03 July 2011

Naomie Harris thinks the forthcoming 23rd James Bond movie will have a ''very special'' feeling to it.

Naomie Harris thinks the next James Bond film will be "very special".

The British actress is a contender for a leading role in the forthcoming Sam Mendes-directed movie - which sees Daniel Craig reprise his role as the iconic British spy - and although her part is not confirmed, she believes having met the filmmaker it will be a particularly good film in the franchise.

She said: "It would be great to be part of Bond but nothing is confirmed yet. Sam Mendes is an amazing director and a really, really lovely man as well.

He's got brilliant ideas. From meeting them, I think it's going to be a very special Bond.

"He's got brilliant ideas. From meeting them, I think it's going to be a very special Bond."

The 34-year-old star has watched the spy movies, but does not have a favourite film, instead preferring the acting talents of eccentric singer Grace Jones, who previously appeared as May Day in 'A View to a Kill'.

She told Empire magazine: "Grace Jones did a Bond that I thought was really cool. She wasn't a Bond girl, though. She was more of a villain!"

This week Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) introduced a proposal to eliminate $600 billion from the Medicare system. They should have been applauded, commended and celebrated around the country. Instead, democrats swiftly rejected their proposal. No questions asked. They were portrayed by liberals as attacking the benefits of seniors and of being out of touch with main stream America. I would argue they may be the most "in touch" members of the Senate. Sadly Americans will not have the opportunity to hear how this proposal could actually maintain Medicare as a viable program for seniors and disabled while addressing its long term funding crisis.

To me, a believer in the healthcare reform legislation, these attacks were unfair, misguided, and quite frankly, downright ridiculous. There is no question the Medicare program is in financial trouble. Whether you are a republican, democrat, or independent, no one can argue the Medicare program has sufficient funds to pay for all the expected benefits for future generations of Americans who will rely on this entitlement program.

While there is nothing simple when it comes to healthcare, Senators Lieberman and Coburn have some rational (and admittedly controversial) ideas for saving the Medicare program including:

1) Raising the Medicare eligibility age to 67 from the current 65;
2) Increasing the premiums for wealthy seniors for their Part B premiums (the doctor portion of the program),
3) Implementing real and meaningful steps to reduce fraud and waste and simplify how healthcare is administered.

This country can no longer afford politics as usual; particularly when it comes to saving Medicare, and the country, from financial ruin. When Medicare was created back in 1965, Americans did not live as long and we did not spend as much on our healthcare as a percentage of gross domestic product. Simply put, healthcare costs were much lower and less significant to our overall economy as they are today. So the idea that we can leave the existing program intact, without making meaningful and structural changes is a flawed argument. While there are certainly many ideas and programs to fix Medicare, I believe it is going to require a full blown overhaul. The creators of Medicare did not intend for the program to bankrupt the country or run out of money in 20 years from now.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a meaningful, and in my belief, good start in addressing some of our country's biggest challenges: providing healthcare access to all Americans. However, while there are many initiatives included in the legislation to meet this goal, I believe the law does not adequately provide the mechanisms to save enough money to keep the program viable. The funding issues facing Medicare are as significant now as they were when the act became law in March 2010. As I was a year ago when the law was passed, I am concerned over its long term financial viability.

During the debate over healthcare reform, I was very clear that the legislation being discussed and debated at the time had many flaws. I was also clear in my belief that while the bill was not perfect, it was a very bold and good first step in reforming our healthcare system. Some at that time called me liberal even though I have always been independent. Nor does it make me a conservative because I believe Senators Coburn and Lieberman have a reasonable proposal. It makes me, and others, practical.

If we are going to be able to solve the enormous challenges facing our country, we are going to have to find a way to move past partisan bickering and be open to new ideas. There are some very important issues to consider:

1) The current Medicare program is not sustainable in its current form. We know this because both parties and the Congressional Budget office agree that at some point in near future, if we do not restructure the program, Medicare will run out of money.
2) There is no one good answer to solve this problem. And since there are so many problems and an even greater number of solutions, we are all going to have to accept compromise. Liberals and conservatives, along with independent politicians are going to have to stop the nonsense and sit together to work something out.
3) The rhetoric is wasting valuable time which our country can ill afford.

The current proposal requires compromise and sacrifice from everyone and it will not be easy. We must be willing to try. If for no other reason, Medicare will run out of money and changes will be rushed and forced on all of us. Careful planning will go by the wayside. It's always better to plan ahead and make changes/fix mistakes along the way, particularly when it comes to something as complex as fixing Medicare. Give Senators Lieberman and Coburn a chance to be heard. Ultimately, America may say no to their idea and that is democracy at work. But to silence potentially good ideas without meaningful debate and discussion is a national shame. Further, it prolongs the impression that nothing can be done in Washington. It puts all of us, who will someday rely on the Medicare system, at risk of losing a national safety net that is too important to go away.

Follow Andrew Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rubinhealth

Jul
3

Ten years after the release of the first film in director Peter Jackson's beloved The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the franchise based on the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien gets a Hi-Def video treatment that is as expansive as Middle-earth itself.

The 15-disc boxed set The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy: Extended Edition ? Blu-ray (2001-2003, Warner Bros., PG-13, $120) restores nearly two hours of deleted scenes to 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, 2002's The Two Towers and 2003's The Return of the King. The running time for the three films alone exceeds 11 hours, and there is an additional 26 hours of bonus material.

The fantasy tale tells the story of the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) who battles to save his world from the evil Dark Lord Sauron. He and a band of heroes undertake a treacherous journey through a war-torn Middle-earth, a world peopled by all manner of humans, dwarfs, elves, wizards and other strange creatures, to find and destroy Sauron's greatest source of power, The One Ring.

Tolkien's vision is brought to life by groundbreaking special effects and an all-star cast that includes Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm and Sean Bean.

The films were wildly successful critically and commercially. They earned a combined 30 Oscar nominations and won 17. The Return of the King won all 11 for which it was nominated (tying Ben-Hur and Titanic for most received). The movies were all filmed concurrently in Jackson's native New Zealand at a combined cost of $281 million. They wound up earning $1 billion at the box office in the USA and $3 billion worldwide.

In the boxed set, five discs each are devoted to the films. The movies themselves are split into two parts on separate Blu-ray discs, and three DVD discs of bonus material accompany the movies. Each gets a feature-length behind-the-scenes documentary created by filmmaker Costa Botes (Saving Grace) on the sets of each movie.

Other discs feature commentaries by the director, cast and crew members, discussions on how the screenplay was developed from the books, the creation of the elaborate sets, how the hundreds of special effects were integrated, and an interactive Middle-earth atlas.

Jackson is not done with Tolkien and neither are many of the actors from the Rings movies. In March, the director began filming The Hobbit as a two-part epic prequel to the trilogy: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit:There and Back Again. Filming again is taking place in New Zealand. The movies are scheduled to be released in December 2012 and December 2013, respectively. Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage stars as Thorin Oakenshield. Wood, McKellan, Bloom, Weaving, Holm, Lee and Blanchett will reprise their roles.

Yes, yes we are inundating you with pictures of Kate Middleton?excuse us, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.  For the expiration date on the fabulousness on our fair duchess may be fast approaching.  Then again, perhaps not.  Catherine carried herself flawlessly today in a grey Catherine Walker (teeny tiny she-doesn?t-eat-a-morsel) dress as she stood by Prince William?s side during a tree planting ceremony.  According to People, the newlyweds planted an Eastern Hemlock by the Pin Oak William?s parents planted in 1983.   After, William and Kate visited Sainte-Justine University Hospital in Montreal, where Kate essentially won us over as she spoke with cancer patients.  Note to little girls everywhere: Dream big.  Dream big, be nice to people and perhaps one day you?ll land someone as dashing as William.

PHOTOS: Remember Pippa?

Terry Joyce told Will and Kate he had just 12 weeks to live, and Kate said to him, ?Let?s get you out of the sunlight, Terry.?  Afterwards, Terry burst into tears and said, ?This has given me a tremendous lift,? he said.  It goes to show that we have a wonderful monarchy, and we really need people like this.?

We agree with you, Terry.  And we?re not even Will and Kate?s subjects.