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This being Britain, mudlarks follow protocol from a higher power. Codifying a centuries-old tradition, the Treasure Act of 1996 dictates that any object dating from before 1709 and containing more than 10% gold or silver belongs to the Queen, although the finder and the landowner must be compensated. (The Staffordshire gold has been tentatively valued at more than $1.6 million.) But mudlarks are more interested in connections to history than they are in bounty, Brooker emphasizes. Objects with emblems, seals and signatures are the most prized because they identify their former owner. "Everybody should have someone to remember them...
...film's solid three-act structure, Act 1 gets good mileage from the bitter-truth premise. In this world, a retirement home is called "A Sad Place for Hopeless Old People"; a motel is "A Cheap Place to Have Intercourse with a Near Stranger." There's even truth in advertising, as indicated by the slogans for Coke ("It's very famous") and Pepsi ("When they don't have Coke...
Mark, of course, must somehow invent lying--in Act II--which in the land of blind truth tellers makes him king. He takes his friend Greg (Louis C.K.) to a casino, moves the chips on the roulette table after the ball has landed and pockets a bundle. Then, to soothe his dying mother (Fionnula Flanagan), he concocts his biggest whopper yet: Heaven. Word gets around about this great news, life after death, and in a fairly bold Act III Mark reveals to his swelling flock of acolytes the truth, or the inspired lie, of the "big man who lives...
Indeed, the world is full of examples of leaders who, quite genuinely, had humility as a goal, until events forced them to abandon it. In his campaign debates with Al Gore in 2000, George W. Bush said the U.S. should act as a "humble nation," the better to win the support of others for its policies. Sounded great. But Bush's commitment to be an international shrinking violet did not survive the terrorist attacks of 9/11, nor should it have. What the U.S. and the world wanted and needed in response to 9/11...
...they have been disappointed by the President's backing down from the demand that Israeli halt all settlement activity on territory conquered in 1967. That disappointment was compounded last week when Washington leaned on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to squelch efforts to get the Security Council to act on a U.N. report that accused Israel (and Hamas) of committing war crimes during January's fighting in Gaza. Indeed, Israel is openly resisting Obama's efforts to restart final-status peace talks on the key conflict issues, such as the borders of a Palestinian state, the sharing of Jerusalem...