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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2015)
OPINION 6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015 D AILY A STORIAN Time for a Better ‘Sound of Music’ T HE Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager SAMANTHA MCLAREN, Circulation Manager 0RQVDQWRLVVRUU\ but decades late ‘Hubris’ ignored potential public REMHFWLRQVWRJHQHWLFPRGL¿FDWLRQV M onsanto CEO Hugh Grant last week attributed the pub- OLF EDFNODVK WR JHQHWLFDOO\ PRGL¿HG FURSV LQ JHQHUDO DQGWRWKHFRPSDQ\LQSDUWLFXODUWR0RQVDQWR¶V³KXEULV´LQ promoting the technology. ³:HGLGUHDOO\FRROVFLHQFHDQGZH worked within global regulatory re- TXLUHPHQWV´KHWROGThe Independent D%ULWLVKQHZVSDSHU³)URPZKHUHZH ZHUHWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQZLWKFRQVXP- HUVZDVDQDEVWUDFW´ *UDQW¶VDGPLVVLRQLVGHFDGHVODWH But it is on point. The company did an excellent job in marketing to growers. %XWLWZDVHLWKHUREOLYLRXVWRRULWLJ- nored the potential for objections from the public. $V D UHVXOW WKH DGYDQFHV LQ FURS production already realized by the ZRUNRI0RQVDQWRDQGRWKHUELRWHFK companies are under assault by critics who wield powerful emotional argu- PHQWVWKDWDUHQ¶WEDFNHGE\VFLHQFH 0RQVDQWRDSSOLHGHTXDOO\LPSUHV- VLYHLQQRYDWLRQVWRLWVEXVLQHVVSUDF- WLFHV $QG LW LV KHUH WKH FRPSDQ\¶V stormy relationship with the public SUREDEO\WRRNURRW0RQVDQWRERXJKW up established seed companies that KDGDOUHDG\GHYHORSHGWUDGLWLRQDOK\- EULGVRQZKLFK0RQVDQWRFRXOGVWDFN its biotech traits. ,W UHFRJQL]HG HDUO\ WKH YDOXH RI patenting gene sequences it could use in its own products and license to its competitors. The licensing agreements restrict what traits pro- duced by other biotech companies PD\ EH VWDFNHG ZLWK 0RQVDQWR¶V limiting the market for its competi- ) WRUVZKLOHHQODUJLQJ0RQVDQWR¶V 0RQVDQWRDJJUHVVLYHO\SURWHFWVLWV SDWHQWV UHTXLULQJ IDUPHUV ZKR EX\ the seed to sign agreements barring WKHP IURP VDYLQJ VHHG IURP SUHYL- ous crops. That rubs more traditional IDUPHUVXVHGWRVDYLQJVHHGWKHZURQJ ZD\0RQVDQWR¶VHQIRUFHPHQWZDVDW WLPHVKHDY\KDQGHG7KDWEHKDYLRUDO- lowed critics to paint the company as a FRUSRUDWHEHKHPRWKWKDWEXOOLHVVPDOO family farmers. Though far from the only biotech GHYHORSHU0RQVDQWRKDVEHFRPHIRU critics the global symbol of an indus- WU\WKH\VD\LVGULYHQE\JUHHGDQG that is destroying traditional agricul- ture without regard to the health of FRQVXPHUVDQGWKHHQYLURQPHQW But that brings us back to the sci- ence. After more than 20 years of wi- descale production of genetically PRGL¿HG FURSV FULWLFV KDYH IDLOHG WR produce any documented hazards for people who consume them. )DUIURPSURGXFLQJFDODPLW\ELR- WHFKQRORJ\SURYLGHVWKHEHVWSURVSHFW IRUIHHGLQJWKHZRUOG¶VJURZLQJSRSX- lation with crops engineered to resist drought and disease. Not all consumers want biotech SURGXFWV%XWQRQHRIWKHDOWHUQDWLYH cropping methods promise to produce the required quantity of food. 0RUHWKDQJRRGZLVKHV LVZKDWVDYHVEXLOGLQJV acadism is an architectural term WKDW¶V EHHQ DURXQG IRU GHFDGHV sparking much debate about the prac- WLFH RI VWXI¿QJ HQWLUHO\ QHZ LQWHULRUV within the shells of old buildings. ,QWKHPRVWH[WUHPHFDVHVOLWHUDOO\ the only original element left standing LVWKHIDFDGHRUGHFRUDWLYHIDFHQHDUHVW the street. +HUH LQ WKH 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW WKH FRPSDUDWLYH \RXWK RI EXLOGLQJV FRX- SOHG ZLWK FLW\HQYHORSLQJ ¿UHV DQG HDUWKTXDNHVPHDQWWKHUHZHUHQ¶WPDQ\ DFWLYH GHEDWHV DERXW WKLV VXEMHFW XQWLO UHODWLYHO\ UHFHQWO\ $OZD\VLQWHUHVWLQJ SUHVHUYDWLRQLVW .QXWH %HUJHU RI WKH online news source Crosscut this week ZDGHVLQWRZKDWVRPHVHHDVDQRYHUXVH RIWKHVWUDWHJ\LQ6HDWWOH7KHUHDFRQ- tinuing rapid transformation of older commercial and industrials blocks by a surging high-tech sector is being facili- tated by facadism. This strategy has been raising hack- OHVVLQFHDWOHDVWZKHQDUFKLWHF- tural critic Paul Goldberger wrote in The New York Times³IDFDGLVPKROGV RXWDJUHDWWHPSWDWLRQ²LWVHHPVRQ WKHVXUIDFHWRJLYHERWKVLGHVZKDWWKH\ ZDQW7KHVPDOOROGHUEXLOGLQJVYDOXHG E\SUHVHUYDWLRQLVWVDSSHDUWREHVDYHG ZKLOH WKH ODUJH QHZ RQHV GHYHORSHUV seek can still be built. ³%XW ZKLOH IDFDGLVP SUHWHQGV WR D FHUWDLQHDUQHVWQHVVLWLVDWERWWRPUDWKHU SHUQLFLRXV)RUWKHFRPSURPLVHLWUHS- UHVHQWVLVQRWUHDOO\SUHVHUYDWLRQDWDOO 7RVDYHRQO\WKHIDFDGHRIDEXLOGLQJLV QRWWRVDYHLWVHVVHQFHLWLVWRWXUQWKH EXLOGLQJLQWRDVWDJHVHWLQWRDFXWHWR\ intended to make a skyscraper more palatable. And the street becomes a kind RI'LVQH\ODQGRIIDOVHIURQWV´ $VWRULDIRULWVSDUWKDVGRQHUDWKHU ZHOO DW NHHSLQJ ROG EXLOGLQJV DOLYH DV much more than hollowed zombies of WKHLUIRUPHUVHOYHV,WPLJKWLQIDFWEH said that architectural resurrection is the VLQJOHSLYRWDOWKHPHRIWKHFLW\¶VRQJR- ing 21st century success story. By rec- RJQL]LQJWKHYDOXHHPEHGGHGLQZRUQ DQGXQGHUXWLOL]HGVWUXFWXUHV$VWRULDLVD much better-endowed community than LWFRXOGFRQFHLYDEO\DIIRUGWREHLIWKH old architectural slate had been wiped clean. Not only do older buildings con- tain heritage-quality materials and tech- QLTXHV EXW SHUVRQDOLW\ DQG PHPRULHV DOVRSHUPHDWHWKHWRZQ¶VPDQ\FHQWX- ry-old businesses and homes. Acknowledging that outright SUHVHUYDWLRQ LV WKH EHVW RXWFRPH IRU JRRGTXDOLW\ ROG VWUXFWXUHV WKHUH DG- mittedly are some situations in which EXLOGLQJVKDYHGHWHULRUDWHGWRRPXFKRU ZHUHGHVLJQHGIRUSXUSRVHVWKDWFDQ¶WEH HDVLO\DGDSWHGWRPRGHUQQHHGV7KLVLQ D QXWVKHOO LV WKH FLYLF DUJXPHQW QRZ UHYROYLQJDURXQGWKH:DOGRUI+RWHO,V there an economically feasible way to VDYHWKH:DOGRUIJLYLQJLWDKLJKYDOXH XVHZKLOHSUHVHUYLQJLWVIXQGDPHQWDODU- chitectural characteristics? Hope for this RXWFRPHLVPXFKLQHYLGHQFHEXWDQDF- WXDOYLVLRQDQGWKHPRQH\WRLPSOHPHQW LWDUHQRWLPPHGLDWHO\REYLRXV One suggestion has been keeping WKH EXLOGLQJ¶V JURXQGÀRRU IDFDGH while starting from scratch on the inside to make it suitable for the library. This is the sort of compromise that Goldberger DQG SUHVXPDEO\ .QXWH %HUJHU ZRXOG see as a betrayal of common sense and SUHVHUYDWLRQSULQFLSOHV 0DUNHW IRUFHV OLNHO\ ZLOO PDNH WKH :DOGRUI GHFLVLRQ $VWRULD LV QRW RYHU- ly endowed with building space. And buildings quickly deteriorate in this cli- PDWH 3UHVHUYDWLRQ" $GDSWLYH UHXVH" 'HPROLWLRQ"6LWHUHXVH":KLFKZLOOLWEH" By LAWRENCE DOWNES New York Times News Service T he Sound of Music WKH PRYLH WXUQV WKLV \HDU DV SRSXODU DV HYHU D EHGURFN memory of untold millions of FKLOGKRRGV0LQHIRUVXUH 6RPH IDURII GD\ ZKHQ QHXUDO engineers do a digital download of my dying EUDLQ WKH\ ZLOO ¿QG ZD\ AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File back with the Julie Andrews, center, is joined by Christopher Plummer, left, her co- oldest grudg- star from the film “The Sound of Music,” and the film’s director, Robert HV DQG 3,1V Wise, during a reception for the event where Andrews received the The of Sound Music ELLA award in Beverly Hills, Calif. in April 2001. The 1965 Oscar-win- ning film adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “The Sound of Music” is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2015. To honor the milestone, 20th Century Fox is releasing a five-disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digi- tal HD collector’s edition, the soundtrack is being re-released, the film will be screened more than 500 movie theaters in April 2015. V R X Q G W U D F N HYHU\ OLQH DQG Lawrence Downes rhyme. She climbs a tree DQGVFUDSHVKHUNQHH:KHQWKHGRJ RI 0XVLF" 7R XQHDUWK FUXHOW\ DQG UHDG\KH¶VDQLGLRW/DWHUVKHVQHDNV FDUQDOLW\ KRQHVW\ DQG GHHS IHHOLQJ LQWRWKHKRXVHVRDNHGDQG0DULDOLHV bites. Yodel-ay-hee-hoo. all the things that lie buried under all WRFRYHUIRUKHU 7KHPRYLHLVUHWXUQLQJWRWKHDWHUV that Salzburg sunshine and the radi- The Sound of MusicLVQHYHUJR- IRUWZRGD\VLQ$SULODQGQRGRXEW DQFHRI-XOLH$QGUHZV" ing to be Spring AwakeningWKHURFN PDQ\LQPLGGOHDJHZLOOJRWRYLVLW In other words: Is this story really musical about sex-addled 19th-cen- DQ ROG IULHQG ZKR WKH\ KRSH KDVQ¶W as one-dimensional as we think it is? tury German adolescents. But there aged a bit. +HUHLV0DULDDJLUOVXSSRVHGO\VR LV D ORW WKDW LVQ¶W VDFFKDULQH LQ WKH A few may be disappointed. The ZLOGDQGXQ¿WIRUWKHFRQYHQWWKDWRQH VRXUFH PDWHULDO GHYRWLRQ DQG GHV- Sound of MusicLVDJUHDWPRYLHEXWLW nun suggests tying a cowbell on her RODWLRQ VSLULWXDO IHUYRU DQG HURWLF LVQ¶WDYHU\JRRGRQH&ULWLFVLQ neck. Another supplies the perfect tag longing. A lonely captain who dumps his rich girlfriend for UHFRLOHG IURP LWV RSHUHWWD VFKPDOW] OLQH ³6KH¶V D ZRQ- the babysitter. All LWV ZRRGHQ DFWLQJ WKH VHQWLPHQWDO derful girl — some Is this WKDWSOXVOXVW\JRDW- JRRS SRXUHG DOO RYHU ZKDW ZDV DO- RIWKHWLPH´7KHUHLV And Nazis! ready considered one of the sappier WKH FDSWDLQ ZKR KDV story really herds. Poor Andrews Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. VHYHQ VHYHQ FKLO- has been lugging 7KH\ ZHUH ULJKW HYHQ WKRXJK WKH dren. He also has is- as one- WKLV UXFNVDFN RYHU PRYLH¶VPDQ\GHYRWHHVZLOOGLVDJUHH VXHVDVZHVHHIURP the Alps for 50 QRZDQGIRUHYHU the moment he meets dimensional \HDUV ,W¶V WLPH IRU 'RQ¶WJHWPHZURQJ²,ORYHWKH 0DULDDQGWHOOVKHUKH DQRWKHU 0DULD WR PRYLHDQGVWLOOHQMR\PDNLQJIXQRILW wants her out of that as we think take it from here. %XW , RIWHQ ZRQGHU ZK\ LW KDV QHYHU dress. it is? :KDW¶V /DG\ *DJD EHHQUHLPDJLQHGUHVFXHGIURPLWVUHS- Rodgers and doing? XWDWLRQUHERUQDVDPRYLHWRHQMR\IRU Hammerstein were no , PHDQ QR LQVXOW WR WKH ORYHO\ reasons other than nostalgia or camp. babes on Broadway. Their shows often I had this thought after seeing KDYH VHFRQGDU\ FRXSOHV ZKR XQOLNH WKHOXPLQRXVWKHSUDFWLFDOO\SHUIHFW 6RXWK 3DFL¿F LQ LWV ¿UVW %URDGZD\ WKHSULPOHDGVFRXSOHIURPWKHJHWJR Andrews. But I liked her better in UHYLYDO WKH GLUHFWRU %DUWOHWW 6KHU In Oklahoma!$GR$QQLHMXVW³FDLQ¶W´ WKDWRWKHUPRYLHWKHRQHZKHUHVKH shook off the dated racial themes and say no. 6RXWK 3DFL¿F has Lieutenant SOD\VDQXQOLFHQVHGFDUHJLYHUZKRLV left it radically refreshed. I remem- &DEOHDQG\RXQJ/LDWZKRPHHWDQG KLUHGWRSURYLGHVWUXFWXUHWRWZRDW EHU WRR KRZ WKH GLUHFWRU 7UHYRU mate in about a minute. In The Sound ULVNFKLOGUHQEXWLQVWHDGEULQJVWKHP 1XQQZLWK+XJK-DFNPDQDV&XUO\ of Music LW¶V WKH GDXJKWHU /LHVO DQG WRKDQJZLWKKHUER\IULHQGDVWUHHW darkened Oklahoma! and made it al- 5ROI WKH 1D]L WHOHJUDP ER\ ZKRVH musician who likes to get high at most terrifying. name sounds like what I want to do KLVXQFOH¶VKRXVH&DQWKHUHEHZLW 6KRXOGQ¶WLWEHSRVVLEOHZLWKRXW ZKHQHYHU KH¶V RQ WKH VFUHHQ 7KHLU irony and genuine laughs in a family WRWDO GHPROLWLRQ WR UHVSHFWIXOO\ XS- GXHWLQDJD]HERLQDWKXQGHUVWRUPLV ¿OP"<HV²NHHSMary Poppins just HQG HYHU\RQH¶V LGHD RI 7KH 6RXQG DOODERXWVH[DQGFURVVHGVLJQDOV6KH¶V as it is. Tell me how this ends well kindergartens teaching PLVJRYHUQDQFH 7KH math and English too UHVXOW /LE\D <HPHQ HDUO\ DQG WKH QHZV RXW Syria and Iraq are now KXPDQ GHYHORSPHQW GL- 21*.21*²,¶YHEHHQ of Yemen is that Sunni saster areas. in China for the last week. and Shiite factions are ILJKWLQJRYHUDWRZQWKDW Some saw this com- ,W¶VDOZD\VLQVWUXFWLYHWRVHHKRZ is already so cracked up LQJ ,Q D JURXS WKH ZRUOG ORRNV IURP WKH 0LGGOH the water comes on only of Arab social scientists .LQJGRP 6RPHWLPHV WKH EHVW LQ- KRXUV D PRQWK DQG SURGXFHG WKH 81¶V $UDE +XPDQ 'HYHORS- sights come from just reading the the rest of the time you KDYH WR UHO\ RQ URYLQJ ment Report. It said the local papers. Thomas L. water trucks. And that Arab world suffered Friedman 2Q0DUFK7KH&KLQD'DL- was before the latest GHILFLWV RI IUHHGRP ly published an essay detailing fighting. NQRZOHGJHDQGZRPHQ¶V KRZ ³%HLMLQJ DXWKRULWLHV´ KDG %XW DW OHDVW ZH¶YH IRXQG WKH HPSRZHUPHQW DQG LI LW GLG QRW ³ODXQFKHG LQVSHFWLRQ WRXUV RI SUREOHP ,¶YH UHDG WKDW LW¶V DOO WXUQDURXQGLWZRXOGJHWZKHUHLW kindergartens this week to ensure 3UHVLGHQW %DUDFN 2EDPD¶V IDXOW was going. It was ignored by the WKDW FKLOGUHQ DUH QRW RYHUEXU- I wish. Obama has said and done $UDE/HDJXH,QWKHHGXFDW- dened with schoolwork. Although some boneheaded things in the ed Arab masses rose up to force a &KLQHVH PDWKHPDWLFV DQG (Q- 0LGGOH (DVW OLNH GHFDSLWDWLQJ turnaround before they got where glish are supposed to be taught to the Libyan regime with no plan they were going. Except for Tuni- SULPDU\VFKRROVWXGHQWVLWLVQRW IRU WKH PRUQLQJ DIWHU EXW EHLQJ VLD WKH RQO\$UDE FRXQWU\ ZKRVH uncommon to see preschool-age wary about getting further em- DXWRFUDW ZDV DOVR D PRGHUQL]HU children across China being broiled in this region is not one that awakening fizzled out. So IRUFHG WR VWXG\ WKHVH VXEMHFWV´ RIWKHP:H¶UHGHDOLQJKHUHZLWK QRZ WKH\¶YH JRWWHQ ZKHUH WKH\ The essay went on to explain why something no president has had were going: state collapse and a LW ZDVQ¶W KHDOWK\ WR ³EHJLQ SUH- to face: the collapse of the Arab FDOGURQ RI WULEDO VHFWDULDQ 6KL- paring for the college entrance state system after 70 years of LWH6XQQL 3HUVLDQ$UDE FLYLO wars — in a region bulging with H[DP´LQSUHVFKRRO IDLOHGJRYHUQDQFH Reading $JDLQ WKH XQHPSOR\HG DQJU\ \RXWKV DQG WKDW , VXGGHQO\ c o m p a r i s o n VFKRROV WKDW EDUHO\ IXQFWLRQ RU I’ve read KDG D YLVLRQ RI with Asia is in- LIWKH\GRWKH\WHDFKDQH[FHVVRI D 6:$7 WHDP VWUXFWLYH $IWHU religion not math. that it’s all , UHDG 3UHVLGHQW $EGHO )DWWDK IURP &KLQD¶V :RUOG ,, $VLD el-Sissi of Egypt declaring that 0LQLVWU\ RI (G- was ruled by President ucation burst- many autocrats ³WKHFKDOOHQJHVIDFLQJRXUQDWLRQ- ing through Barack who essential- DO $UDE VHFXULW\ DUH JUDYH DQG the doors of came to their ZH KDYH VXFFHHGHG LQ GLDJQRVLQJ Obama’s fault. ly SHRSOHDQGVDLG WKH UHDVRQV EHKLQG LW´ $QG WKDW kindergartens was? Too little Arab cooperation and declaring: ³0\ SHRSOH I wish. ³3XW WKRVH SHQ- ZH¶UH JRLQJ WR against Persians and Islamists. cils and books take away your Really? Some 25 percent of Egyp- down! Back IUHHGRP EXW tians are illiterate today after $50 DZD\ IURP \RXU GHVNV DQG QR- ZH¶UH JRLQJ WR JLYH \RX WKH EHVW ELOOLRQLQ86DLGVLQFH,Q ERG\JHWVKXUW´ HGXFDWLRQ LQIUDVWUXFWXUH DQG H[- &KLQD LOOLWHUDF\ LV SHUFHQW LQ :KDW D SUREOHP WR KDYH .LQ- port-led growth policies money ,UDQ SHUFHQW 0\ KHDUW JRHV dergartens teaching math and En- FDQ EX\ $QG HYHQWXDOO\ \RX¶OO out to all the people in this region. glish too soon. build a big middle class and win But when your leaders waste 70 ,Q WKH VDPH SDSHU WKHUH ZDV \RXU IUHHGRP´ 2YHU WKDW VDPH \HDUVWKHKROHLVUHDOO\GHHS ,Q IDLUQHVV HO6LVVL LV WU\LQJ also an article about the latest SHULRG $UDE DXWRFUDWV FDPH WR fighting between Shiite pro-Ira- WKHLU SHRSOH DQG VDLG ³0\ SHR- WR GLJ (J\SW RXW 1HYHUWKHOHVV nian and Sunni pro-Saudi factions SOHZH¶UHJRLQJWRWDNHDZD\\RXU Egypt may send troops to de- LQ<HPHQ &ODVKHV WKHUH KDYH IR- IUHHGRPDQGJLYH\RXWKH$UDE,V- IHDW WKH UHEHOV LQ<HPHQ ,I VR LW would be the first case of a coun- FXVHG RQ <HPHQ¶V VHFRQGODUJHVW UDHOFRQIOLFW´ WRZQ 7DL] 7DL]" :DLW D PLQXWH Asian autocrats tended to be try where 25 percent of the popu- , ZDV LQ7DL] LQ 0D\ ZRUN- PRGHUQL]HUVOLNH6LQJDSRUH¶V/HH ODWLRQFDQ¶WUHDGVHQGLQJWURRSVWR ing on a documentary about how .XDQ<HZ ZKR GLHG ODVW ZHHN DW rescue a country where the water <HPHQ ZDV EHFRPLQJ DQ HQYL- 91 — and you see the results to- FRPHV WKURXJK WKH WDS KRXUV URQPHQWDO GLVDVWHU :H IRFXVHG day: Singaporeans waiting in line a month to quell a war where RQ 7DL] EHFDXVH DV D UHVXOW RI for 10 hours to pay last respects the main issue is the 7th century <HPHQ¶V GHYDVWDWHG HFRV\VWHPV WR D PDQ ZKR YDXOWHG WKHP IURP VWUXJJOH RYHU ZKR LV WKH ULJKWIXO residents of Taiz get to run their nothing into the global middle KHLUWRWKH3URSKHW0XKDPPDG² KRPH ZDWHU IDXFHWV IRU RQO\ class. Arab autocrats tended to be Shiites or Sunnis. Any Chinese preschooler can KRXUVHYHU\GD\VRUVR predators who used the conflict 6RWKHUH\RXKDYHLW7KHQHZV with Israel as a shiny object to dis- WHOO \RX 7KDW¶V QRW DQ HTXDWLRQ out of China is the crackdown on tract their people from their own for success. By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN New York Times News Service H