PRESORTED STANDARD PERMIT #3036 WHITE PLAINS NY Vol. 10, No. VI Drones: Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly Thursday, February 12, 2015 A Game Changer in Weapons Technology Story By John McMullen Page 6 WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM Page 2 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 GuardianOpinionSection The Charges Against Mr. Zherka Do Not Warrant Denial Of Bail As you have no doubt have already heard, Mr. Zherka’s appeal for bail was denied at The Second Circuit. Yes, it is very difficult to have decisions overturned here; we knew that going in. We are outraged that Mr. Zherka is being held without bail on run of the mill white collar charges while persons accused of far more serious crimes are routinely granted bail. Our readers are smart and they are fair. They can see who gets bail and who does not and can draw their own conclusions about what is going on and why. Affirmation of the District Court’s decision to deny our publisher bail does however, need to be seen in a larger context and we encourage our readers to visit: http://www.newsmaxtv.com/ live/show/AmericasForum/archive where former U.S. Representative J. D. Hayworth interviews Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch, to discuss targeting of Conservative and Tea Party Groups.The interview is very instructive in explaining how the power of the government has been leveraged against citizens who disagree the administration. So, if we had any doubts previously, we now understand that speech Guardian Publisher Sam Zherka is free, only for those who agree with the administration; for everyone else, it is incredibly expensive. On Tuesday, Jan. 10th The New Rochelle City Council expects to learn the results of the North Star Destinations December marketing survey and we will report on this once we have had an opportunity to review their presentation. The survey was designed to elicit feedback from respondents regarding the many factors that play into the perception of New Rochelle among the public at large. It is critical to know how many responses were received, along with a breakdown of who actually responded to the survey, before we can put too much stock in the answers. It is hoped that the marketing survey results will enable the city to zero in on what is special about New Rochelle so that we can leverage and build upon that, going forward. The current marketing concept: “A City of Homes, Schools and Houses of Worship,” though descriptive, is not distinctive from a marketing point of view: most communities in America can make a similar claim. Pawnshops and Dollar Stores now line streets where limousines used to double-park, and that is perhaps due to inexorable market forces, but we need to forge a new downtown that will be more resistant to external conditions. New Roc City, the Trump Building and the former Avalon apartments have made great inroads in transforming the downtown business district but more development is needed to Ninth Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party The Ninth Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party in memory of Thomas Hanlon, Jr. for the benefit of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School will be held on Saturday. March 14, 2015 from Noon to 3PM at: J. C. Fogarty’s Town Tavern 60 Kraft Avenue (across from the MetroNorth RR Station) Bronxville, NY 10708 (914) 337-1122 for directions. Those unable to attend (legitimate excuses are limited to out-of-thecountry; in a hospital; or confined to a state or federal institution) may send donations to: Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School Thomas Hanlon, Jr. Scholarship Fund 71 Arden Street New York. NY 10040 (Please indicate on the check “Thomas Hanlon. Jr. Scholarship Fund) Mission Statement Table of Contents Editorial...................................................................................2 Guardian Opinion...................................................................3 Community.............................................................................4 Creative Disruption.................................................................6 Travel.......................................................................................7 Eye on Theatre.......................................................................10 Film Classics..........................................................................12 Legal Ads..............................................................................14 Calendar................................................................................14 Cultural Perspectives.............................................................15 Mary at the Movies...............................................................16 attract greater retail activity and create a dynamic downtown district that will benefit everyone. Sam Zherka, Publisher Mary Keon, Acting Editor /Advertising Publication is every Thursday Write to us in confidence at: The Westchester Guardian Post Office Box 8 New Rochelle, NY 10801 Send publicity 3 weeks in advance of your event. Ads due Tuesdays, one week prior to publication date. Letters to the Editor & Press Releases can only be submitted via Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Office Hours: 11A-5P M-F 914.216.1674 Cell • 914.576.1481 Office Read us online at: www.WestchesterGuardian.com The Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted to the unbiased reporting of events and developments that are newsworthy and significant to readers living in, and/or employed in, Westchester County. The Guardian will strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable information without favor or compromise. Our first duty will be to the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposure of truth, without fear or hesitation, no matter where the pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The Guardian will cover news and events relevant to residents and businesses all over Westchester County. As a weekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of delivery more associated with daily journals, we will instead seek to provide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate. From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, where, why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our more abundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage control’ often characteristic of immediate news releases, to reach the very heart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understanding and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere. To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necessarily better. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot be all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed. THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Page 3 committing violence against another individual. Is all this suffering and human agony necessary? No, I believe it is an unnecessary punishment - a warning meant to teach the next person who speaks out a lesson: do not challenge us or else! Imagine for a moment if you were facing 300 years in prison, not for a violent crime like rape, murder or terrorism, but instead for defending our GUARDIAN OPINION Then they came for Sam Zherka… by Kurt Colucci “So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.” --Voltaire Martin Niemöller was a pastor in Germany during the Nazi’s rise to power. He became an ardent critic of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. As a result he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp in 1937. He was eventually rescued from his eight years of madness by the liberating Allied forces in 1945.When speaking of his experiences he reflected: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” A dark spell has been cast upon the minds of men. There is something happening beyond the realm of the visible. Many of us know it and recognize this strange premonition that beckons us – it is a cry from a terrifying period of our history that serves as a warning: things are not as they seem. A dark hypocrisy is slowly making itself known. While we are led to believe that we have a right to free speech, the questionable events that have unfolded around Sam Zherka’s legal hassles make me wonder if we have a right to freedom after we exercise our freedom of speech. As I’ve said before and I will say again, the ‘law’ has become an instrument of manipulation and a tool of abuse: a weapon used by the powers that be for the purpose of social, political and economic manipulation. All evidence indicates, that the law is currently being used as a weapon to punish political dissent. Why else would a man like Sam Zherka, who has not been convicted of a crime - or even been charged with a violent crime - still be imprisoned nearly 5 months after he was taken into custody by federal agents and unjustly denied bail both by the district court and the second circuit? Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently told us: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I know where I stand. I stand on the side of what is fair, decent and right - even if the law has been manipulated in order to argue the contrary. Many people see the court’s denial of Sam Zherka’s bail appeal as a bad thing - a loss for free speech activists everywhere. But I don’t. Instead, I see it as a good thing. Why? Because now we all can see with greater clarity, the tragic flaws in our legal system: the mask is coming off the monster posing as justice. The curtain is being pulled back little by little; as events like this unfold, we see the justice system for what it really is a wicked and fraudulent system where men are guilty until proven innocent. The Sam Zherka case proves that all of us are, in some way, living in a prison of one type or another. There are two types of prisons. In one prison there are bars that hold a person in physical bondage. The other is a prison of the mind, where the bars around you are hidden in plain sight, but too obvious to see. When we were kids we were given this perception of bad guys: whether in movies, cartoons or television shows, the bad guys looked, dressed and acted like bad guys. They fit the spoon-fed paradigm of evil, and they were clearly recognizable. But we must remember, evil takes many forms. Somewhere along the line the bad guys assumed the same look and professed the same good intentions as the good guys. We all know the difference between good and evil, but when the wolf appears in sheep’s clothing, we may not be able to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys since they look the same and sound the same. Fortunately, actions speak louder than words, making it easier to differentiate the good from the bad and most people are not fooled. The problem is that most people are afraid to speak out because they know that they will make themselves the targets of the bad guys if they do. As I write, Sam Zherka has been in prison for five months, separated from his family and friends. He is the father of 8 children. He has been repeatedly denied bail, following his arrest for alleged white-collar crimes, even though he has not been found guilty of committing a crime, nor has he been indicted for Continued on page 4 Charter School of Educational Excellence A Public School with a Private School Setting We are accepting new student applications for Grades K-8 Estamos aceptando nuevas solicitudes de estudiantes para los grados K-8 Information Sessions • Sesiones Informativas January 13 • 2015 • 13 de enero, a las 2:30 PM February 12, , 2015 • 12 de febrero, a las 5:00 PM March 19, 2015 • 19 demarzoa las 9:30AM 260 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, NY Application Deadline March 27, 2015 @ 8AM La Fecha Limite Para Entregar La Solicitud Del Sorteo es el 7 de Abril, 2015 Lottery Date: April 8, 2015 • La Loteria se Llevara a Cabo en Abril 8, 2015 For an application or more information please call • Para obtener informacion Llame al 914.476.5070 X 18 “We aim to inspire, motivate and instill a love for learning in all children.” 260 Warburton Ave. Yonkers NY 10701 Commercial • Industrial & Residential Services Roll-Off Containers 1-30 Yards Home Cleanup Containers Turn-Key Demolition Services DEC Licensed Transfer Station www.citycarting.net City Carting of Westchester Somers Sanitation B & S Carting AAA Paper Recycling Bria Carting City Confidential Shredding DEP Licensed Rail Serve Transfer & Recyling Services Licensed Demolition Contractor Locally Owned & Operated Radio Dispatched Fully Insured - FREE Estimates 800.872.7405 • 203.324.4090 On-Site Document Destruction 8 Viaduct Road, Stamford, CT 06907 Same Day Roll Off Service Page 4 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 GUARDIAN OPINION Then they came for Sam Zherka… Continued from page 3 freedom of speech and your right to live a happy and prosperous life without corrupt politicians telling you how you should live and what you should think. Five months following his arrest and many months before his trial, Sam Zherka still sits in a prison and this indeed a cruel and unusual punishment - not only for the man accused, but also for his family and friends. The presumption of innocence is a right to which all Americans are entitled and not a privilege granted by a government. Again, it is a right - not a privilege. The presumption of ‘innocent unless proven guilty’ (not ‘until proven guilty’ because when framed in this manner it presupposes guilt which is subversive and it is in direct opposition of what the statement is intended to express.) The French philosopher Voltaire said: “So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.” We have become the playthings of a confusing legal system that can be manipulated to make criminals out of anyone it so chooses. And yes, I am afraid to speak out – I am downright terrified to speak out against the injustices that I see happening around us. History proves that things don’t work out too well for people like me who speak out when it is unpopular to do so. But I do it anyway, because I come to my decisions, not based on fantasy, but instead based on rational observations, with logic and reason as my primary instruments. History is my guide and oracle. I refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. Silence has served as the conduit that allowed some of the most ‘wicked’ people in history to rise to positions of power. Most people remain silent when they are afraid. When we are paralyzed by fear we leave room for wickedness to take hold, of both our minds and our society. I speak out because I refuse to be part of the fearful collective majority that chooses to close its eyes and look the other way. History will not forgive those who look the other way! The denial of the bail appeal for Sam Zherka is a gross distortion of justice and a misuse of our legal system. It threatens each and every one of us. Today it is Sam Zherka who assumes the role of David reluctantly battling Goliath, but be forewarned, tomorrow it could be you! None of us are free or safe if even one of us is treated unjustly by the American legal system. I’m going to leave off with a remix of the quote that I opened this article with. “First they came for your taxes, but Sam Zherka did speak out. Then they came and attacked the First Amendment, but Sam Zherka did speak out. Then they came for Sam Zherka, and this time we are not afraid to speak out!” -Kurt Colucci follow on Twitter @ kurtcolucci and weak areas of the city, especially its business areas. The Chief Executive Officer of North Star Destinations, Don McEachem, thought the branding of New Rochelle would be useful in “managing the conversation” as to how New Rochelle could be identified. The company compiled a list of questions after meetings were held with some community leaders who wanted to discuss New Rochelle’s strengths and weaknesses. Northern Star Destinations produced a twenty-five item questionnaire which was placed on the city’s website. The questions had to be completed by December 14, 2014, a busy time of year for most residents and it is not clear how many responses were received. However, the entire questionnaire can still be read on the City of New Rochelle’s website. Most questions were designed to allow participants to select one of 4-5 potential pre-written answers and some answers required rating one’s response on a scale of 1-10, although there were opportunities at various points to write in an answer. The questions asked residents to evaluate New Rochelle as a place to live and in which to work and shop, in and of itself and relative to neighboring communities. The survey asked residents to identify the city’s three greatest assets, the two greatest assets for future growth and what is missing from the downtown experience. Several other questions tried to identify the perception of ethnic diversity throughout the city and whether this diversity is an advantage or a disadvantage. One question asked, “If New Rochelle was a famous person, who would it be?” Opinions were sought from residents,non residents and business owners. COMMUNITY New Rochelle Branding Survey By Peggy Godfrey New Rochelle awaits the results of a branding questionnaire and community outreach by North Star Destinations, the Nashville, TN company hired by the city last year. In the meantime, RDRXR has also been designated by the City of New Rochelle to survey public opinion on proposed downtown development. Scheduling these two initiatives so closely together hopefully will not confuse residents. RDRXR anticipates opening a storefront in New Rochelle where residents will be able speak with RDRXR staff to express their views but a definitive location has not yet been announced. RDRXR will mainly address redevelopment of the downtown area, while the goals of the branding are more elusive. North Star Destinations reached out to the community using visionary meetings last September (2014) to find out how residents and businesses label the strong FLEETWOOD THE ROMA BUILDING RENOVATED APARTMENTS FOR RENT Prime Yorktown Location Beautiful, Newly Renovated Apartments COMMERICAL SPACE FOR RENT Great Visibility • Centrally Located STORE 950 Sq. Ft. Rent: $3250 /Month OFFICE SPACE: 470 Sq. Ft. Rent $850/Month • 1160 Sq. Ft. 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But residents need to be informed of how this survey was viewed by different segments of the community. Jennie Petrucci who has a marketing background asks what is the purpose of the brand for New Rochelle. The City already has a sign saying New Rochelle is the city of schools, churches and houses of worship. (This sign is in a book by Karen Hessel, “One Day Photos of Life in New Rochelle.) She wanted to know what their marketing plan is. Will the City spend more money to advertise and bring new residents here? What is the ultimate marketing objective? What will the city do with the data collected and do they have a budget for any other expenses? There was a job posted for New Rochelle Community Liaison by RDRXR on Craig’s list recently. Lorraine Karl, a New Rochelle resident, saw too many coincidences between New Rochelle and Bristol. The ad claims New Rochelle is the sister project of Bristol, Connecticut (see the about section) and also mentioned another coincidence of using North Star Destinations for a branding study in Bristol. Can the City of New Rochelle explain these coincidences to the residents? COMMUNITY New Rochelle Branding Survey Continued from page 4 Several months ago the New Rochelle Commissioner of Development, Luiz Aragon, was asked about this initiative. The first question on pre-testing is followed by a list of specific questions. His answers are stated below 1 What pre-testing was done with the branding survey? This community-wide survey is based on cumulative research conducted on behalf of New Rochelle (qualitative survey, audit of existing research, interviews, focus groups, field work etc.). North Star has completed similar projects in more than 200+ communities nationwide; given their experience nationally and their understanding of the New Rochelle community, external pre-testing was not conducted, however their internal quality control process did include a pre-test on the clarity of questions across multiple demographic segments as well as the technical structure and flow of the survey. 2. May I have the results of this advance testing of questions and topics? There are no external pre-testing results to share. 3. What is the time line (time frame) for the branding initiative dates? The first date I have is September 9, 2014. What is the finish date? Anticipated completion date is Spring 2015. 4. How much money is being given the North Star company (in total) for their work? I have recorded $15,000 from the IDA. Can you explain where the IDA got this money and if any other city funds are being used? $95,000 ($75,000 from IDA project fees; $20,000 from City). 5. The questionnaire to my knowledge was released this week. Residents have until December 14 to enter data. How will you secure opinions of residents who do not have computers and may not know where the paper copies are posted? Is the list of these places available? How will non English speaking residents be surveyed? Hard copies are available at the City Clerk’s Office, the library and Doyle Senior Center. Outreach includes a wide range of distribution channels. 6. Will non residents’ answers to questions be tallied separately so they don’t slant the opinions of New Rochelle residents? The community survey is open to all who live and/or work in New Rochelle. People that work in New Rochelle in New Rochelle. In terms of segmentation we do differentiate the various segments and examine responses based on whether they belong to residents, resident business owners, non-resident business owners, or non-resident visitor It is obvious that different areas of Photo by Anna Piliero,101010NR.com. On October 19th, 2010, 40 volunteers photographed New Rochelle on the same day and the above photo is part of this collection. The photos were assembled in a book and the proceeds were donated to the Thomas Paine Cottage. and spend most of their day in New Rochelle have valuable opinions to gather. But responses can be separated by residency. 7. How will you deal with questions that do not apply to everyone answering: e.g. about “my child’s school.” Why is this an option? The survey was intended to cover as many segments of the population as possible, so not every question will apply to everyone. 8. Why are business owners who are not residents included? Will they be tallied separately? The survey is intended for people who live or do business in New Rochelle, as there is an economic development aspect to marketing and branding. Successful marketing and branding requires the collective efforts of residents, businesses, stakeholder groups, and agencies within the community. In order to ensure that all the voices within the community are heard, we are interested in getting the opinions of people who live, visit, and do business New Rochelle were included in several response choices. Research studies often highlight the difference between various categories of respondents. The north-south divide in New Rochelle was acknowledged yet there was apparently no attempt to separately tally the answers of the various segments of the city, the non-residents, and the business owners. Research studies often highlight the differences between various categories of respondents. The design of this branding survey is difficult to understand. Is it an objective or subjective study? If, as it appears, it is a subjective study, why aren’t there plans to break down the study by categories of respondents? Likewise, what validity will the study have and can North Star Destinations assure the residents that the $95,000 spent for this survey actually measures the way people view New Rochelle? Since there is no breakdown of scores projected, how do the residents know how much statistical error is being tolerated? The age, ethnic Valentine’sDay CELEBRATION SIMPLY DIAMOND STARRING Brian La Blanc Enjoy a Romantic Dinner followed by a terrific concert of Neil Diamond hits. GOLD STAR EVENT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Dinner & Concert - $85 per person plus tax Sweet Caroline•Cherry, Cherry•Forever in Blue Jeans•Cracklin’ Rosie CAMELOT A New & Intimate Production This is the Camelot you must see! ON STAGE THRU APRIL 5 BOX OFFICE (914) 592-2222 GROUP SALES (914) 592-2225 LUXURY BOXES (914) 592--8730 The management reserves the right to make schedule or program changes if required. All sales final. No cash or credit card refunds. Page 6 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Creative Disruption The Technology Is Always Ahead Of Us By John F. McMullen There was much joy and jubilation on February 14, 1946 when the “ENIAC” (“Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer“), the world’s first working electronic computer was introduced to the public. Work on the computer had begun in secret in 1943 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering and, by the time it was completed, $500,000 had been expended (Wikipedia estimates an equivalent cost of $6,000,000 today). The cost of the development was underwritten by the US Department of the Army, Ordnance Corps, Research and Development Command with the goal of having a system powerful enough to compute gunnery tables for use during World War II. Co-developer of the ENIAC (with John Mauchly), J. Presper Eckert, in a 1989 interview, described the power of the system, “ENIAC could do threedimensional, second-order differential equations. We were calculating trajectory tables for the war effort. In those days the trajectory tables were calculated by hundreds of people operating desk calculators - people who were called computers. So the machine that does that work was called a computer.” (http://wvegter.hivemind.net/ abacus/CyberHeroes/Eckert. htm) While the development of the ENIAC was a huge technological success and ushered in the modern age of technology, it must still be remembered that World War II ended on August 15, 1945 making the ENIAC not only the first computer but also the forerunner of the large majority of major computer systems that tend to be late and over budget (case in point – the support systems for the “Affordable Care Act”). Eckert supposedly also started still another historical trend by grossly underestimating the impact of new technology when he allegedly stated “25 of these machines will be able to support all of the business activities of the United States until the turn of the century.” While it is not actually clear that Eckert actually ever said this (or that Ken Olson, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, ever doubted that people would want computers in their homes, as has been reported), what is clear is that Bill Gates, writing in his 1995 best seller, “The Road Ahead,” felt that the Internet would be important “after the year 2000” – to Bill’s credit, he soon realized that this was a underestimation and the paperback edition, released the following year, was updated to show the immediate importance of the Internet and, more importantly, Gates restructured Microsoft to become Internet-centric with “Internet Explorer” (“IE”), “MSN” (“Microsoft Network”), and “MSNBC” (the joint venture of Microsoft and NBC) – while none of these, with the possible exception of IE, became the totally technology once it was deployed. This has not been the case for the development and deployment of Drone technology. Drones, another name for “robotic unmanned aircraft,” usually small, operating under remote control have become vehicles of targeted killing, surveillance, and commercial activity – and they have proliferated, under the radar, until their uses have become both pervasive and accepted. It is only recently that many have begun to question not only the accuracy of the vehicles but also both the tactics and morality of their use in warfare and who they were targeting. The development of field artillery widened the gap more but forward spotters and friendly infantry could assess the accuracy and resultant damage from artillery shelling. This method of warfare is analogous to that engaged in in the air – fighter pilots see who they are shooting at (and who is shooting at them) while bomber pilots know where they are supposed be dropping bombs. Additionally, these “soldiers” were at risk – from enemy artillery, anti-aircraft guys, opposing bombers, etc. In some ways, it was still “man-to-man.” With drones, it is different. Chamayou writes “Warfare, by distancing itself totally from the model of hand-to-hand combat, becomes something ENIAC: Men and Women at work, 1946. L to R: Pfc. Homer Spence; J. Presper Eckert, chief engineer; Dr. John W. Mauchly, consulting engineer; Elizabeth Jennings (aka Betty Jean Jennings Bartik); Capt. Herman H. Goldstine, liaison officer; Ruth Lichterman Photo used with permission courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania digital archive. dominant product which Microsoft hoped, it was still a major feat to transform the company in such a short time frame. The immediate successes of the “iPod,” “iPhone,” and “iPad” also were far greater than initial projections of industry analysts and Apple alike – and the same could be said for analysts “not getting it” when Facebook and Twitter rolled out (“why would anyone be willing to limit themselves to 140 characters?”). Yet, while these instances of “not getting it” may have led to embarrassment or even business setback, none of them would turn out to create moral dilemmas for the users of the new their place in domestic life. The recent translation of a 2013 book by a French philosopher, Gregoire Chamayou, “A Theory Of The Drone,” into English has brought to readers’ attention not only the way drones have changed warfare but how that have changed us, the country that is using them to kill opposition combatants (and, at times, innocent bystanders) thousands of miles from the “drone pilot.” Chamayou points out that drones, more than any war device before, have altered the relationship between soldier and enemy. In ancient times, armies battled face-to-face, “man to man.”Then the advent of first, bows and arrows, and then guns allowed combatants to disengage somewhat but still to see those quite different, a ‘state of violence’ of a different kind. It degenerates into slaughter or hunting. One no longer fights the enemy; one eliminates him, as one shoots rabbits.” The use of drones in current warfare is not a rarity. Jack Serle of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism wrote on February 2nd of this year, “At least 2,464 people have now been killed by US drone strikes outside the country’s declared war zones since President Barack Obama’s inauguration six years ago, the Bureau’s latest monthly report reveals. Of the total killed since Obama took his oath of office on January 20 2009, at least 314 have been civilians, while the number of confirmed strikes under his administration now stands at 456.” (http://www.commondreams. org/news/2015/02/02/ almost-2500-now-killed-covertus-drone-strikes-obama-inauguration-six-years-ago). Note that Serle writes “outside the country’s declared war zones” – “The research centers on countries outside the US’s declared war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.” Drones are not bound by geography and, as the governments of Yemen and Pakistan have complained, not by the sovereignty of countries not in the war. The report drills down to the drone attacks and persons killed in the countries “not in the war zone.” One can certainly hold the position that the goal of a war is to WIN and, wherever possible, to kill and wound more of the enemy than are killed or wounded on our side -- and with drones launched from secret bases all over the world, it seems that this warfare accomplishes this. Additionally, the enemy that we fight in Afghanistan often flees across boarders into other nations with which we are not at war. Should they be allowed “safe havens?” But, wait! I can buy a drone in Barnes & Noble or from Amazon for a few hundred dollars and control it from an iPhone or Android. The anti-US team’s supposed terrorist network already in the US could buy or make a few, “soup them up” with explosives, and fly them into public locations in the US. They could also launch them from South America, Canada, or around the world. There is obviously concern also that US use of drones is an incentive for retaliation. Martin Van Creveld’s review of Chamayou’s book in the New York Times Book Review of February 1, 2015 (http://www.nytimes. com/2015/02/01/books/ review/a-theory-of-the-droneby-gregoire-chamayou.html) summarizes the kinds of questions that the book seeks to answer – “The ones used by the United States armed forces in Afghanistan are often operated from bases in Nevada, so far away as to raise the question of whether their use constitutes war or murder. That is because the victims, most of them suspected terrorists and insurgents in various developing countries around the world, have no way to fire back. Quite often they are killed before they even know they have been targeted. The implications of these realities are far-reaching. What do they mean for the ethical basis of war? Does not the fact that there is no mutuality sweep Continued on page 7 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Page 7 defense strategists. It seems to me that we as a nation must take responsibility for what the military does on our behalf and, to do this, we must have an understanding of the complexities that we face in undertaking such responsibility. Next issue – Domestic Drones personal radar until we find that the world as we knew it is no more. the “Akwaaba D.C.: a Victorian townhouse just north of the White House, in the Dupont Circle. The Akwaaba offers delicious breakfasts along with comfortable beds and is run by lovely, caring folks. Go to TripAdvisor.com or Booking.com and read their reviews to select lodgings that are right for you. You’ll find that D.C.’s demographics are unlike any other city: filled with politicians, powerbrokers, foreign diplomats, college students and lots of tourists. Before planning your trip, (and once you’re in D.C.) be sure to Google washingtondc.com and washington.org websites for everything happening in the Nation’s Capital. Enter dates of your trip at washingtondc.com and you’ll quickly find out anything you want to know during your stay in D.C., including the “Inside D.C. scoop:” a comprehensive list of special events or performances you won’t find anywhere else. (Make reservations in advance for everything in D.C..) Before you go, download a good Creative Disruption The Technology Is Always Ahead Of Us Continued from page 6 away any idea that war should be moral and just? And what about the law of war itself? Drones (somewhat like submarines and aircraft before them) cannot take prisoners or look after enemy wounded. Worst of all: May not governments start using their killer drones not just in wars waged against foreigners in faraway countries but also at home, against their own citizens?” Van Creveld adds some of his own observations at the end of the review, writing “Finally, are drones really as effective, militarily speaking, as their manufacturers and operators claim? After all, the extensive use of drones in both Iraq and Afghanistan did not enable the American forces in those countries to obtain anything like victory. Nor will drones on their own defeat ISIS.” None of the above should be taken as a denunciation of the use of drones. Drone warfare is here and in use. It just seems to me that how they are used should be a matter of public discussion. They are more than an incremental upgrade to weapons technology; they are a “game changer” just as the personal computer was and one that is attracting the concerns of philosophers as well as Creative Disruption is a continuing series examining the impact of constantly accelerating technology on the world around us. These changers normally happen under our Comments on this column to johnmac13@ gmail.com John F. McMullen is a writer, poet, college professor and radio host. Links to other writings, Podcasts, & Radio Broadcasts at www.johnmac13.com, his books are available on Amazon, and he blogs at http://open.salon.com/blog/johnmac13. © 2014 John F. McMullen TRAVEL Washington D.C.: A Capitol Vacation! By Richard Levy Everyone needs a spontaneous weekend getaway to reboot, far away from the everyday grind. The perfect place to go anytime of the year is our captivating and vital city of Washington, D. C. If you can’t just drop everything and take French leave for a week or so, consider spending a few days in Washington D. C. this spring. You’re sure to fall head-over- heels admiring the breathtaking cherry blossoms at the annual “Cherry Blossom Festival” which takes place this year, from March 20th to April 13th: www. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Be there for the beautiful opening night ceremony when hundreds of Japanese lanterns are lighted on the Tidal Basin. The thousands of cherry blossom bursting in bloom all over Washington is one of nature’s most spectacular performances: check with the national park service for this year’s projected peak bloom dates: http://www. nps.gov/cherry/cherry-blossom-bloom. The best way to go to Washington, D.C. is on the relaxing, stress-free Amtrak Metroliner, running hourly between Penn Station and Washington’s Union Station. The 3½ hour trip round trip averages about $300 round-trip per person for coach; a little more for business class; or about $368 round-trip per person for the luxurious Acela - and worth it. (But be sure to the check dates you want to travel for prices, availability and special promotions). Westchester residents can pick up Amtrak trains at Croton-Harmon, New Rochelle and Yonkers. Amtrak offers discounts for children and seniors along with occasional specials on selected routes from time to time, so look for the promotional codes. When you make reservations 14 days in advance, you’ll save a whopping 25%. If you are eager to arrive in Washington as soon as possible and your budget permits it, spring for the Acela: the luxurious, sleek express train that gets you to Washington in just 2hrs: 53 min; a great way to start your Washington D.C. get-a-way. (Go to amtrak.com, and decide what works best for you.) Taking the train is a fabulous way to travel: time will fly by as you sit back on comfortable seats, grab a snack and a glass of wine in the Café Car; doze on and off, lose yourself in your Kindle or just stare out at the countryside flashing by. And if work won’t wait, you can multitask on your laptop --selected trains offer WiFi service. Be sure to make reservations as soon as you decide when you’re going, as availability decreases the closer you get to departure time and holidays. Once you arrive at the historic Union Station, you’ll already be in the middle of Washington. Where should you stay? The boutique Hotel Monaco, Topaz Hotel or Hotel Rouge or luxurious Hotel Capella in Georgetown are all great choices. For a less expensive hotel option, try the Liaison Capital Hill, which offers a seasonal rooftop deck and pool, an unusual feature for hotels at this price point. The “Art and Soul Restaurant” run by Art Smith, known as “Oprah’s Chef,” is also at the Liason. Personally, I prefer to stay at the very cozy and charming Bed-and-Breakfast, Continued on page 8 ADVERTISE YOUR DISPLAY HELP WANTED ADS IN THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN! Do you have jobs available at your business? The Westchester Guardian Ads due Wednesday one week prior to publication date. Publication every Thursday Call today to reserve Display Ad Space in our next issue: 914.216.1674 Page 8 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 TRAVEL Washington D.C.: A Capitol Vacation! Continued from page 7 D.C. street map and study it to get a good lay of the land. Check out TripAdvisor.com, Viator.com, Peek. com and Tripit.com for D.C. hotel and restaurant reviews along with things to see and do, to before planning your trip. Washington is very easy to navigate, thanks to the very imaginative Frenchman, Pierre L’Enfant, who designed the city with four quadrants. The streets are named with letters followed by NW, NE, SE, SW and Avenues are named for states. Like I said, the best way to get to D.C. is on Amtrak, but if you love driving it’s an easy four to five hour trip. Once you get there, garage your car until you leave: you don’t want to drive around D.C.. Flying takes less than an hour but it is stressful and not worth the trouble of getting back and forth from airports, going through security and dealing with potential weather or air traffic delays. Air travelers must land outside D.C. and take a long, expensive taxi ride to their hotel, while Amtrak departs from three stations in Westchester and arrives in downtown Washington D. C. where you can easily grab a cab to your hotel. A perfect way to celebrate the start of your get-a-way weekend is to make a dinner reservation before you leave home, at one of Washington’s premier restaurants, to celebrate getting away. Selecting a restaurant near your hotel enables you to walk there; for listings, go to yelp.com. Should you dine at one of the top D.C. restaurants don’t be surprised if you’re seated next to well-known politicos, pundits, or people looking as if they just came off the set of “West Wing”, “Scandal” or “Veep”. On Fridays, the D.C. “movers and shakers” dine at The Palm Restaurant. You might see John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, or Senator McCain, who will probably nod and shake your hand, or you might bump into one the Supreme Court Justices “without their robes;” (The Palm doesn’t allow robes). Share one of the Palm’s enormous 5 lb. lobsters or aged Porterhouse steaks. Always dress up for dinner: you’ll get a better table and tourists will think you’re someone they should recognize. After dinner take a “slow taxi ride” down Pennsylvania Ave (give driver $20 tip up front) to view the very inspiring, nighttime beauty of the illuminated Capital Building and the White House. (The later the better so there won’t be any tourists in your photos!) Taxis are the fastest and best way to get around, especially if you’re just there for a few days; alternatively, the Metro Subway is very efficient and stops at all the popular tourist destinations. Unlike the New York subway system, the D. C. Metrorail does not operate on a 24-hour basis. Metrorail opens at 5AM on weekdays and at 7am on weekends, shutting down at 12AM Sunday to Thursday and at 3AM on Fridays and Saturdays, so plan accordingly. Fourteen Places to Visit: 1. National Mall: Open area of gardens, fountains, trees and monuments stretching nearly two miles between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial and the site of the annual Fourth of July celebrations. 2. The Capital: Take a tour of this spectacular work of architecture. Your representative or Senator can even arrange for you to sit in on a session of Congress, but no voting allowed! 3. The White House. For White House tour information go to WashingtonD.C..com, or ask your congressman to arrange a tour as your reward for voting for him or her. 4. Cherry Blossoms Festival: If you decide to get-a-way to Washington you could not go at a better time. Period. This year, the Opening Ceremony is on March 21. (Make reservations now.) 5. Smithsonian Museum The world’s largest museum and research complexincludes 19 museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoological Park. Honestly, you could spend two weeks here so review the website to determine what will most interest you: http:// www.si.edu/Museums 6. Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam and Washington Memorials: Each one deserves 30 minutes, except for the Vietnam, which needs at least an hour…and bring a lot of tissues. 7. The Holocaust Museum: One of the most memorable must go to museums in the world. It compares to Yad Vashem in Israel. When you enter you’re given an “identity card” with name of a person sent to the concentration camps, then when ready to leave, you insert the card into a machine that tells you if that person survived. There’s a room filled with thousands of pairs of children’s shoes from the kids exterminated upon arrival at the camps. This will break your heart; it broke mine. 8. The Martin Luther King Memorial: The newest memorial and something Martin Luther King certainly deserved. It is very captivating and inspiring. 9. The Newseum: This museum has been called, “the best experience Washington, D.C. has to offer”. Each of the seven levels of this spectacular building is filled wall-to-wall with interactive exhibits exploring how news affects our experiences of shared historic moments. 10. The National Museum of the American Indian is absolutely worth visiting: it houses fabulous artifacts, art, historical and cultural objects from Native Indian communities in North America and even has a great little restaurant for lunch. 11. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building: Your kids will be fascinated with a visit to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building where they can watch hundreds of thousands of dollars being printed, (roughly what you’ll be spending on them until they finish college). 12. National Air & Space Museum: the Wright Brothers plane, “Kitty Hawk,” aviation’s first flight and the “Spirit of St Louis”, the plane “Lindy” flew non-stop from NY to Paris for the first time are on display here. World War II fighter planes (ours and theirs) and space capsules that once circled the Earth, floating dream-like above you as you walk through the exhibits. 13. The Spy Museum: perfect for hard to please teenagers. 14. The Kennedy Center. Named to honor our 35th President, the center is committed to” presenting the very best performance performances from America and from around the world.” You’ll never run out of things to do or to see in Washington D.C., even if you are there for two weeks. It is sort of a fabulous mélange of the best of New York, San Francisco and Boston all rolled into one. The city is packed with very official looking government and military folks dashing about, foreign diplomats, Arab sheiks and their entourages getting in and out of dark windowed limos, lending an air of intrigue to the mix. If you look closely, you might observe some of Washington’s beautiful and mysterious, Chanel clad, women in the fancy restaurants, luxury hotel lounges and trendy bars. D.C.’s power-restaurants are full of bronzed men in $1000 suits leaning over and whispering in someone’ s ear. Maybe my imagination is working over-time, but there appears to be a lot of secret things going on in Washington D.C. --and perhaps “we are better off ” not knowing” what they are. So if you’ve always wanted to explore our nation’s capitol and experience the panorama of Cherry Trees bursting into bloom, a visit to Washington D.C. this spring is a great vacation choice, whether you can stay for just a few days or an entire week. It’s a Capital vacation you’ll always remember. Washington D.C. photos Courtesy of Washington.org TRAVEL The Hills Are Alive in Bled, Slovenia By Author Rozsa Gaston Slovenia is not Slovakia. Let’s get that straight right away. Slovakia is the southern part of what was once Czechoslovakia. It’s north of Hungary, south of the Czech Republic. Slovenia is bordered by Austria to its north, Croatia to its east and south with a tiny sliver of Hungary just above, and Italy to its west. The northernmost republic of the new nations formed after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia is about the size of Massachusetts and undoubtedly the greenest nation in Europe. With a more alpine, rather than Balkan flavor, this tiny nation of two million managed to stay largely out of trouble during Yugoslavia’s terrible divorce in the early 1990s. When Maria sings “The hills are alive” in The Sound of Music, she’s singing about a place like Bled. In fact, Bled shares many similarities with Salzburg, 144 miles to its north, except that Bled is more rustic and Youthful tourist and costumed Bled Castle performer about one third the price. Tucked into the northwest corner of Slovenia, Bled is surrounded by mountains, and shapes itself around the azure blue Bled Lake. With a population of around 8,000, Bled is about 28 miles from both the Austrian and Italian borders, 25 miles from Ljubljana International Airport and 37 miles from Slovenia’s capital of Ljubljana, another charming place to visit in this sylvan, pristine country. With a history as a spa town Continued on page 9 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Page 9 TRAVEL The Hills Are Alive in Bled, Slovenia Continued from page 8 for wealthy Austrians at the start of the 20th century, Bled became the summer retreat of Marshall Tito, former President of Yugoslavia, in the 1950s. His residence, Vila Bled, is now a hotel, directly overlooking Lake Bled’s fairytale island. Summer room rates average around $200 per night.. As an alternative to a hotel, there are many chalet-style pensions in Bled, offering a more authentic alpine experience. With an average cost of $50-$75 per night, including breakfast, the charm of leaning over one’s flowerbox-festooned balcony to greet the day is comparable to feeling like a country cousin of the von Trapp family. Not bad for a day or two. At the pension we chose, we were hosted by a husband-wife team of schoolteachers who provided us with a sumptuous breakfast on the balcony outside our rooms. We did well to stuff ourselves, as every activity we embarked on in Bled involved walking, hiking, and climbing stairs. The town’s ambience favors fitness over fashion. I was reminded of a Colorado ski resort in summer months, with a much more exotic vibe. The 15th century Church of the Assumption, also known as the Church of St. Mary, presides over Bled Lake’s only island. Accessible by a roof-covered boat known as a pletna, unique to Bled, the church is reached by 99 stone steps up to its grounds. An invigorating fact to keep in mind while climbing, is that before Christianity was introduced in Bled, the local Slavs used the island as a place of worship to Živa, goddess of love and fertility. An afternoon at Bled Castle, or Blejski Grad, is recommended and should include at least one meal at its rooftop café terrace overlooking Bled Lake. At sunset on summer nights, medieval castle life is re-enacted with courtly dance and play performances. The castle, built sometime between 1004 and 1011, was deeded by German king Henry II in 1011 to Bishop Adalberon in thanks for his church’s assistance in strengthening Germany’s rule in Northern Italy. The castle offers a permanent natural history exhibit featuring life-sized prehistoric humans indigenous to the area. I was surprised to note a preponderance of short red-heads and blonds in the collection, hirsute and handsome. With tourism its only industry, Bled needs you to visit. Two nights is enough. You will never forget it and your wallet will not be noticeably slimmer, although you may be from all the walking you will do. Your soul? Uplifted forever. Bled Castle in Lake Bled All uncredited photos by Rozsa or William Gaston Bled Castle Terrace View For further information on Bled, Slovenia: h t t p : / / w w w. t r i p a d v i s o r. c o m / Tourism-g274863-Bled_Upper_ Carniola_Region-Vacations.html http://www.blejski-grad.si/en/ about-bled-castle h t t p : / / w w w. t r i p a d v i s o r. c o m / ShowUserReviews-g274863-d316878r140165307-Vila_Bled-Bled_Upper_ Carniola_Region.html http://www.slovenia.info/print. asp?_ctg_kraji=2517&prnid=wp_ C912_I2519_W38_L2_N3_&lng=2 h t t p : / / w w w. s l o ve n i a . info/?_ctg_kraji=2517 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bled About the Author—Rozsa Gaston is a Bronxville author who writes playful books on serious matters. Women getting what they want out of life is one of them. To learn more, travel online to www.rozsagaston. com or contact her at rgaston@optonline. net. HELP WANTED FIREFIGHTER CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE New Rochelle residents will be given absolute preference in appointment. All are urged to apply, especially Blacks, Hispanics and Women. Starting salary $39,543 After 4 years $87,312. Retirement after 20 years. Req. West. County residency. Must be 17-1/2 to apply. Training classes available. Test Date: March 28, 2015 $25.00 fee. Applications at City Hall, Martin Luther King Center, Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs in NR, Housing Authority, Library & Fire Houses. Application must be returned in person with I.D and proof of residency to City Hall, Civil Service Office, 515 North Ave., weekdays 9 – 4. Applications Deadline February 20 at 4 pm SHARP. Add’l info: 654-2172 Page 10 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 EYE ON THEATRE Modest Productions By John Simon I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard Halley Feiffer’s “I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard” is a two-character play about a successful aging playwright, David, and his actress daughter, Ella, who just missed out on a lead, Nina, in “The Seagull,” and must make do with Into the Woods Masha, a supporting role, leaving her nearly inconsolable. David tries to boost her morale by telling her about his own difficult, impecunious youth as the son of Russian immigrants with a strict, uncomprehending father, and how he had to run away from home to become an unpaid assistant to a famous playwright while supporting himself with work in a cat food factory. Betty Gilpin and Reed Birney in a scene from I’m Gonna Pray For you So Hard at The Atlantic Theater Company. Photo by Ahron Foster. Reed Birney and Betty Gilpin in a scene from I’m Gonna Pray For you So Hard at The Atlantic Theater Company. Photo by Ahron Foster. Valentines Day, Sat. Feb 14th! ITALIAN CUISINE Zagat Rated “Excellent” Voted “Best Italian Restaurant ” Westchester Magazine, 2006 Open 7 Days : Mon.-Thurs. Noon - 10PM • Fri. Sat. & Sun. Noon -11PM RESERVE NOW FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES 2 PARTY ROOMS AVAIL. SEATING 75 & 100 914.779.4646 www.ciaoeastchester.com Ciao • 5-7 JOHN ALBANESE PLACE, EASTCHESTER, NY As they first drink and smoke, and later turn to drugs; father and daughter are close enough to be lovers. He assures her that she too will become a successful playwright, which she doubts. Much of the dialogue consists of his going on and on about her talent, perhaps to lift his own spirits even more than hers, while she keeps interjecting into his invectives against everyone else little exclamations like “Wow,” “Whoa” and “Right” plus a goodly number of “O my God’s. In the end, Ella, who has long been on the verge of tears, lapses into open sobbing. David bangs out ever more loudly, ashes from the ashtray into the garbage can, over which Emma later has the dry heaves. One doesn’t quite know whom David is deriding most: audiences, actors, critics, or Ella’s current director, with obscenity and scatology rampant. Still, Ella eventually feels condescended to so badly that she runs away from home just as her father had done. About the much shorter second act, I will only say that in it roles are reversed, and Ella has become, even verbatim, a replica of her father.The annoying things are, first, that so much of the dialogue gets repeated two, three, or even more times, with or without slight variations; next, that every few lines we get the f- or s-words; further, that there are too many pregnant pauses a la Pinter; that bucketful of tears are shed by both characters; and, lastly, that motivation tends to feel forced if not entirely missing. The acting, however, is commendable, even if the director, Trip Cullman, pushes the actors too hard in a signal case of overdirection. Reed Birney, a superb actor, manages to make the endless vitriol tolerable, and Betty Gilpin reacts with every prescribed excess, from naïve enthusiasm to hysterical crying, with sedulous dedication. A lot depends on how funny you find lines like “Calling someone a faggot doesn’t mean they’re a faggot, it means they’re acting like a faggot.” Or: “We have a good relationship. We just don’t speak.” Mark Wendland’s messy, indeed chaotic Upper West Side apartment is properly shabby genteel, Jessica Pabst’s costumes strike the right bohemian notes, and Ben Stanton’s lighting has its clever tricks. That the characters are not really actress-playwright Halley Feiffer and her famous playwright-cartoonist father, Jules, is mocked by one line, but hardly persuades. One further curiosity: This may be the only nonmusical ever to boast a choreographer in the program. I don’t know whether, what with the sumptuous movie version of the James Lapine-Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” frolicking on our screens, we needed Roundabout’s Todd Haimes’s importing from Princeton an underpowered stage revival. The Fiasco Theater, created by graduates of the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA acting program is an itinerant outfit, having to stint on scenery, costumes and musicians for economy and convenience. The music comes chiefly from music director Matt Castle’s piano, though several actors on various instruments periodically chime in. The show has an improvised, Grotowskian “Poor Theater” feel to it, which some may find appealing (a rave review from the Times’s numero uno critic), but I rather don’t. Thus Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, who co-directed, economically also act in it: Brody in three parts; Steinfeld, as the Baker, in the male lead. Continued on page 11 The Cast of The Roundabout Theatre Co Production of Into The Woods Photo by Joan Marcus THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Page 11 provided valiantly enough. Some money and imagination was surely spent on Janell Berte’s goodly costumes that, for Guenevere’s steady costume changes alone, must have cost a pretty penny. King Arthur was also accorded plural attire, but Lancelot and Mordred benefited only modestly, as did those in supporting roles. But never mind. Richard Sabellico has directed aptly and choreographed adequately, but what had he to work with? Jennifer Hope Wills is a more than competent Guenevere, Martin Van Treuren a plausible Merlyn and Pellinore, Jordan Wolfe a suitably slimy Morderd, and Emily Brockway a decent Lady Anne. Yet are they able to efface memories of the likes of Julie Andrews and Vanessa Redgrave, Richards Burton and Harris, and Robert Goulet? And what about Clark Scott Carmichael, who turns Arthur into a needy, nerdy near-cipher: distinguished chiefly for weathervaneworthy arm waving? Or Jeremiah James, a fair figure of a Lancelot, but generating no sparks with Guenevere, and able to make that great song, “If Ever I Would Leave You,” come across mediocre? Lesser roles are filled acceptably, but could the great court of King Arthur’s Camelot consist of only a half dozen multitasking, overworked desperados? Oddly, “Camelot” does not call for a visible Round Table, but at WTC, it would have to manage with a coffee table. And then there is the band, reduced to six characters in search of an orchestra sound, and even they are hidden behind the set, so that their contribution often did not properly mesh with the singers and seemed to stem from some unrelated space. I feel compassion for this “Camelot,” and grant it an A for effort, but only an alliterative C for achievement. EYE ON THEATRE Modest Productions Continued from page 10 Jeremiah James as Lancelot du Loc, and Jennifer Hope Wills as Queen Guenevere. The cast is hard-working, but with the possible exception of Jessie Austrian, as the Baker’s Wife, not what I would call prepossessing or memorable. Take, for example, Andy Grotelueschen, a big, heavy-set fellow, who, besides playing one of the snooty daughters and Rapunzel’s Prince, also enacts Milky White, the scrawny cow. He does this, ineffectually, with no mask or costume, but carrying a briefcase, presumably as a pseudo-udder. Take also the Witch, usually played by such stars as Bernadette Peters, Donna Murphy and Meryl Streep, but here relegated to Jennifer Mudge, who can just barely pass. Thus, too, Emily Young is a far too pushy Riding Hood and also an unwelcome Rapunzel. I mostly felt sorry for Brody, who must make do as the Wolf by brandishing about a mere Halloween wolf mask. Designer Derek McLane’s ingenious forest is made chiefly from bunches of colored ropes, stretching vertically or slantingly out of sight, and what appears to be a compilation of wooden music instruments forming side walls. Christopher Akerlind, as always, provides evocative lighting, and here and there something catches the eye or ear. Still, I perceive this as a hopeful college drama club production with almost nobody quite out of the woods. John Simon has written for over 50 years on theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New Criterion, National Review, New York Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard, Broadway. com and Bloomberg News. He reviews books for the New York Times Book Review and for The Washington Post. To learn more, visit his website: www. JohnSimon-unsensored.com Camelot Cast of Camelot If you are sufficiently undemanding or inexperienced, you may groove on Westchester Broadway Theatre’s production of the Alan Jay LernerFrederic Loewe- Moss Hart musical, “Camelot.” It is the show that the winning team of “My Fair Lady” followed up with in 1960. Based on T. H. White’s “The Once and Future King,” this has been a highly successful work both in its Broadway premiere and its countless revivals ever since. The problem is that it is about the legend of medieval King Arthur and the Round Table, and properly requires stars, grand scenery and costumes, a full orchestra and a large cast. WBT, however worthy, disposes over none of these, and is further hamstrung by being almost in the round. That excludes major scenery, which would inevitably block the view for many spectators. Being only ¾ round, WBT has at least one wall for scenery, which Kyle Dixon has Cast of Camelot 5. Knights l to r: Billy Hepfinger as Sir Lionel,Jordan Wolfe as Mordred, Dan Fenaughty as Sir Dinadan and Michael Glavan as Sir Sagramore Page 12 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 FILM CLASSICS ‘Play It Again, Sam’: Remembering Casablanca By Robert Scott Every once in a while a movie will come along that matches the mood of the moment so perfectly it captures the nation’s heart. Just such a film was Casablanca. Made in 1942 while the country was still reeling from the disastrous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this rare and perfect example of movie making gave a disheartened populace the powerful morale boost it needed. The Script Irene Lee, head of the Warner Brothers story department, discovered the script of a play titled Everybody Comes to Rick’s, by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, languishing on a shelf in the company’s New York office. She touted it to studio head Jack L. Warner, who agreed to buy it for $20,000--the most any studio had ever paid for an unproduced theatrical work. Nothing in the planning and shooting of Casablanca gave a hint of greatness to come. Seven screenwriters worked on the film script, often simultaneously. Some actors in featured roles had not been signed before shooting started. Script changes were frequent, with actors being handed new versions of the dialogue for a scene on the day it was to be shot. As a result, shooting ran eleven days over schedule. To Casablanca’s stars, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, the dialogue seemed ridiculous and the Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bobart in Casablanca situations unbelievable. Despite the After that, no other actor was ever conobvious on-screen chemistry between sidered for the part. Bogart’s salary was them, they hardly spoke on the set. $2,200 a week. One reason may have been the insane In those days, players were under jealousy of Bogart’s wife, actress Mayo contract to studios or producers, who Methot, who repeatedly accused him of traded them back and forth almost having an affair with Bergman. like baseball cards. Producer David O. Selznick owned Ingrid Bergman’s The Players contract, Wallis sent the film’s principal Studio publicity claimed that writers, Philip and Julius Epstein, to Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan persuade Selznick to lend her to Warner had been scheduled to appear in Brothers for the picture. this film, and Dennis Morgan was After twenty minutes of describnamed the third lead. This fictitious ing the plot to Selznick, Julius gave up story was planted merely to keep their and said dismissively, “It’s going to be a names before the public. Producer Hal lot of s**t like Algiers.” Selznick immeWallis had been assigned to search for diately understood and agreed to the Humphrey Bogart’s next starring role. When he learned that George Raft was loan. French star Michèle Morgan had angling for the part, he told Warner that asked for $55,000, an amount Wallis he had found the perfect script and role refused to pay since he could get Ingrid for Bogart—that of Rick Blaine, the Bergman for $25,000. Warner agreed to cynical, world-weary nightclub owner. lend Olivia de Haviland to Selznick in return. Bogart was actually about two inches shorter than Bergman. To create the illusion that the opposite was true, he stood on boxes, wore platform shoes and sat on pillows in some shots, or she slouched down (as when she sits on the couch in the “a franc for your thoughts” scene). Finding an actor for the part of Resistance leader Victor Laszlo was a problem. Herbert Marshall, Dean Jagger and Joseph Cotton were all under consideration until Selznick lent Warners an unhappy Paul Henreid for the role. Having just starred in Now, Voyager with Bette Davis, the Austrian actor was worried that playing anything less than a lead character would ruin his budding career. Henreid plays the least well-developed role in the film. He has come to Dooley Wilson and Humphrey Bobart in Casablanca Casablanca seeking so-called “letters of transit” that would enable a return to Europe. We are told that he is a heroic Resistance leader—but what he actually does is unclear. His sole act of resistance is to induce the orchestra at Rick’s café to play “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem. A more concerned leader would not have gone traipsing around Europe and North Africa with an adoring wife, risking her capture by the Nazis. Dooley Wilson, who played the part of Sam, the pianist, was borrowed from Paramount at $500 a week. His name came from his unusual vaudeville act in which he sang Irish songs in white makeup. A drummer, Wilson had to fake playing the piano. The songs were actually played by pianist Elliott Carpenter hidden behind a curtain, but positioned so Wilson could see and copy his hand movements. Wallis briefly considered making the character Sam a female, with Hazel Scott, Lena Horne or Ella Fitzgerald in the role. On loan from MGM, veteran actor Conrad Veidt played the role of Major Strasser. His wife, Lily Prager, was Jewish, and they had fled Germany for England. A fervent anti-Nazi, he spent the last years of his life playing Nazis. His salary, $5,000 a week for five weeks’ work, made him the highest-paid actor on the set. Another competitor for the part had been Otto Preminger, under contract to 20th Century-Fox, who wanted $7,000 a week for his services. Production had already started when Claude Rains was signed as the corrupt Vichy Captain Renault at a weekly salary of $4,000, and S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall as Carl, Rick’s maitre d’, at $1,750. Joy Page, who played the young Bulgarian wife, was the stepdaughter of studio head Jack L. Warner, but earned only $100 a week. Page, Bogart and Dooley Wilson were the only American-born actors in the credited cast. The Songs “As Time Goes By,” the love song shared by Bogart and Bergman, was written by composer Herman Hupfeld and introduced by Frances Williams in the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome. It had long been a favorite of playwright Murray Burnett. Max Steiner, who composed the background music for the film, was against using the Hupfeld melody. He had wanted to compose an original song (which would qualify him for THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Page 13 FILM CLASSICS ‘Play It Again, Sam’: Remembering Casablanca “Round up the usual suspects!” Claude Rains in Casablanca royalties). “As Time Goes By” is #2 on shocked to find that gambling is going on the American Film Institute’s “100 here!” and “Major Strasser has been shot! Round up the usual suspects!” Years, 100 Songs” list. When Rains attempts to probe For the “contest between the anthems” sequence, Warner Brothers Bogart about his reasons for coming to had intended to use the “Horst Wessel Casablanca, Bogart’s laconic response is, Lied,” the anthem of the Nazi party. “My health. I came for the waters.” Rains is Unfortunately, a German publisher incredulous. “The waters? What waters? owned the international copyright, We are in the desert.” Bogart shrugs, “I so they switched to the rousing “Die was misinformed.” Wacht am Rhein.” After the emotional Then there are the other classic playing of “La Marseillaise,” many of gems from Bogart: “Of all the gin joints the actors, refugees from Europe, were in all the towns in all the world, she walks in tears. into mine.” And the two lines he says to Thanks to a stroke of luck, just Bergman, recalling their past meeting: before the film’s release Allied forces “We’ll always have Paris.” And “I landed at Casablanca and elsewhere in remember every detail. The Germans wore North Africa. The studio quickly moved gray, you wore blue.” up the release date to take advantage of Few will forget Bogart’s memothis unexpected publicity. rable parting from Bergman, “I’ve got a job to do. Where I’m going, you can’t follow. Memorable Lines What I’ve got to do, you can’t be any part Casablanca yielded more memo- of, Ilsa. I’m not good at being noble, but it rable quotes than any other film. doesn’t take much to see that the problems Interestingly, nobody in the film of three little people don’t amount to a hill ever says, “Play it again, Sam.” What of beans in this crazy world. Now, here’s Bergman says to pianist Dooley Wilson looking at you, kid.” Bogart had ad-libbed is, “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’” the farewell toast to Bergman earlier in Later, a melancholy Bogart tells Wilson: the film. The line worked so well, it was “You played it for her. You can play it for me. repeated in the airport sequence as he If she can stand it, I can. Play it!” sends her away with Henreid. Claude Rains as Capt. Renault had The film concludes with Bogart’s two widely quoted lines: “I’m shocked, optimistic line predictive of eventual Diana O’Neill Holistic Health Services Humphrey Bobart and Dooley Wilson in Casablanca victory over the forces of evil, “Louis, I Screenplay Academy awards for 1942. recently for $3.4 million. think this is the beginning of a beautiful Out of the near chaos that attended It was a war picture, a love story, and friendship.” Three weeks after shooting even had elements of a musical. Most the making of this movie has come a had finished and unhappy with the of all, it was a riveting drama about a story of a love that gives, rather than film’s final scene, producer Hal Wallis different kind of bravery: Little people takes--even though the giving is not decided to add that line at the end of the willing to take a stand against injustice without pain and heartbreak. It is the film, as Bogart and Rains walk across in a world rapidly falling apart. story of a woman torn between that love the airport tarmac together. Bogart was Unlike the blatantly propagandis- and her worship of a man and the cause called back from vacation to record what tic movies made by Hollywood during he is fighting for. And the story of a man would become one of the most famous the war, Casablanca’s celebration of a who loves a woman so much he cannot last lines in movie history. timeless romance, idealistic self-sacrifice bear to have her live with what he knows to a greater cause, and the inevitable will be vain regret. The Film’s Enduring Impact Casablanca remains a film that ideWarners had paid $20,000 for the triumph of good over evil has stood the alistically portrays the beauty of sacrifice unproduced stage play, $47,281 to six test of time. With a running time of only 102 for a love that will live forever. Viewers writers and $73,400 to director Michael minutes, it is a work of art that still everywhere are glad that it embodies Curtiz to pull everything together. The speaks to us today. For good reason, these sentiments. Otherwise, we bill for cast salaries was $91,717. Total the American Film Institute voted it wouldn’t have come to love it so much. cost of the film was $878,000. The take #2 in the 100 best films from the first Robert Scott taught creative nonfiction from the first domestic rentals came hundred years of movie making. Sam’s writing at the Writer’s Digest School for to a cool $3.7 million, a number that pleased the brothers Warner. It won piano, the same one in which Rick con- eighteen years. He lives in Croton-onBest Picture, Best Director and Best cealed the coveter letters of transit, sold Hudson, NY. I will journey with you during challenging times such as grieving the loss of a loved one or recovering from a negative relationship. Counseling • Energy Healing • Hypnotism • Spiritual & Psychic Healing By appointment, only • Free consultation given on first visit Holistic Health Services • 240 North Ave. Suite 204 A, New Rochelle, NY 10801 • 914.630.1928 Page 14 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 LE G A L N O T I C E S HASTINGS ELECTRIC & MECHANICAL SERVICES, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 9/17/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 618 Warburton Ave Hastings-On-Hudson, NY 10706. Purpose: Any lawful activity 35176 253RD AVENUE LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/12/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Maggie J. Segrich 116 Main St Irvington, NY 10533. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Open 7 Days A Week NYC’s #1 TOPlESS SPORTS BAR THE CAFE AT 178TH, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/17/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 686 Bronx River Rd #5G Yonkers, NY 10704. Purpose: Any lawful activity. MNG 178TH, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/16/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 139 Hart Ave Yonkers, NY 10704. Purpose: Any lawful activity. • Gentlemen’s Club • sushi RestauRant • Fine DininG NYC’s oNlY BoDY SUSHI 252 West 43rd St. 212-819-9300 (Between 7th & 8th Ave.) www.mycheetahsnyc.com FREE ADMISSION WITH THIS PASS The New Don’t Don’t Waste Waste Your Your Time Time Anywhere Anywhere Else Else Club Club New York NEW YORK’S NEW YORK’S PREMIER PREMIER GENTLEMEN’S GENTLEMEN’S CABARET New York CABARET Escape Reality… Escape The VIP Club! Escape to Reality… First Class Adult Entertainment, Sushi Bar and Lounge. HAPPY HOUR @ Entertainment, THE VIP! First Class Adult 2-For-1BarDrinks Sushi and Lounge. Mon – Sat Before 9PM Escape to The VIP Club! HAPPY HOUR @ THE VIP! COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION 2-For-1 FOR TWODrinks WITH THIS PASS Mon – Sat Before 9PM 20 W. 20th ST. (btwn 5th & 6th) COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION 212-633-1199 FOR TWO WITH THIS PASSs thevipclubnyc.com RON RET REALTY, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/4/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 374 McLean Ave Yonkers, NY 10705. Purpose: Any lawful activity. TOTAL WELLNESS MICRONUTRIENT PHARMACEUTICAL CONSULTING PLLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/15/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of PLLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The PLLC 51 Livingston Rd Scarsdale, NY 10583. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Ruth DeLuca, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 01/28/15. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 3 Lincoln Ave. E. #2, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 303 TOWER DRIVE, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/23/15. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Mr. Luis Otero, C/O SKD Capital Corp. PO Box 1311 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. Purpose: Any lawful activity. FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER In the Matter of a Proceeding Under Article 10 of the Family Court Act QUAYVAUN ALLEN (d.o.b.9/11/11), Docket No.: NN- 00277-14 FU No. 139941 A Child Under Eighteen Years of Age Alleged to be Neglected by SUMMONS and INQUEST NOTICE LAQUANAYA WARD, (Child Neglect Case) Respondent. NOTICE: PLACEMENT OF YOUR CHILD(REN) IN FOSTER CARE MAY RESULT IN YOUR LOSS OF YOUR RIGHTS TO YOUR CHILD(REN). IF YOUR CHILD(REN) STAYS IN FOSTER CARE FOR 15 OF THE MOST RECENT 22 MONTHS, THE AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO FILE A PETITION(S) TO TERMINATE YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND TO COMMIT GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD(REN) TO THE AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION. IN SOME CASES, THE AGENCY MAY FILE BEFORE THE END OF THE 15-MONTH PERIOD. IF SEVERE OR REPEATED CHILD ABUSE IS PROVEN BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE, THIS FINDING MAY CONSTITUTE THE BASIS TO TERMINATE YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND TO COMMIT GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD(REN) TO THE AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION. UPON GOOD CAUSE, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE NON-RESPONDENT PARENT(s) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A RESPONDENT; IF THE COURT DETERMINES THE CHILD(REN) SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM HIS/HER HOME, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE NON-RESPONDENT PARENT(s) SHOULD BE SUITABLE CUSTODIANS FOR THE CHILD(REN); IF THE CHILD(REN) IS PLACED AND REMAINS IN FOSTER CARE FOR FIFTEEN OF THE MOST RECENT TWENTY-TWO MONTHS, THE AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED TO FILE A PETITION(S) FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS OF THE PARENT(s) AND COMMITMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF THE CHILD(REN) FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION, EVEN IF THE PARENT(s) WERE NOT NAMED AS RESPONDENTS IN THE CHILD NEGLECT OR ABUSE PROCEEDING. A NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REQUEST TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT CUSTODY OF THE CHILD(REN) AND TO SEEK ENFORCEMENT OF VISITATION RIGHTS WITH THE CHILD(REN). A Petition under Article 10 of the Family Court Act having been filed with this Court, and annexed hereto YOU AND EACH OF YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this Court at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., 3rd Floor Annex, White Plains, New York 10601, on MARCH 4, 2015, at 9:15 o’clock in the x morning of that day to answer the petition and to be dealt with in accordance with Article 10 of the Family Court Act. Upon your failure to appear as herein directed a warrant may be issued for your arrest and/or the Court may proceed to Inquest and hear and determine the petition as provided by law. Dated: 1/20 /15. _______/S/___________ Clerk of Court 20 W. 20th ST. (btwn 5th & 6th) WESTCHESTERsGthevipclubnyc.com UARDIAN LEGAL ADVERTISING 212-633-1199 [email protected] 914.216.1674 • M-F 11A- 5P PUBLICATION EVERY THURSDAY SUBMIT ADS TUESDAY, 10 DAYS PRIOR TO RUN DATE CALENDAR News and Notes from Northern Westchester By Mark Jeffers What a great Super Bowl, we had chicken wings, ribs, stew, bacon bits and cupcakes, oh yeah and the game wasn’t so bad either. I was so excited I almost forgot to finish this week’s “diet starts today” edition of “News and Notes.” With the numerous winter storms we have been having, blood drives have been canceled and there is a real need for blood donations. The New York Blood Center which supplies blood to the Hudson Valley tells us to call 800933-2566 to make an appointment. It’s easy and very rewarding to donate, so please give them a call… The Westchester County Veterans Service Agency, in conjunction with the Veterans Advisory Board, will be updating the Korean War Veterans Monument at Lasdon Park in Somers. Anyone with information regarding a Westchester resident who died in the Korean War and whose name does not currently appear on the monument should contact Vito Pinto, head of Westchester’s Veterans Service Agency, at (914) 995-2145. Our entertainment reporter, aka my wife, tells me that actress Kate Mara, who grew up in Bedford, stars in a new film version of the “Fantastic Four,” a popular superhero franchise from Marvel Comics. Mara stars as scientist Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, one of the Fantastic Four who are enlisted to save the planet from destruction after they obtain superhuman powers. Congratulations and good luck to Manhattanville College sophomore Eric Lopez as he has made it to the Hollywood Week on Fox’s “American Idol” show, way to go Eric. More entertainment news, it looks like “Die Hard” star actor Bruce Willis is a new Bedford neighbor, as he and his wife Emma Heming Willis have purchased a home near Mount Kisco, can’t wait for our first BBQ… The Bedford Free Library is sponsoring its seventh annual writing contest for high school students in the community. All entries must be received by Wednesday, February 25th, at 5pm. Winners and their families will be invited to an awards tea to receive their prizes on Wednesday, March 18th. If you forgot to pick up something for your beloved for Valentine’s Day… show her that you really do have some class by attending a Chamber Music concert. The Simon String Quartet will present a concert featuring music by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Schubert on Sunday, February 15th at 3:00pm at the Presbyterian Church, 400 Bedford Road in Pleasantville. The concert, which is free to the public, features Fiona Simon who is a violinist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The Vietnam Veterans of America are looking for your reusable items, especially need clothing for these cold winter months, they have scheduled a local Westchester pick up for Thursday February 12th, call 800775-8387 for details. Officials in Yorktown recently cut the ribbon on the new state-of-theart Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located in the basement of the Yorktown Court/Police Department complex. An EOC is a centralized command center for key first responders to meet during an emergency to coordinate emergency response and disaster preparedness plans. The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry will present “The Pajama Game” on February 27 and 28. The Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco is holding a heart-pumping workout event, featuring spin and Zumba, on Saturday, February 14th, to benefit the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women. There will be two spin classes held. The first spin class begins at 9am and the second spin class will be held at 10:30am. A Zumba class will also be held at 10:30am. There is a $20 suggested donation and the event is open to all, members and non-members. This just in…the ground hog saw his shadow, so it looks like we will have six more weeks of this wonderful winter, maybe I should go out to look for my shadow and a new shovel… see you next week. THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Page 15 CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES Another Trip To The Moon By Sherif Awad As we mentioned in the last article, the International Film Festival, in Rotterdam (IFFR), gives priority to filmmakers, who are producing their first or second film. In that context, a dreamy fantasy film, based upon Indonesian myths and legends, called Another Trip To The Moon, was screened during the IFFR main competition. The film is a long, dialogue-free film, which revolves around Asa, who escapes from her mother, only to hide in the forest with her only girlfriend. In the woods, the two young actors with great elegance and passion. The thirty year old Basbeth studied Indonesian traditional music in Bandung, before moving to Yogyakarta to study Communications and while there shot his first short film, Hide and Sleep (2008) through his alternative production company, Hide Project Indonesia. In 2012, he was invited to the Berlinale Talent Campus, which gave him the creative push to make Another Trip To The Moon, his feature debut. In many Islamic countries, the system of social control and domination of women restricts their roles to wife, homemaker and mother. “In the is Dayang Sumbi. The Prince and Dayang Sumbi marry and have a son who is called Sangkuriang. On the day Sangkuriang is born, the Prince must turn into a dog, named Tumang, the condition that the Prince’s father decreed, when he allowed the Prince to marry Dayang. One day, Dayang sent Sangkuriang and Tumang to the forest to hunt but they found nothing there. Overcome with evil, Sangkuriang murders Tumang and gives his heart to Dayang. Realizing what he has done, Dayang banishes Sangkuriang and lives alone thereafter. Many years later, Sangkuriang returns to the village and falls in love with a beautiful woman, not realizing she is his own mother. “In my story, I borrowed the relationships of Dayang Sumbi, Tumang and Sangkurian,” continued Basbeth. Asa and her would-be husband preparing to head back home girls survive by hunting and fishing for a while, until they establish a quiet daily routine until suddenly, Asa’s friend is struck dead by lightning. The loss devastates Asa, who can no longer hunt or eat as she did previously. Asa’s mother somehow telepathically senses her despair and inspires Asa to connect with a young man who has the head of a dog. Following this, Asa returns to her classically beautiful Javanese house with the man-dog, who is revealed to be a Prince, sent by her mother to collect her and bring her home. Asa and the Prince marry and have a child together. At times, the film seems strange and absurd, but the Indonesian writerdirector Ismail Basbeth directs his few tradition of Islam, I understand that in front of God, humans are represented as women. God is the only man that created our life, and human is the women created by Him,” said Basbeth. “The people of Indonesia lived and grew together with these traditions, myths and fairytales, in various forms and versions. These influences have led to generations who see women as objects to be led, rather than as persons who lead their own lives. Women have no strong position in Indonesia’s patriarchal way of life. I made this film in an effort to break those traditions.” In Indonesian fairytales, it is said that a Prince from heaven is falling in love with a human whose name “My film is about the journey of a woman, fighting for and confronting her deepest fear; to be a completely free person. Watching this film will give you spiritual, magical and poetic experiences.” Basbeth is currently working on his second feature, a father-son road movie called Mencar Hilal, which literally means, “In Search Of The Crescent Moon, in Arabic.” Hanung Bramantyo, a critically acclaimed director whose films also enjoy great success at the box office has signed on to produce the film. Shooting will commence this month, after the RIFF closes. The Awards Ceremony, held Winners HIVOS Tiger Award, from left Jakrawal Nilthamrong (Vanishing Point), Carlos M. Quintela (La Obra del Siglo) and Juan Daniel F. Molero (Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes). Asa and her girlfriend takes shelter in Another Trip to the Moon on the final day of the Rotterdam influence of digital modernity on International Film Festival was held young Peruvians. The filmmakers were at the Doelen Center, the IFFR’s prin- each awarded £15,000. cipal venue. The three winners of the Next stop: Germany for The Hivos Tiger Award Competition Prize Berlinale Film Festival! were La Obra Del Siglo by Carlos M. Quintela from Cuba, a feature about Born in Cairo, Egypt, Sherif Awad is the Electro-Nuclear City (ENC) a film/video critic and curator. He is the which was once part of an ambi- film editor of Egypt Today Magazine tious Soviet-Cuban venture to build (www.EgyptToday.com) and the the first Caribbean nuclear power Artistic Director for both the Alexandria station in Juragua; Vanishing Point by film Festival , and the Arab Rotterdam Jakrawal Nilthamrong from Thailand, Festival in The Netherlands. He also a thriller about a young reporter who contributes to Variety, in the United attempts to reconstruct a car accident States and is the Film Critic of Variety, that seems to be related to other Arabia (http://amalmasryalyoum.com/ crimes and Videophilia (And Other ennode189132 and The Westchester Viral Syndromes) by Juan Daniel F. Guardian: www.WestchesterGuardian. Molero from Peru, who studies the com Page 16 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 Mary At The Movies Movie Review: The Loft Five wild and crazy guys split the rent on The Loft – the perfect place to meet girlfriends, mistresses and the “catch of the day (as the female detective who interrogates them so succinctly puts it);” far from the watchful eyes of hotel staff and suspicious wives. And it is a seemingly foolproof, albeit cynical plan: no check-in register and no pesky paper trail of credit card statements until one day when they arrive at the loft to find that the beautiful blonde in the bed is dead. Now what? These men are the best of friends and there are only five keys, so who set them up? As the movie unfolds, we learn through a series of flashbacks that the five men have given many people in their lives motives for murder, from wary wives with sad eyes to romantic rivals and powerful businessmen. These are not nice men and they do not engender sympathy but I have to say, the plot will keep you guessing and the action moves along at a brisk pace. Listen, this is not a good choice for a Valentine’s Day movie or date nights in general, so guys see this one with your buddies! The Loft is a psychological thriller and a cautionary tale for cheatin’ hearts! Starring James Marsden as Chris Vanowen – a psychologist, Karl Urban Rachael Taylor as Anne and James Marsden as Luke in The Loft as Vincent Stevens, the architect who designed the building in which the loft is located, Wentworth Miller as Luke Seacord, Eric Stonestreet as Marty Landry, Matthias Schoenaerts as Philip Williams, Rhona Mitro as Allison Vanowen, Isabel Lucas as Sarah Deakings, valeries Cruz as Barabra Stevens, Elaine Cassidy as Ellie Seacord, Kali Rocha as Mimi Landry, Isabel Lucas as Sarah Deakins, Rachel Taylor as Ann Davis, and Margarita Levieva as Vicky. Screenplay by Bart De Pauw’ adapted by Wesley Strick. Produced by Adam Schulman, Steve Golin, Matt DeRoss, Joel Silver, Hilde De Laere. Running time 1hour, 44 minutes MPAA Rating R for sexual content, nudity, bloody violence language and some drug use. Isabel Lucas as Sarah in The Loft Open 10AM - 8PM Mon-Sat. Juice Bar • Smoothies • Salads Paninis • Rice Bowls Dine In -Take-Out • Dobbs Ferry Delivery 914.479.5555 MIXONMAINNY.com Karl Urban as Vincent, Eric Stonestreet as Marty, and Wentworth Miller as Luke in THE LOFT 63 MAIN ST., DOBBS FERRY, NY WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM
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