ORIENT AND OCCIDENT A THIN DIVIDING LINE

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixXfumjFXIIoPBaUCI_NESfGqg7V8FtIpxPVjrNob-_AhG72mkjJKk-WZC5o79iUob2P5rwjNNI3lZ57ljlG3RLh9p_QpnY0_qutYWXLP47EF8f3M2AvI_AN8aKRT3YiCTvwAHiSF-XOm/s1600/solutions2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixXfumjFXIIoPBaUCI_NESfGqg7V8FtIpxPVjrNob-_AhG72mkjJKk-WZC5o79iUob2P5rwjNNI3lZ57ljlG3RLh9p_QpnY0_qutYWXLP47EF8f3M2AvI_AN8aKRT3YiCTvwAHiSF-XOm/s320/solutions2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">  </span><br /><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">                       WIND OF CHANGE</span> <br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">ILLOGIC SHIFT IN STRATEGIES OR CALCULATED RISK? </b><br /><br />The pace at which the geo political and strategic landscape in the MIDDLE EASTERN region is changing is simply astonishing and at times beyond logic. Thus it comes as no surprise that every mainstream media outlet as well as alternative media sources around the globe speculate on the outcome as well as to the “why”? Thus RUSSIA’S alleged shift of its stance on SYRIA comes as somewhat of a surprise. But then also does the fact that ISRAEL supports a regime change in SYRIA. (see http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/syrias-destiny-sealed.html )<br />According to mainstream media RUSSIA apparently has changed its attitude towards SYRIA by distancing itself from the ASSAD Regime. Other media outlets though report that RUSSIA had just inked a deal with SYRIA selling a considerable amount of fighter jets to SYRIA! <br /><br />TURKEY’S official stance regarding IRAN is that of hostility but just a few days ago TURKEY announced publicly that it would not adhere to any sanctions against IRAN'S nuclear program unless they were imposed by the UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL. So where does that leave TURKEY, pro or contra IRAN?  As of recent, TURKEY’S foreign policies have caused a bit of an uproar among the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, thus making its geo political agenda behind these havoc moves hard to analyze. On the one hand TURKEY strongly oppose IRAN and subsequently SYRIA, but on the other hand it supports INDIA to bypass EU and US sanctions on IRAN by supporting INDIA to bypass the sanctions, for INDIA announced that it would circumvent EU and US sanctions on IRANIAN oil by buying IRANIAN oil with gold. The transactions will allegedly be conducted by two state-owned banks: the CALCUTTA-based UCO Bank, whose board of directors is made up of INDIAN government and Reserve Bank of INDIA representatives; and HALK BANKASI (Peoples Bank), TURKEY'S seventh largest bank which is owned by the government.<br /><br />These are just a few examples on how the MIDDLE EAST chess game is picking up pace as well as surprise moves, which still leaves us with the question as to why? Here are some hypotheses:<br /><br /><div style="color: blue;"><b>CURRENCY WAR?</b></div><br />Is the MIDDLE EASTERN turmoil really about dollar dominance and private central banking? Was the LIBYAN “intervention” because LIBYA wanted to set up a private gold currency in AFRICA? <br />Was the idea to create a new currency among AFRICAN and MUSLIM nations to purchase oil and other resources something that provoked the echelons of WESTERN powers because it meant that the dollar would de facto lose its “value”? Such move would definitely shift the economic balance of the world. Establishing a banking system in AFRICA and the MIDDLE EAST, based on ISLAMIC doctrines would create outrage among WESTERN FINANCE POWER jugglers for ISLAM as a faith does not allow to borrow-sell money with interest. Such doctrine would surly cause havoc among the casino finance system currently ruling the markets.<br /><br />Thus the creation of a Muslim finance cartel and the Islamic GOLD DINAR is something the ANGLO AMERICAN finance cartel wants to make sure does not occur for it would jeopardize their power and influence significantly, especially since the GOLD DINAR currency would be based on large quantities of gold, where as WESTERN currencies are “based on digital numbers” without physical value backing! It appears that there is no "mainstream" currency in the world that is backed by metals, either silver or gold. Less than 150 years ago money was considered to be gold or silver, in other words worth real value.<br />Recent past has shown that oil producing countries that tired to implement oil trade in other currencies then the dollar faced severe “punishment” from the ANGLOSPHERE oil and finance cartel. Now we read that INDIA is planning to pay for Iranian oil with gold and rumors have it that CHINA will follow suit.<br />(See http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/circumvention.html)<br /><br />The question is if the ANGLOSPHERE oil and finance cartel really intends to defend dollar dominance at all cost. Looking at the current currency war with EUROPE one might come to the conclusion that they do so indeed. Aside from the currency war with EUROPE one should not forget that the world remains dollar driven and the dollar remains a source of WESTERN power, not to mention that the dollar is still referred to as the worlds “RESERVE CURRENCY”.<br />SAUDI ARABIA, a key ally of the USA and UNITED KINGDOM, refuses to sell their oil for anything other than dollars.<br /><br /><b>On subject matter, Anthony Wile from the Daily Bell writes:</b><br /><br />The arrangement is perhaps a convincing argument, by the way, against peak oil theories. What are the chances that SAUDI ARABIA just happens to be the ANGLOSPHERE'S biggest producer of oil in the MIDDLE EAST and also the WEST'S strongest ally?<br />Isn't it more reasonable to conclude that WESTERN powers-that-be have RESTRICTED oil discovery and production around the world? Famously, according to a statement by one of the FORBES brothers last year, there is enough oil in the mainland UNITED STATES to furnish energy for the next 1,000 years. That doesn't even include natural gas (which is still flared off) and coal.<br />(See also: http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/deceiving-tactics.html under the headline: <b>Are claims that crude oil resources are diminishing legitimate or a deliberate lie</b>?)<br /><br />The world is likely drowning in energy. The scarcities that people fear are generated by the power elite's dominant social themes– the fear-based promotions that are intended to frighten people into giving up power and wealth to globalist facilities such as the UN, IMF and WORLD BANK<br /><br />In view of these facts here are 3 possible scenarios as to why the current “Strategic Chess Game” in the MIDDLE EAST and NORTH AFRICA is such a decisive one.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">1. GEO STRATEGIC SUPREMACY</span> </b><br /><br />Looking at the current developments on could argue the entire sabre-rattling is about strategic resources and military-intelligence advantages over RUSSIA and CHINA. The idea, that we are once again face a cold war scenario where the WEST is repositioning itself both defensively and offensively to gain maximum flexibility and power over potential adversaries is imminent. This would also explain the sudden shift of US strategic interests in ASIA.<br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">2. MONETARY DOMINANCE </b><br /><br />Bank institutions or “Banksters”, who run much of the WEST’S military industry, intend to “seize” public central banks in order to replace them with private ones, as is the case with the FEDERAL RESERVE in the USA. These private monetary institutions fear that citizen led governments print their own paper money. <br />This fear seems imminent, for GERMANY announced that will begin to abolish cash transactions step by step from August 2012, putting the EU directive 2009/110/EC (PDF) into practice. (See http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/01/total-control.html) <br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">3. ISLAMIC CRESCENT ARC</b><br /><br />The Crescent Arc is a theory which argues that the ANGLOSPHERE intends to spread the war on terror in the MIDDLE EAST and is actively aiding ISLAMIC regimes in order to create this war. While this may sound far-fetched to some, the various regimes that have been destabilized by so-called YOUTH MOVEMENTS (controlled it seems by the USA and BRITAIN) are all SECULAR, where as the replacement regimes are all ISLAMIC. This theory not only seems to apply for the MIDDLE EAST but can also be applied for BOSNIA. The details of which will be described in an article on subject matter on this blog in due course.<br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">CONCLUSION</b><br /><br />The ongoing geo-political turmoil in NORTHERN AFRICA, the MIDDLE EAST and IRAN are most likely sparked by the USA and its allies as part of a wider strategy aimed at gaining dominance in the region, in order to create a basis for future quests into ASIA and AFRICA, thereby gaining tactical advantage over its adversaries, the BRICS (BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA, CHINA and SOUTH AFRICA) and other emerging economies, who also claim a slice of the “energy and geo strategic cake”. This coincides with US Asia-Pacific orientation and the need to have a foundation on AFRICAN soil, for the AFRICAN continent is about to become of increased eco – geo political importance for developed nations, a fact that many seemed to have ignored until recently, thus underestimating the potential the continent offers. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Parts of above article contain extracts from Anthony Wile's article “Truth About Middle East is Spreading” published via the Daily Bell.</i></span>

ORIENT AND OCCIDENT A THIN DIVIDING LINE

                         WIND OF CHANGE ILLOGIC SHIFT IN STRATEGIES OR CALCULATED RISK? The pace at which the geo political and strategic l...

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James Stewart: A Walk on the Dark Side

<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">by guest contributor Classicfilmboy</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmnXVHdkvY9NAzmc_IAZJdYpeSIwZ7wOISZ4TxYh3Hxq69nQ5GBcKdVjMvdP4zbLizNSdB2K9bTAVQ979eNhxwc1byGH1l_Ddfg2FGlcTGQBpyUgP6Mz4IDUkPnXBN-TZoqf1H6PjPaao/s1600/Scottie+Obsessed+and+Coit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmnXVHdkvY9NAzmc_IAZJdYpeSIwZ7wOISZ4TxYh3Hxq69nQ5GBcKdVjMvdP4zbLizNSdB2K9bTAVQ979eNhxwc1byGH1l_Ddfg2FGlcTGQBpyUgP6Mz4IDUkPnXBN-TZoqf1H6PjPaao/s400/Scottie+Obsessed+and+Coit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Alfred Hitchcock had a knack for bringing out the worst in the best of actors. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And I mean that as a compliment. He could take likable leading men, cast them as dark characters and draw great performances. Think of Cary Grant’s Johnnie in <i>Suspicion</i> (before the studio re-edited the ending), Joseph Cotton’s Uncle Charlie in <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i> and Robert Walker’s Bruno in <i>Strangers on a Train</i>.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Perhaps the best example of this was how Hitchcock used James Stewart, whose image was the “aw shucks” guy next door. As Hitchcock biographer Patrick McGilligan suggests, his heroes began to deepen with Grant and then with Stewart, and those films deepened as a result. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But as much as I love Grant, he has a particular on-screen persona that became part of almost every performance he gave starting in the late 1940s. Meanwhile, as Stewart aged, he pushed away from his all-American persona and began playing dark and conflicted men, looking less and less like the characters audiences loved in the 1930s and early 1940s. Frank Capra tapped into Stewart’s dark side in 1946’s <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i>, with the actor playing a man who is contemplating suicide, forced to stay and work where he never wanted to and bitter that he never had the opportunities that others enjoyed. According to McGilligan, Stewart told Lionel Barrymore that his air force experience during World War II made him question acting, resulting in Stewart searching for stronger parts. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIos6P3kd1a7AMECdSmwtgAiTygL26OF16qX2RcqwJfN60t2sbQoElSWmZVVhJwiOFXvQ5WL45YKXIeUKK135proqum1jTaUw6vbWJaPlrfW0TPaqDaDNHazc9ZLnrqB8MM6F9MqbDhGK/s1600/rope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIos6P3kd1a7AMECdSmwtgAiTygL26OF16qX2RcqwJfN60t2sbQoElSWmZVVhJwiOFXvQ5WL45YKXIeUKK135proqum1jTaUw6vbWJaPlrfW0TPaqDaDNHazc9ZLnrqB8MM6F9MqbDhGK/s400/rope.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rope </i>(1948)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It makes sense that Hitchcock would pick up on Stewart’s newfound attitudes. Yet, oddly enough, Stewart’s first film with Hitchcock was 1948’s <i>Rope</i>, in which Stewart is very much playing off his good-guy persona. Stewart does his usual fine job, but both he and Hitchcock learned from this for their future collaborations. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But first came some fine roles that would eventually comprise a decade of marvelous work from Stewart, starting with 1950’s <i>Harvey</i>. As the gentle Elwood P. Dowd, Stewart plays someone who’s not in touch with the rest of society, which in itself can get you labeled as mentally disturbed even if that’s not the case. Stewart mines the dark comedy in playing a man who would rather be friends with a large imaginary rabbit that with any humans, and it takes a special actor to make this character resonate rather than becoming too cute or too disturbing. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stewart’s early 1950s westerns also brought out a toughness in character. Just look at <i>The Naked Spur</i>, with Stewart as a bounty hunter in a tale that predates some of John Wayne’s more conflicted Western characters.  </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidj7TaMT1aCX2URWkPopJycrJXeiSevUlcForgeX1ReBg3zhYLq2J6wS_Bm5KA9znAULJJDaOBQuX8mgwaZmDnUy5QxpUJVU6HLKrCpMmmVo-syil0pPir9SSyXK9cDTeTX62vpa3aH3Ne/s1600/rear+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidj7TaMT1aCX2URWkPopJycrJXeiSevUlcForgeX1ReBg3zhYLq2J6wS_Bm5KA9znAULJJDaOBQuX8mgwaZmDnUy5QxpUJVU6HLKrCpMmmVo-syil0pPir9SSyXK9cDTeTX62vpa3aH3Ne/s400/rear+window.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rear Window </i>(1954)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stewart’s second pairing with Hitchcock is 1954’s <i>Rear Window</i> which is my favorite Hitchcock film of the 1950s. It’s rare to think of Stewart as having a sexuality on screen, yet here Hitchcock fully taps into it with Stewart’s character, Jeff, having an open affair with Grace Kelly. It’s rather shocking to see Mr. All-American, in a leg cast and wheelchair, clearly in lust with the lovely Ms. Kelly. Yet it works, bringing Stewart down to our level. Yes, he’s still the hero, but he also has desires and doubts like the rest of us. The fact that our hero likes to spy on all of his neighbors adds an unsettling dimension to that character, because the audience is right there with him, knowing it’s wrong but unable to do anything but indulge. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">How better than to have your audience identify with a peeping Tom than have that man played by Stewart. He’s a flawed man, and one that Hitchcock and Stewart brilliantly explore together. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXofHi52KyOTYj4QZYwpYQn4M1tQo0gw76Ddy3sIDbnePOH2gMYpRnBXs-TsP_MBZlASLZTLlgD_mQLladvtZY3xC_klo_fVhniHxTJCrqj5pvdqZOJFyThhDViUbf5XIhHnuT0M4GmczN/s1600/tmwktm+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXofHi52KyOTYj4QZYwpYQn4M1tQo0gw76Ddy3sIDbnePOH2gMYpRnBXs-TsP_MBZlASLZTLlgD_mQLladvtZY3xC_klo_fVhniHxTJCrqj5pvdqZOJFyThhDViUbf5XIhHnuT0M4GmczN/s400/tmwktm+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Man Who Knew Too Much </i>(1956)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It’s worth noting that Stewart was cast before screenwriter John Michael Hayes started his work, so the role was tailored to Stewart. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stewart and Hitchcock were both friendly and business-like to each other. More importantly, they understood each other. Stewart re-teams with Hitchcock a third time in <i>The Man Who Knew Too Much</i>, although in the first half of the movie Stewart relies on his aw-shucks persona too much. It isn’t until the latter stages when Stewart’s Ben MacKenna is desperate to save his child. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But Hitchcock fully taps into the dark side of Stewart in <i>Vertigo</i>, their fourth film together. Stewart’s Scottie may be afraid of heights, but that’s the least of his problems in light of his sexual obsession over Kim Novak. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2012/01/deadly-obsession-alfred-hitchcocks.html" style="color: #990000;">R.D. Finch</a> does an outstanding job of discussing Stewart in his <i>Vertigo</i> post from earlier this month during The Lady Eve’s <i>Vertigo</i> event, and there’s no need to repeat what he wrote. What’s worth noting is the unsettling, frightening darkness to Stewart’s character. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuXMpQOTi5IFMTrFSWhFKGhrtw8d2hVoD6xBMOeVm5COsQUbEgWqKP8GmEDmHz6NWVKugybFms-BET6NNajmaPQpXdSyDwUR24GdN6LRasAkooODHIRGjRJMWd153N3JviQnJUkiEifKa/s1600/changing+judy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuXMpQOTi5IFMTrFSWhFKGhrtw8d2hVoD6xBMOeVm5COsQUbEgWqKP8GmEDmHz6NWVKugybFms-BET6NNajmaPQpXdSyDwUR24GdN6LRasAkooODHIRGjRJMWd153N3JviQnJUkiEifKa/s400/changing+judy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Perhaps this is why the film wasn’t much of a success when it was released. In <i>Rope</i>, <i>Rear Window</i> and <i>The Man Who Knew Too Much</i>, Stewart eventually overcomes his weaknesses, although with some struggle. In <i>Vertigo</i>, the weaknesses are debilitating, and maybe that’s what audiences simply don’t want to see in Stewart or accept from one of his characters. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMH60yQmjCJdMjmwlOCXXBwF2r5djqMORIFCHNNpnp6398H768l1uiRYpTNHPTeGhV-WgtB6tTSS5HYasRpQkehHHG6-q6CfgKOld0k7arQHIWxBgwuzWcRjTl60z5m_BBGdBuiTQ1Lfv/s1600/vengeance+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMH60yQmjCJdMjmwlOCXXBwF2r5djqMORIFCHNNpnp6398H768l1uiRYpTNHPTeGhV-WgtB6tTSS5HYasRpQkehHHG6-q6CfgKOld0k7arQHIWxBgwuzWcRjTl60z5m_BBGdBuiTQ1Lfv/s400/vengeance+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But Scottie should be a disorienting figure in a film where dizziness is both literal and figurative. For me, Stewart’s casting is genius, because it adds another level of disorientation. I doubt another actor could have carried this off. Sure, others may have given strong performances, but Hitchcock and Stewart knew what they were doing. It’s that extra push, the expected screen persona that’s built into the audience mindset before the film begins that ultimately shocks them in the end. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnGAHVdo4Nz_fopkDZyqTFxnnSiDB8rFx-RFUnI5WsdhC5gzGGgvSgy9nFzpSUYYImZMFtn8vNzHvU1DLd5SsUXxCId6nU5tXL8IxRW-1FPZfGdO9Y3af4k6taxyADdoKcah0iUORDyc2/s1600/acrophobia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnGAHVdo4Nz_fopkDZyqTFxnnSiDB8rFx-RFUnI5WsdhC5gzGGgvSgy9nFzpSUYYImZMFtn8vNzHvU1DLd5SsUXxCId6nU5tXL8IxRW-1FPZfGdO9Y3af4k6taxyADdoKcah0iUORDyc2/s400/acrophobia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">  </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> As a result, <i>Vertigo</i> is an enduring, disturbing tale. Over four films, Hitchcock and Stewart worked well together, and the great director elicited from Stewart some of his best work, perhaps none as disturbing as Scottie.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-D0Z1YDOm8nivyoh1Ba-Wbpfd1EYgd62tOxxAKg6o29ekRouh1ubcMamMzCxPqzxSbIFviwymFa8Z5iQyFqRLGGks5Htk6va1UwGHdNv9nO3Slm5wdx1qn1I52nzGSJe84XLy1wa2vajz/s1600/shattered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-D0Z1YDOm8nivyoh1Ba-Wbpfd1EYgd62tOxxAKg6o29ekRouh1ubcMamMzCxPqzxSbIFviwymFa8Z5iQyFqRLGGks5Htk6va1UwGHdNv9nO3Slm5wdx1qn1I52nzGSJe84XLy1wa2vajz/s400/shattered.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">  </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">~</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Brian, aka Classicfilmboy, developed a love of classic films at a young age with the annual airing of </i>The Wizard of Oz<i> on CBS (which he partially blames for his tornado phobia). As a kid growing up in a small Midwestern town, access to classic films was limited, which made their mystique even more enticing. Brian later spent 10 years as a film reviewer and now writes <a href="http://classicfilmboy.com/" style="color: #990000;">Classicfilmboy.com</a>, although he wishes he could devote more time to his blog. He specializes in pre-1970 film history, and for fun he teaches noncredit film appreciation classes at his local community college in suburban Chicago. </i></div>

A Month of Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock Classicfilmboy James Stewart Vertigo James Stewart: A Walk on the Dark Side

by guest contributor Classicfilmboy Alfred Hitchcock had a knack for bringing out the worst in the best of actors. And I mean that as a comp...

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Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie

One thing I love in particular about this version of pot pie is the crust. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZBJZAGTIdI1PJVR0eaCsxMWODRxsdMpqNt2UsLngU569HZw4wf-fDmxcWTONER8-6gb2i0flk_ng6C36mNN4cWWOWICiLRc1xoXwKvpUtmH8pB7yLQHBWjX_VjAcc2JdI2VEyJqUh3c/s1600/chicken+pot+pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZBJZAGTIdI1PJVR0eaCsxMWODRxsdMpqNt2UsLngU569HZw4wf-fDmxcWTONER8-6gb2i0flk_ng6C36mNN4cWWOWICiLRc1xoXwKvpUtmH8pB7yLQHBWjX_VjAcc2JdI2VEyJqUh3c/s400/chicken+pot+pie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Hungry Girl makes it using Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls, making for a really delicious and buttery flavored topping.  As much as I love pot pie, I'm less of a fan of the pie crust used to make a traditional pot pie.  This one? Love!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuPm2pkWxJAKyFX7Rar9L1bzVDdqIO0RvACzvtCNhcctnQRPFNA-XkxGleEomn3zpmsSilg7R6OL9_M2sN0MQhmFKKasGvEyW_QYxx8SHlBBqE7jZtWnbG7D2oFDQb1FuZvY0I8rbeFY/s1600/hungry-girl-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuPm2pkWxJAKyFX7Rar9L1bzVDdqIO0RvACzvtCNhcctnQRPFNA-XkxGleEomn3zpmsSilg7R6OL9_M2sN0MQhmFKKasGvEyW_QYxx8SHlBBqE7jZtWnbG7D2oFDQb1FuZvY0I8rbeFY/s320/hungry-girl-book.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><u>Hungry Girl's <a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/710" target="_blank">Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie</a></u> - <i>7 PointsPlus</i></b><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><ul><li>8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite-sized pieces<i> (I used a can of chunk chicken)</i></li><li>3 cups frozen mixed vegetables</li><li>1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Soup, 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery</li><li>3 servings (triangles) Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls (unprepared)</li></ul><i>Directions:</i><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute chicken pieces for several minutes in a pan spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, until chicken is light brown/cooked but still tender; set aside. Heat frozen veggies in microwave according to package. Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together and put in a 9" round baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place dish in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly (stir about halfway through). While dish is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Combine pieces together with hands to make one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out into a circle to cover top of dish <span style="color: #674ea7;">{you have to get it very, VERY thin!}</span> . Add dough to the top of the dish and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 4.</blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnYA-YWmL_16uQkznFfgEIcgdT1s3yuMLOkIEk6uRnQgf0s7dAixoXouVvG5vxfSTQCSo7Bn96_xJ093AyjpxUP8I8q_Q87iP-P8MIUmLjvGqpkyHBzvlJSTR3qu5pbUX_M23YfQDaXk/s1600/pot+pie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnYA-YWmL_16uQkznFfgEIcgdT1s3yuMLOkIEk6uRnQgf0s7dAixoXouVvG5vxfSTQCSo7Bn96_xJ093AyjpxUP8I8q_Q87iP-P8MIUmLjvGqpkyHBzvlJSTR3qu5pbUX_M23YfQDaXk/s400/pot+pie+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />

Hungry Girl Weight Watcher Recipes Kickin' Chicken Pot Pie

One thing I love in particular about this version of pot pie is the crust.  Hungry Girl makes it using Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls,...

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