Cost of War

When Obama released the torture memos he cracked the dam of complicity and unleashed wave of fear. In the aftermath he has assured CIA agents that they will not be prosecuted, but has not done the same for Bush aides (perhaps Bush should have pardoned himself).

In many places the cost of conflict is quite obvious:

However, this hasn’t really been the case for the U.S.: an estimated 320,000 troops have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury while deployed and the ban on covering the transportation of coffins from war zones has only been lifted for a few months.

Fortunately, The Corporal’s Diary does much to detail the cost of war. The movie is based on Jonathan Santos’s personal video footage — him clowning around with the guys, playing with his dog, and then serving in Iraq — and his diary, which is passionately read aloud by his brother. This footage is pure, having little pretence or performance. Patricia Boiko, the director, connected with Jonathan’s mother through the Eyes Wide Open exhibit (an excellent portrayal of the human cost of war). She then edited Jonathan’s footage and her own of his family and friends into this moving piece. The Santos family deserves much credit for being so natural and vulnerable before the camera. As Jonathan’s mother tearfully states,

If you could have filmed me when they knocked on the door and they told me that Jonathan was dead, if you could film that and Americans heard that, there’s no way that they’d want any other mother to hurt like this.

Watchmen

Watchmen was the first graphic novel that I ever purchased. As soon as I opened it, I got lost in its pages. In anticipation of the feature film, I skimmed through the graphic novel and watched episodes of the Watchmen Motion Comic. I was surprised by how much I had forgotten; in particular, the quality of Moore’s flowing prose:

“Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach … the streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.”

“The city is dying of rabies. Is it the best I can do to wipe random flecks of foam from its lips”

“Is that what happens to us? A life of conflict with no time for friends so that when it’s done only our enemies leave roses.”

The Motion Comic is an excellent adaptation and has number of well chosen quotes by Nietzsche, Farjean, Dylan, Jung, and Shelley to the end of each section, replacing the newspaper-style articles on Watchmen. (The graphic novel had one quote from Juvenal Satires, “sed quis cutodiet ipsos custodes?” or loosely, “but who watches the watchmen?”).

Last night I watched the feature film, throughout which Snyder employs the hyper-violence associated with his past films, e.g., 300 and other comic adaptations, such as Sin City; however, in doing so, he relies on crisp movements which crowd out the dark gritty world of the original. On other points, he does fairly well: he successfully recreates the pseudo 80’s of the comic and sticks to the original story line. However, in what is perhaps a patriotic display, the World Trade Centre features too prominently, as do concerns over the environment. At least Snyder did not over-play his hand like the directors of a Quantum of Solace and Transporter 3, movies that I watched on fast forward due to their careless (and vacant) treatment of climate change. The Watchmen sound track is fantastic: not only for the innovative pairing of song with scene (at a loud volume), but also the comprehensive compilation of classic songs.

Snyder faithfully reproduces most of the major characters; however, he chooses to make Laurie much more potent than the original where she’s weak and emotional (mainly at the expense of the Drieberg who becomes even more impotent.) The Nite Owl II also loses much of his intelligence and resourcefulness, perhaps to boost Veidt’s stature. Veidt loses his spirituality, which was fuelled by a long journey and night of Tibetan hash in the comic. Although Dr. Manhattan’s portrayal captures the original, the special effects used to make him blue reminded me too much of Xerxes in 300. Rorschach becomes much less of a protagonist in the film, e.g., Nite Owl and Silk Spectre incapacitate most of the inmates while this was originally Rorschach’s doing. Nevertheless, Snyder’s use of the swinging door to reveal less and less of Big Figure’s murder is magnificent.

Snyder obviously could not get everything on film and had to make some noteworthy omissions (usually due to an incompatibility of mediums or time constraints), such as the Tales of the Black Freighter (a comic within a comic) and newsstand activity (Bernies, delivery drivers, Lesbians, and Jehovah Witnesses). Similarly, Seymour, the reporter, only gets one quick reference at the end. Overall Snyder did a magnificent job and produced a faithful tribute; unfortunately, this does not always translate into a great film, especially in scenes where the violence detracts from the story.

Oscar Irony

As everyone has their own say about who won, who should have, who wore what, and who will still have a career (I wondered myself at what had happened to Brody) at the Oscars, more should be said about the eloquent introductions by past inductees — they were candid and heartfelt. Nevertheless, such displays of affection rarely take place in North America unless people are intoxicated, in crisis, or at a wedding (at which they may be both), which means that, although they were genuine, it was hard to receive them as such, especially in the hyper-real atmosphere of the Oscars.

Dollhouse

Like many fans of Firefly I had hoped Serenity would create enough stimulus for further episodes, or at least a sequel; instead, I have buried this hope and relived what I can by watching Summer Glau in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Although I find some episodes tiresome, the show is pretty solid overall — it rests on much great acting (I was especially buoyed by the addition of Shirley Manson, pure-Scot and Garbage’s lead singer). Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Chuck, with Firefly alumnus Adam Baldwin. (At least, Fillion appears to have left that dreadful show; also, check out his MySpace page).

Anyway, this leads to Dollhouse, Whedon’s latest creation, which I’ve eagerly awaited. The premise of the story is that a number of people work for a company for one desperate reason or another. The catch is that their memories get wiped and they become dolls. These dolls then get programmed with amalgams perfectly suited for a specific mission, near-sightedness, asthma, and all. The show revolves around Echo, apparently the fifth doll, who exhibits the beginnings of self-awareness in her cloistered world. Of course, someone wants to expose the Dollhouse, perhaps due to an attachment to Echo, and someone else, Paul Ballard, wants to take it down. While some characters seem mechanical and others recall Firefly, it will take some time for me to fully assess the show and determine whether it lives up to its potential (great writing and plot conception). I suspect (and hope) that it will; Dollhouse airs on Fridays at 9:00 PM, right after The Sarah Connor Chronicles, on Fox.

Comedic Conjunction

Last night a conjunction occurred, not between celestial bodies, but television shows. First, 30 Rock worked its way out of a relative slump (apart from episode five, Reunion, which was brilliant, the offbeat has become rather mundane this season, though only in terms of show’s regular radiance). Baldwin was remarkable as the Generalissimo, a perfect parody for Lemon’s own “diabolical” actions towards Dr. Baird. Jon Hamm, as always, dominated the screen with his suave magnetism; likewise, Salma Hayek’s star power cannot be underrated, since she also has breathed new life into the show.

Many time zones away another stroke of brilliance flashed through the airwaves, the Skins episode “Thomas.” The third season, which began with the gutsy replacement of nearly the entire cast, has gotten off to a good start; however, Merveille Lukeba with his quiet resolve, vulnerability, and transparent confidence adds a new layer to the show. First, he is what so many characters are not; black, subtle, and visibly skilled — most of the characters lack confidence and are offensive or unsure of their skills. Furthermore, his character adds a sure hand in uncertain waters, a true leader due to his sure goodness. I appreciated his kalimba and voice performance and Mamadou Cissokho’s Kora playing. When speaking about the show one cannot omit the rat-like Johnny White, played by the ubiquitous Mackenzie Crook, nor can one forget Dev Patel’s blossoming from the past series — Slumdog Millionaire nearly justifies all the Oscar hype (too bad Millions did not receive the same recognition).

The Wrestler

When I first read about The Wrestler in Who’s been nice …, I knew that it would be a demanding movie to watch; hence, I avoided watching it until I had the required reserve. The movie has a discordant tone much more in keeping with Murderball than Rocky Balboa: no pat answers or easy choices lay here. As a result the three story lines (wrestler and himself, wrestler and stripper, and wrestler and daughter) neither really mesh, nor really get resolved. The camera-work is as jerky and raw as Rourke’s movements. Rourke’s performance has been referred to as “a story of personal redemption” and “masterful,” yet it remains difficult to grasp how masterful his performance is unless one reflects upon it. This is because the hand-held cameras, gritty scenery, and close miking is unfamiliar, even disorientating — I can’t recall the last time I heard an actor’s exhale or saw an actor’s pores. Rourke, in his one long struggle, demands excellent performances from the supporting cast; I particularly enjoyed the contrast between Evan Rachel Wood’s vivid expressions and Rourke’s sepia starkness.

Furthermore, although the story-lines are clear the means are not, e.g., the viewer knows he will cut his hand on the deli-slicer, but assumes (and is led to believe) that it would be by accident. The same goes for other implements of self-mutilation, the razor blade and stapler. Nevertheless, the means lead only to partial redemption. This remains the real tragedy; thus, one wonders how things could have been different, e.g., will his daughter struggle with the finality she had hoped for? The soundtrack, full of one-hit-wonder hair-bands, adds to the surreal nature of the film. Springsteen alone encapsulates the wrestler himself. Springsteen with his return to the husky ballad captures the wrestler’s soul whereas the hair-bands merely represent the wrestler-as-performer’s culture. Although the number of loose-ends seems disturbing, the film is really worth watching on so many levels, the most important being the katharsis it provides.

Humanity's Power on Film

In a matter of weeks, it will have been sixty years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed. National Geographic has produced an excellent illustration to commemorate the act:
Since 1961 Amnesty International has drawn attention to countless atrocities that contravene the declaration and this weekend they commemorated the charter with their annual Film Festival. I could only attend on Saturday, but was glad I chose this day since the Pearson College choir skilfully performed a number of carols and traditional songs before the first movie. USA VS AL-ARIAN, a story which subsequently has had a happy ending (he was released), details the incarceration of Sami Al-Arian, an SFU professor and outspoken Palestinian activist. I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with the similarity between the strong-arm tactics of Florida's judicial branch and those found in less esteemed countries. The film does a good job of presenting the facts, as much as a film can, and like any good documentary does not neglect character development. The focus of much of the film is Sami's wife, Nahla, an inspiring and authoritative figure whose story is compelling and well filmed: on one occasion, on the verge of a breakdown, she turns to the camera and states that she's a poor actress and not acting for the camera. In stark contrast his wife and family, Sami is filmed in his prison cell; however, this background does not diminish the poignancy of his sentiments. At one point he states that the government is wearing down his family to get to him; tragically no one truly realizes what he meant until a malicious judge hands him more prison time for the plea bargain he'd had signed at the urging of all his family.

After the film Andrew Wender, who gave a detailed introduction on the Patriot Act and Bush's executive orders, fostered much discussion on the film and future of the U.S. justice system: How much can change under Obama? This film was followed by Justice Without Borders, an Amnesty production, which provided a good history of the International Criminal Court and some of its successes. The film also covers fairly America's initial encouragement for the ICC and its recent reticence. The last film, My Daughter the Terrorist, was a film I was fairly sceptical of: I wasn't really in the mood for an indoctrination film like Jesus Camp, though it's excellent in its own right, or its unintended (ironically so) counterpart Obsession. Unexpectedly this film was much less about two daughters who become brainwashed suicide bombers; these women are professional soldiers who train very hard. It is very touching how the mother deals with the separation from her daughter, especially at the end where she tearfully watches the same documentary you have just watched, the closest connection to her daughter she's had in years.

Ana de Lara's latest film First Winter Last is a semi-finalist in the Migr@tions contest. (You can view and rate a number of good films from around the world that address immigration.) First Winter Last documents the experience de Lara had in coming to Canada, in which she was called a "chink." De Lara notes that coming from the Philippines she did not know what one was, but sensed it was derogatory. I felt that this part of the film which takes place at the end was overplayed and detracted from the film. Nevertheless, the beginning, especially the animation sequence, was excellent, so the film warrants its average rating of 3.5.

Ari Folman's latest, Waltz with Bashir, masterfully deals with the impact of war, here the Lebanon War. As he notes in an interview, he will have done his job if he deters youth from going to war. He purposely presents this simple message and avoids glorifying war with the spectacular animation.

On the other hand, if you require some entertaining distraction turn to A Colbert Christmas. As expected this film is witty, satirical, and full of excellent performances by Elvis Costello, Feist, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, John Stewart and John Legend.

Passchendaele

I have admired Paul Gross for quite some time, mostly due to my wife's appreciation of Due South, and looked forward to watching Passchendaele as soon as I viewed the trailer. Gross faithfully depicts the ordinary by distancing himself from it, an ability which may stem from his multiple talents as a writer, director, actor, musician, and comedian. Thus, the impossible makes the ordinary seem more real. In this film I felt he went too far. He frequently gets launched ten feet in the air by artillery bombardment and survives; furthermore, the film is a little long, a little too detailed, a weakness that may stem from his familiarity with theatre and TV. Nevertheless, this film is worth viewing. He painstakingly depicts the multi-facets of war: racism and small-mindedness at home, as well as the usual love story in brutal conditions, although his is tainted with heroin addiction, filial love, and multi-ethnicity. He has produced a "documentary" that the audience can relate to; this result not only shocks the audience at the horrors of war, but makes them more palpable with its fiction. Thus, the experience haunts more than the average production. The film can perhaps be summed up by the final scene, in which the camera pans out from the front, a site of such horror and sacrifice: from one crater filled with corpses the scene progresses to multiple craters and to such a place that few details can be made out. I was left with the impression that these events were both very significant and somewhat insignificant. Our habit for war and the goodness such sacrifice has brought, at times, remains something I will remember, ponder, and dwell on this November 11th. We are complicated, something Gross portrayed masterfully.

Emmys

Mad Men burst into the vacuum left by the writers' strike. At first, I welcomed it for this reason -- it was not a season finale that was hastily pasted together. Then I began to appreciate the attention to detail, the smoking, dress, and costumes in the production. Then I was captured by the characters. Overall it is an excellent show worthy of 6 Emmys. Nevertheless, I have one complaint: the transition between shows is choppy; that is, each show stands alone and does not necessarily start where it left off. While this approach does work, it doesn't here because the development of characters does not straddle the episodes: the viewers are introduced to an aspect of the character and then a reference is made a few episodes down the line, if ever. Storylines are dropped and chopped. There are some signs that the show is resolving this issue: in episode 7 Betty throws up in the new Cadillac, sick with the realization that her husband has been cheating on her. Then in episode 8 she asks him not to come home. In the past it may have been a few weeks until this happened.

30 Rock also did deservedly well at the Emmys. What puzzles me is that ratings are not commensurate with the awards. These are both excellent shows worth watching and not just in an artistic sense. However, when you consider that American Idol and Dancing with the Stars take up the first six spots in the ratings this is not surprising. Of course, The Daily Show and Colbert Report were also deserving of their wins. They're equally substance and entertainment. Speaking of The Daily Show, I can't believe Blair still believes that Saddam was affiliated with al-Qaeda.

Making it without cable

A number of years ago, in anticipation of the birth of our first child, we purchased a home. At the time we decided not to connect the cable and, since the reception was poor, have lived without TV programming since. Sacrifices were made, but we coped: I went out to pubs, my brother's and friends' places to watch sports and we borrowed heavily from libraries and video stores. In the beginning the internet offered very little as an alternate source of programming; now, due to changes in technology and mind-sets known as Web 2.0, it provides for the bulk of our watching.

After years of watching clips, trailers, as well as short films on sites such as iFilm and AtomFilms, I can now watch prime time TV on-line (for those who care, it's legal): in 2007 the big three TV networks began streaming prime time content. ABC was the first to do so, and they did it well. In the player, you can select which show and episode of their line-up you wish to watch; the programs load fast and then you watch it commercial-free in full-screen. ABC broke ground again by offering the four seasons of Lost in HD. (So far, they're the only ones to provide HD content.) NBC's HULU player not only contains their impressive line-up (e.g., The Office and 30 Rock), but an extensive library of past shows and movies. On the whole, I've found that their player operates a little slower than ABC's player. CBS took their time getting on board and has only done so half-heartedly: CBS provides very few full-length episodes of prime time shows and consists mainly of clips, which are not always clearly marked as they are in HULU. CBS, however, does provide a good selection of older shows. On the cable side: Showcase provides streaming of many of their awesome shows, HBO does not.

Now if you live in Canada, like me, CTV is your destination. Not only does it provide great Canadian content, such as Corner Gas, but it also has a wide selection programs, from Mad Men to The Colbert Report. This like the American network offerings is commercial-free and loads quickly; the only catch is that CTV, only hosts programs that are currently being broad-casted, presumably to reserve bandwidth and server space (ABC does this to a lesser extent: only affecting the previous season's episodes). The only downside is that none of NBC's programming has made it to the site. Although HULU, like ABC and CBS, are restricted, there is an easy work around. Just download, install, and run Hotspot Shield prior to going to the respective web-site. It also offers decent protection in wi-fi hot-spots. An alternative is to install and run Tor bundle; this method can be slower, depending on the server choice and requires some effort to set up (Torbutton works well with FireFox).

Watching movies, except through HULU, is somewhat less legal; however, if they are streamed it's pretty much a grey area since no content is actually stored on your computer. In effect, you're just using an on-line service. However, since storing content is illegal most of the movies are difficult to find without using an indexing service. (Although some surprising finds can be made searching YouTube and GoogleVideo, particularly in the case of documentaries.) I have found that OnclickVideos and alluc are the best. Although both present the material differently, Onclick with thumbnails and alluc with listings, they provide links, often multiple ones, to a wide variety of movies (including new releases). Most links are current. Nevertheless, the quality and buffering speed varies greatly depending on who hosts the material, so try the alternate links.

Since news broadcasts have been available on-line for years, the big vacuum on-line is sports coverage. Very little is available and when it is it's not available in a decent resolution. Sports, like the movie industry, are hampered by distribution rights and neither has come up with an adequate distribution model. Even when a pay-per-view system is attempted, networks use the awkward and antiquated DRM in MediaPlayer rather than Flash or DivX. Today I tried to watch the EuroCup 2008 final via the internet and was disappointed with a message noting that all available bandwidth was used up. This occurred after I had paid and after the website showed it was available. I am currently in the process of trying to get a refund. I came across Jumptv, which promises unlimited access to nearly every sports match, but have not yet tried it. Of course, this would be easy if I lived in Britain or could subvert the British system as easily as the American one, for ITV and the BBC show a number of sports live. If you know of a way let me know. I have tried Tor and Hotspot Shield.

As a side-note regarding Canada: Although I really enjoy Canadian content and the CRTC's promotion of it, I bristle at the CRTC's slow adoption policy. Come on! Two years to get iTunes in Canada, and then another two to get TV shows via iTunes (by which time the service had become irrelevant, not to mention the poor selection). The same also applied to satellite radio. In general, Canadian distribution seems to be far behind in everything; I should know as I've paid a ridiculous amount in duty and the courier's extortionate broker fee just trying to get unavailable items shipped up here.

Shralpawesomeness

Shralp's snow and surf video-casts not only consistently provide good coverage/footage of the various circuits and competitions but also do so in a fun and polished manner. Besides the great editing, they incorporate a wide variety of funky soundtracks. Watching them' s also a good way to get a first look at new trailers/teasers and short films; a new favourite with my family is Gnar Wars:



Some of my past favourites have been Purple Yeahh (the artwork of Christian Nuenschwander stands out and the reel-to-reel tape is cool), In Short (the back country footage of Alaska is great), 1st place Jib-Vid winner (remote control snowboarder with girly legs), and Teenage Love Graffiti (the graphics in the intro are awesome as is the rail to foam mattress trick and cutting of icicles). The video-casts come in a variety of formats, for phones, X-Box, et cetera; it looks especially sharp on my PSP.

Munching lotus

Today I feel like time has really passed me by. I started reading Buxton's Imaginary Greece from 1994 and can't believe I'd missed it. I haven't been smacked this hard by an academic book since Brendel's Prolegomena. His clarity is compelling, e.g., "In spite of (or because) of the fashionableness and obvious fertility of the topic [Greek myth] ... there is a residual feeling that to treat mythology as a distinct area of study ... is a gambit bound up with Theory, Methodology and The Continent, and is thus not quite sound." I also appreciate his honesty, e.g.,"I hope, in short, that the present book will reach the wider audience too. To that end I have tried to cut down the jargon with which scholars like to armour-plate themselves" (see Nimis' serious yet entertaining article on the use of footnotes for this purpose).

I really enjoy Stumble Upon and the concept behind it. Bumbling along I've found so much richness. Late last year, I found Rumi. Wow! 2007 was designated the International Year of Rumi by UNESCO and in commemoration of this event Coleman Barks wrote Rumi: Bridge to the Soul. This book has wonderful translations of 99 poems and an excellent introduction. My favourite line in the book is from Saladin's Leaving: "Like the moon you turn a grainfield silver."

I also found Californication. I can relate so well to Hank. I could be that character, sincerely stumbling along in the journey of manhood, though I haven't published a book, don't own a Porsche, and definitely don't have women throwing their phone numbers into my car. Oh the fragile artist. Damn those expectations. The journey can be very hard. Nevertheless, it's all worth it. You get the feeling and the vibe. You carve out a place of acceptance. Of all those people who claim to know you, only a handful ever does. The only question is whether you count yourself among them.

The show is also an introduction, for me at least, to many cool covers of songs, e.g., Rocket Man by My Morning Jacket and Paranoid by Gus Black.

Political web

The Internet as a relatively unregulated domain provides some brilliant resources (and satires) for the U.S. political landscape. The Democratic Candidate Mashup is an excellent example of the versatile offerings of the Internet. This resource allows the user to select two candidates and compare their opinions via video interviews on the issues of Iraq, Health Care, Education, and my favourite, The Bill Maher Grill.

Of course, satire remains a favourite prong of attack and the offerings range from the strangely satisfying Falling George Bush Screensaver to the brilliantly conceived Lil' Bush (click the link and look under Lineup; the site also has a number of shows including a favourite of mine, Corner Gas). This show is only available on-line so they don't have to pull the punches; the premise is that Bush created this show to distract the populace from his policies. A favourite scene from the latest episode is when Cheney dies and goes to hell only to out devil the Devil. Satan returns him to earth so that he can rule his domain and return it to a less sinister level of evil. Remember the Transformers have nothing on Bush, only he can transform a surplus into a debt and a lost election into a win.

All That Stress

In the previous post I described how adrenaline remained in my system even though it was clear there was no need for it. I just read a movie review of Crank in which the main character must keep moving and awake to retard the effect of a deadly poison. Since it is September and I am starting a very demanding degree, I have been thinking about stress and what causes it. In the past during school I have been like Jason Stratham in the movie, always on the move, adrenaline flowing and without peace. Understandably, university is intense, so my body should react somewhat, but my reaction seems excessive to me even though it is within the normal limits of student stress levels. I have determined that much of my stress results from a feeling of being out-of-control. If I had all the time in the world school would not be stressful, I would be in control. I could study for each test appropriately and do thorough research on my papers. The fact is that I don't have nearly enough time. I feel out-of-control because so many things enter my study time, necessary things. Should I resent going out for coffee with other students? No way, if I want friends and compatriots. Also my grades lie in the hands of my professors, what they will assign and expect.
Control truly is an illusion. Who knows when sickness will scupper all our plans? What can I really control? Is it really that big of a deal? I have heard of those employees who believe that the company will come to a halt if they take a vacation. What will halt is their control of the workplace. So what I can control are my expectations and the demands that I put on myself and not let them control me. The thing about stress is that you cannot lie to your body. If you feel cause for stress you will be stressed, sure, tell yourself it is not a big deal, but if you don't believe it you'll take two hours to get to sleep while fretting about needless details. This need for belief necessitates the change of our mindset, logic must prevail : if I can't change it who can? Many people have their own answers, for me it is he who stated "but trust, for I have conquered the world."

The established classics

I regularly browse through bookstores looking at the latest titles. It seems that every year or so, a book is published as a guide to the classics or to what books to read. I used to eagerly flip through these books to determine what was regarded a classic. Now I have read a much greater number of these great works, to my benefit, and when I see these books I hope others are drawn to the eternal books.

Speaking of books, I have been really enjoying a book by Jean Vanier: "Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John." This book literally feeds my soul with its truth and insight. Vanier has obviously not only thought carefully about this topic, but also lived it. He provides a very insightful definition between shame and guilt, which can be applied more widely to the concept of cultures. Although he places shame under a wider umbrella of guilt, he distinguishes between shame and moral guilt. Shame in an extreme sense is feeling guilty for who you are or for existing. Moral guilt, on the other hand, applies when a person does something wrong, so a feeling of guilt accompanies an objective reality lacking in shame. He wisely notes that both are intertwined, as they are when discussing shame or guilt cultures.

The other night I watched that "classic" film The Robe. I thought that it was very tastefully done, though inaccurate in some historical points, e.g. a tribune would most likely have a retinue going to the market. There was a cool quote in the movie: "It is much easier to dream of the truth than to live it." How true that ideals are always hard to live, especially by those that proclaim them.