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Harbour

Paolo Sorrentino: Il Divo

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Film of the year: Il Divo.

Sorrentino's visually stunning film covers the life and murderous times of the seemingly untouchable Giulio Andreotti.

Now retired, Italy's prime minister on seven separate occasions, Andreotti was the Machiavellian, quixotic, powerbroker and wheeler-dealer. In this clip, Andreotti's political inner circle arrive for a meeting:



UPDATE. Italian not up to scratch? Nessun problema:
"Apart from the Punic Wars, I’ve been blamed for everything that’s happened in Italy. They’ve honoured me with several nicknames: The Divine Julius (il Divo), The First Letter of the Alphabet, The Hunchback, The Fox, Moloch, The Salamander, The Black Pope, Eternity, Man of Darkness, Beelzebub. But I’ve never pressed charges for a simple reason: I have a sense of humour. I have something else, too: a vast archive in place of an imagination. Every time I mention it those who should shut up do so, as if by magic."

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Five fifteen pm

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Noodle shop

Hong Kong: Legislative Council Questions

Some of the questions (and answers) from the LegCo meeting of Wednesday, 26 November 2008:

LCQ1: Hopewell Centre II
LCQ10: Enforcement against illegal prostitution activities under the guise of "compensated dating"

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Public pier

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Five thirty-three pm

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Local colour

Neo: Kontroll

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Title music from Kontroll, the very excellent Hungarian film about underground ticket inspectors:

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The "slow" ferry

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Lamp-post man

Hong Kong: Legislative Council Questions

Some of the questions (and answers) from the LegCo meeting of Wednesday, 19 November 2008:

LCQ5: Hopewell Centre II
LCQ17: Lift incidents

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The other side: Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, bathed in nitrogen dioxide and "respirable suspended particulates".

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Ferry terminal

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Church of Our Lady of Fatima

Carlos Saura: Carmen

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Dance! Tanz! Danse! Danza! 舞蹈!

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Noodle shop

Reading matters

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, by Charles Mackay: econlib

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Ferry pier

Hong Kong: Legislative Council Questions

Some of the questions (and answers) from the LegCo meeting of Wednesday, 12 November 2008:

LCQ1: Construction works for South Island Line (East)
LCQ5: Measures to tackle problems brought by the financial tsunami

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Restaurant

Reading matters

What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been, by Bill Ayers: In These Times

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Five twenty-seven pm

Prince Buster: A Change Is Gonna Come

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

Inspired by hearing Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind in 1963, gospel/soul singer Sam Cooke sat down and wrote A Change Is Gonna Come.

Fast forward to Chicago, November 2008.

Towards the end of Barack Obama's presidential acceptance speech, Obama declares: "It's been a long time coming, but tonight . . . change has come to America."

For your listening pleasure, the sprightly Jamaican ska version by the peerless Prince Buster:

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Balcony

Reading matters

After the euphoria, time for analysis and critical thinking. . .

Obama picks pro-Israel hardliner for top post, by Ali Abunimah: electronic intifada

Shine a Light

Green Island lighthouses to be conserved: infrastructure & logisitics

US presidential election

La lutte continue . . .

office of the president-elect: change.gov

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South China Morning Post: USA presidential election special

US presidential election

It's over. Sort of . . .

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US presidential election

Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress: The Onion

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Public toilet

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Back street

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Waterfront

Seasick Steve: Dog House Boogie

For the weekend, a guilty pleasure.

White country blues, down and dirty, . . .