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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Definitely Whales, cynical and elusive.

Author: arthursward ( from Easley, SC
29 October 2002

A fascinating curio, Impatient Maiden reveals director James Whales' cinema style as well as his personal evasiveness.

This slice-of-life romantic drama concerns one Ruth Robbins, effectively portrayed by Mae Clark. By day, a secretary to a divorce attorney, Ruth brushes up against life one broken marriage at a time. At home, a neighbor's wife attempts suicide when her husband leaves her and it's left to Ruth to summon an ambulance. So when ambulance driver Myron Brown sparks Ruth's interest, Ruth's own cynical attitudes become her biggest obstacle. Distain for marriage and having personal obstacles were themes which may have found resonance to the personally challenged James Whale. He presents his tableau in matter-of-fact style, without undue emphases: Ruth's lonely plight is just something she does everyday.

Lew Ayers [pre-Kildare] as Myron Brown displays a natural ease in his role, and with Whale blocking for him he'll never look better. Supporting roles are well cast. An early Andy Devine keeps the dramatic tone from sinking. On the distaff side, an ebullient Una Merkel is on hand to perk up Ruth. Great casting and solid performances maintain a balance that makes this film more "accessible" than others of this ilk.

The presentation is smartly handled, too. A Whale trademark was a scene transition that followed characters from room to room by tracking the camera through the wall. Though the end of the wall gets a close-up, the viewer's perception is priority. Rose walks from one end of her apartment to the other and in one shot the limits of her 3 room flat are established. Indeed, the film opens with an establishing sequence when Rose leaves for work. In a location shot, she quits her flat into a rundown neighborhood and boards Angel's Flight. She continues her conversation as Arthur Edeson's camera boards and rides down a piece of history. The viewer gets a real feel for what Ruth's life is like.

The attraction between Ruth and Myron is advanced and retracted like waves on the beach. Love can't catch a break until the last reel. Elusive love, what fun the chase is, especially in this film. Recommended.

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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:

Extremely odd.

Author: David Atfield ( from Canberra, Australia
2 February 2002

What an odd film for James Whale to follow up "Frankenstein" with!

This is a strange little romantic drama, about a woman in love with a young doctor. Because he can't support her financially he leaves her,and she becomes a "kept" woman when she takes up with her wealthy lawyer boss.

At once cynical and romantic, it's hard to work out what the point of the whole thing is. Una Merkel is lots of fun though, and Ethel Griffies nearly steals the picture. And the young and beautiful Lew Ayres is lovingly filmed by Whale. The film also demonstrates what a fine actress Mae Clarke was, and how she deserved better material as she grew older.

In all an unusual and entertaining film from a great director, but also a baffling one.

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7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:

Will Hayes Makes GOOD in Hollywood

Author: James Knoppow ( from Seattle, Washington, USA
2 February 2010

Clara Bow, the famous sexy flapper, was on her way down as a movie star. Universal was able to arrange with Paramount to get her on loan. Universal had bought the rights to a novel, 'The Impatient Virgin", which, back then, was very juicy, practically pornographic. (It wouldn't be now). Universal expected to make a fortune with that combination.

When she saw the script, La Bow bowed out. Too sexy. The script was made especially for her. Bow was a oner. Exeunt Bow, exeunt the story.

When the script, which followed the book closely, was submitted to the MPPDA, the self-censoring body of the major studios, the organization immediately banned the word 'virgin'. They suggested 'maiden' instead.

They advised against nearly the entire script. The film was assigned to two other directors before James Whale was forced to direct it. He didn't want to, he wasn't interested in it.

The Hays office, which is the MPPDA, advised them to take the heat out of the script. They did. It became a different story, and there was not a single scene in it which was actually hot. (There is a seduction. I won't say if it came off or not).

Whale didn't get along with the star, Lew Ayres. Ayres had made a bunch of movies in the last two years, but he still didn't know his craft. Whale never gave him any advice. He hardly spoke to Ayres.

Still the film garnered some friction. A censor board cut out the main part of the appendectomy scene. It said the seduction was all right.

The film died a quick death, did not get much business in the big city venues, was not re-released, and never made it into Europe.

The review from the New York Times, titled 'A Naive Melodrama', by A. D. S., March 4, 1932 says in part:

Everything it has to say is in the title.

On the whole there seems nothing James Whale, the talented director of "Frankenstein" and "Journey's End," could have done about this one.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:

Cute as a Button Una Merkel is the Best!!!

Author: kidboots from Australia
13 June 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Oddly enough this was slated to be a Clara Bow vehicle (and she would have brought some much needed vivaciousness to the role) but after her breakdown, Mae Clarke was handed the prize part (she had just worked with James Whale in "Frankenstein"). The press once again predicted instant stardom for this superlative actress who just never quite clicked. I thought Mae and Lew Ayres made a terrific team in "Night World" but in this one I thought they were a little too world weary.

Ruth Robbin (Clarke) is a secretary to a suave divorce lawyer (John Halliday) and what she sees behind office doors is slowly turning her off men for life. In her apartment block it's the same, a fight between her neighbours in the morning results in a suicide attempt that night. Ruth saves the woman and calls an ambulance - which throws her together with a young doctor Myron (Lew Ayres) who is just as cynical about married life as she is.

Clarke and Ayres make a very cute couple but cute as a button Una Merkel is the reason to see this movie. She is so vibrant she dominates every scene as Alabama Betty, Ruth's dizzy flatmate, who is an A1 cook with a yen for the "gentleman nurse" (Andy Devine). It would have been a real treat to see her work side by side with Clara Bow. There were a lot of movies bought for Bow that she didn't get to do but I think she would have been super as Ruth and I could hear her saying a lot of those lines plus adding some much needed pathos and emotion to her part. She would have really held her own with Una and not let herself be subdued by Una's snappy personality.

Things take a dramatic turn when Ruth breaks things off with Myron and lets herself be talked into accepting the lease of a very nice apartment by her boss who lives in the same building. Wrong impressions are formed and Ruth goes back to living in a run down flat when an attack of appendicitis occurs - I just wonder who the doctor will be who will perform the emergency operation???

I thought this was an uneven comedy-drama, the print I saw was patchy which may have influenced my feelings. It would have been right up Clara's alley - it's a pity she wasn't able to do it.

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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN (James Whale, 1932) **1/2

Author: MARIO GAUCI ( from Naxxar, Malta
17 February 2011

Coming between the horror classics FRANKENSTEIN (1931) and THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), this is all the more disappointing for a Whale movie; in fact, I would say it is even drearier than his worst-regarded effort i.e. THEY DARE NOT LOVE (1941)! The film seems undecided whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama: second leads Una Merkel and Andy Devine are positively irritating but, then, protagonists Mae Clarke and Lew Ayres – both off acclaimed dramatic showcases, she in Whale's own WATERLOO BRIDGE (1931) and he in the Oscar-wining WWI masterpiece ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930) – do not exactly set the screen on fire (incidentally, his doctor role proved prophetic since he would eventually incarnate Dr. Kildare in a long-running series of 'B' pictures!).

To be fair to it, though, the narrative is very typical of the time – with Clarke a secretary in an office dealing with divorce cases (a timely and very hot topic over here at the moment, since Malta is one of only 2 countries in the world which has still not implemented it!) who yearns for romance. She meets Ayres when he is called to pick up an attempted suicide at her tenement house, but their relationship runs far from smoothly…while her dumb pal Merkel falls head-over-heels for his gawky nurse Devine! The trouble concerns both her ageing but suave employer John Halliday's attentions (he even buys her a swank apartment and there is a suggestion that he seduces clients as well!) and Ayres' low income (he is still a student); of course, the two eventually get together in melodramatic fashion – when he has to operate on Clarke due to her suffering from acute appendicitis! Incidentally, despite the title, along the way it is Ayres who does most of the pursuing – in one scene, he phones her up twice in the middle of the night (from an uncredited Walter Brennan's bar!) after having just been with her and then presents himself at her doorstep yet again!

Unfortunately, the copy I acquired is of very poor quality – being generally hazy and missing frames, as well as featuring picture loss and extremely dark night-time sequences; that said, it ran some 7 minutes longer than the official 72-minute length given on IMDb: go figure!

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Iron Maiden.

Author: morrison-dylan-fan from United Kingdom
5 September 2014

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Taking a look at auteur film maker James Whale's IMDb page after seeing his sadly forgotten follow-up to All Quiet on the Western Front,I was surprised to discover,that Whale's had directed a film between his well-known Horror movies Frankenstein and The Old Dark House.Looking round on Amazon Uk,I was disappointed to find that the flick had not come out on DVD/Video.Talking to a DVD seller a few weeks later,I was delighted to receive the news that he had been able to track down a copy of the title,which led to me getting ready to finally meet the impatient maiden.

The plot:

Returning to her flat after spending the entire day working in the divorce office,secretary Ruth Robbins is shocked to discover that her friend Betty Merrick has left the gas on,and has caused a fellow resident of the tower block to become seriously ill.Ringing up for a doctor, Dr. Myron Brown and Clarence Howe rush to the tower block,and treat the patient at the scene.Taken by the care that Brown and Howe show towards the patient,Robbins and Merrick begin to ask if they would both like to go out with them.Whilst Howe is delighted with Merrick's invitation,Brown finds himself having serious doubts over if he could balance his working life,with a settled down,romantic relationship with Robbins.

View on the film:

While the DVD did sadly not offer a sparkling transfer, (with the picture sometimes fading into near black,and the soundtrack having more "hiss" than a box full of snakes!)director James Whale's stylish directing was still able to shine from out of the darkness,with Whale and cinematographer expertly using long tracking shots to subtly reveal Whale's theme of the working class seeing an opportunity to go up the class system in their sights,but finding everyone around them to be determined in bringing them down.Along with the stylised shots of Robbins apartment,Whale also shows a gleefully comedic streak,thanks to Whale smartly using Brown's low- lit hospital as a place to roll out some Comedy Horror riffs.

Adapting Donald Henderson Clarke's novel The Impatient Virgin,the screenplay by Richard Schayer, Winifred Dunn and James Mulhauser is never able to fully decide on if it is a sly Pre-Code,or if it is a far too optimistic Drama.Giving strong hints that the society that Robbins and Merrick are in is one that views single women as being "easy",the writers release the film with daring,suggestive dialogue which scatters across the screen,as Robbins goes from finding a work mate getting a little too close to her,to Brown pushing aside every advance that she tries to make.

With the movie having sharp dialogue running across it,the writers take the rather strange decision of making sure that every sting in the lines snaps back to an ill- fitting,building romance,which destroys the sting in the punchlines,and leads to the ending being on a disappointingly happy note.

Tip-toeing over the sickly sweet nature of her character,the pretty Una Merkel gives a remarkable performance as Merrick,thanks to Merkel showing a growing warmth towards Robbins,and also showing a genuine delight in her great comedy scenes with a very good Andy Devine as Clarence Howe.Showing a great sense of maturity in the role,the beautiful Mae Clarke gives an excellent performance as Ruth Robbins,with Clarke showing Robbins cynical views to be wiped from her life,the moment she becomes a patient maiden to Dr Myron Brown.

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Before he was Kildare, he was Dr. Brown....

Author: mark.waltz from United States
4 April 2014

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The problems of a Los Angeles medical intern and his girlfriend are documented in this pre-code drama which pre-dated Lew Ayres' debut as Dr. Kildare by six years. She won't marry him until he's established in private practice and goes to work for the lecherous John Halliday, one of those businessmen whose requests for late night dictation includes more than the secretary's notebook. After catching James Cagney's grapefruit in the puss in "The Public Enemy", Mae Clarke had a short- lived attempt at leading lady, but was soon back to supporting roles over lack of success. Ayres, a heartthrob after "All Quiet on the Western Front", was at the right age for this part, but would be better served when MGM cast him in a series of medical dramas where he created film history as one of the oldest interns in film history. Comparisons to the Kildare series can be made here thanks to the presence of Oscar Apfel as the older doctor who mentors him and Ethel Griffies as the tough nurse.

This dull soaper has uninteresting leading characters in an unbelievable plot. Even with the artistic guiding hand of the legendary James Whale, this fails to be a memorable film. Fortunately, there are some great character performers, which includes an unbilled Hattie McDaniel and the always scene-stealing Cecil Cunningham. Una Merkel and Andy Devine offer attempted comic relief in several of their screen appearances together. An interesting shot of the downtown Los Angeles incline opens the film.

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1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

Which Blair Project?

Author: writers_reign
12 June 2008

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is one for curio collectors. Long before he was top man at Blair General Lew Ayres, late of the Western Front, was trying out a prototype of Dr Kildaire for James Whale, late of Frankenstein. A bolt through the neck might have done everyone some good. This time around we have Redbook crossed with The Lancet as heroine manque Mae Clark falls for Ayres who feels he can't support her leaving her free to play mistress for her lawyer boss. Una Merkel and Andy Devine play the comedy relief couple and Devine in particular shows what he can do with a relatively straight role though it would be a good twenty years plus before Jack Webb allowed him to do it again in Pete Kelly's Blues. As was to be expected for the time everyone went to bed happy.

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0 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

You could find better....

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
12 December 2016

Although I have always thought Lew Ayres was a fine actor, here he's one of his worst films...mostly because the script is rather second- rate. I also found Una Merkel (again, someone I usually like in films) played a rather annoying character. As a result, I think it's a movie you could easily just skip.

When the film begins, Ruth (Mae Clark) and her dopey friend (Merkel) meet a dopey ambulance driver (Andy Devine) and a young doctor working on his internship at the hospital (Ayres). The Doc and Ruth fall for each other...but their relationship later sours. Towards the end of the film, Ruth is dying and apparently there's no one else in the entire hospital who can operate on her other than her ex-boyfriend, the Doc (it was JUST an inflamed appendix)!! Will she pull through...and will we care?

Una is clearly there as comic relief and her character just comes on way too strong with the stupid act. Fortunately, she's mostly in the first half of the film. As for Devine, he's actually pretty restrained and much better in the same sort of role. But the plot is so soapy and silly that I never found myself caring much about what happened to Ruth or any of them. A misfire.

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City of Missing Girls (1941)

Passed | | Mystery | 27 March 1941 (USA)
Climaxing a long series of mysterious disappearances of young girls, dancer Thalia Arnold is found murdered. Police-detective Captain McVeigh believes that King Peterson, a nightclub ... See full summary »

(original screenplay), (original screenplay)

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Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

TALENT SCHOOLS EXPOSED! (original poster-all caps) See more »

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Release Date:

27 March 1941 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

La città delle donne rapite  »

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1.37 : 1
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A Just Okay Expose of Hollywood Rackets
19 July 2004 | by (Glen Cove, New York) – See all my reviews

Girls are going missing and a DA and veteran cop team up to expose the rackets that are set up to lure young girls in to a life of shame.

This film is more a curiosity than anything. My guess it was cheaply made and ran on the exploitation circuit for years. The music isn't even stock music, but is supplied by an organ that pumps out bridges between scenes.

How best to describe this movie? Its the type of movie that insomniacs prayed not to find on the Late Late Show because it was just interesting enough to keep them awake while it un-spooled. It wasn't good enough to actually wake them up, but it wasn't bad enough to put them out, rather its a film of the twilight between asleep and awake.

I'm of a similar mind, its not bad, but its not good. Its the sort of thing that just is. If you should run across it on TV you might want to try it, but I can't suggest searching it out.

5 out of 10

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Marvellous, BBC2, review: A film that feels good but not through any Hollywood schmaltz

Like Forest Gump, the protagonist is a Christian man, whose simple view of the world might seem to reveal a kind of holy wisdom

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The Independent Culture

Did this year’s freshers at Keele University get together in the union bar last night to watch Marvellous?

I hope so. That would be very much in the spirit of Neil Baldwin, subject of this BBC2 film, honorary graduate of Keele, gatecrasher, blagger and “very nice man”.

A feature-length biopic, starring the excellent Toby Jones as Baldwin, is itself just the latest extraordinary event in Baldwin’s life story. He has been Nello the Clown in a touring circus, kit man and mascot for Stoke City FC and a beloved part of the Keele community for more than 50 years – despite being neither a student nor an employee at the university. Once he turned up uninvited at the Houses of Parliament and ended up sitting down to dinner with Tony Benn. These events all featured in the film, as well as portraits of the more fundamental relationships in Baldwin’s life – with his mother, his lifelong friend Malcolm and the Church of England.

(Scott Kershaw)

Part of the secret to Baldwin’s success is his simple, un-self-conscious nature, which Marvellous resisted labelling as “learning difficulties”. Not just out of PC caution, but because to do so might seem to diminish Baldwin as an individual character – and that he is, above all. After a scene in which Neil had been subject to some verbal abuse from an oafish Stoke City footballer, there was a pause in the action for Toby Jones (still in character) to ask the real Neil about his experience: “Didn’t you think he was picking on you because of your difficulties?” asked TV Neil “What difficulties?” came the smiling reply from real Neil.

These surreal touches – there were also musical interludes and colourful intertitles to introduce each escapade – are what stand between Baldwin and the fate of Forrest Gump-ification. Like the Tom Hanks character, he’s a Christian man, whose simple view of the world might seem to reveal a kind of holy wisdom. Unlike the Tom Hanks character, Neil Baldwin is a real, still-living person. The triumph of Marvellous is that it’s a feel-good film that feels good, not through any Hollywood schmaltz, but through the sheer force of Baldwin’s own optimistic personality. In his words: “I’ve always wanted to be happy so I decided to be.”


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Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: Oxford should refuse this honour to Mrs T

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The Independent Online

A controversy is about to break out in Oxford. The hushed lives of dons are unsettled and cloisters begin to reverberate. Once more the cause is Margaret Thatcher, its infamous old girl, or according to some, "its most illustrious alumna". In 1985, at an emotive meeting of its governing body, Congregation, 738 academics voted to refuse her an honorary degree, the first time an Oxford-educated Prime Minister had been denied the award. They were cross, not about the miners, but the cuts she had made to higher education budgets.

Now Wafic Said, the Syrian billionaire and a close friend of Baroness Thatcher, wants to name a new centre after her, so Oxford can atone for that "insult". Said's own reputation is not wholly unsullied. He once brokered arms deals between Britain and Saudi Arabia and, in 1996, donated millions to found the Said Business School at Oxford, a gift received there with mixed feelings.

Prominent people back Said's idea, among them the right-wing historian Niall Ferguson and the leftish Baroness Helena Kennedy, the prominent human rights lawyer. The objectors, including eminent professors, are being denounced as "lefties".

I saw Margaret Thatcher a couple of years ago at a function, led gently by David Cameron, her eyes vacant and walking slowly as if that would stop time. The lady is old and frail. One would have to be monstrous not to be affected. Britain's first female Prime Minister, famous for her self-belief, iron will and hard politics, was losing herself. Old age and death spare no one. And I can imagine her loneliness and sadness. But none of this should wipe out her questionable legacy.

An academic centre named after her in Oxford would transgress and betray the principles and morality of university education. As one emeritus professor says: "It is inconceivable that Congregation should accede to such a naming." Her ideas and record should be taught and debated freely, but a centre bearing her name is a statement of undisputed greatness. Too many of us dispute that and will do so long after she passes on. Agreed, she took the nation out of economic stagnation and played a vital part in the dismantling of Soviet communism. But there was too much bad stuff. We remember her moves to wreck the welfare state; her ruthless instincts; her promotion of privatisation; her complete opposition to equality campaigns and laws; her support for apartheid; her fondness for dictators generously armed by her government; her contemptuous small Englander sentiments. What's to admire in that?

Plans are afoot for a state funeral too, and that too would be a travesty. Unusually, the Thatcherite admirer, Peter Oborne agrees that instead of bringing the nation together, such a send-off would rip us asunder. "There are too many people – for example, ship workers from Glasgow, miners, those whose livelihoods were destroyed" who abhor her.

As the years have passed, much has been erased from the national memory, often because revisionists have claimed the story. And now there is The Iron Lady, with the wonderfully talented Meryl Streep, which completes the makeover. Now Thatcher is a feminist icon, the can-do daughter of a grocer, a carrier bags-to-riches heroine, an example to us all.

Is it enough then to be a woman leader whatever you go on to do? Not in my view. Equality means equal opportunity and equal responsibility. A man who had carried out Thatcher's programme would have been judged more savagely and would not have been rehabilitated, even if George Clooney had played him in a hagiographic film. Using gender as an excuse is inexcusable. Even more distasteful is that a billionaire admirer of Mrs Thatcher is using his position to whitewash her reputation. If Said gets his way, he will prove again that top educational establishments are easily bought. I hope the protesters do prevent this shameful "honour". But I fear they won't and there will be no sense of shame either.


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The Sports Matrix: Tuesday 18 October 2011

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The Independent Online

Kohli batters weak English attack

England lost to India by eight wickets in the second ODI yesterday. The visitors were bowled out for 237, as Vinay Kumar took 4 for 30. In reply, Virat Kohli scored 112, putting on an unbroken 209 with Gautam Gambhir from 179 balls, as India eased to victory. MORE

No 3 Murray wants to keep improving

Andy Murray, who rose to world No 3 yesterday after winning another title, hopes to get better as he targets a first grand slam: “The year’s been good, but there’s always stuff you look to add or improve. I just need to make sure I keep getting fitter, stronger.” MORE

Wales want to keep coaching team

Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis is keen to keep the coaching staff who led the team to the semi-finals: “This is the first golden age of Welsh rugby in the professional era and we want it to continue.” MORE

Butt: I didn’t report Majeed spot-fix text

Salman Butt admitted yesterday in court that he failed to report Mazhar Majeed, his agent, to the International Cricket Council when Majeed first texted him raising the prospect of a spot-fix during last year’s World Twenty20 Cup in the Caribbean. MORE

Coach: Lewis has Westwood attitude

Tom Lewis, who recorded his maiden win on Sunday, has had his attitude compared to that of Lee Westwood by their mutual coach Pete Cowen: “Like Lee, Tom’s always said it wasn’t painful to be under the cosh competing; it’s what he loves.” MORE

Silva: City ‘have to’ down Villarreal

David Silva has called Manchester City’s game with Villarreal tonight “very important,” with City on just one point from two games. “We have to get those three points and, if we don’t, there will be some distance between us and the teams at the top of the group.” MORE

Ferguson tears into no-promotion plan

Sir Alex Ferguson has described a proposal to end promotion to the Premier League as “absolute suicide” for the league: “If you look at the Championship at the moment, we have at least eight teams with tradition and history. What do you say to those eight teams?” MORE

Opinion: James Lawton

All Blacks coach Graham Henry says this campaign began in the rubble of the last one, and suggested that the lesson might finally have been learnt. The heart of a great sports nation has rarely beaten so serenely. MORE

‘Slighted’ Evra to pursue Suarez racism claim

Patrice Evra felt “slighted” and “very aggrieved” over the racial abuse he said he had received from Luis Suarez, according to Sir Alex Ferguson last night. Manchester United expect contact tomorrow from the Football Association to ask whether Evra wants to follow through his claim made after Saturday’s match with Liverpool. “We spoke to Patrice today and he’s adamant he wants to follow it on,” said Ferguson yesterday. “It’s not something we want to level at Liverpool, and it’s not against Liverpool. Patrice feels very aggrieved at what was said to him and it is in the hands of the FA now.” United have a Champions League game away at Romanian side Otelul Galati this evening. They have drawn their first two group games – for the first time since 1998 – and Ferguson knows that a win tonight is important. “We are disappointed with the position we are in,” he said. “It’s not a tournament where you can afford to be complacent and tomorrow night is important for us.”Wayne Rooney will start up front. MORE

Mancini wants four more years

Roberto Mancini said that he would like to prolong his spell at Manchester City. “I would like to stay here another three or four years because Manchester City is one of the best teams in the world,” said the Italian who won the FA Cup this year. MORE

Chelsea stand firm in freehold row

Chelsea have refused to negotiate with the supporters’ groups which want a new set of assurances over a possible move away from Stamford Bridge. The “Say No CPO” campaign opposes the sale of the freehold of the current stadium back to the club. MORE


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The doors are open if you want a lock-in

It could be mid-June before there is a chance to put up base rates and trigger a mortgage rise without accusations of sharp practice
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Northern Rock's decision to reduce its home-loan rate is good news for mortgage borrowers everywhere and not just for customers of Northern Rock. It means the upward pressure on mortgage rates has eased and that the next move has been postponed, at least until the summer.

The Newcastle-based society, which is converting to a bank, decided last month to show its political savvy by raising its lending rate by half a point, anticipating a further quarter-point rise in base rates.

But Northern Rock reckoned without the heavyweight stature of the Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke, who has successfully resisted pressure from the Governor of the Bank of England for a further rise in base rates right away. The Chancellor has argued that the economic recovery is still under control and that the 15 per cent rise in the value of the pound over the past six months is as effective, if not more so, in reducing the cost of goods and services than any rise in rates.

Markets now accept his argument that, barring an emergency, interest rates and therefore mortgage rates will not go up until after the election on 1 May. After that it will almost certainly be a new Chancellor who takes the decision. But any Tory Chancellor would not want to risk claims by Labour of having won the election on a false prospectus - by raising interest rates at once. And if it is Gordon Brown who finds himself in 11 Downing Street and he puts rates up immediately, the Conservatives would surely claim that it was a sign of the market's lack of confidence in Labour.

Even if a Labour government decides to raise interest rates as part of an emergency Budget, it could be mid-June before there is a chance to put up base rates and trigger a mortgage rise without accusations of sharp practice.

Northern Rock is the only society to be forced to cut its variable mortgage rate, but several societies have recognised the signals by introducing cheaper fixed-rate mortgage offers. These new rates show a wide range of offers and an equally wide range of conditions.

Alliance & Leicester has cut its two- and three-year fixed-rate mortgages by 0.20 per cent to 5.65 per cent and 6.85 per cent respectively, and brought its five-year fixed-rate down by 0.36 per cent to 7.74 per cent. Alliance & Leicester is not alone in reducing its fixed-rate offers. West Bromwich BS has just introduced a three-year fixed rate of 6.45 per cent and a five-year rate of 7.35 per cent. First Mortgage is lending money fixed for four years at 6.99 per cent, and Chelsea Building Society has launched a five-year fixed-rate mortgage at 7.49 per cent.

Northern Rock itself is offering five-year money at 7.29 per cent, which, according to MoneyFacts, is the best buy in this sector of the mortgage market. All these five lenders demand penalties if borrowers redeem their fixed-rate mortgages and go elsewhere within six years.

Cheltenham & Gloucester's two-, three- and five-year fixed-rates launched last month are at 7.29, 7.99 and 8.69 per cent. These figures are significantly higher than Northern Rock's, but C&G does not charge valuation fees or mortgage indemnity premiums. It does not link mortgage offers to acceptance of tied insurance or even charge redemption fees for borrowers who want out within six years.

In all these cases there is one common factor. The longer the period of your fixed rate, the more you have to pay, a fact consistent with market expectation that mortgage rates will tend to move upwards over the next five years.

But the trend is less clear than it was in December and anyone wanting a mortgage or remortgage at the moment is advised to look around and check terms and conditions.

Meanwhile the Halifax, conscious of the huge tide of business, including mortgages as well as money on deposit, that will flow as soon as current customers have got their hands on their bonus shares, has started playing the incentive game.

Home movers, including existing Halifax borrowers as well as potential new business and all first-time buyers, are being offered four 1 per cent cashbacks, phased over the next two years, if they take the plunge with a new Halifax mortgage.

Looking for credit card or current account deals? Search here


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Suburban drivers to face tolls in congestion charge shake-up

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Ken Livingstone's aides are drawing up plans for the controversial imposition of suburban road tolls to ease London's chronic traffic congestion, a move which could ultimately see motorists paying for every journey inside the vast M25 area.

The Mayor of London believes the £5 charge in the centre of the capital has proved so successful that it should pave the way for a system of levies covering much of Greater London, according to his officials.

Transport for London believes it is "no longer outrageous" to think in terms of a London-wide scheme. Peter Hendy, Transport for London's managing director of surface transport, said most estimates calculated that half the road congestion in Britain was concentrated in London. "If the Mayor can solve that with new technology it would make an enormous contribution to the country's economy," he said.

Among the early possibilities under discussion are congestion charges in shopping centres such as Kingston and Bromley and tolls on main arterial roads into London such as the A12 in east London. Mr Livingstone has already raised the possibility of charges for motorists driving to Heathrow - a proposal that could help to satisfy ministers' stipulation that the airport must meet tough new pollution limits if a third runway is to be built.

Despite initial indifference to the scheme in central London, the Government has become convinced that the extension of road-pricing to other crowded urban roads and motorways is the most effective means of cutting congestion nationally.

Last month, Britain's first toll motorway opened near Birmingham, and other cities, notably Edinburgh, are developing plans to impose charges on drivers.

But a move to impose congestion charges throughout London would inevitably arouse fierce opposition from drivers, motoring organisations and businesses.

The most radical proposal on the table would see charges introduced for any journey within the Greater London area, varying with the time of day and location. And a team of experts at Transport for London believes that, given funds from central government, such initiatives could be operational by around 2010.

They say that while current camera technology has proved sufficient for the present charging area in central London and a proposed western extension of the zone, more sophisticated systems must be developed if tolls are to be more widely applied. Among the alternatives being evaluated are digital cameras and satellite-based technology.

Mr Livingstone believes that road charging, together with the expansion of public transport, could be the only response to the extra traffic expected on the capital's roads. The population of London is predicted to expand by up to 900,000 over the next 15 years, according to official estimates.

Transport for London argues that this will have a "dramatic" impact on the road network. Not only will there simply be more people, there will be higher proportions of car ownership and greater expectation of mobility, officials believe.

While the present system - introduced on 17 February last year - operates between 7am and 6.30pm on weekdays, tolls elsewhere might be levied at different times of the day and at different days in the week to cope with specific problems.

The deliberations of the Mayor's senior staff however came under fire from the Conservatives. Damian Green, the shadow Transport Secretary, said it seemed the Mayor's "hidden agenda" was now becoming public.

"If Ken Livingstone starts trying to tax every motorist who drives into the Greater London area, it would be a huge issue for the national economy not just the London economy. Ideologically-driven anti-motorist policies are not going to serve London or the country well," he said.

A recent poll by YouGov for the London Evening Standard showed that the number of people supporting the existing levy had risen from 48 per cent a year ago to 57 per cent now. The number opposing the scheme has declined three points to 36 per cent. The newspaper, which had been a vociferous critic of the initiative, admitted that it had been a success.

However the poll revealed that only around 25 per cent were in favour of a plan to extend the charge westward towards Kensington and Chelsea, with 64 per cent against.

There is little doubt that it has had an impact on business in the centre of London. The John Lewis Partnership has seen sales decline by 5 per cent at its flagship store in Oxford Street. Meanwhile, the company's Peter Jones store in Chelsea, which is outside the area, has enjoyed a 2.5 per cent increase in turnover.

London First, an organisation representing more than 300 large businesses in the capital, and the London Chamber of Commerce, with membership among smaller traders, are both reserving final judgement on the plans until next month, when the congestion charge will have been operating for 12 months. But business organisations privately regard the eventual extension of road charging as inevitable.


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Talent Scout: M'Baye Niang

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It's been 18 months since exciting Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc replaced the incompetent, star sign obsessed Raymond Domenech as France coach, but as Les Bleus head to towards their next major European tournament, Blanc 's revolution is showing patchy results.

His latest attempts to get France firing saw a edgy 1-0 win over the USA, while a 0-0 draw with Belgium resulted in his players being booed off theStade de France pitch. The problem is goals, with Karim Benzema , Loic Remy, Kevin Gamiero and debutant Olivier Giroud all failing to find cohesion. But in forward thinking Blanc 's hunt for fresh talent, he must do battle with another nation, to secure the services of a young striker many believe could lead the French line for years to come.

He's 16-year-old M'Baye Niang , currently contracted to Ligue One outfit Caen , but subject of an intense battle between the country of his birth, France, and that of his parents, Senegal. The winner will lay claim to one of the most exciting prospects in Europe at present, after a whirlwind rise to the top.

Niang was born in the tiny French town of Meulan , a little of an hour away from Paris. By the age of 13, word has spread to respected Caenscouts David Lasry and Laurent Blaize of a player with an amazing mix of physical and technical qualities, plying his trade for amateur side ASPoissy . They had to check out the tip off for themselves, and after a short trial, signed the prospect to their youth ranks.

After two seasons of rapid development, Niang was promoted to Caen 's reserve team in the fourth tier of French football - a notable achievement for a then 15-year-old. A solid tally of five goals in 16 games followed, and brought a call up to the national team, where he scored three times in six games for the Under-16's. Behind the scenes, the coaching staff were in agreement that they'd never seen a player with as much potential, and immediately promoted him to the first-team.

He would get a taste of the top flight with a brief substitute role against Toulouse in April, becoming Caen 's youngest ever player, before finding the net on his second ever start, and claiming the title of the second youngest player ever to score in Ligue One, and the first since 1978.

Niang would go on to play a key role in helping Caen avoid relegation, even scoring against Marseille on the final game of last season to ensure their survival. He finished the campaign with three strikes in seven matches, to all but cemented his involvement in the side on a regular basis. But with the 16-year-old earning so much attention, Premier League clubs are coming calling thick and fast.

It's not hard to see why. Niang may be 16, but he's already physically advanced and battle hardened. At a touch over six feet tall and with excellent upper body strength, there's more growing and developing to come, yet he won't be bullied by experienced centre halves.

Yet pigeon hole Niang as a target man at your peril - he's a lot more than yet. Yes, he's tall and strong with an athletic physique, but his favoured position is not as a classic striker, but more a creative centre forward. Much like his idol Thierry Henry, Niang prefers to start his runs on either flank, especially the left, before drifting inside and using his pace and power to maximum effect.

Niang is mature in his decision making, often making dangerous runs in behind defenders while also possessing illusive movement. He's a real handful, and although makes a decent wide-man or attacking midfielder, once he gains experience, is likely to be a more natural striker, playing further and further up the pitch.

In the next few seasons, he must look to improve his concentration, work with his back to goal and finishing under pressure, but there's lots to work with, and Niang can easily be moulded into a striker who can suit all different situations. Whether that's using his pace and strength to play on the shoulder, or his technical game with a role just off another front man, he's adaptable, and it will be interesting to see how he's used when he finally seals a switch away from Normandy.

Overall, Niang is a very exciting talent. He boasts all the physical qualities required, being tall, fast, strong and powerful, but add to that intelligence, good movement, versatility an eye for a pass and good link up play, and France had better hope they can fend off Senegal in the race to secure his services.


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24-Hour Room Service: Hotel Zamas Mexico

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The Independent Travel

This low-key boutique hotel on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula - the so-called Mexican Riviera - was set up by a couple of creative San Franciscans.

This low-key boutique hotel on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula - the so-called Mexican Riviera - was set up by a couple of creative San Franciscans. Most of the buildings are only one storey high and all are built in traditional cabaña style, with palm-thatched roofs and sand-coloured plaster. While the hotel's exterior is toned down and in harmony with its surroundings, what's inside is a playful mix of Mexican fabrics and bold, Latin colours. So while the beach is strewn with simple wooden loungers, you'd be hard pressed to find two pieces of furniture painted the same colour in the hotel's restaurant, Que Fresco.

Sitting back in a brightly coloured chair and listening to the bar's ambient soundtrack play in time to the waves, it's difficult to imagine anywhere in Mexico more serene. When the sun is shining and the sea is calm the only decision to be made is whether to sip a margarita or step into the water. And, if there's a storm crashing in, whether to roll out the hotel's Scrabble set or order a spicy Mexican hot chocolate and watch the waves pounding into the pale Caribbean sand.

Even if you're not staying here, it's worth trying to squeeze in for supper. The restaurant serves some of the best food in the country - as well as massive wood-fired pizzas, the menu includes big, wholesome dishes like grilled fish with garlic and lime served with fresh local vegetables.

Hotel Zamas, Tulum (book through 001 415 387 9806; www.zamas.com). On a quieter section of the beach-side strip that runs south from Tulum to Punta Allen, Zamas is close to Mayan ruins, cenotes (limestone springs you can swim in), nature reserves, lagoons and deserted beaches. A good pair of feet are about the only transport you'll need to get from your cabaña to the beach, or up to visit the ruins. For further afield, or into Tulum town, a taxi costs 35 Mexican Pesos (£1.65).

Time from international airport: the nearest is at Cancun, around 130km (two and a half hours) up the coast from Tulum. It is served mostly by US airlines, and some charters from the UK. A bus from the airport costs around 200 pesos (£9), a taxi 500 pesos (£23.50).

The 15 cabañas come in a happy jumble of different shapes and sizes. Some have sea views, some garden views but all have cool plastered floors, beds that sit on platforms made from colourful mosaic tiles and a comforting mix of Mexican throws, mosquito nets and, out on the balconies, hammocks. The cleanliness of the white-washed walls is broken up by the occasional smattering of folk art and colourful chairs and tables are provided just in case you want to play board games - or write a novel while staring out to sea (it's that kind of place, if you can work up the energy to move a pen across a page).

The bright mosaic tiles are repeated in the organically shaped bathrooms and huge walk-in showers boast almost floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the jungle-like vegetation.

Freebies: as much filtered water as you can drink.

Keeping in touch: there may not be any phones or TVs, but there is plenty of information about the local area to read up on. Otherwise, head into Tulum for phones and access to the internet.

Garden cabañas start at $65 (£38) and sea view cabañas (much bigger and lighter) from $100 (£59), depending on the time of year.

I'm not paying that: try the Hotel Diamante K (book online at www.diamantek.com), which has dorm beds from around 120 pesos (£5.50).


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A Science of Beauty, Part II

Aesthetic Appreciation Exists Throughout Nature

For he who would proceed aright in this matter … will create many fair and noble thoughts and notions in boundless love and wisdom; until on that shore he grows and waxes strong, and at last the vision is revealed to him of a single science, which is the science of beauty everywhere. ~Plato, Symposium

Science matters because it is the preeminent story of our age, an epic saga about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.~Michael Shermer, Scientific American

Why do we need a science of beauty? Haven’t science and art done just fine in their own domains over the last few millennia? Yes, but…

My attempt, in this and my previous column, to meld science, beauty, and art is prompted by thinking about the nature of mind. I’ve written a number of essays explaining my view of mind in nature, nature in mind. I highlighted what I view as fatal problems for the prevailing materialist conception of mind, in which mind is regarded as emerging somehow from what is generally viewed as entirely mindless. Mind is, in the alternative panpsychist philosophy that I support, ubiquitous because mind and matter are two aspects of the same thing. Where there is mind there is matter and where there is matter there is mind. As matter complexifies, so mind complexifies.

Tam Hunt
Click to enlarge photo

Tam Hunt

This vision of mind and matter has important ramifications also for biology and evolution because if mind is ubiquitous we realize that mind must have an important role (perhaps the starring role) in evolution, which is just another word for complexification - even though evolution can lead to simpler forms in some situations. “Sexual selection” was the term Darwin gave to the evolutionary effects of female choice in mate selection and male-male competition for mates. Many traits in the animal kingdom (and probably in other kingdoms also) stem from sexual selection, including the oft-mentioned peacock’s tail. This showy and overly large tail, it is thought, resulted not from its role in helping its owner to survive (its effect is the opposite in this regard), but to help it gain more mates and thus spread its genes to the next generation. If its role in producing more offspring outweighs any harm to its owner’s survival, it will spread as a trait.

But why would peahens find showy tails attractive? And by extension what is the basis for any female choice with respect to sexual selection? (It’s not just female choices, of course, because many species, including our own, exhibit female and male choices in mating; but throughout nature it’s generally female choices that make the difference.) I’ve realized in pondering these issues for some time now that a key to answering these questions is an understanding of aesthetics, of value – which are just different words for beauty.

Mind is, at its root, about information – perception/reception thereof – and a choice based on the information received. Choices are, in turn, about appreciation, likes, dislikes. In other words, all choices are aesthetic choices, a synonym for value, whether positive or negative. So if mind is ubiquitous, the experience of beauty, of aesthetic appreciation, is ubiquitous. Aesthetic appreciation becomes art, as discussed in Part I, when the observer imposes a frame on her experience, whether literal or metaphorical. Art is, in my framing (pardon the pun), all about beauty. Art doesn’t, however, have to be about traditional notions of anthropocentric beauty, and indeed much modern art has explicitly attempted to focus on subjects that are not traditionally beautiful (in the more narrow sense of this term). Again, beauty is for present purposes all about likes and dislikes, value, a process of discernment that is pervasive if mind is pervasive.

Beauty in a traditional sense is a completely arbitrary notion because there is generally no appeal to anything that is common to all observers. Rather, beauty becomes merely a matter of taste and nothing more. If mind, appreciation, and judgments about beauty exist at every level of nature, however, can we even then say anything about beauty and appreciation other than the bromide “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”?

It turns out that we can, if we accept that the structure, the form, the patterns that we see throughout nature are in fact the objective manifestation of appreciation, of beauty, by many levels (hierarchies) of non-human minds. Beauty results from a constant process of sensing and objective manifestation, for each little piece of the universe. Beauty is, then, potential art and art is beauty recognized. (What constitutes good art is another matter …) The recognition of beauty that results in art is necessarily recognition by an actual entity at a different level than the beauty being recognized. The entity recognizing beauty, and thus creating art, can itself be recognized as beauty by other entities at different levels, ad infinitum.

As we humans, who possess the most highly developed type of consciousness that we know of, developed our ability to create intentional art, this ubiquitous appreciation for beauty gained immense new levels of complexity. There is indeed no accounting for taste at the human level because of the awesome complexity made possible with our advanced minds, language, and tools – but we can still suggest and explore various principles of beauty that are generally applicable, even if not universally and always true.

The principles of beauty I proposed in Part I are broad principles for establishing what potential experiences are likely to be manifested as beauty and where we may create art through recognition of beauty. This kind of prediction is far easier at the non-human level because minds are so much simpler below the human level of complexity. Certain types of birds will almost always find shiny objects beautiful – and so do many humans, but humans are certainly less predictable in this and all other aspects of beauty because we are more complex and thus freer in our judgment and actions.

Fleshing Out a Science of Beauty

A developed science of beauty – deserving of the name “science” – will allow predictions about the types of structures/form/beauty we can expect to see at various levels of complexity in novel situations. Such predictions will, however, become more and more difficult as complexity increases. But over time, as additional data is collected in numerous situations involving the natural world, evolution, and intentional art, the principles of beauty may increasingly act as a basis for useful predictions in science and for artistic creativity. As with all science, the process of hypothesis, prediction, test, and adjustments will lead to an improved science – with no end in sight.

The principles of beauty I proposed in Part I are meant as suggestions based on my own initial and admittedly far from comprehensive empirical analysis. We have good reasons, for example, to believe that symmetry is beautiful, that contrasting and complementary colors are beautiful, and that at higher levels of cognition the interpenetration of opposites is beautiful. These are commonalities of many objects commonly considered beautiful, such as human faces, birds’ tails, mathematical theories, or poetry. I am not suggesting that these principles of beauty hold necessarily in every instance. Rather, judgments at every level of reality are free to some degree and will often depart from any attempt to systematize judgments about beauty. This is the case - an important point - because each subject is to some degree beholden to history. Even at the simplest levels of reality, history exerts some pressure. No parts of our universe exist separate from history because all things are subject to a vast continuum of spatial and temporal causes that limit freedom to various degrees. As matter/mind complexifies, however, free will is in many ways enhanced because we gain the ability to transcend, at least in part, our history.

Getting a little more technical, Whitehead’s panpsychism posits that all actualities – “actual entities” – transition from potentiality to actuality by perceiving the universe around them, choosing what perceptions to internalize, and then becoming objective/actual based on those perceptions. This is an iterative process, moment to moment to moment … This process takes place in literally every part of the universe in perpetuity, from subatomic particles to humans to perhaps even more complex structures beyond our current understanding. It is a perpetual oscillation between potentiality and actuality that produces the universe in each moment. Thus potentiality produces perception produces experience produces actuality. Rinse and repeat for all of eternity. This is what I mean by “history” for each subject/actuality.

Beauty is, in the conception I advocate here, objective in the sense of the process of creation for each unit of the universe – all objectified experience is beauty because each entity has taken the potential experience available to it and manifested objectively in the most aesthetically appealing manner possible – but there is no objective basis for supposing that any particular thing is universally beautiful, that is, for all subjects. Beauty judgments, as with all judgments, are still entirely subjective in terms of the freedom of each subject to make an individual choice about beauty in each instance. The utility of this approach consists in its recognition that beauty is still in the eye of the beholder, but also that there are commonalities to every judgment of beauty and a universal process that leads to such judgments.

It is because of this all-encompassing panpsychist view of nature that I see all of nature as manifesting beauty, something that Whitehead merely hints at: “An actual fact is a fact of aesthetic experience. All aesthetic experience is a feeling arising out of the realization of contrast under identity.” (Process and Reality, p. 280).

I don’t have space to discuss in detail here all that Whitehead had to say about aesthetics and art. However, in order to queue up my future columns on the “Anatomy of God,” I’m going to sketch a few of Whitehead’s ideas about God in relation to beauty.

God and Beauty

Whitehead’s view of God is not traditional. He was not a Christian, nor was he much of a mystic. He does, however, find a strong role for God in his metaphysics. He states of God, using the male pronoun for convenience only, not due to any literal masculinization of God: “He does not create the world, he saves it: or, more accurately, he is the poet of the world, with tender patience leading it by his vision of truth, beauty, and goodness.” (Process and Reality, p. 346). Readers familiar with Plato will recognize truth, beauty, and goodness as the preeminent forms or archetypes that had a very prominent place in Plato’s metaphysics. Whitehead is well-known for his statement that Western philosophy is “a series of footnotes to Plato.” He didn’t mean by this statement that Plato had it all figured out. Rather, he meant only that Plato had been systematic in his identification of the issues.

In this particular instance, Whitehead follows Plato in believing that there is indeed a realm of forms, or “eternal objects,” which have an integral role in the ongoing and perpetual creation of each subject throughout the universe (I’ll describe my own thoughts on forms and eternal objects in later columns). God’s role is, for Whitehead, to inject an initial suggestion into each subject as it undergoes its transition from pure potentiality to actuality. Each subject may accept or reject this suggestion – and this is itself key to the ubiquitous free will discussed above. This process is itself what constitutes beauty for each subject, as it considers the full range of data it receives from the universe, and manifests objectively. We don’t have to accept Plato’s or Whitehead’s vision of God, however, to accept the notion of beauty as universal.

By bringing God into this discussion, I don’t mean to suggest a reflexive mystification of notions of beauty. There’s enough mystification already in this area! Rather, I bring up divinity because there is indeed a long tradition of equating strong appreciation, artistic rhapsody, with the divine. And I don’t think this is entirely wrong, as I’ll explain later…

Beauty Everywhere

What is the end result of this aesthetic vision, this story about art, mind, and the world that I have sketched here? The end result is a realization that there is beauty everywhere, at every level of existence – literally. As Ricky Fitts in American Beauty reminds us, “Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world I feel like I can’t take it, like my heart’s going to cave in.” To those attuned to beauty and art in all its forms, every moment can be a moment of aesthetic appreciation.

This vision of beauty as ubiquitous may, I hope, bring us closer to Plato’s own vision “of a single science, which is the science of beauty everywhere.”

This article has been amended since its original publication.

Tam Hunt is a pattern of awareness that is lucky enough to live in Santa Barbara. His blog is

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Killarney Celtic move five points clear at top

Published 12/12/2012 | 12:20

DENNY PREMIER A Killarney Celtic 3 Spa Road 0 KILLARNEY Celtic moved five points clear at the top of the division when they saw off the challenge of Spa Road who gave a good account of themselves. Gary Keane bagged two goals for the winners while Tony Brosnan also found the net. Despite going down Spa Road were happy enough with their overall performance. Castleisland FC 3 Classic FC 0 CASTLEISLAND FC moved up into a title challenging position after a comfortable win over Classic FC. The first half was scoreless but goals by Pa Hickey, Aidan O'Callaghan and the ageless Tim O'Donoghue wrapped up the points for Castleisland.

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The winners had the two Mike McCarthys back on duty again on Sunday with Aidan O'Callaghan moving forward to a striking role again so they are a team to look out for and no side will relish meeting them especially in their home patch. Timmy Walsh was excellent at midfield for the winners.

DENNY PREMIER B Lenamore Rovers 1 AC Athletic 5 AC Athletic who are really struggling at the foot of the table took a very positive move forward when they decisively defeated fellow relegation troubled Lenamore Rovers. Paul O'Carroll and Mark Murphy both found the net twice while Barry Walshe scored a rare goal for the winners. Fenit Samphires 1 Castlegregory 0

THIS was a big game between two title chasing sides and Fenit took the 3 points with a solitary goal which was scored by Ger McCarthy. Mastergeeha 1 Ballymac Galaxy 5 BALLYMAC Galaxy set the cat among the pigeons in this division when they ended Mastergeeha's unbeated run emphatic win.

with an Atletico Ardfert 0 Mainebank FC 1 MAINEBANK FC really upset the apple cart at Mounthawk Park when they defeated title chasing Athletico Ardfert with the winning goal scored by Colm O'Neill.

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July 7, 2013   (3 comments)
Offense overcomes latest bullpen meltdown in 9-6 win
The Cleveland bullpen continued a disturbing trend, as Vinnie Pestano allowed a game-tying, three-run homer to Torii Hunter in the top of eighth, but the Indians came back with three runs of their own to beat the Detroit Tigers 9-6. Join the IBI's Nathan Kemp as he recaps the Tribe's continuing bullpen issues, Corey Kluber's strong start and Michael Brantley's big day at the plate.
July 7, 2013   (0 comments)
Captains come out swinging to take down West Michigan
After snapping their six game winning streak with a loss Saturday night, the Captains captured a win on Sunday taking down The Whitecaps, 8-4.
July 7, 2013   (0 comments)
Making adjustments key Rodriguez toward big season
Early in the season it looked like Akron Aeros shortstop Ronny Rodriguez may have been pushed too hard and needed some time back in High-A Carolina to get his head right. After a pivotal midseason adjustment to his swing, however, Rodriguez is tearing up the Eastern League and simply dominating. Jim Piascik talked with Rodriguez recently about that change, what makes him such an electric player, and more.
July 7, 2013   (1 comments)
The weather is not the only thing that is hot in Arizona these days. The relief pitching was strong and everyone around the lineup contributed in a hard-fought, 6-4 victory over the AZL Reds (3-11) on Saturday evening at Goodyear Ballpark.
July 7, 2013   (1 comments)
Carrasco optioned to Columbus, Guilmet gets call up
The Cleveland Indians today announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed reliever Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Columbus and have optioned right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco to Columbus.
July 7, 2013   (17 comments)
Tribe Happenings: Indians are a cut below the Tigers
In this week's Tribe Happenings, Tony compares the Indians and Tigers and sees a significant difference between the two teams that might be hard for the Indians to overcome. He also looks at the Indians pursuit of starting pitching in the trade market and potentially some bullpen arms, talks about new Tribe All Stars second baseman Jason Kipnis and Justin Masterson, gives an update on the recovery and possible return of Zach McAllister, and more.
July 7, 2013   (3 comments)
Second Thoughts Game #87: Tigers 9, Indians 4
Still believe Tribe Town? Awesome Amazingness? More like Abominable Awfulness. A four run third inning and a three run fourth was more than enough runs for the surging Detroit offense as they took down the Indians 9-4 on Saturday. The IBI's Jim Berdysz has all of the gory details of yet another Indians loss to the Tigers, their seventh straight. Team Streak continues!
July 7, 2013   (0 comments)
Crushers can't overcome errors in 4-3 loss to Rockford
Lake Erie could not complete a late comeback Saturday night as errors costs the Crushers a 4-3 loss to Rockford. After winning four games in a row at home, the Crushers streak came to a halt, despite a promising chance to get the win.
July 7, 2013   (0 comments)
Aeros stomp Squirrels 9-3
Richmond, VA- The Akron Aeros got off to a slow start Saturday evening at The Diamond Stadium in Richmond, Virginia. The game against the Flying Squirrels went scoreless up until the last three innings when the Aeros were able to score nine runs to earn a 9-3 win and record a third straight victory.
July 7, 2013   (7 comments)
Around the Farm: July 6, 2013
There was plenty of action to recap Saturday night in the Indians farm system as all the affiliates were in action, and there were also many outstanding performances. Joe Wendle continued his recent tear with a record-setting night at Carolina while Danny Salazar put together his latest brilliant effort on the mound. Plus, Nellie Rodriguez had arguably his finest night as a professional. The IBI's Steve Orbanek recaps these performances and more as he takes you Around the Farm.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Columbus splits doubleheader with Bats
COLUMBUS- The Clippers split a doubleheader against the Louisville Bats Saturday. Right-hander Danny Salazar dazzled in the first contest, allowing just one hit on the way to a 4-0 blanking by Columbus but the Bats would rebound by earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory in the second affair.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Wendle sets franchise record in 7-2 win
ZEBULON – The Carolina Mudcats got one of their most complete games of the season as the pitching dominated and the offense took advantage of some timely pitching mistakes to earn a 7-2 win over the Salem Red Sox on Saturday night.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Williamsport drops Mahoning Valley 6-2 for sweep
NILES, OH- The Scrappers continued their losing ways on Saturday evening, as they fell to the Williamsport CrossCutters 6-2.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Hunter leads Tigers to 9-4 win
Torii Hunter fell a single short of the cycle to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 9-4 win over the Cleveland Indians Saturday. The Indians have now been outscored 16-4 by the Tigers in the first two games of the four-game series. Join the IBI's Nathan Kemp as he recaps all the action from Saturday's forgettable loss.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Lake County falls 4-3 in rain-shortened contest
After six victories in a row, The Captains had a rough start Saturday night against The Whitecaps. West Michigan held on to the lead and beat Lake County 4-3, snapping The Captains winning streak.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
IBI Digest: 6/22/13 - 7/6/13
The IBI Digest catches you up on anything you might have missed over the past week at Indians Baseball Insider and also notes some of the more popular columns posted at the major news sites and blogs.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Indians recall Carrasco, option Martinez to Columbus
The Cleveland Indians today announced that they have recalled right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco from Triple-A Columbus and optioned right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez to Columbus.
July 6, 2013   (2 comments)
Trend Spotting: Corey Kluber and a split personality disorder
Of the many pieces that have fallen into place for the Indians so far Corey Kluber has been in all likelihood the most surprising. From the start of spring training expectations surrounding Kluber and the Indians rotation were non-existent. In fact, the words most frequently associated or espoused about Kluber were probably 4A starter, rotation depth, 7th or 8th starter and long man. The IBI's Michael Hattery breaks down the numbers to try and get a feel for who the real Corey Kluber is...
July 6, 2013   (4 comments)
2013 MLB Draft: July 6th signing update
The 2013 MLB Draft signing deadline on July 12th is fast approaching. The Indians have signed all of the bonus pool picks that there are going to sign and are $332,100 under budget which means they have some money they can use for post-10th round picks and not be at risk of being severely taxed or lose a first round pick. Here is an update on some of the post-10th round picks who the Indians have talked to and may be talking to.
July 6, 2013   (0 comments)
Bowman's blast wins it for Crushers in extras, 6-5
Daniel Bowman gave Lake Erie fans a second night of fireworks, but he did this one with his bat.
Tied up at 5-5 in the bottom of the tenth inning

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SIMON SAYS: EASTBOUND & DOWN, Season 2: a loving tale of dysfunction, egomania and debauchery

SIMON SAYS: EASTBOUND & DOWN, Season 2: a loving tale of dysfunction, egomania and debauchery

By Simon Abrams
Press Play Contributor

When Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) sets his mind to doing something, he not only usually doesn’t do it, he makes you second-guess him the few times that he does manage to get anything done right. Kenny, the main protagonist in HBO’s proudly juvenile sitcom Eastbound & Down, is an obnoxious screw-up, a washed-up athlete who is so deeply confused and self-absorbed that he never really understands why he sucks so damn much. We don’t just expect Kenny to fail because it’s in the sitcom’s nature to periodically force its protagonists back to square one in order to maintain dramatic equilibrium. Since Kenny’s normal emotional state is hitting rock bottom, it’s also a given that he’s going to fail even when he infrequently succeeds. What really makes Kenny an unfailing schmuck is his self-centeredness — the way that he makes everything about him.

That is why Eastbound & Down’s second season, which arrived on DVD and Blu Ray this week, is so surprising. As we catch up with the washed-up ball-player we notice that his egocentricities remain mostly unchanged. It is true that those relationships between himself and those around him are slightly less dysfunctional (like those with his "assistant" Stevie [Steve Little] and an obsessed fan who worships him). He even starts to look at them as real people with real concerns — so it seems. This doesn’t mean that Kenny really learns anything about generosity by the end of season two. It's just that, in a roundabout way, Kenny selfishly infers that those who love him the most will always be there to stroke his ego. Stevie is a perfect example of this. Season two is in many ways a bromantic comedy between the two characters because in season two, Stevie isn’t just a hanger-on. In Kenny’s eyes, Stevie evolves into a human leech.

When a representative from Tampa’s major league team, the unnamed Bay Rays, reveals that he wasn’t officially authorized to offer Kenny a deal, our anti-hero flees to Mexico to lick his wounds. While there, Kenny replaces Stevie with Aaron (Deep Roy), a pugnacious, switchblade-wielding dwarf from Bombay who winds up robbing Kenny at knife-point twice (see the season two outtakes reel to see Roy taunt a victim about his “burrito” and threaten to cut off his “titties”). Stevie leaves his job at a Starbucks-type coffee house in order to track Kenny done using credit card receipts (Kenny’s been using Stevie credit card to pay for $22,000 worth of debauchery, including cock-fighting, prostitutes and hallucinogens).

Admittedly, the fact that Aaron makes Kenny realize just how good he had it with Stevie says a lot more about Kenny’s drive towards willful ignorance than it does about his relationship with Stevie. Kenny periodically goes through cycles of false enlightenment where it seems like he’s on the verge of making a breakthrough and cleaning up his act. That happened in almost every episode of season one, wherein Kenny makes a number of misguided attempts to better himself that all wind up biting him in the ass. So when the Tampa rep tells Kenny the bad news, it hurts Stevie pretty badly, too.

Stevie is so madly in love with Kenny that at the end of season one, he quits teaching just to follow in his hero’s footsteps—all the way to Tampa from North Carolina with no promise of a job or recompense beyond being able to bask in Kenny’s dickish glory. But Kenny shuts that idea down in the season one finale even before he learns that there is no job waiting for him in Tampa. He would have rejected Stevie earlier but he just didn’t know how.

Which is why it’s so important that Kenny momentarily learns to appreciate Stevie (in his own way). It’s true that at one point Kenny wantonly demands that Stevie get rid of the woman he will later ask to marry him. And the happy place that he leaves Stevie at at the end of the season two finale is surely a temporary respite. But once Kenny accepts the fact that Stevie has a love interest independent of his life with Kenny, he even goes so far as to help Stevie smuggle his wife over the Mexican border into America. As far as gestures go, this is a big one for Kenny. It happens by without commentary or complaint from him because, on some level, he has accepted Stevie as a desperate individual and not just a Kenny Powers clone.

Much like how many of the best jokes in Eastbound & Down are the ones that wring humor out of the most accidental and/or improvisatory details, the fact that Kenny helps Stevie’s wife without protest is a big temporary step forward for Kenny. It shows you that sub-consciously, he’s accepted the declaration Stevie makes at the end of season one when he strolls up to Kenny with a bottle of steroids in one hand and a syringe in the other. Kenny marvels, “You came back for me,” and Stevie smiles knowingly, “No, I never really left.” It’s only a matter of time until Stevie gets his heart stomped on by Kenny in season three. But until then, Stevie is more than just another little person Kenny thinks he has to step on to succeed. He’s a real lackey now and that’s probably as good a sign of any that Kenny has learned something during his brief but memorable time as America’s brightest egomaniac.

Simon Abrams is a New York-based freelance arts critic. His film reviews and features have been featured in the Village Voice, Time Out New York, Slant Magazine, The L Magazine, New York Press and Time Out Chicago. He currently writes TV criticism for The Onion AV Club and is a contributing writer at the Comics Journal. His writings on film are collected at the blog, The Extended Cut

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rev kenny brown

Dear Friend,

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? I hope this mail meets you in a perfect condition.

I am using this opportunity to thank you for your great effort to our unfinished transfer of fund into your account due to one reason or the other best known to you.

But I want to inform you that I have successfully transferred the fund out of my bank to someone else account who was capable of assisting me in this great venture. Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and trust worthiness you showed at the course of the transaction I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $2,000,000.00 United State Of America Dollars from the total amount

I have authorized Rev. Kenny Brown where I deposited my money to issue you international certified bank draft cashable at your bank. My dear friend I want you to contact Rev. Kenny Brown for the collection of this international certified bank draft. The name and contact address of the Rev. Kenny Brown is as follows.

Name: Rev. Kenny Brown

Contact Rev. Kenny Brown at the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects which I and my new partner are having at hand In Nepal. Finally remember that I have forwarded instruction to Mr.Alan Smith on your behalf to send the bank draft check of Two Million United State Of America Dollars to you.

Contact him as soon as possible without delay.Kindly accept this token with good faith,as this is from the bottom of my heart. Thanks and God bless you and your family.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Mr. Eric Jones

Simon Abrams

Did you watch the show, Pablo? If you did, you’d know that they only refer to it as the team from Tampa. They never call them the Tamp Bay Rays. Which is why I mentioned that fact. Thanks for reading!

“When a representative from Tampa’s major league team, the unnamed Bay Rays”

You mean Tampa’s 13-year old MLB team, the Tampa Bay Rays?

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Michael Fassbender Says He’s Robert De Niro And Steve McQueen Is His Martin Scorcese

Michael Fassbender Says He's Robert De Niro And Steve McQueen Is His Martin Scorcese

This was recorded at the New York Film Festival screening I attended about a month ago here in NYC.

The actual Q&A session was much longer than this 7-minute edit; I wish the whole thing was available; alas, it's not. I recall it all being very enlightening, thanks in part to some thoughtful questions from us in the audience.

Ah well… watch and listen to what's there below:

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They love each other. "McFassy" forever. :)

It's nice that he compares their RELATIONSHIP to that of Scorsese and Deniro. Too develop a working relationship like that would be rewarding for any team.

Time will tell if they reach the cinematic heights of quality of that pair.

Funny enough, I said recently that if McQueen and Fassbender keep doing what they do, they'll be the new Scorsese and De Niro. Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels the same way. :) I'm not saying they'll make a film on the same level as "Raging Bull", "Taxi Driver", "The King of Comedy" etc; but you never know.

Michael Fassbender needs to hold his horses on that one. They are no where near the caliber Of Scorcese or De Niro. It's funny how people in the industry try to push people to the forefront before they have paid their dues. I haven't seen anything in either one of these men work that has made me excited about them yet. Hunger was over before it started getting good. When I was watching it I was like "Where's this amazing film that everyone has been raving about?" Haven't seen Shame yet but I've learn to make my on opinion about films, filmmakers and actors and not listen to the trades and or sheeple. They would have us to believe that every filmmaker and actor that comes out is the new Hitchcock and Brando if the industry had it's way. If that's true then why do I only watch some films once with the desire to never see them again and why is the box office struggling to stay above water? Bah!

Steve McQueen is the man!
Hunger was an amazing experience, and I can't wait to see his latest.

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After Tiller Director Lana Wilson to Helm Doc About Suicide in Japan

After Tiller Director Lana Wilson to Helm Doc About Suicide in Japan

After tackling late-term abortions in After Tiller, documentarian Lana Wilson will delve into an equally difficult and complex subject in her next project: suicide.

Wilson’s follow-up to Tiller, which she directed with Martha Shane, will focus on Japanese Buddhist priests who fought the suicide epidemic triggered by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Last Call will explore how their techniques might combat the rising rate of suicide worldwide.

“When I learned that there was a new wave of Buddhist priests combating the suicide problem in Japan, I immediately wondered how they convince desperate people to catch hold and move forward with their lives,” Wilson commented. “I realized I wanted to be in the room for these potentially extraordinary emotional encounters between two human beings and explore how those stories connect with the larger issues of economic turmoil, increasing alienation and fragmenting communities.”

Last Call will be financed and produced by Lilly Hartley’s Candescent Films, and Hartley will take on executive-producing duties.

“This is my second time supporting Lana Wilson as a director,” Hartley said. “She continues to impress me in her ability to tackle profound and complex issues.”

[via THR]

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