Weekly Review - Patto con le italiane

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promised not to have sex until elections were held on April 9.

Weekly Review, Harper's Magazine, 31 gennaio 2006

Weekly Review - Hussein

Hussein also said through a lawyer that he wanted to sue President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for authorizing the use of weapons of mass destruction, such as white phosphorus, in Iraq.

Weekly Review, Harper's Magazine, 31 gennaio 2006

Nam-June Paik

E' morto Nam-June Paik. A me le video-installazioni, in generale, hanno sempre lasciato freddo. Però questo "TV Buddha" del 1974 è bello.

"Nam-June Paik, un des pères de l'art vidéo, s'est éteint dimanche 29 janvier à Miami, à 74 ans, a annoncé son site internet. L'artiste, né en Corée et installé aux Etats-Unis depuis 1964, a bénéficié d'une reconnaissance mondiale pour avoir questionné très tôt le pouvoir des images et les avoir mêlées au son et au mouvement, à travers des performances. Ses œuvres sont exposées au musée Guggenheim de New York, au Museum of Broadcast Communications de Chicago, tandis que la ville de Kyonggi en Corée du Sud lui a consacré un musée."

Nam-June Paik, père de l'art vidéo, est mort, Le Monde, 30 gennaio 2006

Wikipedia

"According to the Lowell Sun, U.S. Rep Marty Meehan's staff has been heavily editing his Wikipedia bio, among other things removing criticisms. In total, more than one thousand Wikipedia edits in various articles have been traced back to congressional staffers at the U.S. House of Representatives in the past six months."

Wikipedia Entries 'Cleaned' By Political Staffers, Slashdot, 29 gennaio 2006

В КРУГЕ ПЕРВОМ

Ieri la televisione russa ha trasmesso la prima puntata del film televisivo "Il primo cerchio".

Фильм станет первым и пока единственным экранным воплощением произведений Солженицына, осуществленным в России.

В КРУГЕ ПЕРВОМ.

Lunedì (Jingle Hells Bells)

Jingle Bells. Clicca e ascolta. Con attenzione.

Song Songun

"Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- New songs of high ideological and artistic value have been created this year to inspire the servicepersons and working people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the general onward march of the Songun revolution. The songs that laud the great Songun revolutionary guidance of Kim Jong Il touch the heartstrings of the people."

In una canzone c'é Kim Jong II che spinge la sua jeep sulla neve fresca. In un'altra, sotto la pioggia, in visita alle truppe di frontiera divide con loro patate arrostite.

E' tutto molto lirico.

New Songs Created, Korean News, 24 gennaio 2006

Integrazione Cosmica con Vibrazioni Energetiche

Quasi-quasi lascio la religione pastafariana e mi dedico a questo.

"La PRO-VIDA è un Istituto con sede a San Paolo, che si propone la conduzione di interessati ad una Integrazione Cosmica.

Che cosa significa Integrazione Cosmica?
Significa far sì che l'uomo amplifichi la sua visione dell' "habitat" in cui vive. In parole semplici, significa fuoriuscire dal proprio egocentrismo, in seguito uscire dalla propria città, poi dalla propria regione, poi dal proprio paese, poi dal proprio pianeta, poi da tutti i pianeti e così via, fino alla scoperta di essere UNO e TUTTO allo stesso tempo, e di racchiudere in sé lo splendore di quella stessa scintilla divina che è altrettanto presente nei batteri del pianeta più lontano che si possa immaginare.

Ed in che modo la PRO-VIDA conduce gli interessati a tale proposito?
Attraverso nove corsi lungo i quali vengono discussi ed analizzati temi nell'ambito della sfera mentale, fisica e spirituale.

In essa viene praticata l'esercitazione mentale?
Sì, in modo ordinato e condotta da professionisti capaci e preparati per questo.

In che cosa consiste l'esercitazione mentale?
In una serie di processi con i quali ci si propone il ritiro dei veli che impediscono all'uomo l'assorbimento di vibrazioni energetiche che lo circondano.

Cosa avviene quando tali veli vengono ritirati?
Avviene un ampliamento della coscienza fino a raggiungere la Coscienza Cosmica.

Quale beneficio ne deriva per l'uomo?
Con l'ampliamento della coscienza, l'uomo giungerà alla consapevolezza della Verità. Questa lo porterà alla Giustizia, che gli conferirà la Libertà e, così, l'uomo incontrerà la Pace.

Pro-Vida.

Weekly Review - Elefante astemio

It was cold in Russia. People were smearing goose fat on their bodies to stop frostbite, and near Moscow zookeepers fed an Indian elephant a bucket of vodka to keep it warm; the elephant then went on a rampage, tore radiators from a wall, and calmed down only after it was given a hot shower.[HindustanTimes.com][The Toronto Star]

Weekly Review, Harper's Magazine, 24 gennaio 2006

Over, Kill

"Any motion, anyone who moves in the zone, even if it’s a three-year-old, should be killed. Over."

Il dialogo tra soldati israeliani che uccidono una ragazzina araba di 10 anni. Due di loro rischiano non oltre tre anni di prigione.

In the Zone, Harper's Magazine, maggio 2005

Classic funky coolness

"5 euros of the price you pay for our products at an authorized dealers are sent straight to Palestine or Colombia, where your money pays for new equipment for radio stations and graphics workshops run by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). This is our tribute to these freedom fighters."

"Fighters+Lovers is greatly in debt to the stylish classic coolness of Palestinian fighter Leyla Khaled and the funky outrageous style of Colombian guerrilla commander Jacobo Arenas. Our Collection 2006 is inspired by the style and principles of these legendary fighters.

Let them bring it on. You rock!"

Piacerebbe anche me avere la classic coolness di una Khaled, o lo stile funky di Arenas. Temo però che un AK 47 soltanto dipinto sulla maglietta non basti.

Fighters+Lovers.

Segnalato da Fabietto.

Смерть Ивана Ильича

La morte di Ivan Ilich, di Leo Tolstoy, è molto bello.

Tolstoy lo ha scritto nel bel mezzo del suo periodo "predicatorio", quando stava a Yasnaya Polyana.

A Forlì

A Forlì negli ultimi tempi accadono cose inusuali.

"Non raccontateci favole". Caterina Guzzanti e Paola Minaccioni scoprono che le favole finiscono male.

Marco Palmezzano: il Rinascimento nelle Romagne. Il filmato di Tina Lepri.

I video su Forlì.tv.

Weekly Review - Mouse trap

A man in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, caught a mouse and threw it into a pile of burning leaves; the mouse, on fire, ran back into the man's house, which then burned down.[BBC News]

Weekly Review, Harper's Magazine, 10 gennaio 2006

Weekly Review - The performing hopping

An artist in California went to an abandoned mine shaft in a desert and bound his feet together with a long chain and a lock in order to sketch a self-portrait. He lost the key, however, and was forced to hop for 12 hours to get help.

Weekly Review, Harper's Magazine, 10 gennaio 2006

Weekly Review - Seriamente confuso

In Oklahoma City an anti-gay activist Baptist pastor and member of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee was arrested after he propositioned a male undercover policeman for sex.[Newsday.com]

Weekly Review, Harper's Magazine, 10 gennaio 2006

Israeli democracy

"Israeli democracy deserves a high grade for the way in which it has dealt with the transfer of authority from an ailing prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Despite the sudden change of circumstances, Sharon's strong personal status and the political crisis that has enveloped Israel in the last few months, the support system for the political leadership has been functioning properly".

Analysis: Israeli democracy gets a high grade in Sharon crisis, Aluf Benn, Haaretz, 8 gennaio 2006

Cinema iraniano

Le storie di questi film, che si potranno vedere a partire da venerdi' 13 a UCLA, sono molto belle. Purtroppo non potro' vedere nessuno di questi film ma, avendone letta la trama, ne potrò comunque parlare.

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Hi Folks,

More evidence that we’re fortunate to be here at UCLA – not many folks have such ready access to stereotype-shattering cinema.

Smiling,

clay

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UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Bijan and Soraya Amin Foundation present

16TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF IRANIAN CINEMA
Friday, January 13 - Saturday, February 11
2006 brings a new edition of our annual celebration of recent films from Iran. Many of the films in this year’s program exhibit a reflective quality perhaps influenced by the country’s shifting political and social climate. The seven films in this series cover such diverse issues as spirituality (SO CLOSE, SO FAR; A PIECE OF BREAD), family relationships (WE ARE ALL FINE) and the human cost of war and natural catastrophes (WAKE UP, AREZOO!), while also looking at modern urban life and the fringes of Iranian society (PORTRAIT OF A LADY FAR AWAY).

One of Iran’s best-known actresses, Niki Karimi, makes her feature film directorial debut with ONE NIGHT, the daring story of a young woman’s nocturnal journey through the streets of Tehran. Our series commences with one of the strongest Iranian films of recent years: IRON ISLAND, a stunning depiction of an impoverished community living aboard a rusting ship off the coast of Iran. This array of new work by both emerging and established directors highlights the depth and breadth of filmmaking talent in the Iran.

*All films are in Persian with English subtitles.

Friday, January 13
7:30 pm
IRON ISLAND
(Jazireh Ahani)
(2005) Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
Mohammad Rasoulof’s extraordinary new film focuses on a community of impoverished families living aboard an abandoned ship anchored in the Persian Gulf. A harsh disciplinarian, the gruff and resourceful Captain Nemat (played by veteran actor Ali Nasirian) rules the community with an iron fist. Meanwhile his young assistant Ahmad (Hossein Farzi-Zadeh from last year’s BEAUTIFUL CITY) falls for a young girl whose brutish father keeps a watchful eye on her. This richly textured film combines powerful images, vibrant characters and masterful performances to create a remarkable film, only the second feature from this talented new director.
Producers: M. Rasoulof, Abolhasan Davoodi. Screenwriter: M. Rasoulof. Cinematographer: Reza Jalali. Editor: Bahram Dehghan. With: Ali Nasirian, Hossein Farzi-Zadeh, Neda Pakadaman. 35mm, 90 min.

Saturday, January 14
7:30 pm
WE ARE ALL FINE
(Ma Hameh Khoubim)
(2005) Directed by Bijan Mirbagheri
Director Mirbagheri seems to have taken a cue from American independents in this tale of a dysfunctional middle-class family whose private animosities explode when a video camera comes into their midst. Oldest son Jamshid has been abroad for six years, leaving his parents, siblings, wife and young daughter adrift. When Jamshid sends word that he would like his family to prepare a video tape for him, their initial attempts at cheer soon devolve into bitter arguments and secret confessions. Dexterous cutting between video and 35mm as well as a powerful ensemble cast fuel this moving exploration of the consequences of emigration for the people left behind.
Producer: Mohammed Reza Takhtkeshian. Screenwriter: Mojgan Farah Avar Moghadam. Cinematographer: Mehdi Jafari. Editor: Saeed Shahsavari. With: Ahoo Kheradmand, Mohsen Ghazimorad, Parviz Shahinkhou, Leila Zare. 35mm, 91 min.

Saturday, January 21
7:30 pm
WAKE UP, AREZOO!
(Bidar Show, Arezoo!)
(2005) Directed by Kianoush Ayyari In 2003, a 6.6 earthquake struck the ancient Iranian city of Bam, killing over 40,000 people. Eleven days after the first shock, filmmaker Ayari went to the site to shoot this eloquent and harrowing fictional feature about the utter grief and confusion that attend a major disaster. His spare, uninflected film follows the stories of two people who struggle to react to the incomprehensible: a woman who has lost her entire village under the rubble and a man who flees from the collapsed prison to search for his family. With only two professional actors, and a large supporting cast of victims and rescue workers, WAKE UP, AREZOO! brings the unfathomable dimensions of natural catastrophe to an immediate, shocking human level.
Producer/Screenwriter/Editor: K. Ayari. Cinematographer: Mansoor Azar-Gol. With: Behnaz Jafari, Mehran Rajabi, Mohammad-Hossein Akbari, Mahdi Jafari. 35mm, 90 min.

Friday, January 27
7:30 pm
PORTRAIT OF A LADY FAR AWAY
(Sima-Ye Zani Dar Doordast)
(2005) Directed by Ali Mosaffa Haunting, romantic and enigmatic, PORTRAIT OF A LADY FAR AWAY eschews the naturalism of much recent Iranian cinema for a dreamlike poetry that recalls Sadegh Hedayat’s classic novel THE BLIND OWL. When a divorced, jaded architect (Homayoun Ershadi of A TASTE OF CHERRY) discovers a suicidal message on his answering machine from an unknown woman, the intoxicating sound of her voice leads him on an all-night odyssey through Tehran with another stranger, a beautiful actress who claims to be the first woman’s friend. Richly burnished cinematography reveals an unfamiliar Tehran of midnight performance art gatherings, deserted theaters, and fortune telling parlors, while the architect begins to suspect that a third woman from his past may or may not be orchestrating the whole pursuit.
Producers: Saghi Bagherina, Ruhollah Baradari. Screenwriters: A. Mosaffa, Safi Yazdanian. Cinematographer: Homayoun Payvar. Editor: Hayadeh Safiyari. With: Leila Hatami, Homayoun Ershadi, Zahra Hatami, Zhila Sohrabi. 35mm, 98 min.

Preceded by
REATTACHMENT
(Vasle-kari)
(2002) Directed by Saeed Nouri
Director Saeed Nouri pays tribute to the early films of Jean-Luc Godard in this wry study
of the complicated relationship between a young man and woman.
Producer/Screenwriter: S. Nouri. Cinematography: A. Jafari. Editor: F. Allkhani. With: S. Farshadjou, K. Anvari. Video, 12 min.

Friday, February 3
7:30 pm
ONE NIGHT
(Yek Shab)
(2005) Directed by Niki Karimi
In this first feature film by actress Niki Karimi (THE HIDDEN HALF), a teenaged girl’s travels through Tehran after dark expose a crisis in Iranian sexual mores, as well as offering a tantalizing glimpse of the city’s night people. When Negar’s mother invites her married lover to spend the night, her daughter willfully sets out on foot at an hour where her only companions will be prostitutes, runaways, and soldiers. Eventually, Negar accepts three rides from strange men, and the interior of each car provides the stage for an unsettling chamber drama. Karimi’s arresting photography at the edge of the visible aptly complements this story of a girl whose chances for freedom are entwined with danger.
Producers: Hassan Rajabali Bana, Jahan Kosari. Screenwriters: N. Karimi, Kambozia Partovi, Cinematographer: Houssein Jafarian. Editor: Mastaneh Mohajer. With: Hanieh Tavassoli, Saeed Ebrahimifar, Nader Torkaman, Abdolreza Fakhar. 35mm, 78 min.

Sunday, February 5
7:00 pm
ONE NIGHT
(Yek Shab)
(2005) Directed by Niki Karimi
See Friday, February 3 above.

Wednesday, February 8
7:30 pm
A PIECE OF BREAD
(Yek Teke Nan)
(2005) Directed by Kamal Tabrizi
Kamal Tabrizi came out of years of television work to make a name for himself with his feature film debut, THE LIZARD (2003), which was both a scandal and a success with its satirical comedy about an escaped convict disguised as a mullah. Here Tabrizi takes a more pensive approach to a similar subject: the roles of religion and spirituality (and the differences between the two) in contemporary Iran. A PIECE OF BREAD is an ensemble piece about the reaction to an apparent miracle in a small town. Sent to investigate are a respected local mullah, a rigid army officer and a naïve young recruit. Several story lines intertwine in the course of a journey to the site of the reputed miracle. As it progresses, the film quietly but steadily develops a touching sense of wonder at the beauty of the everyday.
Producer: Naser Onsori. Screenwriter: Mohammad-Reza Gohari. Cinematographer: Hossein Jafarian. Editor: Hossein Zandbaf. With: Esmaeel Khalaj, Ahmad Aghaloo, Hooman Seyedi, Payam Dehkordi. 35mm, 100 min.

Saturday, February 11
7:30 pm
SO CLOSE, SO FAR
(Kheili Dour, Kheili Nazdik)
(2005) Directed by Reza Mirkarimi
Masoud Rayegani (from last year’s SILENCE OF THE SEA) plays a wealthy Tehran doctor who lives a life of luxury, surrounded by the latest in high-tech personal communication devices. This self-satisfied existence is rocked when he learns that his teenaged son has a brain tumor. SO CLOSE, SO FAR follows the doctor’s journey as he takes to the road to catch up with his son, off on a New Year’s holiday. This moving film is part male melodrama, part road movie, developing into a fable of renewal and transformation. Like A PIECE OF BREAD (with which it shares a screenwriter), SO CLOSE, SO FAR can be read as either religious parable or existential allegory. The film is Iran’s submission for the 2005 Foreign-Language Film Oscar.
Producer: R. Mirkarimi. Screenwriters: R. Mirkarimi, Mohammad-Reza Gohari. Cinematographer: Hamid Khozolee Abyane. Editor: Bahram Denghani. With: Masoud Rayegani, Afshin Hashemi. 35mm, 121 min.

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VENUE: All programs screen at the James Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall, located on the northeast corner of the UCLA Westwood campus, near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Hilgard Avenue.

TICKETS: Advance tickets for films screening at UCLA are available for $8 at www.cinema.ucla.edu.

Tickets are also available at the theater one hour before showtime: $7 general admission; $5 students, seniors and UCLA Alumni Association members with ID.

PARKING: There is free parking on Loring Ave. after 6pm on weekdays and all day on weekends.

Parking is also available adjacent to the James Bridges Theater in Lot 3 for $8. (The Archive has made the following arrangement for its patrons: Archive patrons can purchase a parking permit for $5 to be used for future visits to the James Bridges Theater for a screening. This represents a $3 savings over the usual price of $8. Further info: www.cinema.ucla.edu / 310.206.8013.)

INFO: www.cinema.ucla.edu / 310.206.FILM.

Ultimo Tango a Zagarolo

La contabilità di Ricucci, apprendo dalla radio, è stata sequestrata dai giudici in uno scantinato a Zagarolo.

Ma come si fa a prendere sul serio uno che tiene la contabilità in uno scantinato? a Zagarolo????

Ultimo Tango a Zagarolo (1973, regia dell'indimenticato Nando Cicero).

Wikipedia vs. Britannica

Se Toqueville fosse tra noi, sarebbe molto interessato all'attuale dibattito su Wikipedia (USA) vs. Britannica (Europa), e tiferebbe per la prima, come noi.

The Nitpicking of the Masses vs. the Authority of the Experts, By GEORGE JOHNSON, The New York Times, 3 gennaio 2006. (vedi anche: Le mystère Mendeleïev : ou comment la section Sciences du New York Times aborde le sujet « Wikipedia », Francis Pisani, Blog, 5 gennaio 2006.

Jimmy Wales, il leader di Wikipedia, è la terza persona che so aver studiato all'Università di Auburn, Montgomery, Alabama. Dove per motivi misteriosi c'è un dipartimento di economia appassionato di scuola austriaca.

Quaero

"Présentant le numérique comme «peut-être la plus profonde» révolution industrielle, le chef de l'Etat a expliqué que le lancement de Quaero allait permettre de «relever le défi mondial des géants américains Google et Yahoo»."

Naturalmente, la Francia (e la Germania), partono al contrattacco del vecchio continente contro lo strapotere Google americano. Finanziamento: un centinaio di milioni su 5 anni. Mah.

Quaero se rêve en Google de l'Europe, par Christophe ALIX et Frédérique ROUSSEL, 6 gennaio 2006.

The Index is Out

E' da leggere tutto. Mi limito a questo:

"Miles per hour of two low-flying Danish fighter jets in February when they startled a reindeer named Rudolph to death: 450[Royal Danish Air Force (Karup)]

Amount his owner, a professional Santa, was paid by the Air Force in September to buy a new Rudolph: $5,000"

Harper's Index for December.

Fragolino

Alla Conad di Via S'Isaia, davanti ai vini, una signora ovviamente straniera mi ha chiesto dove fosse il fragolino. Le ho chiesto da dove venisse, Ucraina. Allora (sono il terrore delle badanti) le ho detto in russo che il fragolino non c'era.

"Sono sicura che c'é!".

Ci ritroviamo alla cassa, lei con l'invalido che accompagnava. Trionfante mi mostra la bottiglia di fragolino.

"Kagda ja piu fragolino, mne kajetca kak doma" (Quando bevo il fragolino, mi sembra di essere a casa).

Tech Tattoos

Lo segnala David Pogue sul New York Times. Sono i tatuaggi geek. Perché la farfalla e  il pesciolino si, e non invece un bel logo della Atari per i nostalgici dei giochi "a 8 bit", o una bella mela della Apple che fa da pendant al portatile?

Se si è geek, poi è opportuna coerenza.

10 comandamenti

Dal blog di Rudi apprendo, finalmente, le regole esplicite della relazione tra Willie il Coyote e Beep-Beep.

"Chuck Jones (vincitore di tre Oscar) inventò il coyote e lo struzzo Road Runner nel 1949, e stabilì dieci regole base.

1) Il Road Runner non può attaccare il Coyote se non facendo "Beep Beep!";
2) Nessun agente esterno può attaccare il Coyote: solo la sua inettitudine o il fallimento dei prodotti ACME;
3) Il Coyote si potrebbe fermare quando vuole, se non fosse un fanatico;
4) Mai nessun dialogo, tranne "Beep Beep!";
5) Il Road Runner deve sempre stare sulla strada, altrimenti non si chiamerebbe Road Runner;
6) Tutta l’azione deve sempre essere ambientata nel deserto del sud-ovest americano;
7) Tutti i materiali, attrezzi, armi e oggetti meccanici devono essere targati ACME;
8) Dove possibile, fare della forza di gravità il peggior nemico del Coyote;
9) Il Coyote è sempre più umiliato che danneggiato dai suoi fallimenti;
10) Il tifo del pubblico deve restare con il Coyote".

Украина начала воровать газ

L'Ukraina ha iniziato a rubare gas. Questo e' il titolo d'apertura dell'ufficialissimo Вести. A me pare una questione complicata.

Украина начала воровать газ, Вести, 2 gennaio 2005.

Gas

E così alla fine la Russia ha bloccato il gas all'Ucraina. Nel pieno diritto, dato che l'Ucraina il gas lo pagava una frazione rispetto al prezzo di mercato, e si è rifiutata di cambiare.

Il resoconto del New York Times., con riferimento alla "nuova politica estera" di Putin:

"Mr. Putin has said that Russia's foreign policy will hinge on energy exports."

Russia Cuts Off Gas to Ukraine in Cost Dispute, ANDREW E. KRAMER, 2 gennaio 2006