Snippets:
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Life: Ponzo Illusion: Mario Ponzo discovered in 1923 that size perception depends on the eye's interpretation of depth clues.
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Jazz: Milt Hinton (1910-2000), bass player, most-recorded jazz musician of all time, having appeared on 1,174 recordings.
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Photography: Edward Sheriff Curtis: 'The North American Indian' (published 1907 - 1930); intented to record traditional Indian cultures; 20 volumes of narrative text and photogravure images.
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Books: John Bate, The Mysteries of Nature and Art, London: 1635. Influenced and inspired Isaac Newton. Excerpts here.
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Art: Rothko Chapel: Located in the museum district of Houston, TX., commissioned by the art collectors Jean and Dominique de Menil. Built in 1971. Contains 14 paintings by Mark Rothko. In front stands Barnett Newman's 'Broken Obelisk', dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Barnett created a total of three broken obelisks, the other two located at the MoMA in NYC and on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, respectively.
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Snippets:
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Computer: Wipedisk from Gaijin. Overwrites (deletes, 'wipes') hard disk, memory sticks etc. 14 different methods possible. Also has a program for deletion of files (Wipefile). Website in German.
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Computer: Circumvent unwanted error messages in Vista and XP with 'Unlocker' (get from Download.com).
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Computer: Portable Freeware Collection. Similar functions as Portable Apps.
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Computer: Spybot Search & Destroy. Find and delete malware. Useful.
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Computer: Bandwithplace.com: Free Internet speed test: DL Speed: ~2.6 megabits/sec = ~320 kilobytes/sec]. Speedtest.net: Free broadband speed test with servers located all over the world [DL Speed ~ 2879 kb/s; UL Speed: ~450 kb/s]
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Art: Olafur Eliasson (b. 1967), Take Your Time: MoMA and P.S. 1, NYC, April 20 - June 30, 2008. Danish-Icelandic artist. Works a lot with light and mirrors. Intriguing.
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Snippets:
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Computer: Primary Games. All kinds of free computer games, including Mini Golf. See List of all games.
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History: First Sounds.
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DVD: The Official Story (La Historia oficial, 1985). Director:Luis Puenzo. w/ Norma Aleandro (Alicia), Héctor Alterio (Roberto). Wife of a businessman in Buenos Aires starts investigating the history of their adopted daughter when she learns that the child may be from a politically imprisoned mother. Multiple side stories. Sometimes melodramatic. 1986 Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Photogaphy: Bernd Nies. Good amateur photographer. Some spectacular shots.
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Computer: Team Viewer: Desktop sharing, presentations and file transfer, even through firewalls. Free of charge for private (non-commerical)use. Does not require installation. Great for technical support. Works well.
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Books: Library of Congress: Has online exhibitions.
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Recreation: State Parks in New York. Map included.
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Recreation: Croton Dam near Cronton-on-Hudson, built 1906. NYC water supply.
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Shopping: Pricegrabber: Price engine with useful commentaries and reviews.
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Snippets:
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DVD: 1941 (1979). Director: Steven Spielberg. w/ Dan Aykroyd (Sgt. Frank Tree), John Belushi (Capt. Wild Bill Kelso). During WWII in 1941, Hollywood needs to be defended against an imminent Japanese attack. Aloof comedy. Hardly any story. Poor jokes. Waste of time. Some good special effects though. Overall raiting: 2 out of 10.
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Computer: winhlp.com. Windows problem solver.
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Shooping: Nuts Online (knutscholin). Good selection of nuts amd dried fruits; some chocolate-coated.
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Music: TuneCore. Make your music and videos commercially available on the WWW for a small fee, no royalties.
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Movie: Lissi und der wilde Kaiser (2007). Director: Michael Herbig. CGI (computer-generated imaging) movie about the fairy tale-like marriage between Bavaria's teenage Princess Elizabeth and Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph. Lissi is abducted by Yeti to be brought to the devil as the most beautiful woman in the world. Spoof on the "Sissi" trilogy (1955-57). Some funny moments. 'Badesalz' provided voices to Lucifer. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Life: Fragrance: Good Life by Davidoff. For Men. Eau De Toilette.
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Movie: Atonement (2007; German: Abbitte). w/ James McAvoy (Robbie Turner), Keira Knightley (Cecilia Tallis). Writers: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay). Director: Joe Wright. 13-year old girl accuses her sister's lover of raping a girl and therby changes their personal histories. Won Oscar: Dario Marianelli for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score. Saoirse Ronan was nominated for Oscar for her role as Briony Tallis (Aged 13). Core question: When is someone old enough to distinguish between right and wrong. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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News: LiveNewsCameras. Collection of live TV news feeds around the world.
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Online versions of Bibles:

• Bibleserver: Various versions in several different languages; can be viewed side-by-side. Old and New Testament. Also has additional resources


• BibleGateway: Various versions in differnt languages


• Biblos: Online Parallel Bible Project. Many versions, many languages


• Bibelkommentare: in German
  

Snippets:
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Art: 12/29/07: Metropolitan Museum, NYC: 1.) Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche, November 20, 2007–January 6, 2008, Medieval Sculpture Hall 2.) The Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, September 18, 2007–January 6, 2008, Special Exhibition Galleries, 2nd floor.
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Bar: Ice Bar at Chambers, Minneapolis, MN: Outdoors. Counter made of ice, an artsy fire place to warm up. Chambers is the Luxury Art Hotel in Minneapolis.
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Food: Murray's, Minneapolis, MN. Old-fashioned steak house. Famous to be the "Home of the Silver Butter Knife Steak". Food fine, but too pricey. Interior has probably not been renovated since the place opend in 1946. An expericence, no doubt!
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Art: 1/4/08: MoMA: 1.) Lucian Freud: The Painter's Etchings, Dec 16, 2007 - March 10, 2008. Like the paintings better 2.) Martin Puryear Nov 4, 2007–Jan 14, 2008: Sculptures. Not impressed.
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Travel: FlightStats. Info on flights and airports.
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Music: Song Meanings. People commenting on the meaning of songs.
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DVD: Hamlet (1948): Director:Laurence Olivier. Movie version of the play by William Shakespeare. w/ Laurence Olivier (Hamlet, Prince of Denmark), Basil Sydney (Claudius, The King), Eileen Herlie (Gertrude, The Queen), Norman Wooland (Horatio, Hamlet's friend), Felix Aylmer (Polonius, Lord Chamberlain), Terence Morgan (Laertes, son of Polonius), Jean Simmons (Ophelia, daughter of Polonius). Hamlet goes mad over the murder of his father by his uncle, Ophelia goes mad over her love for Hamlet. All dead in the end. Great acting. Great play. Somewhat 'dusty', but full of vice and virtue. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Life: Masdar: Plan for an entirely self-sufficient city near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Supposed to have no carbon dioxide emissions by using solar and wind energy. To be completed around 2016.
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Architecture: 570 Lexington Ave, NYC. Art Deco. Originally buildt by RCA Victor in 1931, soon became the General Electric Building.
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Music: 55 Bar 2/17/08, 6 PM: Iris Ornig (bass, compositions); played in a quartet. Mainstream jazz. Could be more progressive.
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DVD: Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). After the novel by Jules Verne. Screen play: Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett. w/ Pat Boone (Alexander 'Alec' McKuen), James Mason (Sir Oliver S. Lindenbrook), Arlene Dahl (Carla Goteborg), Diane Baker (Jenny Lindenbrook). Geogology professor and crew descent into the ground to explore the center of the earth. Some good special effects for its time. Some funny moments in dialogue. Cheesy at times. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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People: Nina Totenberg. b. 1944. Legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR). Daughter of violinist Roman Totenberg. Fired from the National Observer for plagiarism in 1972. In response, Totenberg told the Columbia Journalism Review in 1995: "I have a strong feeling that a young reporter is entitled to one mistake and to have the holy bejeezus scared out of her to never do it again". List of other NPR people.
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Literature: Halldor Laxness, Iceland's Bell (1943): "... answer me candidly one question: who has suffered more for the other in this world, God for men or men for God?" (p.253)
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Snippets:
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Philosophy: Bhagavad Gita. Text and MP3 audio, with translations.
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Religion: Ganesha: One of the most popular deities in the Hindism. One of the five prime Hindu deities (next to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga). Lord of success. Remover of obstacles. Son of Shiva and Parvati. Elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om. More info.
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Video: Trouble in Mind (1985). 111 min. Director: Alan Rudolph. w/ Kris Kristofferson (Hawk), Keith Carradine (Coop), Lori Singer (Georgia), Genevieve Bujold (Wanda). Music by Marianne Faithful. Ex-cop, just released from prison, tries to build a new life. Tries to win over woman who is married to a crook. Depicts atmosphere of crude survival well. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Pink Floyd RoIO Database. Contains collection of 'Records of Illegitimate/Indeterminate Origin'. Track listings. Some explanantions. Great resource. Site currently not actively maintained.
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DVD: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (L' Uccello dalle piume di cristallo, 1970). 96 min. Director: Dario Argento. w/ Tony Musante (Sam Dalmas), Suzy Kendall (Julia), Enrico Maria Salerno (Inspector Morosini). A writer and an inspector are trying to solve the mystery of a series of murders of young women. Has some gripping moments. Suspense enhanced by and erie soundtrack. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Caravan: Progressive rock group from the 60s and 70s. Song: A hunting we shall go (Live), from the album 'Caravan & The New Symphonia'
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Music: Garth Stevenson Group on Friday, October 26, 2007, 9 PM at The Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village, 269Bleecker St, NYC. Garth Stevenson, bass; John Lockwood, bass; George Garzone, sax; Ted Poor, drums. Great line up with two upright bass players; creative tenor sax and drums. Part of 'Jazz Underground'.
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DVD: Quadrophenia (1979). Director: Franc Roddam. w/ Phil Daniels (James Michael 'Jimmy' Cooper), Leslie Ash (Steph), Sting (Ace Face). Member of a 'Mod' gang in London and Brighton in 1963 tries to find his identity and way through life. When the girl he fancies turns to another guy, he spirals downward. Music by The Who, who produced the film. Movie inspired by their concept album from 1973. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Tiff Jimber. Singer-songwriter from San Diego. Reminds of Vanessa Carlton. MySpace.
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DVD: The Passanger (Professione: reporter; 1975). 126 min. Director: Michelangelo Antonioni (Blow Up). w/ Jack Nicholson (David Locke), Maria Schneider (Girl; from Last Tango in Paris). Slow pace, some good dialogs. Good cinematography. Story sometimes to sluggish. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Performance (1970). 105 min. Directors: Donald Cammell, Nicolas Roeg (Bad Timing). w/ James Fox (Chas), Mick Jagger (Turner), Anita Pallenberg (Pherber), Michele Breton (Lucy). Gangster on the run finds a quiet, bohemian place to hide in an East London mansion with trippy beatniks. Not much content, but plenty of 60s spirit. Many references to the culture of the time. Violence, sex, drugs, Rock'n Roll. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Movies: Filmsite. Info about history of film.
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Life: John Maeda: The Laws of Simplicity: Law #2: Organization makes a system of many appear fewer. Maeda is currently Associate Director of Research, The Media Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Photography: Jean Guichard. Born 1952. Famous French photographer of lighthouses.
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DVD: Blade Runner (1982). 117 min. Director: Ridley Scott. w/ Harrison Ford (Rick Deckard), Rutger Hauer (Roy Batty), Sean Young (Rachael), Daryl Hannah (Pris). After the novel ("Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?") by Philip K. Dick. In the year 2019, technology allows the cloning of human-like so-called replicas that are used to conduct lowly work on other planets. A retired cop gets the task to 'retire' (kill) 4 replicas seeking their freedom. Great special effects for the time; however the plot has lost its excitement over the years. Boring stretches. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Life: 10/3/07: Touring the East Village: 1.) The Stone 2.) Casa Adela 3.) Nublu 4.) Alphabet Lounge 5.) Lava Gina 6.) Uncle Ming's 7.) Hummus Place 8.) Jules 9.) Cachaca
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DVD: Minority Report (2002). 145 min. Director: Steven Spielberg. After the short story by Philip K. Dick (1928-1982; also Blade Runner, Total Recall). w/ Tom Cruise (Chief John Anderton), Max von Sydow (Director Lamar Burgess), Samantha Morton (Agatha, a Precog), Colin Farrell (Danny Witwer). In the year 2054, murders are prevented through a technology that allows to observe them before they are committed. At the heart of thee system, three humans with visionary capabilities are held captive. Everything is stirred up when the chief of the department is predicted to commit a murder. He sets out to unravel who set him up. Plot and dialogue often lack realism. Some inconsistencies. Overdone. Schmaltzy at times. Not inspiring. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Theater: The Exonerated. By Jessica Blank and Eric Jensen. The Red Fern Theater Company, 78th St Theater Lab, 236 W 78th St @ Broadway. A play about people who were wrongfully put on death row but later released. One of the characters tells the story of Kerry Max Cook who was imprisoned for 22 years for a crime that he did not commit. Cook was finally exonerated and then wrote the book 'Chasing Justice'. Moving stories. Touches on racial issues.
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DVD: Beyond the Clouds (Al di là delle nuvole, 1995). 112 min. Directors: Michelangelo Antonioni, Wim Wenders. w/ Fanny Ardant (Patricia), Chiara Caselli (Mistress), Irene Jacob (The Girl), John Malkovich (The Director), Sophie Marceau (The Girl; also in The World Is Not Enough), Vincent Perez (Niccolo), Jean Reno (Carlo), Kim Rossi Stuart (Silvano), Ines Sastre (Carmen), Peter Weller (Husband). Four episodes of unusual relationships between men and women, woven together by a director who shooting a movie. Some parallels between individual stories. Mysterious. Sparse dialogues increase the tension.Overall rating: 7 out of 10. DVD also contains a portrait of Michelangelo Antonioni as a filmmaker.
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DVD: Pandora's Box (Die Büchse der Pandora, 1929). Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst. w/ Louise Brooks (Lulu), Fritz Kortner (Dr. Ludwig Schön), Francis Lederer (Alwa Schön), Carl Goetz (Schigolch), Alice Roberts (Gräfin Geschwitz). After the plays "Erdgeist" and "Die Büchse der Pandora" by Frank Wedekind. Life of a young impulsive woman in the late 20s. Movie is notorious for its frank treatment of modern sexuality, including the first screen portrayal of a lesbian. Overal rating 8 out of 10. Website on the silent movie star Louise Brooks.
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Science: 'Baertierchen im All'; Tardigrada; engl. Tardigrade (water bear): small, segmented animals; 1000 species of tardigrades have been described; most frequently found on lichens and mosses; able to survive in extreme environments; currently testing survival in space (unprotected); can reversibly suspend their metabolism; cryptobiosis(anhydrobiosis i.e. through desiccation).
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Poetry: William Wordsworth (1770-1850): Complete works. Prelude (1885): autobiographical, "philosophical" poem in blank verse.
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Travel: Wequassett Resort and Golf Club , Cape Cod, Chatham, MA. Located on the water. Adjacent to the beach.
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Food: Cabot's "Famous" Cape Cod Fudge & Salt Water Taffy. 276 Commercial St, Provincetown, Cape Cod, MA.
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Snippets:
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Patents: Peer to Patent: Novel patent review system that includes the public. Project in cooperation with USPTO.
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Travel: SeatGuru: Info about airplanes and airline seats for all airlines.
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Computer: Prevent Expanding "User" Folder When Opening Windows Explorer in Windows XP and Vista: Change shortcut target to '%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e, c:' or see here.
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DVD: Ringu: Anthology of Terror: 1.) Ringu (1998): Director: Hideo Nakata 2.) Rasen (1998) 3.) Ringu 0: Basudei (2000): Prequel to Ringu 4.) Ringu 2 (1999). The films that inspired the American version 'The Ring'. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Short Circuit (1986).98 min. Director: John Badham. w/ Ally Sheedy (Stephanie Speck), Steve Guttenberg (Newton Crosby). The robot Number 5 is struck by lighting escapes and evolves into an intelligent being with the help of a young woman. While one of his creators tries to retrieve and deactivate Number 5, he falls in love. Cute but some amateur acting. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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DVD: Last Tango in Paris (Ultimo tango a Parigi). 129 min. Director: Bernardo Bertolucci. w/ lon Brando (Paul), Maria Schneider (Jeanne). Stormy love affair between a beautiful French woman and a depressed American. Weird, disturbing movie. Partly explcit. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Computer: Yugma: Free web conferencing, online meetings and web collaboration services. However, slow at times.
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DVD (Airline): Easy Rider (1969). 95 min. Director: Dennis Hopper w/ Peter Fonda (Wyatt); Dennis Hopper (Billy). Two hippies make a trip from L.A. to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. On their journey they are searching for America. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Troy (2004). 163 min. w/ Brad Pitt (Achilles), Diane Kruger (Helen) , Eric Bana (Hector), Orlando Bloom (Paris). Director: Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm, Outbreak, Das Boot, Die Unendliche Geschichte). Adaptation of Homer's great epic. Some good special effects. Entertaining. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: The Grapes of Wrath (1940). 128 min. B/W. Director: John Ford. Afterr the novel by John Steinbeck. w/ Henry Fonda (Tom Joad), John Carradine (Casy). Poor Oklahoma family is displaced from their land and makes a journey to California in hope of a better future. Gripping story. Superb cinematorgaphy, reminds of pictures by Dorothea Lange. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Music: The Pink Floyd album 'Animals' showed Battersea Power Station, a defunct power plant near London on its cover.
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Music: Douglas Spotted Eagle: combines Native American flute with synthesizer. Also records movie and TV soundtracks.
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DVD: Bad Timing (1980). Director: Nicolas Roeg. w/ Art Garfunkel (Alex Linden), Theresa Russell (Milena Flaherty), Harvey Keitel (Inspector Netusil). After a woman is rushed to the hospital with an overdose of pills, her lover is interrogated by the police, slowly dissecting the course of their affair. Inter-cutting is predominant, ie not chronological. Starts benign, then spirals downward. Disturbing ending. Sexually explicit. Mediocre acting by Art Garfunkel. Was originally named 'Illusions', but then renamed before release due to conflict with the book of the same name by Richard Bach. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Cities: Bangalore (officially Bengaluru), India: Capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Estimated metropolitan population of 6.5 million. Sights: 1.) Vidhana Soudha: Legislative House of the State of Karnataka 2.) Karnataka High Court 3.) Bangalore Palace 4.) Lal Bagh: Botanical garden w/ lotus ponds, fountains, glass houses and stone formations that date back over 3.0 billion years 5.) MG Road and Brigade Road. Also to visit: Iskcon Temple (ISCON = International Society for Krishna Consciousness), 'Hare Krishna'; built to promote vedic culture and spiritual learning); Indian Institute of Science; Mysore (2 h drive; famous for its palace and sandalwood).
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Music: London '66-'67 (London 1966-1967): An EP w/ two "lost" tracks, a longer version of "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Nick's Boogie". Tracks were originally recorded for "Tonite Let's All Make Love In London" on January 11 and 12, 1967, a film by Peter Lorrimer Whitehead, an English filmmaker who documented the counterculture in London and New York in the late 1960s.
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Cities: Amsterdam, NL: 1.) Avenue Hotel, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 33 2.) ACH Leidse Square Hotel, Tesselschadestraat 23 3.) Rijksmuseum 4.) Van Gogh Museum 4.) Maurya: An Indian Cuisine, Korte Leidsedwarssraat 49A.
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Art: Ten Dreams. Galleries cover galleries cover the works of more than 180 master artists during the last 200 years. Includes Balthus, Tamara de Lempicka, Maxfield Parrish, Max Beckmann, Paul Gauguin, Edward Hopper etc.
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Photography: Eugene Atget (1857-1927): French photographer. Made photographs documenting the architecture and street scenes of Paris. Neighbour of Man Ray at Montparnasse.Photographs at the George Eastman House.
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Photography: Bruno Bisang (b. 1952). Swiss photogapher. Advertisement, magazines, fine art.
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Life: Angie's List: Info and ratings for contractors in your area. Requires sign-up. One year free service.
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Science: Otto Hahn (1879-1968): German chemist; Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944; discovered nuclear fission together with his assistant Fritz Strassmann and Lise Meitner. Meitner needed to escape from Germany in 1938 because of her Jewish heritage and was later overlooked for the Nobel Prize.
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DVD: 11:14 (2003). w/ Hilary Swank (Buzzy), Patrick Swayze (Frank), Rachael Leigh Cook (Cheri), Henry Thomas (Jack). Director: Greg Marcks. Five more or less parallel events intertwine the lives of residents in a small American town. A dead body lands on the hood of drunk man who passes under a bridge on the highway. At the same time, a young woman is hit by a car carrying three rambunctious juveniles. The story and sequence of events slowly unravels. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Thunderball (1965). 130 min. w/ Sean Connery (James Bond), Claudine Auger (Dominique 'Domino' Derval). Director: Terence Young. James Bond is on a mission in Bermuda to recover two stolen atomic bombs. Many diving scenes. Bond in macho style. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Pink Floyd --- Live at Pompeii (1972). The Director's Cut (2003). 92 min. Director: Adrian Maben. Original film contained mainly music from the Pompeii event. In later versions, studio recordings from 'Dark Side of the Moon' and interview footage was added. DVD also contains interview with director with some insights into the project. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Astronomy: BLAST (Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope: submillimeter telescope held by andd launched using a high altitude balloon. 2 meter primary mirror. Apparently, BLAST was destroyed during its last mission in Jan. 2007.
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Literature: Ricarda Huch (1864-1947): German writer, poet, and historian. Wrote three volumes about German history (Deutsche Geschichte) during the Nazi regime (which she opposed) and about German romanticism (Die Romanik).
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DVD: The Devil Wears Prada (2006). 109 min. w/ Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestly), Anne Hathaway (Andy Sachs), Emily Blunt (Emily), Stanley Tucci (Nigel). Young aspiring journalist gets introduced to the world of fashion through her new job with the arrogant chief ('the devil') of a fashion magazine. At first she resents the people, but her desire forr a career makes her one of them while destroying her personal life. Life is full of choices... Streep plays her role as the red dragon well. Some scenes rather comical and exaggerated. Slightly superficial. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Real Estate: Realtor.com
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Art: Frick Collection, NYC. Sunday, June 3, 2007, 12:25 PM (pay as you wish).
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Mathematics: Gerolamo Cardano (Girolamo Cardano; Engl.: Jerome Cardan; Lat.: Hieronymus Cardanus), 1501-1576, celebrated Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer, and gambler. Greatest achievements in algebra. Cardan shaft (automotive driveshaft). More info at Engines of our Ingenuity #1950. Biography by William George Waters.
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Art: Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ.
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DVD: Thir13en Ghosts (2001). 91 min. w/ Tony Shalhoub (Arthur Kriticos), Embeth Davidtz (Kalina Oretzia), Matthew Lillard (Dennis Rafkin), Shannon Elizabeth (Kathy Kriticos). Director: Steve Beck. Arthur inherits house from his uncle who happend to collect ghosts to open the gate to hell. When Arthur, his two kids, and a nanny see the house for the first time they get trapped. Horror movie with some good special effects, but very poor story and some bad acting. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Life: Background checks at Sterling Testing
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Psychology: Cognitive Dissonance: Uncomfortable tension that may result from holding two conflicting thoughts or from engaging in behavior that conflicts with one's beliefs. Dissonance increases with the importance of the subject to us, how strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict, and our inability to rationalize and explain away the conflict.
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Jazz: Friday, August 3, 2007, Smalls, NYC: 10:00 PM: Harry Whitaker Group feat Claudia Acuna, Abe Burton, Joe Magnarelli. w/ Harry Whitaker, piano. 12:00 AM: Ralph Lalama Trio w/ Ralph Lalama, tenor saxophone.
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Jazz: Velvet Lounge, 67 E Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60616. Owner: Fred Anderson, tenor saxophonist.
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Computer: Gotta Be Mobile: Articles, news and forums on Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs.
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DVD: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). 157 min. w/ Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). Director: Mike Newell Writers: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel). Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. He participates unwillingly in the 'Triwizard Tournament' while continuing his struggle against Lord Voldemort. Story overall too flat and predictable. Some good special effects. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Computer: CCleaner. Freeware system optimization. Deletes junk and cleans registry.
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DVD: The Da Vinci Code (2006). 149 min. w/ Tom Hanks (Dr. Robert Langdon), Audrey Tautou (Agent Sophie Neveu; from Amelie). Director: Ron Howard. Langdon and Neveu try to find the Holy Grail. Too flat at times. Reasonable acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). 104 min. Director: Mel Brooks. Cary Elwes (Robin Hood), Amy Yasbeck (Maid Marian). Comedy retelling the story of Robin Hood. Funny. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Thought: Life is a constant experiment. We try things out every day, analyze, evaluate results, and make plans for doing it better or different. (Carl Sagan, Demon Haunted World)
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DVD: Blow (2001). 124 min. w/ Johnny Depp (George Jung), Penelope Cruz (Mirtha Jung), Franka Potente (Barbara Buckley), Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman; Derek Foreal). Director: Ted Demme. The story of George Jacob Jung (Boston George), a major player in cocaine importation in the United States in the 1970s and early 80s and a part of the Medellin Cartel in Colombia. Some fun, some touching moments. Age/appearance of actors does not always match up with the scenes. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Thought: Happiness: Feels right. Belong. This is it. (Blow)
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DVD: Casino Royale (2006). 144 min. w/ Daniel Craig (James Bond), Eva Green (Vesper Lynd). Director: Martin Campbell. Bond fights terrorist and plays poker. Overpromised. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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DVD: Dial M for Murder (1954). 104 min. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. w/ Ray Milland (Tony Wendice), Grace Kelly (Margot Mary Wendice), Robert Cummings (Mark Halliday). Man who want to murder his wife comes up with an (almost) ingenious plan. Too static at times. Was originally written by Frederick Knott as a play. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Art: 6/2/07: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. 1.) New Greek and Roman Galleries. Opened April 20, 2007. 2.) Poiret: King of Fashion. 3.) Neo Rauch at the Met: para. 4.) Frank Stella on the Roof.
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DVD: Chinatown (1974) w/ Jack Nicholson (J.J. 'Jake' Gittes), Faye Dunaway (Evelyn Cross Mulwray), John Huston (Noah Cross). Director: Roman Polanski. Private investigator Gittes is hired by a woman to spy upon an enginer and his extra-marital affairs. When he is murdered, Gittes slowly uncoves a vast conspiracy centering on water management, state and municipal corruption, land use and real estate. Great acting, but story too slow at times. Cameo appearance by Polanski himself as 'Man with Knife'. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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DVD: The World is not Enough (1999). w/ Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sophie Marceau (Elektra), Denise Richards (Christmas Jones) . Full of one-liners. Better story than other Bond movies. Many humorous scenes. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Ran (1985). 160 min. Director: Akira Kurosawa. w/ Tatsuya Nakadai (Lord Hidetora Ichimonji), Akira Terao (Taro Takatora Ichimonji), Jinpachi Nezu (Jiro Masatora Ichimonji), Daisuke Ryu (Saburo Naotora Ichimonji). Japanese Lord steps aside and determines his succession, but learns that greed is strongerr than family ties. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Astronomy: Astro Viewer: Interactive star map (in German); can be customized.
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Food: Numi: Tea brand. Has Simply Mint / Maroccan Mint, said to have a "bright vibrant flavor that tastes like a fresh picked leaf."
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DVD: Syriana (2005). 126 min. w/ George Clooney (Bob Barnes), Jeffrey Wright (Bennett Holiday). Several parallel stories about oil, money, and corruption. Story too complicated. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Les Biches (Bad Girls, 1968). 104 min. Director: Claude Chabrol. w/ Jacqueline Sassard (Why), Stephane Audran (Frederique), Jean-Louis Trintignant (Paul Thomas). Rich woman meets street artist and invites her to her home. They fall in love with the same man. Liberal for its time. French 60s feeling. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Kim (TV, 1984). 150 min. After the novel by Rudyard Kipling. w/ Peter O'Toole (Lama), Bryan Brown (Mahbub Ali), Ravi Sheth (Kim). Director: John Howard Davies. In colonial India, an Indian boy with an Irish father lives a life between a Tibetan lama and the British Secret Service. Good story. Some of the acting leaves room for improvement. O'Toole appears a bit too shaky. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Astronomy: Hyperion: Very porous moon of Saturn. Approx. 120 km in diameter and 10 km deep. Rotates caotically. Picture taken by Cassini spacecraft.


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Medicine: Aristolochic acid may be responsible for etiology of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy. Contamination of bread (flour) with seeds of Aristolochia clematitis. A. clematitis is native to the endemic region and often grows in cultivated fields where its seeds comingle with wheat grain during the annual harvest. PNAS, July 17, 2007, Vol. 104, No. 29, p. 12129-12134.
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Snippets:
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Art: Giclée, pronounced "zhee-clay": High-quality ink-jet print
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Art: Create your own Jackson Pollock -like painting on screen.
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Art: The famous violinist Joshua Bell played more or less unrecognized in the subway in Washington D.C. and earned $32.17 in 43 minutes, as described by the Washington Post. Art seems to determined by its statement, claim, and frame. Deutschlandfunk: "Seit rund hundert Jahren wissen wir, dass Kunst zu einem wesentlichen Teil in ihrer Behauptung besteht. Die Konzertkarte ist der Garantieschein für das Musikerlebnis, das Museum macht die ausgestellten Werke erst bedeutsam. Daraus folgt umgekehrt, Dass große Kunst zur Straßenmusik wird, wenn sie auf der Straße oder in einer U-Bahn-Station dargeboten wird."
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Philosophy: Rhetoric (from Greek rhetor, orator, teacher) is generally understood to be the art or technique of persuasion through the use of oral and/or written language. Classical rhetoric can be defined as the art, technique or practice of persuasion. Derived from Pre-Socratic philosophers known as Sophists. Later taught as one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (next to dialectic and grammar) in Western culture.
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Art: Discover Islamic Art: Online museum on Islamic art. Numerous photos with explanations.
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Humor: Says-it: Generator for stickers and refrigerator magnets. Church signs, badges, cassette labels etc. Can be customized.
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Music: Alan Ferber Nonet, Saturday, May 5, 2007 at The Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village, 269 Bleecker St, NYC, 8:00 PM; w/ David Smith / TRUMPET, Alan Ferber / TROMBONE, Jon Gordon / ALTO SAX, Jason Rigby / TENOR SAX, Douglas Yates / BASS CLARINET, Nate Radley / GUITAR, Bryn Roberts / PIANO, Gary Wang / BASS, Mark Ferber / DRUMS. New CD: The Compass.
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DVD: The Living Daylights (1987). 130 min. w/ Timothy Dalton (James Bond), Maryam d'Abo (Kara Milovy). Director: John Glen. Story: Ian Fleming. James Bond falls in love with one woman while fighting arms dealers and other evil. Standard Bond movie with good action sceenes. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Kingdom of Heaven (2005). 145 min. w/ Orlando Bloom (Balian; Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Carribean), Eva Green (Sibylla; Casino Royale), Jeremy Irons (Tiberias), Liam Neeson (Godfrey). During the time of the 3rd Crusade, a man follows his father to the Holy Land to find forgiveness for his sins. As he is drawn into war, hemerges as a leader and defends Jerusalem from the Arabs. Colorful epic, but overall flat story. Great cast. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: An Inconvenient Truth (2006). 100 min. Director: Davis Guggenheim. w/ Al Gore. Documentary by Ex-Vice President on causes and consequences of global warming. Eye-opener. Contains some impressive long-term statistics. Must see. The entertaining autobiographical notes are expendable. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Belle De Jour (1967). 101 min. Director: Luis Bunuel. w/ Catherine Deneuve (Séverine Serizy aka Belle de Jour), Jean Sorel (Pierre Serizy). Frigid wife of a wealthy man fullfills her fantasies by working as a prostitute. Dream and reality alternate, but eventually become indistinguishable. Daring for its time. Overall rating: 7 out off 10.
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Literature: Tolkien Gateway. J.R.R. Tolkien encyclopedia in Wiki form. Good source of information on characters from 'Lord of the Rings'
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DVD: La Strada (1954). 108 min. Director: Federico Fellini. w/ Anthony Quinn (Zampano), Giulietta Masina (Gelsomina), Richard Basehart (Il 'Matto', The 'Fool'). Girl (Masina) is sold by her poor mother to a street artist (Quinn). Together, they go on the road, but he treats her badly. She falls in love with him, but looses her mind when Zampano kills a handsome tightrope artist, 'The Fool'. Poetic fable of love and cruelty. A classic Fellini film. Masina was Fellinis wife. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Rashomon (1950). 88 min. Director: Akira Kurosawa. w/ Toshiro Mifune (Tajômaru). In 12th century Japan, a samurai and his wife are attacked in the woods, the woman raped and the man killed. The notorious bandit Tajomaru is captured and brought to trial. But the defendant and each witness give completely different accounts of what they saw. Which version, if any, is the truth?. Great plot despite the simple story. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, 1988): Director: Pedro Almodovar. w/ Carmen Maura (Pepa Antonio), Antonio Banderas (Carlos). Woman is left by her lover, and while trying to find him finds out that he is married, has a son and another girlfriend. At the same time, one of her friends flees from the police because she got involved with terrorists. In the end, all stories come together. Turbulent comedy, partly grotesque. Characteristic faces. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Food: Gazpacho soup (gazpacho): cold, Spanish soup, popular in warmer areas and during the summer. Contains tomato juice and bell peppers. Also: stale bread, garlic, onion, olive oil, salt and vinegar.
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DVD: The Departed (2006). Director: Martin Scorsese. w/ Leonardo DiCaprio (Billy), Matt Damon (Colin), Jack Nicholson (Costello), Vera Farmiga (Madolyn). Nicholson is great, Damon and DiCaprio mediocre. Farmiga too shallow. Story too superficial and ending disappointing. Makes little sense. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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DVD: North by Northwest (1959). 136 min. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Cary Grant (Roger O. Thornhill), Eva Marie Saint (Eve Kendall), James Mason (Phillip Vandamm). New York advertising executive is kidnapped because he is taken to be a secret agent. While on the run and trying to find the real man, he falls in love with a double agent. Ahead of his time regarding sexual directness. Famous scene on top of Mt. Rushmoore (although actually filmed in a back lot). Good story. Good pace. Good acting. Overall rating 8 out of 10.
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Cars: Used Car Dealer on WWW: Carmax. Makes written offer good for 7 days.
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Snippets:
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Music: Fri., 3/23/07(Late Show), 55 Bar, NYC: Brian Mitchell Trio: Brian Mitchell: Keyboards and Vocals. Far out funk and rock 'n roll. Blues.
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Art: Jeff Wall. Exhibition at the MoMA, NYC, Feb 15-May 25, 2007.
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Art: Octavio Ocampo: Paintings with optical illusions.

Octavio Ocampo: Buddha

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Snippets:
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NYC: Free NYC. Calendar of free events in the City.
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Restaurants: Restaurant Row. All over the U.S. Various search options. Hardly any reviews though.
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Music: List of live music venues in the NYC area.
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Literature: Franz Kafka: Die Verwandlung (in German; engl.: The Metamorphosis). HoerGut Klassik. One morning the traveling saleman Gregor wakes up being turned into a giant bug. While he does not seem affected much by this change, his family is first shocked, then tries to cope with the new situation, but finally neglects and abandons him. Bizarre, but full of metaphors. Kafkaesque: of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially: having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality.
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Snippets:
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Fort Apache (1948). B/W. 128 min. Directed by John Ford. w/ John Wayne (Capt. Kirby York), Henry Fonda (Lt. Col. Owen Thursday), Shirley Temple (Philadelphia Thursday), John Agar (2nd Lt. Michael Shannon O'Rourke). Colonel, unfamiliar with the West, is transferred to the frontier and gets into conflict with Indians, while his pretty daughter finds a husband. Simple story. Some funny elements. The DVD featurette 'Monument Valley: John Ford Country' explains how Ford came to shooting in Monument Valley, UT, and about the Monument Valley trader Harry Goulding, whose lodge and trading post provided housing for the crew, and who was a pivotal contact between Ford and the Navajo Indians. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Photography: Histroric Photo Archive maintained by Thomas Robinson, Portland, OR.

Elevated Railroad, NYC, 1890s

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Snippets:
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Music: 2/21/07, 10 PM: 55 Bar, NYC: Mike Stern, Contemporary Jazz Guitar (Mike Stern - Guitar, Kim Thompson - Drums, Janek Gwizdala - Bass). Funky jazz. Stern has played with Miles Davis in 1981-83 and 1985. Toured with Jaco Pastorious. Currentt album: 'Who Let the Cats Out'. Thompson is more of a rock drummer, but fits the band well. Always comes up with another new rhythm.
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DVD: Fight Club (1999). 139 min. w/ Edward Norton (The Narrator) Brad Pitt (Tyler Durden), Helena Bonham Carter (Marla Singer), Meat Loaf (Robert 'Bob' Paulson; as Meat Loaf Aday). Directed by David Fincher (Se7en). Insomniac meets anarchist. Together they start a fight club. Bizarre. Violent moments. Disturbing at times. Some good lines. Need to pay attention to detail. Explores the human psyche in full depth. Strange twist toward the end. Q's: How would a fight club ever start if the narrator has fought himself? How does the narrator know where to go, i.e. where Tyler 'lives' after his apartment is destroyed? Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Photography: Sally Mann (b. 1951): American photographer. Portraits. Often B/W photos of young women or children.
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Art: Hans Baldung Grien (c. 1480-1545). German (Alsatian) Renaissance painter and printer. Joined Albrecht Dürer's Nuremberg workshop in 1503. Many of his works.
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Music: The shenai is a double-reed, oboe-like instrument best known from the work of the great Indian virtuoso, Bismallah Khan. Also played by the jazz musician Yusef Lateef in the song 'Sister Mamie' on the album 'Live at Pep's'.
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People :

Around 1300:

• Dante Alighieri Florence, (1265-1321)
• Marco Polo, Venice (1254-1324).
• Giovanni Boccaccio, Florence (1313-1375)

Around 1400:

• Geoffrey Chaucer, London (c.1343-1400)
• Jeanne d'Arc. France (c.1412-1431)

Around 1500:

• Leonardo da Vinci, Vinci (1452-1519)
• Niccolo Machiavelli, Florence (1469-1527)
• Raphael, Florence (1483-1520)
• Christopher Columbus, Italy and Spain (1451(?)-1506)

Around 1600:

• William Shakespeare, London (baptised 1564, d.1616)
• Galileo Galilei, Pisa (1564-1642)
• René Descartes, France (1596-1650)
• Pierre Gassendi, France (1592-1655)

Around 1700:

• Isaac Newton, England (1643-1727).

Snippets:
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Music: 8/13/06: Caffe Vivaldi, 32 Jones St (Off Bleecker Street Near Seventh Ave) NYC: 1.) Brianne Chasanoff. Singer. Rather quiet. 2.) Amy Laber. Folk singer. Quiet.
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Weather: National Weather Service and National Snow Analysis.
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Philosophy: Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655): French philosopher, scientist, astronomer/astrologer, and mathematician. Disputes with Descartes.
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Movie: Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others, 2006) . Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. w/ Sebastian Koch (Georg Dreyman), Ulrich Mühe (Captain Gerd Wiesler), Martina Gedeck (Christa-Maria Sieland). in the GDR around 1985, a successful writer and his girlfriend, a popular actress, are wire-tapped by the secret police because he is suspected to oppose the regime. But the officer in charge of the operation becomes infatuated with their lives. Clearly defined roles for each character, which sometimes makes the movie too static. Devastatingly realistic though. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Bird (1988). Directed by Clint Eastwood. w/ Forest Whitaker (Charlie 'Bird' Parker), Diane Venora (Chan Parker), Michael Zelniker (Red Rodney). Life of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955), his creativity, drug addiction, family (common-law wife Chan Parker) and the music of his time. Great music! In 1945, Bird was about 10 years ahead of his time. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Jazz: Baroness Pannonica (Nica) de Koenigswarter (1913-1988). Considered one of the most important patrons and friends of modern jazz musicians in NYC in the 1950s and 1960s. Charlie Parker died in her suite at the Stanhope (995 Fifth Avenue, across from the Metrolopitan Museum) in 1955. Was also close to Thelonious Monk and his family. In October 2006 the French company Buchet Chastel published Nica's book 'Les musiciens de jazz et leurs trois vœux' (The Jazz Musicians and their Three Wishes). Compiled between 1961 and 1966, it is a book of interviews with 300 musicians in which she asked each for their "three wishes", and is accompanied by her Polaroid photographs. The book was edited for publication by her granddaughter Nadine de Koenigswarter.
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Photography: Joe Brown. Includes a guide to Zion National Park with photos.
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Art: Bauhaus: Art and architecture school in Germany, 1919-1933 (U.S 1937-1938). Existed in four different cities: Weimar 1919-1925, Dessau 1926-1932, Berlin 1932-1933, Chicago from 1937 to 1938). Important members: Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Henry van de Velde, Lyonel Feininger, Johannes Itten, Josef Albers, Paul Klee (starting 1921), Wassily Kandinsky (starting 1922) und Oskar Schlemmer (staring 1921). Wanted to emancipate the arts from industrialism and revieve crafts, opposing the aesthetics of Historism ('an organic succession of developments') of the late 19th century in which various styles were mixed and crafted ornaments were simply repeated by industrial manufacturing. The Bauhaus Dessau is a building designed by Gropius that housed the school. Partly destroyed in 1945. Reconstructed in 1976.
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Art: Albert von Keller (1844-1920). Swiss painter. Worked in Munich. Society painter. Known for painting elegantly clothed ladies. Can be viewed at the Neue Pinakothek, Munich, Germany.

Albert von Keller-Die Frau des Kuenstlers, 1900

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Art: Online Exhibition: Gothic Nightmares. Fuseli, Blake, and the Romantic Imagination (at the Tate Britain Feb 15 - May 1, 2006). Explores the work of Henry Fuseli and William Blake in the context of the Gothic – the taste for fantastic and supernatural themes which dominated British culture from around 1770 to 1830.
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Snippets:
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Shopping: DealTime. Prince engine like Froogle.
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Video: Brainstorm (1983). 106 min. Directed by Douglas Trumbull. w/ Christopher Walken (Dr. Michael Anthony Brace), Natalie Wood (Karen Brace; The Searchers, Rebel without a cause), Louise Fletcher (Dr. Lillian Reynolds; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). A team of researchers has developed a method to record thoughts and emotions. The government quickly becomes interested to use the technology for military purposes including torture and brain washing. After the project leader Lillian dies from a heart attack and records her death, he colleague Michael almost dies when he watches it. The tape is locked away and Michael becomes obsessed with finishing to watch the tape as well as to destroy the technology. He gets help from his wife Karen. Great idea for a movie. Some scenes are B-movie-like, however. The production almost stalled when Natalie Wood (wife of Robert Wagner) drowned in an accident in 1981. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Travel: Motel.com: Search engine for motels. Allows Map Search.
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Music: Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchitananda (1971). Satchitanada is a devanagari compound of three Sanskrit words, Sat, Chit, and Ananda, meaning True Being, Pure Consciousness and Bliss, respectively. The expression is used in Yoga and other schools of Indian philosophy to describe the nature of Brahman. Satcidananda is also a monastic name for a number of Hindu gurus, sadhus and ascetics of different Hindu philosophical schools and lineages, e.g., Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002), 'father' of Integral Yoga.
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Life: Bits and pieces of 'smart' conversations: Overheard in NY, Overheard in the Office and Overheard on the Beach. As funny as real life can be!
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Travel: Public Routes. Directions for using public transportation. Has many ads and is not very user friendly at this point. UPDATE 6/14/08: Interface improved.
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Philosophy: tai chi - do: free resource related to tai chi. Includes a tai chi netguide with explanations of forms.
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DVD: Rebel Without A Cause (1955). 111 min. w/ James Dean (Jim Stark), Natalie Wood (Judy), Sal Mineo (John 'Plato' Crawford). Directed by Nicholas Ray. Rebellious young man seeks friends in his new home town and falls in love with rebellious young woman. Film has typical 50s feel. Probably important for its generation, but no real surprises. Sometimes pseudo dramatic. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Art: MoMA, NYC, 2/10/07: 1.) Doug Aitken (b. 1968): Sleepwalkers. Featuring Tilda Swinton, Donald Sutherland, Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Seu Jorge, and Ryan Donowho. The artist's first large scale exhibition in the U.S. 2.) Josiah McElheny (b. 1966): Projects 84: Alpine Cathedral and City-Crown. Model-scale landscape of two abstract, crystalline structures, comprised of hollow glass modules. Follows the theme of Paul Scheerbart (1863-1915) and Bruno Taut (1880-1938), who believed in the spiritual qualities of glass and envisioned a brave and perfect new world of glass buildings illuminated in color. Scheerbart was a visionary Expressionist architectural writer and inventor engaged in avant-garde circles, Taut was an architect. 3.) Vik Muniz (b. 1961): Narcissus, after Caravaggio, 2005. Photograph. New MoMA acquisition. Arrangement of pieces of junk to mimic a painting by Caravaggio.

Vik Muniz: Individuals, 1998
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Snippets:
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Philosophy: Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) wanted knowledge for practical purposes ('Knowledge is power'). He also advocated to make knowledge public.
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DVD: Ninotschka (1939). w/ Greta Garbo (Nina Ivanovna 'Ninotchka' Yakushova), Melvyn Douglas (Count Leon d'Algout). Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Prude Russian envoy is sent to Paris to arrange for the sale of jewels, but falls in love and begins to fancy Western life. Praised for Garbo's performance in the transition from 'poor' communist comrad to a lady with a sense of humor. Film was probably important in its time, but seems schmaltzy, obvious and predictable today. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: United 93 (2006). Directed by Paul Greengrass. Real time account of the flight that was hijacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. When passangers became aware via phone contact with relatives on the ground that the plane might be targeted to fly into the building, they decided to regain control and attempted to land it. In the course of the struggle, the plane crahed into a field in Pennsylvania. Important movie, realistic, but therefore also has stretches of little activity. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Literature: Laurence Sterne (1713-1768). English novelist, best known for his novels 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman', a book that in its style and humor was far ahead of its time, and influenced many subsequent writers. Also wrote 'A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'.
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Art: Exhibition: Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Nov. 17, 2006 - March 28, 2007. Paintings arranged not by time period, but by subject, allowing comparisons of the various periods.
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Life: New Years Eve Cruise with Atlantica NY Yacht Cruises. Royal Princess: 3-deck yacht, up to 200 people for sit-down, open-air deck.
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Life: New York City Blog: Gothamist.
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Life: Placeblogger: Directory of local blogs around the world. E.g. Blogs in NYC and Hoboken, NJ.
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Maps: 1.) Microsoft Live Maps. Analogous to Google Earth. Includes locations of businesses and live traffic. Has 3D feature. 2.) Wikimapia. Can link personal events to a map.
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Web: Open Culture Podcast Portal: Includes listings from universities.
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DVD: The Searchers (1956). 119 min. John Wayne (Ethan Edwards), Jeffrey Hunter (Martin Pawley), Natalie Wood (Debbie Edwards, older; Brainstorm). Directed by John Ford. 10-year search of a lone racist war veteran for his little nice who was kidnapped by Comanches in 1868. Typical John Wayne movie. Filmed in Monument Valley, UT, that was discovered for movies by Ford. Commentary gives hints on Ford's signature, such as moving the camera and designing beautiful shots of the landscape. Need to pay attention to detail, especially in non-dialogue scenes to appreciate the work. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Video: The Big Trail (1930). w/ John Wayne (Breck Coleman), Marguerite Churchill (Ruth Cameron). Directed by Raoul Walsh. Scout, who is friends with the Indians, leads the wagon trail to Oregon, falls in love with a girl on the way, and avenges the murder of a couple of old friends. Story is straightforward. Some of the scenes remind of the times of silent movies. Some spectacular scenes for the time, e.g. when wagons are lowered over a cliff or river crossings. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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History: George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876). First a soldier in the Civil War, later an officer in the fight against Indians in the Northern Plains. Died at the hands of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors at the Battle of the Little Bighorn (today southeast part of Montana), after attacking an Indian village. It seems that overall he was a mediocre military man, but a myth created around his persona made him a well-known figure in American history. Little Bighorn was the pinnacle of the Indians' power and their greatest victory. Custer is also a town in the Black Hills in soutwest North Dakota (population 1860 in year 2000), near Mount Rushmore.
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History: Ghost Towns in the U.S. amd Canada. Catalog of deserted human settlements Includes photos and directions.
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Physics: Satyendra Nath Bose (1894-1974): Bengali Indian physicist, specializing in mathematical physics. Quantum mechanics in the early 1920s. Provided foundation for Bose-Einstein statistics and the theory of the Bose-Einstein condensate.
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Psychology: Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931). French social psychologist, sociologist, and amateur physicist. Studies, among others, herd behaviour and crowd psychology. Book: 'The Crowd: Study of the popular mind' (1896)
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DVD: My Darling Clementine (1946). 96 min. w/ Henry Fonda (Wyatt Earp), Victor Mature (Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday), Cathy Downs (Clementine Carter). Directed by John Ford. Earp takes a job as a sherrif in Tombstone to find the murderer of his little brother, and falls in love with the former girlfriend of Doc Holiday. Movie culminates in the shootout at the O.K. Corral. Partly filmed in Monument Valley. Film has multiple factual errors (e.g. dates; Doc Holiday did not die at the O.K. Corral). Some errors (e.g., year on James Earp's grave) were introduced when producer Darryl F. Zanuck edited, re-cut and re-shot certain scenes of the film in the absence of John Ford to improve quality. An Alternate Pre-Release Version (work-in-progress version) of the movie and explanations to changed scenes is available on the DVD. Sometimes amusing, but a classic. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Francis Parkman (1823-1893): The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life. Text at Project Gutenberg. HTML-Version. Parkman was an American historian who followed on the trail in 1846.
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History: National Register of Historic Places: List of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Register Information System (NRIS) is a database that contains information on places listed in or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
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Video: The Oregon Trail. (1992). 120 min. Includes: Beginnings; Across the Plains; Through the Rockies; Final Steps. By Mike Trinklein and Steve Boettcher. PBS documentary about the history of the Oregon trail. Relates the experiences of its travellers using live action re-creations, archival materials and visits to important sites along the trails (including Scott's Bluff, Fort Laramie, and the nearby trail ruts). Also contains discussion of the rigors and dangers of the journey west. Shows the trail today and also uses interviews with historians, still photos, maps, drawings, and excerpts from emigrant diaries. Tells, among others, the story of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, who were probably the first emigrants to make the journey in 1836. The origin of the name 'Oregon' is still controversial today. More info on the Oregon Trail from Idaho State University. Some good historic facts, but sometimes confusing. Reenactment is partly repetitious. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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DVD: Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (1997). 127 min. Documentary of the 1970 music festival held on an island in the south of England. Shows some of the music (e.g., The Doors, Bob Dylan, ELP, Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, Joni Mitchel, Ten Years After, The Who) but also 'life' of the fans during the concert, and the crisis that led to allowing free entrance for many thousands. Great music! Some touching moments. Describes well the clash of the Hippie generation with the music business. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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DVD: Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989). 100 min. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Oceans' Eleven, Solaris, Erin Brockovich). w/ James Spader (Graham Dalton; Stargate), Andie MacDowell (Ann Bishop Mullany; Green Card, Hudson Hawk), Peter Gallagher (John Mullany), Laura San Giacomo (Cynthia Patrice Bishop). Guy who films video tapes of women talking about their sex life visits former best friend who has an affair with the sister of his wife. Unusual idea for a movie. Sometimes appears too static. Plot rather confined. Acting alright. Memorable quote: "I remember reading somewhere that men learn to love the person they're attracted to and women become more and more attracted to the person they love." Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Art: Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827). English caricaturist. Pictures at Artcylopedia. Large collection at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
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Art: Rodney Graham. Canadian artist. Tree pictures mounted upside down. Looped videos. Whitney Biennial 2006: Torqued Chandelier Release, 2005.
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DVD: Code 46 (2003). Directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Road to Guantanamo). w/ Tim Robbins (William Geld), Samantha Morton (Maria Gonzales). In a future world where an insurance policy is the basis of normal life, a detective who can read the mind of others through a placed virus falls in love with a woman who sells insurance cards on the black market. The couple ignores Code 46, a law prohibiting physical relations between gentically similar human beings, that has become necessary after human cloning and IVF is common practice. Dystopic love story set somewhere in the near future. Some unrealistic parts, but not entirely improbable. Some stunning city scenes. Robbins' acting is good, but Morton rather disappointing in her role. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Technology: Silent Aircraft Initiative (SAI). Researchers from Cambridge University (UK) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) unveiled their revolutionary concept for a silent aircraft.

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Music: Guano Apes. German band with a fusion of metal, pop and rap beat.
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Music: Two bands that somewhat remind of Evanescence: Fireflight and Nightwish.
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Art: Dahesh Museum of Art, NYC: Napoleon on the Nile: Soldiers, Artists, and the Rediscovery of Egypt, June 8 - December 31, 2006. Focusses on the 'Description de l’Egypte', the seminal multi-volume work that remains the single most important European scholarly study of ancient and modern Egypt. It was initiated under the patronage of the young General Napoleon Bonaparte as he invaded Egypt in 1798, and completed in 1829 during the reign of King Charles X. The 'Description' was written by Napoleon’s savants, i.e. 167 physicians, engineers, economists, mathematicians, zoologists, botanists, archeologists, translators, journalists, and artists who accompanied the army. The exhibition tells the story of Napoleon’s ill-fated bid to add Egypt to the growing French empire, and how the British, who had their own colonial interests in the region to protect, ultimately thwarted this plan. Informative exhibiton.
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Food: Stash Teas. Founded in 1972. Includes Peppermint herbal tea from Oregon. Also has loose herbal teas. Mail order.
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Health: Confabulation: memory disorder; the confusion of imagination with memory, and/or the confusion of true memories with false ones. Spontaneous production of false memories: either memories for events which never occurred, or memories of actual events which are displaced in space or time.
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Biology: Gribble (e.g., Limnoria Iignprum). Sea mite. Mostly pale white and small (1-4 mm long) crustaceans. Bore into wood and plant material for ingestion as food. Ecologically important role, by helping to degrade and recycle driftwood, but also cause damage in costal areas, such as piers.
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Food: German products at German Deli, located in Southlake, TX. Russian products at Russian Foods.
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Shopping: The Find. Search meta engine for online stores. Useful!
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Literature: Klaus Mann. German writer. Son of Thomas Mann. Opposed the Nazi regime. Comitted suicide in 1949. Re-discovered in Germany in the mid-1950s. Important works: Mephisto (1936), Der Vulkan (1939), The Turning Point/Der Wendepunkt (1942).
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Video: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). w/ Hurd Hatfield (Dorian Gray), Donna Reed (Gladys Hallward), Angela Lansbury (Sibyl Vane; Murder She Wrote). Directed by Albert Lewin. After the novel by Oscar Wilde. After being painted by his friend, Dorian Gray gives his soul to evil in order to retain his youth and let the painting age instead. Great moral story, typical Hollywood presentation. Overall rating: 6 out of 10. The original picture of the aged Dorian Gray was painted in 1943-44 for the film by Ivan Albright (1897-1983) and is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.
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Poetry: 'The Light of Asia', an epic poem written by Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904). First published in 1879. Arnold also wrote The Light of the World (1891) about the life of Jesus.
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Tea and Coffee: Simpson & Vail in Brookfield, CT. Many lose-leaf teas.
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DVD: Unforgiven (1992). 131 min. w/ Clint Eastwood (William 'Bill' Munny), Gene Hackman (Little Bill Daggett), Morgan Freeman (Ned Logan). Directed by Clint Eastwood. Retired assassin leaves his farm one last time to kill two men that mutilated a prostitute in a small Western town. Won 4 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Gene Hackman). One of the themes is the difficulty of cold-blooded killing without good reasons. Different from the average Western movie. Film has some funny, self-ironic moments, but becomes boring quickly. Unrealistic. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Th Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus (1996). Originally filmed in December 1968. w/ The Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, The Who, Marianne Faithful, Taj Mahal, John Lennon, Yoko Ono. Ties together musical acts in a circus theme. Some great spontaneous moments. Last big project of Brian Jones. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Michelle Walker. Jazz vocalist. Played at 55 Bar, NYC, on November 25, 2006. Good voice, but little change between songs.
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Physics: Tachyon: Hypothetical particle that is predicted to move faster than the speed of light. When a tachyon loses energy its momentum increases. Existence has been neither proven nor disproven.
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Literature: Medea. Play written by Euripides (c. 480–406 BC) around 431 BC. Based on the myth of Jason and Medea. After Jason leaves Medea for another woman, Medea is devastated at first, but than gathers new strength and kills the new bride with a poisoned robe, as well as the two children she has with Jason in order to cause him further pain. Medea is also the third part of Franz Grillparzer's trilogy 'Das Goldene Vlies' (The Golden Fleece; 1821). More works by Euripides and Grillparzer.
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DVD: History of the World Part 1 (1981). w/ Mel Brooks. Directed by Mel Brooks. Comical retelling of important periods in world history. Typical Mel Brooks comedy. Funny moments. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Health: The Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels. Defined by the area under the 2 hour blood glucose response curve (AUC) following the ingestion of a fixed portion of carbohydrate (usually 50 g). Glucose is used as the reference food (GI = 100). Low-to-moderate GI: pasta, vegetables. High GI: potatos, white rice. A database of GIs can be found here. The Glycemic Load (GL) takes the amount of consumed carbohydrates into account: For a single serving of a food the GL can be calculated as the quantity (in grams) of its carbohydrate content, multiplied by its GI.
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Recreation: Allamuchy Mountain State Park, NJ. Includes Waterloo Village with several historic buildings located on the banks of the Morris Canal.

Morris Canal at Waterloo Village

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Food: Cambiotti's Cafe Tomato Pie Cafe in Landing, NJ (Northwestern part of the state, near Lake Hopatcong). Neighborhood restaurant stablished in 2000, known for its unique thin crust pizza and home cooked Italian food.
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Snippets:
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DVD: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Whitch, and the Wardrobe (2005) w/ Tilda Swinton (White Witch), Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie). Directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek). Four children discover and rescue the magical land of Narnia from the powers of the White Witch. Rich in special effects, but sometimes too obvious, some poor acting. Often too melodramatic. Swinton in excellent. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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DVD: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005). 109 min. Book and screenplay by Douglas Adams. Directed by Garth Jennings. w/ Martin Freeman (Arthur Dent), Zooey Deschanel (Trillian), Mos Def (Ford Prefect), Sam Rockwell (Zaphod Beeblebrox), John Malkovich (Humma Kavula). Slightly stupid earthling flees from his planet with his alien friend just before the earth is destroyed by Vogons, and meets the love of his life. Silly comedy after the renowned book. Some great costumes. Entertaining, but does not live up to expectations. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Sparklehorse. Is essentially the singer/songwriter Mark Linkous. Acclaimed debut album 'Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot' in 1995. New album 'Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain' in 2006. Rock-Pop, sometimes reminds of Neil Young, Pink Floyd etc., but not as good.
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Music: Brett Harriss. CD Release Party at the Bitter End, NYC, on 9/9/06. Straightforward rock-pop, sometimes reminds of Dave Mathews.
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Photography: Shomei Tomatsu. Japanese photographer.
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DVD: Good Bye Lenin (2003). w/ Daniel Brühl (Alex), Katrin Saß (Mutter), Chulpan Khamatova (Lara). Directed by Wolfgang Becker. Son creates a GDR-like world around his socialist mother who lay in a coma during the days of Germn reunification in 1989. Great idea, but sometimes dwells to long on a topic. Khamatova is good. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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DVD: March of the Penguins (La Marche de l'empereur, 2005). 85 min. Directed by Luc Jacquet. Won 2006 Academy Award for Best Documentary. Describes a year in the life of a pengin colony in the Antarctic ice. Sunning pictures. Narration and music have too much emphasis on feeling and well-being. It is annoying that some interpretations of the animal world are 'humanized' (love, joy etc.). There often is not enough detail given to actually learn about the penguins. Overal rating: 5 out of 10.
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DVD: More (1969). 116 min. Directed by Barbet Schroeder. w/ Mimsy Farmer (Estelle Miller), Klaus Grünberg (Stefan Brückner), Heinz Engelmann (Dr. Ernesto Wolf). Experimental young man meets heroin addict in Paris, and joins her to Ibiza to live a relaxed live. Sun worhipping is one of the themes throughout the film. Experimenting with drugs. Describes well the thinking of drug addicts for the next fix. Bumpy dialogues. Great 60s atmosphere. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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DVD: The Wall (1982). 95 min. Written by Roger Waters. Music by Pink Floyd, based on the 1979 album. Directed by Alan Parker (Fame, Birdy, Evita). Animation by Gerald Scarfe. w/ Bob Geldof. Burnt out rock star retracts in hotel room in front of a TV and goes insane over reflecting about his parent, his upbringing during WWII, his failed marriage, and his need for power. Mostly music, little spoken text. Cult film. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Hiromi. Jazz pianist with modern influences.
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Poetry: Emma Lazarus. Written in 1883, her celebrated poem, "The New Colossus," is engraved on a plaque in the Statue of Liberty. Over the years, the sonnet has become a part of American culture, serving as everything from an Irving Berlin show tune to a call for immigrants' rights.
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Real Estate: Buy property on Moon, Mars, or Venus at Moon Estates.
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Technology: The Kinzua Viaduct was a railroad bridge in Kinzua Bridge State Park, McKean County, in Northern Pennsylvania. Originally built in 1900, the bridge was mostly destroyed by a tornado in 2003.
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Life: Free international phone calls at FuturePhone. Gateway access number 712-858-8883. Iowa-based. Works, but often has problems actually getting connected to the destination number.
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Photography: Terra Galleria by Quang-Tuan Luong. Photos from around the world.
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DVD: Good Night, and Good Luck (2005). 93 min. Directed by George Clooney. w/ David Strathairn (Edward R. Murrow), George Clooney (Fred Friendly), Jeff Daniels (Sig Mickelson). Story is set around 1953, the early days of televison, and tells the story how the journalist Edward R. Murrow takes on Sen Joseph McCarthy (Wisconsin) on his CBS show 'See It Now'. Mc Carthy was known for his intense anti-communist politics. A main theme of the film is freedom of the press. Film tells a good story, but appears too narrow and static. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Life: Cohiba: Cuban cigar brand.
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Humor: Darwin Awards: Saluting the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who remove themselves from it.
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Humor: Demystifying urban legends at Snopes.
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Humor: Learn about the dangers of DHMO (dihydrogen monoxide).
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Snippets:
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DVD: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) w/ Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy), Robert Redford (The Sundance Kid), Katharine Ross (Etta Place). Directed by George Roy Hill. The adventures of two bank and train robbers on the run. Unusual for a Western. Some funny moments. Well-carved characters. Some sequences are too long. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Art: Figure Drawing.
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Art: Art Mobs. Amateur audio blogs for select painting in the MoMA, NYC. Information rather diluted.
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DVD: Alexander (2004). w/ Colin Farrell (Alexander), Angelina Jolie (Olympias), Val Kilmer (Philip), Anthony Hopkins (Old Ptolemy), Jared Leto (Hephaistion). Directed by Oliver Stone (Natural Born Killers, JFK). Story about Alexander's conquests in Persia and India. Mostly bad acting (especially Farrell and Jolie). Gory fight scenes. Poor development of story. Overall rating 2 out of 10.
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DVD: The Snow Walker (2003). w/ Barry Pepper (Charlie Halliday), Annabella Piugattuk (Kanaalaq). Directed by Charles Martin Smith. Follows closely the short story 'Walk Well My Brother' by Farley Mowat. Arrogant pilot in Northern Canada crashes his plane while flying a young Inuit woman with tuberculosis to the hospital. While they struggle for survival in the tundra, she teaches him many things about life in the wilderness. Great landscape scenes. Good story. Acting alright. Too slow at times. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Life: Engines of Our Ingenuity No. 1840: Questions and Igorance by John H. Lienhard: Water flows from high places to low places. It flows from a region of high pressure to one of low pressure. Knowledge likewise flows to the point of greatest ignorance.
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Video: The Paper Chase (1973). w/ Timothy Bottoms (James T. Hart), Lindsay Wagner (Susan), John Houseman (Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.). Directed by James Bridges (Mike's Murder). First year law student falls in love with the daughter of his most difficult professors, who also happens to be his idol. Campus life. Well done, even though rather dry at times. Funny moments. Lindsey Wagner is good. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Alice in Wonderland (1951, 2004 release). 75 min. w/ Kathryn Beaumont (Voice of Alice). Walt Disney animated feature after the book by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, 1832-1898). Film varies from the book, but includes Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts. Story is partly nonsense. Some poor singing. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Video: NOVA: Infinite Secrets: The Genius of Archimedes (2003). 60 min. Documentary about the discoveries of the Greek mathematician Archimedes (c. 287 BC – 212 BC), and the Archimedes Palimpsest, a medieval manuscript discovered in 1906 and resurfaced in 1998.
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Astronomy: NASA has found direct proof of dark matter (photo: in blue) in a composite image of the galaxy cluster 1E 0657-56 (a.k.a. bullet cluster)



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DVD: The China Syndrome (1979). 121 min. Directed by James Bridges (The Paper Chase). w/ Jane Fonda (Kimberly Wells), Jack Lemmon (Jack Godell), Michael Douglas (Richard Adams). Reporter team experiences an accident in a nuclear power plant and starts an investigation on the cover-up. Film was released only days before the Three Mile Island accident near Harrisburg, PA. Film picks up pace slowly. Gripping story, especially in the context of nuclear fear in the late seventies. Last 30 min are best. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Computer: Good Windows XP tips and tricks at The Elder Geek.
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Computer: Jay Lee has posted a solution to a very annoying problem: "How to set Internet Explorer window size. Q. When I open up the Web from any source, including shortcuts, it comes up in a reduced size and I have to click on Maximize to get the window to its full size. I have closed the windows in every way possible that I know of including File, Exit. But nothing changes. How can I get my Web pages to open up in full size? A. Programs like Internet Explorer will open to the same size and placement as they were when they were closed. The gotcha is that clicking the X in the upper right corner of the application does not officially close the program. That just exits the application quickly. If you want Internet Explore to open full-size when you start it up, you must first start IE. Then maximize the window. Now click File, then Close. Now restart IE, and it should start up in a full-sized window. If half of the window is off the screen when you start a program, bring the window to the location you want and then click File and then Close, and it will re-open in this position the next time." However, this does not seem to solve the problem when links are opened in a new window --- then it opens again in non-maximized mode.
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Art: Cai Guo-Qiang on the Roof: Transparent Monument. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. April 25, 2006–October 29, 2006. Cai Guo-Qiang (pronounced sigh gwo chang, b. 1957) is a contemporary Chinese-born artist known for sculptures and gunpowder projects.
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Art: AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. May 3, 2006–September 4, 2006. Focuses on British fashion from 1976 to 2006. Set in the Metropolitan Museum’s English period rooms—the Annie Laurie Aitken Galleries. Exciting territory to explore.
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Music: Syd Barrett (1946-2006). Co-founder of Pink Floyd. Was asked to leave the band in 1968 because of mental instability. 'Shine on you crazy diamond' on the Pink Floyd album 'Wish You Were Here' was written about him. Incidentially, Barrett showed up unexpectedly in the studio with his hair and eye brows shaved off when the song was recorded in 1975.
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Music: Tender Forever. Album: The Soft and the Hardcore. Interesting lyrics, but music is raw. Vocals by Melanie Valera. Review at PopMatters. Song: Then If I'm Weird I Want to Share.
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DVD: Shikoku (1999). 101 min. w/ Yui Natsukawa (Hinako Myoujin), Michitaka Tsutsui (Fumiya Akizawa), Chiaki Kuriyama (Sayori Hiura ). Directed by Shunichi Nagasaki. After the novel 'Shikoku' by Bando Masako (Kadokawa Shoten), who also wrote 'Inugami'. Woman returns to her home town on the Japanse island Shikoku and finds that a childhood friend she long admired is about to return from the dead. Not very scary, but some great moments. Slow, but adequate pace. Acting not always at its best. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Charly Haden Quartet West at the Blue Note, NYC on 8/18/06, 8 PM. Charlie Haden (b), Ernie Watts (ts), Rodney Greene (d), Alan Broadbent (p). Great concert.
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Video: Valley of the Dolls (1967). 123 min. w/ Barbara Parkins (Anne Welles), Patty Duke (Neely O'Hara), Sharon Tate (Jennifer North Polar), Paul Burke (Lyon Burke). Directed by Mark Robson. Three young women in film and show business are trying to manage their careers, lives and love affairs, and their addiction to dolls (happy and sleeping pills). Some good moments, but overall melodramatic, and dwells too long on the same theme. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Games: Magnetic Poetry Online Kits. Allows to publish results on the web.
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Poetry: Karoline von Günderrode (1780-1806) (suicide with dagger). German poet during the period of Romanticism (time between 1795 and 1848). Poems at Gutenberg.de.
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Life: Computertakeback.com has information on how to recycle computers and other electronic devices that produce toxic waste. Find a recylcer near you.
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Photos: When They Were Young: A Photographic Retrospective of Childhood. Library of Congress.
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DVD: Solaris (2002). 99 min. w/ George Clooney (Chris Kelvin), Natascha McElhone (Rheya), Viola Davis (Gordon), Jeremy Davies (Snow). Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich. Ocean's Eleven). Produced by James Cameron (Titanic). Based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem. Remake of the 1972 Russian movie 'Solyaris'. A psychologist (Clooney) tries to figure out mysterious events on a remote space station. As he gets pulled into the events, he tries to make up for the suicide of his wife. Very slow story, very boring. Profane, pseudo-intellectual plot without any meaning. Many questions remain unresolved. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Photography: Gary Fong. Markets the 'Lightsphere', an inverted dome system that is put on top of the flash to diffuse flash light. Fong is a sucessful wedding photographer; also holds seminars. Webjournal.
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Life: Public Routes. Public transportation in the NY Metropolitan area. Usefulness questionable though. Lacks connections via Path train from NJ to NYC.
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DVD: Crash (2004). 113 min. w/ Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Don Cheadle, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges. Direccted by Paul Haggis. Scenes from a neighborhood in L.A. Focusses on racial/ethnical issues. Characters all interact with each other at one point. Parable. Diffuses the boundaries of black and white. Well done. Overall rating 9 out of 10.
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Philosophy: Herbert Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980). Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar, professor of English literature, literary critic, and communications theorist, who is one of the founders of the study of media ecology. Today an honorary guru among technophiles. Coined the phrase "The medium is the message", in which he proposes that the media themselves, not the content they carry, should be the focus of study.
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Physics: Mpemba Effect: Under certain circumstances, warmer water will freeze sooner than colder water. Also see 'Engines of Our Ingenuity' #2100.
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Art: Gail Ingis-Claus. Paints a veriety of motives, including architechture, seascapes, people, and abstract.
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Music: Isa and the Filthy Tongues: Rock-Punk-Blues band from Edinburgh, Scottland. Debut album 'Addiction'.
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Music: Lala. Search engine for CD swapping. Cost $1 per CD plus $0.75 S&H. Currently 1.8 million titles. Provides envelopes and shipping labels. A new way to update the CD collection.
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Life: He really did it! It has taken Kyle MacDonald only 1 year to trade one red paper clip into a house. Amazing!
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DVD: Solyaris (1972). a.k.a Solaris. 169 min. Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. w/ Natalya Bondarchuk (Hari), Donatas Banionis (Kris Kelvin). After the novel by Stanislaw Lem. Science fiction movie about the psychologist Kris Kelvin who tries to find out what is wrong on a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris. When his wife Hari, who committed suicide many years ago, appears on the station, Kelvin is plagued by his conscience. Very slow story, but better than the 2002 remake (see above). Listening to the commentary on DVD helps to understand important details. Overall rating 5 out 10. Study Guide for Stanislaw Lem's Solaris.
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Maps of all kind:

1.) David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
2.) Maps.com: Commercial
3.) Platial: Personal maps
4.) Google Maps
5.) Yahoo Maps
6.) Mapquest
7.) Nighttime!
8.) MapMachine: Some theme maps
8.) Google Earth
9.) Google Moon
10.) Google Mars


Snippets:
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DVD: Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue (2004). Documentary on the music of Miles Davis, with focus on his innovative style. Interviews with fellow musicians. Includes his performance at the Isle of Wight in 1970, a Rock festival in the south of England with 600,000 attendees. Good interviews, great perfomance. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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DVD: House of Sand and Fog (2003). 126 min. w/ Jennifer Connelly (Kathy, from A Beautiful Mind), Ben Kingsley (Behrani, from Ghandi). After the book by Andre Dubus III. Woman, deserted by her husband, gets evicted from her house under allegations of not paying her taxes. A Persian refugee/imigrant buys the house at an auction and moves in with his family, but the former owner refuses to accept this. Even though every character makes grave mistakes, the plot has a natural flow, spiraling downward. Ends in drama. Good acting. Gripping story. Always gives the viewer a sense of suspense. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Evolution: Darwin. Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Nov 19, 2005 - Aug 20, 2006 (Extended). Includes live tortoises and a green iguana (from Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Allenwood, PA). Notes to Online Exhibition: Charles Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, had already formulated ideas of evolution several decades prior, but was not taken seriously. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed that use of a body part would make it stronger, but thought this quality was then inherited. Darwin's voyage on the 'Beagle' was from December 1831 to October 1836. He brought back specimens of more than 1,500 different species, hundreds of which had never before been seen before in Europe. On the Galapgos Islands, many animals had no fear of humans, making them easy to catch. Darwin, who as a student at Cambridge had formed a club dedicated to eating animals "unknown to human palate," cheerfully sampled the iguanas. Glyptodont: an immense shelled animal that looked like a giant armadillo. Penguins usually live in Antarctica or the southern tip of South America. One species lives on the Galapagos Islands. Darwin kept his theory of evolution secret for two decades before publishing it in 'The Origin of Species' (1859), only prompted by emerging competition with the young naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. A follow up publication was 'Descent of Man' (1871).
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History: Alien and Sedition Acts: Acts of Congress passed during the administration of President John Adams, who signed them into law in 1798. These laws were designed to silence and weaken the Democratic-Republican Party. The acts increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from 5 to 14 years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States" and restricted speech critical of the government. Negative reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts helped contribute to the Democratic-Republican victory in the 1800 elections that made Thomas Jefferson president. Congress repealed the Naturalization Act in 1802, while the other acts were allowed to expire.
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Life: GasBuddy. Compare gas prices across the U.S. Includes maps and historical price charts.
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Art: Andrew Wyeth: Memory and Magic. Philadelphia Museum of Art. March 29, 2006 - July 16, 2006. Retrospective of the works of the American artist over seven decades. Ticket includes audio tour. In self-portraits, Wyeth usually did not show his face, but -- for example -- his shoes. Strong symbolism (e.g., grass, doors, windows). Unfortunately, Christina's World (1948) was not on display. Overall, good exhibition, but crowded at times.
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Art/Science: Places & Spaces: Mapping Science. New York Public Library, Science, Industry, and Business Library. Attempt to physically show what and where science is today, how different branches of science relate to each other and where different branches of study are heading. Some comparisons to early topographic maps. Podcast from the New York Academy of Sciences with explanations. Includes a map of Henry Smith Williams' (1863-1943) 'History of Science' (all 4 Parts) created with TextArc. Also includes map and globes by Ingo Gunther from his 'Worldprocessor' project.
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Literature: Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases by Greenville Kleiser (1868-1953) at Project Gutenberg.
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Sightseeing: The Beast Speed Boat, operated by Circle Line, 42nd St., NYC. Ride on the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty and back.
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Snippets:
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Video: Alexander Nevsky (Aleksandr Nevskiy, 1938). B/W. Directed by Sergei M. Eisenstein (Battleship Potmekin). w/ Nikolai Cherkasov. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. 13th century Russian prince defeats an army of Teutonic knights on the frozen Lake Peipus. Extensive battle scenes. Russian propaganda movie, commissioned by Stalin. Eisenstein's first sound film. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Art: 'Masterworks from the Morgan' at the Morgan Library & Museum (formerly Pierpont Morgan Library), 225 Madison Ave @ 36th St, NYC. Re-opened April 29, 2006 after 2-year renovation. Collection of more than 350,000 objects. Books, drawings, prints, manuscripts, ancient seals and tablets etc. Many famous artists and writers. Also library and study of Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), including a hidden passage to upper bookshelves. A gem.


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DVD: Lady Sings the Blues (1972). w/ Diana Ross (Billie Holiday), Billy Dee Williams (Louis McKay), Richard Pryor (Piano Man). Directed by Sidney J. Furie. Story of Billy Holiday, her rise to fame and drug addiction. Diana Ross puts her own style into the movie, does not try to imitate Holiday. Remarkable acting for her first movie role. Story too corny at times. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: The Crucible (1996). w/ Daniel Day-Lewis (John Proctor), Winona Ryder (Abigail Williams). Directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George). After the play by Arthur Miller, who also wrote the screenplay. Story around the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Dramatic, melodramatic at times. Brilliant acting. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Real Estate: Prices: Zillow. Including price development over time.
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Photography: Pentti Sammallahti. Finnish photographer (b. 1950). Great nature shots, often with an animal or a figure in the foreground. Pictures have incredible depth.



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Photography: Ed Ruscha. American Photographer (b. 1937). Series on 'gas stations' and 'parking lots'. Raises questions on the nature of art.
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Photography: Sally Kuzma: Scans botanical objects directly on flatbed scanner, then the image is cropped, the color inverted, and the sample is layered and rotated to create a series of kaleidoscopic variations. Example: Corn Rotations (2003-06).
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Astronomy: When Halley's Coment approached the sun in May 1910, some believed it would be the end of the world when the earth passed through the comet's tails. Well, the world did not end, nor was this the last 'doomsday comet' to be seen.
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Music: Find music that is similar to the one you like: Pandora and the Music Genome Project.
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Music: Mario Pavone. Bass player.
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Science: Johann Joachim Becher (1635-1682), German physician, alchemist, precursor of Chemistry, scholar and adventurer. Father of the phlogiston theory.
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Art: Antoni Tàpies (b. Barcelona, 1923): Catalan painter. Considered one of the great master artists of the 20th century.
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Photography: James Balog. Fotos of large trees.
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Science: Mars Exploration: Rovers (Sprit, Opportunity), Orbiters (Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express [ESA], Mars Reconaissance Orbiter [March 10, 2006])
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Excerpt from Meditation by Venerable Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, August 21, 1997, at Ratnashri Meditation Center, Sweden: "Another type of meditation is the calm-abiding, stabilizing meditation or the Shamata meditation. There are many ways of doing the calm-abiding meditation. One easy and effective way to calm the mind is to watch the breath. Sit on a cushion or chair, relax and breathe normally. It is easy because we have to breathe anyway so we just need to be aware of it. Our breath and mind become inseparable. When the mind is somewhere else, just simply bring it back to the breath and meditate. There is no need to push, chase or feel upset. It is important to relax and do it without expectations and worries. When we have high expectations wanting to achieve all the good qualities in one session, at the end of that session, we may feel depressed. There is nothing to achieve. There is no need to achieve anything. Just be yourself, relax and sit for half an hour or so. It is just a method to train to be with our mind. When thought arises, just look at it, let it go, and not attach to it. Thinking that you have no thought is itself a thought. Thought is something very subtle and can come at any time from any direction. So there is no need to cling to it or chase it. Just be aware of it. Place our mind, without consciously adopting or abandoning, in a fluid, natural state of being here and now. Be mindful in the ever-present moment and not to wander at all from this state. When we have a sinking mind during meditation, we need to uplift ourselves by, for example, moving the head more forward instead of downward, turn on some bright light or do some walking meditation. Shamata or the calm-abiding meditation is the cause as well as the result of analytical and insightful (vipasyana) meditation." Topics for analytical meditations: 1.) Precious human life, 2.) Impermanence, 3.) Interdependent nature of every phenomenon, 4.) Loving kindness and compassion.


Snippets:
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DVD: Shackleton (2002, TV, 3 Discs). 206 min (2 parts). w/ Kenneth Branagh. Directed by Charles Sturridge (Longitude). The story of Ernest Shackleton's 1914-expedition on the 'Endurance', attempting to cross Antarctica from one side to the other on foot. After getting trapped in the ice and losing the ship, the 28-men crew survived for many months under harsh arctic conditions. Film recreates some of the photographs taken by Frank Hurley Hurley. Some emphasis is put on the Shackleton's leadership qualities. Well done. Overall rating 8 out of 10. More info on the expedition here.
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History: Photos of the San Francisco Earth Quake on April 18, 1906. Search or Browse. Vast collection. Allows large magnification of pics. Other Collections at the Bancroft Library.
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Literature: British cult authors of historical novels about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars around Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805): C.S. Forester, Patrick O´Brian, and Alexander Kent. More recent author: Julian Stockwin.
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Art: Whitney Biennial 2006: Day for Night. Remarkable Artists: 1.) Rudolf Stingel (b. 1956): Photorealistic painting. 2.) Urs Fischer (b. 1973): Two candles at the end of rods, rotating from ceiling, intersecting paths. 3.) Kenneth Anger: ICONS 2006. Filmmaker 4.) Adam McEwen: Chewing gums on canvas, symmetrical like a Rorschach Inkblot Test. 5.) Anne Collier: Spill, 2005. "You only tell me you love me when you're drunk' 6.) Lucas de Giulio: Works with sticks found in woods and city streets. 7.) Troy Brauntuch (b. 1954): Coat of girlfriend on armchair, in B/W crayon. 8.) Marilyn Minter (b. 1948): Stepping Up, 2005. Enamel paint on metal, softened with fingers (can see finger prints). 9.) Robert Gober (b. 1954): Photographies with picture in picture. 10.) Richard Serra: Stop Bush. 11.) Zoe Strauss: Photographer, Philadelphia.
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Art: Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh. Metropolitan Museum, NYC. 3/28/06-7/9/06. 18th Dynasty (~1500 B.C.) Egyptian art around the female Pharaoh. Some pieces of great beauty. More info.



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Art: Kara Walker at the Met: After the Deluge, 3/21/06-7/30/06. Rather dissappointing.
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Art: Edvard Munch: The Modern Life of the Soul. Metropolitan Museum, NYC, 2/19/06-5/8/06. Paintings and prints of the Norwegian painter. Often displays the interior state rather than the exterior of the people in the picture. Often shows people in different phases of their life. 'Frieze of Life' is a cycle of pictures that includes many of his best-known motifs. Listened to audio tour. Memorable: The Dance of Life, Madonna, The Scream (as print), Despair. Well done exhibit.
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Theater: Cupid and Psyche, played by The Thematics Group. Altered Stages, 212 W 29th St, NYC, NY. 4/10/06-4/30/06. Contemporary comedy adapted from ancient mythological story. Some good actors. Entertaining.
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Music: Paul Meyers 'World on a String' at 55 Bar, NYC, on 4/18/06. Jazz Guitar w/ Donny McCaslin, Helio Alves, Leo Traversa, and Vanderlei Pereira. Good sound.
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DVD: Longitude (2000, TV, 2 Discs). w/ Michael Gambon (John Harrison), Jeremy Irons (Rupert Gould), Ian Hart (William Harrison, John's son). Directed by Charles Sturridge (Shackleton). Story of the clockmaker John Harrison (1693-1776) and the measurement of longitude at sea using an exact clock. After the book by Dava Sobel. The time difference between two points on the earth allows to calculate their distance and therfore the longitude of a ships position. Harrison (later with his son William) spent decades to built time pieces exact enough to detemine the position within a few miles. The film also tells of Rupert Gould (1890-1948), who restored the chronometers in the mid-20th century. Well done, although lengthy at times. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Photography: Captured in Color: Color photographs from the First World War. Includes pictures and brief bio of Frank Hurley (see above, Endurance).
~~~~~~~
History: The Great Exhibition and the Crystal Palace in London, 1851. Display of industrial progress in early Victorian England. Includes pictures.
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Art: Per Kirkeby. Danish Expressionist painter, sculptor and writer. Born in Copenhagen, 1938. Pictures at Artcyclopedia.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Red Dwarf. Series I. British Sci-Fi Sitcom. Starring Chris Barrie, Craig Charles. Title track composed by Howard Goodall and sung by Jenna Russell.
"It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere / I'm all alone, more or less / Let me fly far away from here / Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun / I want to lie shipwrecked and comatose / Drinking fresh mango juice / Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes / Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun / Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun"
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Music: Sara Gazarek. Song: Yours. Jazz singer. Good voice.
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Literature: Isabella Bird (1831-1904). English traveller and writer. Wrote 'The Englishwoman in America', summarizing travels in America in 1854.
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Music: Yoik: Traditional form of song of the Sami people. The Sami are the indigenous people of Sapmi, which encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.
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Literature: Louis Auchincloss. Prolific American writer. Wrote 'Manhattan Monologues', a collection of short stories about life in the high society of 20th century New York.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Godfather (1972). 175 min. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. w/ Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael Corleone). Adaptation of the novel of the same name, written by Mario Puzo. Story of a New York mafia family. Memorable quote: "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" (Don Vito). Lengthy at times. Good acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Exploration: David Livingstone (1813-1873). Scottish medical missionary and explorer of Central Africa. Discovered the Victoria Falls.
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Art: Franz Radziwill (1895-1983). German painter. Friends with Otto Dix.
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Music: Sweet Georgia Brown and the Blues Crusaders at 55 Bar, NYC, on 4/29/06. Blues singer. Good entertainer.
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Mathematics: Arithmetic: Opertions on numbers. Algebra: Symbols and elements, polynomals. Calculus: Integral and differential calculations.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Brokeback Mountain (2005). Directed by Ang Lee. Heath Ledger (Ennis Del Mar), Jake Gyllenhaal (Jack Twist). Great landscape pictures, but story slow and often boring. The aspect of a homosexual relationship in the wilderness makes the film unusual, but that novelty fades rather quickly. Even though the director wants it to be a love story, it remains a 'gay cowboy movie'. Dramatization seems exaggerated, and logic is not a strength of the movie. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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DVD: The Aviator (2004). 170 min. w/ Leonardo DiCaprio (Howard Hughes), Cate Blanchett (Katharine Hepburn), Kate Beckinsale (Ava Gardner). Directed by Martin Scorsese (Gangs of New York, Kundun, The Age of Innocence, The Last Temptation of Christ). Life of the Hollywood filmmaker and aviator Howard Hughes. Won 5 Academy Awards in 2005, including Cate Blanchett for Best Supporting Actress. Story too long. Acting okay, but not always great. Blanchett seems awkward in her role during the first few scenes, but gets better later on. Film takes many historical liberties. Some poor special effects. Overall rather disappointing. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Art: John Tallis was a London publisher, and one of the most popular cartographers of the 19th Century. He became famous for the very accurate and visually appealing maps that featured the extensive use of vignette views from around the World and ornamental perimeter engraving. Principal engraver and mapmaker to John Tallis was John Rapkin, renowned for his extraordinary artistic and engraving skills. Between them they produced many books of travel and exploration.
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Video: Down By Law (1986). 107 min. Tom Waits (Zack), John Lurie (Jack), Roberto Benigni (Roberto). Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth, Broken Flowers). Music by Tom Waits. Cult movie about three characters who break out of prision. Intentionally slow at times. Funny moments. Good acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Art: Fitz Hugh (Henry) Lane, 1804–65, American painter and printmaker, mostly ships and coastal panoramas. Painted 'New York Harbor 1852'. Some additional info at Engines of our Ingenuity No. 1804. Lane was a leading figure of luminism, an American art movement of the 19th century. and an outgrowth of the Hudson River school. Luminism wanted to capture the effects of light and atmosphere. It is sometimes linked to impressionism. Besides Lane, its practitioners included Frederick E. Church (in his early career), John F. Kensett, Sanford R. Gifford, and Martin Johnson Heade.
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DVD: Master and Commander (2003). 138 min. w/ Russel Crow (Capt. Jack Aubrey), Paul Bettany (Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon) . Directed by Peter Weir (Green Card, Dead Poets Society). After the novels by Patrick O'Brian. Won two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing). The British war vessel 'Surprise' chases the French 'Acheron' off the coast of South America. Capt. Jack Aubrey demonstrates leadership to keep the crew together. Great cinematography. Story is straightforward. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Dewey Redman (born 1931): Free jazz saxophonist. Collaborations with Ornette Coleman (1968-1972) and Keith Jarrett (1971-1976, e.g. on 'The Impulse Years, 1973-1974'), and member of 'Old And New Dreams' led by Don Cherry. Also on '80/81' by Pat Metheny Group. Father of tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman.
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Book: Richard Green Parker (1798-1869): A school compendium of natural and experimental philosophy. Editions 1850 and 1856. Comment on the 1871 edition by George Plympton in 'Engines of our Ingenuity'.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Basic Instinct (1992). w/ Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop). Evil woman (Stone) plays games with adventurous detective (Douglas) who is trying to reveal her as a murderer. Suspenseful balance of crime, violence, sex, and trust. Sharon stome plays her role as a temptress well. However, plot moves too slowly at times, and some things are made too obvious. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Music: Jal Tarang: Indian classical instrument. Essentially a water-xylophone. Made up of a series of china bowls of varying sizes filled with varying levels of water. Played with two light sticks.
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DVD: City of God (Cidade de Deus, 2002). Brazilian film. w/ Alexandre Rodrigues (Rocket), Phellipe Haagensen (Benny). Young man dreams of becoming a photographer while trying to survive drugs, crime, and gang violence in the favela (slums) of Rio de Janeiro. Spans three decades (60s, 70s, and 80s) and brilliantly crystallizes each main character. Contains some extreme violence. Many of the actors are actually from the favela. Most memorable is the scene where Li'l Ze chastises the Runts. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat, 2001). Directed by Zacharias Kunuk. Written by Paul Apak Angilirq. w/ Natar Ungalaaq (Atanarjuat). Retelling an Inuit legend with Inuit actors, in Inuktitut with English subtitles. Inuit tribe in the Arctic ice struggles with a magic spell that brings disord and murder. The hero Artanarjuat runs for his life naked over the ice but later returns for his revenge. Rather slow plot, but very unusual, exotic film. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Life: Customer Service: Get Human is a database that lists tips and tricks how to get a human being on the phone quickly when calling custumer service.
~~~~~~~
DVD: For A Few Dollars More (1965). 132 min. w/ Clint Eastwood (Monco), Lee Van Cleef (Col. Douglas Mortimer), Gian Maria Volonte (El Indio). Directed by Sergio Leone. Original Music by Ennio Morricone. Bona fide Western about two bounty hunters who decide to capture the most vicious gang in the area. Cool movie. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Buying Used (and New) Books Online:

1.) U.S.:

• A1Books: New and used books. Provides seller ratings and comments by buyers. Also has DVDs.
  
• AddAll: Meta engine. New and used books. Sorted by overall price. Provides shipping cost.
  
• Alibris: New and used. Also has music and movies.
  
• Amazon.com: New and used. Much more than just books.
  
• Barnes & Noble: New and used. Books and music.
  
• Barnes & Noble Professional, Technical & Business Bookstore: Specialized.
  
• BiblioFind/Amazon: Rare books on Amazon.com.
  
• BibliOz: Australian site. Mostly stocked in U.S. or U.K.
  
• Book Closeouts: New bargain books. Smaller selection.
  
• BookFinder: Meta engine. Separates new and used in tables. Only search by Author or Title.
  
• Books A Million: Supposed to be cheaper than Amazon.
  
• Ebay: Auction or 'Buy it now'.
  
• Powells: New and used.

2.) International:

• ABE Books: New and used. In German.
  
• Amazon.co.uk: New and used. Books and music.
  
• Amazon.de: New and used. Books and music. In German.
  
• Amazon.fr: New and used. Books and music. In French.
  
• Antbo: Antiquarian Books Online. Antiquarian books, autographs, graphics, musical scores and records.
  
• AntiqBook: Heavy on European antiquarians.
  
• BookLooker: In German. New and used. Shipping info included. Also has music and movies.
  
• ChooseBooks: Formerly ZVAB.
  
• Comenius Antiquariat: Meta Engine. Links to SFB.at.
  
• Eurobuch (SFB.at): Meta engine.
  
• Libri.de: New books, audioboooks, MP3-books, DVD/videos. In German.
  
• Zeusman: Central European engine. In German.

3.) Engine Lists:

• All Search Engines
  
• Bibliomania
  
• Search Engine Z
  
• University of Louisiana, Monroe

Snippets:
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Mathematics: John Forbes Nash Jr (b. 1928): American mathematician. Game theory and differential geometry. Nobel Prize in Economics 1994. Schizophrenia. Movie: A Beautiful Mind (2001); directed by Ron Howard; starring Russel Crowe. Criticized for its inaccurate portrayal of Nash's life and schizophrenia.
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DVD: The Alamo (2004). 137 min. w/ Dennis Quaid (Sam Houston), Billy Bob Thornton (Davy Crockett), Jason Patric (James Bowie), Patrick Wilson (William Travis), Emilio Echevarría (Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana). Directed by John Lee Hancock. Reenacting the 13-day Mexican siege of the Alamo in 1836 during the Texan Revolution, culminating in Sam Houston's successful battle at San Jacinto (yelling "Remember the Alamo."), and the independence of Texas. Extensive movie set. Good cinematography. Claims to be historically accurate. Turgid at times. Bowie is the designer of the Bowie Knife. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Howard Hughes: The Real Aviator (2002). Shout Factory. Biography of the Hollywood producer, pilot, business man, and playboy. Passion for aviation. Phobias and madness in later life. Contains interviews with close friends. Pictures of the 'Constellation' (beginning of commercial aviation) and the 'Flying Boat' (world's largest plane: H-4 Hercules, Spruce Goose). After Hughe's death the Howard Hughes Medical Institute was founded and inherited his entire fortune for medical resarch purposes.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Canterbury Tales I (The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Knight's Tale, The Wife of Bath's Tale) and II (The Merchant's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale, The Franklin's Tale) (2000). 2 x 30min. Animated short films depicting stories from the collection by Geoffrey Chaucer. Mixture of model animation and tradtional sketch work. Voices of actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nominated for Academy Award (Best Short Film, Animated) in 1999. Won Emmy in 1999. Bizarre characters. Modern. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Video: Search for the Great Apes (1975). 60 min. National Geographic Video. Features the field work of two women scientists expanding the knowledge on apes. 1.) Birute Galdikas-Brindamour in Borneo with orangutans. 2.) Diane Fossey in central Africa with mountain gorilllas. Documents the conditions in the rain forest and thei scientists work. Well done.
~~~~~~~
Theater: All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The Duke on 42nd St, 229 W 42nd St, NYC. Feb 26, 2006, 7:00 PM. w/ Kate Forbes (Helena), Lucas Hall (Bertram), Laurie Kennedy (Countess of Rosillion), George Morfogen (The King of France). Woman loves man of higher rank, and marries him against his will through a good deed. He escapes, vowes that he will never be hers, but she tricks him into accepting her as a wife. Unusual story for a Shakespeare play. There is a some good and bad in every character. Good acting.
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DVD: The Quiet American (2002). 101 min. w/ Michael Caine (Thomas Fowler), Brendan Fraser (Alden Pyle), Do Thi Hai Yen (Phuong). Directed by Phillip Noyce. After the book by Graham Greene. Vietnam under French rule in 1952. British journalist (Caine) meets an American medical aid worker (Fraser), who steals his beautiful girlfriend and turns out to be an agent for the CIA. Interesting anti-American view on American activities in Vietnam before the Vietnam war. Good acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Lene Marlin: Singer-songwriter from Norway. First album: Playing My Game (1999). Sounds somewhat like Dido.
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Life: Belvedere Castle: Central Park, NYC: 'Recording, Remebering'.
~~~~~~~
DVD: The Eel (jap.:Unagi, 1997). 117 min. Directed by Shohei Imamura. w/ Kôji Yakusho (Takuro Yamashita; appearance in Tampopo), Misa Shimizu (Keiko Hattori). White-color worker kills his wife in rage after finding her with another man. After 8 years in prison, he tries to start a new, quiet life in a small town, but falls in love with a younger woman that reminds him of his wife. Story well told, with a certain degree of unpredictability. Good acting. Fight sequence is rather funny. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Technology: Alexander Bain (1811-1877): Clockmaker, inventor. Invented an electric clock, the electric printing telegraph and the first fax machine. Was unsuccessful in capitalizing on his capabilities. "[...} creating ideas and making money are two separate human enterprises. Bain managed only the idea part." (Engines of our Ingenuity No. 2069)
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Philospohy: Alexander Bain (1818-1903). Scottish philosopher and educationalist. Different from the inventor (see above). Wrote 'Moral science: a compendium of ethics'.
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Snippets:
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Shopping: Price Engine: Street Prices.
~~~~~~~
Art: MoMA: Jan. 6, 2006: 1.) Elisabeth Murray. Paintings on three dimensional convasses. Shape shifter. 2.) Beyond the Visible: The Art of Odilon Redon. Creepy. 3.) Pixar: 20 years of Animation.
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Literature: World Wide School. Dedicated to the collection, preservation and presentation of educational material.
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DVD: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). w/ Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). Directed by Chris Columbus. During Harry's second year at Hogwarts, he rescues lives and ultimately the continuity of the entire school. Action driven, suspenseful at times. Some cheesy moments. Memorable quote: 'It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.' (Albus Dubledore). Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). 75 min. w/ Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesiger. Directed by James Whale. Cheesy, melodramatic horror classic about the making of a mate for Frankenstein's monster. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Poetry: Lord George Gordon (Noel) Byron (1788-1824). Anglo-Scottish poet and leading figure in Romanticism. Most famous poems: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan (unfinished). In life, Byron featured extravagant living and numerous love affairs. Was friends with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author of 'Frankenstein'. Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont had a liaison with Lord Byron.
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Video: The Silk Road: Across the Taklamakan Desert (1990). 55 min. Music by Kitaro. Central Park Media. Taklamakan means 'The place from which nothing living returns!' Visit to the ancient Buddhist city of Miran, southwest of the legendary kingdom Lou-lan in Northern China, and the ruins of Niya. Niya is believed to have flourished from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD, and is one of the largest ruins of the city states that were scattered along the ancient Silk Road about 1,500 years ago. Rediscovered in 1901 by the British explorer Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943.)
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Art: Michael Joo: Still Lives. September 23, 2005 - February 4, 2006. Bohen Foundation, 415 W 13th St, NYC. Mixed media installation commisioned by the Bohen Foundation. New York premier of 'Circannual Rhythm (piblotok) in a 48ft-wide nine image projection, which follows the artist's journey along the Alaskan pipeline. In addition, the center of the installation is a spiral formation of sculptures that cascades from the ceiling through the wall in the middle space, then through the floor. On the lower, level small monitors, showing live video images from the room above, replace the sculptures.
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Photography: Felice Frankel. Science photographer at MIT. Gallery at Science and the City.
~~~~~~~
Literature: Mica Garen & Marie-Hélène Carleton: American Hostage: A Memoir of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq and the Remarkable Battle to Win His Release. Strory at BBC.
~~~~~~~
Theater: Off-Off-Broadway Review (obbr): Listings and reviews.
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Music/Audio: Freesound Project: Post, find, listen to and download common and artificial sounds. Includes Search engine for similar and dissimilar sounds. 'Geotagged Samples' may not work with Internet Explorer. Firefox recommended.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Third Man (1949). 104 min. w/ Joseph Cotten (Rollo Martins), Alida Valli (Anna Schmidt), Orson Welles (Harry Lime). Directed by Carol Reed. Story and screenplay by Graham Greene. Man in post-war Vienna tries to solve the murder of a long-time friend. Film noir. A classic. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 1400): English poet. Best known for 'The Canterbury Tales'. Considered the beginning of English literature.
~~~~~~~
Video: Kumonosu jô (Throne of Blood, 1957). 105 min. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. w/ Toshirô Mifune (Taketori Washizu), Isuzu Yamada (Lady Asaji Washizu). Free-flowing adaptation of Shakespeares 'Macbeth'. Ambitious fighter meets evil spirit who foretells him a successful future, but also his demise. He cannot excape his fate. Intriguing version of a classic tale. Yamada is spooky. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Quote: "Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like." by Ernest Benn (1875-1954), British publisher.
~~~~~~~
Life: Tea: Mighty Leaf. Handcrafted tea pouches. e.g., Organic Mint Melange.
~~~~~~~
Travel: GotoBus. Bus tours and travels by bus, e.g., New York - Boston.
~~~~~~~
Life: Tips for Rental Issues
~~~~~~~
Video: The Living Edens: Borneo (1998). Approx. 60 min. PBS Home Video. Executive Poducers: Alex Gregory and Dennis B. Kane. Stunning pictures of the mountains, caves, rain forrest, and reefs of the third largest island in the world (after Greenland an New Guinea). Natural habitat for the Bornean orangutan, the Asian elephant, and the Sumatran rhinoceros and other almost extinct species. Politically, Borneo is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and more than half of the rain forrest has been sacrificed to commerce.
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Music: Sapphiel's Fall. British rock/pop band. Corrent album: "Life Half Lived". Recorded at Northampton's, Fitdog Studios.
~~~~~~~
Astronomy: Meteorites are best found in deserts like the Sahara or Antarctica, because they appear different from their surroundings in these landscapes.
~~~~~~~

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851):
Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway (1844).

Snippets:
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Music: Jens Lekman. Swedish singer/songwriter. Some hilarious lyrics.
~~~~~~~
Music: Mrs. Pilgrimm (nee Sophie Williams). Cello, vocals. Signed at Hinterhoff Records. Experimental singer/songwriter. Current CD: Alone Queen.
~~~~~~~
Music: 75 Minutes. Weekly podcast from NYC on independent music.
~~~~~~~
Music: Rob Wilkerson. Talented jazz saxophonist.
~~~~~~~
Music: Phroyter (Shiny Thing). Scottish indie band, now out of Vancouver, Canada. Favorite song: 'There's Always Someone Else'.
~~~~~~~
Music: Samantha Murphy. American singer/songwriter. Born in Hawaii to Australian parents. Also has her own Podcast called SMtv. Album: 'Somewhere between Starving and Stardom'.
~~~~~~~
Theater: Monthy Python's Spamalot. Sam S. Shubert Theater, NYC. Losely base on the movie 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail '. Book and lyrics by Eric Idle. Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. w/ Simon Russell Beale as King Arthur. Lauren Kennedy as Lady of the Lake. Winner Tony Award 2005 (Best Musical). Memorable quote: 'Fetchez la vache'. Unusual combination of Broadway acting and silly comedy. Does not take itself seriously. Entertaining.
~~~~~~~
Technology: iTTUSB. USB Turntable from Ion. Helps to convert vinyl records to CD. Includes Audacity as recording software. No drivers needed.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Monthy Python's Flying Circus. Episodes 1, 2, & 3 from Season 1. 1969-70. Classic comedy. Includes Bicycle Repair Man.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Alaska. Spirit of the Wild (1997). 40 min. Director and co-producer: George Casey. Narrated by Charlton Heston. As presented in IMAX Theaters. Intriguing wild life pictures.
~~~~~~~
DVD: The Bourne Supremacy (2004). 108 min. w/ Matt Damon. Directed by Paul Greengrass. Novel by Robert Ludlum. Jason Bourne seeks revenge when his girlfriend gets killed. Movie offers nothing new compared to its predecessor. Pointless. Boring. Waste of time. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Music: Karmyn Tyler. Vocalist from Texas. Also does commercials, theater, film and TV. Great voice, but do not always agree with her selection of tunes. Also has made a jazz album.
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Video: Citizen Kane (1941). 119 min. w/ Orson Welles. Directed by Orson Welles. Rise and fall of a newspaper giant. Inspired by the life of William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951). Probably an important movie for its time. Dramatic portrait of a powerful man, but too obvious and predictable at times. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Video: The Madness of King George (1994). 107 min. Nigel Hawthorne (George III), Helen Mirren (Queen Charlotte). Story of the mental illnes of King George III, presumbably caused by porphyria. Good acting. Funny at times. Dwells on one theme for too long. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
~~~~~~~
Computer: Sysinternals. Provides advanced utilities, technical information, and source code related to various versions of MS Windows.
~~~~~~~
Literature: Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972). Japanese writer. Nobel Prize in Literature 1968. Often balance of beautiful and sad impressions. Kawabata committed suicide in 1972, but left no note of explanation.
~~~~~~~

Snippets:
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DVD: Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance (1983). 87 min. Directed by Godfrey Reggio. Music by Philip Glass. A piece of art, telling a story of nature, man, and technology. No actors, no words, just a stream of images and music. Most scenes might just as well be still photographs. Large portion of the film is made in time lapse mode, showing motions in accelerated fashion, thereby creating interesting effects. Title from Hopi Indian language: ko-yaa-nis-qa-tsi: n. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrating. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living. Life out of balance. Some spectacular scenes, but too long at times. The music is rather annoying, repetitive and monotonous. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
~~~~~~~
Literature: Librivox. Free audio books of classics recorded by amateur readers. Good selection.
~~~~~~~
Art/Science: Bodies: The Exhibition. Southstreet Seaport at the Exhibition Center, NYC. $24.50. Showcase of human bodies, body parts and organs, preserved and prepared through a procedure called plastination. Principle: Remove water and fats from the tissue and replace them with polymers, through an intermediate step using acetone. Acetone is replaced by polymer in a vaccum chamber ('forced vacuum impregnation'). Complete exchange takes few days for thin slices, but weeks for whole bodies. Technique developed by Gunther von Hagens, Germany, in 1978. Von Hagens exhibits his specimen in different venues.
~~~~~~~
Thought: Two useful qualities: Diversity and moderation.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Million Dollar Baby (2004). 132 min. Directed by Clint Eastwood. w/ Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman. Woman (Swank) is determined to become a boxing champion, and is supported by a headstrong trainer (Eastwood). Story takes a U-turn, when she gets severely injured during a fight. Movie well done, but too focused on boxing genre. Some critical points (e.g. assisted suicide) are treated too superficially. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Poetry: Poetry Archive. Collection of poets reading their own work. Also some historic readings. Unfortunately, audio is not downloadable.
~~~~~~~
Technology: Skype. Free Internet phone. Also, with SkypeOut, an ordinary phone line can be called, and with SkypeIn, customer receives a regular phone number to be called by any phone. Charges apply.
~~~~~~~
Science: Oliver Sacks, a neurologist at New York University (NYU), Mt. Sinai Medical Center, is preparing a new book on memory and music. Recent interview at Science Friday. Described Clive Wearing, who suffers from severe amnesia since a herpes simplex encephalitis in 1985. Can only remember the last 5-30 seconds. Lives entirely in the present. Curiously, his musical memory is intact, i.e. he can play entire tunes on the piano, and even conduct an orchestra.
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Medicine: Cognitive reserve and lifestyle. "The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) suggests that innate intelligence or aspects of life experience like educational or occupational attainments may supply reserve, in the form of a set of skills or repertoires that allows some people to cope with progressing Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology better than others. There is epidemiological evidence that lifestyle characterized by engagement in leisure activities of intellectual and social nature is associated with slower cognitive decline in healthy elderly and may reduce the risk of incident dementia. There is also evidence from functional imaging studies that subjects engaging in such leisure activities can clinically tolerate more AD pathology. It is possible that aspects of life experience like engagement in leisure activities may result in functionally more efficient cognitive networks and therefore provide a CR that delays the onset of clinical manifestations of dementia." Scarmeas N, Stern Y., J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2003 Aug;25(5):625-33.
~~~~~~~

Draußen stehen und zugleich drinnen,
ergreifen und umgriffen werden,
schauen und das Geschaute selbst sein,
halten und gehalten werden:
das ist das Ziel.
Dort verharrt der Geist in Ruhe
Und ist eins mit der Ewigkeit.

(Meister Eckhart)


Snippets:
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King Arthur (2004). 126 min. w/ Clive Owen (Arthur), Ioan Gruffudd (Lancelot), Keira Knightley (Guinevere). Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Fictious story showing Arthur as a Roman centurio, before becoming king and how he met Guinevere, and fought the pagan Saxons. Plenty of factual and historical inaccuracies and inconsistencies despite claims about the 'historical Arthur' made at the beginning of the film. Mediocre acting, although Gruffudd is remarkable. Interesting new approach, but failed to deliver. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Literature: The Mabinogion (pronounced 'Mabin-OGion')is an assembly of Welsh Storys that were taken from two ancient books called the 'Red Book of Hergest' and the earlier 'The White Book of Rhydderch'. They tell the storys of people in celtic times around 500 BC. Mabinogion means 'tales of youth'. Also available as TXT at Project Gutenberg. Further info on The Mabinogion.
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Music: Nellie McKay (pronounced 'mi-KAI', b. 1984). Signed with Columbia Records. Vocals and piano. Inriguing lyrics. First album: Get away from me (2004). New album 'Pretty Little Head' featuring duets with Cyndi Lauper and k.d. lang will be released January 3, 2006.
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Music: Amplifico. From Edinburgh, Scottland. Donna Maciocia (vocals, piano, guitar), Brett Allan (bass), Ross Kilgour (guitar) and Dave Brunton (drums). Reminds of a mixture of Portishead, Rainbirds, Nelly Furtado, and Cranberries. Unsigned band, distibutes recordings over the Internet. Current albums: Hometakes Volume 1, Hometakes Volume 2. Also some demo material on the web site. Some great songs, e.g. All Your Sins.
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Music: Hurdy gurdy: a stringed musical instrument; strings are arranged such that they can all be vibrated by a rotating wheel.
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News: Watching America: reflects global opinion about the United States, helping Americans and non-Americans alike understand what the world thinks of current issues that involve the U.S. This is done by providing news and views about the United States published in other countries.
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Snippets:
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Computer/Music/Art: NYT Circuits, December 1, 2005: 'Computer-Generated Wonder' by David Pogue. About 'Animusic' a set of DVDs of computer-generated, photorealistic animation music videos. Envision a futuristic, 3D-computer generated version of the automatic piano playing in the hotel lobby by itself. Created by Wayne Lytle, who uses custom-written software, called Animusic Studio, that generates the animation automatically when fed a MIDI file of his music. Therefore, every audio note has a video correlate. Video clips on the Animusic webseite.
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Video: Mansfield Park (1999). w/ Frances O'Connor (Fanny Price), Alessandro Nivola (Henry Crawford), Jonny Lee Miller (Edmund Bertram). Directed by Patricia Rozema. After the novel by Jane Austen. Young girl is given away by her impoverished parents to live with wealthy realtives. There she grows up to be a beautiful and educated, but shy young woman (O'Connor). She refuses a proposal for marriage from a man (Nivola) she does not trust, realizing that her heart belongs to one of the sons of the family (Miller). Some great dialogues, good tempo. Humourous moments. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Literature: Andreas Capellanus (Andrew the Chaplain): 'De amore'. Influential handbook on love, written ~ 1184-86. Main points at the Internet Medieval Source Book. Other excerpts. Ideas partly based on Ovid's 'Art of Love'. First came to the attention of critics in a famous article by Gaston Paris named "Etudes sur le roman de la table ronde. Lancelot du Lac. II Le conte de la Carette," Romania XII (1883), 459ff. Gaston Paris also popularized the label 'courtly love' (amour cortois) for this form of courtship. This phrase was rare in the Middle Ages, while 'Fin amour', 'Minne', and, in English "trwe love," were more common.
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History: Peace of Augsburg (Augsburger Religionsfriede), signed by Ferdinand I. in September 1555. Ended the religious wars. Legalized Lutheranism, laying down the rule, later epitomized in the phrase cuius regio, 'eius religio' (“he who governs the territory decides its religion”). Each ruler in the empire - i.e., each prince or city government - could opt for either the Roman Catholic or the Lutheran religion (jus reformandi) and that this choice was binding on everyone under that ruler's jurisdiction. Only one faith could legitimately exist in a given state, and that faith had to be the ruler's and could be only Catholicism or Lutheranism. Calvinism, Zwinglianism, and Anabaptism were excluded. A subject unwilling to live by this choice was free to emigrate and take his belongings with him (a provision considered liberal at the time).
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Snippets:
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DVD: Chasing Amy (1997). 113 min. Written and directed by Kevin Smith. w/ Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams. Third installment in the 'New Jersey Trilogy'. Comic book artist falls in love with lesbian and thereby jeopardizes the relationship with his best male friend. Dialog-heavy, some strong language, funny moments. Some mediocre acting. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Technology: Fab Lab: abbreviation for Fabrication Laboratory, a group of off-the-shelf, industrial-grade fabrication and electronics tools, such as a laser cutter and milling machine to carve out two- and three-dimensional parts, a sign cutter for creating graphics or plotting flexible electronic circuits, and electronic assembly tools. Overall price tag ~$25,000. Gives users the ability to locally conceptualize, design, develop, fabricate and test almost anything. Allows design and fabrication at micron length and microsecond time scales. Fab Labs have been installed in various locations around the world by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), guided by the MIT physicist and computer scientist Neil Gershenfeld from the Center for Bits and Atoms. Also see Yahoo News article 'Fab Labs Unshackle Imaginations', Nov. 6, 2005, and a lecture in 'The Digital Future'(video stream) available, a series from the Library of Congress, on March 28, 2005. Neil Gershenfeld has also published an article in Scientific American (draft here) on Internet Zero ("Internet 0" or "I0"). Internet Zero presents an architecture for "interdevice internetworking." This system promises to fully network our computers with our environments using a unified protocol based on Internet Protocol (IP).
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DVD: The Bourne Identity (2002). 119 min. Directed by Doug Liman. Novel by Robert Ludlum. w/ Matt Damon, Franka Potente. Jason Bourne (Damon) lost his memory and is trying to find out who he is with the help of a woman (Potente) he meets. Both are chased by the CIA, slowly uncoverying Bourne's former life. Good acting. Good cinematography. Good car chase sequence in a 'Mini'. Ending too shallow. DVD also provides alternate beginning & ending, but it's not much better. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Computer: How To Build A PC - A Computer Building Guide by Rob Williams. Also has tips about hard drive upgrades.
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Video: Cold Mountain (2003). 154 min. w/ Jude Law (Inman), Nicole Kidman (Ada Monroe), Renee Zellweger (Ruby Thewes). Directed and screenplay by Anthony Minghella (The English Patient). After the book by Charles Frazier. During the American Civil War, the deserted Confederate soldier Inman is on his way to Cold Mountain, NC, where Ada is awaiting him while she is learning from the boyish Ruby how to run a farm. Love story in historic setting. Zellweger received an Oscar for Best Supportuing Actress. Entertaining. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Life: Chautauqua: 1.) geographical name: Lake Chautauqua, 18 miles long in SW New York. 2.) Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY; founded on the belief that everyone 'has a right to be all that he can be -- to know all that he can know.' Flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries providing popular education combined with entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts, and plays often presented outdoors or in a tent. A Pat Metheny album from 1979 is entitled 'New Chautauqua'.
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Music: Wilco: Rock-Pop-Country band around Jeff Tweedy (from Uncle Tupelo), founded in 1994/95. Wilco in Concert on NPR.
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Music: Orenda Fink. Pop. Sg: Bloodline. Debut solo album: Invisible Ones. Also member of the duo Azure Ray.
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DVD: Chaos (2001). Directed by Coline Serreau. w/ Vincent Lindon, Catherine Frot, Rachida Brakni. French w/ English subtitles. A married middle class couple encounter prostitute who is being chased and beaten. While the husband cares little, the wife nurses her and gets to know her terrifying story. Revenge lurks. A good story to tell. Too long in some parts. A good look at native French vs. immigrants. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Clarissa (1991). 2 DVDs with 97 and 104 min. 4 parts. BBC/TV. Novel by Samuel Richardson (1689-1761). Directed by Robert Bierman. w/ Sean Bean (Robert Lovelace), Saskia Wickham (Clarissa Harlowe). Virtuous girl refuses to marry the man her family has sought out for her, gets 'rescued' by a playboy who tries all tricks to get her into bed. Only her death is her revenge. The story starts somewhat cheerful but only goes downhill from there. Clarissa's naivity gets annoying after a while. Film is much too long, melodramatic, depressing. Dwells too long on Lovelace's advances, becomes monotonous. Great costumes though, and some fine acting. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Art: Reg(inald) Butler (1913-1981). British sculptor. Welding in Iron, later modelling in clay or plaster and casting the models in a thin light weight bronze. Biographical info. Some works at the Tate Collection, London.
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Snippets:
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Science: James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879). Made large contributions to astronomy and physics. Major works on electricity, magnetism, and light. Showed that Saturn rings are composed of small particles. Kinetic theroy of gases. Maxwell-Boltzman distribution: bell-shaped curve that describes the speed of molecules in a gas. Maxwell's demon: an 1867 thought experiment that challenges the second law of thermodynamics.
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Video: High Anxiety (1977). 94 min. w/ Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman. Psycho-Comedy. Nobel prize winning psychiatry professor, who is afraid of heights, takes new job in a mental institution where he also needs to fear for his life. Lots of references to Alfred Hitchcock movies. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Theater: CASH - oder ewig rauschen die Gelder. Kleine Komödie am Max II, Munich, on 10/6/05. Comedy by Michael Cooney. Directed by Sebastian Goder. Landlord and con artist, who lost his job, deceives social security agents to make a living. Turbulent farce.
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Technology: Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN), Brooklyn, NY. Advocats the safe use of molecular nanotechnology (MNT).
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Music: Alan Ferber Nonet at Smalls, 183W 10th St at 7th Ave, NYC on 10/26/05. Variety of sounds and rhythms. Ferber lives in New York, writes most of his tunes. Crowded stage.
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DVD: Clerks (1994). Directed by Kevin Smith. w/ Brian O'Halloran (Dante Hicks), Jeff Anderson (Randal Graves), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Veronica Loughran), Lisa Spoonhauer (Caitlin Bree). Also Jason Mewes as Jay, and Kevin Smith himself as Silent Bob. A day in the lives of two convenience clerks. Anything can happen. Low budget movie ($25,000). Dialog heavy. Funny moments. Some good ideas. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Sigur Ros. Icelandic band, founded in 1994. Most recent album 'Takk', released September 13, 2005. Downloads. Sounds a bit like a mixture of Pink Floyd, Enya, Barclay James Harvest, und Sibelius. Mostly ambient. A live concert from the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD, is posted on NPR.
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Humor: from The Metro Cartoon: It's All About You, by Tony Murphy: Woman 1 to Woman 2: "And the I ... Uh ... Shoot! I totally forgot what I was going to say!" Woman 2: "If your thought leaves you, set it free. If it loves you, it will return. If it stays away, it was never yours to begin with."
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Shopping: Naughty Codes: Coupon codes for Internet Shopping
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Life: Free Annual Credit Report endorsed by the U.S. Federal Government, starting September 1, 2005.
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Sports: Basketball: Madison Square Garden, 11/6/05: New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors: 81 - 83
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Music: The All New Adventures Of Us (TANAOU). Indie/Alternative from Great Britain. Some more info at Bravestar Records.
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Video: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). 126 min. w/ Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt. Directed by John Huston. Three guys digging in the mountains for gold experience the burden of wealth. Great acting, but story easy to foresee. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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DVD: Helen of Troy (1955). 118 min. w/ Rossana Podesta (Helen), Jacques Sernas (Paris). Directed by Robert Wise. Classic story of Helen and Paris from Homer's Iliad. Schmaltzy. Overal rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: The Station Agent (2003). 88 min. w/ Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson. Quiet, slightly depressed dwarf inherits a train depot in central NJ and slowly (very slowly) makes some friends. Funny and thougtful moments interchange, showing that everyone has his own baggage to carry in life. Commentary on the DVD is disappointing. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: The Last Picture Show (1971). 118 min. w/ Timothy Bottoms (Sonny Crawford), Jeff Bridges (Duane Jackson), Cybill Shepherd (Jacy Farrow), Ben Johnson (Sam the Lion, Academy Award 1972), Cloris Leachman (Ruth Popper, Academy Award 1972, [also in High Anxierty]). Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. After the novel by Larry McMurtry. Life in a small, boring town in Texas in 1952, where the only attraction is a movie theater. When Sam the Lion dies unexpectedly, things go downhill. Remarkably liberal for its time. Goss commentary/interviews on DVD.Overall ranting 7 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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From September 17 to 25, 2005, from 8 am to 8 pm every day, the Whitney and Minetta Brook, a New York-based arts organization that presents innovative public art projects, launched 'Floating Island to Travel Around Manhattan Island' by Robert Smithson. Never realized during Smithson’s lifetime, although attempts were made, Floating Island is a project that involves a 30-x-90-foot barge, landscaped with earth, rocks, and native trees and shrubs that will circumnavigate Manhattan. The fabricated "island," towed by a small tugboat, was on view two weekends in September, visible to millions of residents, commuters, and visitors along the Hudson and East Rivers. Smithson developed the concept for Floating Island in 1970 —the same year he created his best- known work, the ambitious earthwork Spiral Jetty at Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
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Photography: Daniel Forster. Some awsome sailing pics. Mirror at Yachtphoto.com
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Music: David Byrne web site, including info on his music and films, and an online journal.
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Philosophy: Steven Galt Crowell, Rice University, Houston, TX. Currently Joseph and Joanna Nazro Mullen Professor of Philosophy and Professor of German Studies. Wrote chapter on Existentialism at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
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Video: Giant (1956). 201 min. w/ Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Lynnton Benedict), Rock Hudson (Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.), James Dean (Jett Rink). Directed by George Stevens. After the novel by Edna Ferber. Won Oscar (Best Director: George Stevens). Saga of a family on a ranch in Texas in the mid 20th century. Remarkably modern, touching on racial and women's rights issues, but also telling the story of a father trying to follow family tradition. James Dean plays the antagonist who rises to fame and fortune first, but can't find happiness. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Computer: Podcast search engines and directories: 1.) Podcast Bunker 2.) Odeo 3.) Podcast Charts 4.) Yahoo Podcasts 5.) Podcasting News 6.) Podcast.net 7.) Learn Out Loud 8.) Small World Podcast
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Music: Red Raspus Radio. Includes Seattle Jazz Scene.
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Literature: Icelandic Sagas. The word 'saga' originallly described a prose narrative recorded in Iceland in the 12th and 13th centuries of historic or legendary figures and events of the heroic age of Norway and Iceland.
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Literature: Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL): Collection of some of the most important literary works of Classical and Medieval civilization.
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Science: Science & the City by the New York Academy of Sciences. Exhibits, Lectures, Art, Film, Performance etc.
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Poetry: Representative Poetry Online (RPO), hosted by the University of Toronto Libraries. Collection of poems, neatly organized.
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Quotation: "[...] much of the force as well as grace of arguments or instructions, depends on their conciseness." Alexander Pope (1688-1744) in the explanation to 'An Essay on Man'.
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Mythology: Tiresias (also transliterated as Teiresias) was a blind male prophet in Greek mythology. While he could still see, he was transformed into a woman for seven years. In Oedipus the King (by Sophocles) Oedipus calls upon Tiresias to aid in the investigation of the killing of his father Laius. Tiresias refuses to give a direct answer and instead hints that the killer is someone Oedipus really does not wish to find. Tiresias is also mentioned in 'The Cinema Show' by Genesis: "Take a little trip back with father Tiresias / Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through / I have crossed between the poles, for me there's no mystery / Once a man, like the sea I raged / Once a woman, like the earth I gave / But there is in fact more earth than sea."
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Video: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). w/ Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst. Directed by Michel Gondry. Written by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry. Man falls in love with woman. When woman has all memories of him erased (a leap into sci-fi), he is heart-broken and wants to do the same, but changes his mind during the procedure. Film scences are not chronological, making it somewhat interesting but also harder to follow. Great idea, but dwells too long on the same theme. Acting is as good as you can expect from the main cast. Overall rating: 5 out of 10. The movie title is a line from the poem 'Eloisa to Abelard' (1717) by Alexander Pope (1688–1744). Commentary on the poem at The Literary Encyclopedia.
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Art: The artist and designer Roger Dean painted most of the album covers for the rock band 'Yes'.
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Music: Alan Ferber, trombone, from the San Fracisco Bay area. Some intriguing tunes on his album "Scenes From An Exit Row" (Alan Ferber Nonet)
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DVD: Discoveries...America: Pennsylvania. Bennett-Watt HD Productions. Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Wharton Esherick, Covered Bridges, Pittsburgh, Lake Erie, Painted Barns, Amish Lifestyle.
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Snippets:
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Idea: What we like or dislike is not what it is, but how we see it.
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DVD: Before Sunrise (1995). 101 min. w/ Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy. Directed by Richard Linklater. Jesse and Celine meet on a train to Vienna, spend one night together in the streets, and exchange their points of view on life, love, and the rest of the world. Dialog heavy, just like 'Before Sunset'. Some great lines, some good ideas. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: A Walk through Hoboken with David Hartman and Historian Barry Lewis. In association with the Hoboken Historical Museum. Program by Thirteen WNET New York. Tour of the sites here. Informative history of the little town an the Hudson River.
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DVD: Eyes Wide Shut (1999). 159 min. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jealous physician and his wife, each alone and in their own way, embark on a psychosexual journey. Acting is not bad for a change. Story keeps you attentive. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: The World According to John Coltrane (1991). 59 min. Documentary. w/ Roscoe Mitchell (from Art Ensemble of Chicago), Rashied Ali, Tommy Flanagan, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, La Monte Young. Some great video recordings of Trane. Interviews with fellow musicians.
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DVD: Being John Malkovich (1999). 112 min w/ John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze. Gifted street puppeteer Craig Schwartz gets job as a filing clerk on floor 7 1/2, and there discovers a 'portal' to the head of the actor John Malkovich, actually becoming him for a short period of time. He and his pretty office mate start a small business on that unusual find, while his wife reconsiders her sexuality. Intelligent. Original. Funny. Lags a little behind in acting. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Puzzle: Sudoku. Rules: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Can befound in many newspapers.
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Movie: 9/9/05: Broken Flowers (2005). 106 min. w/ Bill Murray (Don Johnston), Jeffrey Wright (Winston). Directed by Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth). Depressed, rich bachelor after being left by his girlfriend, receives an unsigned letter stating that he has a son. Incited by his neighbor, he visits four of his past girlfriends to find clues on who could be the mother. Rather bizarre movie, depressing at times, but also funny. Could have more effort into the ending. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Kaki King at Joe's Pub, NYC, on 9/14/05. Plays guitar, violently at times. Unique style. Some songs are sheets of music. Performed with drums (Dan) and Harp (Katie). Creative. Has dry humor. Sparse with words. CDs: Everybody loves you (2003). Legs to make us longer (2004).
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DVD: Dark City (1998). 100 min. w/ Rufus Sewell (John Murdoch), William Hurt (Inspector Frank Bumstead), Kiefer Sutherland (Dr. Daniel Schreber), Jennifer Connelly (Emma Murdoch/Anna), Richard O'Brien (Mr. Hand). Directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot). Alienshold humans hostage and control their memories in a constantly changing artificial city to study their soul. Good special effects. Interesting story, but very dystopic. 'Shell Beach' and the search for it, becomes a symbol of freedom. Kiefer Sutherland is the son of Donald Sutherland. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Shopping: 1.) Jersey Gardens: Outlet mall near Newark Airport (Exit 13A off I-95). 2.) Outlets in Secaucus, NJ, Outlets at the Cove, Harmon Cove Outlet Center, and others.
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Video: Get Carter (1971). w/ Michael Caine (Jack Carter). Directed by Mike Hodges. London gangster Jack Carter travels to Newcastle to investigate the death of his borther, and piece after piece uncovers a pornography ring. British gangster genre movie with sex, crime, deception, and revenge. Nobody wins in the end. Too sluggish over long stretches and story not always easy to follow. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Adaptation (2002). w/ Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper. Directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich). Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Based on the book by Susan Orlean. Tells the story of the screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who encounters major difficulties to adapt the book 'The Orchid Thief' into a movie script. A movie about its own creation. Innovative idea. Great dialogs. A little bit of everything. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: Lost in Translation (2003). w/ Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Tokyo. A depressed, lonely film star and a much younger, but just as lonely wife of a photographer meet in a hotel and slowly rediscover the fun in life. Movie is very, very slow, but if you if you can apreciate the little details, its quite enjoyable. Acing seems natural. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Art: Mathildenhoehe in Darmstadt, Germany (in German). Art Nuveau. Darmstadt Center: Salve!, a 'Caffee E Bar'.
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Snippets:
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DVD: The Italian Job (1969). 99 min. w/ Michael Caine as Charlie Croker. Directed by Peter Collinson (Up the Junction). How to rob $4 million by causing a traffic jam. Story rather flat. Great scences of the Italian Alps. Humorous moments. Big advertising show for 'Mini' cars - they can go everywhere. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Video: Vanilla Sky (2001). 136 min. w/ Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell. Directed by Cameron Crowe. Rich playboy (Cruise) with vivid dreams fall in love with girl (Cruz), and survives car accident with jealous 'friend he occasionally sleeps with' (Diaz), waking up with a disfigured face. Dreams and reality merge. Even though Cruise is a mediocre actor, the mystery of the story captures the viewer's attention to the end. Cruz is charming. Some memorable lines: "I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini" "Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around" "...pleasure delayer" "She looks like a moth". Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: I, Robot (2004). 115 min. w/ Will Smith (Del Spooner), Bridget Moynahan (Susan Calvin). Directed by Alex Proyas. Suggested by, i.e. loosely based on book of Isaac Asimov. In 2035, techno-phobic detective wants to clear up who murdered the inventor of a new generation of robots. Fairly shallow plot, but some funny moments. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Art: Yoshiaki Yuki is a Tokyo artist who paints calligraphically inspired designs on tables, screens, plates and bowls. Gallery Gen is his shop and gallery in TriBeCa, NYC.
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Literature: The "Big Three" science-fiction writers: Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke.
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Video: Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954). B/W. 208 min. Japanese w/ English subtitles. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. w/ Takashi Shimura. Peasants hire seven samurai to defend their village from bandits. Film was the predecessor for John Sturges' 'The Magnificent Seven' in 1960 (see September 4, 2004). Witty. Some action. Important film historical document. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: On the Waterfront (1954). 108 min. B/W. w/ Marlon Brando (Terry Malloy), Karl Malden (Father Barry), Lee J. Cobb (Johnny Friendly). Directed by Elia Kazan (East of Eden). Longshoreman (Brando), connected to the mob through his elder brother, is plagued by assisting in the death of a fellow worker who was about to inform the police about crimes of a Union boss. Falling in love with the murder victim's pretty sister, and supported by the local priest, Malloy decides to follow his conscience. Leading characters were based on real people: Terry Malloy was based on longshoreman and whistle-blower Anthony De Vincenzo; Father Barry on waterfront priest John M. Corridan; Johnny Friendly on mobster Albert Anastasia. Some great shots of the Hoboken waterfront and docks, which has elements of film noir. Film won 8 Academy awards in 1955, including Marlon Brando for 'Best Actor in a Leading Role', Eva Marie Saint for 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role', and Sam Spiegel for 'Best Picture'. Contains famous taxi scene. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Film: Film Noir: A style of black and white American films containing the following 7 elements: 1.) a crime, 2.) the perspective of the criminals, not the police, 3.) an inverted view of traditional sources of authority, such as corrupt police, 4.) unstable alliances and allegiances, 5.) the femme fatale --- the woman who causes the downfall and/or death of a good man, 6.) brutal violence, and 7.) bizarre plot twists and motivations. Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. Examples include 'The Big Sleep' (1949) and 'The Third Man' (1949).
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Music: Recent concerts: 1.) Kate McGarry at 55Bar on Sat., August 20, 2005. w/ Steve Cardenas, Keith Ganz, Sean Smith and Ferenc Nemeth. Good, interesting jazz. 2.) Deborah Latz (voc)at Louis 649 (649 E. 9th Street at Ave C, East Village) on Mon, August 22, 2005. w/ John Merril (g). Critically acclaimed. Good voice, sometimes too sugar-coated; could have more of an edge. 3.) OK/OK at 55Bar on Tue., August 23, 2005. w/ Mike McGinnis (reeds), Khabu Doug Young (g), Kyoko Kitamura (voc), and very special guest Tony Moreno (d).
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Music: NYC Jazz Calendar at Gotham Jazz.
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Theater: Lady Convoy on 8/27/05 at the Players Theater, 115 MacDougal St, Greenwich Village, NYC, as part of the FringeNYC multi-arts festival 2005. w/ Kelly Rauch (Rubber Duck, also Managing Producer), Lucy Smith (Love Machine), Brad Thomason (Sheriff Lyle McGee), Gene Gallerano (James). Written by Ken Gallo. Directed by Robert Ross Parker. Leaning on the movie 'Convoy', the play sets up a female version of the convoy lead by a lady trucker. Memorable lines 'bitch on 18 wheels', 'duck power'.
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Art: Kim Luttrell, Brooklyn, NY. Paints two pictures on paper, then cuts them in stripes and weaves them together. More recently: Sculptures.

Kim Luttrell: Great Lover (Red)

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Snippets:
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Music: Kaki King. Plays guitar with provocative style. Heard on the radio playing Mountainstage (Week after 7/29 - Rebroadcast from Oct 2004)
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Music: Swingadelic. From Hoboken, NJ. Plays a mixture of swing, jazz, jump blues, and some Latin sounds. Leader: Dave Post. Albums (Swing-a-Delic!, 1999 and Organ-ized! 2002) lack the spirit of life perfmances. Saw in Hoboken on 7/14/05.
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DVD: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). w/ Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael Caine. Directed by Jay Roach. Third in the series of Austin Powers films. Lots of cameo appearances. Silly, sometimes gross. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Transportation: Goethals Bridge connects Staten Island and New Jersey (I-287). Memorial to Major General George W. Goethals, builder of the Panama Canal. History of the bridge.
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Beaches: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. Other New Jersey Beaches.
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Parks: Holmdel Park, NJ with Longstreet Farm, a historic farm (~1890) that includes the Holmes-Hendrickson House with lavish interior.
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Video: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Writing credits: Tim Burton (story) Michael McDowell (adaptation). First full-length stop-motion animated film ever created. Musical. The people of Halloweentown, and their king, Jack Skellington, discover that people outside their world celebrate Christmas. An attempt to stage a Christmas show of their owntheir own almosts leads to desaster. Kitschy. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: In the Bedroom (2001). Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Nick Stahl, Marisa Tomei. Maine college boy involved with older woman is killed by jealous husband. His parents grieve, and then take things in their own hands when the murder trials does not go to their liking. Dramatic. Somber. Sloooow! Nicely assembled, great cinematography, but too boring over long stretches. Could have made more out of that story. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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DVD: Ray (2004) w/ Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington. 155 min. Movie about life and career of Ray Charles (1930-2004), his music, heroin addiction, and personal relationships. Movie was shot with continuous advice of Charles himself. Foxx is a perfect copy and received an Oscar in 2005 for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role'. Story is structured clearly and well told, but film is a bit lengthy. One needs to like the music to favor the movie. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Shopping: Jokers. German Internet bookstore with good prices, but limited selection. Restseller (In German).
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Recreation: Country Fair Entertainment Park, Long Island (LIE, Exit 64). Miniture Golf, Go-Kart Racing, Batting Cages, Driving Range, Wildernis Area.
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DVD: Gandhi (1982). 188 min. w/ Ben Kingsley as Mohandas K. Gandhi. Directed by Richard Attenborough. Music by Ravi Shankar. Biography of the man that brought India to independence. Inspiring in picture and word. Superb performance by Kinksley. Great cinematography. Won 8 Oscars in 1983, including best picture. Overall rating: 9 out of 10.
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DVD: Spiderman 2 (2004). w/ Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson). Directed by Sam Raimi. Spiderman continues to fight evil, then quits to live a normal life, but realizes that heroes like him are needed in this world. Nothing more than an action comic book. Some good special effects, but don't look for any logic in the plot. Dunst, though quite good looking, remains the second worst actress after Nicole Kidman. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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DVD: Proof of Life (2000). 135 min. w/ Russel Crowe, Meg Ryan. After an engineer is kidnapped by guerillas in Colombia, his wife hires a professional negotiator to release him. Great pics of landscapes. Story predictable and shallow. Acting mediocre. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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Okra (botanical name: Hibiscus esculenta): vegetable, used ofter in Southern style cooking.
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DVD: Das Experiment (2000). 119 min. German w/ English subtitles. w/ Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. Based on the infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment" conducted in 1971. Volunteers participate in a psychological experiment to 'play' a prisoner-guard situation. When things get out of hand, the real human nature is revealed. Terrific analysis of human behavior in a simple plot. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Music: Jonah Smith (vocals, fender rhodes electric piano); jazz, pop; saw at 55Bar on 7/22/05; resemles a jazz version of Jamiroquai.
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Video: Stangers on a Train (1951). 101 min. B/W. w/ Farley Granger (Guy Haines), Ruth Roman (Anne Morton), Robert Walker (Bruno Anthony). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Successful tennis player with wife and girlfriend meets lunatic stranger on a train who suggests the perfect crime: to swap murders. Highly advanced for its time, but a little too predictable for today. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Vanessa Williams; on the Green in New Haven, CT, on Saturday, July 30th, 2005
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DVD: Russian Ark (2002). 96 min. Russian w/ English subtitles. w/ Sergei Dontsov (as Sergei Dreiden) as The Stranger (The Marquis de Custine, an 18th century French diplomat, who wrote an account of his visit to Russia in 1839 entitled Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia). Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov. Cinematography by Tilman Büttner. Filmed in a single continuous take, the camera follows the Stranger through the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and 300 years of Russian history. No real story, more a continuous flow of events. Needs to be approached with a quiet mind set and appreciation for the marvellous costumes, and the technical challenges of the film. DVD contains a version with comments by producer Jens Meurer. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Heaven (2002). 96 min. Italian and English. w/ Cate Blanchett (Philippa), Giovanni Ribisi (Filippo). Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). Screeplay by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Carabinieri falls in love with frustrated, depressed school teacher who attempted to assassinate a drug dealer. Story is rather unrealistic, but once you get the hang of it, it it's rather enjoyable because of its unconventionalism. Some great areal shots of Montepulciano. Blachett plays her brittle character well. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Art: Deviant Art. Online art community.
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Photography: Lomo: The cameras from Saint Petersburg, Russia, the Lomographic Society International and what it's all about.
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Computer: Disable the startup of certain programs and services in Windows XP (and others) with Start--->Run--->msconfig--->Startup (or Services). A list with the functions of programs can be found at Sysinfo.org.
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DVD: Napoleon (TV-Mini Series, 2002). w/ Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovich. Directed by Yves Simoneau. 4 parts, 357 min. Rise and fall of the French Emperor. Covers Napoleons (Clavier) conquests, balanced with the ups and downs in his relationship with Josephine (Rossellini). Epic format. Dramatic. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Sailing: Around Alone 2002-2003. Site contains photos by the nautical, sailing, and yacht photographer Onne van der Wahl.
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Recreation: Sport Center CT, Shelton, CT. Driving range, mini golf, base ball, ice skating etc.
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Video: A Passage to India (1984) w/ Judy Davis (Adela Quested), Victor Banerjee (Dr. Aziz), Peggy Ashcroft (Mrs. Moore). Directed by David Lean. After a novel by E.M. Forster. Won two Academy Awards, one to Peggy Ashcroft for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. During the 1920s, a young woman travels to India to figure out whether she loves the man she wants to marry. Exotic, colorful. Good pace of the story. Ascroft is superb! Captures some of the conflict between India and Britain during the time of colonialization. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Tea: Taylors of Harrogate, Family of Tea Merchats, North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1886. Good peppermint tisane.
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Art: Lee Friedlander. MoMA NYC, June 5 - August 29, 2005. 500 photographs, mostly B/W. Inspiring. Some unusual pics, often seems to contain random errors.

Lee Friedlander, Nashville (1963)

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Film: Brother's Shadow. Independent film. Partly filmed in Hoboken, NJ in July 2005.
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Snippets:
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DVD: Before Sunset (2004) w/ Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy. Directed by Richard Linklater. Jesse and Celine meet in Paris 9 years after 'Before Sunrise' and don't hesitate long before they begin to analyze their 'relationship'. Neat idea of film making. Dialog heavy; great script. Good, natural acting. Captivating, low budget film. Meticulously analyzes relationships. A bit lengthy though. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Health: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
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Travel: Bed & Breakfast: The Humphrey Hughes House in the Cape May's historic district of Cape May, NJ. Victorian. Vicinity to the beach. Built to be a luxurious summer house in 1903. Captain Humphrey Hughes arrived in Cape May in 1692 and soon became one of the area's original landowners. A few decades later, his son, Humphrey Hughes II, purchased the ground on which the house now stands. The home remained with the Hughes family until Dr. Harold Hughes' death in 1980.
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Shopping: Search for bargains in NYC or post your own advertisements for free at Craigslist or AM Recycler.
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Philosophy: Gerold Prauss is professor of philosophy at Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, Germany; he has also taught at the University of Cologne and several other German universities. His work on Kant (e.g. 'Kant über Freiheit als Autonomie') has been influential worldwide. Commentary to some of Prauss' work here.
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Theater: Muenchner Kammerspiele, 12/21/04: 'Miss Sara Sampson' (1755) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Tragedy. More info (in German) at Wikipedia.
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DVD: Gangs of New York (2002). Directed by Martin Scorsese. w/ Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz. Bloody. Main story is simple, but there might be lots of hidden authenic details on life in the Five Points. Great costumes and set. Historical background of the film probably needs to be studied more closely. Diaz is the wrong actress for the role. Day-Lewis' and DiCaprio's performances are alright. 10 Oscar nominations, none won! Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Life: Interconvert length (cm, inches), and weights and masses.
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Photography: 35mm film, and most digital SLRs have an aspect ratio of 3:2. Most computer monitors and digital compact cameras have a 4:3 aspect ratio.
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Snippets:
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Web: Catalog of Free website providers and virtual hard drives at Freewebsitesproviders.com.
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Music: 55 Bar, NYC, 5/14/05: Keith Ganz (g). Quiet, and full of inspiration. Kate McGarry (voc) is Ganz' wife since mid 2004. Sings either with or without words. Great interpretation of 'Corcovado'. CDs: Keith Ganz: Music for People (2005). Kate McGarry: Mercy Street (2005).
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Book: Larry Gonick: The Cartoon History of the Universe: Volume 1-7: From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great (1990). Comic book that narrates history. Quite funny at times. Reasonably accurate.
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Recreation: New Jersey: Ringwood State Park. Picnicking area at Sepheard Lake. Other New Jersey Parks at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry.
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DVD: Meet the Parents (2000). w/ Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller. Directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers: Goldmember). Male nurse Gaylord 'Greg' Focker meets his girlfriend's parents before proposing to marry her. Not an easy task. Stupid comedy, some funny moments. Overal rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: The Charlie Cahplin Mutuals, Vol. 3: One A.M., The Pawn Shop, The Floorwalker, The Rink. Four out of twelve of Chaplins two-reel silent films for the Mutual Company. Originally released in 1916. 25-30 min slapstick comedies, some with great special effects for the time. Entertaining. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Art: Metropolitan Museum, NYC, 5/28/05: 1.) Sol LeWitt on the Roof: Splotches, Whirls, and Twirls. Abstract art. Includes large wall drawing #1152 in vibrant colors (blue, red, green, yellow, purple, orange) 2.) Diane Arbus: Revelations. B/W Portraits. Large exhibition of everyday life motives. 3.) Max Ernst: A Retrospective. Lived 1891–1976. Founding member of the Surrealist group in Paris. Most interesting: "The Blessed Virgin Chastises the Infant Jesus Before Three Witnesses: A.B. [Andre Breton], P.E. [Paul Eluard] and the Artist" (1926)

Max Ernst: The Blessed Virgin Chastises the Infant Jesus Before Three Witnesses: A.B., P.E. and the Artist" (1926).

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Notes to book 'Amish Home' by Raymond Bial. Photo essay, 1993:

• Amish do not allow themselves to be photographed


• refer to others as the 'English'


• do not have a formal church; gather in each others homes every other Sunday


• buggies and horses


• no televisions, no phones


• originated in Europe, broke away from Catholic church


• broke away from the Mennonites in the late 1600s


• settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s


• >100,000 Amish living in 25 states; no Amish remain in Europe


• did not appear overly different from their English neighbors until the early 20th century


• "the old is the best"


• Amish (hook and eyers people) rejected the Mennonites (button people) as too fancy

Snippets:
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DVD: Radio Days (1987). Written and directed by Woody Allen. w/ Mia Farrow. 88 min. Short stories around life in the mid fourties. Funny at times. Lacks the obession of many other Allen movies, which makes this one more palatable. Great music selection. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: La Reine Margot ('Queen Margot', 1994). Directed by Patrice Chéreau. w/ Isabelle Adjani (Margot), Daniel Auteuil (Henri de Navarre). French with English subtitles. After the historical novel (Marguerite De Valois) by Alexandre Dumas père. Complex story of intrigue and assassinations in order to gain political power during the 1570s in France. The Catholic Margot, daughter of Catherine de Medici, is married to the Protestant Huguenot Henri of Navarre in an effort to bring peace to a religiously divided country. Catherine also schemes to bring about the notorious St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, killing thousands of Protestants. Great costumes; movie gives a good feel for the times. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Celebrities: Letizia, Princess of Asturias: Letizia de Borbón, née Ortiz Rocasolano, the wife of Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne. Before her marriage, she was an award-winning journalist and television presenter for CNN and TVE.
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Life: Article on Front Page of the New York Times, May 6, 2005: 'Time travelers to Meet in Not Too Distant Future'. Students at the Massachsetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) have organized a convention for time travelers in the hope that someone from the future will attend and bring some information to cure AIDS or cancer, have a solution for global poverty, or a cold fusion reactor. The event is potluck and alcohol-free. Neat idea for a party, and now time travelers who go backwards in time know where to go!
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Video: Camill Claudel (1989). 159 min (USA cut version) w/ Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu. Biography. Sculptor Claudel becomes Auguste Rodin's inspiration and lover. His indecisivenes between her and another woman causes the break. Claudel then longs for recognition independently of Rodin, but madness catches up with her. Dramatic. Great acting by Adjani (numinated for Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role). Watch her transformation! Film is a bit lengthy though. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Web: Photoblogs.org
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Video: Charlie's Angels (2000). 98 min. w/ Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray. Directed by McG. Not much better than the sequel. Little story. Some good special effects. Eye candy. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Summary of Karen Salmansohn's (somewhat risky & overly simplistic) 'The Road to Success' (AM New York, April 25, 2005, p. 20):

• You're nobody until someone hates you. Don't be afraid to face what you face when you contradict the status quo.


• Purposely cold-call your boss at night, when he/she is in the office.


• FREE is the most powerful word in the marketer's vocabulary.


• Ask yourself: If you weren't afraid of failing what would you do?


• Do something that people say is crazy. If people say something is good, then someone else is already doing it.


• Think grandiose thoughts about what you deserve in your career life.


• If you can't stand out, don't do it.


• Word of mouth is better than big advertisement.


• There's a difference between risk and stupidity.


• Talk to strangers. Start friendly conversations often and everywhere.


• Regularly reinvent, restructure and reassess.


• Don't hear 'no', hear a slooow 'yes'.


• Get over your fear of trying.

Snippets:
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DVD: A Room With A View (1985). w/ Helena Bonham Carter (Lucy Honeychurch), Daniel Day-Lewis (Cecil Vyse), Maggie Smith (Charlotte Bartlett), Julian Sands (George Emerson). Directed by James Ivory (Jefferson in Paris, The Remains of the Day, Howards End). After the novel by E.M. Forster. Set between Florence, Italy, and England in the early 1900's, a story of a young woman in her struggle between an acceptable Victorian life and uninhibited passion. Great acting by Helena Bonham Carter (Big fish). Overall rating: 7 our of 10. More info on the book at GradeSaver.
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Literature: ClassicNotes by GradeSaver. Free novel guides with full summaries and analysis. Written and compiled by Harvard essayists.
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Literature: Jesus von Texas (in German). Radio drama prduced by WDR Koeln (2004). Directed by Martin Zylka. After the book 'Vernon God Little' by DBC Pierre ('dirty but clean Peter', pseudonym for Peter Warren Finnlay), surprise winner of the 2003 Man Booker Prize. Pierre's debut novel. 15-year old teenager is the prime suspect in a school shooting in a small town in Texas. Parodic version of modern American culture.
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DVD: Road to Perdition (2002). w/ Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Tyler Hoechlin. Directed by Sam Mendes. In the Chicago of 1931, son of a hit man Michael Sullivan witnesses his father's work. After Sullivans wife and other son are murdered in error, his only aim is to avenge the killings. Concurrently, the relationship between father and son develops. Good acting by Hanks and Newman, but the story is pretty lame and predictable. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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Event: Hoboken, Spring Art & Music Festival. Sunday, May 1, 2005: 11am to 6pm. Concert: 4:45pm to 6:00pm: Herman's Hermits featuring Peter Noone. 60s Brit-Pop. Played hits like 'No milk Today', 'I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am', 'Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter', and 'There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World'. Good entertainment, despite the dust it collects.
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Maps: TerraServer USA: Topographic maps and some aerial views. Google Maps: Maps and corresponsing satellite views. Easy to navigate by 'dragging' the picture with the mouse.
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Snippets:
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Saying: 'You want it bad, you get it bad'
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Photography: Small-Town America (1850-1920). Robert N. Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views at the New York Public Library.
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Literature: Writer Nicole Krauss married writer Jonathan Safran Foer in 2004.
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Video: Amistad (1997). Directed by Steven Spielberg; w/ Matthew McConaughey (Baldwin), Djimon Hounsou (Cinque), Morgan Freeman (Joadson), Anthony Hopkins (John Quincy Adams). Story of the 1839 revolt by Africans on the slave ship 'Amistad'. Important, serious topic. Presented in Hollywood style: melodramatic, kitschy, sappy. Overdone. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Time Life's Lost Civilizations (2002). Part 1 of 4: Mesopotamia (Return to Eden), Ancient Egypt (Quest for Immortality), Aegean (Legacy of Atlantis). Reportage on the Babylonian, Assyrian, Sumerian, Jewish, Egyptian, and Greek civilizations. Informative, although sometimes a bit too lurid. On Thera, a small island in the Aegean just north of Crete, the Volcano Santorin erupted ca. 1628 BC. Apparently the people were able to evacuate in time, but never returned. The video considers it as the Atlantis described by Plato (in his 'Timaeus' and his 'Critias'). The Sumerians inhabited the land of Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. It is considered to be the oldest civilization. More about Sumer
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Web: Photo storage for Blogger: Hello.
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Is it true that German was almost one of the official languages of the U.S.A.? (Brian Zahn)

This is one of those legends that is continually passed along as if it were fact. Unfortunately, the facts just don't substantiate it. Here are some facts: Introduction: German as the official language of the United States of America?" in "Die deutschsprachige Presse der Amerikas / The German Language Press of the Americas," 3 (München: K. G. Saur, 1980), 1942.

There was never an attempt to make German the official language of the United States, although (1) there was a failed attempt in Congress in 1794, based on a petition of German residents of Augusta Co., Virginia, to have "a certain proportion" of the laws of the United States printed in German as well as English, and (2) beginning in 1828 ["Deutsche Sprache in Nordamerika", "Das Ausland" (Stuttgart: Cotta), 1 February 1828, 126127, and 2 February 1828, 130131], reports were circulated in the German, English, and American press of an attempt to make German an official language (alongside English) of Pennsylvania, an attempt that was supposedly defeated by only one vote (Arndt, however, was unable to find any bill or resolution proposing to make German the or an official language of the state of Pennsylvania). It is also known as the Mühlenberg legend. In "The German Americans: An Ethnic Experience" by Willi Paul Adams it reads as follows: At the root of the so-called "Mühlenberg legend" lies rather a disappointment that German was not able to hold its ground as a language of daily usage even in Pennsylvania, except within small Mennonite, Amish and other sectarian communities. During both the War of Independence and the War of 1812, at times when anti-German feelings were running high, Americans of German descent comprised less that 9% of the total population of the United States. And even in Pennsylvania, where the Germans had settled most densely, they amounted to only a third of the entire population. Colonial speakers of English fought only for their political independence. They had not stomach for an anti-English language and cultural revolution. When German language farmers in Augusta County, Virginia petitioned the U.S. House of Representatives in 1794 for a German translation of the booklet containing the laws and other government regulations copies of which had been distributed free in the English language officials simply ignored them. Even the bilingual Speaker of the House of Representatives, Frederick Augustus Conrad Mühlenberg, refused to support their modest request, arguing that the faster the Germans became American, the better. No doubt, disappointment with his negative, though realistic, posture contributed a generation later to the birth of this legend. (p.25/26)


Snippets:
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Philosophy: Hans Kueng (b. 1928), Swiss theologian, and a prolific author; formerly Roman Catholic theologian until the Vatican rescinded his authority to teach Catholic theology in 1979; rejects the doctrine of papal infallibility; initiated a project called 'Weltethos' (Global Ethic), which is an attempt to describe what the world religions have in common.
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DVD: Ocean's Eleven (2001). 117 min. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies, and Videotape). w/ George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts. Gang plans to rob Las Vegas casino with a skillful approach. Entertaining, has some good ideas, but story too one-sided. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Art: Painter: Steve Hanks; American; contemporary. Portraits of women and children.
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Greek Mytology: Calypso (retold by James Hunter): Calypso was a nymph, the daughter of the Titan Atlas. She lived on the island of Ogygia. After the last of Odysseus' men had perished at sea, Odysseus himself was washed ashore on Ogygia, where Calypso became enamored of him, taking him as her lover and promising him immortality if he would stay with her. Odysseus refused her offer, wishing to return home to Ithaca and to his wife, Penelope. But Calypso refused to let him leave, and held him prisoner for seven years. Finally Athena complained of Odysseus' plight to Zeus, and Zeus sent Hermes to Ogygia to order Calypso to set Odysseus free. Calypso complied reluctantly, allowing Odysseus to construct a small boat and set sail from the island. More details.
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Art: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905): French academic painter. Realistic genre paintings and mythological themes. Gallery.
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DVD: Mulholland Drive (2001). Directed by David Lynch. w/ Naomi Watts, Laura Harring. Jealous lesbian girl kills her less serious girlfriend. Reality and fantasy mingle. Movie is not chronological. Not easy to understand by itself. Find some help at The Modern Word. Once you've made it through the quagmire, most of it makes sense, though. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Music: Judith Holofernes (real name: Judith Holfelder von der Tann): Singer and song writer of the German band 'Wir Sind Helden'. Her stage name is a reference to Judith and Holofernes.
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Religion: Bible: Judith and Holofernes: from the apocryphic Book of Judith in the Old Testament. Judith, a mature and beautiful woman, saved the Jewish city Bethulia by decapitating Holofernes, an invading general of Nebuchadnezzar's army with his own sword while he was drunk. Popular subject in paintings, e.g, by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Gustav Klimt (Judith I), and Artemisia Gentileschi.
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DVD: Le Boucher (The Butcher, 1970). 93 min. French with English subtitles. Directed by Claude Chabrol. w/ Stephane Audran (Helene), Jean Yanne (Popaul). In a small French village, a butcher meets the respectable, pretty school teacher Helen. Then a girl is murdered, and Helen finds a clue, endangering her own life. Minimalist story, a master piece of classic suspense. Predictable, slow plot, but the pictures are enjoyable. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Art: Web Gallery of Art: Virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture from 12th to mid-19th centuries. Dual view possible allows comparisons. Large images. Rich collection, but unfortunately the second half of the 19th and the 20th century are not covered.
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Snippets:
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Book on Tape: Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu. Translated by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English. Read by Jacob Needleman. Translation by D.T. Suzuki & Paul Carus with comments at Sacret Texts. Other translations.
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Web: World Wide Web Virtual Library. Many links to various topics.
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DVD: The Passion of the Christ (2004).126 min. Aramaic/Latin/Hebrew with English subtitles. Directed by Mel Gibson. w/ James Caviezel. Also Monica Bellucci as Magdalen. Retells the final hours of Jesus, including his crucifiction. Kept close to the biblical text. Gory representation. Unfortunately leaves nothing to the imagination of the viewer. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Video: Battleship Potemkin (1925). 74 min. Silent movie. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein. Version of 1988 with a score composed by Dmitri Shostakovich. Influential Russian revolutionary propaganda film. Fictional story meant to glorify a real-life event that occurred in 1905, 'Battleship Potemkin uprising' that later came to be viewed as an initial step towards the Russian Revolution. Most famous scene from the movie is the massacre on the Odessa Steps. Probably a great accomplishment for its time, but story too simple for today. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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Language: Potemkin village (German: Potemkinsche Doerfer): Something that appears elaborate and impressive, but in actual fact lacks substance; hollow or false construct, physical or figurative, meant to hide an undesirable or potentially damaging situation. Named after Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin (1739-1791), who reputedly had elaborate fake villages constructed to impress Catherine the Great (Empress Catherine II) during her visit of the Ukraine and the Crimea in 1787.
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DVD: Nowhere in Africa (German: 'Nirgendwo in Afrika'; 2002). 142 min. Directed by Caroline Link. w/ Juliane Koehler, Merab Ninidze. After the novel by Stefanie Zweig. German movie; won the Oscar for best foreingn language film in 2002. Jewish family flees from Nazi Germany to Kenya and tries to survive there on a remonte farm. Has some stunning pictures of Africa and the people there. Not as dreamlike as 'Out of Africa', more realistic, more down to earth, and still full of beauty. And the story has a lot to give, not as clear cut as some of the Hollywood movies, more ambiguous, more unpredictable. Like the times. Like the country. Nazis against Jews, Blacks against Whites, man against woman, drought against rain. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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DVD: Botherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des Loups, 2002). 144 min. Directed by Christophe Gans. w/ Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Monica Bellucci. In a village in 18th century France, Chevalier de Fronsac (Gans) is hunting a furious murderous beast, but learns that it is not an animal he is loking for, but a man. Flat, hokey plot, predictable, plenty of inconsistencies. Acting okay. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Literature: Reiner Kunze, German poet.
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Geography: Aleutian Islands: a string of islands off the Southern coast of Alaska. In the 2000 census, there was a population of 8,162 on the islands, of which 4,283 were living in the main settlement of Unalaska. The islands are part of the Ring of Fire, a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
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Photography: Dirk Westfall, Anchorage, AK. Outdoor Photography. Some stunning pics!
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DVD: Man of La Mancha (1972). 129 min. w/ Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren. Directed by Arthur Hiller. Film version of the Broadway musical of 1965. After the novel 'Don Quixote' (Pt. 1: 1605, Pt. 2: 1615) by Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra. Text in translation by John Ormsby (London 1885) also at Project Gutenberg. Spanish gentleman gets deluded by reading too many books on knights and chivalry. With the help of his servant Sancho Panza, he fights for the heart of his beloved Dulcinea. Together, they dream the impossible dream: To dream the impossible dream / to fight the unbeatable foe / to bear with unbearable sorrow / to run where the brave dare not go // To right the unrightable wrong / to love pure and chaste from afar / to try when your arms are too weary / to reach the unreachable star. Poor singing. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Medicine: From Diabetes In Control, 3/29/05: A new generation of physicians believe maggots are one of the most effective ways of treating wounds infected by the superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Maggots are remarkably efficient at cleaning up infected wounds by eating dead tissue and killing off bacteria that could block the healing process. Maggot medicine has a long history: Napoleon's battle surgeon wrote of the healing powers of maggots 200 years ago, and they were put to work during the American Civil War and in the trenches in World War One. With the arrival of modern antibiotics in the 1940s, however, maggots were consigned to the medical dustbin. In a bid to prove the case for maggots conclusively, Dr. Pauline Raynor of the University of York is now recruiting 600 patients across Britain for the world's biggest ever maggot trial.
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DVD: Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). 105 min. w/ Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore. Directed by McG. No story. Poor acting. Some good special effects. Eye candy. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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DVD: Big Fish (2003). 125 min. Directed by Tim Burton (Batman, Sleepy Hollow). w/ Ewan McGregor (Ed Bloom (Young)), Albert Finney (Ed Bloom (Senior)), Billy Crudup (Will Bloom), Jessica Lange (Sandra Bloom), Helena Bonham Carter (Jenny (Young & Senior) & The Witch). Dying old man tells fantastic stories of his life; his son wants to find who is father really is. Truth and fiction mingle. Great story touching on many topics the audience can relate to. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Book: Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis (c. 1380-1471). First published anonymously in A.D. 1418. Popular book of Christian faith, second only to the Bible. Meditations on the life and teachings of Jesus. Also at Project Gutenberg in a translation by William Benham (1831–1910). More info (in German).
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The 13 Virtues of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), from his Autobiography:

1. TEMPERANCE.
Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE.
Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER.
Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION.
Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY.
Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY.
Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY.
Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE.
Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION.
Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS.
Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY.
Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY.
Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY.
Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Notes on: Unblinking Witness to a Moody Town, New York Times, March 27, 2005, by Avis Berman, author of "Edward Hopper's New York" (Pomegranate Communications, 2005)

Edward Hopper (1882-1962): not a New York native; born in Nyack, 25 miles north of the city; came to New York in 1899 to study illustration; later enrolled in the New York School of Art to learn painting and took a studio on 14th Street.

Though New York remained his home base, he made several trips to Europe, living mainly in Paris, and he was struck by the differences between Manhattan and the City of Light. The Parisians, he wrote to his mother, "seem to live in the streets, which are alive from morning until night, not as they are in New York with that never-ending determination for the long-green - but with a pleasure-loving crowd that doesn't care what it does or where it goes, so that it has a good time."

As Hopper saw it, the grim business of living in New York encased people in themselves. He understood that New York was essentially a city of people intent on commerce. People become hardened by materialistic pressures, he concluded, and to survive, they grow indifferent or estranged from one another.

Hopper once described New York as "the American city that I know best and like most," and its physical face inspired seven decades' worth of paintings, drawings, watercolors and prints. Hopper, who lived in Manhattan, mainly in Greenwich Village, from about 1905 until his death in 1967, roamed the city with a passion and had a well-worn familiarity with the byways and corners off the tourist's map.

Ever the contrarian, Hopper offered an alternative to the New York that most other American artists of his day seized on - the city of the new, the gigantic, the technologically thrilling depicted, for example, in the paintings of Joseph Stella.


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Actress: Tilda Swinton played the lead role in the movie 'Orlando' (1992), after the novel by Virgina Woolfe. Also speaks as member of the 'Cannes' committee in the Special Features section of Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD.
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DVD: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004). By Michael Moore. 122 min Documentary about George W. Bush, the invasion of Iraq, and his oil connections. Good idea to reveal Bush's ties and motifs, but por execution. One sided. Too much schmaltz, little facts. Poor entertaiment at best. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Life: Tete du Moine. A grated cheese with a special, circular rasper to cut it. History of over 800 years.
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Photography: Affordable digital camera: CardCam from Creative. Size of a credit card. 1.3 Megapixels (1280 x 960 resolution). 26 photos at 1280 x 960 resolutions (interpolated) or 101 photos at 640 x 480 resolutions. 8 MB memory. Mediocre picture quality, but cheap price.
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Technology: Steve Fossett flew around the world in the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer between Feb. 28 and Mar. 3, 2005. Fossett already held the record for flying solo around the globe in a balloon, as well as dozens of other aviation and sailing records.
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Geology: Predicted tsunami after an eruption of Cumbre Vieja volcano, La Palma, Canary Islands. Would also affect the United States with waves 30-75 ft high 6-9 h later. However, currently no volcanic activity reported.
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Phone: Country Calling Codes.
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Nature: Pulse of the Planet. 2 minute sound portaits of the planet earth as MP3 and transcripts. Dates back to 1996. Presented by the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science.
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Food: Hediard. Delicatessen store in Paris and other French cities.
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Geography: Unalaska, an island in the Fox Islands group in the middle of the Aleutian Islands southwest of Alaska, is said to be the rainiest place within the territory of the United States. There, it rains about 250 days a year.
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Philosophy: The Skeptics Dictionary
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Philosophy: Edgar Cayce, a psychic with questionable success . Notes and transcripts on his sessions are now under the protection of the Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE). Cayce proclaimed that the star Arcturus is one of the most advanced civilizations in our galaxy. It is a fifth-dimensional civilization and the prototype for Earth's future. Oh well...
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Snippets:
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Mythology: Galatea und Polyphemus. Famous painting by Raphael in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. Story here, also told in Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'.
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CD: Beth Gibbons: Out of Season (2003). Solo album of the voice of Portishead. Sad and quiet.
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CD: Alice Ripley: Everything's Fine (2001). Pop. Voice okay. Some country touch.
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Web: KartOO: Visual Meta Search Engine. Search engine that presents the results in form of a 'mind map'.
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DVD: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). 142 min. w/ Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, after the novel by J.K. Rowling. Harry's third year at Hogwarts, discovering more of his own personal history. The teenagers start to become serious actors. Plot contains an interesting sequence of time travel. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Sg: 'Breaking a habit' by Linkin Park from the CD 'Meteora'
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Video: Paris, Texas (1984). 145 min. Directed by Wim Wenders. w/ Harry Dean Stanton (Travis), Nastassja Kinski (Jane), Dean Stockwell (Walt), Hunter Carson (Hunter). Long thought dead man shows up in a desert in Texas, and is picked up by his brother. After getting some rest, and accompanied by his son, he makes his way to Texas to find his wife. Pretty slow plot. Only the last 30 min are really worth watching, the rest is a sleeper. Overall rating: 5 out of 10. HDS played Lyle Straight, Alvin's Brother, in The Straight Story.
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Video: Julius Caesar (2002, TV mini series). 176 min. Epic about life and death of the great Roman leader. w/ Jeremy Sisto (Julius Caesar), Richard Harris (Lucius Sulla), Christopher Walken (Marcus Cato), Chris Noth (Pompey). Directed by Uli Edel (Last Exit to Brooklyn). Epic about life and death of the great Roman leader. Don't know how historically accurate it is, but it's entertaining. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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I do not understand how an instructor for a 'safe driving course' can weigh 250 lbs: Doesn't he know that while in 2003 a total of 42,643 people in the United States died in traffic crashes, it was estimated in 1999 that the number of annual deaths attributable to obesity among US adults is approximately 280,000? [Allison DB et al., JAMA. 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1530-8. Annual deaths attributable to obesity in the United States]. Over six times as many!


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DVD: Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el sexo, 2001). Spanish w/ English subtitles. Directed by Julio Medem. w/ Paz Vega (Lucía), Tristan Ulloa (Lorenzo), Najwa Nimri (Elena). The film is exactly about what the title says: about Lucia, a young woman who tries to find her boy friend, and about sex, occasionally quite explict. First hour is rather sluggish. However, later in the movie, more of a story actually unravels, and the line between fiction and reality disappears. Some great under water shots. Najwa Nimri is remarkable. Overall Rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Chaos (Kaosu, Japan, 1999). Japanese w/ English subtitles. Directed by Hideo Nakata. w/ Masato Hagiwara, Miki Nakatani, Ken Mitsuishi. Wife fakes her own kidnapping, with unexpected consequences. Film is not chronological. Sometimes confusing, but idea is good. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Art: Christo (Javacheff) and his wife Jeanne-Claude opened 'The Gates' in Central Park, NYC, on February 12, 2005. 7500, by releasing the panels of saffron-colored fabric from atop the 7,500 16-foot-tall gates, along 23 miles of footpaths. What a spectacle! Will be on display until February 28, 2005.
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Humor: "We have normality. I repeat, we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem." Douglas Adams (British comic writer, 1952-2001)
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History: The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. I - V (Vol. I, II, III online).
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Video: The Ring (2002). Directed by Gore Verbinski. w/ Naomi Watts. After the novel by Koji Suzuki and the movie Ringu (aka Ring; directed by Hideo Nakata, see above: 'Chaos'). People who watch a certain video tape get a phone call and die within a week. A Seattle journalist (Watts) joins the club, and her time is running out. Neat idea for a horror flick. Gripping. Great special effects. Mysterious. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Life: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Statistics of motorvehicle and traffic related fatalites and injuries.
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DVD: Sylvia (2003). w/ Gwenneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. About the life of famous American poet Sylivia Plath, the relationship with her husband, Ted Hughes, her jealousy, her depresseion, and her longing to become an acclaimed writer. Film is not a historically accurate portrayal. Depressing, sad, slow at times. Lacks the 'magic' of a good movie. Paltrows acting is good in this difficult role. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Language: Islamism: 1.) from Merriam-Websters: the faith, doctrine, or cause of Islam. 2.) from Wikipedia: Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. It holds Islam is not only a religion, but a political system that also governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state. [...] In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Islamism, along with other political movements inspired by Islam, gained increased attention in the Western media. The media often confuses the term Islamism with related terms such as Islam, fundamentalism, militant Islam, and Wahhabism. Although the groups and individuals representing these are not mutually exclusive, within academia, each term does have a distinct definition. Some Islamist groups have been implicated in terrorism and have become targets in the War on Terrorism.
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DVD: Pather Panchali (Song of the Road, 1955). Bengali w/ English subtitles. 126 min. Directed by Satyajit Ray. First part of the 'Apu Trilogy', along with 'Aparajito (The Unvanquished, 1957)' and 'Apur Sansar (The World of Apu, 1959)'. Everyday life of a poor family close to starvation. Father Hari is a dreamer and poet, while his hardworking wife struggles to feed the family. Their daughter Durgha is free-spirited and petty thief. And her younger brother Apu is watching the world with his eyes wide open. Exotic, very different cultural background is interesting to study. But slow plot. Much redundancy. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: A Clockwork Orange (1971). Directed by Stanley Kubrick, after a novel by Anthony Burgess; w/ Malcolm McDowell (Star Trek Generations). Members of gang in near-future Britain entertainthemselves by raping and murdering innocent victims. One of them, Alex, gets caught and imprisoned, and volunteers to subject to an experimental aversion condition method to cure him from his preverse desires by losing his ability to choose. After he is released, he becomes as defenseless as his former victims, but finds his own way to manage. Movie was initially X-rated. Plenty of sex and violence, to the point of disgust. Kubrik has built in several subtle, but deliberate inconsistencies (e.g. filling height of glasses in subsequent scenes) to generate additional confusion. Overall rating 7 out of 10. Anthony Burgess (1917-1993) did reportedly not authorize the movie, and later wrote a play based on the book. As to the title, Burgess wrote it came from an old Cockney expression "As queer [i.e. strange] as a clockwork orange", but other interpretations have also been found, including the 'mechanically responsive (clockwork) non-human (orang, Malay for "person")'. Alex is now "good" after his treatment, but his ability to choose this has been taken away from him. His "goodness" is as artificial as the clockwork orange of the title, and this might be much worse than having the freedom of choice to be 'bad'. More info about book and movie at Wikipedia.

The painter Clyfford Still (1904-1980) was one of the 'founders' of Abstract Expressionism. Born in Grandin, North Dakota, he grew up in Washington State and in Alberta, Canada. He influenced many others, including Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman. When visiting New York in 1945, Rothko introduced him to Peggy Guggenheim, who shortly thereafter, hosted Still's first one-man show. Still was considered a member of the 'New York School', that also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem deKooning. However, Still always tried not to be ascribed to any movement, and disliked verbal explanations of his art: "The paintings should be permitted to speak for themselves". Still was mostly a loner and aloof. In 1961, he moved to a small town near Baltimore to escape the New York art scene and focus on his art.

Today, many of Still's paintings can be viewed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (30+), the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. The MoMA in NYC has '1944-N' on display. A book (ISBN 0-87099-213-9) by Clyfford Still and John P. O'Neill (Ed.), published in 1979, is a catalog from an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nov. 17, 1979 - Feb. 3, 1980. It contains all paintings from the large exhibition in color together with notes and letters by the painter. Recently, Denver has been chosen to receive Still's much desired 2,000+ piece private collection under the premise to create and maintain a museum devoted exclusively to his art.

Other Links:
Examples of Paintings
Clyfford Still: Short Biography


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Ecce Homo: When Pontius Pilate presented Jesus to the Jews demanding his Crucifixion, Pilate cried 'Ecce homo' (Behold the man). The words Ecce Homo have come to signify a type of devotional image that depicts Jesus after the scourging, crowned with a wreath of thorns, and with his face typically gaunt and drawn as he goes to his death. Also a famous writing by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, and paintings by Lovis Corinth and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.
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DVD: Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004): Directed by Quentin Tarantino. w/ Uma Thurman, David Carradine. The bride gets her revenge. More story than in Vol. 1, but some scenes are too sluggish. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Ravi Shankar: Sitar player. CDs: India's Master Musician (1963), Ragas and Talas (1964). Indian Classical music. Shankar has also collaborated with George Harrison in the 60s. John Coltrane was influenced by Shankar. Shankar's idea was to introduce the Western world to traditional Indian Music. The sitar is a plucked string instrument with 20 movable frets. It is retuned with different intervals for each piece. It has six or seven main strings and 13 symapthetic strings. The tamboura is another instument with 4-5 strings which are plucked witout stopping the strings in a constant drone. The tabla is a pair of drums played by hand. A raga is not a tune, melody, scale, mode, or any concept for which an English word exists. It is instead a combination of different characteristics, including a certain number of notes, modal structure, ascending or descending struture, and certain importance of notes. A tala is a recurring time-measure or rhythmic cycle.
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Music: Sitar player: Roop Verma. From the web site: "A world-renowned Indian musician; a master of the healing sounds of the Indian Sitar, a brilliant concert performer, teacher, and composer." He cannot be found in the AllMusic Guide though.
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Literature: Talbot Mundy was the bestselling writer of adventure stories during the 1920's and 1930's. His novels include King of the Khyber Rifles, Caves of Terror, Om: The Secret of Ahbor Valley, Black Light, and The Nine Unknown.
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Shopping: CNET Shopper for electronics. Reviews, recommendations, price comparisons.
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Life: The best thing about carrying home a large pizza take-out in the winter time is that it will keep your hands warm.
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Art: Abstract-Art.com. Impressive collection of modern art. Especially the 'Grandfathers and Influences Gallery' and the 'More Artists Galley'. Navigation buttons allow an easy 'walk-through'. Site design could be more imaginative, though.
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Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski (b. 1941), the director of the trilogy Trois Coleurs, has previously made Polish movies and a TV series called 'Dekalog'. Among them, 'A Short Film About Love ' (Krotki film o milosci), and 'A Short Film About Killing' (Dekalog, piec), both from 1988.
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Art: Photographer: Wolfgang Volz, Exhibition: ManMade Planet, Jan 28 – Mar 1, 2005, at the Chelsea Art Museum, Chelsea, NYC. Gallery opening 1/28/05; saw Christo & Jeanne-Claude there. Volz is the designated photographer of their art. Will also cover their project 'The Gates' in Central Park (Feb. 12 -29, 2005).
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Art: Chelsea Museum of Art also has a permant collection of Jean Miotte (b. 1926). 'L'Arte Informel' is the European equivalent to the American 'Abstract Expressionism'. Main artists: Jean Miotte, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Emil Schumacher and Kazuo Shiraga and others. Miotte reminds of Clyfford Still.
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Language: An epitome (Greek epitemnein = to cut short) is a summary or miniature form; it is also used as a synonym for embodiment. Many lost documents from the Ancient Greek and Roman world survive only now 'in epitome' referring to the practice of some later authors (epitomators) who would write distilled versions of now lost larger works (Wikipedia).
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Video: Smoke (1995). Director: Wayne Wang. Written by Paul Auster. w/ Harvey Keitel, William Hurt (Lost in Space), Stockard Channing (Grease). 112 min. Life in and around a New York cigar store in 1990. Some good lines and intriguing stories.Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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WWW: Search engine for scientific information: Scirus . Searches Journal and the Web.
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Snippets:
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DVD: Kandahar (2001); aka 'Safar e Ghandehar'. Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. w/ Nelofer Pazira, Hassan Tantai. Mixture of movie and documentary. Shortly before the last solar eclipse of the century. an Afghanistan-born Canadian woman (Pazira) tries to reach Kandahar to save her sister from suicide. On her journey she is exhibits much of the Iranian-Afghan culture, poverty, mutilation by landmines, and the situation of women in the area. Exotic. Informs about very different issues. DVD also has a version with explanations by Nelofer Pazira. Overall rating: 7 out of 10. Hassan Tantai (aka David Belfield) is under indictment in the United States for the 1980 murder of the former Iranian diplomat Ali Akbar Tabatabai, a supporter of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. More about Belfield in the New Yorker, Issue of 2002-08-05.
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Snippets:
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Video: Lord of the Rings I, II, III: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003). An extensive story. After seeing the movie, I would want to read the book. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: Moulin Rouge (2001). w/ Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor. Director: Baz Luhrman (Romeo and Juliet). Unusual love story. Lots of sung scenes; sometimes cuts are too short; interesting mixture of well known songs in modern versions; 'Roxanne' is best interpretation; overall poor story; spectacular costumes; bizarre acting; Nicole Kidman should know by now that her singing is even worse than her acting. Overall rating 3 out of 10.
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Metropolitan Museum 10/24/04: 1.) Roof Garden: Andy Goldsworthy on the Roof. 2.) German Drawings and Prints from the Weimar Republic (1919-1933). Otto Dix, George Grosz, Max Beckmann and others. Senses the situation after WW-I and shows many mutiliations. Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity). 3.) China: Dawn of the Golden Age, 200-750 AD. Han Dynasty was ~ 300 BC to 300 AD. Fine sculptures and textiles. 4.) George Washington: Man Myth, Monument. A collection of GW portraits. Dauguerrotype with young woman standing in front of GW portrait.
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Video: Matrix Reloaded (2003): pointless, useless, dull, waste of time. 2 out of 10.
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Video: Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994); aka 'Red'. French with English subtitles. Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski. w/ Irene Jacob as Valentine Dussaut, Jean-Louis Trintignant as The Judge. Captivating movie about a model who, by coincidence, meets a retired judge who is spying on his neighbors. A movie about love, betrayal, and life in general. Excellent tempo. Third part of the trilogy. Perfect acting. 9 out of 10.
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Video: Trois couleurs: Blanc (1994). aka: 'White'. Polish and French with English subtitles. Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski. Bizarre story; man becomes crook after his wife left him; planning for revenge; no magic in the story; disappointing; 4 out of 10.
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Video: Trois couleurs: Bleu (1993); aka 'Blue'. French with English subtitles. Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski. Woman loses man and daughter in a car accident. She mourns her loss by starting a new life, away from old companions and memories. Only after realizing that her husband had a long-term affair with another woman, she regains the strength to abandon her misery. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Stop Telemarketers: federal and NJ.
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Video: Excalibur (1981): Cheezy tale about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Overall Rating: 5 out of 10
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Video: Trainspotting (1996). Drug addict tries to leave the Edinburgh scene, but is held back by his friends. Overall Rating: 5 out of 10.
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Video: Women in Love (1969). 131 min. Directed by Ken Russell; after the novel by D.H. Lawrence; w/ Alan Bates (Rupert Birkin), Oliver Reed (Gerald Crich), Glenda Jackson (Gudrun Brangwen), Jennie Linden (Ursula Brangwen). Exploration of the relationships, personalities, and philosophies of two men and two women in the high society of the early 1900s (IMDB). Multi-layered tale about love, friendship, and the philosophy of life. Glenda Jackson won the Oscar for 'Best Actress in a Leading Role' in 1970. Good acting, bizarre story. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: Vendredi Soir aka 'Friday Night' (2002). Directed by Claire Denis. Woman wants to move in with her boyfriend. Gets stuck in traffic. Meets another man. Spends night with him, and leaves him. Slow story. Overall rating: 5 out of 10
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DVD: Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003): Directed by
Quentin Tarantino. w/ Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu. Developing story. Comic strip brutality. Overall raiting: 7 out of 10. Want to see Vol. 2.
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Politics: What is a "lame duck" session? When Congress (or either chamber) reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business. Some lawmakers who return for this session will not be in the next Congress. Hence, they are informally called "lame duck" members participating in a "lame duck" session. For more U.S. politics terms see U.S. Senate glossary.
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Culture: Bad Fads: A virtual museum of fun and nostalgic fashions, collectibles, activities and events which are cherished by some and ridiculed by others.
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Theater: Symphonie Fantastique. Dodger Stages, 350 W 50th St, NYC. 60 min. Created by Basil Twist. Abstract under water puppet theater to the music of the same name by French romantic composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869). Intriguing effects with shapes, clothes, and light in a 1000 gallon fish tank. Visualizes the music. Unusual idea.
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DVD: Benjamin Franklin. An Extraordinary Life (2002). PBS documentary. 3.5 hours. Well narrated biography of the versatile 18th century man, who invented the lightning rod and played an important role in creating the United States of America.
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Theater: nytheater.com. Theater listings and reviews.
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Movies: Actor Danny Aiello can be found often at Tutta Pasta in Hoboken, NJ
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Movies: Actress: Jessika Cardinahl. Renowned from the German comedy movie 'Otto, der Film'. Now successful as a painter.
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Video: The Day after Tomorrow (2004). Directed by Roland Emmerich. The world freezes over as a results of environmental pollution. Not as bad as I thought it would be. Overall rating: 7 out of 10
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Video: The House of Mirth (2000). 140 min. Directed by Terence Davies after a novel by Edith Wharton. w/ Gillian Anderson, Eric Stoltz, Dan Aykroyd. Woman in New York in Victorian times refuses to marry and paves the way for her destruction. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: Finding Forrester. w/ Sean Connery. Hermit writer coaches black kid with writing ambitions. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Food: Beth's Farm Kitchen. Jams & Chutneys. Favorite: Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly with jalopenio peppers, and red and green bell peppers. NYC Greenmarket: Fri. and Sat. at Union Square.
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Culture: Auroville: City in Southern India founded in 1968. The Auroville concept is that of an ideal township devoted to an experiment in human unity. Important figures are Mirra Alfassa (The Mother) and Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghose, 1872-1950).
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Movies: Ebert & Roeper: Movie reviews.
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Music: Donny McCaslin: January 2, 2005 at 55 Bar. Donny McCaslin - Saxophones, Ben Monder - Guitar, Ben Street - Bass, Adam Cruz - Drums. All four are talented musicians.
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Google now offers the beta version of a search engine called 'Google Scholar'. The engine helps finding scientific papers and web pages of all kind. The nice thing is that the search also yields the number of citations the paper has been cited in, allowing a crude estimate of its impact. You can click on the 'Cited by' link in the results section to list them. Also, the 'Advanced Scholar Search' includes additional search options. The down side may be that it is not as up-to-date as, for example, PubMed/Medline.
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Culture: Eating 12 Grapes on New Year's Eve. For a long time, Spanish people have had a traditional custom to celebrate New Year's Eve. On the last day of the year, the 31st of December , they wait until twelve p.m. Everybody has to have twelve grapes ready to eat when the clock starts to chime. It is traditional to listen to the clock from Puerta del Sol in Madrid.
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Web: Washed Ashore: casting a message in a bottle into the world wide ocean. A personal site by Ben Discoe, rich in ideas.
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DVD: Fa yeung nin wa (2000), aka In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong: English title and USA), aka Hua yang nian hua (Hong Kong: Mandarin title). The Criterion Collection (2 DVDs). Director: Wong Kar-wai (Kar Wai Wong); w/ Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung. In Hong Kong in the 60s, two neighbors discover that their spouses have an affair, and reenact their story. Film was shot without a detailed script. Very subtle story and movements. Interestingly, the 'deleted scenes' section and the included documentary of the making of the film included on the DVD unfolds a very different story. Overall rating: 7 our of 10. Sequel: 2046 (2004). Earlier movie by Wong Kar-Wai: Days of Being Wild (1991).
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Fashion: Cheongsam, also known as Qipao (Ch'ipau), is one of the most typical, traditional costumes for Chinese women. Characteristic is the high and tight fitting collar. Qipao was originally the costume worn by the Manchus (17th centruy). Cheongsam was brought back to vogue by a movie called "In the Mood for Love" (see above).
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History: In 1644, the Manchus united China and established the Qing Dyansty which lasted until 1911. History of China. Time line.
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Museum: MoMA in NYC. Re-opend after renovation in November 2004. Interior was completely re-designed. Wide, open spaces. Reminds a bit of a hybrid between a modern airport and a department store. Lacks smaller, more quiet rooms to retreat a bit. Some interesting views in the distance though. Collection is exceptional.
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Theater: The Adding Machine (1923). Expressionist play by the American playwright Elmer Rice (1892-1967). Medicine Show Theatre, 549 West 52nd Street, New York, NY. Sept. 9-12, 2004. Dreary life, death, and after-life of Mr. Zero, a white-collar drone who learns that, after twenty-five years, `the Boss' has fired him in favor of a machine. Depicts dehumanization of society in the technocratic age. Other Plays by Elmer Rice.
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Literature: Paul Auster opened the new season of Works & Process on September 12-13, 2004, by reading from his Collected Poems at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, NY. In addition, Works & Process has commissioned vocal music settings of his poetry from five leading composers (world premiere performances). The composers are Milton Babbitt, Lee Hyla, Louis Karchin, Roger Reynolds, and Charles Wuorinen; and each of the works is a duet for one voice and one instrument, performed by The Group for Contemporary Music.
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Book: Der Sommer der lachenden Kühe by Arto Paasilinna (in German). Story of a former sergant and a cab driver on a scurrile tour through Finland. Entertaining, but not too philosophical.
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Video: Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003). Directed by Peter Webber. After a novel by Tracy Chevalier. w/ Colin Firth (Johannes Vermeer) and Scarlett Johansson (Griet). In the 1660s, a maid is hired into the services of the painter Vermeer, becomes more and more intimate with her master, and finally poses as a model for the famous painting. A story made up for a painting. Probably little historical. Good cinematography. Many of the scenes look like Vermeer paintings. Ratig 6 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Art: ArtNYC: Great info site of New York art galleries. Also listing of art suppliers.
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NYC: Skyscraper Museum: Info on the museum in Lower Manhattan, as well as several online exhibitions worth seeing.
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NYC: In 1916 New York City enacted the "set-back law" which decreed that buildings over a certain height must include proportionate setbacks so that light and air could reach the street below.
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Language: LEO: German <---> English dictionary. From TU Munich. Also contains a section with composed entries. Very useful!
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Music: David Gross: Blues. Plays at Scotland Yard in Hoboken, NJ, sometimes. First CD recorded & mixed by VD King from Better Off Dead, also sometimes at the Yard.
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Recreation: Cape Cod Whale Watch: Capt. John Boats, Town Wharf, Plymouth, MA. A nice, long ride out into the open sea on a fast boat. The company goes an extra distance to assure that the customers will indeed see whales.
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Museum: Plimoth Plantation: A recreation of the 1627 Pilgrim village. One feels time warped, especially if you talk to the inhabitants of the village. Make sure you ask them many questions!
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Museum: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: New York location near Bowling Green and Battery Park, NYC. Located in the old U.S. Custom House.
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NYC: The Manhattan Skyline. Two posters by John Wagner.
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Literature: Decameron Web: A site for the study of Giovanni Boccaccio's 'Decameron', a collection of short stories from the 14th century. Includes original Italian text and English translation.
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Books: Internet bookstore: Libri.de (in German)
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Travel: Good price offers for flights: Opodo.de (in German)
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Food: VEL Nut & Seed, distributed by K.L. Foods Inc., Markham, Ontario, Canada.
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Film: Margaret O'Brien: Major child star in the 1940s; e.g., in The Canterville Ghost (1944).
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Movie: The Song of Bernadette (1943). 156 min. w/ Jennifer Jones; directed by Henry King; novel by Franz Werfel. Story of Bernadette Soubirous who claimed to have seen 'a beautiful lady' (the Virgin Mary) at a grotto near Lourdes in Southern France. Historical background, but sappy. My rating: 5 out of 10.
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People: Alma Mahler-Werfel: was the wife, successively, of composer Gustav Mahler, architect Walter Gropius, and novelist Franz Werfel; also had an affair with Oskar Kokoschka, who painted 'Bride of the Wind' to represent their love.
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Interview with God by Reata Strickland.
I dreamed I had an interview with God. 'So you would like to interview me?', God asked. 'If you have the time', I said. God smiled: 'My time is eternity. What questions do you have in mind for me?' 'What surprises you most about humankind ...?' God answered: 'That they get bored with childhood. They rush to grow up and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived.' God’s hand took mine and we were silent for a while. And then I asked: 'As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?' God replied with a smile: 'To learn they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is let themselves be loved. To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least. To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and it takes many years to heal them. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn that there are persons who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings. To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently. To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others. But that they must forgive themselves. And to learn that I am here always.' (Flash Version here)

Snippets:
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Photography: Mary Hegarty Neschke: local photographer in Milford, CT. Lighthouse pictures.
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Book: Robert Bach: Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970). A story about a seagull who notices that he is different from the rest of the flock. He breaks out of his familiar environment and becomes a philosophical leader.
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Politics: U.S. Presidential Election 2004: Electoral Vote Predictor as a map and Excel spreadsheet. Calculated from state polls. Updated daily. Great resource.
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Recreation: Sunken Meadow State Park (1266 acres), near Kings Park, Long Island, NY. Nice beach on the North side of Long Island. History (Source): 1920s: The park's original area (520 acres) acquired from George and Antoinette Lamb. 1930: Park opens. Started up by Robert Moses. 1992: Park renamed 'Governor Alfred E. Smith/ Sunken Meadow State Park' to honor Smith's role in promoting Long Island's park system while governor of New York in the 1920's.
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Language: Plutocracy: Government system where wealth is the principal basis of power (from the Greek ploutos meaning wealth). From Wikipedia.
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Games: The History of Scrabble; invented by Alfred Butts in 1948.
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Movie: The Gold Rush (1925, re-issued with narration by Charlie Chaplin in 1942) ; directed by Charles Chaplin; w/ Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Georgia Hale. Silent movie classic about the Tramp in search of gold and romance in the Klondyke in 1898. My rating: 7 out of 10. Also watch: The Kid (1921).
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Life: Distillery: Etter in Zug, Switzerland. Cherry schnaps (and other fruits) in mouthblown glass bottles.
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Music: Ashlee Simpson: Pieces Of Me (Sg); from the CD 'Autobiography'
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Literature: Bestselling 20th-Century American Literature at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Also: Outline of American Literature by Kathryn VanSpanckeren, Key Sites on American Literature (a wealth of information!) at the U.S. Department of State, and the Norton Anthology of American Literature.
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The War Wagon (1967) w/ John Wayne, Kirk Douglas. A man falsely imprisoned for three years returns to get back what belongs to him and take revenge. Cheesy Western comedy with lots of action. Predictable. My rating 4 out of 10.
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Web: Schaller & Weber, Gold Metal Meat Products. Make sure to turn on sound, and enjoy the Schuetzenliesl!
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Geography: 50 American States. Concise listings for every state.
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Theater: Theater Listings in NYC: Theater Mania
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Music: E.G. Kight: Blues Singer, Track: 'Sad, Sad Sunday' from the CD 'Southern Comfort'.
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Movie: The Magnificent Seven (1960): Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Horst Buchholz. Seven gunfighters help to defend an oppressed Mexican peasant village. Great cast. Famous original music by Elmer Bernstein that was later used in Marlboro TV ads. Film is entertaining. Good acting. Simple story. My rating 5 out of 10
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Thomas More (sometimes Thomas Morus, 1478-1535) became Lord Chancellor in 1529, even though he refused to endorse the plan by King Henry VIII TUDOR to divorce his first wife Katherine of Aragon (1527). More resigned in 1532 probably out of conflict with Henry's position toward the church in Rome. He also did not accept Anne Boleyn as the king's new wife (1533). In April, 1534, he refused to swear to the 'Act of Succession' and the 'Oath of Supremacy'.

The 'Act of Succession' vested the succession of the English Crown in the children of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and set Princess Elizabeth (1558-1603; who later would be last of the Tudors) first in line for the throne, declaring Princess Mary (1553-1558, 'Bloody Mary'; daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) a bastard. The 'Oath of Supremacy' recognized King Henry VIII as supreme head of the church in England, and therefore its dissociation from the Roman Catholic church in Rome. This act was later repealed by Queen Mary I, and restated under Queen Elizabeth I.

More was found guilty of treason and was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His final words on the scaffold were: "The King's good servant, but God's First." More was beatified in 1886 and canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935. Thomas More is also known for writing 'Utopia' (1516) and 'The History of King Richard the Third' (written 1513, published posthumously).

Other Links:
Royal Genealogies by Ed Stephan
Royal Genealogies by Henry Churchyard
British Monarchs at Britannia
Directory of Royal Genealogical Data
The Genealogy Home Page
Tudor England
Luminarium: English culture from the middle ages to the 17th century


Snippets:
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Life: Motto: 'Most of the time things are not what they seem to be.'
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Book-on-CD: Richard P. Feynman: The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (2000). Read by Dan Cashman. 8 CDs. Collection of short works by one of the most renowned physicists of the 20th century. Most chapters published previously. Feynman is telling the readers that it most important to discuss things, and that doubt is a key approach to science. He also tells amusing stories from his time in Los Alamos. Overall, an interesting book that tells us something about Feynman as a character.
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Movie: A Man for All Seasons (1966). 120 min. The story of Thomas More with special focus on his disagreement with King Henry VIII who rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarriage. Film won 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (1967). Thomas More is pictured of a man with high morals and principles. Good story told in appropriate pace. My rating 7 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Video: The Usual Suspects (1995). w/ Kevin Spacey. ***SPOILER*** Film is very highly rated on IMDB. What a waste! The movie has so many inconsistencies that the discussion group is flooded with opposing arguments as to who really is Keyser Soze, Verbal Kint or Kobayashi. The movie indeed gives hints in both directions and therefore does not allow a conclusive decision. No matter who it is, this ambiguity is a poor setup. Acting is good, but overall, I find the movie totally overrated. My rating: 3 out of 10.
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Politics: Samuel P. Huntington 'The Clash of Civilizations; also see Wikipedia
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Design: Verner Panton. Danish designer. Inflatable furniture; single molded plastic chair; also: Relaxer 2 Chair, 1974, Rosenthal, Germany; also designed plastic chairs for Bayer AG.
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Sailing: Beaufort Wind Scale
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Video: Diamonds Are Forever (1971). w/ Sean Connery. 124 min. Typical old Bond movie. Entertaining. My rating 5 out of 10.
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Movies: Movie Scripts
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Books: Bookfinder: Search engine for new and used books; searches 60+ web sites; allows price comparisons
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People: Nathan Hale (1755 - 1776): Patriot soldier during the American Revolutionary War; statue at Yale University. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864): New England writer; wrote 'The Scarlet Letter'.
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Art: Painter: John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)
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Life: Info on Social Security from the U.S. Government
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Movie: Felicia's Journey (1999). w/ Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy; directed by Atom Egoyan. A lonely, middle-aged catering manager picks up a pregnant young woman who is in search of the child's father. While he pretends to mean her well, she does not know that young girls of her sort are his 'specialty'. Creepy! Well done! My rating: 8 out of 10.
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Art: Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, CT. Most comprehensive collection of British paintings, prints, drawings, rare books, and sculpture outside Great Britain. Given to Yale University by Paul Mellon, Class of 1929. Building designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974), who also designed the Yale University Art Gallery.
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Video: Office Killer (1997). 83 min. w/ Carole Kane, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Molly Ringwald. A weird but hard-working office girl goes insane and begins to decimate the staff in very subtle fashion. In this horror-comedy, Cindy Sherman (director) has extended her gory photographs to video. Watch this film not for the story, but for the photography! My rating: 7 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Literature: Athur C. Clarke wrote the science fiction novel "2001: A Space Odyssey".
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Computer: DataGlyphs: A new technology for encoding machine readable data onto paper documents or other physical media. Forward or backward slashes. Can be embedded into text and pictures. Suitable for cryptography.
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Computer: Dictionary of Emoticons.
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Video: Empire of the Air: The Men who made Radio. PBS. Ken Burns' America Collection (1991). 120 min. History of radio and broadcasting, and the impact of three important men: Lee De Forest (inventor of the audion tube), Edwin H. Armstrong (pioneer of FM technology), and David Sarnoff(president of RCA).
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Photography: Images from the History of Medicine(IHM).
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World Clock and Calendar. Printable. Can be customized.
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Video: As Good As It Gets (1997). w/ Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt;directed by James L. Brooks. Creepy writer falls in love with waitress, who has potential to make him a better man. Funny. Supreme acting by Nicholson and Hunt. An unusual mix of sarcasm, sweetness, an lunacy. My rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: Hidalgo (2004). w/ Viggo Mortensen (Frank Hopkins), Zuleikha Robinson (Jazira), Omar Sharif. Mortenson known from Lord of the Rings. In 1890, the supposed Pony Express courier (first fast mail line across the U.S.) and dispatch rider for the US government, Frank T. Hopkins (legacy tribute here), goes to Arabia to win the 'Ocean of Fire', a 3000 mile survival race across the Arabian desert on his mustang Hidalgo. Allegedly based on a true story. My rating: 6 out of 10. The historical Hopkins has claimed in his memoirs (Hidalgo and Other Stories) to have competed in and won over 400 long-distance races, and to have been a member of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. In recent years, experts have revealed that Hopkins perpetrated a massive fraud and that most (if not all) of his heroic claims are false.
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Video: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). w/ Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. After the novel by Harper Lee. A depressed lawyer in a small Southern town defends a negro in an unjust rape trial, while tring to educate his two kids about what is important in life. Great story, well told. My rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: Romeo + Juliet (1996). w/ Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic) and Claire Danes(Terminator 3). Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Shakespeare's drama displayed in a milieu of gangs and violence. Need to get used to the combination of bizarre setting and seventeenth century language. Lots of kitsch. Sometimes feels comic book-like. My rating: 5 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Gadgets: Think Geek
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Comics: R. Groscinny, A. Uderzo: Asterix: Obelix auf Kreuzfahrt (1996). In German. Obelix drinks too much of the magic potion, transforms into a child, and get kidnapped by the Romans. Asterix and company set out to rescue him.
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Boats: General Slocum, a steamboat that sank due to a fire near Randall's Island in the East River on June 15, 1904, costing 1,021 passengers their lives. On that day, the boat had been chartered by St. Mark’s German Lutheran Church for an annual Sunday School outing with mostly women and children on board. After the disaster, the General Slocum was raised and refitted into a barge called the Maryland. It sank again on December 4, 1911 somwhere near Atlantic City, NJ.
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History: Randall's Island, Ward's Island, and Sunken Meadow in the East River of NYC, today the lacation of the Triboro Bridge.
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History: New York History
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Video: The Avengers '64. British TV Cult Series (1961-1969). 6 complete episodes from 1964: The White Elephant, The Little Wonders, The Wringer, Mandrake, The Secrets Broker, The Trojan Horse. Starring Honor Blackman as Mrs. Cathy Gale and Patrick Macnee as John Steed. B/W; approx 312 min total. Two special agents solve unusual cases. A classic. Note: A few years later (1965-1967), Diana Rigg succeeded Cathy Gale as Emma Peel.
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Video: Red Dwarf. Series III, Byte Two (1998). 83 min. Bodyswap; Timeslides; The Last Day (all originally transmitted in 1989). Remastered edition. British Sci-Fi Sitcom. Funny.
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Snippets:
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Sports: Fussballdaten (in German). Web site with all the data from various German soccer leagues.
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Art/Illustration: Rene Milot. Contemporary fantastic art.
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Photography: George Simhoni (Westside Studio): Mackenzie Baby. Source: Applied Arts Magazine.


Mackenzie Baby

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Video: Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean Vol. 3. w/ Rowan Atkinson. Episode 11: Back to school Mr. Bean; Episode 12: Tee off Mr. Bean; Episode 13: Good night Mr Bean; Episode 14: Hair by Mr. Bean of London; Never-before-seen-in-TV sketches (Bus Stop, Library). Approx. 150 min. (1993-97). Some good, some poor sketches. 'Mail Bag' sketch is best. My rating over all: 3 out of 10.
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Video: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). 95 min. Greek girl falls in love with guy, handsome, but definitely not Greek. Prepare for a culture clash! A romantic comedy, but overall a total sleeper; predictable, boring. Based on the reviews I expected a lot more. My rating: 2 out of 10.
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Directory: Bioscorpio: Various pharma and biotech databases. Worldwide R & D Lifescience Companies.
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Video: The Elegant Universe (180 min). 2003. PBS/Nova. Hosted by Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University, NYC. Topic: Sting Theory. Also covers fundamentals of quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of relativity. Othe thoughts: membranes (branes) as parallel universes; sparticles; unifying theory; Edward Witten. The website has all the resources, including transcripts and the whole show as online videos.
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Video: What Lies Beneath (2000). 130 min. w/ Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford. Wife of an ambitious scientist starts seeing ghosts, and thinks she is going mad, until her investigations reveal a shocking truth. Superb acting. Great camera angles. The scene with Pfeiffer paralysed in the bathtub is breathtaking. Prepare for some chills. Story may be predictable, but the movie is still taking a few unexpected turns. My rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: The War of the Worlds (1953). 85 min. w/ Gene Barry, Ann Robinson; after the novel by H.G. Wells. Oscar for special effects. Cult sci-fi classic. Martians invade Earth and (almost) nothing, not even an atomic bomb explosion can stop them. Seems a little dated in our times, but not bad for being filmed over 50 years ago. Typical to see that the authorities throw the atomic bomb first, and only after it fails send the scientists off to think about the problem. My rating: 5 out of 10.
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Video: Birdy (1984). 120 min. w/ Nicolas Cage (Al Columbato), Matthew Modine (Birdy). A friendship between two boys from blue collar families. Birdy's only passion is birds and the wish to fly like a bird. After the Vietnam war, both meet again in an Army hospital where Al has the duty to snap Birdy out of a catatonic 'bird-like' state. Overall a good idea, but the movie dwells on the same theme too long. Funny scenes interchange with war, depression, and psychosis. Intense at times. My rating: 4 out of 10.
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From The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519): #686: "This shall be placed in the hand of Ingratitude. Wood nourishes the fire that consumes it."

Other Links:
- Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, NYC: Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman
- Leonardo Museum in Vinci with lots of devices built from his notes


Snippets:
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News: Newseum. The interactive museum of news. Contains original title pages of 250 newspapers around the world in PDF format. Very useful!
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The Skeptic's Annotated Bible and Quran. Some interesting thoughts, but clearly also a lot of rubbish.
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Video: Noah's Ark (1999, TV)/ w/ Jon Voight (Noah), Mary Steenburgen (Naamah), James Coburn (Peddler, minor role). The biblical story retold. Shallow presentation. Poor special effects. Nothing in there makes it worth watching. My rating 2 out of 10.
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Literature: Mathematical Fiction, a list of books and films that (more or less) deal with mathematics, compiled by Alex Kasman.
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Video: The Lost Boys (1987). 98 min. Directed by Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo's Fire). w/ Jason Patric. Horror-comedy. Teenager runs with a blood-sucking crowd, while his little brother and his buddies are trying to find the head vampire. A little twisted, a little quirky. Some funny moments, but overall pretty dull. My rating: 4 out of 10.
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Video: The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). 132 min. w/ Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. Directed by John Schlesinger (Marathon Man). Based on the true story of the two spies Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee, who sold top secret information to the Russian Government in the Seventies. Music by Pat Metheny, including 'This is not America' by David Bowie.Good movie. My rating: 7 out of 10.
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Awards: Razzie Awards, Golden Raspberry Award Foundation. Honoring the worst movies of each year.
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Exhibition: Biennial 2004 at the Whitney Museum, NYC. Highlights:

• Mary Kelly: Circa 1968 (2004) compressed lint and projected light.


• Chloe Piene: Blackmouth. 4-minute loop of a girl in her underwear, covered in mud and screaming in slow-motion. Sounds weird? Is weird!


• Alec Soth: Photographs.


• Zak Smith: Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page Of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow. A piece of art rather difficult to understand. Lousy presentation, some of the little pictures were hung so high up that you couldn't see anything. More about book and author.


• Ernest Caivano: Birds (Philapores) in ink on star maps.


• Robert Longo: Giant waves / breakers drawn in charcoal.


• Katy Grannan: Photographs. Placed an ad in search of models; left it to the model how he/she wanted to be depicted.

Snippets:
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Video: Jefferson in Paris (1995). 139 min. w/ Nick Nolte (Thomas Jefferson), Gwyneth Paltrow (Patsy Jefferson, daughter), Thandie Newton (Sally Hemings, slave), Greta Scacchi (Maria Cosway, mistress); director: James Ivory. Jefferson comes to Paris, falls in love with a married woman, and fools around with one of his slaves. Shallow story! Bad acting at times. At least the last 15 minutes are well done. My rating: 3 out of 10.
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Musical: Les Miserables. Shubert Theater New Haven, April 8, 2004. Based on the book by Victor Hugo. Great story. Voices and music was good, but did not reach the quality of a Broadway performance. Gina Milo (Eponine) was the best performer.
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Restaurant: Portobello's, Cafe & Grill, Chaplin, CT 06235. Diner-like; just right for rural CT.
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Recreation: Trailwood, the former home of Edwin Way Teale (see Blog Feb. 13, 2004). Includes trails on and around woodland, field, wetland and ponds. Don't miss the beaver pond!
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Exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC: Chuck Close: Prints.
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Recreation: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
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Book-on-Tape: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2003). Unabridged. 11 cassettes with 1.5. hours each. American symbologist gets accused of murdering the curator of the Louvre in Paris. Together with the victim's granddaughter, who happens to be a French cryptologist, he needs to find clues and solve riddles to find the real murderer. Talks a lot about secret societies, the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar etc. Book holds you captive up to about three quarters through, but then the plot gets a little too improbable when the author tries to tie up his lose ends. Overall still worth reading though.
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Language: Look up irregular English verb forms.
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Photography: Model / Pin-Up / Actress: Caprice Bourret.
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News: Drudge Report.
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Video: Biography of the Millennium: 100 People - 1000 Years (1999). 4 video cassettes with ~ 40-45 min each. Counting down the 100 most influencial people of the millennium. First 3 are: (1) Gutenberg (printing press), (2) Newton (physicist) (3) Luther (religious reformer). Complete list. Good overview, but nothing more than that. Use as inspiration for further research.
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Snippets:
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Photography: Robert A. Schaefer Jr. Met him at a Jersey City Arts Festival in 2000.
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Video: All the President's Men (1976). 155 min. w/ Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. Based on the book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two Washington Post journalists who uncovered the story of 'Watergate'. Film won 4 Oscars. Important piece of American history. Good acting by most of the cast. However, the story in itself appears a little dusty and boring today. Can get confusing, if you are not already familiar with some of the names and details of the story. My rating: 4 out of 10.
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News: Pickings.de. has a news digest (Presseschau) in German.
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Essay: The Awful German Language by Mark Twain. Funny to read, and in many ways sooo true! More interesting writings on the EServer.
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Museum: The Cradle of Aviation, Garden City, Long Island, NY. A Museum about aviation on Long Island; a small version of the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Exhibits include historic airplanes, plane cockpits to sit in, and the original Apollo 19 Lunar Lander.
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Movie: Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure. Retells key points of the 'Endurance' adventure in IMAX format; some scenes dramatically reenacted; also contains original film material and photos by Frank Hurley; phantastic shots of ice bergs and the island South Georgia.
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Movie: Tampopo (1985). 114 min. Japanese with English subtitles. w/ Nobuko Miyamoto (Tampopo), Tsutomu Yamazaki (Goro), and Ken Watanabe (Gun). Young widow runs a noodle shop in Tokyo gets help from truck driver in finding the perfect soup receipe. People in the movie either eat or scuffle. Colorful characters and witty humor. My rating: 5 out of 10
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NASA scientists recently announced that in November 2003 they have discovered a new object in the solar system that they named named '2003 VB12' or 'Sedna', after the Inuit goddess who created the sea creatures of the Arctic. Sedna is called a 'planetoid', because it does not meet the requirements for a planet. It has a diameter of 800-1100 miles (Pluto: 1400 miles), and probably constist of rock and ice. Its path is highly ellipitical and well beyond the Kuiper Belt. Sedna's current distance from the Earth is about 3x the distance of Pluto. One year on Sedna takes 10,500 Earth years. Sedna may be the first body to be discovered in the Oort Cloud, a hypothetical region of icy objects that become comets.

The Kuiper Belt is an icy asteroid belt just beyond Neptune. Recently discovered Kuiper Belt objects are Quaoar and 2004 DW.

Other Links:
Sedna legend
Homepage of Chad Trujillo
Tenagra Observatories: Amateur Telescope


Snippets:
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Photography: Artist: Ryan McGinley. Pictures at Bailey Fine Arts, Toronto, CA.
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Video: Through a Glass Darkly (1961).Original Title: Sasom i en spegel. B&W, 89 min. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. w/ Harriet Andersson (Karin), Gunnar Bjoernstrand (David, her father), Max von Sydow (Martin, her husband), Lars Passgard (Minus, her brother). Swedish w/ English subtitles. Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1962. Schizophric woman vacations with her loving husband, dryly depressed father, and adolescent brother on an island. In her delusion and hallucinations, she believes to encounter God in the form of a terrifying spider. Anderson is highly believable in her role. The film is heavy to swallow, but the cinematography (by Sven Nykvist) and acting are excellent. My rating: 7 out of 10. First film in a religious trilogy (Winter Light, The Silence).
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Essay: William Kingdon Clifford (mathematician, philosopher of science, 1845-1879): The Ethics of Belief (1877). "It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence". However, Clifford does not provide a whole lot of evidence himself ... so is it right to believe him? :-) Other documents from the Historical Library and the Modern Library.
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Composer: Laura Andel: between jazz and classical music
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Book: Caroline Alexander: The Endurance - Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition. w/ photographs by Frank Hurley. Tells the story of Shackleton's failed expedition in 1914-16 and the incredible achievements that lead to their rescue from Elephant Island. Hurley's fantastic photographs help the reader tremendously to imagine how 'life' in the Arctic really was.
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Music: Rachel Perry: VH-1 VJ, previously Muchmusic (Canada)
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Online Book: The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (1773-1788) by Edward Gibbon. Will take a bit of time to read. Download here.
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Alain (pseud. for Emile Auguste Chartier, 1868-1951): French philosopher, columnist; wrote papers on politics and ethics for newspapers and reviews; best known for thousands of aphoristic essays, called 'propos', which he contributed to his own weekly 'Libres Propos' and other journals; expressing pacifism and distrust of official power; other works: Systeme des beaux arts (1920), Histoire de mes pensees (1936), Alain on Happiness (1973); teacher of Simone Weil (1909-1943, French philosopher and activist) and Andre Maurois (1885–1967, French biographer, novelist, essayist, and critic).

Do not confuse 'Alain' with Alain Chartier (c.1392 - c.1430), the French poet and political writer. Margaret of Scotland is said to have kissed his lips while he was sleeping in her palace, to honour, she said "the mouth which elicited so many virtuous words". This famous story is depicted in the painting by Victorian painter Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922).

Other Links:
Alain by Thierry Leterre
Textes d'Alain (in French)
Weggefaehrten (in German)

Snippets:
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Koinonia: term of the New Testament meaning 'fellowship' (the spirit of generous sharing as contrasted with the spirit of selfish getting), somtimes also used in the sense of 'communion'.
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Geography: Andaman and Nicobar Islands: group of 572 islands (only 38 inhabited) located in the Bay of Bengal, 92-94 degrees E, 6-14 degrees N; capital: Port Blair; Indian government. More info from the Annual Report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
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Book: Bluenose, Queen of the Grand Banks by Feenie Ziner. Illustrations by Zeke Ziner. Chilton Book Company, Philadelphia. First Ed. 1970. The story of the 143-feet salt banker 'Bluenose', her skipper Agnus Walters, and the Nova Scotian's fishing town of Lunenburg. This book preserves a piece of history that otherwise would probably have vanished with the schooner when it struck a reef off the coast of Haiti. It also goes into detail about the fishing business and the races. Great read!
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Video of Bluenose vs. Gertrude L. Thebaud by W.R. MacAskill (1887-1956), one of Nova Scotia's best-known photographers.
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Word: forecastle = fo'c'sle: 1.) the forward part of the upper deck of a ship 2.) the crew's quarters usually in a ship's bow
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Music: Abra Moore: ... somewhere between the stylings of Edie Brickell and Rickie Lee Jones; CDs: Swing (1995), Strangest Places (1997), Everything Changed (March 23, 2004)
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Notes on Video: 'Essential Alan Watts: On Meditation, Nothingness' (1973, 58 min) by Alan Watts (1915-1973): "To go out of your mind at least once a day is tremendously important, because by going out of your mind you come to your senses."

Nothingness:
- there is no nothing without something

On Meditation:
- there is a difference between the Real World and the symbols we have in our minds about this world; we often believe to see the former although we really only think about the latter

- our world is a system of concepts: e.g., constellations of stars are not really there, they are man-made systems

- most of us are compulsivly thinking, i.e. it almost never stops, it becomes a constant chatter; but: he who talks all the time does not hear what others have to say.

- in meditation, we become interiorly silent, and seize from the interminable chatter in our heads

- meditation should not have a reason (such as to serve improvement of the self); it should rather be like making music or dancing, i.e. for enjoyment and fun; it is important to understand that the journey is the point, not reaching the goal; in meditation we have the insight that the point is always the arrival at the immediate moment; time is always NOW, no past and no future; realizing this brings us into a state of peace

- support items: gong, incense, string of beads (to unconsciously time yourself; move one bead per breath stroke)

- how to engage into meditation: be aware of what IS by doing the following:
1.) listen to sounds around you
2.) listen to your toughts (without trying to control them)
3.) be aware of your breath

ad 1.) begin meditation by listening to all sounds around you (the hum and buzz of the world); do not try to name sounds, do not try to identify what they are, do not judge them, just let go; but: if you can't help judging, do not force the thoughts out of your mind, just let them happen

ad 2.) look at your own thoughts just as if they were noises; the thoughts become happenings like the sounds on the outside

ad 3.) let the breathing go just as it will, do not do breathing exercises; do not think about breathing, just let breathing happen; when exhaling, let the air fall out; when inhaling also let it fall in; the breath will get more and more easy, and slower, and more peaceful over time, and more poweful

- sound (e.g., gong) and chanting can aid in the exercise; one can chant a Mantra (=chanted sound). Mantras are used not so much for their meaning as for their simple tones; should be chanted with slow breath; e.g., Om = mantra that represents the total energy of the Universe


Snippets:
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Video: Strange Days (1995). 145 min. w/ Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient), Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis (What's Eating Gilbert Grape); directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Point Beak); story and screenplay by James Cameron (Titanic, Terminator). Sci-fi thrilller. Ex-cop who serves the black market with recordings of memories and emotions (similar to 'Brainstorm' (1983)), tries to solve the murder of a prostitute and friend. Sex and violence. Nothing for the squeamish. Plot is good, but story is a little too artificial. Angela Bassett has an excellent performance. My rating: 6 out of 10.
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Mylene Farmer. French-Canadian disco chanteuse. More Photos.
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Theater: King Lear by William Shakespeare. Yale Repertory Theater, New Haven, CT. Feb. 13-March 13, 2004. w/ Avery Brooks (Star Treck: Deep Space Nine) and an all-African-American cast. Directed by Harold Scott. Great, colorful performance. Tragic story of a British king and his three daughters, of the struggle for power and of vengeance and deception. Plot and comments. Text, Essays, and Links. Painting by Edwin Austin Abbey (American, 1852-1911). King Lear (1898).
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Video: Still of the Night (1982). 93 min. w/ Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, Jessica Tandy. Directed by Robert Benton. Psychiatrist suspects an assistant auctioneer (that he fell in love) with, to have murdered one of his patients. Effective suspense with small tricks. Good camera angles. Story is on the simple side. My rating: 5 out of 10.
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Book on Tape: Robert A. Heinlein: Stanger in a Strange Land (1961). Part 1 (10 cassettes, 15 hours) + Part 2 (9 cassettes, 13.5 hours). Unabridged version, including some 60,000 words that had been cut from the original manuscript. A man who was raised on Mars, returns to earth, becomes independently wealthy, has super powers, and preaches his philosophy for a new type of religion. Long, but worth it! Contains many unusual thoughts, sometimes revolutionary. Has to be put into perspective to the time it was written.
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Snippets:
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Video: Marco Polo: Journey to the East (1995). 50 min. A&E Biography. Overview of the life and travels of the young merchant Marco Polo (1254-1324) to the East, especially Mongolia and China, in the 13th Century, and his encounters with the great Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan (1214-1294). More about Marco Polo and his Travels.
~~~~~~~
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree..." begins the famous poem fragment 'Kubla Khan' (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834). Coleridge Archive here.
~~~~~~~
Quoteworld: Collection of 15,000 quotations. Searchable.
~~~~~~~
Old Man of the Mountain: Franconia Notch State Park, NH; was a natural rock formation that was formed by a retreating glacier during the lasst ice age; geologists speculate it looked out over Profile Lake for more than 12,000 years; it suddenly collapsed due to erosion on May 3, 2003.
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The dialectic between the Apollonian and the Dionysian: Apollo was the Greek god of truth, light, and order; Dionysus (Bacchus), the god of fertility, passion, spontaneity, and rebellion. They represent polarities of the human personality. Apollonian modes of thinking see form and structure as the basis for individuality and rational thought. Dionysian concepts value the breaking of boundaries through extreme action or experience (drunkenness, madness).
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History Guide
~~~~~~~
Media Guide: Mondo Times. Collection of links to over 13,300 media around the world (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV).
~~~~~~~
Rainer Kunze: German writer and poet, b. 1933. Transferred from East to West Germany in 1977. Georg-B?chner-Preis1977. Biography (in German). Press info w/ bio and list of books <> (in German). Some poems (in German).
~~~~~~~
William Derham (1657-1735): Anglican clergyman; wrote: Astro-Theology: or A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God (1715).
~~~~~~~
Short Story: Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694-1778): Micromegas: A Philosophical History (1752); science fiction short story, English translation. At the end of the story, Micromegas gave to man a rare book of philosophy that tells all that can be known of the ultimate essence of things. The pages of the book were blank.
~~~~~~~
Cavia porcellus (Guinea pig): first found by Europeans when arriving in South America where the animals were domesticated by inhabitants; species does not exist in the wild.
~~~~~~~
Animal Diversity Web: Good collection of info for all different animals; searchable; includes pictures and classification.
~~~~~~~
John Dryden (1631-1700): English poet, dramatist, critic, and translator; wrote 'The Maiden Queen' (1667. Selection of works. Other English Poets at Samuel Johnson's Lives of English Poets.
~~~~~~~
The Venerable Bede (673-735): English monk and historian; wrote 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People'. Other medieval texts at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
~~~~~~~
Reverse Phone Directory: Annoying pop-ups though.
~~~~~~~
Price Engine: NexTag.
~~~~~~~
Video: Gattaca (1997). 101 min; w/ Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman; directed by Andrew Niccol. Science Fiction. In an age where genetic analyses are routinely used to design perfect children, and to determine their future disease profile and life expectancy, a young 'imperfect' guy -- conceived and born 'natural' -- decides to slip into a different identity to become an astronaut for the aerospace company Gattaca Corp. A murder in the company as well as a love affair jeopardize his plans. Chilled atmosphere, good story. Some breathtaking moments. Some B-class acting. Overall, a good movie. My rating: 7 out of 10.
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Notes from 'The Path to Tranquility' by His Holiness the XIV. Dalai Lama, edited by Renuka Singh:

January 18: "To develop patience, you need someone who willfully hurts you. Such people give us real opportunity to practice tolerance. They test our inner strength in a way that even our guru cannot. Basically, patience protects us from being discouraged."

January 29: "It is said that if you want to know what you were doing in the past, look at your body now; if you want to know what will happen to you in the future, look at what your mind is doing now."


Snippets:
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Edwin Way Teale (1899-1980), American naturalist. North with the Spring (1951), Autumn Across America (1956), Journey Into Summer (1960), Circle of the Seasons (1953), Wandering Through Winter (1965).
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Book: 'Durst' (in German, Engl. transl. 'Thirst'). 1976. An extraxt from 'Wind, Sand, und Sterne' ('Wind, Sand, and Stars). A desert pilot crashed in the desert and struggles against his own mind. Good tempo. Beautiful language.
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Video: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. 1999. 133 min. w/ Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor. Prequel to the first Star Wars film. More special effects, lots of shooting, laser sword fights, and battles. Trying to give a meaning to 'later' episodes in the series. Don't expect too much.
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All Movie Guide. Useful information about movies. Similar to All Music Guide.
~~~~~~~
Video: Seven Years in Tibet (1997). 136 min. w/ Brad Pitt, David Thewlis. The story of the Austrian mountain climber Heinrich Harrer during his years in Tibet, and his friendship with the young Dalai Lama. Film has too much Hollywood Schmalz and is too shallow for the intensity of the subject. Thewlis' acting is significantly better than Pitt's. However, some great nature scenes.
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John Pike (1911-1979): American watercolor artist and illustrator. Wrote books on watercolor painting.
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Public Citizen: national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that represent consumer interests
~~~~~~~
Consumer Reports and Consumers Union.
~~~~~~~
Video: Stephen Hawking: A Brief History of Time (1992). 84 min. Directed by Errol Morris. Documentary on the life and work of the renowned cosmologist. Hawking is suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, motoneuron disease), which nearly completely paralyses his body, but leaving his mind fully active. Excellent biography of the person, including interviews with friends and family. However, the science of Hawking's work could have been explained a little more in detail.
~~~~~~~

The basis of good communication: Meant is not yet said, said is not yet heard, heard is not yet understood, understood is not yet agreed, agreed is not yet done, and done is not yet maintained. (freely translated from German; after Konrad Lorenz, 1903-1989, biologist, ethologist [ethology = the scientific study of animal behaviour], Nobel Laureate: Gemeint ist noch nicht gesagt, gesagt ist noch nicht gehoert, gehoert ist noch nicht verstanden, verstanden ist noch nicht einverstanden, einverstanden ist noch nicht getan, und getan ist noch nicht beibehalten).

Snippets:
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Book: Odoric of Pordenone (1265?-1331): The Travels of Friar Odoric (2002). Translated by Sir Henry Yule (1820-1889). A report by the Franciscan Friar Odoric on travels to the East in the 14th century, written in 1330. Odoric was from a monastary in Udine, a city about 100 km northeast of Venice in Northern Italy. He tells tales of Turkey, Iran, India and China, and of the Great Khan. Some of his stories seem exaggerated, but he claims that he has either seen things with his own eyes, or knows the facts from 'reliable sources'. Interesting historic document.
~~~~~~~

Bluenose: Fishing schooner designed by W.J. Roue of Halifax, and built by Smith & Rhuland Shipyard in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, CA. Launched on March 26, 1921, she was used for racing and fishing until her wreckage on a reef near Haiti in January 1946 . The image of the Bluenose has graced the Canadian Dime since 1937. The ship itself is a salt banker, i.e. the preservative for the caught fish is salt (1 barrel for 4 barrels of fish).

In 1963, a replica of the Bluenose with much more comfortable interior (Bluenose II) was launched, but has not been allowed to race, so she could not jeopardize the reputation of the original Bluenose. Bluenose II has become Nova Scotia's most recocgnized symbol, and was sold to the province in 1971 for $1. She is now maintained by the Bluenose II Conservation Trust

Other Links:
Bluenose Resources
Bluenose II Pictures
Bluenose II Specifications

Snippets:
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Sailing: Port lights are red (remember by associating it with the color of port wine), starboard lights are green.
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Sailing: Schoonerman: Schooners and Tall Ships; includes links to many web sites of tall ships.
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"One of the most important rank differences between writers is whether they only think for themselves or also bring the rest of the world to think about itself" (Egon Friedell, Austrian historian and writer, 1878-1938, in 'Steinbruch').

Snippets:
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Philosophy: Martin Amerbauer: Erste Schritte in der Philosophie (2000, in German). 111 pages. Link to text on Amerbauer website. Concise introduction to philosophy in PDF format; w/ good references to important books.
~~~~~~~
Video: Kundun (1997). 135 min. Directed by Martin Scorcese. Music by Phillip Glass. Based on the life of the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso). Dalai Lama means 'Ocean of Wisdom', Kundun means 'The Presence'. Very slow story, but beautiful pictures. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the colors and the music. However, the oppression by the Chinese is a major theme in the second half of the movie. Well balanced.
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Fishing: Chebacco: famous narrow-sterned boat style without jib; formerly much used for fishing; originated in Chebacco (now Essex, MA); also called pinkstern and chebec
~~~~~~~
History: LeMO = Lebendiges virtuelles Museum Online. German history from 1900 to now; w/ pictures, videos, and lots of information (in German); hosted by: Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin.
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Snippets:
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Computer: To change appearance of Windows XP and improve performance (e.g. turn off fading of menus): Right click 'My Computer' --> Properties --> Advanced tab --> Performance: Settings. Source.
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Marsch der Verdammten (Der Spiegel, 2/2004, p114; in German): Article about the 'Ross Sea Party', a group of men that had the objective to install supply depots for Ernest Shackleton's 'famous' Antarctis crossing in 1915/16. Starting from the opposite site of the continent toward the pole, three men lost their lives after a series of mishaps, including loosing their ship. In the end the party met their goal under harsh conditions, only to learn later that Shackleton's effort had failed. Interesting to see again, how poorly expeditions were prepare in those days.
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Book: History of Herodotus at the Gutenberg Project: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. There is a Gutenberg 'Best Of' CD with some great world literature!
~~~~~~~
People of Ideas: Names, pictures and info on important people.
~~~~~~~
Video: Mystic Seaport . Video Tours Great America Series. Eastman Kodak. ~27 min. 1989. Narrated by Walter Cronkite. Short overview of the seaport part of the museum in Mystic, CT. Mostly advertisment for the museum, with some history. Overall not very informative; there would be so much more to tell.
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Book on CD: John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men. Unabridged. 3 CDs. Original material 1937. Penguin HighBridge Audio 2002. Story of the mentally disabled Lenny and his friend George, who nurture a dream of independence. Until reality catches up... Must read. Sometimes depressing atmosphere.
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Books: Booksense: A family of independent booksellers. Lists with book recommendations.
~~~~~~~
Books: Bookcrossing. Creative way of telling others about a good book, and emptying your bookshelf! Register a book at the web site, obtain a unique ID number, then release it into the wild. Whoever finds it should then go to the website again to acknowledge the receipt, read it, and potentially release it again. And so on ... sounds like fun!
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Music: Air. French duo (Jean-Benoit Dunckel, Nicolas Godin) that recorded the music to the movie 'The Virgin Suicides' (2000). Several albums. Easy listening music; gets boring after a while.
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Video: Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition: 1.) Star Wars (1977, 1997), 125 min. 2.) The Empire Strikes Back (1980, 1997), 127 min. 3.) The Return of the Jedi (1983, 1997), 135 min. w/ Mark Hamil (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia). Produced by George Lucas. Special Edition is refreshed and new scenes were added. Some scenes were enhanced. Action-packed science fiction movies without any big story, lots of bad acting and cheesy moments. Special effects are outstanding considering when the movies were filmed. Overall an important set to watch, but don't expect too much.
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Computer: McAfee AVERT Stinger: Free stand-alone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses.
~~~~~~~
Book: Giacomo Casanova, Chevalier de Seingalt: History of My Life (written ~ 1797). 12 Volumes. Lengthy account of Casanova's life and the art of seduction. Simple style. Draws an interesting picture of 18th century life in France and Italy.
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Janine Antoni. Touch. 2002. 9 min 37 sec. Single-channel video installation with audio. Antoni balances on a tightrope on a beach with view onto the water. The gently breaking waves provide a tranquil rhythm to the sceene. While Antoni walks, the rope stretches, giving the illusion that she actually walks on the horizon.

Janine Antoni: Touch

Antoni is represented by Luhring Augustine Gallery in Chelsea, NYC.


Snippets:
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Science Cartoons: by Sidney Harris; some are quite enjoyable.
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Restaurant: Eisbach. Munich, Germany. Minimalist website.
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Exhibition: Haus der Kunst, Munich: Patti Smith 'Strange Messenger'. Dec 19, 2003 - Feb 29, 2004. Just because you're famous playing rock music, doesn't mean you can paint. Expendable!
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Music: Delta Goodrem: Young Australian pop singer; CD: Innocent Eyes; diagnosed w/ Morbus Hodgkin
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Music: John Coltrane Web Site.
~~~~~~~
Music: Lyrics of many Anne Clark songs. Best collection, despite annoying pop-ups
~~~~~~~
DVD: Blackadder. Blackadder Goes Forth (saw 4 epsodes). w/ Rowan Atkinson. Transcripts.
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Exhibition: Loriot. 11/8/03-1/25/04. Extended to 2/22/04. Bayerische Akademie der Schoenen Kunste. Original drawings; film clips.
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Education: University of Phoenix Online. Online university. Watch the 60 Minutes-Sement on the pros and cons of online vs. campus education.
~~~~~~~
Theater: Samuel Beckett (1906-1989). Waiting for Godot. Beckett ordered that none of the characters can be played by a woman. Theaters need to honor this rule until the rights for the existentialist play expire 70 years after Beckett's death.
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Design: The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention. 10/12/99-1/9/00, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, NYC. Organized by the Library of Congress. Other online exhibits.
~~~~~~~
Video: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). 91 minutes. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. w/ Peter Sellers (3 roles). B/W. Dark satire-comedy hybrid on the dangers of an atomic war between the U.S. and Russia. Very strange. Must have been even more effective during cold war times. Must see, but once is enough.
~~~~~~~

A treatise called Stomachion is attributed to the Greek mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse, Sicily (287 BC - 212 BC; best known for his exclamation 'Eureka'). The treatise is based on a game by the same name consisting of 14 pieces of various polygonal shapes originally forming a square. The goal of the game was to reconfigure the pieces to form different interesting shapes (e.g., animals). Similarity with the ancient Chinese puzzle 'Tangram'. Recent investigations suggest that Archimedes' Stomachion is a treatise on combinatorics, i.e. the mathematical discipline to determine in how many ways a given problem can be solved. (see New York Times, Dec. 14, 2003)

Stomachion is described in a fragmentary manuscript called the Archimedes Palimpsest (Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, MD). The term palimpsest comes from a Greek word meaning "scraped again", since the parchment was scraped and reused to write a Christian prayerbook, probably because of shortage of paper .


Other Links:
Archimedes of Syracuse


Snippets:
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Video: The World According to Garp (1982). w/ Robin Williams, Mary Beth Hurt, Glenn Close. 137 min. Based on a novel by John Irving. Starts out funny, but then mutates into a weird, irrelevant, pointless family drama. Certainly a quite unique combination, but could have been cut to under 90 min. Only John Lithgow (as Roberta Muldoon) gives a stellar performance.
~~~~~~~
CD: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Weihnachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio), BWV 248; Archiv Produktion; Polydor International (1965). Just right for the season.
~~~~~~~
Video: Galileo's Battle for the Heavens (2002). Based on the book 'Galileo's Daughter' by Dava Sobel. PBS/NOVA Video. 120 min. Describes Galileo's struggle against the Catholic Church and its Inquisition. A side track of the film is the relation between Galileo and his illegitimate daughter Maria Celeste. Most disputed book: 'Dialog'. More info at PBS and The Galileo Project (includes translations of the letters by Maria Celeste to her father).
~~~~~~~
The Official U.S. Time , accurate within 0.2 sec, is provided by the two time agencies of the United States: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the U. S. Naval Observatory (USNO). Also contains links to educational exhibits about time, including one about Daylight Saving Time.
~~~~~~~
Video: Start Treck IV: The Voyage Home (1986). w/ William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley; directed by Leonard Nimoy. Capt. Kirk and crew saves the earth by traveling into the past to pick a couple of humpback whales. Does not take itself seriously. Cheesy plot, but funny!
~~~~~~~
Mesothelioma: rare type of cancer with tumor cells found in pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium. Disease is caused by chronic inhalation of asbestos.
~~~~~~~
Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811) and Henriette Vogel (1780-1811) were friends and committed suicide together.
~~~~~~~
Restaurant in NYC: The Sazerac House, 533 Hudson St, Manhattan, West Village. American and Seafood in a house from 1826; decent prices. History.
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Music: John Cage, American experimental composer: 4'33", written in 1952, consists of three completely silent movements; lasts exactly 4 minutes and 33 seconds.
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Sir Thomas Malory (d. 1471): Le Morte Darthur. Malory's "Book of King Arthur and of his Noble Knights of the Round Table.". Volume 1 and Volume 2. Standard source for later versions of the legend. T. H. White's 'The Once and Future King' (4 novels, published in 1958) and the conclusion 'The Book of Merlyn' (1977) are 20th-century retellings of the Arthurian story.
~~~~~~~
Radio: BBC Radio. Includes 'BBC Radio Player', a Radio on Demand to listen to the program of the last 7 days, e.g., The Official Chart Show.
~~~~~~~
Exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Costume Institute, NYC: 'Bravehearts: Men in Skirts' (Nov 4, 2003–Feb 8, 2004). "Bravehearts locates 'men in skirts' in historical and cross-cultural contexts and looks at designers as well as individuals who have appropriated the skirt as a means of injecting novelty into male fashion, transgressing moral and social codes, and redefining ideals of masculinity." Oh, well ...
~~~~~~~

Dynamic Planet Blog
TOC: Table of Contents
November 2003

1.) The English Patient
2.) Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art / Ieoh Ming Pei
3.) Mongoose
4.) Ways to perceive a piece of art
5.) Wikipedia sister projects

Wikipedia, the online free content encyclopedia, has several sister projects. All Wiki's are work in progress with varying degree of completion, but quality should constantly improve over time. All sites are free:

Wikiquote: a online compendium of quotations

Wiktionary: a multilingual dictionary

Wikibooks: dedicated to developing and disseminating open content textbooks

Snippets:
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CD: George Winston: Autumn (1980). Piano solo. Beautiful and relaxing.
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Lyonel Feininger: Exhibition at the 'Hamburger Kunsthalle' in Hamburg, Germany. Before becoming an artist, Feininger was a caricaturist for the Chicago Tribune. Later, he became renowned through cubist paintings of medieval churches and ships.
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Web Site: Nation Master: Statisitcal information about each country compiled from various sources. Many categories. Incredible resource!
~~~~~~~
Video: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). 116 min. w/ Charles Laughton (Quasimodo) and Maureen O'Hara (Esmeralda). Directed by William Dieterle. Probably the best and most memorable version of the Victor Hugo classic. Gripping.
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Katabatic winds = winds that flow from the high elevations of mountains, plateaus, and hills down their slopes to the valleys or planes below. E.g., Foehn.
~~~~~~~

A thought: One can perceive a piece of art in ways of increasing intensity: 1.) it can make you think, 2.) it can move you and whirl you around, bring out the best or the worst feelings in you, or 3.) it can carry you away leaving you breathless for hours, carving itself into your mind, growing in you the desire to never part with it again.

Snippets:
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Video: Notre Dame - Witness to History (1996). 56 min. New River Media Inc. A documentary around of the gothic cathedral in Paris and its history. Informative. Also covers some of the history of France.
~~~~~~~
Book: Albert Camus: Der Fremde (1942; in German; English: The Stanger). Story of a young man who lives detached from his life, and is seemingly unaffected by pretty much everything that is going on around him. After killing an Algerian for no obvious reason, he stands trial not only for his deed, but for his character. Sad story, lacking any love, faith or hope. Camus presents a superb analysis of an indifferent personality, and raises many fundamental questions.
~~~~~~~

The Mongoose is a member of the family that includes ferrets, weasels and martens. It is a rather small, weasel-like carnivore native to Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. It is famous for its snake-fighting abilities, where it is almost always victorious because of its speed, agility and timing, and also because of its thick coat. The mongoose is resistant to alpha-neurotoxins contained in snake venoms. It has been shown that the mongoose acetyl-choline receptor (AChR) does not bind alpha-bungarotoxin (BTX) [Barchan et al., PNAS 89, 7717 (1992)]. The most 'famous' mongoose is Rikki-Tikki-Tavi in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

Snippets:
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Digipac®: CD packaging consisting of a sturdy plastic tray and high-quality cardboard. Alternative to Jewel Case. Allows more fancy cover designs. Usually more expensive than the Jewel Case.
~~~~~~~
Video: Taxi Driver (1976). 114 min. w/ Robert DeNiro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Set in NYC during the dangerous 70s. The lonely, mentally unstable, psychotic cab driver Travis Bickle (DeNiro), in looking for his own identity, feels he needs to "sweep away all the scum from the streets." After a failed date with a beautiful political campain worker (Shephard), he arms himself and decides to violently 'rescue' a child prostitute (14-year old Foster) from the street. Film noir. Great cast, great acting. Disturbing story.
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The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, is recognized as one of the most important university museums in the country. The museum hosts Asian, African, European, and American art. Click here for links to the Permanent Collection.

The building was designed by world-renowned architect I.M. (Ieoh Ming) Pei, who also built the East Wing of the National Gallery in Washington DC, the Pyramide du Louvre in Paris, France, the Hancock Tower in Boston, and the Javits Convention Center in New York City. The museum building looks like a giant sewing machine and overlooks the valley and Cayuga Lake.

Other Links:
Other buildings by I.M. Pei
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Architects LLP. w/ lots of pictures

Snippets:
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Book on Tape: Michel Ondaatje. The English Patient. [Abridged] (1993). Read by Michael York. 3 hours.The book on tape helps understanding the intertwined story better. Good abridgment: contains all parts essential for the story and a lot of beautiful passages.
~~~~~~~
Video: Churchill - The Finest Hours (1964). 111 min. Narrated by Orson Welles. Academy Award nomination in 1964 for Best Feature Documentary. Biography of Winston Churchill mostly from original film footage. Gives a good overview of Churchills life, and also the key events in both World Wars. Contains plenty of Churchill quotations. Well done.
~~~~~~~

An intriguing thought from 'The English Patient' by Michael Ondaatje: "Tell me, is it possible to love someone who is not as smart as you are? [...] Could you fall in love with her if she wasn't smarter than you? I mean, she may not be smarter than you. But isn't it important for you to think she is smarter than you in order to fall in love? Think now."

Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994); 123 min; w/ Robert De Niro (The Creature), Kenneth Branagh (Victor Frankenstein), Helena Bonham Carter (Elizabeth); directed by Kenneth Branagh. The Classic with a great cast.
~~~~~~~
Video: Young Frankenstein (1974); 108 min; w/ Gene Wilder (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Peter Boyle (The Monster), Marty Feldman (Igor), Teri Garr (Inga); directed by Mel Brooks. Very funny! Teri Garr looks like an earlier version of Lisa Kudrow.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Fall of the House of Usher (1960); w/ Vincent Price. Thrilling horror movie after the novel by Edgar Allan Poe. A young suitor comes to visit the family of his bride-to-be in the House of Usher and tries to rescue her from the madness of her brother. Well done, even though the story itself is a bit slow.
~~~~~~~
Book: Michael Ondaatje: The English Patient (1993). The intersection of four damaged lives in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. Complex story. Jumps between times and places. Need to pay attention to detail. Need to read slowly! Full of many hidden treasures.
~~~~~~~
Video: The English Patient (1996). 162 min. w/ Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe. Directed by Anthony Minghella. Received 9 Oscars, including Best Picture. Gripping. Tragic. Sad. Deviates from the book in many points, but in itself a good movie. Great cast.
~~~~~~~
Video: Rebecca (1939). 130 min. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. w/ Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Restored version. Based on the novel by Daphne Du Maurier. Young, inexperienced girl marries the rich widower Maxim de Winter, but soon realizes that the 'shadow' of de Winters first wife, Rebecca, is all around. First hour is much too slow and, though Fontaine's acting is superb, her role is annoying. Olivier alternates between macho, temperamental, and depressed. Overall a good movie, but story could just as well have been told in less than an hour.
~~~~~~~
Video: Girl, Interrupted (1999). 127 min. w/ Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg. Directed by James Mangold. Girl (Ryder), after attempting suicide, checks into a mental hospital and quickly makes friends among the patients. But she learns that she needs to make a choice between them and the 'sane' world outside. Good movie, dramatic at times. Good tempo (most of the time). Plot reminds of 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest'. Jolie is quite scary and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
~~~~~~~

Dynamic Planet Blog
TOC: Table of Contents
October 2003

1.) Brown Dwarfs
2.) Virtual Observatories
3.) Alexander the Great
4.) Robert K. Merton: The Matthew Effect in Science
5.) More on Dido & Aeneas
6.) Roger Bacon
7.) Funny computer stories
8.) Khaos / Erebus / Elysian Fields
9.) Some numbers about Blogs

Some numbers about Blogs: NYT October 23, 2003: 'Blog Bog and an E-Mail Pony Express' by Pamela LiCalzi O'Connell. Recent study by Perseus Development, a research firm and maker of software for surveys: 66% of the 4.12 million Blogs, created on eight leading blog-hosting services, have been "abandoned'', i.e., not updated for at least two months. 1.09 million of those were one-day wonders. Fewer than 50,000 of the sites in the study were updated every day. The typical blog is written by a teenage girl who uses it twice a month to update her friends. However, only blogs on eight leading blog-hosting services were studied. According to Perseus's research: 2002: 1.62 million active blogs, 2003: 3.3 million. In 2004: 5.86 million predicted.

Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization. PBS Home Video (2000). 165 min. History of ancient Greeks with focus on Cleisthenes, Themistocles, Pericles, and Socrates. Informative, but too long.
~~~~~~~
Video: Naked Lunch (1991), 115 min. Based on the book by William S. Burroughs; w/ Peter Weller (Robocop), Judy Davis (Deconstructing Harry), Roy Scheider (Jaws); directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly). Music by Ornette Coleman. A drug-addicted pest-control man drifts into the hallucinatory world of 'Interzone'. Imagination and reality melt into a horror trip. Surreal, weird, great special effects with lots of bugs and phantasy creatures. Just don't watch it while you are eating.
~~~~~~~

Glossary of Greek Mythology:

Khaos (Chaos): Greek goddess; was the first of the Protogenoi (ancient elemental gods); the female personifcation of air; also means lower atmosphere of the earth - air, mist and fog; her name means "gap", i.e., the gap between earth and sky. Others say that Chaos is the void which came into being before anything else, or a shapeless and confused mass of elements.

Erebus (Erebos): Greek god; the male personification of darkness; his thick mists of darkness were said to envelop the edges of the world; husband of Nyx (Nox, =Night). Erebus' name was often used to describe the cavernous underworld of Hades.

Elysian Fields (Elysium): happy otherworld for heroes favored by the gods; final resting place of the souls of the virtuous; paradise of the heroes, either in the Underworld or in the far West.

Other Links:
Theoi Project: A Guide to Greek Gods, Spirits, and Monsters


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: The Piano (1992). w. Holly Hunter, Sam Neill. Slow. Boring. Depressing. Waste of time.
~~~~~~~
Book on Tape: Jules Verne: Around the world in 80 Days (originally published in 1873). The English gentleman, Phileas Fogg, his servant Passpartout, the Indian princess Aouda, and the detective Fix travel around the world in most unusual ways for the purpose of winning a wager. A classic book with a couple of suprises! A good read. Other stories by Jules Verne.
~~~~~~~

David Pogue (NYT, October 16, 2003) amused us by reciting a couple of short, but 'effective' funny computer stories:

"Hello, Apple? My cup holder broke off." "Uh, sir, that's your CD-ROM tray."

Or this: "Hello, Dell? My mouse is squeaking." "Squeaking?" "Yeah — and the funny thing is, it squeaks louder the faster I move it across the screen!" "Ma'am, why are you dragging your mouse across the screen?" "Well, I saw a message that said, Click HERE to continue!'"


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: 'Tut: The Boy King' (1978). Hosted by Orson Welles. Warner Home Video. Objects from King Tut's tomb filmed in the National Gallery in Washington DC (on loan from the Cairo Museum). Archeologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnaravon discovered these treasures of ancient times in 1922/23.
~~~~~~~
Video: 'Joe versus the Volcano' (1990); w/ Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. When a hypochondriac is told by a physician that he has a 'brain cloud' and only six more months to live, he accepts the offer to jump into a volcano on the remote tropical island Waponi Woo. During his trip he learns to enjoy life. Cheesy, but funny! Unconventional characters. Meg Ryan in three roles, you can hardly recognize her!
~~~~~~~
Video: Great Souls: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn --- Voice of Truth (2002). 56 min. Biography of the Russian writer who was a Gulag prisoner, was sent to labor camps in Siberia, and finally set the stage for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Major books are 'The Gulag Archipelago: 1918-1956', 'The First Circle', 'Cancer Ward ', and 'The Red Wheel'.
~~~~~~~
Book: Aldous Huxley: Science, Liberty and Peace (1946). Harper & Brothers Publishers. Huxley was a visionary, forseeing many of the problems that the science and technology race in the 20th century has brought up. To him, applied science aids a few people seeking control over the masses. He especially refers to the science that is conducted for warfare, and discusses the social impact of the atomic bomb. Short book (86 pages), but addresses a lot of very relevant questions!
~~~~~~~

Notes on Book 'Calendar' by David Ewing Duncan (1998):

Roger Bacon: Franciscan friar (c.1214 - 1292); interest in mathematics, optics and general sciences; one of the first scientists at the end of the Middle Ages; wrote his 'Opus Majus' in 1266; it contained, among others, the idea of a reform of the Julian Calendar, since it was off by one day every 130 days; dispatched the book to Pope Clement IV, who unfortunately died suddenly in 1268, driving Bacon's ideas into oblivion; it took three more centuries, until Pope Gregory XIII (1502-1585) finally fixed the calendar in 1582.

Length of the (tropical) year: 365d, 5h, 48min, 45sec

Lunar month: 29d, 12h, 44min, 2.9sec

Julian Calendar (Julius Caesar): since Jan. 1, 45 B.C.

45 B.C. is known as the 'Year of Confusion'. Length: 445 days

Gregorian Calendar (Pope Gregory XIII): since 1582; Gregory eliminated by papal bull the dates October 5-14, 1582

The Gregorian Calendar is off from the true solar year: 25.96768 sec per year

Other Links:
Roger Bacon: Friar Bacon His Discovery of the Miracles of Art, Nature, and Magick
Roger Bacon: Biography
Catholic Encylopedia: Roger Bacon
WSHU: Engines of our Ingeniuity: The Temptress Moon on 1/24/03


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO): international network dedicated to communicating Buddhist truths in ways appropriate to the modern world. Other Links to FWBO.
~~~~~~~
Bas Hoeben's Photo Gallery dedicated to The Art of Black and White Photography
~~~~~~~
CD: Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool. Recorded in New York, New York on January 21 & April 22, 1949 and on March 9, 1950. First released in 1956. Remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. Three sessions where the sound known as 'cool jazz' was essentially formed.
~~~~~~~
Video: Eastern Philosophy. Cromwell Films 2002. Part 1: Confucius, Shinto (50 min). Part 2: Hinduism, Buddhism (50 min). Part 3: Judaism, Islam (50 min). Informative overview, but -of course- far from comprehensive.
~~~~~~~
Index Librorum Prohibitorum = Index of Prohibited Books = 'list of forbidden books' of the Roman Catholic Church; the first catalog of banned books to be called an index was published in 1559. Publication of the list ceased in 1966, and it was relegated to the status of a historic document. The Index of 1559 (in Latin). Some more information here (including 20th century authors). Index Expurgatorius = list of books allowed only in expurgated form.
~~~~~~~
CD: Eric Dolphy: 'Outward Bound' (1960); Dolphy plays alt saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute; Freddie Hubbard on trumpet; also contained on the Dolphy compilation 'The Complete Prestige Recordings' (1995).
~~~~~~~
Aristarchus of Samos (c.310 - c.230 BC): proposed a heliocentric universe; of his original works, only 'On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon' survived. His heliocentric treatise is known to us through references by Archimedes. Copernicus, in his famous 'De revolutionibus caelestibus' gave Aristarchus credit for his idea (although interestingly it was crossed out shortly before publication).
~~~~~~~
Video: So I married an Axe Murderer (1993). 93 min. w/ Mike Myers, Nancy Travis, Anthony LaPaglia, Amanda Plummer. Funny, creative guy falls in love with mysterious woman from a butcher shop, who he supects is a bloody killer. Sometimes rather poor acting, especially at the beginning. But has some very funny moments!
~~~~~~~
CD: Latin Quarter: Mick and Caroline (1987). Intriguing lyrics and music. WWW: Latin Quarter (German and English)
~~~~~~~
CD: John Coltrane Quartett: The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions (1995). Two sessions recorded May 23 and June 4, 1961 at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Coltrane's first recording for Impulse. Trane's Quartett is supported by a brass orchestra that, among other distinguished musicians, includes Booker Little (tp), Freddie Hubbard (tp), and Eric Dolphy (as, bc, fl). This studio recording was made just a few months before the legendary recordings at the Village Vanguard in November 1961.
~~~~~~~
Video: Metropolis (1927). Directed by Fritz Lang. w/ Gustav Froehlich (as Freder Fredersen), Brigitte Helm (as Maria/The Robot (AKA Futura)). Silent movie. Story of a revolt of the Working Class against the Upper Class of the city Metropolis. The pacifist leader Maria is abducted and exchanged by a robot who then leads the revolt. Great science fiction movie with unbelievable special effects, considering it was filmed in the 20s.
~~~~~~~

More on Dido & Aeneas:
1.) Dido and Aeneas: Aeneas is the Trojan equivalent to the famed Greek hero Odysseus (= Ulysseus).
2.) Bulfinch's Mythology
3.) Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) painted 'Dido Building Carthage; or, the Rise of the Carthaginian Empire' in 1815, which can be viewed at the National Gallery, London. For this and other Turner paintings, also see WebMuseum , Paris.
4.) Carthage Empire: about 800 BC the Phoenicians (Queen Dido) established Carthage on the edge of a region in North Africa that is now Tunisia. The city became the commercial center of the western Mediterranean and retained that position until overthrown by Rome.

Robert K. Merton (1910-2003): 'The Matthew Effect in Science'. Science 159, 56-63 (1968). Article about the reward and communcation systems of science. Highly productive scientists that study at one of the major universities gain more recognition than equally productive scientists at a lesser university.

Merton, a sociologist at Columbia University, New York, NY, received the National Medal of Science and is perhaps best known for having coined the phrase "self-fulfilling prophecy" (= a prediction that, in being made, actually causes itself to become true). Merton developed this concept out of his interpretation of W. I. Thomas' "definition of the situation," i.e., "If men define things as real, they are real in their consequences."

Other Links:
Garfield Library (UPenn): Robert Merton
Wikipedia: Robert K. Merton
William Isaac (W.I.) Thomas: California State University, Dominguez Hills
W.I. Thomas: The Unadjusted Girl (HTML Text)


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Book-on-Tape: Miles Davis: 'Miles: The Autobiography' [Abridged]; Quincy Troupe (Contributor), Levar Burton (Reader); book published in 1989; MD tells the story of his musical career, but also talks about family and personal matters, including his drug and alcohol addiction.
~~~~~~~
Video: Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt: Hieroglyphs. A&E Home Video (1996). Hieratic: ancient Egyptian cursive writing; derived from the earlier, pictorial hieroglyphic writing. Hieroglyph: from the Greek word for "sacred carving".
~~~~~~~

Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.): Son of Philip II of Macedon. Was tutored by Aristotle. Unified the divided city states of Greece and conquered, among others, Persia and Egypt; marched all the way to the borders of India before he retreated. Through his journey the Greek language and culture was carried into the eastern Mediterranean and into Mesopotamia. Alexander's conquest was described by Flavius Arrianus (Arrian, circa 87 - after 145 A.D.), in his 'Anabasis' (translated into English by Aubrey De Selincourt in 'The Campaigns of Alexander' in 1958).

Other Links:
Alexander the Great at Livius.org
Alexander the Great on the Web

Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: Alexander the Great (1956) w/ Richard Burton (Alexander), Claire Bloom (Barsine). Mediocre story of Alexander's life and battles, especially the conquest of Persia.
~~~~~~~

Virtual Observatories (VOs): allow new ways to analyze astronomical data:
- GAVO (German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory)
- NVO (National Virtual Observatory)
- SkyView Virtual Telescope
- Astrobrowse
- NASA/IPAC Extragalactic database

Other Links:
'Google fuer Sterne' by Stefan Schmitt. DIE ZEIT 04.09.2003 Nr.37 (in German)

Brown Dwarfs (originally called black dwarfs): Objects that, when formed by condensation out of a cloud of hydrogen gas similar to stars, do not accumulate enough mass to generate the high temperatures needed to sustain nuclear fusion at their core. They radiate energy through gravitational contraction. Mass approx. 13-70x Jupiter. First Brown Dwarf, Gliese 229B (GL229B) was discovered in 1995 by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Other links:
The Discovery of Brown Dwarfs by Gibor Basri. Scientific American, April 2000
Wikipedia: Brown Dwarfs


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: The Blair Witch Project (1999); w/ Heather Donahue, Joshua 'Josh' Leonard, and Michael 'Mike' Williams. Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. Tagline: In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittesville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. One year later, their footage was found (IMDB). I am split on this one: on one hand it's great to see a movie that can scare you without any special effects; on the other hand the movie drags out too long on the same cheap thrills. I bet the scare was more dominant while the film was still in theaters, and everyone believed is was truely the 'real' footage of three film students.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Color Purple (1985); w/ Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey; director: Steven Spielberg; based upon the novel by Alice Walker. The decades-spanning story of Celie (W.G.) who grows from a suppressed girl to an emacipated woman. Good story, but too long, and too sappy!
~~~~~~~
William Gibson: Author; father of 'cyberpunk'; coined the term 'cyberspace'; first novel: Neuromancer (1984).
~~~~~~~
Book on Tape: 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley. Unabridged. Read by Peter Firth. 6.5 hours. Sterling Audio (1992). Book originally published in 1932. A vision of a future world, where the 'ideal' society achieved 'happiness' through genetic cloning, abandoning criticism, and constant dullness by taking psycho-stimulating, anti-depressant 'Soma' tablets. A must-read!
~~~~~~~

Dynamic Planet Blog
TOC: Table of Contents
September 2003

1.) Soviet Army Memorial in Berlin
2.) Adult peristence of head-turning asymmetry
3.) Robert Kanigel: Apprentice to Genius
4.) Virgil: The Aeneid
5.) Total solar eclipse in New York City 1925

The last time a total solar eclipse visible from New York City (and Connecticut, Rhode Island) was on Saturday, January 24, 1925, just after 9 AM. It was a cold, clear day, and the city was covered by snow. Observers were stationed at every other intersection between 72nd and 135th Streets to determine the most southern part of the 'belt of totality'. Totality could only be observed above 95th to 97th Streets, so residents of Brooklyn, southern Queens, Staten Island, and much of Manhattan missed the full spectacle. Nevertheless, Millions of people witnessed the Eclipse. They crowded onto roofs, bridges, and the upper floors of skyscrapers. Open spaces in the city's northern reaches were mobbed by eclipse gazers, who braved the 9-degree cold to watch as the moon's shadow gradually cast the city into morning twilight. Streetlights across the city flickered to life. Skyscrapers blinked in empty streets. At the Bronx Zoo, herds of deer raced in panic. At 9:11, the sun disappeared completely. ''As the black ball of the moon settled over the fiery sphere of the sun, the brilliantly shimmering corona came into sharp relief against the dull sky.'' The sun reappeared about 30 seconds later.

Other Links:
Solar Eclipse Newsletter Vol 6(2), Feb. 2001 (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Eclipse Home Page by NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
Path of the 1925 solar eclipse at Dave Owen Home Page


Snippets:
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Video: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988). Wonderworks Family Movie. Award-winning BBC production. Very close to the book.
~~~~~~~
Three famous men died all died on the same day, on Friday, November 22, 1963: John F. Kennedy (assassinated), Aldous Huxley, and Clive Staples Lewis.
~~~~~~~

Virgil (70-19 BC): The Aeneid (written 19 BC). A brief summary can be found here. The Aeneid is an ancient Roman Epic about the adventures of the Trojan hero, Aeneas, who was destined to go to Italy and set up a new kingdom after Troy fell to the Greeks. On his way, Aeneas encountered many problems, but through many trial and errors he completed his journey and became the true founding father of Rome. On his way one of the people Aeneas meets is Dido, the young Phoenician queen and builder of Carthage, who falls hopelessly in love with him.


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: Moby Dick (1956). After the novel by Herman Melville; directed by John Huston; w/ Gregory Peck (Captain Ahab). The tale of hunting the White Wale.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Matrix (1999). w/ Keanu Reeves (Neo), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity). Finding out about the true nature of 'reality'.
~~~~~~~
Carrie-Ann Moss also played Natalie in the movie 'Memento' (2000).
~~~~~~~
Internet Broadway Database: Comprehensive history of shows produced on Broadway, including historical information about theatres.
~~~~~~~
Online Bible Study Aids: including online bible versions, commentaries, dictionanries and bible concordances.
~~~~~~~
Video: Wag the Dog (1997). Directed by Barry Levinson; w/ Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche. Plot: Before elections, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to "fabricate" a war in order to cover-up a presidential sex scandal (IMDB). Plot is a nice idea, but after a half hour becomes repetitive.
~~~~~~~
Book: C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950). Oldest volume of 'The Chronicles of Narnia'. The four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) enter the land of Narnia, and help the lion Aslan to free the country from the terror of the White Witch.
~~~~~~~
Book: Sue Townsend: Adrian Mole. From Minor to Major. The Mole Diaries: the first ten years (1991). Incorporating 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4' (1982), 'The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole' (1984), 'True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole' (1989), and 'Adrian Mole and the Small Amphibians' (1991?). First two parts are hillarious, don't bother with the rest.
~~~~~~~
Video: Monster's Ball (2001) w/ Billy Bob Thornton (Hank Grotowski) and Halle Berry (Leticia Musgrove; Academy Award Winner Best Actress). Directed by Marc Forster. Plot: A Death Row prison guard in the Southern US quits his job, then falls in love with the wife of a black man he has executed. Movie is breathtaking at times. Weird plot. Good movie!
~~~~~~~
Henry Purcell (1659-1695), one of England's greatest composers. Epoch: Middle Baroque. Opera: Dido and Aeneas. Purcell wrote only this one full opera, a short work supposedly designed for a girls' school.
~~~~~~~

Notes to 'Apprentice to Genius' by Robert Kanigel (1985):

Chain of mentors

James Shannon: director NIH

Bernard B. ('Steve') Brody: anti-malaria drugs, drug metabolism

Julius Axelrod: drug metabolism

Solomon Snyder: opioids

Candace Pert, Gavril Pasternak, Diane Rusell: opiods

Terry Moody: bombesin receptor; Michael Kuhar: autoradiography in brain

Sol Snyder was the youngest full professor in the history of Johns Hopkins Univ.; 'idea man', rarely working at the bench. Snyder has reputation of 'stealing' other researchers results; very competitive, always trying to scoop them; e.g., competition for publishing the enkephalin story first after hearing about it from a different froup at a conference. Snyders approach: do it quick, don't spend too much time on details; conflicts with Pasternak, who was opposite.

Julius Axelrod was at first a technician under Brody, then moved on to get his Ph.D.; always working at the bench; he discovered COMT; considered a pioneer of modern neuroscience; won Nobel Prize in 1970.

Candace Pert co-discovered opiod receptors by binding studies (1973); used the antagonist naloxone as ligand.

Pedro Cuatrecasas: discovered insulin receptor by binding studies.

The book opposes various scientific approaches:

sloppy and fast vs. carefully and slow

idea man vs. bench man

take a flier (i.e., pursue your best guess first) vs. systematically trying everything

keeping things simple vs. trying to cover every aspect

Candace Pert one-liners:

"And what do you do besides standing around looking adorable?"

"Manic depressive psychosis is like diabetes of the dopamine receptor"

...the brain is "a little wet minireceiver for collective reality"

"You can't be secretive. [...] You have to surround yourself with the smartest people your ego can stand, then concentrate on the work, not on who'll get credit for it."

Snyder/Pert: Choose your problem with exquisite care, distinguishing those that are merely interesting from those that are important as well.

Snyder: "One experiment in the lab is worth a week in the library." So don't think about it too much. Just get hysterial and do it!

Snyder, even years after working with Julius Axelrod, would sometimes ask: "What would Julie do?". He wouldn't waste time on the trivial or the impossible. He'd keep it simple. He'd do it fast. He'd take a flier.

Albert Lasker Award for Basic Biomedical Research; is the 'American Nobel Prize'; Snyder has won it in 1978 for the opiate/enkephalin story; Pert was upset because she was not included, even though it was her work. Pert wrote a book (Molecules of Emotion) which is largely autobiographical.

Robert Merton (1967/1968): The Matthew Effect in Science: "Them that has, gets"

Most important U.S. schools: Harvard, Columbia, Berkeley, Princeton.


Other Links:
Bernard B. ('Steve') Brodie:
NIH/Stetten Museum of Medical Research
International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics
Lasker Foundation
BASi

Julius Axelrod:
Profiles in Science/National Library of Medicine
Nobel E-Museum
NIH/Stetten Museum of Medical Research

Solomon Snyder
Candace Pert

Lasker Award
NIH/Stetten Museum of Medical Research


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Database: Gene Knockouts from the online journal 'Frontiers in Bioscience', a non-profit organization created by scientists for scientists for fostering international scientific communication and for providing scientists, physicians and patients with a diverse array of information, tools and techniques.
~~~~~~~
Video: The X-Files (1998). w/ David Duchovny (Agent Fox Mulder), Gillian Anderson (Agent Dana Scully), Martin Landau (Alvin Kurtzweil, M.D.). Mulder and Scully try to unravel a conspriacy around a dangerous alien virus.
~~~~~~~

Onur Guentuerkuen, Nature 421, 711 (13 Feb 2003): Adult peristence of head-turning asymmetry. A preference in humans for turning the head to the right, rather than to the left, during the final weeks of gestation and for the first six months after birth constitutes one of the earliest examples of behavioural asymmetry and is thought to influence the subsequent development of perceptual and motor preferences by increasing visual orientation to the right side. Interestingly, twice as many adults turn their heads to the right as to the left when kissing, indicating that this head-motor bias persists into adulthood. Of 124 kissing pairs, 80 (64.5%) turned their heads to the right and 44 (35.5%) turned to the left (ratio ~ 2:1), which is statistically significantly different from 50% (1:1). Funny, what some people do research on!

The Soviet Army Memorial in Berlin was built shortly after World War II, long before the Berlin Wall was raised. However, the memorial to the Soviet forces ended up just West of the dividing line. The memorial is located adjacent to the German Reichstag which was the scene of heavy fighting during the Soviet capture of Berlin. It is flanked by two T34 tanks, said to be the first to reach Berlin. The curved structure itself is created from marble presumed to be taken from Adolph Hitler's Chancellery ("Reichskanzlei"). At its focal point is a bronze statue of a Soviet solder holding a child in one hand and a sword smashing a Nazi swastika in the other. The stones from Hitler's Chancellery are engraved with the Soviet sickle-and-hammer design along with quotes from Stalin. The monument was guarded around the clock by the Red Army until German reunification in 1990.

Other Links:
Berlin von A bis Z: Sowjetisches Ehrenmal (in German)


Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Video: Subway. The Empire Beneath New York's Streets. Hosted and narrated by Jack Perkins. A&E Home Video (1994). Documentary about the history of the NYC subway.
~~~~~~~
Timothy 'Tiggy' Ticehurst. Painter born in Kent, UK, in 1965. Lives and paints in NYC. Sells his art on the street near the Metropolitan Museum. Previously worked under the names Timot and Timotoo.
~~~~~~~
Restaurant: Blue Room. 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA. Serves a world of ethnic entrees. Buffet-style brunch. Dinner.
~~~~~~~
Movie: The Perfect Storm (2000). Directed by Wolfgang Petersen; w/ George Clooney (Captain Billy Tyne), Mark Wahlberg (Bobby Shatford), Diane Lane (Christina 'Chris' Cotter; Bobby's girlfriend on shore), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Linda Greenlaw, fellow skipper). Fight of the Gloucester sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail against the 'storm of the century' that took place off the New England coast in 1991; book by Sebastian Junger; film is based on a true story (even though no member of the ship survived to tell the story).
~~~~~~~.
Video: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). First volume of J.R.R. Tolkiens fantasy story. Movie is rather disappointing.
~~~~~~~
Music: Stina Nordenstam. Swedish singer; similarities with Anja Garbarek. Voice not particularly interesting, but music is intriguing through its strangeness. Stina's web site is very well designed. Requires Shockwave Flash plugin.
~~~~~~~
Music: Skin. Former singer of British punk band Skunk Anansie. Album: Fleshwounds. Softer than S.A.
~~~~~~~
Book search engine: Fetchbook. com. With price comparison. Used and new books. Good!
~~~~~~~
Jefferson Davis (1808 - 1889): Only president of the Confederate States of America
~~~~~~~
Video: The Civil War 1861-1865 (1991). Dan Dalton Productions. Dramatic recreation of events through use of historic still photographs and early cinematic dramatizations of the war. Story of the war is told within 90 min; some of the film clips are repeated on several occassions throughout the film.
~~~~~~~

Dynamic Planet Blog
TOC: Table of Contents
August 2003

1.) Laser
2.) Brain Teaser: Cork in Glass
3.) 'Cavendish Experiment'
4.) Brain Teaser: Cork in Bucket

Cork in Bucket: Brain Teaser from Braingle

Question:
A cork, say from a wine bottle, is held by a robotic clamp at the bottom of a bucket of water and released the moment the bucket is dropped off the side of a tall building. What will happen to the cork during the fall? Will it float to the top of the bucket normally, slower than normal, faster than normal, or not at all? Assume that there is no air resistance to slow the bucket down.

HEY! DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE ANSWER! THINK ABOUT IT!

Answer:
The cork will stay at the bottom of the bucket and not float up at all during the fall, since the cork, the bucket and the water all fall at the same acceleration g (neglecting air resistance as all good physics questions do). The buoyant force of the water does not push the cork upward in this case since in free fall the buoyant force is zero. In other words, a cork only floats up when the water around it is heavier and pushes it up. In free fall the water is weightless, as is the cork and bucket, so there is no force to push the cork to the top of the bucket.

Snippets:
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ARIN WHOIS Database Search by the American Registry for Internet Numbers: Find out who an IP address belongs to.
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Video: Amelie (2001). w/ Audrey Tautou. In French with English subtitles. Introverted Paris girl spices up other people's boring life. Worth seeing!
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The 'Cavendish Experiment' can be used to determine the gravitational constant of the earth (G) using an apparatus (torsion balance) designed by geologist John Mitchell (1724-1793). It was first used and improved by Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) who, in 1798, used the results to calculate the average density of the earth. This allowed calculation of earth's mass ("weighing the earth") and G.

Other Links:
- The Mitchell-Cavendish Experiment by Laurent Hodges, Iowa State University.
- Measuring the Mass of the Earth by Donald G. York, Univ. Chicago; contains experimental setup and calculations. (requires Adobe Acrobat)

Cork in Glass: Brain Teaser from Braingle:

Question:
If a cork is put into a glass of water, the cork will almost always drift to the side of the glass. There is one simple way, however, to get the cork to float on the surface in the center of the glass. What is it? Water, the glass, and the cork are all that is required.

HEY! DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE ANSWER! THINK ABOUT IT!

Answer:
The reason that a cork drifts to the side of a glass is that it floats to the highest point. Since water "clings" to the glass, the highest point is around the edge of the water. To get the cork to float in the middle of the glass, all you have to do is fill the glass as much as possible. The water will form a convex shape above the glass, with the highest point at its center. This is where the cork will settle.


Snippets:
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Richard Feynman: Six Easy Pieces (Audio of physics lectures given in 1961/1962): When you take an apple and magnify it to the size of the earth, then the atoms in the apple are about the size of an apple.
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Notes to Book: Curt Suplee: Physics in the 20th Century (1999)

Laser = light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
Precursor: Maser = microwave amplication by stimulated emission of radiation

Microwaves have longer wavelengths and therfore less energy than visible light

Einstein: Atoms can emit photons in two different ways: spontaneous (e.g., sun, light bulbs) and stimulated (maser, laser).

When an atom is excited by a quantum energy that exactly corresponds to one of its specific allowed energy states (postulated by Niels Bohr), it absorbs the energy, but then almost immediately sheds it by emitting a photon. Variation of effect: If an electron is already in an excited state and then struck be a photon of excactly the right energy, it emits two photons. The new photon is identical to the first; each quantum of radiation is perfectly matched, meaning the new photon is exacty in phase with the one that stimulated its emission: 'coherent'.

Snippets:
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Video: "Cassatt" (Portrait of an Artist Volume 2: May Cassatt. Impressionist from Philadelphia. Produced by WNET/Thirteen for 'Women in Art' (1977), 30 min. Cassatt was, after Whistler, the most important American Impressionist Painter; she spent much time painting in Paris; she was a close friend of Degas; they thoroughly critiqued each others work; especially known for her mother-child portraits.
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Video: Big. w/ Tom Hanks. A 13-year old boy makes a wish at a fair and slips into the body of a grown-up. Funny; childish at times; Hanks plays the role real well.
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Brain-Teaser: The Flash Mind Reader. Can you find out how it works?
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Design: Ritzenhoff (in German). Lots of pictures.
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Designer: Michal Shalev, b. 1958 in Tel-Aviv, Israel; carpet and textile designs, also curtains, paper products, porcelain and shower curtains; has been working closely with such German firms as Ritzenhoff, Karstadt, Rosenthal, Design House since 1994.
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Metric System Prefixes: Exta = 10^18, Peta = 10^15, Tera = 10^12, Giga = 10^9, Mega = 10^6, Kilo = 10^3
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Dynamic Planet Blog
TOC: Table of Contents
July 2003

1.) Herman Hesse: Siddhartha
2.) Geometric Brain Teaser
3.) Mortimer J. Adler: Aristotle for Everybody
4.) Brain Teaser: Coffee with Cream

Coffee with Cream: Brain Teaser from Braingle

Question:
You are served a hot cup of coffee and room-temperature cream at a restaurant. You want to wait a few minutes before you drink the coffee, and you want it to be as hot as possible when you drink it. Should you pour the cream in the coffee:

a) Immediately
b) Just before you drink it
c) It doesn't matter

("don't add any cream" is not an option)

HEY! DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE ANSWER! THINK ABOUT IT!

Answer:
The driving force for heat transfer is temperature difference. The coffee by itself is very hot and will therefore cool down at a fast rate. Then once the cream is added the temperature will drop even more. If the cream is added immediately, then the temperature will drop initially but will then drop at a slower rate since the coffee with cream is cooler than the coffee alone and therefore the driving force for heat transfer is less. As an added bonus, adding the cream will increase the mass of the contents of the cup. A larger mass takes longer to cool down than a smaller one at the same temperature. Therefore, the cream should be added immediately.

Notes to Book: Mortimer J. Adler: Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought made Easy (1978):

• physical things: 3 dimensions: length, breadth, height; i.e., spatial dimensions, in which a body can move.



• human beings = persons: personal dimensions; i.e., directions, in which we can act as human beings: making, doing, knowing.
  
  
  • making: man, the artist or artisan: producer of goods (shoes, houses, paintings).
  
  
  • doing: man, the moral and social being; distinguish right and wrong, associate with other human beings.
  
  
  • knowing: man, the learner; acquisition of knowledge about human nature and knowledge itself.
  
  
• man is a thinker in all these dimensions, but he thinks differently in each dimension.



• Aristotle speaks about:


• maker: 'productive thinking'.


• doer: 'practical thinking'.


• knower: 'speculative' or 'theoretical' thinking.


• Heraclitus: everything changes.
  
• Parmenides (and Zeno): everything remains constant.


• Aristotle: some things change, some remain the same.



• Euclid's geometry:
  
  • definitions: points, lines, straight lines, triangles.
  
  
  • axioms: cannot bew denied; confirmation cannot be avoided; "the whole is greater than the parts", "things equal to the same thing are equal to each other".
  
  
  • postulates: assumptions that Euclid makes in order to prove the propositions that need proof "a straight line can be drawn from any point to any other point."
  
  
• Socrates was Plato's teacher, Plato was Aristotle's teacher.



• Socrates: an unexamined life is not worth living.



• Aristotle: an unplanned life is not worth examining, for an unplanned life is one in which we do not know what we are trying to do or why, and one in which we do not know where we are trying to get or how to get there. An unplanned life is also not worth living because it can not be lived well.



• A happy time is one filled with pleasures rather than pains, with satisfactions rather than dissatisfactions.



• "good" = desirable; "better" = more desirable; "best" = most desirable.



• Aristotle: these two notions -- good and desirable -- are inseparably connected; 'the good is desirable' and 'the desirable is good'.



• Moral virtue is the habit of making right choices. If the wrong choices greatly outnumber the right choices, one will steadily move in the wrong direction, away from achieving happiness instead of toward it.



• Aristotle was a great logican; he founded the science of logic.

Geometric Brain Teaser found on Aiyueh Kwan's Web Site:

If you can't solve it, please send email to dynamicplanet@yahoo.com

Hermann Hesse in 'Siddhartha' (1922): "I can think. I can wait. I can fast."

Snippets:
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Movie: The Fountainhad (1949); w/ Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal; directed by King Vidor; after the novel by Ayn Rand.
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Talk: Richard Feynman: There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom (1959). Nanotechnology. Interesting to see, how small things can get.
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Book on Tape: Richard P. Feynman: Six Easy Pieces (1994); Recordings of basic physics lectures that Feynman gave to Caltech undergrad students in 1961/1962; lectures resulted in Feynman's landmark book 'Lectures on Physics'.
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Music: The Outlaws. Country Rock from the 70's. Single: 'Green Grass and High Tides'
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Music: Tadd Dameron, jazz pianist; CD with John Coltrane: Mating Call; also included in the CD Box 'John Coltrane: The Complete Prestige Recordings'
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Word: pizzicato: by means of plucking instead of bowing strings (Merriam Webster Dictionary)
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Language: Grammar: Conjugation of German verbs: Institutio Steiger (in German)