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Sunday, July 31, 2011
Labels: Actresses, Dakota Fanning
Labels: Actresses, Dakota Fanning
THE first weekend of a 50-man police blitz on the Gold Coast has done little to ease community fears.
Operation Seymour snagged 28 people on 36 minor charges including public urination, public nuisance, drink-driving and drunk and disorderly.
Arrests for Friday and Saturday totaled 146 which was 14 less than the weekend before.
No arrests were made for armed robbery or weapon possession and bikie gangs were not targeted.
Police sources revealed senior officers were not even told of plans for the operation until the eleventh hour.
The 50 extra officers sent to target suburban hotspots are believed to be staying in a Surfers Paradise high rise, far removed from the real problem areas.
Federal Member for Moncrieff, Steven Ciobo, said the operation was doomed to fail because it was a 'Band-aid fix'.
"This is not a policing failure, it's a political failure," he said.
"This operation will not do a single thing to reduce crime in any meaningful way. The government is of the assumption the community is stupid, but people can see this for what it is -- a Band-aid fix that won't last.
"Without permanent extra resources, the city will continue to be known as the country's crime capital."
Operation Seymour snagged 28 people on 36 minor charges including public urination, public nuisance, drink-driving and drunk and disorderly.
Arrests for Friday and Saturday totaled 146 which was 14 less than the weekend before.
No arrests were made for armed robbery or weapon possession and bikie gangs were not targeted.
Police sources revealed senior officers were not even told of plans for the operation until the eleventh hour.
The 50 extra officers sent to target suburban hotspots are believed to be staying in a Surfers Paradise high rise, far removed from the real problem areas.
Federal Member for Moncrieff, Steven Ciobo, said the operation was doomed to fail because it was a 'Band-aid fix'.
"This is not a policing failure, it's a political failure," he said.
"This operation will not do a single thing to reduce crime in any meaningful way. The government is of the assumption the community is stupid, but people can see this for what it is -- a Band-aid fix that won't last.
"Without permanent extra resources, the city will continue to be known as the country's crime capital."
Labels: Sports News
The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired former All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for a minor league outfielder.
It's not known whether or not Furcal will be in uniform tonight when the Cardinals close out their three-game series with the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.
Furcal, who had to approve the deal, has been slowed by injuries this season, hitting just .197 with a .272 on-base-percentage in 37 games. However, over his past nine games Furcal is hitting .303 and has driven in five runs.
"We feel that Furcal will give us added veteran experience when it comes to a pennant race," said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak. "Rafael has been an excellent top of the order hitter and he brings plenty of athleticism and defense."
For his career, the two-time All-Star is a .283 hitter with a .349 on-base percentage and a .407 slugging percentage in 1,434 games for the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, with whom he broke into the league in 2000.
Last season he hit .300 with 22 stolen bases in 97 games for the Dodgers. His .370 on-base-percentage was also the majors' best among leadoff hitters
Furcal, 33, is in the final year of a three-year deal that contains a club option for 2012 worth $12 million.
Los Angeles receives 24-year-old Alex Castellanos, a 10th round pick of the Cardinals in the 2008 draft. He had belted 19 home runs and was hitting .319 in 93 games for Double-A Springfield this season.
The Furcal acquisition caps a busy week for St. Louis, which completed an eight-player deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. In that trade, the Cards acquired starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, and outfielder Corey Patterson, while dealing away outfielder Colby Rasmus and three relievers.
It's not known whether or not Furcal will be in uniform tonight when the Cardinals close out their three-game series with the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.
Furcal, who had to approve the deal, has been slowed by injuries this season, hitting just .197 with a .272 on-base-percentage in 37 games. However, over his past nine games Furcal is hitting .303 and has driven in five runs.
"We feel that Furcal will give us added veteran experience when it comes to a pennant race," said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak. "Rafael has been an excellent top of the order hitter and he brings plenty of athleticism and defense."
For his career, the two-time All-Star is a .283 hitter with a .349 on-base percentage and a .407 slugging percentage in 1,434 games for the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, with whom he broke into the league in 2000.
Last season he hit .300 with 22 stolen bases in 97 games for the Dodgers. His .370 on-base-percentage was also the majors' best among leadoff hitters
Furcal, 33, is in the final year of a three-year deal that contains a club option for 2012 worth $12 million.
Los Angeles receives 24-year-old Alex Castellanos, a 10th round pick of the Cardinals in the 2008 draft. He had belted 19 home runs and was hitting .319 in 93 games for Double-A Springfield this season.
The Furcal acquisition caps a busy week for St. Louis, which completed an eight-player deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. In that trade, the Cards acquired starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, and outfielder Corey Patterson, while dealing away outfielder Colby Rasmus and three relievers.
Labels: World News
Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola may still have to face charges over alleged irregularities in IPLbonuses paid to him and other CSA staff two years ago, according to reports.
This follows a CSA Board meeting where the results of the long-awaited independent forensic audit into the matter were discussed.
Although the full report was not made available to media, CSA president Mtutuzeli Nyoka disclosed that the audit firm KPMG had reported that there were "possible irregularities" in the allocation of bonuses of millions of Rands to Majola and about 40 other CSA staff in the wake of the IPL 2 and the Champions Trophy hosted in South Africa two years ago.
Majola was allegedly paid Rand 1.8 million, which he repaid after questions began arising.
Nyoka's request for an independent inquiry into the bonuses was converted by CSA into an internal enquiry that just rapped Majola over the knuckles.
Nyoka was subsequently dismissed in absentia from his position, but was reinstated after a High Court ruled in his favour. He then re-instituted the independent enquiry.
Nyoka said CSA accepted the findings by KPMG and would call in legal assistance to investigate the irregularities after consultation with the South African Sports Council and Olympics Committee (Sascoc).
Nyoka told the Afrikaans weekly 'Rapport' that the possibility still existed of Majola facing disciplinary action.
"The report has not delivered finding on (Majola's) guilt or innocence and therefore we have to now take informed and considered decisions," he said.
Sources inside CSA said the KPMG report confirmed that although no money was missing from CSA coffers, Majola could face charges in terms of four contraventions of the Companies Act relating to the bonuses.
The source said KPMG had also recommended that the CSA remuneration and travel policies be reviewed urgently.
Nyoka said a CSA committee would be established to review remuneration and travel procedures.
According to 'Rapport', Majola was furious over questions relating to members of his family regularly traveling with him at CSA cost between Johannesburg and his home town of Port Elizabeth.
This follows a CSA Board meeting where the results of the long-awaited independent forensic audit into the matter were discussed.
Although the full report was not made available to media, CSA president Mtutuzeli Nyoka disclosed that the audit firm KPMG had reported that there were "possible irregularities" in the allocation of bonuses of millions of Rands to Majola and about 40 other CSA staff in the wake of the IPL 2 and the Champions Trophy hosted in South Africa two years ago.
Majola was allegedly paid Rand 1.8 million, which he repaid after questions began arising.
Nyoka's request for an independent inquiry into the bonuses was converted by CSA into an internal enquiry that just rapped Majola over the knuckles.
Nyoka was subsequently dismissed in absentia from his position, but was reinstated after a High Court ruled in his favour. He then re-instituted the independent enquiry.
Nyoka said CSA accepted the findings by KPMG and would call in legal assistance to investigate the irregularities after consultation with the South African Sports Council and Olympics Committee (Sascoc).
Nyoka told the Afrikaans weekly 'Rapport' that the possibility still existed of Majola facing disciplinary action.
"The report has not delivered finding on (Majola's) guilt or innocence and therefore we have to now take informed and considered decisions," he said.
Sources inside CSA said the KPMG report confirmed that although no money was missing from CSA coffers, Majola could face charges in terms of four contraventions of the Companies Act relating to the bonuses.
The source said KPMG had also recommended that the CSA remuneration and travel policies be reviewed urgently.
Nyoka said a CSA committee would be established to review remuneration and travel procedures.
According to 'Rapport', Majola was furious over questions relating to members of his family regularly traveling with him at CSA cost between Johannesburg and his home town of Port Elizabeth.
Labels: Sports News
Jennifer Garner and her adorable 2-year-old daughter Seraphina are all smiles as they take a walk down the street while shopping together on Wednesday (July 27) in Santa Monica, Calif.
Earlier in the week, the 39-year-old actress received a sweet hug from her older daughter Violet, 5, as she picked her up from school.
Jen’s husband Ben Affleck is sporting a new hairstyle these days andJustJared.com learned that it’s all for his role in the upcoming movie Argo, which he is also directing and producing!
Earlier in the week, the 39-year-old actress received a sweet hug from her older daughter Violet, 5, as she picked her up from school.
Jen’s husband Ben Affleck is sporting a new hairstyle these days andJustJared.com learned that it’s all for his role in the upcoming movie Argo, which he is also directing and producing!
Labels: Show Biz News
Each year, the state must declare an emergency and exceed its normal production rate of staples to sync with the skyrocketing consumption of food. The import of massive amounts of wheat for bread and dried fruits - both constitute an essential part of the Ramadan menu - all add to the already struggling Egyptian balance sheet.
This can be translated into two bills, the first economic and the second environmental. The two are linked due to excessive consumption leading to a massive build-up of waste, burdening the environment and negatively impacting the nation's economy. Although this waste production exists at other times of the year, Ramadan is the peak.
Another negative outcome of Ramadan is traffic congestion, which translates into large amounts of car-generated toxic greenhouse gases. With traffic being stalled almost constantly (except right after iftar, when the city is devoid of cars and pedestrians), often the likelihood of reaching your house after work in under an hour is more a fantasy than a possibility. In addition, people tend to travel extensively to every corner of the country in order to visit family, and traverse Cairo on a daily basis to visit one another.
Not only should we pay attention to the amounts of food consumed during the month, but also to the vast quantities that are discarded, despite the fact that nearby countries are suffering shortages of food and water (a plight with which some Egyptians are familiar). Unfortunately, all this discarded waste is thrown into our partially untreated sewage system and eventually flows into the Nile.
Also during the month, many stay up deep into the night, therefore consuming energy (gas and electricity) as much as food, depleting fossil fuel resources.
Because of this maximal consumption pattern, food prices become incredibly high. In this period of uncertainty and instability, purchasing a product at an inflated price can only have two consequences: the price of this already expensive product will keep on increasing or it will run out and other customers will be deprived of it.
You are what you eat?
The fact that our bodies are composed of 90 percent water, combined with the interdiction on drinking liquids, can significantly increase some health problems. Smokers who have to refrain the entire day from drawing on a Cleopatra often catch up at night and smoke just as much, although in a very short period of time, on top of an excessively absorbing food.
Ramadan also causes other health problems, as it significantly increases the occurrences of atherosclerosis, diabetes and gastrointestinal tract diseases (GIT). GIT diseases are the most common in Egypt that result directly from food consumption habits, which become uncontrolled during Ramadan. To combat this problem, people resort to medication to decrease cholesterol and sugar levels. The water treatment system is often incapable of separating medications from our sewage before the water reaches the Nile.
Moreover, Ramadan’s stressful schedules make those who observe it more vulnerable to weight gain, due to a lack sports and exercise.
Last but not least, we should not forget the infamous polluter, shisha. Not only does shisha pollute from the smoke exhaled, but the charcoal is carbon-intensive, which is terrible for the environment. Indoor shisha consumption during Ramadan is rampant and results in indoor air contamination.
For those of us who observe Ramadan, it would be wise to restrain ourselves a bit for once and eat, drink, smoke and drive sensibly during the holy month, especially at a time when Egypt deploys such efforts to avoid a major food security problem. It is also important to keep an eye on the month's ecological dimensions.
This can be translated into two bills, the first economic and the second environmental. The two are linked due to excessive consumption leading to a massive build-up of waste, burdening the environment and negatively impacting the nation's economy. Although this waste production exists at other times of the year, Ramadan is the peak.
Another negative outcome of Ramadan is traffic congestion, which translates into large amounts of car-generated toxic greenhouse gases. With traffic being stalled almost constantly (except right after iftar, when the city is devoid of cars and pedestrians), often the likelihood of reaching your house after work in under an hour is more a fantasy than a possibility. In addition, people tend to travel extensively to every corner of the country in order to visit family, and traverse Cairo on a daily basis to visit one another.
Not only should we pay attention to the amounts of food consumed during the month, but also to the vast quantities that are discarded, despite the fact that nearby countries are suffering shortages of food and water (a plight with which some Egyptians are familiar). Unfortunately, all this discarded waste is thrown into our partially untreated sewage system and eventually flows into the Nile.
Also during the month, many stay up deep into the night, therefore consuming energy (gas and electricity) as much as food, depleting fossil fuel resources.
Because of this maximal consumption pattern, food prices become incredibly high. In this period of uncertainty and instability, purchasing a product at an inflated price can only have two consequences: the price of this already expensive product will keep on increasing or it will run out and other customers will be deprived of it.
You are what you eat?
The fact that our bodies are composed of 90 percent water, combined with the interdiction on drinking liquids, can significantly increase some health problems. Smokers who have to refrain the entire day from drawing on a Cleopatra often catch up at night and smoke just as much, although in a very short period of time, on top of an excessively absorbing food.
Ramadan also causes other health problems, as it significantly increases the occurrences of atherosclerosis, diabetes and gastrointestinal tract diseases (GIT). GIT diseases are the most common in Egypt that result directly from food consumption habits, which become uncontrolled during Ramadan. To combat this problem, people resort to medication to decrease cholesterol and sugar levels. The water treatment system is often incapable of separating medications from our sewage before the water reaches the Nile.
Moreover, Ramadan’s stressful schedules make those who observe it more vulnerable to weight gain, due to a lack sports and exercise.
Last but not least, we should not forget the infamous polluter, shisha. Not only does shisha pollute from the smoke exhaled, but the charcoal is carbon-intensive, which is terrible for the environment. Indoor shisha consumption during Ramadan is rampant and results in indoor air contamination.
For those of us who observe Ramadan, it would be wise to restrain ourselves a bit for once and eat, drink, smoke and drive sensibly during the holy month, especially at a time when Egypt deploys such efforts to avoid a major food security problem. It is also important to keep an eye on the month's ecological dimensions.
Labels: World News
The Louisiana Lottery Corp. says a ticket bought in Kenner won the $325,000 Lotto jackpot and an Easy 5 ticket bought in Bossier City won $99,290. Nobody won the $133 Powerball jackpot.
That means estimated jackpots Wednesday rise to $160 million for Powerball but fall to $250,000 for Lotto and $50,000 for Easy 5.
Four Powerball tickets matched the first five numbers, but missed the Powerball, winning $200,000 each. They were sold in Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Saturday's winning numbers:
Powerball:
20-40-41-47-55; Powerball: 19
Power Play: 2
Easy 5:
04 08 14 16 34
Lotto:
07 11 22 24 28 36
That means estimated jackpots Wednesday rise to $160 million for Powerball but fall to $250,000 for Lotto and $50,000 for Easy 5.
Four Powerball tickets matched the first five numbers, but missed the Powerball, winning $200,000 each. They were sold in Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Saturday's winning numbers:
Powerball:
20-40-41-47-55; Powerball: 19
Power Play: 2
Easy 5:
04 08 14 16 34
Lotto:
07 11 22 24 28 36
Labels: Business News
Bear Grylls, star of "Man vs. Wild," has done plenty of shocking things during the nearly five-year run of the worst-case-scenario survival show. He ate a raw zebra carcass. Escaped from quicksand. He even gave himself an enema on a raft in the middle of the ocean.
But during the sixth season of the show, new episodes of which began airing last week, Grylls will do something unprecedented: He'll cry.
Ironically, it wasn't an event that occurred organically in nature that shook the outdoorsman. Grylls, attempting to re-create a storm in northern Norway, had the show's producers amp up the drama by using massive wind machines — and the result was almost more than Grylls could take.
"They blasted the hell out of me, and I thought I could get a shelter and fire going, but I just got beaten by this thing and was really shaken," he recalled, speaking last week from his native England, where he said he had just finished wrangling a horse in from the rain. "The emotion was there because I thought, 'The reality is, if you found yourself in this situation, you're dead.' I have that feeling loads, where I'm thinking, 'What am I doing?' But I keep a laminated picture of my family in the sole of my shoe, and their smiles remind me to stop complaining and just get on with it."
It's that kind of fortitude that has endeared viewers to Grylls, who attributes his mind control to a three-year stint with the British Special Air Service over a decade ago. Since launching in 2006, "Man vs. Wild," which follows the 37-year-old as he's thrown into a variety of challenging survival situations across the globe, has become one of Discovery Channel's highest-rated programs.
Last week, viewers watched as he shepherded A-list actor Jake Gyllenhaal through the Icelandic tundra, where they braved 90-mph winds and individually pulled themselves across a single rope suspended hundreds of feet over a deep ravine.
Grylls, who once brought Will Ferrell with him to the Arctic Circle, emailed Gyllenhaal about appearing on the program after the actor said he was a fan of the show. (Gyllenhaal declined to comment for this article.)
"I always have to have kind of a weird conversation with these people's insurance guys, where they ask me, 'Can you guarantee us that these actors will be safe?' And I go, 'Well, no, I can't,'" he said. "Then there's a long pause on the other end of the telephone. But you can't predict what's going to happen in the wild — that's what makes the show edgy.… I can look after him to my utmost ability, and my ability is OK."
Grylls says he often has Hollywood types approach him about appearing on "Man vs. Wild," perhaps attempting to prove their toughness — or just looking for a drastic change in scenery.
"It's nice for actors to do something where they're not covered by safety ropes and helmets. There's a thrill for them to be able to do stuff that is very real," he said.
The adrenaline rush that Gyllenhaal experienced has yet to wear off for Grylls too, he said.
"It's a love-hate relationship. I struggle because I'm away from my family and there's a significant amount of risk, but there is that kind of magic when life becomes very raw and unfluffy," said the father of three boys.
But doesn't Grylls ever question why he's putting himself in such danger? How many folks, for example, just happen to find themselves stranded without any supplies in the Sahara Desert? And do the few who do truly remember Grylls' step-by-step instructions on how to skin a camel and use its carcass as a shelter?
"We have had people say I've helped them a lot over the years, and that's a real encourager, because I'll go to these places and think, 'I really hope this helps people, because I'm busting my …,'" he said, laughing.
Though it might seem that Grylls has already traveled to the most extreme places on Earth, the show's star says there are still risky locales to visit.
"I used to think that after one season we'd say, 'That's great. We've done the hardest jungles and mountains.' But the irony is that the more hellhole places in the wilderness the show has exposed, we've found even more incredible wild places," he said, adding that this year he'll venture to the islands of New Zealand as well as Utah badlands.
Before heading into each adventure, Grylls has a team scout the area a week ahead, working with rangers and search-and-rescue crews to create a game plan. After sifting through maps and evacuation plans, Grylls surveys the environment with a helicopter. Once on the ground, a small crew of about four individuals trail Grylls, though unlike him, they're able to sleep in tents.
There are no luxurious accommodations in store for Grylls, however, who admits to feeling some pressure that he must continue upping his outlandish antics every season.
"I'm always wanting to go to nice places where it's gonna be temperate — where it's not gonna be 120 degrees," he joked. "But the fans go, 'Have you heard of this nasty place or this nasty thing to eat?' When it comes to eating stuff, I've just got more used to it over the years. I still don't enjoy it. Survival food is never gonna be pretty. People always say, 'I don't know why you're always surprised that survival food tastes horrible.' I guess I'm just eternally optimistic."
But during the sixth season of the show, new episodes of which began airing last week, Grylls will do something unprecedented: He'll cry.
Ironically, it wasn't an event that occurred organically in nature that shook the outdoorsman. Grylls, attempting to re-create a storm in northern Norway, had the show's producers amp up the drama by using massive wind machines — and the result was almost more than Grylls could take.
"They blasted the hell out of me, and I thought I could get a shelter and fire going, but I just got beaten by this thing and was really shaken," he recalled, speaking last week from his native England, where he said he had just finished wrangling a horse in from the rain. "The emotion was there because I thought, 'The reality is, if you found yourself in this situation, you're dead.' I have that feeling loads, where I'm thinking, 'What am I doing?' But I keep a laminated picture of my family in the sole of my shoe, and their smiles remind me to stop complaining and just get on with it."
It's that kind of fortitude that has endeared viewers to Grylls, who attributes his mind control to a three-year stint with the British Special Air Service over a decade ago. Since launching in 2006, "Man vs. Wild," which follows the 37-year-old as he's thrown into a variety of challenging survival situations across the globe, has become one of Discovery Channel's highest-rated programs.
Last week, viewers watched as he shepherded A-list actor Jake Gyllenhaal through the Icelandic tundra, where they braved 90-mph winds and individually pulled themselves across a single rope suspended hundreds of feet over a deep ravine.
Grylls, who once brought Will Ferrell with him to the Arctic Circle, emailed Gyllenhaal about appearing on the program after the actor said he was a fan of the show. (Gyllenhaal declined to comment for this article.)
"I always have to have kind of a weird conversation with these people's insurance guys, where they ask me, 'Can you guarantee us that these actors will be safe?' And I go, 'Well, no, I can't,'" he said. "Then there's a long pause on the other end of the telephone. But you can't predict what's going to happen in the wild — that's what makes the show edgy.… I can look after him to my utmost ability, and my ability is OK."
Grylls says he often has Hollywood types approach him about appearing on "Man vs. Wild," perhaps attempting to prove their toughness — or just looking for a drastic change in scenery.
"It's nice for actors to do something where they're not covered by safety ropes and helmets. There's a thrill for them to be able to do stuff that is very real," he said.
The adrenaline rush that Gyllenhaal experienced has yet to wear off for Grylls too, he said.
"It's a love-hate relationship. I struggle because I'm away from my family and there's a significant amount of risk, but there is that kind of magic when life becomes very raw and unfluffy," said the father of three boys.
But doesn't Grylls ever question why he's putting himself in such danger? How many folks, for example, just happen to find themselves stranded without any supplies in the Sahara Desert? And do the few who do truly remember Grylls' step-by-step instructions on how to skin a camel and use its carcass as a shelter?
"We have had people say I've helped them a lot over the years, and that's a real encourager, because I'll go to these places and think, 'I really hope this helps people, because I'm busting my …,'" he said, laughing.
Though it might seem that Grylls has already traveled to the most extreme places on Earth, the show's star says there are still risky locales to visit.
"I used to think that after one season we'd say, 'That's great. We've done the hardest jungles and mountains.' But the irony is that the more hellhole places in the wilderness the show has exposed, we've found even more incredible wild places," he said, adding that this year he'll venture to the islands of New Zealand as well as Utah badlands.
Before heading into each adventure, Grylls has a team scout the area a week ahead, working with rangers and search-and-rescue crews to create a game plan. After sifting through maps and evacuation plans, Grylls surveys the environment with a helicopter. Once on the ground, a small crew of about four individuals trail Grylls, though unlike him, they're able to sleep in tents.
There are no luxurious accommodations in store for Grylls, however, who admits to feeling some pressure that he must continue upping his outlandish antics every season.
"I'm always wanting to go to nice places where it's gonna be temperate — where it's not gonna be 120 degrees," he joked. "But the fans go, 'Have you heard of this nasty place or this nasty thing to eat?' When it comes to eating stuff, I've just got more used to it over the years. I still don't enjoy it. Survival food is never gonna be pretty. People always say, 'I don't know why you're always surprised that survival food tastes horrible.' I guess I'm just eternally optimistic."
Labels: Show Biz News
An aftermath of the divorce debate has been a demand for revision of the relations between Church and State. However, the actual adjustments proposed in legal terms do not seem to amount to more than fine-tuning. Shouldn’t there be more reflection on the relationship between religion and culture in our island as globalisation and the electronic revolution become increasingly prevalent?
Concrete instances are usually the best way to tackle such general questions. On July 19, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority issued permits to the parish priest of Manikata, Fr Reginald Magri, and to Joseph Attard, an architect I’m not acquainted with, to demolish a significant part of the parvis of the internationally-famous church designed by Richard England, and to develop some underground spaces to be illuminated by three skylights, each of which four metres high.
I do not know whether this project had previously obtained approval of the aesthetics board of the Liturgical Commission. If so there would be just cause for complaint about clerical insensitivity to contemporary art.
When I first learnt of the apparently imminent outrage, I was even more taken aback to discover that the State was not doing any better. It had failed to schedule the building, now more than half a century old.
Of all 20th century Maltese buildings it has figured most frequently in books and foreign journals of art and architecture.
An ironist would no doubt delight in this shining instance of Church-State collaboration in damaging a pinnacle of the not-so-abandoned masterpieces expressive at once of the sacred and of our national building traditions with its recollections of the ġirna and megalithic culture.
Surely Mepa should agree urgently to schedule Manikata church. It would at least be preserving a memory of that happy moment of religious and cultural rebirth that occurred in the wake of Independence on one hand and Vatican Council II on the other.
There were some excellent examples of the intersecting values of religion and politics coming together against their common enemy, which is mediocrity in the recent arts festival. What do you say about that?
Let me again tackle your question by way of a concrete example: the Globe’s Hamlet.
I will begin by confessing incidentally that I would prefer – in the run-up to the European Capital of Culture Year – getting a local company of actors set up as was done last year for the production Ospizio. It would perform Elizabethan plays with a special local reference, such as Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta or The Knight of Malta by John Fletcher.
Although admittedly popular, the Globe performances continue to be profoundly perverse.
For instance, as critic Paul Xuereb could not help observing in his review, the most famous speech in the whole of world theatre – “to be or not to be” – was thrown away, spoken so fast that it led a woman sitting next to me to wonder after the performance whether it had been cut.
In spite of this, Shakespeare’s play could not be prevented from stimulating inward rumination on the deep interlocking of religion and politics.
Many literary historians have written books about whether it is a Catholic culture (as argued for instance, by Peter Milward) or a Protestant (Grace Tiffany) or secular (Stephen Greenblat) that is reflected in Hamlet.
Yet there seems to be a convergence on what the real choice that “to be or not to be” is about.
The events in the year when Shakespeare was writing this speech were forcing upon everyone whose family was like the author’s recusant Catholic the dilemma: should they continue to accept passively “the slings and arrows of outrageous” persecutions, or “to take arms” against it, as Essex did and was done in the Gunpowder Plot?
Shakespeare built the whole play as generally recognised, on the credibility of the ghost. He claims to be in purgatory (“confined to fast in fires/Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature/Are burnt and purged away”). But, purgatory had been declared non-existent by the Protestants.
Worse still, the ghost urged in the most unholy way from a Christian point of view, revenge, rather than forgiveness. Hamlet begins to question: “The spirit that I have seen/May be the devil”.
In the Globe’s performance the other great soliloquy by Claudius, the murderer who kneels to ask forgiveness of God, which has been called “the most religious speech in all the plays of Shakespeare” was also spoken in throwaway fashion. Nevertheless, even this mode of delivery could not completely blunt the power with which Shakespeare drives home the literary vital importance of morality in politics.
A play like Hamlet, even perversely performed in the prevalence spirit of political populism, acts like the Manikata church: a beacon in which the twin tongues of the most authentic religious and political values conjoin in a single flame.
On the basis of these two concrete examples can you formulate in more general terms your answer to my basic question?
Let me answer in the words of Marilynne Robinson, considered by some to be the greatest living American novelist after Thomas Pynchon, or perhaps even ahead of him:
“There are those who think that the majority religious tradition in the country, by virtue of its being the majority religion, ought to be asserted very forcefully as an intrinsic part of our national identity.
“These people see an onrush of secularism intent on driving religion to the margins, maybe over the edge, and for the sake of Christianity they want to enlist society itself in its defence…”
How is it consistent with the belief that the Church is the Body of Christ, a belief I share, to think it has no intrinsic life to be relied on, and must, for the sake of its survival, be fastened to a way more vigorous body, that of the nation?
Concrete instances are usually the best way to tackle such general questions. On July 19, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority issued permits to the parish priest of Manikata, Fr Reginald Magri, and to Joseph Attard, an architect I’m not acquainted with, to demolish a significant part of the parvis of the internationally-famous church designed by Richard England, and to develop some underground spaces to be illuminated by three skylights, each of which four metres high.
I do not know whether this project had previously obtained approval of the aesthetics board of the Liturgical Commission. If so there would be just cause for complaint about clerical insensitivity to contemporary art.
When I first learnt of the apparently imminent outrage, I was even more taken aback to discover that the State was not doing any better. It had failed to schedule the building, now more than half a century old.
Of all 20th century Maltese buildings it has figured most frequently in books and foreign journals of art and architecture.
An ironist would no doubt delight in this shining instance of Church-State collaboration in damaging a pinnacle of the not-so-abandoned masterpieces expressive at once of the sacred and of our national building traditions with its recollections of the ġirna and megalithic culture.
Surely Mepa should agree urgently to schedule Manikata church. It would at least be preserving a memory of that happy moment of religious and cultural rebirth that occurred in the wake of Independence on one hand and Vatican Council II on the other.
There were some excellent examples of the intersecting values of religion and politics coming together against their common enemy, which is mediocrity in the recent arts festival. What do you say about that?
Let me again tackle your question by way of a concrete example: the Globe’s Hamlet.
I will begin by confessing incidentally that I would prefer – in the run-up to the European Capital of Culture Year – getting a local company of actors set up as was done last year for the production Ospizio. It would perform Elizabethan plays with a special local reference, such as Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta or The Knight of Malta by John Fletcher.
Although admittedly popular, the Globe performances continue to be profoundly perverse.
For instance, as critic Paul Xuereb could not help observing in his review, the most famous speech in the whole of world theatre – “to be or not to be” – was thrown away, spoken so fast that it led a woman sitting next to me to wonder after the performance whether it had been cut.
In spite of this, Shakespeare’s play could not be prevented from stimulating inward rumination on the deep interlocking of religion and politics.
Many literary historians have written books about whether it is a Catholic culture (as argued for instance, by Peter Milward) or a Protestant (Grace Tiffany) or secular (Stephen Greenblat) that is reflected in Hamlet.
Yet there seems to be a convergence on what the real choice that “to be or not to be” is about.
The events in the year when Shakespeare was writing this speech were forcing upon everyone whose family was like the author’s recusant Catholic the dilemma: should they continue to accept passively “the slings and arrows of outrageous” persecutions, or “to take arms” against it, as Essex did and was done in the Gunpowder Plot?
Shakespeare built the whole play as generally recognised, on the credibility of the ghost. He claims to be in purgatory (“confined to fast in fires/Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature/Are burnt and purged away”). But, purgatory had been declared non-existent by the Protestants.
Worse still, the ghost urged in the most unholy way from a Christian point of view, revenge, rather than forgiveness. Hamlet begins to question: “The spirit that I have seen/May be the devil”.
In the Globe’s performance the other great soliloquy by Claudius, the murderer who kneels to ask forgiveness of God, which has been called “the most religious speech in all the plays of Shakespeare” was also spoken in throwaway fashion. Nevertheless, even this mode of delivery could not completely blunt the power with which Shakespeare drives home the literary vital importance of morality in politics.
A play like Hamlet, even perversely performed in the prevalence spirit of political populism, acts like the Manikata church: a beacon in which the twin tongues of the most authentic religious and political values conjoin in a single flame.
On the basis of these two concrete examples can you formulate in more general terms your answer to my basic question?
Let me answer in the words of Marilynne Robinson, considered by some to be the greatest living American novelist after Thomas Pynchon, or perhaps even ahead of him:
“There are those who think that the majority religious tradition in the country, by virtue of its being the majority religion, ought to be asserted very forcefully as an intrinsic part of our national identity.
“These people see an onrush of secularism intent on driving religion to the margins, maybe over the edge, and for the sake of Christianity they want to enlist society itself in its defence…”
How is it consistent with the belief that the Church is the Body of Christ, a belief I share, to think it has no intrinsic life to be relied on, and must, for the sake of its survival, be fastened to a way more vigorous body, that of the nation?
Labels: World News
A couple days after re-signing Santonio Holmes to a lucrative deal, the Jets have moved on from fellow free agent wide receiver Braylon Edwards. The Daily News has learned that Edwards will not be returning to Gang Green. "It won't happen," a source to told the News Saturday morning citing that the team won't be able to keep him due to financial constraints.
Gang Green will turn its sights to other receiver options. Although Randy Moss remains on the Jets' radar, he's not the top choice of remaining free agent pass catchers, according to a source.
Meanwhile, the focus is to re-sign a top-flight cornerback. The News first reported that the Jets' brass reached out to Antonio Cromartie Friday night several times after the Jets fell out of the race for Nnamdi Asomugha. The team's message: We want you back.
There are two other serious sutiors for Cromartie's services. It'll be pivotal for Gang Green to keep Cromartie, who is far and away the best remaining cornerback on the free agent market.
NOTES:
Cornerback Donald Strickand told the News Saturday morning that he has agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Strickland played for the Jets in 2009 before spending last season with the Chargers.
"I'm excited to be back with a wonderful organization, playing for the best head coach in the business," Strickland told the News. "I'm ready to win it all! J-E-T-S... Jets! Jets! Jets!"
Safety Brodney Pool will not return to the Jets, according to a source. The Jets expressed interest in retaining Pool, but he'll be able to find a more lucartive deal elsewhere.
QB Mark Brunell, who was released on Friday morning, will re-sign on Sunday at a reduced salary, according to a source.
Gang Green will turn its sights to other receiver options. Although Randy Moss remains on the Jets' radar, he's not the top choice of remaining free agent pass catchers, according to a source.
Meanwhile, the focus is to re-sign a top-flight cornerback. The News first reported that the Jets' brass reached out to Antonio Cromartie Friday night several times after the Jets fell out of the race for Nnamdi Asomugha. The team's message: We want you back.
There are two other serious sutiors for Cromartie's services. It'll be pivotal for Gang Green to keep Cromartie, who is far and away the best remaining cornerback on the free agent market.
NOTES:
Cornerback Donald Strickand told the News Saturday morning that he has agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Strickland played for the Jets in 2009 before spending last season with the Chargers.
"I'm excited to be back with a wonderful organization, playing for the best head coach in the business," Strickland told the News. "I'm ready to win it all! J-E-T-S... Jets! Jets! Jets!"
Safety Brodney Pool will not return to the Jets, according to a source. The Jets expressed interest in retaining Pool, but he'll be able to find a more lucartive deal elsewhere.
QB Mark Brunell, who was released on Friday morning, will re-sign on Sunday at a reduced salary, according to a source.
Labels: Sports News
The NFL free agency has been working like clockwork for the second day straight. The pressure is mounting and numbers are heating up, not the least of which was the big re-signing of Peyton Manning. It can now be reported that the quarterback has agreed to a 5 year contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
The deal was sealed at an astounding $90 million leaving experts and media personnel flabbergasted. The signing has most certainly stolen the spotlight from other free agent deals that were completed this Saturday.
Sources have revealed Manning will be raking in around $23 million over the period of first 3 years of the deal. However, on average the star will be earning around $18 million a season.
The most interesting thing about the deal is the fact that the legendary Tom Brady, quarterback of New England Patriots makes around the same figure. To make matters more interesting Brady and Manning sometimes become rivals, while on other occasions brothers like in the NFL player antitrust lawsuit against the league.
According to statistics, Manning’s first 2 contracts with the Indianapolis Colts were summed up to $146 million. His latest contract continues to baffle experts. On the issue, Manning stated, “Whether I deserve to be the highest-paid player over the next five years is irrelevant. I would rather them use that money and keep the players they want to keep and get other players. I told them that.”
Owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay blabbed on his Twitter account that once the deal has been sealed Manning would officially become the highest-paid player in the NFL. Well others would say close enough as Irsay and Colts had figured out a long-term contract before the NFL lockout.
In a press statement Irsay informed, “Signing Peyton was a top priority for this organization and we are thrilled that the deal is complete. We feel that it is a salary cap-friendly deal and it allows us more flexibility.”
Meanwhile, Manning, who has amazingly never been absent from a game in 13 seasons, is on the bench recovering from surgery. Manning will start practicing from the training camp of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) after he was placed on the list. During the offseason Manning went under the knife to be operated on a disk-related issue in his neck.
Now, for the next 5 years, there is a considerably less chance for the 35-year-old Manning to surprise his fans by producing yet another contract for with a team he has played his entire career with. By the looks of it, a 40-year-old Manning would still be ready for action.
The deal was sealed at an astounding $90 million leaving experts and media personnel flabbergasted. The signing has most certainly stolen the spotlight from other free agent deals that were completed this Saturday.
Sources have revealed Manning will be raking in around $23 million over the period of first 3 years of the deal. However, on average the star will be earning around $18 million a season.
The most interesting thing about the deal is the fact that the legendary Tom Brady, quarterback of New England Patriots makes around the same figure. To make matters more interesting Brady and Manning sometimes become rivals, while on other occasions brothers like in the NFL player antitrust lawsuit against the league.
According to statistics, Manning’s first 2 contracts with the Indianapolis Colts were summed up to $146 million. His latest contract continues to baffle experts. On the issue, Manning stated, “Whether I deserve to be the highest-paid player over the next five years is irrelevant. I would rather them use that money and keep the players they want to keep and get other players. I told them that.”
Owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay blabbed on his Twitter account that once the deal has been sealed Manning would officially become the highest-paid player in the NFL. Well others would say close enough as Irsay and Colts had figured out a long-term contract before the NFL lockout.
In a press statement Irsay informed, “Signing Peyton was a top priority for this organization and we are thrilled that the deal is complete. We feel that it is a salary cap-friendly deal and it allows us more flexibility.”
Meanwhile, Manning, who has amazingly never been absent from a game in 13 seasons, is on the bench recovering from surgery. Manning will start practicing from the training camp of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) after he was placed on the list. During the offseason Manning went under the knife to be operated on a disk-related issue in his neck.
Now, for the next 5 years, there is a considerably less chance for the 35-year-old Manning to surprise his fans by producing yet another contract for with a team he has played his entire career with. By the looks of it, a 40-year-old Manning would still be ready for action.
Labels: Sports News
At least 100 people were said to have been killed Sunday when the Syrian regime launched a fresh crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Hama. The flashpoint central city was the target of an earlier brutal crackdown in the 1980s, at the hands of the father of the current Syrian leader, Bashar Assad.
"Hama is used to massacres by the Assad family, but we tell this tyrant the more you kill us the more we are determined to oust you," the activist, who requested anonymity, told DPA by phone.
In 1982, a government crackdown caused the deaths of up to 20,000 people in the city, when the town's Sunni population attempted to revolt against then president Hafez Assad's minority Alawite sect.
On Sunday, tanks stormed the city at dawn, shelling different neighborhoods. Electricity and water supplies to the main areas were cut before the attack began, said Omar Idlibi, a Syrian activist based in Lebanon.
Troops surrounded one of the major hospitals to prevent the wounded from reaching it. Over 100 people were injured in the attacks.
Activists also said that four buses filled with security forces personnel arrived at the Southern entrance of Hama, located around 200 kilometers north of Damascus.
Activists believe that Sunday's attacks are decisive in their battle against the regime.
"The harsh crackdown is a means of telling protesters even if Ramadan starts we will keep killing you if you go out to the streets," Idlibi said. "But we tell them we will continue and won't stop no matter what means you use on us."
Activists wrote on the Syria Revolution page online that "if this campaign fails to achieve its goal, it will mark the beginning of the end for the regime."
On Friday, protesters vowed that pro-democracy protests would be held every night in the fasting month of Ramadan and continue until dawn.
Local human rights advocates say that more than 1,500 civilians have been killed since protests calling for the ouster of President Bashar Assad began in mid-March. Over 350 security personnel have also been killed.
In the southern Harak town, in Daraa province, several including a three-year-old girl were killed after security forces stormed the town.
Tanks have surrounded Harak and black smoke was covering the city and no one can reach the town as all roads are blocked, an activist in the provincial capital Daraa said.
"I just want to address the Arab world and tell them their silence is killing the Syrian people, this regime has no mercy," the activist said.
In the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, at least six people were killed when tanks stormed al-Joura district early Sunday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group said. Some 50 people were injured.
Syrian troops were also advancing elsewhere in the country, as tanks entered the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyya, where over 200 people have been arrested in recent days, regional media reported.
Meanwhile State-run agency SANA praised the Syrian Arab army on the occasion of the August 1 national day, saying it "represents an honorable and brilliant image of the military institution ... through its valor in providing security and stability for all citizens."
It continued the government line of blaming terrorist groups for the unrest, saying the army was confronting "criminal acts of armed terrorist groups who terrified the people, killed innocents and sabotaged private and public property.
"Hama is used to massacres by the Assad family, but we tell this tyrant the more you kill us the more we are determined to oust you," the activist, who requested anonymity, told DPA by phone.
In 1982, a government crackdown caused the deaths of up to 20,000 people in the city, when the town's Sunni population attempted to revolt against then president Hafez Assad's minority Alawite sect.
On Sunday, tanks stormed the city at dawn, shelling different neighborhoods. Electricity and water supplies to the main areas were cut before the attack began, said Omar Idlibi, a Syrian activist based in Lebanon.
Troops surrounded one of the major hospitals to prevent the wounded from reaching it. Over 100 people were injured in the attacks.
Activists also said that four buses filled with security forces personnel arrived at the Southern entrance of Hama, located around 200 kilometers north of Damascus.
Activists believe that Sunday's attacks are decisive in their battle against the regime.
"The harsh crackdown is a means of telling protesters even if Ramadan starts we will keep killing you if you go out to the streets," Idlibi said. "But we tell them we will continue and won't stop no matter what means you use on us."
Activists wrote on the Syria Revolution page online that "if this campaign fails to achieve its goal, it will mark the beginning of the end for the regime."
On Friday, protesters vowed that pro-democracy protests would be held every night in the fasting month of Ramadan and continue until dawn.
Local human rights advocates say that more than 1,500 civilians have been killed since protests calling for the ouster of President Bashar Assad began in mid-March. Over 350 security personnel have also been killed.
In the southern Harak town, in Daraa province, several including a three-year-old girl were killed after security forces stormed the town.
Tanks have surrounded Harak and black smoke was covering the city and no one can reach the town as all roads are blocked, an activist in the provincial capital Daraa said.
"I just want to address the Arab world and tell them their silence is killing the Syrian people, this regime has no mercy," the activist said.
In the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, at least six people were killed when tanks stormed al-Joura district early Sunday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group said. Some 50 people were injured.
Syrian troops were also advancing elsewhere in the country, as tanks entered the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyya, where over 200 people have been arrested in recent days, regional media reported.
Meanwhile State-run agency SANA praised the Syrian Arab army on the occasion of the August 1 national day, saying it "represents an honorable and brilliant image of the military institution ... through its valor in providing security and stability for all citizens."
It continued the government line of blaming terrorist groups for the unrest, saying the army was confronting "criminal acts of armed terrorist groups who terrified the people, killed innocents and sabotaged private and public property.
Labels: World News
![]() |
| Jenson Button |
Button, who was taking in his 200th race at the top level, ran strongly throughout, and in the end he put in another great performance in mixed conditions to claim his second win of the season.
Speaking at the finish he was quick to pay tribute to his team for making the right calls during the 70-lap grand prix, the eleventh round in the 2011 F1 World Championship.
“I want to say a big, big thank you to the team today. The car worked a treat in all conditions, and we made all the right strategy calls. We deserved this win and it felt great to stand alongside my race engineer Dave [Robson] on the occasion of his first appearance on the podium,” Button reflected.
“The race was a brilliantly eventful one. I had a good battle with [my team-mate] Lewis [Hamilton] when we were running one-two.
“We were both driving on the limit and the gap ebbed and flowed, depending on the traffic. It was good fun and I was sorry that we weren't standing up there on the podium together at the end of it all.
“This was the perfect way to celebrate my 200th Grand Prix, and the team can enter the summer break with a spring in its step. We know we have a good car, so let's enjoy our holidays and come back even stronger at Spa-Francorchamps. I'm excited about that race already.”
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh meanwhile was delighted to see 'his' team chalk up another victory, especially as it comes just seven days on from the triumph at the Nurburgring.
“What a way for Jenson to celebrate his 200th Grand Prix! Just brilliant! Fantastic!” Whitmarsh added.
“Those were very, very difficult conditions this afternoon, and it was easy to get it wrong, but Jenson drove a great race. His measured yet combative drive was a testament to how naturally smooth and smart he is on the racetrack, and he really deserved this win.
“This was McLaren's 10th win in Hungary – a record – and it comes on the back of Lewis's win in Germany last weekend. We've won three of the past five Grand's Prix, and have scored 119 world championship points over the same period.
“The team can now take a well-deserved break before attacking the second half of the season.”
Labels: Sports News
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Past Friday I was in a Dutch news paper: De Volkskrant.
The article is about gothic lolita and the event that is going on right now,
Summerdarkness.
Click on the pictures to enlarge
Pictures by: Hennie Ummels
Labels: de volkskrant, Gothic Lolita, publication, summerdarkness
Friday, July 29, 2011
Heaven in a huge arse glass... or cup... never mind.
2. Pashmina
Cuz the weather's insanely bipolar here in the Flips, I always carry a pashmina with me. Ignore those jackets that make you sweat like Martin Nieverra when the sun comes out, pashminas are definitely a must-have.
3. Tour Beats by Dre
Eargasms all the way...
4. Starbuck's Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella in Whole Wheat Focaccia Sandwich
My current obsession. Experience an orgasm of flavors in your mouth. Go to the nearest Starbucks NOW!
Photo credit to: Ria
5. WD Portable Hard Drive
Doing thesis beats the hell out of my handy dandy laptop. My files are scattered everywhere it's making me crazy! Thank God for my trusty hard drive, I can sleep well each night knowing all my files are safe and sound.
...well except if I lose it or something. LOL.
Don't forget to smile! :)
-XOXO-
Labels: Actresses, Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra Profile:
Birth Name: Tara Leigh PatrickBirth Date: April 20, 1972
Birth Place: Sharonville, Ohio, USA
Height: 5' 4"
Sex: Female
Nationality: American
Profession: Actress, Model
Claim to fame: As Lani McKensie in Baywatch (1989)
Carmen Electra was one of the high searched Hollywood Actress on internet. Tara Leigh Patrick is the name of Carmen Electra who is professionally know as Carment Electra. Her birthdate is 20 April 1972. She is a beautiful model, actress, singer and dancer as well. She appeared in lots of movies and tv shows which gained a lot of fame for her. She appeared in MTV game show Singled Out, TV Serial BayWatch (Popular Worldwide) and few movies like Scary Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans, and Disaster Movie. Carmen Electra started her career in 1990 as a Dancer at King Island amusement park in Ohio in the show "Its's Magic". She is one of the Sexiest Celebrites in the World.
Carmen Electra Pictures
Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Labels: Actresses, Carmen Electra
Hollywood Celebrities Before And Now in Pictures
Hollywood Celebrities are always been good to see them. Here is the list of Hollywood Celebrities before and now in the photos. Look at the Hollywood Actors and Hollywood Actress Photos, How they looked before and now how they are looking. Enjoy the Hollywood Celebrities Before and Now Photos, Images, Pics. Keep visiting this site to get to know about Hollywood.
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