When you buy a tree and put that in your house, and when you put all the presents under the tree, that's all for Satan, not for Jesus. One day I was thinking about how the name Santa looks familiar, and I'm thinking to myself, Goddammit... No, wait, sorry. I'm thinking to myself, Santa... No, that's Satan. You see? They kept the S but they just changed all the rest of the letters around.
--Brooklyn-bound C train
Overheard by: P. Mills
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/index-3.html
Friday, May 25, 2007
For indie filmmakers, the trick is finding an audience
The big night: Vincent Dowling (l.) and director Dave McLaughlin at the IFF Boston première of ‘On Broadway’ in Somerville, Mass. Courtesy of OnBroadwaythemovie.com
For indie filmmakers, the trick is finding an audience
In these digital days, anyone can direct. But with hundreds of microbudgeted movies made each year, the competition for exposure is fierce.
By Ethan Gilsdorf | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
Boston - At the Independent Film Festival of Boston's première of "On Broadway," the ticket holder's line wraps around the block. Limos pull up to the Somerville Theatre, delivering cast members Joey (New Kids on the Block) McIntyre, Will ("Arrested Development") Arnett, and Eliza ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") Dushku. Even Boston Mayor Thomas Menino makes an appearance. continue...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
John McCarthy: Television is making torture acceptable
Bond's ability to joke while his genitals are beaten makes a mockery of the degradation felt by real victims
Published: 24 May 2007
The blows were excruciating, and the anticipation of them almost as bad. For several weeks while held hostage in Lebanon in the late 1980s, I and my fellow captive Brian Keenan were at the mercy of a guard who took a twisted delight in inflicting pain. continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
The blows were excruciating, and the anticipation of them almost as bad. For several weeks while held hostage in Lebanon in the late 1980s, I and my fellow captive Brian Keenan were at the mercy of a guard who took a twisted delight in inflicting pain. continue...
The darker side of Mormonism
Just as the Mormon Republican Mitt Romney emerges as a major contender for the US presidency, a blood-soaked new film and a high-profile trial are exposing the dark side of his religion. And suddenly, the biggest obstacle on his road to the White House is the faith he holds so dear. Rupert Cornwell reports
Published: 24 May 2007
It was 11 September, a crystal-clear morning with the first hint of autumn crispness, as though a cynical, mocking God had set the stage for what would be the worst act of religiously inspired terrorism in US history.
But we are not talking about New York or Washington, DC in 2001. The setting was the uplands of remote south-eastern Utah, exactly 150 years ago, in a corner of an American West that was still a violent work-in-progress. Within minutes, some 140 pioneers - a wagon-train of men, women and children headed for California - lay dead in a massacre that would not be surpassed until the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
It was 11 September, a crystal-clear morning with the first hint of autumn crispness, as though a cynical, mocking God had set the stage for what would be the worst act of religiously inspired terrorism in US history.
But we are not talking about New York or Washington, DC in 2001. The setting was the uplands of remote south-eastern Utah, exactly 150 years ago, in a corner of an American West that was still a violent work-in-progress. Within minutes, some 140 pioneers - a wagon-train of men, women and children headed for California - lay dead in a massacre that would not be surpassed until the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. continue...
Steve Richards: The politics of housing is complicated. But the solution is simple: build more homes
The sale of council homes has been a catastrophe. It deprived Britain of affordable rented housing
Published: 24 May 2007
Periodically Tony Blair offers peculiar advice to his successor and the candidates for Labour's deputy leadership. In several speeches he has told them to stay away from what he calls the Party's "comfort zone". continue...
There is still time to avoid this nuclear folly
Published: 24 May 2007
In theory there is something for everyone in the White Paper on energy that the Government unveiled yesterday. The renewables sector receives a carrot in the form of a boost to the tidal barrage scheme on the Severn estuary. The proposal for "smart" electricity meters in homes is a nod in the direction of greater energy efficiency. There is to be greater encouragement for biofuel and carbon capture technology too. But the group given real cause to celebrate yesterday is the nuclear lobby. continue...
In theory there is something for everyone in the White Paper on energy that the Government unveiled yesterday. The renewables sector receives a carrot in the form of a boost to the tidal barrage scheme on the Severn estuary. The proposal for "smart" electricity meters in homes is a nod in the direction of greater energy efficiency. There is to be greater encouragement for biofuel and carbon capture technology too. But the group given real cause to celebrate yesterday is the nuclear lobby. continue...
Johann Hari: Distraught parents and terrified children
In the Congo, more than 70,000 children have been seized at gunpoint by militias in the past six years
Published: 24 May 2007
The pictures of a small, smiling Madeleine McCann that are plastered across Britain and Portugal today never fail to do it. They always give me a slap-in-the-face flashback to a place where it is not an exception to have your child stolen away - to abuse you can't stop imagining. No, it is an everyday event.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 70,000 children have been seized at gunpoint by militias in the past six years. Each one of those children is as terrified as Madeleine, and each one of their parents is as wrought and desperate as the McCanns. continue...
What the Dickens!
Charles Nevin
Published: 24 May 2007
What larks! A £62m Dickens theme park opening on a retail park outside Chatham: how the Great Ham would have loved it! The problem would have been keeping him away and stopping him performing more than twice nightly with a matinee (they used to faint in numbers, you know, at his depiction, complete with club, of Bill Sikes doing for Nancy). continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
What larks! A £62m Dickens theme park opening on a retail park outside Chatham: how the Great Ham would have loved it! The problem would have been keeping him away and stopping him performing more than twice nightly with a matinee (they used to faint in numbers, you know, at his depiction, complete with club, of Bill Sikes doing for Nancy). continue...
I Want Your Job: Overseas volunteer
'It can be fraught with danger'
Interview by Alex McRae
Published: 24 May 2007
Shane Irwin, 45, is a volunteer theatre practitioner in Papua New Guinea for VSO, the international development charity that works through volunteers
What do you actually do?
I train local theatre troupes, teachers and trainers to use theatre skills to educate people in Papua New Guinea's remote rural communities about HIV and Aids. continue...
Interview by Alex McRae
Published: 24 May 2007
Shane Irwin, 45, is a volunteer theatre practitioner in Papua New Guinea for VSO, the international development charity that works through volunteers
What do you actually do?
I train local theatre troupes, teachers and trainers to use theatre skills to educate people in Papua New Guinea's remote rural communities about HIV and Aids. continue...
Harvard introduces teaching reforms
Are universities neglecting teaching? Many critics think so. And now even Harvard is introducing reform.
By Lucy Hodges
Published: 10 May 2007
Harvard, the world's richest university, wants to improve its undergraduate teaching. Like other Ivy League universities in the United States, Harvard charges more than $30,000 (£15,000) a year in tuition but its academics concentrate on research rather than teaching because it confers status. continue...
By Lucy Hodges
Published: 10 May 2007
Harvard, the world's richest university, wants to improve its undergraduate teaching. Like other Ivy League universities in the United States, Harvard charges more than $30,000 (£15,000) a year in tuition but its academics concentrate on research rather than teaching because it confers status. continue...
Harvard's lesson
Published: 10 May 2007
It is good news that some universities in Britain have woken up to the need to put more effort into teaching as opposed to research. Many students feel short-changed by the lack of interest shown in them by academics, and by the passive nature of a lot of their learning. This feeling is likely to grow with top-up fees.
Universities that are sensitive to their students will take a leaf out of Harvard's book and think about how to make their teaching more interesting and relevant. If the University of Sydney, in Australia, can introduce reforms to reward good teaching, so, too, can British institutions. continue...
It is good news that some universities in Britain have woken up to the need to put more effort into teaching as opposed to research. Many students feel short-changed by the lack of interest shown in them by academics, and by the passive nature of a lot of their learning. This feeling is likely to grow with top-up fees.
Universities that are sensitive to their students will take a leaf out of Harvard's book and think about how to make their teaching more interesting and relevant. If the University of Sydney, in Australia, can introduce reforms to reward good teaching, so, too, can British institutions. continue...
Leading Article: Virtual future
Published: 17 May 2007
Since the much-heralded E-university initiative collapsed and the Open University pulled out of its ambitious US venture, little has been heard about the amazing benefits of online learning. But now Essex University is launching a two-year foundation degree wholly online in partnership with the US education firm Kaplan. The first course, which will be in business studies, starts in July. All the teaching will be done by Kaplan Open Learning, a specially created affiliated college of Essex. It is undoubtedly sensible to go into business with a company that has experience in the field. This could work where previous initiatives failed. continue...
Since the much-heralded E-university initiative collapsed and the Open University pulled out of its ambitious US venture, little has been heard about the amazing benefits of online learning. But now Essex University is launching a two-year foundation degree wholly online in partnership with the US education firm Kaplan. The first course, which will be in business studies, starts in July. All the teaching will be done by Kaplan Open Learning, a specially created affiliated college of Essex. It is undoubtedly sensible to go into business with a company that has experience in the field. This could work where previous initiatives failed. continue...
Finals countdown: How to avoid meltdown during exam season
Exam season at university is hugely stressful. But meltdown can be avoided
By Chris Green
Published: 17 May 2007 
Testing times: Many students are filled with abject terror The month of May is exam time in universities. Although the introduction of modular degrees and continuous assessment means that degree results no longer depend solely on final exams, students still approach the period with trepidation and, in some cases, abject terror.
"Exam stress is a problem that has always been there," says Alex Duncan, president of Durham University Students' Union. "Some people work far too hard, others not quite hard enough. University is a key stage in people's lives, and they do want it to benefit them in the long term." continue...
By Chris Green
Published: 17 May 2007
Testing times: Many students are filled with abject terror "Exam stress is a problem that has always been there," says Alex Duncan, president of Durham University Students' Union. "Some people work far too hard, others not quite hard enough. University is a key stage in people's lives, and they do want it to benefit them in the long term." continue...
Trials and tribulations of picking a university
It's vital to choose the right university for you. So don't just rely on the prospectus, says Chris Green
Published: 24 May 2007
Choosing a university is a huge decision, and one which may well have a knock-on effect on your future career prospects. If studying the UCAS listings and reading every prospectus from cover to cover doesn't help you make your mind up, take the time to actually visit the places you're considering studying in. After all, you'll be spending at least three years there. continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
Choosing a university is a huge decision, and one which may well have a knock-on effect on your future career prospects. If studying the UCAS listings and reading every prospectus from cover to cover doesn't help you make your mind up, take the time to actually visit the places you're considering studying in. After all, you'll be spending at least three years there. continue...
Schools import China's teachers for lessons in 'language of tomorrow'
By Richard Garner, Education Editor
Published: 24 May 2007
All the country's 250 specialist language schools have been told by a government adviser that they should put Mandarin on the curriculum as "the language of tomorrow". continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
All the country's 250 specialist language schools have been told by a government adviser that they should put Mandarin on the curriculum as "the language of tomorrow". continue...
Bosnia strips citizenship from Muslim fighters
By Peter Popham
Published: 24 May 2007
When Bosnia was being carved up between Serbian and Croatian militias and the West's involvement was limited to sending "peacekeepers" to watch it happen, volunteers from the Islamic world were the only force fighting alongside the Bosniacs to keep the Muslim-majority state intact. continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
When Bosnia was being carved up between Serbian and Croatian militias and the West's involvement was limited to sending "peacekeepers" to watch it happen, volunteers from the Islamic world were the only force fighting alongside the Bosniacs to keep the Muslim-majority state intact. continue...
The Big Question: Why is there a shrine at Fatima, and what is its significance for Catholics?
By Paul Vallely
Published: 24 May 2007
Why are we asking this question now?
The shrine at Fatima is regarded as the holiest site in Portugal, and it was there yesterday that the parents of Madeleine McCann made a pilgrimage to pray for a miracle in the search for the missing four-year-old. Indeed it is one of the most celebrated sites in Roman Catholicism. continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
Why are we asking this question now?
The shrine at Fatima is regarded as the holiest site in Portugal, and it was there yesterday that the parents of Madeleine McCann made a pilgrimage to pray for a miracle in the search for the missing four-year-old. Indeed it is one of the most celebrated sites in Roman Catholicism. continue...
After Liberia's war: 'Sometimes you wonder if peace is worthwhile'
When Liberia's 14-year civil conflict came to an end, its people looked forward to a better life. But the fragile peace means the aid organisations are packing up, leaving those who are sick without treatment.
By Kate Thomas
Published: 24 May 2007
Leaning back in a chair in his office, Dr Walter T Gwenigale looks tired. Liberia's Health Minister was out late on Saturday. "The theatre," he explains. He doesn't mean that he had front-row seats at a kora concert or tickets to see something by the West African playwright Wole Soyinka, however. There are no playhouses in Liberia. Instead he spent Saturday evening on duty in the operating theatre of Phebe Hospital, some 130km away in rural Bong county. continue...
By Kate Thomas
Published: 24 May 2007
Leaning back in a chair in his office, Dr Walter T Gwenigale looks tired. Liberia's Health Minister was out late on Saturday. "The theatre," he explains. He doesn't mean that he had front-row seats at a kora concert or tickets to see something by the West African playwright Wole Soyinka, however. There are no playhouses in Liberia. Instead he spent Saturday evening on duty in the operating theatre of Phebe Hospital, some 130km away in rural Bong county. continue...
Most Palestinians killed in Israeli raids were civilians, Amnesty says
By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem
Published: 24 May 2007
More than 320 civilians were among a threefold increase in the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces last year, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group's 2007 report says that over half of the more than 650 Palestinians killed in 2006 were civilians, 120 of them children and young people under 18. Amnesty defines civilians, "as people that are reasonably supposed never to have been involved in armed operations". continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
More than 320 civilians were among a threefold increase in the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces last year, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group's 2007 report says that over half of the more than 650 Palestinians killed in 2006 were civilians, 120 of them children and young people under 18. Amnesty defines civilians, "as people that are reasonably supposed never to have been involved in armed operations". continue...
UN troops traded guns for gold with militias, says report
By David Usborne in New York
Published: 24 May 2007
Scandal is engulfing the United Nations once again after allegations that peacekeepers stationed in Congo traded guns for gold with militia groups that they were meant to be disarming. Meanwhile, a trial got under way in New York of a former UN official accused of taking bribes. continue...
Published: 24 May 2007
Scandal is engulfing the United Nations once again after allegations that peacekeepers stationed in Congo traded guns for gold with militia groups that they were meant to be disarming. Meanwhile, a trial got under way in New York of a former UN official accused of taking bribes. continue...
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