Daily Archives: December 30, 2020

When our family received a stimulus check in the spring, we decided the best use of this money was to give it to others. We gave some of it to family members suffering from the economic fallout of the pandemic, and we donated the rest to nonprofits facing an even greater demand for their services.

Now that Congress has passed another Covid relief bill that includes another stimulus check, we are pledging to donate this amount as well. My wife and I have been fortunate to retain our jobs and income throughout the pandemic, and while we could put the money to use for ourselves, there are too many others still suffering from the fallout of the pandemic.

I urge my fellow readers to consider how they can best use the stimulus funds to help others in need. Find a family member, friend, or neighbor who could immediately benefit from additional support. Alternatively, support one of the many nonprofits that have seen funding shortfalls and increased demand during this challenging year.

Congress has chosen a funding mechanism that prioritizes speed (of distribution) over need (of the recipient), so it is up to us to redirect the funds to ensure that those who have been most impacted by the pandemic receive as much help as possible.

Daniel Tikk, St. Paul

I didnt intend to copy Charlie Brown today, but Good Grief, I see in the paper the culture cops are at it again.

A school, named To Be Decided (Im sorry but the previous name has been judged to be an embarrassment) has banned some books. Literature, deemed to be too dangerous an influence on the gentle sensibilities of our naive and innocent high school students.

Well first off, if you think todays high school students are naive and innocent, that description would be better applied to you.

But, secondly, if you exclude classic, thought-provoking literature from developing minds, you are starving them of the protein that develops the muscle of critical thinking. Leaving them to feed on the predigested carbohydrated snacks and treats of most of the popular media.

Sadly, too much snacking and treating turns to fat, an unfortunate condition to have in the head.

But, thirdly, and fortuitously more likely, banning a book will elicit a curiosity as to why it was forbidden, thus leading to even greater readership than before. I suggest Of Mice and Men; its a short, yet stimulating read.

Take care, wash your hands, cover your mouth, keep your distance and stay safe.

Bob Emery, Mendota Heights

I just read the article about a high school pulling two books from English classes, reprinted in the Duluth News Tribune. I havent read either of the books, so I have no opinion on whether they are the best choices for classroom reading.

According to the article, however, the books have also been censored elsewhere. Do I misunderstand the word censor? I thought censoring a book meant to prohibit someone from reading it, or to suppress its availability. If you stop requiring it, is that also censorship?

If a school deems material inappropriate and bans it from the library, maybe that could be called censorship. But not changing a required reading list.

Ethan Perry, Duluth

Originally posted here:
Letters: If possible, donate that federal check to people in greater need - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam film 'Varthamanam', set in the backdrop of students protest held in Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi early this year, has been denied permission for screening by the Censor Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) regional office here.

Directed by noted filmmaker Sidhartha Siva with award- winning actress Parvathy Thiruvoth in the lead role, the movie revolves around the journey of a Keralite woman who goes to the JNU campus from the home state for her research studies.

Aryadan Shoukath, the film's producer-script-writer, said the CBFC officials here did not point out any reason for denying the certification.

He also said the movie would be submitted to the revising committee of the Censor Board in Mumbai for certification this week itself.

"The CBFC officials here just informed us that the film has to be submitted to the revising committee.

We still do not know why the movie is denied the certification," Shoukath, also a Congress leader, told PTI.

The award-winning script writer said he had carried out several months of research and studies before penning the script and spent several days in Delhi to get first-hand experience of the culture and lifestyle in JNU campus.

"We cannot send the movie for any award this time if we do not get the Censor Board clearance before December 31," he said.

Shoukath suspected that the nod for screening was denied on political grounds citing a recent tweet of a censor board member, who is also the state vice president ofSC Morcha of the BJP.

"Adv V Sandeep Kumar, a censor board member, recently tweeted that the permission was denied as Aryadan Shoukath was its script writer and producer.

Now a days Censor Board has several political appointees who have no basic knowledge of cinema," he said.

Shoukath, the other day, also uploaded on his Facebook page the screenshot of the controversial tweet of the regional censor Board member.

In his tweet, which was found removed later, Sandeep Kumar had said that he, as a member of the Board, was opposed to giving nod for the movie.

"As a member of the Censor Board, I saw the movie Varthamanam. The theme was the persecution of Muslims and Dalits in the JNU agitation. I opposed it.

Because Arydan Shoukath was its script writer and producer. Of course, the theme of the film was anti-national," the tweet said.

Violence broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus early in January this year as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers protesting the fee hike and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in the police which conducted a flag march.

Coming down heavily on him, Shoukath, in his FB post, sought to know how a movie would become anti-national if it speaks about the students' agitation in Delhi campus or the democratic movements in the country.

"We are still living in India which is a democratic, secular and socialist country.

Is it based on the clan and race of the script-writer that a film is given a nod for screening? The undeclared emergency situation in the cultural sector cannot be accepted," the script-writer's FB post said.

Film sources here told PTI that when two censor board members, who are from the film industry, strongly supported the movie and wanted to give it a nod for screening, two others, who are political nominees, objected to it.

When contacted, the censor board officials here were unavailable for a comment.

Read the original:
'Theme of the film was anti-national': Kerala censor board denies nod for movie on JNU agitation - Free Press Journal

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a $2 billion plan to help schools reopen for in-person instruction by early spring, even as a surge in Covid-19 cases overwhelms health-care facilities in the most populous U.S. state.Funds from his proposed legislative package would be spent on testing, ventilation and personal protective equipment. Newsom said hell seek weekly testing for communities with high rates of transmission; masks for all students and staff; improved contact tracing; and the prioritization of school workers for vaccinations. Distance learning will still be an option.The Golden State continues to address and deal with the challenges associated with this third wave, but its never too soon by definition to talk about getting our students back into the classroom in particular, Newsom said in a press conference Wednesday. Safety and mitigation measures, clearly we believe, can prevent transmissions in the school setting. Transmissions among and from younger students -- students-to students -- is simply not common.Newsom is pitching a phased approach to reopening, such that the states youngest as well as its most disproportionately impacted students would be prioritized, beginning in February, March or April. He wants to get everybody back on track across the spectrum by early spring, he said.The state would have to see an improvement in its outbreak before most schools reopen, with the vast majority of the population currently under stay-at-home orders. California has been averaging almost 40,000 new cases daily over the past two weeks, and its average rate of positive tests has climbed to 12.2% from 2.5% in mid-October.Newsom reported 432 daily deaths from Covid on Tuesday -- a record -- and said nearly 301,000 vaccine doses had been administered thus far. A new, more infectious strain of the virus, which emerged in the U.K., has now also been identified in California, the governor said in a separate conversation Wednesday with infectious-disease specialist Anthony Fauci.Safety PlanUnder Newsoms school outline, elementary schools may reopen if they submit a Covid safety plan to both local and state officials. Local health departments would have five days to disapprove. The respective county must have a seven-day average case rate of less than 28 cases per 100,000 people per day to implement the plan.California has more than 5,800 public elementary schools with almost 3 million students enrolled. The Los Angeles Unified School District is the nations second largest, after New York City.Related: Affluent Families Ditch Public Schools, Widening U.S. InequalityNewsom said California would be creative in terms of funding to address the issue of learning loss for students, many of whom have been in remote schooling since March.The state is looking at extending the day, looking at extending into the summer, looking at the opportunity to get tutors and additional supports, Newsom said. I can assure you it is not only top of mind, its foundational in terms of the budget that well be submitting for consideration to the legislature.Seven California school districts, including in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, put out a joint statement welcoming Newsoms plan to prioritize the reopening of public-school classrooms, and said they will put out a thorough response prior to the state legislature reconvening on Jan. 11.It will take a coordinated effort at the state and local levels to reopen classrooms as soon as possible while protecting the health and safety of all in the school community, the districts said.President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday said once he takes office next month, hell seek congressional help to fund his ambitious vaccine distribution and reopening plans, including protective equipment for front-line health workers and tens of billions of dollars to reopen elementary and middle schools.(Updates with governor press briefing starting in third paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi received an usual censorship request for his 2013 film Thanakha.

There was a scene where a couple makes love in the film, he said. I hadnt filmed any adult scenes but put 5 seconds of black frames right after they went to bed holding hands. But they asked me to remove the black frames.

Their surprising answer?

The audience will think whatever they want because of those 5 seconds of black frames, he said they told him. They will imagine too much.

So like nearly every other director is forced to do, he made the cut.

All I wanted to show the audience was the moment the young couple made love according to their desire, he said. I left it for the audience to enjoy and let them take it as they want. But censorship did not allow it.

For long, a handful of people have held the power of life or death over Myanmars films by standing between them and release with the arbitrary power to hold certain scenes objectionable by a set of very subjective criteria.

While the official censors dont overtly ban films their refusal to certify them has the same result they frequently order scenes cut for capricious reasons, a frustration nearly every director has experienced in their career. Now, the countrys filmmakers are demanding changes to that system, the laws and more in the name of evolving the artform.

They want to be able to make films that include adult themes and arent held to vague rules about preserving the union, promoting ethnic harmony, preserving traditional culture and more that have been bent to fit the personal whims of the censors.

Whenever we think of making a film, we will have to avoid the list mentioned above, even if the script just makes everyone in this industry disappointed, said Ar Kar, director of the well-known 2018 film The Mystery of Burma. So the only way to fix it is to change the rating system and remove this censorship; let the artists create his/her own film freely.

That means coming up with a standard ratings system like those used elsewhere.

And theyve made headway. Na Gyi said the Ministry of Information has agreed to revise the rules and has asked for support within and without the industry to get it done.

On Wednesday, their petition was signed by Nyi Nyi Htun Lwin, chairman of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation.

Of the four films Ar Kar has made, he said all were censored in one way or another.

I had to reshoot, re-edit and reapply for censorship again and again, and I hate it, he said.

As the boards decisions are issued in private, no one even knows how many films have been censored or blocked by the board, at least outside the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization.

Coconuts contacted the organization to get an answer; it declined to provide one.

Director Na Gyi, director of the award-winning film Mi, said he got behind the campaign because the film industry has lagged behind other media in free expression.

Since there is no more censorship on books, paintings and other arts, film is the only thing thats still controlled by an organization, he said. Besides, those regulations are also old-fashioned. Thus, we want to change it, once and for all.

Famous performers including Nay Toe, Kyaw Kyaw Bo, Tun Tun, Daung, Ye Lay, Ye Tike, Pai Phyo Thu as well as serious directors Maung Myo Min (Yintwin), Na Gyi, Htoo Paing Zaw Oo and writer Chit Oo Nyo are among those supporting the reform campaign which began on the Writers and Directors Organization Of Myanmar, where many have contributed articles about censorship and the ratings system.

Myanmar filmmakers say the obsolete rules are holding the industry back from further evolving. Ar Kar said audiences have seen improvement since late 2018, when movies by young filmmakers overtook the tacky and reliably offensive films that had been a clich for decades. For long, the censors did nothing about routine homophobia, mocking of ethnic minorities, ridiculing of people with disabilities and more tropes of Myanmars movies.

The campaign began in earnest on Dec. 11 and is first focused on changing the ratings system. Participating artists have taken part by posting photos of them holding captive cards on their Facebook pages, saying #RatingSystemNow.

First, the ratings system. Then we will continue to push for the film bill to be implemented as soon as possible, Ri Zaw said, referring to the longer-term goal of changing the 24-year-old Motion Pictures Law, which dictates that every film must pass two layers of censorship that begin with a script review.

Director Cho Two Zaw, also known as Aung Zaw Min, said its about removing authoritarian interference from the relationship between artist and audience.

There should be no barrier between the artist and the audience, he wrote. This censorship is about a group of dictactorships dogs who insult both the artist and the audience. They will be far from the art, 10 lives away.

Related

Myanmar government bans screening of Twilight Over BurmaNew wave filmmakers turn an uncensored lens on MyanmarMyanmar ranked among the top ten most censored countries in the world

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See the article here:
Myanmar's filmmakers band together against whims of censors to demand #RatingSystemNow - Coconuts Yangon

A classic Only Fools And Horses episode was saved from being axed by eagle-eyed members of the costume department.

One of the most memorable moments in the BBC comedy was when Del Boy, played by Sir David Jason, and Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) came face-to-face with a number of blow up sex dolls, which they then tried to flog on with hilarious consequences.

Writer John Sullivan, who died in 2011, had previously revealed how the episode's details had to be kept secret from BBC bosses because he felt sure they would not even film it, let alone air the episode.

Then, during filming, there was a last-minute save by the costume department who stepped in to make the dolls more family friendly after realising they did not look suitable for pre-watershed viewing.

A new documentary, Channel 5's We Love Only Fools And Horses, has revealed details of what happened to ensure the 1989 episode reached our screens.

The comedys art director Alison Rickman reveals in the new documentary: That whole episode was kept hush-hush because they were very frightened of being censored and then being told they couldnt do it.

Most blow-up dolls have an open mouth.

"But we couldnt show that, so somebody altered the faces to make them more suitable for television because we knew we wouldnt be able to broadcast it, and we wanted to do the gag which involved the dolls and them being inflated.

That was an important for part of the whole story.

The episode, called Danger UXD, sees Del come about some knock-off dolls and he thinks he could offload them for a healthy profit.

As with most of his schemes, the market trader came a cropper as he didn't realise that the dolls were filled with toxic gas.

In trying to sneak them out of the flat, De and Rodney dressed the dolls in their late mother's clothes, with the dolls being named Pepsi and Shirlie, after the backing singers for George Michael fronted 80s pop act Wham!

This turned out to be one of Shirlie Kemp's life highlights, as she explained in the documentary that she had more attention from that than she did singing with Wham!

She said: "My house phone did not stop ringing.

"I had so many people telling me Youre on Only Fools And Horses. I had more calls than when I had a hit record.

In a funny way I felt really proud that I was on Only Fools And Horses even if I was a blow-up doll.

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Read more here:
How classic Only Fools and Horses sex dolls episode was almost axed over censorship - Mirror Online