Myrna Loy In the 30's

5/7/1934 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman While the film producers are always crying for good clean comedies, I've often wondered why they didn't turn more sympathetic eyes on some of the Frank Craven stage plays. So far as I know, but one of the Craven plays has been brought to the screen. That was The First Year, and it was one of the best pictures made by Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. The film producers cannot claim ignorance of the Craven comedies, because Henry Duffy has presented several of them on the stage of the El Capitan with the author appearing in the starring role. It remained for Bryan Foy to see the comedy values of That's Gratitude, one of the best Craven comedies. Foy has signed a contract for Craven to adapt, direct, supervise and star in the screen version of That's Gratitude. The result should be just as Craven wants it to be. Production of That's Gratitude is a sudden departure into innocent fields for Foy, who recently has produced such pictures as Elysia and Tomorrow's Children, the latter based on the theme of sterilization. Henry Duffy produced "That's Gratitude" in 1931, with the author co-starred with Guy Kibbee in the production. That play served as Kibbee's introduction to Hollywood, and it was shortly thereafter that he was signed up on a term contract at Warners. Everyone knows the spectacular rise of Kibbee to film popularity. .... Frances Drake wins the lead opposite Cary Grant in Ladies Should Listen at Paramount. This is the farce of a telephone girl in a famous Paris hotel. Miss Drake was last seen as George Raft's leading lady in The Trumpet Blows. Edward Everett Horton and George Barbier have been engaged for leading comedy roles in Ladies Should Listen, and Frank Tuttle will direct. The picture goes into production almost immediately, which means that Horton will fulfill his Paramount engagement before he reports to Radio Pictures for The Gay Divorcee with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. .... Warners today set Lyle Talbot for the romantic lead opposite Margaret Lindsay in The Dragon Murder Case. Warren William, the star of the picture, does not have much time for romance since he is busy sleuthing as Philo Vance. Although the Philo Vance character will present a new actor in this latest of the S.S. Van Dine mystery stories, Eugene Pallette will be seen again in his familiar role of Sergeant Heath. Radio Pictures reports casting news on La Cucaracha as exuberantly as though this picture were one of the most important features on the lot instead of merely a technicolor short being financed by Jock Whitney. Today I am informed that Steffi Duna has been assigned to the feminine lead with Don Alvarado in this color short which will have a Mexican background designed at the studio. .... Arthur Byron and Paul Cavanaugh have been engaged by Paramount for the male leads in The Notorious Sophie Lang. And Gertrude Michael was finally selected for the title role. You remember she was one of three actresses tested for the role, the other two being Frances Drake and Adrienne Ames. .... Saturday morning an interesting radio program was broadcast from the Elstree Studio near London, where Douglas Fairbanks is starring in The Private Life of Don Juan. The broadcast was exceptionally well handled, giving amazingly good atmosphere of the interior workings of a film studio. During the course of events Fairbanks informed an interviewer that he is planning to return to the United States as soon as the picture is finished. That means his return probably will come sometime in June. And that may account for the continued lingering of Mary Pickford in the East. .... Three members of the cast of "The Shim Sham Revue" at the Hollywood Music Box have won screen engagements. Wini Shaw has been signed for work in a short comedy at Warners, while Sid Walker and Cully Richards will appear in a short at Radio Pictures. .... Mrs. Rhea Stevens, mother of John Huston and ex-wife of Walter Huston, has turned screen writer. She has just completed a story of a whimsical character based on the half humorous, half tragic love adventure of two young men in need of money. The story is laid in the 18th Century during the time of Catherine II of Russia. Several studios are interested in the story. John Huston at the moment is writing for the screen in England. .... Casting About: Funny Page, a picture designed to incorporate the characters of several comic strips, has been placed back on the schedule at Paramount. Neil Hamilton and Miriam Jordan will have the leads in Two Heads on a Pillow which will be a Liberty picture. Lila Lee and aviatrix Ruth Elder will be the principals in an aviation serial to be produced by Resolute Pictures from a story by Ralph Graves. Dolores Del Rio will not be the star of Green Mansions at Radio Pictures, but will work out her contract for this studio on some other story.Myrna Loy In the 30'sABBREVIATIONSDN — Los Angeles Daily NewsEH — Los Angeles Evening HeraldEHE — Los Angeles Evening Herald ExpressFD — Film DailyHCN — Hollywood Citizen NewsHDC — Hollywood Daily CitizenIDN — Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News LAR — Los Angeles RecordLAPR — Los Angeles Post-RecordLAX — Los Angeles ExaminerMPH — Motion Picture HeraldSFC — San Francisco Chronicle1/1/1930 EH Show of Shows premiere 1/6: Attending premiere will be: Myrna Loy, and many, many others.1/2/1930 IDN Premiere of Show of Shows AD listing attendees expected: Frank Fay, Myrna Loy, 1/7/1930 LAR The Show of Shows Warner Brothers Downtown—With 77 stars and 300 chorus girls. Directed by John Adolphi. Dances by Larry Ceballos and Jack Haskell. Louis Silvers, musical director. By Llewellyn Miller As a review, this collection of adjectives is going to be a nice list of credit lines. There won't be room for anything else. For The Show of Shows which opened at Warner Brothers Downtown Theater last night boasts 77 stars, and when that many names are placed end to end it leaves little room to say that The Show of Shows is a grand screen revue. Hobart Bosworth, H.B. Warner and William Courtenay introduced the two hours of high pressure acts with a clever skit. A swirl of brilliantly clad figures sweep up the steps of a guillotine, and, as the knife falls, shout "Prologue has been killed. On with the Show of Shows." Three hundred dancing girls take the screen. Upon a steep sweep of black marble stairs they parade in military formation led by Monte Blue. Long shots show the phalanx of slim stepping girls maneuvering in split squares in triangles, in wheeling stars, and if you think that you can save money and see the same thing in any military school on class day, just try it once! "The Floradora Sextette" features Alice Day, Lila Lee, Sally O'Neil, Patsy Ruth Miller, Myrna Loy and Marion Nixon in coquettish ruffles and trailing ostrich plumes. But the big surprise of the act is when the boys they left behind them sound a bitter plaint. Ben Turpin, Heinie Conklin, Bert Roach, Lloyd Hamilton, Lupino Lane and Lee Moran do a dainty melange of dance steps, even while their brave hearts are breaking at the tough deal the years have given the boys of the Floradora Sextette. PIRATE SCENE COLORFUL "Skull and Crossbones" is played against the dusky orange of a salt-weathered sail that swings across half of the screen. There are plenty of villains, bloodthirsty, swash-buckling, and singers all. Noah Beery, Tully Marshall, Bull Montana, Anders Randolph, Kalla Pasha, Wheeler Oakman, Otto Matiesen and Philo McCullough lay for Ted Lewis, and threaten him with the plank unless he amuses them. He plays "Motion Picture Pirates" and "The Pirate Band" with his orchestra. Words by J. Kiern Brennan, and music by M.K. Jerome give him a chance to declare an ambition "to make everybody happy," something he has been working at for quite a long while, it seems to me. Georges Carpentier sings "If I Could Learn to Love," assisted, and considerably, by Patsy Ruth Miller and Alice White. The best part of this act happens before it starts. It is Frank Fay's struggle with a trainer who is busily getting him into boxing gloves, while he tries to announces the big fight that Carpentier will stage. A moment might as well be taken off here as anywhere to pay tribute with one of my golden-voiced giggles to that master of ceremonies who holds the show together with his ill-fated attempts to do a number of his own. He shares honors with Louise Fazenda, Lloyd Hamilton and Beatrice Lillie in a skit that is so glamorously sappy that it is a treasure. Incidentally, the worst fault of the film is that there is not nearly enough of Beatrice Lillie in it. A sister act is interesting, even if it isn't art. It features the real sisters, Dolores and Helene Costello, Sally Blane and Loretta Young, Sally O'Neil and Molly O'Day, Lola Vendril and Armida, Harriette Lake and Marion Byron, Alice and Marceline Day, Adame and Alberta Vaughn and Shirley Mason and Viola Dana. "Interruptions" is all about Frank Fay's attempts to say a piece that begins, "Dear little pup." By the time he gets a chance, the pup is a full grown police dog, and Fay has a long gray beard, if you believe that the camera never lies. BURLESQUE NUMBER FUNNY "Singing in the Bathtub" shows Winnie Lightner brandishing her arms in coquettish circles to interpret the words by Ned Washington and Herb Magidson. You haven't heard nothing yet until you have heard these words, and, though you may not know it, you have been waiting all of your life to hear dainty Bull Montana roar out the tender strains of "You Were Meant For Me." Irene Bordoni sings one of those intense ballads that come out half through the Bordoni nose and half through the Bordoni mouth with such telling effect. It is "just an Hour of Love" with words by Al Bryan and music by Eddie Ward. Nick Lucas sings the song hit of the show, "Lady Luck," with words and music by Ray Perkins. He appears, also, in an elaborate "Chinese Fantasy" with the exotic Myrna Loy. "A Bicycle Built For Two," features Chester Conklin, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Chester Morris, Jack Mulhall, William Collier Jr., Grant Withers, William Bakewell, Lois Wilson, Gertrude Olmstead, Pauline Garon, Sally Eilers, Edna Murphy and Jacqueline Logan. The dances staged by Larry Ceballos and Jack Haskell are one of the admirable special features. Imagine 300 girls sauntering up black stairs, so black that the dancers seem to be dancing on black air, and weaving themselves in deliberate, intricate routines. Then there is the famous Ceballos "black and white ballet," that always ends too soon, and numerous other routines. BARRYMORE IN FINE BIT John Barrymore for once fails to turn the other cheek in profile, and delivers Richard's soliloquy on the mound, in a superb fashion that justifies this grim bit of Shakespeare in the setting of gaiety and laughter. He shows the warped, malignant desire for power that animated the hunchbacked duke, with such authority, that it is far and away the most distinguished part of the film. John Adolphi, director, Larry Ceballos and Jack Haskell, dance directors, Louis Silvers, musical director, Estras Hartley and Max Parker who designed the settings, Louis Gelb, technical director, and a lot of the others responsible for the success of the show were introduced at one point. They take a quick how in safety masks of long black beards. The Show of Shows, because of its color and its comedians rivals The Hollywood Revue, and that should satisfy those who think revues are the ultimate in screen art.1/14/1930 EH Screenographs By Harrison Carroll After a number of years at Warner Brothers, Myrna Loy is free to seek free-lance engagements. The exotic actress was one of the first players put under contract when Warners began to build up a stock company. She formerly was a photographer's model. Myrna has just completed a First National picture, Bride of the Regiment. She also was in Isle of Escape, at Warners, and in The Show of Shows.1/16/1930 EH Scouting the Sinema with Dorothy Herzog Myrna Loy has signed to traipse as the girl in Soul of the Tango, which Roy O'Neill will direct for the James Cruz outfit.1/22/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons Myrna Loy has completed a three years' contract with Warners. She is the gal who looks Oriental but really is an American. She is to free-lance and her first free-lance job is The Soul of the Tango, with Jimmy Cruze.1/31/1930 HDC Doris Denbo James Cruze's Soul of the Tango has become Cock O' the Walk and Myrna Loy, Joseph Schildkraut and Olive Tell are in the cast working on it at the present time. Olive is the stunning blonde of the Tells sisters and plays the sympathetic role of the woman who really loves Schildkraut for himself in this picture. Olive and Alma are two of the most charming and beautiful sisters in pictures today, and RKO is seriously considering co-starring these two in a sister story. After while we will be having a run of sister stories as we have underworld, newspaper, trial pictures and so forth. These two sisters are inseparable companions and the best of pals, no petty professional jealousy here but a genuine spirit of cooperation.2/1/1930 EE Warners have decided they have no place for Myrna Loy in their plans and she is now free-lancing.2/9/1930 FD Cameo KirbyFox Time, 1 Hr., 10 Mins. Pleasantly tuneful, romantic musical drama familiar in plot but of simple and charming quality. This is another of those Southern stories with gamblers and riverboats and opening on a Mardi Gras scene. Although it moves along a familiar path in traversing the road to a closing embrace, it has a pleasant quality that gives the production a certain standing. Foremost among its assets are its photography and the playing of J. Harold Murray in the role of the gambler of honor. There are scenes of the Southland full of the charm of drowsy beauty and acting on the part of Murray that ought to strengthen his hold on screen audiences. Though its story strikes no new note, it strangely holds the interest, chiefly because of Murray's presence in the cast. Norma Terris hasn't much to do but does it to complete satisfaction. CAST: J. Harold Murray, Norma Terris, Douglas Gilmore, Robert Edeson, Charles Morton, Stepin Fetchit, John Hyams, Mme. Daumery, Myrna Loy, Beulah Hall Jones. Director, Irving Cummings; Authors, Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon Wilson. Direction, Good. Photography, Good.2/23/1930 FD The Great DivideFirst National Time, 1 Hr., 13 Mins. Poor adaptation of outmoded stage play. Actors handicapped by bad parts and uninspired direction. As a heavy melodrama for stage audiences of another decade, this western filled the bill very nicely. But it doesn't click in its talker version. Story is about a western mine-owner who kidnaps the pleasure-loving daughter of his late partner, forces her to rough it with him far from civilization, and thereby wins her love. Main fault is in the adaptation, which seems to have sacrificed everything in favor of trying to modernize the stale material. Reginald Barker apparently was unable to work up any enthusiasm in directing the affair. One means of attempting to bring the production up to date was by inserting a few song numbers, which are not bad. Dorothy Mackaill and Ian Keith do their best as the leads, but the whole cast is handicapped by the fundamental flaws. CAST: Dorothy Mackaill, Ian Keith, Lucien Littlefield, Ben Hendricks, Myrna Loy, Frank Tang, Creighton Hale, George Fawcett, Jean Laverty, Claude Gillingwater, Roy Stewart, James Ford, Jean Lorraine, Gordon Elliott. Director, Reginald Barker; Author, William Vaughn Moody; Adaptors, Fred Myton and Paul Perez; Dialoguers, Fred Myton and Paul Perez; Editor, Not Listed. Direction, Uneven. Photography, Fair.3/11/1930 LAR Jimmy Starr The Fashion News, a talking reel of the latest feminine modes of the day, has a new issue out in which Gwen Lee, Myrna Loy, Sally Blane and Patsy Ruth Miller appear. Although I am only mildly interested (that's somewhat of a fib) in the new clothes, I do enjoy the jazz orchestra which plays in the background of this reel. I think the boys should have credit.3/25/1930 EH Under A Texas Moon, with Frank Fay, Raquel Torres, Myrna Loy and Noah Beery opens Friday.3/29/1930 HDC Under a Texas Moon By Doris Denbo All hail to a new romantic lover, a master of ceremonies who has nobly raised himself from into the front ranks of screen actors with one picture. I am speaking of Frank Fay, who is starred in Under a Texas Moon which opened at Warner Brothers Downtown Theater yesterday afternoon. Believe it or not, Lawrence Tibbett, John Gilbert and, yes, even the beloved Valentino, never made romantic love with greater finesse than does our own favorite master of ceremonies in this picture. He plays the part of a romantic, swaggering, fearless Mexican outlaw. This is one of the most beautiful of all color pictures that I have seen. It is full of colorful Mexican fiestas, sagebrush and chaparral, big open spaces and haciendas. The romances and daring adventures of a flirting, thrill loving Mexican are told with much flourish of guitars and pretty girls. TAKES RANK AS LOVER Frank Fay should be an idol of great lover fans from this picture on. He can certainly act. He can certainly make love and he can be most amazingly clever in his shadings of characterization. He kills a man because this man tried to kill him. He forces him to drink his own poison. He makes love to many girls simultaneously. He kidnaps the girl who claims he hates him and has come for the pleasure of seeing him killed, and makes her like it. He does everything with a suave, calm and delightful sense of humor and he holds the rapt attention of his audience every second he is on the screen. Raquel Torres is one of the lovely young women he makes love to. She is very charming and attractive in the role of the Mexican girl. Armida, the tiny little bag of tricks, sings, dances and makes love in this picture with her usual verve and spirit. Myrna Loy, as the spitfire and primitive daughter of an inn keeper whom Fay finally steals, is excellent. OTHERS ADD COLOR Georgie Stone and George Cooper, as the never absent buddies of Fay's who make atmosphere to order for every love scene of his by playing on their guitars, add splendid color and characterizations to the picture. Noah Beery, Tully Marshall, Fred Kohler, Betty Boyd, Charles Sellon, Jack Curtiz, Sam Appel, Francisco Maran, Tom Dix, Jerry Baret, Inez Gomez, Edythe Kramera and Bruce Covington are all equally excellent in character roles. This is one of Warners' most entertaining picture in quite some time. The music is unusually fine, the direction by Michael Curtiz beyond criticism, the story, by Steward Edward White, one of the best the screen has had in some time. It is quite as charming as the popular In Old Arizona. There are two short comedies that drew many laughs, Chester Conklin and The Master Sweeper and Thomas Dugan and William Irving in She Who Gets Slapped, and the usual news reel to embellish this splendid feature.3/29/1930 LAX Under a Texas Moon By Jerry Hoffman It remained for Under a Texas Moon, which came to Warner's Downtown Theater yesterday, to bring out hitherto unsuspected talents in Frank Fay. In all the years the prolific and debonair Fay has been acting, including those 19 consecutive Sunday night concerts which Fay presented alone at the Cort Theater in New York, I doubt whether Broadway's playboy ever thought of playing a Mexican! Not only does Fay play an adventurous Mexicano in appearance, but with an accent—and what's more, he does it well! Under a Texas Moon is a delicious bit of satire regarding cattle rustlers and the glamourous Mexican adventurer. Whether the role would be as effective in the hands of one other than Fay is very doubtful. The subtle Fay plays his character with his tongue in his cheek and does so cleverly. "Don Carlos Jose" something-or-other is the hero's name. He is a combination Mexican Don Quixote, Francois Villon and Robin Hood. And if that sounds like an odd combination, add to it, the assistance of two Sancho Panzas or Little Johns, and you'll have the other central figures. Don Carlos Jose Fay is quite a dashing caballero, who goes about the country making love to various senoritas to the guitared serenades are furnished at a given signal by Senor Fay, in the process of telling each dark-eyed damsel that she, and she alone, is the only one. He finds time, between such flirtations, to undertake recapturing an alleged band of rustlers and finding the cattle they have stolen. Under a Texas Moon is all in Technicolor and has been photographed with the exquisite backgrounds of the desert. Thanks to Fay, there isn't a draggy moment in it, else one may wonder just what it is all about. The likeable little Georgie Stone is one of Fay's Sanchos and George Cooper the other. Racquel Torres, lovely in color, ‘the enthusiastic little Armida; Myrna Loy, Mona Maris and Betty Boyd furnish the romantic interludes for Fay. Noah Beery, for the nonce, is not a nasty old villain, but an agreeable big fat cowman who does comedy. Tully Marshall, George Cooper, Francisco Maran are others included in a lengthy cast. Michael Curtiz has directed the screen story by Gordon Rigby with a very pleasant sense of satire. He has not sacrificed action for scenic effects, neither has he allowed any one to take the story too seriously. You'll enjoy Under a Texas Moon. Chester Conklin is present in a Vitaphone short called The Master Sweeper, and Thomas Dugan and William Irving furnish additional laughter with She Who Gets Slapped.4/2/1930 EH ad for Under A Texas Moon, starring Frank Fay, Raquel Torres and Myrna Loy. All Technicolor Film.4/6/1930 FD Isle of EscapeWarner Time, 1 hr., 5 mins. South Sea drama of poor quality. Recording bad and story stereotyped to a degree. Some good atmosphere. Again the South Sea Islands serve as the setting for a film that is decidedly second-rate. In the first place it burdens under the handicap of a story that has served the films loyally these many years. Routine and implausible it certainly is, and only in one or two spots does it really provide gripping entertainment. One might even be willing to overlook the plot if the recording were not so deplorable. For the most part the words of the players are unintelligible. The acting generally is not of a high standard. Noah Beery and Monte Blue are the only ones who are worth considering. There is some good atmosphere and a beautiful shot or two but little else. A man escaping from a cannibal tribe finds safety in a hotel ruled over by a bully. He goes off with the latter's wife. The woman falls into the hands of the cannibals. The end finds the two men fighting to save her. CAST: Monte Blue, Myrna Loy, Betty Compson, Noah Beery, Ivan Simpson, Jack Ackroyd, Nina Quartero, Duke Kahanamoku, Rose Dione. Director, Howard Bretherton; Author, Jack McLaren; Adaptors, Lucien Hubbard, I. Grubb Alexander; Dialoguers, Same. Direction, So-so. Photography, Good.4/13/1930 FD Cock o' The WalkSono Art-World Wide Time, 1 hr., 14 mins. Excellent program picture. Well directed story of a swaggering Don Juan, ably played by Joseph Schildkraut in his most popular vein. Joseph Schildkraut is the main activity in this comedy drama of a gay philanderer and musician who makes the ladies tumble right and left and not only receives their favors but takes their money as well. He rescues a girl (Myrna Loy) from drowning, makes a bargain with her whereby she marries him and promises not to commit suicide for a year, at the end of which time she may do so and he will collect insurance. Within the year she reforms him and the suicide is off. For Schildkraut it's a fat swaggering role of the type that made him a name on the stage. There is a good comedy touch to the story, which has been nicely directed R. William Neil. CAST: Joseph Schildkraut, Myrna Loy, Philip Sleeman, Edward Peil, John Beck, Olive Tell, Wilfred Lucas, Frank Jonason, Sally Long, Natalie Joyce. Director, R. William Neil; Author, Arturo S. Mom; Adaptor, Not Listed. Dialoguers, Nagene Searle and Ralph Bell; Editor, Not Listed; Cameraman, Not Listed; Monitor Man, Not Listed. Direction, Good. Photography, Good.4/23/1930 LAR Jimmy Starr Myrna Loy, exotic vampire of the screen, has been chosen for the featured feminine lead in Rogue of the Rio Grande, which Cliff Broughton is producing for Sono Art. Raymond Hatton has an important par and Jose Bohr plays the male lead. Spencer Bennet is directing and production started this morning at the Metropolitan sound studios. Rogue of the Rio Grande (the title will be changed later) is a new twist on the usual western bad man story, says Broughton. This is Miss Loy's biggest role since leaving Warner Brothers where she was under contract for several years.4/26/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons Jose Bohr, the Argentine star, who came to Hollywood to make the first talking Spanish picture, is certainly branching out. Senor Bohr, who is making his picture for Sonnart, now is about to make an English language production. He is calling it The Rogue of Romance, and he has already engaged Myrna Loy, Carmelita Geraghty and Raymond Hatton for the leading roles. Naturally the picture will later be made in Spanish, and why not, since Bohr's first picture is playing in its eighth week in Buenos Aires. All the Spanish speaking countries are greatly intrigued at having pictures made in their own language.4/30/1930 HDC Society in Filmland By Rachel Rubin STROLLERS GIVE DANCE— Film luminaries, great and small, are manifesting much interest in the brilliant dance to be given by the Strollers this evening at the Hotel Biltmore. The organization, formerly known as the Junior Troupers, is composed of 100 sons and daughters of representatives families of both stage and screen. Officers are: George F. Golden Jr., president; William Tubbs, vice president; Myra Luela Lee, treasurer; and Townsend D. Pauli, secretary. Among the stars who are attending as guests of honor are the Misses Myrna Loy, Sally O'Neill, and Josephine Dunn; Messrs. Harry Carey, Ramon Novarro, Russell Gleason, Monte Blue, Jean Hersholt, William Bakewell, Charles Chaplin, and Otto Mathieson. 5/29/1930 EH Big ad for Bride of the Regiment staring Vivenne Segal, Walter Pidgeon, Allan Prioer, Louise Fazenda, Ford Sterling, Myrna Loy. All seats $1.00.7/23/1930 LAX Louella O. Parsons I am glad that the talkies have not buried Myrna Loy. Her exotic beauty is always of interest and she always does her part well, no matter how impossible the vampire role. She has now been signed for one of the leading roles in Warner Baxter's next, Renegade,, which Victor Fleming will direct for the Fox Company. Once these movie stars get sidetracked, it is difficult for them to come back, so this is probably the beginning of a new career for Myrna.9/15/1930 HDC Elizabeth Yeaman Everyone has been wondering who would be cast as Ronald Colman's leading lady since Constance Cummings was dropped from the role. Loretta Young is to have the part, according to reliable information. This picture from the pen of Frederick Lonsdale, has the working title of The Prodigal. Myrna Loy, I understand, is to have the part originally filled by JoAnne Clair, and George Fitzmaurice will replace Irving Cummings as director. The picture was off to a good start, and Samuel Goldwyn already had spent $75,000 on the production, when he decided to start all over again. But with Colman in the lead, and a story from the pen of Lonsdale, Goldwyn can afford to exercise the greatest care and expense in making this picture all that it should be. Miss Young, by the way, has been borrowed from Warners, with whom she holds a long-term contract.9/28/1930 FD The Jazz CinderellaChesterfield Time, 1 hr., 9 mins. Weak story of the poor girl capturing the rich youth against parental opposition. Just a filler. They started with a very weak story that contains nothing original in the worn out plot of the poor little girl who wins the rich boy in spite of the efforts of his aristocratic ma to crab the works. About the only place this film will find a break is in the small neighborhoods where they love to see the triumph of the poor little Cinderella regardless how crudely it is accomplished. And this one shapes up pretty crude in several spots. Ma is trying to marry her son off to the rich and haughty girl, and when the son sticks to his poor girl she frames her to come to a house party for the purpose of showing her up. There, convinced by the mother that she is all wrong in wanting a rich youth for her hubby, the girl decides to discourage her sweetie by staging a fake robbery in his mother's house. But mother repents, and all is hotsy totsy. CAST: Myrna Loy, Jason Robards, Nancy Welford, Dorothy Phillips, David Durand, Freddie Burke Fredericks, Frank McGlynn. Director, Scott Pembroke; Author, Edwin Johns; Adaptors, Adrian Johnson, Scott Pembroke; Dialoguers, Adrian Johnson, Scott Pembroke; Editor, Don Hayes; Cameraman, M.A. Anderson. Direction, Weak. Photography, Fair.10/8/1930 EH Screenographs by Harrison Carroll A long term contract has been given Myrna Loy by Fox. This brings to an end a long period in which the player's fate hung in the balance. She was gaining prominence at Warners when the movies found their tongue. Talkie roles came to her, but her career had lost momentum. For a while it appeared as if she might fade away with a number of other silent favorites. Recently, however, she has had several good roles. It was her work in Renegades which won the Fox contract.10/3/1930 LAX The Last of the Duanes By Kenneth R. Porter It is a question as to whether The Last of the Duanes, which opened yesterday at Loew's State, is a comedy or a Western melodrama. The Western atmosphere, which is of the best, is prevalent throughout, but much of the action is laughable. This can hardly be the fault of Zane Grey's novel, from which the picture was filmed. Those who have read the book may recognize a semblance of theme. The story should have made a corking good picture. The Last of the Duanes, as a character, is good. He is a hot-headed young cowpuncher, who returns home after a lengthy absence to find that his father has been murdered. His ultimate action in an effort to discover the murder serves as the plot. It must be said that George O'Brien makes a presentable cow-puncher. He certainly looks the cowboy to perfection and had he played his part with the appeal of his appearance one could have asked for little improvement. Lucille Browne is refreshing as the heroine. Myrna Loy, as the feminine menace, gives a good performance. Walter McGrall in the role of a dyed-in-the-wool villain, lends deep sincerity to his role. James Bradbury Jr. gives a fine account of himself as an outlaw, as does Frank Campeau in the early sequences of the picture. Others in the cast are Nat Pendleton. Lloyd Friderici and Willard Robertson. Alfred Werker directed. A Laurel and Hardy comedy, The L & H Murder Case, with a Fox Movietone and Hearst Metrotone News complete the film fare. A Fanchon and Marco Idea with Lottie Loder and Rube Wolf and Band complete the program.10/8/1930 EH Screenographs by Harrison Carroll A long term contract has been given Myrna Loy by Fox. This brings to an end a long period in which the player's fate hung in the balance. She was gaining prominence at Warners when the movies found their tongue. Talkie roles came to her, but her career had lost momentum. For a while it appeared as if she might fade away with a number of other silent favorites. Recently, however, she has had several good roles. It was her work in Renegades which won the Fox contract.10/13/1930 EE Isle of Escape Betty Compson is the unwilling and unhappy wife of that villain, Noah Beery, in Isle of Escape, a South Sea thriller at the Tower Theater. In South Sea fashion her mother sold her to the white trader in payment for whisky and other commodities which he had obligingly provided her with, on account. In the midst of this state of affairs Monte Blue, ruined by whisky, comes staggering out of the jungle to rescue Miss Compson from her misery. Together they flee to a beautiful little island with a box of gold and Noah hot in pursuit. Here their condition becomes precarious as they are between headhunters on one side and the outraged husband on the other with the deep blue sea all around. After hair-raising escapes they emerge from the danger, happy in possession of each other. Even Beery seems content with the final arrangements and permits them to go with his blessings. Myrna Loy has the role of a seductive brown-skinned hula girl, who falls in love with Blue. The cast includes Duke Kahanamoku, Jack Ackroyd and Rose Dione.11/14/1930 LAR Renegades Loew's State—Renegades with Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Noah Beery, Gregory Gaye, George Cooper, C. Henry Gordon, Colin Chase and Bela Lugosi. Fox film, directed by Victor Fleming from the novel, "Les Renegats" by Andre Armandy. By Llwellyn Miller The most distinguished single feature about Renegades at Loew's State is the fact that the central idea is carried to a logical conclusion, and not sacrificed for the sake of a sugary ending. This does not mean that there is not a good deal to be said for satisfactorily happy endings. Ice cream, layer cake, charlotte russe, and happy endings all have their places, and very important places they are in a world that also contains hash, stew, spinach and the desire to get away from it all in a moving picture theater. The average moving picture plot would be incomplete without a lovers' clinch for a finale as would the average dinner without its finishing sweet. Renegades, however, is a tale of defeated men in the Foreign Legion. It is the story, in particular, of one man who had been tricked by his love for an unscrupulous woman. Even though such double-dyed villainesses as Eleanore, played by Myrna Loy, are a trifle hard to believe in, it is nice, for once in a while, to have them be double-dyed to the bitter end. Warner Baxter plays a French officer who has sought oblivion in Africa. Noah Beery, Gregory Gaye and George Cooper play three hardboiled cases who have joined the Legion to get away from obscure disgraces of their own. They are in the guardhouse when the film opens. Before it finishes they have blown up a Riff fortress, deserted, set up a military rule of their own in the desert, attacked their former comrades, and discovered that a soldier's loyalty is something that cannot be reasoned away. The dialogue is just a trifle too grandiloquent to be entirely convincing. Victor Fleming's direction has contrived many picturesque scenes, but has not stressed the contrasts in the plot quite enough to make the picture a wholly rousing tale of blood and thunder. Rube Wolf, in his final week, acts as Master of Ceremonies for the Fanchon and Marco's "Society Circus" Idea. Featured are the Harris Twins, Betty Moonay, Tabor and Greene, Betty Irene and Sylvia Rose Marie Carter and Wooding's Half Pints.11/14/1930 EH FINE CAST IN LOEW'S NEW FILM Renegades Opened at Loew's State, Thursday, Nov 13, 1930. Directed by Victor Fleming. Cast. Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Noah Beery, Gregory Gaye, George Cooper, C. Henry Gordon, Colin Chase and Bela Lugosi. By W.E. Oliver The breeding of supermen continues unabated out Fox Hills way. If you conned your talking picture history properly, you'' remember George O'Brien ducked the bullet in The Last of the Duanes and in The Big Trail, John Wayne threw a lethal knife through a blizzard, a fur overcoat and three layers of meanness right into the hide of Tyrone Power. Noah Beery in Renegades, the new Loew's State picture, now swells the virile ranks by grabbing a heavy tripod machine gun from three blacks and charging the Riffe, firing as he goes. Which is a notable performance, even for a soldier of the Foreign Legion. FULL OF ACTION The ever-vigorousness of action in Renegades is the sole thing that prevents it from being one of the year's best pictures. It has a strong story. It has an alluring background—Morocco. It has one of the finest casts assembled at Fox's in months. Warner Baxter, Noah Beery, George Cooper and Gregory Gaye and Myrna Loy, who from this date is my favorite seductress. Two other fine actors, not quite as well known on the screen, are Bela Lugosi and C. Henry Gordon. Lugosi fairly oozes dread as a sheik of the desert. Mr. Gordon gives a compelling picture of a legion officer. In this story of a renegade French army officer and his ruthless vengeance on the woman spy who exploited his love. Warner Baxter carries on the standard of clear-cut acting. He succeeds in focusing interest on the hero, in spite of the story being one mainly of action. MYRNA LOY STIRRING Myrna Loy, at last escaped from Eurasia, is stirringly beautiful as the spy. Her acting makes the least convincing parts of the story believable. I can think of no one in pictures who can duplicate her particular allure. Her strange eyes start heat waves dancing in the Moroccan desert for me. The task of directing this story, crammed with intrigue, desert fighting, hates, comradeship and black pasts, has been well performed by Victor Fleming's glamorous hand. Renegades should be counted among the most popular Fox films of the year. Fanchon and Marco's "Society Circus" is one of the best stage shows Loew's State has had. Rube Wolf says farewell this week, not without the new seemingly inescapable orchestra gag founded on the violet side of the spectrum. Fox Movietone widens the breach in public practice by including propaganda designed to induce the public to spend more money and smash sales resistance.11/15/1930 HCN THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUTH IS CLEAVER SCREEN OFFERING By Elizabeth Yeaman It would take a popular vote to decide whether Loretta Young or Myrna Loy walked off with first honors in The Truth About Youth which opened at Warners' Hollywood Theater yesterday. But whoever the decision favors, the picture is an artistic little gem beautifully directed and skillfully acted by all the principals. The story is a sweet, sentimental little yarn with a dash of deviltry. Needless to say, Loretta Young provides the romance and Myrna Loy the deviltry. To complete a perfect quartet, we have a splendidly dignified performance by Conway Tearle and a vivid characterization by David Manners. The Truth About Youth might so easily have become sticky sentiment with the customary "wild life" relief. Instead it is an intensely human biography of four beautifully drawn characters. RARE PERSONALITY Miss Young has injected rare personality into the role of the demure young girl whose destiny has been shaped by the guardian of a young irresponsible. She possesses extraordinary poise for so young an actress, and her emotional scenes are a triumph of delicate restraint. Under a conventional repression she conveys a far more intense reaction than if she gave free vent to her conflicting emotions. In the role of the calculating night club queen, Miss Loy has developed a characterization that is entire new for her. Oh, yes, she is a siren, but not the strange, unreal creature she usually portrays. With the esoteric expression of a Mona Lisa, she weaves a spell of fascination. Here is not the brazen type we see only too often in motion pictures. The frankness of her purpose is delicately garbed with sublety. About her work there is an aura of romance and mystery. In this picture she has proved herself a real actress. FINE PERFORMANCE Fans of Conway Tearle will be delighted with his performance as the honorable, kind and match-making guardian who promotes the engagement between Miss Young and David Manners. There is a suave finish to his acting, and above all a deeply human touch. Manners handles a difficult characterization with much skill. Other members of the competent cast includes J. Farrell MacDonald, Harry Stubbs, Myrtle Stedman, Ray Hallor, Dorothy Mathew and Yola D'Avril. Too much cannot be said for the superb direction of William Seiter, who has show fine discrimination in the manner in which he has handled the production. On the supplementary program there is a Ripley "Believe It Or Not" novelty, a humorous old-time melodrama, two screen solos by Charles Hacket, and a current newsreel.11/15/1930 LAX Truth About Youth The truth, the whole truth, is that mothers may permit their children to view The Truth About Youth, at Warner's Hollywood Theater without fear that any established fables may be exposed. In fact, those attracted by the sensation of the title will be sadly disappointed. Others seeking clever performances and a highly entertaining picture, will find it in this film version of Henry Esmond's play, "When We Were Twenty-One." In short, there is nothing of the tabloid nor the confession magazine type contained in The Truth About Youth. Instead, it offers the tale of a bachelor who has officiated as guardain to the son of his once dearest friend. He loves dearly the daughter of his housekeeper and it is seemingly his ambition to see her married to his ward. It is here that youth, irrepressible youth, reveals the truth, the bitter truth. Alack-a-month, the girl insists upon loving the 30-odd-year old and bachelor and the boy becomes enamored of a cabaret dancer. The story is well told, having been written well and finely directed by William Seiter. The most remarkable thing to me, with due respect to splendid work by Conway Tearle, David Manners and others, is now a girl of Loretta Young's tender years could possibly acquire such poise and finesse, in so few years of experience. Her work does credit to an actress of many years standing. Added to the loveliness and the ability dhe displays, it makes her rare indeed. The performance of Conway Tearle is very fine, and the role just the sort calculated to bring back more fans than ever. Incidentally, Myrna Loy has one of the best roles given her in years, taking full advantage of every opportunity. J. Farrell McDonald, Harry Stubbs, Myrtle Stedman and Ray Hallor enhance the value of the cast. Among the Vitaphone Varieties is another burlesque melodrama, Curses, which is very clever and funny. Another Ripley Believe it Or Not– is highly entertaining.11/15/1930 EH MYRNA LOY SHEDS BROWN SKIN TO BE MEAN IN MOROCCO By W.E. Oliver If you want to appreciate what Myrna Loy went through to be a white girl once again, look for the nearest hareem, sign up in it and then try to sneak out on your contract. CALL MEANNESS ALWAYS MEANT MYRNA She was hopelessly ensconced in the wanton wilds of Eurasia. Should any producer want a slant-eyed meanness. He called Myrna Loy's agents. Maybe a hot touch of Cleopatra was needed to a Polynesian skin. It got so bad that Universal's casting office always started looking for her in Chinatown's telephone director. Honestly, someone out there still thinks Loy stands for a good old Chinese laundry family. She told me so. WALNUT STAINS IRKED HER Then Myrna got fed up with having to wash off the walnut stain before she could got past the immigration officers stationed at the Hollywood border. She decided to get out of the lands where men are beachcombers and women are the daughters of Louam and drunken French bumboat skippers. How did she cross the state line? She let her contract with Warners work itself out and went free-lancing. "I thought it was about time I did something about it myself," she told me the other day, giving me a flash of those weird eyes. TELLS HOW SHE GOT THAT WAY "What induced you to visit the Orient in the first place?" I asked, shocked to the marrow by that look. It was then that I learned Natasha Rambova was the cause of it all. "Mrs. Valentine was costuming and making me up for Satan in Sables, back in the silent era," she elucidated. She said it was the intellectual type of vampire without race, creed or country. And I suppose, following [unintelligible] customs. Hollywood decided that such a role was Eurasian. From then on I was committed to the exotique—which usually means anywhere east of [unintelligible]. But Warners were the true cause of her going native. You'll remember Monte Blue in Across the Pacific?" In case you don't recognize Miss Loy, she is that stark, primitive gal in a brown skin and tapa bark standing just left of the hero. Since those silent days when heroes could cross the Pacific without talking so much about it, she has played squaws, half-castes, gipsies, Eurasians, State street toughs and sampan girls. But although she has at last succeeded in crossing the racial barriers, don't think she isn't still desperate. "I'm not respectable again," she carefully warned me, wearing her enigmatic smile and lifting her eloquent nostrils in a slightly patrician disdain for the overstatement. "I'm just a bad girl in a white skin." CROSS COMPLEXES And after reviewing her latest picture, Renegades, at Loew's State Thursday, I quite agree with her. I never saw a girl so alluring about it in all my life. She made me want to offer myself as a candidate for the club of Men Who Want Myrna Loy to Be Mean to Them. "What makes this girl in Morocco so mean?" I ventured. Again that strange, slanting green-eyed look and the tilt of the nose. "It's all because of complexes," she said. "Eleanor, in Renegades, is a complex of complexes. I won't try to analyze her more than that. With Nubi, in The Squall, it was a simple case of nymphomania. My Narita in Cock of the Walk—it hasn't played out here—was blessed with a suicide complex." I muttered "And Yasmine, in The Black Watch? half afraid to bring up that war cry made famous by Victor McLaglen. PSYCHOLOGY CASE "She had delusions of grandeur. She was a descendent of Alexander—she thought. She wanted to marry Victor McLaglen, conquer India and start a new white race," was Myrna's account of the lotus-touched heroine. "But this Eleanore in Renegades," she went on. "I'm afraid she's a case for international psychology. To enumerate her psychoses would break down the combined vocabularies of Brill and Freud." Myrna Loy is one of the least known screen actresses in Hollywood. She keeps to herself, as does Greta Garbo. She has a charming little studio done in modern style where she retreats to be with herself, her music, dancing and sculpturing. Her hair and eyebrows are almost titian. her eyes, heavy-lidded, are two slashes of jade that changes from gray through green to the color of blue. Her nostrils are primitive. Her lips are full and rosebuddy. She dresses like a co-ed and talks with engaging frankness and intelligence. She has one of the most captivating laughs I have every owlishly worshiped before. Her real name is Myrna Williams. Her cinema name was bestowed upon her by George Rurich, the poet, who was then experimenting in euphonic verse. You must admit Myrna Loy is euphonic—and Eurasian, in spite of everything I can do to listen otherwise.12/7/1930 FD Rogue of the Rio GrandeSone Art-World Wide Time, 1 Hr., 5 Mins. Another Mexican bandit opera that follows the routine formula and fails to develop any real punch. A Cliff Broughton production. Jose Bohr, the Spanish actor, is well cast for the part of the Mex bandit, and Myrna Loy looks fine as the dancing girl in the café. As long as the producers still believe American audiences like to see a Mexican bandit win a nice American girl, this one follows the correct formula of its type. The swashbuckling hero has a price on his head of $1,000, and he is insulted. So he starts out to prove to the sheriff that he has been underrated. This consists of appearing at the saloon on a certain night and disclosing who he really is. But meanwhile, he has captured the mayor of the town, who is the real bandit, and this disclosure saves him. The sentimental interest is worked up in musical comedy style, and the entire production is unconvincing and lacking any real dramatic punch for a climax, which this class of offering needs to get over with the fans. CAST: Jose Bohr, Raymond Hatton, Myrna Loy, Carmelita Geraghty, Walter Miller, Gene Morgan, William P. Burt, Florence Dudley. Director, Spencer Gordon Bennett; Author, Oliver Drake; Adaptor, Same; Editor, Not Listed; Dialoguer, Oliver Drake; Cameraman, Not Listed. Direction, Weak. Photography, All Right.12/12/1930 LAR Myrna Loy Only Woman in Drama As a luckless French officer who flees to the Foreign Legion when his sweetheart proves to be an enemy spy, Warner Baxter is seen in Renegades which opened yesterday at Pantages. Myrna Loy is the only woman in the cast.

Iran bails UK embassy employee

Iran has released on bail the last of the British embassy

employees arrested in Tehran in connection with last

month's election protests.

Question for the Group: eDirectory and OD intergration

From: Terry JacksonReply to list Hello Group, I have a question for you all. This in particular pertains to eDirectory and Open Directory Integration. We currently are in the process of looking to have this done in our school district, and I wanted to know if any of you had attempted to do this, and what your feelings / expectations were after you had it done. Basically we are looking to: 1. Provide authentication to our mac clients via eDirectory, so that we can have one managed repository of student data from which they can login to any computer, mac or pc, in our district. 2. Provide a home or data share that they can save their work to, that is accessible to both PC and Macs, and to have that home in a centralized location in Novell eDirectory, that then can be managed and backed up via our central Backup server, cutting our costs on the need for multiple backup servers, and multiple servers for student network homes and shares. 3. Once logged into a mac client, have their MCX settings managed by an OSX OD Master that sets their dock, background, access to printers and files, etc., but NOT provide them with a network home, as that would be provided by Novell eDirectory services once authenticated via eDirectory. Anyone who has accomplished this, please share what you have you done, and if after accomplishing this, if it met your expectations, or it did not and you abandoned it for something else ( returned back to an all OD solution, went instead into an AD solution, etc.) Thanks for your time in advance.... Thanks, Terry Jackson Tech II- ACMT Technical Services Putnam City Schools District

Children's Art Work and School Papers: Deciding What to Keep

If your home is overflowing with evidence of your child's artistic prowess and school accomplishments, you may need some help deciding what to keep and what to toss. Here are some words of wisdom from my fellow professional organizers, and from some other parents.Marilyn Bohn explains why it's necessary to make some choices: Just think; if you save everything your child brings home, by the time they are in college you will have a two car garage full and overflowing with just their paper work and it will be spilling into your home. (I actually read about a woman who had saved everything and this was the result.) I believe it! I did some math figuring if you save just three pieces of paper a week, times four weeks in a month times 9 months in a year (figuring school is not in session for 12 months) times 8 years in school (pre-school through 6th grade) that is a total of 864 pieces of paper.... A very wise preschool teacher passed on this little gem, "little kids are into process, not product. Kids live in the moment; they enjoy the moment of making the art but are quite casual about disposing of it. Gail makes a similar point, and provides some guidance on what to save: If you were to save each and every piece of paper our children worked on in their 13 years of school, you could fill an entire standard bedroom! ...I typically save art that is art. Not the painting swirled in a circle with the teacher writing "A Motorcycle" above it. I also keep things that show progression in their development. Be it writing letters, or drawing a flower, or a worksheet, I will be able to look back as see their attempts at mastering a new learning challenge. Also, I save items that are about them. A self portrait, a interview from preschool about what they want to be when they grow up, a drawing of the family, an essay of their summer vacation, and so forth. You don’t need to keep the 4th grade book report they received an A++ on, unless you somehow are related to the person in the story! MaryJo Monroe has this advice: First of all, ask your child to sort through the papers to pick out his or her favorites. Then, it's your turn to sort through what's left. If you have a hard time deciding what to keep and what to toss, ask yourself: Is this artwork some of the best work little Jimmy has ever done? Is it really representative of who he was at that age? Is this a piece that will still be meaningful 20 years from now? And Angela Esnouf from Australia also emphasizes involving your child in the decision-making: In her October 2008 thesis "From the Refrigerator Door to the Art Gallery Floor: Young Children’s Experiences with the Display of Their Own Visual Artwork", Danielle Jay Boone, writes "children like to make choices about their own artwork". In any organising project involving children, I always recommend including them in the decision-making process. Organising children’s art is no different. Like any artist, a child will connect more with some works of art than with others. Only they know the level of commitment they put into producing their art, the care they took. Including children in the decision-making process also helps them build important life skills.OK, so your child is now helping you choose which pieces to keep. Here are some points to consider- Some drawings represent milestones, the next step in your child’s development.- Some artworks were made for a special occasion, like Mothers Day.- Some are just beautiful. And here is some advice from Ms Sisyphus, commenting on ParentDish: You have to take the long view here or you will go insane.You only keep the most precious pieces. You know which ones they are. The ones that even months after they come home you look at them and *remember*. The first time they print their names, write a sentence, etc., stay. One self portrait per year. Even if you're digitizing the schoolwork - taking photos, or scanning papers - it pays to be selective. Again, to quote Gail: Create a digital scrapbook of their work. You will be able to arrange a book in no time that shows their development and progression. This will cut down on the size/volume of papers you accumulate. This doesn’t give you "permission" to save it all. Again, be picky about what you save. Your child will not appreciate your hard work of scrap-booking all they did in school if it is a 20 volume series! Use what is most valuable, and toss the rest. [photo by EraPhernalia Vintage / Cheryl, licensed under Creative Commons]

Endeavour launch postponed again

This was Nasa's fourth attempt to launch Endeavour The launch of the US space shuttle Endeavour has been postponed for a fourth time, because of thunder storms in the area.

NEWSWEEK Cover: She's One of the Folks

In the October 13 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, October 6): "She's One of the Folks (And that's the problem)." Editor Jon Meacham writes an essay about how Sarah Palin's populist view of high office is risky for the country. Plus: the problems the next president will inherit; Biden opens up about the campaign; the fall of America Inc.; an interview with Irani Foreign Minister Mottaki; the Women & Leadership series and keeping kids healthy in cold-weather months. (PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK) DW_DOM_101308.tif NEW YORK UNITED STATES 10/05/2008 5 Oct 2008 16:56 Africa/Lagos NEWSWEEK Cover: She's One of the Folks (And That's the Problem) Editor Jon Meacham On Sarah Palin's Folksiness: 'Do We Want Leaders Who Are Everyday Folks ... Or Who Understand Everyday Folks?' Palin's Populist View Of High Office -- Hey, Vice President Six-Pack, What Should We Do About Pakistan? -- Is Dangerous NEW YORK, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham writes in an essay that the honest explanation of the rationale for Sarah Palin's candidacy -- not her preparedness for office, but her personality and nascent maverickism in Alaska -- raises an important question, not only about this election but about democratic leadership. "Do we want leaders who are everyday folks, or do we want leaders who understand everyday folks? Therein lies an enormous difference, one that could decide the presidential election and, if McCain and Palin were to win, shape the governance of the nation."(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081005/NYSU002 )In the October 13 Newsweek cover, "She's One of The Folks (And that's the problem)" (on newsstands Monday, October 6), Meacham examines this question of Palin's folksiness, looking at how it's a liability for the campaign and the country. Sitting with her for part of the Katie Couric interview on CBS, John McCain implicitly compared Palin to Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, saying that they, too, had been caricatured and dismissed by mainstream voices. The linkages are untenable, Meacham writes. "A successful two-term governor of California, Reagan had spent decades immersed in politics (of both the left and the right) before running for president. He did like to call himself a citizen-politician, and Lord knows he had an occasionally ambiguous relationship with facts, but he was a serious man who had spent a great deal of time thinking about the central issues of the age. To put it kindly, Palin, however promising a governor she is, has not done similar work."Meacham writes that he could be wrong, and perhaps Palin will somehow emerge from the hurly-burly of history as a transformative figure who was underestimated in her time by journalists who could not see, or refused to acknowledge, her virtues. "But do I think that I am right in saying that Palin's populist view of high office -- hey, Vice President Six-Pack, what should we do about Pakistan? -- is dangerous? You betcha.""A key argument for Palin, in essence, is this: Washington and Wall Street are serving their own interests rather than those of the broad whole of the country, and the moment requires a vice president who will, Cincinnatus-like, help a new president come to the rescue," Meacham writes. "The problem with the argument is that Cincinnatus knew things. Palin sometimes seems an odd combination of Chauncey Gardiner from 'Being There' and Marge from 'Fargo.' Is this an elitist point of view? Perhaps, though it seems only reasonable and patriotic to hold candidates for high office to high standards. Elitism in this sense is not about educational or class credentials ... It is, rather, about the pursuit of excellence no matter where you started in life. Jackson, Lincoln, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton were born to ordinary families, but they spent their lives doing extraordinary things, demonstrating an interest in, and a curiosity about, the world around them. This is much less evident in Palin's case."Meacham praises Palin for her public service. "If she were seeking a Senate seat, or being nominated for a cabinet post-secretary of energy, say, or interior -- the conversation about her would be totally different. But she is not seeking a Senate seat, nor is she being nominated for a cabinet post, and so it is only prudent to ask whether she is in fact someone who should be president of the United States in the event of disaster. She may be ready in a year or two, but disaster does not coordinate its calendar with ours. Would we muddle through if Palin were to become president? Yes, we would, but it is worth asking whether we should have to."In a counterpoint essay, Karl Rove, the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President Bush and a Newsweek contributor, writes that, with respect, Meacham misses the principal arguments for Palin. "She is the governor of a state with an $11 billion operating budget, a $1.7 billion capital budget and nearly 29,000 employees; she's got more executive experience than any candidate for president or vice president this year. In Alaska she took on the state political establishment, the incumbent Republican governor and the oil companies. She's a rising star who accentuates McCain's maverick strengths and a 'hockey mom' who has developed a powerful tie to ordinary voters.""That link isn't itself an argument for Palin. But being able to connect with, and inspire, the public is an asset -- not a liability. As for Jon's argument against 'everyday Americans' as political leaders, many great presidents have been more average than elitist. Ronald Reagan, from Eureka College, was a far better leader than Woodrow Wilson, a former president of Princeton. Wilson would have given you 100 Supreme Court opinions he disagreed with, whether you wanted to listen or not," Rove writes. (Read cover story at www.Newsweek.com) Cover Story Rove essayPhoto: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081005/NYSU002 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN3PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Newsweek CONTACT: Jan Angilella of Newsweek, +1-212-445-5638Web site: http://www.newsweek.com/ House Passes Economic Stabilization BillWachovia's Board Approves Wells Fargo Merger ProposalLilly to Acquire ImClone Systems in $6.5 Billion TransactionTwo-Thirds of Struggling Homeowners Meet Key Criteria for Housing Bill Relief, According to Survey by CCCS of Greater Atlanta USA TODAY and MTV Survey Young People on Voting and Political IssuesParamount and DreamWorks Principals Finalize Separation, Outline Terms for Future Projects Together Ageing Populations Face Crisis of Rising BlindnessCrisis in Credit MarketsPresidential, Vice Presidential DebatesUK Government News Network Releases

Mass arrests over China violence

Chinese police arrest 1,434 people over rioting in Xinjiang province, state media says, as protests spread to a second city

156 died .

A Tour of the High Notes On The Lows Of American History in Washington DC: The Musical

I'm still recovering from my whirlwind theatrical tour of the history of America while I was in Washington D.C. this past weekend. So it's going to take some time to get some proper reviews out, but if you haven't already noticed my twitter the other day, and you're near the D.C. area, I highly recommend Ragtime (below) at the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center AND Giant at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia (within the greater DC area). (Ragtime has been extended to May 17th, Giant runs until May 31st only). Actually, not just highly recommend. YOU MUST GO RUN AND DO ANYTHING TO GET TICKETS TO BOTH THESE PRODUCTIONS. I'm giving both ***** (out of 5 stars), which is so rare.I didn't mean to book so many epic musicals into one weekend, but it somehow ended that way. I also saw an emotionally epic See What I Wanna See also at the Signature, and the epically bad musical song cycle The Civil War at Ford's Theatre (yes, where Lincoln got shot! The main reason I went).So in 2 days, I went from the brutality of The Civil War in 1861, to the convergence of Whites, Blacks and immigrant Jews at turn of the century in Ragtime. As the ragtime music played from 1906 to the advent of the first world war around New York City, I moved on to Texas during the 1940's when a Texan rancher marries an eastern girl that begins the unravelling of the Benedict family on the flatlands of the Giant state.And if I had anything to learn in D.C., it was that the Star Spangled Banner hadn't coveted all the stars. There were still more STARS ready to be born. While I didn't love The Civil War, the performers were outstanding, with voices that soared beyond the prosaic rock music score (which totally felt incongruous to the harsh subject matter).Meanwhile, Ragtime is one of my favorite musicals of all time (based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow). It's the lone massive epic amongst my favorites that usually consists of more modern, less literal, less linear books (like Spring Awakening, Rent, Company, A Chorus Line, Hair), but Ragtime is truly outstanding, and I was lucky enough to see the world premiere in Toronto a few times back in the day, and at the time, we didn't know how lucky we were to have Audra McDonald (Private Practice), Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Steven Sutcliffe, Lea Michelle (Glee, Spring Awakening), Peter Friedman, Heather Headley, all amongst the cast. So I went into this new starless revival at the Kennedy Center a little underwhelmed with the lack of marquee names.Well, Christiana Noll, Bobby Steggert (probably the most famous of the bunch, last seen with Audra in 110 in the Shade), Jennlee Shallow (above), Quentin Earl Darrington (above) and Manoel Felciano may not be marquee names now, but they will be! By golly sweet mother, this Kennedy Center cast was OUTSTANDING and managed to erase the memories of the already perfect original cast.The staging is much more pared down from the extravagant original (which practically bankrupted Drabinsky which basically got him to fudge the books that landed him jail recently) and literal staging, but this new modern simplicity works surprisingly well, at least once you get used to the stylistic shell of the piano, or the wire framed Ford vehicle (that becomes a major plotpoint in case you've never seen the show). The art nouveau iron wrought 5 leveled set hovers over the entire stage, utilizing the whole stage space three-dimensionally and truly brings out the epic nature of the already epic musical that tells the tales of three cultures colliding at the beginning of the 20th century.And if Ragtime is epic in every possible way, Giant is epic with a large cast, and epic in scope, but intimate and emotionally lush with a dense story told along a sprawling narrative. Based on the Edna Ferber novel, it tells the tale of Bick Benedict and his family, but it also draws from the social nature of Texas during the 1940's, as well as the mix of the Whites that live on the ranges, and the Mexicans that help run them.While the music is by Michael LaChiusa (The Wild Party, one of those newer generation musical writers that tend to be more artsy than populist that I don't always love) and isn't particularly catchy, I thought it beautifully evoked the sounds and atmosphere of old time Texas. The beautifully lighted set was wide and simple (just a hardwood rectangular platform with a ladder to a smaller square hovering above and a canvas band above changing colours, moods and scenery throughout the show).And the cast of 21 is simply magnificent, with Lewis Cleale (above right, Spamalot), Betsy Morgan (above centre, The Little Mermaid) and Ashley Robinson (above left) leading one of the best ensemble casts I've seen (and one that includes Nick Spangler (The Fantasticks, winner from The Amazing Race 13)).Seriously, Betsy Morgan is a revelation. She's been in what seems like every workshop of a new musical opening soon on Broadway (including The Addams Family, Prairie (dir. Francesca Zambello), Leap of Faith (dir. Taylor Hackford), First Wives Club (dir. Francesca Zambello), and Memphis (dir. Christopher Ashley)) but hopefully this will bring her into the proper spotlight she deserves.Ashley Robinson, with his creepy googly eyes, swaggers with a sexual vibe that draws you even though you know he spells bad news. And with his gruff voice and scruffy looks, comes out a beautiful country twang that's crystal clear, and that draws you further into his dark emotional abyss.I could go on but I'll save it for a post of it's own, but Giant had everything in it that usually bores me to tears in musicals. A difficult score without any catchy poppy tunes, a 4 hour running time (YES, it's FOUR hours long (2 intermissions included)), and generally no showy musical moments (don't expect jazz hands here), but I found it utterly engrossing and simply LOVED IT. It's getting ***** 5 stars from me, and that is actually quite rare. I've only ever given 5 stars to 11 other musical productions I've seen live on stage (they were Spring Awakening, Ragtime, Rent, Hair, A Chorus Line, Company, The Who's Tommy, Cabaret, Chicago, Urinetown, Parade).Meanwhile, while Giant flew by its 4 hour running time, The Civil War's 95 minute intermissionless running time felt FAR longer, with it's only real redeeming quality in it's superb roster of singers (below), many who I've seen before in Signature productions in the DC area.Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

African move on Bashir dismissed

The African Union's (AU) decision not to help arrest Sudan's president will not affect the International Criminal Court's work, its prosecutor says.

Los Angeles Angels Team Report

INSIDE PITCH The three-run comeback was nice. The game-saving catch by Torii Hunter was amazing. And the four-game winning streak is welcome. But nothing pleased manager Mike Scioscia more Sunday than watching reliever Scot Shields throw two hitless innings against the Royals. Scioscia called it "hands down" the best Shields has thrown the ball this season. "I think out of all the things that happened today, Scot Shields was the thing we're most excited about," Scioscia said after Sunday's victory. "That was terrific." Shields has been anything but terrific this season. Pitching with a case of patellar tendinitis in his left knee, Shields had a 9.31 ERA in 13 appearances before Sunday. Scioscia had questioned his health status at times with the two butting heads over how much the leg problem has affected Shields' performance. Shields continues to deny that the sore knee is an issue. "I feel good," Shields said Sunday when the topic was raised again. "There's no excuses for the way I've been pitching." Against Kansas City on Sunday, he struck out four of the seven batters he faced. "The ball was coming out of his hand hot. He had great movement and he was able to locate it and he had a terrific breaking ball," Scioscia said. "You put all that together, that's the Scot we know is in there."NOTES, QUOTESThe Angels have a season-high four-game winning streak after sweeping the Royals over the weekend. The two most recent victories came despite being out-hit 5-4 on Saturday (a 1-0 victory) and 10-5 on Sunday (a 4-3 victory). They are 3-11 this season in games when they have been out-hit by their opponent.RHP Anthony Ortega was optioned to Class AAA Salt Lake but will not replace him on the roster until before Tuesday's game against the Red Sox. With two complete games and an off day over the last five days, the bullpen has been able to recharge and they might go with an 11-man pitching staff for now. That would allow them to promote a third catcher from Class AAA Salt Lake and continue using C Mike Napoli at designated hitter.OF Bobby Abreu tied a club record with four walks in Sunday's game. But Abreu has gone hitless in his past 11 at-bats with just one hit in his past 19 at-bats. He has also failed to hit a home run in his first 29 games with the Angels. Twenty-nine of his 34 hits this season have been singles.BY THE NUMBERS: 3.58 ERA of Angels' starting pitchers through Monday.QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm still me. I still play the game. I still know how to play center field. I still feel I'm one of the best center fielders in the game. That's not cocky. That's just confidence." Angels OF Torii Hunter, after a game-saving catch against the Royals on Sunday.ROSTER REPORTRHP Kelvim Escobar (shoulder surgery) will move his rehab to the Angels' extended spring training camp in Arizona. He is expected to start pitching in camp games there this week.RHP Dustin Moseley (elbow irritation) will move his rehab to the Angels' extended spring training camp in Arizona. He is expected to start pitching in camp games there this week.C Jeff Mathis had a two-run single to tie the game in the seventh inning Sunday. He is 7-for-15 (.467) with runners in scoring position this season. The Angels are 100-54 in his past 154 starts at catcher.RHP Jered Weaver will be coming off the first complete game of his career when he starts Tuesday against the Red Sox. Since allowing four runs in the first inning at New York on May 1, Weaver has allowed just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out 10 in 14 innings. MEDICAL WATCH: RHP Scot Shields (patellar tendinitis, left knee) didn't pitch May 6-9 but did pitch and earned the win on May 10. RF Vladimir Guerrero (torn right pectoral muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 16. He will miss at least a month. He began running the bases April 28, and he was doing defensive drills in early May. RHP John Lackey (elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He began a throwing program April 6. He pitched in extended spring training in late April, and he began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Salt Lake on May 5. He is scheduled to make his final rehab start for Salt Lake on May 10. RHP Ervin Santana (sprained elbow ligament) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He pitched in extended spring training in late April, and he started a rehab assignment with Class A Rancho Cucamonga on May 4. He made a rehab start for Class AAA Salt Lake on May 9. RHP Dustin Moseley (nerve irritation in right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list April 18. RHP Kelvim Escobar (right shoulder surgery in July 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 4, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 22. ROTATION: LHP Joe Saunders RHP Jered Weaver RHP Shane Loux RHP Matt Palmer BULLPEN: LHP Brian Fuentes (closer) RHP Scot Shields RHP Jose Arredondo RHP Justin Speier RHP Jason Bulger RHP Rafael Rodriguez LHP Darren Oliver CATCHERS: Jeff Mathis Mike Napoli INFIELDERS: 1B Kendry Morales 2B Howie Kendrick SS Erick Aybar 3B Chone Figgins INF Maicer Izturis OUTFIELDERS: LF Juan Rivera CF Torii Hunter RF Bobby Abreu DH Gary Matthews Jr. OF/INF Robb Quinlan OF Reggie Willits

US opens 'major Afghan offensive'

The US military says it has begun a large operation against the Taliban in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.

Democrats win crucial Senate seat

President Barack Obama's party secured a critical 60-member majority in the US Senate, after the last undecided seat was awarded to a Democrat.

Why Would You Choose to Earn Less?

In March 2008, I quit a full time job that earned around $50,000 per year. I did not return to the workplace. My wifes closest friend has a marketable college degree and a substantial amount of successful organizational experience. Shes made the active choice to be a stay at home mother to her two children, giving up that income. A friend of mine had a factory job that paid $12 an hour. One day, he turned in his resignation, replacing that job with another where he swept floors for $8 an hour. In each case, a person walked away from a job or a career, actively choosing another route that earned significantly less. In our modern world, what would possess someone to make this unorthodox choice? Why are there millions of stay-at-home parents out there? Why do people walk away from jobs that pay well and take jobs that pay less? Its simple. Money isnt everything. A long while back, I read and reviewed Daniel Gilberts excellent book Stumbling on Happiness. Today, when I reflect upon that book, I realize that one little point he made stuck in my mind. Gilbert wrote about a study that showed peoples happiness with their lives and correlated that information with their salary. What did he find? $40,000 is a truly magic number. Below that number, people were much less happy with their lives - people with a household income of $20K or $30K were generally less happy with their state of living than people earning $40K. Whats interesting, though, is that people earning over $40K were not any happier with their lives. Additional income did nothing to increase peoples happiness with the state of their life. Gilbert offered a bunch of his own conclusions from that study, but my conclusion was pretty simple: any income above a certain surprisingly-low threshold does not make you happier. I wont say that threshold is exactly $40K - its not, because that number varies a lot based on location, number of dependents, and so on - but I will say that the magical amount of enough income is much lower than many people think. What does that enough income represent? It represents the amount of money needed to keep a roof over your head, food on your plate, a car in your driveway, and a little bit of breathing room to enjoy life. Income beyond that does nothing more than inflate our basic standard of living - a nicer house, a nicer car, a nicer vacation. But over the long run, those nicer things dont contribute at all to lasting happiness. Once we have those nicer things, were right back where we started, wanting something nicer yet. Our Honda becomes the Acura weve wanted, and then before long we want a BMW. Our 1,000 square foot house becomes a 1,600 square foot house, then we want a 2,400 square foot house. Our camping vacation in Minnesota becomes a weeklong trek through Yellowstone, then we want weeklong treks through every national park. Our freebie cell phone becomes a Razr, then we want an iPhone. Once our bases are covered, more of the same doesnt bring us fulfillment. Instead, fulfillment comes from the things that make you happy and bring you value in life. It might be that your value comes from having a big bank account or the corner office - and thats great. But for a lot of people, whether theyre acting on it or not, fulfillment comes from other sources. Perhaps it comes from being a parent. Perhaps it comes from work that theyre passionate about. Maybe it comes from minimalist living. Whatever that fulfillment is, it rarely comes from acquiring more of the same things you already have. People ask why Im so interested in personal finance. Its got to be incredibly boring to read about 401(k)s all day. To me, personal finance is just a series of techniques that allows you to widen your horizons, to make things in your life secure so that you can take that leap and fall headfirst into the things in your life that bring you fulfillment. Whatever they may be. Its a story that I never get tired of investigating or talking about. Whenever I see someone making the active choice to earn less, I usually smile. Why? Because theres no clearer sign that theyve figured this all out for themselves on some level.

GT

The broken road

Siteki, Swaziland06/05/09MiddayAs the mist settles over the emerald mountains of Swaziland, the Good shepherd hospital stirs into movement.The first few hours of my work day are spent in clinic. There I see patients afflicted with every imaginable ailment. From tropical infections like schistosomiasis to the complications of terminal HIV like toxoplasmosis, cryptococcal meningitis and multi drug resistant tuberculosis. These severe conditions are interspersed with the more benign aches and pains and dripping noses which can still malign the days of a Swazi man or woman.After clinic I assemble with the homebased care team and we drive out to the the neigbourhoods surrounding the little hamlet of Siteki.The yellow grass grows wild and taller than a basketballer. And we drive through it each day.Sometimes we go around it. But usually it is 'through'.The nurses say "Left here!" - and we turn.... making roads where I'm sure no road was ever meant to be...The homebased care truck is small but sturdy. The windshield cracked by years of being battered by pebbles and flying debris as the team travels the dusty roads of Siteki. It navigates the most inhospitable terrain, roads covered in mud and potholes and ditches. Grass quite literally as high as an 'elephants eye'.Each day we visit a series of homesteads. A homestead is a group of huts where one or more families reside.We are a medical service, and as such the primary purpose of our work is to provide compassionate medical care to those afflicted with severe HIV, Tuberculosis and those who are simply too sick or too poor to get to hospital.In addition to medical care each family recieves a bag of corn soya, milli meal (which can be made into a porridge), beans, and on good days a bag of oranges or a bottle of milk.Many of the homesteads we visit consist entirely of orphan children fending for themselves. In a country where 10% of the population are orphan children under the age of 15, orphan headed households are sadly very common.A doctors or nurses office is where you find it in Swaziland. Sometimes in a field of corn....Sometimes under a tree. (This is what we might look like if you were inside a hut)The aim of homebased care is to treat not only the patient but their family. To assess issues within the home like access to water, sanitation, poverty, malnutrition and sick family members. It is to look broadly and see a patient within the context of their every day lives as opposed to merely an afflicted body part or disease process.In addition to assessing and treating patients, the reason I was asked to work with homebased care this year was to empower the team, teaching further clinical skills and knowledge about disease and its management. But in truth I am the one who is learning.This team are expert in areas where every physician can refine their skills. They know how to see deeply and listen intently, how to treat the ostracised, unloved and dying with dignity and gentle reverence. They believe that the soul of medicine is not simply about handing out pills to patients but about helping an equal in need.In more ways than my little words can describe, this team of beautiful men and women and the other human angels whom I encounter each day are my teachers.We walk the broken road together, delving into our own woundedness to find a seed of hope to plant in the heart of another to whom the winter has come.From Siteki with love,Maithri

Junior World Hockey

Don and I are watching the Gold Metal Juniors World Hockey Championship game. Canada versus Sweden.
I kind of like the color scheme. Its really easy to tell the two teams apart with the red, black with white flourishes for the Canadian Team and then pretty sky blue and bright yellow for Sweden.
Don had our whole day organized around this event.
I made us some clam onion chip dip and am sitting here with him, blog to you.
Canada is leading 1-0 after the first period which has just finished, so that means Don will have a 15 minute break to chat and gaze at me lovingly, so Im off! Ill write more in the next period.
Oh& never mind. He just switched the channel and is now catching up on the Pittsburgh - NY Rangers game (2nd period P-0, NY R-1)
I guess the loving gaze will have to wait until after the hockey is over.
The chip dip was really good, but now my mouth tastes of onions. It makes me want to go upstairs to the fridge and get myself some more.
I am going to finish this blog, then Im going to read my Richard Russells Remarks to see what he has to say about the markets. Yesterday he had a picture of a bull in the left hand corner. Kind of gave me a little jolt. I got used to seeing that snarling bear in that spot.
Oh hey, and for all of my bloggers who are a little nervous about debt, or how they are going to manage things in the upcoming year, Suze Orman is going to be on Oprah on Thursday and whoever tunes in will be able to download a free e-copy of her new book, 2009 Action Plan: How to keep your money safe.
I like Suze, have read quite a few of her books over the years. They really helped when I was first trying to handle my own finances, because they were written in a way that was easily accessible, in terms I could understand, and they didnt make me break into a sweaty panic attack. I find she writes in a way that women can understand.
That being said, it is really important, that you never take anyones advice absolutely. If I had taken all the advice from all the investment books that I have read, I would be a h__l of a lot poorer than I am right now.
Its not that the people that write these books are trying to screw the poor well-meaning people who buy their books. They really believe what they are writing. However, nobody knows everything.
When making an investment you always need to check with your belly, look at the upside and the downside, know yourself and only make investments that you understand and feel comfortable with. And if someone is trying to sell you something that doesnt make logical sense to you. DONT do it. Maybe later youll understand it and feel comfortable doing it, or maybe it was a stupid investment and the person who was trying to talk you into it, would get a big commission if you said yes.
Thats how a lot of people got into this mortgage/foreclosure mess. Trust your gut. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Also, I imagine Suze is going to talk a little bit about whats coming down the pike via the credit card companies. Pay attention to what she says about this! Dont hide your head in the sand, because I have read about this coming credit card storm from many very reliable sources. And believe me, its coming. Figure out what you need to do so everything doesnt collapses around your head.
Phew! I didnt know I was going to go on a financial rampage. Ive really been trying hard not to.
I better sign off.
Love, Meg xo

Bible reading for May 8, 2009

Deuteronomy 27-28:14 (New International Version) Deuteronomy 27 The Altar on Mount Ebal 1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: "Keep all these commands that I give you today. 2 When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the LORD your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. 3 Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. 5 Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool upon them. 6 Build the altar of the LORD your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God. 7 Sacrifice fellowship offerings [a] there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God. 8 And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones you have set up." Curses From Mount Ebal 9 Then Moses and the priests, who are Levites, said to all Israel, "Be silent, O Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the LORD your God. 10 Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today." 11 On the same day Moses commanded the people: 12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. 14 The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice: 15 "Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idola thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman's handsand sets it up in secret." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 16 "Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 17 "Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's boundary stone." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 18 "Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 19 "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 20 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife, for he dishonors his father's bed." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 21 "Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 22 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 23 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 24 "Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 25 "Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 26 "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"Deuteronomy 28 Blessings for Obedience 1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestockthe calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. 9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperityin the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your groundin the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.Footnotes:Deuteronomy 27:7 Traditionally peace offerings Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright

More taxes

More taxes,at least there are

Personal income tax ,medical insurance

Income fell 100yuan

Have a try,I can do it!

Christmas 2009 Advent Activities

When I put away all of my Christmas decorations and supplies, I try to make notes on what I need to do for next year. (It helps me to jot it all down while it is fresh in my mind.) To-do's for 2009:Make cards for advent calendar activities.Buy supplies for advent calendar-hohos, hershey kisses, chocolate coins.Buy tickets to the Nutcracker or othe Christmas play.Take pictures for Christmas card.Scrap 4 x 6 layout for X-mas Cards.Have cards printed at Wal-Mart.Buy envelopes and stamps.Address, stuff and stamp cards.Scrap calendars for grandparents.Gifts for nieces and nephews.Gifts for girls and hubby.Planned activities/focus for Advent calendars:Christmas Story-Bookmarks for Bibles, Read Christmas StoryThe Nutcracker-Small Nutcrackers, Go See the NutcrackerCandy Cane-Candy Cane PencilsNativity-Make Your Own Nativity StickersReindeers-Foamie Reindeer KitCarols-New Christmas Carols on ipodStockings-Make Your Own Stocking KitsCoal-Snowman painted coal or coal candy (we are all diamonds inside)St. Nicholas-Chocolate Coins*Focus of Christmas-Santa Kneeling at Baby Jesus OrnamentYule Log-Ho ho's*Befana-Gifts in Shoes (Santa puzzle ball, magic x-mas tree, cards)Jingle Bells-jingle bell hair tiesChristmas Cookies-sprinklesAngels-Angel pinsOrnaments-Go get ornamentsPickle Ornaments-Gift of Make Your own Fleece Blanket and PillowGive to the Needy-Read Silver PackagesChristmas Tree-mini Christmas TreesWhite Christmas-Snowflake window clings, instant snowWreaths-paint your own ceramic wreath ornament.Cards-stickers to make cards.St. Lucia-hot chocolate packets*Englishing tradition of mumming-Tickets to go see playMistletoe-Hershey kisses.

Scamander RRV.

Little Potato

March was a much more reflective month than it usually is. In the last eleven years, I've been dedicated to producing what seemed like week long festivals in honor of Ben's birthdays. Now he is eleven and big parties are being replaced by a special gift or overnight excursion. I can see that bittersweet look in his eyes as he watches his little boyhood slip through his fingertips. He still wants to want those experiences - the pageantry of balloons, a noisy crowd of kids, too many gifts and too many sweets. Tweenhood is all about going two steps forward and one step back on a daily basis.So what does this have to do with the East Village? I've been finding it difficult to write about the neighborhood for much of the same reasons. It's coming time to go. To leave the building I've known since my birth. I don't know that this will ever be my home again -- even though I will visit from time to time and will be in the neighborhood often.American culture tends to downplay the sanctity in a sense of place. Our economy wants us to be mobile and our character is ever onward and upward. But love it or hate it, we all sprouted somewhere and it's in our blood. In many ways, I'm at peace with our next steps. The generations of family who walked these same streets have taught me all the things they thought I should know. They've given me their blessing and I see it every day in the spirit of my son.

Iran protesters defy rally ban

Hundreds of supporters of Iran's defeated candidate Hossein Mousavi rally against the presidential result, defying a ban.

A Tale of Two Kills Show, Live @ Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO, 4.22.09, & Live @ Webster Hall, NYC, 5.02.09

Live @ Webster Hall, NYC, 5.02.09Photos by Merry Swankster Once I arrived at the Fox and found a firm place to plant my feet, it didn't take more than a few minutes for me to wonder why the Kills weren't my favorite band. If not presently at least as an ex-fling. Scratchy, garage-bred guitars raised in electro back alleys are just my type. That they were as mean and ominous sounding as the sneer from the Kills' male half upped the ante on my sudden smittenness. Their sexed-up sound was like a racing infatuation high on even faster drugs. Music that begged to be played loud and reckless, like the two jerking torsos of the band members leaning on one another for support, quivering all the while with the intensity of partners in extended foreplay. It was perfectly suited for a dingy club in a sketchy dead-end in one of the Sohos of the world. While Boulder's sanitized university environment and college hipster crowd doesn't exactly fit the bill of a London or New York bohemian scene, like any perceived reality, it's all about how the senses discern. Getting down with the young drunk lovers indeed. For those unfamiliar with the Kills, or lacking basic concepts of fractional mathematics, the band is a duo - vocalist Alison "VV" Mosshart and guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince. The latter might be more commonly known to tabloid followers as beau of Kate Moss, British supermodel, topless yachter, etc. VV's singing fits somewhere in between early Karen O's downtown punk inflection and a detached art-house snob (raised on a steady diet of filthy Classic Rock records, natch). Along with her statuesque presence, de rigueur rocker threads, and a long messy mane of brown hair doubling as facial curtains, she is the perfect archetype for dangerously unapproachable rock goddess. Dude doesn't exactly exude a warm and friendly vibe either. I can best describe him as I saw him - the most coked-out looking guy in the room. Though to be fair he was literally in the spotlight so my observation lacks empirical data to be considered scientific. The tunes were standard representations of their album work. Backed by tracked drums and assorted accompaniment, had the driving rhythms been extended beyond the song structures they'd be shoe-ins for a tranced-out electro act. Luckily that didn't happen. Our show time was cut short on the front end due to the fact we drove from Denver immediately after Franz Ferdinand and also on the back end after Ms. VV succumbed to the effects of Colorado's high altitude. It wasn't pretty, but with this group it's not supposed to be. Still completely worth it from my vantage point. In case you missed it, here are the deets on that story. JK: Following the Denver show's abrupt ending, their subsequent Manhattan gig was, if not triumphant, then at least complete. Yes, we got the "Screamin" Jay Hawkins' number "Spell On You" that the Boulder setlist had inaccurately predicted (a grinding noise-fuck version, no less). Seeing the band live, for the first time since their initial, mesmerizing string of New York shows, I'm struck by how committed the members are to their aesthetic. The temptation to flesh out the line-up with a live drummer or stray bassist must have been present since their first hints of success, but the band's performance is almost entirely based on the desperate interplay of two people. People who maybe aren't even all that good for each other (and I dunno, seeing Jamie Hince pull Allsion's hair mid-song was kind of uncomfortable, still) but can't help but drown out the rest of the world with blinding electro-personal magnetism. Understanding your strength as a band is one vital step that often trips up fledgling groups. I also mused, watching itchy/swoony tracks like "Last Day of Magic" or "Tape Song" that the Kills are both lucky and unlucky to have come up when they did, in a post-White Stripes landscape. Lucky, that people might give them a chance in the first place, unlucky that easy press comparisons might have doomed them from gaining a different audience. If Jack and Meg had exuded an ounce of the unkempt sexuality that the aforementioned songs do, their sibling feint would have been actually scandalous rather than merely eccentric. More CO pics, beyond...