text:
Some people (like T. S. Eliot) might say that April is the cruelest month, but for Academy Award hopefuls in Hollywood, it is actually January. It takes strength, stamina and a good stylist for nominees to make it through the month's nonstop swirl of awards shows, parties and cleverly scheduled premieres that lead up to Oscar Sunday in late February. Kicking off with the annual Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival Awards Gala and culminating with the SAG Awards, January can be tough on the strongest constitution.
Just ask lead actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence, whose walking pneumonia almost kept her from attending the SAG celebration on Jan. 27. She'd been going nonstop all month, hopping from the People's Choice Awards to the Critics' Choice and on to a special screening of "Silver Linings Playbook," the AFI awards luncheon, the BAFTA/LA tea party, the Los Angeles Film Critics Awards and the Golden Globes — all in a single week in L.A. Already ill with a fever by the night of the Globes, the 22-year-old thesp kept right on going to New York, where she hosted "Saturday Night Live," appeared on the "David Letterman Show" and swung back around to California, where the pneumonia finally knocked her down — but only momentarily.
She missed the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Intl. Awards on Jan. 26, but rallied to grab the female actor in a leading role at the SAG Awards — and to continue on to the Weinstein Co. afterparty at the Sunset Tower.
Her "Silver Linings" co-star must be taking his vitamins, because despite being 16 years her elder, Bradley Cooper did most of what Lawrence did — and more, perhaps winning the prize for the busiest nominee of them all.
He hit the PSIFF Gala and Variety's 10 Directors to Watch the next day out in the desert, then went to New York for the National Board of Review Awards, came back to Los Angeles for theCritics Choice Movie Awards, AFI, BAFTA/LA tea party and Globes, plus made appearances at Sean Penn's Haiti gala, L.A. film crix kudos and a few other parties along the way, and then headed across the globe to Madrid, Rome and Tokyo for "Silver Linings" premieres. Cooper got back to Hollywood just in time to watch "Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis take the SAG prize for lead male actor. But as he said earlier in the month at the BAFTA/LA tea, he's just happy to be in the picture — and at every party and awards show going.
"Are you kidding me?" Cooper said with a guffaw, when asked if he was getting a bit tired of the swirl. "I will go to anything, I am just so happy to be included in this, I cannot believe it is happening. It is so fantastic!"
Day-Lewis had a different sentiment as he, too, crisscrossed the globe in January, bouncing from London to New York to Los Angeles and then on to Madrid, Rome and Dublin for premieres, and back to California in time to be honored at the Santa Barbara Intl. Film Festival just prior to the SAG Awards.
"It's bearable," he said with a grimace at BAFTA/LA's fete. "I have never really been much of a partygoer. I'd rather be home."
It isn't only the nominated actors who are working the rooms, either, as plenty of other contenders are making sure to see and be seen, taking every chance to remind Academy voters of their work.
At the PGA Awards, "Les Miserables" producers Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan cracked up the aud when Fellner referred to their humble beginnings, quipping, "Thirty years ago, we were trolling the streets of Soho, dodging hookers and perverts — which prepared us for Hollywood." The two Working Title honchos had previously shown up at the Santa Barbara Fest as well as the Globes.
Composers Alexandre Desplat ("Argo") and Mychael Danna ("Life of Pi") hit the circuit early in the month, at the CCMAs and Globes, with Danna going home triumphant from both. Danna's director Ang Lee has been bouncing around, from Palm Springs to Hollywood and on to Tokyo and Taipei before making it back to L.A. in time for the PGA Awards, while "Lincoln" helmer Steven Spielberg matched Day-Lewis' itinerary plane for plane (with supporting actress nominee Sally Field in tow).
"Django Unchained" nominated screenwriter Quentin Tarantino used early January to premiere his film across Europe, then got to the City of Angels just in time to grab a Golden Globe for his writing, as well as the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts prize for screenplay. "Zero Dark Thirty" author Mark Boal worked the circuit much harder, with visits to the N.Y. film crix awards, theCritics Choice, AFI, LAFCA and the Globes, usually with Kathryn Bigelow laminated to his side. Tony Kushner accepted important prizes on both coasts (the NYFCC and the Critics Choice) for his "Lincoln" script and kept his face in the picture at the BAFTA/LA, AFI and Globes celebrations.
Nominees in the documentary category had been stirring things up all month, too, starting at the NYFCC awards, where Michael Moore managed to provoke a loud "fuck you" as he presented the first feature to David France's ACT-Up doc, "How to Survive a Plague." France, in turn, quipped to Moore, "Thank you for holding me up as your human shield against the Catholics."
"Searching for Sugarman" helmer Malik Bendjelloul brought Sugarman (Rodriguez) along to National Board of Review Awards in New York, then on to the Critics Choice in Los Angeles, where the film took doc prize. Rolling along with that momentum, he hit the Santa Barbara fest, where 40 nominees congregated over the 11-day sprocket opera to promote their work.
Of course, the campaigning won't end until the last Oscar ballot is received on Feb. 19, which means busy nominees from all disciplines will be spotted out and about well beyond Jan. 31. Look for them at the upcoming awards given out Intl. Animated Film Society, Visual Effects Society, the WGA and the Costume Designers Guild — and anywhere else where a red carpet is unfurled.
• When Oscar nominees lunch became a must-attend ritual


text:
Many people begin their walk of faith, and everything goes as they expected. Out of genuine conviction, they attend church, learn from the Scriptures, volunteer, serve, give, and become "productive, committed, faithful, Christians." But somewhere along the way things go terribly wrong.
The orderly, stalwart faith that used to "work" for these true believers becomes a muddled mess. Yes, they once taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, chaperoned the youth group, chaired the Stewardship Committee, and had bullet-proof answers to all questions of faith. But then, all at once or over an extension of time, their faith splintered into a million tiny pieces. A divorce. A child falls deathly ill and heaven seems silent as a stone. An accident leaves the once healthy college student broken and mutilated. The circumstances come in variegated form, but the impact is the same.
It is more than a crisis of faith, more than theological bump in the road; it is an unraveling that robs people of their confidence and comfort. The once unshakable believer descends downward into the blackness of doubt. Adding insult to injury, sometimes the only thing the church or we ministerial types can say in those moments is, "Pray more. Just believe. Let go and let God. Try harder." Not only is this insensitive, asinine advice, it simply won't work. Those who have hit this kind of barricade feel so dismantled, that to keep doing what they were doing—only with more enthusiasm—is impossible.
Here is your choice: You can harden your heart and sweep the shards of your faith into the dustpan, giving up on God completely; or you can pick up the broken pieces, with bloody hands and heart, and reassemble faith on the other side of doubt. No, it won't be the same faith you once had; it will be dramatically different. It won't be an improved or updated version of the beliefs you formerly held; it will be a new construction altogether. This reassembled faith will not provide you with all the answers to all your questions; instead, it will help you to see the world, God, and people differently.
So if you find yourself crushed against what feels like the concrete and steel of disbelief, with not a drop of faith left, I understand. Don't throw it all away just yet. In the breaking, you might find that faith has a new beginning.
Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated columnist, speaker, and author. His books include "Leaving Religion, Following Jesus" and "The Jesus Tribe." Visit his website at www.ronniemcbrayer.net.

subset: commoncrawl


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Aicpin for November 2013 rose by 2 points and pegged at 243
No. 5/1/2013-CPI
DATED: the 31st December, 2013
Press Release
Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) – November, 2013
The All-India CPI-IW for November, 2013 rose by 2 points and pegged at 243 (two hundred and forty three). On I-month percentage change, it increased by 0.83 per cent between October and November compared with 0.46 per cent between the same two months a year ago.
The largest upward pressure to the change in current index came from Food group contributing 2.23 percentage points to the total change. At item level, Rice, Wheat. Wheat Atta, Milk, Pure Ghee, Garlic, Potato, Tomato and other Vegetable items, Tea Readymade. etc, are responsible for the rise in index. However, this was compensated to sonic extent by Groundnut Oil, Fish Fresh, Poultry. Onion. Ginger, Electric Charges, Medicine (Allopathic), Petrol, putting downward pressure on the index.
The year-on-year inflation measured by monthly CPI-1W stood at 11.47 per cent for November, 2013 as compared to 11.06 per cent for the previous month and 9.55 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year. Similarly, the Food inflation stood at 16.17 per cent against 15.02 per cent of the previous month and 10.85 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.
At centre level, Bokaro recorded the highest increase of 11 points followed by Giridih, Kodarnia and Angul-Talcher (9 points each), Munger-Jamalpur (8 points) and Rourkela. Sholapur and Raniganj (7 points each). Among others, 6 points rise was registered in 5 centres, 5 points in 5 centres, 4 points in 8 centres, 3 points in 15 centres. 2 points in 14 centres and I point in 12 centres. On the contrary. Surat centre reported a decline of 6 points followed by Amritsar. Bhavnagar and Vadodara (4 point each). Coonoor and Nagpur (2 points each) and Ahmedabad centre 1point. Rest of the 4 centres' indices remained stationary.
The indices of 40 centres are above All-India Index and other 38 centres' indices are below national average.
The next index of CPI-IW for the month of December, 2013 will be released on Friday, 31 January, 2014. The same will also be available on the office website www. labourbureau.gov. in.


text:
What Democrats should have been doing for a while
Pres. Obama says to fact-check his critics, you'd have to "run back the tape."
So we did: youtu.be/eDFDB9YY8yE—
Ari Melber (@AriMelber) March 19, 2015
Take our quiz to share what you'd do if you were in charge of America's budget → go.wh.gov/WQEd6m #HouseOfCuts http://t.co/xfKvv4adeM—
The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 19, 2015
"Don't worry about what other people think. It doesn't matter." —The First Lady: youtu.be/zk5KoCv4REE #DearMe #LetGirlsLearn—
The First Lady (@FLOTUS) March 19, 2015
Say cheese! All smiles with kids at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. http://t.co/1LAIN9Iu97—
The First Lady (@FLOTUS) March 19, 2015
He didn't have a fake ID yet the cops almost killed him. There but for the grace of God go Black people who somehow get home safely everyday
UVA student Martese Johnson: My head is "bloodied but unbowed" nbcnews.to/1biLxt8—
(@msnbc) March 19, 2015
So his ID wasnt fake just expired? Smh "@deray: Watch Martese Johnson speak. Now. #JusticeFoMartese nbcnews.to/1biLxt8"—
The Spacey (@KrownRoyaleNY) March 19, 2015
This happened in Mississippi. He went missing on March 9th
Breaking: The body of an African American man is found hanging from a tree in Claiborne County. The FBI and MBI are on the scene.—
Melissa Faith Payne (@MelissaFPayne) March 19, 2015
Breaking: Claiborne Co. Coroner and other officals not allowed to remove body from tree until FBI completes preliminary investigation.—
Melissa Faith Payne (@MelissaFPayne) March 19, 2015
#Breaking News: The Claiborne County branch of the NAACP indicates the man found hanging is Otis Byrd.—
Melissa Faith Payne (@MelissaFPayne) March 19, 2015
#Breaking News: Byrd was last seen when a friend dropped him off at Vicksburg's Riverwalk Casino ten days ago.—
Melissa Faith Payne (@MelissaFPayne) March 19, 2015
#Breaking News The NAACP sent an email to the Justice Dept "join the current investigation of the suspicious hanging death of Mr. Otis Byrd"—
Melissa Faith Payne (@MelissaFPayne) March 19, 2015
Breaking: NAACP of Claiborne County, #MS says this is man, Otis Byrd, found hanging in tree today. #FBI on scene now! http://t.co/4621BNMi5v—
Kennan Oliphant (@TVNewsGuru) March 19, 2015
28-Year-Old Single Mom Of 3 Graduates From UCLA With 3 Degrees shar.es/1fKtt2 http://t.co/gStrbs2ly2—
(@HipHopWired) March 19, 2015
The sordid history of the alcohol control agency that beat up Martese Johnson goo.gl/zhCWcM—
ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) March 19, 2015
And the white man in cuffs literally runs away. America. http://t.co/7FJBN5cCP0—
deray mckesson (@deray) March 19, 2015
He would have been shot dead had he been black RT @deray: And the white man in cuffs literally runs away. America. http://t.co/j2ceiYbYda—
Negus (@TKurth1) March 19, 2015
People like this can go f**k themselves
White parents on Fox News condemn school's black history month bit.ly/1O9f3jW http://t.co/sRZnAIsYcD—
Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 19, 2015
NYC Judge Denies Requests to Disclose Eric Garner Grand Jury Details bit.ly/1FacsDG http://t.co/K45NELYabt—
(@Mediaite) March 19, 2015
Tell me racism is dead in the US. I fucking dare you. MT @deray Otis James Byrd, hanged in MS m.msnewsnow.com/msnewsnow/db_3… http://t.co/3Bus4ae8Z1—
Michael Bunting (@daedalus4096) March 19, 2015
Otis James Byrd went missing in Claiborne County.
He was then found hanging from a tree.
Manik (@ManikRathee) March 19, 2015
Josh Earnest Calls Out Netanyahu for Flip-Flopping on Two-State Solution bit.ly/1Fa3ExI (VIDEO) http://t.co/pXUr1wQZzb—
(@Mediaite) March 19, 2015
.@igorvolsky breaks down how Bibi sabotaged the 2 state solution way before his rhetoric changed thinkprogress.org/world/2015/03/…—
Aviva Shen (@avivash) March 19, 2015
Obama signs executive order cutting federal government's greenhouse gas emissions: on.msnbc.com/1I1YPF3 (Getty) http://t.co/ztRWYB9RKt—
(@msnbc) March 19, 2015
Students arrested while protesting Congress' plan to slash billions from higher education thkpr.gs/3636235 http://t.co/T3z1Bk9a6u—
ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) March 19, 2015
A doctor steps outside and reacts to losing a 19-y.o. patient: wgntv.com/2015/03/19/pho… http://t.co/ukjzma0vW0—
David Nelson (@DavidNelsonNews) March 19, 2015
Overuse of antipsychotic drugs poses increased death risk for dementia patients, study says. usat.ly/1LxbRzI http://t.co/HmSulyK46h—
USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 19, 2015
Enraged by Netanyahu's rhetoric, White House officials believe Israeli-U.S. relations have fundamentally changed haaretz.com/news/diplomacy…—
meta (@metaquest) March 19, 2015
#BREAKING White House: US 'to reevaluate' backing for Israel at UN—
Agence France-Presse (@AFP) March 19, 2015
PBO to Bibi: We don't accept explanations backtracking on statements. U.S. will reassess Israeli-Palest peace policy haaretz.com/news/diplomacy…—
meta (@metaquest) March 19, 2015
President Obama commended Tunisian people for their commitment to standing strong & united in the face of terrorism #Tunisia—
WH National Security (@NSCPress) March 19, 2015
Harriet Tubman helped free hundreds of slaves via the UndergroundRailroad. #LittleKnownFact: she did it all living w/ epilepsy #WomenSucceed—
Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) March 19, 2015
Dear @nick_clegg
@netanyahu merely confirmed what his actions betrayed long ago - NO Palestinian State.
US+UK should recognize Palestine.—
Bobfr (@Our4thEstate) March 19, 2015
LOL. Ludacris was receiving recognition for his charity work and Jeb Bush tried to use him to look cool. After everything Luda has said, Jeb doesn't seem to get it into his mind that he doesn't like the Bush politicians
As he is leaving statehouse, Ludacris is asked which Bush is his favorite. His response: "The one outside." #gapol http://t.co/7tCh12qiOc—
Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) March 19, 2015
Read Netanyahu's dizzying flip-flop on peace with Palestinians vox.com/e/8022556?utm_… http://t.co/K1kW3jqLuw—
Vox (@voxdotcom) March 19, 2015
Disney Channel announces upcoming film, "Throw Like Mo," about Little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis. @DisneyChannel http://t.co/DgdRvBnUqR—
AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) March 19, 2015
I ❤ @AshleyJudd --> Forget Your Team: Your Online Violence Toward Girls and Women Is What Can Kiss My Ass mic.com/articles/11322…—
Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) March 19, 2015
Japanese police arrest a suspect in US embassy bomb threats bit.ly/1I2hZdN—
Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 19, 2015
Disabled veteran shoots two men to save pregnant woman nbcnews.to/1MRMzI6—
NBC News (@NBCNews) March 19, 2015
Sugar's not-so-sweet effects could shave 18.2% off GDP growth of OECD countries by 2035 bloom.bg/1EyKdMg http://t.co/4kMnTxNsqW—
Bloomberg Business (@business) March 19, 2015
Armed with a map and other tools, Nigerians push for peaceful elections to.pbs.org/1F9IMXj http://t.co/sV0SvxX5UJ—
PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) March 19, 2015
President Obama signing an executive order today to cut the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions ❤ http://t.co/0UVvjFNngr—
TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) March 19, 2015
@LisaToddSutton Yes, @SenJohnMcCain lost all sense of decency in 2000, but had to hold it in until 2008. Downhill since. @SenatorDurbin—
(@JOBoomr) March 19, 2015
Body found in New Jersey river ID'd as missing former Wall Street Journal reporter trib.in/1H6VRRP—
Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) March 19, 2015
The government is finally doing something to end the rape-kit backlog bit.ly/1FBnrVO http://t.co/OIXbrXMoeV—
Mother Jones (@MotherJones) March 19, 2015
When your employees think #RaceTogether is dumb, you have failed, Starbucks
What Starbucks employees think of 'Race Together' thkpr.gs/3636233 http://t.co/aEU6qO25aX—
ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) March 19, 2015
Starbucks PR chief can't handle "the conversation" on race and quits Twitter bit.ly/1CAKYGZ—
Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 19, 2015
Wind energy will be cheaper than fossil fuels within a decade bit.ly/1FwEKHe http://t.co/RIdfHcXPbF—
Mother Jones (@MotherJones) March 19, 2015
Say it with me: the human body is a self cleaning oven. Detoxes and cleanses are bullshit. rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/mod…—
Sarah Orsborn (@erniebufflo) March 19, 2015
Every. Freaking. Day.
Alaska Army base investigated for holding 'Racial Thursdays' where racial slurs have no consequences ow.ly/Ky7jZ—
Raw Story (@RawStory) March 19, 2015
Read the nasty note a neighbor left an amputee about a handicapped spot ti.me/1H6CZm8—
TIME.com (@TIME) March 19, 2015
The mystery of America's largest museum theft still hasn't been solved theatln.tc/1H46di5 http://t.co/MG72GqU7H9—
The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) March 19, 2015
.@GlobeHorowitz: What are your chances of going to prison? ow.ly/Ky1Cn http://t.co/EEpKWGjKGs—
The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) March 19, 2015


text:
Remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General, delivered at the Islamic Development Bank
10 October 2013, 13h00, Washington, DC, United States
President, Excellencies, distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to be among you here today and to discuss some of the ways in which we can begin to shape the post-crisis global economy.
The economic outlook: some bright spots, but we are not out of the woods yet!
Five years after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, we are seeing some encouraging signs. Activity is gaining momentum in North America and Japan, and the situation in the euro area is improving. However, there remain a large number of serious risks that will need to be mitigated and challenges that will need to be addressed to put the global economy on a path of sustained recovery. We are not out of the woods yet!
We know the risks well: continued vulnerability of the euro area to renewed financial, banking and sovereign debt tensions; exceptionally high public debt in Japan; deadlock and brinkmanship over fiscal policy here in the US. A new and potentially worrying risk to the global outlook is that growth has also slowed in several major emerging-market economies.
The bottom-line is that we cannot afford to lose momentum for reform! Several countries have taken the opportunity of the post-crisis slowdown to put in place policies that can support growth and create jobs. This is especially the case of the peripheral euro area countries that have been facing market pressure because of their weak public finances.
But at the OECD we believe all countries – not only those in difficulty -- need to go still further. There is always more that can be done to improve economic performance, even in countries that have being doing well.
Priorities for a post-crisis global economy: jobs, equality and trust
There are three corner-stones to building a strong recovery and a new era of inclusive growth: jobs, equality and trust. These are the "missing factors" following the crisis, and we want to help countries bring them back.
Unemployment risks leaving a permanent scar on our societies. There are close to 200 million people unemployed around the world. In the OECD area alone close to 49 million people are unemployed. The jobless rate is at 52% in South Africa, close to 17% in Tunisia and 13.5% in Egypt.
The young have been particularly hard hit. Youth unemployment has risen to around 40% in Italy and Portugal, 55% in Spain, and exceeds 60% in Greece. In the MENA region youth unemployment rates are typically more than double the average rate of joblessness. In addition to unemployment itself, dealing with low-paid employment in insecure jobs with little social protection remains a key challenge in many emerging and developing economies.
Of course, labour markets cannot be revived without sustained growth. But they must also be complemented by growth-enhancing structural reforms and specific actions to build more inclusive labour markets.
For example, to bring people back to work, more active labour market policies are essential. As shown in our latest Employment Outlook and recent advice to the G20, such activation policies have to be tailored to the various obstacles different groups, such as the young, women, migrants, the disabled and older workers, face in gaining access to rewarding and productive employment.
To tackle labour market informality, further extensions of social safety nets combined with stronger incentives for employers to fully and transparently disclose their employees are required. Overly strict employment protection that likely contributes to making employers reluctant to formalise employment relations also needs to be reconsidered.
To help youth get off to a better start in their careers, the OECD has also developed an Action Plan for Youth. This includes concrete policy measures that combine short-term measures to boost job creation for youth with more in‑depth reforms to enhance access to jobs, improve education outcomes and strengthen the compatibility between the skills acquired by students and those needed in the work place.
Inequalities have also been rising.
As we document in our study "Divided We Stand", during the three decades prior to the recent economic downturn, wage gaps widened and income inequality increased in a large majority of OECD countries. And the crisis has, unfortunately, further widened these disparities. According to OECD analysis, inequality increased more over the three worst years of the crisis, from 2007 to 2010, than during the previous twelve. By 2011, the average income of the richest 10% of the population in OECD countries was about nine times that of the poorest 10%: that's a ratio of 9 to 1!
Inequality is no less of a concern in emerging-market and developing countries. Countries like China, India, the Russian Federation and South Africa have all become less equal over the past 20 years. What is clear is that the benefits of economic growth are not trickling down. And while Brazil has managed to reduce its disparities, the inequalities ratio in this country is still 50 to 1.
The OECD is seeking to address the challenge of inequality in many areas of its work. But perhaps one of the most effective ways of addressing inequalities is through better education and skills development. Earlier this week in Brussels, I presented the results of our new Survey of Adult Skills. This is a first-of-its-kind tool that assesses the depth and breadth of countries' talent pools, how well countries use their talent and what benefits they gain.
The Survey confirms that inequality in skills is associated with inequality in income. The numbers speak for themselves: on average across countries, the median hourly wage of workers who get high scores in our literacy test Level 4 or 5, meaning that they can make complex inferences and evaluate subtle arguments in written texts is more than 60% higher than the hourly wage of workers who score at Level 1 or below meaning those who can, at best, read relatively short texts and understand basic vocabulary. Those with poor literacy skills are also more than twice as likely to be unemployed.
Let's be clear: poor skills severely limit the access of people to basic services and to better paying and more rewarding jobs. This calls for action! At the OECD we are working with countries using the OECD Skills Strategy, adapting it to their national context, and helping them design educations and skills policies that will provide people with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century global jobs market.
Rebuilding trust is critical.
A myriad of studies and opinion polls reveal a systemic loss of trust in politicians, CEOs, governments, banks, corporations and markets throughout the world.
One of the most worrying signals is the record low levels of trust in the government's capacity to improve the situation: the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer, reports that only 15% of the people surveyed trust that government leaders "can solve social or societal issues", while only 14% trust that these leaders can "make ethical and moral decisions".
What our nations need is a national Strategy for Trust! At the OECD we believe this is possible and urgent. And we recommend that any such Strategy for Trust should be built on three strong pillars: integrity, transparency and engagement.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is no simple remedy for fixing the post-crisis global economy. There is no doubt that the full range of macroeconomic and structural policies is required. But three key ingredients for sustainable long-term growth are jobs, equality and trust. And we need to work together to achieve progress in these areas: through regional and bilateral initiatives, through the international organisations and through the likes of the G20.
I am proud to say that we are already working closely with the IDB and a number of IDB member countries. We are working with Indonesia through a jointly signed Framework of Co-operation. We are increasing our cooperation with Malaysia, bilaterally and through our Southeast Asia Regional Programme. We are accompanying a number of MENA countries (Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco and Jordan) along their challenging reform process through the OECD-MENA Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development and support to the G8 Deauville Partnership in areas such as investment, SME policies, open government and youth employment.
If you take one message away from this lunch, let it be this: The OECD stands ready to support you in shaping the post-crisis global economy to deliver "better polices for better lives".
Finally, let me take this opportunity to congratulate you, Dear Dr. Ali, and your team for your excellent work as the 2013 Chair of the Deauville Partnership International Financial Institutions Coordination Platform! We look forward to continuing our fruitful cooperation in the years to come.
Thank you.
Related Documents


text:
With more schools looking to integrate technology into the classroom, the education market is more crowded than ever. Over the last few years, Apple's iPad has been a poster child for one-to-one deployment programs, which seek to put a computer or tablet in the hands of each student. Windows devices, however, have begun to mount a comeback.
Apple, Microsoft, and other tech companies have long considered students an important demographic, believing that if pupils embrace a certain technology in the classroom, they'll continue using it as adults. Recently, Apple has had more momentum than many competitors. When students returned to schools last fall, iPads controlled 94% of the US market for education tablets, according to research firm IDC. But thanks to agreements with some of the nation's largest school districts, Windows devices should play a bigger role this year.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the most high-profile new Windows customer. The nation's second-largest school system, LAUSD last year announced a much-hyped plan to spend up to $1 billion to equip its students with iPads. The district still plans to use iPads, but after experiencing a variety of problems with the initial rollout, LAUSD leaders decided to give students and teachers more options.
Administrators at 27 LAUSD high schools, or a little more than a quarter of all high schools in the district, can now choose from an expanded device lineup that includes not only Windows devices such as Microsoft's Surface Pro 2, Lenovo's Yoga, and Dell's Latitude E7420, but also Chromebooks. The new models will be tested in the fall before the district decides its next moves.
[While new versions of Windows gain ground, older versions of the operating system keep chugging along. Read Windows XP Stayin' Alive.]
LAUSD isn't the only large district that's recently embraced Windows 8.1. Following a two-year pilot, Pasadena Independent School District in Texas plans to deploy 12,900 of Dell's Venue 11 Pro 2-in-1 tablets, as well as Office 365. The district had originally considered a Windows 7-based program, but decided to go with the Windows 8.1-based Venue 11 Pro because of its stylus and digital ink capabilities.
Baltimore Country Public Schools will deploy 150,000 HP Elitebook 810 Revolve devices, meanwhile, and Fresno Unified School District, the fourth-largest in California, will issue 15,000 ASUS Transformer T1000 units to third- through eighth-grade students. Houston Independent School District and Miami Dade County Public Schools, both among the 10 largest districts in the nation, also plan to deploy tens of thousands of Windows 8.1 devices.
Even last year, when tablets were cannibalizing PC sales faster than anyone predicted, some schools had begun to reconsider iPads, reasoning that without a keyboard or desktop apps, Apple's tablets couldn't serve all needs. LAUSD came to the same conclusion.
The district's iPad program, whose initial costs were covered by a $30 million voter-backed bond, experienced a variety of problems. Some students complained the screen was too small for exams. Others struggled without keyboards. Still others managed to circumvent the district's security measures, and to access restricted apps such as YouTube and Facebook.
Dealing with these problems, as well as lost devices and miscommunication regarding the program's cost, LAUSD has scaled back its iPad deployments, at least for the moment. In the meantime, several schools are reportedly pleased with the new device options. According to a report in the LA Times, teachers who chose the new Windows options praised the versatile form factors of Windows 8.1 hybrids, as well as the opportunity to use styluses during instruction.
Though Microsoft and its partners have posted notable wins, Apple isn't backing down. Earlier this week, the company announced an update to iTunes U that will let teachers use the free iPad app to create, edit, and manage courses. Moreover, plenty of schools are still buying Apple products. Minnesota's St. Paul Public Schools, for example, just approved a multi-million dollar deal for thousands of iPads and MacBooks. There's also some evidence iPads have helped students achieve higher test scores.
The market is only getting more competitive. Samsung and Amazon are also building tablet-oriented education programs. Panasonic recently jumped into the ring as well, announcing not only its education-centric 3E tablet, but also complimentary projectors, interactive displays, and software. Google's Chromebooks, mentioned earlier, are also becoming popular low-cost options.
Ultimately, LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff probably has the best take on the growing diversity of options. "To have a one-device-fits-all approach does not make sense," she told the LA Times.
InformationWeek's June Must Reads is a compendium of our best recent coverage of big data. Find out one CIO's take on what's driving big data, key points on platform considerations, why a recent White House report on the topic has earned praise and skepticism, and much more.


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Aluminium is a great material to build a case from. Not only is it incredibly light, but it also has good heat-dissipating properties. It also happens to be more expensive than steel, which is why cases made from it are less common.
When used correctly you can end up with something like the 3D Aurora. At just 7kg it's far lighter than most full tower cases around and yet it still offers five 5.25-inch drive bays, five internal and two external 3.5-inch bays. We're happy to see that the hard drive bays are mounted transversely, pointing out of the side of the case, for easy access.
All the drive bays make use of tool-less, quick-release mechanisms. In our opinion it's not the best solution in the world, because it can be fiddly to use at first. However, it does work and you'll soon be flinging drives in and out to your heart's content.
If blue lights fill your heart with glee then the Aurora won't disappoint. The front grill is illuminated in what appears to be corporate Gigabyte cool-blue, while all three supplied 120m fans are decked out with blue LEDs, too. Two are rear mounted while the third is at the front along with a dust filter. These are fitted with motherboard power headers and so can be software managed, which is a nice touch.
Despite its large size the case is light, thanks to the near complete aluminium construction with just a partly plastic front fascia. The downside to this is that there's little sound damping from the case sides. Interestingly, Gigabyte incorporates two rear holes for use with watercooling systems, while a final highlight are the side-mounted FireWire and USB ports. With quiet fans, drive bays aplenty and good build-quality it's a solid showing from the motherboard giant. Neil Mohr


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Last week, the film staff of The A.V. Club previewed the summer's biggest movies—the superhero spectacles, groin-punching comedies, and animated eyesores that will be emptying America's wallets these next four months. This week, we're atoning for our sins of omission with a friendly reminder, aimed as much at ourselves as anyone else: Contrary to conventional wisdom, mega-budget blockbusters are not the only movies released between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Traditionally, in fact, summer is a splendid time for smaller films, provided one is willing to venture out of the multiplex and into the art house. These limited-release offerings are the subject of our second summer movie preview, a guide to the foreign films, independent pictures, and festival favorites that will find their way into movie theaters this season. There are even a couple of sequels. It wouldn't be summer, after all, without sequels.
Sightseers (May 10)
Unseasonable premise: Lumpy lovebirds Alice Lowe and Steve Oram set out for a holiday in their RV, but instead of seeing the sights, they discover a mutual taste for cold-blooded murder.
Reasons to seek it out: With Down Terrace and Kill List, director Ben Wheatley has established himself as a major new voice in off-kilter horror. Sightseers may be his most intriguing balancing act yet.
Crossover appeal: Fairly low. Though Wheatley has a strong UK following—and some ardent fans Stateside, too—a black comedy about sociopathic, heavily accented tourists seems unlikely to make a big splash on this side of the pond. Not that the director seems too concerned with breaking records.
Stories We Tell (May 10)
Unseasonable premise: Canadian actress and director Sarah Polley ventures into her own family history in her first documentary. Like her past features, the film focuses on marriage and infidelity, but also delves into the unusual circumstances of the filmmaker's birth.
Reasons to seek it out: Polley has proven to be an assured and subtle director in her past two works. Here, her astute observations on love and memory elevate an already engaging premise.
Crossover appeal: Low. Lovers of Polley's past work will want to check this out, but a very specific story about a Canadian artist and her family may not resonate with American moviegoers.
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Mixed reality
The Meta Quest Pro centers on working, creating, and collaborating in a virtual space.
Frances Ha (May 17)
Unseasonable premise: A 27-year-old aspiring dancer (Greta Gerwig) goes couch-hopping across New York after her roommate (Mickey Sumner) moves out of their shared apartment. But there isn't really a plot to speak of, just a series of brief impressionistic scenes that add up to a collage-style portrait.
Reasons to seek it out: Gerwig gives one of the year's most fetching performances in the title role, meshing perfectly with the acerbic sensibility of director Noah Baumbach (The Squid And The Whale, Kicking And Screaming). They wrote the screenplay together, and it's a marvel of concise, playful wit. Plus, Baumbach shot the film in black and white, which always makes New York look more romantic.
Crossover appeal: High. Gerwig has seemed poised for real stardom for some time now, and Frances feels like her Annie Hall. Both the film's milieu and sensibility (along with the presence of Adam Driver in a supporting role) recall Girls, and suggest that there may be a sizable audience ready to embrace it.
Pietà (May 17)
Unseasonable premise: Physical and emotional pain abound in this tale of a young enforcer who spends his days mangling the debt-ridden in order to cash in on their insurance. Their agony is nothing compared to his when a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother suddenly appears.
Reasons to seek it out: Unexpectedly, this gruesome, grueling melodrama won the top prize at last year's Venice Film Festival. And while Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk (Bad Guy, Time) has a highly erratic track record, he's anything but dull—each of his films gets pushed to the breaking point, if not beyond.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. The movie's twists are twisted enough to create some word-of-mouth buzz, but like most of Kim's films, Pietà is pitched a little too high for mainstream America. In particular, there's an incestuous undercurrent here that many may find off-putting.
Before Midnight (May 24)
Unseasonable premise: It's been (another) nine years since we last saw Céline (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke), loquacious lovers who met on a train in Vienna (in 1995's Before Sunrise) and later reunited in Paris (in 2004's Before Sunset). Really, that's all you need to know.
Reasons to seek it out: Anybody who's seen the previous two films, also co-written and directed by Richard Linklater, should already be champing at the bit. But be further advised that reviews from Midnight's Sundance première almost universally declared it the series' crowning masterpiece.
Crossover appeal: High. Both Sunrise and Sunset were solid art-house hits, and there's no reason to think viewers won't be curious to find out what's happened since Jesse intentionally missed that flight back home. Word may also get out that Delpy spends a big chunk of the film topless. Oh, wait, it just did.
Fill The Void (May 24)
Unseasonable premise: Essentially a present-day, Hasidic spin on Jane Austen, this tender Israeli drama concerns an 18-year-old girl (Hadas Yaron) urged by her family to marry the husband of her late sister, who died during childbirth.
Reasons to seek it out: Yaron, the Best Actress winner at Venice last year, delivers an expressive and emotionally complex performance. As directed by promising newcomer Rama Burshtein, Fill The Void is a strong reminder of how much a dramatic change in setting can enliven a familiar story.
Crossover appeal: Low. Good reviews may drum up some business, but an immersive plunge into a foreign and hermetically sealed subculture isn't likely to set the U.S. box office on fire. That said, we'd love to be proven wrong on this one.
We Steal Secrets: The Story Of WikiLeaks (May 24)
Unseasonable premise: Alex Gibney, the hardest-working man in documentary cinema, takes a critical look at the document-disclosing website, and both the good and harm it's done on a global scale. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was not interviewed; he has subsequently denounced the film, supposedly sight-unseen.
Reasons to seek it out: At its best, Gibney's work (Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room, Taxi To The Dark Side) tackles big issues in an accessible manner. Furthermore, WikiLeaks remains a hot-button topic worthy of the agit-doc treatment.
Crossover appeal: Very modest. Excepting the Enron movie, which raked in a surprisingly robust $4 million, Gibney's films rarely reach a wide audience. Released at the onset of blockbuster season, this one could remain as unseen as a classified dossier.
The East (May 31)
Unseasonable premise: It-girl Brit Marling reunites with Sound Of My Voice director Zal Batmanglij for another tale of a cultish organization infiltrated by a nonbeliever. This time, Marling plays not the messiah, but the mole—a private-sector operative who goes undercover to expose a group of "eco-terrorists."
Reasons to seek it out: Somewhat daringly, at least for an American thriller, this Sundance hit asks audiences to empathize with dangerous radicals. Marling is typically strong, as is Alexander Skarsgård, who plays the Zen-like leader of the faction.
Crossover appeal: Medium. Narratively speaking, The East is less ambiguous than Sound Of My Voice; for a while, it's practically a straightforward spy movie. But then there's that whole relating-to-the-extremists angle, which could be a tough sell in the aftermath of the Boston bombing.
The Kings Of Summer (May 31)
Unseasonable premise: Feeling stifled by their 'rents, three intrepid teenage boys retreat to the isolation of the woods, where they plot to build a house of their own.
Reasons to seek it out: Reviews from Sundance were mostly glowing, and there's a vaguely Moonrise Kingdom-ish vibe to the trailer. Plus, the supporting cast includes everyone from Nick Offerman to Alison Brie to Hannibal Buress.
Crossover appeal: Promising. A clear crowd-pleaser, The Kings Of Summer has word-of-mouth success story written all over it. And how can we bet against a title like that?
Shadow Dancer (May 31)
Unseasonable premise: A would-be IRA bomber (Andrea Riseborough) turns MI5 informant when confronted with the prospect of being separated from her son.
Reasons to seek it out: Riseborough, who played Tom Cruise's blank-eyed partner in Oblivion, is a stealth powerhouse who's made nearly a dozen movies in the last few years. Meanwhile, documentarian James Marsh (Man On Wire) previously proved his fiction skills with the Red Riding trilogy's best installment.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. Shadow Dancer's gloomy tension doesn't exactly scream "escapist blockbuster fare," but the fact that Riseborough's MI5 handler is played by Clive Owen shouldn't hurt.
Also opening in May: Eli Roth scripts and stars in the bloody disaster film Aftershock (May 10). Bruce Greenwood can only speak in advertising slogans in the comedy And Now A Word From Our Sponsor (May 10). The Indonesian actioner Java Heat (May 10) features Mickey Rourke as a scenery-chewing villain. No One Lives (May 10) promises the unstoppable killer of this WWE-produced horror flick. Tennis pros Venus And Serena (May 10) star in their first major documentary. A Chinese orphan swaps 33 Postcards (May 17) with sponsor Guy Pearce. So-called hysteria is the subject of Alice Winocour's historical drama Augustine (May 17). Kate Bosworth and Lake Bell are the most dangerous game in the thriller Black Rock (May 17). Julianne Moore is The English Teacher (May 17). CIA operative Aaron Eckhart finds his identity Erased (May 17). Hoop dreams are born in Doin' It In the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC (May 22). German-Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt (May 29) gets the biopic treatment.
Much Ado About Nothing (June 7)
Unseasonable premise: Joss Whedon, the king of the geeks (and mainstream Hollywood franchises), directs a black-and-white version of Shakespeare's play with a bunch of his friends.
Reasons to seek it out: Whedon has proven he can do comedy, and he's handpicked his cast from the stable of actors he's amassed over the years. The film's got a loose, fun energy to it, which enlivens the 400-year-old source material.
Crossover appeal: Fairly low. It's the Bard in black-and-white. But Whedon did direct last year's biggest blockbuster. Maybe his name has enough cache to bring in some curious people.
Passion (June 7)
Unseasonable premise: Those who saw the French thriller Love Crime, of which Passion is the American remake, already know that it concerns the increasingly demented relationship between an ambitious, amoral executive (Rachel McAdams) and her timid but resourceful assistant (Noomi Rapace).
Reasons to seek it out: Brian De Palma, who rewrote the script to suit his own purposes, pushes the ludicrous plot as far as it can go, the better to facilitate his usual voluptuous setpieces. He's also not shy about emphasizing the erotic aspects, including (as the poster suggests) some girl-on-girl action.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. De Palma fans are a rabid bunch and will mow each other down en route to the theater, but Passion will look suspiciously like direct-to-video sleaze to many, and the completely generic title (which also recalls a Sondheim musical) doesn't help in that regard.
Berberian Sound Studio (June 14)
Unseasonable premise: A British sound mixer (Toby Jones) starts to lose his grip on reality while working on an Italian horror movie.
Reasons to seek it out: Endlessly unsettling despite its lack of bloodshed, Berberian is a must for those who prefer their horrors heard but not seen. The premise alone should draw giallo aficionados; for the rest, think of Peter Strickland's creepfest as a cross between Mulholland Drive and The Shining.
Crossover appeal: Low, unfortunately. Cerebral horror rarely catches on at the multiplex. But expect Berberian to build a strong cult following on DVD/Blu-ray.
The Bling Ring (June 14)
Unseasonable premise: Emma Watson stars as a pampered teenager who begins stealing things from celebrities with her friends. The film was written and directed by Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette), and it's based on a true story, to boot.
Reasons to seek it out: Watson has proved to be a better actress than the Harry Potter series suggested. Coppola, meanwhile, is a fine filmmaker, and her take on the story could combine the glitz of Hollywood with the perils of fame in the Internet age.
Crossover appeal: High. A movie about a bunch of attractive teenagers stealing from Lindsey Lohan has something for everyone.
Twenty Feet From Stardom (June 14)
Unseasonable premise: This music documentary focuses on singers everyone has heard but almost no one has heard of.
Reasons to seek it out: Though only Darlene Love has made a serious mark as a solo artist, fellow backing singers Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill hardly lack for star quality. Hearing the story of how Clayton, pregnant and with her hair in curlers, laid down the world-shaking vocals for The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," it's hard to fathom why she never made it on her own. The movie addresses this historical shortcoming by giving its subjects plenty of time in the spotlight.
Crossover appeal: Very high. Since opening Sundance, Twenty Feet has proven to be a major crowd-pleaser on the festival circuit, and there's no reason that success shouldn't repeat in theaters.
Maniac (June 21)
Unseasonable premise: Piranha 3D director Alexandre Aja worked on the screenplay for this psycho-on-the-loose shocker—a remake of William Lustig's infamous 1980 slasher movie, about a lunatic stalking and scalping young women in New York City.
Reasons to seek it out: In a potentially interesting gimmick unique to this new version, most (if not all) of the movie is filmed from the killer's point of view. Said killer is now played by Elijah Wood, who's handsome enough to believably woo a model. (The original's biggest stretch in credibility was pairing greasy, overweight Joe Spinell with the stunning Caroline Munro.)
Crossover appeal: Uncertain. Horror does well in any season and at just about any budget; Maniac also has Wood's modest star-power going for it. But doesn't this one look a little too nasty to draw big crowds?
This Is Martin Bonner (June 21)
Unseasonable premise: A middle-aged lay worker (Paul Eenhoorn) tries to start his life over and helps newly released convicts do the same.
Reasons to seek it out: Chad Hartigan's pensive, placid character study is almost designed to resist praise, but its accretion of quiet moments reveals the way transcendence lurks in every corner of ordinary life. The performances are understated and lived-in, drawing viewers in without drawing attention to themselves.
Crossover appeal: Low. Movies like This Is Martin Bonner were once the lifeblood of American independent cinema, but there's little place for them in the current distribution system. Without glowing reviews and strong word of mouth, this will be a movie people catch up with at home, and be glad they did.
Byzantium (June 28)
Unseasonable premise: These days, is there a season that's not hospitable to bloodsuckers? Neil Jordan, who adapted Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire nearly 20 years ago, returns to the genre with this tale of an undead mother (Gemma Arterton) and daughter (Saoirse Ronan) prowling the British coast.
Reasons to seek it out: There's a core of palpable sorrow underlying the film's fairly conventional story, and the actors—Ronan in particular—tear into their roles with sometimes startling intensity. It's the rare vampire movie in which the sexy/gory aspects are secondary to emotional truth.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. Vampires have been pretty well played out over the past several years, and it'll be tough for this entry, with its two lesser-known female stars, to overcome viewer fatigue. What's more, reactions from its Toronto festival première suggest that reviews will be less than enthusiastic.
I'm So Excited (June 28)
Unseasonable premise: Passengers aboard a Mexico-bound airplane bond in the face of their shared mortality when it's revealed their plane cannot land without crashing.
Reasons to seek it out: As loglines go, "Pedro Almodóvar does Lifeboat" is hard to resist. The single-set premise evokes his breakthrough hit, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, and star Antonio Banderas gave his best performance in decades in Almodóvar's recent The Skin I Live In.
Crossover appeal: High. Antonio Banderas. Penélope Cruz. Pedro Almodóvar. Whaddya need, a road map?
Also opening in June: Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie (June 7) immortalizes a controversial talk-show host. Craig Robinson stars in his second apocalyptic comedy of the summer, Rapture-Palooza (June 7). Advertising is a ruthless business, says Syrup (June 7). Tiger Eyes (June 7) is the first big-screen take on a Judy Blume novel. Braving the mean streets of New York, Saoirse Ronan and Alexis Bledel are Violet & Daisy (June 7). More Than Honey (June 12) is yet another documentary about the global disappearance of bees. Catch some stereoscopic waves in Storm Surfers 3D (June 14). Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, and Stephen King help fill out the cast list of the ensemble family drama Stuck In Love (June 14). Paul Walker drives fast and furious in Vehicle 19 (June 14). Somali pirates commit A Hijacking (June 21). Terrence Stamp copes with loss in Unfinished Song (June 21). Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Jimmy Fallon all make appearances in the rock doc Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You: A Concert For Kate McGarrigle (June 26). A Band Called Death (June 28) catches up with an obscure '70s punk group, not the legendary metal outfit of the same name. The Civil War comes alive in Copperhead (June 28).
The Way, Way Back (July 5)
Unseasonable premise: It's another quirky coming-of-age story about a boy (Liam James) and an amusement park. (Think Adventureland, but with water.) Steve Carell plays a snarky asshole who's dating the kid's mom (Toni Collette).
Reasons to seek it out: The Way, Way Back is co-written and directed by Jim Rash (Dean Pelton!) and Nat Faxon, who won Oscars for The Descendants. Carell's role as a complete douchebag is a nice change of pace from his regular, affable goofballs. And Sam Rockwell, who runs the water park, does a mean Bill-Murray-in-the-'80s.
Crossover appeal: Very high. Carell made his name on small, quirky movies like this; his involvement should draw people who loved The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Little Miss Sunshine.
Crystal Fairy (July 12)
Unseasonable premise: A self-centered American (Michael Cera) badgers his Chilean friends into a lengthy road trip with a pot of psychedelic cactus juice at the end and a moody hippie chick (Gaby Hoffman) in tow.
Reasons to seek it out: At Sundance, writer-director Sebastián Silva, who based the film on his own bad trip, quipped, "If you don't like it, you're a bad person." And indeed, the film's distinctive mixture of open-road optimism and intense discomfort is fairly irresistible.
Crossover appeal: Who knows? It's small enough to slip through the cracks, but funny and unusual enough to make an impression. If the stoner-comedy crowd gets a taste, it could turn out to be an unlikely off-the-beaten-trail triumph.
Fruitvale Station (July 12)
Unseasonable premise: In his feature debut, writer-director Ryan Coogler dramatizes the final hours of Oscar Grant, who was gunned down by an Oakland police officer on New Year's Day, 2009. Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle) stars as the slain 22-year-old.
Reasons to seek it out: Coogler's slice-of-life drama earned raves at Sundance, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award (and was called just Fruitvale). The material has ripped-from-the-headlines resonance, and Jordan has been on our radar since his devastating arc in the first season of The Wire.
Crossover appeal: Pretty high. Last year's big Sundance winner, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, ended up doing quite well for itself. And with the Weinsteins backing it, Fruitvale Station should have no trouble finding its audience.
The Hunt (July 12)
Unseasonable premise: A perfectly nice guy (Mads Mikkelsen) gets falsely accused of molesting the young daughter of his best friend, and finds it impossible to counteract the tsunami of unthinking hatred that threatens to destroy his life overnight.
Reasons to seek it out: Mikkelsen, who's recently branched out into Hollywood movies (he was the chief baddie in Casino Royale) and TV (Hannibal), is perhaps Denmark's finest actor, and this role, for which he won Best Actor at Cannes last year, provides a tremendous showcase for his formidable range.
Crossover appeal: Limited. It's a downer of a subject, and director Thomas Vinterberg (The Celebration, Dear Wendy) doesn't pull punches. (Nor do the characters.) Pity the marketing team tasked with figuring out how to sell the movie without making it look like a tract against rushing to judgment.
V/H/S/2 (July 12)
Unseasonable premise: V/H/S was an anthology of found-footage shorts from some of the best young minds in horror. V/H/S/2 is exactly what it sounds like: more scary shorts, but with (mostly) new directors.
Reasons to seek it out: Though the first film was hit-or-miss, some of the segments served up some primo scares. The team behind part two scores a better scream-to-yawn ratio; one of the segments, co-directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid: Redemption), is truly nightmarish.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. V/H/S made very little in theaters—quite possibly because it arrived on video-on-demand first—and there's little reason to think this sequel will massively outgross its predecessor. Then again, the original has had time to amass fans, all of whom will be stoked for another installment—especially a legitimately superior one.
Computer Chess (July 17)
Unseasonable premise: Sometime in the early '80s, nerds converge upon a conference/contest pitting computer programs against each other in a round-robin chess tournament. For heightened verisimilitude, the movie was shot using an antiquated black-and-white video camera.
Reasons to seek it out: Writer-director Andrew Bujalski, best known as the godfather of the so-called mumblecore movement, here strikes out in an entirely new direction, and the result is almost unfathomably strange (in a very good way). Performances and tone are eerily accurate for the era.
Crossover appeal: Uncertain. Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation) tends to be a niche auteur, but in this particular case his esoteric interests appear to have coincided with a thick vein of '80s nostalgia. The title alone will be a magnet for some potential viewers, Kryptonite for others.
The Act Of Killing (July 19)
Unseasonable premise: Almost certain to be the year's most disturbing documentary, The Act Of Killing dispassionately observes former Indonesian death-squad members as they not only proudly recount their crimes, but proceed to re-enact them for the camera, viewing themselves as movie gangsters.
Reasons to seek it out: The film has proven highly controversial on the festival circuit, with some calling it almost unbearably powerful and others charging that it unethically provides its subjects with a platform to alternately boast about murder and cry crocodile tears for their victims. Decide for yourself.
Crossover appeal: Low. Hit documentaries tend to be uplifting to some degree, and regardless of where one falls on the question of this one's ethics, it's offering a pretty damn bleak view of humanity. Still, inevitable angry op-ed pieces decrying its existence could spur interest.
Only God Forgives (July 19)
Unseasonable premise: Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling—the director and star, respectively, of 2011's intoxicating Drive—re-team for a violent new crime thriller. In this one, Gosling plays the American owner of a Bangkok boxing club; at the behest of his mob-boss mother (Kristin Scott Thomas), he hunts down the man who murdered her other son.
Reasons to seek it out: We'll have to wait until later this month, when Only God Forgives premières at Cannes, for any reactions. But come on: The red-band trailer makes it look like Drive meets Kill Bill—a truly tantalizing hybrid.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. Cinephiles swooned for Drive, but general audiences were less charitable. (Remember this?) And for all his movie-star swagger, Gosling has yet to prove he can really open a film.
Blue Jasmine (July 26)
Unseasonable premise: Little-known New York filmmaker Woody Allen puts his European sojourn on hold, returning to the States to film an ensemble drama with a typically sprawling cast of characters. Details are scarce at this point, but it's a good bet that the plot will involve neurotic urbanites gabbing incessantly at each other.
Reasons to seek it out: Say what you will about Woody's spotty post-'90s output, but the man still knows how to assemble an impressive roster of participants. The director's latest includes Cate Blanchett, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, A Serious Man's Michael Stuhlbarg and—most intriguingly—stand-up giants Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay.
Crossover appeal: Sky high. The Woodman's name still sells tickets, especially after the runaway success of his Oscar-winning Midnight In Paris.
Also opening in July: Travel the world with a stand-up comedian in Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain (July 3). Vikings do battle in Hammer Of The Gods (July 5). Israel: A Home Movie (July 10) captures a nation through 40 years of found footage. To raise money for breast cancer awareness, Brooke Shields assembles a team of middle-aged basketball players in The Hot Flashes (July 12). Evidence (July 19) is a found-footage police procedural. Frankenstein's Army (July 26) is a found-footage, WWII-set horror movie (with Nazis!). Christian Slater fends off a spore-based alien invasion in Stranded (July 26).
The Spectacular Now (August 2)
Unseasonable premise: Heavy-drinking high-schooler Miles Teller falls for bookish beauty Shailene Woodley. Will his weakness for the sauce—and perhaps more critically, his chronic need to live only for the moment—kill this opposites-attract romance?
Reasons to seek it out: Another Sundance alum, The Spectacular Now earned more than its share of pleasant-surprise notices, as though jaded critics could scarcely believe they were swooning for a familiar young-love fable. Director James Ponsoldt also directed the rehab drama Smashed, though all signs point to this being a less formulaic tale of substance abuse.
Crossover appeal: Promising. Though the leads aren't stars, Now exudes the unmistakable air of an underdog triumph, destined to win over art-house patrons one weekend at a time.
I Give It A Year (August 9)
Unseasonable premise: Newlyweds Nat (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Rafe Spall) struggle to make it through their first year of marriage in what looks like a British answer to…well, any number of nuptial-themed American rom-coms.
Reasons to seek it out: Director Dan Mazer co-wrote the hilarious Borat. (Yes, Borat had a script.) And the cast here includes Peep Show's Olivia Colman and the always-delightful Anna Faris.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. With the right marketing, this could be a sleeper success, though its lack of stars (Bridesmaids alum Byrne doesn't quite qualify) and purportedly cynical tone may not help.
In A World… (August 9)
Unseasonable premise: In a world… where men have long dominated the voiceover profession… it's nearly impossible for a woman to be heard. But one remarkable woman (Lake Bell) is determined to try… even if it means competing against a legend in the business… her own father (Fred Melamed).
Reasons to seek it out: In addition to featuring perhaps the most novel milieu for a comedy since Tin Men was built around rival aluminum-siding salesmen, In A World… serves as a terrific introduction to the gifted Ms. Bell (Childrens Hospital), who wrote and directed the film in addition to playing the lead.
Crossover appeal: Marginal. Bell hasn't yet transcended minor cult status, despite working steadily for the past decade, and the professional voiceover biz may prove a bit too esoteric to change that. Likewise, Melamed is a fine actor but doesn't have the drawing power some other sonorous baritones might.
Lovelace (August 9)
Unseasonable premise: Amanda Seyfried plays Deep Throat star Linda Lovelace, forced into the skin industry by her abusive husband (played by Peter Sarsgaard), years before becoming a public spokesperson for the anti-pornography movement.
Reasons to seek it out: Seyfried is said to be fantastic in the role, and she's surrounded by a stellar supporting cast, including Juno Temple, James Franco, Chloë Sevigny, and Sharon Stone.
Crossover appeal: Uncertain. A porn-star biopic sounds like a surefire recipe for success, but Lovelace will have to earn better reviews than it got at Sundance to make a blip on a mass audience's radar.
Prince Avalanche (August 9)
Unseasonable premise: In David Gordon Green's seriocomic remake of the Icelandic film Either Way, two mismatched road workers (Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch) bicker and bond over a long summer in the Texas wilderness.
Reasons to seek it out: A shaggy, amiable buddy comedy, Prince Avalanche is easily Green's best movie since Undertow (2004). Rudd and Hirsch make an appealing team, and the film occasionally revives the ramshackle poetry of its director's early films.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. Rudd is a draw, but hardly a bankable star—and this is a much stranger film than, say, Wanderlust. But word-of-mouth could do it favors.
Ain't Them Bodies Saints (August 16)
Unseasonable premise: In backwoods Texas, escaped convict Casey Affleck looks for the woman he left behind (Rooney Mara) and the child he's never met.
Reasons to seek it out: Writer-director David Lowery (not the lead singer of Camper Van Beethoven) has left his mark as an editor of two of the year's most distinctive independent films, Upstream Color and Sun Don't Shine. His own picture starts out as an accomplished riff on Terrence Malick's Badlands, then grows into something more powerful and distinctive.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. Affleck and Mara, who give quiet, soulful performances, aren't exactly box-office heavyweights. Nor does this sort of meditative genre piece generally bring in big dollars. But the wave of good buzz that started at Sundance could keep the film afloat this summer.
Austenland (August 16)
Unseasonable premise: The title refers to a Westworld–like vacation resort, where Jane Austen fanatics can live out their fantasies of high-culture courtship. Among the guests is Jane (Keri Russell), whose obsession with Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the BBC Pride And Prejudice has screwed up her love life.
Reasons to seek it out: The premise is cute, though it seems slightly out of the wheelhouse of writer-director Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre).
Crossover appeal: Moderate. The mixed reviews from Sundance aren't likely to affect Austenland's prospects. But who will Sony Pictures Classics market the film to? It could be too broad for actual Austen fans, too Austen-ish for broad comedy fans.
Drinking Buddies (August 23)
Unseasonable premise: Working with his biggest budget and best-known cast to date, mumblecore mainstay Joe Swanberg spins a web of romantic complication, as two couples—Ron Livingston and Olivia Wilde; Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick—embark on a sexually charged (and liquor-fueled) weekend retreat.
Reasons to seek it out: Word from SXSW was largely positive, with many critics claiming that Swanberg had made a big leap forward as a filmmaker. Also, it's hard to argue with that cast.
Crossover appeal: Pretty low. Unless Drinking Buddies is a 180-degree pivot away from what the director has been doing for the last decade, "Swanberg" and "mainstream allure" may still be mutually exclusive.
The Grandmaster (August 23)Unseasonable premise: Hong Kong's artiest filmmaker, Wong Kar-wai (Chungking Express, In The Mood For Love), puts his impressionistic stamp on yet another biopic about Ip Man, one of the most famous martial artists (and martial arts teachers; Bruce Lee was one of his students) in history.
Reasons to seek it out: Wong has never made a movie that, at the very least, didn't look absolutely ravishing, and The Grandmaster is no exception. It also boasts a number of superlative action sequences and features two of Asia's most charismatic actors in Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang.
Crossover appeal: Moderate. Martial-arts movies tend to perform fairly well (and Zhang starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, one of the biggest crossover hits of all time), but anyone who saw Ashes Of Time knows that Wong has his own, significantly less accessible approach to the genre.
Also opening in August: Sam Worthington headlines the inspirational surfing movie Drift (August 2). In Blood (August 9), Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham play sibling detectives who get mixed up in some bad business. French-Afghan writer Atiq Rahimi adapts his own best-selling novel The Patience Stone (August 14). The private cook of former French president François Mitterand receives a biopic with Haute Cuisine (August 16). Laurence Fishburne and Bill Paxton face another ice age in the post-apocalyptic thriller The Colony (August 23). Audrey Tatou is cute and French in Thérèse Desqueyroux (August 23). Campus is a danger zone for co-ed Haley Bennett in the Thanksgiving-set thriller Satanic (August 30).


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[ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="11″ display_type="photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow" image_crop="0″ image_pan="1″ show_playback_controls="1″ show_captions="0″ caption_class="caption_overlay_bottom" caption_height="70″ aspect_ratio="1.5″ width="100″ width_unit="%" transition="fade" transition_speed="1″ slideshow_speed="5″ border_size="0″ border_color="#ffffff" ngg_triggers_display="always" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500″]The old ringmaster has gone, pushed aside by Formula One's new American owners, and the marketing men have moved in with a mission to overhaul the circus and give spectators something more modern for their money.
If an era ended in January with the exit of Bernie Ecclestone, following Liberty Media's takeover, the Formula One season starting in Australia on March 26 marks a bright new dawn.
The cars are faster, wider and more aggressive-looking with fatter tyres and revised aerodynamics but, behind the scenes, more far-reaching changes are being mapped out to drive expansion.
Sean Bratches and Ross Brawn have been appointed managing directors for the commercial and sporting sides respectively, under chairman Chase Carey, and sponsorship and research executives recruited.
The sport is set to accelerate further away from the Ecclestone era, one in which the 86-year-old controlled everything with a famous reluctance to delegate.
"There will be a point in the season…where we start to effectuate change," Bratches told Reuters. "We are going to be very aggressive. We are going to try new things, all in the spirit of better serving Formula One fans."
In the short-term that means building up the race weekend, adding in entertainment and events along the lines of SuperBowl week, exploiting digital platforms and building fan engagement through social media.
Longer term, expect new races – with Las Vegas and other U.S. destination cities high on the wish list – closer ties to promoters and a push to maximise revenue.
"We are not yet really even a player in the digital media landscape, so that's an opportunity for us to add some digital dimension to our traditional broadcast media," Carey said in January.
Brawn, the former Honda and Mercedes boss who won titles with his own BrawnGP team and was previously Ferrari technical director, has a three and five-year plan on the sporting side.
It has to be slow burn because of contracts that run to 2020 but he is looking at everything from the format of races to how the sport should look and sound.
"In the five-year programme we´ve got to identify what sort of engine we want in the future, because that´s the sort of timescale it takes, and list the things that are important," he told an audience at a talk in Oxford this month.
In the near term, he is putting together a group of engineers to try and come up with "a more intelligent design of car".
Levelling the playing field, allowing smaller teams a chance to compete against wealthy manufacturers, and keeping traditional races on the calendar are high on the agenda.
"I think for sure the philosophy of Liberty and the management now in FOM is to look at things in a more complete way," Brawn said.
"Not just the amount of money we can get from a race but what does it offer Formula One, what opportunities?
"Do we become partners in promoting the races? Because up until now most of the consideration has been how much they can pay. And we want to change that balance a bit."
"Where the race is, and how it´s held are going to be vital for the future," said the Briton.
Ensuring the 20 drivers were the best in the world, free of commercial considerations, is another box yet to be ticked and one linked to the thorny subject of a fairer distribution of revenues.
Brawn said that only truly applied to the top half of the grid at present.
"We should have a true meritocracy in Formula One. But you can´t do that because some of the teams rely on the commercial input of their drivers, else they wouldn´t survive," he said.
"So you have to create a platform where the small teams can survive and then you can start to insist that they pick drivers on merit and not on what money they bring with them."


text: With the most recent release, thought this could use a discussion thread to itself. For those new to it, Death Battle is a video series by Screwattack where two characters from separate sources with similar themes and who would not normally meet are placed in a death match, with research done on both contestants to decide who'll be the winner. Also by the same animators is One Minute Melee, a similar series of matches between similar characters, but minus the research.A playlist of all the previous episodes of Death Battle can be found here. One Minute Melee's can be found here.Their most recent release was Blake versus Mikasa.Feel free to discuss current and upcoming matches, match requests and reasons why Majin Buu vs Kirby is completely ridiculous.


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In the stories we tell about ourselves, the temptation to lie -- to ourselves, to each other -- triumphs more often than it ought to. It happens in public life (see John Edwards), in pulp fiction masquerading as memoir (see James Frey), and in the cultural myths we accept as true (see New Yorkers' entrenched and baseless insistence that they're tougher than the average bear). This is nothing new.
And yet: Is it getting worse? Is a devolution in our use of language helping to blur the distinction between truth and untruth?
"Reality itself is a term that is rapidly being devalued," Daniel Mendelsohn writes in The New Yorker. Pondering the mendacity that has long been entrenched in the memoir genre, he points to the dominance of reality TV as emblematic of this cultural moment, when the degree of "blurring between reality and fiction" seems especially high.
Reality's root, too, is taking a beating. A lot of us don't even know what "real" means anymore, and the confusion is polluting our politics. The 2008 presidential campaign pitted a place called "real America," populated by "real Americans," against ... well, against a bunch of fake Americans living in fake America, apparently. Who knew that the simple act of opposing a Republican could invalidate a passport, a birth certificate, the results of a citizenship test?
Last Sunday, when President Obama flew to Massachusetts to try to salvage Martha Coakley's Senate run, Scott Brown's supporters flocked to a rally of their own. "The president may be in Boston," read a block-lettered sign in the crowd, "but the real people of Mass. are here with Scott Brown in Worcester." The phrase "real people" was, predictably, written in red.
The sign laid out a clear dichotomy, and a false one, casting Obama and his supporters as fake people (cyborgs? foreigners? carpetbaggers? all of the above?) and those on Brown's side -- the Right's side -- as authentic.
"Authentic": another word whose meaning seems now to elude us.
A few years ago, a young artist I know put up a website to sell the clothes she'd designed. Outlining her personal narrative in her bio, she strained to establish blue-collar cred: not an easy task, given her upper-middle-class upbringing, but reality didn't make as good a story. So, instead of crediting her love of design to her mother's creative passion for sewing, she twisted the truth to suggest that her mom (who was, in fact, a doctor's wife) was a seamstress. It sounded, you know, more authentic, what with the struggle and all.
When the drama that makes a compelling story is missing from lived experience, we're only too eager to fabricate it, or have it fabricated for us. But, as Mendelsohn writes, "an immoderate yearning for stories that end satisfyingly -- what William Dean Howells once described to Edith Wharton as the American taste for 'a tragedy with a happy ending' -- makes us vulnerable to frauds and con men peddling pat uplift."
Here's the thing: We can tell whatever tales we want to, but make-believe is still make-believe, illusions are still illusions, and lies are still lies. In failing to insist on those distinctions, we engineer our own continuing gullibility.
When we lose control of a simple word like "real," when we accept its widespread dishonest misuse, we lose sight of what's genuine. If there's no true north, how are we supposed to find our way?


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Dear Mom,
In several polls to determine readers' favorites from Dorothy's traveling companions in THE WIZARD OF OZ, Tin Man is often in third place. Sometimes he even comes in fourth, behind Toto, her little dog.
But no matter. In this blog, this week, The Tin Man is our featured star. He's in love! Really. We don't know his girlfriend's name, but you have to admit, they make a shiny couple. If we can't quite see the attraction, we'll chalk it up to love being blind. As Albert Einstein said, "You can't blame gravity for falling in love."
We can give the credit for the creation of Tin Man and Dotty (I named them that) to the staff of the Dickinson County Transfer Station near Abilene, Kansas. Their creation is not a monster made of body parts dug up in cemeteries like Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN, but a fun couple made of disposable electronics recycled into something new.
In THE WIZARD OF OZ, two of Tin Man's lines make him my favorite character. The first is when he's about to lose his friend Dorothy: "Now I know I've got a heart, 'cause it's breaking." The other is his wisdom about the measure of love: "It's not how much you love, but how much you are loved by others."
That's the quote I dedicate to you, Mom. You have always had a tremendous capacity to love others, to respect, accept, befriend and help them. And now, at 94 when your dementia, frailty and confusion limit the love you can offer others, the Karma of love has come full circle back to you. Can you feel the love, Mom? I hope so. It's there.
Our nation dumps between 300-400 million electronic items per year, and less than 20% of that e-waste is recycled. www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-e-waste