Australia

[Michaelangelica]

Listen To Live Radio through your Radio Oz Toolbar
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not sure why you would want to. The ABC is ok, Rock JJJ the rest is awful. Most comes out of the same half dozen studios.

[Michaelangelica]

Forget Australia the movie
This is what we should all be going to see
Is five stars from both Margaret and David unheard of?

Samson & Delilah

Rated MA

Review by Margaret Pomeranz

SAMSON & DELILAH is Warwick Thornton’s first feature film as writer/director after a number of successful short films and an impressive career as one of this country’s top cinematographers.

Despite its title it bears no resemblance to the biblical story. It’s about two kids, young teenagers in a community in the central desert. Samson, (ROWAN McNAMARA) is a petrol-sniffing layabout who would play music if only his brother would let him.

He fancies Delilah, (MARISSA GIBSON) who looks after her grandmother – played by her real life grandmother, MITJILI GIBSON – and helps her with her artworks.

Delilah is a very self-contained young woman. When her grandmother dies and the community blames Delilah, quite ferociously, she and Samson take off for Alice Springs where they live on the fringe, unable to get life together.

This is for me one of the most wonderful films this country has ever produced.
It is exquisitely made, it’s full of discipline. There’s not a spare moment in it.

The two young performers are mind-blowingly good. You enter into their world and you’re rivetted there for the fairly short duration of the film.

There is a European sensibility to it. There’s very little dialogue and there are long sequences, but with Thornton himself behind the camera – handheld in trying conditions – it looks fabulous.

But wait, there’s more...

The emotional punch that Samson and Delilah delivers is one of those rare things in cinema which doesn’t come along very often. And when it does you feel like falling down on your knees in gratitude.

And it’s not because Thornton has gone for sentimentality. It’s the reverse. He’s made a tough little film about love and it’s a knockout.
Further comments

MARGARET: David, if you didn't love this film...

DAVID: I loved it! I think this is an amazing film and I agree with everything you've said. I think the young actors, well, all the actors, but especially the young actors, are quite remarkable.

I think it's extraordinary that so much of the story is told without any dialogue at all. Dialogue is used very sparsely and I think that's quite an achievement in itself to tell a story in visual terms the way it does, plus there's a great soundtrack, as well.

You mentioned that the camera work is handheld, but this is an absolute object lesson in how to use a handheld camera, which gives you that little bit of freedom. But use it responsibly and use it intelligently, not like some of these trendy, untalented young cameramen who are doing it in other films. Sorry.

MARGARET: Well, I think this was a huge camera, too, you know. It's a Panavision camera that he's lugging around...

DAVID: Well, he...

MARGARET: ...but I think he wanted an absolute minimal crew and he wanted that connection with these two inexperienced kids.

DAVID: And he does it. He does it. He does it beautifully. And I think I should also say that it's a film that, while you're watching it, you feel that it's a tragedy, in a way.

It's a very sad story. But the way it concludes with such optimism, I think it really soars and I think every Australian should see this film.

MARGARET: I hope they do. Wouldn't that be great?

DAVID: It would be wonderful.

MARGARET: It deserves it David.

DAVID: It does.

MARGARET: It really does.

DAVID: And it's great...

MARGARET: I'm giving it five stars. I love this film.

DAVID: And it's great that it's been selected for Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.

MARGARET: Well, isn't that good?

DAVID: Yeah.

MARGARET: Well, the world likes it as much as we do, too.

DAVID: I hope so. I'm giving it five stars, as well.

MARGARET: David!

!
At the Movies: Samson & Delilah

[Eclipse Now]

Wow, has that ever happened before?

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Eclipse Now

Wow, has that ever happened before?

I have never seen it happen_ especially for an Australian movie. They gave "Australia" 3 stars.
They were both lavish in their praise and said ALL Australians should see it. However I think it is mainly in Arthouse Cinemas
The film website
http://www.samsonanddelilah.com.au/
(Tells you where it will be screening)
or the opera house has it showing for free on Friday (official release date)
Samson and Delilah to open Message Sticks | Filmink News

[Michaelangelica]

I'm sure there was a thread here about "How do we make more plants or trees"
I can't find it now. I wanted to post this article thre

It seems to me the answer is not like the get rich quick tree planting schemes that have just gone broke in Australia.
I have no sympathy for investors as this has happened many times over many schemes over many years
As some wit said "Those who don't know history; are doomed to repeat it"

Growing the trees is the easy part
Growing the trees is the easy part

[LaurieAG]

Hi MA,

Just watching the repeat of The new Chasers War on Everything.

I jus hope they don't parody our new economic secret weapon, stimulating dead people to boost our economy lol.

There is really something wrong when a purported socialist government does not make any legislative distinction between executives/management and employees, maybe because they themselves would be considered in the former not the latter.

[Michaelangelica]

The refund is to all taxpayers (not pensioners) and people who have paid tax in the last year should get it. It is really a tax refund. They are only giving us our own money back. So the estate of those who have died in the last year should get the money.
I note they have not cancelled any taxes like the inflationary, and discriminatory, and regressive, 37c per litre tax on fuel, which is then taxed again with the GST; and the States' anti-employment tax "Payroll Tax"
In the UK there is no GST on new homes. Here that is seen as "too administratively difficult".
I am sure the government would receive more taxes from the building of a new home than they give to kid's for their first home owner's grant. It is all illusion. A three shell game by a trickster. Politicians like being Santa but don't like reducing, even economically-counter-productive, taxes.

i agree the share thing is poor. But employee share systems are very difficult to set up (i once looked into it) and it would break down the demarcation (war?) lines between labour and capital. Something the Unions and Labor Party may not want.

An Austrian wins the Top Australian Science award.
This is worth watching if you can. especially if your are interested in biology, medicine,or DNA stuff.
it should be repeated late at night next week?

National Press Club Address - Josef Penninger: Director Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
12:30pm Wednesday, 03 Jun 2009

Josef Penninger: Director Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

National Press Club Address*-* Josef Penninger: Director Institute of Molecular Biotechnology - ABC1 Television Guide

This was an insetting Australian study too

It was back in the 18th Century that the British Navy discovered that scurvy could be prevented with citrus fruit, eating lemons, limes and oranges. Now, the active ingredient of course turned out to be Vitamin C, ascorbic acid...
Well, remarkably, this humble dietary supplement could prove to be a treatment for Australia’s most common genetic neurological disorder.
NARRATION:
Charcot Marie Tooth disease or CMT as it’s commonly known is an inherited condition. It mainly affects the nerves in the hands and the feet and there’s no cure. Researchers now believe that vitamin C maybe able to help this debilitating condition.

Peter:
I inherited CMT from my maternal grandfather. And we have three people in our direct family who have CMT. That's my twin brother, David, and my mother, and myself. And my sister was one of the lucky fifty percent I guess who didn't inherit the condition

.
Catalyst: CMT Disease - ABC TV Science

[Michaelangelica]

The refund is to all taxpayers (not pensioners) and people who have paid tax in the last year should get it. It is really a tax refund. They are only giving us our own money back. So the estate of those who have died in the last year should get the money.
I note they have not cancelled any taxes like the inflationary, and discriminatory, and regressive, 37c per litre tax on fuel, which is then taxed again with the GST; and the States' anti-employment tax "Payroll Tax"
In the UK there is no GST on new homes. Here that is seen as "too administratively difficult".
I am sure the government would receive more taxes from the building of a new home than they give to kid's for their first home owner's grant. It is all illusion. A three shell game by a trickster. Politicians like being Santa but don't like reducing, even economically-counter-productive, taxes.

i agree the share thing is poor. But employee share systems are very difficult to set up (i once looked into it) and it would break down the demarcation (war?) lines between labour and capital. Something the Unions and Labor Party may not want.

An Austrian wins the Top Australian Science award.
This is worth watching if you can. especially if your are interested in biology, medicine,or DNA stuff.
it should be repeated late at night next week?

National Press Club Address - Josef Penninger: Director Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
12:30pm Wednesday, 03 Jun 2009

Josef Penninger: Director Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

National Press Club Address*-* Josef Penninger: Director Institute of Molecular Biotechnology - ABC1 Television Guide
It ma be put her within the week?
http://www.npc.org.au/upcomingSpeake...erArchive.html
http://www.npc.org.au/
http://www.npc.org.au/upcomingSpeake...OrderForm.html


This was an insetting Australian study too

It was back in the 18th Century that the British Navy discovered that scurvy could be prevented with citrus fruit, eating lemons, limes and oranges. Now, the active ingredient of course turned out to be Vitamin C, ascorbic acid...
Well, remarkably, this humble dietary supplement could prove to be a treatment for Australia’s most common genetic neurological disorder.
NARRATION:
Charcot Marie Tooth disease or CMT as it’s commonly known is an inherited condition. It mainly affects the nerves in the hands and the feet and there’s no cure. Researchers now believe that vitamin C maybe able to help this debilitating condition.

Peter:
I inherited CMT from my maternal grandfather. And we have three people in our direct family who have CMT. That's my twin brother, David, and my mother, and myself. And my sister was one of the lucky fifty percent I guess who didn't inherit the condition

.
Catalyst: CMT Disease - ABC TV Science

[Michaelangelica]

Happy Birthday to the Australian Head of State.

Yes i know its not her real birthday but we get a holiday! . . .
No most australians don't think it is bizarre having the Queen of GB as the queen of Australia. I do.

The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2009

The Queen's Birthday Honours List was announced today.
You can now access the full list of recipients announced by the Governor-General of Australia (the Queen's representative here) through the Australian Honours
Database. For more information, see our Announcements page.
It's an Honour - Honours - Announcements

Governor General of Australia ~ Welcome
a bit hard to find the list
Governor General of Australia ~ The Queen's Birthday 2009 Honours List
opening of Google's office is easier!
Governor General of Australia ~ Speeches
Said to be the most fun place to work in Sydney.

[Michaelangelica]

Queen's honour for leading palaeobotanist

Monday, 8 June 2009 Nicky Cooper
ABC

Callistemon

Dr White's research lead to the publication of several books on Australia's botanical history

Australia must protect its biodiversity and be a leader in combating climate change, says a recipient of this year's Queen's Birthday Honours.

Palaeobotanist Dr Mary White has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her work in the field of botany.

Speaking from her rainforest retreat in northern New South Wales, White says Australia needs to get its act together and lead the fight against climate change.

"We need to stop the destruction of tropical equatorial forests because they're the big balancing mechanism that keeps climate under control."

She says the earth is suffering from destruction of natural vegetation, which is exacerbating climate change.

White, who has spent much of her life identifying plant fossils, is best known for her series of popular books on the evolution of the Australian continent.

She says she is blown away by the award.

"It was the last thing on earth I'd expected to happen to me."

Queen's honour for leading palaeobotanist › News in Science (ABC Science)