Miriam stoppard

Do the heaps of cigarette butts that litter the ground where smokers gather get on your nerves? Did you know the filter tips on cigarettes are the most common item of litter in the world? The largest part of most cigarette butts is a non-biodegradable plastic filter made of cellulose. Filters first appeared in the 1950s. The tobacco industry claimed filters made cigarettes safer by absorbing some of the tar that was blamed for the lung cancer epidemic. We now know, says the BMJ, that this safety argument was a myth, one of many created by the tobacco industry to sell cigarettes. Filters did reduce tar when ­cigarettes were tested in smoking machines designed by the industry, but not when smoked by people. Realising this, the industry shifted the focus from trying to find a filter that would reduce toxins to describing cigarettes with misleading terms such as ‘light,’ ‘low tar,’ and ‘natural’. Read More Dr Miriam These terms are now prohibited … [Read more...] about Dr Miriam Stoppard: It’s time to ban useless cigarette filters to stub out litter

Caryl Churchill's new play has 57 scenes, runs 110 minutes and employs 16 actors to play more than 100 characters. Too much information? But one of the many points made by this exhilarating theatrical kaleidoscope is that we live in a world where information bombardment is in danger of leading to atrophy of memory, erosion of privacy and decay of feeling. What is extraordinary about Churchill is her capacity as a dramatist to go on reinventing the wheel. All her plays, from Owners to A Number and Far Away, are formal experiments, and on this occasion she has come up with something that feels like an intimate revue written by Wittgenstein. Occasionally, as in a cryptic sketch about a woman flummoxed by a multilingual waiter who knows endless words for "table", it is very funny. But what I detect in Churchill is a deep sense of political and personal unease about a society in which speed of communication replaces human connections. That is manifested in scenes showing we don't always … [Read more...] about Love and Information – review

The Berlinale has always had a reputation for being one of the most political film festivals in the world, and it's due in part to Berlin's history. During the Cold War, while the Berlin Wall still divided the city, the Berlinale was a place to build cultural bridges between the East and the West, both for filmmakers and for the public. Still political in global era The festival has defended its political reputation, even if the global situation has changed. It's mainly in the Berlinale's side events, where films are shown outside of the main competition, that political films, mainly documentaries, are screened. But there are always a few political films in the running for the Bears. The motto of this year's Berlinale is, "The personal is political," and the Berlinale is running at least three films which live up to that motto. The most prominent is Vice, which opened in the US in December.  Dick Cheney: Master manipulator With Vice, director Adam McKay … [Read more...] about Politics on the big screen at Berlinale 2019

ROCKY HILL, CT — The polls have closed and the votes have been counted in Rocky Hill's municipal election. There were numerous positions up for grabs as listed below. MAYORDemocratic Party William J. O'Sullivan 2,465 46.32%TOWN COUNCIL ( Click here for full race results )BOARD OF EDUCATION ( Click here for full race results )BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS ( Click here for full race results )ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ( Click here for full race results )ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ALTERNATE ( Click here for full race results )ROCKY HILL, CT — Republican Lisa Marotta has been declared the winner of the Rocky Hill mayoral race, according to the state Republican party. This is a breaking news story. Patch will continue to update election results. Check back for more updates. ROCKY HILL, CT — Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 5 to vote in Rocky Hill's municipal election. There are numerous positions up for grabs including the position of mayor, town council, boards of … [Read more...] about Rocky Hill 2019 Election: Vote Totals For Every Race

DOWNTON Abbey’s Maggie Smith has branded the show "unsatisfying" to work on as playing Violet Crawley "didn’t feel like acting". The 84-year-old actress won a legion of fans for her role as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in the hit ITV period drama. But speaking to ES Magazine, Dame Maggie admitted she hadn't found that role - or her work on the Harry Potter movies - that challenging. Comparing the two roles to her earlier career she said: "It seemed to take ages to get away from light comedy. "I am deeply grateful for the work in Potter and indeed Downton, but it wasn’t what you’d call satisfying. "I didn’t really feel I was acting in those things.” Despite her feelings towards her Downton character, her work on the show won her three Emmys and her third Golden Globe.Dame Maggie's career spans almost 70 years, but she can't explain how she came to be an actress. She said: "Honest to God, I have no idea where the urge [to act] came from. It was … [Read more...] about Downton Abbey’s Maggie Smith brands show ‘unsatisfying’ to work on as Violet Crawley ‘didn’t feel like acting’

October 25, 2017 - 15:19 BST Sharnaz Shahid JK Rowling has revealed why Professor Sprout is particularly poignant to her. The Harry Potter character has a special link to her own mother Anne It's the phenomenon which catapulted JK Rowling to worldwide fame, and while everyone can relate to one or more characters in Harry Potter, the beloved author has explained why Professor Pomona Sprout is particularly poignant to her. In a new BBC documentary, the 52-year-old revealed she sketched Professor Sprout the same night her mother, Anne, passed away. Her mum died aged 45 after losing a ten year battle with multiple sclerosis. The picture of Pomona Sprout, who was played by Miriam Margolyes in the films, now features in an exhibition at the British Library.JK Rowling has revealed why Professor Sprout is particularly poignant to her STORY: JK Rowling has the same fear as this Harry Potter character "I drew this picture on December 30, 1990, and I … [Read more...] about JK Rowling reveals heartbreaking story behind Professor Sprout