Wednesday, 17 April 2019
The hunchback of civilisation
Generations that had come to rely on this social safety net, as a matter of national pride and identity, see it going up in smoke.On Monday, so was the cathedral, which for centuries has enshrined an evolving notion of Frenchness. The symbolism was hard to miss.This fire is not like other recent calamities.When flames killed dozens trapped in Grenfell Tower in London, it exposed a scandalous lack of oversight and a city of disastrous inequities. When a bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy, also taking life, it revealed the consequential greed of privatisation and a chronic absence of Italian leadership. When the National Museum of Brazil burned down, also through unconscionable government neglect, it wiped a tangible swath of South American history from the face of the earth, incinerating anthropological records of lost civilisations.Notre-Dame, where no one died, represents a different kind of catastrophe, no less traumatic but more to do with beauty and spirit and symbolism.Visited by some 14 million people a year, the cathedral, established during the 12th century, is the biggest architectural attraction in Paris. It is an emblem of the old city - the embodiment of the Paris of stone and faith - just as the Eiffel Tower exemplifies the Paris of modernity, joie de vivre and change.Not that Notre-Dame hasn't changed. Scarred repeatedly, it is a kind of palimpsest of French history. Finding its Gothic architecture outmoded and ornate, Louis XIV destroyed much of the church's interior and swapped it out for one he regarded as more classically tasteful.During the Revolution, insurgents ransacked the cathedral, plundering treasures and decapitating statues of Old Testament figures on the building's facade, which they mistook for portraits of French kings. They rededicated Notre-Dame to the Cult of Reason, melting its great bells.By the time Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame imprinted the cathedral in the minds of countless readers, the building was pretty much a wreck. Hugo called it a "vast symphony in stone" as "powerful and fecund as the divine creation", and despaired that it had come to be an object of ridicule.The popularity of his book helped reposition Notre-Dame as a symbol of French identity, inspiring its restoration by 19th-century architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Viollet attempted to restore the church's Gothic character, undertaking a vast project of architectural reinvention and private imagination, redoing the figures on the facade, recreating stained glass windows and adding many ornate touches, including to the spire that just burned down.When the spire collapsed, all those layers of history seemed to evaporate.Through its many transformations, Notre-Dame has remained "the great stage where great events in France have been rehearsed and repeated for centuries", as historian Robert Darnton has put it - where the cathedral's archbishop blessed the flags carried by French armies going off to war, before crowds of weeping parents and spouses. Where Parisians wept on Monday, as they also did along the banks of the Seine and at the plaza of the Hôtel de Ville.Back in 1871, the Paris Communards, their revolt dying out, adopted a scorched-earth policy and burned down the Hôtel de Ville, with its paintings by Delacroix and Ingres. So the building from which Parisians watched the fire is a reconstruction.The cathedral had been undergoing an extensive restoration. Gargoyles were broken, balustrades had collapsed, flying buttresses were stained by pollution. Water had seeped through cracks in the spire's wood frame.What a sad paradox it would be if it turns out that the restoration somehow accidentally led to the conflagration. It seemed, from early reports, to be the wood in the spire that accelerated the blaze, causing most of the roof to collapse.Promising the French people he would rebuild Notre-Dame, which he called "the epicentre of our lives," President Macron cancelled his speech about the Yellow Vests. He still plans to proceed with his proposals.France today is wrestling with how to reinvent itself for a new age. Considering the great sweep of time, the current Yellow Vest uprising will no doubt come to seem like just another data point in the long evolution of a nation that has survived setbacks and returned, again and again, to an abiding glory.In his landmark television series Civilisation, standing before Notre-Dame, art historian Kenneth Clark asked: "What is civilisation? I don't know. I can't define it in abstract terms - yet. But I think I can recognise it when I see it."He turned towards the cathedral: "And I am looking at it now."Someday, the fire of 2019 may fade into the history of Notre-Dame. It may take many years to repair the damage.But the great cathedral will reinvent itself, too. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttp://gfxdesignsedge.blogspot.com/2018/08/joy-och-humor-av-en-fastighetsmaklarefo_14.html
After Darbar, Rajinikanth might work with either H Vinoth or KS Ravikumar
He heard Vinoth's story and really liked it. However, he hasn't given his nod yet,' a source told Hindustan Times. Rajinikanth with AR Murugadoss before the launch of Darbar's shoot in Mumbai earlier this month. Ravikumar, on the other hand, has worked with Rajinikanth in blockbusters such as Muthu and Padayappa. However, his last outing Lingaa with the superstar turned out to be a debacle. In order to make up for that failure, Ravikumar is keen on joining hands with Rajinikanth. Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 Winterfell review: Bran wins the episode, Jon Snow and Arya Stark's reunion fades out One of the two projects is most likely to be announced later this year. Meanwhile, Rajinikanth has currently shifted all his focus on Darbar, which sees him play a cop after 25 years. The film stars Nayanthara as the leading lady. This will be her third outing with Rajinikanth after Chandramukhi and Kuselan. The makers are yet to reveal the rest of cast. Anirudh Ravichander has been confirmed to compose music. While Santosh Sivan will crank the camera, Sreekar Prasad will take care of editing. The film was originally supposed to be bankrolled by Sun Pictures, who backed out after the recent Sarkar controversy. The latest update is that Lyca Productions, the makers of 2.0, have taken over the reins of the project and have said to have given the go ahead. This would be the third outing for Lyca Productions with Rajinikanth after Kaala and 2.0. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://www.feedbooks.com/user/4549272/profile
'Gay' Mayor Pete Buttigieg launches Presidential bid
Buttigieg, who is credited with helping turn South Bend around, has couched himself as a can-do reformer who can speak to voters across the political spectrum. The message has helped catapult him from relative obscurity to becoming one of the leading Democrats in the crowded presidential race. "My name is Pete Buttigieg. They call me 'Mayor Pete.' I'm a proud son of South Bend, Indiana, and I am running for president of the United States!" he told a jubilant crowd of supporters at a former assembly plant turned high-tech hub in South Bend. "That's why I am here, to tell a different story than 'Make America Great Again'" he added, referring to Trump's campaign slogan. "This time it's not just about winning an election. It's about winning an era." The official launch -- in which Buttigieg touched upon a number of liberal talking points such as racial justice, voting rights and health care reform, as well as his faith and marriage to Chasten Buttigieg -- is expected to give his surprisingly strong campaign an additional boost. Campaign staffers said they have been caught by surprise by the speed with which the mayor has generated nationwide political support, and are still staffing up the campaign. Buttigieg had no speech writer to help him prepare his remarks. So many people showed up for the launch event that a large crowd was left outside in the rain to watch on a large video screen. Buttigieg braved the elements and thanked the crowd moments before making his official announcement indoors. "He represents a new generation of Democratic leadership. We love his vision," said Jenn Watts, 35, while her three-year-old daughter sat on her shoulders. They were in the cavernous event space in the former plant of defunct automaker Studebaker waiting more than two hours to see Buttigieg speak. "As a young mom with a young daughter, he represents what I want my daughter to see in leadership in this country," Watts added. In the three months since he declared an exploratory committee to test a presidential run, Buttigieg has raised $7 million, more than most other candidates, and jumped to third place in the latest polls of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire -- the earliest states to vote in next year's primary elections. The popular mayor who speaks eight languages and plays classical piano has been the focus of countless news stories and profiles. The fascination has been in no small part due to his background: he would be the youngest, first openly gay, first millennial and first mayor to become president. But Buttigieg must still overcome the perception that his youth and thin resume as mayor of a town of just 100,000 leaves him lacking the experience necessary for the presidency. "I recognize the audacity of doing this as a Midwestern millennial mayor," Buttigieg said. "But the moment we live in compels us to act." Drew Corbin, a 24-year-old college student clutching four campaign T-shirts he had purchased for friends and wearing a campaign cap, said he still had not fully committed to the candidate. "There's a lot of candidates. I don't want to make up my mind so soon, almost a year before the primaries," Corbin said. "But he's definitely my favorite right now." Buttigieg's launch at Studebaker called to mind the plant's closure in 1963 that was still reverberating in the city in 2011 when he was elected mayor. He set out to tear down decaying, abandoned homes and restore the blighted Studebaker complex to make it suitable for new high-tech companies. In an unlikely feat, the city has reversed decades of population decline and attracted new businesses and development, with the mayor's popularity growing in the process. "His appeal, for many people in South Bend, is his ability to look forward and to focus on better days ahead," South Bend-based political science professor Elizabeth Bennion of Indiana University told AFP. "Once people looked at his resume and heard him speak, many started talking about the fact that he was destined for national politics." ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.viki.com/users/yoz_kelv_oz_k_eene_e_98/about
Who is Ferdous Ahmed?
Irked with this, the BJP questioned the presence of a foreign national in a political campaign. The saffron party alleged that it is a violation of the model code of conduct as the TMC is trying to woo the minorities which will play a decisive role in North Dinajpur. Ferdous has won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor four times for his films Hothat Brishti (1998), Gangajatra (2009), Kusum Kusum Prem (2011) and Ek Cup Cha (2014). He is a mass communication graduate from the University of Dhaka. His first film Hothat Brishti, directed by noted Bengali director Basu Chatterjee, was an India-Bangladesh joint production and won him the National Award for Best Actor. The film was a remake of National Award-winning Tamil film Kadhal Kottai which was later remade in 1999 in Hindi as Sirf Tum. According to an interview given by him to the Star Weekend Magazine, he was also awarded the Vjala Anondodok award in Kolkata for Hothat Brishti. Ahmed is also a part-time model and owns film production house Nuzhat Films, TV production house CinemaScope and a wing of event planning studio. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttp://www.tripntale.com/profile/143938
Stars in the city: Katrina, Alia, Tiger-Disha & others spotted in Mumbai
Sonakshi Sinha looked ravishing in her red attire. Kalank star Varun Dhawan looked macho in red outfit. Disha Patani spotted at Mumbai airport. Katrina Kaif looked stunning in denim jacket and jeans at Mumbai airport. Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani spotted at an event in Mumbai. Taimur Ali Khan snapped in Mumbai with a smile.DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://able2know.org/user/reezexregge/
Nabha Natesh to sway in style
'The song is set in a village, and Mani Sharma has provided a chic beat to dance to. I will be seen sporting jewelry and rustic costumes — flashy lehenga and choli. The dance also has a Lambadi touch to it,' Nabha added. The actress admits that grooving shoulder-to-shoulder with the protagonist Ram Pothineni is a challenge. 'I have rehearsed a fair amount so I feel fairly safe like that,' she chuckles. The song also features Nidhhi Agerwal. 'The three of us bonded a great deal on the sets, and we took the opportunity to assess one another's dance moves during rehearsals.' ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://about.me/reegen
Jaipur councillors allege 500 cow deaths at Hingonia centre, seek action
Akshay Patra Foundation, which manages the centre, didn't feed the animals for the past several days as they are saying they didn't receive payments from the JMC,' alleged BJP councillor Anil Kumar Sharma. Sharma said the councillors have demanded action and that cases of cow slaughter should be lodged against those who were responsible for the alleged deaths. However, Radha Priya Das from the Akshay Patra Foundation, a programme coordinator at the centre, said they have been struggling to arrange for the fodder owing to non-payment of bills by the JMC. 'The JMC didn't pay the bills for fodder since October last year and the amount stands around Rs 12 crore. The vendors stopped providing fodder after this. But we didn't keep the cows hungry and we got all available materials like sugarcane, potato and green fodder and fed them. This situation has been created by some corporators from the JMC and a few other people who wanted to take political advantage,' claimed Das. He claimed that cows require around 80 tonnes of fodder everyday and without the JMC's assistance the centre managed to provide 40-50 tonnes. 'The JMC has released a part of the payment now and we have fodder. Prior to this, around 60-70 cows were dying daily,' said Das. Das cited a letter written by the centre's management to the civic body commissioner on February 6, in which it was mentioned that shortage of fodder is a very serious issue and may lead to mass deaths of cattle. 'The cow rehabilitation centre in Hingonia had become a tourist place in past two years. But in two months, the way the situation has gone downhill, the JMC administration should think about it.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://issuu.com/reezexregge
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