El equipo mexicano de nado sincronizado obtuvo ayer el primer lugar en el Abierto de Alemania al sumar 89.167 unidades en la rutina técnica, con miras al Mundial de Australia y a los Juegos Panamericanos de Río de Janeiro, Brasil.
Las mexicanas, dirigidas por la entrenadora Olga Asseva, se afianzaron en el sitio de honor desde el inicio de su presentación en el certamen.
Nara Falcón, Isabel Delgado, Mariana Cifuentes, Evelyn Guajardo, Nuria Diosdado, Jerusalem Aguirre, Yamileth Melo, Luvina Quemaine, Alayne Mijando y Ofelia Pedrero consiguieron 44.167 unidades por mérito técnico y 45,000 puntos por impresión artística para ocupar el primer lugar.
La segunda plaza fue para el conjunto de Bielorrusia con 84,500 unidades -42,500 técnico y 42,000 artística-, mientras que el tercer lugar fue para República Checa con 77.667 (39,500 por mérito técnico y 38,167 de impresión artística).
En las preliminares de rutina libre, México se ubicó en el segundo lugar con 87.251 puntos, detrás del seleccionado griego, que acumuló 89,833
Monday, January 29, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Competitividad - Sergio Sarmiento
Davos, Suiza.- Con motivo del Foro Económico Mundial, el Gobierno de Macedonia, una de las repúblicas surgidas de la desmembrada Yugoslavia, ha empezado una fuerte campaña de promoción entre los inversionistas que han acudido a Davos.
En un anuncio publicado en el diario Financial Times, Macedonia manifiesta con orgullo que cuenta con el impuesto fijo más bajo sobre utilidades, 10 por ciento; con el impuesto más reducido sobre la renta, 10 por ciento; con el impuesto más pequeño sobre utilidades reinvertidas, 0 por ciento; con un registro rápido de compañías, 3 días; con una mano de obra abundante y competitiva, que gana un salario promedio bruto de 370 euros al mes; con un acceso sin barreras a un gran mercado, Europa, de 650 millones de consumidores; con estabilidad macroeconómica y 3.1 por ciento de inflación; con excelente infraestructura, en un país de internet inalámbrico de alta velocidad.
Esta es la competencia a la que los mexicanos nos estamos enfrentando actualmente para atraer inversiones productivas. Pero ¿qué podemos proponer nosotros que pudiera competir con lo que ofrece Macedonia? ¿Un sistema fiscal complicado e inequitativo? ¿Un impuesto sobre utilidades de 28 por ciento, más 10 por ciento adicional de reparto a los trabajadores, lo que da un total de 38 por ciento? ¿Un Impuesto Sobre la Renta para las personas físicas de 28 por ciento sin que los contribuyentes reciban a cambio servicios gubernamentales? ¿Un proceso de registro de una compañía que puede llevarse semanas o meses? ¿Un sistema laboral que permite que cualquier sindicato emplace a huelga a una empresa antes incluso de contratar trabajadores?
Macedonia es hoy uno de los países más pobres de Europa. Pero tras leer sus anuncios dirigidos específicamente a los grandes empresarios y altos ejecutivos que acuden a Davos me queda claro que no lo será durante mucho tiempo. Con estas políticas, en 15 ó 20 años estaremos hablando del milagro de Macedonia. Y los medios de comunicación estarán llenos de reportajes acerca de que la vieja tierra de Filipo y Alejandro Magno ha vuelto a ocupar un papel importante en el mundo.
Es verdad que el Foro Económico Mundial se ha convertido en un escenario mediático en que las empresas y los gobiernos del mundo buscan hacer labor de relaciones públicas y presentar su lado amable y humanitario. Pero detrás de las luces, las cámaras y los micrófonos, persiste ese propósito fundamental de Davos: que es presentar información a los principales inversionistas del mundo.
El año pasado Davos fue escenario de un intenso trabajo de relaciones públicas por parte del Gobierno de la India para atraer la atención de las grandes empresas del mundo. El trabajo de los funcionarios chinos para buscar inversiones para su país ha sido intenso y bien coordinado desde hace años. El hecho de que China se ha convertido ya en el destino preferido de las inversiones de manufacturas en el mundo no ha significado que los funcionarios chinos dejen de hacer su trabajo de promoción. Macedonia apenas está empezando a recorrer ese camino, pero dadas las condiciones que está ofreciendo es inevitable que llame la atención.
Esta semana se dieron a conocer las cifras del desempeño económico de China en 2006. El crecimiento del Producto Interno Bruto se fijó oficialmente en 10.7 por ciento. Los funcionarios de ese país, sin embargo, muestran preocupación porque la inflación, que había permanecido en 1.5 por ciento durante la mayor parte del año, repuntó y alcanzó 2.8 por ciento en diciembre. La economía china, por otra parte, se está desacelerando: a mediados de 2006 llegó a tener un ritmo de expansión de 11.5 por ciento, de manera que el 10.7 por ciento de todo el 2006 o el 10.4 que se estima para el 2007 son una disminución. Hay razones para estar preocupados, dicen los funcionarios chinos que han participado en Davos.
Ojalá los mexicanos tuviéramos estos motivos de preocupación. ¿Qué puede ofrecer el presidente Felipe Calderón cuando participe hoy en Davos? ¿Un crecimiento de 4.6 por ciento y una inflación de 4 por ciento? ¿Dificultades burocráticas y sindicales para crear empresas? No sorprende que nos estemos quedando atrás de otros países con los que competimos.
Muchas naciones han hecho reformas que les han permitido ser más competitivas. Pero el pasado ya da igual. Lo relevante es saber qué vamos a hacer a partir de ahora. ¿Qué podemos ofrecer a los inversionistas del mundo para competir, ya no con China o la India, sino cuando menos con Macedonia.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Mexico's sweet film success inspires Sundance
PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - Even before they heard their countrymen had garnered a dozen or so Academy Award nominations on Tuesday, the Mexican contingent at this year's
Sundance Film Festival was brimming with confidence.
Together "Babel" and "Pan's Labyrinth," by Mexican directors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and
Guillermo del Toro, won 13 Oscar nominations -- giving the Mexican film industry its biggest boost to date on the other side of the border.
"In another period, you had the Italian directors all over and then the French directors, and I think it is now the Mexican directors," said Mexican filmmaker Patricia Riggen, 36, after her premiere at Sundance, the leading U.S. festival for independent film.
"It is just going to grow. The audiences and studios are realizing there is talent and good stories and everybody likes them."
Riggen's "La Misma Luna" (The Same Moon) received a rare standing ovation at Sundance. The film about a mother and child separated by the U.S.-Mexico border is not in competition, but is expected to walk away with a big distribution deal.
Riggen lives in Los Angeles, but other Mexicans at Sundance believe staying in Mexico City is a key to their distinctive work.
"Human nature in Mexico City is stronger and more raw and I think that is reproduced in Mexican cinema," said Guillermo Arriaga, the Oscar nominated screenwriter of "Babel" and producer of "El Bufalo de la Noche" (The Night Buffalo) in competition at Sundance.
Arriaga, who also wrote "Amores Perros and "21 Grams," said that environment spurs him to create films with "guts and balls" -- the qualities he most desires in his work.
"Buffalo" is a tough film to watch as tormented young lovers destroy their lives and those around them. It is based on Arriaga's novel of the same name, drawn from his years as a university professor, and stars the popular Mexican actor
Diego Luna working with a cast of unknowns.
LONG-AWAITED ATTENTION
The Mexican directors and writers have built a tight-knit film community that is prone to take risks and bet on raw talent.
Four years ago, Arriaga brought Venezuelan-born Jorge Hernandez Aldana to Mexico to co-write and direct "Buffalo," his first long feature film, after seeing a short feature he had done at a festival.
"As the Mexicans gave me so much support when I arrived, I feel the need to fight for Mexican filmmaking," said Hernandez Aldana, 37, who is now a naturalized Mexican citizen.
He believes the plethora of Oscar nominations for Mexico is not a sudden phenomenon, but rather the result of several years of excellent productions that did not get much exposure in the United States.
Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores Perros" in 2000 and
Alfonso Cuaron's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" in 2001 got the ball rolling.
"What we needed was more attention from the world, and that is what we are getting now," Hernandez Aldana said.
But not only directors and writers were celebrating the rise of Mexico at Sundance.
Mexican actors played major roles in two U.S. feature films in competition, "Padre Nuestro" (Our Father) about the dog-eat-dog life of immigrants in New York City and "Trade," a look at the trafficking of children as sex slaves from Mexico to the United States.
"Doors are opening for the major talent of Latin America to cross over to the United States," said Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez who plays acclaimed supporting roles in "La Misma Luna" and "Padre Nuestro."
"I think it will be a great year for Mexico."
Sundance Film Festival was brimming with confidence.
Together "Babel" and "Pan's Labyrinth," by Mexican directors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and
Guillermo del Toro, won 13 Oscar nominations -- giving the Mexican film industry its biggest boost to date on the other side of the border.
"In another period, you had the Italian directors all over and then the French directors, and I think it is now the Mexican directors," said Mexican filmmaker Patricia Riggen, 36, after her premiere at Sundance, the leading U.S. festival for independent film.
"It is just going to grow. The audiences and studios are realizing there is talent and good stories and everybody likes them."
Riggen's "La Misma Luna" (The Same Moon) received a rare standing ovation at Sundance. The film about a mother and child separated by the U.S.-Mexico border is not in competition, but is expected to walk away with a big distribution deal.
Riggen lives in Los Angeles, but other Mexicans at Sundance believe staying in Mexico City is a key to their distinctive work.
"Human nature in Mexico City is stronger and more raw and I think that is reproduced in Mexican cinema," said Guillermo Arriaga, the Oscar nominated screenwriter of "Babel" and producer of "El Bufalo de la Noche" (The Night Buffalo) in competition at Sundance.
Arriaga, who also wrote "Amores Perros and "21 Grams," said that environment spurs him to create films with "guts and balls" -- the qualities he most desires in his work.
"Buffalo" is a tough film to watch as tormented young lovers destroy their lives and those around them. It is based on Arriaga's novel of the same name, drawn from his years as a university professor, and stars the popular Mexican actor
Diego Luna working with a cast of unknowns.
LONG-AWAITED ATTENTION
The Mexican directors and writers have built a tight-knit film community that is prone to take risks and bet on raw talent.
Four years ago, Arriaga brought Venezuelan-born Jorge Hernandez Aldana to Mexico to co-write and direct "Buffalo," his first long feature film, after seeing a short feature he had done at a festival.
"As the Mexicans gave me so much support when I arrived, I feel the need to fight for Mexican filmmaking," said Hernandez Aldana, 37, who is now a naturalized Mexican citizen.
He believes the plethora of Oscar nominations for Mexico is not a sudden phenomenon, but rather the result of several years of excellent productions that did not get much exposure in the United States.
Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores Perros" in 2000 and
Alfonso Cuaron's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" in 2001 got the ball rolling.
"What we needed was more attention from the world, and that is what we are getting now," Hernandez Aldana said.
But not only directors and writers were celebrating the rise of Mexico at Sundance.
Mexican actors played major roles in two U.S. feature films in competition, "Padre Nuestro" (Our Father) about the dog-eat-dog life of immigrants in New York City and "Trade," a look at the trafficking of children as sex slaves from Mexico to the United States.
"Doors are opening for the major talent of Latin America to cross over to the United States," said Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez who plays acclaimed supporting roles in "La Misma Luna" and "Padre Nuestro."
"I think it will be a great year for Mexico."
Rare shark of the deep snapped
A species of shark rarely seen alive because its natural habitat is 600 metres or more under the sea was captured on film by staff at a Japanese marine park this week.
The Awashima Marine Park, south of Tokyo, was alerted by a fisherman at a nearby port on Sunday that he had spotted an odd-looking eel-like creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth.
Marine park staff caught the 1.6-metre-long creature, which they identified as a female frilled shark, sometimes referred to as a "living fossil" because it is a primitive species that has changed little since prehistoric times.
The shark appeared to be in poor condition when park staff moved it to a seawater pool where they filmed it swimming and opening its jaws.
"We believe moving pictures of a live specimen are extremely rare," said an official at the park. "They live between 600 and 1000 metres under the water, which is deeper than humans can go.
"We think it may have come close to the surface because it was sick, or else it was weakened because it was in shallow waters," the official said.
The shark died a few hours after being caught.
Frilled sharks, which feed on other sharks and sea creatures, are sometimes caught in the nets of trawlers but are rarely seen alive.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Arrasan Babel y El laberinto del fauno con nominaciones al Oscar
El mexicano Alejandro González Iñárritu es el único hispano que opta a la categoría de mejor director
El Universal Online
Babel, el drama multicultural del mexicano Alejandro González Iñárritu, recibió siete postulaciones al premio Oscar, incluyendo a mejor película, mejor director y mejor actriz de reparto tanto para la mexicana Adriana Barraza como para la japonesa Rinko Kikuchi, mientras que El laberinto del fauno, del también mexicano Guillermo del Toro, se alzó con seis.
Por su parte, la española Penélope Cruz fue nominada a mejor actriz por su trabajo en Volver, película que no fue incluida en el rubro de mejor película extranjera; y Children of Men, del mexicano Alfonso Cuarón, recibió dos candidaturas, en los rubros de guión adaptado y edición.
El musical Dreamgirls encabezó la lista de candidatas de la Academia, con ocho nominaciones, pero sorpresivamente no fue incluida en el rubro de mejor película, tras ser considerada por la crítica como una de las favoritas para dicho galardón.
Babel también fue nominada a mejor edición, musicalización (del argentino ganador del Oscar Gustavo Santaolalla) y mejor guión (del mexicano Guillermo Arriaga).
Además de ser postulada a mejor película de lengua extranjera, El laberinto del Fauno se medirá en las categorías de dirección de arte, dirección de fotografía, maquillaje, musicalización y guión original.
Otras nominadas a mejor película son la saga del crimen organizado The Departed, el espectáculo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial Letters From Iwo Jima, la comedia Little Miss Sunshine y la crónica de la crisis real The Queen.
El anuncio fue dado a conocer esta madrugada en el teatro Samuel Goldwyn de la Academia de Ciencias y Artes Cinematográficas (AMPAS) y los ganadores se conocerán en la ceremonia del 25 de Febrero en el teatro Kodak de Hollywood.
El Universal Online
Babel, el drama multicultural del mexicano Alejandro González Iñárritu, recibió siete postulaciones al premio Oscar, incluyendo a mejor película, mejor director y mejor actriz de reparto tanto para la mexicana Adriana Barraza como para la japonesa Rinko Kikuchi, mientras que El laberinto del fauno, del también mexicano Guillermo del Toro, se alzó con seis.
Por su parte, la española Penélope Cruz fue nominada a mejor actriz por su trabajo en Volver, película que no fue incluida en el rubro de mejor película extranjera; y Children of Men, del mexicano Alfonso Cuarón, recibió dos candidaturas, en los rubros de guión adaptado y edición.
El musical Dreamgirls encabezó la lista de candidatas de la Academia, con ocho nominaciones, pero sorpresivamente no fue incluida en el rubro de mejor película, tras ser considerada por la crítica como una de las favoritas para dicho galardón.
Babel también fue nominada a mejor edición, musicalización (del argentino ganador del Oscar Gustavo Santaolalla) y mejor guión (del mexicano Guillermo Arriaga).
Además de ser postulada a mejor película de lengua extranjera, El laberinto del Fauno se medirá en las categorías de dirección de arte, dirección de fotografía, maquillaje, musicalización y guión original.
Otras nominadas a mejor película son la saga del crimen organizado The Departed, el espectáculo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial Letters From Iwo Jima, la comedia Little Miss Sunshine y la crónica de la crisis real The Queen.
El anuncio fue dado a conocer esta madrugada en el teatro Samuel Goldwyn de la Academia de Ciencias y Artes Cinematográficas (AMPAS) y los ganadores se conocerán en la ceremonia del 25 de Febrero en el teatro Kodak de Hollywood.
Monday, January 22, 2007
¿Otro seguidor de Babe? Caballo se cree perro
En Reino Unido, un pony que fue criado con perros labradores cree que éstos son sus padres y hasta corre por palos y se los lleva a sus dueños. Este caso se suma al de "Rolo", la oveja que también se creía can.
Se trata del pequeño Rory, quien fue abandonado en el Santuario de Caballos y Ponis de la ciudad de Essex un día después de que su madre lo rechazara. El personal lo cuidó con devoción y él se hizo muy amigo de los perros, de quienes obtuvo algunos de sus raros hábitos: recoger palillos, atajar frisbies y tomar agua de sus bebederos.
Sue Allery, directora del santuario, afirmó que "como era muy pequeño, él conoció a los perros más que a los caballos. Ellos corren juntos por alrededor". Además, añadió: "Mi marido compró un frisbee y lo tiró cruzando el campo. Rory salió justo después que los perros y ha comenzado a recoger ramas y palillos para que se los arrojemos".
Finalmente, Allery señaló el motivo de la confusión de Rory: "Él ama a los perros porque tienen su mismo tamaño, él cree que es un perro. Eventualmente, se irá de aquí con los otros caballos y ponis".
Se trata del pequeño Rory, quien fue abandonado en el Santuario de Caballos y Ponis de la ciudad de Essex un día después de que su madre lo rechazara. El personal lo cuidó con devoción y él se hizo muy amigo de los perros, de quienes obtuvo algunos de sus raros hábitos: recoger palillos, atajar frisbies y tomar agua de sus bebederos.
Sue Allery, directora del santuario, afirmó que "como era muy pequeño, él conoció a los perros más que a los caballos. Ellos corren juntos por alrededor". Además, añadió: "Mi marido compró un frisbee y lo tiró cruzando el campo. Rory salió justo después que los perros y ha comenzado a recoger ramas y palillos para que se los arrojemos".
Finalmente, Allery señaló el motivo de la confusión de Rory: "Él ama a los perros porque tienen su mismo tamaño, él cree que es un perro. Eventualmente, se irá de aquí con los otros caballos y ponis".
Friday, January 19, 2007
Extravagant Tail
From SpaceWeather:
Last night "motorists in Bloemfontein, South Africa, stopped to look at a strange 'bush fire' on the horizon," reports photographer Gerrit Penning. "It turned out to be the extravagant tail of Comet McNaught!"
Even experienced astronomers have never seen anything like it--a sweeping fan of comet dust visible to the unaided eye despite city lights and twilight. Jamie Newman sends this picture from Auckland, New Zealand:
Frequently asked questions: What makes the tail glow? Comet dust shines by reflected sunlight. Why is the tail curved? Because it traces the curved path of the comet's orbit around the sun.
The tail curves so much and stretches so far that it actually leads all the way back to the northern hemisphere where streamers can be seen glowing faintly in the western sky after sundown. "I wasn't really expecting to see anything," confesses Nejc Ucman of Novo Mesto, Slovenia, "but I went to a nearby hill tonight, looked west, and there it was!"
This marks the fourth night in a row that observers have spotted the comet's tail in northern skies. Dan Laszlo of the Northern Colorado Astronomical Society saw it on Jan. 17th and offers this advice: "Find the darkest sky you can and look west between one and two hours after sunset. A site where you can see zodiacal light would be best."
Last night "motorists in Bloemfontein, South Africa, stopped to look at a strange 'bush fire' on the horizon," reports photographer Gerrit Penning. "It turned out to be the extravagant tail of Comet McNaught!"
Even experienced astronomers have never seen anything like it--a sweeping fan of comet dust visible to the unaided eye despite city lights and twilight. Jamie Newman sends this picture from Auckland, New Zealand:
Frequently asked questions: What makes the tail glow? Comet dust shines by reflected sunlight. Why is the tail curved? Because it traces the curved path of the comet's orbit around the sun.
The tail curves so much and stretches so far that it actually leads all the way back to the northern hemisphere where streamers can be seen glowing faintly in the western sky after sundown. "I wasn't really expecting to see anything," confesses Nejc Ucman of Novo Mesto, Slovenia, "but I went to a nearby hill tonight, looked west, and there it was!"
This marks the fourth night in a row that observers have spotted the comet's tail in northern skies. Dan Laszlo of the Northern Colorado Astronomical Society saw it on Jan. 17th and offers this advice: "Find the darkest sky you can and look west between one and two hours after sunset. A site where you can see zodiacal light would be best."
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
National Society picks 'Pan' as best picture
Hollywood Reporter
Guillermo del Toro's imaginative fable "Pan's Labyrinth," set amid the rise of fascism in 1940s Spain, was voted best picture of 2006 by the National Society of Film Critics during the group's annual meeting Saturday at Sardi's Restaurant in New York.
The Spanish-language film, a Picturehouse release, prevailed in the voting over Cristi Puiu's "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," which came in second, and Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima," which placed third.
With a membership that includes 58 critics from around the country, with 45 of them taking part in the voting, the National Society uses a weighted balloting system, and "Labyrinth" pulled ahead of "Lazurescu" by three points. "Labyrinth" scored 34, "Lazarescu" claimed 31 and "Letters" followed with 29.
Del Toro did not receive best director honors, however. That distinction went to Paul Greengrass for helming the docudrama "United 93." Greengrass earned 21 points, while del Toro and "The Departed's" Martin Scorsese tied for second place with 15 points each.
The critics' group, which dedicated its 41st annual awards to the memory of the late Robert Altman, named Forest Whitaker best actor for "The Last King of Scotland." But Whitaker eked out that victory; on the initial ballot, he and Peter O'Toole, who stars in "Venus," tied with 54 votes apiece. A tiebreaker, determined by those present at Sardi's, gave the win to Whitaker by a 9-8 vote. Ryan Gosling, of "Half Nelson," finished third with 37 points.
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Echoing many other critics' groups, the National Society decided that Helen Mirren was its choice as best actress for "The Queen" -- she earned a commanding 94 points. Laura Dern ranked second for "Inland Empire" with 32, followed by Judi Dench for "Notes on a Scandal" with 25.
Mark Wahlberg earned best supporting actor honors for his cop in "Departed," with Jackie Earle Haley ("Little Children") and Alan Arkin ("Little Miss Sunshine") the runners-up.
Although 20th Century Fox is promoting Meryl Streep as a best actress contender for her role in "The Devil Wears Prada," the National Society instead hailed her as best supporting actress for her performances in "Devil" and "A Prairie Home Companion." Runners-up were Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls") and Shareeka Epps ("Half Nelson").
Peter Morgan earned the best screenplay award for his work on "Queen." The runners-up were William Monahan for "Departed" and Eric Roth for "The Good Shepherd."
For best cinematography, the voters singled out Emmanuel Lubezki for "Children of Men." Runners-up were Guillermo Navarro for "Pan's Labyrinth" and Zhao Xiaoding for "Curse of the Golden Flower."
Davis Guggenheim's environmental tract "An Inconvenient Truth" was chosen best nonfiction film, with "Deliver Us From Evil" and "Shut Up & Sing" the runners-up.
David Lynch's "Inland Empire" earned a citation as best experimental film, with the group calling it a "a magnificent and maddening experiment with digital video possibilities."
The group presented its Film Heritage Award to Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 film "Army of Shadows," which was released for the first time in the U.S. last year by Rialto Pictures.
It also offered a Film Heritage Award to the Museum of the Moving Image "for presenting the first complete U.S. retrospective of French filmmaker Jacques Rivette."
David Sterritt was re-elected chairman of the group for this year.
Guillermo del Toro's imaginative fable "Pan's Labyrinth," set amid the rise of fascism in 1940s Spain, was voted best picture of 2006 by the National Society of Film Critics during the group's annual meeting Saturday at Sardi's Restaurant in New York.
The Spanish-language film, a Picturehouse release, prevailed in the voting over Cristi Puiu's "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," which came in second, and Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima," which placed third.
With a membership that includes 58 critics from around the country, with 45 of them taking part in the voting, the National Society uses a weighted balloting system, and "Labyrinth" pulled ahead of "Lazurescu" by three points. "Labyrinth" scored 34, "Lazarescu" claimed 31 and "Letters" followed with 29.
Del Toro did not receive best director honors, however. That distinction went to Paul Greengrass for helming the docudrama "United 93." Greengrass earned 21 points, while del Toro and "The Departed's" Martin Scorsese tied for second place with 15 points each.
The critics' group, which dedicated its 41st annual awards to the memory of the late Robert Altman, named Forest Whitaker best actor for "The Last King of Scotland." But Whitaker eked out that victory; on the initial ballot, he and Peter O'Toole, who stars in "Venus," tied with 54 votes apiece. A tiebreaker, determined by those present at Sardi's, gave the win to Whitaker by a 9-8 vote. Ryan Gosling, of "Half Nelson," finished third with 37 points.
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Echoing many other critics' groups, the National Society decided that Helen Mirren was its choice as best actress for "The Queen" -- she earned a commanding 94 points. Laura Dern ranked second for "Inland Empire" with 32, followed by Judi Dench for "Notes on a Scandal" with 25.
Mark Wahlberg earned best supporting actor honors for his cop in "Departed," with Jackie Earle Haley ("Little Children") and Alan Arkin ("Little Miss Sunshine") the runners-up.
Although 20th Century Fox is promoting Meryl Streep as a best actress contender for her role in "The Devil Wears Prada," the National Society instead hailed her as best supporting actress for her performances in "Devil" and "A Prairie Home Companion." Runners-up were Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls") and Shareeka Epps ("Half Nelson").
Peter Morgan earned the best screenplay award for his work on "Queen." The runners-up were William Monahan for "Departed" and Eric Roth for "The Good Shepherd."
For best cinematography, the voters singled out Emmanuel Lubezki for "Children of Men." Runners-up were Guillermo Navarro for "Pan's Labyrinth" and Zhao Xiaoding for "Curse of the Golden Flower."
Davis Guggenheim's environmental tract "An Inconvenient Truth" was chosen best nonfiction film, with "Deliver Us From Evil" and "Shut Up & Sing" the runners-up.
David Lynch's "Inland Empire" earned a citation as best experimental film, with the group calling it a "a magnificent and maddening experiment with digital video possibilities."
The group presented its Film Heritage Award to Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 film "Army of Shadows," which was released for the first time in the U.S. last year by Rialto Pictures.
It also offered a Film Heritage Award to the Museum of the Moving Image "for presenting the first complete U.S. retrospective of French filmmaker Jacques Rivette."
David Sterritt was re-elected chairman of the group for this year.
Friday, January 05, 2007
The roof at B.C. Place stadium has collapsed.
The fabric roof fell into the empty stadium shortly after noon today.
The cause was not immediately determined, Vancouver has suffered all morning from a combination of bitter cold, strong winds and heavy sleet.
The roof is held up by air pressure, so even a tiny tear in the fabric could cause the roof to collapse. The stadium is home to the B.C. Lions football club, and its construction was completed in 1983.
B.C. Place Stadium, the world’s largest air-supported domed stadium, holds more than 60,000 seats and is covered by Teflon-coated fibreglass fabric that is 1/30 inch thick but stronger than steel.
Until today, B.C. Place was the world’s largest air-supported domed stadium covering 10 acres in all, with a circumference of 760 metres (2,500 feet), according to the stadium's website.
There are two layers of fabric with a four-foot space between them.
When it snows, like today, hot air is supposed to be pumped between these layers to melt 12 centimetres of snow per hour.
The total thickness of each layer of roofing material is only 1/30 inch (0.85 millimetres).
Electric-powered fans keep the air pressure inside the stadium at a higher level than the air outside. There are no beams in the roof -- extra air pressure is the only thing that supported the roof.
If the fans were turned off and the doors shut, it would take four to six hours to deflate the roof -- but spectators today said the roof collapsed within minutes.
As well as being home field to the B.C. Lions football team, the stadium has used for concerts, trade shows and concerts.
It has hosted Queen Elizabeth, Pope John Paul II, Prince Charles and Lady Diana and Bill Clinton.
The Rolling Stones, U2, The Three Tenors, Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys have played there.
The stadium was slated to play a prime role in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games as the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies.
Arrestan a chino por presunto robo de pieza de nacimiento
Un turista chino fue detenido al pretender huir con la pieza de un pastor colocado en uno de los nacimientos que se exhiben en avenida Paseo de la Reforma, con motivo de las fiestas decembrinas y de Año Nuevo,
Zhwo Su Vang Kuizhen, ciudadano chino de 45 años de edad, fue detenido en la esquina de Paseo de la Reforma y Río de la Plata, colonia Cuauhtémoc, cuando escondió entre sus ropas una artesanía de la muestra de nacimientos que ahí fue instalada.
Uno de los organizadores advirtió la intención del oriental de llevarse la obra sin pagarla y pidió el apoyo de dos policías, quienes realizaban su recorrido de vigilancia terrestre por la zona.
El extranjero fue detenido antes de que pudiera escapar con la obra y se le encontró entre sus ropas la figura de un pastor, con valor de alrededor de 200 pesos, y fue puesto a disposición de la 61 agencia del Ministerio Público.
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