Wikipedia:

On October 30, 1924, Midgley participated in a press conference to demonstrate the apparent safety of TEL. In this demonstration, he poured TEL over his hands, then placed a bottle of the chemical under his nose and inhaled its vapor for sixty seconds, declaring that he could do this every day without succumbing to any problems whatsoever. [...] Midgley himself was careful to avoid mentioning to the press that he required nearly a year to recover from the lead poisoning brought on by his demonstration at the press conference.

Lead is not that important in pinging, as both Bryson and others have found, so the addition of lead, as well as being polluting, was useless.

Wasn't in "band" myself, but on Junior High and High levels I've heard Birdland more times that I can count.

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sapere aude

The film premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, whereupon it received a 10-minute standing ovation.

The film has polarized critics, with some, like Roger Ebert, praising it highly, and others, such as Christy Lemire panning it outright. The reaction to Cloud Atlas has been compared to the previous year's reaction to Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life....

Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film for being "one of the most ambitious films ever made", awarding the film four out of four stars. He wrote "Even as I was watching Cloud Atlas the first time, I knew I would need to see it again. Now that I've seen it the second time, I know I'd like to see it a third time ... I think you will want to see this daring and visionary film ... I was never, ever bored by Cloud Atlas. On my second viewing, I gave up any attempt to work out the logical connections between the segments, stories and characters."

Variety described it as "an intense three-hour mental workout rewarded with a big emotional payoff. ... One's attention must be engaged at all times as the mosaic triggers an infinite range of potentially profound personal responses."[3] James Rocchi of MSN Movies stated "It is so full of passion and heart and empathy that it feels completely unlike any other modern film in its range either measured through scope of budget or sweep of action."[49] The Daily Beast called Cloud Atlas "one of the year's most important movies".

Inside movies described the film as "utterly, wonderfully epic".[45] Michael Cieply of The New York Times commented on the film "You will have to decide for yourself whether it works. It's that kind of picture. ... Is this the stuff of Oscars? Who knows? Is it a force to be reckoned with in the coming months? Absolutely."[50]

However, the film was criticized by Slant Magazine reviewer Calum Marsh, who called Cloud Atlas a "unique and totally unparalleled disaster" and commented "[its] badness is fundamental, an essential aspect of the concept and its execution that I suspect is impossible to remedy or rectify".[51] The Guardian stated "At 163 minutes, Cloud Atlas carries all the marks of a giant folly, and those unfamiliar with the book will be baffled."[52]

i don't care what the rest of the film world says, should there be a civilization for my grandchildren, they will be discussing this film and its repercussions.

PS. Even better the second time, all three hours of it.

PPS. This is absolutely brilliant filmmaking, including the balance of art and commerce, and i simply can't believe this hasn't exploded. Actually, as far as the US goes, i can believe, since it was released in the run up to election. But then, amurkans aren't likely to like the look in the mirror.

PPPS. Fuck it, no time to diary. Damn.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

"When it becomes serious, you have to lie."

Jean-Claude Junker 20/04/2011 Prime minister of Luxenbourg
Chairman of the Eurogroup Council of Eurozone Finance Ministers


It's a fine line between homage, parody, and consumer opportunism. Jess Walter