text:
Karst in the Watershed, Part 2
Karst in the WatershedPART 2: LOSING STREAMS AND SINKHOLE-RIDDEN TERRAIN MAKES SURFACE WATER AND GROUND WATER ONE AND THE SAME. HOWELL COUNTY HAS SOME OF THE DEEPEST KARST IN THE OZARKS
By Denise Henderson Vaughn, West Plains Daily Quill Correspondent
Groundwater Recharges Rapidly; Big Springs,
Deep Circulation
So said James Vandike, hydrogeologist with the state's Division of Geology and Land Survey, author of a newly published 210 page book called "Groundwater Resources of Missouri.''
The better part of Howell County is one of those places Vandike was talking about, where surface and groundwater are one and the same. That means many wells in the county are, at times, basically drawing up surface water. Even deep city wells - despite the fact the city's six active wells range from 1,000 to 1,696 feet deep, with all but one cased down 700 feet or more.
Mo. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials say they've done enough testing to be convinced that the area's groundwater is occasionally being influenced by surface water. At those times when water in the city wells becomes turbid, it contains microcontaminants, such as bacteria and algae, DNR says. But it is considered safe to drink because it is chlorinated.
Why is this happening? The Quill visited Vandike at his Rolla office to try to find answers. One of the first clues is found on any area map. It's a "dry county''; all the big springs and cold flowing rivers are just outside the borders, a distance of 15 to 25 miles from the county's center.
Vandike pointed out that most of the surface streams in Howell County and in much of the western part of Oregon County are losing streams; the flow goes underground. Howell County stands out on the map - that is, the map of losing streams in the Ozarks.
It's all because of karst, Vandike explained. Karst topography: it's created when highly soluble layers of underground dolomite rock are fractured and dissolved by trickling water over the years until some cracks become crevices, and some trickles become torrents - creating sinkholes, caves, losing streams and springs.
While karst topography is common throughout the Ozarks, the effects run deeper underground in central Howell County and into Oregon County than in most other areas, Vandike said. In his new book, he describes a band of intense karst development that is several miles wide and runs from a few miles south of Willow Springs, through West Plains, to Thayer.
"Throughout this area the bedrock has been deeply weathered,
leading to the development of thick residuum, many losing streams and
numerous large sinkholes,'' Vandike writes. (Residuum is what's left after
bedrock breaks down by weathering - piled up clay and chunks of rock.)
Grand Gulf is near the southern end of this karst band, he said. "The
depth to which large openings go seems greater than in other areas,''
he told The Quill.
Vandike illustrates his conclusion with data taken from West Plains Well Number Two, which is no longer in service. Between 1958 and 1985, DNR operated a water level observation station at the well, located at Second and Washington Avenue. It was drilled in 1914 and is 1,305 feet deep. In order to watch the water level, a floating device is attached to a cable, which is in turn attached to a pen that continuously records water levels on a paper chart. Vandike wrote about it in his book. "Despite 800 feet of casing, groundwater levels will rise as much as 200 feet within a few hours after a major rainfall event in the area, and the well will produce water containing microorganisms that are characteristic of surface water and rapidly recharged groundwater'' he wrote.
Hydrologist Tom Aley, Protem, who did many of the dye tracings to area springs, adds this point. "In your area, you have three of the largest springs in the Ozarks. We know from dye tracings that the West Plains area is in the Mammoth Spring recharge area. Further north, around Willow Springs, is the recharge area for Greer Spring. Big Spring gets some of its water from the upstream parts of the Eleven Point River.''
Aley continued, "So, the whole area around West Plains is drained by extremely large springs. The explanation is deep groundwater flow. If there's just shallow groundwater circulation, springs can't get too large. To have large springs, you need a large recharge area. Deep groundwater circulation is linked to muddy wells at great depth.''
"To have a large spring, you need a large recharge area," Aley said. In many cases, this means robbing other areas of their surface streams.
Hydrogeologist James Vandike, Rolla, just wrote a book on Missouri's groundwaters which explains the formula for estimating a spring's recharge area. It takes about 505 square miles to gather up enough water to supply Big Spring, he says. By comparison, Howell County covers 927 square miles. On the smaller end of the spectrum, a spring discharging about 10 gallons per minute would need a recharge area of only about 16 acres, and that land would most likely be close to the spring, Vandike explains.
Vandike points out that although Big Spring is in the Current
River basin, most of its recharge originates outside it, primarily from
the Eleven Point basin. Flow measurements taken at gaging stations on
the two rivers confirm that the Eleven Point is carrying less, and Current
is carrying more, than the amount which could be accounted for by rainfall
hitting those watersheds. The difference in flow coincides fairly closely
to the flow of Big Spring, Vandike says. Huge areas of the Eleven Point
River's watershed are drained by losing streams.
A fair part of northern Howell County appears to be in the recharge area for Missouri's second largest spring, Greer, which boils in two spots out of a gorge in Oregon County at a rate of 220 million gallons per day (344 cubic feet per second). It tumbles down a spring branch into the Eleven Point River, more than doubling that river's size. Dye from a 27-mile trace starting near Trask, and from a 34-mile trace from the headwaters of the Eleven Point River near Willow Springs both turned up at Greer Spring. Using Vandike's formula, The Quill estimates the spring's recharge area at 389 square miles.
Mammoth Spring is at the head of the Spring River, just
into Arkansas south of Thayer. It produces about 155 million gallons per
day (240 cubic feet per second), and its recharge area seems to be about
272 square miles, or just under a third the size of Howell County, The
Quill estimates. Indeed, the county may provide the spring's main water
supply, since numerous dye tracings from central Howell County have all
led to Mammoth. The longest was a 32-mile trace, starting near Pomona
on Dry Creek, a tributary of the North Fork River. Other traces originated
near the West Plains city limits off BB Highway and at the former West
Plains sewage lagoon after it collapsed in 1978.
Even before Aley's Big Spring traces, Toney Aid of West Plains had made in 1967 a successful seven-mile trace from Grand Gulf, near Thayer, to Mammoth Spring. His is the oldest trace listed in Vandike's new book.
Grand Gulf, one of the area's most spectacular karst features, is a mile-long winding sinkhole with sheer bluffs on all sides, created by a cave collapse. A river runs through it most of the time, and after heavy rains it has been known to fill up and hold water for weeks at a time.
"I'd heard stories, about how in the 1890s, you could walk back into the cave and see the river leading out of Grand Gulf," Aid told The Quill. "They said you could throw hay bales in and they'd come out at Mammoth Spring. But it was just folk tales; there was nobody still alive who'd done it. I wanted to see if I could prove it."
Aid, then a student at West Plains High School, did the trace for a school science project. He got instructions and materials from state geologist Jerry Vineyard. "I waited for a big rain. It came at 2 a.m. one morning. I got there about 3 or 4 a.m. and climbed down the bluff by the overlook in the dark, then dropped in five pounds of flouroscein dye."
Aid placed filter packets where water goes over the dam at Mammoth Spring, changing them twice a day, then sending them to Rolla to be tested. The dye hit the packets in a little over two days, Aid said.
The school project netted Aid a NASA Science Foundation award and a trip to a national conference.
Geologist Luella Owen explored Grand Gulf in the mid-1880s,
according to Vineyard's 1972 book, "Springs of Missouri." She describes
traveling by boat into the cave housing the large underground stream that
connects Grand Gulf to Mammoth Spring. Small white eyeless fish were "swimming
about the boat in astonishing multitude," Owen wrote. These were doubtless
the now-endangered Ozark blind cavefish. Access to the underground river
closed up in the early 1920s, when a severe storm washed big trees and
other debris across the cave opening, Vineyard wrote.
Bedrock in this whole area tilts to the southeast. And the groundwater in the Ozark aquifer, our water supply, flows on top of that tilted, nearly impervious bedrock.
A major surface divide separates the White River basin from the Missouri River basin, and the groundwater is divided roughly along the same line, the map shows.
The potentiometric map shows that the junction of Highway 14 and U.S. 63 sits along the southeastern edge of an oblong "flat area'' in the water table. The flat spot marks a divide; on the other side, groundwater drains to the southwest. The divide corresponds to the surface divide which separates the North Fork River from the Eleven Point and Spring River watersheds.
Groundwater level falls quickly after it crosses over the edge of that flat spot along the divide, the map shows. The water table drops over 200 feet in about 5.5 miles, when measured between the 14/63 junction and the city's observation well at Second and Washington. By comparison, a quick look at a topo map shows the South Prong of the Jacks Fork River drops about 40 feet in that same distance.
Numerous well-developed sink basins are in the area upgradient (upstream, in groundwater terms) from West Plains, including some in the land on top of the aforementioned groundwater divide, according to a local soil scientist who recently walked the area while mapping area soils.
U.S. 63 cuts through the middle of a shallow 800-acre sinkhole just north of the Highway 14 junction. Part of this sink can be seen on the west side of the new lane, as it forms a muddy pond that holds water for quite some time after a rain.
"That sink is well drained in other areas back away from the highway, but it got plugged up right there with sediment from the highway construction,'' explained the soil mapper.
The soil scientist would not speculate on whether runoff into these sinkholes is contributing to groundwater supplying West Plains, saying, "It would probably take dye tracings from the surface to answer that question.''
The Quill has seen a June 1997 report, produced for the city of West Plains by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Cabool. That agency does soil mapping. The writer noted he had observed a 3.5-inch rainfall while mapping in Galloway Creek watershed. That creek runs parallel to Holiday Lane and the railroad tracks, emptying into a sinkhole near Girdley Street and the tracks.
"I observed that this watershed is quite karst in nature,''
he wrote. "This watershed also has many large areas where the natural
soil profile has been destroyed by earth-moving equipment. This is especially
the case in the Highway 63 corridor. Much of the soil surface in these
areas is a compacted clay with little or no vegetation. These areas are
contributing large amounts of water and sediment into Galloway Creek.
Covering these with a layer of topsoil and establishing vegetative cover
on them would slow down erosion and runoff,'' he wrote. He continued,
"I noted several drainageways that had large watersheds (160 acres plus)
that had no channels or debris after the 3.5-inch rain. I assume the runoff
had disappeared into a karst system.''
What do Grand Gulf, the old West Plains city dump and the Southern Hills Subdivision in Mountain View all have in common? Answer: they're all sinkholes.
Curious holes in the ground throughout the region have long fascinated area residents. Sinkholes come in all shapes and sizes; they can be funnel-shaped, bowl-shaped, deep, shallow, or gentle depressions with slopes so gradual that they might go unnoticed, and sometimes they're ragged chasms with steep bluffs.
Any depression in the ground formed because soil has been dissolved and removed through channels under the earth is considered a sinkhole; they all drain directly underground rather than to a surface stream.
The Quill recently took a tour of sinkholes near West Plains. The guide was Mo. Department of Conservation (MDC) Forester Bob Cunningham, a keen observer who has had ample opportunity to tromp around much of Howell County, since part of his job is to assess forest health for private landowners. Soil is what makes trees grow, so wherever he goes, Cunningham pays attention to soils, geology and landforms.
A stop on the tour was MDC's 240-acre Tingler Lake Conservation Area, south of town off U.S. 17, on County Road 8110. This lake is a water-filled sinkhole, Cunningham said, created when sediment filled in and sealed the five-acre lake's bottom hundreds or perhaps thousands of years ago. This is quite rare, as most nearby sinkholes drain rapidly to underground water channels.
Not visited by The Quill, but also on public land is "The Sinks'' on U.S. Forest Service land off Highway CC, about 12 miles west of town. These are two dramatic steep-sided sinkholes, side by side, Cunningham said. One has a peat bog in the bottom. It may be reached by a hike through the woods off County Road 5150. Cunningham cautioned that climbing to the bottom of these is dangerous. "A fall down into there would really hurt. It's not for the faint of heart to go down there,'' he said.
A "must see'' for anyone serious about visiting sinkholes is Grand Gulf State Park on Highway W, seven miles west of Thayer. It has been called "the Cadillac of sinkholes'' and "the little Grand Canyon.''
As the "tour bus'' (a white MDC pickup) headed south on Highway 17, then turned left on the County Road 8800, Cunningham started pointing out swags and gently rolling areas.
"Just driving around, you wouldn't necessarily notice that so much of central and southern Howell County doesn't drain into any creeks,'' he said. "You see rolling ground, but no V's for drainage.''
The well-known sinkholes are the dramatic deep ones with steep sides, but there's a lot more that go unnoticed because they're large, with gentle slopes, he said. Typically, they have few rocks, rich alluvial dirt, and they can grow great trees.
"There's immense sink basins around here that you wouldn't notice, especially in areas where there's flat ground,'' he said. "They can cover hundreds of acres. They run from Pomona to West Plains and on toward Thayer.''
Sinkholes have many characteristics typical of creek bottoms, such as rich soil and moisture-loving plants, Cunningham observed. Some plant species that are uncommon in the rest of the county grow in some sinkhole areas, he said, including rose mallow, sedges and orchids, and trees like pin oak, shellbark hickory and bur oak.
Cunningham stressed that trees and native plants should be left to grow in and around sinkholes, since vegetation slows erosion and helps filter rainwater. When that protective plant layer is peeled back and dirt exposed, he said, there is much greater chance of mud and pollutants entering the groundwater and potentially contaminating wells and springs which draw from that groundwater.
"The bottom line is, if we don't take care of our surface
water, we'll all be drinking bottled water one of these days,'' he said.
The four-part Groundwater Series ran between
August 27 and September 2, 1998. The entire series, complete with maps
and photos, was reprinted in a special section, which may be obtained
from The West Plains Daily Quill, PO Box 110, West Plains, MO, 65775,
or The Karst Project of the Ozarks Resource Center, P.O. Box 1226, West
Plains, MO 65775. Reprints are free; mail orders need to include $1 for
postage and handling.


text:
Definition of pain-free in English:
Not feeling or causing pain: getting into good work habits now can ensure a lifetime of pain-free typing
More example sentences
- In the periodic passage of gallstones, the intervals of remission are usually completely pain-free.
- They might also be called upon to help very old, sick animals die in a relatively pain-free manner.
- Unfortunately, the liver biopsy is neither pain-free, nor without potential for complications.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: pain-free
Definition of pain-free in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jesse Burtner: America's Next Top Pro Model Bio
The simplicity of the America's Next Top Pro Model disciplines may prove to be Jesse Burtner's undoing. As one of the patriarchs of snowboarding's newschool board control movement, Jesse has mentored the likes of Gus Engle, Sean Genovese, Scott Stevens and Johnny Miller. Yet doing one-footers in the high ollie event won't cut it when the competition is doing three footers, but Burtner's bound to step it up regardless.Read More


text:
Stony Brook Athletics hosts third-annual Thanksgiving Challenge
Nov. 23, 2011
Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook Athletics hosted its third-annual Thanksgiving Challenge on Monday, featuring a seven-station strength and conditioning circuit for its spring student-athletes.
Athletes from the baseball, softball and men's and women's lacrosse teams had three minutes to complete as many reps as possible in seven consecutive stations. Reps were recorded for each station and tallied for a team's total score. The competition was set up to match the softball team against the women's lacrosse team and the baseball team against the men's lacrosse team.
"The third-annual Thanksgiving Challenge saw 94 student-athletes from four teams compete for the title of Stony Brook's fittest student-athlete," said David Van Dyke, Director of Speed, Strength and Conditioning. "At the end of the day, Robbie Campbell of the men's lacrosse team rose above the competition and posted the top individual men's performance, while Gina Bianculli of the softball team was the top women's performer," Van Dyke added.
The workout consisted of:
On the women's side, Bianculli (Oakdale, N.Y.) registered a score of 465 for the softball team, while sophomore Samantha Citron (Jackson, N.J.) was the women's lacrosse top finisher with 457.
The fall and winter teams will compete against each other in the Spring Challenge next May.


text:
Full CoverageBreaking News
CPD investigating two sexual assaults at Talbert HouseUPDATED 5:52 PM EDT Mar 20, 2014
Two women claim they were sexually assaulted at the Talbert House on Montgomery Road. They are two separate incidents that have people in the group home concerned for their safety. Police said no one has been charged in either case and adds that the Talbert House is cooperating in the investigation and are also taking additional measures to keep their clients and residents safe.Video Transcript
ARE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. TONIGHT POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS.. AND NEIGHBORS ARE ON EDGE. WLWT NEWS FIVE'S ALISON MONTOYA IS INVESTIGATING WHAT HAPPENED. ALISON MIKE AND SHEREE.. POLICE TELL US THE INVESTIGATION IS FAR FROM OVER... AND THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN ARRESTED. ALL OF THIS... NOT SITTING WELL WITH NEARBY RESIDENTS. CINCINNATI POLICE RECORDS SHOW WITHIN WEEKS... TWO WOMEN REPORTED BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT THIS GROUP HOME RUN BY THE TALBERT HOUSE. IT HAS BEEN SERVING THE MENTALLY ILL FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN KENNEDY HEIGHTS. (Captain Jeffrey Butler, Cincinnati Police Department) (In a very short time, in a two week period you have to reported incidents, now they're still under investigation and there's a long way to go on them, but if you sit between the two, it causes concern for all entities.) THE POLICE REPORT STATES ONE WOMAN WOKE UP WITH A NAKED MAN ON TOP OF HER AND THE OTHER VICTIM SAYS SHE WAS FORCED TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL CONDUCT. CINCINNATI POLICE CAPTAIN JEFFREY BUTLER ALSO CONFIRMS TWO REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS LIVE AT THE GROUP HOME... CAUSING CONCERN FOR NEARBY RESIDENTS. (Anonymous resident, Kennedy Heights) (I think that anytime you live in a neighborhood that you're constantly getting updates of sex offenders and things like that, it does make you nervous.) CAPTAIN BUTLER STRESSES NO ONE HAS BEEN CHARGED IN EITHER CASE... HE ADDS THE TALBERT HOUSE IS COOPERATING WITH THE INVESTIGATION AND ADDITIONAL MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN AND THAT RESIDENTS ARE SAFE. (Captain Jeffrey Butler, Cincinnati Police Department) (There has been some safe guards put in place, that the victims and suspects aren't around each other and we're working with all the collective partners between the police, the justice system and the Talbert house.) ALTHOUGH THE TALBERT HOUSE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON CAMERA ITS SPOKESWOMAN WRITES: "Our number one priority is the safety and security of our clients, staff and the community..." POLICE CAPTAIN BUTLER TELLS ME THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT... AND THAT BOTH OF THE ALLEGED ATTACKS ARE UNRELATED. SHEREE. THE TALBERT HOUSE .... IS ALSO CONDUCTING ITS OWN INVESTIGATION.
More Video
CommentsThe views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus
Latest from WLWT News 5
AdvertisingBest Bets


text:
This is a PNGSCAPE site.
New Zealand, the land of the Long White Cloud, home of Jonah Lomu, the mighty All Blacks, those funny little birds called Kiwis, the dude who made Lord of the Rings, and several hundred hardy Papua New Guineans. This is a notice board and on-line meeting place for those Papua New Guineans as well as friends of Papua New Guinea living in the land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand.
Post a message, tell a joke, make an announcement or just tell people you are around, this board is for you and is whatever you make it.
For information on the PNG High Commission in New Zealand, and upcoming events, check out the PNGNZ site:
Return to PNG NZ board
Re: Mirupa
September 27 2009 at 3:53 PM
No score for this post
Response to
gonai tu tok ya....apo nere kingston pa-aye pa....aparesinu awaye...xmas na ni apo cruz pasinu epaluale...kam tsol lo holiday....
Scoring disabled
. You must be logged in to score posts.
Respond to this message
- naisi on Sep 28, 2009, 11:45 AM
Re: Hi
- Anonymous on Sep 29, 2009, 12:37 PM
- naisi on Sep 29, 2009, 2:15 PM
Re: gonai
- Aki menda on Sep 29, 2009, 2:45 PM
- naik on Sep 29, 2009, 4:23 PM
Re: hi
- Anonymous on Sep 30, 2009, 4:19 PM
- naiko on Oct 1, 2009, 9:28 AM
Re: hi
- Anonymous on Oct 1, 2009, 4:27 PM
Mi blo koali lombo...
- Nandy Pakira on Feb 3, 2010, 6:51 PM
Mi blo koali lombo...
- Nandy Pakira on Feb 3, 2010, 6:58 PM
Re: Mi blo koali lombo...
- Anonymous on Feb 6, 2010, 10:07 PM
Find more forums on Network54
Create your own forum at Network54
Copyright © 1999-2016
. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use
Privacy Statement


text:
Top 5 Plastic Surgery Myths
Friday, July 13, 2012
Many myths surround the seemingly glamorous world of plastic surgery. But in fact, plastic surgery is a lot like every other medical specialty with highly-trained physicians providing everything from reconstructive hand surgery to burn scar revisions. Here are my Top 5 Plastic Surgery Myths.
#5 Plastic Surgery is All About Beauty and Vanity
Although breast augmentations, Botox and facelifts get all the press, plastic surgery encompasses everything from correcting birth defects such as cleft palates to post-cancer breast reconstruction and work-related hand injuries.
Plastic surgeons care about the functional and overall results after surgery, not just the aesthetics (although we are specifically trained to optimize those, as well). When a patient does choose to have surgery for cosmetic reasons, it is often to correct areas which are not amenable to diet, weight loss or nonsurgical procedures.
#4 Plastic Surgery Patients are the Rich and Famous
If plastic surgeons only operated on the 1%, we wouldn't have a thriving plastic surgery industry.
Most aesthetic patients are not the rich and famous, but are average people who simply wish to restore confidence, enhance their overall appearance and improve their lives.
#3 Only Women Get Plastic Surgery
Although women have been the traditional customers of plastic surgery, men are turning to plastic surgery in increasing numbers.
Less invasive procedures such as Botox, laser treatments and dermal fillers can give men a rejuvenated and naturally youthful appearance without any downtime and at relatively low costs. These, along with liposuction, are the most popular cosmetic surgery treatments for men, with many men reporting a need for a competitive edge in the workforce as the reason they have pursued cosmetic treatments.
#2 Plastic Surgery Leaves No Scars and Lasts Forever
Plastic surgeons are great at making scars look better, more refined and smaller, but all types of plastic surgery will generally cause some type of scar formation. We can often recommend the best way to minimize scarring, and give advice and treatments on how to make your scar look as great as possible after surgery.
And while many plastic surgery procedures are long lasting and can give you years, if not decades of personal satisfaction, many factors determine how long the results will last. Plastic surgery can turn back the hands of time - but the clock keeps on ticking. Great skin care, less-invasive office procedures, surgical touch-ups, and your overall health are all important to maintain your natural good looks.
#1 Plastic Surgery is the Same as Cosmetic Surgery
All plastic surgeons do not have the same training. Many doctors trained in, and board certified in, other specialties such as gynecology or family medicine have ventured into plastic surgery, causing what is known as "white coat confusion". Yes, they are board certified - but not in plastic surgery.
Likewise, doctors who report to be board certified in cosmetic surgery are not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Being board certified in plastic surgery means that a physician has undergone years of specific training related to all the nuances of cosmetic and plastic surgery.
Patients choosing a surgeon for their cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures should always inquire about a doctor's specific board certifications and if he or she is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Filed Under | Patient Safety
During a research project for one of my classes, I found information relevant to this blog. I found that many people hope to have some amount of coverage with surgery, but the coverage health insurance companies provide is based upon the type of doctor, surgery facility, and labeling of the procedure. Surgical procedures define as cosmetic are not eligible for any coverage by health insurance companies. Plastic surgery is actually under two categories either cosmetic or reconstructive. A person's health insurance coverage depend upon whether the need for surgery is labeled as either cosmetic or reconstructive. As the number five myth implies, so many people believe that cosmetic surgery is for vain purposes. However, it was not until the response to the notable increase in head and facial injuries brought about by the trench warfare associated with world war I that cosmetic surgery was seen to improve a person's total physical and mental health. After viewing the long term effects of cosmetic surgery physical appearances were finally seen as crucial for mental health as well as social and economical success. Employers can discriminate based on attractiveness, which may be why so many who vary in age and gender want surgery to "get ahead in the workplace".
Aubrey Shepherd 04/28/2013
This info is great, especially #1 :) Thanks!
Lydia 07/13/2012


text: After suffering through interminable concert greatest hits in London jusgt now--the Spice Girls? "We Will Rock You"? etc.-- here as an antidote is the close of the Nagano games in 1988 (part II of the whole thing) with thousands singing the "Ode to Joy" with actual Olympics message: All men become brothers.


text:
Our organization was established in 2007 formed by the former names of KCSJ. We started our journey with Holy Saraswati Puja in 2007 and started celebrating Holy Durga Puja in 2012. From 2014 we have separated us as Indian(Bengali) Cultural Association Japan (IBCA Japan) to make organization much wider. So started a new website named http://www.ibcaj.org. Our aim is to introduce Indian culture in Japan. We are organizing Saraswati Puja, Indian independence day, Durga Puja and other Indian Bengali cultural events every year.
The culture of India as well as Kolkata has been shaped by its long history, unique geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbours as well as by preserving its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and evolved further during the Vedic age. India's great diversity of religious practices, languages, customs, and traditions are examples of this unique co-mingling over the past five millennia. The various religions and traditions of India that were created by these amalgamations have influenced other parts of the world too.
City of joy Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary, artistic and scholastic thought. Kolkatans tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy". IBCA Japan is a society, introducing Kolkatas bengali cultures in Japan.
IBCA Japan working as a bridge between Indian and Japanese culture.
Saraswati Puja Celebration
Next Sree Sree Saraswati Puja will be held on 9th February 2014.
Rabindra Jayanti Celebration
1st Week of May
Independence day Celebration
We celebrates independence day in August every year.
For details please click here .
Durga Puja Celebration
Holy Durga Puja will be celebrated on 4th October 2014 in SUMIYOSHI (Tokyo)


text:
Meeting room rental in Switzerland
In the center of Europe, Switzerland is a wonderful country where Jura and Alps meet, surrounded by Germany, France, Italy and Austria.
High mountains or southern landscapes, cosmopolitan atmosphere or preserved sceneries, Switzerland has a long tradition of hosting conferences and corporate events.
If you would like to contact our team of professionals by clicking on the tab "Proposal request" on the top of this page.
Seminars in Switzerland
Rent a meeting room for your events in one of our 3, 4 and 5-star boutique hotels in Switzerland and discover the beautiful city of Geneva near the magnificent Leman Lake, Lausanne, Zurich and Bern. During your Meeting room rental and team-building, Switzerland will surprise your with its museums and bright monuments. Our seminar hotels in Geneva offers a calm setting for the success of your functions. You will certainly fall in love with this modern and dynamic country.
Other activities:
Conventions in Switzerland - Conventions in Switzerland - Events in Switzerland
rent a meeting room
Rent a meeting room in Switzerland that best suits the standards you were looking for: an exceptional meeting room or a function room for a memorable Events in Switzerland. Hôtels & Préférence offers you a wide selection of seminar rooms everywhere in in France or abroad.
Switzerland : Meeting room rental
rent a meeting room, whether big o small, in a big city such as Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Cannes,Strasbourg ...
Event professionals are also available in our Seminars hotels in Switzerland to help you rent seminar rooms. They will take care of the decoration of your meeting rooms, the soundind system, the welcome hostesses, etc.
Meeting room rental: offers and prices
Other destinations and ideas:
Meeting room rental in Czech Republic, Meeting room rental Bavaria, Meeting room rental in Mazovia
Contact: + 33 (0)1 78 94 90 50
(Open from 9:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m, Monday to Friday)
Free quote online
Switzerland / Valais / Bagnes
France / Rhone-Alpes / Évian-les-Bains
France / Rhone-Alpes / Évian-les-Bains
Italy / Piedmont / Ivrea
France / Rhone-Alpes / Megève
France / Rhone-Alpes / Divonne-les-Bains
France / Rhone-Alpes / Divonne-les-Bains
France / Rhone-Alpes / La Clusaz
France / Rhône-Alpes / Annecy
France / Alsace / Strasbourg


text:
rogerfederer.com - Roger stunned by Davydenko
Navigation with Access Keys
- [Alt + 0] - Startseite
- [Alt + 1] - Navigation
- [Alt + 2] - Inhalt
- [Alt + 3] - Kontakt
- [Alt + 4] - Sitemap
- [Alt + 5] - Suche
Language menu
Roger stunned by Davydenko
Roger suffered a 2-6, 6-4, 5-7 defeat to Nikolay Davydenko in today's semi-final at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Roger had never lost against the Russian in their 12 previous matches. But number 13 proved unlucky for our champ today. After having won the title at the Finals four times in five attempts between 2003 and 2007, his quest was stopped in the semi-final this year.
Davydenko produced a strong performance, taking a fast lead in the first set, breaking Roger's serve twice in the first five games, as Roger struggled to find his best form. But our number one recovered in the second set to level the match and take it into a decider. Tied at 5-5 in the final set, the Russian managed to hold Roger's high level and scored a break in the very last moment. Roger came close in the last game when he fought back to 30:30 from 0:30, but Davydenko eventually battled through his final service game to win the match.
feel bad for not going into final but its ok!!hope you come back stronger for 2010..
i dont read bad critics against you ROGER bec i still believe you CAN DO IT again!!!youre my CHAMP AND IDOL for the rest of my life!!!
have a restful bre
The problem is, he is doing that, as well as still losing to top competitors like Del P and Djoke.
While it is true that Roger has already mad


text:
Top Five: It's Tradition.
Fall semester is an exciting time on campus—students return from summer break to reunite with friends, and first-years begin their adventures as Bulldogs. Here are five fall traditions that define the semester:
- Welcome Weekend and move-in day are not just milestones for first-years. Students and staff from around campus pitch in to move new undergraduates in and show them the ropes at Drake.
- Whether you're a Greek or not, Sweetheart Sing hits all the right notes every fall. The huge Greek community event is open to the public, providing harmonious entertainment tied to themes such as greatest hits and Disney songs.
- Although Skip Day hasn't been officially practiced since 1975, this tradition is one that many more-seasoned alumni no doubt remember. For 94 years, students took over the University and declared a free day for all.
- Bulldog spirit is in full swing during Homecoming, a week of festivities leading up to the big football game at Drake Stadium. Alumni may fondly recall and current students ardently enjoy the carnival and Homecoming Picnic on Helmick Commons and window painting at Meredith Hall.
- As fall semester comes to a close and students bunker down for finals, Late Night Breakfast provides a delicious study break. Administrators, faculty, and staff prepare mouthwatering eats (think pancakes and bacon) at Hubbell for students prior to finals.


text:
Martial Law Another Strain on Thailand's Economy
Thailand's past decade of political upheaval has strained society, but the economy has by and large kept on humming.
Until now, perhaps. News this week the economy shrank 0.6% on-year in the first quarter and by 2.1% from the final quarter of 2013 has shaken the belief that Thailand's economy is somehow immune to political fighting on the streets of Bangkok, the capital.
The imposition of martial law on Tuesday adds to concerns over the economy.
Previous bouts of instability have had surprisingly muted impacts. In 2010, anti-government protests brought Bangkok to a standstill for three months, ending in an army crackdown that killed scores of people.
At the time, economic growth slowed, to 6.6% on year in third quarter from 9.2% in the second, but still a strong clip.
During 2006 – when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was removed in a military coup, laying the seeds of the current dispute — and 2007, which saw bombings around Bangkok and school burnings in rural Thailand, the economy didn't skip a beat, with quarterly growth ranging from a low of 4.4% to a high of 6.1%.
Thailand's economy contracted for four straight quarters from late 2008, but it's difficult to separate out the effects of political protests that fall – which included the temporary takeover of Bangkok's airport – from the global economic turmoil that followed the Lehman Brothers collapse that year.
So, what's different this time? For one, the current turmoil has lasted seven months, longer than other periods of upheaval. And there's no end in sight.
The military on Tuesday imposed martial law to stop protests spilling over into violence. It denied the action was a precursor to a coup, providing little clarity on how the crisis can be resolved. Elections tentatively scheduled for July 20 seem unlikely to go forward after the country's Election Commission recently said the situation was too chaotic for a vote.
The turmoil, although largely contained in Bangkok, has pushed Thai consumer confidence to a 12-year low. Vehicle sales are expected to plunge by a quarter this year. Monday's GDP data showed broad-based weakness that spanned consumer demand, investment and even exports.
ANZ said Tuesday it was revising its 2014 growth to 1.3% from 2.2%. The bank pointed out that domestic demand, which accounts for 80% of GDP, has been derailed by the crisis. Private consumption has now contracted for five straight quarters, the worst performance since the Asian crisis of the late 1990s, the bank noted.
Even Thai officials are concerned. The government repeatedly has lowered its growth targets since the crisis began, and on Monday cut them again – to between 1.5% and 2.5% for this year, well off Thailand's trend pace. And that may not be the last revision.
"As protests have become more frequent over the last few years it has undermined investor confidence, undermined Thailand's competitiveness," Capital Economics analyst Krystal Tan said.
Nor is Thailand in a position to counter the downturn with public spending. Economists had been betting on multi-billion-dollar outlays on rail projects and other infrastructure to lift the economy. But these are on hold because Parliament isn't functioning, meaning approval for the nation's budget for the fiscal year starting in October might be delayed.
Some observers saw a silver lining to the imposition of martial law on Tuesday if it helps break the impasse between Thailand's governing party and the opposition.
"It may even help to break Thailand out of the political deadlock of the past six months, by which the two sides have failed to agree on arrangements for new elections," said Andrew Colquhoun, Fitch Ratings' head of Asia-Pacific sovereigns, in a statement.
Others point out that Thailand is still known as an easy place to do business for foreign investors, with solid infrastructure and supply chains. "That will not change about the country," Barclays Capital analyst Rahul Bajoria said.
Still, the longer the turmoil persists, the bigger the risk as investors put off plans to open factories in Thailand. Foreign direct investment fell to $262.6 million in February, its lowest level in eight months and much lower than monthly levels over $1 billion for most of the past year.
"The worry for Thailand is that foreign investment flows suffer a kind of permanent or persistent hit," said Tim Condon, an economist at ING in Singapore.
Analysts for now are waiting to see how martial law plays out, and what upcoming data show. Trade data is due Friday and industrial production on May 28.
Other parts of Asia recently have seen an uptick in exports as recovery in the West begins to show up in terms of stronger demand. Monday's GDP data showed trade was a net positive for Thailand's growth in the first quarter, but that was mostly because imports fell so sharply as domestic demand languished – a Pyrrhic victory for trade.
"So far trade figures for the rest of the region have been quite positive. Let's see if Thailand is going to see that too," Capital Economics' Ms. Tan said. "If it doesn't, then it seems like all engines are down."


text:
Okay, so now I'm actually starting to believe Dr. Dre's Detox is coming soon. "Kush," the album's lead single leaked online last month and positive feedback demanded they run with it. Acting fast, the video was released this morning. The legendary California producer teams up with singer Akon and frequent collaborator Snoop Dogg here. In the clip Dre and Snoop hit the club to spark up some fun while Akon makes it rain in a private jet cruising over the city. Visually, it's an interesting video. The trio are the only ones moving in the majority of it. Motionless party-goers are seen enjoying various facets of after hours fun, be it exhaling puffs of smoke, knocking back a drink, or dancing. Flight attendants are frozen, as is the cash Akon tosses up on his plane.
The camera work is not untraveled territory, though. T-Pain's recent "Rap Song" features the style. As does Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" with slow motion and rewinding at times. But Dre's has a Cali-cool vibe that's all its own.
Check out the video after the jump and let us know what you think. But beware: the language is NSFW.
<embed src="http://widgets.vodpod.com/w/video_embed/Video.5094693" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" AllowScriptAccess="sameDomain" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" wmode="transparent" flashvars=" width="425" height="350" />
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)


text:
Luttig — from Bench to Boss
News this morning that Boeing has decided to pay $615 million to end three years of DOJ investigations into contracting scandals must come as a relief to Michael Luttig, the company's new general counsel. Still, the settlement is a reminder of the magnitude of Boeing's problems in recent years and raises the question: Of all the places Luttig could have landed, why did Luttig choose Boeing?
Luttig's resignation letter to President Bush last week hinted at an answer: Luttig seems more than a bit awed by Boeing, almost as though he's never gotten his first trip to the Smithsonian's Air and Space museum out of his head. He writes: "From the global travel its enables through its commercial aircraft, to the contribution it makes to our military preparedness and space exploration, its work and products completely capture the imagination."
Luttig, who, according to a company spokesman, started in the job last week, isn't going to be designing the next satellite system or piloting the airplane of the future. His tasks will be a bit more, well, terrestrial. The Boeing in-house legal department consists of a team of lawyers and support staff numbering about 250; it's handled issues ranging from labor and commercial litigation to the byzantine world of government contracts and high-stakes M&A.
He'll have to get up to speed quickly in a highly-technical and acronym-laden industry. "The learning curve is going to be steep," says one lawyer with defense-industry clients. "In the beginning, he'll have to rely to a great deal on his staff." One positive for Luttig: retiring general counsel Douglas Bain will be around until July 1 to help with the transition.
Outside of his law clerks and administrative staff, relying on other people isn't something Luttig had to do a lot as a federal appellate judge. "On an appellate court, you're pretty isolated," says Charles Renfrew, a former U.S. District Court Judge in California (who occasionally sat on the 9th Circuit), who went on to head the legal department at Chevron. "It's only a small fraction of the time that you're with other people, the vast majority of the time, you're alone."
There are other differences, too. Appellate judges often toil under under little time pressure. Many judges work diligently to get their opinions out quickly, but it's not uncommon for litigants to have to wait for months for disposition on their cases. As a GC, Luttig will be "called upon to make decisions in tight time frames," said Joseph Morris, a former federal district judge in Oklahoma who later became general counsel of Shell Oil. "But he'll also have good lawyers with whom he can confer."
Luttig's private-sector experience consists of working as an associate at law firm Davis, Polk & Wardwell from 1985 to 1989. But Boeing seems unconcerned. "Judge Luttig is incredibly well-respected in the legal world, and brings a lot of seasoning to the table," says a spokesman. "He's also taken a keen interest in developing his law clerks, something the company puts a high premium on."


text:
San Fernando Valley Art Club Holds Summer Show at Creative Arts Center Gallery
|Kaaren de Gorricho with her painting
"Lilies in My Garden" which
received the Best of Show
and People's Choice awards
Photo by Joyce Rudolph
"I'm thrilled!" said the Studio City resident. "It's exciting for me. I did not expect anything."
Her Best of Show and People's Choice awards are for the same oil painting "Lilies in My Garden." She took a photograph of lilies in her backyard and painted the image.
She began her journey in visual arts with mixed media nine years ago and then started painting abstracts and doing collage two years later. She has been painting Impressionism and portraits for two years, studying with La Crescenta artist Margot Lennartz.
Marian Fortunati received first place in Best of Show and Best Naturescape for her oil painting titled "Casting About in the Great Unknown." She was inspired to paint the scene of a lone fisherman in the river against a backdrop of rugged terrain while on her recent trip through the Grand Canyon on a raft for two weeks.
|Marian Fortunati with her award-winning painting "Casting About in the
Great Unknown." (Photo By Joyce Rudolph)
Trisha Bennett who was attending the opening reception liked Fortunati's painting because of the scale, the color and the fluidity the artist gave to the green water, she said.
Other Best of Show winners were Jennifer Bentson, of Glendale, second place; and Jane Thorpe, third place.
|Best of Show winner Kaaren de Gorricho hugs exhibition chairman
Ricardo Cerezo during the opening reception for the San Fernando
Valley Art Club show on Friday night at the Burbank Creative Arts
Center Gallery. (Photo by Joyce Rudolph)
"When I first came into the gallery, I felt all the artists should be rewarded for their hard work," he said. "Seeing the effort, creativity and the passion here was very touching."
The show consists of portraits, landscapes and still life that are illustrated in oil, watercolor, mixed media, cut paper and acrylic collage.
Club member Ricardo Cerezo was the exhibit chairman.
The show continues through July 25 at the art center, which is at 1100 W. Clark Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.


text:
News 12 This Morning / Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Columbia County calls itself a storm-ready county, and with the help of a stormwater utility fee in place for homeowners, the county is ready with a comprehensive plan to prevent flooding and reduce the number of problems created by stormwater.
"This infrastructure has always been out of sight, out of mind," said Mark Inglett, the operations director for Storm Water Utility. "Folks don't think about it a lot."
Until their own property is affected.
Bill Clayton, the director for stormwater utility, said, "When you start having 4 inches of rain an hour, places are going to flood."
One major problem area used to be Stevens Creek Road.
"Oh yes, Stevens Creek Road used to flood all the time. Above average rain, it would flood, make that area impassable," Clayton explained.
However, over time, a lot of change has taken place. The road was raised at least 10 feet above its original point. Now, flooding isn't an issue during major rainfall.
"At some point and time, pretty much all of us ride down Stevens Creek road," Clayton said. "Everyone benefits from it. Some more than others because they have problems right in their backyard."
The average homeowner pays around $2 to $4, depending on things like the size of their roof and driveway, which create runoff stormwater.
"Just through operations and rehabilitation of systems that have failed and new construction projects, I think we have done a lot of good in a lot of places," Inglett said.
The fee has helped pay for more than $3 million in projects, such as pipe replacements, drainage improvements and stormwater control.
"The area that feeds Reed Creek has been one of the major areas where we've been working," Inglett said. "We'll help alleviate choke points in the system."
The stormwater utility director said the end result is one homeowners or drivers in the county don't usually see, since a sign of improvement is less property damage or fewer roads flooding. A lot of the stormwater drainage systems are designed to withstand 25-year storm conditions.


text:
Several policy related issues may be resolved in the new year. These and macroeconomic factors such as results of state elections, eurozone troubles, and shortage of coal will have a glaring impact on investor sentiment. ET Intelligence Group lists 12 factors that have the potential to impact the performance of your equity portfolio in 2012
Coal Shortage
Coal remains one of the most critical commodities for the Indian economy as it contributes more than 70% to the country's power generation . The power sector has underperformed the broader market in the past one year as power utilities are grappling with coal supply shortage. The domestic supply of coal from Coal India, the world's largest coal producer, is impacted due to land acquisition, environmental and logistical issues. As a result, the dependence of India Inc on expensive international coal is increasing. Coal demand from 2007-2012 has increased 7.3%, but the production has risen only 5.4%. By the end of 2017, this shortfall is expected to be 200-300 million tonne, which is huge and can have adverse impact especially on power utilities. The government's efforts on increasing coal production of Coal India and how it is able to handle land acquisition and environment issues will be critical.


text:
How Much Water Is Your Home Wasting?
Did you know that only one percent of the world's water is fresh water fit for human consumption? Or that you can save more than 30 percent on your water bill by installing and using low-flow fixtures?
Sure, we could tell you all the facts about water conservation, but we'd rather show you, courtesy of this infographic from eLocal.com. Click the image below to enlarge.
Learn more about water issues on our streaming video site, Gaiam TV!


text:
Security vulnerability poses a critical challenge for providers of highly interconnected systems and cloud-based networks. These technological advancements make energy infrastructure more vulnerable to external (and sometimes internal) threats with more points of potential intrusion—with potentially disastrous results. Whether the work of disgruntled employees, hostile foreign entities, or simply hacker hobbyists testing their skills, hacking and malware could wreak havoc on a scale ranging from disconnecting individual meters or systems to taking control of a section of grid and immobilizing entire cities or regions. For any country, energy security is a national security issue.
For designers working on retrofitting existing substations or laying the foundation for the smart grid, the security issue requires a holistic view and comprehensive approach encompassing the hardware, operating system, and software requirements, with adequate planning and investment before actual deployment. Designers must be sure their equipment meets stringent regulatory standards for security, such as NERC CIP in North America or the international IEC 62351. They also need to make sure that the software solutions are upgradeable, as the nature of threats will evolve over time in ways that cannot be anticipated. Wind River® can help meet these challenges.
Use Cases
Wind River Intelligent Device Platform
Learn more
Wind River Platform for Industrial Devices
Learn more
Wind River Hypervisor
Learn more


text:
Reset My Password
This will send a password reset to your email address on file. A reminder that your email address on your account must be valid and working to receive the reset request.
One of the advantages of Fourtitude's networked Vortex Media Group forums are its networked forums, most notably that of The Car Lounge or TCL as we tend to refer to it in emails and typed communications around our offices. TCL has become a fixture of people with all sorts of automotive interest and that's particularly exemplified in posts like one we found today by a forum user on here known as renglish


text:
Definition of hominid in English:
A primate of a family (Hominidae) which includes humans and their fossil ancestors and also (in recent schemes) at least some of the great apes.
Example sentences
- It may be possible to extract DNA from the bones of human ancestors and other hominids who died up to one million years ago, researchers believe.
- Teeth and jaw fossils of an early hominid were found with fossils of other animals.
- Do hominid fossils from one to two million years ago represent a single species or numerous branches on the family tree, some of which died out?
Late 19th century: from modern Latin Hominidae (plural), from Latin homo, homin- 'man'.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: hom|inid
Definition of hominid in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
Local/News Gallery
DISD votes to close 11 schools despite protests
Photo: Michael Ainsworth/Staff Photographer
DISD teacher Maria Byers applauds a fellow teacher as they dispute the addition of 45 minutes to the work day of teachers during a DISD school board meeting.
Related Content
To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.


text:
You can be the most compassionate and caring individual in the world, but if you can't beat the competition to get into medical school in the first place, you won't be able to become a doctor. In 2010, for example, there were 18,000 medical school openings in the United States and close to 42,000 applicants, according to a "New York Times" article. Besides being smart and good in science, you need to have a few other characteristics to make it in the field.
Even Tempered
You can't be the sort of person who gets easily upset when you're a doctor. Even getting through the grueling schoolwork and residency training requires a pretty even-tempered personality. If you tend to get emotional when you're stressed, this may not be a good fit for you. By being more even-tempered, you're also more likely to be a patient person too, a quality you're going to need as patients often need extra attention, procedures require a steady hand and many processes in health care require slow progress. Then you have to deal with colleagues who don't always meet your expectations.
Physical Stamina
You'll tap into your physical stamina even before you get into school, studying for the all-important med school entrance exam. Then you'll have to undergo a few years of 20-plus hour days when you do clinical rotations and work a residency. On the job, you need to rely on your physical stamina in the operating room when surgeries require you to spend hours bending over a patient. You may have to move patients when you examine them in your office. Additionally, you need manual dexterity skills to work with sharp and delicate instruments.
Attention to details can literally mean the difference between life and death so you'd best possess a conscientious nature when you become a doctor. You'll be much more successful in school too if your conscientiousness translates into good study habits. It's vital to record the details of every visit with your patients and then to translate those details into the record. Mistakes like giving someone the wrong medication or missing an important symptom can lead to disastrous results for your patients.
A successful doctor is observant. Little gets by you. Whether you're examining a lesion on a patient's back or reading an X-ray of a spinal cord, you've got be able to concentrate and notice even the tiniest abnormalities to effectively treat your patients. When looking at a patient or an X-ray, you've also got to be able to visualize the entire person and the relationship of each body part to the next to make proper diagnoses and understand the relation of one condition to another.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images


text:
(What I Currently Think Are) The Greatest Films of All Time
- Persona [Ingmar Bergman, 1966]
- 2001: A Space Odyssey [Stanley Kubrick, 1968]
- The Mirror [Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974]
- 8½ [Federico Fellini, 1963]
- Satantango [Bela Tarr, 1994]
- Citizen Kane [Orson Welles, 1941]
- Synecdoche, New York [Charlie Kaufman, 2008]
- Apocalypse Now [Francis Ford Coppola, 1979]
- Smultronstället [Ingmar Bergman, 1957]
- Memento [Christopher Nolan, 2000]
- Raging Bull [Martin Scorsese, 1980]
- C'era una volta il West [Sergio Leone, 1968]
- Login to post comments
the Exorcist?? are you nuts.
hey here's an idea..why don't you endorse me?
- Login to post comments
It was terrible!
And, endorsed =]
- Login to post comments
I thought you liked The Aviator?
- Login to post comments
crap that's gotta go top 5
- Login to post comments
Good to see some love for the Cube series. If you haven't already, get Cube Zero, the prequel.
- Login to post comments
yeah im torrenting atm, I'm keen to learn more about the point of the cube etc, as the outside world and Izon have barely been talked about so far. In your opinion, which was better, Cube 1 or 2?
- Login to post comments
Definitely 1. 2 was probably the worst of the three, and makes little sense next to 3, and probably ruins the mystery of the series.
3 shows you the outside, but is still confusing. It's a good thing...
- Login to post comments
you need to see some more classics
- Login to post comments
yeah, this is mostly just my own opinions on films, and the exposure I get of films is usually 95 - present, so unless they're modern day classics i can't really find any cause there's so much to choose from. Any personal recommendations?
- Login to post comments
If anything, you need to watch less mainstream movies. This isn't a dig at you, just saying you need to dig out a few rarer movies to watch.
- Login to post comments
my movie taste isn't half as refined as my musical taste so that probably explains it, any recommendations to watch?
- Login to post comments
That's cool dude.
Firstly try out The Untold Story, which stars Anthony Wong, a fantastic HK movie.
- Login to post comments
try watching Ben-Hur. You seem to be into more action movies so I would recommen that. I believe it was from 1959, but that doesn't mean there isn't any action in it. There is an infamous seen where a chariot runs over a couple people...which at that time produced some rather grusome corpses. In that same scene Charelton Heston did actually partialy fall of his own chariot and git hit by another one, which wasn't planned but they kept it in anyway. You'd probably also like Lawrence of Arabia, North by Northwest, Patton, oh and I have to recommend one of my favorites Full Metal Jacket.
- Login to post comments
I loved Sin City as well (you can probably find my extended discussion about it with 0dysseus somewhere on Listology). However, I can think of at least one other (very) major film that selectively used colour to highlight thematic elements: Schindler's List. And I think it did it much better, no disrespect to the fantastic Frank Miller. The colour in Sin City is visually impactful, but mere window dressing compared to Schindler's List. Also, you should check out my really old list about colour in film here.
- Login to post comments
Yeah Schindler's List is about the jew who transports people in the Second world war isn't it? I'd like to give it a go, people I know who have seen it seem to be singing high praises about it, plus that design edge has an appeal to me, I'll look out for it! thanks
- Login to post comments
You haven't seen Schindler's List?!? Yes, it's worth seeing, my mixed feelings about Spielberg aside. And Schindler was a German aiding the Jews. The use of colour is very very selective in that film, which gives it all the more impact when it appears.
- Login to post comments
damn i really gotta see it, any other good recommendations?
- Login to post comments
Well, reading over your list, I think most of my recommendations would go down well with you, as you seem to like very similar movies to me.
I can't think of any films off the top of my head that I would recommend; if anything occurs to me I'll let you know. However, there is a tv series, just 2 seasons long from the UK that I think you'd love. It's called Spaced and stars the guys from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I don't know how easily you could get your hands on it, but if you can I highly recommend it.
- Login to post comments
I've heard about Spaced! It's meant to be really down to earth good humour, in a similar style to the two films so yeah that I'll download/buy soon. Thanks!
- Login to post comments
Bit late now, but saw Schindler's List, and as you can see it's my new no.1 :)
- Login to post comments
I definitely agree with Shawshank being #1. Good list!
- Login to post comments
thanks, I fell in love with that film the first time I saw it, great performance from both leads IMO.
- Login to post comments
Pretty good list.
I would have to recommend movies such as:
Pi/Requiem For A Dream/The Fountain (all 3 are by Darren Aronofsky, and he seems to be just getting better with each new film he puts out).
I do have to put Lord of The Rings as a recommendation, real epic and overall good movies... though compared to the books they really aren't that good (but PJ did as good a job as he could've I suppose).
As someone said you seem to like action movies, and it surprises me to not see some classics such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day on your list. I don't remember much of the first Terminator, and the third one was kind of weak, but it is a good action movie that touches on time travel, the end of the world and robots. Can't go wrong :P
Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind is a great movie!
Memento is pretty good, lots of plot twists that keep you guessing until the very end.
Crash wasn't too bad... if you're into that style of movies I would probably suggest Babel and Magnolia as well.
The Squid & The Whale is another movie that I really enjoyed. Also, if you're into dry humor, I have to suggest The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as well as The Weatherman.
You also might enjoy Leon the Professional (or just The Professional depending on what version you can find) and The Boondock Saints.
There are a lot of great movies out there, though it isn't a bad thing, a lot of your movies seem to be mainstream hits, and as such, bigger movies like the ones you've seen (regardless of their quality) over shadow the kind of gems you can find that are under the radar so to speak.
I hope you take an interest in some of the movies we've suggested, and hope you enjoy them. :)
- Login to post comments
When I get time sure! Thanks for all your recommendations I will try to watch all of them given time, and neither of ther Terminators really did it for me - I couldn't stop laughing the whole way through lol.
- Login to post comments
I understand what you mean about the Terminators, I really enjoy them mainly for the sort of atmosphere they have (mainly T2). Apocolyptic stuff always interests me one way or another, as with time travel. :P
- Login to post comments
Time travel is a great plus in films (exception: Back To The Future)! Especially paradoxes and such, they always make for interesting plotlines. If you could recommend any films like that I'd be really grateful. Not to say the terminators aren't good, just not my personal cup of tea as I don't feel Arny can act that well lol.
- Login to post comments
That link has a nice list of movies dealing with time travel.
However, I can't really think of anything off the top of my head. Donnie Darko... Frequency maybe... maybe you'll find some good movies while scrolling through the above list?
To be honest with you, I'm also interested in finding some good time travel movies myself.
The Fountain, as I already suggested, is a great movie. Though it doesn't quite deal with time travel, it does take place over the course of a thousand years or so. Real great and beautiful movie too.
(Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, lol/random)
- Login to post comments
thanks! I've heard a lot of good things about Donnie Darko, I'll definitely get around to watching that. Bill & Ted...umm..well..it didn't really do it for me :P lol.
- Login to post comments
I would consider most of these "guy" movies, but that's ok since you are one, hehe.
Don't you like the Star Wars trilogies? I thought those would definitely appeal to you.
Anyway, a couple I would recommend based on your taste would be, the Ring, Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance, and the Shining. All of them are pretty disturbing (not sure if you're into that sort of thing).
What about Run Lola Run, or Y Tu Mama Tambien?
Also, 'Kids' is one you either find incredibly disturbing and horrible, or unforgettable. Might be difficult to find in the UK though.
- Login to post comments
Guy movies maybe, but they're all classics and not some half assed action movie list.
And eurgh no way! So predictable, boring and cheesey. Star Wars isn't really my thing at all lol.
I really wanna see the Ring & The Shining too, and haven't heard of the rest lol. Thanks for the recommendations
- Login to post comments
The orignal Star Wars are in no way cheesey! They're classics. But I admit I'm not a huge fan of the new ones.
Anyway, try Run Lola Run. It's a german film, and there's tons of techno in it, haha.
- Login to post comments
Great list
also GREAT Reviews!
Fight Club
"Aside from the fact that this film whole heartedly tears open materialistic society today in a hilarious but quite worryingly true fashion"
Great wording and i have to agree, the boldness of this film is what attracted me too it, what a masterpiece.
I agree with Donnie Darko as you know, what a film, as you say its quite a watch, it drains you and makes you think, awesome.
If you have not seen it i would recommend True Romance, starring Christian Slater. Written by Quentin Tarantino , its awesome, i think you'd enjoy. its filled with classic scenes
- Login to post comments
I'm never sure if anyone reads my reviews or likes them, so it's very nice to hear positive comments about them :)
Donnie Darko is a masterpiece IMO too, it had no templated style and was just unique.
I'll definitely check it out, could you possible give a vague idea of storyline?
Thanks for the feedback & endorsement =]
- Login to post comments
yeah np, sorry for late reply. Slater's character meets Alabama (Patricia Arquette) who is a prostitute, they decide to marry and Slater goes to collect her stuff from her pimp, but when they got what they think is her stuff they find loads of cocaine, and the mob wants it back so the rest of film is them on the run
its packed with fantastic scenes, and its written by Tarantino so , thats already a plus
- Login to post comments
Sorry for late reply, I'll def check that out thanks!
- Login to post comments
did u watch house of flying daggers and meet joe black on tv? or please tell me u bought them on dvd so i can watch em wen i get bck home :D watched one flew over the cuckoo's nest last night. it is v good movie. not sure i'd rate it quite as highly as you have though. Did you say you've read the book in english? i'd like to read the book. also if you get nineteen eighty four from the school library, keep it over xmas so I can read it too!
- Login to post comments
HoFD was Tv, not recorded sorry mate, was AMAZING. Joe black was also, though it's recorded. it's pretty immense too. We watched in english, never read the book. I can't keep it over xmas from my current taking out, i'll get so badly done in, but i can take it out again for you? There's a new fit librarian, peg leg went and left x
- Login to post comments
Umm... Blind dear? You have Apocalypse Now listed twice... unless you're thoroughly thrilled by it THAT much... and it's worthy of multiple places...
- Login to post comments
It would seem I do, thanks for pointing that out, I wouldn't have it at 12th actually, I meant to have it at the lower position. Any opinions of the list?
- Login to post comments
hhmm mate i wouldn't mind getting your views on Scarface? i personally love the movie however some people have commented that it was too far fetched and over the top at times, same goes for pacino's performance, whats your views on this?
i personally felt it gave the film an epic feel and i liked the almost throwaway popcorn style of this crime film
- Login to post comments
Scarface is pure excess, and people who have said it was too over top are stating the obvious - it's meant to be like that. Montana has so much money he doesn't know what to do with it, wasting is effortlessly on whatever he can. As the film says, "Nothing exceeds like excess". It's also meant to have a moral to it, though clearly cynics of this film missed it. I also think it's highly enjoyable film, though not to be taken too seriously.
My favourite movies not only have an amazingly well written storyline, if I'm to love a film it has to have truly immense characters too, and have really interesting relationships between them eg. Red & Andy (Shawshank Redemption), Tyler & Narrator & Marla (Fight Club), Donnie & Anyone who he speaks to (:P)(Donnie Darko), Renton and his fellow druggies and friends (Trainspotting), Howard Hughes with his many women (The Aviator) etc. So yeah, I liked scarface, and Montana is funny and likeable at first, though the transparency of his character really shows on rewatchs.
- Login to post comments
I have a whole series of recommendations for you:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Being John Malkovich
12 Monkeys
Mulholland Drive
Blade Runner
Requiem for a Dream
(seeing as you liked Fight Club, Donnie Darko, and Trainspotting, I figure you might like those).
Good selection, I agree with a lot of them.
- Login to post comments
I checked up on Being John Malkovich a few days ago, I reckon I'll give it a go soon, and my birthday's coming up and I've already asked for blade runner. And yeah, definitely I'll give the rest a watch and see what I think, but it may take a while, and thanks!
- Login to post comments
Being John Malkobich - Check
I enjoyed it, I'm amazed he agreed to do the role. John Cusack is brilliant in it, thanks for the recommendations, I'll check the rest when I have time
- Login to post comments
Seen Pi too now, and loved it.
- Login to post comments
Schindler's List has become number 1. nice. as i said in my other comment i've yet too see it :(
you seen American Gangster yet i haven't but should be soon!
- Login to post comments
I really recommend it, very moving, with astonishing performances and it's shot so slickly, it has this vintage feel which I love, I think you'd really love it. I haven't, I'm not sure what to make of it, most big cinema flicks recently have been terrible. I watched Transformers the other day and I honestly thought it was a joke. Seriously, what is this cube? And since when does "good" and "evil" come into Civilisations?
Maybe if you're 10 years old this film is fucking awesome, but for everyone else - they think the storyline is truly poor. There was one redeeming feature - robot fights kick ass. Haha, but as a whole film, I hated it.
- Login to post comments
yes, transformers is very much a high concept film and is a prime example of "the death of Narrative cinema" lol
are you a fan of the pixar movies by the way?
- Login to post comments
pixar films can be good, some of the originals, but a couple seemed like they were run of the mill - Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, Shark Tale etc, ones I enjoyed were The Iron Giant, Toy Story 1, Shrek (good ideat at the time I think), The Incredibles, and a couple of others. And you?
- Login to post comments
Lemme give ya a hand here. The following are Pixar films:
Toy Story
A Bug's Life
Toy Story 2
Monsters, Inc.
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
All other CGI films are A) not Pixar and B) varying degrees of crap on a cracker. The latter applies especially to the fucking Dreamworks films (i.e. Shrek, Shark Tale, Madagascar, etc.).
- Login to post comments
Ahh, my very foolish mistake sorry. I merely meant "pixar" films as CGI, not their company alone. As The Iron Giant is CGI but not pixar, what is your opinion of it?
- Login to post comments
ah well as cosgrove says pixar didn't do shrek , iron giant or shark tale but if you were talking about CGI in general then fine. well personally i have to say i love all pixar expect for Bugs life and cars. Cars because it didn't have any human characters and didn't seem to have the amount of heart that other pixar films did. i have to disagree with your opinion on nemo, i guess you are right in the sense that a character being lost and finding his way home in animated films is not un-heard of, but i loved the film.
Shrek i reallly like, shrek 2 was so so, and i've seen first 50 mins of shrek 3 and it seemed ok
Iron Giant i need to see as it was directed by brad bird
- Login to post comments
I was indeed referring to CGI in general sorry, although from the list, Pixar do seem to be the people who do it best. Apparently they have a new one coming out in a while, something to do with robots which looks quite fun (: !
I guess with all CGI films, there's a fine line between getting it right for kids and everyone else (the reason I liked the first Shrek was that it hit both, and was a laugh. The reason I didn't like the second two was they were derivative and unoriginal.), and some films do it just right, while others (like Cars or Shark Tale seemed like crap to be honest).
Iron Giant was very good as I remember it, but I saw it some time ago, so I can't give a really good opinion on it. What is your favourite CGI film by the way?
- Login to post comments
i agree it is a thin line and a difficult one to get right, making it just enough for kids and just enough for adults. For example, i loved The Incredibles. However that IMO didn't have enough for the kids. Theres stuff about husband/wfie relationship, family life, and a scene where Mr Incredible grabs a woman with force after she has him captured, which i felt was really off tone ofr a pixar movie. Deffo pixar's darkest film.
Cars yes, was utter crap. Too kiddish, i really disliked it, it seemed a step back for pixar. Shark tale i enjoyed on my first viewing, mainly for the voice work but on second viewing its pretty bad.
My favourite CGI movie... Toy Story. With Antz a close second.
- Login to post comments
Toy Story seems a common favourite, I gotta admit it is a great one, and so good for the time it was made as well!
I know what you mean about the incredibles, and the voice work for CGI films is always quite appealing at first, because quite often they have very well known top spec stars doing the work, but its often the plots which let the film down, as there's definitely no problem with the standard of graphics (aside from maybe Madagascar.)
- Login to post comments
ah i like that This Is England has made the list, a powerful film
- Login to post comments
aye definitely, similar to American History X in many ways.
- Login to post comments
i have cloned this list, hope you don't mind mate, man, its hard making these types of lists!
- Login to post comments
Nah no problem, and yeah it's hard to make definitive choice. I look forward to seeing your top 10 !
- Login to post comments
wow some big changes here to the list and format, i like the picture format!
oh, if your wondering why i haven't added you on xbox, its because only after 3 weeks i got the red ring !! :( but should be back on soon
- Login to post comments
Thankyou! Any thoughts on the new additions on here? No it's fine, hope you get it fixed soon!
- Login to post comments
Citizen Kane is one i need to see.
Seeing one flew over on the list makes me wanna re-watch!
oh, btw, do you have a fave actor or actress and does that influence your fave films?
- Login to post comments
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is such a great masterpiece of cinema, a film which really did deserve the number of Oscars it received. And Citizen Kane is a must-see, I was kicking myself afterwards realising I should have seen it sooner. It's pretty cheap and easy to get your hands on too, it's only about 5 pounds.
De Niro would probably be the actor who I admire and favouritise the most, as his work (apart from his new awful work) is nearly all amazing; Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver (And I've heard many great things about Mean Streets too). Others I like are: Jack Nicholson, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Morgan Freeman (who doesn't?!), Al Pacino, Cate Blanchett, Anthony Hopkins and a few others I can't think of.
That said, there are some actors who I really like but are very hit and miss; Samuel L Jackson (His only masterpiece work (and he really was the best actor in it) was Pulp Fiction, but anything he's in he has a huge screen presence and is a very talented actor, he just generally has quite poor taste at choosing which movies to do.), Leo De Caprio (Yes he started as a pretty boy on Titanic, and earlier made a few very poor films, but he does now have a much better choice in films and his acting is much more fine tuned - The Aviator, The Beach, The Departed, Blood Diamond are all great films.) & Brad Pitt (Has done some really good work - Se7en, Fight Club, Kalifornia & I've heard great things about Jesse James. Yet that said - All the ocean's films, The Mexican, 7 Years in Tibet etc etc are bad.)
Although aside from all that I now base what I want to watch on recommendations from people who have a similar taste to mine, and on director. Of course, if someone I like is in a film, I'll still check it out, though not as quickly as if I heard Stanley Kubrick had an unknown masterpiece which has only just been found. My Fav Directors are;
Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott, Welles (though I can't really comment as I've only seen 1, it was amazingly directed and innovative) & even Spielberg has made some really good films (though some bad ones too.) Good new ones (I don't know how the rest of their careers will turn out though) IMO are Tarantino, Fincher & Aronofsky - They've all already made classics and if they stay on track should continue to do so - although Tarantino needs to up his work, Death Proof was quite good, but I'm expecting another classic soon.
- Login to post comments
De niro is so good. I haven't seen all of Mean Streets but from what i did see i loved De niro's performance, also Harvey K. who i dont like in most cases (hated his character in taxi driver for instance)was solid in the 50 minutes of mean streets i saw.
Samuel L Jackson, yeah he has in recent years made some dumb decisions (Jumper!?) but i agree he was the highlight in pulp. I also would make a point for Bruce Willis in Pulp whose section of the movie is also pretty solid. Morgan Freeman i also enjoy, he'd be in my top 10 i think. Have you seeen Million Dollar Baby?
With Fincher it seems he makes a poorly received film followed by a largly considered classic (Alien 3 - Seven / The Game - Fight Club / Panic Room - Zodiac) but he's always been a fave of mine. oh you watched Zodiac lately right? thoughts?
It seems i liked Death Proof a little more than you then but i agree that when you place it against Pulp / Dogs or Jackie Brown it doesn't quite cut it. Though i'm a little worried about this War movie he has comming up....
- Login to post comments
I worry somewhat about tarantino, he's a bit odd and lately his films have been looking quite bad actually. I read up on imdb and remembered my thoughts on KB1 & 2 and they were terrible, he was trying to do something he can't do. He should have stopped after 1 realising that it was poor. And Death Proof was quite cool, but it was a gimmick movie more than a good piece of filmmaking IMO. If Inglorious Bastards is actually any good (and it would surprise me if it is TBH) I will happily admit that he was just going through a phase and perhaps is back on track. A Proper war film might do him some good, he's done too many crime flicks down with over the top language and violence - it worked for RD & PF, but the rest seemed lame and weak. Also, apparently he's incredibly immature and acts like a fucktard if I'm honest most of the time - not eccentricity, just an irritating personality. The fame might be going to his ever-growing head and that may be the reason for the decline in his films.
Fincher on the other hand, is still quite an unknown among the general public despite his great films with quite good reception from the public. It's mainly because he doesn't plaster his name all over the titles like Tarantino does, but I'll stop ranting on QT now.
Fincher is getting better with every movie - Zodiac was a terrific movie (Downey Jr and Gyllenhaal were very good), but the main highlight was the direction and overall look and feel of the film, he really has a niche for the acute points and immersing you in the world of the film. His direction has gotten better with every film I've seen that he's directed, so the next (if) time he gets a Fight-Club standard script and combines it with his growing skill and talent we could witness a truly monumentous piece of filmmaking from him.
I actually really like Harvey Keitel, and yes De Niro really is great. He is a truly great actor, brings a lot more to the role than just reading his lines and speaking them with force - he looks the part, he walks and acts the part, he puts himself through hell to BE the part (Raging Bull).
- Login to post comments
I liked Kill Bill 1, but i think KB2 is his weakest work by far, dull i thought. Yes maybe he should step away from these gimmick films, he makes films i he wants to see, maybe he should make some others want to see :)
Fincher Continues to suprise me. Not one of his movies have failed to draw me in, they are all up to a great standard. Actually going back to directors, i think my top 5 would go like this
1. Wes Anderson
2. Tim Burton
3. Tarantino
4. Fincher
5. Coen Bros
- Login to post comments
I agree (with both the Fincher and Tarantino comments)
Interesting list, I also like all the directors you mentioned except Wes Anderson which I'm yet to have an opinion on as I've not seen any of his films!
- Login to post comments
I moved 2001 back up to first spot. It's just so good, and reading this gives further insight into the films seemingly unfathomable depth.
- Login to post comments
Wow. I'm not surprised that the author of that article likes 2001, because like 2001, the article takes far too long and uses far too much complexity to say something that is ultimately fairly simple.
- Login to post comments
I understand your point about the article, and some parts of it are a bit long-winded, but it does raise some points that I previously hadn't thought of. I feel that 2001 is the perfect length, I used to think parts were a bit too slow but I realise now they're just right. Also, I used to feel the same about the simplicity (I did with Eight And A Half and Persona too at first), but now I believe there are so many messages and philisophical points to be made that it's amazing (although, there are some more obvious and simple points obviously).
What in your view is the point of 2001 (as in, the message it is trying to convey)?
- Login to post comments
Well, when you strip out all that alchemical mumbo-jumbo from the article, I think you get two main points that Stanley Kubrick is making through the film:
1. Newer and newer technology makes humanity more sterile and soulless.
2. There must be some sort of entity, represented by the monolith, that is necessary to spark humanity's evolution/transformation. (I don't really buy the article's point that the monolith makes 2001 a religious film. I think the monolith could represent any number of things that aren't religious in nature, such a societal structures.)
These are points I had considered before, and I think I would say these are the big messages the movie is trying to convey. I honestly don't think it is attempting to convey anything whatsoever about alchemy, and I think a lot of that interpretation is largely fabricated. It works the same way as kabbala: you can read anything into the film if you want to. Just read his argument about how much the number 3 appears in the film and think of how weak that sounds. Try to construct the same argument about any one-digit number. I bet you can come up with one that's just as good.
His point about the film being the monolith is interesting, but I'm not sure I buy that either. I think he gives 2001 too much credit for affecting that generation. After all, he points out that few people understood what it meant, so how much did it really open up their minds? And it's not like it opened up their minds to seeing/creating similar films, since there really hasn't been a movie like 2001 before or since. So either Kubrick was even more pretentious than we thought and wrongfully felt that by making this film, he was creating the most important thing ever; or it's just a coincidence.
I will admit that the comparisons to The Odyssey were very interesting and somehow they never occurred to me before.
In thinking about this film, I feel like many people get bogged down with trying to understand just what the hell happens in it. Once you get that, I don't feel like the film really has as many messages as you said, and I feel like the ones I outlined above aren't exactly groundbreaking (Note: I'm talking about messages regarding things that matter, like humanity, not things that don't matter, like alchemy). Do you think the film says something bigger and more revolutionary that I don't fully understand?
- Login to post comments
I agree with you that there is quite a bit of crap in that article, I merely highlighted it because it gives such an in depth look at it, of course not of all it is correct, but it's an alternative view. It picks up on some very subtle things that I would've otherwise overlooked, even if I disagree with them its certainly got some novel concepts.
1. Newer and newer technology makes humanity more sterile and soulless.
2. There must be some sort of entity, represented by the monolith, that is necessary to spark humanity's evolution/transformation. (I don't really buy the article's point that the monolith makes 2001 a religious film. I think the monolith could represent any number of things that aren't religious in nature, such a societal structures.)
I agree with your points, as it's why Kubrick made HAL more human than his human counterparts, and the society thing is right too (I too disagree with the 'alchemy' theory and the religious part of that article).
I think also that the point Kubrick is making is that as of yet the human race is uncivilised, still with armies and weapons (which is what the first monolith brings), and has not reached the level of 'enlightenment' that the star child brings.
Also, he is making a point about how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things, that we are merely a tiny entity in a huge universe (and in the context of the film our only progress comes from the monoliths).
I really like your Kabbala reference, it sort of reminds me of the whole 'Bible Code' thing. The movie Pi makes a good point about it too.
In thinking about this film, I feel like many people get bogged down with trying to understand just what the hell happens in it.
Perhaps you're right, though perhaps in some ways it adds to its mystery and appeal, allowing speculation on its true meaning. No one speculates the philosophical points of Raging Bull though either, and that is a masterpiece (in my view). Maybe I'm misguided, I dunno. I just thought the article was an interesting take on 2001 and its real meaning.
Do you think the film says something bigger and more revolutionary that I don't fully understand?
No, of course not, sorry if it seemed like I intended it to mean that, I was just curious for your opinion on it, I don't think anyone really knew except Clarke & Kubrick and they're both dead. :)
- Login to post comments
I think the idea of the first monolith bringing armies and weapons is a little muddled in the article. I am more tempted to agree with you that Kubrick was saying violence is the mark of a species that isn't all that civilized, as opposed to the article which seems to be saying that war is inherently tied into this pursuit for truth. I think in reality the first monolith introduced the concept of tools to the apes, and it is the primitive nature of the apes that drives them to violence, rather than the monolith somehow introducing violence along with these fundamental truths.
I'm not sure I really buy the whole insignificance thing or the idea that all of human history is worthless as the article states. I don't disagree with these opinions, but I don't think it's really a theme of the film. The article uses that famous jump cut to make its case, but I think rather than Kubrick saying "ignore everything that comes between these two shots," he is rather trying to draw a parallel.
many people get bogged down with trying to understand just what the hell happens in it - By this I meant not that people get bogged down with trying to explain its philosophical messages, but rather that most people don't even understand what happens on the surface (understandably since the last chapter is fairly abstruse), and they interpret the film's events rather than its philosophy. I don't think a film is deep just because its events are worth interpreting; I think what it is saying should be worthwhile as well.
Lately I have been unconvinced that the messages of 2001 live up to the smoke and mirrors, but you have given me some food for thought because I started thinking about comparisons between HAL and the murderous monkeys. What does it mean that HAL seems to be the one being amongst the soulless humans that seems to be capable of emotion, and like the monkeys, that too results in murder? It's almost like Kubrick is saying that humanity's downfall is its ability to feel, that only by sterilizing these feelings can we attain a higher level of consciousness. If that's not a Kubrickian theme, I don't know what is.
- Login to post comments
I think in reality the first monolith introduced the concept of tools to the apes, and it is the primitive nature of the apes that drives them to violence, rather than the monolith somehow introducing violence along with these fundamental truths.
Precisely, I agree.
I'm not sure I really buy the whole insignificance thing or the idea that all of human history is worthless as the article states. I don't disagree with these opinions, but I don't think it's really a theme of the film. The article uses that famous jump cut to make its case, but I think rather than Kubrick saying "ignore everything that comes between these two shots," he is rather trying to draw a parallel.
The jump is illustrating that despite advances in this technology of war, we are still barbaric (in terms of the higher beings who control the monoliths say) in our intention. Once we encounter the other monoliths, we begin our journey toward becoming a higher being.
It's almost like Kubrick is saying that humanity's downfall is its ability to feel, that only by sterilizing these feelings can we attain a higher level of consciousness.
I personally hadn't thought of that, I like that idea though.
It's one of those films that provokes endless debate without any definitive answers, but I've enjoyed sharing my thoughts and hearing yours :).
- Login to post comments
Persona is my #2 too! :D
- Login to post comments
Good list; here's some thoughts on your selections:
- 2001 is overrated and its significance transcends its merits
- Raging Bull has no place so high on a Greatest Films list, although Deniro's performance is one for the ages
- Despite Memento being so great I've never personally considered it in the upper echelon, but now you've given me something to brood on. . .
- I'd probably put the Mirror at number one, it's the best example of film as art and the art of film; Tarkovsky is probably the greatest filmmaker ever.
- Last Year in Marienbad. It's a great, great movie.
- La Passion de Jeanne D'Arc. It's Dreyer's masterpiece, 'nuff said.
- Login to post comments
Your comment on 2001 makes me think back to the first time I watched the film; I was so prepared for brilliance, already knowing of its huge significance and thus viewed it in the wrong light. However, now whenver I watch it, it is as art, and not merely as a piece of cinematic history, and it is utterly beautiful.
Not seen your first suggestion, but the Passion in more about acting than say, Raging Bull is, and while a good film that is its primary merit.
- Login to post comments
Kubrick seems to have eluded me the past few times. I'm not sure what it is; but where I first found 2001 to be hypnotic I found it dull... where Clockwork was initially mesmerizing it no longer seemed to deliver the goods. Kubrick's technique is undeniable but there isn't much else to it.
I can't argue with your thoughts on the Passion; Falconetti undoubtedly delivers one of the finest roles ever. I suppose I am biased towards Dreyer; I find he makes the likes of Bergman (while being a top tier director) seem almost lightweight.
And sorry, one last suggestion, Eraserhead. To me, that right there represents the summit of not only surrealism but auteurism as well. Mark my words, it will be studied and acknowledged as a true masterpiece a millennium from.
Once again: great list! Although of course I have one more quibble to make, this time regarding Persona. Those stupid montage scenes get to me everytime; the height of pretension. Still one of the greatest movies ever and definitely deserves a place on this list.
- Login to post comments
I urge you not to give up on Kubrick. If there's 1 word that describes him, it's subtle. Yeah, his "craft is impeccable", probably the greatest technical director ever, but don't mistake his undeniable stylistic abilities as a lack of substance. The more I watch films & the more I learn about history or psychology or mythology or politics or gender or philosophy, the more I realize how densely interesting his films are.
- Login to post comments
Synecdoche, New York is the new number one, and it really is deserving. Utterly profound on countless levels, it takes the psychological intensity of Lynch, the cryptic complexity of Kubrick and sheer emotional depth of Tarkovsky and blends them with superb craft into a masterpiece. Metaphor and reality are merged as one and for the two hours it lasts, we quite literally live and breathe Caden's thoughts, Hoffman's perforance being a piece of art in itself (and integral to the film's brilliance). Every shot is beautiful, every action natural and every scene a piece of poetry in itself. The script by Kaufman is predictably brilliant, but it is so much more deep even than his other great works (Eternal Sunshine, Being John Malkovich) that they literally pale in comparison.
If the great cinematic leaps of the past were Birth of a Nation, Citizen Kane and 2001: A Space Odyssey, then Synecdoche, New York is surely the next step; as Joyce did with literature, Kaufman brings the artform as close to the human mind as it can possibly get, the formalised technique of story-telling seeming simply childish next to it (Time is sporadic, as is reality and function). I think every one who watches the film can take something personal about themselves away from it, but at the same time Caden is not a generic character who is everyone, he is a specific person, whom we empathise with on numerous levels, as well as respect, pity, admire and sometimes dislike.
I honestly have never felt so moved by a piece of cinema as I was by this, and I can now see why AfterHours can experience Tarkovsky's Nostalghia on a similar emotional level.
- Login to post comments
What do you think about cultural significance and innovation in art?
- Login to post comments


text:
There is still more than three weeks until the election, but Mainers are already voting. News 8's Jim Keithley reports.
No email address was supplied by
To complete your registration on this site, please supply an address.
Please confirm or modify the email address to which you will have subscription offers sent.
For a more personalized experience, please supply the following optional information.