Charles Durning dies aged 89

26/12/2012

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The news that veteran actor Charles Durning has died at the age of 89 may leave you saying, "who on earth was Charles Durning". However you are bound to know who this actor was as soon as you see his face. He was known for a wide variety of roles on the small screen as well as at the Movies. Classed as a "character" actor he did not tend to take the lead but always gave memorable performances.

Charles died at his home in New York on Monday, Christmas Eve 2012, of natural causes.

His long acting career included roles in Shakespeare plays and stage performances such as on Broadway His film career took off later. He had roles in films such as . The Sting, Tootsie, Dog Day Afternoon and  The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He was nominated for nine Emmys and two Academy awards.

Mr Durning tried a variety of performing arts after he returned from harrowing service. In the end acting was his chosen profession even though at the start of his career he was given short shrift. He appeared in more than 100 films.
Charles was born on: February 28, 1923, in Highland Falls. He died on December 24, 2012, in New York City
RIP
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Hurricane Sandy Aftermath

31/10/2012

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The Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the USA and Caribbean continues to cause huge problems.  Caribbean
Now that the USA has been struck so hard many have forgotten the Caribbean Islands where Sandy first struck land. Haiti was one of the worst hit islands. Already having a mountain of problems, some resulting from the devastating earthquake in 2010, Haiti and its people will need all the help it can get to recover. At least 65 people have died in the Caribbean.

USA
Today, October 31, 2012, parts of the USA that were struck by Sandy are beginning the huge task of restoration. Many buildings will be beyond repair. Demolition may be the only sensible solution. Insurance premiums will rocket following this disaster as insurers try to recoup the billions they will have to pay out. The government faces huge bills also. The damage is so widespread and varied that the clean up operation will take some time. The economy will be hit by a lack of tourism and more. The NYSE is trying to get back in business. The death toll in the USA is currently 55 but could rise further.  Affected low lying areas are still under water.

US Election
The US Election is scheduled for November 6, 2012. Hurricane Sandy will affect the election in many ways. It could give a political advantage to either Presidebt Obama or Mitt Romney. This will depend on what they do in the coming days and how this disaster pans out.

Yesterday Romney was helpng give out food parcels to hurricane victims. For President Obama he was doing the job he is paid to do, at least till November 6, that is being the Commander in Chief. Today Romney will be back on the campaign trail. He is already in sunny warm Florida following his poitical ambitions. There will be no such respite for the President. Of course his presidential role could turn out to be the best political ad any candidate could ever hope for. Neither though will want to appear to be gaining from this tragedy.

President Obama is visiting New Jersey today, one of the severely damaged areas of the USA. He is also due to visit FEMA the federal emergency association which Mitt Romney would like to dismantle. Right now though many people in the USA will be glad that FEMA still exists. In the last few minutes Romney has been making a speech in Florida detailing taxes relating to small businesses. Americans have much more important issues to worry about right now though

You have to wonder how voters will handle the election. For those who have personally been hit hard this week it could be the last thing on their minds. Those who need to travel to vote may find the logisitics tricky. A postponement could be a sensible option but one is not likely. The date is set in constitutional stone but in theory it could be halted for now.

The Environment
You can talk up the environment how you like. There are always reasons which appear to show that global warming is a myth and vice versa. This one in a thousand year storm should tell us all that we need to consider our environment more carefully. We do not want to leave the next generation with a huge amount of debt to contend with but neither should we want to leave them a destroyed environment. In the UK we have had one in a thousand years flooding in 2007 and around the gobe extreme weather has wreaked havoc time and time again. Is extreme weather beyond our control or due to our irresponsible behaviour?

Priorities 
It is time that countries get their priorities right. Wasting money on huge arsenals of weapons to destroy the earth that bit more is madness. The huge cost of Hurricane Sandy in money, the economy, to the environment and life needs our full attention. That disaster needs money, time and effort. Priorities when all is said and done. Money needs to be invested in modern flood defences for low lying regions. Better still we need to try and prevent such disasters if we can. The forward planning available in the 21st Century at least minimised the loss of life in this terrible disaster.

Help
One of the charities that will be helping the victims of Sandy is the Red Cross. RadioShack Corp. announced yesterday that it was making a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Please give what you can, but watch out for scammers. Even during such a disaster criminals will operate. Hurricane victims will also need to be cautious about who they employ to rebuild and repair. Rogue traders have no conscience.

Thoughts with those still without power, freezing in deep snow in six US states, the homeless, the bereaved and more.
RIP
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Occupy Wall Street protest movement latest updates

06/10/2011

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In the US a small group of people decided to loosely form a protest group. Called the Occupy Wall Street protest movement over the last couple of weeks the movement has grown.

Protests have occurred in other areas of the US apart from Manhattan where it all began. Support has grown but not universally so. There remain many people sceptical about the movement, its aims and its protesters.

The movement claims to be protesting in general about corporate greed but is there more to it than that?.
The movement has its own website which includes the following information, “a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.”

The original aim of the group seems to have changed somewhat now including protests against unemployment, health care, tuition fees and alleged police brutality. Their support has grown and this week the protesters have been joined by students, Union officials and members, and even those in the legal profession. Some people doubt the motives of some of these people joining the movement claiming that they have done so for their own ends.

Unsurprisingly some Republicans have attacked the movement's aims. One said, “They’re basically saying that somehow the government is supposed to take from those that have succeeded and give to those who want to protest. That’s not the way America was built.”

To this Brit that is a strange way at looking at the protests. President Obama when asked said, “I think it expresses the frustrations that the American people feel". It seems that even an opinion on such a minor movement will inflame party political beliefs.

Some celebrities and successful American citizens have shown support for the movement. These include Susan Sarandon, Michael Moore, George Soros and Tim Robbins.

In general it seems that those with political leanings toward the political left, Democrats in the US and those with leanings to the right, Republicans, are on opposite sides on this issue. No guesses for who supports or who does not.

A more global protest is planned for two weeks time, on October 15, 2011. Plans include a protest in Toronto, Canada.

More info at the Occupy Wall Street protest movement website here
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