“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” All Right in the End
May 19th
“Everything All Right in the End”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is about a hotel in India of that name, but ending in even more words of “For the Elderly & Beautiful,” it is a beautiful, lovely, and funny movie, and it just might be the best movie you will see all year.
Based on the 2004 novel These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach, the movie follows seven British pensioners who accept the offer from the hotel’s new owner and manager to travel there and kick-start its business.
In fact, the brochure that persuaded the seven strangers to go to India for a new adventure was Photoshopped to look like what the young manager hopes it will look like, and after they arrive, he adds “Now with Guests” to the hotel sign.
The manager’s name is Sonny Kapoor, he is played by Dev Patel of the 2008 Slumdog Millionaire, and when the new arrivals complain about the hotel’s condition, Sonny assures them with his optimistic philosophy, “Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, then it is not yet the end.”
The most well-known actors playing the pensioners, who are all there for different reasons, are Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith, and although it is difficult at first to keep them and their stories straight, just sit back, relax, and let them all be as wonderful and enjoyable as the sights, sounds, and colors of India itself.
One of the pensioners has been forced to sell her London flat, another one lived happily in India 40 years ago and is returning to settle a matter that has been bothering him all that time, another one doesn’t like foreigners, but requires a cheap hip replacement, one unhappily married couple lost money in a bad investment, one woman is looking for a rich husband, and the final pensioner is a man who is lonely and just looking for some female companionship.
In the meantime, Sonny has his own romantic problems, because his mother doesn’t approve of his girlfriend and has her own plans for his future bride.
And don’t think that the pensioners will find what they are looking for within their own group.
Remember Sonny’s optimistic philosophy?
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, when it comes to the end, will leave you thinking that everything is all right.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
Major transportation study budgeted for city
May 16th
Through the diligent work of a St. Augustine City Commissioner the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO) budgeted $125,000 to conduct a much needed traffic circulation study in the city. The Special Planning Funding awarded by the North Florida Transportation
Planning Organization (NFTPO) came as a result of City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline identifying the opportunity to budget the funds and encouraging staff to actively pursue the grant.
Planning Organization (NFTPO) came as a result of City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline identifying the opportunity to budget the funds and encouraging staff to actively pursue the grant.
In budgeting funds, the NFTPO described the study’s purpose as a way to “develop an overall transportation plan, incorporating developments over the past 20 years as well as future potential developments such as pedestrian, bicycling, transit and rail improvement needs to be developed for all modes of transportation in and around the city.” The study is scheduled to be completed in June 2013.
“The city is very fortunate to have received this support and especially at this time,” said Sikes-Kline, who represents the City of St. Augustine on the NFTPO. “This will fund an independent consultant with a fresh set of eyes to look at transportation to and through our city, and then evaluate what we have and speculate on what we might have. It’s a great opportunity, and one we could not afford without the TPO’s assistance.”
The NFTPO pointed out that the millions of visitors who access downtown each year do so via three “constrained roadways,” being King St., San Marco Ave., and the Bridge of Lions adding “Getting visitors into and out of the downtown historic district is challenging.” The NFTPO further identifies the city’s anticipated increase in visitors because of the current multi-year 450th Commemoration, a point emphasized by Commissioner Sikes-Kline.
“The TPO recognized that the 450th Commemoration will impact all types of traffic that moves through our historic districts including motorized, non-motorized and pedestrian traffic. This study will identify what might be done to meet those unique needs,” said Sikes-Kline. “Success with this funding has two parts: because the city has a representative on the TPO, we were aware of the opportunity, and the request was filed because of the work of the city’s Planning and Building Department under Mark Knight’s direction.”
“This is a big deal,” said City Manager John Regan. “Securing funds for a study like this is the necessary first step towards any broad based, long-term changes that will improve traffic in St. Augustine. We should thank Commissioner Sikes-Kline and Planning and Building Director Mark Knight for their diligent pursuit of this support. The payoff for the entire community will be big.”
For more information on the work of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, visit www.northfloridatpo.com. For more information on this grant, call the Planning and Building Department at 904.825.1065.
Source: Paul Williamson, City of St. Augustine Department of Public Affairs
Another beat-down of Denver’s homeless
May 15th
To the surprise of no one, the “Criminalize Homelessness” ordinance put forth by the Denver City Council passed by a vote of 9-4. To call this a “camping ban” is disingenuous at best — camping is something people with houses do.
Council member Montero accused us tonight of being Hit and Run activists. What is really hit and run is the ordinance itself.
If we take the city at its word, and not at the verbiage of this fascist piece of legislation, we are expected to believe that there will be few arrests, and then only after unavailable services have been offered.
Chief White says that the police will have a “light touch.” We would like to remind the city that Denver County Jail is no day spa, in fact we’re quite sure there’s not a hot tub in the building.
The Denver Police claim that this bill will be selectively enforced. What that means, literally, is that if they don’t like where you are, who you are, or what you stand for, then you might be arrested. We remember when the Patriot Act was passed, we were told that it would only apply to terrorists, now petty NSA surveillance, TSA strip-searches, and the death of habeas corpus are an accepted reality to all Americans.
Homelessness is the ultimate symptom of a dying economy. To arrest people for sleeping on the streets because you don’t like the way it looks, is like throwing pumpkin seeds at an oncoming bear.
Lopez was right, “this is class war.”
Unfortunately, the front line is now the most vulnerable members of our community.
