United Kingdom Declares Icelandic Volcano a "Terrorist Act"

You heard it here first, li'l ZENers!


For the second time in two years, Gordon Brown's government has declared the eruption of Icelandic volcanoes to be 'Terrorist Acts', and found Iceland to be violating the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001!
(or read The BBC, Guardian or TIME magazine's coverage!)


Such was their misguided resort to 'solving' problems in 2008, for the greater peril of Iceland's hard-working and hardy citizenry... and this satiric post at crystelZENmud reminds you that the interrelationships between our commercial and political entities remain ever-entwined, interlaced...


You can also explore this Icelandic site, which offers commentary on the British action(s).


Private Industry reacted yesterday, to this enforced shut-down; claims of losses were for some 35 million Euros attributed to Air France, as well as SAS, which claimed a four-day loss of some 29m Euros, and British Airways, which claimed between 17 and 26m Euros from the total 'paralysis'.


Interestingly, it appears that Air France has claimed much more than airlines whose base countries are somewhat closer to the epicenter of the volcanic clouds; is anyone going to take a fine-tooth comb to their 'subscribed losses' before granting EU aid under Article 107.2, which allows aid to entities that suffered from 'natural catastrophes' in the origin of their losses. As reported in Le Monde (en français), such aid is available on a non-discriminatory basis, "and cannot act as a disguised aid towards restructuring"...


Will Brown declare Iceland's geologically-active landscape to be a 'Terrorist threat'? Maybe he learned his lesson back in October 2008... ZENers can sleep well, tonight, if Gordon Brown didn't do it already, he probably won't pursue this fallacious course of action!

___çç*******/ ZENmud \*******çç___

© 2010

Cannes and Beaune Film Festivals: eruptions in Iceland!

Behold! In mere weeks, another Cannes Film Festival begins... and you yawn?

:-)

Will this year's Mediterranean extravaganza be any different than those of past years? ZENers are inclined to think so... because the Président du Jury is no one other than Tim Burton.


Tim's long history of eccentricity between mind and market; his stunning series of films (which began long before Batman and Edward Scissorhands, through the immemorial Ed Wood, to his recently-released Alice in Wonderland) create fantasmagoric trails, through cinema's blossoming era of ever-more-complex digital effects, whilst weaving stories that draw from his actors their best presentations of the characters they portrayed.


Tim's genius is manifested in his low-key (and low decibel) directing talents; how successful will that talent be, as he brings together a Cannes Jury comprised of...

• Kate Beckinsale: actress from the United Kingdom;
• Giovanna Mezagiornio: Italian actress;
• Alberto Barbera: Director of the Italian National Cinema Museum;
  
• Emmanuel Carrere: French Director, author and screenwriter;
  
• Victor Erice: Spanish Director;
• Shekhar Kapur: Indian actor, Director and producer
  

As President of this Jury, Tim Burton will have the only 'American' viewpoint for a heavily-European jury; yet his unconventional methods will most likely be rather well-appreciated by the fellow jurors.


On the palate for films, is Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. The long métrage, which falls in the genre of 'we can do better than Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings!' (In its effects, scenes of running-through-woods bow-and-arrow battles, etc.... even to the casting), displays that aspect of the Cannes festival that its fans cherish so much: bringing in the spectacular... the omnipresent aspects of global marketing budgets...


For the first time in twelve years, ZENmud Central is not wired-in to the coverage of Cannes, offered by the French television channels, especially Canal+ (aka Canal Plus)...


And!


Last weekend was France's "2nd Annual International Thriller Film Festival"... the 'new kid' on the international film Festival 'block'...


While... FLASH; an Icelandic volcano eruption has paralyzed aerial traffic in the northwest regions of Europe! Airports from Geneva to Ireland are under the effect of thick dust and ash, forcing the cancellation of hundreds, if not thousands of flights... and experts on Icelandic geology are announcing that less-intense, yet nearly-continual emissions from this volcano may occur for up to a year!


How will aerial traffic be affected in the months to come, and what effects will this bring to the European tourist industry?


Hopefully, Tim and the rest of the flock of celebrity travellers to Cannes, will be able to arrive in the weeks to come! Stay inside, Euro-ZENers!

___çç*******/ ZENmud \*******çç___

© 2010