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Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
On a white couch in their airy and still very new-looking Beverly Hills offices, actress Jami Gertz and former agent Stacey Lubliner recounted how they came together to form Lime Orchard productions, whose first feature, "A Better Life," will premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 21 before hitting theaters June 24. The Summit Entertainment drama—about an illegal alien gardener struggling to keep his son out of gangs – is already receiving awards buzz and will be released in the same slot as Summit's Oscar-winner "The Hurt Locker." The Chris Weitz-helmed film, starring Demian Bichir ("Weeds") and Jose Julian, is also produced by Weitz, Paul Junger Witt and Christian McLaughlin.
Several years ago, Gertz, who starred in 1980s films such as "The Lost Boys" and "Less Than Zero," found work offers dwindling, as they typically do for actresses around 40. "It's a bit more forgiving for men, age-wise," said Gertz, who on HBO's "Entourage" recently played the wife, of an adulterous agent, who sets hubby's Aaron Sorkin notes afire. This came at a time when Gertz's three sons were growing older and more independent, leaving the actress with time on her hands and the desire to reinvent herself creatively.
Lubliner, meanwhile, had left her own career as an agent after eight years of representing writers and directors such as Nancy Meyers. "The culture of agenting had become so much more competitive; there was much less time to be creative with your clients," she said. "It seemed like everyone was on the defensive, so the staff meetings and the daily calls were a lot of damage control for clients and other people's clients. There was less and less time to do what I really enjoyed."
Then, in 2008, Lubliner received a call from one of her old colleagues at ICM, Toni Howard—who also happens to be Gertz's longtime agent. Howard thought the actress and the ex-agent should meet. "Toni knew I wanted to start a production company," Gertz said. "While I knew a lot about acting and scripts, I knew so little about how the business worked. Toni told me she knew this great woman, Stacey, who had just had a baby and didn't want to be an agent anymore." Soon after Lubliner and Gertz met over lunch in 2008, Lime Orchard was born.
The partners clicked not only over their desire to create character-driven work but also on a Jewish level. While growing up in Chicago, Gertz had attended weekly Conservative services and United Synagogue Youth. She began her career at 16—after winning a nationwide talent contest—by playing a Jewish preppie on CBS' "Square Pegs."
Lubliner attended Camp Hess Kramer and Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, where she learned to love movies courtesy of her grandfather, Frank Rosenfelt, a legendary CEO of MGM.
As for her own relationship with her producing partner, Lubliner said, "We call it the macro and the micro." Added Gertz: "Once I came in with a David Ives play about Baruch Spinoza [the 17th-century Jewish philosopher] and Stacey was like, 'I can't really see the poster.'"
They discovered "A Better Life" (originally titled, "The Gardener") in 2009. Lubliner knew about the script because her husband, agent David Lubliner, represents Chris Weitz, who was attached to direct the movie. "Chris could have done whatever he wanted after his film, 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon,' became a huge hit," Stacey Lubliner said. "He was getting offers on a lot of big movies, but he was passing because he really wanted to do this film."
Lubliner was strongly moved by "The Gardener" and so was Gertz, who cried while reading it at the hairdresser, drawing stares from other patrons. "We had read so many scripts by that time, because when we announced we were in business, we said we are unique in that we actually have money to spend on development and possibly production," Gertz recalled. "So as you can imagine, we had received numerous submissions. But from the moment I started reading [The Gardener], it was so beautifully written that I cared about this father and son and wanted to know what happened to them. I wanted to know how this boy would grow up, and wanted him to have a good life, a better life than his father."
Gertz and Lubliner were on the set every day of the entire 38-day shoot in 70 locations around Boyle Heights and South Central Los Angeles; they and Weitz kept things authentic with the help of Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries, an anti-gang organization. Gertz also helped by seeking imput from attorneys who work pro bono for illegal aliens detained by the authorities.
"In a jail sequence, one of the homeboys was wearing an ankle bracelet, the kind for monitoring by the police," Lubliner recalled. "I asked our wardrobe person how she had managed to get one, and she said the bracelet was real. In fact, the actor was nervous and embarrassed by it, so we assured him that we would not see it in the film."
The movie isn't intended to be political: "We never set out to make a movie about immigration, although immigration is part of the story," Gertz said. "It's really a father and son tale that is beautifully told. But if you come away from it [realizing] that there is a face to your gardener, to your busboy—if it makes you sit up and think about those around you, all the better."
The themes of the movie resonate for the producers, as parents and as Jews. "It's in that sense of family, of one's responsibilities as a parent, and the social awareness of what is going on around you," Lubliner said.
"It's in the teachings of Judaism, and tikkun olam, to make the world a better place—and that's certainly a part of our lives," added Gertz, who with her husband, financier Tony Ressler, has been described as one of the top charitable celebrities in Hollywood. "In my own philanthropic life, we're involved with 18 charter schools, mostly in low-income areas; we are graduating 98 percent going to a four-year college, many of them Latino and African-American. We go into very difficult neighborhoods and we graduate kids. We begin in middle schools specifically because that's when gangs start to heavily recruit.
"So when you ask what kind of movies Stacey and I want to make, I imagine there are going to a lot of films like 'A Better Life,' because it's the kind of film we are attracted to doing."
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June 1, 2011 | 12:32 pm
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
As "X-Men: First Class" continues to glean first class reviews, it's worth noting that the mutant saga is perhaps the most Jewish superhero film to grace the silver screen: which makes sense considering the movie marks the return of producer Bryan Singer to the franchise. (He directed the first two "X-Men" films, but not this time. Now he gets a writing credit.) As a gay and Jewish filmmaker, his work has long reflected his own outsider-group status.
The Marvel Comics saga depicts the origins of the rivalry between telepath Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender)—who can manipulate magnetic fields—from their very different childhoods in the 1940s. While Xavier grows up privileged, Erik spends his boyhood in the Warsaw ghetto and, ultimately, is tortured by a sadistic doctor in a concentration camp. As the adult Lensherr tracks down that physician—who now has Armageddon on his mind—the movie becomes the best Holocaust revenge fantasy since Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds." Here are some of the movie's top Jewish moments, which chronicle Erik's journey from tortured child to his transformation into the villainous Magneto. [SPOILER ALERT]
1. As the film opens in 1944 Poland, Erik and his parents are herded in the mud and rain to the gates of a concentration camp, where the boy is forcibly separated from his family. When the gates of the camp slam shut, Erik is restrained by guards who are shocked when his screams and gestures actually bend and twist the iron gates to the compound. As the guards finally wrestle him to the ground, the camera zooms in on Erik's yellow Star of David—a branding that will follow him for the rest of his life.
2. In an office gleaming with knives and other instruments of medical torture, the concentration camp's sadistic doctor, Dr. Schmidt (Kevin Bacon), orders Erik to demonstrate his telekinetic talents on a Reich coin adorned with a swastika. "Blue eyes, blond hair, pathetic," the doctor tells the boy of the Nazi's genetic goals. Schmidt is far more interested in mutant powers. "Genes are the key that unlocks the door to a new age…a new future for mankind, evolution," he tells the terrified boy. "A little coin is nothing compared to a compound gate," he adds, encouragingly, referring to the gate incident. But when Erik cannot move the coin via brain-power, Herr doctor changes his tactics. Reflecting that while the Nazis don't always have the greatest ideas, their methods seem to produce results, he gives the boy an ultimatum. Unless Erik can move the coin by the count of three, he will shoot Erik's mother, who is brought into the room for the occasion. It's only after the shot rings out that the enraged Erik practically destroys the office with his anger-induced magnetism. Dr. Schmidt is pleased. "So we unlock your gift with anger; anger and pain," he says. "We're going to have a lot of fun together."
3. It's Geneva, Switzerland, in 1962. While extracting information about Schmidt's whereabouts from a smug Swiss banker, Erik makes his point by also extracting (via magnetism) one of the man's tooth fillings. "This gold is what remains of my people," he says of the bank money.
4. More ironic mayhem awaits German expatriates in a bar in Argentina who resist Lensherr's questions about Schmidt. "Let's just say I'm Frankenstein's Monster," he tells them. "I'm looking for my creator."
5. As Xavier helps Erik unleash his powers without the use of anger, Xavier (via telepathy) unearths a tender memory from the Holocaust survivor's brain: Lighting the chanukiah with his deceased mother. "I accessed the brightest corner of your memory," he tells the baffled Erik, adding that there is so much more to the survivor than pain and anger. To discover his full powers, Erik must "find the point between rage and serenity."
6. At a crucial moment before Erik's transformation into the evil Magneto— and in one of the most powerful sequences in the film—human soldiers attacking the mutants were "just following orders," a fellow mutant tells Lensherr. It's not exactly the best thing to say to a man who has survived a concentration camp. "I've been at the mercy of men just following orders," Erik replies. "Never again."
The film opens on June 3. For another point of view about the movie, check out Geek Heeb.
May 31, 2011 | 6:47 pm
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
It's impossible to watch Chris Weitz's transcendent new film, "A Better Life," without wondering about the struggles of every immigrant laborer in Los Angeles. The drama — which will premiere this month at the Los Angeles Film Festival before hitting theaters June 24 — spotlights the heroic, if quiet, travails of a Mexican illegal immigrant gardener to eke out a living and to keep his teenage son out of the gang culture. Entertainment Weekly has already suggested that the film, which Summit Entertainment will release essentially in the same slot as its Oscar-winner "The Hurt Locker," could be the first awards movie of 2011.
The lengths to which gardener Carlos Galindo (Mexican star Demián Bichir of "Che" and "Weeds") will go to achieve that goal is evident from the beginning of the film, which depicts his exhausting days toiling for clients in affluent suburbs, only to return to his one-bedroom home in Boyle Heights so drained that he falls asleep, fully clothed, on the couch.
His son Luis (José Julián), who gets the bedroom, scorns his father's dronelike existence and looks up to the gang leaders who appear to promise their own version of a better life. All this creates a palpable desperation in Carlos, which is greatly exacerbated when his gardening truck, in which he has invested his life savings, is stolen. Father and son embark upon a dangerous journey to recover the vehicle, which brings them together in unexpected ways — a story reminiscent of Vittorio De Sica's neo-realist classic "The Bicycle Thief."
"The movie, in a sense, is about both of the characters finding a way to talk to one another," Weitz, 41, said recently during an interview in a Venice cafe. "Carlos sees his life as work, and he is not evolved in an Oprahesque way. And while Luis is streetwise, he is also rather ignorant. He doesn't understand what his father has done for him until the scene in which they go to what is essentially a flophouse, where 15 people sleep in shifts — a sequence we filmed in a two-bedroom apartment with bunk beds set up in the kitchen and everywhere else. That's the point when Luis realizes this was probably the life his father led when he first came to this country, and begins to understand the sacrifices he made."
The film turns a lens on Angelenos who are often devalued, Weitz said; the cafe's Latino busboy, as if on cue, poured him another glass of Pellegrino. "Actually, the story isn't even about your gardener — it's about the guy who works for your gardener, the one who is genuinely invisible."
Bichir, who is best known in this country for playing Fidel Castro in "Che" and a Tijuana gangster on "Weeds," worked with real gardeners around Los Angeles in order to physically and emotionally prepare for the role. "My previous characters were powerful and larger-than life," Bichir said in a phone interview. "The challenge with Carlos was going all the way to the opposite direction. All he wants is to go through life as quietly as possible, not drawing anybody's attention."
Weitz shot one telling scene during a real mass protest against the harsh new Arizona immigration law: " When Luis asks what is happening, Carlos replies, 'Nothing.' He doesn't have the luxury of debating the politics of his situation, because he's too busy surviving," Weitz said.
Not that Weitz intends the film to be a screed for "bleeding-heart liberals," as some online critics have accused him of being. "No one is depicted as a villain, not even the guards at the detention center," Weitz said. "I don't see this film as chest-thumping — it's really just a movie about human beings."
"A Better Life," originally titled "The Gardener," was inspired by a true story of a gardener whose truck was stolen but was unable to call the police because he was undocumented. The script, which has gone through several screenwriters, came to Weitz several years ago, when he was a new father and somewhat reluctant to return to the director's chair after making "The Golden Compass" in 2007. (He is also known for the 2002 "About a Boy." His vampire saga, "Twilight: New Moon," became a blockbuster in 2009.)
The screenplay may have appealed to Weitz ,albeit unconsciously, because of his own relationship with his late father, the legendary fashion designer John Weitz. "He was a strong personality, and his psychological influence remains strong on me," said the filmmaker, a Cambridge University graduate whose first major success was directing "American Pie" with his older brother, Paul. "My father had a very sort of combative outlook towards life, and in reaction, I'm much more theoretically easygoing; yet I was very driven to excel as a young person, probably to impress him. And so my academic history and my ambition that fueled everything since is due to him." Complex relationships between father figures and sons have also fueled many of Weitz's films, from "Pie" to "About a Boy," which earned Weitz a screenwriting Oscar nomination in 2003.
Weitz was so moved by "A Better Life" that he quickly signed on, but not without trepidations. There was some white liberal guilt — yes, he's privileged and lives in Malibu, the location where Carlos, in the film, climbs a palm tree without proper equipment in order to trim its branches.
Concerned that his film could be perceived as exploiting an underclass he knew next to nothing about, Weitz hired a mostly Latino crew, took Spanish lessons, read myriad books on East Los Angeles and migrant laborers and, most importantly, earned the trust and assistance of Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention program based on the Eastside.
"I told him we wanted to shoot in real places, but we didn't want to be a movie that buys itself into a location, has heavy security, shoots what it wants and then leaves without any connection to the community," Weitz said.
Boyle's second-in-command, Hector Verdugo, a former gang member, introduced the director to residents of the Ramona Gardens project in Boyle Heights: "You might assume Hector was there to protect me from the people who lived there, but it was kind of the opposite," the director recalled. "It was Hector assuring people that I wasn't some gabacho who was going to make a movie about guys selling drugs and shooting each other."
Weitz's own family is a testament to the American dream. His maternal grandmother, the actress Lupita Tovar, was plucked from obscurity in Oaxaca at 17 by a talent scout searching for a lovely Mexican actress to star in Hollywood silent pictures. She eventually married the famous Jewish agent Paul Kohner, an Austrian Jew who came to represent luminaries such as Dietrich and Garbo.
Weitz's father, John Weitz, meanwhile was a son of wealthy, assimilated German Jews who fled Nazi Germany to Shanghai. Although he arrived penniless in the United States at age 17, by 19 he was an OSS spy and, after the war, reinvented himself as a pioneering designer who starred in his own ads, raced cars professionally and, in his later years, wrote best-selling books about Hitler's Germany.
"My father loved America because he genuinely felt anything was possible here for somebody who works hard enough," Weitz said. "And, of course, that makes me think of the characters in the film. Its title comes from the fact that if you talk with anyone from any immigrant family, the phrase that comes up time and again is that they came here searching for a better life."
For information about "A Better Life" at the Los Angeles Film Festival, which runs June 16-26, visit lafilmfest.com. For stories about actors Bichir and Julián, as well as producers Jami Gertz and Stacey Lubliner, visit jewishjournal.com/the_ticket.
May 31, 2011 | 3:36 pm
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
At the opening of "Tim Burton," the ghoulishly charming filmmaker's retrospective at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Saturday, the wild-haired auteur held court at the Resnick Pavilion, where more than 700 pieces of his movie and personal artwork will be on display through Halloween. My husband, Ron Magid, and I were eager to attend—not only for the chance to meet this master of the macabre but also because one of our own pieces is on display. It's a scarecrow head from Burton's 2001 remake of "Planet of the Apes," a three-foot-tall, skeletal visage that signals to Mark Wahlberg (in the film) he is entering forbidden yet sacred territory.
Ron, a collector and purveyor or high-end movie memorabilia, essentially saved the head from the garbage (it hadn't sold at auction and its owner didn't want to shlep down to the company's warehouse to pick it up), but the exhibition's originating curators thought it was vintage Burton when they visited our home while preparing the show. "The minute I saw that scarecrow head I knew it was going to be in the exhibition," Ron Magliozzi, one of the show's organizing curators, told me when I interviewed him for my story on the retrospective—which will grace the cover of The Journal's summer preview on June 3.
Those perusing the exhibition—and our scarecrow head—included Burton's favorite film composer, Danny Elfman, who wrote the score for "The Nightmare Before Christmas," among other Burton films such as "The Corpse Bride" (which, as I outlined in this 2005 story, was inspired by a 16th-century Jewish folk tale). Elfman also penned music to accompany the exhibition. Also on hand was Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, Winona Ryder, who starred with Depp in "Edward Scissorhands" and was also in "Beetlejuice;" Crispin Glover and Martin Landau (who won an Oscar for portraying Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood").
Ron and I met the affable Magliozzi once more at the opening, along with organizing curators Jenny He and Rajendra Roy—and Burton himself. He was far sunnier than one might expect of cinema's reigning gothic director: Ron told Burton how much he had admired the scene from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" in which the children finally enter Willy Wonka's lair; as it turns out, that very sequence is the one that inspired Magliozzi to create the exhibition. "I was watching 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' in the theater and there was just this magical moment when Willy Wonka opens the door, bringing the children into the chocolate factory for the first time," Magliozzi said. "Somehow I thought: We should be doing an exhibition of Tim Burton."
Ron's reaction to the scene was perhaps even more dramatic—he actually teared up —and Burton seemed genuinely touched by that revelation, even putting his hand to his chest in response. He thanked Ron for rescuing the scarecrow head from the garbage. And then he was off to the performance by Jane's Addiction in front of the pavilion, where a real topiary deer from "Edward Scissorhands" stood amidst other Burtonalia.
The show will be on display through October 31.
Check out my full story on the exhibition:
May 18, 2011 | 10:52 am
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
Before Justin Bieber stepped onstage in front of 40,000 radiant fans at Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park last month, Dan Kanter, Bieber's musical director and guitarist, took the spotlight to deliver a Jimi Hendrix-style rendition of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem. "It was one of the most memorable moments in my whole life, and it was definitely one of the proudest," he said from his hotel room during a break from Bieber's My World tour in Melbourne, Australia. "The fans were singing so loud they were almost jamming up my guitar; some people were crying and it was quite emotional.
"Justin could feel the appreciation and the love from the audience, because his Israeli fans have been supporting him on the Internet from the very beginning, especially on Twitter and Facebook," Kanter added. "They have been a really strong presence and they had been writing and begging him to come to Israel for a couple of years now. So many other acts have canceled concerts there, so for Justin to go and put on a show – there was a vibe in the air that night. It's always loud at Justin Bieber concerts, but this was one of the loudest concerts [fan-wise] that we have ever played. And it was definitely one of the most exciting audiences he has ever played for."
Kanter 29, has been with Team Bieber – his self-described "dream gig"—almost from the beginning. He was a doctoral student in musicology at Toronto's York University, in 2009, when a Universal rep suggested him to perform guitar for Bieber on a popular Canadian TV show. "Justin had quite a following just from YouTube and Twitter at that point, but it was more at the grassroots level. He hadn't yet blown up in the mainstream," Kanter recalled.
Since then, Kanter has not only had a front row seat to Bieber's rise to global heartthrob status, he's also musically guided the teenager, who – according to Rolling Stone – wouldn't sound the same without his musical director. Kanter has performed with "The Bieb" everywhere from Madison Square Garden to the Philippines—where the poor Bieb was sick and vomited onstage. At the time of this interview, Kanter was planning to continue on with Bieber to Japan (some members of the crew reportedly have refused to follow due to fears of radiation poisoning).
Kanter was prominently featured in the documentary, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" (just out on DVD); he has schmoozed backstage with fans such as Johnny Depp and sat in cars with the munificently-coiffed teen as manic fans climbed atop the vehicles. With Bieber's Jewish manager, Scott "Scooter" Braun, Kanter is the reason Bieber, a devout Christian, recites "The Shema" before every concert.
Bieber has just been named number three on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list, after Lady Gaga and Oprah. But for Kanter, the most surreal "fame" moment came when Japanese fans wished him "mazel tov" after viewing Internet photos of Bieber at Kanter's wedding in October 2010. (Kanter met his wife, Yael, when both attended the Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel for Jewish young adults in 2003.)
During our recent conversation, the affable Kanter spoke to me about his own musical (and Jewish) journey, including the Tel Aviv concert that so far, has been a highlight of his own life and career.
NPM: In a previous story, I profiled Justin's manager, Scooter Braun, whose Jewish background is quite extensive. How about yours?
DK: Growing up in Ottawa I went to a school called Hillel Academy until grade 6 or 7; I was bar mitzvahed and used to perform in Jewish community society musicals – I was a pirate in "Peter Pan!" But the biggest part of being Jewish for me is that I went to a Jewish sleepover camp for 15 summers – I was the guy with the acoustic guitar playing Dave Matthews songs around the campfire. I got my first guitar, an electric guitar, for my bar mitzvah.
NPM: What was your first impression of Justin Bieber?
DK: I had come in to play acoustic guitar with him on that [Canadian] TV program, and we just really hit it off. We got on quite well because we were both Canadian and we could talk about hockey and Canadian bands that we love but no one in the United States had ever heard of. We started jamming and for 15 years old he could play very well. But not only that – he was like a sponge. If I played something, he could sit and watch me and then play it right back to me. Musically we had a lot of chemistry, and it's grown since then. I was also quite impressed that he played drums and piano and had a beautiful voice and he was just such a nice kid; he was really excited about everything. And together, Scooter and Justin collectively believed in me and brought me on board and made me part of the team.
NPM: Scooter told me that besides acting as a father figure to Bieber, he at times imposes discipline, such as taking away Justin's cell phone. What are your responsibilities, as Justin's music director and beyond?
Dan Kanter performing his Jimi Hendrix-style rendition of "Hatikvah" at Bieber's concert in Tel Aviv last month
DK: I form the band, rehearse and work closely with Justin, our tour director, the lighting and video people and the choreographers to make the show; and if we're on an awards show like the Grammys, it's my responsibility to work out if we're going to do a medley and things like that. I don't really ever discipline Justin. But since we're all older than him, we all feel—or at least I feel—not only a responsibility musically but also personally to be a good influence on him and steer him in the right direction. I do put a lot of pressure on Justin, musically, which he likes. Before each show, I do 30 minutes of vocal warm-ups with him, and we're doing scales and I can test his range every day. It's very important to take care of his voice. In "Never Say Never," there are scenes where Justin is losing his voice, but on this tour, it's getting stronger every day. Also, I'm really into making sure we're learning new songs and he's learning new guitar licks and practicing. Justin is an amazing songwriter. Backstage, before a show, we'll have some guitars lying around and he'll write songs.
NPM: What kind of new songs has he been composing?
DK: The songs I've heard him writing are much more personal, about what's going on in his life, and I think a lot of his fans will relate to them. That's the secret – for his audience to grow up with him, not grow out of him. I think we'll see issues of traveling, of being away from home, and being in the spotlight, in songs on his next album.
NPM: How do you see him evolving musically? Could he ever go the alternative rock route?
DK: I don't know about alternative music, but he's definitely going to evolve musically.
NPM: So no punk rock Justin Bieber?
DK: I don't know about that, but he loves all styles of music. So who knows if he'll record a heavy metal record one day. But I think it'll continue to be these great, danceable sing-along songs.
Justin Bieber and Dan Kanter onstage
NPM: Can you see his music getting edgier?
DK: I'm not sure, but right now I can't see that just because his music is definitely a reflection of his personality—and he's so genuinely happy and nice and easygoing. I don't think there's a reason now to be edgy.
NPM: I saw photos of Justin at your wedding, wearing a kipah.
DK: It was a traditional Jewish wedding, and Justin came and brought his mom [Pattie Mallette] as his date. I couldn't believe when I was in the middle of the Horah with all my boys that I'd grown up with and there was Justin. And when I was being flung around in the air, to look down and see that Justin was there, holding one of the legs of the chair. I think that was his first Jewish wedding. And he performed with the band and myself, his song, "Baby"—we all just rocked out with the band.
NPM: I had heard that Justin was upset by the paparazzi in Israel.
DK: We didn't think it would be that extreme, but he still had an amazing time and he was able to see everything that he wanted to see in the end. He was able to go to Yad Vashem, and the Western Wall, and Tiberias, and he had an amazing trip. He did meet with those kids [affected by Gaza rocket fire], who were invited to the show. And at the concert he gave a special shout out to Scooter's mom, who is a Holocaust survivor, and everyone applauded and it was very emotional. Just at the same day to be at Yad Vashem and then to be at a Justin Bieber concert with 40,000 kids, must have been quite incredible for her.
NPM: What happened during the concert in Sydney, when someone pelted eggs at Justin? Some news outlets reported that he became angry and stormed offstage as a result.
DK: No, not at all; he left the stage at the same point that he normally does for a costume change. We were all onstage and thank God none of the eggs hit anyone—I'm not even sure where they came from. But it was actually quite amazing how Justin and the dancers communicated and danced around them. I've since read about it on the news, but for Justin and the rest of us onstage, it was all very quick. It happened, it was cleaned up, the show went on, and we didn't even think about it afterward. It's never happened before, and I hope it never happens again.
NPM: What are your plans for after the tour is over?
DK: Justin will be working on his new album and hopefully we'll be doing some stuff together on it, and I'm going to get back to school, and also take some time off to see some concerts. I'm going to go follow the band, Phish, around a little bit. And there will hopefully be some other tours coming up shortly.
Dan Kanter and Justin Bieber
May 11, 2011 | 11:22 pm
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
The closing night film of the 2011 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, "Who Do You Love"—starring Alessandro Nivola and David Oyelowo (of the upcoming "Rise of the Planet of the Apes")—will screen on May 12 at Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino. It's a biopic about Leonard Chess (Nivola), the Polish-Jewish immigrant who founded Chess Records with his brother, Phil (Jon Abrahams), brought Southern blues to the mainstream via black artists such as Muddy Waters (Oyelowo) and eventually helped birth rock 'n' roll.
Leonard Chess was such a larger-than-life figure that he has recently inspired not one, but two biopics – 2008's "Cadillac Records" being the other. "Who Do You Love" was selected as a gala film at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival and was firmly backed by the Chess family; its filmmakers, including director Jerry Zaks, had access to the family archives and Leonard's son, Marshall, served as a consultant to the production.
The somewhat fictionalized film – whose title comes from the Bo Diddley song, "Who Do You Love" – begins with Leonard's scrappy childhood in a poor Jewish neighborhood in Chicago. It goes on to recount his preoccupation with the music and culture he observed in nearby black neighborhoods; his sale of the family junkyard in order to purchase the brothers' first club, the Macomba; Leonard's discovery of a young Muddy Waters in 1946 and his risky venture into the realm of "race records."
Oyelowo—a British thespian of royal Nigerian descent—impeccably portrays the Mississippi born Waters, who was so impoverished upon meeting Chess that he had to borrow a guitar for the audition. Talk about versatile: Oyelowo, who previously starred as Dr. Junju in "The King of Scotland," will next appear in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" opposite James Franco, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis and Brian Cox in the Rupert Wyatt film hitting theaters on Aug. 5. In this "Planet of the Apes" prequel, set in modern-day San Francisco, Oyelowo will play Steve Jacobs, a corporate head pushing for further clinical trials on lab apes—genetic engineering that will eventually create intelligent apes and a war for supremacy with humans, according to metacafe.com. "I basically bring about the end of the world," he told me.
Oyewolo will appear in several more films through January, including Dreamworks' "The Help," and George Lucas' "Red Tails," about World War II black aviators—and will also portray the American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King in Lee Daniels' upcoming drama, "Selma." His British-born character in "Rise of the Apes" is "the first time I've used my own accent in five years," said the London-born actor.
In "Who Do You Love," Oyelowo's Mississippi-bred character of Muddy Waters develops a close but complex relationship with Chess; we learn of Chess' complicated relationship with other artists, who earned relatively low wages while the brothers made a mint. The film also hints at Leonard's womanizing, which in the film is condensed into a single affair with a heroin-addicted singer named Ivy (Megalyn Echikunwoke). While Ivy is a fictionalized character, some critics have perceived her to be a stand-in for the singer Etta James, with whom Chess was rumored to have had an affair.
"Who Do You Love" will screen on Thursday, May 12, 7:30 p.m., at Laemmle's Town Center, 17200 Ventura Blvd. in Encino, followed by a question-and-answer session (moderated by myself) with actors David Oyelowo (Muddy Waters) and Jon Abrahams (Phil Chess), as well as producer Jonathan Mitchell. For tickets and information, call (818) 981-9811 or visit www.lajfilmfest.org.
Here are excerpts from my recent conversation with Mitchell about why he wanted to tell Leonard Chess' story; the more controversial aspects of the character; why Chess was crucial to the evolution of rock 'n' roll, and more.
NPM: How was it that you decided to make a film about Leonard Chess?
JM: I was interested in how rock 'n' roll came about as a result of the partnership between blacks and Jews. I discovered that Chess Records was the first rock 'n' roll record label; that the Chess family were Polish immigrant Jews and that Leonard Chess, the head of the family, loved black music and eventually decided he would record it. It was very unusual for white people at the time to record black music; it just wasn't done, and he broke that barrier, if you will.
NPM: Did Chess' Jewish background have anything to do with his willingness to break that barrier?
JM: At the time, blacks and Jews didn't live far apart in Chicago, which is where the Chess brothers grew up, and Leonard used to go over into the black neighborhoods and listen to the music.
Leonard was an interesting character; he carried his Jewishness throughout his life, he spoke Yiddish often. But when he got into black music and wanted to get involved in that community, he started to use their vernacular and their way of speaking—you almost couldn't tell the difference. He identified with African-Americans, and he wanted them to feel that he was a part of their community.
NP: There's one scene where Leonard shows his brother the location that will become their future club. Phil says, basically, that no white people are going to venture into that neighborhood – and Leonard responds with something like, "F—- 'em. We don't need those rich white people from the suburbs."
JM: He resented the rich, white community because early in his life he had experienced [anti-Semitism]. Maybe part of the reason he got involved in the business that he did was to kind of get back at those people; he thought he was sticking it in their eye.
NPM: Because he was responsible for bringing black music into the mainstream?
JM: He was the one who got black music onto white radio, which was critical. Black music previously just wasn't accepted in the white world.
NPM: Why did you focus on Leonard rather than Phil?
JM: Leonard was the driving force, if you will. Phil was certainly a partner, and Leonard probably would not have been able to do it alone, but [the business] was Leonard's concept.
NPM: In the film, Leonard has an affair with a talented but tragic African-American singer, a heroin addict, to the chagrin of his wife, Revetta (Marika Dominczyk) .
JM: In fact, he was very active with the ladies. Yet he was never divorced; he lived with his wife until his death, at age 52, of a heart attack. But he always had a roving eye.
There is only one character in the film who is a completely fictional character, and that is Ivy Mills [Leonard's African-American mistress]. We decided to do that because we needed to let people know that Leonard wasn't exactly the most faithful man in the world, and he developed close relationships with women who were musically inclined. In real life, he had a very close relationship with Etta James – that's why we have Ivy sing James' song, "At Last." People always questioned whether or not Leonard and James had a romantic relationship; but when Marshall actually went to her and asked the question, she said they did not. Because of that, we couldn't say the character in the film was Etta James. We took the position that he didn't have a romantic relationship with her. But he did have romantic relationships with other women.
NPM: What about the charges that the Chess brothers exploited their black artists?
JM: Leonard was a very clever, very smart businessman – and it's true a lot of people have charged him with taking advantage of his musicians. The fact of the matter is, nobody in the white world wanted to have anything to do with black people when it came to music. But Leonard started recording black music and trying to get it on white radio when nobody was willing to take that kind of financial risk. I also remember hearing Little Richard interviewed on VH1 and when they asked him about Jews exploiting blacks, Little Richard said, "Thank God for the Jews. If it wasn't for the Jews, nobody would ever have heard our music."
NPM: Were you concerned that Chess could be perceived as a kind of Shylock character?
JM: He was perceived that way by everybody. But not so much during his lifetime. Muddy Waters never, ever, felt he was exploited. After all, Leonard Chess was his champion…. He and Waters developed a very, very close relationship; in fact I don't think Leonard Chess had a closer relationship with any other human being.
NPM: How did you get Marshall Chess involved in the film?
JM: I just picked up the telephone (laughs). I said we wanted to make a film about his family, about the birth of rock 'n' roll and what they've done for the music industry and really, music worldwide. Our screenwriters interviewed Marshall and Phil Chess, who is still alive, in his 90s and living in Arizona.
One of the most important things that Marshall ever did was to create the Rolling Stones, and he managed them for quite some time. "Rollin' Stone" was a song that Muddy Waters did, so he took that name and applied it to the group, calling them the Rolling Stones.
Marshall told me a great story about his bar mitzvah. Leonard didn't really know many white people; most of his comrades and the people he went around with and knew were black. And so the congregation was filled with black people, sitting there with yarmulkes on top of Afros. Marshall said he got up there and started to laugh, because it was such an unusual scene in a synagogue.
May 10, 2011 | 4:31 pm
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
Thirteen was a key age for writer-director Spencer Susser.
It was the year he became fascinated by the kind of classmate who would inspire the antihero of his debut feature film, "Hesher," staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which opens on May 13: "They were guys with long, greasy hair, smoking cigarettes, who hung out in the shadows," Susser, now 34, said.
Thirteen was also the age at which Susser attended a "rough" public school in Sacramento, where drug abuse and teen pregnancy were de rigueur. One of the few Jews in his class, he recalled that several of his teachers were baffled when he took time off to become bar mitzvah at his grandparents' synagogue in Los Angeles, because they had never heard of a bar mitzvah.
Susser was also 13 when a drunk driver hit and killed his oldest brother, London, then 18, an event that is still so raw for the director that he declines to discuss it.
The filmmaker has channeled those memories into "Hesher," the story of a 13-year-old named T.J. (Devin Brochu), who is left reeling after his mother's death in a car accident. Enter Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a maniacal, tattooed drifter who moves in with the boy and his mourning family and shocks them out of their stupor. Natalie Portman — who selected "Hesher" as the first film to be released by her production company, Handsomecharlie Films — plays a broke cashier who befriends T.J. while confronting losses of her own.
In a recent interview, Susser, who lives in Los Angeles, spoke with the relaxed parlance of a skateboarding fan, while declaring an affinity for the characters of one of his directing heroes, Woody Allen. "Hesher" is dedicated to his late brother. "While T.J.'s story is not my story, the film definitely shows some of the feelings I experienced," he said.
T.J. is overwhelmed by anguish and rage — not just that his mother has died, but that his father (Rainn Wilson) is so paralyzed by grief that he is emotionally unavailable and barely leaves the house. "Sometimes what happens is that the adults around you shut down," Susser said. "Kids are more malleable; you function with what you're given. I often think about kids in war-torn areas; how they're going to be kids no matter what. They still want to play and ride their bikes; they just do it in a blown-out building. There was actually a scene I ended up cutting out of the film in which T.J. says to his dad, 'Why is it fair that you get to stay home and numb yourself, while I have to go to school and keep functioning? What's your excuse?' T.J. is absolutely furious at the world, but it's not the right way to look at things, and Hesher tries to point that out in his own way."
Gordon-Levitt ("Inception," "(500) Days of Summer") describes his character, in part, as a kind of "mystic fool." "It's a beautiful thing that Spencer wrote such a personal story," added the actor, who lost his own older brother, Dan Gordon-Levitt, a fire-spinning artist and performer, in October 2010, two years after shooting "Hesher." "I definitely think that's part of what lent it that weight and made the movie so much more than just a comedy and a shtick. … It's a pretty brilliant story to tell about loss."
The hyper-violent Hesher, who has a proclivity for blowing things up, represents the anger and other emotions that T.J. himself cannot articulate; he is a raging life force, but, Susser said, "He also represents death in a way. He is like this terrible, scary thing that shows up at this family's door and moves in, and there's nothing they can do about it. But once they learn how to function with Hesher around, in a sense, he goes away."
Gordon-Levitt — who will star in the third "Batman" sequel, "The Dark Knight Rises" — was not Susser's first choice to portray Hesher. "Joe is the opposite of Hesher in a lot of ways — he's like this nice Jewish boy," Susser said.
"Spencer turned me down; he didn't want me to do the film," Gordon-Levitt recalled at the Luxe Hotel, looking decidedly un-Hesher-like with his clean-shaven face and cropped hair. "I had to convince him to let me come in and audition. ... The surface of my character is really intriguing and fun: this bad-ass rocker guy," he added, "but what really got me about the script were the layers underneath."
Susser invented a backstory for Hesher, based on the experience of a childhood friend whose drug-addicted parents rejected him and who ultimately committed suicide. "It's really intentional that none of that information is in the movie, though," Gordon-Levitt said. "The character is shrouded in mystery, which is part of his power."
For Susser, making the film was a powerful experience, one he describes as "like a big therapy session. ... When I was writing the movie, I was remembering it and processing [my brother's death]," he said. It happened a long time ago, but the feelings don't really go away."
May 5, 2011 | 7:09 pm
Posted by Naomi Pfefferman
Nobody loved Phil Rosenthal when he first flew to Moscow to help develop the Russian version of his hit CBS sitcom, "Everybody Loves Raymond" – an endeavor he recounts as both the director and subject of his documentary, "Exporting Raymond," now in theaters.
Never mind that the original sitcom – based on Rosenthal's real family life, as well as that of its star, Ray Romano—was one of the most beloved television comedies of all time. During his first meeting with the Russian writers, they told him the character of Raymond was unlikable, essentially because they regarded him as a wuss. "They said, 'We don't like this Raymond, this man who is being told what to do by the women in his life. He's not a Russian character,' " Rosenthal told me in my story from the April 22 issue.
Then there was the head of comedy for the Russian network who told Rosenthal he liked reading scripts of "The Nanny" and "Married With Children" – but "Raymond" wasn't funny. ""I was having dinner with the guy," Rosenthal recalled. "What was I supposed to say? So I just endured the rest of that meeting." In private, the American showrunner remarked that the executive didn't really look like a head of comedy: "He looked like a character from 'Schindler's List,' and not the 'List' part," he said.
How did Rosenthal, the lauded sitcom expert, the maven, feel about being dissed by the Russians? "I found it frustrating as I would here, but I also found the humor in it," he said. "I knew that I was the butt of the joke and I'm fine with that."
Story continues after the jump.
While editing "Exporting Raymond," Rosenthal realized he had become the central character of his own documentary. "People have asked me, 'How do you edit yourself? How do you look at yourself when you're in this movie and you're directing it?'" he recalled. " Obviously, there are people before me who have done this, but the only way I could get through it after the initial, Uch, look at that guy,' was to realize OK, calling myself 'that guy,' was already a good place to start. I was removing myself personally and treating 'that guy' on the screen as a character.
"I think the movie is about a guy who thinks he's an expert who goes to a land where nobody cares, and therein lies the comedy," Rosenthal added. "I think we all have experienced that, by the way: We think we're experts in our own house, but we're not listened to. In my house, my wife is the expert. And by the way, my 13-year-old daughter is the expert, too."
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- Activities of the Biomedical Engineering Center
Speaker: John LaCourse - Build-able Bridges
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Speaker: Russell Carr - Ergonomic Engineering: Friend or Foe?
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Holly is so excited to be out and about northern Michigan every morning doing live shots for 7&4 News Today!
GRAND TRAVERSE -- The Traverse City Boom Boom Club helped make the July 4 fireworks happen last year, and without support from the community the fireworks won't happen. Community members are donating money to make sure the July 4 celebrations still take place every year. Expenses for the July 4 celebration can cost upwards of $40,000.
Tim Hinkley from the TC Boom Boom Club sat down with 7&4's Holly Baker and explains that it is up to the community to keep the tradition of fireworks alive.
For more information on how to get involved with the TC Boom Boom Club or how to make a donation, you can visit their website.
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Reviewed: 'Darwin's Cathedral' by Dr. David Sloan Wilson
So, when I decided that I would write a book review blog for Science Brainwaves I was a mere three pages through the introduction of 'Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion and the Nature of Society'. With such a grandiose title I should have been more prepared for the gruelling task I had undertaken by opening the front cover. This book is no light summer read to be enjoyed over a glass of something cold and alcoholic; it demands the attention of your finest neurons. Nonetheless, if you stick to your guns, it is more than worth the effort.
The idea Dr. David Sloan Wilson is selling to the reader is that a successful religion functions to make its followers work better as a group. In turn, this helps a religious group outcompete a non-religious group and allows the group to dominate and reproduce in just the same way as with the natural selection we know and love. But surely religions can't 'evolve' like trees, or dinosaurs or humans? Well the idea is that religions culturally evolve – the beliefs and practices that constitute a religion change and grow over time. Those beliefs and practices that lead a group to be successful will naturally stick around, while those that put their group at a disadvantage will be lost to the mists of time.
This seemingly simple idea is examined from every which way, from the point of view of evolutionary biology and from the point of view of the social sciences, while a convincing array of examples are presented, from the smallest tribal faiths to the biggest religious behemoths. The length that Wilson goes to in order to defend his thesis may be enough to put off a reader with only a mild interest. However, if like me you find the phenomenon of religion fascinating, then you will find 'Darwin's Cathedral' engaging and thought provoking. I found myself coming out of the book with a new found respect for the incredible complex constructs that religions are, though even more amazed by the power of evolutionary processes.
Wilson is an evolutionary biologist, and you might be forgiven for thinking his book on religion would constitute a full frontal attack of the Richard Dawkins variety. However, Wilson is quietly respectful of religious believers, and spends more time chastising militant atheists than pointing out any foibles of religious belief. This is a refreshing change from the tirades of the atheist brigade, although ultimately Wilson's thesis is pretty damning for the truth of beliefs in gods and supernatural stuff – religious beliefs don't need to be true in order to motivate any group-beneficial behaviours. Whether or not you think Wilson's got it right, there's certainly a lot here to make you think.
Wilson does warn the unwary reader that he hasn't dumbed down. Yet despite some thorny content, his style remains very readable throughout and he resists using more technical terminology than is necessary, leaving only the concepts for you to get your mental teeth into. The result is that by the end you feel a little exhausted, and ready for a Dan Brown or two, but also satisfied that nothing was out of your league. If you have a penchant for talking about religions over a pint, and fancy a challenging new year read to forget the fact that it's January, I would heartily recommend 'Darwin's Cathedral'.
Next to be reviewed: 'Life Ascending' by Nick Lane (much easier I'm hoping…)


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This is a great place to stay for those looking to explore the Carcassone region - situated in a small, quiet village approx 20 mins from the motorway it was an ideal stop-off point for us en route to the Cote d'Azur. 3 spacious, comfortable rooms, guest lounge, welcoming hosts & superb evening meal with local wine. We were the... More
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- The gite at chez Dyna offers self catering cottage style accommodation all year round for two or three people. (cot available). Situated right next door to our home where we provide b&b accommodation, guests in the gite can choose on occasions to take breakfast with us if they wish – or to dine in Chez Dyna in the evening. (advance notice required). Guests are also welcome to use our garden and free wi-fi. ... more less


text: I only been to Port Antonio once and that was well over 15 years ago so I had no idea where to stay. We were driving around looking for a hotel, some of the places were too expensive, some were full. We stopped near by Blue Lagoon to chat with a rastaman. We trusted he'd know whats up in Port... More


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Full Management Service
Being a good landlord isn't as easy as it sounds.
Firstly, you need to understand and meet your legal obligations to provide a safe and well maintained property. Secondly, you need to work in harmony with your tenant, being available to take their calls and manage the resulting administration or co-ordination of maintenance contractors.
It all takes time and effort, and can sometimes be a cause for conflict. Indeed, more and more tenants are now looking to live in properties which are managed by a letting agent as it allows a more professional service for both parties.
Many landlords find it difficult to carry out regular inspections as they don't wish to 'impose' on their tenants. In our experience, we have found that regular inspections help encourage tenants to care for the property better and pay their rent on time. Another area of management that landlords find difficult is the checkout inspection which can be a cause for conflict and the fall-out exceptionally time-consuming. If you worry about inspections, you should consider our management service.
Our Full Management service includes rent collection, administration as well as assistance with more complex issues. We also have a 24-hour emergency helpline and easy access to specialist legal advice, should this be required.
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- liaison between you and your tenant so any issues are resolved quickly and professionally.
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- inventory and checkout/dilapidation reports, plus follow-up dispute management.


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March 27, 2011
Aaron Suttles TideSports.com
Florence running back Beniquez Brown has been visiting the Crimson Tide football program since he was in eighth grade. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial
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text: What's Hot 2013 Gift Ideas Craft Whiskey Remembering Mandela GALLERIES Bridget Marquardt Pics 0 17 Back to Top ▲ Bridget Marquardt Pics Bridget Marquardt Pics AskMen Editors The buxom blonde with the post-graduate degree came to fame as one-third of the peroxide smorgasbord awaiting Hugh Hefner nightly on the E! television network reality show The Girls Next Door. Continue reading Bridget Marquardt's profile. Next Page


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Sun, Feb 9th | 11:00 AM
Old Town School Kids are creative, brave, lifelong learners! Join us in our exciting and dynamic art, dance, music, and theater classes for kids of all ages. At Old Town School, there's a class experience for everyone!
New to music, dance, theater or art? You've come to the right place. We've got a wide variety of adult group classes designed to make the beginner feel at home. We also offered a variety of classes for intermediate and advanced students. The first session of classes in 2014 starts on January 6th. Registration is open now.
Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced musician looking to take your playing to another level, private lessons provide the opportunity to get the personal attention that can be beneficial to your growth as a musician.
Our expanded facility is now open. But we're not done yet! Give now and help us create tomorrow's traditions today.
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Sandy Kinghorn
Sandy belongs to: Cullercoats RNLI & The Coble and Keelboat Society
Sandy was born in North Shields. At the age of 16 he began his maritime training and went to sea at 18. He is Lifeboat Visits Officer for Cullercoats RNLI and a member of the Coble and Keelboat Society.
Sandy was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 9 December 2005. The interview took place at Discovery Museum People's Gallery and lasted 46 minutes and 7 seconds.
"Yes, every ship has its own particular smell and different nationalities of ships have a slightly different smell"
Yes, every ship has its own particular smell and different nationalities of ships have a slightly different smell, possibly due to the food eaten on board. For instance, Indian ships smell of curry. But all ships have a delicate sort of scent which as soon as you go aboard, theres a certain smell. Youve perhaps smelt it, have you been aboard ships? Sometimes a bit of oil from the engine, just the smell of the ship, you know. Old ships usually smell a bit more than new ships. I suppose just people living together, close together and its not a bad smell, though.
Sandy has 19 memories in the memorynet:
Sandy's memories with a Superstitions theme:
Sandy's other memories:
- Training school for the merchant navy
- Adjusting to life at sea
- Progress through the merchant navy
- A day at sea
- Taking the family to sea
- Ships in bottles
- Smells
- The RNLI and the Coble and Keelboat Society
- The Doxford Song
- Continuous Certificate of Discharge
- Notebooks and diaries of flights and voyages
- Master's certificate
- The Panama Canal
- Loading cargo in Ghana
- Taking the family on ship
- Teaching knotting skills
- Chooky the Rooster
- The Golden Bear
This memory has these themes:
Sounds and Smells
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NEW NUKES: NRG Energy hopes to build two new advanced boiling water reactors at its South Texas nuclear power plant site.
Image: COURTESY OF NRG
The Best Science Writing Online 2012
Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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The two reactors at the South Texas nuclear power plant, an hour southwest of Houston, last year churned out 21.37 billion kilowatt-hours. By 2015, its majority owner, New Jersey-based NRG Energy, hopes to at least double that capacity if it gets permission to build two more reactors on the site. The company filed the first application on Monday for a new nuclear power plant—two advanced boiling-water reactors—in more than 30 years.
"It is a new day for energy in America," David Crane, NRG president and chief executive officer, said after making the application. "Advanced nuclear technology is the only currently viable large-scale alternative to traditional coal-fueled generation to produce none of the traditional air emissions," including the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.
Armed with the backing of the White House and congressional leaders—and subsidies, such as $500 million in risk insurance from the U.S. Department of Energy— the nuclear industry is experiencing a revival in the U.S. As many as 29 new reactors may be added to the current U.S. fleet of 104, according to Bill Borchardt, director of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) office of new reactors. "It is going to be significantly different than it was in the 1970s," he says.
The South Texas project is the first entirely new reactor out of the gate, though it simply fulfills the original planning for four reactors at the site. The NRC says such upgrades of existing facilities are likely to comprise the majority of new nuclear power plants, all but one—a plant near Syracuse in central New York State— are in the Southeast or Texas. "At the majority of these sites, there's strong support for nuclear power," says Loren Plisco, NRC's deputy regional administrator for construction in the southeastern region.
The inactive reactor at Browns Ferry in northern Alabama was restarted in May after being shuttered for 22 years due to maintenance issues its owner, the Tennessee Valley Authority, decided would be too costly to fix. Completion of construction of a second reactor at TVA's Watts Bar power plant near Chattanooga in Tennessee has begun as well. The TVA expects to finish construction in 2013 at a cost of $2.49 billion. Its older twin at Watts Bar required 23 years to build at a total cost of nearly $7 billion, according to the TVA.
Such long delays and ballooning costs—paired with improvements in U.S. energy efficiency and reactor accidents at Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986—helped kill the first wave of nuclear power plant construction in the U.S. And the rebirth is not without controversy: Some environmentalists oppose the new construction, noting that all of the potential risks linked to nuclear power remain. "The flaws of nuclear power—excessive cost, security threats and long-lived radioactive waste—have not been solved," says Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's energy program. "More nuclear reactors will only exacerbate these problems."
In fact, the only shift in the debate is the growing acceptance of nuclear power as an alternative energy source to coal-fired generation, which spews globe-warming greenhouse gas emissions. "If we're not serious about building more nuclear energy [power plants] around the world, then we are not serious about addressing climate change," James Rogers, chief executive of North Carolina based–Duke Energy, said during remarks at the recent U.N. climate summit.


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(75 x 75cm)
Order in the next 13 hours 36 minutes for express home delivery on Friday
A kaleidoscope of colour incorporates polka dots and a funky, modern printed spot. Soft polar fleece and plush velours are combined in eye-catching accessories guaranteed to create a lively environment.
Bath times are fun times but getting your little one out of the bath and into the warm can be tricky!
The Herbs Garden Cuddle Robe is perfect for cuddle time after the bath, it has the cute Herbert the Donkey design that runs through the Herbs Garden range on top of the hood and will dry your little angel in no time!
Great for bath time
Cute robe and even has a little wash mit to match
Great quality, very soft and even comes with a wash mitt which I wasn't expecting.
Excellent product first class service and delivery
Iv never seen a cuter cuddle robe anywhere! i would and will be defiantly buying this item again! Its great for the price, dosnt look cheap and tacky. Thanks Kiddicare!
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Noobg and Calebbe kicked out of [PORT], i found it really intresting since noobg is famous for being a madman and this drama must include some figthing.
"My conclusion"
I think they got mad when losing to [Yrs] noobg started flaming everybody and gg hes kicked, the vanguard brothers couldn't stand it.
noobG needs to earn money since school/work is overrated, so prob went to dota2/lol
noobG and caLEBBE left the team, pretty sure they didn't get kicked.. afaik. I might be wrong but also pretty sure it's not just about [YsR] match in CSN but I think it's something to do with team personality that didn't fit with each other and one wanted to go casual since he don't have much time to play competitively. Semijew is the confirmed 4th player. Again, I can be wrong xD!
Definitely two good players being lost right there.
Stop hating, it's their decission and afaik they both left to due to problems inbetween the players. Lets see what kinda replacements PORT can pull of.
GL to G & ebbe.
Freshpro not mentioned yet.
So sad,noobg was great.
Who is gonna replace? (go kingraven go!)
Instead of coming with all these mad responses, how about someone shed some light on why these guys left / got kicked or whatever from the team ?
Meep Meep
I've talked to them both myself. Both left, not kicked afaik. One is looking to play casual and was planning to do that after Dreamhack but he decided to do that earlier. Another one is going to chill and maybe to join a team, not too sure yet.
Why make this thread when you have no idea what happend whatsoever ? lolz
I left because it felt like we blamed drafting after pretty much every loss; this is bad mentality and extremely unfair to our drafter - who, in my opinion - drafted better than anyone else could have in our team.
Obviously this is not the only reason I left, but it'll have to do as an explanation
Chill drama boiz, things didnt go as we wanted the recent games and it went as it went.
Does this mean we will see less tanks with vanguards on PORT in the future?
Or did you loose just because you didnt pick 2 tanks + 2 healers?
Anyway, chillpro #1
Gooby pls...


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Matt Toomua vows to stay loyal to Brumbies
Brumbies back Matt Toomua says that even though his selection for the Wallabies
has boosted his bargaining power he will not shop around and will stick with
the Canberra Super Rugby franchise.
Read More
More of the Latest Super XV Rugby News
Brumbies rule Lealiifano out of Super Rugby opener
Thursday 5 December 2013
Wallabies and Brumbies centre Christian Lealiifano will have surgery next week
on his ankle but his Super Rugby franchise have admitted that they don't know
when he wil be able to play again
Read More
Brumbies appoint Fisher as Director of Rugby
Friday 1 November 2013
Super Rugby finalists the Brumbies have announced that former head coach Laurie Fisher has been appointed the Brumbies Director of Rugby while Stephen Larkham is the club's Head Coach.
Read More
Pocock on track for opening Super Rugby round
Thursday 31 October 2013
Former Wallabies captain David Pocock is well into the final stages of his rehab program with the Brumbies having recovered from a knee reconstruction that ruled him out of the majority of the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Read More
Brumbies add more Super Rugby depth for 2014
Thursday 24 October 2013
Super Rugby finalists the Brumbies have announced the addition of three players to their 2014 Super Rugby squad with the signatures of Jack Whetton, Lionel Cronje and Conrad Hoffmann all moving to Australia's capital in the coming weeks.
Read More
Brumbies sign two South African backs
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Former Western Province and Sharks halfback Conrad Hoffmann will play Super Rugby for the Brumbies in 2014 and 2015.
Read More
Brumbies sever ties with SA lock Oosthuizen
Friday 18 October 2013
Super Rugby finalists the Brumbies have released South African-born Etienne Oosthuizen from the final year of his contract after he made contact with coaching staff from the Lions.
Read More
Brumbies name EPS for 2014 Super Rugby season
Wednesday 16 October 2013
2013 Super Rugby finalists the Brumbies have named the five players in their Extended Playing Squad for the 2014 Super Rugby Season.
Read More
Connolly : Brumbies are in a win-win situation
Monday 14 October 2013
Former Wallabies coach John Connolly says that the Brumbies are in a no-lose situtation over the replacement for the recently resigned Jake White.
Read More
Larkham ready to step up for Brumbies as coach
Friday 27 September 2013
Stephen Larkham says that he is really excited about taking over the Brumbies coaching duties with fellow assistant Laurie Fisher after the shock resignation of Jake White.
Read More
Jake White quits Brumbies for personal reasons
Wednesday 25 September 2013
Brumbies coach Jake White has quit his job as head coach of Super Rugby finalists the Brumbies for personal reasons.
Read More
Brumbies named World Club Sevens Champions
Monday 19 August 2013
Canberra Super Rugby franchise the Brumbies were named Cup winners and Champions of the World Club Sevens in London after they beat Auckland 17-14 in the final.
Read More
Smith claims 10th Player's Player award
Saturday 10 August 2013
George Smith has won his 10th Brett Robinson Player's Player award on Saturday at the Brumbies end of season Presentation.
Read More
Hooper wins Australian Super Rugby player's award
Thursday 8 August 2013
Brumbies and Wallabies star flanker Michael Hooper has won the award for the Australian Super Rugby player of the year, beating George Smith and Will Genia
Read More
Winger Rathbone calls for more attacking rugby
Monday 5 August 2013
Brumbies winger Clyde Rathbone says that it is "poetic justice" that the Chiefs won this year's Super Rugby title as they play with an attacking style.
Read More
No winners medal but Smith says it was amazing
Saturday 3 August 2013
Australian great George Smith said goodbye to Super Rugby for a second time on Saturday - not with the fairytale close he wanted but with no regrets.
Read More
Brumbies made too many mistakes under pressure
Saturday 3 August 2013
Former Springbok coach Jake White said that the Brumbies had made too many mistakes under pressure in the Super Rugby final to win the match but he still thought they could snatch it.
Read More
Larkham: Brumbies need a big step up for Chiefs
Friday 2 August 2013
Brumbies assistant coach Stephen Larkham says that a repeat of their performance against the Bulls last weekend will not be enough to beat the Chiefs in the Super Rugby final.
Read More
Brumbies unchanged for Chiefs in Super Rugby final
Thursday 1 August 2013
Brumbies coach Jake White has named an unchanged team to face the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Final Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.
Read More
Jake White's experience will be key for Brumbies
Tuesday 30 July 2013
Brumbies coach Jake White will be able to share his Rugby World Cup winning experience with his players ahead of this weekend's Super Rugby final against the Chiefs.
Read More
White: Bulls decisions helped Brumbies win
Saturday 27 July 2013
Brumbies coach Jake White admitted that the Bulls decision to kick for the corner instead of taking the points helped them beat the hosts 23-26 in Pretoria.
Read More
Brumbies shock Bulls and reach Super Rugby final
Saturday 27 July 2013
The Brumbies pulled of one of the shocks of the season when they beat the Bulls 23-26 in Pretoria to book a place in the Super Rugby final against the Chiefs.
Read More
White names unchanged Brumbies team for Bulls
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Brumbies coach Jake White has named an unchanged team to play the Bulls in their Super Rugby Semi-final match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Read More
White : Brumbies got lucky against the Cheetahs
Sunday 21 July 2013
Brumbies coach Jake White admitted that his team were lucky to keep their Super Rugby title hopes alive after they edged the Cheetahs 15-13 in Canberra.
Read More
Brumbies edge Cheetahs & book Bulls Semi-final
Sunday 21 July 2013
The Brumbies booked a place in the Super Rugby Semi-finals when they escaped a scare by the Cheetahs and held on to win 15-13 in Canberra.
Read More


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I have not put my iphone in the waterproof bag; however, I take it to the waterpark and wear it in the pool. I use it to hold cash and car key. So far nothing has even gotten damp. Rated good instead of excellent because I haven't tried it with iphone.
this case fits my iphone 5 with a Commuter Otter Box case. It also fits the iphone 4...without a case.
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The Communities at Middle Branch Manor - Apartment Rentals in Baltimore, MD
The Communities at Middle Branch Manor Apartments Description
Middle Branch Manor Apartments and Townhomes offer you convenience and affordability. Our one, two and three bedroom apartment and townhome floorplans give you the options and conveniences you deserve! Public transportation is located throughout the community, with the lightrail, shopping, churches and health facilities are all within walking distance. Please call for an appointment today.
Pet Policy
Cats and Dogs are allowed. Maximum weight of pet(s): 75. Restrictions or other terms: Mature Pets Welcome. Please call for pet policy..
- Pool
- Playground
- Laundry
- Near Public Transit
- Located On MTA Bus Route
- Close To MTA Light Rail
The Communities at Middle Branch Manor
2868 Potee Street
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Apartment Rentals Near Baltimore, MD
- The Apartments at Cambridge Court 386 Attenborough Drive Baltimore, MD 21237 Phone Number: (704) 312-1898
- Windsor House 201 Middleway Rd Baltimore, MD 21220 Phone Number: (855) 631-2733
- Carlyle Landing Apartments 6307 Monika Pl Baltimore, MD 21207 Phone Number: (571) 389-7066
- Walnut Grove Townhomes 953 Walnut Grove Rd Baltimore, MD 21221 Phone Number: (855) 631-3244


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09 4 / 2012
Finding a libre 2D molecule editor
So I've been having fun trying to find a usable libre 2D molecule editor. I'm just trying to make diagrams of some simple pyridine-based molecules, nothing fancy.
Avogadro seems a bit buggy. Odd graphics glitches (atom labels showing up as white squares, ball rendering very wrong), poor interface (no menus?). It also seems overly 3D oriented for my needs. I couldn't find a display setting that was just black lines and letters on white.
It took me a while to get BKChem up and running. It's written in Python and uses Tk for its GUI, but the default Macports install of Python 2.6.7 doesn't include Tkinter. After installing Tk, I tried rebuilding Python to no avail. However, installing the port py26-tkinter did the trick.
Unfortunately, BKChem seems slow and unintuitive. Naturally I didn't read the manual but I couldn't figure out how to do anything (zoom, edit molecules, you name it). I suppose I shouldn't have expected snappy responses from an interpreted language running in a cross-platform GUI setup.


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Tigers open SCAC play with 4-1 win at Sewanee
September 22, 2006
September 22, 2006, Sewanee, Tenn. - The Tigers opened Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a 4-1 victory at Sewanee and improved to 3-2 overall.
DePauw jumped out to an early lead on Becca Gaines' goal before Meredith Ellis made it 2-0 on an assist from Beth Seegers. Sewanee cut the lead in half on Marcy Tickner's goal from a Claiborne Bucingham assist late in the first half. The Tigers put the contest away in the second half as Catherine Joliat and Gaines each scored unassisted goals. DePauw outshot Sewanee 23-15, while Sewanee held a 6-5 edge in corners. Kaitlin Thomure recorded six saves for DePauw, while Sewanee's Clarkie Crawford had seven. The Tigers travel to Rhodes on Sunday. Back


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Dettera Restaurant & Wine Bar
Online Reservations
Quiet Sunday night. Cocktails at the bar were fantastic and the wine list for dinner was impressive. Apps were good but entrees were the star of the show. Salmon had an amazing crisp and was Perfectly cooked, I don't usually even like salmon...the duck was the most impressive ive ever had. Tasted like beef almost and was unbelievably tender. Amish chicken was worth ordering chicken out. So unique and flavorful. Short ribs were also decadent. Tuna tartare was my favorite app. I live in Philly so am spoiled with amazing food options but would make the trek to ambler again to have another meal here.
The food and service were great! I had the Oysters for an appetizer and the Duck breast for dinner. Incredibly well cooked. The wine prices were very reasonable and varied. Parking was super easy as there are signs everywhere for parking. Next time I hope we go when it is warm out so we can sit outside!
Went here for the first time for brunch. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. The food, while slightly on the pricey side, was very good. Our waitress was very nice and provided great service. I would definitely go again for a nice brunch.
We always get the same thing, a salad, a cheese plate and a pizza. They don't offer the pizza menu but trust me it is worth asking for. Delicious. Oh and don't forget the Wine!! Very nice selection.
Chef Power has taken Ambler to the next level of cuisine. What looks like a fun bistro, is exactly that and more. Great bar. Fun food. But.... not only fun.... the eclectic factor. One can enjoy an esoteric pizza, or amazing oysters/ tuna tartar in an extraordinary presentation/ fish from a fish procurer that stands out such that with Chef's talent, the ever changing menu is always fabulous. Chef has tasting menus that beg to be tasted. A taste of his best, or his best vegetarian. One can not go wrong with a visit to Ambler and a dining experience at Deterra.
Everything was terrific and elegant. Service we superb. A little pricey but just for for a special occasion.
The food is really good, presented artfully. Portions are reasonable, but don't expect "copious". Very attentive wait staff and manager. Dozens of wines by the glass - 6 oz pours at $10 to $15. Total bill for two, 3 glasses wine between us, with tip $120.
Treated my wife to a Mothers Day brunch. We sat at one of the high top tables out on the deck out front, enjoying the sun and passersby. Our server, James, was perfect in all the right ways. Absolutely loved the chilled creamy English pea soup with lump crabmeat. Wife also like her order of the gravlox appetizer.
The food at Dettera is amazing! What a treat! Every course from appetizer to desert was stunningly presented and delicious. The service was great and the prices were very fair! This place is a gem for sure!
We met for dinner with another couple. Our waiter was friendly at first but the became too busy to stay on top of our orders, a wine refill was 10 minutes before it arrived. Still a great evening!
Went to Dettera on a Tuesday night for a birthday celebration dinner for two. We both opted for the tasting menu and chose to have the wine pairing as well. We were beyond happy with the meal. Everything was presented beautifully and each bite tasted so amazingly delicious! Would have liked to have known more than the varietal of each wine we were served, but besides that small detail, we were quite happy with the pairings, and felt the pours were very generous for the price. Can't stop raving about what a great experience we had at Deterra. So happy to know we don't need to head to center city for a really outstanding meal !
The Duck was out of this world! My girlfriend loved the trout! The Cheese board was amazing!
I had been to Dettera for a baby shower and thought the lunch was really good for being mass produced for a big party so my husband and I decided to go back for our anniversary dinner. We had great meals. The arugala salad was the best salad I've had in a long time. Our waitress was great and made excellent wine and dessert recommendations. It was really humid and we were dressed up so we chose to sit inside but we'll definitely be going back when it's cooler to do outdoor dining. The alleyway they have set up with tables and overhead lights is so cute!
I just wish they had a less expensive wine to offer. so it was a bit over priced for what you get i would say. with tip 200.00 is a bit much for the ambler area. i think if i return i would pay the corking fee as most places do have and save the 60 bucks than it's worth it for sure. they have a great happy hour though. thats next for me to try. i wanna eat in the room called the alley. looks great there with a really urban style to it i think.
You would never expect to enter a top flight restaurant in the heart of Ambler. They have an extensive seasonal menu that is creative and beautifully presented. There is no place in the Delaware Valley that makes better pizza.The servers are young, helpful and energetic. The chef deserves five stars!
The bar scene and noise overwhelms the dining area.
Our meal was exceptionally well prepared and presented-the Market Salad looked like it came right out of a foodie mag-the trout was perfectly prepared and equally beautiful. We dined in the outside breezeway and it was lovely. The bar scene is very lively-too lively for me as I prefer a quiet dining experience. 'will go there again!
We ordered from the tasting menu and it was wonderful. The service was very good too.
This was my second time at Deterra and the first time my meal was outstanding this time it was so so but overall I still would recommend this place. I love sitting out on Main st and people watching. Their drink and wine list is also very good.
Deterra is a beautiful restaurant with several different seating venues. First floor outside in front; outside in a very charming corridor with lights strung over the tables; inside first floor in the same room as the bar; upstairs much quieter. The menu was varied with excellent gourmet selections. The wine list too expensive with not enough lower priced selections. Rob Levin
From the moment walking in door Dettera this restaurant felt like a good night was about to happen! Staff was very friendly and accommodating The menu was very open for all of us to choose from. I chose the tastings option for dinner and would highly recommend! It was great for conversation and appealing for my pallet! A special date or occasion would fit this to a T!! Drinks were delicious and we had a nice surprise of a HH price till 7!!
The restaurant has been around for a few years but we never tried it and I don't know why we didn't because it was fantastic! It looks unassuming from the outside, but always looked fun. There is outdoor seating in the front and along the side. The food was delicious--from the appetizers to the desserts. The service was impeccable and top notch. The menu is really fine dining and the prices are higher than one might think, but well-deserved. The flavors were inventive and creative, and the cooks seem classically trained. I highly recommend this restaurant! Don't wait as long as I did to check it out.
Excellent experience.......food was awesome......service was excellent and very attentive. Great ambience.
Great location, always delicious food and on Sundays you can bring your own wine. Highly recommend.
We really enjoyed this restaurant. We have become restaurant snobs since we go to Las Vegas yearly and eat at some of the best restaurants there. It's hard to find such wonderful food in this area. We will be back again.
went for first timed during restaurant week and was very impressed. the dishes were very well put together. the pairings went with each course very appropriately as well. will definitely be back for the regular menu and tasting menu. its great to see a restaurant of this quality thriving in ambler
For a wonderful dining experience, Dettera is the best. We went during Ambler Restaurant Week (July 2013) and tried the special menu with the wine pairings. Every aspect worked together to achieve perfection!
Nice to find the quality of a high-end city restaurant in the burbs. Deterra's focus on high quality ingredients, innovative and changing menus, tantalizing themes, wine pairing options and exceptional service keeps this restaurant in the "big leagues". Prices highish for burbs, moderate for city, excellent vs. similar high-quality experiences.
Wait staff and hostess were just fantastic! Amish chicken was incredibly tender and duck breast is recommended.
The kitchen at Dettera consistently produces delicious food. The recent menu change has brought even tastier dishes. Fresh, delicious food and a nice atmosphere make Dettera a desirable destination for dinner.
This restaurant was delightful and we loved the table we sat at by the window.
We did their scallop tasting menu and it was awesome. 5 different plates plus dessert and a wine pairing for 5 courses. We have never had a bad meal here and have done a few of their tasting menu's.
Good place to dine for a good meal. Great service. High moderate pricing but the food and ambience is worth it. We went for a Wedding Anniversary. Great evening. Upstairs is somewhat quieter than the first floor as the bar is on the first floor. Not noisy. Just Quieter upstairs. I have also dined there with Business associates. Great for a group for dinner. I've had up to 20people.
$50 tasting menu, $20 with wine pairing per person. 6 courses, some fixed. Some with choices. Veggie tasting is only $40 if you don't east meat. The tasting menu is almost identical to the main menu, and with two dinners if you each get something different you can share almost very item them make by a tasting for two. Extremely reasonably for $140+tax and tip for the food quality, service and amount of wine you receive. I would say about 80% of the wine pairs were great a few disappointing. Well worth the trip at least once for anyone who has the palate to appreciate good food. I would only eat for the pairings, it would be the same $ to just do one appy and entree each.
Dettera is the best place to enjoy a meal before or after a show in Ambler. Whether going to the movies, or a show at Act II, Dettera is the best option for dinner. The have the best wine list in the area, and a variety of seasonal cocktails to choose from. The menu changes seasonally as well, so there is always something fresh and exciting to try. The service is excellent and every dish I've had has been exceptional.
Dettera never disappoints and this time was no exception. I usually only have occasion to visit on business trips to the area, but this time got to bring my wife. Our meals were both excellent as was the good and fairly priced wines by the glass. The special foie gras appetizer was truly special and went perfectly with the lovely Gewurtztraminer by the glass. Altogether another wonderful evening!
My wonderfully tender skirt steak was delicious, as were the Brussels sprouts (though too much bacon to sprout for me). My only complaint was that the restaurant was out of the scallop appetizer, which I had my heart set on. Our reservation was at 6 pm, and that seems early to run out.
Room is beautiful; service was attentive. Great beer list. Had the tasting menu which was executed very well. A few minor criticisms: (i) we asked for a substitution on one of the tasting menu courses (my wife does not eat shellfish)--which was refused out of hand--I would understand this response (perhaps) if the restaurant was mobbed, but we were at the end of the evening rush; and (ii) as each course was delivered, there should have been a complete explanation of items being served (this was all on the menu, but would have been nice to be reminded of the ingredients and gastronomy by servers to reflect the time and effort). Tasting menu is very well-priced, but portions are pretty small--left satisfied, but certainly not over-stuffed.
beautifully appointed dining room - comfortable round table seating - sofisticated cocktails - fine wine selection - wonderful additions (seasonal) to the menu. A great evening out!!
Our dinner at Dettera was fantastic. We tried the vegetarian tasting menu for $40 per person, even though neither of us is vegetarian. (A wine flight can be added to each course for an extra $20 -- I did, and the match-ups were interesting and delicious.) Each course was perfectly timed and presented. Definitely not your standard dinner fare -- very creative, blending interesting and unusual flavors. I highly recommend this gem.
Deterra's unique selections were prepared to perfection, taste spot on and presentation impeccable. Atmosphere is warm and friendly. A suburban favorite.
Dettera is my favorite restaurant. Seasonal menu. Great wine, beer, and cocktail selection. Free parking and close to home
Very good food and great service. Our server, Mick, was attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. One of our party has a peanut allergy and the restaurant was very conscientious about making sure each course was peanut-free.
We had an early dinner after a movie. Restaurant is very convenient to the Ambler Theatre. The food was very good and service attentive. Restaurant is nicely appointed with less formal bar area on first floor and more formal dining on second. But the second floor is open to the first and the space feels open and spacious. The food was a little pricey but the menu has cheaper choices too. Overall, a good experience.
Dettera's has become a true favorite for all our celebration dinners -- The menu is always full of scrumptious options, the beer and wine selections are extensive and offers a great variety, and the waitstaff team is always so attentive and personable. We will certainly be visiting again :)


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: From the Ruins of Empire
Today on Sinica, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn host a discussion with Pankaj Mishra on his book
From the Ruins of Empire
, a history of Asia's intellectual response to Western imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th century. Also joining us for this wide-ranging discussion is Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chinese historian, frequently published columnist, and editor most recently of
Chinese Characters
, a collection of essays on Chinese individuals by many well-known China watchers.
Links to materials discussed are coming in the comments section below. In the meantime, let us remind you that it's easy to subscribe to Sinica through our RSS feed. To do this, simply click on the "Advanced" file menu in iTunes and select the option "Subscribe to Podcast". Copy the URL
into the box when prompted. Or skip the whole fuss and just download this show as a
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said on
October 19, 2012
Jeremy: Watch This Man - Pankaj Mishra's review of the book Civilisation: The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson
Jeffrey: The City & The City, by sci-fi writer China Miéville
Pankaj: Chinese Characters: Profiles of Fast-Changing Lives in a Fast-Changing Land, edited by Angilee Shah and Jeffrey Wasserstrom
Kaiser: Is Mo Yan a stooge for the Chinese government? by Brendan O'Kane
said on
October 21, 2012
Interesting podcast.
#1 I thought you guys were treating Mishra as more of an expert on China than he actually he is. I got the impression multiple times that he was forced to explain things to an audience better informed than himself.
#2 I didn't read the book, but what's the problem with global integration (besides the environmental problem)? If anything, it's good for, for lack of a better term, non-western peoples. Globalization has created a lot of opportunities for service jobs in India and manufacturing in China. Western unskilled employees and labor paid the price, not non-western peoples.
#3 Lastly, people, when talking about the west, need to make a distinction between western culture and consumer culture. They're superficially intertwined because the west has all the money, but if you think that the less fortunate people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas don't want iPhones, ferraris, and armani, you need to jump out the window of your ivory tower.
said on
October 31, 2012
Just thought I would mention that it was quite interesting to see Mishra and Ferguson go at each other in the comments section of the review, by Mishra of Niall Ferguson's book, recommended by Jeremy above.
Plus, a couple of book reviews of Mishra's book for anybody interested:
your name:
leave a comment:


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Book Review: The Art of Madagascar 3
The Art of Madagascar 3, by Barbara Robertson. Foreword by Chris Rock. Illustrated.
San Rafael, CA, Insight Editions, May 2012, 156 pages, 978-1-60887-075-2, $40.00.
This is the latest coffee-table "making of" art book to document a DreamWorks Animation CGI theatrical feature, to be released theatrically on June 8, about three weeks after this book's publication. To write the text, DreamWorks has recruited Barbara Robertson, a contributing editor for Computer Graphics World who has received numerous awards including the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award and the Society of Technical Communications' Award of Excellence. Chris Rock, the voice of Marty the zebra, wrote the brief foreword.
As Insight Editions had full access to the totality of the crew's production graphics while the Madagascar 3 fantasy-comedy was being produced (in 3D), The Art of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is extremely comprehensive in its graphics presentation, printed in a large 11" x 10" format in full color. There are close-ups of all the main characters: the now-familiar Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippopotamus, and Melman the giraffe, as well as the new characters created for this installment; the circus animals Vitaly the Siberian tiger, Gia the jaguar, and Stefano the sea lion, plus their human nemesis, Captain Chantel Dubois, the ruthless Monte Carlo animal-control officer. The old and new supporting cast; the four uncontrollable penguins and two chimpanzees, plus King Julien XIII and his lemurs, Mort the mouse lemur and Maurice the aye-aye, and Dubois' army of animal-control agents and the supporting circus animals such as Sonya the bear, the three performing horse sisters, and the geriatric elephants are covered as well. There is production art galore: model sheets, lush background paintings, character and setting VFX art, stereo 3D, lighting, and more (each graphic is signed), with knowledgeable commentary by the production staff such as director Eric Darnell, production designer Kendal Cronkhite, head of story Rob Koo, and head of layout Nol Meyer. Especially interesting are the preliminary designs of the new characters. Chantel Dubois in particular was considered in a variety of guises from an older to a younger, less attractive to more attractive, woman before her appearance in the film was settled upon.
Through the mostly-chronological procession of production art, the film's story is told. Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman have escaped from New York's Central Park Zoo (with the penguins and chimps) to find their African roots, and end up in Madagascar by mistake, in Madagascar (2005). Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) brought them (with the penguins and chimps, plus the Madagascan lemurs) to the African mainland, where they were all disappointed by their "roots" and wanted to return to the New York Zoo. In Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, the Zoosters travel from Africa to Monte Carlo where the penguins and chimps have gone, to use their patched-together airplane to fly back to New York. But the plane is hopelessly wrecked, and the "wild animals" in swank Monte Carlo come to the attention of its animal-control officer, a frustrated Big Game Hunter-wannabe who seizes upon their capture or killing as her golden opportunity. To escape, the African quartet poses as circus animals to join a ramshackle traveling circus passing through Monaco on its way to, ultimately, New York.