U.S. Faces Stiff Opposition From Rising Powers

(Photo Credit: International Monetary Fund Photograph/Stephen Jaffe) This post is cross-posted at The Race for Iran. Over at the National Interest, Nikolas K. Gvosdev has a piece on the "BRIC Wall" that is developing in opposition to many U.S. policies, particularly the U.S. drive for further sanctions on Iran. As Secretary Clinton's unsuccessful visit to Brasilia last week along with recent statements by Turkish officials indicate, the world's rising powers - even those that are democracies - are lining up to oppose U.S. policies that they view as overly confrontational, destabilizing, and threatening to their economic interests. According to Gvosdev's analysis, the proper analytic distinction is not between democracies and non-democracies, but between established status-quo powers supportive of (American) intervention and emerging nations more keen to support a stricter definition of state sovereignty. From Gvosdev's piece: Two years ago, Washington was abuzz once again with the prospects for a "League of Democracies" that would support U.S. global leadership. But in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Burma/Myanmar, a very clear rift opened up between the democracies of the advanced north and west, which advocated an intervention on humanitarian grounds, and the democracies of the south and east, which proved to be far more receptive to China's call for defending state sovereignty. In the Doha round of trade talks and in the ongoing climate change negotiations, the leading democracies of the south and east--Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, India and Indonesia among them--have tended to line up with Beijing instead of joining Washington's banner. The lonely U.S. drive for sanctions on Iran is highlighting these divisions, starkly delineating the limits of American power and laying bare the inefficacy of Washington's anachronistic approach to foreign policy. -- Ben Katcher

View original story : north+american+international Feed : The Washington Note

Don Martin: Hammering home the avalanche message

The deadliest avalanche in Canadian history hit around midnight on March 4, 1910, when a tidal arc of wet snow ripped off an aptly named Mount Avalanche and entombed 57 railway-clearing workers. Environment Minister Jim Prentice will announce today, almost exactly 100 years later, that the two sides of the border will finally unite under a continental avalanche warning system. It may seen obvious. If an avalanche warning goes to EXTREME, it kinda means STAY OUT unless you have slush for brains and want to DIE under the stuff. The border shouldn’t be a divide for common sense. But the hundreds of snowmobilers and spectators who invaded the backcountry near Revelstoke last weekend ignored repeated warnings about unprecedented avalanche danger as they whipped up the mountainside and, one colossal snow wave later, they forced Parks Canada and the RCMP to ride to the rescue. Parks Canada has added up the damage to its bottom line from deploying 12 helicopters and dozens of support staff to pull daredevils and spectators out of their own ignorance or stupidity and it comes in at $75,000 minimum, with the potential to hit six figures once all the bills comes due. This is probably a good time to discuss the merits of charging those requiring a rescue from their own recklessness. There are parks in the U.S. and Europe which ding mountain climbers an access fee as insurance to cover their own rescue or hand them the entire tab, which, as noted above, can surpass $100,000 in large-scale disasters. But the debate always ends by concluding a stiff search and rescue fee would only discourage those urgently needing help from calling for it — and nobody wants to be blamed for causing the deaths of those in trouble who can’t afford to summon their own rescue. And so we can only hope advanced detection technology will make future searches easier to complete and increased education will ensure thrill seekers know enough to steer clear of harm’s way. The B.C. government talks of controlling and limiting access to backcountries, but that’s dismissed as “somewhat impractical” by Parks Canada officials given the size of mountain parks with thousands of public entry points. But excuses for ignorantly stumbling into trouble will be harder to justify next winter after the Prentice announcement of a new North American Avalanche Danger Scale which should, hopefully, deliver users a harder-to-ignore warning before they venture under a snow cliff just itching to drop, Icons that are hard to misinterpret will be deployed across all North American mountain ranges next winter as the Canadian Avalanche Centre joins U.S. search, rescue and forest service agencies to create the first international warning network. Officially called the Avalanche Danger Scale, it’s a five-stage warning hammering home the likelihood and size of an avalanche location with precise recommendations on areas to avoid. “This is the most comprehensive and complete avalanche warning system designed to date,” Prentice says. “While we will never completely eliminate the risk, this initiative provides backcountry users with another tool to use in conjunction with specific equipment and training to help minimize those risks.” Parks Canada’s budget for mountain avalanche risk control in Western Canada has risen to $1.7-million, which includes the cost of issuing the sort of bulletins those weekend snowmobilers ignored. There’s no substitute for knowing the risk and using common sense in accessing Canada’s mountain danger zones, particularly with spring approaching and the snow pack increasingly destabilized. The best signs and warning systems in the world only work if park users pay attention to the message before recklessly endangering themselves and their audiences. Given last weekend’s tragedy, it’s clear some things haven’t changed — even after 100 years. National Post dmartin@nationalpost.com

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Full Comment

Poof vs. the neo-creationist "orchard model"

Upchucky award runner-up and Disco. 'Tute staffer Casey Luskin is upset. Last fall, we were on a panel together, and I mocked his defense of the neo-creationist "orchard model" described in Explore Evolution as claiming that life "poofed" into existence. In the course of one of Casey's regularly scheduled bouts of logorrhea, he decides to respond to this claim: I presented some of this information discussed below at the St. Thomas conference last fall, and NCSE staff member Josh Rosenau repeatedly alleged that I was making a “poof” hypothesis for the origin of monkeys. No. That is not what I was arguing at all. The NCSE made a specific argument for common descent based upon the “continuity” and “consistency” between biogeography and evolution. The evidence presented below refutes their assertion. This argument is no “poof” hypothesis for the origin of monkeys. In fact, if the only alternative to common descent is, in the words of Josh Rosenau, the “poof” hypothesis, then that says more about common descent being an unscientific hypothesis than anything else. Fortunately for Mr. Rosenau and the NCSE, there are alternatives to common descent apart from the “poof” hypothesis. Common descent is testable, and in my view it fails the test presented below. Explore Evolution presents a scientifically testable alternative to common descent, the orchard model. The NCSE dismisses it as a “creationist” argument, but as will be seen below, only the hardened Darwinian faithful will buy such quips, dismissals, and refusals to seriously engage this argument.First, Explore Evolution offers no testable models. It does toss out a preference for a model of life's history as an orchard rather than a single tree, but never states where those trees are supposed to separate. Without that specificity, the claim strikes me as untestable. One could evaluate the likelihood of a specific claimed orchard, but the notion that an unspecified orchard is inherently testable makes no sense. Second, and more significantly, the "orchard" is a "poof" model. Casey's specific argument (to the extent he has one) is that South American monkeys are not actually descended by common ancestry from the same genealogy as other primates. In short, that they were poofed into existence, fully formed, in South America, while quite similar species existed in Africa, evolving in the manner revealed by fossils, molecules, and anatomy. The same pattern of fossils, molecules, and anatomy says that South American monkeys are related to the rest of the primates. It's true that we don't have a complete understanding of how they got from Africa to South America, but (contrary to what Casey suggests) rafting across the southern Atlantic at the time in question really isn't that problematic. Mangroves form giant interlinked root structures, and big storms drive massive chunks of forest away. A single pregnant monkey on such a raft is all that's required for successful colonization. And monkeys are social, so you probably wouldn't have just one in a tree. And the raft itself would be full of food (vegetation, insects, fruit), and hollow branches to take shelter in. No, it's not a high-probability event. Most such rafts would sink mid-ocean. But it only takes one to succeed. South America drifted for millions of years in what George Gaylord Simpson calls "splendid isolation," with a fascinating fauna. That isolation seems to have left the fauna at a competitive disadvantage when exposed to the fauna of North America after the Isthmus of Panama closed, and it is likely that African monkeys would have had a similar competitive advantage upon arrival 50 million years ago. At the time in question, the Atlantic was narrower than it is now, and sea levels lower than they are today, further narrowing the ocean. Then as now, a current ran from equatorial Africa to equatorial South America, which would push material from Africa to South America. I understand that Casey finds this scenario unlikely, but it has the advantage of not needlessly calling for monkeys to have been poofed into South America in the process of planting a new tree of life in Oligocene South America. For an orchard model to be realistic, there has to be some mechanism in place that could explain multiple origins of life at the necessary point in time and capable of generating the sorts of life we actually see. Scientists do consider whether unicellular life has multiple origins over 3.5 billion years ago, trying to sort out the ways in which interchange of genetic material in that early period might have interwoven the early shoots of those many trees into a single tree, a process called anastomosis. Calling for the simultaneous origins of unicellular life early in earth's history is not unreasonable, as conditions must have existed at the time which were capable of giving rise to life at least once. The notion of a multicellular organism appearing fully formed in the midst of an existing fauna defies belief. As to Casey's rejection of the "creationist" label for his favored "orchard" model, I refer him to the work of Kurt Wise, a young earth creationist who introduced the "orchard" to the world in 1990, at the Second International Conference on Creationism. In the figure below, from his 1990 paper "Baraminology: A Young-Earth Creation Biosystematic Method," Wise illustrates his preferred "orchard model." In the text, he explains: Some modern creationists are suggesting a metaphor of their own — a metaphor which is planted between the Evolutionary Tree and the Creationist Lawn. The new metaphor may be described as the "Neo-creationist Orchard" (see figure 1C). In this metaphor, life is specially created (as fruit trees are specially planted) and polyphyletic (i.e. each tree has a separate trunk and root system). There are also discontinuities between the major groups (trees are spaced so that branches do not overlap and could not and never did anastomose) and there are constraints to change (a given tree is limited to a particular size and branching style according to its type). In these ways, the Neo-creationist Orchard is similar to the Creationist Lawn. They differ, though, in that the Neo-creationist Orchard allows change, including speciation, within each created group (each tree branches off of the main stem). Permitting this type of change (variously called by creationists 'diversification', 'variation', 'horizontal evolution', and 'microevolution') in different amounts in different groups allows the creation model to accommodate microevolutionary evidences (e.g. changing allelic rations, genetic recombination, speciation, etc.).While the notion of multiple acts of creation yielding multiple trees is not novel to Wise's work, his use of the term "orchard" is new. In a 1996 article for Harper's, Jack Hitt quotes Wise explaining the idea more simply: "I intend to replace the evolutionary tree with the creationist orchard," Wise said, "separately created, separately planted by God." That's "poof." It's the orchard. The illustration is nearly identical to that used in Explore Evolution to illustrate the "orchard". Search the evolutionary literature all you like, you will not find any papers advocating such a model, in which platyrrhine monkeys (among others) are magically poofed into existence in South America. For Casey to suggest that his beloved "orchard model" is anything but "poof," he needs to do offer an explanation for platyrrhine monkeys. Alas, rather than offering to explain his orchard model, Casey closes by assuring us "The next three installments [of his blog series] will explain how the sea monkey hypothesis refutes the NCSE’s biogeography objections to Explore Evolution." In other words, rather than defending his own ideas, he'll spend the time attacking other people. I don't think much of the strategy, but maybe Casey will take the advice of his fellow creationists instead. So here's Kurt Wise from Hitt's article: "My idea is not to attack evolution," he said. "My goal is to develop a theory that explains the data of the universe better than conventional theory but is consistent with Scripture." His major beef with other creationists, he explained, is that they only take pleasure in picking at the weaknesses of evolution. "It's a small person who is focused on attacking a theory. By the time I finished at Harvard, I realized I could destroy macroevolutionary theory at will." … "I don't want to challenge evolution," he said, his voice echoing in the dark stone chamber. "I intend to replace it."Wise's ideas have no currency, in no small part because they add nothing to our knowledge, and where they can be tested, they are wrong. His goal of replacing "everything after, oh, about 3200 B.C." is ludicrous, but no less ludicrous than the Disco. 'Tute's goal of "nothing less than the overthrow of materialism and its cultural legacies," and ultimately "to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions." The problem is, 12 years later, Disco. has nothing new to offer, no mechanism, no process, just flawed and failed attempts at challenging evolution. As the communications director of their creationist branch explains today, we do not favor mandating the teaching of intelligent design — as is so often misreported — but rather that we think when evolution is taught teachers should present both the evidence the supports Darwinian evolution as well as some of the evidence that challenges it.Where once the mighty 'Tute sought the "integration of design theory into public school science curricula," all they want now is for teachers to spend time criticizing evolution. Read the comments on this post...

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Thoughts from Kansas

Water Is Life-Let's Share It

Sandra Postel National Geographic Freshwater Fellow Welcome to the world of water. As National Geographic's freshwater fellow, I'll be sharing with you ideas and stories about water in all its facets--from the big global challenges of water scarcity and intensifying droughts and floods to how we as individuals and communities can take part in solving water problems in our own backyards and across the globe. For more than 25 years now, I've never strayed too far from one simple question: Can we human beings use and manage water in ways that not only meet our needs but that allow the rest of life on this planet to thrive too? I believe we can. But today, things don't look good. A lot of life is at risk. More than a billion people don't have access to safe drinking water, and several million die each year as a result. Many species of fish, frogs, insects, and mussels may blink out in our lifetimes. Here in North America, 40 percent of freshwater fish species are at risk of extinction. The fraying of the web of life means our own social fabric is at risk, too. It's all connected, even if we can't always see the threads. On the heels of National Geographic magazine's special issue on water, the National Geographic Society is embarking on a large effort to motivate more of us to care about and conserve freshwater. The average American lifestyle takes 1,800 gallons (6,814 liters) of water a day to support--twice the global average. Fortunately, there are many ways to live well while using less water. We will be offering stories, photos, online tools, lessons from the field, and more to highlight the problems and solutions--and inspire action. We also plan to work with partner organizations and scientists to help foster preservation of freshwater species by restoring the natural patterns of flow that life within rivers needs to survive. In National Geographic's recently released book, Written in Water, I wrote about my search for honest hope that enough water can be provided for all people and living things to thrive. Here's an excerpt: As the plane lowered its landing gear, I strained my neck to watch the edge of Lake Mead recede. A few seconds later, a lush green golf course came into view. With late afternoon temperatures pushing 107 degrees, there was scarcely a golfer in sight. Downtown, on the strip, the dice-rolling gamblers had no idea how high the stakes were becoming.... Read the essay. Water is life. Water is finite. All the water that's here now is all there ever was--and ever will be. It's all about sharing it--with nature and each other. We're on a critical mission--and we hope you'll join us. Sandra Postel directs the independent Global Water Policy Project and lectures, writes, and consults on international water issues. She is also Freshwater Fellow of the National Geographic Society, and serves as lead water expert for the Society's freshwater initiative. Postel is the author of several acclaimed books, including Last Oasis, which appears in eight languages and was the basis for a 1997 PBS documentary, and is co-author, with Brian Richter, of Rivers for Life. Her essay "Troubled Waters" was selected for Best American Science and Nature Writing. From 2000 to 2008, Postel served as visiting senior lecturer at Mount Holyoke College, and later in that term as director of the college's Center for the Environment. Postel is a 1995 Pew Scholar in Conservation and the Environment, and in 2002 was named one of the "Scientific American 50" for her contributions to water policy.

View original story : north+american+international Feed : National Geographic's Green Guide

Episode #175 - 2011 honda cr-z from naias 2010

Production version of the 2011 Honda CR-Z from the North American International Auto Show….

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Hybrid Car Forum

The Great Metropolitan Food Market Report - Las Vegas edition

I thought it would be a great idea for eGulleteers to make threads of their favorite markets and grocery stores. My reasoning is somewhat selfish. Next time I travel, I think it would be excellent to be able to punch up a listing of all the best markets. That's what I like to do on vacation -- buy great food, cook it (when applicable) and eat. I hope this helps many do the same. I'll start what I hope will become a useful database. The Las Vegas Metropolitan area, comprising Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Summerlin. I will not rate these in any order. Just an address, phone, website, and what they specialize in. I will include my shopping experiences in these stores, but it is just my opinion. Market 168 3459 S Jones Blvd (Chinatown) Las Vegas, NV 89146 (702) 363-5168 no website This is my go-to pan-Asian grocery. This is also my go-to for fish. It is my opinion that this store sells the best fish in town. They certainly sell the best lobsters -- fairly cheap (I usually buy four-pounders for $8 per pound). Shrimp, crabs and clams are sold live at reasonable prices. In addition, there are usually 20 varieties of whole fish for sale. Walk a little past the fish counter for pre-portioned fish for sushi -- always reasonably priced, but probably frozen at one time. In the meat department, this store has one of the better selections of tripe and offal. But I would not shop here for steaks or chicken -- there are better stores for "normal" cuts of meat. They also have a good produce section which includes the usual assortment of sprouts, ginger, fruits, lemongrass and even durian. "Normal" vegetables like onions and potatoes are better purchased at the Latin markets. There is a nice little on-site lunch counter that sells excellent duck and noodles. They have recently added a bakery. I haven't tried it. ALSO -- In this same plaza is Jones Market and Deli -- the largest Russian market in town. Good caviar at shocking prices, the cheapest gourmet coffee in town, and a dozen excellent cheap beers. Also excellent bread. Nearby is the largest Halal meat market -- 6020 Spring Mountain Rd International Marketplace 5000 S Decatur Blvd (near Chinatown) Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702) 889-2888 My favorite market in all Las Vegas. They sell all ethnic specialties. Mentally running down the aisles, there are sections for: Moroccan, North African, Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, Italian, German, Eastern European, British, Scandinavian, South East Asian, Chinese and Japanese. There is a smattering of other cultures stuff tucked away -- often in odd places. For instance, Dutch foods are in the Indonesian section (because it was once a colony, and there are more Indonesians than Dutch in Las Vegas). They also have an excellent fish department, decent produce, and a frozen food section in the center of the store that is worth a VERY LONG look. This is where I buy bones for marrow and for stock. They also have all manner of tripe and offal. Just as good as 168 Market, perhaps better. This place is unparalleled in their depth of Asian snack foods. I sometimes shop here JUST for the Japanese crispy snacks -- Pretz, Pocky, chips, you name it. I love this place for the snacks. The fact I can buy a Cornish pastie and garnish it with Thomy mustard in a toothpaste tube is icing on the cake. But beware -- there are some real dogs here. The lamb is almost always freezer burnt. They'll sell frozen crab so old it resembles a mummified Discovery Channel subject. Also, read the ingredients on sausages, as much of it is loaded with MSG. Most meats and sausages can be purchased at Village Meat and Deli, fresh, for the same price. And beware -- this is a "membership" store. Prices are 10% more unless the shopper purchases a $10 yearly membership. Seeing as I don't walk through the doors without expecting to spend at least a C-note, no big deal. There is a nice little hole-in-the-wall Chinese lunch stand attached to the market, selling Hong Kong comfort food, cheap. Village Meat and Wine 5025 S Eastern Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 736-7575 http://www.villagemeatandwine.com/ This is the place for USDA prime beef. I'll save a few bucks on Rib-Eye purchasing Prime at Costco occasionally. But if I want a prime cut for carpaccio, or wagyu or even Kobe, this is where I go. They also have the best sausages in town -- made fresh on site. Why they don't make rillets or confit, I don't know. So I wouldn't call them a proper charcutiere. I wish they would get rid of the wines and cigars and devote themselves to snouts and livers. This is also where I buy my Minor's base, Devonshire cream, horseradish and truffles. They have a lot of other stuff there, but I can usually find better prices. Molto Vegas Farmer's Market 7485 Dean Martin Drive Suite #106 Las Vegas, NV, 89139 Thursday only 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (non-trade not allowed to shop until 11 a.m.) This is hit-or-miss. When this little outpost for California farmers is on, it's ON. But sometimes there's not a lot of variety, pretty much as expected for a farmer's market. Prices are no bargain, but who can blame the vendors -- who drive 200 to 500 miles one-way to sell here every Thursday. This is another venue that I hope takes off. It's good to get the fresh California produce here, if only two hours a week. Valley Cheese and Wine 1770 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy Suite 110 Henderson, NV 89012 (702) 341-8191 www.valleycheeseandwine.com I would call this place first before driving here. I don't shop here often. But when I do, I'm usually the only person in the store. I'm always afraid I'm going to pull in and they're going to be shuttered. I do hope this store hangs on. This is the only place in Las Vegas to buy real Iberian jamon. It's expensive, but who cares? It's cheaper than a plane ticket to Spain. Also some interesting balsamics, oils and pastas. But I rarely buy, because I can do much better on the Internet. I really, really, really want to shop here more often, because I love what they sell. But most of their non-perishables are so expensive, I cannot bring myself to buy them. Aladdin Market Ste 6, 1775 East Tropicana Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89119-6556 (702) 262-0000 www.aladdinmarketvegas.com A nice North African and pan-Arab market. I shop here often. Cafe Heidelberg 610 E Sahara Ave, Ste 2 Las Vegas, NV 89104 (702) 731-5310 A small selection of good German sausages, cheese and bread. Worth a stop if you're on Sahara anyway. The Latin Markets Google the store name to find the closest The main Latin markets are named King Ranch, Mercado Pueblo, El Super and Liberio. They are almost interchangeable. Although it's better to find one that proudly proclaims it's a tortilleria -- the chips and tortillas will be fresher that way. King Ranch and Liberio have the best produce sections -- and great prices. For instance, I routinely get 10 pounds of potatoes for $1. Similar prices on onions, garlic and limes. These stores put out a flier every Wednesday advertising ridiculously low prices on some staple item for one day only. I pay close attention to these fliers. The American Supermarkets Google the store name to find the closest I'm partial to Smith's supermarket. For me, at least, Smith's seems to the best best bang for the buck on the sorts of things I tend to buy. Other supermarkets: Food 4 Less -- they seem to sell more packaged food and less fresh. At least near my house. I rarely shop here. Albertson's -- Just too damned expensive. Fresh & Easy -- Why, why, why didn't UK-based Tesco simply open up a chain of Tescos in America? I love Tesco. I hate Fresh & Easy. It makes Albertson's look reasonable, and doesn't sell any of the foods I loved when I shop at Tesco. Costco and Sam's Club -- I prefer Costco to Sam's, so that's the membership card in my pocket. I buy the following at Costco: * Coffee (They are currently selling 3 pounds of whole-bean Rwandan for less than $5 a pound) * USDA Prime Ribeyes -- when I like the marbling, I spend the $10/pound for the prime * Farm raised steelhead trout -- I prefer it to farm raised salmon. I make gravlax with it. * Mussels -- if the sell-by date is far off and they don't smell like anything. * Some produce * Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and pistachios Smart & Final is the local restaurant supply store. This is a good place to pick up a wet-packed beef tenderloin, a big pot of dijon mustard, 10-pounds of frozen chicken wings and other bulk items. I always buy plastic wrap and aluminum foil here. I cannot abide paying grocery-store prices for tin-foil. OK, that's installment one. Las Vegans, please add and amend. I hope that people in other metropolitan areas feel inspired to write up their own market reports.

View original story : north+american+international Feed : eGullet Forums Recently Started Topics

LG Electronics Likewise Set-Up A Brand Management Team That Will Uphold The New LG Slogan That “Life’s Good” For All Its Marketing Efforts That Will Promote The Premium LG Cellular Phone Brand Inside The North American Market

LG Electronics is at the present focusing all its effort in making LG cellular phone an excellent and premium brand. This is a commitment made by the LG Electronics CEO during his speech at the 2004 International Consumer Electronic Show. To show how committed LG Electronics is to their promise, the company is poised on [...] Related posts: Life’s good with LG cellular phones The cell phone business is already in a position to... Because Of The Entertaining Effect Also Beauty Of Cell Phone Ring Tones Plus Mobile Phone Wallpapers, Computer Experts Plus Cellular Phone Manufacturers Are Quick To Design Software Plus Devices That Will Help Inside The Easy Installation Of Ring Tones As Well As Wallpapers To sustain the profitable state of your business inside this... Samsung Cellular Phone A Essential Phone Phones be now getting to be a need in this... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Best New Cell Phones

Live from SXSW: Tim League Talks International Genre Lunacy

If you're a hardcore movie geek and you've been to Austin at least once, you're probably familiar with the magical Tim League. Along with his wife/partner Karrie, Mr. League is the man behind not only the sublime Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters, but he also unleashed Fantastic Fest upon the world AND found time to create a karaoke bar/bowling alley called The Highball. Obviously Mr. League does none of these things by himself. But he does captain one hell of a movie shrine. Anyway, the man loves nothing more than scouring the planet for the finest in lunatic cinema, and if he doesn't track it down, one of his many scouts probably will. Logically, with SXSW 2010 freshly underway, I thought it'd be fun to chat with Tim about his obsession with international genre fare, and the man certainly didn't disappoint. Let's get to it: How many North America film festivals do you go to each year? And how many outside North America? Tim: Other than Fantastic Fest, of course, I personally attend about four North American festivals a year and probably four more outside of North America. In addition, the Fantastic Fest scouting team generally hits another four or five international festivals beyond what I attend. My anchors are the European Film Market/Berlin Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. We go to those two every year. What countries would you say hold the most respect (or reverence) for genre films? More specifically, which countries/festivals love horror flicks the most? Filed under: Action, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Foreign Language, Horror, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, SXSW, Mystery & Suspense, Festival Reports, Fantastic Fest, Comic/Superhero/Geek Continue reading Live from SXSW: Tim League Talks International Genre Lunacy Permalink | Email this | Comments

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Cinematical

Conference shows that missions is 'not something that just North Americans or Westerners do'

GMI ministered to these Nicaraguans during one of their short-term mission trips in 2008. (GMI photo) Nicaragua (MNN) -- There are a lot of misconceptions along the lines of international missions. "Missions is not something that just North Americans or Westerners do. This is something that the whole church is to be involved in, and it's something that we have to catch a vision of," said Sam Vinton, executive director of Grace Ministries International. This is one of the points Vinton stressed at a GMI mission's conference recently held in San Jose, Costa Rica. Held on February 18-20, 100-120 people attended each evening service, and around 200 attended the Sunday service. The conference encouraged attendees to volunteer for ministry in Nicaragua. For years, GMI has had a thriving ministry in Costa Rica with two missionary couples, Chuck and Joy Befus and Jeremy and Andrea Clark, serving there in a variety of ministries. In the past four or five years, they have begun to expand their ministry to Nicaragua through short-term mission trips. Now, the couples and GMI want to begin full-time ministry there. Vinton said many Christians can have a tendency to get "stuck." "Most of us are happy to be doing church work where we are. Once you get the church going, it's easy just to be satisfied and say 'we have a lot of work right here' and forget that there are people without the Gospel elsewhere," he said. As GMI encourages these Latin Americans to move out of their comfort zones, he said they have an advantage. "Culturally, of course, and linguistically, it makes it very easy for them to be able to go there" and share the Gospel, Vinton said. However, this season of growth will not be without challenges. Because Costa Rica is one of the more economically stable Latin American countries, many individuals and families are hesitant to go to other countries where the education and economy is not as good. Pray for these Christians to trust God to provide for their needs. As with every new ministry, GMI needs funds to launch in Nicaragua. Consider supporting them financially. Click here to donate today.

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Mission Network News

Disneyland Resort Presents a Window on Main Street, U.S.A. to Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, Composers of 'It's a Small World' and Enchanted Tiki Room Theme

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- They've written some of the most memorable songs in Disney theme park – and motion picture – history, and on March 11, 2010, the Academy Award-winning composers of the music from "It's a Small World" and The Enchanted Tiki Room, as well as "Mary Poppins," will receive the highest honor that the Disneyland Resort bestows. The Sherman brothers, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, will receive a tribute window on Main Street, U.S.A. Among the Shermans' more than 150 Disney songs are such familiar Disney theme park compositions as "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" (theme of The Enchanted Tiki Room), "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" (theme of Carousel of Progress) and "It's a Small World," one of the most translated and performed songs on Earth. All three are still performed in their attractions at Disney theme parks around the world, making the music as contemporary today as when it was composed. "Richard and Robert Sherman's contribution to Disney spans 50 years and has touched virtually every aspect of our company," said Robert A. Iger, president and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. "By dedicating a window on Main Street, U.S.A. inside Disneyland we are pleased to recognize them with one of the highest honors our company bestows." "The music of the Sherman brothers has left an indelible mark on the Walt Disney Company and still resonates in Disney parks around the world," said Tom Staggs, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman. "Their songs – particularly 'It's a Small World' and the score of 'Mary Poppins' – are not just touchstones of Disney, but of American culture as a whole. The whole world sang these songs when they were new and they still sing them today almost five decades later. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman are honored members of the Disney family." The tradition of honoring individuals with a personalized decorative window was started on Main Street, U.S.A. by Walt Disney and has continued at Disney parks worldwide. A Disneyland window is considered the ultimate honor anyone can receive from "The Happiest Place on Earth." The careers of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman span almost 50 years and include two Academy Awards for "Mary Poppins" – Best Score, and Best Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee." The Sherman brothers gained recognition in popular music with several Top Ten hits, among them "Let's Get Together," sung in "The Parent Trap" by Hayley Mills; "Tall Paul," Annette Funicello's first Top Ten single; and "You're Sixteen," which made the Top Ten twice: sung by Johnny Burnette in 1960 and by Ringo Starr in 1974. In 1960, they began a phenomenal 10-year association with Walt Disney, during which time they composed more than 150 songs for Disneyland Park, other Disney parks, and Disney films and television shows. Their Disney credits include "The Jungle Book," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "The Sword in the Stone," "The Aristocats," "The Happiest Millionaire," the "Winnie the Pooh" series and, of course, "Mary Poppins." The theatrical version of "Mary Poppins" is consistently among Broadway's top-grossing shows and is in its fourth highly successful year at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The North America tour continues to be a hit, and the show's popularity is growing around the globe with international productions opening in Australia and Holland later this year. The Sherman brothers went on to compose other song scores for "Snoopy Come Home," "Charlotte's Web," the Broadway musical "Over Here," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (later brought to the stage in London and New York), "Tom Sawyer," "Huckleberry Finn," "The Slipper and the Rose," "The Magic of Lassie" (which earned their ninth Academy Award nomination for Best Song), "The Tigger Movie," the stage musical "Busker Alley" and "Beverly Hills Cop 3." Among the Sherman brothers' honors are three Grammy Awards, 24 gold and platinum albums and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They have also been named Disney Legends, a designation which acknowledges the many individuals whose imagination, talents and dreams have created the Disney magic.

View original story : north+american+international Feed : Disney News Blog