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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