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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