Pligget
Little to say for myself


Sunday, February 23, 2003  

Is the camera on me?

OK, so I know it's easy to sneer, but it's interesting when glitterati of the film world use awards ceremonies to protest against the latest war.

The thing is, it doesn't take a creative genius to enlighten us that, actually, war's a nasty, nasty thing. They might spend large chunks of their time immersed in a fantasy world, and therefore feel the need to remind us that they're really in touch, but we don't. There was a time when ripples of controversy would follow their outburst, but these days they're about as shocking and memorable as the streakers that still (apparently) appear at major sporting events with monotonous regularity.

While I listened attentively to what Pedro Almodóvar was trying manfully to read out at the BAFTAs, it was far more fascinating watching the faces of the Stars that flashed in close-up during the speech. These are supposed to be the best examples of their profession, and yet you could almost read their thoughts:

"How should I hold my lips during this so that I can appear to be supportive and emotionally open, whilst not alienating too large a percentage of my box-office?"

posted by Plig | 22:32 |


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Forget the sentimental notion that foreign policy is a struggle between virtue and vice, with virtue bound to win.
Forget the utopian notion that a brave new world without power politics will follow the unconditional surrender of wicked nations.
Forget the crusading notion that any nation, however virtuous and powerful, can have the mission to make the world in its own image.
Remember that diplomacy without power is feeble, and power without diplomacy is destructive and blind.
Remember that no nation's power is without limits, and hence that its policies must respect the power and interests of others.
Hans Morgenthau

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts
Bertrand Russell

The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one
Albert Einstein

When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative
Martin Luther King Jr.

Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man
Bertrand Russell

I think it would be a good idea
Mahatma Gandhi, when asked what he thought of Western civilization

There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun
Pablo Picasso

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others
Groucho Marx

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it
Mahatma Gandhi

Always make new mistakes
Esther Dyson
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