"The Grandfather Clock" by Henry Clay Work (1876)

 Aside from "Jack Jumped Over the Candlestick" one of the first songs I remember learning was in Kindergarten was the one about the Grandfather Clock. For some odd reason I woke in the middle of the night with part of the song running through my head. And though I immediately recalled the whole story, I had to look up the full lyrics. I only remember learning part of the song in school.

American songwriter Henry Clay Work, who had written the Civil War song "Marching Through Georgia", wrote the clock song while traveling in England in 1876. He had stopped at The George Hotel in Piercebridge, County Durham, England. He was very taken by the "long case clock" in the lobby of the hotel. 

Asking about the clock, he was told that it had only two owners. After the first owner died, the clock became unreliable, and then, when the second owner died, the clock ceased working altogether. This story was the genisis for the song. 

The sheet music for the song sold over 1 million copies and became very popular in the days before recordings. It was sung in bars and parlors all over the world. The earliest known recording of the song was in 1905 by The Edison Quartet on one of those wax cylinders.

After World War Two the song even became popular in Japan, leading to an animation of the lyrics. It also forever changed the term "long case clock" into what we now commonly call "Grandfather Clocks." Such is the power of a good song.

You can find a few versions on The internet, in case you don't recall the melody. I'm not sure I ever heard a record of it. Rather I remember my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Gerber, at P.S. 197 in Brooklyn, playing the song, which is where I first learned the lyrics. In my mind's eye there is a piano involved, though I'm not really sure there was a piano in the classroom. She used a stick, or pointer, to augment the "tick tock, tick tock" in the song. 

"The Grandfather Clock" by Henry Clay Work (1876)

"My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,

So it stood ninety years on the floor;

It was taller by half than the old man himself,

Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,

And was always his treasure and pride;

But it stopp'd short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering

(tick, tick, tick, tick), His life seconds numbering,

(tick, tick, tick, tick), It stopp'd short — never to go again —When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,

Many hours had he spent while a boy.

And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know

And to share both his grief and his joy.

For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,

With a blooming and beautiful bride;

But it stopp'd short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering

(tick, tick, tick, tick), His life seconds numbering,

(tick, tick, tick, tick), It stopp'd short — never to go again —When the old man died.

My grandfather said that of those he could hire,

Not a servant so faithful he found;

For it wasted no time, and had but one desire —

At the close of each week to be wound.

And it kept in its place — not a frown upon its face,

And its hands never hung by its side.

But it stopp'd short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering

(tick, tick, tick, tick), His life seconds numbering,

(tick, tick, tick, tick), It stopp'd short — never to go again —When the old man died.

It rang an alarm in the dead of the night —

An alarm that for years had been dumb;

And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight —

That his hour of departure had come.

Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,

As we silently stood by his side;

But it stopp'd short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering

(tick, tick, tick, tick), His life seconds numbering,

(tick, tick, tick, tick), It stopp'd short — never to go again —When the old man died."

"A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sims (1951)

As we ramp our way up towards Christmas, I always take the time to pause and really enjoy this old film. I have reviewed it here before, so any other words would be superfluous on my part. Here is my review from the last few years;

This is the cream of the Christmas movie crop. The one I look forward to every year. The 1951 British version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" will stand the test of time as the penultimate version of this tale. With flawless direction by Brian Desmond Hurst, this well-known story of a miserly Counting House owner; and the effects his mean spirit have on all those around him; come alive with the incredible acting of Alistair Sim. No one comes close to portraying the mean spirited Mr. Scrooge, as well as his unbounded joy upon his redemption, as well as Mr. Sim.

Noel Langley did a wonderful job of turning one of the very best Christmas books into a faithful adaptation for the screen. The 1935 British version, as well as the later American version, both lacked that indefinable something which makes any artistic endeavor worth the effort in the first place. And the movie has been done several times since, but this is the version I would choose over any other.

Britain, at the time this movie was filmed, was still in the throes of the aftermath of the Second World War. They were still using ration books for food and sweets, as well as gasoline. Remember, the British took a hell of a hit before we joined the war in December of 1941. I mention this only as a possible explanation for the remaking of this film in the first place.

When I watch this film I tend to think of the Three Spirits as being allegories for what Britain had been before the war; what she endured during that war; and her hopes for a better future. Is that simplistic? Maybe.

I also watch this film with a copy of the book by my side. It's so loyal to the original prose, that there are whole pages where you can read along with the movie. It's then that you see, and feel, the brilliance of Mr. Sim's remarkable performance. To have the ability to act out the words, just as the author intended, is a joy to watch. I have to wonder what Charles Dickens would have thought of Mr. Sim's giddy version of Scrooge on Christmas morning. I suspect that he would deem it perfect.

Of course, no version of "A Christmas Carol" would be complete without a good Jacob Marley, and to that end this film gives us Michael Hordern as Scrooge's deceased partner. And he does a credible job as the Ghost of Marley. This scene used to scare the hell out of me when I was a kid. Now, I am more focused on what he is saying, "Mankind WAS our business!", as he shakes the shackles that bind him. Here is that scene, courtesy of good ol' You Tube;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGGohTPuOeQ

If I had only one holiday movie to choose from, this would be it. The lessons penned by Dickens so many years ago, still resonate today, when the world is still full of Ignorance and Want, mankind’s two worst enemies. I didn't say it - Dickens did. I just happen to agree.

"Owd Bob" with James Cromwell (1998)

We have all seen James Cromwell act in a score of movies. Sometimes you might not recognize him. He looks the same, but his thespian abilities sometimes make him unrecognizable to the audience. It’s called acting. Not the type you expect from Bogart, or even DeNiro; though both are fine actors. It’s just that they are almost always playing an extension of their own personalities. Not so with Mr. Cromwell.

In this touching story widower Adam MacAdam; played brilliantly by James Cromwell; finds himself with custody of his grandson, David. The boy is on a trial visit for the summer from America, where his parents were recently killed in a car crash.  MacAdam is skeptical of the whole idea, but agrees to it out of a sense of duty, rather than love for the boy, whom he has never met.

The old man raises sheep and sheepdogs. The dog’s job it is to keep the sheep moving and grazing, as well as protect them from any predators. The complication occurs when an unknown dog; believed to belong to old man MacAdam; begins killing sheep. Tradition; and local law; hold that when a dog kills a sheep the owner of the dog must “put him down.” But MacAdam insists that the culprit is not his dog Zac, and refuses to submit to putting him down.

David finds comfort in the company of a neighboring family; the Moores; who also raise sheep and dogs. Keith Moore; played by Colm Meaney; is the son of old man MacAdam’s biggest rival, and though the elder Moore is dead, old man MacAdam has never forgiven him and carries the grudge forward to the younger Moore. In addition, Owd Bob, the dog belonging to Moore, was sired by a dog that had killed sheep before and was put down. In the mind of old man MacAdam, Owd Bob is the likely culprit.

As David becomes close with the Moore’s daughter Maggie; played by Jemima Rooper; friction erupts between David and his grandfather. When her mother dies the two become even closer and David moves in with the Moore’s while he awaits assignment to a foster home. There is no way that the boy and his grandfather can ever bridge the divide caused by past events which occurred before David was even born. The old man is just too stubborn and bitter.

As the people on the island lose patience with the dog that is killing their sheep, they gather as a group and demand that Keith Moore put his dog down, thinking that the culprit is Owd Bob. David knows differently and tries to stop them, but they are all as stubborn as the old man; including Mr. Moore, who is even willing to put his own beloved dog down without looking too hard for the truth.

I will not tell you how this film ends; only that the end will have quite an impact upon you. This is a film which will make you think about all the times in your life that you may have been wrong and judged things too harshly, too soon. It is also a film about taking responsibility for those mistakes and healing broken bridges.

Beautifully filmed on the Isle of Man; tightly directed and well-acted by all; this is the film of which Mr. Cromwell should be the most proud. All of his other performances; as brilliant as they are; pale in comparison with the depth of emotion it must have taken to play this role. His performance here stands as a monument to his long and varied career.

Directed by Rodney Gibbons and written by Sharon Buckingham and Harry Alan Towers, this film has been delighting audiences since it was first released in 1998. It will undoubtedly stand the test of time.

_________________________________________

Lakefront Restaurant at the Hilton Hotel

Sue and I had dinner at the Lakefront Restaurant last night. The restaurant is in the Hilton Hotel at J.M. Keynes Drive in the University area of Charlotte. Cody, our server, was delightful and accommodating in all respects.

I had the Sea Bass with capers and olives and sautéed Spinach. Sue had a Beef Tenderloin and we both shared an Arugula salad which was exceptionally well made.

There is a new Sous Chef, Mike Hancock, in the kitchen now. Cody bought him out to say hello so that we could compliment him on the cuisine.

Hotel restaurants don't always receive the credit they deserve. People take them for granted, figuring, "well I'm staying here so I may as well eat in the hotel."

Sue and I have eaten at the Lakefront before, but even we tend to forget about it often when we are wondering where to eat. And then when we do eat there we wonder why we don't do so more often.

With Mike in the kitchen; and Cody seeing to our comfort in the dining room; we will be back again sooner than later. Thanks Mike and Cody for a wonderful dining experience.

"A Daughter's Tale" by Mary Soames (2011)

Mary Soames; Winston Churchill's youngest daughter; passed away over the weekend. In 2011 she released her memoirs, which I reviewed here. Her book was a fascinating account of growing up during the war years and her service; at first making bandages; and then as her father's assistant during his many wartime journeys.  Here is that review;

Mary Soames is the last surviving daughter of Winston and Clementine Churchill. Born in 1922; she was a surprise baby; and lived through some of the most historical times in the history of the world. Her perspective on life before the war, and the changes engendered by the war, are a real eye opening experience into the daily lives of one of the world’s most notable families.

Winston Churchill was the face of England in World War Two. The fate of the Empire literally rested on his shoulders. Emerging from the shadows of the Great Depression; and at odds with Prime Minister Chamberlain; Sir Winston proved to be right concerning the threat posed by Germany’s military build-up; which was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Churchill staged one of the most extraordinary comebacks in political history, and then went on to win the war. And Mary Soames was there every step of the way.

In some ways Mrs. Soames, as the youngest, was surely the favorite daughter of the Prime Minister. She came of age just as the war broke out and served with a Women’s Auxiliary Unit, whose duties were to man artillery guns and shoot down enemy aircraft, including the new German V-2 rockets.

From life at Chequers, the family home outside of London during the war, to the family estate at Chartwell, with its panoramic views of the English countryside, Mrs. Soames takes you on a journey through a past which no longer exists. Along the way she manages to give you not only the cold hard facts of the peril which England faced, but also the very essence of the spirit which pulled them through their darkest hours. Her descriptions of air raids and the way the British people coped with the crisis, speak highly of them all.

Along the way Mrs. Soames manages to entertain, as well as explain, some of English history, as in her description of Lady Jane, whose bedroom she occupied briefly at the beginning of the war. She found her to be a kindly host, though at times she confesses to shielding herself with the bedclothes when she would hear the bombers overhead, not knowing whose they were.

Her encounters as a young woman in her early teens with the likes of T.E. Lawrence and Lloyd George will be of interest to anyone who is curious about that era of English history. Told from the perspective of a privileged young woman, these events take on a whole new direction and meaning.

Raised at first by her Nana, Mrs. Soames came to know her mother well only after a series of trips they took together when she was a young teen. Her descriptions of these trips are fascinating, in that they give us a look into a world which, for the large part, no longer exists.

When the war broke out in 1939, Mrs. Soames found she was old enough to help in the war effort. And help she did; serving in every position, from making bandages; which she admits to being very poor at; to manning an anti-aircraft battery, and also serving as Aide-de-Camp to her father on several trips to meet with President Roosevelt, crossing the Atlantic several times. On one trip she was almost swept overboard, and her account of that incident is harrowing.

The author has done something with this book which is very hard to accomplish. She has, at once, given us a look at a world which no longer exists, while chronicling some of the most harrowing years of the 20^th Century. All the while, she brings a new humanity to a man who was larger than life when he was with us, and whose legend looms large in these troubled times. And, in addition to all this is, it is a wonderful tribute to the love between a father and daughter.

       

"Amazing Grace" with Ioan Gruffudd and Albert Finney (2006)

Ioan Gruffudd is outstanding in his portrayal of William Wilberforce, the iconic British statesman whose tireless efforts would end the slave trade in all of the British colonies. Albert Finney; plays former ship’s Captain John Newton;  who has turned to life as a Priest in order to assuage the guilt having transported 20,000 human beings into slavery. That guilt would haunt him for the rest of his life. He also wrote the timeless hymn “Amazing Grace.” Together, the two give stellar performances in this unforgettable film.

Wilberforce is a young man of privilege who, as the youngest Member of Parliament at the time, would have slavery abolished in all of the English territories and possessions. But he is in for a long hard struggle; a struggle which eventually costs him both his health and a good bit of his sanity. He must fight the moneyed interests who ply the slave trade and build the ships which transport that cargo.

The scenes in Parliament are well documented exchanges of opinion between those who would uphold the practice of slavery and those who would like to see it gone forever. It is well to note that this film takes place in the period from the late 1700’s through 1833 when the law banning slavery for good was finally enacted. Wilberforce, however, didn’t live to see it put into practice. His tireless efforts to achieve that goal resulted in his death in 1834 just as the law he had championed for so long was taking effect.

This is a superb film, one that is as gripping as Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” The direction is taut, the writing distinguished and the acting flawless. The only criticism that I can find with this movie is that it might leave some with the impression that Wilberforce singlehandedly put an end to the slave trade in 1833. In truth though, the slave practice was halted on English soil in 1772 by Lord Mansfield.

The full story of slavery’s abolition in Britain involves a slave named James Somerset and an English Justice named Lord Mansfield. It is one of the most captivating stories ever told concerning the abolition of slavery, and I would be remiss if I did not recount it briefly here. Not only did it lead to the abolishment of the practice on the English island in 1772; it did so while the American colonies were fighting for their own freedom, which did not include the slaves.

James Somerset was owned by Charles Stewart, an English customs official who made the mistake of bringing his servant with him on his return to England. Once there Somerset escaped for almost 2 months, hiding in the slums of London. When he was captured he was slated to be shipped to Jamaica, and a slow, sure death in the sugar fields.

Only a petition by 3 persons claiming to be Somerset’s “godparents” was Somerset able to obtain a hearing in front of Lord Mansfield, the chief jurist in England at the time. He found that Somerset was a free man by virtue of the fact that he could find nothing in English law that upheld the practice of slavery.

But, to dodge the threat of economic ruin in England’s colonies, he found that slavery was only disallowed on the main island of Britain, and was to continue in all of her possessions, commonwealths and colonies. But, without Lord Mansfield’s decision 60 years earlier, there would have been no William Wilberforce to end the practice for good in all the British Empire.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sarah is 27 years old today. She's also stuck in Washington, D.C. for her birthday! This picture was taken in 1989 at our house in Maryland.  Sarah's grown up; and the sled is long gone; but I still have that fur lined hood to keep me warm. Happy Birthday Sarah, stay warm!

Northampton's Clown

Have you heard about the clown stalking the streets of Northampton, England? He’s causing quite a stir among the populace there by dressing up as a clown and standing on street corners. Sounds harmless to me, but his actions have generated a bit of paranoia which seems to be centered around a character named “Pennywise” from a Stephen King novel involving a clown. Having never read the book I can’t really comment much on that aspect of the situation.

I guess my biggest concern is for the safety of the clown. The people there are ready to break out the pitchforks and torches in a scene reminiscent of “Frankenstein”, in order to be rid of the clown. He even has his own Facebook page, which I have visited. Here is the link;

https://www.facebook.com/spotnorthamptonsclown

The comments range from amusement and bemusement, to outright paranoia. I posted my take on it all, opining that if the Stephen King movies make you that uncomfortable, perhaps you should seek entertainment elsewhere.

It’s also interesting to note that no one seems to mind protestors wearing bandanas to obscure their identities while they destroy private property; nor is there an outcry over the increasing use of ski masks by law enforcement while depriving people of their rights when they bust up demonstrations, along with a head or two in the bargain.

I’m afraid we have all gotten a bit too sensitive. With all of the random violence in the world I suppose a bit of caution is understandable. But at the same time, I have to wonder about those who would be frightened by the mere presence of a clown standing on the corner. And then, of course, I feel sorry for them; locked in a world of fear.

"The Bletchley Circle - Cracking a Killer's Code" with Rachael Stirling and Sophie Rundle (2012)

This is a very smartly written and well filmed mystery concerning 4 women, all former code breakers in World War Two England, who find themselves embroiled in a real life mystery in their own town. The year is 1952, and these 4 women have left the war far behind them, concentrating on family and the ordinary portions of life in post-war England. That is, until the day that a killer enters their world.

Having worked so closely together in the war at the code-breaking center known as Bletchley Park, these women are now re-united, and more than ready to see if they can discern any pattern to the killings. With the safety of their fellow citizens once again on the line, these 4 women are eager to solve the case as quickly as they can.

Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling, Julie Graham, and Sophie Grundle all turn in superior forces in this PBS drama reminiscent of the British wartime series “Foyles War” which was huge hit in Britain and has lately been garnering a lot of attention here in America. If you enjoyed those shows, then this movie is certainly going to whet your appetite for more adventures from these 4 very talented actresses and their writer, Guy Burt.

"Foyle's War" with Michael Kitchen (2002)

Michael Kitchen is everything you’d look for in a Police Investigator as he takes on the role of Chief Inspector Christopher Foyle in this multi-part PBS mini-series from 2002.  As the war with Germany wages on the other side of the channel, he is itching to get into the fight. That is, until he realizes the value he still holds in protecting the home front, where criminal schemes abound. With Germany only 30 miles away and advancing through Belgium; cornering the British at Dunkirk; there are people at home who would rather capitulate than fight. It becomes up to Chief Inspector Foyle, along with his Army Assistant, “Sam”, played by the lovely Honeysuckle Weeks, to solve these crimes, which range from outright murder, to sabotage.

This is the first UK edition, which is about 400 minutes long, spread over 4 episodes in Northern England. The stories are somewhat reminiscent of Agatha Christie, with an underplayed sense of mystery. Inspector Foyle and “Sam” are tasked with solving some very unusual crimes, even while dealing with their own personal problems. The Inspector is a widower, with a son who is joining the RAF. “Sam” is from a more rural area and her Vicar father wants her home.

From the very first episode, “The German Woman”, the viewer is drawn into the beautiful scenery of the English countryside, which serves as a placid background for the tumult of the war. When the German born wife of a local landowner is killed while horseback riding, suspicion falls on everyone in the town of Sussex. But careful sleuthing on the part of Inspector Foyle and “Sam” leave them to a corrupt system of evading the draft. The suspicion for the motive then falls on the dead woman’s husband as the cause of the murder. But that still leaves open the question of why his wife was murdered, and by who?

In “The White Feather” a young girl is accused of cutting the telegraph wires from the local military base; a crime which could see her hung. Although she does not deny committing the crime, the question still remains as to why, and for whom, she has placed herself in such jeopardy.

In the third story of the series, “A Lesson in Murder”, a conscientious objector dies while in police custody. Mystery abounds in this case, where class and privilege clash with the responsibilities of the ordinary man.

In the final episode of the 1^st season, when Inspector Foyle and “Sam” are confronted with the stabbing death of a man in his home during a bombing raid , they find a statuette. That statuette brings them into contact with the curator of the local museum, who is tasked with packing away all of the art treasures under his domain for safe keeping.  But some things just don’t add up, and the foolproof scheme to keep the statuette hidden is foiled by the combined efforts of Inspector Doyle and “Sam”, as well as the occurrence of the air raid.

Filmed with great attention to detail, the countryside seems to leap from the screen with each story. The sets, and the wardrobes are both impeccable, giving the stories a true flavor of the times in which they take place. The stories were written by Anthony Horowitz and the filming was directed by Jeremy Silberston and David Thacker. The whole series is exactly what we have come to expect of the BBC; excellent writing and storylines which both inform the viewer, as well as make them think.

"The Ghost and the Darkness" with Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer (1996)

This is an amazing story, and true. The film takes place in Africa in 1896 and tells the story of  an engineer named John Patterson, played by Val Kilmer, who leaves his pregnant wife at home in England in order to build a railroad bridge over Uganda's Tsavo River for the British East African Railway. He has experience with wildlife from his earlier exploits in India, where he was forced to hunt and kill a tiger which was preying upon his workers. Armed with confidence, and a trusted native named Samuel, played by John Kani, he sets forth on one of the wildest adventures he will ever have.

In his first few weeks at the worksite, he is forced to kill a lion that has attacked his men. He is certain that his rifle will always be able to vanquish, if not scare away, all of his opponents. But, within just a few short months in Africa, two more lions, who have been named “Ghost” and “Darkness” by the natives, have killed and eaten several more workers. Clearly, Patterson realizes, he needs some outside assistance.

To that end, American big game hunter Charles Remington, is called upon to help rid the worksite along the river of the two lions; both man eaters who seem to be working in unison. By this point, the lions have  stalked, and killed, a total of 130 workers in just a few short months.

Before calling upon Remington to assist him in killing these two man eaters, Patterson has tried; unsuccessfully; to kill them using some of the methods he used while building bridges in India. But these two lions have a sixth sense, and are able to elude; as well as outwit; the two would be hunters. When Patterson’s wife and newborn child arrive at the camp, they are immediately attacked and killed by the lions. Now the hunt is personal, and soon the two men find themselves to be the hunted, rather than the hunters.

This is an edge of your seat film, punctuated by the beauty of Africa and all of its natural wonders. It is also a very real lesson in how we tend to think of ourselves as being superior to everything in nature, and how quickly our perceptions can be challenged.

"Dirty Old Town" by Ewan MacColl (1949) as Performed by The Pougues

I first heard of this group while watching an episode of "Rescue Me". The video is stunning, in that it reflects the Ireland we have all read about in the McCourt brother's books, from "Angela's Ashes" and "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt, to Malachy McCourt's "A Monk Swimming". The Ireland depicted in those books is evident in this wonderfully poignant song about resignation and rebellion. The visual effect of the lead singer, lends credence to the hard life which the McCourt Brothers both reference in their respective memoirs.

The song speaks of a working class youngster enamored of his true love and the town in which they met. He finds beauty in both. Yet, another part of him longs for something better; not only for himself, but also for his true love.

The song was made popular by The Dubliners, and most people tend to think of the song in regards to Ireland. In fact, though, the song was written by Mr. MacColl in reference to the Northern English industrial town of Salford, which is located in Lancashire. The line "Smelled a spring on the smoky wind" was originally written as "..a Salford wind", which did little to endear the song to the town council, who then persuaded Mr. MacColl to change the lyric.

In Ireland the song is thought to be about Dublin. Most listeners, particularly those in England, are surprised to hear that the song was written by a man from Lancashire, who was also of Scottish descent. Reminiscent in a way of "Factory Girl", by the Rolling Stones, this is a truly moving song.

"Dirty Old Town" by Ewan MacColl (1949)

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I Heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

"Harry Brown" with Michael Caine

Being a Michael Caine fan carries with it many risks. The main one is that he makes any movie offered to him. He once remarked that, "I am an actor, and that's what I do. I don't write the stuff." But I am always willing to take a chance on one of his films, hoping that it will be another gem, such as "The Man Who Would Be King", or the beautifully scripted "Cider House Rules", or "Secondhand Lions." While "Harry Brown" may not rise to those levels of perfection, it is worth the time to watch. This is the British version of "Gran Torino", the American film starring Clint Eastwood as an angry old man, fed up and ready to strike back.

While the theme of this movie is clearly akin to "Gran Torino", which was made one year before, this film offers you the opportunity to see that the breakdown in social order is not confined to the United States alone. This film takes place in Great Britain.

Harry, played by Michael Caine, is a "pensioner", that is he is on what we call Social Security and lives in the housing project known as the "Estate." It is a typical high rise, high crime type of development which we, here in America, refer to as the "projects." His life consists mainly of going to the local pub with his friend, another aging "pensioner."

His friend has taken to carrying a bayonet, a souvenir from Harry and his days as a Royal Marine. He carries it for protection against the drug dealers and thugs who inhabit the underground pedestrian walkway that leads into the "estate." Harry walks the extra half a mile to avoid the tunnel, but his friend is insistent upon his right to use it.

The old man has been to the Police several times seeking protection, to no avail. When he is finally beaten to death Harry decides that he must act on his own to avenge the murder. This is where the film takes a much different turn than "Gran Torino."

Harry goes on a killing spree, and although he kills only the ones involved in his friends death, he never looks beyond his own anger and rage. In "Gran Torino", Clint Eastwood's character actually learns something about himself, as well as the problems of those around him. Using this knowledge he is able to help change some of the problems that plague the neighborhood in which he lives.

Not so in "Harry Brown." When about to kill one of the men who murdered his friend , he is shown a film of the actual murder, taken on one of the thugs cellphones. What he sees shocks him; his friend, insisting upon using the tunnel, actually can be seen brandishing the weapon and striking the first blow. He is then savagely beaten to death, and though his death is unwarranted, you are made to understand that it was his actions which inadvertently caused it.

This is a bitter pill for Harry Brown to swallow. And for the viewer as well. Very realistic filming and credible acting make this a film worth watching, even if just as a comparison to "Gran Torino." It is interesting to see how the two films take the same theme and come to completely different conclusions concerning the same problems.

Salt In the Wound

Where can I get some of these state of the art Wind Turbines? England, of course! While BP was busy drilling off our shores, and might I add, screwing it up, they were building a Wind Farm!

While we handed out billions in incentives to lure foreign companies to drill off shore here in the United States, the English and the Dutch have been quietly embracing the future, while taking some of our cash.

These wind driven turbines are at the mouth of the Thames River in England. There are 100 units which went into operation yesterday, and can supply electricity for 200,000 homes. That's 2,000 homes per unit. They are set 7 miles offshore and occupy an area of 22 square miles. The total cost to build the Wind Farm was $1.4 billion. It will take more than 20 times that amount to clean up the mess that British Petroleum created while drilling 1 mile deep in the Gulf of Mexico. By comparison, the Wind Farm pictured here is anchored in waters that are about 80 feet in depth.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, with most mysteries revealed. But while we are looking backward, it would seem prudent to ask why the British, and the Dutch, have been looking forward without us? Was it the lack of regulation on our part? Or was it the desire to take advantage of the loopholes that we ourselves left in the regulations concerning the drilling? I don't have the answers, but I do have to wonder - with friends like these, who needs enemies? And while it would be easiest to lay the blame at their feet, I have to remember Pogo and his assertation that, "We have met the enemy - and he is us!"