Hard News: Off the back of the deck
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Let's start by a fact: Israel has dispossessed the Palestinians of their land, has engaged and is still engaging in ethnic cleansing, and is a country designed for perpetual wars with its neighbours precisely because of its practices. That is a given.
Is it now? Wow. Nothing to do with the neighbourly feelings about Israel, then?
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. . . but the overall attitude of the left was still widely supportive even at the time of Lebanon and Sabra and Shatila.
As the Sabra and Shatila massacres took place in 1982 I'll have to assume that 1987's a typo.
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As the Sabra and Shatila massacres took place in 1982 I'll have to assume that 1987's a typo.
Nope. A full five years elapsed between Sabra and Shatila and the first Intifada.
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Nope. A full five years elapsed between Sabra and Shatila and the first Intifada.
And the first intifada took place almost a full decade before "arguing on the internet" came about. If you'd like to dispute that I'll have to pass :)
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And the first intifada took place almost a full decade before "arguing on the internet" came about.
Not quite sure where you're going with that. If you don't think that we argued before the Internet, I'd have to question your judgment. But I'm not wishing to relitigate the Middle East from 1948 onwards, merely point out that screaming "Israel is immune from criticism" is factually wrong, and that you don't need to exculpate all the other players in order to find fault in what Israel is doing.
To rewind (and conclude) my contribution to this topic: we need to listen to the dissenting voices, on both sides. Which is what helps make Waltz with Bashir such an important film.
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Nothing to do with the neighbourly feelings about Israel, then?
I think she was critical of nations and militant groups towards Israel.
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Sorry, indeed, stopped reading a bit early in the piece!
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My goodness a few weeks away and what a treasure trove of goodness I miss. I'm going to try not to mention Gaza, Visconti* or even trees in the bottom of the garden.
In the South Island the Bellbirds are incredibly loud as I have found on on my annual visits. I love waking up to birdsong. Tuis are great too. (anyone want some 4m high Yucca's?)
A few months after Ferrit launched, a PR person asked if I could have a look at the site and perhaps write something. So I had a look, and it was a weirdly desolate experience. I couldn't work out why I'd use this website and what I wrote wasn't positive.
I never read that review but couldn't see any reason to visit and the ads seemed to be aimed at the smart arse segment least likely to care but in 3 years I never managed to get my mouse over there.
From various sources the maths is apparently $15m in year 1 and $1m per month since then so somewhere between $30 & $39m in mostly ad fees as far as I could tell.
The only surprise is that it took 3 years of budgets.
Now for some brilliant numbers. In case we weren't paying attention.
1,169,014 visits to Public Address in 2008, and 3,558,983 pages served
Congratulations Russell - and Happy New Year to all PAS readers - that is a great score for everyone.
(* Just for the record the doco "My Voyage t Italy" puts Visconti into context very nicely and is worth watching every year or two - it is very long 3 or 4 hrs but something of a master class in film history.)
Last but not least - Neil Young.
I recall Karyn Hay quoting an interview with Neil as in her top 10 of worst interviews of all time. From what I can remember Graham Reid had a similar experience. I sure hope he has a good night.
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Put it another way: how do you define Hamas?
An organisation dedicated to my death, and the death of members of my family.
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(* Just for the record the doco "My Voyage t Italy" puts Visconti into context very nicely and is worth watching every year or two - it is very long 3 or 4 hrs but something of a master class in film history.)
I love it too -- along with his equally brilliant "personal journey" through American films) but not because it comes across like a "master class" -- with the connotations of plodding through a predictable syllabus. But because it's exactly what Scorsese promises right at the beginning -- an intensely personal, yet critically sharp, exploration of films that moved him, formed his sensibility, and why they did so.
And last night I was drooling over this box set at JB Hi-Fi.
World Cinema - Classic
SCORSESE: MY VOYAGE THROUGH ITALIAN CINEMA (7 disc set )Martin Scorsese's My Voyage To Italy was a loving exploration of Italian cinema and the films that inspired the director’s award-winning career. This stunning film collection combines this brilliant documentary with the Italian masterworks, including classics from Fellini, Antonioni and Visconti, that influenced essential Scorsese films from Mean Streets to Goodfellas.
Join Martin Scorsese on his journey through Italian cinema.
My Voyage to Italy (2 DVD Set)
Martin Scorsese directs and narrates this remarkable look at the careers of great Italian filmmakers and their profound influence on his films.La Terra Trema
LuchinoVisconti's haunting vision of a peasant uprising is his purest excursion into neorealism and a masterpiece of post-war Italian cinema.I Vitelloni
A major influence on Martin Scorcese’s Mean Streets, Federico Fellini’s autobiographical comedy-drama follows the frustrated small-town lives of a group of aimless, promiscuous young men.The Bicycle Thief
Awarded an honorary Oscar® for Best Foreign Film, and regularly voted one of the greatest films of all time, Vittorio De Sica’s masterpiece is a harrowing portrait of loss and depravation in post-war Rome.L’Avventura
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival, Michelangelo Antonioni’s breakthrough film, the first in his ‘alienation’ trilogy, stars the beautiful Monica Vita (La Notte) in her greatest role.8 ½
Federico Fellini cast his alter-ego, Marcello Mastroianni (La Dolce Vita), in the role of a frustrated director, creating the greatest-ever movie about film-making. Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Film (1963).As you may have gathered, I'm no fan of Antonioni but Scorsese's certainly tempted me to give L’Avventura & L’Eclisse a second look. Just through the pure force of his enthusiasm. God, he must be really annoying around Christmas. :)
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geez who on earth thinks we weren't arguing on the internet back in 1987, I certainly was
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I do not think that word means what you think it means.
But I'm not sure it means what you think it means either.
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Last but not least - Neil Young ... I sure hope he has a good night.
He was incredible. The best mainstage performance ever at a Big Day Out, IMHO.
He encored with a version of the Beatles' 'Day in the Life' that was so artistically valid there are barely words for it.
There's a short clip of that here ...
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By 1987 the whole romantic kibbutzim sctick was a distant memory.
I know Israeli people who still try to keep that particular ideal alive. Interestingly they opposed the occupations and the general belligerence of Likud, whilst at the same time voluntarily doing military service (their residence outside Israel meant they didn't have to).
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He was incredible. The best mainstage performance ever at a Big Day Out, IMHO.
He encored with a version of the Beatles' 'Day in the Life' that was so artistically valid there are barely words for it.
Can't disagree. After decades in the business he still exudes sheer musical intent and integrity. When one thinks of the songs he didn't play the enormity of his career becomes apparent. And the man sure knows his way around a guitar!! a blistering set.
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He was incredible. The best mainstage performance ever at a Big Day Out, IMHO.
He encored with a version of the Beatles' 'Day in the Life' that was so artistically valid there are barely words for it.
Can't disagree. After decades in the business he still exudes sheer musical intent and integrity. When one thinks of the songs he didn't play the enormity of his career becomes apparent. And the man sure knows his way around a guitar!! a blistering set.
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I know Israeli people who still try to keep that particular ideal alive. Interestingly they opposed the occupations and the general belligerence of Likud, whilst at the same time voluntarily doing military service (their residence outside Israel meant they didn't have to).
As the kibbutz movement was strongly identified with the historical goals of the Israeli Labour Party it seems only natural that those who still support such ideals would have little in common with a right-wing party such as Likud. Of course that hasn't stopped those who oppose the socialist aspects of the kibbutz movement from exploiting the stereotypical image of the resourceful and independent kibbutzim for propaganda purposes.
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I would have loved to see My Morning Jacket,
We wandered over that way (after some Brits going to Spiritualised the other night, suggested them) but for me, it didn't impress, so headed to the Boiler room for Zane Lowe. TV on the Radio were another recommendation which was da bomb.Thoroughly enjoyed them. Of course Neil Young was just as we wanted, and the round off of Headless chooks was a great way to leave the Stadium. Our only complaint was the stupid noisy (not working properly) snow machine some twit thought a good idea at the Sumtwit Bar. We managed to educate the operator that it was not a good idea. It was a great BDO. :)
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There's a short clip of that here ...
We got a good video of that ourselves Russell and agree, was excellent.
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Well. BDO hmmmmm. Neil was great. As for the rest of it, maybe I'm getting old. Now, having to pay $130 to be treated like a cross between cattle and refugees grates a little. The lack of competition between suppliers of food and beverages means that all we get is crap from the company that put in the lowest tender for the concession. In the case of "Summit, the natural lager' (so natural it, literally, tastes like piss) at $6 for a smaller than normal bottle and plastic to boot (so when ya boot it, it don't crack a skull, I guess) the company used the event as a huge product launch to all the mindless drunken hoards from Taranaki to Dargaville and beyond. It's no wonder kids today turn to drugs. Oh, and word up to people who win a Burger concession at events like this (yes, that includes sports events too) It may be cheaper to employ people that can't cook to save their ugly, fat and worthless lives but it gives me the shits (hang on I'll be back in a moment)...................................................................
Ah, better....................................................... Better get me a bucket.
Anypoo. another thing. Just because you have been working for the minimum wage since 5 in the morning and you want to go off to your job as a bouncer at fucknuts bistro and disco doesn't mean you have to shove me away from talking to an old mate who I haven't seen in years just because he's in a band and the other side of a barrier, FFS!!!!!!
So. BDO Organisers. I could do better standing on my head with a flowerpot stuck up my bum (Hi Craig) apart from the fact that last time I tried to stand on my head I sprained my wrist, rather badly actually, and it ruined my sex life for weeks.
But as I said. Neil was great.
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I don't know what you were eating, Steve, but Fatima's and Mexicali Fresh did my crew just fine. In fact, I may have enjoyed my chicken burrito more than one or two of the bands I saw. Heh.
Sleeper hit: My Morning Jacket. Those Kentuckians can fuckin' rock! The drummer was laying waste to anything he could hit. Also, bonus points for cape-wearing.
Annoying thing: throughout the day, it seemed that the better a band was, the quieter the sound from the main stage. Thus Pendulum, who made me want to beat them to death with their own keytar or whatever the hell they were playing, were mighty-mega-loud, while TV on the Radio and the Arctic Monkeys were way too quiet.
Had a bit of a bop round to Simian Mobile Disco in the tent, and also saw most of Lupe Fiasco's set. I feel mean, because dude was really working hard, but he suffered from slick-hip-hoppin'-band-itis (see also: Justin Timberlake). Too much bludgeoning of the songs and not enough space in them.
When Neil Young came on stage I had a 'whoa, that is NEIL YOUNG!' starstruck moment which lasted for... the whole set. He was so, so great. Also, I have no idea how he managed to make the orchestral bits of 'A Day in the Life' sound so full with just a guitar and organ or whatever. Legendary. My favourite song apart from that was probably 'Cinnamon Girl' because, well, just because. It has handclaps and a 'woo' and is glorious. That is all.
(In the ongoing 'who does that person look like?'-fest that is my main topic of conversation with my husband, we agreed that one member of Neil's band looked like Nick Lowe and one of his backup singers looked like Christine McVie.)
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Thus Pendulum, who made me want to beat them to death with their own keytar or whatever the hell they were playing ...
So it's wrong of me to think they were kind of awesome?
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So it's wrong of me to think they were kind of awesome?
Heh. My husband, quoted verbatim: 'You know, this is so horrible that in parts it's actually kind of awesome!'
I'll say this: they were *committed* to that keytar. Which is something, I suppose.
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fat and worthless lives but it gives me the shits
If you think the life of another human being is worthless you deserve to get the shits.
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Thus Pendulum, who made me want to beat them to death with their own keytar or whatever the hell they were playing...
Say it ain't so? They and TVotR were my biggest regrets for yet another Pete BDO no show. I heard that the TVotR sound mix was munged but Pendulum rocked arse?
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