Farwell Svetlana Stalin

Stalin's daughter dies aged 85 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


Well I just have to acknowledge such a momentous historical moment. I must say I was surprised Svetlana was still alive - so much suffering in her past and the pressures on her as HIS daughter. I always felt sad for her.... The last few years seem to have been reasonably peaceful

Farewell: Director Ken Russell

Director Ken Russell dies in his sleep - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

They mention his major commercial films

Ken Russell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But to me Ken is the man who wonderful films at the BBC during the 1960s about classical composers

As Wiki says

"job at the BBC, where he worked regularly from 1959 to 1970 making arts documentaries for Monitor and Omnibus. Among his better-known works were: Elgar (1962), The Debussy Film (1965), Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967), Song of Summer (about Frederick Delius and Eric Fenby) (1968) and Dance of the Seven Veils (1970), a film about Richard Strauss. He once said that the best film he ever made was Song of Summer, and that he wouldn't edit a single shot."

I agree with Ken about the Delius film it was a joy. The music was so lyrical and the unselfish work that Eric Fenby did for Delius was wonderful.....
And then the fun Percy Grainger arrives to his bouncy English Country Garden music and charges up, throws a tennis ball over the house and runs through the corridor to catch ball the other side....

And poor Isidora Duncan who driving in an open car managed to get her long trailing scarf around the back wheels and ...........

Elgar cycling over the hills with all his wonderful music the thought of it just brings the English countryside to life for me.........

Thanks for all the enlightenment Ken

Computers: News/RSS Readers - recommend for FeedDemon

 I like to read news etc via RSS Feeds. RSS was rumoured to be on way out BUT still seems to be healthy.....

I used to use Bloglines then they dropped off.... So I switched to Google Reader but alas this month they changed the layout to something they implied was simple - BUT its ghastly absolutely useless for quick eyeball scan of Headlines etc.

So I went looking - Wanted features - able to read import the google reader subscription list - clearly highlights the Unread sites (I don't want to see all my subs listed) and work through them - and finally a quick for each sub as I scan "Mark All Read " ---- PLUS LOOKS GOOD

sites recommended various tools
and I tried these four
BlogExpress
SharpReader
Awasu
JetBrains OmeaReader
All handled the Import of sub list and mostly looked ok
But they usually failed on the Mark All Read button and the Only the Unread.....

The Winner was FeedDemon - Free Windows RSS Reader

handled everything I wanted and looks good - even handles Facebook notifiers
but alas not Twitter - looks like it used but Twitter changed and stopped it working

Farewell: Edmundo Ros

While I was on a whole of one day at sea on our cruise
Edmundo Ros - died 21 Oct

Also here on Whirligig site British 1950s TV and Radio

When I was very young Edmundo was a big star in England - I remember his very infectious and very rhythmic music and always so happy........ and happy he must have been to live to over 100

Who did write Shakespear

When I was on cruise and touring Messina in Sicily, the guide told us William was actually Italian and from Messina.
First I had ever heard of that.........
Strangely I come back to Sydney and just appearing locally is Anonymous (film) -
The film is proposing that the plays were written by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.
The society that pushes him has some comments on the film Shakespeare-Oxford Society » Anonymous, The Movie
Quote "Of course Roland Emmerich and the screenwriter John Orloff took cinematic liberties with history in creating the film but that’s what storytellers do."
So even they say the film is not history!!!

This seems a sound discussion on Shakespeare authorship question - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Analysis says that Shakespear's works were all written by one person.
This discusses the claims for Francis Bacon, the 6th Earl of Derby, Christopher Marlowe, and the Earl of Oxford.
I understand that Oxford has replaced the other men as the main claimant.
Edward de Vere mentions some works that he wrote - I could not see any evidence that these have been analysed for similarities to Shakespear's works? De Vere died in 1604 and yet new Shakespear plays were being performed upto 1613. If Oxford had his actual own works published why would be shy about his Shakespear works? And he had his own group of players - why would he provide his Shakespear works to another group of players?
The claims for him seem to be based on his European tour and that he visited Italian places that Shakespear used in his plays. Nothing is known of Shakespear going outside England and so Oxford must have written these works. Hardly convincing - as he was around theatres perhaps Shakespear listened to his memories of these places or some other tourists.

I'll probably see Anonymous as it covers one of my favourite periods of English history and the graphics of London are said to be excellent but its ideas are nonsense.....
A review of the film - the writer supports Shakespeare
Shakespeare speculation and conspiracy tales - The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
and he makes the point that Emmerich makes very Inventive history movies - well basically real history drops of of sight - for the sake of the story

Messina: The Forgotten Home of Shakespeare « Shakespeare Politics and Italy Blog
Willy or Won't He?: Crollalanza = Shakespeare?
Etheric Warriors Forum :: discusses Michelangelo Florio Crollalanza Aka The Bard?
One comments states "It's a pity the videos are not subtitled because they are very accurate with a lot more insights and coincidences; for example, one of those scholars states that one of Michelangelo Florio Crollalanza's teachers at Padua appears in one of the plays. "
Now that is interesting........

Now if this Michelangelo could learn English so well to write Shakespear and invent so many words then I think he must be a greater genius than his namesake the artist of the Sistine Chapel.
But do read the forum above - it has a lot to say - has anyone confirmed the facts etc

In meantime I'll stick with good old William of Stratford