I have just finished a bottomless bottle of Asti Spumanti in celebration after a day of rocketing emotions waking up to new great excitement, then doubts and uncertainties and the mid afternoon the elation of confirmed success.
It is also Halloween and I successfully bought sufficient packets of sweets to give out nine packets to eight lots of callers ranging from one with a parent to a party of six or seven and three parents who I gave two packets to share. The calls stretched from 5.30 to 7.15 and no one was disappointed but I had nothing left if there been others. Two of calls were from Asian children who if from Muslim families is especially noteworthy and appropriate for the last of Simon Schama programmes on American History.
I also checked and found the previous episode of the Schama series of four programmes and saw the first half before an important Newsnight special from New York with cultured and intelligent people reviewing the election situation and films and books about American society in its political context. My Knowledge of American history, other than the British viewpoint comes from Alistair Cooke's book on America and a Time Life series on Ancient Civilizations and the rest is Hollywood, CNN and Fox.
What the two programmes, and the part of the third viewed so far confirmed is that it is impossible to portray the history of the United States, or its present political, religious, social or any other facet of the nation as a single entity other than it is a country of immigrants unified behind an ideal of freedom from and then freedom to but in which those who arrived first have attempted to keep what they have and at time persecuted newcomers, deny them freedom from and freedom to. It was during the Newsnight programme that the point and was made that the first immigrants took the land by force of arms, created concentration camps for the ethnic cleansing policy and adopted the slogan the only good Indian is a dead one, Simon Schama first turned his attention to the development of Latino USA with the emphasis on how Texas, New Mexico and California was taken from Mexico by force of arms. What I had not appreciated is that it was Mexico who first encouraged settlers into land that had become infertile. It is understandable that having prospered these settlers wanted to control their destiny but future Mexican generation will want their homeland back.
He then turned his attention to the use of Chinese Labour to bring the railway west across the mountains and that had the Chinese no been willing to work under 40 ft snow drift during Winter the line may not have been completed as government money was dependent on the time table being maintained.. I was not aware of the individual newspaper man or his town that had successfully 'deported' the whole Chinese population of 1500 by turning on those gave them work or sold them goods and making their lives impossible if they continued. Thus together with the those whose origins are from Africa, and more recently the Caribbean, those from Mexico and Central America and those from China and the East, it is estimated they now form 60% of the population, a demographic which will have profound political consequences.
Simon Sharma then turned his attention to the migration from Europe, including Russia and from the Middle East, the Italians, the Irish and the Jews, and in significant smaller number, Muslims. Whereas the original immigrants came to escape from religious prosecution and many subsequently from racial and religious persecution, more and more came because of freedom to, the land of economic opportunity.
He also focussed on the role of Henry Ford and others, a mining magnate in the Appalachian mountains was one example who in addition to wanting migrants willing to work hard for long hours on poor hourly pay defined the essence of being a good America which was primarily about losing the cultural identity of the original homeland, and committing oneself to the values of the USA to the extent of preparedness to defend and to die for those values, something which the British Government has only woken up to as needed during the last two years, emphasising the need to be able to communicate in the English Language as well as making a declaration of loyalty thus drawing a distinction between residency and full citizenship.
What this programmes came to concluding is that Obama may prove to be the right man at the right time in the right place when government in the USA goes back to reflecting the wishes and aspirations of the majority, a redefined middle class which includes the manual workers but not the underclass,
I did not watch one film as such during the day although enjoyed revisiting a two hour police detective and a Shoestring radio action journalist programme not previously seen. I also watched the Middlesex innings against the Stanford all stars from last night. I did spend time thinking about the films of the most recognisable and influential British film maker of all time with rarely a week going by without one of his films being shown on cable or satellite TV and although the plots are familiar together with their endings I can watch them over an over and over again - Alfred J Hitchcock. His second Christian name Joseph, brought up a Catholic and going to a known Catholic school, and being haunted by childhood memories is something we have in common.
I believe I have seen something like 35 of his films, mostly in theatre when they were first released or those produced in the 1930's at the Wallington Odeon in the 1940's. Several have been remade such as the Lady Vanishes and the 39 Steps being two that come immediately to mind.
When he went to Hollywood in 1940 there was immediate acclaim, winning the best film Oscar with Rebecca. Starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in Rebecca, the Daphne Du Maurier story. I believe I did see the Man who knew too Much. Another shown regularly, is North by Northwest. Foreign Correspondent accepted the contemporary censorship by making no reference to Germany and the Germans. There was also Spellbound with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Berman and then Dual in the Sun and Under Capricorn. I am sure I have also seen Rope and Mr and Mrs Smith. I am less sure about the Paradine Case, but the name is familiar but fairly certain I have seen Shadow of Doubt, but less so Bon Voyage.
I remember well Jane Wyman in Stage Fright (won Oscar for Johnny Belinda) I did not take to Strangers on the Train or Dial M for Murder as I have the earlier films, but Rear Window with James Stewart and Grace Kelly remains great, I remember Vertigo but not The Wrong Man. Never been a fan of the Birds and have always thought there was too much hype over Psycho, preferring Marni, I know that is odd, but not Frenzy with one of the more memorable being Torn Curtain. On checking I have missed out Shadow of a Doubt. I continued to be indebted to Carletto de san Giovanni for his extensive and in depth tributes especially for the stills and for taking my mind of what become a worrying time for part of the day.
It is also Halloween and I successfully bought sufficient packets of sweets to give out nine packets to eight lots of callers ranging from one with a parent to a party of six or seven and three parents who I gave two packets to share. The calls stretched from 5.30 to 7.15 and no one was disappointed but I had nothing left if there been others. Two of calls were from Asian children who if from Muslim families is especially noteworthy and appropriate for the last of Simon Schama programmes on American History.
I also checked and found the previous episode of the Schama series of four programmes and saw the first half before an important Newsnight special from New York with cultured and intelligent people reviewing the election situation and films and books about American society in its political context. My Knowledge of American history, other than the British viewpoint comes from Alistair Cooke's book on America and a Time Life series on Ancient Civilizations and the rest is Hollywood, CNN and Fox.
What the two programmes, and the part of the third viewed so far confirmed is that it is impossible to portray the history of the United States, or its present political, religious, social or any other facet of the nation as a single entity other than it is a country of immigrants unified behind an ideal of freedom from and then freedom to but in which those who arrived first have attempted to keep what they have and at time persecuted newcomers, deny them freedom from and freedom to. It was during the Newsnight programme that the point and was made that the first immigrants took the land by force of arms, created concentration camps for the ethnic cleansing policy and adopted the slogan the only good Indian is a dead one, Simon Schama first turned his attention to the development of Latino USA with the emphasis on how Texas, New Mexico and California was taken from Mexico by force of arms. What I had not appreciated is that it was Mexico who first encouraged settlers into land that had become infertile. It is understandable that having prospered these settlers wanted to control their destiny but future Mexican generation will want their homeland back.
He then turned his attention to the use of Chinese Labour to bring the railway west across the mountains and that had the Chinese no been willing to work under 40 ft snow drift during Winter the line may not have been completed as government money was dependent on the time table being maintained.. I was not aware of the individual newspaper man or his town that had successfully 'deported' the whole Chinese population of 1500 by turning on those gave them work or sold them goods and making their lives impossible if they continued. Thus together with the those whose origins are from Africa, and more recently the Caribbean, those from Mexico and Central America and those from China and the East, it is estimated they now form 60% of the population, a demographic which will have profound political consequences.
Simon Sharma then turned his attention to the migration from Europe, including Russia and from the Middle East, the Italians, the Irish and the Jews, and in significant smaller number, Muslims. Whereas the original immigrants came to escape from religious prosecution and many subsequently from racial and religious persecution, more and more came because of freedom to, the land of economic opportunity.
He also focussed on the role of Henry Ford and others, a mining magnate in the Appalachian mountains was one example who in addition to wanting migrants willing to work hard for long hours on poor hourly pay defined the essence of being a good America which was primarily about losing the cultural identity of the original homeland, and committing oneself to the values of the USA to the extent of preparedness to defend and to die for those values, something which the British Government has only woken up to as needed during the last two years, emphasising the need to be able to communicate in the English Language as well as making a declaration of loyalty thus drawing a distinction between residency and full citizenship.
What this programmes came to concluding is that Obama may prove to be the right man at the right time in the right place when government in the USA goes back to reflecting the wishes and aspirations of the majority, a redefined middle class which includes the manual workers but not the underclass,
I did not watch one film as such during the day although enjoyed revisiting a two hour police detective and a Shoestring radio action journalist programme not previously seen. I also watched the Middlesex innings against the Stanford all stars from last night. I did spend time thinking about the films of the most recognisable and influential British film maker of all time with rarely a week going by without one of his films being shown on cable or satellite TV and although the plots are familiar together with their endings I can watch them over an over and over again - Alfred J Hitchcock. His second Christian name Joseph, brought up a Catholic and going to a known Catholic school, and being haunted by childhood memories is something we have in common.
I believe I have seen something like 35 of his films, mostly in theatre when they were first released or those produced in the 1930's at the Wallington Odeon in the 1940's. Several have been remade such as the Lady Vanishes and the 39 Steps being two that come immediately to mind.
When he went to Hollywood in 1940 there was immediate acclaim, winning the best film Oscar with Rebecca. Starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in Rebecca, the Daphne Du Maurier story. I believe I did see the Man who knew too Much. Another shown regularly, is North by Northwest. Foreign Correspondent accepted the contemporary censorship by making no reference to Germany and the Germans. There was also Spellbound with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Berman and then Dual in the Sun and Under Capricorn. I am sure I have also seen Rope and Mr and Mrs Smith. I am less sure about the Paradine Case, but the name is familiar but fairly certain I have seen Shadow of Doubt, but less so Bon Voyage.
I remember well Jane Wyman in Stage Fright (won Oscar for Johnny Belinda) I did not take to Strangers on the Train or Dial M for Murder as I have the earlier films, but Rear Window with James Stewart and Grace Kelly remains great, I remember Vertigo but not The Wrong Man. Never been a fan of the Birds and have always thought there was too much hype over Psycho, preferring Marni, I know that is odd, but not Frenzy with one of the more memorable being Torn Curtain. On checking I have missed out Shadow of a Doubt. I continued to be indebted to Carletto de san Giovanni for his extensive and in depth tributes especially for the stills and for taking my mind of what become a worrying time for part of the day.
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