Sunday, June 26, 2005

Snippets:
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
Health: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
Shopping: Search for bargains in NYC or post your own advertisements for free at Craigslist or AM Recycler.
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
Theater: Muenchner Kammerspiele, 12/21/04: 'Miss Sara Sampson' (1755) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Tragedy. More info (in German) at Wikipedia.
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
Life: Interconvert length (cm, inches), and weights and masses.
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Snippets:
~~~~~~~
Web: Catalog of Free website providers and virtual hard drives at Freewebsitesproviders.com.
~~~~~~~
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).
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~
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).


~~~~~~~