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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