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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