Our friend Jeffroger of DiningCebu.com emailed me last week about a new restaurant which opened just recently in Asiatown IT Park. Jeff revealed that the restaurant, called Out of Africa, is actually owned by a friend. And me and Line’s names came up when his friend asked him to taste some of the restaurant’s dishes and maybe blog about the experience. So, I told Line about the invite and, as expected, she said yes. A good friend once told me about this particular restaurant and he said that I should definitely give it a try. I was quite intrigued, so I did a little research myself. I found out that the restaurant serves exotic dishes. And by exotic, I mean ‘crocodile, ostrich, wild boar,  deer, and venison’ exotic. It’s quite big for me because I happen to have taste buds that reject anything that doesn’t taste like it’s cooked by my mother. Hahaha. Well, it was still a mighty good opportunity that I couldn’t turn my back on. After all, I don’t eat buaya every day. Haha.

—————————

Adobong Bu-aya! Can you handle it?

Out of Africa Pub and Bistro is located at the ground floor of Skyrise 1 in Asiatown IT Park in Lahug. The place is open 24/7 except early Sundays.

Zebra print. Feels like Africa. Hehe.

Traditional Pumpkin Soup at Php60. Quite tasty!

Vetkoek with 3 Sauces at 65. Actually, you’ll get ten pieces. We ate the first four before we could take pictures. Hahaha. This one is very yummy with creamy pepper!

Out Of Africa Melts. I love this! Very tender and juicy!

Out Of Africa Flame-Grilled Chicken Burger With Cheddar Cheese at 115. Very tasty.

Jeffroger of DiningCebu enjoying his burger.

This dish is the best. I didn’t get the name but I think it’s glazed pork chop. And it’s only 60 pesos! You guys should try it!

African Pork Ribs 160. Love this one, too!

Out Of Africa Kebabs Php89. This one comes with rice, I think. Very yummy.

Out Of Africa Flame-Grilled Chicken @ Php110. I didn’t quite remember the taste of this one. Hehehe. So many food to eat, so little time! Hahaha.

African Green Valley Salad 120. I think Line almost finished this one. Haha.

Grilled fish. I never tried this but it disappeared after just a few minutes. LOL.

We weren’t able to take photos of the deer and ostrich dish.

For more photos, visit Line’s blog —> Gastronomic Adventures

THE HUMAN REVOLUTION

The Radical Anthropology Group is running the following seminars for the Autumn Term 2009:

November 3rd: Marx’s anthropological writings and the current global crisis – HILLEL TICKTIN

November 10th: ‘Beauty Magic’: Cosmetics and the origins of culture – CAMILLA POWER

November 17th: Living cosmology day-to-day: the Mbendjele hunter-gathereres of Congo – JEROME LEWIS

November 24th: What future for the forest people? – JEROME LEWIS

December 1st: Hobbits and ‘Out of Africa’ – CHRIS STRINGER

December 8th: Totem and taboo – CHRIS KNIGHT

December 15th: A Christmas fairy tale: ‘The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces’ – CHRIS KNIGHT

All lectures take palce at the St. Martin’s Community Centre, 43 Carol Street, London NW1. Tuesdays 6.15-9.00

Website: http://www.radicalanthropologygroup.org

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

Whoo! This one was hard. I am such a movie lover – how to narrow it down? Well, here goes:

10 Favorite Movie Moments

1. Amadeus: My all time favourite movie – that I have bought at least 4 times and yet don’t possess a copy of…something is very wrong with that…

In Grade 6 we watched this movie and it literally changed my life. Discovering Mozart’s music was a tremendous gift.

The opening scene of Salieri’s suicide attempt where he is being rushed to hospital through the snow while Mozart’s Symphony No.25 in G Minor is playing interspersed with the ballroom dancing and light music (I don’t know what that music is – do any of you?) gives me goosebumps everytime. In fact just thinking of it is giving me goosebumps!

Most haunting are the closing credits with Tom Hulce’s laugh superimposed over Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor. I’m tearing up writing this!
This movie was pure genius.

2. Out of Africa: Second favourite movie. I loved this so much. I remember watching it on video — back when you had to rent the machines! and crying my eyes out. I wasn’t even a tween yet! Everything is so beautifully filmed and Robert Redford is his best “I love you – but you can’t hold on to me” character. (or is it?) What can I even say about Meryl Streep?

My favourite scene is when they are flying over the water/landscape and that gorgeous music is playing and Karen reaches up her hand and Denis takes it. (sadly I felt that the conclusion of BSG would have been better without that ripoff/homage – but I digress)

3. Hamlet – the 1990 version starring the great Melvin Gibson — sorry, I just can’t ever see him the same way again. Not without hearing “sugartits”. What a buffoon.

I loved his scene in the library with Polonius and the “words” discussion. Despite my love of Kenneth Branagh’s work, this is my favourite version of Hamlet.

The best scene/s to me are Helena Bonham Carter’s once Ophelia is mad. So heartbreaking.

4. LA Confidential – Oh I love this film. I saw it 3 times in the theatre if you can imagine! The 1st time I was having one of the worst days of my life and this film lifted me right out of my skin. Exactly what I needed.
 This still is my favourite scene. I knew it was going to happen but I had no clue why – this is one of the very few movies where I didn’t think while watching. A rarity for me.

The 2nd time I saw it the audience was small and an older lady shouted out “Holy Sh*t!!!” big breath in “Oh my God!!” when this scene happened. Soo funny. I wasn’t the only one fully absorbed!

5. Persuasion – my very favourite Austen movie or book. Mmmm Ciaran Hinds…Ahhh Captain Wentworth.
My favourite scene is when Capt. Wentworth sends Anne away with his sister in the buggy because he has noticed the walk has tired her. There is so much unsaid – the scene is fraught with emotion.

I also love Anne’s boldness in asking him to stay for the rest of the concert, towards the end of the movie. But…she does not look as well for a pic on the blog.

6. Pulp Fiction – Loved the dialogue in this film. Don’t get me wrong – it’s so violent and ugh the language. I couldn’t watch it now I don’t think. But at the time I loved it – -though I did threaten to walk out if Bruce Willis did anything with that chainsaw!

The interactions/dialogue between Jules and Vincent Vega were my favourite thing about the movie – and the lines have stayed with me. Best exchange in the film: ——-
Vincent: Want some bacon?
Jules: No man, I don’t eat pork.
Vincent: Are you Jewish?
Jules: Nah, I ain’t Jewish, I just don’t dig on swine, that’s all.
Vincent: Why not?
Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don’t eat filthy animals.
Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood.
Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’d never know ’cause I wouldn’t eat the filthy motherf*cker. Pigs sleep and root in shit. That’s a filthy animal. I ain’t eat nothin’ that ain’t got sense enough to disregard its own feces.
Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces.
Jules: I don’t eat dog either.
Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal?
Jules: I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true?
Jules: Well we’d have to be talkin’ about one charming motherf*ckin’ pig. I mean he’d have to be ten times more charmin’ than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I’m sayin’?

That and: “when I got finished, the towel didn’t look like no goddamn Maxi-Pad!”

7. Remains of the Day – gorgeous film. Again with the whole ‘left unsaid’ component.

The scene that stands out for me is when Mr.Stephens father is serving tea outdoors and there is a drop dangling from his nose. He’s spent his life in service, he’s clearly too old to continue but what is there for him? That scene crystallized the dilemma facing Miss Kenton and Mr Stephens – and all of the servants, it was the end of an era, an entire way of life (hopefully!) perfectly.
The pic is from one of the best parts of another movie that didn’t make this list! Who knows the reference?

8. Room With a View – another all time favourite film.
I think the best scene is when Lucy and her brother and George are playing tennis while their Mother and Aunt look on from tea. Sigh. What a lifestyle.

To think when I watched it I couldn’t stand Cecil and look at the brilliant career he’s had!

9. The Life Aquatic – I love all of Wes Andersen’s films. They slay me.

This I think might have some of the best lines.
Examples: When they burst in and find Jeff Goldblum playing cards with the kidnappers and he says “Steven, are you rescuing me?” and then says to the kidnappers “Fold.” and is shot.
When they arrive at Steve’s home and his wife greets him by saying ” Your cat’s dead.” and he replies, “What? Which one?”
When pirates board their ship and threaten one of the crew members and Zissou’s response is “Don’t point that gun at him, he’s an unpaid intern.”

But my favourite from this film is when Zissou falls down that winding staircase and looks up and says in a defeated tone “did you get that Vikram?” to the documentary film maker that’s been following them throughout. What a riot! Of course, anyone falling down is pretty damned funny if you ask me!

10. The Usual Suspects – best scene: when Verbal Kint walks out of the police station and slowly straightens up and as he does so the police officer/detective realizes that the story he was just told was made up from the things in his own office. Brilliant.
Hey – Kevin Spacey made it on this list twice….too bad he hasn’t made anything great lately. God he was scary in 7! Wait – so did Helena Bonham Carter. Hmmm…how about that.

What are your favourite movie moments?

I absolutely adore everything about this spread, the color, the model (Arlenis Sosa), and OF COURSE the accessories (many of which are last season Louis Vuitton). This was magnificently done. Big props to photographer Chad Pitman for this one.

Pics via models.com

Es gibt dieser Tage wohl kaum eine/n costume designer, der renomierter und erfolgreicher ist als Milena Canonero. Die gebürtige Italienerin studierte in Genua Kunst, Design-Geschichte und Kostümdesign, bevor sie nach England zog. Dort arbeitete sie zunächst in der Werbebranche, wodurch sie erste Kontakte zum Filmbusiness knüpfte. Ihren ersten Job als Kostümdesignerin einer Filmproduktion verschaffte ihr kein geringerer als Stanley Kubrick, der sich mit ihrer Arbeit für A Clockwork Orange (1971) mehr als belohnt für sein Vertrauen sah.

Barry Lyndon 1975

Ihren ersten Achtungserfolg landete sie jedoch mit Kubricks nächstem Projekt Barry Lyndon (1975), dessen Rokoko-Kostüme zur Zeit der Veröffentlichung des Films in der Branche als künstlerischer Meilenstein gewürdigt wurden. Entsprechend gewann sie für Barry Lyndon ihren ersten Oscar als beste Kostümdesignerin, dem noch zwei weitere für Chariots of Fire (1981) und Marie Antoinette (2006) folgten. Ebenfalls wurde sie zweimal mit dem BAFTA-Award für ihre Arbeit in Chariots of Fire und The Cotton Club (1984) ausgezeichnet. Ihre preisgekrönten Kostümdesigns entstammen also allesamt dem historischen Fach.

The Affair of the Necklace 2001

Dem jüngeren Publikum sind sicherlich ihre Kreationen aus Marie Antoinette bestens bekannt, ebenso ihre Arbeit für The Affair of the Necklace (2001). Es kommt wohl nicht von ungefähr, dass Milena Canonero oft in Projekte involviert war, die hauptsächlich von ihrer visuellen Ästhetik getragen wurden, wie es z.B. bei Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Dick Tracy (1990) oder Marie Antoinette der Fall war.

Out of Africa 1985

Canoneros Arbeiten zeichnen sich durch ihr kreatives und handwerklich hohes Niveau aus und viele von ihnen gehören zu meinen absoluten Lieblingsfilmkostümen, wie vor allem das Hochzeitskleid aus Out of Africa (1985), im übrigen ein Film, dessen Kostüme in den 80er Jahren einen weltweiten Fashiontrend auslösten. Ihr neustes Projekt The Wolfman kommt nächstes Jahr in die Kinos.

Hier eine Auswahl aus Milena Canoneros Filmkreationen:

• Barry Lyndon , 1974, Regie Stanley Kubrick
• Chariots of Fire, 1981, Hugh Hudson
• The Cotton Club, 1984,  Francis Ford Coppola
• Out of Africa, 1985,  Sidney Pollack
• Dick Tracy, 1990, Warren Beatty
• The Godfather III., 1990, Francis Ford Coppola
• Titus, 1999, Julie Taymor
• The Affair of the Necklace, 2001, Charles Shyer
• Marie Antoinette, 2006, Sophia Coppola

]]> http://adisasullivan.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/sweet-sweet-win/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:33:05 +0000 adisasullivan http://adisasullivan.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/sweet-sweet-win/

Ghana Takes Brazil !!!

There are some stories that stay with you.  I remember being told one by a Ghanaian friend.

A certain business man wanted to bring his business success so he acquired a small shrine, an object of spiritual power.  He was assured that it  asked only that a libation of pure water be poured to it from time to time.  His business started to grow but soon the shrine requested palm wine in return for it’s help. Subsequently it asked for local strong drink, and eventually imported schnapps. He brought what was asked for. The business prospered.

One day the spirit of the shrine asked for the blood of a chicken, and then sometime after, the sacrifice of a sheep.  Business boomed.  One memorable day it demanded the sacrifice of a cow.  The man complied.  After all, he had the money now.

At last came the day when the shrine asked for the life of his youngest child.  The business man recoiled, stunned.  He refused.

And, said my Ghanaian friend, matter-of-factly, “He went bankrupt.”

For the longest time, we’ve been visiting various Pacific and Asian beach resorts with the hopes of running into one of those Japanese bikini idols. Actually since it never happened, meeting Ms Bikini-san, I’m usually just content to get away from it all for a few weeks in the tropics.

Bangtao Beach, Phuket, Thailand

We’ve been to locations from Phuket in Thailand to Palau, from The Philippines (Cebu) to Pattaya, and with assorted stops in Saipan, Guam, Bali, Hawaii, Okinawa, Cairns, and even Vietnam. We’ve discussed Art in Asia and Europe. We’ve talked about our favorite films, and some of our own travel destinations.

But you know which place hasn’t gotten any coverage in my columns? Africa is the answer. I’ve not set foot in the place. I mean none of it.  But lots of the world’s best film makers have. So….

… for today’s discussion let’s look at some recent and some not so recent movies set in and or about Africa. Let’s begin with a trio of recent titles. First will be Blood Diamond (2006) which was directed by Edward Zwick. Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio as smuggler/adventurer Danny Archer,Jennifer Connelly as journalist Maddy Bowen, and Djimon Hounsou as Solomon Vandy, who found the diamond, is a thrilling tale of adventure and survival and a provocative thought-piece on conflict diamonds .

The opening title cards flash by:

Sierra Leone, 1999
Civil War rages for control of the diamond fields
Thousands have died and millions have become refugees
None of whom has ever seen a diamond.

Our three leads buck the odds in a race of survival. This picture isn’t so much about pretty images as opposed to a powerful story. With 5 Oscar nominations to its credit, it is very well worth your time and effort to see this movie.

Hotel Rwanda (2004), like Blood Diamond is about troubled times. Set in Rwanda in 1994, against a background of the genocide conducted by the Hutus against the Tutsi, a conflict which inflamed the country and left a million dead. One of the tag lines from the movie was:

When the world closed its eyes, he opened his arms

Don Cheadle, playing real life hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina, performed what can be best described as assuming the role of an Oskar Schindler, as he safely housed over 1200 refugees at the hotel, as the war raged around him. You will also note that Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix round out the cast.

Our 3rd recent movie about Africa is Catch a Fire (2006). Set in the 1980’s in South Africa, a good man Patrick Chamusso played by American Derek Luke is accused of being a terrorist by the authorities, headed by Tim Robbins as the savage Inspector Nic Vos.

The Spark that Ignites Us, Unites Us

This film was marketed with an excellent tag-line (above). While it cannot be considered a box-office winner, I find that this movie was well meant and thoughtful.

Now let’s turn back the time machine. Cry the Beloved Country (1995) was before anything else a novel. Written by Alan Paton in 1948, South Africa at that time was putting its system of apartheid into place. Paton was one of the first voices to speak against this social injustice. The novel was first made into a movie in 1951 and starred Sidney Poitier and Canada Lee.

This 1995 remake starred James Earl Jones and Richard Harris in the story of two fathers; one a poor black minister and the other a well-to-do and powerful white settler. Both of these fathers faced the certainty that apartheid was the contributory factor that brought each of them to the worst news any parent wants to hear – the loss of a child.

At the halfway point of this article, let’s introduce A Dry White Season.This 1989 movie was adapted from the novel of the same name by author Andre Brink. Donald Sutherland portrays a South African school teacher, Ben du Toit, who considered himself insulated and separate from the often shocking system of apartheid. When his gardener’s son is picked up in a student demonstration in Soweto by the police, and treated brutally, followed by the disappearance of the gardener too, Ben feels he must take some action.

What Ben did not realize that by taking this public and opposing position, this would leave him alienated from his friends, his colleagues, and even his own family. Marlon Brando (above) does a turn as a lawyer hired by Ben. Susan Sarandon and Jurgen Prochnow (standing in the witness box above) round out the cast in this powerful story whose theme is: One cannot be free until all are free.

Continuing with the topic of apartheid, let’s have a look at one of the better films. Richard Attenborough directed the 1987 film Cry Freedom which starred Kevin Kline and Denzel Washington. This movie used as its source the real life stories of Donald Woods and Steve Biko.

Biko was an anti-apartheid activist and Woods was a Capetown editor who eventually brought his story to the rest of the world. Biko’s protests ultimately brought him death, and Woods and family had to leave their life in their home country to flee to England in order to publish the book.

While life in South Africa under apartheid was not fully realized in this film, nor was the film really about Biko’s efforts, or about the black perspective, it is still a moving story, and was considered a prestigious movie.

Dian Fossey was a naturalist and an anthropologist who studied the rare mountain gorillas. Her story brought to film in 1988 was called Gorillas in the Mist. Sigourney Weaver did not fight the Alien in this film. Instead she took on poachers and animal traders as Dian. The tag line of the movie was,

At the far ends of the earth she found a reason to live,

and a cause to fight for.

The film actually had Weaver as the star ably supported by Bryan Brown. But also starring were the gorillas themselves and the Rwanda locations. You’ll never forget this story of passion and obsession.

Our last film for this article was the most successful of this bunch. Directed by Sidney Pollack, Out of Africa was released on December 18, 1985. It garnered 7 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay.  Meryl Streep, portraying Baroness Karen Blixen, was nominated for Best Actress.

This film was made from Blixen’s book, Out of Africa, written under her pseudonym, Isak Dinensen. The story is best described by this quote from film critic Roger Ebert’s review:

What we have here is an old-fashioned,
intelligent, thoughtful love story,
told with enough care and attention
that we really get involved in the
passions among the characters.

Karen Blixen left Denmark to marry her ex-lover’s brother in what was then called British East Africa. The time was 1915 just ahead of World War I. Today this country is known as Kenya. And it is a beautiful place. In fact, the land is so wonderfully filmed, that the images of Kenya, shown from the air, create an indelible image for the viewer.

Dinesen’s words also resonate. The book opens with:

I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills…

And what of this memorable passage from the book articulated by Streep as Blixen:

If I know a song of Africa,
of the giraffe and the African
new moon lying on her back,
of the plows in the fields
and the sweaty faces of the
coffee pickers…
does Africa know a song of me?

It is no wonder that this film swept the Oscars. The lovely words, the fine acting and direction, the stunning images of East Africa itself make this a truly memorable movie.

And there you have it. Africa on screen for your perusal. Africa has been called the Dark Continent; it is both mysterious and magnificent. It’s issues and it’s glories will both amaze you as well as make you hopping mad. But those are just the inspirations you need to get you started.

I hope I’ve pointed you in the right direction so you may begin your cinematic travels to Africa. And I hope you’ve enjoyed this column. When you do watch these films, at a time of your own choosing and depending on what is available at your local DVD rental outlet, I’m sure you will remember reading about them here. Of course you can always stop by our website, The Arts, whenever you want. We have no borders. No need for a visa – a computer connected to the internet is all you need.

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Swedish/Norwegian
Meaning: “brother.”

The name, which in modern Swedish and Norwegian still means brother, is from an Old Nordic name, Bróðir meaning “brother.” It was originally bestowed on a second son. It was very common in the 19th-century, and is now considered rather dated in Scandinavia. There is a more unusual Latinized Danish form, Broderus. Its designated name-day is October 5. The name was borne by Bror von Blixen-Finecke (b.1886-1946) a key subject in the novel, (written by his wife Karen Von Blixen) Out of Africa. Other forms of the name include the Dutch Broder, German Bruder, the East Frisian Broer; the diminutive is Brörke (Credit goes to Capucine for suggesting the latter four variants).

We continue to pray and solicit prayer for Amanda Lindhout,and Nigel Brennen who have been held captive in Somalia for over a year.

The latest issue of the Proceedings from the National Academy of Science journal hosts a Out of Africa: Modern Human Origins special feature for free online. I recommend you check it out.

September 22nd, 2009 Cover of the PNAS Out of Africa: Modern Human Origins Special

• Editorial by Richard G. Klein, “Darwin and the recent African origin of modern humans.”
• Perspective by Ian Tattersall, “Human origins: Out of Africa.”
• Perspective by Timothy D. Weaver, “The meaning of Neandertal skeletal morphology.”
• Research Article by J. J. Hublin, “The origin of Neandertals.”
• Research Article by Michael P. Richards and Erik Trinkaus, “Isotopic evidence for the diets of European Neanderthals and early modern humans.”
• Research Article by John F. Hoffecker, “The spread of modern humans in Europe.”
• Research Article by G. Philip Rightmire, “Middle and later Pleistocene hominins in Africa and Southwest Asia.”
• Research Article by Francesco d’Errico, et al., “Additional evidence on the use of personal ornaments in the Middle Paleolithic of North Africa.”
• Research Article by Michael DeGiorgio, et al.,”Explaining worldwide patterns of human genetic variation using a coalescent-based serial founder model of migration outward from Africa.”

Unfortunately, I have not yet had the time to read any of these papers but they I reckon they should be somewhat enlightening.

Unfortunately, due to a technical problem, we were unable to broadcast this week’s editons of OUT OF AFRICA and SIMPLY OUT OF THIS WORLD last evening.

Pictured: JPR (left) with world musis sensation Oumou at South Hill Park 2009

Out of Africa – 1986

director: Sidney Pollack

costume designer: Milena Canonero

University of Arizona’s Michael Hammer, a population geneticist, has been investigating the migration of ancient Asians into the New World. Scientists are now investigating base pair variation or single nucleotide polymorphisms, to reconstruct family trees dating back thousands of years ago.

Homo erectus

Through research, Hammer has discovered a sequence on the X chromosome that suggests that modern humans that arrived in Asia bred with “archaic hominids” called Homo erectus. Hammer hopes that modern human DNA will contain small bits of information that can be used to trace back to the archaic form.

Hammer’s research tests the “Out of Africa” theory that modern humans (homo sapiens) evolved in Africa, and migrated into the rest of the world, replacing inferior species such as Homo erectus and the Neanderthals.

Hammer uses polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, to copy the samples of DNA that he takes from the Y chromosome, which is passed from father to son. The Y chromosome was believed to have no polymorphic diversity, but Hammer explained that is not entirely true. The Y chromosome does have diversity, one must look at hundreds of sequences to find these diversities however.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Hammer found polymorphisms in the Y chromosome and started to construct a family tree of these polymorphisms, which lead back to a comman African ancestor dating back over 100,000 years ago.

Hammer is continuing his research in hopes to trace the roots of humankind.

I know a number of Westerners who crossed the Sahara coming south to West Africa- the adventure trip of a lifetime.

I have also often read the stories of young Africans risking their lives to traverse the Sahara and cross the Mediterranean in chancy illegal boats to southern Europe- dreaming of  a promising new start.  Somehow I’ve thought that this involved “other” West African countries, not Ghana, where the government is stable, and things are somehow shinier.

Then I happened on to this BBC Slideshow. It starts out with stunning pictures of Ghana, including the Cape Coast slave castle from which millions were sent to the Americas as slaves.  It took me sixteen years in Ghana before I was brave enough to don funeral garb and visit a castle. They are now white-washed and sterile, like the bleached bones of a  beached whale, but still powerful in evoking past evils.

This slide show follows the steps of a young Ghanaian desperate enough to try it.  For many it is achingly hard to get a start, just a foothold on life.

If the findings mentioned in this article turns out to be true, this puts a whole new spin on human prehistory and migration. Here is the gist of the importance:

The skulls, jawbones and fragments of limb bones suggest that our ancient human ancestors migrated out of Africa far earlier than previously thought and spent a long evolutionary interlude in Eurasia – before moving back into Africa to complete the story of man.

While on the topic of sciences, I may as well put up this: a photo of the structure of a s single molecule.

How often have you heard the phrases “settled science” or “scientific fact”? They come up a lot in reference to issues like climate change, evolution, and abortion. Always the intention is to show that the currently prevailing scientific theory is correct beyond any doubt, and that anyone who suggests a contrary idea must be a crackpot.

This is contrary to the very nature of science. The success of science as a way of explaining the world around us is precisely due to science’s ability to revise theories in accordance with new evidence. Just as Einstein’s relativity replaced Newtonian physics, new discoveries continue to challenge our existing theories about life, the universe, and everything. Those who arrogantly insist on the infallibility of any scientific theory such as global warming or evolution are doomed to ultimate embarrassment when they turn out to be wrong.

A wonderful example of this comes to us from the science page of the Independent. Hominid skulls found in the Georgian village of Dmanisi are the oldest ever found outside of Africa, and they are challenging the long-held view that humans must have arisen in Africa and spread from there to Eurasia and other continents. This theory was, until recently, virtually universally accepted as fact. To suggest that one of the stages of human development (Homo erectus) evolved in Eurasia, as these fossils seem to suggest, would have been regarded as batty: 

“The question is whether Homo erectus originated in Africa or Eurasia, and if in Eurasia, did we have vice-versa migration? This idea looked very stupid a few years ago, but today it seems not so stupid.”

Ultimately, it may or may not be shown that human ancestors went “back to Africa”. It has little impact for the average person today either way. The point though, is that the out-of-Africa theory is far older, more venerable, and had more evidence behind it than the theory of global warming does. If the former can be called into question by new evidence, the latter certainly can. So the next time that someone tells you global warming is “settled science”, feel free to treat the comment with the disdain it deserves.

(a previous post from the former NuPoppa blog)

Our DVR is peppered with the funny (Graham Norton Show, The Daily Show, 30 Rock, SNL, Flight of the Conchords), what I’ll call WTF (Oliver Twist, Barry Manilow concert — clearly my wife’s) and the simply awesome. The “simply awesome” consists of: Fletch, Animal House, Fletch Lives, Vacation, Caddyshack, Gung Ho! and a Barry Manilow concert (kidding).

I don’t drink (anymore), but the “simply awesome” USED to be called “hangover movies.” These are the movies that, on a lazy Saturday or Sunday (or Wednesday for some of you) you can rely on. You can watch the first 20 minutes with one eye open, then fall asleep for 30 minutes, wake up, finish it to the end and still feel satisfied. Back in the day, that would have included about 5 Advil and 2.6 gallons of water to hydrate. Drooling on pillows and couches was also usually de rigeur.

These are also movies that, sadly or simply awesome-ly, most men can quote with relative proficiency. So, it begs the question: what should be the first movie that my son and I share together when he gets older? Should it be highly quotable? Should it be educational?

Some in the running:

Fletch
Pluses: It is only one of the greatest movies written and made for the male 38-42 set. Period. This tightly-wound romp is highly-quotable. I can already imagine my boy at a party of my peers saying, “John Cock..toas…ton.” Throw a lampshade on his head and he’ll be life of the party.

Minuses: I see none.

Lessons Learned in film: Never trust Joe Don Baker. I think this is a lesson we all should learn. Kidding. He would kick my ass if he read this.

Animal House
Pluses: Filmed in Oregon. Classic dialogue. A heartwarming story about college life. Shama-Lama-Ding-Dong.

Minuses: Otis Day and the Knights have never been the same since.

Lessons learned in film: Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.

Vacation
Pluses: The late, great John Hughes. Beverly DeAngelo buffin’ it up a bit. Chevy Chase at his finest. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster with the optional Rally Fun Pack. Eugene Levy calling Rusty “Rueben.”

Minuses: Not 100% realistic about what a family vacation is about. It’s more like 96% real.

Lessons learned in film: There is no way in hell we are driving a long distance anywhere. I refuse to put my boy through that.

Out of Africa
Pluses: For our purposes here, very few, though it is a fine film. The late Sydney Pollack was a genius.

Minuses: It’s “Meet Joe Black”-long. I mean, REALLY fu**ing long.

Lessons learned in film: Those rich, white bastards screwed it all up. Africa is best experienced doing humanitarian work. If the boy wants to be in the Peace Corps someday, I’m all for it.

Everyone Says I Love You
Pluses: Great cast. Alan Alda. Natalie Portman. Drew Barrymore. Julia Roberts. Woody Allen. Goldie Hawn. The list goes on.

Minuses: Edward Norton, though a FINE actor, isn’t a very good singer. And he’ll probably kick my ass if he reads this.

Lessons learned in film: If s**t goes sideways, it’s OK to sing a little. Just don’t do it in public, people might think you’re a freak or something.

Die Hard
Pluses: Bruce Willis is from South Jersey, where my family lives. And, of course, Alan Rickman. He’s SO money.

Minuses: The dude with the long blonde hair. He’s creepy.

Lessons learned in film: Kick ass first. Take names later.

Say Anything
Pluses: John and Joan Cusack. Cameron Crowe (who could write something on a cocktail napkin and I’d probably read it). Ione Skye. Piven as a younger man. Seattle. It captured the angst that we all felt when we were in college.

Minuses: “In Your Eyes.” Great song, but I have this uncontrollable urge to buy a boombox and hold it over my head. It captured the angst we all felt when we were in college.

Lessons learned in film: Don’t live in Seattle. You’ll just end up going to London on a study abroad program anyway.

Believe me, we have plenty of time to go over this, but one can never be too prepared. I’d love your thoughts on the first movie I should share with the boy. It can be on the list or one not on the list that you think is a winner.