Yes, it's dark. And, yes, its view of Christian religion in a Humanist-Secularist societal environment dominated by Sweden's Lutheran Church under state-political forces (it was then the country's established church) is one of despair and disgust. But it's a strong viewing experience if you can tolerate the English subtitles and a pervasively bleak vision. The film is set in Sweden's middle ages.
Toronto Star (Aug6,2k10) by reporter Noor Javed and photo by Carlos Osorio.
Across the city, thousands like Ross, are realizing that the scourge of bedbugs is not limited to social housing, crowded shelters, or low-income dwellings. Bedbugs are quickly becoming everyone’s problem. Pest-control companies in the GTA say they receive four to five calls a week from mortified residents in swanky neighbourhoods, owners of upscale condos and helpless tenants in rental apartments struggling to cope with infestations. And in recent months, hospitals such as William Osler Health Centre in Etobicoke, the Toronto Public Library, and retail stores have joined the list of those battling infestations — which suggests that, despite the best efforts of public health officials, pest-control companies and the afflicted, the city is on its way to a full-scale bedbug crisis.
Last week, in an act of desperation, city officials in New York City declared war on bedbugs, after reports of the pests dramatically increased. In 2009, the city received 33,772 bedbug-related inquires, up from 21,922 in 2008 — a jump of 54 percent. But it has been the growing evidence of the pests in every corner of society — in the changerooms of retail stores, fancy hotels, libraries and even as plot lines in NY-based sitcoms — that pushed city officials to announce a $500,000 initiative that includes the creation of a health department task force, improved tracking tools, protocols for the proper disposal of infested items, and requiring landlords to provide information on infested units to tenants.
In Toronto, infestation numbers are also rising. In 2003, Toronto Public Health had only 46 reports. In 2008, when TPH set up a self-reporting bedbug hotline, it received 1,324 calls. This year, the city has received 1,076 calls so far and expects hundreds more.
It's a hell of a situation here in Toronto the Good this season, and for as long as the gd bedbugs live.
1. the JaneDear girls “Wildflower”
2. Gary Allan “Get Off On The Pain”
3. Katie Armiger “Leaving Home”
4. LoCash Cowboys “Here Comes Summer”
5. Carrie Underwood “Undo It”
6. Randy Montana “Ain’t Much Left Of Lovin’ You”
7. Blake Shelton “All About Tonight”
8. Rodney Atkins “Farmer’s Daughter”
9. Miranda Lambert “The House That Built Me”
10. Little Big Town “Little White Church”
11. Kellie Pickler “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again”
12. Steve Azar “Sunshine (Everyone Needs A Little)”
13. Alan Jackson “Hard Hat And A Hammer”
14. Reba McEntire “I Keep On Lovin’ You”
15. Trace Adkins “This Ain’t No Love Song”
16. Toby Keith “Trailerhood”
17. Zac Brown Band “Free”
18. The Band Perry “If I Die Young”
19. Jerrod Niemann “Lover, Lover”
20. Billy Currington “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer”
Vanity Fair has just published it's annual survey of experts to pick "the most inportant piece of architecture built since 1980." Answer: Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,Spain.
German national coach Joachim Löw arrives home from the World Cup. The elegant style of his players has been put down to some of them being gay. Photograph: Jan Huebner/Bongarts/Getty Images
German football was engulfed in controversy today over remarks by the agent of a top footballer, who allegedly referred to a "bunch of gays" in the national team.
Michael Becker, who has been the agent of German national football captain Michael Ballack for more than a decade, is reported to have made the comment in the latest edition of the news magazine Der Spiegel.
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As the son of Turkish immigrants Mesut Ozil is typical of Germany's 'multiculti' football team. Photograph: John Macdougall/AFP
Yagiz Dogan is hankering after a pair of orange and silver trainers similar to those worn by German footballer Mesut Ozil. "I'm saving up for them, after all he's my hero," says the 15-year-old, who lives in a flat in the Berlin district of Neukölln with his Turkish parents and grandparents.
Yagiz has hung a German flag from the window, much to the confusion of his mother. "Of course I want Germany to win the World Cup," he says.
He also thinks it's fine that Ozil, the German-born son of Turkish immigrants, has chosen to play for Germany rather than Turkey.
"What should be strange about that? He was born here, brought up here, he speaks the language, understands the culture – just like me. I can identify with him."
The boy could be speaking for Ozil himself. But what's clear from talking to him is how natural it is for a whole generation of young Germans – known as "Generation M" or "multiculti" – that their national football team comes from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Not only is this German team the youngest it has been since 1934 – half the squad are 24 or under – it is also the most ethnically diverse it has ever been. No fewer than half of the players were either born outside Germany, are the sons of immigrants, or have one non-German parent. And what's more, says national coach Joachim Löw, "they have a strong sense of identification with the eagle on their breasts and with the nation as a whole".
The effect of such a radical transition cannot be overstated in a country that for years did not consider itself a land of immigration, and where foreigners brought in to fill the skills gap were deliberately called "guest workers" on the understanding, or hope, that they would go home.
The change has come about thanks to a 1999 revamp of citizenship laws. Half the current team's players would not have been allowed in just over a decade ago.
Some bloggers on far-right websites railed in anger following Germany's swashbuckling 4-0 defeat of Australia a fortnight ago, insisting that the team was now "no longer German". But the team has won over the hearts of most Germans, who are delighted by the verve and fearlessness the new generation has injected into the game.
Ozil, arguably the star of this current team, who scored the winning goal in Wednesday's match against Ghana, said that he sees his "Turkish side" coming out in his technique and feel for the ball, "and the give-it-your-all attitude to my game is the German part of me".
Steven Goff, Sports W+ter for Washington Post, gives the most absorbing account of the Final Match of the FIFA WorldCup today, the most followed sports event in world history, playing in several cities in South Africa over the course of the last month, and around the world daily. Goff, a seasoned sports w+ter, wr+ts the story of the last game of this year's World Cup of the Federation of Football (FIFA, in French), he wr+ts in the breathtaking old fashioned way when there were no full-colour moving pictures to help visualize the story, vizualization was restricted to still photos mass reproduced in newspapers.
You'll want to read Goff's slendid 2-pager, "Spain vs. Netherlands: Spain is World Cup winner after 1-10 victory over the Netherlands" (July 12,2k10).
... Meanwhile, I've stumbled on a CBC TV replay of the entire Final match between Nederland and Espana, as the billboards announce the score in the background. Not much of a score, tho these WorldCup games, so many 0-0 and 1-1 final scores. Well, so far this is an 0-0 game.
Weird, knowing the ultimate goal in a Spain win over Netherlands, yet being surprized by the level of expertize the players on both s+ds are exhibiting. .... I'm musing ... how does my perception of a goaltender in soccer, and a goalie in hockey. For one thing, an ice hockey goalie is encased in a suit of armor, replete with mask. In Lacross there seems nowadays to be as much protective gear as in hockey.
Netherlands vs. Spain .... O-0, 0-0, 0-0 ....
'Til the game's over ...
-- Sportikos, a fan of the sport of soccer, football, futbol ...
MarketWatch's Christopher Noble wr+ts up the event, "World Cup final: Spain defeats Holland 1-0 in overt+m."
U.S. players protest a referee's call during their match against Slovenia at the World Cup on June 18.
I confess (rather joyfully) to being one of those annoying, hardcore soccer fans who loves the World Cup whether or not the United States is still playing.
Don't worry, though. I'm not going to bore you with another paean to the poetics of the Beautiful Game. If you can't see them, or don't care to, that just means more room on the couch for me. Read more ...
European philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977) stitched the theme of fashion in the framework of our h+ly differentiated society today (I coud add "industrialized under advanced capitalism in the Anglo and North American societal zones)," stitched latterday fashion into the overall thematics of his philosoical discourse and its historical narratives.
The idea that a specialized much-visited webs+t coud exist on the Internet, while blending its editorial approach into the notion of the 24-hour newscycle so dominant in television, radio, and print media nowadays.
I thawt the Dr Who tradition of excellence was in full recovery, after a run of mediocre episodes and weak seasons. when I saw last n+t's finely-crafted episode on Bell's Skydish TV (via satellite, not cable).
refWrite refBloggers InsertChina, Iran and other states repressing freedom of info, blogging, online searching, bloggers, journalists, and free speech lawyers. North America info against blog abuse, blog impersonation, blog IDtheft, etc.
Our Backpage consists of alternating and occasional feature- columns, including our present line-up: Technotes, Semiote Analytics, Vis a VizArts, ArtTalk, Moviedom, TV or Not TV, Ire & Satire and HumorFeed (in the Sidebar).
Apple/Mac brand blog New: Slugging turns to negotiating in Apple vs Creative counter-suits regarding iPod patents. Question of USA imports of iPod-made-in- Communist- China raised by Creative re unfair labour practices.
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interview with Russ Weakley
