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ABOUT NAHA
N-A Studies
NAHA HOME
SEARCH NAHA SITE
Studies and Records
Published by the Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, Minnesota
Copyright © 1926 by the Norwegian-American Historical Association
The board of editors of the Norwegian-American Historical Association present herewith the first volume in a series of publications intended to include both primary and secondary materials relating specifically to Norwegian immigration and to the history of the Norwegian element in the United States.
One of the marked tendencies of present-day American historiography is the increasing study of population movements and their Old World backgrounds- a trend for which Professor Frederick J. Turner and the western school of historians are no doubt in part responsible. It is believed that the materials in this volume, though of primary value for their contribution to knowledge of a special field, are not without interest for this wider study of American backgrounds. They are therefore presented to the public as a modest contribution to general American history.
The documents and articles in the volume illustrate both the special and the general viewpoints. The examination of health conditions and medical practice among the Norwegian settlers in the period before 1865 is not only an important contribution to the story of the Norwegian-Americans but also a study of wide interest for the social side of the history of the West. The analysis of the situation of the Norwegian Quakers in 1825 throws light not only upon the beginnings of Norwegian immigration to the United States in the nineteenth century but also upon the north European backgrounds of American immigration in general. The pastoral letter of the Norwegian bishop, issued in 1837, may perhaps be interpreted as a revelation of the attitude of the clergy not merely in Norway but in the Scandinavian North toward the rising movement of emigration in the period of the middle nineteenth century. Reiersen's account of the Norwegian settlements in the West is an illuminating contemporary document of the westward movement in the forties. The conditions described in the account of an emigrant packet, though of special Norwegian-American interest, are probably similar in many respects to those attending hundreds of trans-Atlantic emigrant journeys before the American Civil War. Solberg's reminiscences not only reveal the manner in which the Norwegian settlers adjusted themselves to the political situation that confronted them in the West in the fifties but also shed some light upon the cultural interests of the foreign-born pioneers.
In the latter part of the volume are printed several items about the association that now makes its first bow to the public. Special attention may be directed to the brief article by the president of the association, in which the ideals of the society and its plans for future publications are sketched, and to the certificate of incorporation and the by-laws, which define the objects of the association and explain the nature of its organization.
Theodore C. Blegen
Comments, questions and feedback can be directed to naha@stolaf.edu.
Copyright © 2000-2016, The Norwegian-American Historical Association. All rights reserved.


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EnjoyMalbec
Argentina's signature wines
Let's #EnjoyMalbec
Malbec is Argentina's flagship variety, and the country has the largest Malbec acreage in the world. This variety originally comes from South West France, where it is called Cot and features a hard, tannic style. Due to its intense color and dark hues, wines obtained from this variety were once called "the black wines of Cahors." These wines consolidated their prestige in the Middle Ages and gained full recognition in modern times.
The conquest of the English market was a crucial step for the success of Cahors wines in England and around the world. In 1852, Malbec was brought to Argentina by Michel A. Pouget, a French agronomist who was hired by the Argentine government. When phylloxera destroyed French viticulture towards the end of the 19th century, the "Cot" fell into oblivion. However, a culture of appreciation of Malbec had already consolidated.
Malbec in particular adapts quickly to the varied terroirs offered by Argentina's landscape and begins to produce wines better than in its original land.Argentina became the only country to have original Malbec vines of true French heritage.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Independent Custody visiting association
We lead, support and represent custody visiting schemes – volunteers who visit police custody to uphold detainees' rights & entitlements. Member of @uknpm
Chief Executive Blog, Mental Health, Training
Custody Visiting and Mental Health
Date: May 15, 2017Author: custodyvisiting 0 Comments
Last week was mental health awareness week.
I think that efforts to remove the stigma surrounding mental health are important and valuable. I admire Prince Harry's brave decision to speak about his own problems and think that Bryony Gordon did a great job of explaining why it's so important to speak up. I also despaired at Piers Morgan's desperate, and somewhat sexist, attempt for attention by telling Britain to "man-up". Stigma, and this kind of language, does not help anybody.
As the week progressed, the Olaseni (Seni) Lewis inquest documented how an attempt to access mental health support ended in the death of a young man. I also watched a friend of mine suffer her own crisis. I started to wonder whether awareness is what we need? I sit in many meetings where I discuss mental health; it's an omnipresent issue in policing. It's also complex and requires multi-agency working to make progress. I therefore resolved to use Mental Health Awareness week, not to just talk about the issues, but to focus in on what it was that custody visiting could do to make change for the better. I have been working on a much-requested training package on mental health.
I began my research in the canon of mental health information- The Mental Health Cop Blog. The 'Mental Health Cop' is also known as Inspector Michael Brown, former Custody Sergeant and now mental health specialist for the College of Policing. His work goes well beyond custody so please do have a look if you're interested. I also recommend attending his talks if you have the chance. He conveys the history and contemporary issues surrounding mental health and policing very well.
I moved beyond the blog into legislation, policy, guidance, concordats for England and Wales as well as Standard Operating Procedures in Scotland and a post on Northern Ireland. I've pulled together a structure to develop into a training package. Our aim and hope is that this training will further empower ICVs to provide useful feedback on mental health issues in police custody suites. However, the topic is absolutely huge so I felt inspired to move beyond the training alone into a wider blog piece about my observations and experiences.
Mental health in custody
One of the clearest messages that I took from all of my reading and experience is that mental health issues are complex and require a lot of partnership working to resolve. Mental health in custody is no different. For the sake of clarity, I am going to split it in two:
Police custody as a place of safety
Police custody has been used as a place of safety for those in mental health crisis. This is where police use Section 136 or Section 135 of the Mental Health Act to move somebody to a place of safety for mental health assessment if they believe that this person needs immediate care or control. Whilst police custody will keep people physically safe, you can imagine that the experience can add to the distress of the detainee and police forces have been working hard to reduce this use of custody. The Police and Crime Act 2017 delivers another huge step in this direction, and is explained later on.
Police custody after arrest
Detainees may also find themselves in poor mental health and in police custody after arrest. A Detention Officer (DDO) on Twitter told me that they can often be the first to recognise someone has a mental health condition or are in crisis as they spend the most time with them. I have worked with some excellent DDOs and can well imagine that this could be the case. Detainees don't always disclose poor mental health when being booked in, but can build rapport with staff. Once someone is in custody and has poor mental health, the Custody Sergeant takes on a great responsibility and will make nuanced and, sometimes, difficult decisions. They may need to balance the needs of the detainee with the risk of harm to the public. They also need to safeguard the integrity of the legal process. I know, from spending time with sergeants and inspectors, that they face difficult conundrums that have no clear, perfect answer.
For example, I now regularly receive reports of instances where a person arrested for a crime has been assessed under the Mental Health Act as needing hospital admission, but there are no beds available and detainees have to wait for long stretches, sometimes days, to access a bed. This is a well-documented issue for policing and one that the Home Office and NPCC are working on. However, it can leave the Custody Sergeant in the impossible situation where they do not wish to release someone who could harm themselves or others, but have no legal basis for detaining them; see this blog.
You see – it's complicated and difficult and that's before we even start to look at the detail.
Legislative changes
The legislation on mental health and custody is changing. As mentioned previously, police custody has been used as a place of safety for those in crisis. Many constabularies have worked hard to reduce this and the Policing and Crime Act 2017 builds on this. The Act is nicely summarised by Mind and outlaws the use of police custody as a place of safety for children (aged 17 or under) and will severely restrict its use for adults. We wait for further guidance on when it may be used.
This change, of course, does not extend to those who are arrested. However, it does provide a clear message that police custody is not the right place for a person in mental health crisis. We wait to see how that leadership will drive changes to practice.
Restraint / use of force
The hugely sad inquest of Seni Lewis demonstrated a problem that is, again, often discussed and needs further work – use of restraint and mental health. This issue has featured in the news lately. The deaths of Seni Lewis and Thomas Orchard have weighed heavily and been widely discussed. Spithoods are frequently debated and have polarised opinion. The IPCC has stated that that, on average, mental health was a factor for two in five people (43%) people who died each year in or following police custody. Seven deaths in their report followed physical restraint or a violent struggle with the police. We need to further understand how to best respond to those in crisis in order to save lives and equip the police with the skills and knowledge that they need to safely manage restraint.
The police must call an Appropriate Adult (AA) for detainees who may be suffering from mental ill health or other mental vulnerability. The role of the AA is to:
Support, advise and assist the person,
Ensure that the person understands their rights,
Ensure that the police act fairly and respect the rights of the person, and
Ensure effective communication between the person, the police and others.
The linked guide explains more of the rights of the detainee and the Appropriate Adult. This is a crucial service, but again one that we continue to work on nationally as no one body has a legal duty to provide AA services for vulnerable adults and we've received reports of long waits and cuts to services. There's a lot of work underway between the Home Office and National Appropriate Adult Network, along with PCCs (including ICVA's Chair, Martyn Underhill) to ensure that this crucial safeguard is in place.
How can ICVs help?
ICVs are the eyes and ears of the public and their PCC, Policing Board or Police Authority. They visit custody week in, week out and have a unique perspective. I always encourage ICVs to report anything that they feel unhappy about to their scheme manager. They visit custody as a member of the public and should feel empowered to raise concerns on mental health. They may see things that others have missed.
Furthermore, our training will outline the key things that they should look out for in custody. Are people still coming into custody as a place of safety? Is there accessible healthcare to support custody staff and the detainee? Are vulnerable adults getting Appropriate Adults in a timely manner? Are detainees or staff reporting long waits for mental health beds for those assessed as needing them? Interviews with detainees, alongside observation of detainees and oversight of custody records will give schemes data that will paint a picture of mental health in custody in their area. PCCs, police authorities and boards can use this data to illustrate what's working or failing in their area and work with partners to ensure that the right services are in place.
ICVA collects regular scheme reports and we use this data to inform national discussions and reforms to police custody. We work with the NPCC, Home Office, College of Policing, IPCC and others to improve custody. We raise issues such as long waits for mental health beds and will continue to do so until the matter is resolved. ICV reports are gold dust and make a big difference.
There will be times when it's not appropriate for detainees to be in police custody – when it's not good for them, prevents them from getting the treatment they needs and places stress on the police service. ICVs are part of the solution to this. The on-the-ground experience of ICVs gives voice to vulnerable people and equips us with the evidence and understanding to identify problems and enact solutions.
This blog could have easily been double or triple thing length, maybe even ten times as long. I have cut a lot of what I wanted to say. Mental health in custody is such a big topic and impacted on by many things outside of custody. I hope that this post has done its bit to raise awareness of this part of the mental health world. More than that, I hope that this blog, coupled with our training and resources, will start to make a real difference. Please do let us know.
Just an added extra for those who may wish to further build their awareness. Inspector Brown tweeted about this book, shortly after I joined ICVA. It's an accessible source of information about mental health and the criminal justice system. I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone looking for more information.
Published by custodyvisiting
We lead, support and represent custody visiting schemes - volunteers who visit police custody to uphold detainees' rights & entitlements. Member of @uknpm	View all posts by custodyvisiting
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© 2019 The Independent Custody visiting association


Say hello with a pop-by or referral gift that lasts.
December is the perfect time to say "thank you" to clients and others who have made your year a success — but don't let your gesture get lost in the holiday rush. Choose a pop-by gift that will be used and talked about year-round, like our stainless steel soap. These powerful odor-eliminators can be engraved with your contact information, so clients will always know where to reach you.
Pro tip: Make your gift truly meaningful by including a small bag of onions and your favorite holiday stuffing recipe.
Stay relevant with a social media presence that inspires.
The best way to connect with — and gain — followers is to show them you're a real, relatable person. (Psst, that automatic reply you set up isn't helping at all.) Take the time to craft inspiring, helpful and original messages. Ask questions to learn about your audience and keep them engaged.
Periscope, Twitter's first live-stream app, is ideal for showing off a new listing or hosting a Q-and-A session.
Stick to a marketing plan that makes sense.
With the new year comes an invaluable opportunity to plan ahead. This month, sit down and develop a strong, fresh marketing plan. Keep in mind that the best strategy will also reflect your business personality. Not sure where to start? Check out our season-by-season suggestions.
Reach out with a note that encourages action.
It's no secret that a little note can go a long way. So why not include one with your next marketing piece? With our Personalized Inserts, you can quickly and beautifully introduce yourself to clients, let them know you're always there to help and gently ask for referrals. Explore our designs — many of which coordinate with products you're already sending.


Emerging in a whirlwind his feathers cover our bodies.
A clouded peak set in charcoal, we perch.
Piercing the land calling on those which are able, to fly.
Let peace into our hearts, allow ourselves to be happy.


Michelle Evans was appalled by the conditions at her son's middle school – and so she changed them. Using a provision of No Child Left Behind, Evans lead the fight to convert Gompers Middle School to a charter school. Hear Evans, who many call a hero, describe the struggle and success of the effort.


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Neal Acree (11 de julio de 1974) es un compositor musical americano. Su trabajo destaca en sectores como el cine, la televisión y la industria de los videojuegos. Él ha participado en más de 30 películas y es conocido por ser uno de los compositores principales de sagas de videojuegos de Blizzard Entertainment como StarCraft, World of Warcraft u Overwatch, y de series como Stargate SG-1 o Stargate Atlantis.

Biografía
Nacido en Tarzana (California), Neal empezó su afán por las películas y sus bandas sonoras desde pequeño, siendo especialmente amante de las composiciones de John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith y James Horner entre otros.

Carrera profesional
Pese a que originalmente quería empezar unos estudios en arte, su pronta experimentación con música instrumental electrónica hizo que su carrera cambiase. Así, después de estudiar música clásica, étnica y electrónica, Neal comenzó a ver que el mundo de la música cinematográfica era ideal para mezclar sus dos grandes pasiones: el cine y la música. Pronto después, su amor por los videojuegos que empezaron con la Atari 2600 lo haría introducirse de lleno en el mundo de los videojuegos debutando con la música de la cinemática inicial del World Of Warcraft: The Burnig Crusade. De esta manera, los videojuegos le darían gran parte de su fama.

En 2014, Neal sería aclamado por su papel en la banda sonora de World Of Warcraft: Mists Of Pandaria abriéndose paso en el mundo oriental. Así, el gigante de los videojuegos chino, NetEase, le daría la oportunidad en volver a experimentar con la música oriental para su videojuego MMO Revelation Online.

Premios

 Mejor edición de sonido y música - Overwatch: Honor and Glory - MPSE Golden Reel Awards (2018)
 Compositor del año - Massively overpowered Online VGM Awards (2016)
 Mejor banda sonora de una expansión - World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor - Massively Overpowered Online VGM Awards (2016)
 Mejor banda sonora - Revelation Online - MMOSite Readers Choice Awards (2016)
 Mejor música para videojuego -  Overwatch - Hollywood Music in Media Awards (2016)
 Compositor del año - BSOSpirit Jerry Goldsmith Awards Awards (2016)
 Mejor música para videojuego - Revelation Online -  BSOSpirit Jerry Goldsmith Awards Awards (2016)
 Mejor música para videojuego - Revelation Online -  BSOSpirit Jerry Goldsmith Awards Awards (2015)
 Mejor música para videojuego - Revelation Online - Scorecast Genius Choice Vote (2015)

 Mejor audio de cinemática - Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2015)
 Mejor música - World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor - Hollywood Music in Media Awards (2015)
 Mejor edición de música y sonido - StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - MPSE Golden Reel Awards (2014)
 Reconocimiento al mérito: Banda Sonora  - Assassination Games - Global Music Awards (2013)
 Reconocimiento al mérito: Banda sonora (Videojuego) - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - Global Music Awards (2013)
 Mejor música, videojuego - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - Scorecast Cue Awards (2013)
 Mejor música, Medios Visuales - Diablo III - Hollywood Music in Media Awards (2012)
 Audio del año - Diablo III - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2012)
 Mejor audio - Diablo III - Game Developer's Choice Online Awards (2012)
 Mejor audio de cinemática - Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2011)
 Mejor vocal (coral) - World of Warcraft: Cataclysm  - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2011)
 Mejor audio de cinemática - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2009)
 Mejor uso de la música - World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade - Telly Awards (2007)

Nominaciones

 Mejor Banda sonora de videojuego del año - StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void - ASCAP Composer's Choice Awards (2015)
 Mejor banda sonora original de videojuego - Revelation Online - International Film Music Critics Association Awards (2015)
 Mejor instrumental: The Chosen - Tema principal de - Revelation Online - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2015)
 Mejor banda sonora de videojuego- Revelation Online - Movie Music UK Awards (2015)
 Mejor banda sonora de videojuego - Revelation Online - Reel Music Awards (2015)
 Mejor banda sonora de videojuego - StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void - Soundtrack Geek Awards (2015)
 Mejor banda sonora original de videojuego - World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor - International Film Music Critics Association Awards (2014)
 Mejor música: Medios Visuales - Diablo III - Hollywood Music In Media Awards (2012)
 Composición excepcional - World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - Interactive Achievement Awards (2011)
 Composición excepcional - Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty - Interactive Achievement Awards (2011)
 Mejor audio de cinemática de videojuego - World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2011)
 Música del año - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2009)
 Banda sonora del año - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Game Audio Network Guild Awards (2009)
 Composición excepcional - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Interactive Achievement Awards (2009)

Obras musicales

Bandas sonoras de videojuegos

 World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (cinemática de apertura) (2006)
 World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (cinemática de apertuta) (2008)
 Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)
 World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (2010)
 Diablo III (2012)
 World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (2012)
 Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013)
 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (2014)
 World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor (2014)
 Revelation Online (2015)
 Imperial Reign (2015)
 StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (2015)
 Overwatch (2016)
 World of Warcraft: Legion (2016)
 World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (2018)
 Wangzhe Rongyao: Chuzheng (2019)
 Rend (2019)

Música para televisión

 The legend of Vox Machina (primera temporada) 2022
 Sanctuary (primera temporada)
 Stargate Atlantis
 Stargate SG-1
 Stargate Universe
 Witchblade

Bandas sonoras de películas

 Animal World (2018)
 The Saint (2017)
 Falcon Rising protagonizada por Michael Jai White (2014)
 Six Bullets protagonizada por Jean-Claude Van Damme (2012)
 Assassination Games protagonizada por Jean-Claude Van Damme (2011)
 War of the Dead (2011)
 Witchville (2011)
 Mechanic protaginizada por Jason Statham (música adicional) (2010)
 Hallowed Ground (2008)
 Stargate: Continuum (música adicional) (2008)
 Stargate: The Ark of Truth (música adicional) (2008)
 Juncture (2007)
 Throttle (2005)
 Crash Landing (2005)
 7 Seconds (2005)
 Cerberus (2005)
 Gargoyle: Wings of Darkness (2004)
 Method (película) (2004)
 The Curse of the Komodo (2004)
 Deadly Swarm (2003)
 Lost Treasure (2003)
 Project Viper (2002)
 Gale Force (2002)
 Venomous (2001)
 Ablaze (2001)
 Critical Mass (2001)
 They Crawl (2001)
 Crash Point Zero (2001)
 Militia (2000)

Enlaces externos

 Sitio web oficial

Referencias

 Minty, El (2011-03-06). "Winners: 2011 Game Audio Network Guild Awards - News". www.GameInformer.com.
 "Game Developers Choice Online Awards ". Gdconlineawards.com.
 "2009 Game Audio Network Guild Award Winners". Gamebanshee.com.
 "2012 Visual Media Nominees | Music Awards Los Angeles | Music Awards Hollywood". Hmmawards.org
 "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details". Interactive.org.

Músicos de Estados Unidos
Compositores de bandas sonoras de Estados Unidos
Compositores de bandas sonoras de videojuegos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


As a hidden supporter part of our job is to help our depression sufferer to spot the signs and to manage their depression. My DS often sinks well into the situation before he realises he was even heading in that direction. I can spot the signs from the first cross word.
Is this a good or bad thing? It's hard to know. On the one hand I feel overly sensitive to his needs which can be a strain mentally and emotionally. From the first sign I know where we are heading and can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the helplessness that we hidden supporters have.
However on the other hand, it also enables me to open the communication and over time this has also enabled my DS to stop and think about what is triggering his behaviour which we can then discuss and use the coping mechanisms that he has learnt.
Initially there was a lot of resistance to my involvement and arguments. Recently we have developed a pattern that gets us through each occurrence quite quickly with the least possible fuss. It's an amazing feeling to have found a level of trust where we both respect the other and listen and cope. It has taken a long time and many many tears but it was all worth it to see my little family happy and healthy.
To all hidden supporters out there, what ever stage you are in this journey, you have friends here and you can survive the dark days.


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The National Archives releases (part 1): the Keating–Suharto security treaty
1 Jan 2018|Graeme Dobell
In Jakarta's presidential palace in December 1995, Australia's Prime Minister Paul Keating stood with Indonesia's President Suharto as their two foreign ministers signed a security treaty.
Keating was ebullient. Here was Australia as a regional insider, able to strike a unique bilateral deal with the delphic Javanese leader at the centre of Southeast Asia.
The Agreement on Maintaining Security secretly negotiated with Suharto was a singular achievement that became a failed leap of faith. The mix of bravado and aspiration in the treaty's creation made it a deal between two extraordinarily different people—Suharto and Keating—more than an agreement between two extraordinarily different peoples.
The announcement of the treaty a few days before the signing ceremony shocked the rest of Southeast Asia as much as it surprised Canberra—and it blindsided the military elite around Suharto.
At the signing ceremony in Jakarta, Australia's deputy prime minister, Kim Beazley, went up to a group of Indonesian generals he'd come to know when serving as Australia's defence minister (1984–90) and cheerfully greeted them: 'Hello, allies!'
The treaty was an uncharacteristic moment for proudly non-aligned Indonesia, marking a moment of sublime acceptance for Keating. And three months later, when Labor was swept from power by Australia's voters, it became his final grand international gesture. Keating left politics expressing confidence that the security agreement would endure as a monument to Australia's rightful place in Asia.
On the flight back to Canberra after the signing, Keating confided to Beazley his fear that the treaty would be his last 'big picture' moment as prime minister. As Beazley recalls that conversation with Keating: 'He said to me, "You know, Kim, I think we are going to lose [the federal election]." Which was not good news to a deputy about to fight an election two or three months after that.'
The Liberals had been in opposition for a dozen years, and Keating told Beazley: 'I think they can do some very silly things. I want to put in place as much ballast that they can live on while they bring themselves up to speed.'
Just as Keating had built his personal relationship with Suharto to achieve the APEC summits, so the treaty was the ultimate expression of friendship between two leaders whose closeness emphasised all their contrasts. As Gough Whitlam jested about Keating's commitment to Suharto: 'Paul always preferred older men.'
Beazley reflects that Keating had 'enormous admiration for the old man'. Indeed, says Beazley, Keating 'loved Suharto, and Suharto loved him. Suharto regarded him as a son and was enormously protective of him'.
Beazley was speaking ahead of the release by the National Archives of the 1994 and 1995 cabinet records of the Keating Labor government.
The submission Keating put to his cabinet for approval of the deal (with the draft press release to go out immediately after cabinet agreed) is a classic bit of prime ministerial fait accompli. And it's classic Keating on Indonesia:
There is no country more important to Australia than Indonesia. Australian territory can in effect be directly threatened with military force only from or through Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Bilaterally, this agreement will:
• provide reassurance that Australia and Indonesia recognise that each has a fundamental interest in the security of the other;
• commit each to cooperating with the other in ensuring their own security and that of the region;
• demonstrate that each has confidence in the intentions of each towards the other; and
• complement the progress that has been made in other areas of the relationship.
It will have, therefore, an important and positive effect on the attitudes of the public in each country towards the other. Through the agreement Indonesia is making a clear statement that it is not a threat to Australia and is committing itself to cooperating with us.
Standing in the presidential palace reporting the signing ceremony, I spent most of my time on the then common ASEAN obsession: staring at Suharto to check his movements and speech and health. The age-old problem of one-man rule is old age. Australia shared the region's obsession with what would come after the strongman lost his strength. The issue of Suharto's eventual departure was the justification for the agreement Keating never used in public. But his cabinet submission was explicit:
Whether or not the succession to President Suharto goes smoothly and what direction Indonesia's policies will take are difficult to predict. While this agreement will not in itself obviate problems for us, it could well help us deal with that period. This agreement is an important long-term structure which will consolidate Australia's place in the region, reinforce the stability of our region, and help reduce the uncertainties in our future.
Suharto fell in 1998, after 31 years in power, consumed by Asia's financial crisis. By September 1999 the treaty was gone, abrogated by Indonesia's military as Australian soldiers entered East Timor at the head of a multinational force to stop the slaughter that followed Timor's vote for independence.
Ultimately, the logic of the security deal reasserted itself. In November 2006, Australia and Indonesia signed the Lombok treaty—an Agreement on the Framework for Security Cooperation—a broader and more detailed version of what Suharto and Keating attempted. It was among the last big foreign policy wins of John Howard's government—a rare bit of Howard–Keating symmetry.
But there's one crucial difference: the Lombok treaty is an agreement between two democracies, not just between two leaders.
Graeme Dobell is the ASPI journalism fellow. Image courtesy of the Indonesia Australia Report.
Indonesia 1965: the attempted coup and the rise of Suharto
Searching for trust with Indonesia
An optimist's toast for Australia and Indonesia
Indonesia and Australia, together apart


Finalist Big Apple FiLM FEST!
An ex-marine, widower has a new neighbor move in which he strongly disapproves of. The young, female moving in next door tries hard to know her new neighbor, NORMAN (60's), but can't break through his walls. In a case of mistaken identity, the two finally come together and form an unexpected bond.
An experimental animated film based on a true story. A Grand Daughter and Grandmother clash, but as KAY matures and learns more about her Gramma MILLIE, she begins to understand her Gramma by learning about her past.
Purple Gang - A young man takes back his town from a brutal, Jewish street gang during the prohibition era.
Big Sister - After the horrific murder of mother, father and aunt, 21 year old Cecily exacts revenge on their murderer igniting a feud between two families.
A Message From Beyond - A high school senior releases a vengeful spirit through the eye of her cell phone.
Tapped - A comedian tries to make a comeback and is confronted by his past.
BIG SISTER is now an official selection for one of the top 50 festivals located in Oaxaca Mexico!
We are very excited to attend this Fall, and hopefully make the connections necessary to produce our first feature film in 2018.
A woman exacts revenge on her parents murderers while caring for her brother.
Cecily (20's) is awoken by her parents late one night. Frank (40's), is on the phone with her Aunt Janice (30's), who is being attacked by her abusive boyfriend Vic (40's). Cecily's Mother Marion (late 30's) asks Cecily to watch her brother Norman (11) while they go help her sister.
When Marion and Frank arrive at the run down home, the door is open and they walk in to find Vic abusing Janice. Frank pulls a gun, but Vic is too quick and kills all three, leaving Cecily and Norman as orphans.
This devastates the two, when Officer Michaels (30) and Officer Andrews (50's) deliver the news. Frustrated with the police, Cecily takes matters into her own hands and kills Vic.
Officer Michaels has fallen for Cecily and protects her from Officer Andrews who suspects her as a vigilante. Alicia (50), Vic's sister and Joe (18) his nephew, are informed of Vic's death at their trailer park. Joe, a known troublemaker, decides to start harassing Cecily. Joe doesn't buy her story either.
Cecily's neighbors Joan (40's) and her daughter Jen (16), along with Cecily's friend Bart (20's), support her and Norman through their ordeal. When things begin to escalate between Vic's family and Cecily, Officer Michaels continues to protect and pursue her.
Norman gets caught in the middle. Joe and his minions chase him through the woods and Norman ends up in a coma, Joe and his buddies Frank (17) and Nick (18), have taken this family feud too far.
Officer Andrews does not let go of his theory about Cecily, and when all three teens go missing, his suspicion grows. But, Officer Michaels has fallen hard for Cecily and keeps his partner at bay.
Bart and Michaels realize Cecily has snapped and finds the teens caged up in an abandoned basement, with her as their captor. Michaels is forced to shoot her before things go to far.
In the end, Andrews theory is squashed by Michaels. The unfatal wounding Michaels inflicted on Cecily actually saves her life and she and Norman are reunited.
This movie was both an engaging read and a compelling story, with drama and action on every page! The plot has nice momentum and is pulled forward by a driven and thought-provoking main character.
The tension that is built is real, palpable and dynamic. There are many rich textures to this film, including a sizzling taboo romance, Western-style Vigilante Justice and a crime-drama turned Pyscho-Thriller twist.
Attention must be paid to the length of the film, which is a concise 82 pages and a good length for a compact tale.


Animated Gifs of Pyramids of Egypt. Gifs of Houses, Architecture and Engineering. Images of the Animated Pyramids. Draws of the Animated relieving chamber, king's chamber, queen's chamber and undergound chamber. Images of descending passages, shafts and pyramid entrance. Keops, Kefren Mikerinos Great Pyramid.


If you have never had olive oil ice cream, prepare yourself: it will change your life. I'm not one for making broad sweeping statements about recipes, but this discovery so changed my own world, I just don't think I can tone down my enthusiasm. This is probably the best thing I've ever eaten.
The genesis for this recipe came from a conversation I had with my husband about the health benefits of high quality olive oil after he heard a story on NPR's The Salt. The story gave some direction on how to pick the best quality olive oil (tips like looking for a bottling date instead of an expiry date) so I very proudly showed him the new bottle of Middle Earth Organics Estate Premium EVOO that I had just opened the night before. Like the news story suggested, we took swigs and definitely detected more than a hint of the polyphenol telltale peppery feeling at the back of our throats. Feeling like this good quality olive oil was probably something we should consume more of, I started experimenting with recipes that were more exciting than salad dressing (usually the only thing I use olive oil for).
So, where did the idea for olive oil ice cream come from? Well, it's actually a common ice cream flavor in Italy, but I really got the idea because I had been researching a far more adventuresome ice cream flavor and I thought "well, this could work instead and might be really yummy". Ohmigosh, understatement of the year.
So, one of the tricks to making this amazing is to buy really high quality extra virgin olive oil. I've been loving Middle Earth Organics, which is available on amazon and form Tropical Traditions. But, you can use any flavorful high quality olive oil you want.
You can make this ice cream with an Ice Cream Maker or with a high power blender (like a Blendtec) and I've included instructions below for each.
Note on ice cream makers: This is a great investment for Paleo families because it opens up so many delicious possibilities. The Ice Cream Maker Santa brought me two years ago is still going strong and is fairly simple, with a bowl that lives in the coldest part of my freezer ready for whenever I feel like whipping up some sorbet for dessert. It makes very creamy ice cream in about 10 minutes, sometimes less, and is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.
You could also make this ice cream by putting the custard in a metal bowl in the freezer and whisking every 20 minutes or so for the 3-4 hours that it would take to harden. I did this once with a different recipe before getting an Ice Cream Maker. It works, but it isn't as good as using a machine.
Ah, olive oil ice cream. Creamy, the most exquisite flavor ever, I just don't know how to describe how yummy this is. And if you really want your mind blown, try topping it with a super well aged thick balsamic vinegar. You're welcome.
Heat coconut milk on medium-low heat, stirring very frequently, until hot and steaming but just short of a simmer (do not let the milk simmer!).
Separate eggs (discard whites or save for another purpose) and place yolks in a heat-safe container (a pyrex measuring cup works well).
Temper the egg yolks by adding a ladle full of hot milk to the yolks while stirring the yolks. Now add the tempered yolks to the saucepot, again stirring constantly.
Let cool to room temperature. Add the rest of the ingredients. I think it's best to blend them together for a minute to fully incorporate, but you can whisk them together too.
Chill the custard in the fridge until cold.
and follow the directions. Once it's done in the ice cream maker, pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1-4 hours to harden a little more before serving.
Place custard in a freezer-safe bowl and freeze until mostly solid, 4-6 hours.
Scoop out frozen custard into your Blendtec and press the ice cream button. Voila! This works best if you blend it before the custard is 100% solid. Then you can put it back in the freezer for another hour or two before serving. If the ice cream is so solid, the blades won't grip it, just let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes and try again.
Enjoy! Store any leftovers in the soft zone of your freezer (or remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving).
I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask because I don't like sugar substitutes at all… my best suggestion is to just have a small portion.
Try tupelo honey. It metabolizes differently so it won't cause a burst of glucose n your blood.
Lakanto sugar. zero calories, zero net carbs. tastes identical to sugar and is actually good for you!
Ok, you totally got my attention with this one! Gotta try it this weekend–with 1/4 cup maple syrup in place of the honey.
This looks amazing! Do you think I could sub almond milk for the coconut milk? It's not as thick, so would I need to reduce the amount?
It would probably work, but part of why this is so creamy is because of the coconut milk.
Best. ice cream. ever. It's such an unlikely combination of ingredients that I had to try it, and now I don't think I'm going to be able to hold out till dinner time. It is that amazing. I wouldn't sub anything – as PaleoMom wrote, just eat less of it if you are worried about the sugar content. The honey gives it an amazing depth of flavour, which just wouldn't be the same with sugar substitutes or maple syrup.
Hello. Just wondering… is coconut cream the same thing as coconut manna or coconut butter (Artisana), and if not, do you think they might work in your recipe?
No. It's like the top thick half of a can of coconut milk. And, I think that coconut butter would give too much grit.
I will be honest, my initial thoughts based on the title post were "what, really? like seriously", then I thought about it, then I read the post and then the comments, and then I was like "must get myself an icecream maker so I can try this". It sounds divinely decadent .
It's one of the first foods I recommend adding back in… the only problem with them is that 1-2% of people are allergic. I've been doing really well with them myself.
I so have to try this. Does it freeze solid when you put in the freezer (assuming there is some left over to keep) or does it stay soft and scoopable? Just wondering about adding gelatin if it does freeze up. The olive oil might keep it soft though.
Mine has hardened up in the freezer though it's still scoopable, especially if you use a warm scoop.
can you make this in a vitamix or do i have to buy an ice cream maker?
The freezing part of the process is easier with an ice cream maker, but if you didn't have one you could freeze it in a dish instead. You could blend it up afterwards but I'm not even sure if that would be necessary.
I've tried this… the ice crystals are a little big when you freeze directly so it's a bit grainy, but it's still pretty good. I think it's better if blended up.
Thanks Sarah for yet another wonderful recipe. I've encountered a problem however… when I put the mix into the icecream maker, after awhile the oil formed tiny lumps. This lead me to think I should've drizzled the olive oil into the custard, in order to emulsify the mixture a la the mayonnaise technique? You obviously didn't encounter this issue, what are your thoughts?
Strange. I've made this about six or seven times and never had that problem. Was the custard thickened enough?
I made it this week and had the same thing happen. I chilled my custard, which was smooth, then when I ran it in my ice cream maker it formed little lumps like dippin dots! Maybe next time I'll re-blend before running it through the ice cream maker, or just freeze and then process in the vitamix.
Olive Oil ice cream, what an interesting idea! Looks delicious. I wonder if a less fat coconut milk would work as a substitute?
I think it would go rock hard with coconut oil, but you could try it.
Can u suggest some substitutes for the coconut, even though it will change the result? Tx!
Sounds delightful-If I neither have a BlendTec nor an ice cream maker (I have a food processor and a VitaMix) what can any of you suggest? This sounds awesome!
I just finished making this in my ice cream maker. Amazing.
I've got this in my freezer now (doing bowl method). I've used carton coconut milk (thinner than canned) but duck egg yolks so I'm thinking the enormity of the duck egg yolks might cancel out the thinness of the milk. So far the liquid tastes nice (the olive oil and honey goes together really well) but maybe a little too salty. I'll see what it's like frozen!
Shamefully I'm just using my favorite supermarket brand olive oil for this. I bought a local organic one pressed the weak before I tasted it and it was just waaayy too strong and the smell was really unappealing. My fiance wouldn't even eat the broccoli that I had seasoned with it.
I'm wondering about the olive oil too. My husband is an EVOO connoisseur and most of our special olive oil has a very strong taste. Does the one linked to have a specially mild taste? Or would a grocery store organic EVOO work as well (Trader Joe, etc.)? Sorry to be so picky, but I still haven't found an olive oil I like for mayo.
Finally made this and it's amazingly good esp with a bit of balsamic. My daughter doesn't like it (sorry) but my son said 'passable', which is as good his compliments get. I'm planning on reducing some balsamic to try with it. Thanks!
I'm allergic to eggs:( Do you really need them? Should I try it?
When I first read this recipe and your glowing report, I admit I was more than a bit put off. I thought you must be crazy. Olive oil ice cream? Yuck! I'm not a fan of olive oil or coconut milk.
But I finally tried it this afternoon. Still skeptical. But then I'd gone ahead and gotten the ingredients and didn't want them to go to waste. While I was stirring the coconut milk and egg mixture together, I still thought I was wasting my time. I timed myself 7 minutes to make sure I got it just right.
Oh. My. God. it IS the best ice cream ever!!! And it wasn't even cold yet! I never would have thought of putting coconut milk and olive oil together nor that the result would be so delicious!! You were so right! Thank you for this recipe! I'll have to try some of that aged balsamic with it too one of these days.
Can you taste the coconut or just the olive oil?
So, you say to blend them together for a minute…is this in a blender or the sauce pan they're cooked in? It's a lot of clean-up; sauce pan, measuring cup, blender, ice cream maker…so I was wondering if you could clarify before I attempt this recipe, thanks!
I went ahead and put it in the blender, (I had moved away from the stove to look @ the recipe and sure enough, it boiled for a second and the bottom layer curdled) and that smoothed everything out; the final product is pretty terrific. Different, unusual even, but tasty and I've had a bottle of Balsamic syrup for quite some time that is specifically for my summer Salad Caprese and this is an even better reason to use it!
Thanks so much for the clarification Christina…turns out I needed to use the blender anyway; but I hadn't thought of the immersion blender. Will remember that for next time!
I made this today with some orange infused olive oil. Wow! It tasted like a high-brow creamsicle. Absolutely delicious.
Curious…what ice cream maker do you have? I want to buy one< any advice would be helpful!!
Sarah, this was great! I used 1 Tbsp of gelatin and 1/4 cup of hot water instead of the egg yolks and it made it custard-like creamy–recommended. Mine tastes like non chemical-laden bubble gum with a really great olive oil essence. Thanks for the recipe!
Just throwing out there that there is a local oil & vinegar emporium we have near here that carries dark chocolate vinegar and strawberry vinegar that are both divine and would both be magnificent on this. I am going to have to do it. Although I think the ice cream is ridiculously fantastic by itself.
There's a product called "pomegranate concentrate" or "pomegranate molasses". Available in Middle Eastern stores or on Amazon. It should have just one ingredient – pomegranate. I use it in lieu of balsamic vinegar in everything.
It's even better than balsamic with this recipe.
This has been my go-to ice cream recipe for a while now. It's absolutely amazing if you add cacao and is usually pretty good with all kinds of fruit. The only time it's lacking is when I want a pure vanilla flavor. It's given me a good foundation for making ice cream, though. Obviously, fat = real deal. So I've tried using avocados and nut oils but those all impart different flavors and can get expensive fast.
It's no longer dairy-free, but holy crap you get all the creaminess with only a creamy flavor. Thanks for the idea!!!
Thankfully I made some carob brownies earlier today too, and that helps the ice cream go down, for me.
Looks like an interesting recipe! I always love olive oil ice cream in restaurants. I think I will try it with 1/4 tsp liquid stevia. I usually can get it to work in most recipes. Thanks for sharing!
It sounds so weird….but it's SO GOOD. The texture is to die for, and the flavor is amazing too, though it doesn't taste like olive oil. It's just really, really good. I think the olive oil directly impacts the texture too, since olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fats and mostly remains liquid when cold, it keeps the more saturated fats in the coconut milk from freezing rock hard (such is the problem with most coconut milk ice creams). I could honestly see using this as a base for other flavors of ice cream too. The flavor is so mild, it would make an excellent neutral base for additions like chocolate chunks or caramel.
I am curious though, what is the dark stuff drizzled on it in the picture?
The first time, I made this with a light tasting olive oil and cashew milk, as I don't use coconut milk often, plus I added a bit more oil since the cashew milk didn't seem as fatty as coconut milk. Otherwise, I made it per the recipe. It was a bit sweet for me. The second time I made this as strawberry/lemon. I used cashew milk again, co-milled lemon olive oil, a little less honey and lemon extract. I put the strawberries in after it had been in the ice cream maker for a bit. It is so good!!! I have several other ideas for the basic recipe. I have found an excellent source of artisan olive oil made in California. In January 2016, my son actually took me to visit the facility and I was sold. They have an online business too, so I can order what I need.
Thanks for sharing your tweaks. They sound delicious!
I just made this using [cheap] store-brand EVOO, and the result is still delicious and oh, so decadent! I'm assuming that a higher-quality olive oil will lend more flavor to this; right now, the ice cream has a nice and mild peppery aftertaste only. Still some of the best damn vanilla ice cream I've ever had. Thank you for posting this!
High quality EVOO tends to have a stronger flavor, as you said, but I'm glad you were able to make it work with what you have!!!!


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IMSA's GTD Pro Class Is Coming Out Swinging
The new racing class to replace GTLM is going to be jam-packed
Bradley Brownell
Image: Lexus Racing USA
IMSA's GTLM class had been slowly dying for at least a few seasons, and has finally been shuffled off the track for the 2022 season. As you should probably know by now, the class has been replaced with a new factory-backed pros-only class called GTD Pro, which is exactly what it sounds like. These are more or less the same GT3 machines that have been racing in GTD since the merger of ALMS and Grand Am in 2014.
To differentiate the GTD Pro class from the standard GTD class, teams will be allowed to run a slightly different balance of performance, potentially different tires, and full factory-backed pro driver lineups. Of course, following a test last week, the class will make its competition debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. There are still a few manufacturers and teams that aren't ready to announce their plans quite yet, but it's starting to look like GTD Pro will be a pretty stacked class.
As of right now there are only five full-season cars confirmed for the class. That's one Lexus, two BMW M4 GT3s, and a pair of de-rated Corvette C8.Rs. Of course five cars is still two more than were committed for the 2021 season, so that's already an improvement, but according to a report from Racer.com's Marshall Pruett, a bunch more are waiting in the wings.
Pruett says the racing community should expect an Aston Martin Vantage, a Ferrari 488, two or more Lamborghini Huracans, two Mercedes AMG GT3s, and two Porsche 911 GT3s. I've independently corroborated at least one of those Porsches will be run by the 2021 GTD championship-winning Pfaff Motul team from Canada. So that's over a dozen GTD Pro cars on the grid for the Rolex next month, and at least 8 or 9 cars for the full season, and I could not be more here for it.
While the Acura NSX, Audi R8, and McLaren 720S are homologated to compete in the class, it doesn't seem any teams will be taking those programs into the Pro category.
I'm not generally in favor of separate Pro and Am categories driving what amounts to the same basic cars, as it typically makes the racing significantly more confusing for casual fans. That said, in this case it looks like the reduction in expense for massive international manufacturers and the privateer teams running them will result in swelling grids, and that's almost never a bad thing. More cars, more racing, better on-track action, and hopefully an improved experience for the series, the teams, the OEMs, and the fans alike. What could go wrong?


Did you see? Did you see Jimmy? ISN'T HE CUTE?!? AND THE BABY DUCKY!!!!!
So. These are for sale. Go buy them. Mom can't keep giving me her art work just because I like it. And my walls are kinda full. So.
Go! What are you waiting for? Go now!
Your momma is most talented. Thanks for stopping by and visiting us, we always like to make new friends!
Wow! Wonderful work. You must be so proud of her!
Awesome! Your mother is very talented!
I have been in awe of her for years!
your momma is really talented!!!
Good luck with the selling.
I love the black and white picture with the doggie looking out the window.
She does gorgeous work! Love each and every single one!! They are truly beautiful!
Wowee wow wow, such talent! We admire artists, since we have creativity, however, not in that particular area!
Wow amazing artwork. I'm gonna pin it!


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← Out of the Vault – Action Comics #472
Aborted Extra →
Super Movie Monday – Superman: The Movie (Part 3)
Posted on December 20, 2010 by Tony Frazier
This is it, the conclusion to our titanic three part-recap of Superman, the 1978 film that started the modern boom in superhero movies.
As this final section of the film opens, we see Jimmy Olsen taking photographs of what is clearly (but never identified as) Hoover Dam. Meanwhile, Lois is in the desert somewhere interviewing an Indian chief about someone buying up worthless desert land at inflated prices.
Clark Kent and Perry White then have a discussion in which Perry manages to mention both the desert land story (which Lois and Jimmy are covering in California) and the theft of a "worthless" meteorite from a museum in Addis Ababa, all while the TV in the background is showing live coverage of the impending nuclear missile test. Way to tie all the threads together, movie. Also, since when are nuclear missile tests carried live on all networks?
Suddenly, a highpitched signal causes dogs to howl and Clark to grab his ears. At the same moment, teenagers are leaving malls all over Metropolis, and in the audience, young Mariah Carey is saying to herself, "That's the sound I want to make on my hit records someday."
Clark then hears Luthor's voice threatening to kill half the city with poisonous gas. So even 28 years later, Luthor still feels the need to broadcast his plans to Superman. Clark jumps out a window and transforms, which feels odd. I mean, in the comics, Superman did this trick all the time, though it was always described carefully in a thought balloon as Clark changing clothes at super-speed, then compressing his suit using super-pressure so it could fit into a tiny secret pocket in his cape. Really. In the movie, they just dissolve from Clark to Superman.
Superman tracks down Luthor's lair underground, and we finally get to see the two meet. And Superman actually pronounces Luthor's name correctly, at least once.
But this is where the filmmakers cheat by playing off the characters' history in the comics. Because even though this is the first time Superman has ever met Luthor, he acts almost as if they're old familiar enemies. In the original draft of the screenplay, Superman had actually foiled one of Lex's previous plans, so there was some explanation for the animosity. But in the filmed version, there's none, except that the filmmakers realized they could do without a "getting to know you" moment, since both characters were so well known as arch-enemies. It's a little cheap, but it works well enough in the movie.
Luthor describes his scheme to destroy California with a nuclear explosion, turning his worthless desert land into super-valuable beachfront property, as elsewhere the missiles fly off course. And who's that freaking out at the control board? It's Cliff!
Man, between this film and The Empire Strikes Back and every film Pixar has made, Ratzenberger will be a legend forever.
Luthor continues with a charade about how he can stop the missiles with a detonator, but it's just a trap to get Superman to find the Kryptonite. And along the way, Superman tosses Luthor across the room in a nice throwaway strength gag. Luthor seems to enjoy it. Maybe that's his thing…
Anyway, Superman gets zapped by the Kryptonite, and after a little evil gloating, Luthor pushes Superman into his pool to drown. He also reveals that the second missile is heading for Hackensack, New Jersey.
Unfortunately for Lex's plans, that's where Miss Teschmacher's mother lives! Eve saves Superman (she makes him promise to save her mother first), but before tossing away the Kryptonite, she steals a kiss.
It's not much of a kiss, but Valerie Perrine does play the sexy white-trash, no-self-esteem-having mistress pretty well, all things considered. Then Superman flies off to save the day. Even his cape breaks through the stone ceiling of Luthor's lair.
Superman chases down the first missile in some of the best flying scenes in the movie. If you look closely, you can just barely make out the support plate beneath Christopher Reeve's costume as he's reaching for the missile, but don't look too closely, because this is a good part, 'kay?
He steers the missile into space, where he lets it go. It flies off into the distance, where it does not blow open the Phantom Zone crystal.
But as as Superman turns back toward Earth he sees the flash that means this.
The ground opens up along the San Andreas fault, and the earthquakes start, setting off a series of disasters. Superman flies down into the hole and lifts up the Earth's crust to seal the breach or something.
Whatever he does, it works. And from just before the bomb detonates, though the first series of disasters, to Superman fixing the breach, there is no music on the soundtrack, other than what sounds like one random orchestral sting.
Now comes an amazing flurry of super-rescues, in what is certainly a worthy climax to a movie of this size and a hero of Superman's stature. First, Superman saves a busload of schoolchildren from falling off the collapsing Golden Gate Bridge. They did the same thing in Fantastic Four, but it took, you know, four of them.
Then Superman saves a train from being derailed by using his own body to replace a section of rail. Luckily, the missing section is just his size, and even more luckily, the train is an Amtrak, so there's like three cars. If it had been a freight, that would have been all we watched for the rest of the movie.
The quake causes Hoover Dam to crack, putting Jimmy in jeopardy, at the same time that a power station goes kablooey, with cables falling and sparks flying. Superman shuts off the master switch at the power station, then saves Jimmy (and calls him by name, though they've never been shown meeting–the movie is once again trading on Superman's long relationship with Jimmy in other media).
Then he flies off to save a town from the flood caused by the broken dam by causing an avalanche of rock from two peaks overlooking the valley…
…in a scene reminiscent of this moment from a story in Superman #3 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster (reprinted in Jules Feiffer's The Great Comic Book Heroes).
But as Superman is savoring that accomplishment, he hears Lois in danger. An aftershock has caused the earth to swallow her car, and she's trapped! Donner puts his horror movie experience to good use here, making Lois's peril really desperate and grisly.
Superman flies off to save her, and it's interesting that the crack in the earth ends right where her car is, as if the earth ate her on purpose (or maybe it was Our Lord Jorbama who didn't want Lois to corrupt his boy).
Superman heaves her car up out of the ground, only to discover that he's too late. Lois is dead. And it's hard to overstate just how shocking this moment was in the theater, once again due to the history of Lois and Superman in other media. Superman had been saving Lois for decades by that point. He was never too late. What the hell?
And though there's much that has been silly or stupid throughout the rest of the film, the climactic sequence has been very nearly perfect up to this point. The pacing, the effects, the performances, especially Reeve's: all have come together to make an epic and involving climax, topped by this quietly tragic moment as Superman stands over Lois's dead body and starts to cry.
This scene is one of the moments that made Reeve a star, because before this movie came out, who would have expected you could feel sorry for Superman? You expect a lot of things out of a Superman story, but grief is not one of them, and Reeve's performance really sells it.
At which point, he screams and flies into the sky, and now we're into one of the most controversial endings of the decade, if not all time. Superman shoots up into the sky, where he is confronted by the face of Jorbrando in the clouds…
…a scene that was later echoed in The Lion King…
The Spirit in the Sky tells Superman that changing the past is forbidden, but then the voice of Jonathan Kent overwhelms Brando, telling Clark that he has to be here for a reason. Clark remembers being unable to save Jonathan, and becomes even more determined.
So he flies around the world really fast until the Earth starts turning backwards, causing time to move backwards…
And this is where people call bullshit. Because you cannot reverse time by reversing the Earth's rotation. You can cause a lot of disastrous stuff to happen, wiping out millions of people (if not everyone), but you can't reverse time.
Of course, you could make the argument that Superman is not actually making the Earth turn backwards; he's merely flying so fast that he has broken through the time barrier, and the Earth appearing to turn backwards is merely a nifty visual shorthand to communicate the concept. Which would be an entirely acceptable interpretation if he didn't, you know, stop and start flying the other way to restore the Earth's natural rotation. Oh well…
Superman descends to Earth, and Lois's car sits on the surface, uneaten. It's out of gas, and Lois can't start it, which is exactly where we were right before the ground opened up under the car. Superman lands and makes a joke about the car being dead, and the way Reeve chokes up on the line really sells it.
So Lois gets out of the car and begins complaining to Superman, and instead of getting Lois away from the car before the earth opens up and swallows it, he just sort of stands there, drinking in her presence, and is on the verge of kissing her when… the earth doesn't open up. Instead, Jimmy shows up, complaining about being left out in the middle of nowhere. The ground never opens up to swallow the car, now that Lois is no longer in it. Apparently, the Earth really did eat her on purpose.
We next see Superman drop Luthor and Otis off at a penitentiary, where we comics fans finally get to see the thing we've been waiting for: Luthor's bald head.
Superman flies up, high over the Earth, where Christopher Reeve offers one last cheesy grin at the camera in what would become the signature sign-off of the series.
End credits, finally, and if you need any further proof of the truly astronomical budget of this production, the credits should seal it for you. The credit sequence is something like ten minutes long, and unlike most credit sequences that are mere simple crawls, in this one, every credit is slitscanned–every single one–with sparkly animated starbursts appearing at random times.
This is before computer graphics, mind you, so that means every frame of the credits had to have a timed exposure in which the camera was moved to create the effect. Every frame. 24 frames per second times 60 seconds per minute times around ten minutes is in the neighborhood of 14,400 frames which required a slow controlled camera movement, plus probably a second pass without the camera movement to make the names clear, plus more time creating animated sparkles and putting it all together in an optical printer, and you can start to understand just how much time and money the Salkinds poured into this production. Stuff that they didn't really need to do, but did in order to make sure the entire production was a cut above.
The credits finally end and we're left with a promise…
A promise that went unfulfilled, at least technically. It would actually be two years before Superman's follow-up feature, and when Superman did return, it was without a couple of key personnel. We'll talk about that next week.
Overall, the film is an odd mix that has aged really well in some places and not so well in others. The scripting and tone are really uneven, and there are some nitpicky exceptions one can take to it (which I have), but on the other hand, given the tightrope the filmmakers were walking–what with the comic book subject matter, the extensive effects, and the huge budget, this was a film unlike anything that had been made before–the real surprise is not that it has weak parts, but how good it is. Because the entire production was flirting with disaster.
But between Richard Donner's direction, Tom Mankiewicz's polish tying most of the elements of the script together, and an amazing performance by Reeve, the film was a big success, and is in my opinion still the best depiction of Superman on the big screen.
Next week: Superman II.
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The grogginess this morning was like a sheen of milk in his eyes. His head feels like it's filled with wet cotton. Tylenol PM last night? That stuff ALWAYS puts him under too deep, a deep sleep that's always almost impossible to climb up out of. But sometimes you need to get a good nights sleep.
He looks over and sees the sleek and flawless body next to him. The sheets partially covering the perfect ass and legs. He looks at the blond hair lose along the pillows covering delicate shoulders obscuring the gorgeous face. He smiles. What did he do to deserve such a wonderful woman? The light shimmers along her perfect skin as she shifts and mumbles slightly in her sleep. He hears her breathing and he feels a huge shudder of love.
John Isphus gets out of bed and steps quietly around the room trying not to wake his girlfriend Shannon up. She works hard and today is her day off he thinks. She is such a wonderful girl who gives so much to friends and family. The least he can do is let her sleep in.
In the bathroom he performs his morning rituals. He brushes his teeth, gagging in the mirror. Washes his face, goes to the bathroom, and applies deodorant. He's ready for another day of high adventure at Goodman & Eblis Law partners.
He smells the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The pricetag on this coffeemaker was more then most people make a week, but damn did it make a perfect cup of joe.
One thing John doesn't skimp on is quality. His condo's the best in the upper class neighborhood of Brentwood. His m60 BMW coupe doesn't just get him to work, he gets to work in serious style. His girlfriend is not only beautiful but practically an angel. His friends are gregarious but close, and they'll stand next to him no matter what. His bank account is in the 6 digits. His parents are happy and healthy living in San Jose.
No matter which way you slice it, life is perfect for John. The best of all possible worlds.
As he drinks his coffee John hears the clicks on the floor from his dog's paws. If a dog is man's best friend, Shuck the black retriever is his.
"Good morning fuzz butt." John says as he scratches under Shuck's chin. Shucks tail could hammer nails with the intensity of it's wagging.
"Good morning to you too." He hears from the doorway to the kitchen. Standing in the morning's golden rays is Shannon, wearing only one of his button up shirts. She's stifling a yawn as she runs a hand through her blond hair.
"Good morning to you too hun." he says as he smiles. Damn she's hot, he thinks. Even freshly awake without primping. "I thought you were going to wake me up? Today's the big day after all." she says as she walks over to him and sits on his lap. She kisses him.
John is up for his review at the firm today. All indications have been that it's going to be stellar. He's primed for big things he's told by everyone in the know.
"I didn't want to wake you. I was just going to slip out and call you a little later." he says as he looks straight into her blue eyes. "You need you beauty sleep after all..." He smiles. She returns the smile. "Dick." She says and kisses him again.
Nick is waiting for John as he pulls up outside of his house. Nick is Johns friend from way back when, before Goodman & Eblis, before USC, before Loyola. Half of the fun every morning is the ball busting that results in the car ride, listening to Howard and generally goofing off. The 405 freeway can be a parking lot for most of the daily transit, but the time still seems to fly by with Nick.
John pulls his gleaming red Beemer into his personalized parking spot and kills the engine. "Man, aren't you nervous?" Nick asks. "Not at all. I have it on good authority that my review is golden. Soon you may even be calling me boss." John replies.
"Yeah, that'll be the day." Nick says and smiles. They walk towards towards the courtyard as professionals zip back and forth. As John and Nick walk, John looks up and sees the large corporate sculpture that adjourns the reflecting pool in the middle of the courtyard. It's a large copper looking ball suspended over a dark marble triangle that's about 15 feet tall. It's one of those things he takes for granted.
Yet...
Yet today he notices something that makes him stop. Mid laugh Nick asks "What's wrong?" John murmurs "Hmmm... nothing." as he steps a couple of steps closer. He looks at the marble base of the sculpture. There's a chip in the otherwise perfect surface. A chip he's never seen before. Now that's he's looking closer he can now see the spider leg like cracks emanating from the damage. The world starts to grey out as his attention is firmly held in place on the crack. He can't hear the birds or the bustling crowd and his line of vision is slowly being sucked into the crack. He feels an almost physical pull from it as the sound of his breathing is all he hears. Is this recent? He thinks, perplexed. Funny how you never see the little blemishes in life. They should fix it. They should...
"John? Hey John? Earth to John? You OK there buddy?" Nick asks.
"Yeah, yeah...strange." John says blinking back into reality. "Sorry, I just kinda tripped out there."
The meeting room for his 3:00 that John walked into was adjourned with photos of the owners of the company and a large window that curved around showing the courtyard outside. John took his chair and pulled it out and sat. Across the table sat two men, one is Old Man Goodman and the other is Old Man Ellis, the heads of the firm. They have folders in their hands and smile. This is gonna be a massacre, John thinks as he smiles back.
"So John, let's get down to business... the purpose here this afternoon is to go over your job performance for the last 6 months. We're really proud of your abilities and your leadership as of late. You've come in to your own and made the job yours." Old Man Goodman starts of...
John nods his head, appearing to be humble but not too humble. That's when he looks past the two men, past the window behind them and into the courtyard. The Corporate sculpture he noticed today. Time seems to slow down as his eyes focus on the piece with hungry eyes, taking in every nuance of the object. After what seems like an eternity he notices it again. The crack. The blemish, the imperfection. It was like he wasn't in the meeting room anymore. He felt right next to the thing. He feels like he could reach out and touch it.
He hears his name called off in the distance. What is that? He doesn't care. The only thing that really matters in the world right now is this crack. He doesn't know why. It's an abhorrent thing. He feels tendrils of revulsion reach from inside the crack and draw him in. He looks closer and closer... his mind drifting...
John's eyes snap open. The two men are now standing and looking at him, jaws slack with barely stifled anger. "What the hell's wrong with you?" Old Man Ellis coughs out redfaced.
"I... I... dunno." John replies. He's looking around now. He notices the time. It's 3:16! Sixteen minutes!?! It felt like a second or two!
"How... dare... you!" Old Man Ellis barely sputters out. "Who do you think you're talking to, you little prick?"
"What did I say!?!" John says as he struggles to find mental footing.
Old Man Goodman adjusts his glasses shakily. "You seemed to go into some trance. You then said things... things..." He shook his head, pained.
"You're done here." Ellis says point blank. The words cut through John like bullets. "Get your stuff and leave."
"I don't know what happened." John says as he drives.
"What? Did you psyche-out or something? You had it in the bag!" Nick replies incredulous. "I'm really sorry man... that's really weird. At least it's an early day for me today." The joke doesn't lighten the situation any.
What should he tell Nick? John thinks. That he was thinking about the crack on some useless Corporate sculpture? That time seemed to draw out and he has no memory of what he said. They wouldn't even tell him. But it must have been reprehensible... downright evil. Why did he trip out again on the stupid crack?
In his minds eye he sees it again. The crack. Only about two inches tall. Did someone bump into it? Was it vandalism? He imagines himself standing next to the object in the water but he's not wet he notices. He feels as slight shudder and hears distance thunder but he doesn't care. He realizes that he's holding a roundish ceramic bowl in his hands. What should he do with this bowl? He dips the bowl in the water and lifts it up and splashes his face and takes a drink.
Sirens?
Even though he's looking at the bowl, he blinks his eyes. Durning the time of the blink he sees smoke and his hearing kicks in. The air is filled with sirens. He opens his eyes again and he sees the sculpture. The sirens are quiet now. Blink. Blink. Blink.
John sits in his now totaled car. The sounds of complete chaos hill the air as he now smells rubber and engine fluids. He hears police radios and through the smoke he sees colored lights strobing. He looks to his right.
A blue Mazda is up-ended over the passenger side of the car. He's looking up at the headlights that point up to heaven. He's glad Nick isn't in the seat. It's too small of an area for him to fit into.
Then he sees the arm. He follows it up to a twisted pile of flesh and fabric that's wringing wet with blood. He feels a stickiness on his face and tastes copper. His mouth is still full from the water. He spits out a gout of gory thick blood down the front of his shirt and lap. He looks down and as sees about a fourth of Nicks head looking back at him in his hands. One unblinking eye and the upper left part of Nicks head is all he can make out. He feels his fingers dig into the tattered biological material behind the mask that was once his friend and he vomits.
"Honey? Are you all right?" John hears as his mind reels back in like a fishing line. He's sitting on his bed and he remembers what happened. The doctors gave him a clean bill of health and he had left the hospital post haste. He had given his statement and cleaned up. He hadn't mentioned the daydream to the doctors. He left that little part out. He still felt sticky and the taste in his mouth... best not to think about it otherwise he'd throw up again.
He looked at the door drunkenly. Shannon had come home immediately from her parents house to keep an eye on him. She was strong and maternal. That was exactly what he needed right now.
"Hey hun... sorry... I was a million miles away." He said with a dry chuckle. She walked across the room and sat down next to him and put her hand on his and held it.
"When you want to talk I'll be here." She said looking deep into his eyes. As she said it she squeezed his hand firmly when she said "talk", "I'll", and "here". She looked away. That's when he realized that she was not telling him something.
"What is it? I'm fine..." He started.
"Honey... I..." she started. She dropped his hand and started wringing hers. "I think you may be in trouble. Some witnesses say that you swerved into oncoming traffic right before the accident. A policeman told me that you shouldn't go too far away for a while. I think they're putting together a case against you." She said flatly and to the point. He was dumbstruck.
"It was an accident! I didn't... I mean I..." What could he say? That he had some weird spell and came too a couple of seconds after a horrific accident that he had caused? He felt his stomach drop out as an overwhelming dread seemed to creep up his spine.
First he lost his job, then his best friend being horribly killed, and now this? he put his head in his hands. Everything had been so great. And in the course of a couple of days it had been blown to hell.
He felt the sounds in the room start to fade into the back of his head. Oh no, not again he thought. He didn't want to look, didn't want to see the world change again around his consciousness. Every time it did it ended with the destruction of another part of his life. Off in the distance he could hear the sound of ethereal music. Quiet at first but growing...
He hazarded a look up between his fingers. The room was gone and a thin white mist filled the air. As he focused in the distance he could sense a spot of some kind of origin, where reality met and converged. All at once the feeling like a reversal of gravity occurred where instead of pulling him down it was pulling him forward. His feet left the ground as he rocketed forward, beyond terminal velocity, faster then he's ever gone.
And there it was. The crack. It seemed like it wasn't just a physical crack, it felt like a crack in the world. A crack to another world where only bad, cancerous things existed on the other side shrouded in wet darkness. But the crack was more... it was also desire and the forbidden. Ashamedly he felt his body react to that thought. Anger flooded him as he reached for it, and started to claw like a wild animal, tearing into it with insane abandon. Anger, terror and passion fueled him into a frenzy of violence. He had to destroy it. He fought like a man possessed.
As he flailed madly he could feel a presence of... something... watching him. It felt like someone was right behind him about three feet away over his right shoulder. He whirled around and saw nothing. He was now positive that he was alone.
There was a loud boom and the world was falling. The mist started to sweep around his feet as everything got swallowed in a deep blackness. He plummeted...
Slowly he came to. His first conscious thought was how his head hurt and his arms were sore. It was like waking up with a hangover after a fight. He slowly focused on his arms.
Cuts crisscrossed his forearms and hands. Really deep cuts it turns out. The blood still slowly leaked out when he moved them and the skin shifted. Horror seized him. "Oh my God! Shannon!" he thought and looked around the room.
The room was chaos incarnate. A wild animal had torn through here. The furniture was overturned and there was blood and other liquids everywhere. The walls had impact marks from flying debris. The mirrors, cracked. "Where was Shannon?" he thought. He stood up and walked to the doorway, legs weak and arms hurting. He prepared himself for the worse.
He saw her in the hallway, laying there belly down. She didn't look real. She looked like a mannequin that had been destroyed in a storm. Her limbs were twisted in impossible angles with broken bones jutting out like bloody spears. Her neck was craned around so she was looking up into the air. One of her eyes was a hollowed socked. Her mouth, frozen in a silent scream, a mouth which was missing most of its teeth. When he looked closer he could find a couple of teeth in her bloody matted hair. She wasn't just dead. She was trampled. In her right hand she held a bloodied butcher knife.
His arms, he realized... the wounds on them from where she had tried to fight him off.
Now in his dim memory he could see her screaming as he hit her with clawed hands. He held his head trying to force the memories off. Why was he remembering this now? Every gory wound that he delivered as his anger reached a climax. Now he was kicking her prone body, feeling bone and tissue give way to fury.
He threw up again soiling himself and stumbled backwards. He fell against the wall and slid down slowly. A stifled sob escaping his mouth. He put his head in his hands and started crying, first quietly then hard and loud.
There was a loud and rapid series of knocks on the door. "Police! Open up!" came booming from behind the door with authority. "Open up now!"
John looked down the hallway past his ruined life towards the front door. His red eyes ached. He sensed a dark shape coming around a corner. It was Shuck. The dog was walking towards him in the gloom of the hallway. The sounds of the police trying to get in was lost to the click clack of the dogs nails on the floor. Shuck had something in his mouth.
It was John's Smith and Wesson .357 revolver.
Shuck dropped the gun into Johns lap and sat there and licked his chops. He looked at John, the gun and then John again. John grabbed the gun and held it shakily. Shuck's brown eyes were locked on Johns. John instead looked down the barrel.
The door exploded with a kick followed by careful footsteps. Shuck looked down the hallway and then back to John.
"Hell's in the details..." Shuck said to John.
John's mind now snapped. He giggled girlishly as he put the gun in his mouth.
"WAIT! STOP!" One of the officers yelled.
He pulled the trigger. It felt like a mule kicked him in the mouth. Blood exploded from his nose and mouth as the contents of his head emptied upwards all over the wall behind him. His eyes went dull as he fell over, gore draining from his mouth. The smoking blasted flower of his head fell limply sideways, smacking the floor with a slap.
He looked over and saw his beautiful girlfriend in the bed next to him. She slept quietly and looked like a beautiful blond angel. John smiled and looked over and saw his furry pal Shuck, who was looking at John from the hallway, tail wagging with contentment.
Posted by D.W. Frydendall at 7:05 PM
Zillah November 22, 2010 at 7:36 PM
CoasterMatt November 22, 2010 at 8:35 PM
That's amazing!
Every good story should end in suicide. No exceptions. And you adhered to that one perfectly!
Good call from start to finish. I get jealous of you bastards that can write short stories because I couldn't write a short story to save my life.
Also loving the blackout theme. I get major blackouts when I drink and it's fucking terrifying, they plague my every nightmare. So, you know, thanks for adding fuel to that one.
Also talking Satanic dogs have never hurt a story, EVER!
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WHO IS D.W.?
D.W. Frydendall
They call me D.W. Frydendall and I do horror stuff. I do a lot of art and I write whenever I can. Here you will find a selection of odd musings and ramblings that I've written and collected for a couple of years. http://twitter.com/#!/dwfrydendall
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