Thaayillamal Naan Illai

Thaayillamal Naan Illai () is a 1979 Tamil language film starring Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, Major Sundarrajan and Jai Ganesh in the lead roles with Rajnikanth and Nagesh in guest roles. The movie was a super hit at the box office and it was dubbed into Telugu as "Paatagaadu" and Hindi as "Aakhri Sangram".
Plot.
Raja (Kamal Haasan), the son of a poor and widowed washerwoman, is well-talented in the arts from his childhood. Thengai Srinivasan who runs a drama troupe is impressed with Raja's talent and enlists him in this troupe and Raja's mother travels with the troupe as well. While performing in a zameen with the troupe, Raja meets and falls in love with the zamindar's pretty daughter Bhuvana (Sridevi) and they engage in a secretive romance assisted by Bhuvana's pet peacock named Vadivelan. When the zamindar (Major Sundarrajan) becomes aware of their relationship, he agrees to get them only married only if Raja cuts all ties with his mother, considering her poor status. Raja expectedly refuses and unable to convince her adamant father, Bhuvana elopes with Raja and joins the troupe as well. This enrages the zamindar's villainous nephew Mohan (Jai Ganesh), who had been eyeing the zameen's ownership by marrying Bhuvana. Whether Raja and Bhuvana are able to thwart the odds against them form the rest of the story.
Soundtrack.
All Songs are written by Kannadasan and Vali. Composed by Shankar-Ganesh.
Reception.
The film ran for over 200 days in theatres.


Picture This (novel)

Picture This is a 1988 novel from Joseph Heller, the satiric author of the acclaimed "Catch-22".
Plot.
The novel is an eclectic historical journey across multiple periods of history, all connected by a single painting: Rembrandt van Rijn's "Aristotle Contemplating a Bust of Homer". The work jumps from the golden age of Athens, to 17th Century Holland, to the rise of the American Empire; hopscotching from Aristotle, to Rembrandt, to Socrates, and back to Heller and even Jimmy Carter. It examines fundamental dichotomies in human existence under the guise of satire.
Major themes.
Heller concludes that we do not learn from history (and in fact so much of history may be nonfactual that learning may be impossible). Being a pessimist chronicler of the American Century, his main unspoken theme is of course parallels between the onetime Hellenic overlord respective the onetime ruler of the seas, and his home country.
This is most apparent in his treatment of the peak and downfall of Athens, when after the victory over Persia, Athens formed the Delian League, and got embroiled in the Peloponnesian War. Heller describes a beacon of democracy that destroys its own greatest advances or transforms them into tools of abuse, turns on its own allies just to demonstrate its power, and loses to weaker enemies due to self-deception.


IKWYM


Gabber

Gabber (; ), is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno. It is characterised by fast beats and samples, and was developed in Rotterdam in the 1990s by producers like Paul Elstak. Seminal early labels were Rotterdam Records, Mokum Records, and Industrial Strength Recordings. The word "gabber" comes from Amsterdam Bargoens slang and means "friend".
Gabber and its subculture became highly popular in the Netherlands, eventually becoming part of mainstream culture in the 1990s. The music quickly spread to London and the Midwestern United States. After falling out of fashion, it became popular again in the 2000s and once more in the late 2010s.
Origins.
Gabber, also known as gabba, early hardcore, or Rotterdam hardcore, is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno. It was derived from acid house, techno and New Beat in the early 1990s. The musical style is described as "a relentless mix of superfast BPMs, distorted kickdrums, and roared vocals". The music is typically 180 to 190 beats per minute with samples taken from films or other tracks.
The word "gabber" comes from an Amsterdam Bargoens slang based on the Hebrew "chaver") meaning "mate" or "friend". An Amsterdam DJ was asked about the hard Rotterdam scene and said "They're just a bunch of gabbers having fun". Having heard this, Paul Elstak etched in the vinyl on the first Euromasters record (released through Rotterdam Records in 1992), "Gabber zijn is geen schande!" ("It's not a disgrace to be a gabber!"). The word gained popularity in the Rotterdam music scene and people started to call themselves "gabbers".
Music.
Influential early labels were DJ Paul Elstak's Rotterdam Records, Mokum Records in Amsterdam, and Lenny Dee's New York based Industrial Strength Recordings. Alongside Elstak and Dee, other early artists included Marc Acardipane, The Prophet and Rotterdam Termination Source.
Elstak and DJ Rob organised parties first at Parkzicht in Rotterdam and when the numbers attending increased they moved to the Energiehal. ID&T later organised Thunderdome parties for up to 40,000 people. When the sound spread to London in the mid-1990s, Dead by Dawn parties at the 121 Centre in Brixton played gabba, speedcore, and noise. In the Midwestern United States, gabber inspired the foundation of the label Drop Bass Network.
Subculture.
The popularity of gabber created a youth subculture in the Netherlands. Fashion-wise, gabber ravers wore tracksuits, bomber jackets and Nike Air Max shoes. Tennis tracksuits from the Italian fashion label L’Alpina were prized. Most men shaved their heads bald, while women braided their hair and shaved the sides. Drug use was common, with ecstasy and speed the popular choice.
Later the look became blouses and short skirts for women. Men wore polo shirts and shirts with jeans and army boots, with a racist minority wearing the Lonsdale brand because of its connection to right-wing extremism. Gabber also had a small following in the German neo-Nazi fringe movement. In order to repudiate the connection, labels and artists began to release anti-fascist and anti-racist statements. Some examples includes "Chosen Anthem (Against Racism)" by DJ Chosen Few, "Die Nazi Scum" by Party Animals featuring MC Rob Gee, "Time to Make a Stand" by United Hardcore and "Fuck the Nazism" by Hellcore. Mokum Records made its slogan (printed on all records): "Hardcore united against fascism and racism" and in addition some gabber producers are people of colour such as Dark Raver, Paul Elstak, and Loftgroover. When gabber became popular again in the 2000s, Dutch neo-Nazis attempted to capitalise on it but their structures were short-lived.
By the mid-1990s, gabber had become part of mainstream culture in the Netherlands. "Billboard" magazine called it the country's "first homegrown youth culture" in 1997. Its popularity also led to parody tracks such as Gabber Piet's "Hakke & Zage" which drew on the theme tune of the Peppi & Kokki
children's television show. The name also referred to hakken, the style of gabber dancing characterised by fast leg movements which had become popular. Gabber fans were angered by the commercialisation of their scene and Gabber Piet was fired from his job at ID&T. His album "Love U Hardcore" attempted to make amends but it did not sell well.
2010s resurgence.
In the late 2010s, gabber experienced another resurgence with artists such as Nina Kraviz and groups such as Boiler Room welcoming harder and faster beats again. Thunderdome organised a party to celebrate 25 years of hardcore at the Jaarbeurs congress centre in Utrecht. It was attended by 40,000 ravers.


Not cool, Robert Frost


Us (novel)

Us is a 2014 novel by English author David Nicholls for whom it won the Specsavers "UK Author of the Year" award. It was also long-listed for the 2014 Man Booker Prize. The BBC screened a four-part TV adapation of the novel, by Nicholls, in 2020, starring Tom Hollander, Saskia Reeves and Tom Taylor.
Plot introduction.
The book begins when Connie, frustrated artist and Douglas Petersen's wife of nearly 25 years, tells him that now their son Albie is about to leave home for college, she wants to leave too. Douglas resolves that their last family holiday together, a 'grand tour' of the cultural and artistic gems of Europe, will "be the trip of a lifetime, one that will draw the three of them closer, and win the respect of his son. One that will make Connie fall in love with him all over again".
The narrative then alternates between the story of the disastrous trip, at the start of which Albie deserts his parents in Amsterdam, and that of Douglas's unlikely courtship and marriage to Connie, contrasting his disciplined scientific life as a biochemist with Connie's spontaneous artistic character.


Sniglet

A sniglet () is an often humorous word made up to describe something for which no dictionary word exists. Introduced in the 1980s TV comedy series "Not Necessarily the News", sniglets were generated and published in significant number, along with submissions by fans, in several books by Rich Hall, beginning with his "Sniglets", "Sniglets for Kids", and "More Sniglets" in the mid-1980s.
Origin.
Development by Rich Hall.
The term "sniglet" was conceived by comedian Rich Hall during his tenure on the 1980s HBO comedy series "Not Necessarily the News". Each monthly episode featured a regular segment on sniglets, which Hall described as "any word that doesn't appear in the dictionary, but should". In 1984, a collection of sniglets was published by Hall, titled "Sniglets (snig' lit: any word that doesn't appear in the dictionary, but should)". This was followed by a "daily comic panel" in newspapers, four more books, a game, and a calendar. Many sniglets are portmanteau words, a comedic style often traced to Lewis Carroll.
The Hall books have their entries arranged in alphabetical order like a dictionary, with information on how to pronounce the word, followed by a definition and sometimes accompanied by an illustration. The original book has two appendices, "Anatomical Sniglets" and "Extra Added Bonus Section for Poets", and "More Sniglets" includes an "Audio-Visual Sniglets" section. All five books included an "Official Sniglets Entry Blank", beginning, "Dear Rich: Here's my sniglet, which is every bit as clever as any in this dictionary."
The "Game of Sniglets" is a board game in which players tried to identify the "official" sniglet from among a list that also included sniglets that fellow participants had created to go along with a provided definition. Players earn points by either guessing which word is the "official" sniglet, or by having their word chosen as the best candidate; the points earned determine how many spaces players can advance on the game board. The game instructions offer suggestions for creating a new sniglet, such as combining or blending words; changing the spelling of a word related to the definition; or creating new, purely nonsensical words.
Precursors.
In 1914, humorist Gelett Burgess published a dictionary of original neologisms, "Burgess Unabridged: A New Dictionary of Words You Have Always Needed". Humor writer Paul Jennings had published made-up meanings of real place-names in a 1963 essay appearing in "The Jenguin Pennings". Author Douglas Adams, while travelling with British comedy producer John Lloyd, suggested they play a game he had learned at school in which players were challenged to make up plausible word definitions for place names taken from road maps; the definitions they came up with were later incorporated into a 1983 book, "The Meaning of Liff". The similarities and relationship between the content of this book and the Hall concept of sniglets is noted, by Barbara Wallraff, in "Word Court" (2001). Douglas Adams believed that when the format of Lloyd's satirical TV show "Not the Nine O'Clock News" was sold to America—where it became "Not Necessarily the News"—the producers also took the made-up word definition concept, which became the sniglets popularized by Hall.
Beyond comedy.
In a 1990 interview, Hall was asked if the "Sniglets books [were] completely for comic value?" He answered, Anne Wescott Dodd's "A Handbook for Substitute Teachers" (1989) and Marcia L. Tate's "Reading and Language Arts Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites: 20 Literacy Strategies That Engage the Brain" (2005) suggest creating sniglets as a classroom activity, and so bear out his claim.
Popular English language experts such as Richard Lederer and Barbara Wallraff have noted sniglets in their books, "The Miracle of Language" and "Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done", respectively. The idea has been borrowed by Barbara Wallraff for her book "Word Fugitives: In Pursuit of Wanted Words", where "word fugitives" is her term for invented words. Wallraff's "Atlantic Monthly" column "Word Fugitives" features words invented by readers, although they had to be puns, which many sniglets are not.
In popular culture.
Homer Simpson, a fictional character of the animated television series "The Simpsons", suggests "Son of Sniglet" as a good book to name as a favorite and a life influence when he is completing his college application in the episode "Homer Goes to College".
The fictional character Dale Gribble in the animated television series "King of the Hill" explains his inappropriate laughter upon successfully sabotaging a new relationship of fellow character Bill Dauterive, saying "just remembered a funny sniglet!"
The satirical newspaper "The Onion" published an article in 2001 mocking sniglets as an obscure fad.
Further reading.
Primary sources.
Rich Hall released several volumes of collected sniglets, illustrated by Arnie Ten:


We will sell no wine before its time


Tripti Mitra

Tripti Mitra (née Tripti Bahaduri; 25 October 1925 – 24 May 1989) was a popular Indian actress of Bengali theatre and films, and wife of Sombhu Mitra, noted theatre director, with whom she co-founded pioneering theatre group "Bohurupee" in 1948. She has acted in films like "Jukti Takko Aar Gappo" and "Dharti Ke Lal".
She was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama in 1962 for Theatre acting, and the Padma Shri in 1971 by Government of India in Arts field.
Early life and education.
Tripti Mitra was born in Dinajpur (British India) on 25 October 1925. Her father was Ashutosh Bhaduri and mother was Shailabala Debi. In Dinajpur Minor School she studied up to class six, then she came to Kolkata and got admission in Pyaricharan School. After passing Higher Secondary Examination from that school, she got admission in Ashutosh College. But she could not complete her studies since she got a job. She married Sombhu Mitra in December, 1945. She has a daughter Shaoli Mitra, who is also an actress and director.
Career.
Tripti Mitra had been acting in theatre since her teens. She first acted in her cousin Bijon Bhattacharya's play "Agun" (Fire) in 1943. After watching her stage performance in noted IPTA play, "Nabanna" (Harvest) based on Bengal famine of 1943, director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas took her to Bombay to act in Gana Natya Sangha’s film "Dharti Ke Lal" in 1943, partly based on the play. Her first Bengali film was "Pathik" in 1953, the film was directed by Debaki Kumar Basu. She also acted in Ritwik Ghatak's last film, "Jukti Takko Aar Gappo" (1974).
In 1948, Shombhu and Tripti Mitra founded their own theatre group named Bohurupee. She acted in innumerable plays mostly along with her husband Sombhu Mitra,a colossus in the field of theatre, to become one of the most legendary beings of Bengali theatre, most famous for her role as Nandini, the protagonist of Rabindranath Tagore's "Rakta Karabi". She also acted in "Jago Hua Savera", a 1959 Urdu movie produced in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), based on a Manik Bandopadhya's classic novel "Padma Nadir Majhi".
Tripti Mitra died on 24 May 1989.


Tbqh


Vitameatavegamin


A. K. Hangal

Avtar Kishan Hangal (1 February 1914 – 26 August 2012), popularly known as A. K. Hangal, was an Indian freedom fighter from 1929 to 1947 and also stage actor from 1936 to 1965 and later became a character actor in Hindi language films from 1966 to 2005. His most notable roles are as Ram Shastri in "Aaina" (1977), as the Inder Sen in "Shaukeen", as Bipinlal Pandey in "Namak Haraam", as Imaam Saa'b in "Sholay", as Anokhelal in "Manzil" and the antagonist in "Prem Bandhan" and the 16 films he did with Rajesh Khanna. He has acted in around 225 Hindi films in a career spanning from 1966 to 2005.
Early life.
Born into a Kashmiri Pandit family, he spent his childhood and youth in Peshawar, where he had performed in theatre for some major roles. His family home was inside Reti Gate as mentioned in his memoirs. His father's name was Pandit Hari Kishan Hangal. His mother's name was Ragia Hundoo. He had two sisters. Bishan and Kishan. He was married to Manorma Dar from Agra. However, his primary occupation for the early part of his life was that of a tailor. He was an active participant in the Indian freedom struggle from 1929 to 1947. He joined Shree Sangeet Priya Mandal, a theatre group in Peshawar in 1936 and continued to act in many plays in undivided India till 1946. Following his father's retirement, the family moved from Peshawar to Karachi. He moved to Bombay after the Partition of India in 1949 after 3 years in prison in Pakistan. He was involved with the theatre group IPTA along with Balraj Sahni and Kaifi Azmi, both of whom had Marxist leanings. He was jailed because he was a communist in Karachi for two years from 1947 to 1949 and after his release came to India and settled in Mumbai. He later acted in many plays in theatres in India from 1949 to 1965.
Hindi cinema career.
He started his Hindi film career at the age of 52 with Basu Bhattacharya's "Teesri Kasam" in 1966 and "Shagird", and went on to play as the man of principles playing the on-screen father or uncle of the leading men/women in the films in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, or sometimes the quintessential meek and oppressed old man. His pivotal roles in the films such as Chetan Anand's "Heer Raanjha", "Namak Haraam", "Shaukeen" (1981), "Sholay", "Aaina" (1977), "Avtaar", "Arjun", "Aandhi", "Tapasya", "Kora Kagaz", "Bawarchi", "Chhupa Rustam", "Chitchor", "Balika Badhu", "Guddi" and "Naram Garam" are considered to be among his best. He, as a character actor was part of 16 films with Rajesh Khanna as the lead hero, like "Aap Ki Kasam", "Amar Deep", "Naukri", "Prem Bandhan", "Thodisi Bewafaii", "Phir Wohi Raat", "Kudrat", "Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar", "Bewafai" until "Sautela Bhai" in 1996. His best performances in his later years was in "Shararat" (2002) his character roles in "Tere Mere Sapne" (1997) and "Lagaan". In movies he has played a very large number of character roles, mostly positive, with rare exceptions where his negative roles became famous, like in "Manzil" and "Prem Bandhan". He also acted in a NFDC film, "DATTAK" (The Adopted), directed by Gul Bahar Singh in 2001.
Producer Debika Mitra had signed Madan Puri for Inder Sen's role, but a friend advised that A. K. Hangal would be a better choice. The superlative performance went on to become one of the most cherished acts of Hangal.
On 8 February 2011, Hangal 'walked' the ramp in a wheelchair for fashion designer Riyaz Ganji for his summer line in Mumbai.
Hangal made his last appearance in the television series "Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon" in May 2012, in which he had a cameo. "Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon" was a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema. The episode that featured Hangal aired on 1 June at 22:00 on "Colors". In the early 2012, Hangal also gave his voice for the character of King Ugrasen in the animation film Krishna Aur Kans which was released on 3 August 2012. This was final work in his career before his death. His portrayal of Ugrasen was much appreciated by critics.
Awards.
The government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Hindi Cinema in 2006.
Health and financial issues.
Hangal, who had more than 200 films to his credit in a career that spanned nearly five decades, due to his old age post 2007 found it difficult to meet his medical expenses. His son Vijay, a retired cameraman and former Bollywood photographer, himself is 75 and has not had a full-time job since 2001. As a result, the family had financial difficulties. Though previously Vijay would take up small jobs, but later he suffered from back problems and was unable to work. After 2007, Hangal has been suffering from an illness and could not afford the treatment. At this point, following a media spotlight on 20 January 2011, many film stars and directors promised to help him financially. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also pledged to assist the veteran actor. Before that, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists visited Hangal at his home and offered him medical and financial help. They also provided revitalization of memories of veteran's work and made media report it. Upon asking, Raj Thackeray expressed his concerns towards such actors who are neglected in their old age.
The actor had last shot for Amol Palekar's film, "Paheli" in 2005. In fact, he had not gone out of his house for the last eight months. "We were surprised to see him get out of home. He would have done it only for acting," said his son Vijay and added, "My father had remained at home for the past few months. The show producer Saurabh Tiwari and senior executives from the channel came to our place to offer him the role. Several filmmakers had approached him in the last few years. But father did not take those up due to health issues."
A. K. Hangal returned to face the studio lights after seven long years. Having reached the sets of a TV Series "Madhubala - Ek Ishq Ek Junoon" on a wheelchair, the then 97-year-old actor wasn't sure he would be able to handle it physically. But once the cameras started rolling, there was no stopping the actor within.
Freedom fighter.
Hangal participated in the Indian freedom movement when as a student, he joined protests in the North West Frontier Province against the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh. He later moved to Karachi, where he spent three years in prison for protesting against British rule.
He is also related to India's first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. Jawahar's wife, Kamla Nehru, was first cousin of A. K. Hangal's mother.
Death.
Hangal was admitted to the Asha Parekh Hospital in Santa Cruz, Mumbai on 16 August 2012, three days after he fractured his thigh bone from a fall in his bathroom. His son said that he went to the hospital as he had "suffered a back injury and had to undergo a surgery. But that could not take place as later it was found that he has chest and breathing problems." On 26 August, he was put on life support. Dr Vinod Khanna, an orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital said: "He is on life support system. One of his lungs is not functioning. He is also having respiratory problems." But, his condition worsened and he died on the same day, at the age of 98. His cremation was held the next afternoon at Pavan Hans crematorium.
In reaction to his death, Shabana Azmi wrote on "Twitter": "An era comes to an end. Theatre and film were enriched by him." The Communist Party of India described Hangal as a committed social and political activist who withstood the Shiv Sena onslaught. The BJP's L. K. Advani and Nitin Gadkari also condoled his death.


Club Dance

Club Dance was a TV show that aired on The Nashville Network from April 1, 1991 to February 5, 1999 for a total of 1,848 episodes, with re-runs until June 28, 1999
The show was filmed in Knoxville, Tennessee set at a fictional "White Horse Cafe". The show was hosted by Shelley Mangrum, a former Miss Tennessee, and co-hosted by Phil Campbell. The cast consisted of enthusiastic unpaid local dancers and visiting professional dancers and dance groups from all over the United States, creating a unique atmosphere of mixing of styles and traditions. Within the limits of the script, the dancers were free to behave and respond to the music as if in a real dance venue.
The show included a wide variety types of country dances lead and follow partner dances, choreographed dances, and line dances, as well as some others, most notably West Coast Swing, which due its slotted style allowed for dancing between tables and in other confined spaces.
The show was accompanied with the monthly newsletter "Club Dance: Behind the Scenes". It was produced by Knoxville-based RIVR Media.


Internetica


Cher... Special

Cher... Special is a television special starring American singer/actress Cher that was broadcast on ABC on April 3, 1978 at 9:00 pm ET/PT and was recorded at ABC Studios in Burbank, California. "Cher ... Special" was a ratings success for ABC and it was ranked among the Top 10 most watched programs of the week. In the fall of 1978, it was honored with a technical Emmy Award for "Best Achievement in Lighting Direction". It also received an Emmy nomination for "Best Art Direction for a Comedy-Variety or Musical Special" and Dolly Parton was also nominated for an Emmy in the category of "Best Supporting Actress in a Variety or Musical Special".
The show.
The show features Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart and The Tubes. As the show begins, there is a spotlight on the floor and the voice of Georgia Holt, Cher's mother, is heard calling her young daughter: "Cher? Cher? Cher, is that you? I thought I asked you not to mess up my record albums." Cher steps into the spotlight, made up to look like a younger version of herself with her hair in pigtails. The young Cher sits on the floor and tells her mother that she is upset because she is not blonde and she says that all the pretty girls have blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mother tells her daughter that she is beautiful and someday she will realize just how special she really is. Cher tells her mother that she will try to understand and explains that she got into the record albums so that she could learn the songs from "West Side Story" for school. When her mother asks Cher what part she is going to play, Cher replies, "all of them".
Cher stands up, looks directly at the camera, and says, "Ladies and gentlemen, for tonight’s entertainment, I am proud to present "West Side Story". I will be playing all the parts. Thank you." For the next fifteen minutes, Cher sings and dances to a medley of songs from the musical, playing both male and female characters.
Other segments include guests Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart, cast as neighbors in an apartment building, performing their hit songs "Two Doors Down" (Parton) and "Hot Legs" (Stewart); Cher and Dolly having a conversation consisting entirely of song titles and lyrics from pop songs; and Cher working by day in a boring secretarial job but dancing at night in the discos. Laverne, Cher's most famous character from the early days of "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour", stops by for a quick chat to give Cher some words of wisdom.
The final segment is a big production number with a medley of songs performed by Cher, Dolly Parton, and The Tubes. Described as a "Musical Battle to Save Cher's Soul Medley", The Tubes try to lead her astray to the dark world of evil and sin while Dolly Parton and several gospel singers try to save her and show her the light.
"Cher...Special" concludes with Cher saying, "Momma, I'm still here. I've got the same hair, the same bumpy nose and vampire teeth. But you were right, I feel better about myself now". Then Cher's nine-year-old daughter Chastity asks, "Mom, have you been into my records again?" Cher says, "my children Chastity and Elijah both have blonde hair. I guess they don't have the advantages of having black hair, but nobody told them it was going to be easy." Then she sings "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes". As the final credits roll by, Cher's young son Elijah Blue Allman comes out and sits on her lap.
Video released.
The complete "West Side Story Medley" is available in the DVD edition of "The Farewell Tour" as a special feature. Some of the individual segments (particularly Cher and Parton's "song lyric conversation") have appeared on YouTube.
In 2020, TimeLife released 'The Best of Cher' on DVD. "Cher...Special" is included in this set as a bonus feature. This release is an edited version of the special and does not include Rod Stewart, or Dolly and Cher’s conversation.


Gonzalo Garcia (dancer)

Gonzalo Garcia is a Spanish American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and previously at the San Francisco Ballet.
Early life.
Garcia was born in Zaragoza, and trained at 's school. In 1995, he attended a summer intensive at the San Francisco Ballet School, where de Avila's daughter Lola taught. Later that year, he won the Prix de Lausanne at the age of 15, making him the youngest dancer to receive the award. After that, he returned to the San Francisco Ballet School as a full time student. At age 17, he was offered a contract to join the San Francisco Ballet by the artistic director, Helgi Tómasson, though Garcia decided to study for one more year.
Career.
Garcia joined the San Francisco Ballet's corps de ballet in 1998, at age 18. In 2000, he became a soloist, and won the Princess Grace Award. In 2002, he was promoted to principal dancer at age 22, one of the youngest dancers in the company to reach this rank. He danced leading roles such as Albrecht in "Giselle" and Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet", and originated the role of Nutcracker Prince in Tómasson's version of "The Nutcracker". In 2004, he made a guest appearance at the New York City Ballet and danced "Ballo della Regina", as a part of George Balanchine's centennial.
In May 2007, Garcia left the San Francisco Ballet after a performance of "Don Quixote". Garcia joined the New York City Ballet as a principal dancer in October 2007. His repertoire there includes works by Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, and originated roles in works by choreographers such as Justin Peck and Alexei Ratmansky. He was coached by Mikhail Baryshnikov for Robbins' "Opus 19/The Dreamer". He had performed with Christopher Wheeldon's company, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, and appeared in video advertisements of Tiffany & Co. and iPhone.
Garcia is scheduled to retire in February 2022.
Personal life.
Garcia is a naturalized American citizen.
In August 2020, Garcia married Ezra Hurwitz, a dancer-turned filmmaker. They live in Upper West Side, Manhattan
Selected repertoire.
Garcia's repertoire with the San Francisco Ballet and New York City Ballet includes:


Spettacolo

Spettacolo is a 2017 documentary film about a small hilltown in Italy that practices a unique form of theatre called "autodramma". It is the second feature of "Marwencol" filmmakers Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen. The title is an Italian word meaning "performance, spectacle, or play" and in Italian is pronounced ("spet-TAH-kō-lō").
Plot.
Monticchiello, a tiny hill town in Tuscany, has found a unique way to confront its problemsthe people turn their lives into a play. Every summer for 50 years, their piazza becomes their stage and villagers play themselves. Every problem the town has faced since World War IItheir near annihilation by Nazis, the disappearance of their farming heritage, the commercialization of their landevery major event has been dramatized and debated by the villagers in the center of town. The film tells the story of "Teatro Povero" ("Poor Theatre"), interweaving episodes from its past with footage from the present as the villagers turn a series of devastating blowsfinancial ruin, rising neo-fascism, a dwindling future generationinto a play about the end of their world.
Production.
The film was shot in Tuscany in Italy between 2012 and 2016, using a Sony EX-1 camera and a portable Zoom audio recorder. The crew of Malmberg and Shellen lived in Monticchiello for six months in 2012 to make the film. They involved the town in their editorial process, showing several rough cuts of the film to the townspeople for feedback.
Reception.
The film was released on September 6, 2017, at the Quad Cinema in New York City before moving on to other cities. The three-week run at the Quad included a short film before the feature by Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen, "Amleto", focusing on the daily life of one of Monticchiello's cats. The film has a 92% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews.


Dart Drug (album)

Dart Drug is an album by improvising musicians Derek Bailey and Jamie Muir released on LP by Incus Records in 1981. It was reissued on CD by Incus in 1994, and by Honest Jon's in 2018.
Writer Ben Watson described his first impressions of the disc: "The CD arrived wrapped in images of glass-curtain buildings, photographs by Jamie, sporting bizarre wobbles caused by imperfections in the glass. He also drew the album's title, a bizarre scrawl like some mescalin-induced vision notated by Henri Michaux."
Reception.
A 1995 review of the 1994 CD reissue in Hi-Fi News & Record Review stated: "Elegant, airy interchanges between the master of the f-hole (Bailey) and a maverick percussionist (Muir). Muir provides a ceaseless array of new timbres, opening up delicate spaces between distant rumbles and in-yer-face pops and clicks. He boils up noisy squalls out of which Bailey's notes sail like slo-mo silver bullets. Derek Bailey is truly the guitarist's guitarist. Although recorded way back in 1981, this is so far ahead of what most deem possible on the guitar that it's ridiculous. And sublime, simultaneously at the same time."
In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "This date with guitarist Derek Bailey is in many ways quite remarkable. In these four improvisations, Bailey himself attempts to become a nearly lyrical player, sensitively looking for timbral elements within his already sonant tones, and Muir moves to underline that aspect of his playing. This is not to say that dynamics and violence are not found here -- quite the contrary, they're just more closely observed. The title track, clocking in just shy of half an hour, is for practical matters the hinge piece of the album, though it comes last in sequence. From random plinks and plonks, where Bailey accompanies Muir as a percussionist in the way he uses his strings and Muir dances all over the mix, a kind of pattern develops where dynamic threads are woven and carried forth into others, always leaving the fully articulated one as the process begets the creation of another. This systematic approach is different for both men, and results in a kind of ideational clarity that lesser players would love to emulate. The result is as open as silence itself, albeit a more playful gazer into its open mouth by this pair of yobs who are winking and laughing."
Writing for All About Jazz, Chris May commented: "The bracing yet strangely beautiful album is one of the few recordings made by the percussionist Jamie Muir after he retired from professional music-making in 1973, first to study Buddhism in Scottish and French monasteries, then to become a fulltime painter... On "Dart Drug", the soundscapes—to call some of them 'music' would imply a degree of sonic conventionality which is mostly absent—are shaped more by Muir's whirlwind energy and idiosyncratic array of percussion than they are by Bailey's guitar. Some of Muir's instruments are identifiable, others are anybody's guess. Hub-caps floating in jello and struck by tyre irons? Empty barrels suspended in mid-air and shot at with BB guns? We may never know... maybe "Dart Drug" can meaningfully be described as music—just not as we know it, Jim. Whatever you call it, listening to it is a novel out-of-body experience."
A review at Boomkat states: "There’s no shortage of great percussionists in the brief history of free improvised music but on the strength of "Dart Drug" alone Jamie Muir deserves a place at High Table... What on earth did Muir’s kit consist of? Some instruments are clearly identifiable (bells, gongs, chimes, woodblocks); others could be… well, anything. Old suitcases thwacked with rolled up newspapers? Tin cans and hubcaps inside a washing machine? Who cares? It sounds terrific – but if you're the kind of person who faints at the sound of nails scraping a blackboard, you might want to nip out and put the kettle on towards the end of the title track... "Dart Drug" is consistently thrilling, and often very amusing – but it's certainly not easy listening. In music we talk about playing with other musicians, whereas in sport you play against another opponent (or with your team against another team). Why not play against in music, too? That’s precisely what happens very often in improvised music, and Bailey was particularly good at it. How can a humble acoustic guitar hope to compete with a Muir in full flight? Sometimes Bailey’s content to sit on those open strings, teasing out yet another exquisite Webernian constellation of ringing harmonics and wait for the dust to settle in Muir’s junkyard, but elsewhere he sets off into uncharted territory himself... Very hotly recommended."
Track listing.
All compositions by Derek Bailey and Jamie Muir.


Scratch Orchestra

The Scratch Orchestra was an experimental musical ensemble founded in the spring of 1969 by Cornelius Cardew, Michael Parsons and Howard Skempton.
In the draft constitution published in the "Musical Times" of June 1969, Cardew defines a scratch orchestra as: "a large number of enthusiasts pooling their resources (not primarily material resources) and assembling for action (music-making, performance, edification)". The Orchestra reflected Cardew's musical philosophy at that time. This meant that anyone could join, graphic scores were used (rather than traditional sheet music), and there was an emphasis on improvisation. The Scratch Orchestra arose from Cardew's 'Experimental Music' class at Morley College, London, which served as a venue for extra rehearsals for Scratch Orchestra concerts, but Scratch Orchestra rehearsals were also held separately. New Zealand artist/musician Philip Dadson was amongst those at Morley College who were in the foundation group for the Scratch Orchestra and, after returning to New Zealand, established a NZ Scratch Orchestra in 1970, which evolved into the group From Scratch in 1974.
The first meeting of the Scratch Orchestra was at St Katharine Docks, 1 July 1969. It was announced by means of a "Draft Constitution", published in "The Musical Times" in June 1969. The Draft Constitution set out categories of musical activity: Improvisation Rites, Popular Classics, Compositions, and Research Projects. Cardew also proposed that the responsibility of programming of concerts be assigned in reverse seniority, so that the first concert, on 1 November 1969 at Hampstead Town Hall, was designed by Christopher Hobbs, an eighteen-year-old student of Cardew's at the Royal Academy of Music. Original members included Carole Finer.
Despite the emphasis on free improvisation, the varying experience of the members, and the "do your own thing" free aesthetic of the time, the Scratch Orchestra was a disciplined ensemble. Eventually the strains of Cardew's "reverse seniority", tensions between musically-trained and non-musically-trained members, and an increasing interest in political aesthetics led to a gradual change in the activities, and then the outlook of the ensemble. It was effectively inoperative by 1974.


Nmperign

Nmperign is an experimental improvisational jazz group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1998.
Early history.
The idea for the group came when soprano saxophonist Bhob Rainey decided to embark upon an ambitious cross-country tour, choosing trumpeter Greg Kelley and percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani as his travelmates. The three, who had been playing together in various groups for a number of months prior (most notably with multi-instrumentalist Masashi Harada), then began rehearsing regularly as a trio and recorded their first album at Studio 7A West in Charlestown, Massachusetts that summer. The album was released as "44'38"/5" by the Twisted Village label and the group began their 6-week cross-country tour in November of that year. 2 weeks into the tour nmperign became a duo, with Nakatani departing for personal reasons.
Releasing an album of quiet abstract improvisations on a psych label and touring across the country garnered the group some attention. And despite Rainey's move to Chicago in 1999, the group
remained very active that year, beginning their ongoing collaboration with electronic musician Jason Lescalleet, travelling out to the West Coast for a number of concerts and making a 7-week cross-country tour later that fall. All of this activity resulted in the release of "This is nmperign's 2nd CD" on Twisted Village (which featured the group's last performance with Nakatani and their first performance with Lescalleet) and the collaborative CD "In Which The Silent Partner-Director Is No Longer Able To Make His Point To The Industrial Dreamer" with Jason Lescalleet on Intransitive Recordings.
By the year 2000, Rainey was back in Boston and the group embarked on their first tour of Europe. It was at this time that the group began its relationships with a number of European improvisers including Axel Dörner and Andrea Neumann, with whom the duo would embark on a 4-week United States tour in September 2001.
Over the next few years, nmperign continued to travel the United States and Europe, including tours on both continents with percussionist Le Quan Ninh and dancer Yukiko Nakamura, an inexplicable pairing with noise provocateur Emil Beaulieau (including some collaborations which came to be known as nmpeRRRon), and collaborations with Jerome Noetinger & , and Gunter Müller.
The BSC.
The BSC was formed in 2000 by Bhob Rainey as a way to explore the dynamics of large group improvisation. The group also includes his nmperign partner Greg Kelley on trumpet, Mike Bullock on double bass, James Coleman on theremin, Chris Cooper on prepared guitar, Vic Rawlings on cello & electronics, Howard Stelzer on tapes, and Liz Tonne on voice. The group has released one CD on Grob entitled "Good" (2003) and has collaborated a number of times with pianist Steve Drury and his Callithumpian Consort (performing graphic scores by Stockhausen,
Cardew and Christian Wolff), as well as with composer Christian Wolff in a realization of his graphic score, Edges. In 2010, the group released "23% Bicycle and/or Ribbons of the Natural Order", a download-only release which was made available by posting a tweet or "liking" it on Facebook.
Damon and Naomi.
In 2004, Damon and Naomi, via their mutual friends at Twisted Village, invited nmperign to play on a bill with them and subsequently to play on their new album, which would be the first on their own 20|20|20 label. Rainey and Kelley appeared on a number of tracks on their 2005 album "The Earth is Blue" and also began performing live with the duo and guitarist Michio Kurihara. Rainey became a touring member of the group and has performed with them throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. Both Kelley and Rainey have appeared on subsequent recordings with Rainey handling all the string and horn arrangements on their 2007 album "Within These Walls".
Salt Peanuts.
A seeming anomaly in the discography of nmperign is the 2003 CDr release "Salt Peanuts" released on American Tapes. Released in an edition of 80, the recording showcases 12 maniacal takes of the "head" section of the title standard as well 12 takes of the "head" of "Donna Lee". Apparently the result of some good-natured heckling by John Olson and Aaron Dilloway of Wolf Eyes at the 2003 De Stijl/Freedom From Festival in Minneapolis, the recording showcases nmperign's sense of humor and conceptual rigorousness.
Points of reference.
Despite the fact that the title of their first album was not a reference to John Cage (but simply the total time of the album divided by the number of tracks), nmperign has used a number of literary and other references in their titles, ranging from Marguerite Duras' "The Malady of Death" and "Four Novels", Georges Bataille's "Poems", Zen Master Eihei Dogen, a book of interviews with Jean-Luc Godard, Herman Melville's "Pierre; Or, the Ambiguities", a box of Chinese tea, The Doors and micromosaic artist Henry Dalton.
The name nmperign itself is derived from the Latin phrase "igNotuM PER IGNotius," meaning "the unknown through the more unknown."
2009 -.
In 2009, Rainey moved out of Boston to New Orleans. This move was ironically timed with a renewed spate of activity from the band with the release of "Ommatidia" (their first duo recording since 2004's double LP "We Devote Every Effort To Offer You The Best That You Deserve To Have For Your Enjoyment") on Intransitive Recordings and a 1-sided collaborative LP with percussionist Jake Meginsky on Rel Records entitled "Selected Occasions of Handsome Deceit". The group's only performance as nmperign since Rainey's move was at the 2010 Neon Marshmallow Festival in Chicago, as a trio with Jason Lescalleet. Further concerts with Lescalleet are planned for 2011.
Current members.
Bhob Rainey - soprano saxophone (1998-)
Greg Kelley - trumpet (1998-)
Adjunct members.
Jason Lescalleet - tape loops, electronics (1999-)
Jake Meginsky - percussion
Le Quan Ninh - percussion (2002-)
Yukiko Nakamura - dance (2002-)
Former members.
Tatsuya Nakatani - percussion (1998)
Festival appearances.
Autumn Uprising Festival, Cambridge Massachusetts 1999
East Bay Creative Music Festival, Oakland California 1999
Festival Densités, Verdun France 2001
Superfici Sonore, Florence Italy 2001
Improvised and Otherwise Festival, Brooklyn New York 2002
Fruits De Mhere, Mhere France 2002
Festival des Musiques Innovatrices, St. Etienne France 2002
Musique Action, Nancy France 2002, 2004
AMPLIFY New York New York 2003
The De Stijl/Freedom From Festival, Minneapolis Minnesota 2003
No Fun Fest, New York New York 2004
Erstquake 2, New York New York 2005
Music Lovers' Field Companion, Gateshead England 2005
The End Times Festival, Minneapolis Minnesota 2006
Instal, Glasgow Scotland 2006
Courtisane Festival, Ghent Belgium 2007
Brainwaves 2008, Arlington Massachusetts 2008
Neon Marshmallow Festival, Chicago Illinois 2010
Discography.
"44′38″/5" CD (Twisted Village, US) 1998
"Recycled" cassette (RRRecords, US) 1999
"This Is Nmperign’s Second CD" CD (Twisted Village, US) 1999
"In Which The Silent Partner-Director Can No Longer Make His Point To"
"The Industrial Dreamer" CD w/ Jason Lescalleet (Intransitive Recordings, US) 1999
"Bhob Rainey/Greg Kelley: nmperign" CD (Selektion, Germany) 2001
"Nmperign + Dörner, Beins" LP (Twisted Village, US) 2002
"More Gloom, More Light" CD w/ Günter Müller (Rossbin, Italy) 2003
"Salt Peanuts" CDr (American Tapes, US) 2003
"We Devote Every Effort To Offer You The Best That You Deserve To Have For Your Enjoyment"
2LP (Siwa, US) 2004
"Thanks, Cash" CD w/ Axel Dörner & Andrea Neumann (Sedimental, US) 2004
"Love Me Two Times" 2CD w/ Jason Lescalleet (Intransitive Recordings, US) 2006
"Marvin/Live 1978" Split 7″ w/ Skeletons Out (Absurd, Greece) 2009
"Ommatidia" CD (Intransitive Recordings, US) 2009
"Selected Occasions of Handsome Deceit" 1-sided LP w/ Jake Meginsky (Rel Records, US) 2010
with The BSC
"Good" CD (Grob, Germany) 2003
"23% Bicycle and/or Ribbons of the Natural Order" download-only 2010
with Damon & Naomi
"The Earth is Blue" CD, LP (20|20|20)
"Within These Walls" CD (20|20|20)


Ang Tala sa Panghulo

Ang Tala sa Panghulo ("The Bright Star at Panghulo") is a 1913 Tagalog-language romance novel written by Filipino novelist Patricio Mariano. The 207-page book was published in Manila by R. Martinez and was printed by the Imprenta at Litograpya Ni Juan Fajardo (Printer And Lithography By Juan Fajardo) during the American era in Philippine history. The novel is alternatively known as Ang Tala sa Panghulo: Nobelang Taga-ilog ("The Bright Star at Panghulo: A Riverine Novel"), which can also mean "Ang Tala sa Panghulo: Nobelang Tagalog" (the word "Tagalog" originated from the Tagalog-language word "taga-ilog" meaning "riverine" or "river people"), thus the alternative English translation is "The Bright Star at Panghulo: A Tagalog Novel".
Characters.
The main characters of the novel are Berta and Lucia. Berta is the stereotypic young woman from the barrio, while Lucia was the stereotypic lass from Manila. Being a barrio resident, Berta is presented by the author as shy and modest, while Lucia – being a city girl – was portrayed as impatient, devious, and disloyal. Berta is a vendor of local delicacies. The other characters in the story are Luciano, Tintoy, and Mang Pedro (literally "Mr. Pedro"). Luciano is a painter and an affluent customer of Berta. Tintoy is the husband of Lucia. Mang Pedro, as revealed at the end of the novel, turns out to be the wealthy father of Berta and the owner of the house in Manila where Luciano resides.
Plot.
In the story, Lucia – although married – falls in love with Luciano. Tintoy, because of jealousy, shot Luciano during a hunt. Berta, while gathering "dampalit" (a local plant used as an ingredient in pickling), heard the shots. Berta saves and nurses Luciano. Luciano becomes Lucia’s lover. Berta reunites with Mang Pedro. There was a happy ending for Berta and Luciano, but not for Lucia and Tintoy.


Louis Colaianni

Louis Colaianni (born April 29, 1959 in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American voice, speech, dialect and text coach and director in the professional theatre, with specialisation in Shakespeare performance.
He has taught in many actor-training programs and served as voice and text coach for productions at theatres throughout the United States, including, Santa Fe Opera, Playwrights Horizons, The Culture Project, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Westport Country Playhouse, The McCarter Theatre, The Labyrinth Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Shakespeare Festival of St Louis, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival and Seattle Repertory Theatre.
He was a tenured, associate professor at University of Missouri–Kansas City. He is a visiting associate professor at Yale School of Drama, where he teaches Voice into Shakespeare, and adjunct associate professor at Syracuse University, Department of Drama, where he teaches Speech and Dialects. For seven years, he taught Acting Classics at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, and for several years, taught Acting Classics and Voice at Vassar College, as adjunct associate professor. Louis Colaianni has given workshops internationally. He invented the Phonetic Pillows approach to Phonetics and Stage Accents which is used by many actor training programs. He studied voice with Kristin Linklater and is a Designated Linklater Teacher.
He is the author of several books including, "The Joy of Phonetics and Accents", "Shakespeare's Names: A New Pronouncing Dictionary", "Bringing Speech to Life" (with Claudia Anderson), and "How to Speak Shakespeare" (with Cal Pritner).
He recently served as dialect coach for the Amazon Prime series Red Oaks and the Santa Fe Opera production of Mozart's The Impresario directed by Michael Gieleta, Off-Broadway production of Eve Ensler's play Emotional Creature, directed by Jo Bonney, the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of June Moon directed by Jessica Stone and the LAByrinth Theater Company production of The Little Flower of East Orange, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was dialect coach to Bill Murray for the films Hyde Park on Hudson and St. Vincent, Don Cheadle for the film Miles Ahead, Anna Gunn for the film Little Red Wagon, Richard Schiff for the McCarter Theatre's Talley's Folly, under the supervision of Lanford Wilson, and America Ferrera (prep) for the film Chavez. He was vocal coach to Will Ferrell for the Broadway and HBO productions of You're Welcome America.
Louis Colaianni's father, James F. Colaianni, was an author, theologian and activist who wrote "Married Priests and Married Nuns" and "The Catholic Left", and was editor of "Ramparts".


Louie Spence

Louie Spence (born 6 April 1969) is an English dancer, choreographer and television personality, best known for the TV show "Pineapple Dance Studios". He was a professional dancer in his youth, performing in West End musicals including "Miss Saigon", "Cats", and "Closer to Heaven". "Pineapple Dance Studios" was sold around the world and has aired on the US network Ovation since 28 September 2014.
Early life and education.
Spence was born in Ponders End, Enfield in the north of Greater London and grew up in Braintree, Essex. He attended Notley High School before moving on to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.
Career.
Dance.
Spence performed in the West End as part of the award-winning original cast of "Miss Saigon". He went on to star in "Cats" and "Closer to Heaven", and performed with a number of pop acts including the Spice Girls, Take That and Björk.
Television.
From 2004 to 2006, Spence was a judge and mentor on Trouble TV's "Bump'n'Grind". Shortly after, Spence became a judge on the television series "Cirque de Celebrité" on Sky1 from 2006 to 2007 and the American version "Celebrity Circus" for NBC in 2008. In 2009, Spence was artistic director of the Covent Garden Pineapple Dance Studios when he appeared on a docu-soap "Pineapple Dance Studios" beginning 14 February 2010 which was a huge hit. However, after initially indicating that a second series would be produced, Sky1 reverted this decision, due to failing to come to terms with studio owner Debbie Moore. Spence was then given his own Sky1 series, "Louie Spence's Showbusiness" in 2011; however, with the loss of the brand name, the show failed to take off and was cancelled after one series.
In 2011, Spence shot his own TV show in New York City for the OWN network owned by Oprah Winfrey which never aired. On 3 December 2011, it was announced Spence would become a new judge on the ITV show "Dancing on Ice" with Robin Cousins, Katarina Witt and Karen Barber.
On 22 August 2013, Spence entered the "Celebrity Big Brother" house to participate in the twelfth series. On the first day, he was chosen to be a 'Cult celebrity' meaning he had the power to nominate housemates for the first eviction. Throughout his time in the house, Spence survived three evictions, however he was evicted two days before the final.
Beginning on 1 February 2015, Spence took part in the second series of reality programme "The Jump" and was eliminated on Day 2.
In August 2018, Spence took part in "Celebs on the Farm", and was eliminated on day 9.
Autobiography.
On 29 September 2011, Spence released his autobiography, "Still Got It, Never Lost It!", which was published by HarperCollins.


Thane Bettany

Thane William Howard Hardcastle Christopher Bettany (28 May 1929 – 7 November 2015) was an English actor and dancer. He is the father of film actor Paul Bettany.
Early years.
Thane Bettany was born in Sarawak, an independent state on the island of Borneo, which was then a British protectorate governed by the White Rajahs. Thane grew up with an elder brother, named Peter Bettany. His godmother was the American memoirist Agnes Newton Keith, author of "Three Came Home".
The Bettanys knew the Rhys-Jones family, also British expats in Sarawak. In 1965, when both had been widowed, Howard John Bettany, Thane's father, married Margaret Rhys-Jones ("née" Molesworth; a descendant of Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth). The same year, further intermingling the families, Thane Bettany stood godfather to his new stepbrother's daughter, Sophie. In 1999 he was summoned by royal command to attend her wedding to Prince Edward, when she became Countess of Wessex.
Dancing career.
Bettany had become enamoured with ballet after seeing a performance as a child. Once he left school he took the money given to him by his father to go to engineering school to study ballet. After National Service, when he served in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a mechanic, he entered Sadler's Wells Ballet School (which later became the Royal Ballet School). He began dancing in musical theatre, but after an accident on stage when he broke his back he had to give up professional dance. Acting was an obvious career move, but he had a stammer. He went to study mime in Paris with Charles Antonetti, who helped him manage his stammer. Bettany returned to England and joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, which would later become the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played Osric to Sir Michael Redgrave's "Hamlet". In "The Tempest", he was the understudy for the role of Ferdinand; he then took over the part when the play transferred to Drury Lane with Sir John Gielgud.
Personal life.
After a few years with the New Zealand Players, he returned home and taught at Corona Stage School, where he met Anne Kettle, whom he would later marry. He moved on to Norway as the Artistic Director of the English Theatre Company there, inviting Kettle over as his stage manager. Back in England they renewed their friendship at the Lincoln Theatre Royale. They married and settled in North London, and although stage work continued to be his focus, when his children were born he looked for other work to be closer to home. He continued to act, mainly in television; during this period he was cast in one of his most famous roles, as Tarak on "Doctor Who".
The couple had three children: daughter Sarah, elder son Paul and younger son Matthew. Sarah and Paul initially attended school in North London. When Sarah, Paul and Matthew were 11, 9 and 2 years old, respectively, their father obtained employment as a drama teacher at the Hertfordshire all-girls boarding school, Queenswood School; the family lived on campus.
Matthew Bettany died after a fall at Queenswood when he was eight. Soon after, Paul Bettany left home to live on his own in London. Thane and Anne Bettany divorced in 1993 after 25 years of marriage. Thane Bettany lived in Fife, Scotland with his partner, Andy, continuing to work regularly as an actor, including performing with Dundee Rep until his death circa November 2015. According to Paul Bettany, following the death of Andy after a twenty-year relationship, Thane Bettany "went back into the closet" out of difficulties with grief and with reconciling his sexuality and Catholicism, fearing "not being able to get into Heaven".


Monoceros (album)

Monoceros is an album of solo soprano saxophone improvisations by British jazz saxophonist Evan Parker. It was recorded directly to disk using the direct-cut technique, with assistance from Numar Lubin, Gerald Reynolds and Michael Reynolds of Nimbus Records.
It was initially released on Evan Parker and Derek Bailey's Incus Records label in 1978, and later reissued on CD by the Chronoscope label.


The Ebony Tower

The Ebony Tower (1974) by John Fowles is a collection of five novellas and short stories with interlacing themes, each built around a medieval myth: "The Ebony Tower," "Eliduc", "Poor Koko", "The Enigma" and "The Cloud".
Plot synopses.
"The Ebony Tower".
Henry Breasley is an elderly painter whose secluded retirement is invaded by a brash young artist commissioned to write a biographical study of the great man. Breasley shares his home with two young English girls, both former art students, Diana and Anne. In this strange ménage, David is left in no doubt about his host's views on modern abstract art. However, he is puzzled by the old man's relationship with the girls, especially when he himself is attracted to Diana.
"Eliduc".
Eliduc, the shortest tale in the book, is a translation of a Breton lai by Marie de France, in which a hero goes into exile in England, leaving his wife behind. While in exile, he falls for the daughter of a local king. The story is deliberately placed after "The Ebony Tower" as a clear parallel of and influence on the title story.
"Poor Koko".
An elderly writer has borrowed a country cottage from friends in London. On the first night of his stay, the house is burgled. "Poor Koko" tells of his encounter with the burglar.
"The Enigma".
John Fielding, British Member of Parliament, disappears without trace. Was foul play involved, or did he fake his own disappearance? The case presents few clues for the police officer in charge.
"The Cloud".
A seemingly idyllic picnic in the south of France for a group of English family and friends hides deeper, troubled undercurrents.
Television adaptations.
The Ebony Tower (1984).
The Ebony Tower is a 1984 television film adaptation of the novelette by John Fowles. Directed by Robert Knights it stars Laurence Olivier in the role of the elderly painter.
The film was released on VHS during the 1990s. It has been released on DVD format and is included on the Laurence Olivier Presents Collection and The Laurence Olivier Centenary Collection.
The Enigma (1980).
The Enigma is a 1980 television adaptation of the novelette by John Fowles, produced as part of BBC2's playhouse series. It was also directed by Robert Knights.


The Movies That Made Us

The Movies That Made Us is an American documentary streaming television series created by Brian Volk-Weiss, and a spin off to "The Toys That Made Us". The four episode debut season of the new series is dedicated to popular movies from the 1980s and 1990s, and tell the stories behind them.
The first four episodes of the series began streaming on Netflix on November 29, 2019. A second season, which featured all holiday movies, premiered on December 1, 2020 and only consisted of two episodes.
Release.
"The Movies That Made Us" was released on November 29, 2019, on Netflix. "The Holiday Movies That Made Us" was released on December 1, 2020


What a dump!


LGBT music

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) music is music that focuses on the experiences of gender and sexual minorities as a product of the broad gay liberation movement.
LGBT music spans the entire spectrum of popular music. Lyricism and song content typically express the frustration, anxiety, and hope associated with non-normative sexual and gender identities, offering marginalized groups a vital platform for expression. Recently, popular music has "provided an arena where marginalized voices can be heard and sexual identities shaped, challenged, and renegotiated." Mainstream music has begun to reflect acceptance of LGBT and queer musicianship.
Some queer icons are openly queer identifying and have made impactful changes in the world for LGBT people. Others are straight allies that have expressed their support for the community.
History.
In the 1890s, New Orleans began testing different prostitution policies which led to brothels and gay musicians like Tony Jackson or Bessie Smith. Jazz was born from many homosexual artists. As it flourished, blues performers like Lucille Bogan and Ma Rainey began singing about their sexual adventures with other women. Soon after jazz took off, Broadway shows and musical audiences began to take shape as well.
Despite progress in LGBT tolerance and acceptance, musicians still remain marginalized in popular music. American composer Leonard Bernstein had many homosexual relations, often with other musicians and composers, despite being in a heterosexual marriage. Many artists like Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, Dimitri Mitropoulos were subject to hiding their sexual identities from the public. American pianist Liberace was famously closeted and vehemently denied allegations of homosexuality until his death in 1987, suing a "Daily Mirror" columnist for insinuating his sexuality. While the entertainment industry now more openly discusses the role of gender identity both in the press and within music compositions, there is still reticence for many in the business to advocate for LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Notwithstanding currents of intolerance in the United States, Broadway continues to provide a platform for gender and sexual minorities, culminating to the production of lauded musicals like "Kinky Boots", "Hair" and "The Color Purple".
LGBT artists.
While popular music has always included LGBT artists, the increasing social tolerance of the late 20th and early 21st centuries allowed such artists to come out publicly. Early examples of this arose with the sexual liberation movement, with artists such as Elton John, Village People, Sylvester, Tom Robinson, Jill Sobule, Indigo Girls, k.d. lang, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Little Richard, Esquerita, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Ian, The B-52's, Cher, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Lou Reed, and Marc Almond, among others.
Many openly LGBT musicians have become successful, such as Elton John, who has the best-selling single in Billboard of the 1990s ("Candle in the Wind 1997"), and Will Young, whose single "Anything is Possible"/"Evergreen" was the best-selling single of the decade in the 2000s. Country singer Ty Herndon came out as gay in 2014, after three number one hits on Billboard Hot Country Songs.
1970s.
In the 1970s, the disco, glam rock and industrial music cultures offered a multitude of platforms for expression for gender and sexual non-conforming individuals.
1980s.
The 1980s saw increased exposure to LGBT culture, namely genderbending and cross-dressing, in the music industry with artists such as Culture Club, George Michael, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Melissa Etheridge, Pet Shop Boys, Dead or Alive, and Erasure.
Music videos began to allude to LGBT relationships, including Bronski Beat's video for "Smalltown Boy", The Pet Shop Boy's "Domino Dancing", and Madonna's "Vogue".
Gay icons during this decade included Cyndi Lauper, Loleatta Holloway, Gloria Gaynor, Bob Mould, and Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford.
Also popular with the LGBT community was post-disco dance music such as Italo disco, house music, Hi-NRG, and freestyle. During the 1980s this music became more prevalent in the United States and LGBT artists gained prominence. DJ Larry Levan started his DJ career at the gay disco Paradise Garage.
1990s.
An increase in pro-LGBT laws and artists condemning homophobia in their music populated much of the 1990s. Groups such as Placebo, Alcazar, Right Said Fred, Mana and more joined the ranks of allies and LGBT musicians. Bands such as Pansy Division and Tribe 8 led the queercore offshoot of hardcore punk that helped solidify LGBT arts in the decade. Robby Reverb, member of gay punk band mOral SeX recorded rock and country music as well, including "Accept It", written by gay poet Drew Blood.
2000s and onward.
The 2000s saw LGBT music branch off into its own genre, and new artists like Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Will Young, Scissor Sisters, The Gossip, RuPaul, Mika, Dario, Adam Lambert, Lauren Jauregui, Sakima, Dawnstar, Years & Years, Neon Trees, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Troye Sivan supported a growing industry, spreading the message of equality and positivity.
Country singer Chely Wright faced death threats and declining record sales after coming out in 2010. She made "Wish Me Away", a documentary about her experience and it won several major awards in 2012 including trophies from the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Seattle LGBT Festival and the Tallgrass Film Festival. In 2012, Against Me! singer and guitarist came out as a trans woman and changed her name to Laura Jane Grace. Openly gay artists such as Tegan and Sara gained popularity; the duo produced a pro-tolerance advert jingle for Oreo in 2014.
Some popular LGBT artists and bands today are 2020k, thraeyce, Girl in Red, Dodie, Cavetown, Otep, Kehlani, Hayley Kiyoko, Panic! At The Disco, King Princess, Pabllo Vittar, Mary Lambert, Halsey, MUNA, Kevin Abstract (Brockhampton), Sam Smith, Le1f, Azealia Banks, Baby Tap, Lauren Jauregui, Sia, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Electrosexual, Perfume Genius, Courtney Barnett, Troye Sivan, Clairo, Calum Scott, Greyson Chance, Kim Petras, Angel Haze, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Against Me!, SOPHIE, Rostam, Tom Goss, Shura, Superfruit, Years and Years, Gravity Noir, PVRIS, Jess Young, Seeva, Ddendyl Hoyt, Frank Ocean, ILoveMakonnen, Janelle Monáe, Jojo Siwa, Billy Gilman, Syd, Ladyhawke, Melanie Martinez, Ben Platt, and Mykki Blanco. Prominent electronic music artist and synthesist for the band LCD Soundsystem, Rayna Russom came out publicly as a transgender woman in July 2017.
LGBT oriented music.
One of the earliest US top 40 singles to feature a positive depiction of the LGBT community was bisexual rocker Lou Reed's 1972 song "Walk on the Wild Side", which detailed the lives of gay, bi, and trans members of Andy Warhol's social circle.
In the past, music videos had been used as a way to depict LGBT relationships, even when the lyrics of the music didn't explicitly discuss them, as in Madonna's music video for her song "Vogue""." They have since been used to express artists' sexuality. In 2016, FLETCHER's music video for her song "Wasted Youth" presents herself with a female love interest. In April 2018, Janelle Monáe came out as pansexual with her album Dirty Computer, and released the song "Make Me Feel"; the music video detailing a woman's attraction to two club goers. LGBT relationships have also been depicted in the music videos of straight musicians, further solidifying their positions as queer allies. Carly Rae Jepsen's music video for "Call Me Maybe" features gay male characters.
The lyrics of songs have also been used by LGBT artists as a tool to express their identification. Frank Ocean's 2012 album Channel Orange has romantic songs that use male pronouns when describing his love interest. Hayley Kiyoko, nicknamed "Lesbian Jesus" by her fans, made her sexual orientation clear to the public with the release of her 2015 song "Girls Like Girls". In 2017, YouTuber and singer-songwriter Dodie Clark released her song "I'm Bisexual - A Coming Out Song" to announce to her fan base that she was bi.
Straight and cisgender allies have also produced LGBT-oriented music. Country artist Phil Vassar released the song "Bobbi with an I" in 2009, which uses a humorous narrative to encourage acceptance of transgender individuals. Singer-songwriter Hozier released the song "Take Me to Church", whose music video partially focused on religion-based homophobia. "1-800-273-8255", a song performed by Logic and Alessia Cara, dealt with homophobia and the pain that it results in. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis teamed up with Mary Lambert to make "Same Love", a song about same sex marriage that focused on the message that love conquers all. The music video for Avicii's single "Silhouettes" depicts a person undergoing sex reassignment surgery.
Some straight artists have been criticized by LGBT artists for their depiction of LGBT relationships. Katy Perry's 2008 song "I Kissed a Girl" and Rita Ora's 2018 song "Girls" both explore female same-sex relationships, but have been accused of being "tone-deaf" to the needs of the LGBT community.
Lady Gaga's 2011 song "Born This Way" has been called a gay anthem for its message of self-love. Singer and actor Christian Chavez used his song "Libertad" to make a stance for gay rights and sexual freedom. Troye Sivan's music has been highly acclaimed for its authentic feel of gay millennial music experimenting with chill pop and activism such as "HEAVEN", "Bloom", and "My My My!".
Jess Young brings her pansexuality into her music. Her debut single "Champagne & Caviar" is all about that. The second verse was originally written "the only fire's in her darkness, the way it flickers when she goes down on me", and now it's "he" because her girlfriend at the time liked to be referred to in the male-pronoun, and had been dating a guy when she re-recorded.
OUTMusic Awards.
Since 2001, the American OUTMusic Awards program has functioned as an annual LGBT awards ceremony that mirrors the Grammys. OUTMusic Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, was re-founded as the LGBT Academy of Recording Arts by Diedra Meredith in 2007. The awards are to recognize some of the LGBT artists who have made significant contributions to the music industry.


List of Internet phenomena in China

This is a list of phenomena specific to the Internet within China.


Comet Over Broadway

Comet over Broadway (1938) is an American film starring Kay Francis and released by Warner Brothers. John Farrow stepped in as director when Busby Berkeley became ill, but Farrow was uncredited on the film.
Plot.
Eve Appleton (Francis), wife of small-town garage owner Bill Appleton (Litel), has theatrical ambitions. Bill gets into an argument with a visiting actor over her, kills him accidentally, and is sent to prison. Eve, realizing her part in Bill's fate, vows to right matters, and taking her baby daughter, goes away to make her way in the theatre.
Later, Eve is forced to leave her baby girl with her friend Mrs. "Tim" Adams (Gombell). Bert Ballin (Hunter) befriends her and they fall in love, but she moves abroad and becomes a star. Back in America, as the "Toast of Broadway", she is brought back to a realization of her former vows by Joe Grant (Crisp), her hometown lawyer.
Production.
Bette Davis.
Warners originally announced the project in May 1937 as a vehicle for Kay Francis based on a story by Faith Baldwin.
In February 1938 the role was assigned to Bette Davis, who had just been in "Jezebel". She was pulled off "All Right's Reserved" (which became "Four's a Crowd") so she could take six weeks holiday. William Keighley as assigned to direct. George Brent and Donald Crisp who had both been in "Jezebel" were assigned to the cast. Kay Francis went into "My Bill" (1938) directed by John Farrow.
Ian Keith, Walter Abel (borrowed from RKO), and Ronald Reagan were set to co star and the film was meant to start shooting in early April 1938.
But Davis was unhappy with the film. "This was the first nothing script I was given since my court battle in England", Davis later recalled, referring to the lawsuit in which she tried to win her freedom from Warner Bros. after being forced to appear in a series of mediocre films. "It was heartbreaking to me. After winning a second Academy Award . . . I was asked to appear again in junk."
Conferences were held to see if the script could be altered to her satisfaction. On March 30, with the film to start on Monday, Davis refused to make the movie claiming it was not up to the standard set by "Jezebel".
Warners sent the script to Irene Dunne to see if she would do it. Warners pulled Davis out of her new project "We Are Not Alone".
On April 1st, Warners put Davis on suspension. She claimed she was ill but would have made the effort to appear in a film if it had been more than a "routine Cinderella yarn... Had it been "The Life of Sarah Bernhardt" or "Maximillian and Carlotta", both of which have been scheduled for me, I would have attempted to go to the studio, but I did not feel justified in jeopardizing my health on behalf of such an atrocious script." Keighley was assigned to another movie.
The same week, Dick Powell was suspended by Warners for refusing a part in "Garden of the Moon".
Warners lodged a complaint against Davis with the Screen Actors Guild, who said they needed time to investigate the matter properly.
Davis opted to go on suspension and remained on suspension when the studio offered her "Garden of the Moon", a Busby Berkeley musical, instead. "I was on suspension for a good part of the year following "Jezebel". So much wasted time at a time when I felt my career could from then on become a truly successful one . . . It took a lot of courage to go on suspension. One received "no" salary . . . I couldn't afford it, nor could I afford, career-wise, to make films such as "Comet Over Broadway" and "Garden of the Moon"!"
By the end of April, Davis and Hal Wallis, head of production at Warners, agreed on a truce and Davis' next film for Warners would be "The Sisters" (1938).
Miriam Hopkins was cast in the lead.
A week later she dropped out to do another film and the lead role was given to the original star, Kay Francis. Busby Berkeley was assigned to direct.
Shooting.
Filming started July 1938.
The film's title was changed during production to "Curtain Call" then was changed back to "Comet Over Broadway".


Inception/Nostalgia

Inception/Nostalgia is a 1970 compilation album of previously unreleased songs recorded by the Bee Gees in 1966. This double album contains a mixture of both self-penned songs and covers. The first LP in the set is titled "Inception" while the second LP is titled "Nostalgia", hence the album title. Supposedly intended as a follow-up to the three volumes of "Rare, Precious and Beautiful" this set was first issued by Karussell in Germany and by Triumph in France, both being Polydor budget labels and therefore linked to their licensing deal with Festival Records. The Gibb brothers were unaware of its release until Maurice saw one during a skiing holiday in Switzerland. It did not remain in print for long but it was released by Polydor in Japan in 1972 as "Inception and Nostalgia" and a number of single disc releases with a varying selection of these songs appeared on a number of compilations across the world over the next few years.
Background.
The original songs, those written by one or more Gibb brother, were all written and recorded during or shortly after the recording of what made up the "Spicks and Specks" album at Ossie Byrne's recording studio in Hurstville. Those twelve songs could have made up the contents of a subsequent Bee Gees album, but were ultimately turned over as demos for other artists to record, among them Ronnie Burns who promptly used eight of their songs for his 1967 album "Ronnie", including "All the King's Horses" of which the Bee Gees version remains unreleased.
"Lonely Winter" was part of a deal with the band Steve & the Board to each record a song written by a member of the other band, Barry Gibb in turn supplied them with "Little Miss Rhythm & Blues". The brothers also took time to record a number of covers of songs by The Beatles as well as the Lovin' Spoonful, but for what purpose is unknown. Two additional songs from this batch, the Walker Brothers' "Another Tear Falls" and The Beatles' "If I Needed Someone", still remain unreleased.
At some point during their recording sessions the brothers found some orchestral backing tracks to which they added lead vocals with no intention of releasing them.
CD release.
Although no official reissue of this album has been made available on CD ten of the tracks were included on "Birth of Brilliance" issued by Festival Records in 1994, itself being a reissue of the 1978 double LP on the Infinity label. It was superseded in 1998 by another Festival compilation with the confusingly similar title of "Brilliant from Birth" which included 63 of their Australian recordings, including all of the songs from "Inception/Nostalgia". The song writing credits on the "Brilliant from Birth" set has some inaccuracies as does the liner notes.


Think (IBM)

"THINK" is a slogan associated with the American multinational technology company IBM.
History.
The "THINK" slogan was first used by Thomas J. Watson in December 1911, while managing the sales and advertising departments at the National Cash Register Company. At an uninspiring sales meeting, Watson interrupted, saying "The trouble with every one of us is that we don't think enough. We don't get paid for working with our feet — we get paid for working with our heads". Watson then wrote THINK on the easel.
Asked later what he meant by the slogan, Watson replied, "By THINK I mean take everything into consideration. I refuse to make the sign more specific. If a man just sees THINK, he'll find out what I mean. We're not interested in a logic course."
In 1914, Watson brought the slogan with him to the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and its subsidiaries, all of which later became IBM. International Time Recording, one of the subsidiaries, published a magazine for employees and customers, named "Time", which, in 1935, IBM would rename to THINK. IBM continues to use the slogan. THINK is also an IBM trademark; IBM named its laptop computers ThinkPads and named a line of business-oriented desktop computers ThinkCentre.
Since 2018, IBM's main conference is called Think.
Parody.
The Apple slogan, "Think Different", has been widely taken as a response to IBM's THINK.


Bertram Ross

Bertram Ross (November 14, 1920 – April 20, 2003) was an American dancer best known for his work with the Martha Graham Dance Company, with which he performed for two decades. He was Martha Graham’s longtime dance partner and the originator of male roles in most of her major ballets from the 1950s and 1960s, including Adam in Embattled Garden, and both Agamemnon and Orestes in Clytemnestra. After leaving Graham's company, Ross taught, choreographed and formed his own dance company. In later life, he toured in a cabaret duo with his real life partner, the composer and pianist John Wallowitch.
Early life.
Ross was born Bertram Ross Prensky in Brooklyn, New York. He was introduced to the performing arts at an early age. At the urging of his mother, he studied piano, but initially was more interested in painting. He attended Oberlin College, then spent World War II as a mapmaker for the Army. In 1947, he returned to New York to continue painting studies at the Art Students League. Shortly thereafter, he discovered Martha Graham.
Dance career.
Ross began taking classes at Martha Graham's School under the GI Bill. When he received a scholarship from Connecticut College he took dance classes there as the first male student, then toured briefly with the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Dance Trio.
In 1949, Graham invited Ross to join her company. In 1953, he first partnered her as Oedipus, to her Jocasta, in the ballet "Night Journey". Merce Cunningham had left the troupe in 1951, so she needed replacements for some of his roles. Graham was 59 years of age at the time, Ross, 33. Ross' superb technique, powerful, dignified stage presence, and craggy good looks, also garnered him lead parts in many of Graham's new choreographic works. Among these were Adam in "Embattled Garden", St. Michael in "Seraphic Dialogue", Agamemnon and Orestes in "Clytemnestra" and Brother Sun in "Canticle For Innocent Comedians". In total, Ross originated 35 roles in the repertory.
Critics described some of his characters in Graham's psychosexual dramas as "colorful and even lurid." The dancer himself is quoted as saying, "Every night and twice on matinee days I was beaten, beheaded, blinded and castrated - and it was wonderful! I never missed a performance."
A few of the performances are documented:
"Appalachian Spring" (1958) - Graham's "Appalachian Spring" was filmed for television and presented by WQED Pittsburgh. The cast includes Graham as The Bride, Ross as The Revivalist, Stuart Hodes as The Husbandman, Matt Turney as the Pioneer Woman, and Yuriko, Helen McGehee, Ethel Winter, Miriam Cole as The Revivalist's Flock. The piece features an original score by Aaron Copland.
"A Dancer's World" (1957 TV movie documentary) - Another documentary filmed and initially aired by WQED. Designed as an introduction to Graham's work and narrated by the choreographer, the film shows the company in the studio demonstrating various aspects of her creative approach and technique.
"Martha Graham: An American Original in Performance" (1957 documentary) - The 90-minute film includes three historic performances, "A Dancer's World", "Appalachian Spring" and "Night Journey", the legend of Oedipus with Ross in the starring role.
"Night Journey" (1960 documentary short) - The black and white film by Austrian director Alexander Hammid was released as part of a monograph, "Films on Ballet and Modern Dance: Notes and a Directory", published by the American Dance Guild.
"Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed", "American Masters" (1994 TV Series documentary) - The documentary chronicles Graham's life and work. Ross and former company members, among others, provide commentary.
In 1966, when Martha Graham fell ill, Ross was named co-director of the company, first with Robert Cohan, then with Mary Hinkson, both veteran Graham dancers. Ross and Hinkson kept both the troupe and school operating during Graham's absence. Both resigned when she returned with a new director, non-dancer Ronald Protas. Ross left the company in 1973, reportedly due to artistic differences with Protas.
After Graham.
After leaving the Martha Graham Dance Company, Ross performed as a guest artist with other dance companies, taught Graham technique and choreographed. Ross held classes at Juilliard, New York University and the Mary Anthony Studio. During the 1970s and 1980s, he toured with his own troupe, Bertram Ross Dance Company, for which he created dances such as "Totem" and "Vanya: Three Pastels". Ross also staged solo dance-theater projects, including "Noah" and "Raymond Duncan", a portrait of Isadora Duncan's brother. After Graham’s death, he re-created several of her pieces for the Graham company.
He also took on a few acting roles. In 1961, he appeared as the character Haman in an episode titled "Esther" on the "Lamp Unto My Feet" TV series. In 1962, he performed in one episode, "Splendour in the Rice", on the Canadian comedy series "The Wayne and Shuster Hour". In the Amy Greenfield film "Antigone/Rites of Passion", he performed the dual roles of Oedipus and Creon.
In 1973, he made his debut as a singer, when he jokingly performed with Wallowitch at the 10th anniversary of The Ballroom. Ross sang a comic Irving Berlin number "Cohen Owes Me $97", which he intoned in the thick Yiddish accent for which Berlin had written it. Audience response was so overwhelming, the club's owner suggested the pair form a duo.
In 1984, Ross and Wallowitch began performing the two-man cabaret act, which included lesser-known songs by Rodgers and Hart, Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen, combined with Wallowitch's musical parodies. They launched the routine at The Ballroom, then took it on the road across the U.S. and to London, where they appeared at Pizza on the Park, the venerable (now-closed) jazz venue. Not long before Ross' death, November 2002, the pair appeared at Danny's Skylight Room in Manhattan.
Filmmaker Richard Morris captured the couple's 30+ year personal and professional union for the 1999 film "". A CD of their cabaret act "Wallowitch and Ross" (Miranda Music) was released in 2003 to accompany the film. In 2016, "Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment" was entered into the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences film archive for permanent preservation.
Personal life.
Ross made no secret of his homosexuality. He met Wallowitch through mutual friends in the arts community; both were already familiar with each other's work. They lived together for more than 35 years. Ross died from pneumonia on April 20, 2003. He had also suffered from Parkinson's disease in later years. Ross is buried beside Wallowitch, who died in 2007, at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.


Voodoo economics


Bet on Black

Bet on Black, occasionally referred to as "Snail Race", is an advertising campaign run in 2000 by Diageo to promote Guinness-brand stout in the United Kingdom. The piece, directed by Frank Budgen, follows a snail race taking place in a town of Latin American appearance. It is the third piece of the Good things come to those who wait campaign launched by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in 1996, following on from "Swimblack" (1998) and "Surfer" (1999). The music in the advertisement is "Barbarabateri" by Beny More with Pérez Prado and his orchestra. Prado's music has also been in used in previous Guinness advertisements such as the successful "Anticipation" and "Swimblack".
Whilst the previous advertisement in the campaign, "Surfer", was a success, "Bet on Black" saw a return to the style of the campaign's inaugural advertisement, "Swimblack", featuring a championed sports race and music by Pérez Prado. Conversely, the following advertisement in the campaign, "Dreamer", was a return to "Surfer"'s black and white filmography. The four advertisements formed the first part of the campaign which was put on hold for several years afterwards.
Coinciding with the launch of the advertisement was the "Guinness Gastropod Championship", a snail race held in an Irish pub in London in December 1999, this race being recognized as the first competitive live snail race to be held in London.
The advertisement was awarded with the Silver Lion at the annual Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, and won silver at the British Television Advertising Awards. In November 2009, "The Independent" named the advertisement, alongside several other advertisements in the campaign, amongst the "greatest advertising of all time".
The 2001 compilation album "Off Your Box", which features music from various worldwide advertisements, features a screenshot from the end of the advertisement on its album cover, whilst "Barbarabateri" features on the album.
The advertisement was parodied several years later by Guinness as part of their Summer campaign for their Extra Cold variant.
Plot.
The sequence opens with shots of various people, as well as some brief shots of transportation. People are then seen setting up a snail race course. The snail race itself brings a large crowd of people, with shots of them betting on various snails in the race. After the snails have been set up, the announcer announces the start of the race and shoots the trigger. The mood changes following this with the music stopping and people looking at disappointment in the snails, who are not moving. After 14 seconds however, the snails begin the race, comically moving very fast (akin to the speed of a slot car) with the music and cheer returning. People follow the race from the building it begins in down various roads. The winner of the race, according to the title of the advert, is Black. After its owner is shown celebrating with others with a pint of Guinness, Black is shown in a used, tipped over Guinness pint glass whilst the slogan appears.
The advertisement was filmed in Cuba, and is said to have first aired on British television in 2000, although it is also believed to have first aired on 2 December 1999.
The advert originally ran for ninety seconds. A shorter, forty second edit of the advert, beginning with the shot being fired to start the race, began to air after a while.
Parody.
Serving as advertisements for Guinness' Summer 2004 and 2005 Extra Cold campaign, ten-second parodies of many famous Guinness advertisements were created which turn elements from the original advertisements affected by 'extra cold' environments. One such example, "Snail", features a snail from the race, presumably Black, shivering at the start of the race and sneezing, pushing itself back. The tagline at the end reads "Guinness but Extra Cold". "Snail" was created by two London-based agencies, Exposure Films and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.


Charlotte Vincent

Charlotte Vincent is a British choreographer and the artistic director of Vincent Dance Theatre.
Vincent founded the Vincent Dance Theatre in Sheffield in 1994. It is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation for 2018–22, allocated grants of £249,999 in each of the four years, and is an Associate Company of Brighton Dome.
In an "Observer" review of the company's 21st-anniversary residency at Shoreditch Town Hall in 2015, Luke Jennings said: "Funny, fearless and flintily determined, Vincent inspires unshakable loyalty in her dancers, and is one of the most important feminist artists working in Britain today. Contemporary dance fans should beat a path to her door."
In 2019 Vincent created her first installation piece, "Virgin Territory" a "multi-screen dance film installation" which "asks vital questions about responsibility as we witness children playing in an adult online world", in the Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne.


Arizona Sun Corridor

The Arizona Sun Corridor, shortened Sun Corridor, is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Sun Corridor is comparable to Indiana in both size and population. It is one of the fastest growing conurbations in the country and is speculated to double its population by 2040. The largest metropolitan areas are the Phoenix metropolitan area - Valley of the Sun - and the Tucson metropolitan area. The regions' populace is nestled in the valley of a desert environment. Similar to Southern California, the urban area extends into Mexico, reaching the communities of Nogales and Agua Prieta.
Its population is composed of five metropolitan areas: Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Sierra Vista-Douglas and Nogales. Out of these, two are metropolitan areas with over 1,000,000 residents: the Phoenix metropolitan area with 4,192,887 residents and the Tucson metropolitan area with 1,020,200 residents. The Arizona Sun Corridor is made up of all of Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties, along with parts of Yavapai, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties. It is home to over 86 percent of Arizona's population.
Most of the Arizona Sun Corridor is in the Sonoran Desert; to the south of the region is the border between the United States and Mexico, and to the east is the Arizona transition zone and the Mountains of Arizona. The Southern California Megaregion is to west and is the nearest other Megaregion to the Arizona Sun Corridor.
Extent.
The Arizona Sun Corridor lies in the American Southwest, about halfway between the Southern California and Front Range Megaregions. It is shown on the map in deep blue.
Below is a table listing all communities of the Arizona Sun Corridor with a population of at least 10,000 residents.
Transportation.
Road.
Intercity in the region is provided by the I-8, I-10, I-17, and I-19 freeways, as well as US 60, SR 87, SR 90, and SR 77, among other surface highways.
Phoenix area arterials are set up in a grid pattern, which helps simplify transportation within the region. Tucson's streets have a similar system.
Rail.
Amtrak's Sunset Limited operates three times a week, connecting Maricopa, Arizona and Tucson. There is no other intercity rail in the region; however a high-speed rail corridor is also being studied between Phoenix and Tucson.
Intracity rail systems include the Valley Metro Rail, which operates within the Phoenix metropolitan area, connecting Uptown and Downtown Phoenix with Tempe and Mesa, and Tucson's Sun Link streetcar system, which links Downtown Tucson and the Mercado district to the University of Arizona.
Air.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Tucson International Airport provide air transportation to the region, from both within the country and from a few foreign countries, among other smaller airports, which focus on regional air traffic from nearby. Recently, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, previously being a military base, has also become an option for low-cost carriers to fly into the Phoenix area as well.
US Airways, now owned by Fort Worth company American Airlines, was once headquartered and based in Tempe, which is in the Phoenix Valley. However, American Airlines maintains a strong presence in the state due to the history with US Airways.


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