tisdag, februari 22, 2011

Saad Hussni, Mark Zuckerberg, FB and censorship


In a time when people all over the world - not least in the Middle East - living in dictatorships, are trying to overthrow their leaders in favour of a democratic society, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg (as the most well-known representative of FB) are heading the other way.


We've seen this many times before on FB: Pages with an intellectual and interesting content are being shut down or restricted while 'intruders' whose only goal is to destroy certain pages by spamming them are able to continue their 'destructive work'.
This might be due to the fact that Zuckerberg is not an intellectual himself, nor his collaborators and this leads them to perceive people using FB as an intellectual forum for interesting discussions as a threat to their existence and ideas.

I will give you one current example:
One of my friends on Facebook is Saad Hussni.
I joined his group as he initiated a page dedicated to film, directors, actors and other topics closely related to these subjects.

On this page he has displayed images and information, including film clips containing data and knowledge about 'Le Septième Art'.
This has lead to interesting discussions, complementary information added by others, intellectual discourses concerning films/movies, actors, directors and how to use the media in different ways etc.
Included in these discussions were also related topics as literature and influences from artists (and their paintings), musicians and so forth.

During the uprising in the Middle East and other countries Saad Hussni also published photos of the dictators now being opposed by the people in these countries, discussing their imminent(?) fall.

A couple of days ago his account was shut down and through other friends he has forwarded information where he explains that FB has decided to shut him down due to the fact that he has published material that infringes the publishing rules and -regulations controlling the content on FB!

What have we been able to see that might be seen as an 'abusive misuse of the FB-rules'?
Some photos have shown naked actors (Oh' My God!) and others the photos of dictators in different countries in the Middle East, as related above.
The photos of naked actors are by no means offensive, on the contrary they are very 'prim' if I may say so.
I here refer to photos publically available with the consent of the actors.

If this is to be regarded as 'abusive' I would urge those responsible for Facebook to take a more thorough look into the pages where people try to discuss serious matters but being 'abused' by spammers whose only goal is to degrade and humiliate the participants.

As one example I can mention a page where one discussed violence and rape against women and where a group of men 'participated' by using arguments like:
"In my country we use women as toilets"; "Women should be 'held hard' and 'trained', otherwise they don't learn to obey..." etc etc.
When I tried to initiate a serious discussion, they answered with anti-intellectual arguments, with the only goal to destroy the page. Sometimes they tried to 'defend' themselves by saying that this was their way of joking! The administrators closed the page down.
Facebook and Zuckerberg did not act against these men as far as I know.
Maybe he and his collaborators share their point of views?

Could the publication of photos of the dictators constitute the principal ground for FB:s action?
In that case it means that Zuckerberg and his 'friends'/collaborators, don't wish to upset alternatively share the same views as those very same dictators?!

If this is not the case one have to ask oneself if Facebook more and more is developing into a world of its own with censorship of ideas that might upset or create tensions between FB and different governments, organisations or institutions in the world.

On the one hand it's necessary with a certain control of the content being published on Facebook, on the other hand the freedom of opinion has to be respected, otherwise FB in a strange way diverge from the rest of the publishing world - except in the dictatorships - and in that case I think we all should reevaluate our participation in this giant social forum.

If FB has any other arguments for shutting down the account of Saad Hussni, it would be interesting to see them published, if possible.

In accordance with many FB-friends (Saad Hussni's 5000 'friends' on FB among others), I consider it totally unacceptable that Saad Hussni's account has been shut down and demand that it will be reopened.
So far no acceptable explanation has been given to the closing down of his account!







(Picture of FB-logo taken from: http://beachandbay.com.au/realestateblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/facebook-connecting-people.jpg)

(Photo Mark Zuckerberg taken from: http://www.linformaticien.com/Portals/0/2008/fevrier/mark%20zuckerberg.jpg)

Laila Westersund dead


The Swedish singer, actress/comediènne Laila Westersund is dead. Well known in Sweden but perhaps not a name familiar to others than Swedes and people in the other Nordic countries.
The above example in Swedish unfortunately.

lördag, februari 12, 2011

R.I.P. Hans Leygraf




Homepage of Hans Leygraf

måndag, februari 07, 2011

Susanne Bier and 'Haevnen'


The interview is unfortunately done in Swedish/Danish but it's a way to learn those languages, if you're not familiar with them!

Listen to music with your whole body


This video cut is from a combined concert and 'class' with Evelyn Glennie, a renowned percussionist who not only is a virtuoso on her instruments but also deaf, something that might seem incompatable to most people but obviously is not.

She 'listens' to the music through her body and this is what she is trying to explain to the audience.
She also underlines the fact that even if you are a hearing person, you don't perceive the music in the same way, not even acoustically. In a concert hall it depends on where you ar seated and this is something one might forget. Most people probably think they perceive the music in approximately the same way.

R.I.P. Gunnar Bergsten


The Swedish Jazz musician (baritone saxophonist) Gunnar Bergsten is dead, a musician also performing with the group 'Fläsket Brinner', a group he co founded.

söndag, februari 06, 2011

R.I.P. Per Grundén


One of the foremost operetta (light opera) singers - Per Grundén - is dead.
In Vienna he's even regarded as one of the best operetta tenors of all time.
He also acted in Swedish theatres and films (IMDb).

R.I.P. Gary Moore

fredag, februari 04, 2011

R.I.P. Tura Satana



Tura Satana was a Japanese-born American actress, debuting in a supporting role in Billy Wilder's 'Irma la Douce' but she's probably best known for her role in 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! by Russ Meyer (1965).

R.I.P. Lena Nyman



torsdag, februari 03, 2011

R.I.P. Maria Schneider


Le dernier Tango à Paris (Last Tango in Paris) was a film that according to Maria Schneider destroyed her career and left her traumatized for a long time.

It was especially due to the 'butter scene' where Marlon Brando 'fist-fucks' her (sorry for the bad language but this is actually what he does) with butter.
She had not been told about this scene before and she has told reporters that her tears in that scene was for real.

Maria Schneider declared that Bertolucci and Brando took advantage of the fact that she was young and innocent, trusting these two men and their seriousness, not prepared being used as a tool for their pervertedness!

onsdag, februari 02, 2011

Jussi Björling Centennial celebration

Today we (should) celebrate the centennial of one of the greatest lyrical-dramatical tenors of all time, some would even say The Greatest - me for example!

Jussi Björling was born the 5th of February in Borlänge, a small town (almost) in the middle of Sweden but in the Church registers one find the date 2nd of February and Jussi himself always celebrated the latter date as his birthday, and therefore we do the same. Through the link in his name, you are directed to the Swedish Jussi Björlingsällskapet. Through this link, Jussi, you are directed to the American Jussi Björling Society.


Below some pictures of this great tenor.
(Photo taken from: https://greatsingersofthepast.wordpress.com/2017/02/page/2/)


(Photo taken from : https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/opera-portraits-1890-to-1955/operatic-singers-in-formal-clothing.html)


(Photo taken from: https://www.allmusic.com/album/gounod-faust-mw0001403794)

(Photo taken from: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11358388/jussi-bj_rling)

(Photo taken from: http://www.operaclubdeparis-mariolanza.fr/ctn/wordpress/2014/05/hommage-au-tenor-jussi-bjorling-sur-radio-aligre-3/)

(Photo taken from: http://didier22.canalblog.com/archives/2019/08/04/37541113.html)

(Photo taken from: https://www.amazon.fr/Jussi-Bj%C3%B6rling-Swedish-Giuseppe-Verdi/dp/B00AOIUHCE)

Jussi Björling - The Centennial Voice











More of the same in American film 2011...?













tisdag, februari 01, 2011

From The I Say-Team to the A-Team