Rosier floribunda / Floribunda rose
Rosaceae : Rosa : “Southampton”
(Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique de Montréal, 2017-07-23)
Month: August 2017
Parc Frédéric-Back
Samedi le 26 août, le Parc Frédéric-Back a été inauguré dans le cadre des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal. Un communiqué de presse de la ville nous décrit l’événement comme suit:
“Le maire de Montréal, M. Denis Coderre, a procédé aujourd’hui à l’inauguration du legs du parc Frédéric-Back, en présence de Mme Anie Samson, maire de l’arrondissement de Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension et vice-présidente du comité exécutif, et de représentants de la famille de M. Frédéric Back. L’œuvre d’art public Amnèse 1+1 de l’artiste Alain-Martin Richard, issue d’une démarche de médiation culturelle de deux ans entreprise auprès des citoyens du quartier, a également été dévoilée à cette occasion.”
La cérémonie d’ouverture a débuté avec une performance par des artistes de la TOHU et a culminé avec la coupure du ruban traditionnel. Cela a été suivi par une procession d’artistes et de citoyens qui entrèrent pour la première fois dans le nouveau secteur du parc. La foule s’est ensuite dispersée au travers du parc pour y découvrir, au fil de sa promenade, les multiples points d’intérêt de ce nouveau parc. De nombreuses activités ludiques (manèges, dance, musique, ateliers de bricolage et de maquillage) et d’information (interprétation du site) étaient organisées pour occuper tant les petits que les grands. L’événement s’est terminé avec un concert donné par Akawui, un auteur-compositeur-interprète d’origine Chilienne. (Voir l’album photo que j’ai créé sur Flickr pour illustrer l’événement)
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
Le maire, M. Denis Coderre, a également inauguré Anamnèse 1+1, une oeuvre d’art public installée au sommet du belvédère centrale du secteur Boisé Est. Le premier volet de l’Oeuvre de Mémoire d’Alain-Martin Richard est constitué d’une sculpture en forme de conteneur ouvert sur lequel pousse un arbre. Composé de vingt-sept panneaux en aluminium, coulés à partir de ballots de tissu de récupération dont ils retiennent l’empreinte. L’oeuvre évoque le côté industriel du parc ainsi que son aspect de compostage et de récupération. Le second volet est narratif. Il est constitué d’un parcours de 30 larges pierres dispersées dans les différents sentiers du parc. Sur ces dalles de calcaire blanc, des images sont sérigraphiées et des textes gravés, évoquant l’histoire du parc. (Voir l’album photo que j’ai préparé pour illustrer cette oeuvre sur Flickr)
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
La création du Parc Frédéric-Back (anciennement la Carrière Miron, puis le Complexe Environnemental Saint-Michel) représente un ambitieux projet de réhabilitation environnemental. C’est un lieu unique, non seulement par son histoire, mais parce qu’il offrira ultimement aux citoyens cent-cinquante-trois hectares de verdure (ce qui a nécessité la transplantation de 78 arbres matures et la plantation de 2100 arbres, 8200 arbustes, 45,000 m2 de vivaces, graminés et herbacés — après tout c’est normal que l’on plante des arbres au Parc Frédéric-Back!). C’est un espace plus grand que le parc du Mont-Royal, ce qui en fera le “Central Park” de Montréal. La caractéristique particulière du parc est sans aucun doute ses fameuses sphères recouvrant les puits de captage de biogaz (qui par ailleurs sont phosphorescentes la nuit!).
Jusqu’à récemment, seule la voie polyvalente de 5,5 km ceinturant le parc était accessible au public. Ce week-end inaugure donc deux nouveaux secteurs qui ont été aménagés à l’occasion du 375e anniversaire de Montréal : le secteur Boisé Est (12.5 hectares, offrant des aires de pique-nique, des sentiers, des aires de repos et un belvédère à 360 degrés sur le point le plus haut du site, offrant ainsi une perspective sur le centre-ville et le Mont-Royal) et le secteur Papineau-Sud (5.2 hectares, offrant une aire de pique-nique, une aire de rencontre avec abri et mobilier urbain, une plaine de jeux libres et un belvédère sur le secteur du parc encore en cours d’aménagement). Deux autres secteurs ont également été réaménagés: le secteur Papineau Nord (1.3 hectares, entrées Lecocq, Louvain et Charton) et le secteur Iberville Sud (4.1 hectares, entrée Émile-Journault Est).
C’est un superbe parc, plein de sentiers de randonnée et de nature, et je suis fort heureux de sa présence. Je suis cependant très déçu qu’on ait tardé à ouvrir les nouveaux secteurs (préalablement annoncé pour le printemps, je trouve qu’une ouverture fin août soit un peu tard dans l’année — de nombreuses fleurs étaient déjà fanées…), que certains détails semblent avoir été oublié (certains des belvédères offrent encore un point de vue remarquablement… arboricole) et que l’ouverture complète ait été mainte fois reportée (d’abord annoncée pour 2020, puis 2023, maintenant il semble que ce sera pour 2025!). Toutefois, heureuse surprise, j’ai appris que l’ouverture sera échelonnée sur plusieurs années: les secteurs d’Iberville et du Cirque du Soleil ouvriront au printemps 2019, ceux des Plaines et du Boisé central à l’automne 2021, puis finalement les secteurs ouest longeant Papineau à l’automne 2023. Si tout va bien, le Parc devrait donc être complété en 2025.
Mais pour l’instant, on ne manquera pas de profiter des secteurs existants!
Ce qu’en disent les média:
- Montréal inaugure le parc Frédéric-Back (TVA)
- From trash to trees: Saint-Michel landfill to be converted into public park (CBC)
- Page FB de la ville
- Video de l’inauguration (Journal des Voisins A-C via Youtube)
[ Translate ]
Noise
Eight years have passed since the Akihabara massacre. A pop star whose mother was killed in the incident, a teenager who left her home of Akihabara, a delivery boy who turns his anger to the city. This is a story about the characters striving to grasp the string of hope within the darkness surrounding the city, the incident, and the people.
WARNING: May contains trace of spoilers! People allergic to the discussion of any plot’s elements before seeing a movie are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions for their safety and should avoid reading further.
In this movie we see Japan like we rarely see it in movies: people being poor, homeless, destitute, at their wits’ end. Japan is interiorizing everything, hiding the pain, the ugliness and sometimes the boil needs to burst. The Akihabara massacre wasn’t the cause of anything, it was a symptom. It also shows the ugly underside of Akihabara, the low level idols that are struggling, the delivery guys who deliver goods by feet because they lost their driving licenses in accidents, the almost-sex industry exploiting young girls, etc.
This docudrama is interesting because this director is willing to show us what others wouldn’t dare: the price Japan is paying for past economic crises and for a rigid society that must always preserve the appearance. Unfortunately, this young director is lacking the skills to express all this in a beautiful, well-organized manner. The result is a loud (it’s called noise isn’t it?), disjointed, awkward, disorganized movie. There are too many characters, scenes transition that comes without warning or coherence which makes the story quite difficult to follow. However, it is compelling and the actors’ play is excellent.
It is a hard movie that requires patience like most unpolished gems. In the end, it gets easier to understand as we get to know each character better. Noise has potential with such an interesting subject and its great acting, but it unfortunately doesn’t succeed to be artistically good enough. However, it is entertaining and well worth watching.
Noise : Japan, 2017, 124 mins; Dir.: Yusaku MATSUMOTO; Cast: Kokoro Shinozaki, Urara Anjo, Kosuke Suzuki, Kentaro Kishi, Takashi Nishina, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroshi Fuse.
Film screened at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 25th, 2017 (Cinema du Parc 1, 20:15 — the attendance was around fifteen people out of a capacity of about two-hundred seats) as part of the “First Feature Competition” segment. There was no production team member to introduce the movie or do a Q&A. 
For more information you can visit the following websites:
[ IMDb — Official Web — Vimeo — Youtube ]
Noise © ?Noise?????? 2017. All rights reserved.
See also the comment on this movie by Claude R. Blouin (in french).
[ Traduire ]
Japanese movies at the FFM 2017
There are only four Japanese movies at the Montreal World Film Festival this year. You will find bellow all the details we could find on each of them:
World Competition / Film en compétition
Dear Etranger (?????????? / Osanago Warera ni umare / lit. “Children born to us”): Japan, 2017, 127 mins; Dir.: Yukiko Mishima; Scr.: Haruhiko Arai (based on a novel by Kiyoshi Shigematsu); Cast: Rena Tanaka, Tadanobu Asano, Miu Arai, Narushi Ikeda, Raiju Kamata, Kankurô Kudô, Sara Minami, Shingo Mizusawa, Shinobu Terajima.
Based on the novel from Kiyoshi Shigematsu, this is the story of Makoto Tanaka, a 40-years-old who has remarried. His wife is Nanae and they care for 2 daughters from Nanae’s prior marriage. Makoto tries to have an ordinary family but Nanae becomes pregnant and things are bound to change.
Schedule : Cinema Imperial — Fri 09/01 19:00 / Cinema Imperial — Sun 09/03 11:00.
[ AsianWiki — IMDb — Vimeo — Youtube ]
First Feature Competition / Compétition des premières oeuvres
Noise : Japan, 2017, 124 mins; Dir.: Yusaku MATSUMOTO; Cast: Kokoro Shinozaki, Urara Anjo, Kosuke Suzuki, Kentaro Kishi, Takashi Nishina, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroshi Fuse.
Eight years have passed since the Akihabara massacre. A pop star whose mother was killed in the incident, a teenager who left her home of Akihabara, a delivery boy who turns his anger to the city. This is a story about the characters striving to grasp the string of hope within the darkness surrounding the city, the incident, and the people.
Schedule : Cinema du Parc 3 — Fri 08/25 10:00 / Cinema du Parc 1 — Fri 08/25 20:15 / Cinema Dollar 1 — Sat 08/26 21:00.
[ IMDb — Official Web — Vimeo — Youtube ]
Focus on World Cinema / Regards sur les Cinéma du Monde
Nightscape : S. Korea / Japan, 2017, 71 min.; Dir.: In-chun Oh.
Based on a true event. There was a new team chasing after a suspicious Taxi. It started with just a small suspicion. But… what happened to them that midnight?
Schedule : Cinema Dollar 2 — Sat 08/26 21:00 / Cinema du Parc 3 — Thu 08/31 12:00 / Cinema du Parc 3 — Mon 09/04 17:00.
[ IMDb — Official web — Vimeo teaser 1 — Vimeo teaser 2 ]
Shorts / Courts métrages
No song to sing : Japan / United Kingdom, 2017, 24 min.; Dir./Phot.: Lukasz Gasiorowski; Scr.: Maiko Takeda; Ed.: Masahiro Hirakubo; Mus.: Ewen Bremner; Cast: Make Takeda, Takuji Suzuki, Shinjiro Takahashi, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Kayo Takeda, Ryubun Sumori, Issei Yamashita, Kenichi Masuda.
Natsu, a professional femme fatale works for a typical Tokyo “Telephone Date Club”. She enjoys selling fantasies to lonely men, but as she becomes emotionally entangled in the web of her own deceptions, she finds herself unable to pay the price of her own merchandise.
Schedule : Cinema du Parc 3 — Sun 08/27 16:00 / Cinema du Parc 3 — Tue 08/29 16:15 / Cinema Dollar 2 — Sun 09/03 21:00.
[ IMDb — Official web — Vimeo ]
[ Traduire ]
Image du chat-medi
Lévis
(Nikon D3300, 2017-08-15)
FFM Update
The 41st edition of the Festival des Films du Monde is offering us this year only ninety-two movies and forty-two shorts from countries all over the world. It might be a reduced formula (no printed program, no press room, no film market) but, still, no other festival could offers such diversity.
The information has finally finished to trickle down and we now know the complete list of the movies to be screened and their schedule. Unfortunately, aficionado of Japanese cinema will feel a little short-changed this year as the lists includes only FOUR Japanese movies:
- World Competition (18 movies, including one from Japan: Dear Etranger)
- First Movie Competition (19 movies, including one from Japan: Noise)
- Chinese Film Festival (10 movies)
- Focus on World Cinema (32 movies, including a S. Korea/Japan co-production: Nightscape)
- Documentaries of the World (18 movies)
- Student Film Festival (7 movies)
- Tributes (1 movie)
- World Great / Out of Competition (4 movies)
- Short Films Competition (42 shorts, including a Japan/U.K. co-production: No Song to Sing)
The movies will be screened in three theatres:
- Cinema Imperial (see the schedule on the FFM website)
- Cinema du Parc (see the schedule on the FFM website)
- Cinema Dollar (see the schedule on the FFM website)
Day 1: I went to see my first movie tonight, Noise. The theatre was almost empty, but that’s to be expected for a Japanese movie on a Friday night. I have taken notes on the bus ride on my way back, and I’ll post my comments on the movie as soon as I can. However, I will not see much movies this year: the one in competition for sure (Dear Etranger), but I’ll see for the other two (a horror movie and a short ?). The first day went smoothly so, even with the minimalist organisation, the festival seems to be doing well (I guess that with the experience of last year’s disaster they were better prepared this time). I hope it will continue and get better in the future. This year is the eighteeth time I have been covering and reporting on the FFM and I wish I’ll reach the twentieth time…
Here is what they say about the FFM in the news:
- Festival des films du monde is back for more (The Gazette)
- Tonnerre sur la marquise (Le Devoir)
- FFM, mode d’emploi (La Presse)
- Ouverture du 41e FFM: en formule… écologique! (La Presse)
- Un 41e Festival des films du monde auréolé de mystère (Le Devoir)
- Le Dollar, ce cinéma bien secret (Le Devoir)
[ Traduire ]
Artistic interlude
Dog with Maple Leaves (02 / blue) / Chien et feuille d’érable (02 / Bleu)
© 2017 Miyako Matsuda
See more of my wife’s art in this Flickr album
Voir d’autres peintures par mon épouse sur cet album Flickr
Image du mer-fleuri
Rosier floribunda / Floribunda rose
Rosaceae : Rosa : “Mardi Gras”
(Nikon D3300, Jardin Botanique de Montreal, 2017-07-23)
FFM – First Film World Competition
Today, the FFM announced the nineteen movies included in the First Film World competition. There is one Japanese movie in the list:
Noise : Japan, 2017, 124 mins; Dir.: Yusaku MATSUMOTO; Cast: Kokoro Shinozaki, Urara Anjo, Kosuke Suzuki, Kentaro Kishi, Takashi Nishina, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroshi Fuse.
Eight years have passed since the Akihabara massacre. A pop star whose mother was killed in the incident, a teenager who left her home to Akihabara, a delivery boy who turns his directionless anger to the city. This is a story about the characters striving to grasp the string of hope within the darkness surrounding the city, the incident, and the people.
[ IMDb — Official Web — Vimeo — Youtube ]
No screening schedule has been announced yet. We will post more information as it becomes available.
Here is what they say about the FFM in the news:
- Le Festival des films du monde, progressivement… (La Presse)
- Québecor à la rescousse du cinéma Impérial (Le Devoir)
- Québecor steps in to save Imperial Theatre (The Gazette)
- Québecor devient locataire prioritaire du Cinéma Impérial (HuffPost)
[ Traduire ]
FFM Schedule
The schedule for the competition movies has been posted last night. Those screenings will be held at the Imperial Cinema. The schedule for the screenings at the Cinema du Parc and Dollar Cinema will be announced later.
The only Japanese movie in Competition will screen at the Imperial on Friday September 1st at 19:00 with English subtitles and on Sunday September 3rd at 11:00 with French subtitles.
DEAR ETRANGER (?????????? / Osanago Warera ni umare): Japan, 2017, 127 mins; Dir.: Yukiko Mishima; Scr.: Haruhiko Arai (based on a novel by Kiyoshi Shigematsu); Cast: Rena Tanaka, Tadanobu Asano, Miu Arai, Narushi Ikeda, Raiju Kamata, Kankurô Kudô, Sara Minami, Shingo Mizusawa, Shinobu Terajima.
Based on the novel from Kiyoshi Shigematsu, this is the story of Makoto Tanaka, a 40-years-old who has remarried. His wife is Nanae and they care for 2 daughters from Nanae’s prior marriage. Makoto tries to have an ordinary family but Nanae becomes pregnant and things are bound to change.
[ AsianWiki / IMDb / Youtube ]
We will post more information as it become available.
[ Traduire ]
Monthly notable news (w26-33)
On the domestic front, in the last month or so, the condition were still rather horrible at work: it was way too hot (ventilation is working but there’s absolutely no air conditioning so we regularly work at temperature of 28~33 ? including the humidex — 23~25 ? with 45%~55% humidity) and we are still running like crazy… Therefore, most of the time, I come back home totally exhausted.
When I was not busy chasing quotes for the balcony and masonry repairs on the duplex, I was taking care of the stray cats, but this year’s cat saga has finally concluded: the two females have been sterilized & released and their kittens have been adopted through a good samaritan shelter. Despite all this (and maybe thanks to the omega 3 supplement I am taking? Nah…) I wrote much more than the previous months (many capsule reviews including commentaries on the Ghost in the Shell and Valerian live-action movies, as well as the superb Pline manga) and I also started contributing to the Irrésistibles blog (with a version of my commentaries on Animeland #214 & #215, dBD #115, Pline #1, and the movie Silence).
In the news, everything was about the Trump circus. I was literally consumed by the news of this train wreck in the making, like watching an accident where you know you shouldn’t but just can’t turn you gaze from it. So we’ve spent countless hours watching news reports on MSNBC (mainly Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell shows) about the latest trump scandals — and there’s a new one almost every day! It never stops: the Buzzfeed Russian “dossier” (Wikipedia, document), the possible election tempering collusion and financial involvement with Russia, the healthcare repeal & replace disaster, the sabre-rattling with North Korea and, finally, the controversial comments following the Charlottesville violence contributing to inflame the supremacist and racist agenda! When will the republicans realize they have bet on the wrong horse and decide to put him out of his misery? I can’t believe it has gone this far…
I have also watched today’s partial eclipse of the sun (58%) on TV and with my own eyes (using a home-made filter) but, unfortunately, I was not able to take any respectable pictures (by lack of preparation and appropriate equipment). But, at least, the weather was cooperating and I was able to see it. The next opportunities for such event will be June 10 2021 (partial at 85%), October 14 2023 (partial at 29%) and on April 8 2024 (a total solar eclipse!).
As always, I tried to remain acquainted with the affairs of the world and gathered oven an hundred notable news & links — which I share with you (in both french or english, and roughly separated in a few categories of interest), after the jump.
[ Traduire ]
What about the FFM ?
We are less than a week before the alleged beginning of the 41st edition of the Montreal World Film Festival on Thursday and there is still very little information available about it. Will it even take place?
According to an article in La Presse, it seems that it is still on course. And tonight, the list of the eighteen movies in the run for World Competition was released. There is only one Japanese movie in competition: Dear Etranger (?????????? / Osanago Warera ni umare) directed by Yukiko Mishima [ AsianWiki / IMDb / Vimeo / Youtube ].
My guess is that the festival will be even more chaotic than last year and scheduling information will trickle down day by day… But does it really matter as long as we can watch good international movies that we would probably not be able to see anywhere else?
Here is what they say about it in the news:
- FFM: le Cinéma Impérial bientôt saisi? (La Presse)
- L’Impérial et le FFM dans les limbes (Le Devoir)
- Hydro-Québec coupe l’alimentation électrique au Cinéma Impérial (La Presse)
- Imperial Cinema: How much can its heritage status protect it? (The Gazette)
- Losique won’t pull plug on Festival des films du monde (The Gazette)
- Péril en la demeure (La Presse)
- Montréal entend protéger le Cinéma Impérial (La Presse)
- Le Festival des films du monde reste à l’Impérial (Le Devoir)
- Un peu d’infos sur le 41e FFM (La Presse)
- Québec penché sur le sort de l’Impérial (Le Devoir)
- 18 films in World Competition (link)
- More on La Presse
- More on Le Devoir
- More on The Gazette
- More on the Huffington Post
[ Traduire ]
Image du chat-medi
Vanille in a hat box / Vanille dans une boite à chapeau
(iPhone, 2017-08-13)
Artistic interlude
Cat In a Basket / Chat dans un panier (c2010?)
© 2010-2017 Miyako Matsuda
See more of my wife’s art in this Flickr album
Voir d’autres peintures par mon épouse sur cet album Flickr
Image du mer-fleuri
Hémérocalle / Daylily
Liliaceae : Hemerocallis : “Red Reward”
(Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique de Montreal, 2017-07-23)
Souvenir des chatons
Voici un petit souvenir des chatons avant qu’ils soient pris en charge par le refuge qui s’occupera de leur adoption…
-
- Trois p’tits chats
-
- Lilou
-
- Lilou ♀ : noir, bout des pattes, plastron et ventre blanc
-
- Luka ♂ : noir, bout des pattes, g. du museau, menton et plastron blanc
-
- Lulu ♀ : noir, petite tache blanche sur la poitrine
-
- Luis ♂ : noir, bout des pattes, g. du museau et plastron blanc
-
- Lévis
-
- Lilou ♀ : noir, bout des pattes, plastron et ventre blanc
-
- Luka ♂ : noir, bout des pattes, g. du museau, menton et plastron blanc
-
- Lulu ♀ : noir, petite tache blanche sur la poitrine
-
- Luis ♂ : noir, bout des pattes, g. du museau et plastron blanc
-
- Lévis
[ Translate ]
Inauguration du parc
Ce matin dans ma boite à lettre j’ai trouvé une publicité annonçant l’inauguration du Parc Frédéric-Back dans un peu moins de deux semaine, le samedi 26 août dès midi. C’est donc maintenant officielle!
La cérémonie, qui se déroulera dans le secteur Boisé Est (angle 2e avenue et rue Deville), inclura une performance d’ouverture, le dévoilement de l’oeuvre de mémoire (?), des activités ludiques pour grands et petits ainsi qu’un spectacle de clôture en soirée.
Aussi, tous les samedis de septembre, dès 11h, nous pourrons profiter de pique-niques champêtres, de maïs gratuit, de nombreuses activités ludiques et autres surprises!
C’est un peu tard pour ouvrir un parc mais, bon, la ville se rattrape en offrant une programmation spéciale pour la rentrée. Les travaux sont théoriquement terminés depuis le printemps (et je n’y ai pas vu beaucoup d’activité durant l’été) alors je ne comprend pas pourquoi attendre aussi tard pour en faire l’ouverture. Et malgré tout, le parc ne me semble pas encore tout à fait prêt: hautes herbes, belvédères obstrués par les arbres, etc., et le tout est encore clôturé mur à mur… Enfin, c’est un début!
-
- Arrière de la publicité avec les détails de l’inauguration
-
- Publicité aussi dans le parc
-
- Pour l’instant ceci est le seul spectacle de clôture à laquelle nous ayons droit
-
- Belvédères aux points de vue remarquables !
Pour plus de détails, consultez le site des legs du 375e ainsi que le site des Grands Parcs de Montréal.
[ Translate ]
Italian Week 2017
Today we visited the 2017 Montreal’s Italian Week that was held from August 4 to 13 in the Little Italy. Amongst other things, we’ve seen a Fiat and Ferrari car exposition, a colourful parade and listen to some folkloric music! The parade was organized by one of the multiple Italian associations of Montreal, from Sicily (probably the Associazione messinese di Montreal). I have also discovered quite an interesting musical instrument: the bufù (a.k.a. caccavella or putipù) is a friction drum that is played by rubbing a bamboo stick through an animal skin membrane to make it vibrate and produce a deep sound. The music was played by the people from the Associazione Casacalendese di Montreal.
I made a short video as a memento of this visit, available also on Vimeo:
[ Traduire ]
Image du chat-medi
Caramel Sleeping / Caramel dort
(iPhone 6s, 2017-08-12)
Artistic interlude
Dog with Yellow Four O’clocks
Chien avec des Belle-de-nuits jaunes
© 2017 Miyako Matsuda
See more of my wife’s art in this Flickr album
Voir d’autres peintures par mon épouse sur cet album Flickr
Image du mer-fleuri
Hémérocalle / Daylily
Liliaceae : Hemerocallis : “Nosferatu”
(Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique de Montréal, 2017-07-23)
How to save the planet
You’re feeling good because you think you are saving the environment by recycling and switching to LED light bulbs? Well, don’t (feel good, I mean). It is totally useless.
Last week-end, I read an interesting article in The Gazette titled “Want to save the planet?” (also from the National Post via PressReader). A study by the University of British Columbia is showing that what we are told to do to reduce climate change is rarely the most effective way. We’re told that “making a difference doesn’t have to be difficult” when, in truth, making a real impact demands some major sacrifices!
The most interesting part of the article is found in a graphic that was available only in the print version. What high school textbooks suggest students to do for the environment is not very effective: using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic ones represent only a saving of 0.005 tonne (5 kg) of carbon dioxide per person per year, while upgrading light bulbs saves 0.1 tonne, hanging your laundry to dry in the sun saves 0.21 tonne, recycling saves 0.213 tonne and washing your clothes in cold water saves 0.247 tonne. Small changes.
In opposite, the more effective actions for helping the environment represents only four per cent of the suggestions given to students. The best tactics are eating less meat with a plant-based diet (saving of 0.8 tonne per year), buying green energy (saving 1.5 tonne per year), taking one less transatlantic flight per year (saves 1.6 tonne), and going car-free (saving 2.4 tonne per year — note that switching from an electric car to car-free saves 1.15 tonne per year and buying a more efficient car saves 1.19 tonne per year!). However, the most effective way to be environmentally friendly is to have one less child: you would save 58.6 tonne of CO2 emission per year! I always said that those kids are killing the planet.
I am really happy because I am already doing all those things (switching light bulbs, washing in cold water, hang-drying, using reusable bags, hydro-electricity, having a plant-based diet, no flying, no car, no kid) and I hope you will consider it too. I won’t go as far as some sci-fi shows and suggest, as some sort of Sophie’s Choice, that we should reduce the children population (or even the general population) — it would surely make the environment quieter — but please copulate with moderation (I would say “practice abstinence” but that would be inconsiderate: just don’t have four or five kids and think of it as a planetary-wide one-child policy)! There are already too many people on earth…
That would certainly be a good way to save the planet.
[ Traduire ]
Ghost in the Shell
At first glance, the story of this live-action version seems rather faithful to the original. If the manga offers the base of the story (chap. 1, 3, part of 8, 9 and 11), it follows more the storytelling of the animated movie. Shirow’s manga is rather disorganized with lots of silly or humorous moments, while Oshii’s anime movie is more linear, but with lots of reflective and philosophical pauses (maybe a little too much). In this regard, the live-action movie seems more balanced. Of course, they changed a few things here and there but the spirit is all there (no pun intended). My main complain is that this story doesn’t show any Fuchikoma (think tanks, a.k.a. Tachikoma (in the TV series): spider-like robots with great sense of humour that assist in combat) and it is missing the incredibly beautiful music by Kanji Kawai, which is heard in the movie only in the end credits. However, the biggest change is in the background stories of both the puppet master and of the Major, which were completely altered in order to link them together. I am not sure (I can’t really remember) but I think they may have taken a few elements from the TV series and OVAs (at least the part on the origin of the Major). They also kept a hint of philosophical reflection (not too much, but just enough) to preserve the mood of the original movie—the age-old existential question of what’s make us “us”. They also paid an homage to Mamoru Oshii by putting his favourite dog (basset hound) in the story (actually, Batou’s dog comes from the second movie, Innocence — which is itself based on chap. 6 of the manga).
I heard plenty of negative comments. People complained they chose an American actress to play a Japanese character (first, this comment came out in the midst of the Hollywood whitewashing scandal and, anyway, not many Japanese actresses would have the action and language skills to play that role — although I like that Takeshi Kitano acts only in Japanese). They also complained that her acting lacked expression (come on, she plays a human turned into a machine, wondering if she’s still human, so it’s part of her role). On the other hand, some purist fans complained that they changed this or that. It’s not a perfect movie (personnally, I hate the design of the spider-tank!) and it was obviously not good enough for many since it didn’t performed well at the box office (which barely exceeded the production budget) and received lukewarm reviews (45% on Rotten Tomatoes !).
Of course, I don’t know if someone who has never heard of the Ghost in the shell universe would be able to follow, understand and really appreciate it. Because I am a fan, I am probably biased. So I wonder: purely in a technical point of view, is it a good movie? I think so. The story is captivating and interesting as it asks some relevant questions about human nature and it remains one of the best depiction of the cyberpunk genre I’ve seen. The storytelling is fluid and easy to follow (unlike Oshii’s movie), the acting is good and the special effects are superb. In the end, what else should we expect from a movie? Ghost in the shell is a complex universe, first in its story (socio-political cyberpunk) but also in its making as the franchise includes several manga, movies, TV series and OVAs, so maybe we should try to see the live-action more as what it is in itself than try too hard to compare it to the manga or anime. For my part, it’s an excellent entertainment and I enjoyed it a lot.
Ghost in the shell: USA, 2017, 107 min., PG-13. Dir.: Rupert Sanders; Scr.: Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger (based on the manga by Masamune Shirow); Phot.: Jess Hall; Ed.: Neil Smith, Billy Rich; Mus.: Clint Mansell, Lorne Balfe; Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han, and Juliette Binoche. 
[ Amazon — Google — IMdB — Wikipedia — Youtube ]
Ghost in the shell (攻殻機動隊 / Kōkaku Kidōtai Gōsuto In Za Sheru / Mobile Armored Riot Police: Ghost in the Shell) : Japan, 1995, 82 min.; Dir.: Mamoru Oshii; Scr.: Kazunori It? (based on the manga by Masamune Shirow); Phot.: Hisao Shirai; Ed.: Sh?ichi Kakesu, Shigeyuki Yamamori; Mus.: Kenji Kawai; Voices: Atsuko Tanaka, Akio ?tsuka, and Iemasa Kayumi.
An excellent adaptation of the manga although with a little too much philosophical pauses. If the sequel movie is also nice (Ghost in the shell 2: Innocence) it doesn’t follow the manga. My favourite part of the franchise is the TV series Ghost in the shell: Stand Alone Complex (there’s also an OVA series: Ghost in the shell: Arise – Alternative Architecture).
[ ANN — Amazon — Biblio — Google — IMdB — Wikipedia — Youtube ]
Ghost in the shell (攻殻機動隊 / Kōkaku Kidōtai / Mobile Armored Riot Police) by Masamune Shirow (translated by Frederik L Schodt and Toren Smith). Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Manga, 2004. 368 pg. $24.95 US / $33.99 Can. ISBN 1-59307-228-7.
This is one of my favourites manga. It offers an excellent cyberpunk story (although the storytelling is a little episodic and disorganized), with an awkward mix of action and humour. The second part, Man-Machine Interface, has a better graphical quality and incredible cyberpunk scenes, but the complexity of its political and terrorist plots makes it a little hard to follow.
[ ANN — Amazon — Biblio — Goodreads — Google — Wikipedia — Worldcat ]
[ Traduire ]
Image du chat-medi
Souvenir des chattes et de leur chatons
(iPhone 6s, 2017-06-26)
La photo a été prise le jour où on les a capturé. Maintenant les deux mères on été remise en liberté après avoir été stérilisé et les chatons sont en attente d’adoption…
[ Translate ]
Artistic interlude
Dog with a Ladybug and Californian Poppies in the Countryside
Chien et coccinelle dans la campagne avec des Pavot de Californie
© 2017 Miyako Matsuda
See more of my wife’s art in this Flickr album
Voir d’autres peintures par mon épouse sur cet album Flickr
document.write(“”); Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; base64,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); background-size: 14px 14px; background-color: #bd081c; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; top: 84px; left: 57px; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;”>Save
Image du mer-fleuri
Lis asiatique / Asiatic lily
Liliaceae : Lilium : “Space Age”
(Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique de Montréal, 2017-07-23)
Clodjee's Safe-House 