VampireS Sumo

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind, to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous boredom; Or to take arms against a sea of Twinkles, And by opposing end them? When Shinichi Suzuki introduced his method of instructing students in the art of playing the violin it was somewhat controversial.

It was, he said, a more natural way of learning. The idea was to learn to play the violin the same way that a person would learn to speak their native language, the so-called “mother tongue approach” to music education.

Suzuki also explored an area which became known as “talent education.” The word “saino” in Japanese can be translated ability or talent. But it can also be used to mean the development of an ability or personal trait, such as one’s character. As such, Talent Education came to refer to the development of skill, knowledge and character. A seemingly well-rounded approach.

Suzuki developed a repertoire and a curriculum, and teachers from all over the world visited his institute in Matsumoto, Japan to learn his techniques. The method spread from the violin to other instruments including piano, cello, guitar and harp. There are more than 8,000 teachers worldwide who endorse his methods and follow his curriculae. More than 250,000 students study music by the Suzuki method.

The question becomes, “Is the Suzuki method right for you and your student?”

A Quick Comparison of Traditonal violin study vs. Suzuki.

Suzuki

* The Suzuki method of study emphasizes parent involvement and parent-student interaction. Parents take several classes prior to the start of their student’s studies and are encouraged to participate in the student’s lessons once they have begun. Parents are also the primary means of motivating the student to practice and of making sure that the student follows the instructions once the lesson is complete and the student has returned home. This means that the parent will, at least at the beginning, be actively involved in every single practice session. * The Suzuki method emphasizes both active and passive learning. Before a student ever touches a violin he is exposed to the music he will play in the form of recordings.

These recordings are repeated over and over until they are completely “internalized” by the student. In doing this it is believed that the student will have a tremendous advantage in learning to play the music that he has already heard . . . in some instances hundreds of times. And for quite some time the only thing that the student will play is “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” * The Suzuki method encourages students to learn by following the example of other students and by interacting with them on a regular basis. Individual instruction takes place one-on-one with the teacher or in a “small group.” This is where the student actually receives hands-on instruction by the teacher. But periodically the Suzuki student will attend “group lessons.” At these group lessons the student interacts with other students from his teacher’s studio. They play together. They study together. And hopefully they progress together.

In any case, when other students are present students who are not actively being instructed are urged to sit and observe what is happening. * Individual lessons frequently concentrate on a single “teaching point.” Progress is made one step at a time in one area at a time. At least early in the learning process more emphasis is placed on the student’s posture, technique and tone production than on playing recognizable tunes. In fact, many Suzuki students don’t even start their violin careers with a violin, they use a box on which they can bow so that they learn proper position first. * Music reading is not emphasized until the student has mastered basic performance skills on the instrument itself.

Traditional

* In traditional instruction there is usually no active involvement of a student’s parents other than observing practices. While parents are often encouraged to attend lessons, the majority of instruction usually takes place outside the parent’s presence. The parent is requested to monitor a student’s practice (or at least the amount of time practiced), but are usually not a part of the practice itself. * Instruction is often only one-on-one with the instructor. Unless the instructor is part of a school district program, or has taken the initiative to form some sort of ensemble group the student does not usually interact with other students at his skill level. If ensembles do exist, they are usually focused on performing works together as opposed to Suzuki group lessons that may be focused on developing a technique together. * Listening to music that will be played may be encouraged, but it is not usually an integral (or even integrated) part of the program. * Emphasis is placed on reading music very early. See the note, learn the note, play the note is quite common. after several weeks of instructionSeveral weeks in the student can already recognize the written notes that he will play.

My Evaluation: A Pox on Both Their Houses!

Both Traditional and Suzuki methods have strengths and weaknesses.

Suzuki emphasizes teaching a philosophy through which a skill can be developed. A successful Suzuki student will be a good performer early if he doesn’t burn out playing and hearing Twinkle over and over. If there is a good student-parent dynamic this can also be a really successful method, and an even stronger bond can develop. But at times the intensity of the parent-student involvement can become a bit overwhelming.

The traditional approach emphasizes the development of a skill, and through the acquisition of that skill the realization that practice and dedication usually leads to success. Parental involvement is not usually nearly so intense in the actual instruction and practice, and the student is much more likely to play recognizable works earlier since he is actually taught notes sooner.

The Solution?

Integrate the best of both methods and then throw in a little fiddle! An integrated system of listening, observing, performing and having fun seems to me the best approach.

There is no doubt that listening to the works to be performed is beneficial. There is no doubt that repetition can be tremendously important in skill acquisition. There is no doubt that music theory introduced early becomes a strong foundation on which a student can build an amateur (or even professional) music career. And there is no doubt that students learn from seeing and interacting with other students.

What we need is a single system integrating the whole world of violin into a happy amalgam.

Why not start with a Suzuki approach in which the parents are introduced to the instrument and understand the instructor and her expectations at the start? Allow parents to observe lessons and encourage them to participate in practices at home! Teach the parents the games that Suzuki students play with their bows and let them play along the same way they would in a Suzuki studio!

But at the same time, why not let the students start working on note recognition at the same time they learn technique? When we show them the violin’s A-string, show them the note on the staff! When we show them the D-string, show them the notation, too. Why not use the flash card or “big book” approach that is used in our schools and hold up a picture of a rest symbol when we want them to be quiet? Let the student see as well as hear what they are doing. It seems to me that this is really implementing Shenichi Suzuki’s message. Just as we don’t expect our children to communicate only verbally and we show them how we use written language early on, we should let the student see what they are playing, not just hear it. In the same way that our four-year old daughter used to “write” stories by scribbling lines on a page, she could have “composed” songs by drawing on a staff. And think of how powerful it would have been if she had learned to play and read individual notes and had “discovered” that she could read or write the melody herself!

Regarding fiddle, a child who picks up the fiddle doesn’t particularly care about if he is holding the fiddle correctly. He doesn’t care if he can read the notes on the staff. All he wants to do is play something that sounds good and have fun. He is highly motivated, and is thrilled when he finds out that he can producing something that makes him smile, although those others may really want to plug their ears. We need our young students to be excited about picking the instrument up! We need our young students reluctant to put the instrument down. We need our students to truly experience success on their instrument very soon after they first touch the instrument!

And let’s integrate listening in a realistic way! Why not let the students hear the music they will play, but also introduce them to the local symphony orchestra or bluegrass group so that they don’t think that violins only exist on CD’s. And speaking of CD’s, develop a library of a recordings that feature the violin in various settings. The Suzuki CD’s are fine if that is all you are playing, but what about Sarah Chang’s recording of Sarasate’s Concert Fantasy on Carmen when she was just nine years old, and Stephane Grappelli’s Jazz in Paris album so that there is some jazz violin in the house, and maybe even an album by the all-woman string quartet Bond.

We need to find a way to motivate students to want to learn more about the violin. Maybe a daily visit to www.violinstudent.com will help! Maybe a T-Shirt they can wear or some other visual cue in their room will do the trick!

We can see that the theme parks, the children’s television networks, the toy companies and the fast food restaurants realize that the key to influencing your child’s decisions is a multi-sensory approach. We should be just a wise as they are in our approach to our children.

The Bottom Line

Either the Suzuki or Traditional method can produce competent violinists. If parent-student interaction in what can be a frustrating situation is good - by all means consider Suzuki. But if intense child-parent interaction frequently leads to tears in either party, the traditional approach is probably better. And in either case, make sure that the relationship between child, parent and teacher is a good one. Three individuals tugging in different directions never make good progress. Finally, have fun with the violin. After all, we don’t say that I “work” the violin . . . the verb we use is “play.”

Arthur Haule studied violin in a traditional program for ten years. He participated in several orchestras in the New York City area and founded a string quartet. He has taken part in several music festivals and even acted as a violin coach. He is currently webmaster of violinstudent.com” target=”new ViolinStudent.com — a place for violinists of all ages, persuasions and skill levels to gather. Violin Tips, Daily Music History articles, Violin Games, Clothing, Violins, and all sorts of Violin Accessories all available in one place!

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has been all over the airwaves of late, as he embarks upon a promotional tour for his new book. Mr. Simmons has called for rappers and those who produce and promote rap music, to voluntarily eradicate three offensive words, which appear to be staples of the typical rap song. One is left to wonder, what would the average rap song be without the gratuitous use of bitches, hos or niggas? I applaud Mr. Simmons, who while staunchly opposing censorship has adopted this new stance, or as the late James Brown might say, “poppa’s got a brand new bag.” What I take particular exception to, is his calling all rap art, when much of it is not. There is no redeeming social value in derogatory lyrics or the negative imagery that has come to characterize the vast majority of rap songs and videos. The Encarta World English Dictionary describes art as follows:
1) the creation of beautiful or thought provoking works, for example, in painting, music or writing.
2) beautiful or thought-provoking works produced through creative activity… Show me the beauty in misogyny. Show me the beauty in demeaning derogatory language.

Our nation’s youth spend millions on rap music, that thinking people wouldn’t give 50 cent for. They buy music that very often promotes a negative anti-social lifestyle that at best is deviant. The lifestyles that we see rappers promoting has little basis in the broader reality. If the thugs and the gangstas were truly in charge, our urban communities would rapidly cease to exist. Gangsta rappers glamorize a negative lifestyle; a lifestyle I might add, that they have gladly chosen to abandoned. Instead, they have opted to talk about certain aspects of their past lives, real or imagined. The music and the imagery presents the world with a distorted picture of what urban life is like. Thugs with recording contracts do not artist make. They are hustlers who would, and do, sell their souls for a recording contract. The multi conglomerates that run the music business are more than willing to promote the filth that they have labeled art, as long as it remains commercially viable. Prison culture, i.e., hip-hop culture inspires the poo poo pants look that many of today’s youth wear. Their pants are so far down as to make walking difficult. We don’t have to imagine, boxer or briefs, we can see which ones they’re wearing.

Hip-hop and rap deservingly take most of the rap for glamorizing lifestyles of the uninformed and ignorant, but society at large is equally at fault. As a society we worship at the temple of the dollar bill. No one gives one hoot about how that dollar was made. Perhaps rapper Method Man put it best when he said, “Dollar bill y’all, dollar bill y’all dollar dollar dollar dollar bill y’all.” Success is determined by what you have, not who you are. From the gold and platinum chains to the gold and platinum teeth mindless materialism and ostentation are the accepted norm. Fancy cars, expensive clothes and homes that are unsupportable over time are the acquisitions of choice for most rappers. Given this litany, why do they call it art?

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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

Cedric McClester is an award winning journalist who has written for local, national and international publications. He has a Masters of Science Degree in Education from New York’s Fordham University. The Boston born journalist is married and resides in New York. Mr. McClester is the author of the leading selling book on the topic of Kwanzaa, the African-American cultural holiday. His latest effort is a children’s book entitled: The Legend of Nia Umoja, on the Gumbs and Thomas imprint.

Photo printing help is commonly needed. With more individuals purchasing digital cameras, there is a wide need for help in printing off their pictures. While most standard computers with a decent printer can handle a good quality photo, others are looking for exceptional quality photos instead. The good news is that there is a wealth of help to be found for those who need it.

Photo printing help should start with your camera itself. Having a good quality camera is important for the finished product. Many who purchase digital cameras only purchased based on their price. The best thing to do is to look at the quality of its picture. You will want to insure it captures the best photo it can.

You will also want to look for help through the camera’s guide. Sometimes, there are photo printers specifically made for the digital camera. These are really growing in popularity. You’ll find them throughout the web and in most photo quality retail locations. Make sure to purchase both the right quality camera and printer if you do go with the set. If you purchase the printer alone, you’ll want to make sure you get one that is compatible with your camera.

You should also insure that you always use the right printing materials. Get high quality photo paper. Make sure to get the right printer ink for your machine as well. And, you’ll want to make sure that you set up the cartridges correctly. Make sure to load the paper correctly and insure that there is enough ink left to provide excellent quality photos.

If you end up needing assistance as in technical help for your photo printers, the best thing to do is to look for a camera shop in your area. Ask them questions so as to help determine what your problem is and then how to fix it. You may want to take in your camera as well. Getting photo printing help is something that many have to do each day!

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I′ve always laughed at those kinds of lists. I′ve just never thought of any of them as very realistic. I mean I have to admit that Angelina Jolie is beautiful. That’s not what I′m saying. But, what if there was some gorgeous angel in a village somewhere that the researchers for People have never visited?

I just think they make it too easy on themselves. They don’t scour the earth looking for people who actually might fit the profile. No! They look as far as the headlines for the celebrities in high profile to complete their little lists. How accurate could it be if we haven’t lined up every beautiful woman in the world and examined them thoroughly?

Yes, we have beauty pageants that cover every country in the world. Women who wish to participate. But, not every beautiful woman participates. There’s a farmer’s daughter somewhere in Japan or a pub owner’s sister in Ireland who don′t give one iota for being in a beauty pageant. So, really those beauty pageants are only by default. We can only choose from the ladies who are willing to compete.

Sure, we come very close with our Hooter girls. And Hefner has the best idea of anyone for what a beautiful woman actually looks like. He’s seen them. I just keep thinking that down by the river gathering water for her North African village is one lady that will blow them all away. But, she doesn’t even know about a pageant or her beauty or some 100 most beautiful woman’s list.

I wish those lists were named a little more accurately. They could be named 100 Most Beautiful Women In The World Of The Ones We Actually Know. Or why don’t they just call it what it is? Just Another Competition Between The Celebrities. Suzy down the street doesn’t get to play. This one is between Jennifer Anniston and Cherlize Theron, Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The celebrities get to see once again who is better than who. It’s not as if they don’t have enough of those already. That red carpet is getting pretty worn out.

What I have actually wrestled with over the years is who I would pick in my top five. I wrestle with it because I’m unorthodox. While most guys go for the obvious, the latest and greatest. I’m a diehard. I’ve stuck with the same twenty throughout the years. And I can’t put them in order for who actually gets the top five. It all depends on when I’m thinking about it.

Watching Leaving Las Vegas with Nicolas Cage, the answer is Elisabeth Shue. She’s got some kind of look in her eye that knocks me dead. But, when I’m watching Under the Tuscan Sun, there’s Diane Lane. My absolute favorite of all time! Until I watch Dangerous Minds and see Michelle Pfeiffer. Flipping through the channels I see Heather Locklear on Boston Legal. And what about Sarah Jessica Parker, Faith Hill, Shania Twain and oh…Carrie Underwood. And of course, Jennifer Anniston is on my list. She has to be! That was just a joke earlier. While I’m at it, Cherlize is too. And Lindsay Lohan for some reason.

But, did you notice? My list did not include any Pam, Paris or Britney. Mostly none of the beautiful women other men would choose would make my list for some reason. I mean, I see how beautiful they are. But, there’s just something about them that keeps them off my list. And I can’t figure it out. I′ve wrestled with it for years. Here’s how the argument goes with me.

Who is more beautiful, Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Anniston? My answer is Jennifer Anniston even though I do wrestle with it from time to time when I see a picture of Angelina Jolie in a foreign land spending time with a child. And she’s for real about it too! She’s no Madonna who comes from New York and tries to sound like she’s British. The whole adoption thing with her was absolutely ridiculous. It’s like she’s trying to play catch up with Angelina like it’s some kind of trendy thing to do. Anyway, see how I battle with it?

But, Jennifer wins out every time. Why? It’s hard to explain. That’s a funny conversation within itself.

“She’s like the girl next door. Like she’s not some supermodel or anything.”

“But, she’s as gorgeous as any of those supermodels.”

“Oh, I know. I didn’t mean it like that. But, there’s something about her that’s down to earth. She’s more real to me.”

And going over that conversation for you, I realized two more. Courtney Cox and Heidi Klum. It was the whole comparing Jennifer with a supermodel and I came up with Courtney and a supermodel. See how my mind works? How many is that so far anyway? It looks like in my top five, I have about thirteen. So, there’s still a few missing.

But to get back to my point about Jennifer, it’s the whole real thing that does it for me. Angelina with her gracious style like her every move is choreographed. She makes taking a shot of whiskey look sexy. She makes the look when the alcohol burns her mouth look like you want a drink, not just a drink, her drink, not just her drink, her. Total sexy. All the time.

But, Jennifer I watched through the years in Friends. I’ve seen her sick. I’ve seen her cry. I’ve seen her in her pajamas with a busted lip. She was always gracious and always gorgeous. But, she was real.

It’s like the sitcom wives. None of them would ever grace a catwalk or even Peoples most beautiful blah, blah, blah. But, they are. They are real and they are absolutely gorgeous.

Everybody Loves Raymond’s Patricia Heaton. Stunning, and yet real.

Still Standing’s Jamie Gertz. Always did love her.

According to Jim′s Courtney Thorne-Smith, I mean cute right?

You get the point? What’s that make sixteen now? Getting closer.

But, I don’t always follow my own rules. I mean, I have no idea what the Jessica Simpson thing is about. I just like her. It’s like at the end of Dukes of Hazard when she was even in blue jeans. See, I’m not even talking about her in her Daisy Dukes. I’m talking about when she’s walking toward the roadblock trying to cause a distraction. The look in her eyes and the way she cocked her head as she was walking one foot in front of the other. That did it for me.

But, my main strength is seeing what others don′t. Look at who has been an unsung hero for years. The sidekick to Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30. But, I first noticed her when she played a little part in an old David Schwimmer and Jason Lee movie entitled Kissing A Fool. Judy Greer stole one of the only scenes she was in when they finally realize Jason loves the girl his best friend David’s been dating. Her jaw drops. She cocks her head. Then she scats out of the room. Her little part made the scene.

And then there’s Ashley Judd. What gets me most about her is how she went out on her own. She was touring with her sister and her mother. But, that wasn’t for her. She went off on her own and made her own name for herself. Boy, can she be sexy. And she is very real.

So, that brings me to one more left. What that actually means is that I have about thirty or forty in my top five. But, I’ll spare you and just finish with that last one. I’ll kick myself in the butt later for not including this one or not including that one. I just have to let you know that your jaw might drop. But, I have proof of how beautiful this lady can be. Bette Midler has a way of shooting a glance at the camera and knocking me dead.

So, that’s basically my list of women I will never have. Women I would be lucky to even meet. But, I have a feeling. One day, I will be walking down the street minding my own business and I’ll happen to look up just at the right time. I’ll see her standing there. The most beautiful woman in the world. She’ll talk to me in her Southern accent and I will completely melt. Then I will understand why People Magazine makes lists the way they do. I won’t want the whole world knowing how beautiful she is either. Leave that competition to the ones who want it.

Michael Allen is a controversial and thought provoking writer who takes in depth looks at social and political issues. Often upbeat and humorous, there is always a deeper issue to think about. lulu.com/content/374231 A Danger to Society was the start of it all. No one has a clue where this ride will end.

Jon Jost, independent film-maker. The early films

10. Slow Moves

Jon Jost’s film ‘Slow Moves’ (1983) tells its story through the juxtaposition of a variety of narrative techniques. Along with the action, dialogue, and mise-en-scene, we have a verbal commentary from the actors, both in and out of character, and from Jost a musical commentary in the form of Jost’s song lyrics, and a visual commentary in the photography and editing. What emerges is a film which, while offering multiple points of view, sustains a carefully controlled narrative from beginning to end.

The film tells the story of a young couple, Marshall and Roxanne, who meet, live together for a while, then take to the road. This is the first of Jost’s films to focus on a personal relationship. It is an implicit criticism of the artificial way relationships are normally portrayed in films, and draws on a number of themes opened up in the early shorts, specifically the male/female conflicts of ‘1,2,3, Four’, and the portrayal of ordinary people and everyday events of ‘13 Fragments′.

The twin themes of imprisonment and escape, seen both in the characters’ lifestyles and states of mind, are responsible for much of the film’s structure and imagery. The opening sequence introduces Roxanne as a girl condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and Marshall as a man condemned to perpetual escape.

An early shot is taken over Roxanne’s head as she gazes out to sea. Then the camera pulls back to show that she is standing on a bridge, seemingly trapped between the imprisoning bars of the parapet in front of her and the ceaseless flow of traffic behind. Marshall approaches, leans on the parapet beside her, then speaks the first words of the film: “Isn’t that Alcatraz over there? I don’t see why the prisoners couldn’t have swum across.” Roxanne doesn’t want to know. “I came out here to be alone,” she says, and walks off. Marshall chases after her and offers to buy her a coffee, she accepts, and they start chatting, or, in the language of the film, telling each other stories

Marshall’s comments: “And they began to dream together,” while at the same time we hear a song about the unpredictable effects of time, warning us that this shared dream may not last forever. Marshall’s comment is made out of character; he uses the word ‘they’ rather than ‘we’, and this temporarily disrupts our attachment to him as a fictional character. Roxanne also gives a commentary in which she shifts her role from character to actress: “I could have lied and told him I was thinking of jumping from the bridge. Actually the day we were out there making this film a woman really did jump. There was a story about it in the paper the next day.”

These comments disrupt the conventional relationship between ourselves and characters in a film. The character in the story makes us aware of the actress in the film, who makes us aware of the real world, and its stories in newspapers. Similar disruptions of the illusion have been noted at the beginning of ‘Last Chants’ and the end of ‘Stagefright’, but these were made to appear almost as accidents. Here, being situated some way into the narrative, the disruption is conspicuously deliberate, and its effect is to engage us, with Jost and the actor and actress, in the process of creating the film and locating it in relation to our real lives.

The characters in the story are not so aware of the misleading nature of stories as the actor and actress are, and the stories Roxanne and Marshall tell each other form the basis for their relationship and the hopes they build upon each other. Roxanne presents herself to Marshall as something of a drifter, saying that she has lived in San Francisco for four years, but that four years is too long to stay in one place. He presents himself to her as a sailor who has returned from the sea. He says he has worked in construction recently, as a riveter on skyscrapers, but is temporarily out of work.

“And, like most people, they told their stories badly,” comments Marshall. Their stories are full of holes, holes which the partner fills in by projecting his or her own fantasies.

The visual metaphor associating the couple’s shared dream of freedom is taken one step further when they go into a camera obscura together, and we are treated to a beautiful shot of the sea and the beach taken through a telephoto lens on a camera panning on a tilted axis. The image, reinforced by romantic music on the sound-track, suggests an unreal, distant, dreamlike world in which it seems impossible not to be free. But this dream-world is inaccessible, a point which Jost makes by accompanying the scene with a mini-history of cinematography, suggesting that the world can only look like this in films.

Marshall’s purchase of a car causes an argument between the couple, and by now, thanks to the fragments of commentary, we can see that they are mismatched. But while the multi-layered narrative can give us privileged information, it can also withhold information, and there are times, such as in this argument, when our point of view is limited to that of the characters. We don’t know why Marshall has bought the car any more than Roxanne does, and in fact, although we do not realise it until the end of the film, for much of the time we are only seeing Marshall from Roxanne’s point of view, and large chunks of his ’story’ which he has withheld from her, are also withheld from us.

But there is one important section, in which we are shown their separate activities during the day, where we are given insights into their characters that are unavailable to each other. With Marshall, in a sequence in which he tries to claim money from a workers’ compensation board, we are given a complex study of an individual in relation to society.

Marshall says that he can’t work on skyscrapers any more because of an accident. His claim, though he is barely able to articulate it, is that although this accident didn’t cause any detectable physical injury, it caused him to lose his nerve, in other words that his ‘injury’ is psychological. The board don’t accept this, and don’t even understand his claim, and politely show him out of the office,

The insight yielded into Marshall’s character through this confrontation is similar to that yielded into Tom’s character through his confrontation with his wife. On the one hand we could be critical, seeing him as a lazy irresponsible parasite, trying to con his way into a hand-out rather than looking for an honest job. But on the other hand it is clear that Marshall’s choice of behaviour is limited by his personality, which has to a large extent been formed by society. He is doing the only thing he knows how to do, trying to escape responsibility and take the easy way out. On this wider level Marshall’s claim to be suffering from psychological injury has some justification, and his approach to the compensation board could be seen as a quasi-legitimate, though misplaced, request for help from society.

With Tom and Marshall Jost is treading the difficult ground which often comes to the fore in murder trials. To what extent can such an abnormal man be considered responsible for his own actions? Is he evil or ill? What is the distinction? And what are society’s responsibilities towards such an individual? We have no ready answers, but Jost is presenting the problem more responsibly than the many films which glamorise crime and violence, making it look an attractive proposition for those who have, or who have been made to feel that they have, no other choice.

That this more general reading of the scene is appropriate is suggested by the language with which the manager turns down Marshall’s claim: “You’re rejected,” he says. “Rejected?” says Marshall. All society can do for a man like Marshall is to reject him, brand him as an outcast. Whose fault is it then, when he slips towards the only role that seems to be left for him, that of outlaw?

The episode has political overtones too, for it takes place high up in a skyscraper, just the kind of building Marshall used to work on. Marshall’s labour went into the construction, but there is no reward for him, no help when he needs it from those who now occupy the building.

When the turning point comes, and Marshall has decided to take to the road and wants Roxanne to come with him, the scene is set in a dockyard, a location evocative of travel and escape, while at the same time the bar-like pillars and cranes against the sky suggest imprisonment.

Roxanne has a hard time deciding whether or not to go, and when she does decide to go their journey begins, oddly, with an image of her apparently being left behind. This seems to suggest that while she is going along with Marshall’s wishes, she is still imprisoned by her need for security, domesticity, and ‘divertimenti’. While Marshall was making his compensation claim we saw Roxanne selling theatre tickets and buying a paperback novel. And now, on the journey, she is listening to rock music on a personal stereo.

The couple find temporary happiness and freedom on the road, but, as the contrasting shots taken from the left and right sides of the car suggest, they are really on two separate journeys. From Marshall’s side we see the masculine, practical world of the road, lorries, and industrial buildings, while from Roxanne’s side we see the feminine, romantic world; the trees, a river, and, occasionally, interpolated shots of the sea.

These two do not really know each other at all. Marshall, as we realise at the end of the film, is acting out his fantasy of their being a couple of outlaws on the run, and thinks Roxanne can be a Bonnie to his Clyde. Roxanne thinks they are just travelling to another town where they will settle down and Marshall will get a job. The contrasting shots from the two sides of the car seem to suggest that their once-shared world is rapidly coming apart.

At the same time the narrative itself starts to come apart. At a motel Marshall suddenly produces a wallet full of bank notes; neither Roxanne nor we know where he got it, and although Roxanne chooses to ignore the fact, we realise that there is something about Marshall that neither she nor we have been told.

In a later sequence the narrative breaks down altogether. Marshall and Roxanne have stopped in a little roadside town, but their visit is presented to us in a sequence of disconnected shots separated by frames of black, giving an impression more like a slide-show than a film. We don’t know what is going on, the gaps are taking over from the narrative, and our story, like theirs, is breaking up.

The scene only comes together when Marshall and Roxanne are having their final confrontation. They are ‘on the rocks′, literally, beside a river. “I’ve got to have a house!” shouts Roxanne. “You’ve got to settle down and get a job!”‘ The river flows behind her, a reminder of the beautiful open sea seen at the beginning.

“OK,” says Marshall, “I’ll settle down and get a job. I love you.” This proposition, like the one at the end of ‘1,2,3, Four’ (I love you, therefore I’ll never use electricity again.) comes across as a statement of the impossible.

Later they stop at a grocery store. Marshall enters alone, while we and Roxanne, who is totally wrapped up in the music on her personal stereo, lose sight of him. We have arrived at the gap in the narrative, which is filled in when Roxanne eventually goes into the store and finds Marshall dead on the floor with a gun beside him. He has apparently tried to rob the store and been shot in the process.

Roxanne, in a belated expression of the need for real communication, tries to rouse Marshall and weeps over his body, while the camera pans in a circle, revealing a man, absorbed in a book, sitting beside the body, and the paltry commodities in the shop, commodities for which Marshall has died.

The ‘romance′ between Marshall and Roxanne has, by conventional cinema standards, been underplayed almost to the point of non-existence, and when they try to talk about love they seem to be talking about different things. Marshall says he finds Roxanne a source of inspiration, while she is looking for a feeling of personal attachment. But, different as their ideas are, something holds them together, and Jost superimposes the word ‘Lovers’ over our last sight of them, while on the sound-track we hear a bitter, cynical song about love. Perhaps love, or the badly told story of love, is the most insidious ‘divertimenti’ of all.

Read the full version of this essay at: literature-study-online.com/essays/jon-jost.html

Ian Mackean runs the sites

In Part 2 of this article, we explored the fundamentals of controlling overall exposure of a composition within the camera. The methods discussed are very effective for achieving the desired exposure of the overall image, the depth of field, and the perceived sharpness and graininess of a photograph. However, the photographer will generally want to emphasize a particular element within the composition, enhance a particular perspective, or suggest a particular mood. This may be accomplished in part, through carefully choosing or designing the elements of the composition. We have many classic rules to guide us in composition (e.g. the rule of thirds, negative space, color theory, etc.) Also, we may give special attention to posing our subject, or choosing a creative perspective or angle of exposure to emphasize a particular element, perspective, or mood. In my experience however, effective control over photographic lighting within a composition can be the difference between a masterful work and a mere snapshot. Light is the paintbrush in the art of photography. Controlling it is essential.

Over the years, many tools for effectively controlling lighting of a photographic composition have been devised. From scrims of all sorts, to flags, snoots, barn doors, and grid spots, to reflectors, umbrellas, and soft boxes, the tools in a photographers tool box may be neatly divided into three main classes. There are the tools for subtraction of light, the tools for addition of light, and the tools for modification of light.

Tools such as scrims, flags and even overhangs in the outdoors, are used to subtract light from the subject selectively to control emphasis, perspective, or mood. Filters and gels are a special case of subtractive tools. Some filters are used to subtract specific regions of the light spectrum, while gels are used to modify the color of light striking the subject also by subtracting specific regions of the light spectrum. Tools such as reflectors are used to add light selectively to the subject to control emphasis, perspective and mood within the composition.

Tools such as snoots, barn doors, grid spots, umbrellas, and soft boxes are used to modify a property of the light source used for photographic lighting. The properties commonly manipulated by the photographer are relative size of the source, specific placement of the light on the subject, fall off, and diffusion. In Part 1 of this article we learned that, “A light source’s relative contrast is generally determined by the size of the light source and its distance from the subject”. The light modifier tools of an indoor (studio) photographer function to control the effective size of the light source and thus control the contrast and fall off of the light striking their subject. For example, a large soft box may be used to modify a light source to increase it’s effective size, and thereby decrease the contrast of light striking the subject. On the other hand, a six inch parabolic reflector may be used to decrease the effective size of the source and increase the contrast of the light striking the subject. Generally the light modifier tools can be ranked in order of increasing size (decreasing contrast of light striking the subject): grid spots, 6 inch parabolic reflector, 16 inch parabolic reflector, 30 to 36 inch umbrella, small soft box (24″x36″), medium soft box (36″x48″), and so forth. The snoot and barn doors are typically used more to control specific placement of the light on the subject than as a means to control the level of contrast.

A basic understanding of the behavior of light, and how to effectively modify it using simple tools to control emphasis, perspective, and mood, is essential to your success as a photographer. Part 4 of this article will discuss the major classic styles of photographic lighting and we will see how these subtractive, additive, and modifying tools are effectively used by the photographer to create a masterful composition. Until then, good day and happy clicking.

Steve Barnes is a professional portrait photographer, a free lance writer, and co-owner of Hayley Barnes Photography, in League City, Texas. Please visit his website at:

It does not take a genius for one to realize that tattoos are becoming indelible in our society today. People from all walks of life are getting themselves inked for various reasons. For some, the reasons are merely skin-deep: to increase their “level of sexiness” up a few notches, to identify themselves with a group of tattooed individuals, or to exercise their freedom and be cool. But for some, it involves a deeper, religious meaning.

Religious tattoos are quite common nowadays. We see cross tattoos or religious symbols and images being sported by different individuals around. And, in all truthfulness, a few of these individuals do not fit into the bill of what a religious person should be. But one question remains: Is tattooing of religious symbols recognized as a religious act? It would depend on which religious sector you belong to, and on what your religious beliefs are.

The advent of religious tattoos dates back to the pre-biblical era when the art of tattooing was widely practiced by the pagans as a means of worship until it was forbidden when Constantine became the emperor of Rome. According to Leviticus 19:28: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead; neither shall you make in yourselves any figures or marks. I am the Lord.” This then became the basis for Christians to shun tattooing.

Islam tradition forbids any bodily alterations made as a way to enhance physical beauty, and this includes body tattoos. Generally, the Muslim culture also considers tattoos unacceptable as well as traditional Jews. However, maybe due to the changing of the times, this body art is now slowly being accepted by these religious sectors, though not as a religious act.

But in some Asian cultures, having religious tattoos is traditional practice. It is common custom for Buddhist monks to wear tattoos that are believed to ward off bad luck and evil spirits, and therefore serve as an amulet. In Hindu religion, tattooing is also common practice as part of their culture. For the Egyptians, religious tattoos such as The Eye Of Horus also serves as protection from evil spirits, to bring good luck, and to gain entry into after-life.

In recent times, religious tattoos seem to be just that: a skin-deep image of a once-revered symbol. The Ankh, Ichthus, the Sacred Heart and the Crucifix of the Christians; the Star of David, Menorah, and Allah symbols of the Islams; the Eye of Horus, Yin Yang, Dharma, and other religious symbols for different religious sectors are seen worn by people who do not practice the religion.

But it is also fairly common for a person to show his devotion by having something of religious importance etched on his body even on this day and age. So the question of whether religious tattoos are taboo or not lies on the personal belief of the wearer. It is no longer dictated by society but by how one chose to show his spirituality. Tattoos, like religion, have become a personal thing.

If you want to know more about body-jewelry-useek.com/1325-religious-tattoos.htm religious tattoos and religious tattoo designs, visit body-jewelry-useek.com. Here you will also find information about body-jewelry-useek.com/1333-tribal-sun-tattoos.htm sun tattoos, body-jewelry-useek.com/1356-dolphin-tattoos.htm dolphin tattoos, and other tattoo ideas.

You’re planning a big party celebration, and to save money, you consider searching for discount party supplies. You’ve never bought party supplies at a discount outlet in the past, so you’re a little uneasy about making the transition from retail to discount purchasing. The main thought that comes to your mind is whether the price you pay is truly a discount price, or if it’s just a way for the retail outlet to sell its product.

Buying from a discount party outlet can be an uncomfortable experience for those who have no experience. For the newcomer to discount party supply buying, the best way to be certain that you are getting a bargain is to comparison shop. Even if you choose to make your purchases online, you can do your comparison shopping in your local neighborhood party stores to get a feel for the prices that retail suppliers customarily charge for the items you need.

Another concern that some people have with discounted prices is that they are equating price with quality, thus something that costs less must be lower in quality. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially when you are purchasing party supplies. After all, how much quality do you need in party plates, napkins, streamers, banners, and other items that are more than likely going to be used once and delegated to the wastebasket afterwards? For the supplies that are reusable, be assured there is no reduction in quality because of the lower price. Discount party suppliers, whether it be those in your neighborhood or online, are able to charge lower prices because they have lower overhead, a lower profit margin, or they buy in bulk, so that their supplier charges them a lower price.

Do not feel uncomfortable buying discount party supplies, they are every bit as good as those you buy at full price. Use the savings to buy some supplies for your next party or to add some extra touches to your party. Have fun saving some money!

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible partysupplieshut.com party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. party-games-etc.com Free Party Games for every occasion, birthday, holiday and party theme including free printable games and activities. Plus, free baby shower games, bridal shower games, birthday party games, printable party games, TV Trivia, Movie Trivia games. All the games have easy instructions. Over 1,000 free party games for baby showers, bridal showers, holiday celebrations and kids parties. Also, printable activities for kids parties, baby showers and bridal showers.

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Drug dependence, the murder of your best friend, the collapse of your marriage can break an individual. After the flood of issues in which Eminem was literally drowning during the last months, many people thought that the skilled rapper would retire from the rap game.
However Eminem is a stand up man with that thick skin that allowed him to resist to life tempests.

Eminem is back with his crew, stronger than ever, bringing to you his new hard worked on CD, the Re Up mixtape.

Joyful violin sounds, gunshots, hammering drum beats starts Shady Narcotics which is the prelude to the mixtape in which Eminem introduces his crew: D12, Obie Trice, 50 Cent, Stat Quo, Bob Creek and Cashis.

From the oldest to the newest members, everyone has his precise place and plays his role in this valuable team work.

We’re Back: the shady soldiers are back, more offensive than ever, with razor blades alike words. Big mouth running haters be ready to be punched right in the face. Eminem, Obie, Bob Creek, Cashis and Stat Quo will smash the jealous hoes in the game. Any underground artist aims at becoming mainstream someday: so don’t hate, congratulate!

Gunshots, numerous violins, a dark bassline totally situate the context: the arise of a lyrical battle is imminent.

The heat increases as Obie Trice spits lyrical bullets on a Pistol Pistol sample.

As the sky gets cloudy and darker, you can smell the smoke in the air. Bizarre and Kuniva reinforce the roughness of the hell of a murderous ambience. Be ready for war while keyboard, drums and dark « murder » vocals combined with some gunshots will portray you the Detroit hood like it is.
I think that Bizarre and Kuniva’s beautiful performance needs to be pointed out. I recommend you the song. Don’t sleep on that one.

Everything Is Shady: let Cashis take over in the scurrilous themed song.
The Shady gladiators are teaming up and will leave their enemies lying lifeless, lyrically speaking.

Eminem and 50 Cent introduce you to The Re Up in a rhythmic beat box mode. The song is beautifully rhythmic, Eminem’s vocal performance is well handled from the beginning to the end. 50 Cent will keep on with the same beautiful spirit that will remind many of you of the Get Rich Or Die Trying album. Good job!

You Don’t Know is a classic, already. I reviewed the song and the video a while ago.

Jimmy Crack Corn is based on a Yellow Brick alike musical background. The song is provocative. Eminem humors those who are running their big mouths in the rap game.

Trapped will feature RIP Big Proof as a tribute to the gifted fallen D12 soldier.

When Swifty and Kon Artis unite their talents, bombs are thrown on the scene. Swinging beats, light piano sounds mixed up with violins and keyboars will totally enhance the « killa » track.

Chord sounds, harpshichord notes, light piano sounds, a good dose of offensiveness, sharp and incisive words will underline Bob Creekwater’s good performance. Bob Creek is one of the most underrated Shady Records signed artist, but he is nevertheless talented. Check him out!

I fully enjoyed Eminem’s Public Enemy track that gets political and offers some insight about assassination plots.
Eminem fully masters his flow and shows some good lyrical skills on the well handled song.

Eminem concludes the mixtape with No Apologies. In a long monologue, Eminem shows some lyrical dexterity and confronts critics. No apologies for being himself and for speaking his mind. The « arsenic writer », the lyrical genius is back with some beautiful, poetic lines:

« My head hit’s the pillow, a weeping willow, i can’t sleep, a pain so deep it bellows
But these Cellos help just to keep me mellow, hand’s on my head, touched knees to elbow
I’m hunched over, emotion just flows over, these cold shoulders are both frozen, you don’t know me… »

Monotonous piano and keyboard sounds contrast with the sudden introduction of bells and violins. Marshall Mathers’ voice and lyrics are an outlet for the bottled rage. The song fully enlightens Eminem’s lyrical mastery. I love the track, because it is unique in its creativity and outshines all the excellent tracks of the Re Up.

Globally speaking the Re Up enlightens the whole Shady Records crews’ artistic collaborations. Eminem is so sorry to disappoint all the people who nearly buried him lyrically and artistically. The tight emcee is backed by his crew that also shows some good skills.

The Re Up is worth your interest. I’d strongly advice you to own it in your hip hop library.

Copyright© 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

My name is Isabelle Esling. I am an Eminem biographer and a freelance music journalist. I teach English and German at public schools

I am very excited that I will be able to conduct my third interview very soon. This time it will be with my dentist, Dr. Rajiv Arya, who, as you will see, is a very interesting, unique and multi-faceted individual.

I have been seeing the same dentist for almost 10 years now and I think he is a really cool guy. He is young, bright, not to mention good-looking, as well as very friendly and helpful. A long time ago, when I did not have dental insurance coverage, he reduced his rates which really helped me out financially a great deal at the time, something that I appreciate to this day.

In my opinion Dr. Rajiv Arya is a very interesting and unique individual. We have had many conversations over the years during my dental visits and I have had a chance to learn a bit more about him. Not only is Dr. Arya an accomplished dental surgeon, he also completed a law degree and today practices corporate and commercial law specializing in the health care industry. This is in addition to practicing as a dental surgeon. Needless to say, he completed his dentistry and law degrees with the highest academic honours and awards.

But we are not just dealing with a distinguished over-achiever here. Dr. Arya is truly a multi-faceted individual with a pronounced humanitarian side. Dr. Arya successfully completed a competitive duathalon in September, 2004 and is currently in training for a trekking expedition traveling to the Himalayas scheduled for March, 2005. The trekking expedition is also to contain a significant study and volunteering component. I will hopefully be able to convince him to file reports from his expedition to the Himalayas in the upcoming weeks.

Dr. Arya has volunteered his time throughout his career(s) in various countries including Canada, India, Malawi and Zambia. He has participated in racial equity and leadership initiatives in South Africa, Poland and Germany; including the study of the far-reaching effects of apartheid and the holocaust. The topic of racial equity and tolerance has been very dear to my own heart and I look forward to probing these topics more in our interview.

Dr. Arya is also scheduled to be a focus commentator in a documentary, entitled ‘The Gate’, currently in post-production that attempts to analyze the tragedies of the holocaust from a pluralistic perspective. Dr. Arya is also on the board of Directors of Health Outreach - a registered Canadian charity ( healthoutreach.ca/) that focuses on providing free health care to children in developing countries using innovative delivery models.

So, stay tuned, for a very interesting interview with a great guy – my dentist!

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions ( travelandtransitions.com travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest ( travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey ­ Explore New Horizons”.

The article is published at