It's been a tough few months recently. Some quite stressful work, and lots of it, combined with ongoing woes about FilmAmora.com (and the useless institutions called Banks in Spain - and no I am not trying to get money from them!) and various other factors have taken their toll on me.
But, I am on a little respite, over here in Canada visiting my mother (and of course doing a little work related side traveling too - I am a workaholic).
It is incredibly cold here. How do Canadians survive it? And WHY? It was -18 Celcius last night when I arrived here in Sarnia. That is just.... stupid!
But it is relaxing, and I can even write up a few blog entries. I'm getting some screenwriting done here too... so life is getting back on track a little.
More soon....
Phil
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Friday, 18 January 2008
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Whoops.... a MONTH?
Crikey! It's been more than a month since I posted. Funny how life can whiz by like that.
Christmas and New Year's has come and gone. My best friend Dave Waldner and his wife Linda Gahagan were down for that. It was great to spend time with them. We did some driving around (to places like Malaga and Ronda) but for the most part we just hung out (apart from Xmas dinner over at Anna and Tilly's). We had an awesome New Year's Eve in Malaga, hanging out in the centre and drinking Champagne. What more can you ask for?!
Life has been pretty crazy - I have this contract to do a website for a Russian gambling company, but at the same time I am developing FilmAmora and of course doing all the business side of that. And CostaFilma. With our first screenplay optioned we are into the development side of that.
The other news is that we are producing a TV show that will be shown on Sky. Once that is finalised later this month I will post details.
More to follow....
Christmas and New Year's has come and gone. My best friend Dave Waldner and his wife Linda Gahagan were down for that. It was great to spend time with them. We did some driving around (to places like Malaga and Ronda) but for the most part we just hung out (apart from Xmas dinner over at Anna and Tilly's). We had an awesome New Year's Eve in Malaga, hanging out in the centre and drinking Champagne. What more can you ask for?!
Life has been pretty crazy - I have this contract to do a website for a Russian gambling company, but at the same time I am developing FilmAmora and of course doing all the business side of that. And CostaFilma. With our first screenplay optioned we are into the development side of that.
The other news is that we are producing a TV show that will be shown on Sky. Once that is finalised later this month I will post details.
More to follow....
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
In DEFENCE of whaling?
Incredibly, there seems to be some Japanese who think whaling is a good thing.
Today in the Japan Times was this letter:
Hold your beef about whale meat
By MISAO NAKAYA
Nara
J.H.G.'s Nov. 22 letter, "Plenty of other things to eat," motivated me to respond. It is true that only a few countries such as Japan, Norway and Iceland have hunted whales for food. Japanese fishermen used to make the best use of all parts of the whale, not only its meat but also fats and other stuff.
On the other hand, countries like the United States used to hunt whales only for the oil rendered from the fat, discarding all whale meat. What a waste! That was probably because Americans didn't have the habit of eating whale meat, just wasting the precious resources of the Earth.
Whales still provide a kind of meat that people eat for their meals. Although many kinds of whales were on the verge of extinction, some whales, such as minke, have proliferated to the extent that they can be used for our meals. Those whales are eating so much smaller fish, including sardines, that it is becoming harder for us to have fish for meals.
If the number of whales keeps increasing at the present rate, we will have fish shortages in the near future. It is too arrogant to insist that Americans can eat beef but that Japanese shouldn't eat whales.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
And my response:
I feel I have to respond to MISAO NAKAYA's letter of Dec 4,2007, "Hold your beef about whale meat".
To use America's continued addiction to beef as an excuse for Japan's whaling is morally questionable to say the least. One's actions should need to be defended by pointing out the errors of others.
Nakaya's letter is a veritable brochure for Japan's whaling industry and quotes the oft-mentioned fallacy about whales and their fish consumption. I don't think there is a single, credible (i.e. not funding by the ICR or a similarly vested-interest body) study that would give this any weight. Even if there were, one could argue that perhaps instead of slaughtering some of the earth's greatest inhabitants you could, oh, I don't know... eat less fish???
That Japan and the Japanese don't seem to mind being globally identified by their whaling is a mystery to me. I would not want to be known as 'the ones who kill whales'. Indeed that is near the top of what people think of when they think of Japan, and I think that is sad. And if Japan managed, as Nakaya's letter implies, that they limited themselves to Minke whales then maybe there would be some measure of tolerance. But, as was reported recently, that Japan thinks that scientific research (the by-products of which - the meat - seem to make it to the stores shelves somehow) on Humpback and other great whales is going ahead as well.
I find the action shameful and a striking blow against what I truly think is a great nation and people.
On another note, if Nakaya really wanted to try and win us over there should have been some mention of Japan's spending sprees to try and win sway at the IWC. All over Africa and the Caribbean poor nations receive millions from Japan to gain their vote of support. That, it could be argued, does some good in the world. Shame that it comes at the cost of the lives of some of the world's gentle giants.
Today in the Japan Times was this letter:
Hold your beef about whale meat
By MISAO NAKAYA
Nara
J.H.G.'s Nov. 22 letter, "Plenty of other things to eat," motivated me to respond. It is true that only a few countries such as Japan, Norway and Iceland have hunted whales for food. Japanese fishermen used to make the best use of all parts of the whale, not only its meat but also fats and other stuff.
On the other hand, countries like the United States used to hunt whales only for the oil rendered from the fat, discarding all whale meat. What a waste! That was probably because Americans didn't have the habit of eating whale meat, just wasting the precious resources of the Earth.
Whales still provide a kind of meat that people eat for their meals. Although many kinds of whales were on the verge of extinction, some whales, such as minke, have proliferated to the extent that they can be used for our meals. Those whales are eating so much smaller fish, including sardines, that it is becoming harder for us to have fish for meals.
If the number of whales keeps increasing at the present rate, we will have fish shortages in the near future. It is too arrogant to insist that Americans can eat beef but that Japanese shouldn't eat whales.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
And my response:
I feel I have to respond to MISAO NAKAYA's letter of Dec 4,2007, "Hold your beef about whale meat".
To use America's continued addiction to beef as an excuse for Japan's whaling is morally questionable to say the least. One's actions should need to be defended by pointing out the errors of others.
Nakaya's letter is a veritable brochure for Japan's whaling industry and quotes the oft-mentioned fallacy about whales and their fish consumption. I don't think there is a single, credible (i.e. not funding by the ICR or a similarly vested-interest body) study that would give this any weight. Even if there were, one could argue that perhaps instead of slaughtering some of the earth's greatest inhabitants you could, oh, I don't know... eat less fish???
That Japan and the Japanese don't seem to mind being globally identified by their whaling is a mystery to me. I would not want to be known as 'the ones who kill whales'. Indeed that is near the top of what people think of when they think of Japan, and I think that is sad. And if Japan managed, as Nakaya's letter implies, that they limited themselves to Minke whales then maybe there would be some measure of tolerance. But, as was reported recently, that Japan thinks that scientific research (the by-products of which - the meat - seem to make it to the stores shelves somehow) on Humpback and other great whales is going ahead as well.
I find the action shameful and a striking blow against what I truly think is a great nation and people.
On another note, if Nakaya really wanted to try and win us over there should have been some mention of Japan's spending sprees to try and win sway at the IWC. All over Africa and the Caribbean poor nations receive millions from Japan to gain their vote of support. That, it could be argued, does some good in the world. Shame that it comes at the cost of the lives of some of the world's gentle giants.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
re: america
Interesting post from the Japan Times (In case you think I am making it up:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20071127a3.html)
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007
READERS IN COUNCIL
Sticky details about America
By ROBERT LEZZI
Chiba
I was inspired by Roger Pulvers' Nov. 18 Counterpoint article, "How well do you really know Japan?" So I put together my own test on America. Many non-Japanese are up on Japan, but how well do Americans know their own land? Try this quiz:
(1) How many countries did America bomb after World War II, and can you name them?
(2) How many of the people that America has slaughtered or maimed have been women and children?
(3) How many tons of the poisonous chemical dioxin did America drop on the people of Vietnam?
(4) Two centuries ago, when adverse conditions on long sea voyages called for lighter loads, how many Africans were marched overboard, chained and weighed down to drown while on their way to new agricultural careers in America?
(5) What fraction of the Native American population survived America's expansion westward?
(6) What single country killed the greatest number of human beings in the history of civilization?
The answers? Search me . . . I'm an American.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20071127a3.html)
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007
READERS IN COUNCIL
Sticky details about America
By ROBERT LEZZI
Chiba
I was inspired by Roger Pulvers' Nov. 18 Counterpoint article, "How well do you really know Japan?" So I put together my own test on America. Many non-Japanese are up on Japan, but how well do Americans know their own land? Try this quiz:
(1) How many countries did America bomb after World War II, and can you name them?
(2) How many of the people that America has slaughtered or maimed have been women and children?
(3) How many tons of the poisonous chemical dioxin did America drop on the people of Vietnam?
(4) Two centuries ago, when adverse conditions on long sea voyages called for lighter loads, how many Africans were marched overboard, chained and weighed down to drown while on their way to new agricultural careers in America?
(5) What fraction of the Native American population survived America's expansion westward?
(6) What single country killed the greatest number of human beings in the history of civilization?
The answers? Search me . . . I'm an American.
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
CostaFilma update
A little cross-posing never hurt!
My company, CostaFilma, is gearing up to be at a trade show in Puerto Real next week. The show is for film production companies in Andalucia. We are going to have a booth there, showing off our services and also promoting FilmAmora.com.
To get ready we've whipped up a new promo video that you can see on the CostaFilma website.
Check it out!
My company, CostaFilma, is gearing up to be at a trade show in Puerto Real next week. The show is for film production companies in Andalucia. We are going to have a booth there, showing off our services and also promoting FilmAmora.com.
To get ready we've whipped up a new promo video that you can see on the CostaFilma website.
Check it out!
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