Fear and prudence prevail in most financial markets. Observers point to several sources of concern. The markets believe that two of the world's largest economies – the United States and China – cannot expand any faster: in 2018, they are expected to grow at 2.9 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively, and to slow down in the future. The eurozone, meanwhile, has already reduced its gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate from 2.6 percent in 2017 to about 2.0 percent in 2018.
Monetary policy in the dollar and the euro areas may further rein in growth. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell seems happy to let the monetary tightening continue. During the past year, the interest rate on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds has increased from about 2.37 percent to about 3.20 percent and might increase further.
To U.S. President Donald Trump's dismay, this will have a negative impact on debt-financed consumption and investments, and will also lead to a rise in the dollar and a widening of the trade deficit.
Moreover, nobody knows to what extent the end of quantitative easing (QE) will affect interest rates on euro-denominated securities, so business might cool off until the picture becomes clearer.
The third source of concern stems from the public-debt situation in a number of European Union economies, including Italy. Should the public-finance context in these countries deteriorate significantly, a domino effect might follow and sap confidence on a much broader scale. Finally, one should not forget about the future of the trade tug-of-war started by President Trump at the beginning of 2018. The overall climate between the U.S. and China has improved over the past few weeks and could brighten up in the coming weeks, but investors realize that an end to this saga is not yet in sight. Even if November brings good news, 2019 is still fraught with uncertainty.
Financial markets have moved accordingly. The U.S. stock exchange is more or less where it was at the beginning of 2018, but the Japanese and German indices are about 5 percent and 12 percent lower, respectively. The index for the Chinese market is also in the red territory (about minus 20 percent). This is both good and bad news.
The good news is that, by now, all potentially untoward events are already factored into the current prices. Unless the trade war breaks out or the euro area disintegrates, 2018 can turn out to be a year of transition, during which financial markets have experienced relatively high volatility. Furthermore, investors have observed that corporate profits have not risen as fast as in the past, as they reflect the new global growth and money market conditions. The bad news is that this correction could be just the beginning of the story and that more substantial shake-ups may lurk down the road.
The upshot is that during the next several months we will be facing one of two scenarios, depending on the answer to one crucial question: Do we believe that financial markets follow the evolution of the real economy and that, as long as major shocks do not occur in global GDP, credit or inflation, the financial situation will also stabilize?
This would be the case, for example, if financial markets were currently discounting the probability that firms' profits will grow at a relatively slow pace and that, therefore, shares are not as attractive as in the past.
We may also believe that financial markets are, in fact, anticipating what will happen over the next few months. In this case, and in contrast to what the official figures for 2019 predict, one should expect the present global slowdown to continue for some more time.
Let us follow up on the first answer, which posits that financial markets follow the real economy. As mentioned earlier, investors are edgy. They no longer trust forecasts, including those regarding the EU, where the deteriorating economic climate has been causing the leading institutions to revise their projections almost monthly. In this context, it is clear that alarming headlines have an impact and add to volatility. In turn, volatility and uncertainty scare investors away from stocks and push them into less-risky forms of investment – including liquidity and highly rated government bonds.
Of course, this trend, quite visible in the eurozone, is less pronounced in the U.S. and Asia. But things could worsen. For example, it is not clear how the Trump administration will react to the reportedly increasing U.S. budget deficit (in 2018 it rose 25 percent with respect to 2017 in nominal terms, from 3.4 percent (2017) to 4.0 percent of GDP), which is inflating public debt (105.2 percent of GDP) and pushing interest rates up into dangerous territory. Likewise, we lack clarity on whether or not Mr. Trump will accept the conciliatory trade proposals recently floated by the EU and China and choose other venues to accentuate his views on free trade.
China also remains a source of uncertainty, both because observers doubt the quality of the growth figures the authorities release and because it is feared that the Chinese policymakers might engage in further expansionary policies – rather than structural reforms – to compensate for the declining trend in China's GDP growth. If that were to happen, a soft landing could quickly turn into a crash and the reverberations on the global economy would be substantial.
To summarize: if one accepts the view that financial markets are going to be bullish or bearish depending on the level of uncertainty, the near future will probably be characterized by a stable real outlook and financial pessimism. We believe this is the most likely scenario.
Let us now turn to the second possible answer: Do markets anticipate the future rather than follow the real economy? If one thinks so, the logical conclusion would be that it will take some time before the world economy bottoms out. But enter the China variable: it is no mystery that problems keep piling up there. If they get out of control, a financial crisis would indeed turn into a strong blow to the entire economy, with consequences throughout the world.
As mentioned earlier, during the past months, prices of stocks and bonds have declined worldwide – more than data about the real economy would justify. Following this line of reasoning, one should expect some further deterioration of the economic climate. In our opinion, this view has merit, but only in a long-term perspective.
The Western world suffers from insufficient productivity growth, a problem that can be addressed only with significant reforms in the regulatory frameworks of many countries, as well as in their educational systems. It will take time before policymakers acknowledge the need for such changes, and before they act accordingly. In the meantime, the decline will be smooth. Deviations from the soft landing path could certainly occur, but only if the real economy finds it difficult to adjust to the end of the easy monetary policy or if a significant shock materializes (e.g., the Chinese collapse, the Italian crisis, or an all-out trade war). Since these are distant possibilities, financial markets have not accounted for them.
We are likely heading toward a period in which financial markets and the real economy will follow partially different paths. Financial markets will be driven by uncertainty. Yet, it will not be a question of uncertainty about the real economy, but rather about what policymakers will do. Since the financial community expects erratic responses, volatility and mild pessimism will follow.
By contrast, we believe that during the next quarter, the real economy will shed the monetary hangover, while policymakers will try to redress the damages caused by fiscal profligacy. In the long-term, however, reverting to healthy, productivity-friendly policies will be neither easy nor painless. It is tempting to read the structural problems of the Western world as if they were a cyclical issue. If policymakers adopted this perspective, radically different and very dark scenarios would unfold.


Sandy McLean is training to be a doctor to follow in his father's footsteps – indeed, to surpass his father who is just a general practitioner: Sandy is to become a top surgeon. Or so his father insists. Sandy feels he has no choice, though knows he is not a natural and life is becoming miserable as he struggles through the exams. What he really wants to be is an artist. Every spare moment he paints and is especially good at people. He even gets a commission when a loyal pub bartender is retiring.
And then a French girl, Sophie, offers to pose for him – which leads to his first love affair and the beginning of his rebellion against his father, leading to his running off to Montmartre.
Meanwhile, left behind is his sister Laura. Her father believes she should wait about idly for a potential husband to turn up. But she wants to earn a living. She tells her parents she's working voluntarily for an orphan centre, but really she has a job working at the Marie Stopes Clinic. After a brutal assault leaves her traumatised, she follows in Sandy's footsteps to Montmartre . . .


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text:
'use strict';

var Schedule = require('node-schedule');

module.exports = function Scheduler(logger) {
  this.runMinutely = function(callback) {
    logger.info('Starting minutely job...');
    Schedule.scheduleJob('*/1 * * * *', callback);
  };

  this.runHourly = function(callback) {
    logger.info('Starting hourly job...');
    Schedule.scheduleJob('0 * * * *', callback);
  };

  this.runDaily = function(callback) {
    logger.info('Starting daily job...');
    // Set the hour to noon (GMT) to run after the daily data update.
    Schedule.scheduleJob('0 12 * * *', callback);
  };

  this.runWeekly = function(callback) {
    logger.info('Starting weekly job...');
    // Set the hour to noon (GMT) to run after the daily data update.
    Schedule.scheduleJob('0 12 * * 0', callback);
  };
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Naveen Ravi Joseph
N'Golo Kante and Blaise Matuidi both were bargain signings for their clubs
Today's transfer market is so crazy that it is difficult to choose an adjective to describe it in the best possible manner. Swansea are demanding £50m for Gylfi Sigurdsson, Leipzig want £70m for Naby Keita and Manchester City just made Kyle Walker the most expensive defender and English player by signing him for £50m!
The catalyst to this scenario was definitely the record breaking move of Paul Pogba for £89m! Imagine the things you can buy with that money, but only after you finish reading this, because that's a lot of money and it would take you a while to figure out what to do with £89m.
Clubs with talented players in their ranks know that the Big Shots of Europe will not hesitate to meet the blown up transfer value evaluations simply because they can. These days, it is hard to get a bargain transfer but that wasn't the case not so long ago.
Also read: Most expensive XI in world football at the moment
In today's market Philippe Coutinho could be worth over £80m but in 2013, Liverpool signed him for just £8.5m and look at how incredible that deal turned out to be. This was certainly a bargain price for a midfielder, but the following five midfield signings are even better.
Note: The ranking has been done based on the player's quality, impact at the club and transfer fee. This list doesn't include free transfers.
#5 N'Golo Kante - From Caen to Leicester for £5.6m in 2015
Kante played a major role in one of the greatest stories in sports history and without him, it would have never happened.
The Frenchman helped Caen earn promotion to Ligue 1 in his debut season for the club and then followed it up with an impressive first season in the French top flight. He caught the eye of several clubs, with Leicester being one of them.
Kante rejected Leicester's initial approach as he was holding out for a move to Marseille and frankly I'm glad Marseille didn't approach him. He eventually signed for the Foxes for just £5.6m!
Although Kante's teammate, Riyad Mahrez won the Player of the Year award for Leicester's fairytale season, Kante's contribution was well recognised with him being named in the Team of the Year.
However, it was only when he moved to Chelsea the following season that people took full notice of Kante. At Leicester, there were several stories to focus on, but at Chelsea, all eyes were on the Frenchman.
It's also hard to believe that Leicester sold Kante for just £32m last season! I'd go as far as saying Chelsea got an equally good bargain as Kante went on to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year for 2016/17
Premier League 2019-20 La Liga 2019-20 UEFA Champions League 2019-20 Chelsea Liverpool Football Real Madrid CF Football AC Milan Football Inter Milan Football FC Bayern Munich Football West Ham United Pescara Football Paris Saint-Germain Football Leicester City Sao Paulo Football Frank Lampard Kaka Toni Kroos Marco Verratti N'Golo Kante
8 famous players who donned the number 8 jersey
5 reasons why football fans of a club hate fans of another club
Top 10 free transfers of all time
5 best bargain defenders of all time
The 10 greatest attacking midfielders of all time
Ballon d'Or winners 2000-2010: Where are they now?
5 transfers that would've changed the history of football
10 players who always win their country's Footballer of the Year
20 adorable pictures of footballers with their children

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Handmade with burlap and pure linen these gorgeous boho chic clutches are your go to summer accessory.
Detailed yellow and gold brocade fold, accented with a tassel in the zip puller. The inside is lined with matching linen. The zip closure features a brass puller which is decorated with yellow and gold bead and hand made tassel.


This is my first ever item of clothing, so of course I'm excited. I still have one sleeve yet to do and to attach the buttons, but I had to post a few pictures of this tonight because it's just so cute! When it's completely finished I will post more photos and publish a link to the pattern on Ravelry.com because the designer definitely deserves credit.
I love this pattern! It's so dainty.
This entry was posted in Creativity, Knitting by Tracy Moore. Bookmark the permalink.
This is definitely cute…who is it for?
I love it! And you're right. It is dainty and so stinkin' adorable! Great job Mz. T!
That's so adorable!!!!! Who is it for?
Thanks Kajal! It's for my nephew and his fiancee who are expecting a baby girl in the fall.


Actress and activist Susan Sarandon has blamed journalists and the media for Donald Trump's victories in the primaries, adding if he became president "the revolution would be very quick"
US actress Susan Sarandon said on Saturday that if Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump wins the US presidency this fall, "the revolution will be very quick."
Sarandon, who endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders last summer, has been a very vocal supporter, calling on people to speak out.
Sarandon blamed the media for Trump's primary victories, stressing that journalists are not "asking certain questions."
Sarandon stressed that a Trump presidency might determine many Americans to leave the US and settle in Canada.
She also said very few journalists have done "in-depth inquiries" into the ties of Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
Saradon, who's is a guest of honor at Cartagena's Film Festival, spoke from the port city on Colombia's Caribbean coast.


With a growing population estimated at 309,156, the Bahamas has a rich and varied population consisting of African, European, and Asian descent.
Primarily made up of blacks between the ages of 15-64 years of age, the people of the Bahamas, or Bahamians, are a soft spoken and laid back people, typically found throughout the Caribbean. Quick with a smile and a greeting, the Bahamians are known for their pleasant, and easygoing ways. Even first time visitors cannot help but be impressed by the genuine friendliness, and gentle good will of the people of the Bahamas. Their unspoken motto echoes that of Will Rogers, in that they never meet a person they don't like.
The Bahamas stand out as a true paradise among the islands that make up the Caribbean. Just southeast of Florida in the United States, and north of Cuba, this jewel of the Atlantic is an island chain consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 rocks, that make up almost 14,000 kilometers of pure blue tropical waters and pristine beaches.
The aptly named Paradise Island comprises the best-known tourist destinations, with challenging golf courses, white sand beaches that nearly encompass the island, and some of the grandest, most sought after five star hotels available. Home to the world famous Atlantis Resort, with its 34-acre marine habitat and popular aquarium, Paradise Island is the ultimate location for the vacation of a lifetime.
From the lovely and artistic wood carvings in the shops throughout the islands, to the majestic tropical scenery and turquoise cays of crystal clear waters, there is more to see and do in the Bahamas than you can possibly accomplish in a single vacation.
All of islands that comprise the chain are normally low and flat, with ridges that rise approximately 49 to 66 ft. The highest point is Mount Alvernia on Cat Island, formerly known as Como Hill, with an elevation of 210 ft.
With a subtropical to tropical climate moderated by the waters of the Gulf Stream, the Bahamas enjoy a sunny, summer atmosphere year round. This provides for a great range of tropical flora and fauna with a countryside thick with lush palm trees and tropical flowers. It also provides the necessary climate for the many lush sugar cane plantations that dot the inner islands.
Descubierta por primera vez por los españoles que siguieron la estela de Colón, la cadena de islas de las Bahamas tiene una rica historia. Se estima que los taínos primero emigraron a las islas del sur de América del Sur alrededor del siglo séptimo dC, y pronto se despobló por los españoles, que les impresionó a la esclavitud. Hasta la mitad del siglo 17 las islas permanecieron, para todos los intentos y propósitos, deshabitadas. En 1648, los puritanos ingleses establecieron el primer asentamiento europeo permanente en las islas, y por 1670 se le concedió el control de las islas para el Señor Propietarios de las Carolinas. Bajo su gobierno, las Bahamas se convirtió en famoso como un refugio para los piratas que saquearon el Caribe, y un importante puerto para el comercio de esclavos. Muchos esclavos africanos fueron utilizados en las plantaciones de caña de azúcar allí, y la afluencia de oro de los piratas hicieron Nassau tan infame como Port Royal. Para restablecer el orden, la corona británica hizo las islas en una colonia británica en 1718, y sigue siendo una Commonwealth del Reino Unido en la actualidad.
El acuario al aire libre en el Atlantis Resort: El acuario al aire libre en el Atlantis Resort cuenta con un hábitat marino de 34 hectáreas con 11 lagunas de exhibición y piscinas que son el hogar de más de 200 especies de vida marina. A través de una pasarela de acrílico grande que viaja a través del hábitat están inmersos directamente en el interior del acuario. Parque Nacional de Lucaya: Parque Nacional de Lucaya Kayak y Cave Tour en la isla de Grand Bahama ofrece tres excursiones diferentes para su placer. Kayak, espeleología y nadar son un solo paquete en una de las playas más hermosas de la isla. Reme por un hermoso bosque de manglar, seguido de un picnic en Gold Beach, donde se puede tomar un baño, y luego disfrutar de un paseo por la naturaleza maravillosa con varias cuevas naturales. Blue Lagoon Island: A sólo tres millas de Nassau es Blue Lagoon Island donde el mundialmente famoso Dolphin Encounters lo hace en casa. Aquí se puede nadar con, y conocer, el más suave de los mamíferos marinos de cerca y personal.
Contrary to popular belief, it is Cable Beach, not Nassau, that offers the best in nightlife entertainment. The Wyndham Nassau Resort and Casino not only hosts one of the largest casinos on the island, but it also houses an 800 seat theater, with grand shows running on the weekends and some week nights.
If you prefer Nassau proper as the source of your nighttime entertainment, then a variety of nightclubs and bars are available. Charlie's on the Beach is one of the oldest and most well known nightclubs in Nassau, and most of the Nassau night life can be found centering around Charlie's.
Although increasingly influenced by American customs, due to heavy tourism, Bahamian culture is a mix of African and European cultures. The predominant language of the islands is Bahamian English, a dialect of English influenced by Jamaican Patois and Bahamian Creole, although it should not be confused with either, but stands as a dialect all on it's own. Spoken by both black and white, it is often referred to by native Bahamians as "the dialect."
Christianity is the main religion of the Islands, with Baptist forming the bulk of the religion, followed by Anglicans, Catholics and Methodists. Seventh Day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses are also represented, as well as a number of small "home grown" churches.
While virtually any flavor of international food can be found in the Bahamas, Bahamian cuisine is a delicacy in its own right, consisting mainly of seafood. You will want to try an interesting local dish called conch (pronounced konk), which forms a staple of typical Bahamian meals. A firm, white, peach-fringed meat that comes from a large type of ocean mollusk it is usually served raw on it's own, or included as an ingredient in several seafood stews.
Fresh fish is also a favorite of the Bahamas, and a popular brunch consists of boiled fish served with grits. Fish stew made with celery, onions, tomatoes, and various spices, is another local specialty that is highly favored throughout the islands.
Bahamian cooking is always spicy, never bland, and flavored with local herbs, meats and produce. More than any other island in the Caribbean, Bahamian cuisine is the most influenced by the American South.


text:
/*jshint expr: true*/
/*jshint mocha: true*/
var fs = require('fs');
var path = require('path');

var chai = require('chai');
var expect = chai.expect;
var request = require('supertest');

var express = require('express');

// Module that is tested
var parser = require('../index.js');

describe('Using the express-xml-parser middleware', function() {
  var app = express();

  // Prepare file to be sent
  var xmlFile = fs.readFileSync(path.resolve(__dirname, 'test.xml'));

  beforeEach(function() {
    // Setup middleware to be tested
    app.use(parser());
  });

  it('should set the _xml flag on the req object to true', function(done) {
    app.use(function(req, res) {
      expect(req._xml).to.be.true;
      res.end();
    });

    request(app)
      .post('/')
      .send(xmlFile)
      .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
      .expect(200, done);
  });

  it('should set the content of rawXml to the original XML content', function(done) {
    app.use(function(req, res) {
      expect(req.rawXml).to.exist;
      expect(req.rawXml).to.equal(xmlFile.toString());
      res.end();
    });

    request(app)
      .post('/')
      .send(xmlFile)
      .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
      .expect(200, done);
  });

  it('should set the content of xml2js to the xml2js-converted Javascript object representation of the original XML', function(done) {
    app.use(function(req, res) {
      expect(req.xml2js).to.exist;
      res.end();
    });

    request(app)
      .post('/')
      .send(xmlFile)
      .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
      .expect(200, done);
  });
});


text:
Mike D'Antoni on James Harden: 'His patented move is not a travel'
By Dane DelgadoSep 29, 2019, 8:00 PM EDT
United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously uttered the phrase, "I know it when I see it" when describing his threshold for obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio. First spoken in 1964, Potter's expression has been used colloquially across myriad applications ever since.
And for Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni, he just doesn't see it.
Speaking to a group of reporters this week, D'Antoni said that the NBA has made it abundantly clear that James Harden's patented step-back move is not a travel according to the new, stricter guidelines.
D'Antoni went on to say that several other items — including the players lifting their back foot when beginning a dribble drive — would be looked at with more scrutiny, but Harden's move would not.
[The NBA] made a point to tell every head coach that that is is not traveling. And it's not travelling! Hopefully coaches will quit complaining and hopefully you guys in the news will understand that's not traveling.
His patented move is not a travel.
Harden's move, which, you know, is absolutely a travel by the spirit of the rule, will apparently not be judged as such. Of course, there are contextual factors for why he will be refereed this way, but someone like Josh Okogie will not. Mostly it's that Harden is a former MVP, and a deadly scorer outside of anything he nets with ticky-tack dribble moves. He's a star, a franchise cornerstone, and the NBA is not in the business of handicapping its most marketable commodities.
So D'Antoni will go on cheerleading for a convenient free pass given to Harden as his "gather step" establishes two pivot feet on his way to 400 threes this season. The rest of us will roll our eyes at the legacy of one of the most electrifying scorers in league history continuing to be marred by remarks about free throws and 3-pointers.
Pro sports leagues keep trying to legislate their games into stasis; a perfect, consumer-friendly version of The Thing That Makes Us Money. Despite rule changes, and fan confusion about things like pass interference, or what constitutes a catch, or traveling, the truth is the truth.
The NBA has decided to better define a travel, and Harden's gather move is outside that explanation. But that doesn't really matter, because we know it when we see it.


text:
THE GRØNMARK BLOG
Cool Cat Wild!
Just Leave Us Alone!
The brilliance of Peter Biskind's "Seeing Is Believing" and the classic right-wing 1996 Mel Gibson film "Ransom"
One of the most exciting books about cinema I've ever read is Seeing Is Believing: How Hollywood Taught Us to Stop Worrying and Love the Fifties, left-wing film historian Peter Biskind's 1983 study of the political attitudes underlying 1950s American movies. It's worth reading for the first chapter alone. In it, Biskind dissects Sidney Lumet's claustrophobic 1957 drama, 12 Angry Men, in which a New York jury tries to reach a verdict on a young Hispanic accused of murdering his fodder (sorry - his father). At first, they're all for frying the little bastard, but, gradually, the achingly rational architect Henry Fonda - the representative of the corporate-liberal state - convinces the others that the little bastard is innocent...
He does this by isolating the left and right-wing, middle and working-class extremist "indignants" (think Corbynites and UKIP supporters), hammering away at them until their own prejudices and psychological flaws are exposed: only when these angry malcontents repent by voting for an acquittal are they welcomed back into the warm, fuzzy, consensus-driven, centrist fold (think Blairites and Conservatives Wets).
The teacher played by Glenn Ford in the earlier inner-city school drama, Blackboard Jungle (which memorably opens with Rock Around the Clock blasting on the soundtrack) employs the same tactics to quell the hoodlum element in his class: Teach's attempts to isolate the most disruptive thug succeed when - in front of the whole class - he traps the punk into making a racist remark, thus ensuring that the thug's main ally, played by Sidney Poitier, changes sides and becomes Ford's main ally instead. Blackboard Jungle also shows the futility of smothering criminals with kindness (bleeding-heart liberalism) or hard-hearted discipline (conservative authoritarianism).
While I certainly don't accept all of Biskind's assertions, and while, like critics trying to explain modern art to the great unwashed, he often sees things that aren't really there (e.g. an anti-feminist subtext in a film about giant ants threatening Los Angeles), every page contains insights that have enriched my understanding and enjoyment of the films discussed when I've watched them again. The book is currently available on Kindle for £10.04.
Surprisingly, one of the films Biskind doesn't mention is the stonkingly right-wing, "man's gotta do", anti-consensus Ransom! (1955), starring Glenn Ford as a businessman who refuses to pay the ransom demand when his son is kidnapped. It was remade by Ron Howard in 1996 (without the exclamation mark). I've already written about it on this blog, but I've rewritten that article for the next issue of The Salisbury Review:
Ransom, 1996, directed by Ron Howard, starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise
The 1996 film Ransom may not be the best right-wing film ever made, but it is one of the most right-wing films to come out of Hollywood since the 1950s. If it hadn't been directed by Ron Howard and hadn't starred Mel Gibson – both of whom were flying high at the time – I somehow doubt that it would have received the necessary funding from executives in one of the world's most left-liberal industries.
The plot is simple enough. A New York-based airline owner's young son is kidnapped and a ransom demand is duly received. The FBI is called in. When the father, played by Gibson (in blistering form), follows their advice and tries to pay the ransom, he realises that the kidnappers have no intention of releasing his son. When another ransom demand is made, Gibson, on his way to the drop point with a suitcase stuffed with $2 million, changes his mind. He drives straight to the nearest Fox affiliate TV station and addresses the kidnappers directly on live TV. In a speech that will have had right-wingers roaring in approval, he lays all the money out in front of him, and then delivers the following message:
"Two million dollars in unmarked bills, just like you wanted. But this is as close as you'll ever get to it. You'll never see one dollar of this money, because no ransom will ever be paid for my son. Not one dime, not one penny. Instead, I'm offering this money as a reward on your head. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. So congratulations, you've just become a two million dollar lottery ticket... except the odds are much, much better. Do you know anyone that wouldn't turn you in for two million dollars? I don't think you do."
Gibson suggests that the kidnapper releases his son at once, and then does his best to disappear:
"You still have a chance to do the right thing. If you don't, well, then, God be with you, because nobody else on this Earth will be."
As he packs his money away following the broadcast, Gibson becomes aware of the disgusted, accusing stares of the TV production team. Outside, an angry crowd shouts insults as he leaves the studio. His wife is appalled by what he's done, as are the members of the FBI team working on the case. The whole world is against him. But he's right and they're wrong.
What makes this such a quintessentially right-wing film? First, the hero is a rich businessman without any discernible humanitarian urges, and with a distinctly dodgy commercial past – he's been involved in criminal deals and has been investigated for corruption. There are no rich businessmen heroes in liberal films – unless they've seen the progressivist light and are now determined to make the world a better (i.e. more left-wing) place.
Second, it's society's agents who are in the wrong here – to such an extent that the main kidnapper turns out to be a serving NYPD detective (a brilliantly malevolent performance by the conservative actor, Gary Sinise). The message is clear: don't trust experts. Left-wingers display an almost religious reverence for experts, especially those appointed by the state. Gibson decides to ignore the corporate "wisdom" of wider society - especially its enthusiasm for compromising with evil - and instead relies on his own street-fighter's brains, guts and instincts. A man's gotta do, etc.
Third, the hero uses his ill-gotten gains to defeat his chief enemy by appealing to the greed of the other members of the gang. He doesn't try to appeal to the criminals' better nature, because he knows they don't possess one: they're unredeemable scum. And because the kidnapping is essentially a criminal business deal, Gibson feels he's better able to conclude it successfully than the earnest, well-meaning, touchy-feely government experts who are supposedly helping him to recover his son. In a telling exchange, the lead FBI agent tells Gibson, "Tom, you've got to play the odds, man. I've been doing this for eighteen years, and if I were a betting man, I would bet on the people who pay every time, out of the gate." To which Gibson replies, "Did you bet on the ones where you got back a corpse?"
Ransom was a remake of the 1955 film, Ransom!, which benefitted from the typically glum intensity brought to the role of the businessman father by the staunchly Republican actor, Glenn Ford. If anything, Ransom! is even more of a hymn to right-wing, don't-rely-on-the-state, stand-on-your-own-two-feet individualism than its successor. It's left to the frazzled Chief of Police to expose the namby-pamby gutlessness of the centrist, corporatist state: "How long do you think I'd hold my job in this community if I went around doing what I thought was right…What do you want, Charlie, a criminal code with guts?... This is the USA, for Pete's sake – we're a very humane people."
Ransom was the sixth most successful American box office film in 1996. Right-wing films tend to perform well commercially. Hollywood should make more of them.
Labels: Books, Cinema, Political Thought
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Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy by Jonah Goldberg
RocknRoll by David Stephens - 1000 pages of R&R record reviews
London Rocks by David Stephens - London American record label releases reviewed
Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965
Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, The 21st Century Edition by Bill Warren
The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics by Salena Zito
Majestic Hollywood: The Greatest Films of 1939 by Mark A. Vieira
The Film Encyclopedia 7th Edition: The Complete Guide to Film and the Film Industry by by Ephraim Katz, Ronald Dean Nolen
Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios by Roben Jones
POEM ONE
"Thou art indeed just, Lord, if I contend"
Thou art indeed just, Lord, if I contend
With thee; but, sir, so what I plead is just.
Why do sinners' ways prosper? and why must
Disappointment all I endeavour end?
Wert thou my enemy, O thou my friend,
How wouldst thou worse, I wonder, than thou dost
Defeat, thwart me? Oh, the sots and thralls of lust
Do in spare hours more thrive than I that spend,
Sir, life upon thy cause. See, banks and brakes
Now, leavèd how thick! lacèd they are again
With fretty chervil, look, and fresh wind shakes
Them; birds build – but not I build; no, but strain,
Time's eunuch, and not breed one work that wakes.
Mine, O thou lord of life, send my roots rain.
POEM TWO
"The Good, Great Man"
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"How seldom, friend! a good great man inherits
Honour or wealth with all his worth and pains!
It sounds like stories from the land of spirits
If any man obtain that which he merits
Or any merit that which he obtains."
REPLY TO THE ABOVE
For shame, dear friend, renounce this canting strain!
What would'st thou have a good great man obtain?
Place? titles? salary? a gilded chain?
Or throne of corses which his sword had slain?
Greatness and goodness are not means, but ends!
Hath he not always treasures, always friends,
The good great man? three treasures, LOVE, and LIGHT,
And CALM THOUGHTS, regular as infant's breath:
And three firm friends, more sure than day and night,
HIMSELF, his MAKER, and the ANGEL DEATH!


The UC Davis Entertainment Council books bands and entertainers from all over the country to perform live shows on campus and downtown. Campus Cinema, a subsidiary of Entertainment Council, organizes movie screenings and previews on campus. If you are interested in volunteering, booking your band on campus, or sponsoring an EC event, please send us an email.
For more information on upcoming concerts, movie screenings, dance parties, and volunteer opportunities, please visit EC's Facebook, Twitter, and website.


Whether you have a layover, overnight sleepover or you are just quickly passing through, our Erbil Airport Guide is a great place to start planning your visit. Here, you'll find information on services and facilities available inside the airport – including details about airport lounges, WiFi, mobile charging points, lockers, 24-hour food options, nearby hotels, and everything in between.
To help you plan your layover or overnight sleepover, here is a quick run-down about what to expect during your time at Erbil Airport.
Erbil Airport has a recently-built, modern terminal for commercial flights to and from the Middle East and Europe. Security and check-in queues may be slow, so arrive early for peace of mind. Facilities include a few shops and eateries, all of which are open 24 hours. For added comfort while you wait, economy class passengers can pay to enter an airport lounge. See Airport Lounges in the airport guide below for location and access information.
To see more options there is a list of hotels near Erbil Airport on Tripadvisor that can be sorted by price, distance, traveller rating and popularity.
Baby Care Facilities – Facilities are available and accessible 24 hours a day.
Currency Exchange – Foreign currency services are available 24 hours.
Duty Free & Shopping – Duty Free shopping is available 24 hours.
Food & Drinks – Food concessions are open 24 hours.
Prayer Room – A room for prayer is open 24 hours.
As of November 2018, Erbil airport is served by the following airlines: Air Arabia • Air Olympic • Al Arabia Jordan • Al Naser Airlines • Armenia Air Company • Atlasglobal • Austrian Air • Azerbaijan Airlines • Bora Jet • Blue Air • Caspian Airlines • Cham Wings • Cyprus Air • Egypt Air • Emirates • Etihad • Fly Baghdad • Fly Dubai • Fly Erbil • Fly Georgia • Fly Miran • Fly Olympic • Flynas • Germania • Gulf Air • Iraqi Airlines • Lufthansa • Mahan Air • Middle East Airlines • Pegasus Airlines • Petra Airlines • Qatar • Royal Falcon Airlines • Royal Jordanian Air • Saudi Air • Starlight Airlines • Start Airlines • Transavia • TunisAir • Turkish Airlines • Zagrosjet.
Taxis are available for hire 24 hours a day just outside of the terminal or at the taxi reservation center. At the time of this update, the average one-way fare from the airport to the city center is about US$ 25. Payment is by cash only. Important note: All vehicles travelling to the airport are required to stop at a security checkpoint for a baggage search before reaching the airport. You will be required to exit the vehicle, but will be allowed to re-enter the taxi after the search is conducted.