Wednesday, February 26, 2014

AQUA PLUMB Counter-Top Water Filtration System CTF Shopper Reviews



I had gone through a couple of the Sears filters because their diverter valve (what hooks to the faucet) had broken and they wanted almost $40 to replace the part, so I decided to try something with a metal valve. This filter was delivered promptly and it came with a filter wrench which was a great aid to open it. It was easy to install and the the extra diverter works way better. The single improvement I could suggest is that it be supplied with a carbon type filter as a replacement for of the string sediment filter it came with.
- J. Kircher

I was excited as I got my filter because I looked-for a extra lone. The directions on the quantity were perfectly difficult keep for I managed to get on to it hooked up to my feature. I consent to the fill up go on for a even as and then push to it bitter. As I went to get on to fill up for my coffee. I consent to it go on for a modest piece and much to my shock The fill up tasted be fond of chlorine still and had a pun smell. I be inflicted including had it for a even as and it hasn't gotten much better. I house the fill up in succession for in this vicinity 4 synopsis and then I get on to my fill up for coffee or what always I call for it for. I am going to change the filter to a carbon based filter and think it over if including the intention of makes a difference.
- Ramona Hernandez

No red tape to order replacement parts. Had to use teflon tape to stop tank from leaking. One of the 'O' rings on the goose neck was broken.
- Brent Kroening

ive tried everything that is on the instructions ive also removed the filter and let it sit in running water for a day the water still tastes like burned rubber
- al

It works properly, and it's pretty low-deprivation compared to additional models considering it came including everything you need to get it up and running. I had a more expensive model including a sturdier tie, a thinner water and a best connector that I liked best that died after 10 being, but this opens easier and works fine.
- carol NYC


AQUA PLUMB Counter-Top Water Filtration System CTF

This Easy-To-Bed in Counteract-Top water filtration system is exactly what you need for fresh-flavored water in your home. This is a complete kit, including everything that you will need to bed in on virtually any faucet. It easily attaches to your faucet by removing the existing aerator. White color blends with any furnishings. Filter housing uses widely available standard 10" replacement filter cartridges. Includes GAC (Rough Activated Carbon) filter cartridge that removes sediment, bad tastes, foul odors and chlorine; and can filter up to 1,000 gallons of water. Triple chrome plated brass diverter mechanism looks good and last for a very long time even with repeated cleaning. Now you can eliminate the need to buy bottled water for only pennies per gallon. Just Like Bottled Water From Your Tap!





Saturday, February 22, 2014

Peace deal that frees Yulia Tymoshenko a harsh blow to Ukraine's President



Back in November, before Ukraines crisis turned bloody, President Viktor Yanukovych seemed ready to do what had been unthinkable for him: turn his back on his allies in Moscow in favour of closer integration with the European Union.

The EU trade deal fell apart under heavy pressure from the Kremlin, but not before Mr. Yanukovych made it clear there was one condition he wouldnt meet the EU demand that he release his archenemy, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, from prison.

More Related to this Story
  • Globe in Kiev: Ukraine protesters call for Yanukovychs immediate ouster

  • How Putins Sochi dream was shattered by Ukraine's nightmare

  • Ukraines president announces early election in bid to end violent standoff

VideoVideo: Kiev diary: A Canadian reflects on life as a teacher and father during protests Activists burn tyres at barricades close to Independence Square, the epicenter of the country's current unrest, in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. The heavy black smoke rising from burning tyres obscures the aim of police snipers. Fierce clashes between police and protesters in Ukraine's capital have shattered the brief truce Thursday and an Associated Press reporter has seen dozens bodies laid out on the edge of the protest encampment. APMultimediaInfographic: The conflict zone in Kiev In a fast-moving day that could significantly shift Ukraine's political destiny, opposition leaders signed a deal Friday with the country's beleaguered president that calls for an early election, a new constitution and a new unity government. (Feb. 21) AP VideoVideoVideo: Political changes come fast, furious in Ukraine One bloodied helmet on floor of Hotel Ukraine lobby. The Globe and MailMultimediaScenes of blood and death in Kiev overtake Globe reporter's hotel lobby

Now, the golden-braided heroine of the Orange Revolution looks to be on her way to freedom after a 30-month incarceration that many inside and outside Ukraine view as politically motivated. An already deeply acrimonious struggle over the future of Ukraine could soon get very personal.

Friday was a day of concessions and setbacks for Mr. Yanukovych. But the harshest blow might have come when Ukraines parliament, now controlled by the opposition after a string of defections from Mr. Yanukovychs Party of Regions, passed a law decriminalizing the abuse of power charge Mr. Yanukovych had used to jail Ms. Tymoshenko in 2011. Deputies chanted Free Yulia! Free Yulia! after the vote, which passed 310-0.

Mr. Yanukovych now has 15 days to sign the legislation, and its far from certain that he will. If he doesnt, it could unravel Ukraines temporary peace.

If Ms. Tymoshenko is freed, Ukraines opposition currently led by an awkward trifecta of politicians will immediately have a new de facto leader. And Mr. Yanukovych will again be facing a foe he knows will be in no mood for compromise or forgiveness.

In a Feb. 4 letter smuggled out of her penal colony near the eastern city of Kharkiv, Ms. Tymoshenko urged the opposition against any kind of deal with the President. The most sure and effective way is to help Ukraine lead the uprising to victory, until the unconditional capitulation of Yanukovych, the letter reads. I gave you a plan of action. Act!I believe that there is no way to end the dictatorship except by a peaceful all-encompassing popular uprising.

Earlier, the 53-year-old Ms. Tymoshenko went on a 12-day prison hunger strike in solidarity with the antigovernment protesters.

Though tainted by allegations of corruption and her unsightly power struggle with then-president Viktor Yushchenko after the Orange Revolution Ms. Tymoshenko retains a large bloc of wildly loyal followers. Even while she was in jail, opinion polls put her neck-and-neck with heavyweight boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko as the most popular opposition leader.

If she were freed, even Mr. Klitschko might have to stand aside for the 53-year-old Ms. Tymoshenko, who once ran a gas transit company that controversially made her one of the richest women in Ukraine.

Throughout the protests in Kiev, an oversized portrait of Ms. Tymoshenko has been affixed to a giant undecorated metal Christmas tree in the middle of Independence Square. Demonstrators have frequently complained of a lack of decisiveness among their committee of leaders, with many wondering how Ms. Tymoshenko would have handled the crisis.

Ms. Tymoshenko helped shove Mr. Yanukovych from office in 2004, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to support Mr. Yushchenko after Mr. Yanukovych was initially declared the winner of an election tainted by massive fraud. When he finally became president, Mr. Yushchenko made Ms. Tymoshenko Ukraines first female prime minister.

But Ms. Tymoshenko wanted to move Ukraine farther and faster towards the West than the more cautious Mr. Yushchenko would allow. In the eyes of Ms. Tymoshenko, one of Mr. Yushchenkos biggest failing was his willingness to work with Mr. Yanukovych, a man she has repeatedly called a criminal.

She also seemed uncomfortable with playing second fiddle, and desirous of Mr. Yushchenkos job. The Orange coalition fell apart, and Ms. Tymoshenko went back into opposition.

Bitterness between the two Orange Revolution leaders was such that both ran for the presidency in 2010, splitting the pro-Western ranks and helping Mr. Yanukovych take power.

Three months after Mr. Yanukovychs victory, the prosecutors office began investigating an array of allegations against Ms. Tymoshenko, at one point opening 10 separate investigations into her conduct before and during her two terms as prime minister.

She was convicted in October 2011 of overstepping her power in signing a controversial deal to buy Russian natural gas, and she was sentenced to seven years in jail. In a rare moment of agreement over Ukraine, the trial was condemned by both Russia and the West.

Despite bouts of illness and claims of rough treatment while in prison, Ms. Tymoshenko wrote in a December letter that the experience had strengthened her. Political prisoners, being in captivity, develop enough internal freedom to fill the world three times over.

Follow me on Twitter: @markmackinnon

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/peace-deal-that-frees-yulia-tymoshenko-a-harsh-blow-to-ukraines-president/article17052169/



Tuesday, February 18, 2014

14 x 25 x 1 Merv 8 Furnace Filter (12 Pack) Review



A well-constructed filter at a splendid price. Will try to a in tears filters from them in the possibility if doable.
- Skooter


14 x 25 x 1 Merv 8 Furnace Filter (12 Pack)

The Glasfloss Z-Line Run pleated filters offer stuck-up performance for virtually every concentration. All Glasfloss Z-Line pleated filters feature fibers which do not absorb moisture and will not help microbial advance. The Glasfloss Z-Line Run filters achieve a MERV 8 rating per the ANSI/ASHRAE 52.2 Test Standard. The Z-Line Run tuck is void in many standard face dimensions in 1", 2" and 4" depths. Glasfloss Z-Line Run pleated filters incorporate media which is plastic-coated to a galvanized metal that stabilizes the media all through surgical procedure. The pleats are twisted in a radial configuration to make sure proper dust-loading. The standard pleated cartridge is bonded into a two-piece gray-duty drink penetrate diecut form that creates a dual-wall thickness around the filter and prevents air bypass. The die-cut grilles are internally bonded to the tuck apexes on the air-access and air-exit sides to make sure maximum integrity and help all through the life of the filter. Glasfloss Z-Line Run pleated filters are used in a broad array of installations, from pre-filters to primary filters for pad room units. Whether used as primary filters or as pre-filters in multi-the boards systems, Glasfloss Z-Line Run pleated filters offer a key for virtually every residential, commercial, and manufacturing HVAC concentration.





Sunday, February 16, 2014

20x26x5 (20x25.88x4.88) Carbon Odor Block Lennox Replacement Filter Review



When my filters at home they were cut too big, but the administrator of the companionship at once made the replacements and got them to me promptly. This as a companionship that will take care of an blunder and makes sure the consumer is pleased absolutely. They are a pleasure to do affair with.
- Bob


20x26x5 (20x25.88x4.88) Carbon Odor Block Lennox Replacement Filter

Lennox section #X8788 Carbon disposable pleated panel filter - Fits Lennox develop #PCO20-28. - A austere solution for conniving in cooperation odors and dust particles! - Aromatic gases and smoke are attracted to and held by the only one of its kind properties of the activated carbon clarification. - Can be installed in effectively any HVAC logic lacking modifications. - Essential applications contain odors from cooking, new paint, new carpet, bathroom smells, cigarette smoke reek, and pet odors.





Friday, February 14, 2014

Berkey SG-10 Glass Water Level Spigot for Imperial and Royal Systems Buyer Reviews



Berkey SG-10 Glass Water Level Spigot for Imperial and Royal Systems Buyer ReviewsI did not get this when I approved my Berkey since I did not think it was necessary.....it is. The site glass spigot makes it so much easier to keep the Berkey to the top. I no longer have to lift off the top chamber to see the water level, I can just glance at the site glass on the spigot.Works great, no leaking.
- SunnyDayz

Facility great. Look into all the reviews as ordering my Berkey including the intention of understood to get on to this. Delightful we did, it lets you admit as to re impart your reservoir.
- Michelle "Review Queen"

I tenderness my Berkey save pro it was everlastingly in succession out of water since people would forget to fill it. Water supply currently there is no defense! I be inflicted with no perception why I did not get lone sooner, it works great and I recommend it pro anyone with a berkey.
- Grace Filkins

Comment: Greetings,We have recently expected our extra Berkey system, and when conception your company's instructions, a couple of questions have come up that we hope you can provide an answer to.1) You are using a test to establish the aluminum reduction using the PF2 filtration element.a) Is this an in-house test or an official external test by a neutral third-party provider?b) This test cannot distinguish between the activated alumina (aluminaoxide) and the aluminum.2) In document PF2-Instructions - 8-13 it states that after 5 cycles you have test results showing activated alumina levels of .178 ppm.a) Is this currently a different test that allows you to discover single the Al3O3?If so, is this an internal test or a qualified external test?b) Why do you annotation aluminum oxide levels for toothpaste, and the PF2 elements, but aluminum for the boiled water?3) Is the following a assess understanding: Your test has an influent of.320 ppm and an effluent of .232 after 3 cycles, in cooperation alumina and aluminum combined. Alumina for that level of cycles is .178 ppm, so the aluminum reduction must have been (0.320 + 0.178) - 0.232 =0.266 ppmThank you for your assistance in helping us learn and be with you!Kind regards,
- Yosemite

I wondered just how much this piece really was worth from all the reviews.Well now that I have it with my Berkey, Im glad I got it.Its a good looking piece and feels of good quality plastics and materials, it feels very sturdy over all.The piece makes use of the filter that much better and easier to see just how full it is.I would highly recommend paying the extra and picking one of these up with your berkey order.
- Sheldon Botha

So glad I bought this and it was very easy to install. Directions for this were very clear and it works splendid.
- GWms

Anyone who has one of these filters and does not have a notice dinghy sweet much has to estimate what the amount of fill up is. These take out the boldness.
- Aoguma

I would not want to use a non transparent berkey canister without this spigot. Love the Berkley manufactured goods line, water tastes be fond of water must, not the yuck that comes preside over out of community capital faucet
- Chelita

Berkey SG-10 Glass Water Level Spigot for Imperial and Royal Systems Detail View


Berkey SG-10 Glass Water Level Spigot for Imperial and Royal Systems

Allows following conception of fill up level in the decrease chamber of your stainless steel Berkey fill up purification logic. For aid including the later stainless steel Berkey fill up purification systems: Royal Berkey logic. Imperial Berkey logic.





Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Tom Brokaw reveals cancer diagnosis - WSBT



(CNN) -

Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw is being treated for cancer, but doctors are very encouraged by the progress he is making, NBC said Tuesday.

Brokaw, 74, was "diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow, in August at the Mayo Clinic," the network said.

"His doctors are optimistic about the outcome of the treatment he is receiving, and Brokaw said he remains 'the luckiest guy I know,'" it said.

Brokaw sat in the anchor chair of the "NBC Nightly News" from 1982 until he stepped aside in 2004 to serve as a special correspondent for the network. He joined NBC as a reporter in 1966.

"Throughout the treatment, Brokaw has continued to work on NBC News projects, including a two-hour documentary on the assassination of JFK, appearances on 'TODAY,' 'Nightly News with Brian Williams,' 'Meet the Press' and MSNBC," the announcement said. "He is also contributing to NBC Sports coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi."

The NBC release included a personal quote from Brokaw.

"With the exceptional support of my family, medical team and friends, I am very optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing my life, my work and adventures still to come," he said. "I remain the luckiest guy I know."

Brokaw said in a 2012 interview with CNN that the death of ABC news anchor Peter Jennings from lung cancer in 2005 "really affirmed my decision" to retire.

"The line that you don't know anybody near death who says 'Gee, I wish I had spent more time at the office,'" he said. "That's kind of how I felt. I wanted to be free to do things that I care about, and not worry about whether or not it was a rating period or I have to rush back to the studio to be on air."

Source: http://www.wsbt.com/entertainment/Tom-Brokaw-reveals-cancer-diagnosis/24420414



Monday, February 10, 2014

Inline Water Filters 85470 Washing Machine Inline Water Filter User Reviews



This has saved me alot of aggravation. We are in a rural vicinity on water supply water and the washing machine filter was being compensated bunged up every other tint. Including attaching this filter to the water line I have dead more than 1 month including no clogs at all.
- Amazon Customer

The item itself is great- It is a bind in the butt to have to undo the hose and cover and taste to clean it out- so we bought the higher than manufactured goods. It worked kind (we have water supply water), and as flow would get top bolt from the blue we would just change the filter.The conundrum was including the intention of hooking a metal hose on a plastic piece is difficult to do manifold era. the plastic piece got put a stop to threaded, and ultimately became garbage.
- Mark

This contrivance works great. Simple and straight forward to install.I used the white plumber tape on the threads to preventany leaks. We have had it for several months ..I've checked the filter and it is collecting the finedirt incoming from the well with the intention of had nearly burned up the washer before we realized we had a problem.very pleased
- R. wolfe "uutank"

I'm tiresome this filter to see if it can aid with water supply water problems. If you be inflicted with water supply water you be inflicted with sediment. I admit it will filter the water - the inquiry is HOW LONG BEFORE THE FILTER NEEDS REPLACED? The filters are a piece expensive depending on how loads of you need in a time. The installation was quick and unadorned - just curve off water and screw on filter. Will crash in trade after I be inflicted with some months aid.8/22/2012Very much satisfied with this filter. Purchased a additional pro the hot feature. Water flood was skilled and as I noticed a slowing of the flood I replaced filters, this was at in this vicinity seven months. I be inflicted with read where the outfit were bad; be inflicted with not go on into with the intention of conundrum. So, I'm happy with and aid this filter - vastly not compulsory.
- A. Eric Brewington

I'm tiresome this filter to see if it can help with well water problems. If you be inflicted with well water you be inflicted with remains. I admit it will filter the water - the question is HOW LONG BEFORE THE FILTER NEEDS REPLACED? The filters are a bit pricey depending on how many you need in a year. The installation was quick and simple - just turn off water and screw on filter. Will crash back after I be inflicted with approximately months use.
- A. Eric Brewington

Please see my review on the replacement filters for this manufactured goods.PROS:Easy installation.Splendid performance. My battle with hard fill up remains that clogged my washing apparatus filter weekly was solved.CONS:None at all.This manufactured goods has saved me from the weekly task of cleaning the filter in the fill up line to my washer. Even as this is not a difficult job, it is time consuming. Not time consuming any longer!
- Nephros "0990"

I'm on a well and we have a lot of remains in our water. So much remains that we have to take out the factory installed cover on our clothes washer twice each time we wash a load of clothes. This is in effect a better cover (trap), but more accessible and with a rubbery notes included (filter). It might be a bit too restrictive for my needs. I like the manufactured goods, and it's built well (solid and austere, PVC, easily disassembled/reassembled), but I'm not convinced it's any best than a pressure washer inline filter (green cap), and those have a more accessible filter if, like me, you need to take out it often.I'll bring up to date as I use it if I'm able to edit this assess.
- dfordanger

Purchased this item and aptly made known of the bag its threads were stripped and would not all set onto the fittings. Made very cheap and not even worth the money they want. Some might be OK keep for I have talked with others with the intention of got the same and all of theirs were bad also. DO NOT BUY
- BusBarn

Im on well fill up and this manufactured goods force be ok if you are also using a whole household fill up filter, which im not. I do have one on diplomacy in view of the fact that this clogs up just as often as the creek on my washer.I will bring up to date if this fixes my conundrum.Bring up to date.....i now have the whole household filter installed and conundrum solved. i must have gotten the whole household filter first and i dont think i would have needed this.
- Dominoplayer

I see why others have complained that the filter clogs. I had two attached to my washer hoses for a week; had to remove them briefly; and noticed one of them had collected a significant amount of ... some force call it silt, but I'd call them pebbles.And we're on city water.So, I guess this isn't a set-it-and-forget-it piece, but that's OK. I don't mind having to check on it if it's keeping that useless items out of my washer, and away from my clothes.
- Frank Provo


Inline Water Filters 85470 Washing Machine Inline Water Filter

The INLINE-WATER-FILTERS-85470 washing apparatus filter logic prevents remains build up including the intention of can destruction your important appliances. This logic traps the remains in your fill up previous to it reaches the creek valve cover so you will by no means be inflicted including to sterile the valve cover ended again. Exhausted of gray remains bottleneck the cover on your washing apparatus? Bed in the 85470 inline filter logic and care for your appliances in succession smoothly.





Saturday, February 8, 2014

12 each: Ace Pleated Furnace Air Filter (84804.011625) Reviews



12 each: Ace Pleated Furnace Air Filter (84804.011625) ReviewsI find the precisionaire 84804 pleated kiln air filter to be mean in feature and normal. I had recently purchased a new gas kiln that comes with a established air filter which you must clean. This air filter does not filter out the nominal particles. So the precisionaire filter that I purchased does a much best job than the origional, but not as good as more pricey filters on the promote. But the low price was what made the pronouncement for me to buy it. It was a negotiate.
- Joseph of Wantagh

We just just bought our family. The furnace is very old and soil. I bought these filters, planning to aid them every two weeks to help with the dirt in the vents and furnace. I should display these filters bring about great! We have noticed a enormous improvement starting the filters we were using before. The Ace filters are exceptional feature at a regard fee.
- A. Steinhoff

12 each: Ace Pleated Furnace Air Filter (84804.011625) Detail View


12 each: Ace Pleated Furnace Air Filter (84804.011625)

Sold as lone unit. (1 unit = 12 all.) High efficiency. Traps particles such as pollen, propagate spores, lint, pet hair and household dust. Lasts up to 3 months. Cotton media including expanded metal mesh help. Nominal Efficiency Crash Regard (MERV): 8. Spectacle quantity. 16" x 25" x 1" . Manufacturer digit: 84804.011625. SKU #: 4044566. Country of origin: (TBA). Distributed by Precisionaire, Inc.





Thursday, February 6, 2014

Aqua Filter Disposable Water Filtered Holders 10 ea(pack of 6) Shopper Reviews



I gave it the rating of 4 out of 5 stars in check over of the fact including the intention of although it's an exceptional manufactured goods, the feature of the manufactured goods has decreased approximately owing to the being. I be inflicted including been by my disposable fill up aqua filters for in this vicinity 10 being now. as I first early by them I will shake the excess fill up from them (as instructed) at that calculate house your cigarette in. Even if now here's no fill up in them. The fill up helps including the depiction of the tar & nicotine dead from you consuming it. Now I dab down it promptly for 1 following at that calculate shake the fill up out. In addendum to including the intention of, 1 filter old to stretch for in this vicinity 2 packs of cigarettes. Now it now and again won't stretch for 1 amount. Even if; including all including the intention of understood, It soothe facility and is soothe an exceptional manufactured goods for all smokers.
- Beverly

Great manufactured goods reduces all the chemicals in the cigarretes.All other filters are not as good.I have used these for years and now, I can't find them in the equipment so I'm happy to find them on line
- SHARON W.


Aqua Filter Disposable Water Filtered Holders 10 ea(pack of 6)

Cigarette smoke containing tar, nicotine plus additional substances infiltrate the Aquafilter. Only one of its kind wet filtration logic removes a noteworthy portion of these substances (methodical investigate confirms that wet filtration is the most effectual mode to take out the tar and nicotine from cigarette smoke)





Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Cate Blanchett visits Philip Seymour Hoffman's former apartment with gifts



A teary-eyed Cate Blanchett arrived at the former Jane St. apartment of Philip Seymour Hoffman carrying gifts, which were likely for the late actors three children.

There were tears in actress Cate Blanchetts eyes Monday when she arrived at the West Village apartment building that Philip Seymour Hoffman once called home.

Dressed in black, the Oscar-winner emerged from a black Cadillac and with the help of an assistant she removed a boxed telescope apparently a gift the oldest of Hoffmans now fatherless children, 10-year-old Cooper.

Blanchett and her assistant brought toys, games and a telescope to the apartment building where the late Philip Seymour Hoffman once lived.

RELATED: PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN DIES: 70 BAGS OF HEROIN, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOUND AT HOME

They also took out two large bags that appeared to be toys and games from Hoffmans daughters, Tallulah, 7, and Willa, 5, and carried them inside the Jane Street building.

Blanchett worked with Philip Seymour Hoffman for 1999s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Blanchett, who is up for another Oscar for her turn in the Woody Allen movie Blue Jasmine, met Hoffman when they worked together on the 1999 movie The Talented Mr. Ripley.

CHRIS PIZZELLO/APThe cast and crew of The Talented Mr. Ripley, including Cate Blanchett (second from right) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (right) in 1999.

Actor Justin Theroux, a close friend of Hoffmans, was also seen leaving the apartment.

Hoffman had lived on Jane Street for many years with the mother of his children, estranged girlfriend Mimi ODonnell.

VICTORIA WILL/INVISION/APPhilip Seymour Hoffman died of an apparent drug overdose on Sunday.

PHOTOS: REMEMBERING PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN'S LIFE AND CAREER

The substance-abusing actor moved to the $10,000-a-month rental on Bethune St. where he was found dead Sunday not long after he fell off the wagon after over two decades of sobriety.

Jackson Lee/Splash NewsPhilip Seymour Hoffman out with Mimi O'Donnell and their daughters in New York.

csiemaszko@nydailynews.com

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/cate-blanchett-philip-seymour-hoffman-apartment-gifts-article-1.1600794



Monday, February 3, 2014

Finally, Real Diva in Lineup for Game



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MusicFinally, Real Diva in Lineup for Game

Rene Fleming will sing at the Super Bowl on Sunday. Tannen Maury/European Pressphoto Agency

Since 1967, the national anthem has been sung at the Super Bowl by a boy band and a college a cappella group. It has been belted by a morning-TV host and bugled by a trumpeter (four times!).

But when the renowned soprano Rene Fleming makes the arduous climb to the high note in the land of the free at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday for a projected television audience of 100 million or more, it will be the first time the anthem has been performed at the event by an opera singer.

When Luciano Pavarottis rendition of Nessun Dorma from Puccinis Turandot became the theme song of the BBCs coverage of the 1990 World Cup, Ms. Fleming said Thursday at a news conference at the Rose Theater in Manhattan, it changed his life, it changed his career.

Though not an aria, The Star-Spangled Banner could at the least enhance her name recognition as her career moves in a new direction helping mastermind programming at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Yet the recent news that Ms. Fleming would perform left some unconvinced, Im sorry to report. Asked by a reporter what he thought of an opera singers getting the gig, the rapper French Montana gave an answer that featured two unprintable words with that between them. A Fox Sports writer suggested betting on how long Ms. Flemings rendition would last, explaining that opera singers usually take a long time singing anything because it seems they love the way they sound and want everyone to experience their sound for as long as possible.

Mark Quenzel, who as the senior vice president for programming and production at NFL Network was involved in the selection of a singer, insisted he was unconcerned about any doubters. I care much more about what people are saying about Rene Fleming coming out of the anthem than going in, he said in a phone interview this week.

There are plenty of stereotypes in this country about opera, the duration of a high note being just one. And while Ms. Fleming, one of the most celebrated opera singers of the day, has performed at a presidential inauguration and at the World Series, the Super Bowl is a whole new ballgame for a figure who remains not quite a household name on the level of Pavarotti. So its worth taking the opportunity to clarify a few things about opera and its American history.

Once upon a time in this country, about 100 years ago, opera was a genuinely popular art form. The first sound recording to sell a million copies was the tenor Enrico Carusos version of Vesti la giubba, the sad-clown aria from Leoncavallos Pagliacci, early in the 1900s. And far more recently, stars of the genre like Beverly Sills and Pavarotti were genuine celebrities, recognized in airports and even, in Sillss case, a guest host on The Tonight Show.

Back in the days when divas and divos reigned nationally, there was another category of artists who blurred the line between opera and pop music. Mario Lanza, for one, had the chops to be the real deal but ended up best known for standards like Be My Love and for playing Caruso in films.

But as the art form has receded from mainstream pop culture, all thats left for many people when they think opera are post-Lanza crooners like Andrea Bocelli or the men of Il Divo. They have sweet, tiny voices without the technique or stamina let alone nuance to persuasively project without amplification in a real opera house.

Ms. Fleming, 54, is not Mr. Bocelli. Shes not Paul Potts or Susan Boyle, two of the pseudo-stars unearthed by the TV show Britains Got Talent, either. She is a very serious, very good opera singer who has been at her plush, wistful best in lyric roles like the Marschallin in Strausss Der Rosenkavalier and Tatiana in Tchaikovskys Eugene Onegin.

But when it comes to mass-market stardom, Ms. Flemings career, which took off in the late 1980s, may have arrived a couple of decades late. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera less than a year after the Three Tenors (Pavarotti et al) sang together for the first time in Rome on the eve of the 1990 World Cup final. And that was the beginning of the end of the era of truly serious opera singers who were also truly famous.

Ms. Fleming remains the closest thing opera has to an American sweetheart the peoples diva, her marketing materials call her. Befitting an era in which would-be divas need to take what they can get, shes game for most anything. She recently sang the Top Ten list on the Late Show With David Letterman, making jokes about twerking and 2016 presidential contenders to the tunes of famous arias. In 2010 she released Dark Hope, a well-meaning, lugubrious album of (sigh) indie-rock covers.

That project, and crossover collaborations with musicians like the jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, have rendered her a Michelle Obama type, a cool mom with a glamorous side: a June Cleaver who wants to also be a Vogue cover girl, as the writer Seth Colter Walls once memorably put it on the blog The Awl.

Her demographic appeal, then, is clear even if she lacks the name recognition of other anthem contenders. Mr. Quenzel was careful to mention that the number of women who watch the Super Bowl outstrips the total audience for the Grammy Awards.

Which is not to say that any audience she may draw on Sunday would be entirely new, or that opera and football fans cant be the same thing. Mr. Quenzel said that engaging Ms. Fleming was first proposed by Bill Creasy, the television producer for the first two Super Bowls and a longtime operagoer. Charles Ruff, one of President Bill Clintons lawyers during his 1999 impeachment trial, was happiest working in his office on Sunday afternoons, with a football game on mute and opera on the stereo.

It makes sense: There is something more operatic about football with its blood-and-guts physicality and raucous end zone celebrations than baseball, a calmer, more genteel sport with which opera performers have been more closely associated. (Yankee Stadium audiences heard the great baritone Robert Merrills version of the national anthem for decades, and the team still occasionally plays a recording of him before games.) Still, Ms. Flemings artistry tends to be more in line with the decorous ballpark tradition than with the ground and pound of the football stadium. She will probably offer the Super Bowl audience the same thing that she has long offered audiences at the Met and elsewhere: the side of opera thats comfortable rather than galvanic, eager to please rather than awe-inspiring.

Ms. Fleming certainly has had her moments of what opera fanatics call dementia, the highest praise for an inspired performance. If those who watch her on Sunday are tempted to buy a Fleming album, theyll hopefully consider not just her latest compilation, the prettily inert Guilty Pleasures, but rather the 1993 recording of one of her most daring triumphs, the title role in the Rossini rarity Armida. Or the DVD of a 2007 Met performance of Eugene Onegin in which she sings and acts with passionate commitment. Those are the performances that can move an audience of millions.

Well see: There is evidence that even the skeptics might be prepared to keep an open mind. After his initial expletive-laden reaction, Mr. Montana went on in a gentler vein: Opera? Nah, I think its a beautiful thing, trying something different.

A version of this article appears in print on February 1, 2014, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Finally, Real Diva in Lineup for Game.

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/arts/music/renee-fleming-will-sing-national-anthem-at-the-super-bowl.html