text:
In Memoriam: Jean Simmons, 1929-2010
In the Siren's mind, there is a triangle of aristocratic mid-century actresses, one that goes Europe-America-Britain — Hepburn, Kelly, Simmons. Jean Simmons, who has died in California, age 80, is the apex. Alas for the Hollywood in my head, Simmons isn't a household name like the other two. But her filmography is packed with layered and intelligent performances as well as darkly ambiguous characters the likes of which the other two ladies, great as they were, never dared.
Simmons began as a child actress, an excellent one. The Siren hasn't seen much of her juvenile work but like everyone else she's seen Great Expectations, and Simmons was fine as the young Estella, wounding and luring young Pip. In Black Narcissus her body makeup was the one false note in the masterpiece, but as the sensual, predatory serving girl Simmons put it all into her movements and snake-charmer eyes. In Hamlet, James Agee said she was "the only person in the picture who gives every one of her lines the bloom of poetry and the immediacy of ordinary life." She earned an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress, and Hollywood was interested, but she was still under contract in Britain and continued to make films there.
She made the 1949 version of The Blue Lagoon and if the Siren's memory is to be trusted, that one was no less silly than the remake, although Simmons worked valiantly. Much better was the beloved So Long at the Fair, a mystery-romance centered on the old legend of a disappearance at the Paris Exposition of 1889. There are many reasons to cherish this atmospheric, dreamy movie. For one thing, the sinister Parisians who take turns gaslighting poor Vicky (Simmons) fit neatly with the perception one can get of customer service in that city. But more credit goes to Simmons, who displayed her signature ability to yank a damsel-in-distress role out of mothballs and make the girl seem courageous, intelligent and worth saving.
Simmons had her own distress in the early years of adult success. There was her romance with Stewart Granger, who left his wife for her in 1950, causing anxiety for Simmons and her employers in those sterner times. She weathered the Granger publicity, then endured a long series of contract disputes that held up her career and occasionally forced her into parts she didn't want. Rank, the studio that had the actress under contract, averted their eyes as Hollywood beckoned, casting Simmons in pictures that did well at the box office, if not always with critics. (But the Siren loves most of her work from this era, including Uncle Silas, The Clouded Yellow and Cage of Gold.) Finally, as Granger prepared to go to MGM, Simmons was permitted to go with him as Rank loaned her to RKO for Androcles and the Lion.
The Siren thinks she's charming as Lavinia, but the movie must have been a bad memory for Simmons. The filming dragged on and on, she couldn't take any of the offers pouring in, and then Rank sold her contract to RKO with just six months left to go. RKO, then being run into the ground by Howard Hughes, claimed she made an oral agreement to stay on. Simmons said she did no such thing, and indeed it seems unlikely as Hughes made his sexual interest in the newlywed vulgarly obvious. She was so miserable that in his memoirs Granger claimed the couple discussed the advisability of pushing Hughes off the cliff near their home. Instead, she agreed to do three more films and in a fortunate move for everyone, not least Simmons' fans, she made Angel Face.
Robert Mitchum biographer Lee Server says Hughes hired Otto Preminger to direct the movie in hopes of making the leading lady's life as difficult as possible: "I'm going to get even with that little bitch," quoth the ever-gallant Hughes. Preminger was often brutal to his actors for the sheer hell of it. Given explicit encouragement by a studio boss he "absolutely, totally destroyed me," Simmons said later. But she was no fragile Jean Seberg, thank goodness; when Hughes made one too many demands about her hairstyle she cut it all off and had to wear a wig during filming. A scene where Mitchum slapped Simmons resulted in the legendary moment when, after Preminger had done take after take, Simmons bearing each blow until her eyes watered from the pain, Mitchum turned around and slapped the director instead. But oh, the film they made. Simmons is magnificent, an evil, father-obsessed, psychopathic beauty to place beside and even eclipse Gene Tierney's similar turn in Leave Her to Heaven. Simmons, so often cast as a schoolteacher or a missionary, takes her Black Narcissus sexiness and turns it full force on Mitchum's chauffeur. Their erotic chemistry is as potent as any in film noir.
Hughes continued to be a putz, refusing to loan Simmons out for Roman Holiday. The RKO dispute landed in court and Simmons eventually won a qualified victory and the ability to work at other studios. At MGM she made Young Bess, a movie notable mostly for Charles Laughton's return to his Henry VIII role (his scene with Simmons is the best in the movie) and for her fiery, willful Elizabeth, a girl you can easily see growing up to defeat an Armada. She made another film at RKO and then it was back to MGM to play The Actress, a role intended for Debbie Reynolds, who might have been pleasant, I suppose. Under George Cukor's direction, Simmons turned it into the definitive portrait of stagestruck youth. Part of Simmons' talent is that she never tries to signal the audience that she sees a character's flaws — she plays foolishness straight up. She takes the girl beyond the acting bug into a place for all adolescent dreaming. It is one of Cukor's best films and the Siren's favorite Simmons role. But the movie did poorly, and David Shipman notes the ironic contrast with her next vehicle, in a verdict the Siren agrees with; "she was wan as the heroine of The Robe with Richard Burton, a tremendous success...[but] a rotten version of a rotten novel by Lloyd C. Douglas."
The 1950s were Simmons' years at the top, as she was cast in big-budget fare like Desiree and The Egyptian. Neither was very good, though the Siren gets plenty of pleasure from both. The Siren has little use for what Samuel Goldwyn and Joseph Mankiewicz did to Guys and Dolls, but no less an authority than Steven Sondheim called Jean's joyous dance in Havana "a high point of the picture." (In the 1970s, Simmons toured as Desiree in A Little Night Music and originated the role in London; she's said to have been terrific.) The Siren does think Simmons is swell in a somewhat anemic, but enjoyable women's picture, Until They Sail, about sisters in New Zealand experiencing World War II chiefly as man trouble.
Just after that, Simmons made The Big Country with William Wyler, who thought highly of her talent although he annoyed her as much as he did any other actor. The Siren cares not what others say of this movie, when she hears that music she sits and watches it all over again, yep, all three hours. Simmons, as she often did, had the hardest character of the lot, a well-bred orphan meant to be a battleground as vital as the movie's Big Muddy watering hole. Instead she breathes such intelligence that certain less-plausible ideas, like courtly treatment from Burl Ives' otherwise ruthless rancher, cause nary a flicker of disbelief. Of course he would defend this woman. Such is her radiant dignity, he might even lumber off his horse and bow. (He doesn't, but he could have.)
The marriage with Stewart Granger began to fail, as marriage with Stewart Granger must, and Simmons made Elmer Gantry with Richard Brooks, who became her second husband. It was one of the finest roles of her career, an evangelist doomed by belief in her own cant. Simmons is remarkably free of any condescension to Sister Sharon, her conflicts or her beliefs. There haven't been many performances like it since, as we live now in an age where we see a preacher address thousands and just assume there must be a Jim Bakker backstory somewhere. Incredibly, Simmons did not get an Oscar nomination though her work was as great as that of Burt Lancaster, who won.
She was professional as always in Spartacus, but while the movie is good and has acquired a devoted following, the Siren thinks Simmons' part isn't particularly interesting. She gets a couple of chances to shine near the end, however. Her kiss for Laughton is so loving you feel his reaction may not be acting at all, and the moment where she sees Spartacus dying, and the camera stays and stays on her face, is the most heartbreaking in the movie.
Shipman says that around this time, "to protect this marriage and to bring up her children," (she had one from each marriage) "she began to refuse work." Simmons is darling in The Grass Is Greener, her giddy Mitford-esque flirt out-shining onetime Granger love Deborah Kerr. She was great again as the mother in All the Way Home, a beautiful movie based on Agee's A Death in the Family that had an equally fine Robert Preston. But the downbeat story was a flop.
As the 1960s hurtled on, Simmons found her offers getting fewer and less interesting, as they do for most actresses with the nerve to get older. Her beauty was striking to the end, but what does that ever matter in Hollywood? The Siren hasn't seen much of her work past about 1967, including her Oscar-nominated role in Brooks' The Happy Ending. The Siren did see her in The Thorn Birds; she was lovely. Simmons was always lovely, even in silly fare like North and South where her presence was like using a Stradivarius to play "Oops, I Did It Again."
Joseph Mankiewicz called her "a fantastically talented and enormously underestimated girl. In terms of talent she is so many head and shoulders above most of her contemporaries, one wonders why she didn't become the great star she could have been." He went on to theorize, "It doesn't matter to her much." The Siren isn't so sure; stardom means good parts, and those mattered a great deal to Simmons, enough to keep her working nearly her entire life. "Maybe it doesn't help to have been so good so young," said Shipman. Well, Simmons deserved better from the movie business, as did so many actresses. But the Siren, a Jean Simmons admirer now and always, got much indeed from her.
(Please note: the beautiful picture at the bottom is copyright-held by the gentleman we know as Yojimboen. He took it himself, the lucky devil.)
Posted by The Siren at 2:09 PM
Labels: Charles Laughton, Gene Tierney, George Cukor, in memoriam, Jean Simmons, William Wyler
Terence Towles Canote said...
Jean Simons was so extremely talented. While she was hardly young, it is still hard to lose one whose star shone as bright as hers.
I can't single just one performances: to me she was so good everywhere, and so gorgeous.
Still, among her fine roles, I love her in "Guys and Dolls"... never a prude got drunk so well: it makes me think what a great Major Barbara she might have been (anyone around here knows if she played the role onstage?).
And of course, I also love Varinia's parting kiss to Gracchus! If more respectful of Howard Fast's original novel, Laughton and Simmons' scene should have been much longer, but I have to say that the scene, as filmed, sums up their relationship in the novel beautifully and effectively
Mary Hess said...
Wonderful. No one could deliver a line as crisply and beautifully as she did. This is a worthy tribute. I completely agree with you about Gantry -- that scene with her in the milkmaid getup is straight out of Aimee Semple McPherson's act, and she even got her delivery just right - that slightly sing-song quality. And I was crazy about Desiree and Young Bess, guilty pleasures that they are. And anything else she did. Goodbye, angel face.
Mary Hess
Chère Madame Sirène, I am overwhelmed with pride and humility that the photo is published – for the first time anywhere – on these pages.
"The marriage with Stewart Granger began to fail, as marriage with Stewart Granger must..."
Please explain the crack at Granger, Siren. Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with him.
Y., I only wish I had published it on a happier occasion! I love the picture. I may banner it. In fact I believe I will, if it's okay with you.
Tony, I love Granger but his memoirs are full of his unapologetic, full-throttle womanizing, so that is the only reason for the joke, which I hope isn't too waspish. As I recall (it's been a while) he didn't much blame Simmons for eventually saying "ta ta" and called her the most professional actress he ever worked with.
Gloria, don't you love the Young Bess scene too?
Mary, I always say I have no guilty pleasures but Desiree comes close.
Mercurie, I agree, I took it hard despite her age.
Why, of course I love it, she hands at the hips mimicking him... Chip of the old block!
Lovely work Siren. I'm in Sondheim's corner (when am I not?) on Simmons in Guys and Dolls.
I saw the original on Broadway in 1951. I was four but rememebr ever nanosecond of it. In fact I must say that when Stubby Kaye stood up to sing "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" (the greatest 11 O'Clock number until "Rose's Tunr" in Gypsy) my life began.
Do endeavor to see The Happy Ending. It's a wonderfully rueful anti-romance about a marriage gone sour in middle-age. Jean leaves stuffy hubster Joh Forsythe and takes off to Bermuda where she parties with pal Shirley Jones and meets a gigolo played by an actor who at this point in his brief but brilliant career billed himself as "Robert Darin."
Michel wrote the score which is highlighted by one of his great4est songs "What Are You Doing the Res of Your Life?"
I'm obliged to say "spilers" but I must mention the film's unusual end. Returning to home base again Jean asks John "If you ahd to do it all over again would you marry me?" And at that exact point the film runs out of the projector and the house lights go up.
No"The End." No end credits roll. Just this quesntion.
Brooks was quite a character. I was writing for the "Los Angeles Herald-Examiner" when the paper was breathing its last. Brooks, who liked our lively little rag, came by and had a spoecial screenign for us all of his great Deadline USA. At the party afterwards I spoke with him at length about this and that. Suddenly he voluenteered to me that it was his fault that his marriage to Jean failed and he would do anything to get her back.
This is the first time I've mentioned this to anyone.
And "If I were a bell. . ."
great tribute.
David, it seems that I am the only one in the whole dang film blogosphere who does not care for Guys and Dolls as a whole, though Simmons is very good and nothing can dim the luster of that glorious score, Stubby Kaye or Vivian Blaine. My problem is with the terrible casting of Sinatra, who would have been a perfect Skye, and Brando, who just didn't belong in the movie. And to me the abstract sets don't work and while you know I admire him overall, Mankiewicz just didn't have much musicality as a director. I would give a great deal to have been able to see the original on Broadway, though.
What a story about Brooks. You have me determined to see Happy Ending although I skipped the spoilers and will come back to them when I do!
There are so many Simmons films I have yet to see - first and foremost being Angel Face. Everything I have seen her in I have liked her performance therein - including the miscast and imperfect but still quite engaging Guys & Dolls (of course Sinatra should have been Sky Masterson, though I must politely disagree and say the set design is one of my favourite parts of the film).
Sinatra thought he should have been SKe too. And to prove it he made an album right before the film came out of all the key songs in the score that he would have sung had he played the part.
We're at logger heads over that Oliver Smith set, Siren. I really love it. Speaking as a native New orker I found it perfectly abstracted the Times Square I grew up with in the 0's -- which alas is no more.
Siren says: I love Granger but his memoirs are full of his unapologetic, full-throttle womanizing... he didn't much blame Simmons for eventually saying "ta ta"...
DavidEhrenstein says: ...it was [Brooks'] fault that his marriage to Jean failed and he would do anything to get her back.
A quote attributed to satirist Clive James in Richard Brooks' Wikipedia entry (which one should always, of course, take with a grain of salt), "[Hugh] Hefner's estate teemed with voluptuous young women and the dining-room where free hamburgers were available 24 hours a day was impressively populated with Hollywood male notables. But it was sadly apparent that most of them were superannuated lechers. The film director Richard Brooks was typical. He hadn't directed a film in decades and one of the reasons was that he had been here, chomping the free hamburgers, while he eyed the women. He was in Hef's hamburger heaven, sizing up the poontang on his way to a final resting place in Hillside Memorial Park."
David & Kevyn - I know Smith's work and the sets look great, it's just that they don't integrate with action, in my humble view; instead they add to the off-kilter feel of the whole thing for me. Like I said, I'm apparently unique. And kind of surprised by the movie's legions of fans! Who knew?
Tony, oh my, that Brooks quote is MUCH worse than my little Granger aside! He was talented and I hope it isn't true...or at least it's exaggerated.
On the subject of Brando being mis-cast as Skye Masterson--I loves me some pre-corpulent Marlon Brando. I could watch his pudgy hand (complete with straining pinky ring) holding Jean Simmon's face forever. (Though I do not believe for a minute that their marriage has any hope of ending happily.)
Also, I just love her lips--they are the window to her soul. Jean Simmons was in turns sexy and vulnerable and lady-like...and her lips do all of it.
Finally, Angel Face! That's the problem with you Siren. My Netflix queue is growing and growing...
Keira, I confess to getting a charge out of their love scenes as well. And Brando in his heyday was as beautiful a man as ever breathed. He just couldn't sing. At all. And the Siren, on the alert for Hollywood sexism, wonders why poor Ava and Audrey, who actually sounded pretty good singing, got dubbed while Brando's tuneless wanderings remain. At least Jean got to sing her own songs!
"The film director Richard Brooks was typical. He hadn't directed a film in decades…"
Brooks directed his last film seven years before his death in 1992. I'm not sure how that adds up to "decades". I respectfully submit we take Mr. James's entry with a ladle full of salt.
I'll stay out of the crossfire from the Guys and the Dolls, don't wanna end up a mushroom. I like it for parts, but not whole, tho.
I loved Ms. Simmons for all her "little" films, the curiosities, like "The Clouded Yellow", which I watched initially for Trevor Howard, and Jean turned out to be the icing; "Uncle Silas", a grand Le Fanu film that had plenty of the dark soul in his work, much of this provided by Katina Paxinou, BTW, and Jean was perfect as a plucky heroine in it; "Cage of Gold" where she was at possibly her most strikingly lovely, much more than the film can ever hope to live up too, but she hauls it up anyway; "Home Before Dark", where her ability to convey intelligence and inner strength is remarkable - a little seen gem; "Footseps in the Fog", where she is as duplicitous and evil as possible, amazingly so, and of course, "So Long at the Fair", a great little thriller. She had one helluva a career, and I see in her last film, from 2009, she played a woman who has unexpected depths, the kind of character she'd been playing all her life.
Uncle Silas is one of my favorite Victorian novels and I would love to see Simmons in it. So Vanwall, you've seen my entire wishlist!
It's all about timing, and good luck with it, Siren, it shouldn't be too difficult now - I think all of those have been on TV in the last coupla years - it took me forty-some years, but it was a good hunt.
David, that's very sad that Brooks wanted her back and thought he'd screwed it up; she herself blamed her drinking.
I'd love to see this last movie, "Shadows in the Sun," and also "Home Before Dark," which seems to have disappeared.
One of her friends told a reporter that in the last few years Simmons liked to stay in and watch her own movies on television, over and over, which is sweet and a little sad, too.
I actually tried for a while to get several people at various institutions interested in doing a Simmons film festival and inviting her, but that didn't work out, alas. She did such fine work and she didn't get the parts she deserved, especially after 1965 or so. Lord, there's so few Old Hollywood people left now.
I have enough Guys and Dolls love for the both of us, Siren. For all the performances and for the sets, too.
I remember when I first saw So Long at the Fair, Robert Osborne said in his intro that Simmons was being pitched by the UK studio execs as the new Elizabeth Taylor. I tend to be suspicious of "The New ____" but when you see Simmons in her early rows she is so luminously beautiful that you can see where the studio was coming from. She and Bogarde make an exquisite couple in that film, which only adds to its haunting surreal qualities.
She was a fine spirited actress with a mellifluous voice, and I was terribly sorry to hear of her passing.
Oh Dan, your tribute is beautiful. It brought tears to my eyes. Here is the link, everyone.
Mapeel said...
Don't forget her guest appearance on Murder She Wrote. She looked terrific, and it was just great to see her with Angela Lansbury.
I always wondered if her career suffered because she looks so much like Vivien Leigh, it undercut her being seen as her own individual talent.
MA Peel, I love Murder She Wrote and I never saw that one! She did look like Vivien Leigh from certain angles, and also Elizabeth Taylor sometimes as Karen says, and to me she also resembles Audrey Hepburn at times. I don't think that undercut her career, though; I think it was more that twice when she had the chance to capitalize on burgeoning success, when she first came to Hollywood and then later after Elmer Gantry and Spartacus, circumstances intervened. It is sad, she was only in her thirties when her career began to peter out. But it seems that a lot of actresses have the same fate.
Arthur S. said...
In Chris Fujiwara's recent biography of Otto Preminger, he notes that Preminger disapproved of her lack of interest in the film and hence why he pushed her. He stopped of course until Mitchum stepped in. It wasn't a film that Preminger wanted to do either though he did his level best to make it the masterpiece that it is so it was bad blood all around. For me, Angel Face is one of the most modern of Hollywood films noir, goes way beyond the easy fatalism of most of the films and Jean Simmons' performance is a rare instance where actresses got to play a genuinely complex character with no explanations and allowances are given. That extended scene where walks in her empty house is haunting.
Her career is fantastic, not many famous films but great films. And she and Brando make one of the hippest couples in cinema history in Guys and Dolls.
Speaking personally as an Indian(though someone not a native to Northern India), her role in Black Narcissus never bothered me at all. The film is an exoticized subjective landscape, essentially an image of the other of the civilized and civilizing mission of the nuns. Some would argue against such a representation on general principles but it strikes me as more honest than what Powell called the usual Korda epic, "half shot in India, half shot in England, neither very good" which is also leagues ahead of the phony colonialist apologia that's all over Gandhi
Arthur, her role in Black Narcissus and the way she plays it never bothered me either, for all the reasons you state. The body makeup does, though it's a small quibble and easy enough to ignore when you focus on those eyes of hers.
Preminger made some fine films, and I would count Angel Face as one of the best. But I would not have wanted to act in one of them. Do follow the link to Dan's place, where he has interesting analysis of Angel Face and a story about Simmons discussing it late in her life; apparently Simmons never did think much of the film and was surprised when others did.
Wonderful post! Jean Simmons is one of my very actresses.
My own memory of The Happy Ending isn't as positive as others. I mostly want to re-see it just to see downtown Denver as it was almost 40 years ago.
I did like Divorce American Style, where Simmons and Jason Robards outshined stars Debbie Reynolds and Dick Van Dyke (no surprise there).
Preminger only yelled at some of his actors. Like on The Cardinal he submitted Tom Tryon to what Fujiwara describes as "A Season in Hell" but was totally charming with Romy Schneider and John Huston. You get the impression from reading Fujiwara's book that Preminger had a kind of Artaudian style of direction, he was trained as an actor himself and people who witnessed his rages noted that he went into a kind of altered state in his rages, his face would go red and his eyes would become scary.
Not that I want to lessen Jean Simmons bad experiences. I certainly won't go so far as Richard Brody's ridiculous defense of Howard Hughes' behaviour as producer in his tribute in New Yorker,
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2010/01/in-memoriam-jean-simmons.html
The reason ''Angel Face'' is as good as it is that Hughes left Preminger alone during production. The same reason why ''The Lusty Men'' by Ray is so interesting. These exceptions don't excuse Hughes' raping of RKO studios and certainly not for ruining the structure of Ray's ''On Dangerous Ground''
I saw her once on a corner of Fifth Avenue a few blocks away from the Plaza in the 1970s. She was standing with two men, one of whom I realized later was Richard Brooks who should be remembered for many things, not the least of which was writing the book that became the great anti-prejudice movie "Crossfire."
I thanked her for her work and received a word and a smile in return. I kept walking, my usual procedure in such circumstances. She was beautiful, of course, and had a face that was lived in by then, a few wrinkles and laugh lines. It enhanced her beauty.
One of her recurring TV roles was as a queen of some mythical country who liked to play poker with The Odd Couple. Reportedly, she had a lot of fun with the role.
The Derelict said...
Siren, great post.
I'm so happy you mentioned "The Grass is Greener"! I've always been fond of that movie and Jean Simmons's performance is the main reason (also, what a cast!). I haven't seen the movie in years, but just thinking about her flirting with everything in sight in that movie brings a huge smile to my face.
Juanita's Journal said...
The Siren did see her in The Thorn Birds; she was lovely. Simmons was always lovely, even in silly fare like North and South where her presence was like using a Stradivarius to play "Oops, I Did It Again."
I liked NORTH AND SOUTH . . . even if it was overwrought at times. Like GONE WITH THE WIND. As for THE THORN BIRDS, Simmons won an Emmy Award for her performance. I've always considered Fiona Cleary as one of her more interesting and complex roles.
"Sinatra thought he should have been SKe too. And to prove it he made an album right before the film came out of all the key songs in the score that he would have sung had he played the part."
I have to be honest. I've never been a fan of Sinatra's version of "Luck Be a Lady". He may have been ten times a better singer than Brando, but there is something about the latter's version of the song that really appealed to me. Maybe it was the attitude.
Also, Brando and Simmons were sexy in that movie. I don't know if I could have felt the same about Sinatra and Simmons.
Arthur, when Hughes produced a good movie, as far as I can tell it was in spite of his contributions, not because of them. He has zero fascination for me and when I reach the part in (too many) actress bios where the woman starts dating him I engage in many deep sighs and long sessions looking around the room.
Preminger is a different matter, as no matter what he was like personally (and he was certainly much, much more than a bad temper) he was also talented, although I am not as a big a fan as you are, I suspect. It's true, according to people like Michael Caine and Henry Fonda, Preminger tended to pick out one or two in the cast and just go after that person day in, day out. John Ford did the same thing but Ford often picked on his big stars, like Wayne. With Preminger it was seldom a powerful star, more often someone relatively green. The trouble with saying that he didn't pick on everyone is first, he was also known for yelling at the crew; and second, it is still most unpleasant to see someone being abused. And there is a personal element to having your acting trashed that is uniquely humiliating. (I speak from experience.) That said, Fonda remarked in Otto's defense that if you weren't on Preminger's blacklist he could be very good at working with you, giving sensitive, good directions.
It's interesting that Preminger has come down to us as a byword for a difficult director, when John Ford, who seems to have been equally unpleasant at times, hasn't as much. I personally think that Preminger's being German makes him fit the image more than an Irishman.
Gmoke, I love that story! I never seem to see anyone interesting in NYC and when I do (Leo di Caprio, Rod Stewart) they're just walking.
Derelict, isn't The Grass Is Greener cute? It is a near miss overall in my view but Simmons is a hoot, and it's a nice departure for her too.
Juanita, I saw Thorn Birds in its initial run, ditto North and South. Even back then I was watching for the old stars; I liked Stanwyck and Simmons but thought the script wasn't much. And North and South -- well, to me it was overwrought at all times but I did think Swayze was very cute, may he rest in peace.
It is true, I don't necessarily see Sinatra and Simmons melding well but then you never know with Sinatra. He can have great chemistry with someone you don't expect and lousy chemistry with someone red-hot.
Peter, I lost you up there. Divorce American Style was always low on my to-see list because that particular kind of 60s movie often doesn't work well for me; but if I encounter it I will watch on your say-so.
I personally never found Ford's image as a crusty director to be especially foreboding. But then I wasn't there. I'm sure if I was cast in a Preminger film, I'd get the third degree. Preminger according to most of his collaborators, only yelled when he saw incompetence because he was strict in maintaining control and pace of production.
One big star he rubbed the wrong way was Laurence Olivier, when they made Bunny Lake is Missing, one of Olivier's finest roles. Carol Lynley initially got the impression that Preminger was made with her after Otto he halted a take and ran out of the set in fear. Otto called her back and assured her that he was trying to get rid of Olivier's theatrical baggage(Olivier always had a problem transitioning between theatrical and film modes, it was never on and off with him). Olivier noted that the experience nearly made him lose his love for Preminger's Carmen Jones which he was very taken with.
Another rare occassion when Otto remained cool was The Man With The Golden Arm where Kim Novak's inexperience was delaying the production. But Sinatra's cool and patient mentoring kept Novak in check and Otto accepted that and didn't yell or do anything.
Chris Fujiwara's recent biography clarifies a lot of the Otto myths while never falsifying the realities and it's also a great book for why Preminger is such a great film-maker. He was a real pathbreaker. The only film-maker of the Golden Age who took on censorship directly and consistently and won and lived to make films.
lylee said...
I knew we'd get a great tribute from you! My dad had a thing for Jean Simmons, and I can't say I blame him. (My mom didn't, either.) She was luminous.
And thanks, as always, for the nod to the severely underrated "The Big Country" (and its music)!
Many, many posts back I expressed a mild demurral at the suggestion that Jack Cardiff's cinematography in Black Narcissus should cause Delacroix to chew off his arm in envy. The image of Miss Simmons as Kanchi has caused me to reconsider.
And now Yojimboen gives cause for Walker Evans to poke his (own) eye out.
First Brugh, now F. Granger/S. Granger. This too shall pass.
It's a great picture, isn't it? I feel very privileged to be the Exclusive Source on the Web. Maybe Yojimboen has some other pictures he's hiding--the divine Danielle, perhaps? (I'm dreaming, I know.)
I find Stewart Granger dead sexy so I understand his gathering rosebuds while the gathering was good. "Sparks Fly Upward" is a good read; think my copy wound up with a roommate who had a crush on him too. Need to get another. And when I get around to Farley's memoirs it will probably be even better since his gate swung both ways, or so he says.
Siren, I have nothing really against either Granger; S. a little dull/F. somewhat insipid. Several years ago I was strolling along the Bowery with a young woman recently arrived from Russia (We were going to an off off off etc. Bdway show) when we noted a large shoal of roughs gathered outside an establishment providing strong drink. A pretty good shindy was in progress and my companion insisted we watch. I demurred; she insisted. As we sought an opening I caught a glimpse of one of the combatants--bulging veins, frenzied beefy eyes--bellowing "I TELL YOU IT WAS FARLEY GRANGER IN THAT PICTURE!!!"
You had to be there. I'm glad I was.
A lovely wreath, Siren, for Jean Simmons, my one and only Ophelia.
XT, I am laughing so hard my eyes are watering. I think that is my new favorite New York story. Indeed I do wish I had been there.
M X - Did you recognize the film critics involved?
Sounds like Sarris and Rex Reed at it again.
V, I'd like to think that one of them was Bosley Crowther in retirement, but he was long gone.
camorrista said...
Siren, if you can track it down, you might want to take a look at THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT, directed by Robert Wise and released in 1957 (a couple of years before his bloat period began).
Simmons plays a virginal teacher who's hired as a part-time secretary at a downscale New York nightclub (read, strip club). The joint (and, unusually for the era, it actually feels like a joint) is run by Paul Douglas; his second in command is Anthony Franciosa (fresh from Broadway's HATFUL OF RAIN).
The cast also includes the great club singer, Julie Wilson, in one her rare screen appearances; Joan Blondell, and Zasu Pitts.
Charming, sexy romantic comedies were pretty rare in the late Fifties and early Sixties, and this is one of the best--helped enormously by the heat between Simmons & Franciosa.
Camorrista, I was wondering what had become of your mysterious Neapolitan self. Glad my attempt at honoring Ms Simmons smoked you out. I just located Home Before Dark (on Ebay) and now I have another to track down. I watched A Hatful of Rain again recently and was pondering how talented Franciosa was. All this, and Julie Wilson too.
Siren, "attempt" is the wrong word. As Rick says to Victor Laszlo, "We all try--you succeed."
In any event, sorry for the absence. Life, as they say, sometimes intervenes.
My late friend Lawrie worked on Black Narcissus and was enchanted by Jean. It sounds like the feeling was reciprocated. He was never bothered by her body makeup, since he had the job of washing it off in the bath after filming... (Do I believe this? I choose to.)
You must see Uncle Silas, it's a fantastic box of directorial tricks as well as an excellent melodrama, not quite up to a David Lean Dickens adaptation but in a similar ballpark.
Oh, man, I just saw Uncle Silas a couple of months ago. As soon as I saw it was based on a LeFanu novel I knew I was in for a wild ride, but in no way did I expect it to be quite that wild. Just a treat to watch.
I completely agree Siren. I must watch The Big Country. Burl Ives is so over the top, he's brilliant. And if she were anyone else but Carroll Baker, I'd call her a terrible actress. But Baker is a wonderful, shrill nag. Most of all I love the animosity between the two leading men, back in the days when Mr. Heston didn't take himself quite so seriously.
I love This Could Be the Night. It's one of those small movies about New York, made in the 1950s, like The Bachelor Party. I've never seen a Hatful of Rain, darn it.
I'm also partial to Guys and Dolls. I wish it weren't so set-bound, but I enjoy both Jean Simmons and Marlon Brando. Vivian Blaine seems a tad old for the part.
I once saw Stewart Granger interviewed on Canadian television, and he told that story about plotting to throw Hughes off a cliff. But if I remember right, he claimed it was because Hughes was hitting on Jean Simmons.
Last week I saw The Strange One on TCM. Julie Wilson has a small non-singing role in it.
I've been checking your blog since I heard that we'd lost Jean Simmons, knowing that you would come through with a magnificent and moving tribute. Many, many thanks! I can second Vanwall's recommendation to see Clouded Yellow, which is extremely fine. I also wanted to mention the surprise and pleasure that I experienced a few years ago when I saw the dubbed version of Howl's moving castle and heard Jean Simmons' voice, which was perfection itself; it was a brilliant idea--I wonder whose--to cast her.
Uncle Silas was one of the last on my list of little Simmons films, and I, too caught it a couple of months ago. I don't count partial viewings as having seen a film, and Uncle Silas in its entirety was so much better than the small segment of it had seen so long ago, which didn't include much of Katina Paxinou - she's worth the price of admission alone, what an amazing performance.
Siren - Home Before Dark is a great character's development story, and not what you might expect. It's another of Simmons' unexpected depths performances, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. will make you wonder why he was so stiff in so many other films and TV shows. I liked him when that was required, but this'll make you wish he'd not jumped right into 77 Sunset Strip. I hope you'll enjoy it, it's one that should be on a quality DVD release.
"In the Siren's head, there is a triangle of aristocratic mid-century actresses, one that goes Europe-America-Britain--Hepburn, Kelly, Simmons. Jean Simmons, who has died in California, age 80, is the apex."
As the line, I think, goes, you had me from "hello".
Lovely tribute.
I also love "The Actress", where both she and Spencer Tracy do some great work, and I love the dry humor in the script. What bothers me about the movie is what to me seems the way Teresa Wright is chucked into the matron's role at too young an age. That would be fine if it were one interesting character part in one movie, but it seemed to doom her to neurotic matrons and spinsters for the rest of her film career. Thank heaven television came along to give her better roles.
I loved Jean Simmons and was so sad to hear about her passing away. I know someone who just wrote to her a couple months ago and received an autographed photo in return. RIP, pretty lady.
I've only seen her work in great expectations, black narcissus and the thorn birds (still in the midst of hamlet) but in each she is absolutely breathtaking. She becomes each role but doesn't lose her core power, if that makes sense. Such a loss.
Robert Avrech said...
Wonderful tribute. I too have no love for Guys and Dolls. Even Simmons luminous presence can't rescue what, to me, is a poorly refined musical with bad casting, ill conceived wardrobe and flat sets.
Simmons, coming into her own in the 50's and early 60's, just when the American studio system was dying, is one of the few actresses who might have thrived at MGM, where the star making machine was in full throttle.
As a free lancer, Simmons was left with an ill defined image that was never properly sold or exploited to American audiences.
Nevertheless, her work had a profound effect upon me as an aspiring screenwriter and her death has left me profoundly sad.
panavia999 said...
I am glad to find SOMEONE who has seen "Home Before Dark". Nobody has mentioned it on any movie blogs which I follow, so I have been plugging it in comments. Home Before Dark is one of my favorite Simmons movies. HIGHLY recommended. I hope others will get a chance to appreciate this film. Simmons won a New York Critic's award for her performance.
As For Guys and Dolls - I did not like it either. Brando was miscast. He was also miscast as Napoleon in Desiree.
Vertigo's Psycho said...
With her many high-profile films and sparkling talent, I wonder why Simmons wasn't paid tribute to more often in her lifetime. I don't remember much of anything in the way of career retrospectives during the last ten or twenty years. She kept such a low profile that, even though I'm a huge fan of her work, when I attended a 50th anniversary showing of Elmer Gantry last Saturday night and the gentleman hosting the event stated Simmons had died the night before, I thought he must be mistaken, as I was sure she'd passed away many years ago.
I'll throw Home Before Dark out there- have you seen it, Siren? It's at the top of my list of Simmons titles to see, as her work in it gained a Globen Globe nod and, more impressively, a thumbs up from Pauline Kael.
Siren, I loved Simmons' voice in the English dub of Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle--she put great warmth and spirit into that vocal performance, as the older Sophie. Try check it out--with the kids, if you like.
Merle Kessler said...
UNCLE SILAS showed up on TCM a few months back. It was surprisingly good, given the Peter O'Toole tour de force many years back. She brought um spunk to the ingenue role, which surely needed it.
Propagatrix said...
One of Miss Simmons' final projects, 1995's "Daisies in December" is well worth viewing. It shows up on the Hallmark Channel every so often. She's simply magnificent in every way.
Heads up! The Happy Ending is showing on TCM tonight at 12:45 a.m. EST as part of a Simmons tribute (Great Expectations and Gantry precede it).
Siren, I followed your My Son John Scorsese link and he has a review at the site regarding another little-know Simmons gem, 1950's So Long at the Fair. Looks like a good bet.
Groggy Dundee said...
Lovely tribute. Jean always reminded me of Audrey Hepburn, but more overtly sensual and extroverted.
David, I did see The Happy End. That finale, it's brutal. For all the artifice and Hollywood in the margins, it's still a painful confessional of a film.
Indeed it is. It shows why Brooks and Simmons were well-matched. It wanted to make brutally honest films and she delivered the goods in them without so much as blinking.
What a lovely tribute! I think my favorite Simmons movie is Angel Face but she's been great in everything I've seen so far.
Uncle Silas is really good; I actually recorded it from TCM and would be happy to send a copy if you are still looking for it!
just heard. She was an immense talent. Thanks for this lovely tribute
That's okay. I thought that movies like GONE WITH THE WIND and miniseries like NORTH AND SOUTH were always overwrought.
I'm not a major fan of THE THORN BIRDS, but I must admit that I was very impressed by Simmons, Stanwyck and Richard Chamberlain's performances. And I also believe that Simmons won a much deserved Emmy.
cgeye said...
Saw THE HAPPY ENDING too -- where can one hire such fabulous enabling help? Miss Simmons went through the entire feminist consciousness-raising gantlet without that F-word ever being said, from confronting her husband about their harmful secrets to starting up college again. The only trope missing was AA, but that might have been before people even mentioned 12-step programs regularly.
And whoever said on this blog their allegiance to the hottness that remains Miss Shirley Jones, surely you were not joking -- she was incandescent, and this during the PARTRIDGE FAMILY years.
Finns were heartbroken when "Sinuhe" was grabbed by Hollywood and turned into the insipid "The Egyptian". My dad was particularly pissed off even a couple of decades later - that was the only NYT number one bestseller by a Finnish author and Hollywood screwed it up.
I saw the movie late nite a few years ago and Jean was pretty much the only thing it had going for it. She really could have run away with "Holiday in Rome".
Marcelle said...
When I was in the first or second grade I saw Jean Simmons in Blue Lagoon. From that day until now she has been my favorite actress-- for all the reasons others have written--her beauty, her voice, her aura of empathy, understanding,vulnerability, her charm, her intelligence, all she projects on the screen in those big dark rooms. That was long before mammoth TVs, Cable, TIVO, VHS, and DVD. She became my fairy godmother, my role model,my idol.
And, didn't she have a way of making you feel she was speaking directly to you? How many actors could or can do that?
Years later when I learned how Hughes prevented her from taking the Hepburn role in Roman Holiday I felt a sense of her frustration and, most likely, rage at the damage his must have done to her career. I've seen almost all of her films. Some I have seen more times than I can count. She added a touch of class, to use a cliche, to even the worst of them (i.e. The Egyptian). I always thought one day I'd meet her and tell her what she'd meant to a young girl growing up in the sexist unconscious 50's. Now that will never happen.
Though I've met young people who don't know who she was, I believe she touched everyone who saw her. I don't think she ever made a mistake on film, and I will miss her more than I can say. I'm sure she could never imagine how many people are missing her now, and will for a very long time.
Siren - there is a wonderful hour long interview of Jean in the Icons Radio Hour (down-loadable from the web).
Richard Brooks said of his wife: "Every man who comes up to me says that he loves my wife".
Mark T Lancaster said...
Hello Siren,
I enjoyed this tribute to Jean Simmons. On 10/09, I used the email link on your blogsite to send you an offer to gift you with some DVDs, including "Angel Face", but I fear those emails (one plus a follow up when I thought of more I could give you) may have been lost to your spam filter. Well, I do know that when I post a comment, you get a notification, so this seems a sure-fire way to get my message through!
So, if you could use a DVD copy of "Angel Face" for your collection, I have a spare one I'd be happy to send to you. I had bought one on the secondary market (like new), a skinny case that I later learned was part of a Mitchum box set. Now I've got the Mitchum set and don't need the extra Angel Face. I read on your blog how your faithful readers send you films from time to time. If this is one you can use, it would be my honor to send it your way.
Also, I realized I have three other DVDs to offer as well, if you can use them. I've upgraded to blu-ray the following titles, so my DVDs are of no further use to me:
Black Narcissus (Criterion edition)
The Red Shoes (Criterion edition)
Citizen Kane (two disc special edition).
You're welcome to any and all of these four titles. It's not much compensation for the joy you bring with your blogging and the wonderful folks you attract to discussions, but it's something!
One other thing -- if you don't need any but know of someone who does, I'll be happy to send to them with your compliments.
Following up on the prior post, which may have run under your radar. I'll check back here periodically, or you can email me at marktlancaster at gmail dot com.
Revanchist said...
"Angel Face" is probably considered her best work, and with good reason, but my favourite JS scene is the one where Ophelia's madness is depicted in "Hamlet". Grigori Kozintsev's version is far better than Olivier's, but I rate Simmons' performance slightly, very slightly, ahead of Vertinskaya's.
Another performance that I've always liked her was in "Elmer Gantry"
Adair said...
Jean Simmons---one of the very loveliest, most intelligent actresses of all time. I wonder what she was like off-screen, in her personal life.
Any love for "Say Hello to Yesterday"? I think that she is more beautiful than ever in that film. But it seems not get much praise.
The Shadows Fade: Last Night of TCM Fest Brings My...
The Shadows So Far (and Night Three Coming Up)
The Russians Are Still Coming
Mission to Moscow with the Siren, Tonight at 7 pm ...
Mission to Moscow Screening at BAM; Panel Discussi...
For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogat...


I get asked all the time how the Portland market is doing, so I wanted to give you an update on what I'm seeing in our real estate market right now.
We're coming off two to three years of really solid appreciation. Sellers have been able to sell their homes quickly and sell them for a high price. Earlier in 2016, we had as little as 1.3 months of inventory. That figure has risen slightly to 1.9 months, but that still keeps us in a strong seller's market. For reference, a "balanced" market has an inventory of around six months.
We are seeing a little bit of an uptick in inventory due to a seasonal shift as well as the presidential election. Typically, the market slows down just a tad during this time of year. However, if you are out there thinking about selling your home but you're nervous about the recent changes, don't be.
Our interest rates continue to remain low, which is keeping buyers in the market. Also, 1.9 months of inventory is an extremely low number, and doesn't leave a lot of options for those buyers with strong buying power. Low inventory and low interest rates are the perfect recipe for a seller to sell their home quickly and for top dollar and for a buyer to get a great deal on a long-term mortgage.
If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Portland, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to help you in any way I can.


text:
LOGIN TO VOTE & VIEW FULL RESULTS
LOGIN TO GIVE YOUR STAND
or Sign in to Account
This page is protected by reCAPTCHA, and subject to the Istandwith Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
GET 4X FASTER EXPERIENCE.
Download iStandWith app | It's FREE
Standing with Stand with
Rehan Gazi @RehanGazi
Stand with
Rehan Gazi doesn't stand with @BJPGovt @RehanGazi 08 Jul 2019 At 02:52 PM
India @india, 08 Jul 2019 At 02:26 PM
100-bedded pediatric ICU to be set-up in SKMCH, Muzaffarpur within a year: Central Govt to SC
In Muzaffarpur, over the AES flare-up in Bihar, the Central Govt filed a reply in the Supreme Court expressing that a decision has been taken to set-up a 100 bedded pediatric ICU at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) within a year. The Central Govt added that 5 Virology (virus research labs) has been set up in various districts and 10 bedded pediatric ICUs will also be established in various districts in the state. The Central Govt also replied that despite the fact that health is a state subject, to handle the flare-up, the central govt has made all strides giving vital help and assistance to the Bihar state. The reaction came after the Supreme Court on June 24th expressed 140 deaths a 'serious concern' due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur. Src: https://bit.ly/2JkloxN
Kudos to @BJPGovt
Individual votes & voters are hidden. Click here or vote to see them.
0 comments | 0 Share
Proud of your stand? SHARE IT NOW!
Rehan Gazi doesn't stand with @HangInPublic @RehanGazi 08 Jul 2019 At 02:52 PM
Jaipur: Accused confesses sexually assaulting 35 children, raping 40 men & transgenders
In Rajasthan's Jaipur city, a 35-year-old man was arrested for raping a 7-year-old girl and later he confessed to sexually assaulting 35 children and raping 40 men and transgenders. According to the police, the accused allegedly raped the girl in Shastri Nagar and during the investigation, the police discovered that the accused had raped a 4-year-old girl in the same area. After remaining untraceable for 5 days, the police arrested the accused from Kota. He has been identified as Jeevanu who is physically more attracted towards men. The police have registered 12 cases against the accused including rape, murder, attempt to murder, molestation, theft, and burglary. Src: https://bit.ly/2XM7pZT
Do you stand with @HangInPublic
I stand with @HangInPublic
The government will have a control in PSU's even after disinvestment of its stake
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government will make sure that its control is not diluted after lowering its stake in public sector undertakings (PSUs) to below 51 percent. She clarified that the government will also continue with the strategic divestment of selected Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The ministry has also decided to modify the present policy of retaining 51% government stake in PSU's. Src: https://bit.ly/2LGg8pP
Do you stand with @BJPGovt
I stand with @BJPGovt
Rehan Gazi doesn't stand with @KabirSingh @RehanGazi 08 Jul 2019 At 02:52 PM
Bollywood @Bollywood, 08 Jul 2019 At 12:50 PM
Kabir Singh has become Australia's highest grossing Indian film
Shahid Kapoor-starrer 'Kabir Singh' has created another record by becoming Australia's highest grossing Indian film. Indian film critic Taran Adarsh tweeted that the film has surpassed 'Gully Boy,' 'Uri,' 'Bharat,' and even south Indian hits 'Petta,' and 'Maharshi,'. Kabir Singh' entered Rs. 200 crore club in just 13 days of its run on the domestic box office. The film is doing well in the theatres despite facing competition from Ayushmann Khurrana's 'Article 15', which released on June 28, in India. Src: https://bit.ly/2NDXod8
Kudos to @KabirSingh
Stay updated with latest news.
TAKE A STAND TODAY!!
Download our 5 Star rated
You choose {answer_name}.
Share this poll with your circle & know their view on it.
You {stand_type} with {poll_tag_user_name}.
Share this in your circle and know their view.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The successor scheme to the hugely successful Smart award programme, which ran from 1988 until being abolished by Sajid Javid's business department earlier this year, has finally been launched by Innovate UK.
Innovate UK has announced measures to tighten up on companies which have previously received grants and not made any attempt to commercialise the results.
Innovate UK has announced details of its first grant funding competition under the new 2016-2017 funding regime with the majority of awards being contingent on applicants partnering with other organisations.
MSC R&D joined hundreds of business leaders at last night's CBI Annual Dinner, held at Park Lane's Grosvenor House Hotel.


text:
State of the Nations
The State of the Nations 2008
Into the Third Term of Devolution in the UK
Alan Trench
The State of the Nations 2008: Into the third term of devolution in the United Kingdom is the sixth publication of a major research programme into devolution in the United Kingdom, published on behalf of the Constitution Unit at University College London.
The Dynamics of Devolution
The State of the Nations
This book is the fifth, and final, volume in the State of the Nations yearbook series on devolution in the UK. It explores the future of devolution, by examining the new political dynamics devolution has put into play.
Has Devolution Made a Difference?
This book is the fourth volume of a major five-year research programme on devolution funded by the Leverhulme Trust. It provides a stock-take of the effect of devolution during the first term of the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales.
The Third Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom
The State of the Nations 2003 is the third publication of a major research programme into devolution in the United Kingdom, published on behalf of the Constitution Unit at University College London.
The Second Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom
The State of the Nations 2001 is the ssecond publication of a major research programme into devolution in the United Kingdom, published on behalf of the Constitution Unit at University College London.
The State and the Nations
The First Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom
The State of the Nations is the first publication of a major research programme into devolution in the United Kingdom, published on behalf of the Constitution Unit at University College London.
A Guide to the Classics
Or How to Pick the Derby Winner
Guy Griffith
What is Wrong with Us?
Essays in Cultural Pathology
A Hospitable Universe
Addressing Ethical and Spiritual Concerns in Light of Recent Scientific Discoveries
Rodolfo Gambini
The Place of Michael Oakeshott in Contemporary Western and Non-Western Thought
Michael Oakeshott as a Philosopher of the "Creative"
Wendell John Coats, Jr.
The Decision Trap
Genetic Education and Its Social Consequences
Silja Samerski
Get Over Yourself
Nietzsche for Our Times
Patrick West
Why Rape Culture is a Dangerous Myth
From Steubenville to Ched Evans
Luke Gittos


text:
Why Kids Don't Want to Talk About Their Day (and How to Get Them to Open Up Anyway)	Missed News 680
Shirakawa, Japan
Shirakawa-gō is a historic village in Gifu. Together with Gokayama in Toyama, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 9, 1995.
The village is famous for its farmhouses, which are built in a unique architectural style known as gasshō (合掌). The name means "hands together" as in prayer, referring to the steep roofs that keep the snow off in the winter. Underneath the roofs, the large attic area was used to house silkworms.
Another feature that has brought fame to the village is the recent Japanese game series 'Higurashi no Naku Koro ni' (2002) and the anime series that followed. Although the village residents are not too altogether thrilled that an anime series depicting large levels of violence has based itself on their village, it has brought the tourists nonetheless. A number of locations from the anime series can be visited in Shirakawa; the most prevalent site being the Hachiman Shrine, the site where the shrine maiden Rika Furude met an unfortunate end and also the major shrine of the village.
An image from Shirakawa, Japan
Click the link below for image:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Shirakawa%2c+Japan&form=HDRSC2&first=1&tsc=ImageBasicHover


text:
Q: Geometry with Complex Number My book says Equation of a line perpendicular to the line $z\bar{a}+\bar{z}a+b=0$ is $z\bar{a}+\bar{z}a+ci=0$, (where $c$ is a real number).
Can anyone explain why just multiplying $c$ by $i$ we can get line perpendicular to given line.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Publish ASP.net can't see assembly I have a very simple ASP.net application I am using to learn. I've developed it (two controls -- dropdown box and a datagrid, plus an EF class) on my laptop using a copy of the production db (this initial app is read-only) so I can minimize the variables I have to understand when I deploy it on my client's much more secure environment.
Since I'm using EF, I need .net4, of course. That was my first challenge. IIS had no application pool for .net4. Got that fixed (I think). Here's my Publication Package Page:

Now, I'm getting something else strange... I've googled it and still don't understand. Perhaps someone can give me some advice.

A: Try adding the src attribute with the path to the CodeBehind file inside your Page declarations. This should fix your issue.
The src attribute is put here:
<%@ Page ... Src="/path_to_BrowseWD.aspx.cs" ... %>

A: Add this attribute to the first line CodeFile="BrowseWO.aspx.cs" and remove the CodeBehind attribute like this


We have a dedicated & highly experienced team in our service department providing excellent service to our customers. Our policy is built on flexibility and going the 'extra mile' to meet all your requirements.
We provide Fixed Price Vehicle Inspections and Service. See our rates below.
We also provide a 24hr 365 day a year Breakdown Service, in conjunction with DAF I.T.S, ISUZU & LDV Roadside Assistance. See our rates below.
We have a wide range of DAF & ISUZU parts always in stock, all available original or aftermarket.
We also stock reconditioned ABS ECU's, VIC units, Dash DIP panels and Engine ECU's. If we don't have it, we can repair it.
Any second hand DAF and ISUZU part you need, we just might have it.
DAF & ISUZU parts available original or aftermarket, full range of batteries to suit in stock. Brake discs, shoes, pads, kingpins, clutch servos, valves, mirrors, water pumps, hubs, etc.
We want to sell you your next new or used DAF , Isuzu or LDV vehicle. If we do not suceed please consider us for your parts or service needs.


text:
Q: Does +1 solve the range function not handling the last item in a list? I'm using plotly to create a histogram of the results from rolling a 6-sided die 1,000 times.
In die_visual.py, under the "# Visualize the results" comment, I assign a list to the x_values variable.
The list contains the range (1, die.num_sides+1). What is the purpose of the '+1'? To me it seems that since die.num_sides has a default value of 6, the '+1' would increase the end value of the range to 7. I have included the contents of both files below.
die.py:
from random import randint

class Die:
    """A class representing a single die."""

    def __init__(self, num_sides=6):
        """Assume a 6-sided die."""
        self.num_sides = num_sides

    def roll(self):
        """Return a random value between 1 and number of sides."""
        return randint(1, self.num_sides)

die_visual.py:
from plotly.graph_objs import Bar, Layout
from plotly import offline
from die import Die

# Create a D6.
die = Die()

# Make some rolls, and store results in a list.
results = []
for roll_num in range(1000):
    result = die.roll()
    results.append(result)

# Analyze the results.
frequencies = []
for value in range(1, die.num_sides+1):
    frequency = results.count(value)
    frequencies.append(frequency)

# Visualize the results.
x_values = list(range(1, die.num_sides+1)) <---
data = [Bar(x=x_values, y=frequencies)]

x_axis_config = {'title': 'Result'}
y_axis_config = {'title': 'Frequency of Result'}
my_layout = Layout(title='Results of rolling one D6 1000 times',
        xaxis=x_axis_config, yaxis=y_axis_config)
offline.plot({'data': data, 'layout': my_layout}, filename='d6.html')

Any help in understanding this is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

A: range(a, b) gives an output of Range(a, a+1, a+2, ..., b-1) so range(a, b+1) gives Range(a to b).
One of the reasons for this is that if you  want to iterate over the indexes of a list, the length of the list is 1 higher than the last index so range() only going to b-1 makes sense for this.


Black-empowered IT start-up companies stand in line to win a year's free office space and mentoring programme, thanks to a competition launched by BSG and the Bandwidth Barn. The competition forms part of both organisations' goal to encourage the creation of sustainable IT businesses.
Any black-owned, entrepreneurial IT company can enter the competition during the month of August. In September, the entrants will be briefed on how they will be measured, and six months later, in February/March 2009, the winner will be announced.
* Learning and growth, such as the culture/approach of the individual or organisation.
The successful entrant will receive a year's free office space in the Bandwidth Barn in Cape Town, one of the leading business accelerators in South Africa. Office space includes access to meeting rooms and a shared reception, as well as networking opportunities with other tenants also in the IT industry. BSG, a black empowered business and software solutions delivery company will sponsor the office rental.
Bandwidth Barn will sponsor a year's mentoring programme for the competition winner.
Chris Vermeulen, GM of the Bandwidth Barn, says that this is an important component as many IT entrepreneurs lack the skills required to run a successful business.
To have access to office space in the heart of Cape Town's business district is also a key advantage for an entrepreneur. BSG recognised this need and therefore approached Bandwidth Barn to partner with them in the BSG/BWB Enterprise Development Award.
Application forms for the competition are available on the CITI and Bandwidth Barn websites.


text:
The Henry Art Gallery ("The Henry") is a contemporary art museum located on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington. Located on the west edge of the university's campus along 15th Avenue N.E. in the University District, it was founded in February, 1927, and was the first public art museum in the state of Washington. The original building was designed by Bebb and Gould. It was expanded in 1997 to , at which time the 154-seat auditorium was added. The addition/expansion was designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects.

Founder
The museum was named for Horace C. Henry, the local businessman who donated money for its founding, as well as a collection of paintings he had begun collecting in the 1890s after visiting the Chicago World's Fair. Henry donated the collection he built with his late wife Susan of 178 works of art, along with funds for construction, and the Henry Art Gallery opened to the public on February 10, 1927. Some years prior, Henry had added gallery space to his own home on Capitol Hill, and from 1917 until the foundation of the Henry Gallery, he effectively operated a wing of his home as a free museum, open to the public 10 hours a week. In contrast to Charles and Emma Frye of Seattle's Frye Art Museum, Henry made no effort to control the future of the museum he financed; indeed, he specifically disavowed any such intention.

Exhibitions
The Henry's exhibition program is largely devoted to contemporary art and the history of photography. Major exhibitions have included Ann Hamilton: the common S E N S E (Oct 2014), Katinka Bock: A and I (2013), Maya Lin (2006), Lynn Hershman Leeson (2005–06), Doug Aitken (2005), James Turrell (2003), and group exhibitions such as W.O.W. - The Work of the Work, 2004–05, which explored contemporary art's appeal to non-visual senses and the body of the viewer.

Collection
The Henry's collection includes over 28,000 objects. The collection includes holdings in photography, both historical and contemporary, due to the partial gift and purchase of the Joseph and Elaine Monsen collection. In 1982, the Henry inherited a sizable collection from the University of Washington's former Costume and Textile Study Center. The Henry also holds a James Turrell Skyspace, , a site-specific immersive sculpture finished in 2003. Like the Seattle baseball stadium, the Skyspace has a retractable roof.

The Henry has made their collections available for research and general public interest by providing in-house and online public access though the Eleanor Henry Reed Collection Study Center and the online collections database. These resources allow students and the general public to explore collections for personal or professional research. Objects in the collection can be accessed on-site, by reservation only, through the Reed Collection Study Center or academic classes, adult study groups, and researchers.

Brink Award
The Brink Award was a biennial art award for an emerging artist from Washington, Oregon, or British Columbia worth $12,500. The award was established in 2008 and is administered by the Henry Art Gallery.

Past award winners
 Isabelle Pauwels (2009)
 Andrew Dadson (2011)
 Anne Fenton (2013)
 Jason Hirata (2015)
 Demian DinéYazhi' (2017)

References

External links

Official site
Archives of the Northwest Art Project, oral histories of artists and others important to the Northwest art scene initiated by the Henry Art Gallery - University of Washington Digital Collections

1927 establishments in Washington (state)
Art museums established in 1927
Art museums and galleries in Washington (state)
Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
Museums in Seattle
University museums in Washington (state)
University of Washington campus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
{% extends "_layouts/cp" %}
{% import "_includes/forms" as forms %}

{% set tabs = {
    settings: { label: "Settings"|t, url: url('instablog/settings/index') },
    import:    { label: "WP Import"|t, url: url('instablog/settings/import') }
} %}

{% set selectedTab = 'import' %}

{% set title = "InstaBlog"|t %}
{% set plugin = craft.plugins.getPlugin('InstaBlog') %}
{% set pluginSettings = craft.instaBlog.settings() %}
{% set assetSources = craft.instaBlog.getSources() %}

{% block content %}

InstaBlog Wordpress Import

    To import Wordpress posts into your InstaBlog you'll need an XML export from Wordpress "Tools > Export".

Note: For images to be imported, they must be accessible via the url's in your XML file.

Import Settings

  <form action="" method="POST" data-saveshortcut  enctype="multipart/form-data">
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="instaBlog/import/confirm">
    <input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="instablog/settings/import">
    <input type="hidden" name="pluginClass" value="{{ plugin.classHandle }}">
    {{ getCsrfInput() }}
    {{ forms.fileField({
      instructions: 'Upload Wordpress Export XML file.',
      label: 'Import File',
      name: 'file',
    }) }}

    {{ forms.selectField({
      instructions: 'Select asset location for imported images.',
      label: 'Asset Destination',
      name: 'import[assetDestination]',
      options: assetSources
    }) }}

Backup Database

Backup will be stored in craft/storage/backups.

    {{ forms.checkboxField({
      label: 'Backup Database Before Import',
      name: 'import[backup]',
      value: 1
    }) }}

    <input type="submit" value="Next" class="btn submit">

  </form>

{% endblock %}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Chef Michael Meredith shares his version of gazpacho using sweetcorn and watermelon.
To make the gazpacho, cook the sweetcorn in plenty of salted water, then remove the kernels.
Cut the cucumbers, onion, capsicum, tomatoes and pineapple into uniform dice (about 1cm).
Mix in a bowl, then add a little sea salt and a tablespoon of olive oil.
Remove the watermelon flesh from the rind and cut half of it into 1cm dice (removing the seeds).
Add the corn, coconut flesh and diced watermelon to the mixture. Chill well.
Process the remaining watermelon in a blender, then strain to make 500ml of juice.
Add the juice of a lime, a little sea salt and the other tablespoon of olive oil. Chill well.
To make the yoghurt, open the coconut and pour the juice into a cup.
Remove the soft flesh, then place in a blender with the cashews.
Blend at high speed, adding enough coconut water to make a yoghurt-like consistency.
Season with lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.
To serve, chill 4 soup bowls.
Divide the diced vegetables between the bowls, then add the chilled watermelon juice.
Garnish with coriander leaves, grated coconut and dollops of coconut yoghurt.


Best rate in Michoacan shore .
so you can enjoy your accommodation to the fullest..
"A family place, where they could feel in harmony with the nature and an absolute rest"
Excellent treatment!! We visited it in the off season so it was all completely for us. I loved it because you disconnected from the world, if we rested and recommended many places that are very parents. We hope to be back soon!.
The ubication! It is perfect. Swimming in the pool under the stars is a unique experience! See shooting stars, is on the road 5 minutes from nexpa bar and 3 from the village. I would definitely go back!.
The place is very quiet and has the advantage of having only a few separate villas, nothing resembling a conventional hotel, with gardens and a spectacular view to the sea, the villas are very confortable and with excellent relation price value, but best of all Is the attention of its staff, both Adilene, as Yesenia and Juan Pablo give you a Great attention. Highly recommended!


text:
World Defense & Security Industry News - Airbus Defence & Space
Airbus DS successfully completes flight-test of an Eurofighter Aerodynamic Modification Kit
Airbus Defence and Space has successfully completed flight-testing of a package of aerodynamic upgrades to the Eurofighter Typhoon swing-role fighter that promises to enhance further the aircraft's agility and weapons-carrying ability. The Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) is part of a wider Eurofighter Enhanced Manoeuvrability (EFEM) programme with the potential to help ensure the type's continuing superiority for many years to come.
The modified Eurofighter Typhoon IPA7 fighter aircraft during the trials
(Andreas Zeitler, Airbus Defence and Space)
The EFEM programme entails primarily the addition of fuselage strakes and leading-edge root extensions, which increase the maximum lift created by the wing by 25% - resulting in an increased turn rate, tighter turning radius, and improved nose-pointing ability at low speed – all critical fighter capabilities in air-to-air combat.
The introduction of the AMK will not only enhance the Eurofighter's current capability as a swing-role fighter-bomber, but will provide additional growth potential, enabling easier integration of future air–to-surface configurations and much more flexible applications, vastly enhancing the aircraft's mission effectiveness in the air-to-surface role.
Eurofighter Project Pilot Germany Raffaele Beltrame said: "This programme has been a tremendous success with very impressive results – in some areas even better than we expected.
"We saw angle of attack values around 45% greater than on the standard aircraft, and roll rates up to 100% higher, all leading to increased agility. The handling qualities appeared to be markedly improved, providing more manoeuvrability, agility and precision while performing tasks representative of in-service operations. And it is extremely interesting to consider the potential benefits in the air-to-surface configuration thanks to the increased variety and flexibility of stores that can be carried.
"It´s right to say that the EFEM/AMK work has allowed us to discover a new aircraft with much higher performance and greater potential to meet the challenges of the years ahead."
The flight trials followed some five years of studies. Eurofighter test pilots, joined in the latter stages by operational pilots from Germany, Italy and the UK, completed 36 sorties from Manching, Germany on the IPA7 Instrumented Production Aircraft.


text:
Q: VBA code in Word to check if the current macro is the most recent version I'm creating a macro in Word 2013 to share with my org. However, I want to notify them when the macro is updated. Basically, I'd like them to run the macro, and if it finds a newer version on a network, then creates a message telling them to install the latest version.
I think the simplest solution would be to use FileDateTime("\Server\test\book1.xlsm") to check a file saved to a network, and then if newer than the current macro file, it provides a message: MsgBox "A new version of this macro exists on the network share. Please install the new version."
I know how to find if a file exists, just not how to check if it's more recent:
Sub FileExists()

    Dim FilePath As String
    Dim TestStr As String

    FilePath = "D:\FolderName\Sample.xlsx"

    TestStr = ""
    On Error Resume Next
    TestStr = Dir(FilePath)
    On Error GoTo 0
    If TestStr = "" Then
        MsgBox "File doesn't exist"
    Else
        Workbooks.Open "D:\FolderName\Sample.xlsx"
    End If

End Sub

Can anyone help piece this together?

A: You would do far better to ensure the macro is stored in the document's template, which you'd also store in a network folder where the document can access it, then simply update the template as & when required. That way:

*

*the document(s) can remain in the docx format;

*users need not be instructed to download macro updates (which I wouldn't count on them doing anyway);

*you can always be sure the version of the macro they're running is the latest one.

A: The macro should be stored in either the document template in which it is used or in a global template. Both can be stored on network drives. My preference is for them to be used from the local computer and a network login script set to update the local copy if changed using the old XCOPY command.

*

*My writing on Global Templates

*My writing on Workgroup Templates
Workgroup templates are document templates managed for an enterprise or department. Global templates share resources (like macros) with all documents but are not used, themselves to create new documents.


Palanthas - Dwarves throughout the city this past Misham wore dark sashes on their left arms in remembrance of all who perished in the Chaos War. This is in accordance to the dwarven holiday of Anerell. The holiday was created the summer after the Chaos War.
"We are just trying to show the folks we still remember," Reghar Firehammer, a representative of the Garnet Mining Company said. "To many humans the Chaos War is a thing of the distant past. To us who lived through it or fought in it, we still remember how real it is."
The city's dwarf population met today in the Garnet Mining Company's exchange office in the Trade Exchange. They held a ceremony in which they read the names of all the dwarves from Palanthas that fell. After finishing the reading the dwarves rang gongs in remembrance of all who have been forgotten.
"It's a tough thing to go through for some of these fellows," Firehammer said. "I know several folks who do not have mothers or fathers but yet they must because they are here. We bang the gongs so that they know that we haven't forgotten them, even though we have."


Branches Mobile Gallery is a traveling fine art gallery as well as a stage & shade structure design company. By creating a warm, well-lit, site responsive earthen Gallery environment Branches Mobile Gallery brings artists and event participants together. Utilizing bamboo, branches, lighting and fabrics we showcase the best multi-genre contemporary art being created today.
Our gallery infrastructure is designed and built by structural artists who respond and tailor the temporary installation specifically to any event's surroundings. We curate live painters for participants to interact with and learn from, as well as showcase a selection of beautiful artwork.
Collaged throughout the gallery walls, our guests become washed in color and imagination. A gallery assistant is always present to field questions regarding the art and inquiries for sale. Uniquely, our guests are likely to find themselves discussing art with the artist responsible personally, as we encourage our artists to work with us during the event. This allows for our artists to interact directly with their audience and offers a rare opportunity for guests to engage in open discussion with artist's personally.
Whether your event is inside or out, on uneven ground, or concrete we enjoy the challenge of creating for any space and integrating ourselves into the overall aesthetic of your event.


text:
Habitat for Humanity Northern Region and Auckland based Penina Trust are pleased to announce a partnership to improve home ownership for Pasifika communities in South Auckland. As an experienced Progressive Home Ownership (PHO) provider, Habitat are working along-side Penina Trust to support them with their application to become one of the first Pasifika Progressive Home Ownership providers in Auckland. Penina will access loan funding through the Governments Progressive Home Ownership (PHO) programme, to provide much needed homes for first-home buyers. Penina Trust Chief Executive Roine Lealaiauloto believes home ownership strengthens our communities. "If we want to make a real positive change in our communities to address poverty, fear of displacement, and ensure our Pacific children don't end up at 10 different schools before they get to college, then we need to work together to build stability through a pathway to homeownership. This has positive social, educational and health outcomes and builds a family's wealth, leaving our children with something to give them a hand up in life not a handout," she said. Ms Lealaiauloto says that families are at the centerpiece of our approach; "There is a Samoan saying 'E le o le fale a o le anofale' – which translated means it is not the house it is what is contained within the house. Families are found within these homes, with needs, aspirations, sufferings, successes, and failures in life." "Supporting them through linking them to community resources often exposes them to a world of support that they never knew existed. No one provider will be able to support these families; it takes providers and communities (including these families) to work together to find the solutions they need" she said. Conrad LaPointe, Habitat Northern CEO, has learnt through experience how home ownership makes people more independent. "We know that safe and stable homes help to build strong and healthy families, and more resilient communities. With just a little support, home owners achieve the independence they need to build a better life for themselves and their families." "We've been delivering a rent-to-buy programme in New Zealand for almost 30 years. Our partnership with Penina is a wonderful way to share our knowledge to help even more families into their own home and help us deliver on our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. "In Tamaki Makaurau we've helped 145 families into home ownership. And, while we will continue to do this, we can't do it all alone. Therefore by working with Penina to become an accredited PHO provider, we see this as one way to amplify and increase home ownership for working families." Nationally, Habitat has secured access to PHO loan funding to the value of $22 million from Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, which will part subsidise the delivery of 73 homes in Dunedin, Nelson, Wellington, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty and Auckland in the next couple of years.
Sign up to news and updates on our work


text:
Slovak geothermal developer enters partnership with investment group
Planned geothermal plant at Presov, Slovakia (source: PW Energy)
Carlo Cariaga 13 Sep 2022
European investment group WOOD & Company has entered into a partnership as minority stakeholder in Slovak geothermal developer PW Energy.
Slovak geothermal developer PW Energy has agreed on a business partnership with the WOOD & Company Investment Group, with the latter acquiring a minority stake in the company. PW Energy views the partnership as a sign of confidence from the investment and financial group that there is significant potential for a geothermal industry in Slovakia. PW Energy had previously entered into a strategic partnership with SSE Holding.
PW Energy is currently developing two geothermal projects in Slovakia – one near Presov, and another near Ziar nad Hronom (through subsidiary PW Geoenergy). Both projects are currently at the final phases of their respective Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). We had previously reported on the preparatory work being done for the Ziar nad Hronom project, including a feasibility study assessing the potential of direct use applications.
For each project, an installed capacity of 6.3 to 6.5 MWe is planned for the first stage. However, the potential for each location is estimated at up to 20 MWe. Completion of the first stage and start of operations is targeted for 2027.
WOOD & Company is a financial and investment group with a leading position on the Central European market. In Slovakia, in addition to the healthcare, pharmaceutical and real estate sectors, it has been active for a long time in the field of waste management and circular economy. The group declares that it takes into account not only the business, but also the environmental nature of acquisitions. In partnership with PW Energy, it emphasizes the current energy crisis and the need to find an alternative to fossil fuels.
"In times of energy crisis, making renewable energy sources available as quickly as possible is crucial. Geothermal energy is experiencing great growth all over the world, also in Slovakia it represents a permanently available alternative that can be a local and safe source producing green electricity and heat, " said PW Energy Chairman Milan Jankura. "We are glad that in the form of WOOD & Company we have acquired an important partner with more than 30 years of experience from many successful projects."
"Due to climate change, the whole of Europe is undergoing a significant transformation following the European Green Deal. The energy sector in particular provides a range of opportunities in this direction, which in the context of the current situation give not only value but also economic significance," said WOOD & Company Director of Investment Banking Boris Kostik.
Source: PW Energy
acquisition investment partnership Presov PW Energy Slovakia stakeholder WOOD & Company Ziar nad Hronom
Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, France to be supplied with geothermal heating by 2025
Tenerife announces public tender for geothermal research programs
Locations identified for geothermal heating plants in Aarhus, Denmark
Eramet signs MOU for geothermal lithium extraction in Alsace, France
Webinar – Kensa's vision for geothermal heating in Northern Ireland, 9 February 2023
Drilling commences for Kirchweidach II geothermal project, Germany
Preparations begin for geothermal heating project at Gräfelfing, Germany


Providing our customers in Ohio and Kentucky with LeafGuard Gutters which are the ONLY gutters to have received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. LeafGuard Gutters are guaranteed never to clog or we clean them for free.
Share feedback about your experience with LeafGuard of Cincinnati.
Enter the confirmation code from your mailer and publish your review of LeafGuard of Cincinnati.


text:
Home › Production & Post
LTFS to protect archive
Asset management specialist TMD, which is already implementing a collection management business system for the National Archives of Australia (NAA), is to add LTFS capability to provide secure, application-independent long-term storage. This is one of the first applications of the LTFS file system in a major audio-visual asset management implementation.
By Holly Ashford
LTFS, the Linear Tape File System, is an open standard originally developed by IBM for the IT industry but originally launched at NAB in 2010. It is designed as a companion to the widely-used LTO data tape format, an open standard maintained and developed by a partnership body including HP and Quantum.
The significance of LTFS is that it is a self-describing file system, incorporating the file structure and metadata as well as the content on each tape or other storage device. Because it is self-describing, an LTO tape can be taken from an archive associated with one system and loaded into any other system supporting LTFS, with the content and its core metadata instantly readable. This capability was demonstrated by SGL and others at NAB earlier this year.
The system TMD is implementing at NAA, built on its Mediaflex asset management platform, is using LTO-6 as its archive format. Through the use of LTFS, TMD and NAA are ensuring the security of the data archive for many decades into the future, no matter how many generations of asset management applications succeed the current system.
www.tdmam.com.au
Holly Ashford
Hewlett Packard: The right preservation strategy
Storing the future: Quantum's look at 2014
From archive to asset: Why streamers and broadcasters are doubling down on digitisation
Netflix becomes first streamer to have TV series and films preserved in BFI National Archive
Canal Plus to turn 110,000 hours of tape archive into streaming content
Goals mined as Premier League digitises archive
Fabric enhances metadata capabilities with Internet Video Archive acquisition
TVBEurope's February 2023 issue now available


Firstly an apology. I have not been feeling too well lately and I haven't been able to get around to commenting on peoples blogs or posting on my own, so please accept my apologies and I hope normal commenting will resume as soon as possible.
I know this is a long post but please read it and join in this fun event, it is for a worthy cause.
The only rule is NO GLITTER or SPARKLIES if this comes off on the soldiers clothes or skin it can be detected.
CJ will then get all of your cards off to the person that will be distributing the cards to the soldiers at war to fill out, sign and send home to their Families and Friends.
The soldiers at war do not have access to simple things that many of us take for granted like Christmas and Holiday Card's.
This is a campaign so please make and send as many cards as you would like to the address above. All of your cards will then be sent out to be distributed to the soldiers.
We will collect cards for about 2 weeks, so please get them out to CJ.
This is such an incredible way for the card crafting community to get involved and make the world a better place.
This week we are having a 1st place and 2nd place along with a TOP 6.
Celebrating this campaign with us this week we have two fabulous sponsors.
Whimsy Stamps and Whiff Of Joy Stamps.
1 image of choice from CJ at Cowgirl Up Designs along with the Winner Badge to display on your blog with pride.
I have used a Meljen Design from Whimsy Stamps. This is a lovely image to work with and could be used for many different card both male and female. I coloured it with Copic Markers and Promarker. The snowflakes were cut from a MS border punch and the sketch is from Inspirational Card Sketches #82.
We are looking to collect as many hand made cards as possible so spread the word and ask your friends! Copy this badge and make a post on your blog inviting crafters.
Post the Badge on your side bar. Leave a comment on the challenge blog that you have done this. We will be hopping around to check and someone will win a special award!!
Hello Poppet. Your card is gorgeous. Such beautiful colours and a great design.
I hope that you are feeling better very soon, you take care and come back when you are ready. We will be here for you when you return.
Poppet - Hope you continue to feel better! I love your card. I really like the color blocks with the image in the center.
Hi Poppet your card is really lovely and what a good idea it is to send to the soldiers too.
Love the card Poppet the colours are just beautiful!!
Hi Poppet hunni 1stly I hope you are feeling better soonies, hope you are getting pampered & looked after hun. This card is lush & I think you are right about it being suitable for man or woman, its yummy...I also luuurrrvvveee your snowflakes they are sooo pretty, I have a thing for snowflakes. Take care hun, get well soon.
Sorry to hear you've not been well. Hope you feel better really soon.
Love your card! This is a fab image and the colours are gorgeous.
Cute card, love the color blocks and snowflakes. Thanks for joining us at Fussy and Fancy.
Great card the image is fab, love it. Nice to see you yesterday, hope you get things sorted.
Poppet! I love this sweet and adorable image you used! Super cute!!
Hi Poppet, sorry to hear that you have not been well. Your card is lovely, thats a great fun image!


Osteoporosis is a skeletal problem that involves loss of bone mass after some time. It has a tendency to be most common among elderly ladies. Be that as it may, it can strike at any age. After some time, the deterioration of your bones places you at more serious hazard for breaks that will take more time to mend and can prompt a prolonged incapacity. Consequently, it is essential to comprehend the hidden causes that add to osteoporosis alongside how to anticipate and treat the condition with the goal that you preserve your health.
Type 1 osteoporosis normally starts growing not long after menopause and is identified with the diminishing levels of estrogen in a lady's body. In this type of osteoporosis, the springy layer inside the harder center of your outside bone starts to break down. It is ordinarily found in wrist and spine cracks.
Type 2 osteoporosis happens further down the road, more often than not after the age of 70. With this type, both the springy inward layer and the hard-outside layer are influenced. This prompts problems in even the most grounded bones of your body, and it is normally connected with significant hip and vertebral cracks.
There are a few hazard factors required in creating joint pain, and they fall into two classes: those that can be changed, and those that are foreordained in life. Ladies will probably get osteoporosis and the hazard for everybody accelerates with age. Individuals who are white or of Asian plunge are additionally at an expanded hazard for osteoporosis-related cracks, and having a nearby relative with osteoporosis likewise builds your chances for bone misfortune.
Other health conditions likewise put you at hazard for osteoporosis. Since devouring sufficient calcium is common for bone health, emotional health, other issues such as dietary problems, lack of healthy food and gastrointestinal surgery can meddle with your bone quality. Taking certain medicines, for example, for seizures or disease has additionally been related with lessened bone mass.
A bone density test is a screening strategy utilized by specialists to evaluate the quality of a man's bones, and it is great for the early identification of osteoporosis. It is right now prescribed that all ladies age 65 and more established should have a bone density test to check for the condition. In any case, any individual who is at chance for bone cracks because of osteoporosis should start having screenings directed before since incite treatment assumes a noteworthy part in avoiding further bone misfortune.
It is likewise imperative to take note of that ultrasound screenings are some of the time given at health fairs to get more youthful grown-ups intrigued by the avoidance of osteoporosis. While a ultrasound can't be utilized to precisely determine osteoporosis, it can give you a preview of regardless of whether you should seek after further screening and testing with a prepared doctor.
At the point when osteoporosis is suspected, your doctor will utilize a mix of techniques to make an exact determination. In the first place, they will direct a full physical exam that includes contrasting your past height estimations and decide whether there is a distinction and an examination of your body for indications of beforehand broken bones. Your spine will be deliberately surveyed to check for ebb and flow or changes in the state of your spinal bones. Since family history likewise assumes a part in creating osteoporosis, your specialist will inquire as to whether any of your nearby relatives have encountered hip cracks. At long last, your specialist may run tests to check for health conditions that are connected to bone diminishing, for example, Cushing's sickness and hyperthyroidism, since treating these can moderate your bone problems.
Lifestyle changes can altogether decrease your odds of getting osteoporosis, and they can moderate the movement of the condition in the individuals who as of now have bone misfortune. Consequently, treatment for osteoporosis includes surveying a patient's present lifestyle and health history to recognize conceivable variables that are adding to bone issues.
Vitamins are most of the time endorsed to individuals with osteoporosis. This is on the grounds that many individuals are inadequate in vitamin D, which causes the body to assimilate calcium. On the off chance that you are observed to be vitamin D and calcium inadequate, at that point your specialist may prescribe supplements and getting no less than 15 minutes of daylight every day to empower your body's generation of these vital supplements.
In spite of the fact that everybody should stop smoking and drinking, those with osteoporosis should make it a must. This is because nicotine and liquor add to vitamin inadequacies and hormonal vacillations that influence the bones. The present proposal is for men to restrict having close to two mixed drinks a day and ladies one. Be that as it may, stopping totally has the best impact for lessening bone problems.
Sometimes, your specialist may utilize professionally prescribed prescriptions to moderate bone problems. Regularly, these are intended to help hidden conditions, for example, menopause through hormone substitution. Contingent on your history of breaks, your specialist may likewise treat your pain and distress. For instance, a pressure crack in your spine can sting for a considerable length of time, so you might be given a back prop alongside pain soothing prescriptions.
Osteoporosis is a moderately advancing ailment, which implies numerous things should be possible to postpone bone diminishing and ensure your health. Making a solid lifestyle change is your best resistance against the illness, and being screened in the event that you can help get it in its early stages.
Osteoporosis: What Does the Latest Research Say?


This panel, "City Scenes, Urban Spaces, and the Civic Mind," invites perspectives on challenges to civil public debate in the eighteenth century. Satire was often used by poets, painters and playwrights seeking to participate in public life. Important in their day, such writers and artists may offer still-relevant perspectives, such as, for example, the debate on the value and place of ethnic and religious immigrants pouring into cities. The prejudice and the goals sought by those promoting divisions and oppostions between Country and City or rural landowners and capital government policymakers has been extensively studied since the eighteenth century. Yet such a focus of study is increasingly not given dedicated course time at universities today. Therefore papers about how eighteenth-century civic contributors who advocated for extensive airing of different views through conscientious public discussion would be still relevant to teach today are of special interest to this panel.
Please send 250-300 word abstracts to avonmeh@bgsu.edu by December 14, 2018.