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The Long Lens - Issue 01
LONG ROAD FILM MAGAZINE: ISSUE 1
CONTENTS Page:
Editorials By Martin Attmore and writers of this magazine
Black Cinema By Arisa Lester
Spike Lee By Emily Timmins
LR Cinema Club By Martin Attmore
Post Pandemic Spectatorship: 15-16 Popcorn, pick 'n' mix & the flicks By Andrea Joyce
Upcoming Cinema Delights
By Andrea Joyce
By Issy Pilling
Film Festival Volunteering
By Martin Attmore
Lockdown Reviews: 'Volver'
By Jack Todd
'We Are One' Film Festival
Cover by Saffron Barnes Back cover by Josh Stratton The Long Lens|
BIOS Martin Attmore My name is Martin - "Editor in Chief" of this magazine - a secondyear student at Long Road. I am studying the Film Studies A-level and double Media Diploma. I have not got used to the fact that I will probably never take my A-level exams and we didn't get to say a proper goodbye to our friends and classmates -"life goes on".
Arisa Lester I'm Arisa! I am the Deputy Editor and a writer for the magazine. I've just finished my first year of A-level film, media, and English lang-lit at Long Road, meaning now I have all the time in the world to rewatch 'Parasite' as many times as possible instead of actually watching all the movies in my watchlist! A pandemic won't stop me from having a good time!!
Emily Timmins My name is Emily. I am also a Deputy Editor and a writer for the magazine, and I am a first-year student at Long Road. I am studying the English Literature A-Level, Film Studies A-Level and the 60 credit Media Diploma. I am still yet to grasp onto the idea that my second-year friends have left Long Road without saying a proper goodbye due to a pandemic, but to quote the 1994 Disney classic, 'The Lion King': "Hakuna Matata".
Andrea Joyce I'm Andrea, I am the Course Team Leader for Film Studies at Long Road. My weakness is '80s Coming of Age movies, well mostly just 80s movies actually. I am incredibly proud of the team for putting together issue one of 'The Long Lens' for your enjoyment. I hope this is the beginning of a long life for this publication. I hope it inspires some of you to contribute next time and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it. The Long Lens|
EDITORIAL Welcome to the first Long Road Film Magazine! This is a magazine put together by students and teachers looking at our perspectives on films and film culture. We hope there will be many more issues to come! 2020 has been an insane year so far: 'Threat of War', 'Australia Burning', 'Impeachment Trial', 'Global Pandemic', 'Police Brutality' (Thousandth part of the Saga) and 'Racial Protests'. It is like we are living in a film, only it feels like a disaster movie. Though those events have come out in 2020 - not as films just yet - we still have some cinema to celebrate before the world shuts down. We made it far enough into the year to have an awards season while the world was still standing - meaning we were able to see the first foreign language film to win the Best Picture Oscar, Bong Joon-Ho's 'Parasite'. Hopefully, the world has a future that will give us more to celebrate than we need to protest; maybe film is a way to do that. As the situation gets bleaker, we are beginning to see more truth, and as "art imitates life" the truth will find its way onto our screens - whether those screens are silver or at home. By Martin Attmore
The Long Lens|
BLACK CINEMA A RESPONSE TO CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES In honour of the worldwide resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd, I decided it was only appropriate to cover the topic. After a beautiful show of alliance in different cities all around the world, from Los Angeles to Auckland, the BLM movement is blazing the trail to accountability and equality. Now more than ever people have been urging one another to self-educate and share what they've learned, whether it be random facts on slavery, systemic racism within the justice system, white
A Starting Point Letterboxd (a social media platform where people share their love of films) news suggests that everyone should finish the 'first five' before 'diving into some deeper cuts'. These five films could potentially be seen as the core of Black representation in film when it comes to the theme of racism. They are also ones that have gained the most popularity in recent weeks with members of the app, as a way of developing their understanding of racism. Here, I will reveal the 'first five', along with a short introduction to each film, and after that I will follow up with a list - in no particular order - of other film suggestions that are more broad in its representation of Black people, that meaning it may or may not be centred around the theme of racism.
privilege, the list goes on and on. Amidst the 24-hour news cycle on BLM protests, I've found myself
The 'First Five'
extremely overwhelmed, but I'm also aware that my lack of balance and frustration is privilege. Learning about the struggle secondhand doesn't even begin to compare to experiencing it. So, in order to perform my duty as a supporter of the BLM movement, I've committed myself to learning. And after a few days of researching, I've found knowledge and consolation through my favourite medium: movies. With the help of my favourite streaming services, I've
(Letterboxd)
gained access to a nimiety of films and documentaries
produced by Black creators. The notion that Black
Directed by Ava DuVernay
Cinema is predominantly associated with themes of
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
racism, oppression or slavery is utterly absurd. Simply because Hollywood is too lazy to properly represent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), it does not mean that audiences should settle on their research after only observing mainstream cinema. Representation in film is a deep-rooted institutional issue, and BIPOC have, time and time again, failed to see a genuine reflection of themselves in mainstream media, which is why making a conscious effort to consume Black cinema and supporting BIPOC artists is a step towards equality within the film industry.
(Letterboxd) The Long Lens|
I Am Not Your Negro (2016) Directed by Raoul Peck Working from the text of James Baldwin's unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.
Selma (2014) Directed by Ava DuVernay
Do The Right Thing (1989)
"Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act.
Directed by Spike Lee Salvatore "Sal" Fragione is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighbourhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighbourhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighbourhood, and tensions rise.
Malcolm X (1992)
Directed by Spike Lee
Broaden Your Horizon!
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
(Photograph by Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures)
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) Directed by Barry Jenkins After her fiance is falsely imprisoned, a pregnant AfricanAmerican woman sets out to clear his name and prove his innocence.
(Tumblr)
Waves (2019) Directed by Trey Edward Shultz The Long Lens|
A controlling father's attempts to ensure that his two children succeed in high school backfire after his son experiences a career-ending sports injury. Their familial bonds are eventually placed under severe strain by an unexpected tragedy.
Jungle Fever (1991) Directed by Spike Lee (Watermarkonline)
Moonlight (2016) Directed by Barry Jenkins
A successful and married black man contemplates having an affair with a white girl from work. He's quite rightly worried that the racial difference would make an already taboo relationship even worse.
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man's struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
(Pinterest)
Black Panthers (1968) Directed by Agnes Varda (Letterboxd)
Black Dynamite (2009) Directed by Scott Sanders This is the story of 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite. The Man killed his brother, pumped heroin into local orphanages, and flooded the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor. Black Dynamite was the one hero willing to fight The Man all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House…
This riveting documentary transports you to the pivotal Free Huey rally held on February 17th, 1968, at Oakland Auditorium in Alameda, California. Newton, the charismatic young college student who, along with Bobby Seale, created the Black Panther Party, had been jailed for allegedly killing a police officer. His arrest – widely believed at the time to be a setup – galvanised Party support throughout the nation and led to a boom in Party membership, bringing a new level of public attention to the Panthers' cause.
The Watermelon Woman (1996) Directed by Cheryl Dunye Cheryl, a young black lesbian, works a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing the stereotypical "mammy" roles relegated to black actresses during that period. This was the first feature film directed by an "out" black lesbian.
(THE WATERMELON WOMAN - CLIP 2 Youtube)
(DAZED)
(25yearslatersite.com)
The Hate You Give (2018)
Girlhood (2014)
Directed by George Tillman, Jr.
Directed by Celine Sciamma
Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth.
Oppressed by her family setting, dead-end school prospects and the boys' law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of three free-spirited girls. She changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.
(Youtube)
Boyz N The Hood (1991)
(ThePlaylist.net)
Directed by John Singleton
LA 92 (2017)
Boyz n the Hood is the popular and successful social criticism ' from John Singleton about the conditions in South Central Los Angeles where teenagers are involved in gun fights and drug dealing on a daily basis.
Directed by T.J. Martin, Daniel Lindsey Twenty-five years after the verdict in the Rodney King trial sparked several days of protests, violence and looting in Los Angeles, 'LA 92' immerses viewers in that tumultuous period through stunning and rarely seen archival footage.
(sdavidmiller.com)
The Last Black Man In San Francisco (2019) Directed by Joe Talbott Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind.
Tangerine (2015) Directed by Sean Baker It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumour. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.
(rogerebert.com)
Rafiki (2018) Directed by Wanuri Kahiu Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls are forced to choose between happiness and safety.
(Los Angeles Times)
Us (2019) Directed by Jordan Peele Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited. (nybooks.com)
Sorry To Bother You (2018) Directed by Boots Riley In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
(Timeout.com)
The Last Tree (2019) Directed by Shola Amoo Femi is a British boy of Nigerian heritage who, after a happy childhood in rural Lincolnshire, moves to inner London to live with his mum. Struggling with the unfamiliar culture and values of his new environment, teenage Femi has to figure out which path to adulthood he wants to take.
By Arisa Lester
SPIKE LEE: THE OBSERVATION OF ARGUING AGAINST BLAXPLOITATION Examining filmmaking over the last century, AfricanAmerican filmmakers have been a staple of the cinematic domain since the pioneering work of Oscar Micheaux in the roaring '20s, although none have been as culturally/ artistically influential as Spike Lee. Lee transformed the dramatic domain by breaking apart from a culture that has perpetuated the marginalisation and stereotypical representation of black people, as his distinctive and stellar style has established a new showcasing for African-American voices to be heard; Spike is an authentic filmmaker who has a fresh vision and political tendencies for his taxonomy of auteurial decisions which broke out during the mid-80s 'new black film wave' with his independent hits: 'She's gotta have it' (1986) and 'Do the right thing' (1989).
been created predominantly by blaxploitation, an ethnic subgenre that emerged in the '70s yet typecasted ethnic people into stereotyped roles - a genre that Lee has been against. This vision can be explored in 'Do the Right Thing' (1989) where the subject is not simply a race uproar, but a tragic dynamic of racial tension and miscommunication. The film is a virtuous act of creation, a movie at once realistic and symbolic of a lighthearted tragic narrative. Hollywood's institutional racism means it is particularly difficult to make films as a African-American and about African-Americans. So Lee has grounded most of his signature style in the black, urban world and its tales, dramas and ideology to break past stereotypical associations and lack of representation.
In addition to visualising narratives solely based on representing African-Americans, Lee has made a huge contribution to the 'New black wave' by making 'one film after the other' and in each film adaption he has advanced in his experimentations with theme, ideology, directional style. He utilises dramatic camera shots to educate the spectator on specific social issues - sometimes even visualising and critiquing cultural politics of America as a whole. One significant example of this is '25th Hour' (2002), a dramatic film which tells a story about a man's last 24 hours of freedom as he prepares to go to prison for seven years for selling drugs. It handles an increasingly vexing aporia, the problem of meaningfully addressing the impact of 9/11 without reinforcing the notion that the attacks came 'out of the blue'. By persisting in his vision, Lee is able to apply its multidimensional complexity by exploring a series of direct socio-political critiques showcased through his commitment of challenging cultural assumptions in the media which have
SPIKE LEE ON SET OF 'DO THE RIGHT THING' (1989) AS THE CHARACTER MOOKIE 'Do The Right Thing' is about racial tension in America, the indie sensibility, which is clearly evident during the first 30 minutes of the film's storyline; 'Do The Right Thing' is more interested in its characters than action and the streets and its inhabitants are introduced in a way that both engages the spectator and avoids confusion.
'DA 5 BLOODS': A NEW JOINT Debuting on Netflix in 2020, Lee's new film is an emotional reflection on the brutality of the Vietnam war with ideologies that manifest the racial injustices. This speaks urgently on the current moment with the racial injustice and police brutality which is being showcased across the globe, predominantly the US and UK. However, Lee had no clue that this feature would be released as the killings of George Floyd, and countless other unjustified deaths, would inspire people to the streets to protest or use their social media platforms to inform and educate people by using their voice and the power of free speech. The film's narrative opens with a small montage of influential figures, such as Muhammed Ali, all trying to raise awareness for racism in the US and ends with a Black Lives Matter rally and an emotional speech from Martin Luther King - two very distinctive men in American history who were linked to Black Pride and the Civil Rights movement. Both of these movements placed an emphasis on black racial identity, pride and selfdetermination that heavily impacted mainstream society as it influenced everything from popular culture to education; the movement was able to challenge structural inequalities. Overall, the transformative power of the film's narrative is embodied in its overarching sense of a never-ending emotional battle and the thought provoking nature of the feature will add to the film's delicate and timeless aspects.
By Emily Timmins The Long Lens|
FFFF French Female Filmmakers Festival
CINEMA CLUB Cinema Club began in 2018 - the first film screened was 'Snowpiercer' (2013, dir. Bong Joon-Ho) - and it has steadily grown since. Due to COVID-19, college closed early for the year meaning we were unable to watch films together. At our last meeting, we decided to try this French Female Filmmakers Festival (FFFF), screening films made by French women. We started with Alice Guy-Blaché, an unknown pioneer of filmmaking and a historic icon who got wiped from the history books by the patriarchy. We went on to watch the films of Claire Denis, Celine Sciamma and Agnes Varda.
Alice Guy Blaché If you have not heard of Alice GuyBlaché, do not be surprised. She was a pioneering filmmaker who was erased from history by the established, male filmmaking society. She worked as a secretary for a camera-developing company and, when she saw the Lumière Brothers display their filmreels for the first time, began her mission to make films herself. She became the first woman to direct a film in 1896 and the first woman to own a production company. She made over a thousand films, but the developing major production companies wiped her from the history books. Her work should be seen, remembered and celebrated.
'La Fée aux Choux' (1896) 'La Fée aux Choux' translates to 'The Cabbage Fairy'; it was the first film directed by a woman. Made in 1896, impressively early on in the history of filmmaking - 'A Horse in Motion' came out in 1878 and only a year after the Lumiѐre Brothers premiered. The film is under 1 minute long, limited by the basic technology available. It is a fantasy fiction presenting a woman who pulls babies from cabbages. This is an interesting topic for a film, let alone the first film directed by a woman (men's first films were simply videos of whatever they could see). Though this may not be a classic film, it is historic as it is the first film directed by a woman.
'The Consequences of Feminism' (1906)
'La Fée aux Choux' (1896) 'The Consequences of Feminism' (1906) 'Madame a des Envies' (1907) 'La Glu' (1907) 'Falling Leaves' (1912)
'The Consequences of Feminism' came ten years later, and thanks to updated technology, it lasts over 6 minutes. As the title suggests, the film is a scenario of a world that embraces feminism. On first viewing, I was confused. I did get some of it but I really understood it the second time I watched it knowing that all of the roles were reversed. The men take on the traditional female gender roles (childcare and housework) while the women perform masculine gender roles (being overly forward, forcing kisses, trying to propose and enforcing the patriarchy). Understanding that the roles are reversed, this is the analogy for feminism because women (represented by the men in the film) can work together and overthrow the patriarchy. The performances in the film are very theatrical, as expected from a silent film, as the actions say what the dialogue cannot, which enhances the comedy of the situation. The men's impressions of women and vice versa are still funny now, even though gender is less rigid; you can tell this is a parody film and this brings out the entertainment as well as the message.
'Madame a des Envies' (1907) 'Madame a Des Envies' from 1907 is a short film about the post-natal mischief of a woman re-experiencing delights that she missed out on because of pregnancy. First, she steals a young girl's lollipop, then a stranger's absinthe then meat from a homeless man. In the last scene, she falls on a cabbage and finds another baby next to her (reference from 'La Fée aux Choux). All the while, throughout this 4minute film, the lady's husband is following her with the pram containing her baby. This is a portrait of something rarely shown in cinema, something that only a woman could present. This is a hidden treasure, along with the rest of Guy-Blaché's films; films like these make the world a more understanding and sensible place by simply expressing and representing the lives of women.
'La Glu' (1907) 'La Glu' (The Glue), also from 1907, is a comedy that isn't about gender. A young boy finds a bucket of glue and causes havoc: he paints the doorsteps of a house and a bench beside it before gluing the seat and handlebars of a gentleman's bike. When the people get stuck, you can't help but find it amusing, especially the boy's reaction. This is a great, physical comedy short that you wouldn't be surprised to see from Keaton, but it was made by a woman before he was even making films.
'Falling Leaves' (1912)
The last of Guy-Blaché's films we watched is 'Falling Leaves' from 2012. This is a drama about death and connection, but is rather sweet to watch. We start with a doctor announcing a cure for a disease. Then we see a young lady has fallen ill and "when the last leaf [of Autumn] falls, she will have passed away". When the news is given to the family that she is dying, there is a long shot in which the parents react and Trixie is in the background. This is a very sombre moment but it is underpinned with the hope that the doctor can save her. Her innocent little sister, Trixie, starts to tie the leaves to the trees so they cannot fall. The doctor sees the young girl and offers to help her sister. This is a much more serious film than any of the others, yet the drama is not harsh enough to damage you because of the connections we see in the family, the doctor and nature.
Alice Guy-Blaché is an inspirational example of what women can achieve in cinema when given equal opportunity. I would highly recommend to both women and men to watch some of her work because it matters; her first film may be 114 years old, but it still reflects the achievements of equality and empowerment. She had a successful career for the most part but was left in the dust by the men who took advantage of the industry. However, she is part of the history and an inspiration for the future of filmmaking which will likely be female.
By Martin Attmore The Long Lens|
POST PANDEMIC SPECTATORSHIP: POPCORN, PICK 'N' MIX & THE FLICKS On a Friday night I love nothing more than getting an
obscene amount of pick 'n' mix and spending 2+ hours in
We often want to disappear into a different world, a
a large, dark, often quite cold room with a bunch of
better world and the truly immersive environment of the
strangers to watch the latest film release. Just this
cinema really helps us to achieve this in a way that
morning, as I contemplated another week working from
can't be achieved in our living rooms. We are yearning
home with very little 'change of scenery' options, I got nostalgic about the last time we went to the cinema. Seeing a film in the cinema is an experience that can't be replicated at home. I don't care if you've got a projector and a big screen, even a dedicated room, in my opinion it just isn't the same experience as going to the cinema, especially if you're watching a sci-fi, or an action film with
for that escapism in these uncertain, and sometimes frightening, times. Now it has been months since any of us went to the cinema and slowly we are hearing rumours of the possibility of cinemas reopening and new ways to watch films being considered. In recent years we have
lots of special effects. I had the release dates for the new
seen an increase in unusual, outdoor cinema
Bond film 'No Time To Die', as well as 'Top Gun: Maverick',
experiences in Cambridge. You can watch a film with a
in my diary due to an intention to get good seats for the
picnic on Grantchester Meadows, in a deckchair in the
opening nights of these two epic action films.
gardens of Gonville hotel and even in a punt on the river Cam. Already there are clever entrepreneurs who
Then lockdown came quickly, followed by the news of delayed release dates for many of these big budget
are finding ways to bring cinema back to us on a larger scale.
films. Let's consider why we miss going to the cinema so much. I think there are two primary reasons why we miss it: the first is that films help us to make sense of the world around us. The medium of film has always been the way in which we tell the stories we believe are most important. The act of consuming those stories helps us to feel we understand ourselves that little bit more. To be without new stories for so many weeks compounds the already significant feeling of confusion brought on by the pandemic and associated lockdown. The second reason is, I believe, to do with the escapism presented by watching films. The Long Lens|
Talk of Drive-in cinemas is rife and Enchanted Cinema
However, these innovative ways for people to get back
(the company behind the cinema experiences I just
to the cinema have one big drawback - none of them are
mentioned) are scouting out locations and awaiting their
showing the new releases. The premieres of new films are
license approval for the first Cambridge Drive-in cinema.
still the domain of the big cinema chains. With Cineworld
Their plan is that you will be able to book your 'seat' in
confirming they will reopen in some locations from July
advance, order your snacks that will be delivered to your car by bike, and the only 'contact' will be when you collect your receiver from the box office on arrival. With 100-foot LED screens in use they hope to be able to offer matinee showings too. William Morrish, the founder of Enchanted Cinema, has said: "The drive-ins will have a colourful feel – food fair meets a classic '40s drive-in".
10th there is a Hollywood-style spotlight shining at the end of our isolation tunnel. However there will be strict measures in place including the requirement to wear a face mask - not sure how long that will last once the lights go down and the bucket of popcorn becomes too tempting. There will also be restrictions on the numbers of
Now this sounds brilliant - but I am lucky enough to own a
people allowed in each screen to enable social distancing.
car so I know I could go safely to the Drive-in. But what
The result of that is that a lot less people will be in each
about those people who don't have a car? There are
screening and that spells trouble for the smaller,
issues, especially in a bike friendly city like Cambridge,
independent cinemas who may find that it just isn't
around access to a car which makes this offering
financially viable for them to open to such small numbers.
somewhat restricted to those people who can afford to
Independent art house cinemas need your help to keep
keep a car running. A local Facebook group has run
going during this very difficult time. If you want to see
adverts from small companies advertising 'movie night
some of the major new releases, check out your local
experiences' where you can rent a projector, outdoor
indie cinema first. If you shop local then watch local too
screen and order snacks too. These cost upwards of £40 and can bring the 'big screen' experience to your home and are perhaps more affordable.
and get yourself along to your arthouse/indie cinema and see what wonderful offerings they have to enrich your mind.
Over the years there have been many threats to the big screen, first it was television, then DVDs, the internet, streaming services, big bad Netflix. But what time has taught us is that there really is no substitute for the social big screen experience. The existence of large multiplexes in every major city in the world are a testament to that. I don't honestly believe that a global pandemic will wipe out the desire for the big screen experience either but I do think it might look and feel different for a while as a result of the pandemic.
By Andrea Joyce The Long Lens|
CINEMATIC DELIGHTS In case you are wondering what delights you've missed, as well as those still to come, here is a list of some of the big releases coming up in the next few weeks and months. It's up to you if you want to see them badly enough to wear a mask for 2+ hours whilst practising social distancing.
'No Time to Die' (Dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga) - April 10, 2020 - (now likely to be 12 November 2020) 'Wonder Woman 1984' (Dir. Patty Jenkins) - 4 June 2020 (now likely to be 2 Oct 2020) 'Top Gun: Maverick' (Dir. Joseph Kosinski) - 26 June 2020 (Now likely to be 23 Dec 2020) 'Ghostbusters Afterlife' (Dir. Jason Reitman) - 7 August 2020 'Tenet' (Dir. Christopher Nolan) - 12 August 2020 'Coming 2 America' (Dir. Craig Brewer) - 18 December 2020 'The Many Saints of Newark' (Dir. Alan Taylor) - 12 March 2021 'Last Night in Soho' (Dir. Edgar Wright) - 23 April 2021 'Death on the Nile' (Dir. Kenneth Branagh) - 9 October 2020 'The French Dispatch' (Dir. Wes Anderson) - 16 Oct 2020 'Black Widow' (Dir. Cate Shortland) - 28 Oct 2020 'The Eternals' (Dir Chloé Zhao) - 6 November 2020 (now likely to be 12 February 2021) 'Dune' (Dir. Denis Villeneuve) - December 18, 2020
See what IMDB considers to be the most anticipated movies of 2020 based on fan searches https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2433859353? playlistId=tt7126948
STUDIO GHIBLI FILMS TO WATCH
'Princess Mononoke' (1997)
This beautifully animated fantasy follows the struggles of mystical animal gods who are fighting to protect their forest from humans who wish to mine it for coal. Caught between their conflict is Ashitaka, a prince from an indigenous tribe cursed to die by a raging boar spirit, who is forced to begin a treacherous journey to Irontown in search of a cure. It is on this voyage that he encounters the fearless and ferocious Princess Mononoke. A fast paced and unusually graphic film for Studio Ghibli, the director Miyazaki has ingeniously included themes of feminism, depicted by the character Lady Eboshi, and the present global climate crisis. He has managed to create developed and purposeful characters on each side of the battle, thus bringing our attention to the importance connecting humanity and nature.
'Spirited Away' (2001)
Arguably one of the most iconic Hayao Miyazaki creations, this was the film that made Studio Ghibli's name to the Western audience. 'Spirited Away' is an enchanting and mystifying story of a young girl who finds herself trapped on an island run by gods, monsters and magic. Chihiro is forced to work in Yubaba's bathhouse until she can find a way to break the spell cast on her parents and free them all from the spirit world. In a place both serene yet savage, you see the once timid girl morph into a brave and feisty heroine - which is very popular among the younger female viewers. The hand-drawn style is gorgeously presented to us in intricate and remarkable fashions, bringing to life only what one could describe as pure imagination. This story about courage and love is a triumph and will undoubtedly go down in history.
'Howl's Moving Castle' (2004)
When the youthful Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, fueled by anger and jealousy, she is transformed into a 90-year-old woman. With her vivacity and will still intact, the elder seeks out help from the mysterious wizard Howl and his mind-boggling castle. Set against the backdrop of a deadly war where 20th-century technology and magic clash, chemistry blooms between the troublesome prince and cursed mortal - but will it be enough to save them both from the impending doom? The mixture of charming characters and elaborate animation screams is classic Ghibli. As a Miyazaki fan, I can clearly see some of his favourite topics embedded during this wonder such as female empowerment, sacrifice and anti-violence; making it one of his most highly detailed works. 'Howl's Moving Castle' is more than just a tale of friendship and romance, it is sure to transport you into a stunning fictional dimension.
WHICH 'GHIBLI' FILM SHOULD YOU WATCH?
Written by Issy Pilling
Graphic by Martin Attmore
CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERING The Cambridge Film Festival is one of the biggest outside London and, fortunately for us, it is right on our doorsteps. Centering at the Arts Picturehouse, the festival focuses on arthouse and independent releases and bringing event cinema to the region. The festival is great for finding out about new films and filmmakers. Alongside the various events like Q&As, the festival is worth looking into. The festival also offers you an opportunity to get involved by volunteering, which I did last year and would recommend for people interested in film.
How I Got Involved In my first year at college, we were told about the opportunity of volunteering at the festival but I had missed the application date. I watched out for the information in second year and applied and was accepted. There are several ways you can get involved, so I would recommend finding out what you can do by looking at their website and/or finding a contact.
Attending the Festival
My Duties
Simply, you could just enjoy the films shown. The brochure was made available digitally but also distributed in town. I would suggest looking through the schedule for films that you might like; there are often other strands - there were African, environmental and Spanish centered parts of the schedule - to show the wide appeal of cinema. I had been to the festival the year before I volunteered and I saw 'The Guilty', a Danish crime thriller by Gustav Moller, with a friend. It wasn't a film I would have seen otherwise and came out of the cinema with my jaw on the floor. This is beginning to sound like an advert for the festival - unofficially, it is because if you like film enough to be reading this magazine then the festival will have something for you.
I started my volunteering by doing brochure distribution at the Grand Arcade, prior to the festival. On my first shift, I was on the Delegates Desk at the Arts Picturehouse, handing out press passes, complimentary tickets for patrons and answering questions. It did get quite boring at some points but the other two volunteers were good company. Another time, I was stationed at Emmanuel College, working on the desk and ushering, giving out audience award cards for the short films and UK premieres. One of my shifts I spent at the ushering desk at the Arts, checking tickets, cleaning the screen rooms and setting up the Q+As. It was hard work, especially after a morning shift, but a great time being part of a team doing quite a demanding job. The Long Lens|
Family Film Festival
Helping out at the family film festival was an optional duty, but it meant I got to help with a robotics workshop and a stop-motion animation workshop for families. This was both great fun and a marvellous experience, and I would say it was my highlight of the festival. I was working with children on practical stations of robots and making short animations - the animation linked well with my media course asI had specialised in it.
You can get involved by looking on the Cambridge Film Festival website and following them on social media to find out when the festival will be on and how to volunteer. Normally, it's an application letter. Unfortunately, the future of the festival is uncertain due to COVID-19's damage and funding issues; it has been announced that we will not get to experience in 2020. Instead, we will be offered other ways to experience films and support the festival.
FILM STUDIES IN LOCKDOWN
'Volver' Review
Because of the Lockdown, college ended early. The second year of the Film Studies A-level were preparing to finish the syllabus and start revising for their exams. With the exams cancelled, students completed the last of their studies. The teachers supplied students with recommended films and tasks to write about them. Being without exams meant being without motivation for most, so it was good to have some films to watch and write about. "I have seen two other of Almodovar's films before: 'Julieta' and 'Todo Sobre Mi Madre'. I have experienced the peculiarity of his films' narratives and characters. He tends to focus on blending realism and expression in his characters, maybe as fantasies. But if his characters are what he wants to see, I hope his stories are not: Often quite harrowing, we see the characters deal with death, tragedy, loneliness and repression. I think this is what makes his works connect to people - evident from his successful career. As viewers, we don't feel as though we are seeing characters, we are seeing people. In this film, Raimunda, her daughter Paula, Sole and Agustina are an independent pride of women that look after each other. These could be the people that Almodovar dreams of, or who he sees in everyone, or who he is telling us to be; but the characters are what makes this film as good as it is. I feel as though I could watch these characters through any narrative a film could offer and still enjoy it. I think this film deals very well with what it wants to say. It uses subtle feminism; you don't obviously notice the lack of male screentime but it is because men don't need to help the women, in this film and in real life. The whole plot is led by the female characters, and I like that Almodovar shows this.
It is an interesting debate as to whether men should make films about women but Almodovar shows that it is possible to be deft, though there are still moments of male gaze when looking at Raimunda, played by Penelope Cruz, but these may be more appreciative than harmful - that depends on what he meant by them. There is little to no romance in the film; some flirting between Raimunda and the man convening the restaurant for the crew, of which nothing comes. I imagine this is another feminist aspect for Almodovar and I appreciate his strong representation of women which seems quite selfless. It is quite comedic how little the men are represented because it matches their emasculation in the film. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Even though the story wasn't particularly upbeat, I felt empowered seeing such independent female characters because it is rare and I'm glad that Almodovar showed me the positive power of male filmmaking for women. As a man seeing this, I am willing for my gender to be represented poorly, if it means that women can enjoy the easier life that people live by just being a straight, white man."
By Jack Todd The Long Lens|
'WE ARE ONE' ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL The 'We Are One' film festival was a digital version of a regular festival, but on the digital platform of YouTube to make the films available because cinemas could not deliver due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival was a collation of films and events from 21 different international film festivals, including feature films, shorts, animations, experimental and VR films. With over 150 events between 29th May and 7th June, there was enough for every taste. The format worked that the films were scheduled and 'premiered' as live streams that people could watch. This really showed the community and international essence of the festival as you could see in the live chat people saying hello from their respective countries, you could feel the reach and importance of film during the seemingly bleak, pandemic-caused lockdown. I originally did not know what to expect from the festival, but the introduction featured stars like Robert DeNiro, Olivia Wilde and Hugo Weaving (three names rarely put together) along with other famous filmmakers and actors addressing the audience in pre-recorded messages introducing the festival and events.
'ALTERATION' - dir. Jerome Blanquet, French, 20 mins A 360° VR, experimental short starring Bill Skarsgaard ('IT') and Pom Klementieff ('Guardians of the Galaxy'). This was a very weird experience, both because it was VR (I was just using the mouse to turn) and it was also technically and visually unusual. The narrative was non-conformative; it seemed to focus on the worldbuilding and emotional conveyance within the film. I think anything experimental is worth looking at by anyone looking to go into filmmaking.
'CRAZY WORLD'
- dir. Nabwana IGG, Ugandan, 65 mins
A new film from the infamous Wakaliwood Studio of Uganda, known for the action/comedy 'Who Killed Captain Alex?', another guerrilla-
budgeted action film. 'Crazy World' is from the same director with the iconic commentary of VJ Emmie and the return of the character of Bruce U, the "Ugandan Bruce Lee". This film continues the legacy of the martial arts, following the 'Waka Starz' group of child martial artists, in this proudly self-referential spectacle. We also see the continued use of low-budget CGI that helped to make the prequel famous in the form of post-production muzzle flashes and over-ambitious inclusion of helicopters. Wakaliwood films are meant to be enjoyed and it is a very welcome break from serious films because you can laugh at the hilarity of how the Ugandan crew have made action their way. Surprisingly, this film has the more serious themes of fatherhood and that the 'World' is actually crazy, no more true than in 2020.
'NEW UK FILMMAKERS SELECTION' 'Over' dir. Jorn Threlfall is a drama portrayed in reverse chronological order about an Angolan man who tried to make it to the UK. The film is shot in long, observational takes meaning that the slow pace is dull up until the 'moment of climax' which comes at the end of the film. This was a film we watched in Film Studies as coursework preparation, but it was good to rewatch. 'Masterpiece' dir. Runyararo Mapfumo is a comedy about a group of black men attending a modern art exhibition made by one of them. The humour centres around the collision of the worlds of young men and the world of modern art. They struggle to find the deeper meaning in the art, not even sure whether it is art at all.
'Vertical Shapes on a Horizontal Landscape' dir. Mark Jenkin
is an artistic and poetic film shot on Super-8 film. It follows a narrator who recounts a journey presented with the grainy aesthetic and liberated wide shots of the locations he might have seen. There are definitely types of cinephile that this film appeals to as this film stands out the most.
It is interesting that these are the films that the BFI London Film Festival chose to reflect our country: The films all seem to stem from classic drama, each with their individual variation that makes them "unique" and "creative".
'DANTZA' - dir. Telmo Esnal, Spanish, 93 mins This film was not what I expected; it was way different to the musical I imagined, which made it better in some ways. When you see a film is a certain genre, you have expectations based on films that you have seen before; in this case, musicals, you expect some sort of bursting into song. In this film, there is no dialogue; it is an artistic dance film, based on traditional Spanish dances similar to Morris dancing. The film gets more and more interesting as it goes along with only the thematic narrative of the seasons. The costumes are a blend of traditional, futuristic and artistic and the choreography and music show the emotion. The film is brilliantly designed and executed. I think it is definitely a hidden gem sort of film, though it seems quite alien yet appreciable.
'AR CONDICIONADO' - dir. Fradique, Angolan, 73 mins This was, rather unsurprisingly, the first Angolan film I had ever seen. It took me a while to 'tune in' to what was going on because the narrative information is given out less obviously. Set in Luanda, there is an increasing rate of air conditioning units falling off buildings and posing a risk to people down below. The two protagonists work as security and cleaning for a tough boss who demands that his unit is fixed so that he can stay cool. This film is full of representation and emotions that we would struggle to understand because we are so privileged. The characters and the music make this an enjoyable journey, even if we don't get it all. I would recommend this film. just so you can understand what I mean, it needs to be seen to be believed.
The first ever Long Road Sixth Form College Film Magazine, entitled The Long Lens. Editor in Chief: Martin Attmore Deputy Editor: Arisa Lester Deputy Editor: Emily Timmins Co-collaborator: Andrea Joyce, all enquiries to ajoyce@longroad.ac.uk
TheLongLens


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Brad Wilmouth
CNN Panel Members Unanimously Slime: Fox News Is 'Not News'
April 18th, 2018 12:42 PM
On Tuesday's CNN Tonight, during a discussion of whether conservative FNC host Sean Hannity should have divulged earlier that he has an association with Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen, there seemed to be unanimous agreement that Fox News is "not news."
As the group of four consisting of liberal CNN host Don Lemon, liberal CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, liberal Daily Beast editor in chief John Avlon, and socially liberal Republican CNN contributor Margaret Hoover, Hoover focused on defending Hannity for not disclosing his relationship with Cohen.
Hoover -- who noted that she used to be a Fox News contributor -- picked up on an interview between Hannity and Ted Koppel in which the FNC host argued that he is more an "opinion" person than a "news" journalist, as she argued that "he doesn't claim to be a news person or a journalist."
She added that "his base and his audience are not upset that they didn't get that disclaimer" because "they're all part of the same team."
After Brinkley brought up the issue of whether Fox News advertisers would hold it against Hannity that he did not disclose his link to Cohen, Hoover countered, "If you just assume it's opinion/editorial, then what is the purpose of the disclosure?"
Lemon asked, "Don't you think he blurs the line all the time?" and then brought up other conservative FNC hosts like Tucker Carlson, with Lemon having difficulty remembering the primetime lineup of his FNC competitors, Hoover reiterated that "they are opinion/editorial, and they pretend like it's a news show, but they're giving their opinion, okay?"
Avlon -- who also happens to be Hoover's husband -- took a shot at Fox and Friends as he injected: "Fox and Friends is an opinion show, and the President seems to trust it more than he does his own intelligence briefing."
Hoover seemed to suggest that perhaps all Fox News shows should not be considered "news" as she conceded: "We're not going to win the debate about whether Fox News is news. I think we all agree, Fox News is not news. But the point is, if you accepted the premise that it's not news, what's the point of disclosing?"
Lemon was then amused that his one guest who had been defending Hannity was arguing that Fox News is not really "news" as he closed the segment: "I got to go, but I love that saying that something is named 'news' is not news. It's not called 'Fox Opinion.' It's not called 'Fox Entertainment.' It's called 'Fox News.'"
No one addressed whether the show they were on or any number of other CNN shows that depend heavily on biased political commentators to fill time by holding panel discussions throwing around their personal opinions, making predictions and speculating about stories in the news should actually be considered "news" shows but "opinion" shows instead.
Douglas Brinkley
John Avlon
Margaret Hoover
Conservatives & Republicans
Fox & Friends
Don Lemon Tonight (formerly CNN Tonight)
Political Scandals

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Asandalum luganense är en mångfotingart som först beskrevs av Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff 1921.  Asandalum luganense ingår i släktet Asandalum och familjen knöldubbelfotingar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Clash discovers there ain't no party like a Fun Molly Party.
It's been two years since Clash last exchanged words with Central Saint Martins BA graduate, Molly Goddard (here). In the intervening years she has produced a capsule collection for ASOS, joined (and abandoned) the prestigious MA course at CSM, and been asked to curate an in-store installation of her work for Dover Street Market.
None of which Goddard tells us. The response instead, when we ask what she's been up to, is "raising two beautiful guinea pigs;" that, and the tedious task of moving house.
Part of the class of 2012 – likewise Westminster grads and Fashion East alumnae Claire Barrow and Ashley Williams – AW15 sees Molly make her first appearance on the official London Fashion Week schedule, as she joins Barrow and Williams on the Topshop backed NEWGEN programme.
Next Friday's presentation won't strictly be her debut however: last September the designer enlisted 21 of her nearest and dearest – among them sister Alice, Shrimps collaborator Tegen Williams and artist Phoebe Collings-James – to play dress up in her SS15 collection at her Fun Molly Party.
A school disco in a church hall with balloons and punch (Molly's words), the presentation was styled by Alice, with party frocks layered over band tees and jeans, partnered with sheer black socks, and accessorised with disposable cameras and bright smiles.
Fun, it should be noted, is perhaps the defining spirit of the Molly Goddard label. While her graduate collection was inspired by her childhood wardrobe, the aesthetic of SS15 only further evokes a sense of girlish charm with its princess shapes and feminine fabrics; it's easy to imagine a mini Molly dabbling in Miss Fleur, the kids label part-founded by Dinos Chapman's wife Tiphane de Lussy in the late 90's.
As for the forthcoming collection, Molly offers only that she has been "looking at bohemian art students".


Grade 8 - Welcome to Mrs. Thereault's (aka the "Math Princess") Webpage!
How are angles and transversals related? Check this out . . . so cool!
Are these shapes similar? Let's use the angles to help us.
Finding the volume of a sphere. Finding the volume of a cone.
Comparing the slope of two functions . . . one is displayed in a table and the other is a graph. Which has the greater rate of change?
Exponents of One, Zero, and Negative Exponents: This is a great video that really helps explain how exponents work! I get it!
Scientific Notation: Why do we need scientific notation and why does it work? Check this video out!
Virtual Nerd ~ a great resource where you can search for help on many topics.


Pope Francis declared Tuesday the martyrdom of seven Greek-Catholic bishops killed by the communist regime in Romania in the mid-20th century.
Vatican City, (CNA) - Bishops Valeriu Traian Frentiu, Vasile Aftenie, Ioan Suciu, Tito Livio Chinezu, Ioan Balan, Alexandru Rusu, and Iuliu Hossu were declared to have been killed "in hatred of the faith" between 1950 and 1970, during the Soviet occupation of Romania and the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu.
A year before his death, Bishop Iuliu Hossu was named a cardinal "in pectore." After spending years in isolation, he died in a hospital in Bucharest in 1970. His last words were: "My struggle is over, yours continues."
The Servants of God declared to have heroic virtue, and who can now be called 'venerable,' are: Francesco Maria Di Francia, priest and founder of the Congregation of Capuchin Sisters of the Sacred Heart (1853-1913); Maria Hueber, foundress of the Congregation of the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis (1653-1705); Maria Teresa Camera, foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Pieta (1818-1894); Maria Teresa Gabrieli, co-foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor - Palazzolo Institute (1837-1908); and Giovanna Francesca of the Holy Spirit, foundress of the Institute of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Word Incarnate (1888-1984).


I can't believe I'm going to write about a Super Bowl commercial. But I can't get this thing out of my head.
So there it is. I know everyone saw it already, though.
It's a powerful way to start what amounts to a minute-long visual tone poem about the city of Detroit.
The spot is evocative. But what is it evoking, exactly? It's conjuring up the industrial heart of a city, apparently still beating, long after the money and prestige and the jobs have drained away. Those things never really mattered, it says. We're still here. We're still building things.
So when it asks us "What does this city know about luxury?" it's with a biting irony. The answer seems clear enough: nothing, really. Not anymore.
You see, Detroit still knows the most important thing about luxury: that it doesn't define them. Detroit never needed its gilded opera houses and skyscraping palaces. Detroit is about the people, and the work they did, and the things they made.
And yeah, that's a pretty great commercial.
But then it keeps going.
And then there are lots of shots of chrome and gleaming black paint sliding past crumbling ruins.
And then you realize that no, this isn't a paean to the strength and resilience of the American working man. Chrysler just doesn't want us worrying that their cars were built in a crappy city full of poor people. You wouldn't even guess it's from Detroit, they're saying. Our city forges the hardest steel. Then, we cover it in fine leather upholstery.
But the message is clear enough. This isn't a commercial about why Detroit doesn't need luxury, or how Detroit survived without luxury, it's about how hardscrabble Detroit builds extra-luxurious cars for rich Americans and their fat, delicate bottoms.
Detroit will never die. Detroit doesn't need your help. Detroit doesn't need your money.
But Fiat does. Please buy our junk.
Oh yeah, also, Eminem shows up. Why? Who knows? I guess it's because he's from Detroit, and he, like, scrappily fought his way to the top or something. Or maybe it's because he's the only person left in Detroit who could be plausibly seen driving a luxury car. Anyway, he tells us that this is the Motor City, and "this is what we do." Except, of course, it's Eminem, so every single viewer knows that it's not what he does. Then he exits stage left, and drives off. Presumably out of Detroit, like everyone else who can.
Just a little more cognitive dissonance in a commercial piled high with it.


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Spiro loving CU president role
September 27, 2020 6:06 pm by Lily Doton Views: 184
Spiro meets with Media Writing students over Zoom.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone's lives, and this does not exclude Castleton University Interim President Jonathan Spiro.
Spiro made an appearance in a Media Writing class on Sept. 11 to be interviewed by students. He spoke about more serious issues, such as COVID-19 and the recent stabbing, as well as telling students lighthearted anecdotes about his life.
He told students about how he was "a wreck" in high school and lied to his parents about applying to college. He told of his love for surfing and the incomparable feeling of catching that first wave.
He also spoke of his lifelong fascination with race and ethnicity. And when it comes to the pandemic, Spiro says that he has been fairly unimpacted compared to his friends and family in places like New York and California, but it has changed what he has been expected to do in his job.
When asked by student Luke McGee what it was like to become president in such a tumultuous time, Spiro responded that, "to me it's not tumultuous, this is just what you do when you become a president."
Spiro was thrown into the job at a time when the Vermont State College system is in trouble, a global pandemic is in full swing, and protests are happening nationally for the Black Lives Matter movement. He described this as "full on crisis mode."
However, he says his experience in teaching high school for 11 years taught him many life skills and helped to prepare him.
"Once you have taught a class at any level… that prepares you for anything," he said.
Even when discussing serious topics, Spiro finds a way to speak animatedly – to keep his listeners engaged and even make them laugh.
Spiro compared his expectations for the job to being the Queen of England, to attend events and raise money and to be a friendly face to the students on campus.
However, what used to be most of the job has now become a minuscule portion of it. "This is the most unusual year ever," Spiro said. "I would love, by next year, to go back to being the Queen of England."
Despite not being able to experience more of the fun aspects of being president, Spiro says he is enjoying the job and, as of right now, would like to be considered as a candidate for president after this year.
"Ask me at Christmastime, when I'm curled up in the fetal position in my office," Spiro added with a laugh.
While the plan for next semester has not been decided yet, Spiro hopes that Castleton will be able to return to face-to-face learning. This is hopeful news for the majority who prefer in-person learning, but there is still a large minority of students and faculty who really enjoy online learning.
The school has invested millions in online class equipment and training, and Spiro says that, "there is no way we are going to go back to being a 100% face-to-face university. No university is."
Even so, as Spiro points out, Castleton's niche is being a small, liberal arts university with many options for extracurricular activities and the community feel of campus.
"I feel his determination to have face-to-face classes is just a reflection of the fact that he cares about what makes Castleton University the school it is," says Aris Sherwood, one of the students in the Media Writing class.
It was clear in listening to Spiro speak that he cares about Castleton, but beyond that, his interactions with the class showed that he cares about students and genuinely loves to talk to them.
Almost every time he was asked a question by a student, he remarked about how good it was, even saying "good job you guys," enthusiastically after only the second question.
"I've always known he cares more about the students than anything else," Sherwood said. "And you can feel that in the way he talks about campus and campus life."
With the struggles the Vermont State College system has been facing, the future of all Vermont colleges is unclear. Spiro says there has been talk of combining all the colleges under the title of Vermont State University at different locations. Those decisions are out of his hands, but Spiro is sure of one thing.
"There's no question in my mind whatsoever that Castleton will always be here," he said.


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Neal Dunn
Neal Patrick Dunn (born February 16, 1953) is an American surgeon and politician of the Republican Party serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 2nd congressional district since 2017.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 2nd district
Gwen Graham
Leah Dunn (m. 1987)
Washington and Lee University (BS)
George Washington University (MD)
House website
2 U.S. House of Representatives
2.1 Committee assignments
2.2 Caucus memberships
3 Political positions
3.1 Gun policy
3.2 Net Neutrality
3.3 Tax reform
Early life and careerEdit
Dunn was born in New Haven, Connecticut on February 16, 1953.[1][2] He studied Interdisciplinary Sciences at Washington and Lee University where he received his bachelor of science. He then graduated from the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences and completed his medical internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He served in the United States Army for eleven years of active duty service, reaching the rank of Major.[3] He then settled in Panama City, Florida, where he helped found the Panama City Urological Center, the Panama City Surgery Center, and was the founding chairman of Summit Bank.[4]
U.S. House of RepresentativesEdit
In August 2015, Dunn announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 2nd congressional district in the 2016 elections. The district's one-term incumbent, Democrat Gwen Graham, opted to retire after a court-ordered redistricting made the district heavily Republican.[4][5][6] He won the Republican Party nomination, defeating attorneys Lathika (Mary) Thomas and Ken Sukhia.[7] He defeated Walter Dartland in the general election.[8] He was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2017.[9]
Brian Schubert, Neal Dunn's chief of staff resigned in February 2018 following the House Ethics Committee having launched an investigation "into alleged sexual harassment by him and his former boss", Patrick Meehan.[10]
Dunn has not held a town hall since March 2017. The congressman has told media outlets that he doesn't believe town halls are a productive format for engaging constituents.[11] Constituents have voiced frustration with Dunn for his refusal to host town halls.[12]
In 2018, Dunn won reelection against challenger Bob Rackleff by a vote of 67.5% to 32.5%, respectively.[13]
Committee assignmentsEdit
Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee on Space
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Caucus membershipsEdit
Republican Study Committee[14]
Political positionsEdit
Gun policyEdit
Dunn received an "AQ" rating from the NRA during his 2016 run for office — the highest rating possible for a non-incumbent.[15] Dunn does not support a ban of semi-automatic weapons.[16] From 2015–2016, Dunn accepted US$1,000 from the NRA's Political Victory Fund.[17]
Net NeutralityEdit
Dunn, along with 107 Republican members of Congress, sent Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai a letter on December 13, 2017 supporting his plan to repeal Net Neutrality protections ahead of the commission's vote.[18] Dunn also accepted $18,500 from the telecom industry before voting to repeal the rule.[19]
Tax reformEdit
Dunn voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[20] He describes the bill as "good medicine for America".[21] Dunn believes that the bill will benefit many generations of Americans with a "great economy in which there will be jobs, there will be opportunity, there's possibilities for literally a whole new generation or two of Americans". Dunn says he has received support from "mostly small businessman" from his district on his support of the bill.[22]
EducationEdit
Dunn wants to defund the Department of Education.[23]
HealthcareEdit
Dunn supports repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which he says is "failing". He says "no one can afford" the premiums and deductibles.[24]
Personal lifeEdit
Dunn and his wife, Leah, have three sons and three grandsons.[6]
^ DUNN, Neal Patrick, (1953 - )
^ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
^ McMullian, Bo (January 14, 2016). "Jackson County Times - "Conservative for Congress" Neal Dunn visits Marianna". Jackson County Times. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
^ a b Burlew, Jeff (August 10, 2015). "Panama City surgeon Dunn announces run for Congress". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
^ Garman, Valerie (August 7, 2015). "Neal Dunn announces candidacy for Congress". Panama City News Herald. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
^ a b Bennett, Lanetra. "Neal Dunn Announces Candidacy for Florida Congressional District 2". WCTV-TV. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
^ "Dunn wins GOP CD2, Democratic race too close to call". Tallahassee Democrat. August 30, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
^ "Lawson and Dunn head to Washington". Retrieved March 19, 2017.
^ LAKANA (January 3, 2017). "Rep. Neal Dunn sworn in to 115th Congress". Retrieved March 19, 2017.
^ Bade, Rachael. "Rep. Dunn's chief of staff resigns after alleged sexual harassment". Politico. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
^ "Dunn shuns citizens calling for town hall". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
^ Mueller, Sarah. "Rep. Dunn Frustrates Constituents By Not Holding Town Hall". Retrieved August 30, 2018.
^ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2018-election/midterms/fl#house
^ "Member List". Retrieved November 6, 2017.
^ "Republican Candidate Neal Dunn Endorsed by NRA Political Victory Fund". Neal Dunn Conservative for Congress. Friends of Neal Dunn. October 12, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
^ Henderson, John (February 22, 2018). "Bay residents, leaders split on gun 'common sense'". Panama City News Herald. Panama City, Florida. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
^ Grinberg, Emanuella (February 21, 2018). "These Florida lawmakers accepted money from the National Rifle Association". CNN. Atlanta. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
^ https://energycommerce.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/121317-FCC-Net-Neutrality.pdf
^ "Here's a List of the Members of Congress Who Just Told Ajit Pai to Repeal Net Neutrality". Motherboard. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
^ Milbank, Dana. "Dana Milbank: Republicans have their own Obamacare now". stltoday.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
^ Holton, Jennifer. "Rep. Dunn on GOP tax reform victory: Win for "generations"". WJHG. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
^ Call, James. "GOP 2nd District candidates tout conservative credentials". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
^ "Florida Voices React to Senate Proposal to Repeal and Replace Obamacare". Sunshine State News | Florida Political News. June 22, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
Congressman Neal Dunn official U.S. House website
Neal Dunn at Curlie
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Profile at Vote Smart
Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
Gwen Graham Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 2nd congressional district
2017–present Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Val Demings United States Representatives by seniority
301st Succeeded by
Adriano Espaillat
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text:
A Simplified Procedure for the Measurement of Urine Iodide Levels by the Ion-Selective Electrode Assay in a Clinical Setting
by Guy E. Abraham, MD, Roxane C. Handal, BS and John C. Hakala, RPh
Various procedures are available for the measurement of inorganic iodide in urine samples.1-3 and vide infra. Among these procedures, the ion-selective electrode assay is the most appropriate for a physician's office. Quantification of iodide is performed by a potentiometric method, using an iodide selective electrode (ISE). Urinary iodide is measured by the electromotive force (EMF) generated on the iodide-selective electrode due to the presence of iodide in the urine sample. Within a certain range of iodide concentrations, there is a linear relationship between the logarithm of iodide concentration and the EMF generated. The only reagents, water and sodium nitrate, used in this procedure are non-toxic and well suited for a clinical setting. Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) is used as an Isotonic Strength Adjuster (ISA) at an initial concentration of 5 Moles/L to improve performance of the electrode. The ISA is diluted one part ISA to two parts of iodide standards and urine samples. The final concentration of NaNO3 in the assay is 1.66 Molar.3
Although the iodide-selective electrode is very specific for iodide (Table 1), chloride may interfere in the assay of iodide when the molar concentration of chloride in the urine is six orders of magnitude greater than that of iodide.4,5 Due to the relatively high iodide levels observed in the urine of mainland Japanese (10-4-10-5 Molar), the ion-selective electrode can measure iodide directly in their urine samples without prior purification.6,7 In the US population, urinary chloride levels are usually between 100 and 300 millimolar, whereas urinary iodide levels are in the low micromolar range (10-6-10-7M). Urine iodide levels in the US population are 100-fold lower than observed in mainland Japanese.3
In order to measure the low levels of urinary iodide in the US population by the ISE method, a chromatographic procedure using strong anion exchanger cartridges in a positive displacement manifold (PDM) was developed by the senior author with the assistance of a precision machinist in order to separate iodide from the other halides — chloride, fluoride, and bromide.8,9 The PDM allowed semiautomation of the ISE procedure. Two models were constructed for use with 20 cartridges (PDM-20) and 40 cartridges (PDM-40). The PDM-20 is shown in Figure 1. We are now making available a PDM-6 with a small footprint for six cartridges. The PDM-6 is intended for use in a clinical set-up. The chromatographic separation of the four halides allows the combined measurement of each halide in the same sample of urine, serum, and saliva9-11 (Figure 2). These cartridges have a high power of resolution with complete separation of the four halides (Table 2). Serial measurements of serum iodide, fluoride, and bromide were performed in six normal female subjects following ingestion of 50 mg iodine/iodide (Iodoral®). The results are displayed in Figures 3-5. The serum iodide levels in these subjects were previously reported.8
An iodine/iodide loading test to assess whole body sufficiency for the essential element iodine was recently developed.5,12 The test consists of ingesting four tablets of a solid dosage form of Lugol (Iodoral®), containing a total of 50 mg iodine/iodide. Then urinary iodide levels are measured in the following 24-hour collection. The iodine/iodide loading test is based on the concept that the normally functioning human body has a mechanism to retain ingested iodine until whole body sufficiency for iodine is achieved. The daily amount of iodine required for whole body sufficiency, called orthoiodosupplementation,3,12 ranged from 12.5-50 mg iodine.5
During orthoiodosupplementation, a negative feedback mechanism is triggered that progressively adjusts the excretion of iodine to balance the intake. As the body iodine content increases, the percentage of the iodine load retained decreases with a concomitant increase in the amount of iodide excreted in the 24-hour urine collection. When whole body sufficiency for iodine is achieved, the absorbed iodine/iodide is quantitatively excreted in the urine as iodide, and the adult body retained approximately 1.5 g iodine. A good correlation was observed between the results of the loading test and the clinical response to iodine intervention in these patients.12-14
For the iodine/iodide loading test to be widely used in medical practice, the measurement of urine iodide levels would be best performed in situ, that is, in the physician's office, using a simple procedure with non-hazardous reagents. The ISE procedure is ideal for a clinical setting, requiring only water and sodium nitrate as reagents.3 We have simplified further the ISE procedure in order to encourage physicians and other healthcare providers to perform the loading test in their patients, and to measure urine iodide levels in situ. The chromatographic system previously described8 was modified and simplified to eliminate the collection of four separate fractions from the chromatographic column. Although the separation of the four halides from each other allowed their measurement in the same biological fluid,11 the measurement of urine iodide levels pre- and postorthoiodosupplementation5 only require the purification of iodide from the other halides without the separation of the other halides from each other.
Theoretical Considerations
Specificity of the Ion-Selective Electrode: According to information supplied by Thermo Orion, chloride will interfere with the iodide electrode if the chloride/iodide molar ratio exceeds 1 million. For bromide, the iodide selective electrode is less specific, with interference expected when the bromide/iodide molar ratio exceeds 5,000 (Table 1).5 Since chloride and fluoride are eluted easily from the SAX (strong anion exchanger) resin using low ionic strength nitrate solution, bromide is the most likely halide to interfere with the capacity of the SAX resin to retain iodide and also to interfere with the measurement of iodide if bromide concentration exceeds those of iodide by three orders of magnitude.
Relative Selectivity of Halides for the SAX Cartridge: Materials used in anion exchange chromatography are composed of three components attached together and placed in a column or a cartridge: the base or backbone support, the functional group or ion exchanger, and the counter ion available for exchange. For backbone, styrene divinyl benzene (SDB) is preferred over silica gel because it is more rugged, less sensitive to pH changes, and possesses a higher capacity.15 For example, SAX columns with silica backbone are available from Varian (Harbor City, CA) with a capacity of 0.85 m Eq/g of resin. However, with SDB backbone, Altech (Deerfield, IL) quotes a figure of 1.5 m Eq/g, a 75% greater capacity to exchange anions. This translates into the ability to process a 75% greater volume of urine for the same amount of resin, and a 75% greater capacity to retain iodide.
Strong anion exchangers are always charged at any pH. Therefore, elution of the analate of interest could be achieved by increasing the ionic strength of the elution solvent without any acidification. Data are available for strong anion exchangers regarding the relative selectivity of halides. With fluoride as unity; chloride has a relative selectivity of 10, bromide 28, and iodide 87.15 The higher the number, the stronger the binding of the halide to the anion exchanger. The stronger the binding of the halide to the ion exchanger, the higher the ionic strength required for elution.
Using gradient elution, one would expect to desorb from the SAX column first fluoride, then chloride, followed by bromide, and last iodide. This pattern was observed with the Altech 500 mg SAX column #309750.3 However, when the 600 mg cartridges #21907 were used, chloride was eluted before fluoride (Figure 2). We have no explanation for this deviation from the expected.
By adding sodium nitrate to urine samples in concentrations high enough to prevent the binding of fluoride, chloride, and bromide to the SAX resin, but not high enough to interfere with the binding of iodide, a high degree of purity of the iodide fraction can be achieved. Under those conditions, the eluted urine sample would contain fluoride, chloride, and bromide, leaving iodide on the SAX resin for further elution with 10 ml of 5N NaNO3.
The SAX cartridges used in the procedure contain the tetramethylammonium group as strong anion exchanger and acetate as the counter ion.8 The ideal counter ion on the SAX columns used for the purification of iodide from the other halides would be nitrate. Based on information supplied by Altech, iodide is the only halide capable of displacing nitrate from the tetramethylammonium group. A cartridge with nitrate as counter ion would eliminate the addition of sodium nitrate to the urine samples, further simplifying this procedure. Unfortunately, the SAX cartridges are not commercially available with nitrate as counter ion.
Capacity of the SAX Cartridge: In the cartridge format, the largest capacity available with the strong anion exchanger is 600 mg of SAX resin, containing 900 µ Moles of quarternary amines. Since iodide is monovalent, the maximum amount of iodide that could be retained on the column is 900 µM. Iodide has an atomic weight of 127, therefore the maximum capacity of the cartridge would be 114.3 mg of iodide. However, this capacity depends also on the amount of interfering substances present in the urine sample such as nitrate, thiocyanate, and bromide. In subjects on a typical Western diet, urine samples contain at most a few mg of nitrates and thiocyanates per liter of urine.16 The main source of thiocyanate in the US population is cigarette smoking.17,18 However, urinary bromide levels can reach several hundreds milligrams per liter of urine.5,9,10
With increased levels of bromide sometimes observed following the iodine/iodide loading test,5,9 the capacity of the SAX resin for iodide would be expected to decrease significantly. In such cases, iodide would not be completely retained on the SAX column, resulting in underestimation of iodide levels. The problem with bromide is not just its interference with the binding of iodide to the SAX column. Bromide would also interfere with iodide measurement by the ISE. For example, with a urine sample containing the usually low iodide levels in the US population (0.02 – 0.5 mg/L), only 100 mg of bromide per liter of urine could cause an overestimation of the iodide levels by 0.02 mg/L. If bromide could be eluted with the urine in the first pass through the column, the full capacity of the column to retain iodide would be available. Also, the complete elimination of bromide from the iodide fraction would prevent its interference in the ISE measurement of iodide. This goal was achieved in the simple procedure described here.
Optimization of the Simplified 2-Step ISE Procedure
Deiodized urine was prepared by the method of Cooper and Croxson:4 Pooled urine samples were chromatographed on a SAX resin (Altech #211510), and the eluted urine was used in the following experiments. Although Cooper and Croxson4 called this processed urine "deiodized," we have observed a complete elimination of bromide also from the eluted urine (less than 0.006 mg/L for iodide and less than 1 mg/L for bromide), leaving iodide and bromide on the SAX resin. Therefore, the proper name would be "deiodized and debromized."
The concentration of chloride in the processed pooled urine was 80 mM/L. Sodium chloride was added to reach a concentration of 300 mMoles chloride/L. Bromide (25 mM/L) and fluoride (2 mM/L) were added to the treated urine, called the halide stock solution. To this stock solution, increasing amounts of iodide (potassium salt) were added: 0, 1 µM, 10 µM, 100 µM, 1,000 µM and 10,000 µM iodide (0, 0.127, 1.27, 12.7, 127 and 1,270 mg).
Pilot experiments were performed with increasing concentrations of NaNO3 in the urine samples prior to chromatography in order to pinpoint the final concentration of NaNO3 in the urine sample that would result in the complete elution of chloride, fluoride, and bromide with the eluted urine, leaving only and quantitatively iodide on the ion-exchange cartridges. Iodide could then be eluted with 10 ml of 5 Normal NaNO3. Water is then added to the iodide eluate to achieve a final ionic strength of 1.66 M NaNO3 prior to measurement by the iodide selective electrode. The same experiments were repeated with water instead of deiodized/debromized urine.
The data obtained when 100 µM of iodide (sodium salt) was added to the halide stock solution are displayed in Figure 6. Without NaNO3 in the urine samples, bromide in the eluted urine was below the sensitivity (<1 mg/L), and all the bromide (2,000 mg/L) was eluted with the second elution with 10 ml 5N NaNO3. Some 25 times the theoretical maximum capacity of the cartridges for bromide was retained, that is 25 mM versus the expected 0.9 mM.
With a NaNO3 concentration of 0.05 M in the urine sample, only 36% of the bromide was eluted with the urine fraction, with more than 60% remaining on the column; the second elution with 10 ml of 5N NaNO3 contained only 76% of the iodide, with 24% remaining on the column. The retained iodide could be eluted with a second elution using 10 ml 5N NaNO3. A minimum concentration of 0.2 M NaNO3 in the urine sample was required in order to elute 100% of the iodide in the second pass, but 20% of the bromide was present in the iodide fraction at that concentration. At 0.3 M concentration of NaNO3, 90% of the bromide was eluted with the urine sample. At 0.4 M, we obtained quantitative recovery of bromide in eluted urine and quantitative recovery of iodide in the 5N NaNO3 fraction. The ideal concentration of NaNO3 in the urine samples was 0.4 M.
Above 0.4 M NaNO3 in the urine samples, increasing amounts of iodide were recovered in the eluted urine with up 30% of iodide in the eluted urine at the 1.0 M NaNO3 level. We chose 0.4 M NaNO3 in the urine samples for the simplified procedure. Under those conditions, bromide was completely eluted with the urine sample, with quantitative recovery of iodide in the second elution with 10 ml 5N NaNO3. Since bromide possesses a much higher relative selectivity than fluoride and chloride for the SAX resin, complete elution of bromide was evidence of complete elution of chloride and fluoride in the eluted urine. The simplified ISE procedure is outlined in Figure 7.
Because of the unexpected results obtained regarding the high capacity of the SAX 600 mg cartridges for bromide and iodide, we retested the capacity of the SAX cartridges for iodide and bromide with the 4-step procedure outlined in Figure 2, using increasing amounts of iodide and bromide. The information supplied by Altech Associates grossly underestimated the capacity of the SAX 600 mg cartridges. Up to 10 mM iodide (1,270 mg/L) were completely retained without breakthrough bleeding in the eluted urine, the 0.05 N and 0.1 N NaNO3 fractions. All the iodide added was recovered in the 5 N NaNO3 fraction. That is 10 times the maximum amount of iodide expected from theoretical consideration. The same high capacity of the SAX cartridges for bromide was observed even when 25 mM bromide (2,000 mg/L) was added to the urine samples, that is 25 times the expected capacity (Table 3). We have no explanation for this discrepancy between the data supplied by Altech and the data obtained at the Optimox Potentiometric R&D Laboratory.
We confirmed data supplied by Thermo Orion regarding the specificity of the iodide electrode from interference by chloride and bromide. Orion reported a chloride/iodide molar ratio of 1 million and a bromide/iodide ratio of 5,000 in order for the interference from chloride and bromide to occur in the ISE procedure of iodide. We measured a mean value of 582,000 for chloride and 5,530 for bromide (Table 4). The interference in the iodide assay due to chloride and bromide was non-linear as can be seen in Table 4. The relative interference increased along with the concentrations of chloride, whereas it decreased when bromide concentrations increased.
Reliability: The reliability of an assay depends on its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision.19,20
Sensitivity: The theoretical limit of sensitivity achievable with ISE assay of urinary iodide is set by the sensitivity of the iodide selective electrode itself. From data supplied by Thermo Orion, the sensitivities of the ISE electrodes for halides are: 5 x 10-8 M for iodide; 10-6 M for fluoride; 5 x 10-6 M for bromide; and 5 x 10-5 M for chloride. The iodide selective electrode is by far the most sensitive, being 20 times more sensitive than the ISE electrode for fluoride, 100 times more sensitive than for bromide, and 1,000 times more sensitive than for chloride. Expressed as mg/L, the iodide selective electrode is sensitive down to 0.006 mg/L.
In achieving this theoretical sensitivity, other conditions are important. First, the sensitivity of the standard curve, which is defined as the smallest amount of iodide that is significantly different from zero at the 95% confidence limit, is a limiting factor. In order to compute the standard curve, (the dose response curve), the EMF expressed in millivolts (mV) was plotted on the Y-axis against the logarithm of increasing amount of iodide, from 10-3 M to 10-8 M on the X-axis. The iodide selective electrode was extremely sensitive (Figure 8), with a linear response from 10-3 M to 10-7 M. A mean D EMF of 61 mV per decade was observed from 10-3 M to 10-7 M, but from 10-7 M to 10-8 M, the standard curve became non-linear with only 36.2 mV per decade.3
Specificity: We have previously validated the specificity of the ISE method by comparison of values obtained with ICP-M.S.3 In the simplified procedure, the addition of 0.4 M NaNO3to the urine sample resulted in the removal of the interfering halides, chloride and bromide, in the eluted urine prior to desorption of iodide with 10 ml 5 N NaNO3.
Precision and Accuracy: The precision and accuracy of the 2-step method were tested by measuring 5-6 replicates of a urine collection from a subject not on iodine supplementation, prior to and following addition of increasing amounts of potassium iodide to aliquots of the urine collection from 1 mg iodide to 50 mg iodide. The data are displayed in Table 5. Regarding accuracy of the 2-step procedure, percentage recovery of added iodide were 102% for 1 mg iodide; 92% for 10 mg iodide; 100% for 30 mg iodide; and 102% for 50 mg iodide. Regarding precision, the coefficient of variation of 5-6 replicate measurements were 7% for 1 mg iodide; 12% for 10 mg; 7.4% for 30 mg; and 6.3% for 50 mg iodide. The same experiments for accuracy and precision were performed with the 4-step method and displayed in Table 5 for comparison.
The procedure described here is for the measurement of iodide in the 24-hour urine collection for the iodine/iodide loading test. The test is performed in order to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine prior to and following orthoiodosupplementation.12 However, it can be used also to measure iodide in spot urine samples.
Iodine/Iodide Loading Test: If the patient is on orthoiodosupplementation, he/she should stop ingesting iodine 24-48 hours prior to the loading test. The following instructions are presented as guidelines only:
Discard the first morning urine of Day 1.
Take four tablets of Iodoral® 12.5 mg with a glass of water.
Collect all urine samples for 24 hours following ingestion of the loading dose. Include the first morning urine on Day 2. A 3-liter plastic bottle appropriate for the 24-hour collection can be obtained from VWR Scientific Product (PN# 60872-564). The 16-ounce urine collection cup is available from General Bottle Supply Co., phone (323) 581-2001 (PN# T31216-1).
At the end of the 24-hour collection, shake the 3-liter bottle well. Measure volume of urine in the 3-liter bottle by looking at markings on side of bottle, and pour 1-2 ounces into a 2-ounce plastic bottle (VWR Scientific Product, PN# 16126-041). Two plastic 2-ounce bottles should be supplied in case the 24-hr urine volume is greater than 3 L.
If the 24-hour urine volume exceeds 3 L, then:
Measure volume of urine in the 3-liter bottle by looking at the markings on the side of bottle. Pour 1 oz. of urine in the 2-ounce plastic bottle. Write the name, date, volume of urine on the 2-ounce bottle.
Discard urine in the 3-liter bottle. Use the same 3-liter bottle to continue collection.
At the end of 24-hour collection, measure urine volume again and repeat steps 5a and 5b.
When the form is completed, under total volume, write: "Collected in 2 parts, both sample bottles enclosed."
The concentration of iodide in the 24-hour urine will be the sum of both values obtained in the two specimens.
If only one of the two sample bottles is needed, return the empty one with your package.
We use the food grade coloring FDC Green #3 at a concentration of 1 ml of a 1% solution per liter of urine.3 It is used for its antiseptic properties and also as a marker for spent cartridges. Having two benzene rings in its molecule, FDC Green #3 forms a very strong hydrophobic interaction with the benzene rings in the SDB backbone of the SAX. FDC Green #3 was retained on the column, resulting in a clear eluate. Spent cartridges could be identified by the greenish-blue color of FDC Green #3 retained on the resin of the cartridges.
Equipments and Materials: The equipment, accessories, and materials needed for the ISE procedure are displayed in Table 6. We recommend the Thermo Orion Meter #720-A Plus connected to the Thermo Orion iodide electrode 9653 BN, which is very sensitive for iodide (See Figure 8). The 9-position magnetic stirrer from Corning is available from Spectrum Chemical (Gardena, CA). The SAX cartridges are available from Altech Associates. The specifications are SAX cartridges #21907 Maxi Clean SPE 600 mg.
ISE Procedure: A urine sample from the 24-hour collection is transferred into a supplied 45 ml plastic vial with a snap top containing a tablet of NaNO3 and FDC Green #3. The volume of urine must reach the level of the outer ring on the plastic vial (35 ml). After dissolving the tablet into the urine (0.4 N NaNO3 final concentration), 10 ml of the urine containing 0.4 N NaNO3 are aspirated into 10 ml plastic syringe (BD #301030). Do not discard the remaining 25 ml of urine in the plastic vial until you have satisfactorily completed the ISE measurement of iodide. The Altech SAX cartridge (#21907) is then fitted at the tip of the syringe. The syringe/cartridge combination is placed into the PDM-6 unit for elution. The speed of elution is set at 3 ml/min.
The eluted urine contains chloride, fluoride, and bromide, and it is discarded. The retained iodide on the SAX resin is then eluted with 10 ml 5 N NaNO3 and collected into a 30 ml glass beaker containing 20 ml of purified water. The concentration of iodide is measured under continuous stirring with the Orion ISE (#9653 BN) connected to the Orion Meter 720A-Plus which is programmed with the units of milligrams iodide per liter for the dose response curve.3 Figure 8 in this manuscript can be used as a guideline when setting up the dose response curve. Over the last five years, Optimox Potentiometric R&D Lab has used five different ISEs from Orion. The dose response curves for these electrodes are almost superimposable. These electrodes are very reproducible.
Physicians, who do not want to invest in the equipment, time, or personnel required for the measurement of iodide in situ but wish to perform the initial step in the separation of iodide from the other halides, can mail the SAX cartridges containing the iodide fraction to a laboratory familiar with this procedure. From preliminary testing at the Optimox Potentionmetric R&D Lab, the retained iodine in the SAX cartridge is stable for up to 10 days at room temperature, as long as the hydrated resin does not dry out. To prevent drying of the cartridges, tight plugs are provided for both ends of the cartridge.
If the health care provider chooses the above option, the only equipment needed would be the PDM-6. There would be no need for glassware and pipetting devices. We are planning to offer kits with six cartridges, six syringes, and six plastic 45-milliliter vials with caps containing one tablet of NaNO3 and FDC Green #3. The NaNO3 concentration will be 0.4 N when the NaNO3 tablet is dissolved in 35 ml of urine. The cartridges will have a code number so that the physician can supply the cartridges to another laboratory for analysis without supplying any information on the patient for the sake of confidentiality and privacy. However, information on the amount of iodine/iodide ingested and the total volume of the 24-hour collection are needed if you want the laboratory to calculate the percent excretion of the oral load.
Urine samples with known amounts of iodide will also be available for testing the accuracy of the procedure in the physician's office. If the SAX cartridges containing the iodide fraction are mailed to another laboratory, one sample out of every six samples could be an aliquot of urine with known amounts of iodide. In this way, the reliability of the results from that laboratory could be evaluated.
Until recently, the essential element iodine was totally neglected by the medical profession to the point where physicians did not request a single test for urine iodide concentration during their whole medical career. What they learned about inorganic, non-radioactive iodine was mainly from epidemiological studies in areas of the world with extremely severe deficiency causing neurological defect and mental retardation. A recent review on the history of iodine in medicine21-23 revealed that the neglect and fear of iodine in medical practice did not originate from published studies with documented cases of serious adverse effects to inorganic, non-radioactive iodine. Instead, it originated from iodophobic misinformation surprisingly resulting in two successive waves of medical iodophobia which may have caused more misery and death in the US than both World Wars combined.24 The first wave lasted 15 years (1910-1925) and the second wave is still alive and well after almost 60 years (1948-2006).
Over the past four years, in response to our publications emphasizing the safe and effective use of inorganic, non-radioactive iodine in medical practice,5,8-14,24,25 physicians and other health care practitioners have implemented safely and successfully the orthoiodosupplementation program in their practice, including the iodine/iodide loading test prior to and following iodine supplementation. Currently, only two laboratories offer the measurement of urine iodide in the 24-hour urine collected during the loading test: FFP Laboratory (Hendersonville, NC) and Doctors Data (St. Charles, IL). Both laboratories use the 4-step procedure with the PDM-20.8 The increased interest of physicians and other health care professionals in this program is exemplified by the fact that at the FFP Laboratory alone, more than 10,000 loading tests were performed over the last three and a half years.
We have simplified the ISE procedure in order to encourage more physicians and other health care professionals to implement the orthoiodosupplementation program in their practice. Having various options for measurement of urine iodide by the ISE procedure with increasing degree of involvement by the health care practitioner gives more flexibility in the assessment of whole body sufficiency for iodine during the follow-up of the patient on orthoiodosupplementation. We are planning to perform "field testing" of this simplified approach with the collaboration of health care professionals. The results of these tests will be the subject of a future article in The Original Internist.
Guy E. Abraham, MD, is a former Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Endocrinology at the UCLA School of Medicine. Some 35 years ago, he pioneered the development of assays to measure minute quantities of steroid hormones in biological fluids. He has been honored as follows: General Diagnostic Award from the Canadian Association of Clinical Chemists, 1974; the Medaille d'Honneur from the University of Liege, Belgium, 1976; the Senior Investigator Award of Pharmacia, Sweden, 1980.
Roxane C Handal, BS, is a graduate student at Boston University who spent a two week apprenticeship with Dr. Abraham at the Optimox Potentiometric R&D Lab.
John C. Hakala, RPh, is the Director of Hakala Research Laboratory and a research consultant for Belmar Pharmacy.
Turner RG. "A micro colorimetric method for the quantitative estimation of iodine in blood." J Biol Chem, 1931; 88:497-511.
Taurog A and Chaikoff IL. "On the determination of plasma iodine." J Biol Chem, 1946; 163:313-322.
Cooper G and Croxson MS. "Chloride interference with use of an iodide-selective electrode for urinary I." Clinical Chemistry, 1983; 29:1320.
Yabu Y, Miyai K, Hayashizaki S, et al. "Measurement of iodide in urine using the iodide selective ion electrode." Endocrinol, 1986; 83:905-911.
Abraham GE. "The safe and effective implementation of orthoiodosupplementation in medical practice." The Original Internist, 2004; 11:17-36.
Tonacchera M, Pinchera A, Dimida A, et al. "Relative potencies and additivity of perchlorate, thiocyanate, nitrate, and iodide on the inhibition of radioactive iodide uptake by the human sodium iodide symporter." Thyroid, 2004; 14:1012-1019.
Andrews J. "Thiocyanate and smoking in pregnancy." J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw, 1973; 80:810-814.
Chen Y, Pederson LL, and Lefcoe NM. "Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and serum thiocyanate level in infants." Arch Environ Health, 1990; 45:163-176.
Abraham GE. "The application of natural steroid radioimmunoassay to gynecologic endocrinology." In: GE Abraham's Radioassay Systems in Clinical Endocrinology. Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1981; 475-530.
Abraham GE. "The history of iodine in medicine. Part I: From discovery to essentiality." The Original Internist, 2006; 13(1):29-36.
Abraham GE. "The history of iodine in medicine. Part II: The search for and the discovery of thyroid hormones." The Original Internist, 2006; 13(2):67-70.
Abraham GE. "The history of iodine in medicine. Part III: Thyroid fixation and medical iodophobia." The Original Internist, 2006; 13(2):71-78.
This chart describes the combined measurements of chloride, fluoride, bromide, and iodide in the same urine/serum saliva sample by prior chromatography on the anion-exchange resin cartridgeSAX 600 mg fitted with 10-milliliter plastic syringes in a positive displacement manifold. (From reference 8)
Mean value of six normal felmale subjects. (Modified from reference 8)
Mean value of six normal felmale subjects