Monday, May 28, 2012
EVOLUTION - in modern acro paragliding
EVOLUTION - Cortometraggio sull'evoluzione dell'acro in parapendio.
CHAD IS BACK
I'm back, after more then 4000 miles and 2,5 weeks of traveling through the American & Canadian Rockies. I have seen a lot of beautiful nature but also some very inspiring stores, now it's time to upload the pictures I shot, so I can share some with you. (picture of Lake Emerald, Yoho National Park, Canada)
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Go figure that a movie about a military operation that was thwarted by excessive ambition would itself be thwarted by excessive ambition. Based on the doomed World War II campaign code-named Operation Market Garden, which was staged in late 1944 by Allied forces eager to maximize the gains of D-Day by ending the European component of the war with a push across Holland into Germany, A Bridge Too Far features one of the most impressive all-star casts of the ’70s, in addition to spectacular production values and a few powerful depictions of heroism and tragedy. Furthermore, the movie deserves ample praise for bucking war-movie convention by dramatizing a campaign that didn’t work. And, indeed, the theme evoked by the poetic title—sometimes, just one X factor stands between glory and ignominy—comes across in several key performances. Yet occasional glimpses of effective storytelling do not equal a completely satisfying movie, and A Bridge Too Farfails on many important levels when analyzed in its entirety.
The movie is hard to follow, because it tracks too many characters in too many locations, and because, quite frankly, director Richard Attenborough fails to give greater dramatic weight to crucial moments. Everything in A Bridge Too Far is presented with almost exactly the same measure of gravitas, so Attenborough squanders interesting potentialities found throughout the movie’s script, which was penned by two-time Oscar winner William Goldman. Clearly, Attenborough and Goldman were both stymied, to a degree, by the sheer scale of the undertaking; producer Joseph E. Levine made it plain he wanted this movie to equal the 1962 epic The Longest Day, another all-star war picture based on a book by Cornelius Ryan.
Yet while The Longest Dayhad the advantages of a triumphant subject (D-Day) and a receptive audience (moviegoers still embraced pro-military themes in the early ’60s), A Bridge Too Far is a far different creature—a story of battlefield hubris made at a time when America was still reeling from the traumas of the Vietnam War. So, even if the movie possessed a clearer narrative, chances are it still would’ve been the wrong movie at the wrong time.
Having said all that, A Bridge Too Far has many noteworthy elements. The subject matter is fascinating, since Ryan’s book itemized the innumerable strategic errors made by the Allies in planning Operation Market Garden—beyond problems of scale, since the campaign involved things like an air drop of 35,000 paratroopers, the plan was so contingent upon component elements that if any one piece of the plan failed, the whole campaign would collapse. Therefore, the movie is a study of men who represent the margin of error that Operation Market Garden cannot afford—whether they’re Americans, Brits, or Poles, the soldiers in this movie try to achieve the impossible even when it’s plainly evident success is beyond their grasp.
The most vivid moments involve Sean Connery and Anthony Hopkins as British officers trying to hold the Dutch town of Arnhem for days on end despite a crippling lack of reinforcements and supplies. Robert Redford dominates a key sequence in the third and final hour of the movie, playing an American officer who leads a seemingly suicidal charge across a heavily fortified river in broad daylight. Maximilian Schell makes an elegant impression as a German commander capable of mercy and ruthlessness, while Dirk Bogarde is appropriately infuriating as Schell’s opposite number on the Allied side, a British general who refuses to acknowledge the possibility of failure.
Unfortunately, many promising characterizations are merely sketches: Actors Michael Caine, Edward Fox, Elliot Gould, Gene Hackman, Hardy Kruger, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O’Neal, and Liv Ullman each have colorful moments, but all are badly underutilized. And as for James Caan, his entire showy sequence could have been deleted without affecting the story, since his subplot feels like a leftover from a World War II movie actually made during World War II. Ironically, though, his are among the film’s most memorable scenes.
A Bridge Too Far: FUNKY
What's in our bags?
Recently, our friends over at Iconemesis were kind enough to let us each pick a new iPhone case from their shop to add to our spring wardrobes! (Yes, we count our iPhones as accessories because they are always by our sides!) There were so many cute cases to choose from that we had a hard time just choosing just one!
Our new phone cases arrived in the mail last week and we instantly fell in love! They look even better in person! We were so excited that we decided to share them with you and do another "What's in our Bags?" post. So friends, here are 12 spring items that we are currently loving and can't live without:
XO, Stef
I fell in love with this happy case the moment I lay my eyes on it! I love the colors and the design of the funny little walking shapes! For a better look at it, or the many other adorable ones to chose from, wander over here!
xo, Erin
We just want to take a minute and say a big thank you to Iconemesis for their generosity! We are very happy with our iPhone cases and would highly recommend their shop to any of our friends looking to make their phones look prettier. Be sure to take a peek at their shop: http://iconemesis.co.uk/artworks
Happy Monday lovelies!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
The Lows Are Too High
Good grief Charlie Brown! The last two and a half weeks have been...hmmm...exhausting? I've taken my first day off in 16 days and man has nothing in life felt better. Yes, the dreaded 'job' has started. Wow what a punch in the gut this new adventure has been. And yet, it has also been one of the most satisfying endeavors I have ever been a part of. Fishing!!! Who knew? I have been working as a deckhand for a charter fishing boat for the last two weeks. "But Micah, I didn't even know you were into fishing?!" you might be saying to yourself. Well, I'm not, or at least I wasn't until a few weeks ago. You see, I'm on this whole 'try new things' kick, which in the end, if my calculations are correct should render me invincible to the ravages of time and grant me endless powers like flying and breathing under water. If not, at least I'll have met a bunch of interesting people along the way. In the meantime my day sratrs at 3:45 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. where I scuttle back to my hole, shed the days misgivings, take notice of new abrasions and try to wash the reak of herring from my persona. Honestly, its a hard job that demands ALL of my time but pays big dividends in the 'building character' department of my life and also keeps me off the streets where as an unemployed self obssesed rock fondler I would surely be up to no good. This job is amazing. I've learned a literal 'shitload' of information, and I've seen creatures of the depth pulled onto the deck, beaten into unconciousness and later filleted and eaten with a nice white wine. As a first year deckhand I guess I'm the lowest man on the totem pole, but fortunately there are a few others down there to share in my head down, keep to yourself, work hard attitude. In all honesty, I'm trying really fucking hard to do my best in an industry that I know nothing about. Of course, catching fish isn't rocket science. Or at least the neck down unit portion of the job isn't. On the other hand, I've witnessed some pretty 'cool shit' during my short stint as a deck hand. Marvelous battles between man and beast, 150 lb monsters from the blue, sea lions, rescued birds, whale orgies, and skin eating bacteria. Oh yeah, this is my self-glamorized life. Why fishing you ask? Good question. I guess you could sum it up this way, "It's what people do here." Honestly, our clients pay thousands of dollars to have us boat them to the finest fisshing holes in all of Alaska and NOTHING makes them happier than to see us (I mean them) pluck a silvery beautiful alien like creature out of the ocean, bash it in the head, and then praise them for being some god-like hero of the ages. Nothing opens pocketbooks quite like the stroking of egoes (or the taste of salmon for that matter). However, this is my first 'real' outdoor industry job!!! Hooray for me! I've made it to the big time! Dreams DO come true, but only in Alaska. And in a weird round about way, I have Steph Davis to thank for it all. When all is said and done, I do really enjoy most parts of my job like meeting the clients and talking to them about there lives, seeing the unique and mysterious creatures of the sea (bludgeoned to death), and spending so much time outside and getting paid for it. The fun parts of the job are really fun, while the shitty parts of the job are...well...shitty. But its all for the love of climbing. Honestly, I'm doing this for climbing! At the end of the summer I should hopefully have amassed enough financial security to get me to the 'promiseland'. Stay tuned...
GANT RUGGER - GAME SET & MATCH!
With the Gant Rugger High Summer 2012 collections you hit the ball on and of the court. The shawl collar blazers is the ace you serve when arriving @ the party. Make sure you have "fresh" Addidas Stan Smith sneakers or white bucks this summer!!!!
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