodell & Co. will do next. – Gary Dretzka An Injury to One Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie Between dodging tear-gas canisters and keeping their tents habitable, I don’t know how the Occupy activists spend their idle hours. We’re told by the media that some of their time is spent smoking pot, making music and finding unoccupied bathrooms and Porta-Potties. It sounds like what happens outside the Chinese Theater whenever there’s a new episode of “Star Wars” and “Twilight.” In the last two months, alone, I’ve watched enough good documentaries to think an Occupy Film Festival could be organized and – thanks to the portability of DVDs and digital projection hardware – be passed from laptop to laptop, tent to tent and city to city, within hours. Although any such activity would qualify as preaching to the choir, it’s important for true believers to remain motivated, inspired and educated. That was the mission of the filmmakers who contributed to the “Why We Fight” series, during World War II. Apart from some government-dictated propaganda and ethnic stereotypes, the films made a convincing case against isolationism and for sending our soldiers to places most people didn’t know existed. Made in 2002, “An Injury to One” would remind protesters of a time when industrialists were free to hire thugs to break up strikes and eliminate union activists with deadly force. One telegram to a governor or senator could result in the deployment of soldiers to keep strikers at bay and get pro-industry legislation passed. The protesters’ rhetoric may have been heard in big cities, far away, but closer to home their arguments were stifled by editors employed by the mine and factory owners who also owned the local newspapers. Compared to what happened in Butte, Montana, less than 100 years ago, the recent skirmishes in the streets of Oakland, Portland, Denver and Manhattan were rehearsals for “Dancing With the Stars.” Travis Wilkerson’s Impressionistic documentary describes how mine owners conspired, first, to neutralize and dismantle the Industrial Workers of the World and, later, completely reverse gains made decades earlier in wages and benefits. The film also describes the brutal measures employed by mine owners and private security firms to permanently silence Frank Little, a half-white, half-Cherokee organizer for the IWW. Cast in the same mold as the late, lamented Joe Hill, Little stood up to Anaconda Mining, which literally was getting away with murder in its mines. One night, though, he was dragged out of bed and lynched. A note attached to his body bore the numbers 3, 7, 77 (the feet-and-inches dimensions of a Montana grave). No one was prosecuted, even after Pinkerton operative Dashiell Hammett – his novel, “Red Harvest,” recalled his time in Butte — admitted he was offered a small fortune to murder Little. Former Butte resident Wilkerson makes his points in interesting ways. Instead of banging viewers over the head with dramatizations or emotionally charged narration, he lays words over landscapes and amplifies them with atmospheric music. He then divides interviews with voiceover narration and archival newspaper clippings, photographs and graphics. Moving on from 1917, which was the height of mining activity, to the 1950s, the documentary skips forward to the 1950s, when pit mining began. Wilkerson recounts how Anaconda continued to ignore evidence of pollution and other environmental damage so severe and obvious that Butte was designated a Superfund site. ARCO purchased Anaconda in 1977, but the drop in price for metals caused it to close the pits. The mile-long, half-mile-wide and 1,780-feet-deep Berkeley Pit was abandoned in 1982 and, ever since, has been filling up with water contaminated by poisonous metals and chemicals. The lake’s toxicity made headlines when, in 1995, flocks of migrating geese became confused by a storm and landed in it. .Very soon thereafter, the carcasses of 342 geese were discovered. ARCO attempted to divert the blame, but necropsies showed the deadly presence of copper, arsenic and cadmium in their systems. Clearly, then, the battle against corporate greed and malfeasance didn’t begin last month with the occupation of a park on Wall Street and it won’t end with an uptick in the economy. A poisonous lake in Montana is proof of that. There are many moments in “Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie” that will have flower children of a certain age wincing with recognition and it’s not just because of the tie-dye fashions, peace fingers and chanting. Some will mourn their lost youth and missed opportunities, while others will wonder how they possibly could have voted for George Bush … twice. Born Hugh Romney, Wavy Gravy was then and still is the clown prince of the counterculture, anti-war and pro-love movements. For more than a half-century, the poet/activist/clown has been supporting progressive causes, feeding hungry people, performing good deeds and making people smile, sometimes simultaneously. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Hog Farm residents had gassed up their psychedelic bus and driven to the nearest Occupy site in support of the protesters, just as they had at Woodstock and countless anti-war rallies. For his troubles, Wavy has been beaten by police so severely it required being put in a body cast. There’s nothing a cop hates as much as a non-violent clown. Today, he still dons colorful costumes to entertain kids at his circus and performing-arts camp in Laytonville, California, and benefit the international health foundation, Seva, which he founded with Dr. Larry Brilliant and Ram Dass. “Saint Misbehaving” is a mostly glowing chronicle of Wavy’s life and times, from his days spent reading poetry in Greenwich Village cafes and hanging out with such luminaries as Lenny Bruce and Bob Dylan, through daily life at the Hog Farm with friends and wife, Jahanara. At 75, he’s still spry and not at all embarrassed to be interviewed with a red bulb on his nose. The DVD adds lots more interview material deleted from the documentary. – Gary Dretzka History: WWII in HD: Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray It’s odd to recall just how much the success of cable television is owed to the people who documented our 20th Century wars. At a time when programming executives literally counted every penny at their disposal, footage held in the public domain and taxpayer-supported museums, libraries and archives was continually repurposed to suit the needs of dozens of documentaries. Some nights the shows on History and A&E – each dubbed at various times as the Hitler Channel — were the most compelling options available to viewers looking for relief from the mediocre shows available to them on the broadcast networks. The ratings weren’t huge, but they didn’t have to be. How, after more than 60 years, is it then possible that unseen war footage is still being discovered? Good question. The latest great cache of films to be discovered included original color footage taken on the battlefields, beachheads, encampments and skies above German- and Japanese-held territories. For Americans who came of ticket-buying age in the 1940-50s, color added a dimension of reality missing in earlier pictures. Documentary and newsreel producers waited until it became affordable to make the switch. Indeed, much of the color footage revealed in History’s “WWII in Color” series rivaled that of the gung-ho movies being churned out by Hollywood in the post-war era. It would take another 50-plus years for most viewers and war buffs, however, to see it. The material, we’re told, was discovered in a far-flung search that took two years to complete. Its historical significance was further enhanced by the decision made by cable-television and DVD programmers to include extremely graphic and previously censored combat images in their presentations. It included haunting footage of dead and dying soldiers, taken on both sides of the front lines; desperate attempts to mend the wounded in field hospitals; Japanese soldiers committing suicide on Saipan, rather than surrender; emaciated children, left abandoned or orphaned by their parents; leprous survivors of Japanese occupation in Okinawa, and refugees mistakenly attacked there by American troops; and the complete and utter destruction of once-thriving cities. Such films demand to be seen by the citizens of any nation willing to send men and women to war, especially for dubious political, religious and economic reasons. Instead, government and broadcast censors continue to filter images from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – flagged coffins, even – for tender American eyes. High-definition adds an “immersive” sheen to the material already shown in color, but not always to the degree casual viewers might notice it. What is clear, however, is that the images are cleaner and less affected by visual artifacts. “WWII in HD” is further enhanced by the first-hand testimony of a dozen veterans – soldiers, nurses and combat reporters, alike – who wrote eloquently about their experiences in letters written home, books and other accounts. In some cases, the combat footage, recollections and narrated text dovetail each other, adding an even more dramatic edge to the films. The four-disc, 605-minute presentation includes the feature-length “WWII in HD” specials, “The Battle for Iwo Jima” and “The Air War”; profiles of the men and women interviewed; and behind-the-scenes featurettes, “Finding the Footage” and “Preserving the Footage.” If such documentary material were made available to Americans concerned about our involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places where our soldiers are committed, the wars might have ended wars ago. – Gary Dretzka It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series Farscape: The Complete Series: Blu-ray Being Human: The Complete First Season History: American Restoration: Volume 1 Half Pint Brawlers: Season 1 Nature: Jungle Eagle: Blu-ray By the time “It Takes a Thief” debuted on ABC, in 1968, TV audiences had tired of watching make-believe spies and other James Bond clones. It explains why the show’s writers kept reminding viewers that Robert Wagner’s suave Alexander Munday was a thief, not a spy, even though he reported to a secret American intelligence agency known as SIA. Munday’s was rescued from prison by SIA honcho Noah Bain (Malachi Throne), the man who had captured the masterful cat burglar and understood how such skills could be used to benefit the country. The ruse included putting Munday under house arrest in an estate guarded by several beautiful women who knew jiu-jitsu and whose rooms were monitored by video cameras. The women agents were no match for the thief’s charm, however, and the cameras could have been neutralized by a naughty child. No matter, Bain kept Munday’s get-out-of-jail-free card in his pocket and convinced his new agent that he was just nasty enough to revoke it, if necessary. There was no mistaking Munday’s roots, though, Like Sean Connery and Cary Grant, Wagner looked as formidable in a tuxedo as he did in the uniform of a cat burglar. Like the agents on “Mission:Impossible,” Munday had more disguises at his disposal than Macy’s at Halloween. The only real drawbacks to the series were the cheeseball sets and lame fight scenes required by tight television budgets. The 18-disc boxed set opens with “Magnificent Thief,” written by the show’s creator, Roland Kibbee, and directed by Leslie Stevens. It is the feature-length version of the pilot episode, “A Thief Is a Thief Is a Thief,” which was re-made for distribution overseas. In the next 2½ years, the show would lose much of the sharp edge built into it during Season One. Munday would be allowed to freelance his talents more often and not live under the cloud of a parole revocation. The biggest change came in 1969, when Fred Astaire joined the cast as Munday’s even more criminally skillful father. Although the two men sparked occasionally over unsettled personal issues, they made a formidable team. “It Takes a Thief” represented Wagner’s first foray into series television and most of his characters since then have shared Munday’s same easy-going charm and classy wardrobe. The DVD set also includes digitally re-mastered versions of all 66 episodes; “The King of Thieves: Interview with Robert Wagner” and “A Matter of Larceny: Interview with Glen A. Larson”; a limited-edition Senitype (reproduced 35mm film frame); a themed four-piece coaster set; and a collectible booklet with retrospective essay. Anyone wondering what Jim Henson Productions was doing over the last decade, while its ownership was being tossed around like a hot potato, might want to check out “Farscape: The Complete Series.” (Rights to the Muppets now are owned by Walt Disney Co., which is releasing the new feature-length “The Muppets.”) The science-fiction series, which combined live-action with puppetry, prosthetic effects and CGI, was shot in Australia and could be seen on the BBC and the Sci-Fi Channel between 1999 and 2003. Its abrupt cancellation resulted in the three-hour mini-series “Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars,” a year later. At the time, the cable and broadcast networks were overflowing with sci-fi and fantasy programming, and the cult following for “Farscape” wasn’t sufficiently powerful to pay the bills for all the special effects. The series resembles “Dr. Who” and various “Star Trek” wannabes in that its lead character, John Crichton (Ben Browder), is an astronaut, who, after being sucked through a wormhole, becomes an intergalactic refugee abroad the spaceship Moya. The passengers remained on the run from the militaristic Peacekeepers for the whole time. All along, Crichton seemed as strange to his fellow aliens as they did to him. The Blu-ray presentation probably could look better, but fans won’t be disappointed by the impressive collection of bonus features. They include all 88 episodes of the series; more than a half-dozen making-of featurettes; 31 audio commentaries; deleted scenes, director’s-cut scenes and an alternate version of the Season 2 premiere; video profiles and behind-the-scenes interviews with the characters, cast and creative team; and original marketing material. “The Peacekeepers Wars” has yet to be given the hi-def makeover. Last year, Syfy adapted the imaginative British series “Being Human” for American audiences that may or may not have caught the original on BBC America. Generally, speaking I’m not a big fan of such transplants, but it fits pretty well on Syfy, whose shows aren’t blessed with the same budgets and marketing strength of the BBC. The premise remains the same, however. Three young and attractive roommates share something besides doing dishes and vacuuming the floors. Theoretically, none of them exists. Aidan (Sam Witwer) is a vampire; Sally is a ghost (Meaghan Rath); and Josh (Sam Huntington) is a werewolf. Such pairings couldn’t work, even in the spiritual realm, of course. On TV, such rules don’t apply. If Dexter Morgan can be a cop and a serial killer simultaneously, and talk to his dead father and brother, what’s to prevent a ghost, werewolf and vampire from cohabitating? Together and individually, the trio not only is required to deal with naturally fearful humans, but also enemies from their own species. Bonus features include “The Making of Being Human,” “What Would You Choose?” interview with cast members and material from San Diego Comic-Con. The show’s new season begins in January and the BBC’s third season package already in available in DVD and Blu-ray. In History’s “American Restoration,” viewers follow Rick Dale and his crew of fixer-uppers – the less-classy word for “restoration artists” – as they scour the west for potentially valuable junk and antiques in need of a makeover. It’s not the most original concept for a reality show, but there’s always something fascinating in watching alchemists at work. The show began as a spinoff from “Pawn Stars,” also set in Las Vegas. The pawn shop’s owners frequently turn to Rick’s Restorations to see if a particular item is salvageable and therefore valuable beyond the cost of an expired pawn ticket. In turn, Rick’s gang endeavors to find original parts or blueprints to construct new ones. In Season One, they cleaned the rust off a ’40s-vintage gas pump and Hopalong Cassidy bicycle and golf cart from the 1950s. Being Las Vegas, plenty of slot machines have come through their doors, as well. “American Restoration,” like so many other such shows, accentuates the family-business theme. How much one enjoys “Half Pint Brawlers,” which aired on Spike, depends mightily on how far across the grain of politically correct America one is willing to cut. The title and company of the same name, of course, refers to the time-honored non-sport of “midget wrestling.” Activists from Little People of America have routinely protested the frequent use of the word, “midget,” at Brawlers activities and, naturally, the bottom-feeders at TMZ have exploited the “controversy” for whatever ratings value it might have. The Brawlers will accept all the free media attention they can muster, thank you very much. The natural appeal of watching smallish people throwing each other around a ring is enhanced by adding the same degree of difficulty associated with “Jackass” movies. As such, the potential for real harm is heightened exponentially. It’s more fun to watch the wrestlers misbehave at venues and in hotel rooms. The troupe’s owner, Puppet “The Psycho Dwarf,” is required to keep the billable damage to a minimum and deflect the flack shot at them by do-gooders, some of whom have been able to get their fights banned and canceled. Venezuela’s Orinoco River basin not only is one of the most remote and spectacularly beautiful regions on Earth, but it also is home to many rarely seen animal species. In “Jungle Eagle,” the cameras of PBS’ “Nature” tag along with wildlife filmmaker Fergus Beeley as he leads a team of cameramen to the high-canopy forest to learn everything they can about harpy eagles. Beeley considers the harpy eagle to be the most powerful bird of prey in the world, and one of the least observed. Imagine a bird that captures monkeys and sloths on the wing and returns with them to the nest for the nourishment and amusement of the chicks. As we can see, too, the eagles aren’t at all reluctant to attack humans climbing trees to camera positions aloft. It’s a fascinating documentary. If you’re repulsed by the thought of a bird dining on monkey meat, consider that the capuchin would happily return the favor if given an opportunity to devour a chick. Among other threats are vultures, army ants and lethal flies. – Gary Dretzka The Littlest Angel Dora the Explorer: Dora Celebrates Three-Pack Spongebob Squarepants: Holidays With Spongebob My pile of animated holiday-themed DVDs is topped by “The Littlest Angel,” which is adapted from the immensely popular children’s book, published in 1946, by Charles Tazewell. It is the story of a wee lad, born in Old Testament times, who dies too early in life and arrives at the pearly gates without anything to keep his mind and hands occupied. Even then, the median age in the kingdom is much higher than 5, so there aren’t many kid angels around with whom he can hang out. Lonely and more than a little bit antsy – this is paradise? – our little angel convinces a sympathetic elder to let him return home briefly to recover some of his treasured possessions. When he learns that Baby Jesus is about to be born, he humbly asks God if he can give his box to him as a present, which the deity magically transforms into the Star of Bethlehem. I’m not sure the theology is 100 percent correct, but it’s a story younger children have enjoyed hearing read to read them for more than 50 years. I find it interesting that “Sons of Anarchy” star Ron Perelman was chosen to be the voice of God. It is 83-minutes long, but the CGI animation makes it seem shorter. Two new collections from Nickelodeon take advantage of the season with hours of babysitting-safe entertainment in gift-ready boxes. “Celebrate With Dora” includes “Dora’s Christmas,” “Dora’s Halloween” and “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure,” which measure 295 minutes in total. “Holidays With SpongeBob” weighs in at the same length. It is comprised of the 2011 edition of “SpongeBob SquarePants Halloween,” the 2008 “SpongeBob SquarePants Halloween” and the Valentine’s Day compilation, “To Love a Patty.” As is the case with any Nickelodeon is worth checking out ahead of time if your child already has the episodes contained therein. – Gary Dretzka Superheroes Assassin’s Creed: Lineage: Blu-ray Mortal Kombat: Legacy: Blu-ray Red vs. Blue: Season 9 OK, now I get it. I’ve seen several movies lately in which everyday people who don’t simply impersonate superheroes – “Kick-Ass,” “Defendor,” “Super,” “Special” – they actually believe they can prevent crimes and vanquish villains. Why now, I wondered? Turns out there really are people out there who believe they are caped crusaders and masked marvels. Michael Barnett’s documentary, “Superheroes,” introduces us to several such wannabes, who routinely swap personae, crossing the line from mild-mannered civilians to amateur crimefighters in home-stitched costumes and with names like Mr. Xtreme, Dark Guardian, Vigilante-Spider and the four-person New York Initiative. Apparently, there are 300 such posers in the United States and they’re deadly serious about what they do. The DVD includes deleted scenes. Here’s another new one on me. The 2009 film “Assassin’s Creed: Lineage,” newly released in Blu-ray, is the prequel to a series of three video games set in 15th Century Italy. The movie apparently was made to promote the games, which expand on a conspiracy that leads to the death of the Duke of Milan and spreads through the country’s ruling families and the Vatican. Assassin Giovanni Auditore is hired to investigate the crime, but soon finds himself in the position of being stalked. Not having attempted the video game, I’m unclear as to where the intrigue in the dark and mysterious prequel leads. The Blu-ray adds more than 90 minutes of bonus material, including “Assassin’s Creed: Ascendance” and developer diaries. “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” is the Blu-ray byproduct of a dream that became reality for Kevin Tancharoen, whose love for the video-game franchise spawned this collection of nine Internet shorts. They expand on characters and storylines familiar to diehard fans, while also providing plenty of ferocious action. They also could contribute to the effort to create a “Mortal Kombat” feature film. The Blu-ray also comes with five featurettes that delve deeper into the MK mythology: “Fight,” “Fan Made,” “Expanding the Netherrealm,” “Mysticism” and “Gear.” “Red vs. Blue” is another spinoff of a video game, this one Xbox’s “Halo.” The ninth season existed as a sequel to “Revelation” and precursor to “The Blood Gulch Chronicles,” a fact fans will understand, but continues to baffle me. Here, we’re alerted to the creation of Project Freelancer, an experimental military program designed to to create a new breed of warrior. Bonus features include director’s commentary; special videos and PSAs; outtakes and deleted scenes; cast interviews; and behind-the-scenes videos. – Gary Dretzka In a Glass Cage: Blu-ray Blue Velvet: Blu-ray If anyone needed any concrete evidence of the existence of monsters and unimaginable horrors in our midst, it was provided by Adolph Hitler and the men and women who prospered under his evil reign. And, while it’s easy to blame many of the atrocities on pea-brained bumpkins and bigots who claimed they were merely following orders, what excuse could the physicians and academics have had for carrying out the most heinous experiments ever perpetrated in the name of science. Curiosity? Sadism? Fear? Privilege? As “In a Glass Cage” opens, a man flogs the corpse of teenage boy in an exercise in sexual gratification. It’s so utterly grotesque, we feel no pity for the perpetrator in the next scene, as he lays face-up in an iron lung, incapable of wiping his own ass. After a teenage boy arrives at the villa, declaring himself to be the man’s nurse and care-provider, it isn’t long before we learn that the patient is a fugitive Nazi doctor who experimented on children in the death camps. When alone with the fiend, the boy reads to him from his journals, which describe procedures the old man can’t bear recalling. It’s now safe to assume that the boy had witnessed the earlier beatings and stolen the doctor’s diaries after he fell off the villa’s roof, leaving him a paraplegic. The sight must have fried the kid’s brain, because he’s grown into a full-blown sadist who gets off on re-creating the same sick experiments on other kids and forcing the doctor to watch them in the reflection of a mirror. Director Agusti Villaronga argues that repeated exposure to violence and perversity can numb the emotions of witnesses and victims to the point where they can’t help but follow suit. As the boy becomes friendly with the doctor’s pre-teen daughter, she, too, becomes a willing participant. Made in 1987, “In a Glass Cage” is still capable of provoking extreme responses in viewers. Alternately fascinating and disgusting, it is the work of a filmmaker who isn’t reluctant to ask viewers how they might react in similar circumstances or at the point of a gun. It comes with a festival Q&A with the director and three completely bizarre short films. No stranger to arthouse horror himself, David Lynch has been playing with people’s minds ever since “Eraserhead” became a midnight-movie favorite in 1977. “Blue Velvet” may not fit the common definition of a genre film, but all of its ingredients say it is. In the 1986 psycho-drama, Lynch demanded of his fans that they look below the surface of their sodded suburban lawns – or behind the shiny, happy faces of their neighbors — to find the monstrous things hiding in plain sight. Here, of course, it was a severed ear that provided the catalyst for so much intrigue and insane behavior in Lumberton. Twenty-five years later, “Blue Velvet” hasn’t lost any of its power to disturb viewers. The excellent Blu-ray upgrade was supervised by Lynch and perfectly complements the bonus package, which includes a standard-definition retrospective, “Mysteries of Love”; a few outtakes; a 1986 review on “Siskel and Ebert: At the Movies”; a few short “vignettes,” with interviews; and 52 minutes of “newly discovered lost footage,” with even more cool Lynchian stuff. – Gary Dretzka Lust for Vengeance: 10th Anniversary Edition The Teacher We’ve seen plenty of movies about the process of making movies, some of which are instructive and entertaining. Most represent little more than a couple of hours of killed time. John Wesley Norton’s “Not Another B Movie” may be of the latter variety, but it does contain a few redeeming qualities, at least. Basically, a writer, director, producer and star get together at a local watering hole to kick around ideas for a genre picture. The writer, who stands behind every word in his script, is required to listen to the philistines add and subtract characters, demand more gore and T&A, and edit the storyline beyond any recognition. Considering the nature of the horror game these days, however, their ideas are probably sounder than his. In addition to a cast of newcomers, “Not Another B Movie” boasts such familiar (barely) names as Ed Asner, Joe Estevez, Erin Moran, Robert Z’Dar, Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman, David Faustino and Al Capone’s grandnephew, Dominic. For my money, though, the movie’s marquee attraction is Larry Thomas, who will forever be known for playing the “Soup Nazi,” in “Seinfeld.” The making-of material is better than movie. “ThanksKilling” is another DIY effort that proves just how difficult it is to make a movie that’s so bad it’s good and, therefore, funny. There are several pretty decent gags in Jordan Downey’s twisted holiday comedy, but most viewers over the age of 15 will be embarrassed to admit they laughed at them. The killer turkey is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog with a waddle. As with most such genre parodies, “ThanksKilling” runs out of steam at the halfway mark, causing redundancies and much forced humor. As late-night treat for stoners on Thanksgiving, though, it certainly beats watching reruns of the Macy’s parade and mainlining tryptophan. Horror auteur Sean Weathers claims “Lust for Vengeance” is the “first and only true giallo film ever made in the U.S. to date.” That boast won’t mean anything to 99 percent of all American moviegoers, but it’s nice that he thinks it’s true. Giallo, “yellow” in Italian, shares the same roots as American pulp. From about 1930 to the mid-’50s, the work of even our best mystery writers was limited to cheap paperbacks with lurid covers. In Italy, the pages of almost all such mysteries were bound within yellow covers, hence the name. Even more than American exploitation specialists, Italian giallo directors amped up the sex, violence and horror, by lingering on displays of nudity, gore and rape. That’s what distinguishes “Lust for Vengeance: 10th Anniversary Edition” from other DIY horror flicks. The story is divided into five separately hued segments, in which a different woman is slaughtered by a guy who felt dissed by them in high school. (The cast is unusually diverse for this sort of thing.) That’s it. I’m not quite sure why “The Teacher” is being re-released by Cheezy Flicks. The classic exploitation flick from Crown International Pictures was recently included in a collection of cult favorites compiled by Mill Creek Entertainment and it doesn’t look a scratch less threadbare. Neither have the primary reasons for watching Howard Avedis’ film changed: Angel Tompkins as the cougar teacher, Diane; Jay North (a.k.a., Dennis the Menace) as Sean, the horny high school graduate she seduces; and bad-guy actor Anthony James, one of the American cinema’s creepiest fiends. James plays the recently released mental patient, Ralph, who blames Sean for the accidental death of his brother. The teenager fell from a ledge high above the shipping canal where Diane is sunbathing topless in her small boat. Ralph isn’t happy that his voyeur’s nest has been invaded and vows to thwart Sean’s blossoming relationship with Diane. Tragically, for Ralph, he’s too inept to make good on his threats. It’s a crime they don’t make sexploitation pictures like this anymore. – Gary Dretzka Alleged: Blu-ray Set against the backdrop of the landmark Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925, “Alleged” is a distinctly faith-based movie that’s more concerned about the personal ethics of its characters than the debate over evolution and creationism. Considering the film’s budget, attempting to re-imagine “Inherit the Wind” for a contemporary Christian audience probably would have been a fruitless exercise. That’s not because the acting talent wasn’t available, because Fred Thompson and Brian Dennehy are excellent in the more familiar roles of William Jennings Bryant and Clarence Darrow, and Colm Meaney makes a credible H.L. Menken. In Tom Hines’ mildly romantic drama, the emphasis is on the fissures that split the relationship of small-town reporter Charles Anderson (Nathan West) and office mate, Rose (Ashley Johnson), to whom he’s engaged. She becomes upset with him after he uses unethical tricks to juice up an already pretty good story. Charles sees the trial as a vehicle to put economically fragile Dayton, Tennessee, back on the map and, not incidentally, a leg up to a job in the big city. For Rose, her fiancé’s behavior raises a red flag. Filmed at Crossroads Village, near Flint, Michigan, “Alleged” looks very much like a 1925-vintage American town. All things considered, the drama and romance fit the small screen pretty well, too. The Blu-ray arrives with a discussion guide for church and home-group study. It attaches scripture to questions raised in the story. – Gary Dretzka The Sleeping Beauty It’s safe to say, you won’t find another version of Charles Perrault’s “Sleeping Beauty” – or, here, Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” – that’s quite so deliberately poetic and sensually provocative as Catherine Breillat’s small gem. Instead of merely describing how the curse that leaves Anastasia comatose affects those around her, the France provocateur imagines what a child of royalty might dream given 100 years of REM sleep. As we know, Anastasia was cursed by an evil fairy at birth to prick her finger at 16 and die. Fortunately, three fairy sisters just happen to be in the neighborhood. They override the curse by ordaining that Anastasia will avoid death by being pricked earlier in her life and slipping into a much longer dream state. She’s allowed to grow older in her dreams, but only in a fragmented sequence of fantastical encounters and under the tutelage of an odd assortment of parent figures. Along the way, she’s also able to fall in love … Breillat-style. At 82 minutes, “The Sleeping Beauty” invites repeated viewing, if only to savor the wonderfully imaginative backdrops. This is the second of three fairytales the director plans to adapt, the first being “Bluebeard.” There is some nudity, but nothing a very sharp teenager would find shocking over over-stimulating. – Gary Dretzka 1 in the Gun Restitution Talk about a tightly focused story, “13” traces the evolution of an underground Russian roulette tournament from the recruitment of a contestant to the finals, after which the winner gets to go home with a bag of money in his hand and the loser is carried out in a bag. If that makes “13” sound as if it’s a rip-off of “The Deer Hunter,” I wouldn’t disagree. Actually, I’m surprised no one’s thought of it before now. The premise is surprisingly simple. Sam steals an envelope intended for a man who dies while he’s doing electrical work in the house. Mysterious instructions cause Sam to hop on a train and get off at a designated location. From there, he’s whisked away to a secluded mansion. There to greet him are several gentlemen of means – Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, 50 Cent, Ben Gazzara — who are confused by his presence. They’re disappointed by the death of the intended guest, but are pleased to learn that the imposter is so desperate for cash that he’ll stand in his place … with a pistol in his hand, pointed at the back of another contestant’s head, and someone else’s gun aimed point-blank at his head. In the first round, more than a dozen men are given one bullet each and told to spin the cylinders. With the flash of a light, they’re instructed simply to shoot. The odds that all of the men could die in the first round are extremely slim, if only because “13” is 97 minutes long and none of the bettors would benefit. Neither would the punters be happy if all of the men survived the first round, after which another betting cycle begins. In the succeeding rounds, survivors are given one more bullet than they had before. Ultimately, two men stand opposite each other with five bullets in their six-shooters. Writer/director Gela Babluani allows us to get to know a few of the contestants – Ray Winstone, Sam Riley, Mickey Rourke – but not well enough to be terribly disappointed if they died. There’s a bit of extracurricular excitement after the final shot, but it feels as if it were tacked on for sentimental value. “13” won’t make anyone forget what happened in “Deer Hunter,” as Saigon braced for the NVA invasion. The raw intensity of referee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road) makes up for any deficiencies in the script, though. Rolfe Kanefsky’s psycho-thriller “1 in the Gun” also includes an extended game of Russian roulette, but it’s difficult to tell whether it’s taking place in real life or the Twilight Zone. While I found the movie to be different enough to be entertaining as a novelty, I can easily imagine viewers tuning out when the going gets weird. The movie starts normally enough, when a drifter is hired by a sexy MILF to paint the house she shares with her rich husband and enlists him in a plot to kill the brute. If the drifter had watched a few more noir classics, he’d know not to trust the seductress … and vice-versa. Things get strange when the drifter drives into the desert with a body in his trunk and a suitcase full of money on the bag seat. It isn’t long before he loses both at a crappy motor-court motel/restaurant in the middle of nowhere. The joint is populated with oddball characters who appear to have escaped from a David Lynch movie. Part of the job for viewers is separating fact from fantasy in the drifter’s mind and it ain’t easy. The women we meet in the desert are beyond description. No one is playing Russian roulette in “Restitution,” but almost everyone involved points a gun at someone else during the course of the movie. It would be easy to dismiss Lance Kawas’ straight-to-DVD flick as a paint-by-numbers thriller, if any of the numbers added up to something credible. If anything, it resembles any number of police dramas that circulated on television during the “Magnum P.I.” era. While it’s always nice to see Mena Suvari in a bikini, co-writer/producer Mark Bierlein makes the rookie mistake of allowing himself to be seriously out-acted in the lead male role by Tom Arnold. For the record, “Restitution” describes a series of drug deals gone bad along the Detroit waterfront and a P.I. who gets caught in the middle of them. – Gary Dretzka Dirty Pictures Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants Étienne Sauret’s intriguing documentary, “Dirty Pictures,” locates the exact point at which clinical pharmacology meets the rave community, beyond the ritual ingestion of Ecstasy and into the cluttered makeshift laboratory of its developer, Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin. A onetime corporate chemist employed by Dow, Shulgin was given free rein to explore how molecules interacted and formed useful new compounds. Such pure research on psycho-active substances could have resulted in drugs used to interrogate prisoners of war – Merry Prankster “acid tests” were a byproduct of LSD testing on behalf of the military – or to control mental illness and multiple neuroses. Shulgin, we’re told here, is the scientist behind more than 200 such compounds including MDMA (a.k.a., Esctasy). Historically, Dow Chemical and other major pharmaceutical interests have been far more interested in exploring products that can be exploited for large, continuous profits in medicine, agriculture and times of war than to explore the mysteries of the mind … and, let’s face it, for recreation. Once that happens, of course, politicians, drug-enforcement agents and lobbyists for the medical establishment stumble over themselves to ban anything that might result in enlightenment, culture and/or joy. Once that happens, the unregulated production of such substances is turned over to “cookers” and mad scientists in the employ of biker gangs and mob-connected smugglers. Unlike Timothy Leary, who feasted on the attention paid to him by the media, Shulgin’s prominence remains within the chemist community and among “heads” who actually pay attention to the compounds they ingest. It’s fun to compare Shulgin’s facilities to those of the more clean-cut and less arbitrarily dressed scientists who testify in his defense in “Dirty Pictures.” Even so, they all speak the same scientific language and can read charts and substance diagrams (“dirty pictures”) the way most of us civilians scan newspaper headlines. By breaking down compounds found in cacti and other plants, they’re discovering how Serotonin, for example, is prevalent throughout nature and why it’s considered to be a “miracle drug” by some psychiatric patients. Some scientists believe, as well, that we’ve only scratched the surface in the hunt for new and more effective anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs. It’s only when such concepts as “empathy,” “love,” “consciousness” and “spirituality” enter the equation that the DEA starts paying attention. Shulgin admits to working “around the edge of the law” and, along with his wife, being his own best guinea pig. “Dirty Pictures” paints a fascinating portrait of a true American explorer, whose knowledge could be used to help people legally and without cultural prejudice. Anyone old enough to recall the fuss made over Carlos Castenada, the Peruvian-born anthropologist who wrote a series of books describing his training in Yaqui shamanism, will recognize what’s happening in “Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants.” Alberto Villoldo is an anthropologist/psychologist/author who has spent more than 25 years studying shamanic healing practices of Amazonian tribes. That jungle tonics, plants and other vegetation have been woefully underutilized in the treatment of common psychological maladies is an inarguable fact of life in American medicine. That some of the plants to which we’re introduced here share things in common with drugs used to treat anxiety and depression – Serotonin, for example – also is indisputable. Villoldo makes a convincing case for broadening our horizons as pertains to traditional healing processes. The problem for me comes in the testimonials by non-natives, some of whom sound as if they dropped out of the Esalen Institute because it wasn’t sufficiently cosmic. The shamans, themselves, primarily are shown blowing smoke and waving pipes over their “patients,” if you will. That’s where “Amazonia” differs substantially from “Dirty Pictures,” in which the hippies and recreational partakers remain in the tie-dyed background of concerts and events like Burning Man. I would have liked to hear more from native people as to their interactivity with shamans. The True Mind documentary works best as an introduction to the concept of combining spiritual belief with the healing powers of native jungle plants, in the interest of treating the “whole” person. Practitioners from Peru’s Madre de Dios River in the Amazon watershed heal with a “brew” called Ayahuasca (“the vine of the souls”), which allows partakers to look inside themselves and investigate the root causes of their pain. As was the case in the treatments forwarded by Castenada, some puking is required to achieve the maximum benefit. – Gary Dretzka Twelve Thirty In such offbeat indies as “Childhood’s End,” “Flannel Pajamas” and “Once More With Feeling,” writer/director Jeff Lipsky demonstrated a willingness to let dialogue carry the weight of the story, sometimes at the expense of narrative flow. In “Twelve Thirty,” a sexually insecure 22-year-old manages to worm his way into the lives of three neurotic Iowa women – a divorced mother and her two very different daughters – causing more trouble in a week than most men do in a lifetime. Mom Vivien (Karen Young) is a freelance dealer in fur coats, who rarely leaves her home and still prefers having sex with her gay ex-husband to any of her boyfriends. Mel (Portia Reiners) is a pretty, sexually confident 19-year-old whose heart likewise belongs to her over-protective daddy. Maura (Mamie Gummer), also 22, is lost in the material world, emotionally and sexually. As the movie opens, Jeff (Jonathan Groff) tells co-worker and longtime acquaintance Mel that he’s fond of her, but avoids intimacy because he’s embarrassed by the shape of his penis. Mel, who’s been waiting for him to make a move, first assures Jeff that his unit looks perfectly normal and, then, proves that it’s also completely functional. Even so, he seeks solace and fellowship at the small, stone “Church of the Open Door,” where everyone’s welcome … except when that door is locked, as it is here. Within the next few days, Jeff helps Maura lose her virginity, albeit in a closet, during a party. For her part, mom Vivien saw an opportunity and took it, using Jeff as a boy-toy for a few hours. None of them is reluctant to share the experience with Dad, who confronts Jeff in a mock inquisition designed mostly to freak him out. It works. If this description doesn’t make “Twelve Thirty” sound remotely entertaining, you should know that the movie is otherwise distinguished by some of the most brilliantly acted exchanges between related characters that I’ve seen in a long time. The dialogues almost tear your heart out with their intimacy. I’m not sure I buy the context, but the power of the words can’t be denied. It’s interesting to learn that two of the key actors are show-biz Thoroughbreds: Mamie is the daughter of Meryl Streep, while Haley Feiffer, who plays Maura’s quaintly Satanic friend, Irina, is the daughter of cartoonist/playwright Jules Fieffer and comedian Jenny Allen. – Gary Dretzka The River Why: Blu-ray It’s nice to think that there still are places on Earth where a boy can make the passage into adulthood, not with a gun or diploma in his hand, but with a fishing rod. Maybe, such spots exist solely in the mind of a novelist or screenwriter. Maybe, the setting isn’t a remote stream and the fishing rod is a golf club, or a sailboat, or a piece of sculpture, or a movie. Perhaps, the boy is a girl. Such thoughts flow through the mind unabated while watching a movie as visually and intellectually stimulating as “The River Why.” Inspired by a best-selling 1983 novel by David James Duncan – whose name is conspicuously missing from the credits – “The River Why” describes how 20-year-old Gus Orviston (Zach Gifford) decides that the nest has gotten too small for two self-absorbed adults and a son who’s grown tired of their opposites-attract act. All three are obsessed with fishing, but for different reasons. Dad (William Hurt) is a tweedy Brit who personifies the classic stereotype of an effete angler – he’s written extensively on the subject — while mom is the archetypal American worm-drowner. When Gus finally decides to leave the shadow of his parents, he moves into a shack alongside a scenic, trout-heavy Oregon river, where he’s determined to fish 15 hours every day. Given all that time in voluntarily solitude, albeit in God’s own backyard, Gus eventually comes to the inevitable conclusion that something is missing in his life and it isn’t his parents. His salvation arrives in the person of a pretty, if elusive blond (Amber Heard), who loves fishing as much as he does and, like his mother (Kathleen Quinlan), has a far more grounded self-image. Apparently, Duncan wasn’t pleased with the script and tried to keep the movie from being produced. Whether this occurred after he was paid for the rights to his novel, or not, I don’t know. My guess is that the movie, as written, wasn’t sufficiently epic to contain all of the philosophical and environmental ideas he fleshed out in his book and this pissed him off. A settlement was worked out and the movie suffered from the delays and animosity. There’s no reason I can see for “The River Why” not being distributed theatrically, but it’s good to see it in Blu-ray, after all. The scenery is magnificent and the actors – Dallas Roberts and William Devane, among them — all look as if they belong there. The Blu-ray adds a series of in-depth interviews. – Gary Dretzka Mutiny on the Bounty: Blu-ray The Cannonball Run: Blu-ray They don’t make historical epics like “Mutiny on the Bounty” anymore and, for that, at least two generations of studio executives are thankful. The one-two punch of “Mutiny on the Bounty” and “Cleopatra” in 1962 and 1963 not only demonstrated the limits of stardom, but also the inability of high-power executives to say “no” to their meal tickets. For all the negative things that can said about the dominance of CGI-enhanced filmmaking, no computer has ever threatened to walk off a set or demand that Chasen’s chili be flown from Beverly Hills to Rome. A half-century later, stories about those near-disastrous productions seem quaint and attributable to human folly, not the development of expensive new software or the rights to pop music. More to the point, absent the bad press, both movies are downright fun to watch. Even Marlon Brando’s foppish portrayal of Fletcher Christian doesn’t seem nearly the catastrophe today as it must have in 1962. Maybe it’s because we know exactly how much time, effort and money were invested in the creation of the H.M.S. Bounty, alone, that we cut the picture so much slack. The scene in which British sailors help the locals drive hundreds of fish to the shore is worth the price of the rental, alone. The Blu-ray presentation is pretty good, especially in the reproduction of Bronislaw Kaper’s score. The bonus package is dominated by interesting featurettes on the history of the rebuilding of the H.M.S. Bounty and its subsequent travels. There’s also a prologue and epilogue originally intended to bookend the movie in flashback form. I imagine that everyone involved in the production of “The Cannonball Run” – also new to Blu-ray — enjoyed the experience a whole lot more than those assigned to “Bounty” and “Cleopatra.” For one thing, the stakes weren’t nearly as high for the studio and all of the talent appears to have been in on the joke. Like the otherwise unrelated 1976 action movie “The Gumball Rally,” “Cannonball Run” is set during a coast-to-coast race contested by lovers of fast cars and eluding the Highway Patrol. Hal Needham, Brock Yates and Burt Reynold’s interpretation of the annual underground event owed far more to the success of “Smokey and the Bandit” than Charles Bail’s “Gumball Rally,” which starred Gary Busey, Michael Sarrazin and hardly anyone else viewers might recognize today. By contrast, “Cannonball Run” resembled “Ocean’s 11” in the number of familiar names it attracted (including Rat Packers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.). Reynolds could do no wrong in those days and, here, he was surrounded by such flakey sorts as Dom DeLuise, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr, Adrienne Barbeau, Peter Fonda, Jackie Chan, Farrah Fawcett, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Elam, Mel Tillis, Bianca Jagger, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, Valerie Perrine and non-flake Roger Moore. In truth, “Cannonball” often is no funnier than a flat tire at the Indy 500, but that was never really the point. Reynolds had a way of making viewers feel as if they were as important to the show as the actors themselves, and, of course, they are. The Blu-ray comes with commentary by director Needham and producer Albert S. Ruddy. – Gary Dretzka Mr. Magoo on TV Collection Masterpiece Contemporary: Page Eight Rickey Smiley: “Open Casket Sharp” How the States Got Their Shapes: Season 1 “Gia” wasn’t the first movie in which Angelina Jolie’s acting talent came to the fore. She’d stolen part of the spotlight, at least, in “Hackers,” “Foxfire” and HBO’s “George Wallace,” for which she won a Golden Globe in a supporting category. As the troubled supermodel, Gia Carangi, Jolie would convince the remaining doubters she could carry a movie all by herself. Apart from her undeniable acting chops she has an ooo-la-la body and, back then, wasn’t reluctant to show it. She even resembled the model, who while still in her teens went from hash-slinging in her father’s Philadelphia diner to the covers of Vogue and other fashion magazines. The photographers who favored her look represented the top shooters in the business. Gia was a rising star in an industry that had yet to begin churning out models as famous as the designers whose clothes they wore. Sadly, Gia’s fame also brought with it addictions to cocaine, heroin and then-shocking sexual preferences. Soon, her habits would cause her to blow assignments and come to work looking less than spectacular. When she was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS, it had not yet become identified with intravenous drug use and very few women had fallen victim to it. Her death in 1986 drew scant attention in the press and many of her co-workers didn’t learn of it until weeks later. “Gia” would draw attention to the model’s ordeal, but it was Jolie who would benefit the most from the movie. It brought her a second Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and SAG award. “Gia” aired at approximately the same time as the first DVD players were being introduced and hi-def TV was still a long way from reality. The Blu-ray transfer is excellent, but it comes unencumbered by any special features. It is, though, five minutes longer than the original. As for being “Unrated,” remember that TV merely adds parental guidelines to its products, not ratings, per se, When Mr. Magoo made his theatrical debut in 1949, it was considered highly unusual to feature a human as the sole cartoon protagonist: if Elmer Fudd was on screen, it was a safe bet that Bugs Bunny was somewhere in the vicinity, as well. Even so, Magoo would become one of the single most endearing characters in the cartoon menagerie. Short, squat and dangerously nearsighted, Magoo was always a step or two away from disaster. Somehow, though, he always managed to avoid it. As voiced by Jim Backus (Thurston Howell III, for fans of “Gilligan’s Island”), Magoo started out life as a parody of certain political figures in the era of the Hollywood Blacklist. By 1960, when the cartoon became a fixture on television, the wealthy Rutgers alumnus was completely de-politicized and he even became a spokes-character for GE products, an eyeglass concern, beer and preserves. Shout! Factory’s 11-disc “On TV Collection,” is comprised of three different series, more than 180 cartoons and specials. Anyone sensitive to racial stereotypes should know in advance of Charlie, Magoo’s Chinese houseboy during the 1960s. He’s as offensively drawn as one can imagine, but quite smart and dedicated to his boss’ well-being. (The tables were turned in 1997 when support groups for visually impaired people protested the release of Leslie Nielsen’s live-action “Mr. Magoo.” Although it was making money for Disney, the picture was pulled from release after two weeks.) “Page Eight” is another terrific thriller from the fine folks at BBC/PBS’ “Masterpiece Contemporary.” In it, Bill Nighy plays a long-serving, long-suffering MI5 officer who senses he’s being frozen out of the intelligence agency by a new breed of politically expedient political leaders. He loses his last for-sure ally when his boss (Michael Gambon) dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, taking with him a secret that could topple the current government. Trusting no one in MI5, he turns to a pretty next-flat neighbor (Rachel Weisz) who’s suddenly begun to insinuate herself into his life. Her brother recently was killed by Israeli police and it appears as if the government is covering up the true nature of his death. Finally, they turn to each other for help in solving their respective problems. Thanks to a no-frills script by writer/director David Hare, the 99-minute program zips along briskly, without skimping on the details of the story. “Page Eight” was shot in London and Cambridge. Rickey Smiley shares a lot in common with Steve Harvey, a close friend who introduces him at this recorded concert, which was shown on BET. Both are comedians, as well as TV and radio personalities, whose sense of professional balance must be extremely acute. Here, the easy-to-like comic shares his observations on his family, friends, Southern marching bands and, yes, funerals. The DVD adds bonus sketches “First 48 With Little Darryl” and “The Church Lady.” You might think a show called “How the States Got Their Shapes” could be found on cable’s Geography Channel, instead of the History Channel. (There is one, isn’t there?) Fact is, though, it’s impossible to separate the two disciplines in America. And, of course, therein lay 50 pretty interesting stories. Host Brian Unger travels the country, letting local experts fill us in on the details of how our borders evolved and why. Many of the explanations will surprise you. In Season 1, the episode titles include “A River Runs Through It,” “The Great Plains, Trains, & Automobiles,” “Force of Nature,” “State of Rebellion,” “Living on the Edge,” “Use It or Lose It,” “Church and States,” “A Boom With a View,” “Culture Clash” and “Mouthing Off.” Needless to say, adults will learn almost as much from the series as their kids. – Gary Dretzka Lifetime: A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride Lifetime: A Christmas Wedding Lifetime: Holiday Wishes In another collection taken from the 1989 HBO and CBC series, Babar the elephant king is required to save Christmas for the boys and girls of Celesteville. They had written a letter to Father Christmas, inviting him to visit the kingdom for the holiday, but never was delivered. Unbeknownst to them, the invitation was intercepted by Rataxes the evil rhinoceros, who wants all of Santa’s toys for himself. Babar takes it upon himself to find Father Christmas and deliver the message personally. The DVD set adds a pair of bonus episodes — “A Child in the Snow” and “The Gift” – and an eight-page holiday coloring book. Lifetime churns out Christmas-themed melodramas as if they were so many candy canes. All involve some sort of dilemma that needs to be addressed or miracle waiting to happen. In “Under the Mistletoe,” Susan (Jaime Ray Newman) is a reporter whose husband dies in a car accident. His ghost appears before their teenage son and, together, they conspire to find a new mate for mom. They arrange for her to enter a radio station’s dating game, hoping she’ll be attracted to the boy’s coach, who’s also lost his spouse. She’s leaning to another man, however. “A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride” pits an attractive middle-age woman (Helen Shaver) against her wedding-planner daughter (Joanna Garcia), who disapproves of mom’s hastily conceived plans for marriage. The daughter’s only recourse is to take arrange the details of the wedding and control things from there. Ultimately, they learn a lot about life from each other’s concerns. In “A Christmas Wedding,” a woman (Sarah Paulson) who’s always dreamt of having the perfect wedding must turn control of the final details over to her soon-to-be husband (Eric Mabius), who’s a classic procrastinator. Determined to get it right, Ben tries a bit too hard, getting mired in such things as bridal shows and seating charts. Finally, the biggest threat to the wedding is something beyond both of their control, the weather. “Holiday Wishes” imagines a scenario in which young women (Katie Keating, Britney McKilllip) from opposite sides of the economic divide wish upon a department-store Santa, only to wake up the next day in each other’s bodies. Their wishes are answered, but not in the way they wanted them to be. It’s left to a party planner (Amber Benson), with a dream of her own, to straighten things out and make sure everyone’s learned a lesson or two. – Gary Dretzka A Child’s Garden of Poetry If wonder if poetry is as much a part of the curriculum today as when I was a student and William Shakespeare was still wearing knickers. Probably not. Like trigonometry and physics, there simply isn’t much call for it at a time when lyrics to most pop songs aren’t required to rhyme. “A Children’s Garden of Poetry” makes a good case for hooking kids on poetry at an early age, when they’re open to new things and poetry can be made to seem like a game, with rules that are more challenging than restrictive. This 27-minute DVD collects 15 poems by such writers as Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Shakespeare. They are read and sung by a cast that includes Julianne Moore, Dave Matthews, Natalie Merchant and Liam Neeson. Some vintage poems are read by poets e.e. cummings, Carl Sandburg and Edna St. Vincent Millay. They are accompanied by animation sequences and short live-action films. Time is also set aside for children to discuss poetry and what it means to them. – Gary Dretzka It’s a Wonderful Life Gift Set: Blu-ray The Perfect Gift Dear Santa Hoax for the Holidays In 1988, Bill Murray was as hot a commodity as any other actor in the business. Although the “SNL” alum had proven that he couldn’t pass for a romantic leading man — in the classic sense of the word, anyway — Murray had no problem making people laugh uproariously. That ability, in itself, is worth far more than the price of gold in Hollywood. Murray also possessed a snarky sense of humor and deadpan approach that appealed to the “hip” demographic. Who better, then, to play the world’s most famous miser and grump, Ebenezer Scrooge, a.k.a., TV executive Frank Cross. He’s a mean and venal S.O.B., if there ever was one, and the kind of fellow who would staple antlers on a mouse, insult carolers and make a movie about a fire fight between terrorists and Santa Claus. Of course, after being taken on an overnight ride by the three Christmas ghosts, he becomes an entirely different person, even without having to call Ghostbusters. If most critics were unenthusiastic about the conceit, everyday audiences showed their approval by making “Scrooged” a seasonal hit and perennial DVD and VHS favorite. The Blu-ray arrives without any bonus material. Ever since legal battles over its ownership were settled, “It’s a Wonderful Life” has enjoyed a pretty wonderful afterlife of its own. As long as the Frank Capra classic was in public-domain status, it seemed as if anyone with a VCR could make a crappy copy and sell it at a local convenience store. Now that Paramount Home Entertainment owns its rights, it’s been made to look and sound better than ever. Neither is it allowed to be overexposed on television between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Already released once in Blu-ray, in 2009, the changes to the new “Gift Set” edition are limited to holiday packaging, a bell ornament and commemorative booklet. Otherwise, it’s the same fine movie. In “The Perfect Gift,” Ruben Studdard looks as if he could either be a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears or ate the backfield for breakfast. All I could do was feel pity for his character’s skinny-Minnie wife, played by Golden Brooks (“Girlfriends”). The “American Idol” winner is given the task of portraying a husband and father whose Christmas is turned upside-down when his wife’s parents make an unannounced visit. With the help of God and his family, the holiday is saved by the discovery of the perfect gift, which was staring back at him all along. The straight-to-DVD movie, which arrives with a bonus soundtrack CD, was shot during a performance of Alvin Moore Jr.’s stage play. In the Jason Priestly-directed TV movie “Dear Santa,” a spoiled rich girl (Amy Acker) is led to true love and frugality by a 7-year-old girl’s letter to Santa. In it, she asks for a new wife for her widowed dad. To win the guy over, she volunteers at his struggling soup kitchen. (Soup kitchen?) What she doesn’t anticipate is the man’s coldly calculating girlfriend. It’s a holiday rom-com with lots of pretty, mostly Canadian people. And speaking of Canadian exports, here’s something new and different. In “Hoax for the Holidays” (a.k.a., “Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage”), a rebellious teenager overwhelmed by the death of a sister discovers an unusual way to make lots of money, fast. While at work at a donut shop, she throws a cup of coffee at the wall, and with a little help, is able to convince customers that it’s the image of Jesus Christ. This causes a stir in her small, god-fearing town, but no more so than with her father, who sees it as a sign from his daughter in heaven. Meanwhile, she tries to haul in enough money from the miracle to make ends meet at home. – Gary Dretzka Cop Land: Blu-ray Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: Blu-ray In 1997, no movie was more highly anticipated than “Cop Land” – OK, maybe “Titanic” – if only because of a cast that included Sylvester Stallone, Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta. Writer/director James Mangold had made his debut with the indie hit, “Heavy,” and the Miramax marketing team was pushing the angle of Stallone finally getting to show off his acting chops in a dramatic role. It also was reported that the key actors had agreed to work for scale, so “Cop Land” could fit within a $10-million budget, and Stallone had gained 40 pounds for the role. The reviews were mostly positive and it quadrupled its miniscule budget at the box office. The story concerns shady dealings in a New Jersey town populated with an inordinate number of New York City cops. Stallone plays a local sheriff who is asked by an NYPD internal-affairs officer (DeNiro) to help him make a case against renegade New York cops, living in the small town. As such, it’s pretty much a suicide mission. Stallone’s character is looking for redemption, though, so why not? It’s an excellent police drama. The Blu-ray package comes with an extended cut of the film, with 10 additional minutes of footage; deleted scenes; audio commentary; a making-of featurette; and storyboard comparison. “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” was anticipated more as a bizarre novelty than anything else. Besides the fact it represented George Clooney’s directorial debut, Charlie Kaufman had adapted “Dangerous Mind” from Chuck Barris’ highly questionable autobiography. Barris was notorious for producing such outrageous game shows as “The Dating Game,” “The Newlywed Game” and “The Gong Show,” which predated “American Idol” by 30 years, but featured entertainers of the same dubious quality. In his book, Barris admitted to being a CIA assassin, whose assignments not coincidentally took him to the same places as the winning daters he chaperoned. It wasn’t an easy scenario to get one’s head around. Somehow, Clooney made it work with assistance of Sam Rockwell, Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, with an assist from participants in the ’60s-era shows. Even so, it made almost no money. The Blu-ray includes commentary, deleted scenes, “The Real Chuck Barris” documentary and Sam Rockwell’s original screen test. – Gary Dretzka Pearl Jam Twenty Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon Stevie Winwood: Live in Concert: Blu-ray Chicago: Live in Concert: Blu-ray Michael McDonald: Live/A Tribute to Motown: Live: Blu-ray I don’t know a lot about the rock bands that have broken through the crowd over the last 20 years. My MP3 and iTunes playlists pretty much are limited to bands and musicians that were popular before my son entered high school, at which point I decided to accept the fact I’d reached geezer-hood. Among the bands we could agree upon was Pearl Jam, a band born in the shadow of Nirvana and lumped among grunge acts simply because it was from Seattle. Frontman Eddie Vedder’s voice was a cut above most other rockers, before and since he was recruited to replace the recently OD’d lead singer of Mother Love Bone. He also had a riveting personality and willingness to showboat on stage. Rock journalist and Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe had moved to Seattle at the same time as Pearl Jam was breaking into the public eye. He culled the material included in “Twenty” from 1,200 hours of footage he’s shot for interviews, articles and just because he felt like it. It was merged with 24 hours of recently shot concert and interview footage. Not surprisingly, the movie looks and sounds great. Fans will enjoy getting up-close and personal with the musicians and newcomers will see what all the fuss is about. In addition to the feature-length documentary, there are 26 minutes of take-outs with individual band members. Likewise, the Kings of Leon were a mystery to me until I watched “Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon,” a fascinating documentary about a band no Hollywood screenwriter could invent. It is comprised of three brothers and a cousin from the Followill family of Oklahoma and Tennessee. They named their band for their grandfather, Leon, a singer of some local repute, who hailed from Talahini, Oklahoma. The Followill brothers were raised by their father, a Pentecostal minister whose fire-and-brimstone preaching reverberates through the band’s music. The fevered dancing and incomprehensible tongue-talking that begins when the Holy Ghost invades the soul of a parishioner or tent-show attendee also inform their stage presence. What separates “Talihina Sky” from other rock bio-docs, however, is the focus on the extended Followill family at home and family gatherings. They make the Beverly Hillbillies look like the Ewings of Dallas … but, in a very good way. The old-timers love their boys and enjoy their music, but still fear for their souls. For their part, the boys love their family and respect their traditions and country ways. Stephen C. Mitchell’s film is fascinating both as a family history and performance experience. The DVD adds deleted scenes, home movies and commentary tracks. The latest batch of “Sound Stage” Blu-rays from Image Entertainment includes concerts featuring classic-rock faves Steve Winwood, Chicago and Michael McDonald. I don’t know how many fans of Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon would enjoy the music contained in these sets, but their parents probably know the songs by memory. Winwood’s set list includes music from his days with Traffic, Cream, Blind Faith and his later solo albums. His distinctive voice is in tip-top shape and the Blu-ray presentation adds greatly to the experience. Chicago began its life in 1967 as Chicago Transit Authority, or CTA, for short. Beyond the blues, the city had developed a reputation for turning out bands – the Ides of March, Cryan’ Shames, Buckinghams, Shadows of Knight – that produced radio-ready songs with brass, sass and lively harmonizing. Soon, though, bands from San Francisco, L.A. and London would dominate playlists. CTA didn’t surrender to flower power or recycled Chicago blues. Instead, it built on recent tradition by becoming one of the first of the new-era bands to embrace cross-genre fusion. It was influenced as much by the increasingly popular San Francisco jam bands, R&B, jazz and funk, as au courant psychedelic rock. Unlike many of their peer artists, Chicago willingly created songs that fit the three-minute-long demands of AM radio, in addition to longer workouts. And, the group sold a lot of albums and singles, without simultaneously touring itself to an early grave. Some of the band members, circa 2004, have gotten pretty long in the tooth, but they definitely can still kick their ancient hits on video. Michael McDonald has taken more than his fair share of ribbing during a career that’s included stints with Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers and singing backup with too many top artists to count. His willingness to lend his melodious baritone voice to other people’s records has inspired caricatures on shows ranging from “SCTV” to “Family Guy.” As was the case with Chicago, though, there’s no arguing with success. In addition to a hi-def performance of personal standards – some with former Doobies and Ashford & Simpson — the Blu-ray package includes a separate concert in which 14 Motown classics are shared. In it, McDonald is joined by Indira.Arie, Toni Braxton, Take 6 and Billy Preston. – Gary Dretzka Without a Home The Last Mountain Hot Coffee How many documentaries about the plight of America’s homeless population will it take before someone in Washington acknowledges that a problem exists and it’s worth fixing? A lot more probably because homeless people simply can’t afford to hire lobbyists or simply purchase a politician to advance their complaints. Without one, no one in government is going to pay attention to a crisis their benefactors deny even exists. Conversely, now that the problem has blossomed into a full-blown crisis, legislators are free to throw up their hands and surrender to the difficulty of finding a cure. Filmmaker Rachel Fleischer spent four years attempting to put a recognizable face on the issue of homelessness and finding cures for the root causes of it, including addiction to drugs and alcoholism, chronic mental problems and lack of health-care solutions. Sometime after Fleischer began recording the problems of homelessness and poverty, she broke the cardinal rule of documentary making by inserting herself into the narrative. In addition to covering the experiences of six homeless or virtually homeless individuals in Los Angeles, she began lending her skills at finding temporary shelter, rehabilitation clinics and other resources to her subjects. Before long, however, she gets sucked into serving as their valet, chauffeur and counselor and, of course, they become as dependent on her as on their drugs, alcohol and medication. If she didn’t become involved, however, who would? The DVD adds interviews with sociologists, deleted scenes, anecdotal and making-of material, profiles and a recording of the song “Without a Home.” Two weeks ago, I reviewed a documentary made in the 1960s about protests that led to reforms in Kentucky’s strip-mining industry. The activists in “You’ve Got to Move” used sit-ins and sing-ins to make their points and win a temporary victory, at least. This was before Richard Nixon signed sweeping environmental legislation — passed with bipartisan support in Congress — and Americans finally could breathe an unfiltered sigh of relief. Forty years later, Republicans in Congress are close to overturning the legislation signed by Nixon, while Democrats twiddle their thumbs. “The Last Mountain” describes the fight to keep West Virginia companies from blowing up and strip-mining every mountain containing coal and polluting the environment surrounding the mining operations. As the movie demonstrates, it’s an uphill battle for residents who have already lost most of their traditional way of life. Politicians refuse to listen, company representatives invent new lies every time they’re interviewed and workers are so desperate to keep their jobs they’ll parrot the company line when confronting their unemployed neighbors. It’s fair to wonder how far Bill Haney’s scrupulously researched “The Last Mountain” would have gotten without the continual presence in Appalachia of professional activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose name carries weight even in the camp of his opponents. Among the bonus features are outtakes and deleted scenes; a Q&A with Kennedy; and PSAs in support of “The Last Mountain” from Emmylou Harris, Naomi Judd, Kathy Mattea. Just when you thought it was safe to feel sorry for large corporations faced with so-called “frivolous” lawsuits, a documentary comes along to disavow you of that notion. The title, “Hot Coffee,” refers to the elderly Albuquerque woman who was burned by scalding-hot coffee and successfully sued McDonald’s for a couple of million bucks. As ridiculous as the case sounded when recounted by TV news anchors, pinhead radio pundits, late-night talk-show hosts and “Seinfeld” writers, there was another side to the story and it’s the one that wasn’t passed along in the media. In fact, the water in which the coffee was brewed was “as hot as the water in a car’s radiator after being driven for a while.” According the McDonald’s guidelines, the water was far too hot to serve and the Albuquerque woman was one of 700 customers who had suffered similar burns. In fact, the $2.9 million penalty would be reduced to $480,000 dollars by the judge and settled out of court, probably for even less. Ironically, it also was a godsend for companies that wanted to limit the consumers’ right to take them to court. Lobbyists used the coffee case as a rallying cry, passing legislation that was vetoed by President Clinton. Failing in Washington, the so-called American Tort Reform Association took their case to the state legislators who could be bought and sold for Green Stamps. The media took the bait, as well, when President Reagan pushed the association’s agenda by exaggerating the facts of notorious lawsuits. Karl Rove, who worked for Philip-Morris and then-Gov. George Bush simultaneously, would conspire with insurance companies to limit judgments in Texas, both frivolous and legitimate. Bush had no problem raising campaign funds among those who benefitted from such legislation. All he had to do was convince people that their tax dollars were being used to bankroll such suits and the deal was done. Presumably, these people hadn’t been in a position to be damaged by an accident or mistake caused by a corporation or doctor. “Hot Coffee” is important because it questions common wisdom, media ineptitude and political rhetoric at a time when American voters are willing to blame the victims of malfeasance for their own unhappiness and despair. Is this a great country or what? – Gary Dretzka Frontline: The Man Who Knew Frontline: Top Secret America Victorious: Season 1, Volume 2 It amazing what journalists can learn and report if only their employers let them do their jobs. PBS’ investigative series, “Frontline,” provides visible proof of that notion every week of the year on television and, then, a few weeks later, on DVD. In each hour-long episode, “Frontline” reporters offer viewers a version of America unseen on other media outlets. It’s rarely a pretty picture. In “The Man Who Knew” and “Top Secret America,” we learn how American intelligence officials dropped the ball on Al Qaeda before 9/11 and, after the attacks, spread lies about weapons of mass destruction and the corporatization of the military. Moreover, the many embarrassing lapses prompted President Bush to authorize the creation of an intelligence bureaucracy that grew like Topsy but was little more efficient than the ones it oversaw … which is to say, not very. In “The Man Who Knew,” it is revealed how one FBI counterterrorism gadfly banged the Al Qaeda drum so loudly and so often that his Washington superiors stopped listening to it. Among the things John O’Neill was able to do on his own was identify Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden as specific threats to the United States, even to the point that its operatives had brazenly enrolled in flight schools here. He also anticipated the attack on the USS Cole. This isn’t to say, however, that anyone in Washington would suddenly begin to take him seriously. O’Neill was branded a maverick by the political appointees to whom he reported and, as such, a threat to FBI protocol. The managers who felt threatened by his expertise most made his life miserable, while also ignoring the facts he had given them. As in all “Frontline” reports, the information presented is backed up by interviews with key players and classified documents. Oh, yeah, in a final ironic note, we’re told that O’Neill died as he attempted to flee his new, civilian office in the World Trade Center on 9/11. He was killed, in effect, by the same people he had investigated before being forced to retire from the bureau for insisting too loudly on the threat they posed. In the wake of 9/11, American citizens were apprised of the fact that the country they knew prior to the attacks was going to change dramatically as Bush administration officials pursued the perpetrators. According to “Top Secret America,” this would the last time people like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld would share anything factually revelatory with the public. As journalists were to learn, America’s intelligence agencies competed with each other for teacher’s attention and refused to share vital information with each other. Indeed, much of the information proved to be contradictory. Because the CIA already had a plan for dealing with the Taliban, if not Al Qaeda, the president decided that it would be the agency to conduct the secret war, instead of Rumsfeld’s minions. To keep everyone in the loop, he also ordered the creation of an entirely new umbrella agency. What began as the brunt of jokes among intelligence insiders has grown into an uber-bureaucracy of its own, with an expensive new building and outposts in strip malls and industrial parks throughout the U.S. As was the case with the “Underwear Bomber,” it sometimes is no more effective than the spell-check function on its computers. The most publicized threats to our safety were thwarted by troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan and sharp-eyed cops and civilians who can see what spy satellites don’t. The material forwarded in “Top Secret America” was reported by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dana Priest. Just as there’s no “I” in “team,” without T-O-R-I, there’s no “Victorious” on Nickelodeum. Breakout-star-in-waiting Victoria Justice portrays Tori Vega in the popular Nickelodeon sitcom, which is set at mythical Hollywood Arts high school. Justice is the most prominent member of an excellent ensemble cast of talented young performers who simply can’t wait to become famous and eventually rich. First, though, the kids have to pay some dues, and, in L.A., they aren’t cheap or easy … unless one is comparing the experience to that of normal teens in other performing-arts high schools. Still, give or take a puppet or two, they’re fun to watch. The episodes collected here are from summer and fall of 2010 and represent only half a season’s output, in no discernible order. The second half of the second season is already in progress. The DVD adds a music video of “Best Friend’s Brother,” the “iCarly” cross-over special and a making-of featurette of the mash-up version of that show. – Gary Dretzka Captain America: The First Avenger The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Volumes 3, 4 A couple of months ago, in reviewing the 1990 adaptation of “Captain America,” I wondered how the no-frills version would measure up to the monster-budget “The First Avenger,” which I had yet to see. Not surprisingly, the special effects in the 2011 version are a million times better those in the original, which weren’t at all special or, for that matter, effective. Ironically, though, if I hadn’t seen the 1990 film – directed by exploitation specialist Albert Pyun – I would have had trouble understanding the story behind the summer blockbuster. The primary antagonist in both movies is Red Skull, a Nazi whose powers were developed at approximately the same the same time as scientist Abraham Erskine (a.k.a., Dr. Josef Reinstein ) introduced the Super-Soldier Serum into the puny human guinea pig, Steve Rogers. Although the comic-book Captain America would do battle with several Nazi villains, sympathizers and spies, only Red Skull was allowed to survive the war and reignite his rivalry with Captain America. After being awakened from a decades-long nap, Rogers and his alter ego would continue to confront international villainy under the auspices of Marvel’s Avengers. Indeed, there are several times in “Captain America: The First Avenger” when the superhero’s “origin story” feels more like a teaser for next year’s summer smash, “The Avengers” – featuring Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, the Hulk, Loki and Pepper Potts – than a movie designed to stand on its own two feet. Comic-book loyalists probably will favor the origin story over the spectacularly loud battles between the forces of good and evil in “The First Avenger.” Rogers’ transformation isn’t nearly as amazing as that ascribed to Bruce Banner and the Hulk, so kids nurtured CGI-enhanced action epics likely will merely tolerate the breaks for humorous exposition. While not at all credible as history, the movie stops well short of suggesting one superhero could change the tide of war single-handedly or even in the company of a special forces team of his choosing. It is fitting, then, that the most compelling moments are those in which Steve Rogers is attempting to make the grade as a soldier. Through the sheer force of his will, the runt of the Rogers’ family’s litter convinces his superiors – played by Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell and Stanley Tucci – that he’s got the right stuff. Unless viewers are familiar with Chris Evans from “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” – he played Johnny Storm/Human Torch – it will require a certain suspension of disbelief to accept him in the role of a more pumped-up superhero. It won’t take long, though. Beyond that, “Captain America” is standard issue. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary with director Joe Johnston, director of photography Shelly Johnson and editor Jeffrey Ford; an amusing short, “Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer”; several background and making-of featurettes; a profile of Red Skull; deleted scenes; a preview of “The Avengers”; a digital and DVD copy. A Blu-ray 3D version also is available in combination with the other formats. For those fans of the Avengers who simply can’t wait until next summer’s big show, there’s Marvel’s “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” The second season of Disney XD’s animated series has just begun, so it’s the perfect time for latecomers to catch up. Volumes 3 and 4 wrap up Season One. In the first disc, the Avengers face off against Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil. Defeat could open the door for a full-scale alien invasion, led by the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror. As if that threat weren’t sufficiently frightening, the season closes with a seven-episode arc in which Ultron, his army of robots and Loki put all of humanity in jeopardy. Among the extras are “Avengers Unmasked: Masters of Evil”/“Hail, Hydra!” an animated in-episode comic-book experience with trivia and backgrounders on the heroes and villains. – Gary Dretzka Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy: Blu-ray Dinosaurs have been very good to Steven Spielberg. Besides directing and/or producing the first three entries in the “Jurassic Park” franchise – newly repackaged in an all-inclusive Blu-ray boxed set – Spielberg has announced progress on a fourth edition, and his Fox TV series, “Terra Nova,” has been picking up steam in the prime-time ratings. If “Jurassic Park” represents something of a “Back to the Future” approach to paleontology, “Terra Nova” first requires viewers to leap forward to 2149, before being put into reverse 85 million years to dinosaur days. Without the ideas formulated in “Jurassic Park,” “Terra Nova” might have looked a lot like a live-action version of “The Flintstones.” Ironically, much of the magic on display in “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World” and “Jurassic Park III” derived from pre-CGI special-effects techniques and the ink-on-paper genius of novelist Michael Crichton. Anyone who saw “Jurassic Park” in its debut run will never forget how truly thrilling it was to witness entirely credible depictions of life in prehistoric times. There had been nothing else quite like it then and very few movies since then have been able to top it for sheer audacity and as pure entertainment. Watching the predator sequence in Terence Malick’s “Tree of Life,” it’s impossible not to recall when Spielbergian reptiles roamed Hollywood production studios. All three of the “JP” movies have been digitally re-mastered for enhanced picture and sound. The supplemental material also includes a digital copy of all three films; “Return to ‘Jurassic Park’”: a six-part documentary, featuring new interviews with Spielberg, “JPIII” director Joe Johnston cast and crew members; feature commentary; deleted scenes; animatics; visual effects, before and after; Foley artists; storyboards; visits to Stan Winston Studio and ILM; production stills, sketches, models, posters and toys; “‘Jurassic Park’: Making the Game”; and more new and archived featurettes than you can shake a stegosaurs’ tail at. Among them are “Hurricane in Kauai,” “A Discussion With Author Michael Crichton,” “The Compie Dance Number: Thank You Steven Spielberg From ILM,” “Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs,” “Spinosaurus Attacks the Plane,” “Raptors Attack Udesky” and “The Lake.” – Gary Dretzka Aftershock For most of the last seven or eight years, natural disasters have dominated the world’s headlines. Millions of people’s lives have been destroyed or seriously altered by events way beyond anyone’s control. Special-effects wizards have attempted to approximate the look and force of tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, but images captured by civilians on hand-held digital cameras and cell-phones have trumped everything Hollywood’s thrown our way. What can’t be duplicated on film, however, is the raw human drama that unfolds when the cameras go away and survivors are left to their own devices. Because Hurricane Katrina happened in our own back yard and ignorant politicians compounded the tragedy with their indifference and racism, Spike Lee and other fine filmmakers were inspired to record our government’s shame for posterity. (It also helped that Sean Penn and Brad Pitt committed their resources to relief efforts.) Xiaogang Feng’s powerful drama, “Aftershock,” adapted from a novel by Ling Zhang, depicts events surrounding the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. With a magnitude estimated at between 7.8 and 8.2, the 23-second-long quake leveled a city of 1million inhabitants in northeastern China, leaving at least 240,000 of them dead. If you weren’t aware of the disaster until now, it’s only because the Communist government refused to accept international aid through the UN, preferring instead to rely on the combined forces of medical relief teams from Shanghai and the People’s Liberation Army. Immediately after the rescue missions were completed, the government committed itself to rebuilding the industrial city, which it did. Large sections of New Orleans still resemble a war zone. The human story told in “Aftershock” is even more fascinating. It focuses on truck driver Da Qiang, his wife Yuan Ni and their twins, Fang Da and Fang Deng, an otherwise ordinary proletarian family. When the earthquake hits, mom and dad are downstairs from their modest apartment, sharing some private time inside his truck. The twins are upstairs, sleeping. So devastating is the initial shock that the street separating the parking lot from the apartment literally is shredded. The building collapses before anyone can mount a rescue effort. Da Qiang is killed in an aftershock. Fortuitously, the children survive the collapse, but are stuck in the rubble, badly wounded. After several hours pass, Yuan Ni is given the impossible choice of picking which child will survive the lifting of a child chunk of concrete. Within earshot of the girl, Yuan Ni reluctantly picks the son, Fang Da, whose hand has already been shattered. Fang Deng’s body is loaded onto a truck along with that of her father. In an amazing twist of fate, the girl awakens from her terrible sleep and departs the truck when she realizes that everyone is dead. Too traumatized to speak, she’s comforted by a married couple who serve together in the army. Childless, they are granted permission to adopt Fang Deng and raise her at their military compound, where she will be loved and educated. (There’s no indication any members of her family survived.) Meanwhile, Fang Da has adapted to life with his prosthetic hand. Yuan Ni remains overprotective of her son, who, she fears, will be scorned by society for his condition. Fang Da worships his mother, but is determined to prove her wrong. There’s no need to spoil any surprises, except to acknowledge what most of you already suspect. The twins eventually will be reunited, but only after growing into adulthood with some of their wounds yet to be fully healed. If “Aftershock” tends to wallow in melodrama occasionally, it neatly fits the mold of most epic family dramas and depicts a sleeping giant about to emerge from its isolationist shell. The characters feel completely genuine and free of any propagandistic baggage. It’s simply a terrifically engaging story, well told. Upon its release, “Aftershock” became the most successful Chinese-produced movie in nation’s history, topping “The Founding of a Republic.” Oh, yeah, American viewers may not grasp the significance of the swarm of dragonflies that appears over the city as the movie opens. Traditionally, such events have served as an early-warning system by earthquake watchers in China and the dragonflies appeared, on cue, along with other natural phenomenon, prior to the disaster. – Gary Dretzka Father of Invention Kevin Spacey is the best and probably only good reason to stick with the badly undernourished dramedy, “Father of Invention.” In it, the two-time Academy Award-winner plays a highly successful infomercial huckster, Robert Axle, sent to prison for eight years after one of his “fabrications” (a.k.a., inventions) malfunctions, leaving gullible customers with missing fingers. Worse than having to spend time in prison, however, is coming to grips with the damage done to his family, especially his estranged daughter, Claire (Camilla Belle). Penniless, Robert is turned away from the Lake Ponchartrain mansion he once shared with Clair and his ditzoid mother (Virginia Madsen). Desperate, he begs his daughter to allow him to crash on the couch of the apartment she shares with two roommates, one of whom is a lesbian (Heather Graham) and the other an emotional basket case (Anna Anissamova). All of the women treat him as if he just dragged dog shit onto an heirloom rug. As a term of his probation, Robert takes a job at a discount store, where he’s constantly reminded of the products he once pitched. In almost record time, he’s fired by a sympathetic, if no-nonsense boss (Johnny Knoxville). “Father of Invention” really goes off the deep end when Robert cooks up an invention that could get him back on track again. First, though, he must secure $5,000 to hire his former techie buddy. His status as a felon and ex-con precludes him from receiving even that insignificant amount through normal sources, so he does the most short-sighted and unethical thing he could possibly do to come up with the money, by stealing it from someone who has come to trust him. (He would have tried to borrow or steal it from his ex-wife, if she hadn’t squandered every cent of her $300-million-plus divorce settlement.) By tacking on an overly sentimental and completely improbable ending, writer/director Trent Cooper (“Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector”) only digs a deeper grave for his sophomore feature. Spacey fans, however, won’t be any more disappointed in killing time with “Father of Invention,” than they were watching him in the marginally better “Horrible Bosses.” Too bad no one beat Cooper to the punch by adapting Ron Popeil’s autobiography for the screen and casting Spacey as the master pitchman and legendary inventor of gizmos consumers didn’t know they needed, until they saw them on TV. – Gary Dretzka Winnie the Pooh: Blu-ray Anyone who thinks that America’s dwindling corps of movie critics is comprised entirely of jaded eggheads with an ax to grind against G-rated Hollywood entertainment would do well to consider the case of “Winnie the Pooh.” The crusty curmudgeons were overwhelming in their approval of this, the fifth feature-length adaptation of A.A. Milne’s beloved books from Disney. At 69 gently flowing minutes, “Winnie the Pooh” must have felt like the cinematic equivalent of a palate-cleansing sherbet, compared with most of loud and brainless junk to which they’re subjected on a daily basis. Moreover, “Winnie the Pooh” was simply drawn and not remotely beholding to CGI wizards or 3D for enjoyment. The critics didn’t even seem to mind that Disney might be able to parley the movie’s good vibes into another zillion dollars worth of toys and honey jars sold. The film is comprised of three Milne stories: “In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One,” “In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump” and “In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings.” In addition to the most popular inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods in attendance here, there’s the possibly mythical monster, Backson. It is rumored to have abducted Christopher Robin, adding one more problem to the ones associated with Eeyor’s missing tail, Owl’s poor spelling skills and Pooh’s endless appetite for honey. What’s especially clever here is imaginative use of animated words, letters and typography to advance the narrative, without diminishing or disturbing E. H. Shepard’s water-color backgrounds. Among the voice actors are narrator John Cleese, Craig Ferguson (Owl), Jim Cummings (Pooh, Tigger) and SoCal media curiosity Huell Howser (Backson). Zooey Dechanel and M. Ward (a.k.a., She & Him) supply songs. The Blu-ray presentation is excellent, not that your kids will know the difference. The bonus material includes the backgrounder, “Winnie the Pooh and His Story, Too,” which explains the origins and history of Milne’s books; 15 minutes worth of deleted and alternative scenes, some in sketch form; the bonus shorts, “The Ballad of Nessie” and “Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Pooh’s Balloon”; sing-along versions of the movie’s songs; and, for parents-to-be “Creating the Perfect Winnie the Pooh Nursery.” – Gary Dretzka Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale: Blu-Ray Santa Claus Conquers the Martians Mardi Gras Spring Break Tired of sitting around, waiting for the millionth showings of “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” every time December rolls around? Start your own holiday tradition by putting “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale” on the old Blu-ray player and enjoying a truly twisted interpretation of the Father Christmas legend. According to European lore, Saint Nicholas once traveled in the company of a freakish little devil known as Black Peter. Together, they would judge the boys and girls to determine if they were deserving of gifts of sweets and nuts or lumps of coal … or worse. It wasn’t until commercialism subverted the true meaning of Christmas that Black Peter’s role was reduced and St. Nicholas took on the characteristics of the Santa Claus found in Coca-Cola commercials. “Rare Exports” subverts the legend even more by adding a palpable aura of horror. “Rare Exports” is set in contemporary Lapland, where reindeer herdsmen are suffering from a mysterious shortage of migrating animals to hunt. At the same time, miners working for a foreign company have discovered within Korvatunturi Mountain the grotesque body of a long-buried creature, which bears a resemblance to paintings of Black Peter. And, where Black Peter lies, Father Christmas can’t be far away. Here, though, there are several as-yet-unformed Father Christmases in the nearby forests and they all look as if they spend their summers living in a cardboard box in an alley off Times Square. They’re scrawny, bearded, extremely dirty and not at all jolly. In the absence of reindeer, though, these nasty little men could prove to be a valuable commodity if trained to be bearers of good tidings in countries without Santas of they’re own. Already, they’ve been offered a considerable sum for the one specimen they’ve managed to trap. The trick will be rounding up other geezers and herding them into the pens once reserved for reindeer. The idea for such an unlikely movie sprang from a pair of short films writer/director Jalmari Helander distributed as Christmas cards to friends and clients of his production company. They became an Internet sensation and are included in the Blu-ray package, along with interviews and making-of featurettes. For some bizarre reason, the good folks at Oscilloscope thought it would be a grand idea if they added an extra special treat, “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” a movie that benefits not at all from being shown in hi-def. The 1964 kiddies’ thriller is notorious for two things: 1) displaying no discernible production values, and 2) introducing unsuspecting audiences to 10-year-old Pia Zadora. Yes, it’s a terrible movie. Fact is, though, I’ve seen plenty worse, including this week’s entry “Mardi Gras Spring Break.” “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” remains a movie that is intended for the enjoyment of post-toddlers, not fans of “MST3K” … if such a show was even conceivable in 1964. For the one or two people out there unfamiliar with Nicholas Webster’s cinematic atrocity, the plot is simplicity itself. An expeditionary force of green Martian commandoes endeavors to kidnap Santa Claus, who they blame for corrupting their children. That’s right, American television is available on Mars. Instead of landing at the North Pole, however, they head straight to the house belonging to Zadora and her movie brother. Sensing that the spacemen are up to no good, the kids stow away on their rocket ship. They hope to warn Santa of the dastardly plan, but first are required to evade the phoniest polar bear in the history of the movies. Even if the title ruins the suspense, there’s no need to spoil any more of the “fun.” Any list of the worst movies of all time that includes “SCCTM” and not “Mardi Gras: Spring Break” has no credibility whatsoever. It’s so bad, it makes the raunch-fests “presented” by National Lampoon look like Neil Simon night on TMC. In it, three college seniors head for New Orleans for Mardi Gras, which this year corresponds somehow with spring break. The lure, of course, is the likelihood they’ll see the breasts of hundreds of women trolling for beads. If not on Bourbon Street, then the countless wet T-shirt contests that pass for entertainment during any spring break. When the boys aren’t soliciting tit-shots, they’re vomiting, passing out, playing with their feces, trying to sneak into nightclubs, jumping off balconies, trying not to act gay and vomiting some more. Carmen Electra makes an extended cameo, but, sadly, remains uncharacteristically chaste. That’s it. – Gary Dretzka Shaolin: Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray Roger Corman’s Cult Classic’s Lethal Ladies Collection I’m no expert on martial-arts movies, but, as they say, I know what I like, and I liked “Shaolin” a lot. Or, maybe it’s because I don’t know a great deal about martial-arts movies that I enjoyed “Shaolin” as much as I did. No matter, it only opened in a handful of theaters here and didn’t do enough business to warrant a wider release. So, what do I know? Set at a time when warlords fought for control of territory coveted as much by foreign business interests as the fledgling Republic of China, “Shaolin” describes an epic confrontation between the forces of good and evil. In one corner stand the fighting monks of the ancient Shaolin temple, while, in the other, reside the dueling warlords and British imperialists intent on razing the property for railroad right-of-way. The monks are pretty much limited to long sticks and fists of fury, which normally would provide sufficient defense. The militarists have at their disposal an arsenal full of guns, cannon, axes, swords and battle-ready horses. It’s nearly a draw. The drama at the heart of the story involves a three-way feud between ambitious sibling warlords and their greedy mentor. In a classic triple-cross, the subordinate brother, Cao Man, avenges perceived insults by perverting a scheme hatched by his older sibling, Hou Jie (Andy Lau), to assassinate the boss and take control of the capital. Days earlier, Cao Man had chased a wounded enemy warlord into the temple, where he sought and was granted temporary sanctuary. Hou Jie pretended to honor the abbot’s wishes, but shot the man, anyway. His brutality and lack of honor are duly noted by the monks, who value mercy over revenge. His daughter couldn’t be saved, but Hou Jie correctly blames himself for the tragedy and seeks redemption in the monastic life. When, much later, the increasingly evil Cao Man (Nicholas Tse) learns that Hou Jie is alive and living in the temple, he lays siege to the monastery. Not only are the lives of the monks threatened, but also those of hundreds of refugees fleeing enforced servitude to the railroad builders and certain death when they’re too exhausted to work. This time through, the monks don’t stand idly by as the outsider attacks the temple, and the ensuing battle is fierce. A surprise ending and satisfying epilogue demonstrate how karma cuts both ways. Needed comic relief is provided by the ubiquitous Jackie Chan, who uses kung-fu techniques to prepare meals for the monks. The youngest monks in training observe his methodology and employ it in their own martial-arts training. The sharp Blu-ray presentation accentuates the beautiful settings and costumes. A Blu-ray featurette blends deleted scenes with making-of footage, including that of the wire work. And, now, let’s move from the sublime to the ridiculous, in the form of a trilogy of kung-fu exploitation flicks from Roger Corman. “Firecracker,” “TNT Jackson” and “Too Hot To Handle” are distinguished solely by the appearance of supremely hot female protagonists, played by Jullian Kesner, Jeannie Bell and Cheri Caffaro, respectively. “TNT Jackson” is a two-fer, in that it also qualifies as a blaxploitation classic. All of the movies were shot largely in the in the Philippines and Hong Kong and feature a supporting cast of smarmy locals. The plots resemble each other in that all three of the women arrive from the U.S. to avenge the death of a sibling, friend or fellow drug smuggler. Equally sexy women play deep-cover narcotics agents, pretending to be gangsters’ molls. The fighting scenes are pretty good, too, especially when clothes are ripped off. Besides some scratchy trailers, the only bonus feature is commentary with Caffaro, who plays an international hit woman involved in James Bond-ish escapades in Manila and sees herself as a pioneer in female-entitlement roles. She’s probably right. As goofy as they may be, all three of the movies are great fun to watch. – Gary Dretzka A Little Help: Blu-ray Sometimes, it’s really easy to figure out what went wrong with a feature film, even one with highly recognizable stars and a serviceable script. More often than not, material that’s fragile in the first place is allowed to stay in the hands of a writer who believes he’s the best person to direct his brainchild. The blame can also be laid at the feet of young directors who don’t know or refuse to acknowledge when they’re in over their heads. In the specific case of “A Little Help,” writer/director Michael J. Weithorn – a veteran of the television-sitcom wars — seemingly failed to take into account the differences between small-screen-comedy conventions and those governing big-screen dramas. There’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with a script that finds similarities in the emotional aftereffects of 9/11 and the PTSS experienced by a suburban mother and son who’ve suddenly and unexpectedly lost the rock in their life to a heart attack. The movie is set on Long Island, circa 2002, after all, and everybody felt a bit unhinged. Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) portrays the mother of a 12-year-old boy and a dental hygienist, who’s recently returned to work and admittedly has stopped caring much about how she looks. On the same day Laura decides to confront her husband (Chris O’Donnell) about her fears about his cheating on her, he suffers two heart attacks, one of which was misdiagnosed and the other fatal. Shell-shocked, Laura allows herself to be manipulated by her overbearing mother (Lesley Anne Warren) and sister (Brooke Smith), who convince her to enroll her son in a private school and sue her husband’s doctor, neither of which she wants to do. As the prototypical new kid in school, Dennis overcomes his inferiority complex by telling everyone his dad died in 9/11, thus engendering waves of sympathy. Seeing how desperate Dennis was for positive attention, Laura decides against admitting the truth to his classmates and teachers. The ruse has an obvious downside, but they get away with it for a while. In the meantime, though, Laura bandages her own pain with risky short-term solutions, including beer and a humiliating one-night stand. “A Little Help” is billed as a comedy/drama, but I found the laughs to be hidden behind a thick wall of darkness, allowing only occasional opportunities for Laura to brighten her dour expression. Indeed, most of the comedy derives from Ron Leibman’s crusty take on Laura’s father, who’s rapidly approaching senility. The Blu-ray edition arrives with a slew of interview snippets, collected from promotional send-outs and a Jakob Dylan music video. Dylan’s songs, while perfectly fine, appear to have been included as substitutes for meaningful dialogue. – Gary Dretzka Uncle Bob Gigola The Cost of Love Formed in 2009, Breaking Glass Pictures is one of the most interesting new distribution labels in the DVD marketplace. The selections in the company’s 70-title catalogue run the genre gamut, from horror, thriller and sci-fi, to BDSM, erotic drama and romance, and almost everything else in between. Almost none of them have enjoyed wide release, anywhere, but there are some very obvious reasons for such neglect. Just as its Vicious Circle sidebar covers extreme horror, QC Cinema specializes in gay & lesbian theatrical and documentary releases. A recent sampling is indicative of the selections available. “Uncle Bob” is a documentary that answers the musical question, “Whatever happened to the guy who streaked the 1974 Oscar ceremony?” Firstly, his name was Robert Opel and he was a performance artist who believed that societal hang-ups over nudity couldn’t be addressed, let alone cured, if mainstream Americans were afraid to look at naked people. Coming out of the ’60s, such an idea was hardly revolutionary. Neither, by this time in American history, was streaking considered to be particularly radical. He would routinely appear on TV talk shows as the date for new Academy Awards presentations approached. In 1979, he was murdered in his San Francisco in circumstances his nephew, filmmaker Robert Oppel – yes, two p’s — still considers to be mysterious. In “Uncle Bob,” Oppel paints a fascinating portrait of extremely personable gay activist, performance artist, photographer and gallery owner. It also extends the story told in Gus Van Sant’s “Milk” of a pre-AIDS San Francisco bursting at the seams with counter-cultural energy and a mad desire to be unshackled from society’s chains. Among the eyewitnesses and friends interviewed are filmmaker and producer Abel Ferrara; singer and companion Camille O’Grady; HRH Lee Mentley, the Princess of Castro Street; photographer and Milk associate Daniel Nicoletta; former Cockette Ruby Missabu; and educator Jack Fritscher. Also shown in archival interviews are John Waters, Divine and Mike Douglas. Oppel introduces his theories about his uncle in loosely staged dramatizations. The bonus features includes Robert Opel’s complete interview with Divine, at Fay Wey Studios; Robert Oppel’s short film “Trip Back Forward,” with the Cockettes; the “Red, White & Blue Me” music video; and a photo gallery. The title character of “Gigola” comes exactly as advertised: a cross-dressing Parisian lesbian, who’s as much a companion to her older female clientele as she is a prostitute. When we meet her, sometime in the early 1960s, Georgia (Lou Doillon) has the long dark hair associated with most college students her age. Upon passing her exams, she demands of her older lover that she cut her hair in a style that approximates that of a Pigalle “dandy.” It’s not an unusual look for women who frequent the exclusive clubs and bars of the nightclub district, but, for someone her age, it’s pretty severe. She also favors a top hat, precisely cut tuxedo and cobra-tipped cane, which she carries both for protection and as an affectation. Her social circle is comprised of women of all ages and income brackets, all of whom dress alike. After her lover commits suicide, Georgia re-names herself Gigola. With the name comes a sharp new edge that causes her to be more comfortable as a pimp than a whore and an antagonistic presence in her mother’s (Marissa Berenson) life. Somewhere along the line, Gigola runs afoul of the local mob and voluntarily becomes pregnant, although not necessarily in that order. She may think she’ll know how to remain self-sufficient when the mob closes in and her baby pushes out, but she doesn’t. First-time filmmaker Laure Charpentier does better at capturing the period atmosphere than developing a story that ebbs and flows naturally. The sex, while plentiful, isn’t remotely pornographic. Also from QC, “The Cost of Love” is about a male escort and confirmed cruiser based in Greenwich, England, who has everything working in his favor, except love. Unfortunately, the man Dale cares most about is a doctor, straight and about to be married. Naturally, Dale turns for advice to his friend, Sean, a drag artist with strong feelings for him. And, of course, at 28, an escort with Dale’s appetite isn’t getting any younger. Writer/director Carl Medland isn’t afraid to put his diverse cast of characters through the ringer. – Gary Dretzka A Serbian Film: Blu-ray Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings Beware Pre-Halloween cult horror Consider the images we’ve just witnessed of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi being pummeled, shot and dragged lifeless down a highway by his captors, before being left in a meat locker to be gawked at and rot. Then, recall the photographs of naked Iraqi prisoners being humiliated and tortured by bored National Guard troops. Try to imagine, as well, what kind of sickness would prompt Sudanese soldiers to stand by and watch as millions of people are being allowed to starve to death in an endless war. Meanwhile, at the United Nations, the world’s richest and most powerful nations can’t even agree on the number of unarmed Syrian protesters have to die before a bounty is put on Bashar al-Assad’s head. That’s the kind of stuff a master of horror could use to his advantage. It’s real and it’s supremely frightening. If the characters didn’t drop more than one or two f-bombs, expose their nipples or rip each other’s heads off, such a movie theoretically could be rated PG-13. And, yet, censorial bodies and distributors around the world routinely decide that obviously fictitious depictions of extreme sexual behavior and violence require censorship and, in the case of “A Serbian Movie,” outright banishment. Even Netflix, a seemingly open-minded operation, has decided that adults aren’t prepared to watch such a provocative movie in the comfort of their own homes. Such hypocrisy isn’t ignored in the bombardment of points that director Srdjan Spasojevic makes “A Serbian Film.” On its pock-marked surface, this much-reviled movie is an allegory in which a retired porn star is unable to resist the lure of easy money, even when he’s left completely in the dark as to what he’ll have to do to earn it. The porn star, Milos, accepts the offer believing that he’s already performed every conceivable sexual stunt – short of pedophilia, necrophilia or actual incest – throughout his long and profitable career and there’s precious little left to surprise him. That logic might apply in a lot of places, but not in the once vibrant, ethnically diverse region formerly known as Yugoslavia. Once the Iron Curtain was lifted, tinhorn potentates encouraged their loyalists to ignore every moral principle drilled into them at the feet of their teachers, clergy and parents, all in the name of nationalistic pride. Like the many soldiers forced to obey the unconscionable orders of madmen and sadists, Milos really should have questioned where the producer of such a movie would draw the line. This man, Milos, who believed he had seen and done everything a porn icon could be asked to do, quickly would discover veins of depravity even a coke whore would refuse to mine. When Milos decides it’s to pull the plug on his participation in the psycho-sexual horror show, he’s no longer in control of his own fate. Dead or alive, the movie within the movie in “A Serbian Film” will be finished. Instead of being an actor, Milos could just as well have been asked to portray an investment banker ordered to foreclose on homes owned by laid-off nurses, teachers and factory workers, or a political operative assigned to destroy the reputation of a kind and honorable opponent. These are the horrors of our time. Even though “A Serbian Film” is Spasojevic’s first movie – screenwriter Aleksandar Radivojevic already had penned “Tears for Sale” – it is an extremely accomplished work. The lighting, music and set design all contribute to the movie’s we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore atmosphere, when Milos realizes he’s passed the been-there/done-it barrier. By then, however, he’s barely capable of distinguishing between his nightmares, drug-induced hallucinations and real life. So are we. At this juncture, Milos’ hysteria resembles that of the characters in “Requiem for a Dream,” the movie “A Serbian Film” most resembles. To be sure, “A Serbian Film” is strictly for adult eyes and discerning ones, at that. Like Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Salo” – also newly released in Blu-ray — it will test even the most open-minded of viewers. A horror movie that’s already being promoted at Netflix and the even more censorial Blockbuster is “Wrong Turn 4: Unrated.” Like the aforementioned “Mardi Gras: Spring Break,” Declan O’Brien’s bloodbath is gratuitous in every conceivable way: violence, nudity, stupidity. It doesn’t have a single new idea going for it and reveals nothing – new or old – about the human condition. Creatively, it exists simply as an excuse to showcase the makeup-effects chops of a bunch of Hollywood kids who majored in gore at film school. Commercially, it exists … well, as yet another hit-and-run sequel in a brand-name franchise. Normally, I wouldn’t waste a lot of time decrying gratuitous violence and sex in a genre film, especially one capable of inspiring three sequels. If I had to choose between pulling the proverbial plug on “A Serbian Film” or “Wrong Turn 4,” I’d come down on the side of the latter. Even horror has its limits, or should have. Anyone committed to exhibiting 94 minutes of non-stop dismemberment, cannibalism, deformed mental patients, voyeuristic sex, the constant misuse of cutlery and dimwitted college students deserves to be hung by his thumbs during a screening of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” The fourth chapter opens with the origin story of the inbred hillbilly brothers we met in the original 2003 “Wrong Turn.” This time around, it’s the dead of winter and a group of stranded college kids takes refuge in the now dark and presumably empty West Virginia sanitarium. It’s not uninhabited, of course. The hillbilly-cannibal brothers and a few of their demented friends make their presence known only a few minutes after the second of two sex scenes. After that, it’s non-stop carnage … none of which is terribly scary. “Beware” is slightly less gory than “Wrong Turn,” but benefits from infinitely better character development and a semblance of a plot. It’s the story of a boy named “Shane,” who was tortured and chained to a tree after his dad went nuts and killed his mother and her boyfriend (possibly Shane’s real father). After escaping, he grew up in the woods and slaughtered anyone who came too close to his secretly demented sister. The latest victims are a group of Hispanic teens heading to a rock concert. When their car breaks down in a most inopportune place, who ya gonna call? Will anyone survive to star in a squeal? Stay tuned. For those whose appetite for depravity and bloodlust knows no bounds, the gentle folks at MVD Visuals have released a slew of micro-budget, do-it-yourself thrillers: “Hellweek: Grindhouse Bootleg Edition,” “Demon Divas and the Lanes of Damnation,” “The Resurrection Game: 10th Anniversary Edition,” “Lust for Vengeance: 10th Anniversary Explicit Version” and “House of the Damned.”Among the many “highlights”: in addition to the fresh original cut of “Hellweek,” there’s a grind-house version “with all the dirt, filth and scratches from 42nd Street”; in “Demon Divas,” scream queens help a pair of nerdy college girls get even with their tormenters … at a bowling alley; “The Resurrection Game” imagines a society in which zombies are merely a nuisance and cogs in a much large conspiracy; “Lust for Vengeance” … sex, drugs and a serial killer; and in the “House of the Damned,” Mommie Dearest harvests the youth of her daughter. – Gary Dretzka When Harry Tries to Marry I can’t imagine why anyone would name a romantic comedy, “When Harry Tries to Marry.” Maybe it rolls off the tongue in Bengali,Punjabi, Hindi or Tamil, but, in English, it sounds unfinished. The title does, however, sum up what happens in writer/director Nayan Padrai’s sweet, if uneven debut. Harry is an Indian college student living in New York. After comparing the results of his grandparents’ arranged marriage with the results of the shotgun nuptials of his parents, Harry decides he’ll go the traditional route by asking an uncle to find a suitable wife for him. And, this he does. The two connect long-range, via Skype, forging a bond that normally would lead to marriage, as it almost does. Freed from the encumbrance of having to obsess over finding suitable marriage material, Harry is free to make female friends and enjoy his undergraduate years. The problem, of course, comes when this newly found freedom allows him to become too close to a classmate who is perfect in every possible way, except that she’s a tall, sexy redhead of the American persuasion. While Harry enjoys everything about having a platonic relationship with a really nice woman, Theresa has become enchanted with his openness, concern and kindness. Harry remains blind to her attentions until two nights before their gala Indian wedding, when she alerts him to her true feelings for him, and he reciprocates. No surprise there, either. “When Harry Tries to Marry” is a well-meaning confection that gets stuck in too many ruts wheels during its 93-minute length. I could have done with a bit more Bollywood and a lot less New York, but the movie appears to be targeted at American audiences, especially14-year-old Bridezillas-in-waiting. The movie picks up some steam when everyone arrives in India for the wedding. Even without Blu-ray, the DVD sparkles with the brilliant colors associated with Indian social gatherings. It comes with making-of material and music videos. – Gary Dretzka Maxwell Street Blues Fire in Babylon Boys of Summer Turkey BowlIn the early 1900s, Chicago’s Maxell Street was a bustling commercial district largely populated by Jewish immigrants. It had already served as a gateway neighborhood for Irish, Bohemian, German, Russians, Italian and Greek newcomers, and would later provide temporary housing for southern blacks and Mexicans. If residents felt as if they were sitting at the crossroads of world commerce, they weren’t far from the truth. Although stores lined Maxwell Street, it was the open-air market that became known far and wide as a place to find treasures, junk sold as antiques, trinkets and novelties, food from the Old Country, work clothes, First Communion outfits and the shiny new tires stolen off your car. It was as synonymous with Chicago as gangsters and meat packing. (The Daleys would come later.) Eventually, the market would be forced to make way for freeways, colleges, urban renewal and other economic realities. The only constant over the final few decades of Maxwell Street’s life were the blues buskers who played for tips and occasionally were hired by bar owners looking for inexpensive talent. Made in 1981, “Maxwell Street Blues” documents the shuttering of that era. Linda Williams and Raul Zaritsky strolled among the ruins, filming the blues musicians who, by and large, no longer were ready for prime time (and the burgeoning North Side blues scene.) These man and women may have been ancient, but they could still hold a tune and spin a yarn. Maxwell Street doesn’t even exist as a graveyard anymore. A college-owned residential complex and other facilities have been built on its ruins and the market has been moved further south. This wonderful documentary provides a snapshot of a nearly forgotten moment in time. It’s been lovingly restored and comes with an update featurette. While not a documentary, “Prince of Broadway” looks very much like one. It had me fooled for 15 minutes, anyway. Having just watched “Maxwell Street Blues,” Sean Baker’s micro-budget indie could be describing a contemporary Maxwell Street, New York-style. Manhattan’s wholesale-fashion district is an entirely reasonable facsimile of Maxwell Street in the early 1900s. It’s a magnet for immigrants, some of whom arrived on these shores legally, and the provenance of the merchandise is frequently questionable. Lucky (Prince Adu) is an illegal Ghanaian immigrant who makes a meager living roping pedestrians into a store where knock-off shoes and purses are sold inside of a hidden room. His boss, Levon (Karren Karagulian), is an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, who sets the prices and keeps an eye out for the “5-O.” Like too many men in Lucky and Levon’s situation, the most direct route to the American Dream is patrolled by cops from a half-dozen different law-enforcement agencies. Lucky’s life suddenly gets even more complicated when an old hookup drops a toddler on him, claiming that he’s the father, and splits for a couple of weeks of serenity. For his part, Levon is having problems keeping his green-card wife happy. Then, just when Lucky is getting used to having the kid around, someone breaks into his van and steals a load of expensive sneakers. Baker shot “Prince of Broadway” with a palm-sized camera, which was affixed to his shoulder, so he could capture street scenes and crowds without drawing attention to himself or the fact he’s working without a permit. Alternately funny, sad and strangely sentimental, “Prince of Broadway” is as good a movie as any that’s been limited to a single-screen release. That, right there, qualifies as a crime greater than selling counterfeit accessories to rubes. The DVD arrives with a behind-the-scenes featurette and audio commentaries. If anything could spark interest in cricket in America – and I’m pretty sure nothing can – it would be “Fire in Babylon,” a movie about a team of West Indian athletes that stunned the British and Commonwealth sporting establishment and forever changed the way the game would be played. Upon entering international competition in the early 1970s, the team was as hapless as its foes anticipated. Gradually, though, the upstarts would learn from their mistakes and field a team that wouldn’t embarrass anyone, at least. What elevated the team were memories of enslavement and repression – hence, Babylon – and racial epithets hurled by opposing cricketeers and racists in the cheap seats, alike. If this makes “Fire in Babylon” sound like a candidate for a double feature with “Invictus,” you’ve already gotten the picture. The story is told in the words of the men who made it happen, against a background of reggae and other Caribbean sounds. If “Fire in Babylon” is a close match to “Invictus,” “Boys of Summer” is nearly a dead-ringer for “The Perfect Game.” Both describe an upset in the Little League World Series of epic proportions. The primary difference between the two teams came in the fact that one had to convince itself it was good enough to compete, while the other was routinely beating up teams around the Caribbean and South America. Even so, it would be like a team from a small town in Montana dominating all American comers. In the summer chronicled by director Keith Aumont, the boys from Curaçao faced more challenges than usual. Extras include “Frank Curiel: The Coach Above the Field,” “Vernon Car Crash,” “Strategy” and “Curaçao Tourney.” “Turkey Bowl” is another low-budget indie that looks as if it were an assignment in a film-school class on cinema-verite, and I mean that in a good way. Each year, a mixed group of eight friends – as well as the occasional ringer — gathers to play a game of touch football. The only thing at stake is a Butterball turkey and, maybe, some bruised egos and scrapped elbows, but over the course of 64 minutes, many recognizable truths and feelings are revealed. If “Turkey Bowl” had been five minutes longer, however, it probably would have begun unraveling … just like some relationships. – Gary Dretzka The Music Lovers The White Bus (Red, White and Zero) Consuming Passions The Quatermass Xperiment (The Creeping Unknown) The current crop of DVDs released as part of MGM/Fox’s manufactured-on-demand program is heavy on British dramas and comedies from the 1960s and ’70s. Back then, no filmmaker was more outrageous, brave and controversial than Ken Russell. At the time, the British film industry was dominated by gritty, downbeat “kitchen sink” dramas about life among the country’s working poor. Russell brought bright colors, glorious classical music, lavish sets, ornate costumes and explicit sexuality to an industry whose basic color scheme was gray and shades of gray. Russell’s work often was compared to Fellini’s, but it took far more commercial risks. Not all of them were rewarded with positive reviews and box-office success, however. Depictions of perverse sexuality, full-frontal male and female nudity, and homosexuality stretched the limits on what censors and ratings boards would accept. Neither did academics and historians always buy into portrayals of well-known figures, who, more often than not, were composers, artists and writers. (With “Tommy,” he may have invented the modern music video.) What couldn’t be disputed, though, was Russell’s ability to wring awards-quality performances from such high-profile actors as Glenda Jackson, Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, Ann-Margret, Twiggy, William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Amanda Donohoe and Gabriel Byrne. Having to compete against Russell’s many narrative conceits is a challenge only the best actors can handle, and, in Jackson, Reed and Bates, you’re seeing greatness at work. “The Music Lovers” is Russell’s 1970 sexual hagiography of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky, starring Richard Chamberlain as the composer and Jackson as his wife, Antonina. Russell’s interpretation of their ruinous marriage corresponds with the generally accepted belief that he married her, in large part, to conceal his homosexuality. He also was delighted by the worshipful letters she wrote to him. In “Music Lovers,” Tchaikovsky is extremely close to three women – including patron Madame Nadedja von Meck – and one man, Count Anton Chiluvsky. Their relationships play out almost silently, as dreams, nightmares and elaborately staged music videos, with Tchaikovsky’s greatest compositions being played over them. Some of the movements are quite enchanting, while others are purposefully disturbing. Again, while it wouldn’t be wise to base a term paper on Russell’s interpretation of the composer’s life, it’s a movie that dares you to take your eyes off of it. And, at a time in cinematic history when a biopic based on a composer is as rare as a $3 box of popcorn, it makes an enticing novelty. If it encourages any young viewers to sample other movies by Russell, well, so much the better. Lindsay Anderson’s 1967 curiosity, “The White Bus,” was originally commissioned by producer Oscar Lewenstein to be part of a feature called “Red, White and Zero,” comprised of three short films based on stories by Shelagh Delaney (“A Taste of Honey”). They were to be directed by “Free Cinema” advocates Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson and Anderson. Peter Brook would fill in for Reisz when he committed to making “Morgan, A Suitable Case for Treatment,” but the segments were destined to be released separately. “The White Bus” refers to the vehicle that carries a bored office worker from London to her home in the north, alongside a motley crew of English archetypes. As befits the surrealistic tone, Miroslav Ondricek’s camera captures some scenes in black-and-white and others in color. Along the route, the bus passes an iron lung on a railway platform and the passengers witness a kidnapping in progress. They visit a steel mill, a science museum and a civil-defense display, and partake in several unusual activities while there. No one is struck by the craziness of it all, however. Film students and buffs will find “The White Bus” more interesting than most other viewers. “Consuming Passions” is a very broad and exceedingly silly British comedy about crisis management at a chocolate factory. Adapted from a play by Michael Palin and Terry Jones, it follows a clumsy intern who accidentally causes three workers to fall into a vat of chocolate, drown in the mixture, be packaged and distributed in that day’s deliveries. The intern is then assigned the task of informing next-of-kin and getting them to sign awcay their rights to sue. The final twist comes when a survey reports that consumers favor the new flavor and the comedy turns very dark, indeed. A wild turn by Vanessa Redgrave, as an Amazonian nymphomaniac, is worth the price of a rental. Released in 1955, “The Quatermass Xperiment” was the “Contagion” of its day. At the dawn of the space race, a British mission returns with two of its three crewmen missing. The survivor has brought back with him an infection that is mutating into an alien organism. If it progresses any further, humanity will be “devoured.” There’s only one sure way to nip that problem in the bud and it isn’t pretty. Highly popular in England, “Quartermass” became the first Hammer title to make the jump over the pond, as “The Creeping Unknown.” – Gary Dretzka Barney Miller: The Complete Series Thundercats: Season 1 Book 1 Nazi HuntersABC’s character-driven workplace sitcom “Barney Miller,” which ran from 1974-82, was noteworthy for many reasons. Because it was set in a Manhattan cop shop and the ensemble cast was ethnically and philosophically diverse, the show’s writers were able to address sensitive issues in a timely and humorous manner. It was overtly politically incorrect before overt political correctness was cool. Quirky incidental characters — introduced each week after being arrested or barging into the squad room with oddball demands – were a mix of familiar Big Apple archetypes and the new generation of dope fiends, political activists and lost souls. In a very real sense, “Barney Miller” was the missing link between “Car 54, Where Are You?” and “Hill Street Blues.” Using 20/20 hindsight, Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker’s brainchild may seem to have been a no-brainer. In fact, it was anything but a sure bet. As the two failed pilot episodes indicate, “Barney Miller” opened conventionally with Barney making small talk with his wife and son before heading off to work, where something crazy invariably was unfolding. Ten or 12 hours later, he’d return home and be required to deal with completely different situations. No half-hour episode could contain so much mishigas and address anyone else’s problems. Ultimately, only 13 of 171 episodes were set outside the station. Neither was the cast nailed down in the first go-rounds. Abe Vigoda’s “Fish” was a natural, of course, but rest of the flavors in the cocktail had yet to gel. Besides Hal Linden and Vigoda, the core cast of detectives included Max Gail, Ron Glass, Steve Landesberg, Jack Soo and Ron Carey. Or to put it another way, you had the seasoned, compassionate and patient leader, Barney; seen-it-all, ready-to-retire veteran, Fish; by-the-book, decreasingly narrow-minded Vietnam vet, Wojo (Polish, natch); dapper, career-conscious African-American, Harris; the calm, knows-everything New York Jew, Dietrich; curmudgeonly, horse-playing Asian-American, Yemana; and occasionally annoying office functionary, Levitt. Barbara Barrie played Barney’s mostly invisible wife; James Gregory, played his old-school, often clueless supervisor; and Gregory Sierra played a dedicated, if weary Puerto Rican detective for the first two years, after which Spanish-speaking prisoners would be asked to translate. That’s a lot of voices to accommodate each week. The new boxed set is complete in every possible way. Besides containing all of the episodes and pilots, there’s a 32-page commemorative booklet; new interviews with Linden, Gail and Vigoda; the first season of the spin-off show, “Fish”; the original unaired pilot, with Abby Dalton as Barney’s wife; and writers commentary on select episodes. It’s amazing to see how many cartoon series that debuted in the 1980s – a period known more for schlocky animation than classic entertainment – have found new life in today’s crowded television marketplace. I’m not sure why that’s happening, exactly. These days, brand identification trumps memories of mediocrity. Of course, that observation comes from someone who grew up on hand-drawn cartoons originally shown between feature films and repackage for television. I’m not sure there’s a qualitative difference between “Huckleberry Hound” and “Thundercats” or “Transformers.” Neither can hold a candle to Looney-Tunes and “Merrie Melodies.” That rant vented, though, it’s also clear that a lot more care is being accorded cartoons made for general consumption today, than there was 25 years ago. Cartoon Network re-booted the series this summer with an hourlong refresher episode. It is represented here in “Thundercats: Season 1 Book 1,” which is comprised of the new season’s first eight episodes. I’d like to say that I understand what’s happening, apart from the near-destruction of the cat civilization at the hands of the evil Mumm-Ra and his lizard army. To survive, the Thunderians must locate and study the missing Book of Omens. Even though World War II ended more than 55 years ago, several perplexing mysteries remain unsolved. Most involve the flight, disappearance and capture of Nazi war criminals, some of whom have died as free men or are still at large. “Nazi Hunters,” a Cineflix mini-series that aired on the National Geographic Channel, examines the results of eight such missions through actual film footage, interviews photographs, records and dramatizations. The fugitives include Herbert Cukurs, “the hangman of Riga”; “Butcher of Lyons” and former CIA employee, Klaus Barbie; Adolf Eichmann; Erich Priebke; “Angel of Death,” Joseph Mengele, French Gestapo chief Kurt Lischka, who was protected under German law; Paul Touvier, who escaped justice several times; “Beast of Sobibor,” Gustav Wagner; and Franz Strangl. The presentation is crisp, to the point and largely unadorned with sentiment. – Gary Dretzka History: American Pickers: Volume Two History: Top Shot: Reloaded: Season 2 History: Pawn Stars: Volume Three Celtic Angels at Christmas It isn’t often that the untimely death of an actor playing the protagonist in a popular television series presents the show’s producers with both a dilemma and an opportunity. Such was the case when two-time BAFTA-winner John Thaw (a.k.a., Chief Inspector Morse) died in 2002, creating a vacuum ultimately filled by his series’ fictional subordinate, Inspector Robert Lewis (a.k.a., Kevin Whately). Conveniently for Granada/WGBH, Lewis was available, having spent a couple of years on sabbatical in the British Virgin Isles, and so was Newcastle-native Whatley. He returned to Oxford, newly widowed and reluctantly in charge of a murder case involving the murder of a mathematics student shot while participating in a sleep-deprivation study. In England, that scenario was used to introduce “Lewis” to viewers hungry for more of the same good thing. The pilot is included in the new 10-disc PBS collection, “Masterpiece Mystery: Complete Inspector Lewis,” which is comprised of all 20 mysteries, through the fourth American season. (Don’t worry fans, the episodes are shown at their original lengths, not the abridged American versions.) Lewis is joined by Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent (Rebecca Front) and Dr. Laura Hobson (Clare Holman). As always the splendid Oxfordshire countryside and colleges are as important to the enjoyment of the show as anything else. ABC may have canceled its sci-fi soap, “V,” after a couple of its “bubble” shows burst, but the way things are going with some of the network’s replacement series, it might need a quick fix with a reliable fan base, however marginal.ABC execs probably thought “Charlie’s Angels” was a no-brainer, but it already has been canceled. “V” was a remake of the two-part 1983 mini-series, which aired on NBC and spawned a sequel, a weekly series and a novelization. In the updated series, the alien Visitors are led by the mysterious queen Anna, who advises from above, “Don’t be frightened. We mean you no harm,” which translates to, “Obey or die.” Motherships hover over 29 different cities. In the 10-episode Season 2, it’s revealed why such an odd number of vehicles are involved in the invasion. Meanwhile, an underground unit of resistance fighters — the Fifth Column – struggles to undermine the reptilian intruders. The Blu-ray set adds a pair of making-of featurettes, with cast interviews; unaired scenes; and a blooper reel. As part of the national outpouring of grief that accompanied the 10th anniversary of 9/11, dozens of shows commemorating those who died aired on television. There were nearly as many programs that celebrated the recovery efforts by relatives and survivors. Not surprisingly, PBS’ “Nova: Engineering Ground Zero” took a different tack. Just as the terrorists’ living victims struggled to rebuild their lives on a foundation poured by slain loved ones, so, too, did an army of engineers, architects and construction workers labor to create a fitting memorial to the people who died there. Beyond that, they have endeavored to replace the commercial entity specifically and symbolically targeted by the hijackers on that awful day. Their story is more than one of iron and steel. The negotiations and debates that preceded construction of One World Trade Center created an aura of drama that, in some ways, continues today. Among those interviewed are architect David Childs; Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chairman of the 9/11 Memorial Foundation; and Michael Arad, who conceptualized the 9/11 Memorial. Once upon a time, I was employed as a garbage man. This was before the days when residents were required to roll their containers to the curb, so as to save time and reduce the challenge of carrying overloaded cans to the truck without dropping half the load on the driveway. Separating garbage into refuse, recyclables and garden waste was an idea too far-fetched for any of us to imagine. For our labors, some of the residents on our routes would leave six-packs of beer or pop, which we would consume at the dump, if we had some time to kill. Apparently, the guys who spent their free time sifting through the piles of garbage, looking for discarded treasures and recyclable metals where decades ahead of their time. Today, they would have a television show of their own, just like “American Pickers.” Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, we’re told, “are just two ordinary guys looking for extraordinary things. ‘American Pickers’ follows them as they scour the country’s junkyards, basements and barns for hidden gems.” In the show’s second season, the pickers were rewarded at “honey holes” filled with coin-operated games and pinball machines, civil war artifacts, circus leftovers, toys, signs and other goodies. Who knew? History’s competition series, “Top Shot,” is “Survivor,” with weapons. Contestants are required to demonstrate mastery of weapons from all eras of human history, from primitive rocks to sophisticated firearms. They are required, as well, to endure grueling physical tests to stay in the game. High-speed, high-definition cameras capture the skillful execution of each test in extreme slow motion Like “Survivor,” the competitors can be every bit as petty and unreasonable as children playing cowboys and Indians. With $100,000 at stake, who can blame them? Among the stunts required of the contestants are shooting while hanging from a crane; riding on the back of a jeep; standing 1,000 yards from the target; and using Civil War rifles. Ever notice how “Pawn Stars” and other reality-based shows involving previously owned junk and artifacts resemble PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow”? All feature professionals whose job it is to evaluate property ranging in value from priceless to worthless, and everything in between. Pawn-shop employees not are experts at assessing value, but also getting customers to accept low-ball offers. If the property is worth anything, they benefit from charging interest – usually less than your average bank-backed credit card – and/or the inability of the pawnee to meet certain deadlines. Some proprietors can be unscrupulous, but rarely the ones willing to risk their reputations in front tens of thousands of viewers each week. Fans should know that “Volume Three” is comprised of only 16 of the show’s 28 episodes. First screened on Canadian television in 2006, “Celtic Angels at Christmas” is a lovely seasonal presentation that showcases the songs and steps of Celtic artists from Cape Breton and other strongholds of Scottish heritage in eastern Canada. The traditional Gaelic hymns and carols are as inspiring as they are unfamiliar to most American ears. Fiddler Kendra MacGillivray is an energetic interpreter of Scottish songs and fellow Angel Sabra MacGillivray dances, as well as sings. She is joined, as well, by some very young step dancers. Maggie MacInnes performs on the clarsach (Celtic harp), while Patricia Murray, Gillian Boucher and Stephanie Hardy round out the ensemble. Close your eyes and you won’t be distracted by the Spartan backgrounds. — Gary Dretzka I clowns: Blu-ray Specialty distributor RaroVideo made Federico Fellini’s delightful “docu-comedy” of the history of clowns and their continuing role they play in and out of circuses one of its first releases here. “I clowns” also recounts the maestro’s lifelong fascination with the circus, and its place in his movies. RaroVideo has now done movie lovers the very great favor of sending out the wildly colorful “I clowns” in Blu-ray. Among the guest stars are Anita Ekberg, Geraldine Chaplin and the director himself. The enchanting score was composed by Nino Rota. The Blu-ray bonus package is similar to that of the DVD: “The Matrimonial Agency,” Fellini’s 16-minute short, conceived for the 1953 anthology “Love in the City”; a video essay by Adriano Aprà on the creation of “I clowns”; and a 50-page booklet with Fellini’s notes and sketches for the film. – Gary Dretzka The Hillside Stranglings South of Heaven If the the slasher era in horror has introduced a more naturally sinister-looking actor than Robert Z’Dar, I’ve yet wait to meet him. Even without the makeup he’s required to wear in “Maniac Cop,” his gigantic head and iron chin qualify him as the proverbial stranger you’d least like to meet in a dark alley. He seems like a decent enough chap in the interview included in the Blu-ray’s bonus features, but he remains one scary dude in the movie. The first time we meet Z’Dar’s title character, he’s the beacon of hope reaching out to a young woman being attacked by a pair of New York alley slugs. No sooner is she able to breathe a sigh of relief, though, when the hulking cop grabs her by her throat and shakes the life out of her. After a few more innocent Manhattanites are murdered in the same way, police detectives start believing the accounts of witnesses and put out a dragnet for a massive, deranged police officer. Even when they do manage to stumble upon him one night, using a decoy prostitute, Maniac Cop is able to escape several direct hits to his head and body. His greatest mistake comes in killing a cop’s wife, after she’s caught her husband cheating on her with a female officer. In the ensuing investigation of the spouse, certain clues lead to an overly vigorous hero cop who was thrown into prison and murdered by inmates … or was he? Undead or not, Maniac Cop has clearly gone over to the dark side, killing innocents who mistake his uniform for refuge. The movie, a collaboration of genre favorites William Lustig and Larry Cohen, falls completely apart under close scrutiny, but why bother? After 23 years in circulation, “Maniac Cop” still has plenty of admirers. If nothing else, it’s fun to watch veteran hard guys Z’Dar, William Smith, Bruce Campbell, Tom Adkins, Richard Roundtree and, yikes, even boxer Jake Lamotta chew the scenery. Cult faves Sheree North and Lauren Landon also have key roles. The restored and remastered Blu-ray presentation allows the nighttime scenes to come alive much better than in previous VHS editions. The set adds interviews, commentary and other hard-core goodies, some of which already have been made available. The best reason to pick up “Vlog” is to check out Internet sensation Brook Marks, who stars as herself. Remarkably personable and articulate, Marks chats with her fans while clad in a bikini or lingerie against a constantly changing array of background images. It’s the conceit of director Joshua Butler that she’s murdered, live, on her “Brooks Marks the Spot” website, after vlogging details of recent dates and nights out on the town. These webcasts have pissed off the owner of the “How to Erase People From the Face of the Earth” site. Suddenly, boyfriends and other acquaintances begin disappearing and Marks can’t help but watch them being slaughtered and turned into human confetti. When she finally does contact the police, they can’t find the victims, either. Is it an Internet stunt or the real murderous deal? If the latter, who’s the culprit? Frankly, though, who cares? Like most Internet vlogs and serials, it’s what’s up front that counts and Marks makes the whole feature-length exercise worthwhile. She reminds me of Teri Garr, back when she was a regular on David Letterman’s show and they spent each segment flirting with each other. The DVD adds several mostly repetitious deleted scenes. The legend of the Slit Mouth Woman goes back hundreds of years in Japanese history, with panics being reported as recently as the 1980s. If the Bogeyman had a face, it might look like very much like the antagonist in “The Slit Mouthed Woman” (a.k.a., “Carved”), from Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme. (There are several other movies with the same title, but this is the most recent.) As the story goes, the face of a beautiful long-haired woman once was disfigured by a jealous husband. When her spirit appears in modern times, she’s wearing a trench coat and surgical mask, which hides her butchered face, and is carrying a extra-long scissors. As she approaches children in the street, she removes the masks and demands to know, “Am I pretty?” No matter what they answer — most are too frightened to reply – they tend to be carted off to places unknown. Some will have their faces rearranged by the woman. Koji Shiraishi’s thriller combines elements of horror, ghost stories and urban legend in the service of a movie that won’t impress many adult genre buffs, but will scare the crap out of kids. As rumors about the Slit Mouth Woman’s reappearance spread, a pair of teachers attempt to work out their bad karma by trying to protect students from the villain, who also seems capable of shape shifting. The DVD comes with cast interviews and a making-of featurette. Also new or newly re-released from the Palisades Tartan family are movies representing Korea, Portugal and the United States. If the descriptions sound familiar, it’s possibly because they’ve carried various other titles. From Korea, “Root of Evil” (a.k.a., “Akasia,” “Acacia”) is the story of a childless couple who decide to take the adoption route after other means of pregnancy fail. That, of course, means weird things will begin to happen shortly after the 6-year-old begins feeling comfortable in his new home. The boy, Jin-Sung, was chosen by the mother because he showed an affinity for art, especially eerie drawings of trees. Sure enough, once he’s settled in, Jin-Sung is drawn to a long-dormant acacia tree in the back yard. In short order, two miracles occur: the mother becomes pregnant and the tree begins to bloom. More sinister things begin to happen after the baby is born and Jin-Sung accurately perceives that he’s being shoved aside. And, as we all know, there’s no greater force in nature – or genre pictures — than an adopted child scorned. “Blood Curse” (a.k.a., “Coisa Ruim,” “Bad Blood”) describes what happens when a Portuguese family is dragged from its Lisbon home and forced to live in a house in the country that once belonged to a distant relative of the professor father. Being a man of science, the father attempts to explain away a series of bizarre events that occur after the family moves into the house. Unlike the professor, local residents have a more likely explanation for the disturbances: the house is cursed and the family inherited the curse with the house. In fact, everything in the village feels a bit off-kilter. “The Hillside Stranglings” (a.k.a., “The Hillside Strangler”) re-tells the story of a demented serial killer and his cousin, who held Los Angeles in the grip of terror in the late 1970s. Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono were convicted of kidnapping, raping and torturing at least 12 women, many of whom were prostitutes. Their bodies were dumped on hillsides or off freeway ramps. The new DVD edition of Chuck Parella’s gruesome account comes in an unrated version. C. Thomas Howell and Nicholas Turturro play the fiends. As with all the Palisades Tartan releases, it comes with several supplemental materials. “South of Heaven” is a nutty micro-budget anti-thriller that travels in several different directions to get to the same violent destination, and it’s a town called South of Heaven. After being released from the Navy, an aspiring writer named Roy (Adam Nee) travels to San Francisco to visit his brother, Dale. Once he gets to the apartment, Roy is mistaken for Dale by a couple of enforcers dressed like sideshow barkers. They’re waiting to punish him for ditching a debt and absconding with their boss’ girlfriend in the company of a goon named Mad Dog. Instead of waiting for an explanation, look-alike Roy is beaten and tortured within an inch of his life. (One of them wears a lobster bib while cutting of Roy’s fingers.) After several such beatings, Roy looks like a seriously deformed potato and is missing most of his fingers. He assumes the name, Nobody, and ultimately will exacts his revenge in several nasty ways. Newcomer J.L. Vara employs animation, noir, surrealism, deliberately phony sets and other Coen-esque touches in the service of a genuinely clever story. The set adds commentaries and three short films from writer/director Vara. – Gary Dretzka The Heart Specialist: Blu-ray Like “Jumping the Broom” and “N-Secure,” Dennis Cooper’s “The Heart Specialist” is a hybrid entertainment that combines romance, drama and comedy, in unequal measures. Targeted specifically at so-called urban audiences hungry for characters with whom they can identify, these low-budget pictures borrow the formula formulated by Tyler Perry, without relying quite as heavily on Christian faith for answers to life’s problems. If shortcuts are taken in the screenwriting process and with production values, there are plenty of recognizable stars to enjoy. In “The Heart Specialist,” Wood Harris and Brian White play doctors at a south Florida hospital that caters to HBO subscribers. Harris has committed his energy to helping White’s Harvard-educated intern mature. When White is on call, he invariably can be found in a storage room having sex with a nurse or receptionist. For his part, Harris moonlights as a standup comedian, using his workplace experiences as fodder for laughs. As if … “The Heart Specialist” first hit the festival circuit in 2006, but only was picked up for distribution in January. It’s likely that the deciding factor was being able to put Zoe Saldana’s name on the cover. Also familiar are Mya, Brittany Ishibashi, Ed Asner, Marla Gibbs, Fatso-Fasano, Jasmine Guy, Method Man and Irene Tsu. – Gary Dretzka Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Based on a series of books by Megan McDonald, “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” looks as if it were constructed out of leftover design elements from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Everything is so darn bright, bubbly and self-consciously kooky that you’d think it was part of an experiment designed to figure out exactly what floats the boats of fickle ’tween audiences. The story is pretty simple, actually. The parents of a hyper-imaginative third-grade girl, Judy (Jordana Beatty), and a Bigfoot-obsessed boy, Stink, have been called to California for the summer to tend for an ailing relative. In their place, they’ve arranged for Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) to supervise the kiddies. Inviting Opal to babysit is kind of like hiring the Cat in the Hat to substitute teach a kindergarten class full of children with ADD. She’s hardly house-broken herself. Besides all the brilliant colors and nutty set designs, director John Schultz has seen fit to add several animated and CGI interludes and inset music videos. It’s a lot to absorb for an adult, but 10-year-olds probably are more adept at controlling sensory overload. It arrives with plenty of supplemental features, including “Join The Toad-Pee Club,” “Flippin’ Out With the Cast,” Camryn’s “Wait and See” music video, “10 Things You Need to Know About Judy Moody,” “Judy Moody’s Guide to Making a Movie” and deleted scenes. It’s also nice to see Jaleel White (a.k.a., Urkel) in the role of popular teacher. – Gary Dretzka Snuff Box: The Complete Series Masterpiece Classic: Wuthering Heights/Northangar Abbey/Wuthering Heights: Blu-ray PBS: The War of 1812 Chuck 4: The Complete Fourth Season: Blu-ray Bones: The Complete Sixth Season: Blu-ray Hallmark: Call Me Mrs. Miracle As any faithful viewer of BBC America and PBS could tell you, British comedy shows take several different forms and much getting used to, whether they’re warm and cozy (“As Time Goes By,” “Are You Being Served”) or silly and off-the-wall (“Monty Python,” “Absolutely Fabulous”). Lately, such rude and demented shows as “The Mighty Boosh,” “The IT Crowd,” “Little Britain,” “Peep Show” and “Ideal” have begun popping up on various cable outlets. The inky-dark sketch-comedy series “Snuff Box” may be the most outrageous of all of these titles. Indeed, even fans of the innovative BBC 3 network often found it to be beyond the pale. For people unafraid to laugh at capital punishment, misogyny, frequent F- and C-bombs, public humiliation, cruel insults and other degrading behavior, “Snuff Box” is the ticket. The series was written by and starred Brit Matt Berry (“The IT Crowd,” “The Mighty Boosh”) and American Rich Fulcher (“Funny or Die Presents,” “The Sarah Silverman Program”). Each show contains a wildly inappropriate gallows scene, during which a profane Vicker, bumbling hangman and cynical prison official exchange jokes and alternately ignore and provoke the doomed man. Another on-going sketch involves a polite young man (Berry) who offers to help damsels in distress, until they casually mention they have a boyfriend or fiancé. The guy then drops whatever burden he’s taken on and hurls an expletive at the woman. Even though we know what’s going to happen as soon as the faux-gallant fellow offers to carry something for a pretty young woman, the F-You moment is always funny. The DVD packages come with testimonials by a dozen or so American comics and comedy writers; a history and walking tour of the show; and look at the creation of the catchy song that is repeated throughout it. And, now, for something completely different from the Britain: Fans of PBS’ “Masterpiece Classics” love a good British period drama, because they know the acting will be superb, the settings romantic and the costumes out of this world. The original U.K. versions of the productions are even better. For the first time in Blu-ray come Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park” and “Northanger Abbey,” and Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” As one would expect, these are all first-class adaptations, loaded with literary nutrition and highly entertaining. Among the stars represented here are Billie Piper, Carey Mulligan, Tom Hardy, Felicity Jones, Andrew Lincoln and Blake Ritson. A making-of featurette is included in “Wuthering Heights” I wonder how many of today’s students are required to spend more than a half-hour reading about and discussing the War of 1812, or, for that matter, know which conflagration inspired the “1812 Overture.” Unless one lives in New Orleans, Quebec or has taken a tour of the White House, which was set ablaze by British troops, it isn’t high on the list of must-know topics. After watching PBS’ “The War of 1812,” I realize how little I recall from my lessons, even as taught by tough, old-school teachers. Apart from being absolutely fascinating, the DVD explains a lot about how the fledgling democracy was viewed inside and outside the borders of our country. When Native Americans and Canadians, along with the French and British colonists, looked across the borders of their nations, the only United States they saw was one comprised of political and religious hypocrites, proponents of greed-driven expansionism and government-sanctioned genocide. In the name of unfettered freedom, Americans had shot down the idea of maintaining a standing army and government coffers weren’t yet reliant on taxes. Still smarting from the loss of its American colonies, the British war machine was only too happy to take advantage of our scrawny militias and exploit the unhappiness of our neighbors. Once again, it seriously underestimated American resolve and our ability to compete in battles at sea. The release of the fourth season of “Chuck,” on Blu-ray, was pushed back a month to more closely coincide with the belated start of the new stanza, during which the accidental spy will take over a spy agency of his own. Much of the action contained in the box set involves Chuck’s efforts to track his mother (Linda Hamilton) and maintain his relationship with Sarah, as the date for their marriage approaches. Timothy Dalton, Robin Givens, Ray Wise and Stacy Keibler make guest appearances. NBC had signaled plans to cancel “Chuck,” but fans pressured the network and it was extended for 13 more episodes and, then, another 13. The Blu-ray package includes “Declassified Scenes,” a gag reel and the featurettes “Chuck Versus Directing,” “Chuck Versus the Leftovers,” “Spying on the Cast,” with Operation Gomez items, “Buy Hard: The Jeff and Lester Story Shorts” and “The Top Secret Chuckipedia Interactive Experience.” Zooey Deschanel may be TV’s flavor of the month, but older sister, Emily, maintains a steady pace as forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan in “Bones.” The sixth-season Blu-ray package covers a lot of ground as the Jefferson Institute team faces a murderous Chupacabra, takes a trip to the Jersey Shore, confronts the Gravedigger and discovers a line to Booth’s past through a vigilante sniper. The Blu-ray set includes commentary on “The Doctor in the Photo” and “The Blackout in the Blizzard”; a pair of extended episodes; a gag reel; a piece on the show’s visual effects; and the pilot episode of “The Killing.” Five-time Emmy Award-winner Doris Roberts returns to the Hallmark Channel as Mrs. “Miracle” Merkle. One of many beloved characters created by romance novelist Debbie Macomber, Mrs. Merkle last was seen wrangling a set of wild twin boys for a recent widower and making love matches. This time around, in “Call Me Mrs. Miracle,” she’s working at a department store owned by a Scrooge-like widower. His son is in charge of the toy department. It is his decision not to stock the season’s hottest toy, choosing instead to promote classics and items that require a bit more imagination. It’s not exactly a winning proposition. Once again, Mrs. Miracle is required spread seasonal cheer over people separated from loved ones, and match compatible friends. Like many other Hallmark productions, this one often feels like a holiday card that’s somehow come to life. – Gary Dretzka The Lion King: Diamond Edition: Blu-ray/Digital Copy/DVD/3D Disneynature: African Cats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo After 17 years in circulation, one way or another, it would be reasonable to think that the only people who would be interested in shelling out even more hard-earned money to see “The Lion King,” would be those viewers who collect their favorites in every conceivable format or whose kids finally are old enough sit through a 90-minute. But, there’s no stopping this animated juggernaut. “Lion King” is that rare creature that attracts new and repeat audiences wherever it’s playing and whenever it’s re-released into theaters, on stage and in video, DVD, Blu-ray and now 3D. Its current theatrical re-release has found “Lion King” at or near the top of the box-office heap for the past three weekends, passing the $400-million milestone in domestic revenue alone on Sunday. If the animated treasure hasn’t reached No. 1 on the video charts by the time one reads this review, it soon will. I don’t own a Blu-ray 3D player, but everything I’ve been able to experience in the Diamond Edition tells me it’s damn near perfect. This time around, repeat viewers might want to experiment with the picture-in-picture experience and focus on specific cinematic attributes, instead of merely sitting back and enjoying the story. That much hasn’t changed, after all. Concentrate on the wildebeest stampede, for example. It took three years to complete and sounds as if the techies were able to capture thunder in a bottle. Look for the hidden messages in the stars, smoke and dust clouds. Study the raw sexuality in the adult Nala’s eyes, when she recognizes the grown-up Simba. Check out the similarities to “Hamlet,” “Bambi,” Egyptian mythology and the Bible. Then, sample the bonus features, which include commentary with producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff; the sing-along track; and Disney Second Screen, which syncs the movie with interactive and informational content, via a downloadable app. Other HD extras include a pair of making-of featurettes, deleted and alternate scenes, bloopers and outtakes, an interactive art gallery and “The Morning Report,” which brings a song written for the stage to animated life. The “Virtual Vault” holds much previously released supplemental content. A second disc adds the DVD copy, as well as background featurettes, animated games and two navigational platforms. It isn’t necessary for DVD owners to buy the all-inclusive Blu-ray, 3D and Digital version of the Diamond Edition. Anyone considering purchasing a 3D platform for the holidays probably would do well to pick up the combo now, instead of later, though. While you’re at it, pick up a Blu-ray copy of “African Cats.” Know this, however, ahead of time. Like “Lion King,” Disney’s perfectly complementary documentary, “African Cats,” scored a “G” from the MPAA ratings board. I think some parents might find that rating to be a tad generous … a break cut for Disney that other distributers don’t necessarily get. It’s nothing new. When “Bambi” was re-released in theaters, in the 1970s, it received a G, as did all of the classic animated features with nasty old witches, wicked stepmothers, comatose princesses, prosthetic-wearing pirates and cursed donkey boys. If “Old Yeller” had been re-released, as well, it would likely have gotten a “G,” despite the title character’s untimely demise, due to rabies and bullets. (For some boys, that scene was more upsetting than anything in “Bambi.”) If any other studio, besides Disney, had made and released these movies, there’s a very good chance that three of them, at least, would have went out “PG.” Don’t get me wrong, I consider the vast majority of all movies that wave the Walt Disney banner – as opposed to its Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures labels and, until last year, Miramax – to be genuinely family friendly. The fact is, though, just as the NC-17 rating has been misinterpreted by exhibitors, media outlets and pundits, so, too, is the hair’s-breadth difference between “G” and “PG.” If the MPAA doesn’t expect exhibitors and their landlords to ban NC-17 titles, strictly based on financial factors, then it should be honest about the commercial benefits of going out “G,” instead of the similarly harmless “PG.” I only mention this because, while the words to “Circle of Life” may sound terrific on a soundtrack album, the facts of life as they play out in the wild aren’t always so pretty. Add dynamic sound effects to images of animals dying, being separated from a parent or threatened by menacing predators and a child’s learning experience can instantly turn into a waking nightmare. Some, if not all children need parental guidance to interpret what they’re seeing on the big or small screen, and, for that to happen, an adult or older sibling must be within spitting distance of the impressionable viewer. Such, I think, is the case with “Lion King” and “African Cats,” both of which contain images from the dark side of the circle of life. That said, however, I have no trouble encouraging parents to plan a double-feature of “African Cats” and “Lion King,” with refreshments, trailers and a sing-along feature to complete the party. Today’s home-theater systems are perfectly capable of reproducing the megaplex experience – even 3D — and bathroom breaks merely require a pause button. As is typical in Disney’s long history of nature documentaries, the lions and cheetahs in “African Cats” are given names and implied personality traits. It’s an entry point discouraged by most other documentarians, as the conceit allows a palpable degree of subjectively to creep into the narrative. Certainly, it’s easier to take sides in a naturally occurring standoff between a lion and crocodile if one knows the name of the pride’s guardian, Fang, and his oldest concubine, Layla. If we feel little pity for the gazelle run down by a cheetah named Sila, it’s because we’ve already met her hungry, sightless and impossibly cute cubs and her prey is anonymous. Even narrator Samuel L. Jackson is pulling for Fang, Layla and Sila. I’m not sure which of the two movies I would choose to open my fantasy double-feature. The stories parallel each other, right down to the wildebeest stampedes, threatening storms and majestic vistas. A confrontation between Sila and a potential young-buck rival to Fang is, at once, fascinating, exhilarating and exciting to witness. When Jackson tells us that hyenas have carried away two of Sila’s cubs, while she was fending off the upstart lion, I found it difficult to keep tears from welling in my eyes. The filmmakers dial up the drama, as well, when the seriously wounded and elderly Layla is shunned by the pride’s other lionesses, along with her still-needy “daughter,” Mara. Hey, it’s a jungle out there. Documentary directors Alastair Fothergill (“Planet Earth”) and Keith Scholey (“Nova,” “Nature”), along with cinematographers Sophie Darlington and Simon Werry, do a masterful job capturing both the drama and banality of everyday life in Kenya’s Maasi Mara National Reserve. Their hi-def equipment keeps everything in extreme focus, whether it’s Fangs blood-soaked whiskers, a mid-range chase between rival cats or a distant mountain. The soundtrack neatly captures the regal power of the lions’ roars, without diminishing any of Fang’s post-meal grunts or Sila’s delicate chirps, as she futilely attempts to reconnect with her lost cubs. The poignancy of her despair is heart-breaking. Repeat viewers will want to experiment with “Filmmaker Annotations,” an interactive picture-in-picture experience in which the filmmakers share their memories of the shoot, and access is provided to deleted scenes, pop-up trivia, factoids and making-of material. Much shorter pieces describe conservation and fund-raising efforts, and there’s a Jordin Sparks music video. – Gary Dretzka White Wash Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story For nearly 50 years, surfers have been portrayed as being universally white and almost always blond, with tattoos and wetsuits optional. If it weren’t Annette Funicello and the half-dozen or so actresses who played Gidget, the media might not have known that women surfed, too. Now, of course, they compete on an international circuit of their own and Hollywood has stopped portraying them as weak sisters and “surfer girls.” If women athletes no longer are strangers to the sports pages, nightly news wrap-ups and movies, the presence of blacks in niche sports – surfing including — continues to be underreported. Ted Woods’ enlightening documentary, “White Wash,” somewhat rectifies that situation. Lest one forget, the surfers who greeted Captain James Cook, when he became the first European explorer to visit the Hawaiian Island, were Polynesians of color. Native Hawaiian George Freeth, several princes and a duke, Kahanamoku, would introduce the sport to California and Australia, and, a half-century later, the Beach Boys would sell a more Aryan myth to the world. In “White Wash,” we learn that African-Americans not only have enjoyed surfing our breaks for as long as “beach culture” has been recognized, but some have also excelled at the sport. Not many, to be sure, but enough to suggest that there might have been more, if social, cultural and racial factors hadn’t intervened. The most prominent barrier, not surprisingly, was segregation. Just as black historically were barred from swimming in pools designated whites-only, the best beaches also were made off-limits to them, and not only in the South. With few pools and beaches open to them, it was almost impossible for them to learn how to swim well enough to test the big surf and razor-sharp coral below them. It’s also true that beach culture was so closely identified with young whites that black surfers were ridiculed by members of their own race. In turn, companies that exploited the beach phenomenon saw no point in marketing to such a limit customer base. Were these people racist, per se, or is green truly the only color that motivates Madison Avenue. Hardly anyone markets to white surfers, either. It’s telling, perhaps, that “White Wash” is hosted by musicians Ben Harper and Tariq5 “Black Thought” Trotter, both of whom have had to overcome being pigeon-holed by critics, labels and record-buyers. Raymond Gayle’s 2005 documentary, “Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker,” makes many of the same points as Woods does in “White Wash.” Selling the accoutrements of beach culture to women has never been a problem for the Don Drapers of the world, but it took teenage Kathy “Gidget” Kohner to sell surfing to women. As “Accidental Icon” demonstrates, only a girl with an overabundance of chutzpah could have done it. The guys who surfed Malibu in 1956 — Kahuna, Moondoggie and Tubesteak, among them – adopted the brash kid, who literally demanded to be taught surfing. Her nickname came naturally: “girl” plus “midget” equaled “Gidget.” Kohner kept a diary, which, when it was discovered by her screenwriter father, was turned into a best-selling book. It would inspire a half-dozen movies and a pair of TV series. A half-century later, petite teenage girls who catch the surfing bug still wear the nickname with pride. Brian Gillogly’s “Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story” is informed by the lively recollections of Kohner, survivors of the 1950s’ Malibu crowd, several pro surfers, actors Gregory Harrison (“North Shore”), Cliff Robertson (Big Kahuna, in “Gidget”), James Darren (Moondoggie in “Gidget,” “Gidget Goes Hawaiian,” “Gidget Goes to Rome”) and Caryn Richman (“Gidget’s Summer Reunion,” “The New Gidget”). Neither documentary would score well in a contest based solely on style points, but both shine a bright light on a niche pursuit that still says a lot about the way some of us were, 50 years ago. – Gary Dretzka Submarine: Blu-ray Knowing that writer/director Richard Ayoade acted in and wrote such offbeat British entertainments as “The IT Crowd,” “Benny and the Bull,” “The Mighty Boosh” and “Snuff Box” should give those unfamiliar with “Submarine” a reason to take a chance on it. Even the coming-of-sexual-age theme has nearly been beaten to death, “Submarine” still manages to feel completely fresh and non-generic. For one thing, it wastes little time dispensing with all the usual mystery, trauma and exhilaration associated with a teenager’s loss of virginity. Sure, the once-in-a-lifetime event floats like a puffy white cloud over the rest of the movie, but it doesn’t overshadow Ayoade’s broader target, which is the inability of adults to cope with the vagaries of their own sexuality. “Submarine” is set in Wales, a corner of the United Kingdom that time and fashion appear to have forgotten. Judging from the hairstyles and clothes favored by the grownups, the events depicted in the movie could have occurred 40 years ago or yesterday. The teen characters look a bit more au courant, but it’s tough to pin them down to a precise decade. In any case, it doesn’t much matter. At 15, Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) spends an inordinate amount of time daydreaming about love, death and other weighty subjects. He’s smart enough to do well at school, but too insecure to ignore the sexual braggadocio and stupid advice of his male friends. It causes him to rush into a sexual relationship with the first girl (Yasmin Paige) who makes him feels as if he’s not alone in the world. For her part, Jordana Bevan treats the relinquishment of her own virginity as a welcome diversion from the serious illnesses afflicting her mother and pet dog. Their romance is interrupted by Oliver’s obsession with saving his parents’ emotionally stunted marriage and Jordan’s desire to spend as much time with her mother as possible. A teenager as fixated with sex as Oliver would have to be deaf and blind not to notice the fissure growing between his parents, Lloyd and Jill (Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins). By his calculations, they haven’t had sex for seven months and a new neighbor has captured her fancy. As played by Paddy Considine, the mullet-haired newcomer, Graham, is something of a New Age snake-oil salesman. By comparison to Lloyd – an extremely boring and socially inept marine biologist – Graham might as well be Bruce Springsteen. Apparently, Jill has some previous history with Graham and Oliver fears his father simply can’t compete with the flashy interloper. Although Oliver’s desperate attempt to save their marriage, by revealing Graham as a charlatan, backfires – he’s too young to understand how sexual ennui and depression can be mistaken for irreconcilable differences — things eventually work out fine for everyone involved. If that sounds to you like a spoiler, know that real fun here comes in watching some of Britain’s finest actors at work and marveling at Ayoade’s ability to keep pulling rabbits out of his hat. The scenery isn’t bad, either. The Blu-ray comes with a decent making-of featurette. “Submarine” was executive-produced by Ben Stiller, among several others, and features original songs by Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. – Gary Dretzka Fast Five: Blu-ray Watching the intricately choreographed race sequences in “Fast Five,” I wondered how all the expensive vehicles could maintain their high-gloss shine and avoid being trashed, even after being pushed off trains and careening through the streets and teeming favelas of Rio de Janeiro. I can’t drive two blocks without needing a car wash or hit a curb without flattening a tire. Even after watching the featurette that explains how the stunt coordinators pulled off the scene in which three expensive automobiles are stolen from a moving train, I couldn’t understand how it was accomplished. Leaving a theater bewitched, bothered and bewildered by what you’ve just witnessed is what Hollywood moviemaking is all about, though. No matter how much money is budgeted for stunts and special effects, few movies these days leave any impression at all. Upwards of $125 million reportedly were spent to make “Fast Five” and every penny of it can be found on the screen. This isn’t to say the fourth sequel to the 2001 “The Fast and the Furious” – whose title, at least, came from a 1955 Roger Corman production – is anything more substantial than a very well made and hugely expensive genre picture. As heist pictures go, however, “Fast Five” is several times more entertaining than the most recent “Ocean’s …” pictures, which it resembles in several unmistakable ways. In it, Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto escapes police custody with the assistance of characters introduced in previous “TF&TF” installments. They include Paul Walker’s former federal agent Brian O’Conner and his girlfriend, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), who’s also Dom’s sister. To escape federal prosecution and extradition, they split for Rio de Janeiro. After robbing the train of three hot sports cars, they discover that they are in possession of something of great value to American agents, led by Dwayne Johnson, and a Brazilian crime kingpin. It’s a computer chip listing the locations of drug houses and bank accounts belonging to the well-connected mobster. The cache amounts to $100 million, which is a juicy enough sum to lure the old gang to Brazil and exploit their individual skills to crack an impenetrable safe at police headquarters, which is where the money now is being stashed. The rest of the movie is dominated by one long chase, interrupted by loud gun fights, brief strategizing sessions and chaotic fist fights. It’s all a lot of fun, with a high body count and a mountain of destroyed automobiles. The bonus supplements are unusually plentiful, with interesting making-of featurettes and character studies; the theatrical release and slightly longer extended cut; second-screen interactive viewing; a U-Control picture-in-picture track and scene explorer; and several other backgrounders. – Gary Dretzka The High Cost of Living It isn’t unusual for someone who’s committed a crime or caused someone physical harm to think he can ease his conscience by approaching the victim and apologizing in person. If things work out, the victim will accept his apology and agree that the act was an aberration. If they don’t, such a confrontation could add to victim’s pain or a good ass-kicking from her dad or brothers. Some perpetrators delude themselves further, by thinking romance could make both parties whole, again. More or less, that’s what happens in Deborah Chow’s debut feature, “The High Cost of Living,” a drama in which none of the characters acts in ways normal people do. In it, Zach Braff plays a fashionably scruffy American deal dealer, Henry, who feels right at home among the French-speaking yuppies of Montreal. While responding to a call from a desperate customer, Henry turns the wrong way into a one-way street and hits a young woman hailing a cab. The woman, Nathalie (Isabelle Blais), is entering the third trimester of her pregnancy and is experiencing pains that resemble premature labor. Her inconsiderate, if dreamy-looking husband has been spending as little time as possible with her and isn’t available to drive her to the hospital. Henry’s first thought was to avoid being busted for the drugs in the car, so he merely heads for the nearest pay phone, calls paramedics and splits. The next day, Nathalie learns that, while she’s only suffered a concussion, the baby will have to be delivered stillborn. She’s devastated by the news but her husband treats it as if it’s just another pothole in the road of life. It’s agreed that Nathalie will have to undergo an induced pregnancy, but she balks at the last minute. Indeed, she hadn’t even taken off the blouse she was wearing at the time of the accident. The thought of eliminating any evidence she was pregnant paralyzes her. It’s at this point that Henry re-enters the picture. To learn her name and condition, he pays a teenager to make inquiries. Once that’s accomplished, Henry puts himself in a position to observe her movements and, perhaps, cross paths. As Nathalie’s relationship with her husband collapses, Henry’s in the perfect place to make contact. Instead of immediately revealing the truth, he allows himself to become her unwitting friend and confidante. Meanwhile, the police have come to the conclusion that the teenage boy is the hit-and-run driver. The possibility that his young friend might end up taking the fall for him concerns Henry, but not to the point where he’ll admit his guilt either to the police or Nathalie. Finally, of course, the truth can be hidden from the still-fragile young woman no longer and, once again, her heart is broken. Like any yuppie worth his sea salt, Henry fills as badly for himself as he does for Nathalie, the dead baby and a customer he’s just learned has OD’d and is fighting for her life. Chow is too inexperienced a director to keep “High Cost of Living” from becoming maudlin and emotionally unrealistic. I don’t know how drug dealers dress these days, but Braff is reasonably believable as someone who makes his living meeting requests for strictly regulated prescription pills. Blais is mostly asked to look blank, which she does pretty well. The only extra is a perfunctory interview with Zach Braff. – Gary Dretzka Buck Wild Horse Hank At first glance, “Buck” looks as if it might be just another documentary about an aw-shucks cowpoke, who through the sheer force of cross-species charisma, is able to make horses do things they might not otherwise do voluntarily. A dozen years ago, Buck Brannaman served as the equine adviser on “The Horse Whisperer,” impressing Robert Redford with his ability to get his horses to perform stunts the specially trained Hollywood nags needed weeks to rehearse. Soft-spoken, but as tough as they come, Brannaman’s story was a movie waiting to be made. “Buck” is it. I can’t imagine any Hollywood portrait coming out any better. First-time documentarian Cindy Meehl knocked around the country with Brannaman, from North Carolina to California, as he conducted seminars in front of serious horse enthusiasts, who, ostensibly, want to do something more than visit their oversized pets on the weekend. Here, Brannaman demonstrates such things as humanely breaking and training a colt, and teaching the owners how convince their horses that good behavior isn’t a virtue limited to humans. Not surprisingly, Buck is as patient with his students as he is with their animals. When need be, he can also be stern, laid back and humorous in equal measure. New, I enjoy watching horses perform as much as the next guy, especially if the next guy is standing next to me at Santa Anita. I’m less keen on watching them being trained, even if they’re responding to whispers, instead of whips and spurs. What’s wonderful about “Buck” is witnessing the similarities between horses and humans, and how Brannaman’s wisdom applies equally to both. As a boy, Buck and his brother were raised by an alcoholic father who put together an act that included rope tricks. If they didn’t do well and, sometimes, even when they did, the boys would get whipped by their dad. Placed in a foster home after a gym coach reported the welts on his body to police, Buck found refuge in the home of a couple who understood that country ways didn’t preclude treating a stray with respect and love. His real break came when he reluctantly agreed to attend a clinic staged by Ray Hunt, a founder of the natural-horsemanship movement. In some ways, what Hunt was doing with horses, Buck’s foster parents were doing with him. He became a disciple of the natural method and continues to teach the discipline, today. In “Buck,” Meehl also introduces us to Brannaman’s family and the rigors of living on the road for such a large portion of the year. Not surprisingly, perhaps, quite a bit of time is spent sitting around a cooler, swapping stories, showing off rope tricks and relaxing in the cool country air. The film’s most compelling scene is also its saddest. A young woman brings an unruly colt to the clinic, hoping Buck can find a way to mellow him out. Having survived a physically traumatic birth, the butter-hued colt has been a menace to himself and anyone who tries to tame him. Just when it looks as Buck may have gotten a handle on its misbehavior, the colt freaks out and nearly kills an experienced hand. Brannaman reluctantly agrees that the animal can’t be rescued and probably should be put down. Before giving up, however, Buck makes sure everyone at the clinic – including the owner – understands that the colt was being asked to do impossible things, given its condition. By not understanding its limits, the owner was effectively sealing the horse’s doom. After asking the owner a few more questions about her herd and stable, Buck revealed a psychological need in the woman that might have led to the core problem. Needless to say, Buck saw a whole lot of himself in that colt. The DVD adds a bunch of deleted scenes and commentary. In 1979, the post-“Exorcist” Linda Blair starred alongside Richard Crenna in the contemporary family western, “Wild Horse Hank.” In it, Blair plays the title character, a college student who tries to save a herd of wild horses from being rounded up and sold for dog food by poachers. Hank devises a plan to round up the horses and escort them to federal land 150 rugged miles away from home. (That strategy might have worked 30-some years ago, but, today, the federal government would be in cahoots with the hoodlums attempting to exact blood money for the horses.) “Wild Horse Hank” was adapted from a novel by Mel Ellis. Shot in Alberta, Canada, it’s been difficult to find in video. Pair it with “Buck” and aspiring horsemen and horsewomen will find plenty to enjoy on a rainy weekend afternoon. – Gary Dretzka Nostalgia for the Light In Chile’s Atacama Desert, rain is more rumor than fact. At 10,000 feet above sea level, it is the driest place on Earth. Evidence of past aquatic and human life is everywhere, but it’s limited to fossils, shells and pictographs carved into the rocky cliffs. From the desert’s heights, an international team of astronomers studies the solar system, frequently capturing images of stars being born, dying and coming together in ways that seem to carry God’s own fingerprints. Nearby, in the desert, Satan’s handiwork lies inches below the Earth’s surface. The absence of humidity and harsh sunlight have conspired to limit the deterioration of bodies, be they the mummified remains of pre-Columbian inhabitants, the skeletons of explorers and miners, or the bodies of political prisoners who were murdered by police and soldiers in the wake of the U.S.-backed military coup, in 1973. The perforated and fractured skulls of anonymous students, activists and intellectuals reveal the cause of their deaths, if not the reasons why they were deemed too dangerous to be allowed to live. The affects of torture are evident on some decomposed bodies. While the astronomers go about their daily business, scanning the skies, the mothers, sisters and wives of “disappeared” activists sift the earth for evidence that their loved ones are buried there or if they existed at all. The discovery of mass graves keeps Chileans from forgetting what happened to their neighbors, associates and loved ones, who simply disappeared after right-wing militarists ousted Salvatore Allende, the first freely elected Marxist to become president of a Latin American nation. Patricio Guzman has spent the better part of the last 40 years producing documentaries about Chile, before, during and after Allende presidency. In the face of political leaders who’ve asked citizens to put behind them the hellish events perpetrated during the Pinochet regime, Guzman has continually stood with mothers of the “disappeared” to ensure no one does. Even it’s impossible not to come to the same conclusions as those made in his previous docs, “Nostalgia for the Night” is far from being a rehash of old atrocities or a polemic. As poetic as it is informative, Guzman’s film tells several interesting stories simultaneously. First, we learn about the geological history of the remote Atacama Desert, where, last year, 33 miners were rescued after 69 days of being trapped 2,300 feet below ground. As we near the telescopes, we see the remains of concentration camps that housed political prisoners and labor leaders who were more fortunate than the already dead students, who were buried in the same desert or at sea. Inside the scientific encampments, we meet the men and women who are photographing the heavens, in search of evidence of its creation and clues to man’s origins. In Blu-ray, those images are spectacular. Finally, a visit to the mass graves forces us to address the persistence of memory and why it’s important not to forget the past. The bountiful bonus package adds several featurettes that are more tightly focused on the individual political and scientific aspects of the documentary. The scientists get to expound on their discoveries and theories, while academics, politicians, relatives of the “disappeared” and survivors of torture discuss the importance of moving forward from the junta nightmare, without forgetting what happened. Among the more interesting speakers is a military official, old enough to remember taking orders from the leaders of the coup and police actions. His point of view is one not often registered in a country too ashamed of its past to try to learn from it. – Gary Dretzka Dust Stack enough tiny things on top of each other and eventually you’ll have a whole lot of something. That’s approximately half of the argument made in Harmtmut Bitomsky’s diverting documentary, “Dust.” The other half posits that dust, even at its least-visible manifestation, is so formidable a substance it can trigger devastating diseases and contribute to the creation of astonishingly beautiful things. Like the proverbial hot dog, though, the more closely one examines how dust is created, the less appetizing is the result. It can derive from something as simple as lint or flaking skin. Or it can be the detritus of things far less common and innocent. Without dwelling on the subject to the point of morbidity, Bitomsky reveals how dust still buried in nooks and crannies of buildings and subway tunnels of lower Manhattan — where the World Trade Center once stood — is composed, among other things, of construction debris, toxic garbage and human remains. Soldiers returning from our wars in Iraq have brought home with them minute particles of the depleted uranium used to make armor plating and armor-piercing projectiles. The photos of deformed fetuses, possibly the result of exposure to such poisonous dust, are not for the faint of heart. “Dust,” however, doesn’t dwell on the dark side of dust. Indeed, the larger portion of it has fun with the impossible task of eliminating dust at home, work and play. Here, we watch fastidious German homemakers as they rid surfaces of a week’s worth of dust, but fail to conquer the particles trapped inside their televisions and other appliances. A janitor at a paint-making facility tries to sweep red particles onto a dustpan, always leaving a few visible on the floor. It also visits a plant where dust-cleansing machines are manufactured, thus perpetuating the myth that such a thing is even possible. The narrator delivers this news in a dry, matter-of-fact voice. The facts, after all, speak for themselves. Dust can devour entire cities, as happened in America’s Dust Bowl, and send its refugees packing for the green grass on the other side of the fence. It can clog essential water-delivery systems, from rivers to faucets. Without dust, the solar system as we know it couldn’t exist, let alone evolve. Hoagy Carmichael wrote “Stardust,” without knowing such a thing even existed. The documentary doesn’t demand that we take action against the proliferation of dust, even though it’s probably a good idea to sweep the kitchen floor every so often. Neither does it promote a “green” agenda, per se. Anyone who doubts air pollution can be reduced, without devastating the local economy, need only compare photographs of Los Angeles from the 1950s to 2011 to see how regulations have worked to reduce smog. Informative and accessible, “Dust” is the kind of documentary that could be shown to high school science classes and not raise clouds of dissent from conservative parents or Tea Party activists. – Gary Dretzka Soapdish Although “Soapdish” isn’t often mentioned in the same breath as the genre parodies produced by Mel Brooks, the Wayans Brothers and the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker comedy factory, it should be. I’ve watched it several times and still find new things to enjoy. Not only do director Michael Hoffman and writers Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman send up the conventions, clichés and stereotypes of the networks’ afternoon soap operas – at a time, 1991, when there were several more such shows – but it also savages television executives, in general. Mostly, it has fun playing the actor against type, in roles that can only be described as outrageous. It would take a whole day to explain all of the plot twists, but it basically describes how far some actors, writers and executive-producers will go to sabotage the careers of their enemies and improve the odds for their own success. Sally Field stars as a soap-opera diva, Celeste Talbert, so unpopular with her co-workers that they conspire to get her killed off the show. When that proves difficult, they import a hated former boyfriend, Jeffrey Anderson (Kevin Kline), who’s spent the last 20 years playing dinner theaters in Florida. Arriving in New York at about the same time is pretty ingénue Lori Craven (Elizabeth Shue), who’s grown up believing she’s Fields’ niece. In fact, the relationship is a bit more complicated, as becomes clear when Fields thinks Kline is hitting on the girl and the “All About Eve” subplot kicks in. Meanwhile, Cathy Moriarty’s Montana Moorehead (a.k.a., Nurse Nan) exchanges sexual favors for better parts with the director, played by Robert Downey Jr. Also appearing in key roles are Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Garry Marshall, Kathy Najima, Leeza Gibbons, John Tesh, Carrie Fisher, Costas Mandylor and Ben Stein. I’m not sure what, if anything is different in this DVD edition from previous ones, except for new cover art and a sticker marking the movie’s 20th anniversary. There’s also a making-of featurette. – Gary Dretzka Scream 4: Blu-ray Elvira’s Haunted Hills It isn’t often that a movie franchise is able to retain its director, writer, composer, DP and several of its stars over the course of four chapters and 15 years. The law of diminishing returns, alone, is sufficient cause for most of the original cast and crew to jump ship and find something else to do. If there’s a demand for another chapter, it makes more sense to hire younger, less expensive talent and release the sequel or prequel straight-to-video. Such is the respect accorded horror-meister Wes Craven that he was able to reunite writer Kevin Williamson, composer Marco Beltrami, cinematographer Peter Deming, voice actor Roger Jackson and stars Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell, for “Scream 4,” while also attracting a dozen or so of today’s brightest young actors. Anxious to be the next generation of pretty young things to be sliced and diced by Ghostface Killer were Lucy Hale, Shenae Grimes, Dane Farwell, Aimee Teegarden, Emma Roberts, Britt Robertson, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Marley Shelton, Rory Culkin, Adam Brody and Anthony Anderson. Ten years after the last attacks, Ghostface has been elevated to cult status by students at Woodsboro High. The re-emergence of the hooded assassin coincides with the return of author Sidney Prescott (Campbell) to the town. Now married, Cox and Arquette’s characters also take the lead in investigating the bloody crimes. The students are more blasé, following the trail of mayhem on their cellphones and streaming video. For viewers, the horror owes more to the Foley artists and sound engineers than anyone else in the production. The vicious knife attacks would be much scarier, if we hadn’t entered the age of torture-porn in the period between No. 3 and No. 4. Now, the brutality is almost comical. Still, Craven and the returnees add a palpable touch of class to the proceedings. The Blu-ray edition adds a making-of featurette, commentary, an alternate opening and ending, 15 deleted scenes and a gag reel. The double entendres in “Elvira’s Haunted Hills” begin with the title and end with … well … they never really end. While on her way to Paris, in 1851, the Mistress of the Dark is hijacked to a Carpathian castle, owned by an evil count who comes to believe she’s the incarnation of his late wife. While ensconced in the castle with her trusty maidservant, ZouZou, Elvira runs afoul of Lord Hellsubus’ current wife and mistress. Against them, Elvira’s feminine wiles prove to be pretty much worthless. If she isn’t rescued by the men she has under her spell, the Mistress of Darkness will be sliced in half, laterally, by a razor-edged pendulum. As the silver blade cleaves the canyon between her mountainous breasts, the title, “Elvira’s Haunted Hills,” is given added meaning. This scene and the few others that work owe everything to our memories of such Vincent Price/Roger Corman/Edgar Allan Poe collaborations as “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “House of Usher” and “Tomb of Ligeia.” These are titles Elvira’s alter ego, Cassandra Peterson, reveres and inform the entire project, which is less parody than homage. She gets solid support from veterans of the Groundlings comedy troupe and other sketch-comedy practitioners. Lord Hellsubus is played by Richard O’Brien, memorable as Riff-Raff in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The DVD includes a making-of featurette, “Transylvania or Bust”; a Richard O’Brien interview; outtakes; a photo gallery; and audio commentary.The cast and crew’s stories about working under primitive conditions in Romania are funnier than most of the gags in the movie, itself. “Elvira’s Haunted Hills” feels more like an extended sketch on SCTV than a fully realized feature. Elvira’s fans should enjoy it, though. – Gary Dretzka Legend of the Millennium Dragon: Blu-ray Gamera: Trilogy: Blu-ray Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris: Blu-ray For the past 300 years, or so, American children of European descent have led a bland spiritual life, compared, at least, with kids whose heritage allowed for more than one god and other mystical lords of creation. The Old Testament is pretty entertaining, but, apart from the occasional serpent, polytheism is pretty much discouraged. Conquistadors made sure Aztecs and Incas bought into the New Testament, while the U.S. Cavalry made the American west safe for stodgy old monotheism. In return, the protectors of the faith were allowed to plunder any gold and land left behind. The recent spate of movies based on mythical and/or paranormal beings – “Thor,” “Clash of the Titans,” “Harry Potter,” “Twilight” – suggests that American kids are looking for heroes and quick fixes to this world’s problems. If someone dared make a movie about a caped and masked Jesus, who stopped terrorists and sexual predators in their tracks, a franchise could be built around his exploits. Watching fantastical DVDs such as “Legend of the Millennium Dragon,” “Gamera” and too many others to count, I’m reminded that Asian, African, Native American and other aboriginal peoples have found answers to life’s most difficult questions in places biblical fundamentalists wouldn’t bother to look, including enchanted forests, great pyramids, the ruins of Atlantis or the ghosts of ancestors. I, for one, would be delighted to pick up a newspaper one morning and learn that a giant fire-breathing turtle, multi-headed dragon or Transformer had wiped out every military command post from North Africa to Kashmir. As it is, the End of Days scenario looks more plausible every day. In the anime, “Legend of the Millennium Dragon,” a restive 15-year-old boy from present-day Japan is spirited 1,200 years back in time to prevent the future from becoming any more twisted than it already is. The boy, Jun, was born with a dragon-shaped birthmark on his chest, suggesting he is a descendent of tribe of warriors from the Heian period. Hairy demons are besieging the kingdom – upon which Kyoto now sits — and the rulers believe Jun can awake the resident sleeping dragon, Orochi, and save their regime. Not being quite what they appear to be, the demons kidnap Jun for the purposes of educating him about the true peaceful nature of his ancestors and the threat the current rulers pose to the health of the planet. A wimp in either millennium, Jun can’t imagine how he might be able to go against the demons or ride a dragon, let alone be anyone’s “savior.” His only experience with violence is destroying monster villains of the video-game variety. Even so, he listens to the arguments of both sets of combatants, before committing himself. “Millennium Dragon” benefits from some splendid animation. The natural backgrounds, temples and forests pop nicely in Blu-ray. As usual, though, the humans are drawn to resemble a generic ideal. By merging all nationalities into one, none stand out as being special … even Jun. The demons and dragons display more personality than the humans. The Blu-ray adds a concept-art gallery. My exposure to Japan’s “Gamera” films is strictly through recent DVD compilations. The cult appeal of the cheeseball monster is obvious, but, having grown up on Godzilla and other mutant monsters, I wasn’t all that impressed with the giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle. The original series hit a wall in the early 1980s, when American special-effects wizards began turning out far more credible creatures. That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised by the “Gamera” trilogy that arrived for my consideration this week. The difference is so telling, we might as well be talking about two different super-turtles. Launched in 1995, the films represent a quantum leap in Japanese special-effects work and story-telling. Instead, of looking like a poor relation to “Godzilla,” the adventures of the greatly misunderstood reptile is given a pedestal of his own on which to stand. The robotics and CGI effects look far more realistic against the green screen and miniature sets, and the human characters appear to be reacting to a real threat, instead of cardboard cutouts. Moreover, the trilogy really sparkles terrific in Blu-ray. After about a 15-year absence, the Heisei Gamera trilogy relaunched with “Guardian of the Universe.” It was followed in short order by “Attack of Legion” and “Revenge of Iris.” The threats to Japan in this series include huge man-eating birds; meteor-borne insects; and a blood-sucking squid-like creature. Gamera comes to Japan’s rescue, but the military continues to doubt its intentions. Fans will want to check out the bonus features, which include making-of featurettes; extended scenes; camera tests; remixes; interviews; and trailers. – Gary Dretzka Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On: Blu-ray The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway Pee-wee’s Big Adventure: Blu-ray Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Blu-ray It takes a very special entertainer to fill the 4,100-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace night after night for months at a time. In their prime, Sinatra, Elvis, Liberace and Michael Jackson probably could have done it. Streisand could, but won’t. Celine Dion and Elton John will continue to alternate months-long stints there, at least through 2012. After a somewhat shaky start, in 2008, Bette Midler kept the turnstiles turning with her trashy-flashy revue, “The Showgirl Must Go On,” for two years. The Colosseum is unique among Vegas venues in that the extremely wide and deep stage tends to gobble up lesser entertainers and make them disappear, at least from the top-level seats. Midler’s been a larger-than-life performer, ever since the early 1970s, when she began performing at New York’s Continental Baths, accompanied by Barry Manilow. A year later, during her tour in “Tommy,” she would make the first of many appearances on “The Tonight Show.” At Caesars, she was joined on stage by a 13-piece band; her backup singers, the Harlettes; and 16 dancers, the Caesar Salad Girls. Her costume changes, alone, were worth at least a portion of the steep ticket price. Unlike most such Vegas extravaganzas, Midler’s flight of fancy is available now on Blu-ray. The brisk 70-minute show includes such songs “The Rose,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “From a Distance,” “Hello in There,” “Friends” and “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Pee-wee Herman’s stage presence may not be quite as dynamic as Midler’s, but he’s every bit as unique a performer. The evidence can be seen in this recording of his Broadway show, which first aired in a 90-minute HBO special. Ever since Pee-wee’s alter ego, Paul Reubens was busted in a Florida movie theater for lewd behavior, he’s has been struggling to convince promoters and studio executives that he’s not a dangerous sex fiend and millions of fans still love him. Over-cautious casting directors, however, choose instead to ignore the fact that Pee-wee appealed as much to adults as kids, and kept him in professional limbo for most of the last 20 years. After appearing in several out-of-character roles in high profile movies and TV shows, Reubens reinvented “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” for the stage. It was an immediate success. The show revolves loosely around Pee-wee’s longtime desire to fly. It boasts 11 actors, 20 puppets, original songs and the same kooky attitude that enchanted a generation of now-middle-age adults. The vibrant colors of the set furniture, costumes and wigs are a natural fit for the Blu-ray format. It also includes commentary. In 1985, Reubens and aspiring filmmaker Tim Burton collaborated on the delightful feature-length “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” In it, Our Hero sets off on a wild cross-country journey, in search of his stolen bicycle. As strange as it is to watch an adult obsess over something only a kid could take that seriously, it’s just as weird to observe the pre-pubescent character pretending to be a grown-up when the occasional rose. Many of the signature touches that would come to characterize Burton’s work are already on display in “Big Adventure,” although it isn’t easy to tell exactly if they originated with Reubens or Burton. Some of the fun here comes in recognizing Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, James Brolin, Tony Bill, Dee Snider, Milton Berle and Elizabeth Daly. The Blu-ray bonus package includes commentary by Reubens and Burton, additional scenes, sketches and storyboards, and a music-only track with Danny Elfman. Pee-wee’s character has been so consistent and recognizable – going on 30 years, now – that it isn’t hard to believe he would have fit well alongside such silent greats as Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd and Fatty Arbuckle, whose popularity demanded they never stray very far from the character that paid the bills. Twenty years later, Burton and Elfman would re-team on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The darkish fantasy was adapted, if quite differently from the same Roald Dahl novel as “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Reportedly, Dahl was so unhappy with that production that he refused to listen to overtures for a sequel and put strict limits on who could remake it. That Burton would choose Johnny Depp to portray the chocolate magnate came as no surprise to anyone familiar with their collaborative history. Depp’s interpretation, however, drew unfavorable comparisons to Michael Jackson, who was at the height of his legal troubles at the time. It might have cut into revenues a bit, but the darker adaptation found an appreciative audience here and in international markets. The wildly imaginative and brilliantly colorful chocolate factory stands in sharp contrast to the Dickensian look of Charlie Bucket’s neighborhood, and demands a second screening just to absorb all of its cavity-inducing pleasures. Among the many visual effects is the digital multiplication of actor Deep Roy into dozens of Oompa-Loompas. The Blu-ray captures all of it marvelously, adding a dozen bonus features, including “Attack of the Squirrels,” “The Fantastic Mr. Dahl,” pre-visualizations, commentary and a separate music track. – Gary Dretzka Up From Slavery Slavery in the American South represented one of the greatest disconnects in the history of mankind. Even as our young democracy held itself up as an example for all nations to follow, millions of forcibly transplanted Africans were required to work in the fields of plantation owners who probably had the family bible on display in their libraries. The myth held that farmers couldn’t sustain themselves if it weren’t for unpaid laborers, and, by extension, the agricultural South would fall behind the industrial North as commercial force. The same excuses that weren’t true in the 1800s, however, are being used today when manufacturers close factories in the U.S. and move their operations to countries that condone near-slave-labor conditions. Even the greatest political, religious and military leaders of the nascent United States – South and North — couldn’t bring themselves to equate the tyranny of British monarchs to the inherent evil of slavery. As the country matured, the case for the abolition of slavery was adopted by many powerful voices in the North and, of course, the impasse led to a devastating Civil War. Among other concerns, working people feared that a Confederate victory could mean slavery would be adopted by northern industrialists. Today, 150 years after the first gun was fired, it’s difficult to understand how God-fearing men and women could defend slavery, even in the face of temporary economic doldrums. The seven-part “Up From Slavery” chronicles the history of slavery in America, from the arrival of African slaves at Jamestown in 1619, to the Civil War and ratification of the 15th Amendment, which guaranteed the right to vote to all citizens. It would be replaced by Jim Crow racism, the Klan and poll taxes, of course, but it represented a fresh start. The mini-series is informed by historical re-enactments, archival photographs and documents, interviews with scholars and historians, and the reading of first-hand accounts. – Gary Dretzka The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season: Special Edition George: A Zombie Intervention This being the Golden Age of zombie movies and all, I think it’s fair to wonder if undead audiences rent horror movies when they’re at home or watch “Seinfeld” re-runs, like everyone else. I can’t recall a week in which a new zombie-vampire screener hasn’t arrived in the mail. Most are tedious, while the rest are divided between surprisingly good and downright unwatchable. Only occasionally does something that elevates the horror genre make its presence known. This week’s special something is the deluxe first-season Blu-ray edition of “The Walking Dead.” Produced by Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) and Gale Anne Hurd (“Aliens”) and based on the graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, the limited-run series successfully filled a gaping hole on the AMC schedule left by smash successes “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” and weak sisters – ratings-wise, anyway — “The Prisoner” and “Rubicon.” Zombies? Who knew? Like several other post-apocalyptic dramas released lately, “Walking Dead” follows a sheriff’s deputy, who wakes from a coma to find his wife and son missing and the world in a state of collapse. After tracing his family to Atlanta, he joins a band of Atlanta-based survivors, willing to help him find his wife and son. What separates the wheat from the chaff here is the producers’ ability to spread the violence, gore and mayhem over six episodes, instead of two hours, thus allowing room for the drama and suspense to evolve naturally. The writing is excellent and performances inspired. A first-season DVD and Blu-ray were released last spring, but this special edition is targeted specifically to serious fans and horror geeks. In addition to all six episodes and making-of featurettes, the three-disc, collector’s-tin package adds a black-and-white (a.k.a., noir) version of the pilot; audio commentaries on all six episodes; and new featurettes, “We Are the Walking Dead,”; “Bring Out the Dead: KNB and the Art of Making Zombies,” “Digital Decay: The VFX of ‘The Walking Dead,’” “No More Room in Hell: ‘The Walking Dead’ Phenomenon,” “Adapting ‘The Dead’” and “Killer Conversations: Frank Darabont & Greg Nicotero.” Previously released special features are included, as well. On the other end of spectrum resides “George: A Zombie Intervention” (a.k.a., “George’s Intervention”), a micro-budget genre flick that is sporadically funny, but finally defeated by its lack of resources. George is a zombie whose appetite for flesh has increased to the point of addiction. In an effort to keep George from going off the deep end, his friends arrange an intervention. His recovery is derailed, however, when various guests are killed and put on George’s menu du jour. When he runs out of interventionists to eat, George sates his between-meal urges by noshing on Mormon missionaries and a pair of strippers, who arrive at his door unexpectedly. The funniest moments, by far, come early. The film opens with a government PSA designed to educate children about the origin and nature of zombies. Like the vampires in “True Blood,” they function like most other human beings, unless they become addicted to flesh. In his first feature, writer/director J.T. Seaton demonstrates an ability to do a lot with a little and wring laughs from marginal material. The DVD arrives with commentary, deleted and alternate scenes, and featurette not included in the screener I received. – Gary Dretzka The Honeymooners : Lost Episodes 1951-1957: The Complete Restored Series Bored to Death: The Complete Second Season The League: Season 2 Lie to Me: Season 3 It can be argued that all television sitcoms are rooted in earth tilled in the 1950s by Jackie Gleason and “The Honeymooners.” Despite the fact that it began as a series of sketches on the DuMont Network’s “Cavalcade of Stars” and was shot on set that looked as if it were cobbled together with Salvation Army discards, “The Honeymooners” would become – and remain – one of the funniest shows in the history of television. The characters never rose above their working-class station in life, nor would Ralph Kramden realize any of his pipedreams. The couples fought like real people did everyday in apartment buildings everywhere – loud enough to be heard on the street – but demonstrated on a weekly basis how love is stronger than anger. The so-called “lost episodes” of CBS’ “The Jackie Gleason Show” – actually, sketches within the immensely popular hourlong variety program – were believed to be lost, as they were shot live and never rebroadcast. Decades later, Kinescopes of the episodes were recovered from Gleason’s personal archives. Sixty years later, MPI Home Video and Jackie Gleason Enterprises have combined efforts on this collection, giving the episodes a thorough makeover and adding other vintage material. For those who weren’t even a gleam in the eyes of their grandparents when the shows first aired, Gleason played a Brooklyn bus driver and his best friend, Ed Norton (Art Carney), was a sewer worker … and proud of it. Their wives, Alice (Audrey Meadows) and Trixie (Joyce Randolph), have been universally described as long-suffering women, who stretched limited resources to make ends meet. They were, however, the equal of their spouses in most every way allowed them on the fledgling medium, and stood up to their husband’s rants and antics in ways sitcom wives wouldn’t do for the next 30 or more years. Watching “The Honeymooners” in 2011 shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere exercise in nostalgia. Like “I Love Lucy,” “Burns and Allen,” “The Jack Benny Program” and “The Phil Silvers Show,” “The Honeymooners” remains funnier than 95 percent of the sitcoms that have been produced in the ensuing 60 years of prime-time television. The 15-disc DVD set contains all 107 live episodes; 8 musical episodes; 9 episodes from “Cavalcade of Stars”; 2 radio episodes; interviews with the stars; original introductions, curtain calls and cast commercials; color home movies on the set; a booklet with historical text and photos; original scripts for three missing episodes; and digital restorations. The HBO sitcom “Bored to Death” chronicles the misadventures and missed opportunities of unlicensed P.I. and failed novelist Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) as he plies his trades in the streets, college classrooms and penthouses of New York. During the show’s second season, the storylines of characters played by Jake Galifianakis (an ill-tempered comic-book author) and Ted Danson (a millionaire publisher) are allowed more time to develop, while Ames’ assignments grow increasingly stranger. “Bored to Death” is targeted at hipsters willing to abide with Schwartzman’s deadpan acting and plots that take their own sweet time to develop. This season, Danson’s character is required to deal with cost-cutting initiatives and drug tests at work, as well as a cancer scare; Galifianakis’ Ray fails a yoga test, hits paydirt with a new comic and gets within one-degree of separation of Kevin Bacon; and Ames’ investigations lead him to a S&M dungeon, Asian health spa, Brooklyn ComicCon and an unlucky-in-love limousine driver. The Blu-ray set adds deleted scenes and outtakes, making-of pieces and commentary. FX’s “The League” is a dudes-will-be-dudes comedy set against the backdrop of an annual Fantasy Football competition. The characters, who have known each other since high school, are so obsessed with the childish demands of Fantasy Football that they refuse to let anything – spouses, girlfriends and work included – get between them and a possible league championship. Things get complicated when one of the wives begins to think that filling a vacancy in her husband’s league could be an opportunity to bond. It isn’t. If the sitcom’s core conceit sounds as if it might be driven by testosterone, potential women viewers should know that the male characters are typical yuppie doofuses, who couldn’t tie their shoes without a woman telling them how to do it. (At a Vegas strip club, the guys ignore a nearly naked dancer until she tells them about the bad habits of some of the players. Instead of throwing dollar bills at her, they pay her $200 for a trip to the Champagne Room, where the forgo lap dances and simply compare notes on the upcoming fantasy draft.) Guest appearances are made by NFL stars Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Suggs and Josh Cribbs. The DVD set adds several deleted and extended scenes, as well as other uncensored material. At a time when so many police investigators are blessed – or cursed – with a sixth sense that allows them to read minds, solve crimes using ESP and time-shift, the ability to translate body language wouldn’t seem to be much of a superpower. It was, however, good enough reason for fans and Fox to stay with Fox’s “Lie to Me” for four seasons. The show shut down production last season, despite the estimable presence of Brit actor Tim Roth in the lead role and a supporting cast that includes Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund and Hayley McFarland. The DVD set includes all 13 final-season episodes, deleted scenes and an “In Character” with Roth. – Gary Dretzka Ken Burns: Prohibition; Blu-ray Jacques Pepin: The Essential Pepin American Experience: Houdini Nova: Ancient Marvels: Explorer Collection Best of Antiques RoadshowIn markets underserved by PBS, including Los Angeles, it will come as good news that Ken Burns’ latest documentary project, “Prohibition,” already is available in DVD and Blu-ray. The mini-series, currently airing on many public-broadcasting outlets, exhaustively recalls one of the great failures of American democracy. Burns’ team examines the role played by demon rum and beer throughout the history of the U.S. – even before baseball became a pastime, alcohol was as American as mom, hot dogs and apple pie – and the disparate forces that convinced politicians that banning it was a good idea. As has been made clear in HBO’s complementary “Boardwalk Empire,” the most telling results of Prohibition were the growth of organized crime and widespread flaunting of the Volstead Act by otherwise law-abiding citizens. As is typical of any Burns project, “Prohibition” is as much a cultural portrait of the times as it is a study of a single divisive issue or pastime. The Blu-ray package contains more than two hours of interviews, scenes and studio material not included in the PBS presentation. Along with former collaborator Julia Child, Jacques Pepin was encouraging Americans to cook with and enjoy “good” food, decades before the launch of the Food Network and green-is-groovy craze. His new PBS cooking series, “Essential Pépin,” demystifies the creation of classic gourmet dishes, without ignoring traditional meals that might have come out of grandma’s kitchen. The new DVD is comprised of 26 half-hour episodes, all of which are preceded with an introduction and add step-by-step recipes. Pepin often shares his oven with family members and guest chefs. Few performers in the history of show business enjoyed the popularity and cult-like following of Harry Houdini, a magician whose escape tricks brought him closer to death than he would ever admit. “American Experience: Houdini” documents his rise from circus performer, sideshow attraction and vaudeville, to the grand theater circuit and public challenges before thousands of people. A master contortionist, he invented tricks, escapes and machinery still being performed today. He also dabbled in aviation and film production, and performed a public service by debunking spiritualists. The hourlong program includes commentary with David Copperfield, the Amazing Randi and E.L. Doctorow, who made Houdini a key character in “Ragtime.” It also is informed by much archival film footage and photographs. Also from PBS, “Ancient Marvels” carries viewers to the far ends of the Earth to experience some of man’s greatest architectural achievements. Even today, answers to questions relating to the construction of these wonders remain elusive. The five-disc set DVD set is comprised of “Nova” productions, “Ghosts of Machu Picchu,” “Riddles of the Sphinx,” “Secrets of Stonehenge,” “Secrets of the Parthenon” and “Secrets of Lost Empires II: Easter Island,” with the bonus episode, “China Bridge.” A red, white and blue edition of “Best of Antiques Roadshow” contains episodes “Simply the Best,” “Trash to Treasure” and “Politically Collect.” It’s interesting that the show, which began on the BBC in the ’70s, now has been transplanted in a half-dozen different countries, including the U.S. That may not be comparable to the syndication numbers put up by “Wheel of Fortune,” but it’s not bad for a PBS reality show. – Gary Dretzka Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas I don’t know how to break this to parents who use the Cartoon Network as a video baby-sitter, but if “Adventure Time” had been around in the ’60s, it might have been designated the official TV show of the Haight-Ashbury. Its brilliant color palette, which changes with the drop of a hat, recalls the trippy paintings of Peter Max, while the stories and dialogue are similarly unconventional. The episodes collected in the “My Two Favorite People” DVD follow 12-year-old Finn, as he embarks on ever-more-bizarre adventures in the land of Ooo with his best friend, Jake, a 28-year old dog with magical powers. The names of other featured characters include Princess Bubblegum, Ice King, Peppermint Butler, Lumpy Space Princess, Lady Rainicorn and Marceline the Vampire. What happens to them in each psychotropic episode is the stuff dreams and nightmares are made of. Kids don’t have to be aspiring acid heads to enjoy “Adventure Time,” though, because the stories are wonderfully fanciful, imaginatively drawn and open to myriad interpretations. Parents and grandparents of a certain age, however, may consider saving the disc for later consumption, when the lighting of a joint might enhance the experience. Nickelodeon’s “Merry Christmas” takes this year’s prize for first holiday DVD to be released almost a month before Halloween. Early-bird buyers should know that the 148-minute set is comprised of previously shown Christmas-themed episodes of “Dora the Explorer,” Go, Diego, Go!,” “The Wonder Pets!,” “Blue’s Clues,” “Team Umizoomi” and “Ni Hao, Kai-lan.” – Gary Dretzka Pulp Fiction: Blu-ray Jackie Brown: Blu-ray So much has been written about “Pulp Fiction,” it hardly seems necessary to remind anyone of the plot, which, in any case, defies description. Quentin Tarantino weaves several seemingly unrelated storylines throughout the movie’s 154 minutes, merging them at various points in the narrative and separating them, again, almost arbitrarily. Each story string is thematically compelling, extremely well acted and precisely written. Tarantino took risks, even in the casting, few directors would have attempted. Within two years, dozens of other filmmakers attempted to follow in his footsteps, making him one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. The better ones found ways to take advantage of the freedom accorded by the commercial and critical success of “Pulp Fiction,” while carving new paths of their own. The lesser ones will go to the graves with the label, “Tarantino wanna-be.” So, what’s new here, besides the audio/video upgrade? The Blu-ray edition adds fresh interviews with the cast and a critics’ roundtable to several previous featurettes. In total, the bonus content adds up to six hours. Compared to “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown” feels downright mainstream, which isn’t to say that it isn’t full of surprises of its own. Tarantino could just as easily have taken the source material, Elmore Leonard’s “Rum Punch,” and kept it in Miami, using the same characters and criminal acts. Instead, he transferred the setting to Los Angeles, made several of the key characters black, and changed the sexes of Ordell’s henchmen. In doing so, Tarantino was able to bring the film’s geographical and cultural references closer to his L.A. home; add a soundtrack heavy on classic R&B; and trim some weight from Robert Forster’s jaded bail-bondsman, Max Cherry. His greatest coup, besides reminding us of how talented Forster still is, was deciding early-on to hand the title role to blaxploitation icon Pam Grier and letting her run with it. As far as I can tell, the only new bonus feature in the Blu-ray edition is an extension of the same critics’ roundtable found in “Pulp Fiction.” The pre-packaged material adds another 2½ hours to supplemental material. – Gary Dretzka The Anaheim Angels: 2002 World Series Collector’s Edition Angels Memories: The Greatest Moments in Angels Baseball History Now that the baseball playoffs have begun, millions of fans are being forced to grin and bear their favorite team’s absence, while watching more fortunate teams perform. One way to lessen the pain somewhat is to check out the Major League Baseball website to see if it’s gotten around to recording their team’s glory years, as is the case here with the Angels. The latest installment of the franchise DVD collection includes highlights from the 50-year history of the Anaheim Angels (a.k.a., California Angels and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). Gene Autry founded and owned the team, which originally played its games at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field and, then, the new Dodger Stadium, before moving to its current digs in Anaheim. The 2002 World Series edition follows the exciting post-season saga of the Angels, which became the first American League wild-card team to win the World Series championship. The seven-DVD collection contains every pitch, hit, clutch home run and sterling defensive play in the seven-game series against the San Francisco Giants, as well as guest appearances by Rally Monkey. A special feature allows fans to watch the World Series television broadcast and listen to the play-by-play coverage of Angels Radio Network announcers. “Angels Memories” celebrates all 50 years of the team’s history, with special attention paid to such star players as pitchers Nolan Ryan, Frank Tanana, Mike Witt, Don Sutton, John Lackey and Jered Weaver; hitters Rod Carew, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Reggie Jackson, Garret Anderson and Fred Lynn; and managers Bill Rigney, Gene Mauch, Jim Fregosi and current skipper Mike Scioscia. Many other milestones are represented along the way. – Gary Dretzka	i don't know
What island nation was hit by an earthquake and tsunami disaster in October 2010?	Indonesia Hit By Volcano Eruption, Tsunami, Earthquake - News - The Ledger - Lakeland, FL Indonesia Hit By Volcano Eruption, Tsunami, Earthquake Tuesday Oct 26, 2010 at 8:44 AM The Associated Press MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia \| Indonesia's most volatile volcano started erupting today, after scientists warned that pressure building beneath its dome could trigger the most powerful eruption in years. Up to 20 people were injured by hot ash spewed from Mount Merapi, said an AP reporter who witnessed them being taken away for treatment. The eruption comes the day after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the area, causing a tsunami that killed at least 113 people and left many more missing. Subandriyo, chief vulcanologist in the area, said today's eruption started after the volcano had rumbled and groaned for hours. “There was a thunderous rumble that went on for ages, maybe 15 minutes,” said Sukamto, a farmer who by nighfall had yet to abandon his home on the mountain's fertile slopes. “Then huge plumes of hot ash started shooting up into the air.” Scientists have warned that pressure building beneath Merapi's lava dome could trigger one of the most powerful blasts in years. “The energy is building up. ... We hope it will release slowly,” government volcanologist Surono told reporters. “Otherwise we're looking at a potentially huge eruption, bigger than anything we've seen in years.” The alert level for the 9,737-foot mountain has been raised to its highest level. Some 11,400 villagers on the mountain were urged to evacuate. But most who fled were the elderly and children, while adults stayed to tend to homes and farms on the mountain's fertile slopes. In 2006, an avalanche of blistering gases and rock fragments raced down the volcano and killed two people. A similar eruption in 1994 killed 60 people, and 1,300 people died in a 1930 blast. Indonesia is a vast archipelago of 237 million people, and the volcano and earthquake epicenter are about 8,000 miles apart. The nation is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire — a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia. There are more than 129 active volcanoes to watch in Indonesia, which is spread across 17,500 islands. The tsunami triggered by Monday's powerful, earthquake pounded villages on remote islands off western Indonesia. The fault that ruptured Monday, running the length of the west coast of Sumatra island, also caused the 9.1-magnitude quake that unleashed a monster tsunami around the Indian Ocean in 2004, killing 230,000 people in a dozen countries. The death toll from the quake late Monday, which struck 13 miles beneath the ocean floor, was expected to climb as reports on damage and injuries began trickling in today. Mujiharto, who heads the Health Ministry's crisis center, said a 10-foot-high wave washed away hundreds of houses on Pagai and Silabu, part of the remote and sparsely populated Mentawai island chain. As many as 500 people are missing. “We have 200 body bags on the way, just in case,” he said. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire — a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia. Getting to the Mentawais, a popular surfing spot 175 miles from the Sumatra coast takes 12 hours and the islands are reachable only by boat. A group of Australians said they were hanging out on the back deck of their chartered surfing vessel, anchored in a nearby bay, when the temblor hit. It generated a wave that caused them to smash into a neighboring boat, and before they knew it, a fire was ripping through their cabin. “We threw whatever we could that floated — surfboards, fenders — then we jumped into the water,” Rick Hallet told Australia's Nine Network. “Fortunately, most of us had something to hold on to ... and we just washed in the wetlands, and scrambled up the highest trees that we could possibly find and sat up there for an hour and a half.” Water in some places reached roof tops, and in Muntei Baru, a village on Silabu, 80 percent of the houses were damaged. Some 3,000 people were seeking shelter today in emergency camps, Edward said, and the crews from several ships were still unaccounted for in the Indian Ocean. The quake also jolted towns along Sumatra's western coast — including Padang, which last year was hit by a deadly 7.6-magnitude tremor that killed more than 700. Mosques blared tsunami warnings over their loudspeakers. “Everyone was running out of their houses,” said Sofyan Alawi, adding that the roads leading to surrounding hills were quickly jammed with thousands of cars and motorcycles. “We kept looking back to see if a wave was coming,” said 28-year-old resident Ade Syahputra. About Us	Indonesia
What was Tony McCoy's winning mount in the 2010 Grand National?	Widespread destruction from Japan earthquake, tsunamis - CNN.com Widespread destruction from Japan earthquake, tsunamis By the CNN Wire Staff Japan's historic quake NEW: "I thought things were coming to an end" NEW: Survivors being plucked from roofs by helicopter NEW: Death toll at 433, at least 784 missing Editor's Note: Read live blogging of the Japan tsunami and earthquake. Are you there? Send your video, pictures to iReport . Tokyo (CNN) -- The morning after Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake to hit the island nation in recorded history and the tsunami it unleashed -- and even as the earth continued to twitch with aftershocks -- the disaster's massive impact was only beginning to be revealed. Rescue efforts began with the first light as military helicopters plucked survivors from roofs and carried them to safety. The 8.9-magnitude temblor, which was centered near the east coast of Japan, killed hundreds of people, caused the formation of 30-foot walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfed entire towns, dragged houses onto highways, and tossed cars and boats like toys. Some waves reached six miles (10 kilometers) inland in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's east coast. "The earth shook with such ferocity," said Andy Clark, who said he had gotten used to earthquakes during his 20 years in Japan but never experienced what he felt Friday at the airport outside Tokyo. "I thought things were coming to an end ... it was simply terrifying." Buildings shook, heaved and collapsed by the score, and numerous fires ignited. Gallery: Massive quake hits Japan Map: 8.9 earthquake hits Japan Japan's streets unrecognizable after quake Scene from the quake Hundreds more people were missing, Japanese media reported, citing local and national police. Tens of thousands of people were displaced, according to Japan's Kyodo News Agency. Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the "enormously powerful" earthquake had caused "tremendous damage over a wide area." The quake, which struck at 2:46 p.m. (12:46 a.m. ET), prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue tsunami warnings for at least 50 countries and territories. The epicenter of Friday's main quake was located off Miyagi Prefecture, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Also in Miyagi, officials reported that a train had derailed and authorities had lost contact with four trains in coastal areas, Kyodo reported, citing the East Japan Railway Company. Six million households, more than 10% of the total in Japan, were without electricity, said Japan's ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki. In Tokyo, rail service was suspended overnight, elevated highways were shut early Saturday and surface streets remained jammed as commuters -- thousands of whom had spent the night in shelters -- tried to get to their homes in outlying areas. Video aired by Japanese broadcaster NHK showed extensive fires in Miyagi and in the port city of Hakodate, in the southern part of Hokkaido island in northern Japan. An oil refinery was burning in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, according to NHK. And Kyodo News said fires could be seen in extensive areas of Kesennuma in Miyagi. Aerial views of Kesennuma showed plumes of white smoke emanating from the center of the city and large, black areas the flames had already traversed. In the city of Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture, all that was left of many structures were their foundations. Only concrete and steel buildings appeared to have withstood the wash. No people were visible in the streets of the town, whose population on Friday had been 70,000. And a dam in Fukushima Prefecture failed, washing away homes, Kyodo reported. There was no immediate word of casualties, but the Defense Ministry said 1,800 homes were destroyed. The National Weather Service sent a warning to 50 countries and territories it said could be affected by the tsunami. Scores of aftershocks jarred the country Saturday, punctuated by a pair of strong earthquakes in the early morning, including one with a magnitude of 7.1 and another with a magnitude of 6.8. A leak occurred in an atomic power plant in northeast Japan, a spokesman for Japan's nuclear agency said Saturday. Cooling equipment stopped working when generators failed in the quake, and the temperature inside the plant in the Fukushima prefecture had risen; officials lowered the pressure inside the plant hangar by venting it, said spokesman Kazuo Kodama. But high levels of radiation led officials to suspend the release, NHK said. Alternative plans were being evaluated, the broadcaster said. Citing Japan's nuclear safety agency, Kyodo said radiation levels were 1,000 times above normal in the the control room of the facility's reactor. An evacuation order was extended to people who live within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the plant, named Fukushima Daiichi, about 160 miles (260 kilometers) north of Tokyo. The agency said the radiation amount posed no immediate threat to the health of nearby residents, Kyodo reported. Cooling problems also appeared to have affected to another of the Tokyo Electric Power Company's nuclear facilities. Kyodo reported the power company alerted authorities that the cooling system at three units of another plant in the same prefecture. That prompted Japanese authorities to add that plant to its emergency list, along with the another plant, Kyodo said. Prime Minister Kan inspected the plant and the rest of the affected region from a helicopter. The government ordered the evacuation of residents nearest the plant as efforts to keep it cool after it was shut were initially hampered. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported Saturday that the death toll is more than 900, with about 700 others reported missing. Earlier Saturday the nation's Kyodo News News Agency, citing police, reported that the death toll was 433, with at least 784 missing. The official death toll is likely to rise as authorities continue rescue and relief efforts in the worst-hit areas. Kyodo predicted the death toll would surpass 1,000. Train cars thrown, crushed in tsunami Japan tsunami aftermath U.S. Geological Survey The news agency, citing Japan's defense forces, also said 60,000 to 70,000 people were being evacuated to shelters in the Sendai area of Miyagi Prefecture. The prime minister said an emergency task force had been activated, and he appealed for calm. The government dispatched 8,000 troops to assist in the recovery effort and asked for U.S. military assistance, according to Kyodo. A spokesman for the U.S. military bases in Japan said all service members were accounted for and there were no reports of damage to installations or ships. By early Saturday, more than 50 countries had offered help, said Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. U.S. President Barack Obama offered his condolences and said the United States was standing by to help "in this time of great trial." The U.S. Navy initiated reconnaissance flights to map the disaster zone and was moving the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan into position to assist the Japanese government with relief efforts, defense officials said. Images from Japanese media and CNN iReporters showed smoke pouring from buildings and water rushing across fields, carrying away entire structures. "I wasn't scared when it started ... but it just kept going and going," said Michelle Roberts, who lives in central Tokyo. "I won't lie, it was quite scary. But we are all OK. We live on the third floor, so most everything shook and shifted." The quake toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath. Waves of debris flowed like lava across farmland, pushing boats, houses and trailers in their paths. The quake also disrupted rail service and affected air travel. Hundreds of flights were canceled, Kyodo said. Some 13,000 people were stranded at the Narita airport, and 10,000 were stuck at the Haneda airport, the news agency said. Flights into and out of both airports had resumed Saturday. At Tokyo Station, one of Japan's busiest subway terminals, shaken commuters grabbed one another to stay steady as the ground shook. Dazed residents poured into the streets, and offices and schools were closed. Children cried. "This was larger than anyone expected and went on longer than anyone expected," said Matt Alt, who lives in Tokyo. "My wife was the calm one. ... She told us to get down and put your back on something, and leave the windows and doors open in case a building shifts so you don't get trapped." The magnitude of the earthquake and its shallow depth -- 15.2 miles (24.5 kilometers) -- created a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey. The impact was felt far and wide. In McKinleyville, California, a wave swept three men into the Pacific Ocean as they were reportedly trying to take photos of the incoming tsunami waves, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two of the men returned to shore, but one died, officials said. Japanese government officials said large tsunami waves were still a risk to coastal Japan, and they urged residents in coastal areas to move to higher ground. The tsunami brought waves of nearly 7 feet to a harbor in Maui, authorities said, but other areas reported lower levels. On the U.S. mainland, wave heights from Alaska to California ranged from less than a foot to more than 8 feet. The highest measurement, 8.1 feet, was at Crescent City, California. Tsunamis are a series of long ocean waves that can last five to 15 minutes and cause extensive flooding in coastal areas. Sometimes, the waves hit in succession -- often the highest not being the first, CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. Humanitarian agencies were working with rescue crews to reach people affected by the earthquake and tsunami. "When such an earthquake impacts a developed country like Japan, our concern also turns to countries like the Philippines and Indonesia, which might not have the same resources," said Rachel Wolff, a spokeswoman for World Vision. Wolff said her agency is helping people in Japan and teaming up to help others in countries along the path of the tsunami. The quake was the latest in a series around Japan this week. On Wednesday, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Honshu, the country's meteorological agency said. Early Thursday, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck off the same coast. Friday's quake is the strongest earthquake in recorded history to hit Japan, according to U.S. Geologic Survey records. The previous record was an 8.6-magnitude earthquake that struck near the Chubu Region near southwestern Honshu on October 28, 1707, that may have killed 5,000 people, CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said. That quake generated a 33-foot (10-meter) tsunami wave, and some scientists believe the quake may have triggered the eruption of Mount Fuji 49 days later, Morris said. The world's largest recorded quake took place in Chile on May 22, 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5, the USGS said. CNN's Kyung Lah, Faith Karimi, Ed Payne, Catherine E. Shoichet, Kevin Voigt and Sean Morris contributed to this report. Share this on:	i don't know
Who won golf's 2010 Masters Championship?	Golf News, Scores, Players, Schedule and Courses - Golf - ESPN #PerfectMoment ⛷ pic.twitter.com/NJHzDydLn0 Michael Collins ESPN Senior Writer Tiger Woods new golf ball deal with Bridgestone is a Good News/Bad News scenario for him in 2017. play1:42 share Jason Sobel ESPN Senior Writer Tiger Woods played Bridgestone golf balls in his return to competition two weeks ago. He makes it official today, signing a multi-year endorsement deal to play them exclusively. share Jason Sobel ESPN Senior Writer According to a statement released by his management team, Phil Mickelson has undergone a second surgery for sports hernia since the end of the last PGA Tour season. There is no specific timetable for his return, but he is expected to make a full recovery. share Andrea Canales share share Jason Sobel ESPN Senior Writer Thomas Bjorn has been named Europe's Ryder Cup captain for 2018. The 45-year-old from Denmark has four times been a vice-captain for the team and three times a player -- each for a winning side. He will lead a European squad in Paris on home soil, where they haven't lost since 1993. share Kevin Maguire Golf Prior to the Hero World Challenge, after 466 days away from competitive golf, Tiger Woods fell to 898th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Even though he finished 15th in a field of 18 golfers at the event he hosted on Sunday, Woods earned enough world ranking points (4.38) to jump all the way to 650th, a climb of 248 spots. As a frame of reference, Woods ended 2015 ranked 416th in the world and is currently one spot ahead of fellow American Brice Garnett. Had Woods won in the Bahamas, he would have vaulted up the rankings to approximately 125th in the world. share	Phil Mickelson
What iconic London institution was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority (Qatar's sovereign wealth fund) in May 2010?	2010 Masters Golf Tournament: Mickelson Wins His 3rd By Brent Kelley The big story at the start of the week of the 2010 Masters was Tiger Woods ' return to competitive golf. The big story at the end of the week was Phil Mickelson winning his third Masters championship. Woods chose Augusta National as the site of his comeback after not playing for five months due to personal issues, including a stint in a rehab facility. During the five months away, he practiced only in the couple weeks immediately prior to The Masters . Given that, he played remarkably well, eventually finishing fourth with four straight rounds below par. It was obvious, however, that Woods' driver swing and short game, in particular, were out of whack. Still, finishing fourth under the circumstances is pretty remarkable. Fifty-year-old Fred Couples was the first-round leader, with Mickelson one behind. Lee Westwood took the lead in the second round, and held it after the third, one stroke better than Mickelson. Mickelson made up five strokes on the leader in a three-hole stretch of the third round, going eagle-eagle-birdie on holes 13 through 15. continue reading below our video Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time? The second eagle was a hole-out with a wedge on the par-4 14th. Mickelson missed a third straight eagle by mere inches on the 15th hole. In the final round, Westwood was up-and-down on the front nine, and Mickelson was wild off the tee in the middle part of the round. But Mickelson kept managing to escape from trouble - in fact, he went bogeyless in the final round - and moved into the lead with a birdie on the 12th hole. On the par-5 13th, Mickelson hit a spectacular approach shot into the green, playing out of the trees and off of pine needles to within four feet of the cup. He missed that eagle putt, but made birdie, then added another on the 15th hole. Westwood kept things interesting by birdying the 17th hole to get back within two strokes, but Mickelson closed it out with another birdie on the final hole. It was Mickelson's third win in The Masters, his fourth major championship victory overall. Jack Nicklaus made his debut as an honorary starter this year, joining Arnold Palmer in hitting the ceremonial opening drives. 2010 Masters Scores Results from the 2010 Masters golf tournament played at the par-72 Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. (a-amateur): Phil Mickelson	i don't know
According to official figures released in 2010, what country originated the most refugees during the previous 30 years?	2010 Human Rights Report: Belgium There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees. Regional Human Rights Court Decisions On January 10, the ECHR released its judgment in the Muskhadzhiyeva case involving five Chechen asylum seekers, a mother and her four children. The family arrived in Belgium on October 11, 2006, and requested asylum on October 12. The request was denied; following the dismissal of their application family members were all detained in a closed center. The family ultimately brought its case to the ECHR in September 2007. The court found two violations, namely that the children had been detained in a closed center meant only for adults and the health of the children was very poor. These issues have been addressed, through payment by the state of 17,000 euros ($22,780) to the family for damages and through a regulation that the country will no longer house children in closed centers, even if they are accompanied by adults. In 2009 the ECHR issued judgments that found five violations of the right to a fair trial, two violations for the length of proceedings, one violation of the right to liberty and safety, one violation for the absence of effective inquiry and one violation for inhuman and degrading treatment as provided under the European Convention on Human Rights. The government treated all ECHR decisions as binding. Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies There is an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters. Plaintiffs may seek damages either individually or through specialized organizations for human rights violations under the applicable antidiscrimination legislation. f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence The constitution and legal code prohibit such actions, and the government generally respected these prohibitions in practice. Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including: a. Freedom of Speech and Press The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to ensure freedom of speech and of the press. Holocaust denial is a criminal offense, and there was one conviction during the year. On September 15, the Brussels Appeal court confirmed the charge of holocaust denial against Roeland Raes (a member of the Flemish extremist party Vlaams Belang) for his 2001 statements contesting the authenticity of Anne Franks' diary ( see section 6 Anti-Semitism). Individuals could criticize the government publicly and privately without reprisal. On March 31, a group of extremist Muslims called "Sharia4Belgium" interrupted a reading organized by Antwerp University. The reading was entitled "The Islam Debate: Long Live God, Down with Allah." Police led approximately 20 shouting protesters out of the building, but there was no violence. No one was detained. Internet Freedom There were no government restrictions on access to Internet sites. There were no reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms, and individuals and groups could engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. In cooperation with the government, Child Focus, a government-sponsored center for missing and exploited children, developed programs to warn users of Web sites containing illegal content, especially child pornography. According to International Telecommunications Union statistics for 2009, approximately 76 percent of the country's inhabitants used the Internet. There were no reports of the government attempting to collect any personally identifiable information on internet users. Academic Freedom and Cultural Events There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association The constitution and law provide for freedom of assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. c. Freedom of Religion For a complete description of religious freedom, please see the 2010 International Religious Freedom Report at www.state.gov/j/drl/irf/rpt . d. Freedom of Movement, Internally Displaced Persons, Protection of Refugees, and Stateless Persons The constitution and law provide for freedom of movement within the country, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other persons of concern. Protection of Refugees The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The law allows authorities to grant "subsidiary protection" to individuals who might not qualify as refugees but who could establish that upon return to their home country, they would face the death penalty, torture, or other inhuman treatment. From January through September, 504 applicants, mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan, qualified for subsidiary protection. During the year 19,941 applications were filed, compared with 17,186 applications in 2009. Most applicants came from Iraq, Kosovo, Russia, Guinea, and Afghanistan. From January through September, the Commissariat for Refugees awarded refugee status to 1,470 applicants. Most accepted refugees came from Iraq, Guinea, and Afghanistan. During 2009 scores of asylum seekers who stayed in the country illegally after their applications were refused took refuge in churches and went on hunger strikes to draw public attention to their situation. On the eve of its 2009 summer recess, the government reached agreement on a new set of criteria for awarding residence permits for undocumented aliens. The latter were allowed to submit applications between September and December. The newly defined criteria covered aliens who had become victims of an unduly long asylum application process and undocumented aliens who were living in a precarious humanitarian situation or who could prove that they were integrated into local society, either by having lived in the country for at least five years or by having been gainfully employed for at least one year. Regularization of status on the grounds of an unduly long application period, urgent humanitarian reasons, or medical reasons was granted to 14,830 applicants in 2009, compared with 8,369 the previous year. In 2009 FEDASIL, the government agency providing shelter for refugees, the Red Cross, and local governments provided assistance to an average of 18,164 persons but lacked capacity to deal with the growing demand. Under the law, refugees who spent four months in a collective relief center qualified for independent living and were permitted to leave the centers and provided material assistance to do so. Following a critical report from a European Parliament commission in 2008, the government announced that unaccompanied minors stopped at the border would no longer be held in closed centers, but in specialized observation and orientation centers. Minors held with their parents had access to individualized education. In May the European Commission adopted an action plan to harmonize and strengthen the protection of unaccompanied minor migrants. During 2009 FEDASIL provided shelter to 1,074 unaccompanied foreign minors. In practice, the government provided protection against the expulsion or return of refugees to countries where their lives or freedom would be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Refused asylum seekers were informed in writing and in person of repatriation scenarios from which they could choose. The government, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), provided relocation assistance to unsuccessful asylum applicants who agreed to return voluntarily to their countries of origin. Unsuccessful applicants who did not leave voluntarily were subject to forced repatriation. A report issued during the year revealed that, between 1984 and 2009, more than 40,000 refused asylum seekers and other immigrants were repatriated under the IOM-sponsored Return and Emigration of Asylum Seekers ex-Belgium (REAB) program, including 2,669 immigrants in 2009. This figure was in line with that of 2008, when 2,446 persons were repatriated under IOM auspices. Refused families with children qualified for temporary individual housing. In 2009, 6,439 persons were assigned to closed centers, where asylum seekers were not permitted to leave the facility, compared with 6,902 persons in 2008. Their average stay in closed centers was 24 days. Most refugees held at these centers came from Romania, Brazil, Morocco, Bulgaria, or Russia. The COE's human rights commissioner, members of the Belgian parliament, and representatives from the International Federation of Human Rights Organizations visited the closed centers to inspect living conditions. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) complained that living conditions at the closed centers for refused asylum seekers were substandard. The government started to refurbish the closed centers at the Brussels national airport. In July 2009 the Council of Ministers decided to create additional temporary places for asylum seekers, thus accommodating more than 1,000 asylum seekers in 20 hotels. In November 2009 the government approved the creation of 1,200 additional reception places. In December 2009 the Belgian Red Cross increased its capacity by approximately 240 places. Through the Public Organization for Social Support and NGOs, nearly 350 individual reception places were opened. By the end of November, an additional 2,600 places were made available. Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government The constitution provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens ages 18 and older exercised this right through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage. Voting in all elections is compulsory. Failure to vote is punishable by a nominal fine. Elections and Political Participation General elections were held on June 13. They were considered free and fair by the media. Political parties could operate without restriction or outside interference. The constitution requires the presence of men and women in federal, regional, and local governments, and the law requires an equal number of male and female candidates on party tickets in European, federal, regional, provincial, and local elections. Failure to meet the requirement would nullify the elections and render any government thereby created illegal. Following the June 13 elections, there were 60 women in the 150-seat federal Chamber of Representatives and 25 women in the 71-seat Senate; five of the 23 federal cabinet ministers and state secretaries were women. There were seven members of minorities in the Chamber of Representatives and five in the Senate from Moroccan and Turkish origin. Section 4 Official Corruption and Government Transparency The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, and the government generally implemented these laws effectively. Elected officials and high-level civil servants are required to disclose any regular private employment or public jobs they hold and to provide confidential disclosure of their financial situation. With some exceptions, such as material involving national security, the law provides public access to government information. In practice, the government respected this law. The November 2008 and November 2009 reports of the UN Group of Experts (UNGOE) on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) presented information indicating that Trademet and Traxys, which were based in Belgium, had indirectly funded conflict and perpetrators of human rights abuses in the eastern DRC through the purchase of conflict minerals. Section 5 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Government officials generally were cooperative and responsive to their views. The government-sponsored Center for Equal Opportunity and the Combat Against Racism (CEOCR) is tasked with promoting equal opportunity and with combating all forms of discrimination, exclusion, or preferential treatment based on race, color of the skin, descent, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital status, birth, wealth, age, religion or ideology, physical condition, disability, or physical characteristics. The center is charged with ensuring respect for the basic rights of foreigners and informs the authorities on migration issues, including smuggling and trafficking. The center is also expected to promote consultation among public and private players, and it has the authority to start litigation regarding complaints sent to the center. Members of the public are entitled to ask the center for an opinion or report possible cases of discrimination. The center may escalate a case and file a complaint with the police. One example during the year involved the center filing a complaint against Archbishop Mgr. Leonard for his derogatory statements about AIDS victims. Federal and regional government ombudsmen monitor and publish reports on the workings of the agencies coming under their respective jurisdictions. In 2009 the federal ombudsman released a report on the closed centers for rejected asylum seekers. The government cooperated with international tribunals in the prosecution of war crimes. In May 2008 police arrested Jean-Pierre Bemba, the leader of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo and a former Congolese vice president, after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court. Bemba was charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes and transferred to The Hague in July 2008. His trial was scheduled for April but was postponed due to the defense's claim of insufficient financial resources. Bemba's trial finally began on November 22. Section 6 Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons The law prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, disability, language, or social status, and the government generally enforced these prohibitions. The law identifies 18 grounds of possible discrimination subject to legal penalty: age, sexual orientation, civil status, birth, financial situation, religious belief, philosophical orientation, physical condition, disability, physical characteristics, genetic characteristics, social status, nationality, race, color of skin, descent, national origin, and ethnic origin. A separate law governs gender discrimination in the workplace. Under a directive issued by the Board of Prosecutors General, the police and prosecutors must mention racial motivation when recording offenses. Specifically, police must highlight if there were racial motivations when an offense was reported, and if so, the case must be escalated by the prosecutor (e.g. if there were a racial motivation in a murder case, the charge would additionally include a hate crime offense.) Women Rape, including spousal rape, is illegal, and the government prosecuted such cases. In 2009 the federal police registered 2,751 rape cases, compared with 2,786 the previous year. A convicted rapist may be imprisoned for a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 30 years. The length of sentence is based on the age of the victim, the age difference between the offender and the victim, the relationship between the offender and the victim, and the use or absence of violence during the crime. The minimum age for consensual sex is 16. Statutory rape carries penalties of imprisonment from 15 to 20 years. If the victim is under the age of 10, the imprisonment rises to 20 to 30 years. In May a Brussels court convicted a man of raping his three children. The law prohibits domestic violence. In 2009 the federal police reported 20,471 such cases of physical violence between partners, compared with 19,768 cases in 2008. In 2009 the federal police registered 138 cases of sexual violence between partners, compared with 131 cases in 2008. In 2009 there were 17,258 cases of psychological violence or mental cruelty between partners, compared with 16,927 cases in 2008. The law defines and criminalizes domestic violence and provides for fines and incarceration. The law allows police to enter a home without the consent of the head of household when investigating a domestic violence complaint; however, there were complaints that the police frequently declined to do this in practice. An action plan for dealing with domestic violence was in force, and the regional governments formally joined the effort. Police forces and prosecuting magistrates registered all complaints and official actions taken in connection with domestic violence. A number of government-supported shelters and telephone help lines were available across the country for victims of domestic abuse. In addition to providing shelter, many offered assistance on legal matters, job placement, and psychological counseling to both partners. In a 2008 report to the Senate, the federal police noted 17 honor killings that had taken place over the preceding five-year period. There were no reports of honor killings in the country during the year. During the year the Institute for the Equality of Men and Women claimed damages in the case of a Pakistani woman who died in an honor killing in 2007 resulting from a failed arranged marriage. The brother of the victim was found guilty, with the complicity of many other members of the family. Reliable statistics on sexual harassment are not easily accessible since formal complaints may be filed with various entities. The law aims to prevent violence and harassment at work, obliging companies to set up internal procedures to handle complaints by employees. The law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, pregnancy, motherhood, or sex change. It also prohibits sexual intimidation in labor relations and in access to goods, services, social welfare, and health care. A separate law prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace, and the government generally enforced it. The constitution provides for complete freedom in the way that persons organize their private lives, including the basic right of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing, and timing of their children. Health clinics and local health NGOs were permitted to operate freely in disseminating information on family planning. There are no restrictions on the right to access contraceptives. Men and women received equal access to diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. According to estimates compiled by international organizations, there were approximately five maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in country in 2008. Women have the same legal rights as men, including rights under family law, property law, in the judicial system, in labor relations, and in social welfare protection. The federal government's Institute for the Equality of Men and Women, which is tasked with promoting gender equality, may initiate lawsuits if it finds that equality laws have been violated. Most of the complaints received during the year were work-related and most concerned women whose employment contract was terminated because of pregnancy. During the year the government continued implementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Act of 2007, which obliges the authorities to address gender aspects in planning policy, collecting data, drafting budgets, awarding contracts, and drafting reports. As per the Institute for Equality of Men and Women, the authorities were in the process of implementing the decree to establish a gender test (an evaluation of all administrative and legal acts in terms of male-female equality) and an interdepartmental coordination group. Economic discrimination against women continued. During the year the Institute for the Equality of Men and Women released a survey (based on 2007 data) showing an average gap of 11 percent in the gross wages paid to men and women. The gap was 27 percent for white-collar and 16 percent for blue-collar workers. The gap was smaller in the public sector, where female contract workers earned 7 percent less than their male colleagues. Female statutory civil servants earned 1 percent more than their male colleagues. Taking into account part-time work, the overall wage gap was 25 percent. According to the report, the main factors contributing to the gap were job classification, branch of employment, type of employment contract, and time actually worked. Through legislation and decrees, federal and regional authorities sought to increase the presence of women on the boards of public enterprises and government agencies. Data from the European Professional Women's Network indicated that women filled 11.1 percent of the positions on boards of directors of the country's leading private companies compared with 7 percent in 2008. Children The government registered all live births immediately, and citizenship is conferred to the child through the parents' nationality. There were reports of child abuse. In 2009 the federal police registered 5,201 cases of child abandonment, abuse, and neglect, compared with 3,971 cases in 2008. The NGO Child Focus reported that it handled 2,087 missing children and child abuse cases in 2009. There were 1,019 cases of runaways; approximately half of these returned home within 48 hours, although the average time for runaways to be missing increased. Thirty-six cases concerned abduction by a third person. Child Focus handled 467 of the cases (involving 672 children) of abduction to another country. The country is a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. For information on international parental child abduction, please see the Department of State's annual report on compliance at http://travel.state.gov/abduction/resources/congressreport/congressreport_4308.html . The law provides for the protection of youth against sexual exploitation, abduction, and trafficking, and provides severe penalties for child pornography and possession of pedophilic materials. The penalties for producing and disseminating child pornography range from five to 15 years' imprisonment and from one month to one year for possession of such material. The law permits the prosecution of residents who commit such crimes abroad and provides that criminals convicted of the sexual abuse of children must receive specialized treatment before they can be paroled and must continue counseling and treatment after their release from prison. The NGO Child Focus handled 257 sexual abuse cases and continued its Internet-based public awareness campaign. In 2009 the group received 2,131 reports of child pornography on the Internet and forwarded relevant cases to the specialized units of the federal police. According to official figures, in 2009 the federal police investigated 388 child pornography cases, and international networks operating in several countries were dismantled with the help of Europol and Eurojust. In several court cases judges handed down prison sentences for downloading child pornography. Following a 2007 Europol investigation in Austria and Poland, approximately 40 citizens were identified in child pornography cases. One of them was a former member of parliament from the city of Mons. In May a school director was arrested for viewing and sending child pornography. The trial of a lawyer, who previously worked on the case of the infamous child killer Marc Detroux, also began during the year; he was accused of viewing and sending child pornography. Rape and forcible sexual assault are criminal offences, and penalties range from five years' to 30 years' imprisonment, with the maximum penalty in effect for cases resulting in the death of the victim. During the reporting period, the federal prosecutor launched investigations into allegations of child abuse carried out over many years by priests in the Catholic Church. A 10-hour questioning session of high-ranking members of the clergy and intrusive searches of tombs led to complaints from religious freedom advocates. Anti-Semitism The size of the Jewish community was estimated at 40,000 to 50,000. During the year there were 47 reports of anti-Semitic acts, including attacks against persons, verbal harassment of Jews, and vandalism of Jewish property, down from the 109 reported incidents in 2009. The law prohibits public statements that incite national, racial, or religious hatred, including denial of the Holocaust. Unidentified vandals threw Molotov cocktails at three different synagogues on separate days: Antwerp synagogue in January, then Charleroi and Brussels synagogues during April. Verbal and cyber hate incidents were also reported. In September two incidents took place in Antwerp between drunken Polish men and members of the Jewish community. The intoxicated men were physically aggressive, insulting all Jews they encountered. On November 8, three teenagers threw stones at a Jewish man and woman coming out of a shop in Antwerp. Trafficking in Persons For information on trafficking in persons, please see the Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip . Persons with Disabilities The law provides for the protection of persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities from discrimination in employment, education, and access to health care and other state services. In 2009 the CEOCR received 255 complaints regarding discrimination against persons with disabilities. Most were employment-related and concerned access to private and public buildings and services, including public transport, and access to banks, bars, and restaurants. While the government mandated that public buildings erected after 1970 must be accessible to such persons, many older buildings were still inaccessible because of preservation orders. National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities A survey released in November 2009 on discrimination and intolerance as perceived by ethnic minorities from northern Africa, Turkey, sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe revealed that skin color and dress associated with Islam were the most important factors contributing to intolerance and discrimination, especially in the areas of housing and employment. In its 2009 annual report, the CEOCR stated that discrimination against the members of the Muslim community, estimated at 500,000, principally of Moroccan and Turkish origin, greatly exceeded that experienced by other immigrant communities. In 2009 the CEOCR, which investigates complaints of discrimination, racism, and hate instigation, handled 1,692 discrimination and racism complaints, a decrease from the previous year. Most complaints concerned nationality and ethnic descent (49 percent), physical handicaps (15 percent), and discrimination on the ground of religious and philosophical orientation (13 percent). Complaints related to ethnic descent, nationality, race, and skin color accounted for 60 percent of all complaints registered by the CEOCR. Places of work and the Internet were most often cited as the places where the alleged discriminatory acts occurred. Thirty percent of the complaints received by the CEOCR were deemed justified. In 2009 the CEOCR initiated court cases in 1.1 percent of the registered complaints. Courts convicted a number of persons for inciting racial hatred, shouting abuse, denying the Holocaust, and using violence against asylum seekers. Judges convicted employers for discriminating on racial and physical grounds in hiring personnel. Landlords were convicted for discriminating against foreigners and persons with disabilities. Data released by the Ministry of Justice indicated that in 2008, 61 percent of the cases of alleged discrimination handled by the courts were dismissed. Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity According to the CEOCR, 6 percent of the complaints received in 2009 concerned discrimination based on sexual orientation. Most were work-related, with the center receiving several reports on violence against gays and lebians. On May 15, 35,000 persons attended the Belgian Pride (equivalent of Gay Pride) without reported incidents of violence. Other Societal Violence and Discrimination Of the complaints received in 2009 by the CEOCR, 3 percent involved discrimination based on health or medical conditions, including against persons with HIV/AIDS. Most of the complaints were related to workplace incidents. Section 7 Worker Rights a. The Right of Association The law provides workers the right to form and join independent unions of their choice without previous authorization or excessive requirements, and workers exercised this right in practice, with Belgian and non-Belgian workers enjoying the same rights. Work council elections are mandatory in enterprises employing over 100 employees, and safety and health committee elections are mandatory in companies employing more than 50 employees. Approximately 60 percent of private and public sector workers were members of labor unions. The law allows unions to conduct their activities without interference, and the government protected this right in practice. The law provides for the right to strike for all private and all public workers, except for the military. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) noted in its 2010 survey of violations of trade union rights that it was concerned about antiunion discrimination and collective representation in small and medium-sized enterprises. b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively The right to bargain collectively is recognized, and the government protected this right. The law prohibits antiunion discrimination and employer interference in union functions, and the government protected this right in practice. The ITUC reported one antiunion incident when a union representative was threatened at knife point on May 4. There are no export processing zones. c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor; however, there were reports that such practices occurred. Women, men, and children from Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia were trafficked to the country for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Female victims, including children, worked as prostitutes in massage parlors, as escorts, and through the Internet. Male victims were forced to work in restaurants, bars, sweatshops, horticulture, fruit farms, and construction sites. Police and courts used antitrafficking legislation to combat economic exploitation. In its 2009 report on trafficking, the CEOCR noted several cases of debt bondage, with victims lacking freedom of movement as their documents were retained. Also see the Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip . d. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment There are laws and policies to protect children from exploitation in the workplace and the government generally enforced these laws. The minimum age of employment is 15. Persons between the ages of 15 and 18 can participate in part-time work and study programs and work full time during school vacations. The Ministry of Employment regulates industries that employ juvenile workers to ensure that labor laws are followed, and occasionally grants waivers for children temporarily employed by modeling agencies and by the entertainment business. There is growing concern about children exploited by organized begging gangs in larger cities. e. Acceptable Conditions of Work The monthly national minimum wage was 1,387.49 euros ($1,859) for workers 21 years of age, 1,424.31 euros ($1,908) for workers 21 1/2 years of age with six months of service, and 1,440.67 euros ($1,931) for workers 22 years of age with one year of service. When combined with extensive social benefits, this provided a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The standard workday is eight hours, and the standard workweek is 38 hours. Departure from these norms can occur under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, but work time may not exceed 11 hours per day and 50 hours per week. An 11-hour rest period is required between two work periods. Overtime is paid at a time-and-a-half premium Monday through Saturday and at double time on Sundays. The Ministry of Labor and the labor courts effectively enforced these laws and regulations. Workers have the right to remove themselves from situations that endanger their safety or health without jeopardy to their continued employment, and workers exercised this right in practice. Regulations were generally enforced effectively by the Employment and Labor Relations Federal Public Service. In This Section:	Afghanistan
Name the controversial leader of the Dutch right-wing Freedom Party which won 24 seats in the Dutch elections, who was refused entry into the UK for his 'racist views'?	Afghanistan’s Returning Refugees: Why are so many still landless? \| Afghanistan Analysts Network Afghanistan’s Returning Refugees: Why are so many still landless? 29 March 2016 Nangarhar, 2008: Waiting in line for drinking water: people returning from Jalozai and Naser Bagh camps in Pakistan have found it difficult to find clean water in some of the places they have settled. (Photo Credit: Pajhwok) More than 5.8 million Afghans, about 20 per cent of Afghanistan’s population, are refugees who have returned home since the fall of the Taleban according to UNHCR figures. Many found their houses destroyed or occupied, or discovered that a new set of laws had scrapped their tenancy rights. The government plan for distributing land to them, and to IDPs, is now a decade old, but has been one of the most corrupt and ineffective government schemes. AAN’s Jelena Bjelica looks at how difficult it has been for these most vulnerable of Afghans and asks whether anything might now change. Shortly after the December 2001 Bonn Conference which established the post-Taleban political set up, at UNHCR’s urging, President Karzai passed the Decree on the Dignified Return of Refugees – decree no 297. It became effective as of 22 December 2001. The decree guaranteed the proper treatment of returnees, their exemption from prosecution (except for war crimes and crimes against humanity) and the recovery of lost property. (1) Although the recovery of property was recognised as a right, in practice, many returnees found they could not just walk in and reclaim their original houses and farms. New occupants often held documents supporting their own claim to the property. In some cases, they may have actually bought the property (from someone who did not own it); in other cases, the new ‘owners’ had acquired legal titles through dubious legal means. In some cases the new ‘owners’ simply refused to leave. A further complication was that, for many property transactions, no official documents exist. According to this in-depth 2013 AREU study , many people do not have any documentation to confirm their ownership. (According to Afghan law, customary, religious, legal and administrative documents are legitimate.) The same study found that there was no documentation at all for many rural properties for the period from 1961 to 2001: Most landowners and tenants held and used their land on trust, under customary norms. These norms were community-based and sustained arrangements, which had evolved over time. These drew upon various customary or religious (Shari’a) norms. The shared conventions agreed that a certain field or house was owned by a certain family. Under the post-2001 land laws, people who had enjoyed customary usage rights over land, in fact, had no right to own the land. This made many people effectively landless. Other returnees were adversely affected by a decision taken at the Bonn conference to take the 1964 Constitution as the temporary basis for all laws, until the adoption of a constitution. Presidential Decree No 66 (5 January 2002) abolished all decrees and legal documents enacted before 22 December 2001 that were inconsistent with the 1964 Constitution and the Bonn Agreement. This revoked all land rights people had gained through the land reforms in the 1970s and 1980s (for example 250,000 families had been given 600,000 hectares of land by the end of 1979). It also strengthened the state’s de jure ownership of an estimated 80 per cent of the country’s land. (The remaining 20 per cent of the land was in private ownership.) In September 2002, less than a year after the Bonn conference, President Karzai established a special Land and Property Disputes Court (by his Decree on the Establishment of Land and Property Disputes Court; Circulate Letter No 4035). The court, that was ordered to adjudicate disputes within two months and was supposed to have a special police force to enforce its decisions, was abolished again in November 2003 (Executive Decree No 89). The same decree created a new institution, the Special Property Dispute Resolution Court, based in Kabul with the responsibility of handling all returnee and refugee property cases. It had a primary court, which was also responsible for areas outside Kabul and was authorised to travel to the provinces with the Supreme Court’s permission to deal with any special disputes, and an appeal court. A year later, in February 2004, another executive decree (No 112) was issued, to allow claimants who were dissatisfied with the special courts’ judgments to appeal their cases to the Supreme Court and the Office of the President. This legal centralisation of power, in particular in the hands of the president, said the AREU study, discouraged returnees from bringing claims against the government, which itself had become the owner of many estates. According to the same study, “By January 2005, the court had dealt with only five per cent of cases before it and an astounding 80 per cent of its verdicts were being appealed.” In January 2007, a presidential decree (No 105) abolished the authority of the primary courts to handle cases outside Kabul and transferred it to the provincial judiciary. In July 2007, the Supreme Court, using its authority to establish or change court divisions, abolished the Special Property Dispute Resolution Court altogether and its authority was transferred to Afghanistan’s regular courts. Introducing a land allocation scheme There were also many returnees who lost their access to land through the abolition of post-1964 land laws or the dissolution of customary arrangements. Others had never had access to land. In 2003, UNHCR estimated that 41 per cent of returnees had no homes or land, while another 26 per cent owned farms or houses, but had found these destroyed or damaged beyond repair on their return. All over the country, IDP and refugee returnees started forming informal settlements on land they did not own. In urban areas, they joined the ranks of other urban migrants who made up cities’ growing informal settlements. (2) In the face of all these problems and partially in response to UNHCR pressure, in December 2005, Karzai passed another new decree: Presidential Decree 104 on the Land Distribution to Eligible Returnees and IDPs. It was colloquially known as the ‘land allocation scheme.’ It was supposed to ease the return of refugees, but has been ineffective and racked by corruption. Presidential Decree 104 created provincial commissions chaired by the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation that were to vet and approve applications for the allocation of land (Article 7). The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livelihoods was charged with finding available land (Article 9), a responsibility subsequently given to the Afghanistan Land Authority (known as Arazi). By 2006, over 48,000 parcels of 3 to 10 hectares (15-30 jeribs) of land had been identified and listed. However, most of the allocated land was actually on the commons. This land only officially belonged to the state, but communities saw it as their own, shared land which they managed communally. The implementation of the land allocation scheme was far from smooth. Many affected communities rejected the allocation of lands to those they saw as outsiders. An example of this can be read about in a 2010 TLO study which describes a case in Zhari Dasht, in Zhari district of Kandahar, where UNHCR and the local government had negotiated a permanent settlement, in line with Presidential Decree 104, for IDPs from the north and west of Afghanistan who had settled in Zhari Dasht in late 2001. Their IDP camp was registered in 2004. The local community, however, resisted the plan so strongly that the government decided that the return of the IDPs to their place of origin would be the only viable solution for them. Most of the Zhari Dasht IDPs never went ‘home’, however, but eventually resettled themselves in Kandahar City and Spin Boldak district of Kandahar. There have been sustained complaints about how the government has distributed land (see AAN previous reporting here ). According to a 2015 UNAMA report on land grabbing , government officials often distributed land for personal gain or because of threats to those who were not eligible. For example, a governor (from a province not named by UNAMA) had “sold land allocated for IDPs and returnees for personal profit,” while in another place, “the Decree 104 commission ha[d] not convened in over four years, ostensibly because no state land ha[d] been made available for allocation, as a result of state land grabbing.” Often, land distribution priorities appeared biased, favouring other groups who might legally be given land, such as government employees. In Herat, for example, the municipal land commission distributed 14,000 parcels of land to government officials and only 850 parcels to returnees and IDPs. The land actually allotted for distribution to returnees and IDPs often ended up being far from the cities and not meeting basic living standards – with, for example, no access to water and no job opportunities, health services or schools. This may partially explain the relatively low number of applications for plots: by the end of 2014, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation had received some 266,000 applications. The majority of IDPs and returnees may simply have preferred to reside in urban or peri-urban environments, particularly since many of them had become used to a certain level of basic services while in exile. Another important reason may have been the particularly arduous process involved in applying for land. Presidential Decree 104 – “inconsistent, defective, vague and uneven” Getting land through the available legal procedure is difficult to the point of making applicants despair. The Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC), in its 2013 vulnerability to corruption assessment , described how “many of the [decree’s] articles were inconsistent, defective, vague and uneven, paving the way for corruption.” To register for the land allocation scheme, the applicant first of all needed to submit three basic documents (article 2): a voluntary repatriation form provided by UNHCR, a requirement that excluded people who had not returned via a formal UNHCR-administered process (for some background on this, see this AAN dispatch ), a tazkera (ID document) and proof of landlessness, certifying that the person does not own land or a house in Afghanistan under his/her name, nor in the name of a spouse or under-age child. For IDPs applying for a plot of land, a document confirming their internal displacement status is required. Providing a document proving landlessness, in particular, turned out to be very difficult. Moreover, the entire procedure to obtain a temporary land ownership deed consisted of six stages (3) and 63 separate administrative steps, almost all of which included the collection of signatures from the different authorities and departments of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation. MEC, in its report, described these steps as unnecessary, provisional and aimed at “escaping individual responsibility.” Completing the whole process can take years. The process was so cumbersome that during the second step of the process the minister himself needed to review each individual application and refer them to the concerned directorate. The chief of staff, heads of different departments, heads of units in the districts, provincial directors of refugees’ affairs and so on, all also needed to confirm, sign off or stamp the application. It was not until the 37th and 38th step of this six-stage process that the provincial commission actually evaluated the application and determined whether the applicant was an eligible beneficiary. Such a process provided ample opportunity for corruption and ‘rent-seeking behaviour,’ as confirmed by the MEC assessment. Anecdotal reporting indicated that, for a bribe of approximately 300 US dollars per person in the household, an applicant could speed up the collection of signatures, stamps and sign-offs, at least in some stages of the process. But given the number of steps required to complete this bureaucratic process, many people would have felt discouraged by the sheer amount of bribery needed. The actual fees were rather reasonable and affordable. Based on the Council of Ministers Resolution No 16 from 21 August 2006 (article 6) a person who was approved to receive the land only needed to pay a symbolic official state fee of 1,500 Afghani (then around 30 dollars) per 100 square meters (1 beswa). Usually the land people received was between three and six beswa. By the end of 2014, after nine years, according to the UNHCR database, the ministry had allotted only 57,500 plots of land (out of a total of 266,000 applications). Of this number, only 39,000 beneficiaries had actually received their title deeds, while the actual occupancy was recorded at just over 21,000 plots. To put these figures in context, on a rough estimate based on UNHCR figures, there may be more than two million landless returnees in Afghanistan who could be eligible for the scheme. Anwary as minister Since the Bonn conference, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has been led by seven ministers: Enayatullah Nazari 2002-04; Azam Dadfar 2004; Sher Muhammad Ettebari 2004-09; Abdul Karim Brahui 2009-10; Abdul Rahim 2010; Jamahir Anwary 2010-14; and, since 2015, Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi 2015. It is difficult to distinguish the legacy of each minister, but Anwary’s tenure is probably the best documented in the available media investigative stories, UN reports and MEC vulnerability to corruption assessment. Jamahir Anwary, appointed in June 2010, (4) was a pharmacy graduate from Kabul University who appeared on the political scene in 2002 as a delegate of the Turkmen shura (representing Turkmen refugees in Pakistan and residents in Afghanistan) who had come to meet the interim government’s senior officials ; he was later described as ‘the newly elected representative of the Turkmen community’. (5) His ministerial tenure (from June 2010 to December 2014) will mainly be remembered for the accusations of corruption, nepotism and embezzlement of government and international aid agencies’ funds. Anwary was called in by both houses of the parliament (Wolesi Jirga and Meshrano Jirga). The first time, in February 2012, it was at the request of the Complaints Commission of the Meshrano Jirga, to answer for the appointment of his niece and two cousins in the ministry. Anwary, however, failed to show up and, instead, responded via the media saying “the three people who have been employed were interviewed by a commission [that] consisted of a representative from the ministry and a representative from UNHCR [sic].” Then, on 10 October 2013, the Wolesi Jirga summoned him for an interpellation session (isteza) , a serious matter where a minister can be sacked if he or she does not provide adequate answers to MPs’ concerns. The Afghan media reported that Anwary was summoned over allegations of graft, including embezzlement of funds, failure to clear the ministry’s power bills, anomalies in recruitment and the ministry’s overall failure to address the plight of refugees. The allegations had, by then, been well documented. A UNHCR evaluation of its Shelter Assistance Program conducted in the fall of 2012 stated that the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation was not considered a reliable partner to take over or continue UNHCR’s program, due to numerous instances of corruption, inefficiency, mishandling of funds, lack of human resources and an inability to demonstrate technical or thematic knowledge of the populations falling under the ministry’s responsibility. A year later, on 28 September 2013, the Independent Media Consortium (IMC) published an in-depth and widely publicised investigative report about corruption in the ministry. Allegations by the IMC included that Anwary had requested UNHCR to transfer tens of thousands of US dollars to the personal accounts of his family members and others. A month later, in October 2013, the MEC released its vulnerability to corruption assessment on land distribution for returnees and IDPs, also describing widespread administrative corruption, bribery, forgery, nepotism, embezzlement and poor customer service in the ministry. Although the report did not specify when these practices had taken place, it was published three years into Anwary’s tenure. The report also found that senior officials in the ministry were incompetent and the internal control mechanisms were inadequate. It also found the land distribution process to be corrupted, informal and chaotic (see previous section). Moreover, the 2013 MEC assessment indicated that, due to a sloppy and unnecessarily long procedure, the lack of a central database and widespread corrupted practices, in more than 3,500 cases in Kabul province the same plot of land had been distributed to more than one applicant. Anwary, however, survived the vote of no confidence held on 9 November 2013. His defence was that “we should not point an accusing finger at each other and instead we should jointly work to resolve the problems facing Afghan refugees.” Many thought it pointed rather to problems with the parliament . President Karzai also chosen to keep the widely discredited minister in post. New minister: new rules… and new problems When the current refugee minister Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi took over the ministry in January 2015, he faced a mammoth task. (6) He not only had to deal with a notoriously corrupt ministry, but his appointment coincided with a growing mass exodus of Afghans to Europe (see AAN previous reporting ) and pressure from European countries to ‘take back’ those who failed to get asylum. There was also the ongoing increase in IDPs due to the intensified conflict. (See the ministry’s statistics on IDPs, returnees and refugees, and the 2015 UNAMA report on civilian casualties .) On 19 May 2015, the new minister introduced what MEC, in its Ninth Six-month Progress Report (25 February 2016), described as a simplified procedure for land distribution. AAN interviews with MEC and ministry officials suggest it is not yet clear how the new procedure will work and whether the minister himself still needs to rule on who is eligible and who is not in the early stage of the application. According to MEC’s monitoring and evaluation unit, 1,534 plots have been distributed based on the new procedure. Everyone is watching to see how the new procedure will pan out. In the past, as the 2013 MEC report found, the lack of a systematic, computerised database in the ministry provided ample opportunity for forgery and corruption. There is now a database, although it is not yet fully functional – in particular, it is not yet connected to the provinces. However, there is still no streamlined bureaucratic procedure, a ‘one-stop-shop.’ The ministry has also established a legal committee to deal with the 3,500 doubly/triply distributed plots in Kabul province. According to the MEC, 800 cases have since then been resolved. The ministry has also referred several cases to the Attorney General’s Office in relation to the Kabul plots. Balkhi made these important changes after June 2015 when the High Commission on Migration chaired by President Ghani himself was established. The commission, which brings together 17 different ministries and governmental institutions, held its first meeting on 22 June 2015 . The strong political pressure from the president on refugee and migration issues is related to their high international political profile. Pressure from the president also intensified in the run-up to a UNHCR meeting in Geneva in October 2015 (see here and here ), at which aid for the refugees’ ministry was discussed. Both donors and the government had slashed the ministry’s budget earlier in the year. (7) Solutions never explored and outlook for the future After the passing of many years and the spending of billions of US dollars, Afghanistan still has huge numbers of returnees and IDPs who are landless. The fact that only a small portion of the millions who could have applied for the government’s land distribution scheme have done so hints at fundamental problems: either people lost hope and interest in the scheme, or the land offered (far from the cities, with not even basic services) was not attractive. A high number of landless returnees and IDPs in Afghanistan have clearly expressed a desire to be located near or in cities, but the government has never proposed public housing schemes which might have catered to them. Possibly, such solutions would have been seen as too ‘socialist’. Both CEO Abdullah Abdullah and President Ghani promised in their election campaigns to facilitate the return of refugees still living abroad. Part of that would have to be creating a system which helps those who have already come ‘home’. There is some sense that the government wants to clean up the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation. The spotlight is now on the ministry to see if it can rescue its damaged reputation and start helping those it is supposed to serve. (1) In 2001, the number of laws regulating land issues was rather complex: next to the constitution, more than 70 laws, edicts, decrees, orders and administrative decisions regulated the land rights. Currently, there are still over 30 different pieces of legislation. For more information on land management and land administration issues in the post-Bonn era see this detailed AREU study: Land, People, and the State in Afghanistan: 2002 – 2012 ; February 2013 See also the 2014 UNAMA report on the legal framework and the Norwegian Refugee Council’s A guide to property law in Afghanistan , Second Edition 2011. (2) In Kabul, in 2009, the informal settlements (where settlers included poor people, urban migrants, returnees and IDPs) made up an estimated 69 per cent of the city’s residential area (from Sheila Reed and Connor Foley, Land and Property: Challenges and Opportunities for Returnees and IDPs in Afghanistan, unpublished report prepared for the Norwegian Refugee Council, June 2009). (3) A permanent ownership deed is supposed to be given by the municipality after five years (article 13), while the beneficiary has to refrain from selling the land for ten years (article 11). The six stages of the whole process are: 1 submission of the application and identity check; 2 checking the proof of repatriation or internal displacement; 3 recording and registering, determining whether this is a deserving or non-deserving applicant; 4 payment and allocation of the land; 5 receiving a temporary deed, after completion of 30-40 per cent of the construction work; 6 receiving permanent ownership. (4) Between December 2009 and June 2010, Karzai tried to complete his cabinet three times, but never managed to get approval for the full cabinet. In the end, six of the 25 ministries continued to be headed by acting ministers. See previous AAN reporting on this issue here , here and here . (5) Anwary’s official biography also has him as the leader of the Turkmen Peace Council and a member of a leading delegation of carpet traders. He was a delegate for the 2002 Emergency Loya Jirga and, from 2006-10, the Director General for Pharmacy in the Ministry of Public Health. (6) Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, Abdullah Abdullah’s appointee, was approved by the Wolesi Jirga on 26 January 2015. He is a Shia Sayed from Balkh, a religious scholar and founder of one of the small jihadi parties that fought the Soviet occupation, was backed by Iran and formed Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami in 1989. He was elected as an MP in both the 2005 and 2010 elections and resigned in 2013 to run as vice president to Gul Agha Sherzai in the 2014 presidential elections (see AAN earlier dispatches here and here ) (7) The Afghan government slashed the discretionary development budget for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation from 1.2 million US dollars in 2014-15 to 250,000 in 2015-16, due to budgetary constraints and the ministry’s poor expenditure track record. The operational budget for the ministry for 2015-16 was 3 million US dollars. Additionally, aid funds had been on hold for most of 2015 (see, for example, SIGAR’s recommendations to the US government in its August 2015 report ); it was concerned about the widespread corruption in the ministry during the last cabinet of the Karzai government. The ministry’s 2016-17 operational budget is 3.9 US dollars. The development budget, both discretionary and non-discretionary, is 3.7 million US dollars.	i don't know
Sacked whistleblower Cheryl Eckard was awarded $96m compensation against what pharmaceuticals corporation following malpractice at the Cidra plant in Puerto Rico?	Health Care Renewal: GlaxoSmithKline Subsidiary Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Adulterated Drugs: Three Strikes and ...? GlaxoSmithKline Subsidiary Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Adulterated Drugs: Three Strikes and ...? Paxil First there was Paxil (Seroxat in the UK, or paroxetine), the anti-depressant whose marketing lead GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to settle allegations of fraud brought by then New York Attorney General Elliott Spitzer in 2004. That case included allegations of suppression and manipulation of clinical research, and was discussed in great detail in the book Side Effects by Alison Bass. We posted about various aspects of this case, e.g., more recently here , here , and here . Avandia Then there was Avandia (rosiglitazone), the anti-diabetic drug whose use was just restricted by the US Food and Drug Administration. This GlaxoSmithKline product inspired a "spin cycle" which provided us with endless grist for the Health Care Renewal mill. A good summary of the case appeared in September in the British Medical Journal (Cohen D. Rosiglitazone: what went wrong: Brit Med J 2010; 341: 530-534. Link here ) Once again, it appears that research was suppressed and manipulated (e.g., see here ), Avandia critics were attacked by "experts" whose financial relationships with GSK were not always obvious (e.g., see here ), and there were allegations that GSK executives tried to intimidate those who disagreed with them (e.g., see here and here ). Adulterated Drugs And now it is adulterated drugs. Here is the version from Bloomberg: GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the U.K.’s largest drugmaker, will pay $750 million to settle a U.S. whistleblower lawsuit over the sale of defective drugs. Glaxo and the U.S. Justice Department announced the agreement yesterday, resolving a false-claims lawsuit first filed in 2004 by Cheryl D. Eckard, a former global quality assurance manager for the London-based company. 'This is not something I wanted to do, but because of patient safety it was necessary,' Eckard, 51, told reporters following a Justice Department press conference in Boston. As a whistleblower, she will receive $96 million from the settlement money. Glaxo was accused in court papers of selling tainted drugs under false pretenses. The medicines, made at a Glaxo plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico, were misidentified as a result of product mix-ups, according to papers filed in federal court in Boston. The affected drugs included the antidepressant Paxil CR and the diabetes treatment Avandamet. [Note that this is a combination drug that includes Avandia - ed] The settlement includes a criminal fine and forfeiture totaling $150 million and a $600 million civil settlement under the False Claims Act and related state claims, the Justice Department said in a statement. 'We will not tolerate corporate attempts to profit at the expense of the ill and needy in our society -- or those who cut corners that result in potentially dangerous consequences to consumers,' Carmen M. Ortiz, the U.S. Attorney in Boston, said at yesterday’s news conference. SB Pharmco Puerto Rico Inc., a Glaxo unit, agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to the manufacture and distribution of adulterated drugs made at the now-shuttered plant, the Justice Department said. Glaxo said in July it had agreed in principle with the U.S. to pay 500 million pounds ($791 million) to resolve the investigation. 'We regret that we operated the Cidra facility in a manner that was inconsistent with current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements and with GSK’s commitment to manufacturing quality,' PD Villarreal, a Glaxo senior vice president, said in an e-mailed statement. Eckard’s take is the largest ever for a single whistleblower, said Patrick Burns, spokesman for Taxpayers Against Fraud, a nonprofit Washington group that publicizes the use of legal means to combat fraud against the U.S. The federal government will receive $436.4 million from the settlement and participating states will split as much as $163.6 million, the Justice Department said. Other drugs made at the plant include Kytril, an anti- nausea medication, and Bactroban, an ointment used to treat skin infections, the Justice Department said. 'The false claims arose out of chronic, serious deficiencies in the quality assurance function at the Cidra plant and the defendants’ ongoing serious violations of the laws and regulations designed to ensure the fitness of drug products for use,' the government said in court papers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 seized some Paxil CR lots after it was discovered that the pills sometimes split inappropriately, according to court papers. Some of the pills lacked an active ingredient. It seems that not only questions about GSK sponsored clinical research about and GSK marketing of Paxil and Avandia, but the company has problems even supplying tablets that contain the pure drugs at the right dose. Summary and Discussion First, this is another dreary marcher in the parade of legal settlements that we have now been chronicling for years. This case has some particular features. It included a guilty plea to a crime. Although the allegations included fraud, the fundamental problem seemed to be the selling of adulterated, impure drugs. So my first comment is that this is the latest instance of a major pharmaceutical company not being able to fulfill its most basic responsibility and reason for being, the manufacture of pure, unadulterated drugs. We previously discussed problems with adulterated drugs made by Baxter International and Johnson and Johnson . We have discussed, seemingly endlessly, how big health care corporations, including but certainly not limited to pharmaceutical companies, have engaged in various sophisticated deceptions involving marketing and clinical research to sell more products at higher prices. Now it seems that while these companies have put so much of their resources into marketing and public relations, not necessarily in honest ways, they have neglected to put the necessary expertise and resources into their most basic manufacturing functions. So while drug industry sycophants prattle on endless about life-saving innovations, not only have industry marketing and research become less trustworthy, but now we cannot even trust the companies to supply the drug that is on the label in a pure form at the labelled dose. My next comment is that this is the third big case involving GlaxoSmithKline reported in the last few years. (Although, like the previous cases, the events that lead to recent relevations actually occurred over the last 10+ years.) This would suggest that there is a serious problem with the culture, leadership, and governance at this corporation. Maybe one reason such problems are allowed to fester is that in the current case, like the last two involving GSK, and as is typical for the legal settlements and crimes we have discussed before, no individuals who authorized, directed, or implemented the problematic behavior seem to have suffered any negative consequences or paid any penalty. In fact, the Guardian just pointed out : Five of the six senior GlaxoSmithKline executives cited by a whistleblower as part of a cover-up of contamination problems at the group's Puerto Rico factory are understood to still be employed by the pharmaceuticals company. Cheryl Eckard, who was sacked by the company as a quality control manager in 2003 after repeatedly raising her concerns with a series of GSK executives, received a $96m (£61m) reward this week as part of a $750m criminal and civil settlement between US regulators and the company. Her evidence stated that she believed company executives refused to acknowledge the gravity of the production violations – which included the wrong strength of pills being shipped – because it would delay the approval of two new drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration. The court documents allege that Eckard, who had recommended the factory be shut until the issues were resolved, communicated the quality violations at the plant in Cidra to David Pulman, president of global manufacturing and supply; Janice Whitaker, senior vice president of global quality; Peter Savin, vice president of global quality assurance; Diane Sevigny, director of global quality assurance, risk management and compliance; and Jonathan Box, vice president of manufacturing and supply for North America. All five executives are believed to be still working for the London-listed company, while Pulman is also a member of the company's 18-strong corporate executive team, which includes chief executive Andrew Witty. As we have said endlessly, penalties that only appear to be (relatively small) costs of doing business are unlikely to deter future bad behavior. Until the people who actually authorized, directed and implemented the bad behavior have to suffer some negative consequences, expect the bad behavior to continue. When it comes to health care's leadership, society seems to have acceded to defining deviancy down. Until we start holding health care leaders to high standards, expect their organizations not to uphold high standards. Further, expect organizations that did not uphold high standards in one instance to fail to uphold them in other instances. See also comments on the Postscript blog . Posted by	GlaxoSmithKline
What capital city was devastated by the 2010 Haiti earthquake?	Health Care Renewal: October 2010 Health Care Renewal Addressing threats to health care's core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power. Advocating for accountability, integrity, transparency, honesty and ethics in leadership and governance of health care. Sunday, October 31, 2010 Hoffman and Podgurski: A relatively lawless industry and "meaningful use" of health IT, with safety as an afterthought In their article "Meaningful Use and Certification of Health Information Technology: What About Safety?" (free PDF here ), Sharona Hoffman (Professor of Law and Bioethics and Co‐Director of the Law‐Medicine Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Law) and Andy Podgurski (Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case Western Reserve) make an important case for what I've previously described as "putting the cart before the horse." At my Oct. 1, 2010 post " Cart before the horse, again: IOM to study HIT patient safety for ONC " I argued that the IOM was only called in to study HIT safety after plans for national rollout were put into law, and a "stimulus to adoption" (with penalties for refusniks) financed at the cost of tens of billions of dollars. I found this approach to HIT and the sequencing of events - the development of "meaningful use" criteria before usability and safety criteria - quite cavalier. Hoffman and Podgurski go a step further. They begin: In the summer of 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published three sets of regulations to implement ARRA. This article briefly describes and critiques the regulations, arguing that (1) they fail to appropriately address HIT safety and (2) further steps must be taken to protect patients and serve public health needs in the new digital era. After a brief review of the Meaningful Use and "Certification" (a.k.a. features qualification) regulations and programs, they go on to critique those regulations and programs as a "step towards comprehensive oversight", but a very deficient step considering the ambitions and timelines of the HITECH act and the federal government. They aptly note (along with with footnotes): ... While advocates argue that computerization will reduce errors, numerous recent reports have demonstrated that the opposite can be true. Hospitals have experienced incidents in which doctors’ orders were posted to the wrong patient charts and electronic drug orders were not delivered to nurses who needed to dispense them to patients. A published 2009 review of almost 56,000 CPOE prescriptions found that approximately 1% of them contained errors. Patients who do not receive needed medication or whose treatment is otherwise mismanaged because of software or usability problems can suffer catastrophic consequences. General system safety is a property that is attainable only through rigorous processes for development and evaluation. [Evaluations of the kind the healthcare IT industry seems to have steadfastly circumvented and avoided - ed.] However, the regulations do not address certification of EHR vendors’ software development processes or even require vendors to analyze and mitigate potential safety hazards. [In other words, they are essentially meaningless in terms of HIT safety - ed.] Furthermore, ATCBs [ONC 'Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies'] will use testing requirements developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that are apparently intended only to determine whether systems include certain features. Passing such tests is not sufficient to ensure that those features function properly in the long term and under varied operating conditions. [In other words, a preflight checklist will be conducted of aircraft that have rarely or never actually flown, to declare them flight ready for the amateur pilot - ed.] They note the obvious: Meticulous testing of EHR products is critical to their safety. Because of the government’s lucrative incentive payments, many new vendors may attempt to enter the market and to quickly produce EHR systems whose quality is unproven and perhaps dubious. A key passage in this article is this: Admittedly, clinical evaluation of new products poses challenges for vendors who would need to find facilities willing to accept the administrative burdens of assessing systems that may ultimately fail. [In other words, it will cost them to improve the safety of their products, a core competency they should have developed decades ago - ed.] Such facilities would also experience delays in receiving incentive payments because they would use uncertified systems during the evaluation period. However, certification of HIT that has not been thoroughly evaluated is no more responsible than approval of medications or devices that have not been carefully scrutinized by the FDA "No more responsible than approval of medications not scrutinized by FDA" is quite on target. I personally would use a stronger term than deficient responsibility, however: deliberate reckless indifference to health IT safety seems more descriptive. The authors do note that: The delegation of EHR approval responsibilities to ATCBs will ease HHS’s regulatory burdens and likely supply an adequate pool of experts for HIT testing. HHS is authorized to monitor ATCBs through on‐site visits, reports, and review of documentation. It remains to be seen if these measures will ensure that ATCB members are qualified, competent, and free of conflict of interest. These issues will become more critical if HHS eventually requires rigorous clinical testing of EHR systems as described above. Considering the track record of the pharma and medical device industries as presented in many case examples at this blog, "qualified, competent, and free of conflict of interest" is a tall order indeed for the health IT industry and its "certifiers." The authors again state the obvious (albeit an "inconvenient truth"): ... it is naive to assume that any use of HIT is better than no use of HIT. [This warning echoes the "use equals success" fallacy as described by Karsh et al. in their recent JAMIA article described here - ed.] EHR systems constitute complex technology that can introduce errors as well as prevent them. Medical errors can occur because of computer bugs, computer shut‐downs, or user mistakes that may be attributable to a flawed user interface. Through communication tools, electronic ordering, decision support features, and data management, EHR systems will guide many aspects of patient care. Treatment success will often depend on their proper functioning. They conclude: HHS’ new regulations constitute positive first steps and a laudable reversal of a relatively lawless approach to EHR system design and deployment. Previously, the only certification program was offered by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, a private industry group that was not subject to regulation. I used terms such as "wild west", "out of control" and "pre-Flexnerian" to describe the HIT industry. That an attorney would use the term "lawless" seems quite fitting to describe similar observations. Finally, they state: Still, much more work must be done to protect public health in the digital era. We urge that future meaningful use and certification criteria and the post‐2011 permanent certification program be more attentive to safety issues. EHR system approval should be no less rigorous than the FDA’s process for drug and device approval because HIT is as safety‐critical for patients. A prime criterion for certification should be a documented history of safe operations in a number of clinical environments. The federal government would be wise to focus less on the speed of EHR adoption and more on product quality. Only through sufficient safeguards for EHR system safety can this technology fulfill its promise to dramatically improve individual and public health outcomes. In my opinion, the HITECH timelines are far too ambitious (I sense a similar sentiment "between the lines" in the above passage). Perhaps it's time for those timelines to be revisited. A new Congress should take that on, or defund HITECH and rewrite it to prevent patient harm and AHLTA and UK NPfIT-like debacles, to save billions of taxpayer dollars we really don't have to spare at the moment. -- SS GlaxoSmithKline Subsidiary Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Adulterated Drugs: Three Strikes and ...? Paxil First there was Paxil (Seroxat in the UK, or paroxetine), the anti-depressant whose marketing lead GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to settle allegations of fraud brought by then New York Attorney General Elliott Spitzer in 2004. That case included allegations of suppression and manipulation of clinical research, and was discussed in great detail in the book Side Effects by Alison Bass. We posted about various aspects of this case, e.g., more recently here , here , and here . Avandia Then there was Avandia (rosiglitazone), the anti-diabetic drug whose use was just restricted by the US Food and Drug Administration. This GlaxoSmithKline product inspired a "spin cycle" which provided us with endless grist for the Health Care Renewal mill. A good summary of the case appeared in September in the British Medical Journal (Cohen D. Rosiglitazone: what went wrong: Brit Med J 2010; 341: 530-534. Link here ) Once again, it appears that research was suppressed and manipulated (e.g., see here ), Avandia critics were attacked by "experts" whose financial relationships with GSK were not always obvious (e.g., see here ), and there were allegations that GSK executives tried to intimidate those who disagreed with them (e.g., see here and here ). Adulterated Drugs And now it is adulterated drugs. Here is the version from Bloomberg: GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the U.K.’s largest drugmaker, will pay $750 million to settle a U.S. whistleblower lawsuit over the sale of defective drugs. Glaxo and the U.S. Justice Department announced the agreement yesterday, resolving a false-claims lawsuit first filed in 2004 by Cheryl D. Eckard, a former global quality assurance manager for the London-based company. 'This is not something I wanted to do, but because of patient safety it was necessary,' Eckard, 51, told reporters following a Justice Department press conference in Boston. As a whistleblower, she will receive $96 million from the settlement money. Glaxo was accused in court papers of selling tainted drugs under false pretenses. The medicines, made at a Glaxo plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico, were misidentified as a result of product mix-ups, according to papers filed in federal court in Boston. The affected drugs included the antidepressant Paxil CR and the diabetes treatment Avandamet. [Note that this is a combination drug that includes Avandia - ed] The settlement includes a criminal fine and forfeiture totaling $150 million and a $600 million civil settlement under the False Claims Act and related state claims, the Justice Department said in a statement. 'We will not tolerate corporate attempts to profit at the expense of the ill and needy in our society -- or those who cut corners that result in potentially dangerous consequences to consumers,' Carmen M. Ortiz, the U.S. Attorney in Boston, said at yesterday’s news conference. SB Pharmco Puerto Rico Inc., a Glaxo unit, agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to the manufacture and distribution of adulterated drugs made at the now-shuttered plant, the Justice Department said. Glaxo said in July it had agreed in principle with the U.S. to pay 500 million pounds ($791 million) to resolve the investigation. 'We regret that we operated the Cidra facility in a manner that was inconsistent with current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements and with GSK’s commitment to manufacturing quality,' PD Villarreal, a Glaxo senior vice president, said in an e-mailed statement. Eckard’s take is the largest ever for a single whistleblower, said Patrick Burns, spokesman for Taxpayers Against Fraud, a nonprofit Washington group that publicizes the use of legal means to combat fraud against the U.S. The federal government will receive $436.4 million from the settlement and participating states will split as much as $163.6 million, the Justice Department said. Other drugs made at the plant include Kytril, an anti- nausea medication, and Bactroban, an ointment used to treat skin infections, the Justice Department said. 'The false claims arose out of chronic, serious deficiencies in the quality assurance function at the Cidra plant and the defendants’ ongoing serious violations of the laws and regulations designed to ensure the fitness of drug products for use,' the government said in court papers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 seized some Paxil CR lots after it was discovered that the pills sometimes split inappropriately, according to court papers. Some of the pills lacked an active ingredient. It seems that not only questions about GSK sponsored clinical research about and GSK marketing of Paxil and Avandia, but the company has problems even supplying tablets that contain the pure drugs at the right dose. Summary and Discussion First, this is another dreary marcher in the parade of legal settlements that we have now been chronicling for years. This case has some particular features. It included a guilty plea to a crime. Although the allegations included fraud, the fundamental problem seemed to be the selling of adulterated, impure drugs. So my first comment is that this is the latest instance of a major pharmaceutical company not being able to fulfill its most basic responsibility and reason for being, the manufacture of pure, unadulterated drugs. We previously discussed problems with adulterated drugs made by Baxter International and Johnson and Johnson . We have discussed, seemingly endlessly, how big health care corporations, including but certainly not limited to pharmaceutical companies, have engaged in various sophisticated deceptions involving marketing and clinical research to sell more products at higher prices. Now it seems that while these companies have put so much of their resources into marketing and public relations, not necessarily in honest ways, they have neglected to put the necessary expertise and resources into their most basic manufacturing functions. So while drug industry sycophants prattle on endless about life-saving innovations, not only have industry marketing and research become less trustworthy, but now we cannot even trust the companies to supply the drug that is on the label in a pure form at the labelled dose. My next comment is that this is the third big case involving GlaxoSmithKline reported in the last few years. (Although, like the previous cases, the events that lead to recent relevations actually occurred over the last 10+ years.) This would suggest that there is a serious problem with the culture, leadership, and governance at this corporation. Maybe one reason such problems are allowed to fester is that in the current case, like the last two involving GSK, and as is typical for the legal settlements and crimes we have discussed before, no individuals who authorized, directed, or implemented the problematic behavior seem to have suffered any negative consequences or paid any penalty. In fact, the Guardian just pointed out : Five of the six senior GlaxoSmithKline executives cited by a whistleblower as part of a cover-up of contamination problems at the group's Puerto Rico factory are understood to still be employed by the pharmaceuticals company. Cheryl Eckard, who was sacked by the company as a quality control manager in 2003 after repeatedly raising her concerns with a series of GSK executives, received a $96m (£61m) reward this week as part of a $750m criminal and civil settlement between US regulators and the company. Her evidence stated that she believed company executives refused to acknowledge the gravity of the production violations – which included the wrong strength of pills being shipped – because it would delay the approval of two new drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration. The court documents allege that Eckard, who had recommended the factory be shut until the issues were resolved, communicated the quality violations at the plant in Cidra to David Pulman, president of global manufacturing and supply; Janice Whitaker, senior vice president of global quality; Peter Savin, vice president of global quality assurance; Diane Sevigny, director of global quality assurance, risk management and compliance; and Jonathan Box, vice president of manufacturing and supply for North America. All five executives are believed to be still working for the London-listed company, while Pulman is also a member of the company's 18-strong corporate executive team, which includes chief executive Andrew Witty. As we have said endlessly, penalties that only appear to be (relatively small) costs of doing business are unlikely to deter future bad behavior. Until the people who actually authorized, directed and implemented the bad behavior have to suffer some negative consequences, expect the bad behavior to continue. When it comes to health care's leadership, society seems to have acceded to defining deviancy down. Until we start holding health care leaders to high standards, expect their organizations not to uphold high standards. Further, expect organizations that did not uphold high standards in one instance to fail to uphold them in other instances. See also comments on the Postscript blog . Posted by THAT’S EDUCATION! You can’t make this stuff up. This week I received a cheerful E-mail from a well known academic key opinion leader or KOL. Only the E-mail didn’t really come from Dr. Ian Cook at UCLA. It really came from a company called PeerView Institute for Medical Education. The E-mail offered on-line CME content with the topic Essential Aspects to Building a Therapeutic Alliance Between Patients and Practitioners for the Treatment of Mood Disorders. Whenever I see an anodyne title like that I know there’s trouble ahead. The content came in the form of a dialogue between Dr. Cook and another well known academic KOL, Dr. Michael Thase from Penn. Beneath two prominent corporate logos, a disclosure stated This activity is supported by educational grants from AstraZeneca LP and Lilly USA, LLC. Another disclosure stated This CME/CNE/CPE activity is jointly sponsored by Purdue University College of Pharmacy and PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education. The program also states This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Purdue University College of Pharmacy and PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education. Purdue University College of Pharmacy, an equal access/equal opportunity institution, is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. I happen to know Dr. Cook and Dr. Thase, so already I am thinking why are these productive academic researchers from first tier universities doing a yawner CME gig like this? Then I get it. Most academic physicians have been told by now that they may no longer speak for hire at dinners and events sponsored by Pharma. You know, the sort of thing that Charles Nemeroff tried to pass off as CME-like, only Senator Grassley wasn’t buying it . So now the action has moved to commercial CME activities that carry the imprimatur of ACCME, thus confirming the principle that the flow of marketing money must find an outlet. My jaundiced view of ACCME’s performance and credibility is a matter of record . For that matter, I am on record with a jaundiced view of the entire CME business. Here is what I said back in 2008. …Continuing Medical Education (CME) is a second front in the campaign to expand (drug markets). The standard formula calls for corporate sponsorship channeled through an “unrestricted educational grant” to a medical education communications company (MECC). The MECC employs writers to prepare the “educational content,” and academic KOLs are recruited to deliver this content. The KOLs are chosen for their willingness to be “on message” for the corporate sponsor. If they go “off message” they know they will not be invited back. The talk of “unrestricted grants” is window dressing. The MECC also secures the imprimatur of a nationally accredited CME sponsor, typically an academic institution. The sponsor is paid to certify that the CME program meets the standards of the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Everybody turns a buck: the MECC and its staff are handsomely paid (CME is now a multi-billion dollar business); the KOLs are generously rewarded with honoraria and perquisites; the academic sponsor is well paid by the MECC; the ACCME receives dues from the academic sponsor; the audience obtains free CME credits rather than having to pay for these required educational experiences; and the corporate sponsor gets what it considers value for its marketing dollar. So, I approached this free on-line CME offering with a good deal of skepticism. Most of the content was pedestrian and scripted – not because these KOLs couldn’t have done better but because someone at the MECC scripted it for them. Someone at the MECC also put the slides together, about which more in a moment. The material was formulaic, a succession of clinical banalities accompanied by Power Point slides that said everything and nothing. I cannot imagine that a physician would learn anything substantive from these educational tropes. The impresarios at PeerView Institute for Medical Education, funded by Lilly and AstraZeneca, came through with the desired spin. The corporate sponsors obtained the soft messaging they wanted. Their products olanzapine and quetiapine were not promoted overtly, but it was surely gratifying that the content emphasized the accepted place of such second generation antipsychotic drugs as a class in mood stabilization for bipolar disorder and in augmentation for nonresponsive major depression. This soft messaging was delivered with the appearance of authority, within a package of algorithms, strategies, Venn diagrams, and measurement tools that featured potential upsides but gave hardly a nod to the worrisome side effects of such drugs, especially in depressed patients . And it surely was no accident that the sponsors’ drugs appeared as exemplars in slides and in the follow-up questions – another form of soft messaging. Finally, I came upon incontrovertible evidence that these KOLs did not prepare the educational content of the program. A slide that discussed antidepressant drug options contained a panel dealing with the MAO Inhibitors (MAOIs). This class of antidepressant drug appeared in the 1950s, and MAOIs still have a limited place in clinical practice. The information given about the MAOI drugs in the enduring material (slide) of this program, however, is dated, inaccurate, and dangerous. Here is the relevant section of the slide. CLASS MAOIs (eg, benmoxin, hydralazine phenelzine, pheniprazine) EFFICACY ↓ efficacy compared to TCAs 4 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS • Drowsiness, dizziness, loss of visual acuity, GI side effects, insomnia, irritability 4 What’s wrong with this? Plenty. Benmoxin has never been marketed in the US and was discontinued in Europe many years ago. Hydralazine is not an MAOI but an antihypertensive agent. Pheniprazine was discontinued many years ago due to marked toxicity. Meanwhile there is no mention of tranylcypromine or selegiline or moclobemide, which are in current use. The listing of hydralazine, which has no antidepressant activity, is especially dangerous. Likewise, the laundry list of side effects manages to omit the single most important problem with the MAOI class – potentially lethal dietary and drug interactions. There is only one way to say it – this educational content is incompetent, reckless, and dangerous. I know both the KOLs well enough to be certain they would never develop such educational content themselves. So, who did develop it? Some functionary at PeerView Institute for Medical Education, who had no clue what s/he was doing. Compounding the problem, the Purdue University College of Pharmacy waved through this incompetent material for CME credit. If the Purdue University College of Pharmacy wants to provide continuing education for pharmacists, fine. But I draw the line at allowing an institution that does not train physicians to provide continuing education for physicians. I do not understand why this is permitted by ACCME. On the evidence of this program, the Purdue University College of Pharmacy lacks the expertise to provide continuing education for physicians. The standard is simple. The standard is not ‘we try to ensure accuracy’… the standard is we get it right – that’s what our role models teach us in medical school and residency training. These KOLs are accountable for the reckless errors in this content because they allowed their names to be featured as the authorities. Plainly, they did not develop the educational content and they did not take the time to review the enduring materials as their accountability required. Why have the deans of US medical schools not banned academic physicians from participating in such commercial CME gigs? It is no secret how phony these events are. Why not help these busy academic clinical scientists to maintain their focus by limiting them to educational programs at academic medical centers and at meetings and functions genuinely sponsored by professional medical societies? As the present example shows, anything else is business as usual under cover of a fig leaf. I want to be clear that I have enjoyed friendly relationships with Ian Cook and Michael Thase for a long time. It’s not personal, it’s about standards and it’s about tradecraft. If academic KOLs are too busy to maintain standards and tradecraft then they should pass up these educational charades. For shame, guys. Bernard Carroll RUC It Up - How the US Government Fixes Physicians' Payments Becomes Less Anechoic We have frequently posted, first here in 2007 , and most recently here and here , about the little-known group that controls how the US Medicare system pays physicians, the RBRVS Update Committee, or RUC. Since 1991, Medicare as set physicians' payments using the Resource Based Relative Value System (RBRVS), ostensibly based on a rational formula to tie physicians' pay to the time and effort the expend, and the resources they consume on particular patient care activities. Although the RBRVS was meant to level the payment playing field for cognitive services, including primary care, vs procedures, over time it has had the opposite effect, as explained by Bodenheimer et al in a 1997 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine.(1) A system that pays a lot for procedures, but much less for diagnosing illnesses, forecasting prognoses, deciding on treatment, understanding patients' values and preferences, when procedures and devices are not involved, is likely to be very expensive, but not necessarily very good for patients. As we wrote before , to update the system, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) relies almost exclusively on the advice of the RBRVS Update Committee . The RUC is a private committee of the AMA, touted as an "expert panel" that takes advantage of the organization's First Amendment rights to petition the government. Membership on the RUC is allotted to represent specialty societies, so that the vast majority of the members represent specialties that do procedures and focus on expensive, high-technology tests and treatments. However, the identities of RUC members are opaque, and the proceedings of the group are secret. To expand on the penultimate point, the current page on the AMA web-site that describes the RUC only lists its members in terms of their specialties and organizational affiliation. Their names do not appear. A response to a previous post by me on the subject by the then Chair and Chair-Elect of the RUC suggested that the RUC membership is not quite secret. They stated that "a list of the individual members of the RUC is published in the AMA publication, Medicare RBRVS 2009: The Physicians Guide." This publication is available from the AMA here for a mere $71.95. However, the book is not on the web, or in my local or university library, and I have no other way to easily access it. Thus, the RUC membership as at best relatively opaque. To expand on the ultimate point, as Goodson(2) noted, RUC "meetings are closed to outside observers except by invitation of the chair." Furthermore, he stated, "proceedings are proprietary and therefore not publicly available for review." The fog surrounding the operations of the RUC seems to have affected many who write about. We have posted ( here , here , here , and here ) about how previous publications about problems with incentives provided to physicians seemed to have avoided even mentioning the RUC. Up until now in 2010, after the US recent attempt at health care reform, the RUC seems to remain the great unmentionable. Even the leading US medical journal seems reluctant to even print its name. That has just changed. A combined effort by the Wall Street Journal, the Center for Public Integrity, and Kaiser yielded two major articles about the RUC, here in the WSJ (also with two more spin-off articles), and here from the Center for Public Integrity (also reprinted by Kaiser Health News.) The articles cover the main points about the RUC: its de facto control over how physicians are paid, its "secretive" nature (quoting the WSJ article), how it appears to favor procedures over cognitive physician services, etc. So the RUC has suddenly become less anechoic. However, despite the best efforts of some very good investigative reporters, there still are important unanswered questions, questions we have raised before : How did the government come to fix the payments physicians receive? Government price-fixing has not been popular in the US, yet this has caused no outcry. Why is the process by which they are fixed allowed to be so opaque and unaccountable? Why are there no public hearings on the updates, and why is there no input from practicing physicians or organizations other than those related to the RUC? How did the RUC become de facto in charge of this process? Why does the AMA keep the membership on the RUC so opaque, and give no input into the RUC process to its general membership? Why is the RUC membership so dominated by procedural specialists? Why were primary care physicians, who made up at least a sizable minority of physicians when the update process was started, not represented according to their numbers? Why has there been so little discussion of the RUC and its responsibility for an extremely expensive health care system dominated by high-technology, expensive, risky and invasive procedures? Without discussing how the incentives for physicians became so unbalanced, do we really expect we can fix them? If we do not fix them, do we really think we can "bend the cost curve?" If we do not control our costs, do we really think that we will be able to make good health care accessible for all? At least now I can say that the issue may really be in play for health care professionals, health care policy experts, and the public at large. ADDENDUM - Additionally, see comments on the Retired Doc's Thoughts blog , and the Running a Hospital blog . References 1. Bodenheimer T, Berenson RA, Rudolf P. The primary care-specialty income gap: why it matters. Ann Intern Med 2007; 146: 301-306. (Link here .) 2. Goodson JD. Unintended consequences of Resource-Based Relative Value Scale reimbursement. JAMA 2007; 298(19):2308-2310. (Link here .) Posted by Not "the Best and the Brightest" - Drug Marketers and the Creation of "Thought Leaders" A combined investigative reporting effort by Pro Publica , partnering with the Boston Globe, Consumers Reports, the Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting System on seven major pharmaceutical companies' payments to doctors who make speeches on the companies' behalf has gotten a lot of press. It inspired several separate reviews by news organizations in Colorado , Illinois , Minnesota , Ohio , Washington , etc on local doctors who were paid to talk. Many of my fellow health care skeptic bloggers, including the Carlat Psychiatry Blog , Hooked: Ethics,Medicine and Pharma blog , the Health Beat blog , have been all over this story. Yet I think it is reasonable to underline three important points. Not the Brightest Pharmaceutical and other health care corporations are fond of saying that the doctors they hire to give talks are the "best and the brightest," thought leaders respected by other physicians. In fact, the lead article by Pro Publica suggested that some of these supposed "best and the brightest" have dubious credentials, indeed. Some were not board-certified, and lacked credentials suggesting great expertise: Among the top-paid speakers, some had impressive resumes, clearly demonstrating their expertise as researchers or specialists. But others did not –contrary to the standards the companies say they follow. Forty five who earned in excess of $100,000 did not have board certification in any specialty, suggesting they had not completed advanced training and passed a comprehensive exam. Some of those doctors and others also lacked published research, academic appointments or leadership roles in professional societies. In summary, Pharma companies often say their physician salesmen are chosen for their expertise. Glaxo, for example, said it selects 'highly qualified experts in their field, well-respected by their peers and, in the case of speakers, good presenters.' ProPublica found that some top speakers are experts mainly because the companies have deemed them such. Several acknowledge that they are regularly called upon because they are willing to speak when, where and how the companies need them to. Not the Best Worse, some of the pharmaceutical paid speakers had records of ethical problems. A review of physician licensing records in the 15 most-populous states and three others found sanctions against more than 250 speakers, including some of the highest paid. Their misconduct included inappropriately prescribing drugs, providing poor care or having sex with patients. Some of the doctors had even lost their licenses. More than 40 have received FDA warnings for research misconduct, lost hospital privileges or been convicted of crimes. And at least 20 more have had two or more malpractice judgments or settlements. This accounting is by no means complete; many state regulators don’t post these actions on their web sites. The Pro Publica story lead with three disturbing anecdotes: The Ohio medical board concluded [1] that pain physician William D. Leak had performed 'unnecessary' nerve tests on 20 patients and subjected some to 'an excessive number of invasive procedures,' including injections of agents that destroy nerve tissue. Yet the finding, posted on the board’s public website, didn’t prevent Eli Lilly and Co. from using him as a promotional speaker and adviser. The company has paid him $85,450 since 2009. In 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered [2] Pennsylvania doctor James I. McMillen to stop 'false or misleading' promotions of the painkiller Celebrex, saying he minimized risks and touted it for unapproved uses. Still, three other leading drug makers paid the rheumatologist $224,163 over 18 months to deliver talks to other physicians about their drugs. And in Georgia, a state appeals court in 2004 upheld [3] a hospital’s decision to kick Dr. Donald Ray Taylor off its staff. The anesthesiologist had admitted giving young female patients rectal and vaginal exams without documenting why. He’d also been accused of exposing women’s breasts during medical procedures. When confronted by a hospital official, Taylor said, 'Maybe I am a pervert, I honestly don’t know,' according to the appellate court ruling. Last year, Taylor was Cephalon's third-highest-paid speaker out of more than 900. He received $142,050 in 2009 and another $52,400 through June. It also included: The Medical Board of California filed a public accusation against psychiatrist Karin Hastik in 2008 and placed her [8] on five years’ probation in May for gross negligence in her care of a patient. A monitor must observe her practice. Kentucky’s medical board placed Dr. Van Breeding on probation [9] from 2005 to 2008. In a stipulation filed with the board, Breeding admits unethical and unprofessional conduct. Reviewing 23 patient records, a consultant found Breeding often that gave addictive pain killers without clear justification. He also voluntarily relinquished his Florida license. New York’s medical board put Dr. Tulio Ortega on two years’ probation [10] in 2008 after he pleaded no contest to falsifying records to show he had treated four patients when he had not. Louisiana’s medical board, acting on the New York discipline, also put him on probation [11] this year. Yet during 2009 and 2010, Hastik made $168,658 from Lilly, Glaxo and AstraZeneca. Ortega was paid $110,928 from Lilly and AstraZeneca. Breeding took in $37,497 from four of the firms. The Biggest Prescribers = "Thought Leaders" An accompanying NPR story suggested that most physicians are recruited as speakers because they are big prescribers of the drugs the companies want to market, with the expectation that they will be even bigger prescribers once they start giving paid talks. Furthermore, the companies' representatives use a carefully programmed psychological strategy to allow the physicians they recruit to think they are being paid as "thought leaders" to give educational talks. Drug companies train representatives to approach a narrow set of doctors in a very specific way, using language that deliberately fosters this idea that the doctors who speak are educators, and not just educators, but the smartest of the smart. For example, every drug representative interviewed for this story used the exact same phrase when approaching a doctor with a pitch to become a speaker: Each doctor approached to speak was told that he was being recruited to serve as a "thought leader." This phrase, Webb says, seems to have incredible psychological power. 'When you do say 'thought leader' I think it's a huge ego boost for the physicians,' Webb says. 'It's like a feather in their cap. They get a lot from it.' This is because most doctors have a very specific idea in mind when you ask them what constitutes a thought leader. Most doctors, including Clawson, cite two important qualifications. 'First, the other doctors in the community respect that person's opinion,' Clawson says. 'And the other way to become a 'thought leader' is to become an academic researcher and try to push the bounds of science further, and then by definition you're a thought leader.' But some drug representatives, like Maher, have a more cynical view of why drug companies choose the doctors they choose. It's not about how well respected the doctor is, according to Maher; it's about how many prescriptions he writes. 'I think nowadays a thought leader is defined as a physician with a large patient population who can write a lot of pharmaceutical drugs. Period,' she says. These "thought leaders" may find it comfortable to think that they are paid as experts to give educational talks, but really, they are paid to persuade themselves to prescribe more. If audiences prescribe more, it's just a bonus. This doesn't mean that every doctor recruited is not a high-quality doctor. Many are. But every representative NPR spoke to had a stable of stories about profoundly unimpressive doctors that they'd recruited as thought leaders essentially for the same reason that a robber robs a bank: because that's where the money is. The fact is that the top 20 doctors in a representative's territory prescribe the vast majority of the medication. According to Webb, the top 20 percent prescribe as much as the lower 80. So if you want to sell more of your product, and every representative is required to sell more, those are the physicians to target. Which brings us to the hard reality about doctor speaking: Although doctors believe that they are recruited to speak in order to persuade a room of their peers to consider a drug, one of the primary targets of speaking, if not the primary target, is the speaker himself. That's where reps look for a real increase in prescriptions — after a speech. Here's how the money works out, at least for Webb. It's hard to know whether he's typical because there haven't been any published studies of this subject. But according to Webb, he would give a high-prescribing doctor about $1,500 to speak. And following that speech, Webb would see the speaking doctor write an additional $100,000 to $200,000 in prescriptions of his company's drug. Webb points out that the people recruited to speak are almost always high prescribers with incredibly high patient populations. 'That much money, easily,' he says. 'So yeah, it was a good return on investment.' The article also suggested that most of the paid "thought leaders" do not realize on a conscious level how they have been bought. Dr. James Dickie, an endocrinologist in Westminster, Md., was very clear that his prescription-writing was unaffected by speaking. 'Absolutely not. The physicians who are in the audience may notice it if they have been educated to that drug and the benefits of that drug — they may see an increase in writing. But specifically in my own? I don't believe so.' When NPR told Dickie about the findings learned from drug reps like Maher and Webb, he seemed genuinely surprised and disturbed and began to wonder out loud if he was, in fact, affected. 'It would really bother me,' Dickie says. 'Because I perceive myself as always prescribing in the best interest of my patient, and even unconsciously if I was unduly influenced, that would really bother me. I usually pride myself on keeping up my guard to prevent undue influence.' But Maher says it's almost impossible for a doctor to keep up his guard. She points out that before doctors speak to their peers about a drug, they review slides provided by the company and talk to the company medical officers. And this process, she says, focuses the doctor on the most positive aspects of a drug. 'What is happening is that you are being manipulated to talk about the drug out loud,' Maher says. 'Kind of like talking themselves into knowing that what they were saying, were actually believing. And if they believed what they were saying, then they would write more drug.' Summary Marketers, especially but not only pharmaceutical marketers, have become very adept at using psychology to manipulate their targets, so that marketing campaigns have begun to resemble disinformation campaigns. Pharmaceutical marketers in particular have used their ability to convince physicians that they are "thought leaders," (or " key opinion leaders ") to get physicians who are already favorably inclined toward their products to prescribe even more. It is a bonus for the companies if these physicians can also persuade other physicians to prescribe more. The fact that these supposed "thought leaders" have become real leaders of medicine, to a great extent on the basis of marketers' decisions (also abetted in the academic setting by medical schools' and academic medical centers' love of "external funding ," including the sort supplied by marketers to "thought leaders", see this post) is the perhaps unintended but unhappy consequence. Thus the leaders of medicine and health care are more and more those doctors who are most compliant with and least questioning of pharmaceutical (and other health care) companies' marketing. No wonder the leadership of medicine has been so passive as health care has become more dysfunctional. What is to be done? - Physicians and others who are paid to give talks by commercial firms must read the series of articles noted above. - We need to be very skeptical of all "thought leaders" and "key opinion leaders," especially if it is not clear whether they were first dubbed as such by marketers rather than by their own achievements. - We need as rapidly as possible to mandate full disclosure of all payments by health care corporations others with vested interests in promoting products or services to physicians, academics, and others with decision making ability or influence in medicine and health care. - Hopefully full disclosure of the scope of the thus revealed conflicts of interest will persuade health care professionals and society that we need to eliminate such conflicts, allowing professionals to eventually return to their once respected status as those pledged to put their patients' (rather than their financial backers') interests first. Posted by Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Abstract Current research suggests that the rate of adoption of health information technology (HIT) is low, and that HIT may not have the touted beneficial effects on quality of care or costs. The twin issues of the failure of HIT adoption and of HIT efficacy stem primarily from a series of fallacies about HIT. [Not discussed are the origins and maintenance vectors of those fallacies, a topic for significant research itself - ed.] We discuss 12 HIT fallacies and their implications for design and implementation. These fallacies must be understood and addressed for HIT to yield better results. Foundational cognitive and human factors engineering research and development are essential to better inform HIT development, deployment, and use. PMID: 20962121 [PubMed - in process] The article presents a series of HIT "fallacies" akin to the logical fallacies lists often referenced at this blog including: THE ‘RISK FREE HIT’ FALLACY THE ‘HIT IS NOT A DEVICE’ FALLACY THE ‘LEARNED INTERMEDIARY’ FALLACY THE ‘USE EQUALS SUCCESS’ FALLACY THE ‘MESSY DESK’ FALLACY (i.e., the fallacy that medicine is neat and linear) THE ‘FATHER KNOWS BEST’ FALLACY THE ‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ FALLACY THE ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’ FALLACY THE ‘WE COMPUTERIZED THE PAPER, SO WE CAN GO PAPERLESS’ FALLACY I will write more about the paper in a future posting. However, readers of this blog, where I've covered these issues, can probably ascertain the meanings of these fallacies regarding health IT without further explanation. Addendum 10/29: This is not just a "what is wrong with health IT" paper. The paper points out that insufficient contextual research has been conducted to support effective commercial HIT design and implementation despite decades of exemplary research on these topics, and suggests a path to remediation. At the most fundamental level, HIT must be focused on transforming care and improving patient outcomes and must be designed to support the needs of clinicians and their patients. For example: The needs of users and the complexities of clinical work must be analyzed first, followed by evaluation of the entire scope of potential solutions, rather than examining the current array of available products and characterizing the needs that they might meet. Appropriate metrics for HIT success should not be adoption or usage, but rather impact on health. The ‘comparative effectiveness’ perspective must also be applied to HIT - what is the return-on-investment of each HIT initiative compared with alternative uses of these funds? There must be substantive collaboration with those who can contribute unique and important expertise such as human factors engineers, applied psychologists, medical sociologists, communication scientists, cognitive scientists, and interaction designers. During HIT development, vendors and healthcare organizations must focus on more meaningful measures of design success: clinician and patient ease of learning, time to find information, time to solve relevant clinical problems, use errors, accuracy of found information, changes in task and information flow, workload, situation awareness, communication and coordination effectiveness, and patient and clinician satisfaction. We must also consider the likely undesirable consequences of current policies and regulations on HIT advancement, e.g., hold harmless clauses. If you have access to JAMIA via a library, I recommend downloading the article and reading it. What will be interesting is the healthcare IT industry and government response, and the response of those with financial interests in pushing for rapid HIT diffusion along HITECH timelines (the "Bullet train out of the station with only a quarter mile of track" fallacy...) -- SS 10/31/10 addendum For a pro-industry alternate view on the importance and credibility of this article, see the Review posted on the HisTALK site by its owner at Monday Morning Update 11/1/10 , approximately at the halfway mark. My major concern with the review is not just on its internal logic and anti-academic, academics-automatically-hate-business bias (having been employed in academia, the healthcare IT industry and in Big Pharma myself, I see multiple perspectives). ... The authors of this paper are academics. I like their objectivity, but I’m left with the feeling that they are disillusioned about this fact that is distasteful to them: both healthcare and healthcare IT are businesses that, rightly or wrongly, make decisions based on their own self-preservation, not high-minded academic ideals. [Such as the Hippocratic oath - ed.] My other concern is the review's taking on the JAMIA article in isolation, ignoring the increasing body of other literature up to the National Reseaarch Council (quoted at the beginning of the Karsh article) shedding doubt on HIT beneficence, effectiveness and ROI, and the statements of the Healthcare IT industry itself such as: HIMSS's former Chairman of the Board Barry Chaiken admitting the technology remains experimental : ... We’re still learning, in healthcare, about that user interface. We’re still learning about how to put the applications together in a clinical workflow that’s going to be valuable to the patients and to the people who are providing care. Let’s be patient. Let’s give them a chance to figure out the right way to do this. Let’s give the application providers an opportunity to make this better; and a HIMSS task force itself admitting in this 2009 PDF report that: "Electronic medical record (EMR)!adoption rates have been slower than expected in the United States, especially in comparison to other industry sectors and other developed countries. A key reason, aside from initial costs and lost productivity during EMR implementation, is lack of efficiency and usability of EMRs currently available"; It seems that from the ethical point of view, when industry leaders themselves express doubts in their own products, the responsible position is to err on the side of caution. -- SS At " Background On The 'Ecosystem' of Commercial Healthcare IT " I wrote: ... In reading about HIT difficulties it is important to understand the “ecosystem” of commercial health IT, that is, the identity and nature of the principal constituents and stakeholders, and their interrelationships. Familiarity with this environment is useful in order to place the social and organizational issues affecting HIT diffusion in the proper context. By implication, I made the case that the commercial HIT ecosystem was far from healthy. Recently at Healthcare Renewal and at another blog I visit, HISTalk, frequented largely by IT industry workers and officials, I've noted an uptick in comments from anonymous commenters that resort to ad hominem, strawman arguments, or other forms of logical fallacy in a fairly clear cut attempt not to seriously debate the issues but to de-legitimize serious arguments. I generally respond to such comments, but a few have been so debased here that I have simply deleted them. Here is an example of a duplicitous strawman argument recently posted at the aforementioned other site with regard to my HC Renewal post " 21st century EMR experiments: screwing around with people's lives in a broke city, while not having a clue what you're doing ": ... Jumping to conspiracy theories about cover-ups whenever there is an IT problem acknowledged by an organization does not really help improve the state of health IT. I find the sicknesses of the commercial health IT ecosystem very disappointing and, in fact, revolting due to the implications for patients. Perhaps a little background as to why I feel that way is in order. Note: I believe my background is not too dissimilar from the background of many physicians, who have had similar experiences. The following is therefore not so much about me, but about the challenges of medical training and practice in general and the life experiences imparted: Pre- informatics, while a resident at Abington Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania and then as a Manager in a regional transit authority’s medical department, I handled situations such as these: Being admitting officer in the ED in the busiest night, ever, in the hospital’s history to that time, New Years Eve 1985-6, having to see perhaps a hundred patients and admit ~ 30. The ED staff needed to -- and did -- perform flawlessly after participating in the highly upsetting and depressing, unsuccessful resuscitation effort of a medical colleague, Dr. Michael Groll, shot in the chest in his home (link) around midnight. It was I who performed heart massage on him -- open-chest style -- with my gloved hands after the surgeons on the trauma team cracked his chest; Running three near-simultaneous cardiac arrests in the ICU’s during family visiting hours, while being trailed by a Mennonite minister-in-training as an observer. Dealing with the patients' crises and their families was not easy and in fact was extremely stressful. The minister-in-training at the end of it all after several hours stated he was amazed at how I and the intern I was overseeing kept our cool during the affair; Not telling an intern colleague on the telephone whose mother I’d just declared deceased in the MICU that she had died, because his call was coming from his father’s funeral. His father had died a few days before in the CCU right next door, previously healthy but having had an MI from the stress of his wife's condition. (The intern later thanked me for not telling him about his mother's death until after dad's funeral). Repairing a malfunctioning GE CT scanner's computer to get it up and running late one Sunday might ca. 1986, which permitted a life-saving CT scan of the head of an unidentified young man brought in in a delirious state. A repairman left near midnight and said it was fixed, but it was not, and service, I was told, was unavailable between midnight and 7 AM Sun-Mon. so he could not be called back. I'm not sure if this was a vendor policy or a contractual issue (either of which would reflect Titanic lifeboat-like stupidity, since people need CT scans 24x7), but due to radiology training and computer expertise I knew what the problem was and fixed it, going above and beyond the call of duty of an internal medicine resident. Dealing strongly and firmly with militant labor union leaders and drug-troubled vehicle and train operators as Mgr. of Medical Programs and drug testing in a large regional transit authority. I was very firm in my stance about keeping these operators off the street, and getting them help, to protect the public from possible catastrophe. I was threatened more than once, including being threatened with my life, by operators I had to put out of service. Standing up to a police officer and a FOP union official regarding what I believed was gross exaggeration of a minor injury, with no objective findings to substantiate the reported symptoms, multiple inconsistent findings on exam (indicative of 'acting'), and ongoing injury-clinic (a.k.a. fraud-factory) hot pack and massage "treatments" for more than a year, to take advantage of the injury compensation system. This type of activity was unfair to truly injured personnel, to the city that had to pay for these activities at the expense of other needed services, and to the taxpayer. Experiences such as this impart a sense of the fragility of life, of responsibility, obligation, and an understanding of the need for critical thinking and serious and uncompromising attitudes where patients are concerned into physicians of good character. (Somehow, the hospital, pharmaceutical and medical device executives written about at Healthcare Renewal seem to have missed those points in their own life experiences.) Most serious, critical-thinking physicians thus would find irrational arguments coming from the HIT industry, marketing spin, petty character attacks on those who report on HIT difficulties, and other unpleasantries quite unserious and disappointing. I certainly do. After all, IT industry personnel in large part went through educations far simpler than that of a physician. They generally have bachelor's or masters' degrees, have had no medical school experience, internships, residencies, postdocs, etc. They have what are essentially comfortable desk jobs, no liability for patient harm, and compared to most physicians, a cakewalk in their professional lives. On the other hand, as a physician who had such experiences, I’m a serious professional concerned about serious issues that affect people's lives in their time of need. I expect nothing less from others involved in aspects of healthcare that can be life or death (as my own mother recently experienced via EHR-initiated iatrogenic catastrophe). From that perspective, I find the commercial HIT ecosystem quite disappointing indeed. -- SS Concerns about adoption of Electronic Health Records, as expressed at a meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science & Technology Even within the Medical Informatics community, it is not common to hear major real-world issues that must be faced before national health IT can become a (safe, effective) reality presented candidly. I therefore found this candid presentation by a fellow Medical Informaticist, Dr. Richard Gibson , refreshing. (Dr. Gibson was in Medical Informatics fellowship training at U. Utah at the same time I was in my postdoctoral fellowship at Yale.) He presented on issues related to standards for the most part, but also presented some serious caveats as I reproduce below. The caveats will sound familiar to readers of this blog. The head of ONC, Dr. Blumenthal, was present at this meeting. I hope he will heed Dr. Gibson's words on the difficulties of health IT and cease to present clinical IT as a deterministic solution to healthcare's ills, including definitive statements on unknowns or debatable topics, and even false statements such as these (released for political reasons, of course): In the NEJM : The widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States is inevitable. EHRs will improve caregivers’ decisions and patients’ outcomes [actually, may - we do not yet know - ed.] . Once patients experience the benefits of this technology, they will demand nothing less from their providers. Hundreds of thousands of physicians have already seen these benefits in their clinical practice. From the HuffPo Investigative Fund: “We know that every study and every professional consensus process has concluded that electronic health systems strongly and materially improve patient safety. [False- ed.] And we believe that in spreading electronic health records we are going to avoid many types of errors that currently plague the healthcare system,” Blumenthal said when unveiling new regulations in Washington on July 13. Dr. Gibson's testimony on EHR adoption concerns was as follows: Medical Informaticist Dr. Richard Gibson on Health IT U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science & Technology Subcommittee on Technology & Innovation ... CONCERNS ABOUT ADOPTION OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS Adoption of EHRs is a Prerequisite for Interoperability We have an enormous effort still ahead of us. Before going on to the specific standards that are the topic of today's hearing, we need to acknowledge that the standards have relatively little application unless individual healthcare providers have electronic health records in the first place. Most of the more than 400,000 Eligible Professionals still need to acquire an electronic health record, and most of that effort will be in small physician offices. CMS has estimated the five-year cost of acquiring an electronic health record for an eligible professional to be $94,000. EHR incentive plans through Medicare and Medicaid will cover 47 to 67% of that estimated cost. As a general rule, EHRs still do not allow providers to see more patients in a day, spend more quality time with their patients, or guarantee better or more consistent health outcomes for their patients. [This raises the question of what then, exactly, do EHR's do? - ed.] In short, even with the generous EHR incentive program, there still may not be a sufficient financial rationale for individual providers or small practices to invest in electronic health records. Implementing an EHR is Stressful for the Provider Implementing electronic health records in small physician offices is not like purchasing a copy machine or a fax machine. In addition to the great capital expense, the EHR is markedly disruptive to both the clinical and administrative functions of the office. Every provider, medical assistant, receptionist, and billing staff member needs to change the way they do their work. Even with excellent training, it usually takes 2-12 months before providers are fully comfortable on their new tools. On a new EHR, each office visit takes longer - this means increased waiting times for patients or a fewer number of patients per day for the provider. It is not uncommon for providers on a new EHR, after a full 8-10 hour day of seeing patients, to finish their charts on the computer at home for three or four hours in the evening [potentially introducing inaccuracy into the record as a result of the long delay between visit and documentation - ed.] Even those providers who believe in the patient care benefits of an EHR are exhausted by the process in the first year. [Do exhausted clinicians make more, or less errors? - ed.] EHRs Viewed Unfavorably by Many Providers Because of Administrative Documentation Many providers who do not yet have EHRs in their office have commented to me how much they dislike the output received from many other physician office EHRs or from hospital EHRs. They specifically complain about how many pages these EHR reports require and how difficult it is to find the small bit of useful clinical information within. Upon investigation, most of this low-value verbosity comes from physicians documenting specific history and physical exam findings required to support their billing. Also, as medicolegal requirements ratchet up, clinicians feel a need to document with a date-time stamp every single finding and every single item of data that they have reviewed. The existing cumbersome EHR reports impair the clinical process and can put the patient at risk by making important information obscure. Clinicians criticize the EHR for this clumsy reading even though the cause lies with our current payment and administrative systems, and not the EHR itself [I would challenge this assertion; computers generate reports according to human-created scripts, and scripts could be created to generate clinically meaningful reports - ed.] , which is otherwise widely agreed to be highly legible. [An apropos term is "legible gibberish" and I recently paid almost $1000 for appx. 2,800 pages of it from an Eclipsys system, documenting two and a half weeks of care of my EHR-injured mother. The output was simply awful - ed.] Most clinicians would prefer to go back to simpler charting that more closely reflects their thought process. These EHR changes will need to await payment reform. IT Professionals with Multiple Skills Needed for EHR Implementation Another challenge in implementing electronic health records in small provider offices is the lack of technical expertise and support for the office. The providers are busy with a full schedule seeing patients. Medical assistants are putting patients in rooms or they are continuously on the phone with patients. Front office staff members are trying to make appointments and handle incoming calls. The billing staff is overwhelmed with insurance paperwork. Most providers and staff, especially those in small practices, don’t have time to become fluent in the use of the new system, much less become expert in training others to use the system. Typical small physician implementations start two to three months before the expected launch date of the software. All current paper-based workflows need to be examined and re-designed for the new software. This requires analysts who are not only familiar with software but familiar with the healthcare office process. [It also requires competent people with a service attitude, further limiting the pool of available personnel - ed.] Bringing the majority of the 400,000 Eligible Professionals up to speed on an EHR in the next several years will be challenged by a lack of IT implementation professionals. EHR Technical Requirements Can Be Challenging for Smaller Practices Small physician practices are already spending 40-60% of their net revenue on overhead. Space in small physician offices is at a premium and providing a physically locked computer space within the physician office is difficult. Physician offices do not typically have the technical expertise to manage the computers in the clinical areas as well as the office computer network and the larger computers that act as servers and tape backup for the EHR software. Hosting provider EHRs on centralized servers supporting multiple practices may address this concern, but many of the currently used office EHRs are not yet ready for this step-up in technology. Many small towns do not have local computer hardware professionals to support physician offices. The Regional Extension Centers (RECs) exist to assist physicians in this context but even with generous funding, the RECs will be challenged to meet the enormous demand in the next several years. [Considering the "wicked" nature of health IT and the organizational and social issues involved, I would say the RECs will be "overwhelmed to the point of paralysis" - ed.] I agree with nearly all of Dr. Gibson's positions. I feel they are very helpful in terms of clarifying others' understanding of some inconvenient truths about HIT. I am disappointed, however, that we even need such testimony before Congress to clear up misconceptions and irrational exuberance about EHR's in the year 2010, when these issues became obvious to objective and unconflicted observers many years ago. The culture of HIT appears stagnant. Unfortunately cultural reform takes far longer than technological reform. Yet HIT cannot reform medicine until HIT itself and our societal attitudes and approaches to it are reformed. Hopefully this speech will be a part of initiating the needed reform. -- SS History Repeats, and Repeats: McKesson Settles Here a settlement, there a settlement, everywhere a settlement.... And the march continues, as reported by the New London (CT) Day, Pharmaceutical distributor McKesson Corp. will pay Connecticut $15 million for 'illegal and deceptive practices' that inflated drug costs for both individual consumers and state-funded programs, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced Tuesday. The settlement calls for $9 million to be used for reimbursing Connecticut's Medicaid program and $3 million for ConnPace, a state program that provides drug coverage for seniors. In addition, $2.3 million will be paid as a civil penalty and $700,000 will go into the state's drug-assistance program for AIDS patients. Blumenthal had charged in a lawsuit that San Francisco-based McKesson conspired with First DataBank - which publishes average wholesale prices of drugs - to increase the amounts Connecticut paid for brand-name remedies by about 25 percent over usual wholesale costs. Previously, the prices had been 20 percent above wholesale. McKesson used the increase to sweeten the 'spread' - the amount of profit - that could be taken by pharmacies, thereby increasing its share of the market, he said. 'McKesson manipulated the drug market - conspiring to inflate costs for hundreds of drugs and exploiting public programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens,' Blumenthal said in a statement. Having been posting on this blog for nearly five years, it is interesting that viewed over time, patterns emerge suggesting that certain organizations have chronic problems with bad behavior. Last year, we noted that a former McKesson Chairman of the Board was convicted of five counts of securities fraud arising from actions occurring in the early part of the 21st century. Five former McKesson executives had already pleaded guilty to related crimes. Last year, Bloomberg called this scandal "one of the largest white-collar crimes." This pattern may go back a lot longer that the turn of the last century. Amazingly, the same company, McKesson, was involved in one of the biggest frauds of the great depression era. From the Wikipedia entry , The McKesson & Robbins, Inc. scandal of 1938 was one of the major financial scandals of the 20th century. The company McKesson & Robbins, Inc. (now McKesson Corporation) had been taken over in 1925 by Phillip Musica, who had previously used Adelphia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company as a front for bootlegging operations. Musica, a twice-convicted felon, used assumed names to conceal his true identity in taking control of the two companies: Frank D. Costa at Adelphia Pharmaceutical and F. Donald Coster at McKesson & Robbins. Although he was successful in expanding the company’s legitimate business operations, Musica recruited three of his brothers, also working under assumed names, one outside the company and two inside it, to generate bogus sales documentation and to pay commissions to a shell distribution company under their control. Eventually, McKesson & Robbins treasurer Julian Thompson discovered the distribution company was bogus. It was eventually determined that about $20 million of the $87 million in assets on the company’s balance sheet were phony. In December 1938, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opened an investigation and Musica was arrested. Only after he was booked, fingerprinted and released on bond did the authorities realize that 'Coster' was in reality Musica. His bond was revoked and he committed suicide before he could be rearrested. The McKesson & Robbins scandal led to major corporate governance and auditing reforms. The SEC required that public companies have audit committees of 'outside' directors and that the appointment of auditors be approved by the shareholders. The American Institute of Accountants (now the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) adopted audit standards requiring that auditors verify accounts receivable and inventory. So I guess in some ways it should not be a surprise that a company involved in one of the biggest financial scandals of the depression era, and then one of the biggest white-collar crime of the early 21st century, should now be involved in a comparatively small settlement involving allegations of over-charges for drugs. Given that in this latest case, the settlement was small, and there were no negative consequences for any individual who authorized, directed, or implemented the alleged market manipulation, it seems doubtful that it will have any lasting effect on corporate leadership of the corporate culture. McKesson's long and chequered history suggests some sort of chronic affliction of its corporate culture. It also suggests a rationale for requiring heath care organizations to have ongoing, active organizational ethics policies . Posted by I have written frequently about the pipe dream of secure national electronic medical records, such as in February 2010 at my post " Networked EMR's and Healthcare Information Security: Practical When Massive IT Security Breaches Continue ?", my post " Networked, Interoperable, Secure National Medical Records a Castle in the Sky? ", as well as " Operation Aurora And a Widespread Reluctance to Discuss IT Flaws: Is Universal Healthcare IT Really a Good Idea in 2010? " and others . I was also quoted on July 30, 2010, in a Philadelphia Inquirer story about the theft of a laptop computer with data on 21,000 patients from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital here, and also interviewed August 2 by local NPR station WHYY-91FM, where I stated: "There is almost no excuse for unencrypted data to be sitting on any computer at a hospital or any organization," said Scot Silverstein, a Drexel University expert on health-information technology. In the latest health-data-on-computer-theft-of-the-week, the Inquirer ran this story today about a local theft ten times as large as July's:	i don't know
Freedom of expression blogger Hossein Derakhshan was sentenced in September 2010 to nineteen years prison for 'anti-state activities' in which country?	Like - 29 Sep 2010 08:13 #13510232 The Iranian blogger Hossein Derakhshan, a beacon for those fighting for freedom of expression in the Islamic nation, was sentenced to 19 years in prison today for alleged anti-state activities. Derakhshan, 35, widely known as the "blogfather" or by his online name, "Hoder," was arrested in late 2008 after returning to Iran following a period living in Britain and Canada, where he also has citizenship. He has been a contributor to the Guardian's Comment is Free website. A judiciary source said he had been convicted of co-operation with hostile countries, spreading propaganda against the establishment, promoting counter-revolutionary groups, insulting Islamic thought and religious figures and managing obscene websites. Recent reports said prosecutors in a Tehran revolutionary court, where his trial began in June, had requested that he be given the death penalty. Iran has a huge number of bloggers who continue to write despite the crackdown on opposition voices following last year's disputed presidential election. Derakhshan helped pro-democracy activists develop their use of the web, particularly blogging and podcasting technologies in Farsi to promote their cause. The Iranian authorities made him apologise for his dissenting views when he left the country in 2000, and censored his blog from 2004 onwards. News of his sentence was confirmed by an unnamed relative to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. (ICHRC). "Neither the family nor the lawyer knew about the sentence," the relative was quoted as saying. "They read the news online." Mashreqnews.ir, the conservative website that reported the sentence, referred to him as a "counter-revolutionary blogger". It said he was also ordered to repay funds to the value of £28,400. Derakhshan can appeal against the sentence. The ICHRC said it considers Derakhshan "a prisoner of conscience, prosecuted and sentenced solely for his opinions and writings", and called for his acquittal and release by the appeals court. It said that there are more than 500 prisoners of conscience in Iranian jails. In 2006, Derakshan made a highly-publicised visit to Israel — Iran's arch-enemy — and told an interviewer that he wanted to prevent an Israeli attack on his native country and wanted Iranians to understand that "Israelis are not evil". The Iranian authorities have meanwhile shut down two pro-reform newspapers — Andisheh-e No daily and Bahar Zanjan — for publishing articles in which they had insulted officials, another paper, Shargh, reported today. They were the latest of several newspapers banned since the election. Like - 30 Sep 2010 20:50 #13511439 I really take issue with these pseudo-left wing 'anti-imperialists' whose knee-jerk anti-American/anti-European bigotry leads them to defend every action of any tin pot dictatorship that opposes the west. By all means criticise the actions of the West, but when you find yourself constantly standing up for every crime of a brutal, murdering, theocratic dictatorship you need to re-evaluate how that fits in with your beliefs. Amen. No one has the moral high ground these days and everyone thinks that its someone else's fault. Everyone has blood on their hands at this point. Economic Left/Right: -.62	Iran
A plane crash close to Smolensk airport in western Russia killed almost half the leadership of which country?	Refworld \| Annual Prison Census 2013 - Iran Annual Prison Census 2013 - Iran Publisher 18 December 2013 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Annual Prison Census 2013 - Iran, 18 December 2013, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/52b83bdbd.html [accessed 18 January 2017] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Journalists in prison as of December 1, 2013 Iran: 35 Adnan Hassanpour, Aso Imprisoned: January 25, 2007 Security agents seized Hassanpour, 32, editor of the now-defunct Kurdish-Persian weekly Aso, in his hometown of Marivan, Kurdistan province, according to news reports. In July 2007, a Revolutionary Court convicted him on anti-state charges and sentenced him to death. After a series of appeals and reversals, he was sentenced in May 2010 to 15 years in prison, his defense lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, told the independent press outlet Human Rights Activists News Agency. The government's case against Hassanpour amounted to a series of assertions by security agents, his defense attorney, Sirvan Hosmandi, told CPJ in 2008. Hassanpour's sister, Lily, told CPJ that she believed his critical writings were behind the charges. Hassanpour was being held at Sanandaj Central Prison in Kurdistan Province. He has not been allowed furlough during his time in prison despite repeated requests by his lawyer and family, news reports said. His sister told the Committee of Human Rights Reporters in 2013 that the journalist's overall health had deteriorated in prison from lack of proper medical care. Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand, Payam-e-Mardom Imprisoned: July 1, 2007 Plainclothes security officials arrested journalist and human rights activist Kaboudvand, 49, at his Tehran office, according to Amnesty International and CPJ sources. He was being held at Evin Prison in Tehran. Authorities charged Kaboudvand, head of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan and managing editor of the weekly Payam-e-Mardom, with acting against national security and engaging in propaganda against the state, according to his organization's website. A Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced him to 11 years in prison in 2008. Kaboudvand's health deteriorated in prison, and he was consistently denied requests for medical leave or family visits. The journalist's wife, Farinaz Baghban Hassani, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that when his family members were finally allowed to see him, they believed he had suffered significant heart problems in custody. News accounts also reported that the journalist had suffered from severe dizziness and disruption of speech and vision. Kaboudvand has waged several hunger strikes to protest authorities' refusal to grant him a furlough to see his son, who was diagnosed with leukemia, according to news reports. After waging a hunger strike that left him hospitalized, authorities in December 2012 temporarily released him on bail of 700 million toman (about US$250,000) to visit his son. The journalist returned to prison after four days, news reports said. In 2013, security forces told Kaboudvand that they would file additional charges against him in connection with letters he allegedly wrote to senior officials, calling on them to respect human rights in the country, according to news reports. No additional charges had been filed in late 2013. Mojtaba Lotfi, freelance Imprisoned: October 8, 2008 Security forces arrested Lotfi, a blogger and clergyman, on a warrant issued by the Clergy Court in Qom. Authorities accused him of publishing the views of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, the deceased cleric who had criticized then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's positions, but did not specify any articles or publications in which the views were supposedly cited. In November 2009, Lotfi was convicted of several charges, including spreading anti-state information, and sentenced to four years in prison followed by a period of exile, according to news reports. In July 2010, the Human Rights House of Iran reported that Lotfi had been transferred to the remote village of Ashtian for 10 years of enforced internal exile. Lotfi, an Iran-Iraq War veteran who was exposed to chemical agents, suffers from a respiratory illness that has worsened during his confinement, the reformist news website Norooz News reported. Hossein Derakhshan, freelance Imprisoned: November 2008 On December 30, 2008, a spokesman for the judiciary confirmed at a press conference in Tehran that Derakhshan, a well-known Iranian-Canadian blogger, had been detained in November 2008 in connection with comments he allegedly made about a key cleric, according to news reports. The exact date of Derakhshan's arrest is unknown, but word of his detention was first reported on November 17, 2008, by Jahan News, a website close to the Iranian intelligence service that claimed the journalist had confessed to "spying for Israel" during a preliminary interrogation. Known as the "Blogfather" for his pioneering online work, Derakhshan started blogging after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. A former writer for reformist newspapers, he also contributed opinion pieces to the Guardian of London and The New York Times. The journalist, who lived in Canada during most of the decade prior to his detention, had returned to Tehran a few weeks before his arrest, The Washington Post reported. In September 2010, the government announced that Derakhshan had been sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison, along with a five-year ban on "membership in political parties and activities in the media," according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and other reports. Derakhshan spent much of his early imprisonment in solitary confinement at Evin Prison, according to multiple sources. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, citing a source close to the journalist's family, said Derakhshan had been beaten and coerced into making false confessions about having ties to U.S. and Israeli intelligence services. He has been allowed short-term furloughs in recent years. Kayvan Samimi, Nameh Imprisoned: June 14, 2009 Samimi, manager of the now-defunct monthly Nameh, was serving a six-year prison sentence along with a 15-year ban on "political, social, and cultural activities," the Aftab News website reported. Samimi was subject to mistreatment while being held in Evin Prison. In February 2010, he was transferred to solitary confinement after objecting to poor prison conditions, according to Free Iranian Journalists, a website devoted to documenting cases of jailed reporters and editors. In November 2010, the journalist was transferred to Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj, which houses violent criminals, according to news reports. Samimi suffers from liver problems, which have worsened in custody. He was briefly hospitalized in March 2012 for treatment, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. In September 2012, authorities at Rajaee Shahr Prison placed Samimi and fellow journalist Massoud Bastani in solitary confinement for several days after a photograph of the two detainees was published on the reformist news website Kaleme, the outlet reported. Since his arrest, Samimi has been allowed furlough only once. He has waged several hunger strikes to protest prison conditions and treatment. Samimi, 65, has not been allowed a single day of furlough over the past three and a half years, according to news reports. Massoud Bastani, Farhikhtegan and Jomhoriyat Imprisoned: July 5, 2009 Bastani, a journalist with Farhikhtegan, a reformist newspaper, and Jomhoriyat, a news website affiliated with the defeated 2009 presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, was arrested when he went to a Tehran court seeking information about his wife, journalist Mahsa Amrabadi, who had been detained, according to local news reports. Bastani was among more than 100 opposition figures and journalists who faced a mass, televised judicial proceeding in August 2009 on vague anti-state accusations, according to news reports. On October 20, 2009, the news website Norooz reported that a court had sentenced Bastani to six years in prison for "propagating against the regime and congregating and mutinying to create anarchy." Bastani was being held at Rajaee Shahr Prison, a facility reserved for hardened criminals, according to the reformist daily Etemad. In July 2010, Bastani's family told reporters that he had suffered an infection in his jaw that had gone untreated in prison, the Human Rights House of Iran reported. Authorities restricted Bastani's family visits to once every two weeks. In September 2012, authorities at Rajaee Shahr Prison placed Bastani and fellow journalist Kayvan Samimi in solitary confinement for several days after a photograph of the two detainees was published on the reformist news website Kaleme, the outlet reported. His wife, Amrabadi, was later sentenced to one year in prison on anti-state charges. She began serving her term in Evin Prison in May 2012, news reports said. Amrabadi was released on September 18, 2013. Bastani was released on furlough in July 2013, and summoned back to Rajaee Shahr Prison on September 16, 2013, according to Kaleme. Saeed Matin-Pour, freelance Imprisoned: July 12, 2009 Matin-Pour, a journalist who wrote for his own blog and for the newspapers Yar Pag and Mouj Bidari in western Azerbaijan province, was first arrested in May 2007. He was released on bail, then re-arrested in July 2009 amid the government's massive crackdown on dissidents and the press. A Revolutionary Court in Tehran convicted Matin-Pour in July 2011 on charges of having "relations with foreigners" and "propagating against the regime," according to local news reports. He was sentenced to an eight-year prison term. In September 2012, Matin-Pour's wife, Atieh Taheri, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that her husband had been kept in solitary confinement for months, interrogated, and tortured. Reformist news websites reported that Matin-Pour had developed heart and respiratory problems. The Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency reported on April 1, 2013, that Matin-Pour had also developed severe spinal pain and chronic headaches in prison. The agency said authorities had denied his repeated requests for transfer to a hospital. Matin-Pour has not been allowed a single day of furlough in the more than four years he has been in prison, according to news reports. Mohammad Davari, Saham News Imprisoned: September 5, 2009 Davari, editor-in-chief of Saham News, a website affiliated with the defeated 2009 presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, was charged with several anti-state counts, including "propagating against the regime" and "disrupting national security." The charges stemmed from Davari's reporting on widespread complaints of abuse and rape of inmates at Kahrizak Detention Center. The detention center was closed in July 2009 after Saham News and others documented the pervasive abuse. In May 2010, Davari was sentenced to five years in prison, according to the website of Reporters and Human Rights Activists of Iran. His family said he was being held at Tehran's Evin Prison. In mid-2011, Davari was sentenced to an additional year in prison, allegedly for his participation in teacher protests in 2006, reformist news websites reported. In September 2012, Davari was stripped naked and searched as he re-entered Evin Prison after a short visit to a hospital for a medical exam, according to reformist news websites. The journalist developed an acute psychological illness in prison and suffered from chest pains and a heart condition, his brother Bijan Davari told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran in March 2012. Davari has been denied furlough, his brother told the campaign. CPJ honored Davari with its International Press Freedom Award in November 2010. Davari suffered a heart attack in prison in February 2013 when he learned that his brother had died. He was temporarily released on furlough on February 21, 2013. He returned to prison on April 23, 2013, after authorities refused to extend his furlough, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency. Seyed Hossein Ronaghi Maleki (Babak Khorramdin), freelance Imprisoned: December 13, 2009 Ronaghi Maleki, writing under the name Babak Khorramdin, discussed politics on a series of critical blogs that were eventually blocked by the government. He was also a founder of the anti-censorship group Iran Proxy, which was launched in 2003. In October 2010, a Revolutionary Court sentenced Ronaghi Maleki to 15 years in prison on anti-state conspiracy charges, the reformist news website Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz reported. The first year of his term was served largely in solitary confinement, his defense lawyer, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Ronaghi Maleki's family said the journalist was in poor health and developed severe kidney problems, according to the campaign. In May 2011, Ronaghi Maleki was transferred in hand and ankle cuffs to a hospital where he underwent kidney surgery, the campaign reported. He was hospitalized in custody again in October 2011, when he underwent additional kidney surgery, the Human Rights House of Iran reported. In February 2012, a Revolutionary Court refused to grant a medical furlough that would have allowed Ronaghi Maleki to seek independent kidney treatment, reformist news websites said. After Ronaghi Maleki posted a US$1 million bond in July 2012, the court agreed to release him so he could undergo surgery, according to reformist news websites. He was placed back in Evin Prison in September 2012, although follow-up treatment had yet to be completed, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. In September 2013, Ronaghi Maleki began waging a hunger strike and refused medication, demanding that he be allowed medical furlough, according to the human rights campaign. Abolfazl Abedini Nasr, Bahar Ahvaz Imprisoned: March 3, 2010 Abedini, who wrote about labor issues for the provincial weekly Bahar Ahvaz, was arrested in Ahvaz and transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran, according to the website of Reporters and Human Rights Activists News Agency. An Ahvaz court in April 2010 sentenced Abedini to 11 years in prison on anti-state charges that included having "contact with enemy states," the reformist news website Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz reported. Abedini was not represented by a lawyer at trial. When Abedini appealed, a Khuzestan provincial appellate court would not allow a defense lawyer to present arguments, the reformist website Kaleme reported. The appeals court upheld the verdict. In September 2010, Human Rights House in Iran reported that Abedini had been beaten at Ahvaz Prison. He was transferred to Tehran's Evin Prison later that same month, the group reported. On May 4, 2011, a Revolutionary Court judge sentenced Abedini to an additional year in prison on the charge of "propagating against the regime," Human Rights House reported. The basis for the additional charge was not disclosed. In August 2012, Abedini suffered severe abdominal pain, the reformist news website Kaleme reported. Authorities denied his request for an independent medical examination, the website said. In October 2013, Kaleme reported that Abedini had been sent to Karoun Prison in Ahvaz in late July 2013 after he testified in an investigation into the death of Sattar Beheshti, an Iranian blogger who died under unclear circumstances while in government custody. Abedini said he had talked to Beheshti before his death. The investigation was still ongoing in late 2013. Siamak Ghaderi, freelance Imprisoned: July 27, 2010 Ghaderi was arrested in connection with entries he posted on his blog, IRNA-ye maa (Our IRNA), a reference to the Islamic Republic's official news agency. In the entries, he wrote about street protests and other developments after the contested 2009 presidential election, according to the reformist news website Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz. In January 2011, Ghaderi was sentenced to four years in prison and 60 lashes on charges of "propagating against the regime," "creating public anxiety," and "spreading falsehoods," according to the BBC's Farsi service. Ghaderi was an editor and reporter for IRNA for 18 years until he was dismissed for writing about the 2009 election on his blog, Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz said. Pro-government news websites, among them Rasekhoon and Haghighat News, called him a "seditionist" who was arrested for "immoral" acts. Ghaderi's blog was repeatedly blocked by authorities before he was detained, Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz reported. Among the entries that authorities found objectionable was a piece in which Ghaderi interviewed several Iranian homosexuals. The article was an apparent reaction to then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's public assertion that "there are no homosexuals in Iran." The lashes in his sentence were for "cooperating with homosexuals," the BBC reported. In August 2012, Ghaderi told his wife that he and 13 political prisoners had received lashes, according to the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The reformist news website Kaleme reported that Ghaderi was being held at Evin Prison. The journalist has not been allowed furlough since his arrest. Mohammad Reza Pourshajari (Siamak Mehr), freelance Imprisoned: September 12, 2010 Pourshajari, a blogger who wrote under the penname Siamak Mehr, was arrested at his home in Karaj, outside Tehran, according to news and human rights websites. In his blog Gozaresh be Khaak-e-Iran (Reports to the Soil of Iran), Pourshajari was critical of Iran's theological state. In an open letter dated December 2010, published by the Human Rights and Democracy Activists of Iran, Pourshajari described his arrest and subsequent detention. He said intelligence agents confiscated a computer hard drive, satellite receiver, and numerous documents. The journalist wrote that he was taken to Rajaee Shahr Prison, where interrogators tortured him and subjected him to a mock execution. He said he was not allowed visitors, phone calls, or access to a lawyer. Pourshajari was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2010 on charges of "propagating against the regime" and "insulting the supreme leader," Human Rights and Democracy Activists of Iran reported. In October 2011, he was transferred to Ghezel Hessar Prison, where hardened criminals are confined, the group said. In April 2012, the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Pourshajari to an additional year in prison on blasphemy charges, bringing his total sentence to four years. The journalist has declined to file appeals, citing the lack of due process in the judicial system. Pourshajari's daughter told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on April 1, 2013, that the journalist had suffered a heart attack in prison in the fall of 2012. She said her father would die in custody unless prison authorities allowed him to have open heart surgery. In August 2013, she told the Human Rights Activists News Agency that her father was also suffering from diabetes and heart disease, and that prison authorities were still refusing to allow him out of prison for hospital treatment. Arash Honarvar Shojaei, freelance Imprisoned: October 28, 2010 On October 2, 2011, nearly a year after Shojaei was first jailed, a special clerical court sentenced him to four years in prison and 50 lashes on multiple charges of "acting against national security," "espionage," and "cooperation with foreign embassies," the reformist news outlet Radio Zamaneh reported. Shojaei, a blogger and cleric, was also the author of the book Madar-e-Shari'at, about the dissident cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari, according to Radio Zamaneh. Shariatmadari had opposed the principle of velayat-e-faqih, which seeks to convey unlimited power to the supreme leader. Shojaei was being held at Evin Prison, where he endured torture and several months of solitary confinement, according to the Human Rights House of Iran and Radio Zamaneh. The journalist suffered from a heart condition, a hearing impairment, epilepsy, brain atrophy, spinal disc problems, and diabetes, all of which developed while he was in prison, reformist news websites said. Shojaei was granted a medical furlough in November 2011 but was summoned back to Evin Prison in January 2012 before his medical treatment had been completed, news reports said. He was briefly hospitalized in September 2012 after suffering a heart attack and seizure, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI). The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that Shojaei has waged multiple hunger strikes to protest his treatment in prison. Shojaei told the ICHRI in September 2013 that he had been sentenced to an additional year in prison on charges of "insulting Imam Khomeini" against him after he said in an interview during a previous furlough that Ayatollah Khomeini had "populist conduct." He said that authorities considered the comment an insult. Fereydoun Seydi Rad, freelance Imprisoned: March 2, 2011 Seydi Rad, a blogger, was held in Evin Prison after being convicted of "propagating against the regime" on his blog, Arak Green Revolution. Seydi Rad wrote about the pro-democracy movement, student protests, and labor strikes in the city of Arak. A Revolutionary Court in Tehran also convicted Seydi Rad on anti-state charges related to taking part in a 2010 protest and attending the 2009 funeral of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, a prominent cleric who had criticized then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's positions. The court imposed a total sentence of three years when it handed down the verdict in August 2011. Seydi Rad's 2011 arrest was not disclosed for several months, according to news accounts. His sister, Faranak Seydi, told the reformist news website Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz that family members had not told the media about the journalist's arrest because they feared reprisal. The Committee of Human Rights Reporters, an organization of journalists who document human rights abuses, said Seydi Rad underwent 43 days of interrogation and solitary confinement after being arrested. In July 2013, Seydi Rad briefly waged a hunger strike to protest prisoners being placed in solitary confinement, according to news reports. Alireza Rajaee, freelance Imprisoned: April 23, 2011 Rajaee, a leader of Iran's Journalists Association and editor for several reformist publications, was being held at Evin Prison, according to reformist news outlets. He was summoned to serve a previously suspended three-year term that dated to a 2001 case in which he was convicted of "acting against national security." While in prison, Rajaee signed a number of letters calling for free elections and protesting detention conditions, which led to new charges of "propagating against the regime," news reports said. In February 2012, he was sentenced to an additional four years in prison. Rajaee served as a politics editor and editorial board member for reformist publications including Jame'eh, Iran-e-Farda, Payam-e-Hajar, and Iran Political. Alireza Beheshti Shirazi, Kalameh Sabz Imprisoned: July 10, 2011 Authorities summoned Shirazi, editor-in-chief of the now-defunct reformist daily Kalameh Sabz, to serve a five-year prison sentence in Evin Prison, according to reformist news websites. Kalemeh Sabz was one of the initial Green Movement publications, which arose after the disputed 2009 election and criticized the regime's policies, according to news reports. Shirazi was first arrested in December 2009 and transferred to solitary confinement in Evin Prison, according to reformist news websites. He was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "acting against national security," but was released on bail in October 2010, the report said. He was summoned to begin serving his prison term in July 2011. According to the reformist website Kaleme, Shirazi was released on a two-week furlough in September 2013. He returned to Evin Prison on October 6, 2013. Ahmadreza Ahmadpour, freelance Imprisoned: July 18, 2011 Ahmadpour, a journalist, blogger, and researcher at Qom Seminary, was serving a three-year term on anti-state charges stemming from a letter he wrote to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, according to reformist news websites. In the letter, written in 2010 while he was serving an earlier prison term, Ahmadpour protested abuses of his rights. The Qom Special Clerics Court also imposed 10 years of exile, defrocking, and deprivation of any clerical position, according to the same reports. A disabled Iran-Iraq War veteran, Ahmadpour suffers from respiratory problems due to exposure to chemical warfare. His respiratory condition has worsened and he now suffers cardiac problems due to harsh prison conditions and lack of medical care, according to reformist news websites. Ahmadpour was being held at Khorram Abad's Parsilon Prison, which is used to confine hardened criminals, according to news reports. Ahmadpour was a student of Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, the now-deceased cleric who had criticized then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's positions. He was arrested in December 2009 and sentenced to a year in prison on charges of "acting against national security" and "violating the dignity of the clergy" in his writings, reformist news websites said. Ahmadpour was released from prison on June 24, 2013, and was exiled to the southern town of Izeh for 10 years, according to news reports. Saeed Jalalifar, Committee of Human Rights Reporters Imprisoned: July 31, 2011 Jalalifar, who had reported on child labor and political prisoner issues for the committee, was first arrested in December 2009 on charges of "propaganda against the regime." He was free on bail for more than a year before being summoned back to Evin Prison in July 2011, the BBC Persian service reported. The opposition website Pars Daily News reported that Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced Jalalifar to three years in prison on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "assembly and collusion with the intent to act against national security." Jalalifar and four other political detainees waged a hunger strike in June 2012 to protest abusive treatment by prison guards, according to the reformist news website Kaleme. Numerous journalists working for the Committee of Human Rights Reporters have been detained since 2009 in connection with their work in exposing human rights violations and government malfeasance. The prisoners have waged several hunger strikes to protest poor prison conditions. Morteza Moradpour, Yazligh Imprisoned: August 26, 2011 Moradpour, who wrote for Yazligh, a children's magazine, was serving a three-year prison term on charges of "propagating against the Islamic Republic of Iran," "mutiny," and "illegal congregation," according to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters. He was being held in Tabriz Central Prison. Moradpour was first arrested in 2009 along with several family members during a protest over Azeri-language rights in Tabriz in northwestern Azerbaijan province, according to the committee. Two issues of Yazligh were used as evidence in the trial against him, the news website Bizim Tabriz reported. In November 2009, Moradpour was sentenced to three years in prison, Azeri news websites reported. He was released on the equivalent of US$50,000 bail in late 2010, according to Baybak, a local Azeri news website. He was re-arrested in August 2011 after taking part in protests related to the environmental degradation of Lake Orumiyeh in northwestern Iran, reformist news websites reported. Mostafa Abdi, Majzooban-e-Noor Farshid Yadollahi, Majzooban-e-Noor Imprisoned: September 5, 2011 Authorities arrested at least 30 members of the religious minority Gonabadi dervishes following a confrontation with plainclothes agents in the town of Kavar in Fars province, a spokesman for the group told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Among the detainees were journalists affiliated with Majzooban-e-Noor, a website that reports news about the Gonabadi dervish community, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and the reformist news website Rooz Online. The Majzooban-e-Noor website listed Daneshjoo, Karampour, Entessari, Moradi, and Yadollahi as directors, and Behroozi and Eslami as editors. The journalists are also lawyers who have represented Gonabadi dervishes in recent years. Abdiis listed on the site as a reporter. On January 15, 2013, the journalists refused to attend their trial, saying the Revolutionary Court was not qualified to hear their case, news reports said. The journalists were put in solitary confinement in Evin Prison and charged with "publishing falsehoods," "creating public anxiety," "propaganda against the state," and "acting against national security," according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Majzooban-e-Noor said agents had targeted the journalists in an effort to silence news coverage about the group. The wife of another Majzooban-e-Noor journalist told the campaign that her husband and his colleagues had established the website so that "people would know what is happening to the dervishes." She said the charges against the journalists were unfounded. In July 2013, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced the journalists to between three and 10 years each in prison on charges of "forming the illegal Majzooban-e-Noor group with the intent to disrupt national security," "propaganda against the state," "insulting the Supreme Leader," and "participation in disrupting public order," according to news reports. The journalists had refused to appear in court in protest of what they said was the court's bias. Moradi was given 10 years and six months in prison, and Entessari was given eight years and six months, according to news reports. Daneshjoo, Yadollahi, Eslami, Behrouzi, and Karampour were sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Abdi was given three years in prison. The journalists were also banned for five years from "membership in groups, parties, sects, and activities in publications, media, and virtual space." Saeed Madani, freelance Imprisoned: January 7, 2012 Security forces arrested Madani, a former editorial board member of the long-defunct Iran-e-Farda magazine and former editor-in-chief of the quarterly Refah-e-Ejtemaee (Journal of Social Welfare), and confiscated a computer hard drive from his home, news reports said. The journalist, 74, was placed in solitary confinement after his arrest, Madani's wife told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran in March 2012. His wife also said their family had not been told of his condition in prison. The reformist news website Kaleme reported that Madani had been subjected to violent interrogations. Madani faced trial on January 16, 2013, at a Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of "propaganda against the state" and "assembly and collusion," and offered a statement in his own defense, news reports said. Madani's wife, Mansoureh Ettefagh, told Kaleme in June 2013 that a Tehran Revolutionary Court had sentenced Madani to six years in prison in the southern city of Bandar Abbas and 10 years' exile to the same city on charges of "assembly and collusion with the intent to commit a crime against national security" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic to benefit regime opposition groups." She said he was appealing the decision. Kasra Nouri, Majzooban-e-Noor Imprisoned: March 14, 2012 Nouri, a reporter for the news website Majzooban-e-Noor, was charged with "propagating against the regime" and having unlawful contact with the U.S. government-funded Radio Farda, according to Majzooban-e-Noor. His family knew nothing about his whereabouts or condition until a month after his arrest, when they discovered he was being held at the Shiraz Intelligence Office's Detention Center, his mother, Shokoofeh Yadollahi, told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. After repeated attempts, she said, they were allowed to visit him. Nouri awaited trial in prison on the initial counts. In a separate case, the Shiraz Criminal Court convicted Nouri of "creating public anxiety" and "publishing falsehoods" in connection with his work, according to Majzooban-e-Noor. The court sentenced him to one year in prison on those counts. Majzooban-e-Noor covers news about the Gonabadi dervishes' religious community. Nouri had reported that security and intelligence forces had incited local residents to attack the dervishes during a September 2011 confrontation, causing one death and injuries to several others, according to Majzooban-e-Noor. Many dervishes, including several other journalists with Majzooban-e-Noor, were imprisoned immediately after the 2011 crackdown. Nouri has developed respiratory problems during his imprisonment at Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz, according to reformist news websites. The journalist began waging a hunger strike in April 2013 to protest the transfer to solitary confinement of several Majzooban-e Noor journalists, according to Majzooban-e Noor. On April 24, 2013, a Shiraz Revolutionary Court convicted Nouri of "propaganda against the regime," "acting against national security," "insulting the Supreme Leader," and "membership in the Majzooban-e-Noor group," according to Majzooban-e-Noor. He was sentenced to four years and four months in prison. Rahman Bouzari, Shargh Imprisoned: May 19, 2012 Authorities summoned Bouzari, an editor for the reformist daily Shargh and contributor to several reformist news websites, to serve a two-year prison term, according to reformist news websites. Bouzari was initially arrested in late May 2011, according to reformist news websites. Security forces raided his Tehran home and confiscated his laptop and other personal belongings, news reports said. He was released on bail and later sentenced to two years in prison and 74 lashes by a Tehran Revolutionary Court on charges of "propagating against the regime," the reports said. Bouzari is being held at Evin Prison. Nassour Naghipour, Human Rights Activists News Agency Imprisoned: July 9, 2012 Naghipour, a reporter and Web editor for the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), was serving a seven-year term at Evin Prison on anti-state charges related to his work in documenting violations of human rights, according to news reports. Naghipour, 30, also established and managed a website that collected Farsi articles in different areas of humanities, philosophy, politics, and literature, according to reformist news websites. In early 2013, HRANA reported that Naghipour had developed gum disease in prison. The journalist was denied furlough in March, the human rights agency said. Shiva Nazar Ahari, Committee of Human Rights Reporters Imprisoned: September 8, 2012 Nazar Ahari, a blogger and founding member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, an organization of journalists documenting human rights abuses, was summoned by authorities to begin serving her prison sentence in the women's ward of Tehran's Evin Prison, the committee reported. In 2010, Nazar Ahari was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of moharebeh, or "waging war against God," "propagating against the regime," and "acting against national security" for reporting on political gatherings, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. In January 2011, an appeals court reduced her sentence to four years in prison and 74 lashes, news reports said. Nazar Ahari was first arrested in June 2009 and spent several months in Evin Prison, including time in solitary confinement, news reports said. She was a 2011 recipient of the Theodor Haecker Prize for "courageous Internet reporting on human rights violations." Nazar Ahari was granted a three-day furlough for the Iranian New Year on March 12, 2013, according to the Committee of Human Rights Reporters website. She was granted another three-day furlough in September, according to news reports. Mehrdad Sarjoui, Iran News Imprisoned: November 28, 2012 Sarjoui was initially arrested in July 2011 and sentenced by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran to 10 years in prison on charges of "cooperating with enemy states," according to the reformist news site Kaleme. He was detained for 10 months and freed on bail in May 2012, the reports said. In August 2012, an appeals court reduced his sentence to three years in prison and seven years' suspended imprisonment. He was summoned to begin serving his term in November 2012, news reports said. Sarjoui covered international news for the English-language daily Iran News and other publications. He had previously worked in the international relations department of the government's Strategic Research Center, according to the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Staff members for the research agency had access to politically sensitive material, which placed them under intense scrutiny by government security agents. The journalist is being held at Evin Prison. Khosrow Kordpour, Mukrian News Agency Imprisoned: March 7, 2013 Massoud Kordpour, freelance Imprisoned: March 8, 2013 Intelligence forces arrested Khosrow Kordpour, editor-in-chief of the Mukrian News Agency, an outlet that covers the arrests and prosecutions of Kurdish activists and documents human rights violations. The U.S. government-funded Radio Farda reported that authorities had a warrant for his arrest and also searched his home, but did not offer further details. Kordpour's brother, freelance journalist Massoud Kordpour, was arrested at the Boukan Intelligence Office the next day, when he went to inquire about the imprisonment of his brother. Authorities later searched his home and confiscated personal items. Massoud Kordpour had frequently covered human rights in Kurdistan province, and his work has been published by RFI Persian, Deutsche Welle Persian, Voice of America Persian, and on local and Kurdish-language websites. Massoud was initially held in solitary confinement before being transferred to Mahabad Prison in Azerbaijan Province. Both journalists were then transferred to Orumiyeh Prison on March 26, 2013, according to Kurdish news website Kurdpa and Radio Zamaneh. Neither journalist has been allowed access to his lawyer or family members, according to the independent press service Human Rights Activist News Agency. Another brother, As'ad, told Kurdpa on April 11, 2013, that a judge had forbidden the journalists' family from visiting the brothers. The brothers were taken to court on September 16, 2013, and officially charged with propaganda against the regime," "insulting the Supreme Leader," and "publishing falsehoods with the intent to create public anxiety," according to the Mukrian News Agency. The judge did not issue a decision in relation to the defense lawyer's request to release the journalists on bail. Massoud and Khosrow Kordpour were sent back to prison. In November 2013, news accounts reported that the Mahabad Revolutionary Court had sentenced Massoud to three and a half years in prison and Khosrow to six years in prison, followed by exile for two years. Copyright notice: © Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.	i don't know
Charles Taylor, in court (along with witnesses Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow) at the Hague in 2010, the first African president to face trial for war crimes, led which nation?	As Charles Taylor boycotts trial, Sierra Leone's war-battered residents hope for justice As Charles Taylor boycotts trial, Sierra Leone's war-battered residents hope for justice By Paige McClanahan Pin it Share Former Liberian President Charles Taylor boycotted his war crimes trial in The Hague for a second day on Wednesday, further delaying the court’s ruling on whether he bears responsibility for the civil war that ravaged the West African country of Sierra Leone for more than a decade. It is the latest bizarre twist in the drawn-out trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, established in 2003 “to try those who bear the greatest responsibility” for the war that brutalized the country in the 1990s. Proceedings have included Shakespearean monologues from Mr. Taylor along with testimonies from British supermodel Naomi Campbell and American actor-activist Mia Farrow. But here in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, the public remains confident that the law will eventually catch up with Taylor, who faces indictments on 11 counts, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and the use of child soldiers. Think you know Africa? Take our geography quiz. “Charles Taylor is pretending to the world that he’s innocent,” says Theresa Turay, a Sierra Leonean who lived through the country’s gruesome 11-year civil war. “But he has to face the trial. He has to face the penalty.” “If you play evil," she adds, "it will come back for you." The trial, which heard its first witness in January 2008, was set to come to an end Friday. Prosecutors presented their closing arguments Tuesday, and the defense was meant to do the same today. If closing arguments had wrapped up as planned this week, a ruling in the case could have been expected sometime later this year. Taylor’s boycott has thrown that schedule into disarray. 'This is about ego, not justice' Taylor’s lawyers led the walkout Tuesday, claiming the court wrongly rejected their 547-page trial summary, which was filed three weeks late despite multiple warnings from the court. Speaking outside the courtroom Wednesday morning, Taylor’s lead lawyer Courtenay Griffiths insisted that the court’s refusal to accept the trial summary was evidence of its bias against the defense team. The British lawyer said he plans to appeal, a process that could delay a ruling in the case indefinitely. “It's about simply this: ‘You're not running this court, Mr. Taylor, and we're going to show you who's in charge by rejecting your final brief,’ ” Mr. Griffiths said today outside the court, reports the Associated Press. “So this is about ego, not justice, and I really don't see that this kind of personalized politics has any part to play in a court of law." Chief prosecutor Brenda Hollis shot back, claiming that Taylor’s team was just trying to buy time. “The accused is not attending a social event. He may not R.S.V.P. at the last minute. He is the accused at a criminal proceeding,” Ms. Hollis said. Prosecutors claim that while Liberia’s president from 1997 to 2003, Taylor effectively served as the commander of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) – the rebel group that instigated Sierra Leone’s civil war – from his base in Liberia, issuing orders and supplying the rebels with black market weapons. In exchange, the prosecution maintains, RUF fighters brought Taylor a steady supply of rough diamonds that had been picked out of alluvial deposits in mineral-rich eastern Sierra Leone, which was under rebel control. Testimony from Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow Witnesses who have taken the stand over the past three years have put a human face to the reports of atrocities perpetrated by the RUF. A young woman told the court that she was raped repeatedly by the rebels and impregnated at the age of 14. A local man described having his hands cut off by a boy soldier who was just 13 years old. A former radio controller told the court about the RUF’s “Operation Pay Yourself,” the 1998 campaign in which soldiers were instructed to pillage the countryside for food, women, and supplies. Taylor, who likes to show up in court wearing bespoke suits and gold cuff links, denies all the charges, at one point claiming they were part of a US conspiracy against him. He has also taken the witness stand, testifying on his own behalf for a full seven months. Ms. Campbell made a brief appearance last summer to testify about the pouch of “dirty looking stones” that were presented to her by unnamed men after she met Charles Taylor at a dinner hosted by former South African president Nelson Mandela in 1997. Soon afterward, Ms. Farrow took to the stand to dispute Campbell's testimony. 'Let law take its course' Back in Sierra Leone, there’s not much sympathy for Taylor, the first African head of state to face an international criminal tribunal. “[Taylor’s] strongmen started this whole thing back in 1991,” says Richard Koroma, a 31-year-old high school teacher in Makeni, the capital of Sierra Leone’s Bombali District, which saw heavy fighting during the war. The first combatants crossed into Sierra Leone over the country’s southern border with Liberia, Mr. Koroma says. They then began terrorizing villagers and taking control of the local diamond mines. “They were Charles Taylor’s former fighters,” he says of the men who came from Liberia. “He’s the one who sent them.” RUF soldiers shot at Koroma as he fled the town of Kono with family members in 1997. A bullet punctured his left calf, but he had to walk 40 miles before he reached safety. Today, Koroma is ready to leave those nightmares behind him. His first child, a girl, was born on Feb. 4, and he’s confident that Sierra Leone will have a peaceful future. As far as Charles Taylor is concerned, he just wants to move on. “There’s nothing that we can do to Charles Taylor that will be equal to what he has done to the people of Sierra Leone,” Koroma says. “But let the law take its course.” Think you know Africa? Take our geography quiz. Reblog	Liberia
What secret service organization was accused of forging British passports for its agents allegedly responsible for an assassination in Dubai?	Scandals and past rulings end careers of four senior judges....+++++ - Google Groups Scandals and past rulings end careers of four senior judges....+++++ Showing 1-1 of 1 messages These are too many problems the Coalition Government under the two principals cannot and will not make situation any better except worse. Civil Society and the general public must begin to confront illegality by exposing just like Warsama have started and it will be a good idea to lay them bare so we know from which angle we will tackle out problems once we set up the Transitional Caretaker Committee......We cannot wait people......action must begin by ourselves in our own ways........ We must shame the devil of wickedness in order we can achieve peace and unity working together in love for a better future.......It is our right people........ The Taylors of Kenya must be exposed and laid bare, no other way......... Judy Miriga Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc., USA --- On Thu, 4/26/12, mohamed warsama < [email protected] > wrote: From: mohamed warsama < [email protected] > Subject: Fw: NEW KIKUYU PORTS AUTHORITY BOARD SCANDAL To: " [email protected] " < [email protected] >, "uchunguzi online" < [email protected] >, "jamian forum" < [email protected] >, "kcdn" < [email protected] >, "Kiswahili" < [email protected] >, "KOL" < [email protected] >, "progressive-kenyans" < [email protected] >, " [email protected] " < [email protected] >, "Siasa Kenya" < [email protected] >, "the last word to kenya" < [email protected] >, "maureen mudi" < [email protected] >, "ngumbao" < [email protected] > Date: Thursday, April 26, 2012, 12:37 PM THIS IS A CRIME AGAINST NATIONAL COHESION AND INTEGRITY. THE NEW KENYA PORTS AUTHORITY IS A MISNOMER. IT SHOULD PROPERLY BE CALLED KIKUYU PORTS AUTHORITY. OR KIPIPIRI PORTS AUTHORITY. WHY ? BECAUSE OF THIRTEEN BOARD MEMBERS, NINE ARE FROM CENTRAL PROVINCE THREE FROM LAMU COUNTY ONE FROM UKAMBANI. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AT TRANSCOMIN HOUSE ? DOES AMOS KIMUNYA, THE TRANSPORT MINISTER, THINK THE KPA BOARD IS A KIPIPIRI RIVER PORTS AUTHORITY IN HIS CONSTITUENCY ? IT IS TIME WE COAST PEOPLE SAID NO TO THIS KIND OF BLATANT TRIBALISM. IT IS A THROW BACK TO THE SEVENTIES IN THE DAYS WHEN PETER GACHATHI, THEN PS INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING MINISTRY, LED A SEVEN-MAN DELEGATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT ON AN OFFICIAL TRIP ABROAD. ALL OF THEM WERE KIKUYUS. THE INSTALLATION OF KIMUNYA'S KIPIPIRI PORTS AUTHORITY IS PROOF OF SPECULATORY REPORTS THAT THE CENTRAL REGION MAFIA WAS PLOTTING TO MILK PORT REVENUES FOR 2012 ELECTIONS. RAILA ODINGA HAS BEEN SLEEPING TOO MUCH, ALLOWING HIMSELF TO BE USED AS AN ERRAND BOY TO PROMOTE LAMU PORT BY THE CENTRAL MAFIA. WE NEED A NEW SET OF YOUNGER AND DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP THAT CAN BRING SOCIAL ORDER, JUSTICE AND EQUITY TO THE AFFAIRS OF GOVERNMENT. MOHAMED WARSAMA JOURNALIST & NATIONAL COHESION ACTIVIST According to the Kenya Gazettw Notice 5058 of 20th April 2012, these are the New board of Directors at the Kenya Port Authoriti. The NAMES of shame: Joseph Kinyua PS Finance Central Cyrus Njiru PS Transport Central James Waweru Rep Attoney G Central Edward Ngige Rep. Inspector State Central Gichiri Ndua MD kpa Central Muthoni Gatere Corparation/board Central. duva Muli MD Kenya Railways Eastern. Actually this the what is reffered as Regional Balance by the Current Governement. ration Council Foundation for Africa Inc., USA IEBC boss clashes with Karua over election date Updated 2 hr(s) 44 min(s) ago Related Stories Raila denies threatening IEBC By Steve Mkawale Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Isaack Hassan clashed with Narc-Kenya Leader Martha Karua over the March 4, 2013 Election Date. The dispute over the date that had threatened to tear the country apart seems to be far from over after the two differed sharply at a forum in Nairobi with the Gichugu MP maintaining that the date was a violation of the constitution. Hassan told off Karua over her stand that the Executive , IEBC and the Judiciary had violated the constitution saying anyone dissatisfied with the March 2013 date should move to court and seek to overturn it. Narc-Kenya Leader Martha Karua maintains that March 4, 2013 Election Date is a violation of the constitution. [Photo: File/Standard] "IEBC was only implementing what the court had ruled on and those against the date can move to court," Hassan said. Karua and other political players like Prime Minister Raila Odinga have been pushing for a December 2012 date, which they say is constitutionally right. The two have argued that by pushing the election to March 4, 2013, it would be extending the life of the country parliament and President Kibaki’s term in office by an extra one year. However, Hassan said the election date would be gazatted as March 2013. Karua had earlier in her address tore on the Executive, the judiciary and IEBC accusing the institutions of taking Kenyans for a ride. "They have violated the constitution and taken us to the sixth year election period. The electoral period is very well stated in the constitution –must be within the five year. "The constitution cannot be a living document unless we breathe live in it," said Karua, who has declared her intention to contest for the presidency in the upcoming General Election. President Mwai Kibaki, during his State of the Nation Address in Parliament last week failed to address the issue of the election date giving an indication that the election would be held in March 2013. Previously the Head of State had categorical stated the courts have the final say in the interpretation of the constitution in regard to the poll date. On Thursday, while addressing political party leaders, MPs and diplomats who attended the launch of the Handbook on Kenya’s Electoral Laws and System at Hilton Hotel, Hassan said the commission was at the final stage of preparation of the elections. He said they have come up with structures that would enable over three million Kenyans in the Diaspora will participate in the next General election. Hassan, however, noted that Kenyan's abroad would cast their ballot for a Presidential candidate only. He further revealed that the registration and voting would be done at Kenya Embassies and Consulates abroad. "The Registration will require an applicant to produce a Kenyan passport. There will be no e-voting at this time but physical ballots," he said. The chairman said the Returning Officers would be nominated by IEBC. "We are going to us our staff in the exercise but some Embassy officials might be chosen to be Returning Officers," Hassan said. The electoral commission has been on the spot over the participation of all Kenyans in the Diaspora in the next general election. The Handbook on Kenya’s Electoral Laws and System would enable civic educators to carry out the exercise with a view of educating Kenyans about electoral laws. The book published by the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (Eisa) provides an overview of electoral law regime in the country. "It comprehensively covers the electoral systems and structures and functions of key organs responsible for electoral management in the country," said Eisa Country Director Mr Felix Odhiambo. Senior Deputy Solicitor General Muthoni Wanjiku challenged IEBC and other players to come up with simplified version of the book to enable ordinary Kenyans learn about the electoral laws. British High Commissioner to Kenya Dr Peter Tibber challenged leaders to ensure that the country conduct free, fair and transparent elections. Dr Tibber said the international community was happy about the reforms in institutions concerned with elections saying they would continue to support positive reforms aimed at ensuring free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections. The next election will be the first polls in the country’s history where Kenyans living abroad would cast their votes. Warrants of arrest out for senior bankers Updated 20 hr(s) 21 min(s) ago By Wahome Thuku Police are looking for two senior bank officials who have allegedly fled the country over a case involving a multi-million shilling property in downtown Nairobi. Two warrants of arrest have been issued against former Ecobank Executive Director Michael Monari and the bank’s Senior Chief Legal Advisor Wilfred Oroko. Mr Monari is the bank’s CEO in Uganda. The warrants were issued by Nairobi Chief Magistrate Court on Tuesday following an application by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Police have now enlisted the help of Interpol to track them down. The CID applied for the warrants on Monday after the High Court in Nairobi dismissed an application by Monari and Oroko to have the Police Commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions stopped from arresting, charging and prosecuting them. Charge The two are wanted in connection to a registration of a charge against a property located on Mokhtar Dadar Street. The property was owned by businessman Abubakar Habib, who passed away in June 2007. In 1996 and 1997 he had secured a Sh7.5 million loan from Ecobank (then Akiba Bank), which he had not repaid fully by the time of his death. The bank continued demanding loan arrears and interest to the tune of Sh105 million and on December 15, 2008 it sold the property to one John Ngururi for Sh60 million. In an affidavit filed in court on Monday, Mr Gideon Wamocha, attached to the Economic Crimes Unit, claimed the two bankers jointly with other people fraudulently obtained the registration of the charge at the lands office without the consent of the executor (Habib’s legal representative). "The accused are believed to have fled the country after committing the said offences," he told the court. Bank injects Sh3b in fish farming Published on 03/04/2012 By Joseph Masha The Government has received Sh3 billion from the World Bank to promote fishing at the Coast. Fisheries Development Minister Amason Kingi said the funds were channelled to the Government through Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute. The funds will be used on research programmes, train local farmers and equip them with modern fishing gear. The minister noted that Coast Province, which has a vast cover of the Indian Ocean only produces about six per cent of the total fish exports in the county while the rest comes from Lake Victoria. "It is shocking to learn that Coast, which is blessed with big cover of water from the Indian Ocean has been contributing only six per cent of the total fish exports while Lake Victoria, other lakes and rivers from upcountry have been producing more than 94 per cent", said Mr Kingi. He, however, blamed the low catch on fishing gear used by local fishermen. Kingi said: "Our local fishermen have no capacity to catch big tonnes of fish due to the use of local fishing gears like canoes, which cannot venture into deep seas while others use local fishing lines.’’ The minister made the remarks at Vitengeni divisional headquarters, Mombasa, yesterday when he addressed fish farmers after inspecting their ponds. He distributed fish liners to the fish pond farmers and gave a personal donation of Sh100,000 to Vitengeni Fish Farmers Association. Assistant Minister Ali Chiaba, a fisheries director in charge of fish quality assurance and marketing, Mr Okumu Makogola and the association’s Chairman Kennedy Mwangome were present. The minister said the Government would construct fish processing plant in all counties where fishpond farming is practiced. Kingi said his ministry will liaise with Water Ministry to supply water to fishpond farmers in Ganze as the area was too dry. Italy gives Sh900m for irrigation scheme Published on 10/04/2012 By Edwin Cheserek The Italian Government has granted Kenya Sh900 million as soft loan to initiate a 325-hectare irrigation scheme in Pokot Central District. Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) will implement the project on behalf of the government. KVDA Managing Director Francis Kipkech said the funding would also rehabilitate 275 hectares of existing schemes. He said the project’s highlight is to address food insecurity, environmental conservation and to empower the communities economically. “We are initiating this economic stimulus purposely to sustain food sufficiency and income generation for those living around these areas,” Kipkech told The Standard. He said the project that will be implemented in Ptokou and Sangat-Korelach sub-locations would benefit 10,000 residents. Kipkech said the area has high potential for agriculture, adding that much of the water would be drawn from Weiwei River. An Italian firm that will be the main contractor will be allowed to sub-contract Kenyan firms through internal advertisements. Farmers with the state development agency and the County Council of Pokot will jointly own the scheme. “A farmers’ committee has been set up to run the project activities whereas KVDA and Italy will be represented on the same board,” Kipkech said. The project was first initiated 16 years ago but stalled because of insecurity occasioned by cattle rustling and banditry. Plans are underway to extend the next phase to other areas to address over-dependency on pastoralism. Sh1.5m boost to farmers in Marakwet Published on 24/04/2012 By Edwin Cheserek Eldoret Catholic Peace and Justice Commission has donated farm inputs to 500 households in Marakwet District to boost farming in the area. The commission issued assorted inputs worth Sh1.5 million to the residents through its Livelihood Programme that seeks to promote sustainable agriculture. Speaking at Kamoi trading centre, programme co-ordinator James Kimisoi said farmers in the area have been struggling with low production and poor access to inputs. He explained: "We are supporting the farmers because they are vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen and inaccessibility of the inputs." Implementing partners Mr Kimisoi, however, said with the support of Catholic Diocese of Eldoret through the commission, farming output would be improved. He said the commission and the Ministry of Agriculture would be the implementing partners of the project. "We are distributing these inputs to the victims so that they can contribute towards sustainable agriculture in the area," he said. Kimosoi said they are committed to ensuring food security and agricultural development is given priority. The commission distributed assorted inputs such as maize and bean seeds and fertilisers to sustain farming viability among the residents. He disclosed that the programme is targeting peasant farmers faced with high production costs. The performance evaluation of the project by donors is subject to extension, with defaulting farmers being blacklisted from future benefit. He said they had enlisted government officials to identify the genuine households to be given the farm inputs. Group chairperson Leah Mutero said a team of facilitators had been trained to offer technical support to the farmers to ensure the projects are implemented later. He explained: "The groups will be given information irrespective of their stature with a view to ensuring food sufficiency for them." She expressed optimism that the initiative would alleviate poverty and also enhance group dynamics in food production. Ms Mutero at the same time said they would form co-operative societies to support farming activities and to finance farmers. "The area has a great potential for food production but high cost of farm inputs has stopped us from exploiting the opportunity," she said. Get to the bottom of missing drought funds Published on 29/02/2012 Getting your paperwork right before investing The one thing that sends Kenyans into a frenzy concerns any mention of the word "drought". In fact, last year saw an unprecedented response to feed thousands of hunger-stricken Kenyans due to an extended period of dry skies. Operation Kenyans for Kenya impressed everyone, locals and international development partners alike as ordinary citizens took it upon themselves to accomplish what government had spectacularly failed to do: To feed its people! It was motivated, perhaps, by the pictures of gaunt, hollow-cheeked, emaciated villagers that media kept splashing across living rooms. Or there was a spontaneous outpouring of generosity, which with the increasing media spotlight, forced families to share the bountiful heaps on their tables. Experts of all shades and persuasions volunteered solutions, suggestions and criticism. All these were received well by a government that had egg dripping all over its face. One oft-repeated suggestion was the need to improve rainwater harvesting techniques through dams, pans, underground tanks and other reservoirs. Then again, communities were exhorted to jealously guard water towers and plant more trees. But it was the decision to set aside a fund to re-stock the herds of pastoralists that shrivelled and died even as owners watched and others at the Kenya Meat Commission holding ground in Athi River. Part of this money was a Sh200 million given to Agriculture Development Corporation to cushion farmers by buying out their animals, fatten them and re-sell the herds through the programme. Tobiko-led office Reports that Sh150 million of that fund cannot be accounted for, flies in the face of efforts to sever the hands of the Lords of Graft and Impunity. We hope a thorough probe is instituted at the Ministry of Livestock Development, ADC and any other concerned department that can explain the whereabouts of thousands of animals as well as cash, meant for the poor. Let this be a test case for the Keriako Tobiko-led office to ensure the proverbial stone is not left unturned. This is mischief and means there is no cushion in the event of another drought. Somebody must speak out for the common man. Kajwang’: Applications for dual citizenship on Published on 24/04/2012 KTN Leo 25th April 2012 part one International judges are due to give a verdict in the war crimes trial of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor. Mr Taylor has been on trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, sitting in The Hague, for almost five years. He is accused of backing rebels who killed tens of thousands during Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war. They were notorious for using child soldiers and hacking off the limbs of civilians. Mr Taylor denies 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The BBC's Mark Doyle in the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, says that if Charles Taylor is found guilty and given a long prison term, Sierra Leone will breathe a collective sigh of relief; if he is acquitted, this country - and the whole West African region - will tremble with fear. Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is seen at the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in Leidschendam, the Netherlands, August 5, 2010. [Photo/Reuters] Child soldiers Mr Taylor is accused of selling diamonds to buy weapons for Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front rebels (RUF). They gained a reputation for using machetes and axes to cut off people's hands and feet. Often the atrocities were carried out by children. Victims who have lost limbs blame Mr Taylor for stoking the flames of civil war. Mr Taylor, a former warlord, was also instrumental in Liberia's slide into civil war in the late 1980s but is only on trial for events in Sierra Leone. He was eventually elected Liberia's president in 1997 and governed until August 2003 when he was forced into exile in Nigeria. He was eventually sent back to Liberia and taken to The Hague to face the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone. The trial has been held in the Netherlands in case the hearings sparked fresh instability in Sierra Leone and Liberia. If convicted Mr Taylor will become the first former head of state to be found guilty of war crimes by an international court since the Nuremburg trials of Nazis after World War II. The court has heard from more than 100 witnesses, including the actress Mia Farrow and supermodel Naomi Campbell. The prosecution wanted to establish a link between Mr Taylor and uncut diamonds which Naomi Campbell said he gave her in South Africa in 1997. Correspondents say this is an important point, as the accused is said to have used so-called blood diamonds to pay for weapons for the rebels. If Mr Taylor is found guilty, he is expected to go to a prison in the UK as the Dutch government only agreed to host the trial if any ensuing jail term was served in another country. —BBC "The chamber finds beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is criminally responsible... for aiding and abetting the commission of the crimes 1 to 11 in the indictment," presiding judge Richard Lussick told the Special Court for Sierra Leone, based on the outskirts of The Hague, as he read the verdict. The accused had substantial influence over the Sierra Leonean RUF rebels, but this fell short of effective command and control, the judge says. Judge Lussick also said the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was part of a joint criminal enterprise. But the chamber found beyond reasonable doubt that the accused provided material help to the RUF, the judge says. —BBC Scandals and past rulings end careers of four senior judges Updated 1 hr(s) 23 min(s) ago Related Stories	i don't know
Food writer and critic Egon Ronay, who died in 2010, was born in what country, which offers a food related pun?	Egon Ronay, 94, British food critic behind restaurant guides Egon Ronay, 94, British food critic behind restaurant guides by Jill Lawless - Jun. 13, 2010 12:00 AM Associated Press LONDON - Food critic Egon Ronay, whose eponymous restaurant guides helped Britain embrace fine dining after years of postwar austerity, died Saturday. He was 94. Family friend Nick Ross said Ronay died at his home near Yattendon, 50 miles west of London, after a short illness. Born in Budapest in 1915, Ronay was the son of a prosperous restaurant owner whose business was ruined by World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation. Ronay left communist Hungary for Britain in 1946. He worked as a manager at London restaurants before opening his own establishment, the Marquee, which sought to bring French culinary flair to a country just emerging from years of food rationing. "You could eat well in London," Ronay told the Observer newspaper in 2003 about the 1950s, "but in extremely few places." He began writing about food for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, and in 1957 produced the first Egon Ronay Guide to British restaurants, modeled on France's Michelin guides. The annual guides, researched with the help of a team of anonymous reviewers, became immensely popular, and restaurants displayed the blue Egon Ronay label as a seal of approval. Ronay later said that in Britain until the 1960s, "food was not a polite topic for conversation." "When I came there was only two columns about food, one in the Tatler and one in the Daily Telegraph. Now there is not a single publication in the whole of Britain that does not carry news on food." As well as his restaurant guides, Ronay rated eating spots at airports and highway service stations, and acted as a food consultant to a chain of pubs. He said his goal was to raise the quality of dining for everyone, not just the elite. "It is not for me to say whether I have had any influence. Other people must judge," he once said. "However, I think the guides certainly have had the effect, particularly in mass catering, of telling people that they could no longer get away with murder - because I would expose them." Ronay sold the guides to the Automobile Association in 1985, but went to court and regained the right to the Egon Ronay name years later, after the company that subsequently bought them went bankrupt. He continued working into his 90s. Ross said he had a "remarkable ability to taste flavors in anything." "Right up until his death, even young chefs regarded him as the monarch," Ross said. Ronay is survived by his wife, Barbara, two daughters and a son.	Hungary
Name the gymnastic group which won the 2010 Britain's Got Talent TV show?	Restaurant critic Egon Ronay dies - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum Restaurant critic Egon Ronay dies User Name World News The forum for posting news events from all over the world, ie America, Australia, Africa, Europe and any where else that isn't in Asia. Robust discussion is allowed, but posters should stay on topic and refrain from personal attacks. Restaurant critic Egon Ronay dies Restaurant critic Egon Ronay dies Restaurant critic Egon Ronay has died at the age of 94 after a short illness. Ronay, who was born in Hungary in 1915, wrote his first guidebook in 1956 after managing several restaurants and contributing to the Daily Telegraph. He continued to publish the books for three decades, helping to usher in the era of restaurant reviews. Paying tribute, Michelin-starred celebrity chef Raymond Blanc said Ronay was a visionary who had pushed up "the standard of British cuisine". Ronay died on Saturday morning at his Berkshire home with his wife and two daughters by his side, said close friend and broadcaster Nick Ross. "He was, in the most literal sense, incredible, right up until the last few weeks of his life - he was sharp as a button," said Ross, who had known the writer for 15 to 20 years. "We went for a tasting with him four months ago and he had this remarkable ability to taste flavours in anything. "Right up until his death, even young chefs regarded him as the monarch." Blanc said winning Ronay's Restaurant of the Year award in 1978, for Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire, "changed his life". He said: "[Ronay] was meticulous, he was a visionary and he knew what gastronomy should be. "There's no doubt that he had a huge, huge influence and he helped British chefs to believe in themselves." Ronay was the son of a prominent restaurateur in Budapest whose businesses were destroyed during and after World War II. Penniless Ronay escaped from communist Hungary in 1946 and arrived in London as a penniless refugee. He went on to manage several restaurants before opening his own establishment in 1952, the Marquee in Knightsbridge, serving classic French dishes that were almost unheard of in post-war Britain. Television chef Fanny Craddock raved about the place and persuaded Ronay to write a food column for the Daily Telegraph. His often scathing criticism is credited with helping improve UK catering He sold his restaurant in 1955 to concentrate on his writing, and Egon Ronay's Guide to Hotels and Restaurants arrived the following year. The guidebook was inspired by France's Michelin restaurant guides. "Everybody looked at his guides," celebrity chef Phil Vickery told BBC News. "He really did make everyone stand up and say, 'Oh my goodness, are we selling good food or not?'" Vickery added: "He was a very successful restaurateur in his own right. "He knew his stuff. I think very few people these days understand cooking fully, or understand the process. "Coming from that background, he knew exactly what to say and what to do." Threat of exposure Ronay produced the books, with the help of a team of inspectors, for 30 years - never accepting a free meal. "I think the guides certainly have had the effect, particularly in mass catering, of telling people that they could no longer get away with murder - because I would expose them," Ronay once said. "My aim was to improve catering standards and having seen the way the Michelin guides worked I felt a guide was the best way. "I never considered it a business and only made money out of the guides when I sold them." He sold the guidebooks to the AA in 1985, but regained the rights to the books in court in the late 90s after arguing that the company's actions were in danger of tarnishing his name. Restaurant critic Michael Winner said Ronay was "humble" but the "greatest food critic ever". "He surpassed all the supercilious, arrogant, position-seeking food critics we have at the moment. He had a great heart, great dignity and great warmth. "He was a true expert and I admired him beyond belief. He was superior to us all. "I was very sad to hear of his death."	i don't know
"Singer Jimmy Dean, who died in 2010 age 81, sang (in a very deep voice) what hit song about about a heroic 6'6"" coal miner?"	Steve's Dead Rock Stars - 2010 Steve's Dead Rock Stars Teena Marie March 5, 1956 - December 26, 2010 Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer. She was a protï¿½gï¿½e of the late funk artist Rick James . 12/26/2010 Bernie Wilson 1946 - December 26, 2010 Bernie Wilson, baritone vocalist and one of the last-standing members of the classic lineup for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, has died at a New Jersey hospital. Wilson was a member of what's called the "classic" Blue Notes line-up that included Teddy Pendergrass , and that signed with Philadelphia International in 1972, beginning a four-year string of rhythm-and-blues classics that defined the Philadelphia sound. Songs such as "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "The Love I Lost", "Wake Up Everybody" and "Don't Leave Me This Way" defined the sound. Notable covers include Simply Red's recording of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and Thelma Houston's disco hit with "Don't Leave Me This Way." Wilson died on December 26, 2010, at the age of 64, due to complications from a stroke and heart attack. Other members of the Blue Notes have left us: Teddy Pendergrass died in early 2010, Lawrence Brown died in 2008 and Harold Melvin died in 1997. 12/18/2010 Bob Demmon February 11, 1939 - December 18, 2010 Bob Demmon (born Robert Graham Demmon) was a guitarist and member of the 1960s surf-rock band The Astronauts from Boulder, Colorado. The Astronauts released their first album in 1963 and scored a hit with the song "Baja" (composed by Lee Hazelwood). The Astronauts released six more albums, with singles including "Competition Coupe" and "Banzai Pipeline." They appeared in the films "Surf Party" (1964) and "Speedy Gonzales" (1965). After the group disbanded in the late 1960s, Demmon became a successful teacher in Coronado, California and was the director of the award-winning Coronado High School Marching Band. 12/17/2010 Captain Beefheart January 15, 1941 - December 17, 2010 Captain Beefheart (Born Don Glen Vliet, but better known by his stage name) was an experimental Avant-garde rock musician and friend of Frank Zappa . He recorded 12 albums between 1965 and 1982 with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band. Albums included Safe as Milk (1967), Strictly Personal (1968), Trout Mask Replica (1969), Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970), Mirror Man (1971), The Spotlight Kid (1972), Clear Spot (1973), Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974), Bluejeans & Moonbeams (1974), Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (1978), Doc at the Radar Station (1980) and Ice Cream for Crow (1982). After leaving the music business, he concentrated on his other art, painting. Van Vliet died in 2010 after many years of suffering from multiple sclerosis. 12/09/2010 "Cool Ruler" July 15, 1981 - October 25, 2010 Gregory Isaacs, the Jamaican reggae singer best known for his song 'Night Nurse' has died of cancer at age 59. Isaacs recorded the album Night Nurse in 1982, and the title song garnered him international recognition. Known as the "Cool Ruler" for his designer suits, silk shirts silky smooth singing voice, Isaacs cultivated a style of reggae music that became known as lover rock. The style emphasized romantic yearning over reggae's more traditional themes. Isaacs battled cocaine dependency and had numerous brushes with the law, including spending six months in jail in Kingston, Jamaica. His drug habit contributed to his notorious unreliability. A prolific musician, Isaacs released dozens of albums during his lengthy career. 10/24/2010 February 3, 1949 - October 24, 2010 Songwriter Linda Hargrove has died after a long battle with leukemia. She was 61. Linda, known as "The Blue Jean Country Queen" because of her denim wardrobe, is remembered for penning George Jones' "Tennessee Whiskey", Olivia-Newton-John's "Let it Shine" and Johnny Rodriquez's "Just Get Up and Close the Door." As a recording artist, Linda Hargrove released five major label country albums between 1973 and 1977. Her songs were covered by numerous country music greats, including Lynn Anderson , Ernest Tubb , Merle Haggard , Jean Shepard, Loretta Lynn and Marty Robbins . In 1973, Leon Russell recorded a pair of Hargrove tunes for his country album Hank Wilson Is Back . In the same year, Hargrove and Michael Nesmith of the Monkees co-wrote the song "Winonah," which appeared on Nesmith's Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash album. In the 1980s, she released two gospel albums under her married name, Linda Bartholomew. She was an active member of NSAI (Nashville Songwriter's Association) . 10/17/2010 Solomon Burke March 21, 1940 - October 10, 2010 Solomon Burke, a giant man with a powerful, soulful voice dubbed the "King of Rock and Soul", known for sitting in a throne on stage, has died at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport after a flight from Los Angeles. Two of Burke's best-known songs reached a wider audience when they were featured in hit movies. He wrote "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" in 1964 and it was later featured in the Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi movie The Blues Brothers . The Rolling Stones and Wilson Pickett also recorded it. His song "Cry To Me" was featured in one of the most memorable scenes from the movie Dirty Dancing . Legendary Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler once called Burke, "the best soul singer of all time." Burke was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He fathered 21 children and at least 90 grandchildren. 9/22/2010 Eddie Fisher August 10, 1928 - September 22, 2010 Eddie Fisher was a pop singer, teen idol and entertainer, most popular in the 1950s. He had his own TV show and was married 5 times, including marriages to Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens. In 1956, Fisher co-starred with then-wife Debbie Reynolds in the musical comedy Bundle of Joy . In 1960, he starred with Elizabeth Taylor in the movie Butterfield 8 . His divorce from Reynolds and subsequent marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, his best friend's widow, resulted in a Hollywood scandal that caused NBC to cancel Fisher's TV series in March of 1959. Fisher has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording, at 6241 Hollywood Boulevard, and one for television, at 1724 Vine Street. 9/20/2010 Leonard Skinner January 11, 1933 - September 20, 2010 Leonard Skinner, the gym teacher who inspired the name of the legendary southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died. Skinner was a coach and gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida. As a stickler for the school's policy against long hair, he sent students, including future members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, to the principal's office for violating the policy. After retiring from coaching, Skinner started a realty company. A photo of a Leonard Skinner Realty sign appeared inside Lynyrd Skynyrd's third album, Nuthin' Fancy . In October 1977, a plane crash in Mississippi killed Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant ; guitarist Steve Gaines; Gaines's sister, vocalist Cassie Gaines; an assistant road manager; and the pilot and copilot. 9/8/2010 Irwin Silber October 17, 1925 - September 8, 2010 Irwin Silber was a folk music journalist, editor, publisher and political activist. He was the co-founder and editor of Sing Out! magazine from 1951 to 1967. Sing Out! focused on American folk music and musicians. In the November 1965 edition of Sing Out!, Silber wrote an article called "Open Letter To Bob Dylan." "I saw at Newport how you had somehow lost contact with people ... some of the paraphernalia of fame were getting in your way". Dylan did not like being told how to perform or how to write, and he didn't really like any criticism much either. He replied by telling his manager Albert Grossman that his songs were no longer available for publication in Sing Out!. 9/8/2010 Rich Cronin August 30, 1974 - September 8, 2010 Rich Cronin, former lead singer of the boy band LFO, has died after a battle with leukemia. Cronin founded LFO ("Lyte Funky Ones") in 1995 with Brad Fischetti and Brian Gillis (who was later replaced by Devin Lima). He wrote LFO's 1999 hit "Summer Girls". The group was signed by Lou Pearlman, the now-imprisoned pop impresario behind 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Cronin dated actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and wrote a hit song, "Girl on TV," about her before the band broke up in 2003. His brother, Mike Cronin, was a manager for the pop group O-Town. In 2005, Cronin was diagnosed with a form of leukemia known as acute myelogenous leukemia. In the summer of 2010, his condition worsened, and he was admitted for further treatment at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. On the afternoon of September 8, 2010, Rich Cronin died in the hospital after suffering a stroke (a reaction to his treatment). He was 36. 9/3/2010 Mike Edwards May 31, 1948 - September 3, 2010 Mike Edwards, cellist and founding member of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), has died in a freak roadway accident. He was killed instantly when a giant runaway bale of hay tumbled down a hill and crashed into his van on the A381 motorway in southwestern England. The bale may have fallen from a tractor working on farmland above the road. The bale rolled downhill, smashed through a hedge and careered onto the road. Edwards, later known as Swami Deva Pramada, performed with ELO from 1972 until he left the band in 1975. He was the eccentric character of the band, noted for using a grapefruit to bow his cello and for using pyrotechnics to explode his cello during a solo. He contributed to the albums ELO II, On the Third Day , The Night The Light Went On (In Long Beach) and Eldorado . He was later replaced as cellist by Melvyn Gale. 8/23/2010 Kenny Edwards February 10, 1946 - August 18, 2010 Kenny Edwards was a folk-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who is best remembered as a founding member of the Stone Poneys along with Linda Ronstadt and Bob Kimmel. Formed in 1965, the group helped pave the way for the popular "Laurel Canyon" sound of ï¿½70s country rock. Their 1967 album Evergreen, Volume 2 included the hit single, "Different Drum," written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees. The Stone Poneys released three albums in their short 15 month recording career. After the Stone Poneys parted ways, Linda Ronstadt went on to a highly acclaimed solo career, while Edwards formed the moderately successful Bryndle, then went solo, and collaborated with the likes of Karla Bonoff, Warren Zevon , Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, and Don Henley. In 1974, Edwards and Ronstadt again joined forces to release one of her most popular albums, Heart Like A Wheel. They continued to work together for many more years Kenny Edwards passed away on August 18, 2010. He was 64 and had been battling prostate cancer. 8/15/2010 Herman Leonard March 6, 1923 - August 14, 2010 Herman Leonard was a jazz photographer known for his pictures of Billie Holiday , Dave Brubeck , Duke Ellington , Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong , Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and many others. Author of several photo books including, The Eye Of Jazz and a 2010 collection simply entitled Jazz Memories . In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed Leonard's New Orleans home and studio when the 17th Canal Levee broke. He lost 8,000 prints to the floodwaters, but his negatives were protected in the vault of the Ogden Museum in New Orleans. Leonard's jazz photographs, now collector's items, are a unique record of the jazz scene of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. 8/12/2010 Ben Keith March 6, 1937 - July 26, 2010 Ben Keith, a long-time associate of Neil Young, has died at Neil's Broken Arrow ranch in Northern California, where he had been living. Mr. Keith was a respected Nashville steel guitarist, having played on Patsy Cline ï¿½s 1961 hit ï¿½I Fall to Piecesï¿½, when he was hired to play in sessions that resulted in Neil Young's album Harvest in 1971. He also worked with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Todd Rundgren, Lonnie Mack, Paul Butterfield , Linda Ronstadt and Ringo Starr, as well as producing Jewelï¿½s debut album Pieces of You in 1995. 7/26/2010 Fort Worth, Texas Andy Hummel The legendary Memphis pop band Big Star has lost its founding bassist, Andy Hummel. He died at his home near Fort Worth, Texas, after a long battle with cancer. He was 59. Big Star has lost frontman Alex Chilton , producer Jim Dickinson , band associate Tommy Hoehn and now Hummel, leaving drummer Jody Stephens as the lone surviving original member of the band. Big Star's debut album, #1 Record , and its follow-up, Radio City , were creative and critical triumphs but commercial failures. Chris Bell left the group in 1973 (he was killed in a car accident in 1978) and Hummel quit the band before the release of Radio City. 7/15/2010 Tuli Kupferberg September 28, 1923 - July 12, 2010 Tuli Kupferberg was an American counterculture poet, author, cartoonist, pacifist anarchist, publisher and co-founder of the 1960s satirical rock band The Fugs. Kupferberg co-founded The Fugs in 1964 with poet Ed Sanders, naming the band after Norman Mailer's substitute for the word "fuck" in his novel The Naked and the Dead . Kupferberg was one of the band's singers and wrote many of their songs. He also released two solo albums: No Deposit, No Return in 1966, which is a collection of found pop poetry, and Tuli & Friends in 1989. He often jokingly referred to himself as "the world's oldest rock star." 7/11/2010 Walter Hawkins May 18, 1949 - July 11, 2010 Walter Hawkins and his brother, Edwin, founded The Edwin Hawkins Singers. The group sang the hit song "Oh Happy Day", which became one of the first gospel songs to cross over onto mainstream music charts. Walter Hawkins left The Edwin Hawkins Singers in the early 1970s to establish the Love Center Church in Oakland, California. He and his Love Center Choir had considerable success with their "Love Alive" series of recordings, which sold well over a million copies from the 1970s through the 1990s. Love Alive IV , released in 1990, was #1 on the Billboard Gospel Album charts, where it stayed for 33 weeks. Hawkins died at his home in Ripon, California, from pancreatic cancer. 7/6/2010 Harvey Fuqua July 27, 1929 - July 6, 2010 Harvey Fuqua was a key figure in the Detroit, Motor City, music scene. He founded and sang with The Moonglows, a leading 1950s R&B/doo wop group and was one of the key figures of the development of the Motown label in Detroit, Michigan. He is also remembered for hiring and mentoring Marvin Gaye, giving Gaye's musical career a boost into stardom. Fuqua was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the nephew of Charlie Fuqua of The Ink Spots. In 1951, with Bobby Lester, Alexander Graves and Prentiss Barnes , he formed a vocal group, the Crazy Sounds, in Louisville, later moving with other members of the group to Cleveland, Ohio. There, they were taken under the wing of disc jockey Alan Freed , who renamed them "The Moonglows" after his own nickname, 'Moondog'. The Moonglows' first releases were for Freed's Champagne label in 1953. The group's first single was the 1954 hit "Sincerely." Fuqua left the Moonglows when Leonard Chess suggested that he join Anna Records in Detroit. At Anna Records, Fuqua began working with Anna Gordy, Billy Davis, Lamont Dozier and Johnny Bristol. He also introduced Marvin Gaye to Anna's brother, Berry Gordy, and married their sister Gwen Gordy. In 1961, he started his own labels, Tri-Phi Records and Harvey Records, but quit to join Motown records, bringing his some of his acts, including the Spinners, with him. Around 1971, Fuqua left Motown and signed a production deal with RCA Records, having success particularly with the band New Birth. He also discovered disco pioneer Sylvester and The Weather Girls "It's Raining Men." He also served as Smokey Robinson's road manager. In 1982 he reunited with Marvin Gaye to produce the singer's Midnight Love album which included the single "Sexual Healing". As a member of The Moonglows, Fuqua was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. 6/24/2010 Ken Brown 1940 - June 14, 2010 Ken Brown was a Liverpool guitarist who played in the Les Stewart Quartet with George Harrison in 1958. When other members of the group could not make a gig at the Casbah Coffee Club, Brown and Harrison recruited John Lennon and Paul McCartney to play, and renamed themselves the Quarrymen. They played a series of seven Saturday night engagements in The Casbah for 15 shillings each per night, starting on August 29, 1959, featuring Brown, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, but without a drummer. Brown injured his leg on October 10 and could not play. He left the group, joining with Pete Best (son of Mona Best, owner of the Casbah) to form the Blackjacks. The group played at the Casbah until Pete Best was invited to join the Beatles just before their first 1960 trip to Hamburg, Germany. The Blackjacks disbanded and Brown moved to London but never established himself as a professional musician. Brown suffered from emphysema and died at his home in Essex at age 70. His body was discovered on 14 June 2010; police determined that he had died about five days earlier. 6/13/2010 Jimmy Dean August 10, 1928 - June 13, 2010 Jimmy Dean, country music star and sausage king, has died at his Virginia home at age 81. Dean had a successful entertainment career in the 1950s and '60s. His first hit, with the Texas Wildcats, was "Bummin' Around", but musically he may be best remembered for "Big Bad John", a ballad that details the story a coal miner who saves fellow workers when a mine roof collapses. The song was a big hit in 1961 and won a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. From 1963 to 1966, Dean starred in the nationally televised "The Jimmy Dean Show." Dean later became a headliner at venues like Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl and became the first country star to play on the Las Vegas strip. He was also the first guest host on "The Tonight Show." His acting career included a supporting role as reclusive Las Vegas billionaire Willard Whyte in the 1971 James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever . He entered the sausage business with his brother, Don, in 1969 and became the spokesman for the Jimmy Dean Sausage brand. He sold his successful company to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984, but continued as product spokesman until recent years. He fired bandmate Roy Clark, who went onto "Hee Haw" fame, for showing up late for gigs. Dean was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. 6/10/2010 Marvin Isley August 18, 1953 - June 6, 2010 Marvin Isley, the bassist and youngest member of the hit-making soul and funk band Isley Brothers, has died at a Chicago hospice. He was 56. Isley was not an original member of The Isley Brothers, which first consisted of his older brothers, O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald. Isley retired in 1997 because of his battle with diabetes, which resulted in a double amputation of his legs. He also suffered a stroke, high blood pressure, and loss of the use of his left hand. In a 2001 interview, Marvin Isley told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he regretted spending decades ignoring his diabetes. In 2000, the Isleys won a $7 million plagiarism award from Michael Bolton over the group's 1966 song "Love Is A Wonderful Thing." The Supreme Court upheld a federal appeals court ruling that Bolton's 1991 hit of the same name infringed on the copyright of The Isley Brothers' tune. The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Besides his brothers Ernie, Ronald and Rudolph, he is survived by his wife, the former Sheila Felton; a son, Corey; and two daughters, Sidney and Jalen. 5/30/2010 Ali-Ollie Woodson September 12, 1951 - May 30, 2010 Ali-Ollie Woodson, the singer who led the legendary Motown quintet The Temptations in the 1980s and '90s and helped restore them to their hit-making glory with songs including "Treat Her Like A Lady," "Sail Away," and "Lady Soul," has died at age 58. The Temptations helped define the Motown sound in the 1960s and '70s with classics such as "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "My Girl," and "I Wish It Would Rain." By the early 1980s, the Temptations were no longer producing the hits of their earlier career. The group had lost several original members. Woodson replaced Dennis Edwards, who sang with the group during the 1970s. Woodson was not an original member of the group, but his distinctive voice became an important element in keeping the group vital during changing times. Ali Ollie Woodson can be found online on Facebook and also has an official website . 5/24/2010 Paul Gray April 8, 1972 - May 24, 2010 Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, 38, was found dead in a hotel room near Des Moines, Iowa. The hotel employee who found the body reported "all kinds of pills everywhere" and also found a hypodermic needle next to the bed. Autopsy results show that Gray died of an accidental overdose of morphine and the synthetic morphine substitute fentanyl and that he was suffering from ï¿½significant heart disease.ï¿½ Gray, better known as #2 or "The Pig" because of the mask he wore while performing, was one of the founding members of the Des Moines-based band known for its grotesque masks, thrashing sounds and aggressive, dark lyrics. Prior to his death, Gray had been working on an album with Hail!, a metal supergroup featuring past or present members of Judas Priest and Sepultura. He is survived by his wife Brenna who is pregnant with their first child at the time of his death. 5/16/2010 Ronnie James Dio July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010 Ronnie James Dio, one of the most powerful of rock's heavy metal vocalists, has lost his battle to stomach cancer. Dio, born Ronald James Padavona, first came to rock prominence in 1975 as the frontman of Rainbow, the band legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore formed after departing from Deep Purple. Dio next joined Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne, for two albums: 1980's Heaven and Hell and in the following year Mob Rules . In 1982, he left Black Sabbath to form his own band, Dio, with Sabbath drummer Vinnie Appice. The group hit gold with their debut album, Holy Diver . In 1986, Dio organized an all-star charity collaboration called Hear N' Aid to raise money for famine relief in Africa. Interestingly, Dio also sang on two tracks of Christian rock artist Kerry Livgren's solo album, Seeds of Change . Livgren, a former member of the progressive rock band Kansas, invited Dio to sing on the album. This proved to be a controversial choice among Livgeren's Christian fans. Dio is credited for popularizing the "devil's horns" hand gesture that is seen so often today in heavy metal music culture. Dio claims he learned the gesture from his Italian grandmother, who used it to ward off the "Evil Eye." In 1997, Dio made a cameo on Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, an album of famous heavy metal songs played in big band style. Dio can be heard singing backup on Boone's take of the Dio song, "Holy Diver". In 2006, Dio made a cameo appearance in the 2006 Tenacious D movie The Pick of Destiny . Most recently, Dio was touring with Heaven and Hell, a band featuring members of Black Sabbath. 5/9/2010 Jim Marshall February 3, 1936 - March 24, 2010 Jim Marshall, noted Rock 'n' Roll photographer who made iconic images of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison , The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash and countless other greats, has passed away in a New York City hotel at age 74. Marshall's best known photos include Johnny Cash flipping the bird at San Quentin, Janis Joplin with a bottle of Southern Comfort backstage at Winterland, Bob Dylan rolling a tire down a New York City Street and Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival. As a photographer at Woodstock, he captured The Who's sunrise performance. When the Beatles played their final concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park in 1966, Mr. Marshall was the only shooter invited backstage. To see Marshall's work online, please visit his website . 3/17/2010 Alex Chilton December 28, 1950 - March 17, 2010 Alex Chilton, who led the pop band Big Star, has died in New Orleans of an apparent heart attack at age 59, just days before a scheduled appearance at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Laura and son, Timothy. Mr. Chilton was just 16 years old when he joined the Box Tops, who had a #1 hit in 1967 with "The Letter." In his honor, The Replacements wrote the song "Alex Chilton" that appears on their 1987 album Pleased to Meet Me . Another founding member of Big Star, Chris Bell , died in a 1978 car accident. 3/17/2010 Lesley Duncan August 12, 1943 - March 12, 2010 Lesley Duncan was a British folksinger who emerged during late 1960s. In 1970, she sang a duet of her "Love Song" with Elton John. The song appeared on his Tumbleweed Connection album. It remains one of just a handful of songs recorded by Elton John not composed by him and Bernie Taupin. Duncan provided backing vocals on Johnï¿½s Madman Across The Water , Pink Floydï¿½s Dark Side of the Moon , and on Ringo Starr's Goodnight Vienna project. She also sang on the Alan Parsons Projectï¿½s Eve . She worked with Dusty Springfield, Nirvana and many others. 3/6/2010 Doug Fieger August 20, 1952 - February 14, 2010 Doug Fieger, singer for the rock band The Knack who had a smash hit in 1979 with "My Sharona", died at his California home after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by Bruce Gary , the Knack's drummer, who died in 2006. "My Sharona" was written about Sharona Alperin, a 17-year-old high school student who had caught the eye Mr. Fieger. Sharona Alperin is now a high-end real estate agent in Los Angeles. She maintains a website at www.MySharona.com . Before forming The Knack, Fieger played bass and sang lead in the group Sky, which was founded by producer Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones, Traffic, Blind Faith), famous also for being the "Mr. Jimmy" in the Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want/" 1/21/2010 Bobby Charles February 21, 1938 - January 14, 2010 Bobby Charles, born Robert Charles Guidry, was a Cajun singer and songwriter. He wrote Fats Domino's, "Walking To New Orleans" and Bill Haley And The Comets', "See You Later, Alligator." He also worked with Dr. John and Clarence "Frogman" Henry. Charles played with The Band at their farewell concert, The Last Waltz . He played on the song "Down South in New Orleans" with Dr. John and The Band. However, the performance of this song did not appear in the film based on the concert. On film, Charles appeared only briefly as a backup singer in the concert's final song, "I Shall Be Released." His songs have been recorded Kris Kristofferson, Ray Charles , Delbert McClinton, Etta James and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown . He also cut a highly regarded solo album in 1972 with members of the Band. 1/13/2010 Teddy Pendergrass March 26, 1950 - January 13, 2010 Teddy Pendergrass, R&B's reigning sex symbol in the 1970s and '80s who later had a devastating car accident that left him paralyzed, has died at age 59. He broke into the R&B world in the 1970s as a drummer for The Cadillacs, then as a singer for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes on a string of hits, the biggest of which was the smoochy classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now." After going solo in 1976, Pendergrass became known for the love ballads "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Close The Door" and "Turn Off The Lights," and for playing ladies-only concerts. In March 1982, a horrendous car accident left him trapped in his Rolls-Royce. When extricated, he was left with spinal cord injuries that paralyzed him from the waist down and confined him to a wheelchair. After rehabilitation, he recorded the album Love Language , featuring the 1984 ballad "Hold Me", a duet with a then-unknown Whitney Houston . He also performed at Live Aid on July 13, 1985, and continued to record throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In his lifetime, Teddy Pendergrass was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won the award for best male R&B vocal performance for "Joy" in 1989. 1/13/2010 Jimmy O. Barikad 1982 - January 12, 2010 Jimmy O. Barikad, known as Jimmy O, was a Haitian hip hop artist, who was born in Port-au-Prince and lived in New York City. Shortly after the January 12, 2010 Haitian earthquake, Wyclef Jean told Anderson Cooper on CNN that he had received a text message saying that Jimmy O had died. Barikad was found crushed in his vehicle in downtown Port-au-Prince. Barikad was part of the Barikad Crew with Wyclef Jean, and was, alongside Jean, a member of the Yï¿½le Haiti Foundation. Three other members ï¿½ Sean Walker Sï¿½natus aka K-Tafalk, Junior Badio aka Dï¿½javoo, and Jhonny Emmanuel aka Dade ï¿½ died in June 2008 in a car crash. 1/5/2010 March 23, 1928 - January 5, 2010 Willie Mitchell ("Papa Willie") was a singer, trumpeter, producer and arranger. Willie ran Royal Recording in Memphis, Tennessee. He worked for The Home Of The Blues record label as a producer and then ran Hi Records in the 1970s. Hi Records released albums by Al Green and other popular Memphis soul artists including Syl Johnson and Ann Peebles. Mitchell and Al Green revived their successful recording partnership in 2003 when Green recorded I Can't Stop , his first collaboration with Mitchell since 1985's He is the Light . Their 2005 follow-up project was Everything's OK . 1/4/2010 Tony Clarke 1941 - January 4, 2010 Tony Clarke was best known for producing the music of The Moody Blues from 1966 to 1979. He started his career with Decca records as a session player, but also served as a songwriter and promoter. He was assigned as a producer for the Moody Blues when the group starting fading after their first hit, "Go Now." After the Moody Blues went on hiatus in the middle of the 1970s, he produced the album Blue Jays , by Moody Blues members Justin Hayward and John Lodge. He worked to have the band reunite, and when they did, he produced their 1978 comeback album, Octave . In recent years, Clarke worked with artists such as Clannad and Rick Wakeman. He also produced music for the late Nicky Hopkins as well as a number of film soundtracks.	Big Bad John
Who in 2010 won Great Britain's first individual Winter Olympics female gold medal since 1952?	News News Obituaries Holly Dunn died 15th Nov 2016 in Albuquerque at the age of 59 after suffering with ovarian cancer. Kay Starr died 3rd Nov 2016 at the age of 94. Primarily a pop singer, she had a top 10 country hit in 1949 with "Bonaparte's Retreat" and recorded several country duets with Tennessee Ernie Ford. Leon Russell musician, producer, singer and songwriter died 13th Nov 2016 at the age of 74. He had several minor country hits under the name Hank Wilson and also recorded the 1979 number one duet with Willie Nelson, "Heartbreak Hotel". Mentor Williams singer/songwriter died 18th Nov 2016 - Albuquerque N.M. aged 70. He wrote country hits for Alabama, Eddy Raven, Randy Travis and George Jones as well as Dobie Gray's 1973 hit "Drift Away". Claude "Curley" Putman Jr widely regarded as the greatest country song ever written, passed away aged 85 on 30th October, 2016 at his home in Lebanon, Tennessee, following a lengthy illness. Bonnie Brown, the youngest member of 1950s and 60s trio The Browns, has died on 16th July 2016, fifteen days before her 78th birthday. Merle Haggard has died after a series of recent health struggles. The legendary singer passed away on April 6, 2016, which was also his 79th birthday. Haggard cancelled tour dates in December of 2015 after he checked into a hospital and learned he had double pneumonia. In an interview later with Willieï¿½s Roadhouse on Sirius XM, he said he was ï¿½nearly deadï¿½ when he was hospitalized for two weeks. He cancelled shows scheduled for Jan. 30 and 31 after his double pneumonia returned. Kenny Johnson Founder member of Liverpool country band "The Hillsiders" in the 1960s and BBC Radio Merseyside country music presenter of 39 years, Kenny Johnson died in Spain on Tuesday 13th October 2015, aged 75. He had just made his first appearance back on stage in 2 years when he was taken ill and rushed to hospital. Jim Ed Brown announced in September 2014 that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had temporarily retired from hosting his radio programs to undergo treatment. By early 2015 he was in remission and returned to hosting his radio programs. However, on June 3, 2015, he stated that the cancer had returned. Brown died a week later on June 11, 2015 at the age of 81 George Hamilton IV Known worldwide as the ï¿½International ambassador of Country Musicï¿½ ï¿½ was much more than an Ambassador. George was one of the best friends that country music ever had. He died on Wednesday, September 17 2014, in Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital, Nashville, aged 77, with his family by his side, following a severe heart attack four days earlier. George Jones Country Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry member, and Kennedy Center Honoree George Glenn Jones died Friday, April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He was hospitalized April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure Johnny Cuvirllo "The Texas Drummer Boy" Johnny Cuviello died 5th Sept at the grand age of 97. Johnny played with Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys in the 1940's. Joseph Alfred Souter Better-known as singer/songwriter Joe South died following a heart attack at the age of 72 in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, on September 5th. He was two time Grammy Award winner, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Georgia Hall of Fame. ANDY GRIFFITH US television actor and singer Andy Griffith passed away on July 3rd at his home in Dare County, North Carolina. He was 86. Known for his leading roles in The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968) and Matlock (1986-1995), he became a symbol of small town America as Sheriff Andy Taylor. Also a talented vocalist and musician, he recorded several country and gospel albums throughout his lengthy career. Queen Of Country Music Kitty Wells, legendary "Queen of Country Music", passed away (July 17th 2012), at the age of 92. Born Ellen Muriel Deason Wright, Wells passed away peacefully with family by her side at her home following complications from a stroke. Kitty Wells started her career with her late husband Johnnie Wright in 1937. Doc Watson The Grammy-award winning musician whose lightning-fast style of flat-picking influenced guitarists around the world, died Tuesday May 29th (2012) in Winston-Salem, where he was hospitalized recently after falling at his home in Deep Gap, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He had been in critical condition for several days. Doug Dillard Banjo player Doug Dillard, an influential bluegrass musician who played with many rock outfits and with his family band the Dillards, died on May 16th in Nashville after a long illness. He was 75. Andy Griffith Actor Andy Griffith, who played folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor in the fictional town of Mayberry in ï¿½The Andy Griffith Show,ï¿½ which ran from 1960 to 1968. died Tuesday at the age of 86. Griffith was also a singer and musician, BILLY STRANGE Billy Strange, songwriter for Elvis and Sinatra, died at 81 on February 22nd. He was raised in Long Beach, California, and he was performing on local radio with his father and mother as a young boy. He began playing guitar at age 14, and touring with other musicians at 16. He settled into a musical life, performing early on with Spade Cooley, Roy Rogers, Count Basie, Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant and others. ROY BAHAM Award-winning country songwriter Roy Baham died on February 21st, aged 74. Baham won his BMI Award for ï¿½Charlieï¿½s Shoes,ï¿½ recorded by Billy Walker. The song became Walkerï¿½s biggest hit when it rose to No. 1 on the country charts in 1962. Earl Scruggs Husband of Kimmie Rhodes, died on November 17th, aged 61. Billie Jo Spears A consistent female country hit-maker in the 1970s, has died in Texas at age 74. Billie Jo died of cancer on December 14 (2011) Dan ï¿½Beeï¿½ Spears The long-time bass player for Willie Nelson, died on Dec. 8 due to accidental exposure after a fall outside his Nashville home. He was 62. Paul Yandell, Nashville guitarist who served as Chet Atkinsï¿½ right-hand man for 25 years, performed with Jerry Reed and the Louvin Brothers and played on records by Dolly Parton, Perry Como, the Everly Brothers and many more, died Monday November 21st at his home in Hendersonville. He was 76. Liz Anderson, Influential songwriter, recording artist, the mother of country singer Lynn Anderson and a founding board member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, died on October. 31st at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, of complications from heart and lung disease. She was 81. Jon Derek Tributes came in after the death of Jon Derek of Country Fever who died on Thursday October 14th 2011. Jon Derek's Country Fever became the number one British band in the 1970s, touring with Charley Pride, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and forming a great friendship with Slim Whitman. He played the Albert Hall twice, and made five appearances at the London Palladium. He was a regular featured band at the famed Wembley Festivals. This lead to appearances at festivals all over the UK. TAZ DIGREGORIO Joel ï¿½Tazï¿½ DiGregorio, long-time keyboard player and vocalist for The Charlie Daniels Band, died on October 13th (2011) as a result of injuries he sustained in a single car accident in Cheatham County, TN, while driving to meet the bandï¿½s tour bus. The accident occurred on I-40 West of Nashville. The band was scheduled to depart for Cumming, Georgia, for a concert appearance at the Cumming Country Fair and Festival on Oct. 13th. Taz had been with the Charlie Daniels Band for over 40 years and was a co-writer on many CDB songs, including "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." PEE WEE ROGERS Yet another of country musicï¿½s unsung heroes, steel guitarist, George ï¿½Pee Weeï¿½ Rogers, has died at the age of 76. He was diagnosed with cancer several months ago, and passed away on October 11th. Pee Wee played steel guitar for Little Jimmy Dickens for 29 years and also worked with Porter Wagoner, David Houston and Jack Greene. Johnnie Wright Who made significant contributions as a solo artist, a member of the duo Johnnie & Jack (with Jack Anglin) and as the lifelong partner to Queen of Country Music Kitty Wells, died on September 27th (2011) at his home in Madison, Tennessee. He was 97. DON WAYNE Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Don Wayne has died at the age of 78. May 30th 1933 - September 12th 2011 In 1953, Wayne had his first major-label song writing success when George Morgan recorded his ï¿½Lonesome Waltzï¿½ for Columbia. He signed with Tree Publishing in 1963 and the following year, Lefty Frizzell took his ï¿½Saginaw, Michiganï¿½ to the top of the country charts. Wayne went through a somewhat fallow spell as a songwriter, then bounced back with ï¿½Country Bumpkinï¿½ in 1974, as recorded by Cal Smith. Faron Young had a 1965 hit with Wayneï¿½s ï¿½Walk Tallï¿½ which had similar success in the UK when it was recorded by Val Doonican. Wade Mainer Americaï¿½s oldest country star, died aged 104 on Monday, September 12, at his home in Flint Township, Michigan. As a member of Mainerï¿½s Mountaineers, in 1935, he recorded ï¿½Maple on the Hillï¿½ which became one of the biggest country hits of the Great Depression. In 1941 Wade Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House in 1941 and, in 1943, Alan Lomax recorded him for BBC radio alongside Woody Guthrie, Burl Ives, The Coon Creek Girls and others. Wade Mainer made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in 1995 and, in 1997, he and his wife Julia were featured guests at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. President Reagan conferred a National Heritage Fellowship on him on that occasion. MARSHALL GRANT (May 5, 1928 - August 7, 2011) an original member of Johnny Cashï¿½s Tennessee Two band and the "boom" in Cashï¿½s famed ï¿½boom- chicka-boomï¿½ sound, died on August 7th in in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Billy Grammer The country singer Billy Grammer died on August 10th 2011, 18 days short of his 86th birthday in his home townï¿½s Benton Hospital, where he was being treated for a long-term illness exacerbated by a heart attach he had suffered this past January. Wilma Lee Cooper Grand Ole Opry member Wilma Lee Cooper passed away on Sept.13 (2011) at her home in Sweetwater, Tenn. from natural causes. She had been a member of the Opry since 1957 and was 90 years old. GEORGE HAXELL The founding father of British country magazines, passed away on 28th July. He was in his early eighties. He may be an unfamiliar name to many of today's collectors, but it was back in the mid-1950s that George had the idea of contacting other collectors (who were then few and far between) with a view to swap tracks and discuss the music they all had in common. The first magazine that George published was entitled "The Hillbilly Folk Record Collectors Club", co-editing it with fellow collector George Tye, and with Burl Ives as President. Kenny Baker, Possibly the best-known member of Bill Monroeï¿½s Blue Grass Boys and one of bluegrass musicï¿½s respected fiddle players, died Friday, July 8, in Nashville. The 85-year-old musician had suffered a stroke earlier in the week. Clarence Clemons, The burly saxophone player who played a crucial role in shaping Bruce Springsteen's early sound, has died, six days after suffering a stroke at his Florida home. He was 69. Ferlin Husky NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Country music great Ferlin Husky, a pioneer in both the hard-twang Bakersfield and lushly produced Nashville sounds died on Thursday 17th March 2011at age 85. He had a history of heart problems and most recently had been hospitalized for congestive heart failure. His list of hit songs included his biggest hit ï¿½GONE" "WINGS OF A DOVE" "I FEEL BETTER ALL OVERï¿½ and so many more. Margaret Whiting Popular 40s and 50s vocalist, Margaret Whiting, who was made an honorary member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1949, died on January 19th at age 86. Her father, Richard Whiting, was the celebrated Hollywood songwriter responsible for ï¿½On the Good Ship Lollypopï¿½, ï¿½Ainï¿½t We Got Funï¿½, ï¿½Breezinï¿½ Along with the Breezeï¿½, ï¿½Hooray for Hollywoodï¿½, ï¿½Sheï¿½s Funny That Wayï¿½, ï¿½Sleepytime Galï¿½ and countless other popular standards. During her days with Capitol Records Margaret was teamed up with singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely in a series of highly successful country duets, beginning with ï¿½Slipping Aroundï¿½ which resulted in her becoming the first woman to have a No. 1 hit on the then newly-established country-music charts. The pair went on to record other hits such as ï¿½Wedding Bellsï¿½, ï¿½Iï¿½ll Never Slip Around Againï¿½, ï¿½Broken-Down Merry-Go-Roundï¿½, ï¿½Letï¿½s Go to Church Next Sunday Morningï¿½ and ï¿½When You and I Were Young Maggie Bluesï¿½. Charlie Louvin Charlie Louvin, a member of one of the pre-eminent brother acts in country music (Louvin Brothers) the popular duo who modernized the close-harmony singing of Depression-era acts and an inspiration to several generations of rock musicians, died Wednesday at his home in Wartrace, Tenn., from complications with pancreatic cancer. He was 83. Clyde Brewer Clyde Brewer passed away at 1:30 a.m on the morning of January 8, 2011. He had been poorly for some time. His condition deteriorated quickly with pneumonia and complicated by his lung cancer. He was a gem of a man and a legendary musician. He was surrounded by his loving family. Dugg Collins Collins, 66, was on the air from 1999 to 2008 for AM 1070, taking over the morning show after "Ol' Mike" Oatman retired. Collins got his start in radio at KCTX in Childress Texas in 1959, and he worked at radio stations in Texas and Oklahoma. He also began a recording career in 1969 as a country music performer, and he worked with every major act in country music. Collins won a number of awards and honors, including the Country Music Association's DJ of the Year Award in 1979, and he was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1996. Collins moved back to Amarillo to be with family in 2009. He passed away one year to the day after his wife, Joyce, died following a long battle with cancer. Zachary Sterban Fifteen year old Zachary, the grandson of Oak Ridge Boys bass singer Richard Sterban died from injuries sustained in a car crash after the first full day of school. Zachary died one week after the car he was riding in hit another vehicle. A front-seat passenger, 17 year old Damon Dunn Jr., died at the scene. Zacharyï¿½s brother Matthew Sterban, 17, was driving the car and was also injured. State troopers reported that none of the boys were wearing seat belts. Hank Cochran Legendary songwriter Hank Cochran passed away 15th July (2010) surrounded by family and friends at his Hendersonville, Tennessee home from a long illness. His death was announced by his publicist, Martha Moore, who said he had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. Hank was inducted in to the Nashville Songwriters Association International Hall of Fame by unanimous vote in 1974, and was honored by B.M.I. in June 2009 for his six-decade long career of hits, that includes country classics: "I Fall To Pieces," "Make The World Go Away," "Ocean Front Property," "The Chair" and "Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me." Hank is survived by his wife Suzi, daughter Booth Calder and three sons- Garland Perry Cochran Jr., James Lee Cochran and Daniel Cochran. Jimmy Dean died suddenly at his home on the James River in Varina, Virginia., on June 13. He was 81. The Texas-born singer founded the most successful sausage-making business in the USA, but, even before the launch of that enterprise, he was already a national celebrity after hosting daily shows for national TV networks during the late '50s and early '60s. He had recording success with hits like ï¿½Bumming Aroundï¿½, ï¿½P.T. 109ï¿½, ï¿½Dear Ivanï¿½, ï¿½Little Black Bookï¿½ and ï¿½IOUï¿½, but heï¿½ll be best remember for the self-penned ï¿½Big Bad Johnï¿½ which climbed to the top of the US pop and country charts in 1961. Carl Smith one of the genre's most successful singers and entertainers during the 1950's, died 16th Jan 2010 at his home in Franklin, Tenn Aged 82. Born March 15th 1927, he was married to June Carter from 1952 until 1957 and country singer Goldie Hill from September 1957 until her death in February 2005. tNick Strutt The UK country, folk and bluegrass communities were saddened to hear of the death, on September 29th, ages 62, of Nick Strutt, possibly best-remembered in the late sixties as the musical partner of Roger Knowles. They featured regularly on various radio broadcasts, including the BBCï¿½s ï¿½Country Meets Folkï¿½, where they sometimes played with Brian Golbey and Pete Stanley as a four-piece unit. Strutt and Knowles played as support for Hank Snow and Willie Nelson on UK appearances, before their influences saw them turn more to seminal country rock. Ruby Wright Ruby Wright, daughter of Johnny Wright and Queen of Country, Music Kitty Wells, died in September, aged 69. She had been battling heart problems. Mike Seager Folklorist And Roots Music preservationist, Mike Seeger, died peacefully at his home in Virginia on the evening of August 7th, aged 75. He was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, but decided to forego further treatment and entered hospice care. Les Paul New York, NY...August 13, 2009...Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away today from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94. Murray Kash Very sad to hear the news of the death of Murray Kash, one of the stalwarts of the British country music scene although he was in fact born in Toronto, Canada. He moved to the UK in 1955. The actor, broadcaster and festival compare packed so much into his 85 years. He was one of the pioneering broadcasters of country music in the UK and also worked behind the scenes at the annual Wembley Festivals from 1969 through to 1979. WILLIEï¿½S MANAGER DIES Randall "Poodie" Locke, Willie Nelson's long-time road manager, died on May 6th 2009 following a heart attack. He was 56 and had worked with Willie since 1974 He was described by Nelson biographer, Joe Nick Patoski, as "the heart and soul of the road crew." Vern Gosdin The "Voice of Country Music" Vern Gosdin passed away 29 April (2009) in Nashville. Tennessee. He had suffered a stroke a few weeks before. DAN SEALS HAS DIED Dan Seals died yesterday (25th March) following a battle with cancer. The singer shot to fame as one half of the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. They had several hits including "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" which was their biggest success in the UK, but it was as a solo artist that he stormed to the top of the country music charts with songs like "Bop", "Addicted", "Everything That Glitters" and "You Still Move Me" for EMI Capitol/Liberty. He was one of the gentle giants of country music. Very soft spoken and very willing to give people the time of day, and his short tour of the UK to support the "Rage On" album will be fondly remembered. He was the younger brother of Jim Seals (of Seals & Crofts fame). One of his biggest successes was his duet single with Marie Osmond, "Meet Me In Montana". In the last year he was going through radiation treatments for lymphoma in Nashville and Houston. Sidney Chaplin Sidney Chaplin, second son of actor Charlie Chaplin died on 5th March at the age of 82.. Ernie Ashworth Passed Ernie had been suffering ill-health for some time and had bypass surgery in Jan this year. I spoke with him on the phone at the beginning of February when he told me that he was recovering slowly and taking short walk from him home in Hartsville, Tennessee. Sadly Ernie passed away on Monday 2 March 2009. He was 80 years of age. Hank Locklin Hank Locklin has passed away at the age of 91. The Florida-born singer's biggest hits were "Please Help Me I'm Falling" (a number one for 14 weeks on the Billboard country chart) and "Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On", the latter coming from his pen. He was one of those singers whose style was associated with The Nashville Sound. He recorded his high profile songs in the 50s, 60s and 70s on RCA Records. Jerry Reed Died Jerry Red of Smokey and The Bandits fame, passed away on Monday 1st September (2008) due to complications from emphysema at 71years of age. Next to Chet Atkins he may have been the greatest guitarist in Guitar City. Don Helms The last surviving member of Hank Williams' Original Drifting Cowboys, Don Helms, died 11th August (2008) at the age of 81 from pneumonia two weeks after he was in hospital for a triple heart bypass operation. He was married for 62 years to wife Hazel. Jordanaires Hugh Jarrett, a member of Elvis Presley's backup group, The Jordanaires, passed away Saturday June 1 (2008), at the age of 78, of complications from a car accident he was in back in March. Jarrett sang bass with the Jordanaires from 1954 until 1958, and is featured on a number of Presley hits including "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "All Shook Up," "Jailhouse Rock," and "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." Eddie Arnold Died Country Music today lost one of the industry's giants. Eddy Arnold, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died around 4:40 a.m. 5th May 2008 at NHC Place in Cool Springs at the age of 89. He has been suffering with cancer and was known as the affable Tennessee Plowboy who brought elegance, sophistication and millions of fans to country music. Eddie Arnold sold more than 85 million records and had 37 hits in the pop charts as well as a bunch of country songs which became classics. Eddy Arnold's wife dies in hospital Sally Gayhart Arnold, the woman who gave meaning to husband Eddy Arnold's love songs, died Tuesday 18 March in a Williamson County hospital. She was 87. For more than 66 years, the couple had one of the greatest romances in the history of country music. The news of Mrs. Arnold's death came late Tuesday afternoon as her country music legend husband, now 89, remained in a Davidson County hospital after undergoing hip replacement surgery last week. Married on Nov. 28, 1941, the couple's relationship to friends and family epitomised commitment, devotion and teamwork. Guitarist Barry "Byrd" Burton Dead At 61 Guitarist Barry "Byrd" Burton of the Amazing Rhythm Aces died Monday March 10 at a Nashville hospital after a long battle with leukaemia. He was 61. He toured with Dolly Parton, Brooks and Dunn and Dan Fogelberg. Bobby Lord Seventy four year old Bobby Lord died February 16th in Stuart, Florida after a lengthy illness. Lord was a member of the Ozark Jubilee before joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1960 and remained a regular until 1975. During the late 1980s, he hosted the Celebrity Outdoors series on TNN: The Nashville Network. Lord recorded for the Columbia, Hickory and Decca Records. Western Swing Ace Passed Frankie McWhorter passed away this morning in his sleep (2 Feb 2008). He was 76. Frankie retired a couple months ago from regular appearances with Don and Angie House's Thomas Country Opry up in OK. Jim Nesbitt has passed away Comedian & Songwriter Jim Nesbitt has passed away. He was the writer of "Running Bear" recorded by Sonny James. He also was noted for opening shows for Sonny James, Marty Robbins & Dottie West. He had several recordings on the Chart Record Label. John Hughey, Steel guitar player for Conway Twitty and Vince Gill died November 18th in Nashville at the age of 73. Hughey toured and recorded with Twitty for many years, and worked with Loretta Lynn for nearly two years before joining Vince Gill's band, where he remained for 12 seasons. He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1996. Hughey's work was also featured in movies, television series and specials, commercials and music videos. Bettye Ashworth After a long fight with lung cancer, Bettye wife of Grand Ole Opry Star Ernie Ashworth's passed away saturday morning 3 Nov Robert Goulet. Robert Goulet remembered for his magnificent voice and his role in Camelot, died 1st Nov awaiting a lung transplant. Porter Wagoner died Porter Wagoner, an Opry member since 1957 and Country Music Hall of Famer died at age 80 tonight (28 Oct 2007), as dignitaries and stars gathered at the Country Music Hall of Fame to induct its three newest members. Mr. Wagoner was admitted to the hospital on Monday, Oct. 15 and had been under doctorsï¿½ care since then. Porter. Wagoner was released to hospice care on Friday, days after the announcement of a lung cancer diagnosis. Lee Hazlewood died Lee Hazlewood, best known for writing and producing "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for Nancy Sinatra, has died. He was 78. Barton Lee Hazlewood died at his home in Henderson of kidney cancer on Saturday evening. Hazlewood was most famous for his work with the daughter of Frank Sinatra, including writing and producing hits including "Sugartown". He also produced "Something Stupid," a duet Nancy recorded with her father in 1967. Boots Randolph Saxophone player Boots Randolph passed away after suffering a subdural hematoma . The man who appeared on the 1963 hit "Yaketty Sax" (The Benny Hill theme) is 80 years old. If any country act wanted sax on their music Boots was the man they called. His playing has been heard on hundreds of hits and even Elvis Presley had him on his records. He was a regular performer in Nashville up until the 1990s. He has just had his latest CD released, a 14-track jazz instrumental album. Glenn Sutton One of the country musics' most prolific songwriters, Glenn Sutton has died of a heart attack on 17 April 2007. Glenn was married to Lynn Anderson and Produced "Rose Garden" and wrote many, many super hit songs. Joe South Wrote "Rose Garden". Frankie Laine Died Age 93 The wonderful Frankie Laine has died at the age of 93. Frankie was best known for hits like "Rawhide" and "I Believe" and although he crossed over to the mainstream he was played a lot on country radio with many cowboy songs to his credit, including "Cool Water" and "Don't Fence Me In". Tom Morrell Tommy Morrell passed away on 30 January 2007 of emphysema at home in East Dallas. He was 68. . For over 50 years this touring sideman and session player delivered western swing, jazz and country with artful skill on motion picture sound tracks and on the recordings of innumerable artists, including Bob Wills' Texas Playboys. Later as a bandleader, he arranged and produced dozens of albums. During the 1990s he proved to be a major force in the resurgence of non-pedal steel through touring, arranging and recording besides his brands of Morrell and the Morrell-shields steels. He was one of the founders and designers of MSA pedal guitars. "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow Legendary pedal steel guitarist, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, passed away on Saturday, January 6, according to Paige Cofrin, President of Luna Chica Records, and Brenda Cline, of NashRock Entertainment, Kleinow's former record label head, and manager, respectively. Kleinow's death was apparently due to complications from Alzheimer's. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2006, and had been living in a convalescent home in Petaluma, California, for the past few months. Doyle Holly Died January 13th after along battle with cancer. He was a member of Buck Owensï¿½ Buckaroos from 1963-1970. He also placed seven songs on the country charts from 1972 -1974. Del Reeves Veteran country music entertainer Del Reeves, best known for his edgy, Bakersfield-fuelled hits Looking at the World Through A Windshield, The Girl on the Billboard and Goodtime Charlieï¿½s passed away on January 1 in his Centerville, Tennessee home after lengthy battles with emphysema and other ailment Dennis Linde Dennis Linde (pronounced LIN-dee) Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer and former BMI Songwriter of the Year died aged 63 on 22 Dec 2006 of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A brilliant songwriter with a quick wit and fast mind who artfully blended quirky, original lyrics with up-tempo melodies. He emerged on the songwriting scene in 1970 after Roger Miller released his song, "Tom Green County Fair," and Roy Drusky cut "Long Long Texas Road." Two years later, Presley recorded "Burning Love." "He was the quintessential mystery man of Nashville because he didn't go to all the functions," said Scott Siman, an artist manager who had known Mr. Linde since the 1970s. "It wasn't like he was seen up and down Music Row. He had his own way of writing and conducting himself. If you ever saw Dennis Linde it was amazing, because you didn't get that opportunity very often." Buddy Killen Music publisher, songwriter, record producer and musician "Buddy" Killen became one of the most influential figures in the Nashvill entertainment business, died at the age of 73. He was recently diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer. Freddy Fender Country music icon Freddy Fender died at the age of 69 on 15 October after a long fight with cancer. The funeral takes place at San Benito City Cemetery on 18 Oct. Josh Graves Dobro player Josh Graves died 30 September at age 81. Don Walser Texas country singer Don Walser died on September 20th 2006, following a long illness from. He was 72 and retired from the music business in 2003 after being diagnosed with neuropathy, a disease of the nervous system in 2001. Johnny Duncan Country music singer Johnny Duncan, known for songs like "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime" and "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better," has died. He was 67. Duncan died 14 Aug of a heart attack at a Fort Worth hospital. Billy Walker and wife killed Veteran Grand Ole Opry star Billy Walker, whose hits included "Charlie's Shoes" and "Cross the Brazos at Waco," died in a car wreck on Sunday May 21. He was 77. Walker was killed along with his wife Bettie, 61 and two of his band members Charles Lilly Jr. and Daniel Patton Sr. when a van they were riding in ran off Interstate 65 south of Montgomery, Alabama and overturned. Walker's grandson, Joshua Brooks, 21 was critically injured in the accident. The group was on their way back to the Nashville area after performing at a show near Gulf Shores. Bonnie Owens Died 76-year-old singer/songwriter Bonnie Owens passed away on 24 April from complications of Alzheimers. Her first marriage was to Buck Owens when he was an orange picker and part-time entertainer. Reports from Bakersfield say that her Alzheimers was advanced to the point that she wasn't aware of Buck Owens' death. A spokesman said she will be cremated and her ashes laid next to Buck Owens in the family mausoleum. Buck Owens Passes Legendary country singer Buck Owens passed away on March 25. He was 76. One of the main proponents of the Bakersfield Sound, in the early 1960s he spearheaded a new honky-tonk country styling that utilised a heavy backbeat with electric lead guitar, pedal steel, drums and bass and occasional use of fiddle. His impact was so great that he crossed over to the pop charts and was a huge influence on the Beatles (who covered his Act Naturally hit), Gram Parsons, the Byrds, Emmylou Harris and numerous others. Among his many hits are such classics as Together Again, Iï¿½ve Got A Tiger By the Tail, Loveï¿½s Gonna Live Here, My Heart Skips A Beat, and Streets of Bakersfield the latter a duet hit with Dwight Yoakam. Cindy Walker the legendary Central Texas country music songwriter whose work is featured on a CD released this week by Willie Nelson, has died at the age of 87. The prolific songwriter died Thursday night March 23 at Parkview Regional Hospital in Mexia. During her sixty-plus years as a songwriter, Cindy wrote such classics as In the Misty Moonlight, Distant Drums, Dream Baby, Cherokee Maiden, When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, Blue Canadian Rockies, China Doll, You Donï¿½t Know Me, Warm, Red Wine and dozens more. Terry Hadfield, lead singer and frontman for many years with the British country band Stroller died on Sunday 29th Jan 2006. "Terry's Last Gig" was well attended and took place at Uppermill church (near Oldham) on Monday 20th Feb. Several musicians paid tribute to Terry in song, giving him a truly fitting send-off. Terry may be gone, but he will not be forgotten!!! Louise Scruggs, 78, wife and manager of banjo legend Earl Scruggs; February 2nd in Nashville from respiratory disease. Wilson Pickett, 64, member of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; January 19th near Reston, VA from a heart attack.. Janette Carter, the last surviving child of members of the original Carter Family, died 22 January 2006 at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee. She was 82 and had several chronic illnesses, including Parkinson's disease. Ms. Carter's parents, A.P. and Sara Carter, joined with Maybelle Carter to comprise what is now known as "The First Family of Country Music." Wife Of Carl Perkins Has Died Friends are remembering Val Perkins as the woman the late singer-songwriter Carl Perkins couldnï¿½t live without. She died at the age of 74. Perkins sister, Martha Bain, says Valï¿½s death was a shock. Bain says sheï¿½s the one who got the couple together in high school, double dating with George Bain, who was to become her husband. Carl Perkins died in 1998. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is best known for his 1950ï¿½s hit Blue Suede Shoes. He also wrote the Johnny Cash-June Carter smash, Jackson. Mike Storey The British Country Music Association (BCMA) is saddened to announce the death of one of its founding members, Mike Storey. He died in his sleep, November 26, and had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease earlier in the year. In the early 1970s Mike Storey launched the Mike & Margaret Storey Entertainment Agency with his first wife Margaret (who died in 1999). A one time librarian at BBC Radio Leeds, Storey co-presented, with Goff Greenwood, a weekly country music programme on the station as well as running the highly successful Wakefield Country Music Club during the 1970s. Mike Storey, who was 68 years old years, is survived by his second wife Jean, and children Catherine and James. Hal Rugg, Country Music Hall of Fame Steel Guitarist passed away 10 August 2005 following a long illness of cancer. "Hal was one of the greatest steel guitar players of all time, but most of all, he was a true gentlemen, a great person, and a friend to all," said friend and country music promoter Marty Martel. "I knew Hal for many years. He played on several of my recording sessions. His fellow steel guitar friends are in a state of sorrow and shock, although most of us knew that Hal would be taken soon. He will be brought back to Nashville to be buried." Long John Baldry, 64, bluesman; July 21st in Vancouver, British Columbia from complications of a chest infection. Blue Barron, 91, big-band orchestra leader; July 16th in Baltimore. Big Al Downing, 65, member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame; July 4th in Massachusetts from complications of leukaemia. Johnny Cash's First Wife Died It is with deep sadness that we bear the news of the passing of Johnny Cash's first wife and Rosanne's mom, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin on May 24, 2005. Jimmy Martin Passes Jimmy Martin, the brash fireball whose electrifying stage presence and soaring vocals made him one of bluegrass music's most consequential and colourful artists, died on the morning of May 14, at a Nashville hospice from complications of bladder cancer. He was 77. Known as ''The King of Bluegrass'' and ''Mr. Good'n Country,'' Martin became known as a master of American roots music. In 1949, Mr. Martin successfully auditioned for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and his vocal contributions ushered in what is now known in bluegrass as the ''high, lonesome sound.''	i don't know
The 1600cc Thunderbird, voted 2010 Bike of the Year in the USA, is made by which iconic motorbike manufacturer?	Triumph Thunderbird @ Top Speed Like nearly all of Triumph Motorcycle’s current offerings, the Thunderbird family has some very deep roots indeed. A design dreamed up by Edward Turner, the Thunderbird made its debut run from 1949 to 1966, and reappeared in Triumph’s lineup a number of times with different engines and designs. Originally called the 6T “Thunderbird,” the 1950 year-model 6T was made famous with Americans by Hollywood in 1953 when it was immortalized in the Marlon Brando picture The Wild One, and our love affair with the family (and outlaw biker culture) has endured through the years. Today I want to take a look at the newest Thunderbird range which includes the Commander, Storm and LT, to see if they live up to the name they bear. The word “icon” gets thrown around a lot these days, almost to the point that it has lost some of its impact, but the Thunderbird and its paper dart actually fit the bill. In other words, these three machines have some pretty big shoes to fill. Let’s see how they do, shall we? Continue reading for my review of the Triumph Thunderbird Storm, Thunderbird Commander, and Thunderbird LT. With a bigger engine than its predecessor, the 2014 Thunderbird , the 2015 Thunderbird Commander from Triumph packs a bigger punch in its appearance as well as performance. Spec-wise, it’s a carryover from the 2014 Thunderbird Commander with the addition of a Jet Black color choice. With black jugs accentuated with polished edges and plenty of shine in other places — such as an imposing polished top yoke, twin headlamp cans and polished stainless steel fork shrouds — the Thunderbird Commander could be considered a dressier version of the Storm , but with cruiser floorboards instead of pegs. If you think bling and nice paint is the thing, take a look at the Thunderbird Commander. Continue reading for my review of the 2015 Triumph Thunderbird Commander. 01.28.2014 12:10 by Sulthoni The Triumph Thunderbird Commander is based on the company’s original Thunderbird but it features a different, cruiser-oriented personality. The motorcycle was built with comfort in mind, therefore it features a relaxed, laid-back riding position and a plethora of storage places. As far as power is concerned, the Triumph Thunderbird Commander is equipped with the same 1699cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel-twin engine as the Thunderbird Roadster, but it features a different state of tune that helps it deliver more useable torque, lower down the rev range, for a better touring experience. The unit puts out a maximum power of 94 PS at 5400 rpm and 146 NM of torque at 2750 rpm. The engine is fed by a 5.8us gallon fuel tank and is mated to a six speed transmission. The 2014 Triumph Thunderbird Commander is priced at $15,699. Hit the jump for more information on the 2014 Triumph Thunderbird Commander. 01.6.2014 09:38 by Sulthoni Low, mean and classy, the 2014 Triumph Thunderbird is a modern cruiser that offers first class performances in terms of handling. Its relaxed riding position, the attractive design language and strong engine offer a tasty mix that will make your heart go pumping like crazy every time you’ll start riding down the street. Talking about engine, the Triumph Thunderbird is propelled by a 1597 cc, liquid cooled, DOHC, parallel twin unit which rewards you with a maximum power of 86 PS and a thumping 146 Nm of torque at just 2750rpm. All this power is kept in leash by a six speed transmission. Other features worthy of being mentioned include 19 and 17 inch front and rear cast aluminum wheels, a 5.8 gallons fuel tank and a tubular steel frame. The 2014 Triumph Thunderbird is offered with a base price of $13,499. Hit the jump for more information on the 2014 Triumph Thunderbird. 11.8.2013 08:36 by Serafim Triumph launched its new 2014 Thunderbird LT at EICMA. The motorcycle is loaded with a long list of comfort features which make it a great choice for touring lovers. It is powered by a 1597 cc, Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel-twin engine that delivers a maximum power of 86PS at 4850 rpm and 146NM of torque at 2750 rpm. The engine is fueled by a 22 liter fuel tank and is mated to a six speed constant mesh transmission. Compared to the previous generation, the 2014 Triumph Thunderbird LT comes with lighter bars, whitewalled radial tires, laced rims and a 3-piece headlight. Other features worthy of being mentioned include embossed saddlebags, a passenger backrest, spacious floorboards and a mid-sized windscreen. As far as paint jobs are concerned, the 2014 Triumph Thunderbird LT is offered in Caspian Blue/Crystal White and Lava Red/Phantom Black. Hit the jump for more information on the Triumph Thunderbird LT. by Sulthoni 0 The Triumph Thunderbird is Triumph’s first attempt to enter in the premium cruiser sector and we’ll have to admit that they did a very good job. The legendary British manufacturer found the perfect combination between the classic lines of a comfortable cruiser and modern engineering. As a result, since it was first introduced in 2009, the Triumph Thunderbird has managed to attract a lot of fans and awards. Apart from its classy lines, what makes the Thunderbird a truly desirable bike is the 1600cc T-16 parallel-twin engine. The character-laden engine features a 270-degree crankshaft and delivers an impressive 108 lb-ft. of torque at just 2750rpm. The engine is mounted on a tubular, twin-spine steel frame paired with chunky 47mm forks up front with five-way adjustable twin shocks at the rear, which can be adjusted to cater for everything from spirited solo riding to two-up touring. The motorcycle is kept in leash by twin 310mm floating discs up front grabbed by powerful four-piston brakes. Unfortunately ABS is not offered as standard equipment, but you will find it on the options list. Hit the jump for more information on the 2012 Triumph Thunderbird. by Sulthoni 0 If you’re searching for a bad-ass looking cruiser which imposes instant respect then you should take a closer look at the tasty 2012 Triumph Thunderbird Storm. The motorcycle’s muscular stance is an instant eye catcher and its dark paint job further enhances its aggressive character. The Thunderbird Storm utilizes the chassis of Triumph’s Thunderbird, a cruiser renowned for its outstanding poise and precision, but is wrapped up in new clothes which seem to scream Rock ON! Our favorite details are the iconic twin headlights and the modern drag bars. We also need to send a shout at the low 27.5" seat height which provides a laid-back riding position. At the heart of the motorcycle lies the big bore, 1700cc version of Triumph’s acclaimed T-16 parallel-twin engine. The 107mm pistons pump out a muscular 97bhp, with a meaty 115 lb-ft. of torque at just 2950rpm. Hit the jump for more information on the 2012 Triumph Thunderbird Storm. by Sulthoni 0 The 2013 Thunderbird Storm is a stripped down version of the base Thunderbird model. The new bike is available with a black paint job and features a more distinctive look and also more power than its cousin. The unique style of the Triumph Thunderbird Storm is underlined by its tasty exhaust pipes and the twin headlights borrowed from the Rocket III and Speed Triple models. The bike was also built with comfort in mind so you won’t have any complains about the riding position, as you are met by a comfortable seat and an ergonomic handle bar. At the heart of the Triumph Thunderbird Storm lies a 1700cc parallel-twin which delivers a maximum output of 97hp @ 5200rpm and 156Nm of torque at 2950rpm. Other features offered by the Triumph Thunderbird Storm are the tank mounted speedo which includes a small built in tacho and on-board computer which includes clock, two trip meters and a fuel gauge. Hit the jump for more information on the 2013 Triumph Thunderbird Storm. 02.23.2010 11:18 by Maxx Biker 0 Café racing passionate Sivert Raask from Sweden has recently presented his latest work, the Triumph Thunderbird 1600 Café Racer, which he seriously modified using parts from his own rear-sets and accessories shop, Raask. The bike gets a Ducati 900 tank, home-made seat as well as new exhausts and bikini fairing. You can imagine where the rearsets and new speedometer have come from, but this actually looks like a great achievement considering that the Triumph Thunderbird isn’t a naked bike, but a veritable cruiser, meaning a long way from being turned into a café racer. Yet this one is and a very nice one too. Raask bought the motorcycle new in August and transformed it over the winter. This is by far the first café racer he built and we reckon it won’t be the last either. Just read what the man has to say about his passion for café racers: “Café racers have always been my favourite bikes. Back in 1967 I bought a boat ticket from Gothenburg to London, bought a used Norton Atlas, then brought it home and rebuilt it as a café racer.I did the same with a Commando.” “More recently I’ve built café racer versions of the latest Bonneville and Rocket III so when I first saw the new Thunderbird I immediately thought it would be perfect to make into a café racer.” And he did, right before Christmas, but we hear it wasn’t test ridden yet, so we should find out more about it after the Triumph Thunderbird Café Racer starts doing what it knows best.	Triumph
American Shaun White performed his unique Double McTwist 1260 move in winning Olympic gold for the second time in what event?	2013 Triumph Thunderbird Review 2013 Triumph Thunderbird Review 2013 Triumph Thunderbird Go on a legend reborn. Strong, muscular lines. Impeccable manners. Outstanding engineering. A tour de force. Voted 'Cruiser of the Year' by Cycle World magazine in the USA, Thunderbird rewrites the rules and brings Triumph's reputation for handling and engineering excellence to the cruiser market. Personalisation? No problem, with great paint schemes and over 100 accessories. It's what cruiser riders have been waiting for. The critically acclaimed new Thunderbird is a revelation. The bike that cruiser riders have been waiting for. But its turning heads among other types of rider too. Why? Because it delivers - on looks, on power, on handling, on comfort, on everything. On the road or on the spec sheet, Thunderbird leads the way. Sit astride the well appointed low seat and enjoy the high quality chrome that dominates the design. The tank mounted speedo includes a small built in tacho and on-board computer which includes clock, two trip meters and a fuel gauge. Low maintenance belt drive, Triumphs first in the modern era, delivers the torque smoothly and cleanly, while the cycle parts ooze class and quality. Anti-lock brakes are an option for the Thunderbird, offering extra reassurance on all road conditions. But riding a cruiser is all about individuality and with over 100 accessories you can personalise your Thunderbird and find your own unique look. From stripped down street rod to a soft bagged tourer, the Thunderbird delivers with style and charisma. 2013 Triumph Thunderbird Features and Benefits Engine: 1597cc Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel-twin, 270º firing interval Instruments: Analogue speedometer featuring integrated rev counter, scroll button on handlebars, LCD trip computer, fuel gauge and clock. Rear Suspension: Showa chromed spring twin shocks with 5 position adjustable preload, 95mm rear wheel travel 2013 Triumph Thunderbird Key Features Engine At the heart of the Thunderbird is the 1600cc T-16 parallel-twin engine, a unique feature in a class of V-twins. The character-laden engine features a 270-degree crankshaft and delivers a mountainous 110 ft.lbs of torque at just 2750rpm. Powered by a big bore, 1700cc, version of Triumphs acclaimed T-16 parallel-twin engine, the Thunderbird Storms massive 107mm pistons pump out a muscular 97bhp, with a meaty 115 ft.lbs of torque at just 2950rpm. CHASSIS Triumph has used the knowledge gained developing class-leading sports bikes like the Daytona 675 and Speed Triple to endow the Thunderbird with levels of control and precision previously unheard of in a cruiser. The tubular, twin-spine steel frame features chunky 47mm forks up front with five-way adjustable twin shocks at the rear, which can be adjusted to cater for everything from spirited solo riding to two up touring. Powerful twin 310mm floating discs up front are grabbed by powerful four-piston brakes for progressive stopping power, with ABS for increased rider security. TRANSMISSION Each gear change with the six-speed box feels precise, smooth and satisfying. The first belt driven Triumph since 1922, it grabs all that torque and plants it on the road. Low-maintenance rear pulley is durable and clean running. INSTRUMENTS Class-leading instruments, tank mounted. Large speedo, tacho, two trip meters and fuel gauge in a chromed nacelle with unique Thunderbird logo. SEATS Just 700mm off the ground. Cruise alone or with a partner and still plant both feet on the ground. Well padded and comfortable with a range of seat accessories for even more comfort. FUEL TANK A large, 22 litre fuel tank has been fitted to the Thunderbird which, when combined with fantastic fuel economy, ensures that long rides in the low and comfortable saddle will not be interrupted by inconvenient fuel stops. Thunderbird Storm Triumphs iconic twin headlights, made famous on the Rocket III and Speed Triple models, and drag bars adorn the Storm and are complemented by the gloss Jet Black or classic Matt Black paint options, matching blacked out engine cases and black Showa spring twin shocks / black fork lowers. For those wishing to stray away from the all black look, the Thunderbird Storm is additionally available in a Matte Graphite colour option for 2013. 2013 Triumph Thunderbird - USA Specifications/Technical Details US MSRP Price: MSRP $13,499(Single Color ABS)$13,799(Two-tone ABS)$13,999(Haze) Engine and Transmission Type Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel-twin, 270º firing interval Capacity 1597cc Bore/Stroke 103.8 x 94.3mm Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, progressive linkage on throttle Exhaust Chromed twin-skin stainless steel 2 into 1 into 2, tandem large-volume catalysts in centralized catbox, chrome-plated exhaust Final Drive Toothed Belt Gearbox 6-speed, helical type 2nd - 6th Oil Capacity 4.2 liters (1.1 US gals) Chassis, Running Gear and Displays Frame Tubular Steel, twin spine Swingarm Twin-sided, steel Wheel Front Cast aluminum alloy 5-spoke 19 x 3.5 in Rear Cast aluminum alloy 5-spoke 17 x 6 in Tire Front 120/70 R19 Showa 47mm forks. 120mm travel Rear Showa chromed spring twin shocks with 5 position adjustable preload. 95mm rear wheel travel Brakes Front Twin 310mm floating discs. Nissin 4-piston fixed calipers, ABS Rear Single 310mm disc. Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, ABS Instrument Display/Functions Analogue speedometer featuring integrated rev counter, scroll button on handlebars, LCD trip computer, fuel gauge and clock Dimensions and Capacities Length 2340 mm (92.1 in) Width (handlebars) 880 mm (34.6 in) Height without mirrors 1120 mm (44.1 in) Seat Height 700 mm (27.5 in) Wheelbase 1615 mm (63.5 in) Rake/Trail 32º/151mm Fuel Tank Capacity / Efficiency 22 liters (5.8 US gals) Wet Weight (ready to ride) 339 kg (746 lbs) Performance (measured at crankshaft to 95/1/EC) Maximum Power 86PS / 85bhp / 63 kW @ 4850rpm Maximum Torque 146Nm / 108 ft.lbs @ 2750rpm Fuel Efficiency 38 MPG City / 56 MPG Highway Estimated from fuel economy tests on a sample motorcycle conducted under ideal laboratory conditions. Actual mileage may vary based upon personal riding habits, weather, vehicle condition, and other factors. Price MSRP $13,499(Single Color ABS)$13,799(Two-tone ABS)$13,999(Haze) Price is MSRP,and excludes tax,title,license,options,handling,pre-delivery,and destination charges.Specifications and MSRP are subject to change without notice.Actual price determined by dealer. 2013 Triumph Thunderbird - Canadian Specifications/Technical Details Canada MSRP Price: On The Road $14,499(Phantom Black)$15,499(two-tone)$15,799(Marble Haze) Engine and Transmission Type Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel-twin, 270º firing interval Capacity 1597cc Bore/Stroke 103.8 x 94.3mm Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, progressive linkage on throttle Exhaust Chromed twin-skin stainless steel 2 into 1 into 2, tandem large-volume catalysts in centralised catbox, chrome-plated silencers Final Drive Toothed Belt Gearbox 6-speed constant mesh, helical type 2nd - 6th Oil Capacity 4.2 litres (1.1 US gals) Chassis, Running Gear and Displays Frame Tubular Steel, twin spine Swingarm Twin-sided, steel Wheel Front Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 19 x 3.5 in Rear Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 17 x 6 in Tyre Front 120/70 R19 Showa 47mm forks. 120mm travel Rear Showa chromed spring twin shocks with 5 position adjustable preload. 95mm rear wheel travel Brakes Front Twin 310mm floating discs. Nissin 4-piston fixed calipers, ABS Rear Single 310mm fixed disc. Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, ABS Instrument Display/Functions Analogue speedometer featuring integrated rev counter, scroll button on handlebars, LCD trip computer, fuel gauge and clock Dimensions and Capacities Length 2340 mm (92.1 in) Width (handlebars) 880 mm (34.6 in) Height without mirrors 1120 mm (44.1 in) Seat Height 700 mm (27.5 in) Wheelbase 1615 mm (63.5 in) Rake/Trail 32º/151mm Fuel Tank Capacity 22 litres (5.8 US gals) Wet Weight (ready to ride) 339 kg (746 lbs) Performance (measured at crankshaft to 95/1/EC) Maximum Power 86PS / 85bhp / 63 kW @ 4850rpm Maximum Torque 146Nm / 108 ft.lbs @ 2750rpm Fuel Efficiency 38 City / 56 Highway Estimated from fuel economy tests on a sample motorcycle conducted under ideal laboratory conditions. Actual mileage may vary based upon personal riding habits, weather, vehicle condition, and other factors. Price On The Road $14,499(Phantom Black)$15,499(two-tone)$15,799(Marble Haze) Price is MSRP,and excludes tax,title,license,options,handling,pre-delivery,and destination charges.Specifications and MSRP are subject to change without notice.Actual price determined by dealer. 2013 Triumph Thunderbird - Europe/UK Specifications/Technical Details European MSRP Price: See Dealer UK RRP: On The Road from £11,149 Engine and Transmission Type Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel-twin, 270º firing interval Capacity 1597cc Bore/Stroke 103.8 x 94.3mm Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, progressive linkage on throttle Exhaust Chromed twin-skin stainless steel 2 into 1 into 2, tandem large-volume catalysts in centralised catbox, chrome-plated silencers Final Drive Toothed Belt Gearbox 6-speed constant mesh, helical type 2nd - 6th Oil Capacity 4.2 litres (1.1 US gals) Chassis, Running Gear and Displays Frame Tubular Steel, twin spine Swingarm Twin-sided, steel Wheel Front Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 19 x 3.5 in Rear Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 17 x 6 in Tyre Front 120/70 R19 Showa 47mm forks. 120mm travel Rear Showa chromed spring twin shocks with 5 position adjustable preload. 95mm rear wheel travel Brakes Front Twin 310mm floating discs. Nissin 4-piston fixed calipers Rear Single 310mm fixed disc. Brembo 2-piston floating caliper Instrument Display/Functions Analogue speedometer featuring integrated rev counter, scroll button on handlebars, LCD trip computer, fuel gauge and clock Dimensions and Capacities Length 2340 mm (92.1 in) Width (handlebars) 880 mm (34.6 in) Height without mirrors 1120 mm (44.1 in) Seat Height 700 mm (27.5 in) Wheelbase 1615 mm (63.5 in) Rake/Trail 32º/151mm Fuel Tank Capacity 22 litres (5.8 US gals) Wet Weight (ready to ride) 339 kg (746 lbs) Performance (measured at crankshaft to 95/1/EC) Maximum Power 86PS / 85bhp / 63 kW @ 4850rpm Maximum Torque 146Nm / 108 ft.lbs @ 2750rpm Fuel Efficiency Urban: 45.7mpg (6.2 l/100km) - 56mph: 67.1mpg (4.2 l/100km) - 75mph: 49.9mpg (5.7l/100km) Price On The Road from £11,149 All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice. 2013 Triumph Thunderbird - Australia Specifications/Technical Details Australia MSRP Price: See dealer for pricing in AUD Engine and Transmission Type Liquid-cooled, DOHC, Parallel-twin, 270º firing interval Capacity 1597cc Bore/Stroke 103.8 x 94.3mm Fuel System Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection, progressive linkage on throttle Exhaust Chromed twin-skin stainless steel 2 into 1 into 2, tandem large-volume catalysts in centralised catbox, chrome-plated silencers Final Drive Toothed Belt Gearbox 6-speed constant mesh, helical type 2nd - 6th Oil Capacity 4.2 litres (1.1 US gals) Chassis, Running Gear and Displays Frame Tubular Steel, twin spine Swingarm Twin-sided, steel Wheel Front Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 19 x 3.5 in Rear Cast aluminium alloy 5-spoke 17 x 6 in Tyre Front 120/70 R19 Showa 47mm forks. 120mm travel Rear Showa chromed spring twin shocks with 5 position adjustable preload. 95mm rear wheel travel Brakes Front Twin 310mm floating discs. Nissin 4-piston fixed calipers Rear Single 310mm fixed disc. Brembo 2-piston floating caliper Instrument Display/Functions Analogue speedometer featuring integrated rev counter, scroll button on handlebars, LCD trip computer, fuel gauge and clock Dimensions and Capacities Length 2340 mm (92.1 in) Width (handlebars) 880 mm (34.6 in) Height without mirrors 1120 mm (44.1 in) Seat Height 700 mm (27.5 in) Wheelbase 1615 mm (63.5 in) Rake/Trail 32º/151mm Fuel Tank Capacity 22 litres (5.8 US gals) Wet Weight (ready to ride) 339 kg (746 lbs) Performance (measured at crankshaft to 95/1/EC) Maximum Power 86PS / 85bhp / 63 kW @ 4850rpm Maximum Torque 146Nm / 108 ft.lbs @ 2750rpm All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice.	i don't know
Which far-eastern city saw fatal riots in May 2010 involving red-shirted protestors opposed to the national government?	protests - BuenosAiresHerald.com Demonstrators will have 5 to 10 minutes to leave the streets or lift the protests and pickets blocking roads, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said. On the contrary, they will be evicted by the security forces. 11/01/2015 \| Argentina Several hundred people gathered in front of Buenos Aires' French embassy today to condemn the attacks by islamists in Paris, which left a total of 17 victims dead in the last week. 17/03/2015 \| Argentina Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply concerned" about the rape of an elderly nun and the demolition of a church as protests for the better protection of women and religious minorities erupted across the country. 22/01/2016 \| Argentina Social leader and Parlasur lawmaker Milagro Sala remained in prison in the province of Jujuy. Meanwhile, a series of protests and road blocks were taking place across the country to demand her release. 11/07/2014 \| Argentina Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich backed the intervention of federal security forces amid ongoing protests and road pickets and warned “some demonstrations are trying to wear down the government.” 12/08/2014 \| Argentina Gov't denounces 'deliberate strategy to radicalize protests' Amid the ongoing labour conflicts in Lear and RR Donnelly firms, both located in Panamericana Highway, Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich differentiated the two cases and said that “there is a deliberate strategy to radicalize protests” that seeks to “erode the confidence in the government”. 30/11/2014 \| Argentina Dissident CTA vows mobilizations this month The dissident CTA umbrella union has vowed to mobilize between December 10 and 20 if it doesn’t receive a favourable response to its requests for an end-of -year bonus, an increase in the income tax floor and a jump in pensions. 23/02/2014 \| Argentina The Argentine ambassador in Caracas, Carlos Cheppi, has declared his confidence that Nicolás Maduro would not be forced out of office early as president of Venezuela, describing rumours of that eventuality as "crazy" in an interview held today. 24/02/2014 \| Argentina Ambassador to UK condemns 'ferocious media attack' in Venezuela Argentine ambassador to the UK Alicia Castro has revealed her support for Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro as protests in the nation continued, while criticising what she saw as a "ferocious media attack" carried out by opponents of the head of state. 27/02/2014 \| Argentina CFK meets with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua today met with Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner at the Olivos presidential residence. He held a meeting earlier with his Argentine counterpart Héctor Timerman, in a South American tour that has begun in Bolivia, and will continue in Uruguay and Brazil. 23/02/2014 \| Argentina Time is running out By James Neilson Ronald Reagan, Maggie Thatcher and Karol Wojtyla may have helped push the Soviet Union towards what one of its founders called history’s rubbish dump, but even if all three had been fervent communists it would sooner or later have ended up where it finally did because, as its rulers belatedly realised, it was programmed to self-destruct. 23/02/2014 \| Argentina State of the nation and bleeding Venezuela By Mempo Giardinelli While both teacher unions and government officials put their heads down to discuss pay increases while nobody knows if classes will start on time next month, various other questions have been heating up Argentina’s already torrid summer. 23/02/2014 \| Argentina Trying to land softly By Martín Gambarotta There’s nothing like upheaval in other parts of the world to put things into perspective here at home. Look at those blood-curdling photographs dispatched from Ukraine and Venezuela and suddenly the situation in Argentina feels under control. That could change. But the same goes for almost every region in the world. It’s quiet one day. Then the turmoil can hit. 11/12/2013 \| Argentina In Tucumán's province, thousands of pot banging demonstrators gathered in the Independencia square, in rejection of the looting incidents and police protest that took place in the last two days. 10/02/2014 \| Argentina Cooperative workers who receive government support staged a 10 hour sit-in today in front of the Labour Ministry, and pledged to cut off major roads across Argentina tomorrow if their demands for collective bargaining negotiations are not met. 13/02/2014 \| Argentina The Argentine government has condemned what it terms "clear efforts of destablisation" in Venezuela, following yesterday's clashes which left three dead and 23 injured on the streets of Caracas. 09/12/2013 \| Argentina After long discussions held between government officials and police representatives, a wage deal was reached today ending a conflict which prompted protests during the weekend. 09/12/2013 \| Argentina The governor of Buenos Aires province Daniel Scioli today passed by decree an increased minimum wage for new police officers, as well as other benefits. Some officials, however, kept up a vocal protest in the provincial capital La Plata. 11/12/2013 \| Argentina Salta salary raise rejected by striking policemen Salta’s Governor Juan Manuel Urtubey ordered a 50 percent salary raise for the police that nevertheless continue protesting in a bid for better economic compensation. Minimum wage will be of 6,516 pesos. Public employees to receive a 25 percent hike. Salta governor Juan Manuel Urtubey ordered a 50% salary raise for the police personnel in his province. Minimum wage will pass from 4.342 to 6.516 pesos, while public employees will enjoy a 25% increase starting next May. 08/08/2013 \| Argentina Protesters gathered around Buenos Aires obelisk to participate in a new protest against the administration of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. 02/12/2013 \| Argentina The Illia highway, one of the main accesses to the City, was totally blocked this morning by a group of residents of popular shanty town Villa 31 who were resisting an eviction attempt by police forces. 09/12/2013 \| Argentina Police crisis: Capitanich says 'Judiciary must do something,' talks about 'extortion' Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich came on stage today to speak about the police crisis which has spread to several provinces. He assured the Government is “monitoring the situation with each provincial government and with each one in charge to generate mechanisms of social and civic protection.” 11/04/2013 \| Argentina Over 150 residents of the city of La Plata held a protest in front of the City Hall, where they demanded subsidies and dismissal of Pablo Bruera, the Mayor La Plata. 02/06/2013 \| Argentina The head of the Argentine Agrarian Federation (FAA), Eduardo Buzzi once again threatened that the farming sector would unleash a new wave of protests against the National Government if they don’t get an answer to their concerns. 12/07/2013 \| Argentina Arpund 300 port employees were blocking traffic in the Buenos Aires City port area in the neighborhood of Retiro as a 24-hour nationwide strike began this morning. 30/12/2012 \| Argentina SRA to stage more measures ‘soon’ Luis Miguel Etchevehere, the head of the SRA, criticized once again the national government’s decision to seize the Argentine Rural Society’s fairgrounds in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo and announced that more measures will be taken “soon” to protest the expropriation. 30/01/2013 \| Argentina CGT, CTA warn of new protests in March The head of the CTA umbrella union, Pablo Micheli, and the secretary general of the court workers union, Julio Piumato, agreed that the recent raise in the income tax floor is “not enough” and announced a joint street protest for March. 01/02/2013 \| Argentina Gov't assures power cuts are to be 'reduced drastically' Following various protests carried out yesterday because of widespread power cuts, Planning Minister Julio De Vido came on stage today to assure that in the course of the first semester of the year “power cuts are going to be hugely reduced.” 12/10/2012 \| Argentina Buenos Aires City students marched down to the City Education Ministry after meeting with Minister Esteban Bullrich's advisers. Takeovers were still being carried out in over 40 secondary schools across the capital. 14/10/2012 \| Argentina The City Government announced the extension of the academic year for all secondary schools that were taken over by students protesting against a syllabus change, the Education Ministry announced. 08/11/2012 \| Argentina Moreno gives practical advice to anti-gov't 'pot-bangers' The highly controversial Domestic Trade Secretary Gullermo Moreno brought up big guns in response to last night’s pot-banging demonstrations staged in front of his house. Thus, in a rush of rage the official showed no mercy with protesters and sent them to “grab all pots and shove them up their asses.” 02/10/2012 \| Argentina Coast guard officials staged a protest against the passing of a recent decree that saw “between 30 to 60 percent decrease” of their salaries yesterday. 04/10/2012 \| Argentina Border, Coast guard protests continue, await new contact with Security Ministry Whilst they wait for the Security Ministry's answer over the signed petition presented earlier on Thursday, Border and Coast Guard officers decided to continue with the protest, and said they might deepen measures if they do not reach an agreement before Tuesday. 23/08/2012 \| Argentina Unions clash with police in Córdoba city, several injured High voltage scenes were seen this morning in Córdoba city as provincial clerks' unions clashed with police infantry teams amidst protest against the pension system reform triggered by Governor José Manuel De la Sota. Police infantry arrived to supress protestors by firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. 15/09/2012 \| Argentina Buenos Aires City deputy mayor María Eugenia Vidal criticized Cabinet Chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina’s comments regarding Thursday’s massive demonstrations and “hoped that he did not express what the President thinks.” 16/09/2012 \| Argentina Pro government officials and opposition leaders came on stage to, once again, express their views on last Thursday’s “cacelorazo”, with different interpretations of the scope of the nationwide pot-banging outburst. 08/06/2012 \| Argentina President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s cabinet chief Abal Medina regretted today the complications and traffic chaos created by several roadblocks, strikes and protests across the country staged by the Argentine Workers Union (CTA). 13/07/2012 \| Argentina Students who carried out various sit-in demonstrations in five schools across Buenos Aires this week, demanding a cafeteria service and photocopiers for their schools, announced on Friday that the protests were officially lifted. 11/05/2012 \| Argentina Bank clerks threaten to stage national strike if wage demands not met Workers belonging to the banking umbrella union have threatened today to stage a national strike next week if their demands regarding pay rises are not met. Bank clerks protested across the centre of Buenos Aires yesterday demanding a higher wage increase. 31/05/2012 \| Argentina Growers in Buenos Aires province will halt sales of grain and livestock for nine days to protest a tax-hike bill advancing in the provincial Congress, agricultural groups announced 04/06/2012 \| Argentina Entre Ríos Agrarian Federation head Alfredo De Angeli came on stage amidst the farming sector’s liaison board lockout triggered after a BA province land and tax hike. 14/02/2012 \| Argentina Catamarca province Governor Lucía Corpacci defended mining ventures and accused national media outlests of printing "disinformation" regarding the activity's enviromental impact. 07/03/2012 \| Argentina Rallies cause traffic chaos in the City Two rallies caused chaos in traffic in Downtown Buenos Aires. Workers of recovered factories staged a roadblock in 9 de Julio and Corrientes avenues and then marched down to the Labour Ministry, along Leandro N. Alem avenue, while BA City and province State workers claimed for wage hike in front of the Economy Ministry. 14/03/2012 \| Argentina CTA leader calls for national strike Argentine Workers Union (CTA) leader Pablo Micheli called for a national strike that will be held either in late March or early April and hoped “CGT boss Hugo Moyano joins us”, as he marched from the intersection of Nueve de Julio and Belgrano avenues to the Labour Ministry to claim for wage hikes and the ban of the income tax, among other issues. The City Education Minister Esteban Bullrich held a meeting with teachers' unions after they staged a strike yesterday and a march to reject he bill sponsored by the centre-right party PRO that aims to eliminate teachers’ Classification and Disciplinary Boards. 29/11/2011 \| Argentina BA teachers to strike again for 48 hours Buenos Aires teachers belonging to the Union of Education Workers (UTE) will pitch a tent from today in front of the City Legislature in protest of the City government’s decision to eliminate Classification Boards, which is to be debated next Thursday. Many begin striking for 48 hours tomorrow, while other unions begin striking on Thursday. 19/01/2012 \| Argentina Members of the Truckers union in Chubut clashed with police officers today during a protest in the centre of Trelew town, while they were campaigning against the removal of outsourced workers from Camuzzi Gas del Sur Company. 28/09/2011 \| Argentina Alicia Kirchner: 'Protests like these must be banished' Social Development Minister Alicia Kirchner assured that protests such as the one staged on Wednesday on the 9 de Julio Av. by social organizations must be “definitely banished” from the country, and warned that “they are clearly intended to affect the elections.” 23/11/2011 \| Argentina City traffic was complicated today by various protests and marches being carried out across the city. Clashes between protesters, street vendors and police were also wreaking havoc, as shop owners from different neighbourhoods demanded illegal street vending be abolished. 24/11/2011 \| Argentina Once again, city school teachers from Ademys union were carried out yet another strike and marched in complaint of the bill being putting forward to eliminate Classification Boards. 05/07/2011 \| Argentina Roadblocks were reportedly lifted in both directions along the General Paz motorway, at the junction with Eva Perón road, after causing more than four hours of major delays along the route. Traffic tailbacks were 4 kilometres long, causing heavy delays. 01/08/2011 \| Argentina Demonstrations against Jujuy deaths cause traffic chaos CTA Argentine Workers Central activists marched down different areas of the City in protest of the serious incidents that took place in the Jujuy province locality of Libertador General San Martin, in which four people died during an eviction last Thursday. 04/08/2011 \| Argentina Transport Minister Juan Pablo Schiavi announced the suspension of a massive 1,500 buses rally that was going to march through downtown, after a meeting with authorities of the Civic Association for Motor Transport. 16/03/2011 \| Argentina Tension mounts in protest against Coastal Highway in Vicente López Protestors clashed with provincial police in Vicente López as they were evacuated from the area of the Coastal Highway construction site were they were camped. They were blocking an area of over a kilometre and a half along the riverside, where the highway is being built. 22/05/2011 \| Argentina Spain's ruling Socialists reeled from stinging losses in local elections, and now face a balancing act between voter anger over sky-high unemployment and investor demands for strict austerity measures. 30/05/2011 \| Argentina Two protests on the 9 de Julio Av. once again created a traffic chaos during rush hour, with non-combatant soldiers and social organizations activists setting up roadblocks throughout the busy artery. 09/02/2011 \| Argentina Outsourced railway workers have lifted blocks made along San Martín train line. The workers are scheduled to meet with the Labour Ministry at 5PM this afternoon to negotiate terms. 11/02/2011 \| Argentina Judge Oyarbide releases Venegas on bail Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide released on bail the head of the UATRE workers’ union Gerónimo Venegas. After the questioning on the tampered medicine case that lasted almost eight hours, he paid the 500,000 pesos bail and left the police station accompanied by the ex President Eduardo Duhalde. 10/03/2011 \| Argentina The road-block protest along Corrientes and Callao avenues downtown which lasted two hours, has now been lifted after causing considerable traffic delays. 15/12/2010 \| Argentina The central area blockages have been lifted, and those of the Pan American Highway, however traffic could still be slow. 27/01/2011 \| Argentina Labour Minister Carlos Tomada spoke about the way in which some trade union workers protest, in particular outsourced workers, saying that their methods are "irrational”. He continued to defend the department in terms of conflict management. 01/02/2011 \| Argentina CFK warns union leaders over methodology of protests While attending the oficial inauguration of a highway uniting the cities of Santa Fe and Paraná, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner addressed the controversy over the methodology of the protests staged by various unions and warned them that “if the effectiveness of the Kirchnerite model is hindered, you will be the first to be affected.” 28/01/2016 \| World Violent clashes erupted in a Hong Kong protest hotspot as unarmed pro-democracy activists once again confronted riot police despite the confirmation of talks between protest leaders and officials early this week. 20/10/2014 \| World Senior Hong Kong government officials will meet student leaders for the first time tomorrow in an attempt to defuse more than three weeks of pro-democracy protests which have brought parts of the Asian financial centre to a standstill. 23/10/2014 \| World The United Nations Human Rights Committee has called on China to ensure universal suffrage in Hong Kong, stressing that included the right to stand for election as well as the right to vote. 09/10/2014 \| World A white off-duty policeman shot and killed a black teenager in St Louis yesterday, officers said, triggering a night of protests just miles from the site of another police shooting of another black youth in the suburb of Ferguson. 13/10/2014 \| World Hong Kong police made fresh attempts to unblock streets that have been occupied for two weeks by pro-democracy protesters, removing more barricades a day after clashes broke out as opponents of the protest movement tried to reclaim roads. 14/10/2014 \| World Hundreds of Hong Kong police used pepper spray on pro-democracy protesters in the early hours of Wednesday to clear a major road that had been barricaded with concrete slabs, heightening tensions in the financial hub. 02/10/2014 \| World Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying defied pro-democracy protesters' demands to step down, with pressure also increasing from Leung's backers in Beijing over one of the most serious political challenges they have faced in decades. 03/10/2014 \| World Violent scuffles broke out in one of Hong Kong's most famous and congested shopping districts today, as hundreds of supporters of Chinese rule stormed tents and ripped down banners belonging to pro-democracy protesters, forcing many to retreat. 03/10/2014 \| World Fresh scuffles broke out between Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters and opponents of the week-long demonstrations, reigniting concerns that the Chinese-controlled city's worst unrest in decades could take a violent turn. 25/08/2014 \| World Family and supporters of Michael Brown celebrated the life of the black teenager slain by a white officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in a music-filled funeral service ringing with calls for peace and police reforms. 31/08/2014 \| World Pro-democracy activists have vowed to bring Hong Kong's financial hub to a standstill after China's parliament rejected their demands for the right to freely choose the former British colony's next leader in 2017. 27/09/2014 \| World Tens of thousands of people massed in the heart of Hong Kong today to demand more democracy, as tensions grew over Beijing's decision to rule out free elections in the former British colony. 01/05/2014 \| World Turkish police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber pellets to stop May Day protesters, some armed with fire bombs, defying Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ban and reaching Istanbul's central Taksim square. 08/06/2014 \| World Thailand's junta has prepared a force of over 6,000 troops and police for deployment in Bangkok to smother protests and prevent opposition to the May 22 coup from gaining momentum. 24/08/2014 \| World Trayvon Martin parents join rally for slain Missouri teen Hundreds of people gathered in a St Louis park for a rally against police violence that brought together the family of Michael Brown, killed by an officer in Missouri this month, and the parents of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager shot dead in 2012. 30/03/2014 \| World Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said today's bitterly contested local elections would affirm his legitimacy in battling graft allegations and security leaks he blames on "traitors" within the Turkish state. 07/04/2014 \| World An Egyptian appeals court has upheld the jailing of three leading figures of the 2011 pro-democracy uprising, tightening a crackdown on secular activists opposed to the army-backed government. 08/04/2014 \| World After pro-Russians protesters in Donetsk yesterday seized in arms and declared the region independent from Kiev, Ukrainian police detained 70 demonstrators occupying a regional administration building in eastern Ukraine overnight. 21/03/2014 \| World Turkey's ban on Twitter ahead of bitterly contested elections brought a furious reaction at home and abroad, with users of the social networking service denouncing the move as a "digital coup" and the president expressing his disapproval. 22/03/2014 \| World Tens of thousands of protesters from across Spain converged in Madrid today calling for an end to EU-imposed austerity which has deepened poverty amongst the worst-off. 23/03/2014 \| World Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters today, dismissing accusations of intolerance by Western and domestic critics. "I don't care who it is. I'm not listening," he said to cheers. 27/02/2014 \| World The United States told Russia to demonstrate in coming days that it was sincere about its promise not to intervene in Ukraine, after armed men seized the regional parliament in a mainly ethnic Russian region and raised the Russian flag. 28/02/2014 \| World Ukraine will ask Russia to extradite ousted President Viktor Yanukovich if it is confirmed that he is in Russia, the general prosecutor's office said today. 12/03/2014 \| World Riot police have clashed with demonstrators in several Turkish cities for a second day as mourners buried a teenager wounded in protests last summer, unrest which a defiant Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan cast as a plot against the state. 25/02/2014 \| World Ukraine's parliament voted today to send fugitive President Viktor Yanukovich to be tried for 'serious crimes' by the International Criminal Court once he has been captured. 25/02/2014 \| World Turkish riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse several hundred people protesting against the government at an Ankara university today ahead of the opening of a highway in the city. 26/02/2014 \| World Pope Francis has called for a “cease of violence and hostilities” in Venezuela and prayed for dialogue and reconciliation in a country that has seen both anti and pro-government protesters flooding main cities' streets over the past weeks. 23/02/2014 \| World Ukraine's parliament, exercising power since mass protests put the president to flight, has named its new speaker as acting head of state to replace Viktor Yanukovich and worked to form a new government. 23/02/2014 \| World Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of States John Kerry opponents of Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovich had failed to abide by a peace deal they signed on Friday and had seized power, the ministry said. 24/02/2014 \| World Fugitive Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, ousted after bloody street protests in which demonstrators were shot by police snipers, is wanted on an arrest warrant for mass murder, authorities announced today. 20/02/2014 \| World The European Union agreed to impose sanctions on those responsible for deadly violence in Ukraine and warned it would ratchet up the pressure if the situation there got worse. 21/02/2014 \| World Ukraine president calls for elections, protesters' council backs deal Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich announced plans for early elections today in a series of concessions to his pro-European opponents, as a council representing anti-government protesters in Kiev backed a draft agreement on ending the country's crisis but set conditions, an opposition leader was quoted as saying. 22/02/2014 \| World The United States on Saturday welcomed the release from prison of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and pledged to work with its allies, Russia and international organizations to support a unified and democratic Ukraine. 18/02/2014 \| World Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich accused pro-European opposition leaders today of trying to seize power by force after at least 26 people died in the worst violence since the former Soviet republic gained independence. 20/02/2014 \| World Fresh fighting broke out in central Kiev today, shattering a truce declared by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, as the Russian-backed leader met European ministers demanding he compromise with pro-EU opponents. 09/02/2014 \| World Ukrainian protesters, now in their third month of action, kept up pressure on President Viktor Yanukovich with a mass rally where opposition leaders called for an end to his "dictatorial" powers. 11/02/2014 \| World Venezuelan authorities have arrested another eight anti-government protesters, bringing to 19 the number being held amid street demonstrations that President Nicolas Maduro says are being orchestrated by foreign-backed "coup-seekers". 17/02/2014 \| World Russia boosts Ukraine with new credit Russia said today it would give Ukraine a fresh cash injection of $2 billion to support its heavily indebted economy in a boost to the embattled president in Kiev, who has been forced onto the back foot by 12 weeks of unrest. 02/02/2014 \| World Ukraine's embattled president Viktor Yanukovich announced he would return to work after four days' sick leave, as protesters filled Kiev's main square demanding he give up power. 03/02/2014 \| World Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich returned to work today after four days of sick leave, issuing a warning about rising "radicalism" after more than two months of unrest but giving no word on a new prime minister. 09/02/2014 \| World Ukraine's state security service has placed anti-terrorist units on alert in response to a sharp rise in unspecified threats against sensitive installations including atomic power stations, airports and gas and oil pipelines. 27/01/2014 \| World Yanukovich, Ukraine opposition agree to scrap anti-protest laws Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovich, in talks with opposition leaders, agreed to the repeal of some anti-protest laws and to discuss the fate of the present government at a crunch session of parliament, called to end two months of unrest against his rule. 30/01/2014 \| World Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich went on sick leave today after a bruising session of parliament, leaving a political vacuum in a country threatened with bankruptcy and destabilized by anti-government protests. 01/02/2014 \| World Western governments pressed Ukraine's president to compromise with protesters camped on the streets, prompting a war of words with Russia and offering treatment to an opposition activist who says he was tortured. 25/01/2014 \| World Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich offered the opposition several top government posts, hoping to coax his opponents into ending protests that threaten to bring the country to a standstill. 26/01/2014 \| World Death toll rises to 49 in Egypt as soldiers killed Gunmen killed three Egyptian soldiers in an attack on a bus in the Sinai Peninsula today, the military said, prompting a warning from the army that it would eliminate the Muslim Brotherhood, which it blames for much of Egypt's political violence. 26/01/2014 \| World Police have clashed with protesters in central Kiev and the fate of Ukraine's government was uncertain after embattled President Viktor Yanukovich offered important posts to opposition leaders, including the role of prime minister. 23/01/2014 \| World Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich called for an emergency session of parliament to end the country's political crisis and violent unrest, in a sign he might be ready to soften his hardline stance and strike a compromise. 24/01/2014 \| World Fierce clashes broke out between supporters of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and Egyptian security forces in Cairo, security sources said, hours after a suicide bomber attacked a major police compound in the capital. 24/01/2014 \| World Ukrainian protesters have erected more street barricades and occupied a ministry building after the failure of crisis talks with President Yanukovich. 17/01/2014 \| World Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich signed into force a set of tough new laws that would ban virtually all forms of anti-government protests despite an outcry from Western governments which have criticised them as anti-democratic. 19/01/2014 \| World Protesters attacked riot police with sticks in Kiev and tried to overturn a bus blocking their path to parliament, as up to 100,000 Ukrainians massed in defiance of sweeping new laws aimed at stamping out anti-government demonstrations. 22/01/2014 \| World Ukraine's prime minister has assured that anti-government protests had brought "terrorists" onto the streets of Kiev and pledged to punish all "criminal action", even as protesters confronted police near government headquarters. 17/12/2013 \| World Russia has agreed a $15-billion bailout for Ukraine and slashed the price of gas exports, in a deal that keeps the cash-strapped country in Moscow's orbit but fuelled street protests in Kiev. 22/12/2013 \| World Three leading figures of Egypt's 2011 uprising have been jailed for three years eachfor their role in recent protests, as the army-backed authorities intensified a crackdown on dissent. 01/01/2014 \| World Egyptian police have fired tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of pro-Islamist protesters demonstrating near the Defence Ministry in Cairo, state media said. 11/12/2013 \| World Ukrainian protesters stood their ground after an overnight sweep by riot police and their leaders dismissed an offer of talks from a president they say must quit for favouring ties with Russia over the European Union. 11/12/2013 \| World The US State Department said it is considering all options, including sanctions, toward Ukraine, where riot police moved against demonstrators overnight after weeks of protests against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. 11/12/2013 \| World Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra's red-shirted supporters said they were ready to defend her government in the streets from an elite-backed protest movement seeking to install an unelected "People's Council". 08/12/2013 \| World Crowds toppled a statue of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin in the Ukrainian capital and attacked it with hammers in the latest mass protests against President Viktor Yanukovich and his plans for closer ties with Russia. 09/12/2013 \| World Ukrainian opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko said today he was ready, with other opposition leaders, to hold compromise talks with President Viktor Yanukovich but added he feared that police action to break up peaceful protests was imminent. 10/12/2013 \| World Ukrainian riot police reoccupied part of the square in central Kiev where protesters have been demonstrating against the government's decision to pull out of negotiations on a trade pact with the EU and rebuild economic ties with Russia. 28/11/2013 \| World One protester has been killed in clashes between supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and security forces at Cairo University, medical sources said. 02/12/2013 \| World Ukrainian protesters blockaded the main government building today, trying to bring down President Viktor Yanukovich with a general strike after hundreds of thousands demonstrated against his decision to abandon an EU integration pact. 03/12/2013 \| World US Secretary of State John Kerry urged the Ukrainian government to "listen to the voices of its people" after President Viktor Yanukovich's decision to spurn a pact with the European Union sparked mass protests. 17/11/2013 \| World Thousands of Greeks protesting against austerity marched through the streets of Athens to mark the 40th anniversary of a bloody student uprising against the then-ruling military junta. 24/11/2013 \| World Egypt's interim president has signed into law a bill that rights groups have said sharply curbs the rights of citizens to assemble and protest peacefully. 25/11/2013 \| World Students of Al-Azhar University and Assiut University in Assiut province, south of Cairo, staged a protest, chanting against the army and police in defiance of the new law, passed yesterday, which bans protests without prior police approval. 28/09/2013 \| World Thousands of supporters of ousted Mohamed Morsi marched in Cairo and other cities to demand his reinstatement, ignoring warnings that security forces would open fire if protests turned violent. 03/09/2013 \| World Thousands of supporters of overthrown Islamist president Mohamed Morsi took to the streets in towns and cities across Egypt to denounce Egypt's new military-backed rulers - their second show of mass support in four days. 19/09/2013 \| World Tunisia's governing Islamists have agreed in principle to a trade union proposal that it step down to make way for a transitional government and new elections. 23/08/2013 \| World Mass protests called by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood mostly failed to materialize today as the movement reeled from a bloody army crackdown on followers of ousted President Mohamed Morsi. 27/08/2013 \| World Tunisia has declared Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist organisation after obtaining proof it killed two secular politicians and several soldiers, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said. 27/08/2013 \| World At least two supporters of Egypt's deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi were killed in clashes with residents and security forces in the southern city of Beni Suef, a security source said. 17/08/2013 \| World Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood risks political elimination, with the new army backed government threatening to ban the Islamist organisation after launching a fierce crackdown on its supporters that has killed hundreds. 20/08/2013 \| World Egypt's army-backed government detained the Muslim Brotherhood's leader after a bloody crackdown on his supporters, underscoring its intention to crush the movement that had propelled the country's first freely elected president to power. 22/08/2013 \| World Supporters of Egypt's deposed president will stage a "Friday of martyrs" of mass protests, risking more potential bloodshed to show they can still claim the streets after a week in which hundreds were gunned down and their leaders jailed. 15/08/2013 \| World The UN Security Council urged all parties in Egypt to end the violence and exercise maximum restraint after hundreds of people were killed when troops and police crushed protests seeking the return of deposed President Mohamed Mursi. 15/08/2013 \| World The Muslim Brotherhood defiantly called for a week of protests across Egypt starting on Saturday, a day after more than 100 people died in clashes between Islamists and the security forces that pushed the country ever closer to anarchy. 06/08/2013 \| World Egypt's army installed government is expected to announce that foreign mediation designed to end the country's political crisis has failed, a state-run newspaper said. 14/08/2013 \| World Western allies warned Egypt's military leaders right up to the last minute against using force to crush protest sit-ins by supporters of the ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, arguing they could ill afford the political and economic damage. 14/08/2013 \| World Security forces struggled to clamp a lid on Egypt after hundreds of people were killed when authorities forcibly broke up camps of supporters protesting the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, in the worst nationwide bloodshed in decades. 29/07/2013 \| World Gunmen have killed at least eight Tunisian soldiers in a bloody ambush, staging the biggest attack on the security forces in decades as political tensions rose between supporters and opponents of the Islamist-led government. 01/08/2013 \| World Tunisia's powerful union federation has said that the embattled Islamist-led government had one week to reach a deal for creating a new technocrat government, otherwise it will be "forced to consider" other options. 03/08/2013 \| World Senior US and European envoys met the foreign minister of Egypt's army-installed government in a push to resolve the political crisis brought on by the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi and to head off more bloodshed. 26/07/2013 \| World Thousands of protesters massed in the Tunisian capital, a day after the assassination of an opposition politician, while shops and banks closed their doors and all flights in and out of the country were cancelled. 27/07/2013 \| World At least seven people were killed and hundreds wounded in scattered violence across Egypt during mass rallies for and against the army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who was placed under investigation for murder. 27/07/2013 \| World Egypt's leaders must pull their country "back from the brink," US Secretary of State John Kerry stated, saying Egypt was at a pivotal moment after the killing of dozens of protesters. 20/07/2013 \| World An initial forensic report has confirmed that the free school lunch that killed 23 children this week in India's eastern state of Bihar was contaminated with a pesticide, a senior police official said. 23/07/2013 \| World Hundreds of protesters built barricades around Bulgaria's parliament, effectively trapping over 100 lawmakers, ministers, and journalists in the building for more than seven hours following a brief scuffle with police. 25/07/2013 \| World Tunisian opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi was shot dead in the second such assassination this year, setting off violent protests against the Islamist-led government in the capital and elsewhere. 19/07/2013 \| World Indian police suspect that India's worst outbreak of mass food poisoning in years was caused by cooking oil that had been kept in a container previously used to store pesticide, the magistrate overseeing the investigation said. 19/07/2013 \| World Three Egyptians were killed during clashes between supporters and opponents of deposed President Morsi, after thousands rallied in Egyptian cities demanding the reinstatement of the Islamist leader. 20/07/2013 \| World Russia unexpectedly freed opposition leader Alexei Navalny on bail bending to the will of thousands of protesters who denounced his five-year jail sentence as a crude attempt by President Vladimir Putin to silence him. 16/07/2013 \| World Assailants using rockets and machineguns attacked an Egyptian army camp in the restive Sinai Peninsula near the border with the Gaza Strip, witnesses and security sources said. 17/07/2013 \| World Supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called for more mass demonstrations, declaring a "day of steadfastness" to protest against the formation of a new interim cabinet, which began its first day on the job. 17/07/2013 \| World At least 25 Indian children died and dozens needed hospital treatment after apparently being poisoned by a school meal, sparking violent protests and angry allegations of blame. 15/07/2013 \| World Egypt's public prosecutor ordered the arrest of seven senior Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist figures today over violence between Brotherhood supporters and opponents in the days before and after Mohamed Morsi was deposed as president. 16/07/2013 \| World Seven people died and more than 260 were wounded when supporters of Mohamed Morsi clashed with the deposed Egyptian president's opponents and security forces through the night, with the return of bloodshed overshadowing the naming of a new interim cabinet. 16/07/2013 \| World Turkish police arrested about 30 people in Istanbul today after briefly detaining more than 1,000 in a widening crackdown after weeks of violent anti-government protests, lawyers and local media reports said. 12/07/2013 \| World Supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi called for protests and Egyptians prayed there would be no repeat of clashes that have killed more than 90 people in the last week in the bitterly divided Arab nation. 13/07/2013 \| World Egypt announced a criminal investigation against deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, with prosecutors saying they were examining complaints of spying, inciting violence and ruining the economy. 15/07/2013 \| World The first senior US official to visit Egypt since the army toppled its elected president met with officials today to urge them to swiftly restore democracy, while thousands of supporters of the ousted Islamist leader take to the streets. 11/07/2013 \| World Political infighting threatened to stall Egypt's transition plans as the military cracked down on Muslim Brotherhood leaders it blames for inciting a clash in Cairo in which troops shot and killed 53 protesters. 11/07/2013 \| World Egypt has less than two months' supply of imported wheat left in its stocks, ousted President Mohamed Morsi's minister of supplies said, revealing a shortage more acute than previously disclosed. 11/07/2013 \| World US Navy ships in Red Sea move close to Egypt Two US Navy ships patrolling in the Middle East moved closer to Egypt's Red Sea coast in recent days, the top Marine Corps general said, in what appeared to be a precautionary move after the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi. 06/07/2013 \| World US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel held three conversations with the head of Egypt's armed forces on Friday and Saturday, emphasizing the need for "a peaceful civilian transition in Egypt," the Pentagon said. 07/07/2013 \| World Protest platform 'Solidarity with Taksim' has roundly condemned police violence during the latest demonstrations in Istanbul and announced that they would continue taking to the streets. 08/07/2013 \| World Egypt counted its dead after Islamists enraged by the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi took to the streets in an explosion of violence against what they denounced as a military coup. 06/07/2013 \| World President Barack Obama condemned the violence in Egypt and said that the United States was not working with any particular Egyptian political party or group as the country reels from a military takeover. 06/07/2013 \| World Egypt's political transition after President Mohamed Mursi's ousting by the military has stumbled at the first hurdle, as the choice of liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei as interim prime minister was thrown into doubt by Islamist objections. 05/07/2013 \| World At least 17 people died across Egypt as Islamists opposed to the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi took to the streets to vent their fury at what they say was a military coup. 05/07/2013 \| World A deputy leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, former presidential candidate Khairat El-Shater, has been arrested, security sources, his party and state news agency MENA said. 05/07/2013 \| World At least 24 people died across Egypt as Islamists opposed to the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi took to the streets to vent their fury at what they say was a military coup. 04/07/2013 \| World Egypt's prosecutor ordered the arrest of the Muslim Brotherhood's leader today, widening a crackdown against the Islamist movement after the army ousted the country's first democratically elected president. 04/07/2013 \| World Islamist gunmen staged multiple attacks on security forces in Egypt's troubled Sinai Peninsula, two days after the army overthrew elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, security sources and state television reported. 05/07/2013 \| World Jubilant crowds across Cairo cheered, chanted pro-army slogans and set off fireworks after the military suspended the constitution and overthrew President Mohamed Morsi today. 03/07/2013 \| World Argentina and the International community reacts to Egypt’s coup Argentina’s Foreign Ministry declared that “the Argentinean government follows with concern the recent events in Egypt that led to the interruption of the democratic process, the destitution of its legitimate authorities, and a complex political and social situation”, stated the official document.Mixed reactions were presented by a number of world leaders on President Morsi’s removal by Egyptian Armed Forces tonight after one year in office. World leaders presented mixed reactions to the news of President Morsi’s removal by the Egyptian Armed Forces after one year in office. 03/07/2013 \| World President Barack Obama expressed deep concern about Egypt's removal of President Mohamed Morsi tonight and called for a swift return to a democratically elected civilian government. 02/07/2013 \| World The death toll in violence involving Islamist supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi near Cairo University rose to 16 today and 200 people were wounded, state television quoted a Health Ministry spokesman as saying. 03/07/2013 \| World Seven people died today, in a new round of confrontations between supporters and detractors of president Mohamed Morsi, in the Egyptian suburb of Guiza. 02/07/2013 \| World Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi told Egyptians in a televised address today that he would defend the legitimacy of his elected office with his life and urged them to reject challenges to the legal order. 02/07/2013 \| World Egypt's high command said today the army was ready to die to defend Egypt's people against terrorists and fools, in a response to Islamist President Mohamed Morsi that was headlined "The Final Hours". 01/07/2013 \| World Egypt's powerful armed forces issued a virtual ultimatum to Islamist President Mohamed Mursi today, calling on the nation's feuding politicians to agree on an inclusive roadmap for the country's future within 48 hours. 02/07/2013 \| World President Mohamed Mursi rebuffed an army ultimatum to force a resolution to Egypt's political crisis, saying that he had not been consulted and would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation. 02/07/2013 \| World Egypt’s security forces confirmed that supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi clashed in Cairo and Banha cities opening fire at each other. 28/06/2013 \| World Two people, one an American, were killed when protesters stormed an office of Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria today adding to growing tension ahead of mass rallies aimed at unseating the Islamist president. 29/06/2013 \| World Barack Obama met the family of South Africa's ailing anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela. But the US President also faced protests by South Africans against US foreign policy, especially drone strikes. 22/06/2013 \| World Scattered protests took place in dozens of Brazilian cities today, although fewer people took to the streets in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, where vandalism and clashes with police have rocked the country in recent days. 26/06/2013 \| World President Mohamed Mursi blamed "enemies of Egypt" for paralysing its new democracy in a speech today that criticised street protests ahead of mass rallies against Islamist rule this weekend. 26/06/2013 \| World Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said today he was forming an all-party committee to propose amendments to the constitution and was inviting party leaders to start work on it on Thursday. 17/06/2013 \| World Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said today Turkey could deploy "elements of the armed forces" to help quell anti-government protests if needed, after more than two weeks of violent demonstrations in several cities. 18/06/2013 \| World Police raided addresses across Turkey and detained dozens of people in an operation linked to three weeks of often violent protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. 22/06/2013 \| World Turkish riot police fired water cannon to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators in central Istanbul, as Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan castigated those behind protests he said had played into the hands of Turkey's enemies. 15/06/2013 \| World Turkish protesters said they would not leave an Istanbul park despite a call from the president for them to withdraw and a pledge from Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to hold a vote on plans to redevelop the site. 15/06/2013 \| World Thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul overnight on Sunday, erecting barricades and starting bonfires, after riot police firing teargas and water cannon stormed a park at the centre of two weeks of anti-government unrest. Two Turkish union federations said they would stage a one-day nationwide strike on Monday in protest at the forced eviction by riot police of hundreds of anti-government demonstrators from an Istanbul park. 12/06/2013 \| World Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party ordered protesters out of an Istanbul park, while making a limited concession in the form of an offer to hold a referendum on redevelopment plans that caused nearly two weeks of riots. 12/06/2013 \| World Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators chanted and sang in Istanbul's Taksim Square early, defying an order to end almost two weeks of protests against Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. 14/06/2013 \| World Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told protesters he would put redevelopment plans for an Istanbul park on hold until a court rules, striking a markedly more conciliatory tone after two weeks of fierce anti-government demonstrations. 11/06/2013 \| World Turkish riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of protesters armed with rocks and fireworks as they tried to regain control of a central Istanbul square at the heart of anti-government demonstrations. 11/06/2013 \| World Turkish riot police using teargas and water cannon battled protesters for control of Istanbul's Taksim Square as demonstrators defied Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's demand they clear the area and end 10 days of demonstrations. 12/06/2013 \| World Turkish riot police fought running battles with pockets of protesters overnight, clearing the central Istanbul square that has been the focus of nearly two weeks of protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. 07/06/2013 \| World Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan flew back to a Turkey rocked by days of anti-government unrest and declared before a sea of flag-waving supporters at Istanbul airport: "These protests must end immediately." 08/06/2013 \| World Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party ruled out early elections as thousands of anti-government demonstrators defied his call to end protests. 09/06/2013 \| World Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told thousands of cheering supporters that his patience had its limits after days of protests, while tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators gathered at a rival rally in central Istanbul. 05/06/2013 \| World Turkish trade unionists banging drums and trailing banners marched into an Istanbul square, joining unprecedented protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan over what they see as his authoritarian rule. 06/06/2013 \| World Turkish police clashed with demonstrators overnight ahead of the return of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to a nation rattled by a week of protest against his leadership. 06/06/2013 \| World Thousands of supporters welcomed back Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan from a North African tour in a show of strength after a week of violent anti-government demonstrations across the country. 10/04/2013 \| World Spanish police will erect barriers around politicians' residences to shield them from protests over the growing number of home evictions and to call for changes to mortgage laws. 01/06/2013 \| World Spanish unemployment figures next week may strike a more encouraging note, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told an economic conference, holding out some hope for an economy deep in its second year of recession. 03/06/2013 \| World Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called for calm today, after a weekend of fierce anti-government protests, urging people not to be provoked by demonstrations he said had been organized by "extremist elements". 01/02/2013 \| World At least one protester was shot dead and dozens wounded today when riot police clashed with demonstrators demanding the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, witnesses said. 16/02/2013 \| World Liberal and Islamist political leaders met privately today to try to ease tensions that have sparked protests in which some 60 Egyptians have died since late January, politicians said today. 20/02/2013 \| World Bulgaria's government resigned after violent nationwide protests against high power prices, joining a long list of European administrations felled by austerity during Europe's debt crisis. 29/12/2012 \| World The body of a woman whose gang rape provoked protests and rare national debate about violence against women in India arrived back in New Delhi in the early hours of Sunday morning. 28/01/2013 \| World Cabinet backs Egyptian army to make civilian arrests Egypt's cabinet has approved a draft law giving the army the right to arrest civilians and assist the police in providing security, a cabinet source told reporters today after the death toll in five days of anti-government protests rose to 50. 28/01/2013 \| World Egypt: One killed in riots after emergency law imposed A man was shot dead today in a fifth day of violence in Egypt that has killed 50 people and prompted the Islamist president to declare a state of emergency in an attempt to end a wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world's biggest nation. 07/12/2012 \| World Islamists attacked the offices of an Egyptian opposition party newspaper today, security sources said, as people voted on a new constitution intended to pull the country out of a growing political crisis. 21/12/2012 \| World Supporters of President Mohamed Mursi and his opponents hurled rocks at each other in Egypt's second city on the eve of a final vote on a new constitution shaped by Islamists. 27/11/2012 \| World Tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied against President Mohamed Mursi in one of the biggest outpourings of protest since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow, accusing the Islamist leader of seeking to impose a new era of autocracy. 28/11/2012 \| World Hundreds of protesters were in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a sixth day today. demanding that Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi rescind a decree they say gives him dictatorial powers. 05/12/2012 \| World Islamists battled with protesters outside Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's palace today, after his vice president suggested amendments could be agreed to the draft constitution that has divided the nation. 20/10/2012 \| World Thousands of British protesters marched through central London today against public spending cuts and tax rises enacted by a government fighting accusations it is run by an upper-class elite that ignores the plight of recession-hit voters. 07/11/2012 \| World Greece's government voted by a razor thin margin today to approve an austerity package needed to unlock vital aid and avert bankruptcy, despite an internal rift and violent protests at the gates of parliament. 24/11/2012 \| World Youths clashed with police in Cairo as protests at new powers assumed by President Mohamed Mursi stretched into a second day, confronting Egypt with a crisis that has exposed the split between newly empowered Islamists and their opponents. 28/09/2012 \| World Up to 30,000 members of two of Italy's biggest unions marched through Rome today to protest against Prime Minister Mario Monti's cuts in public spending, forcing the closure of the Colosseum. 09/10/2012 \| World Merkel lands in Greece as protesters mass on streets Germany's Angela Merkel arrived in Greece on her first visit since Europe's debt crisis erupted here three years ago, braving protests to deliver a message of support - but no new money - to a nation hammered by recession and fighting to stay in the euro. 18/10/2012 \| World Greece: Man dies during police, protesters clashes Greek police have confirmed that a man has died during today's anti-austerity protests in which police fired teargas to disperse anti-austerity protesters hurling stones and petrol bombs on the day of a general strike that brought much of the near-bankrupt country to a standstill. 21/09/2012 \| World Demonstrators clashed with police in the Pakistani city of Peshawar today as anger over insults to the boiled over despite calls from political and religious leaders across the Muslim world for peaceful protest. 23/09/2012 \| World Muslims protested in Nigeria, Iran, Greece and Turkey to show anti-Western anger against a film and cartoons insulting Islam had not dissipated. 25/09/2012 \| World Protesters clashed with police in Spain's capital as the government prepares a new round of unpopular austerity measures for the 2013 budget that will be announced on Thursday. 29/07/2012 \| World Tens of thousands of people protested against nuclear power outside Japan's parliament, the same day a proponent of using renewable energy to replace nuclear following the Fukushima disaster was defeated in a local election. 15/09/2012 \| World Tens of thousands of Spaniards rallied in Madrid to protest against spending cuts and tax rises in a country reeling from high unemployment and a gruelling recession. 19/09/2012 \| World A French magazine ridiculed the Prophet Mohammad today by portraying him naked in cartoons, threatening to fuel the anger of Muslims around the world who are already incensed by a film depicting him as a womanizing buffoon. 21/05/2012 \| World Italy is likely to register a strong protest vote against belt-tightening in local elections that will provide a fresh snapshot of Europe's changing political landscape a year ahead of a national ballot. 12/06/2012 \| World Tens of thousands of Russians marched through Moscow amid a stream of banners demanding President Vladimir Putin step down and challenging new laws designed to curb protest against his strongly centralised rule. 19/07/2012 \| World Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards marched against the centre-right government's latest austerity measures, following more than a week of demonstrations across the country. 04/05/2012 \| World Egypt's army imposed an overnight curfew around the defence ministry in Cairo on Friday after protesters clashed with troops there during demonstrations against the country's military rulers, leaving one soldier dead and 373 people wounded. 13/05/2012 \| World Italy is considering using the army to protect the defence conglomerate Finmeccanica and the tax collection agency Equitalia, the targets of a series of attacks that are raising concerns about political violence, the interior minister said. 18/05/2012 \| World Thousands protest in Chicago ahead of NATO summit An estimated 2,500 people, including hundreds of nurses, protested peacefully in a downtown Chicago plaza under the watchful eye of police, chanting mostly about economic issues that have little to do with the summit of the NATO military alliance starting this weekend. 10/03/2012 \| World Thousands of Russians chanting "Time for change" challenged Vladimir Putin's presidential election victory on Saturday but their numbers were far fewer than in previous weeks. 21/04/2012 \| World Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in anti-government protests and activists reported clashes in several districts on Saturday, the eve of a Formula One Grand Prix race. 26/04/2012 \| World Up to 40,000 Norwegians staged an emotionally-charged sing-along in Oslo near the court house where Anders Behring Breivik is on trial for the murder of 77 people in a protest organizers said showed he had not broken their tolerant society. 05/03/2012 \| World Thousands of protesters chanting "Russia without Putin" took to the streets of Moscow and St Petersburg today to challenge Vladimir Putin's victory in a presidential election which international monitors said was unfair. 06/03/2012 \| World Russia's opposition expressed concern today that Vladimir Putin was resorting to old tactics to crush dissent after riot police detained hundreds of protesters challenging the legitimacy of his presidential election victory. 09/03/2012 \| World Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was bundled into the back of a police car to escape protesters after a speaking engagement at Britain's Cambridge University that angered women's rights activists. 18/02/2012 \| World Thousands rally for Putin before Russian election Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in cities across Russia in support of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday in a show of force two weeks before a March 4 presidential election that is expected to return him to the Kremlin. 29/02/2012 \| World Tens of thousands of students took to the streets of Spanish cities to protest against government spending cuts that have left many classrooms without heating. 03/03/2012 \| World Vladimir Putin is almost certain to win a third presidential term in an election that began last Sunday in Russia's far east, though opponents have challenged the legitimacy of a vote they say is skewed in his favour. 03/02/2012 \| World Clashes between rock-throwing protesters and riot police eased in Egypt as activists argued over how to build momentum in their push to oust the country's ruling generals. 04/02/2012 \| World Tens of thousands of Russians defied bitter cold in Moscow to demand fair elections in a march against Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, and thousands of others staged a rally supporting the prime minister. 13/02/2012 \| World Athens is counting the cost of damage and clearing the debris from the streets, the day after violence and flames greeted the parliamentary vote on austerity measures. 27/12/2011 \| World Syrian security forces fired tear gas at tens of thousands of protesters who were heading towards the centre of Syria's troubled city of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 28/12/2011 \| World Live footage carried on al Jazeera television showed gunfire and black smoke rising above Syria's central city of Hama as dozens of men marched through the streets chanting "Where are the Arab monitors". 14/01/2012 \| World Thousands of Romanians staged a third straight day of protests in the capital Bucharest and other cities, as anger over a healthcare reform bill widened into protest against government austerity measures. 21/12/2011 \| World Egypt is holding the latest round of its first democratic parliamentary election in relative calm after five days of protests in Cairo that prompted a brutal response from security forces. 23/12/2011 \| World Egypt: Thousands rally against army after woman beaten Thousands of Egyptians rallied in Cairo and other cities today to demand the military give up power and vent their anger after 17 people were killed in protests where troops beat and clubbed women and men even as they lay on the ground. 24/12/2011 \| World Tens of thousands of flag-waving and chanting protesters called today for a disputed parliamentary election to be rerun, increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin as he seeks a new term as Russian president. 06/12/2011 \| World Greek police today fired tear gas at dozens of black-clad protesters in Athens who hurled petrol bombs and stones while hundreds of people marched to parliament to mark the 2008 shooting of a student by police. 10/12/2011 \| World Russians take the streets to protest against Putin Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of cities across Russia today to demand an end to Vladimir Putin's rule and complain about alleged election fraud in the biggest show of defiance since he took power more than a decade ago. 12/12/2011 \| World Anti-Wall Street demonstrators, confronted by police in riot gear, marched on several West Coast ports seeking to disrupt cargo traffic and re-energize their protest movement. 23/11/2011 \| World Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a Gulf initiative today to hand over power to his deputy as part of a proposal to end months of protests that have pushed the Arab country to the brink of civil war. 23/11/2011 \| World Rocks, teargas, firebombs and gunfire made darkened streets in central Cairo a battle zone as hard-core protesters demanding an immediate end to army rule fought riot police around government buildings close to Tahrir Square. 24/11/2011 \| World An overnight truce between Egyptian riot police and protesters succeeded on Thursday in calming violence that has killed 39 people in five days, but demonstrators occupying Cairo's Tahrir Square vowed to stay until the army gives up power. 29/09/2011 \| World Civil servants blockaded several ministries to protest against austerity measures as Greece resumed talks with EU and IMF inspectors on an 8 billion euro aid tranche it needs to avoid bankruptcy next month. 15/10/2011 \| World Demonstrators worldwide shouted their rage against bankers and politicians they accuse of ruining economies and condemning millions to hardship through greed and bad government. 20/10/2011 \| World The Greek parliament approved a painful set of austerity measures on, defying violent protests in central Athens and a general strike which shut down much of the country. 17/09/2011 \| World About 15,000 trade unionists staged a protest march against "neo-liberal" economics and in support of greater European solidarity after EU finance ministers rejected calls to spend more to revive the bloc's flagging economy. 18/09/2011 \| World At least 26 people were shot dead and hundreds wounded today when security forces fired on demonstrators who charged police lines in Yemen's capital Sanaa, in a dramatic escalation of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. 22/09/2011 \| World Germans opposed to Pope Benedict's teachings on sexuality and angry at cases of abuse by priests protested in Berlin while members of parliament boycotted a speech by the pontiff at the start of his four-day visit to his homeland. 21/07/2011 \| World Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ruled out talks with the rebels trying to end his 41-year-rule, raising questions about whether a flurry of Western efforts to negotiate an end to the deepening conflict can succeed. 01/08/2011 \| World Egypt's army moved into Cairo's Tahrir Square to break up a protest that had lasted more than three weeks after the main groups involved had said they would leave but a few hundred demonstrators had stayed put, state television reported. 25/08/2011 \| World Protesters scuffled with police in the Chilean capital today, the second of a two-day strike against President Sebastian Piñera marked by sporadic looting and more protests. 04/06/2011 \| World Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, wounded in an attack in his compound, was reported by al Arabiya television to have left for Saudi Arabia, but a Yemeni official and Saudi source denied he had gone. 12/06/2011 \| World More than 20,000 Greeks protested against austerity measures in Athens and workers at state-owned utility PPC announced strikes to oppose government plans to sell the company. 19/06/2011 \| World Tens of thousands of Spaniards abandoned their customary quiet day with families and friends on to march against the so-called "Euro Pact" and the handling of the economic crisis. 28/05/2011 \| World An Egyptian administrative court fined ousted President Hosni Mubarak and two former officials 540 million Egyptian pounds (US$91 million) for cutting off mobile and internet services during protests in January. 29/05/2011 \| World Tens of thousands of Greeks vented their anger at the nation's political classes in Athens, staging the biggest in a week of protests as the government seeks backing for yet more austerity. 30/05/2011 \| World Spaniards protesting over the handling of the country's economic crisis vowed to keep their tents in central city squares this week, as a wave of similar protests spread to other major European cities. 21/05/2011 \| World Thousands of Spaniards filled city squares and camped out across the country to protest against government austerity before regional elections which are likely to deal a blow to the Socialist government. 27/05/2011 \| World Yemeni tribesmen said they wrested a military compound from elite troops loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh outside the capital Sanaa as increased fighting threatened to tip the country into civil war. 28/05/2011 \| World An informal ceasefire between President Ali Abdullah Saleh's security forces and a tribal group brought a pause in fighting today after nearly a week of deadly clashes left Yemen near civil war. 19/05/2011 \| World Spain's electoral oversight body ruled that jobs protests which young people are staging across the country would be illegal over the coming election weekend, but some demonstrators said they would defy the ban. 20/05/2011 \| World Pakistan's Taliban said it had attacked a US consulate convoy in the volatile northwestern city of Peshawar, the latest assault in a surge of violence since US forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden this month. 20/05/2011 \| World Tens of thousands of Spaniards angry over joblessness protested for a sixth day in cities all over the country, and the government looked unlikely to enforce a ban on the demonstrations, fearing clashes. 10/04/2011 \| World Irregular forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed three people in Banias, a local human rights activist said, after pro-democracy protests flared in the mostly Sunni city on the Mediterranean. 30/04/2011 \| World Syrian security forces arrested two veteran opposition figures and a group of female protesters, adding to thousands of political prisoners in the country, rights groups said. 06/05/2011 \| World US drone aircraft fired missiles into a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, killing at least eight suspected militants just as Islamists protested against the killing of Osama bin Laden. 26/03/2011 \| World Black-clad, masked youths battled riot police and attacked banks and luxury stores in central London, overshadowing a protest by more than a quarter of a million Britons against government spending cuts. 26/03/2011 \| World Syrian security forces have killed six people in two days of anti-government protests in the key port city of Latakia, reformist activists living abroad told reporters. 10/04/2011 \| World More than 1,000 protesters ignored an army order to leave Cairo's main square, extending into a third day their calls for a quick move to civilian rule and a deeper purge of corrupt officials 05/03/2011 \| World Thousands of Bangladeshis protested today against the removal of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus from the top post at Grameen Bank, the microlender he founded. 08/03/2011 \| World Yemeni police opened fire on protesters in the capital Sanaa, wounding at least 65 people demonstrating for an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 32-year-old rule, hospital sources said. 16/03/2011 \| World Bahraini forces, backed by helicopters, fired tear gas in a crackdown on protesters, clearing hundreds from a camp that had become the symbol of an uprising by the island's Shi'ite Muslim majority. 26/02/2011 \| World Tens of thousands of mainly Shi'ite Bahrainis gathered in Manama yesterday, officially declared a day of mourning, in one of the biggest protests since unrest erupted 10 days ago. 26/02/2011 \| World Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered across Brazil to call for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, whom they blame for a vast corruption scandal and the economy's worst slump in a quarter century. 17/03/2016 \| Latin America Protests mark Brazil's Lula swearing-in, judge tries to block appointment Former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as President Dilma Rousseff's chief of staff on Thursday amid a deepening crisis in Brazil as protests against his appointment continued for a second day and a judge sought to block the move. 15/03/2015 \| Latin America Over one million demonstrators marched in cities and towns across Brazil to protest a sluggish economy, rising prices and corruption - and to call for the impeachment of leftist President Dilma Rousseff. SEE PHOTO GALLERY. 16/03/2015 \| Latin America Forty-three missing students abducted by corrupt police in southwest Mexico six weeks ago were apparently incinerated by drug gang henchmen and their remains tipped in a garbage dump and a river, the government said earlier today. 13/11/2014 \| Latin America Mexican Finance Minister Luis Videgaray said that there would likely be some impact from protests over the apparent massacre of 43 students abducted by police seven weeks ago. 17/10/2014 \| Latin America Thousands marched in the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco today to demand answers about the fate of 43 missing trainee teachers, who authorities fear were massacred by police in league with gang members. 18/10/2014 \| Latin America Red-clad "Chavistas" rallied in central Caracas today to protest the killing of a young ruling party lawmaker, while across town a protest called by the opposition's new leader failed to attract as big a crowd. 22/10/2014 \| Latin America A Mexican mayor and his wife were "probable masterminds" behind the disappearance of 43 student teachers last month in the restive southwest, the country's attorney general said today. 28/05/2014 \| Latin America The US House of Representatives passed legislation today, to impose sanctions on Venezuelans responsible for human rights abuses during anti-government protests, despite Obama administration worries that they could threaten talks seeking to ease the unrest. 03/06/2014 \| Latin America Tear gas canisters fired by the thousands on the streets of Caracas are being transformed into sculptures in a competition seeking to give an artistic twist to this year's anti-government unrest in Venezuela. 08/10/2014 \| Latin America Thousands marched through the Mexican capital today to demand the government find out what happened to dozens of missing students, who are feared to have been massacred by gang members and police. 05/05/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela has violated the rights of opposition protesters through beatings, illegal detentions and failure to follow due process, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. 08/05/2014 \| Latin America Venezuelan security forces arrested 243 people in pre-dawn raids of youth anti-government activists camps in public spaces. 11/05/2014 \| Latin America Although the government hoped the demolition of four camps in Caracas would snuff out a three-month protest movement, activists vowed the measure had only strengthened their resolve to demonstrate against Maduro. 10/04/2014 \| Latin America President Nicolas Maduro was due to host Venezuelan opposition leaders at the start of mediated talks intended to stem two months of political unrest that has killed dozens in the OPEC nation. 10/04/2014 \| Latin America Underlying the gravity of the crisis in Venezuela, authorities said today that a policeman was shot dead in western Barquisimeto city while dispersing a demonstration. 20/04/2014 \| Latin America Hundreds rallied to demand the "resurrection" of Venezuelan democracy while effigies of both President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leaders were paraded for burning in a local Easter Day tradition. 02/04/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela's Roman Catholic Church accused today President Nicolas Maduro's government of "totalitarian" tendencies and "brutal repression" of demonstrators during two months of political unrest that has killed several dozen people. 08/04/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela's opposition said it agreed to attend exploratory talks with President Nicolas Maduro's government in a bid to end the country's worst political unrest for a decade. 09/04/2014 \| Latin America The Venezuelan government formally invited today the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to join the exploratory talks with the opposition as “mediator of good will”. 15/03/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro warned protesters in Caracas to clear a square they have made their stronghold, or face eviction by security forces. 17/03/2014 \| Latin America A Venezuela National Guard captain died today after being shot in the head during a demonstration, the military said, the 29th fatality in six weeks of clashes between protesters and security forces. 23/03/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela's top state prosecutor has affirmed that security forces had committed "excesses" in breaking up nearly two months of opposition protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro that have left at least 34 dead. 12/03/2014 \| Latin America Protesters battled soldiers in the streets of Caracas again as three more fatal shootings raised to 25 the death toll from a month of demonstrations against Venezuela's socialist government. 13/03/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela's state prosecutor said the death toll from a month of violent protests had risen to 28, after the nation's top court ordered opposition mayors to dismantle barricades set up by street protesters. 14/03/2014 \| Latin America The South American OPEC nation, which has one of the world's highest rates of inflation, said that despite the protests inflation slowed on a month-on-month basis to 2.4 percent from 3.3 percent in January. 06/03/2014 \| Latin America A Venezuelan soldier and a motor cyclist were killed in a standoff with opposition demonstrators who had set up a barricade along an avenue of Caracas, the vice president of the ruling Socialist Party said. 07/03/2014 \| Latin America Latin American foreign ministers will meet next week to discuss the unrest in Venezuela that has left at least 20 dead and convulsed the South American OPEC nation, diplomatic sources. 10/03/2014 \| Latin America A Chilean woman was shot dead while clearing a barricade put up by anti-government protesters in the first foreign fatality from a month of unrest in Venezuela, authorities and state media said. 04/03/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela geared up for commemorations of socialist leader Hugo Chavez's death despite continued protests against his successor that have shaken the OPEC member and threatened the legacy of "El Comandante." 05/03/2014 \| Latin America Timerman attends Venezuela's ceremonies in honour of late Chávez Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman flew to Venezuela where he is attending the commemorative ceremonies in honour of late president Hugo Chávez on his first death anniversary. The Argentine official praised the role played by the socialist leader in the process of Latin American “unity” and ratified President Kirchner's call to "respect democracy." 05/03/2014 \| Latin America Followers of Venezuela's late socialist leader Hugo Chávez flooded the streets to mark the anniversary of his death, a sad but welcome distraction for his successor who has faced a month of violent protests. 27/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua was holding a press conference at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires today along with his Argentinean counterpart Héctor Timerman. 27/02/2014 \| Latin America US State Department report warns human right violations in Venezuela An executive summary published today by the US State Department describes Venezuela’s political power as “concentrated in a single party with an authoritarian executive”, and reported human rights abuses, including corruption, freedom of speech restrictions, and political persecutions amid others. 02/03/2014 \| Latin America While many Venezuelans went to the beach to enjoy the Carnival holiday, thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched in the capital, trying to keep up the momentum from weeks of protests demanding President Nicolas Maduro resign. 24/02/2014 \| Latin America Anti-government demonstrators set up barricades and started fires in Venezuela's capital today despite calls from within the opposition to rein in protests in which at least 14 people have died in the OPEC nation. 26/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela’s opposition has declined its participation in the so called ‘National Peace Conference’, sponsored by President Nicolas Maduro in the presidential palace, as marches and protests continue nationwide. 26/02/2014 \| Latin America The Organization or American States (OAS) has suspended tomorrow’s summit regarding Venezuela’s political unrest “for administrative reasons”, but postponed the meeting for a further date, officials said. 20/02/2014 \| Latin America "CNN has the objective of forcing a civil war in order to provoke the 'gringo' [USA] army against our fatherland. Alert the entire country, alert," the head of state warned, in a live television appearance this evening. 21/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela's jailed protest leader urged supporters to keep demonstrating peacefully against President Nicolas Maduro despite violence that has killed at least six people and rocked the OPEC member nation. 22/02/2014 \| Latin America A female student and a young supermarket worker were the latest fatalities from Venezuela's political unrest as the death toll from 10 days of violence rose to at least eight. 19/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuelan state television said that a woman died after an ambulance taking her to hospital was blocked by opposition protesters in Caracas, bring to six the number of fatalities in a week of political unrest. 20/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuelan security forces and demonstrators faced off in streets blocked by burning barricades in several provincial cities as protests escalated against President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government. 20/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuelan security forces and demonstrators faced off in streets blocked by burning barricades in several provincial cities as protests escalated against President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government. 18/02/2014 \| Latin America Buenos Aires has ratified its support and solidarity to Caracas where anti-government protests have sparked tensions and violence over the past days. Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich said “any conspiratorial attitude” in Venezuela poses a threat “to all South American democracies.” 18/02/2014 \| Latin America Hardline opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has handed himself over to Venezuelan security forces answering an arrest warrant placed on the figure following last week's fatal protests. 19/02/2014 \| Latin America Imprisoned protest leader Leopoldo Lopez urged supporters to keep fighting for the departure of Venezuela's socialist government, even as he was due in court today accused of fomenting unrest that has killed at least four people. 15/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuelan police fired teargas and turned water cannons on stone-throwing protesters to stop them blocking a Caracas highway in a fourth day of sporadic unrest against President Nicolas Maduro's government. 17/02/2014 \| Latin America Venezuela has ordered three US diplomats to leave the country, accusing them of recruiting students to lead protests that were the OPEC nation's most serious violence since President Nicolas Maduro's April election and in which three people were killed. 17/02/2014 \| Latin America UNASUR condemns Venezuela violence The Union of Southern Nations (UNASUR) today expressed its "energetic condemnation" of the violent episodes recorded over the last week in Venezuela during conflicting opposition and pro-government marches, and called for "the preservation of institutions and democratic principles" in the divided nation. 13/02/2014 \| Latin America A Venezuelan court ordered the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez on charges including murder and terrorism linked to street protests that resulted in the deaths of three people the day before. 15/02/2014 \| Latin America Thousands of supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro marched in the center of Caracas to call for peace and make a show of political strength after this week's deadly violence at street protests. 22/07/2013 \| Latin America The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro was the stage for violent protests, centred around Palacio Guanabara where earlier Pope Francis had been received by the nation's president Dilma Rousseff. 23/07/2013 \| Latin America Rio de Janeiro transport secretary Carlos Osorio has announced that Pope Francis will use a closed vehicle for his next public appearance, due to the clamor that was caused by the pontiff on arriving in the Brazilian city. 12/02/2014 \| Latin America Two people were killed and 23 injured during standoffs at the end of an anti-government rally in Caracas, escalating the worst bout of unrest in Venezuela since protests against President Nicolas Maduro's April 2013 election. 01/07/2013 \| Latin America Pope Francis does not believe that there will be protests during his visit to Brazil to mark World Youth Day, scheduled to run from July 22-29 in Rio de Janeiro. 11/07/2013 \| Latin America Brazil's unions launch 'National Struggle Day,' roadblocks spread 11 raods blocked and no public transport services in many cities are the first results of the so called "National Struggle Day" called by Brazilian unions for today echoing the wave of protest that hit the Dilma Rousseff administration back in June. 16/07/2013 \| Latin America President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating plummeted and her re-election chances have dimmed in the month since massive protests of poor public services, corruption and other complaints shook Brazil, a new poll published today showed. 26/06/2013 \| Latin America Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets in new demonstrations calling for a crackdown on corruption and better public services, just a day after Congress ceded to a handful of the key demands galvanizing protests across the country. 27/06/2013 \| Latin America Chilean police evicted student protesters from 21 Santiago schools that will be used as polling stations for weekend primary elections, a day after a massive march for education reform in the capital. 29/06/2013 \| Latin America Rousseff's popularity plummets in wake of Brazil protests President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating sank by 27 percentage points in the last three weeks, a poll showed today in the strongest evidence yet that the recent wave of street protests sweeping Brazil poses a serious threat to her likely re-election bid next year. 18/06/2013 \| Latin America Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said today the massive protests that have swept the country in recent weeks represent legitimate calls for better public services and more responsive governance at all levels. 21/06/2013 \| Latin America Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff pledged on Friday to maintain order on the streets, condemning the acts of violence and vandalism that have marred the country's largest protest in 20 years and promising security forces would defend public property. 21/06/2013 \| Latin America A popular backlash against Brazil's nationwide protests took hold after widespread rioting overnight, as even the leftist group at the movement's core said it was done organizing marches for now because of growing discord and violence. 16/04/2013 \| Latin America Venezuelan President-elect Nicolas Maduro accused the opposition of planning a coup against him after seven government supporters were killed in clashes over his disputed election victory. 17/04/2013 \| Latin America Venezuela's opposition leaders said they feared persecution over post-election protests, but President-elect Nicolás Maduro promised to protect his rival despite their vicious election dispute. 17/04/2013 \| Latin America Several South American presidents will hold an emergency meeting in Peru to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela following the disputed election of President Nicolas Maduro, officials said. 23/08/2012 \| Latin America Chilean high-school students will set at least 14 simultaneous protests across Santiago de Chile demanding reforms in the educational system, amidst a series of schools take-overs that led to some violent evictions. 19/10/2012 \| Latin America At least one person, a 9-year-old boy, died on Friday in violent protests over a new law allowing the sale of state-owned land in a dilapidated port city within the duty-free zone next to the Panama Canal. 11/04/2013 \| Latin America Hundreds of thousands of students took their educational claims again back to Chilean streets to demand a free, high-quality education system as the Andean country gets ready for key elections this year. 22/03/2012 \| Latin America Ecuador's President Rafael Correa insisted he will push ahead with plans to develop large-scale mining, seeking to ride out the arrival in Quito of indigenous de monstrators who fear their lands will be wrecked. 26/04/2012 \| Latin America Chile's government proposed a sweeping tax reform that raises levies on companies to help fund an education overhaul, as it seeks to quell social protests ahead of local elections seen as a litmus test for the 2013 presidential race. 16/08/2012 \| Latin America Chilean police stormed today three schools in the centre of Santiago, overtaken by students for the past week, and arrested 139 young people who were involved in the protests demanding education reform. 26/08/2011 \| Latin America A Chilean teenager died, a day after being shot in the chest during massive protests in the capital against President Sebastian Pinera, police said, the first fatality in months of social unrest. 28/09/2011 \| Latin America Bolivian demonstrators opposed to the construction of a road in the Amazon vowed to resume a month-long protest march that has become a major challenge to leftist President Evo Morales. 12/11/2011 \| Latin America Piñera aims for 'strong agreement' over education in Chile Chile’s President, Sebastián Piñera, expressed his hopes to be able to achieve a “strong agreement” this month over education, despite the fact that the relationship between the Chilean Government and students has been rocky, following six months of tension-filled protests in the country's capital. 23/12/2010 \| Latin America Venezuelan security forces fired a water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of students protesting against a new law tightening the government's control over universities. 02/05/2011 \| Latin America Peru's next president, to be elected on June 5, will inherit hundreds of festering social conflicts that threaten to paralyze mining and energy investments in one of the world's fastest-growing economies. 04/08/2011 \| Latin America Over 800 people were detained across Chile yesterday when police fired tear gas and water cannons to dissolve student demonstrators demanding an education reforms to be carried out in Chile, government spokesman Andrés Chadwick said today. 19/05/2014 \| Sports Protests in Brazil and delays in building stadiums are putting the World Cup next month at risk and prompting tourists to stay away, soccer great Pele said today. 26/05/2014 \| Sports The bus carrying Brazil's World Cup squad to training was kicked and punched by demonstrators angry at what they consider exorbitant spending on football and not enough on social programmes. 12/06/2014 \| Sports After struggling for months to defuse protests against mining companies in far-flung provinces, President Ollanta Humala is now facing strikes in the capital by teachers and doctors who want a piece of Peru's record fiscal surplus. 19/10/2014 \| Culture New York's Metropolitan Opera is bracing for its most tumultuous opening in decades as protesters get ready to picket "The Death of Klinghoffer," the John Adams opera about the 1985 hijacking of a cruise ship by Palestinian guerillas. 27/06/2013 \| Multimedia A video showing a young Brazilian explaining why she is against the organization of the World Cup in the South American giant is sweeping through Internet already causing furor and controversy. 25/11/2014 \| Multimedia	Bangkok
What Danish discount grocer did Walmart's Asda buy for £778m in 2010?	ASEAS 3(1) by SEAS - issuu issuu Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies ASEAS 3(1) ASEAS Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften, 3(1), 2010 Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 3(1), 2010 Medieninhaberin & Herausgeberin / Publisher SEAS – Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies ZVR-Zahl 786121796; Stumpergasse 39/22, 1060 Wien, Austria Gegenstand / Purpose Der Verein SEAS bezweckt unter anderem die Förderung der Südostasienwissenschaften und der Bildung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses, sowie des Stellenwertes und der Auseinandersetzung mit der Region Südostasien in Österreich und darüber hinaus. Offenlegung / Disclosure (§ 25 MedG) Der Verein SEAS ist zu 100 Prozent Eigentümer von ASEAS. Die namentlich gekennzeichneten Beiträge enthalten die Ansichten der AutorInnen und nicht notwendigerweise jene der Redaktion. Redaktionsanschrift / Editorial address Stumpergasse 39/22, 1060 Wien, Austria; E-Mail: [email protected] Chefredakteur / Editor-in-chief Alfred Gerstl Redaktion / Editorial Board Christian Bothe, Markus Pfister, Alexander Trupp, Christian Wawrinec Wissenschaftlicher Beirat / Advisory Board Karl Husa (University of Vienna, Austria), Harold R. Kerbo (California Polytechnic State University, USA), Rüdiger Korff (Passau University, Germany), Prasit Leepreecha (Chiang Mai University, Thailand), Susanne Schröter (Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Germany) Titelfoto / Cover Photo: Alexander Trupp & Kosita Butratana: Akha New Year Festival, Myanmar, 2008 Layout Christian Bothe ISSN: 1999-2521 (Print), ISSN 1999-253X (Online) Mehr Informationen / Further Information www.SEAS.at Lizenz / Licence (Creative Commons) Namensnennung / Keine kommerzielle Nutzung / Keine Bearbeitung Attribution / Noncommercial / No Derivative Works Inhalt / Contents Editorial 01 Demokratisierung, Sicherheit und Gerechtigkeit: Einleitende Anmerkungen zu aktuellen Trends in Südostasien Democratisation, Security, and Justice: Preliminary Remarks on Current Trends in South-East Asia Christian Wawrinec Aktuelle Südostasienforschung / Current Research on South-East Asia 08 Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste: Progress or Wishful Thinking? Madalena Pampalk 31 Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn 48 The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia: A Weak Trigger for a Fragmented Version of Human Security Alfred Gerstl 76 A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? ASEAN-EU Interregionalism in the Light of Non-Traditional Security Crises in South-East Asia Naila Maier-Knapp >> ASEAS 3(1) Im Dialog / In Dialogue 101 Thailand in the Face of the 1997 Asian Crisis and the Current Financial Crisis: An Interview With Johannes DragsbĂŚk Schmidt Julia Scharinger Rezensionen / Reviews 112 HeidbĂźchel, E. (2007). The West Papua Conflict in Indonesia: Actors, Issues and Approaches. Christian Warta 116 Chua, C. (2008). Chinese Big Business in Indonesia: The state of capital. Gerhard Kraft 120 Gainsborough, M. (Ed.). (2009). On The Borders of State Power: Frontiers in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. Ramses Amer 124 Grabowski, M., Herold, H., & Jordan, R. (Hrsg.). (2009). Sicherheit kontra Menschenrechte: Antiterrorpolitik in Asien. Harald Krebl Christian Wawrinec - Editorial Editorial Demokratisierung, Sicherheit und Gerechtigkeit: Einleitende Anmerkungen zu aktuellen Trends in Südostasien Democratisation, Security, and Justice: Preliminary Remarks on Current Trends in South-East Asia Christian Wawrinec ASEAS Redaktion / ASEAS Editorial Board ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at Mit Beginn des neuen Jahrtausends Since the start of the new millennium, traten sogenannte Farbrevolutionen in verschiedensten Teilen der Welt auf developed in various parts of the – Serbien im Jahr 2000, gefolgt von Ge- world – Serbia in 2000, followed by orgien 2003, der Ukraine 2004 sowie Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004, as Kirgisistan und dem Libanon 2005. An- well as Kirgizstan and Lebanon in fang 2006 gingen dann auch in Thai- 2005. In early 2006, ‘yellow-shirted’ land „gelbe“ DemonstrantInnen der demonstrators of the People’s Alliance Volksallianz für Demokratie (PAD) auf for Democracy (PAD) protested in die Straßen, den damaligen Premier- Thailand, accusing the then Prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra der Kor- Minister ruption anklagend und lautstark sei- corruption Suharto-Regime auf und brachten es went to the streets in Indonesia, zu Fall (vgl. Aspinall, 2005). Die Philippi- bringing an end to the authoritarian nen kennen erfolgreiche, wenngleich Suharto regime (cf. Aspinall, 2005). blutige Bürgerrevolten und zivilgesell- Also the Philippines has experienced schaftliche Proteste, die bis 1986 zu- successful, albeit bloody, protests and rückreichen, als der „People Power“ incidents of civil unrest going back Aufstand unter Corazon Aquino zum to 1986, when the ‘People Power’ Sturz von Diktator Ferdinand Marcos revolution under Corazon Aquino led führte, der seine politische Karriere to the overthrow of dictator Ferdinand einst als demokratischer Hoffnungs- Marcos, who himself had started träger begonnen hatte (vgl. Thomp- his career as the great democratic son, 1995). In der Militärdiktatur Bur- hope (cf. Thompson, 1995). Under ma/Myanmar kamen 1988 an die 3.000 the dictatorship, as many as 3,000 people in Rangun und anderen Städten des were killed in Rangoon and other cities Landes ums Leben, wobei die Zahl der during the 1988 protests, even though Toten niemals genau bestätigt wer- the exact number of casualties could den konnte (Fink, 2001, S. 56). Auch never be verified (Fink, 2001, p. 56). The der letzte größere Aufstand, die von last anti-government rebellion, with Buddhist monks at the forefront and lution“, endete 2007 blutig. Frühere referred to as the ‘saffron revolution’, Massenproteste in Thailand pendelten was bloodily suppressed too. Earlier zwischen Erfolg und Niederlage – die mass uprisings in Thailand oscillated Euphorie des triumphalen Aufstandes between success and defeat – joy vom 14. Oktober 1973 endete spätes- about the triumphal uprising of 14 tens mit dem Blutbad vom 6. Oktober October 1973 was brought to an end 1976, als studentische Proteste am Ge- by the bloodbath of 6 October 1976, lände der Thammasat Universität von when student protests at Thammasat Armee, Polizei und paramilitärischen University were brutally put down Milizen brutal niedergeschlagen wur- by the army, police, and paramilitary den. Im „schwarzen Mai“ 1992 wur- militias. During the ‘Black May’ of den tausende Menschen in den Stra- 1992, again hundreds of people were ßen Bangkoks erschossen und hun- shot in the streets of Bangkok and derte weitere Zivilisten verletzt. Den- thousands of civilians were wounded. 02 wirtschaft, ließ ähnliche Bürger- und were highly likely to occur. Even Menschenrechtsverletzungen though the PAD’s requests were met zukünftigen Regierungen vorausah- when the 20 September 2006 coup nen. Der Militärputsch vom 20. Sep- d’état dismissed Thaksin, there has tember 2006 brachte mit Thaksins Ab- still been no solution to the political setzung zwar das von der PAD gefor- turmoil (cf. Ferrara, 2010). After the derte Ergebnis – Ruhe im politischen PAD occupation of Bangkok airport Geschehen des Landes kehrte jedoch from 25 November to 2 December keine ein (vgl. Ferrara, 2010). Nach der 2008 (see Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn’s Besetzung des Bangkoker Flughafens paper) and the controversial transfer durch die PAD vom 25. November bis of government to the Democrat Party 2. Dezember 2008 (siehe Marja-Lee- under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, na Heikkilä-Horns Beitrag) und der members of the ‘red-shirted’ United umstrittenen National Front for Democracy Against durch die Demokratische Partei un- Dictatorship (UDD), founded in 2006 ter Premierminister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in opposition to the ‘yellow shirts’, weitete die 2006 nach dem Putsch intensified their protests. Conflicts in Opposition zu den „Gelbhemden“ escalated around the 2009 Songkran gegründete Nationale vereinigte De- holidays, on 10 April 2010, and, at the mokratiefront gegen Diktatur (UDD) time when this editorial goes to print (auch als „Rothemden“ bezeichnet) (17 May 2010), once again at least 30 ihre Proteste aus. Die Auseinanderset- fatal casualties, among them the zungen eskalierten an den Songkran- militant UDD strategist Major-General Feiertagen 2009, dann erneut am 10. Khattiya Sawasdipol (‘Seh Daeng’), April 2010 und zum Zeitpunkt der have been reported from protest sites Drucklegung dieses Leitartikels (17. Mai 2010) werden erneut Zusammen- Democracy is a common keyword stöße mit mindestens 30 Toten, unter of both movements, and the other ihnen der militante UDD-Stratege Ge- side is regularly accused of siding neralmajor Khattiya Sawasdipol (‚Seh with dictatorship – a dictatorship of Daeng‘), in Zentral-Bangkok gemeldet. the masses, the elite, or of money. Yet Demokratie ist ein gängiges Schlag- it is obvious that since the 2006 coup wort beider Bewegungen, während Thailand’s politics is again increasingly man sich gegenseitig der Diktatur being beschuldigt – der Diktatur der Mas- interventions and that a far-ranging se, der Elite oder des Geldes. Offen- curtailing of civil rights in the name sichtlich ist jedoch, dass es seit dem of ‘law and order’ as well as ‘national Putsch von 2006 wieder vermehrt zu security’ has taken place. Accordingly, Interventionen des Militärs in den po- the globally surveyed Freedom of the litischen Entscheidungsprozess und World Index 2010 (Freedom House, zu weitreichenden Einschränkungen 2010) designates Indonesia as the der BürgerInnenrechte im Namen von only free democracy in South-East „Recht und Ordnung“ sowie „nationa- Asia. East Timor, Singapore, Malaysia, ler Sicherheit“ in Thailand kam. Ent- Thailand, and the Philippines are sprechend bezeichnet der weltweit classified as partly free, while the erhobene Freedom of the World Index remaining South-East Asian countries 2010 (Freedom House, 2010) Indone- are still authoritarian. sien als die einzige wirklich freie De- For these reasons, on a regional mokratie in Südostasien. Osttimor, level, Jakarta – followed by Manila – is Singapur, Malaysia, Thailand und die the most credible advocate of a further Philippinen werden als teilweise frei democratisation in South-East Asia. klassifiziert und die übrigen südost- Not only have Indonesian and Filipino asiatischen Staaten als autoritär. members of parliament criticised the Auf regionaler Ebene ist deswegen military junta in Myanmar, Jakarta is auch Jakarta, gefolgt von Manila, der also an active proponent of ‘human glaubwürdigste Anwalt einer weite- security’. Should this trend of South- ren Demokratisierung in Südostasien. Nicht nur haben indonesische und continue, Dieses vom United Nations Human Nobel laureate Amartya Sen (1999), Development Report 1994 popularisier- humans also need political rights te Konzept beinhaltet nämlich neben to formulate their own demands eher unpolitischen Aspekten wie so- and control the implementation of zioökonomischer Entwicklung auch eine starke politische Dimension: Für authoritarian regimes in South-East Asia – just as in other parts of the lung benötigen Menschen, so sagt es world – guaranteeing political rights is etwa der Wirtschaftsnobelpreisträger a sensitive topic. Correspondingly, the Amartya Sen (1999), politische Rechte, term ‘human security’ did not enter um sowohl ihre eigenen Ansprüche the 2007 Association of Southeast formulieren als auch Kontrolle über Asian in Südostasien – wie auch in anderen security’ is a concept which cannot Teilen der Welt – ein heikles Thema. be enacted top-down, but has to be Dementsprechend fand der Begriff achieved by the citizens themselves. „menschliche Sicherheit“ keine Erwähnung in der Charter der Vereinigung südostasiatischer Nationen (ASEAN) von 2007. Nationale und transnationale zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen haben dieses Versäumnis scharf kritisiert und damit deutlich gemacht, dass menschliche Sicherheit ein Konzept ist, das nicht von oben verordnet werden kann, sondern von den BürgerInnen durchgesetzt werden muss. Bibliographie / References Aspinall, E. (2005). Opposing Suharto: compromise, resistance, and regime change in Indonesia. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Baker, C., & Pasuk P. (2005). A History of Thailand. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Emmerson, D. K. (2008). Critical Terms: Security, Democracy, and Regionalism in Southeast Asia. In D. K. Emmerson (Ed.), Hard Choices: Security, Democracy and Regionalism in Southeast Asia (pp. 3–56). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Shorenstein APARC. Ferrara, F. (2010). Thailand Unhinged: unraveling the myth of a Thai-style democracy. Singapore: Equinox Publishing. Fink, C. (2001). Living Silence: Burma under military rule. London: Zed Books. Freedom House. (2010). Freedom of the World Index 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010, from http://www. freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2010. Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Thompson, M. R. (1995). The Anti-Marcos Struggle: personalistic rule and democratic transition in the Philippines. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 07 ASEAS 3(1) Aktuelle Südostasienforschung / Current Research on South-East Asia Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste: Progress or Wishful Thinking? Madalena Pampalk1 University of Vienna, Austria ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at In 1999 – after 24 years of Indonesian occupation – the people of Timor-Leste voted for their independence. However, Timorese anti-independence militias and the Indonesian military reacted with widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population in the form of murder, rape, torture and deportation. In order to achieve accountability for the human rights atrocities and reconciliation, various mechanisms at the international, national and regional level were established in Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Despite this multi-layered approach, including courts and alternative justice mechanisms such as truth commissions, justice failed to be delivered. Drawing from the achievements and shortcomings of these institutions, this paper explores why many expectations were left unmet and highlights the influence politics had on the functioning of the organisations. Yet, some hope can be drawn from recent developments that justice for the atrocities committed in Timor-Leste will not be denied for good. Keywords: Timor-Leste / East Timor, Accountability, Reconciliation, Justice, Human Rights Nach der 24 Jahre andauernden Besetzung durch Indonesien stimmte die Bevölkerung TimorLestes 1999 für die Unabhängigkeit. Timoresische Milizen und das indonesische Militär reagierten darauf mit ausgedehnten und systematischen Übergriffen auf die Zivilbevölkerung, unter anderem durch Ermordungen, Vergewaltigungen, Folter und Deportationen. Um strafrechtliche Verantwortung für die Menschenrechtsverletzungen und Versöhnung zu schaffen, wurden zahlreiche Institutionen auf internationaler, nationaler und regionaler Ebene in Timor-Leste und Indonesien errichtet. Trotz des komplexen Zusammenwirkens dieser Organisationen, einschließlich Gerichtshöfen und Wahrheitskommissionen, wurde keine Gerechtigkeit hergestellt. Ausgehend von den Errungenschaften und Unzulänglichkeiten dieser Institutionen untersucht dieser Artikel, warum die Erwartungen vieler unerfüllt blieben, und zeigt auf, wie politische Entscheidungen die Arbeit der Institutionen beeinflussten. Zugleich kann aus jüngeren Entwicklungen Hoffnung geschöpft werden, dass in Hinblick auf die Ahndung der Gräueltaten Gerechtigkeit nicht endgültig verwehrt bleiben wird. Schlagworte: Timor-Leste / Osttimor, strafrechtliche Verantwortung, Versöhnung, Gerechtigkeit, Menschenrechte 1 Madalena Pampalk is a research assistant and lecturer at the Department of Criminal Law, University of Vienna, Austria. Her research focuses on transitional justice, international criminal law, and human rights. Contact: [email protected] 08 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste 1. Brief History of the Conflict and Intervention of the United Nations From the sixteenth century Timor-Leste2 was under the colonial rule of the Portuguese. In 1975, shortly after Timor-Leste declared its independence from Portugal, neighbouring Indonesia, which considered the internal conflict over authority in Timor-Leste a security threat, invaded and occupied the country for the following 24 years.3 The United Nations (UN) never acknowledged Indonesia’s annexation of TimorLeste as its 27th province.4 However, in light of the growing power of Communism in South-East Asia, the US and other Western nations supported the annexation.5 During this period, the brutal conflict between the Timorese resistance and the Indonesian military and police, assisted by a Timorese minority, caused more than 100,000 deaths. Over 80,000 of these deaths resulted from hunger and illness as an effect of the conflict (CAVR, 2005, part 6, paras 8 and 49). Despite widespread awareness of the conflict and human rights violations, the international community did not intervene. In August 1999, about one year after the end of the regime of former dictator Suharto in Indonesia, the UN administered a referendum in Timor-Leste on independence.6 Seventy-eight percent of the Timorese voted in favour thereof. However, shortly after the ballot, anti-independence Timorese militias, orchestrated by the Indonesian military and police (UN Security Council, 1999, para. 14), reacted with a violent “scorched earth campaign”. The attack caused over 1,000 deaths, the displacement of more than 400,000 people, and vast destruction of the infrastructure in Timor-Leste (UN Special Rapporteurs, 1999, paras. 20, 37 and 38). These atrocities finally stopped due to the intervention of the UN International Force in East Timor (INTERFET)7 in September 1999. In October 1999, after Indonesia had withdrawn, the UN Transitional Administrat- 2 Until its full independence in 2002 Timor-Leste’s official name was East Timor. For reasons of consistency, in this article the present name will be used also when referring to the period before 2002, except when East Timor is used as the proper name of an institution. 3 For detailed information on Timorese history see, e.g., Taylor (1991). 4 The UN Security Council called upon all States to respect the territorial integrity of East Timor and on Indonesia to withdraw its forces from the territory of Timor-Leste (Resolutions 384 [1975] and 389 [1976]). See also the General Assembly Resolution 31/53 (1976), which rejected Indonesia’s claim that Timor-Leste had been integrated into its territory. 5 See, e.g., Sforza (1999, pp. 488-489). 6 The popular consultation was organised and conducted by the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) which was established by the Security Council (Resolution 1246 [1999]). 7 INTERFRET was authorised by the UN Security Council and mandated to restore peace and security in Timor-Leste (Resolution 1264 [1999], para. 3). 09 ASEAS 3(1) ion in East Timor (UNTAET) was established by the Security Council as a peacekeeping operation with complete administrative authority over Timor-Leste during its transition to independence (UN Security Council, Res. 1272 [1999]). Its mandate included the maintenance of law and order, the establishment of an effective administration, and assistance in the capacity-building for self-government and development of civil and social services. UNTAET was authorised to take all necessary measures to fulfil its broad mandate. It acted in lieu of and gradually partly with Timor-Leste’s government until the country’s full independence in May 2002. The new government was handed authority over judicial matters and UNTAET was replaced by a smaller peacekeeping mission, the UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET). It had the mandate to provide assistance to the Timorese authorities in executing their new responsibilities (UN Security Council, Res. 1410 [2002]). In May 2005, UNMISET was downsized and transformed into a political mission, the UN Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL). Its mandate was to support the development of the police and other state institutions and to provide training in observance of human rights and democratic governance (UN Security Council, Res. 1599 [2005]). In August 2006, after a political, humanitarian and security crisis, UNOTIL was replaced by UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) with the task of supporting the government and relevant institutions, in particular the national police efforts and the judicial system, until February 2010 (UN Security Council, Res. 1704 [2006], 1802 [2008] and 1867 [2009]). 2. Accountability and Reconciliation Processes in Respect of the Atrocities of 1999 2.1 Processes in Indonesia The National Commission of Inquiry and the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court In Indonesia a National Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Violations in East Timor (KPP HAM) was set up by the Indonesian Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in September 1999. The commission of inquiry had the mandate to investigate the gross human rights violations committed in Timor-Leste between the Indonesian government’s January 1999 announcement to hold a popular consultation 10 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste and the withdrawal of its forces in September 1999. It was a political decision that the commission would not carry out investigations of the far larger number of crimes committed in the prior 24 years. The commission’s report discloses that the violations in 1999 were conducted systematically and indicates a close link between the Indonesian military and police with the militia groups who had committed the majority of the crimes (KPP HAM, 2000). The names of 32 officials and militia leaders were cited as allegedly responsible. In reaction to the report, the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court for East Timor was established in 2001 within the national court system. Undoubtedly international pressure and Jakarta’s intention to avoid the creation of an international court influenced this decision. The Ad Hoc Court had the mandate to try Indonesians and Timorese responsible for the atrocities committed in Timor-Leste in April and September 1999. In January 2002 indictments were issued against 18 suspects of whom merely eight were on the list of the KPP HAM. Of the 18 people tried, six were convicted at first instance. Five of the six were subsequently acquitted on appeal. Eurico Guterres, former militia leader, was the only person whose conviction was upheld by the Appeals Court and Supreme Court. However, in March 2008 the Supreme Court reversed the decision it had made two years earlier and acquitted him.8 The final outcome of no convictions and the fact that the indictees did not include senior Indonesian officials9 reflect the political unwillingness in Indonesia to bring the persons responsible for the crimes in 1999 to justice.10 Furthermore, the Ad Hoc Court was strongly criticised for its limited temporal and geographic jurisdiction; its selection of only Indonesian judges, not all of whom were qualified; the lack of independence of and the performance of the prosecution; insufficient victim and witness protection; and an intimidating courtroom atmosphere.11 While the commission of inquiry had conducted its investigations independently and impartially (UN Commission of Experts, 2005, para. 167), this cannot be said 8 For further information see, e.g., International Centre for Transitional Justice (2008). 9 Only four out of the 13 cases mentioned in the KPP HAM report were taken up by the prosecutors of the Ad Hoc Court. Most notably General Wiranto, former commander in chief of the Indonesian army and Minister of Defence, was not indicted. �� Despite the democratic reform Indonesia had experienced in 1998, its judiciary remained characterised by a strongly corrupted military-hierarchical culture. After decades of such a culture, it would be unrealistic to expect judges and prosecutors to have been independent and impartial only one year later. See Cohen (2003, pp. 39-46). �� See, e.g., Human Rights Watch (2003), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [UNOHCHR] (2002) and Amnesty International & Judicial System Monitoring Programme (2004). 11 ASEAS 3(1) for the proceedings, despite the Security Council’s call for Indonesia to “institute a swift, comprehensive, effective and transparent legal process, in conformity with international standards of justice and due process of law” (UN Security Council, 2000). The Indonesian proceedings did not help achieve accountability and justice (UN Commission of Experts, paras 370-375) but rather seem a failed attempt to calm the international community. 2.2 Processes in Timor-Leste Commissions of Inquiry A commission of inquiry was also set up in Timor-Leste. Unlike the commission in Indonesia, the Commission of Inquiry on East Timor, established by the SecretaryGeneral on the recommendation of the Human Rights Commission, was of international nature.12 It had the mandate to investigate possible human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) committed in TimorLeste from January 1999. The Commission co-operated with the joint mission of the UN Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights to East Timor. The reports of both the Commission of Inquiry and the Special Rapporteurs revealed a pattern of serious violations of human rights and IHL in Timor-Leste (UN-OHCHR, 2000, para. 142; UN Special Rapporteurs, 1999, para. 71). Consequently, the Commission of Inquiry called for the establishment of an international independent investigation and prosecution body and an international human rights tribunal (UN-OHCHR, paras. 152 and 153). Moreover, the Special Rapporteurs recommended the establishment of an international criminal tribunal “unless, in a matter of months, the steps taken by the government of Indonesia to investigate TNI involvement in the past year’s violence bear fruit, both in the way of credible clarification of the facts and the bringing to justice of the perpetrators” (UN Special Rapporteurs, para. 74 [6]). The Serious Crimes Process Despite these recommendations, the Security Council decided not to establish another ad hoc international criminal tribunal like the – certainly very costly – ones for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. While adequately addressing human rights violations �� This was done pursuant to the UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1999/S-4/1 of 27 September 1999. 12 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste was a major concern of the international community, the UN and especially the United States did not want to jeopardise their friendly relations with Indonesia, a powerful state with the world’s largest Muslim population – even more so given the beginning of the ‘war on terror’ (cf. Cohen, 2002, p. 4). Therefore, Indonesia’s assurance of its determination to bring individuals in Indonesia to justice through the national judicial mechanism (Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2000) was accepted. Instead of establishing an international ad hoc tribunal, UNTAET, acting as interim government in Timor-Leste, created Timorese district courts and a court of appeal in March 2000 (UNTAET Reg. No. 2000/11, in particular Secs 7 and 14). Special panels with exclusive jurisdiction over so called ‘serious criminal offences’ were established within the Dili District Court and the Court of Appeal (UNTAET Reg. No. 2000/15, Secs 1.1 and 1.2). These were genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed at any time, as well as murder, sexual offences, and torture committed between 1 January and 25 October 1999 (Reg. No. 2000/11, Secs 10.1 and 10.2). These Special Panels for Serious Crimes (SPSC) were composed of two international judges and one Timorese judge (Reg. No. 2000/15, Secs 22.1 and 22.1). Unlike the internationalised courts in Sierra Leone and Cambodia, which were established through contracts between the UN and the respective governments, UNTAET made these decisions on its own as there was no national government at that time to contract with. The review and endorsement of the National Council of Timor-Leste Resistance (CNRT) was of a rather superficial nature (Handl, 2007, p. 111; Reiger & Wierda, 2006, p. 13). In June 2000 UNTAET also established a Public Prosecution Service for Timor-Leste with an Ordinary Crimes Unit (OCU) and a Serious Crimes Unit (SCU). The principal official for the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes and therefore the effective head of the SCU was the Deputy General Prosecutor for Serious Crimes (DGPSC) (UNTAET Reg. No. 2000/16, Secs 14.6 and 14.3). In accordance with Security Council resolutions 1543 (2004) and 1573 (2004), the serious crimes process was terminated in May 2005. By then, the SCU had indicted 392 persons in 95 indictments (Office of the DGPSC, 2005, p. 2). The mandate left open the question of who should be prosecuted. Hence the SCU’s prosecution strategy changed over time. While in the beginning of its work the SCU mainly indicted Timorese militia members for simple murder, from 2002 on it focused more 13 ASEAS 3(1) on charging high-level military officers and political leaders in Timor-Leste and Indonesia with crimes against humanity. Most outstanding was the indictment of General Wiranto, former Minister of Defence and Commander of the Armed Forces, in February 2003.13 The SPSC conducted 55 trials against 87 accused, of whom 85 were convicted (UN Secretary-General, 2006, para. 9). While this is a respectable number for a short period of time, the quality especially of the earlier decisions has been deservedly criticised.14 As the mandates of SCU und SPSC only applied to serious crimes committed in 1999, the atrocities which occurred between 1975 and 1998 were not dealt with. The high discrepancy between the persons indicted and those who faced trial derives to a great extent from the fact that with respect to the execution of warrants for the arrest of accused persons located in the territory of a foreign state and their extradition, the SPSC was dependent on the co-operation of that state. Many of the indictees were in Indonesia, which refused to co-operate despite an agreement it had signed with UNTAET (Memorandum of Understanding, 2000, esp. Secs 2 (c) and 9). As a consequence, those convicted by the SPSC were perpetrators of rather low-level crimes, while those who bore the greatest responsibility did not face justice. While it is comprehensible that Timor-Leste was not in a position to pressure Indonesia, the international community could have intervened. One possibility would have been a Security Council Resolution demanding Indonesia’s co-operation.15 It seems that political considerations in terms of keeping friendly relations with Indonesia were ranked higher (see also Lanegran, 2005, p. 115, and Hirst & Varney, 2005, p. 25). The SCSL and the SCU had to cope with very limited resources. The shortage of funds also became manifest in the lack of qualified legal services for the accused. Before the Defence Lawyers Unit (DLU) was established in September 2002 by UNMISET, the rights to adequate representation and equality of arms16 were clearly infringed upon. However, even after its creation, the DLU could not fully safeguard 13 Deputy General Prosecutor v. Wiranto and Others, District Court of Dili, Special Panels for Serious Crimes, Case No. 5/2003, 23 February 2003. Regrettably, both the UN and the Timorese government distanced themselves from the indictment of the General issued in 2004 (see UNMISET, 2003; Gusmão, K., HE the President, 2003). �� See, e.g., de Bertodano (2003, pp. 232-233) and Braun (2008, pp. 188-189). �� The UN Security Council had done so in the case of Kosovo when it demanded the full co-operation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Resolution 1244 [1999]). �� The principle of ‘equality of arms’ requires that defence and prosecution are given a reasonable opportunity to present their cases without placing any party at a substantial disadvantage vis-à-vis the opponent. 14 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste these rights due to the deficit of expertise and experience of some of its lawyers (Burgess, 2004, p. 140). Other problems resulting from the lack of resources include the inadequate translation and interpretation services and the severe shortcomings with respect to witness and victim protection and support (Hirst & Varney, 2005, p. 22; Reiger & Wierda, 2006, pp. 29 and 39). Furthermore, there was no comprehensive plan providing for capacity building of the local justice system. Apart from having a Timorese judge on each panel, the SPSC did not engage in further efforts with the objective of disseminating expertise. In 2002 the SCU, composed of international staff except for the Timorese translators, began to conduct training programmes for a small number of national investigators, prosecutors, police officers and supporting staff. Most of the former SCU trainee prosecutors subsequently worked at the OCU (Office of the DGPSC, 2005, p. 7 and 2003, p. 2).17 These capacity building efforts on part of the SCU were certainly important measures, but still a lot more could and should have been done if there had been strategic planning and necessary funding from the beginning (cf. Hirst & Varney, 2005, p. 24-25; Reiger & Wierda, 2006, p. 35-36). Of course, all these drawbacks have to be seen in the light of the difficult circumstances in which the SPSC and the SCU were operating. When UNTAET took over its mandate in 1999 after the withdrawal of the Indonesian troops and all judicial officers, no justice system existed and there were practically no legal professionals. Thus, a new court system with an internationalised court within a national court had to be build from scratch. SCU and SPSC issued a decent number of indictments and judgements. In doing so, they helped establish an historical record of many of the atrocities which took place in Timor-Leste in 1999 and of the context in which they were committed. Also the substantive legal provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which had been copied nearly verbatim by UNTAET, were used for the very first time worldwide (Bertodano, 2004, p. 86). The SCU had to close before it had concluded its work, leaving hundreds of murder cases and other serious crimes without investigation. Therefore, the Serious Crimes Investigation Team (SCIT) was created in February 2008 with the mandate to assist the Office of the General-Prosecutor (OGP) in completing the investigations into �� The programmes were funded by the Norwegian government and the United States Agency for International Development. 15 ASEAS 3(1) unsettled cases of serious crimes committed in Timor-Leste in 1999. The international staff members of the SCIT also have the task to provide training to their national counterparts working in the team and to other organisations and offices such as the national police.18 Unlike the SCU, the SCIT only conducts investigations and makes recommendations. Filing of indictments and prosecuting the alleged perpetrators lie within the exclusive mandate of the Timorese OPG. By January 2010, SCIT had concluded investigations in 110 out of 396 outstanding cases (UN Secretary-General, 2010, para. 10). The Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation In order to complement the prosecutorial tasks of the serious crimes regime, UNTAET (Reg. No. 2001/10) also established a truth finding and reconciliation mechanism: the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (Comissao de Acolhimento, Verdade e Reconciliacao de Timor-Leste, CAVR). CAVR was created after extensive consultation with the Timorese society and with approval of the CNRT as an independent Timorese institution (CAVR, 2005, part 1, sec. 1.2). CAVR had the mandate to establish the truth regarding the human rights violations which took place in the context of the political conflicts in Timor-Leste between 1974 and 1999. In contrast to the serious crimes process, the Commission therefore did not only deal with crimes perpetrated in 1999. CAVR’s task included identifying the factors that led to such violations and those involved in committing them; refering cases of human rights violations to the OGP with recommendations for the prosecutions; promoting reconciliation; assisting in restoring the human dignity of victims; and supporting the reception and reintegration of individuals who have committed minor criminal offences through community-based reconciliation mechanisms (Reg. No. 2001/10, Secs. 3.1 and 13.1 [a] [iii]). In respect of its truth-seeking function, the CAVR had broad inquiry-related powers, including requesting information from relevant authorities within Timor-Leste and abroad, and ordering a person to appear before the Commission to answer questions (Reg. No. 2001/10, Sec. 14 [g], [h] and [c]). In October 2005 the CAVR submitted its over �� Section 2 ‘Agreement between the United Nations and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste concerning Assistance to the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Timor-Leste’, signed by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Prosecutor-General of Timor-Leste on 12 February 2008, in accordance with para. 4 (i) of UN Security Council Resolution 1704 (2006). 16 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste 2500-page report on its findings and recommendations to the then President Gusmão who thereon handed it over to the Timorese Parliament and the UN. The Commission found that the Government of Indonesia was responsible for massive human rights violations and members of the Indonesian security forces had committed crimes against humanity and war crimes (CAVR, 2005, part 8, pp. 5-8). In order to assist the reception and reintegration of people into their communities, the CAVR conducted Community Reconciliation Processes (CRP) by which criminal and civil immunity was granted to offenders of crimes not considered serious if they performed certain acts of reconciliation (UNTAET Reg. No. 2001/10, Secs. 22 and 32). Deponents wishing to participate in the CRP had to submit a statement to the Commission describing the acts he or she had committed (Sec. 23.1). Copies of such statements, in total 1,541 (CAVR, 2005, part 9, para. 102), were provided to the OGP which decided whether the person had allegedly committed a serious crime and would in this case exercise its exclusive jurisdiction (Reg., Secs. 24.5 and 24.6). If the OGP decided not to do so,19 the deponent took part in a CRP hearing, conducted by a local panel in a traditional manner (CAVR, part 9, sec. 9.3.6) followed by a Community Reconciliation Agreement (CRA) between the panel and the deponent on an appropriate act of reconciliation. Such an act could include community service, reparation, public apology, and/or another act of contrition (Reg., Sec. 27).20 The CRA was issued as an order of the District Courts following their approval (Sec. 28). The CRP managed to successfully complete the cases of 1371 (CAVR, 2005, part 9, para. 102) perpetrators of minor crimes such as theft, minor assault, and arson which did not result in death or injury in less than two years. As the processes were conducted in and by the local communities, the sense of ownership was strong (para. 159). Offering victims and perpetrators an open forum where they could express sorrow, give explanations and ask forgiveness helped improve their relationship, which in return facilitated the reintegration of the deponents into the communities (paras 118-119). In fact, the CRP became so popular that it could not cope with all �� The OGP refused its approval in 85 cases. Thirty-two additional cases were forwarded to the OGP by the CRP Committee because during the deponent’s hearing credible evidence of the commitment of a serious crime arose, or because the deponent was not accepted by the community (CAVR, 2005, part 9, para. 102). However, of these more than 100 cases retained by the OGP, less than 20 were indicted (see Hirst & Varney, 2005, p. 13). �� These acts are similar to those imposed in the course of the process of diversion which is applied, inter alia, in many European countries, several States in the USA, and Australia as a formal alternative to prosecution for first time offenders and perpetrators of minor crimes. Diversion is especially used for juvenile offenders and in respect of drug-related crimes. Comparable to the CRP, the objective here is to facilitate the offender’s social rehabilitation by not convicting him/her and relieving courts of petty cases. 17 ASEAS 3(1) those wishing to participate (para. 167). At the same time, the CRP did not interfere with, but rather supported the prosecution of those who committed serious crimes. However, while several hundreds of low level offenders of minor crimes participated in the CRP, the vast majority of those who committed serious crimes did not face justice due to the lack of co-operation from Indonesia and the limited resources and time span of the SCU and SPSC. The low threat of prosecution probably encouraged some perpetrators to refrain from giving their statements to the CRP in the first place (Reiger & Wierda, 2006, pp. 34-35). In any case, the dearth of effective prosecution caused a state of unequal accountability which was understandably criticised by the victims and the CRP deponents (CAVR, 2005, part 9, para. 170). In this respect, the Commissionâ€™s final report included recommendations on the reestablishment and amendments of the SCU and the SPSC and on the establishment of an international tribunal should justice fail to be accomplished otherwise (CAVR, 2005, part 11, secs. 7.1.1-7.1.10 and 7.2.1). 2.3 Joint processes The Commission of Truth and Friendship In December 2004 the Presidents of Timor-Leste and Indonesia jointly declared their intention to create a Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF). The Terms of Reference (TOR) of the CTF were agreed upon and made public in March 2005. While the CAVR had operated as a national institution with broad temporal mandate, the CTF was an intergovernmental entity with the objective of establishing the conclusive truth in regard to the events of 1999 in order to further promote reconciliation and friendship (TOR, Art. 12). It was composed of half Indonesian and half Timorese Commissioners. Unlike the CAVR, but similar to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the CTFâ€™s mandate included the power to recommend amnesties for perpetrators of human rights violations who co-operated fully in revealing the truth and rehabilitation measures for those wrongly accused of human rights violations (Art. 14 [c] [i] and [ii]). As this was not further specified, it would comprise recommending amnesties for perpetrator of crimes against humanity and war crimes. On this account the TOR were strongly criticised by civil society and human rights organisations and 18 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste the UN even denied its co-operation with the CTF (UN News Service, 2007).21 The CTF’s processes were tasked to emphasise institutional responsibilities and explicitly not to lead to prosecution (TOR, Art. 13 [c]). The Commission was excluded from recommending the establishment of any new judicial body (Art. 13 [e]). This reflects the decision of the leaders of the two countries to promote their bilateral relations by means of ceding prosecutorial processes (cf. Art. 10 [preamble]). This shift away from achieving accountability on the part of the then President Gusmão and his successor, the former Foreign Minister, Ramos-Horta in spite of the strong calls for justice in Timor-Leste was of a pragmatic nature.22 The recent experiences and developments had shown quite plainly that Timor-Leste was not capable of prosecuting the perpetrators who were most responsible and that the international community was not willing to step in and establish an international tribunal despite several recommendations including those by UN bodies.23 At the same time, Timor-Leste was in urgent need of support in terms of economic and political development from Indonesia and was therefore inclined to opt for the improvement of diplomatic relations with its powerful neighbour. In order to reveal the truth with regard to the atrocities of 1999, the CTF reviewed materials documented by the KPP HAM, the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court on East Timor in Jakarta, the SPSC and the SCU, and the CAVR. In addition to its document review and research, the Commission conducted six public hearings. These were, however, strongly criticised, in particular because of their failure to procure the truth und to treat victims adequately.24 The CTF submitted its final report in July 2008.25 The Commission concluded that widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population in the form of murder, rape, torture, deportation, and other inhumane acts were committed in Timor-Leste in 1999 (CTF, 2009, p. 283). Members of the militia, the Indonesian military and the Indonesian civilian government bear responsibility for these crimes against humanity. It also found that pro-independence groups systematically captured and �� This was in accordance with the advice of the UN Commission of Experts (2005, paras 355 in conj. with 353). �� Then President Gusmão stated that “peace, stability and progress in Timor-Leste greatly depend on the relationship we will forge with the Republic of Indonesia” (Gusmão, K., HE the President, 2003). See also Hirst (2008, pp. 10-12) and Kingston (2006, pp. 234-239). �� See UN-OHCHR, 2000, paras 152-153; UN Special Rapporteurs, 1999, para. 74 (6); UN Commission of Experts, 2005, paras 525 in conj. with 515-524. �� For a detailed study of the public hearings see Hirst (2008, pp. 22-36). �� For a through analysis of the CTR final report see Hirst (2009). 19 ASEAS 3(1) illegally detained people, although due to the lack of evidence the precise nature and extent of these crimes could not be finally determined (pp. 271-275). The CTF (2009, p. 297) refrained from recommending amnesties because that “would not be in accordance with its goals of restoring human dignity, creating the foundation for reconciliation between the two countries, and ensuring the nonrecurrence of violence within a framework guaranteed by the rule of law”. In fact, it recommends improving institutions which investigate and prosecute human rights violations (p. 298).26 However, the wording seems to reflect the diplomatic intention of the report which would imply that these mechanisms should deal with future violations rather than with those of 1999. The findings and recommendations of the final report were endorsed by both heads of state at the ceremony in July 2008. Since then, four Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) between the two States have taken place in order to discuss the implementation of the CTF’s recommendations and in particular of a Joint Plan of Action with short and long term programmes.27 However, the plan is focused on programme delivery in TimorLeste rather than in Indonesia, which reflects how Indonesia apprehends its role in the process. Thus, Indonesia has enhanced its co-operation and support in the social, economic and security sectors (see SOM delegation, 2010). The recommendations relating more directly to the conflict in 1999, such as establishing a commission for disappeared persons and a document and conflict resolution centre, are still to be implemented. Furthermore, progress is slow in implementing the long-term recommendations on promoting institutional reforms which enhance the authority and effectiveness of institutions charged with the investigation and prosecution of human rights violations. Without doubt the promulgation of the decree of the Chief of the Indonesian national police on the implementation of human rights principles and standards is commendable.28 Nevertheless, the Indonesian Attorney General’s refusal to follow up cases on human rights violations concluded by the National Commission �� Other recommendations included establishing a commission for disappeared persons, a document and conflict resolution centre and training programmes for human rights, reforming the armed forces in a way that would ensure their operation under the rule of law, and promoting long-term co-operation in various fields such as education, health, the economy, and security (CTF, 2009, ch. 9). �� A fifth SOM is scheduled for the second half of 2010 in Dili. 28 Regulation of the Chief of the Indonesian National Police Regarding Implementation of Human Rights Principles and Standards in the Discharge of the Duties of the Indonesian National Police, 8/2009. 20 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) impedes the bringing of such cases before the Human Rights Court (Asian Human Rights Commission [AHRC], 2009, p. 20). Hence, reform of law enforcement institutions, in particular the police and the Attorney General’s Office, are imperative. Moreover, the Indonesian military law which assigns the military courts far-reaching exclusive powers and thus precludes the police from investigating human rights violations committed by military personnel has not yet been amended, facilitating a culture of impunity (AHRC, 2009, p. 25). In Timor-Leste, some positive developments can be observed, such as the entry into force of a new penal code in June 2009 which includes a detailed section on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.29 In December 2009, four years after the final report of the CAVR had been submitted, the Timorese Parliament finally began the process of implementing the comprehensive recommendations of the CAVR and the CTF reports.30 The resolution it passed emphasised the need to ensure reparations to victims and requested the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Justice, Public Administration, Local Government and Government Legislation to prepare a draft bill with concrete measures on the implementation of the recommendations, including the establishment of an institution for this purpose.31 The draft bill shall be submitted by March 2010 and will subsequently be debated and decided upon by the assembly of the parliament. Earlier the parliament had decided that the implementing body would receive a budget of USD250,000 (East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, 2009). The Indonesian edition of the CAVR’s final report will be published by a subsidiary of Indonesia’s largest publishing house in 2010 (P. Walsh, Senior Adviser of the Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat, personal communication, 6 February 2010). The dissemination will help increase awareness of Indonesia’s role in the Timorese conflict and enhance consideration, primarily by scholars, politicians, the media, and the Commission on Human Rights and in turn by the general public. �� Decreto Lei Governo 19/2009, Jornal da República I/14, Suplemento, Livro II, Título I. �� More than a year earlier, in June 2008, the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Issues, Justice, Public Administration, Local Power, and Government Legislation had prepared a Resolution on the implementation of the recommendations of the CAVR (available at http://www.cavr-timorleste.org/updateFiles/english/Draft%20 Resolution%20CAVR%20080515%20English%20Final.PDF> accessed 10 February 2010). However, it was never debated in the assembly of the parliament. �� National Parliament of Timor-Leste, ‘Projecto de Resolução, Implementação das Recomendações da Comissão de Acolhimento, Verdade e Reconciliação e da Comissão de Verdade e Amizade’, No. 34/II, 14 December 2009. 21 ASEAS 3(1) 3. Developments After the Accountability and Reconciliation Processes in Respect of the Atrocities of 1999 Even after the accountability and reconciliation processes relating to the atrocities of 1999, the State institutions in Timor-Leste remained weak, the leadership divided, and as a result the rule of law frail. This became evident when a crises occurred in April and May 2006 triggered by a dispute within the Timorese military (Falintil-Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste, F-FDTL). In order to investigate the incidents, including their causes, and to clarify who was responsible the UN established an Independent Special Commission of Inquiry.32 The Commission concluded that the riots claimed the lives of around 40 people and caused widespread property damage and the displacement of approximately 150,000 people (UN Independent Special Commission of Inquiry, 2006, paras 100-101). It recommended that those responsible for criminal acts be held accountable by means of judicial process in the national court and cited the names of persons whose investigation or prosecution it suggested (paras 225-226 in conj. with 113-134). The list included the former Ministers of the Interior and Defence. Although progress is slow, a final judgment has been rendered in a few cases; other cases are being investigated or are being tried (see UN Secretary-General, 2009, para. 30 and Independent Comprehensive Needs Assessment [ICNA], 2009, p. 83). The State institutions were again challenged when the President and the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste were attacked on 11 February 2008, by an armed group led by the former Military Police Commander of the F-FDTL. Unlike the incident two years earlier, the State institutions responded appropriately and a new destabilisation of the country was avoided (see UN Secretary-General, 2008, paras 3-5 and 16). However, a problematic development in Timor-Leste is political interference with the judicial system. Motivated by reconciliation and in particular by fostering a good relationship with its powerful neighbour Indonesia, the Timorese President has granted pardons, commuted sentences, and prompted conditional releases, inter alia, of persons convicted for serious crimes by the SPSC.33 As result only one of the 85 individuals the Panels convicted before their close in 2005 remains in prison (UNMIT, �� Following an invitation from the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste, the Secretary-General requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish such a Commission and communicated this to the Security Council (see UN Doc S/PV.5457, 13 June 2006). �� Decreto Presidente 53/2008, Indulto Presidencial de 20 de Maio, Jornal da República I/20. 22 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste 2009, para. 52). Similarly, the President halved the sentence of the former Minister of the Interior, who despite having been found guilty of distributing weapons to civilians in 2006 was consequently granted parole (UNMIT, 2008, para. 50). More recently, the rule of law was undermined by political intervention in the case of Maternus Bere who had been charged in 2003 by the SCU with crimes against humanity and other serious offenses allegedly committed in 1999 (see ICNA, 2009, pp. 56-58, and UN Secretary-General, 2009, para. 33-34). An arrest warrant was issued, but due to Bere’s residence outside of Timor-Leste it could not be executed until August 2009 when he came for a visit. Subsequently, he was ordered to be held in pre-trial detention by the District Court. Yet, soon after that, submitting to pressure from Indonesian authorities, the Timorese Prime Minister ordered Bere’s release, by-passing the judicial process according to which release of a detainee could only be ordered by a judge. This breach of judicial independence constitutes a violation international principles as well as the Constitution of Timor-Leste.34 The Prime Minister’s ‘political decision’35 triggered broad debate and criticism.36 In September 2009, a ‘motion of no confidence’ against the Prime Minister was introduced in Parliament by the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN). Following a day-long debate in Parliament in October broadcast live on radio and television, the motion was rejected by 39 to 25 votes. Even if the debate was “a positive step in ensuring that critical issues of national interest are channeled through the National Parliament with meaningful participation from the opposition” as stated by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste (2009, para. 4), the underlying problems are perturbing. Clear messages are being sent to victims and perpetrators alike that – at least for now – there is no political will to hold those charged with serious crimes accountable. Moreover, disrespect for judicial independence and the separation of powers, for economic or whatever other reasons, severely undermines the rule of law and thus jeopardises the public’s confidence in the judicial system. 34 Art. 69 of the Timorese Constitution provides for the principle of separation of powers, Art. 121 for judicial independence. �� An AFP release on 8 September 2009 quotes the Minister of Justice as stating: ‘It is a political decision that must be taken by the government to resolve this issue because it is related to our country’s problems.’ �� See, e.g., East Timor NGO Forum (2009) and Amnesty International (2009), criticising the Indonesian and Timorese governments. 23 ASEAS 3(1) 4. Conclusion and Outlook After several years of failure to act and as a response to the growing international pressure, the UN, Indonesia and Timor-Leste â€“ with different motivations and levels of commitment â€“ implemented various mechanisms at the international, national and regional level with the mandate to deal with the post-conflict situation in TimorLeste. The unique, multilayered approach to accountability and reconciliation taken comprised courts and alternative justice mechanisms such as truth commissions in Timor-Leste and Indonesia, thus combining restorative and retributive justice. The UN and Timor-Leste aimed for full accountability for the human rights violations of 1999 by means of the Timorese serious crimes process and the CRP in conjunction with trials in Indonesia. This objective, however, was only achieved to a very limited degree. The flawed trials at the Indonesian Ad Hoc Human Rights Court failed to deliver justice. Through the serious crimes process in Timor-Leste only a few of the indicted, who happened to be low-level offenders who had not left the country, could be prosecuted. While the CRP assisted in achieving accountability for offenders for non-serious crimes, their ultimate success was dependent on the effective prosecution of the other perpetrators, which was effected only marginally. As result, the perpetrators most responsible and most of those at an intermediate level did not face justice and the expectations of victims and of low-level offenders who had been held accountable were not met. Accountability for the numerous crimes committed from 1974 to 1998 was not addressed at all. The truth commissions, i.e. CAVR and the CTF, were set up to establish the truth and accomplish reconciliation. While they revealed the facts and causes of the atrocities committed in 1999 and the CAVR in addition identified those responsible for the crimes from 1974 on, their contribution to achieving reconciliation is disputable. CRP certainly enhanced grassroots reconciliation and reintegration of offenders of nonserious crimes. However, as long as the recommendations of the commissions, in particular reparations, are not implemented, reconciliation is impeded. Furthermore, reconciliation is closely connected with justice. Hence, if victims do not see justice done, as is the case in Timor-Leste, it will be difficult to achieve true reconciliation. The fact that accountability was not achieved was influenced by a number of circumstances and decisions involving various participants. Indonesia proved to be 24 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste unwilling and unable to take up its primary responsibility of holding its military and civilian government accountable for the crimes they had perpetrated in Timor-Leste. For political and financial reasons, the UN opted against establishing an international ad hoc court. They did not change their mind even when the compromise approach, with national and internationalised courts in Indonesia and Timor-Leste prosecuting perpetrators of atrocities, did not deliver justice. Of course, it is doubtful that Indonesia would have co-operated with an international court. Still, as can be seen by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the outcome would have been significantly different. In Timor-Leste, apart from the lack of judicial capacity, there is no political will to continue the serious crimes process by prosecuting the perpetrators of the atrocities. In fact, measures are actually taken to reverse part of the accountability which has been achieved. This was clearly shown by recent political decisions such as commutations of sentences and releases from prison. Despite the persisting call for justice by the Timorese people,37 the most high-ranking leaders in TimorLeste decided to foster a working relationship with their powerful neighbour Indonesia, and that prosecutions were not in the national interest given the urgent socioeconomic challenges. While it is understandable that the support of Indonesia is very important for the development of Timor-Leste, political interference which violates the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence severely undermines the rule of law and erodes public confidence in the judicial structures. Ultimately, the underlying problem of the quest of achieving accountability in the Timor-Leste case seems to be the conflicting interests of politics and justice. As can be observed in many other cases throughout the world, holding the politically powerful accountable is very difficult and sometimes not attainable at all, giving way to a rule of double standards. Does this mean there is no solution for this dilemma? Despite the continuing call in Timor-Leste and abroad for an international court, it is unlikely that the UN will establish one. While the UN is continuing its essential assistance to Timor-Leste in developing democratic governance and the necessary fundamental structures, including a functioning judicial system, the decision regarding achieving �� See, e.g., Timor-Leste National Alliance (2010). 25 ASEAS 3(1) accountability has to be made within Timor-Leste. This would require a change in the political direction of its leaders, which would probably entail compromising the friendship with and the financial support of Indonesia. The UN can and should encourage such a decision by sending a clear message to Timor-Leste and Indonesia that they will adequately support any further mechanisms to hold those bearing responsibility accountable. This implies providing international judicial personnel to assist the national judiciary and sufficient financial resources, including substitution of any development funds which Indonesia could cut. Even so, Timor-Leste could not hold accountable any perpetrators on Indonesian territory without that country’s cooperation. In this regard, it is desirable that Indonesian authorities genuinely deal with the crimes committed by its institutions. While it was a significant accomplishment that Indonesia acknowledged its responsibility by endorsing the findings of the CTF report, prosecutions cannot be expected as long as representatives of the old order remain powerful and the military is above the law. As unrealistic as the achievement of accountability in the near future may seem, recent positive developments raise hope that justice for the atrocities committed in Timor-Leste will not be denied forever. In this respect, enhancing the dialogue and co-operation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia and starting the implementation of the CAVR’s and CTF’s recommendations, including reforms of the respective justice sectors, are important first steps. References Amnesty International. (2009). Indonesia shelters indicted Timorese Suspect, 3 November 2009, ASA 21/020/2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA21/020/2009/ en/1f251ee7-4640-49a3-9832-79aa6d17a8a8/asa210202009en.pdf Amnesty International & Judicial System Monitoring Programme, (2004). Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Justice for Timor-Leste: The Way Forward, ASA 21/006/2004. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www. amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA21/006/2004 Asian Human Rights Commission. (2009). The state of human rights in Indonesia in 2009, AHRCSPR-004-2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://material.ahrchk.net/hrreport/2009/AHRC-SPR004-2009-Indonesia-HRReport2009.pdf Braun, L. von. (2008). Internationalisierte Strafgerichte – Eine Analyse der Strafverfolgung schwerer Menschenrechtsverletzungen in Osttimor, Sierra Leone und Bosnien-Herzegowina. Berlin, Germany: Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag. 26 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste Burgess, P. (2004). Justice and Reconciliation in East Timor. The Relationship between the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation and the Courts. Criminal Law Forum, 15, 135-158. Cohen, D. (2002). Seeking Justice on the Cheap: Is the East Timor Tribunal Really a Model for the Future? (Asia Pacific Issues No.61). Honolulu, HI: East-West Center. Cohen, D. (2003). Intended to fail : the trials before the ad hoc human rights court in Jakarta. New York: ICTJ. Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in Timor-Leste (CAVR). (2005). Chega! The Report of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in Timor-Leste. Commission of Truth and Friendship. (2008). Per Memoriam Ad Spem: Final Report of the Commission of Truth and Friendship. de Bertodano, S. (2003). Current Developments in Internationalized Courts. Journal of International Criminal Justice, 1(1), 226-244. de Bertodano, S. (2004). East Timor: Trials and Tribulations. In C. Romano, A. Nollkaemper, & J. Kleffner (Eds.), Internationalized Criminal Courts and Tribunals (pp. 79-97). New York: Oxford University Press. East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (2009). CAVR/CTF Follow-Up Institution: Progress Report, 18 December 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://etan.org/et2009/12december/20/18cavr.htm East Timor NGO Forum (2009). Civil Society Statement Against the Government’s and the President’s Intervention in the Judicial System, 14 September 2009 (rev. 16 September). Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.laohamutuk.org/Justice/99/bere/FONGTIL14SepEn.pdf Gusmão, K., HE the President. (2003). Statement on the Indictment by the DGPSC of Indonesian Officers for Events in Timor-Leste during 1999, 28 February 2003. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.jsmp. minihub.org/Reports/otherresources/xgonscu28feb03jr01mar03.htm Handl, E. (2007). East Timor’s Transitional Justice Process under Scrutiny. In H. Eberhard, K. Lachmayer, & G. Thallinger (Eds.), Transitional Constitutionalism (pp. 103-126). Vienna: Nomos/facultas.wuv. Hirst, M. (2008). Too Much Friendship, Too Little Truth – Monitoring Report on the Commission of Truth and Friendship in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. New York: ICTJ. Hirst, M. (2009). An Unfinished Truth: An Analysis of the Commission of Truth and Friendship’s Final Report on the 1999 Atrocities in East Timor (ICTJ Occasional Paper Series 2009). Hirst, M., & Varney, H. (2005). Justice Abandoned? An Assessment of the Serious Crimes Process in East Timor (ICTJ Occasional Paper Series 2005). Human Rights Watch. (2003). Justice Denied for East Timor Indonesia’s Sham Prosecutions, the Need to Strengthen the Trial Process in East Timor, and the Imperative of U.N. Action. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.hrw.org/legacy/backgrounder/asia/timor/etimor1202bg.htm Independent Comprehensive Needs Assessment. (2009). The Justice System of Timor-Leste, 13 October 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://unmit.unmissions.org/Portals/UNMIT/ICNA.pdf Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs. (2000). Letter to the Secretary-General, dated 26 January 26, 2000, UN Doc S/2000/65 and A/54/727, 31 January 2000. 27 ASEAS 3(1) International Centre for Transitional Justice. (2008). Overview of the Indonesian Supreme Court’s Decision in the Eurico Guterres Case. Retrieved 10 February, 2010, from http://www.ictj.org/static/Asia/Indonesia/ ICTJ_IDN_GuterresCase_cm2008.pdf Kingston, J. (2006). Regaining Dignity: Justice and Reconciliation in East Timor. Brown Journal of World Affairs, 13, 227-240. Lanegran K. (2005). Truth Commissions, Human Rights Trials, and the Politics of Memory. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 25(1), 111-121. National Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Violations in East Timor (KPP HAM). (2000). Report of the Indonesian Commission for Human Rights Violations in East Timor. Office of the Deputy General Prosecutor for Serious Crimes Timor-Leste. (2003). SCU Update, 22 December 2003. Office of the Deputy General Prosecutor for Serious Crimes Timor-Leste. (2005). SCU Update, 4 February 2005 (wrongly dated 2004). Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2000). Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor to the Secretary-General. UN Doc A/54/726 (2000). Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2002). United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights voices concerns following verdict in Indonesia Tribunal. Press release, 14 August 2002. Reiger, C., & Wierda, M. (2006). The Serious Crimes Process in Timor-Leste: In Retrospect. (Prosecutions Case Studies Series, March 2006). New York: International Centre for Transitional Justice. Senior Officials Meetings delegation. (2010). Joint Press Statement 4th Senior Officials’ Meeting between the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, 22 January 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.deplu.go.id/Pages/Highlights.aspx?IDP=22&l=en Sforza, J. (1999). The Timor Gap Dispute: The Validity of the Timor Gap Treaty, Self-Determination, and Decolonization. Suffolk Transnational Law Review, 22, 481-528. Taylor, J. (1991). Indonesia’s forgotten war: the hidden history of East Timor. London: Zed Books. Timor-Leste National Alliance. (2010). Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal, 2 February 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.jsmp.minihub.org/index2.htm UN Commission of Experts. (2005). Report to the Secretary-General of the Commission of Experts to Review the Prosecution of Serious Violations of Human Rights in Timor-Leste (then East Timor) in 1999. UN Doc S/2005/458, Annex II. UN Independent Special Commission of Inquiry. (2006). Report of the United Nations Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste, 2 October 2006. UN Mission of Support in East Timor. (2003). Serious Crimes Process in Timor-Leste. Press release, 25 February 2003. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/ unmiset/pr250203b.pdf UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste. (2008). Report on human rights developments in Timor-Leste. The security sector and access to justice, 1 September 2007 – 30 June 2008. 28 Madalena Pampalk - Accountability for Serious Crimes and National Reconciliation in Timor-Leste UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste. (2009). Report on Human Rights Developments in Timor-Leste: 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. Rejecting Impunity: Accountability for Human Rights Violations Past and Present. UN News Service. (2007). Timor-Leste: UN to boycott truth panel unless it bars amnesty for gross abuses, 26 July 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story. asp?NewsID=23340&Cr=timor&Cr1= UN Secretary-General. (2006). Report of the Secretary-General on justice and reconciliation for TimorLeste. UN Doc S/2006/580. UN Secretary-General. (2008). Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (for the period from 8 January to 8 July 2008). UN Doc S/2008/50. UN Secretary-General. (2009). Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (for the period from 21 January to 23 September 2009). UN Doc S/2009/504. UN Secretary-General. (2010). Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (for the period from 24 September 2009 to 20 January 2010). UN Doc S/2010/85. UN Security Council. (1999). Report of the Security Council Mission to Jakarta and Dili, 8 to 12 September 1999. UN Doc S/1999/976. UN Security Council. (2000). Letter from the President of the Security Council to the Secretary-General, dated 18 February 2000. UN Doc S/2000/137. UN Special Rapporteurs. (1999). Report on the Joint Mission to East Timor by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on the Question of Torture and the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Violence Against Women, Its Causes and Consequences. UN Doc A/54/660. UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste. (2009). Briefing to the Security Council by Mr. Atul Khare, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, 23 October 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://unmit.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?ctl=Details&tabid=217&mi d=629&ItemID=6311 Statutory sources Agreement between the United Nations and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste concerning assistance to the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Timor-Leste, 12 February 2008. Draft Resolution of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, ‘Projecto de Resolução, Implementação das Recomendações da Comissão de Acolhimento, Verdade e Reconciliação e da Comissão de Verdade e Amizade’, No. 34/II, 14 December 2009. Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Indonesia and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor Regarding Cooperation in Legal, Judicial, and Human Rights related matters, 5-6 April 2000. Penal Code of Timor-Leste, Decreto Lei Governo 19/2009, Jornal da República I/14, Suplemento, Livro II, Título I. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.jornal.gov.tl/index.php?mod=artigo&id=1044 29 ASEAS 3(1) Presidential Decree, Decreto Presidente 53/2008, Indulto Presidencial de 20 de Maio, Jornal da República I/20. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://www.jornal.gov.tl/public/docs/2008/serie_1/serie1_no20. pdf Regulation of the Chief of the Indonesian National Police Regarding Implementation of Human Rights Principles and Standards in the Discharge of the Duties of the Indonesian National Police, 8/2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010, from http://indonesia.ahrchk.net/docs/PoliceRegulationNo.8-2009_PERKAP_ HAM_english.pdf Terms of Reference for the Commission of Truth and Friendship Established by the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, 10 March 2005. UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution S-4/1 (1999). UN General Assembly Resolution 31/53 (1976). UN Security Council Resolutions 384 (1975), 389 (1976), 1244 (1999), 1246 (1999), 1272 (1999), 1410 (2002), 1704 (2006), 1802 (2008), & 1867 (2009). UN Transitional Administration in East Timor Regulation No. 2000/11 on the Organization of Courts in East Timor, 6 March 2000. UN Transitional Administration in East Timor Regulation No. 2000/15 on the Establishment of Panels with Exclusive Jurisdiction over Serious Criminal Offences, 6 June 2000. UN Transitional Administration in East Timor Regulation No. 2000/16 on the Organization of the Public Prosecution Service in East Timor, 6 June 2000. UN Transitional Administration in East Timor Regulation No. 2001/10 on the Establishment of a Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor, 13 July 2001. Indictment Deputy General Prosecutor v. Wiranto and Others (indictment), District Court of Dili, Special Panels for Serious Crimes, Case No. 5/2003, 23 February 2003. 30 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport Aktuelle Südostasienforschung / Current Research on South-East Asia Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn1 Mahidol University International College, Thailand ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at Thailand experienced dramatic political turmoil from February 2006 to November 2008 culminating in the occupation of the Bangkok International Airport. The demonstrations against then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his political allies were organised by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). One of the PAD leaders, Major-General Chamlong Srimuang, is an active member of the Buddhist Santi Asoke group. The group is controversial as it is not under the state Buddhist authorities and has implicitly criticised the Thai state Buddhist monks for moral corruption. Known as the ‘Dharma Army’, hundreds of Santi Asoke monks, nuns and lay people participated in PAD demonstrations. This paper analyses what the Santi Asoke Buddhist group represents, what the ‘Dharma Army’ is, how its reality differs from media images, what the ideological reasons for Asoke to initially support Thaksin were, and why the group finally turned against him. The paper argues that the group cannot be viewed as a monolithic community. Instead, it should be considered as an amalgamation of monks and nuns, urban and rural temple residents, lay followers of Asoke monks, practitioners of organic agriculture in Asoke village communities, students and former students of Asoke schools, and supporters of Major-General Chamlong Srimuang. Representatives of all these networks participated in the demonstrations albeit with different intensity. Keywords: Thailand, Santi Asoke, Dharma Army, People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Chamlong Srimuang Zwischen Februar 2006 und November 2008 stand Thailand unter dem Zeichen tiefgehender politischer Unruhen, die in der Besetzung des internationalen Flughafens ihren Höhepunkt fanden. Organisiert wurden diese Demonstrationen, die sich gegen den damaligen Premierminister Thaksin Shinawatra und seine politischen Verbündeten richteten, von der Volksallianz für Demokratie (PAD). Einer ihrer Anführer, Generalmajor Chamlong Srimuang, ist aktives Mitglied der buddhistischen Santi Asoke Gruppe. Da sich Santi Asoke nicht der staatlich kontrollierten buddhistischen Ordnung beugt und solche Mönche implizit der moralischen Verdorbenheit 1 Assistant Professor Dr Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn lectures at Mahidol University International College, Salaya Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand; Contact: [email protected] 31 ASEAS 3(1) beschuldigt, hängt ihr ein kontroverser Ruf an. Unter der Bezeichnung „Dharma Armee“ nahmen hunderte Anhänger von Santi Asoke, darunter Mönche, Nonnen und Laien an den PADDemonstrationen teil. Inhalt dieses Artikels ist daher die Analyse der Hintergründe und Ziele der Santi Asoke Gruppe und der „Dharma Armee“, Unterschiede zwischen medialer Darstellung und vorgefundener Realität sowie die Motive der anfänglichen Unterstützung Thaksins durch Santi Asoke und ihre spätere Abkehr von ihm. Dabei wird argumentiert, dass die Gruppe nicht als monolithischer Block verstanden werden kann, sondern in ihrer Vielfalt, zusammengesetzt aus Mönchen, Nonnen, EinwohnerInnen städtischer und ländlicher Tempel, Laien, AnhängerInnen biologischer Landwirtschaft in Asoke-Dörfern sowie UnterstützerInnen von Generalmajor Chamlong Srimuang begriffen werden muss. RepräsentantInnen all dieser Netzwerke nahmen, wenn auch in unterschiedlicher Intensität, an den Demonstrationen teil. Schlagworte: Thailand, Santi Asoke, Dharma Armee, Volksallianz für Demokratie (PAD), Chamlong Srimuang The Buddhist Asoke Group of Thailand2 Santi Asoke as a name is a misnomer. Santi Asoke is just one of the many Asoke temples and communities in Thailand. Santi Asoke is a temple on the northeastern outskirts of Bangkok. It accommodates a vegetarian restaurant, two multi-storey apartment buildings housing laypeople, a school building and a huge unfinished temple in concrete, a publishing company with a printing press, a public library, one dormitory for laymen, another for laywomen and school girls, several meeting halls, a kitchen, a dental clinic, a small hospital, a supermarket and some 50 kutis for the housing of monks and nuns known as Sikkhamats. There are several Asoke temples located in various parts of Thailand; the oldest ones are Pathom Asoke in Nakhon Pathom, Sisa Asoke in Sisaket, Sima Asoke in Nakhon Ratchasima, Sali Asoke in Nakhon Sawan and Ratchathani Asoke in Ubon Ratchathani. There are also Asoke communities in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Trang, Chumphon, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Petchabun and other places.3 Although some of the centres are very modest, such 2 An earlier version of this paper was presented at the fourth Viennese Conference on South-East Asian Studies “Crises and Conflicts in South-East Asia”, 19-20 June 2009, Vienna, Austria. I would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments, which I have tried to accommodate. I would also like to thank Ms Pat Norman for the language revision. 3 There were 27 Asoke centres in Thailand in 2007; five in Central Thailand, 13 in Northeastern Thailand, five in Northern Thailand and four in Southern Thailand (personal communication in Santi Asoke, 16 November 2007. There are two important centres in the north; Lanna Asoke in downtown Chiang Mai and Phu Pa Fa Naam (Mountain, Forest, Sky, Water) on the mountains in the same province. Descriptive Thai-language names became popular in Thailand after the financial crisis in July 1997. The centre in Chaiyaphum is called Hin Pa Fa Nam (Rock, Forest, Sky, Water). 32 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport as family-run vegetarian restaurants with a few regular customers, the number of Asoke centres has been increasing over the last twenty years. The group consists of followers of Bodhiraksa, who was ordained as a monk more than 30 years ago. He was a famous TV entertainer in the 1970s, became vegetarian and started to preach first as a layman, but was later ordained into the royalist Thammayut Nikai4 sect in the state-controlled Buddhist sangha (monastic order). The Thai Buddhist sangha is divided into two different sects. Thammayut Nikai was established by King Mongkut (1804-1868), who was a monk for 26 years before assuming the throne as King Rama IV of the presently ruling Chakri dynasty in 1853. Thammayut Nikai is perceived as more “orthodox” in its behaviour, adopting the teachings of ethnic Mon monks, who in Thailand are still regarded by others as well as by themselves as more “orthodox.” The concept of “orthodoxy” is complex in Buddhism. The interpretation of Vinaya rules, for instance, varies from one country to another and “orthodoxy” guides behaviour rather than belief.5 Bodhiraksa was not impressed with the Thammayut Nikai and the monastic authorities could not tolerate his criticism concerning their non-vegetarianism, involvement in magic rituals and lax following of the monastic Vinaya rules. Bodhiraksa was re-ordained in the Mahanikai sect, which literally refers to the majority of the monks. The Thammayut Nikai has since Mongkut’s time controlled the state Buddhist organisation known as the Supreme Sangha Council or the Council of Elders (Mahatherasamakhom). The Mahanikai consists of both urban and rural monks and some forest monks, who are involved in rural community development projects or in teaching meditation. The official Thai Buddhist interpretation is that these two groups do not differ from each other. However, there is no space for a third “nikai,”6 so when Bodhiraksa left his last temple with a group of followers they became a de facto free non-state-controlled group.7 There was some propaganda against the group throughout the 1980s, but when Major-General Chamlong Srimuang was elected as the Governor of Bangkok (1985) 4 Thammayut Nikai refers to the Sanskrit word Dharma and Pali word Dhamma meaning Buddhist doctrine. Nikai comes from the Pali nikaya – meaning a sect. I have chosen to transliterate the Thai names according to the most common form in maps, media and literature. 5 See Hansen’s (2007) discussion on reforming and purifying the Khmer sangha. 6 Neighbouring Burma has nine different nikayas, whereas both Cambodia and Laos have traditionally had two nikayas as both have been influenced by Thai Buddhism. 7 Based on this exclusion, some regard Asoke as a “semi outlawed sect” (“Chang Noi”, The Nation, 15 September 2008). 33 ASEAS 3(1) and later showed interest in joining national politics (1988), the stage was set for a systematic campaign against and demonisation of “Santi Asoke” as the media insists upon calling the group. Chamlong was extremely popular as a Governor, regarded as a “Mr Clean,” who lived modestly according to the Asoke teachings, ate one vegetarian meal a day, rejected tobacco and alcohol, and did not gamble or visit night-clubs. In other words, Chamlong was an eye-catching exception among his contemporaries in Thai politics (McVey, 2000)8. There were obvious reasons to assume that as a Prime Minister, Chamlong would not have been positive towards the various lucrative but shady business deals that the military politicians and the Sino-Thai business elite were involved in. In order to prevent Chamlong from taking to the national stage in politics, his Buddhist affiliations needed to be declared illegal. Bodhiraksa was detained in June 1989 and all the Asoke monks and nuns were detained for one night in August 1989. A court case was commenced against them that year lasting until 1996. They were accused of not being Buddhist monks, based on the fact that they had been excluded from the state Buddhist organisation. After nearly seven years of on-going court hearings (Heikkilä-Horn, 1996, pp. 6467), approximately a hundred monks and nuns were given a suspended sentence of two years. There was plenty of confusion of who was and who was not accused. The nuns or Sikkhamats were cleared of all charges, as they did not claim to be fully ordained Theravada Buddhist nuns or bhikkhuni. The Asoke nuns are Ten-Precept Nuns, which means that they depend on the lay people for their food, shelter, clothing and medicine. After the court case the Asoke group was tolerated by the authorities9 and expanded rapidly. New Buddhist centres were established. New restaurants and shops selling organic products were opened. The economic crisis in 1997 boosted the interest in the Asoke group, which had always been critical of capitalism (thunniyom) and had been promoting its own Buddhist economics known as “meritism“ (bunniyom). The King of Thailand, in his birthday speech in 1997,10 indicated that Thailand 8 Analysis of the political tradition in Thailand can be found particularly in Sombat (2000) and Ockey (2000). 9 The monks and the Sikkhamats had to report regularly to the Correction Office. The Asoke monks are by law not regarded as Bhikkhu, and hence cannot be addressed as Phra but as Samana. The monks had been forced to wear a white robe as a sign of lay status since their arrest. They switched back to brown in 1998 after the two-year period of suspended sentence was over. �� The speech was further clarified in December 1998 in another birthday speech. 34 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport should not concentrate all her efforts in an export-oriented economy but should secure self-sufficiency in food and the basic needs of the population. He suggested that whatever the people produce, they should keep one-third for themselves, while allotting one third for the domestic market and one-third for the export market. The King’s philosophy is known as “Sufficiency Economics” and has been faithfully propagated ever since by every Thai government – whatever the government’s real policies may have been.11 Ironically, the Asoke group had been promoting similar economic ideas since the 1970s, but it had gone somewhat unnoticed due to the harsh criticism against other issues concerning the Asoke, such as the Asoke group’s strict vegetarianism, which has remained one of the major controversies with the state Buddhist sangha. According to the state sangha, the Buddha himself never suggested that his monks should be vegetarians – common though it must have been among the Hindus in India that time. Asoke members argue that they want to follow the First Precept, which recommends that one should refrain from “destroying life.” The Asoke group had an opportunity to preach their economic ideas to the rural population when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra delegated to the Asoke groups the government-financed training of tens of thousands of indebted farmers in Asoke centres in 2001.12 Farmers came in groups of about one hundred and stayed for five days. They learnt about organic farming, recycling and reusing, and were obliged to listen to sermons on the virtues of vegetarianism and bunniyom. Almost all centres were running these training courses, nearly a course per week. There were breaks in the training courses only when the Asoke people themselves gathered for their five annual weeklong retreats. This means that in five years hundreds of thousands of peasants have been trained at the Asoke centres.13 Many of the farmers attended the training courses rather reluctantly because, obviously, they had been forced to attend them. In exchange, their debt was �� UNDP report (2007) outlines the philosophy of sufficiency economy in “Sufficiency Economy and Human Development.” See UNDP Thailand Human Development Report 2007. �� The Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) financed the training courses from May 2001 to March 2004. From April 2004 to 2007, the training courses were financed by the government’s Health Department (Thamrong Sangsuriyajan from the Organic Farming Network of Thailand, personal communication at Santi Asoke, 16 November 2007). �� Mr Thamrong Sangsuriyajan estimates that some 60,000 peasants were trained between 2001 and 2004, and another 100,000 between 2004 and 2007. A new programme of training courses started in 2007. Twenty-four Asoke centres were given funds to continue the training courses (Thamrong Sangsuriyajan, personal communication, 16 November 2007). 35 ASEAS 3(1) postponed for three years.14 Some participating farmers were visibly uncomfortable, not because of the rather simple conditions under which people live in the Asoke centres – those are the same conditions the farmers came from – but because of the lack of alcohol, cigarettes, gambling and other entertainment.15 Some participants in the training courses, however, became quite enthusiastic about organic agriculture and returned to learn more. During those five years, Asoke started to build up a considerable base among the ordinary Thai peasants, particularly in Northeastern Thailand (Isan), which has remained the poorest area in Thailand and where Asoke has three major temples and several small experimental farms, communities and shops selling Asoke products.16 Some of this goodwill among the Northeastern farmers was lost when the Asoke monks, nuns and lay people joined the anti-Thaksin demonstrations in February 2006. Thaksin had been particularly popular in the Northeast and the Asoke group had initially supported him. Buddhism and Politics Always Mix The Asoke group had always been political to a certain extent, but it would be naïve to claim that the other monks and temples in Thailand remained apolitical. The state sangha organisation parallels the state bureaucracy and the three Sangha Acts of 1902, 1941 and 1962 all place the sangha hierarchy under the secular hierarchy. Also, there have always been rebellious monks, sometimes as leaders of phumibun uprisings or so-called holy-men uprisings against the centralisation policies carried out by the state authority on the periphery. Several individual monks are known to have been in conflict with the state: Phra Phimontham in the 1960s, who protected the rights of the “suspected Communists” to join the monkhood; Buddhist monks were active in the early 1970s, when the left-wing student movement was also active (Somboon, 1976; 1982); several monks who have been trying to protect the forests against illegal logging have been threatened, forcibly disrobed or killed (Taylor, 1993); even one of �� The debt of peasant families varies between 30,000 to 60,000 Thai baht. The average income of a farmer is between 1,500 to 3,000 baht per month. Based on my survey in April 2002 at Sisa Asoke. �� Observations at Sisa Asoke from 2001 to 2006. �� Many Asoke monks originate from Northeastern Thailand and are fluent in the local Lao and other dialects spoken there. There is great diversity among the Asoke people and it is not easy to give exact estimates of their ethnic and class background. A survey was conducted in the 1990s. See Heikkilä-Horn (1996). 36 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport the most respected Thai Buddhist monks, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, was several times accused of being a Communist during the long years of military dictatorship in Thailand during the Cold War period.17 There have also been several ultra-reactionary right-wing monks willing to support the corrupted military elite. The best known is Phra Kittiwuttho, who in the heat of the civil war in Thailand in the 1970s announced that it is not “demeritorious to kill a Communist.”18 Several monks have been closely linked to notorious military commanders and ministers, publicly giving their blessing to these people. One monk wanted the Thai people to donate their savings in gold to pay the International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt that the government had taken in the aftermath of the 1997 financial crisis. Another controversial Buddhist group, Dhammakaya19 temple, offered its premises to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his supporters during the final stages of the anti-Thaksin demonstrations. The Buddhist sangha simply has never been apolitical: it either supports state policies or it opposes them. It has been a persistent myth that Buddhism and politics do not mix, but the myth has repeatedly been proven illusory.20 The Asoke group had a complex relationship to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin had been a protégée of Major-General Chamlong Srimuang since Thaksin joined Palang Dharma (Moral Force) Party and became Foreign Minister. He was accused of promoting his own private business interests in that post. Later on in Barnharn Silpa-archa’s government, Thaksin was Deputy Prime Minister and promised to solve the notorious traffic problems of Bangkok within six months. Fortunately for him, the government was dissolved a few months later. Thaksin also was a Deputy Prime Minister in General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh’s government in 1997 until the Asian financial crisis forced that government to resign. Thaksin established his own political party in 1998.21 Before contesting the elections, �� Buddhism and politics have been thoroughly discussed by Ishii Yoneo (1986), Stanley Tambiah (1976), Trevor Ling (1979), Somboon Suksamran (1976, 1982) and Peter A. Jackson (1989), but the issue remains sensitive and some Thai experts might have preferred to overlook these studies for the sake of their research permits. �� “Demeritorious” referring to the word “baap” in Thai or “papa” in Pali as opposite to “bun” and “puñña.” �� Also known as Wat Thammakaai in the northern outskirts of Bangkok, with ambitions to become the world Buddhist centre. See their website www.dhammakaya.net. �� Younger generation Thai experts are slowly breaking down the myth of an apolitical sangha (see Jerryson, 2009; McCargo, 2009). Both authors argue strongly that such authorities as Charles Keyes and Donald Swearer have depoliticised the Buddhist sangha by presenting Buddhism as a “civic” or “civil” religion. �� For critical assessments of Thaksin’s policies, see McCargo & Ukrist (2005), who label Thaksin as “opportunistic; motivated by pursuit of wealth” (p. 20) and the party as applying “marketing policies; no ideology”(p. 79). 37 ASEAS 3(1) he gathered together a team of former Communists, NGO activists and supporters of Chamlong and Santi Asoke. He travelled with them to Northern Finland to draft a programme for his Thai Rak Thai (Thai Loves Thai) Party.22 The TRT party became an anti-IMF nationalistic party, promoting both the royalist and Asoke “sufficiency economy.” Thaksin’s first speech as a Prime Minister in a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Shanghai came as a shock to the international business community as Thaksin explained that Thailand would start “looking inward to our original strengths.”23 The speech was allegedly written by a former close assistant to Chamlong Srimuang, Sunai Setboonsarng, who had published a study on Asoke economics in the 1970s.24 The Foreign Minister of Thailand was forced to rephrase Thaksin and try to convince the international investors that Thailand would remain as open as it had always been to foreign investment. Thaksin rapidly did a turnaround and started to negotiate and push forward several free-trade agreements (FTA), particularly in the field of agriculture, that the NGOs and farmers’ organisations bitterly opposed. There had been several important radical social movements before Thaksin came to power. One of the largest was The Assembly of the Poor, established in 1995. It included networks of small-scale farmers, fishermen and urban slum dwellers from all over Thailand. In 1997, the Assembly staged its most spectacular protest by camping for ninety-nine days outside the Government House in Bangkok. The protesters were demonstrating against a dam in the Northeast that threatened the livelihood of the people in the area, yet the movement clearly had a broader agenda for grassroots democracy and social justice. For the first time since the 1970s, the Thai poor challenged the Thai state hegemony by demanding that the ruling elites address their grievances. The Democrat-led government systematically discredited the Assembly, and the Assembly was encouraged by sympathisers to form a political party to contest the next elections. Thaksin – supported by the ideas of his activist advisers – addressed in his election campaign some of the grievances by granting a debt moratorium, village funds and cheap health care. With his “pro-poor rhetoric”25 �� His trip to Finland and meeting with “Santa Claus” became front-page news in Thailand in 2006. See Matichon 2-8 June 2549 B.E. (2006). ��Economic Review Bangkok Post (30 December 2002, p. 121) �� Sunai’s book has recently been reprinted and translated into English. Schumacher’s (1973) chapter on “Buddhist Economics” is also regarded as an inspiration to the Asoke group. �� Kevin Hewison (2003) labels Thaksin’s approach as “pro-poor rhetoric” and regards Thaksin’s government as a 38 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport Thaksin managed to domesticate this radical social movement. When in power, Thaksin marginalised and eliminated the social activists, environmentalists and defenders of human rights.26 Asoke is a politically and socially engaged Buddhist group which seeks to find a remedy to the moral and social ills of global capitalism within the capitalist framework by establishing economically autonomous village communities. The Asoke group addresses economic and social justice from a radical Buddhist perspective by promoting an alternative economic system to global capitalism. Its aim is to teach the people to follow the moral Buddhist path, which would ultimately transform the capitalist society into a bunniyom society. With these “utopian” ideas the Asoke Buddhist economic development plan is inherently populist. This is the same populist approach found in Thaksin’s rhetoric.27 What endeared Thaksin to the Asoke group was the community development approach in his rural policies. Somchai (2006) regards the “community culture” as a “variant of populism”. Populism may criticise “big business” and capitalism generally, but promotes neither radical structural change in land ownership nor a progressive taxation system. The Thai community culture school blames the “imported” Western capitalism for destroying the economy of the idealised Thai village community.28 Asoke continued supporting Thaksin until February 2006. There had been some critical voices against him inside Asoke – both Bodhiraksa and Chamlong condemned Thaksin on moral grounds when he played with the idea of buying Liverpool Football Club in mid-2004.29 Asoke adherents also demonstrated in August 2005, when the Beer Chang Company was to be listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. This was seen as promoting both drinking and gambling. “government by and for the rich” (Hewison, 2003, p. 140). For a similar assessment, see Divjak & Symonds (2001). �� For critical assessments on Thaksin’s approach to the rural poor, see Bell (2003), Missingham (2003), Somchai (2006) and Ungpakorn (2003). “Chang Noi” presents a list of the assassinated social and environmental activists in his column “Shooting the messenger” (Chang Noi, 2004). �� For earlier discussion on the “community culture school”, see Chattip (1991). Authors like Apinya (1993), Olson (1983), Sombat (1988) and Suwanna (1990) see the Asoke group as “utopian.” Some recent studies on Asoke communities discuss their economic policies in more detail; see Essen (2005) and Kanoksak (2008). �� For Somchai’s critique on the “community culture approach”, see Somchai, 2006, pp. 62-64. �� “PM’s mentor raps Reds bid. Thaksin ready to give up, sees success in having ‘humbled’ ex-colonial power” (The Nation, 1 June 2004). 39 ASEAS 3(1) The Different Networks of Asoke Asoke is not a monolithic community,30 but rather an amalgamation of monks and nuns, urban and rural temple residents, lay followers of Asoke monks, practitioners of organic agriculture in Asoke village communities, current and former students of Asoke schools, and admirers of Major-General Chamlong Srimuang. It could be argued that the Asoke group consists predominantly of a network of four major wings engaged in spiritual, agricultural, social and political activities. What unites the wings is their self-identification as disciples of Bodhiraksa. The nucleus of the spiritual group consists of monks and the nuns including the novices and aspirants. The monks and the nuns act primarily as advisers. They preside over all possible meetings from the primary school students’ meetings to the political meetings. Their advice is spiritual and is derived from their interpretation of Buddhist teachings. They do not give practical advice on solving problems, but try to encourage the person to find a solution by applying Buddhism. Many lay people prioritise spiritual study, which means that they are not actively engaged in the other groups. The decision to join in the anti-Thaksin demonstrations was fairly unanimous in the spiritual group as the Asoke opposition to Thaksin was based predominantly on moral grounds. On the first day of the demonstration, 26 February 2006, practically all Asoke monks, nuns and novices were present, with only those who were sick not attending. After the first day, the numbers started to dwindle. There were health reasons quoted and there were references to the workload in the temple – writing articles for the magazines, working at the printing house or at the radio station were the most common reasons for leaving the demonstration site. The monks, nuns and lay people returned to the streets of Bangkok for the second round of demonstrations in late May 2008. The issues had changed: the demonstrators opposed the new pro-Thaksin government led by Samak Sundaravej, who had proudly declared that he was Thaksin’s “nominee.” The demonstrators specifically opposed any amendments to the Constitution to pardon Prime Minister Thaksin and the one hundred and eleven Thai Rak Thai Members of Parliament banned from politics �� Inside the Asoke, Asoke group (klum Asoke) refers to all the followers of Bodhiraksa. Asoke communities (chumchon) are the villages and centres (sathan) in various parts of Thailand. The group is organised into several associations and foundations. For more details, see Heikkilä-Horn (1996, pp. 147-150). 40 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport by the Constitutional Court in May 2007. Also this time the numbers of the Asoke demonstrators – particularly the number of the monks and the nuns – dwindled very rapidly and at the end, when PAD was occupying the Government House, there were only a handful of Asoke monks and nuns left out of the over one hundred monks and twenty-five nuns. When Bangkok’s Suwarnabhumi International Airport was seized in November 2008 for about a week, only a few Asoke monks – and no nuns – took part. The second wing of the Asoke network is the agricultural group, which consists of the temple residents in the rural Asoke temples, particularly in the North and Northeast. According to the Asoke teachings, it is important for a Buddhist to choose carefully her or his profession. This is a part of the Noble Eightfold Path, where point five emphasises “Right Livelihood” or “Right Occupation” (Samma Ajiva). According to Buddhism, it is not recommended that a Buddhist engages in selling weapons, intoxicants, human beings, animals or meat. The opposite of these destructive activities is nurturing life, and as a consequence of this thinking, being a farmer is the best choice for every Asoke member. If one cannot be a farmer, one can at least try to be a gardener. Hence, there is a passionate interest within Asoke in everything concerning plants, soil, seeds, herbs, insects, and fruit trees. This group is interested in agricultural politics, and in 2004, Santi Asoke organised together with Greenpeace a roundtable discussion on genetically modified crops and subsequently issued a statement against the GM crops.31 The agricultural group found it difficult to leave their farms and gardens, and hence were not at the forefront of the demonstrations. Many of them left after a couple of days to return to the rural Asoke centres. The third wing of the Asoke network could be called the socially engaged group working in education and health care. All major Asoke centres have primary and secondary schools, sometimes also vocational schools.32 Hundreds of students have studied at these schools, which have changed their status throughout the years from non-formal education to formal education and vice versa. All teachers are volunteers, some with teacher’s qualifications from state schools and some without. Most of the �� “Santi Asoke to oppose GMO foods. Buddhist group says modified crops not natural” (The Nation, 10 June 2004). �� Each school has approximately 50 to 100 students, but the numbers vary from year to year. More about the education in Asoke schools in Essen (2005) and Heikkilä-Horn (1996). 41 ASEAS 3(1) students have a parent or a relative staying at the Asoke centres. Another social activity in the Asoke communities is the healthcare provided by volunteer nurses and dentists in most of the Asoke villages.33 The teachers and healthcare volunteers are educated to secondary or tertiary level and many of them participated in the demonstrations in the beginning. Teachers and students returned after some weeks back to their villages, whereas many of the nurses remained to provide services at the demonstration site. The fourth wing of the Asoke movement could be called the political wing. The group consists of urban and rural Asoke members, people particularly from the urban Santi Asoke community, and people closely affiliated with the activities and groups in Santi Asoke. There are also politically active people particularly in Sisa Asoke and in Ratchathani Asoke, where Bodhiraksa resides. These people were pictured in the media as the core of the “Dharma Army”. Dharma Army actually refers to Gongthub Dharm foundation,34 which owns and maintains all the vehicles – vans and pick-up trucks – of the Asoke group. The chairman of the foundation is Chamlong Srimuang. The political network consists of the supporters of Chamlong Srimuang. Some of them may be former members of Palang Dharma party, and many of them have taken training courses in Chamlong’s Leadership School. It does not, however, necessarily mean that all the demonstrators can be associated with the Chamlong Srimuang Foundation. The politically engaged network tends to be urban, better educated, often of ethnic Sino-Thai origin, whereas the agricultural network tends to be less educated and more often of ethnic Lao origin. The boundaries are fluid: there are some well-educated Sino-Thais who prefer to live in the rural centres and experiment with agriculture.35 There was some criticism in the Thai media of Asoke monks, nuns and lay people taking part in the demonstrations, particularly after 7 October 2008, when the tense situation between the anti-Thaksin “yellow-shirts,” pro-Thaksin “red-shirts” and the riot police escalated into violence leaving one person dead and many injured.36 The �� Many centres also are engaged in producing herbal medicine, which is sold in the Asoke shops. �� This is the romanised version written on all Asoke vehicles. There are considerable irregularities in the romanisation of Thai words. “Thamma” or “Tham” is the Thai pronunciation of Sanskrit “Dharma” and Pali “Dhamma”. �� See Heikkilä-Horn (1996) for an ethnographic survey. Recent observations based mainly on my visits to Sisa Asoke in Sisaket from 2001-2009. �� See Sanitsuda Ekachai in her column “A solution is possible” (Bangkok Post, 16 October 2008). Sanitsuda had earlier 42 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport Asoke comment on this criticism was that if the monks and the nuns had not been there, then the more violent elements of the PAD might have taken over. The presence of monks and nuns in the PAD groups perhaps deterred the “red-shirts” from violent attacks.37 In 2000, the Asoke people established a new party called Pue Fah Din (For Heaven and Earth). Its leaders are based in Sisa Asoke. However, in the March 2006 elections the party fielded Samdin Lertbusya, who for many years has been in charge of the Fah Aphai Publishing Company in Santi Asoke. A rather unique characteristic of this party is that the candidate does not want to campaign, as he feels that campaigning involves making false materialistic promises, thus breaking the Buddhist Precepts.38 The political network is closely linked to Chamlong’s Leadership School in Kanchanaburi, which trained various groups of employees from both the private and public sector throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The training lasted over the weekend or sometimes longer and consisted of physical exercise in the early morning hours, aggressive propaganda in favour of vegetarian food and critical lectures about corruption and other social ills in Thai society. These courses served as a blueprint for the Asoke training courses for farmers.39 The political network was also flirting with the idea of establishing a Green Party in Thailand already in the late 1990s.40 The plans were buried with the financial crisis in 1997 and the emergence of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party in 1998. It was the political network of Asoke people which had worked most closely with the organisers of the demonstrations from 2006 to 2008, and with the PAD. To what extent their interests and values coincided with the other leaders of PAD is debatable. Only as long as Chamlong is part of PAD will the adherents of the Asoke movement remain a part of PAD. Sondhi Limthongkul, one of the most prominent PAD leaders, has tried to reach opined in a column “Politics and religion do mix”: “Interestingly, the presence of the quiet, stoic Santi Asoke monks and nuns also helps provide a sense of restraint to counter the dangerously strong emotions in the rallies.” (Bangkok Post, 9 March 2006). �� There were some attacks against rural Asoke centres interpreted as a reaction by Thaksin supporters. Sisa Asoke lost about 1/4 of their temple land when local officials claimed that Asoke had illegally encroached upon the land (Sikkhamat Chinda Tangpao, personal communication in Sisa Asoke, 27 February 2009). �� “Moving heaven and earth. Little-known party eschews campaigning” (Bangkok Post, 20 March 2006). PAD has established a new party called Heng Thien Tham (Candles of Righteousness). This party faded away and a new party New Politics Party (NPP or in Thai: Phak Kan Muang Mai) was established in 2009. �� Based on my observations over some weekend training seminars in 1997-98. �� The author was interviewed by some Asoke members about the policies of the European Green Parties in 1997. 43 ASEAS 3(1) out to the Asoke group for support.41 He has, however, been involved in various well-publicised animistic and Hindu rituals, which the Asoke group totally rejects. Asoke Buddhist teachings shun all magic practices – the monks and the nuns are not involved in the sprinkling of “holy water” or predicting the winning lottery numbers, something with which many Thai monks are preoccupied. The popular Thai belief in ghosts and spirits is strongly refuted in Asoke; Bodhiraksa has repeatedly emphasised that if people persistently claim to see or hear ghosts and spirits, it is because those creatures live inside these people’s own heads. As Bodhiraksa is the founder of the group, this makes him the most senior monk in Asoke and he is highly venerated by all Asoke members. He is, however, not the abbot of any of the Asoke temples; his function remains mainly advisory. Bodhiraksa still delivers his Buddhist sermon every evening through a video-link to all the Asoke temples.42 All four major networks – spiritual, agricultural, social and political – are united in their Asoke Buddhist beliefs and values. They all respect Bodhiraksa as their spiritual guide and leader; they all have to be vegetarians; and they all have to practise bunniyom and live modestly. Conclusion This paper argues that it has always been a misconception to perceive Theravada Buddhism – or any other religion for that matter – as apolitical. Buddhism has been an important part of the legitimacy of the kings and Prime Ministers. It has been an important part of the nation-building processes of Thailand and other Theravada Buddhist countries. Furthermore, the Buddhist monks have also been an important element in protesting against military dictators, corruption of the ruling elite, and the centralisation of power in the capital city. Concerning the controversial Santi Asoke Buddhist group, the paper argues that the group cannot be treated as a monolithic entity, as it consists of at least four �� The other leaders beside Chamlong and Sondhi were Suriyasai Katasila, a former student leader and democracy activist; Somsak Kosaisuk, a labour leader and Somkiat Pongpaibul a Democrat Party MP. Sondhi has become leader of the New Politics Party, which consists of PAD supporters. The PAD and the NPP are, however, beyond the scope of this article. �� Observation in Sisa Asoke, 27-28 February 2009. 44 Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn - Santi Asoke Buddhism and the Occupation of Bangkok International Airport major networks: spiritual, agricultural, social and political. It is particularly the political network which was most actively involved in the demonstrations. The political network is closely connected with Chamlong Srimuang, who is the president of a foundation called the Dharma Army. The Dharma Army that was seen in the demonstrations consisted of people engaged in the four Asoke networks. The spiritual wing, dominated by monks and nuns, took part in the demonstrations with lesser intensity than the social and political wings. The agricultural network also participated in the demonstrations during the initial days of the protests but quickly left the scene to tend their rice fields and fruit orchards. The social and particularly political wings participated in the street demonstrations and camped at the various demonstration sites throughout the turmoil. The media image of the Dharma Army was somewhat reductionist as the local print media often showed pictures of school children and students of Asoke schools. It is, however, obvious that the ties binding Bodhiraksa to Major-General Chamlong Srimuang since the 1980s have seriously undermined the spiritual and social message of the Asoke group among the rural poor. One of the main reasons why the Asoke group joined the anti-Thaksin demonstrations was their loyalty to Chamlong Srimuang. When Chamlong turned against Thaksin, most of the Asoke people turned against Thaksin. These political links between Bodhiraksa and Chamlong have been used by the competing elites against the Asoke group leading, for instance, to the court case described above. Ironically, the recent political affiliation through Chamlong to the “yellow-shirts” and PAD has endangered the relationship of the entire Asoke group with the very people whom their anti-capitalistic bunniyom economy and training courses in organic agriculture were supposed to benefit. 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Turton (Eds.), Thai Constructions of Knowledge (pp. 118-141). London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Divjak, C. & Symonds, P. (2001). New Thai cabinet loaded with businessmen, bureaucrats and ex-generals. Retrieved 20 February 2001, from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/feb2001/thai-f20.shtml Essen, J. (2005). “Right Development”. The Santi Asoke Buddhist Reform Movement of Thailand. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. Hansen, A. R. (2007). How to Behave. Buddhism and Modernity in Colonial Cambodia 1860-1930. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books. Heikkilä-Horn, M.-L. (1996). Santi Asoke Buddhism and Thai State Response. Turku, Finland: Åbo Akademi University Press. Hewison, K. (2003). Crafting a new social contract: Domestic capitalist responses to the challenge of neoliberalism. In G. Ungpakorn (Ed.), Radicalising Thailand (pp. 120-151). Bangkok, Thailand: Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. Kanoksak, K. (2008). 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Bangkok, Thailand: Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. 47 ASEAS 3(1) Aktuelle Südostasienforschung / Current Research on South-East Asia The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia: A Weak Trigger for a Fragmented Version of Human Security Alfred Gerstl1 Society for South-East Asian Studies (SEAS), Vienna, Austria ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at This article applies a modified version of the theoretical approach of the Copenhagen School to demonstrate that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has since 2001 reacted in a twofold way to the complex political obstacles to closer counter-terrorism co-operation: First, it has responded with securitising terrorism as a transnational crime and, second, with a depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of its counter-terrorism policies. Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’, i.e. the framing of a security threat under the ASEAN Way values, are both deliberate political actions. They enable politicians to base co-operation among the ASEAN members and with outside powers on a non-political, technical basis. Contradicting an assumption of the Copenhagen School, this study argues that in South-East Asia where sovereignty and noninterference are still core principles this approach can offer better political opportunities to resolve a security threat than a ‘classic’ securitisation. Furthermore, this article demonstrates that ASEAN’s anti-terrorism policies reflect its fragmented version of human security, which is based on national and regime rather than individual security. As counter-terrorism does not enjoy political priority in the region, these policies can only be a weak trigger for the implementation of ASEAN’s notion of human security Keywords: ASEAN, Human Security, Copenhagen School, Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism Policy Dieser Artikel wendet eine leicht modifizierte Version der Copenhagen School an, um aufzuzeigen, wie die Vereinigung südostasiatischer Nationen (ASEAN) seit 2001 auf die vielfältigen politischen Hindernisse für eine engere regionale Anti-Terrorismus-Zusammenarbeit reagiert hat. ASEAN hat, erstens, eine Sekuritisierung des Terrorismus als transnationales Verbrechen und, zweitens, eine Depolitisierung und „ASEANisierung“ (die Kontextualisierung einer sicherheitspolitischen Bedrohung unter den Werten des ASEAN Way) ihrer Anti-Terrorismus-Politik vorgenommen. Sowohl Depolitisierung und „ASEANisierung“ sind bewusste politische Handlungen, die es den PolitikerInnen ermöglichen, die interne wie externe Zusammenarbeit auf eine unpolitische, technische Basis zu gründen. Im Widerspruch zu einer These der Copenhagen School wird hier 1 Dr Alfred Gerstl, MIR, is scientific director of SEAS and editor-in-chief of ASEAS. His research interests include regional co-operation in East Asia and International Relations theories. Contact: [email protected] 48 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia argumentiert, dass ein solcher Ansatz in Südostasien, wo Souveränität und Nicht-Einmischung immer noch zentrale Prinzipien sind, realpolitisch bessere Chancen eröffnen kann, um ein sicherheitspolitisches Problem zu bewältigen als eine „klassische“ Sekuritisierung. Zusätzlich zeigt der Artikel, dass ASEANs Anti-Terrorismus-Ansatz das fragmentierte Verständnis der Organisation in Bezug auf menschliche Sicherheit widerspiegelt. Dieses basiert stärker auf nationaler und Regime- als auch auf individueller Sicherheit. Da Anti-Terrorismus-Politik in der Region jedoch keine Priorität genießt, ist diese Politik bloß eine schwache Triebfeder für die Implementierung von ASEANs Verständnis von menschlicher Sicherheit. Schagworte: ASEAN, menschliche Sicherheit, Copenhagen School, Terrorismus, Anti-TerrorismusPolitik 1. Introduction Since the end of the Cold War, the South-East Asian societies have experienced a broad variety of new, non-traditional threats, be they underdevelopment, poverty, legal and illegal migration, drug and weapon smuggling, the spread of mass diseases, or terrorism (cf. Buzan, 1997; Caballero-Anthony, 2008; Dosch, 2008). Accordingly, already in the late 1980s the South-East Asian governments were gradually adopting the notion of comprehensive security (Caballero-Anthony, Emmers & Acharya, 2006; Rüland, 2005). In South-East Asia, though, comprehensive security is a state-centric, top down rather than an individual security, bottom up approach. The Asian Financial Crisis (AFC) of 1997-98, the devastating Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, and Cyclone Nargis in 2008, however, have demonstrated that individuals can be more affected by security menaces than states. Even though the notion of security is gradually changing toward a more people-oriented understanding with human security tendencies (Caballero-Anthony, 2004; Dosch, 2008; Emmerson, 2008a, 2008b; Sukma, 2008), this article aims to show that the South-East Asian governments still view security primarily through a neorealist state- and regime-centric security lens rather than a human security prism (cf. Acharya, 2006; Caballero-Anthony, 2004; Emmerson, 2008a). As I will further show, even though the evolving notion of more people-oriented security in South-East Asia is broad and comprehensive, it is nevertheless fragmented: The regimes and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) emphasise 49 ASEAS 3(1) the non-political dimensions of human security, e.g. socioeconomic and human development. Overall, they seem to frame security under the principles of the ASEAN Way, i.e. in the context of national and regime security rather than individual security (cf. ASEAN, 2007a). This specific framing of security can be defined as ‘ASEANisation’. This ‘ASEANisation’ logic applies to counter-terrorism policies in South-East Asia too. ASEAN’s anti-terror approach, as I will further argue, must therefore be regarded as one means, albeit a weak means, of promoting a piecemeal version of human security that is more concerned with state than individual security. Terrorism has in parts of the region posed since the early 1990s an increasing danger to national, regime, economic, and human security alike. ASEAN, though, regards it neither as a core threat nor as a security threat alone (Ong, 2007a, p. 19; Ong K. Y., personal communication, 2 December 2008). As early as the mid-1990s ASEAN made the fight against terrorism, together with drug abuse and smuggling, a priority (ASEAN, 1997, 1999). At this time, terrorist groups in the Philippines and Indonesia were becoming increasingly transnationally active. Yet ASEAN’s counter-terrorism collaboration only gained pace after the Bali bombings on 12 October 2002. The killing of 202 people, among them 88 Australians, demonstrated to the broad public the deadly transnational danger of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), pressuring the politicians to strengthen their national and regional counter-terrorism efforts. Yet, as I will demonstrate in this article, closer anti-terror co-operation among the ASEAN members and with outside partners still faces major obstacles, in particular differences in regard to the perception of the terrorist threat, the political will and the concrete methods to combat terrorism, and the different capabilities of the national military, policing, and law enforcement agencies (Almontre, 2003, p. 229; Dillon, 2003; Emmers, 2003, pp. 423-427; Pushpanathan, 1999; Singh, 2003, p. 217).2 Applying the theory and methodology of the constructivist Copenhagen School (Buzan, Wæver, & de Wilde, 1998), I will argue that ASEAN, aware of the complex hindrances for closer counter-terrorism co-operation, has since the mid-1990s securitised terrorism, framing it, together with people smuggling, piracy, or money 2 Besides published works, my analysis will heavily draw on personal communications, i.e. interviews, with experts in Singapore (J Harrison., Assoc. Prof, S Rajanatnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 1 December 2008; I Reed, Director, Economic and Political Department, US Embassy, 4 December 2008; I Storey, Visiting Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), 5 December 2008, Ong KY, Ambassador and Director, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), 2 December 2008) and Kuala Lumpur (Madya Ruhanas Harun, School of Politics & Strategic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 8 December 2008; S Leong, Former Assistant DirectorGeneral of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), 9 December 2008). 50 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia laundering, as a transnational crime. The Association has thereby diminished the political motives for terrorism (cf. Lutz & Lutz, 2007). Highlighting the differences between the Copenhagen School’s concept of nonpoliticisation and my notion of depoliticisation, I will demonstrate that ASEAN’s depoliticisation of its counter-terrorism approach offers, in combination with the ‘ASEANisation’ method, in fact better political opportunities to resolve a security threat than a ‘classic’ securitisation or a pure criminalisation (cf. Emmers, 2003). Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ are both deliberate political actions chosen by the ASEAN leaders. They enable them to base co-operation among the ASEAN members and with outside powers on a non-political, technical foundation. Accordingly, in the realm of counter-terrorism ASEAN’s main objective is to harmonise the national and regional legal basis for bilateral and sub-regional collaboration. This political aim is not very ambitious but it is realistic as ASEAN is not a strong, independent organisation but a means for the member states to deepen their transnational cooperation. Empirically, this study is based on an analysis of the securitisation of terrorism on regional level since the early 1990s. The securitisation process consists not only of ASEAN’s ‘speech acts’, e.g. the Association’s counter-terrorism declarations and the ASEAN Charter (ASEAN, 2007a), but of its concrete counter-terrorism policies as well. This article starts with an analysis of the theoretical and political tensions between state, regime, and human security in South-East Asia. Subsequently, it proposes the categories of depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ as amendments to the Copenhagen School to reconcile the theoretical conflicts. In the following chapter, ASEAN’s specific anti-terror approach will be examined, focusing on its shortcomings and concrete achievements. In the conclusion, it will be demonstrated that ASEAN’s counter-terrorism approach can be regarded as a driving force, albeit a weak one, for the promotion of a fragmented, ‘ASEANised’ notion of human security in South-East Asia. 51 ASEAS 3(1) 2. Theoretical Framework: The Copenhagen School as Hinge Between Neorealism and Human Security 2.1. Securitisation, Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ Since the end of the Cold War, the Copenhagen School has broadened and deepened our traditional understanding of security, identifying new security threats that endanger new referent objects, be it the economy, society, the environment or individuals. This theory has an inherent tendency to privilege state actors in the securitisation process but also allows the securitisation of individuals and groups of individuals, making it appropriate for an analysis of human security threats. Unlike neorealism, which is mainly concerned with the security of states (and explaining the relations among them), human security is a policy-making agenda and top-down approach focussed on the security of individuals (Floyd, 2007). The neorealist perspective on state security is also poorly suited to addressing the new non-traditional hazards and explaining let alone promoting the transnationally co-operative responses they require (cf. Bellamy, 2004; Mearsheimer, 2007; Rüland, 2005). Due to its broadness and inclusive character, the transdisciplinary concept of human security is still contested and both analytically and methodically difficult to apply (Acharya, 2008; Floyd, 2007; Kerr, 2007; Peou, 2009). This holds true in particular for the broad ‘freedom from want’ school, which takes an all-encompassing view of human security, including human development aspects. The narrower ‘freedom from fear’ perspective emphasises direct violent threats to survival, be it from an authoritarian government, the police, rebels, or criminals. Ideally, national and human security are complementary, yet there remain theoretical, analytical, and normative differences between state-centric neorealist approaches and those concerned with individual security (Kerr, 2007; UNDP, 1994). This article’s notion of depoliticisation and its new category of ‘ASEANisation’, however, are able to bridge theoretically the Copenhagen School and neorealism to make them applicable for an analysis of human security threats. Among the concepts developed by the Copenhagen School, the notion of securitisation is especially helpful in compensating for neorealism’s somewhat narrow focus on traditional threats and inter-state relations. Many security threats 52 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia are constructs (or at least open to interpretation) and as such are affected by political, economic, social, cultural, and historical conditions (Buzan, Wæver, & de Wilde, 1998; Wendt, 1997). Not least among these are the perceptions and rationalisations of the governments, which remain the key actors in the securitisation process, as they possess the main “capabilities to make securitisation happen” (Floyd, 2007, p. 41). Although civil society groups play an increasingly prominent role in shaping the security discourse, due to their lack of the crucial political capabilities, their efforts are only a securitisation move. The Copenhagen School’s realistic assessment of the dominance of state actors in the securitisation process is therefore in fact an analytical strength. Criticism of its analytical closeness to neorealism is thus only partly justified (cf. Booth, 2005; Williams, 2003). A crucial amendment this article proposes to the Copenhagen School is the notion of depoliticisation – which must not be confused with the School’s view of nonpoliticisation (Buzan, Wæver, & de Wilde, 1998, p. 23). It argues that the South-East Asian securitising actors regard human security challenges as genuine security and political threats. Therefore they do not desecuritise but depoliticise it. Depoliticising a threat can objectify it in the sense that it ceases to be a subject of political discourse and is portrayed instead as a matter for expert resolution by executive order, often through means that are perceived as purely technical in nature (cf. Aras & Karakaya Polat, 2008). Rather than stressing the human rights and democratic aspects of human security, ASEAN puts emphasis on the provision of socioeconomic development, the eradication of poverty, the implementation of long-term reforms in the economic, social and education sectors and on the requirement of an inclusive but non-political dialogue with all stakeholders (ASEAN, 2007a, 2007b; Gerstl, 2009).3 It is easier to achieve consensus for regional collaboration in matters construed as non-political, i.e. depoliticised, as they seem less imposing on sovereignty. In its depoliticised form, a policy or threat can still be part of the political and media discourse in a country. Securitisation and depoliticisation are core categories for examining the security discourse in South-East Asia. This article agrees with Acharya (2006, p. 250) that securitisation and politicisation (or depoliticisation) cannot be regarded as “two 3 Already in the human rights debate in the early 1990s, many South-East Asian governments emphasised economic and social rights. At the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 2003, Indonesia, Singapore, and China argued that political rights are a luxury that can only be afforded at a certain stage of development. Beijing also stressed the right to development – in state-dominated East Asia a right of governments, not of individuals (Tatsuo, 1999). 53 ASEAS 3(1) neatly separate or distinct outcomes” or concepts, both are “essentially political”. The same holds true for the category ‘ASEANisation’, introduced to take into account the political and normative regional context. Like depoliticisation, ‘ASEANisation’ is both a method and a deliberate political action. ‘ASEANisation’ is defined as the use of ASEAN values – national sovereignty, non-interference and the legitimacy of incumbent regimes – to limit the scope and sensitivity of human insecurity as a matter of discourse and policy. As the ASEAN Way has become contested in the last few years among the ASEAN members, a politically even more appropriate term is ‘ASEAN-Way-framing’, coined by Donald K Emmerson (personal communication, 21 December 2009). In this study, however, ‘ASEANisation’ remains the preferred term, referring solely to the method of framing a topic. 2.2. The South-East Asian Security Discourse: State- and Regime-Centric Interpretations of Comprehensive and Human Security The Copenhagen School’s broad notion of security and referent objects that can be secured converges with the South-East Asian view – security is defined in comprehensive terms, including traditional and non-traditional threats. Yet, for an analysis of the shifting perception of security in South-East Asia, it is essential to take into account not only that security threats can be politically constructed (or at least exaggerated or downplayed) by the securitisers but also the region’s state-centric security culture (Dosch, 2008, p. 74; Rüland, 2005, pp. 559-560; Smith & Jones, 2008, p. 186). This article claims that the governmental securitisers still regard comprehensive and human security primarily through “an established frame of reference” (Acharya, 2006, p. 249; Caballero-Anthony, 2004, pp. 160-163): neorealist state-centrism and regime legitimacy, enshrined in the ASEAN Way with its emphasis on sovereignty, non-interference and consensual decision-making. Despite the magnitude of nontraditional threats and the trend towards increased multilateralism in South-East and even North-East Asia since the early 1990s, neorealist approaches still describe the power relations and perception of security in the region very well (Bellamy, 2004; Dosch, 2008, p. 74; Rüland, 2005, pp. 559-560; Smith & Jones, 2008, p. 186). The governments pursue power politics, based on a neorealist interpretation of politics. 54 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia The ASEAN principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in domestic affairs have enabled the regimes to pursue their nation building and socioeconomic development programs. Being the key to their legitimacy (Gerstl, 2008, p. 120), the latter are closely interlinked with security (Acharya, 2008, p. 501; cf. Dosch, 2008, p. 76). The security challenges the regimes face have therefore become increasingly complex, in particular in times of economic crises. Underdevelopment, poverty, legal and illegal migration, urbanisation, the spread of epidemics, organised crime, terrorism and environmental degradation, though, do not only threaten states but individuals. As a policy response, the South-East Asian governments already before the end of the Cold War gradually adopted the concept of comprehensive security (CaballeroAnthony, Emmers, & Acharya, 2006; Rüland, 2005). Though, in South-East Asia, the preponderance of sovereignty, non-interference and regime legitimacy strengthens the state-centric dimension of comprehensive and even human security (cf. CaballeroAnthony, 2004, pp. 160-163). Amitav Acharya highlights the political dimension, arguing comprehensive security was developed and propagated by governments and the policy community in Asia (except in Japan, where the concept originated) primarily as an instrument of regime legitimization and survival, by making the governments of day appear to be seriously concerned with challenges other than military threats, primarily poverty and underdevelopment (Acharya, 2006, p. 249). Consequently, there exist conceptual and political tensions between human and state security in South-East Asia. Insofar as a priority on human security implies an agenda that features human rights and democracy, it can clash with the preoccupation of South-East Asian regimes with their own stability, often rationalised and discursively presented as national security (Caballero-Anthony, 2004; but cf. Chandler, 2008). National and regime security, which are distinct in the developing world, are however often portrayed as inseparable by the elites in the Third World. In retrospect, the AFC – like the SARS epidemic in 2003, the tsunami in 2004 and Cyclone Nargis in 2008 – acted as a crucial catalyst for the promotion of a more people-oriented notion of security (Emmerson, 2008b, pp. 62-64; Dosch, 2008). These incidents illustrated that communities and individual citizens can be more affected by economic, social, environmental, or political crises than the state and regime. They have also uncovered the deficiencies of ASEAN’s “reactionary regionalism” (Beeson, 55 ASEAS 3(1) 2003, p. 251). In 1997, no political or economic structures existed to effectively cope with the AFC that affected major parts of East Asia. On a positive note, the crisis eventually triggered the democratisation of Indonesia, which country evolved into a leading advocate of human security. Aware of the necessity of resolving human security threats in order to guarantee their legitimacy and of the shortcomings of the ASEAN Way for their effective resolution (ASEAN Eminent Persons Group, 2000), the ASEAN regimes announced in October 2003 their far-reaching plans for an East Asian Community by the year 2015 (initially by 2020), based on an economic, (political) security, and socio-cultural pillar (Bali Concord II). The political-security community subscribes to comprehensive security, yet highlights sovereignty and non-interference. Accordingly, the Bali Concord II (A, 2) rejects the idea of creating “a defence pact, military alliance or a joint foreign policy”. The official objective, confirmed in the Vientiane Action Program (2004) and the ASEAN Charter (2007), is to transform ASEAN into a more people-oriented, inclusive, caring and sharing community. Yet, the ASEAN Charter, signed in November 2007 and in force since December 2008, illustrates that human security still largely remains to be “found along the margins of subaltern security discourses” (Caballero-Anthony, 2004, p. 158). It falls short of promoting or even clearly defining human security (Dosch, 2008; Emmerson, 2008a). Due to the lack of consensus among the member states, it also does not unambiguously endorse democracy and human rights. The Charter reiterates the creation of the long discussed human rights body, but remains unclear about its functions (ASEAN, 2007a, Art. 14). The fifteenth ASEAN summit in Thailand in October 2009 institutionalised the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). In the near future, though, it will resemble a tame tiger, domesticated by politicians and bureaucrats (one from each member state) rather than unleashed by civil society representatives (Ashayagachat, 2009). Consequently, South-East Asian civil right groups such as the ASEAN People’s Assembly (APA) and the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA) have been highly critical of these shortcomings (Collins, 2008; Dosch, 2008; SAPA, 2006). The reason why ASEAN is so cautious in promoting human security is that this concept has a strong political and democratic connotation (Acharya, 2008; Kerr, 2007). Although its human security concept is still a work in progress (Emmerson, 2008a), it 56 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia is likely that the organisation will in the foreseeable future further stress the statecentric and the non-political dimension, e.g. economic, social, educational, and health aspects. An illustration of the depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ approach is Article 1, Paragraph 7 of the ASEAN Charter. It lists the strengthening of democracy and human rights among its purposes, yet under the caveat of paying “due regard to the rights and responsibilities of the Member States of ASEAN”. Applying the theoretical framework of securitisation, depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’, outlined in chapter 2.1, the next part will examine whether the Association’s anti-terror policies are able to promote human security – and what kind of version. 3. ASEAN’s Counter-Terrorism Policies 3.1. The Terrorist Threat in South-East Asia: The ‘Second Front’ in the ‘War on Terror’ Only after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001 (9/11), did terrorist threats from and within South-East Asia come into the global spotlight. The Bush administration started to view the region as the ‘second front’ in its ‘war on terror’. It feared South-East Asia with its weak states, history of political violence, high levels of poverty, and porous borders could become a safe haven or at least a region “of convenience” for al Qaeda and other terrorist groups from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (Abuza, 2003a, p. 135; Tay, 2003, pp. 97-98). Indeed, already in the early 1990s al Qaeda had strengthened its networks with national and local South-East Asian terrorist groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) or the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) (Abuza, 2005, pp. 38-39; Acharya & Acharya, 2007, pp. 76-78; Desker, 2003, pp. 420-423; Gunaratna, 2007, pp. 423-427; Jones, Smith, & Weeding, 2003, pp. 444-450). All in all, over the last several years political Islam in South-East Asia has increasingly become radicalised and transnationalised (Abuza, 2003b, p. 4). Even though terrorism has figured on ASEAN’s political agenda since the mid-1990s, prior to 9/11 this threat had not promoted a deep common response. The main reason is that ASEAN was – and still is – confronted with other, more strategic challenges. Foremost among them was to prevent a possible power struggle in East Asia after the end of the Cold War. Thus the Association was keen to engage Japan and China in new multilateral structures, e.g. the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Asia- 57 ASEAS 3(1) Europe Meeting (ASEM) (Gerstl, 2008, pp. 121-122; Khong, 1997; Leifer, 1996). Today, a core strategic necessity for ASEAN is to engage India and the US more effectively in the regional structures and to ensure the organisation’s predominance in regard to institution-building, especially as Australia and Japan have promoted their own plans for a new institutional architecture. Only at first glance has the Bush administration’s labelling of South-East Asia as the “second front” in the “war on terror” ever seemed appropriate (Gershman, 2002; Hamilton-Hart, 2005). Indeed, al Qaeda had strengthened its regional networks in the 1990s and due to its transnational and anti-Western ideology, the Indonesian JI posed – and still poses – a threat to the wider region. The group aims to establish an Islamic caliphate, encompassing parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Similar to al Qaeda, it is organised in loose, transnational networks. At the end of the 1990s, these so-called mantiqis were active even in Australia (Abuza, 2005, pp. 43-54). After ‘Bali’, the intensified collaboration of the Indonesian police and law enforcement agencies with their regional and Western counterparts and a new transnational focus of national counter-terrorism policies in South-East Asia in general have yielded concrete results (Chow, 2005, pp. 302-303; Jones & Smith, 2006, p. 196; Jones, Smith & Warding, 2003, pp. 443-444). Prominent examples are the arrest, trial, and execution of the Bali bombers in 2008 and the killing of Noordin Mohamad Top, a key JI organiser, in September 2009. The constant murder of innocent people has also eroded JI´s support base (Emmerson, 2009). Internal JI disputes about the legitimacy of violence have further weakened the movement (Australian Department of Defence, 2007, pp. 35-37; Chalk & Ungerer, 2008, p. 11;). Despite all these efforts and achievements, JI has managed to commit further terrorist attacks in Indonesia, e.g. on the Marriot hotel in Jakarta in 2003 or in Bali in 2004. The terrorist attacks on the Marriot and Ritz Carlton hotels in Jakarta in July 2009 illustrated once again that terrorism still imperils parts of South-East Asia. Yet, there remain distinct differences from the ‘first front’. Unlike in the Middle East or Western Asia, Islam has in South-East Asia been traditionally regarded as far more moderate. In the past, radical Middle Eastern groups struggled to popularise their rigid form of Islamism. Amitav and Arabinda Acharya (2007, p. 79) thus claim: “Southeast Asian groups would renounce violence and focus on political means as long as the end result is the establishment of an Islamic state or the implementation 58 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia of Islamic jurisprudence.” Another important difference to the Middle East is that, despite the anti-US sentiments of many South-East Asian citizens, in particular during George Bush’s presidency, Washington’s strategic preponderance is not contested among the political leaders. There are also no rogue states in the region that would sponsor terrorism. Terrorism and political violence are neither a new phenomenon in South-East Asia nor have they been merely transplanted to the region by foreign groups (Chalk, Rabasa, Rosenau, & Piggeot, 2009, p. 1). Indonesia and Vietnam fought bloody wars for their independence. After their independence, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam were threatened by Communist insurgencies, and in other parts of the region militant ethno-nationalist movements and domestic religious groups were active. While during the Cold War external powers such as the Soviet Union and China actively supported Communist rebels, political violence and terrorism today have home-grown causes. Foremost among them are poverty and underdevelopment, the economic and social marginalisation of ethnic or religious minorities, weak or nonexistent public institutions, and the lack of public participation and democracy in general (Gershman, 2002, pp. 61 & 68; International Crisis Group, 2005).4 Radical Islamism thus offers an apparent alternative for disenfranchised parts of society. However, the Malaysian government, for instance, did not respond with political reforms to minimise legitimate criticism but portrayed even moderate Islamic movements as local partners in al Qaeda’s terrorist network (cf. Abuza, 2005; Gunaratna, 2005). The strict application of the Internal Security Act against terrorists and harmless regime opponents alike has been criticised by NGOs (Human Rights Watch, 2005; Humphreys, 2009; Jordan, 2009). 3.2. Criminalisation, Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ While after 9/11 Washington’s political pressure to strengthen national and regional counter-terrorism policies was a crucial external driving force for deepening ASEAN’s anti-terror efforts,5 the transnational impacts of the Bali bombings in October 2002 4 According to the Freedom House Index, only Indonesia qualifies as a “free” democracy, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are regarded as partly free, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam as not free (Freedom House, 2008; cf. Köllner, 2008). 5 In the Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism of the Heads of State or Government in November 2001, ASEAN did “unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms the horrifying terrorist attacks” of 9/11 (ASEAN, 2001a; italics in original). 59 ASEAS 3(1) must be regarded as the main trigger (Jones & Smith, 2006, p. 196). Prior to the terror attacks on the popular island, Jakarta denied the existence of any terrorist threats in the country (Dillon, 2003, p. 4). In general, the domestic focus of the South-East Asian police and law enforcement authorities prevailed (Jones, Smith, & Werding, 2003, pp. 443-444). The bombings, however, illustrated to the international community the deadly danger of terrorism in South-East Asia or, to be precise, in parts of South-East Asia. Terrorism is a real threat, although, due to political interests of the regimes or other security actors, its dangers can be either exaggerated or minimised. Crucial for the securitisation of a threat is, according to the Copenhagen School, whether the key decision-makers, e.g. politicians or the media, succeed in convincing a specific target group through a discursive ‘speech act’, i.e. speeches, declarations, articles, and concrete political measures (Acharya, 2006, p. 247), that a certain danger poses an existential threat to a specific referent object (Buzan, Wæver, & de Wilde, 1998; Emmers, 2007). The latter can be the state, the regime, the economy, society, the environment, or individuals. This article, however, asserts that the securitisation conception of the Copenhagen School would not be rendered excessively vague or meaningless if it were to include non-existential threats. One reason for this is that existential threats are subjective and even relative too. A terrorist attack in the vulnerable city-state Singapore, for instance, could cause existential damage, yet this would not necessarily be the case in a megalopolis such as Jakarta. Moreover, the majority of the South-East Asian governments are authoritarian regimes, thus they do already possess extraordinary powers. Therefore, unlike in the US, the United Kingdom or Australia, there was no political need for the South-East Asian governments to discursively portray terrorism as an existential threat in order to justify new legislative measures to limit certain individual rights in the ‘war against terror’ (cf. Wolfendale, 2007). In the analysis of how ASEAN has securitised terrorism, this article regards the ASEAN leaders and the ministers of the interior and security affairs as the main security actors (cf. Emmers, 2003, p. 423). The ‘speech act’ consists of the ASEAN counter-terrorism declarations, the ASEAN Counter Terrorism Convention (ACTC), the ASEAN Charter, and speeches given by the former Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong. The referent objects that need to be secured are the state, the regime, the economy, society, and individuals (ASEAN, 2001a, 2007b). However, in the state- 60 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia centric South-East Asian region – as in the developing world in general – the often inseparable national and regime security have political priority for the elites (Acharya, 2006; Caballero-Anthony, 2004). The target groups the ASEAN leaders needed to convince about the requirement to collectively address the severe threat of terrorism were, first, their more sceptical counterparts. Mainly the Indochinese politicians were reluctant to deepen their national and the regional anti-terror efforts, due to a different threat assessment. Secondly, in Indonesia and other countries with a large Muslim population, the politicians had to demonstrate to this audience that neither the national nor the ASEAN counter-terrorism policies in general resemble Washington’s narrow and unpopular anti-terror approach. Thirdly, the ASEAN security actors had to assure the international community, notably the United States, of their commitment to the global struggle against terrorism. The discourse analysis of ASEAN’s ‘speech act’ since the mid-1990s shows that the ASEAN leaders have made a realistic assessment of the different threat perceptions and counter-terrorism capabilities of the member states. The declarations prove that the organisation is aware of the complex and concrete challenges terrorism presents to many South-East Asian societies. Nevertheless, ASEAN regards terrorism not as an existential but as a “profound” and “serious” threat to state, regime, economic, societal as well as international, regional and individual security (ASEAN, 2001a; 2007b). In particular Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines are endangered by terrorism and related criminal offences such as money laundering and weapons smuggling. Terrorism, however, is not a major concern for the Indochinese nations (United States Department of State Publication, 2009, ch. 2; Foot, 2008). Consequently, as ASEAN’s ‘speech act’ illustrates, terrorism is certainly neither a ubiquitous threat nor the core challenge ASEAN faces. In addition, the former Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong poses: “I believe that terrorism is not simply a security problem, as such it cannot be dealt with through coercive and punitive measures per se” (Chalk & Ungerer, 2008, ch. 5; Ong, 2007a, p. 19; cf. Ong, 2007b). Yet, although terrorism might have transnational effects, it is still mostly a threat that originates within the individual member states and affects primarily the individual societies. In light of the different threat perceptions and the key ASEAN principles of sovereignty and non-interference, the ASEAN states had “great incentive to be cautious and view the problem of terrorism in term of domestic, not region wide, 61 ASEAS 3(1) implications” (Chow, 2005, p. 320). Thus the regional counter-terrorism approach is necessarily built on the lowest common denominator and inspired by national rather than regional interests. The political consensus ASEAN could achieve in order to deepen regional cooperation was, firstly, to securitise terrorism as a transnational crime (ASEAN, 1997, 1999, 2001a, 2004a, 2004b, 2005, 2007b, Art. II).6 Yet there was no consensus for a regional definition of terrorism. In the ACTC, ASEAN only makes references to the respective United Nations conventions, highlighting the criminal dimension of terrorism (ASEAN, 2007b, Art. II; cf. Acharya & Acharya, 2007, p. 75; Emmers, 2003, p. 429). As a direct consequence of its ‘ASEANisation’ method – the contextualisation of a security threat or political issue under the principles of sovereignty, non-interference and regime legitimacy, ASEAN has subsequently depoliticised its anti-terrorism policies. Both depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ (or ASEAN-Way-framing) aim to depoliticise a securitised topic, thus they must be regarded as highly political acts – a politicisation as defined by the Copenhagen School (Buzan, Wæver, & de Wilde, 1998, ch. 2; Emmers, 2007, pp. 111-115). In the realm of counter-terrorism, a depoliticisation seems to be necessary in South-East Asia to establish an efficient framework for bi- and minilateral co-operation, both among the ASEAN members and with outside partners such as the United States and Australia (cf. Wright-Neville, 2003). Depoliticisation means that a formerly politicised issue is now primarily regarded as a security threat that is best dealt through non-political, technical measures. Contradicting the claim of the Copenhagen School, securitisation can lead under certain circumstances to a depoliticisation – and a more promising way to resolve a concrete threat. Under this non-political framework it can still be discussed in the parliament, the media, or the public in general, yet the focus lies on the concrete, technocratic methods for conflict resolution. Yet, from a normative point of view, depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ raise serious concerns, as there is no genuine public political debate about the counter-terrorism approach. This depoliticisation strategy is also evident in regard to ASEAN’s treatment of (political) Islam. As Islam plays a regime-legitimatising role in Malaysia and Brunei, 6 In the section “Transnational Issues”, the ASEAN website lists, among “Environment” and “Drugs”, “Transnational Crime and Terrorism” (http://www.aseansec.org/4964.htm). 62 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia and Muslims constitute either the majority of the population (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei) or at least a strong minority (Philippines, Thailand, Singapore) in certain countries, most governments also had to respond to the religious and political sensibilities of their Muslim citizens. A clear pattern in ASEAN’s ‘speech act’ is that it stresses, in accordance with its multilateralism credo, the key role of the United Nations in the global struggle against terrorism. Another implicit criticism on the US ‘war on terror’ is the argument that terrorism cannot be associated with a particular culture or religion. Consequently, ASEAN recommends a broad and inclusive intrareligious and intra-cultural dialogue on a regional and global level (ASEAN, 2001a, 2002b, 2007b). Especially after 9/11, the Bush administration has been criticised for equalling terrorism with Islam. Thus counter-terrorism collaboration with Western nations in general was regarded with distrust, possibly alienating large parts of the SouthEast Asian citizenry from their regimes (Cheng, 2006, p. 97; Tay, 2004, p. 119). This despite the fact that, initially, Washington aimed to keep a low profile, supporting its partners in capacity building and with information and intelligence sharing rather than deploying troops (Cruz De Castro, 2004, pp. 198-199; Richardson, 2001). ASEAN’s counter-terrorism pact with the US from August 2002 mirrors these aims (ASEAN, 2002a). Instrumental for the closer collaboration between the US and key countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia was that America downplayed its criticism of human rights violations in South-East Asia (Grabowski, Herold, & Jordan, 2009, pp. 197-203; Ottendörfer, 2009, p. 149). In September 2002, however, the United States proclaimed the Bush Doctrine that stressed the “right” of the US to conduct pre-emptive strikes against alleged terrorist bases in foreign countries (The White House, 2002, pp. 15-16). This doctrine amounts to a clear violation of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity – and thus International Law. As large parts of the South-East Asian population became increasingly critical of the US due to the war in Iraq and the perceived anti-Muslim bias of Washington’s policies in general, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, unlike Singapore and Manila, had to publicly downplay their increased co-operation with the US (Tay, 2004, pp. 119-123). At the end of 2003 Washington started to subscribe to ASEAN’s comprehensive and less militaristic counter-terrorism approach. In general, “(t)he Bush administration’s approach to Asia did not deviate significantly from the historic 63 ASEAS 3(1) principles of U.S. Asian strategy” (Cossa et al., 2009, p. 14). However, due to the global ‘war on terror’, in particular the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and Washington’s continuing support for Israel, till the election of Barack Obama as US president in 2008 a critical perception of the US policies towards South-East Asia among the broader public prevailed (S Leong, personal communication, 9 December 2008). Under Obama, who has spent his childhood in Indonesia, the US has signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) which signalled a new commitment towards multilateralism. As yet, Washington has still to fulfil its policies with concrete actions. 3.3. Realism and Pragmatism: The Creation of a Legal Regional Framework for Bi- and Subregional Counter-Terrorism Co-operation Since the Bali bombings in 2002, ASEAN’s process of strengthening regional counter-terrorism collaboration has become more structured and formalised. The organisation held a series of ministerial, senior diplomat, and other expert meetings to foster transnational co-operation. In this regard, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), consisting of the ministers of the interior, the chiefs of police and drug experts, played a crucial steering role. Politically, ASEAN has since 2002 concentrated on establishing a regional, legallybased framework to harmonise the national counter-terrorism laws as base for bi- and minilateral co-operation (Millar, Rosand, & Ipe, 2007, p. 8; Nathan, 2003, p. 256; Ong, 2007a, p. 19; Rose & Nestorovska, 2005, p. 167;). The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, for instance, have in 2002 agreed to upgrade their anti-terrorism collaboration and increase intelligence sharing; in 2003, Thailand, Cambodia and Brunei joined this mechanism (Acharya & Acharya, 2007, pp. 83-84; Dillon, 2003). Yet Singapore, which possesses the most sophisticated counter-terrorism capabilities in the region, is still hesitant to share sensitive data with regional partners regarded as less reliable. This behaviour illustrates the need for increased confidence-building and a further depoliticisation of national counter-terrorism policies (cf. Wright-Neville, 2003, p. 6). An example for the latter is how Singapore and Indonesia deal with the spread of so-called “wrong ideologies” or a “distorted view of Islam” (Allard, 2009). Role models for the re-education of terrorists that ASEAN proposes are Singapore and Indonesia, which have implemented correction and re-education programs. In 64 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia both countries, civil society organisations play a strong role in engaging convicted terrorists and their families and communities in a broad dialogue that also includes communal and spiritual leaders (cf. Azra, 2003, pp. 53-55; Jones, 2009). The major achievement of ASEAN’s struggle against terrorism and in the promotion of respective regional co-operation is the ASEAN Counter Terrorism Convention of 2007. The ACTC is a binding convention, although it is not yet in force. Even after a successful ratification process (so far only Singapore and Thailand have ratified it) the instruments identified in the ACTC to deepen regional co-operation, e.g. mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and even the possible extradition of terrorist suspects (Art. XIII), are not strong enough to prevent and suppress terrorist acts. Overall, Malaysia’s criticism is justified: Most of the ACTC’s aims and instruments only mirror provisions made in the respective UN counter-terrorism conventions. The majority of the ASEAN members, however, have not signed or ratified these conventions (Chalk & Ungerer, 2008, p. 41). Realistically, the ACTC’s focus lies once again on improving national counter-terrorism capabilities. As Zachary Abuza (2003c, p. 192) points out, “The real problem with multilateral efforts is that successful multilateralism must be built upon the foundation of a strong and effective domestic legislation and enforcement capacity”.7 The areas that need to be addressed with more rigour are according to ASEAN (2007b) itself an agreement on a common list of terrorist groups and individual terrorist suspects, stricter border control mechanisms, increased regional policing, the exchange of passenger data and the prevention of counterfeiting identity papers and travel documents. Efforts to prevent the financing of terrorist groups and money laundering have also been highlighted. Notably the traditional informal Islamic money transfer system (hawala), also widespread in South-East Asia, is difficult to control (Abuza, 2003c, pp. 172-183; Ramakrishna, 2005, pp. 149-150). Border insecurity in South-East Asia with its negative impacts on terrorism and illegal migration, in particular via Indonesia, is also a major concern for Australia. Canberra has thus further deepened its collaboration with Jakarta, providing financial support and technical advice for the Indonesian military and police as well as training for legal and financial specialists (Chalk & Ungerer, 2008, pp. 35-42). Due to 7 To strengthen national capacities through regional training and capacity building programs is the mission of the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism (SEARCCT), established in Kuala Lumpur in 2003. Yet the SEARCCT it is still under-resourced. 65 ASEAS 3(1) the increase in illegal immigrants from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan to Australia since 2009, the Rudd government, facing an election at the end of 2010, has strengthened its respective policing and military co-operation with Indonesia. In general, Canberra has returned under Rudd to emphasising policing in its counter-terrorism policies. The conservative Howard government preferred a hard power approach, mirroring the policies of its key ally Washington (cf. Pickering, McCulloch, & Wright-Neville, 2008). The widespread perception of Australia as the US’s deputy sheriff, however, limited Canberra’s influence in South-East Asia (Cruz de Castro, 2004, p. 210). Border security and money laundering are also challenges which the ASEAN Regional Forum aims to address. Another multilateral forum that has dealt with terrorism is the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC). Yet the Sydney summit in 2007 demonstrated the difficulty in getting such a politically diverse forum to implement strong common counter-terrorism measures (Gerstl, 2007, p. 87).8 A less political and more informal approach, such as that which the Bush administration has pursued, is more likely to deliver results, in particular as “some ASEAN members are worried that the West-centric counter-terrorism agenda is forcing institutional change within APEC in favour of a more legalistic, formal framework”, dominated by Western norms and procedures (Ogilvie-White, 2006, p. 12). In regard to the deepening of regional counter-terrorism efforts, ASEAN’s depoliticisation strategy has been instrumental and positive. The ‘ASEANisation’ method has on the one hand contributed to reaching a political consensus among ASEAN members and developing specific counter-terrorism measures, while on the other hand however it has proved an impediment to a credible and strong common counter-terrorism approach. An illustration is the ACTC’s strict sovereignty clause (Art. III, IV and V) that enables a regime to declare national conflicts, even with potential transnational repercussions, to be purely domestic issues, thus preventing ASEAN from intervening (cf. Helmke, 2009, p. 5). However, read in a more positive light, the ACTC is at least a political signal of a more rule-based common counterterrorism policy, although ASEAN has the power neither to enforce the ACTC norms nor to settle disputes among its members if different interpretations of the ACTC obligations arise (cf. Art. XIX). To sum up, the ACTC, emphasising state and 8 On a technical level, APEC created in 2003 a Counter Terrorism Task Force which has proved successful. It monitors the implementation of national anti-terror efforts in the realm of trade policies and provides information to member states (Rosand et al., 2008, p. 17). 66 Alfred Gerstl - The Depoliticisation and ‘ASEANisation’ of Counter-Terrorism Policies in South-East Asia regime rather than individual security, is completely in line with ASEAN’s overall understanding of comprehensive and human security. 4. Conclusion: ASEAN’s Counter-Terrorism Policies as a Trigger for an ‘ASEANised’ and Fragmented Version of Human Security Despite the increase in non-traditional threats in the last three decades, the South-East Asian governments still primarily regard the world form a neorealist point of view. Both comprehensive security and the evolving notion of a more peopleoriented understanding of security have thus been ‘ASEANised’. ASEAN’s counterterrorism policies reflect this state- and regime-centric view of security as well as the organisation’s pragmatic, realist and voluntarist approach towards regional collaboration. In its policies, the Association does not go beyond the mandate of the member states. Even before 9/11, ASEAN was aware of the need to combat terrorism. The terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and in particular on the Bali nightclubs, though, were the main catalyst for a stronger anti-terror approach in South-East Asia. Due to the different threat perceptions and counterterrorism capabilities of its members as well as political sensibilities in regard to the perceived anti-Muslim bias of Washington’s ‘war on terror’, ASEAN’s anti-terrorism efforts have not been translated into a robust regional approach: the organisation could only agree to securitise terrorism as a transnational crime. Consequently, it has depoliticised and ‘ASEANised’ its anti-terrorism policies, thus enabling its members to co-operate on a legal-technical rather than political basis. This achievement, however, can be only a first step in a more credible approach. At this very moment, however, ASEAN’s anti-terrorism objectives may not lack vision – but ambition. In all its declarations, ASEAN basically recommends only the signing and ratification of the 16 UN counter-terrorism conventions, the multilateral exchange of intelligence, the sharing of best practice models, and the strengthening of national police and law enforcement capabilities in general. Due to the differing levels of political will and the different capabilities to effectively combat terrorism in South-East Asia, it is highly unlikely that ASEAN will ever “qualify as an anti-terrorist coalition” (Dillon, 2003, p. 1) Therefore to allow an inner circle, notably Bangkok, 67 ASEAS 3(1) Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, to co-operate in more depth with each other and outside powers (consensus minus X) seems a promising concept. In accordance with its comprehensive security view, ASEAN demonstrates in its ‘speech act’ that terrorism is in South-East Asia not only a security threat but in many countries reflects discontent due to underdevelopment, poverty, and a lack of education. Thus the Association acknowledges that a criminalisation of terrorism without considering the context of the problem is not sufficient to combat it. Thus, despite and precisely due to its depoliticised character, ASEAN’s anti-terror policies can further trigger the notion of human security in the region, although this will also be an ASEAN-Way-framed and thus fragmented version, focused on the non-political aspects of human security. For instance, ASEAN might play down discontent with the lack of democracy and human rights as a potential cause for political violence and terrorism. All in all, in its anti-terror declarations and the ASEAN Charter, the organisation emphasises the provision of socioeconomic development, the eradication of poverty, and the implementation of long-term reforms in the economic, social, and education sectors. ASEAN also stresses the requirement for an inclusive but non-political dialogue with all stakeholders (ASEAN, 2007a, 2007b; Ong, 2007b). Yet all these socalled people-oriented programs have a long-term focus on human development; human rights are not a major concern. Furthermore, as the Charter demonstrates, these initiatives are still primarily framed under state and regime security. ASEAN’s counter-terrorism approach does therefore promote a piecemeal version of human security. However, as anti-terror politics are not the main strategic priority for ASEAN, counter-terrorism is only a weak catalyst for implementing an ‘ASEANised’ form of human security. The reason for the restrictive interpretation of human security is that SouthEast governments are aware that the implementation of this concept could pose a risk to their regime stability. To depoliticise and ‘ASEANise’ human security might offer a short-term solution for the non-democratic regimes. Yet, due to their output logic, there is rising domestic political pressure to cope with these threats more effectively. 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Retrieved 21 October 2009, from http://www.aseansec.org/21620.htm 75 ASEAS 3(1) Aktuelle Südostasienforschung / Current Research on South-East Asia A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? ASEAN-EU Interregionalism in the Light of Non-Traditional Security Crises in South-East Asia Naila Maier-Knapp1 University of Canterbury, New Zealand ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at The aim of this article is to assess the European Union’s (EU) engagement with and within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in the field of non-traditional security (NTS) between 1997 and 2009, prior to the Lisbon Treaty becoming effective. The analysis concentrates on the EU’s response to five NTS crises and the interregional level of interaction from a sector-specific governance and social-constructivist approach. These crises are the avian influenza, the political conflict and the tsunami in Aceh, the Bali bombings and the Asian financial crisis (AFC) in South-East Asia. The case studies illustrate EU NTS action and gauge EU NTS actorness from a South-East Asian perspective to substantiate the EU’s interregional interaction and external actorness quality in specific fields of governance in a region so far away. Keywords: European Union (EU), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Non-Traditional Security (NTS), Interregionalism, Actorness Dieser Artikel analysiert die Zusammenarbeit der Europäischen Union (EU) mit den Mitgliedsstaaten der Vereinigung südostasiatischer Nationen (ASEAN) im Bereich nicht-traditioneller Sicherheit (NTS) zwischen 1997 und 2009, also noch vor Inkrafttreten des Vertrages von Lissabon. Fünf NTS-Krisen (Vogelgrippe, politischer Konflikt und Tsunami in Aceh, Bombenanschläge auf Bali sowie Asien-Finanzkrise), die Reaktionen der EU auf diese, sowie die entsprechenden Interaktionen auf der interregionalen Kooperationsebene stehen im Mittelpunkt der Analyse, welche einen sozialkonstruktivistischen und sektorspezifischen Governance-Ansatz verfolgt. Die Fallstudien legen die NTS-Aktivitäten der EU dar und bieten eine Einschätzung ihrer Akteursqualität aus südostasiatischer Perspektive. Des Weiteren wird versucht, die Qualität der interregionalen europäisch-südostasiatischen Interaktionen und der EU-Akteursqualität in ausgewählten Governance-Bereichen in einer derart weit entfernten Region darzustellen. Schlagworte: Europäische Union (EU), Vereinigung Südostasiatischer Nationen (ASEAN), NichtTraditionelle Sicherheit (NTS), Interregionalismus, Akteursqualität 1 Naila Maier-Knapp is PhD candidate at the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE), University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Contact: [email protected] 76 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? Introduction I believe that the EU and Asia, and ASEAN in particular, have continued to build upon a warm and enduring friendship, based on shared values and interests and common understanding. And I remain convinced, that over the longer term, the solid foundations of this lasting friendship may prove to have been a much better basis on which to construct a stronger future economic partnership, rather than a sudden whirlwind romance leading to a potentially equally quick and acrimonious divorce! (O’Sullivan, 2006, pp. 9-10) Solidarity, partnership and friendship are among the many terms in the European Union’s (EU) rhetoric towards the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The question here is whether this rhetoric of amity translates into factual and tangible interaction of a true friendship2. Or are these merely flowery phrases that are actually not substantiated by EU agency beyond economically motivated action? Is the EU a friend in deed and not merely a friend in rhetoric? To substantiate the EU’s actorness3 when South-East Asia is in need, the analysis will focus on a selection of distinctive cases of non-traditional security (NTS) crises in South-East Asia that have had a devastating impact prompting external assistance. The article will examine co-operation in the multilateral frameworks of the ASEANEU dialogue and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and allude to other multilateral institutions where the two regional organisations and their member states meet, to draw conclusions on actual European NTS actorness and visibility and the interregional ASEAN-EU level of contribution to tackling the crises. The ASEAN member states constitute the sociological other of the EU’s interregional interaction defining EU security actorness according to their security conceptualisation. This perspective is adopted by the article and serves as the reference point for measuring the EU’s actorness. In this context, actorness is the EU’s quality of having an impact on and shaping the ASEAN members’ state of affairs. It goes beyond mere action and is linked to the visibility and general perceptions by the sociological other. The succeeding paragraphs will define other central concepts and provide the setting for the subsequent analysis. 2 This term is to be understood as a rhetorical means and not as an ideal variable for gauging the relationship. 3 In this article the concept of ‘actorness’ is understood along the lines of Jürgen Rüland’s definition, which identifies an international entity as displaying actorness if it is identifiable and if it can aggregate and formulate its interests and implement these in its decision-making. 77 ASEAS 3(1) Interregionalism This article assumes Heiner Hänggi’s definition of interregionalism as the classification of a group-to-group type of interaction associated with old interregionalism4 (Hänggi, 2000, p. 4) and extends it to EU NTS interaction of today. This implies that the interregional actorness relates to both the EU as a political entity represented by either the member states in the intergovernmental Common Foreign and Security Policy or by the European Commission (EC) in conjunction with ASEAN member states. Interregionalism can be in the form of the intergovernmental European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) representing the EU in the case of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) or on a supranational basis building on the EC’s community competences such as in the shape of the Instrument for Stability or referring to the ASEAN-EU Joint Cooperation Committee. Since elaboration on the internal dimension of the EU’s external policy-making in the following case studies would extend the scope of this paper, the author regards the interplay of the EU institutions and their involvement in the EU external policy-making procedures and the institutional problems associated with this process as given. In addition to the emphasis on the interregional dimension, the article will also take into account bilateral responses between the individual ASEAN and EU member states in order to contextualise the interregional activities. Non-Traditional Security In South-East Asia, alongside the importance of traditional military security, NTS is playing an increasingly important role in the light of the vulnerabilities of ASEAN member states to unconventional threats (Acharya, Caballero-Anthony, & Emmers, 2006; Caballero-Anthony, 2009; Dosch, 2003). NTS is a relatively new security concept that has been introduced to capture the broadening and deepening of the security and threat agenda after the end of the Cold War (Buzan, Waever, & de Wilde, 1998). It describes security related to any form of threat perception that is short of the traditional state versus state pattern. Accordingly, NTS threats have a diverse nature. For instance, they can be ecological, terrorist and pandemic among others. In theory, 4 In general, old interregionalism is correlated to the first wave of regionalism linked to the European Community’s trade and aid activities with regional groupings starting in the 1970s. For a detailed discussion of this form of interregionalism see, for instance, Hänggi (2006) or Söderbaum & Langenhove (2006). 78 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? NTS redefines the security referent and thus necessitates new non-military security approaches.5 In South-East Asia the redefinition of the individual as the security referent is less prominent and Paul Evans explains the resistance to connecting non[-]traditional security to human security is declining, though some remain worried that at least the narrow conception of human security is either inappropriate to Asia or will slow progress in getting state action in addressing the non-traditional security agenda. What is distinctive about many of the approaches to non[-]traditional security is (1) that they are ambiguous about whether the referent of security is the state or the individual and do not dwell on tensions between the two; and (2) that its advocates normally emphasi[s]e the state and state-centric means as the best ways of responding to these threats, normally preferring to address these issues within their own states rather than on a regional basis (Evans, 2004, p. 277). Despite the potential of NTS to shift the security referent focus away from the state towards the individual in society and to open possibilities of non-military or civilmilitary solutions, there still appears to be state- and military-centrism regarding NTS within ASEAN member states. Ongoing ASEAN member state rivalries and the â€œomni-enmeshmentâ€?6 of external powers are among the prominent variables shaping a security environment in line with the realist paradigm of hard power and state centrality. Given this security environment in South-East Asia that revolves around statecentrism and hard security, one may wonder what security role there is for the EU to play in a region so far from Europe. The Non-Traditional Security Opportunity NTS crises present an opportunity for the EU to play a stabilising role in the region. This role does not draw on hard power and strategic actorness in the narrow military sense. Instead, the EU assists, engages and achieves normalcy, security and stability predominantly through non-robust and civilian means that are not necessarily considered to be security instruments. Despite some EU scepticism towards the concept, NTS renders it possible for the EU to help ASEAN member states with its full panoply of assistance measures. These range from development and humanitarian assistance to military assistance and allow the EU to be perceived as a security actor by the other side, although the European perspective does not rate all ASEAN NTS 5 This redefinition of the security referent and the general individualisation of post-Cold War security have been described in detail by Hoadley (2006). 6 A term coined by Evelyn Goh to characterise South-East Asiaâ€™s security order, e.g. in Goh (2005). 79 ASEAS 3(1) categories as security threats (EU High Representative Javier Solana, 2003). Hence, one may observe that from a South-East Asian perspective the EU already naturally behaves in an ‘identity-guided’ way; that is, it acts as an NTS crisis manager according to a pacifist and co-operative rationale that is guided by the founding values of the EU itself (European Union member states, 2007, title V, article 1.1.4). The Friends The interregional partnership between the European Economic Community and the ASEAN member states dates back to the 1970s. During the Cold War, ASEAN showed great interest in the then European Community’s integrationist, economic and external trade qualities. Back then the European Community seemed less interested in ASEAN. However, since Hans-Dietrich Genscher’s inauguration as West Germany’s Foreign Minister in 1974, the European Political Co-operation’s external dimension went beyond the Middle East and discovered Asia, and with it ASEAN. The Asia Strategy of 1994 marked the EU’s post-Cold War rediscovery of Asia and ASEAN. It was a comprehensive document that ranged from economic to political and security to cultural co-operation reflected in the various dialogue fora in which both regional organisations meet. In spite of the multitude of newly initiated dialogue fora and the expansion of the agenda, the quality of the specific ASEAN-EU relationship had changed and become sidelined or rather a small puzzle piece in a pan-Asian approach. In the European Commission’s (EC) document on South-East Asia of 2003, the EC explicitly stated that the “[p]olitical dialogue should, to the extent possible, concentrate on region to region subjects of interest and concern, leaving global issues to ASEM” (European Commission, 2003, p. 13). In addition to this, another critical aspect is that despite the advancement of the EU’s relationship with ASEAN and its member states to a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional friendship that echoes traces of a common lifeworld7, one rightly wonders about the EU’s true colours; not least, because of its 7 Jürgen Habermas argues that the social actors who interact dialectically by seeking mutual understanding of the situation, intention, and action in order to agree to a reasoned consensus as the goal of the interaction must share a Lebenswelt (lifeworld). Habermas defines lifeworld as “the transcendental site where speaker and hearer meet, where they can reciprocally raise claims that their utterances fit the world (objective, social, or subjective), and where they can critici[s]e and confirm those validity claims, settle their disagreements, and arrive at agreements… Speakers and hearers come to an understanding from out of their common lifeworld about something in the objective, social, 80 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? nebulous way of expressing its normative and material interests. The squabbles over Myanmar, human rights, and EU double standards have contributed to an obscure picture of the EU as a value-lecturing economic actor in the region (ASEAN member state official, personal communication, 21 November 2008). Self-proclaimed role concepts ranging from soft power to civilian power sometimes appear incongruent with the EU’s external actions. EU officials themselves admit that the EU is not clear in its external relations. It is explained, however, as a necessary aspect for the EU’s external relations in maintaining its international competitiveness on the one hand while living up to its values and normative standards on the other (EU official, personal communication, 16 February 2009). The current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement negotiations with individual ASEAN countries – after the EU’s interregional approach failed – verifies that the EU is indeed to some extent consistent in projecting its core founding values (ASEAN member state official, personal communication, 15 December 2008). However, these negotiations have also displayed the failure of the interregional dimension with ASEAN and an alleged increasing flexibility in wording on the EU side. This alleged flexibility in wording does not signify the corruption of the EU’s core values but can be, for example, a different nuance in the formulation of EU values and principles (EU official, personal communication, 16 February 2009). Interacting with the EU remains a confusing experience from time to time. In general, the EU’s external relations are a balancing act between interests and values and norms depending on the counterpart’s bargaining power, the issue-area of the dialogue, the type of dialogue forum (e.g. bilateral versus multilateral), and other elements the discussion of which would extend the scope of this article. Important for this paper are not the individual elements but the mere premise that the EU considers that these materialist and ideational factors and their interplay to be vital in the EU’s decision-making process for the outside world. It appears that the official EU rhetoric of friendship and its insistence on ideational commonalities with ASEAN are more forced than natural. In spite of the EU’s long-standing and comprehensive interregional relationship with ASEAN that or subjective worlds” (1987, p. 126). When communicating, the actors make truth or validity claims and refer to the common lifeworld as their source of justification. Depending on the degree of divergence of the lifeworlds, international actors will find it easier or harder to come up with a shared normative pre-understanding in order to establish an arena for meaningful interaction and a deep and long-term co-operation. 81 ASEAS 3(1) has managed to survive the Myanmar and East Timor issues and other cases of ideational disagreements, ASEAN-EU interregionalism has not progressed to a deep dialogue and channel of co-operation of major priority to either side. ASEAN’s postCold War orientation has shifted mainly to the regional powers in its neighbourhood. In particular, China has been increasingly engaged in various bilateral, regional and sub-regional dialogue structures and co-operative projects. From the EU perspective, ASEAN and its member states have always lived in the shadow of others, be it African countries when it comes to the EU’s development policy or be it, formerly, Japan and currently, India and China when it comes to the EU’s external trade policy with Asia. In the last decade, some ASEAN member states have found it difficult to cope with the various forms of NTS crises that have struck the region. These crises and, in particular, the tsunami of December 2004 have raised the EU’s awareness of ASEAN and have displayed a niche where the EU as a latecomer can gain ground in the region. In fact, Evans has already observed an increase in both European Track 1 and 2 involvements in the region since 1996 (Evans, 2000). The EU’s accession to ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), its non-strategic nature in South-East Asia, its emphasis on the soft security paradigm and its possession of humanitarian, civilian and crisis management capabilities with which it can face a broad spectrum of NTS threats make the EU, in theory, a suitable partner for ASEAN member states in this field. Moreover, NTS crises within ASEAN are ideal opportunities for the EU to provide assistance, display its multi-headed and -dimensional actorness, and exert influence as a new type of political and security actor and to demonstrate the real quality of this interregional friendship. True Colours of a Friend The EU is one of the most advanced regional organisations with regard to preparedness for transnational and NTS crisis scenarios. The following case studies will outline the EU’s activities with and within ASEAN member states after NTS crises in South-East Asia and analyse whether the EU has managed to translate its NTS potential into tangible actorness. 82 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? Avian Influenza In the case of a pandemic influenza or other communicable and pathogenic diseases the regional comparative studies on pandemic influenza preparedness suggest that the EU model of co-ordination with the individual national plans can be exemplary for other regions. Among others, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been recommending the European model in terms of legislation, contingency planning, approaches to surveillance and veterinary services for the Asia-Pacific region (Coker & Mounier-Jack, 2006, p. 26). The WHO and others believe that the Asia-Pacific and other regions can learn from the European model and experience. In 2003, an avian influenza outbreak threatened South-East Asia. The individual member states were affected differently and effective national responses were dependent on the degree of development of each member state. Regional coordination among the ASEAN member states was marginal in the immediate aftermath of the crisis. International organisations such as the WHO were vital in tackling the crisis. In 2006, the WHO established a Regional Pandemic Preparedness Plan to complement national poultry control plans as well as human epidemic plans. Until now, there are ASEAN member countries such as Vietnam which continue to experience this form of influenza (World Organisation for Animal Health, 2009). There are a variety of factors ranging from poverty to culture to political institutions that aggravate the containment of, fight against, and the development of preparedness for communicable diseases in the majority of ASEAN member states. In the case of the avian influenza, the EU possessed the expertise and resources to provide assistance to affected ASEAN member states. In comparison to ASEAN member states’ national activities that were mainly funded and supported by the international community, the EU’s direct support to ASEAN member states in the form of EC and bilateral member state to member state assistance appeared to be more like a drop in the bucket (European Commission, 2008). Beyond the marginal amount of technical and financial assistance to affected ASEAN members (e.g. the study on gender aspects of the avian influenza crisis in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand; an EU experts’ delegation and financial support to Vietnam etc.), the EU’s main activities to support affected ASEAN member states were on the international level. The EC collaborated and continues to co-operate with various international partners 83 ASEAS 3(1) such as the WHO and other third parties on aid for South-East Asia concerning the avian influenza. At the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza from 17-18 January 2006 in Beijing, the EU made available EUR80 million mainly to affected Asian countries. This amount was channelled through the Avian and Human Influenza Facility of the World Bank. So far, the EU has allocated approximately EUR413 million of the total international contribution of USD2.8 billion that is available for the international avian influenza crisis response (European Commission, 2008). Hence, the EU is the second largest donor. This case shows that the EU has played a crucial financial role in increasing the level of preparedness within the ASEAN region and elsewhere in the world. The EU’s involvement with helping South-East Asia predominantly takes place through the World Bank. This alleviates the EU’s administrative burden and reinforces the EU’s preference for multilateralism. However, being part of a bigger international coalition degrades the EU’s actual visibility and actorness on site. Specific examples of EU actorness in the form of dialogue, the provision of expertise, bilateral financial assistance and research in the region has been limited. The EU’s impact in combating the avian influenza has been virtually invisible for the South-East Asian counterpart. Furthermore, this case shows that the EU did not take full advantage of its issuespecific expertise, financial capacity, and goodwill to project its level of regional preparedness into other regions. This is linked to many reasons such as the patchy nature of the crisis itself, which affected the ASEAN member states unevenly. In addition, the underdeveloped regional cohesion in the counterpart region also played an inhibiting role for interregional action and responses. Development and Humanitarian Assistance The oldest form of European NTS assistance, which is implied in the above case, has been the EC’s and the EU member states’ development policies which indirectly target NTS threats. They pre-empt and defuse potential outbreaks of NTS crises via tackling core vulnerabilities. In spite of the EU’s and its member states’ increased efforts of mainstreaming the development-security nexus in development policies, this “appears to be more of a conceptual battleground pitching the development 84 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? and security communities against each other” (Young, 2008, p. 422). For the EC’s aid agency, EuropeAID, this linkage has not changed its primary objective, which is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and not security (EU official, personal communication, 17 February 2009). Arguably, the EuropeAID official refers to state-centric forms of security since the MDGs coincide with the concept of human security, which is a recognised security concept in the EU (European Council, 2008). This shows that the EU is struggling to strike a balance between its commitments to comprehensive security and the securitisation of policy sectors that an efficient response in South-East Asia demands. The programmes financed by EuropeAID provide a long-term dimension concerned with sustainable development and attaining the basal requirements for human security, eliminating the breeding grounds that contribute to NTS crises. In addition to the EC’s development assistance, there are also other communitarian non-security policy sectors that have specific external programmes and both indirectly and directly address the long-term dimension in the prevention of NTS crises. In accordance with the European Security Strategy (ESS) “in pursuing [its] strategic objectives[, the EU] applies … the full spectrum of instruments for crisis management and conflict prevention at [its] disposal, including political, diplomatic, military and civilian, trade and development activities” (EU High Representative Javier Solana, 2003). In rhetoric, the EU’s development policy and other policy areas complement the goals of the ESS. This strategy paper and its follow-up document of December 2008 imply that the EU’s comprehensive understanding of and approach to security is linking it with other non-security policy fields beyond the development-security nexus. From a European perspective, this does not signify a factual securitisation of the non-security policy fields but the recognition of the interconnectedness of achieving stability and security via a cross-sectoral approach. For instance, the contemporary securitised debate on climate change has led to a linkage of climate change and international security whereas a decade ago environmental issues were mainly associated with sustainable development. In the environmental field, ASEAN and the EU have been active dialogue partners on this on both informal and formal levels such as within the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) framework. By 1996, the ASEM dialogue framework provided a second channel to the ASEAN-EU dialogue forum, in which this topic could be discussed in a 85 ASEAS 3(1) wider Asian context between both sides. At ASEM 2 in London in 1998, the Chairman’s statement said to take forward work in co-operation on environmental disaster preparedness including both short and long-term programmes, such as DIPECHO [Disaster Preparedness European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office], to strengthen environmental disaster management capacities in South-East Asia to enable countries to cope better with the threats posed by disasters affecting the natural environment including forest (ASEM member states, 1998, para. 22). This statement indicates the EU’s view that South-East Asian states are having difficulties managing natural and environmental crises. It emphasises the importance of the EU’s apolitical DIPECHO programme, launched by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) in 1996, in increasing disaster preparedness in the region. Already since 1992, ECHO has been active in giving humanitarian assistance in South-East Asia and reducing the impact of earthquakes, floods typhoons, landslides, but, also of political conflicts in the region. The tsunami at the end of 2004 was such an event where within a week ECHO had its assistance mobilised and, seemingly, the EU has inverted its low interest in conflict-prone Aceh. Tsunami and Political Conflict in Aceh ECHO distributed financial assistance to UN agencies but also to non-governmental organisations that were on site. On the day of the tsunami, the EC immediately granted financial support to the International Committee of the Red Cross and activated the Community Civil Protection Mechanism which co-ordinated experts from various EU member states. Within the first weeks after the catastrophe, the EC allocated humanitarian assistance to the WHO, the UN Children’s Fund and other big agencies. The financial contribution was co-ordinated by the UN’s Office of Humanitarian Affairs to alleviate the suffering caused by the tsunami. By February 2005, ECHO had given EUR103 million for humanitarian assistance (European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, 2008). By April 2005, the EC had activated three Rapid Reaction Mechanisms (RRM) for post-tsunami recovery. Alongside the immediate humanitarian responses, the EC also aimed for long-term sustainable recovery responses. The EC and the EU member states were leading financial contributors to the multi-donor trust fund (MDF) of EUR440 million (85 percent of the total budget for Indonesia’s post-tsunami recovery was donated by the EU and its member states) for Indonesia’s recovery 86 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? and an important expertise provider for sustainable reconstruction and increasing the early-warning capacity and general preparedness of Aceh (Delegation of the European Commission to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, 2009). The Delegation of the European Commission to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam states a total of â‚Ź871.4 million has been provided and committed by the EC and EU Member States for relief efforts, reconstruction assistance and the peace process in Aceh. These contributions were provided through the MDF and direct bilateral aid through United Nations Agencies, Government of Indonesia and non-governmental organisations (Delegation of the European Commission to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, 2009). Here again, the ECâ€™s substantial financial contributions did not translate into the adequate proportional actorness visibility that one would expect given the amounts involved. Nevertheless, with regard to the ECâ€™s flanking projects and the establishment of the Europe House in Aceh, the EU was able to make its mark as a humanitarian and normative actor committed to the province. In fact, according to the perceptions study of the EU in Asia by the National Centre for Research on Europe in New Zealand, the Indonesian public was the only society in South-East Asia that perceived the EU as a normative actor and democracy promoter (National Centre for Research on Europe, 2006-ongoing). Parallel to the tsunami recovery measures, the EC as well as Javier Solana were supportive of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and the Crisis Management Initiative who brokered the peace negotiations and mediated a peace agreement between the two conflicting parties in Aceh (Schulze, 2007, p. 5). The EC funded the mediation between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Government of Indonesia (GoI) as well as the Initial Monitoring Presence of the ESDP in Aceh. The tsunami compelled the GoI to welcome humanitarian aid from outside, which among other factors facilitated the mediation process between the GAM and the GoI leading to the AMM implemented by the ESDP and five ASEAN member states. The tsunami provided the opportunity for the EU to distinguish itself as a global NTS player in response to the natural and political crises in Aceh. The political conflict in Aceh presents a different case to the previous examples of EU NTS crisis actorness in South-East Asia due to two distinct features. First, the AMM drew on the intergovernmental ESDP instrument. Second, it was launched in response to man-made violence, namely an ethno-political crisis of thirty years with 87 ASEAS 3(1) various impacts. Since the end of the Suharto administration there were two attempts at peace-talks and ceasefires prior to the EU’s engagement and both failed. In 2000, the Switzerland-based Henri Dunant Centre negotiated a humanitarian ceasefire and in 2001, the Indonesian Parliament passed a Special Autonomy Law for the territory. This legislation allowed Aceh to manage a considerable extent of its own affairs and defined a greater share for Aceh of natural resources revenues. Despite these developments GAM and the security forces continued to make individual attacks. In a second attempt to stop the violence the Henri Dunant Centre mediated the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the GoI and GAM on December 9, 2002. Its implementation was monitored by delegates from Thailand and the Philippines. Both ceasefires negotiated by the Henri-Dunant Centre were brittle and did not work since they lacked the genuine support of the antagonists. On the GAM side, the ceasefires were only welcomed for the purpose of recovery. On the GoI side, the Indonesian military and the security forces did not have an interest in creating peace with the ‘terrorists’ and had managed to contain GAM activities over two decades. In comparison to the previous peace processes, the advantage of the AMM was that it was based on an actual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that had been agreed to by both parties to the conflict as the basis of action. The mandate was clear and designed to monitor the demobilisation of GAM and monitor and assist with the decommissioning and destruction of its weapons, ammunition and explosives; monitor the relocation of non-organic military forces and non-organic police troops; monitor the reintegration of active GAM members; monitor the human rights situation and provide assistance in this field in the context of the tasks set out in points (a), (b) and (c) above; monitor the process of legislation change; rule on disputed amnesty cases; investigate and rule on complaints and alleged violations of the MoU and establish and maintain liaison and good cooperation with the parties (Council of the European Union, 2006, para. 5.2). This then became the basis for the European Council’s Joint Action. The mission has been completed and is considered to be a success since the mandate had been implemented in all its aspects to a more or less satisfying extent.8 Most importantly, there is still peace in Aceh and the region is undergoing a democratic transformation with the first parliamentary elections in 2009. The case of the AMM is different from the previous cases because it shows the EU as the essential actor in operationalising and implementing the MoU in an impartial 8 For a detailed assessment of the individual tasks please read Schulze (2009). 88 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? manner and thus effectively addressing an NTS crisis within an ASEAN country. The impact of the EU during the course of the crisis is clear and of high significance postMoU. The AMM is the first case of the EU having drawn on its specific ESDP toolkit and sending civilian troops to South-East Asia whereas in the cases of the pandemic and environmental external co-operation, the EC has been the main force behind the EU’s action. These previous NTS issue-specific cases show that the communitarian measures have been mainly in the form of verbal support through dialogue and financial and technical assistance. The AMM shows a different facet of EU actorness in South-East Asia because the EU deployed intergovernmental civil-military staff and capabilities to implement peace. The success of the AMM and the clear contribution of EU NTS actorness would have been less likely had there not been several transnational and NTS crises in the SouthEast Asian region. These crises have paved the way for this engagement by contesting the utility of upholding the principle of non-interference so cherished by ASEAN states. In 1997, following the coup d’état in Cambodia, Acting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised concerns about ASEAN’s adherence to the non-interference principle. He argued that in a time where national problems can spill over onto the regional level there should be a change of principle towards constructive intervention (Haacke, 1999, p. 582). However, Anwar Ibrahim did not receive any support from other ASEAN members. In June 1998, Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan received more support in his reassessment of the non-interference principle but could not weaken Suharto’s influence and hard stance on this matter (Haacke, 1999, p. 582). Nevertheless, these instances show that prior to the tsunami a marginal, but nonetheless significant, erosive process of the principle of non-interference has set in. Asian Financial Crisis (AFC) The case of the AFC9 was the key transnational and NTS crisis which had devastating economic and financial effects on ASEAN markets and led to the above critical selfreflection of some ASEAN member state officials on how the contagious effect of 9 The AFC can be considered as an NTS crisis in the broadest sense with regard to the current global financial meltdown and the rising prominence of the concept of financial security. Since the incidence of the AFC, financial security has become an acceptable concept exhibiting the tight enmeshment of the socio-economic and security fields. Despite its socio-economic categorisation, the AFC and the international financial crisis (IFC) of 2009 illustrate that financial security is a concept linked to human security and the stability and security of a political entity. 89 ASEAS 3(1) the crisis could have been mitigated. This implied an increasingly critical view of the normative core of ASEAN’s modus operandi. The ASEAN way of intra-mural cooperation and, in particular, the principle of non-interference were questioned in connection to the transnationalisation of stability issues and security threats. The AFC broke out in Thailand and became a contagious implosion of the financial markets throughout the South-East Asian and the wider East Asian region. In response to the crisis and complementing national, regional and international efforts, the EC and its member states channelled USD154 billion through international financial institutions (IFI) to support the affected countries (Brittan, 1999, p. 492). This amount accounted for 18 percent of the total sum that was allocated to IFIs. Only Japan provided more financial help in this crisis (Brittan, 1999, p. 492). Another East Asian power that contributed to the recovery was China. Its assistance was less financial and it continued to threaten South-East Asia on territorial matters in the case of the Spratly Islands, but by not devaluating its currency it played a major role in upholding a certain degree of stability of the markets in the region (Bowles, 2002, p. 239). Despite the EU’s major financial contribution through the IMF, concrete EU or ASEAN-EU initiatives were scarce. The crisis occurred at a time when ASEAN-EU interregional dialogue and co-operation were at a low-point because of Myanmar’s accession to ASEAN in 1997. Alternatively, ASEM provided a channel of communication for the two sides to meet. At ASEM 2, the EU came up with the ASEM Asia Financial Crisis Response Trust Fund, a European Financial Expertise Network and a trade and investment pledge (ASEM member states, 1998). Furthermore, the Kobe Research Project was initiated at the third ASEM Finance Ministers’ Meeting on 13-14 January 2001 in Kobe. In spite of these European signs of solidarity with ASEAN countries and others in the region, these activities appear to be little more than a drop in the bucket. Indeed, the EU has provided considerable financial support, but the IMF and the World Bank have been the visible actors. These organisations’ actorness is borne by the international community’s financial contributions and thus also by the amount given by the EU and its member states. EU-associated assistance and impact was visible only in relation to the ASEM framework. However, in this connection, the Asian side considered the ASEM-related activities marginal because the EU’s visibility was limited by the World Bank’s administrative control over the ASEM Asia Financial Crisis Response Trust Fund I and II. ‘Brand EU’ as a financial security and stability 90 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? payer in the region cannot be shaped if the EU contributors are only marginally involved in Fund projects and are non-visible on site and only receive reporting. Conclusively, the major visible actors which have influenced the recovery phase were the IMF, the East Asian neighbours, and the national authorities within ASEAN. The latter have played a very important role in creating post-AFC national financial preparedness and resilience. This post-crisis resilience in many affected ASEAN member states was facilitated and conditioned by the IMF. However, it was the protectionist measures of national authorities such as the Malaysian Government that among other reasons contributed to the relative low-key impact of the global financial crisis in 2008 within ASEAN countries (Asian Think Tank representative, personal communication, 10Â November 2008). The AFC clearly displays, yet again, that in cases of regional crises in a specific sector of governance and of international concern the EU deems it appropriate to act within the issue-specific multilateral and international framework concerned. So far, this paper has elaborated on the EUâ€™s post-crisis security impact on NTS cases in the broadest sense where, due to the policy sectors, the EC has been identified to be the major force behind EU actorness. This indicates that the EU and its member states are de facto on the right path in mainstreaming security and providing a comprehensive toolkit for NTS responses to South-East Asia. In view of the European Council being the major body for external security and stability in the form of the EUâ€™s foreign and security policy, additional cases of an EU intergovernmental response to that of the AMM can shed more light on both the specific role competences as well as the interplay between communitarian and intergovernmental NTS instruments. In this paper, the AMM has been the only case elaborated, where the European Council played a crucial security role. The following and final case study will highlight another NTS case dealt with by national authorities and the intergovernmental mode of response. The next example is the impact of the Bali bombings on October 12, 2002. Bali Bombings Terrorism and extremism have been brought to the top of the international and interregional security agenda since the September 11 terrorist attacks. In spite of 91 ASEAS 3(1) the USA having dubbed South-East Asia as its Second Front on its War on Terror, the ASEAN member states did not want to succumb to American pressure and face any intrusion upon their national prerogative to combat terrorism and extremism. Furthermore, the terrorist threat within individual ASEAN states has been regarded as an ethno-nationalist concern (Acharya & Acharya, 2007, p. 80). The Muslimdominated societies of Malaysia and Indonesia were initially reluctant to be part of the Second Front: Notwithstanding their sensitivity about the US role in regional counterterrorism efforts, ASEAN members such as Malaysia and Indonesia have been receptive to US assistance that does not involve direct US military engagement. After Malaysia’s initial misgivings about the RMSI [Regional Maritime Security Initiative], which it saw as a pretext for US enforcement operations in Southeast Asian waters, it expanded cooperation with the United States and others... (Acharya & Acharya, 2007, p. 88). The Bali bombings in 2002 and President Bush’s visit to Indonesia in 2003 were decisive in mitigating the resentments. Since then, the USA, Australia and a number of affected ASEAN member states have been active in co-operating on the fight against terrorism and extremism. Australia’s engagement is not least due to its proximity to Indonesia and the high death toll of Australians in the 2002 Bali bombings, which left 202 people dead and 209 injured (Australian Federal Police, 2008). The impact of this attack increased securitisation in ASEAN countries and stimulated various intra-ASEAN and ASEAN member states-USA counter-terrorist co-operation projects addressing the strategic and operational dimension of the jihadist trend. The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand became the main addressees of international counter-terrorist co-operation in South-East Asia (US official, personal communication, 4 December 2009). In contrast to the USA and Australia, the EC and the EU member states have taken a less direct approach in counter-terrorist-related activities with ASEAN member states, such as efforts to improve border management and document security, interfaith dialogues, anti-money-laundering, and intelligence sharing within the frameworks of ASEAN-EU and ASEM. Any regional responsive action or declaration regarding the Bali bombings would fall under the umbrella of the European Council. In fact, one must admit that given the national centrality of counter-terrorism, the EC can, according to its restricted competence, only contribute minimal relevant funding and expertise provision and thus a truly interregional approach to this highly sensitive matter is 92 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? impossible and, in the light of the varying degrees to which ASEAN member states are affected, inadequate. The majority of tangible European counter-terrorist assistance has been a patchwork from specific EU member states to specific ASEAN member states. It has been, in particular, the British, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Danish that have sponsored and provided expertise, for instance, for direct counter-terrorist training seminars and workshops.10 Immediately after the attacks, the EC offered anti-money-laundering assistance under the RRM to Indonesia. Javier Solana responded with a statement of condemnation of the bombings and on 18 October 2002, the European Council published its conclusions on the attacks, which recommended ways the EU could assist Indonesia but neglected human rights concerns. However, whilst the EU may well be correct in supporting the Indonesian efforts to implement measures in conformity with Security Council Resolution 1373, the EU should take account of the Indonesian government’s very poor record in human rights and respect for the rule of law in the management of its internal affairs (Gregory, 2005, p. 113). The response was limited and remained declaratory. This is unsurprising in view of the EU’s considering other regions such as the Middle East and Central Asia to be the areas of priority in connection to terrorism and extremism (EU official, personal communication, 13 February 2009). ASEAN-EU counter-terrorist activities are mainly long-term oriented and have been initiated after the fire-fighting phase post-Bali bombings. They have been limited to specific niches that provide added value to other international counter-terrorist projects with ASEAN member states. Beside the ASEM and ASEAN-EU declarations on combating international terrorism, verbal commitments, and interfaith dialogues targeting the cultural and ideological basis of extremism and terrorism, the socalled other EU or European activities are not necessarily to be regarded as distinct interregional or EU initiatives. They complement the American and Australian Western counter-terrorist projects with supplementary efforts consisting of bilateral EUASEAN and bilateral member state-to-member state contributions. Noteworthy also is the co-operation that has been sparked in the policing sector by the Co-operation Agreement between the ASEAN Chiefs of Police (Aseanapol) and the International 10 For further details please view e.g. the course overview of the International Law Enforcement Academy (http:// www.ileabangkok.com), Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Co-operation (http://www.jeclec.com) and the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (http://www.searcct.gov.my). 93 ASEAS 3(1) Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol). It provided for a database-sharing project between these two police intelligence agencies and other agencies such as the European Police Office (Europol). EU Non-Traditional Security Actorness and Implications for ASEAN-EU Interregionalism The discussion of the case studies to show the EUâ€™s true colours from an NTS perspective has revealed that the EU draws on a vast range of supranational and intergovernmental, short- and long-term, responsive and pre-emptive instruments. The conglomeration of different types of action illustrates seven central features of EU NTS actorness in South-East Asia. First, the overall tenor of the case studies and other crises within the ASEAN region demonstrates that the EU has tended to recourse to ECHOâ€™s humanitarian assistance most frequently in response to these NTS crises, but also to conflict-related humanitarian crises. Furthermore, it emphasises the importance of long-term EU development assistance to defuse crises and pinpoints the different conceptions of security and development of the two regions. Second, it becomes evident that the different interests and development stages of the various nation-states as well as the different degree of integration of the regional organisations limit co-operation. In general, one also has to consider that the logic behind EU actorness and co-operation follows a pattern of rationality which takes into account a number of action-inhibiting variables. For example, the EU policymakers contemplate the variety of existing multilateral fora, the global distribution of power, existing crisis-response measures on various levels, national sensitivities, and other obstacles that could impair any form of ASEAN-EU interregional action. Following this process of contemplation the EU then decides if and how to respond to crises abroad. Third, it reveals that the problems of shared competences within the EU structure are also reflected in the EUâ€™s external relations and that shared external representation minimises the collective actorness perception by the sociological other. Fourth, since the EU is by definition multilateralist, the preferred framework of action appears to be within a multilateral framework on varying levels depending 94 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? on the issue and the spread of the negative impact. In most cases, the EU’s crisis response was limited to financial and technical assistance under the aegis of an international organisation specifically concerned with the issue-area. On the one hand, this alleviates the EU’s administrative burden and allows the EU to circumvent conflicts with the receiving country should the recipient disagree on the conditions of assistance. On the other hand, this weakens the visibility and actual impact of the EU’s actorness in South-East Asia. The EU needs to re-evaluate its priorities regarding actorness and rebalance security and image-building costs and benefits. At the moment, it seems unable to translate its major share in technical and financial assistance into factual visibility, influence and power presence. It appears to be more a security payer than a security player, an assessment that applies to the EU’s activities in other parts of the world such as in the Middle East peace process. Fifth, the case of terrorism indicates the potential of the functional approach for EU NTS actorness as in the case of Aseanapol’s international co-operation. Sixth, alongside the various EU efforts to promote Indonesia’s leadership role in ASEAN, the presence of the EU in Aceh probably also contributed to the Indonesian public’s perception of the EU as a normative power and democracy promoter. Hence, increased on site engagement in South-East Asia and the establishment of a permanent presence such as the Europe House in Aceh may enhance and differentiate the EU’s visibility and thus, its actorness. Finally, the case studies suggest that ASEAN-EU interregionalism in the field of NTS is not an established layer in the pyramid of global governance, but rather a vaguely defined and blurry interface of the global and regional level. Depending on the nature of the NTS crisis the EU will choose its level of response. This has exposed the ASEAN-EU level as a weak and declaratory remedy. In fact, the only case in which the EU managed to make a significant impact on the crisis situation and contribute to the strengthening of the ASEAN-EU interregional level has been the AMM. In this case, it and the five ASEAN member states have managed to alter a situation of violence and high vulnerability to a situation of ongoing peace and reduced armament. Furthermore, it ignited an enhanced ASEAN-EU interest in deepening this interregional dialogue format. This was illustrated by the AEMM agenda in Nuremberg and the following Plan of Action in 2007 (ASEAN-EU member states, 2007). The EU appears to have interest in the region and has become sporadically engaged 95 ASEAS 3(1) in direct activities that reveal its presence and solidarity. However, the EU and its member states have not made any visible substantial impact as a collective actor – whether interregional or in any other form – in tackling the previously mentioned crises and in assisting ASEAN member states to become more crisis-prepared and less vulnerable. As discussed above, in the majority of the cases, the EU is in a queue with other international helpers, and has not been able to set itself apart. It has distinguished itself as a major development player, which, from an Asian perspective, is part of NTS. However, with regard to NTS crises, when vulnerabilities become aggravated to the point of being matters of life and death, the EU has not established its role as either an NTS or general security actor in South-East Asia. Moreover, in most of the cases it took the role of a financial and flanking presence rather than an active shaper of the recovery. As partially listed above, there is a broad range from cultural to structural to materialist to systemic inhibitors that constitute this underachievement. The EU’s preference for international and multilateral frameworks when appropriate, the EU’s strategic geographical areas of priority, the interests of other actors (e.g. US American power politics), and the normative sensitivities of the counterpart epitomised in the ASEAN Way are among the most prominent reasons in the case studies. In spite of its overall sporadic engagement, this patchwork of individual cases of EU actorness is interlocking with the EU’s overall cross-sectoral external security strategy and does illustrate a specific, albeit restricted, type of EU NTS actorness within ASEAN after NTS crises. The EU is an unconventional multi-headed actor whose concept of security is based on a comprehensive understanding of security and a soft security approach drawing on preferably holistic, multilateralist and non-robust instruments. The EU does not think in terms of power politics in South-East Asia and therefore it is not really perceived as a traditional security actor among the leaders of ASEAN member states. In their opinion, it possesses the security culture and means to become a recognised NTS actor in relation to human security (former Secretary General of ASEAN Rodolfo Severino, personal communication, 24 November 2008). The DIPECHO programme, the EU’s involvement in the first-ever ARF Voluntary Demonstration of Response on Disaster Relief from 4-8 May 2009, the various ARF seminars and workshops on NTS such as the ARF Seminar to Enhance Maritime Security from 5-6 March 2009, in Surabaya (EU-Indonesia), or the ARF Seminar on 96 Naila Maier-Knapp - A Friend in Need. A Friend in Deed? International Security Implications of Climate-related Events and Trends in Phnom Penh from 19-20 March 2009 (EU-Cambodia), and numerous other NTS-related activities of the ASEAN-EU Indicative Lists of Activities 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 pursuant to the Nuremberg Declaration and Plan of Action suggest that the EU has recognised the potential of increased actorness in certain NTS niches. These niches are namely climate change and disaster management and emergency response. With particular regard to the ASEAN-EU level, the Nuremberg meeting has stimulated a dynamic that stresses interregional NTS activities in accordance with the ASEAN Community Blueprints. The Lists of Activities in the field of political and security co-operation indicate that both sides are building on the Nuremberg momentum and are aiming to develop the ASEAN-EU level to a meaningful dialogue sphere with tangible and not merely rhetorical outcomes that contribute to ASEANâ€™s integration and, eventually, stimulate further co-operation and joint positions in other fora on the regional and global level: Exploit the potential of multilateral fora 1.1.4. Develop ASEAN-EU consultations/cooperation in multilateral fora, including in the United Nations and other bodies within the UN system as well as in Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), in order to strengthen the multilateral system and, where appropriate, to develop joint positions; and 1.1.5. Enhance the role of multilateral cooperation in Asia, including through the accession of the EU/EC to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) (ASEAN-EU member states, 2007). Conclusions In the light of the broad spectrum of responses to and cases of transnational and NTS crises, the EUâ€™s actorness manifests itself inconsistently, patchily, and on a case-bycase basis. In general, the vast and cluttered choice of prominent cases of NTS crises in this article emblematises and reflects the ephemeral and sporadic nature of the EUâ€™s NTS interregional actorness. There exists ambition for increased interregional dialogue and co-operation on specific NTS issues. Furthermore, it can be seen that a putative area for increased EU actorness may be more hypothetical than feasible. On the one hand, it may be evidence of a lack of, or the mere rudimentary existence of, a common lifeworld that impedes deeper interaction. 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Journal of European Integration, 30(3), 419-437. 100 Julia Scharinger - An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt Im Dialog / In Dialogue Thailand in the Face of the 1997 Asian Crisis and the Current Financial Crisis: An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt Julia Scharinger Society for South-East Asian Studies (SEAS), Austria ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt studied International Relations and Development Studies at Aalborg University, Denmark. Since 1993, he has been Associate Professor in the Department of History, International and Social Studies. Prof Dragsbæk Schmidt has held visiting research fellowships in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Poland, and was a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Political Economy, Carleton University, Canada in 2009. Additionally he has been a consultant to UNESCO, the World Bank and the Irish Development Agency. Prof Dragsbæk Schmidt has a broad spectrum of research interests, varying from globalisation and international division of labour via refugees and human rights to social and welfare policy and state regulations with a focus on East and South-East Asia. The interview was conducted by e-mail on 3 April, 27 April and 4 May 2010. Julia Scharinger: In your article ‘Financial crisis, social crisis and unequal development in the Republic of Korea and Thailand’ (Dragsbæk, 2008) you mention major long-term impacts of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 on Thai society, such as a transition to flexible and informal jobs and growing social inequality. Could you briefly sketch how these factors arose and how they transformed the labour market throughout the duration of the crisis? Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt: In the aftermath of the crisis, although with some variations, Thailand introduced or expanded a host of labour market interventions and social protection programs. This could be seen as a re-active response to the massive 101 ASEAS 3(1) layoffs of regular workers in all sectors and the dramatic increase in poverty. Had it been pro-active, the government and public sector would have been prepared for the massive social costs. Another effect of the crisis was a significant shift from contractbased regular employment to non-standard or informal work. This informalisation of the labour force was aggravated by the bailout conditionalities attached to the IFIs’ [international financial institutions’] intervention where also the demand for increasing labour market flexibility was introduced. The promotion of flexible labour market regulation was an attempt by the IFIs to enhance ‘competitiveness’. However, Thailand encountered important social problems connected with uneven development, inequality and challenges regarding the lack of policy responses towards distributional problems even before the crisis. Social policies and labour market regulation had evolved against the backdrop of political stability, ‘full employment’, high household savings, and what was perceived as strong and resilient family and community ties, which gave governments an excuse for not planning for eventual downside risks. According to the view of the IFIs, even during times of economic growth three issues were already challenging the social context: persistent pockets of poverty and rising inequality, protected labour market policies and industrial relations with job security, and rising needs for formal mechanisms to support household security. Looking back, the World Bank noted in 1998 that growth masked those problems but when the crisis stripped this mask away, the region’s persistent social vulnerabilities were sharply revealed. The ultimate impact of the IFIs’ interventions was more job insecurity, a lowering of wages and increased competition among a growing pool of unemployed and informalised workers for a smaller number of jobs, a reduced role for organised labour, and a reduction in bargaining strength of industry- and economy-wide unions. Migrant labourers became scapegoats and in some cases were virtually thrown out of the country. This also had an important gender dimension as women were laid off first and had to bear the heaviest burden for the restructuring of industrial relations. I agree with Andrew Brown, who recently noted that the Thai experience shows that there have been efforts to manage labour tensions in new ways that bypass and further undermine ideas of representation and cognate institutional structures that have historically been linked to collective class-based action and organisation (Brown, 2004). 102 Julia Scharinger - An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt Scharinger: Which strategies did civil society use to overcome the crisis of 1997? Dragsbæk Schmidt: Civil society in Thailand is not that different from other countries. It is split between civic and progressive forces and a more conservative – and in some cases anti-democratic and illiberal – sector. The new social policy of the post-Washington consensus deliberately uses the liberal language of participation and empowerment as a strategy of ‘anti-politics’. This is a conscious strategy leading to marginalisation of political contestation. Unlike earlier governance programs identified with structural adjustment, it envisages a more active role for the state as a regulator for civil society seeking to promote the disciplines of the market. This also became clear in the aftermath of the financial crisis in Thailand where the “maintenance approach” developed by the IFIs was devoted to a specific and strengthened role of civil society organisations and their ideological imperative as the pre-eminent measure for ameliorating the social impacts of the crisis, along with flexible labour markets. It leaves the important question in Thailand whether civil society is in fact undermining the key functions and social responsibilities of the state in terms of delivering public collective goods. The fact that the IFIs’ policy of dumping social services onto NGOs means they should take over the work without a corresponding transfer of funding and the development of a mutual relationship with the state – the split in civil society ultimately laid the ground for the present chaos and political turmoil in Thai politics and it can be argued that the danger of a civil war in late April 2010 can be traced back to the actions of civil society, the state and the aristocratic elite’s rejection of the accommodation of the then Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai’s approach towards the IFIs’ “maintenance ” approach”. Scharinger: Both crises, back in 1997 and today, were majorly influenced by the financial markets, linked to huge credit schemes and quickly surpassed national borders – and had an impact on a regional or global level. Could you give some more of your thoughts on how the current crisis resembles or matches the crisis of 1997? Dragsbæk Schmidt: In the wake of the 1997 financial crisis, when Thailand entered the IMF programme, they were told to tighten their monetary and fiscal policies by raising interest rates, getting and keeping fiscal budget surpluses and nationalising troubled banks. The programmes of today bear some resemblance to the 1997 103 ASEAS 3(1) response, but there are differences as well. The crises in 1997 and 2009 demonstrated the fragility of the over-reliance of the Thai economy on export-orientation and a major sell-out of Thai assets to foreign capital. Today, listed firms in Thailand trade at 11.9 times estimated 2010 earnings, making Bangkok the second cheapest market in Asia after Pakistan. This entails a danger that even more Thai assets could shift hands. Scharinger: After the current crisis hit the global economy, major economic indicators and growth rates were in free fall. Growth rates in export-nations such as Germany dropped to an all-time low, while giants such as China could at least stabilise at a low, although greatly lessened, growth rate. In comparison to such developments, how was and is Thailand affected and how is it performing in the current financial crisis? Dragsbæk Schmidt: The Thai case shows that crises can set in motion events that cause institutions to deteriorate. The 2009-2010 crisis has increased distrust and fear, and weakened the prospects for democratisation. Today the Thai economy is in low gear with slow growth and sluggish demand. This is also connected to the political situation, which remains unresolved. The problems of the important tourism sector are not so much related to the crisis as such, but are a result of the clashes between pro- and anti-Thaksin forces. Scharinger: Compared to the impacts of the financial crisis back in 1997 on Thailand’s society, what are the major problems and challenges of today’s crisis to the average citizen? Dragsbæk Schmidt: The growth prospects of the Thai economy depend on the economic prospects at the global and regional level. At present there are no signs showing that the Western economies may be beginning to bottom out. Like in the case of the 1997 crisis, even if the economy bottoms out, this does not mean that the problems are over. Trade with China is steadily growing, but it remains to be seen whether the Chinese market can absorb and replace EU and North American demand. Thailand bottomed out after about five to six quarters from the start of the 1997 crisis, but it took five years before output got back to the pre-crisis level. 104 Julia Scharinger - An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt The decline in non-performing loans ratio to below the level of 10 percent took even longer; about eight years. Thus, in the case of the present crisis, a quick return to business as usual appears to be out of the question. These measures and changes beyond the policy-makers’ and average Thai’s control have had a huge impact on the daily life of Thai citizens in the form of growing poverty and unemployment, and especially a growing informalisation of the labour market. Scharinger: After the Crisis in 1997, Thailand’s politicians took measures toward the future protection of its economy and financial stability. Do you think Thailand has gleaned anything from the former crisis and actually adopted strategies which are able to protect them now – not only concerning financial stability, but also in light of growth, exports, secure jobs or tourism? Dragsbæk Schmidt: This is a highly political and perhaps ideological question. It seems that the Democrats tend to rely on a classical short-term strategy while the Thaksin camp wants to promote a more Keynesian inspired type of demand driven economic policy approach. It is true that the Thaksin administration used an expansionary fiscal policy in 2001 in an attempt to enhance economic growth. In its first term there was a focus on boosting rural incomes and development, but infrastructure development was declared the priority for the second term and this was on the whole seen as a success. In the beginning Thaksin relied on protectionism, a shift away from exclusively relying on export-orientation (EOI) towards the domestic market; a focus on social policies, and in general a populist and nationalist discourse. At the moment most of the policy responses to the crisis coming from the Abhisit government are directed toward the short-term need to shore up the economy. Fiscal injections are expected to generate greater domestic consumption that will ease the pain of domestic producers and consumers and there is certain degree of copycat economic policies in the sense that some social policies initiated by Thaksin have been continued by the Democrat-led coalition government. However, it appears that not much attention has been paid to how to make the fiscal injections sustainable. Even less thought has been given to what a new “rebalanced growth path” for the country might look like and how it can be achieved. 105 ASEAS 3(1) Scharinger: Regarding those protectionist strategies, how do you assess the current situation and vulnerability of Thailand’s society in light of the financial crisis? Dragsbæk Schmidt: The Thai crisis in 2010 is more a political crisis than an economic one, but behind this fault line is a structural problem related to re-distribution and inequality. There is a fear among the elite that the hegemony of the traditional paternalist Thai aristocratic elite is coming to an end. The challenge from the rebellion of the poor and marginalised – symbolised by billionaire Thaksin as a leadership figure – threatens to tear apart Thai society and, in the worst-case scenario, it will end in a civil war. The protectionist strategies promoted by Thaksin stand in sharp contrast to the fact that he also tended to act in a kleptocratic and autocratic fashion by expropriating public property and selling off his huge conglomerate for his and his family’s own benefit. The levels of corruption and kleptocracy amongst members of the elite appear to have reached endemic heights – and this includes both camps: the royalist aristocrats and the more neo-liberal oriented, but social-protection aware, camp of Thaksin. Scharinger: Which strategies is civil society using to deal with the current crisis? Are there any observable strategies yet? Dragsbæk Schmidt: Civil society appears to be paralysed by the present political crisis and can be characterised by its anti-Thaksin doctrine. Both camps in civil society supported the military coup against Thaksin as both see him as a corrupt politician and an unreliable person. For some he is even seen as an anti-monarchy politician and a threat to national unity. Scharinger: In response to the current crisis, the Thai government introduced an economic stimulation package meant to protect its economy and stimulate the consumption rate of people with low incomes. Do you think this package could fulfil its expectations, or do you see alternative instruments as necessary to secure income and domestic consumption? Dragsbæk Schmidt: I do not see this package as sufficient. It appears that there are many structural problems in the Thai economy which needs to be addressed. These 106 Julia Scharinger - An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt problems are of a more long-term nature related to access to improved education, skills upgrading, increased taxation especially of the rich, and the implementation of propoor policies – the last could be in the form of re-distribution and the establishment of social welfare entitlements. The present political turmoil also appears to be a competition between two interpretations of “Buddhist economics” in the form of what has been called “sufficiency economics”. Sufficiency economics is a concept that was invented by King Bhumipol during the Cold War and the communist insurgency in the Northeastern part of Thailand. In a number of speeches he explained “that the centre of his view was the modern maxim promoted by King Vajiravudh: every citizen’s paramount duty is to the unity of the nation under the king”. In the same vein he noted that part of the problem of Thailand’s lack of unity was selfish capitalism, which lacked morality and was by nature divisive. Capitalism did not reward most the hardest workers or those who performed their duty. It rather benefited those who took advantage of others, and this eroded unity. Bhumipol said trader and land speculators who took advantage of peasants “may be on side of terrorists.” He further noted that rural development should be carried out with a high degree of ability, wisdom and intelligence coupled with honesty without any thought of financial gain. He concluded that modern government had been imported from the West and was not appropriate for Thais. These remarks are reflected in the Tenth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2007-2011), which set the target of reducing poverty from 13 percent in 2004 to 4 percent by 2011. It also targets a ratio of the richest quintile to the poorest quintile of no more than 10 times. Very much inspired by Bhumipol’s self-sufficiency approach, the development plan also emphasised implementation of the “Good Living and Happiness Society Strategy” which consists of five development plans: (i) a sufficiency economy plan aimed at building up knowledge and creating occupational skills; (ii) a community development and opportunity creation plan focusing on reducing household expenditures (e.g. use of organic fertilizer and vegetable home gardening) and creating market opportunities for community products; (iii) a rehabilitation plan for natural resources; (iv) a vulnerable people and senior citizen assistance plan; and (v) a provision plan for basic services (e.g. health, education, and vocational training). The plans will be implemented through projects jointly designed and implemented by community leaders, local governments, provincial governments and the central 107 ASEAS 3(1) government. Thaksin had also used the concept in a strategic way to pursue what was termed his populist spending programmes in the sense that his support for local initiatives was a way to exploit rural dissidence, protest which evolved into a rural movement â€“ but once he came into power he revealed his lack of interest in the rural and local causes. His main strategy for rural change was to pump in capital funds. He had no interest in land reform, land-to-the-tiller programmes, tax reforms, or other policies to shift the structural position of peasants within the national economy. One needs to be reminded that 70 percent of the population live in the countryside and more than 500,000 farmer households are landless in a situation where there still is plenty of arable land available. In reality Thaksin only paid lip service to the ideas of sufficiency and self-reliance. His economic policies and his true feelings were clearly diametrically opposed. Sufficiency economics, with its inward-looking strategy stressing selfreliance at the grassroots level and the creation of stronger ties among domestic economic institutions, was the ideological device which acted as oppositional tool to overthrow Thaksin. In fact, it was the accusations about corruption and popular support for the notion of sufficiency economics around which a considerable number of social movements, NGOs and labour groups against privatisation could gather and find a common cause against Thaksin. Scharinger: From your analysis, which parts of society will be affected the most? Is there a classical winner and loser divide? DragsbĂŚk Schmidt: This depends on the outcome of the current clashes between the red and the yellow shirts. The current problems are no longer closely related to the global meltdown but have become more domestic in nature. A quick look at recent Thai history would tell us that the progressive and pro-poor forces in civil society will lose and we will soon see a military coup or a military clamp-down on the protesters. The winners will be the middle class and the pro-US and conservative elite. Another scenario is a compromise between the factions of the Thai elite and a re-imposition of a weak but democratically elected government unable to touch the privileged minority elite. The losers in both scenarios are the peasantry and poor working people. 108 Julia Scharinger - An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt Scharinger: What needs to be done to protect the citizens from the current crisis? What should politicians do and what could be done by the citizens themselves? Dragsbæk Schmidt: This is indeed a difficult question to answer. Basically it is up to the Thai people to decide their own destiny. My personal view is that Thailand must re-think its current overreliance on EOI and foreign capital. To address the issue of social justice, which is one of the most pertinent structural problems in Thai society, by the introduction of a fair tax and redistribution policy including a variety of social protection programmes and to lift restrictions in the Thai legal system which obstruct the establishment of free and autonomous trade unions and political parties which adopt a social profile are two ways to overcome the impacts of the present and future crises. Another important issue is related to the draconian and anachronistic lèse majesté laws, which prohibit any discussion about the role of the monarchy in Thai society and politics. One of the results of the 1997 crisis was the introduction of Thaksin’s social policies and his courting of the heirs to the Throne. In reality the competition between benevolent elite-directed discourses is a question about winning the hearts and minds of the rural poor – especially in the Northeastern Isan region; in this equation Thaksin became a threat to the old conservative elite and this threat is still very influential in Thai politics. It seems that the majority of ordinary citizens vote for social change and it is important to keep in mind that organisation according to (economic) interests as opposed to other lines is one important avenue of change and a way to avoid the social pitfalls of crises. Scharinger: What is your perspective on the social and political instabilities in Thailand? Does it make civil society more vulnerable to impacts of the crisis? Does it contribute to the spread of the crisis? Are the rising instabilities even an effect of the crisis? Dragsbæk Schmidt: Advocates on both left and right have relied on the idea that civil society can replace the role of the state. The basic argument I want to make is that civil society, at least in its mainstream understanding, cannot replace the state, but should make a greater effort to pressure the state to take up basic responsibilities and enhance developmental and social regulatory state capacities in accordance with 109 ASEAS 3(1) its level of development. There is great danger that the current overemphasis on civil society detracts or hijacks the focus away from what is of immediate importance in any country with high levels of poverty, inequality and social crisis. If civil society includes social groups and strata like organized labourers and the peasantry, it probably makes more sense. Recent examples have shown that the labour movement has been relatively successful in pushing for the Social Security Act despite resistance from the entrenched politico-business alliance – the elite. In fact the experiences with Thaksin, the military, and the present Democrat-led government illustrate the problem with the very idea that Thai civil society can act as a progressive force at the national level. Civil society is per definition undemocratic and not elected by anybody. It is furthermore contested terrain where anti-democratic ‘dark’ forces at least in the Thai context seem to have the upper hand when it comes to issues of democratisation and real representation of the poor. The major problem is the weakness of the political system itself, which makes political representation in accordance with class and other social and political interests difficult if not impossible. The other problem is that Thai NGOs in some cases have become too powerful and actually reduce the strength of adequate social movements which could act as mobilisers for progressive social change and democratisation. Scharinger: You seem to place a great emphasis on Thaksin’s past administration and his current supporters. In the aftermath of the Financial Crisis in 1997 he played an important role. How do you estimate his direct or indirect influence now? Dragsbæk Schmidt: Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party was in fact partly born out of strong progressive civil society sentiments characterised by the introduction of a coherent social policy, increased protectionism, and nationalism. Since the imposition and hegemony of the Thaksin regime and later on the military coup in September 2006, civil society has been identified by the split between the progressive red shirts (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or UDD) working for social change and the royalist and more conservative yellow shirts (the anti-Thaksin People’s Alliance for Democracy or PAD). The confrontation between the two is still unresolved but it seems there is a danger that it can end in a violent and bloody solution unless a compromise is offered by the government. 110 Julia Scharinger - An Interview With Johannes Dragsbæk Schmidt It is too early to judge whether Thaksin can return to Thai politics or not. He remains an important political and symbolic figure for the UDD Red shirts in the sense that he stands for social and political change. As long as the stalemate continues, Thaksin and his supporters must be included in a compromise – and it is not impossible that the Puea Thai party will win the next election. However behind it all is the question about succession to the Throne. The Thai monarchy is in crisis partly because Thaksin became a rival and interfered in the succession and partly because the Crown Prince is disliked by many Thais. As long as this issue cannot be debated openly, Thaksin, the UDD and the Puea Thai party will remain a formidable opposition to the ruling elite. Scharinger: For the final question: How long do you think the crisis will last? How long will the impacts of the crisis be recognizable in Thailand’s society? Dragsbæk Schmidt: This is difficult to answer. The political crisis could in principle end tomorrow if King Bhumipol intervenes and imposes a compromise. The economic and social crises will last much longer and cannot be solved overnight. References Brown, A. (2004). Labour, Politics and the State in Industrializing Thailand. London: Routledge. Dragsbæk Schmidt, J. (2008). Finanzkrise, Sozialkrise und ungleiche Entwicklung. In: K. Küblböck & C. Staritz (Eds.), Asienkrise: Lektionen gelernt? Finanzmärkte und Entwicklung. (pp. 143-158). Hamburg, Germany: VSA-Verlag. Handley, P. M. (2006). The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand’s Bhumibol Adulyadej. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Hewison, K. & Jayasuriya, K. (2004, January). The Anti-Politics of Good Governance: From Global Social Policy to a Global Populism? Working paper 59, Hong Kong: Southeast Asia Research Centre. 111 ASEAS 3(1) Rezensionen / Review ASEAS - Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies SEAS - Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften / Society for South-East Asian Studies - www.SEAS.at Heidbüchel, Esther (2007). The West Papua Conflict in Indonesia: Actors, Issues and Approaches. Gießen, Deutschland: Johannes Herrmann J&J-Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-937983-10-3. 223 Seiten Nach dem Sturz des Langzeitpräsidenten und ehemaligen Generals Suharto im Jahr 1998 fand einer der langwierigsten Konflikte der Geschichte Indonesiens zunehmend internationale Beachtung. Das Interesse der Weltöffentlichkeit wurde nicht zuletzt durch die innenpolitischen Veränderungen in der Post-Suharto-Ära geweckt. In dieser wurde West-Papua 2001 eine Sonderautonomie zugestanden, und es erfolgte eine Teilung in die zwei Provinzen Papua und Irian Jaya Barat (später in Papua Barat umbenannt). Eine Reihe an vorwiegend politikwissenschaftlichen Arbeiten beschäftigte sich seitdem mit der Darstellung des nach wie vor aktuellen Konflikts. Die hier rezensierte Publikation ist eine davon. In der Einführung ihres Buches „The West Papua Conflict in Indonesia“ stellt Esther Heidbüchel ihre Zielsetzung dar, nämlich die gegenwärtige Komplexität des multidimensionalen Papuakonflikts im Rahmen eines „empirisch-analytischen“ Ansatzes zu entschlüsseln. Ihre Arbeit bezeichnet sie als interdisziplinär. Die auf die AkteurInnen des Konflikts zentrierte Analyse, die bis in die Mitte des Jahres 2006 reicht, ist hauptsächlich in der Politikwissenschaft und in der Konfliktforschung angesiedelt. In geringem Maße greift die Autorin auch Konzepte aus den Kommunikationswissenschaften, der Sozialpsychologie und der Anthropologie auf. Trotz dieses interdisziplinären Ansatzes dominiert ein politikwissenschaftlicher Jargon. 112 Rezensionen / Reviews Die Autorin nähert sich der Thematik mit einer Konfliktgenese, in der sie die wesentlichsten historischen Ereignisse in chronologischer Reihenfolge nachzeichnet und sich in die allgemein gängige Geschichtsschreibung einreiht, die den Papuakonflikt als separatistisch und ethnopolitisch klassifiziert. Das wesentliche Augenmerk bezieht sich dabei auf die heftig umstrittene Eingliederung West-Papuas in den damals jungen indonesischen Nationalstaat. Dieser im Rahmen der Dekolonisierung des ehemaligen Niederländisch-Indiens entstandene Territorialstreit zwischen den Niederlanden und Indonesien wurde unter der Mitwirkung der Vereinten Nationen 1969 mit dem „Act of Free Choice“ endgültig zugunsten Indonesiens entschieden und bildet den historischen Auslöser des in seiner Komplexität seither gewachsenen Konflikts. Um dieser Komplexität gerecht zu werden, entwickelt die Autorin für ihre Analyse eine „multi-level-structure“ und unterteilt den Konflikt in drei „meta levels“, nämlich in „the international, the national Indonesian and the local Papuan level“ (S. 28). Jene drei Metaebenen bestimmen im Wesentlichen die drei analytischen Abschnitte ihrer Arbeit. Der erste Abschnitt beinhaltet eine Bestandsaufnahme der unterschiedlichen AkteurInnen und Interessen, der zweite stellt eine Konfliktmatrix vor, in welcher einzelne Konfliktbereiche identifiziert, den „meta levels“ zugeordnet und Überschneidungen aufgezeigt werden, und der dritte untersucht Konfliktlösungsstrategien. Die Autorin verortet zunächst die AkteurInnen innerhalb der einzelnen Metaebenen. Auf internationaler Ebene jene mit sicherheitsspezifischen und wirtschaftlichen Interessen (Australien, USA) und BeobachterInnen (die Niederlande, die UN und in geringem Ausmaß die EU). Auf nationaler Ebene jene der Zentralregierung und der Provinzregierungen, den vom Konflikt profitierenden Sicherheitsapparat bestehend aus Polizei und Militärtruppen sowie („spontane“) TransmigrantInnen. Sie fasst diese unter dem Titel „the actors on the Indonesian side“ zusammen. Diese Klassifizierung erweist sich jedoch als problematisch, da die beiden Provinzregierungen von Papua und Irian Jaya Barat, die mittlerweile zunehmend von ethnischen Papuas dominiert werden, sowie andere Einrichtungen auf Provinzebene somit einer indonesischen Seite zugeschrieben werden. Eben dies passiert mit TransmigrantInnen, welche die Autorin als „closed community“ bezeichnet. Auch diese Behauptung ist kritisch zu hinterfragen, bedenkt man die Heterogenität innerhalb dieser Gruppe. Die lokale Ebene bildet mit ihrer Vielzahl an AkteurInnen schließlich die weitaus dichteste Ebene dieser Bestandsaufnahme. In einer umfangreichen Auflistung werden hier 113 ASEAS 3(1) die politischen, studentischen, zivilen, religiösen u.a. Organisationen erwähnt und teilweise ausführlich beschrieben. Auch dieser analytische Schritt ist nicht gänzlich nachvollziehbar, scheinen doch auf dem „local level“ nur Papuas zu agieren. Um die Charakteristika der unterschiedlichen „levels“ zu veranschaulichen führt Heidbüchel eine weitere Unterteilung ein, nämlich die in eine horizontale und eine vertikale Dimension. Sie schreibt dazu: „The vertical dimension is concerning the conflict between the Indonesian Central Government and the West Papuan directly involved actors. The horizontal dimension deals with the current emergence and aggravation of conflicts on the local Papuan level. Here the issues are socio-economic by nature, whereas the issues of the vertical dimension are political” (S. 112). Durch solche Formulierungen entsteht der Eindruck, dass die papuanische Lokalebene einer politischen Dimension entbehrt. Des Weiteren erarbeitet die Autorin eine Konfliktmatrix, in der sie „conflict issues“ identifiziert, beschreibt, deren zugrunde liegende Ursachen bestimmt und sie in ihrer „multi-level-structure“ verortet. Der Komplexität des Konflikts entsprechend umfasst diese Analyse eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Bereiche und Prozesse, wie Sicherheitsinteressen, die Geschäfte des staatlichen Sicherheitsapparats, rechtliche Unsicherheit und Defizite in der Implementierung der Sonderautonomie, Menschenrechtsdiskurse, Korruption, Ressourcenausbeutung und die Herausbildung einer Papua-Identität, um nur einige zu nennen. Es folgt eine Analyse unterschiedlicher Konfliktlösungsansätze, wozu zwei weitere Unterscheidungsebenen eingeführt werden, nämlich das „factual, objective level, which entails the hard facts and political demands“ und das „relational, subjective level, which is dealing with the emotional frame related issues such as fear and trust“ (S. 8). Angst und gegenseitiges Misstrauen prägen die gegenseitige Wahrnehmung der involvierten AkteurInnen, wie Heidbüchel berechtigt feststellt, was sie zu der Schlussfolgerung führt, dass der Konflikt nicht nur auf rein politische Weise gelöst werden kann, sondern auch der Berücksichtigung des „relational levels“ bedarf. Heidbüchels Resümee lautet wie folgt: Der Rahmen des gegenwärtigen Konflikts kann in drei Übergangsphasen gesehen werden: (1) Der Demokratisierungsprozess Indonesiens, in dem es um das Supremat ziviler Kräfte über das Militär geht, das einer friedlichen Lösung des Konflikts als „most powerful veto actor“ im Weg steht; (2) West-Papuas Übergang von der „totalen Unterdrückung“ zur „relativen 114 Rezensionen / Reviews Sonderautonomie“. Hier spricht die Autorin von einer großen Herausforderung für die indigenen Papuas, da diese bis vor kurzen vom politischen Leben ausgeschlossen waren und daher nicht genügend Papuas über die Fähigkeiten verfügen, politische Verantwortung zu übernehmen. Dies führt schließlich zu Misswirtschaft staatlicher Gelder und zu Korruption; (3) Die kulturellen Veränderungen innerhalb der indigenen Bevölkerung, ausgelöst durch die „Ankunft der Moderne“ in einer von der Autorin verallgemeinernd als traditionell dargestellten indigenen Gesellschaft. Den Schlüssel zur Konfliktlösung entdeckt Heidbüchel in einem Ansatz, den sie als „trinity approach“ bezeichnet und der aus den Komponenten Dialog, Vertrauen und Versöhnung besteht. Die Wahl dieses Terminus, der bewusst der christlichen Terminologie entnommen wurde, begründet sie u.a. mit einem durch christliche Werte geprägten kulturellen Hintergrund der Bevölkerung West-Papuas. Dass die Bevölkerung West-Papuas jedoch auch aus muslimischen ImmigrantInnen und zu einem geringen Teil muslimischen Papuas besteht, wird mit diesem Ansatz nicht berücksichtigt. Die Autorin trägt allerdings der interreligiösen Dimension des Papuakonflikts Rechnung, wenn sie das von der katholischen Diözese in Jayapura ins Leben gerufene, interreligiös ausgerichtete Konzept des „Tanah Damai“ (Land des Friedens) beschreibt und als mögliche Plattform einer beginnenden Konflikttransformation auf lokaler Ebene ansieht. Mit „The West Papua Conflict in Indonesia“ legte Esther Heidbüchel ein umfangreich recherchiertes Buch vor, welches sich vor allem durch die deskriptive Darstellung der zahlreichen in den Konflikt involvierten AkteurInnen, Konfliktbereiche und Lösungsstrategien kennzeichnet. Die Autorin verschafft den LeserInnen einen Überblick und ersten Einblick in eine komplexe und dynamische Konfliktlandschaft. Die analytische Seite dieser Arbeit zeigt jedoch in einigen Bereichen Schwächen. Eine Reduktion der AkteurInnen des Konflikts auf eine indonesische und eine Papua-Seite kann nicht im Interesse einer Konfliktanalyse sein, die auf eine Konfliktentschärfung abzielt. Die Feststellung, dass ein derartig vielschichtiger Konflikt wie in West-Papua nicht nur politisch gelöst werden kann, wird wohl kaum jemand bestreiten und ist keine wirklich neue Erkenntnis, obwohl Heidbüchel damit zumindest über den Tellerrand einer enger gefassten politikwissenschaftlichen Betrachtungsweise hinausblickt. In ihrer Conclusio gewinnt der Begriff Kultur, den sie nach Kevin Avruch als „actor related concept“ definiert, eine zentrale Bedeutung: 115 ASEAS 3(1) „Culture matters. The West Papua conflict can not be solved politically only due to the highly differing cultures which collide in West Papua. The cultural backgrounds determine the frames used for the cognitive processing of the situation and the perception of respective issues“ (S. 191). Mit dieser Formulierung schließt die Analyse, die an Huntingtons „clash of civilizations“ erinnert und in der ein Kulturbegriff zur Anwendung kommt, der Kulturen als statische, in sich geschlossene, homogene Einheiten begreift. Eine Konfliktanalyse, die nahe legt, dass hier eine vermeintlich unter- oder weniger entwickelte Papua-Kultur auf eine moderne indonesische Kultur trifft, reproduziert nur Stereotype und wird der Komplexität der gegenwärtigen gesellschaftlichen Prozesse in West-Papua nicht gerecht. Christian Warta Österreichische Akademie der WIssenschaften Chua, Christian (2008). Chinese Big Business in Indonesia: The state of capital. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-45074-4. 192 pages This book considers itself to be about the political economy of Chinese big business in Indonesia. Of the biggest business groups, most are either owned or headed by persons belonging to the ethnic minority of Sino-Indonesians. In his book Christian Chua attempts to illustrate why down to the present day there are almost no big corporations owned or controlled by members of other ethnic groups. As Chua outlines within the first few chapters of his work, he attempts to fill a gap in present literature on the Chinese ethnic minority in Indonesia, which either tends to pursue a culturalist or a structuralist approach. The culturalists, to put it in a somewhat simplified way, try to explain the present situation from a point of view mainly focusing on ethnicity. They consider economic networks within South-East Asia as a mere web of trust and connections based on cultural and ethnic likeness, which leaves them somewhat unable to explain the very special Indonesian situation. The structuralists on the other hand, Chua states, insist on the idea of a Chinese minority as a capitalist class, eliminating the culturalist point of view. This, however, made it possible for them to look much deeper into the state-business relationship (p. 13). But both approaches, as Chua never wearies of stressing, fail in the attempt to 116 Rezensionen / Reviews explain the present situation beyond a certain point, because they refuse to absorb certain aspects of each other theories. Setting the very start of his work in pre-colonial times, he utilises economic, political, cultural as well as ethnic arguments as his means to depict the particular Indonesian case as a construct, used by the ruling class of each historical period to keep others, mostly the masses, out of power. So even before the European colonists, first the Portuguese and after them the Dutch, arrived, a small group of ethnic Chinese present in what once would become Indonesia was being used by rulers to keep the local gentry from accumulating economic power. By cultivating a Chinese class of capitalists and entrepreneurs, these monarchs, due to the lack of support among the main ethnic groups for the Chinese foreigners, could easily keep the Chinese from gaining means of power beyond the economic; thus they gained two advantages: first, by restricting the Chinese to the field of trade and economy, rulers assured a major part of resources remained in the hands of a group subjected to their will; and second, the local gentry, which would have support in opposing the king, would have a hard time allocating resources (p. 30). The very concept, as Chua notices, is somewhat similar to the way Jews in medieval Europe were â€œallowedâ€? to deal in money-lending. When the European colonial powers arrived and incorporated the Indonesian islands, they absorbed the existing system, though not by intention as it seems. As years passed, they obviously felt increasingly uncomfortable with the Chinese minority gaining more and more economic power. They were troubled enough to massacre most of them, which was not only a shocking crime but also turned out be a major mistake since it caused the economic life in the colony to break down (p. 32). After resettling Chinese migrants to revive the economy, they were just as before restricted from gaining social and political power to suit the needs of the new rulers, and keep the indigenous aristocrats from power. The best part of the book now is not concerned with the history, even if one gets the impression Chua deems it to be path-breaking, but with the rule of the New Order, the regime General Soeharto led in Indonesia for more than thirty years. Chua puts much of his effort into detailing the scheme of the relationship between the ruling militarybureaucratic class and the Chinese minority, focusing on their business elite. He never seems to tire of asking how it was possible for a small ethnic group to pool most of a 117 ASEAS 3(1) nationâ€™s wealth within their ranks, especially within a country led by the military and bureaucrats who rather often stress economic disequilibrium, calling for measures to redistribute wealth and let indigenous entrepreneurs have their share. Whilst others blame the cultural background of the non-Chinese Indonesians, ineffective governmental actions against the big players or corruption, Chua favours the idea of the specific role of Chinese businessmen, which had its antecedents in the economic and social structures of colonialism. They were subordinate to and dependent on the political elite, regularly harassed by populist rhetoric and measures, and subject to extortion. They proved to be the ideal henchman any absolutist politico-bureaucrat could ask for. They were the perfect scapegoat. Whenever opposition against Golkar, the ruling party of Soeharto, appeared, public opinion was easy to distract by blaming Chinese businessmen for economic and social unfairness, being the very root of most problems. Furthermore, by accumulating capital they prevented potential competition by well-off indigenous entrepreneurs as non-Chinese merchants could hardly rise to a significant level. To survive in such an environment, a Chinese businessmen had to pick a patron. Not only would he gain security from the regular anti-Chinese harassments, he also could use this connection to get governmental contracts yielding profits beyond imagination, which needless to say he had to split with his mentor. To even top that, the politico-bureaucrats could use ethnic Chinese to start building their own capitalist class, by having them assist in promoting family-owned or family-controlled business-groups up to the ranks of big business (p. 56). Chua spends half of his work on revealing how this symbiosis was set up in particular. The other major part is concerned with the fall of the New Order, the events surrounding the Asian financial crisis at the end of the twentieth century, and with what happened in particular to Chinese big business corporations after the crisis. Accumulating ever more capital, the Chinese business-groups embedded within the New Order, due to the need for foreign investment, were allowed to, first, start internationalising, and second, go into the banking business. Following this process the former Indonesian big business groups became big enough to be fully-fledged international players no longer depending fully on their polito-bureaucratic patrons: this rather complicated process was catalysed and speeded up by the financial crisis. The chapters concerning this very scene deserve mentioning. 118 Rezensionen / Reviews The author manages to set the stage for a complicated play involving the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, international investors, the collapsing Indonesian regime and Chinese big business. The situation after these events was no longer the same. Not only was the old regime gone, the former scapegoats were rid of the bonds inflicted on them. At first it seemed like they were to vanish due to the absence of their lucrative politico-bureaucratic network, but they soon became accustomed to the new environment. One of the prerequisites for international help was to abandon the anti-Chinese legislation, which put the Chinese in an advantageous position. While the bureaucrats could now no longer exploit them in the old fashioned way, the Chinese on the other hand were not bound by such obligations. As soon as they adapted to the way of bribing the now much more feeble government officials, they had the upper hand. No longer with a strong autocratic regime, the whole country seemed to turn into a playground for capitalists (p. 114). They took control of the print and other media and where they could not gain power by means of capital, according to Chua, certain business groups turned to the more direct way of intimidation by means of brute force. To complete his work, Chua looks at what happened to Chinese big business after the crisis by interviewing very prominent actors and analysing two case studies: first, the Lippo Group, which according to the author moved in a dubious kind of direction, sometimes reminiscent of organized crime, and second, the Salim Group, Indonesiaâ€™s biggest corporation both under the New Order regime and after the Asian crisis. Chuaâ€™s conclusion and argument that with capitalism unleashed after the financial crisis, Indonesia did not become the democracy hoped for, but drifts ever further into becoming a plutocratic form of capitalism, becoming one of the most corrupt countries, is quite convincing. It is a very up-to-date work, thoroughly argued, in parts repetitive and circuitous, yet still suitable for political and economical graduate seminars. Altogether it is an excellent piece of research on Indonesia. Gerhard Kraft 119 ASEAS 3(1) Gainsborough, Martin (Ed.) (2009). On The Borders of State Power. Frontiers in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-41465-4. 114 + ix pages. This volume edited by Martin Gainsborough deals with a relevant geographical area and with interesting research issues. The research problems addressed are both interesting and relevant. Thus, the starting point of the volume is promising. The ambition as expressed in the first chapter by the editor is commendable. In this review the way in which the research issues and problems are addressed in the volume will be assessed. The review will also evaluate if the editor’s ambition as outlined in the introduction chapter has been achieved. The structure of the book is as follows. Chapter 1 by the editor Martin Gainsborough is the introduction to the volume (pp. 1-11). Chapter 2 by Emmanuel Poisson deals with the interplay between Kinh and ethnic minority rule on the Sino-Vietnamese frontier from the fifteenth to twentieth century (pp. 12-24). Chapter 3 by Bradley C. Davis discusses the collaboration between China and Vietnam in pursuing bandits in the border area in the aftermath of Taiping rebellion in China (pp. 25-34). Chapter 4 by Stan B-H Tan tackles government policies aiming at controlling land grabbing in the Central Highlands of Vietnam during the First Republic of Vietnam (1954-63) (pp. 35-50). Chapter 5 by Miwa Hirono deals with ‘community development’ in a village on the Chinese side of the border between China and Myanmar and the interplay between villagers, Oxfam and the Chinese authorities (pp. 51-59). Chapter 6 by Kyoko Kusakabe examines impacts of the politics of ‘opening up’ on female traders in the borderlands of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand (pp. 60-74). Chapter 7 by Holly High investigates the mobility of the marginal in the borderlands between Laos and Thailand (pp. 75-100). Chapter 8 by Andrew Walker is a conclusion centred on the question “are the Mekong frontiers sites of exception?” (pp. 101-111). The first impression of the volume is that it is very short for an edited book. This is not due to the number of contributions, but due to the fact that the vast majority of them are very short. It appears that the editor faced problems even getting this short version out and hence to argue for more contributions would not have been an option. Instead, the question is why such short contributions? With the exception of chapter 7, the other contributions range between eight and fifteen pages in length. 120 Rezensionen / Reviews The shortness is not motivated by the issues that are studied, all of which could have been studied in more depth. In fact they should have been studied in more detail in order to adequately deal with the issues that each of the chapters are devoted to. The introduction provides a good overview of the process leading up to the book and delivers insights into the various contributions. It also sets out that borders, globalisation and the state are the three key issues that are studied in the book and that they are studied in historical context. The problem is that Gainsborough does not address the changing nature and definition of borders through history. The same applies to the concept of the state and relations between states in historical context. Nor does he clarify how the concept of globalisation applies to historical processes and developments. Furthermore, Gainsboroughâ€™s attempt to relate chapters 2 and 3, which deal with developments along the border between China and Vietnam in history, to studies dealing with other borders in the region in the present day is not convincing. Chapters 2 and 3 both address highly relevant issues relating to the situation in the border areas between China and Vietnam. Both would potentially have generated a considerable amount of new knowledge had the chapters been developed to their full potential. Empirically the information is relevant but leaves a number of unanswered questions. In chapter 2, Poisson manages to cover developments during more then five centuries in a few pages and this is far from satisfactory. The fact that he does not define the changing nature of the concept of border between China and Vietnam during these five centuries diminishes the relevance of his study. The reader is left wondering what the status of the Sino-Vietnamese border within the context of the tributary relationship between China and Vietnam actually was. Chapter 3 is more detailed than chapter 2 given that it deals with a shorter period of time and hence provides more data and information about the collaboration between China and Vietnam in combating bandits in the border area after the Taiping rebellion in China. A shortcoming is that the chapter ends without any information on whether the broader problem of bandit activity was resolved in the area. As in the earlier chapter, Davis does not address the nature of the relationship between China and Vietnam and in particular not such key questions as status of the border from the perspectives of both sides. Furthermore, he uses the term â€œsovereigntyâ€? in the Vietnamese case without defining its meaning in the particular context of the historical period that 121 ASEAS 3(1) he studies. In Chapter 4, Tan has a declared ambition to prove that the Diem administration in the Republic of Vietnam (ROV) (South) 1954-1963 made major efforts to curb land grabbing in the Central Highlands of the ROV (pp. 35-36). In his attempt to do so, he selects the province of Lam Dong and studies the situation in this province and the government policies to curb land grabbing. The problem relates to land rights of ethnic minorities and state formation as well as relations between ethnic minorities and the majority ethnic group, i.e. Kinh. The study is well documented and shows that the government in the ROV did try to combat land grabbing through various pieces of legislation. The author takes this as proof that the government supported the land rights of the ethnic minorities (pp. 36-38). However, this is not evident from the facts presented in the study. These facts rather indicate that the goal was to enhance state control over land transfer in the Central Highlands, which is not the same as ethnic minoritiesâ€™ rights. The chapter leaves the reader with one important unanswered question, namely was the government successful in its attempts or not? Given the stated aim of the chapter to leave that question pending implies that the chapter falls short of its aim. Chapter 5 deals with a very important issue, namely the relations between centre and periphery in China and the activities of international NGOs, in this case Oxfam. Although some interesting observations are made, they are not elaborated on in detail. Also the interviews referred to are vague since there are no notes to indicate when they were conducted. The overall impression is that the chapter is more a short report than a substantive academic study. In other words the potential has not been fully realised by the author. The eight pages including two notes and half a page of references are not in any way sufficient for a chapter in an academic book in the social sciences and humanities. Chapter 6 provides an insight into the fate of female traders in the three border areas Cambodia-Thailand, Laos-Thailand and Myanmar-Thailand, and into the impact of economic liberalisation in the opening up of these border areas. Thus, the chapter deals with an interesting interplay between formal state structure and policies and more informal structures through which the female traders operate. The chapter offers interesting information about the situation in each of the three border areas, but it does not compare them with each other. Furthermore, the issues addressed in 122 Rezensionen / Reviews each of the border areas are different from one area to another. Thus, the section on “strategies of resistance” deals only with the Cambodia-Thai situation (pp. 68-70) and this is not satisfactory since the existence or non-existence of such strategies in the Lao-Thai and Myanmar-Thai areas ought to have been analysed in the chapter. Chapter 7 is the most detailed of all contributions to the volume. It is the chapter that makes the most comprehensive attempt to address the issues that are researched. It seeks to both identify the aspirations of the inhabitants of Don Khiaw Island located in the Mekong in the south of Laos and the impact of relations between Laos and Thailand – with special emphasis on the border area – on the inhabitants of the island. The chapter provides some very interesting insights into the perceptions and aspirations of the inhabitants of the island, many of whom have been or want to go to Thailand to work. The author outlines how increased government control makes movement across the border between Laos and Thailand more difficult. The chapter also contains an essay on the history of the region as well as on Lao-Thai relations (pp. 79-88). This overview is unfortunately both biased and overlooks key periods of internal development in Laos. The bias lies in the broadly positive presentation of Thai policies towards Laos in historical times (pp. 79-83). This can be contrasted with the criticism of Thailand for collaborating with Laos in the current period (pp. 88-91). The author should be given due credit for her efforts in addressing the studied issues in a comprehensive way, in particular compared to other contributions to the book. However, to deal with an academic discipline different from a researcher’s own area of expertise – in this case an anthropologist dealing with history – is a challenging task, as can be seen in this chapter. Chapter 8, the concluding chapter, makes a serious attempt at identifying some of the major findings and arguments from the other chapters in the book and also at framing the analysis around the both relevant and interesting question: “are the Mekong frontiers sites of exception?” Based on the evidence provided in the volume this question cannot really be answered but the discussion in the chapter is interesting. The drawback with the chapter is that the author refers to his own book repeatedly. In fact the starting point of the chapter is derived from his earlier book and not from the edited volume that he is contributing to. To summarise this review, the volume deals with an interesting problem and a number of relevant issues but it is too limited both in terms of content and in 123 ASEAS 3(1) terms of length to properly address the problem and its issues. Given the major weaknesses outlined in this review and the shortcomings in addressing the stated objectives of the volume, the conclusion of this review can only be that the book is not recommended reading. Ramses Amer Stockholm University, Sweden Grabowski, Maike, Herold, Heike, & Jordan, Rolf (Hrsg.). (2009). Sicherheit kontra Menschenrechte: Antiterrorpolitik in Asien. Köln, Deutschland: Horlemann Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-89502-284-5. 206 Seiten Die Tatsache, dass die Sicherheit der Allgemeinheit und die (scheinbare) Stabilität des Systems oft im Konflikt mit den individuellen Rechten der betroffenen BürgerInnen stehen, wird seit langer Zeit beobachtet und erörtert. Die Terrorismusdebatten nach 9/11 rückten dieses altbekannte Dilemma wieder in den Fokus öffentlicher Diskussionen. Dabei ging es im politischen „Westen“, also Regionen, die sich – durchaus zu Recht – immer noch als Vorreiter und -kämpfer der Menschenrechte sehen, allerdings primär um die bedenkliche Aushöhlung der eigenen Rechtsstaatlichkeit. Wie aber sieht es in Teilen der Welt aus, in denen rechtsstaatliche Prinzipien nie so recht Fuß fassten? Welchen Einfluss hatten die Terroranschläge in New York und Washington auf noch andauernde Demokratisierungsprozesse? Der auf Beiträgen einer Tagung des (Essener) Asienhauses im Mai 2008 basierende Sammelband „Sicherheit kontra Menschenrechte: Antiterrorpolitik in Asien“ beleuchtet dieses Thema von zentralasiatischen Ex-Sowjetrepubliken wie Usbekistan über Indien, Bangladesch und Ostasien bis Südostasien, das mit den Philippinen, Malaysia, Singapur, Indonesien und einer Betrachtung der ASEAN-Politik klar den Schwerpunkt des Buches darstellt. In insgesamt zehn Beiträgen gehen die AutorInnen der Frage nach, wie es um Bürgerund Menschenrechte in ausgewählten Ländern Asiens steht und präsentieren diese Entwicklungen zumeist in Relation zu den Anschlägen des 11. Septembers 2001. Dabei wird klar, dass die westliche und insbesondere amerikanische Terrorismusdebatte, welche seit diesem Datum massiv zugenommen hat, nicht ohne Weiteres auf Asien 124 Rezensionen / Reviews übertragen werden kann, da sowohl Terrorismus wie auch aus menschenrechtlicher und sicherheitspolitischer Sicht sehr fragwürdige Praktiken und Gesetzgebungen seitens der betroffenen Regierungen zur Bekämpfung real existierender und angeblicher Staatsfeinde lange Tradition haben und keineswegs rezente Erscheinungen sind. Daher unterscheiden sich sowohl Gründe, Auslöser als auch mit staatlichen Reaktionen einhergehende Problematiken gänzlich von jenen im Westen. In vielen Fällen stammen Konflikte ebenso wie besonders rigide Antiterrorgesetze gar aus der Kolonial- oder Gründungszeit der jeweiligen Staaten; die Bedrohung durch al-Quaida spielt dagegen außer im Diskurs mit dem Westen kaum eine Rolle. Der innere Widerspruch gerade postkolonialer Gesellschaften liegt für die meisten AutorInnen nun darin, dass trotz der freiheitskämpferischen Vergangenheit dieser Regierungen – weitaus mehr noch als in den Gesellschaften der einstigen Kolonialmächte – häufig zu höchst repressiven Mitteln gegriffen wird (vgl. den Beitrag von Thorsten Otto, S. 35). Rechtfertigung dafür ist in der Regel die „Notwendigkeit zur Stabilisierung der Gesellschaft in der Übergangsphase“, bis dann einfach von Terrorismus die Rede ist – wobei der amerikanisch-britische „War on Terror“ diesen Regimen rhetorischen Vorschub und argumentative Unterstützung leistete. Tatsächlich handelt es sich im Urteil einiger AutorInnen dieses Sammelbandes aber um die Fortsetzung bisheriger Kämpfe und Repressalien im Rahmen einer neuen, politisch opportunen Begrifflichkeit. Neu erlassene Antiterror-Gesetze dienen hauptsächlich der Einschüchterung größerer Volksgruppen, zur Abschreckung möglicher SympathisantInnen friedlicher oder gewalttätiger Opposition, Legitimierung staatlicher Gewalt und der Aushebelung internationaler und verfassungsmäßiger Grund- und Menschenrechte, nicht aber unbedingt zur gezielteren Verfolgung terroristisch aktiver Personen oder Gruppen. So legt Thorsten Otto etwa die indische Sondergesetzgebung der 1950er, 1970er und 1980er Jahre dar, welche nicht nur klar den Anschlägen vom 11. September 2001 vorausgehen, sondern ihrerseits auf noch älteren britischen Kolonialgesetzen basieren. Ähnlich verhält es sich in Bangladesch, welches – wie Mitherausgeber Heiko Herold und Bernhard Hertlein ausführen – trotz Lippenbekenntnissen zu verschiedensten Menschenrechtskonventionen die Tradition der Verfolgung regierungskritischer Personen ungebrochen aufrechterhält. Unter dem Deckmantel des „Global War on Terror“ werden so lokale 125 Gewerkschaften und unzufriedene Bauern verfolgt, die nicht im geringsten Zusammenhang mit al-Quaida stehen. Die neben der „Hauptfront“ im Nahen Osten viel zitierte „Zweite Front“ gegen den Terror in Südostasien wird somit oft zum politischen Schauspiel; nationale Interessen haben stets Priorität gegenüber dem Kampf gegen gemeinsame, globale Bedrohungen. Allzu oft existieren dabei Widersprüche von formal vorbildlichen Gesetzen (siehe Ottos Beitrag, S. 33, oder Herold & Hertleins Beitrag, S. 47) und deren Umsetzung. Doch selbst wenn viele der beanstandeten Gesetze in ähnlicher Form durchaus auch in Rechtsstaaten wie Deutschland oder Österreich existieren, liegt der bedeutende Unterschied in der Art und – vor allem aufgrund der fehlenden demokratischen Tradition dieser Länder – der extremen Unverhältnismäßigkeit in der Anwendung. Vage Definitionen machen aus, der Regierung unliebsamen, Nichtregierungsorganisationen schnell „terroristische Vereinigungen“ – mit vielfach tödlichen Folgen für die Betroffenen und selten rechtlichen Konsequenzen für beteiligte Exekutivorgane. Durch diese Instrumentalisierung und Ausweitung des Terrorismusbegriffes (siehe Grabowski, Herold & Jordans Vorwort, S. 7) auf jegliche Oppositionsbewegungen und die damit oftmals einhergehende, massive Einschränkung der Meinungs- und Pressefreiheit sowie restriktive Informationspolitik wurde gerade in Gesellschaften mit noch weitgehend ungelösten sozialen, politischen oder wirtschaftsdistributiven Problemen die Diskussion um Ursache und Legitimität politischen Widerstands – auch gewalttätiger Natur – großteils abgewürgt, was zu einer Kriminalisierung und Entpolitisierung der jeweiligen Problematiken führt. Tatsächlich greifen mehrere AutorInnen des Bandes dieses Thema auf, wobei besonders Michael Clarkes Beitrag zur Verschärfung chinesischer Gesetze mit dem impliziten Ziel der Unterdrückung der Uiguren hervorsticht, da er sich nicht nur inhaltlich ähnlich wie andere – um nicht zu sagen repräsentativ –, sondern auch sichtlich bewegt und argumentativ überzeugend damit auseinandersetzt (S. 73). Angesichts der tristen Lage in den beschriebenen Ländern argumentiert der Großteil der AutorInnen recht normativ, wobei die Sympathien klar auf Seite der jeweiligen Aufständischen oder Oppositionellen liegen und mitunter die Frage der Legitimität bewaffneten Widerstandes gegen die Regierungsgewalt in den Vordergrund gestellt wird. Der europäische Konsens hinsichtlich der prinzipiellen 126 Rezensionen / Reviews Ablehnung von Folter und Willkür unabhängig von der Schuldfrage der Inhaftierten wird dabei oft überlagert; bei manchen Argumenten scheint es so, als meinten die AutorInnen, es wäre es bloß inakzeptabel „Unschuldige“zu foltern oder zu töten. Wiewohl eine Stellungnahme zugunsten unterdrückter Gruppen von menschlichem und menschrechtlichem Standpunkt aus verständlich sowie teils auch argumentativ nachvollziehbar ist – und die im Vorwort klar geäußerte Intention der Beeinflussung „politisch Interessierte[r] und Multiplikatoren“ (S. 9) widerspiegelt – stellt sich bei einigen Beiträgen doch die Frage, inwieweit sie wissenschaftlich beschreibender und erklärender Natur sind oder vorrangig einer normativen Agenda folgen. Noch mehr gilt zu überlegen, ob die Internierung und Befragung Professor Song Du-yuls bei seiner Einreise nach Südkorea durch Geheimdienst und Staatsanwaltschaft – so unerfreulich und juristisch bedenklich diese auch sein mögen – tatsächlich zwei Artikel (jene von Song Du-yul selbst und von Herold) in einem Sammelband von nur zehn Beiträgen rechtfertigen. So diese Episode aber systematischen Charakter hat, sollte dies expliziter und klarer dargelegt werden; Begriffe wie „bizarr“, „absurd“ und „realitätfremd“ (Song, S. 91) innerhalb nur eines Satzes erwecken kaum den Eindruck wissenschaftlicher Distanz zum Erlebten. Insbesondere leidet der wissenschaftliche Anspruch des Bandes aber, so verwendete Theorieansätze nicht deklariert werden oder schlicht und einfach nicht vorhanden sind. Lobend hervorzuheben sind hierbei die Beiträge des Mitherausgebers Rolf Jordan über die Menschenrechtslage in Malaysia und Singapur in einem expliziten Vergleich der Lage vor und nach 9/11 sowie des ASEAS-Redakteurs Alfred Gerstl, der – ähnlich wie auch andere AutorInnen des Bandes, aber mit klar präzisiertem Theorieansatz – die Entpolitisierung von Terrorismus am Beispiel ASEAN betrachtet. Beide Beiträge gehen ausgesprochen balanciert auf verschiedene Aspekte und Perspektiven der Problematik ein, ohne dabei aber die groben Menschenrechtsverstöße zu relativieren oder ignorieren. Die von den HerausgeberInnen Grabowski, Herold und Jordan formulierte Leitfrage des Bandes nach den Auswirkungen neuer Gesetzgebungen vor dem Hintergrund der vermeintlichen Zäsur 9/11 (S. 8) wird vom Großteil der AutorInnen gestellt, zumeist aber mit dem Hinweis auf Rhetorik, um westliche Unterstützung zu erhalten, oder nur gradueller Verschlechterung bereits existierender fragwürdiger Menschenrechtslage beantwortet. Nicht die Anschläge von New York und Washington, sondern Ereignisse 127 ASEAS 3(1) davor und danach erklärten die Entwicklungen in Asien. Bei allem Informationsreichtum, aus wissenschaftlicher Hinsicht ist die etwas divergierende Qualität der Beiträge ein Wermutstropfen. Für die im Vorwort deklarierte Zielgruppe – und hierbei gerade für Südostasien-Interessierte – bietet „Sicherheit kontra Menschenrechte“ aber eine interessante und wertvolle Bestandsaufnahme. Harald Krebl Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften (SEAS), Österreich 128 SOUTH EAST ASIA RESEARCH the interdisciplinary journal of South East Asia studies Published by IP Publishing on behalf of the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London, South East Asia Research is a refereed journal which includes papers on all aspects of South East Asia within the disciplines of archaeology, art history, economics, geography, history, language and literature, law, music, political science, social anthropology and religious studies. Recent papers: ‘Capturing the Huk Amazons: representing women warriors in the Philippines, 1940s–1950s’ by Vina A. Lanzona ‘Malaysia’s transitional moment? Democratic transition theory and the problem of Malaysian exceptionalism’ by Jason P. Abbott ‘Electoral democracy in a divided society: the 2008 gubernatorial election in Maluku, Indonesia’ by Dirk Tomsa ‘Portable histories in mobile city Singapore: the (lack)lustre of Admiral Zheng He’ by Hong Lysa and Huang Jianli Please send submissions to: Dr Rachel Harrison, Editor, South East Asia Research, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, UK. E-mail: [email protected] Subscription prices (for four issues, 2010 volume): Institutions: $254.00(USA)/€242.00(Euro Zone)/£164.00(Rest of world) Individuals (by personal cheque or credit card only): $92.00(USA)/ €85.00(Euro zone)/£59.00(Rest of world) Subscribers to the printed edition have free access to the online edition. To subscribe or to request a free sample copy, contact: Turpin Distribution Services, Stratton Business Park, Pegasus Drive, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 8TQ, UK. Tel: +44 1767 604957. Fax: +44 1767 601640. E-mail: [email protected]. E-commerce: http://ebiz.turpin-distribution.com/. www.ippublishing.com ASEAS Einreichungen / Submissions The journal’s editors invite both established as well as young scholars to present research results and theoretical papers, to review literature or to publish conference reports as well as interviews with experts on South-East Asia. As an interdisciplinary journal, ASEAS Die Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften (ASEAS) ist ein Schwerpunktprojekt der Gesellschaft für Südostasienwissenschaften (SEAS) in Wien. Die Redaktion lädt etablierte wie auch angehende WissenschafterInnen dazu ein, Forschungsergebnisse und theoretische Abhandlungen zu präsentieren, Fachliteratur zu rezensieren sowie Konferenzberichte und Interviews mit SüdostasienexpertInnen zu veröffentlichen. Als interdisziplinäre Zeitschrift beinhalten die Beiträge historische und/oder aktuelle Analysen kultureller, sozialer, wirtschaftlicher und politischer Fra- covers cultural, social, economic and political aspects of South-East Asia from a historical and/or a contemporary perspective. Topics should be related to South-East Asia, but they do not need to be restricted to the geographical region, as in the case of - for example - linguistics, diaspora groups or forms of socio-cultural transfers where spatial and political borders of South-East Asia are crossed. If you are interested in publishing a paper with ASEAS, please visit our website and find CfPs, further information about submissions as well as our e-mail address there. gestellungen. Veröffentlichte Artikel müssen einen Be- ..................................................................................... zug zu Südostasien aufweisen, sollen aber nicht geographisch auf die Region beschränkt bleiben, sondern können, wie es beispielsweise in der Linguistik, bei Diaspora-Gruppen oder Formen des soziokulturellen Transfers SUBMISSION DEADLINES ASEAS 3(2): 15 August 2010 ASEAS 4(1): 15 January 2011 der Fall ist, die räumlichen und politischen Grenzen Südostasiens überschreiten. Falls Sie einen Beitrag in ASEAS publizieren möchten, besuchen Sie bitte unsere Homepage, wo Sie CfPs, nähere Informationen zu CONTACT Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften / Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies (ASEAS) / Stumpergasse 39/22 A-1060 Vienna - Austria Einreichungen sowie unsere E-Mail-Kontaktadresse finden. WEBSITE ..................................................................................... The Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Stu- EMAIL dies (ASEAS) is a core project of the Society [email protected] for South-East Asian Studies (SEAS) in Vienna. ISSN 1999-253X	i don't know
British Airways announced a merger with which other airline in 2010?	British Airways announces plans to merge with Spanish airline British Airways announces plans to merge with Spanish airline By Jane Fazackarley Nov 12, 2009 in Business British Airways has announced plans to merge with Iberia, a Spanish airline. The deal has not yet been completed but should be made formal in 2010. Before the deal can be completed it must receive the go-ahead from the European Commission. Once the merger has been made final, the new company will become one of the largest airlines in the world. British Airways (BA) has been struggling due to the recession and other factors. The company recently announced a £292 million loss over the last six months. The merger will mean that a holding company called TopCo is to be set up and BA will retain the biggest share of the business at 55 percent, while Iberia will have a 45 percent share. The two airlines first met for talks back in 2008 to discuss the possibility of a deal. British Airways currently holds a 14 per cent stake in Iberia. The Spanish airline still has the option of backing out of the plans should BA not find a way of addressing the pensions black hole which exists in its company. The merger will mean the company will own a total of 419 planes and flights will go to more than 200 different destinations. Virgin Atlantic, a rival of British Airways, has some reservations over the deal and the market share it will acquire. Both BA and Iberia have announced heavy losses in the past year and both faced the threat of strike action . The Chairman and CEO of Iberia Airlines Antonio Vázque issued a statement on their website which said: “It has been a long process where many people, both at British Airways and Iberia, have worked very hard to reach this agreement. But in the end it was worth it. This agreement is a giant step in the history of both Iberia and British Airways. We are laying the foundations of what will be one of the most important airlines in the world, a real global airline. I believe that, thanks to this transaction, which is the most important in the European airline industry in recent years, we are more prepared than ever to face future challenges." British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh said: “The merger will create a strong European airline well able to compete in the 21st century. Both airlines will retain their brands and heritage while achieving significant synergies as a combined force.” Union leaders seem to be in favour of the deal and don't forsee job losses as a result.	Iberian Peninsula
Name the US general and commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan sacked by Barack Obama in 2010?	British Airways-Iberia merger to bring world closer for their customers \| The Independent British Airways-Iberia merger to bring world closer for their customers Sunday 15 November 2009 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Travel On November 12 London-based British Airways and Spanish giant Iberia announced they have agreed to merge, effective spring 2010. The merger creates the world's sixth-largest airline and Europe's third-largest, trailing only Lufthansa and Air France-KLM. The two companies announced they will operate separately as distinct brands, but their customers should benefit greatly from the tie-up: cooperation between frequent flyer programs, usage of common passenger terminals, code sharing (which increases flight options for consumers by permitting passengers to book legs of a flight on different airlines with one ticket), usage of each other's passenger lounges and more. The companies stated that fares will not increase as a result of the merger but what will be improved will be the array of flight options the two companies are expected to offer. The airlines now fly to 205 destinations together, as opposed to just 141 for British Airways and 64 for Iberia. UK customers will have greater access to Vueling's strong Latin American network while Spanish and Latin American passengers will be able to easily tie into the extensive offerings to Europe and Asia provided by British Airways. With capacity at London's Heathrow Airport nearly maxed out, British Airways passengers could find themselves with a stopover at Iberia's Madrid-Barajas Airport hub on long flights more often, according to UK newspaper The Guardian. Perhaps most significantly for the future, the merger now adds Iberia to the proposed British Airways alliance with American Airlines on trans-Atlantic routes, which would greatly affect the fares and schedule on many flights offered by the three companies.	i don't know
Over-zealous council officials in Bristol UK, patrolling local countryside, instructed a picnicking family against the use of what, because it was in breach of local byelaws?	Some Quiz's while its slow. Anything Goes Some Quiz's while its slow. While Blogs are a great source of information for us all to utilise there is a growing trend on Wamp for threads simply linking to Blogs without adding to the content on Wamp itself. Some of these are a direct attempt to drive traffic to that Blog. We would encourage you to share content directly on Wamp itself (and include a link in your signature) but we understand this isn't always wanted by the blog author. We would therefore ask that if you are posting content that requires readers to go to another website or Blog that you post it in the links section of the forum. Blogs hosted on Wamp are excluded of course! We hope you understand. If you have any issues please contact Darklord Results 1 to 3 of 3 Some Quiz's while its slow. A ditloid is 3bm = 3 blind mice 007jb 007 James Bond. I have the answers saved for these and will post them in the new year Jan 3rd these are the song and group/singer musical ditloids 2 T B F G T H - S 2 B B - 2 H B A 1 B U 2 - T 1812 O B T - 3 L B B B M A T W - 2 O O 3 A B B M L - 3 S T H B E C - 3 C I T F B F S - 3 T A L B T C - 4 S I 1 D B C H - W U B 4 N B - W 9 T 5 B D P - S M B M 5 - M N 5 B L B - S 5 B I C - 25 O 6 T 4 B C - 6 D O T R B D D - D S M B S C 7 - 7 L G (S I T B S) B P E - S L M O F B S 7 - 8 D A W B T B - 8 M H B T B - L P N 9 B T C - S L 16 B C B - 16 G O 17 B R A H F T S O M - 18 W A B B P W - 19 B P H - 24 H F T B G P - T R D W N 12 A 35 B B D - 50 W T L Y L B P S - H 61 R B B D - W I 64 B T B - (G Y K O) R 66 B N K C - 68 G B T A - S O 69 B B A - 74 75 B T C - 76 T F T M M - 1 A D A 200 S F B B F 5 - I G B (500 M ) B T P - 505 B T A M - L O 1000 D B W P - S O A 1000 M B T T - T N H A 1000 E B B V - N Y M D 1941 B T BG - D 1963 (O W A N) B T F S - SC (1984) B T E - 1985 B B F S - 1999 B P - I T Y 2525 B Z A E - 10538 O B T E L O - 9,000,000 B B K M - H I 10 Z L Y A B S W - Last edited by exilesjjb; 24-12-2010 at 02:57 AM. Let tomorrow take care of its self Today is for Wargaming and having fun..... 9 quiz of 2010 again answers Jan 3rd Name the pin-up celebrity who appeared on a provocative poster for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 2010, with her body marked as if for cuts of meat? What material invented by Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding originally as a textured wallpaper celebrated 50 years of quite different and popular use in 2010? Name the long-standing Rwanda president in the news during 2010 after human rights criticisms? What state in Mexico was hit by a devastating mudslide in September 2010? In 2010, scenes of tobacco smoking attracted a fine for the broadcasters of what 1950-60s boy-hero cartoon series in Turkey? Name the lead singer with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, and later a successful solo artist, who died in 2010? With which country did France agree a 50 year treaty in November 2010 entailing joint forces, and sharing an aircraft carrier and nuclear technology? Barack Obama's 2010 meeting with what leader sparked protests from China, and the description (of the leader) as 'a wolf in monk's clothing'? What island nation was hit by an earthquake and tsunami disaster in October 2010? A UK Metropolitan Firearms Policeman was removed from duty after bizarrely inserting what into his court evidence at an inquest into a fatal shooting? What was Tony McCoy's winning mount in the 2010 Grand National? According to the UK Office of National Statistics, Jack, the most popular baby boy's name for 14 years, was replaced by what name? Historical audio-taped interviews with what famous wife were released by her daughter for transcription in 2010, having been sealed since 1964? Who won golf's 2010 Masters Championship? What iconic London institution was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority (Qatar's sovereign wealth fund) in May 2010? In what Eastern European country did violence arise against Uzbeks during 2010? According to official figures released in 2010, what country originated the most refugees during the previous 30 years? After losing his seat in the 2010 general election, Nick Palmer became the first former MP to do what: Claim unemployment benefits; Climb Mount Everest; Join the police; or undergo a sex change? An American ban lasting 21 years was lifted in 2010 for what Scottish food? Name the controversial leader of the Dutch right-wing Freedom Party which won 24 seats in the Dutch elections, who was refused entry into the UK for his 'racist views'? Name Microsoft's hands-free gaming system launched in June 2010, a made-up word alluding to joining? Sacked whistleblower Cheryl Eckard was awarded $96m compensation against what pharmaceuticals corporation following malpractice at the Cidra plant in Puerto Rico? What capital city was devastated by the 2010 Haiti earthquake? The US Navy announced in 2010 moderately successful testing of boat fuel containing what 'renewable' ingredient: Seaweed; Farm manure; Human waste; or Plastic carrier bags? Amid fears of a new hotbed for terrorism developing in early 2010, president Ali Abdullah Salih of what country came under increasing western pressure to begin social reforms? Freedom of expression blogger Hossein Derakhshan was sentenced in September 2010 to nineteen years prison for 'anti-state activities' in which country? A plane crash close to Smolensk airport in western Russia killed almost half the leadership of which country? Who bought Channel 5 TV in the UK, resisting objections that his pornography interests made him unsuitable? What grand and iconic event was British National Party leader Nick Griffin banned from attending, two hours before, apparently because he "publicized his invitation"? What controversial relic went on display in 2010 in the Italian city whose name it bears? Who won the 2010 World Snooker Championship? Charles Taylor, in court (along with witnesses Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow) at the Hague in 2010, the first African president to face trial for war crimes, led which nation? Name the head of the 'whistleblowing' website Wikileaks, in the news during 2010 after publishing thousands of sensitive government and military documents? In what European city was snooker player John Higgins stung by the News of the World newspaper relating to an alleged betting fix? Name the Sri Lanka cricketing spin bowler who retired after taking 800 test wickets? Name the UK banknote printer subject to quality failings, financial pressures and foreign takeover discussion? What is this sequence: 643667767068? What secret service organization was accused of forging British passports for its agents allegedly responsible for an assassination in Dubai? What iconic London building did EMI suggest it would sell, prompting calls for the National Trust to buy and preserve it? What online grocery company was floated on the UK stock exchange in July 2010? Food writer and critic Egon Ronay, who died in 2010, was born in what country, which offers a food related pun? Name the gymnastic group which won the 2010 Britain's Got Talent TV show? Which famous football figure managed the Ivory Coast national team at the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals? Singer Jimmy Dean, who died in 2010 age 81, sang (in a very deep voice) what hit song about about a heroic 6'6" coal miner? AOL, which sold the website Bebo in 2010 for (it is generally believed) less than $10m, paid what for it in 2008: $2m; $20m; $250m; or $850m? Who in 2010 won Great Britain's first individual Winter Olympics female gold medal since 1952? Which country's coalition government, led by Jan-Peter Balkenende, collapsed in 2010 when disagreeing about extending military action in Afghanistan? Giant George, at 7'3" from nose to tail, and 43" shoulder high, was announced the world's tallest what in 2010 by Guinness World Records? The 1600cc Thunderbird, voted 2010 Bike of the Year in the USA, is made by which iconic motorbike manufacturer? The Duchess of York asked for what fee to introduce a fake businessman to Prince Andrew in a 2010 newspaper sting, (aside from an initial ï¿½40,000 golden handshake cash payment)? Name the popular writer, who died in 2010, and who rode the Queen Mother's horse Devon Loch when it inexplicably belly-flopped out of contention in the 1956 Grand National? Which environmental campaigner, whose band's 2010 European tour required 120 lorries to transport it, pulled out of the 2010 Glastonbury headline spot due to a back injury? Whose painting 'Nude, Green Leaves and Bust' (French title: Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur) sold for a world record (for art work at auction) $106.5m at Christies, New York, in May 2010? American Shaun White performed his unique Double McTwist 1260 move in winning Olympic gold for the second time in what event? Peter O'Donnell, who died in 2010, created what globally syndicated newspaper comic strip heroine, later featuring in books and movies, whose name equates to 'understated fire'? Which far-eastern city saw fatal riots in May 2010 involving red-shirted protestors opposed to the national government? What Danish discount grocer did Walmart's Asda buy for ï¿½778m in 2010? British Airways announced a merger with which other airline in 2010? Name the US general and commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan sacked by Barack Obama in 2010? Over-zealous council officials in Bristol UK, patrolling local countryside, instructed a picnicking family against the use of what, because it was in breach of local byelaws: Windbreak; Tomato ketchup; Breadknife; Radio-controlled toy plane? Commenting on a major UK historical project of 2010, to what did experts refer as 'gangland bling': Alan Sugar's Bentley; The Staffordfshire Anglo-Saxon gold hoard; Henry VIII's bejewelled codpiece; or Prince Phillip's diamond encrusted riding crop? Which England football player was sent off on his 2010/11 season debut for Liverpool? A war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, coinvicted chief jailer Kaing Guek Eav (also called Kang Kek Iew or Kaing Kek Iev) of what regime, responsible for the 1.7m deaths in the 1970s 'Killing Fields' genocide? UN Food and Agriculture policy was publicized during 2010 advocating the replacement of meat in global food supply with what: Earth and clay; Oil and plastics; Wood and leaves; or Insects and worms? Name the journalist and writer and leader of the influential Work Foundation research organization, bought by Lancaster University in 2010? Born Hermine Santruschitz in Vienna, adopted as Miep Gies in Amsterdam, who died age 100 in 2010, helped protect which famous writer? An adaptation of which classic 1905 story by E Nesbit received rave reviews when it was performed with dramatic real effects at London's Waterloo Station in Summer 2010? What nation announced in 2010 that its female population had enjoyed the longest life expectancy in the world since 1985? Ex-world champion boxer Alan Rudkin, who died in September 2010, fought at what weight? Which notable doctor and ex-politician dueted on piano with Aretha Franklin at a Philadelphia fund-raising concert? The phrase: "Estamos en el refugio los 33" - copyrighted in 2010 - signified the start of which event? In 2010 India announced the reintroduction of which animal, sixty years after being hunted to extinction in the wild? Which nation overtook the USA in 2010 to become the world's biggest consumer of power (from oil, coal, etc)? Name the sixteen year old Australian who completed her (claimed youngest ever) round-the-world sailing in May 2010? The new ï¿½340m Aviva Stadium in Ireland opened in 2010 on the site of which previous famous sports ground? Whose 2010 memoir was called Decision Points? Name Google's service launched in 2009 from which support was withdrawn in 2010, which offered 'next-generation email', messaging and twitter-style micro-blogging? Name the Surrey (UK) town which attempted to rebrand itself with the suffix '-on-Thames' due to reference by comedian Sasha Baron Cohen's wannabe gangster character? Patricia Neal, winner of best actress Oscar for her role in the film Hud with Paul Newman, and who died in 2010 age 84, was married to which famous author? The captive animal Tilikum which killed a person for the third time in 2010 at Orlando USA was what species? What city, Chile's second largest, suffered an 8.8 earthquake in 2010? Welsh rugby union flanker Andy Powell was banned from driving after celebrating his team's Six nations win over Scotland by driving what vehicle on the M4 motorway while drunk? Andy Serkis starred in the film Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll as what singer? Name the UK Tory Party donor and deputy chairman pressurised about his 'non-dom' tax status during 2010? Sir Robert Mark, who died in 2010 age 93, held what notable UK post from 1967-77? Internet hackers calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army interrupted service of which Chinese search engine in January 2010? What national soccer team was attacked in their bus by gunmen, on the way to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola? What troubled European car company did Bernie Ecclestone bid to relaunch as a Formula One brand during 2010? What is Burj Khalifa notable for becoming in 2010? What Big European bank's name replaced those of Abbey, and Bradford & Bingley, in an extensive 2010 rebranding of its acquired branches? An inquiry in which European country became the first to judge that the Iraq war had no lawful justification within international law? Name the South African golfer who won the 2010 British Open Golf Championship, at St Andrews? A para-sailing publicity stunt off a beach at Golubitskaya on the Sea of Azoz in Russia attracted a police investigation because the passenger was a what? Colton Harris Moore, the 6'5" American teenager who made the news because he stole a boat and a plane, acquired what nickname because of his lack of footwear? Name the Yorkshireman who refereed the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final? 31 May 2010 was promoted as 'Quit...what...Day' by privacy campaigners objecting to personal data being available to advertisers? What parliamentary seat was not contested on 6 May in the UK general election due to the pre-election death of a candidate? What is the acronym for the UK national crisis management emergency committee which operated during the bad weather of 2010? Hospitalised in Saudi Arabia towards the end of his life, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was president of where, from 2007 until his death in 2010? English and French scientists argued publicly in 2010 over the existence of what, originally identified and named after German gynaecologist Ernst Grafenberg?	Windbreak
Born Hermine Santruschitz in Vienna, adopted as Miep Gies in Amsterdam, who died age 100 in 2010, helped protect which famous writer?	Some Quiz's while its slow. Anything Goes Some Quiz's while its slow. While Blogs are a great source of information for us all to utilise there is a growing trend on Wamp for threads simply linking to Blogs without adding to the content on Wamp itself. Some of these are a direct attempt to drive traffic to that Blog. We would encourage you to share content directly on Wamp itself (and include a link in your signature) but we understand this isn't always wanted by the blog author. We would therefore ask that if you are posting content that requires readers to go to another website or Blog that you post it in the links section of the forum. Blogs hosted on Wamp are excluded of course! We hope you understand. If you have any issues please contact Darklord Results 1 to 3 of 3 Some Quiz's while its slow. A ditloid is 3bm = 3 blind mice 007jb 007 James Bond. I have the answers saved for these and will post them in the new year Jan 3rd these are the song and group/singer musical ditloids 2 T B F G T H - S 2 B B - 2 H B A 1 B U 2 - T 1812 O B T - 3 L B B B M A T W - 2 O O 3 A B B M L - 3 S T H B E C - 3 C I T F B F S - 3 T A L B T C - 4 S I 1 D B C H - W U B 4 N B - W 9 T 5 B D P - S M B M 5 - M N 5 B L B - S 5 B I C - 25 O 6 T 4 B C - 6 D O T R B D D - D S M B S C 7 - 7 L G (S I T B S) B P E - S L M O F B S 7 - 8 D A W B T B - 8 M H B T B - L P N 9 B T C - S L 16 B C B - 16 G O 17 B R A H F T S O M - 18 W A B B P W - 19 B P H - 24 H F T B G P - T R D W N 12 A 35 B B D - 50 W T L Y L B P S - H 61 R B B D - W I 64 B T B - (G Y K O) R 66 B N K C - 68 G B T A - S O 69 B B A - 74 75 B T C - 76 T F T M M - 1 A D A 200 S F B B F 5 - I G B (500 M ) B T P - 505 B T A M - L O 1000 D B W P - S O A 1000 M B T T - T N H A 1000 E B B V - N Y M D 1941 B T BG - D 1963 (O W A N) B T F S - SC (1984) B T E - 1985 B B F S - 1999 B P - I T Y 2525 B Z A E - 10538 O B T E L O - 9,000,000 B B K M - H I 10 Z L Y A B S W - Last edited by exilesjjb; 24-12-2010 at 02:57 AM. Let tomorrow take care of its self Today is for Wargaming and having fun..... 9 quiz of 2010 again answers Jan 3rd Name the pin-up celebrity who appeared on a provocative poster for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 2010, with her body marked as if for cuts of meat? What material invented by Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding originally as a textured wallpaper celebrated 50 years of quite different and popular use in 2010? Name the long-standing Rwanda president in the news during 2010 after human rights criticisms? What state in Mexico was hit by a devastating mudslide in September 2010? In 2010, scenes of tobacco smoking attracted a fine for the broadcasters of what 1950-60s boy-hero cartoon series in Turkey? Name the lead singer with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, and later a successful solo artist, who died in 2010? With which country did France agree a 50 year treaty in November 2010 entailing joint forces, and sharing an aircraft carrier and nuclear technology? Barack Obama's 2010 meeting with what leader sparked protests from China, and the description (of the leader) as 'a wolf in monk's clothing'? What island nation was hit by an earthquake and tsunami disaster in October 2010? A UK Metropolitan Firearms Policeman was removed from duty after bizarrely inserting what into his court evidence at an inquest into a fatal shooting? What was Tony McCoy's winning mount in the 2010 Grand National? According to the UK Office of National Statistics, Jack, the most popular baby boy's name for 14 years, was replaced by what name? Historical audio-taped interviews with what famous wife were released by her daughter for transcription in 2010, having been sealed since 1964? Who won golf's 2010 Masters Championship? What iconic London institution was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority (Qatar's sovereign wealth fund) in May 2010? In what Eastern European country did violence arise against Uzbeks during 2010? According to official figures released in 2010, what country originated the most refugees during the previous 30 years? After losing his seat in the 2010 general election, Nick Palmer became the first former MP to do what: Claim unemployment benefits; Climb Mount Everest; Join the police; or undergo a sex change? An American ban lasting 21 years was lifted in 2010 for what Scottish food? Name the controversial leader of the Dutch right-wing Freedom Party which won 24 seats in the Dutch elections, who was refused entry into the UK for his 'racist views'? Name Microsoft's hands-free gaming system launched in June 2010, a made-up word alluding to joining? Sacked whistleblower Cheryl Eckard was awarded $96m compensation against what pharmaceuticals corporation following malpractice at the Cidra plant in Puerto Rico? What capital city was devastated by the 2010 Haiti earthquake? The US Navy announced in 2010 moderately successful testing of boat fuel containing what 'renewable' ingredient: Seaweed; Farm manure; Human waste; or Plastic carrier bags? Amid fears of a new hotbed for terrorism developing in early 2010, president Ali Abdullah Salih of what country came under increasing western pressure to begin social reforms? Freedom of expression blogger Hossein Derakhshan was sentenced in September 2010 to nineteen years prison for 'anti-state activities' in which country? A plane crash close to Smolensk airport in western Russia killed almost half the leadership of which country? Who bought Channel 5 TV in the UK, resisting objections that his pornography interests made him unsuitable? What grand and iconic event was British National Party leader Nick Griffin banned from attending, two hours before, apparently because he "publicized his invitation"? What controversial relic went on display in 2010 in the Italian city whose name it bears? Who won the 2010 World Snooker Championship? Charles Taylor, in court (along with witnesses Naomi Campbell and Mia Farrow) at the Hague in 2010, the first African president to face trial for war crimes, led which nation? Name the head of the 'whistleblowing' website Wikileaks, in the news during 2010 after publishing thousands of sensitive government and military documents? In what European city was snooker player John Higgins stung by the News of the World newspaper relating to an alleged betting fix? Name the Sri Lanka cricketing spin bowler who retired after taking 800 test wickets? Name the UK banknote printer subject to quality failings, financial pressures and foreign takeover discussion? What is this sequence: 643667767068? What secret service organization was accused of forging British passports for its agents allegedly responsible for an assassination in Dubai? What iconic London building did EMI suggest it would sell, prompting calls for the National Trust to buy and preserve it? What online grocery company was floated on the UK stock exchange in July 2010? Food writer and critic Egon Ronay, who died in 2010, was born in what country, which offers a food related pun? Name the gymnastic group which won the 2010 Britain's Got Talent TV show? Which famous football figure managed the Ivory Coast national team at the FIFA 2010 World Cup Finals? Singer Jimmy Dean, who died in 2010 age 81, sang (in a very deep voice) what hit song about about a heroic 6'6" coal miner? AOL, which sold the website Bebo in 2010 for (it is generally believed) less than $10m, paid what for it in 2008: $2m; $20m; $250m; or $850m? Who in 2010 won Great Britain's first individual Winter Olympics female gold medal since 1952? Which country's coalition government, led by Jan-Peter Balkenende, collapsed in 2010 when disagreeing about extending military action in Afghanistan? Giant George, at 7'3" from nose to tail, and 43" shoulder high, was announced the world's tallest what in 2010 by Guinness World Records? The 1600cc Thunderbird, voted 2010 Bike of the Year in the USA, is made by which iconic motorbike manufacturer? The Duchess of York asked for what fee to introduce a fake businessman to Prince Andrew in a 2010 newspaper sting, (aside from an initial ï¿½40,000 golden handshake cash payment)? Name the popular writer, who died in 2010, and who rode the Queen Mother's horse Devon Loch when it inexplicably belly-flopped out of contention in the 1956 Grand National? Which environmental campaigner, whose band's 2010 European tour required 120 lorries to transport it, pulled out of the 2010 Glastonbury headline spot due to a back injury? Whose painting 'Nude, Green Leaves and Bust' (French title: Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur) sold for a world record (for art work at auction) $106.5m at Christies, New York, in May 2010? American Shaun White performed his unique Double McTwist 1260 move in winning Olympic gold for the second time in what event? Peter O'Donnell, who died in 2010, created what globally syndicated newspaper comic strip heroine, later featuring in books and movies, whose name equates to 'understated fire'? Which far-eastern city saw fatal riots in May 2010 involving red-shirted protestors opposed to the national government? What Danish discount grocer did Walmart's Asda buy for ï¿½778m in 2010? British Airways announced a merger with which other airline in 2010? Name the US general and commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan sacked by Barack Obama in 2010? Over-zealous council officials in Bristol UK, patrolling local countryside, instructed a picnicking family against the use of what, because it was in breach of local byelaws: Windbreak; Tomato ketchup; Breadknife; Radio-controlled toy plane? Commenting on a major UK historical project of 2010, to what did experts refer as 'gangland bling': Alan Sugar's Bentley; The Staffordfshire Anglo-Saxon gold hoard; Henry VIII's bejewelled codpiece; or Prince Phillip's diamond encrusted riding crop? Which England football player was sent off on his 2010/11 season debut for Liverpool? A war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, coinvicted chief jailer Kaing Guek Eav (also called Kang Kek Iew or Kaing Kek Iev) of what regime, responsible for the 1.7m deaths in the 1970s 'Killing Fields' genocide? UN Food and Agriculture policy was publicized during 2010 advocating the replacement of meat in global food supply with what: Earth and clay; Oil and plastics; Wood and leaves; or Insects and worms? Name the journalist and writer and leader of the influential Work Foundation research organization, bought by Lancaster University in 2010? Born Hermine Santruschitz in Vienna, adopted as Miep Gies in Amsterdam, who died age 100 in 2010, helped protect which famous writer? An adaptation of which classic 1905 story by E Nesbit received rave reviews when it was performed with dramatic real effects at London's Waterloo Station in Summer 2010? What nation announced in 2010 that its female population had enjoyed the longest life expectancy in the world since 1985? Ex-world champion boxer Alan Rudkin, who died in September 2010, fought at what weight? Which notable doctor and ex-politician dueted on piano with Aretha Franklin at a Philadelphia fund-raising concert? The phrase: "Estamos en el refugio los 33" - copyrighted in 2010 - signified the start of which event? In 2010 India announced the reintroduction of which animal, sixty years after being hunted to extinction in the wild? Which nation overtook the USA in 2010 to become the world's biggest consumer of power (from oil, coal, etc)? Name the sixteen year old Australian who completed her (claimed youngest ever) round-the-world sailing in May 2010? The new ï¿½340m Aviva Stadium in Ireland opened in 2010 on the site of which previous famous sports ground? Whose 2010 memoir was called Decision Points? Name Google's service launched in 2009 from which support was withdrawn in 2010, which offered 'next-generation email', messaging and twitter-style micro-blogging? Name the Surrey (UK) town which attempted to rebrand itself with the suffix '-on-Thames' due to reference by comedian Sasha Baron Cohen's wannabe gangster character? Patricia Neal, winner of best actress Oscar for her role in the film Hud with Paul Newman, and who died in 2010 age 84, was married to which famous author? The captive animal Tilikum which killed a person for the third time in 2010 at Orlando USA was what species? What city, Chile's second largest, suffered an 8.8 earthquake in 2010? Welsh rugby union flanker Andy Powell was banned from driving after celebrating his team's Six nations win over Scotland by driving what vehicle on the M4 motorway while drunk? Andy Serkis starred in the film Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll as what singer? Name the UK Tory Party donor and deputy chairman pressurised about his 'non-dom' tax status during 2010? Sir Robert Mark, who died in 2010 age 93, held what notable UK post from 1967-77? Internet hackers calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army interrupted service of which Chinese search engine in January 2010? What national soccer team was attacked in their bus by gunmen, on the way to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola? What troubled European car company did Bernie Ecclestone bid to relaunch as a Formula One brand during 2010? What is Burj Khalifa notable for becoming in 2010? What Big European bank's name replaced those of Abbey, and Bradford & Bingley, in an extensive 2010 rebranding of its acquired branches? An inquiry in which European country became the first to judge that the Iraq war had no lawful justification within international law? Name the South African golfer who won the 2010 British Open Golf Championship, at St Andrews? A para-sailing publicity stunt off a beach at Golubitskaya on the Sea of Azoz in Russia attracted a police investigation because the passenger was a what? Colton Harris Moore, the 6'5" American teenager who made the news because he stole a boat and a plane, acquired what nickname because of his lack of footwear? Name the Yorkshireman who refereed the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final? 31 May 2010 was promoted as 'Quit...what...Day' by privacy campaigners objecting to personal data being available to advertisers? What parliamentary seat was not contested on 6 May in the UK general election due to the pre-election death of a candidate? What is the acronym for the UK national crisis management emergency committee which operated during the bad weather of 2010? Hospitalised in Saudi Arabia towards the end of his life, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was president of where, from 2007 until his death in 2010? English and French scientists argued publicly in 2010 over the existence of what, originally identified and named after German gynaecologist Ernst Grafenberg?	i don't know
Ex-world champion boxer Alan Rudkin, who died in September 2010, fought at what weight?	Hundreds attend memorial to Liverpool boxer Alan Rudkin at the Metropolitan Cathedral - Liverpool Echo Hundreds attend memorial to Liverpool boxer Alan Rudkin at the Metropolitan Cathedral HUNDREDS of people gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral to pay tribute to boxer Alan Rudkin. Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email HUNDREDS of people gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral to pay tribute to boxer Alan Rudkin. Mr Rudkin, who died in September, aged 68, was a five-time British title fight winner as well as a European and Commonwealth champion and recipient of an MBE. The bantam-weight fighter, considered by many to be the city’s greatest, had three world title bouts and was considered unlucky never to have claimed the top spot. Fr Ian O’Shea told mourners: "Apologies to those who have to stand but it’s measure of the affection in which Alan was held. "One word keeps coming up as appropriate to him: fighter. "He was born during the war in North Wales but it would be a brave man who said he was not a Scouser. "He was at the top of his sport during an interesting time, in the 1960s. "He faced the challenge of building a new life after he retired from boxing. "And in recent years he suffered from ill health and the death of his son. These battles he faced with the loving support of his family." Mourners for the dad-of-four included boxers John Conteh, Shea Neary and musician Gerry Marsden. Lifelong friend Brian McCaffrey, a 1960s boxing contemporary, led the tributes. He said: "When I met Alan he was 17. He had blond Beatles-cut hair and a baby face. He looked more like he was going to choir practice than to a fight. "But he was the George Best, the Kenny Dalglish of boxing. "Busy locker rooms would empty when he fought. We all wanted to see the man who practiced the noble art of self defence to perfection. "A childhood illness left him with a tendency to put on weight. "When he was training for a title bout he would eat salad to lose the pounds and be rationed to one cup of tea a day. "His lips would crack with dehydration. He’d train all day and fight fifteen rounds at the end of it. "He said because of this that as soon as he died he’d go straight to heaven. Alan Rudkin was a man’s man, a boxer’s boxer, a fighter’s fighter." Yesterday’s service was followed by a private cremation at Springwood Crematorium. Like us on Facebook	Bantamweight
Which notable doctor and ex-politician dueted on piano with Aretha Franklin at a Philadelphia fund-raising concert?	Final Bell \| Page 4 \| IBRO Final Bell Dan Cuoco May 1May 6 Former British and European heavyweight champion Sir Henry Cooper, who famously knocked down Muhammad Ali in a controversial fight in 1963, died on Sunday aged... Dan Cuoco April 18May 1 Pat McMurtry, the charismatic boxer whose thrilling rise through the heavyweight ranks in the 1950s became a civic obsession in Tacoma, died Sunday morning at... Dan Cuoco March 31April 18 Trainer Gil Clancy, who helped lead Emile Griffith to welterweight and middleweight titles, has died. He was 88. Dan Cuoco December 1December 9 Danny Nardico, former boxer from Tampa, dies at 85 Dan Cuoco November 30December 6 Charles "Skeets" Scioli New England Boxing Icon passed away November 30, 2010 at age 97. Dan Cuoco October 30October 30 Johnny “Smiler” van Rensburg the fighter who always smiled in the ring and one of the best fighters to come out of South Africa in the late 1950’s passed... Dan Cuoco September 23October 30 Alan Rudkin, arguably the greatest bantamweight this country has ever produced and very much a forgotten hero, was found dead in a Liverpool street early... Dan Cuoco September 5September 5 Middleweight Art Hernandez fought 10 times in Milwaukee during his career. Hernandez died on August 26 in Omaha. He was 69. Dan Cuoco August 9August 9 One of the most successful television executives in the world of boxing and entertainment, Jay Larkin, passed away August 9, 2010 at Nyack Hospital in Nyack,... 2 3 4 5 6 About IBRO The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) was organized in May, 1982 for the express purpose of: establishing an accurate history of boxing; compiling complete and accurate boxing records; facilitating the dissemination of boxing research information and cooperating in safeguarding the individual research efforts of its members by application of the rules of scholarly research. Gallery	i don't know
Name the sixteen year old Australian who completed her (claimed youngest ever) round-the-world sailing in May 2010?	Australian Jessica Watson, 16, to become youngest to sail around the world - CSMonitor.com Australian Jessica Watson, 16, to become youngest to sail around the world Save for later Saved In this Oct. 18, 2009, photo from teenage sailor Jessica Watson hugs her mother Julie as her father, Roger, looks on as she prepares to depart Sydney on her boat, Ella's Pink Lady, in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail non-stop, solo and unassisted, around the world. Thousands are expected to line Sydney Harbour on Saturday to offer a hero's welcome to the 16-year-old sailor, who battled 40-foot waves, multiple knockdowns, and critics who called her too immature and inexperienced for the treacherous journey. Rick Rycroft/AP/File View Caption of Boston — After seven months on the open seas, Australian Jessica Watson is about to finish her journey as the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the world. The 16-year-old floated out of Sydney Harbor on Oct. 18 in her 34-ft. pink sailboat, Ella's Pink Lady, and at 11 a.m. Sydney time Saturday she's slated to dock and end that journey. Arriving just days before her 17th birthday, she'll be more than a year younger than Australian Jesse Martin was in 1999 when he entered the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) as the youngest person to make the voyage. Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test? But since then, record-keeping organizations stopped recognizing "youngest" pursuits because of growing controversy over recognizing "human condition categories." Still, until now, nobody younger than Mr. Martin has completed an unassisted around-the-world sailing trip. A 17-year-old Briton completed the trip in August 2009, though his trip was classified as "assisted" because he had to stop for repairs at various ports. In December, a 14-year-old Dutch girl apparently ran... er... sailed away from home after authorities blocked her attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world. (She was picked up on a Caribbean island.) Photos of the Day Photos of the day 02/08 Ms. Watson set sail with a goal to beat Mr. Martin's age record, but sailing websites reported last week that Watson's route wasn't long enough to qualify as "around the world." To be recognized as a round-the-world course, the WSSRC requires sailors to hit 21,600 nautical miles measured orthodromically – measuring the shortest distance from point to point on a spherical route – and there's doubt about whether she has met that. Watson doesn't seem to care. "I've actually been having a bit of a giggle over the whole thing," she wrote May 6 on her blog, which she has updated regularly using an onboard computer and satellite Internet connection ( powered with two 80-watt solar panels, a 60-watt solar panel, and a Rutland wind generator). "If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time!" Decide for yourself by looking at the map of her journey. Like anyone else who has attempted this journey, Watson has experienced huge swells, freezing temperatures, bouts of boredom and loneliness, and engine problems. "My perfect conditions came to an end late on Tuesday with thunderstorms then this freezing cold southerly wind (brrrr!)," she wrote Thursday in her latest blog post. So what's a girl to do when she docks? Watson's manager said that when she returned, she'd focus on a film documentary and a forthcoming book , already titled: "True Spirit: The Aussie Girl who Took on the World." Watson says she's looking forward to a hot shower and sleeping in a bed that doesn't move. "I can't believe how fast this last week has gone," she wrote Thursday. "Only two more sleeps till the finish line! Have I mentioned how excited I am? It's like the day before Christmas except I don't ever remember getting this excited about Christmas. Two more sleeps till a hot shower, fresh food and, and, and, everything else!" Related:	Jessica Watson
Patricia Neal, winner of best actress Oscar for her role in the film Hud with Paul Newman, and who died in 2010 age 84, was married to which famous author?	Australian teen becomes youngest ever to sail solo, unassisted around the world Australian teen becomes youngest ever to sail solo, unassisted around the world By Kristen Gelineau, AP Friday, May 14, 2010 Australian teen completes round-the-world sail SYDNEY — An Australian teenager became the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world after a seven-month journey that was completed Saturday. Thousands cheered as 16-year-old Jessica Watson maneuvered her pink 34-foot yacht into Sydney Harbour, the finale to an adventure in which she overcame 40-foot waves, homesickness and critics who said she’d never make it home alive. “She said she’d sail around the world and she has,” a tearful Julie Watson said as she watched her grinning daughter cruise past the finish line from a nearby boat. “She’s home.” Watson docked at the city’s iconic Opera House, bursting into tears and gasping in relief as she stepped off her yacht and into the arms of her parents. She hung onto her father and brother as she walked slowly and tentatively along a pink carpet rolled out in her honor — her first steps on land in 210 days. “People don’t think you’re capable of these things — they don’t realize what young people, what 16-year-olds and girls are capable of,” Watson told the raucous crowd, many wearing pink clothes and waving pink flags in honor of her yacht, Ella’s Pink Lady. “It’s amazing, when you take away those expectations, what you can do.” Her parents’ decision to let their daughter attempt such a feat was highly criticized. “I don’t think any of us would ever doubt Jessica Watson again,” said New South Wales state Premier Kristina Keneally, who was waiting at the Opera House to welcome the teen. “I’m completely overwhelmed. I just don’t know what to think and what to say at the moment,” Watson said, her voice trembling, in an interview broadcast live on a screen outside the Opera House. “It’s all a bit much, but absolutely amazing.” Watson, from Buderim, north of Brisbane in Queensland state, sailed out of Sydney on Oct. 18. She traveled northeast through the South Pacific and across the equator, south to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, through the Indian Ocean and around southern Australia. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd greeted Watson at the Opera House with a grin and a hug, dubbing her “Australia’s newest hero” — a description Watson dismissed. “I’m actually going to disagree with the Prime Minister,” she said, as the crowd laughed. “I don’t consider myself a hero. I’m an ordinary girl who believed in her dream.” Australian Jesse Martin held the record for the youngest person to sail around the world solo, nonstop and unassisted, after he completed the journey in 1999 at the age of 18. He boarded Watson’s boat and took over as she cruised toward the Opera House, so she could relax and wave to the fans. Watson’s feat, however, will not be considered an official world record, because the World Speed Sailing Record Council discontinued its “youngest” category. Though she sailed nearly 23,000 nautical miles, some sailing enthusiasts have also argued that Watson didn’t travel far enough north of the equator for her journey to count as a true round-the-world trek as defined by the record council’s rules. Watson’s managers have dismissed those claims and argued she doesn’t need to adhere to the council’s rules anyway, since they won’t be recognizing her voyage. The route took Watson through some of the world’s most treacherous waters, and the teen made it through monstrous storms and suffered seven knockdowns. Online:	i don't know
The captive animal Tilikum which killed a person for the third time in 2010 at Orlando USA was what species?	Tilikum, SeaWorld killer whale and subject of Blackfish, is dying \| US news \| The Guardian SeaWorld Tilikum, SeaWorld killer whale and subject of Blackfish, is dying The famous killer whale that drowned a trainer, and later became the subject of a film that sparked a backlash against SeaWorld, has a fatal infection Tilikum (pictured in 2011) has been at SeaWorld Orlando for 23 years. In 2010 he was responsible for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. Photograph: Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Wednesday 9 March 2016 15.43 EST First published on Tuesday 8 March 2016 20.11 EST Close This article is 11 months old The popular orca at SeaWorld Orlando and star of the documentary Blackfish , Tilikum, is dying, the entertainment park company announced. “We are saddened to report that over the past few weeks, Tilikum’s behavior has become increasingly lethargic, and the SeaWorld veterinary and animal care teams are concerned that his health is beginning to deteriorate,” the company said on Tuesday in a post on their website. “It has been our duty and passion to make sure we give him the utmost care we possibly can,” said Daniel Richardville, Animal Training Supervisor, in the post. Tilikum is believed to be 35 years old, which is near the high end of an orca’s average natural lifespan – though some studies imply that in the wild they can live considerably longer – and is suspected to have a treatment-resistant bacterial infection in his lungs. Tilikum was brought to SeaWorld from another unconnected marine park, Sealand of the Pacific, in Vancouver, Canada, which captured him off the coast of Iceland in 1983. He has been at SeaWorld in Orlando for 23 years. In February 2010, Tilikum dragged one of his trainers, Dawn Brancheau, to her death during a live show in front of a horrified audience – the third time he had been involved in a person’s death. My film Blackfish plunged Seaworld into crisis – but it’s not only killer whales we must protect \| Gabriela Cowperthwaite Read more The incident, which was caught on video, inspired filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite to investigate the treatment of captive orcas at places such as SeaWorld. “Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau, Daniel Dukes and Keltie Byrne. He suffered a miserable life both before and after these events,” Cowperthwaite said on Wednesday. “But none of the conditions that led to these tragedies have truly changed for him, for the trainers, or for other orcas. Only public pressure can really turn this from a tragic story, to a tragic story with a lesson.” Her documentary, Blackfish, which debuted at Sundance in 2013, shone a none-too-flattering light on what she saw as near-coverups of attacks by orcas in captivity on humans. The documentary implies that the orcas are driven to psychosis – and attacking humans – by the cruelties and indignities of their imprisonment. SeaWorld entertainment strongly denied the allegations made by Blackfish, saying in a statement that “the film conveys falsehoods, manipulates viewers emotionally and relies on questionable filmmaking techniques to create ‘facts’ that support its point of view.” The statement called the film “propaganda.” They especially disputed the contention that Tilikum had been “driven crazy” by his time in captivity. But their response had little effect. The public turned on SeaWorld after Blackfish’s release, especially after an estimated 20 million people saw the film when it was aired on news network CNN. This led to plummeting visitor numbers and a $10m drop in profits for SeaWorld . Several musicians who had been scheduled to perform at concerts at SeaWorld locations, including Willie Nelson, cancelled. Last year, in response to the extremely negative response people had after watching Blackfish, SeaWorld chief executive Joel Manby announced that the controversial killer whale shows would come to an end at the end of 2016, to be replaced with “an all new orca experience focused on the natural environment.” Blackfish and our lingering obsession with animals as entertainment Read more In a column for the Guardian in 2015, Cowperthwaite wrote: “People have stopped going to SeaWorld not simply because of a movie but because, it seems, we’re recalibrating how we feel ethically about animal welfare.” “Faced with uncomfortable truths about animal welfare,” she continued, “we’re clarifying what it means to be humane.” This article was amended to clarify how many people were killed by Tilikum Whale experts discover orca they know as Comet is same killer whale that swam into Northern Irish city nearly 40 years ago Published: 1 Apr 2016	Killer whale
Andy Serkis starred in the film Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll as what singer?	SeaWorld \| Animal Welfare Issues Animal Welfare Issues Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a TV Talk Show Host, Speaker, Writer, and Advocate who writes and speaks on a variety of important issues affecting animals on a local, national and international level. She has done interviews on tv, radio, in newspapers and also has given speeches. Creating awareness of these important topics is key to implementing action to help animals according to Tina. She also likes to inform people of organizations and people who help animals. Tina also delves into her own personal experiences with animals. If you have a topic or tip, please feel free to contact Tina at [email protected] Search 6 Tim Zimmermann , Associate Producer/Co-Writer of the documentary Blackfish which revolved around Tilikum the killer whale who was involved in the deaths of three people including former deceased SeaWorld trainer, Dawn Brancheau, was my guest last week on (A Close Up Look at) Animal Welfare Issues. Tim and I explore the ending of SeaWorld’s captive orca breeding program and what this will mean for the future of SeaWorld and their killer whales. Tim is an exceptionally talented writer who has authored, “The Killer in the Pool,” and “The Blood in the Water.” They center on the deaths of Dawn Brancheau by the oldest male captive orca Tilikum and Alexis Martinez, a trainer at Loro Parque in the Canary Islands in December 2009. He was crushed to death by an orca two months prior to Brancheua’s death. Tim’s knowledge shine through during this program. If you want to learn more about SeaWorld, be sure to check it out! 9 By JENNIFER KAY and MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — There’s one last orca birth to come at SeaWorld, and it will probably be the last chance for research biologist Dawn Noren to study up close how female killer whales pass toxins to their calves through their milk. Mike Aguilera In this undated photo provided by SeaWorld, San Diego, shows whale trainer Kristi Burtis as she obtains a milk sample from Kalia, an orca whale. There’s one last orca birth to come at SeaWorld, and it probably will be the last chance for a research biologist to study up close how female killer whales pass toxins to their calves through their milk. SeaWorld’s decision to end its orca breeding and to phase out by 2019 its theatrical killer whale performances, the foundation of its brand, followed years of public protests. (Mike Aguilera, SeaWorld San Diego via AP) Tilikum (photo by SeaWorld) SeaWorld’s Director of Animal Training Kelly Flaherty-Clark released the following statement about Tilikum’s current health status: “We’re continuing to work with the veterinary and animal care teams to treat Tilikum’s illness. His energy level and appetite have both improved since he started this course of treatment, and that is positive. In the last several days, Tilikum has increased engagement with his trainers and also with the other whales in the facility that are often showing interest in him. We understand that he is very ill and will have good days and bad, but our team is cautiously optimistic about his response to treatment thus far. Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues . (deceased SeaWorld trainer) Dawn Brancheau with Nalani In a stunning but welcoming announcement, Joel Manby, SeaWorld CEO told the world today that the killer whales currently in the care of SeaWorld will be the last generation of orcas at the marine mammal park. Manby announced several historic changes today – This year we will end all orca breeding programs , effective immeidately, and this will also be the last generation of orcas in SeaWorld’s care. We haven’t collected an orca in four decades, Manby wrote. They are also phasing out their theatrical orca whale shows. This surprise news comes on the heels of Tilikum’s health crisis where SeaWorld has said he is dying from a bacterial lung infection. The park has 29 killer whales remaining in its care. The theatrical shows will be phased out starting with SeaWorld’s San Diego park in 2017 and the parks in San Antonio and Orlando will be phased out by 2019. The reason for the big news is simple : They have finally listened to those who have been against the captivity of killer whales. Society has changed and doesn’t want killer whales to put on theatrical shows at their parks at the expense of being held captive in small “bathtubs” for their entire lives. The orcas that already preside at SeaWorld will remain. They won’t be released into the ocean, nor confined to sea cages. The proponents of releasing them into the wild would like to see these magnificent creatures swimming in their natural habitat but doing so would lead to their deaths because of their inability to compete for food. They would be exposed to unfamiliar diseases or have to deal with environmental concerns including pollution and other man-made threats, according to SeaWorld. Most of the orcas living at SeaWorld were born at the parks. The documentary “Blackfish” was the impetus for these changes. As I stated in a previous article, SeaWorld’s sales took a significant dip after this movie was seen by millions on television. It focused on Tilikum who was ripped away from his mother at the age of two and has been held captive for 32 years. Manby wrote that SeaWorld will have natural encounters for the killer whales but didn’t state exactly what that meant. The plan is to have the orcas inspire this and future generations to be conservationists around the world through natural presentations that are fun, exiting and will educate guests about the plight of orcas in the wild. PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – wasn’t satisfied with SeaWorld’s plan. They want to see them give up the orcas altogether. “SeaWorld must open its tanks to the oceans to allow the orcas it now holds captive to have some semblance of a life outside these prison tanks,” PETA spokesperson Colleen O’Brien said in a statement. Ric O’Barry, dolphin activist /Dolphin Project advocacy group said, “Your breeding program is ending anyhow,” citing Tilikum who is dying and has sired 14 calves while at SeaWorld for 23 years. Blackfish director Gabriella Cowperthawaite applauds the decision but mostly applauds the public for recalibrating how they feel ethically about orcas in captivity. The plan is to have the orcas inspire this and future generations to be conservationists around the world through natural presentations that are fun, exiting and will educate guests about the plight of orcas in the wild. Manby wrote that Sea World and the HSUS are entering a partnership. “Together, we will work against commercial whaling and seal hunts, shark finning and ocean pollution.” “HSUS also commends the company for ending its theatrical performances of orcas in favor of orca exhibits that highlight the whales’ natural behaviors, and for redoubling its commitment to rescue and rehabilitation model for marine animals in crisis,” the organization added. Find out more at https://seaworldcares.com/future . Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues . 21 According to SeaWorld’s facebook page , Tilikum, the homicidal orca who has lived in captivity for 23 years and responsible for the deaths of three people, is in poor health. Their most recent post stated: “We are saddened to report that over the past few weeks, Tilikum’s health has been deteriorating. Our teams are treating him with care and medication for what we believe is a bacterial infection in his lungs.” “Since Tilikum became a part of SeaWorld’s family 23 years ago, he has received the best in marine mammal health care available for killer whales – including a focus on his physical health, mental engagement and social activity with other whales.” In the video, Scott Gearheart, SeaWorld veterinarian, says the prognosis is not good. “I wish I could say I was tremendously optimistic about Tilikum and his future. But he has a disease which is chronic and progressive, and at some point might cause his death. If he would have shown up with this disease in the wild, there’s no doubt in my mind he’d have been gone a long time ago.” Tilikum also known as “Tili” or “Tilly” is estimated to be 35 years old. Male killer whales live to be 50 to 60 years old in the wild. Tilikum was bought by SeaWorld in 1991, a few months after the accidental drowning death of a Sealand trainer he caused. Tilikum was also involved in the death of a 27-year old inebriated man in 1999 who entered Tilikum’s tank after hours. Daniel P. Dukes was found naked with his body draped over the back of Tilikum with his genitals bitten off. Then in 2010, Tilikum made headline news for the brutal death of trainer, Dawn Brancheau. He dragged her to the bottom of the pool where she drowned. He scalped her and broke many bones in her body. He also bit off her left arm and swallowed it. Brancheau’s death brought to light again the plight of orcas held in captivity at SeaWorld. The circled area showed the tiny pool Tilikum lived in for a year after Brancheau’s death After Brancheau’s death, the documentary, Blackfish , showcased the treatment of orcas at SeaWorld focusing on Tilikum. The film claims the psychological stress caused by living in unpleasant and isolated conditions creates the behavior exhibited by Tilikum. Tilikum has been kept alone and has limited contact with people since Brancheau’s death making his life even more miserable and unnatural. Ironically, there are no reported cases of an orca killing a human in the wild. Sailors have fallen into orca pods with no humans being attacked by them. It appears that orcas attack due to the strain of living in captivity. Orcas in the wild swim 100 miles a day . Orcas in captivity live in small pools and would need to swim 1,208 laps to equal what they’d swim in the wild. SeaWorld’s pools can’t begin to compare to the wide open ocean. According to Blackfish, Tilikum was more “nervous and combative than his peers probably just by nature.” Placing a combative orca in a “bathtub” is clearly setting the stage for what has gone wrong at these parks. SeaWorld knew about the orcas’ behavior as stated in their own 600 page document describing “harmful killer whale behavior, but also show that, time after time, SeaWorld had no explanation for why an incident occurred and was ineffective at preventing similar or even identical behavior from happening again,” according to OSHA’ s report. The report describes 100 occurrences of killer whales biting, hitting, lunging toward, pulling on, pinning, dragging, and aggressively swimming over SeaWorld trainers. After Blackfish opened in 2013, the marine mammal-themed park has seen a dip in profits. A report put out last month by SeaWorld says their generated revenue for 2015 was $1.5 billion which means a decrease of $6.8 million . People continue to turn their backs on the marine mammal park. SeaWorld is a multibillion dollar industry that was dependent on their killer whale shows. “The message is clear: the public has said NO to the dolphin show. If SeaWorld wants to remain viable as an entertainment corporation, they need to modernize their business practices, utilizing revolutionary technologies such as virtual reality, which truly allows one to get “up close and personal” with these remarkable mammals.” ~ Ric O’Barry,” dolphin activist. Tilikum will live on through his offspring. He has sired 21 offspring, 10 of which are still alive. Will they have murderous tendencies like Tili? (I’m surmising it doesn’t matter to SeaWorld.) O’Barry, a marine mammal trainer, told the Orlando Sentinel that the orcas’ lifestyle is less than ideal. “They’re bored.” “We literally bore them to death. It’s like living in the bathroom for your life.” Tili is the largest male orca on record in captivity weighing 12,500 pounds. He is a little over 22 feet in length. Whatever time remains for Tilikum, he will leave behind a tragic legacy. His life is one of controversy since the age of two when he was ripped away from his mom and never knew or lived the real life of an orca in the wild. Instead, he was bought to be a “star” in a marine mammal park in which SeaWorld would make billions off of him and the other orcas they hold in captivity for their entire lives. Tilikum’s story highlights the plight of captive orcas. There are 56 killer whales held captive worldwide with 23 at SeaWorld in the United States. When Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau, the world wasn’t angry with him. While we mourned the loss of Dawn, we, the public, were furious over the captivity of killer whales by SeaWorld. We condemned the treatment of orcas in a park that puts on a theatrical killer whale show at the expense of orcas and human lives! While SeaWorld was/is making billions, Tilikum and the other orcas who are highly intelligent suffer miserably in small pools every single day of their stifled lives. Unable to live a natural life, Tili has worn down most of his teeth from chewing on the concrete sides of his tank and metal gates. Tilikum is not the only orca who has been aggressive as a result of being forced to live a confined life for decades at SeaWorld but he is the most well known. One former SeaWorld trainer- Ken Peters- almost died when another orca, Katastka, grabbed his foot during a live show. Aggression toward humans and among orcas is nearly non-existent in nature, but the constant stress of living in incompatible social groupings inside minuscule tanks at SeaWorld causes them to lash out , posing a danger both to other whales and to employees alike. Tilikum, your legacy is the catalyst that will keep the light shining on the unnatural and cruel environment for orcas at SeaWorld. They have seen their profits dip deeply. They realize the public is no longer buying the park’s stance saying how much they care for their marine mammals. With Dawn’s death, the public is opening their eyes to the truth. However you look at it, you and others are being abused. I don’t blame you. I don’t blame the trainers because I believe they have good intentions. I blame corporate greed. Tilikum, your life at a park has changed people’s minds. Your story has helped people see orcas belong in the ocean where they can be with their families as it was always meant to be. You haven’t experienced freedom for 25 years. When the time comes, you will no longer be tied to the binds people have forced upon you. Your life has been cruel but not in vain. Your plight is already changing the course of orcas at SeaWorld. By 2017, SeaWorld San Diego is ending their “theatrical killer whale experience.” We will continue to fight for what is right because of you and other orcas in captivity. I’m sorry greed took you away from the life and freedom of the ocean. Orcas were never meant for captivity. Your captivity is finally coming to an end. You will finally have your freedom. “Enough is enough.” – Born Free USA CEO Commerson Dolphins at SeaWorld “Betsy,” a Commerson’s dolphin, has died at Orlando’s SeaWorld Aquatic Park. Following the death of an 18-year-old orca, Una, at San Antonio’s SeaWorld in December, Betsy is the fourth marine mammal to die at SeaWorld since June. Born Free USA reports that this tragic rate of demise is unacceptable and reinforces the conclusion that cruel captivity is completely unsuitable for marine mammals. Commerson’s dolphins can swim at up to eight miles per hour in the wild. They are playful, known for leaping and spinning in the air which means they are highly active in the wild: something that cannot be replicated in a tank. Their captivity leads to a frustrating experience when their natural needs to live in groups of two to one hundred dolphins communicating with whistles and clicks is hindered. This captivity leads them to suffer from mental and physical anguish according to Born Free. According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA, “Betsy had only the briefest taste of freedom before she was captured from the wild at less than one year of age. She clung to life in a bleak concrete tank for decades, never again seeing the open ocean or her pod. Instead, she was gawked at by visitors as she languished in a pool. Roberts continued, “How much longer will SeaWorld pretend that it is contributing to wildlife conservation or meeting animal welfare needs by keeping these remarkably intelligent animals on display? The exploitative use of marine mammals is driven by greed, pure and simple. Enough is enough. It’s long past time for SeaWorld to yield to public sentiment and the welfare of these individual animals, and end marine mammal captivity for good.” Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues . Unna at SeaWorld (Photo courtesy of SeaWorld) An 18-year-old orca named Unna died at the San Anotonio SeaWorld yesterday, December 21st, which makes her death the third marine mammal to die at that park in the past six months. “Unna suffered in a concrete tank for the entirety of her tragically short life. Every aspect of her daily existence was manipulated for showmanship and greed. She never had the chance to swim 100 miles per day in the open ocean or nurture relationships with a family pod. These remarkably intelligent animals, languishing in dismal pools across the country, are not ours to use for entertainment,” Adam M Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA explains. Unna’s father is Tilikum (the infamous orca who killed trainer Dawn Brancheua and two other people) and her mother is Katina. She was born on December 27, 1996 at SeaWorld Orlando. She passed away a few days before her 19th birthday on December 21, 2015. Born Free USA reports that this tragedy reinforces the cruel unsuitability of captivity for marine mammals and highlights the ongoing suffering of the 24 orcas who remain in tanks in the U.S. Born Free USA is urging SeaWorld to yield to public sentiment and the welfare of the orcas, and finally end marine mammal captivity once and for all. An infant beluga died at SeaWorld San Antonio in July, and a two-year-old beluga died there in November. Now, Unna has died at less than half her normal lifespan. SeaWorld’s empty promises to improve its facilities clearly cannot diminish the fact that captive orcas are susceptible to a range of ailments and issues that cause suffering and drastically shorten their lifespans. In the wild, the average lifespan is 30 years for males and 46 years for females, although they have been known to live 90 years. In captivity, most die before they reach the age of 25 in tanks that are only 1/10,000th of one percent the size of their natural home ranges. Orcas placed together in captivity are often from different pods, do not speak the same language, and can become territorial and even violent. Mental anguish takes a severe toll, too, and orcas have been known to self-mutilate out of boredom and desperation. How long must we continue to witness these tragedies before something changes? Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues . My view from the boat looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. Dolphins were swimming all around us. I snapped this picture from the front of the boat as we were floating along the Atlantic Ocean to see dolphins and whales up close. During a recent excursion into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape May, New Jersey, I was elated to see a pod of bottlenose dolphins flying out of the water and swimming within feet of the boat I was riding. Bottlenose dolphins are common to the Cape May area but not to me. To see these spectacular mammals in their natural habitat was an amazing experience. I think it was also an exciting adventure for my tripawd dog, Brody, who joined my husband and me on this trip. This was Brody’s first-ever ride on a boat. I think he was more intrigued with the water and the seagulls than with looking at dolphins. Here is a photo that replicates what I saw – many groups of dolphins swimming in unison around the boat. There were calves (babies) swimming with their moms, too. They were so fast with their movements that I was unable to capture a photo. I did capture some video but I’ve been unable to upload it here. I wanted to take in the full effect of watching these free spirit mammals in action as well. According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center , the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin can reach a length of up to 12 feet and a weight of 1,430 pounds. The Bottlenose Dolphin is known to ride the surf and have been seen jumping clear of the water as high as 15-20 feet. Most Bottlenose Dolphins occur in groups of several hundred individuals that usually consist of smaller groups with no more than a dozen animals in each. We didn’t see several hundred dolphins on this trip but we did see at least a hundred. “Dolphins in the wild are almost always in motion even when resting and spend less than 20% of their time above water. I certainly can attest to that as we saw the constant motion of dolphins swimming around us. Dolphins in the wild have highly complex societies in which certain dolphins hold a specific role in a group. They also have strong, long-lasting social bonds with certain members of their pod.” Bottlenose dolphins can travel 100 miles per day! In captivity, there are no miles in a Sea World pool. We were also hoping to see a humpback whale (pictured) but that wasn’t to be. Albeit disappointing, I still reveled in watching the pods of dolphins. As I watched the dolphins in their natural habitat, this trip punctuated what I already knew. Dolphins and whales belong in the ocean and not in small pools in a theme park, most notably Sea World. SeaWorld is the largest marine park conglomerate in the world which holds most of the world’s captive killer whales- 24 in total. They are known for their shows using orcas, dolphins and porpoises. Families around the nation visit these parks each year. However, attendance has decreased after the tragic death of trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in 2010. and two documentaries, the critically-acclaimed film, BlackFish and The Cove, with both shedding light on the manner in which SeaWorld has obtained their dolphins and how badly they (dolphins and orcas) are treated in their care. In captivity, dolphins are forced to live in a small environment that cuts them off from a natural habitat. They must now entertain crowds with several shows every day. Unnatural. They can no longer form social bonds of their own free will. Some are kept by themselves in small pools which is the opposite of how dolphins live in the wild. They undergo fertility control. They are forced to eat food they wouldn’t eat in the wild. They suffer from stress from unusual noises and living in an unnatural habitat. They have a reduced life expectancy even though their new environments are free of predators, pollution and other threats experienced in the wild. According to the Marine Mammal Inventory report, they list causes of death to dolphins in captivity as drowning, ingestion of foreign objects and aggression from pool mates. “Killer whales aka Orcas at SeaWorld spend most of their time floating listlessly at the surface of the water with little to no shade from the hot blistering sun. In the wild, orcas spend up to 95 percent of their time submerged and would find shade in the depths of the ocean, but at Sea World their tanks are far too shallow. Their deepest tank is 40 feet deep —not nearly deep enough to give them a reprieve from the harsh elements. Killer whales travel 100 miles a day in the ocean.” At Sea World, they are caged and will never be able to experience the feeling of freedom again. BlackFish centers on Tilikum, the most well-known male killer whale belonging to Sea World. His story is an extremely sad case. ” Tilikum started life as a free orca before he was taken from his mother and his home at the age of 2. He then lived in a cruel environment where they used food deprivation to teach him tricks and he was kept in 20×30 foot container for 19 hours at a time till his next show. Before even arriving to SeaWorld Tilikum was involved in the death on one of his trainers at this park. Sea World vowed that he would only be used for breeding purposes and would not therefore be forced to perform alongside humans. Of course within a short time span he was a star attraction in one of Sea Worlds ‘educational’ shows. We all know the end result and Tilikum famously killed his trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Tilikum is not the only example and killer whales in captivity attack not just their trainers but each other, sometimes fatally, growing slowly madder and more bored at their existence of swimming around the same small area every single day of their lives.” Tilikum now lives a solitary life in a pool at SeaWorld. Because of his deadly attacks, he no longer performs. They have taken a killer whale who never had the chance to be a true orca and reduced him to solitary confinement until he dies. Alledgedly, there are three other orcas living in solitude. This is what Sea World calls loving these mammals? What kind of life is this for a huge marine mammal or dolphins, both of which love to swim and stay in motion? To live in a pool for entertainment purposes? How can anyone justify this? To me, it is indicative of dogs in small cages in puppy mills. Never experiencing the taste of freedom so the puppy mill farmers can make a profit by forcing the dogs to “perform” (impregnate) for them. Keeping them caged for their entire lives instead of allowing dogs to be dogs. Same principle can be applied to these marine mammals. As said previously, SeaWorld incorporates dolphins in their shows on a daily basis. Did you know dolphins swim 100 miles per hour in the ocean? There is no room for dolphins to swim freely or as much as they want when kept in captivity at SeaWorld. In light of the negative press after the trainer’s death and the documentaries, SeaWorld has a campaign running with commercials showing trainers speaking to the camera to make viewers aware they do love the mammals as much as the public. I believe they do love whales and dolphins but are blind to see how wrong it is to hold these animals in captivity. SeaWorld announced their plans in 2014 to build a larger pool (7 million gallons) for their orcas. The Atlantic Ocean covers 80 million cubic miles. It contains approximately 82 million trillion gallons of water. This amount of water could allow everyone in the states to live underwater with each having their own cubic kilometer. There is obviously no comparison between the Atlantic Ocean and a seven gallon tank of water. How is creating a larger pool for orcas going to make a difference? Killer whales and dolphins need the wide open space of an ocean to swim and be free in their natural habitat where they belong. While families may enjoy SeaWorld’s shows with these majestic creatures, I hope more people become informed that living in captivity isn’t normal for them. Dolphins and whales have the same fate at Sea World. Both are kept in tiny unnatural environments. Both have been forced to learn tricks for food. This is not their natural behavior. Sea World wants you to think that it is. Building larger pools will never replicate the ocean. A larger prison is still a prison. If kids can understand the impact of dolphin and whale captivity, why can’t adults? While Sea World claims they allow children and adults to have an experience with these marine mammals, just remember you can accomplish do this by going to the ocean and see a more spectacular show than you ever thought possible! Living in captivity means being held captive. Let the dolphins and whales stay in their natural habitat and be free. Brody peering out at the Atlantic Ocean Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues .	i don't know
Name the UK Tory Party donor and deputy chairman pressurised about his 'non-dom' tax status during 2010?	Lord Ashcroft gives up 'non-dom' status to keep House of Lords seat \| Daily Mail Online comments Still a Lord: Michael Ashcroft attends the Tory Party Summer Ball in London this week The Tory party's biggest donor Lord Ashcroft has given up his 'non-dom' tax status to stay in the House of Lords, it was confirmed today. His decision follows new rules forcing wealthy peers who are non-domiciled for tax purposes to surrender their Lords privileges. Before the election, the former Conservative Party deputy chairman finally came clean - admitting he avoided paying tax on his vast offshore fortune. He promised to end his non dom status. Similarly, Labour's Lord Paul agreed at around the same time to end his non dom status and start paying UK taxes. But five other peers, including Architect Norman Foster, have resigned to protect their 'non-dom' tax status. Lord Foster of Thames Bank was elevated to the peerage in 1999 and now lives much of the time in Switzerland. The architect, whose famous creations include the Gherkin in the City of London, sits as a crossbencher, meaning he is not affiliated to any party. Of the other four who have decided to stand down, three are Conservatives. Lord Laidlaw - a Monaco-based peer who sought treatment for sex addiction two years ago after hosting parties with prostitutes - will stand down. He has donated £4million to the Tories. Joining him are former Conservative treasurer Lord McAlpine, and Lord Bagri, ex-chairman of the London Metal Exchange. Crossbencher Baroness Dunn, former deputy chair of the HSBC bank, has also informed the Lords authorities that she is leaving the House. They decided to resign ahead of a deadline later today, which forced them to choose between their life in the Lords and retaining their non-dom status - which allows them to avoid paying tax on all their worldwide income. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The issue of non-doms has dogged the Tories for years, following concern that wealthy peers were influencing British laws even though they did not pay full tax here. A non-domiciled resident - a non dom - is someone who lives in the UK but does not pay tax on his earnings made outside this country. A British citizen can register for non dom status by showing strong affiliation with another country where they were either born or where their parents were born. Standing down: Lord Bagri and Lord Laidlaw both gave up their seats in the House of Lords to protect their 'non-dom' tax status They must also show an intention to leave the UK at some point - effectively giving them 'temporary' tax status. Non-doms must spend no more than 183 days in a tax year in the UK, or visit the country less than 91 days on average per year over a four year period. There are an estimated 120,000 non-doms in the UK. They include Indian steel tycoons, Greek shipping magnates, Russian oligarchs and many workers at City banks, hedge funds and private equity firms. Non-doms are taxed in the normal way for money earned in the UK and for any outside earnings they have brought into this country.	Michael Ashcroft
Internet hackers calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army interrupted service of which Chinese search engine in January 2010?	UK News Tory peer makes claims of debauchery in David Cameron biography Lord Ashcroft, as differences between David Cameron and the major Conservative donor have burst into the open with the serialisation of a book containing allegations about the Prime Minister's time as a student. The allegations are in a book entitled Call Me Dave by the billionaire peer and journalist Isabel Oakeshott. 21 September, 2015 01:00 Prime Minister David Cameron Differences between David Cameron and a major Conservative donor have burst into the open with the serialisation of a book containing allegations about the Prime Minister's time as a student. The claims relating to his alleged youthful excesses are in a book entitled Call Me Dave by billionaire peer Lord Ashcroft and journalist Isabel Oakeshott, serialised in the Daily Mail. The book also alleges that Mr Cameron was aware Lord Ashcroft had not given up his controversial "non dom" tax status when he joined the House of Lords earlier than was previously admitted. Downing Street has declined to comment on its contents, which are likely to cast a shadow over the Conservatives' upcoming annual conference in Manchester. "I am not intending to dignify this book by offering any comment," the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said. "He (Lord Ashcroft) has set out his reasons for writing it. The Prime Minister is focused on getting on with the job of running the country." Sources close to the Prime Minister said they "did not recognise" the accusations, which include claims Mr Cameron was present at events where drugs were taken and was part of a decadent Oxford University dining society. It is claimed that as a member of the Piers Gaveston society - named after the lover of Edward II - Mr Cameron took part in a bizarre initiation ceremony which involved him inserting "a private part of his anatomy" in the mouth of a dead pig. Lord Ashcroft said that he was told about the incident by an Oxford contemporary of Mr Cameron who is now an MP and who claimed to have seen a photograph of the event. The authors said that they attempted to contact the owner of the alleged photograph but received no response. In the book, due to be published next month, Lord Ashcroft acknowledges he has a personal "beef" with the Prime Minister after his failure to offer him a significant job in his administration following the formation of the coalition government in 2010. He claimed the PM initially blamed Liberal Democrat coalition partners for blocking his appointment, before offering him a junior role at the Foreign Office which he described as "declinable", adding: "It would have been better had Cameron offered me nothing at all." Made a life peer by William Hague in 2000 after saving the party financially as treasurer in the wake of its disastrous 1997 election defeat, Lord Ashcroft has given around £8 million to the Tories and was deputy chairman during Mr Cameron's period as leader in opposition. In his book, Lord Ashcroft claims that as early as 2009 he spoke with Mr Cameron about how to delay revealing his "non-dom" tax status - which allowed him to avoid tax on overseas earnings - until after the following year's general election. This contradicts a Conservative assertion at the time when the controversial status became known in 2010 that Mr Cameron had been told only a month before. Lord Ashcroft - who had given a commitment to become resident in the UK for tax purposes when he was made a peer - subsequently gave up his non-dom status in order to retain his place on the Conservative benches in the Lords. The book also describes how the Tories' Australian spin doctor Lynton Crosby described Mr Cameron as a "posh c***" while he was working in the Conservative Campaign HQ during the 2005 general election. Asked about Lord Ashcroft's allegations at a press conference during his visit to China, Chancellor George Osborne said only: "I haven't seen that book." Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told Sky News the allegations were "extraordinary" but "a bit of a sideshow". He said: "The reality is we respect people's right to a private life and a past. The critical thing in all of this is that those of us who are in politics mustn't be hypocrites." Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg denied that he had blocked Lord Ashcroft's appointment. "No I don't recollect that at all ... it wouldn't have been my role, and nor by the way would it have been David Cameron's role to block my suggestions about Liberal Democrat ministerial appointments in Whitehall," he told BBC Radio 4's World at One. The former Lib Dem leader added: "I am now used to Conservatives - they certainly did it for five years - using me as an alibi for awkward decisions that they have to face within their own party. "I have no doubt that this just fell into that same category." Asked what he thought of the lurid allegations about Mr Cameron's college days, Mr Clegg said: "I haven't read the book ... I haven't even read the papers. I'm just not going to get into that sort of thing." 21 September, 2015 01:00	i don't know
What is Burj Khalifa notable for becoming in 2010?	Burj Khalifa - Tallest Tower in the World Construction start date: 21st September 2004 Construction end date: 4th January 2010 About Burj Khalifa Burj Khalifa, earlier known as Burj Dubai, located in Downtown Dubai, UAE, and standing tall at 829.84m is the tallest man-made structure in the world. Burj Khalifa is as a living wonder, a stunning piece of art, and incomparable feat of engineering. Burj Khalifa forms a part of the new flagship development called Downtown Dubai, located at the First Interchange along Sheikh Zayed Road, in proximity to the main business district in Dubai. Developed by the leading developer Emaar Properties, the tower's architecture and engineering were handled by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. Samsung C&T of South Korea, who also built Taipei 101 and Petronas Twin Towers, was the primary contractor of this project. The Belgian group Besix and UAE's Arabtec, were the major sub-contractors. Construction of the project began on 21st September 2004. The project, worth US$1.5bn, was re-named Burj Khalifa, to honour the crucial support extended by the UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Construction Excavation work on Burj Khalifa began in January 2004, when the building completed several important milestones on its way to being the tallest man-made structure in the world. Within just 1325 days since the start of excavation work in January 2004, Burj Khalifa became the tallest free-standing structure in the world. More than 45,000 m3 of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes have been used for constructing the concrete and steel foundation, featuring 192 piles buried more than 50m deep. The construction of Burj Khalifa has taken more than 22million man-hours, 380 skilled engineers and on-site technicians, and has used more than 330,000 m3 of concrete, 39,000 tonnes of steel rebar. Burj Khalifa construction was done using special mixes of concrete, so as to enable it to withstand extreme pressures of the massive building weight. The consistency of the concrete used in the project was essential. In order to withstand the Persian Gulf temperatures that could even touch 50Â°C, the concrete was not poured during the day. Instead, it was done during the night when the air is cooler and humidity is higher, as the cooler concrete mixture prevents quick and easy cracking. World Records Burj Khalifa has accomplished a series of world records and construction milestones. In July 2007, on completing Level 141, it was named the tallest building in the world, while in September 2007, on completing 150 storeys, it was named world's tallest free-standing structure. Thereafter, in April 2008, on completing Level 160, it was named world's tallest man-made structure, and in January 2009, Burj Khalifa tops out with completion of spire. The external cladding was done in September 2009 and an official launch ceremony was held in January 2010. Burj Khalifa also has several other world records to its credit, such as that for highest installation of an aluminium and glass faÃ§ade, highest number of stories in the world, highest occupied floor in the world, highest outdoor observation deck in the world, elevator with longest travel distance in the world, and world's tallest service elevator. Burj Khalifa also houses world's highest outdoor observation deck, world's highest Mosque, world's highest nightclub, world's highest restaurant, and world's second highest swimming pool. Awards Burj Khalifa has numerous awards to its credit, the latest being the 'Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa' award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in June 2010. In September 2010, Burj Khalifa was awarded the 'Best project of the year' at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010. Burj Khalifa was honoured as the first recipient of "Global Icon" Award by CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) on 25th October 2010. The award recognizes special super-tall skyscrapers that make profound impact on the genre of tall buildings in the global market. The Residences, Burj Khalifa The Residences at Burj Khalifa, one of the most-prestigious addresses, with more than 900 residences including studios, single, double, triple and four bedroom suites, are designed for the connoisseur. The homes located from levels 19 to 108 of Burk Khalifa with a rich array of amenities, offer residents an unmatched lifestyle experience. State-of-the-art fitness facilities, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, Jacuzzis, recreation room for gatherings and events, are all available on exclusive Sky Lobbies on levels 43, 76 and 123. Among the other amenities are, a resident's library, a cigar club, Burj Khalifa Gourmet Market, a gourmet convenience store, meeting place for residents, and valet parking for guests and visitors. The Residences at Burj Khalifa is nothing, but, urban life at its best. It offers all amenities of a metropolitan centre, but, with comforts and security of an exclusive community. The Club The club is a major health and recreation by Burj Khalifa, open to residents of Burj Khalifa and the general public. The four-storey includes amenities including two luxurious indoor and outdoor pools, two gymnasiums, dedicated ladies-only gymnasium, and a contemporary spa facility, all spread across the 22,000 sq ft facility. The Corporate Suites Lounge The Corporate Suites, located on the highest levels of the tower, is the ultimate business destination for successful personalities at the corporate levels. The Corporate Suites comprise 37 storeys, with top three storeys being merged into a single office. The entrance lobby is at the Concourse of the tower, featuring Burj Khalifa reception team. Apart from valet parking for visitors and guests, there are express lifts that take visitors directly to the lounge lobby at Level 123, which is the meet-and-greet point. The Offices A complement to The Corporate Suites is the 12-storey annexure, The Offices, which will be directly accessible to Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. The parking spaces for The Offices will be available at the mall and the tower, for convenience of tenants. Each suite is equipped with most advanced and digital telecommunications services. There are dedicated optical fiber links capable of offering up to 10 gigabits per second of broadband and multimedia delivery. Therefore, visitors can expect uninterrupted cellular service, even when riding elevators. The four floors above the offices will be leased to broadcast and telecom companies, it is said. Security Burj Khalifa is protected by a proprietary security system, and a team of well-trained security professionals to ensure safety, privacy, and peace of mind. There are in-house security supervisors and guards patrol the building interior and exterior round-the-clock. Due to security technology limits, sometimes, access is restricted to elevators, monitoring the critical building entry and exit points. e- Home and e-Services at Burj Khalifa Burj Khalifa features online home automation and account management access with e-Home and e-Services. With the help of these services, residents get to access automated environment for home-lighting, temperature, security, and access and more. They help in offering access to variety of services, viewing statement of accounts and for paying service fee, all within the convenience of secure, online access. Downtown Dubai The world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, is located amidst Emaar's flagship community in Dubai, namely, the Downtown Dubai. Downtown Dubai, located in Sheikh Zayed Road, near the Toyota Building Flyover, offers an unparalleled lifestyle appeal to both visitors and residents, with various shopping options, ranging from the world's largest shopping and entertainment destination, namely The Dubai Mall, to the serene surrounding of Souk Al Bahar. On the whole, Downtown Dubai is a lifestyle destination located in a distinct mix of traditional and modern architecture. Visitors can use the Dubai Metro or taxi to reach Downtown Dubai. The November-March months are best for visit to the Downtown, when the weather is rather pleasant. Else, during the warm summer months, the Emaar Malls Group has introduced air-conditioned Trollery Buses to serve visitors. Other than the iconic Burj Khalifa, some of the major attractions in Downtown Dubai are The Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar, Gold Souk at Dubai Mall, Emaar Boulevard. Architecture and Design The Burj Khalifa tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also worked on other world famous high-rises such as Willis Tower of Chicago, and 1 World Trade Centre in New York City. Although the building resembles the bundled tub form of the Willis Tower, it is not a tube structure. Its design is based on the 73-storey Tower Palace Three, an all-residential building in Seoul, South Korea. After the original design by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Emaar Properties considered Hyder Consulting as the Supervision Consultant, Engineer and Architect of Record. The Burj Khalifa design has been derived from patterning systems embodies in Islamic architecture. According to Adrian Smith, the design architect, the triple-lobed footprint of the building has drawn inspiration from the 'Hymenocallis' flower. The tower has three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises up from the flat desert base, in an upward spiraling pattern, the cross section of the tower is decreased, as it moves sky-wards. At the top, the central core emerges, and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. There are a total of 27 terraces in Burj Khalifa. The Y-shaped floor plan offers excellent views of the Persian Gulf. When viewed from the base, the form also resembles the onion domes of Islamic architecture. When designing the tower, the building has been rotated at 120 degrees from its original layout so as to reduce stress from prevailing winds. The Burj Khalifa spire consists of more than 4000 tonnes of structural steel, and houses plant and facilitates communication equipments. The Burj Khalifa interiors are adorned with more than 1000 pieces of art, while the residential lobby of Burj Khalifa houses artworks of 196 bronze and brass alloy cymbals representing 196 countries of the world. Plated with 18-carat gold, and struck by dripping water, the sound coming from these cymbals, mimic the sound of water falling on leaves, which the visitors entering the lobby get to hear. The exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa comprises 142,000 sq. mts of reflective glazing, aluminium, and textured stainless steel panels with vertical tubular fins. The cladding system is so designed that it can withstand the extreme summer temperatures in Dubai. More than 26,000 glass panels have been used for the exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa. Out of the lower 39 floors, the Armani Group will occupy 15 floors. The rest 108 floors will have 900 private residential apartments. The 76th storey of the tower comprises outdoor zero-entry swimming pool, while the rest of the floors include corporate offices and suites. However, the 122nd floors house the At.mosphere restaurant, 123rd houses a sky lobby, and 124th floor includes an indoor and outdoor observation deck. Burj Khalifa has the capacity to hold at least 25,000 people at a time, with a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators being installed. Robin Vinod Writer/blogger who writes on topics such as travel, real estate, employment and everyday life on GCC countries	List of tallest buildings and structures in the world
An inquiry in which European country became the first to judge that the Iraq war had no lawful justification within international law?	Burj Khalifa \| Institution of Civil Engineers Institution of Civil Engineers If you've got a question about membership, our team of experts are here to help Already a member of ICE? Our members run a huge number of social events, bowling tournaments to quizzes Past events and recordings Find details of past events and access materials such as presentations and talks Exhibitions Discover the history of bridges and see the world's largest LEGO bridge Featured conferences and events Access a host of resources to help you bring civil engineering to life in the class room Bringing civil engineering to life Our awards support study and travel. as well as recognising outstanding achievement Careers resources Discover our dedicated civil engineering recruitment and jobs listing services Interested in a career in civil engineering? Let us know how we are doing We'd love to know what you think about our web site. Giving us your feedback helps us know how we can improve your future experience of the site, and which areas of the site we need to focus our efforts on. What do civil engineers do? Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa is a super skyscraper which stands half a mile tall in the middle of Dubai's desert (in the United Arab Emirates). The Burj – which means tower in Arabic – is an amazing 828m (2,716ft) high, which is the same as nine Statues of Liberty stacked on top of each other. The Burj Khalifa is nearly 200m taller than the Tokyo Skytree, the world's second tallest building Updated: 16 March, 2015 It took hundreds of skilled engineers and technicians six years to build. The exact height of the building was kept secret until it opened in 2010. Why is it important? It’s the tallest building on earth! And by a long way as well. It’s 250m taller than the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, which previously held the title of tallest free-standing structure in the world. In fact, it took just 1,325 days from the start of excavation work for the Burj Khalifa to break the CN Tower’s record. Inside its 163 floors are offices, apartments, a hotel, restaurants and an observation deck. You can even take a swim in a pool on the 76th floor. How was it built? The building's Y shape is based on the shape of a desert flower. The way this pattern has been used to form the tower’s spiral shape helps air to flow around the building. This also means that high wind speeds aren't as dangerous for the structure. Anything else of interest? Dubai is very hot so air conditioning a giant building is even more difficult. Its cooling system, which is the same as running 10,000 tons of melting ice around the building, creates 15 million gallons of condensation. This condensation is stored under the building and is reused to water the gardens in the nearby parks. Discover more projects	i don't know
Name the Yorkshireman who refereed the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final?	2010 FIFA World Cup \| Wiki \| Everipedia You can edit something on the page right now! Register today, it's fast and free. 2010 FIFA World Cup People watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, with vuvuzelas . 2010 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 2010 FIFA World Cup official logo Ke Nako. Celebrate Africa's Humanity Tournament details 11 June – 11 July (31 days) Teams 10 (in 9 host cities) Final positions 2014 → The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the nineteenth FIFA World Cup , the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to African nations; in 2004, the international football federation, FIFA , selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals. The matches were played in in nine host cities around the country, with the final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg . Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007. In the of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These 16 teams advanced to the knockout stage , where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final . In the final, Spain , the European champions , defeated third-time finalists the Netherlands 1–0 after additional time , with Andrés Iniesta 's goal in the 116th minute giving Spain their first world title, fitting the eighth nation to win the tournament, and the first European nation to win a World Cup hosted outside its home continent; all World Cups not held in Europe at that point in time had all been won by South American nations. As a result of their win, Spain represented the World in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup . Host nation South Africa , 2006 champions Italy and 2006 runners-up France were all eliminated in the first round of the tournament. It was the first time that the hosts were eliminated in the first round. New Zealand with their three draws were the only undefeated team in the tournament, but were additionally eliminated in the first round. Host selection Africa was chosen as the host for the 2010 World Cup as part of a short-lived policy, abandoned in 2007, [10] to rotate the event amongst football confederations. Five African nations placed bids to host the 2010 World Cup: Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and a joint bid from Libya and Tunisia. Following the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee not to allow co-hosted tournaments, Tunisia withdrew from the bidding process. The committee additionally decided not to consider Libya's solo bid as it no longer met all the stipulations laid down in the official List of Requirements. The winning bid was announced by FIFA president Sepp Blatter at a media conference on 15 May 2004 in Zürich ; in the first round of voting South Africa received 14 votes, Morocco received 10 votes and Egypt no votes. South Africa, which had narrowly failed to win the right to host the 2006 event , was thus awarded the right to host the tournament. [12] Having successfully campaigned for South Africa to be granted host status, an emotional Nelson Mandela raised the FIFA World Cup Trophy . [13] During 2006 and 2007, rumours circulated in various news sources that the 2010 World Cup can be moved to another country. [14] [16] Franz Beckenbauer , Horst R. Schmidt and, reportedly, a few FIFA executives, expressed concern over the planning, organisation, and pace of South Africa's preparations. [14] [2] FIFA officials repeatedly expressed their confidence in South Africa as host, stating that a contingency plan existed only to cover natural catastrophes, as had been in place at previous FIFA World Cups. [19] Bribery and corruption On 28 May 2015, media covering the 2015 FIFA corruption case reported that high-ranking officials from the South African bid committee had secured the right to host the World Cup by paying US $10 million in bribes to then-FIFA Vice President Jack Warner and to additional FIFA Executive Committee members. [2] On 4 June 2015, FIFA executive Chuck Blazer , having co-operated with the FBI and the Swiss authorities, confirmed that he and the additional members of FIFA's executive committee were bribed in order to promote the South African 1998 and 2010 World Cups. Blazer stated, "I and others on the Fifa executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup." [2] [2] On 6 June 2015, The Daily Telegraph reported that Morocco had actually won the vote, but South Africa was awarded the tournament instead. [2] Qualification The qualification draw for the 2010 World Cup was held in Durban on 25 November 2007. As the host nation, South Africa qualified automatically for the tournament. As happened in the previous tournament , the defending champions weren't given an automatic berth, and Italy had to participate in qualification. With a pool of entrants comprising 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams at the time, the 2010 World Cup shares with the 2008 Summer Olympics the record for most competing nations in a sporting event. Some controversies took place throughout the qualifications. In the second leg of the play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland , French captain Thierry Henry , unseen by the referee, handled the ball in the lead up to a late goal, which enabled France to qualify ahead of Ireland, sparking widespread controversy and debate. FIFA rejected a request from the Football Association of Ireland to replay the match, [25] and Ireland later withdrew a request to be included as an unprecedented 33rd World Cup entrant. [27] [29] As a result, FIFA announced a review into the use of technology or additional officials at the highest level, but decided against the widely expected fast-tracking of goal-line referee's assistants for the South African tournament. [31] Costa Rica complained over Uruguay 's winning goal in the CONMEBOL–CONCACAF playoff , [33] while Egypt and Algeria's November 2009 matches were surrounded by reports of crowd trouble. On the subject of fair play, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said: I appeal to all the players and coaches to observe this fair play. In 2010 we want to prove that football is more than just kicking a ball but has social and cultural value ... So we ask the players 'please observe fair play' so they'll be an example to the rest of the world. [35] Slovakia was making their first appearance as an independent nation but had previously been represented as part of the Czechoslovakia team that had last played in the 1990 tournament. North Korea qualified for the first time after 1966; Honduras and New Zealand were both making their first appearances after 1982, and Algeria were at the finals for the first time after the 1986 competition. Teams that failed to qualify for this tournament included Saudi Arabia , Tunisia , and Croatia , all of whom had qualified for the previous three finals; Sweden , Poland , and Ecuador , who had qualified for the previous two editions; and Euro 2008 semi-finalists Russia and Turkey . List of qualified teams Switzerland (24) Preparations Five new stadiums were built for the tournament, and five of the existing venues were upgraded. Construction costs were expected to be R 8.4 billion (just over US$1 billion or €950 million). [38] South Africa additionally improved its public transport infrastructure within the host cities, including Johannesburg's Gautrain and additional metro systems, and major road networks were improved. [40] In March 2009, Danny Jordaan , the president of the 2010 World Cup organising committee, reported that all stadiums for the tournament were on schedule to be completed within six months. [42] The country implemented special measures to ensure the safety and security of spectators in accordance with standard FIFA requirements, [44] including a temporary restriction of flight operation in the airspace surrounding the stadiums. [45] At a ceremony to mark 100 days before the event, FIFA president Sepp Blatter praised the readiness of the country for the event. [47] Construction strike On 8 July 2009, 70,000 construction workers who were working on the new stadiums walked off their jobs. [48] The majority of the workers receive R 2500 per month (about £ 192, €224 or US$313), but the unions alleged that a few workers were grossly underpaid. A spokesperson for the National Union of Mineworkers said to the SABC that the "no work no pay" strike would go on until FIFA assessed penalties on the organisers. Other unions threatened to strike into 2011. [49] [51] The strike was swiftly resolved and workers were back at work within a week of it starting. There were no further strikes and all stadiums and construction projects were completed in time for the kick off. [52] Prize money The total prize money on offer for the tournament was confirmed by FIFA as US$420 million (including payments of US$40 million to domestic clubs), a 60 percent increase on the 2006 tournament. [53] Before the tournament, each of the 32 entrants received US$1 million for preparation costs. Once at the tournament, the prize money was distributed as follows: [53] US$8 million – To each team eliminated at the (16 teams) ($8.68 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) US$9 million – To each team eliminated in the (8 teams) ($9.77 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) US$14 million – To each team eliminated in the (4 teams) ($15.19 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) US$18 million – ($19.53 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) US$20 million – ($21.7 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) US$24 million – ($26.04 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) US$30 million – ($32.55 million in 2016 US dollars [54] ) In a first for the World Cup, FIFA made payments to the domestic clubs of the players representing their national teams at the tournament. This saw a total of US$40 million paid to domestic clubs. This was the result of an agreement reached in 2008 between FIFA and European clubs to disband the G-14 group and drop their claims for compensation dating back to 2005 over the financial cost of injuries sustained to their players while on international duty, like that from Belgian club Charleroi S.C. for injury to Morocco's Abdelmajid Oulmers in a friendly game in 2004, and from English club Newcastle United for an injury to England's Michael Owen in the 2006 World Cup . [55] [56] [58] Venues In 2005, the organisers released a provisional list of 13 venues to be used for the World Cup: Bloemfontein , Cape Town , Durban , Johannesburg (two venues), Kimberley , Klerksdorp , Nelspruit , Orkney , Polokwane , Port Elizabeth , Pretoria , and Rustenburg . This was narrowed down to the ten venues [59] that were officially announced by FIFA on 17 March 2006. The group draw was staged in Cape Town , South Africa, on 4 December 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre . [10] The ceremony was presented by South African actress Charlize Theron , assisted by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke . [10] The balls were drawn by English football star David Beckham and African sporting figures Haile Gebrselassie , John Smit , Makhaya Ntini , Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu. [10] Referees FIFA's Referees' Committee selected 29 referees through its Refereeing Assistance Programme to officiate at the World Cup: four from the AFC , three from the CAF , six from CONMEBOL , four from CONCACAF , two from the OFC and ten from UEFA . [10] English referee Howard Webb was chosen to referee the final, making him the first person to referee both the UEFA Champions League final and the World Cup final in the same year. [10] Squads As with the 2006 tournament , each team's squad for the 2010 World Cup consisted of 23 players. Each participating national association had to confirm their final 23-player squad by 1 June 2010. Teams were permitted to make late replacements in the event of serious injury, at any time up to 24 hours before their first game. [10] Of the 736 players participating in the tournament, over half played their club football in five European domestic leagues; those in England (117 players), Germany (84), Italy (80), Spain (59) and France (46). [12] The English, German and Italian squads were comprised of entirely home based players, while only Nigeria had no players from clubs in their own league. In all, players from 52 national leagues entered the tournament. FC Barcelona of Spain was the club contributing the most players to the tournament, with 13 players of their side travelling, 7 with the Spanish team, while another 7 clubs contributed 10 players or more. In another first for South Africa 2010, one squad included three siblings. Jerry , Johnny and Wilson Palacios made history thanks to their inclusion in Honduras's 23-man list. [92] Unusually, the game between Germany and Ghana had two brothers playing for opposite nations, with Jérôme Boateng and Kevin-Prince Boateng playing respectively. Match summary The 32 national teams involved in the tournament together played a total of 64 matches starting from the group stage matches and progressing to the knockout stage matches, with teams eliminated through the various progressive stages. Rest days were allocated throughout the various stages to allow players recovery throughout the tournament. Preliminary events were additionally held in celebration of the World Cup event. [12] All times listed in the table below are in South African Standard Time ( UTC+02 ). Day Results Group stage The first round, or group stage, saw the 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams. Each group was a round-robin of six games, where each team played one match against each of the additional teams in the same group. Teams were awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and none for a defeat. The teams finishing first and second in each group qualified for the Round of 16. The South American teams performed strongly, with all five advancing to the knockout stages (four as group winners), and four made the quarter-finals (the only team from South America to not make it this far was Chile , who lost to Brazil ); but only Uruguay advanced to the semi-finals. The overall performance of African teams on the first occasion that the continent hosted the event was judged disappointing by observers like Cameroon great Roger Milla . [12] Of the six African nations only three won any matches (Ghana, South Africa and Ivory Coast), and only one (Ghana) progressed out of the first round. South Africa became the first host in FIFA World Cup history to not make it out of the group stage, finishing third in Group A behind Uruguay and Mexico , but ahead of France . Only six out of 13 UEFA teams progressed to the last 16, a record low after the round of 16 was adopted in 1986. Still, the final was played by two European teams. [92] Both of the finalists from the preceding tournament, France and Italy, were eliminated in the initial stage of the competition, the first time this has happened at a World Cup. It was additionally only the third time the reigning champions were eliminated in the first round of the finals (after Brazil in 1966 and France in 2002). [12] Surprisingly, New Zealand , a team projected by a large number of to not attain a point in Group F, ended the tournament as the only undefeated team after drawing their three group matches, but they finished behind Paraguay and Slovakia and were eliminated. Tie-breaking criteria Teams were ranked on the following criteria: [33] 1. Greater number of points in all group matches 2. Goal difference in all group matches 3. Greater number of goals scored in all group matches 4. Greatest number of points in matches between tied teams 5. Goal difference in matches between tied teams 6. Greatest number of goals scored in matches between tied teams 7. Drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee Key to colours in group tables Teams that advanced to the Group A All times listed are South African Standard Time ( UTC+02 ) The knockout stage comprised the 16 teams that advanced from the group stage of the tournament. There were four rounds of matches, with each round eliminating half of the teams entering that round. The successive rounds were the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final. There was additionally a play-off to decide third and fourth place. For each game in the knockout stage, any draw at 90 minutes was followed by thirty minutes of extra time ; if scores were still level, there was a penalty shootout to determine who progressed to the next round. [101] Round of 16 Round of 16 In this round, each group winner (A-H) was paired against the runner-up from another group. South American teams again performed strongly in the round of 16, with four teams advancing to the quarter-finals including Brazil who defeated fellow South Americans Chile . England's 4–1 loss to Germany was their biggest ever margin of defeat at a World Cup finals. [13] [13] It was additionally the first time that a World Cup finals match between these two traditional rivals had a decisive result in regulation time, their four previous meetings all being tied at 90 minutes, with two settled in additional time and one in a penalty shootout. Ghana defeated the United States to become the third African team to reach the last eight (after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 ), and the only African team to have achieved both a top 8 finish and a separate top 16 finish (in 2006). Paraguay and Ghana reached the quarter-finals for the first time. The round was marked by a few controversial referees' decisions , including: A disallowed goal by England in their 4–1 loss against Germany , where the shot by Frank Lampard was seen to cross the goal line when shown on television broadcast replays. An allowed goal by Argentina in their 3–1 win over Mexico , where Argentine striker Carlos Tevez was seen to be offside when shown on television broadcast replays, which were shown inside the stadium shortly after the incident. FIFA President Sepp Blatter took the unusual step of apologising to England and Mexico for the decisions that went against them, saying: "Yesterday I spoke to the two federations directly concerned by referees' mistakes [...] I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said thank you and accepted that you can win a few and you lose a few and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it." [105] Blatter additionally promised to re-open the discussion regarding devices which monitor possible goals and make that information immediately available to match officials, saying: "We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have the first opportunity in July at the business meeting." [105] Blatter's call came less than four months after FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke said the door was closed on goal-line technology and video replays after a vote by the IFAB . [105] Referee: Héctor Baldassi ( Argentina ) Quarter-finals The three quarter-finals between European and South American teams all resulted in wins for Europeans. Germany had a 4–0 victory over Argentina, and the Netherlands came from behind to beat Brazil 2–1, handing the Brazilians their first loss in a World Cup match held outside Europe (other than in a penalty shootout) after 1950 when Uruguay won the decisive match 2–1. [13] Spain reached the final four for the first time after 1950 after a 1–0 win over Paraguay. Uruguay, the only South American team to reach the semi-finals, overcame Ghana in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw in which Ghana missed a penalty at the end of additional time after Luis Suarez controversially handled the ball on the line. Referee: Benito Archundia ( Mexico ) [107] Final The final was held on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City , Johannesburg . Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0, with an additional time goal from Andrés Iniesta . Iniesta scored the latest winning goal in a FIFA World Cup final (116'). [109] The win gave Spain their first World Cup title, fitting the eighth team to win it. This made them the first new winner without home advantage after Brazil in 1958, [13] and the first team to win the tournament after having lost their opening game. [92] A large number of fouls were committed in the final match. Referee Howard Webb handed out 14 yellow cards, more than doubling the previous record for this fixture, set when Argentina and West Germany shared six cards in 1986, [92] and John Heitinga of the Netherlands was sent off for receiving a second yellow card. The Netherlands had chances to score, most notably in the sixtieth minute when Arjen Robben was released by Wesley Sneijder to be one-on-one with Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas , only for Casillas to save the shot with an outstretched leg. For Spain, Sergio Ramos missed a free header from a corner kick when he had been unmarked. [111] Iniesta finally broke the deadlock in additional time, scoring a volleyed shot from a pass by Cesc Fàbregas . [13] This result marked the first time that two different teams from the same continent had won successive World Cups (following Italy in 2006), and saw Europe reaching 10 World Cup titles, surpassing South America's nine titles. Spain became the first team after West Germany in 1974 to win the World Cup as European champions . The result additionally marked the first time that a European nation had won a World Cup Finals that wasn't hosted on European soil. A closing ceremony was held before the final, featuring singer Shakira . Afterwards, the former South African President Nelson Mandela made a brief appearance on the pitch, wheeled in by a motorcart. [96] [13] For the full list of goalscorers, see 2010 FIFA World Cup goalscorers South African winger Siphiwe Tshabalala was the first player to score a goal in the competition, in their 1–1 draw against Mexico , the opening game of the tournament. Danish defender Daniel Agger was credited with the first own goal of the tournament, in his side's 2–0 loss to the Netherlands . Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuaín was the only player to score a hat-trick in the tournament, in Argentina's 4–1 win over South Korea . It was the 49th World Cup hat-trick in the history of the tournament. Spain set a new record for the fewest goals scored by a World Cup-winning team, with eight. [111] The previous record low was 11, set by Brazil in 1994 , England in 1966 , [111] and Italy in 1938 . [116] Spain had the fewest goalscorers for a champion as well (three – Villa with five goals, Iniesta with two and Puyol with one). [92] They additionally had the fewest goals conceded for a champion (2), equal with Italy (2006) and France (1998). Spain's victory marked the first time that a team won the World Cup without conceding a goal in the knockout stage. [109] The four top scorers in the tournament had five goals each. All of the four top scorers additionally came from the teams that finished in the top four, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and Uruguay. The Golden Boot went to Thomas Müller of Germany who had three assists , compared to one for the three others. The Silver Boot went to David Villa of Spain, who played a total of 635 minutes, and the Bronze Boot to Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands, who played 652 minutes. Diego Forlán of Uruguay had five goals and one assist in 654 minutes. A further three players scored four goals. [118] Only 145 goals were scored at South Africa 2010, the lowest of any FIFA World Cup after the tournament switched to a 64-game format. This continued a downward trend after the first 64-game finals were held 12 years earlier, with 171 goals at France 1998 , 161 at Korea/Japan 2002 and 147 at Germany 2006 . [92] Discipline 28 players were suspended after being shown two consecutive yellow cards (13 players), a single red card (8 players), or a yellow card followed by a red card (7 players). Awards Symbols Mascot The official mascot for the 2010 World Cup was Zakumi , an anthropomorphised African leopard with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name came from "ZA" (the international abbreviation for South Africa) and the term kumi, which means "ten" in various African languages . [130] The mascot's colours reflected those of the host nation's playing strip – yellow and green. Official song The official song of the 2010 World Cup " Waka Waka " was performed by the Colombian singer Shakira and the band Freshlyground from South Africa, and is sung in both English and Spanish. [132] The song is based on a traditional African soldiers' song, " Zangalewa ". [16] Shakira and Freshlyground performed the song at the pre-tournament concert in Soweto on 10 June. It was additionally sung at the opening ceremony on 11 June and at the closing ceremony on 11 July. The official anthem of the 2010 World Cup was " Sign of a Victory " by R. Kelly with the Soweto Spiritual Singers, which was additionally performed at the opening ceremony. Match ball The match ball for the 2010 World Cup, manufactured by Adidas , was named the Jabulani, which means "bringing joy to everyone" in Zulu . It was the eleventh World Cup match ball made by the German sports equipment maker; it featured eleven colours, representing each player of a team on the pitch and the eleven official languages of South Africa . [16] [16] A special match ball with gold panels, called the Jo'bulani, was used at the final in Johannesburg . The ball was constructed using a new design, consisting of eight thermally bonded, three-dimensional panels. These were spherically moulded from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). The surface of the ball was textured with grooves, a technology developed by Adidas called GripnGroove [16] that was intended to improve the ball's aerodynamics. The design received considerable academic input, being developed in partnership with researchers from Loughborough University , United Kingdom. [16] The balls were made in China, using latex bladders made in India, thermoplastic polyurethane-elastomer from Taiwan, ethylene vinyl acetate, isotropic polyester/cotton fabric, and glue and ink from China. [16] Some football stars complained about the new ball, arguing that its movements were difficult to predict. [16] Brazilian goalkeeper Júlio César compared it to a "supermarket" ball that favoured strikers and worked against goalkeepers. [16] Argentinian coach Diego Maradona said: "We won't see any long passes in this World Cup because the ball doesn't fly straight." [16] Notwithstanding a number of Adidas-sponsored [16] [2] [2] players responded favourably to the ball. Vuvuzelas The 2010 finals amplified international public awareness of the vuvuzela , a long horn blown by fans throughout matches. [2] [2] [2] [2] Many World Cup competitors complained about the noise caused by the vuvuzela horns, including France's Patrice Evra , who blamed the horns for the team's poor performance. [158] Other critics include Lionel Messi , who complained that the sound of the vuvuzelas hampers communication amongst players on the pitch, [2] and broadcasting companies, which complained that commentators' voices were being drowned out by the sound. [162] Others watching on television complained that the ambient audio feed from the stadium only contains the sounds of the vuvuzelas and the natural sounds of people in the stands are drowned out. [163] [2] A spokesperson for ESPN and additional networks said that they were taking steps to minimise the ambient noise on their broadcasts. [2] The BBC additionally investigated the possibility of offering broadcasts without vuvuzela noise. [2] Event effects Social Tournament organiser Danny Jordaan dismissed concerns that the attack on the Togo national team which took place in Angola in January 2010, had any relevance to the security arrangements for the World Cup. [170] There were additionally reports of thefts against visitors to the country for the World Cup. Tourists from China, Portugal, Spain, South Korea, Japan and Colombia had become victims of crime. [2] On 19 June after the match between England and Algeria a fan was able to break through the FIFA-appointed security staff at Green Point stadium and gain access to the England team dressing room. The breach took place shortly after Prince William and Prince Harry had left the room. The trespasser was then released before he can be handed over to the Police. English FA lodged a formal complaint with FIFA and demanded that security be increased. [2] Resettlement and eviction As with a large number of 'hallmark events' throughout the world, [2] the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been connected to evictions , [2] [2] [2] [2] [180] which a large number of claim are meant to 'beautify the city', impress visiting tourists, and hide shackdwellers. On 14 May 2009, the Durban-based shack-dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo took the KwaZulu-Natal government to court over their controversial Elimination and Prevention of Re-Emergence of Slums Act , meant to eliminate slums in South Africa and put homeless shackdwellers in transit camps in time for the 2010 World Cup. [2] [2] Another prominent controversy surrounding preparations for the World Cup was the N2 Gateway council estate in Cape Town , which planned to remove over 20,000 residents from the Joe Slovo Informal Settlement along the busy N2 Freeway and build rental flats and bond-houses in its place in time for the 2010 World Cup. [2] NGOs, international human rights organisations, and the Anti-Eviction Campaign have publicly criticised the conditions in Blikkiesdorp and said that the camp has been used to accommodate poor families evicted to make way for the 2010 World Cup. [180] [186] [2] [2] However a few have argued that evictions are ordinarily common in South Africa and that in the lead up to the tournament a large number of evictions were erreonously ascribed to the World Cup. [2] Economy Some groups experienced complications in regards to scheduled sporting events, advertising, or broadcasting, as FIFA attempted to maximise control of media rights throughout the Cup. Affected parties included an international rugby union Test match , a South African airline, and a few TV networks, all of whom were involved in various legal struggles with World Cup organisers. [2] [192] [2] During the tournament, group ticket-holders who didn't utilise all their allotted tickets led to a few early-round matches having as a large number of as 11,000 unoccupied seats. [2] While the event did help to boost the image of South Africa, financially it turned out to be a major disappointment. [196] Construction costs for venues and infrastructure amounted to £3 billion (€3.6 billion), and the government expected that increased tourism would help to offset these costs to the amount of £570 million (€680 million). Notwithstanding only £323 million (€385 million) were actually taken in as 309,000 foreign fans came to South Africa, well below the expected number of 450,000. [196] Local vendors were prohibited from selling food and merchandise within a 1.5 kilometre radius of any stadium hosting a World Cup match. For a vendor to operate within the radius, a registration fee of R 60,000 (approximately to US$7,888 or €6,200), had to be paid to FIFA . This fee was out of most local vendors' reach, as they're simple one-man-operated vendors. This prevented international visitors from experiencing local South African food. Some local vendors felt cheated out of an opportunity for financial gain and spreading South African culture, in favour of multinational corporations. [2] FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared the event "a huge financial success for everybody, for Africa, for South Africa and for FIFA," with revenue to FIFA of £2.24 billion (€2 billion). [2] Quality In a December 2010 Quality Progress, FIFA President Blatter rated South Africa's organisational efforts a nine out of 10 scale, declaring that South Africa can be considered a plan B for all future competitions. The South African Quality Institute (SAQI) assisted in facility construction, event promotion, and organisations. The main issue listed in the article was transportation. [2] Media Broadcasting The 2010 FIFA World Cup was expected to be the most-watched television event in history. [200] Hundreds of broadcasters, representing about 70 countries, transmitted the Cup to a TV audience that FIFA officials expect to exceed a cumulative 26 billion people, an average of approximately 400 million viewers per match. FIFA estimated that around 700 million viewers would watch the World Cup final . [202] New forms of digital media have additionally allowed viewers to watch coverage through alternative means. "With games airing live on cell phones and computers, the World Cup will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet," said Jake Coyle of the Associated Press . [204] In the United States, ABC , ESPN and ESPN2 averaged a 2.1 rating, 2,288,000 households and 3,261,000 viewers for the 64 World Cup games. The rating was up 31 percent from a 1.6 in 2006, while households increased 32 percent from 1,735,000 and viewers rose from 2,316,000. The increases had been higher while the US remained in the tournament. Through the first 50 games, the rating was up 48 percent, households increased 54 percent and viewers rose 60 percent. Univision averaged 2,624,000 viewers for the tournament, up 17 percent, and 1,625,000 households, an increase of 11 percent. [2] An executive of the Nielsen Company , a leading audience research firm in the US, described the aggregate numbers for both networks' coverage of the USA-Ghana match as "phenomenal". [2] Live World Cup streaming on ESPN3.com pulled in a few of the largest audiences in history, as 7.4 million unique viewers tuned in for matches. In total, ESPN3.com generated 942 million minutes of viewing or more than two hours per unique viewer. All 64 live matches were viewed by an average of 114,000 persons per minute. Most impressive were the numbers for the semi-final between Spain and Germany, which was viewed by 355,000 people per minute, making it ESPN3.com's largest average audience ever. [2] Filming Sony technology was used to film the tournament. 25 of the matches were captured using 3D cameras. [2] Footage was captured in 3D through Sony's proprietary multi-image MPE-200 processors, housed in specially designed 3D outside broadcast trucks. [2] It supplied its flagship HDC-1500 cameras as well as its new HDC-P1 unit, a compact, point-of-view (POV)-type camera with 3, 2/3-inch CCD sensors. [2] The 3D games were produced for FIFA by Host Broadcast Services. [2] Video games In PlayStation Home , Sony has released a virtual space based on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the Japanese version of Home on 3 December 2009. This virtual space is called the "FevaArena" and is a virtual stadium of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, featuring different areas for events, a FIFA mini-game, and a shop with FIFA related content. [2] On 27 April 2010, EA Sports released the official 2010 World Cup video game . [2] FIFA Fan Fest FIFA expanded the FIFA Fan Fest , hosting in Sydney , Buenos Aires , Berlin , Paris , Rome , Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City , as well as several venues around South Africa. [2] The Durban Fan Fest was the most popular in South Africa throughout the tournament followed by the Cape Town Fan Fest . [2] July 2010 Kampala attacks , a series of terrorist bombings in Kampala , Uganda, timed to coincide with the final match	Howard Webb
Hospitalised in Saudi Arabia towards the end of his life, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was president of where, from 2007 until his death in 2010?	Referee Atkinson keen to 'enjoy occasion' in Warsaw - UEFA Europa League - News - UEFA.com Referee Atkinson keen to 'enjoy occasion' in Warsaw Published: Wednesday 27 May 2015, 13.00CET English referee Martin Atkinson described it as a "massive honour" to be officiating Wednesday's UEFA Europa League final between Sevilla FC and FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. by Patrick Hart Published: Wednesday 27 May 2015, 13.00CET Referee Atkinson keen to 'enjoy occasion' in Warsaw English referee Martin Atkinson described it as a "massive honour" to be officiating Wednesday's UEFA Europa League final between Sevilla FC and FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. Read more Shock, delight, honour – that was referee Martin Atkinson's reaction to being awarded the 2015 UEFA Europa League final , and now he has come to terms with his appointment he has no doubt Wednesday's match represents the pinnacle of his officiating career. "The first reaction was shock, then absolutely delighted. It's a massive honour for me and for my family and for English refereeing. So I was shocked and then very honoured and very proud," he told UEFA.com . Related Items Story so far: Dnipro For Atkinson, his 68th UEFA assignment – FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk v Sevilla FC in Warsaw – is unquestionably the biggest yet. "The fact it's a European final, the highest I can referee, definitely! I've been very lucky that domestically I have done all the finals in England, so to get this UEFA final is a massive honour," he explained. The Bradford-born official also becomes the fourth referee from his native Yorkshire to take charge of a European final. "It could be in the water, it could be in the tea!" Whatever the reason, Atkinson will be glad of his experience as fourth official to fellow Yorkshireman Howard Webb at the 2010 UEFA Champions League final in Madrid . "That was great to be involved, hopefully that will stand me in good stead. But I speak to Howard a lot, we've obviously spoken about this one and I'm sure we'll talk again." Clearly Webb, who retired last year, remains an influence. "I've always had targets and I've always had people I've admired. I think there's no greater role model than Howard Webb – when you look at what he's achieved, then the fact he's not even changed in the slightest from what he was ten years ago." Atkinson himself began refereeing at 15 because "we were short in the local league". "I'm ambitious and I think once you start on the refereeing ladder, you're just looking to progress as quickly as you can," he said. "I'm very fortunate that this season has finished where it has: to finish on a major final is a massive honour." ©AFP/Getty Images Atkinson refereed the first leg, in Turin An international referee since 2006, Atkinson has handled one UEFA Europa League match and eight UEFA Champions League games this term, including the Juventus-Real Madrid CF semi-final first leg . There'll be no stage fright at the National Stadium. "I think the qualities are to be calm, to be relaxed, to enjoy the occasion," said the 44-year-old, a keen golfer. "And the big thing for us is that we're there to do a job. We're there to officiate the game and to referee it for football. It's about being calm, enjoying the occasion, but doing our job as well." To that end, he arrives in the Polish capital having studied all four semi-final matches, "looking at tactics, formations and preparing myself correctly – it's all about the build-up, making sure we're aware of the different set plays, corners, free-kicks ... that's just the start!" Come Wednesday night he will be leading out three teams: the two finalist clubs, plus his officiating crew of assistants Michael Mullarkey – assistant to Webb in the 2010 UEFA Champions League final and the FIFA World Cup decider the same year – and Stephen Child, fourth official Pavel Královec (from the Czech Republic) and additional assistant referees Anthony Taylor and Andre Marriner. "It's a very important time when you walk out, that you set the right tone. There's a little bit of nervousness, but certainly confidence when you walk out, knowing this is your game, you're in charge of this. "I'm very lucky that the two assistants I work with are top assistant referees. And the additional assistants behind the goals are both experienced match officials, so to have that security of a big team really does make it a lot more secure for me." And his hopes for the final? "That everybody comes away having enjoyed a great game of football where we've had respect towards each opponent and towards the match officials. And for us, certainly for me personally, if nobody remembers the referee then it's a job well done. I think that's a big thing for all referees: if we come away and everybody's talking about a game of football, then fantastic. That will make my evening." ©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved. Last updated: 02/06/15 1.40CET	i don't know
English and French scientists argued publicly in 2010 over the existence of what, originally identified and named after German gynaecologist Ernst Grafenberg?	Yes, YES... whatever! How the discovery of the G-spot probably won't make a difference to your sex life \| Daily Mail Online Yes, YES... whatever! How the discovery of the G-spot probably won't make a difference to your sex life comments A man has finally found the G-spot – or so the headlines claim. He certainly hasn’t been the first to try and I doubt he’ll be the last. Writing in the Journal Of Sexual Medicine last month, gynaecologist Dr Adam Ostrzenski, of the Institute of Gynaecology in Florida, said he had confirmed the ‘anatomic existence’ of the fabled body part – a bundle of nerves half the size of a fingernail. He said his study ‘may lead to a better understanding and improvement of female sexual function’. But will it really? Controversial: Studies have struggled to come up with conclusive proof that the fabled G-spot does exist The pleasure principle The G-spot, or Grafenberg spot, has been studied since the Forties when it was first mooted as a biological presence by the German gynaecologist Ernst Grafenberg. Since then there has been a fascination with the discovery, though little sound medical evidence to back it up. It is suggested that the G-spot can be found on the inside front wall of the vagina. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Some women believe it is a powerful erogenous zone, while others deny its existence. Physiological studies have been inconclusive, too. A 2008 Italian study used ultrasound to scan 20 women. The nine out of 20 who claimed they had a G-spot had thicker internal muscle tissues. But it was argued that there could be many reasons for this, so it didn’t prove they had a G-spot. Urologist Dr Amichai Kilchevsky, at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, led an analysis of 60 years of studies into the G-spot. Earlier this year he concluded that there was no consistent evidence regarding its existence. Women's 'holy grail' What is certain is that the debate surrounding the G-spot is inextricably linked to the rise of feminism. As women became increasingly emancipated after the Second World War, our enjoyment of sex became more acceptable. By the Seventies, having an orgasm began to be considered a woman’s right. In 1981, a sexologist called Beverley Whipple co-wrote a book called The G-spot And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality. Faking it: Meg Ryan in the famous orgasm scene in the 1989 romcom When Harry Met Sally She studied 400 women and claimed they all had a G-spot. Authors such as Whipple and a new wave of magazines fuelled the frenzy. ‘Find Your G-Spot’, screamed the headlines. It had become the holy grail of sexual pleasure. This was arguably stressful for many women, wondering where theirs might be, and for their sexual partners haplessly searching for it. This insecurity is a massive marketing tool. Intimacy... a subjective experience Several pieces of research show that about 15 per cent of women never or rarely experience an orgasm. And only about 15 per cent do so all or most of the time, so being able to experience an orgasm is variable anyway. As for orgasms linked to the G-spot, most surveys show that about two-thirds of women don’t have them, though when looking for the G-spot, couples may discover new regions whose stimulation is pleasurable, so it’s not all bad. So what of Dr Ostrzenski’s revelation that there is physical evidence the G-spot exists? For a start, it must be pointed out that his recent study was the result of an autopsy on an elderly Polish woman who had died from a head injury, so it hardly constitutes a clinical study. Obviously she couldn’t comment on the quality of her orgasms or if she had experienced any at all – which is, of course, the whole point of the G-spot. Disproving the theory In 2010, I worked on the biggest study ever into the existence of the G-spot. Our work at King’s College, London, involved 1,800 women who were all twins. We asked them whether they had a G-spot. If it did exist, it would be expected that both identical twins – who have the same genes – would report having one. But this wasn’t the case. In 42 per cent of cases, only one twin claimed to have one. On the back of our published results, we became the target of negative comments from those with a vested interest in maintaining the myth. Beverley Whipple was most determined that our findings were wrong, saying that our study was flawed because twins rarely have the same sexual partner. Enhancing the mood Hitting the spot: Half a century after the female erogenous zone was identified, scientists say they have found it The debate has now been hijacked by the pharmaceutical industry, which seems hellbent on pathologising female sexual arousal. There is even a surgical procedure called the G-Shot – a collagen injection to enhance sensitivity. The US Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved it, and possible side effects include sexual dysfunction, scarring and infection. Millions have been ploughed into the hunt for a female Viagra, but so far with little success. Medical treatments for low female libido include hormone therapies and the male hormone testosterone, administered through patches. There is also a mood-enhancer called Flibanserin, originally developed to treat depression. But it was not approved because in trials it did not work that much better than a placebo. Emotion versus mechanics Millions of pounds have been devoted to developing bizarrely shaped gadgets promising to both locate and stimulate the G-spot. They are even sold in Boots. One report in 2009 suggested that the sex-toy industry is worth about £10 billion globally. Put very simply, for men, sexual arousal is mechanical but for women there usually has to be emotional satisfaction. It means women can be physically aroused but mentally nothing happens – the body works but the mind acts as a block. That’s the thing about the G-spot. You can look for it but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t make a difference to your sex life. lThe author works at the Department for Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Kings College, London.	G-spot
Who was appointed official wedding photographer to Prince William and Kate Middleton?	Yes, YES... whatever! How the discovery of the G-spot probably won't make a difference to your sex life \| Daily Mail Online Yes, YES... whatever! How the discovery of the G-spot probably won't make a difference to your sex life comments A man has finally found the G-spot – or so the headlines claim. He certainly hasn’t been the first to try and I doubt he’ll be the last. Writing in the Journal Of Sexual Medicine last month, gynaecologist Dr Adam Ostrzenski, of the Institute of Gynaecology in Florida, said he had confirmed the ‘anatomic existence’ of the fabled body part – a bundle of nerves half the size of a fingernail. He said his study ‘may lead to a better understanding and improvement of female sexual function’. But will it really? Controversial: Studies have struggled to come up with conclusive proof that the fabled G-spot does exist The pleasure principle The G-spot, or Grafenberg spot, has been studied since the Forties when it was first mooted as a biological presence by the German gynaecologist Ernst Grafenberg. Since then there has been a fascination with the discovery, though little sound medical evidence to back it up. It is suggested that the G-spot can be found on the inside front wall of the vagina. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Some women believe it is a powerful erogenous zone, while others deny its existence. Physiological studies have been inconclusive, too. A 2008 Italian study used ultrasound to scan 20 women. The nine out of 20 who claimed they had a G-spot had thicker internal muscle tissues. But it was argued that there could be many reasons for this, so it didn’t prove they had a G-spot. Urologist Dr Amichai Kilchevsky, at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, led an analysis of 60 years of studies into the G-spot. Earlier this year he concluded that there was no consistent evidence regarding its existence. Women's 'holy grail' What is certain is that the debate surrounding the G-spot is inextricably linked to the rise of feminism. As women became increasingly emancipated after the Second World War, our enjoyment of sex became more acceptable. By the Seventies, having an orgasm began to be considered a woman’s right. In 1981, a sexologist called Beverley Whipple co-wrote a book called The G-spot And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality. Faking it: Meg Ryan in the famous orgasm scene in the 1989 romcom When Harry Met Sally She studied 400 women and claimed they all had a G-spot. Authors such as Whipple and a new wave of magazines fuelled the frenzy. ‘Find Your G-Spot’, screamed the headlines. It had become the holy grail of sexual pleasure. This was arguably stressful for many women, wondering where theirs might be, and for their sexual partners haplessly searching for it. This insecurity is a massive marketing tool. Intimacy... a subjective experience Several pieces of research show that about 15 per cent of women never or rarely experience an orgasm. And only about 15 per cent do so all or most of the time, so being able to experience an orgasm is variable anyway. As for orgasms linked to the G-spot, most surveys show that about two-thirds of women don’t have them, though when looking for the G-spot, couples may discover new regions whose stimulation is pleasurable, so it’s not all bad. So what of Dr Ostrzenski’s revelation that there is physical evidence the G-spot exists? For a start, it must be pointed out that his recent study was the result of an autopsy on an elderly Polish woman who had died from a head injury, so it hardly constitutes a clinical study. Obviously she couldn’t comment on the quality of her orgasms or if she had experienced any at all – which is, of course, the whole point of the G-spot. Disproving the theory In 2010, I worked on the biggest study ever into the existence of the G-spot. Our work at King’s College, London, involved 1,800 women who were all twins. We asked them whether they had a G-spot. If it did exist, it would be expected that both identical twins – who have the same genes – would report having one. But this wasn’t the case. In 42 per cent of cases, only one twin claimed to have one. On the back of our published results, we became the target of negative comments from those with a vested interest in maintaining the myth. Beverley Whipple was most determined that our findings were wrong, saying that our study was flawed because twins rarely have the same sexual partner. Enhancing the mood Hitting the spot: Half a century after the female erogenous zone was identified, scientists say they have found it The debate has now been hijacked by the pharmaceutical industry, which seems hellbent on pathologising female sexual arousal. There is even a surgical procedure called the G-Shot – a collagen injection to enhance sensitivity. The US Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved it, and possible side effects include sexual dysfunction, scarring and infection. Millions have been ploughed into the hunt for a female Viagra, but so far with little success. Medical treatments for low female libido include hormone therapies and the male hormone testosterone, administered through patches. There is also a mood-enhancer called Flibanserin, originally developed to treat depression. But it was not approved because in trials it did not work that much better than a placebo. Emotion versus mechanics Millions of pounds have been devoted to developing bizarrely shaped gadgets promising to both locate and stimulate the G-spot. They are even sold in Boots. One report in 2009 suggested that the sex-toy industry is worth about £10 billion globally. Put very simply, for men, sexual arousal is mechanical but for women there usually has to be emotional satisfaction. It means women can be physically aroused but mentally nothing happens – the body works but the mind acts as a block. That’s the thing about the G-spot. You can look for it but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t make a difference to your sex life. lThe author works at the Department for Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Kings College, London.	i don't know
"A 2010 study published in the Lancet suggested what medicine, recently found to reduce cancer development, aside from giving protection against strokes and heart attacks, is ""...the most amazing drug in the world...""?"	Health and Medicine News for Seniors Health & Medicine News for Seniors Older women treated for breast cancer find more cosmetic satisfaction with less radiation Study included Medicare patients 67 years of age or older Dec. 10, 2016 ï¿½ Older women were more satisfied with the physical appearance of their breasts long-term when their breast cancer was treated with less radiation. Although the study found reduced radiation was associated with a slightly increased risk of disease recurrence. More... Health News for Seniors Senior citizens warned many sunscreens fail to meet claims Consumer Reports: Nearly three-quarters of ‘natural’ sunscreens fell short of the SPF on their labels May 23, 2016 – Senior citizens - major targets for skin cancer - need to know that many sunscreens fail to measure up to the protection promised on their label. Consumer Reports has identified 17 that do. Health News for Seniors Elderly need help fighting cardiovascular disease, their biggest killer Senior citizens are too often considered something like your favorite old shoes April 22, 2016 ï¿½ The leading killer of senior citizens is cardiovascular disease (CVD) but a new study says pleas for help fall on deaf ears. The elderly are something like that old pair of shoes you used to love. Health News for Seniors End of prostate cancer? Almost 99 percent cure rate achieved with radiation therapy Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy is the magic cure say researchers at UT Southwestern April 18, 2016 ï¿½ The first trial to publish five-year results from Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) treatment for prostate cancer found a 98.6 percent cure rate with SBRT, a noninvasive form of radiation treatment that involves high-dose radiation beams entering the body through various angles and intersecting at the desired target. Health News for Seniors Low fat diet helps senior women avoid deadly breast cancers Researchers also found lower cardiovascular disease mortality in the dietary group as well as better breast cancer survival rates April 15, 2016 - Older women who stayed on a low fat diet for approximately eight years reduced their risk of death from invasive breast cancers and improved their survival rates, according to a new study. Health News for Seniors Women live longer in homes with lots of green plants around Vegetation may be important to health in a broad range of ways, study finds April 15, 2016 ï¿½ A lot of green vegetation around a home helps women live longer, says new research that also looked at why this happens. Health News for Seniors Study finds acetaminophen hampers ability to recognize errors Are we making mistakes and not even knowing it when on painkillers April 9, 2016 - It's been known for more than a century that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an effective painkiller, but according to a new study it could also be impeding error-detection in the brain. Health News for Seniors Irregular heartbeat accelerates age-related declines for senior citizens Afib drains seniors over 70 of strength, walking speed, balance and more April 7, 2016 – When older people develop atrial fibrillation — the most common type of irregular heartbeat — it accelerates age-related declines in walking speed, strength, balance and other aspects of physical performance, according to new research in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association journal. Health News for Seniors Online doctor visits growing rapidly but study finds results uncertain Patients go on websites to consult with doctors they have never met April 4, 2016 ï¿½ A new online phenomenon known as virtual doctor visits is reported to be growing rapidly but the quality of care varies, according to a new study. Health News for Seniors Glimmer of hope found in treating heart failure with gene transfer Heart failure is only cardiovascular disease still on increase March 30, 2016 – A glimmer of hope in the battle against heart failure was announced today by researchers who have found some success with a gene transfer technique... Health News for Seniors Starving eye cells contribute to blindness in senior citizens Unable to produce energy, photoreceptors trigger age-related macular degeneration March 14, 2016 ï¿½ If there was a list of diseases and afflictions senior citizens most want to avoid it would probably start with Alzheimerï¿½s disease and pancreatic cancer, but right up there near the top would also be age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness amount senior citizens. New findings released today debunk the scientific beliefs surrounding the cause of abnormal proliferation of blood vessels leading to blindness, and claim to open new therapeutic avenues for retinal diseases such as AMD. More... Health News for Seniors Smartphone diabetes apps regularly share your personal info Study in JAMA finds few have privacy policies March 9, 2016 - In the transmission analysis that included 65 smartphone apps, sensitive health information from diabetes apps (e.g., insulin and blood glucose levels) was routinely collected and shared with third parties, according to a new study. More... Health News for Seniors Repairing knee cartilage in older adults shows promising results Cartilage 'plugs' repair articular cartilage in the knee of patients with average age 51 March 4, 2016 - As many seniors know, patients who have cartilage damage in their knees often experience pain and are unable to engage in sports and other activities they enjoy. Two studies at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) find that cartilage restoration procedures are a viable treatment option for patients over 40 years old. More... Health News for Seniors Drinking any alcohol raises immediate risk of stroke or heart attack Moderate drinkers may see some protective health benefits within 24 hours, heavy drinking creates extended risk March 3, 2016 - Drinking alcohol is associated with an immediate higher risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. The risk, however, lessens and can become protective after 24 hours for moderate drinking, but remains high for heavy drinking, according to new research. More... Health News for Seniors Long-term baby aspirin use lowers risk for colorectal cancer Lowered risk for gastrointestinal tract cancers was not for other major cancers March 3, 2016 - Regular use of low-dose aspirin two times or more per week for six years was associated with a 3 percent lower risk for overall cancers, which was mostly due to a 15 percent lower risk for gastrointestinal tract cancers and a 19 percent lower risk for cancers of the colon and rectum, according to a new study. More... Health News for Seniors What we know about ovarian cancers has surprising gaps New national report finds clues to reducing number of women with disease and that die March 2, 2016 - Ovarian cancer should not be categorized as a single disease, but rather as a constellation of different cancers involving the ovary, yet questions remain on how and where various ovarian cancers arise, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. More... Health News for Seniors Shocking indecision by U.S. task force on need to test senior citizens for impaired vision USPSTF says evidence insufficient to make recommendation, wants more research March 1, 2016 - Should senior citizens age 65 and older be screened for impaired visual acuity (clearness of vision)? The authoritative U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has thrown up their hands in despair. The current evidence is insufficient, it says. More... Health News for Seniors Elderly and youngest patients suffer most after knee replacement Range of motion improvement comparable across all age groups March 1, 2016 ï¿½ Patients age 75 and older - as well as those age 45 and younger - report more pain and less activity following total knee replacement surgery (TKR), finds a new study. It also says patients of all ages report comparable improvement in range of motion. More... Health News for Seniors Half of elderly colorectal cancer patients receiving wasted treatment Treatments increase, cost skyrockets, results minimal for those 75 and older; those 65-74 did better Feb. 29, 2016 ï¿½ During a recent 10-year period the rate of metastatic colorectal cancer patients older than age 75 receiving three or more treatments increased from 2 percent to 53 percent. The cost of treatment for one year increased, however, by 32 percent to $2.2 billion. Unfortunately, the median survival for these elderly patients increased by only one month. More... Health News for Seniors Older adults with history of fainting double risk of vehicle crash Study of patients with average age of 66 Feb. 29, 2016 - Older people with a history of fainting or passing out ï¿½ a condition known as syncope ï¿½ were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash, according to a Danish study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine. More... Health News for Seniors Clues to a heart problem come from surprising places Six signs of an unhealthy heart you may not have considered Feb. 22, 2016 – Few senior citizens don’t worry about their hearts – heart disease is the biggest killer of older Americans. The warnings signs, however, may be coming from problems most have not associated with the heart, according to a cardiologist at the Texas A&M Health Science Center. He points to six surprising clues you should know. More... Health News for Seniors Risk of bleeding stroke much greater if high blood pressure untreated Important to be aware of having high blood pressure in the first place - more below story Feb. 18, 2016 - Left untreated, high blood pressure may significantly increase your risk of developing a brain bleed, according to research presented at the American Stroke Associationï¿½s International Stroke Conference 2016. For senior citizens, women are more likely than men to have high blood pressure. Health News for Seniors More seniors at risk of stroke if blood pressure treatment moved up to 150 Older, healthy adults with systolic BP below 140 have lower stroke risk Feb. 8, 2016 — Raising the level for treatment for high blood pressure for seniors age 60 and older, who are free of chronic kidney disease or diabetes, from a systolic pressure of 140 up to 150 mmHg could put many older people at greater risk of stroke, says new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. More... Health News for Seniors Senior doctors expose 'scandal' of pacemaker battery life Risk of infection associated with battery replacement makes it critical Feb. 4, 2016 - The battery life of implantable heart monitors must be improved to reduce the need for replacement and the risks this carries for patients, argue two senior doctors in The BMJ (The British Medical Journal) today. More... Health News for Seniors Longevity benefits go to elderly women who have regular mammograms Those 75 to 84 had fewer deaths than those skipping exams Jan. 20, 2016 ï¿½ Research released this month has found evidence indicating that black and white women ages 75 to 84 years who had an annual mammogram had lower 10-year breast cancer deaths than corresponding women who had biennial or no/irregular mammograms. More... Health News for Seniors Frail senior citizens face much higher death risk after surgery Patients, families, and clinicians must be aware, researchers say Jan. 20, 2016 ï¿½ Senior citizens ï¿½ those age 65 and older ï¿½ may want to gain a little weight before going in to surgery, based on a new study that finds elderly surgery patients who are frail are the most likely to die in the year after surgery. More... Health News for Seniors Outpatient thyroid surgery safe for even super-elderly with standardized approach Readmission rates for the elderly in 70s & 80s were lower than the younger control groups Jan. 15, 2016 - A standardized treatment approach that starts with good screening and ends with patients going home to well-prepared caregivers, means outpatient thyroid surgery is safe for the vast majority of patients, including the elderly and super-elderly, physician-scientists say. More... Health News for Seniors Millions of elderly flock to U.S. emergency rooms due to infectious diseases Seniors more likely to visit ER due to infectious disease than heart attack, heart failure combined Jan. 15, 2016 - Investigators estimate that during 2012, there were more than 3.1 million emergency department visits for infectious diseases among senior citizens in the U.S. and 4 percent died there are in hospital. More... Health News for Seniors One Brave Idea will try to eliminate top killer of senior citizens - cardiovascular disease Seeking leader, team to use $75 million in bold new approach Jan. 14, 2016ï¿½The American Heart Association (AHA) and Verily, (formerly Google Life Sciences) announced today that AstraZeneca (AZ) has joined them in a bold new approach to find a cure for coronary heart disease and improve cardiovascular health. Health News for Seniors Thyroid cancer survivors not as happy with life as other cancer victims Study finds they score way below average on quality of life test Dec. 12, 2015 - Thyroid cancer has one of the highest cancer survival rates, yet, survivors report poor quality of life after diagnosis and treatment compared with patients who are diagnosed with more lethal cancers, according to new research from the University of Chicago Medicine. More... Health News for Seniors Deaths from heart disease declining among rheumatoid arthritis patients Mayo clinic presents arthritis research on rheumatoid, gout and opioid use Nov. 25, 2015 - Rheumatoid arthritis patients, most often senior citizens, are twice as likely as the average person to develop heart disease, but a new study shows that efforts to prevent heart problems and diagnose and treat heart disease early may be paying off. More... Sex Health News for Seniors Seniors taking Viagra may also be lowering their risk of diabetes Erectile dysfunction, diabetes target older men, most frequent users of ED meds with sildenafil Nov. 18, 2015 - Fewer senior men should be developing diabetes now days, if a new study is correct in its finding that sildenafil, a drug used in Viagra and other brand names, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of diabetes. More... Health News for Seniors Actions to reduce prostate cancer screening may have gone too far PSA screening and rate of prostate cancer have both declined Nov. 17, 2015 - Prostate cancer cases are down and so are prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screenings, according to two new studies that looked at what happened before and after the 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) screening recommendations. Some think we may have gone too far in discouraging screening of older men. More... Health News for Seniors Seniors cut death risk by 27% with aggressive blood pressure management May set new direction of treating hypertension but there is caution Nov. 16, 2015 - How would you like to reduce your risk of death by 27 percent? A new clinical trial indicates it is a possibility for seniors age 50 and older who can lower their systolic blood pressure to below 120 mmHg. Not only did it reduce their death risk, it also cut by 24 percent their risk for heart attack, heart failure or stroke. More... Health News for Seniors Why does cancer strike mostly senior citizens? Why do old tissues decline? Without age-associated inflammation, old mice developed leukemia no faster than young mice Nov. 11, 2015 - The incidence of cancer increases with age. Conventional wisdom blames this on the accumulation of cancer-causing mutations as we grow older. A new study introduces another scenario of how cancer causing mutations take command in senior citizens. More... Health News for Seniors Silent heart attacks have hit about 8 percent of seniors suggests new study Men more likely than women to have myocardial scars: 80% missed in evaluations Nov. 8, 2015 - A study of boomers and seniors with an average age of 68 found eight percent had suffered a heart attack without knowing it and that 80 percent of myocardial scars from these attacks were not recognized in electrocardiography or clinical evaluation. More... Aging & Longevity Another wall falls that kept senior citizens from critical treatments Study rejects biologic age as limiting factor for stem cell transplants Nov. 5, 2015 - More than 40 percent of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can remain in long-term cancer remission through a modified, less aggressive approach to donor stem cell transplantation, according to the results of a phase 2 study led by oncologists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. More... Health News for Seniors Married older adults more likely to survive, thrive after cardiac surgery Known that marrieds survive surgery more often, now we know they do better afterwards, too Oct. 28, 2015 - New research involving 1,500 older adults has found that being married is a predictor of survival and functional recovery after heart surgery. More... Aging & Longevity Death rates for leading causes of death show marked decline in U.S. Declines in all causes combined, heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injuries, and diabetes Oct. 27, 2015 - Three cheers for a new study that finds a dramatic decrease in the U.S. between 1969 and 2013 in the age-standardized death rate and years of potential life lost before age 75 from the most frequent causes of death and all causes. More... Health News for Seniors Doctors should cut back on some medications given seniors, two JAMA studies suggest Too much, too late: Overtreatment for blood pressure and blood sugar can be dangerous for some Oct. 26, 2015 - The medical treatment of senior citizen is often a little more complicated due to the uncertain consequences of old age. The decision on a surgery, a drug dosage or other procedure has to consider the patients age. More... Health News for Seniors Quality of care differs by race for black seniors with prostate cancer Study finds in does not, however, result in worse survival chance; commentator has theory Oct. 22, 2015 ï¿½ The quality of care differs by race, declares an official with the American Cancer Society in a commentary published in JAMA Oncology. A study in the publication found senior black men on Medicare with localized prostate cancer were more likely to have worst care, higher costs and endure worse postoperative outcomes than white men. Interestingly, this did not translate to worse overall or cancer-specific survival. More... NEWS SPOT Moles on Your Right Arm Predict Skin Cancer Oct. 21, 2015 - The number of moles on your right arm could predict skin cancer, with 11 or more being a "strong predictor" of melanoma, says research in the British Journal of Dermatology . Women with more than 11 moles on right arm were more likely to have over 100 on their body. A normal mole is usually an evenly colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin. It can be either flat or raised, round or oval, says American Cancer Society . Health News for Seniors Old age not a factor in success of Melanoma treatment with drug combo Senior citizens, the most likely melanoma patients, see progression-free survival Oct. 14, 2015 - Patients with advanced melanoma skin cancer survive for longer without their disease progressing if they have been treated with a combination of two drugs, nivolumab and ipilimumab, than with either of these drugs alone. New results show that these patients also do better regardless of their age, stage of disease and whether or not they have a cancer-Driving mutation in the BRAF gene. More... Health News for Seniors By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News Oct. 7, 2015 - The nationï¿½s largest pharmacy benefit manager said Tuesday itï¿½s not going to try to bring down costs by forcing the makers of two pricey new cholesterol drugs to compete against each other, as it successfully did this year with expensive hepatitis C treatments. Health News for Seniors Price for womenï¿½s health care varies widely: mammogram by $1,000 It pays to shop around for womenï¿½s health care: routine services often cost far more in one office than another Oct. 7, 2015 - Thinking about getting a mammogram in the Dallas-Fort Worth area? You might check carefully because the cost can vary from $50 to as much as $1,045. How about an initial routine gynecological exam? Around Phoenix, those prices can range from $72 to $388. Health News for Seniors Baby Boomers may cause telemedicine to explode Financial prospects not clear as program shifts from caring for rural America to baby boomers wanting to age at home Oct. 6, 2015 - Say youï¿½re a rural Midwestern farmer in bed recovering from a major illness at your local hospital. Itï¿½s time for nurseï¿½s check in, but thereï¿½s no knock on the door. At Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, just over the foot of the bed, a camera whirls around and a monitor lights up to show a smiling face with a headset on. Health News for Seniors Seniors must get flu shot now – the deadly season is here Elderly should consider the 4 times stronger “high dose” vaccine Oct. 5, 2015 – You can assume that a lot of senior citizens are going to die from the flu during this 2015-16 flu season that just opened. History tells us up to 90% of those who die from flu this season will be seniors age 65 or older and well over half who are hospitalized with be in this age group, too. Flu is a very serious threat for the elderly and they should consider the extra protection of the “high dose” flu shot. Health News for Seniors Early antiviral flu drugs reduce hospital stay, disability risk for senior citizens Antiviral medications also reduces their risk of needing extended care Sept. 18, 2015 - Early treatment of flu-hospitalized people 65 and older with flu antiviral medications cuts the duration of their hospital stay and reduces their risk of needing extended care after discharge, a new CDC study finds. The study is the first to look at the benefits of early antiviral treatment on preventing the need for extended care in community-dwelling flu-hospitalized people 65 and older. Health News for Seniors Age 75 is the new 65 and accepting this in medicine will save lives Updated screening policies could detect more abdominal aortic aneurysms; older male smokers at high risk, maybe women Aug. 20, 2015 ï¿½ Once again, researchers find older people are dying because of medical policies established years ago, when we did not live so long. The deadly problem this time is the national screening policy for aortic aneurysm. Health News for Seniors Social action needed to maintain gains in reducing deaths from heart disease, stroke American Heart Association cites need to address problems with education, income and racial divide Aug. 4, 2015 ï¿½ Deaths from heart attacks, strokes and other heart diseases have been declining, but social factors, including race, income, environment and education could reverse that trend according to a first of its kind scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Health News for Seniors Trifecta that dramatically shortens life - diabetes, stroke, heart attack Rate of death: doubles with 1, up 4 times with 2, 8 times with all 3 July 29, 2015 - This is a trifecta you donï¿½t want in any order ï¿½ diabetes, stroke and heart attack. Your risk of death increases substantially with each additional condition. For example, a 60-year old senior with two of these has a reduced life expectancy of 12 years, says the new research. Apple leading to promote better health through smartphones By Tucker Sutherland, editor July 28, 2015 - 75,000 people have enrolled in health studies that use specialized iPhone apps - Apple working with hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers like Mayo Clinic to create a bridge between provider and patient for health information Hope for millions of senior citizens facing heart failure found in new research Adding protein vinculin helps fruit flies extend lives 150% June 19, 2015 – Millions of senior citizens threatened by heart failure, a disease of aging marked by a weak pumping heart, could possibly see their lives significantly extended by the protein vinculin. At least there is the hint of this possibility in new research published this week. More... Health News for Seniors Statins probably do not cause memory loss says giant study Statins have proven very effective at lowering high cholesterol and you should stick with them June 8, 2015 ï¿½ Previous studies ï¿½ mostly limited research ï¿½ have indicated memory lapses resulting after taking statins. Whoa, that may not be the case, says new research involving about a million patients. These researchers suggest you stick with your statins. More... Health News for Seniors Seniors age 75 and older run high risk using newer anticoagulant meds Use caution when considering anticoagulants, say Mayo Clinic researchers June 1, 2015 - If you are over age 75, and taking an anticoagulant, the old standard may be the gold standard, Mayo Clinic researchers in Phoenix and collaborators have determined.For older patients, particularly individuals greater than 75 years of age, the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is 3 to 5 times higher when taking newer anticoagulant medications dabigatran or rivaroxaban compared to when using warfarin. More.. Health News for Seniors Loss of muscle in senior citizens remains costly health problem with no clear solution Researchers see possible hope in right combination of exercise, diet to fight sarcopenia May 14, 2015 ï¿½ Along the way from about age 40 to age 80, about 30 to 50 percent of your muscle mass just goes away. This terrible process is known as saropenia ï¿½ it is common and clearly linked to frailty and poor health in senior citizens. New research from England suggests the combining exercise with proper diet may offer some hope but existing studies have produced inconsistent results. More... Health News for Seniors Fat around girth increases your risk of developing cancer Latest studies show that young and postmenopausal women are particularly affected by this negative trend toward obesity May 14, 2015 - Cancer is more likely to develop in people who are very overweight (obese), because surplus body fat interferes with various hormone cycles and with glucose and fat metabolism. And, donï¿½t use BMI to measure your danger level ï¿½ these Austrian researchers say only girth tells the story. More... Health News for Seniors Senior citizens doing quite well at meeting cancer screening goals, CDC reports CDC Healthy People 2020 reports on cancer screening targets for colorectal, breast and cervical cancers May 8, 2015 ï¿½ Americans are not doing very well at being screened for key cancers, says at new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Senior citizens, however, are doing surprisingly well... More Health News for Seniors Seniors do much better than younger adults at affording, taking meds Lots of U.S. adults skip taking prescriptions because they cannot afford them May 8, 2015 - Okay, even most of us senior citizens would assume that when it comes to taking meds regularly, our age bracket would not do as well as younger adults. Wrong! Well at least we do better at not skipping prescriptions because we can't afford them, says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)... More Health News for Seniors Statins tightly linked to diabetes, disease complications in large study Risk of diabetes with statins has been known, thought this was because people prescribed statins had greater medical risks to begin with May 7, 2015 - For the millions of seniors taking statins at the recommendation of their doctor, it has to be punishing to read week-after-week the new studies that often highlight some new risk. The latest study is a big one - 26,000 members of Tricare... Messages for Seniors By Tucker Sutherland, editor & publisher Stroke centers have equipment, personnel to deal with most severe strokes, including neurological critical May 6, 2015 — People with hemorrhagic strokes (brain bleeds) are more likely to survive if they are treated at a comprehensive stroke center. If not in a stroke center, their loved ones should move them, says research leader. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors ï¿½but should they be given to senior citizens not already taking them to protect against cardiovascular events By Michelle Klampe April 21, 2015 ï¿½ Statins could be a cost-effective tool for preventing heart attacks and other cardiovascular incidents in adults over age 75, but the benefits would need to be weighed against potential side effects, a study being published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Deadly pancreatic cancer cells steered back into normal cells Ability of treated cancer cells to form tumors greatly diminished in test with mice April 20, 2015 - Deadly pancreatic cancer cells were coaxed into reverting back toward normal non-cancerous cells by a protein called E47. The success of this new research provides hope for treatment of this disease that kills 40,000 a year in the U.S. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Breast Cancer to Make Big Jump in U.S. but Some Encouraging Research News Cancer researchers hear fasting may lower risk, combo drug may break breast cancer resistance, more below; increase in women over 70 April 20, 2015 ï¿½ The bad news about breast cancer is there are expected to be a 50 percent increase in U.S. cases by 2013, compared to 2011, according to research presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. But there was also a ton of good news among the many research reports being presented that have found encouragement in the fight against this killer of women ï¿½ primarily senior women. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Most seniors take a daily aspirin if they need it or not Why do so many older adults gobble down aspirin when it is not recommended by FDA? April 16, 2015 - More than half of older Americans ï¿½ those age 45 through 75 ï¿½ take an aspirin every day, even though this use is not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration for most people who have not yet had a heart attack or stroke. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Senior men with history of reflux disease need test for Barrettï¿½s Esophagus New treatment for common digestive condition Barrett's Esophagus also recommended by landmark study April 14, 2015 ï¿½ Men over 60 with 10-year history of a serious form of reflux disease should be screened for Barrettï¿½s esophagus, which makes them more likely to develop a rare cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Senior citizens hopeful new therapy can slow age-related macular degeneration Currently no treatment to stop the advance of AMD, leading cause of vision loss in seniors 65 and older April 14, 2015 – The leading cause of blindness in senior citizens - age-related macular degeneration – may have met its match. For the first time, there may be a therapy to at least slow the progress of the disease. More Health and Medicine for Seniors ï¿½Rather than just being a pain reliever, acetaminophen can be seen as an all-purpose emotion relieverï¿½ - popular with many seniorcitizens; used often for arthritis pain by Jeff Grabmeier, Ohio State April 13, 2015 - Researchers studying the commonly used pain reliever acetaminophen found it has a previously unknown side effect: It blunts positive emotions. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Study predicts 357,656 lifetime hip fractures after wrist fracture in all U.S. females age 65 and older By Senior Journal staff April 4, 2018 ï¿½ Most U.S. senior citizens over age 80 suffer with the steady loss of bone due to osteoporosis, contributing to an estimated 2 million bone fractures each year. A new study finds that routine bisphosphonate drug treatment of women over 65 who sustain a distal radius (wrist) fracture - one of the most common fractures associated with osteoporosis - could significantly reduce the risk for additional fractures... More... Health Alert for Seniors Older people threatened by new diarrhea superbug resistant to preventive drug Young children, gay men are most common victims of this diarrhea; threat may increase amount adults due to this bugs resistance to preventive drug for adults April 2, 2015 – A new variety of a bug that already causes about half-a-million cases of diarrhea each year in the U.S. is proving resistant to drugs usually prescribed to protect adults. More Health and Medicine for Seniors Senior citizens with back pain often get quick x-ray or MRI that may be a waste Early imaging of those age 65-plus does not seem to improve the outcome March 18, 2015 ï¿½ When you, or another other senior citizen, goes to the doctor complaining of back pain, it is not uncommon for the physician to recommend an x-ray or an MRI to get a better look at the spine. The doctor would be following an accepted procedure for an early imaging in hopes of a quick solution. A new study, however, finds seniors getting the early image have no better success than older adults who did not. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Intense stress and depression almost doubles death risk for heart patients Short-term risk of death or heart attack increased 48% for older heart patient in the high stress-high depressive group March 14, 2015 - Few seniors are not aware that stress and depression are a bad mix, yet, they very often link together ï¿½ you are stressed or depressed, which tends to cause the one you donï¿½t already have to raise its ugly head. The startling news is, however, that older people coping with these two afflictions plus a heart problem are likely to see a really big increase in their risk of a heart attack or death. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors in other media March 6, 2015 - Older people who sleep for more than eight hours increase stroke risk... this risk doubles for older people who persistently sleep longer than average ...four times that of people sleeping normal hoursï¿½ Eureka Alerts Health and Medicine for Seniors Boomers, other seniors drive record spending for drugs Drugs for hepatitis C, compounded medications push prices higher March 10, 2015 ï¿½ The money spent on drugs in the U.S. increased at a faster rate in 2014 ï¿½ 13.1 percent ï¿½ than in any year for the last decade. The culprits, according a report by Express Scripts, were new high priced medicines for hepatitis C and the ï¿½exploitation of loopholes for compounded medications.ï¿½ Most hepatitis C patients are senior citizens. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Going vegetarian offers way for seniors to lower risk of colorectal cancer Senior citizens making great progress against this deadly cancer due to more having colonoscopies March 9, 2015 - A good way for seniors to avoid colorectal cancer ï¿½ the number two cancer killer in the U.S. among cancers ï¿½ is to eat a vegetarian diet, says a study of Seventh - day Adventist published online by JAMA Internal Medicine. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Less sex, less desire in senior men leads to testosterone decline - not vice versa Decline in testosterone was ï¿½strikingly small,ï¿½ less than 10%; declines in estrogen also associated with declines in sexual activity March 8, 2015 ï¿½ For male senior citizens age 70 and older, decreased sexual activity and desire may be the cause, not an effect, of low testosterone level, according to research presented yesterday at the Endocrine Society meeting in San Diego. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Higher heart disease risk for men due to high testosterone, low estrogen Sex hormones testosterone nor estrogen caused changes in "bad," cholesterol, blood pressure, or body weight in this study March 8, 2015 - Why men have more heart disease than premenopausal women has been a puzzle, but a new study shows that the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen alter cardiovascular risk factors in a way that raises a man's risk of heart disease. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Obese 70-year-olds may live as long as healthy weight 70-year-olds but will spend $39,000 more on health care By Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News March 2, 2015 - Bayou La Batre, Alabama, calls itself the seafood capital of Alabama. Residents here depend on fishing and shrimping for their livelihood, and when they sit down to eat, they like most things fried. Itï¿½s here that former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin has been trying to reverse the nationï¿½s obesity epidemic one patient at a time. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Statin drug not clearing cholesterol? Blocked arteries could be to blame Patients whose bad cholesterol levels donï¿½t respond may have more artery blockages than those whose cholesterol levels drop Feb. 28, 2015 ï¿½ If your ï¿½badï¿½ cholesterol level stays the same or increases after you take statin drugs, you may have more blocked arteries than people whose levels drop, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. Health and Medicine from Other Media Physicians performing breast exams may miss masses deep in breast New sensor technology finds many doctors may not be pressing hard enough Feb. 23, 2015 - Many physicians who tested their breast-examination skills on a new type of pressure-sensing breast model failed to detect masses deep in the breast because they were not pressing hard enough, a study has found.. EurekaAlert Health and Medicine for Seniors Type 2 Diabetes patients should exercise after dinner Study is particularly helpful for health care providers who have patients who exercise every day but are not seeing benefits Feb. 18, 2015 ï¿½ Individuals with Type 2 diabetes have heightened amounts of sugars and fats in their blood, which increases their risks for cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. Exercise is a popular prescription for those suffering from the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, but most research has focused the benefits of different exercise methods. A news study, however, decided to look at the difference in benefits based on the time of the exercise. Doing it after dinner is best, they say. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Human stem cells restore cognitive function after chemotherapy damage First solid evidence that transplantation of human neural stem cells can reverse chemo induced damage of healthy tissue in the brain Feb. 16, 2015 - Human nerve system stem cell treatments are showing promise for reversing learning and memory deficits after chemotherapy, according to UC Irvine researchers. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Yale study looked at 3 million Medicare patients who survived hospitalization for heart failure and pneumonia By Karen N. Peart Feb. 6, 2015 ï¿½ Senior citizens ï¿½ age 65 and older ï¿½ who survive hospitalization for heart failure have a 20 percent chance of going back into the hospital or death in the month after being discharged. New research, however, has found these risks remain high for up to a year, although they can be addressed with targeted care. More... Health and Medicine from Other Media U.S. FDA approves Pfizer's high profile breast cancer drug Feb. 5, 2015 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Pfizer Inc's Ibrance, a potential new standard of care for advanced breast cancer, in a regulatory decision that came more than two months earlier than expected. The drugs chemical name is palbociclib… Reuters Aging & Longevity Being senior citizen does not add complications to breast reconstruction But problems with blood clots may be more common in older women, study suggests Feb. 2, 2015 - Older women don't have an increased overall risk of complications from breast reconstruction after mastectomy, reports the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Living alone a deadly risk after stroke, especially for older men People living alone are less likely to take medicine, wait longer to see doctor, live less healthy lives Jan. 20, 2015 ï¿½ A study of adults in western Sweden, who had experienced a stroke before the age of 70, found those who live alone are the most likely to die within 12 years but men have a considerably greater risk of dying prematurely than women or men who live with a partner. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Senior women happy with life less likely to suffer osteoporosis Study focused on the possible effects of depression and other factors on bone health Jan. 13, 2015 - Women aged 60-70 who are satisfied with their lives have a higher bone density and they suffer less frequently from osteoporosis than their unsatisfied peers, according to a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland. The study focused on the possible effects of depression and other factors on bone health. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Thromboembolism is Target of New Campaign by Alliance for Aging Research Educational effort supplies brochures, video, online quiz to help spread word on dangers of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism Jan. 13, 2015 ï¿½ The nonprofit Alliance for Aging Research has launched a new campaign to raise awareness about venous thromboembolism (VTE), the third most common cardiovascular illness, and its associated conditions deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE affects more than 600,000 Americans, mostly senior citizens. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Most optimistic older adults have the healthiest hearts People up through age 84 with most positive attitudes twice as likely to have best cardiovascular health Jan. 9, 2015 - Older people with a positive, upbeat attitude also have significantly better cardiovascular health. And, as the positive attitude scores climbed, so did the health scores in this study that included seniors up to age 85. Those with most optimism were twice is likely to enjoy a healthy heart. More... Senior Health News ï¿½ Other Media Senior citizens disagree with younger Americans on sharing of medical information Poll for NPR finds majority of adults not concerned with privacy Jan. 9, 2015 ï¿½ Most Americans do not seem to be worried about what happens to the information in their medical records. Well, that is really mostly American under age 65. Senior citizens, on the other hand, do not want to share the information. Sixty-one percent of adults younger than 35 were fine with the idea, but only 43% of people 65 and older agreed. NPRï¿½s Blog Shots Health and Medicine for Seniors Most cancers are just bad luck, others from bad genes, environment Best way to eradicate these cancers will be through early detection, when they are still curable by surgery Jan. 4, 2015 ï¿½ Two thirds of cancers in adults are just bad luck and the rest are due to inherited genes and environmental factors, according to scientists from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. They created a statistical model that measures the proportion of cancer incidence, across many tissue types, caused mainly by random mutations that occur when stem cells divide. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors One-leg standing test is easy way to determine early signs of being at risk for a stroke and cognitive impairment By Tucker Sutherland, editor, SeniorJournal.com Dec. 19, 2014 ï¿½ You know how they warn you on TV when they are about to show something gruesome. We need to use that same type of warning on this report. It is about a new study that finds senior citizens - average age of 67 - that have trouble balancing on one leg for at least 20 seconds may have increased risk of small blood vessel damage in the brain - stroke - and reduced cognitive function. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Seniors keeping teeth longer than ever, tips for keeping it up Simple, routine dental care matters for senior citizens to save teeth and live healthier Dec. 18, 2014 - Today, approximately 75 percent of senior citizens over age 65 have kept some or all of their teeth - a record -thanks to better preventive measures like community water fluoridation and daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). The group offers some additional tips for keeping this dental progress going. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors By Frank Browning Dec. 15, 2014 - Ever been lost on a new trail on a hike? Or confused between north and south in a new city? Or after a certain age, unsure if you really took that anti-cholesterol pill last night, or was it the blood pressure pill? They kind-of look the same. Your gut may soon provide the answer. More... Health News ï¿½ Other Media Making the human condition computable Dec. 11, 2014 - For centuries, the central challenge in health care was ignorance. There simply wasnï¿½t enough information to know what was making a person sick, or what to do to cure the patient. Now, health care is being flooded with information. Advances in computing technology mean that gathering, storing and analyzing health information is relatively cheap, and itï¿½s getting cheaper by the day. As computers continue to fall in price, the cost of sequencing a single personï¿½s genome is tumbling, too. By Eric Whitney, Montana Public Radio, via Kaiser Health News Health and Medicine for Seniors Cold, flu meds risky for senior citizens with high blood pressure Some over-the-counter meds can have negative impact on hypertension Dec. 10, 2014 ï¿½ It is the season for colds and flu. Most of us seniors do not hesitate to seek quick relief from an over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Not so fast, says the American Heart Association, most senior citizens also have hypertension. Some medications taken over the counter can have a negative impact on blood pressure. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Bad signs on horizon although flu season off to slow start Early check of dominant viruses indicate a severe season, less protection from vaccine, but better than nothing for seniors Dec. 9, 2014 ï¿½ The good news about the 2014-15 flu season is that so far influenza activity is slow. This, however, is swamped by the potential bad news ï¿½ it is looking like this could develop into a rough season with a high death rate and this seasonï¿½s flu vaccine may not been the best match to beat back the viruses that are showing up. Still, senior citizens should get a flu shot! You will fair better than without it. More... Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors Vitamin claims for treating age-related macular degeneration challenged Research shows that of 11 popular supplements analyzed all have misleading claims Dec. 9, 2014 - Americans spend billions of dollars each year on nutritional supplements. And, for senior citizens with aging eyes, purchasing eye vitamins that claim to help protect vision is an attractive proposition. Unfortunately, a new study finds these claims for most products from the top-selling brands don't match the scientific evidence, especially for treating the leading cause of blindness among older adults, age-related macular degeneration (AMD). More... Health News – Other Media Obesity may shorten life expectancy up to eight years Dec. 8, 2014 - Tis the season to indulge. However, restraint may be best, according to a new study. The researchers examined the relationship between body weight and life expectancy. Their findings show that overweight and obese individuals have the potential to decrease life expectancy by up to eight years. Science Daily Health News – Other Media Who Needs Knee Replacement? - ...video by NIH SeniorHealth Health News – Other Media Collaboration with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contributed to proposed Medicare coverage for Cologuard Cologuard vs Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Cologuard detected 92% of colorectal cancers, 42% of advanced adenomas. FIT screening detected 74% of cancers, 24% of advanced adenomas. Aug. 19, 2014 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 11 approved Cologuard, the first stool-based colorectal screening test that detects the presence of red blood cells and DNA mutations that may indicate the presence of certain kinds of abnormal growths that may be cancers such as colon cancer or precursors to cancer. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Too Many Senior Citizens Get Cancer Screening Says JAMA Study Researchers examined rates of prostate, breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening in patients 65 or older Aug. 18, 2014 ï¿½ A large number of senior citizens with limited life expectancy continue to receive routine screenings for prostate, breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, according to the authors of a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. And, they add, the procedures are unlikely to benefit them. More... Senior Citizen Alerts Most Seniors Not Aware of High Dose Flu Shot for Elderly Provided by Medicare Flu vaccine, including high dose version, is provided at no cost to seniors covered by Medicare - vaccine finder on page Aug. 17, 2014 ï¿½ A stronger flu vaccine was created just for senior citizens. The high dose vaccine contains four times the antigens as the regular flu vaccine and is intended to create a stronger immune response for seniors, who are at greater risk of developing severe flu-related illnesses. The problem is that the majority of seniors are not aware of its importance. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Diabetes Risk Rapidly Increasing in U.S., Almost Half Adults Likely Victims Lifetime risk for Hispanics, black women probably more than 50 percent Aug. 13, 2014 ï¿½ More than half of Hispanics and black women, and just less than half of all adults in the U.S. are projected to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime, according to projections from a new study in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Cognitive Problems in Senior Citizens Found as Risk for Stroke, Death Declining memory and cognitive ability may increase the risk of stroke, death in seniors over age 65 Aug. 12, 2014 ï¿½ Most senior citizens are well aware that poor cardiovascular health, including a stroke, is an important risk factor for developing cognitive impairment. New research, however, says the opposite is also true for senior citizens age 65 and older: cognitive impairment is a risk factor for having a stroke. More... Medicare & Medicaid News Obese Senior Citizens More Likely to Survive Deadly Sepsis Infection Study suggest that excess weight may cause the body to respond differently to critical illness Aug. 6, 2014 ï¿½ It is not often we see good health news for fat senior citizens. The University of Michigan Health System claims, however, that obese senior citizens in Medicare were more likely to survive life-threatening sepsis infection than other patients. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Women Age 75 and Older Should Stay with Mammography Says New Study ï¿½There are no studies on women age 75 and older, despite the fact that they are at the highest risk for breast cancerï¿½ Aug. 5, 2014 ï¿½ There is new evidence that supports the argument for senior women ï¿½ ages 75 and older ï¿½ to continue in mammography screening. The research says mammography leads to earlier stage cancer diagnosis in older women, which reduces the rate of more advanced, difficult-to-treat cases. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Lung Cancer Diagnosis Tool Found Safe, Effective for Senior Citizens Correct assessment of the stage of a patient's cancer ï¿½ how much tumor has grown and spread ï¿½ is key to ensuring they receive the right treatment Aug. 4, 2014 - Half of all lung cancer patients are over 70 years old when first diagnosed, but studies have shown that these older patients are less likely to receive an accurate diagnosis. A recent study has found that a procedure to take tissue samples from these patients can be used safely in the elderly - allowing doctors to make a more accurate diagnosis and to choose appropriate treatment. Read more... Health and Medicine for Seniors New Long-Term Treatment for COPD Approved by FDA One of nationï¿½s biggest killers is most often found in senior citizens, current or former smokers, women July 31, 2014 - A new long-term treatment for the third largest killer of U.S. citizens - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ï¿½ was approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Striverdi Respimat (olodaterol), an inhalation spray, is for the treatment of patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema that are experiencing airflow obstruction. Striverdi Respimat can be used once daily over a long period of time. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Aging Immune System May Get Kick-Start from Discovery of Molecular Defect ï¿½Old stem cells are not just sitting there with damaged DNA ready to develop cancer, as it has long been postulatedï¿½ July 31, 2014 - There's a good reason seniors over 60 are not donor candidates for bone marrow transplantation. The immune system ages and weakens with time, making the elderly prone to life-threatening infection and other maladies, and a UC San Francisco research team now has discovered a reason why. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Surgeon General Issues Call to Action to Prevent Increase in Skin Cancer Surprisingly, melanoma skin cancer can occur in strange places, like the bottom of your foot. Skin cancer rates are rising, major reason is it primarily strikes seniors and that population group is increasing rapidly - see graph of melanoma deaths by age July 29, 2014 - Skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S., is a major public health problem that requires immediate action, according to a new Call to Action released today by the U.S. Surgeon General. Melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, primarily strikes and kills senior citizens. The damage that causes the cancer, however, is usually done by ultraviolet radiation exposure while victims are younger. More... Senior Citizen Alerts Study of Seniors Shows Niacin Too Dangerous for Routine Cholesterol Therapy Mainstay drug for many seniors now linked to death risk, dangerous side effects and no benefits in large study of older adults July 17, 2014 - After 50 years of being a mainstay cholesterol therapy for many seniors, niacin should no longer be prescribed for most patients due to potential increased risk of death, dangerous side effects and no benefit in reducing heart attacks and strokes, writes Northwestern Medicine preventive cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., in a New England Journal of Medicine editorial. Read more... Health and Medicine for Seniors Diabetics with Heart Disease Can Live Longer by Taking Statins Says Researcher Patients taking statins at beginning of study had a 50% increase of being alive as compared to those who didnï¿½t July 16, 2014 ï¿½ Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability among people with Type 2 diabetes. In fact, at least 65 percent of people with diabetes die from some form of heart disease or stroke, according to the American Heart Association. The good news is that it appears they may add years to their lives by taking statins. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors One Injection Stops Diabetes in Its Tracks Report Salk Scientists FGF1 treatment reverses symptoms of type 2 diabetes in mice without side effects July 16, 2014 - In mice with diet-induced diabetes - the equivalent of type 2 diabetes in humans - a single injection of the protein FGF1 is enough to restore blood sugar levels to a healthy range for more than two days. The discovery by Salk scientists, published today in the journal Nature, could lead to a new generation of safer, more effective diabetes drugs. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Stroke Risk in Seniors, Middle-Age Adults Jumps with Stress, Hostility, Depression Psychological characteristics equally important to cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking other traditional risk factors July 11, 2014 - Higher levels of stress, hostility and depressive symptoms are associated with significantly increased risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack ( TIA ) in middle-age adults and seniors, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Interestingly, anger was not seen to cause a significant increase in stroke risk. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Vasectomy Appears to Increase Risk of Aggressive, Lethal Prostate Cancer Men who had regular PSA screening had a increased risk of 56% for lethal prostate cancer; effect stronger among men who had a vasectomy at younger age. July 9, 2014 ï¿½ The largest study to examine the link between vasectomy and prostate cancer has found that men who had this birth control procedure have a small increase in their risk of prostate cancer but a stronger risk for advanced or lethal cases of this cancer. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors YouTube May Be Social Media Tool to Link More Seniors to Health Information With video social media, information about skin cancer and sun protection goes straight from researchers to the public July 9, 2014 ï¿½ Senior citizens have not been pioneers in using social media, but they are eager consumers of health information. Research for the University of Colorado Cancer Center suggests that YouTube has the potential to be the ultimate provider of health information seniors want ï¿½ at least as it applies to skin cancer. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Insulin, Other Drugs May Do More Harm Than Good for Some Diabetes Patients Harm to quality of life outweighs benefits of treatment for older patients and those with negative feelings about side effects, burden of medication June 30, 2014 - For patients with type 2 diabetes ï¿½ especially those over age 50 ï¿½ the negative impact of side effects like weight gain and burdens like frequent insulin shots trumps the benefits of drugs, says a new study by the University of Michigan Health System, the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and University College London. Health and Medicine for Seniors New Online Effort Aimed at Helping Older People Stop Smoking Seniors have to know cigarette smoking is leading cause of preventable, premature death and illness in U.S., responsible for almost half a million deaths yearly June 27, 2014 ï¿½ For most seniors it is probably hard to believe that there are senior citizens who still smoke. Older Americans lived through the smoking era and saw the hard-fought battle by the medical profession to prove how deadly the habit can be. It is almost startling to learn that the National Institutes of Health has launched a new online effort to help older adults stop smoking. More... Health and Medicine for Seniors Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers, most feared by seniors: five-year survival rate less than 5% By Helen Dodson, Yale June 26, 2014 - Continual use of low-dose or regular-dose aspirin may cut a personï¿½s risk of developing pancreatic cancer in half, a Yale School of Public Health and Yale Cancer Center study has found. Further, the degree of protection may grow the longer one takes the aspirin. The study appears in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Health and Medicine for Seniors 3D Mammography Offers New Hope for Women: Finds More Invasive Cancers, Reduces Call-Backs Largest study to date tested nearly half million women; could lead to changes in standards of care June 25, 2014 - Researchers from Penn Medicine and other institutions have found that 3D mammography - known as digital breast tomosynthesis ï¿½ will find significantly more invasive, or potentially lethal, cancers than a traditional mammogram alone and reduced call-backs for additional imaging. The study is reported today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Health and Medicine for Seniors Senior Women Less Successful Than Men at Reaching Diabetic Treatment Goals Researcher wants gender-based treatment; failure of women to lower LDL cholesterol means more risk for cardiovascular death June 24, 2014 ï¿½ A study of senior men and women with Type 2 diabetes, who were fighting to lower their cholesterol with statins, has found that women are much less likely to lower their bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The research leader is calling for gender-based treatment to lower the risk of cardiovascular death in women. More Women to Live Longer Due to Gender-Specific Research of Heart Disease Diagnosis Clinicians now have the tools and knowledge to more accurately detect, determine risk and develop treatment strategies for heart disease in women June 17, 2014 ï¿½ More women ï¿½ no doubt ï¿½ will live to an older age because the diagnoses of coronary heart disease in women has become more accurate due to gender-specific research that has clarified the role of obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease in contributing to ischemic heart disease in women, according to a statement by the American Heart Association published in the journal Circulation. Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Guidelines for Care of Prostate Cancer Survivors Published by Cancer Society Targeted to health care professionals involved in treatment of thousands of survivors, mostly senior men June 14, 2014 ï¿½ The bad news about prostate cancer is that it strikes about 240,000 men ï¿½ mostly older men - in the U.S. every year. The good news is most men survive and are more likely to die of something other than prostate cancer. This high rate of survival is one reason the American Cancer Society has issued survivorship guidelines this week to help health care professionals address issues that occur in men after successful treatment. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Aortic Stenosis Campaign Targeting Seniors Launched by Alliance for Aging Research This life-threatening disease is becoming a much greater burden as more and more in the U.S. are reaching the dangerous age of 70 and older - see video, take quiz June 12, 2014 - A new campaign from the Alliance for Aging Research aims to raise awareness about the effects of aortic stenosis, a disease caused by the gradual buildup of calcium deposits in the aortic valve. Aortic stenosis mainly affects older people, according to the American Heart Association; usually beginning after age 60, but often does not show symptoms until ages70 or even 80. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Ipilimumab Not Proven to Add Benefit for Melanoma Patients Says German Institute Their new study says it does not add to benefit of two other therapies June 12, 2014 - Melanoma patients, which are mostly seniors, have had much to cheer about in the last few years due to the progress being made in the development of drugs that improve the treatment of the deadly skin cancer. One of these advancements announced recently, however, has just been retracted. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care now says ipilimumab is not proven to provide added benefit for non-pretreated melanoma patients versus any of the two comparator therapies. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Memory, Learning Problems More Likely Among Older People with Poor Cardiovascular Health People with the lowest cardiovascular health scores were more likely to have impairment on learning, memory and verbal fluency June 11, 2014 ï¿½ A large study of older adults has concluded that developing cognitive impairment, especially memory and learning problems, is much greater for people with poor cardiovascular health. The best cardiovascular health was more common in men, the higher educated, and those with the highest incomes. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Artery Blockage Not Necessary to Significantly Increase Heart Attack Danger from Plaque Evidence seems to indicate that non-obstructive plaques can still rupture and case heart attack, i.e., plaque is bad! June 5, 2014 - Non-obstructive coronary artery disease was associated with a 28 to 44 percent increased risk of a major adverse cardiac event such as a heart attack or death, in a new study presented yesterday at the American Heart Associationï¿½s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2014 Scientific Sessions. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Only 12 Percent of Doctors, Assistants Follow End-of-Life Discussion Guidelines Doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have long list of reasons they skip end-of-life care in counseling heart patients June 4, 2014 - Healthcare providers are reluctant to discuss end-of-life care with heart failure patients and their families because they feel uncomfortable broaching the topic or lack time, according to a new study presented this morning at the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2014 Scientific Sessions. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Senior Citizens at High Risk of Bone Fractures May Find Safety Taking Vitamin D with Calcium As people age, they tend to get less vitamin D from natural sources such as sunlight or foods such as fish and milk June 4, 2014 - For seniors over the age of 65, taking a daily supplement of vitamin D with calcium - but not vitamin D alone - can offer some protection against the risk of common bone fractures, according to an updated review from The Cochrane Library. A new study found Vitamin D supplements with calcium lowered the risk of hip fractures in older people, especially high risk people living in nursing homes or hospitals. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Seniors with Pneumonia Lower Death Risk Taking Azithromycin; Slight Chance of Heart Attack Study suggests the protection from pneumonia outweighs the heart attack risk ï¿½ see video June 3, 2014 - In a study that included nearly 65,000 senior patients ï¿½ age 65 and older - hospitalized with pneumonia, treatment that included azithromycin compared with other antibiotics was associated with a significantly lower risk of death and a slightly increased risk of heart attack, according to a study in the June 4 issue of JAMA. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Advanced Melanoma Patients See Potential to Extend Life with Drug Combination The first long-term follow-up results from a phase 1b immunotherapy trial combining drugs for advanced melanoma patients suggests longer term survival June 2, 2014 - The first long term follow-up results from a phase 1b immunotherapy trial combining drugs for advanced melanoma patients has shown encouraging results ï¿½ long-lasting with high survival rates ï¿½ researchers report. The one-year overall survival rate was 94% and the two-year rate was 88%. It is particularly good news for senior citizens, who are the most likely victims of this most aggressive skin cancer. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Risk of Blinding Macular Degeneration Skyrockets After Study Groups Take Blood Pressure Drugs Vasodilators and beta blockers were bad news for older people in 25-year study who developed AMD, leading cause of blindness for seniors May 28, 2014 ï¿½ A large study of older people that lasted 25 years found using any vasodilator, such as Apresoline and Loniten, increased the risk of developing early-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by a staggering 72 percent. But, they also found that taking oral beta blockers such as Tenormin and Lopressor was associated with a 71 percent increase in the risk of neovascular AMD, a more advanced and vision-threatening form of the disease. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Making Seniors Aware of Skin Cancer that Kills One American Per Hour is National Effort Free skin screenings, new television ad targeting older men, Consumer Reports on best, worst sunscreens. Mostly putting focus on deadly melanoma skin cancer that most often hits seniors May 27, 2014 ï¿½ Too many Americans take skin cancer too lightly. The reality is that one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer, and one person dies from melanoma ï¿½ the deadliest form of skin cancer ï¿½ every hour. Seniors should note that the risk of melanoma increases with age ï¿½ the average age of diagnosis is 61.This is the time of year when skin cancer gets the most attention, since it exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the summer sun that is most often associated with the cause of skin cancers. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Editor's Note: This is a story important to all seniors, who are the primary consumers of health services and those most often in need of careful medical attention. Caregivers, too, should be attentive to this trend. By Sandra G. Boodman May 20, 2014 - Doctors at a Northern California hospital, concerned that a 40-year-old woman with sky-high blood pressure and confusion might have a blood clot, order a CT scan of her lungs. To their surprise, the scan reveals not a clot but large cancers in both breasts that have spread throughout her body. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Report on Senior Health Finds Americans More Active, Less Hospitalizations, Nursing Care Better Minnesota healthiest state for seniors, Mississippi the least May 22, 2014 ï¿½ Senior citizens are showing encouraging gains in key health measures and taking more steps to improve their own health, according to the second edition of United Health Foundationï¿½s Americaï¿½s Health Rankings Senior Report: A Call to Action for Individuals and Their Communities. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens UCLA Study Finds New Way to Select Prostate Cancer Patients for Active Surveillance Too many men in surveillance programs find their cancer more aggressive than they had assumed ï¿½ see video May 19, 2014 - Too many men with prostate cancer are opting for ï¿½active surveillanceï¿½ and later finding their cancer is more aggressive than earlier assumed. UCLA researchers say they have a better way of determining which patients should be selected for the surveillance program. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Male Infertility Right Up There with Smoking, Diabetes as Death Risk Stanford study finds two abnormalities in semen equals doubled mortality risk in 8 years May 16, 2014 ï¿½ Most of us are aware that smoking and diabetes double our risk of death. Now, you can add a third to this deadly list ï¿½ defective semen. Men with two or more abnormalities in their semen were more than twice as likely to die over a roughly eight-year period as men who had normal semen, the study found. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Elderly Men with High Blood Pressure Lower Death Risk with Just Moderate Exercise Fittest of the senior men were half as likely to die as the least fit; fitness has positive impact on health regardless of age or chronic illness. May 13, 2014 - Elderly men ï¿½ age 70 and older - with high blood pressure can lower their risk of death with even moderate levels of fitness, according to new research in the American Heart Associationï¿½s journal Hypertension. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Should You Take Daily Aspirin? Simple Test May Provide Scientific Answer Study shows test may help doctors better determine who will and will not benefit from use of aspirin therapy to prevent heart disease. May 10, 2014 - For years seniors, and even some younger adults, have wrestled with the question of whether they should take a daily aspirin. At last, there may be a better option ï¿½ a simple test providing scientific evidence to help doctors in deciding their aspirin advice for patients. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Health Spending Per Capita for Elderly Grows Slowest Among All Age Groups in 2002-10 CMS actuary released annual National Health Expenditure data: measures health care spending in U.S. May 6, 2014 - Average annual growth in per capita personal health care spending for the elderly was 4.1 percent from 2002 to 2010, the lowest among any other age groups studied, according to a report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servicesï¿½ Office of the Actuary released yesterday and published in the journal Health Affairs. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Patients and physicians say they feel the time crunch as never before as doctors rush through appointments as if on roller skates By Roni Caryn Rabin, KHN This KHN story was produced in collaboration with USA TODAY April 21, 2014 - Joan Eisenstodt didnï¿½t have a stopwatch when she went to see an ear-nose-and-throat specialist recently, but she is certain the physician was not in the exam room with her for more than three or four minutes. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Senior Women with Diabetes Less Likely to Have Mammogram Despite Higher Risk Researchers find low socioeconomic status an additional obstacle to preventive care in already disadvantaged population April 14, 2014 ï¿½ Older women with diabetes are much likely to develop breast cancer and less likely to survive the cancer, yet, researchers find these diabetic women are 14 percent less likely to be screened for breast cancer compared to women without diabetes. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Seniors See Colorectal Cancer Surgery Decline, Mortality Rates Increase; Still Do Worse in Surgery The good news is colon cancer surgery rates down and survival rates up, even for elderly; researchers concerned with lack of senior citizens in clinical trials April 9, 2014 ï¿½ Senior citizens age 65 and older are the most likely to undergo colorectal cancer surgery and the experience the worse outcomes than do younger patients. The good news is the total number of colon cancer operations has decreased in the last decade and mortality rates have improved. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Breast Cancer Screening Strategy in JAMA May Be Deadly for Many Women Two medical groups continue to recommend annual mammograms beginning at age 40 April 2, 2014 ï¿½ Not all physicians are in total agreement with a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that raises new questions about mammograms. At present, breast cancer screening based primarily on risk - as discussed in the JAMA article - would miss the overwhelming majority of breast cancers present in women and result in thousands of unnecessary deaths each year, according to a statement from two medical groups closely associated with mammograms. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Millions of Seniors Achieved Goal for Blood Pressure Overnight, Reports JAMA Seniors age 60 and up were focus of 2014 guidelines that set treatment for hypertension at 150-over-90 mm Hg, rather than 140/90 March 30, 2014 ï¿½ A new estimate projects that 13.5 million U.S. adults ï¿½ primarily seniors age 60 or older ï¿½ will would now be considered as having achieved their goal for blood pressure, as defined by the 2014 BP guidelines announced last December. Almost six million adults can relax, too, since they will no longer be classified as needing hypertension medication, according to a JAMA study released online to coincide with the 2014 American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Macular Degeneration Now Leading Cause of Blindness in Rich Nations; Poor Vision Drops Macular degeneration has become leading cause of blindness in rich countries as rates of blindness in developed world improve dramatically in 20 years March 26, 2014 ï¿½ Rates of blindness and impaired eyesight have plummeted over the past 20 years in the developed world. But the bad news ï¿½ especially for senior citizens and women ï¿½ is that macular degeneration has replaced cataract as the leading cause of blindness in wealthy countries, where women were more likely to be blind or to have poor vision than men in all years studied. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens New Cancer Drug ZL105 Ten Times More Effective Fighting Some Cancers: Game-Changer May be ten times more effective in treating ovarian, colon, melanoma, renal, and some breast cancers March 26, 2014 - A game-changer in the battle against cancer may just be a new drug called ZL105, which researchers say can manipulate the bodyï¿½s natural signalling and energy systems, allowing the body to attack and shut down cancerous cells. They foresee a revolution in cancer treatment that may lead to a dramatic improvement in cancer survival rates. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Obese Women See Uterine Cancer Risk Reduced Over 70 Percent After Bariatric Surgery May not be senior age limit for surgery or Medicare coverage if all other criteria met March 22, 2014 - Bariatric surgery resulting in dramatic weight loss in formerly severely obese women reduces the risk of uterine cancer by 71 percent and as much as 81 percent if normal weight is maintained after surgery. There is no specific age limit for this surgery, nor for Medicare coverage, if all other criteria is met. Generally, age is covered by requiring patients to have ï¿½acceptable surgical risk.ï¿½ The Mayo Clinic says the risks increase for senior citizens over age 65. Read more... Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens Physical Activity Reduces Breast Cancer Risk at Any Age Says Study of Four Million Women Age, nor size, nor geographical location alters the benefits of physical exercise March 20, 2014 ï¿½ A new study leaves little doubt that physical exercise ï¿½ at least one hour per day - reduces the risk of breast cancer for women of any age or size, regardless of where they live. The researchers reviewed all the studies ï¿½ 37 ï¿½ published from 1987 to 2013 that included four million women. Those with the highest level of physical activity reduced the risk by 12 percent. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Senior Stroke Patients Double Survival with Surgery to Relieve Brain Pressure Proven successful with patients under 60, it has now been proven that hemicraniectomy surgery can save elderly lives, too March 20, 2014 ï¿½ Seniors over the age of 60 double their chance of surviving a major stroke due to blockage of the middle cerebral artery if they undergo surgery in the first 48 hours to remove part of the skull above the affected brain tissue to relieve pressure on the brain. But, the news is not all good ï¿½ they often survive with severe disabilities. On the other hand, those without this surgery generally die quickly, according to a new study. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Seniors 60-Plus Most Affected by New Expanded Guidelines for Statin Use Almost 13 million more Americans to be eligible for statins; 8.3 million would be people over the age of 60, says Duke Medicine study March 20, 2014 ï¿½ An additional 12.8 million in U.S. may soon be taking statins to prevent cardiovascular disease, including stroke, due to new guidelines expanding the criteria for use to include people with an elevated 10-year risk. The most affected will be seniors between the ages of 60 and 75 without cardiovascular disease - 87.4 percent of men and 53.6 percent of women will fall within the new guidelines. Read more... Aging News & Opinion Is this a break-through in health care adjusting to meet the demands of an aging society that is different than the one we grew up in? By Tucker Sutherland, editor, SeniorJournal.com March 18, 2014 ï¿½ Probably more common sense should be applied to the medical care of older people. A study released today by the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) lauds the accomplishment of international doctors who solved the problem of a blood test for pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs) that was no longer working for senior citizens. Seniors seem to find themselves increasingly excluded from certain medical testing due to their advanced age. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Colon Cancer Rate Takes Big Drop, Particularly for Senior Citizens Larger declines among Medicare-eligible seniors likely reflect higher rates of screening because of universal insurance coverage March 17, 2014 - Colon cancer incidence rates have dropped 30 percent in the U.S. in the last 10 years among adults 50 and older due to the widespread uptake of colonoscopy, with the largest decrease being in senior citizens over age 65. Colonoscopy use has almost tripled among adults ages 50 to 75, from 19 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2010. Read more... Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens Large Waist Indicates Shorter Life for Men and Women; Even if Body Mass Index Okay March 14, 2014 - Having a big belly has consequences beyond trouble squeezing into your pants. Itï¿½s detrimental to your health, even if you have a healthy body mass index (BMI), a new international collaborative study led by a Mayo Clinic researcher found. Men and women with large waist circumferences were more likely to die younger. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Pancreatic Cancer Linked to Diabetes in Large Review of International Research Researchers suggest new diabetics should be tested for pancreatic cancer March 14, 2014 - Researchers, combing through massive data included in 88 international studies, have claimed the discovery of a link between pancreatic cancer and diabetes. And, they suggest it may be important to consider screening all newly diagnosed diabetics for pancreatic cancer. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Emotional Stress in Women Appears Linked to Artery Dysfunction, Heart Attacks Women may have chest pain related to the heart being starved for oxygen but have no evidence of arterial obstruction March 13, 2014 ï¿½ In research to be presented today, researchers describe their study finding that emotional stressors ï¿½ such as those provoking anger ï¿½ may cause changes in the nervous system that controls heart rate and trigger a type of coronary artery dysfunction, primarily in women that may lead to heart attacks and other cardiac problems. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Senior Citizens Being Denied Proper Access to Cancer Care; Evidence, Protests Growing We need a fundamental change in cancer policy for the elderly patient, says editorial in British Medical Journal; U.S. VA study finds fault with ï¿½simple age cut-offsï¿½ - see video March 11, 2014 ï¿½ There is growing evidence and an increasing outcry that senior citizens may be suffering and dying just because testing or treatment that could save their lives is denied strictly on the basis of their age. An editorial in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says older people around the world are being denied proper access to cancer care. A new U.S. study finds a ï¿½simple age cut-offï¿½ is not the answer in screening for colorectal cancer. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Ovarian Cancer Directly Linked for First Time to Being Overweight Below story see statistics and information of the National Cancer Institute on Ovarian Cancer and Obesity March 11, 2014 ï¿½ Being overweight was directly linked to ovarian cancer, which primarily strikes senior women, in an announcement today by the World Cancer Research Fund International. It is the first time obesity has been directly linked to this deadly cancer, although, many cancer organizations list it as a possible risk factor. This report estimates about five percent of cases in the U.S. are preventable with a healthy body weight. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Elderly Diabetics Treated with Insulin Much More Likely to be Hospitalized for Hypoglycemia The risks of hypoglycemic conditions in elderly should be considered in decisions to prescribe and intensify insulin, March 10, 2014 - Elderly patients 80 years or older treated with insulin for diabetes were more than twice as likely to visit the emergency department (ED) and nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for insulin-related hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and insulin-related errors (IHEs).than patients 45 to 64 years old. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Health care providers seek to monitor patients remotely through new technologies, aiming to identify problems early, cut costs and inefficiencies By Daniela Hernandez, KHN Staff Writer This story was produced in collaboration with WIRED March 10, 2014 - Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, knows when his patientsï¿½ hearts are racing or their blood pressure is on the rise, even if theyï¿½re sitting at home. With high-risk patients hooked up to ï¿½personal data trackersï¿½ - a portable electrocardiogram built into a smartphone case, for instance - he and his researchers can track the ups and downs of patientsï¿½ conditions as they go about their lives. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Binge Drinking is Frequent Among Older People and Significant Public Health Problem Among older moderate drinkers, those who binge drink have a significantly greater death risk than regular moderate drinkers arch 5, 2014 - A study of the association between binge drinking and mortality among moderate-drinking older adults has found that those who engage in binge drinking have more than two times higher odds of dying within 20 years in comparison to regular moderate drinkers. It is believed to be the first study of binge drinking among older people who are considered moderate drinkers based on average consumption over time. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Burst of Anger Greatly Increases Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Brain Aneurysm for Many ï¿½ï¿½Overall risk for people without other risk factors like smoking or high blood pressure is relatively smallï¿½ March 4, 2014 ï¿½ Warning people they are going to have a heart attack if they donï¿½t calm down is, perhaps, better advice than you have imagined. New research says the risk of a heart attack in the two hours following an outburst of anger is five times greater than when we are calm. And, the risk of a stroke jumps almost four times. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Acute Pancreatitis May Be Early Warning of Pancreatic Cancer, Especially for Senior Citizens Early discovery of pancreatic cancer offers much greater opportunity for survival; researchers want esophageal ultrasound screening after acute pancreatitis Feb. 28, 2014 ï¿½ Pancreatic cancer is one of the most feared, due to its low survival rate, which is primarily due to the late discovery of the disease. Researchers seeking a way to find this cancer earlier and, hopefully, save lives have found what appears to be an early warning sign ï¿½ acute pancreatitis - for many who will be hit with this cancer and their discovery may be most important for senior citizens age 70 and older. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Seniors may need to brush up on their iPad skills if new device becomes popular tool for screening patients in waiting rooms By Valerie DeBenedette, HBNS Contributing Writer Feb. 25, 2014 ï¿½ A quick screening on a electronic pad in the doctorï¿½s waiting room appears to have the ability to easily recognize depression and anxiety in patients, who were actually there to visit the physician about another ailment. The results can be sent directly to the waiting doctor for immediate action. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Stanford researchers pinpoint why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury By Krista Conger Feb. 17, 2014 - Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: Over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Women Fare Worse Following Stroke; Difference Greatest in Those Over Age 75 Follow-up study to look at cognitive decline in men and women before and after stroke Feb. 7, 2014 ï¿½ The good news about stroke is that more people survive stroke now than 10 years ago due to improved treatment and prevention. The bad news: women who survive stroke have a worse quality of life than men and the difference is greatest for the elderly, according to a study published just one day after the American heart and stroke associations issued the first guidelines aimed specifically at preventing strokes in women. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Credit Card-Size Device Could Analyze Biopsy, Help Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer in Minutes By Michelle Ma, University of Washington Pancreatic cancer is particularly deadly; faster detection may save many lives as it has victims of other cancers Feb. 7, 2014 - Pancreatic cancer is a particularly devastating disease. At least 94 percent of patients will die within five years, and in 2013 it was ranked as one of the top 10 deadliest cancers. Routine screenings for breast, colon and lung cancers have improved treatment and outcomes for patients with these diseases, largely because the cancer can be detected early. But because little is known about how pancreatic cancer behaves, patients often receive a diagnosis when itï¿½s already too late. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens First Guidelines for Reducing Stroke Risks in Women Presented by AHA American Heart / Stroke Associations see unique risk for women: influenced by pregnancy, birth control pills, migraine headaches with aura and other factors Feb. 6, 2014 ï¿½ For the first time, guidelines have been developed for preventing stroke in women, according to a new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Lowering Fails to Lower Cognitive Decline Risk in Diabetes Patients Type 2 diabetes patients at increased risk for decline in cognitive function due to reduced brain volume and increased white matter lesions Feb. 4, 2014 ï¿½ Type 2 diabetes patients are at risk of cognitive decline, particularly as they grow older, due to diabetes-related changes in the brain. Hopes that intensive blood pressure and cholesterol lowering would reduce this risk for older patients has been dashed, however, by new research that finds it does not lower the risk. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Obesity Could Be Best Guideline for Colon Cancer Screening in Men Obesity is a known risk factor for many cancers including colon cancer Feb. 4, 2014 ï¿½ Most health screening guidelines are based on age. Current guidelines for colon cancer say regular screening should begin at age 50 and continue through age 75. A new study, however, says ï¿½ at least for men ï¿½ obesity may be a better guide to which men should be tested. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Simple, At-Home Test Will Detect About 79 Percent of Colorectal Cancers Largest and most comprehensive review of ï¿½FITï¿½ finds it is an effective cancer-screening tool - see video Feb. 4, 2014 ï¿½ Seniors who frequently dread colonoscopies will be delighted by a new study that finds tests that require patients to collect a single stool sample at home and then send it to a lab for analysis will detect about 79 percent of colorectal cancers. The review of 19 studies examining eight different fecal immunochemical tests, known as ï¿½ FITs ,ï¿½ also finds that the tests will correctly identify about 94 percent of patients who do not have cancers of the rectum or colon. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Clue to Why Cancer Risk Increases With Age Discovered by NIH Study Age-related methylation may disable the expression of certain genes, making it easier for cells to transition to cancer Feb. 3, 2014 - We have known for years that the risk of getting cancer increases with age but the reason for this has not been established. Now, researchers suspect that the accumulation of age-associated changes in a biochemical process that helps control genes may be responsible for at least some of the increased risk of cancer seen in seniors, according to a National Institutes of Health study. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Patients, Caregivers Will Have Direct Access to Lab Test Results Due to New Rule by HHS Agencies Now patients and their designated care-givers can not only get info from physicians, but also directly from laboratories Feb. 3, 2014 - Patients or someone they designate will soon have direct access to completed laboratory test reports from the lab performing the test. As part of an ongoing effort to empower patients to be informed partners with their health care providers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and two other agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) joined forces to issue the new rule. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens New Imaging Technique Speeds Removal of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers Provides same accuracy as current ï¿½gold standardï¿½ used in Mohs surgery minus the lengthy wait Jan. 30, 2014 ï¿½ Senior citizens, the most frequent victims of skin cancer, may find a common surgery for non-melanoma skin cancer, known as Mohs surgery, taking a lot less time. It typically achieves excellent results but can be a long process, as the surgeon successively removes the area of concern until the surrounding tissue is free of cancer. Now, NIBIB-funded researchers have developed a microscopic technique to analyze removed tissue rapidly right in the clinic - dramatically reducing the length, inefficiency, and expense of this procedure. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Some Hospitals Set Their Charges at 10 Times Their Costs, Says Nurses United National Nurses United warn of ongoing harm for patients needing care Jan. 29, 2014 - With growing national attention to hospital pricing practices, new data released earlier this month by the nationï¿½s largest nurses organization showed that hospital charges continue to skyrocket with some U.S. hospitals charging more than ten times their cost ï¿½ nearly $1,200 for every $100 of their total costs. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Early Detection of Lung Cancer May Be Possible From Exhaled Breath New test of suspected lung cancer is simple, with high accuracy rate; encouraging to senior citizens ï¿½ average age of diagnosis today is about 70 Jan. 28, 2014 - Specific compounds found in exhaled breath may help diagnose lung cancer in its early stages, according to a study released today at the 50th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The discovery was made when Michael Bousamra, MD. and researchers from the University of Louisville examined patients with suspicious lung lesions. Lung cancer mainly occurs in senior citizens - about 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving ADT Should be Counseled to Improve Mental Well-Being Previous studies have reported cognitive and affective symptoms following ADT, particularly in the elderly Jan. 24, 2014 ï¿½ A new study published in the Journal of Urology reports that prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) experienced changes in mental and emotional well-being during treatment, although there was no meaningful decline in emotional quality of life two years after treatment. Previous studies have reported cognitive and affective symptoms following ADT, particularly in the elderly. Symptoms include emotional upset (tearfulness, irritability, and anger), decreased motivation, hopelessness, and cognitive interruptions in attention, memory, and visual processing. Read more... Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens Physically Active Men Live Longer After Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease; Reduce Heart Failure Most active older cancer survivors 38% less likely to die of cancer; 49% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease Jan. 23, 2014 ï¿½ Two new studies have found physical activity is very beneficial for older men. The results of one reports exercise it significantly extends the lives of senior cancer and cardiovascular disease survivors, and the other concludes it reduces heart failure risk. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Hearing Loss in Seniors Linked to Faster Brain Shrinkage, Growing List of Associated Ailments Among other problems for senior associated with hearing loss are dementia, falls, failing physical and mental health Jan. 22, 2014 - Although the brain becomes smaller with age, the shrinkage seems to be fast-tracked in older adults with hearing loss, according to the results of a study by researchers from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging. The findings add to a growing list of health consequences associated with hearing loss, including increased risk of dementia, falls, hospitalizations, and diminished physical and mental health overall. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Risk of Blindness from Glaucoma Cut Almost in Half by Diagnosis, Therapy Caution that a significant proportion of devastating eye disease sufferers still progress to blindness Jan. 21, 2014 - The probability of blindness due to the serious eye disease glaucoma has decreased by nearly half since 1980. The researchers speculate that advances in diagnosis and therapy are likely causes for the decrease, but caution that a significant proportion of patients still progress to blindness. The National Eye Institute recommends that seniors age 60 and older have an eye exam at least every two years. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Consumers will still be able to buy pills with up to twice that dose over the counter at gas stations and grocery stores - information for seniors below article by Jeff Gerth and T. Christian Miller, ProPublica Jan. 16, 2014 - Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged health care providers to stop writing prescriptions for pain relievers containing more than 325 milligrams of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens What Does Team-Based Care Mean for Patients? Expanding Rapidly with Push by Medicare Editorï¿½s Note: There are over 360 Accountable Care Organizations working with Medicare to provide higher-quality coordinated care for seniors. Doctors, hospitals and health care providers establish ACOs to work together to provide better health care, while working to slow the growth of health care cost. By Jessie Gruman, President, Center for Advancing Health Jan. 16, 2014 - Have you heard that soon most primary care in the U.S. will be delivered by teams? Yep. Team-based care is one of the characteristics of the patient-centered medical home, a way of organizing the care of patients that allows primary care clinicians to see more patients in a day while at the same time delivering better care. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens FDA Approves Drug Combo to Treat Advanced Melanoma Found Most Often in Seniors Mekinist in combination with Tafinlar is new hope for those with advanced melanoma; 76% success is shrinking, killing cancer Jan. 14, 2014 -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Mekinist (trametinib) in combination with Tafinlar (dabrafenib) to treat patients with advanced melanoma that is unresectable (cannot be removed by surgery) or metastatic (late-stage). Melanoma rates are highest in older people aged 55-64 years. The median age is 61. But deaths are highest in senior citizens aged 75-84 years with the median age being 69. Read more... Estimates are that over 10 million women in U.S.age 35 to 79 could be eligible for tamoxifen chemoprevention on the basis of their risk factors; Obamacare By Phil Galewitz, Capsules, Kaiser Health News Jan. 12, 2014 - Starting next September, women at increased risk for breast cancer will be able to get some drugs shown to help prevent the disease without a co-pay, the Obama administration said Thursday. Read more.. Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens What are Chances Your Prostate Cancer Test has been Overdiagnosed? New Tool Can Tell You Nomogram aims to enable informed decision-making and personalized treatment; a graphical calculating device using patient's age, PSA level and Gleason score Jan. 11, 2014 - Not sure about your positive prostate cancer test results? Seniors are the most likely to receive an overdiagnosis, since the biggest factor in overdiagnosis is age Researchers say they have help for senior citizens and others to to predict the likelihood of prostate cancer overdiagnosis, which happens in up to 42 percent of these tests. Too often this results in unnecessary treatment and devastating side effects, including impotence and incontinence. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Cancer Death Rate Continues Decline, Not Counting Women Over Age 80: Cancer 2014 There will be 1,665,540 new cancer cases and 585,720 cancer deaths in the US in 2014 ï¿½ see stats by cancer type and age for men, women; video on cancer decrease - See video on decrease in cancer Jan. 10, 2014 - For the average American, your chance of dying from cancer has dropped by 20 percent over the last two decades and this steady decline will continue into 2014, according to the annual report from the American Cancer Society. But, for senior citizens over age 70 the odds of invasive cancer are still high. For men the chance is about 37 percent and for women about 27 percent. And, if you are male, the chance of invasive cancer is higher than for women, especially after becoming a senior citizen at age 65. But, if you happen to be a senior white woman 80 years old or older the bad news is that your chance of dying from cancer is not improving. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement Advantageous for Some Very Elderly Patients Study suggests transcatheter aortic valve implantation should be considered as treatment option even in patients over age 85 Jan. 6, 2014 ï¿½ Older age is increasingly becoming a defining cutoff for risky or costly surgery and other medical treatments. A new study, however, has found a new treatment for aortic stenosis in the very elderly ï¿½ 85 years and older ï¿½ that is an effective alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Stenosis is a condition when a heart valve doesn't open enough and blocks blood flow. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Top 10 Advances in Heart Disease, Stroke Research in 2013 Picked by American Heart Association AHA chooses as number one the new guidelines to prevent heart disease and stroke it helped to develop; controlling high blood pressure number 2 Jan. 3, 2014 ï¿½ New prevention guidelines, programs to control blood pressure, getting more people to access cardiac rehab services and a possible link between digestive bacteria and heart disease risk are included in a recap of last yearï¿½s top ten cardiovascular and stroke advances identified by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Majority of physicians said they were alerted to a potential medication error or critical lab value by an electronic health record; one-third say they help spot needed tests; Medicare offers physicians incentive By Sharyn Alden, HBNS Contributing Writer Jan. 2, 2014 ï¿½ Senior citizens ï¿½ the age group most in need of medical care, often from chronic problems ï¿½ should check to see if their doctors are using electronic health records (EHRs). It may save their life. A new study in Health Services Research finds nearly three-quarters of physicians using EHRs in 2011 said there were clinical benefits when patientsï¿½ medical histories were kept in digital files. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Surgery Best Option for Herniated Disks; Age-Related Wear and Tear Usual Cause Eight-year study shows better long-term outcomes with surgery rather than non-invasive-treatment Dec. 30, 2013 - For patients with herniated disks in the lower (lumbar) spine, surgery leads to greater long-term improvement in pain, functioning, and disability compared to nonsurgical treatment, concludes an eight year follow-up study in Spine . Herniated disks are usually a result of aging but are more common among middle-age people than senior citizens due to activity levels of younger people. Read more... Medicare & Medicaid News Medicare, Other Health Care Spending Slowing but Cost Controls Must Be Implemented New England Journal of Medicine study finds health spending rose just 0.8% per person in 2012, Affordable Care Act measures to control costs may be contributing to biggest slowdown in decades Dec. 26, 2013 ï¿½ The growth of health care cost is slowing and at least a portion is due to actions stemming from Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), but regardless of the causes, the U.S. needs to try to control health spending. An analysis, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, also finds that a broad, bipartisan consensus about strategies that will be effective in controlling costs has emerged. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Holiday Stuffing May Increase Your Need for Health Care but Are Elderly Immune? Duke Medical researchers find health care costs climb steadily with body mass index increase - but are seniors 75 up immune (sidebar) Dec. 24, 2013 ï¿½ Before throwing self-control aside and diving into all the goodies that abound during the holiday season, you may want to consider a shocking research report from Duke Medicine researchers. They have found that health care costs increase in relation to the increase in body mass measurements ï¿½ the more weight you gain the more healthcare you need. Read more... Medicare & Medicaid News Does Cataract Surgery Need Preoperative Consultation? It is Increasing for Medicare Patients Older patients (75 to 84) were more likely to have a consultation than patients age 66 to 74 Dec. 23, 2013 ï¿½ Cataract surgery ï¿½ a low-risk surgery that has almost become routine for senior citizens ï¿½ has increasingly involved a preoperative consultation for Medicare patients, despite no clear guidelines about when to require such a service. A new study suggests in may be unnecessary use of Medicare health care resources. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens New High Blood Pressure Guidelines Say Seniors 60 Up Do Not Need Treatment Below 150 Over 90 One of three editorials (below news story) in JAMA says it is likely that there will be considerable controversy in hypertension treatment for the foreseeable future; high blood pressure still 140/90 Dec. 18, 2013 ï¿½ Seniors age 60 and over were given a little more room before being treated for high blood pressure in a new guideline developed by an expert panel and published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). They recommend treatment for hypertension at 150-over-90 mm Hg, rather than 140/90, which still remains the defined level for high blood pressure. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Vitamin Supplements a Waste of Money ï¿½ Ineffective, Sometimes Dangerous! A key study found daily multivitamin did nothing to slow cognitive decline among senior men 65 and older; another says multivitamins and minerals do not protect against secondary cardiovascular in people age 50 and older Dec. 17, 2013 - Editorial writers responding to three articles on vitamin and mineral supplementation being published in Annals of Internal Medicine urge U.S. adults to stop wasting their money on dietary supplements. The authors cite the large body of accumulated evidence showing that most multivitamin supplements are ineffective, and some may cause harm. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Lung Cancer Death Rate Continues Decline, Drives Decrease in Overall Cancer Death Rates Annual Report to the Nation on status of cancer includes special feature highlighting the contribution of other diseases on survival of patients; declines in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer death rates help overall decline Dec. 16, 2013 - The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, covering the period 1975ï¿½2010, showed death rates for lung cancer, which accounts for more than one in four cancer deaths, dropping at a faster pace than in previous years. However, lung cancer remains by far the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Read more... Medicare & Medicaid News Medicare's Hospital Compare Introduces Information on Deadly Hospital Infections CDC, CMS collaborate to advance public reporting of important hospital quality indicators deadly diarrhea and MRSA - see guide for finding info Dec. 13, 2013 - Senior citizens, the most regular hospital patients, have long wanted more information about deadly infections that have been occurring to frequently in hospitals. Yesterday, the Medicare website Hospital Compare provided the first look at how their local hospitals are doing at preventing Clostridium difficile infections (deadly diarrhea) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients May Not Benefit from Surgery, Radiation after Chemotherapy Study found there was a 7 percent excess death rate in those who received treatment with radiotherapy and surgery Dec. 11, 2013 - After a response to initial chemotherapy, treatment with radiotherapy and surgical removal of the breast tumor and nearby lymph nodes do not provide any additional benefit to patients with metastatic breast cancer, according to results of a clinical trial presented at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Read more... Senior Citizen Alerts National Flu Vaccination Week Opens with Senior Citizens as Prime Targets 60 percent of flu-related hospitalizations in the U.S. occur in senior age group; learn about extra-strong vaccine for senior citizens Dec. 9, 2013 - National Influenza Vaccination Week opened Sunday and seniors are prime targets of the campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Senior citizens ï¿½ age 65 and older ï¿½ last year recorded the highest flu-related hospitalization rates since the CDC began tracking this information during the 2005-2006 flu season. Read more... Aging News & Information Age Shouldn't Limit Access to Transplants for MDS, Study Suggests Comparing recipients who were 60 to 65 with those over 66, there were no statistically significant differences in overall survival Dec.9, 2013 - Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who were as old as 74 fared as well with stem cell transplantation as did patients in the 60-to-65 age range, according to a study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Lung Cancer Screening with Low-Dose CT Produces Dangerous Overdiagnosis False diagnosis may cause additional cost, anxiety, and sometimes death from cancer treatment Dec. 9, 2013 ï¿½ More than 18 percent of all lung cancers detected by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) appeared to represent an overdiagnosis, according to a study of patients between the ages of 55 and 74 years published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. Overdiagnosis cases represent an important potential harm because they incur additional cost, anxiety, and death associated with cancer treatment. Read more... Aging News & Information Inflammatory Response in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Beneficial During Early Hours Concussion secrets unveiled as NIH scientists film early damage and describe brainï¿½s response to injury - see video Dec. 9, 2013 - There is more than meets the eye following even a mild traumatic brain injury, a serious health concern for seniors. Approximately 22% of all TBI-related hospitalizations involved adults aged 75 years and older. While the brain may appear to be intact, new findings reported in Nature suggest that the brainï¿½s protective coverings may feel the brunt of the impact. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Deaths from Stroke Decline Dramatically in U.S. with Better Prevention, Treatment Stroke deaths fell 23% in 10 years; ï¿½One of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th and 21st centuriesï¿½ Dec. 5, 2013 ï¿½ Stroke deaths in the United States have declined dramatically in recent decades due to improved treatment and prevention, according to a scientific statement published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Longer Survival of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Using Docetaxel Prompts Data Release Three-year survival rate of 69 percent when chemotherapy drug docetaxel given at start of standard hormone therapy Dec. 6, 2013 - Men with hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer who received the chemotherapy drug docetaxel at the start of standard hormone therapy lived longer than patients who received hormone therapy alone. Due to the success the results were released early from the National Institutes of Health-supported randomized controlled clinical trial. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Solution to Melanomaï¿½s Resistance to Drug Therapy is Goal of Team Funded by NIH The deadliest of skin cancers a growing problem with increasing number of seniors Dec. 5, 2013 - Melanoma remains the deadliest, most aggressive form of skin cancer, primarily due to the resistance of the advanced cancer to drug therapy, despite the new BRAF inhibitors that show success in early treatment. And, it is a growing threat, since in often attacks seniors, the most rapidly increasing age group. There is new hope, however, from a $12.5 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to a team of melanoma scientists to find a solution to melanomaï¿½s drug resistance. Read more... Caregiver & Elder Care News People over 50 who identified blood pressure medication by shape, size or color instead of name had poorer adherence, poorer blood pressure control and an increased risk of hospitalization By Stephanie Stephens, HBNS Contributing Writer Dec. 5, 2013 - Older people who identify their blood pressure medications by shape, size and color instead of by name may risk poor blood pressure control and increase their risk of hospitalization, finds a recent study in the Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Carbon Monoxide Prevents Growth in Prostate, Lung Tumors; Enhances Chemotherapy Opens possibility of new cancer therapy to take advantage of powerful chemotherapy drugs making them more potent and limiting terrible side effects, damage to normal cells Dec. 4, 2013 ï¿½ It is hard to imagine anything good coming from carbon monoxide, the highly toxic gas the shoots out your auto exhaust, but a new study says it can play a role in treating cancer. It can prevent tumor growth in prostate and lung cancers and can amplify the effectiveness of chemotherapy 1,000-fold ï¿½ while sparing noncancerous tissue from chemo's sometimes debilitating side effects. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens New Insights Into How Cancer Develops May Lead to New Early Screening Opportunity A new appreciation of the genetic changes that occur as precancerous cells turn malignant could help researchers design new early detection screening strategies Dec. 4, 2013 ï¿½ Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studying the precancerous condition Barrettï¿½s esophagus have shown that rather than resulting from a steady accumulation of small genetic mutations, cancer arises a few years after cells begin to undergo large, drastic mutations. This insight could help researchers detect cells on the cusp of becoming malignant and distinguish benign from dangerous pre-cancerous conditions. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Link Between Obesity and Cancer for Older People Confirmed by Radiographic Imaging Radiographic imaging exposes relationship between obesity and cancer in aging population; women with more overall fat mass, more visceral fat had a higher risk of cancer; fat puts older men at risk even with healthy BMI Dec. 4, 2013 - The negative impact of fat on long-term health, particularly of older people, has been confirmed by the first use direct radiographic imaging of adipose (fatty) tissue rather than estimates like body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. The study focused on the relationship between obesity and cancer risk in aging populations. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability, Distress Cut in Half in Last 20 Years RA patients have better opportunity of living valued life than patients with this autoimmune disease two decades ago Dec. 3, 2013 - New research reveals that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), common in seniors, have an easier time with daily living today than did patients diagnosed two decades ago. The study reveals anxiety, depressed mood and physical disability have been cut in half over the last 20 years. Researchers believe a reduction in disease activity is partly responsible for this positive change. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Osteoporosis Drugs Compared for Side Effects, Efficacy in Loyola Study Half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis: findings to help physicians guide treatment options for women Dec. 2, 2013 ï¿½ A study comparing the efficacy and tolerability of two popular osteoporosis drugs, denosumab and zoledronic acid, found that denosumab had a significantly greater effect on increasing spine bone mineral density and zoledronic acid caused more flulike symptoms. These findings were presented recently at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Researchï¿½s annual meeting. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Half of Senior Citizens Afflicted by Bothersome Pain in Last Month Pain prevalence was higher in women; older adults with obesity, musculoskeletal conditions, and depressive symptoms; need for public health action for elderly Dec. 2, 2013 ï¿½ More than half of senior citizens in the United States ï¿½ an estimated 18.7 million people ï¿½ have experienced bothersome pain in the previous month, impairing their physical function and underscoring the need for public health action on pain. Many of those interviewed by investigators for a study published in the current issue of PAIN reported pain in multiple areas. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens High Cholesterol Fuels Growth, Spread of Breast Cancer; Statins Diminish Effect ï¿½Very significant findingï¿½ especially for older women, suggests there may be simple way to reduce the risk of breast cancer by keeping cholesterol in check Dec. 1, 2013 ï¿½ A byproduct of cholesterol functions like the hormone estrogen to fuel the growth and spread of the most common types of breast cancers, researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute report. And, they also found that anti-cholesterol drugs, such as statins, appear to diminish the effect of this estrogen-like molecule. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Do You Poop Your Pants? Should be Asked Older Patients by All Physicians Bowel leakage affects 1 in 5 women over 40, yet few seek help for this fixable medical problem ov. 22, 2013 - ï¿½Do you poop your pants?ï¿½ is a question few physicians ask their adult patients, but one that Dana Hayden, MD, colorectal surgeon at Loyola University Health System, believes should be at the top of the list. She points out that 15 million women ages 40 and older (1 in 5) suffer from accidental bowel leakage, which is not a part of normal aging. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Drug Tasquinimod May Improve Survival in Men with Metastatic Prostate Cancer An oral therapy that activates the body's immune system to fight cancer, also known to block tumor blood vessel growth Nov. 19, 2013 - An investigational prostate cancer treatment slows the disease's progression and may increase survival, especially among men whose cancer has spread to the bones, according an analysis led by the Duke Cancer Institute. The drug tasquinimod, a new candidate for treating advanced and recurrent prostate cancer, adds long-term survival and safety data. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Genetic Testing Improves Warfarin Dosing But Not Optimal Dose in Second Study Predicting right dose of warfarin for older patient can be tricky; two studies of genetics use in warfarin therapy presented at American Heart Associationï¿½s Scientific Session; patients with atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and in second study stroke Nov. 19, 2013 ï¿½ Obtaining genetic information before starting warfarin therapy helped patients increase the effectiveness of treatment while reducing the risk of over-anticoagulation and improper dosing in a late-breaking clinical trial presented at the American Heart Associationï¿½s Scientific Sessions 2013. Another study presented, however, found genetics did not prove useful in predicting optimal doses of warfarin. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Sudden Cardiac Arrests Not Always That Sudden; Early Warnings Signs Sometimes More than half of men studied who had a sudden cardiac arrest had symptoms up to a month before Nov. 19, 2013 - Sudden cardiac arrest isnï¿½t always so sudden, according to research presented at the American Heart Associationï¿½s Scientific Sessions 2013. In a study of middle-age men up to age 65 in Portland, Oregon, more than half had possible warning signs up to a month before their hearts stopped abruptly. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Alzheimer's, Dementia Not Linked in Older People Very large study in England looked for links between these diseases closely associated with aging Nov. 14, 2013 ï¿½ Alzheimerï¿½s disease (AD), dementia and the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are all strongly associated with advancing age. A very large study of patients in England has determined, however, that there is no association between having AMD and then developing dementia or AD. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens New Statin Guidelines Not Supportive of Starting Therapy for Elderly Over 75 The few data available did not clearly support initiation of high-intensity statin therapy for secondary prevention in individuals 75 and older Nov. 13, 2013 ï¿½ The new clinical practice guideline released yesterday for the use of statins in the treatment of blood cholesterol in people at high risk for cardiovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries, that can lead to heart attack, stroke or death, identified four ï¿½major groupsï¿½ to target and at least two of them exclude seniors over age 75. It does, however, ï¿½support the continuation of statins beyond 75 years of age in persons who are already taking and tolerating these drugs.ï¿½ Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Add Bone Deterioration to Diabetes Complications for Older Women 12.2 million, or 23.1 percent, of all people age 60 and older have diabetes. Nov. 12, 2013 - The list of complications from type 2 diabetes is long: vascular and heart disease, eye problems, nerve damage, kidney disease, hearing problems and Alzheimer's disease. Physicians have long thought of osteoporosis as another outcome. Based on a Mayo Clinic study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, that's confirmed: You can definitely add skeletal problems to that list. Read more... Senior Citizen Politics Political Squabbling May Cause U.S. to Fail to Improve Failing Health Care System U.S. spends 50 percent more of GDP on health care, yet life expectancy growing slower here than in other countries; much higher medical costs and worse outcomes; aging population not cause costs Nov. 12, 2013 ï¿½ The aging of the population has not been the primary cause of high health care costs over the last decade in the U.S. Nor has it been the large number of tests and treatments being prescribed. Instead, new Johns Hopkins-led analysis suggests it has been the increasing prices of drugs, medical devices and hospital costs - prices that doctors, patients and insurers rarely know until the money has been spent. The administrative costs alone - the costs associated with physicians and hospitals procuring payment from health insurers and individuals - are rising by 6 percent a year. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Elderly Face Future of High Health Care Costs, Needless Pain, Distress in U.S. Without Change Meeting the challenges of long lives requires substantial changes, quickly Nov. 12, 2013 ï¿½ ï¿½The United States needs arrangements that allow elderly people to live with confidence, comfort, and meaningfulness at a cost that families can afford and the nation can sustain. Without significant structural changes in service delivery, an aging nation faces a future of substantial costs and needless pain and distress among those who are old,ï¿½ writes Joanne Lynn, M.D., of the Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness, Altarum Institute, Washington, D.C., in a Viewpoint appearing in the November 13 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on critical issues in U.S. health care. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Improvement in Health Care Outcomes Has Slowed in U.S. Finds Major Study Included: economics of health care; people who receive care and organizations that provide care; value created in terms of objective health outcomes and perceptions of quality of care; potential factors driving change, including consolidation of insurers and health systems; the patient as consumer - see video Nov. 12, 2013 ï¿½ An examination of health care in the U.S. finds that despite the extraordinary economic success of many of its participants, the health care system has performed relatively poorly by some measures; and that outcomes have improved, but more slowly than in the past and more slowly than in comparable countries, according to an article in the November 13 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on critical issues in U.S. health care. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Being Overweight, Obese Better Predictor of Heart Disease Than Metabolic Syndrome Metabolic syndrome not the critical risk; Findings put emphasis on achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight (typically, BMI of 18.5 to 25.0) is of paramount importance Nov. 11, 2013 ï¿½ Being overweight or obese are risk factors for myocardial infarction (heart attack) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) regardless of whether individuals also have the cluster of cardiovascular risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, which includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Obese Older Women at Higher Risk for Death, Disease, Disability Before Age 85 Nov. 11, 2013 ï¿½ If you are an older woman, obese and have a large waist size, your chances are not good for reaching the age of 85 without dying, developing a major chronic disease or having a mobility disability. This prognostication comes from a new study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Risk of Temporary Problems with Learning, Memory May Increase with Postoperative Pain Identifies a probable mechanism for pain-induced cognitive impairment, suggesting pathways that may be targeted by potential preventive measures ï¿½ see video Nov. 8, 2013 - The pain caused by a surgical incision may contribute to the risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction, a sometimes transient impairment in learning and memory that affects a small but significant number of patients in the days following a surgical procedure. Read more... Caregiver & Elder Care News Half Elderly Starting Dialysis After Age 75 Die Within Year Finds Mayo Clinic New evidence to to help guide shared decision-making among the patient, family members and care team - see video Nov. 8, 2013 - Half of elderly patients who start dialysis after age 75 will die within one year, according to new research from Mayo Clinic finds that. Although, age alone was not a good measure. The findings will being presented this week at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2013 in Atlanta. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens New JAMA study finding testosterone therapy increases cardiovascular risk has lots of other research to compete with - check out these three By Tucker Sutherland, editor, SeniorJournal.com Nov. 6, 2013 ï¿½ Before older men make any decisions about testosterone therapy based on the study released today in JAMA, finding it may increase cardiovascular risk, they need to know about a few other recent studies. One released just last month says therapy may actually reduce this risk, while one in September says if you have low testosterone you have greater risk of heart problems. Or, there is one from last October that says men become more truthful after receiving testosterone. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Testosterone Therapy Increases Cardiovascular Risk in Older Men Results of large study urges both cautious testosterone prescribing and additional investigation ï¿½ see video Nov. 6, 2013 - Among a group of older men who underwent coronary angiography and had a low serum testosterone level, the use of testosterone therapy was associated with increased risk of death, heart attack, or ischemic stroke, according to a study in the November 6 issue of JAMA. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Atrial Fibrillation May Double Risk of Heart Attack Heart attack well established as risk for irregular heartbeat, new study finds reverse also true; especially for women and blacks Nov. 5, 2013 - Atrial fibrillation (AF, an irregular heartbeat) was associated with a nearly two-fold relative increase in the risk of myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack), especially in women and blacks, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Cancer Cells Eat Themselves When Treated with Drug Combination Clinical trial to test safety of PI3K/AKT inhibitor combined with sorafenib and regorafenib, which dramatically increased cell death Nov. 5, 2013 ï¿½ It is too early for celebration but the effective killing of colon, liver, lung, kidney, breast and brain cancer cells with little damage to noncancerous cells in a preclinical study at Virginia Commonwealth University Cancer Study has focused attention on the new drug combination therapy that caused the cancer cells to self-destruct. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Smarter Blood Pressure Guidelines Could Prevent Many More Heart Attacks and Strokes Care that emphasizes patientsï¿½ risks of heart disease could prevent up to 180,000 more heart attacks and strokes a year using less medication over all Nov. 4, 2013 - A new way of using blood pressure-lowering medications could prevent more than a fourth of heart attacks and strokes ï¿½ up to 180,000 a year ï¿½ while using less medication overall, according to new research from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Eye Exams Emphasized for Seniors with Diabetes to Avoid Common Vision Loss National Diabetes Month emphasized by National Eye Institute to highlight a leading cause of vision loss in U.S. Nov. 1, 2013 - If you are one of more than 11 million seniors with diabetes, you probably already know the importance of watching your diet and keeping track of your blood sugar. But did you know itï¿½s also important to have regular eye exams? In the United States, diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults. Read more... Caregiver & Elder Care News Elderly Heart Patients Deserve Preventive Care: American Heart Association Scientific Statement ï¿½Preventive care should not be set aside simply because youï¿½re getting older;ï¿½ statement focuses on patients age 75 and older Oct. 31, 2013 ï¿½ Strategies to prevent heart attack, stroke and other major cardiac events should be individualized for older adults - age 75 and older - who should also play a role in choosing their therapies, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement published in its journal Circulation. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Eczema Skin Itch Linked to Staph Infection May Have Better Treatment Solution Staph infections and eczema: Whatï¿½s the connection? 90 percent of patients with eczema, also called dermatitis, have staph bacteria detectable on their skin Oct. 31, 2013 - For the millions of people suffering from the intensely red, horribly itchy skin condition known as eczema (′ekï¿½səï¿½mə), the only thing more maddening than their disease is the lack of understanding of what causes it, or makes it flare up from time to time. Now, a new finding made by University of Michigan Medical School researchers and their colleagues may bring that understanding closer ï¿½ and could help lead to better treatments. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Risk of Colorectal Cancer Goes Up in Men Who Sit a Lot, Get Little Exercise Even meeting daily exercise recommendations cannot overcome lengthy sedentary behavior ï¿½ "active couch potato paradigm" Oct. 30, 2013 - Men who spend the most time engaged in sedentary behaviors ï¿½ a lot of sitting and little exercise - are at greatest risk for recurrence of colorectal adenomas, benign tumors that are known precursors of colorectal cancers, according to results presented here at the 12th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, held Oct. 27-30. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Overweight Men Much Less Likely to Survive Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer Men who died from prostate cancer were 50% more likely to be overweight or obese at diagnosis Oct. 30, 2013 - Men who are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer are more likely to die from the disease than men who are of healthy weight, according to a new study. In patients with more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, the researchers also found an even stronger correlation between obesity and mortality. Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Carotid Artery Stenting Appears to Increase Stroke Risk in Elderly Risk of stroke higher but risk of death about same as for nonelderly; what is elderly? Oct. 23, 2013 - Carotid artery stenting (CAS) was associated with an increased risk of stroke in elderly patients but the mortality risk appeared to be the same as for nonelderly patients, according to a review of the medical literature published Online First by JAMA Surgery, a JAMA Network publication. A commentary in the same issue asks what age is ï¿½elderly.ï¿½ Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Flu Vaccine Seems to Offer Seniors Protection from Heart Failure, Heart Attack Researchers encourage confirmation of this low-cost, annual, safe, easily administered, and well-tolerated therapy to reduce cardiovascular risk up to 50% - see video in story Oct. 22, 2013 - For senior citizens needing a push to motivate them to get their annual flu shot, a new study showing the influenza vaccination appears to offer as much as 50 percent protection from major adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart failure, stroke or hospitalization from heart attack. And, those who seemed to receive the most benefit were those with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS), such as heart attack of unstable angina. Read more, see video... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Senior Citizens May Gain New Chance at Life from Teenagers Trained in CPR by AHA Classroom-tested kit from American Heart Association empowers educators to teach students CPR; People will die within minutes after cardiac arrest without early defibrillation or CPR October 16, 2013 - Thousands of senior citizens may someday live to see another day after suffering cardiac arrest, thanks to a new program by the American Heart Association that is training school children throughout the United States in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens Lung, Prostate and Other Cancers Diagnosed by Simple Blood Test, Researchers Say 'we identified compounds that appear to be new screening biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis' October 15, 2013 ï¿½ Early-stage lung and prostate cancers as well as their recurrence can be detected with a simple blood test, according to a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2013 annual meeting. Serum-free fatty acids and their metabolites may be used as screening biomarkers to help diagnose early stages of cancer, as well as identify the probability of recovery and recurrence after tumor removal, researchers found. Read more... Senior Citizen Opinions & Analysis As a 75-year-old I have an opinion on this new JAMA study finding docs keep on doing PSA screening for old guys despite the experts advising against it By Tucker Sutherland, editor, SeniorJournal.com Oct. 15, 2013 ï¿½ Okay, I am 75 years old. I have sort of stopped telling people my exact age, because most of them quickly apply the old-age-label to you and begin to treat you as a has-been. It really hit me when I watched the television show about zombies ï¿½ The Living Dead ï¿½ with some of my grandchildren and one of the young ones said, ï¿½You can tell the zombies because they walk like old grandpas.ï¿½ Read more... Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens	Aspirin
Which European country is known as 'The Cockpit of Europe'?	Home \| DCA Watch DCA Watch Your Source For Relevant DCA Information Search DCA Avemar Protocol Home <DCAWATCH> Investigating what happened to DCA, the non-toxic cancer cure discovered by a large Canadian University in 2007. The short answer is they have had to raise the money for clinical trials from the public…. and that DCA worked the same in humans as it did in the lab! If you haven’t already please start by watching the original press release above that was broadcast on the national Canadian news, it was also carried on other Canadian news channels, as well as MSNBC, and CNN, but only once so don’t be surprised if you missed it. You can donate directly to the U of Alberta DCA team donate here:. http://www.dca.med.ualberta.ca/Home/Donations/ , (sorry this link no longer works as the University has removed the page) we are looking into this and will find another way to donate shortly. Please leave comment at bottom of page we really would like your feed back! This is a difficult subject to explain without people viewing it as a conspiracy theory. We simply wish to provide information that most people can understand and believe from respected medical publications about this discovery. We probably would have left this story alone, but too many things did not make sense. Like why no funding from the many Cancer charities that we donate too, or the Government agencies set up to fund cancer research with our tax dollars? Two of the government agencies that funded the original discovery, did not provide any further funding for clinical trials. We could understand the drug companies not wanting to fund research for a cheap non toxic cure for cancer, but we think a reasonable person would simply assume the charities and government agencies would! After all “finding a cure” is what they claim to be their objective. We expect, like ourselves most people donate thinking that their money will go towards finding that cure! Don’t take this the wrong way, the Cancer Societies at a regional level provide an amazing service, it is at the national level that they decieve the people that donate or volunteer into believing that the charity is actively pursuing a cure! What we discovered will astound you, enrage you, and inspire you, and the evidence was all online published in prominent medical journals. Everything you believed about cancer and treatment will be turned upside down! These studies published in medical journals are referenced in hyper links throughout this article, and also on the side columns of the page for quick reference. Sodium Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a simple molecule discovered by the University of Alberta to shrink tumors by reversing the Warburg Effect. Otto Warburg was one of the most respected scientists in the history of cancer research. He won a noble prize for his work on cancer cell metabolism. We could try to explain it, but for you to realize the importance of this discovery it is best if you hear it in his own words.The following quote is an excerpt from a lecture originally delivered by O. Warburg at the 1966 annual meeting of Nobelists at Lindau, Germany. The full lecture can be found 6th article down on the left side of this page. Please take the time to read it, his ideas on cancer prevention are as sound today as they were in 1966. There are prime and secondary causes of diseases. For example, the prime cause of the plague is the plague bacillus, but secondary causes of the plague are filth, rats, and the fleas that transfer the plague bacillus from rats to man. By a prime cause of a disease I mean one that is found in every case of the disease. Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation. All normal body cells are thus obligate aerobes, whereas all cancer cells are partial anaerobes. From the standpoint of the physics and chemistry of life this difference between normal and cancer cells is so great that one can scarcely picture a greater difference. Oxygen gas, the donor of energy in plants and animals is dethroned in the cancer cells and replaced by an energy yielding reaction of the lowest living forms, namely, a fermentation of glucose. If one then brings such cells, in which during their growth under reduced oxygen pressure a cancer cell metabolism has been produced, back under the original high oxygen pressure, and allows the cell to grow further, the cancer metabolism remains. The transformation of embryonic cell metabolism into cancer cell metabolism can thus be irreversible, and important result, since the origin of cancer cells from normal body cells is an irreversible process. …….. Furthermore, the very unexpected and fundamental fact, that tissue culture is carcinogenic and that a too low oxygen pressure is the intrinsic cause were discovered in the years 1927 to 1966. Anaerobiosis of cancer cells was an established fact only since 1960 when methods were developed to measure the oxygen pressure inside of tumors in the living body. …… Life without oxygen in a living world that has been created by oxygen was so unexpected that it would have been too much to ask that anaerobiosis of cancer cells should be accepted at once by all scientists. But most of the resistance disappeared when at Lindau it was explained that on the basis of anaerobiosis there is now a real chance to get rid of this terrible disease, if man is willing to submit to experiments and facts. It is true that more than 40 years were necessary to learn how to do it. But 40 years is a short time in the history of science. Why then does it happen that in spite of all this so little is done towards the prevention of cancer? The answer has always been that one does not know what cancer or the prime cause of cancer [might] be, and that one cannot prevent something that is not known. But nobody today can say that one does not know what cancer and its prime cause [may] be. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse that one cannot do more about prevention. To summarize what we just read the initial discovery was made in 1927 and accepted as fact in 1960. The primary cause of cancer is a reduction in cell respiration. FACT, All cancer breast, lung, liver, brain are all simply a collection of cells that are partial Anaerobes, they are different cells, lung cells or brain cells etc but they are all partial anaerobes which are now called cancer cells. At this point in history 1966 the only thing they didn’t know was that the effect could be reversed, which is the science behind DCA. Just because researchers ignored Warburgs discovery until 2007, it doesn’t mean the cancer industry didn’t figure out how to make money from it! The PET/CT scan machine “used to identify cancer and create a 3D image” was first developed in 1970 and generated 13.5 billion Dollars last year alone, it’s use in Oncology is solely based on The Warburg Effect! Does the PET scan work? sure it does, therefore the Warburg effect is fact! What this all means is that any cancer is simply a group of cells that are partial anaerobes. Ask your Doctor what he/she knows about the Warburg effect or the prime cause of cancer? You may be shocked at the answer! So to sum it up in 1966 they were able to cause cancer in the lab by simply reducing the oxygen supply to a cell, the problem as you now know was that at this point in time they believed that this condition was irreversible, that is until the discovery in 2007 at the University of Alberta. The problem for the cancer industry is that if DCA worked in Humans the way it worked in the lab it would not only be a treatment for one type of cancer but it would work on all types of cancer. (does it work in humans? yes! please keep reading….) The cancer industry is a 500 billion dollar business, with more lobbyists than any other industry and would appear to have a say over the funding of all cancer research including the cancer charities. How did this happen and what lengths would they go to too protect that? Is a non toxic effective cancer treatment being suppressed? Would the lack of funding be considered evidence of suppression? We think that a reasonably intelligent person would expect at least something from the charities! What if the Canadian Cancer Society funded a study using DCA to treat colorectal cancer at a different University and they used a protocol designed to discredit DCA? This research paper was published in Cancer cell in April of 2010. That would be almost impossible to believe, right! What evidence would you need to believe that the test was intentionally done in such a way that DCA would not be effective? How about this; the University of Leeds in the UK was almost simultaneously doing a study on DCA as a treatment for colorectal cancer using a proper protocol and achieved great results. That study was published in the The British Journal of Cancer in May 2010. I am sure the Canadian Cancer Society or the researcher had no idea that the same study was going on in the UK but surely they are aware now, that was 2 years ago. You can find that study here (read more) . It would be reasonable to believe the CCS knows about the results of the University of Leeds study as it is now in the public domain, then why would the Canadian Cancer Society pay for goggle ads that show up every time a person searches DCA. The ad links you to their page referencing this flawed study that discredits DCA? Does that make sense? Why promote a study knowing it is flawed. Could it be to use their presumed credibility to simply confuse people that don’t want to spend the time doing the research? We think a cancer society that collects millions of dollars a year on the premise that they “will eradicate cancer in our life time” has a responsibility to investigate all potential cures, especially discoveries in large Universities. If they are going to only fund patented treatments that make their friends at the drug companies money, tell people that before they take our money. To spend donated money to attempt to discredit a viable non toxic cure is reprehensible, period. If these actions or lack of actions upset you, think about the fact three million people have died in North America alone since this discovery. We don’t mention all this because we think it will change the corruptness of the system, We mention it because our curiosity was peaked by the above evidence, driving us to uncover the rest of the of the story.We hope we have peaked your curiosity and opened your mind up enough to continue reading. If you don’t have the time now please bookmark this site, and come back when you can. What Dr. Epstein describes in this quote is exactly what is happening to DCA as it is not a patentable compound and also why there is no “about” button on this site. It is unimportant who we are but incredibly important that people understand what cancer really is (Warburg effect) and the brilliant discovery by the DCA Team at the University of Alberta. “That the NCI (National Cancer Institute), with enthusiastic support from the ACS (American Cancer Society)_ the tail that wags the NCI dog _ has effectively blocked funding for research and clinical trials on promising non-toxic alternative cancer drugs for decades, in favor of highly toxic and largely ineffective patented drugs developed by the multibillion dollar global cancer drug industry. Additionally, the cancer establishment has systematically harassed the proponents of non-toxic alternative cancer drugs” Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. is professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. See Dr. Epstein’s biography here: http://www.preventcancer.com/about/epstein.htm#bio We have gathered information that is already in the public domain. It is not our intention to provide medical advice however it is hard not to share our opinions. It is up to the reader to decide if any of the matters to which we refer might be suitable for them. The discovery by the DCA team at the University Of Alberta is the most significant cancer research breakthrough in 85 years. Were it not for the fact that no one was supposed to be working on a cure for cancer, especially not a non patentable one, they would have won a noble prize. It does not take a scientific education; to either understand why DCA works or the reasons why it is being held back. We have found numerous published studies of DCA in various well know medical journals. These studies evidence over 60 years of research testing DCA with great results for many health issues……. If you are a medical professional and find something to be not accurate please leave a comment to bring it to our attention, it is our intent to expose the truth and not mislead anyone. If you take the time to educate you’re self about this remarkable discovery you will then understand the reason and who is behind the cover-up and misinformation taking place regarding DCA’s effectiveness and safety. Is it safe? YES! Some human clinical trials using DCA have gone on for more then 5 years with no adverse effects…. The Lead researcher at the U of Alberta describes DCA as a small molecule similar to vinegar. Most of the information currently available on the Internet is dated from 2007, prior to any human use for cancer, and in most cases inaccurate. Those reporting on NaDCA are either Big Pharma biased/paid or simply inept at doing proper research before reporting an opinion, this includes the Cancer Charity websites! Even the definition in Wikipedia is fear mongering by the Pharma industry, and not well researched. It is common that Big Pharma uses the media and so called science blogs and Cancer Charities to put out misinformation (read more) . Take a look at twitter, some how they have gained control of all disease and disease related hash tags and are able to sensor what is posted. This is not just our opinion, any negative information you find online regarding NaDCA is easily disproved by the published medical journal studies and articles available on this site. The cancer industry counts on people not taking the time to do the research. Please take the time to read the medical journals, it is the only way to understand for yourself what the truth is. Bottom line is they don’t want you to take it and they don’t want it clinically trialed. They have two main objectives; one is convincing people that DCA is dangerous to take on your own- But how can that be when published studies lasting over 5 years showed it is as safe as taking aspirin. The industries second point is that DCA is unproven by their standards and will require huge clinical trials involving thousands of patients and will cost 100’s of millions of dollars…but yet…… We have found Cancer drugs that have been approved in months after being trialed on only 96 people, only 43% had a regression in tumor size (read more) . Of course this drug will cost $75,000 wholesale for a full course of treatment. You will see that the U of Alberta’s small human trial achieved 100% response in tumor reduction, every last patient! But yet they say the sampling was not large enough to conclude DCA works, Really! Simply put, NaDCA works by turning off the cancer cells immortality and allowing it to kill itself with no side effects or damage to healthy cells. Current “orthodox” Cancer Treatments don’t work, that you will see is also published in the medical journals, they just don’t report it in the mainstream media (see PDF) . If you are currently undergoing or have recently had orthadox treatments you may want to just bookmark the site and come back at another time, as some people have been offended or upset by some of the information further down the page. Please before you leave read Otto Warburg’s lecture “prime cause and prevention”, and add the respitory enzymes to your diet. You might also consider DCA as a supplement to avoid recurrence. with a recurrence rate of 90% following orthodox treatment DCA could clean up any metastasis caused by the treatment. New studies just out are showing that these treatments themselves can cause metastasis. see here If you are waiting for the evening news to tell you the prime cause of cancer was a proven fact 52 years ago, you are going to wait a long time. Because the same people controlling the Drug Trust also have control over the mainstream media (read more) . Freedom of the press does not include reporting stories that prove your major advertisers product may do more harm than good. When researching DCA you need to understand that the cancer industry is trying to downplay and discredit DCA’s effectiveness, while also twisting the statistics (read more) they make you and your Doctor think that they are achieving success in the fight against cancer, when they really are not. The truth is the death rate from cancer, an indicator that many health experts consider a more accurate measure of progress in fighting the disease, has stayed virtually the same for decades at about 200 deaths per 100,000 people a year, and about 1,000 deaths annually per 100,000 people over 65. Go see if you can figure out how the cancer charities arrive at there optimistic numbers, hope you have an advanced math degree. Cancer is not a devastating disease or one to be afraid of, it is a degenerative disease that we can have for years or decades, the only thing to fear is the currently prescribed treatment do not get rushed into it. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH! Please take an hour to go through this information. We have broken the site up into sections, however it is easier to understand if you just continue to scroll down this page and absorb the information in the proper order. We are not doctors, we have simply become convinced that the system is broken and so badly that millions of people are dying needlessly for the sake of Drug Company profits. The following is simple common sense, based on actual clinical studies of this amazing discovery. You will find that it conflicts greatly with what we are being told by a system we can no longer trust to look out for our best interests. The current health care system was set up and is controlled by the pharmaceutical industry and is structured in such a way that their financial interests are protected to the highest levels of government and the charities we support. We have a video further down the page that explains how this happened. Remember this discovery was made at a large University that knows how an un-patented drug can be ignored by the industry; See Dr. Michelakis”s 2001 and 2004 DCA papers on right hand side bar. There has been criticism of the press conference and claims that were made by the DCA team. However they had to be up front about their concerns. The lack of funding over the past 5 years is proof they were right. Most of the science blogs are simply towing the line of Big Pharma (read funded by) however a few open minded honest science blogger’s do exist; we found this in the comments thread of a discussion on DCA: You can see the blog and comment thread here. http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/05/14/dca_and_cancer_more_results.php This comment is from the husband of the person in the U of Albert clinical trial that had not had standard treatment; You have to wonder why she was not mentioned! 31. dustin on September 14, 2010 7:52 PM writes… I’ve been doing a lot of reading about DCA and the possible benefits on brain tumors and I can tell you all this…..my wife was diagnosed with a tumor on her cerebellum and because we are lucky enough to be living in Alberta AND because she met all the requirements, she was included in the U of A trials. With that said, she had NO surgery and NO chemo or radiation….she was only given DCA and some vitamins and after two months her scan revealed that it shrunk by 20% and two weeks later it revealed that that little piece of hell in her head was stopped in its tracks! She is too continue this treatment until November and than we will see what’s next…. This is a major Canadian University! There is no way this could be kept from the public, after all cancer kills 20,000 people a day world wide and 1,600 people a day in North America!! That means over 3 million people in North America have died since this discovery was made. Three million mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. This was posted by a researcher at McMaster University. 1. Adding Credence to Clear Treatments Brendan A McIntyre , Researcher McMaster University (SCCRI) Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a notoriously aggressive form of cancer. Its prognosis remains poor and little advancement in treatment strategy has emerged in the last decade. However, the recent report of clinical trials conducted by the group of Evangelos Michelakis (1) gives hope to GBM sufferers. With this publication, it is hoped that the use of dichloroacetate (DCA) will gain wider acceptance in the oncology community. Recently, oncologists treating GBM in Canada, where this idea and story were developed, have been all too dismissive of this therapy. A great deal of this skepticism found in Eastern Ontario, and especially Toronto, is likely due to the unfortunate circumstance of a local private practice “Medicore Cancer Centre” using off-label DCA in the treatment of a wide range of cancers, which has convinced medical oncologists that treating GBM with DCA is unfounded and dangerous. Thus, treatment strategies involving DCA were unfortunately rapidly discredited, despite the fact that Michelakis’ group had previously published sound scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of DCA in GBM cell lines and animal models in a top tier basic science journal (2). It is hoped that following the publication of this recent article, the oncology community in Toronto, which remains highly respected and has a reputation for great competence in its field, will re-evaluate the (combined) use of DCA in the treatment of GBM. [References: (1) Michelakis et al. 2010. Science Translational Medicine. (2) Bonnet et al. 2007. Cancer Cell.] It seems that some other much respected cancer researchers are also listening. This is a short video from ecancer.tv of an interview of Dr, Tak Mak during the American Association of Cancer Researchers 2011 conference in Orlando. What he is basically saying is that current cancer research as a whole is wrong, that the cure is in the metabolism of cancer which is the commonality of all cancers….. The WARBURG EFFECT…See Dr. Mak’s Bio here, certainly not a quack! One of the most respected cancer researchers of our time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tak_Wah_Mak The Warburg Effect was the biggest breakthrough in cancer research until the U of A discovery; it came over 80 years ago but was ignored by the cancer research industry until now! Or was it? The answer is NO. It was pursued by a small research institute in Germany called the Dehlem Institute, which was set up by the Rockefeller foundation in 1930 to pursue Warburg’s discovery. The importance of the Rockefeller connection and their control of the Drug Trust (read more) are immense, and discussed later on this page. The following is the 2007 press release from the DCA team at the University, please note it refers to DCA as a molecule or compound not as a drug, it is not a drug. It is a compound like sodium bicarbonate is. We will refer to DCA as NaDCA throughout the site as it is the salts of Dichloroacetic acid NaDCA is the actual compound you would take orally. The Official University of Alberta DCA Website News and Updates The University of Alberta Discovery March 15, 2007 DCA is an odourless, colourless, inexpensive, relatively non-toxic, small molecule. And researchers at the University of Alberta believe it may soon be used as an effective treatment for many forms of cancer. Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, a professor at the U of A Department of Medicine, has shown that dichloroacetate (DCA) causes regression in several cancers, including lung, breast, and brain tumors. Michelakis and his colleagues, including post-doctoral fellow Dr. Sebastien Bonnet, have published the results of their research in the journal Cancer Cell. Scientists and doctors have used DCA for decades to treat children with inborn errors of metabolism due to mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondria, the energy producing units in cells, have been connected with cancer since the 1930s, when researchers first noticed that these organelles dysfunction when cancer is present. Until recently, researchers believed that cancer-affected mitochondria are permanently damaged and that this damage is the result, not the cause, of the cancer. But Michelakis, a cardiologist, questioned this belief and began testing DCA, which activates a critical mitochondrial enzyme, as a way to “revive” cancer-affected mitochondria. The results astounded him. Michelakis and his colleagues found that DCA normalized the mitochondrial function in many cancers, showing that their function was actively suppressed by the cancer but was not permanently damaged by it. More importantly, they found that the normalization of mitochondrial function resulted in a significant decrease in tumor growth both in test tubes and in animal models. Also, they noted that DCA, unlike most currently used chemo therapies, did not have any effects on normal, non-cancerous tissues. “I think DCA can be selective for cancer because it attacks a fundamental process in cancer development that is unique to cancer cells,” Michelakis said. “One of the really exciting things about this compound is that it might be able to treat many different forms of cancer”. Another encouraging thing about DCA is that, being so small, it is easily absorbed in the body, and, after oral intake, it can reach areas in the body that other drugs cannot, making it possible to treat brain cancers, for example. Also, because DCA has been used in both healthy people and sick patients with mitochondrial diseases, researchers already know that it is a relatively non-toxic molecule that can be immediately tested on patients with cancer. “The results are intriguing because they point to the critical role that mitochondria play: they impart a unique trait to cancer cells that can be exploited for cancer therapy” Dario Alteri Director University of Massachusetts Cancer Center Investing in Research The DCA compound is not patented and not owned by any pharmaceutical company, and, therefore, would likely be an inexpensive drug to administer, says Michelakis, the Canada Research Chair in Pulmonary Hypertension and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program with Capital Health, one of Canada’s largest health authorities. However, as DCA is not patented, Michelakis is concerned that it may be difficult to find funding from private investors to test DCA in clinical trials. He is grateful for the support he has already received from publicly funded agencies, such as the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and he is hopeful such support will continue and allow him to conduct clinical trials of DCA on cancer patients. Michelakis’ research is currently funded by the CIHR, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs program, and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. “This preliminary research is encouraging and offers hope to thousands of Canadians and all others around the world who are afflicted by cancer, as it accelerates our understanding of and action around targeted cancer treatments,” said Dr. Philip Branton, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer. DCA and Cancer Patients The University of Alberta’s DCA Research Team is set to launch clinical trials on humans in the spring of 2007 pending government approval. Knowing that thousands of cancer patients die weekly while waiting for a cure, Dr. Michelakis and his team are working at accelerated speed, condensing research that usually takes years into months. Fundraisers at the University of Alberta are determined to raise the money to allow this next phase of research to begin. Once Health Canada grants formal approval, the University of Alberta’s Research Team will begin testing DCA on patients living with cancer. Results with regards to the safety and efficacy of treatment should be known late this year. “If there were a magic bullet, though, it might be something like dichloroacetate or DCA…” Newsweek, January 23, 2007 Link to University of Alberta site; http://www.dca.med.ualberta.ca/Home/Updates/2007-03-15_Update.cfm Why no funding for NaDCA? The U of A was only able to raise $1,500,000 from private individuals around the world and a small amount from the Alberta Government, There was no further funding from “The Canadian Institute for Health Research”, or The Canada Foundation for Innovation, two of the agencies that funded the original discovery! Also NO money from the Canadian or American Cancer Societies, or any of the other national funding agencies for cancer research in either country, even though these agencies fund billions of dollars in drug company research and clinical trials every year. Big Pharma has positioned themselves and their doctors as experts in the field of cancer treatment gaining seats on the boards or advisory panels of all the government agencies, and the Cancer Charities we all support….This would be similar to putting Oil Company executives on the boards of government agencies and non profits funding research into alternative fuel sources…. Truth is we could not come up with one disease modern Modern Medicine has cured ever! If you know of one leave it in the comment box at the bottom of the page. Vaccines don’t count and are surrounded by controversy as to their effectiveness verses the harm they can do. Penicillin came from a moldy cantaloupe almost 70 years ago and Insulin was also discovered at a Canadian University in 1921 Although NaDCA was identified in the lab being effective for breast cancer there was no money from the Canadian Breast Cancer Society, The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation or the Susan G. Komen for the Cure; even though collectively they take in over $600 million dollars a year. Susan G Komen for the cure did however spend $1,000,000 suing other cancer charities for using their pretty pink ribbon symbol. They also have a cash reserve of close to a billion dollars. The Charities are more focused on early detection; for which they have no reasonable treatment. They also promote drugs that claim to reduce the chance of recurrence of breast cancer, like Tamoxifen STAY AWAY FROM THESE DRUGS as they are carcinogenic and offer negligible if any benefit. See here how they confuse the public with relative or absolute percentages of success (read more) . Confused? Follow the Money! Which drug company sponsors the Cancer Societies Breast Cancer Awareness month (read more) ? Astrazenica the sole manufacturer of Tamoxifen. Health Canada issued a bulletin to all cancer Doctors in 2002 that stated the following; “Health Canada would like to draw your attention to a recent publication identifying important safety information on the use of tamoxifen and the incidence of uterine malignancies, stroke and pulmonary embolism…….. It is emphasized that the use of tamoxifen in the prevention setting is not an approved indication in Canada” (read more) . No funding for NaDCA equals limited and delayed clinical trials, which means the cure simply gets buried, “the law says a drug can’t be used, if it is unproven”. If it is unproven they call it quackery. Yet there is no proof that Chemotherapy works! In fact there are many published studies in medical journals that Chemo and radiation do not work! In fact your doctor can not look you in the eye and tell you the $100,000 course of treatment he is prescribing for you will work….. Chemotherapy is quite possibly the biggest scam ever perpetrated on Humanity How stupid does the Pharmaceutical industry think we are, for more then 60 years they told people they are terminally ill and sold them and I mean sold them on the idea of burning the cancer out of them with radiation or injecting caustic radioactive substances in our veins? It is insane that people are still given these treatments yet none are proven successful and the treatment in many cases sadly eventually kills the patient? More patients DIE of the TREATMENT then the disease (read more) ! What is Sodium dichloroacetate (NaDCA)? Most of us will know that sodium chloride is salt, and that acetic acid is vinegar, so Sodium Dichloroacetate is basically salt and vinegar with one extra chlorine atom attached. What is in my mind criminal is that in 2007 the food and drug agencies in Canada the USA and Europe put sodium dichloroacetate on a restricted list for manufacture and importation. Chemical companies in North America can only sell it to licensed labs for clinical trials. Find out how to get it here . This simple chemical compound could qualify under current laws as a daily supplement that could be taken safely by anyone healthy or sick, and it is my opinion that those of us that did so would never get sick…This is supported by the many human and lab trials that have been carried out over the last 60 years. As we have said the intent of Big Pharma will be to have people fearful of using it on their own by misinformation. This is easy as health Canada or the FDA as the protection Racket for Big Pharma simply advise people of false dangers and Big Pharma does the same through the science blogs and Cancer Charities (read more) . Although the initial discovery was broadcast by all Canadian national news media, and also CNN and MSNBC (it caught their upper management off guard), it was the only TV coverage the DCA team received until 2010. The results of the clinical trials were published on YouTube by the university and covered with a negative spin by some print media. This is part of a 2010 press release by the University; DCA is an inexpensive drug that contains dichloroacetic acid, a very small, simple molecule that resembles vinegar. It is mostly used to treat children with a rare metabolic disorder. In 2007, Michelakis and his team published evidence that DCA reverses cancer growth in non-human models by altering the metabolism of the cancer. The drug tricks cancer cells into normal energy production by changing the way they handle nutrient fuels. This causes the cancer cells to “commit suicide,” without harming healthy cells. Many researchers around the world have confirmed the University of Alberta team’s 2007 findings. Often research that was promising in non-human models does not work outside the lab. However, the U of A team is now reporting success in the next phase of its DCA research, testing the DCA compound in humans. After extracting glioblastomas from 49 patients over a two-year period, and studying them within minutes of removal in the operating room, the team verified that the tumors responded to DCA by changing their metabolism. Comment: So the University describes NaDCA as a small little molecule that resembles vinegar and we are not allowed to buy it? The full 2010 press release is coming up below but is heavily censored. The point here is that it worked in humans the same as in the lab. The Conspiracy It was said in 2007 that Big Pharma would not block NaDCA just because it would not make them any money and Big Pharma biased science bloggers laughed at the conspiracy theory……So after 5 years, the lack of funding from Government or the Cancer societies and with a laughable but successful clinical trail I don’t see that anyone would call it a theory….. It is pretty easy to see that funding is being blocked…It is estimated that an early diagnosed cancer patient from diagnosis to death can be worth $350,000 or more to the Cancer industry, of course they will block it. NaDCA available on line would cost $2-$3 per day. Oh and by the way the American Cancer Society warns you that these sellers are out to fleece desperate people of their money. But yet $85,000 of Chemo may give a person an additional 3 months. I wonder who is really preying on the desperate people?? But what about all the lives you ask? It is all about the money, loss and suffering of innocent lives is a casualty of the industry! The trusted Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 1998 that; prescription drugs taken as prescribed in hospitals are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S and Canada, after cancer, heart disease and strokes. They cause about 10,000 deaths a year in Canada and about 106,000 deaths a year and over two million serious injuries in the U.S. (Source: Lazarou et al JAMA Vol. 279 No. 15 pp.1200-1205 Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients). This number of people poisioned to death is equivalent to 2 large passenger jets falling out of the sky and crashing every day of the year. How many days would this go on before somebody questioned if something was wrong with the aviation industry? These victims families or insurance companies are still required to pay for the dead patients stay in the hospital! What a business! As many as another 10,000 deaths a year in Canada are thought to occur outside hospitals due to the wrong drug, dosage errors, and adverse reactions. (Source: Dr. Joel Lexchin, Associate Professor, School of Health Policy and Management , York University, Emergency Physician, University Health Network, and Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.) I would assume the doubling holds true in the USA also. Now that is 4 large passenger jets a day falling from the sky anyone notice yet? Now it is estimated that less then 5% of Hospital errors are ever reported. In Ontario, Canada under the current “Coroners Act” all prescription and over the counter drug deaths are identified as “natural” (read more) . You would have to wonder what the real number of Drug deaths really are? This 2010 study identifies adverse events in hospitals to be 10 times worse than reported in 1998. Referencing the above study, this report in The American Medical News states 1 in 3 patients are harmed during a hospital stay. I’m not making this up my friends, this is published in peer reviewed medical publications, and it just does not get out in the mainstream media you have to look for it! “Medicine is now a high risk industry, like aviation. But, the chance of dying in an aviation accident is one in 2 million, while the risk of dying from a medical accident is one in 200!” –Dr. Leape of the Harvard Medical School of Public Health Dr. Leape’s Bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucian_Leape The Clinical trial U of A What happened to the quick clinical trails talked about in the 2007 press release? This is the press conference at the U of A in May of 2010. Keep in mind the DCA Team has been heavily censored on what they can say. Whether threatened with no funding for future studies or simply as they have done in the past a smear campaign to end careers I can’t say but Dr. Michelakis does make his points on the effectiveness of NaDCA. Good for him! We all have been lead to believe that cancer is a complicated disease, and therefore a death sentence! IT IS NOT! The primary cause of ALL cancer was known in the early 1960’s.The University of Alberta team proved that NaDCA could reverse the Warburg effect. Unfortunately for us what they also proved was that all the billions of dollars being spent at the time on research and for most of the last 85 years was useless based on this discovery. Funny as it may seem the useless research has continued to be funded by billions of dollars per year, yet the U of A could not get funding. It also looks like any funding going to trials for NaDCA, will be testing NaDCA as a supplement to standard therapy. Some of those studies are already beginning to be published. They claim they will use NaDCA to reduce the size of the tumor so it can be easier for the Radiation or Chemo to work. This is insane, if they would just continue to use the NaDCA in treating the cancer it would disappear. They know that, however so as not to lose money they will insist on poisoning you so that you will always be a patient. They DO NOT WANT NaDCA CLINICALLY TRIALLED ON ITS OWN. The only way to get it studied further on its own is by donating directly to the U of Alberta DCA team donate here:. http://www.dca.med.ualberta.ca/Home/Donations/ You will find comments on line that NaDCA in some patients will shrink a tumor to a certain point and then stop working; the reality is that NaDCA would only stop working if the cancer cells were gone. It is my belief that what is left is a benign tumor, as it is not uncommon for cancerous tumors to start in the low oxygen environment of a benign tumor. The people reporting that their tumor stopped shrinking have also all reported feeling well. Why would the Canadian Government not contribute money? In the 2007 Federal budget 300 million dollars was set aside to fund the controversial human papilloma vaccine. Huge payday for Big Pharma! As I mentioned earlier as experts in the Cancer industry, their representatives hold key positions on all the funding agencies and are also the largest lobby group. Vaccines are a huge business for the Pharma industry, as in a lot of cases they can get them made mandatory by governments, billions have been wasted on viruses that never materialize H1N1 and swine flu come to mind, Why was, NaDCA only tested on 5 patients? This is partly to do with the lack of funding; however it is possible that for the clinical trial to proceed, these were the stipulated conditions required for approval by Health Canada. Just the fact that it was trialed on Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) one of the most aggressive brain cancers, with a life expectancy of 9-11 months from diagnosis, indicates Health Canada wanted the trial to fail. The goal of the industry is to not look like they are hampering but at the same time restrict studies to keep the product from public use. As I said earlier, if we ever do get to use NaDCA from a doctor it will most likely be in conjunction with the cancer industry poisons. However there is great news here if you paid attention to what Dr. Michelakis said “NaDCA did work in Humans exactly the way it was supposed to.” The study only had one patient that had not had chemo, radiation and surgery all of which do irreparable damage. That one person had complete remission including the stem cells. Dr. Michelakis did test NaDCA on the 49 biopsies which proved conclusively that NaDCA works and it worked on all 49 biopsies. The more time you spend on this site the more you will understand why Dr. Michelakis, had to be careful in what he said (PDF of clinical trial can be found here) . Donate to the U of A research fund here. http://www.dca.med.ualberta.ca/Home/Donations/ Sabotaging the CURE The Cancer industry can keep DCA away from the public by keeping the funding away from the clinical trials. It doesn’t stop there; the government agencies and charities also have a history of sabotaging products that work but don’t benefit their Big Pharma friends. In the past when the NCI [National Cancer Institute] or its assigned entity conducted an alternative cancer therapy [clinical trial] they always altered the protocols and let it fail in order to discredit the therapy. But this time the pharmacokinetic data shows that they didn’t do it right. Most scientists will not look at it carefully because “papa is telling you something and you don’t question him”. Li-Chuan Chen, PhD, National Cancer Institute scientist 1991 – 1997, commenting on the NCI’s publishing scientifically invalid Antineoplastons trials in the peer-reviewed medical literature “Mayo Clinic Proceedings” in February 1999 showing that the patients unsuccessfully treated with Antineoplastons had actually received severely diluted (up to close to 170 times lower than necessary) Antineoplaston concentrations and were thus left to die. Possibly why the Canadian Cancer Society funded a study on colorectal cancer that was designed specifically to discredit the benefits of DCA? As we said they now pay for a goggle ad promoting this flawed study they funded. A University of Guelph study has found that a prescription drug thought to have anti-cancer properties when used off-label may not only be less effective than claimed but may actually protect some kinds of cancers. This research was funded by the Canadian Cancer Society’s Research Institute. The study was done in such a way that NaDCA would not work and the researcher at the University of Guelph should be ashamed of herself as she was used. We would love to hear what she has to say about it. However their PR department at the university would not respond to our questions (read more) . Fortunately for us, what neither the Canadian Cancer society or the U of Guelph researcher were aware of at the time was that the University of Leeds in the UK was also doing a study on NaDCA’s effectiveness on colorectal cancer. The following is the conclusion from that study (read more) . Results: Dichloroacetate (20 mM) did not reduce growth of non-cancerous cells but caused significant decrease in cancer cell proliferation (P=0.009), which was associated with apoptosis and G2 phase cell-cycle arrest…….. Conclusions: Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase inhibition attenuates glycolysis and facilitates mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, leading to reduced growth of colorectal cancer cells but not of non-cancerous cells. Studies will continue to be funded and published discrediting NaDCA, when you come upon a negative study look to see where the funding for that study came from and read the comment stream! “That the NCI, with enthusiastic support from the ACS _ the tail that wags the NCI dog _ has effectively blocked funding for research and clinical trials on promising non-toxic alternative cancer drugs for decades, in favor of highly toxic and largely ineffective patented drugs developed by the multibillion dollar global cancer drug industry. Additionally, the cancer establishment has systematically harassed the proponents of non-toxic alternative cancer drugs” Samuel S. Epstein, M.D Samuel S. Epstein, M.D. is professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. See Dr. Epstein’s biography here: http://www.preventcancer.com/about/epstein.htm#bio Chemo doesn’t work Why does chemotherapy and radiation continue to be used when it is a known carcinogen and has been reported in the top medical journals as ineffective? Simple answer MONEY! The studies showing that Chemo does not work will never get reported in the main stream media! The statistics that get reported are using relative statistics to make the outcome look much more positive. The only way to really know is by using absolute numbers as you will see below. Doesn’t look very good when analyzed this way does it! The following table was published in the journal Clinical Oncology in December 2004. The results of this study were astonishing, showing that chemotherapy has an average 5-year survival success rate of just over 2 percent for ALL cancers! Double click the chart to enlarge. See full study here http://fiocco59.altervista.org/ALLEGATI/MORGAN.PDF In the U.S., chemo was most successful in treating testicular cancer and Hodgkin’s disease, where its success rate fell just below 38 percent and slightly over 40 percent respectively. Still well below the 50/50 mark. A review of chemo on 5-year survival rates in Australia garnered almost identical results, with a 2.3 percent success rate, compared to the U.S. 2.1 percent rate of success. “A study of over 10,000 patients shows clearly that chemo’s supposedly strong track record with Hodgkin’s disease (lymphoma) is actually a lie. Patients who underwent chemo were 14 times more likely to develop leukemia and 6 times more likely to develop cancers of the bones, joints, and soft tissues than those patients who did not undergo chemotherapy (NCI Journal 87:10).”—John Diamond Children who are successfully treated for Hodgkin’s disease are 18 times more likely later to develop secondary malignant tumours. Girls face a 35 per cent chance of developing breast cancer by the time they are 40—-which is 75 times greater than the average. The risk of leukemia increased markedly four years after the ending of successful treatment, and reached a plateau after 14 years, but the risk of developing solid tumours remained high and approached 30 per cent at 30 years (New Eng J Med, March 21, 1996) Shifting our thinking Sodium dichloroacetate is a non toxic highly effective treatment for cancer! What if we said it may be as simple to treat cancer as a yeast infection, you probably wouldn’t believe it. Why? because we have always been told there is no cure! Think about it this way we have all been conditioned to believe that cancer is a catastrophic event in our life, however it is really the treatment that is catastrophic not the cancer. Imagine for a second the catastrophic effect of a simple infection prior to the discovery of penicillin in 1943. Infections killed millions of people. From that date forward infections were treated quickly. Diabetes was a death sentence prior to insulin which by the way was also discovered at a Canadian University in 1921 and was in mass production by 1923. A noble prize was awarded to the team in 1923. The Legacy of Insulin Banting, Macleod, and the rest of the team patented their insulin extract but gave away all their rights to the University of Toronto, which would later use the income from insulin to fund new research. Very soon after the discovery of insulin, the medical firm Eli Lilly started large-scale production of the extract. As soon as 1923, the firm was producing enough insulin to supply the entire North American continent. Although insulin doesn’t cure diabetes, it’s one of the biggest discoveries in medicine. When it came, it was like a miracle. People with severe diabetes and only days left to live were saved. And as long as they kept getting their insulin, they could live an almost normal life. This cure for Cancer was discovered by a large Canadian University in 2007. However I now believe as others do, that the cure was discovered in the 1960’s at the Dehlam Institute in Germany a research lab owned by the Rockefeller foundation, however as it wasn’t patentable it was kept hidden. To understand the Rockefeller connections please watch the video below. Was the cure that they discovered DCA? we can not connect the dots on that one but we can prove that DCA was being tested as a treatment for mitochondrial conditions in the 1960’s. Cancers immortality according to the Warburg effect is achieved by the shutting down of the mitochondria We realized that the concept of a cheap simple cure requires a huge shift in most peoples thinking, and most people can’t believe that if there was such a miraculous solution that it would be suppressed. We have all been taught to respect our doctors, but what if they are also being fed misinformation. Every doctor I have talked to knew nothing about DCA. Ask your Oncologist to explain the Warburg Effect…… think they can? We have no delusion that this information made public will change the system and this site will undoubtedly be attacked by those that make their living from Human Suffering and fear mongering, however the facts are the facts and I challenge them to dispute the documents that come from their own publications. The facts being that NaDCA is safe for anyone to take sick or healthy, and if NaDCA cures one cancer it would cure them all! Why? Because all cancers have the same primary cause! We are working on a section that you can print off and take to your doctor. Interested in how the Medical system became what it is today? You have to go back to where Modern Medicine started. Back when we had a choice in our medical care. Take a few minutes and watch this video to see how modern medicine started and how Big Pharma got control of the whole industry, including the Universities, the AMA, FDA, Health Canada, and seats on the board of every government agency that doles out money for research and also the charities that act as a fund raiser and protector for the drug trust. There have been many cancer cures, and all have been ruthlessly and systematically suppressed with a Gestapo-like thoroughness by the cancer establishment. Robert C. Atkins MD BIO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Atkins_(nutritionist) Chemotherapy, Radiation and Surgery “Everyone should know that most cancer research is largely a fraud, and that the major cancer research organizations are derelict in their duties to the people who support them.” – Linus Pauling, Ph.D., two time Nobel Prize winner, in Outrage (magazine), Oct/Nov 1986. More people die from the “orthodox” treatments Chemotherapy, Radiation therapy and surgery, than die from Cancer. There is no case were we should ever accept standard cancer treatment, in fact this is the only way we can affect change in this out of control Cancer Industry (read more) ! New studies are now being published showing popular chemotherapy drugs that attack that attack the blood supply of tumors cause metastases. This has long been thought and just now proven. Statistics are bad but in reality are actually much worse. You see if during chemotherapy treatment the patient dies of liver or kidney failure, or the heart is destroyed by the Chemo which is common, then the patient is listed as dying of heart failure, or liver failure…..you get the picture. Also there is a trend away from standard treatment and as you have read no treatment at all gives 4 times the life expectancy. Don’t forget the patient only needs to live 5 years from diagnosis to be cured according to the way they keep statistics in the industry (read more) . Please don’t rush into standard treatment. “The five year cancer survival statistics of the American Cancer Society are very misleading. They now count things that are not cancer, and, because we are able to diagnose at an earlier stage of the disease, patients falsely appear to live longer. Our whole cancer research in the past 20 years has been a failure. More people over 30 are dying from cancer than ever before… More women with mild or benign diseases are being included in statistics and reported as being ‘cured’. When government officials point to survival figures and say they are winning the war against cancer they are using those survival rates improperly.“ (Dr J. Bailer, New England Journal of Medicine.) See what else Dr. Bailer had to say about current treatments here . Surgery Many surgeons abandoned the mastectomy, yet in the USA over 1,000 women per week are persuaded to part with their breast, underlying muscles and lymph nodes, but the scalpel spivs omit to tell the victims that the average survival period is around twelve years without the mutilation and three years with it. Prof. H.B. Jones, Dept of Medical Physics and Physiology, University of California, in an address to the American Cancer Society in 1975 The operation or biopsy has a good chance of spreading cancer cells and is completely unnecessary because there is a urine test that is as reliable as a biopsy and a blood test. (source: World Without Cancer) Some Good News The truth is that Cancer is a “degenerative disease” and could be present for decades! Defined by Wikipedia A degenerative disease, is a disease in which the function or structure of the affected tissues or organs will progressively deteriorate over time, whether due to normal bodily wear or lifestyle choices such as exercise or eating habits. Cancer patients only die when the cancer metastasis’. Oddly enough the most common cause of cancer metastasis are the orthodox therapies promoted by the cancer industry, Biopsies, surgery, Chemo, Radiation and Mammograms. If you live in North America you have seen the amazing Drug Companies Ads. It should be no surprise to you then that they also employ these ad agencies and ghost writers to write glowing articles about sketchy drugs, and bad things about alternatives. Things like “DCA is poisonous and people shouldn’t take it” they then pay doctors and scientific bloggers to sign their name to it (read more) . “A solution to cancer would mean the termination of research programs, the obsolescence of skills, the end of dreams of personal glory, triumph over cancer would dry up contributions to self-perpetuating charities….It would mortally threaten the present clinical establishments by rendering obsolete the expensive surgical, radiological and chemotherapeutic treatments in which so much money, training and equipment is invested….The new therapy must be disbelieved, denied, discouraged and disallowed at all costs, regardless of actual testing results, and preferably without any testing at all.” Robert Houston and Gary Null Early Detection Standard treatments are worse then no treatment at all, in fact studies suggest that patients that opt out of standard treatment survive 4 times longer then patients receiving treatment! Medical study shows: untreated patients live up to 4 times longer than those who received conventional cancer therapy “My studies have proved conclusively that cancer patients who refuse chemotherapy and radiation actually live up to FOUR TIMES LONGER THAN TREATED CASES…Beyond a shadow of a doubt, radical surgery on cancer does more harm than good…As for radiation treatment — most of the time it makes not the slightest difference whether the machine is turned on or not. …unfortunately, it seems to be only a question of time, usually, before the disease pops up again all over the body… Every cancer patient who keeps in excellent physical shape may have many good years left. The alternative is to squander those years as an invalid through radical medical intervention, which has zero chance of extending life. …It’s utter nonsense to claim that catching cancer symptoms early enough will increase the patient’s chances of survival… Furthermore, untreated breast cancer cases show a life expectancy four times longer than treated ones. ~ My wife and I have discussed what she would do if breast cancer was diagnosed in her. And we both agreed that she would do nothing as regards to treatment, except to keep as healthy as possible. I guarantee she would live longer!” Dr. Hardin Jones, prominent cancer researcher & former physiology professor at the University of California Department of Medical Physics, who has been studying cancer for more than 23 years, travelling the world to collect data on the dreaded disease. Published in Transactions, New York Academy of Science, series 2, v.18, n.3, p. 322. It can take many years, or even decades, for so-called ‘malignant’ tumors to form and become noticeable.. Most people at the point of early medical detection have no symptoms at all and may never develop a tumor of the size that would effect there lives. The problem with early detection is that standard treatments are than prescribed that are admittedly cancerous and will quite often start the ball rolling for what they refer to as a recurrence throughout the person’s life. The chance of recurrence is about 90% after standard treatment. Stanford University doctors compared the effects of chemotherapy to doing nothing in patients with slow-growing tumors of the lymph nodes. The patients whose treatment was deferred for years did just as well as patients who immediately received expensive and unpleasant chemotherapy. Nineteen of the 83 (or 23%) experienced spontaneous remission lasting four months to six years. A review of the study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded, “…deferring treatment … may allow for spontaneous regression of the disease.” “Cheating Fate,” Health, April 6, 1992 Methods of early cancer detection Mammograms! Thank you to Dr Tim O’Shea for highlighting the following very important information on the practice of mammography: “This is one topic where the line between advertising and scientific proof has become very blurred. As far back as 1976, the American Cancer Society itself and its government colleague the National Cancer Institute terminated the routine use of mammography for women under the age of 50 because of its “detrimental” (carcinogenic) effects. More recently, a large study done in Canada on found that women who had routine mammograms before the age of 50 also had increased death rates from breast cancer by 36%. (Miller) Lorraine Day notes the same findings in her video presentation “Cancer Doesn’t Scare Me Any More.” The reader is directed to these sources and should perhaps consider the opinion of other sources than those selling the procedure, before making a decision. John McDougall MD has made a thorough review of pertinent literature on mammograms. He points out that the $5-13 billion per year generated by mammograms controls the information that women get. Fear and incomplete data are the tools commonly used to persuade women to get routine mammograms. What is clear is that mammography cannot prevent breast cancer or even the spread of breast cancer. By the time a tumor is large enough to be detected by mammography, it has been there as long as 12 years! It is therefore ridiculous to advertise mammography as “early detection.” (McDougall p 114) The other unsupportable illusion is that mammograms prevent breast cancer, which they don’t. On the contrary, the painful compression of breast tissue during the procedure itself can increase the possibility of metastasis by as much as 80%! Dr. McDougall notes that a between 10 and 17% of the time, breast cancer is a self-limiting non-life-threatening type called ductal carcinoma in situ. This harmless cancer can be made active by the compressive force of routine mammography. (McDougall, p105) Most extensive studies show no increased survival rate from routine screening mammograms. After reviewing all available literature in the world on the subject, noted researchers Drs. Wright and Mueller of the University of British Columbia recommended the withdrawal of public funding for mammography screening, because the “benefit achieved is marginal, and the harm caused is substantial.” (Lancet, 1 Jul 1995) The harm they’re referring to includes the constant worrying and emotional distress, as well as the tendency for unnecessary procedures and testing to be done based on results which have a false positive rate as high as 50%.” (New York Times, 14 Dec 1997) Whilst the remit of this article does not extend to a full exploration of the physical harm being exacted by some diagnostic methods and drug treatments, or the corrupting influence that money is exerting over medicine and medical practice, let the reader be assured that conventional medicine has more than its fair share of attendant commercial pressures, and especially so in the world of cancer, as we shall later discover. From the cancer tutor, link; http://www.cancertutor.com/ChemoSpill/deathbydoctoring6.htm The only benefit of early detection today goes to the cancer industry as they get a patient that will require treatment longer then waiting for symptoms to surface in later stage cancers. This also means they can infect people with cancerous chemotherapy or radiation that will keep them coming back for years. Colonoscopies are recommended and seem to offer no health risk, however as you will find out this early detection may just be what puts your life on a never ending needless roller coaster ride……. But screening for cancer will always increase the number of cancer cases diagnosed, compared with the number of cancers found in people who seek medical attention only after symptoms appear. That’s because screening detects many more cancers that do not progress, which falsely inflates the apparent benefit of a screening tests (a phenomenon that the survey authors describe as overdiagnosis). Here’s what the European prostate cancer screening trial found: For every one prostate cancer death avoided in the PSA screened men, 48 men suffered severe complications from unnecessary treatment of a non-progressive cancer. Following up trial participants for 15 or 20 years might show a greater mortality benefit in the screened group, conceded LeFevre, “but after 10 years, there was enough evidence of no benefit that men should at least know that. There are serious risks to starting this cascade of testing and treating prostate cancer.” Men who receive a positive PSA test result are likely to receive biopsies, but approximately 80% of positive PSA test results are false positives, according to the task force’s report. Prostate biopsies can cause fever, infection, bleeding, pain, and transient urinary difficulty in some men. Nearly all men—90%—with PSA-detected prostate cancer will elect to have early treatment with surgery, radiation, or androgen deprivation therapy. Up to 5 in 1000 men will die within 1 month of prostate cancer surgery, and between 10 and 70 men will have serious complications. Urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction occur in at least 20% to 30% of 1000 men treated with radiotherapy or surgery, and bowel dysfunction is an adverse effect of radiotherapy. Treatment for prostate cancer has been oversold and its harms minimized by urologists and prostate cancer survivors, said the ACS official Brawley. “The treatment seems to be very effective because the majority of people who get it never needed to be cured,” he said. He cited the preliminary results of the Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial (PIVOT), presented at the American Urological Association meeting in May, which found that men treated immediately with radical prostatectomy had no greater prostate cancer–specific or all-cause mortality benefit than those in the observation group. “What all these studies show is that there is a substantial number of men—at least 50% and as high as 70%—with localized prostate cancer who, if never told they had the disease and were never treated for the disease, would grow old and die from something unrelated,” said Brawley. “In the group of men who need to be cured, we need better treatment. And I believe that progress has been hindered by 20 years of screening frenzy.” There are numerous other early detection methods however the one I want to talk about is the PET scan as it clearly proves the Warburg effect and the principles behind why if DCA cures one type of cancer it cures ALL cancers. The Warburg effect states that the difference between a normal cell and a cancer cell is simply that a cancer cell gets its energy from glucoses and a normal cell gets energy from oxygen, therefore fermentation is common to all cancer cells, although this was proven beyond a doubt in the early 1960’s the cancer industry in an effort to complicate cancer has been researching all the so called various types of cancer, as if lung cancer is different from breast cancer and also researching treatments for each cancer separately. However as a business the cancer industry knew that if they could get a patient earlier in the cancer cycle they could treat the patient longer and make more money. The Warburg effect was used as the bases behind the PET scan, but not as a direction for research! With a PET scan the patient is injected with a Glucose-based Radiopharmaceutical, the patient is then put into a PET/CT scanner which identifies the areas were the cancer cells are as they are feeding off the glucose, accurate 3D tumor images can then be seen on a computer screen. Interestingly no research was focused on this simple concept of cancer cell metabolism until the University of Alberta discovered that NaDCA could switch the mitochondria of a cancer cell back on allowing it to commit suicide. The PET scan was developed in the early 70’s. If the PET scan works then the Cancer Industry aggress with Warburg’s discovery; that all cancer is the same in the way it gets energy is true. Therefore theoretically NaDCA is a cure for all cancers, it is that simple and is why the researchers made such a bold statement. Why was the U of A discovery made by a cardiologist? In 2001 and 2004 Dr. Michelakis and his team published two papers regarding the virtues of NaDCA in the treatment of heart patients and found that NaDCA actually would help re open previously clogged arteries, and also NaDCA was shown to be helpful in head injury and stroke recovery. This is the closing paragraph from one of these studies published in the American Heart Journal; DCA is a very attractive drug to be studied in human PHT, particularly because it has already been used in small, short-term human studies without major toxicity. 13–15 To the best of our knowledge, no other drugs in current clinical use have Kv channel opening properties. DCA may be capable of restoring Kv channel function and expression and thus have benefit in the treatment of pulmonary vascular diseases. Of coarse the industry paid no attention as NADCA has no patent, also why the U of A wanted to make sure NaDCA got as much press as possible for its ability to shrink tumors, they knew that Big Pharma would hinder its trials every way it could. Now just for laughs lets take a look at what the PET scan machine is used to diagnose, All types of Cancer, Heart disease such as coronary artery disease, both of which we now know NaDCA to be effective at treating. Also and this is where it gets interesting; a PET scan is also used to detect Brain disorders such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinsons disease, and epilepsy. Could NaDCA also be useful in the treatment of these brain disorders? Or simply by taking NaDCA as a supplement can these disorders be avoided or reversed? Sorry just had to throw that out there, as you will never see funding for trials of NaDCA for any of these diseases now, So let’s get back to what cancer is and the brilliance of Otto Warburg. The primary cause of cancer The biggest breakthrough in early detection is the PET scan machine; it is based on the Warburg effect which is also the bases for the DCA discovery and why such a simple molecule was the missing link in 1966 when Otto Warburg gave the following speach. The following is an excerpt. The complete paper is available here . The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer (Revised Lindau Lecture)	i don't know
Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Crick and Watson (DNA discoverers), the economist John Maynard Keynes, and the comedian John Cleese are among the notable alumni of which university?	News \| Lumina LUMINA UNIQ Summer Schools REMEMBER: DEADLINE IS 11PM ON 24TH JANUARY 2017 UNIQ is a free residential summer school programme for year 12 students in UK state schools and colleges. The programme is aimed at students who have done well in their GCSEs, with preference given to applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds and/or from areas with low progression to higher education. For full details and to register your interest, please see the UNIQ website . JAN 10 2017 Oxford and Cambridge Student Conferences The Oxford and Cambridge student conferences are held at seven venues across the UK throughout March. There are eight conferences in total (the one in Surrey runs twice) and each promises "to provide up-to-date information on the application and admissions procedure" as well as "an insight into student life". Like Lumina, they're completely free and aimed at Year 12 students. Alongside formal presentations on topics such as course choices, student finance and interviews, admissions tutors, academic staff and current undergraduates will be available to share their insider info on both institutions. Those considering Lumina might be interested in the Surrey ones, which take place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 March from 9am to 3.30pm. A member of staff at your school must make your booking, so speak to your Head of Sixth Form or equivalent if you think you might be interested. You'll need an e-ticket to attend. Visit www.oxfordandcambridgeoutreach.co.uk/student-conference/introduction for more information, including some videos of last year's events. DEC 21 2016 WE'RE HIRING - Lumina 2017 Student Helpers STUDENT HELPERS Student Helpers are the ambassadors for the Lumina Course, there to pass on their first-hand experience of Oxbridge life while looking after the students in their care. It is essential that candidates applying for this role are currently studying at Oxbridge. Please click here for the full job description. Recruitment for Lumina 2017 Student Helpers is now open. There is no fixed closing date for Lumina Student Helper applications but we will stop accepting new applicants when all the positions at the assessment day are full. Please apply early. Please click here to complete an online application. DEC 14 2016 Univ Study Days February - June 2017 University College (Univ) is running a series of study days for high-achieving students in Year 12: PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) - Tues 14 February. Applications are now open. Maths, Physics and Engineering - Mon 20 February. Applications are now open. English and History - Wed 26 April Medical Sciences - Fri 12 May Ancient Civilisations - Thu 15 June Participants will get a chance to meet current undergraduates studying related subjects and receive a tour of the college. Booking is essential via the college website NOV 14 2016 Cambridge University Shadowing Scheme The CUSU Shadowing Scheme brings UK students from schools without a tradition of top university entry to Cambridge for three days. Prospective students come to Cambridge and spend time with a current undergraduate, studying a subject that you are interested in, who you 'shadow'. The idea is to give people with little or no experience of university a taste of student life at Cambridge, in real time, with real people. Click here for further information and to apply. Student's Perspective of Life at Oxford Want to read a student's personal perspective of life at Oxford? Well, why not take a look at a blog written by Kate Tuohy who has just completed her English Literature and Language degree. The blog is filled with current information on personal statements, entrance exams and interviews.She has also created an Instagram page thatoxfordgirl under 'Matilda Rose'. Please visit by clicking here NOV 02 2016 Three Lumina Helper Profiles My name is Charlie and I'm an undergraduate geography student at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. My decision to study geography reflects my diverse interests, but my area of special interest is the political ecology of conservation. Within this I am focusing on the UK 'Rewilding' movement for my dissertation. Hi! I’m Jen, and I’m in my 2nd year at St John’s College, University of Oxford, studying Engineering Science. I really like my course as it means I can study all types of engineering for the first two years, so I have a good idea of what I enjoy the most before I specialise. Currently, I prefer electrical engineering- something I never would have thought before coming to University! Tutorials are my favourite thing about studying at Oxford, I come out of them with a really solid understanding of the topic we have been looking at that week! In my spare time, I am the netball captain for my college, and I also love to row, something I started at University. 'My name is Jonathan and I study English at Sidney Sussex College at Cambridge University. I have just started my second year. I spent most of my first year (in between writing essays) doing a whole bunch of acting, I have played everything from a musophobic middle aged plumber to a loveable cult leader. In my second year I am still very involved with theatre but I have since turned my attention to directing. I am currently in the process of directing an original piece of physical theatre' Due to unforseen circumstances the drop-in clinic for Tuesday 11th October has to be cancelled. XXXXXXXXXX As a follow-up to the Lumina summer school 2016 we would like to offer all students who attended the opportunity to get some feedback on your personal statement. If you would like to take up this opportunity then all you need do is turn up to Harrow School as follows: Location: Room 6, Modern Languages Department, Harrow School (building C on the attached map) Dates: Tuesday 13th, 20th, 27th September, 4th and 11th October Times: 5-6pm on a first-come first-served basis Teachers with expertise in the general area of the subject you are applying for will then have a look at your personal statement and give you some suggestions as to how it could be improved. We look forward to seeing you again JUL 13 2016 Lumina 2016 round-up Lumina 2016 took place during the week 04 - 08 July, inducting 175 students into the process of Oxbridge applications. Speakers over the week included Dr Ellie Clewlow of St John’s College, University of Oxford and Wayne Hemmingway, Fashion Designer. The students thoroughly enjoyed trips to both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as learning the details of UCAS applications and interview techniques. Current undergraduates supported the course as Lumina staff members, advising future Oxbridge students of the application process and giving their thoughts on university life, courses and of their own experiences. Please visit our Resources page for presentations on 'UCAS Applying to Oxford and Cambridge', 'Applying to Oxford' and 'Natural Sciences Application 2016'. Calling all parents/carers and teachers of Lumina Students A date for your diary – Thursday 16 June Lumina will host an information evening from 7.00-7.30pm. Learn more about the programme, meet the organisers, hear from Oxbridge admissions experts and find out how best to support the students up to application and interview. The meeting will take place in the Old Harrovian Room at Harrow School and soft refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by using the website contact form (click on ‘contact’ at the top of this page) or by emailing [email protected] . JUN 10 2016 Cambridge College Profiles S-Z And not to forget Cambridge: St Catharine’s: Affectionately known as Catz and very near the centre of Cambridge. Has friendly rivalries with Queens’ and Robinson and is the only college with its own hockey astroturf. Famous alumni include Jeremy Paxman, Ian McKellen and Ben Miller. It has the oldest literary society in Cambridge and almost became part of King’s College in the late 19th century. St John’s: Christ’s College’s big brother – both have the same founder, but St John’s has eleven courts, the most of any Oxbridge college. It’s the second wealthiest college after Trinity so travel and research grants are accessible. Its entrance is located near the centre of town, but it stretches all the way out to the west of Cambridge. It has a strong sporting history and extensive playing fields. Among its alumni are several of those intimately involved in the abolition of the slave trade such as William Wilberforce and Thomas Gisborne. More recent alumni include Cecil Beaton and Douglas Adams. It also has a world famous choir. Selwyn: Often thought of as one of the friendliest colleges it has some lovely gardens and very beautiful old buildings too. Like Robinson, it’s out to the west so slightly out of the way, but right beside the Sidgwick site for many Arts faculties. Alumni include comedians Clive Anderson and Hugh Laurie, and author Robert Harris. While most colleges have a May Ball (a black tie ball at the end of the year), Selwyn has an annual Winter Ball – the Selwyn Snowball. Sidney Sussex: Very centrally located and directly opposite Sainsbury’s, it is a smaller college with about 350 undergraduates. Former members include Oliver Cromwell (whose head is buried under the chapel), playwright Alan Bennett and Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman. It has a large amount of garden space despite its small size, but being so central means lots of encounters with tourists and shoppers. Trinity: One of the largest and most famous Oxbridge colleges. Trinity alumni have won more than a third of the total number of Nobel Prizes won by Cambridge graduates. The alumni themselves include Isaac Newton, six British prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru and many more. It’s situated beside St John’s , has some fantastic green spaces and is home to the famous Wren library. Being the largest college, you may not get to know everyone as easily as some of the others, but it does have the most famous May Ball - ranked as the world’s third best party, according to Vanity Fair. Trinity Hall: A small college with a great location near the centre of Cambridge. With a historic reputation in Law, it’s generally an academically strong college. Stephen Hawking, journalist Andrew Marr and actress Rachel Weisz are all alumni. Some of the cheapest accommodation in Cambridge and one of the best mixes of students. It can be mistaken for its larger more famous neighbour. JUN 10 2016 Oxford College Profiles S-Z Now for the last of our college profiles for Oxford: St Anne’s: The college is adjacent to the University Parks, the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter and the University Science Area, and is a five-minute walk from the city centre. St Anne’s is modern, open and committed to opportunity, and keen to reach out to students from around the world, involving all students in college life. (Helen Fielding, Novelist and Sister Wendy Beckett) St Catherine’s: St Catherine's College offers a wide range of subjects with a roughly even split between science and arts. The college is proud of its place at the forefront of innovation, academic research and contemporary culture, and counts ten Nobel Prize winners amongst its current and former members. Low, modern buildings and restful, open spaces give the college a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. (Benazir Bhutto and Matthew Pinsent) St Edmund: The college has a long tradition in drama, music, the arts and journalism. A strong artistic community is built around the John Oldham Drama Society, vibrant and expanding musical activities led by the recently appointed Director of Music, and termly creative writing workshops coordinated by tutors in English. (Terry Jones, Emma Kennedy) St Hilda’s: At St Hilda’s students relax in the tranquil beauty of the college’s riverside site, with easy access to the centre of town, the University Sports Complex, and the lively culture of East Oxford. Founded in 1893 as a women’s college, St Hilda’s is now a mixed college with both men and women Fellows and students, both graduate and undergraduate. (Bettany Hughes and Zeinab Badawi) St Hugh’s: St Hugh’s College is situated about ten minutes’ walk from the city centre among spacious and beautiful gardens. Known for its friendly and informal atmosphere, St Hugh's welcomes a diverse community from all over the world. (Theresa May and Ruth Lawrence) St John’s: Attracting students from a wide range of backgrounds, St John's College enjoys a lively, stimulating and supportive atmosphere. The college is centrally located and very close to the Bodleian and Taylor Institution libraries, the Mathematics Institute and the Science Area. (Tony Blair and Kingsley Amis) St Peter’s: St Peter’s occupies a compact site in the centre of Oxford, within a few minutes’ walk of the Bodleian Library and close to many University departments. The college is an inclusive, tolerant and open academic community which values the considerable contribution made by all its members. (Hugh Dancy, Ken Loach) Somerville: A relaxed and friendly college, Somerville is free of religious affiliation, with students coming from many different cultural backgrounds. Somerville has recently enjoyed success on University Challenge disproportionate to the college's size. It is also one of the only Oxbridge colleges where students (as opposed to just fellows) can walk on the grass! (Margaret Thatcher and Vera Brittain) Trinity: Trinity College is located within the heart of the City of Oxford. Its spacious site, with exceptionally beautiful gardens and buildings, provides an ideal setting for academic success. The college is well-equipped for music, with a sound-proofed practice room and pianos. The college has very active choral and orchestral groups who give regular performances. (Norris McWhirter and Anthony Crossland) University: Endowed in 1249, University College has a claim to be Oxford’s oldest college. It combines academic excellence with an atmosphere that is friendly, relaxed and welcoming. The college's students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and from over 35 different countries. Distinguished alumni include Presidents Bill Clinton (USA) and Festus Mogae (Botswana), Prime Ministers Clement Attlee (UK), Bob Hawke (Australia) and Kofe Abrefa Busia (Ghana), Stephen Hawking (physicist) Shelley (poet) and Roz Savage, the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. JUN 06 2016 Admissions Tests: Know Your Stuff Know your BMAT from your ELAT, your ILAT and your MLAT? If not - don’t worry: read on to find out what these mysterious acronyms could mean for you… When assessing a candidate’s suitability, some Oxbridge courses use admissions tests to supplement their UCAS form and interview – more so Oxford (though don’t forget that Cambridge looks more closely at the UMS scores from your AS modules). Oxford admissions tests include the Classics Admissions Test (CAT), required for Classics and courses that include Classics; the English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT), required for English and courses that include English; the History Aptitude Test (HAT), required for History and courses that include History; the Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT); the Oriental Languages Admissions Test (OLAT); and the Philosophy Test. In the scientific disciplines, there is the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT), the Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) and the BMAT. Oxford also have a Thinking Skills Assessment test which is required for a range of subjects. Go here to find out more about Oxford’s admissions tests. At Cambridge, different colleges take difference approaches: their Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), for example, which evaluates critical thinking and problem solving, may be used in applications for Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, History, Human Social and Political Sciences, Land Economy, Natural Sciences, and Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, but this is not always the case. Other notable Cambridge admissions tests include the BMAT, which is required by all applicants wishing to study Medicine and Veterinary Medicine; the Cambridge Law Test, which is required by most colleges for Law applicants; and Sixth Term Examinations Papers (STEP) in Mathematics, which are used as part of almost all conditional offers for Mathematics, Computer Science with Mathematics, and Mathematics with Physics (and requested by some colleges for subjects such as Computer Science, Economics, Engineering and Natural Sciences). Go here to find out more about Cambridge’s admissions tests. When considering your course, it’s worth exploring the links in this post so that you know what might be involved. The Admissions Testing Service’s website is also very helpful in finding out more information. MAY 23 2016 Cambridge University Colleges And now for our reviews on Cambridge Colleges from Magdalene to Robinson: Magdalene: Pronounced ‘mawdlin’, its most famous alumnus is Samuel Pepys. One of the smallest Cambridge colleges. Offers an atmospheric candlelit ‘formal hall’ (formal meal) every evening and was the last all male Oxbridge college to admit women. It’s not far from the centre of town and only 5 minutes from Sainsbury’s. Murray Edwards: A female only college formerly known as New Hall. Founded in the 1950s. It has a relaxed atmosphere and is home to the largest collection of women’s art in Europe. It’s also known for good pastoral support, sports grounds on site and you’ll get fit cycling up the hill to it. Alumni include actress Tilda Swinton and TV host Claudia Winkleman. Newnham: Another female only college located opposite the Sidgwick site where most of the Arts faculties are. Attractive buildings and surroundings with a good drama studio and society. Accommodation is provided on-site for all years of study and alumni include actress Emma Thompson, Pulitzer Prize Winner Silvia Plath, MP Diane Abbott and presenter Clare Balding. Has the second longest continuous indoor corridor in Europe. Pembroke: The third oldest college and one of the larger. In 2013 and 2014, it was ranked as the second most academic college in Cambridge. Has a famous dramatic society – the Pembroke Players – with alumni such as comedian Eric Idle (Monty Python), author Clive James and Bill Oddie. Offers college-owned accommodation for all three or four years of undergraduate study and is right in the middle of Cambidge. Its bowling green is reputed to be the oldest in continual use in Europe. Peterhouse: The oldest college and one of the smallest. Lots of tradition and very atmospheric. Centrally located but slightly off the beaten track so convenient but with good privacy. In the late 20th century, acquired a Conservative association, with Michael Howard and Michael Portillo both being alumni, along with Colin Greenwood of Radiohead. Queens’: Home to the famous Mathematical Bridge, it spans the River on the west side of Cambridge. One of the oldest and largest colleges in Cambridge, with much iconic architecture as well as the more modern Cripps Court. It’s known for being one of the more relaxed and open colleges, although not even fellows may walk on the grass. Stephen Fry went here. Robinson: A modern college near to the University Library to the north-west of the centre. Known for its inter-year socialising and recent prowess in hockey. Notable alumni include Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, comedian Robert Webb and TV presenter Konnie Huq. It’s slightly out of town so a little on the quiet side. MAY 23 2016 Colleges of Oxford Moving on through our Oxford Colleges, we now list them from Magdalen to Queen's: Magdalen: Magdalen College (pronounced “mawd-lin”) was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Its world-famous choir sings from the top of Magdalen Tower each May Day morning at 6am. The college has surprisingly large grounds for its position within Oxford city centre, including The Grove, home to a heard of fallow deer. Notable alumini include Erwin Schrödinger, Oscar Wilde and Ivor Novello. Mansfield: The college was orginally founded in Birmingham as Spring Hill College in 1838, but moved to Oxford to become Mansfield College in 1886. There are regular student drama productions and Mansfield is generally considered to be one of the most active colleges for student journalism at Oxford. The college has a lively music community, with concerts held throughout the academic year. Previous attendees include Chris Bryant, Labour MP, and Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group. Merton: Merton College, the first fully self-governing College in the University, was founded in 1264 by Walter de Merton, sometime Chancellor of England and later Bishop of Rochester. Mob Quad, its construction started in 1288, is claimed to be the oldest quadrangle of any Oxford or Cambridge college. JRR Tolkien held the post of Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, and other notable alumni include TS Eliot and Andrew Wiles. Merton has often ranked in one of the top three positions in the Norrington Table (annual ranking of colleges according to undergraduate degree results), making it the most academically successful college of the last twenty years. New College: Despite its misleading name, New College was founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham, about 200 years after the University came into existence. It is one of the largest, most famous and architecturally striking colleges, with beautiful gardens, and a variety of modern and old buildings. It is well renowned for its Chapel and world-famous choir. Alumni include Hugh Grant, Tony Benn, and Rick Stein. Its cloisters will be familiar to fans of Harry Potter as they feature in the fourth movie in the franchise. Oriel: The college has beautiful historic buildings dating from the 14th to the 20th Century. It is centrally located, only minutes away from the Bodleian library, with the lodge quietly situated just off Oxford's High Street. There is very good mixed chapel choir and an active music society who arrange termly concerts. The calendar of events also features performances by music and choral scholars and visiting musicians. Notable alumini are Eric Foner, American Historian, and John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough. Pembroke: Pembroke was founded in 1624 by King James I of England/VI of Scotland. It was named after William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlain and then Chancellor of the University. It is a warm, inclusive and welcoming community, conveniently located in a peaceful setting in the centre of Oxford, and graduates play a significant role in the college's activities. Notable attendees were Michael Heseltine and Oz Clarke, TV Presenter. The Queen’s College: It was originally founded by Robert de Eglesfield in 1341, a chaplain in the household of Queen Philippa, who named it in her honour. Queen’s is centrally situated on the High Street, and is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, which includes buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor. The College has possibly the finest college library in Oxford, a magnificent hall and impressive chapel. Previous students include Rowan Atkinson and Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. MAY 16 2016 Need a Book to Read this Half-Term? Finding yourself at a loss about what to read this half-term? How about Richard Holmes’s discipline-crossing The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science? Have you always thought that poets and scientists were at the opposite end of the spectrum? Well, rewind 200 years, and you’ll find that their work was actually very closely linked. Richard Holmes explores how political and economic changes in Europe led to a broad Romantic movement, which produced more than just literature, music and art, but resulted in the birth of modern science as we know it. Learn how the word ‘scientist’ appears for the first time in 1834, replacing the previous designation of ‘natural philosopher’. Discover the scientific passions of Humphrey Davy, Joseph Banks and William Herschel amongst others, and consider how writers and artists responded to this shifting intellectual landscape. It’s guaranteed to cover some aspect of your chosen course. So, dip into the past this half-term, in order to better understand our present. MAY 06 2016 Oxford Colleges As with our reviews on Cambridge Colleges here follows our reviews on Oxford Colleges from Exeter College to Lincoln College. Exeter: located on Turl Street in the centre of Oxford, Exeter College was originally founded in 1314 by Devon-born Walter de Stapeldon , Bishop of Exeter . As one of the smaller Oxford Colleges, Exeter has a reputation for having a close-knit student body. Exeter College is the real life basis for the fictional Jordan College in Philip Pullman's novel trilogy His Dark Materials . Other famous alumni include J.R.R. Tolkien, Richard Burton and Alan Bennett. Hertford: Hertford College is situated directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library, and is known for its iconic bridge, the Bridge of Sighs. Hertford was the first college to go completely co-educational in 1974. It has one of the most active music societies of any Oxford college. Notable alumni include Fiona Bruce, Evelyn Waugh and William Tyndale. Jesus: Founded in 1571 by Elizabeth I, Jesus College is located in the centre of Oxford and educates around 475 students. Jesus College was founded at the request of a Welshman, (Dr Hugh Price, Treasurer of St David's Cathedral) and continues to maintain strong links with Wales. Alumni include T.E Lawrence and former Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Keble: Keble is one of the larger colleges of the University of Oxford, and was built in 1879 in a controversial red brick. A healthy rivalry between St John's and Keble remains to this day, having been started by the founding of a secret society that required the removal of a brick from Keble for admittance, the hope being that the college would be completely demolished. Alumni include Imran Khan and Ed Balls. Lady Margaret Hall: The beautiful Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) was the first women's college in Oxford and opened in 1879. It is named after Lady Margaret Beaufort, who founded the Tudor dynasty and was a famous patron of scholar and learning. LMH has seen many influential women pass through its doors: the former Prime Minister of Pakistan; Benazir Bhutto, the 1st woman President of the British Medical Association; Dame Josephine Barnes, and former Director General of M15; Baroness Manningham-Buller. Lincoln: Lincoln College, situated on Turl Street, was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming , then Bishop of Lincoln . It is the ninth oldest of Oxford University's colleges and one of the best preserved of the medieval colleges. Their undergraduate community may be the smallest, but any Lincolnite will lay strong claims to them being the friendliest as a result. Notable alumni include John Radcliffe , John le Carré , and Theodor Seuss Geisel ( Dr. Seuss ). MAY 05 2016 Cambridge Colleges Following on in our College profiles, please find short reviews on Girton College to King's. Girton College: The furthest college out of town, so a 10 to 15 minute cycle in the mornings is to be expected. Great library and an indoor heated swimming pool among its extensive sports facilities. Has something of a reputation for maintaining student equality and a strong community feel. Gonville and Caius: Usually referred to simply as Caius (said ‘keys’). The fourth oldest and one of the wealthiest colleges. Its alumni include no fewer than 13 Nobel Laureates and Stephen Hawking is one of the fellows. Very central and has a good boat club, if you like rowing. Homerton: Rated as the friendliest Cambridge college in 2005, it originally admitted largely Education Studies students. Now its intake covers most subjects and its alumni include Nick Hancock (former presenter of Room 101 and They Think It’s All Over). Located near the train station, so good for trips home. Jesus: One of the wealthiest and most spacious colleges, it has one of the oldest college buildings in use in Cambridge. It’s not far from the river (so great for rowing, if you’re into that) and is one of the few colleges to allow you to walk on its lawns. Notable choirs and, we’re told, free washing machines. Alumni include the author Nick Hornby and the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. King’s: Near the centre of town and with one of the most iconic chapels in the world, which is more the size of a cathedral. Known as a diverse college, it has one of the highest ratios of fellows to students with debate much encouraged. Alumni include Alan Turing, Salman Rushdie and John Maynard Keynes. It often has one of the highest proportions of maintained school acceptances of the Cambridge colleges. MAY 02 2016 Good Exam Technique As you work through your final preparation for your AS exams and sit the papers themselves, it is really important to make sure that you are in the best possible shape mentally and physically to give the best account of yourself on the day. During study leave, when you don’t have the formal structure of lessons to divide up your time for you, think carefully about how you manage your time – you may want to make a written plan in advance. Everyone works better at different times – think about what works best for you. Will you work more productively in the mornings? Or are you at your best in the evenings? Whatever you decide, make a schedule and then stick to it. Look after yourself – the exam period is a stressful one and it is more important than ever to get enough sleep, to eat properly, stay hydrated and create opportunities to relax and let off steam. Include these things in your schedule – three proper meals per day, regular intake of water, at least eight hours’ sleep per night and daily opportunities to give your brain something to think about other than exams for a little while. Fresh air and exercise are essential to staying relaxed and refreshed and maintaining a sense of perspective at stressful times. On the day of the exam itself, plan to arrive in plenty of time so that you are not feeling rushed or flustered. Make sure you have eaten beforehand and that you have water with you. Ensure you have the equipment you need – pen and backup pen, pencil, highlighters, calculator, etc.. Make sure you know how much time you have available for the paper and plan your time allocation for each section, so that you don’t find yourself with too much to do at the end. Take time to read through the paper and make sure you understand exactly what you have to do for each question – it is all too easy to make assumptions about the question and end up not answering it fully. Where you have to undertake more extended writing, take time to write a brief plan – this will help you keep your writing relevant to the question set and avoid you forgetting any key points you want to include. Build time into your planning for checking your answers carefully at the end – this will mean you spot any careless errors you may have inadvertently made while working and will allow you to leave the exam knowing you have planned carefully, worked meticulously and given of your best. Good luck! Registration Registrations for 2016 Please be aware that the final deadline for registrations to attend Lumina 2016 is Monday 2nd May. If you wish to register your interest in attending, please speak to your Head of Sixth Form. APR 13 2016 Oxford Colleges - Balliol to Corpus Christi Balliol: Situated on Broad Street in the centre of Oxford, Balliol is the oldest Oxford College that has existed continuously on one site - it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2013. Notable alumni include three former prime ministers , five Nobel laureates, and political economist Adam Smith . Brasenose: Founded in 1509, its name is believed to derive from the name of a brass or bronze knocker that adorned the hall's door. The college faces the west side of Radcliffe Square opposite the Radcliffe Camera in the centre of Oxford. The rowing club of the college and is believed to be one of the oldest boat clubs in the world. Famous alumni include Prime Minister David Cameron, William Webb Ellis (also unsurprisingly the founding member of Brasenose College RFC), and Michael Palin. Christ Church: One of the largest Oxford colleges, the iconic Christ Church college was founded in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey, and houses around 430 undergraduates, a world famous Cathedral Choir, and its own Picture Gallery. Parts of the college have been used in filming the Harry Potter films and The Golden Compass. Christ Church has produced thirteen British prime ministers . Corpus Christi: Founded in 1517, the college is also noted for the pillar sundial in the main quadrangle, known as the Pelican Sundial. Students at Corpus, or Corpuscles as they are sometimes known, are part of one of the smallest Oxford colleges. Alumni include Ed and David Miliband. APR 13 2016 Oxbridge Colleges: Location, Location, Location? Choosing the right college at Oxbridge can be a huge task. Over the coming weeks, we’ll give a quick overview of their characteristics, starting this week with Cambridge Colleges Christ's to Fitzwilliam. Nothing beats a visit though, which is why Lumina students visit both Oxford and Cambridge open days as part of the course. Reviews are reviewer’s own. Christ’s: Centrally located and one of only five colleges to have its own swimming pool. The lawn of the first court is famously round, though New Court with its ‘typewriter’ building is an acquired taste. With alumni including Darwin, Milton & Ali G, it has a reputation for its academic performance – and possibly the best porters in Cambridge. Churchill: Named after Britain’s great wartime leader, it’s a modern college with something of a reputation for Science and Engineering. Out of the centre of town, it’s well located for the Physics, Mathematics and Veterinary Science departments. Large on-site sports facilities with gym, four squash courts and five tennis courts. Clare: The second-oldest surviving college but also a progressive one, being among the first to admit women. Has a well-known music society and a famous choir, as well as popular entertainments. Alumni include Sir David Attenborough and James Watson, one of the discoverers of the double helix structure of DNA. A very popular choice with applicants. Corpus Christi: Very centrally located and with a new library, but one of the smallest of the Cambridge colleges; home to the iconic Chronophage (or Time Eater) clock, which faces out onto the street. Some say it’s haunted by a number of 17th-century ghosts. Darwin: For graduate students only. Downing: A reasonably central 19th-century college with a number of Science departments nearby, as well as plenty of restaurants. Alumni include John Cleese, Thandie Newton and Michael Winner, but it also has a strong legal and medical tradition. Just half a minute from Parker’s Piece, regarded as the birthplace of the modern rules of football. Emmanuel: Affectionately known as Emma and famous for its ducks, it has a college shop and an enviable laundry service. Alumni include John Harvard, a founder of Harvard College in the US and Graham Chapman of Monty Python fame. The self-catering cooking facilities are a bit limited, however. Fitzwilliam: Fitz for short, its friendly atmosphere translates to its surroundings – unlike many other colleges, you can walk on (some of) the grass. Located opposite the Fitzwilliam museum, it’s slightly out of the centre of town to the north-west. Joseph Stiglitz, the Chief Economist of the World Bank from 1997-2000 and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Economics, went here. APR 12 2016 The College System: What it Means and How it’s Relevant A collegiate university is one that is composed of colleges, and there are actually more of them in the UK than you might think. As well as Oxford and Cambridge, Durham University, for example is college-based in the same sort of way, and the University of London is constituted of 18 colleges, although these operate mostly as independent universities within the University of London. In the cases of Oxford and Cambridge, the colleges are residential institutions which also have significant academic functions within the universities themselves. Cambridge has 31 colleges, three of which admit women only (Newnham, Lucy Cavendish and Murray Edwards – previously known as New Hall) and two of which (Darwin and Clare Hall) admit only postgraduate students. Four colleges (Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund’s and Wolfson) only admit students who are over 21 when they begin their degree course. Oxford, on the other hand, has 38 colleges as well as six ‘Permanent Private Halls’, which are akin to colleges associated with particular Christian denominations. All the Oxford colleges admit men and women, while seven are for graduate students only (Green Templeton, Kellogg, Linacre, Nuffield, St Antony’s, St Cross and Wolfson). One college, Harris Manchester, and three of the Permanent Private Halls (Blackfriars, St Stephen’s House and Wycliffe Hall) only admit students over the age of 21. One of the Permanent Private Halls (St Benet’s) only admits men. Choosing a college when applying can seem like a daunting task, and it is an important one. After all, if you are successful you’ll be spending three or four years of your life there. Indeed, much of your student life will centre around your college and it should come to feel like a home from home. Bearing this in mind, it’s a good idea to choose a college that you like the feel of. Most obviously there’s a wide range of styles in terms of their age and architecture: some of the colleges date from more than 800 years ago, while others were founded in the late 20th century. You will start to get a feel for what a particular college might be like by looking at their website, but in the end there’s no substitute to paying a visit. They do have differing characters and you’ll probably get a feeling about one, one way or the other. Some informal reputations include the students of King’s College Cambridge holding left-wing political views, while Robinson & Churchill Colleges may be more environmentally friendly than others. At Oxford, Christ Church is often considered one of the grandest colleges, while Oriel is generally seen as strong in sports and Trinity may have the best food. In fact, many of these colleges have rivalries going back hundreds of years. Of course, the different colleges vary widely in size (both physically and in terms of numbers of members), and you should consider what sort of size you are comfortable with. You will probably live in your college for a significant portion of time (anything from one to four years) and make most of your immediate friends there. Your college will also be where you do much of your academic work. Most have their own libraries and you are likely to find yourself frequenting them outside lectures. The lectures themselves usually take place within the academic departments of the university, but the rest of your learning will be centred around your college. The colleges organise the all important supervisions/tutorials that set Oxbridge apart from most other universities. This is where small group teaching occurs and where you will go through tough problem set sin the sciences or debate tricky topics in the humanities. Bear in mind, however, that colleges are not required to admit students in all subjects. You can find full details of these idiosyncracies online (e.g. here for Oxford), so be sure to check them out before you apply. The bottom line is that Oxford and Cambridge want you to have the best chance of getting in, no matter which college you apply to. Cambridge summarise it well when they say ‘Don’t agonise over choosing a College. They have many more similarities than differences and students quickly settle in and really enjoy their College, wherever they end up.’ If you’re really stuck, you can make an ‘open’ application and accept the allocation made by a computer programme, but half the fun is in looking around so get stuck in. APR 11 2016 Game of Two Halves: The Differences Between Oxford and Cambridge Oxford and Cambridge have a great deal in common, but UCAS only allows you to apply for one of the two. Struggling to make a decision? Here are some factors you may want to consider. Both are collegiate universities, meaning that they are made up of a collection of colleges, and both have teaching in small groups outside of lectures – at Oxford, these are called tutorials while at Cambridge, they’re supervisions. Both, of course, are world-leading universities, both in terms of teaching and research, and their degrees are ranked highly by employers. There are many league tables that will tell you how good each is, based on a number of different metrics. According to the latest table of the top 100 world universities by reputation (published by Times Higher Education), Cambridge is second to Harvard, with Oxford third. Oxford and Cambridge offer different degree courses. Broadly speaking, Oxford has more choice, more specialisation, and quite a large number of joint honours programmes, where you study two subjects side-by-side. On the other hand, Cambridge’s programmes tend to be broader in scope to start with, but let you narrow your field of study over time. At Oxford, you can study pure sciences, for example, while at Cambridge, you study for a degree in Natural Science where you take three sciences and Mathematics in the first year and specialise further from there. Similarly, Oxford has no fewer than six different courses involving History, while Cambridge has just the one. Both universities are strong in all subjects, although there is a common myth about Cambridge having the edge in sciences, while Oxford leads in the humanities. Cambridge does tend to rank slightly higher in the sciences, and Oxford in the humanities, although both universities stress that there is really no significant difference between them in either. The subject you are going to study should be your primary consideration, so it is worth researching your options carefully to see which course will suit you best. In terms of location, both are near to London (about 50 miles away), with Cambridge to the North East and Oxford to the North West. Oxford is technically a city and, as such, is generally considered to be a bit livelier. Cambridge is technically a town and is often thought to be a bit prettier. In fact, both are reasonably small places to live and are easy to navigate on foot or more popularly by bicycle. MAR 24 2016 Easter Holiday Revision Advice Forget the chocolate eggs for a minute, the Easter holidays are the most important time for revision for your AS exams. That mountain of notes you made throughout the year probably looks pretty daunting right now, and to tackle them you’re going to have to break it down into more sizeable chunks. The first step is to make yourself a quick revision plan for the break: don’t spend hours making it colour coded and aesthetically beautiful - a simple grid will do. You should aim to balance your time evenly across all subjects, though this is a good opportunity to work out which areas in which subjects are causing you the most difficulty. Hopefully by now, you will know what revision techniques work for you. Rewriting all your notes from the year is unlikely to be helpful for anyone; instead, you should be looking to summarise and condense information, ready to be processed in the exam format. Completing answers in timed conditions is vital. Your teachers should have given you some past papers to tackle, and if they haven’t, then look on the website of the exam boards to download some. If you are unable or unwilling to devote a whole hour to writing an essay or completing a paper, doing a detailed plan and writing one paragraph, perhaps the conclusion, is a very effective way of revising. Allow yourself breaks and exercise, and remember that the morning is likely to be the best time to revise. Finally, turn that computer and mobile phone off – they’re not going to be in the exam with you! MAR 09 2016 Need a book to read this Easter, then why not try ... Being a Beast by Charles Foster. Charles Foster (a fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford) writes a highly entertaining and philosophical account about the very nature of what it means to be human (or not). Foster sets out with the premise that we are closer to the furry inhabitants of our gardens, woods and rivers than we might think. What follows is an experiment in living deemed ludicrous by many (including his wife): Foster sets out to live as a badger, an otter, a fox, a stag and finally, a swift. The book holds that it is only in living as a ‘beast’ that we can truly understand the natural world around us and that we can collapse this divide that positions man above and outside the realm of nature. At times hilarious, such as his encounters with policeman whilst living as an urban fox in east London, or experimenting with ‘sprainting’ with his family (look it up), it is also a moving and thoughtful book about whether man can truly shed his civilisation and return to a natural state. MAR 08 2016 Who to follow online? Want to get some ideas for what to look out for or who to follow online? Why not consider some of these? If you’re into Philosophy, reasoning and logic why not follow Professor Timothy Williamson, @TetralogueBook https://twitter.com/tetraloguebook , the Wykeham Professor of Logic at New College, Oxford. More into the internet and life online? Associate Professor Mark Graham at the Oxford Internet Institute, @geoplace https://twitter.com/geoplace could be one to look to. If it’s sustainable energy & environmental solutions that motivates you take a look at David Mackay’s feed - @davidjcmackay https://twitter.com/davidjcmackay - he’s Regius Professor of Engineering in Cambridge University’s Engineering Department, was Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, and is the author of Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air. On the other hand if History is more your thing, try @HistorianBenj https://twitter.com/historianbenj , the online presence of Dr Benjamin Thompson, Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History at Somerville College, Oxford, or if you are a linguist why not take a look at the Twitter feed of Cambridge’s Modern and Mediaeval Languages department @MML_Cambridge https://twitter.com/MML_Cambridge ? On the more practical side, if you want to look further into the Oxbridge application process, consider these. Are you a potential Oxbridge applicant, teacher or parent? If so, this page is for you, offering topical advice, links and updates on Oxbridge preparation http://epallis.blogspot.co.uk/ , and the author can be found on twitter too @oxbridgentrance https://twitter.com/oxbridgentrance . Or for subject-specific advice on applying to Oxford and Cambridge from Oxbridge graduates there’s @ApplytoOxbridge https://twitter.com/applytooxbridge . While you’re at it, discover what it’s really like to study at Cambridge through these student blogs, profiles, short films and more: http://www.becambridge.com/ . Of course there are also the Universities themselves in a number of guises, for example: University of Cambridge Admissions & Undergraduate Study @BeCambridge https://twitter.com/becambridge , news and Events from the University of Cambridge @Cambridge_Uni https://twitter.com/cambridge_uni , the official twitter account for the University of Oxford @UniofOxford https://twitter.com/uniofoxford , and many more. For more general information about the university landscape and updates on the application process, follow Mary Curnock Cook, Chief Executive of UCAS @MaryCurnockCook https://twitter.com/marycurnockcook Take a look at the links to find out more and see where the interest takes you! MAR 04 2016 Happy Mothers’ Day? Oxbridge Students have Two Mums to Remember It’s definitely not advisable to forget Mother’s Day when you are off at university, and you may in fact have more than one person to thank for looking after you! Colleges invest a lot in pastoral care for their students, and one common method is by assigning students ‘college parents’. You may have a mother, a father, or even a whole extended family over multiple generations. Simply put, they are potential mentors to help you through your first few weeks away from home, reassure you when you are doing your first bit of tutorial work, and tell you what not to do if you want to stay on the good side of your tutor! Most new students will never have lived away from home before, and it can be a daunting prospect. Knowing that there are people around to look out for you can really help. Many colleges will also have staff members that are responsible for looking out for the welfare of the undergraduate members. There are also undergraduates who represent their peers within the college as a whole – the elected welfare representatives are often chosen as particularly approachable and understanding people who will be available to help out wary first years, even if it is only with tea, biscuits and a chance to chat. So even if your mum is only available at the end of the phone, there are lots of people right on your college doorstep who will help you out whenever you need it. FEB 22 2016 LUMINA 2016 Registrations for 2016 are now open. Please check with your Head of Sixth Form or Oxbridge Coordinator (or equivalent) for the unique access code which you will require to complete the registration form. FEB 10 2016 Thinking About Oxford, Cambridge Or Other Top Universities After School? Want to know what you should be doing NOW? Find out ... What studying at top universities is like. What qualities they look for in applicants. Why you should maximise your GCSE performance and choose your A levels carefully. Come to an information for Year 11 students and their parents. 7pm Monday 21st March @ Twyford CoE High School, Performance Centre, Twyford Crescent, Acton, London, W3 9PP Great for teachers of Year 11, 12 and 13 too! Book a place by emailing [email protected] by Friday 11 March OCT 19 2015 My name is Kiranjeet Kapoor and I am studying Economics at Christ’s College, Cambridge. I have just completed the first year of my degree and can confirm that I truly enjoyed it despite the numerous challenges that came with it. The main reason I chose to study economics is because it relates to every aspect of our lives and impacts our choices. The curiosity of how individuals, firms and governments make decisions at both the micro and macro level further motivated me to study economics. Moreover, a degree in economics is broad, yet extremely useful as it is a both theoretical and numerate degree, allowing one to develop an analytical mind set. As a degree, economics provides you with a strong skills base but as a discipline, economics gives you the ability to question global economic events such as poverty and financial crises as well as everyday decisions. OCT 12 2015 "Hi my name is Charles Hill. I am a 2nd year undergraduate studying for a Masters in Chemistry at the University of Oxford. I am currently at St Hugh’s college, Oxford. I chose chemistry as a degree choice as I believe it gives invaluable life skills such as teamwork attained through lab work and logical and methodical reasoning attained through problem solving. It is also a guide to how the materials around us are made and why they act in the way they do. A particular interest of mine is quantum mechanics as by extrapolation of the fundamental laws you can determine exact properties of any chemical that we use. I have two more years left of my course, including a year in research, both of which will be at St Hugh’s college. I am also currently the Oxford university Hockey club Men's 2nd team captain and have been playing for 2 years." OCT 06 2015 "Hi, my name is Hannah Okorafor. I am a third year History student at Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge. So far in my academic career I have studies a range of papers including British, European, African, and various other global regions/topics. In particular I enjoyed studying my World History papers, as they provided an opportunity to learn about early modern, and modern East Asian and Latin American history. Within this the Haitian Revolution was of specific interest to me, as it was a key event leading to the first Black Republic being established in the New World - Haiti. Outside of my studies I am part of the University basketball team, I play for the seconds, and I am a member of this year’s committee too. I have done various other extra-curricular activities during my time at Cambridge, such as being on my college’s Winter Ball Committee; I was previously the Publicity and Website Officer for the Cambridge African and Caribbean Society, as well, just to name a few. SEP 30 2015 My name is Torkil Harrison. I study Modern & Medieval Languages (specifically Spanish, Italian and Romanian) at Gonville and Caius College of the University of Cambridge, and I am in my second year. I am particularly passionate about the more scientific linguistics element of the course, and this is what I have predominantly pursued in my 2nd year. I have studied how Romance languages have diverged from their Vulgar Latin parent, and the extent to which they are particularly influenced diachronically, diatonically and diastratically; affected among other elements by substrates, superstrates, and general linguistic degeneration. This is why these 3 languages are of particular interest to me, given their congruity and incongruity in relation to both each other and Classical Latin. I am going to be working in Spain next year on my Year Abroad, before returning for my final year at the University. SEP 24 2015 Hi my name is Liza and I’ve just finished my first year studying history at Newnham College, Cambridge. This year I studied a modern European paper that delved further into modern history which I’m particularly passionate about. The topics I really enjoyed studying were the collapse of Communism and the Great Depression. The other study papers were new and exciting. I had the opportunity to examine early modern sources about rioting and witchcraft in Britain which was a nice change. We were taught to study history with a focus on historian’s arguments and different approaches to history which was something I’d never really done before but now appreciate. I’ve been challenged academically every week during the eight week terms and overall it has been a fulfilling experience. The choices available to historians are great and that is probably the best thing about studying history at Cambridge: you can essentially study any period you want be it ancient history or history from 1900 to present day. SEP 18 2015 I’m Matthew Carter and I’m an undergraduate studying English Language and Literature at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. I applied to Oxford with my subject interests being the Romantics (especially the poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, about whom I wrote an EPQ exploring transcendentalism and the relationship between Nature and the Imagination in his poems) and the fantasy genre, in which I looked at the change from mythology and folklore through to the Manichaean paradigm established by Tolkien and C.S.Lewis, and the impact of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series in revitalising the genre. However whilst at university I have become increasingly interested in Modern and Postmodern literary theory, as well as the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and look forward to studying children’s literature and the theories underpinning this aspect of English writing. APR 28 2015 The Programme for Lumina While you’ve been hard at work revising for your AS exams, we’ve been busy getting an exciting and informative programme together for Lumina. Here’s how it’s looking: After arriving on day 1 you’ll be shown around Harrow on the Hill, getting your bearings and meeting some of the current Oxford & Cambridge undergraduates who are here to help. In the afternoon there will be addresses from Admissions Tutors, who will talk you through the admissions process and field your questions on what admissions and interviews are really about. Day 2 is all about the degree courses you are interested in and in the morning you’ll have two tutorials in subjects relevant to your chosen course. The afternoon is an opportunity for you to find out more about other subjects – particularly ones that are not often studied at A-Level – but which may be of interest to you as a university degree. On day 3 you will have the opportunity to get some familiarisation with the all-important interview, which should give you some pointers about what you need to work on to impress face-to face. Day 4 will involve taking a trip to Oxford’s open day, with day 5 being a visit to Cambridge for their open day. JUN 20 2014 Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, gives his support to Lumina "I would like to commend you for the work that you are doing to support your students in their preparation for applying to Oxbridge. We need more initiatives like this to help address the current lack of aspiration among many young people, particularly in some of our most deprived areas. Please do pass on my very best wishes to all the students attending the course." MAR 31 2014 I want my son to apply to Oxbridge, even if he doesn't get in Last week my 16-year-old dragged his long legs through the front door looking totally fed up. It wasn't just that he'd been held back late after school, it was having to endure a talk on "why Oxbridge?" "Can you believe what they do? They make you eat an orange with the peel on," he scoffed, rolling his eyes skywards. "And if I can't catch a rugby ball with my eyes closed, I might as well not bother." The old myths about Oxbridge entrance exams are much more fun than any truth. And anyway why let reality get in the way of a good moan?	Cambridge
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douglas j durham victorian indication photograph announcement recognised suggesting fun flexible ill nicholas jimmy catalogue host sheets conservatives bone ends professionals wings qualifications contain disk versions transition texts intense overseas undoubtedly draft evolution pointed closer concentrate norman guy assumed considerations airport colleges logic medicine ceiling tongue modest assess hearing dublin accordingly anthony amounts offences operating clever roughly rugby guidelines k roots promise interaction whispered inadequate depend refused lessons fears pacific marry quantity lake complaints poem lloyd integration rid cheaper warned reception charlie hotels launched destruction consumers australian maggie spiritual trousers alice bars essex revealed palace approaches bitter formally logical bomb flying cutting experimental rubbish jury liable sounded holds gulf generous identification rational hit bush wholly noticed oliver drawings glanced coalition agenda express 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russell talent visitor davies sussex hugh summary susan presidential magistrates elected iran drawing cm naked councillor chocolate stores aids stewart harm upstairs silk corridor organic associations anniversary scenes warmth admission policeman titles departure chapters superb joke chancellor bulk pointing reactions gastric enjoying knee duke poland likes gene traditionally withdrawal strain sought posts conviction storm eighteenth preference mummy glance zone representing tremendous apple hopes implies reducing mps effectiveness diplomatic germans muscles humans refer steady ward boundary equivalent prefer styles measured expenses ideology nearest sisters admitted retail leaned ordered welcome horror medieval foods guns boats risks argues farmer declaration dollar priorities tories expecting waters graphics tight salary wright bowl estates province steam settle mechanisms emily cheque publications diary accidents tin reflection winners straightforward beaten curve uncertain wildlife topics asks moon cream plays unfair approved piano democrats maintained bible biological du handed cross references directed weapon discourse supplied mathematics drop stands crossed magnificent mechanical root messages females mud physically carriage encouraging governor pop institutional examined phil slipped scientist fortune ann leads blocks restoration desperately innocent whereby pipe practitioners wise folk unhappy conducted eric harris wives moore passenger honour lightly pot sadly discrimination laughing prosecution strictly register butter disposal tissue pushed uncle voters adopt doubts ross claiming artificial mentally functional literally stated deficit assault clarke specially obligations marx failing concluded mess collapse initiatives sighed humour entering raf refers emotions resource explicit quantities paint tenants chinese joining awards flexibility pen friendship indicated railways export councillors concert heaven actor till comparable controversy unnecessary gear earliest sheer answered shakespeare imperial print securities appreciate selected flower invasion hidden gates barry engineers correctly customs successive cloth aggressive inspection hopefully le productivity named socialist tonnes spectacular retain painful eliot hungry invitation refugees legislative alex derek visits controlled physics estimated lease flats stolen inch engines routes fails discretion cloud availability routine chairs explore walter holder contribute caroline rely leicester studying eg twentieth intelligent origins convinced targets wars mouse forests tunnel vietnam blame cool format midnight exposure sociology raising greek dutch picking forever amazing separation evans ease taxi saved garage influential arise dictionary seventeen diseases economies capitalism collections constituency locally fiction bonds gesture seller spirits ridiculous conception walker spare murmured cardiff elegant marvellous vegetables miners wire backwards reveal chicken jurisdiction duration decent isolation influenced refusal essence demonstration oxygen constraints bother creatures therapy letting defend sooner square realistic entertainment marie virtue confirm scored thames symbol merchant destroyed tip guard succession dull resort allocation damages reflects recover justify entries lesser lifetime supplies catholic shell rejected movie communist tracks cousin succeed malcolm households backing studied lowest limitations hide necessity derived creature plates alarm gaze funeral carries subtle producers shots blow deliver nasty roy consensus lad suppliers touched precious robin commons define tragedy liberation increases instance jews servant shame tale soldier improving journal intensive component genetic pakistan beings neighbour happily nursery autonomy opinions grain choices audit aunt worn miller morris superior quarters emerged stable exceptional asian satisfy casual arrive visiting ira interviews delight officially formerly allen cheek complaint closure clinton lonely serves separately finest jenny christianity severely lands stance allegations designer radiation chips crazy triumph exclusively distinguish detective demonstrate besides gorbachev districts engineer hitler enterprises justification bike simultaneously journalists appendix surveys resist bags microsoft sizes deny fail dealer delicate acquired solve venture lancashire ignore excessive youngsters fellow hey partial push crash safely programs romantic ensuring baker wool searching politically transformation enquiry crimes bernard brick matches weakness shorter advisers assuming tropical occupational digital bruce ya producer chip whisky risen ceremony manufacturer cinema downstairs directive bottles complexity greece chemistry coverage splendid chronic bond explaining edges referring planet joan tide rows prospects mixed purchaser wheels doctrine speculation signals firstly dollars reign ford launch peasants improved bell ate singing ray arrange alternatively tourist vertical cleveland ideological accuracy brazil substantially occupied curtains jackson incidence lover pity debts investigations remainder organised opens ussr innovation belt operational barbara doorway dealers careers ok stick explanations neat magazines farms cap monopoly compulsory channels potatoes steadily climbed discussing horrible alternatives muscle payable ours scarcely progressive attached reckon loose pursue systematic liz settled borough midlands bye correspondent sweden technological colleague infant eaten attendance panic networks benjamin bench fascinating relevance geoffrey enquiries classification dialogue remarks establishing hostile spread destroy consistently realized faster asset diagnosis hate chaos nearby navy performances attended proceed particles solely opponents peasant supervision classic instantly deciding handsome awarded factories recognize hughes craft suicide estimates harriet tries recording catherine clothing equilibrium medium accessible fence companion provincial printer rank instances fig structural describing bay hypothesis pensions donald korea plc mexico applying surrey fleet kuwait random karen covers intensity intervals traditions supporting nonsense peaceful equity intellectual happiness maintaining restaurants estimate privilege reflected residence jonathan hierarchy workshop consultant pockets cultures acres neutral definite geographical shared historians loyalty acquire pile recommended approached premium disc governors collective commerce daddy density explosion suspicion aimed columns rice nowadays competitors legitimate expert prisoner cathedral measurement kid struck prominent confined hollywood assessed essay grade fortunately dec laugh representative plot excuse impose volumes tested u label recall notable buyers freely endless bedrooms chin oxfordshire drinks upwards menu hiv grip regard dimension fierce withdrawn corners fitted gary damp button tended actors dangers exports ranks grinned poems kenneth glory contacts invariably arguing tribunal broadly publishers alleged artistic struggling themes continent reveals forthcoming resulting jumped pardon differently campbell denied pregnancy delegation sensitivity circles publicly socialism gender dish arose commonwealth guilt schedule pressed inhabitants vessels witness senses allies operator drinking feed advise defendants killing widow headed toilet shit coup compete trains amendment collected travellers ye painted rope harsh gay satellite chapel restricted christians daniel chap barrier morgan tournament disappointment norway counter regardless heating wan ambitious continental supper johnny oral tube intentions seeks reward interpreted mature brave delivered hitherto consultants switch brussels probability fibre debut shaking descriptions sums sue sharing domain commented rape pat weekly hearts hang generate realize processor dominated directory reminded prey pond architect funding socially incidents chelsea compromise specimens tie 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excluded calculated forming portrait hamilton incomes actively deposit deck assurance publisher successor recruitment guardian fitness terrace satisfied races awkward buses imprisonment tactics lads norwich lock jordan liver sergeant cry hung dose waist shower execution steep workforce requiring favourable correspondence albeit illustrated volunteers extending rejection republics winds meanings grants oldest margin kissed tray gloucestershire demonstrated recognized dismissal mild profound netherlands envelope hungary ranging environments ignored stimulus attracted seventh dreadful pit varieties reportedly breast competence receiver lecture shore attending certainty immense informed emissions mines forwards surrounding breakdown introducing evidently w norfolk speaks faint broader statute comedy restore diversity participate historian earn drank peculiar creates eager applicable grandfather stuck surrounded equality davis secrets respects km emma examinations clouds sensation genuinely integrity bases accurately disorder suite sympathetic onwards hated practically cupboard aberdeen impressed sally dawn gifts accent enthusiastic repeat junction jan delegates sequences expects meantime vessel scandal travelling interface myth goodness ruling specialists abandoned representations leaning permitted divorce adjustment terror ocean dioxide attempted worthy uncomfortable suspension cable dimensions contest coastal verse refuse combined adviser independently indicating counselling conflicts kate shallow exclusion capitalist beneficial landing prevention woke collar accused comparative imposed ms mobility charming emerge productive arriving irrelevant undertake territories meets returns minimal handful measurements proposition throwing cheltenham guarantee foundations charlotte futures swiss portfolio accepting vendor insects honestly reserves grandmother deliberate boring churchill native habits affection heading compare fan sunderland makers yugoslavia lorry observers arab suspicious oven minus stanley shortage resolved phenomena clergy disability sing interference cooking popularity addressed cruel breeze symbolic deeper strings hanging recommendation gang merger canal dying kings betty verdict correlation plain marine ride flavour validity julie implication suspect kennedy loads workshops fatal remembering surfaces constructed gentlemen coins ugly profitable avoided singer crying wishes intend patch turkish paths tune polish urged belgium liberty pensioners corruption grace zero inspiration wishing kiss racial hesitated organ ali constable inspector frustration samuel iraqi wealthy imports positively tackle champagne journalist soup trick investments executives sword diverse grief hostility bias definitions dividend don eligible spencer nest withdraw sixties insufficient dishes forum protected blew denmark somerset importantly continually stranger pubs lengths monthly abilities appreciation elaborate nightmare prospective metropolitan assistant 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objections hint mistakes engaged defensive behalf masses fiscal devon exploitation brass solar novels invest utterly worship expectation killer craig approaching forth kinnock coloured shelf semantic shadows citizen eighth fucking roll raid qualification viewed moves bureaucracy couples linear pete allowances passive cornwall misery senate max broadcasting specified inappropriate striker communicate bloke auction jet furious kim noble bacteria lily islamic anderson neighbourhood fortunate interval believing mick diagram wimbledon bold faculty integrated philosophical keeper legend mate cab santa objection converted thesis harvey comply juice comparisons stressed freud resolve witnesses checking vi invisible predominantly sara considers remind sculpture trading dignity quid deposits marshall dancing buried matrix flag mathematical campaigns lisa seeds exhibitions refusing disappeared permanently survived slope stretch remedy openly revenues ingredients crop concentrated memorial curtain 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sovereignty redundant script installed learnt spell nt insight applicants floors knocked swiftly adverse detect dorothy opposed steven humanity conventions bradford slim chains advised observer engagement communists compliance rush comparatively shade theft morality feeding delighted corps rumours calculations gods ralph remarked seventeenth youngest fame crystal erosion juliet earl concrete fashioned suffolk musicians unaware sunlight influences lighting el straw virginia lap conferences characteristic synthesis horizon pan ghost deputies cow basket robyn spots implemented leaflet affects willingness regulatory contexts preceding remark tons placing auditors stroke polite worthwhile tapes causal isle rescue penny brush appearances ad tribute champions cognitive calcium indians blown atlantic jewellery los magic lengthy bile miserable intake observe eddie lectures willie creditors panels pole fond sang recommend implicit soap perceptions rivals enhance accountability ideally criticisms phillips documentation stopping trevor array questionnaire tommy reporter abortion subjective strip succeeded incredible serum herbert turkey primitive entity nerves inform threats orthodox thirds coin lancaster cameras maps reduces travelled inheritance romania preferred inclusion regiment grid instinct legally packet southampton cups truck packages eleanor priests borrow guards compatible renaissance poured width pencil twins seminar toxic fashionable timetable flames celebrate convincing recovered fishing cautious abolition canvas developers gravity testament teenage fusion tent ici confirmation throne ted territorial disputes cheerful stored margins injured molecules fertility catching fathers recalled adequately brigade illustration neatly receipt charm critic indicators carrie obliged girlfriend cleared kilometres costly pie hydrogen parker separated tales brand anonymous distributed sincerely takeover dual negotiation fury portion pressing welcomed patience harmony inland 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crops amid prosperity colourful lid exposed presenting grin requests blues fantastic reproduction rode photographer ignoring predict acknowledge allocated genius monitor salvation flown formidable disadvantage identifying propaganda delicious colony descent oak dean preservation angeles retained clue unchanged provinces politician individually lawn intimate giant gravel annually precision relax weird richards voted wound valuation headmaster rats cabin premier lexical chester tap redundancy concessions disciplinary helicopter feared psychiatric promoting occurring concentrating worldwide scots autonomous respondents signature removing portugal salad glorious confidential quoted trace duck damaged failures adjacent delightful listed courtesy clarity wines jail shy resulted collins calculation jason arbitrary theology heritage judged equations merseyside z writings interactions sustain likewise bombs cheshire submission planes contempt reagan prizes racism ruled blake heroes assessing wash banned ashley thumb shoe assigned tanks distinguished specimen modification homeless guys clive airline reporting sigh conspiracy consisting followers laboratories lemon recordings exclude configuration palestinian abruptly log mining temptation lifestyle exotic merchants arises orientation expedition commit unfortunate imply bizarre crews cooper gradual researcher supermarket utility grim polls legacy dropping avoiding incidentally movies yo misleading rage loudly publish hereford indirectly smallest di evolutionary trades pm maurice databases lakes imaginative outdoor allegedly hatred heels immigration speeches geneva theirs outlook mucosa tutor rabbit ballet discharge photo ties cleaning flood arnold fought diamond syndrome interpretations needle foolish mitchell eventual sydney resigned husbands motive venice christie reynolds wrist gaps referee practitioner conversations temper lamb awake flour reid corporations journals invention weekends dies worlds praise israeli organisational cd transformed bothered appeals reaches sofa allan vegetation lump graph registered angel offenders pig mainstream privacy spontaneous yacht dc organisms colonel crack advertisements miracle rounds enjoyment breasts organisers illustrate soccer motives incentives armies mediterranean linda noisy ridge leonard laying vocational vivid strongest obtaining arrow mice protocol prayers missiles preparations bureau innovative admits athens confrontation ed kenya eldest assumes withdrew strengthen shelves photography strangely renewal calm settings rangers stirling architects mainland investigated reluctance qualify emperor jacques jump audiences proving qualified colitis hewlett biscuits fruits constitutes sauce bucket blanket mistress handled wartime da rolling treating advances texas abandon sunny reconstruction organs caring watson purple ministerial employ ambitions gregory acids unusually responding metals blacks unwilling revision phrases lit conceptual sanctions realm yield sexually sixteenth handicap von economically aloud phases honours nelson hunt axis intent grammatical suspended wins analyse conclude re hunting torn polytechnic striking dilemma egyptian keynes reject revival injection outset overnight hp extends technically swing parallel exchanges packard hitting colonies constructive insists trainer disappointed minerals resentment undertaking villa reminder reservations macdonald develops camps wembley cakes ulcer fulfil appalling kicked printed mercy retired biology chorus meaningful janet accounting windsor simplest lea ft versus despair drunk viable sean unreasonable perceived reads northampton wheat gaulle landed organise troubles surgeon julian denis maxwell upset deals credibility vaguely casualties vigorous permit ellis uneasy donna gerald caravan immune skull hartlepool illustrations tensions declined owe melissa foreigners prior whatsoever pilots booklet nuisance sri trusts rude draws painter encounter blackpool nationalism detected hurried amendments organized democrat linking lanes ironically mandatory rhetoric lobby magnitude jerusalem wells smoothly printing rival reluctantly overwhelming daylight amusement fortunes aspirations emailinc presently shaw construct usage duly richmond rebels keyboard indigenous geological weaknesses mills sink communism layout ninth aluminium innocence fist argentina jointly powder unsuccessful lion basin murphy admiration franco fifties optional outbreak presents prisons heir specify galleries mid jaw claudia aiming rear addresses cast restraint easter presidency ambassador disciplines greenhouse protecting struggled businessmen agrees lifting unconscious combinations eec activists vegetable drawer monarchy preferences breathing jokes milan rebellion abbey absurd principally uniform gp momentum prague charts frames bankruptcy eyebrows accountant eagle beam emerging simpler owns sleeve cliff scent existed nicely unclear detectives seventies switched prevalence strangers unionists successes infinite wee macmillan supposedly jackie adams submit trail comprising threshold wallace default shoot rises subsidiary convey sweat analogy optical consistency privileged bargain subjected notions mask adrian comfortably businessman norm holly florence wardrobe complain justified shooting exploit wounds commentators cameron resting linen liabilities confused offspring pepper methodology teenagers lincoln sutton bride dan acted poets limitation annie predictable balcony belong americas secular curiously hut poorly fridge occupations gazed gdp stadium portable dairy irony clark quantitative enjoyable frankly avenue spreading aviation singapore outcomes owl unionist laser indies sterling non jeremy faithful salaries liberals gould absorption sticking surplus ryan aesthetic organizational jealous announce lung dirt mammals exercised doyle planners walks passionate protested stretching mobile brandy hook swedish deserves butler simplicity phoned hammer beating exile dos blade prevented repairs combine vacuum criminals clauses builders allied paula poorer split tablets brains clerical revelation twelfth exit longest react designers fed exemption tumour bureaucratic cows predecessor decorative staircase interfere seasonal lecturer heroin needing prejudice capabilities airlines protests decoration dense washing eliminate fetch counts underground limbs merits lone attributed convert privileges composer repetition liquid beaches compound lunchtime bow chalk polly intervene chiefs pots unexpectedly voltage rover underneath arabia bore embarrassing woodland domination slightest elder clash burial morale exceptionally dragged angela owed flora energies handy vendors distances contributed resign proportional inquest inquiries nathan agony christine reserve critique tempted wordsworth ensures questioned exclaimed sponsored collecting measuring palm bobby preserved pottery dating cheques instrumental embarrassed glimpse interim agnes matt palestine unlawful maker coffin leo comparing accumulation unrest whitehall literacy convenience fix dealings fog labels shield trophy ballot stole blackburn flame judgements farming fragment shed hilary minorities breeding debates appropriately ancestors delayed enforce lets addressing desired happier rings assured bent ending ukraine arrives displays clearer verb toast bitch slip fossil pursuing lend promoted youths prints recreation appraisal harvest deer talents realism stunning continuously revealing coincidence professions indoor iranian toes notorious commodity similarities speeds florida insist fighter differentiation swallowed ruler formulation metre dennis stating electron competing jungle attractions ringing publishing unprecedented maid proceeds illusion rat villagers consult aggregate fragile fiercely ranges earned disappear commentary ego fox shaft photographic contractors doubtless rider pigs archbishop weights contemporaries itv charities maintains pretend departmental challenges saints acknowledged korean disruption ron par shake mighty obscure holmes bacon noting decides towel heath murdered vice collector thailand portsmouth potato evaluate whichever pudding giles bleak bourgeois seal altar plaintiffs plasma performing buttons nicholson jumping bricks lothian extensively appetite purchased contractual loch velocity copyright operative promises missile slopes freight solidarity elephant nationally rushed fever thrust warehouse revenge morton bells appreciated virtual drum beard choir hastily romance inspired hussein lace harrison frozen membrane ethics screens urgently facilitate posters lungs fundamentally pipes trivial deprivation builder squares kettle manners capability hull noises gall depressed lately hurry possessions swept slave engage dozens br promptly financially sheila import feminists screaming situated muslim knock metaphor treatments liaison interactive urgency infants reviewed psychologists deserve embassy tones sophie approve fluid atoms scholarship stops spine amsterdam memorable census defending reliance exchequer headings integral madrid restrictive manipulation powell leslie loud educated memorandum shelley absorbed codes plaster ambiguous astonishing mistaken blowing covenant teenager cage barrel raymond meg nominal vicious pulse verbal patten sentenced detection syntactic zones clearance bridges celebrations economists establishments mains tops sodium signing holdings complications attainment cylinder constituents hedge dividends disclosure preventing victor debtor refuge incapable rolls rabbits indonesia overview favourites boxing reckons remedies resident appoint footsteps nuts municipal torch noticeable secretion enters hunter retreat gibson boost cave talented printers hungarian sulphur gazing manor swung viewers magical courtyard oesophageal passes edmund murderer hats armstrong alterations hemisphere judging ambiguity arsenal finals saudi eighties manual greeks vacant intercourse wit actress strikes cure dock feasible saddam loses greg realities dwellings nitrogen companions cook eve sailing belly clues dundee jo citizenship washed understandable complementary climbing constitute saving breaks assertion archaeological guinness mankind disturbance modified bicycle tips ankle buckingham optimism insistence sideways gather nails intestinal renewed invite helpless heavier analysts operated possessed vincent provisional jeff wary completing restrict aquarium glow funded relieved legislature dated neville enquired richardson telegraph ivory evelyn tense telly refugee accepts inspectors jacob colonic elaine detention stiff socks statue needles honourable lacked shirley honey recorder hips exam screamed slice analyses eternal adjust danish finishing photos solved salisbury secured danny trustee enormously parade dorset boston modifications instant profitability harmful locals outlets coupled binding distinctly imminent incorporate remembers romans essays sticky stimulate deadly differential asylum serbian bored ferry gloom inclined pursued basement unwanted ample escaped unfamiliar immigrants featuring packed dependency molly quota theorists defects burton abnormal heseltine indicator monitoring conversely rex streams rehabilitation emerges quarry sociological croatia taiwan exploring petty belonged workstations historically marcus fisher leaflets academics imagined picasso seas lazy battles premature privatization fairy manuscript retention derby madame burn administrators possess platforms challenged invaluable midfield dolphins sore similarity anticipation touching brochure pc infrastructure slipping cargo rotation souls container adapt bull triangle rebel francisco dancers safer plausible wayne prone comprises retire studios hospitality papal arena lasted gut scared garlic editors al promoter candle awaiting wildly midland ace urine winchester northumberland focused mornings nina litigation queue valleys incredibly fittings superintendent quest poison frightened attributes kindly continuation criticised landowners radioactive velvet sainsbury ratios brow traveller stitches interviewed crohn analytical corpse pump civilians plymouth anglia constituencies carl offensive captured injunction clarify marriages moderate closest stimulation slide calories biopsy stamp boris umbrella dexter predictions surgical frontier catholics rotten radically kin oils indications loop rod contributing practise thirties strands inhibition coats defeated pr paragraphs andrews investor suspected grasp supportive utterance runners chat vested sack foster homework organism veins thirdly varying graduates compensate maureen appealing stockton attacking bosnia tyres pray gases consequent violently landlords napoleon deadline reasoning proves lowered conditional fibres norms ros cottages pragmatic candles robbery denies frequencies ferguson oz goodbye specifications republican linguistics enjoys secretaries onset destructive carol cult adaptation towers pierre knocking yarn sensed creed bankers reviews athelstan riders forgive gratitude colon sandwich classified bt symmetry bodily blast consortium meredith wickets concerts fluctuations casually swift attachment terrorist preferably capture segments counterparts expanding calmly authentic tastes excess blonde multimedia creativity bennett fuss jill destiny easiest viewpoint georgia fringe ux contradiction homosexual librarian bang shades headache unsatisfactory politely lions controller neglect warnings matched programming wendy breathe hazard peru bp decree enhanced cart dissolution seminars bears batch lighter revised quantum earning antibodies illustrates counting whites hastings honorary answering prolonged potent horn sundays warn disagreement vigorously reliability peaks counsel progressively cynical sights derbyshire stays antibody waving gardener spends parking wording sadness factual booked histories civilian carpets cruelty joanna concludes naive problematic supporter graduate fur sharpe exceed agreeing 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insights innings governmental housewife mg disposition mutually bangor centrally conveniently labourers countless cecil regimes incorporating upright leigh hans geology baltic thoughtful reservation ripe skies lawson jake energetic monument defines headlines conquest convicted arguably arrogant doorstep ensured eleventh ink anthropology balloon pathetic scepticism microsystems lethal skins relational farmhouse flows drill abolished surveyor terrific hypotheses vector variance peripheral incompatible muddy chamberlain austrian characterized iris hazel initiated conceived implied tempting temples attorney hepatitis habitat performers tricky blamed ritual censorship bite polar fists riots flowing dedication lodge griffiths climax sensory distortion tumours lightning participant piper nut sour suspicions struggles electorate scarborough highlands stem extremes ronald planted cocktail robbie nylon unofficial shone picnic nets electrons abundance physiological observing outgoing bend saddle 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amino piles marched rested devotion analyst thirteenth mouths wholesale paradox impatiently extracts pad valued unrealistic swan morally discretionary airways peterborough tins cries counsellor delhi appealed curves pills suited cia travis judith chapman syntax ski gavin noun unified distal vicinity examines novelist pork climbers beth inputs web nationalists critically ssr dental justices injustice comprehension subsidiaries tentative worries joking marion economist introduces assignments searched breadth ingredient attracting seriousness jay salon shorts underway librarians outlet cheerfully tapped highlighted damaging precautions nomination lyons practising practicable ads grimly geometric ignorant craftsmen compartment alpha bourgeoisie whip moist correction penetration interrupted fuck killings booking bulbs dangerously corresponds rna gospel survives exercising beloved reckoned structured counted branson gathering bookings louder solo marxist morrison somalia sediment snake 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tracey rhythms robson rack overlap castles intimacy intensely lavatory glamorous goodnight chord trainee demolition insulation axe judgments madam sleeping monitored crystals offender admired highlight gradient congratulations attic saves cholesterol cavalry banker redemption thanked realization accounted mercedes bolts impress housekeeper diamonds stir ventilation pylori kissing symptom exploited bosnian ellie canteen pi dissatisfaction knots rectangular fuels quotas larry coldly presidents downs extraction chartered complexes identifiable suburbs berkeley installations bacterial deborah midday montgomery livestock careless poorest myths bungalow lynn acre acknowledgement financed admissions overs spider leicestershire compression aboard gastrin sh microscope shrine coronation grandparents henderson predator huh wicket heather spouse shivered postcard irene pointless addictive antonio stella supermarkets granite motif burned barrels threatens majesty gig needless packets cited tossed astonishment dolphin pending invented whistle participating rovers emphasised chef ventures activation proprietor crowded pronunciation implicitly mahogany sunset fences brokers discreet notwithstanding underwent reckless ram mergers costa alliances sacked reversed basil extinction drops concentrates arse behaving moses extraordinarily tackling heroic competitiveness referrals kenny wheelchair kathleen kinship constituent princes colombia seaside brenda charlton boredom warrington rosemary tedious mosaic dentist accidentally serbs discharged repay consolation pulls informative tt builds lexicon jug retorted wasting biscuit devoted onions exquisite mandate ions isaac rationale broker stylistic willis stewards herr reassure newman satisfactorily transportation introductory tiger blaze heavens tear newcomers cox tolerate temperament grains loaded honeymoon wires collectively textiles surrender erected discomfort sliding pillars churchyard diplomacy bladder rev directives missions oct cole addiction inherited diversion validation rests moor paisley weighing harlow persuasive peering surgeons diagrams bilateral deployment mineral recruits cheapest porch mysteries elimination reuter uniforms declaring mandy patiently benedict pasta tract kemp confidently derelict swore algorithm fantasies baroque receptor troubled behaviours sketch endorsement identifier forgiven cohen admitting foam sculptures drain fuller paradigm novelty frantic binoculars buckinghamshire foremost brilliantly composers diaries sworn nuns stamford disturb britons monkey molla mins apprehension differing disclose oath releasing rory intending costume grab regain intricate bullets hits tribunals elbows administered beijing roar slate mansell newsletter associates persian wipe jerry curls reviewing headline banner reassurance mandela clusters chatting incorporation adjusted fossils tomb handbag sociologists balances pal fisheries scotvec advisable tractor vulnerability sorrow assert maxim deviation miranda 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youthful unaffected mac paramount inspect hector cleaned utilities sung hostages tyre deterrent mortimer theatres dickens faulty engagements induce guided persisted petersburg eccentric coronary lucrative nov dared serial pre brighter trauma focal tudor stalls penis illnesses derive statutes hudson updated moisture negotiated consolidation toy philosophers cracks abraham richest contrasts noel saloon gillian persuasion chase radicals recreational contraction reversal congressional moonlight hilton afternoons mushrooms professionally minimise shields instructor arabs miracles otto efficacy fraser heater rituals nod hugo vale ronnie neutrality lime usefulness rochester mirrors youngster aristocratic fellowship unanimously rehearsal rio dale volunteer sentimental painters aeroplane mob stark manuscripts outrage sausage graeme irrational inclination peasantry mare gauge mole erika sellers render comic auguste philosopher woollen brazilian anticipate abdominal clashes theda mon loving buffet massacre indefinitely transmitted illegally reminding bee transfers turbulent ragged assisted picks ecology postponed duchess etcetera dancer familiarity laundry mitterrand lucas ditch africans spelling volatile forties classrooms landscapes cyclists recruited eased chill enclosure lawful dimensional coincide retrospective jelly sounding faye atom gestures confederation guerrilla harper eliminated adjective spreadsheet utter grandson notation hurricane fatigue firing madeleine gastrointestinal bounds brands preserving curved brisk briskly confessed sipped spin contemplate comeback drives amnesty frog butterflies hague labs rugs finer assemblies pints luxurious expresses dole designing promotional docks edited canopy motors aristocracy upward ascent posed morrissey limb algeria visions bureaucrats intolerable shores imported grandchildren litre launching mystical wonderfully uranium exhaustion charcoal unused floppy cuttings worms mock pam antique bridget squeezed icl respiratory displaying undue recurrence canon satellites newer monkeys psychologist rick hedges advancement adjectives recommends disclosed quinn paperwork sub inexperienced entrants sediments solaris stratford kills indicative cdna capitals dawson casting reactors accession cupboards amazement inmates highlights strokes wearily amidst opt silas retrieval jargon stare adventures mat interviewer devaluation loretta ronni nil dots liberties forster vastly folly jumper elders groupings understandably utterances dispose frightening abrupt monopolies generating shaped gripped grinning crap rhythmic gerry cares arrears forensic courtaulds bastards obstruction kg arrogance loft equals questionnaires gifted borrowing flicked workmen economical regulate eruption amenities organiser mantle summarised icing unbelievable wax blocking abandonment unlucky solitary trader merry lesions rebecca flux fiery thankfully complexities gallons prudent rhodes betrayal winston dire inference downward exempt manslaughter awe drifted teesside tails evaluated foul freed fulfilled eileen fiver rivalry nationals crossroads ascertain pistol subsection endowment apron bending karl sorting contentious discrete nail nought processed specificity medau elegance apprenticeship engels festivals stems stringent hypothetical smiles offerings slump forefront exceeds mcdonald conflicting physician negligible contributes settlers benign perpetual woken moira untouched runway bert conceptions irresistible circus slices issuing multitude stockings unpublished supplements pharmaceutical wagner gin bernice pedestrian serbia eminent winger notoriously prefers greenbelt royalty implying toilets dug antibiotics trailer cartoon dresses statistically goat amended pier embryo voluntarily immaculate homogeneous applause newcomer revive monsieur pancreatic turmoil revelations alpine carer damian compost pets mickey sincere sailed listener cumbria endoscopic proximal possesses professionalism barley nora warden convergence glue 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pasture accomplished bowls nostalgia savage horrific diane endure bomber institutes corrupt persistence frown stride traumatic decorated urgh firemen mast visibility knelt speedy ignores expose vigour powerless mutations unanimous inflammation inaccurate summat methodological franklin plaque misunderstanding lined telescope slaughter unduly assembled whale elevation val surviving banana gel emancipation raced barrister thereof ch calculating confirming elliott pamela deposition concluding oppressive disney replaces offset falklands heated creator learns kay gcse boiling viability apprentice beethoven vacancies hardest enthusiastically vibration daisy openness adventurers starvation hertfordshire waking chords mclaren microcomputer locke indispensable bursting brightly winding benny croatian posture mortar manipulate anthropologists froze perceive simulation cf plump sensational imprisoned feasibility beneficiaries aea patricia documentary wow mixing wheeler debbie nodding massachusetts rainforest higgins mortal repetitive amy semi chairmen envy utmost pretence skilful couch neglected peer faecal condemnation formulae pens generously peters submissions promoters cohesion anglers pathway telecom signatures edwardian pies nazis abstraction gina analogue donors guts guitarist transported cruz impatience embrace clerks diesel entrepreneurs cables policing nitrate blouse matilda junk anc constrained spontaneously ingenious subscribers discounts stakes ecstasy fallon matching stumbled dash conclusive graceful priced bland stylish admire ankles praying intuitive pearson tee cheaply menus assay telephones avoids perfume quoting ponds doubted albums alps bean sporting nutrition sketches hen howe tidal militia campaigning bananas haven plague favourably permits congestion mundane windy frogs monsters luton sensibly restoring ukrainian hallway gateshead grievances cane bulb embryos regards hens doomed chaotic leukaemia workload litres wry impending adventurous francs ruined formations liquidation cocoa scissors clocks disliked rotor hawkins bury sleepy brakes sailor homage viewing humorous rostov blankets initiate waterloo cubic stresses aquitaine compatibility stephanie worcestershire resumed grove softer wastes recipient shortcomings pilgrimage warrior abnormalities poisonous helplessly childish peninsula subsistence thornton goddess fills ethos accusation angular credible paradoxically cleaners ag feeble cigar oi knit jolly façade communicating liam monastic dismay sniffed breeds hq noses evacuation melanie canals tunnels treasures lava tackled leap mustard phosphate widows persuading roared maud toronto hurts hints improves archive marginally plots arthritis diplomats stressing staged enthusiasts worm unequal ceremonial cannon cuban manifestations epidemic nun queries dam penetrate chess fruitful lecturers alain calves hubert anatomy sullivan oracle lenders extinct formulated wycliffe triangular menace pears resorts citation airborne columbia singh wiping relocation squash viewer objectivity climatic seals antiques pleasing leapt pretended devolution usefully accustomed potter tournaments handbook robe glazed percy supremacy hollow fascinated burke teresa ee cater wolf hopelessly pants artefacts crashing effected salesman messenger resembles reds prayed hideous clan wellington warns brushing levy appropriation niche envelopes reins skinner outward bikes registers manifestation adjusting hare geometry protesters intrusion emphasises surveyed venus brake sponsor cookery lays asserted portions ex lastly ludicrous responds comrades recourse muriel longed jets carriages valerie infancy uncertainties irresponsible grandma powerfully spinning trailing omitted dreaming estuary yen disappearing performs chaired convertible hysterical inconvenience puzzle lending discusses cuisine flung isobel slides midfielder construed atkinson undergo bournemouth montreal rainbow ryder dhss plutonium benn hammond lyrics mounting imbalance veterans closes cot humanities refreshing detained olds copied heavyweight pascoe enclosed lifeboat rectal fright initiation administer narrower hindu curator stamps interventions ant fined shabby doncaster polymers glamour mentioning dwelling coherence manoeuvre tummy specialized beams ghastly pneumonia blunt richly esther spoil locomotives moderately decidedly baptism pill schooling query spectator stubborn swam keynesian troublesome strasbourg witty swallow felix cereals freezer inherently metallic horrors decorations dismal renew innate gooch disposable cardinal nationwide delors exchanged stout siemens mini intuition declining fixtures psychic parasites sebastian accents townsend covenants helicopters arable predominant intently granny bark possessing foreseeable interpreter frantically throws fixture baseline interiors uncomfortably guinea parkinson olive deregulation barren excesses starter joshua lest nests tuition formulate drafted biting shifts morley hearings dictatorship perverse queried undergoing dunn namibia slowed drastically venezuela vanished squared confess batsman advocate unmistakable pipeline bella lindsey gracious resurrection doo diocese weakly sovereign prostitution adversely badge disturbing compliment housed begged reef autobiography faithfully plentiful fours liquor advocates statues dissent vatican akin tactic intonation trafford acknowledges pledge wa posh curb imperialism thinly suburb positioned marjorie fen carlo meagre fortress ostensibly saturdays computerised trusted mumbled jew formality generator eyebrow reciprocal twisting barker reproduced murdoch freddie proven horizons psychoanalysis bangkok palmer parlour outputs safeguard smashed immature tuc schedules rating paperback reactive trout streak gala wonders unimportant capacities hectic straps overhead hilda selby furnishings towels chestnut accusing conversational excursions chuckled diagonal shortfall nave epithelial earthquake documented semantics tentacle valves roller swear 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gypsy mortgages supervisory provider licensing veto agreeable moods mastery richness sombre costumes budapest loo deficiencies devoid packs commanding variability imposes consumed accompaniment lesley adolescence nutritional migrants weir warranties preventive wander lavish herald quarrel jaq unnoticed zinc petals compositions strikers drying infected fowler interfaces subordinate indices byrne altering opposing folds legion mint tightened baron influencing elites bait benches huy generals violations bidder filtration salts tents id miguel nostrils whitby cadbury tesco aquatic flags colliery beta warwickshire diagnosed karpov tallis mph rincewind characteristically bombay restructuring untidy ratification politburo marching awfully thicker wits xi sic dialect abandoning chichester robot nordern conservatory southend lucenzo staffordshire withstand routinely unavoidable pamphlet relics solvent vase mozambique coefficient proletariat lied wea sulphate selectors fife erratic insane buckets cosmic mouthful sheltered hindsight setback eats auntie marshes ceremonies biographical debated greasy strap bleeding spreads dances manhattan literal wwf beware intimately disguise timely consulting killers edwin groove catastrophic unto existent strata qc smells expelled clutch cranston sunsoft vowel wireless registrar indecent tracy repayments taxed coolly supplemented defiance visibly foil cambridgeshire induced dictionaries ethanol tarmac overwhelmed footpath mischief openings pins endorsed goats commando constructing proclaimed preparatory recycling engaging crusade boro tipped bubble celtic cromwell influx carey reformation hockey geese barnett scattered reacted kingston hurting blah oxide membranes cheeses histological affluent entrepreneurial graphs erotic variously tolerant weigh mario update voucher sid biochemical cushion redistribution redcar unfinished scorer tbsp bewildered restrain disruptive fixing centimetres clara stripped confuse tribal slots houston gibbs concede alignment scandinavian periodically cycling thinner awesome retrospect unsafe persecution messiah underwear visa disagree beck antrim ponies targeted nell norwegian mentions converting fulham rig eagles irritating excessively bonnet boxer monies thickly weighed pastoral prolific remotely shotgun refinement squeeze motionless petroleum austerity yachts aura hearth fake textbook warming heavenly disciples peacefully humphrey unavailable radial bachelor northallerton advert transnational syllables quieter preceded wolverhampton excludes viruses termed gigantic unjust oscar cunningham lloyds greene residues tenor jeffrey insp angola bowlers plo promotions terraced romanesque outing overheads crescent compilation faculties yields grossly signalled mound dinosaurs thankful evangelical maidstone parachute faldo sterile pesticides tanker spinal notices fumes mansfield caves ashton compounded demolished mcleish showers garrison tier elves stevenson manageable displacement cache maclean affordable reasonableness uruguay filed friendships menzies complement rung hamburg phonological broadway rites staggered expulsion enhancement curvature troop sermon lever patriotic alcoholic byzantine teaches balloons ceilings improbable wisely foreman notts scouts online greenwich shafts primacy predicament adherence nobles pike festive advocacy nominated patents masklin rusty bookshop metric connecting masterpiece symphony assisting pervasive oranges pyjamas diets shortages galaxies johannesburg lipstick sands monica claimants endlessly regulated impairment trays emphasized weakened meadows tapping parity comprise shilling hyde exceeding strengthening stately escort alienation carrot logs suspiciously psychiatrist abused narrator unionism swords filters lowe acknowledging cyril ceramic fluids textual probabilities racket terrified maze capitalists millionaire growled storms password vapour potency offline attain purchasing kirov rhetorical starving discrepancy stimulated antigen beech celebrity improper torque entertaining burdens sized graveyard bearings precedent fares healthier variant uniformed shutters diminish involuntary awkwardly beginners bust wallpaper elinor sierra wha echoes roadside constables nodes gutter correspond spells nizan treacherous individuality shuddered vaccine faded ideologies govern hostel expeditions deposited ashdown outstretched aerospace southeast obsessed distraction fergie screw inadequacy shh truce missionary appellant browning lender welcoming dwarf gosh landmark kasparov marshal portfolios freedoms respected souness franks contraception gibraltar cc contemplating eternity punish ashes knickers svqs invitations replay anthropological benson advantageous credentials brightness embargo assent romanov outright respite uneasily jon senator bracket uprising ornamental deviance settlor lesbian partition aroused tenderness glenn amazingly undergrowth natives forceful encounters pessimistic suspend courageous heterosexual inverness continents benefited ayrshire calibre misfortune conceivable borrowed cue tides wlr gratefully differs owls reunion spur nobel intestine bubbles brilliance venables cannabis hampstead relentless forcibly amounting sponge incidental organizing realizing verification blackness proceeding refurbishment rooted remnants workhouse searches dinners individualism inscription sealed vintage breaches symbolism diabetic poses rum briefcase murdering formative simplistic markings terence concurrent peking miami protesting travels synonymous pigeon chaplain kirk detached correlations baseball boyd creole catches tonic harshly taut dietary stillness lester intravenous curse suspects malt destinations redevelopment plunged grips activating superbly scanner lennie banging motorola illegitimate womb identities investigator allegation disagreements nepal opting steak tending burrows awoke arrivals barnsley bothering randomly electors apartheid enlightenment recollection slippers foyer carson prejudices lunches irvine prescriptions distinguishing threads speculate gum novice lifelong wrexham metaphysical portuguese ion teens blades vengeance cnaa damned residue spark steer adjustable monumental beasts roosevelt diverted feat caretaker tanzania placebo stormy insecurity barman locus williamson mam arches triple den kpmg phones plantations shattered baggage creamy discourses chairmanship barnet leopold pedestrians rebuild safeguards boswell sidney burglar telford crisps boldly tentatively advocated broadcast razor pronounced unnatural survivor massage indulge infringement militant mersey sculptor chernobyl lab mums progressed automation veteran vernon flushed focuses carved unfit notification fulfilling wreck spd incomprehensible candy announcements begging exposing fronts tess blaming huddersfield cod peg amplitude recognisable eyelids belville wreckage mexican miner matthews loaf lesbians pillows shaping baskets differentiate bats sails injections wakefield suitability fran rita pluralism mentality cabinets hugely motifs auspices simmons volcano barons hercules losers dunes fr greenpeace carriageway indonesian warehouses heirs moorland surprises cooked wight complexion prehistoric endeavour revived excursion tsar debtors sinclair occupier bitten functioning dearly destined dumped archaic crucially endorse deprived precedence insistent twilight excavations beverley interrogation passionately trailed inflationary chaps unconsciously arousal brooks postgraduate beneficiary rounded incompetence dignified symptomatic newest chopped abu tort wilko accompanying parted surveyors restricting bout detrimental contributory flank delicately rugged experimentation aristotle sicily morbidity taxable diversification browne vain fonts tasty notified treats attained merge allocate interruption therein melbourne buoyant folks unthinkable watford austen rented glove lottery scripts geared specifying marxists rehearsals foxes circulated phoenix protocols wiser orchard preacher adaptations frighten macbeth augustus trams ridges bureaux gym seated humane diego ramp manifest emphasising toddler recommending booksellers objected legendary scarce superiors lush katie leak fights lisbon delights reconsider durable glands securely determinants dishonest bouncing earnest depletion messy complication prussian quiz futile negligent fearing gallon extras burma advertise stature aycliffe hugged sequential desks associate permissible instalments uniformity belongings ghana carla defiant portal unsuccessfully rees unease groin accommodated rouge chilly subscriptions culturally woolwich designation fluent parcels eyed todd ba thematic tunes seam vulgar adjourned prevail furnished frowning regretted admiral brixton brewers scrambled gorge exhaust creeping loyalties cheer authenticity rift broadcasts doubly snooker ubiquitous slowing remit pizza worthless housekeeping dump boasts afield becky spotlight insignificant schizophrenia tuna tuberculosis prosecutor catastrophe symmetric prepares provocative philadelphia offeror wooded ethel stratification soho honoured yugoslav bradley mccarthy darren unbearable conrad helpers normandy watkins footballer oblivious vans correspondingly discriminate poultry jewel lenses banquet distaste belts spared touring josh proprietary stair detroit intellect civilized resembled barrage piers lodged fenella cassie parsley mackay cuckoo portadown technician cone brook realistically hurrying stormed extracted endoscopy soviets humberside fashions crisp golfer grandeur lowering childbirth osborne excitation haste unconditional recognizes authorised indictment saline epic fragmentation josé pcr orthodoxy protects crushed imagining modernisation vines interrupt credited solomon healing calculator depicting strolled flanders mackenzie herring proxy volatility outburst listing captivity certification screws apologise blows stamina mips guild almighty culminating hurdle mildred pellets dunlop aa opec isolate judy flee zurich backbone ingenuity regent coordinator coke fetal grouped precarious berry splitting golfers confronting democracies feather triggered stained probes bounced hendry alternate rendered ominous receptive athlete vms bucharest ruin pursuits sexist unite duo folder sphincter daring ordinarily masculinity ayr basal flourish battalion tile attribute hates plantation directories pantomime batty sockets pearls rubble metabolic loser coincided philippa ammonia hostess assaults pious crewe anomalies goodwin modernism intermittent sylvia englishmen luncheon paddington ranged suffice retailer archaeologists highland kgb elton rifles lust sensual juvenile hammersmith horribly crouched behaved anaemia perceptual sparse exceeded audible detriment relaxing antiquity monstrous slogans herds grunted sporadic resonance ancestor keyword divert halted memo papillae closures heal cheeky bottomley boycott remanded amateurs lateral heady tongues inspections stain abingdon monte malicious commentator arid predicting consolidate slapped conceive cites dreamed hypertension shivering morals freelance hefty connor condemn subordinates hasty cursor sweetly irritable middleton covent reinforcement kisses invites retrieve jeopardy fireworks striped newbury blatant grease pornography walters stressful deployed lais evolve obsolete wryly detectors helens informing elect rejects barnard earrings hms ianthe complacency transitions natwest premise noreen kingsley vancouver discreetly guatemala chunks potassium overdue colorado edouard marketplace saucer catalyst reassuring silicon releases mo oceanic provocation preoccupied hatch saga confines deletion trinity transformations respondent edgar advertised inaccessible prostitutes cortex whaling flatly starring quotes gis twickenham pros exporters essentials prosecuting achieves claws cholera claimant shannon seizure haze insecure backward breathtaking berwick lodgings crypt counsellors pollutants longing vanity inertia donated mandeville strikingly 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amazed dora wagons fracture ledge expanse ornate vowed stern pollen snakes exported thorpe headlights disposed lindsay dragons australians finn criticise regularity stray modernity bogus leases removes fauna weeping lorton dismissing boiled vacancy vibrations kb guildford maize enlightened parallels commence approximation pamphlets gardner nile zen obligatory latvia cues reacting exterior genetically cornish initials rainfall dive beatrice clones illusions lili observable pausing articulation associative jose dougal genus motto royalties misses abbot portrayed helmut hawaii pearl tack diplomat guardians spines gunmen emigration hormone gestured dustin spate everest impulses cheers leant stony settee fancied scrum hegemony decency exhaustive battlefield sophia void endill closeness indefinite gastritis harley wyatt affectionate bred vineyards exaggerated cologne betrayed webster spies unspoken pennsylvania habitats leaping landlady splash horrified hassle bibliography regiments popped dallas bulgarian inverted solids subversive lain caller massively treason masonry sevens banged sly carbohydrate pedigree fried contracted lasts mahmoud comprehend constructions femininity belgrade wavelength prophet remission axes repatriation click isabella covert hostilities inexpensive totality caspar flap winters genesis matrimonial hassan splendour disarmament aback floyd appalled peptide colorectal gummer waterfall unhappiness infamous withdrawing pathways amenable weed muttering radios tokens nec overtaken activist berries floated respectability prominently dice cassettes doris computational pancreatitis scraps tracing rods groom commencement straining whitehouse predatory supervisors corpses guineas pianist flicker saucepan estonia aliens remedial currie venetian mao subs banners aspirin angus solitude swollen mister underside glances parrot chronological se shuttle laughs gloss activated midwife billions pulses coating hovering est complimentary postcards exemptions rib hauled gen mod metaphors sql posing newmarket coercion hari halves oval thai amen burun sleek alleviate installing rewarding presume giovanni rated decor veterinary amplifier announces prostitute aided gravely knowingly clinically exhibit adhesion newco keegan inadvertently burglars rebuilt neural inspire esteem downfall ridley gigs emptiness artery qualifying perry scan nurseries steeply industrialization scotsman nomes weaken hangs animation dizzy multiply campaigner soluble grassy liar terminate fingertips condensation baked fitzgerald jumble vault hooper skinny lining tonne reflective glowing articulate widen cowley cerebral ahmed bony normative prophecy ferdinand mused slumped cosmetic laurence upgrade physicians sucking lightweight favours unpaid farther dread disapproval upland resented balancing drinkers electromagnetic greetings nan insensitive resumption manuals keenly psychiatrists forbes freeze kerry ripped shorthand hamlet butt valuations predicts protector adolescents shaun homelessness ono resembling mondays endangered envisage blockade urquhart checklist jess inhibit benevolent intellectually fade tara longitudinal armoured heroine specialization towering flowed disintegration receivers clapham jurnet payers slater inwards handles soda miserably battling duplication colouring takeovers artificially edie mosley lionel innumerable filming crane seams diffusion stationery bernie uncovered exhibits temporal phenomenal clutched cracked quebec paving pledged squads elvis gale footing misuse aylesbury bmw sings exposition shrug periphery inactive cop bilingual op subjectivity fertiliser asserting emotive shortest stabbed libyan lumps astronomy brutality unambiguous delegate landowner haul postage obsessive lifts humanitarian micro frome shipped trouser linguists impartial carcinoma countess murmur pioneers marlborough licked leapor olivia ramsay woven strenuous veronica southwark dismissive overweight emulate unfairly noriega postpone ss superficially 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ornaments topaz shipments extradition guido teddy eloquent eerie miriam pinch burrow tempo raped felicity floods ecumenical speeding confinement stephenson fins leon austere fiji xv stunned outlining watt caravans rigidly parasite embarking ivy pathological interviewing crawled amused prussia wrath guise grubby prosecuted tranquil blindly tremendously labourer controllers tighten stoddard widest anticipating flask embroidery devastated seville derivatives liquids vodka dessert nickname franz watts entail screams refreshments inferences conveyance deference diy herb pricing canoe watery luminous kingdoms indistinguishable taxis freehold incest dodgy ombudsman specialising embark granddad pointer semiconductor juniors exploratory recorders walnut hayes contend envoy woodwork horrendous repercussions cute monasteries stupidity pathology permitting unmarked randolph slam commonest scar motorbike colder wiring gasp rufus gemma bra systemic liner kyle dearest finale bemused acquaintances dip rica oversee sae persist weddings originality lynch fabia bulls doubles invent clwyd modestly roxburgh animated mechanic retiring dolls grabbing cooke eligibility haemoglobin nuclei murderers figs anorexia sown emergencies sandstone hepatic frenzy revise artemis unwittingly mantelpiece witches methane drowned physiology ldp aug resin outspoken teased instructive portland repaid advertisers villain cartridge lurking repeats interfering stretches polo ups cohort conventionally echoing neurons cervical literate mushroom apprehensive trait ills lovingly pcs charters gleam adverts uncompromising pavilion viscount noah sane raiders chronology timbers unreal sincerity dictated scars drained herefordshire gatt delicacy siblings cleavage resolving contracting screened icons borrowings gascoigne happiest dilemmas grassland pores nominations clung palette yvonne stroking harmonic enquire wacc grit await wig yanto borrower rags dustbin epithelium replacements plato holloway overcoming cops merton plotting marrow tacit resisting inns vol truman fools inert preface invaded unspecified accessibility percentages deane stainless sweetness payroll climber timid decisively johnstone hanson facets abdomen asians meticulous overcoat substituted sucked avenues deity adulthood ursula vacation sacrifices doctrines incubation wexford perennial illustrating plead enamel hon hymns consume uptake siberia sherwood convincingly grotesque hooks harness quigley pumps malignant flute misty charlemagne fluorescent assassin shutting soothing woodlands endemic victorious presbyterian franc lambeth penry reshuffle condemning frau educate interpersonal prescott docklands grievous blokes smartly bs trophies reg listings equivalents robes tigers deprive examiner embankment gripping zoe stuttgart fairs discarded conducive extravagant royce refrigerator sympathetically ploy kev taunton malawi gamble fading mileage alloy uncontrolled presided waits ensemble terminated tucker biologists bake inversion template hobbies livingstone vectors poisoning tailor discontent conglomerate touches asbestos perimeter suffrage brittany narrowed informally augustine ventral contractions excitedly tumbling yuan polymerase approximate cfcs storey propensity aggressively accessed onslaught tights vera unqualified thrilled cumbersome artwork circulating volunteered discernible investigative apprentices pals ensuing huts monoxide divers athenian solemnly nash proprietors advocating delivers dissidents soften intruder shopkeepers ana hymn hayward amplification myriad custard manipulated oats gladly aroma tolerated carrington modelling integrating yoghurt helper adultery chlorine mesh invoked servicemen generators idealism steering uplands mas unbroken sco oswald dunbar loops totalling tramp morphological harmonious diving drawback intimidation skilfully lashes darkened tech aromatic las slovenia testator carpenter concise fatty admiralty dorcas transcript tiredness marketed inception afghan drawbacks corrected grill gilt impractical gazzer standpoint misgivings lo simplified equaliser bays fieldwork chauffeur buckley chunk flair overdraft mediation mastered incarnation elaboration albanian amiable densities configurations drawled undoubted scandals torquay carp flush cider ealing microprocessor irregularities sexism attackers mysteriously judiciary exporter generality retribution aspiration penelope exacerbated mclean livelihood bingham sensing kits turnout reformist replication bedfordshire habitual tiller stereotypes astonished solvents disgraceful lesion dispersed passions maisie untrue secretarial rogue suggestive brickwork relativity mel dentists pro vinyl spade ballroom township instructors prohibited masks inherit madeira informix tugged taps outpatient disagreed seoul skye chronicle terrestrial anymore dominates floorboards wills physicists safest deviations thirsty introductions postman muhammad suppressed thinkers fielding negotiators resultant drowning gypsies bud patriarchal bravery villas constipation elastic drown antarctic proviso cleanliness dimly overcame barbecue punitive singularity crawling belle trickle durkheim glazing precedents cooler wasteful polythene modigliani watchdog compaq mammal endurance flurry eliminating disputed assimilation retina wares cursed glamorgan abnormality implicated rarity fibrosis volcanoes principals palaces enlargement bream assign motherhood islington stab greatness bedding rectangle progressing bicycles emphatically hype robots athletic irishman contributor explores evacuated tyranny wizard throats fetched teasing uniformly annoyed registry inseparable whispering queens blueprint horton psychologically ventured squeezing revert backside lineage dived em separates sixpence intermediaries instruct distortions spiders yeast gran waitress attentions lima translations occurrences salads internationals heterogeneous irritably reunification naples welcomes smoked arson nationalities specifies blindness sandals notebooks macho accreditation unhealthy botanical firearms hinder sewing crilly flanks operatives crosses ongoing warmer bombing contests lofty earthly digestive tub abusive retailing bookshops spilling emphatic explode entrances highways fuelled activator toughest typing summerchild locking formats momentous magnet paste surname housewives knob satan citing reliably dss hesitant brushes topped ginger californian entrepreneur suede modem humidity correspondents restraints geographic calorie prerogative rdbi foreigner rite dept pebbles muster cyclic attendant oily rosy bollocks clown repository enrolment rollers cirencester retaliation rightful notify foucault skeletal bnfl bombardment conditioning plum collects cube alyssia fencing ambivalent heaved clad fuse depicted crackdown leisurely bruises knuckles prompt accumulated piled audrey quay farnham archers commuters asserts perdita tasted opener castro riven tncs screwed bouquet coasts andrea dumping lizzie snorted dissimilar devious requesting terminus tunic repressive unwillingness modernization marcos boarding condoms lithuanian barristers uncertainly boar vowels tracts tangle prop growers alaska famed kidneys militants pans assertions apex petitions broom slum en smug pastures josie egyptians cents divergence scandinavia detectable anglo punters warily pictured enthusiast foreseen kicks declares firth regulator smelly stench bloom dorsal blushed resolutely desmond catchment sublime adapting experimenting hysteria neutrons moss watchful voter scant punctuation recognizable beatles hooker humility moaned philippe rot coconut exhibited courtney flaws tae mosque disused sarcasm chicks overthrow chiswick stuffed fleeing dough albans fragrance waterways aide pirate misrepresentation quarries carolina reinforces drains weaving reflex constantine overflow adequacy weston wallis lids fragrant whereupon deriving causation melt mortgagee adjudication arbitrator vagina stroll brutally classify bloomsbury gaol denning khrushchev swans cylinders prematurely correlated hounds norris pennies inventor ix amazon goldberg equivalence mussolini supposing anomalous phoning fc jasper hal ontological csce poignant packaging hostage yielded manuel minimize scenic buds refreshment bidding basingstoke tees vicky liking nostalgic fungus mc hop professors grimsby erect reactionary comforting measurable connolly dependants radcliffe insure ass bursts enlarged stepfather patchy illicit connie rachaela scotch copying infer vile saxon holt cloudy irreversible legislators operas schoolgirl coral portrayal digest lt null shire cp multiplicity barge intervened easing hatton underwater declarations chimneys callaghan scratched joey malice misconduct fella alphabet levi simplify conservationists euro ageing sacks discursive sybil whitaker phoebe asquith calcutta fats staple defries trinidad frustrations adrenalin excretion experimentally salzburg hercegovina legitimately fin vinegar affiliations savagely chewing motorcycle shady strawberries clasped abuses rave center mainframes curricular conveys cprw grouping pickering gearbox grampian stephens transforming nutty devastation cynicism spurious noteworthy regulators daphne sportsmen yearly rationalisation grasping ethic stamped mischievous watercolour elisabeth ibid haphazard clarence inwardly gully deserving shareholding lj dreary dues dissertation spat vascular dictator conceivably gulls idiosyncratic thirst originated bonfire clergyman enactment drummer acceptability reiterated sauna eastbourne modesty enigmatic atlanta dispersal multiplier tan oesophagitis incorrectly distributions idly promotes conversions hailed spun upsetting darkly purposeful demon helmets perceptive spa uphold varnish prospectus reputable cathedrals lighthouse lear haemorrhage fringes strictures disproportionate dwell undisturbed dagger cartel celebrates sparkling footballers compensated blitz niall boyle unreasonably roubles archie usl reconnaissance pertinent manville consolidated photographed cardigan antarctica crunch unkind havel chapels keating enforceable irrigation chant dresser strife quakers astronomical triumphantly hormones lass inhibited broaden vaginal scriptures spokesmen sybase sparks faeces gleaming pleasurable rottweiler insiders barked infinity unison sniffing dipped physicist indignant gurder aberystwyth framed expands alarmed loading maltravers elland baptist leyland appointing amiss statesman compartments courteous bamboo desirability jars acidity hutton il zip coughed alkali industrialized chloride descend kendall rains saturation beak differed edged relentlessly repaired commercials abide emphasizes progresses newham barbados sod flashing guarded concerto foreground undergraduate thumbs shiona assortment planetary postponement hampered patriotism harp authorisation popping ecuador missionaries preoccupations distraught concealed enhances paints enclosing abortions rein glacial enhancing doubling pouch granting skelton cords confer cowboy denominations rockets teesdale blazing tweed der gravy transmitter generalization attractiveness shrill sermons noisily discharges powered nationalisation communicated antagonism hydraulic lymphocytes unexplained squarely cured greenland conway fairer tradesmen thence undertaker beamed pooley stigma northwards unitary moderation nouns earnestly mechanically peacock enclose nightmares dangling strategically subdued instalment guiding regulars manoeuvres wi malaria dictate filth effluent kuwaiti swearing bog vibrant incremental cohesive switches cistern trumpet bottoms marianne pompous regulating glastonbury blair novelists summarized vine shoved hind paradoxical rudimentary immortal stafford supervised softness connotations gunman biliary barred trifle clearest functionality lothar robins bunk newark lifeless klerk prosecute papacy accumulate resentful stocking maine creep unidentified encompass ferret nietzsche undermining garages ranulf allotment fraudulent discrepancies thrive kosovo uplift danes bedtime indexes riverside unilateral owning swap pnp contentment dj streaming procurement pentium carlton coca programmer evils motorist peptides overtly displaced depart führer companionship fervour homely affidavit hebrides boosted bingo succeeding departed fri emulation deadlock trunks cds coeliac breweries vitally staging medicinal kneeling storeys plumage puppet torrent tue trough knox cola concerted countered ghostly inefficiency miraculously joys subtlety prentice discouraged horizontally nicolo bug helsinki topical carboniferous superseded makeshift infarction bunker oasis col schema discriminatory chased offended hereby widnes mama telegram robbed triangles brentford deficient lyrical shampoo ache farce highlighting wickham striding adamant royals classed strachan plank damascus clough brett directs fitzalan vocation silvery distressing flooded antigens tempt familial riches rapport clayton brochures overlook barrow headaches fascists gears tow intelligentsia policyholder bonuses crater plough transient jessamy sony obscured intentional airy uh ignition consignment lame clone innocently hooligans hangover lockerbie anthem shipbuilding anonymity courtship opted physiotherapist commenced paces robbers guarding porcelain roundabout subsidence anglian signify traps chemotherapy repairing faintest viola warrants amenity curricula rampant luis feb forbidding mar alerted recruiting cleverly crystalline viewpoints contender raffle finnish edna os pilgrims snarled busily forthwith averages equities batsmen slovak craftsman tribune jacqueline strawberry defeats pulpit intolerance timeless smelled contiguous transfusion lipid waiters mediated mitch melodic strewn jupiter fridays prowess anselm subordination ornament dripping rousseau coals bluntly enacted dogma duvet anthropologist nasal molten commandos empathy mrna omissions infrequent spaghetti lunar wolfgang raincoat font pollock omally summers granddaughter pathologist insured insert riley catalytic linkage bromley communiqué excise hackney sylvester rohmer congenital jubilee arouse casey delta ow silhouette affiliation shrub delegations obtains ter tug macroeconomic scaffolding arterial periodicals motorways impeccable baggy exodus rowland exemplary legality pickup readable betray hampton bliss rump midweek scanned sdlp bakery inexplicable islanders modelled corals eradication kremlin skeletons collusion assessors porridge atkins tavern persistently sip coinage inconceivable scorn regal persona conserve blankly surrounds gail holistic rab volley upsurge fearsome jehan hem suites apathy attentive reinforcing sanity crafts bruno outings flotation wholemeal olivetti earners pinned coatings sensibility traded inflict sewn rap resurgence selkirk intrinsically bobbie tamil microcomputers densely pounding revolutions sartre randall troy rumoured pencils entrusted platinum rourke crocodile signalling captains interact arcade stereotype countrymen peril protracted manually moslems evasion gardiner nairobi celebrities rattled nausea cis editing satisfies bun embarked pram verity rudolf garrett platt embracing plasminogen footpaths doe ivor elsie enforcing obtainable harrow clip pagan hiring prognosis descendant allison boast unhelpful skyline frankish occupancy entertained materialism sympathies gland dilution jezrael nomadic punched reverence langley cinemas detainees klein composure ambassadors cruelly recoverable eyeing torment heaters shrink siren nam gogh congratulate salesmen hilarious twos piccadilly moran secretive discovers mckenzie syphilis sage orient angalo resemble atlas ardent denise promenade multiplication heaviest curate cellars viral piss alarms counteract surveying contaminated deducted tabloids queer lends annoying culinary distract smashing tutorial tenuous waistcoat reinforcements dichotomy loyalists rhodesia uttered likeness downturn facade specialisation hanged crossly souvenir farrell preaching rendezvous blessed flicking sped michele congregations morphology po elegantly standstill teas pegs lowland standardised ay discern spear shine worldly haynes poked numb doom edit ducked realms toured admirers swine darts birthplace attends eqn grandiose elective horace unequivocal lyle constants irwin classifications perched admirably pads scanning twigs disregard orcs winnie evokes nez crab oblivion somerville offend serpent cose eline ryedale radicalism helena stricter amalgamation grazing keepers ceramics arteries allergic arduous idiom vologsky bicester debating plunge flagship pembroke ecstatic carroll anomaly theresa guideline elemental wessex lilley hose messing buxton snap basque embryonic flaw eastwards deviant stein creations submitting rudder silky whore hatfield rune liturgy corrosion qb shoots marilyn newry malone popularly reconstruct vegetarian roast connects nasa impacts snail mindless abortive kilometre upheaval astute fujitsu schoolmaster eruptions plumbing antibiotic centralised blacksmith publishes arithmetic loughborough lucien mafia decimal kerr bewilderment moths delete sustaining climates cafés dwellers swaying biased startled blondel psychoanalytic louisa millennium malvern contravention monde selects queues fuselage compassionate spokesperson separatist eton georgina needy battersea widening presupposes willi whence regained perce primal apes parable absurdity adversary inter mabel planner absorbing agm snack underestimate shuffled rocking transistor dinosaur researching embodied carr martyn intrusive lyn gallagher feeder formalities incontinence inflexible highbury presumed otley chatter afloat crumbs untreated rushdie sill parody hutchinson containment admissible kazakhstan dominion stew graffiti tame tits cardiac educators pedal subtly sullen horsemen putative schellenberg pluralist grams submarines mats singular sedgefield es patel nude confine orleans pitfalls anton breeders kitten bede destroys swell forcefully hartley aggregation irons blackboard endeavours sued squat renault colossal flavours ticking householders abbott lyon rocked lettuce incur rucksack onerous realises fluffy atrocities homosexuals cumberland fidelity admirer rainy favouring hub traitor shameful caption inventions lasmo deliberations banning flavia ration overdose commuter vicki tilted lewes precursor liberia rom gasping widened gaza ethiopian substitutes subset flaubert punishments researches cam parishioners retreated howell quaint uniqueness pumping camel smoothing murky parchment decks hybrid electronically cricketers smoothed threes facsimile fullest ruc nme attaching blooms anarchy storing inhibitory underclass complied overalls reich graphically blackmail inhibitors cartoons liza hoarse mentor onus ohio ccg decentralization parochial commemorate violet pitt impedance heyday subscribe kites cosmos negatively spanning leningrad compulsive justifies weavers salford nightclub parapet aeroplanes disrupted unscrupulous distrust locker extremists scout firmer unanswered cessation unhappily uv nominally runaway automated glitter phyllis witney tiresome peacetime seductive diffuse élite filename ambivalence methodist fixation arizona ely emptied knitters deferred sparked transplantation adhere inspected recollections catholicism dishonesty disproportionately cutbacks gatherings upturn showroom undercover sipping unwise weep papa lymphoma briton botham amstrad althusser strides ladders extant workable transmit klaus labours peptic indebted euphoria idyllic preclude compiler adopts exemplified combo ripon jurisdictions sardonic ransom spectra dispense laity minibus spectre indulging entropy feeds glaring condom jobless foal wimpey fullness disposing raft uncanny boardroom stiffness clapped dyson ballymena unwell proofs moaning superfluous awaits downstream accompanies tally barclay secs consuming vitor ruby backlash notional chick jules coma necessities chromosome hazy unseen seth lennox regrettable fanciful premiership kiev selectively finch enrichment piety imperative alternately northeast interpreters substituting necklace azerbaijan helplessness motivations lousy skiing rationally barbarians characterisation comb outlay stroud jigsaw mistakenly woolf aunts wasps horrid callers naomi tentacles dinah mervyn statistic crudely laing inset crate aggie sprung ballets alphabetical deterrence amber emanating totals crag flared nocturnal positivist overhaul oblige healey rigorously lobster tunisia bribery myocardial expenditures beaumont rebellious rust primer shark milking cardiovascular mythical unleaded puppies paraffin whipped latitude hearer bordering shearer whitbread ju garry phonetic inadequacies joked interchange infrequently schofield jock afforded radioactivity wordperfect dobson effortlessly microscopic balfour ratified draining predictive propagation patsy hillsborough didcot obscurity disadvantaged golding awaited proponents rendering originating occupant programmers detailing adaptable intentionally entirety peach aloof solidly bsl picket milburn ella conspicuously montrose secretariat contrasting oxides hedgehog harwich distorted ethnicity deleted phd orwell woolley murderous booklets craven cooperate contacting vickers insurer slums formulations appreciable parasitic delaney commencing accuse intelligible dove committal groan conferred suck erroneous bosom indulgence administrations inconclusive theodora barns tolkien withdrawals sequel ruthlessly inferred deceptive unorthodox adolescent blinds cotswold episcopal jinny cystic folklore tracking woolly vest supt liberalization astronomers soaking custodial wrap remand theologians sickening instantaneous intrigued crates socialization diabetics override wept cleo almonds modulus delia hugging magician smyth gladstone advises parenthood furnace casserole shrank alastair algorithms coldness saliva xiv willy postscript emi arbitrarily freer rainforests alleging wheeled theorem gedge philosophies daniels sited persia revisions ned umpire channelled perkins relegated executions tramway jade henri regrettably gracefully inescapable underlined inflicted emperors ordnance polyester vehemently downhill inventive mend unnamed bgs harrods townships mead reconciled impaired renovation falsely momentary attendants comics brownies cantona completes soles additives gamma injunctions faber warner thrusting bearer brightest enid clenched auditory tod entertainments tait tertiary eradicate superstition coffins catfish tanner deserts calder refund maids eagerness vitro waldegrave hurled contemptuous hinted wedgwood differentials meteorological kashmir admiring sas suicidal reefs adored brute contraceptive analytic rife withheld watershed adept ventricular wc gwynedd vanguard rep lifestyles reversion intersection stud inconsistencies triumphs armenian neurotic tragically clumps psyche undisclosed abdul sufficiency departures barefoot fiasco passports pulmonary criticize yale priesthood galley accomplish pictorial licking fore vogue booth jefferson beckett templeton pretensions orbits pathogenesis undo bumper minoan ro hypnosis macleod verify markham casts fingernails polyps involuntarily pointers bully stationed headland newborn micky lazily staggering therapists bargains majestic fruitless undergraduates glimpsed anatomical donegal shanghai sender distracted pumped hants fountains unbeaten believer jaguar breached padded interplay caro whim ebb nay portray neutron nah rsc defeating barbed miscellaneous ltp geologists wandsworth unfolded hordes kerb industrialised selves empires monotonous pastime symposium planks walled evade sliced outbreaks busiest dialects naïve northwest playwright segmentation stallion coopers numeric hmso scientifically hvk shopkeeper scrolled barney eminently vaccination seizing malaysian underestimated mucus monoclonal vent rhyme prevailed reformed doubtfully sacrificed politeness stagnant alcoholism visionary bluff garvey pointedly artefact wardens garbage hebrew tinned criminology siberian romeo uncontrollable versatility finalists mohammad happenings smear unisys selections listens militancy haircut rapist caddie mourning artisans haiti utd rustic hewitt harding fleets easton suitcases despatch discos stile mongolia dane distinguishable goldsmith sampling vantage valentine thinker sweaty tapestry sumptuous chunky balliol determinant dominating snp advisor starters collapsing wavelengths abstentions pore specialities resides undone bartholomew neath childless conductors whistling doorways à lorna magnesium snacks underline grape uncles smash apostles tombs hooves toad fraternity chemically infrared dal surpluses signatories flickered charms tantrums mountainous speedily showdown peel stacks lisburn dung meters nether contenders boasted vocals lasers administering goblins congo yelling activate invaders brew woosnam distributing seating inconsistency falkirk sd adjoining cambodian dalton serene yates manic confessions gram fooled tick richie bracken clicked landings yrs curfew driveway timetables freeman unproductive carelessly winced coughing olives frs pesticide illogical nominate rallies superego torso dagenham georges delegated baking llanelli dalgliesh choked spikes headmistress probing ceases gingerly dissatisfied targeting materially pakistani capturing frosty vegas transcripts terrier clubhouse swings respectful pitched dogmatic tyson apologised volvo plunging unborn goldfish tubular unprepared seedlings watches aerobic bundles festivities haunted inextricably macarthur felipe aah decreases liturgical bicarbonate witchcraft appropriateness lissa scary nigerian restrained salute adrift verdun spite sluggish pellet slap reflectance yorks fmln nationalized frivolous exploits yeats botswana registering watercolours subversion deductions tundra scot birch chaucer exporting puddings permissive nappies voiced indie lynda exhibiting resilience salesperson ancestry monaco mountaineering clement avail motherwell headteacher transatlantic marton unconnected quickest neighbourhoods tiled slamming agrarian geographers messrs clientele berth sprint throttle rhine stickers estimating scenarios gee metro toxins quantify schoolchildren contemplative disobedience euston labov horne nationalization precipitation stanford circling alistair disparity circa rochdale sewers inorganic chad conveying commune exponent misled mixtures spirituality panting laps pronounce pentagon neon guessing affirmation cling abrasive algiers peugeot wye settles benefiting armenia examiners flanked ambiguities flourished sect revulsion andes inexorably domes latterly challenger decreased nipples originals clarinet divides versailles aides cheered straits intractable profitboss fag argyll budding millimetres lib prescribe utah constituting priceless generalized ledger emphasizing wes distasteful lizzy jockeys lantern souvenirs evoke underlines thorn barking patently approx joyful devout livingston compelling orlando britten bureaucracies disgruntled viking savers foetus iq canons senators apologetic teapot daly mmm mona stag brezhnev conciliation marina translator immersion stiffened mcmahon illustrious strident accumulator bucks unquestionably pregnancies manila spaniards athletics refrain esoteric phonemes pigment cutters fe forged cultivate gazette mccready doorbell paranoid roche alarmingly willow wirral santiago simplification preach circulate agnew poking bowen modifying lance cairns luxuries convection mutant hg singled cnut misunderstandings hating reeves bovine booze automobile unchallenged recital observatory steroids tranmere senna decorate aligned michigan chargeable confrontations levied throng cunt beats roderick translucent rectify landmarks indignantly culley luisa heresy acclaim scare hum pendulum grievance considerate charing wicker contemplated dostoevsky chewed badgers sideboard carving manure heaps londoners tossing bumping rations friar deliberation denim resilient roaring demo arguable gazza stubbornly contestants beetle sternly rides collars hume forte intergovernmental shelters columbus unfounded kidding vandals evaluations multilateral breaths wycombe asymmetry reminders qualifier guilds beacon swallowing rattling chen sectional loomed theodore assaulted colonialism orbital canvases interruptions tremor wrongs protons serb bowe apiece yarns pip existential habitually bowels crook lessen indo pristine beckenham buttocks measles imitate galileo skis soared shiver soaring sloppy verbally syndicate spouses applicability garland rspb sultan paterson primates antiquities distressed lilies glyn jagged informs permeability blur urges disarray invoke salient hobbes cyclosporin safari distort earns cursing liberalisation societal mourners ingrid leafy homoeopathic tenderly justly plumber multi cheating bookseller astonishingly matthey lithosphere humid proclamation erupted skip compton topography truthful partisan venom blasted revolutionaries braithwaite emerson nellie glint matron tugging decrees screwdriver inevitability lucid slows aziz huskily sobbed timescale léonie helium ghetto relish adherents albumin allergy khmer adelaide reputations satanic addicts tutorials deceive sociologist gentleness aloft redwood prompting inscriptions hostels aldershot exiles embodiment parisian clump appellants pear hospice thanking upholstery heparin friendliness alexandria convex nova logan reviewer conquer toxin mountbatten lapse burying orphans turnbull comprehensible foresee creggan observance defensively ritchie crowned obedient numbered morland shrunk weakest nearing gloomily kinetic painstaking dispatch magnates beauties lucia gestation foodstuffs projecting pendant camcorder achievable semblance cherries rigidity ferocity stools canberra centralized sensor pronouncements fiduciary humiliating childcare spit crawl limp mince incubated assaulting blames tonal charisma handel indeterminate vigilant commotion poker shoal huntingdon spilled contradict shepherds nixdorf smuggling houghton ultraviolet orchid sprs macaulay nitrates dialled restricts dispositions saviour magnus elizabethan pawn traction slang paige unoccupied sparcstation anti bets herts preview scrapped reassured boyfriends abc obscenity tremayne derrida ds wheelbarrow conditioned circled affections peanuts agatha trafalgar integer panelling spence freshness genital smoky trot forbid amorphous grudgingly lorraine intermittently inquired tortured bumped dickinson blatantly livery beveridge crux affectionately synonyms curl ashtray adaptor renders mapped cracking patchwork porters netting octave incompetent iranians rebuilding buenos powys robbins ewes cones inaugural buns mugs explorer gulped hess lilian reversible confided seminal elicit spicy glacier apical hooligan empowered speechless reprieve revolver epistemological jarvis upgraded sewer tcr interdependence valuables kinase paler choking embraced ibrox apologetically nowt mobilization expertly justifying darted alzheimer unjustified rained illusory acquires biographer passers fenari absently carole limelight johns dales captive honduras privatised penn enclave unheard pondered hotly whiskies scarcity animosity machin negotiator steered turtle girlfriends aaron glimmer nicandra forgery afresh acet dm mutiny spice dial beckoned compiling resignations deficits undeniable imperatives buzz warmed pretext tiananmen infra gem shudder uproar coy leagues cadfael edmunds tensor blanc stripping devising leonardo opposites chatted paddock withhold venous millie yarmouth slit rash adjournment homer equip hive compliments chaplin avert plethora menopause caste provenance crowns sb surety titford fireman amps undecided schmidt follower strained histamine courtroom juveniles stump ailments overboard justifiably paranoia gaunt rpm vanish injected deformation spire staffed unequivocally overshadowed debatable averaged pérez biographies utilised cosmetics sharpness gaelic smelt sham feargal tightening ugh mink averaging stumbling misunderstood whiff fleetwood twoflower bolster milky carbohydrates wistfully compilers paralysis southwell clatter choirs pickets seattle risked dipping deictic occupiers preachers penicillin outfits facet buck phillip mcgrath teachings farnborough reclaim squire hanover dissociation contested proportionately audition impulsive neal structurally parry sec inadequately navigator skipton alleyway yawned moth greenwood blyth ida melting knack hesitantly annabel moratorium detecting cricketer differentiated watchers failings bu flanker protagonists surround neill transparency flashes invade digit contras steamer contrasted antony servicing capsule napoleonic ideologically drilling autocratic switchboard coupons freshwater vanessa ludens sodden sobbing aggregates arbitrage simulations pitiful harem cabaret mcgregor granules therese headphones aboriginal figured elevator dries occult consternation oldfield anfield belatedly capacitor beetles oligonucleotide starve compile unarmed mercifully disillusionment coaching insanity convoys positivism magdalen horseback badger tit scrub peppers disqualified setbacks defense jekyll springfield obeyed wilkins grimma flemish relinquish treachery eyesight locating wrongful organist samantha dialectic genetics cl kabul playful edible marseille bandage cheryl boilers tableau cooling volkswagen spectacularly comma elevated bouts arched ethnographic decreasing danube scathing indiscriminate lemonade wilful upstream debit sloane complicity eaton sensuous maximize muck consequential kettering graduated redress susceptibility sperm perm bereaved filmed bubbling addict clinicians escalation cholangitis reasoned algerian reggae bump offa glimpses donate affluence haunt eviction crossings mercia walesa pepsinogen dcs drills illuminating squirrel utilisation churchmen individualistic caterpillars doc annoy strive whips manifestly superstar conjunction nominee surrendered invoices rarer nonconformists leaking melodies dreaded purification eugene empirically trembled answerable forlorn carts repeal corporal bros disdain inspecting cemeteries witnessing trek auditorium quarterly juicy laos amply equate logistics organizer winked warships thorfinn snapping intensify biologically sculptors muffled dorothea tearful lineker brooch trance mixer cucumber overtones manipulating seekers wholesome dungannon spinners hound intervening tankers manning sided hauling villains impossibly hicks pragmatism southgate unregistered televised tolerable prolong taping hallmark wilton workmanship typed yu divisive selfishness placid tread sleepless brady fives accelerated entailed syrup torches corrections deteriorate distinctiveness vases drafts crush despatched testify teamwork guillotine resale tripartite blessings importer sedimentation oecd ark sordid liberally floral husky weighs trails buggy briggs intensification sheridan spices affective dutifully nape chimpanzees wharf turbo kidnappers exuberant cheering looming geometrical hcima toss hernia tripped treatise heartbeat manhood escorted hegel archway scraped aching believers bukharin martyr embassies intracellular transformer ripple freeing maiden infiltration entourage kilos pronoun relic ileal bentham maude sellafield bibliographic uncover attaches plotted negatives bidders plucked amends fateful boeing phased snowy gruesome gems devils pronouns dramas merchiston meticulously opium mite chests stockport mcbride peruvian angered labelling tabloid justin pelvis recreate chariot fumbled calendars glittering upton criticising prickly scandalous presuppositions preached nsf instituted kiwi mounds longstanding piling duct madge closet eclipse embodies indexing spinner tardis djibouti grate multiplying sacrament sonny journalistic derivation diplock supervising polarization phantom recess concomitant bordeaux shawl kirsty needham deteriorated singularly din victorians kurt mccartney gaily endured receivership knitted tragedies bulge retarded springing butchers millar requisite intensified ridiculously inserting tab idol multiplied props proust paternal sonic bahamas grandad aversion pheasant forearm cobbled hypocrisy frankenstein mineralisation zaire exacting brooklyn spelt erik cyclist resection meningitis brace burlington crp participated protectionism impenetrable mosquitoes unrestricted backbenchers sensors rutland archer operatic plagued wasp reap veritable airfields unfriendly protestors palazzo albanians sept uninterrupted induces irina folding bologna vigilance evolving cameroon wetlands armoury acquitted anita tangled singly hawk masterpieces scents privet penh helm aires hedgerows tumbled metaphorical mousse relapse snatch fallacy succinctly callous crow jessie abreast lizards flynn unrivalled completeness tamar hobbs beatrix splashing heck claret creams advisors terrifying evocative bungalows drafting regan skulls françois sheds allowable ambience olympia littlewoods surf pas mute mannheim levelled radiotherapy urinary guaranteeing sep falkland secession almond con yachting perestroika grantham napkin laborious maryland epilepsy puppets decentralisation woody flare defy scholarships actuarial recycled baton disperse cinnamon glover sock ilp aegean banished ionic turbine lichfield durability bombings conciliatory odours crawley heartily bounty stockbroker comer constitutions aubrey disparate independents penetrated innocuous dismantled comprehensively hodge footage panoramic centrepiece proclaiming bodie grounded fungi interdisciplinary hellenistic aisles colt genome phnom deduce immaterial oman juries grenfell sweetheart inauguration bridle antithesis gunners crimson och patrols motivate battalions fervently bowing takings richter davy piggy grimaced alarming huxley rectory compensatory scramble risking cramped sanders cid underlies cunning coordinates poised fleshy tuscany becker suing novices sherlock ovens centenary claw chesterfield muir windscreen seconded wilde melancholy wed launches headhunting bounce lynne maguire crossword concealing resellers powerpc scullery fermentation exclamation hammering carew danzig enhancements brood stalemate batches sigma laden morbid whigs citations phoneme rigours porosity fished conical collaborators insoluble chi shingle bugs scorton fussy fabrication fragmentary barr cyclical bearded glassy ascendancy cheat heinrich comrade despised gentler backlog clarissa stronghold scraping profitably putt lbs senegal treading bracelet chores expansive merchandise judicious smoker whistled anew allegory culprit jordanian southall godwin illustrative webber programmed lavatories elliot trappings backup ambush hove chadwick objectors kansas aptly hasan digby altruism egalitarian groceries clarified crete warheads verandah interrupting milestone malnutrition rattle thanksgiving toddlers barthes leopard pistols translating dreadfully elapsed ascribed hug assays estuaries weariness llewellyn understatement runcorn grinding biochemistry johann quantification hale matrices linger importing obesity gales rotterdam caustic pulp cloths sarcastic observational stour acidic scarves pedestal alight monarchs connors pineapple fondly rhino incredulous reformer dispel conglomerates textures smoother importers hooliganism deceived alleys hotter autobiographical leaks lading insults papua orthopaedic affinities cascade maple summarise finishes ditches slates flinched unruly disagreeable informant spill southwards snag griffith stuffy plural underfoot hick optic prerequisite halved blossom encompasses cytoplasmic flimsy denotes speculators ushered fractured intuitively honda generalizations berg retrieved breathlessly rind marquee lobbying crackers fiddle thorns disqualification grated highness spitting orchids underwood hue reeling sahara etiquette muddle ounces exiled orton firewood reliant ratepayers crags melon polystyrene squadrons swamped pastels westward aptitude midway rip shambles depriving hawke penguin anecdotes cons projector eaves defection cosmo slips franca barber stairway bavaria hovered permanence armaments halling dwarfs obediently rankings geriatric smack reeds bustle blimey craftsmanship pyrenees ripping stretcher numerically clyde wrecked prawns embarrass saxons interminable naming fingerprints cylindrical oyster italics constitutionally attachments gutters tycoon physiotherapy staining ordinating stemming staffing spasm counters infirmary startling skirting aristocrats foley prophets islay zest nationalised stocky absurdly gcc lightness kendal bruges rigour junta garde soaked lr invertebrates avant billed mammoth inlet kidnapped beggar nikolai lumen brunt consonants oppressed hurricanes mackie realist amuse andrei holborn xii gunfire spherical apologize mosquito dorchester metropolis tsp espionage ribber worshippers pessimism hoard interchangeable sudbury burglaries earmarked bryce insidious bermuda bragg addis balconies occasioned impotent poisons predominance precondition premiere armagh droppings sykes ne sinful psychosis cruising redeem skiers rouble sarcastically humanist overtake ordinated tenders unscathed drizzle unspoilt satirical deterred celery neo bytes jesse copious forerunner tailored envious ultimatum unnaturally thud buchanan galway superstitious onlookers terracotta forge ascot complemented trimmings tractors billingham cafes godfather congenial platelets ox magma hectare denominator foresters gramophone biologist henrietta offending commemorative ingestion drilled bellowed hitachi sparkle cartridges epitome compromises mellow fervent constellation mgm gwent pelvic shyly abundantly oops limitless tropics weekday sundry successively wholeheartedly primers twelfths orphanage slain forbade abduction fend spree squalor equator reliefs foolishly soundly senseless beryl ratify weaponry lough gesner lori comforts monitors fitter specialises inject diseased beatty hydrocarbons crushing circumference hodgson llandudno trespass beattie nicotine shildon frameworks dispatched abdullah ibrahim birthdays reinstatement interviewers timer tibet josephine sabbath furry paralysed setup ti mogadishu summaries forthright flaming convocation sparta courtiers chew vladimir canonical hapless fabliaux valencia multinationals saturated seaman tossie frontal dumfries structuralism eddy seymour marius fabliau dine jen toyota colombian biopsies tabitha betraying keyboards swamp hooked crouching pornographic injuring fatally thugs mth plurality fertilisers controversies steen stamping pioneering curtailed avalanche tsb nsaids imprint beggars neurological wyresdale barrie porn deportation bins flipped opaque barlow dp fritz ballad hiss starboard pancreas lure lenient lessee replying puff stacked parson clifton kernel taxonomic hangar flapping dishwasher marcel sticker symbolically tripoli propriety aix correctness platoon himalayas tandem cotswolds ordained cite robber whe wittgenstein truthfully kathy trusting shyness wobbly marketable habsburg spiritually blot outraged clandestine endogenous illuminate cameraman headway authorized viscous ritz fanatics coordinate oxidation buzzing propped armchairs milne hath reappeared unforgettable oed schematic leighton goblin grocery scowled rt orally philharmonic longevity puddephat coils caster argentinian lurid complains forefinger unambiguously accorded overriding revd pivotal proton guru articulated weighty outdoors acupuncture mocked elena auto finalised augmented lochs fortified legislate majorities chromatography falcon juices seasoned oslo shareware helix interpretative holidaymakers antidote intangible magee synod equated moody madly microscopy frock lymph maynard formulating dotted fluency unsteady nordic sao parting tactful johnnie deduced scattering sweeney cultivated gluten rue exaggerate hungarians dislocation shane originator reputedly therapies connector ven determinedly deixis naturalist coercive footprints della overheard perspiration panes sorely mufti phosphorylation unprotected pernicious archaeologist lingered mercer jamieson cages auctions diminution anorak darkest airliner oblique lumpy roadway nenna chuckle remnant credence cannes mowbray incumbent remoteness swayed sportsman ancillary slashed dalglish supremely irving overtook virtuous fertilizer supple mediator kittens linfield pacifist academically uncomplicated calmer spears macquillan righteous remorse hourly tunstall brendan lurched inept tar preamble goodman debentures rounding teaspoon hopelessness hun impoverished binds lakeside shear camouflage reaffirmed disinterested reclamation thirsk reilly decorating geraldine cossacks js cynthia fdp theo delinquency shakes sinners fastened fragmented underworld groves captaincy florian latch carelessness illinois exchanging hopping hippy arabian bequest coniston senile gilts embraces possessive computation kilmarnock correcting verified rectum enlarge epidemiological salty kaye unmoved stead dell pittsburgh concurrently scripture posterity marvin wastage artai incongruous owing architectures rp otter anthology müller fruition rivalries sharks truancy stockmarket aquino funchal centrality devonshire haired shipyard yang ambit extravagance battled stockbrokers bryony graphite furthest unconstitutional crumpled weighted rejoined everett delightfully spotting unchanging eyre byron regimental roofing dubbed retreating newsagent bowled unanimity inroads rotherham rowe briefed stepmother tablecloth choreographer ducal furnish ape gritty intensively hancock unilaterally tags respectfully exhibitors tewkesbury carefree wink dawned dukes bassett bourne merged guisborough osf outflow zebra tiers kitty cr investigates donkeys tact java hank ramblers buffalo appreciative overly founding orgasm adhered transporting fuzzy delaying tvs ferns actuaries paws populace rye governess pastor ovation marred hattersley lowlands writs tucking mindful shrinking layman olivier wailed kurds curtly waller aung wednesdays restlessly exponents dialectical daffodils wilcox strolling immoral consumerism stint francesca trolleys accomplice westwards painstakingly demolish radiators backers molluscs sociable pilkington wreath reared volts faltered assembling marwick leverage hammers mme functionally standardisation stains snails solos rehearsing drip amelia clears silken lagoon captures hardback sirens mediocre businesslike overturn flannel stagnation impotence flick beige attractively detour objectionable insufficiently snug entitlements romanians dashboard hogan spoiling pinched lawton excavated depositors underwriters caledonian concentric appetites crooked grumbled radish transferable idealistic spoilt wriggled meats galloway balding louvre isotope inverse characterization spontaneity insides disparities malik archetypal piggott thérèse mccann desolation heightened duel lookout carcinomas electrically jumpers impartiality baroness ottoman rejoin inferiority inhibitor assorted elaborately noxious nappy keywords disciplined paulo mayo defends fanatical psychotic waddington leipzig spiky ellesmere subcommittee racecourse handsomely aerobics depiction fairies everlasting updating socialisation caterpillar resolute tempered algebra recklessly curling pang birdies slough cubicle pinpoint kenton abel sickly sectarian courier chronically prudence discounted commits cheery hottest bowie warp thumping mavis bran vaccines catered ives secondment spoiled vaults earthquakes cooks marian unconvincing splendidly nervosa mane leggings exclusions marguerite primate conscription bertha marquis cigars implementations interlude thesaurus materialise rumble leaps thefts homologous unconventional timed violated pod heaving spoons crowe improvisation disconcerting wilberforce glossary naylor gedanken deforestation agrippa originates leone caterers mapping pussy stokes holman lax spaceship manufactures conformation sunrise tablespoons filing traffickers strung marches cheekbones disappointments deploy vagaries pigments piston affirmed lennon lukewarm leaked sidelines pungent wheelchairs scooped yeo toughness bolsheviks psc emblem inquisitive perpetually unconcerned yew mt defer percussion defenceless nudged sanitary awash sergei woodward reopen corollary mercantile wrenched barbaric mathematically satchell antipathy inventories coursework raphael moat guidebook illuminated strove milkman walpole compositors unesco iaea depicts goodies sunglasses sutcliffe khmers caricature sr tidying evaporation hail aargh stumps rouges dissident lice unsuspecting dunkirk retinue concessionary solihull godfrey secluded dictum labrador siward centralisation trim bundestag authorise laurie rebate signor undisputed grunte reassuringly steaming departing hammered soundtrack annuity continuance ineffectual crammed langbaurgh divergent angling loco saatchi ached insignia neolithic prohibit slack priory organizers knossos angler masked thwarted elf brim understandings araminta carvings leans byte circumstantial labyrinth relay suspense inexorable impressively svq judas lag handicaps sclerosis oft severed mortals lil lsd functionalist cracker genres bathsheba kingship ernie nct inhabited bruise leakage raging maturation swimmer contagious berger mists hir acquiescence resettlement dicey specials somali perilous deafness divinity compromised denote tyrant camilla enclosures simulate perch chuck camden sheen horseman hogg alibi criticizing lombard cnd graduation constantinople enfield endings unsecured justifications quilt beleaguered intercity craters hinterland dixons ambrose gallop hoarsely collisions stravinsky scrambling penetrating syllabuses jerome soggy monolithic swelling woodstock extremist calming grocer lotion resent provisionally ababa cpsu quartz geophysical metaplasia pacing brine diagonally beset camping whoops meekly sneered punching joyous casing outwardly proverbial syringe inspirational affords mississippi lancs colourless fenton consensual profusion qualitatively commas fostered restitution bodyguard detract mathematicians canadians gemini bandwagon splashed cray proactive magnetism prescriptive ingres revaluation louisiana selector serenity dew neptune console proficiency lal hairdressing mysticism attribution airbus disposals reddish russon theorist prosper categorically persians handshake deng snatching southwest erich broughton salons mouthpiece brigadier wolverton impassive psychiatry procure pursed pinning lashed donovan conditioner puzzlement foothold candlelight passively ucta speculations hairdressers sling instrumentation aghast hanley croft conclusively mathematician cheerio unbelievably tung mocking fictitious mismanagement necessitated clover naturalistic radiological mhc juxtaposition brent sofia fated muzzle enlist melted stubble pugh unworthy surged hinges precedes compel walkman glee msc philippine raskolnikov ferries royston verdicts steele precinct workman rae culminated guarantor steeper gdr mckenna fo carmen omeprazole emerald generalisations stoves lucker nightfall jett migrate stratosphere pascal dismantle babe kentucky sweaters forecasting parkland eastwood heathcliff soak puberty earls absences negation hearted pleases bronchitis prodigious gratification whiskers reviewers greenery referential spectroscopy yogurt vigil resorting gilded satire lonsdale loosen ravages facilitated cuthbert slapping cabins provoking wayward linkages shreds frenzied bae impracticable tart masai highlander homology assessor cello mubarak excite brandon cursory interviewees unravel overlapping rifkind duet negotiable discriminating renting wardrobes lizard soothe unaccustomed brotherhood scaffold tehran fairway avid orchestral rembrandt genteel pundits unwarranted descends methyl mystique dyer silva coincides touche stifle ada qualifies oaths parietal slimy viennese virginity toulouse phosphorus bribes maximal whitney assists toxicity erstwhile unforeseen bahrain temptations petite mercenaries analogies aunty sonar tayside seaton rutherford dummy genial tallest rohan ablaze sinead venerable compose ballesteros husbandry electrician nuremberg flickering clambered gums paddle iain mule thursdays incredulously unlawfully vociferous lull immediacy creek niki determinism sheath awakening moan intrigue claudel monograph vikings grimes château anecdote cloves despairing defied auctioneer punishing unaltered unveiled cruiser sludge sneak passivity demeanour effortless macsharry sdp fairfax curving physique isambard weaver paced amicable seafood unita slung humanism demarcation cryptic signifies dominions whiteness juniper christendom sammy rafters displeasure stomachs phonology stevie financier dismayed sentry vertebrates landfill expressionless boulder righteousness mcc analyser unprofitable identifiers regrets chub isaiah governs bathing benchmark birdie bloodstream hundredth overthrown popes hurst undeniably mover characterise fishery edifice lavender pup brahms pinnacle banal eigenvalues utilise comedians imperfections merrily trajectory pixel weakening labor swedes peeled inquire ancestral lavishly beecham knobs hunted basildon abstractions filly nicest irradiation outcry disclosures obstructive roach executioner limbo briefing scornfully supernatural muted flamboyant dockers bridgend reacts maxine immortality nicolas newfoundland dom reminiscences gunn pulsar spying blenheim dotty mmc braintree congratulated broadest neutralisation psalms anecdotal emilia roberto semen cirrhosis reunited matisse unpopularity appliance margery whirled graded chefs importation trafficking veneer sway melrose frightful botanic publicise molar tuesdays fm reappear vow nightdress achilles washer savagery footwear hardwood contended torrential rc romanticism bart responsiveness jolt stooped omen wipers zach chanting mediate reside zeinab snaps burgess rebirth spenser staircases fn ssds sheikh fertilizers gents passageway grenade bulletins summing iced lifeline breakaway diocesan surfaced expire absenteeism refinery latitudes retardation mania stunt treble governance tactfully whelan hooded socrates mirth clinch sceptics glynn outlying mecca squatting cichlids generalised derivative iago languid droplets linford musically impasse littered monroe memorabilia cubism rayner nozzle jacobs troughs humming ominously soloist deepened mitcham hybrids inexperience bailiff dazed inhibitions ernst scrape agility ncc mutton seniority silks tenement downes fujimori spacing wherein hindrance merovingian unsold sanderson holiness inhabit expatriate arafat foresight clips fender plenum spanner goddard permissions democratically aviv pledges marr leash hamlets tenets decomposition plywood dup contraceptives inductance rationalization wasteland qpr widower prophetic insulting salaried inventing undertakes newsome imaginable summits breakage expatriates fishes sanitation clays lawrie havisham dai ge spraying implausible transgenic christchurch tinge empowerment raleigh precursors overlooks saul filler unattended cedric wakes crumbling flak autonomic epoch diversify boxers tattoo tennessee polishing fir narratives abolitionists fundamentalists populist pyramids columnist linton antecedents axle peripherals irritated deftly seafront meself nm marseilles neglecting tendon accelerating hrs headteachers bales beverly clapton oakley proctor bootle blurted tolstoy abolishing mi trendy slovakia grander evasive coward yardstick epistemology harmonisation draped hawaiian crafty shakily appoints sponsoring umpires smp bessie shaggy desolate creators wickedness grosvenor unmistakably badminton imbalances discredit goody dormitory smallpox exquisitely license mujaheddin screwing rotating fundamentals socioeconomic flattered ssd marzipan statesmen antagonistic incoming disappoint elias sibling electrification pauses wishful amaranth confide nra apprenticed ultra gays germanic retrospectively lodging soaps hanoi authorship legacies viscosity hops traverse rearing discontinuity bruised moulded rafsanjani slick eyelashes bigwig westbourne criminality minded shrimp praising opposes boyish sen milieu grimm tipping thereto slug mccoist jardine billie taurus horde basketball sanctity hardships insatiable concedes liquidator colombo baldersdale broadcaster grudge addison defunct bohemia complying croats collaborate saucers collagen tilt magnate drunkenness upshot interventionist dispensed assemblage sash itinerary auxiliary brewing quentin clinched antennae halliday luther calibration stornoway ui grainne stricture ascending jamaican paw duvall constructs destroyer policewoman dispersion soprano climbs prohibiting myra bertrand militias seduced yearning visas memoranda poisoned communicators templates dryer exertion hormonal immobile crucifixion hamstring haulage plaques gritted bernstein mop soot arkansas ferrets orientations healed helpfully medallist brethren sobs hoover heinz zuwaya waite sadler hencke orc clout lick adobe orchestras facilitating pivot attendances fondness mcenroe squalid veg massingham realignment softened tivoli gradients fleece prohibitions vets diminishing indomethacin orphan israelis stratton chimpanzee bloodshed jeanne overdrive forecourt corporatist unwritten hardline addressee footnote beuno jos lessor khaki devore missus whispers injure obese ppp encoding reproducing classless unchecked patting tchaikovsky gonorrhoea sufferings choreographers savoy thyme bonnie woking booming viciously unlocked apostle tapestries hoomey spires recklessness cfa tc stonework bicker probyn nutritious cobbles redmond tremble hillsides uphill partisans tectonic enviable snell gymnasium spirited trna monotony escapes ulceration presses anaesthesia bumpy researched duress widths depressive mcdermott reviving bobbing panamanian cbi colonisation bearers stimulates forgiving bends swanage mutants raided marvellously impervious emmanuel stripe rationing sampson feller griffin burnley ards lybrand cloakroom turin purposefully buggers geomorphology esrc hindus elation adversity haulier presley centralization anglesey dressings squirrels flyer glowed cargoes grids afar guildhall laymen scroll grille abode whitechapel internment recoup wholesalers hush heidi dilapidated contra unsympathetic sentencing wounding kidderminster floy pastel psbr conceding macabre kipling minh shin vultures bpd predetermined federalism universality congregational nicholls emptive manifested hastened clumsily delusion freddy belmont linguist nourishment sprinkle freudian regency garth dour dartmoor snapshot bombed vineyard inclinations hadrian millwall furore nevis candid chalmers tease flattery northumbria calvin slowness swinton baptized tufnell mckay medrese microphones limousine deflect trotted enchanting dismissively cliché minder toothpaste farmyard agile gospels basing bedclothes forgets northumbrian chop hypnotic sefton retrograde thatched commentaries au subsided carling sob oau mayer trotsky jerking wrapping miscarriage enrolled lingering feudalism octagonal frenchmen militarily commendable portillo antonia ascertained trustworthy easel balkans barges lodger queuing diver maurin teheran utilitarian goldsmiths dune lobe woodville horticultural inanimate assassins galerie feverish melodrama celestial instructing calais alf utopian thump orpheus fugitive bradbury uterus puddles grounding infallible merging knighton restructure validated antwerp stabbing putter orchards sem ramifications tammuz boarded lighted gorman otters squid outbursts reflexes unparalleled benefactor narrowing taboos andersen peterson assimilate inhibits aldridge keane minors talons pringle binocular furtive pretentious assimilated indecision jumps perks vulcan sap incessant sims rspca certainties tsu heiress gaul weathering incredulity pic inactivity roe git plinth candidacy serps angy haslemere grunt fodder embody catalysts hotspur bookcase lawfully britannia coalitions davison cosmopolitan baronet uzbekistan sprinter preventative superpowers aesthetics dodd contends manipulative stalks rodents harbours totalled earle fiddling minnesota reinstated phoney galvanised incineration insurrection cuff provence swimmers voyages capitalise abound glories thumped tomlinson sonnets gillespie reel sonia emigrants pantry cuddly pioneered norma cooled aw acton campaigned stabilise genomic whig photosynthesis appreciating bazaar whipping extracting memoir andre endanger gainsborough zodiac utilising lachlan prawn quivering archdeacon meek collaborating magnification chrissy cal fulfils borland jerk ranger friedman owt marbles heterogeneity kuhn hosted gambling connecticut orrell deliverance botany rouen reconstructed info gulp gertrude danielle actuality supplementation stranded yielding adriatic flea antenatal enchantment severance giggle malevolent contemptuously adjunct coffers maverick mayfair authorization diluted mali tennyson ironing preponderance elitist overturned unimpressed aggravated firework spellings giggling pont gb reps primaries magically vga pea walkway penzance cove potentials ea ranked directional sylvie hurley liners evangelism raspberry managements steely mabs brash casino spleen frailty desertion zeta autograph incomers diaphragm seasoning dlp trash rosenthal hirst hawick foe contingencies pushes spreadsheets coalfield strangest rené frescoes monologue jeweller bead vial draftsman mammalian explorers appleby ep wilder oversight bonanza simulated stalked waiver dyke porous stung fray dyfed commend kilo stealth notoriety clockwise madman hendon bronzes ottawa denver deities wharton cashier amphibians scapegoat abnormally umbrellas geologist intruders leila polluted raged parti rectification keynote conquered terminally ruining cornerstone serviced daisies alix heartfelt bst eyelid clamour sugars collided blunder spartan kiosk drowsy brisbane killion gleamed simmer ascii hooray upkeep zeus negro tunis earner eds crumwallis reuters ploughing bolder apricot helicobacter ballistic buoyancy stemmed scented flinging perceptible granville regis sarella foundry chronicler econometric lovable boyhood jammed practicalities structuralist armitage paired gascony transvaal pursuance distantly surreptitiously anaerobic immigrant standby afterthought unobtrusive enigma quaker wellbeing brits hargreaves generalisation semitism deeside hosting blurred cain turtles dresden inclusive dialogues merymose milder indiana allusion agendas loaves eclectic eurotunnel groundwater adaptability nucleotide dynastic nichols keswick pondering sleeps unclean tantamount cordless northerly madagascar ferrari sparingly televisions realizes blush imagines discerning sixes matey empress martyrs discontinued endowed smugglers airmen midi eccentricity vax crucifix jeremiah hybridization thirtieth punches purest eubank reimbursement northants gladys underpants assignee begs seniors hedgerow transmissions masturbation vip clicking catterick liberated alters dykes suppressing enduring firmness bsp unbalanced jannie idiots cora hides knowles buyout refinements lurgan radiant resigning aromatherapy mohamed daunting symphonies unintended rewritten cad czechoslovak ripples natalie reciprocity unfairness bremen earthworks serafin ambulances disneyland rostrum peck redeemed creb repetitions smoothness sonnet scorers doves magnificently dowry invasive bridal shamir magnets pe velocities aberration detergents penniless latvian superstructure alumni deplorable crows gliding immorality dent resonant crumble brewer uneconomic conspiring logos byrd trepidation stratum expectantly boisterous cancelling waterfalls athenians homogeneity hinting halo overcrowded ssp canny facilitates cv educating jc medically karr munitions lamina propeller staunch germ vanilla ashworth dingy princely troupe swede jennings breeder veal harshness mcmillan harsher cpu whiskey ins showcase dylan audits amos parma cores executors dismantling untenable mala tortuous accolade wavy barbarossa deceit tuppe shuffling canyon methodical carve gable implements bleach anaesthetic reckoning waterfront sabotage trailers sofas pritchard grind lustre othello crabs cavern adoration conifers approving puzzles thrush uefa su sourly arsenic macclesfield plasmids cairn pianos blazer umm lms quarrels carton denny ariel rowing handmade radon selwyn processions elise breeches bodied cowboys incline hansard reproductions unworkable adolf rem memorials executor judaism untold rosalind motherboard dante moons strengthens raisins belated sergeants alberto dignitaries perceives petitioner ridicule raucous putney dynamism tubs disregarded polyethylene accommodating bites parliamentarians antoinette petersfield sheppard substantiate downright chancery cubs rota denys affront robberies diners moneys airdrie jtr vern badges portico skinhead cuffs ahmad cauldron flowering descartes francesco stabilization telephoning mandarin positioning hearty scathach anathema seeping regretting rasped chipping newsagents electrodes larne tireless curt bookies hollows perfusion sidings tripping sensuality cowardly piazza hopper industrialist alternating emmie parallelism shaftesbury harwell exerted futility insolvent multiples earshot compacts montague stalk upheavals wildest homicide lettering culprits beaming upturned sadistic invoking whitehead logistic diagnoses spennymoor artisan wielding puzzling penance boer grimace hibs hermitage solidity flooring blasphemy inflow joel additive racks tuned habitation bedrock fellowships abiding broth encroachment toffee pancras diligent huddled renamed handwritten coded daresay cegb obnoxious likeable dubai incapacity modal theologian deadlines headhunters indebtedness stupidly paramilitary decreed hybridisation brando implacable menstrual hullo homesick colwyn suzie cultured scurrying samson substrate musée polled serfs pensionable vortex fleas nameless janeiro aitken expo newley landslide clipped defuse brothel citadel darwinian goreng lesotho rearrangement categorical fillings karajan bridegroom und gull audi centimetre excused scargill andrus fared disrepute diagnose cadres ungrateful mont piecemeal breakdowns celibacy peckham ileum xerox poppies atypical attaining seaweed displace ole flakes clergymen bowles seduction clegg deceptively uninterested flue sparsely upgrading chivalry vibrational trademark tiring oxen dart punjab absentee spaniard millimetre dormant lowell shoreline lacey ramparts cocked barmaid chrissie ct comedian nucleic bookmakers dillon attlee intelligently slag marlow cartons shipowners tbilisi pretends harker rueful dope emptying interviewee restlessness starkly abberley finality ineligible tributes gifford glistening elongated coolness dams stipulated vis cinematic chum bailiffs roadworks prejudiced jorge disclaimer peeling intermediary vestry detain unlock envisages seconder interlocutory jehovah slits blight mingled obituary altruistic colonists côte nuances carnage averse handout submissive arbiter millionaires interoperability untrained tilting adhesive crusty newtown neonatal astray reforming stewardship summarize shorten shapely slowdown hollidaye foggy pickups kane liaise fleeting ligaments upsets salvage clint dissenters figurative holywood moulds fundamentalist schoolboys ripley randomised ling sumatra attenuation kiln shrieked corrugated westerners shrines plugs acrylic slovene peng prosecutors bulging distractions rico finchley forwarded depots participatory accrue cbs shroud borderline carrick originate leach forts conduit taboo allocating fräulein silvia conjecture burials mehmed fearless initiating evesham dreamy clowes merlin peroxide inducement yeovil designate poachers mottled drab spurred hoax atherton felixstowe heralded prosaic nolan idleness udf inkling filmmakers oregon experimenter burner abusing voluminous roh palate spike whitlock transverse weimar taligent tenacity barth leased valuer ra jugs hilt tarts watering wistful montenegro underlie canned nap appointees ebony baberton nominees stacey daley enriched chomsky musty clerics prostaglandin plausibly doctorate phillis conducts braque faceless dreamt phenotype topping defamation moroccan conurbations alabama quayside pegasus ewen oscillation propria avery shellfish palmerston antoine muddled myers precariously nomenclature oysters atheist filtering stapleton natasha disablement refine unconvinced invasions bromwich verona discord aperture disenchantment filtered shedding naturalists subconsciously opcs comforted botha repertory deductive healthcare fowl binder whirlwind aegis oaks glaciers unixware incisive starred frizzell pebble mislead larder positional tumble reticent silica bohemian fourthly preposterous shareholdings feats confiscation sauces worthington choke capped unremarkable mares consents barlaston fluttered interprets grooves subscriber perils pedro earthy remembrance boosting constructively ecu weald collier flares prohibitive homoeopathy lured sudanese queensland comical exhilaration sedentary exogenous archibald budgeting neuron astra wrinkled aristocrat gav lc recapture fostering betting incurring distillation feud basilica sprays longman lark overseeing subconscious argumentative inspiring bodice characterize dakota prost mariana flipping asynchronous medway spinster microorganisms jarman mistrust mitigate dalziel casa sleeper spacecraft coe towpath cremation outweigh expired atop ayatollah comet willows durie flaps adorno disquiet schubert degenerate watchman invalidity josef stipulation devotees fluttering dodging unopposed wren bevin thi draughts inflated unimaginable jurors buddhist wolsey foothills bjp ayresome practicality fable murmuring catwalk banbridge entrenched pines undid nakedness schoolteacher interwar irrevocable semantically sensibilities exposes rosewood heartland elm sabah gangster trumpets watertight unreadable bushy obliquely rearmament andré dispensation lighten temperamental habermas gauntlet reputed protagonist scruffy cadets potencies resuscitation blinded gmbh burgh cleanly uninteresting sheldukher detergent mcnab classy straighten visualise palpable baffled derision uncritical plums ari cubes appreciably patrolling polling toleration merciful strangeness wheatley reprisals northward saigon paraphernalia sunlit fragility shovel tactile chore conservancy salman squatters waugh guiltily flake claustrophobic chipped wapping regressive robbing dti benin spades fluctuation estonian anus sac acquainted cambrian slime cullen lacquer impassioned claus orgy circuitry shoddy plausibility lautro jurisdictional truro ventilator loathe exuberance attainable illiterate rickety marlowe abstinence quell nonconformist industrious cladding chepstow experiential mcleod alcove predictability capacitance cognac discerned feebly wired qa assemblages searle formulas habituation thorny malaise retainers transcriptional rectified secretory glasnost synaptic numbering surgeries necessitate supposition ryley renton wintry lurch geothermal punctuated degeneration unplanned thermometer gadgets selectivity subduction sds springboard ranking chan pbs blushing aggravation hump harden mcintosh corporatism tracked landless ulthuan hypoglycaemia caressing unintelligible puffing mongolian errand ether timings framing influenza skipped commences squatted roaming cézanne mcdougall reproach stockists edging masts rallied radiocarbon marquess harrington sores trudged digested conductivity baltimore prescribing spencers fractional branded paz drafter dismissals imitating unload wallingford augment microprocessors banter twig fundamentalism lavas staffs savour ploughed gables hardcore vanishes luftwaffe gent nectar heron tumbler overcrowding rioters irrevocably dammit dauntless myles adenauer childlike knighthood garcia utilitarianism sachs greyhound generative dorian blackout normans connon axial trimmed desserts fearfully ibn seclusion celts dictates guyana scrupulous meyer topographical scornful mia moseley unsolicited loudspeaker camels handers disapproved dependable isabelle widowed twitched sunken chorley reappraisal amalgam cortical deutsche renunciation compressed cockney scourge playgroup augusta dully kestrel squeak spores jogging mascara blocs leavis wrestling dysfunction macedonian dunfermline assassinated dazzling evidenced steiner probate converts residences poulantzas bolshevik tablespoon asymmetric impart menstruation holism seamless proclaim anjou peculiarities refute irrelevance irregularly subsidiarity commended pedagogy traitors sentimentality repentance assesses silverstone fairclough jurassic rotary massey clamped dce andreas shoals leaped ramshackle wad sol sacrificial indecency suspecting shaved removable registrations pb chronicles mb tempest mayors roundabouts refurbished cynically fingerboard ware acrimonious bacterium nautical ping flopped gunner angie palatable astronomer extracellular manors shai fanshawe kempton oem photon snc fluorescence sheldon polarisation bundled specialty fiancée assailant gratuitous aces carolingian hatt shephard underlining marley depopulation piercing nipple prevails classically presidium marmalade rhythmically rake predation doctrinal spinelets digs rationalism hendrix dissuade natured flawed assertiveness purports tunbridge exaggerating warburg subway chasm exemplars commensurate intercept antagonists nip reverie citrus leavers katy broccoli marries corrosive debenture alignments wally dickson clove heartless amplifiers sieve whaddon deported sweeper explicable roam mayhew perceiving owens vomiting lecturing allotments salmonella briefings craze pedagogic caters oedipus molars reassessment tuck composing nicolae recombinant mancini hunched sanctioned illegality precautionary chopin scoop excitable bracknell metalwork brandt tristan parr unfashionable farr bikini jesuit isa tenements mans preconceptions polio defying optics incinerator vindicated osman plummer shriek swallows brandishing corinthians transitory enormity philanthropic unharmed weekdays ethernet devalued gloved lister curators sicilian accomplishment meaningfully coding blakey subunit yoga webs melville sinatra bradshaw barium bunches accumulating submits wolfe corinthian boon touchline arcs foresaw marchers correlate airing retort macpherson polypeptide capsules ollie energetically fortifications muslin stink ganglion unstoppable spiteful nightly bullshit auvergne litany mom hussey jeopardise vicarage prejudicial potted sighted basses booty proportionality nevada flashy fi pewter wilfully ajar hushed damien tacitly aerodrome slalom communicates onward ecologists incompatibility mirrored educationalists commoners rescuing pops rousing taunted declines mallachy crockery unstructured resourceful mending minefield flop kinsman ultrasound cholecystectomy clovis starved ensued hounslow eel jacqui panorama succulent pembrokeshire stardom rudely astrology smacked laughton disgusted crowding thresholds scalar brawl shrapnel encompassing cardinals soloists recycle actresses applauded postmodernism converter takers recogniser infantile specialise destitute intricacies wang waders indiscriminately unaccompanied cecilia perinatal pane marijuana cissie emulsion tortoise timor cobalt precludes jung rodriguez brunel capri infirm amdahl imperialist jr conspirators sinner choral dounreay tracksuit unfaithful niceties footbridge charade suzy undermines mobilisation spectral sleepers methodists neared depôt atrophy monmouth earthenware custodian paradigms sightings milligan outmoded marston ems carnivores adoptive slade summarily chang violins fagin venomous beccaria mournful levers macca gust myeloski fatalities wyn alcoholics woolworths wilfred scatter thingy unenforceable paracetamol stammered transmitting wrinkles smog oddity outwith fractionally brunei pius histology quietness geochemical quartets wrought grammars restart ranch unaided undetected stefan bogies nestling retires airs corby croaked payer prudential powerlessness shuts epsom sharpen ecosystem censure rebuke humbly unsolved holocaust straightening livid incense rocker stonehenge heed jealously draconian merciless posi millennia uncharacteristic abyss cosmology mono chiang tenancies octopus dashing gliders spoils primordial hitchcock philosophically dogged cripps calcite brackish epidemics burmese imaginations grassroots interdependent crescendo debacle puddle laird convened lucie churning blackwell pizzas painless slugs pheasants shines sealing fittest masons koreans encouragingly categorised lévi gullible contour arundel timmy interception citalia pds penge conceptually zoological unreported guitarists yamaha conjure kalchu brecon laboriously jonas photocopier collieries insignificance frontage rene glued supranational hoisted mismatch stuffing waterlogged æthelred parkin bryn termites disguised kaufman knaresborough leys vagueness beavis pratt mcfarlane elaborated hamish mercian approvals scrupulously pews rhoda fon evaluative fiat mower albion conceals eventuality deflation moynihan rabbi streaks contrived likened slurry posting grandpa carcass endothelial glc undemocratic enrich axed shevardnadze teamed incurable hedgehogs entertainer dahl neurosis overwhelm bumps iona mauve avoidable prologue plasmid colds hurtful caucasus jewellers rodgers dustbins wanton veiled chubby embroidered subdivision strauss penalised cuéllar speculating smelling jacquard kodak parables inundated documentaries twitching meryl boomed subdivisions rapidity interspersed bottled distinctively hexagonal detritus overgrown daine havens emigrate lanarkshire grime gilbey repulsive convener goblet leasehold blasting rennie proportionate waterway blockage exhausting starlings swirling abbreviations wakeham vita sustainability hoffman ludlow crocodiles photocopy milling archipelago miniatures tebbit riddle mobilize injecting burnham chancel automotive essences repressed glutamate sp rulings londoner sterne fictions whitley oratory loom constitutive hypocritical submerged revising mcqueen disincentive aspire hairstyle especial punishable commandments eduard insubstantial playback amersham shaikh incisors cul manley mahoney endowments disordered synagogue vindictive wholeness undeveloped terminating silt merest mal problematical tabled gist aden echelons proficient winged moorish hardened directness unpredictability fathom asymptomatic suffix ames lucinda finesse domesticated thundered waterhouse motioned interacting tyler coordinated univel circulars singularities pragmatics cafeteria indulgent rotate elucidate immaculately approvingly decently privatise canoes woodvilles susanna folders cognition leonie ballads antics overrun spielberg veranda cobwebs hallo shave unpalatable breakers flattened weymouth mainstay visualize refrigeration regimen shale paintwork marlene sga czechs burt frederica hares firefighters diesels conveyancer trunchbull jotan envoys missouri protectionist adversarial purporting plume reginald apocalyptic rehearse seduce humber francois mores sorties rewrite schramm hurling limestones fickle cedar fabio hurdles ppm taiwanese maura volt epidemiology tb intimidated perseverance anachronistic inaugurated patriarch indigestion issuer gowns storming sprawled transpired rushes dermot denials ley burford prodded mime normalization ras coped wiry windfall wootton shutter clashed typewriters remedied enquiring congratulating howling maximisation lumsden psychedelic perkin anglicans seedy unloaded greenock lemons deplored dyslexia winifred headmen posthumous blandford flutter raping doggedly proliferative chilean gipsies charley gillingham nesting perpetuate piracy rearguard wetherby waterman causeway uncontrollably maniac linguistically appendices wand mediators disaffection lenny dartford ethnography fetus herbaceous stanza arbitrators geraniums oncoming sayings gruff purge flattering gallant lanark hauser fungal dryness disciple hrun mdc shapeless collor slaughtered macari sociolinguistic captions corinth hallmarks furrow alleges intuitions interferon stabilize holyhead silicone reconciling dusting chateau hypocrite waterford wetland misconception leaden domicile shaman arresting subdivided hambleton medics geordie solves networked discard sustenance toshiba fln cooney bibliographical complicate makeup haddock scalable hayley antral overflowing mcpherson dada terrors affirm venison sceptic yugoslavs unwashed khomeini tetanus virulent unsteadily tattered pullover introspection saracens boasting cleric harmed marylebone handouts showbiz mba nightingale spotless maitland techno alienated ruddy cherished dpp mussels rentals pedagogical floodlit coordinators georgiades cinderella inscribed overload inpatient kirby hygienic fundholders coveted telescopes wiv stv jesuits refectory brainchild blisters biddy looser mcgowan snowdonia mold modulation pleistocene nome liberate localised verderers darting omit astride braces graciously groundwork mcnamara directorate domesticity pushchair superpower poise typist beastly budge violate daak creche jude aerosol diversions booths polarity calmed vista gateways inexplicably precipitated sampled eta nettles lodgers skinheads mimic cfc logging chestnuts acheson respiration dais transcendental fonda goldie dickie lexandro enthalpy vows fresco courtly coated pixels cellulose cohorts bans dunwoody entice memos caressed circumcision kee mcillvanney boz mall archbishops tanned bcci lin saxony behaves briefs intermediates signified embers payout bakers backyard franchises tomography tartly unkempt brooding stances algebraic exemplifies galore kilograms separatism sheeting multicultural endeavouring wealthier neuropathy olga standardized tedium summoning aib afro aggrieved pharmacy paved predicate hateley michelangelo pleats attitudinal osaka gatehouse opportunist mcewan battlements aoun legions tec convict graft frazer connectivity shootings toothbrush florid denouncing featureless acquittal patrician forrest invests hinge restful depict cartels washes sacrificing ugliness pavlov briant afflicted burr burger consultancies superannuation throes yds natures nahum sweeter trajectories pathogenic tilda eliminates froth concourse terse footprint kolchinsky hasten competitively lowers cb wager sheltering confers downpour laurent discordant intrusions surrogate funnel edgy prostate residuals interferes pakistanis bearable iceberg sc cookers taxonomy subsystem snobbery renewing prompts weave yum disbanded encountering laterally quarantine comedies amman heartbroken cytoplasm financiers gait pathos teller mythological etchings convene sprinkling biff intents undergoes unwieldy hacking pou maman puritan bray generalize pradesh virtuoso hungrily precede blooming workmates uae fidel bolted drier didier undertakers despise hepzibah deft leaded recesses intrepid tartan crypts trooper caine coli pew ngc coinciding intrude biomass igneous sawyer pétain annexation nurtured renfe predisposition goggles reverting topless tasteful kirkwall readability crim modi harare smuggled cheated rangoon altitudes cdu blackened duodenum sherman nobleman incontinent purified ballast paramilitaries unassailable waive hoskins quadrant grouse exempted paucity penguins keighley beards strapped rumbelows rotational tenner lethargy diverting paternalistic panther bravado gallows loophole stych nvq galloping gleefully flatter womanhood confronts verdi dwyer fondant memphis resistor larva misguided showrooms progeny unperturbed chagrin bandages functionalism grasslands expended berks infertility thrashing kirkby massed mori fraternal invading relocate spinach transporter eastward surreal oas dhabi birk flourishing gunpowder nicklaus melodramatic gearing dynamite straightaway mystic parole gatting surrealism awakened cheney vivo connoisseur werner athletico extinguished renounce donnelly albany ecologically succumb punchcard opulent osiris reassert approves fancies freak tensed woodchester navel sf garter gash keyhole cavities arrays dampness freeholders larkin rupture purists diminishes shaded fern serviceable lok spoonful rotting puncture sclerotherapy anguished contentedly rateable jus imperceptibly restraining rapped fawcett gills strenuously populated joker fractures teen metaphorically fortuitous rafael foreboding relieving pursuer monsoon canary disagrees carmichael koons boreholes extravaganza instantaneously bevan trillion midsummer tang manifests glittered tasting brampton glaxo wentworth instinctual repossessions enshrined eloquence sequent entitle saville carbonates dilute dyes thoroughness goldman godmother assiduously cornell soups representational howl abatement skipping forebears brooches pallid barometer screenplay anthea hangings stocked baird airframe bequests demised viv graduating cheerfulness mattresses limped perilously bowes mclaughlin bolivian hawes fleetingly exploding buzzard audited loner trilogy booster tay diurnal spiro uttering bavarian sparrow morecambe glinting orion abdication efta twists pun fairground saloons visualisation nationalistic torpedo anabelle wormwood formalism minster heroism penrose obstructing priestley protestations rd cadmium greener seizures phonemic appreciatively repudiation marino eurobond fergusson throbbing irate shrimps milford ceausescu aimlessly lfa bathed kath heats quirky pubic transcend obeying giggs nvqs hemispheres tendering negligently drake unbiased hoards sterilisation challengers imprecise saluted harpsichord devoting mooney despicable egf goings hospitable blithely pitching midwives sandinista falsehood howled alida deepen shove blending competences subsumed shoving holden parquet scotia umbilical drunks electrophoresis retd patriot chandeliers brompton panelled expediency tito uneducated curtail sighing edberg unhurt messengers embodying glaze clacton fedorov abject limping cycled radiance inappropriately follies paralleled morose acquirer regretfully kruger pleadings perfected bleakly crests aurora sprayed roamed rolle aforementioned wayside chisel argos eco squinted replicate percutaneous kaifu capt ladyship iteration ewe breakfasts grumbling educationally dualism creditable ageism jayne schumacher marshy buddhism nope boutique yankee remarking thame mccall tabs aphids dysplasia thucydides protruding crippled priestly steamy synonym tightness brusquely valuing reminiscence fibrous gloriously shrewdly taxing dislodge craggy aussie fridges blizzard confusions mockingly oban num lamely characterizes computerized tinker portrays scaled loosened triggers snowdon allay upholding jetty kelso chilli highgate sultry radiating genitals sketching integers conquests drone fertilization repose orb drinker braid unofficially unfettered montana feline consigned recur fates panicked migrant frodo prim unimaginative vices lockwood showpiece igg cabbages pentagonal rowntree carpenters funky snout usages surere robb clans slacks conscripts bastion manometry ticked capping blackbird discriminated soar prick mcloughlin undervalued musicals ar uist subunits riotous mechanistic juncture avidly garish zzap ezra boulogne div groped nephews fumbling innermost uneventful gm fishkeepers evaporated maximilian felled quantified dooley waltham niger dumas laurels joists dissolving collage harland falmouth sandstones certified enema determinate brevity bnp grabs clutter argentine sniff improperly waistband folkestone länder dearth gaiety bondage characterises annexe groaning wilkie principality undivided unfulfilled eternally floats asiatic monetarist dehydration violets gregarious slavs buchan reclaimed synapses tricked ulysses captives burnett inscrutable reincarnation falcons sulphuric eminence slant looms chopping bindings vole coloration ruskin vassals malpractice funniest absorbs sniper appease chastity assures butterworth pissed cob pollard samoa unsavoury violating stylistics materialistic deleterious sclerosing livesey jakarta deptford sanchez burdened goebbels wisconsin flyers stanton manly colonoscopy sinks gerhard sheaf braced rammed frankness tuning lac annihilation syl promiscuous acrid lowestoft presenters furnaces aetiology unsophisticated tor dilatation purposely toil beaverbrook distension resplendent subgroup friedrich recite amis rustle gambler dereliction aldington commissioning acne coincidentally pargeter fags deteriorating cramlington consented confesses sorrows fiftieth courteously imperfectly couched unyielding vince trotting ruthlessness chic demography pcf flushing inducements toads unopened hydrocarbon milner mercilessly fingered tersely recurring wickedly westerly thicket linoleum coalfields cranes epitaph domesday mannerisms caress polluters trusty hutchison thereabouts nguyen bletchley gargy evicted shoemaker responsibly pretoria scribe bullying disgraced kennels improvised swooped kentish undamaged auditing swathe miyazawa barricades deflection safeguarding auctioned exhortation antislavery emirates cohabitation punt foyle hayling constanza brambles padlock sensitively conveyor explorations amalgamated saddened virgins asda malignancy tantrum chandler pups offs mk inversely diplomas folio stumble vertebrae appallingly childebert raybestos stereotypical intransigence kuala constrain blackfriars transgression bunkers sardinia blob relaxations intimidate classmates bossy wheeling vernacular unevenly winnings trapping stiffer tenacious giggles steals dossier deletions dexterity shears nitric concave aches levin tacky luminal peanut startlingly clarifying undifferentiated milly lavinia seychelles presiding portraiture ousted swann maggots filmer solarium roirbak uniting unexplored movable glum injustices hnc busied fallow receptions bcr dun romances atrocious dismisses evocation paltry palsy clements booker curzon foregoing buddy rentokil tendons caesarean pennines travers ness nsaid reggie clapping unearthed serfdom rs salami laughable acoustics unauthorized sonata nucleotides extremities instigation cu famously anarchist omelette npfl thrives railroad eliza engulfed quiescent allergies plugged meteorites phosphates milroy sine boldwood guberniia getaway milestones hack eloquently hawks protestantism simulator cocky lorenzo traumas secondhand anytime spatially beaker roth lanfranc ensue majorca enoch howarth bundesbank ankara rothschild ejected preamp zealous murrayfield bengal chatterton barratt paraguay consular highlanders lithe mites surmounted demesne soya norwegians nearness clockwork podium grisly clutches gough bullion purgatory poke richmondshire mss actuary celebratory gusto thornaby wbc evoked utopia fand handcuffs hippies panache pollsters hailsham knighted hereafter anonymously aria hoop unmet buttress knockout grammatically xvi causality irregularity asymmetrical organises headstock batting unlisted yeoman carat legitimation levies gaseous plumes poplar palaeozoic karate mouldy contented ceaseless emu marlon mayonnaise spar posterior moribund rarest rapt tungsten burgundy smugly purée nb lorne minimising paradoxes necessitates oligonucleotides watcher paperbacks pierced allotted jovial pert unconditionally reptile clarkson fastidious humphreys turntable elliptical loathed reserving colic dailies stairwell roadshow denunciation policyholders electing pontypool accruing entrant morphine lichen tubing sensitivities nkrumah yoke insensitivity mamma exclusivity monopolistic whine hurworth flotilla equalised diligently misconceptions necrosis extremity unleashed capitalisation subgroups assuring violinist gh rouse spelled exits inaction amplified denomination flapped yarrow gore utterson impediment intifada venturing sejm stoppage apse yakovlev niches annals ashford benevolence acidification norwood infidelity idiopathic blooded stifling niro accretion exerts nightlife phew paediatric nuadu hopped gotten arden tempers clasping rundown edmonds nexus adventurer jacobite dieter softening thatcherite ldcs perfunctory sentries chung thaw middleweight wail deliciously assad mystics differentiating ga evacuate empiricism nicosia subcontractors numeracy unsurprisingly rheumatoid hoffmann singleton competed thereon onshore underpinned collectivism prairie decimals scudamore sera conferring oedema discharging brutus innes betsy denounce schooldays normalisation reindeer airway psd erase qua hopefuls sardonically providence attaché faiths mauritania hoare camberwell endorsing ixora thatch martyrdom campsite migraine brownlow zoos maidenhead armpits capricious adversaries rapprochement kant permutations historicism ns forestall wholesaler drachenfels toppled titled rethink accentuated bothwell venereal passover hydro catapult distillers unwillingly urbanization shattering thermostat licensee unsupported sliver shalt broadening cadet cellulite sandys caterer acumen transistors snort perot mausoleum magnificence caldwell transferor silenced depress coppers cosmological mcdonnell applaud unashamedly externalities malaya roused audacity sse angled gesturing inhospitable deacon methodologies strangled populous shallows precepts turquoise hues arranges shrugging sledge ratagan spotty postprandial mw tripod muse conchis knocks stifled gorilla torrance napier prs unawares lexicographers staccato tawno contesting suction doubting broadened ir notting lobbies herbal regina joiner sikes logged alresford scowl reappearance mci methanol foals poolside swivelled browsing declan castleford trowel printout futuristic infective vegetarians gonzález informer toying pallor forester oakeshott bulimia obsessions clowns secretions evacuees chalet personalised sported firelight sects uppermost lyric unbeatable activism ceylon galactic garel higgs ince reseller faulkner puerto atonement susannah paddling geezer postmodern pharmacist whining pronouncement bouncer fenn snoring ascites wondrous passer liphook bubbly objecting fanatic chesarynth inductive wabi chairperson sweeps aesthetically corduroy preserves puffed fiancé consul charred blissfully mademoiselle delirious bridesmaid precipitate mnr euthanasia southey consolidating bonfires wallabies bassist scanty putty pearly organically buf grapefruit harmonies turnaround punter dalek affliction gibbons lansdowne perpetrators comfy towed nucleation plaid welter nirvana dined foreword subtleties worksheet kampuchea transforms twinge aries lounging qualifiers getty natal fanny reticence windings probed florist rigs predictor summarises factional electricians peerage executing swimsuit enact caithness oars ewing denoting lovell environs muftilik saffron mauritius chanted confining dipole croquet frustrate gaped forsyth qatar fillet lacy harlem dishonestly petrochemical pickings lagos sortie fei dorrell circumvent inferno rwanda sketched dispensing cetaceans crematorium poly globally dosage plankton leftist castile woo commonsense dunning subsidised distributes bibliographies depressions multidisciplinary windmill chops aphasia bracing forging emergent conforming thunderous dependents allegiances catheter deceiving moonlit fishy converters convenor mules intercepted heriot redistributive capricorn bribe rout uninhabited blissful te delusions unfavourably merchantable petal portability hmi affable invincible kidnap civilizations giddy besieged revolves discouraging scribbled withington skimming kha disastrously reinstate depleted angelica alienate nacional pep hiroshima nicked subsections hbv afoot instructional psychotherapy retinal genera newsletters signatory sucker androids ilford thrombosis hornby carnival bernhard increment indicted jubilant pilgrim mucking stowe genoa malabsorption licensees jagger deluge stringer expires furthering embarrassingly forks antigua photons householder furs validate soothingly undercarriage blazed octamer whirling worshipped ravine unspeakable hydrochloric thrilling hardboard deputation lethargic newington behest lunatic gleaned schweppes situational forays clamp ormesby weller presbyterians engravings semitic mounts hallucinations sergio crisply mouldings bodyguards relativism admin combative shires gaston maroon schism riviera fling flirting paupers fis tastefully minnie footnotes sweetie drawl replicas underpin hywel frenetic creatively moot propping haughty bogs gec stalking lyell sooty lawsuit martini styled yawning troubling succinct decorator typology recalcitrant shaving allusions powders cleopatra enlisted spitfire cowardice isis greta menial rea moorings splits vesicles mitochondrial grooms yves cavernous canaries nicknamed babylon detects reopened purcell crimean crustal raking que unremitting groping bibles outdated dalyell interfered ebert mackerel mating illiteracy grenades haunts dreading emphases nu reassess brighten nikos forcible twinkle waged instil expel contradicted hankin vestiges swirled furby hexham windsurfing phosphatase masterly publican thrift yussuf ruffled expedient noblemen detach supine tidied saucepans fluently patter colts birt egalitarianism nana skirmish stratigraphical bullied ludwig hiya auctioneers spalding rosyth haines thwart dalai frieze insurmountable cindy oust hateful subsidise ado translates selina participative collegiate anterior davey indigo inflamed doggy intimidating germs stok residing obstruct disrupting foetal parades casket omar bilbao internationalism nursed navigational rebound emlyn steaks qualms herodotos migratory bloodstained landforms hindered forceps maestro undignified bracelets facile pecking intestines hoteliers flex gal ortega undaunted nathaniel tadpoles electrode averted anarchic sneer lacklustre bourdieu inhuman indefensible bertie obscures unresponsive eels color niggling rinse iraqis addicted jeeps indistinct langer impeccably courtyards fibreglass mchale outcrop grafton ludovico dialysis leasing segmental karabakh banish ayrton prestwick cavalier miletti mackintosh implant foray miguelito cupped alleyways decipher prodigy mcguinness linings worthing illustrator deflected russ attire hoo buffers demonstrably forums adore connotation stavrogin polluting motoring realists saver hennessy brimming dragoons seles crutch diabolical consciences gratifying shallot adage wield wantage chilled hydra nd bellies defamatory conjured flowery memento hanger isolating calculus comparability dictation mistresses alloys globular soothed harnessed gelder sacraments nissan signpost frying wont prototypes hypertext extrapolation urchin janata hurtling strait devraux luscious tariq soames increments unreality swelled heredity slicing snapshots subsystems chatham unrepresentative pursuers eadwine undefined lessing spooky impair generalise hob cert underwritten quashed showered pavel mace fens namibian compulsorily chromosomal timers dei translators upside turret bartlett amphitheatre condensed doth consulate mitigation appropriated unsound irritant warmest harsnet grumpy router tasteless twofold bouncy motivational exerting wilts funnily xiii pathogens limoges portals vehement sharpest weathered mot rebates grenada peebles waltz aggressor dinars worsened corrective raspberries humiliated vomit fleischmann cannons commemorating barmy acetic amazonian paternalism vaclav mcclair haggard gasps weedy mountainside eventful signification sow litigants viaduct chaste overcomes dockyard manx affirmative refrigerators meditations trimming chatichai unfolds colloquial inaccuracies dodge upgrades forfeiture thrills deirdre wriggling prettiest tolls snob realizations condemns brunswick pluralistic subjection nos refining pylons bonar forgo georg transferee suspensions medley rodrigo rubens ballots idols platonic sprouts inbuilt holster voltaire accuses rosettes yawn soapy martina naturalism tornado tensile loath conscientiously overture enchanted presentable retainer worsen copernican fizzy tenable lch communicator tiniest irc clattered immunological bandits probabilistic habsburgs sloping banda coined resists inconspicuous kenyan sirith preparedness scunthorpe rosen arias ceasing rightness dinghies overtaking varices placate fpr trident escarpment equivocal latency hodges scanners ducking picnics surrendering splinter coates suicides handset sardines hinkley miró vie regaining eucharist cordial erskine monetarists mayhem lucifer assigning stylist partitions wrappers ny serc whyte maliciously malton bonington desultory blockbuster netted grieve carmel cronies harpercollins freda fooling sleepily arnie pounced cretaceous imaginatively backstage indulged racer unattainable sawdust galloped siting unbearably calculates powdered mucous inflatable khartoum pomp unpleasantly exponential stupendous consecration envied greedily dictatorial entertainers benzene democratization anticipates controllable warts emigrated shia philanthropy shipyards overtures wriggle vane inkatha handler narrows bleed brides incipient footwork dregs sched argyle sema ticks clocked guttering portraying mulberry accessing montagu microelectronics gipsy lps dispenser unlit revoke coldest trivia dum sitter feeders scarman coastguard mack garrisons frith withholding ferranti strach speck cavendish attentively speculated antrum intercom jutting appraisals derogatory motel moulding bothers brough gael bridesmaids threadbare kingfisher bereft macroscopic denominational fillets caernarfon immunisation vassal serials vulture brennan wilfrid angina retaliate irreconcilable delinquent reconstructions lichens deconstruction dungeon bogey spawn antagonist imperious bfgf refs rheumatism cordon narration paraphrase inquisition perversion exalted confectionery pounce reeve virgil alma aristos immeasurably backbench facies warship stubbs calamity syrians shortlist defies rioting mcmanus waterside deuterium elgin dowd resuming christabel rafaelo plaintive sew scurried kinsmen hunch reverted bounded inimical leeks antlers raked specs standardization denser prophecies linlithgow benefactors riddled rnli hiatus finsbury hyperplasia palatine raider talkative shuddering libido recessions canine crease meehan namesake biases promiscuity irritability witham complies lumpur opportunistic cornflakes kew lino excrement graf hanna gliadin throughput reintroduction fullback unpack navigate dempster ellwood pours jeanette eccles notch dutiful helpline misplaced laibon workplaces signifier lombardy tolonen fresher karachi cradled pons mcneill pickwick salinity prestel crutches sovereigns demonic disentangle walnuts sukarno racially eldorado capitation pluck slash minimised changeover discounting balmoral annoys asylums estabrook borehole autopsy rottweilers auxiliaries naivety canes frere apace precocious temperance whittington manned romford tirelessly lees crayons idealized botanist quitting impede plugging pauper gerrard rowdy yea tirana perversely whims ri tabular solace rudeness sizewell catalonia repealed microcosm fagan noose drury parkes cartesian scratches officialdom recitals shelved wearer residency rockers messianic tremolo benedicta searcher defraud woolworth grub sabrina individualist apothecary partido kinda parrots dg nettle sheringham dersingham pecuniary yuppie dads moldova fangs foxton vacations irritate stent screech transfection chrome omagh doings teatime sunil bustled anatoly postmodernist chalker lymington pcbs recited connelly burgers gangway dicta enumeration herman custodians chute kiddies curses regenerate jonathon inducing preconditions prized barbs hobson wyndham erecting errol computed aspiring outbuildings pisa narrowness connell technicalities hayman ambulatory unintentional benton undiscovered conforms welshpool valence zoom idioms zagreb specialisms concorde offside patterning alias enmity loudspeakers nomads cynics chromatic capel mightily concertos disclosing tibetan legged deterministic dearer camaraderie wily airspace aqueous adenomas zhivkov mobs topple bishopric disturbingly infestation turk nailed tecs crackling ruddock urn sheff patriarchy spasms swastika arbroath bygone incensed farcical estranged gc unveil twitch paolo ramps mailing raman kidlington flirtation reparations oates buckle ponderous exxon walsingham tradesman sedimentary canoeing batten stu issuance sickle subdue rescuers tawny schemata menacingly discontented kangaroo loins matures stokesley despairingly pallets surnames trodden cdp regulates interlocking clipboard hermann shielding curd mprp pietro communes herein sikh trickling uninhibited calculators encore triumphal bh aerodynamic flawless unanticipated cures drifts wogan costings annan giorgio haringey cleans ixi phelps hons transference hester jacobsen flip browse retrial daze cultivating prise beaton farewells exon malleable gourmet simone deceleration scuttled adhering accords sandison havvie immersed dulwich curia tnc conqueror unrecognised springtime tankard extortion escorting busier wishart wedges crass profusely postoperative salutary susie caveat knut adjutant thoughtless cautioned jennie veils choreography bras tyrants disarm alternation polity ludo analogues gathers adele modernise changez sharpened determinations filaments bodo moderator simmonds brusque porto spluttered apostolic np amorous commemoration devolved joystick quayle quickened quizzical roundly technologically exacerbate peeping unloading anorexic rhymes rozanov takeaway oppositions genocide mediaeval pinks irresistibly sabha peacekeeping untimely conspiratorial boarders teeming centrist bash omitting deutschmark merson hoof incomparable potentialities crossover humankind textured doh ointment gangsters steadied growl rhyl selfless herpes unconsciousness bethlehem draughtsman outgoings rooney forrester woburn frigid wallasey fluke sequencing newtonian gebrec pageant surkov hallowed periodical healer awry thoroughfare lille cults harvests kennel arenas keener apprehensively hangman feathery dummies transvestite vistas coincidental gosforth ap tribesmen disappointingly stereotyped brad spanned amending resounding touchy relinquished barbarism focussed doherty av cobol propelled abbreviated macao hesketh mitsubishi estella penultimate anachronism peaty adenocarcinoma uninformed accruals convulsions ethereal abdel chants pharmaceuticals ab impunity exorbitant trod shostakovich platter caracas tendrils solute whit strictest hitch thatcherism rapids exercisable sulky thrashed app untypical linesman sedition bombarded equatorial panacea treacle ould praises respecting lieutenants lament lobes shifty gag lausanne reactivity pompidou obliterated oestrogen toiletries blandly hoods spans referent sacking vampire longterm brooklands puny isaacs kilburn stalinist rivera formby perthshire garnish reciting gentlemanly jabbed guesswork dixie mononuclear indignity autocracy keats mayne locational heeled chiffon consort apparition maltings enrol pagemaker quantitatively collie informational compositional testicles assigns amiably abducted acreage electrostatic gabon outweighed handlers revoked seabed winch decider ssrs ammonium deferential md lair wellies inspires supercomputer piping insular abstracts typified fontaine windowsill savages amnesia carnations lehmann hearsay informationssysteme layouts atrocity encoded oozing telex itzhak stow tristram adulation blanks flabby hoops unpromising crystallization collateral unhurried lewisham hydroxide penchant rehearsed beresford appreciates coupling autoimmune inordinate pontefract pinching moray troopers pathetically cashmere skirted forbids recounted unrelenting herbivores tailors transcendent tenths phobia attributing unilever scuffle guernsey thereupon inflicting harpy anchored kumar louth songwriter vindication sparrows lyneham obscuring pretreatment pipette beatings northwich urals accusingly mckeown larsen yon eczema infringe impassable unsung splinters fret pastiche potts incandescent understudy fainter denton monet acetate nicole wynne fluidity launderette mandible australasia ligament connectors greenish harbouring fael disuse nudes asparagus microscopes llewelyn langton rendition legislatures hilbert snub metamorphosis favouritism mcdunn madison proletarian hearse unguarded waived dominican levelling headlong electrolyte pandora goethe deservedly ariadne linearly quizzically pap esp hadley drummond beret chalets fortran extraneous aleksandr ambleside mach contemporaneous fsa broads superscalar wallets boutiques markby mandarins swapping doldrums seething deathly inis gajdusek rao indecently dewey début alexis erlich berowne dulles vainly browns allitt insomnia akbar deduct diction sympathise hegemonic delectable hodder impregnable threaded celluloid busby fitzroy engages postsynaptic shutdown schoolroom unassuming wallington dank undergravel exmoor sittings indisputable riga husayn vestments unthinking towelling frisson casework cobra manipulations nazareth vargas acorn commemorated punks admissibility surging roomy yanked courgettes sorcery chainsaw crick premiers snodgrass itn chrysler adorned stabilisation denholm waveform stonehouse swerved inhibiting unaccountably mango satisfactions lunged luigi pepsin parentage bankruptcies indestructible tusks steed invisibility irreducible rhinoceros movers legible gustave transformational hotelier congressmen unwrapped redness pipework bonding lexington sedate jonah postures gruffly hindi rocard nicol falconer pentland ruthven purported chromium neutrophils ostrich placards photocopies mosques bathe nevil halting hamburger innovatory xerxes incitement irrationality computerisation cripple frg bethnal babur imaging freckles branching maggot underdeveloped fenwick conserved ably paine djs sauntered comers anders siegfried lore drumming cli olsen doric chantal camra hoddle cruised mallet belgians broadhurst voluptuous refreshingly contradicts pedals infatuation fainted surfers fifths bono furnishing vance unquestioned emitted quantifiable indefinable sweatshirt attrition receding defoe godly transfusions recriminations gomez nz awkwardness penthouse foolhardy pneumatic nintendo utrecht pepe monopolist alfonso hebrews permissiveness inhabitant springy unsuited savouring bullocks detachable agitated shuffle cairngorms beinn slimming swivel covertly farmhouses macrophages stormont heighten ladbrokes finalist passable laurel confidences idiosyncrasies perfectionist grazed roma updates grandchild ryzhkov hinton aristotelian glenda larceny keele lafferty truer southerly laudable zeros sheepishly headington referents canning tire jacobites capitol hermit pers saucy breadwinner intoned lamented cuticle rosette fixes fad frets knowsley erupt disloyal orator sabre minders jig cent adjudicator dispelled ercp chattering antiseptic cleverness regionally nehru repugnant fads mythic metaphysics pluralists miscarriages lira vicarious combating divan jaunty discontinuous anchorage adoral clattering incursions engineered gorse dow cookstown exploitative proclaims collapses courting nairn adjourn apologising hcl lightest audacious dumplings trellis entitles ronaldsay smokes slavonic writhing reproduces eddies borrows kaleidoscope chucked retrieving critiques scrubbing tonga upbeat expectant woodrow gus offshoot irrepressible furrows bounding decrepit bismarck demented ecosystems coordinating vp frosted knitter judo awarding perez confidant nomic kidd aired expensively speke eaters unforgivable concealment cloaks canvassing overland bloodless formaldehyde shallower lytham intensities skimmed conwy halve glutathione droves nutmeg subtler baskerville olympus wraps repel laziness luxor planters samaritans bristles buzzed nascent rn interwoven decaying stank cocks wick datasets inconsequential lunatics pee pips rooftops judi lauda crashes maltese medallion hike sekers hezbollah digger aragon watersports toni tufts tackles pemberton cuddling reiterate crowley wah wpc horsley colonization phenomenological peake glumly pt unsuspected princeton clambering cobbler oglethorpe egon battleground dundas sequentially counterclaim monklands austrians havana indecisive numbness placings beardsley edison kelvin cramp wacky wispy bestowed admiringly conventionalism upmarket félix whores crunchy straws effecting alderley syndicates materialist abstention fernandez deepening erased ruinous armenians errands edi domestically menacing evan flinch palladium soy mott combatants unannounced newell categorisation confrontational grandmothers couplet boils majors detractors insemination cocoon mulroney unstressed stupor vermin precipitous durban bottomless hog transcriptions impurities pruning babble pretences patriots selhurst rhys piaget behold unstuck edta kindergarten hardliners methodically lapses bullock fischer unkindly tremors relished kimberley tyndale nn breather hesitating sponges informality raving homeowners toolkit complainant specialize relocated tobago pkk fallible deana charmingly blinking streamlined hnd reintroduce vass volkov hysterically windermere rpr spurt insulted neckline sadie prostacyclin howells harlequins yous boo idealised rhinos chilperic relishing dizziness hawkes discredited yegan consummate overleaf jonadab mortuary fortresses aussies rumbled togo harvested irreverent incoherent outnumbered physio uptight mansions shanty gunpoint buddha bennet scones swapped kahn ambient eclipsed eggar layton sprawling migrating stenosis mishap stucco basle macro alberta sinusoidal tuppence traditionalists statisticians ilkley eradicated boldness hpv yell eduardo whirl hyperactive uttar interpretive multiprocessor vdu xx shortened evaporate pounded slyly southward abbreviation crikey unobserved fells mag grandly impropriety alicia swamps utilization indemnities villiers playfully forgave lectured sedation indexed overdo madrigal vestige innovators tattoos supposes shae primeval jacklin trespasser polemic substantiated formers jewkes morsel sandringham spaniel polemical taff boulevard acclaimed melvyn batman urbanisation masha sloped unobtrusively acknowledgment nikkei jameson fingering europa labouring longitude thrombolytic resins ligand mcgee provokes rosenberg logistical hamster cradling torchlight interrelationships iboa kinky trespassing congresses sociability reprinted hearers fertilisation grappling lapel giscard loopholes outbound inaudible deposed paras randy hydroelectric telecoms bobbed dirk blink campuses aachen chauvinism colonnade fireside darcy itching frothy artistry tumultuous confiscated clampdown defensible hansen blunkett structuring authorial caucus homelands baptists algal gruelling compaction chequered wetter dreamily gastro tectonics sabatini distributive tashie relayed kneel earthworms pennine walthamstow dioceses croat engraved binge bryant tracer garcía laidlaw aborigines auspicious darkening lifetimes unites gallacher duplicate sophy wanker fontanellato strategists skating siena jp supersonic impulsively heuristic mccormack scala electrics outlandish adenomatous concussion incessantly consonant accrued mercurial uniforum imperceptible laminated converse tot tanganyika thistle quangos stellar breadcrumbs bel dissection pierce summation neutrinos tyrone laboured scouring abyssinia nuance mined professed trolls wigs voicing bandwidth scorpion acemi insolent squinting equine coexistence swig hilltop whitelaw snowball restorative tills lan innkeeper nonsensical blobs degeneracy peaches izzie oscillations fanaticism tubers dissipated dumbarton sever resorted schumann opportunism jehana slipper birkett configured harming headless associating immovable faultless feverishly brandenburg draughty jilly victors mandibles jerky palma invalidate elevations brom handley cuppa pragmatist sapphire monographs impeachment godstowe heretical taipei arran rootstock handfuls slut chiltern subterranean obligingly counterproductive moores visitation succumbed dissolves dynamical butlin damnation archival decadence bookshelves bougainville ruse canteens experimented converge grands safeway mcalpine tl disreputable stills adsorption centring jm creaked bey towing tributaries zenith coverings encyclopaedia certify bombshell vivien tranche corrie brigades dusky frills academia untroubled bewildering yorkshireman betrays assailants dd evangelists derisive cautionary spruce escalate chink khasbulatov specialties nagging airily nmr wagging whitfield superstars authoritarianism lingers baptised prudhoe turbines visor famagusta stansted streamers appeasement visceral bikers ibanez oligarchy steamed steroid moffat accessory cloisters slumber believable fleury nativity unpleasantness parvis polypropylene grimy lineages denham synchronous corpora mutilation yellowish mineworkers issuers langdale bulldozers panasonic vehemence lashing immutable trampled ramsden fortitude zack heartbreak cask scrubbed erica quits lifeboats pablo wrongfully ultrasonic najibullah seton guilloche palermo unsatisfied dillons walworth banknotes posse dumps payton masterful enthused shrieking leeway clydesdale groupe refresh demolishing walt reconsideration propellers didactic mouthed fluoride subjecting homecoming gullies gentiles despotism frosts bellamy converging flashman microfilm cunningly patented disinfection replicated eyeballs hegelian isotopic fl koch dares lauder bustling duplex possessor basalt guggenheim auschwitz disorientation contraption grail wealthiest devotional davide faunas hermes fasten notepaper wuthering finlayson disinfectant diameters overruled shunt marek werewolf windmills shards advertiser masonic refineries craigavon allegorical axons elitism nonchalantly unethical blackcurrant fairways belied wolff overgrowth fuji uneasiness israelites unusable distracting pacifists raynor compromising assassinate fitzpatrick domed whitewash carcasses juggling stalwarts spaced matured sagged underpins travesty burgeoning competes underpinning breaker pastimes subcutaneous delirium shales trite prohibits debenhams annette persuasions nld montgomerie reagents ssap swaziland approximations boathouse psychosomatic speeded ducts misnomer fahreddin kurdistan staples neurones squirmed halloween nurture spicer panto axiomatic tranquillizers sanctuaries panda spokes approachable apologized seagulls naff castlereagh penda rink springboks handkerchiefs variegated ingram vw libretto recounts rowlands leniency rpi misbehaviour encampment toothache federations ironed extremism isotopes melton separable pga rigging leopards exertions wildfowl mediocrity testers lire quipped gambia intensional blossoms testimonial ostentatious poppy spawned countryman opioid clarendon paraded dampen immunoglobulin robemaker misfortunes invariable whisker lisabeth infertile unced itinerant glycaemic eire cabs loaned comecon frigates ossetia breathes harrier wilds bretton cashing entrepreneurship carver bo disregarding dartmouth lonrho publicised laces schoenberg impairments crackle arousing lute harassed abbas jun chaplains outstandingly raoul grinstead furtherance deciduous principled docile stirs adidas tramways usher herod solubility continuities welch inhalation brat altars baronial saltburn beaks airman unicef divulge ukrainians chlorofluorocarbons faraway grapevine unjustifiable rut deviate coles homemade poitiers pippin shanks rotors vulgarity chimps snarl tilly showbusiness swain motorbikes facilitator unregulated hellyer commendation uncontroversial spartak knightsbridge piloted accede scrappy distally tuner technologists vengeful stepney springsteen tubby fete inventors welshman undeterred ante pus pacifism drawbridge unscientific welwyn haworth imitations diminutive teletext urethra slams goering zaïre nfu prednisolone painkillers squires hotline unmanageable hissing separations unfolding washable fused billiard thug riva smarter impromptu polygons sparkled crevices thermonuclear prerequisites prerogatives pushy phallic hawker pursues reflector minch farmed harmonization microkernel cocktails empiricist crosland instigated pittance injurious ferris midsole schoolgirls bayswater peculiarity overridden soundness nspcc musselburgh enlighten nep plover graze charger etched litem freestyle knitwear gratified strongholds interradial cobham rearrange patrimony coburg fetish haydn construe duplicated dia grice aintree evangelist collaborator thinning compagnie gregg adjusts decompression humanistic elects definable sonatas rediscovered perishable unrestrained arcades iconography fieldfare flowered drudgery tatters perennials gilly ores religiously clelia dozed blackbirds eights avenge mccabe clustered syd motivates perpetrator linseed aquifer ironical squealed exposures coachman tiptoed scoreline cartilage donal redeemable suffocation sweetest overlord brackley leanings mccormick minutely testable jungles cum jackpot smolensk starch cincinnati byelarus activates transmitters scorpio athena jostling shopper batted darwinism mendez inhaled minutiae rupees undress ave caddies dons porsche akers atheism haphazardly borneo dijon decker abstain andean posthumously cameo humiliate persuasively mopping styling rook constructional anniversaries headers secures decorum melanoma firearm hummed manoeuvred havelock omens accomplishments panicking vivacious needlessly niven grandstand vous julio voltages snappy wanderers snugly beefy ovulation prodigal endeavoured detested romantically hempstead carcinogenic unruffled effigy spotlights preconceived leyton livings yts operand altdorf introspective precincts technicality trippier edict intimation limerick freezers spills untoward amicably infuriated crump nieces xiaoping toner scrawny endothelium consett demos briefest zoology consignments inexhaustible bali foes liquidators studs melons catechism touchdown fenna oboe incongruously unsmiling revellers girth bursa catesby experimenters predicative beaver assayed katharine obstinately bulkhead totalitarian shrinkage classifying mcconnell cpre symphonic ashby princesses cuddle analyze regalia apathetic rummaged truss cloudless staffroom unacknowledged wailing salmond perpendicular toyed sojourn tingling utilized burners unacceptably sheepskin abd superimposed workington skylight railing crabb shetlanders sycamore bondholders ahi ordinance headingley vinnie basking comets divider jaundiced attributive odious jams nodules tapering smock euphemism mens flatten bmc ledges melwas soberly pallet affiliated mechanisation nowak notepad scone camped guesses recaptured hellenic skirmishes hash loveliest whillan meaty parlance rhee grandest outlaw superstore hemel perpetuity rosamund hippocampus humanly housebound misappropriation boycotted salted equanimity minding directorship joyfully bagpipes nothingness integrative locates roughness legalistic oppositional gunnell westland rehydration duncton limply subjectively keel excel strangle mcevoy greenfield sultanas kernaghan speedway disillusioned obstructions seasonally hypothermia infirmity proportionally cubist morenz lusaka etienne gynaecologist blended artifacts hydrophobic dabbed rpf fuming escalating unpretentious goodison shipman asb aileen frighteningly hepatocytes beckoning dh cisterns coffees lapping moi tvei powergen gusts localized cloned specialism scrutinised akram fishkeeper handiwork chaser undressed vaulted heaviness boutros alphabetically voidable ginny girlish cervix clouded cropping seditious erroneously unwind davie copse titanium circulatory rufous duality despondent pejorative furlong patronising awhile spec fawn gimmick throb ratcliffe rhododendrons abusers unceremoniously dbms interrogated ventura bhutto transcends whiter epping studded prettier urbane storyline gwyneth cements hatherby solemnity riba nibbling evidential carnal sympathisers serenely tooting underlay mugabe midwifery rainwater perfumes propulsion mvs ev lesbianism saws tussle nr vellum ctl pol dreamer obliging plumbers reformulation clothed visualization premonition commodore reece newsroom indoctrination pseudonym flutes ormond bawled prided inconsiderable piglets duckling dupont nigger mega rapturous linker quiss fontana lob hulk irresponsibility supremo finery prewar cytr shih kinder frees gamekeeper stranglehold obstetric uninitiated puritanical rhode karelius fairytale greenham customarily hairline neuronal swales craon outcast pericles farah grapple integrates devouring halstead lourdes lankan forgeries extrinsic finalise repudiate cub postulated gnomes shred detest sculptural delinquents mobilise conjures excelled easington fuses egerton dioxins discontinue doorman conurbation conjugal eponymous efficiencies oklahoma disprove dissonance keynesians eritrea demonstrable conifer indemnify hams papilla disraeli dryden cooperatives delicacies metcalfe headboard duffy distillery devalue lymphocyte evangelicals propagate chilling typeface vying mainz kidnapping swarm questioner mcintyre squeaky morrow steeple journeymen gutted regularities pave marsden hoyle são microbial madrigals aiding serotonin circumspect arabella vivienne stott cloister prettily jordanstown panted mattie wench ramos signings pu migrations dtp whitton drayton penrith cogent rambling moby rotated syntactically bcp buff stoop waverley taheb blanco headroom mesozoic teak unlicensed bermondsey shite lineout michaelmas babes lampard sustains arthritic turban aspired woefully composites urea sprouting peremptory humphries snuff viktor sib condone gassendi boundless minuscule unwitting chided osteoporosis smitten uncommitted maturing unsigned franciscan gamut ghali bale hco riyadh mucky ovaries jimi vendetta combing collocation unintentionally carmarthen mcnally artistically gauze scree bismuth rosary whimsical perpetrated incinerators berserk strayed ludicrously biennial pharmacists restructured breezy emf gadget jails unnerving salinas baleful devonian fincara sandown cck proverb captors yeomen stares tat mingling kilns scholastic stratospheric growths alderman overpowering barring starfish subtraction devotes cultivators typography flexed mistletoe thundering grotto kaiser mints swoop balustrade truncated silences reintroduced mu wading alertness escalator breezes intervenes spirals spiny eerily fledgling saddest signifying undistinguished scowling rackets fission herrings woe hindley antiracist rogues summertime ejection marvelled haunting rowbottom floodlights coombs defreitas stratigraphy donned munros caffeine choppy manganese haunches ruck loudest boatmen counterfeit spares guises holdall pooh deformity rigged combed icam analytically objector derisory magilton mazowiecki fluted grotesquely goalless simile madras minerva sendei lapels dieting rca outpost embezzlement victorine duplicity foregone specializing tainted commuting unfocused feuds liechtenstein ferryhill lowly falsification rumbling viz clasp liqueur actionable revisionist prognostic abominable sills unjustly pres conveyancing taper corresponded virile teaspoons tommaso harald bourbon carrickfergus childrens intentioned unrecorded unwin descriptors deserting dormitories alto canton abbots fay barbarous toothless willoughby supplementing inadmissible comte refusals bespectacled streamed studiously suitors calmness alphanumeric crossley brotherly walden biodiversity persecuted reprimanded dicks lathe stylus castration polyurethane preventable sears expansionist fiddled transactional repute dismounted plaza tome enlarging roper abeyance downcast sneaked slimmer coached arbuthnot hyperbole shilton unicameral pricked mooted calcareous wetness thyroid bsa wholehearted replete serrano atrium emit commercialism compliant tinted workroom extricate alacrity impressionable forgetful stalwart unabated egos nebulous enrolments affiliate serra backwardness foolishness codon marksman aladdin hollis duff luch eccentricities stoutly mopped obsessively danby presupposition warlike breaching willed exhaustively icelandic brightened bureaucrat squeal unsettling externality hertford wardship untried condolences curran creases hrawi christened confessing taffeta allah promulgated stylistically introns biarritz agonies conceit prospered steadfastly ailing spout smirk groundless redefined disseminate placenta mammy whirlpool fiesta zambian pv uninvited stirrings wedged summonses manson pastries unwisely engrossed quash dissipation seabirds mpg ascents pfk roster surcharge mcwhirter prep saleable rectangles watchdogs sprinkler jab woes rapists rotations monochrome predilection prudently sega ecgfrith riverbank regatta italianate ops illegible nickel plasterboard neumann logarithm maladministration higham portrush unenviable luv diffraction referendums rulebook señor barron programmable rampart broadside jessamyn bystanders competencies preside doorsteps barricade hideously saddled drs gouache dewar parrott druids sacrosanct ascended scruples caged reflectively partridge outlawed horny mariners monogamous unending livelihoods guidebooks bridlington ejaculation municipalities fasting lessened swooping mae antiracism nightie retaliatory racers fiend padding honecker strives graces tortoises sculptured dusted nat sigmar elevate moldavia libby churlish han belfry nutrient streatham chanel quine sucks sharif npv mccullough revelling subculture magpie marlboro usk cytokines partisanship corrupted resurrected lookalike countdown laced initiates javier lapsed smears synergy machynlleth faxes chronologically inarticulate utilize rampton microbes tiptoe grist nunn apocryphal abandons anemone rocastle vanishing garlands leonid cheekbone hysterectomy holdsworth levine stallions warders sampras whistles dunstable rylands whoa glowered silhouettes mcgeechan tal nupe crossbar prostaglandins budgie segregated orthogonal surrealist administratively ng hiccup precluded vexed maugham jiang gingerbread handbooks gaitskell sfa lutyens ahrairah grasmere lawlessness pinnacles demure domiciliary frigate aerosols uncritically weakens polynomial murals pegged pavilions plaice flocked fatter tepid mitochondria enclaves grainger virtuosity empt enthusiasms wilhelm denoted comings astronaut aethelred rallying heave merlyn icily pts mire potteries innocents potty scalpel insurgents congested dislikes decca jericho distancing humps cliche imelda lucille alejandro plucking endangering constellations garvin finlay pcc snowing schemas iterations nacl torness obsolescence scolded pate wyvis drapes mcclelland hypergastrinaemia monaghan facelift hayek personification southbound headley seine volition magdalene intraepithelial incumbents nicaraguan interrelated joyriders rbge olson highs oswiu obe worksheets fruity puffs renovated rejoicing inventiveness highfield impinge tarpaulin obtrusive opportune dev prelates ember separatists innuendo minneapolis foursomes encapsulated honouring latham erode stunningly burgled disbursements fluctuating gaudy recluse titanic competently dressmaker maidens bon domino ponder ascertaining murtach disequilibrium bowers bev distorts despondency psalm runways rippling sifting superhuman dismally prussians watered arrhythmias undisciplined rollins capacitors incalculable hepworth gorges jourdain classicism carnegie splashes playgrounds tyrrell templeman primitives baboon mutter promontory cations maori hambledon jewry quarks ballerina innards crossman bodywork preheat scrabbling blueprints qt combe whisked searchlight seamus ld extinguish prenatal underdevelopment acronym nudging borg immobility yellows dryly kw grieving apocalypse shrouded recessive sanctum jul conduction apr mourn archery fronting inimitable ganglia habitable bumble sparcstations bayonet helical outrageously clitoris grumble embroiled potion ostensible pahl crooks paediatrician flexing cllr candida syracuse jamming cupping triggering aerobatic acknowledgements lunacy cornwell slowest afforestation champ ing sighs pipelines tumult libyans tnf redolent voiceless runcie underwrite fundic egan res blundell packaged saturn hawthorn clothiers criticises claudio neurotransmitter ricardo equalled undefeated rooks terrence embankments tinkering reels straying disrespect counterpoint functionaries blameless baboons streaked verifiable optician sbus convicts allele desist superstitions canoeists heroines urchins seneschal buggery fucked vastness exasperated hatchback vouch hunterston hamas caerulein thurso bullish winterton snatches crofters basaltic disappearances yolk bassoon cuckoos lintel bsc chirac sos girdle anya holyfield quorum observant diplomatically bogie ayton bordered seve revs steamers blaster giver voracious irksome constabulary com imminence cacophony slashing creak trickled rabies ethnically earldom thicknesses topsoil contingents bitches holed headship eluded stranraer frightens bestseller stc enveloped authorising approver footballing tr subordinated unbounded hinduism abysmal mccreery eyewitness upcoming subvert entangled stepson genscher deploying reza slithered beeches chopper dozing pravda teal oscillator outs sikhs quadratic acer conductance massif baffling insuperable maradona malmesbury exhilarating repressor downside blacksmiths emil stave martinez coincidences pocketed eater sewell behaviourist tccb redoubtable fetching mallender casuals agarose scarred frugal dissension herons beep rationalize informers resistances intoxication septic katz phipps reims moodie fanned polaroid destroyers compensating easterly panicky fussing affray reigned mixes jewelled pcp quinine garb reeled intersections squashed indefatigable kopyion haig hedley petitioners heaths isotropic dickensian raiding orford plating neutrino ferociously mossley hamper newbridge outnumber hellish staid practises pox narcissism plush leger restores nouveau monty mcquaid disdainful evoking ungainly poaching treadmill fielded tripos sw petticoat jensen funk alsace valour templars tinged moored gauche trusteeship pantheon crustaceans savoury scaling gaskell suddenness burly ladbroke totem recyclable stripper debenham excellently osmotic diner fieldworker napkins lasagne commonality nonlinear categorized interjected solent rabble clichés dairies justinian pennant glade mouthfuls spindle chariots lanky flippant chardonnay routed vivian aural skidded matting signet dea potentiality spindly align buckland memorably queued strat sulphide luminosity andropulos machinations seep coax scooter wonderland interacts heretics hacked cancerous attested diversified haldane cubans asc candour bayonne snows atlantis unsubstantiated acceptances collectivist trifling howls launcher mimicry crimea christening loyally baits potholes shameless suture anticipatory uxbridge authorize shaven dms dainty validly valentin investiture diphtheria finnegan cytology manorial glandular bookman boniface wisps ardour ethylene histologically subservient wainwright protectively rabin dynasties asterisk currants sandinistas pythagoras watergate joão trump ascend intraluminal accordion rooting bisexual disembodied whisk supersparc indivisible tajikistan whittaker fanning gaveston evergreen mastering dominoes rapes bums maybury freighter fracas jaime caa westwood bade shopfloor overjoyed yuk coppell forefathers invocation oswestry unhindered omnibus poitou yuri rungs loot pulley battleship compute hee wester suburbia massaging adrenaline wanderings putts estoppel toledo blackheath baba maskell moreton cypriot pied indescribable summarising outpatients otherness mongrel malfunction orbitals forearms layered muller portia resistors fpcr sporty nfs disband impressionistic purges netball librarianship wellcome plait biomedical polygon provost denizens noir hubbub nalgo absentees cadre byzantium stasis nasser everard idiotic optimist sarawak exigencies newgate walkways pained optimistically militarism reinsurance ancients soiled succumbing masquerading convivial figurehead unfailing grading bcg nauseous ambled controversially amassed heywood cou endoscopically admires xanthe dwindled bse subcontinent smallholders illuminates lurching wenceslas kitchenette scampered conjunctions universals diagrammatic appellate lagoons doone spartans syringes mumbling firsts blythe fothergill wicketkeeper clio beverages unattached lukács steelworks tonnage kiff zealanders hitched lancet conversant wensleydale synopsis esc duma kcl dab nods euphoric jumbo solicitous grocers wrench resemblances buttresses vents tightrope objectification fronds azerbaijani rolf variceal barrington obviate knackered outcrops temperaments mendelssohn eastenders punctuality locos untested hurtled distorting propel irises sepsis brodie stubbornness rsfsr reversals lateness bicameral handbags clings unselfish ketchup pharisees iowa fledged leland malai dioxin newall hereinafter excitatory suspending tuathal eachuinn impurity frayed affirming cochrane polluter toxteth outreach mended cruises jellies giveaway unify unconfirmed morpeth pitifully redefinition heraldic draper myanma avocado impetuous zoser maximising rebellions leaky lexicographer soc hillary petitioned heaton mait maclaren craved roundhouse neale angelic moralists spasmodic giulio clearances recessionary laconic mesenchyme warring rapture genitalia befits opencast compendium hungerford privatising colectomy annuals petrified conquerors egbert luxemburg perish acidly fitters ordinators shoplifting phenomenology assam charting diode colliding swarming infect screeched ericsson buthelezi telecommunication wizards irreparable concordance somatostatin caresses prostatic chieftain blouses tidily veneration thrifty wellingtons assiduous deathbed suharto delicatessen unravelling ephemera unfold wardle glens encompassed annamese ellison neoplasia subtracting benedictine virgo heartache articulating dem westmorland genealogy hardwick accumulations flanagan capitalize stitched unanswerable vacated resonances dae crofts transcendence compensations lingfield axiom bestow phenotypic venezia bogwood chandelier bes hairdryer dodged kiwis workgroups bachelors billowing cascading mercians alchemy canister polybius remorseless aggravate tqm attractor woodford outgrown listless usurpation tampered behaviourism mischievously corks edmond fissure pathfinder forked bulwark yanks hendrie conditionals nawab edmonton softbench mirage metrical aviemore purposive bewick rubbery kitsch slander busacher dictating marriott bigotry verde sketchy sneaking fireplaces savannah asthmatic fades rampage dubiously degrading andreotti arsehole dystrophy lacuna dcf carrion botanists intravenously dionne zollinger amphibious truism ashen deceitful crippling misinterpretation solder scallops fallout waded elongation salah berths jogged detoxification bruising remoter sihanouk rustling lipped harwood lengthen npc sows rowed allenby hispanic grunts caverns heterosexuality tidings golfing elisa gels manifestos sizable distilled recreating troll ischaemic hereabouts hazlitt manse archivists receded stortford analyzed convulsively muon stitching ccp summarizes stilts medreses fumed bodmin woodpecker starry thiercelin cleese towered unbelief wove decorators nilsson olfactory coupe retails onlooker remotest slur volunteering thrall administers figurines cleverer rationalise fluff obtuse cohn purist slocombe rearranging refutation necklaces mamur largesse prokofiev signposts beadle leven lipids smithy ferdinando ineffectiveness mcculloch tutilo dynamically narrowest abbeys overlaid désirée captained mitre mcdowell sans cadiz trestle typescript bellows kindest munching nutshell pelmet unaccountable tingle commandant quarrelling terriers bedroomed fiance apposite connery bashing impassively freiburg lyndon lockers belize alfredo wrapper procuring sheriffs xenophobia stub battens taliesin computations halton flanking undisguised sewerage greatcoat cdc ballater contaminants fitzwilliam coups nondescript chalice conditioners tennant cms rudolph chloe biggs trilobites conner nic sna pledging welled harvesting occlusion unsustainable aground wrongdoing passageways nicknames lomond symbiotic blockages earphones kirkwood registrars darkfall prowling nero repositories surpassed gestational triplets thrash perspex flocking resolves moldavian pretender prow tribulations endocrine arcane chandra maypole coyle excommunication ding hag baku companionway interconnection refilled clippings worsening bower rachael sagittarius peres gory balm checkpoint simplifies jubilation strapping ega astronauts transmits analgesia alluvial winnipeg aqueduct fillers exemplar cameramen ghent ilk spillage whined unproblematic menem chisholm amplify cleansing med genotype cummins overturning das esau backwater auburn siesta aeronautics hatched esso fashanu armament typefaces creepy cistercian kilt coherently brentwood ossie excruciating lien thunderstorm clearinghouses mcguire likud enterprising cartographic improvise lawsuits epidermis retraced pedantic nipped maelstrom neatness stags aprons manageress manoeuvring indifferently czechoslovakian fudge natalia purred perished farmsteads mcrae falkenhayn luxuriant mechanization elicited dwelt tenet arkwright pollute une marilla knuckle wokingham addendum adler simms handbrake humourless ciskei interrelationship abigail lectern flagrant treasured fro washers tuxedo clique incomprehension banister bdda figaro gauged glide vagrants handover stiffen eyeball corkscrew obstinacy sandwiched infiltrated gallup beacons syndromes sheepish horus castings hela protectors exhortations embattled dimorphism monrovia obsessional judd anchors galleys billing expiration bma pompey duster atmospheres sumner censuses josiah rafferty preliminaries rancour epidermal herbie precept wilkes recombination tableaux discarding nelly ndp cher knocker saboteurs storeroom smouldering hoardings canvassed simmering jacquie smithkline mathers poodle ungrammatical humdrum hyacinth crevecoeur greaseproof demonstrator resurrect epson omi levelly agreeably scsi creaking koran goodwood smuggle lounges marvel rothmans cliftonville sighting bowyer anastomosis mira dysart apostrophe incubus revocation eucalyptus confidentially lech cowan rougher gaussian clo anaemic asexual husrev suppleness chucking marshland tritium disloyalty plasterwork ferment truncheon ctc prat babylonian hamnett snowdrops rosheen ravel schiller untitled hughie rejoice reconstituted editorship highgrove viewdata remittances cessna omits quintet daleks negate suffocating grained luckless effendi replenish sadat gallantry improbably fer kyte tremulous nuffield reaping harmonics disunity behavior acrimony inhumanity conceptualization storyteller navarre inserts conductive diametrically scrapping hs gradation epstein patina lovey transgene egoism lapillus degas ephemeral fellas ordinariness criminally ecowas hosiery embalmers ltte firefly outlaws infringed brothels duc skimpy pendlebury counsellee orthographic grangemouth driftwood decanter pitts terns mullin rancid ales stooping callanish avowed bonny comradeship infinitesimal fuelling engendered goff moisturiser enrique condescension salim vibes preset panties repaying docherty dpr dimness ethologists realisable tablecloths fastening phospholipid donne hrt capillary operands nashville jacobson barbican tufted expendable asean disallowed pickle cgmp epistle shrugs haughey sharpening buoy taxman ashenden garnett thrombolysis chairing kathryn birthright aquinas scooping crompton underprivileged asphalt adaptors loathsome suitor ascetic jokingly searchlights mealtimes mcnealy transplants repelled deleting crowther canopies abe insulate holme unravelled mash questioningly warbler repossession manchuria recollect ascribe fireball bernadette kingsholm curbs supernatant brewed unrecognized threefold uncut mortars intro amelioration conran mcgurk playboy totalization springer marathons infill quarrelled straighter lysosomal dapper tracery fingerprint rafts modicum bough floundering sallow reigning taster horseshoe testified chloroform tam overhang reparation airstrip unashamed whitish hoskyns phasing plenary streamline adopters shrift civilisations lopez thrillers traceable venturous piaroa obscenities mahmud impediments nona turkeys illegitimacy hydroxyl universes twit editorials petion inmos igor mckee snip widens fatuous arrestable squeaked minogue insulated identically windswept renegotiate hahnemann iliescu howes inflection plessey roskill solvency courtier savimbi motherly thickets sandhurst wavered incisor simmel postlethwaite ibiza spasticity oddities rb institutionalized aenarion ackroyd nonconformity kp tasmania volatiles timex prestatyn salter tirade lutheran michelin wellingborough gi thermodynamic pilger libra disapprove prolonging rucksacks pissing sinuous theist morosely parenting anarchists nightclubs profane stasi neutralise documenting tut commandment bosch shackles convertibility eyesore speculatively colourings prefix ratchet gil feasts emitting transcribed sprawl vicissitudes mull confluence inductivist excites testifies extermination confusingly daggers curbing boxed resentments blackberry alina baines flavoured redford velvety cheetahs bipolar livers shins boogie dsp snippets workout uranus redefine lunge undercut reorganise sanskrit godsend viceroy etching scribbling cannae assembler synapse lama revels ip armistice anwar graced undated gianni vats propitious cactus whittingham disaffected hillier unknowingly stowmarket carols francie ltb tyrell lurked woodwind airwaves ange warms aircrew isolates temerity cartwright tiffany cca tampering accredited crank lois clubhead indelible dissipate udc uncharted sinus undoing unreservedly sedgwick biographers suns trickery wynn speckled greenhouses unmatched mannered larynx spellbound wu dietrich elucidation boatman wisest retinoic worsley lina tampa idiomatic cherish aborted copeland tavistock rayleigh signorina rickie arachidonic utensils farley catamaran hijacked tesserae emilio maxims harbury bunting fissures invidious ohms orientated repairer ulterior epithet encyclopedia irreplaceable haircuts flagstones clicks centrifugal hdtv himmler balmy zapt ufo candlesticks ipuky harlequin photographing saplings rajiv journeyed gilfoyle elgar recoiled warranted mcinnes mullins sowing burroughs tunisian polyp claridge forfeited rescuer topmost hangers angelo pompeii imbued blends bskyb sunni dorigo bristling baize bulbous landscaped ledgers thudding ecsc atrophic nc armpit blunders unconstrained conroy rabid downtown attainments dangled gunshot divinely organizes indianapolis dino batter hooke spiralling needlework gregor carnation accesses bookcases civility devour swirl bystander brocade handsworth blinding coarser brittan constancy disobedient younis uncovering colette cots frightfully chained stinging formalists rudd brookes baring covalent rubs debuts depressingly substitutions sectoral reinterpretation squig gravestones wrecks chas tulips congruence sidecar seeker pods angst caledor barter leeward academies maltote sitters lobsters privatisations coterie loony elijah evergreens appendages unearthly derisively anderton squamous preservatives hah eea lorimer revolving matheson shoreditch extrovert tramps geographer wreaths cbe wessels holford presides refunds illustrators tactless lowry disrepair sidewalk themistokles spilt holroyd heathland kafka suzi fundholding triumphed cannibalism mixers firepower capitulation threateningly enthalpies motets libertarian loathing cpus jamila scribes galbraith discontinuities hesitations maturities undry slings meditative winsor categorise evaded puritans stochastic flammable curlers chanced royalist edgbaston mcfall rubies videotape smother provocatively héloïse snare requiem qaddafi rams pall inheriting simons fecundity carcinogens bi disconnected desertification forfeit cherwell rpc angelina wrestled unloved reissue lingerie salvadorean greengrocer aggro kilbride picts verges quiver lundy wella queueing scheduling mosses cilla lodges saudis thermos devastatingly kenilworth causally misdemeanour nagorny pickers jellyfish schizophrenic placental betterment sideline calligraphy sequenced mortem incision pricey referenced ironside hamburgers dissenting guthrie aft motivating cheetah probationary townspeople bleached itch extractor unlabelled dandelion dyslexic precipice cit piste racy prism particularity bared aplomb laxatives nichol chums matinee notched mettle parser perfecting scuba newsprint lefevre stipulate cornhill healy pancake vicars uprights canto twyford gaping martinho metaphoric cornered slaughterhouse hounded playroom plastered ou falter loos nv crickets nymph rachmaninov offing jest quirk pollination decentralised swaledale overstated deepens perplexity flasks xxx forerunners remorselessly postulate focussing matsushita defectors knits quivered axp intransigent invariant muggers notables revitalise pervades imaginings devilish grins esquire overseers alleles greville conundrum dempsey nearside vibe inciting lard ballyclare propagated raine snags ravens rummaging davenport eukaryotic fyfe jacko skaters scans postnominal hr opal wolds catriona pickled byelaws sherborne neglects chedworth fiddly kozyrev gens wyre larval truffles parading germination awning elasticities tobermory revolved vetoed coerced doctrinaire barbel endow polymeric wreak takeshita syllabic eamonn defaults falsity moussa goulding smallish subjugation scruff bonhomie gracie friesian rcm threepence thebes hypersensitive peeped comp michels currant oxbridge ramsgate sunburst statehood messed foci trythall psychosocial tsongas knotted moodily bainbridge attributions naturalness rescind downwind telegrams saintly dwindling prodding massacres flashlight flailing mistaking fakes inordinately blip soundings lm warhammer edn liberating welt mundi loire consortia inca specifics fanfare intakes incursion carlsberg oeuvre margate unflattering definitively homophobia nines authorizing naively magicians janine cyanide lothians expropriation dungarees readjustment fitful omf grenoble percival celsius contemptible florrie materialize neoclassical hebden recitative misinterpreted crusaders casablanca jocelyn derrick yarm frauds blasts consummation shading campese environmentalist burgundians centrifugation depredations willesden idealist misdemeanours reductionist nub encased aquarius anemones wingers titration categorization agonistes commoner balkan shelling ineptitude disruptions intercontinental displacing historiography disturbs collaborated coaxing zacco genealogical harewood hemingway powerhouse warburton barbarian goodall astern delos tranquillisers shimmering avril cheapness interrupts td fluctuate convalescence lustrous taunting slivers underwriting bawdy cantos annesley darius darnley uncluttered erudite adolph beowulf phraseology wilding wordless renegade bridging uos annex oatmeal shorn whalley banquets unstated reimburse welling suave tableware disingenuous vitriolic remover fanzine impresario cleanse disorderly sneaky strangeways roberta virginal marne unitarian fishwick rutter backcloth stockpile proponent hesitancy woodworking ere waxed wrecking betts collectivities presumptuous confuses stepan amusements starr hilarity confessor oscars dint expressionism rhubarb typists dierdriu fowey quotient dedicate zealots bordon wfs byre sleazy statuette physic subside indexation pmr videodisc purify jonson baritone delve vo ellipse replicators detachments clamouring whey georgie suppers kadilik proctocolectomy sinewy transylvania martens sakes cepacia apprehend norbert weathers liffe cathode signifiers legation parachutes insecticides heeded ode dazzled basalts ruff finney torrents reductionism medmelton macdonalds shelford locket repress duxford enniskillen perrier lilac persisting frampton oppenheim nawaz conserving clamping harriers galilee typographical purley ritualistic shamelessly helpings impeded nimble tombstone misused gubernatorial optimists latimer foursome feral legionnaires primly hemiplegic moorlands endara lx pimp gr udcs stealthily cheapside manfred prom longish icc ershad healthily illuminations inlets rightfully hacksaw jura carlyle intragastric lamentable señorita palliative axminster hardening juggernaut furtively midgley goalkeepers mildew preferentially landsat alston rodríguez restatement sporadically morass gilman supercomputers burghley greets jna langford grindal spins monteverdi twinkling ornithologist geranium estrangement carnivorous ormskirk fart perforce ravenous barrack collocations disintegrate partiality supplanted postnatal reynard newtownards cath reverses aggressiveness kinnear handlebars hobbled distanced thymus specks schopenhauer laminin tern identifications citroen reappears harford obiter burdensome antiquated yahweh shack philpott pheromones timisoara engender disseminated motorcycles airbrakes sal heinous leeming tonics wizardry permeates tully flitting romano revue policewomen resignedly misunderstand titus boughs toaster rifts lorrimer stevenage apolitical arête playhouse seater insufficiency neater creased weu sainsburys nitrite resentfully nauru fitzormonde timeshare placard tickling wildness jumpy stringency rabat swarthy manometric infiltrate tollemarche turnips santerre erratically garda inequitable transformers leprosy codification newt kirkpatrick pretension berdichev bistro racehorse afterlife scrabbled thoo unleash pliers effluents jnr lazio felony reimbursed clogs southwestern megan maudlin evading paye superman unhcr majlis aerials wordings amplitudes mobutu predicates nannies floodgates chrysanthemums muesli climes nev idyll abs margot jakobson refractory santos misogyny cockerel jurists familiarise wordstar hardbroom purer nmda leper jeopardize llangollen risley littlejohn sparkbrook orchestration slaven obstinate democratisation affording ursodeoxycholic interconnections blasphemous indiscretion stuarts gregson rheims wisbech affectation togetherness rigby romp swims pawns millet subscribed aeronautical bom nippon tarzan rinsed endometriosis durance huntley diverge kahlo recounting irritates roscoe wimp hither stavanger crazed dears sanguine ffestiniog onstage burnell plotter flexibly vestibule matthias crucible waistcoats gossiping liaising cruisers governorship bonded dwayne collinson verging lakatos restated newsworthy babangida harass combs effacing quattro torbay overlay lovemaking incongruity steffi dysphagia mesopotamia murmurs heterosexuals stretchers gorillas queasy myopic fairbairn mccallen vaz caspian innovator frill languidly interstellar boardman devine lapis paxton divisible lugubrious publicans mimicking bois reliving buzzer saddles disagreeing scrutinise unsightly charlatans uncouth élites stockade guile hardie banisters refresher dials alp telescopic prised foulkes alcock testily laddie waqar marconi foreshore autumnal consecutively zanzibar rebuff sargent dusseldorf makings christi worktop uncompetitive ultrasonography barnacles nullity serge crumbled pointes suckers emanuel chesterton brit wariness seaboard zia thromboxane shipper dracula consenting koi implored hypoxaemia bouquets forecasters callow torpedoes rectitude pyongyang parse appropriates greaves tinkers canter althorp postponing glitzy grilled gómez unifying mistook vilnius dara dowdy haemophiliacs inelastic lakeland tnt hyperglycaemia oxon galling warenne slotted protections locomotion gage frederic ridiculed burkina nw ssc pagham seatbelt emblems someday endorsements demonstrative sullenly reverently whimpered rumbold giuseppe bateson clawed wordlessly mutilated quincey andover alford sunselect smacking trawler deacons stubbed inched diarist raindrops jarrow pleated contemplates touchstone boyz goalscorer autobiographies clammy shatter valet nurturing charman cormack belies conveniences diagenetic curtailment corfu nigh rhythmical thinness mai boggy kinghorn shrubbery downed navigable drooping bergg encodes crested carrow checklists repayable disparaging fretting stacking virility renounced consumes armada harassing splenic churchman azure sulphurous microwaves discouragement ironwork excerpts plowden gonna jog bingley hades harbor complements nymphs brookside causative bedwyr rac dcm skinnergate kissinger uncomprehending bitumen ashington dissociate midge lanterns sightseeing csm fouchard imitative sequoia yugoslavian hl domiciled northbound cram encephalopathy lithium mounce deindustrialization cheerily explicitness mirroring inaccuracy helmsley optimise dunstaple lengthening kop holyrood vocalist muldoon bremner glided allot greased waging grobbelaar clenching vere underfunded headmasters launchers beddow depositing chimed clinician ornamentation dockside girders volga iodine cru juggle rudi longs privity transgressive tyrannical autistic nicholl amory druid threading potters exemplify conformations abort phospholipids cliches mariner slog thymocytes beet loosening chairwoman hubby unbridled horowitz matchbox russet wagged culpable turrets farthest venetians gulping glut herodotus grayson scoffed welford dented gwr crossbow hb tempos abrasion feckless heathcoat acas hereward ritually vapours billet nudity disconcertingly cresson safeguarded actin staunchly pipkin edwina soliloquy gondola meteoric mascot cropped vinny newhaven unicorn irretrievably gotta nilly phylogenetic fistful fiercest managua unprovoked nobly coexist umpteen huyton sprinkled predicated modifies lysis windowless insecticide transposition unheeded bayonets shredded mina bricklayer subservience kaunda apprehended scouse silvio trojan treads servitude audley serpents angell cardigans opulence annexed mbe junkie necessitating palatial leese naught perforated pyloric pancakes greats jealousies hinged prune mccallum medellín brooded moma nostril pelican hanky vermont middlemen salvaged lordly porpoise bloodshot smeared reprimand hawthorne colne muggeridge postcode ripen seashore appleton sis caterham tantalisingly boleyn hrh meacher rumblings sympathizers wolski longings astrologer colbert alwyn proximally amateurish compressor kinsey caliban shampoos tamils quake rearranged painlessly guardianship collingridge peristalsis thessaly harman unsettled quilted guillermo cherbourg mccloy motley recurrences lipoprotein ilea copts lexis hover abercrombie meanness elude impersonation sameness silhouetted weeding monotone sax ghettos billiards catalan impressionists candidature pumfrey integrators lego lauderdale hubbard incarceration skegness daggerboard pinochet stolid masking mughal nitrous gothenburg tactically stockist barrymore gilles stethoscope booms sgsa mendel unknowing trundled rbg slats linthorpe surfing hulls ostentatiously drunkenly comically mctear hulme yah gong hypertensive hvs perplexing heartened maxima innovate peavey backbencher faceted groovy lymphoid gurney insistently pâté gide barre perversity perforation potions stowey supplemental cummings seconding veered sams servo macintyre airtours retrenchment prehistory chipboard friars kufra signalman internationalist skier cursive transpires dumpy underwriter nicolson verve intolerant ambushed clap punctual altrincham inescapably trudging idaho pdc aristide rhetorically aidan mckinsey conservationist polymorphism symbolise ainsworth racked mustafa schumpeter relented sunningdale fiddler wigmore trotter scorpions feethams hatching azores riddick skid unmoving tipsy vidal victimisation windscale subcontractor tm correlates standardise recreated grower newnham rossi undercurrent stinking sulking tinnitus pleasantries untouchable adduced expanses unfpa staves architecturally upwind lifes flt chroniclers peseta symbolizes unrepentant unfeeling roddy tombstones savile bulldog monogamy showman gittens reiterating kinetics denbigh protractor portly moderates beale contending inlaid keg bcrs abhorrent perjury poacher depravity magenta rainbows reigns quack ballymoney forbearance handgun wristwatch kilogram consecrated whitewashed petticoats benchers mountaineer gustav dreadnought airtight permeable voids dramatist incestuous lubor mushy shivers elector announcer furlongs millan shush evict kitson boyce ligands palais cowards conflagration moustaches childbearing eloise riposte maldives blondes hairpin sander karel crazily blackmore err rapper immemorial meteorite fordham annadale nco exclamations notre organists accomplices coniferous galashiels headgear bluebells novelties cautions bard thousandth hiccups gonzalez airplane robustness integrator pouchitis cams tans penknife sarcophagus rafiq nico qdm enraged insincere edgware copperwheat alms devizes noodles reorganised holywell mawhinney populism demotion grande baddies remittance mello fatima wanders foretaste barrows vitae inmate compositor gantry salamanca pyjama coutts dunne roker franchisees maya samsung salomon pacts snarling maximizing extravagantly stickiness zeppelin rationed lusty caterina tepilit dub clocking pentonville aquifers snuggled healers dwight goodbyes alba lettings crunching smothered secreted slav accentuate amputation exhaled reopening levinson relinquishing hereto selborne scorned ionian warblers pressurised stratified benetton pumpkin unabashed criticizes jerseys purged unquestioning zips cadogan leathers inapplicable ovum sterner heifer prefect impoverishment cromer worships unobtainable skyscrapers ashtrays nf candidly porta snape stinks speedboat airlock amylase schuster perambulations konrad octaves milosevic beneficially modernize parched eastleigh isdn welded gestapo changeable coves trooped trespassers indigestible minimizing physiotherapists entrails sligo hockney memet nadir justine elevators npt unmodified insipid undiminished ballantyne phrased humbler ve recoveries saltash parc glib functioned multilingual medallions armful flirt insurances granular cynic finishers enteric malais matlock grégoire maleness philosophic outdone fiancee pentecost randomisation stencil desktops obscurely tarnished distributional luminaries wincing businesswoman pithy doughnut quintessential inoculation hurl therefrom banqueting emulator litters poe horsham thumbnail concur claustrophobia atheists drapery roebuck balbinder bloomfield benghazi montpellier smarting ccpr individualists awaken checkout helices cellophane dispensers treasurers metamorphic englishness artful hemispheric republicanism johannes supernova foiled dawes magpies deportees jammu turkmenistan disposes oases manger letterbox locale clawing lddc eliciting playable hardwoods turgid offal giddens errant dingwall cumbernauld microalbuminuria jeered microbiological actualization fabian unscheduled tamed bulldozer vibrating haskins sputum commemorates pandemonium embalmer kington fayoud scoured gelatine canisters cpp oversees lukic asa chertsey femur eases assassinations waterstones revelled teacup trapdoor reservists obliges merriment burundi bellowing heartbreaking subscribing numerals sidonius massaged sigmoid yonder affirms shipton impressing drenched mortally spongy baillie uncooperative chins capillaries infringements hilaire mogul laparotomy straitjacket consoled ith stunts windsurfers fatalism strabane cw ico unprofessional caked alt gnawing tributary hoy downland hippie alleviated electrolytes fugitives whimper pail thallium tormented ff acrylics wonderingly andrée fittingly instructs paganism tsarist mainline labourism bequeathed simeon heinemann cdr thrived jejunal weberian bimbo automobiles crotch fru wither fatah damon crusader rudiments magnitudes dredging chemiluminescence carpentry crusts makepeace impressionist lyman alder pwr trampling fairford yeremi paddlers channing screeching huntington townsfolk chattered dispassionately biker nosy midwinter reproachfully poindexter planar leech conversationally plexus buckles mimicked antenna rebuked luminescence colonised mccoy mellitus lomax handedly jottings marlin phytoplankton hostelry artifice somme cashed peregrine farthing microfiche hives mods magnum steeped retrace revamped minehead sawing mrp surgically lapped kempe nextstep riff pontypridd gnarled boulevards dynamo robotic aviary leaderships rediscover immunities perturbed pagans pcb priestess buzzards quadruple snipers strachey acquisitive hobart marcia deafening keenan bosworth capacious remarriage microbiology marler iniquity studentships inveterate equilibria brereton springbok siobhan joni morgue epa nightgown cubicles valiant forgetfulness defecation bergen knobbly aeration substrates ignite buttered drosophila babysitter immaturity talisman redruth groans gutsy wrenching dichotic wrasse askew debarred dnase antiquarian bogotá taunts apparel apportionment toshiki unblemished workhouses wholes palladian rhineland dips runny bairns dogmatism calico cryer darlings assailed sprinted uncommonly redditch alcatel rubbers bjorn tannoy battering stunted anthems tester skerne viewfinder woodhouse showy apoptosis twain royle okapi bissau responders crumb trentham widdicombe fatality bognor renfrew bronzed amazonia faerie darby abrams revolve vellayati fingernail vindicate deflationary rewriting thanet banff christology bartocci foolproof fairest mural yerself kleinwort undulating lauren powdery enzymatic unsupervised coyly bsdi alienating harmonise bistable indomitable tutelage gilmour ribbed unspoiled babysitting heifers rossendale sidelined décor frocks dullness schmeichel thermals soufflé clerkenwell cutaway farquhar dude fixedly eunuchs javed inborn mitotic pomerania optimisation bronchial semiconductors gallic suppressor troublemakers refill megabytes retirements shouldered renoir torts attenborough glanville sendero recovers wetting minimized straightforwardly barak reproducible naseby spitfires outermost pollitt pvc porthmadog nevin incubator fillip dimity symbolized subsurface oy stator farrow renown glentoran pluto linley ploughman miti popper sheaves multivariate nonchalant placidly thorp lobbyists portman reconstructing flaring lillian indiscreet cataract doddle auld kosher plotters migrated python bravo lorenz adverbs entwined boatyard pickerage varicose alia sampler menlo scathingly reshape choruses unpaired lao accumulators articulates stanhope bellow teaspoonful urns casinos uss manhole garner airlift narcissistic trachea gatekeeper braved blackberries jaundice garret promissory metallurgical diffidence voe educative salome construing mourned nastiness shadowed localisation urethritis valuers sycorax dogmas lawless fief alerting horoscopes sett reassurances luca heavies horned hirer isbn erred shortening pharmacological sloth sprigs italia sepia flushes avuncular tricia benstede maloney escapism photochemical froggy inalienable prolongation holm thorax bastions ditto cimetidine albino moralistic phonetics multhrop bridged tousled afore transcribe gwendolen tdc isomers trish alsatian rashly gt intelligibility espoused détente convergent magnified brutish technocratic counterbalanced tatty mcclellan dalrymple fijian havant postings cyrus separateness hamlyn backache dredger blurring pliable fisons kj gentility sinhalese geodesic cockburn branwell ingham rainey greys pistons comintern blufton morey salem cartoonist judiciously openers seaward emits hobbling lbw emporium fulton fellers retreats tabernacle chalky ryker deadweight hse insurgency traversed nightmarish returners portobello prohibitively redesigned throaty epics surfacing polyphonic militiamen chuckling scrolls demurely churned boulton overlaps lunn cowering coaxial presumptions amaze uselessly westbury stopper galton standish probity compatriots reith hmv showmen southerners inheritors teutonic sorcerers gibbon marvelling taskopruzade substandard braille coaxed warlords jurisprudence methodism waitresses atp slithering caecum procreation sulphasalazine adores airship scurrilous willpower spawning banco teaming ailment quail converged kmt schlesinger wheezing moorlake alarmist wallowing befall conformist brest spectrometer woodbridge cobblers una sclerites transparently cockroaches whatsit laissez fingertip georgians zombie bedsit reverb johanna macros restive vertebrate enteritis outlays abi positives herbicides iapx figment tomkins berne bollards charmer microeconomic funerary growling leominster kaptan evangelistic vacuous befell didi lagging topology sigmoidoscopy tuft peloponnesian fascia butts adverb disservice hauxwell devoured tithes excision minsk longingly faire theseus repossessed shoestring embellishment paragon crabbe malamute venezuelan sinker whelks hatches karim aes hyundai pharmacology lolling jarrett demoiselles ironies whack perpetuation piloting guscott looe monstrosity efficacious vigilante auerbach poached inane waybill nanking monarchical embalming zamora kennington gchq looting scam facades huntsmen philanthropist liddell jacobean epsilon biodegradable unholy bridgwater heartening barnabas inky rr oedipal radioimmunoassay clang tailed riskless eroding queene aimless fernand downgraded braked ruffians frontages berwickshire equalise radiations annabelle kyi eureka obliterate reprehensible shrew northgate oldies darnell aberdeenshire adeane psychopathic consignee interludes buttoned android weedon durations mugger complementing plodding wielded displacements transfected quintin archivist belligerent srebrenica relieves abba productively apollinaire cullam confiding turnpike votive augsburg ahhh béarn thurrock designations arithmetical whorls caramel safrane transgressions weaves rehoused waddell tithe severing musgrave gasoline solowka veracity honourably unfilled zhukov mouthing absolution charsky lovat waggon conceives fennell logogen gosport womenfolk poststructuralism sceptre foundling swipe workforces palaeolithic commode birkdale thessy bouncers maximization drugged hoot trippers smallness carshalton interlaced sesame psychogeriatric cystitis hypnotist aftershave regretful evolves microlight suchlike distrusted congruent relaxes cdnas wringing hunk britton spitalfields biscay alexandre nepotism peopled balor disguising mcmaster perturbations oar purring drummed retinopathy aka chimes transputer haitian theism thickening northerners stings psychopath mediums corsica pedestrianisation loggerheads culpability newness aberrant inefficiencies sheldrake vigilantes saxophone logarithmic gmc staunton reasserted chaovalit stadia perpetuated avignon mouncy donson pyy individuation gotobed overrule perusal javelin montaine ronan iras amiga bodleian navigators wherewithal montfort nadirpur sparing merges boudoir garnished tint rejoiced somalis spadefoot seizes cropper kieran sigmund pnc intricately craned usm nagasaki sweeteners torridon spearheaded unshakeable phena shamans contradicting marty harnessing perpetuating murad shackleton praxis nourished signora nudge dougie manifold gentile peterlee reconsidered constriction tangential chauvinist riddles fortnightly rime cawthorne wretch montserrat verifiers fahd ks carapace quarto definitional undiluted doubters vests crucified sheikha bandeira minima gamsakhurdia dram whooping eventualities boosts felton piped milliseconds carpeted kai cooperating grooming chianti integrins totalitarianism revered leaching colvin heretic deserters fermanagh upwardly fiercer dodds faraday belorussia zipped alnwick hustle templecombe dialling destitution pouches shadwell grunting grendon sacramental infuriating aptitudes knightly untapped censor loftus swears dvi mmmm drummers leamington camus sadder displeased leatherhead dungeons tanya eucharistic lasses plated cookies clot versa concoction duran vechey greyness cannock workaholic derwent ensembles bamford crampons clef grandsons marbled deformities cramps contrite gaullist bib sawn fabled hoppers settler bookshelf unsaturated arrogantly costed eras westphalian apprenticeships divorces reborn captivated latex cubists berliners batons undertones slovenian filament caucasian alcuin pianists conned decoy inhumane brimmer reflectors emile timidly abdallah rehabilitate kursk charted blotted bogged miseries cassidy ascension weightless excellency afghans butyrate cornflour autoradiography adjudicate variances aeons weighting attics violates dysfunctional awoken unrequited magellan warped voles underparts jihad annuities patched sandford wallaby bedraggled appropriations scuttling ppg saltire unreliability auditions monro antitrust subliminal predominate stagger troon transparencies oo abolitionist sowerby rebelled yr roulette eiffel bidwell rescinded valiantly smallholder implantation dejected storehouse pausanias villager transkei wishers warlord swathes lhasa belay islamabad plying lactose fantastically scrutinising delineation outhouses regenerative recoil pooling revolting paradigmatic squall sdi kidnapper apricots conglomeration gauges láznë obituaries criss primroses charmed grammes shawls suu ginsberg trueman abdulkerim quarrelsome nourish rasp professorship markov newlands ravenna brownish quieten kindred expandable polyunsaturated ht sauvignon daedalus wane banality thom rhodesian lena worksop nervy goddesses lucidity publicize striven mchugh nutter volleyball delving classificatory peacocks budgeted mountaineers unmade invokes mcavennie tongs lewin fao equating rathbone pediment citrine ploughs multiculturalism cauliflower zhao horsepower mcmullen readmission presumes ornithology hollins brachiopods oneness instonians bullies elms flattening bupa caledonia dewsbury mermaid negroes korda heisenberg guntram dictators cusp rowdies demobilization hanns footman primrose intimated repulsion quaternary feathered leonore rescission factsheet kell oversimplification artistes purvis ransacked motorised presuming tuan melvin chico plunder eurobonds polis kat airshow lotta enticing depositor juridical obstetrics attenders swish shortness complacently tho dressage johan polynomials damask crispy utilizing castes signe corky continence braun animate dwarfed ischaemia guillaume solly stockwell lsi forego plodded appraised stringy thickest sods bhp delightedly headman narcotics compress insolence lymphomas fizz paddled todorov fsln upriver resell frans babs bursaries multiracial luckier devonport surreptitious treeless mcgill crusades softens vixen wafting submersible liaisons triassic fairbrother borrowdale skein doleful impressionism sind nook pg grandfathers gpc buddhists maison southwold chameleon sidelong brize snaked shrieks inhaling gandalf sta misusers subsets beith beeswax zhelev pent baden rippled greenberg angharad thoracic cleft mobilized hierarchically moduli townsmen encircling rios buckmaster hanoverian propagandist banked mandamus jasmine sanatorium intertwined aga gerstner lamplight artificiality harcourt recompense relive instrumentalists rudy recessed machismo scorsese invader krishna silverware cookie jocular rivets hemp authentically meted salvo hodson housemaid equates wingate mallory contestant invisibly tunney regress straddling polyphony renovations haymarket lollipop removals brunette geddes molland smartest concurrence untrustworthy inflows snide horticulture norse schwartz squint tonbridge ahilar tris wobbling bronx wp invertebrate masochistic ralemberg quiche burnished encroachments valance spied clydebank simplifying glorified symons preoperative grandparent nicra emblazoned sunsets assizes casks thermodynamics platitudes partitioned cortes profligate municipality sagging wavering materiality minimalist mobilised paratroopers nbc devotee repent warhol bookmaker primed monetarism unthinkingly arsonists ordovician petered olazabal scab pilate braver ors ditched glycoprotein mueller bypassing transept brightening outweighs sire abattoir brock peppercorns zooming brae colonels mercenary gharr circumscribed gravest squabbles lengthened cgt chieh loci auden hodkinson laconically antelope blister kindersley securitate egocentric extolling interrogate rowley supersede germinate ringed reprocessing romsey camcorders dme nee hampson naas gimmelmann jukebox minigrams sartorial cambs inlay alligator institutionalised equestrian figuring moulton tenures dx wrestle emoluments hunts profess peaked orchestrated jez barest dappled maldon dorking reducible noblest persevered halogen inflections wastepaper neutrophil schoolteachers pelagic opticians jaunt watling mnemonic vojvodina readies otago mclachlan rheme silkily appendicitis mazda warnock marquetry refractive prays hedonism hooking watercourse calvert zealander fosdyke osvaldo depictions daemons convoluted boothroyd dowager epoxy kyoto pippa persevere lahore hickey lighters palin monosyllabic freeholder blacker hatchet workbench customised wyoming legate humbuckers fatalistic fertilized gastroscopy flax donating leathery humoured overdrawn faithfulness madra refunded alternator overseer poignancy brocklebank penetrates accelerators leek gurus addictions concisely menfolk polaris cupola herded clematis evaluates engulf pricking flamenco rawlings golly nationale gynaecology patois mol lewd unmitigated clinching cmhts emeralds pickles equipping ignominious countering cancels heaped abate thicken znf mirren dubcek smithsonian undying soulless sorrowful trombone jaffery copulation heston visuals adamson garfield authoritatively restorations dominica cuddled desecration addams foreskin curative birkbeck taint twomey tenerife bacchus beamish cornice candlelit ardiles strangling completions multicoloured hacks asturias companionable breastfeeding diggers unrewarding zimbabwean proffered spooner danziger rarities dickhead clustering wrest worriedly crackled squaring stabilised bookie symbolises decimated unrecognisable maslin paternity schematically rutskoi purport bloggs bolus vinci soundlessly unreasonableness pivoting unprincipled chem beauchamp tipple squealing wrestler pelham unnerved mugged stoned untrammelled acuity activators lam mashed vagotomy traversing taj lydon pri banfield stratigraphic sari pry rfl mortgagor worded struts alfa outback phlegm adamantly interpolation shank studious positivists chatto ouse oreste peso oki olwyn outposts roget arching slush prophylactic presentational mccaw prospecting medic hsv panthers mortgagees lamplugh mollie overcast bfs cataclysmic alleviation heathen nuisances loudness bayezid sectarianism bolsover mcmurdo jot tobias munster pulsing lemmings macfadyen pestering tyrosine prado presynaptic bailed raven screenings silage protégé stalled odiham wobbled siamese turnkey spam idealists vips soweto incontrovertible laparoscopic funnier redpath nursemaid deportations permian meander misapprehension falsificationist haughtily maxillae salamis handedness pumice valdez loggers lincs sapt gaviria croissants absolutism wonderment malign trans char roost alkalinity unwavering lite mgcl hideaway letterman jobson sewed ims conjectures edirne konstantin plucky redesign clerestory gynaecological interned heartlands basques concurred oakland morphemes tapwater livelier vertigo haughton unfathomable kincardine rakovsky iridescent smirked dodson saussure dnas gilford garnet effector ineffable sluice jahsaxa beckons doppler letts dispassionate bobbies goalie rochelle horrocks disparagingly frye kersey dyed née upjohn glassware crunched woodruffe ville jogger psoe fliers lassie zipper fms flyweight dakar expansionary pseudo horoscope reorganized indeterminacy butane freebie cavell monie bute interposed heralds quicken astounded pique chamorro plumpton judgemental tortoiseshell coiled receptionists fussed widowhood midriff capm complicates hairstyles scabs ullapool hailes whitsun instillation aldo ggf collimore usurper sats burghs esa fables sprinting smattering kirgizstan reclaiming causa unknowns eroticism amin mahler caper toxoplasmosis entailing trophic southernmost candlestick adhesives restorers bundesrat toolbox tadcaster bonnets escapement tensors fractious enriching tinny shunned fogerty deans straddled ewan seeped casement torsion superposition falsified dabbling renegotiation prefabricated pout redgrave reverent bea ribcage unadorned proprietorial revolutionise terminator wakefulness explodes cicely couplets sgurr leaner tass undeclared hn accommodates howden sprinters cabernet greyish waterlilies angevin seaham portmanteau contractile speculator cicadas redistribute sirius elspeth endonuclease battlefields maclennan underhill albie bargained dribbling grachev generalist sixsmith sterility empower vd flier suragai brice harems honeysuckle galicia ulrich stillborn preobrazhensky gushing brazen allure thither sequins tramping shekhar hibernation plaintively collectivity toppling yanomami fourpence downpatrick rejuvenation unhurriedly himalayan reorientation rcc wallsend revolts devereux maître sgi relocating sacco purveyor patency pupae rubric adjectival coalescence buttonhole bottleneck formalin dielectric chaff unsurpassed martins crowed refuted annulment muftis zigzag hammock treatises accompaniments lumley massacred cordially tuba astrological burgundian croak mallard cancellations shipwreck agassi grierson mair basten ethically illus criminologists enhancer hsia gambit sunbathing flecks unveils differentiates dene disjointed complainants irascible crangle bedchamber alfie glos pgc revisited mingle departs sleeveless localization stratus obispal bas expansions kc cyclone commute debilitating hannele middling secateurs headlands creepers uncannily deprives flysheet featherweight mohan morrell formless partridges grubb mussel xl inder pickard mineralogy excitements misshapen scares fallacious kaplan watercress cranmer artois ranitidine willington perceptibly degraded mckendrick burleigh perplexed mutinous osborn jaffa clipping maniacs chases frontispiece raffles supplant dispossessed autographs contemnor glutamine cleanest guatemalan fattening torturers rebuttal cuzco infiltrating pge easingwold stb invalids fusiliers blighted guam sidled aylwin odeon kraal dandy quietest offiah mtv swordfish anatolia mcmanaman schleiermacher soliciting stourbridge fap shunted devolve deadpan counsellees hosni disintegrating perk gim mediating cary schoolmasters telepathic easements pensive corned césar prospectively carlotta admittance imperiously morpheme unlocking darken pareto sydenham suchinda fidgeting chives potentiation expend vandal channon unbreakable whadcoat ccc crayon chippendales shamen unwary overspill gasworks gravestone comdex purveyors industrially dishevelled valois corticosteroids acklam cairngorm pomposity boffins meana ferdi cusick bromide undeserved enamelled waver fiennes broadsheet biogeography gamblers benbecula polarised trilby snowman unadulterated misinformation unshaven dispensary lars appellation privatize warhead strandli wheeze pairing streisand antecedent unavoidably hz altercation buttermere zemin somatic fastenings tamsin fuzz pansies swarmed dionysiac prunella cruder wray gascon marge interlocutor lifeguard ami magnanimous inservice rooftop unimpeded manna collaborations hailing sprig retraction buddie harmlessly fragrances ncb emissaries sceptically bolting profuse debits touting greenway cornea mystification mcphee salespeople humbug stirrup quays dives impartially nikki proudest hindquarters tex hippocampal pd pronouncing lai denunciations penalise lyricism hazell heedless specmarks lentils mailings crave specious ukcc broome playwrights ordinates neurophysiological wainfleet stoker impliedly adenoma summerhouse rediscovery audiovisual mangled skips goram stowed mutated stoughton ministrations stragglers fevers timbre secede pow stadiums hijackers typifies lieu overdrafts kuomintang jedburgh villus ruts ripa hypocrites navratilova profiting alluding railwaymen metabolites duodenitis desiring redder oilfield omega padre perky idolatry sayers metallurgy pooled minstrel iterative pwllheli mayall squirt procured uprisings musa forlornly moans pastors macfarlane pangs reigate empted levitt juventus unemotional apache miandad puffins lazuli contentions micros kapil vc pontoon unassisted redhead archbishopric gregorian compilations planter kravchuk huddle sadism rubinstein inhabiting enemas compunction philanthropists hedonistic jespersen alleviating burrell popcorn porterfield jacks gauguin exuded monsignor debonair nipping petula bedelia qian shrouds hgt mournfully lepers idris cisapride fawkes falstaff dumbly inertial seascale intestacy federico languishing wickes sculpted marten walkabout galapagos wring eglr jj macrae impertinence tunics facetious disengagement moveable generalities gags brogues joinery hyphen heartedly hd goblets dundonald dazzle peripatetic epochs farrier heavyweights hickson romany kudos impedances chancellors gilligan conservatively refrained earring evaluators reintegration kadi samana gritstone championed ignatius datable bloated valueless discoverer alighted fagg sphincterotomy bookkeeping centralism disapprovingly testimonials uncoordinated rims imp approximating conceited ciaran detonation foundered shockingly drowsiness curds bryson eject bunyan throgmorton hargreave fundraising restorer hampden fatherly ploys appraising tobacconist foresees warton coarsely tamworth trieste sorrel timbered finder breasted approbation biceps emburey limousin woodcock servile extinctions templar discernment mather gaols cristiani grilles telepathy pentagastrin precambrian mastic tormenting madden penang bubbled steadying drooped secreting retraining bask metronidazole refurbishing ebrd vhs presuppose marinade trollope stirrups slippage pylon gui chippenham trigram pragmatically outwit spenders pouting mariánské sullom matriculation sshh meade recede taker payback paceman sed nlp brainy rada apprehensions bannister vasco trebled collusive poetical mobuto sho farraday outhouse variscan typhoid gce seer odorous tampons recount encapsulate fathoms beaded veers proclamations subsidize santo nielsen rococo für predictors desiccated integrin trypsin memorise endorses quails misleadingly hydrological rowan delphi jutted renovating tetley reset liberian capers smudge antithetical axioms infringing tapie prides tachycardia reined isay pulleys multifarious halving tangy wham dyspepsia confidante noticeboard disconcerted headstrong knott armand airworthy hedged yesteryear stoppages wanly contrive sealant outlived haverford mylar infarct attainers kerosene arsenals dmitry joao featherstone lulled painswick blackwood kangaroos fatigues grafted fayre webbs immanent receivable bled uppers cravings peeved originators inclusions majestically khalid howards schrödinger wrangle henson indiscretions brooms filigree tadpole dieppe existents abstained otc diffident rote filial cottagers homophobic modems culloden rashes daf eyadema bedworth prams injectors leonidas dolomite salle heraldry cosworth lyddy exultation porches backer rawls octreotide immunohistochemical digression retract mahdi manservant cranial iga blemish freitas farquharson blustery grunwick softwood charolais creeds ameliorate connexion foremen cuellar malls deprivations discus limpid congregationalists coverlet mahon diffused dis richmann spanners imperium cruciform vagrant indictable atenolol chattels dorn consuls foundationalism transection stanzas camberley elegy poring recrimination miscellany sweetener exaltation bolstered destinies sump deformed escorts copernicus edenderry patton orgies marland underdog interstitial bpx encapsulates congregate loitering cartland thyself appraise boolean whitworth alluded agence attuned digesting deductible bairn attests achievers wbo satchel unrepresented basra columnists anaesthetist lully positivity spuds vivaldi chimp abergavenny viet vetted torpor wagnerian wrestlers verulamium texaco deviants chatterley continuo pendants utilises aldermen tolby systolic datum dripped aphrodite sisulu delighting osmosis tangier mccrea columba technocrats medications circuitous vanuatu yiddish tetras racking worryingly steppes nastier warne wyllie zonal catalogued quizzed tarrah surfeit nene bacteriological antiserum dk perms cymru soreness thorpey opacity triplet worsted machair crystallographic petworth smithfield kadhafi finnan cha hosepipe caveats undertone bucked contestable kathmandu parentheses ruhr rogan pisces mip camomile pollinators steepest cementation inherits sepoy welding ramble sugden footplate minicomputer curatorial statuary jovian plundered blundering rhododendron jeffries nics bunce novelistic buddies motivator nasogastric comprehensiveness brazilians overhauled sheraton aldous pac meteorology morphologically blackest gaidar carburettor prying mhz sickened mn nunnery wretchedly woof harpenden sandalwood cottee jerkily heyford legislator meps scarabae modernists pontificate pushers qichen rehabilitative porpoises duped rodent delineated pimlico kenyon valium romped quirks enteropathy tp parasol slanting sympathize roald sgr vociferously licenses parke soane sterland liqueurs antagonisms shipowner flourishes blaine nsc washbasin unheated areal conspired perfumed carruthers streaky reflexive whimpering praiseworthy zoologist gypsum discipleship pentatonic pepys lysozyme swb gooseneck weasel transducer fretboard holidaying biosphere martian ayer papyrus dunblane gooseberry analyzing acanthus wattana gannon elaborating furness owd absurdities amir untainted insulating conveyancers tweezers promulgation starlight stimulant sundial insecurities clift watchword siyad knesset truncheons beady linnaeus cohesiveness curlew stalling gunned cinque hurdler bridgnorth lessening coolies turd hindering verifying surest tidiness stylised subsidising incendiary airspeed tic amphetamines twelves taekwondo lithuanians expeditionary sledges basinger srs sealink sloan repudiated differentially euripides erasmus apc torres bigoted tenaciously lta multitudes shielded sophocles adapter oddest tramped lumber diggory waken brokerage evolutionism suzuki vr alvin spectrometry testes inflexibility unseeing keenest breakthroughs villous cfe dependencies angioplasty episodic epileptic cpcz claudine ccw wylie bureaus angrier lisbie mphil bishopsgate guérigny reina constructivist vicariously immunology imitators widgets infliction flo gresham chieftains comfortingly unrealised throbbed fretful adder collectable im morag twirled impolite fifa implants executioners besotted archways jaded bowring decadent xs homesickness iia yardley volcanism uda unveiling benefices mantra busts eochaid lumbar beneficent macroeconomics strang sorbonne fabricated lagan minuet raggedly maritima underachievement prophylaxis midget kms reallocation michell pitcher openvms angoulême mv presumptive transmutation vietminh squandered judicially illingworth stampede yek polypeptides unpacked lifelike swayne skate minimally presocratic scoreboard aldeburgh hekmatyar polynesian angiotensin obstructed parkside pinkish feltham degrade sportswear phyla repton hackers symbiosis hacienda steroidal patronise visualized marksmen raasay songwriters husameddin pyre strategist mandelson royalists survivals sidekick rationalist partake marshalls slovenes swagger stena shapiro stalinism goddam stationers loveless vinaigrette madder wisp lags drags kilda nibbled ignited giraffe nifty nogai deem recognizably maul steeplechase oleg nour prank papillomavirus indulgently hypertrophic reciprocate irrefutable pows navvies joiners hamsters pessimists paignton prongs shankill mitigated benz umpteenth familiarly harpers overkill entitling luminoso gangrene assuage dubois conditionally journeyman gladiators mutuality intarsia oblong impertinent florentine levellers sunflower wafted starling mandale repulsed dishwashers tickled redistributed scrapes clothier methadone triad mcdonalds disinfectants doughnuts telekom ingard roehampton palo permeate epistemic pesos enacting rookie farmstead scapegoats merited haile gaffer nicodemus expressiveness salience peal magwitch lcc discloses fulmars hilly medoc ire flotsam geochemistry glinted stannard dovercourt intruding huff limo knapp poignantly herdbook fidgeted fitfully formalized beater theoreticians krenz ovary incoherence fenced encircled ritschl modifier havre shanti thamesdown heidelberg emmerdale ingratitude reorganize harmoniously findlay frescos gagged glenavon loam forested unenthusiastic clarifies glossed disrespectful fakrid micron imitated heineken banger yaxlee humbucker coldfield egotistical tortious unworldly wednesbury googol uninspired ajayi erosions gazelle crouch özal catarrh cottle bunks verisimilitude haematoxylin bluish confounded bec agitators gunning daventry tsunami wedd awnings spaciousness dynmouth archly coriander bischoff malc chippings acquit walrus spiderglass underestimating trackway bramble cathie coldstream sugary cypress vegetative checker broca atholl steadfast waterproofs casualness wilfridi vibrancy butterfield distilleries asteroids disadvantageous gubberford brazier rivulets dhaka apotheosis augustinian maff balaclava acropolis courmont workgroup staveley credulity askance tomes tudors chintz shahs bloodied cranberry abated balcombe bruiser malevolence unrelieved certiorari competency dawkins apothecaries ferried connoisseurs assuredly christy mutterings vexatious bhutan unimpressive doormat anaphor bogota asthmatics unrecognizable banishment collin exorcism squeamish mccluskey wildcat hauliers acquiesce pleads culminate macs cools faring caricom britannica peristaltic inez mcneil billionaire chargee robbe tolerances intercellular contrivance sacramento unquestionable redeployment dentdale irena radiated resenting swapo warder manifesting nrc lances davers overblown droughts leafing skippers shaker kano ozawa adorable edc slovenly tacked minnows quinton medial pushkin recharge paunch oth contorted synthesized laterality stabiliser stretford olszewski remarried maría holstein sixths reactants searchers coursing resided ingeniously foraging dorling redirected rejoinder musket puns sacs leer plummeting shultz ablation flouted plaits mellon voodoo memberships serological octagon snobbish pith handheld uncompromisingly jowett glean phiala jazzbeaux medusa schleswig plebiscite jib minoans oocytes malham sabina camelot washroom ouch northwestern ajdabiya exponentially lounged contractually eigenvalue neanderthal fashionably confessional unincorporated midlothian bonard individualised bagged munn pervert teleological pitfall courageously indentation nationhood dallam preposition dutchman axon olden printable transports screwdrivers ravaged nimbly cornmill localism shamlou crier timescales generational imperialists etna resistivity cpl grillet microchip rx cypriots interdict costello kavanagh spars cpa entranced zombies ellipses theatrically marginality woodworm cantons disincentives filipinos categorize disarmingly peps kislev demurred mummies culled plied maung trenchcoat lubricants pervaded excised gibbet inshore conformance overcoats conjuring phrasing magritte daunbey newent eunuch refurbish indexical exultant balboa leeches gargoyles melee weeklies caviar levant interactional surrogacy epilogue fairfield gdansk fortieth predestination kantian fielder stimulants hbsag degenerative handrail bala entanglement shippers ageist curiosities contravene clemency irrecoverable itchy horncastle aplin eastman hafez defections tagged paton disputing fatwa howdendyke fevered woodworker footswitch ensconced doyen navies acetylcholine dissected elsworth hetherington maples throwaway yearned disinterest frivolity goalposts ebullient cutback liu mombasa jejunum hartnell cpv durables hinds engagingly cardia wychwood laughingly acceded ingmar broomstick cato worshipper millett clair encroach couture nosed wmc jekub cheddar cog magmas laundering wag toasted conservatories calatin mackinnon westerns bloxham andrewes whoop enquiringly ke carn crewmen davos pasa stipulates concord quorn envisaging bosnians constructors aurae betrothal intron demeaning dowling corny aeneas agonised garrick melanesian reiteration cumbrian ptolemy tweeds sellars blotter skates regionalism buffs chola peaceable peninsular unelected barro vox reassertion constitutionality circuses fiefs shiel precipitating climactic poetics premadasa reams parkhead cowes dentistry craving personable curing cagey asides gildas ulpian axles workbook euphemistically radiate symbolize mesalazine conservators soundless threadneedle regimens brigitte thinned mons rarefied crumlin simulators clemens squabbling pigmentation tickle cowslip retriever stewardess apu watchmaker eston liveliness stammer bucking crispin mindedly shearman tangles minced decrement sleet unknowable projectors sonorous sag quandary bedale semis posidonius airflow brill teasingly slimmers bihar racists periodontal requisitions sinton rayon symbolised remix premisses phelan chlothar woodhall overburden pacify santander uninjured romantics propelling ringside quarterback synth moderns aliquots blotting olympian pleat zimmerman revel rambo wasim burrowing molesworth sur publicising taxa magna sift overhanging peep miscalculation pressured powering cnn refuges rutted physiologically scrutinized recreations paley permeated arf ruggiero georgi tanzanian oiled overspend gangplank kingsdale bottlenecks toenails synthesise tilbury oa façades siding freemen cramming footloose lurk clothe lanchester teddington calgary disarmed modernised outsize flogging darkroom extinguishers effigies mackeson pardoned brac masochism boobs bda expelling bleasdale omniscient elasticated goldring knelle confound pinot diagnostics hydration overlords mexicans tiredly infused leinster hangovers summarizing coagulation bane hertz bleomycin craning rh jabbing dunedin henning leanne exhorted tuscan maronite commercialisation cavalcade glendinning benedetti gastronomic menswear convulsive toasting baptismal damsel crevice welterweight brunner humus diversifying allocative fightback chavigny transferability elbowed deanery ladylike leroy ent loudon castells blistering grangetown goodly cormorants amazes magisterial blyton undersides jeopardised clamps scorched diss encroaching fucker fribble drainpipe vicente cytomegalovirus kwik ica ephesians gybe disintegrated sni latrine misjudged dunkeld worrell erudition scrummage dosh initiator dashes liars culham skateboard dulcie butch federalists fraudulently segmented kinkel mcwilliams esk vowing jolted isolationism gl distractedly absolutes despondently savaged shavings snowstorm lipton lithotripsy fca wintering mort lengthways squidgy looted eclecticism instabilities braemar lunching username calmodulin ocs punctilious patrolled iberian willard crib oppressors manton oversized prd jd rothermere shovels clarinets hinders weiner aero fixings guppy staking rootless doctoral domenico dugout baie candelabra arens texan gilmore archimedes tinsel adverbial intensifying workmanlike eiderdown hubris automaton shrilly atomistic inadvertent lynx worshipping urdu dobbs patrese purportedly interchangeably bao pruned swum ncm seroconversion presbytery neutralize skidding mementoes stubby hypersensitivity bain tokugawa vg deg bandit anthropomorphic torrid surinam thetford hemlington turpentine semiotic beckwith blossomed blakelock shun whizzing histogram imputation silos sprout reykjavik fishbane ornithological glowering chagall snaking bobbin frontline ceilinged watanabe tynemouth courted coughs stalingrad bedspread inaccurately lendl sakharov adenoidectomy dubrovnik dinkins prettiness subterfuge transitive flyte cushioned unread fulke careering gleeful gimms underclothes bangs orbiting reprisal hepburn abounded eared centrifuged selfridges tilley talker fronted wettest silesia privatized boars nebraska baa sidi recurs eldon jeffery biplane speedier randomness unproven régime branagh llanberis reductivist lipman chats ceaselessly beholden victimization sevenoaks preferment buccal tania sips deferring westfield chantry mri escalators uncooked portentous crepe gosling rupee chez antioch supercilious granites hannon montparnasse craddock bratislava unencumbered chlorophyll shamefaced caudal jfk qui psi pedlar ripper budd blender monarchists homme ramadan necked airless jurist plummeted beaters quasars cagney hitchin denigrate wigley lolly roz parametric defector bis opéra jerkin congratulation disbelievingly conquering frequented irishmen indelibly conflicted beaux bovary extradite fouling collation mentors challis horbury diffidently escapade countrywide dentures capsaicin henceforward boating newquay unswerving halter defaulters freezes aldrich posix kink factly truest ducklings odder climatology withered elderslie highwayman fulsome imparting credo drips dreamers handyman grinder ophthalmic sandbags bric immunoreactivity guernica meanest hales koraloona goya electorally putrid zeno eustace fourier principalities marketer benignly capitalised enlisting maisonette invulnerable petra shorthorn je kayak dolores entrée artworks cmnd irs impresses strangulation overestimate looping daimler hearths beverage falsifiable swinbrook dishing roadblock cley fernie chippendale phonetically hedging scrip censorious agonist shotguns lobbied lignite arles idb graveyards mimetic drexel bm kingswood modalities retford unequalled homoclinic cammell hypersparc usurp lash vibrate premised repeater thelma nematodes procter copley cobbett staines lydney musing discomfiture prospectuses meddling svidrigailov womanly overawed airlifted jochen philology cajole hyacinths mercies vibrato bobo atari shuttered fianna beehive cataracts pathologists salivary barbra statuettes lifeblood dependant rejoining nastily broderick mrc cataloguing newson minke pereira intestate discharger bd delgard neurotransmitters pragmatists tgwu latrines hesse ravines ambulancemen convalescent marmite corrigan microns instilled ransome bramall amalgamations repatriated kippers rossini gayle digestible pedalling untamed plantagenet spillovers conformed matrilineal puss weaned writhed inoffensive rockingham amniocentesis annunciation occam pulsatance daryl notionally searing savoured litigant ontology pomiane augmentation yearbook ribosomal mishaps caen myrcans redcliffe karaoke phlegmatic connectives mispricings borstal distributable guerilla chivalrous apportion provident swarms hothouse titfords zany apis crusoe mcstay vzv visigoths nicking showering damning violette bolinger swahili nosey algarve lng coatbridge polyposis modrow minions payoff argyrophil luxuriously binyon tuckett bilingualism cheele sandpiper scolding comptroller nonchalance subtract newby sues suffragettes sitcom reno debauchery mimics indochina whiplash ismail sinned carlson hammonds tashkent tintern antisocial grubs blemishes princesse cpd abstracted gibb crannies breathable api benchmarks lather biotic hardens audibly winded descriptor corning peshawar greenidge ulema creeps hodgkin cricketing augusto backroom archetype dans cowl sagely tran cannibal assessable passwords transcending smothering vega corydoras fourths slatted lei indignities yazov bobs zebras denims bilirubin humorously pencilled gravitation foundries hines moritz taverns breakwater smithers meech db byelorussia receptacle doi midlife heselton dhas cymbals leftovers lf encloses imprudent crinkly bipartisan paratuberculosis fortification solicit puffy notations coastguards heathcote triforium sedately elapse crowbar flog conformational mitchum plasters meaningfulness mkm constanze psychometric dislodged mx holists unclassified eisa lfs secularism extrapolate educator ecomog greer uneconomical corazon mahal eugenie courtesies rix sequestration gilroy copiously franchisee fringed graveside isoud overran guv fealty foxy friendlier fête battleships reductive mews enticed mogg campers federated ponderously hallam eb uncaring craxi gbh quill rusted analgesics diagnosing enalapril presocratics bravest stipulating sepoys woolton inquiring golan degenerated anson godolphin ingleton koresh troupes pflp flan megawatts curvilinear kristeva bb greig wt cameos devotions josephs drunkard fryer personage gatherers ecologist whither dundalk truculent bleary genoese masque windpipe tendentious charlwood dermatitis fra casseroles fishkeeping uproot attains hangars abomination ce broach ackner anaesthetics finches beloff cobweb supercalc fulfill disharmony postdoctoral ephesus winterbottom dragonfly unexciting lubricant berghaus wor whitehill ashfield sociolinguists tyron reverberation bains schooled blurb inflammable testaments plumb tightens ncos rustled warley vulva xviii amiens attica baptiste phenylketonuria bagshaw tarragon instigator unfailingly touchingly ata marketers gnome shortcoming vitrinite bypassed segal worshipful midges ayres wilks unep bantam violas twat milanese oems arthropods thacker porritt pcx thickens subnormal ko stirlingshire cashflow stairways recitation wetherall trestles gravesend jewitt metastatic anions thinnest unpolluted mesa jenks thunderbolt octavia sandpaper cheekily lankans breakspear waning unsettle youngish saxton halsbury touted shrinks renamo staked stoltenberg nils stabilized redirect knutsford bharatiya unimpaired moron afhq stringing kneading refreshed pawnbroker kline wincanton statistician shetlands sleeved gooseberries testamentary sadist tenascin subverted reaffirming tendered stonily hallucination smilingly orphanages tango lwt impermeable polemics malnourished poplars antibacterial idem flopping thoroughgoing senescence resumes heathwood nears surpass magnolia narthex louts scotrail patricio gritting sien irritatingly rasbora divestment reorganising ppt sanctimonious annulled scarecrow groomed interdepartmental instigate wafer lh rotherhithe mourne polisario snh rashid implanted pharaoh rudyard prefaced secrete propagating plateaux predisposed stuttered inculcate poseidon tonality suet hunky pilkingtons düsseldorf manfully impersonality negotiates reclining molyneaux porting outpourings reassessed spina gaggle affidavits fittipaldi nullify psycholinguistic popish nithard mystified mutely streetwise cheadle sweetcorn guardsmen representativeness nepalese revivals bidirectional listlessly outgrowth humerus monotonic prue laud apportioned rappers exclaiming blundered spoof spasmodically haemorrhagic krajina logarithms broadmoor warnie gob wizened greying prowled saad viva jacky misfire bakewell quart redefining loftily fontainebleau courthouse minimises lola poisson earpiece greenaway innervation frick pevensey junkers delaware trekking preservative insularity cockcroft reprint mesmerised historicity medvedev excavator clashing iba forsake ensign empowering hydrolysis intensifies raves kooning harries decayed faltering commercialization inviolable collegiality culvert cringed radford erwin corbyn jinkwa geomorphological parmiter hoots clermont shadowing append earnestness bv efl cholesteryl gendered chrysalis comoros conscript courgette kitchener geophysics keller masud atherosclerosis mincemeat monologues nassau corgi headstone befallen aromas exegesis ain endear spinoza cleansed infuriatingly titans chuffed miro spluttering jb catastrophes dozy coney bowden impudent frictional ffeatherstonehaugh literatures emissary entrust halons discontents chilterns corroboration leafless gout fount blagg forage daemon courtenay dimitrov yusupov greyhounds dalmatia intriguingly girder prepatent huston anthologies daintily latched bizarrely eiger relent finalized shoemakers dredge hoarding dampened infested eltham bmk gleneagles dissertations dispersing startle kingman beakers factually chilton quantifying dcsls crewman fairbanks nazism buoys dill decibels admonition kimono bowman sheepdog loe buccleuch tasker despatches caxton stereotyping pronged intraperitoneal indenture upstart flodden hashish grating woil celibate dottie kinross cleverest cowie schooner blots karsten homeric bristled macbride bewitched burghers lithospheric topographic eugénie brasses superoxide habitus intercession defeatist bravura bungay compounding grom betters laplace swegen melford toulon compasses tots matta relativistic castor jester girlie wrinkling anoraks huw lexicons providential bedevilled zadak odyssey inedible agonising vomited hoylake adornment kettles iffy lowndes rodo tacking vaccinia vaguest baldock velcro aficionados radionuclides waigel schwarzenegger superlative asher admirals millionth quagmire baldly schneider hashemi vocabularies unaccounted vogel repellent rounder bergman simulating quins tannin shakespearean marooned unseemly routers scapa rapacious khamenei grainy throwback aswan translocation juliette apologizing riveted hackett hexagon lansbury trelawney icrc thistles slorc unceasing according spatz keevins redecoration petulant florey alchemist scriptural bigorre stodgy mailer yitzhak indolent azaleas alamein everthorpe rugose alabaster bhopal scrapbook plumped bauxite hemmings lyles bromborough carcase heller inactivation barra darrell bangladeshi answerphone wen ypres carted manoeuvrability malachi whitchurch slavishly winking tulip mailed scrums yorick stealthy whittled ascendant theta anaphoric millstone aggressors cellos angolan wesleyan cranky telephony mcgovern withstood soppy prairies pluses hackles misrepresented tavernas binaries anvil racetrack waffle offends parton kandinsky flowerbeds pantomimes reissued iwc hitching wince laments livermore dido krakow overdoing miocene payoffs kilkenny mcmenemy roasting presences tawdry tadeusz bessmertnykh shrewdness groundsman ppd piecing disqualify porcine pennington peterhead golds reuben menaces obeys lawler etruscans discourages goo elated brugge blotches pitman encode subsoil rona dfc photocopiers collated cappella bakhtin enveloping trundling radiography wilcock hypotenuse presto lerwick clasper rabbis iro adair electrochemical impeding recognisably deano consoling ported melodious gymnastics humanely underweight ferrous beachy viscoelastic dinky pugnacious arlott ironworks garston earthen dacha ovenproof montgomeryshire asses psychotherapist abseil orifice wean woodhead navigating merrick caesarian telecaster oakes pk ingleborough bellingham scaring oup gaoler sampdoria champs subspecies icao proctors lighthouses pheromone whatsername tractable deutschland peroxidase seddon multiprocessing nightcap virulence amalgamemnon orthodoxies radiology shortsighted destabilize hodgkinson qing vac balanchine mckinnon timidity scrubs glistened morpurgo granulocytes gamely vermilion radiometer dormer maeve fabians rhs aloofness derided harmonium tightest overrides haggling felling propositional marwood cogs roadblocks obliteration erupting tarot reaffirm faithless bristly sci duller limes terra homeworkers benelux solicitude lytton jacobitism facilitation irritations ferreira sledgehammer bestial jordi woodpeckers choreographic mallia immeasurable etruscan elsa eurasian deplore overthrowing revolutionised fullerton gadgetry ringlets fatten ethology parsimony inferential roped toga antall negativity punta cheerless bemoaning annes fluctuated montagne antidepressants silliness hassles redevelop glorification stromness civitas stewarts stepdaughter perinuclear senders flypast disliking madhouse viper schwarzkopf trev andorra fanon remake monomer waists sackville starched sureties choosy dar comely faustus wm redirection rainer playgroups robina secondees methanogenic whitehaven stubs perrett vert phylogeny shrimpton noorda equalisation covariance sprayer perturbation ashleys surges carcases zamzam cati phosphatidylcholine antisera regulationist policymakers propane persuades welles dw reshaping bateman tues roundel ponce rockies nisodemus proby reunions youngs arbitrations overloaded depositions sparking sulkily silencer shaposhnikov paulette meditating mgr sahel mightiest rebecque tatyana adapts nematode francia summative admonished severally griselda omelettes paddles reusable spittals sociobiology yin smacks curated rekindle chingford reappointed optimised dockland salver yolks ahem pulsed caerphilly chandos bursary supernatants teetotal cassell ribble marginals aught innately beddington ceded associability counterpane lambourn deducting donleavy meddle wilenius coalification cranfield nestled galatians apogee porno madmen thrice hofmann kepler goddamn glutinous evictions ballycastle yeomanry visualised 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intricacy constitutionalism wiper cantata lazarus dionysus uniprocessor coppola fatherland diatonic fmi quadrangle attest numbly ronson kronweiser grimacing turnham plaudits incidences lumbering coptic enactments gillick feedstock gwendoline exudes dollop chansons dismemberment ced machiavellian fabius belted unrefined thierry tynecastle gratuitously deloitte interglacial disbursement inductor terrify tansy belligerently bailee wonky xavier copier emir befriended diocletian atk cipher fries fey exhorting congleton uno unremarked acoustically intergraph wordsworths hwim tomboy teddies twe hustings siphon dickon washout amputated attila enright torino trumper ynys weybridge tencel slipway approximated argon actus fieldworkers muses incorrigible alun asimov scaevola ablest belittle vivacity bespoke ishaq epinephrine wedlock ainslie subjectivities bonkers windward adb wareing lavished tad cartography unbelieving swiftness tripe allege thoughtlessly torments bribed fernández hyperinflation 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whiteley scavenging bonney thrushes catharsis coulson quench varna rey adjudged compatriot neurone yearn buxtehude sodom veritas platters redken retractable assimilating alliteration reverts odessa rosalba sciaf bashed spearhead mobbed slimbridge marketeers rotates additionality setters surridge abuser wilcoxon undetermined somers adjuncts diatribe carcinogenesis collate weirdo bassoons woodie whereof stopcock pthrp pulsating ric suffragette crocker rojas rendell titan watkin convinces recce carbonaceous windproof plunges strutted smollett roadwatch unspectacular unascertained nessie appointee mic balcon quarrying watercourses softest milked crystallisation buc retro churn smedley biggins ntsc megabyte stratagem penalized monolingual sunos berlioz seedling mouvement repainted rehabilitated pasted pedalled scilly witt beau neilson devi collegians summerfield cade ninian remarry slobodan progressions sidcup nuneaton jamaicans pouted raster resuscitate periodicity raúl tequila thronged skimmer rosslyn refit serf speechreader rbl shocker preaches porfiry mostar scabies euphemisms svend precis indentations twirling ornately stews thunderstorms vittorio starlet tearfully nestle maj unalterable perceptively hubs rha raj alchemical postmen thrifts micrometres sorbie schoolhouse supercar mcivor interrogating malady yelp phonic pion parodic laverne greco wanstead merck lunched highers phallus diuretic floorboard subtext mandru robs deferment lavenham disobey spool pelt landfills mays thunderbirds specializes nijinsky banding geomorphic personalized foaming mcluhan nh truant crudest elicitation outlooks radice freemasonry teabags kalashnikov trumps weiss towcester dowel headband clamber stonesfield pérignon thesauri kiichi sightseers vandalised denigration typewritten stonemason revisit aviion hobbesian pessimist supersedes liven rochefort insertions knockers megara jiri paperweight imbert pitting preece corker stagecoach nike flicks mossad historicist boldon wisden programmatic couplings receptivity packer otaku gazes bangers laszlo liquidated aquariums motet fugue petr unquestioningly parabola matrons ionising penney millers referencing huang lorca gog apsidal andrés lottie eq frilly participates trimmer duane designating pawsey mantel grandees geometrically haves knacker hogarth altarpiece inquisitorial poraway masson exemplifying nas rasmussen mustill lingo huntsman khedive ivanov mckeever garrulous hologram jellicoe germain colman ess banjo erhard harnesses reneging malaga jacuzzi macedon exorcise inquisitor hitman hampers renewables loadings splayed eng pfa looters drucker steinholz cumming kno grizzled cally renfrewshire magill disown narouz geldof carne cysts eulogy titre psychodynamic surmise uprooted expansionism leftists infusions earthworm fosters inestimable instituting emmeline extensional glencoe adjoins grammarians dames longitudinally meditate louse bathgate squigs geikie fishmonger denouement harbinger pleasanter interconnected compacted ltc anchovy breads naturedly gemmell betide wipes ardently deflate tei milwaukee impregnated corrects whitburn bence holist defected meanders cmea wien ageless pöhl fistula backspace driffield allerton ambassadorial jeopardising exteriors alumina hutch corona endoprosthesis abscess gorazde grandison adroitly pilgrimages statutorily cayman havilland clogged telomeric ceo corrado pronominal bcs printouts dacre attendees mcadam chope wrangling meritocracy restaurateur attorneys palettes relays reconstitute wields becket ecole triennial smelting cognisance roars övp decked alija uzbek usury aspirants framlingham mdf tellingly wadi wei aldus shankly ditty unrealized whiston tlr zamoyski gibberish spiked sturt typhoon squalls tailplane titres herriot blocker utans affably blower ramón ethiopians cska biennale calamitous surly locum twee decorous cryptically fractal unquoted atkin animus expressible annihilated squeezes decoder benighted primes catalysis shortfalls tiff rekindled intergenerational cobb awed reworking anticlimax riverton eplf quietened rollercoaster spastic reverberations baldness speyside ile witton saxophonist trinkets polygynous overseen alasdair skulking sleaford orderlies assize balzac stukeley ottomans ldr strut mildenhall styal birches skywards npa privation platoons aspirins tints marginalization waxworks pawing rascal plaything lehman bursar provençal raincoats toroidal spotlessly continentals waggler brechin urethral adt bronson poweropen jangling untutored herrmann acronyms lysosomes pronunciations vipers kismayu quavers airbase boyne première recursive jeffreys mauchline pillbox stiffening attache nvala lavant obsequious toggle huey steeled aorta layfield requisition lse mappings snooty reedy muawad mislaid haussmann blaenau vocations marsupials medallists tripled terrifically percussive lactoferrin sailings padlocks hallucinatory quixotic querulous zaria blois squirming maginnis seasick nuffink possessively lymphatic middleham mineralogical gangland revitalize uncapped malling orang saleh meandering mediates trickier manicured relaying hollies metronome stateless unmediated loped moldovan mozambican likeliest ach matings sla thuringia untied multiplies unevenness patristic lugging rolfe secondments ola michaels sacheverell oleic nepali mallaig ideologues pgce neutrals machiavelli selassie legislating hepes megalithic mitford jenkinson jci inexcusable romero sucrose matinée neighbourliness insubordination kharkov rearrangements newsmen nippy opined linnet landor pankhurst refraining immunoreactive mooring mathews liley notary howie fuchsia mucin joffre hubble herrick omni lockable pupillage lifter locksmith kramer mags laserjet nibble heroically buffaloes gare luciano motorcyclist manescu underhand halley penumbra llandrindod outflows muirfield transplanted ffr stabilisers homicidal orogeny ine hypoglycaemic railfreight judaea clogging federally computerization impelled concertina kier fireflies quito restarted opv ermine cranberries cordelia johannsen immunization fordism jamboree paraphrased hayton investigatory gideon friel histrionic flues lateran cocteau haslam hundredths gannets lamenting lowther cowling hizir revaluations masquerade enrolling daunted halsey endeared docker essentialism reticulum fashioning globes hussain depute inverkeithing agincourt backsides biffen galvone lillie como kowloon dinsdale holidaymaker computationally fistulas grieved débâcle donning cemented configure easygoing cherokee leonards filamentous fumble counsels dacourt burney gurgle ballvalve dibble exclusiveness cichlid evolutionists christensen genotypes confederations grasshopper haemophilia aramaic fp dod fearlessly egham disconnection borthwick depose epithets friendless headscarf empowers ansi hci annotated gossips creeper enterochromaffin dona che cantatas carradine congressman dataquest fidgety fierceness complementarity fab corman granpa caldaire disguises blandishments carys belgrave 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What degree angle are the corners of a regular tetrahedron?	Regular Tetrahedron -- from Wolfram MathWorld Beyer, W. H. CRC Standard Mathematical Tables, 28th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, p. 228, 1987. Buekenhout, F. and Parker, M. "The Number of Nets of the Regular Convex Polytopes in Dimension ." Disc. Math. 186, 69-94, 1998. Crelle, A. L. "Einige Bemerkungen über die dreiseitige Pyramide." Sammlung mathematischer Aufsätze u. Bemerkungen 1, 105-132, 1821. Cundy, H. and Rollett, A. "Tetrahedron. ." §3.5.1 in Mathematical Models, 3rd ed. Stradbroke, England: Tarquin Pub., p. 84, 1989. Davie, T. "The Tetrahedron." http://www.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~ad/mathrecs/polyhedra/tetrahedron.html . Dostor, G. Eléments de la théorie des déterminants, avec application à l'algèbre, la trigonométrie et la géométrie analytique dans le plan et l'espace, 2ème ed. Paris: Gauthier-Villars, pp. 252-293, 1905. Gardner, M. "Tetrahedrons." Ch. 19 in The Sixth Book of Mathematical Games from Scientific American. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, pp. 183-194, 1984. Geometry Technologies. "Tetrahedron." http://www.scienceu.com/geometry/facts/solids/tetra.html . Granville, A. "The Lattice Points of an -Dimensional Tetrahedron." Aequationes Math. 41, 234-241, 1991. Guy, R. K. "Gauß's Lattice Point Problem." §F1 in Unsolved Problems in Number Theory, 2nd ed. New York: Springer-Verlag, pp. 240-241, 1994. Harris, J. W. and Stocker, H. "Tetrahedron." §4.3.1 and 4.4.2 in Handbook of Mathematics and Computational Science. New York: Springer-Verlag, pp. 98-100, 1998. Hopf, H. "Selected Chapters of Geometry." ETH Zürich lecture, pp. 1-2, 1940. http://www.math.cornell.edu/~hatcher/Other/hopf-samelson.pdf . Kasahara, K. "From Regular to Semiregular Polyhedrons." Origami Omnibus: Paper-Folding for Everyone. Tokyo: Japan Publications, pp. 204, 220-221, and 231, 1988. Kasahara, K. and Takahama, T. Origami for the Connoisseur. Tokyo: Japan Publications, 1987. Langman, H. "Curiosa 261: A Disc Puzzle." Scripta Math. 17, 144, Mar.-Jun. 1951. Lee, J. R. "The Law of Cosines in a Tetrahedron." J. Korea Soc. Math. Ed. Ser. B: Pure Appl. Math. 4, 1-6, 1997. Lehmer, D. H. "The Lattice Points of an -Dimensional Tetrahedron." Duke Math. J. 7, 341-353, 1940. Lesage, J. "Alexander Graham Bell Museum: Tribute to Genius." Nat. Geographic 60, 227-256, 1956. Pegg, E. Jr. "Math Games: Melbourne, City of Math." Sep. 5, 2006. http://www.maa.org/editorial/mathgames/mathgames_09_05_06.html . Rouché, E. and de Comberousse, C. Traité de Géométrie, nouv. éd., vol. 1: Géométrie plane. Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1922. Rouché, E. and de Comberousse, C. Traité de Géométrie, nouv. éd., vol. 2: Géométrie dans l'espace. Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1922. Steinhaus, H. Mathematical Snapshots, 3rd ed. New York: Dover, pp. 191-192, 201, and 246-247, 1999. Trigg, C. W. "Geometry of Paper Folding. II. Tetrahedral Models." School Sci. and Math. 54, 683-689, 1954. von Staudt, K. G. C. "Ueber einige geometrische Sätze." J. reine angew. Math. 57, 88-89, 1860. Wells, D. "Puzzle Page." Games and Puzzles. Sep. 1975. Wells, D. The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Geometry. London: Penguin, pp. 217-218, 1991. Wenninger, M. J. "The Tetrahedron." Model 1 in Polyhedron Models. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, p. 14, 1989. Xu, Y. and Yau, S. "A Sharp Estimate of the Number of Integral Points in a Tetrahedron." J. reine angew. Math. 423, 199-219, 1992. Let a tetrahedron be length on a side, and let its base lie in the plane with one vertex lying along the positive -axis. The polyhedron vertices of this tetrahedron are then located at ( , 0, 0), (	sixty
Name the Google phone and software system which, according to some news reports in 2010, ended Nokia's 10 years' of market dominance?	VB Helper: Tutorial: Drawing Platonic Solids This article explains how to calculate the coordinates of the corners of the Platonic solids: tetrahedron, cube (hexahedron), octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron. Several of my writings involve the Platonic solids. For instance, some of the programs included with my book Visual Basic Graphics Programming draw these objects, though the book does not explain how to find the coordinates of the solids' vertices, it merely uses them. Much to my surprise, I received several requests for these derivations. This article explains how to calculate the positions of the corners of the Platonic solids. Deriving these values requires only relatively simple algebra and a little trigonometry. Even so, they can be a bit involved so mistakes are certainly possible. After using the formulas shown here to find the points, I verified the results by writing test programs to verify that all of the edges on a side were the same length. For programs that draw three-dimensional objects, see my book Visual Basic Graphics Programming . Sections 1. What Are Platonic Solids? A regular polygon is a two-dimensional shape where each edge has the same length and the edges all make the same angles with respect to each other. Figure 1.1 shows two quadrilaterals. The square on the left is a regular polygon because all its sides are the same length and they all meet at 90 degree angles. The parallelogram on the right is not regular. While its sides have the same length, they do not all meet at the same angles. Figure 1.1. A regular polygon (left) and a polygon that is not regular (right). The Platonic solids were defined by the Greek mathematician and philosopher Plato (427-347 BC). They are all of the three-dimensional solids that you can define using faces that are identical regular polygons. These solids are also known as the three-dimensional regular polytopes. The Platonic solids include the tetrahedron (4 triangular faces), cube or hexahedron (6 square faces), octahedron (8 triangular faces), dodecahedron (12 pentagonal faces), and the icosahedron (20 triangular faces). There are no other regular polytopes in three dimensions. You may have seen solids made up of more faces, each of which is identical. For example, some game stores sell 30-sided and even 100-sided dice. The faces of these solids are parallelograms not regular polygons, so they are not regular polytopes. Similarly you can make geodesic domes using identical triangles. The triangles are not equilateral (they have different side lengths), however, so the dome is not a regular polytope. There are other regular polytopes in higher dimensions. For example, "cubes" are defined for all higher dimensional spaces. There are four-dimensional cubes, five-dimensional cubes, etc. There are even some regular polytopes that do not correspond to any two- or three-dimensional polytopes. Two-dimensional space has an infinite number of regular polytopes because you can make a regular polygon with any number of sides: triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, and so forth. Four-dimensional space has the next most regular polytopes, although I can't remember how many it has or how many faces they have. I think I remember it having four-dimensional counterparts to tetrahedrons, cubes, and octahedrons (I think all dimensions have those) but I don't remember what else. If someone knows, email me . The Platonic solids have some rather interesting dual relationships. To make the dual of a solid, place a vertex in the center of each of the solid's faces. Then connect each vertex to the vertices on the adjacent faces. For the Platonic solids, the result is another Platonic solid. Figure 1.2 shows a cube and its dual: an octahedron. Figure 1.2. A cube and its dual, an octahedron. Table 1.1 lists the Platonic solids and their duals. Solid A tetrahedron has four faces that are equilateral triangles. In an equilateral triangle, the sides meet at 60 degree angles. Figure 2.1 shows a tetrahedron. Figure 2.1. A tetrahedron. It is a trigonometric fact that in a triangle with angles of 30, 60, and 90 degrees, the sides have relative lengths of 1, 2, and Sqr(3) as shown in Figure 2.2. These lengths are not absolute--they are relative to each other. For example, if the short side has length 4, the other sides have lengths 4 * 2 and 4 * Sqr(3). Figure 2.2. The 30-60-90 triangle has sides with relative lengths of 1, 2, Sqr(3). Imagine looking at the tetrahedon from the top as shown in Figure 2.3. By symmetry, the projections of the sides of the tetrahedron bisect the angles in the solid's base. Those angles are each 60 degrees, so the bisected angles are 30 degrees. Since one of the other angles in this smaller triangle is 90 degrees, the remaining angle must be 180 - 90 - 30 = 60 degrees. Now suppose the sides of the tetrahedron have length 2. Then the longer side next to the right angle in the smaller triangle has length 1 because it is half of the larger triangle's side. This corresponds to the side with length Sqr(3) in the 30-60-90 triangle with side lengths 1, 2, Sqr(3). For the sides of this smaller triangle to have the correct relative lengths, the other two sides must have lengths 1/Sqr(3) and 2/Sqr(3). To verify that these lengths are correct, multiply the lengths 1/Sqr(3), 2/Sqr(3), and 1 by Sqr(3) and you will see that the sides have relative lengths 1, 2, Sqr(3). This situation is shown in Figure 2.3. Figure 2.3. Top view of a tetrahedron. Now suppose you want the top point of the tetrahedron to lie in the Z axis, and the bottom face to lie in the X-Y plane. Then the values shown in Figure 2.3 give the coordinates of all four points with the exception of the Z coordinate of the top point as shown in Figure 2.4. Figure 2.4. Most of the coordinates for a tetrahedron's vertices. Now imagine looking at the tetrahedron from the side, looking parallel to the X axis. Figure 2.5 shows the tetrahedron from almost this angle. The view is tilted just a little so you can still see all four sides. Figure 2.5. Calculating the Z coordinate of the tetrahedron's top point. We have assumed that the tetrahedron's edge lengths are 2 so the distance A in Figure 2.5 is 2. We know from Figures 2.3 and 2.4 that the distance B is Sqr(3) - 1/Sqr(3). Because sides A, B, and z form a right triangle, z * z + B * B = A * A. Solving for z gives z = Sqr(A * A - B * B). Plugging in the values of A and B gives: z = Sqr(2 * 2 - (Sqr(3) - 1/Sqr(3)) * (Sqr(3) - 1/Sqr(3))) = Sqr(4 - (3 - 2 + 1/3)) = Sqr(3 - 1/3) = Sqr(8/3) = 2 * Sqr(2/3) Thus the coordinates of the tetrahedron's vertices are: ( 0, Sqr(3) - 1/Sqr(3), 0) (-1, - 1/Sqr(3), 0) ( 1, - 1/Sqr(3), 0) ( 0, 0, 2 * Sqr(2/3)) To verify that these values are correct, you can write a program that calculates the distances between each pair of these points. All of the distances should be 2. Click here to download a program that performs this verification. 3. Cube The cube is an easy one. If you want the cube's sides to be 2 units long and you want the cube centered at the origin, the cube has vertices at: (-1, -1, -1) (-1, 1, -1) ( 1, -1, -1) ( 1, 1, -1) (-1, -1, 1) (-1, 1, 1) ( 1, -1, 1) ( 1, 1, 1) Click here to download a program that verifies this. Figure 3.1. A cube. 4. Octahedron The octahedron is also straightforward. If you place the solid's vertices on the coordinate axes as shown in Figure 4.1, the points are located at: ( 1, 0, 0) ( 0, 1, 0) ( 0, 0, 1) (-1, 0, 0) ( 0, -1, 0) ( 0, 0, -1) Figure 4.1. An octahedron. Click here to download a program that verifies the points. Note that these coordinates define the dual of the previously described cube. 5. Dodecahedron You can find the vertices of a dodecahedron using calculations similar to those used for the icosahedron shown in the next section but I'm too lazy to reproduce them here. If you need the vertices' coordinates, you can take the dual of the icosahedron. Or see my book Visual Basic Graphics Programming which explains the derivation in detail. Figure 6.1 shows an icosahedron with its hidden surfaces removed. Figure 6.1. An icosahedron with hidden surfaces removed. Figure 6.2 shows the same icosahedron with hidden surfaces drawn in dashed lines and its nodes labeled a through l. Figure 6.2. An icosahedron with nodes labeled. The icosahedron is centered at the origin in these figures. Points a and l lie on the Z-axis so they have X and Y coordinates 0. Points b and g lie in the Y-Z plane so they have X coordinate 0. Let Z1 be the Z coordinate of point a and let Z2 be the Z coordinate of points b through f. By symmetry, the Z coordinate of point l is -Z1 and the Z coordinate of points g through k are -Z2. To calculate the points' X and Y coordinates, look at the icosahderon from the top. Consider only the positions of points b through f and g through k as shown in Figure 6.3. Figure 6.3. An icosahedron viewed from the top. The two pentagons that contain the points b through f and g through k allow you to calculate the points' X and Y coordinates. Let S be the length of one of the icosahedron's edges and consider just the right half of the upper pentagon shown in Figure 6.4. You can use the angles t1, t2, t3, and t4 to calculate the points' coordinates. Figure 6.4. Calculating the X and Y coordinates for points b, c, and d. Because the nodes are arranged in a pentagon, t1 = 2 * Pi / 5 and t2 = Pi / 2 - t1 = Pi / 2 - 2 * Pi / 5 = Pi / 10 Similarly t4 = 2 * Pi / 10 = Pi / 5 and: t3 = -(Pi / 2 - t4) = -(Pi / 2 - Pi / 5) = -3 * Pi / 10 Using trigonometry in the t4 triangle, R = (S/2) / Sin(t4). With this value, you can calculate H = Cos(t4) * R. Using these values, we have the coordinates for points b and d: b = ( 0, R, Z2) d = (S/2, -H, Z2) Similarly the X and Y coordinates of point c are R * Cos(t2) and R * Sin(t2). For notational convenience, let these values be Cx and Cy. Using the symmetry shown in Figure 6.3, you can calculate the coordinates for all of the rest of the points. a = ( 0, 0, Z1) b = ( 0, R, Z2) c = ( Cx, Cy, Z2) d = ( S/2, -H, Z2) e = (-S/2, -H, Z2) f = ( -Cx, Cy, Z2) g = ( 0, -R, -Z2) h = ( -Cx, -Cy, -Z2) i = (-S/2, H, -Z2) j = ( S/2, H, -Z2) k = ( Cx, -Cy, -Z2) l = ( 0, 0, -Z1) Where: S = the side length (given) t1 = 2 * Pi / 5 t2 = Pi / 10 t4 = Pi / 5 t3 = -3 * Pi / 10 R = (S/2) / Sin(t4) H = Cos(t4) * R Cx = R * Cos(t2) Cy = R * Sin(t2) The only values left to calculate are Z1 and Z2. Consider the top of the icosahedron shown in Figure 6.5. Look again at Figure 6.4 to see how the value R fits into this picture. Figure 6.5. The top of an icosahedron. We know S and R, so we can calculate H1: H1 = Sqr(S * S - R * R) Now consider one of the pentagons on the side that contains the points a, b, and i as shown in Figure 6.6. Let H2 be the vertical distance between points a and i. We have already seen that the Y coordinate of point i is H so the horizontal distance along the Y-axis between these points is H as shown in the figure. Figure 6.6. The side of an icosahedron. The hypotenuse of the triangle with sides H and H2 is the height of the pentagon containing points a, b, and i. Figure 6.4 shows that distance is H + R. You can now use these values to solve for H2. H2 = Sqr((H + R) * (H + R) - H * H) Finally, you can use the values of H1 and H2 to calculate Z1 and Z2. Z2 = (H2 - H1) / 2 Z1 = Z2 + H1 To verify that these values are correct, you can write a program that calculates the distances between each pair of these points. All of the distances should be S. Click here to download a program that performs this verification.	i don't know
What is the full name of the football organization usually abbreviated to UEFA?	About FIFA: Organisation - FIFA.com About FIFA Africa Cup of Nations 2017 14 Jan 2017 - 05 Feb 2017 - Gabon Official Draw - FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 28 February 2017 - Bahamas Official Draw - FIFA U-20 World Cup 15 March 2017 - Korea You're logging in with Facebook You're logging in with Twitter You're logging in with Google+ Connect Login Error The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first. The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first. This Facebook account is already present Your Club account has been locked due to a breach of our Terms of Service. Please set up a new account in line with the Club rules. Review the Club Rules . Alternatively, you can email us by completing our contact form . Please enter a valid email address The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first. Log-in unsuccessful All Videos What we stand for FIFA’s mission is develop football everywhere and for all, to touch the world through its inspiring tournaments and to build a better future through the power of the game. Explore FIFA is a series of short animated films that bring you into our world with a visual and easy-to-understand explanation of how we go about carrying out this mission. About FIFA Who We Are The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is an association governed by Swiss law founded in 1904 and based in Zurich. It has 211 member associations and its goal, enshrined in its Statutes, is the constant improvement of football. Who We Are FIFA 1904 FIFA 1904 is a monthly magazine which is published as both a print edition and as a free online publication. The 68-page magazine contains in-depth stories and interviews about football from around the world, with a special focus on FIFA's development projects and activities, competitions, events and member associations. The print version is provided for free to FIFA's confederations and member associations, while the online version is available to all football fans right here on FIFA.com. Latest Media Releases The President Before being elected FIFA President, Gianni Infantino was the UEFA General Secretary since October 2009, having joined the organisation in 2000. Gianni led the fight against social ills and threats to the integrity of football in Europe, including all forms of discrimination, violence and hooliganism, and match-fixing. The President FIFA Secretary General In a humanitarian career with the United Nations that spanned 21-years, Fatma Samoura has been able to make a difference to millions of people through her work. On 20 June 2016, she began her first day in office as the first-ever female Secretary General of world football’s governing body. FIFA Secretary General FIFA Congress Bringing together every member association of FIFA, with each getting one vote, a Congress may be an Ordinary or an Extraordinary Congress. The Congress rules on modifications to the Statutes, addresses propositions from FIFA Council members and elects the FIFA President. Latest News FIFA Associations and Confederations With 211 associations affiliated to FIFA today, world football's governing body has been dubbed the "United Nations of Football ". Between 1975 and 2002 alone, more than 60 associations were accepted as members. FIFA supports the associations financially and logistically through various programmes and grants them a number of attractive rights and privileges. But they also have obligations. As representatives of FIFA in their countries, they must respect the statutes, aims and ideals of football's governing body and promote and manage our sport accordingly. Committees and other bodies FIFA Council and Bureau of the Council The FIFA Council is a non-executive, supervisory and strategic body that sets the vision for FIFA and global football.	UEFA
The move called 'en passant' features in what board game?	UEFA Champion League History \| The Power Of Sport and games The Power Of Sport and games UEFA Champions League (in English: UEFA Champions League) is an annual football Club championships between clubs in European football's most successful, and often regarded as a trophy in the level of the most prestigious clubs in Europe. History This championship was first coined by one of the French sports magazine. Cup-shaped trophy is nicknamed "The Big Ears" (Big Ears), and the first trophy different from what is now contested (made by Stadellman). Cup being contested right now is the 6th edition. At first championship trophy named European Club Champions Cup or the European Champion Clubs' Cup, which is usually abbreviated to European Cup (European Cup, and differs from the European Cup as it is known in Indonesia today which refers to the European Championship). This championship began in the 1955/56 season using two-leg knockout, ie each team plays two games, one away and one at home, and the team with the highest average score advance to the next round. Only the league championship teams in each country, plus the champion at that time, the right to join this competition. New Format The format and the name was later changed to the 1992/93 season. From then on, the championship has three qualifying rounds, one round of group competition (the teams play in the form of "away-cage" like a regular competition), and then the final four by knockout. All qualifying and knockout matches to be held with the two-leg, except the final which is a single match held in a place designated by UEFA. Top Holders Real Madrid CF have won this competition nine times and became the largest in all of Europe. The teams are the next most successful was the AC Milan (7-time champion), Liverpool FC (5 times champion), FC Bayern Munich and AFC Ajax (4-time champion), Manchester United, Internazionale Milan and FC Barcelona (3 time champion) About Champions League Music that accompanies the beginning of each broadcast television this championship composed by Tony Britten, based on a song composed by George Frideric Handel's Zadok the Priest entitled, and performed by the Chorus of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Especially for a team that never won the Champions League is at least 5 times in a row or 3 times in a row, on the left sleeve of the Champions League will have a logo and writing the number of trophies collected. Ajax are like for example, because the champion in 1971, 1972 and 1973 on the left sleeve there is the Champions League logo accompanied by a number of trophies earned. The team, wearing the logo on the arm of Champions: Real Madrid (champions 9 times), AC Milan (champion 7 times), Liverpool (5 times champion), Bayer Munich (winner 74, 75 and 76) and Ajax (won 71, 72, and 73). In the last 19 seasons, only one team that successfully defended the Champions League title (then the format and its name is still the Champions Cup) for two consecutive seasons, namely AC Milan at that time was predicated The Dream Team. Milan is also the only team in the 15 last season that won the final by 3 times in a row (1993, 1994 (champion), and 1995). At the end of the 2004/05 season there are problems. Champions League winners Liverpool in the season qualify directly to the qualifying round next season, but Liverpool in the domestic league was ranked fifth. Everton, which is ranked 4th protest, so that Liverpool and Everton remain joined the Champions League next season (Everton through qualifying) and the UK also have five teams into the Champions League (the most in a single country). Qualification Qualification for the Champions League is determined by the position of the teams in the domestic league and through the quota system, the countries that have a stronger domestic leagues are given more space. Clubs that play in stronger domestic leagues also began to participate in a more final round. For example, the three strongest leagues, according to UEFA's rankings, will see the champion and runner-up straight into a round group stage, and ranked third and fourth entry in the third qualifying round. There are exceptions to this rule; defending champions automatically qualify for the Champions League group stage, regardless of the final position in the domestic league. In the rotation Champions league clubs fight fiercely to occupy the top position so it is worth taking part of this championship.	i don't know

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