Scoop Feedback: Bond Controversy Deepens

Wednesday, 2 November 2005, 10:51 am
Article: Scoop Feedback

An informal West Papua workshop was held at the Pan Pacific Aids Conference on Friday 28 October. This recommendation went to the Steering Committee and one of the speakers at the final plenary read it to the gathering.

"The participants resolved to request that the organising committee recommend to the regional and international HIV/Aids bodies that West Papua be included as part of the Pacific family of nations. This means that West Papua should be included in all HIV/AIDS information outreach including maps, publications, documentaries and statistical summaries."

Maire Leadbeater
Indonesia Human Rights Committee
29 October 2005

Dear Editor:

It was surprising to read the sadly hypocritical comments made by American Library Association president Michael Gorman in an Oct. 11 interview published in Scoop ("Library Challenge to Patriot Act Gag Rule Appealed"). In his interview, Mr. Gorman claimed to be a defender of libraries from intrusive government actions. He praised libraries where people are "able to go and pursue any avenue of inquiry they want, free from government interference."

Yet Michael Gorman refuses to condemn, or even acknowledge the existence of, a campaign of persecution being waged against librarians in Cuba. About ten Cuban citizens are serving 20 year prison terms for daring to open uncensored libraries in a challenge to government control of information; they have been named as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, which is demanding their immediate release. Many of the libraries opened by Cuba's innovative independent library movement have been raided by the secret police, and thousands of books, including classics of freedom such as Orwell's "Animal Farm," have been seized or burned by court order in Cuba.

Isn't it about time Mr. Gorman addressed the issue of Cuba's persecuted librarians in an open and principled manner? And isn't it about time New Zealand librarians spoke out on this issue, too?

Robert Kent
Co-chair
Friends of Cuban Libraries
(New York City
Oct. 29, 2005
(www.friendsofcubanlibraries.org)

I am frequent reader of SCOOP. Because of that, I am enclosing a group of well documented articles related to the following link to counter the allegations of Mr. Robert Kent.

Miguel Ramirez – Cuba Ambassador.

Excerpt of one of the articles: The Little Prince: confiscated by U.S. Customs - 09/08/2005 - by JEAN-GUY ALLARD "The measure would seem ever more absurd in relation to U.S. libraries being pointed to as possible collaborators in the annexation plan drawn up by the State Department – the report to the president by the so-called Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba – while these have repeatedly refused to lend themselves to this dirty U.S. manoeuvre against the island.

"The most notorious representative of operations undertaken at the direction of the White House in support of this official policy is without any doubt New Yorker Robert Kent, alias Robert Emmet, who founded the organization Friends of Cuban Libraries in 1999 to support the so-called “independent” libraries on the island created under the auspices of the U.S. Interest Section in Havana.

"In a text published recently by the respected U.S. website www.counterpunch.com under the title “The Scheme to Infiltrate Cuban Libraries,” U.S. journalist and researcher Diana Barahona of South Beach, California relates in detail how, on a trip to Cuba in May of 1999, he undertook a mission whose profile identifies him beyond any doubt as being with the U.S. intelligence services:

“Kent made contact with Aleida Godínez, an intelligence agent posing as a dissident. According to Godínez, Kent introduced himself as Robert Emmet and even held a passport with that name. He said he had come as an emissary of ex-CIA agent Frank Calzón, executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba.

""Emmet" didn't bring books or spend any time studying libraries; "He put a lot of emphasis on the role of the independent press," says Godínez. "He said absolutely nothing about the so-called independent libraries. He barely mentioned to me that he was a librarian."

"Instead, Kent arrived with surveillance equipment ("a camera, a short-wave radio, a 10-band transmitter and receiver, and a watch, a Cassio brand") and lots of cash, which he passed out to various dissidents. But the most disturbing aspect of the librarian's visit was that he allegedly asked Godínez to help him with drawings and photographs map out the security measures at the home of Vice President of the Council of State, Carlos Lage Davila. Godínez, says he gave her $100 for film for that purpose.

Understandably, "Emmet" was detained and expelled for espionage.”

Hallo overthere

When does a story become a story.

AS a immigrant Work and Income takes away my privatly paid for Dutch part of the superannuation.

Kiwis in the own land are allowed to hold on to there own build up super.

People that go overseas and work there and as such have to pay in to a suppersheme will have at their retierment that contribution deducted from their supper.

At the moment several people are taking action to have their pension reinstated.

Are you interrested in this story.

We need your help to make the country aware of this type of thieving bij government departments.

Will

Daniel Craig's talents might not be appreciated until he’s made his second or third Bond movies. He is going to have it bad enough starting with a film that is not as explosive as the last few Bond films have been in terms of the action. The majority of the people that would appreciate this film would probably be the die hard fans of the character.

Most of those that criticize Craig pick on the most worthless of things as their excuse for him not going to be a good Bond. The majority of that being his being blond. *!&@ James Blond (Even the media can’t be original anymore). I have just had a look at the James Bond publicity photograph for Craig and I have to say he does look the part. Not everyone might agree with me, but, I’m sure there must have been some sceptics when other Bonds were chosen.

All I’m saying now is that it’s too late to start complaining about him not being Bond-like enough and wait for his first outing. I am expecting a good performance from him especially after seeing his past films with Layer Cake as a sort of stencil to what he might look like as Bond.

Daniel Craig might not have everything Fleming described (although he scores high in places) but he should be no mistake to those who really love Bond.

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. The guy is probably scared s**tless taking on a 40 year old role.

James Bond 007 is one of the few things the British has to sell to the rest of the world. Let’s encourage it.

This is specially addressed to the so called lifelong fan of the James Bond series. You're not!

Let's be fair Daniel Craig is Blond but that's about all that he doesn't have to play the role of Bond. Moore had brown hair but he made seven (albeit comic) Bond movies.

Anyway let's forget about that for now. The fact they wanted Brosnan for the role in the 80s doesn't make him the definitive 007. Did you know Cubby Broccoli actually wanted Timothy Dalton to take over the role of Bond for OHMSS in 68, but Dalton who at the time was just 24 turned the role down because he tought he was too young to play it. Him playing the role in 87 and 89 didn't serve as a turning point for Bthe franchise as fans and non-fans have mixed opinions about his Bond. I personally thought those films were fantastic and will always have their place in Bond history.

You shouldn't call a movie mediocre because the person playing the role is not to your liking. Every actor who's played the role of Bond has brought something different to the role. Connery defined it.

Lazenby (although a novice) brought some machismo with a hint of sensitivity(which I think was carried out very well. To be honest I couldn't really see Connery crying after his screen wife got shot. Moore just had fun with the role. Dalton gave the character a gritty, reality check. www.pelicanpromotions.com.au/dalton/bond.html

(A link above from a Dalton as bond fan)

Brosnan was suave and slight playfulness. Craig is a superb actor. Connery and Dalton are probably the only actors who had had as much character variations in films pre-Bond than he has. Layer Cake I believe was made at the right time, as if to advertise him for the Bond role. I saw the film in Cinema in London last year and I immediately told the person I was with that he'll make a fantastic Bond. Now he will.

The fact that Brosnan looks good to you is only appealing to you femininity and that has nothing to do with being a fan. I know women who think he looks alright but think his films are far more comic book looking (I'm no slating that- every Bond film is different).

As a fan you can't urge other fans to boycott a film because you think he is not good-looking enough when he fact he bears more resemblance to the person who's looks the character is based on than any of the other actors

another link for real fan, chatrooms not celebrity lovers (well, at least most of them aren't)

http://www.foren.de/system/
morethread-jamesbond6esistdanielcraig-jamesbond-26775-1953920-110.html

By the way. Pierce's last film was Die another day not Tomorrow never dies (which was three films ago). we all make mistakes.

Give Craig a chance. It's worrying enough taking a role this big and seeing your name and picture beside the previous actors without having wannabe critics in your face (but everyone is entitled to their opinions)

Enjoy
A REAL (sort of) FAN

Today Scoop reported that Joseph Domenech (FAO) placed an urgent request for researchers to develop "an in-the-field kit for detecting the presence of the [bird] flu"

as cited below:
-----
UN Task Forces Battle Avian Flu Misconceptions
Friday, 28 October 2005, 8:55 am

..
What's still missing is an in-the-field kit for detecting the presence of the flu. Specimens still have to be sent to a lab for results, a laborious, time-consuming process.

"FAO therefore appeals to researchers in universities and biotech companies to urgently develop such an important tool," Mr. Domenech added.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0510/S00408.htm
=====

Dear Scoop Editors

This email is to inform you, such a Rapid H5N1 Test has been recently made available by CombiMatrix, a biotech company located:

6500 Harbour Heights Pkwy, Suite #301
Mukilteo, WA 98275 -- USA
(425) 493-2000
----

This New Test identities H5N1 bird flu in 4 hours, ***
using just a sample swab.

Seattle Times News
October 27, 2005
Business Digest

Product detects bird-flu strain:

"Each diagnostic chip retails for around $550, and consists of 10,000 gene probes. The test takes less than four hours using only a cheek swab ..."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/
businesstechnology/2002586026_bizbriefs27.html

http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?
name=1088874XSL_NEWSML_TO_NEWSML_WEB.xml

http://www.combimatrix.com/products_influenza.htm

====

I pass along this news to you, In case you missed this important story.

I agree, that Rapid response is critical if the effects of this Virus are to be contained and mitigated. The world community must band together, if we are to prevent another 1918-like epidemic.

I hope this helps.

James Siebert
Portland, OR
USA

Congratulations to Scoop for delving into hiv.aids in the Pacific Islands. This is by far the biggest piece I have seen done by media anywhere in the region.

I thought you and your readers might be
interested in the scoop of the decade. Read this:

Do people seriously think the Brocolis (or ‘Brocolii’)and their brethren at Sony Pictures (including the new Sony foster children MGM and Columbia) would have cast a cross between Vladmir Putin, Boris Becker and a rubber chicken as James Bond? Hardly. The fact is the dynamic duo siblings have unexpectedly flashed a joker, turning themselves into THE wickedly coolest geezer and gezzerette on the face of the planet as we tear down the final stretch of the first half of the noughties.

What am I babbling about? Daniel Craig HASN’T BEEN CHOSEN as James Bond. It is a hoax, a lark, a send-up, call it what you will. This HOAX has fooled so many people (especially the lads and ladettes in the sleepy media) that the Brocolii are on the verge of earning their very own 00 stripes by casting a baddie as a goodie without even drawing a weapon—which is pretty cool when you consider our Jimbo (ie.,James) took the more formulaic route of putting some slugs in a couple of baddies to gain his 00.

So how do we know the Brocolii have out-tangoed us and not just lost the plot? Well, buckle your seat belts, lean back and enjoy the ride as we swish and swizzle our way through some irrefutable facts (and a wee bit of analysis) which the media hacks, instead of snoozing or cribbing off of each other, should have been telling us, not us telling them:

1) Mission Impossible---The Time Frame

How is it that an actor while on one continent (America), is offered one of the world’s most prestigious parts by producers on a far away island (England) yet magically within just 48 hours, the producers, the contract, the actor’s agent and those originators of most bones of contention, the lawyers, can (without the benefit of using any up-to-the-minute electronic communication tools) agree a contract enabling the co-producers/ distributors to call a press conference to announce the actor to the world?

Yet tis true: Danny Craig, a mere babe still in the swaddling clothes of stardom, was in Baltimore on Monday 10th October when, from nowhere, he was offered the cup that no mere mortal has ever drunketh from, the 007 CUP, and… And! (words escape me) my dearest mortals… the deal was done and dusted within a mere 48 hours! Is this a Knight in Shining Armour, a true noble Prince, a man of daring do, just now in the making??

Ladies and gentlemen, please, if I may be so bold, let us separate fact from fiction.

As we all know, a deal is obviously never agreed over the phone. So, before Craig could realistically accept the offer, he would have to:

- Ask the director/producers of his film- in-progress ‘Have You Heard’ to delay his shooting schedule so he could discuss another film offer—cuz he couldn’t very well tell dem geezers what was up like, til da deal wuz signed, now could he?---incidentally this is a film being shot with that little known actress Nicole Kidman who no doubt would have been happy to polish her nails awaiting the new Prince Daniel’s return. - Get back to London—6 hour flight + 5 hour time difference=so all in all 11 hours lost, which would make this the end of Day 1.

Day 2 Tuesday 11th October
- Wake up in London and Call Mum in Chester
- Read the script with a pint of Stella
- Meet the producers to see the contract,
discuss the deal and the script, character etc.
- Meet his agent and go over the contract and fine tune it to their mutual satisfaction. Even if he loved everything (which would make him the weirdest guy on the planet if true, as nobody ever loves everything unless they are completely desperate, but I guess an actor who just filmed a Spielberg film--Munich, Dec. 23rd release--and now working alongside Ms. Kidman might not have been on the floor of the tube from Heathrow retrieving a few pennies )

This would surely have been the end of Day 2, unless Mr. Craig truly has real superhuman powers which might be a tad fanciful, judging from his countenance and demeanor at the launch conference on the now infamous 14/10.

Day 3 Wednesday 12th October
Alright let’s say Craig did manage to squeeze all the above into a day’s work allowing ICM, Mr. Craig’s London agent to negotiate with the producers.

BUT, is this possible? I mean isn’t this the day Sony announced the press conference for 14/10 which of course could only happen if the deal was already signed and sealed, n’est-ce pas? ….last seen wasn’t Mr. Craig staggering off the plane shaken and stirred by salubrious thoughts of his very own thespian testicles being mutilated at the hands of the carpet beater brandishing Le Chiffre, in’t? So surely he could not have so rapidly been about to put his John Hancock on the dotted line.

Day 4—Thursday 13th October
Assuming ICM had managed to get some solid negotiation time in on the 12th, their legal beagles might have just been getting stuck into ravenously scouring the contract for imperfections and the like—which despite the rapacious appetites of the litigiousness set never happens overnight, not least because although it’s Bond, it is decidedly not a £50 Billion flotation for the Czech Republic (unless that is Mr. Craig were to have landed a Cruise- like deal) and so, as one might imagine, it takes a little time. And then assuming all is 100% perfect (which sadly it never is), those very same artful lawyers then would have sent it back to Eon’s similarly suited lawyers … and crafty bastards, back and forth the little ‘ol contract would have gone for a bare minimum 2-3 days, though more realistically it’d have taken upwards of a week to get that sucker into a more palatable form. And then they would have all huddled around and looked at it again, a hand- shake still as distant as Santa Claus in October. And then…. back to the lawyers if there was any disagreement---well I am sure you get the picture, yes, they might have been lucky to have sealed the deal by 21st October at the earliest.

Day 5—Friday 14th October
14/10-- This the day of the infamous ‘Press Conference’. . Miraculously (like the second coming or the unveiling of the new Dalai Lama, not the anointing of the 6th Bond), the Brocolii and their ‘team’, including Mr. Craig ALMOST, that’s right, ALMOST, pulled off the feat of the decade if not the most amazing feat in motion picture history. Wow. Almost, almost, almost…..

But unfortunately this will be a day that Mr. Craig may never be able to live down, like the day Mr. Becker gave sperm of his own free will to an accepting (yet heretofore unknown) recipient in that infamous broom closet.

Because to recap, how in just 48 hours could Daniel Craig fly to London, talk to Mum, read the ball breaking script, talk to producers, director and agents, look stealthily at the contract and negotiate; and how could the lawyers look even more stealthily at the much chewed over contract’s new inputs/ deletions and produce a pristine version that would satisfy all the parties so that Sony could announce Danny Boy as the new Bond. This is the stuff seemingly of 007…but sadly absolutely Mission Impossible.

2) Contract, What Contract
The contract for the James Bond actor is ALWAYS published in the press release. Not so this time. Hmm…why is that M?

The thing is, Martin Campbell, still replete with his Legend of Zorro-helming mask let it be known just days before the announcement that the new Bond was required for 3 films. Yet there hasn’t been any mention of the number of films or the fee Craig has signed for. Credible? Well about as believable as one or both of the Travoltas turning down the coveted part.

3) Definitely Not Shaken or Stirred,
ideally not known and for sure not busy As we have known for more than 40 years, Eon demand their Bonds to be just plain James more or less exclusively. And they have got their way, 99.9% of the time. But look, this time, most stunningly, the reticent Mr. Craig is calling the shots:

- Behold, a shining star in…. Munich… Yes, Mr. Craig is about to appear in Stephen Spielberg’s (have you heard of him?) new picture, ‘Munich’, due to be released 23rd December. Our Danny Boy is co-lead. Thus, doubtlessly he will have already been contracted BB (‘before Bond’ or ‘before Brocolii’) to promote this film world-wide--when, that is, he has a moment free from shooting ‘Have You Heard’ with Ms. Kidman in the US.

- Even assuming the Kidman film (or perhaps now more aptly the ‘Craig’ film) is wrapped by the ended of this year, does that leave time to meet/prepare for Casino Royale or even be able to get to the set for the Casino Royale shoot beginning mid-January in the Czech Republic?

- Wait, there is more. Craig has another non-Bond film ‘Visiting’ due for release 2nd June. Surely the film’s producers will need the popular Craig to promote it. So how will this fit with his Bond-role, when according to StillKing, the production company working on Casino Royale in the Czech Republic, there is a 6-month shooting schedule.

If my arithmetic is right, it means Craig would either have to leave the Casino Royale shoot right in the middle of the production schedule, to rush out and promote ‘Visiting’ for a month or more, OR Martin Campbell will have to finish with his lead actor in time for Danny to utilise his charisma and charm in promoting this other film. Wow and not even officially (or unofficially) A-listed.

- And yet there is still more: The film ‘Have You Heard’ is due to be released September 2006, just before Casino Royale. Our newly A-listed Danny Boy is gonna be a busy boy.

All this makes one think that Craig must have done one mother of a screen test to get the Brocolii so wrapped around his little finger they would relinquish their beloved exclusivity. Possible? Not bloody likely. They may be ageing but dementia has not been diagnosed.

4) Interviews
In 3 weeks there has not been a single interview with the new Bond.

5) He’s good really
David Arnold, the composer who has written the soundtracks for the last 3 Bonds and is scheduled to do Casino Royale, says that he scored Daniel Craig’s audition. This is completely inane, if not insane. Nobody scores auditions. Daniel Craig DID NOT even audition. Nor did anyone else. Not even the one chosen as Bond—opps the cat’s out of the bag. See 7. below.

6) Let’s mess up a great marketing opportunity

- Why was there no one from Sony at the press conference and why were there no Sony/MGM/Columbia logos on display if they called it?

- Would the world’s second largest media group with the rights to the second biggest film series and its massive back list of films forgo the first Bond-related PR opportunity since they bought MGM? Does that make sense?

- Why would the new Bond wear his own kit to the press conference when the Bond franchise has Saville Row sponsors? Wouldn’t you want your new boy-man to look smashing first time out?

- Why were only the British press + one or two foreign news agencies at the ‘press conference’? Surely if you had the world’s second biggest film franchise in history, you would have invited reporters from all over the globe, in’t it? Hmm, do the British media lads and ladettes know a bit more than their sleepy demeanors give off?

007) The real Mr. Bond, please. OK, ok, ok. Mr. Craig is not our MI5 man. So who is, you may ask as you rise from your daily slumber.

Let’s look briefly at the mystery man. He is a complete unknown in most markets. He is both English and a citizen of a commonwealth country. It is said he is well experienced in other fields as well as being a brilliant actor. He has lived and worked in several countries and speaks other languages (than our beloved English) including an Oriental one fluently. His bio is closer to Ian Fleming’s than any other Bond so far and his natural character is considered by some to be the spitting image of the James Bond character.

There have been NO AUDITIONS. He was chosen in 2004. And while he knows he has been selected he has not officially been offered the part, yet. Aren’t those Brocolii cool, eh?

Hmm. This story and all its twists and turns (and I have it on excellent authority there are plenty more of them) is the biggest in the film industry for quite some time.

Quite seriously it is 100% true that Daniel Craig is not James Bond the news will break soon...

It seems ironic that a local council in Tauranga wants to charge ground rent for the seabed. So to all you non believers out there this act was and is commercially driven and that Maori was used as an excuse/scapegoat to sell the concept to the general public as the bad guys. Well this is just the tip of an enduring plan to exploit the foreshore & seabed. What trade off are being cooked up to ASEAN and others to lease our seabed & foreshore under the guise of economic prosperity.

I notice the mainstream newspaper has not picked up on it only TV 1 last night because of the oysters farmers and marine boat owners protesting in Tauranga.

I wonder why?

Maybe they wish they had joined us on the hikoi last year

© Scoop Media

Scoop

Scoop Independent News

Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.

Contact Scoop

• Editorial - editor@scoop.co.nz
• Twitter - @ScoopNZ
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Services - services@scoop.co.nz
• Phone - 04 910 1844