'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Artists Against Fracking said neither the group nor supporters Yoko Ono or Sean Lennon have been told to register as lobbyists in their campaign against gas drilling in New York, but will if necessary to continue their work.
Celebrities of music, stage and screen who are gaining attention for the effort to block New York from approving a method of gas drilling may soon be getting more attention than they bargained for _ from state regulators.
Artists Against Fracking said Monday neither the group nor Yoko Ono or Sean Lennon have been told to register as lobbyists in their campaign against gas drilling in New York, but will if necessary to continue their work.
Artists Against Fracking opposes hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and boasts members including Yoko Ono and actors Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon. But the group and nearly 200 entertainers who are gaining attention and support in the dispute aren’t registered lobbyists, according to a search of the database of the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics. State law is designed to disclose who is trying to influence government action, how much money they are spending and where the money’s going.
Artists Against Fracking say the group and supporter-celebrities, including Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, haven't been told to register as lobbyists in their campaign to stop gas drilling in New York, but will if required to continue their cause.
Dozens of celebrities may be running afoul of the law as they unite under the banner of one group that is seeking to prevent a method of gas drilling in New York state.
Although it sometimes accompanies fine films such as "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo," the phrase "inspired by a true story" tacked onto the front of a movie too often warns you that you're about to see something "inspiring" in the most hackneyed, triumph-of-the-human-spirit sort of way.
"I don't vilify all Republicans, I don't believe all Republicans are evil, I believe there are lots of good people who just believe differently," Tim Robbins told a packed audience last week in Santa Monica, where he was interviewed by liberal comedian Marc Maron.
Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Susan Sarandon spoke out against fracking Thursday during a tour of natural-gas drilling sites in northeastern Pennsylvania, warning about what they view as the danger to air, water and human health.
She was just nominated for a Spirit Award for her leading role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild," and there's buzz that Golden Globe and Oscar nods could be next. But these days, Quvenzhane Wallis is more concerned about picking up long division in her math class than trophies in Hollywood.
Tom Hanks wants to be one of the Wright brothers in his next life. Halle Berry and Ben Whishaw would like to come back in feline form. Susan Sarandon wants to remain a woman, and she'd like a great set of singing pipes.
Susan Sarandon reported for work on "Cloud Atlas" midway through the shoot, in time to see a collection of far-flung film scenes that the cast and crew were viewing.
Susan Sarandon reported for work on "Cloud Atlas" midway through the shoot, in time to see a collection of far-flung film scenes that the cast and crew were viewing.
"Arbitrage" _ Greed is good, until it isn't anymore, in this guilty-pleasure thriller for these tough economic times. In directing his first feature, writer and documentarian Nicholas Jarecki shows great command of tone _ a balance of sex, danger and manipulation with some insiderish business talk and a healthy sprinkling of dark humor to break up the tension. His film is well-cast and strongly acted, and while it couldn't be more relevant, it also recalls the decadence of 1980s Wall Street, shot in 35mm as it is, with a synth-heavy score. "Arbitrage" is a lurid look at a lavish lifestyle that allows us to cluck disapprovingly while still vicariously enjoying its luxurious trappings. Richard Gere stars as billionaire hedge-fund magnate Robert Miller. As he turns 60, Robert would seem to have it all _ yet he always wants more, and feels emboldened by the different set of rules and morals that seems to apply in his rarefied world. So he "borrows" $417 million from a fellow tycoon to cover a hole in his portfolio and make his company look as stable as possible as it's about to be acquired by a bank. And despite the loyalty and support of his smart, beautiful wife (Susan Sarandon), he has a hot (and hot-headed) French mistress on the side (former Victoria's Secret model Laetitia Casta) who runs in stylish, hard-partying art circles. Both these schemes explode in his face over the course of a few fateful days. Tim Roth, Brit Marling and Nate Parker co-star. R for language, brief violent images and drug use. 100 minutes. Three stars out of four.
Greed is good, until it isn't anymore, is "Arbitrage," a guilty-pleasure thriller for these tough economic times.
After listening to the couple's story, Sarandon said, "If it's been decided that these people are expendable, and that the people in this area are expendable, there's nothing to stop (the industry) from thinking that they can sacrifice other people in other places. ... It's horrifying and very sad."
"I think there's far too many reincarnated Cleopatras to buy into the notion that the exact person comes back as someone else," Sarandon said. "But I do believe that this energy which can't be destroyed when a person dies, where does that go?"
