Foreign Film bouquet

Last night, from England, The Killing of Sister George (1968), at the time of US release, so shocking that it was given an X rating! On one viewing, I found it disquieting, since all the women were so hard and manipulative, with the exception of the small part of the neighbor, a whore, who was .... friendly, in the best sense. Since I'm still thinking this film over, and it has such high marks from so many people on IMDb, I guess I should see the DVD version before I give an equivocal rating. Props to Robert Aldritch, the director, for making a landmark lesbian film in the Sixties -- before Stonewall! And to Beryl Reid (June 'George' Buckridge), Susannah York (Alice 'Childie' McNaught) and Coral Browne (Mercy Croft) who gambled their careers on these roles, and did such a superb job. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063185/

Another shocker, this one from Germany and Hungary - Mephisto (1981). What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lost his soul? This is the bargain made by Mephisto, which is a slightly fictionalized story of German actor Gustaf Gründgens who gave up his ideals to remain an actor once the Nazis took power. Completely excellent. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082736/

From France, charming Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink) (1997), about a little boy who must express himself as a girl to be happy and himself. I loved the depiction of French family life, especially the neighborhood parties. And young Georges Du Fresne (Ludovic Fabre) is completely charming. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119590/

Finally, from France and Italy, the hilarious comedy La Cage aux folles (1978) which is based on the musical play of the same name, and most Americans know by The Birdcage based on the same play. Superior in many ways to the remake, it left me wishing yet again that I knew French! I was sad to read on the IMDb message board that Michel Serrault, who played Albin Mougeotte /'Zaza Napoli' so magnificently, with such dignity, hysteria and love, has died. Also, Rémi Laurent who played the son, died of AIDS in 1989. RIP. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077288

German Sex-Ed Book for Pre-Schoolers

Translation of German sex-ed book for pre-schoolers:

"Here you see a baby. Do you know how it came into the world ?"

"Here you see a mother and father. They are going to have a baby together."

"Here Father and Mother have no clothes on. You can see Mother's breasts and Mother's * . People call it the vagina. {* word for female genital that a child would use}

"You can see Daddy's **. People call it the penis. You can also see the little sack that he has between his legs; it is named 'scrotum'." {** word for male genital that a child would use}

"Mother and Father love each other very much. They kiss each other. Father's penis is growing large. It sticks out rigidly."

"Mother and Father would like for Father's penis to go into Mother's vagina. That is really beautiful."

"Mother and Father lie down on the bed. They put the penis in the vagina. They play with each other. Father and Mother rock to and fro."

"That is what people call intercourse. That can be very nice. That's how Mother and Father create a child, if they want to."

"Mother and Father love each other very much. They would like to have a child. There are many little sperms in the Father's little sack. When Father and Mother sleep together, the sperm cells come out of the penis."

"The sperm cells swim into the Mother's vagina, and come to a cavity in Mother's belly."

"This cavity is called the uterus. Sometimes there is is a little egg in it."

"Many, many days are passing by. Nine months have passed, since the little sperm and the egg have found each other. Now the child is so large that is wants to get out."

"Mother's belly has become so big that she almost doesn't fit into a dress anymore. 'I can feel my uterus contracting,' says the Mother to the Father. 'Soon I will give birth to our child.' "

Father drives Mother to the hospital.

"Mother lies in the hospital in a bed. The doctor comes and talks to Mother and Father. The doctor will help Mother with the birth of the child."

"Then the Mother begins to give birth. First the head of the child comes out of Mother's vagina . Then the arms of the child come out."

"Now the child has come all the way out of the Mother. The doctor has cut the umbilical cord. Also the placenta has come out. "

"Mother and Child rest for a few days. Then they come back home. If the child is hungry , it drinks milk from Mother's breasts."

---------snip-------------------------------------------------

Mutterkuchen (lit. mother's cake) is really the german word for placenta as is Fruchtwasseer (lit. fruit water) for amniotic fluid.

From the responses to a post about the book on Boing-Boing.


"Abstinence-only sex education" is a little like "just hold it" potty training. - Roy Zimmerman, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPClWkEdES8

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Timelines

The up-to-date version will be maintained at: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/timelines.html

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Create your own timeline: http://www.ourtimelines.com/, HistoryWorld: http://www.historyworld.net/default.asp

Step-By-Step: Creating A Timeline: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=6529&o_iid=831&o_lid=831&o_it=831

Food - what people ate: http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food.html

This Day in American Weather History: http://www.weatherforyou.com/history/

American (Smithsonian): http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/timeline.htm
   Interesting animated timeline/atlas: http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie2.html - great little 10 minute brush-up on the highlights of US history

Australian: http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/timeline/

British: http://www.britannia.com/history/time1.html
   BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/
   Ulster: http://www.cruithni.org.uk/

Scottish: http://members.aol.com/skyelander/timeline.html

Celtic: http://www.art-with-attitude.com/village/celt_timeline.html

Scandinavian: http://europeanhistory.about.com/cs/scandinavia/

Chronik der Geschichte, An English-German History Timeline: http://german.about.com/library/blhist_time01.htm

French: http://www.uncg.edu/rom/courses/dafein/civ/timeline.htm

Alsace: http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/Ancillary/Geog/Europe/Alsace-Lorraine.shtml


There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. - Elie Wiesel

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