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Woo-hoo... Movie Review Done: King Kong The Eight Wonder of the World (1933) - harsens-rob's
14 February 2016 @ 08:47 pm
Woo-hoo... Movie Review Done: King Kong The Eight Wonder of the World (1933)
King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World
Starring: Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot
DIR: Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack
Blurb [imdb]: A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.
My Blurb: IMDB insists that Ann's love interest is named John Driscoll. Throughout the film, though, he's called Jack. We'll be going with Jack to fit in with the crew better. Also, spoilers of course. And also, also -- crazy amount of screen caps ... SRY.
Scene 01: After the Overture is done playing, and then the titles have finished, we open on a proverb, stating that the beast looked upon the face of beauty and stayed his hand from killing and from that day forth, it was as one dead.
Which it holds on… and holds on… and holds on….
Scene 02: From there, we skip over to a cityscape at night from presumably the Hudson River, espying upon New York City [1933 version].
Our focus seems to be a ship at dock.
Scene 03: We skip to the dockside and watch a bearded man walking along in the dark beside the ship. He's the watchman.
The gentleman on his rounds is called out to by a sharply dressed businessman who asks after the ship, wanting to verify it is the "motion picture ship". The watchman asks if he's planning on boarding the "crazy ship".
Our businessman wasn't to know what makes it a crazy voyage to plan on. The watchman indicates that the gossip is that the man who is in charge of this upcoming voyage is a nutter. Apparently Carl Denham has a reputation for engaging in extremely risky behavior in order to get his shot.
The watchman goes on to say that the cargo loaded aboard was unusual enough to get tongues wagging, and the ship has about three times more crew than her size indicates she'd need. It's all quite mysterious.
Scene 04: From above the men's heads, a voice shouts down wanting to know who the gentleman is loitering about his ship. We find out that our heavy suited stranger is the talent agent who is supposed to be working with Mr. Denham. He's told to come on aboard, as he's been being waited for.
Aboard ship, her Captain is warning Denham that they'll need to pull out soon or the news about the explosives he's brought aboard will surely bring the Fire Marshall down on them. Denham jokes that despite his papers, they'd be tied up for months and the Captain agrees that since he's brought enough on board to blow up the harbor, that's a safe bet.
Captain reaches out and picks up a grenade and asks what the Marshall would make of his gas bombs.
Carl isn't wild about the Captain handling the bomb casually, and quickly snatches it to put it back in its case, while the Captain is wondering about Carl's claims that just one could knock out an elephant… it makes one wonder why he's packed so many onboard.
Denham instead focuses on ensuring the Captain can get them to their island location before the start of the monsoon season. His worry is that they'll get caught in the heavy storms which will make a huge and costly headache as far as filming outdoor pictures go.
Commentary: This scene is expositioney, but it isn't badly done mostly because they avoid the "as you know… [proceed to repeat everything that the person does in fact already know for the audience's benefit]" while still sketching out certain facts. Denham is a film director, he's packed equipment one wouldn't necessarily equate with motion pictures, in addition to explosives on board - he's also packed away knock out gas grenades of unusually large size and quite potent formulation, and he's on a time and money crunch.
If there is any problem with this opening scene, it's more to do with us. We already know we're headed for Skull Island to collect Kong who is going to rampage because of when we are in relation to when the movie was first shown.
So yes, it's a bit awkward and slow to sit through since we really want to see the Giant Ape instead of the people-stuff. But this sort of exposition could've been far more painful.
Scene 05: The Theatrical Agent, Weston, is invited into the galley along with First Mate Driscoll. The reason the agent is there at all is to update Denham on the attempt to find an actress to join them on the voyage to their shooting location. Weston tries to tell Denham that it's a no-go, but Carl isn't hearing that. He complains that Weston is the only talent agent that hasn't shut his door in his face yet and that somebody out there has been out to get him by interfering with his reputation.
It's not interference though, it's Denham's own doing. He's earned his reputation for being fearless in getting the shot - right up to being reckless, and he's none too concerned about the risks to his crew or actors. It's making it a challenge to find anybody who is willing to sail to some secret location for an unknown amount of time for a part being kept under wraps….
The agent tells him that even if there were such a young woman willing to take the risk, he's not sure he could in good conscience let her take such a job. Not when she'll be the only woman aboard, and not after he's seen for himself the rough seadogs aboard.
Carl scoffs at the worrywarts aboard, stating that there are dozens of women that very night in much more danger being in New York City, than they'd be going on this trip.
Weston asks why he needs a girl anyway, since his other pictures got along just fine with men only casts. Carl complains that the public wants a pretty face in their films nowadays, or he wouldn't even consider it.
He goes on to complain that his last few pictures have received all kinds of raves, except for mentioning every time that "if only there was some romance, the film would gross twice as much". Well, this time he's going to give 'em what they're complaining for.
Weston repeats though, that finding such a young woman who'd be willing to risk going with a bunch of strange men to she-knows-not-where seems impossible.
Carl insists that they have to be out of the harbor by dawn, and if Weston can't find a girl with a backbone, then he'll just go out and find her himself. He tells him that they'll have to come up with new adjectives for his brilliance when they get a load of this next picture - it'll be the greatest film ever made.
So There!!
Commentary: Jeeezus, that was a loooong scene. And despite the rather magnetic presence of Robert Armstrong and the somehow-cute First Mate, it's awfully repetitive as well.
I do like seeing how driven Denham is, as it'll explain why he'll go so far for fame. But this scene could easily have been cut down by a third and still gotten point across.
Scene 06: Off of Times Square, Denham goes to a Woman's Shelter to find his starlet in the rough.
He gazes at the women finding a bed for the night to shelter in, but none of them are what he has in mind. He goes walking down the block.
Scene 07: Denham stops at a street vendor for a paper, and while there a timid woman reaches out and takes an apple. Before she has a chance to actually try to steal it, the vendor barrels past Carl and grabs her wrist. He accuses her of being a thief and tells her he's going to summon an officer to deal with her.
Denham intervenes by first offering that he didn't see "the kid" try to pocket anything. But vendor goes on about how he's already been stolen from three times that week. Carl puts a buck in his hand and tells him to scram.
Meanwhile, the young lady is taken with her hunger and swoons in a near feint. Carl has to scramble to her side to keep her from falling to the sidewalk.
Our young lady smiles at him for his assistance, and Carl gets a lightbulb moment as he realizes he's found his starlet. He rushes her off to a taxi.
Commentary: Although, one has to wonder what Ann is thinking, since she just barely flashes a weak smile for his help, and then this stranger is manhandling her to the nearest cab!
It's got Predator-Vibes all over it.
Scene 08: Thankfully for Ann, she's not whisked off to a cheap motel room but to a diner for a hot cup of coffee. Carl has also bought Ann something to eat, and she's feeling much better, for which she offers thanks for his kindness.
Carl pulls out the Creeper-Vibe to tell Ann that she shouldn't be so naïve, and he's not helping her out of a sense of kindness. Ann doesn't appear too fazed by this, even when he tells her how pretty a girl she is [I'm all kinds of "Please get to the point, you sound like one of those guys hanging out at the Chicago train station, chatting up young looking college students on their way home, looking for fresh meat to pimp out!!" Ahem…].
He asks after her circumstances and finds out that she's hit a rough patch. He asks after any acting background, and she admits to playing an extra a few times back on Long Island. Now, she's doing some modeling, but it hasn't been regular enough to keep up with the costs of living in New York.
Carl tells her he has the opportunity of a lifetime for her and hurries her to get themselves to a clothing shop for new threads and to get ready for a voyage. All of this is, of course, coming as wildly odd to poor Ann who knows nothing about Carl and ergo can't keep up with his shorthand.
Ann offers that she needs more information… she wants the job, whatever it may be but….
Carl gets a look of understanding at her nervous hesitation and assures her that she's gotten the wrong impression. He tells her that he's speaking strictly business here. He introduces himself, and she recognizes him as a maker of "jungle pictures and such". With this confirmed, he re-offers her a part in his next picture but explains again that they need to leave first thing in the morning for a long sail to their shooting location.
All of this is a whirlwind to Ann Darrow, of course. But she's obvs excited by such an opportunity literally catching her in its arms. She decides "Why not?"
Commentary: This was a bit of a cute scene, I think. I mean - I'm a bit wore out on the "cute meet", but the way that Denham kept talking like Ann had any clue what he wanted her for, and the rather risqué implication that she thought he was looking for a mistress/adult model for some less-legit work felt a bit open for 1933. And I liked how Carl finally caught on that she didn't recognize his face and had no clue what he was going on about but was obviously considering that he was offering her some sort of quid pro quo casting couch opportunity. It was charming the way he nipped that in the bud by making it clear this was a professional opportunity and then finally introducing himself.
Scene 09: The next morning, the menfolk are hard at work getting the deck squared away when Ann arrives aboard. Driscoll backhands her on accident while gesturing wildly at his men because they're not working fast enough to his liking. This is their first introduction.
Ann introduces herself, but Driscoll isn't impressed. In fact, he finds women-on-ships to be a bother, and when she tells him that she'll try to stay out of the way, he tells her she's already been.
After a few moments, he finally apologizes, sort of, for hitting her in the chin.
[Ugh. Here's our Official Cute Meet of Cuteness… complete with the woman-hater-he-man's club member who will find himself falling for the naively sweet young woman who is so excited to experience something totally new -- blah, blah… get sailing already.]
Scene 10: Six weeks later, and the ship is still in the middle of nowhere, making one wonder just how much money Denham is spending this whole time and he doesn't even have one minute of film done yet.
Ann is on deck and she asks the cook about the potatoes he's had to peel in that time. Charlie's reply is too many. He also jokes that one day he'll return to China and not have to look at another potato.
Ann comments on how wonderful the vast ocean is. The First Mate joins them and he and Ann do some light flirty chit-chat. Jack is a bit of a jerk again about women on ships and how it ain't right and so forth, while Ann insists that she's done everything she can not to be a bother. But wimmins can't help but be a bother, what with getting in the way of all of the homoerotic action of sweaty men in close compartments and all… y'all know how it is.
Commentary: Yes, yes… "You're so mean, but I loves ya anyway." "And you're such a pain in my tough, salty man-ass but I just find you so swell." Blah-blah.
I will say though, that I really do like the chemistry being displayed by Fay and Bruce. Sure, the cliché is thick in the salty ocean air but the two actors are mostly charming and while this scene is again one that seems like it could've been trimmed a bit to get us to the island and adventure part of the tale, it's not so painful that I'm cringing or anything.
I do need to point out that Fay, while she's trying to play the innocent, naïve, ingénue - you can sometimes see in her eyes that she's (the actress) isn't, and it does sometimes jump out at me and make me wonder if Ann (the character) is trying a little too hard to also play the young innocent for benefit of manipulation. I don't think she is… I think it's just that trying to maintain that "rainbows and sunshine, gee-whiz-wilikers" personality is a bit tougher for Fay Wray to maintain than we might think.
It would be a little more interesting if Ann Darrow's past was a little more nuanced though, and to think that she is somewhat playing up her youth to get her way….
Scene 11: On board the ship also, is a mascot. A monkey, who Ann seems to have a rapport with. It's what Carl comments on with a "beauty and the beast" comment when he also now arrives on deck.
He's arrived to ask Ann to start costume testing, as he'd decided the light is about right outdoors. He repeats his "beauty and the beast" comment as Ann walks away - and one wonders if he's writing a few more scenes in his head for this movie shoot.
Commentary: Or they're just going to hammer home this whole Beauty/Beast angle so it's tattooed on our brains before Kong shows up….
Scene 12: After Ann goes below to pick out a test costume, Driscoll approaches Denham with a complaint. His issue is with the length of this voyage and not knowing what the crew can expect upon their arrival to wherever it is.
Carl now hints heavily that he doesn't know what they're walking into. His entire picture seems to be on spec to himself, let alone anybody else as he wants to see the location with his own eyes before he cements his plans.
Denham asks if Jack is going soft, but he disputes this. He is worried though about Carl's "seat of his pants" style film making when it is involving a girl. Carl accuses him of falling for his actress and warns him against making everything more complicated but Jack again disputes this. He insists that he's always stuck by Carl's dangerous films before and Carl admits he's one tough guy.
But then he brings up what happens when 'beauty gets ya' before stopping himself, and joking that he's moving into a theme song now.
Jack notes something in Carl's voice and asks him just what his deal is this time out. Carl now reveals that his picture is about The Beast going soft at the sight of Beauty and how the little guys can bring down the big, bad tough guy as soon as he loses his heart to a dame. He suggests Jack start giving that lesson some thought.
Scene 13: Carl is then summoned away to meet with the skipper, as they've reached the coordinates marked by Carl on the navigator's map. Carl invites Jack to the bridge, as he's ready to give everyone [except Ann - who is right about now standing on the deck of the ship in a costume wondering where everybody went to] some more information about where they're landing.
The Captain is annoyed because he's come to waters he isn't familiar with and there isn't any clue as to where they're supposed to be hitting land. Carl pulls out a map with an otherwise uncharted island and tells the Captain and First Mate this is their destination.
Carl now goes into how he found out about this island, and received the map of it. It came from a Norwegian Captain, who had to rescue a small craft lost at sea. There was only one survivor who later died, but before this, he'd described to the captain the savage island that the lost crew had thought was their salvation.
Denham is so fascinated with this island because not only is it remote and "lost" but the briefly rescued man described a giant wall cutting off the sandy point of a beach from the interior of the island. A wall which was not a natural formation. It's a wall that the natives keep in immaculate repair, as if they're afraid of something on the island.
Captain blows this off as another hostile tribe, but now Denham goes into the tale of Kong.
Scene 14: To everyone's surprise, our Sea Captain has in fact heard of Kong. It's a native legend referring to some sort of god or spirit. Both our Captain and Jack are a bit taken aback to say the least, as Denham describes his belief that Kong is a physical monster of some type and is located on this heretofore lost to history island.
With the grin of amusement and disbelief from Jack and the side-eye of the Captain, Carl insists that there is something on that island which white men's eyes have never seen. Whatever it is, he'll be the first person to bring it to the world on film. And that is why he's become so insistent on coming out so far from civilization for this movie.
Jack jokes about what they'll do if Whatever decides that it doesn't like having his picture taken. Carl responds with a reminder about the gas bombs loaded aboard.
[Meanwhile, Ann is still out on deck wondering What-The-Hell.]
Scene 15: Back on deck, Carl has gotten a camera set up for the test shots of Ann. He describes the gown she's chosen to try first as the "Beauty and the Beast" garment… [because, lord forbid we should almost forget the theme of our actual movie as well as our film-within-our-movie].
The crewmen watch over this and describe the whole business of making movies as looking a little silly up close. Ann asks Carl if he always films his own movies behind the camera, and Carl relates how he lost a shot of a charging rhino one time because the cameraman chickened out, despite Carl having a rifle trained on the animal. Ever since, he's not been willing to risk depending on a camera operator and likes to just do it himself so he knows he'll get what he wants.
Scene 16: Above, Jack and the Captain watch. Driscoll asks Skipper if he thinks Carl is crazy, but the reply is that he's just enthusiastic.
Scene 17: Down on the deck, Carl has inserted a filter and instructs Ann to look up slowly as he's cranking the camera. As she does so, Carl talks her through looking mystified, then amazed and finally frightened with the sort of fear that traps her scream in her throat.
He tells her to shield her arms over her eyes and scream for her life.
Commentary: This scene was actually wonderful. It's such a small thing, but Robert Armstrong's delivery was terrific and Fay's acting through it was enough to actually send a thrill up my spine! And it was just a test run!
That was amazing work on this faked scene of terror, and left me feeling both amused and foolish at the goosebumps. And of course, it's giving us a feel for what is going to happen later when Kong is found and it's not fake anymore.
Scene 18: Up above, Jack instinctively reacts to Ann's harrowing scream by grabbing his Captain's elbow with a troubled look on his brow. The Captain gives him a "get a grip, fool" look.
But Jack isn't reacting to the fake terror of Ann, after all. His mind is on what Carl thinks Ann is really going to see when they reach Skull Island.
Scene 19: Later, the ship enters a dense fog bank.
Everyone is nervous as they know that they've got to be approaching the island they're after and nobody wants to hit bottom. A depth sounding is done and a sailor reports that they're shallowing fast.
Captain orders ahead slow.
Further along the deck, one sailor complains of approaching an island they can't see and another defends the Captain that Carl is the problem and he won't let the Skipper stop the ship.
[Nice of him to defend the Captain, but nope… The Skipper can tell Carl to leap overboard and swim for it while the ship anchors if he wants.]
The Sounder reports breakers ahead and the ship finally is halted in its forward momentum with anchorage. But, Jack then tells the Captain, Carl and Ann that it isn't the sound of breakers they hear, but drums.
Scene 20: When the fog finally lifts, the shipmates find themselves staring at a large mountainous island. The Captain looks for signs of life as Carl joins him at the rail. He reports nothing moving and Denham expresses confusion that the islanders haven't gathered on the beach to find out what the strange vessel is doing in their waters.
Just then, another series of drumming is heard drifting across the waves and Carl suggests maybe they were spotted and the natives are signaling.
Scene 21: With signs of life, Denham decides it's time to talk to the islanders. He asks the Captain to come with him, and to load up the boats with men and supplies, including rifles, the gas bombs and his camera equipment.
Ann excitedly asks if she's going to go ashore, too, which Carl confirms. Jack objects, at least until they know what they're walking into, but Carl is adamant. You never know what images he'll run across and he wants his cast with him [so… wait… I just realized - Was Carl Denham always planning on having only one cast member? 'Cause thus far, Ann is the only one we've seen who is actually planning on being in this movie - whatever it's going to be about].
Scene 22: At the shore, we see the impressively high and solid wood gate and stone walls with the equally impressive "Skull" landmark rising majestically beyond that. The villagers are shore dwellers and the wall apparently encloses them to the shoreline, making the wall a bulwark against the forests beyond but leaving the seaside of the village wide open for easy travel.
Once ashore, our explorers waste little time in trooping their way into the village.
Scene 23: As our intrepid group make their way through the village, a sing-song chanting is heard which gets louder as they go. Denham and company hide behind some tall grass in order to spy on whatever ceremony is currently taking place.
Jack repeats to Ann that he wishes they'd left her behind on the vessel until they know more. He seems to be the only one considering that the natives may be hostile to intruding strangers.
Scene 24: As men in ape-inspired outfits dance around, other natives play drums [and apparently other musical instruments not in evidence going by the soundtrack]. A chieftain stands on a raised dais over a kneeling woman who is being adorned with flowers.
For being the center of attention and adornment, she doesn't seem all that happy [for obvs reasons that aren't hard to guess].
Carl unwisely chooses to get out his camera on its tripod and sets up to film, while no longer hidden. It doesn't take but a moment for the Chief to realize they have an unexpected and uninvited audience. This brings everything to a stop, while Carl tells his side to come out into the open.
The two sides stare at one another and wait to see what the other is going to do.
Fortunately for Denham, the Captain can speak a version of language that is close enough to the native speech for the two sides to communicate. Although the Chief is basically only interested in saying, "Get out". Carl, naturally, doesn't take this as the Chief's final word.
When the Captain tries to find out what the display they've butted into means, he's told that the girl is "the bride of Kong". This pleases Denham who very much wants to find out just what Kong is, but the natives seem less than pleased with witnesses to their rites.
Things start to get tense, until Chief gets a gander at Ann. He's taken aback by "the golden woman", and wonders if she is a gift to Kong. He goes on to make an offer to Carl and the Captain to purchase Ann as a tribute from the tribe to Kong.
Jack looks about ready to start a native massacre, already.
The Chief goes on to offer six native women in exchange for Ann, but Captain tries to - as friendly as he can - say that she's not for sale. Jack decides it's time to get Ann back to the ship, and the Captain agrees and also suggests that they should all be on their way. Carl agrees - for the moment - but has the Captain tell the Chief that they'll return the following day to make friends.
They're stared after, but the tribe lets them go unmolested… for the moment.
Scene 25: Late that night, Ann is on deck again in the cloudy moonlight when Jack finds her gazing out across the water. He asks why she isn't asleep and she tells him that the drums are making her jittery. He complains … again… about her going ashore that day, and she admits that she was afraid for a few moments there. She wonders what they're supposed to do the following day, and Jack tells her that is what is keeping him up. He complains some more about Carl and his penchant for boneheaded risk taking.
When Ann says that she'd take any chance that Carl asks after what he's done to help her out, Jack is even less happy. He warns her that Carl is crazy enough to get her hurt and things that day could've gone really badly. She jokes that he'd not have had to put up with a woman on board in that case, but Driscoll's not in a joking mood. He tells her that he's afraid for her.
It takes a lot of hee-ing and haw-ing but Jack finally out and tells Ann that he's fallen for her, and asks if maybe she might feel something similar back at him. Her answer is lusty, yet coy, looks until he finally smiles, grabs her and kisses her passionately.
Commentary: Okay, this is about as clichéd as you can imagine, and one cannot understand what exactly Ann is seeing in Jack. This is especially true when he admits that he still doesn't like women in general and after his already showing a penchant for trying to interfere in her career this entire voyage…? Well, I'm having a hard time believing this can lead to happily ever after for either one of them.
Scene 26: The declaration of luurve is interrupted by the Captain calling for Jack to join he and Carl over some more maps.
Ann tells him he better go, but promises to wait for him there. She's all starry-eyed.
Scene 27: Below in the sea, however, a couple of stealthy outriggers are pulling silently up to the tied off row boat at the side of the ship. A native raiding party slips silently aboard the rowboat, which gives them access to the rope ladder leading up the cargo ship's side.
Meanwhile, Ann dreamily gazes up at the dark night.
She's startled when a hand clamps over her mouth, and two men start dragging her toward the side of the ship.
Scene 28: While a night guard slumps sleepily at the other side of the ship, Ann is [somehow, which we'll not see] gotten over the side and down the rope ladder in utter silence. She's [appearing unconscious now] loaded aboard one of our raider outriggers with no one the wiser.
In the struggle, one of the natives loses his bracelet of shells.
Scene 29: On the bridge, Jack and the Captain are finishing up their consult. Carl comments on how it must be midnight sleepily, before noticing that the native drums are coming across the water.
He and the Captain notice that there is something going on, as torches are lighting up the whole village. Meanwhile, Jack takes the distraction as his chance to slip back on deck to the waiting Ann.
Carl tells the Captain that he wishes he could film in such low light, he'd sneak a few shots of the ceremony but the Captain tells him to be sensible and insists no one is leaving the relative safety (*cough cough*) of the ship.
Scene 30: Out on deck, Jack looks eagerly for Ann but all he gets is the Asian cook.
[Bruce Cabot looks most unfortunate in his high-waist slacks and white shoes. 'Ew'.]
Jack asks Charlie if he's seen Ann, but Charlie says he hasn't seen her in a few hours. He's more concerned anyway with knowing when they can leave this place.
Jack looks for a moment like he may backhand Charlie, before rushing back for the ladder in a near state [If you think this is coming off like Driscoll has an emergency hard-on and needs Ann, like, right this second… you'd be right. He's acting like an overeager teen boy. It's embarrassing].
Scene 31: Jack rushes to Ann's cabin and gives an eager knock on the door. He invites himself to open her door, but is surprised to find that she's not there waiting for him in her delicates.
Scene 32: Meantime, Charlie is stretching his legs, when he happens to kick the lost bracelet. He shouts out an alarm after a moment.
As everyone is 'watermelon, watermelon-ing' on deck. Charlie rushes to his Captain with the native bracelet. The Captain tells Carl and Jack that someone has been aboard his ship. Jack immediately asks after Ann's whereabouts and Carl tells him she's in her cabin. But Jack knows this not to be the case.
He orders the crew to search the ship.
Scene 33: In the galley, Carl and Jack run into each other during their race to locate Ann. Jack asks if he's found her… which… you have to think if he had, she'd be standing there wondering what all of the hoopla is about and apologizing for being a silly girl and daring to slip out of the men's [read Jack's] immediate sight. But, she isn't.
Commentary: Yah, yah. I know. It's the '30s. But I'm having a tough time accommodating Jack's attitudes. Now, usually I can do so because of the time/place but - and I don't have anything solid to explain it - Bruce Cabot just isn't helping me out here. There is something about his acting that is putting me off and I don't really wanna forgive his 1930's 'tude.
Tags: review king kong


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1Married, Wife, Children
2How Much Is Fareed Zakaria?s Net Worth?
Fareed Zakaria is an Indian-American journalist best known for hosting CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. Fareed is also a political commentator and author who has been an editor at large of Time and editor of Newsweek International. Currently, he writes a weekly paid column for The Washington Post.
Married, Wife, Children
The CNN host Fareed Zakaria was previously married to Paula Throckmorton. Paula is a jewelry designer by profession.
Fareed and his ex-wife Paula got married in the year 1997 and got separated after two decades of marriage. In July of 2018, Paula filed for divorce citing, "irretrievable breakdown."
The lawsuit was filed seven years after the couple briefly separated in 2011. During that time, Fareed acknowledged their trouble issuing a statement stating that he has taken a separate apartment a few blocks away from the house that they used to share.
In the course of their marriage, the couple became parents to three kids. They have a son named Omar Zakaria and two daughters named Lila Zakaria and Sofia Zakaria.
After the amicable divorce, Paula now lives in Rhinebeck.
Read About: CNN Pamela Brown's Family Life With Husband & Children!
How Much Is Fareed Zakaria's Net Worth?
As a journalist and author, Fareed Zakaria has been able to assemble a huge net worth of $12 million. In the year 2021, his annual salary is estimated to be $5 million.
At the time of divorce, Fareed's worth was estimated to be $8 million. The former husband and wife duo owned several properties including a $2.1 million estate in Rhinebeck, N.Y, and a $3.4 million Upper West Side townhouse.
You May Like: CNN Wolf Blitzer Married Life, Wife, Children, Net Worth
Fareed Zakaria was born in the year 1964 and is currently at the age of 57. Fareed's birthday is on the 20th of January.
He was born to a Konkani Muslim family in Mumbai. Talking about his parents, his father's name is Rafiq Zakaria and his mother's name is Fatima Zakaria.
Fareed's father was a politician associated with the Indian National Congress and his mother worked for the Sunday Times of India as an editor.
His mother Fatima passed away at the age of 85 from Covid-related complications at Bajaj Hospital in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.
He is the author of books like Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World, The Post American World and In Defense of a Liberal Education.
See More: CNN Poppy Harlow Married Life With Husband! Her Net Worth, Children
Indian-American journalist Host CNN

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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DOUBLE MINORITY
New Report Seeks To Provide Better Public Services To LGBT People Of Color In UK
By Les Fabian Brathwaite August 24, 2012 at 12:08pm
A new research report by Stonewall and Runnymede Trust entitled One Minority at a Time: Being Black and Gay, examines the experiences of England's black and minority gay population and their access to public services.
The report, based on interviews with LGBT people of color, finds that public service workers rarely consider or are trained to deal with the possibility of an individual being a double minority, resulting in inappropriate and poor quality of the services offered. The Guardian highlights some suggestions One Minority at a Time made for improving the system:
Don't create a hierarchy between identities. Public bodies have historically given more thought to issues of race and disability than to sexual orientation. Participants pointed out that when public bodies have thought about how they can make services accessible to black and minority ethnic people they have often failed to consider lesbian, gay and bisexual people from these communities. The Equality Act creates an opportunity to consider sexual orientation by building on what services already know rather than starting all over again.
Participants felt that the views and voices of black gay people are rarely considered. Engage and involve local service users to make sure your services reflect the needs and experiences of black and minority ethnic gay people.
Staff should be well trained. Participants want service providers to develop a greater awareness about the needs of black and minority ethnic gay service users.
Ensure people can be open about their sexual orientation. Participants felt unsure about how staff would respond to them if they disclosed their sexual orientation and were anxious about how it would affect the service they received. They pointed out that there is often nothing to reassure them that they would not experience discrimination or negative reactions.
Make openly gay black and minority ethnic people more visible. Participants explained that more visibility of black gay people, for example by displaying gay-friendly images that reflect black and minority ethnic communities, would make them feel more confident to access services and to be open when doing so.
Provide practical support. Public bodies sometimes spend a lot of time developing action plans and reports. Participants said they would like to see practical interventions too, such as resources, information and opportunities which are targeted at them.
England gay minorities lgbt minorities lgbt people of color
Subscribe to Queerty for a daily dose of #england #gayminorities #lgbtminorities stories and more
Why are black gay people more special that white gay people? Or Asian gay people? Or Middle-Eastern gay people?
@Triple S: Nobody said that, what a stupid thing to say.
Me thinks there is sense of self entitlement coming from Triple S. What do you have against black people?
rinnecokill
That's a picture of my girlfriend and I from DC's Youth Pride…At least show a picture of people from the actual UK?
Well hey at least they're trying to do more for the LGBT community in the UK.
Papi Balenciaga
@Triple S: I think if you had actually taken the time and read the article correctly and not skimmed for key words such as "black" then I don't think you would have made such an ignorant comment.


There are a lot of cool looking bike helmets out there but if you want something that doesn't look like a helmet but keeps your head safe in an accident consider the Hovding. It's sort of an airbag for bikes; you wear it on your neck and if you happen to fall off your bike and your head is in danger, the airbag pops up and quickly (in a tenth of a second) covers your head against impact. It uses combination of accelerometers and gyrometers to sense if you're just riding or in an accident. Watch this.


WASHINGTON, October 6, 2016 – On the heels of this year's Retail's Digital Summit hosted by Shop.org, the National Retail Federation is thrilled to announce the first two keynote speakers for next year's event, taking place in Los Angeles, Sept. 25-27, 2017.
Mariam Naficy, founder and CEO of Minted, is a pioneer of consumer Internet businesses. Naficy invented Minted's unique, crowd sourced and curated marketplace model with the mission of building an e-commerce platform that continuously offers fresh goods across limitless categories. She sits on the boards of Yelp and Every Mother Counts, and was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company in 2014 and has been one of Goldman Sachs' 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs every year since 2012.
Adam Grant is Wharton's top-rated professor and a New York Times writer on work and psychology. Grant has been recognized as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers, Fortune's 40 under 40, and Malcolm Gladwell's favorite thinkers. Grant is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, "Originals" and "Give and Take," and serves on the Lean In board and the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Board.
"We are honored to have both Mariam and Adam join us for next year's Retail's Digital Summit as keynote speakers, as each will bring a unique perspective to the world of digital retail," NRF Vice President of Digital Retail Artemis Berry said.
Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, is the world's leading community for digital retail, offering thought leadership through original research and gold standard events.
The community is made up of exclusive networking groups and committees that lead the global conversation surrounding innovative e-commerce trends and digital retail.
NRF is the world's largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation's largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation's economy. NRF's This is Retail campaign highlights the industry's opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation.


We can provide your small business with bookkeeping and payroll services using QuickBooks regardless of where you are located. We recommend QuickBooks Online to our clients because it is available anywhere, anytime with any internet connection and has emerged as the most widely used accounting software for small business owners. If you're ready to get your bookkeeping up and running with QuickBooks, or if you want to learn how to use QuickBooks more efficiently, contact us today.
We can help you start your QuickBooks subscription and offer company setup, review, and support services for QuickBooks users . We also offer local on-site and remote online training to show you and your employees how to use key features of QuickBooks that you'll need on a regular basis.
Once you are a client, you'll also have the convenience of contacting us to answer questions and troubleshoot any problems you run into.
We offer Tax Preparation Services for our regular Bookkeeping clients and work hard to get them the kind of tax savings they can take to the bank. As regulations change, we identify new deductions and incentives that can reduce their overall tax burden and bring them a higher tax return.


Where are you seeing new life bloom in your actions, thought life and words?
Seeds in a bag sitting on a shelf in a garage are pretty useless. Safe? Yes. Useful? No. Think about what a seed has to go through, though, to be useful, to bear fruit. It has to leave the safety of the packaging, enter the harsh, cruel world, get buried alive, spend days dying alone in the dark, have cold water poured over it seemingly drowning it, and ultimately it dies! Anyone want to sign up to be a seed? This is what Jesus is calling us to, though. To be planted. To give up our lives. To give up our dreams. To give up the safety of the sterile packaging. To leave the comfortable structures of our lives. To die. It's what Jesus did. He left the safety and comfort of heaven to be planted for a time amongst us. He did the will of His Father. He gave of Himself. He sacrificed His desires and put others first. He spent himself. He died.
And in the end, what is promised is life – both here on Earth and eternally with Him. We are seeds, and we're either sitting on a shelf alone and useless or we've died so that Jesus can give us life and use our fruit to bring nourishment to those around us. Where have you been planted? Who are you impacting? Where are you seeing new life bloom in your actions, thought life and words?
This is my Prayer: Father God reveal to me the areas of my life that need to be put to death so that I can be fully alive. Lord give me courage to do the things You've called me to do. Jesus help me to see myself as planted where I am so that those around me can receive nourishment from the fruit that You bear through my life. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
How would you describe what motivates you to pursue wisdom and God's truth?
One of my greatest regrets in life is not taking school seriously. For the most part, I mailed it in by going through the motions and resting on my laurels. My parents told me I was too smart for my own good and I think they were right. Friends who pulled all-nighters cramming for a test would often be livid at me for barely cracking open a textbook and getting a better score than them on an exam. Those good grades only reinforced my lack of effort and living my life doing the bare minimum. I bring this up not to brag, but rather as a lament mourning all those opportunities I squandered. More often than not, as soon as the last question on the test was answered or the term paper was handed in, my brain would do an Control-Alt-Delete and reboot with that information gone forever.
My approach to learning was all wrong. I only cared about the grade, looking good to others and feeding my ego. Over the years I've noticed how, if I'm not careful, this mindset can creep into my walk with Christ and my pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. My quest for His truth isn't always about understanding His heart and furthering our relationship, but rather mere head knowledge that makes me look and feel "super spiritual". Just like my schooling, I can fool people very easily and hide my motives like a magician's sleight of hand trick. The outside appearance of knowledge can very easily come across as spiritual maturity, wise understanding, and uncompromising integrity. Looks can be deceiving.
Because of this, I have to make it a point to pause, reflect, and ask God to expose my motives for pursuing His truth. God wants me to be honest with Him about the one thing I can hide from everybody else, my motives. Sometimes I don't enjoy what He exposes, but this process is needed. Left to my own devices I can use truth for my own gain. I'm confident that I can't be the only one on the planet who struggles in this way. If I wrestle with my pursuit of truth and having pure motives, chances are good so do you.
What drives your own pursuit of wisdom? Are you pursuing truth to further your agenda? Are you searching Scriptures to know God's heart or to build your argument and prove your point against someone else? Are you more concerned with understanding God's character or appearing wise in the eyes of others? Would you describe your search for wisdom as going through the motions and out of obligation? Has all the knowledge and insight you've gained made the short trip from your head to your heart? What do you "know" but aren't acting upon or living out? How would you describe what motivates you to pursue wisdom and God's truth? Why is this the driver? Those questions aren't meant to discourage you or leave you feeling condemned. Remember, we're in the same boat and guilt never leads to transformation. Instead, let this time of reflection serve as a jumping off point and an opportunity for transparency and honesty.
This is my Prayer: Father God, may I pursue Your truth with right motives and a pure heart. Lord instead of gaining wisdom to boast and bring attention to myself, may I seek Your truth in order to better reflect Your heart. Jesus I desire to gain wisdom so that I can point others to the hope only You provide. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
What truth do you need to cling to in order to provide perspective on your situation?
There are so many reasons to be fearful. There are so many reasons to run away and hide. But the most precious truth is that all of those reasons don't matter to the King of Kings. There is only His love that casts out all fear. Christ is King. He has washed away our sins in perfect love so that is all there is. Who am I to dwell in the fear and the struggle? God is good and He has called me precious in His sight. He has called me His child. He has called me to build His Kingdom. So why do I let the anxiety and the doubt creep in? God loves me. He loves me. I am His. I know these things are true. When I let the fear grip my thoughts, it feels like He is squishing me under His thumb—like He has put me in impossible circumstances with no way out; but when I let His love fully in, I feel the freedom of His power shaping me and building my endurance to run the race set out before me full of His strength and grace.
Why would I ever choose to focus on the fear, then? It is so easy to slip. It is so easy to stumble. It is so easy to live out of the knowledge of good and evil. It is so easy to feel like I am a disappointment or that I am not worthy or that I am cast aside. But none of these things are true. God's plan and provision and truth are perfect. I am exactly where He intends for me to be in this season. I am crossing paths with exactly whom He intends for me to cross paths with. I am struggling in the exact areas He knew I would struggle in. He planned it all; He created me. Now it's my choice. Will I trust Him in each of these things? Will I surrender control to the Lord in each of these places?
If I grip the control with white-knuckled fists I will drive myself straight into the dirt. But—if I choose to trust and hold all that I have with open hands and a believing heart then I can gracefully step forward into what the Lord has called for me. I can soar on the wings of eagles. I can run and not grow weary. The Lord will continue to renew my strength. There are so many reasons to pour out God's love. When I look to Him as my source daily, that love will keep bursting out. Where are you reacting fearful and anxious to the circumstances you face? What truth do you need to cling to in order to provide perspective on your situation?
This is my Prayer: Father God, keep my eyes on you. Lord keep Your truth in my thoughts and Your grace in my heart. Jesus help me to turn away from the fear and to focus on Your truth. Amen.
What are you learning through your steps of obedience?
It is possible for one to have all the answers, yet still not be free. "Going deeper" is dangerous waters when one finds themselves drowning in the shallow end of a faith not lived out. Knowledge that remains stuck in our brain but never sees the light of day is not truly understood. We might comprehend these bits of truth in theory, but knowing truth is only developed through experiencing truth. Truth is discovered by faith. We open up God's Word and are bombarded with wisdom and insight. We nod our head when we come across Scripture that tells us it is better to give than receive, to forgive as we've been forgiven, to not lean on our understanding, to pray continually, to store up treasures in Heaven. We can memorize these verses, post them to our Facebook wall or even share them with our friends and family.
In our minds, we believe we understand and comprehend these passages. This insight might be lodged in our heart, but unless we put that knowledge into practice; all we have is information. The Scriptures were not given as evidence of faith, but rather serve as a calling to faith. Unfortunately, we typically search for information to free us from faith and create a certainty we can control, navigate and solve. We don't know how dangerous this mindset is in terms of crippling the intimacy and knowledge we have of God. The opposite of faith isn't doubt but certainty. We foolishly believe that freedom is found by holding on when true freedom can only be experienced when we let go and trust. Our trustful obedience opens us up and avails us to being known by God. We show our love for God by making Him the first person we come to when we can't figure things out on our own. Truth is revealed one step of faith at a time. What has God been revealing to you about His character and your heart lately? What are you learning through your steps of obedience?
This is my Prayer: Father God, as you reveal to me more of Your heart and Your character, may I walk in obedience and faith. Jesus I desire to display courage and boldness as I search for Your truth. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
Where do you turn for comfort when you are afraid?
Truth be told, when I was kid I was afraid of the dark. I was a master at procrastinating. I'd find every excuse to get out of bed once I was tucked in. "I need to go to the bathroom. I need a drink of water. I think I left something in the living room. I'm hungry." I'd go through the same back and forth routine with my mom every night at bedtime, because I was afraid. No matter how old I get, I still deal with fear on a regular basis. Only now when I lay awake in bed at night it's not fear of the dark that haunts me…it's fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of letting go, fear of self-image, fear of trying new things, fear of being uncomfortable, fear of what the future holds, fear of not having enough money, fear of not making enough time for my wife and kids, fear of the world that my kids are growing up in…fear, fear, fear.
"But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…" Isaiah 43:1-3 God wanted the Nation of Israel to trust him and not be paralyzed by their fears and uncertainties. He reassured them that He made them, He saved them, and He was with them no matter what because they were His children. Perhaps that's what God wants us to remember when we are plagued by the melody of fear. No matter how rough the waters are, how high the waves appear, or how hot the flames may seem, we are his children, ransomed and rescued by His Son Jesus, and He is with us no matter what.
What's the song of fear that plays loudly, over and over in your head? Where do you turn for comfort when you are afraid? God's word is like a melody of assurance that He is with us, He will never abandon us, and He can be trusted no matter what. Take a moment and memorize Psalm 56:3 so that in times of fear you can be reminded that you are not alone-the Lord is with you. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." What's the song of fear that plays loudly, over and over in your head? Where do you turn for comfort when you are afraid?
This is my Prayer: Father God, I will trust in You when I am afraid. Lord in the midst of the darkness, help me to see Your light is always there to guide me and comfort me. Jesus teach me not have to fear for You are with me. Thank you for never leaving my side. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.


text:
Biglaw Agency Lays Off 50 Attorneys And Workers Due To COVID-19
For many Biglaw firms, the worst of the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus crisis seems to be over. Some firms that conducted austerity measures like salary reductions are now reassessing their finances and either partially or completely removing those compensation cuts. Other firms are rolling out COVID-related bonuses that range up to $40,000 (or in some cases, $50,000). Things seem to be coming along quite nicely — but unfortunately, it looks like there are some firms that are still struggling.
Across the pond in the United Kingdom, Ince Gordon Dadds, an international Biglaw firm that's listed on the London Stock Exchange, revealed in its most recent financial disclosure that layoffs had occurred due to the pandemic. It's been reported that approximately 50 lawyers and support staff were let go across all of the firm's offices.
The Global Legal Post has additional information on what's happening at Ince:
The measures are revealed in an AGM statement and trading update published today that also confirmed that dividend payments remain suspended in the light of the pandemic's impact on business.
The statement said a "limited global programme" of redundancies had taken place affecting lawyers and support staff "in areas where it is not expected that business will recover sufficiently in the medium term" from the Covid-19 pandemic.
And, in recognition of the fact "that working practices are likely to change over coming years" and that its current office space "may be too large or may no longer be suitable" it noted that it had the opportunity to make "significant further operational cost savings" in the medium term.
Yikes, it certainly sounds like more cuts could be coming for this firm. Best of luck to all those who are affected by the layoffs at Ince.
If your firm or organization is slashing salaries or restoring previous cuts, closing its doors, or reducing the ranks of its lawyers or staff, whether through open layoffs, stealth layoffs, or voluntary buyouts, please don't hesitate to let us know. Our vast network of tipsters is part of what makes Above the Law thrive. You can email us or text us (646-820-8477).
If you'd like to sign up for ATL's Layoff Alerts, please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the layoff alerts, you don't need to do anything. You'll receive an email notification within minutes of each layoff, salary cut, or furlough announcement that we publish.
Ince reports 50 Covid-19 staff layoffs and signals 'significant' post pandemic office space savings (Global Legal Post)
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she's worked since 2011. She'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.


text:
Advising & Academic Success
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The Social Sciences office is now closed. Staff members are working remotely and will be available to respond to emails during the coming weeks from 8 am-5 pm.
Email the Social Sciences staff at: SSCI-Staff@umich.edu
The Department of Social Sciences is home to the Economics, History, and Political Science disciplines; interdisciplinary programs in Urban & Regional Studies, Community Change Studies and Social Studies; a master's degree program in Public Administration and Policy; and Geography unit.
Supplementing these academic areas are various internship opportunities for students through our Politics, Policy and Law, Economics and Ottawa Internship Programs.
The Social Sciences Department also hosts an ongoing Research Colloquium and a Mid-East Lecture Series. These diverse opportunities share a focus on the forces that have been affecting human individuals and groups in an ever-changing and increasingly complex world.
Disciplines, Programs and Units
Community Change Studies
Master of Public Administration and Policy
The Social Science department offers the following internship opportunities. Urban and Regional Studies also offers the URST Internship, which appears in the course schedule as URST 485. It offers students field experiences with businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies.
Economic Internship Program
Local and Lansing Internship Program
Washington, D.C Internship Program
Invitation to do an independent study on Macroeconometric models of the U.S. Economy.
The political science faculty support student participation in the annual Meeting of Minds, which provides undergraduate students and faculty at UM-Dearborn, UM-Flint and Oakland University the opportunity to come together to present and discuss their research.
Urban and Regional Studies (URST) program majors are required to complete 6 credit hours of community based research. This can take the form of any combination of an Academic Internship, an Independent Study or an Academic Service Learning Course.
Student Services & Facilities
There are tables and chairs in an open setting on the first floor.
There is a quiet study area on the second floor of the building, room 2220 SSB. The study room has several computer stations and a U-Print release station.
On the second floor chairs are arranged in an open, informal setting.
There is a vending room to the right of the first floor stairway.
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Graphic by Violet Dashi
Teaching through five decades of political change
With nearly 50 years at UM-Dearborn and 12 U.S. presidential elections during his time on campus, Political Science Professor Ronald Stockton heads into retirement after witnessing a milestone year for student political involvement.
What would a "just" rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine look like?
The next phase of the pandemic could be a test of how much we've learned about inequity in America.
UM-Dearborn Political Science Professor Dale Thomson in front of his Northwest Detroit home, where they recently shot part of the film "No Sudden Move."
They just shot a Steven Soderbergh movie at this UM-Dearborn professor's house
Dale and Anne Thomson's Detroit home recently played host to actors Ray Liotta and Benicio Del Toro.
What have COVID-19-related changes shown us about community telemental health?
Looking at data to see how the pandemic changed the community mental health landscape, one CASL faculty member says people have adjusted to the new virtual environment and telemental health has promise to be an effective delivery service.
2002 CASL Building


text:
In a suburban classroom, learning to parent the sons she left behind
By Antonio Olivo
September 21, 2018 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Elam Reyna makes breakfast for her sons on a Saturday morning. Her son Jeshua sits at the table as his brother, Jafet plays video games. They joined their mother in Annandale in 2016, nearly 13 years after she left them in Guatemala to forge a life in the United States. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
Elam Reyna sat through her first parenting class, filled with worry.
The housekeeper from Guatemala was adjusting to being a day-to-day mother, nearly 13 years after leaving her home country and placing her two sons and their baby sister in the care of her grandparents. Now the boys had made a similar journey, fleeing gang threats. They were struggling to become a family again.
Jafet, then 15, was cutting classes at Falls Church High School and hanging out with a boy who seemed to be involved with members of the MS-13 gang in their Annandale neighborhood. Both he and his brother, Jeshua, two years his senior, had lashed out at their mother, and tension was building in their crowded apartment as she tried to assert authority.
Elam Reyna — who asked to be identified by her middle name and only part of her last name because she is in the United States illegally — was determined to bring order to her home and be a good mother, even if seeking help with her sons could jeopardize their chances of staying in the United States.
Hoping for guidance, she enrolled in the Fairfax County Public Schools "Families Reunite" parenting class, one of dozens of efforts underway in U.S. communities that have seen a historic migration of unaccompanied minors from Central America.
While attention has focused this summer on migrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border as a result of President Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy, a far higher number of children, usually in their teens, are struggling to make their way after crossing the border themselves and applying for asylum protections.
Many witnessed or experienced rapes, kidnappings or other violence on their journeys or in their homelands, and are wary of joining parents or guardians they've never met or haven't seen in years.
The vast majority are not involved in criminal activity. But the surge of young border crossers — nearly 140,000 since 2014 — has contributed to a rise in gang violence, authorities say. Helping parents and other guardians bond with and guide their children is considered a vital step in steering them away from negative behavior and toward positive, productive lives.
"We want these families to feel welcomed, that they belong here," said Robin Hamby, who helped create the parenting classes in Fairfax that have since been replicated in Baltimore, the District and elsewhere. "Because we know that the number-one reason kids do turn to gangs is because they don't have a sense of belonging, either with their family or with school or their social group."
'Deleted' families: What went wrong with Trump's family separation effort
On the night she attended her first class, Elam listened to the instructor, Carolina Dotel, talk about the resentment many unaccompanied minors feel over having been left behind in their homelands, and the importance of communication and being alert to signs of trouble.
At the end, she approached Dotel and explained what was going on with Jafet.
"What do I do?" Elam said.
On the same path
The call came from her grandmother in Guatemala City. Jeshua and Jafet, then 16 and 14, had been threatened by gang members and were missing.
Elam felt a mix of terror and guilt. She had witnessed Guatemala's unyielding violence in 2000, when she was 15 and pregnant with Jeshua and her boyfriend was fatally shot in front of her. She began another relationship and gave birth to Jafet and a baby girl, Genesis. But that man abandoned them.
Her paternal grandparents had raised her, after her own mother left for the United States when she was an infant. Twenty years later, she headed north as well. Her grandparents were surrogates once more.
Unlike her mother, Elam called and sent money regularly. As the years passed, she proudly shared her children's photos on Facebook while updating her own profile to include her husband, Alex Rios, a naturalized U.S. citizen she married in 2013.
Now the boys were gone. Elam frantically phoned police and people she knew in Guatemala, learning that a friend had seen them on the street selling their clothes, skateboards and toys. Elam remembered a question Jeshua had asked once: "Mami, how did you get there?"
She'd told him about riding on the roof of a freight train, begging for food in Mexico, and, in the punishing desert, gulping from a discarded bottle of water with maggots inside.
Unwittingly, she realized, she'd given him directions.
By then, the boys were riding the same freight train line. Jafet, slight and sensitive, was scared and sad over leaving the great-grandmother he knew as Mamá. Jeshua, tall and stoic, felt guilty about leaving Genesis, then 12, but concluded it was too dangerous to take her.
They arrived several pounds lighter to the U.S. border, where they were taken to a federal shelter for unaccompanied minors near Phoenix.
A federal agent determined they had a credible fear of returning to Guatemala and began processing them as applicants for asylum. Their case may be complicated by a recent ruling by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said gang violence usually won't count as persecution.
A month after they disappeared, Elam's phone rang at 1 a.m.
"Do you know where your sons are?" a border agent asked in Spanish.
Taking risks
Elam wept as she hugged the boys at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, asking them again and again to forgive her for leaving them.
But the boys rebuffed their mother's attempts at affection. When she prepared a meal in the crowded Annandale apartment they shared with boarders, they complained it wasn't as good as Mamá's cooking.
"They don't love me," she told Rios.
"Give them time," he said.
Frustrated, Elam dictated curfews, rules and chores. The boys didn't listen. When Jafet refused to refer to his stepfather as Papá, Elam struck him with a belt. He called 911.
A few days later, Elam scolded Jeshua for getting angry at Jafet. This time, it was the older son who turned his rage toward her. Jafet rushed to his mother's defense.
Elam had already met Dotel, a parent liaison at Falls Church High, where the boys had enrolled. She asked for advice, and Dotel directed her to the parenting class.
Over three three-hour sessions, social workers covered basic topics, such as showing affection, negotiating household rules and being consistent with discipline. They also taught about drugs, gangs and other potential pitfalls lurking in American schools.
Elam and the other parents inflated balloons and marked them with words describing their anxieties: "loneliness," "guilt," "desperation." Then they stomped on the colorful globes in a symbolic gesture of release: "Pop! Pop!"
"It's important that we as parents pay attention to what they're listening to, what they're watching," Dotel tells her adult pupils. "If they don't follow the rules, and if we don't work with them, there could be consequences later in life."
Elam vowed to find ways to talk to her boys and set limits. But she also worried that would not be enough. She'd seen a text on Jafet's phone from the friend who she believed had gang ties, suggesting he come over so "we can drink some beer or we can smoke."
Dotel suggested that she ask the police officer stationed at the high school to keep an eye on her sons, and find out what Jafet was up to while not in class.
Elam knew evidence of problematic behavior could impact the boys' chances of staying in the United States. But after some agonizing, she decided to meet with the officer, Shayna Nikolas, who already knew about the friend's gang connection.
Nikolas warned Jeshua and Jafet about the risk of being deported if caught breaking the law. "I'll be monitoring you," she said.
At home, Elam told Jafet that she, too, would be policing his behavior.
"If I see that you are doing any drugs, it hurts my heart and my soul, but I will call the police," she said. "I'm not going to shield you."
She also confronted the 15-year-old friend, an unaccompanied minor from Guatemala who had eaten at their apartment a few times.
"I care for you, and I liked that you were my son's friend," she told him. "But I don't want you to be a friend anymore to Jafet. I don't want you to be in my house, because you're involving yourself in bad things."
The boy looked hurt but said he understood, she said. A few months later, according to Nikolas, he was convicted of stabbing and nearly killing a man during a fight.
Seeking a fresh start, Elam sat down with her sons and shared her worries about being a novice parent, asking how they thought she could do better. She had learned in class that small gestures of love and support can go a long way.
When she noticed a drawing Jafet had finished of an aging Native American chief, she left a note nearby. "How beautiful this came out," it said. "You are so smart and talented."
Several of Jafet's pictures are now on display in their living room, and he and his mother are discussing a formal art class.
Both Jeshua and Jafet were surprised to learn that gangs have a presence in Northern Virginia and say they are determined not to be lured in.
"Why would I come all this way just to get involved in that?" Jafet once told his mother.
He stopped wearing a shirt with a red collar after a fellow student warned him that was the color of a rival clique. But Jeshua, who has also been threatened, continues to sport his favorite pair of red sneakers, despite pleas from his mother to stop.
"Ay, papito, don't respond like that," Elam said during one of their newly direct conversations. "They can do something to you."
"No, Mami," he responded. "If I let them tell me what to do, they can dominate me."
Since the class, the three have grown closer, the boys more affectionate and responsive. That showed at a recent soccer match when a bigger player on the other team picked a fight with Jafet, and Jeshua came to defend him. Elam, racing in from the bleachers, was able to calm down both her boys, though Jafet was suspended for two games for his role in the incident.
"In the beginning, it was like we didn't know how to be her sons," Jeshua said. "But little by little, with the trust growing, we started to adapt to this place and to the rules we have to live under."
Elam still pines for Genesis, now 15, who no longer goes to school because of concerns about gang violence. Mostly, she looks after her great-grandmother, telling Elam whenever money runs short.
"My sons are here, and they bring me happiness," Elam said. "But my daughter is still in Guatemala suffering, due to me."
After the three-week Families Reunited course, Elam enrolled in more intensive parenting classes offered by the school system that target a broader spectrum of Latino immigrants. This spring, she and other participants chipped in for a teacher appreciation lunch, preparing taquitos or pupusas and helping to serve. The group has agreed to work with non-Latino parents at the school to organize similar events this year.
As Elam left the luncheon, she ran into Jeshua, wearing the offending bright red sneakers. She wanted to say something, but thought better of it, settling for, "Did you eat?" He said he had, but thanked her for asking and, after a brief hug, walked away.
Elam stood in the hallway, watching the red shoes shrinking in the distance.
She and her sons spent most of their days apart this summer. Jafet stayed home, playing soccer or hanging out with family friends. Jeshua, now 19, worked as a landscaper. Elam started a new, higher-paying job as a nanny.
Her sons' asylum claims remain in limbo.
In August, she took a day off from work to accompany them to a scheduled court hearing near Crystal City.
After nearly three hours of waiting, an immigration judge continued the cases to October 2019.
As the three walked outside the courtroom, each dressed as if for Sunday Mass, they realized they had a rare weekday afternoon together.
They celebrated with lunch at a nearby Panera.
And Elam turned her attention to the immediate future, joyfully reminding her sons they had school supplies and other necessities to buy.
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Business Internet Service in New Castle, DE
Business Internet>
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For a business in New Castle, DE to survive and thrive in this era, it needs a fast, stable internet connection, and that's true even when the internet isn't the primary way that a company does business. The internet allows employees to instantly communicate with each other, and it makes it easy for customers to contact a business at any time. While offering phone support for customers is great, it also requires that the business have an employee by the phone at all times, which isn't always feasible, particularly after hours or on weekends. When a business has an online contact option, customers can send messages which the business then responds to later. A business can compare its different business internet service provider (ISP) options in New Castle, DE using MyRatePlan below.
Categories of Business Internet Service Providers in New Castle, DE
There has been an internet option evolution over the last two decades, and every year, internet technology progresses. Business owners in New Castle, DE who feel the internet is no longer meeting their company's needs should consider looking at new, upgraded options. Of course, even the most efficient type of internet has its downsides such as limited distribution networks. Therefore, thorough research for the business region's choices in terms of internet service provider, or ISP, accessibility is important. Cable, DSL, fiber optic, fixed wireless, satellite and T1 are common internet technologies.
An internet connection is not the only service offered by an ISP. Many ISPs have bundles that include phone services, email and web hosting. Often, internet bundles can save business owners money as opposed to purchasing a service separately. Full-service packages are also valuable to businesses. These packages offer complete internet service and support, lowering operational costs and saving companies the cost of hiring an in-house IT, or internet technology, specialist.
Some business internet providers in New Castle, DE even have consultative service experts who assess businesses' needs. After an assessment, an expert from the provider will offer suggestions for increased efficiency, like technology upgrades and remote device management. He can even determine how much bandwidth a business needs to maintain operations by making calculations based on the number of internet devices and employees.
What Factors a Business Should Consider with Business Internet Service in New Castle, DE
When it comes to business internet service in New Castle, DE, speed is one of the most important factors a business should look at. The chosen service plan needs to be fast enough to handle the amount of traffic and devices the business has at peak hours, and be able to accommodate the business's growth in the future. This is one area where it's a bad decision to choose a slower plan as a cost-saving measure. While it saves a business on its monthly fee, the slower upload and download speeds will be frustrating, create an unprofessional image and reduce productivity.
New Castle, DE businesses should also make sure to ask the ISP if it has bandwidth caps or throttles data, and if so, what factors lead to limitations. This information should also be available in the fine print of the service contract.
One red flag when it comes to ISPs is a lack of security protection, as a reputable ISP will have protections available against malware, spyware, viruses and spam. The business should get details about how much protection the ISP provides and whether or not that protection will also apply to any mobile devices on the business's network. Backup options are another key consideration, to ensure downtime after a system crash is kept to a minimum. If a business has its backup at the office, it should seriously consider switching over to a more versatile cloud-based backup.
Choosing the Best Business Internet Service in New Castle, DE
While business ISPs will always provide assistance, if a business relies entirely on internet access for its service, then it needs more support. It has too much to lose with any issues, because without a stable, fast internet connection, it won't be able to make sales or allow its employees to be productive.
For that reason, businesses should choose a provider that has a Service Level Agreement, which guarantees a certain amount of uninterrupted uptime. This agreement should include information on what remedies are available if there is an interruption to the customer's internet service. One of the standard remedies is a credit off a future bill for downtime that exceeds a certain length of time. In addition to reviewing this agreement, business owners should also look into what support contact options the ISP has available and how effective its tech personnel are at resolving service issues.
Reviewing what has worked out well for other business owners in New Castle, DE is a great way to choose internet service. MyRatePlan provides comparisons of internet plans in a specific area. All the user needs to do is enter their ZIP code. It's not always easy to compare plans, especially when there's a new service provider available. Using a comparison tool simplifies this process.
Scalable and Reliable Business Internet Service in New Castle, DE
Sometimes, the choices for a business internet provider may be very limited where a business is located. Even when there are only a few choices, one still needs to be sure that they are making the right one. Research and careful analysis are necessary to make sure the company is getting the best service possible. Especially for a business, it is crucial to know that the company money is being put to good use. A good business ISP in New Castle, DE is one that is fully prepared for the future and all changes that may come. An ISP must adapt and learn from an ever changing internet.
Here is an example that will explain why adaptability is so crucial. The internet changed quite a bit when the IPv6 was developed. It was created to replace the old protocol IPv4. The new protocol was made to provide an unlimited number of IP addresses. Thanks to IPv6, more devices are capable of using the internet than in years past. Since all of these devices now have their own individual address, the internet is easier to configure. Because of this change, it will cost businesses less to connect to the internet. It is important to keep this example in mind when looking for a worthwhile ISP. By just asking a simple question, a business could save money and increase efficiency.
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Sylvia Miles, film actress and Warhol acolyte, twice Oscar-nominated, who brought zany sparkle to small roles – obituary
Sylvia Miles in New York, 1972 Credit: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images
Telegraph Obituaries
23 June 2019 • 7:18pm
Sylvia Miles, who has died aged 94, was an actress, socialite and camp cultural icon who emerged amid the adventurous American cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s giving vivid, lusty life to characters of a certain age.
She earned the first of her two Academy Award nominations for her supporting role in Midnight Cowboy (1969) as Cass, the bottle-blonde, no-nonsense working girl who takes in Jon Voight's Joe Buck upon his arrival in New York.
Sylvia Miles is on screen for scarcely 10 minutes yet she establishes a dramatic contrast between her battle-hardened streetwalker and the lodger's doughy malleability, before tearing into a tremendous, defiant monologue: "Who do you think you're dealing...
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