Like most of you I read that our ex-Prime Minister, Tony Blair, made some unusual financial arrangements during his time as our leader. He managed to arrange a mortgage for twice the value of the house he purchased. This, if you or I tried to do it, would probably get you in very big trouble. Apparently not, if you are a very important person.
Then there's our current Prime Minister. Also keen to lead us prudently in all things economic he managed to arrange expenses for himself and his family which included the movie and sports package on his pay satellite TV service. Glad we could be of service Gordon! He certainly is prudent isn't he. I would add that he appears to be cheap and like his ex boss, another liberty taker.
Of course, neither of these paragons of virtue would do anything at all illegal, and would be very careful not to do so. But just because it's not illegal doesn't mean it's moral or the right thing to do.
These are just two more examples of shoddy behavior by those who are supposed to lead the rest of us. The recently released accounts of our Members of Parliament demonstrate a multitude of similarly awful examples by many of our elected representatives. Those that behave in this manner need to be shown up for what they are, crooks and charlatans. How dare these villains judge the rest of us, and how much longer can they continue to get away with such rank hypocracy?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sydney J. Pollack - A Tribute
Sydney Pollack, the Academy Award-winning director of "Out of Africa" who achieved acclaim making popular, mainstream movies with A-list stars, including "The Way We Were" and "Tootsie," died Monday. He was 73.Pollack, who also was a producer and actor, died of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades.
I only sat down to talk with him at length once, and that was quite some time ago. He was a dignified, humorous and helpful man, and I was astounded he took the time to be helpful to me, then just a young man trying to make his way. He treated me with old world courtesy and grace, and I shall always treasure that afternoon and his wisdom and kindness.
I also want to pay tribute to him as a filmmaker. Sydney could direct, act or produce with equal dexterity, and always with wit, taste and excellence. If you glance at the wonderful list of his films you will see why he shall be sadly missed.
Sydney Pollack was an Academy Award-winning director who collaborated with a long list of elite actors on films such as "Out of Africa," "Tootsie," "The Way We Were" and "Absence of Malice."
Unlike many other top directors of his era, Pollack was also a film and television actor himself, and he used this unique position to forge a relationship with Hollywood's elite stars and create some of the most successful films of the 1970s and '80s.
In 1970, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" about Great Depression marathon dancers, received nine Oscar nominations, including one for Pollack's direction. He was nominated again for best director for 1982's "Tootsie," starring Dustin Hoffman as a cross-dressing actor and Pollack as his exasperated agent. As director and producer, he won Academy Awards for the 1986 romantic epic "Out of Africa," starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, which captured seven Oscars in all.
Last autumn, Pollack played law firm boss Marty Bach opposite George Clooney in "Michael Clayton," which he also co-produced and received seven Oscar nominations.
Sydney, farewell, you were an immense talent but above all, you were a mensch.
I only sat down to talk with him at length once, and that was quite some time ago. He was a dignified, humorous and helpful man, and I was astounded he took the time to be helpful to me, then just a young man trying to make his way. He treated me with old world courtesy and grace, and I shall always treasure that afternoon and his wisdom and kindness.
I also want to pay tribute to him as a filmmaker. Sydney could direct, act or produce with equal dexterity, and always with wit, taste and excellence. If you glance at the wonderful list of his films you will see why he shall be sadly missed.
Sydney Pollack was an Academy Award-winning director who collaborated with a long list of elite actors on films such as "Out of Africa," "Tootsie," "The Way We Were" and "Absence of Malice."
Unlike many other top directors of his era, Pollack was also a film and television actor himself, and he used this unique position to forge a relationship with Hollywood's elite stars and create some of the most successful films of the 1970s and '80s.
In 1970, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" about Great Depression marathon dancers, received nine Oscar nominations, including one for Pollack's direction. He was nominated again for best director for 1982's "Tootsie," starring Dustin Hoffman as a cross-dressing actor and Pollack as his exasperated agent. As director and producer, he won Academy Awards for the 1986 romantic epic "Out of Africa," starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, which captured seven Oscars in all.
Last autumn, Pollack played law firm boss Marty Bach opposite George Clooney in "Michael Clayton," which he also co-produced and received seven Oscar nominations.
Sydney, farewell, you were an immense talent but above all, you were a mensch.
Service With A Smile - Please
Today I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I call it a movie because that’s what the big American studios make, we, the Brits, make films, and in mainland Europe, they make cinema. One day, when we’re all in the mood I shall explain the subtle differences to the uninitiated.
First things first, the movie is a terrific fun. Old time B movie escapism. As a small kid said as he was coming out of the film and his mum asked him what he thought about the film, he responded, “It was terrific!” For those of you who have heard wise-ass critics scoring easy points against this film let me say they have no idea what they’re talking about. This is, of course, escapist nonsense, but it is supposed to be escapism writ large. Harrison Ford is still well able to swash his buckle and the action is smashing. No doubt the big time games designers and ride manufacturers are hard at work readying these for an expectant world.
The place chosen for the cinema visit was the Enfield Cineworld, the nearest movie theatre to Klinger Towers. The most important thing to think of here is that there was a probability that there would be a big audience for this particular movie. There were, after all, seven screens at this complex showing this film simultaneously which would appear to indicate that the cinema management were expecting a crowd.
It was therefore more than a little surprising that the door from the car park to the cinema complex was locked and the only means of entrance to remaining was the elevator. This was more than a little crowded as a consequence. Arriving in the lobby it was further surprising to discover a Disneyland type line waiting impatiently for someone to sell tickets. There was a single guy at one machine and the other four were unmanned. People were soon becoming very agitated. Being impatient myself I went to locate the manager who was having a chat with another member of staff at the far end of the very large foyer.
“Did you notice there are a couple of hundred people waiting and only one person selling tickets?” I asked him, “Yes,” he responded, “We have more people coming along very soon.” I suggested that he took some staff and himself away from where there were no customers and put them all on selling tickets, but by then his attention was elsewhere.
I rejoined the line, which hadn’t moved forward. Rather than trying to achieve this obvious ambition the manager sent another member of staff onto the ticket sales counter and he asked for anyone collecting advance booking or credit card transactions. Some of the crowd surged forward and others in the line quickly and volubly demonstrated their resentment. It was all getting worse. Just as it seemed there would be a much worse problem if the manager didn’t take action several new staff arrived at the ticket area.
Most of these staff were painfully slow but for one young lady who was about five times quicker than her colleagues. Within a couple of minutes this young lady had basically cleared the backlog of customers and I found myself purchasing my tickets from her, I told her that she was terrific, and not only that, unlike her surly colleagues she was friendly, smiling and accurate in her work. Her name is Sara, and no doubt she is going to be a very valuable employee.
I don’t understand why it would be so hard for this cinema to hire and manage their staff, but clearly it is. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for this cinema to keep their lift working between their car park and their foyer, but it is usually inoperative. I don’t know why this cinema should find it difficult to keep the door between their car park and their cinema unlocked but clearly they do. It should not be very hard to place staff at ticket machines for one of the busiest days of the year but they clearly do. I still don’t understand why it should cost more than £11 ($20) for two small (kids) popcorns and two drinks, but it does, but I understand why, its because the cinema wants to rip their customers off.
For the record I have an annual ticket to this cinema chain because I like to go to the cinema, but it would be great if they had any clue how to run their cinemas. They have a total management failure. They should beg that young woman, Sara, to take over. They are the Fawlty Towers of movie theatre management.
In the UK we are generally pretty bad at service, although this is still a radical improvement since I was a boy. Then the service was more or less non-existent. I remember being in the Midlands town of Derby when I was a boy and I couldn’t find a decent meal during a whole week’s stay, now you would probably find something edible every day. The service improved with the immigration of people who want to live in this country, mainly from Eastern Europe. Clearly the lesson is that you can have better service if you are prepared to increase your population by a few million people. Unless you visit the Cineworld in Enfield, where they still manage to provide the lousiest, rudest and most inefficient old-fashioned lack of service possible. It reminds me of the good old days!
First things first, the movie is a terrific fun. Old time B movie escapism. As a small kid said as he was coming out of the film and his mum asked him what he thought about the film, he responded, “It was terrific!” For those of you who have heard wise-ass critics scoring easy points against this film let me say they have no idea what they’re talking about. This is, of course, escapist nonsense, but it is supposed to be escapism writ large. Harrison Ford is still well able to swash his buckle and the action is smashing. No doubt the big time games designers and ride manufacturers are hard at work readying these for an expectant world.
The place chosen for the cinema visit was the Enfield Cineworld, the nearest movie theatre to Klinger Towers. The most important thing to think of here is that there was a probability that there would be a big audience for this particular movie. There were, after all, seven screens at this complex showing this film simultaneously which would appear to indicate that the cinema management were expecting a crowd.
It was therefore more than a little surprising that the door from the car park to the cinema complex was locked and the only means of entrance to remaining was the elevator. This was more than a little crowded as a consequence. Arriving in the lobby it was further surprising to discover a Disneyland type line waiting impatiently for someone to sell tickets. There was a single guy at one machine and the other four were unmanned. People were soon becoming very agitated. Being impatient myself I went to locate the manager who was having a chat with another member of staff at the far end of the very large foyer.
“Did you notice there are a couple of hundred people waiting and only one person selling tickets?” I asked him, “Yes,” he responded, “We have more people coming along very soon.” I suggested that he took some staff and himself away from where there were no customers and put them all on selling tickets, but by then his attention was elsewhere.
I rejoined the line, which hadn’t moved forward. Rather than trying to achieve this obvious ambition the manager sent another member of staff onto the ticket sales counter and he asked for anyone collecting advance booking or credit card transactions. Some of the crowd surged forward and others in the line quickly and volubly demonstrated their resentment. It was all getting worse. Just as it seemed there would be a much worse problem if the manager didn’t take action several new staff arrived at the ticket area.
Most of these staff were painfully slow but for one young lady who was about five times quicker than her colleagues. Within a couple of minutes this young lady had basically cleared the backlog of customers and I found myself purchasing my tickets from her, I told her that she was terrific, and not only that, unlike her surly colleagues she was friendly, smiling and accurate in her work. Her name is Sara, and no doubt she is going to be a very valuable employee.
I don’t understand why it would be so hard for this cinema to hire and manage their staff, but clearly it is. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for this cinema to keep their lift working between their car park and their foyer, but it is usually inoperative. I don’t know why this cinema should find it difficult to keep the door between their car park and their cinema unlocked but clearly they do. It should not be very hard to place staff at ticket machines for one of the busiest days of the year but they clearly do. I still don’t understand why it should cost more than £11 ($20) for two small (kids) popcorns and two drinks, but it does, but I understand why, its because the cinema wants to rip their customers off.
For the record I have an annual ticket to this cinema chain because I like to go to the cinema, but it would be great if they had any clue how to run their cinemas. They have a total management failure. They should beg that young woman, Sara, to take over. They are the Fawlty Towers of movie theatre management.
In the UK we are generally pretty bad at service, although this is still a radical improvement since I was a boy. Then the service was more or less non-existent. I remember being in the Midlands town of Derby when I was a boy and I couldn’t find a decent meal during a whole week’s stay, now you would probably find something edible every day. The service improved with the immigration of people who want to live in this country, mainly from Eastern Europe. Clearly the lesson is that you can have better service if you are prepared to increase your population by a few million people. Unless you visit the Cineworld in Enfield, where they still manage to provide the lousiest, rudest and most inefficient old-fashioned lack of service possible. It reminds me of the good old days!
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