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In 1985, two adventurous young mountaineers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, set off to climb the treacherous west face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. They were experienced climbers, and climbed “Alpine-style,” climbing the mountain in “one great push,” without setting up ropes or base camps ahead of time. After dealing with a snowstorm and some dangerous climbing over powder formations, they reached the summit (about 21,000 feet) on the third day. The climb down proved to be far more difficult.

Simpson fell and broke his leg badly. Yates decided to try to lower Simpson down the mountain, one 300-foot section of rope at a time. The climbers had run out of gas to melt snow, so they couldn’t risk stopping as night came, and a violent snowstorm began. Their plodding, painful journey hit a snag when Yates inadvertently lowered Simpson over the edge of a cliff.

In the storm, the men couldn’t hear each other’s cries, and, Yates, uncertain as to Simpson’s position, and gradually sliding down the slope himself, decided to cut the rope that connected them, sending Simpson plummeting to certain death. Miraculously, Simpson survived the fall, and was faced with the prospect of getting off the mountain alone with no food, no water, and a broken leg.

In Touching the Void, filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September) tells their story, based on Simpson’s book, using contemporary interviews with the two men, and a reenactment of their climb and descent, featuring Brendan Mackey as Simpson and Nicholas Aaron as Yates. Touching the Void was shown at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival.

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Watch the Full Documentary Now

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[ Direct Link: http://v.youku.com/v_playlist/cc2044|2061f1807563o1p0 ]

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VERDICT:
9/10 Tough Calls

Can’t think of another movie that has ever had me so on edge for such a lengthy period of time. Pretty sure my death grip is still imprinted in the theater armrest.

Touching the Void is true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, two experienced mountain climbers that headed to the Peruvian Andes and became the first men to reach the summit of the utterly dominating Siula Grande. So things were looking good for Joe and Simon, then they started to make their way down when Joe went and broke his leg, thus putting Simon in a situation where he had to either let Joe die in order to save his own life or stay with Joe at the risk of his own.

Can’t give away what happens next, but being that Joe and Simon are both here to tell their story, you know from the start that they both end up surviving. But trust me, this ruins absolutely nothing. Their account of how they managed to get out alive by the grace of some adrenaline junkie god is a true story you will not believe and stands as one of the most harrowing accounts of human survival I’ve ever come across. Sits itself right on up there with that of the Uruguayan rugby team from Alive.

It’s hard to categorize Touching the Void as a documentary because this is far from sitting down and listening to two guys talk about how they almost died for nearly two hours. That’s because director Kevin Macdonald splits this movie up into two genres; the first being the documentary side where Joe and Simon tell their story to the camera, the second being a complete dramatization of the events they’re conveying with real-life actors playing Joe and Simon up in the Andes. For those of you who’ve seen the show I Shouldn’t Be Alive on the Discovery Channel, this formula should sound familiar being that this is the movie that started that formula.

For those unfamiliar, it is freakin’ effective and will give you a new outlook on the kind of storytelling that’s possible through “documentaries”. It’s one thing to hear a guy tell the story of how he almost died, it’s another to see someone acting it all out at the same time. Macdonald does one hell of a job transporting his audience into Joe and Simon’s shoes as best he can and once this baby starts getting intense, it does not let up.

I saw this in a packed theater in New York when it first came out, and let me tell ya’, you’d have thought the lot of us were in a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. It was like a communal weight off when the end credits finally rolled and we all walked out in total disbelief, shaking our heads, muttering, “That was effing NUTS!” to ourselves. I’m sure some part of it had to do with me having no idea what kind of experience I was getting myself into, but that explanation is practically irrelevant in relation to every other reason this movie will have you wishing you had Grandma’s oxygen tank handy.

Seeing this on a big screen is something I am still really grateful I got the chance to do, but even though that’s out of the question for those of us who haven’t been featured on MTV Cribs, I can only assume that this movie’s desired effect will continue to resound with its audience on a small screen. Regardless, that’s a stupid reason not to see any movie.

This is also one of the few instances I can recall where the screen adaptation was better than the book it was based off of, largely due to the fact that you actually get to see Joe and Simon’s story unfold as they recount it. And while Touching the Void has soundly served as the final nail in the coffin for any aspirations I ever had of tackling Everest, I’m pretty sure I’ll be grateful for it in the long run. I’ll just stick to snowboarding for the time being.

I feel like a lot of people haven’t heard of this movie, or Joe Simpson and Simon Yates for that matter, but, boy howdy, is theirs a story that deserves to be heard. It’ll have you in a cold sweat throughout, it’ll have you talking like crazy afterwards, and you’ll be wondering how in the hell you’ve never heard of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates before. Great subject matter, a lot of raw emotion that keeps that keeps this from becoming a thrill ride a-la’ Vertical Limit (which was still pretty sweet), and a phenomenal director who knows just how to tell it is a wonderful trifecta you don’t come across very often in movies.

Go check this sucker out. It’s much, much better than the weak title makes it out to be.

Jeremy Shum – Engienering manager

Ashlee Simpson – singer

Here peoples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSdKvWEXx8A

ANOTHER sick video title claiming to show that Jeremy Shum had sex with Ashlee Simpson – UNTRUE!

The video contents don’t even match the allegations. Another fake/fraud/illegal *(*@*#/kids screwing around defaming Jeremy Shum/Ashlee Simpson

By Randall Richards

Barrick's Pierina Gold Mine, Peru

I know relatively little about the issues that surround open pit gold mining, but my instincts tell me, aside from what I’ve read over the years, that it’s not a good thing, something similar to  nuclear testing – not the best for the planet,  nor the surrounding communities. There are certainly the headlines about gold mining, about toxic tailings and the havoc wreaked on local rivers and communities.  I debated whether to do more research before writing this post, and decided to simply point you in the direction of two websites, and tell an anecdote of my observations in Peru over the past 12 twelve years.

Barrick Mine viewed from our land near Huaraz

We’ve just purchased some land in Huaraz Peru, and within 10 or 15 miles, line of sight, to the north is the Canadian company Barrick Gold open pit gold mining operation. It just looks wrong. A whole mountain on the Corillera Negra side of the Cayllon de Huaylas (Huaylas Valley),  has been transformed into a mammoth sand pit/mound.  Aside from  the blight it produces, all natural grasslands and campasino’s (country farmers), pastures/farms have been eradicated.   I hear consistently that the Japanese are, or are about to run mines in the Cordillera Huayhuash, (scene of Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void).

Barrick's Planned Community - employee housing, Peru

On the east side of the valley, sits Barrick’s planned employee community. It’s relatively well hidden from the center of Huaraz, over a hill with newly planted pines.  But the whole thing seems abusive, elitist,  and completely out of place, in a country where there are stark differences between classes of the “haves and have nots”. This “suburb looking for a city”, looks like something outside of Toronto, or a development near Montreal, rather than a village in the Andes.

Then, there’s the taking of Peru’s natural resources, for the price paid from the highest bidder. If that’s what the goverments mean by “free trade”, they can have it. (As you may know, Peru and the U.S. have a “free trade” agreement as of a few years ago.) For more information on third world exploitation, be sure to read John Perkins‘ Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, or see his website, which also has a good bit on Free Trade with Columbia, which might shed some light on free trade agreements.  More on John Perkins in another entry.

As promised, here is the link for Barrick Mines and, one for Mining Watch Canada, with an interesting page entitled, Transnational Mining Tribunal: The Case of Barrick Gold Corporation in Latin America (Chile, Argentina and Peru). Barrick has multiple pages on “Environmental Responsibility, Biodiversity, Rock and waste management”, etc etc..  However, are we being hoodwinked?

For those up to speed on these issues, forgive my lack of knowledge on the subject, but take my observations at face value, especially if you’ve not been to Peru. If you agree with my take, please forward this blog to friends,  and get the word out about the abuse in Peru and other Latin American countries, its people and resources.

Having stalled for time, sweating on Jonno’s squad announcement whilst my esteemed colleague Tom McArthur stuck his neck on the line, I have decided now is the time to strike with my predicted England starting backline for the Australia Test this coming saturday. In the words of the Joker, “and here we go…”

Scrum-Half

Danny Care is set to continue at 9.

Arguably England’s strongest position at present, as shown by the fact that injury to Lions half-back Harry Ellis has barely registered a murmur of concern and the likes of the blistering tyros Micky Young and Joe Simpson are only mentioned in dispatches.In the eyes of this writer, it simply comes down to a choice of Danny Care’s superlative offence against Paul Hodgson’s impregnable defence. Both these players can play the game brilliantly going forward and backward, but against an Australia side that is just about as ragged as Australian sides come I would go with Danny Care and keep Paul Hodgson in reserve.

Fly-Half

Sometimes one just falls into your lap and makes your day. That is I imagine, exactly how Martin Johnson must have felt upon seeing Jonny Wilkinson walk through the gates of their training base at Pennyhill Park, in Surrey in one piece after his longest spell without injury since his annus mirabilis in 2003. Even if Daniel Cipriani or Toby Flood, whom I am of the opinion is better than Cipriani, were fit there is not a thing they could do to crash this homecoming. Jonny Wilkinson to reclaim the shirt that he only lends during injury.

Declan Kidney, this is what you could have had.

Inside Centre

A shirt that looked a certainty to be worn by Riki Flutey after last years 6 Nations and the subsequent Lions tour will find a new home on the back of a grateful Shane Geraghty, who has been puzzlingly absent from England action after his sensational debut against France two years ago. This has since been backed up by some effervescent club performances most notably his virtuoso display against Munster from stand-off three weeks ago.

Outside Centre

Here the plot thickens. Tindall was nailed on as a starter before injury struck him down, Waldouck was touted and he met a similar fate whilst Mathew Tait has every right to be miffed at being replaced in the squad by Ayoola Erinle who wasn’t even in the Saxons squad as far as I am aware. I must here allow for some self-congratulation on my part as I did indeed call for Erinle’s selection a week ago, and lo it has come to pass. Although its well known that Brian Smith likes a biffer in midfield Erinle will have to settle for a bench shirt as Danny Hipkiss looks set for a lengthy spell at 13.

Wings

England get through wingers like no other team in the world and this inconsistency in something as simple as selecting your most potent finisher with the best defence, speaks volumes for the muddled thinking in the England camp. This can also be the problem with selecting on form primarily. Topsy Ojo, David Strettle, Tom Varndell, James Simpson-Daniel and Paul Sackey are all out of the picture at present despite having picked up caps in the last 2 years, food for thought. Against the Wallabies Ugo Monye is a cast-iron starter and against my personal wishes, the gargantuan Matt Banahan will partner him. Don’t come crying to me when it all ends in tears further down the track.

Monye has been irrepressible for England since last Autumn

Full-Back

Again Johnson has shown his tendency to err on the side of caution by staggeringly, sending Ben Foden back to Northampton Saints for the weekend. A decision which can only be said to be based on the need for defensive solidity where Foden is still largely untested, and the decision to field a pair of rookies in the back three would have been a bold one. For these reasons, instead of the vivid attacking colours of Foden, we will get the slate grey experience of Mark Cueto although he may be interchangeable with Monye.

Lineup: 9.D Care, 10.J Wilkinson, 11.U Monye, 12.S Geraghty, 13.D Hipkiss, 14.M Banahan, 15.M Cueto

Subs: 20.P Hodgson, 21.A Goode, 22.A Erinle

All in all, quite a promising backline. Injuries permitting you get back Delon Armitage and Riki Flutey and it looks an entirely different proposition. But, for the moment this lot have more than enough about them man-for-man to see off an Australian outfit bereft of star quality aside from the outstanding Matt Giteau.

Am I the only one who has to agree to an extent with Warren Gatland’s comments http://bit.ly/4e9qX1 that the Premiership has not been of the highest quality. Granted he referred to that tepid performance by Gloucester against Wasps but there has been a quality issue.  Is it the ennui of a mid World Cup cycle point? Have we failed to adapt to the new ruck laws? Whatever the reason there is little excitement in the games. Premiership Rugby were quick to refer to increased attendances, but there is a serious flaw in this argument. Attendances have a response lag and when they fall, it will be too late to respond, indeed if we can.

Some individual performances have arisen from the mire however. Simpson, Ward and Lawes spring to mind reflecting attitudes without fear of contracts, the EPS, or image rights. Obviously a lot has been spoken about Saint Johnny’s performances across the sleeve. But from reading the reports, not many reporters have watched more than one game. He was solid rather than impressive against Saracens and not much could be gleaned. Or are we so short of quality fly halves that if JW can get out of bed pain free, the nation rejoices?

If there are two certainties in this country, it is that there will be a general election on May 6th and that England are looking at JW at 10 and Shane Geraghty at 12. Now I was led to believe that the edict was that you were eligible for the position you played at club level and only that one. SG hasn’t played at #12 in any big games this season and with sizeable opposite numbers, our Antipodean visitors will look to exploit any frailties in our midfield defence. If we squeeze midfield with the back row and Hipkiss, then this could crowd the area sufficiently but not at lineouts where Australia are the kings of attack.

I look forward to the autumn internationals although with a sense of fear. We must rise from being a side that can harry opposition to close defeats to one that can squeeze out tight victories against the big sides. Injuries cannot be an excuse. None of our visitors are at full strength and on can never count a full side in the big games. Argentina are facing a predictable dip from their 2007 heroics, and New Zealand are suffering a serious crisis in coaching personnel. Both teams are there for the taking. It is unfortunate to start with Australia, a team unpredictable in performances lately but who has, in my 30 (nearly) years of watching rugby, never failed to rise to the occasion of playing England.

Touching the Void is “a documentary film based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson about Simpson’s and Simon Yates’ disastrous and near fatal attempt to climb the 6,344 metre (20,813 foot) Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985″.

It had been on my to-watch list for a few months. I first heard about it when a friend sent the link a couple of days before I was leaving for my first ice-climb - Mt. Shasta – and specifically asked me not to watch it until I was back. With hindsight, I can vouch that Shasta was a cakewalk compared to it, but you should have guessed that already.

I find it very difficult to judge mountaineering movies (rather any movie set in the mountains) in an unbiased manner. So I can’t really say how good it is a movie; but as a story, exhilarating !

The story of Joe and Simon is well-known in mountaineering circles. Simon is also known as “the guy who cut the rope”, a rather harsh judgement passed by people in my opinion. You’ll know why he’s called so when you see the movie – I don’t want to reveal too many details. Being discreet, I can say that it is about 2 mountaineers, who faced multiple accidents on their descent, tragic circumstances, nearly hopeless situations, an improbable return and the ongoing internal fight about morality, ethics, religion, god and hope. You know they’re alive, as they are narrating the story, you just don’t see how that could be possible !

One bit particularly impressed me. Sitting in the crevice of a glacier with a broken leg, from where he couldn’t be rescued in a million years, awaiting death, Joe (a self-confessed atheist) says – At times like these, you wonder if there is someone out there watching everything. Someone, who’ll set things right. Every sound that you hear in that place, you wonder if it has some bigger meaning; if it is showing you the path; if there is some meaning to all this at all. But you realize, you have to fend for yourself and that you are just too small compared to the mountains. You cannot just sit there, you have to make decisions. Even if they are wrong.

This seems true in so many ways. I’ve said this before too – there is a strange connection between mountains and philosophy. When you’re up there with nothing but the nature, you start seeing things more clearly as they are, not how people have made them out to be. You realize that is how you were always supposed to see everything. You see your true character; you see others’ true self; you see a minuscule part of the earth in its raw form and can only extrapolate how mighty nature is; you see the countless stars at night and wonder how inconsequential your tiny-self is in the bigger scheme of things, if it exists.

No wonder mountaineers keep going back.

I am not arrogant enough to say that you won’t know yourself living life in society; but I’ll say that you will find yourself up in the mountains.

When Philadelphia hitter Chase Utley was ruled safe at first in the ninth inning of Phillies-Rockies frigid NLDS game in Denver early Monday (CT), the ump making the sign that first baseman Todd Helton was pulled off the bag by pitcher Huston Street’s throw, TBS announcers Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson barely mentioned that it appeared that the ball may have hit Utley in the batter’s box.

If it did hit him, the ball should have been ruled foul.

They never mentioned that Utley ran down the edge of the grass along the baseline, never entering the area marked as a runner’s lane until he got to first base. If his running outside the lane prevented Street from making a good throw, the umpire could have called him out.

Utley moved the runner ahead of him to third, thus allowing him to score on the fly ball by the next hitter up, Ryan Howard. That turned out to be the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

I don’t know if either was the case, but the announcers should have done more “investigating” with replays than they did. It may have meant the difference in the game.

In either case, the TBS announcers seemed to have the attitude of “it’s late, let’s not make too much of a fuss about it.” Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they just didn’t pay attention.

Restaurant Salud y Vida Continues to Grow After Over 13 Years in Business – The Owner’s Dream of Cultural Food Institute Becomes a Reality.

By Randall Richards
Hauraz, Peru

D. & G. Sanchez, Restaurant Salud Y Vida

David and Gracelia Sanchez started with a small vegetarian restaurant and a dream in Hauraz, Peru.  Hauraz is the climbing capital of Peru, and basecamp for climbers headed to Mt. Huascaran (the highest peak in Peru) or the Cordillera Huaywash (Scene of Joe Simpon’s Touching the Void).  Head cook Gracelia, learned about vegetarian cooking while attending an institute in Lima, Peru, and graduated with a diploma in whole cooking arts from the school. Since then, she and her husband have never looked back.  Salud y Vida means “Health and Life”. T

Their small restaurant, originally located on a  side street in Hauraz,  has been through a number of transformations and four or five location changes, only to come full circle back to its original location on Avenue Leonisa Lescano 632. Their new/old location is bigger than it was 12 years ago. They’ve added a second floor, a full professional kitchen and more seating. The second floor also doubles as a meeting and lecture space for David and Gracelia to deliver programs.

Their Cultural Food Institute is a lifelong dream which continues to morph. They cover topics from healthy eating and digestion to larger issues such as factory farming and its byproducts. They teach to the locals as well as visitors from Lima and other countries. David’s other job is a school teacher, and he loves to teach. His warm subtle teaching style is laced with subtle humor and a quick wit.  MSI’s blog will go into more details on Sanchez’s Institute in another entry. Stay tuned.

Joseph, Lisbeth, Kennedy, Kiara & David Sanchez

I first met the two with their *small family of six, (including my future God child, Joseph who’s now 11 years old), when they nursed me back to health after a serious bout of traveler’s bug. I ended up spending almost a month at their restaurant. We became good friends.  I and a traveling buddy were asked to be Godparents of their son, Joseph, which we gladly accepted. *The family now proudly numbers eight wonderful children, who all blend well together, the older girls helping with cooking and chores and some basic childcare.

Back then we talked about their opening an Institute to educate the public about good eating habits. Now it’s a reality.  Besides getting an education at Salud y Vida, Gracelia’s vegetarian fare can’t be beat. Don’t be fooled by the humble decor when you visit their restaurant – Gracelia is a master cook.  Her vegetarian tortilla de vedura (vegetable pancake) has been my favorite for over twelve years. Also try her homemade granola with yoghurt and fruit. I’m admittedly a little biased – they’re great friends, but if you’re headed to Huaraz, make sure you stop in and have some great food…..and say hi to my God child for me.

For more information on Restaurant Salud y Vida, or the Cultural Food Institute contact the author and the contact link at the right of this column.

]]> http://horiwood.com/2009/07/18/the-horiwood-top-10-fri-7-17-09/ Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:51:53 +0000 horiwood http://horiwood.com/2009/07/18/the-horiwood-top-10-fri-7-17-09/

Twilight, Q’orianka Kilcher, Amber Rose, Emma Watson, Harry Potter, Beyonce, Robert Pattinson and Madonna are just some of the celebrities of interest you voted for today on Horiwood.Com here in Hollywood. Bring it!

1. DIVA SIDEKICK AMBER ROSE

2. SALVADOR DALI: THE PERSPECTIVE OF PROPORTION

3. US WEEKLY THINK JESSICA SIMPSON & NICK LACHEY SHOULD RECONCILE

4. BEYONCE’S I AM TOUR – SET LIST!

5. HEY SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT: Q’ORIANKA KILCHER FOR TWILIGHT’S ECLIPSE

6. ROBERT PATTINSON TELLS ELLEN HE’S SINGLE

7. MEGAN FOX RESENTS HOLLYWOOD STEREOTYPING

8. EMMA WATSON’S WARDROBE MALFUNCTION ‘SCANDAL’

9. SHOULD JANET ADOPT MJ’S CHILDREN?

10. MADONNA TOUR TRAGEDY, 1 DEAD & 6 INJURED

Horiwood’s last two tweets were: horiwoodThere’s this place that I go where nobody knows,where the rivers flow, and I call it home –Natasha Bedingfield3 minutes ago from web

horiwoodAnd there’s no more lies, the darkness is light, nobody cries. There’s only butterflies — Natasha Bedingfield…oh yeah! #singitfridays3 minutes ago from web

To follow Horiwood on Twitter, go here.

Thank goodness Jenny from the Block has a backup plan. Jennifer Lopez was on set of her new film, Plan B, looking street chic. Meanwhile, here in Hollywood, here’s how you ranked your most sought after entertainment news, right here on Horiwood.Com. Enjoy!

1. ROBERT PATTINSON TELLS ELLEN HE’S SINGLE

2. NIA LONG SETS OFF A BEYONCE FANS CAT FIGHT ON TWITTER

3. US WEEKLY THINK JESSICA SIMPSON & NICK LACHEY SHOULD RECONCILE

4. FHM’S TOP 20 MOST SEXIEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD

5. BEYONCE’S I AM TOUR – SET LIST!

6. 2 BAZAAR MICHAEL JACKSON COVER STORIES

7. WHITNEY HOUSTONS NEW ALBUM COVER IS HONEST

8. THE TWILIGHT COMIC SERIES IS ON ITS WAY

9. JON GOSSELIN: DIVORCE TO DATING IN 20 DAYS

10. THE 61ST EMMY NOMINEES ARE ANNOUNCED

To follow Horiwood on twitter, go here. Horiwood’s  latest tweet is: horiwood@Qorianka has so GOT to be cast as Leah in Twilight’s 3rd Eclipse film. She’s a stunner…http://bit.ly/T3NRZabout 1 hour ago from web

The only plus I can see in this US Weekly Magazine cover, is that Nick Lachey does know what Jessica Simpson’s dad and manager (Joe Simpson) is like.

But divorced and now dumped by Tony Romo when she’s 29, is not faring well for Jess in the love department. Poor girl!

What’s worse about this is poor Jess was dumped the day before her birthday! Here’s what the NY Daily News had to say: 

Talk about bad timing!

Tony Romo called it quits with Jessica Simpson the night before her 29th birthday,People.com reports.

“She is heartbroken,” says the source. “She loves Tony. But it’s been difficult lately. He’s busy with his career and she’s getting ready to shoot her show (The Price of Beauty). They decided to part ways.”

Speculation about the couple’s recent split arose when the Dallas Cowboys quarterback and 14 of his friends partied at Hollywood hotspot MyHouse on Friday night – Simpson’s 29th birthday – without the birthday girl.

This isn’t the first break-up for the couple, who began dating in 2007.

Romo reportedly dumped Simpson last May, but was able to patch things up in time to attend sister Ashlee Simpson’s wedding a few days later.

The couple’s split may be good news to Cowboys fans as Simpson, who wore a pink No. 9 jersey to games, was thought to be bad luck to Romo’s football performance. The singer was even nicknamed “Yoko Romo.”

Simpson is said to have planned a Barbie and Ken-themed birthday party for July 10, however no such event happened.

“Barbie party didn’t happen, but I turned 29 and feel like I am on top of the world yelling I LOVE GETTING OLDER!” she wrote on Twitter.

Although a suddenly single Simpson may be heartbroken, the singer is staying positive.

“Everyone needs to know that hope floats … grab the strings and pull it back to you,” she tweeted.

Simpson’s rep had no comment. Romo’s rep could not be reached for comment.

A rumor popped up that Jessica’s dad is to blame for the break-up.  Tony Romo got fed up that her dad, Joe Simpson, kept meddling in their affairs.  Allegedly, Joe kept telling Tony how to run his job properly. 

Because, even though the official reason given for the recent Jessica Simpson/ Tony Romo split was that their schedules keep them apart too much, some sources are saying that it’s all down to Old Man Simpson and his meddlin’ ways. Fox reports:

“At one point Joe was even giving Tony football advice which doesn’t go down well,” said an insider. “Tony was a football superstar before he got mixed up in Hollywood, this move will be probably be good at least for his career.”

I was lucky enough to be at a lecture the other day being given by Joe Simpson.  For those of you who don’t know Joe, he is famous for his attempt to climb the Peruvian mountain Siula Grande with his climbing partner Simon Yates in 1985.  They succeeded where many had failed but an unfortunate accident on the way down led to Joe breaking his leg.  Simon attempted to get him back down the mountain but during a bad storm and poor visibility he lowered Joe over a ledge on a rope, the rope got caught and after 1.5 hours of holding the rope Simon knew he had to cut it to survive.  Joe fell but somehow managed to survive the fall and the rest of the story, as detailed in the book and film  ”Touching the Void”, is about Joe’s struggle to drag himself down the mountain.  Against all the odds both climbers lived to tell the tale.

I’d already seen the film a number of times, and we’re all big fans of the story here at Marton House so I was particularly pleased to discover I was going to hear Joe give a motivational speech.  I wasn’t disappointed either.  Joe spoke for over an hour and recounted the tale with little emotion, a difficult thing considering what he went through and it was a truly enlightening experience.

This post isn’t about what a great motivational speaker Joe is, though I’d highly recommend seeing him if you can, this post is about one tiny little thing he said about his experience.

As motivational speakers we quite often use a mountain as a metaphor, in fact one of our friends Clay Lowe uses it in situ as he takes his students up the side of Mount Snowdon.  However is reaching the top all it’s cracked up to be?

When Joe and Simon reached the top of Siula Grande they had a brief moment of elation, they reveled in the views and then they suddenly realised there was nowhere else to go – apart from down.  This was the only point during his presentation he looked slightly emotional and he claimed this realisation was a crushing blow for both of them. On the way back down hardly a word was uttered until the fateful accident happened.

Is it lonely at the top?  Does part of us die when we get there?  How can we eliminate these feelings?

Always having a goal is part of the answer, something that is difficult in mountaineering as every journey has a beginning and an end. When we went up the mountain with Clay we didn’t make it to the top, a crushing blow for us but did the experience bring us closer and make us stronger as a team because of the failure?

You can read more about Joe and Simon’s story here and here.

Ireland A 49 England A 22

England were comprehensively outplayed in temperatures approaching 120 degrees in Colorado for the Churchill Cup Final. Ireland were better man for man and England were only equal at scrum and lineout. You could not fault England’s tactics but one had to question the personnel.

What was the point of taking Danny Cipriani on tour if he was there merely to warm the bench? A quiet word in Cipriani’s ear from Geech would have told him that he was not first choice replacement (Hook was) and he’d be on the operating table, recuperating for a very important season on the way to 2011. England do not have a fly half who is worthy of a top four national team! Unless you’re expecting Johnny Wilkinson to be fit for the next 24 months which is asking a bit much, since last time that happened Danny was playing for Whitgift U16s!  Equally Simpson is on fire and surely deserved a starting place in the final.

One had to feel sorry for Flatman who had an excellent tour and is looking back to his best but the excellence in England’s outfit stopped at #1.  The Saxons team has been a launch pad for some great careers, Ugo Moyne Saxons to Lions being a case in point. By the look of this (coupled with the U20s defeat to NZ), the coaches have some work to do to 2011. For Ireland, the entire backline from Boss to Jones had pace and power beyond their opponent and Felix Jones at FB was deservedly given the man of the match. Watch out for Fergus McFadden at #13, definitely one to watch.

“You could throw me in the fire and I wont be burned for my faith is your desire and your love endures, you could throw me in the prison cell shackle me up against the rail but time and time again my faith wont fail, for he’ll prevail in the midst of all, my trials and tribulations and he’ll prevail in the midst of all my sin and temptations he’ll prevail when I and he will pick me up for time and time again my faith wont fail time and time again my faith wont fail.”                                                                          - lyrics to song “Faith Won’t Fail”

“And ill give you my heart, say I love you, say I love you, and ill give you my heart, say I love you, cause I do, Jesus…” – lyrics to song “”When There’s Nothing Left”

These lyrics were penned and sung by a young Christian artist by the name of Katy Hudson who toured with such Christian bands as Newsboys, Larue, and Jennifer Knapp.  Seven years later this singer was singing to a different tune as this artist’s hit single of last summer went something like this…

I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chap stick, I kissed a girl, just to try it. I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it, it felt so wrong, it felt so right, don’t mean im in love tonight” - lyrics to song “I Kissed a Girl”

With a new name, attitude, and look, Katy Hudson reemerged in the music scene as Katy Perry, scoring a number one single for the summer, a top-selling album, and a lot of pissed off Christian parents.  This would include her own, who both are evangelical ministers in a Pentecostal church.  Her mom said this about her daughter’s new life and last summer’s single “I hate the song. It clearly promotes homosexuality and its message is shameful and disgusting.” “Katy knows how I feel. We are a very outspoken family and she knows how disappointed her father and I are. I can’t even listen to that song. The first time I heard it I was in total shock. When it comes on the radio I bow my head and pray.”

However, Perry is not the only one in Hollywood with the Christian background who is known for anything but Jesus.  Joe Simpson, otherwise known as Papa Joe, is a former Southern Baptist Youth Pastor who now manages the careers of his two famous daughters, Ashley and Jessica Simpson.  The former pastor is known for his sleazy quotes on his own daughters’ sexuality and image.  When asked about Jessica’s sex appeal he said to GQ magazine “Jessica never tries to be sexy. She just IS sexy. If you put her in a T-shirt or you put her in a bustier, she’s sexy in both. She’s got DOUBLE Ds! You can’t cover those suckers up.”  His daughter, Jessica brushed aside the comment.  Jessica came upon the music scene during the Britney Spears-Christina Aguilera pop scene as the innocent girl who was saving herself for marriage.  The Simpson Christian image started off well but slowly took a turn for the worse when Jessica’s image got sexed up (reminder: Papa Joe has been her manager since she started).  I’m not even going to touch upon her sister’s embarrassing singing career and marriage to Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz.

When I think of these such things, I can easily get upset and confused.  How can people who once sang and preached the Gospel represent the sin that they once claimed Jesus redeemed them from?  How do we respond to celebrities who once represented the Gospel and now represent unrepentant sin?  Are these celebrities apostates, people who abandon their Christian faith and should we treat them like apostates?  And what does this tell our teenagers in the church who is usually more familiar with the Hollywood culture then Jesus?  Well, first we must know that questions like these have been around since the beginning and the answers weren’t clear then and won’t be as clear here as well.  However, we can learn from what the church did in history with apostates and what scripture says about people who have seemingly fallen away from their faith.

Apostates in the Early Church

An apostate is someone who at one time represented Jesus Christ as a Christian and has now denied their Christian faith either through their words or actions.  This was a serious offence in the Christian church, which resulted in death at times when Christianity was intermingled with the state.  During the Roman Empire era, Christians were tortured and killed for their faith unless they denounced their worship of Jesus.  The people who denounced Jesus either for their life or their families lives presented a problem for the church as some would try to come back to Jesus and the church right after their denunciation of Christ.  The church first denied them, believing that if they were true Christians they never would’ve denied Jesus in the first place and would’ve been honored to die a martyr’s death.  As Christian persecution increased, more and more Christians were put into this predicament resulting in churches to differ with each other on the repentance of these “apostates” who publicly denied their faith.  Of course, this is completely different as people were verbally denying Christ to save their physical lives where today in America we have people who are called apostates who deny Christ through their lives.  I’d ask two things about these so-called celebrity apostates.

Are We Asking This Question Out of Our Obsession with Christian Celebrity?

First, we must get rid of our obsession with the celebrity culture, whether it’s Hollywood or the Christian sub-culture.  I know many people think of Hollywood as Satan and the world but we really need to start thinking of them as a culture that needs redeemed and start thinking of the Christian sub-culture as people who claim to be redeemed but still broken, sinful people who will mess up.  When the Christian subculture was created, Christians were happy to have their own Hollywood where they can “praise” Jesus through their art but at the same time satisfy their Hollywood following.  Now we have a “Christian version” of movies, music, video games, etc.  Now don’t get me wrong, I know this has been done by people who want to authentically worship Jesus, lead others in worship of Jesus, and to provide a “safe, family friendly” alternative to  the sinful media world out there.  The problem is that the Christian subculture is still sinful human beings who at their best do nothing but point back to Jesus through the Holy Spirit and at their worse get divorced like the rest of the world (Amy Grant, Kevin Max of dc Talk, possibly Jon & Kate plus 8 who’s book is in the top 10 Christian book sales and sold through Zondervan, the biggest Christian book distributor), stop singing about their faith and start singing about kissing girls (Katy Perry), or get dropped from their Christian label for marital infidelity after making several albums with Christian rap songs about the temptations of sexual sin (Ambassador from Cross Movement Records).  I don’t bring this all up to judge these people for their sin but to remind us that our holy, Christian sub-culture can easily look like the world.  This is normal for the average Christian at church but becomes a bigger deal when they are looked upon as Christian celebrities.  When the Gospel is being heard from their mouth or seen through their actions it was because of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.  When they screw up like we all do, we know that it’s part of their nature and we follow scripture as the church in church discipline and a call for repentance.  But don’t judge them harsher then the average person sitting next to you on Sunday for their Hollywood Christian status.

What Do They Say About Jesus?

Second, ask what celebrity apostates are saying about Jesus?  This is not including the average thank you Jesus after a touchdown, acceptance of an award speech, or Jesus is my homeboy t-shirt worn.  But what do they say about the exclusivity of salvation & Heaven through Jesus, the importance of Jesus Christ as the only Godman who walked on earth, his messianic fulfillments, etc.  What do they say about Jesus still?  You’ll find it harder to hear what they say about this subject but it’s a good indicator on how to think of them in way of a fallen Christian being tempted by the world or a celebrity apostate.  When their life starts reflecting nothing but the sin shown in Scripture and you hear less about Jesus, then you’re going to get a better feel about where they are at and how you should view them. If these people in the limelight that we are so concerned about is a member of our church then we do need to be concerned for their claims of being a Christian.  Remember it is Jesus’ place to judge the heart and our place to treat them like they know Jesus or not.  Church discipline and prayer is also our responsibility but is the last thing that we think about for we all know that we aren’t going to meet these people so instead resort to anger over their testimony as a so-called “Christian.” 

I know that I got mad at Papa Joe’s statements on his daughter’s breasts as a Christian father but he is no different then the average lost person who would say something stupid like that.  I also know that this Simpson family is one of the closest families in the Hollywood business and are there for each other through the thick and thin of the Hollywood gossip or latest Eminem song slamming on their family.  Jessica still talks about Jesus and even ended her latest GQ article with a quote talking about her dependence on God.  The journalist gave signs of authenticity in these statements and I don’t doubt it as she get less and less popular.  I don’t know if this family knows the true Jesus or not but I do know that they have heard and even preached the Gospel before and can still repent of sin and live abundantly in Jesus.  But JoePa and the rest of the Simpson family doesn’t go to my church and I can only pray for their lives and influence out of a burden that i would have for any teenager i encounter who is struggling with sin that is separating them from God.

I honestly think that we need to be careful in our judgment upon all sides of the world where we put anyone in a place of influence in media.  Whether it’s through a Christian subculture, a Christian in secular media living for Jesus, a claimed Christian in secular media not living for Jesus, or a once claimed Christian in secular media who denounces Jesus through actions and words now.  Be careful in your obsession with their fame, take their pointing to Jesus as nothing but the work of Jesus and not them, pray for them when they mess up, and seek out those physical role models we have in our church who can physically point our teenagers to Jesus in their every day life, not just hear about it or see the cheesy ripped off from the world version of it.  This way we can point the good and bad back to Jesus and teach our students the sin of idol fame and putting hope into man over Jesus.  So when teenagers ask us if This band is a Christian band or if this actor is a Christian we can tell them what they said about Jesus and that it really doesn’t matter in a way. Because if they said all the things we evangelicals want to hear, we still know that they can mess up like every one of us and that the good things they do point back to Jesus, not them.  In this way when their favorite Christian female artist starts singing about kissing girls and their favorite Christian rapper cheats on his wife we can remember the Gospel and it’s fruit and forget our sinful selves that get in the way of that loving, always forgiving message.

Comments and articles herein are the intellectual property and opinions of the writers and may not be copied without permission of the writers.

by FloridaBravesGirl

I haven’t been to Turner Field for a few years… I was happy to see that the big chopping cow is not really that prominent & most unhappy to see that the BBQ no longer bears Skip & Pete’s names. Boo hiss.

Is anything cuter than those Little Leaguers parading around the field?

O Canada was sung beautifully by a member of the Atlanta Opera, followed by a somewhat less-polished Star Spangled Banner by a children’s choir. The entertainment value makes up for the few wince-inducing notes.

I was not aware there was a Kosher Day but the rabbi throwing out the first pitch sure seemed excited. Nice throw, sir.

Why do cheap hot dogs taste so good at the ballpark?

Filled out your All-Star ballots yet? I did a handful.

Why do the Braves hire the DMV photographer to take their player pics? Eek.

A very cool thing the Braves are doing: the Hometown Hero presentation. Every Sun. they introduce a recently returned local soldier on the field. The standing ovation for that gentleman was long & loud.

Do y’all think they have fans blowing the cinnamon-glazed nuts’ aroma into the stands? Mmm.

Even when he’s hurting Chipper still comes up with the big hit.

Woohoo! Diory’s 1st ( & 2nd) ML hit! Hope there’s many more.

A 7-run 7th! Jim, Don & Jake got to give away $$$ on radio.

Mac must have known I was wearing my new #16 shirt. That was worth sitting through a rainout the previous Sun., driving down in the rain & back home in a monsoon.

FBG

See More Jessica Simpson shoes Product

Today we have guest “Blonde” Erika Brooks Adickman weighing in on Hannah Montana: The Movie:

ERIKA SAYS:

If the previews before your movie you are about to see are all animated, star talking animals, or involve Eddie Murphy playing a dad, it’s probably a good indication that movie you paid 10 bucks plus parking to see is not meant for your demographic.  If that is not clear enough for you here is a “creeper scale” to help you figure out how much of a creeper you will look like if you see this movie:

See 12 year old girl: normal.  Mom or Dad just above that.  26 year old woman you’re already at the age where kids start to look at you and think “Stranger Danger” even if you think you’re hip enough to see a Disney kids movie.  Next to that is a gay dude.  Cause at first you think “What are those two guys doing seeing Hannah Montana: The Movie” and then you go “Ohhhh, it’s a date.  Oh yeah I can see how there’s some serious kitch factor to Miley Cyrus”.  Above that is a straight dude.  If you are a straight male seeing this movie alone (even if it’s cause you lost a bet) you are going to look like a major creeper.  And if you are seeing this movie alone you probably are.  And wayyyy above that is Billy Ray Cyrus in this movie (but more on that in a minute).

Here’s the gist of Hannah Montana: The Movie:
Miley Stewart played by by Miley Cyrus is just your average teenage girl trying to live out every tween’s dream: the life and career of one of the world’s biggest pop stars and the life of an average high schooler.  But how can Miley have the “best of both worlds”?  Leave it to daddy Robby Ray (played by real life dad billy ray) to figure that out.  Slap on a blonde wig and some chintzy big earrings and faster than you can say “clarkkentissuperman” you’ve got yourself a secret identity.  Somewhere along the way Miley has gotten way to attached to the fame and perks of being Hannah.  So her dad decides to wrangle her back to her hometown of Crowley, Tennessee to visit her Grandma and get back to her roots.  Along the way Miley will fall in love, try to avoid a British tabloid reporter out to get the scoop on Hannah’s big secret, save a town with her music, and have many, many, many prat falls.

Let me just say that the movie opens with Miley and her BFF Lilly (Emily Osment sister of Hayley Joel) trying to get in to an arena where “Hannah” will be performing.  Miley is running late to her own concert but the guy at the front wont let them in.  She and Lilly will have to sneak in.  And I thought to myself, (and by thought i mean, shouted to the movie screen)  “As if!”  As if, Miley wouldn’t have a cell phone (probably an iPhone) to call her dad and be like “Dad I’m late let me in!”.  And, as if the security backstage wouldn’t have been alerted that if they see a girl who looks a lot like Hannah Montana but with brown hair is walking around she is not a security threat.  Saying things like this and laughing at the movie actually isn’t as fun as you would think or as fun as I expect.  It actually of makes you feel like a lone Miranda in a sea of Charlottes.  You think, “When did i get to be such a cynical old biotch?  But I also wonder if i would have ever been into Miley at 13.  Would I have idolized her?  At 13 i loved movies like Adventures in Babysitting and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead and The Babysitters Club (wow I must have had a thing for movies with Babysitter in the title).  But at least those movies involved swearing, kissing Josh Charles, and hiding your type 1 diabetes from a cute foreign exchange student.

I will say this, if you if you’ve got a big sweet tooth for Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, country hoedowns, and saccharin teen pop music it might be worth it for you to see this movie inspite of all the obvious flaws.  In spite of myself, the song “The Climb” gave me goosebumps and I went home and downloaded the hoedown throwdown) because i love songs where the dance is built right in.  And in case you’re wondering, yes I taught myself the dance after many many watches on YouTube.  So maybe I’m not such a miserable crone after all.

But I can’t in good consciousness recommend this movie.  Unless you’re babysitting your niece or are a huge Miley fan just wait and Netflix it if you’re curious at all what it’s like.  There are so many other things you could put your 10 dollars (plus parking) towards.  Instead, take 2 of those 10 dollars and download “The Climb” and “Hoedown Throwdown” and watch an old episode of Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel.  You’ll be happy driving around in your car for a good week and after watching 22 minutes of Miley on TV, glad you dodged a bullet.

Some thoughts on the movie from an ADD’d mind that can’t consolidate these into lovely paragraphs:

• Tyra Banks is in this movie. Now, I know Tyra is trying to model her career after Oprah. Well here’s something Oprah would NEVER do: a cameo in a Hannah Montana movie. She did The Color Purple, a movie directed by Steven Spielberg. She didn’t have a fake fight with Miley Cyrus on screen over shoes.
• This movie is SKAWEEEKY clean. I don’t know if they ran they film negative through Purell or rubbing alcohol before they sent it to be edited or what. But there is not one swear word, zero violence, and zero kissing. That’s right. There’s a barely legal hunky cowboy and you don’t even get to see them kiss. Sorry to disappoint all you twelve-ies.
• But because of the Disney sanitation of this film all of the jokes have to come from over the top, slap stick bits. And these bits go on FOR-EV-EVER. You just sit there and go this wasn’t that funny and it just keeps wandering off into further unfunnydom.
• In fact, the only thing questionable about this film is the way Hannah Montana dresses. She looks like she shops in the skank section of Forever 21 who probably smells like a combination of 2 different Victoria Secret Body Sprays. I’m relieved that cowboy Travis prefers Miley to Hannah. It sends a message you young girls out there that you don’t have to dress like a tart to impress a boy.
• Why is it that movies with a secret identity eventually unravel over a double booked dinner date (a la Mrs. Doubtfire)?
• With out giving too much away this movie had one of the most intense emotional scenes to involve a revolving door that I have ever witnessed in a movie. I don’t want to say too much but it had me in tears I was laughing so hard.
• Billy Ray Cyrus. It is impossible to watch this movie and not think of that Annie Liebovitz Vanity Fair spread of the two of them nuzzling. I simply can’t trust a dad with a soul patch with a teenage daughter. Especially a dad who has found a way to use his daughter’s success to his own career advantage. I’m not sure who is a creepier Dad-ager him or Joe Simpson.

Now with a 10 minute highlights reel of the original 40 minute interview

Last week I was offered the enormous privilege of taking part in a project being run by Joe Simpson and Mark Charmer of the Movement Design Bureau. They’ve been tasked with looking at the perception of Ford’s sustainability message, from top to bottom and inside out. Having watched the project develop over the last few months, I leapt at the chance to be involved.

I was asked to review Joe and Mark’s interview with Sue Cischke, Ford’s group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering and provide my observations based on what I heard. Given Sue’s long and illustrious history in the industry, it wasn’t a task I took lightly. My take on things now been published for the world (and Ford) to read and I’m looking forward to seeing the reaction.

It wasn’t all about me, however, and I commend you to read the fantastic contributions from Dan Stuges, of Intrago, and Amy Johannigman and Robb Hunter from the University of Cincinnati’s storied Department of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning.

One of the really exciting aspects of  this project is that 4 people have come together and drawn three different, but highly related (and, in my view, relevant) conclusions from Joe and Mark’s interview with Sue.

Although small in scale, the process amply demonstrates the power of the internet to enable collaboration and connection between geographically dispersed stake-holders, something that Clay Shirky talked about to great effect in his 2005 presentation at TED.

Head over to Re*Move to see the other critiques, plus a whole lot more on the Ford project.

Comments and articles herein are the intellectual property and opinions of the writers and may not be copied without permission of the writers.

by FloridaBravesGirl

Opening Day! It seemed as if it would never get here. Now the fun begins!

…..And the questions .

Does Chipper have another great season in him? Can Lowe be the ace? Can Mac really contend for the MVP (thank you, Mr. Bradley)? Can JJ avoid the sophomore slump? Has Frenchy figured out how to play this game? How will Kawakami adjust? And has Mac learned any Japanese? Will Schafer live up to his spring? How long before Hanson gets called up?

Soon the answers will start to come to us. Soon we’ll see our Braves on the field again. We’ll hear Joe crack a joke in that deadpan voice and Boog giggle. We’ll get used to Jim and Don on radio but miss Skip and Pete all the while. Soon we’ll see what this team is made of. I for one see better days ahead… soon!

~FBG~

The saddest thing about Jon Mayer and Jennifer Anniston breaking up for the second time, is that his big face, made her chin look ladylike and pretty. Awwww! They are made for each other

Jon Mayer is not doing a tell all book on his break up with Jennifer Anniston. His rep says Star Magazine lied. Jon is a major gentleman after all!  msnbc

1. Met Baby David Beckham aka Fernando Torres yet? It’s his b’day – kickette

2. CNN, 360’s Anderson Cooper wants everyone to know that he’s a proud wasp, and that his wasp heritage does not allow him to disco in public - towleroad

3. Ben Affleck honors Hilary Clinton as a vital voice. Geez, those cougars in Washington make heavy demands on the Hollywood younger married types – just jared

4. Penelope or Monica Cruz. Hot and Hotter. hollywood tuna

5. Papa Joe suggests Jessica Simpson  should end it with Tony Romo -ino

6. Megan Fox dressed in hot pink, went shopping at bed, bath & beyond today to help stimulate the LA economy - just jared

7. New Tom Hanks and Ron Howard movie, Angels & Demons to face a boycottt from the Vatican -hollywoodreporter

8. Remember Chris Judd? No? me neither! J-Los ex parties in LA – lainey gossip

9. Motown legends, The Miracles get their star on the Walk of Fame - bossip

10. Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford’s latest round of press is just too hilarious – video gum