There is a line in the Biblical Song of Solomon, “The voice of the turtle is heard in the land.” A modern version might add, “and it sounds like Carl Safina.”
Safina is a scientist who writes like a novelist—well perhaps not exactly like a best selling fiction writer, but he does make science writing sound delicious. Safina speaks on behalf of the threatened leatherback turtle with both passion and compassion. In Safina’s narrative, the turtle is not a distant object of scientific observation, but rather a fascinating creature that becomes a central character in the tale.
After what happened last week on Heroes, aren’t you dying to see what happens to Hiro now that he’s left Ando behind and gone solo on his mission? Wondering who’s next on Sylar’s list of victims? Been holding your breath to see if Simone survived the accidental shooting from Isaac? Well, you’re out of luck with this week’s episode regarding those hot topics because none of them are addressed whatsoever. But before you stop reading and start worrying about the show, let me fill you in on this great episode.
Picking up on the other cliffhanger story arc, we have our psychic Matt Parkman and radioactive Ted Sprague breaking into the Bennet home in search for the answers to what happened to them. Why were they abducted? Why do they have these abilities? Can they become normal again? Matt plans on looking for those answers on Bennet’s computer and then kidnapping him at Primatech Paper Co. but before he can get the PC, the whole family comes home. And while Ted seems to think the new plan B of holding his family hostage is a better idea, Matt firmly tells him that isn’t happening and to leave.
But sure enough, plan B happens despite Matt’s reluctance and he draws his gun on the Bennet’s. True to form, Mr. Bennet begins denying what Matt and Ted are claiming, which begins to upset Ted. Ted reminds him what happens when he gets upset and threatens to go nuclear should he keep lying to him. Attempting to deflate the situation with the unstable Ted, Matt tells everyone that Ted is going to stay calm with the help of some answers.
We are then treated to a flashback of Mr. Bennet 15 years ago in an office with a man who informs him of his cover job working at Primatech Paper. They both agree to the measures that have to be taken in their line of work, keeping people outside the “organization” in the dark about what’s happening to the species. Bennet is informed that he will be asked to do things that are morally gray but necessary to which he responds that he’s comfortable in that area. He is also is informed that he will have a partner, one who has special abilities, and that he is already in the room. After looking around, the invisible man Claude reappears and extends his hand in introduction.
Back to the hostage crisis, Matt tells the unaware family what happened with the abduction, the marks on his neck and how his professional life is down the drain and his marriage is on the rocks thanks to this man. But it’s when he mentions that he makes you forget that triggers something in Mrs. Bennet to ask him how he does that.
Reading Claire’s thoughts, he now knows that she’s aware of the Haitian and much more. When Bennet begins denying again, Ted ignites his hands saying that this is what he did to him and that they just want to be normal again. Claire turns to Parkman and acknowledges her cooperation by telling them that he is definitely not a paper salesman.
With Ted watching Mr. Bennet and the rest of the family, Claire and Matt are in a separate room where he tries to learn what she knows about the situation. Matt puts the idea in Claire’s head that her father was responsible for his psychic abilities and that it didn’t “just happen.”
He cites that he’s seen some weird things and that she probably has as well like the incident at her school, prompting Claire to think about Peter Petrelli. Noting this connection and that Peter can do what they can do, Matt asks what she can do and hears her thought that she can heal. Claire starts to wonder if her father made her this way.
Fourteen years in the past, Mr. Bennet and Claude are at a house where they were supposed to bag a fire starter, when they are called over by a man holding a baby. The man turns out to be Mr. Nakamura, Hiro’s father, and sure enough, a young Hiro is sitting nearby. Noting the presence of his son, Mr. Nakamura tells him that having children changes a man with Bennet saying how he could imagine how that would be.
Nakamura tells him he doesn’t have to imagine and that he is going to be adopting this baby, under orders from the company. Despite his objections and claims that he would not be a good father, he is ordered to do so and to turn her over to the company if she manifests any abilities.
Back in the present, Matt tires to tell Ted that the family has no involvement and that they can still leave before they get in too deep. Ted tells him that they didn’t get the cure they were looking for and when Matt wonders if there isn’t one, Ted thinks that he’ll kill himself along with the rest of them. Matt tries to read Bennet’s mind but is thinking in Japanese. Ted grows angrier with Bennet’s stalling when a thought comes through about a safe in a bookcase.
When Ted goes to investigate this, Bennet reaches for a concealed handgun but is subdued by Parkman before he can get a shot off. Taking it to the next level, Ted takes the gun and holds it up to Mrs. Bennet, saying how poetic it would be to kill his wife since he lost his own thanks to him. Parkman is unable to talk Ted down when Bennet tells him through his thoughts to trust him and shoot Claire since she can heal.
Parkman fires a shot into Claire’s chest before Ted can shoot the mother. Bennet plays along as the distraught father, punching Parkman in the process, but secretly tells him to gain Ted’s trust and move Claire’s body before she heals.
Upstairs, Matt tells Bennet that he didn’t know it would go this far and that Ted would have killed his wife. Claire heals on her bed, coughing up the bullet. When Matt asks if he made her this way, Bennet says that he doesn’t have his facts straight and doesn’t appreciate him confusing his daughter. Opening up to her, he tells her that the people he works for don’t know about her and that if they did they would have taken her long ago. He was protecting her and trying to give her the normal life she wanted. Parkman confirms this. Mr. Bennet tells Claire to stay put in her room as though she really is dead and tells Parkman to do what he thinks.
Downstairs, Matt tells Ted that Bennet is going to get them proof of the abductions at the paper factory in exchange for his family’s safety. Matt tries to stay at the house with Ted going to the factory but Ted insists that he stays, saying he can do more damage at the house. Before they leave, Ted gives them an hour deadline before he nukes the whole family.
Back to 14 years ago, Bennet tells his superior that his wife is growing suspicious after finding his gun and sedation kit. After asking if his wife is in danger for what she’s discovered, the man asks him if he said yes, would he take his family and run or would he turn her over.
Bennet responds that he would do what he’s told as he’s always done. The man tells him to relax since they found someone who would make her forget she saw anything: a mute Haitian boy they found. Bennet lets the boy in his house and says that his wife is upstairs.
At the paper factory, Matt says that they’re running low on time and that they need to get the evidence to Ted. Bennet tells him the only thing Ted is getting is a tranquilizer. Matt argues that he deserves to know that truth but Bennet responds that Ted only wants his wife back or revenge. When Matt asks whether he would get some answers, Bennet says that he’s the only one that he can trust and that he would be honest with him if Matt were honest in return.
After signaling the Haitian, Bennet grabs him saying that he found out he can talk and demands to know who he’s been talking to and who knows about Claire. Only the Haitian and Bennet know but he says that will change soon. When addressing why Claire’s memory wasn’t erased, the Haitian informs him that he answers to someone whose instructions supercede his, someone in his daughter’s life.
Seven years in the past, Bennet and Claude are driving somewhere when Claude asks what the mission is. They’re to investigate a security breach and that’s all Bennet was told. Claude says that’s what they told him to tell him but that he knows more. “You are the security breach.”
Bennet asks him if it’s true that he is hiding one of them. Claude admits it saying that though their work is for the greater good, he felt he was betraying his own kind. Expecting more sympathy since his friend is raising one of them as his own, Bennet says that Claire isn’t one of them and that if she were, he would turn her in saying that he knows who he works for. So does Claude, he was in the room when they told Bennet to kill him.
Surprised, he asks him why he still came, knowing this, to which Claude responds, “Evidently, I think you’re a better man than they do.”
Stopping in the middle of a bridge and getting out of the car, Bennet asks Claude to tell him who he is hiding. When he won’t tell him, Bennet draws his gun and says that Claude used to believe in what they do. Claude says that he won’t hunt his own people and when he tries to tell Bennet that he has a choice, Bennet shoots him in his side twice before he turns invisible.
Back at the factory, the Haitian and Bennet argue about what is best to do for Claire. Bennet thinks she is safer in plain sight with the Haitian claiming that she isn’t at the moment. Parkman brings them back to reality by explaining that they aren’t dealing with a patient man and that no one is safe if they don’t give Ted what he wants.
At the Bennet house, Ted investigates a noise coming from upstairs. Claire enters the living room from a back door and tries to free her mother and brother. Shocked to see that her daughter is still alive, Mrs. Bennet claims it is a miracle. Upstairs, Ted enters Claire’s room and sees a lump with a sheet over it, which is nothing more than stuffed animals. Running back downstairs, Ted grabs Claire and charges up his hand scarring her throat. Her mother witnesses her healing ability when he lets go.
After tying them up again, Mrs. Bennet tells her daughter that she always thought she was a miracle and didn’t know how much of one until now. Claire says she doesn’t know what she is, whether God made her like this or someone else. Ted chimes in saying that God didn’t make them this way.
Mrs. Bennet’s memory starts to get jogged a bit when she realizes that Claire had been dropping hints a while ago and wonders if her husband did make her forget. Claire says that she knows that it’s true and says some more harsh words about her father.
This prompts her mother to tell her that God gave her a second chance and that her father deserves one as well. Ted, meanwhile, pieces together that Parkman must have known that Claire wouldn’t have died and that he and Mr. Bennet might be up to something.
Just as that happens, Bennet and Parkman pull up in the driveway and enter the house. Ted charges up his hands as a threat and Bennet holds up a file containing the evidence they’ve been looking for. Bennet informs him that he’s risking his life giving him this information so that his family’s lives aren’t.
Ted calms down and agrees to let the family but not Bennet go. The Haitian unties Claire and her mother as Bennet begins explaining things to Ted. They took him to identify him since he was giving off low levels of radiation and there is no cure, the only other choice would have been to kill him. Ted wishes that he had. Bennet apologizes for his part in the death of Ted’s wife. All of a sudden, Bennet’s superior enters from the back of the house with his gun drawn and shoots Ted in the shoulder. Ted beings to violently convulse and radiate, unable to control himself.
Bennet sets up a tranquilizer but is unable to get close enough to knock him out. Claire runs back into the house saying that she can do it, she won’t be hurt. Parkman gets Mr. Bennet out as Claire inches closer to Ted, becoming more and more scarred as she does. Seconds later, the house explodes. Claire walks out what’s left of the front door blackened wounded but heals completely as she walks toward her family. Bennet and his superior exchange a knowing look as he embraces his family.
At the factory, Bennet and his boss walk down a hallway discussing how regrettable it would be to kill another partner since the Haitian was hiding Claire. There is no acknowledgement that his boss knew about Bennet’s knowledge of Claire. Looking into a holding cell, the men observe Ted sedated on a medical table saying that now they can figure out what gives him his “spark.”
Also sedated somewhere in the facility is Parkman. Bennet’s boss asks him what it would be like working with someone of Parkman’s particular gift and that he’s already proven helpful. Before leaving, Bennet is asked when they can be expecting Claire. “I’ll bring her in right now.”
In a car, Claire begins to ask questions about where she’s going and if she will ever see her family again. He has no answers for her but simply tells her that he tried to protect her and be the best dad that he could be. Flashing back 3 years, we see Claire helping her father pick out glasses, with Claire telling him with each new pair that he looks like a grandfather.
Citing that he is the same age his father was when he needed glasses, Claire wonders if she will one day need glasses herself. It is then that Mr. Bennet tells Claire that she is adopted. He comforts her by telling her that they are still her real family because family is about how much they love each other and not where they come from. After a brief pause, she hands him another pair of glasses, which are the signature horn-rimmed glasses he’s known for. When he asks how he looks, she replies “Like my Dad.”
Stopping on the same bridge as he took Claude to, they get out of the car and meet the Haitian. Bennet says that this is goodbye and the Haitian takes out a gun. Emotional, Claire says that there has to be another way but the Haitian says that there can’t be any doubt cast on her father. After Bennet tells him where to aim and tells Claire to turn around, the Haitian shoots Mr. Bennet in his left side. Struggling, he tells his shooter to take everything that would lead them to her. Claire embraces her father one last time before the Haitian puts his hands over Bennet’s eyes, wiping his memory.
Amazing to see that they had such a focused episode considering what else is going on in the show but I was thoroughly impressed with what they’ve done here in terms of back story and this puts everything in a whole new direction for some of the characters. Probably the best episode since “Six Months Ago…” but we’ll see what happens next week. Can’t wait.
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Written by OwenJones - Visit Website
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"Feeding Frenzy 2", brought to you by PopCap Games and Sprout Games is a very entertaining game where fish eat fish! With very appealing graphics, a fun little storyline, and loads of levels, this is a winner! You start as a small fish and work your way through the game alternately avoiding predators and eating anything smaller than you are.
There is lots of variety, as on some levels you can even jump out of water to eat bugs. There are several entertaining power-ups, including one for shrinking all your enemies to bite-sized and a hook to lure away anything too big so that you can safely mack down on anything left.
My family are big fans of PopCap games and their programming partners. When it comes from PopCap, you know the graphics will be good and the game will be fun for a variety of players from very young to adults. The concepts are always deceptively simple and almost instantly addictive. "Feeding Frenzy 2" certainly fits the bill.
It’s a relatively painless download considering the number of levels and the nice graphics, and it’s well worth the wait.
As with most PopCap games, you have the option to turn down the music and just listen to the sound effects of the game, although their background soundtracks are usually appealing as well. You also have the option to choose full screen or smaller windows. Since this is a mouse-intensive game, I recommend going with the full screen so that you don’t accidentally click outside the window, which pauses the game.
There is a nice little twist that will have you trying the game through a second time. The plot revolves around a mystery fish that you are chasing throughout the ocean, going into ever deeper waters and becoming bigger and bigger fish. Once you finally find the mystery fish and solve the game, you can play the entire game again as the mystery fish.
There are lots of levels, lots of little skills you can learn, and a changing perspective that is entertaining. Fish that terrorized you in the early days are your favorite foods as time goes by. We particularly enjoyed the levels where you can jump out of the water to eat the little bugs. Not only is it a nice change of pace, but you can also throw in somersaults for style points.. but watch out… time it wrong and you belly-flop!
Scoring a 4.5 out of a possible 5, we solved the game months ago and we’re still playing.
10th and Wolfuses every cliché there is for a mafia movie…but as a fan of such movies I don’t really see that as a problem.
10th and Wolf is about a young man coming back from the military to his old neighborhood to find his friends have moved up in the underworld of the mafia. Of course, the real reason he was sent back to the neighborhood was because the Feds want him to extract information about crime for them, yadda, yadda.
The interesting thing about this movie is that it is based off of a true story as written by a real former undercover agent whose life was the basis for Donnie Brasco. The movie came out straight to DVD and fans of gangster movies should put it straight into their DVD player.
The leading casts consist of James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi, and Brian Dennehy…well okay there are plenty more but the list is a bit too long to recount and the bottom line is the principle characters were all cast perfectly. The one downfall of the film does involve the casting though. They decided to fill the screen with celebrity cameos.
What is the point of casting rocker Tommy Lee as a gangster punching a guy, just for a close up to show us: “Hey look it is Tommy Lee.” and then other than that he is not in the movie and his character is no one? Then you have Val Kilmar as the hippie drunk in the bar, just there long enough to go: “Hey look it is Val Kilmar.” and then he is gone. Dennis Hopper’s cameo is okay I guess, but then they also use the names of these big stars on the outside of the box which is sort of misleading.
This is a generic mafia film and it isn’t as high caliber as The Departed, but if you like mafia movies then this is a very good movie for the genre. 10th and Wolf is a rare case that goes to show being run-of-the-mill has entertainment value.
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Written by Wes Laurie - Visit Website
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Popular Video Game Series Embraces Player Creativity, Customization and Personal Expression Through a New, Delightful Cast of Characters
CHERTSEY, Surrey- (February 26, 2007) Electronic Arts announced today that the company is developing MySims™, the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims, designed especially for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ platforms.
MySims introduces a charming cast of whimsical characters while delivering the creativity, customization and classic open-ended gameplay that has enchanted Sims players worldwide. Players begin by creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes. From pig-tails and baseball caps to dreadlocks and Mohawks, the options are endless and the style is unlike any Sims game to date. By unlocking cool new clothing, hairstyles and accessories, players explore the game’s incredible depth of customization and expression… and the characters are just the beginning!
Transforming the traditional Sims gameplay for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms, MySims moves the player to a delightful but disorganized town where – thanks to the easy and unique controls – they can re-shape everything and make it their own. The town is rundown, but the player can make it much more dynamic. Using a selection of building blocks, unique patterns and engaging creativity tools, players can design furniture and appliances, architect new homes and businesses, and re-define the entire MySims landscape!
As players explore and build up the town, they will get to know dedicated, long-time residents like the always-busy Mayor Rosalyn P. Marshall and Buddy – the mostly-lazy hotel Bellhop. Once things start to look up, they’ll meet and choose from a variety of colorful, would-be residents. Will they build a restaurant for Gino Delicioso the Italian Chef, or will they help Ocean Breeze set up his Yoga studio instead?
Design is everyone’s domain in MySims. From building a new Pizza Oven for Gino to putting the finishing touches on a new roof for Buddy’s busy hotel, each completed task will help the town grow. As it expands to new areas, players will receive special building blocks, decorations and patterns which help customize their unique creations. From furniture and buildings to the town as a whole, every choice informs how residents and visitors feel and behave.
“We want MySims to provide a creative play experience like never before on a video game system,” said Executive Producer Tim LeTourneau. “By giving players the tools to create literally any kind of world they want in MySims, we’re reinforcing the idea that the players create the magic. Will the town support a plethora of spooky, mysterious townsfolk – or buzz with the laughter and smiles of fun-loving Sims? It’s your call! In MySims, what players make… makes all the difference!”
MySims will be available for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms in Autumn 2007.
Feel free to check out the official MySims Trailer by EA Games
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Written by Ryan the Admin - Visit Website
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Ryan is from California. He graduated from USC with a degree in English. In his free time, when he isn’t working as a Literary Illusions gopher (er…editor) he enjoys writing short stories.
The Number 23 has received a large number of critically negative reviews…this is another one.
The Number 23 is about a man who becomes obsessed with a book which seems to be written mysteriously about his own life and yet ending with more murder than he is prepared to face…with sanity.
The film is directed by Joel Schumacher and (in case you have been living under a rock) stars Jim Carrey in the lead role.
The premise for this film is an interesting one in my opinion, yet the difficulty in actually writing out such a thing is apparent. The plot of the film is filled with holes and each one probably has a different department in production to blame. Then the concept twists to a place where many films have already gone before and ends poorly. The team just didn’t pull it off.
Sections of the story are told as clips being read from the book Jim’s character has come upon. These moments of the film have a pulp detective novel sort of vibe to them that are exceptionally cool. If the film had been made entirely in this style and followed the story within the story as opposed to what becomes a predictable psychology experiment…then THAT would have been an entertaining movie; even if it went the same vibe routes of Sin City.
The book The Number 23 within the film sounds interesting and if such a thing is made to go along with the movie then I would love to own a copy; as long as it had chapter 23 kept intact.
Jim Carrey is no stranger to taking on dramatic roles, however this is his first categorized “thriller” (since becoming famous and bankable that is) . Jim didn’t really fit into the role 100%. He is pure Hollywood magic up on any movie screen, true star, but his presence is not enough to go see this movie. Closer to the end, some of his dramatics come off a bit silly. The supporting cast is forgettable.
I wanted to go to sleep through the entire middle of the film.
The Number 23 should have been fun, but there wasn’t any fun to be had. All of the adding up to 23 just adds up to failure. One stinker of a movie…I hope Jim Carrey and his current girlfriend Jenny Mcarthy team up on a script and get back to being zany because this film is going to be a boot to the head for Carrey’s career in several ways.
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Written by Wes Laurie - Visit Website
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I’ve been a fan of Herr Dorfmeister for quite some time now: back in the day when life was attending uni and raucous parties graced by sophisticated, marijuana-obsessed Europeans, the masters of ‘stoner dub’ were introduced to me via a recording simply titled The K & D Sessions. It turned out that this was a DJ set spread over 2 compact discs put together by two Austrian fellows – Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister.
From that point on, no summertime outdoor barbeque seemed complete with at least one of these tracks grooving on out from the stereo. Further exploration of these individuals’ work led to the discovery of Tosca, a project involving Dorfmeister, and Rupert Huber – not unknown to the Europe experimental electronic scene.
A few years ago, Kruder and Dorfmeister made it out to Australia for a tour, and Tosca were slated to do the same earlier this year but unexpectedly cancelled soon after the tour had been announced. Who knew when they’d make it out here, if ever. Oh, to still live in Europe and catch them whenever I pleased.
When the opportunity came to review this latest title, I leapt up at the chance. Dorfmeister I knew, but the duo he’d teamed up with were not familiar to me. Madrid de los Austrias is a Viennese production duo comprising Sunshine Enterprises label front man Heinz Tronigger and multi-instrumentalist Michael Kreiner, affectionately nicknamed ‘Pogo’.
So what exactly does the title Grand Slam have to do with three Austrian music producers? Not exactly Grand Slam season in their area of the world at the moment, is it? Apparently these fellows are quite the tennis enthusiasts. Also, this debut mix album is supposed to be a personal ‘grand slam’ of sorts – Dorfmeister vs. Madrid de los Austrias. Two against one hardly seems fair but it’s all in fun.
Most of the tracks are put together from scratch (of existing material) by the trio but there are a few very well known remixes of other artists’ tracks on this compilation like Zero 7’s ‘In the Waiting Line’ and Groove Armada’s ‘My Friend’. The standout track on has to be the remix of Willie Bobo’s ‘Spanish Grease’ with its Latin flavour (de los Austrias’ signature sound) which was the also the very first track on the debut recording in the Verve Remixed series.
This is bound to be a favourite this summer (thankfully not too far away for us Southern Hemisphere dwellers). It has the right balance of Dorfmeister’s smooth, laidback grooves and Madrid de Los Austrias’ Latin jazz leanings. However it would have been nice if this compilation had’ve been longer.
One can’t help but feel that just as you’re getting into it, it finishes. Surely it would not have been a problem for the lads to serve up a 2CD/4LP release? Perhaps we’ll just have to wait for the next time these guys decide to put out the fruits of future collaborations. They’d better do it quickly.
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Written by gem_mahadeo - Visit Website
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G. E. Mahadeo came to Melbourne, Australia in 1987 from London, UK. She haswritten for the online magazine Blogcritics (http://blogcritics.org), has been published in Words-Myth Quarterly Poetry Journal, and in the Istanbul Literature Review. Primarily trained as a classical musician, she is active in the Melbourne early music community.
We use labels to identify everything. You do not own a dog. You own a Pitbull or a Shih-Tzu. You do not eat pickles. You eat Claussen or Vlasic. Ever since the beginning of time, we have been fascinated in pointing out each other’s similarities as well as differences. Walk, Don’t Walk, Caucasian, African American, Asian, Left Handed, Ambidextrous, Right Handed, Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Transgendered, American, Canadian, Egyptian, Male, Female, Brother, Sister, Mother, Cousin, Student, Deadbeat, Worker, Computer Geek, Hot Cheerleader, the list goes on!
Why do we feel this obsessive compulsive, need to put everything and everyone in a box? We label by color, shape, size, attitude, personality, ethnicity, religion, ability or lack thereof, hair color, primary hand, and so on to the point where we simply cannot name everything used as a label for a single, solitary person! Why do we do this to others? Better yet, why do we do this to ourselves?
I have heard whining from communities complaining about how they were called a derogatory name. Others complain about racial profiling only to throw back “hate-speech and rhetoric” at the person they claim profiled them. A great example of this is Rosie O’Donnell’s hurtful and insensitive “Ching Chong Danny DeVito” comments. The Asian community that lashed back pointed out what would a “Fat Lesbian” know about being a “Ching Chong”. As you can see, two wrongs apparently seem to make a right in this skewed up world.
The truth is, there is never going to be a way to stop profiling or stop ignorance. It is hard to believe it was a mere 20 years ago when kids could not hang out with me because their parents said my “muscle disease” was contagious. Things have not improved much from there for any of the minority groups in the world.
Truth be told, almost every single person in the world is a minority in some way. If it is not by race, it is by religion, ethnicity, ability, or some other aspect of that person’s life. All people are born different and as long as people are born different then hatred towards these differences will exist.
So, what can we do to prevent such blatant disregard for human decency? Actually, just by shutting the fuck up you are helping. By whining about our differences, we only seek to segregate and alienate ourselves. We are pointing out those differences. If you can acknowledge them, then why can’t others use them to poke fun at you?
Sure, dialog is needed to get discussion and understanding rolling, but overall the goal we should all seek to attain is to focus on the positive aspects in life as opposed to the negative. Instead of saying I am uneducated you could say I play the drums quite well or any other positive thing you can do. Instead of saying I can’t walk, and pointing that out repeatedly, why not mention how great you are in math or physics?
Every person has at least one skill. Whether that is how to work, a talent, or something else why not let people get to know you by your talents and abilities as opposed to the shortcomings you believe you have? This is why you need to stop labeling yourself and just quit being fucked up.
Sure I could call myself a wheelchair-bound, Hellenic-worshiping, short, stout, bookworm, Caucasian with Polish and Irish blood….or I could just call Myself Dom. Dom who loves to sing and does it well, Dom who has always done well in school, and Dom who loves to play and excels at Adaptive sports. That is the Dom I want you to know….Maybe if we know the good in each other instead of the bad we will not have to shut the fuck up. Maybe the labels will finally die on their own.
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
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Dominick Evans is in his late 20’s. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.
The name Faithless needs little introduction. Back in my stupid teenage years, I snickered over earlier hits of theirs such as ‘Insomnia’ and ‘God Is A DJ’. It would be a while till I saw the error of my ways and realised that Faithless are seriously good musicians, after their album Outrospective was released.
What better way to celebrate their contribution to mainstream dance music by being the next artist to follow Satoshi Tomiie’s Renaissance 3D release with one of their own: a compilation of three compact discs, each disc devoted to a particular ‘venue’ – we have ‘Studio’, featuring the band’s own remixes and productions and therefore largely made up of their oeuvre in versions not familiar to many due to their rarity.
Then there is ‘Club’, a shorter version of a DJ set but the premise is the same – a selection of tracks put together so as to get you up and dancing wherever you might be. Finally there is ‘Home’ with a more subdued and toned down vibe, featuring the ‘chillout’ mix.
It’s a fairly long journey but Faithless manage to keep up the pace throughout and have the listener wondering what will come next. DJ, producer and keyboard player Sister Bliss gives notes on the selections featured on the ‘Studio’ CD and in so doing gives us a brief insight into some of Faithless’ seminal moments.
It also highlights their British roots – they name Tricky (alongside DJ and rapper-lyricist Maxi Jazz) as someone whose rapping style was ‘distinctly’ British. Film director Danny Boyle commissioned Faithless to write a track for his adaptation of (British novelist) Alex Garland’s The Beach cementing their collaborative relationship (Boyle having used tracks from Faithless’ album Reverence for his previous film A Life Less Ordinary).
It’s difficult to name stand-out tracks on this disc as they seem to be chosen for their personal significance for the band. Such tracks include Sister Bliss and (fellow Faithless producer) Rollo’s remix of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’; a remix of ‘Crazy English Summer’ featuring the haunting vocals of Zoë Johnston who first came to the public’s attention when Bent released the single ‘Swollen’; a film soundtrack exclusive (‘Addictive’ for Cruel Intentions); the main single from 1 Giant Leap, and a song penned by Sister Bliss and Rollo for his sister Dido (‘Worthless’) who was only paid a curry (according to the sleeve notes) for her guest vocalist duties with Faithless and went on to better things.
The second disc, ‘Club’ is a total change of pace – personally, I recommend putting this on with the volume cranked up while engaged in large bouts of domestic duties because the energy is just infectious. Sister Bliss is in charge of editing, arranging and programming the nineteen tracks that appear here which she explains is no mean feat given that it is to roughly represent a typical two-hour set performed live, cut down to less than eighty minutes for a compact disc.
She also notes that to personalise the mix, she overlays some original keyboard parts, samples and beats. It definitely adds depth to the mix. Transition between tracks is seamless and there’s no surprises in this set.
The third and last disc ‘Home’ is put together by self-proclaimed Buddhist rapper and DJ, Maxi Jazz. This is my personal favourite out of the three discs. It is probably because it is reminiscent of living in Britain in the late seventies, early eighties – a time of major political instability and racial conflict (and some very groovy tunes and recreational drug use) – for instance the race riots in Brixton. A lot of the tracks have that sound that has influenced UK garage and grime. They also pay homage to musical roots from Jamaica and the West Indies, Africa and reaches as far as the African-American gospel tradition.
One has to remember that this is more of an anthology or document of Faithless’ history, a deeply personal and emotional history. To a lesser extent it also presents a slice of social history, particularly of London in the 1980s and 1990s. It’s not absolutely essential to one’s collection but it sure is enjoying some frequent listening on this end.
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Written by gem_mahadeo - Visit Website
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G. E. Mahadeo came to Melbourne, Australia in 1987 from London, UK. She haswritten for the online magazine Blogcritics (http://blogcritics.org), has been published in Words-Myth Quarterly Poetry Journal, and in the Istanbul Literature Review. Primarily trained as a classical musician, she is active in the Melbourne early music community.
It appears that all this time everything we thought we knew about Wonderland and that girl called Alice is about to be completely flipped onto its head. Curiouser and curiouser indeed! Frank Beddor, best known for producing films whose credits include There’s Something About Mary, has begun a somewhat arduous task – to tell the world the truth about Wonderland. Doesn’t that sound odd?
Apparently, the character that many have come to know as Alice Liddell, sometime muse of Lewis Carroll, is in fact Alyss Heart, eventual Queen of Wonderland. Yes, that’s correct. She comes from Wonderland even though Carroll’s works would have us believe otherwise – that she was a mortal girl who stumbled upon an entrance to the aforementioned magical world. Most of us will be able to recall countless bits and pieces of Alice’s adventures – through books, films, cartoons, and other such media.
So, we’ve determined that Alyss is not your ordinary girl, even for Wonderland. She is a princess, her parents being the current monarchs. At the beginning of Beddor’s account, a very spoiled queen-to-be is celebrating her seventh birthday, and with the help of her imagination is conjuring all sorts of amusing things. Magic is an essential part of life in Wonderland, as is having an active but well-intentioned and disciplined imagination.
Sadly, this glorious festive occasion is to be thrown into chaos courtesy of Alyss’ evil aunt Redd, sister to her mother, Queen Genevieve. Redd, resentful of her sister’s position, has planned a coup and to protect Alyss (seeing as she is future queen), for her own good she is whisked off and thrown into the Pool of Tears by her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan. This pool takes Alyss to Victorian England, but she is separated from Madigan who ends up elsewhere in the mortal world.
Poor Alyss! Victorian England is not kind to her, and people seem to be constantly incensed at her claims to be from this other world. Imagination is not tolerated and she is desperate to go home. Hope eventually comes along in the form of Reverend Charles Dodgson (whose pseudonym Lewis Carroll we are more acquainted with).
He is fascinated with her tale and eager to write it down. Alyss is far from pleased with the final result (well, the beastly man does spell her name incorrectly after all! Hmph!) and it is then that she resigns herself to a ‘normal’ existence, turning her back on the realm of imagination.
Wonderland is not faring well either. Redd has usurped the throne and her subjects who previously enjoyed a life of happiness now live in fear and misery. They must deny their true queen, who would be hunted down should she return. Yet, there are those who remain staunchly loyal to their true queen and hope for her return.
To accompany this book, there is also a CD soundtrack to add another level to the narrative experience. Beddor worked with Canadian music supervisor Androo Mitchell to select and collaborate with the artists for the soundtrack. His stipulation was that the album had to work independently of the novel and he issued the following directive to the musical artists: “This is what this character or this chapter means to me, but what I really want is for you to make it personal for you.”
The result only adds to the concept of Beddor’s Wonderland, either by enriching the main narrative, or creating several retellings of Beddor’s idea. A lot of the tracks on the CD echo a sound that came into prominence in the mid to late 1990s but the effect – the emotional journey that Alyss experiences is vividly rendered.
The Looking Glass Wars also makes use of various media for narration, some of which is not entirely traditional to Wonderland. Alyss even has her very own MySpace page, being the resourceful and modern girl that she is.
There is also the official Looking Glass Wars website which has all sorts of interesting things to look at, like storyboard artwork, selected tracks from the soundtrack to listen to online, information about the Hatter M. comic (about Alyss’ bodyguard), a trailer about the book, and many more delightful treats related to this mythic universe.
Is the world ready for yet another Wonderland tale, you might ask? Absolutely! Though this is specifically aimed at children from the ages of 10 upwards, it should attract a much wider audience. It has themes that both adults and children will find enticing – the journey to find one’s way back home, find one’s true self, and having the courage to be oneself where others would have you conform.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the trilogy develops, and to learn more about the ‘truth’ of Wonderland. Beddor is currently working on the second novel in the series entitled Seeing Redd, and also a screenplay for a full-length feature film.
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Written by gem_mahadeo - Visit Website
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G. E. Mahadeo came to Melbourne, Australia in 1987 from London, UK. She haswritten for the online magazine Blogcritics (http://blogcritics.org), has been published in Words-Myth Quarterly Poetry Journal, and in the Istanbul Literature Review. Primarily trained as a classical musician, she is active in the Melbourne early music community.
