The Ambler

Friday, February 29, 2008

Searching for Michael Clayton
Mood:

down
Topic: Entertainment

Saw the Oscar nominated 'Michael Clayton' last night with a small crowd of people on a small screen in a small theatre.

The film is moody, brooding and dark. I noticed the lack of burnishing golden lighting. I really admired Clooneys effort to play an everyman, low key subdued and with admirable restraint.

Overall? Excellent film! There was something about it that seemed to suggest it was deliberately underscored as a production given its weighty subject matter (a billion dollar class action lawsuit ) as it could have easily slipped into melodrama and subplots like alcoholism or WHATEVER. Instead it avoids this with a tightly focused storyline sowe end up feeling aroused, provoked and riveted to the action on the screen.

I just loved Tom Wilkinsons performance.

Actually, come to think of it, this film is a tour de force.

- - -- -

Although a little sex would have been good-lol, just joking.

- --

Found this neat little X reference Googling the film.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/307327

Take your care out there. - Mach

Posted by mach1231 at 3:11 PM PST

Updated: Friday, February 29, 2008 3:28 PM PST

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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Flaggers are asleep
Mood:

not sure
Now Playing: ...on Uganda

UPDATED:

http://www.ugandacan.org/item/2672

Does this mean a pyrhric victory of sorts for child soldiering in Africa is nearing a complete course?

Maybe a partial victory? Who really cares?

It has been reported that African countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi share a dubious distinction of all being countries which have resorted to using physical violence to settle political disputes.

The International Criminal Court will pursue charges against Ugandan
rebel leaders despite efforts to establish a local war crimes court as
part of a peace deal.

- - -

Uganda signs permanent ceasefire with LRA rebels

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iZX5ULDRW-zvOE058h1HsqANv2GQ

Take it easy Black Flaggers\

How does a self-described ‘grump’ deal with his melancholy?
He searches for happiness and documents his journey.
That is exactly what journalist, Eric Weiner, did when he wrote about his travels to many countries in
the search for the happiest places in the world.
Thats funny eh>? Introducing Eric Weiners Guide to the Worlds Most Happiest PLaces!
:)
Follow your bliss. - Joseph Campbell

Posted by mach1231 at 6:08 PM PST

Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:41 PM PDT

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Monday, February 18, 2008

Mood:

bright

LOOK @ THIS !!!!!

As a result of the Canadian federal governments effort to curb spending on the Court Challenges Program which provides and ensures language and equality rights are continually guaranteed (and not withered away!) under this country's Constitution. .... this poor Frenchman from Quebec is pulled over for speeding and is spoken to in German and den arrested!

A good reason to keep the Court Challenges program is for educational purposes. After all this fellow who is French but speaks and understands English is from Quebec was in Saskatchewan when this occured and was spoken to in German by a police officer ....

is a high school teacher...

so how do you spell erosion?

- - -at a time when airport security means tasering to death innocent Pole immigrants, theres something about understanding language and police oversight that reeks of a lack of accountability....but requires beefing up and not toning down.

Posted by mach1231 at 12:10 AM PST

Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:42 PM PDT

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

What? No mood for thirsty?
Mood:

hungry
Now Playing: Cant recall the last time I was in a 'hungry' mood...
Topic: Green

Exactly one year from today if you are using a pair of rabbit ears or antenna to get your TV signal, you will get NO SIGNAL at all if you

do not have a converter. ----->????

Gee, the US government must really care about its people. They are even offering coupons to people to buy a converter so that they are not left without a signal!

I cant think of anyone who would be reading this and not already be getting TV through a direct digital signal. (How are you getting the Internet then? Rabbit ears `\/` ?)

Interestingly, its not all about being on track with cable industry announcements for change that were made in 1996.

Someone actually had the foresight to see the day when a cell phone subscriber could order and pay for a soda from a pop machine with their cell phone. "One pop,-....please?"

If this is confusing, de-fuse your confusion here:

Clearing up mixed signals Cable, satellite customers unaffected

If you wish to take action to help keep all these old tv's out of natures backyard known as a landfill or garbage dump, visit here.

Heres a copy of the letter I wrote.

Regards,

Mach

Posted by mach1231 at 2:01 PM PST

Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:42 PM PDT

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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Logging deaths, workplace deaths, Michener Awards..and criminal matters
Mood:

a-ok
Topic: News on News

Velly interesting....

In the forestry industry...loggers, log haulers, grapple operators, loaders...are faced with a dangerous proposition each day when they get up to go to work.

In this part of the country, every year an average of 22 workers a year are killed on the job and another 92 are maimed, according to statistics from the recently-released B.C. auditor-general's report on safety in the forest sector.

By the end of the year in 2005, the number of forestry worker fatalities had reached 43.

The response from the industry was a Forest Fatalities Summit that included regulators, CEO's, Government cabinet ministers and their Opposition MLAs, forest workers and also the media to try to come to grips with why so many forest workers were dying on the job.

A local newspaper was even invited to Rideau Hall in Ottawa to receive the prestigious Michener Award given by Canadas Hon Governor General, an award for meritorious public service journalism.

The winner was for coverage on a series of articles on logging industryy deaths, particularily truckers. While the stories, titled Dying for Work, were running the province hired a forestry coroner and announced more than $20 million would be spent to upgrade forest roads. Ahem.

http://www.michenerawards.ca/english/winaward2006.htm

And we find that this summer, 7,000 Coastal workers struck for four months, largely because they were sick of long and dangerous shifts.

I find it interesting that as this new article makes likable suggestions, and heaven forbade anyone of us slump into our chairs while reading them so as to risk back injury, I hope the government is the one that is listening..

What is needed to stop killing and maiming our forest workers

A Quebec employer is the first in the country to be convicted for criminal charges in a workplace death.

Bill C-45, the 'corporate killing' law

Quebec employer first to be criminally convicted in death of worker

So you big wigs in your high glass and steel office towers, feeling safe ,..are we?

Even in India, they are trying to set legal precedents to make government pay for lack of accountability in ensuring public safety.

Victims can sue govt for compensation

Posted by mach1231 at 11:56 PM PST

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Fit to fly, lessons`r`us
Mood:

not sure

A mildly incredible collorary story to a plane crash that happened here in BC just over two years ago.

A Jan. 21, 2006 airplane crash on Vancouver Island that claimed the lives of 3 people was immediately blamed on the company when in fact the problem was mechanical.

As a follow up to their initial conclusions, Transport Canada and three of its employees are now being sued.

Moreover, it has been reported that other countries have already made the missing part MANDATORY in aviation rules guidelines.

Despite this, the lawsuit remarks that TC did not retract its initial statements of error as regarded by the Transportation Safety Board and even with the full knowledge of the crash reasons coming to light.

Someone to blame?

Thank heavens for civil court, can anyone out there imagine being the fall guy the governments own wrong doing? It borders on the criminal.

- -

Speaking of which,

following a recent announcement that power from

our public transportation system has recently been devolved ,

we find a nice tidy little year end dividend goes to the folks

responsible for running the show and encouraging "people" to go green,

take transit and help the environment. In addition to more

restricted public input to and for the system we use...

Govt appointed transit gives themselves 500 % pay raises

- -

But theres a small bit of encouragement trickling out of Mexico City,

a population teeming with 8 million people...

there, in response to lack of proper respect for female ridership and poor atmosphere for women to travel in a bus filled with men; often subject to harrasement, the system is offering WOMEN ONLY buses for those who wish to wait for one and if one is available in the area.

On Single-Sex Buses, Relief From Unwanted Contact

- -

So whereas things appear at least to be showing small signs of improvement elsewhere; short glimpses of hope seen through a passing window ....higher costs for going green and taking transit here seem to be returning little in terms of a return on investment.

As this article goes to show, what the current Transit board is doing amounts to little more than -,....pure highway robbery, dipping their hands into the public purse many times over with no improved service.

- -

Note: the story on Female Only buses in Mexico City has video also but I found the video quality for the same story to be much better here.

- -

Posted by mach1231 at 12:09 PM PST

Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:43 PM PDT

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Friday, February 15, 2008

Quick where the moood for tired?
Mood:

special
Topic: Entertainment

The writer has a point...

Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Hounded by The Media

After all...

anyone remember Robert DeNiro in Paris and an investigation of a little escapade at a upscale French whorehouse a few years ago?

How about Hugh Grant picking up a black transvestite?

George Clooneys Las Vegas lap dance tripping?

Ben Affleck getting a private dance at Vancouvers only upscale strip joint?

ALL STAR PHOTO SUPERSTAR BRiTNEY COLLECTION

Britney Spears arrives at the French NRJ Music Awards- January 24, 2004. Age: 22 years and one month.

---

"And who might you be?"

Britney serving as the Grand Marshal at Daytona for the NASCAR Pepsi 400, July 7, 2001. Age : 20

Britney Spears performs during Showtime's live broadcast - March 28, 2004. Age: 22

Britney at the 26th Annual American Music Awards, Los Angeles, January 11, 1999. Age: 17 years and 5 weeks

Britney in concert at Disney World, May 1, 1999. Age: still 17

Britney with Nick Lachey, Jeff Timmons, Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre
at Z100's 5th Annual Jingle Ball, Madison Square Garden, December 17, 1998 Age: 17 (see news story below)

Britney Spears in concert, July 31, 1999. Age : still 17

---- --

From Dec 31 1998

Britney Spears Discusses 1999 Plans And Resolutions

Britney said she was probably looking forward to the release of her debut record, "Baby One More Time," the most -- she did confess a desire to spend some of 1999 working on some of her very human foibles. "Probably [to stop] worrying so much," she said, "I worry a lot. Like, I'll be in bed at night and I'll just think of the stupidest things, I'm so paranoid. To stop worrying and to stop biting my nails. I want to quit biting my nails, too. It's a really bad habit." Britney Spears is set to release her debut album on January 12,..1999

- -

Posted Jun 09, 1999:(italics mine)

What a difference six months can make. Last December at New York radio station Z-100's Jingle Ball megaconcert, Britney Spears was hanging around backstage like a Madonna wannabe. No entourage, no reporters, no gaggle of fans. Fast forward to Friday's Zootopia showcase celebrating the third anniversary of the station's morning show, and it was Britney -- with her trademark glittery eye shadow and baby-blond hair extensions -- who created the animal-house atmosphere at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, causing kids to drop their ice-cream cones at the sound of her voice as they raced back to their seats.

Offstage, it was Britney's management team who created a circus, refusing to let people within five feet of the young singer. In fact, her handlers were so insufferable that on Monday they became the talk of the morning show. ''They were the worst,'' cried Elliot Segal, the Zoo's cohost. ''They're going to ruin the poor little girl!''

- - -- - - -- - - - - - -This blog entry will self destruct in 3 days.

Posted by mach1231 at 10:07 PM PST

Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 8:43 PM PDT

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Mr Billion, thats me
Mood:

sharp

Would you believe a

$ BILLION $ DOLLAR $

SCANDAL?

Please, you make this up..

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
was notified more than two years ago of questionable activities among
industry and government officials and has not taken action on this issue.

At stake is more than $C 1.2 billion in fees collected from millions of
Canadian consumers under a misleading pretence.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) have been requested to investigate potential violations of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) listing standards on corporate governance by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/content/view/2299/206/

-- -

http://www.mediascam.net/cms/

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