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Climbing Out of Despair
In Annes Letters
Dear Family and Friends,
Kazuki Obata is 24 and is doing something remarkable. He is a rather shy young man, and when he was in high school, he often felt overwhelmed. He also experienced bullying and ostracism from classmates. Unlike American kids who, according to recent news, often take out their frustrations through violence on others, Kazuki followed his culture's pattern of turning inward and shutting down. He refused to go to school, closed himself in his room, and wallowed in his confusion and lack of direction. So many youngsters do this in Japan that there is a name for it: hiki-komori.
A friend's daughter is going through this, too. Her counselor told her parents to leave their child alone until she herself became ready to come out of her shell. No guidance, no demands, no expectations. Just leave her alone "until she is ready to emerge". Sadly, because of lack of attendance, this young woman failed every class in high school and was not able to graduate. She is still unapproachable and the parents are still waiting for her "readiness".
Who knows what caused Kazuki to break out of his shell? But emerge he did. And what he has done since then is remarkable. "I suffered so much," he reflects, "and I don't want others to be as lonely and confused as I was. That's why I started this NPO called Kids' Door."
This group offers a safe space for school-resisting youngsters to get together and share their problems, their thoughts, and their struggles. It allows them to know they are not alone, that there are many others all over the country suffering as they are. This NPO does not pretend to answer all problems or even to get kids back into school. But it does promise a place of reassurance and community for those lacking support elsewhere.
A friend of mine volunteers to help these youngsters. And today she and I went to a special event organized by five very impressive high school aged kids.
One was not able to attend today, but was included thanks to Skype.
The purpose of this meeting was to bring together individuals who were suffering from school phobia and those who were deeply concerned for them. Usually such events are only for school dropouts, but today very caring parents were there, too, desperately seeking ways to help their troubled children.
Today's program was beautifully organized. After very brief self-introductions, we were divided into small groups and directed in playing a guessing game. That was to melt barriers of shyness. Then things became a bit more serious. Again, in groups of three, we were asked to brainstorm ideas on how people learn. In my trio, no one even mentioned formal schooling.
Break time, good for chatting causally. Then re-introducing ourselves, this time in more detail. The response was incredible. Usually Japanese are extremely private and seldom talk about themselves. But in this now-safe environment, floodgates opened. People poured out their stories. Kids talked about being bullied or verbally abused by teachers. Parents, some almost on the verge of tears, expressed their worries and lack of direction in how to help the beloved children. Everyone respectfully listened or nodded in understanding. Group bonds were growing deeper.
The next task was to discuss in small groups education in the past and now. Happily, I learned there is a school new in Sendai, but with branches all over the country. It is called the En School. No one could tell me what En stood for, but the school itself is a very admirable attempt to help kids that are victims of their school experiences and overwhelming fears. It also opens its doors to youngsters who simply find no meaning in a regular education, or who are sports pros and cannot attend school regularly because of frequently going to tournaments.
Indeed, this institution gives its students a great deal of control over their education. For example, there might not be set classes to graduate, but rather students themselves decide what to study and how many days a week they will attend. They can design their own homework and can hand it in whenever they are ready. Several of the five organizers of today's program were students in En School and seemed to be doing well. In fact, each one of them had a dream for their future.
Those five young adults were very impressive. They organized and ran today's entire program. It took over two months. No adult was involved. These leaders were intelligent, motivated, polite, and very caring. They carried themselves with dignity and confidence. They worked together well as a team and showed genuine interest in what all the participants had to say. Each one of them said they were involved in this work because they had suffered so much and wanted to help others who were in circumstances similar to their own. And in the future, they would like work that would allow them to continue supporting those in trouble.
The atmosphere those five young persons created was that of total trust and deep respect. The love generated in that room today was palpable. If people like those five will be accepted in Japan's often overly rigid society, everyone will benefit, and the world, without any doubt, will become a much better place.
Email(will not be published)*


HP's new Pavilion x2 hybrid computer does not look too different from older hybrids. What stands this 10.1-inch device apart from them, however, is how it transforms.
Simply pull the screen and keyboard apart with two hands and the display detaches to become a tablet.
This is much easier to do than with older hybrids, which often required users to press a key or switch while pulling the two halves apart. The Pavilion does not need such a mechanism because of the strong magnetic hinge holding the tablet and the keyboard together.
You can also flip the screen around before reattaching it to the keyboard. This is usually called stand mode, which is ideal for tasks where the keyboard is not necessary, such as watching videos.
The placement of the front camera and the HP logo suggests that HP probably expects you to use the Pavilion x2 in landscape orientation. While you can still use it in portrait mode, it feels slightly awkward at first because the power, volume controls and headphone jack are located differently from a typical tablet or smartphone.
Sandwiching the screen is a pair of speaker grilles. The Pavilion is one of the first HP devices to use Bang & Olufsen speakers. Previously, HP used Beats Audio speakers, but the deal was not renewed after Apple bought the audio firm. However, I was not too impressed by the B&O speakers, which sounded tinny even at maximum volume.
With a device that costs only $549, I was not expecting a sharp, high-resolution display. Indeed, the Pavilion has a 1,200 x 800-pixel screen with fewer pixels than even a typical mid-range smartphone.
But at least its viewing angles are wide as the screen uses in-plane switching technology, which also ensures images are not washed out when seen from the sides.
The keyboard is smaller than a standard keyboard. It feels shallow to type on. But it is usable and feels sturdy. On the other hand, the touchpad is wide but short, making it more difficult to execute gestures such as two-finger scrolling.
Like the new Apple MacBook, the Pavilion x2 uses a USB Type-C port for charging. This port can be used for data transfer, though it is rated at USB 2.0 speeds. Currently, there are few peripherals that support the Type-C interfaces.
The Pavilion runs Windows 10 Home. Its Intel Atom chip is adequate for basic computing tasks, like e-mail and Web browsing. Internal storage is limited at 64GB, but you can add more with a microSD card.
Battery life (7hr 38min playing a video continuously) is good if you consider the Pavilion a laptop.
But as a tablet, it is not as good as Android or Apple slates that can last between eight and 10 hours on battery power.
• Verdict: An affordably-priced hybrid computer for those with basic computing needs.


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Conservatism current events Opinion Politics
Why Tearing Down Statues is a Slippery Slope We Should Be Avoiding
The current battles, both verbal and physical, in this nation are occurring because of a long, unsettled history that was bound to catch up to us at any time. The fact of the matter is that the way the American Civil War was resolved was probably the worst way our nation could've handled it, and ever since Americans have been suffering culturally because of it. In the current landscape, I see two sides that are currently engaging in conflict.
On One Side…
On one side of the extreme are more progressive minded people, who have been taught that things as meaningless as pronouns are grounds for assault, meaning that an item such as a Confederate statue is an active symbol of aggression and hatred. They want to see these statues removed immediately, going as far as to riot and destroy public property in order to destroy this affront to Civil Rights in their eyes. Allying with them from the center I think, is a solid half of the American public, who recognize that the Confederates were traitors, that slavery was wrong, and that maybe we shouldn't be celebrating slaveholders in 2017. This is a fair, if not simple-minded approach to the matter, but it makes sense why so many fall in this camp. Most people aren't running around like hooligans and tearing down statues, but they also aren't going to publicly defend buildings and roads named after Confederate leader Robert E. Lee either.
And On The Other…
On the other extremist side of the argument are the folk we saw marching in Charlottesville, angry and disgruntled White Nationalists (pronounced supremacists) who blame their perceived misfortunes on every other ethnic and national group other than their own. They see the tearing down of Confederate statues as an affront on their heritage, their pride, and their half of the nation. If you play mental gymnastics, you can understand their side of the argument, imagine if the way you spoke was associated with being less intelligent, the way you dressed and where you shopped was considered less reputable, and if the customs and culture you held so deeply was actively ridiculed by all popular media around the globe. Of course, the same can be said of any ethnic or racial group, including Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, Jews, etc., which again makes it easy to recognize why these groups are so easy to get organized, wound up, and set loose as hate mobs. Look to this day, and drug addiction rates are massive in the South, poverty is intense, and natural disasters constantly traumatize these lands. Imagine being a teenager in modern times growing up down South, and not fitting into the social group people are forcing you and your family into. Purely based off the color of your skin, you're suddenly assumed to be privileged, problematic, and oppressive, yet because of your geographic location northern and western Whites consider you to be the racist, poor, unsavory ones in society. Its an ugly truth we have to face, and the thing that Trump does to "enable" these people is in reminding the rest of the nation that these folk exist. He held a mirror up to the entire political establishment, and everybody was left feeling disgusted seeing the destroyed remains of the American South, and instead of extending empathy and attempting to solve their ailments, they continue to chastise and destroy these people, offering them the ultimatum of denouncing their entire culture and way of living, or to be left behind in the ever evolving progressive narrative.
The Failed South
That all being said, I have sympathy for the American South, but none of it extends to the nationalists/supremacists that use these negatives to create hate and domestic terror groups. Just as I sympathize for the entirety of the Arab world, and how its easy to see that the trauma of the past 30 years has bred the radical terror groups, epitomized in ISIS, I don't stop and say, "Not all Muslims, I see where they're coming from". I condemn the acts of terror and implore members of the Arab community to not allow these angry, vile people to misrepresent their people so often. I use this same logic for the South, there are concerns that have a place to be expressed, but holding so fervently to old flags and a failed nation is not the way to achieve anything. At the end of the day, the founders of this nation created a union, meaning that while each state retained their own identity, we did have a federal government and a Constitution that gave us universal rights. If people had issues with the way things were, they were supposed to discuss it and defend their arguments, and if changes were desired they were to be put to votes that had to pass through existing systems. Just because one side didn't get their way, doesn't mean they had the right to quit the union, and every single person that joined that endeavor was genuinely a traitor. The men of the Confederacy picked up weapons and murdered their cousins, uncles, fathers, and brothers, all because of cultural and political disagreements. No matter what Marxists believe, morality is not relative, and there are certain things in this world that are objectively evil. While not every German citizen comprehended the actions they took in the Holocaust, they still committed incomprehensible evils, and were punished accordingly. No matter what way you slice it, slavery is an evil institution that should not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who tries to cite economic benefits is a fool, as its common knowledge that industrial revolutions cannot occur when slavery is present, as an economy based off of permanent labor is not compatible with an economy of innovation and invention (just look at the Roman Empire). No matter how deplorable Lincoln was in suspending rights, expanding federal government, and essentially playing tyrant in the name of progression, there was still no excuse for a Civil War, other than foolish pride and horrible foresight. Unlike the Nazi's, who received the punishments they deserved for their crimes, the Confederates were able to return to the union as if nothing had ever happened, its leaders never being punished for the treasonous fools they were. Many members of the Confederacy went on to be presidents of universities or ran successful businesses and law practices. While government power was expanded drastically to end slavery, nothing was done to help ease the newly freed slaves into society, allowing the South to vent their aggression from losing on the poor souls who hadn't fled North in the aftermath of the war. A culture of hate and resentment, idolizing traitors and the promise of another rebellion have permeated through the South ever since, adding a toxic lower layer through an otherwise amazing region. The real tragedy is that the lack of punishment of previous transgressors caused a domino effect of further hate and decay, leading to the generations of children we see today, feeling lost and angry, not understanding why they have these feelings, yet willing to fight for them to the end.
The Logical Center
Where I fall in all of this then, is in a weird and empty place in the center. I just described to you my negative views of the Confederacy, but if you've read my previous blogs you understand that the groups opposing the White Nationalists are just as evil and harmful. At the end of the day, you should not tear down these statues, as it does nothing but further the dark, ignorant energy permeating throughout American culture. Whether you belong to the North, South, West, or whatever, I feel as if no history class does an accurate job in teaching children the complexities of the situation. At the end of the day, what the Confederates did was wrong, but saying, "They seceded because of slavery, and they were all dumb and evil" is the cause of people donning black masks and punching innocent people. This oversimplification and ignoring of facts only leads people to blind hatred instead of nuanced critique. The same exists of Southerners who still call the Civil War the "War of Northern Agression" in some regions, and pretend as if slavery wasn't the moral abomination that it was. This ignorance leads to the fools we saw marching in Charlottesville, and this is not acceptable now, or ever. To those who support tearing down statues, recognize that there are more Neo-Nazis in Germany than there are in the United States, which is ridiculous if you're aware of the language policing that exists in Germany. Germans can be arrested for drawing swastikas, referencing Nazi iconography, or even making anti-Semitic remarks, and children don't learn of the atrocities committed by their nation until they reach high school, and it is taught in a traumatic fashion. All this format has done is churn out generations of culturally impotent and ashamed adults, who either turn to open border globalism, or turn to darkness and embrace hateful ideologies like Neo-Nazism. This is the perfect example of what to avoid in our nation. Tearing down statues of Confederate generals because they owned slaves is ignorant and wrong. As the President pointed out, using that logic we then would have to eradicate all statues of our Founding Fathers, which would leave us no identity at all. Instead, Confederate statues have the right to remain as a reminder of how far we've come, and all of them should contain plaques of warning, pointing out how controlled language and thought policing can lead to brothers to commit violent acts upon one another. To tear down an artistic structure such as a statue infringes on freedom of expression, and is emblematic of cultural Marxists who want to overthrow everything to do with the current system. First they take down Confederate Statues, then they take down Founding Fathers, then they destroy paintings, books, films, music, until only the culture that they deem appropriate exists. Instead of being a robust oak, healed of some rot on it's bark, we would instead be a hollow stump, devoid of any history, culture, and beauty. Do not fall for mistake of siding with either of the groups trying to outshout each other these days, as always, stand for truth and logic, and there you will find the moral path.
TagsBermansplaining • Charlottesville • Confederacy • Opinion • South • Trump • US
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According to this report I saw on Yahoo, Korean kids are among the top students who do well in math and science.
Korean grade 4 students top science. They are second to Singapore 4th graders when it comes to math. The 8th graders from Korea top math and are third in science.
I didn't read the whole report on TIMMS, but I can understand why Korean kids perform well in math. They start their education very early! We actually taught our son late compared to his peers. My son started his math last year, autumn 2011 when he was already 5 1/2 years old. By that age, a few of his classmates in day care have already memorized their "gugudan" or multiplication table! No kidding! I thought my son was doing well in his addition at 6 years old!
Korean students didn't participate in the reading literacy. I wonder how they would place though. Moms in Korea literary spend millions of won in books.
is 5 1/2 Korean or international age? in the Philippines, the curriculum has advanced a lot (private schools). i realized that during my time the ministry of education underestimated the intelligence of grade 1 pupils. i have 3 nephews, 15, 12 and 6. all went to school at age 4. at this age they learned the following: read time (by 5, e.g. 1.25, 3.55, 4.40); write and add simple fractions; addition and subtraction of 3 digits; write numbers in words (in thousands, e.g. 37,893 thirty seven thousand eight hundred ninety three). their science lessons were also advanced. more advanced than when i studied them in grade 1. then at 5, they learned subtraction using burrowing or carry-over and multiplication from 1 to 10. my friends kids also learned all these at ages 4-5. my nephews started their education at a nearby house-school. the owner converted the ground floor of her house into a nursery-kindergarten school. the tuition was very low at the time, not more than P15K, yet my nephews learned a lot, speak English well, and are more competitive than the kids attending big private schools. they all grew up to be very smart. in fact, my second nephew attends a science high school.
i cannot understand why PH gov't cannot implement the same curriculum as what private schools are using when they can just simply change the books. i don't think training and budget should be a problem because public school teachers are licensed, therefore, they are more qualified to teach than private school teachers who are mostly non-passers. i expect more from public school teachers when it comes to quality of teaching because their salary is higher and they receive more benefits. teachers in private schools, especially in the small ones, receive less than the minimum.
maybe there are other reasons why the lessons in public schools are late. honestly, i have no idea why.
Yes, 5 1/2 international age. My son attends day care and he will go straight to elementary school next year. He skipped kindergarten/preschool. I also went to a private school from elementary (Angeles University Foundation) and I didn't learn multiplication until when I got to the third grade, so I'm quite surprised at what these kids are learning before they even go to school. My son learns about plants, animals, astronomy, Korean history and culture from our visits to museums. The same can be said about other Korean kids.
Anyway, it could be the size of public school classes that may be a factor why they're late.
Ngayon ay medy nag-aalala ako kung pano ko tuturuan ang anak ko. I am married to a Korean at may 2 month old na kaming anak. 1 year pa lang ako sa dito sa Korea kaya hindi pa ako magaling mag-Korean. I worry kung paano ko ituturo sa anak ko ang Science at Math sa Korean. I know na kailangan kong mag-aral ng mabuti ng Korean at magsalita nito pero ang problema ay english lang ang gamit namin mag-asawa sa conversation.
Can you give me some ideas ate betchay kung pano niyo po tinuturuan ang anak nyo? ano po ba ang mga dilemma ng mga foreinger mothers sa pagpapalaki ng anak sa Korea? please shed some lights..hehe..
wow! how many blogs you own? Any blogs about cooking?
awesome! cant wait for it! thanx!
I guess that's not surprising anymore. Koreans are known for their intelligence especially in Math. I've heard that you don't commonly use calculators and you do mind calculations. Way to go then.


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PICTURE OF THE DAY: Meet The Franks
Posted on August 30, 2013 by marruda3
I'd buy this album in a heartbeat.
I found this image online, from a site called Classic Movie Monsters, http://classicmoviemonsters.blogspot.com/2010/03/meet-franks.html.
My vote for best voice on this one would go to Karloff, and I hear that Lugosi is a killer drum player. This group features Glenn Strange on bass and Lon Chaney Jr. out of his element.
Ah, the things one can imagine just by looking at a photograph.
Not available on CD or to download. Just on good old-fashioned vinyl.
And I hear they're planning another tour this summer. They're ageless, those Franks!
Bela Lugosi movies Boris Karloff movies Frankenstein movies Glenn Strange movies horror movies Lon Chaney Jr. movies Monster movies Uncategorized Universal monster movies	Bela Lugosi Boris Karloff Frankenstein movies Glenn Strange Lon Chaney Jr.
MEMORABLE MOVIE QUOTES: PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
Today on MEMORABLE MOVIE QUOTES we look at memorable lines of dialogue from the original PLANET OF THE APES (1968) starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, one of my all-time favorite movies.
There are a lot of notable lines in this one, most of them spoken by Charlton Heston. The screenplay for PLANET OF THE APES was written by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle. Of course, everyone knows Rod Serling and the talent he brought to the table, thanks to THE TWILIGHT ZONE TV series, but Michael Wilson was an award winning screenwriter in his own right, the winner of two Academy Awards for Best Screenplay for A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951) and THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957). He also co-wrote the screenplay for LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962).
It's no wonder PLANET OF THE APES has so many outstanding lines!
We'll get two of my favorite lines from the movie out of the way immediately. My all-time favorite line from PLANET OF THE APES comes from Charlton Heston's astronaut Taylor, when he reaches his breaking point at the hands of the apes, and he shouts in anguish:
TAYLOR: It's a madhouse! A madhouse!
There have been quite a few times in my life when things have gotten very low, and I've heard Heston's voice in my head shouting these very same words.
Next up is probably the most famous quote from the movie, and it's the scene where Taylor finally regains his voice, after having lost his ability to speak due to a bullet wound to the throat. In a world where apes speak and humans don't, it was the first words spoken by a human that the apes had ever heard. The apes had just been chasing Taylor through the city, and when they capture him, he shouts:
TAYLOR: Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
To relieve a lot of the tension in this riveting science fiction thriller, there's a good amount of humor in the movie. For example, this line from one of the apes:
JULIUS: You know the saying, "Human see, human do."
A bunch of very memorable lines come during the final sequence in the film, where Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) and Zira (Kim Hunter) take Taylor and Nova (Linda Harrison) to the Forbidden Zone, where they play to escape from Ape City. However, Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) and his gorilla soldiers are in hot pursuit.
For example, this exchange after Taylor overpowers Zaius and ties him up.
ZIRA: Taylor! Don't treat him that way!
TAYLOR: Why not?
ZIRA: It's humiliating!
TAYLOR: The way you humiliated me? All of you? You led me around on a leash!
CORNELIUS: That was different. We thought you were inferior.
TAYLOR: Now you know better.
When Cornelius reads from the sacred scrolls, it's a memorable passage, so much so it was repeated in the opening of the movie's sequel, BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970).
CORNELIUS (reading from scroll): Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.
Then there's this exchange moments later between Taylor and Dr. Zaius:
TAYLOR: A planet where apes evolved from men? There's got to be an answer.
DR. ZAIUS: Don't look for it, Taylor. You may not like what you find.
And when Taylor and Nova are finally ready to ride off into the unknown, Taylor decides he'd like to kiss Zira goodbye, to which Zira gives this memorable response:
TAYLOR: Doctor, I'd like to kiss you goodbye.
ZIRA: All right, but you're so damned ugly!
And we finish with Dr. Zaius' prophetic comment about what Taylor will find on his voyage into the Forbidden Zone.
ZIRA: What will he find out there, doctor?
DR. ZAIUS: His destiny.
Great lines, great movie, great fun.
Thanks for joining me today on MEMORABLE MOVIE QUOTES, and I hope you enjoyed these lines from PLANET OF THE APES.
I'll see you again next time with memorable quotes from another classic movie.
Charlton Heston movies Movies written by Rod Serling Planet of the Apes movies Roddy McDowall movies Science Fiction movies Uncategorized	Charlton Heston movies PLANET OF THE APES Roddy McDowall movies
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Delightful Tale of Two Film Icons
Blu-Ray Review: MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011)
I missed Michelle Williams' Oscar-nominated performance as Marilyn Monroe when MY WEEK WITH MARILYN played in theaters two years ago, and so I was happy to finally catch up with this one on Blu-Ray the other night.
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011) is based on the book "The Prince, The Showgirl, and Me" by Colin Clark, a memoir of how Clark worked as a third assistant to Laurence Olivier on the movie THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (1957) and how he met and got to know the film's other star, Marilyn Monroe.
Young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) is eager to break into the movie business, and he catches his break when Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) agrees to let him help out around the set. Colin quickly makes himself indispensable, and soon he's hired as a third assistant, which means he's a glorified errand boy.
Olivier is making movie THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL, and he's excited as it's giving him the chance to work with American icon and movie star, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). When they need a house for Monroe to live in while she's in England, they turn to Colin, and he impresses his employers when he actually books two houses, since the owner of the first house blabbed to reporters that Monroe would be living there. The owner of the second house was much more discreet.
Things on the set are a disaster. Monroe is constantly late and uncomfortable, prompting Olivier to be impatient and rude. He also doesn't approve of Monroe's method style of acting, or the fact that she's brought along her personal acting coach. But when Monroe asks Colin to come to her house for a visit, she quickly warms up to him and finds in him a sympathetic ear, and thus begins a relationship in which Colin not only finds himself inside Monroe's inner circle but also developing feelings for her. Ultimately Olivier doesn't mind because Monroe loosens up on the set and her disposition improves, to the point where she finally begins to click onscreen.
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN is a delightful movie that tells an entertaining story and features some very strong acting performances.
I really enjoyed Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. She certainly deserved her Oscar nomination. I'm late jumping on the Michelle Williams bandwagon. While I did enjoy her performance as Glinda the Good Witch in OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (2013), before that she failed to wow me in SHUTTER ISLAND (2010), and I was never a DAWSON'S CREEK fan. But after seeing her in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, combined with her work on OZ, needless to say, I'm paying attention now.
Even better than Williams is Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier. I've long been a Branagh fan, and to see him play Olivier is a special treat, since many consider him to be the Olivier of his generation. Branagh was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor here, and like Williams, he didn't win.
Eddie Redmayne is also excellent as Colin Clark. It's a splendidly sincere performance by Redmayne, and he comes off as so likeable it's easy to understand why both Monroe and Olivier liked and respected him so much. Redmayne followed up this performance with the role of Marius in last year's muddled LES MISERABLES (2012), and I remember him as being one of the highlights of that movie. He certainly had one of the better singing voices in the film.
The supporting cast here is also excellent. Leading the way is Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike, and it was nice to see her in a much more sympathetic role than her recent turns as "M" in the James Bond movies. Also on hand is Harry Potter's Hermione herself, Emma Watson, as Colin's love interest Lucy, that is, when he's not hanging out with Marilyn Monroe. I wouldn't mind having this guy's love life.
Philip Jackson is especially memorable as Roger Smith, the man Olivier hires to keep an eye on Monroe to keep her out of trouble. Jackson makes Smith a loyal protector of Monroe rather than a nosy spy.
Equally as memorable is Dominic Cooper, who plays Milton Greene, a young man who works with Monroe and who is increasingly jealous of her relationship with Colin. Cooper has been in a bunch of movies lately, including DEAD MAN DOWN (2013), ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER (2012), and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011), and he's been good in all of these.
Character actor Toby Jones is also on hand and gets to enjoy a couple of scene-stealing moments. Jones is the son of Freddie Jones, an actor who has enjoyed a long and distinguished acting career, and who I always remember as Professor Richter in Hammer's FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969).
My favorite part of MY WEEK WITH MARILYN was the dynamic between Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe, as they were like oil and water on the set together. One of the best lines in the movie comes when Colin sums up the reason why he thinks Olivier and Monroe struggle to get along: because Olivier is a great actor who wants to be a movie star, and Monroe is a movie star who wants to be a great actor.
It's an excellent script by Adrian Hodges, full of great lines and sincere scenes that are as moving and touching as they are humorous. Branagh gets some of the best lines in the film, as Olivier's patience is put to the test as he has to deal with Monroe's idiosyncrasies and constant tardiness on the set. And these lines work as well as they do because we know and understand that Olivier truly admires Monroe and he believes she's brilliant on screen, and the fact that she's not working smoothly with him nor responding to his direction is driving him nuts.
Directed by Simon Curtis. MY WEEK WITH MARILYN also does a nice job capturing the time and the setting of 1950s England. The details in the sets and costumes are first-rate. The film looks great, thanks to the cinematography by Ben Smithard.
And you can't talk about MY WEEK WITH MARILYN without mentioning the make-up department. Obviously, Michelle Williams looked stunningly authentic as Marilyn Monroe. Anything less and the movie doesn't work as well. But the make-up unit also did an excellent job on Kenneth Branagh. He really resembles Olivier in this movie, and it's fun to watch certain shots where the lighting combined with the make-up and the way his hair is combed, where he really looks like Olivier.
If you like movies about film history and its icons, you'll be thoroughly satisfied with MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, a wonderful movie that tells the story of what happened when the greatest actor of his generation met the greatest movie star of hers, and how one enterprising and sincere young man found himself in the middle of it all and in the position to make the whole thing work.
Blu-ray Review Kenneth Branagh movies Michael Arruda movie reviews Michelle Williams movies Uncategorized	Kenneth Branagh movies Marilyn Monroe Michael Arruda movie review Michelle Williams movies MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Sneak Peak from FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR by Michael Arruda
It's time for another sneak preview from my short story collection FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR.
This collection of short stories is available as an EBook from NECON EBooks at www.neconebooks.com and as a print edition at https://www.createspace.com/4294076.
FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR contains 15 short stories, 7 reprints and 8 original stories, plus a wraparound story that ties everything together. I wrote this with the old Amicus anthology horror movies in mind, films like DR. TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971).
Today's excerpt comes from the story "Reconciliation," a tale of a vampire seeking religious redemption, or is he? Incidentally, "Reconciliation" happens to be my very first published short story, published back in 1998 in the vampire anthology THE DARKEST THIRST by The Design Image Group.
For your reading pleasure, here is an excerpt from "Reconciliation"—-
"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 200 years since my confession."
The priest, 62, thought his ears had betrayed him. Leaning over, he pressed his left ear and the left corner of his mouth against the screened window which separated him from his visitor in the darkened confessional.
"How long has it been?"
"Two hundred years," the dry male voice repeated.
"I'm afraid I don't under—."
"I am a vampire."
"A vampire? You mean one of those things from the movies?"
"Would that I were just a Hollywood creation," the man said, "then I wouldn't need to be here."
"To confess my sins."
"Then perhaps I should hear your confession."
"Thank you, Father."
The vampire took a deep breath and began.
"I am disillusioned with the world, Father. It used to be, way back when, that the worst crime, the worst sin, was murder. Then we had Nazi Germany, and the world went crazy. They paved the way for the madness we have today with their attempts at obliterating an entire race, an innocent race, and nearly succeeding. The Nazi legacy is all around us. Look at `ethnic cleansing.' The Middle East. Terrorism. The tribal wars in Africa, where families are slaughtered daily, where babies are beheaded in front of their mothers. If I were a horror fiction writer I'd be told by my editors that the things I just described were too sick for print, but these are true atrocities, having happened not in the dark ages, but here and now in the 21st century!
"And things are no better in this gun-happy country we call home," the vampire continued, "where we lose 16 children a day and 40,000 adults a year to people wielding guns, from disgruntled men who take out their frustrations on the world by shooting into crowds of innocent bystanders, to playing children who accidentally blow their best friends' brains out! Children. I feel for them most of all. Abused, sexually assaulted, forced to— I won't even go there! Damn pornographers! Sex and violence, Father. We're a nation addicted to both. How else can you explain the fact that women here are raped every day? Every day! What kind of a world allows these sort of things? The kind that makes the types of sins I have committed in my lifetime fodder for a Disney movie!"
The priest shifted in his seat. The vampire noticed.
"But I digress. You must think me crazy."
The priest did not comment.
"I did not come here today to ramble about generalized atrocities, but I cannot help myself, I am so sickened by it all. I ask you, how can I not be horrified by the world in which we live, a world gone mad?"
"Yes," the priest said. "The world is a difficult place to live in these days. But, the world is not in this confessional with me. You are. Is there anything that you have done that you would like to be absolved for?"
The vampire hesitated before responding.
"Yes. There is something. Some things. That I need to ask forgiveness for."
He did not elaborate.
"Go on," the priest said, "and rest assured, that whatever these things are, if you are truly repentant, the Lord will forgive you your sins."
"Yes, the Lord will forgive— it makes sinning so much easier, doesn't it? When you can say you're sorry and have your sin washed away as if it never happened. Very convenient."
The priest opened his mouth to disagree with this cynical comment, to make the point that reconciliation is not about condoning sin, but getting past it, when the vampire beat him to the punch and spoke first.
"I have never harmed a child, and I'm certainly not a rapist. But I am a vampire, and as such, I have done things that I am sorry for. Terrible things."
The priest rubbed his chin. He was disturbed.
Disturbed by his visitor's repeated assertion that he was a vampire.
It was an assertion he did not believe. However, it was quite possible that this man believed it, and in all sincerity thought himself to be a vampire. If this were the case, then this man may have committed acts which he might be sorry for, which would explain his need to seek God's forgiveness. For this reason, the priest listened.
And waited.
Waited for any indication that this was merely a joke. And if and when he received such a sign, the confession would be terminated.
The vampire continued, "I have lied to women. Promised them anything they wanted. From money to marriage to simple companionship. I even promised one young lady a book contract."
"Why did you make these promises?" the priest questioned.
"Why? So that I could become intimate with them. So that I could hold them, kiss them, sleep with them."
"Are you married?" the priest asked.
"No. I'm not confessing to adultery, Father. I'm confessing to the reason I wanted to sleep with them."
"What was the reason?"
"I needed their blood."
For a moment, neither the priest nor the vampire said a word.
"Father? Are you still there?"
The priest answered with a question. "Are you confessing to having murdered these women?"
The vampire paused.
"I do not like the term, `murder.' It makes what I have done seem less from necessity and more from passion, and this, Father, is certainly not the case."
The priest ignored the comment.
"Have you committed murder?"
"I have taken lives, yes," the vampire admitted.
The vampire hesitated but then responded, his voice deep, dark, and threatening. "More lives than you have touched with your sermons, Father. Many more lives!"
The vampire's voice suddenly choked with emotion, "I have been drinking the blood of innocents for 200 years!"
The priest was unimpressed.
"Let's call it quits, hmm?"
"Excuse me, Father?"
"With this performance. I'll give you two thumbs up, and then we'll call it a day, hmm?"
"Come on! I know why you're here!"
"What do you mean?" the vampire asked, sounding very uncomfortable.
"I mean, I know Halloween is just two nights away!" the priest answered, sounding angry for the first time. "The joke's over! Go home!"
"You disappoint me, Father. I thought you a wiser man. You do not believe me then when I say that I am a vampire? That I need to drink human blood to survive? That I have drunk the blood of women the world over for 200 years?"
"Let me tell you what I believe. I believe that if you don't leave this confessional in the next 10 seconds, I'll sound the silent alarm by my side, and the police'll be here before you can say Bela Lugosi!"
"A silent alarm?" the vampire said. "I had no idea."
"Obviously," the priest said. "Some people may consider the sacrament of penance a matter for the dark ages, but our security advisor isn't one of them! Now, will you please leave? While you still can."
"I assure you, I am being completely sincere," the vampire said, his voice indeed resonating with a clear and honest authenticity. "I was born in the 18th century, and I am a vampire. Do you have a light in there with you, Father?"
"A what?"
"A light. I would like you to look at my face. Please, indulge me, and do not yet sound your alarm. I need the forgiveness of God. Please."
The priest remained silent.
The vampire squirmed, shifting his position for the first time since the conversation had begun.
"I beg of you, Father. Look at my face before you pass judgment. Keep your finger on the button if you so desire, but wait until your eyes have seen the likes of which few men have seen and lived before you press it. If only for a moment, if you dare."
The vampire heard the rustling of the priest's frock in the darkness- he was moving his arm, reaching for something. The silent alarm, the light switch, or both.
Click.
Both rooms of the confessional were suddenly bathed in light.
The priest, seated in a comfortable chair, turned to his left and gazed into the screened window. He gasped.
The face staring at him was chalky white, and the pale flesh of the man on the opposite side of the partition contrasted drastically with his combed forward dark hair, hair as black as ink. His eyes were wide and red, as if the whites had been cracked open like egg shells, spilling bloody yolks into the empty sockets. His nose was long and straight, like a nail, and his lips were coal black.
"Please extinguish the light now," the vampire said. "It pains me. My eyes. Please."
The priest's habit rustled again, and once more the confessional was draped in darkness.
"Do you believe me now, Father, after having seen my face?"
"Nice make-up," the priest said, "although, frankly, I've seen better. Must have bought your stuff at Wal Mart, huh?"
"Do not joke!" the vampire raised his voice, for the first time losing his composure. "Please, Father, you must believe me!"
"Why? Why do I have to believe you? Is that part of the prank, huh? Get the old priest to admit he believes in vampires? So you can broadcast it to all your friends?"
"No. It's not that way at all."
"Well, what way is it, then?" the priest asked.
"I — have sinned! I— need— true forgiveness from God!"
The confessional nearly shook. The vampire's body was vibrating with anxiety.
"True forgiveness from God," the priest repeated. "That's a curious statement coming from a vampire."
If you'd like to find out what happens next, feel free to order a copy of FOR THE LOVE OF HORROR, available as an EBook from NECON EBooks at www.neconebooks.com and as a print edition at https://www.createspace.com/4294076.
As always, thanks so much for reading!
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PARANOIA (2013) Wastes Fine Cast With Poorly Executed Story
Movie Review: PARANOIA (2013)
A better title for PARANOIA (2013), the new thriller starring young hunk Liam Hemsworth and old favorites Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman, might be POTENTIAL, or perhaps PERIPHERAL.
That's because there's a lot of potential here but the story never gets to the heart of the matter, instead choosing to remain on the sidelines where things are never as interesting. It's a movie where the sum of its parts is better than the whole.
PARANOIA tells the story of twenty-something Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth) who's trying to make it in the world but is disillusioned by the trend of the past decade, where it seems the older generation is holding all the cards and his generation just can't seem to catch a break. Not only is Adam struggling to take care of himself, but he's also caring for his retired dad Frank (Richard Dreyfuss) who's suffering from emphysema and needs in-home medical care. Matters are made more complicated when their health insurance cuts their coverage.
Adam works for a high tech software company, and his "break" comes when his employer, the unscrupulous Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman) catches him spending company money on a very expensive night on the town. Rather than press charges, Wyatt offers Adam a deal. He wants Adam to infiltrate and spy on his former mentor and chief competitor, Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford) so they can steal his trade secrets. Adam knows this is illegal, but he's driven by his need to pay his dad's medical bills and his desire get ahead, and so he says yes to the deal. Of course, it beats going to jail, so he doesn't really have much of a choice, does he?
So Wyatt and his staff provide Adam with special training, and when Adam meets Goddard he's able to impress the tycoon and get a high level position almost immediately. Along the way, he woos the beautiful and ambitious Emma Jennings (Amber Heard), who also works for Goddard. In fact, part of the plan is for Adam to steal Emma's security clearance in the company and use it to get the information Wyatt needs. Some boyfriend!
Of course, this is a thriller, and Goddard is no fool, and so things don't go as planned. Suddenly, Adam finds himself in the middle of a power struggle that could cost him and those he loves their lives.
PARANOIA is done in by a weak story that never goes for the throat nor gives us enough details to make it a winner. The screenplay by Jason Dean Hall and Barry Levy is based on a novel by Joseph Finder, and I would guess that the novel is better than the movie. There is a lot going on here, and it's the kind of story that could be told very easily in novel form. In a movie, or at least in this movie, it's all rather rushed and glossed over.
For example, Adam infiltrates Goddard's empire so easily it's ridiculous. One brief meeting followed by a successful proposal and suddenly Adam has the keys to the company. I didn't find this believable at all.
The love story between Adam and Emma doesn't really work either. While they do share some nice onscreen chemistry, Adam totally uses Emma and really takes advantage of her, and yet later, we're supposed to believe that she's still interested in him? Really? He stole information from her that he used to rob their boss. We're not talking ignoring phone calls here. I just didn't buy it.
Harrison Ford's Jock Goddard and Gary Oldman's Nicholas Wyatt are both very interesting characters. I wanted to know more about them and wished the movie had spent more time developing them. The potential is there for Goddard to be a nasty villain. Wyatt is developed a little bit more, but ultimately he comes off as a foolish loser rather than the suave genius that he seems to be at the outset.
A thrilling triangle between Goddard, Wyatt, and Adam never really happens, and that's because the characters aren't fleshed out to the point where we understand them completely and believe in them. The characters just go through the motions, and as a result, the story never rises to an exciting level.
PARANOIA does have a strong cast, but they're stuck in a story that doesn't do them any favors. Still, it's the cast that keeps the movie from being a total turkey.
Liam Hemsworth is actually quite good as Adam and makes for a solid lead. I bought into his character's motivations, and I believed them.
I also liked Harrison Ford a lot as Jock Goddard. Goddard is a decent villain, and I like the fact that Ford is playing roles lately that seem to be outside his comfort zone. His performance here in PARANOIA follows upon the heels of his excellent work as Branch Rickey in 42 (2013).
Gary Oldman is also watchable as Nicholas Wyatt, although ultimately his character isn't as smart as he's first made out to be. Oldman fared much better in the DARK KNIGHT trilogy as Commissioner Gordon.
Amber Heard, who I remember being the best part of the Nicholas Cage actioner DRIVE ANGRY (2011) is excellent once again here, although she's stuck in a rather thankless role. Her Emma Jennings should be up to the task of fending off Hemsworth's Adam, but instead she's reduced sadly to being simply the love interest. She's stunningly gorgeous, and I hope she gets better roles in the future.
Richard Dreyfuss as Adam's dad Frank gets to enjoy a couple of fine moments, but Josh Holloway (Sawyer from TV's LOST) is lost in a throwaway role as FBI agent Gamble. He's about as integral to the story as that guy sitting in the background at the dinner table. A shame.
Director Robert Luketic adds little in the way of cinematic vision with this one. The story starts out fairly interesting and remains mildly so throughout, but things never get as down and dirty as they should, and as a result it's not a very effective thriller. It plays more like a tepid drama.
The title PARANOIA refers to the paranoia of the main players, Wyatt and Goddard, who are supposed to be paranoid out of necessity, in that they can't trust anyone in order to stay on top, but strangely, this plot point is only touched upon peripherally and is hardly used at all. Very strange considering the movie is called PARANOIA.
PARANOIA has a nice cast, and they all do their jobs well, but it's not enough to make this one worth your while.
Amber Heard movies Gary Oldman movies Harrison Ford movies Liam Hemsworth movies Michael Arruda movie reviews Thrillers Uncategorized	Gary Oldman movies Harrison Harrison Ford movies Michael Arruda movie review PARANOIA Thrillers
THE QUOTABLE CUSHING: DRACULA A.D., 1972 (1972)
THE QUOTABLE CUSHING
It's time for another edition of THE QUOTABLE CUSHING, the column where we look at some of Peter Cushing's most memorable lines in the movies.
Today we look at DRACULA A.D. 1972 (1972) Hammer Film's attempt to put Dracula into a modern day setting. Unfortunately for Hammer, "modern day" happened to be 1972. Far out, man!
A decade later and they may have struck gold, but in 1972 DRACULA A.D. 1972 plays out like THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY MEETS DRACULA, as Dracula (Christopher Lee) tangles with a group of 70s teens who are only interested in sex, drugs, and rock and roll. They could care less about vampires. In fact, Dracula seems so out of place and uncomfortable in this setting that he spends his time in this movie hanging out in a desecrated church, as if he's terrified of venturing forth into 1970s culture.
It's an awkward mix to be sure, but it's part of what makes this movie so much fun today.
It wasn't fun for Hammer back in 1972, because the film was a commercial failure, but I've always liked this movie. It's always been a guilty pleasure. I find it entertaining, and not in spite of the dated 70s characters and dialogue but because of it. It's all a hoot.
Now, Peter Cushing is on hand, and as always, he adds dignity to the story. Here, he plays the grandson of the original Van Helsing, and it goes without saying, Cushing is excellent in the role. He enjoys some memorable lines, especially in his exchanges with the Inspector (Michael Coles) from Scotland Yard, who has called in Van Helsing to assist with his investigation of some weird "cult" murders.
So let's look at some of these lines now from DRACULA A.D., 1972, screenplay by Don Houghton.
Troubled by some very weird murders, Inspector Murray (Michael Coles) visits Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), an expert on the occult, and seeks his opinion on the crimes. Cushing's lines at the end of this exchange provide him with one of his best acting moments in the film. Take a look:
VAN HELSING: Those mutilations, around the neck?
INSPECTOR: Mostly. Does that mean something?
VAN HELSING: It could. It could indicate—.
INSPECTOR: What?
VAN HELSING: That the killer was trying to obliterate the real cause of death. Vampirism.
INSPECTOR: You're joking?
VAN HELSING: You dismiss the possibility?
INSPECTOR: I don't know. I've been a policeman too long. I don't know.
VAN HELSING: My grandfather died fighting a vampire, the most terrible, the most dangerous vampire of all time, but before that, he collected proof, positive proof.
(INSPECTOR chuckles).
VAN HELSING: Oh no. There is nothing ludicrous about it. He was a scientist. His evidence was conclusive. There is evil in this world. There are dark awful things. Occasionally we get a glimpse of them. But there are dark corners; horrors almost impossible to imagine—even in our worst nightmares. There is a Satan.
INSPECTOR: Of course. Otherwise we wouldn't need a police force, would we?
Later when it's discovered that one of the murder victims was a friend of Van Helsing's granddaughter Jessica (Stephanie Beacham) the Inspector questions her. She takes offense at his probing questions about her friends, and she reacts badly, to which Van Helsing responds:
JESSICA VAN HELSING: I wish somebody would tell me what this is all about.
VAN HELSING: Murder, Jessica. That's what all this is about. Ghastly, horrible, obscene murder!
It's a great Cushing moment.
At the end of the film, when Van Helsing finally confronts Dracula (Christopher Lee), he shouts to the vampire:
VAN HELSING: Count Dracula! Look on me, Dracula. Look on me and remember.
At this point, the film provides a flashback to the opening scene of the movie, where we see the original Van Helsing destroy Dracula back in the 19th century, in a scene shot specifically for DRACULA A.D. 1972. It's a pretty cool scene too, although I've always wished that the flashback after this line had taken us back to the original conclusion to HORROR OF DRACULA (1958). Now, that would have been something for Dracula to remember!
Early in the movie, Van Helsing discovers his granddaughter looking through his book on the Black Mass. He's none too pleased that she's treating his life's work like a joke, but the best part of this scene is Stephanie Beacham's dated dialogue as Jessica Van Helsing:
VAN HELSING: A treatise on the black mass? What do you want with this?
JESSICA: Oh, just a quiet bit of mind blowing.
VAN HELSING: Jessica, this is not a subject to mess around with. These are scientific works.
JESSICA: You can buy that sort of stuff in almost any shady bookshop in Soho. I think it's all kinky.
VAN HELSING: What's that?
JESSICA: Weird, man. Way out. I mean, spooks, hobgoblins, black magic. All that sort of stuff.
Gee, Scoobs, pass me some of those Scooby snacks, will you?
We'll finish here not with a line by Cushing but by Christopher Lee. It's one of my favorite lines that Lee speaks in the entire Dracula series (and since he cut so many of them, there aren't a whole lot of Dracula lines in this series!).
His descendant Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame) has just performed a human sacrifice to resurrect his master, and he's quite pleased with himself at this accomplishment. But Dracula is quick to slap him down.
JOHNNY ALUCARD: Master, I did it! I summoned you!
DRACULA: It was my will.
Ouch! Take that, minion!
And that's it for now. Thanks for joining me for another edition of THE QUOTABLE CUSHING. I'll see you next time with more quotes from another classic Peter Cushing movie.
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A Look Back at SMOKING POPPY By Graham Joyce – Book Review By Michael Arruda
What I'm Reading – Smoking Poppy By Graham Joyce
Book Review by MICHAEL ARRUDA
Having read and enjoyed Graham Joyce's latest novel, Some Kind of Fairy Tale, I decided to read one of his earlier works, Smoking Poppy, from 2002.
In Smoking Poppy, Dan Innes learns that his adult daughter Charlie, who he hasn't seen in years, has been arrested on charges of drug smuggling in Thailand where she awaits a probable death sentence. Dan decides to travel to Thailand in order to bring his daughter back home. He intends to go it alone, but things don't work out that way. His friend Mick wants to go with him, which comes as a surprise to him since Dan doesn't even realize they're best friends. In fact, he's shocked when Mick calls him his "best mate."
His best mate? This was complicated. I didn't realize I was his best mate, nor he mine. We'd known each other for some years, true, but then only as snooker partners and quiz makeweights. I didn't much go in for this "best mates" thing; I didn't see the point. Your best mate as far as I'm concerned is your wife and your children and the family you build your life around. You stop having best mates when you're fourteen. But I had to tread carefully, because he was seriously offended.
Dan's estranged son Phil, who has found religion in his adult life, also decides to make the trip, because God told him to go to Thailand, and so the unlikely trio of Dan, Mick, and Phil travel to Thailand to rescue Charlie, a process that is easier said than done, especially when they discover that the prisoner being held in the Thai prison isn't Charlie at all, but a woman who had stolen Charlie's identification. Charlie, they learn, is holed up deep in the jungle, surrounded by murderous drug dealers, superstitious natives, and opium plants galore.
Dan, Mick, and Phil venture into this dangerous and unsettling world with the improbable task of somehow finding Charlie and then bringing her back to civilization.
Smoking Poppy is both a thrilling page turner, an adventure into the perilous jungles of Thailand, and an eye-opening drama about a father trying to get to know his adult children, wondering where things went wrong, and how two people who adored him when they were children seem to hate him now. Smoking Poppy is just as much about Dan "finding" his son Phil as it is about him finding his daughter Charlie.
The novel succeeds on both levels. Dan's journey into the jungles of Thailand is reminiscent of Martin Sheen's trek through Vietnam into Cambodia in APOCALYPSE NOW (1979). There is high adventure as Dan, Mick, and Phil venture deep into an area of the world in which most men don't return alive.
But my favorite part of Smoking Poppy is the internal journey taken by Dan, the one in which he grows to understand his adult children and his "best mate" Mick. And none of these things come easily for him.
When Dan reaches an epiphany at the end of the story and realizes what it means to be a father, the moment is particularly satisfying:
Break your heart one day? I wish I'd known then what I know now, and I could have gainsaid the old harridan. Your children break your heart every day. You only have to look at them and your heart shreds. They lacerate it. Pulverize it. And then they mend it for you, each and every day, with a gesture or a smile or a sly glance, just so that it can be shredded and wrecked all over again. And all over nothing.
That's what it means to be a father. That's my definition. A father is a person with a mashed heart and a wounded hand. And that's perfectly normal.
I really enjoyed the four principal characters in this one. Dan is a flawed character who means well, very well, and oftentimes it's painful to read through the scenes where he tries to communicate or help his son or daughter and fails. You want him to succeed.
Mick might be the most interesting character in the book. He's this guy who Dan barely notices, but really considers himself to be Dan's best mate. The fact of the matter is, Mick really cares about Dan, something that Dan in his closed-in world never noticed before. Mick serves as the driving force behind Dan's mission to find Charlie. He's constantly pushing Dan forward, helping him get through one ordeal after another, and he's the voice that always says don't give up. And he backs up his words with actions.
Dan's son Phil is certainly an annoying character, and Joyce does a nice job making the reader relate to Dan's frustrations over his son, like the way Phil always calls Dan "father" rather than "dad." You just want to slug him. And yet, Phil loves his father, loves his family, and the single most satisfying moment in the book may be when we find out this fact, that Phil does love his dad, and we find out through Phil's actions, when it's revealed what he did to save his dad.
Charlie is also interesting, the strong, rebellious daughter of the family, who went off and got herself in a bind. It's interesting because the plot of the book is all about finding and rescuing Charlie, and yet the story is more about Dan's relationship with his son Phil and his friend Mick than it is about his relationship with his daughter.
Joyce also does a nice job fleshing out the supporting characters in the book, including some of the villagers, especially Nabao, the woman who cares for Charlie. Joyce also creates an unsettling villain in Jack, the drug lord they meet in the jungle, who oversees the village in which they find Charlie. Jack could easily kill them all in a heartbeat, and Dan and the others have to operate gingerly around him. He's a very unnerving villain.
Smoking Poppy also enters the realm of fantasy, but on a peripheral level. Moments of spiritualism are intertwined with drug-induced hallucinations to create a world in the jungle that is as uncomfortable as it is unpredictable.
There's a moment in the jungle where Dan encounters an entity, a force that is downright frightening.
It was madness, this entire trek. Preposterous. I lashed at the bamboo again, and my teeth started chattering, as if I was chilled. Sunlight dappled the rubbery leaves as a shape formed at the periphery of my vision, a shape that I took to be a bird or an animal. It was no more than a shadow, a silhouette even, but then the thing swooped down from the jungle canopy and started to close around me. It was like a heavy, damp cloak settling on my shoulders and pressing a great weight down on my lungs. I felt a rancid breath on my neck. There was corruption in the air and a sound like a veil tearing. I tried to lash the thing away and when my hand passed through it a moment of hideous panic followed. It was the loneliest thing I have ever experienced in my life.
Mick and Phil tell Dan that nothing physical had leapt onto him, and he realizes— or at least at this time believes— that it was just in his head. But this is not an isolated incident, as there are ghosts and spirits in the jungle just as assuredly as there are men with guns growing opium.
Smoking Poppy is an engaging novel, the tale of one man's physical journey into the perilous jungles of Thailand to rescue his adult daughter, but the more satisfying story is that of his emotional journey, where he discovers what it means to be a father and a friend.
It's never too late to discover a gem. Sure, Smoking Poppy was written a decade ago, but this novel by Graham Joyce is every bit as satisfying today as it was then. It's a highly recommended read.
Graham Joyce novels Michael Arruda Book Review Michael Arruda book reviews Uncategorized	Graham Joyce novels Michael Arruda book reviews


Since 2012, anyone in Brazil can generate their own electricity from alternative energy sources (including solar), connect your system to the distribution network and thereby reduce its long-term electricity bill. With so much sun in Brazil and areas available on our roofs, photovoltaic generation has great potential, but the cost can still be a barrier for many consumers.
Solar Fund, an initiative of IDEAL in partnership with the Grüner Strom Label eV (GSL) and with the support of the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, was created with the aim of improving Normative Resolution 482, published by the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) in 2012. to achieve this, was granted financial support for residential consumers and entrepreneurs in the installation of photovoltaic microgenerators with a power of up to 5 kW.
By monitoring the network connection process the consumers embraced by financial support, the partner institutions in the project were able to make recommendations to ANEEL to simplify the procedures. The main impact was to suggest the removal of the requirement for a Readily Acessible Disconnection Device (DSV in Portuguese) (Order 720/2014) for microgeneration. The agency found that the drives are already enough to ensure the safety of the connection of photovoltaic microgenerators the network. In addition, in 2015, contributions were made to the public hearing to review the REN 482/12 based on the experiences of the Solar Fund.
Developed in two phases (2013/2014 and 2015/2016), the project supported the installation of 43 photovoltaic microgenerators in 12 states. PV systems totalled approximately 130 kWp power with an estimated generation of 199 MWh per year in all states. In total, Instituto Ideal received R $ 138,000 from GSL to implement the project.
A total of 127 requests from 18 states were received, namely: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo.
Grüner Strom Label (GSL) is a German association of non-profit organizations (environmentalists, consumer protection agencies and the peace organizations) created to manage a green electricity certification label in Germany.


Description Drive a car through narrow city streets and park it into marked parking space. Do not damage the car and complete the task within given time.
Controls Use arrow keys to drive. Park the car into marked parking space.


If you are from outside the area, or have not participated in Art Trails before, here are a few tips regarding what you can expect.
Consider your travel and lodging expenses when making your decision. Also, the time it takes to set up before the show, and to shut down after. The show starts promptly at 10 am each day. Most artists do the bulk of their set-up the day before their site opens to avoid rushing in the morning or opening late.
Consider whether you have the displays you need. If you are used to doing shows, you probably already have the displays you need. If not, you will need to purchase or construct them. Artists who require indoor space, or large wall space may have a difficult time finding a location that meets their needs.
The planning committee works with artists looking for sites, offering available options and connecting artists with hosts, but the final choice and communication with the site host is the artist's responsibility.
Sierra Art Trails receives an estimated 1000 to 2000 visitors during the three-day event. Artists should be aware that these visitors do not visit all locations. At Gallery Row, headquarters for the event, and the location for the Preview Exhibit, 300 to 500 visitors attend daily. Visitation at other sites ranges widely, based on the reputation of the artists showing, the popularity of the site, marketing efforts by participating artists, location and signage.
Sierra Art Trails is not a festival, with all traffic concentrated in one place. Sites are spread over a wide area in two counties. We estimate that visitors visit approx. 10 sites a day. Visitors who are familiar with the show visit their favorite artists year after year, and share their favorite sites with others. The average site visitation in 2017 and 2018 was approx. 40 to 60 people daily.
As a general rule, artists who are new to the show, or are showing at new venues receive less traffic than seasoned artists with established locations and clientele. It can take a year or two for visitors to become familiar with new artists and their locations.
Artists who engage visitors by demonstrating and explaining their work encourage them to stay longer. Buying art is an emotional experience. Establishing a personal connection can lead to sales. People are excited about meeting artists in person, and are more likely to buy work from someone they like and respect.
Sites with more signs and more visible signs draw more traffic. Review our signage guidelines for helpful tips.
Regardless of where you show, we have seen year after year that the artists that produce great work, market themselves well, and engage the public are the most successful in terms of sales, regardless of where they show.
A final consideration. Sierra Art Trails is a community event. Engagement and collaboration are important to success. Communication and networking, attending the All Artists Meeting in August, and submitting your work to the Preview Exhibit at Stellar Gallery are all important aspects of the show. The more you engage with other artists and the organization the better the experience will be.


text:
# Simple Dice Game ( Pig Game)

GAME RULES:

- The game has 2 players, playing in rounds
- In each turn, a player rolls a dice as many times as he whishes. Each result get added to his ROUND score
- BUT, if the player rolls a 1, all his ROUND score gets lost. After that, it's the next player's turn
- The player can choose to 'Hold', which means that his ROUND score gets added to his GLBAL score. After that, it's the next player's turn
- The first player to reach 100 points on GLOBAL score wins the game

![Javascript Dice Game](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bkenneweg/DiceGame/master/game.PNG)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Anicet I, papa
 Anicet (llibert), llibert de Neró
 Anicet del Pont, rebel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The information on this page is provided as a courtesy for our online Special Students, or for prospective online Special Students. The term "Special Student" refers to individuals who wish to take coursework but who are not currently enrolled at Starr King or any other GTU school.
Q: Where can I find the syllabus for my course?
A: Syllabi with any required books are posted as soon as instructors send them to us. Syllabi will be found beneath associated course descriptions in our online course descriptions.
A: See How To Register for details. Take note of registration dates as listed on Starr King's Academic Calendar.
Q: What computer equipment and software do I need in order to take an online course?
A: Learn more about the technical requirements and how to get tech support.
Q: Is there any additional assistance for learning Moodle?
A: Yes. Moodle has an excellent demo site at https://moodle.org/demo/. You don't need to worry about making mistakes because everything auto-erases every hour. Definitely check it out.
Q: How will I log in?
A: You will be given a Moodle login from the Registrar upon confirmation of enrollment. The Registrar will also enroll you in all necessary Moodle courses.
Q: How can I contact my Instructor?
A: Your instructor will provide contact information to enrolled students either by email at the start of the semester, or by clarifying preferred contact information through your particular Moodle course site. Or, if an instructor has multiple email addresses and the preferred email address for class use isn't clear, you can contact your instructor by email once your course has begun. SKSM does not give out faculty home phone numbers. Adjunct Faculty, Visiting Scholars and Student Teachers do not have offices or voicemail boxes at the school, and cannot be reached by phone via the school. Please do not contact online instructors outside of the GTU's scheduled registration periods or after a semester/course has ended. During registration periods, follow the information at How To Register.
Q: What will be expected of me?
A: One thing is consistent across all SKSM courses: Full participation is required. In terms of simply "showing up," students are allowed 1 week off ~ the equivalent of 1 absence per semester. More than that must be arranged with the instructor. Sometimes terms can be negotiated. If not, a student may be encouraged to withdraw from the course.
Going back to make up a missed unit does not erase an unexcused absence.
--As this is a graduate course, you will be expected to do a substantial amount of reading. Students are expected to complete all assigned readings and to complete them on time.
--Each student is expected to post to the Web a one-page-or-less written reflection based on readings and course materials pertinent to that week; to be posted by midnight Wednesday of each week in the discussion forum (midnight Pacific Time, where Starr King is located).
--Participate in weekly online discussion (forums) by responding to peer reflections. Each student is expected to respond to the substance of the reflections of two of their peers each week. The length of an average forum post for this course is 250 words.
Starr King works to maintain absolute safety for our students. During your online courses, you may have the opportunity to use public online services ~ for example wikis, blogs external to Moodle. Required assignments do not require you to make any personally identifying information public; coursework requiring personal reflection and posted publicly does not obligate you to disclose personally identifiable or sensitive information. Or, having made prior arrangements with your instructor, you may use a pseudonym wherever appropriate. If you have any concerns about this, please see SKSM FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and contact your instructor as well.
Q: How can I eliminate all those odd little glyphs from my Moodle postings?
A: Copying and pasting from a word processing program (like MSWord) into Moodle often causes unwanted code to appear. Use the "Paste from Word" button in the Moodle textbox toolbar. Copy your text from Word, then go back into your Moodle course. In the textbox toolbar, click the "Paste from Word" button. A new window will appear; paste your text (right-clicking and selecting Paste, or pressing Ctrl+V on your keyboard) into that textbox. Click the Insert button.
Another older-but-reliable method is to copy from Word into Notepad [if using a Windows-based computer] or into Text Edit [if using a Mac]. From there, do a "Select All," then copy again and paste into the Moodle window. It sounds more complicated than it is and will go fast once you've done it a few times.
Q: How can I upload a large file?
Remember that audio and video files are never to be directly uploaded to Moodle. Please contact Justin Lipscomb, the GTU's Online Learning Coordinator, at moodle@gtu.edu if you need assistance.
Q: Is there a way to go right to the week of class without scrolling all the way down from the top? That gets to be a pain as weeks pass and the course page grows longer and longer.
A: Yes! (Long-time Moodlers call that "The Scroll of Death." Sometimes it feels like it is!) You can click the little square in the upper-right of the week and then the square resembles a little square '8'. The display changes to one week at a time and you can select the appropriate week in the "Jump to..." drop-down menu [see directly below the week].
Q: Is there a way to download or save all of my postings?
A: The best way to do this is to create a Word document and keep it available during your reading and writing sessions. Copy everything you post into the document as you go. By semester's end, you'll have everything. It is good in any case to save all of your online coursework not only to Word docs, but to a folder backed up externally (to the Cloud, to CD, flash drive or other external drive) so would do not lose your work if your computer crashed.
Q: Can I get a library card?
A: Special students are not automatically given GTU library cards, but you may request one by contacting the Registrar at registrar@sksm.edu. Please be aware that a library card won't allow you to check out books, but it may prove helpful for online research.
Q: What if my Instructor doesn't post on time or as expected?
A: If during the semester your Instructor should seem to break pattern ~ either not posting for an unusual interval or replying to emails normally ~ contact Online Education Director Hugo Cordova Quero hquero@sksm.edu posthaste.
Q: Tell me about grading.
A: The norm for grading at Starr King is pass/fail, but if you need or prefer a letter grade, simply tell your instructor. Be sure to do this in the first 10 weeks of the course.
Q: Okay, so if I had to drop out or withdraw from my course, what would I do?
Once these changes of enrollment are approved, the Registrar can remove a student from the course. Moodle is electronically independent of Populi, so the Instructor should remove the student's name from the class roster ('Participants' list/page) in the Moodle course site. No change of enrollment will be permitted after the tenth week of the term, except under circumstances approved by the Dean or an appropriate committee of the student's school.
Q: My brother said Incompletes are never an option; that it's pass or fail and that's that. Is it true?
A: Incompletes are an important option for students dealing with extraordinary circumstances; however, it should not be an option that is to be encouraged. Students are responsible for finishing their work within the term. In order to take an incomplete, students must submit a completed petition for an incomplete to their registrar before the last day of the term – no exceptions. Incomplete work is due to the instructor three weeks after the term. The instructor is required to submit a new grade by the 6th Friday after the end of the term. If, however, no new grade is received by the end of the 6th week, the incomplete grade becomes an "F".
Given exceptional circumstances, Instructors may, at their discretion, agree to a time frame beyond the six weeks with approval from the Dean of the Faculty. Time frames must be documented as part of the original petition. It is the responsibility of the SKSM students to make sure a "Change of Grade" form is completed with all necessary signatures and given to the Registrar to update the grade by the end of the semester in which the incomplete work is due, or it will automatically be converted to an "F" by the Registrar. Special Students should use email correspondence when requesting to be dropped from a course.
Q: I heard online lends itself to acts of plagiarism. Is that true?
A: Teachers who suspect that a student has plagiarized should address the issue with the student. If plagiarism is confirmed, the teacher will work with the core faculty to determine the best course of action which could include Academic Probation. If the matter is disputed, the student or teacher may follow the procedures listed under "Academic or Personality Disputes." Students who are placed on Academic Probation twice may be dismissed from a program.
Q: GTU Consortial Agreement Concerning Plagiarism.
1. The faculty member teaching the course will notify the dean of the faculty member's school that the student has been suspected of plagiarism.
2. The dean of the faculty member's school will notify the dean of the student's school that the student has been suspected of plagiarism.
4. The student's school will be responsible for following its own policy in regard to possible consequences beyond the context of the course (e.g., warning, academic probation, expulsion, etc.).
Although plagiarism and copyright are not the same thing, it should also be noted that before a course begins, all online Instructors and Students are asked to read and abide by the copyright guidelines.
Q: Will someone send me a transcript once my course is over?
A: Starr King produces transcripts only upon request. Students can request a transcript by filling out and submitting an online request form: Transcript Request Form.
It takes approximately 5-7 business days to process a request. Please note: Policy prohibits us from emailing transcripts.
Q: How long after the class ends will I be able to access it?
A: Online courses remain available for one year after a semester officially ends. However, professors' obligations terminate at the semester's end and students should refrain from contacting them afterwards.
Q: Okay, well, I'm still sort of worried about taking an online course. Is there any more help out there?
A: Definitely. In addition to our Technology Requirements and Support page, GTU Moodle Administrators have compiled a helpful and concise resource page called "Moodle Help for Students." Be sure to check it out.
Q: Will you all please notify me when it's time to register for that one course I really, really need?
A: Alas, at the present time we don't have resources for maintaining alert lists for everyone who request them. We suggest you keep checking our online course descriptions page [as above; see first question] for next-up registration periods. Then write yourself a reminder or mark a calendar you use on a daily basis. Also remind yourself to keep checking our website for changes in registration procedures.
Q: I am taking an online class for the first time. When do I receive my Populi and Moodle login and password?
A: You will receive your Populi login from the Registrar as soon as your enrollment is confirmed. Your Moodle should be sent within the week after your first enrollment.