Category: GLOBAL QUESTIONS

Review By Katya Marletta

The fact that critics have noticed the bravura of the independent director and screenwriter Todd Solondz is proved by the positive reviews of his film.

The fact that his works have been appreciated worldwide is shown by the countless nominations, amongst which – to cite the most prestigious – the one for a Golden Globe, and a flood of awards which he has collected in his career participating in the most important film festivals. What is not yet clear to the many is why the consecration of one of the sharpest and most sensitive directors of recent years has not yet reached the altar of the greats. Will this be the right time for “Wiener-Dog”? The new film by the American seems to have all its papers in order to deserve the title of ‘masterpiece’.

 

After its official debut at the recent Sundance Festival in fact, “Wiener-Dog” has embarked upon its happy path towards success. The story, structured in a distinct anthology of four parts, uses the subterfuge of the pilgrimage? of an animal to narrate the life of its owners. In the development of the film the attention of the director, initially focused on the fate of the dog, moves to that of men whose common denominator is depression.

 

The characters, as if on a stage, alternate, as do their lives, inexorably intertwined with those of the dog: the child who has survived cancer, the young woman with her incomplete life, the professor ravaged by the frustration of his lack of success, and the old woman abandoned to her loneliness. The four protagonists bring to the screen the egoism and weaknesses of human beings, inclined to satisfy a egoist dependency and never simply enjoy the company of their faithful friend.

“The dog is a dog” says the mother to the depressed child, as if to imply that it cannot feel emotions. In the background the gaze and the silence of Wiener who participates, powerless, in the fate his owners have decided for him until, if only for a few moments, he lets himself go in the irresistible discovery of freedom. Charlie Tahan, Greta Gerwig, Zosia Manet, Ellen Burstyn and Danny DeVito all bring a touch of irresistible acting brilliance to their characters.

 

Bring me back to the 50s and drive me around the 60s. Well, shake it up, baby, now Twist and shout Post World War II rebellion, the vitality of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis, the British invasion, Cadillac, mini skirts and the Hippie movement.

 is back to London and It will bring back to life the atmosphere of the two most revolutionary decades.

Twist and Shout! has been founded in 2011 by Alessio Granata ­ who rediscovered the 60s music due to a journey to London ­ CEO of Twist and Shout S.r.l. And Dj for the events. Together with Alessandro Leuci, co­organiser, tour manager Dj and bartender, they started organising Dj sets in Milan’s Club.

 

Due to the audience’s positive response Granata and Leuci started to cooperate with bands, dancers and hairstylists. Since then they have been touring Italy (Milan, Turin, Rome, Vicenza, Treviso and so on), Europe (Paris and London) ­ and on November 3 they’ll reach New York – entertaining the audience throughout the night with a rock’n’roll, swing, do woop, twist, and so on and so forth, repertoire.

This time, here in London, the two Djs will work side­by­side with an extraordinary team of professional artists. Lipstick and Curls, Uk’s leading make up and hair team – winners of the London Vintage awards – that will provide a Free Hairstylist and make up service.

Markus Rosendal , professional dance teacher, performer and Dj, will offer a 50s dance class. Active from 1998 he moved to London in 2015 performing and teaching 20s­50s style.

Surfin’ Kids, an Italian band from Turin, will be live on stage. Andy Caligaris – drums ­ Luca “Zanna” Simeoni ­ double bass – and the frontman Nick Mantoan founded the band in 2014 brought together by the passion for rockabilly.

Influenced by the Stray Cats, the trio brings adrenaline and rock’n’roll energy on the stage. The moment for London to wildly dance is approaching. And, who knows, maybe you’ll get a chance to slow dance with Elvis. th @ the GARAGE, 7.30 pm. London. April 14

 London – On the 10th of May 2016 at Heaven Club Pre-sales (available from Monday the 15th of February at 3pm): Seetickets Pre-sales on Eventim coming soon Bassist-songwriter and ingenious performer, Max Gazzè is ready to get up on European stages after the successful tour across Europe with Niccolò Fabi and Daniele Silvestri in 2014.

Gazzè will keep on bringing his music abroad by presenting his new album, “Maximilian”.

The first single released, called “La vita com’è”, has been hugely successful on Youtube, generating millions of views.

The artist will be touring in Spain, France, UK, Ireland, Germany, BeNeLux and Switzerland from the 5th to the 21st of May 20116.

 

 

Tuesday, May 10
2016 LONDRA HEAVEN
£ 18.00 presale £ 23.00 at the box office 
Seetickets

Have been published the first official images about the first series TV produced by Netflix in United Kingdom. The announcement is come during an important day for Netflix, in fact just yesterday the streaming media company launched its new global service that will touch 130 new countries in every part of the world.

The series TV, entirely produced by Netflix, will be entitled “The Crown” and will be focused about the young Queen Elizabeth II and her first steps toward the achievement of Monarchy power.

“The Crown” tells the history of the young twenty-five year old Queen leading the oldest and powerful Monarchy in the world and her attempts to get the respect of the charismatic prime minister Winston Churchill.

After the World War Two, although the United Kingdom had won the war, the country had lost all its wealth and international authority. The Great Colonial Empire was ending and the weight of England in the foreign relations was lighter than earlier.

Therefore the new series TV “The Crown”, that will be split in ten episodes, is focused own on this complicated period for the old British monarchy and will help us to understand better how the young Queen Elizabeth II was able to restore the fortunes of Great Britain and its Reign.

Nearly 1.4 million Londoners cutting back on winter essentials to pay their rent or mortgage The New Year may not be very happy for millions of Londoners, as research by Shelter reveals nearly a third of rent or mortgage payers in the capital are cutting back on winter heating and clothing to meet their housing payments.

This is the equivalent to almost 1.4 million people.

The study by housing and homelessness charity Shelter and YouGov shows the strain people in London face this January, with one in ten rent or mortgage payers fearing they will be unable to meet their housing costs this month.

This is despite the fact that many have already cut back on Christmas to help pay their rent or mortgage, including reducing their spending on presents and food.

With our shortage of affordable homes leaving many families struggling with sky high housing costs, over 100,000 people have sought advice on housing debt from Shelter’s helpline, online, or face-to-face services in the last year.

The charity is urging anyone starting to have difficulties paying their rent or mortgage to get help as early as possible to avoid losing their home.

Shelter’s helpline adviser Danielle Goodwin said: “It never gets easier to hear someone on the phone in tears, and at breaking point from the weight of their spiralling housing payments.

“Every day at Shelter we hear from families who face the bleak choice between missing their rent or cutting back on heating – even though their families have barely had a Christmas to celebrate.

“So many people are feeling the pinch and there’s no shame in asking for help, which is why Shelter is here 365 days a year. Getting advice early can make all the difference, and we’re only ever a click or a call away at shelter.org.uk/advice or on 0808 800 4444.”

 

Case study: Michelle and her family have had the threat of eviction hanging over them since husband Kevin became self-employed in his job as a builder.

“Even though my husband works as many hours as he can, it’s constantly hand to mouth. We cut back on everything to pay the rent – including food. When the children are at school the heating isn’t on at all, and over Christmas we had to cut back on presents and clothing.

“I try to hide it as much as I can from my youngest children but they know they can’t ask for treats, and not to let anyone they don’t know into the house in case the bailiffs come round.

I hate living like that. I recently went to the doctor because the stress of it all has made my asthma worse.

“When I rang Shelter my adviser was really supportive and I felt for the first time, there might be light at the end of the tunnel. I found out that there are things you can do to stay in your home.”

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Shelter helpline adviser Danielle Goodwin’s top 5 tips on dealing with rent and mortgage debt:

1. Ask for help early: If you are struggling to pay your housing costs, talk to an expert adviser as soon as possible who can take you through your options and advise on your next steps. Visit www.shelter.org.uk/advice or call Shelter’s free helpline on 0808 800 4444.

2. Focus on housing costs first: Make sure paying your mortgage or rent is the priority. The most important thing is to keep your home, even if you are getting demands from credit card and payday loan companies.

3. Act now on mortgage arrears: Contact your lender as soon as possible if you are behind on the mortgage. They have to try to help you.

4. Get help with rent arrears: Miss two rent payments and you could be at risk of eviction. See if you can claim housing benefit to help pay the rent.

5. Respond to letters and phone calls. It’s natural to want to keep your head down and hope it’ll sort itself out but it’s important to read everything your mortgage lender, landlord or letting agent sends to you. Keep records of every letter and phone call.

 

At the age of 96 years, the famous Italian financier and Venerable Master of Propaganda 2, Licio Gelli is died, but with his death he brought with him a several series of secrets and revelations about a great number of political mysteries and financial scandals.

Born in Pistoia, Tuscany, in 1919 , during the 1930s he took part as volunteer for the Black Shirts at the expedition that Benito Mussolini sent in Spain to support the Francisco Franco’s movement. With the outbreak of the World War Two, Gelli played an important diplomatic role between the Italian government and the Third Reich including in his contacts also Herman Göring; the Last two years of the conflict Licio Gelli participated at the Italian Social Republic of Salò.

Once ended the World War II Gelli, after a sales job with the Italian mattress factory Permaflex, founded his own textile and importing company, the success that achieved with this his own factory allowed to him to enter in the great world of the financial sector.
After the failed Golpe Borghese of 1970 in which Gelli took part, he increased year by year his influence and power not only in Italy but also to abroad, especially in Argentina where he had a lot of important contacts.

In particular in Argentina his near professional relationship with Chancellor Alberto Vignes brought a lot of benefits to the commercial exchanges between Italy and Argentina.

Anyway Licio Gelli is not remembered only for his successful financial career but mostly for having played a role of Grand Master in a clandestine masonic lodge P2.

The Gelli’s downfall began with the Banco Ambrosiano scandal in 1981, the bankrupt of this important financial institution has been perceived at international level and caused a lot of tough aftermath to his main managers.

In a police raid on his villa in Arezzo, the investigators discovered a list of 962 names, compound by influential members of the Italian political and international life such as: important state officials, some important politicians and a number of military officers, including the heads of the three Italian secret services; among the names there was also Silvio Berlusconi, the manager of the successful Canale 5 TV Channel, that would have become the next prime minister of the Italian right-centre government. [In photo Roberto Calvi] 

The Propaganda 2 was a clandestine masonic lodge expelled from Grande Oriente d’Italia Masonic organization. From 1945 to 1976 the P2 operated under the jurisdiction of Great Orient of Italy but when Licio Gelli headed P2 from 1976 to 1981, the year in which P2 ceased to exist, operating illegally was officially declared expelled by the Great Orient of Italy.
Even though under the Mussolini’s dictatorship the Freemasonry in Italy had been outlawed, after the conflict started again, P2 increased its importance and influence in every layer of State’s administration and Licio Gelli was one of the main protagonist in this climb to the power.

However with the Banco Ambrosiano scandal began the downfall of Gelli who has not been only judged as responsible for the bankrupt of this important financial institution but also for the murder of Milanese banker Roberto Calvi also known as “God’s banker” called so for his proximity to the Vatican Bank.

Calvi, the God’s Banker, was chairman of Banco Ambrosiano whose main shareholder was own the Vatican Bank. His death has been, and is still, a source of controversies and mysteries, initially believed a suicide, when the investigation was carried on, the policemen understood that could not be a suicide but a murder.

The Roberto Calvi’s body was found hanging from the Blackfriars Bridge in London but a report was published in October 2002, confirming the first report, adds that injuries to Calvi’s neck were inconsistent with hanging and who the level of Thames, at the exact time of his death, was higher, it means that the rope knot could have been reached by a man standing in a boat.

However: the site where has been found the Calvi’s body, his relationship with Licio Gelli and other members of Propaganda 2 and his role in the Banco Ambrosiano Scandal, suggest that behind his death there has been the hand of P2. I want conclude highlighting that the name of bridge where has been found the Roberto Calvi’s body hanged is Blackfriars and is located at the edge of the City, the main financial centre of whole Europe.

The name of that bridge “Black Friars” is a clear allegory associated with the masonic world, so this detail, the location of this bridge, the level of Thames and the proof on Calvi’s neck, led to suggestions that behind an apparent suicide there has been the shadow of Licio Gelli and his clandestine lodge P2. [photo ex.ua]

London-All Britain’s automotive tradition in a prestigious location in London
Located at north of London and built on top of a low but suggestive hill, rises a prestigious building known as Alexandra Palace.

The position of this palace is unique because there is a fantastic view on London and its skyscrapers, furthermore around there is a wide and green park and only these two things worth a visiting.

Being there has been a rare privilege, however I was not there for admiring this palace and its enviable position but for assisting at one of most important event of classic car of whole London.

The location could not be better than this for an important and renowned manifestation like this.
London’s finest classic cars show is much more of a simple event of vintage car because is an exposition with the best and worthy models of ever, the visitors have the opportunity to see in front of them, true pieces of museum and these kinds of experience do not happen often.

There were a lot of Ferrari and Maserati but not a lot of Germany’s car, the only exception were some unforgettable Mercedes 300 sl, famous for its gull – wing doors, some Porsche 911 of 70s and 80s, and one Porsche Speedster, the same type of Porsche that the actor James Dean drove the last time before his fatal accident.

A part prestigious models like Ferrari 275 GTB/4, Daytona 365GTB/4, F40, Maserati 3500 and Ghibli, the majority of exposition was focused about the most historical and luxurious brands of Britain tradition therefore: Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls Royce.

I always been interested at the world of cars, mostly at which of classic cars, and I would be honest if I said that I have not found no car that I did not like. Seeing a Jaguar XK 120 with its original paint and another British icon like Jaguar E Type has been amazing. Probably the Jaguar E Type has been the true queen of this important event, also Enzo Ferrari said that the design of this car made it the most beautiful car of ever, nevertheless it was not the unique interesting piece.

In fact there were others rare automobiles such as Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, acclaimed as the best car in the world between 1906 and 1926, and the successful supercar Mclaren F1; especially this one for its high characteristics and its powerful engine was a true nightmare for its direct competitor: the Ferrari F40.

For the end I want introduce you two of my favourite models of ever that I have had luck to find at Alexandra Palace : the Aston Martin DB5 and the Alfa Romeo Montreal.

The DB5, launched in September 1963, is famous for being the most recognised cinematic James Bond car, its first appearing has been in Goldfinger (1964), while the Alfa Romeo Montreal, called so because was introduced during the motor show of Montreal, is one of the most appreciate sport car by this Italian company.

The production of Montreal has been very limited then is unknown at the people and it is very seldom to see, however its quality and speed made it a great competitor for whatever Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati.
London with this important event confirms the important rule that United Kingdom has been holding and still it holds in the world of cars.

A land full of mysteries, discovered by Alexander the Great. Even if it was “discovered” this new world had its own culture, religion and philosophy that have changed during the history. From the Ural mountains to the Pacific ocean, the Asia continent covers a huge amount of countries, each with their own secrets and beauties.

During time Asia was ruled by the Mongols with the famous Genghis Kan, China with the famous Ming dynasty and Japan with it’s first Emperor Jimmu and his descendants. Throughout history the extreme east showed mighty powers like China and Japan, which shared their philosophy, languages, religions, art and their way of life.

The British Museum offers an entire view of these ancient cultures. The museum has a huge amount of artefacts and art pieces that amaze visitors every time. There’s an entire floor dedicated to Japan and other 2 levels for Chinese, Japanese and Korean art. Try to discover Asia and its beauty at the British Museum.