Zombie

This is in the category of "small scale" European cinema which I love because it is about people's lives and relationships, not CGI head-bursting destruction - which can be fun too It's a movie you can enjoy with repeated viewings because, as you rightly point out, the characters are interesting, well developed, and behave naturally. Worth noting this was produced by French state TV and shown on one of their main national free-to-air networks. It was also picked up by French schools and shown to kids as part of their sex / relationships education - it may still be being shown in schools for this purpose. Highly recommended 10/10 too btw you had a bunch of movie recommendations in the Velvet blog

hey, c 'mon - I'm a gay guy... it's Cher... and the guy's cute!

puts all our squabbles into perspective

well all you need do now is tell us how many years we have left and you've got a value for L in the Drake equation

"If this was intentional, no nation on earth should be allowed to be held unaccounted. Civilian targets are illegal under the Hague Conventions after World War II." Try telling that to the Israelis

Actually Britain did have a steam powered rocket ship back in the 1970s Blue Streak / Black Arrow launched the British satellite Prospero in 1971 [it's still up there and gets switched on now and again and will remain in orbit until around 2070] but in 1972 the UK govt cancelled it. Which means the UK is the only country to have successfully developed and then abandoned a satellite launch capability But rockets are old technology. They're a very inefficient way of getting people and stuff into orbit. SpaceX may be an improvement but best current estimates are it can only save maybe 70% of current launch costs. The spaceport being planned is for spaceplane technology where projected savings are much higher - maybe down to one fiftieth of the current cost. There are several spaceplane proposals underway at the moment but Skylon is, I believe, the only spaceplane that would be able to go into orbit, all the other designs only being capable of sub-orbital flights which is no good for satellites or reaching the ISS.

Actually the two may go hand in hand. Consider that 20 years ago - OK, 22 - not one single exoplanet had been detected. Now they've detected 100s. Telescope technology is developing rapidly with the huge investment there's been so it's very likely that within much less than 20 years they'll be able to observe exoplanets as they transit their stars, detect absorbtion lines from their atmospheres and look for those that are markers of life as well as industrial activity... If you want to know the likelihood of finding intelligent life you can work it out yourself using the handy Drake equation where: N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which radio-communication might be possible (i.e. which are on our current past light cone); R* = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets fl = the fraction of planets that could support life that actually develop life at some point fi = the fraction of planets with life that actually go on to develop intelligent life (civilizations) fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space[8] ...which is fine, except we don't actually know most of this stuff

but that's the whole point - that testimony and those allegations did NOT - as you claim - "exist in the 1912 public consciousness". Because they were not reported. And because they were not reported they did NOT "exist in the 1912 public consciousness" And because they did not "exist in the 1912 public consciousness" they had NO effect on "British Class based society" nor had they any part whatsoever in "the eventual.collapse of such a system".

Of course you're entitled to your own opinion. But when you cannot produce relevant evidence of any causal link to support your extraordinary claim that the Titanic disaster "marked the death knell of British Class based society" and that it was "an important part of the eventual.collapse of such a system" then it is not a valid opinion.

agree with Suvitar's suggestions I'd also recommend these other European films: Le Fate Ignoranti 2001 (Italian) Romeos 2011 (German) Sobreviviré or I Will Survive 1999 (Spanish) Walk on Water 2004 (Israeli)

Good for you. For pursuing your dream, for taking a risk and for trying. So many people say "I could have done that" or "I could have been that" but you were brave enough to give it a go. This can't have been an easy bog to write, but like Krista said you've learned important things about yourself. Most important you know you're not a quitter. And as you said, failure isn't necessarily a bad thing. It makes you reflect, consider and learn. You now understand some of your strengths and weaknesses that much better. That knowledge will be a powerful tool in helping you decide where next and how to get there. Good luck

Hmm, guess I have a real problem with that statement. Saying "they have an important place" without any qualification is an acceptance. But "norms" need to be constantly challenged - otherwise we'd all still be in the closet and gay marriage would be fantasy not reality

"I have disproved your point that the testimony were not known back in 1912..." Um, no. You haven't produced any such evidence. Inquiries hear lots of testimony. The official report by the British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry rejected this testimony. Likewise the U.S. Senate Investigation found that allegations that third class passengers were locked below decks were false. Specifically, the link you posted clearly shows the British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry found that: - "There appears to have been no truth in these suggestions" - "no evidence has been given in the course of this case which would substantiate a charge that any attempt was made to keep back the third class passengers" - "there is no evidence that ... there was any discrimination practiced", and - "they were not unfairly treated". What mattered 100 years ago is what was found by official inquiries and published, and 100 years ago rejected testimony would not have been widely known or given any credibility. So there we have it. You've provided no evidence to support your outlandish claim that the 1912 Titanic disaster "marked the death knell of British Class based society" and that it was "an important part of the eventual.collapse of such a system" "World War I did not end the old class system that existed at the time, it took 30 more years and another war to do that." You've already answered this in your WW1 blog and we seem to be in agreement "[WW1 was] a catalyst for reflection ... our modern world ... owe a lot to it" "After the war, the class system still remained intact in England, but questions began to emerge challenging the established order. it was not an all out rebellion against British society ... but the real change was a slow social revolution of thought."

I was referring to your previous claim linking the end of the "British class system" to the Titanic. Anyway, if you want the real villain responsible for WW1... it was all Queen Victoria's fault

Today at the Farnborough Airshow the UK govt announced plans to build a spaceport by 2018 in one of 8 possible locations. Obviously there's an intention to steal business from Spaceport America The UK spaceport will be constructed using existing facilities and will need an extra long and strengthened runway. Initially it will be used by commercial operators like Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, but the UK govt is obviously looking ahead to spacecraft now being developed that take off and land on ordinary runways like Alan Bond's Skylon. Reaction Engines Ltd, which is developing the hybrid jet turbine / rocket engine and spaceplane, is essentially a privately funded UK company but there's now serious interest both from the UK govt and the US govt. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/14/business/space-tourists-could-blast-off-from-uk/index.html?hpt=hp_c7

Well it's good you now acknowledge the Great War as the catalyst for the subsequent huge social change that happened in Britain / England As for your jaundiced view of "historians pundits and commentators" maybe in the UK we're spoiled with the quality of those who've been giving us real insight about what happened and why. same in Africa

It's very simple - show the evidence to support your claims that the Titanic disaster "marked the death knell of British Class based society" and that it was "an important part of the eventual.collapse of such a system"

Obviously it's hypothetical, but I can't see it being "big news". Yes, there would be coverage, most likely for one day. People would go "Yeah? And?". The UK, like Australia, is also obsessed with celebrity, but take Tom Daley. He's as much a celebrity as he is a diver and when he came out... well, the reaction was pretty much as I've just outlined. Just to clarify, I'm talking about the quality media which is all terrestrial TV channels plus BBC radio (which dominates) plus the quality press. Then there's the tabloids, then there's the celeb magz. The tabloids covered Tom's story more prominently but it wasn't "big news". I don't read the celeb stuff but, for them, it's "big news" when a Big Brother contestant has a dodgy bowel movement

Parky's a pussycat There are no surprise questions - the whole show is scripted and rehearsed following extensive research beforehand. So, you're spot on about Thorpe wanting to "come out" on the show. Considering the "place he was in" it's an understandable choice. Problem is those impressive achievements don't explain why his coming out "is big news in Australia". That's the story - hence the BBC news item .

Well, you said "it [the titanic disaster] marked the death knell of British Class based society". No it didn't. Nor was it "an important part of the eventual.collapse of such a system." Because there is no causal link between what happened in the Titanic disaster and the subsequent history of England or Britain. None at all. For the simple reason there was no discussion of "Blocking third class exit routes, putting 1st class people in boats first" by the Board of Trade Inquiry or anyone else so your suggestion of any connection between the Titanic and subsequent social change in England and Britain is fantasy. But I am pleased to see you've followed my suggestion to read up on the Great War Although quite what you made of it remains to be seen when I get around to reading your next blog... More importantly though, I've found my copy of Maurice so I'll post a comment when I've watched it again

Honestly, it's not gonna happen. England will never again win the World Cup. OK, maybe that's a bit extreme - never in my lifetime

definitely yes, but I like innovation by "the young". Well, mostly. OK, some Gad, now I feel like an old codger Business definitely - HR and marketing are major miscreants - and also the "professions" - they love bamboozling clients - government, the military, wine connoisseurs... and some phrases are beyond problematic - "That's beyond annoying" - nuff said "He medalled." No he didn't, he won a medal "Just hold that thought." No, I'll remember it and then remind you when you conveniently "forget" to go back to it "Collateral damage" words fail me

did something just happen?? Well done Germany could you please ask the "someone" to have a word over here in England too?

presumably because because low-life, infantile - delete! that would be a slur on infants - Aussie "media" scum feel it is their duty to continually hound successful-but-single Aussie sports stars with sleazy, intrusive, inappropriate and - most importantly - irrelevant questions rather than behaving like decent, fully-formed adults and talking about his career success and career plans. Interestingly, one of the top stories on the BBC on Saturday: why was this such big news in Australia? .

Wrong again. Read your history, W_L. The "crew atrocities" on the Titanic only came to light in the latter part of the 20th century - when the English "class system" you refer to was long gone [except the die-hards who had to die out and the few remaining relics...] Even a cursory knowledge of history will show you how the Great War was the cause of the demise of the English class system. This is the centenary year of the commencement so now's a good time to learn about it As for the US being a "different issue" call it what you will (if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... then it IS a duck ) there is an embedded class system in the US that is every bit as toxic as the class system in England was. If you want references I'll give you them by the bucketload when I'm back online in a few days time. But I suspect you know them already