Snippets:
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Video: Alexander Nevsky (Aleksandr Nevskiy, 1938). B/W. Directed by Sergei M. Eisenstein (Battleship Potmekin). w/ Nikolai Cherkasov. Music by Sergei Prokofiev. 13th century Russian prince defeats an army of Teutonic knights on the frozen Lake Peipus. Extensive battle scenes. Russian propaganda movie, commissioned by Stalin. Eisenstein's first sound film. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Art: 'Masterworks from the Morgan' at the Morgan Library & Museum (formerly Pierpont Morgan Library), 225 Madison Ave @ 36th St, NYC. Re-opened April 29, 2006 after 2-year renovation. Collection of more than 350,000 objects. Books, drawings, prints, manuscripts, ancient seals and tablets etc. Many famous artists and writers. Also library and study of Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), including a hidden passage to upper bookshelves. A gem.


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DVD: Lady Sings the Blues (1972). w/ Diana Ross (Billie Holiday), Billy Dee Williams (Louis McKay), Richard Pryor (Piano Man). Directed by Sidney J. Furie. Story of Billy Holiday, her rise to fame and drug addiction. Diana Ross puts her own style into the movie, does not try to imitate Holiday. Remarkable acting for her first movie role. Story too corny at times. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: The Crucible (1996). w/ Daniel Day-Lewis (John Proctor), Winona Ryder (Abigail Williams). Directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George). After the play by Arthur Miller, who also wrote the screenplay. Story around the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Dramatic, melodramatic at times. Brilliant acting. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Real Estate: Prices: Zillow. Including price development over time.
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Photography: Pentti Sammallahti. Finnish photographer (b. 1950). Great nature shots, often with an animal or a figure in the foreground. Pictures have incredible depth.



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Photography: Ed Ruscha. American Photographer (b. 1937). Series on 'gas stations' and 'parking lots'. Raises questions on the nature of art.
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Photography: Sally Kuzma: Scans botanical objects directly on flatbed scanner, then the image is cropped, the color inverted, and the sample is layered and rotated to create a series of kaleidoscopic variations. Example: Corn Rotations (2003-06).
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Astronomy: When Halley's Coment approached the sun in May 1910, some believed it would be the end of the world when the earth passed through the comet's tails. Well, the world did not end, nor was this the last 'doomsday comet' to be seen.
~~~~~~~
Music: Find music that is similar to the one you like: Pandora and the Music Genome Project.
~~~~~~~
Music: Mario Pavone. Bass player.
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Science: Johann Joachim Becher (1635-1682), German physician, alchemist, precursor of Chemistry, scholar and adventurer. Father of the phlogiston theory.
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Art: Antoni Tàpies (b. Barcelona, 1923): Catalan painter. Considered one of the great master artists of the 20th century.
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Photography: James Balog. Fotos of large trees.
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Science: Mars Exploration: Rovers (Sprit, Opportunity), Orbiters (Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express [ESA], Mars Reconaissance Orbiter [March 10, 2006])
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Excerpt from Meditation by Venerable Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, August 21, 1997, at Ratnashri Meditation Center, Sweden: "Another type of meditation is the calm-abiding, stabilizing meditation or the Shamata meditation. There are many ways of doing the calm-abiding meditation. One easy and effective way to calm the mind is to watch the breath. Sit on a cushion or chair, relax and breathe normally. It is easy because we have to breathe anyway so we just need to be aware of it. Our breath and mind become inseparable. When the mind is somewhere else, just simply bring it back to the breath and meditate. There is no need to push, chase or feel upset. It is important to relax and do it without expectations and worries. When we have high expectations wanting to achieve all the good qualities in one session, at the end of that session, we may feel depressed. There is nothing to achieve. There is no need to achieve anything. Just be yourself, relax and sit for half an hour or so. It is just a method to train to be with our mind. When thought arises, just look at it, let it go, and not attach to it. Thinking that you have no thought is itself a thought. Thought is something very subtle and can come at any time from any direction. So there is no need to cling to it or chase it. Just be aware of it. Place our mind, without consciously adopting or abandoning, in a fluid, natural state of being here and now. Be mindful in the ever-present moment and not to wander at all from this state. When we have a sinking mind during meditation, we need to uplift ourselves by, for example, moving the head more forward instead of downward, turn on some bright light or do some walking meditation. Shamata or the calm-abiding meditation is the cause as well as the result of analytical and insightful (vipasyana) meditation." Topics for analytical meditations: 1.) Precious human life, 2.) Impermanence, 3.) Interdependent nature of every phenomenon, 4.) Loving kindness and compassion.


Snippets:
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DVD: Shackleton (2002, TV, 3 Discs). 206 min (2 parts). w/ Kenneth Branagh. Directed by Charles Sturridge (Longitude). The story of Ernest Shackleton's 1914-expedition on the 'Endurance', attempting to cross Antarctica from one side to the other on foot. After getting trapped in the ice and losing the ship, the 28-men crew survived for many months under harsh arctic conditions. Film recreates some of the photographs taken by Frank Hurley Hurley. Some emphasis is put on the Shackleton's leadership qualities. Well done. Overall rating 8 out of 10. More info on the expedition here.
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History: Photos of the San Francisco Earth Quake on April 18, 1906. Search or Browse. Vast collection. Allows large magnification of pics. Other Collections at the Bancroft Library.
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Literature: British cult authors of historical novels about the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars around Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805): C.S. Forester, Patrick O´Brian, and Alexander Kent. More recent author: Julian Stockwin.
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Art: Whitney Biennial 2006: Day for Night. Remarkable Artists: 1.) Rudolf Stingel (b. 1956): Photorealistic painting. 2.) Urs Fischer (b. 1973): Two candles at the end of rods, rotating from ceiling, intersecting paths. 3.) Kenneth Anger: ICONS 2006. Filmmaker 4.) Adam McEwen: Chewing gums on canvas, symmetrical like a Rorschach Inkblot Test. 5.) Anne Collier: Spill, 2005. "You only tell me you love me when you're drunk' 6.) Lucas de Giulio: Works with sticks found in woods and city streets. 7.) Troy Brauntuch (b. 1954): Coat of girlfriend on armchair, in B/W crayon. 8.) Marilyn Minter (b. 1948): Stepping Up, 2005. Enamel paint on metal, softened with fingers (can see finger prints). 9.) Robert Gober (b. 1954): Photographies with picture in picture. 10.) Richard Serra: Stop Bush. 11.) Zoe Strauss: Photographer, Philadelphia.
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Art: Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh. Metropolitan Museum, NYC. 3/28/06-7/9/06. 18th Dynasty (~1500 B.C.) Egyptian art around the female Pharaoh. Some pieces of great beauty. More info.



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Art: Kara Walker at the Met: After the Deluge, 3/21/06-7/30/06. Rather dissappointing.
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Art: Edvard Munch: The Modern Life of the Soul. Metropolitan Museum, NYC, 2/19/06-5/8/06. Paintings and prints of the Norwegian painter. Often displays the interior state rather than the exterior of the people in the picture. Often shows people in different phases of their life. 'Frieze of Life' is a cycle of pictures that includes many of his best-known motifs. Listened to audio tour. Memorable: The Dance of Life, Madonna, The Scream (as print), Despair. Well done exhibit.
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Theater: Cupid and Psyche, played by The Thematics Group. Altered Stages, 212 W 29th St, NYC, NY. 4/10/06-4/30/06. Contemporary comedy adapted from ancient mythological story. Some good actors. Entertaining.
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Music: Paul Meyers 'World on a String' at 55 Bar, NYC, on 4/18/06. Jazz Guitar w/ Donny McCaslin, Helio Alves, Leo Traversa, and Vanderlei Pereira. Good sound.
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DVD: Longitude (2000, TV, 2 Discs). w/ Michael Gambon (John Harrison), Jeremy Irons (Rupert Gould), Ian Hart (William Harrison, John's son). Directed by Charles Sturridge (Shackleton). Story of the clockmaker John Harrison (1693-1776) and the measurement of longitude at sea using an exact clock. After the book by Dava Sobel. The time difference between two points on the earth allows to calculate their distance and therfore the longitude of a ships position. Harrison (later with his son William) spent decades to built time pieces exact enough to detemine the position within a few miles. The film also tells of Rupert Gould (1890-1948), who restored the chronometers in the mid-20th century. Well done, although lengthy at times. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Photography: Captured in Color: Color photographs from the First World War. Includes pictures and brief bio of Frank Hurley (see above, Endurance).
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History: The Great Exhibition and the Crystal Palace in London, 1851. Display of industrial progress in early Victorian England. Includes pictures.
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Art: Per Kirkeby. Danish Expressionist painter, sculptor and writer. Born in Copenhagen, 1938. Pictures at Artcyclopedia.
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DVD: Red Dwarf. Series I. British Sci-Fi Sitcom. Starring Chris Barrie, Craig Charles. Title track composed by Howard Goodall and sung by Jenna Russell.
"It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere / I'm all alone, more or less / Let me fly far away from here / Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun / I want to lie shipwrecked and comatose / Drinking fresh mango juice / Goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes / Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun / Fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun, sun"
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Music: Sara Gazarek. Song: Yours. Jazz singer. Good voice.
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Literature: Isabella Bird (1831-1904). English traveller and writer. Wrote 'The Englishwoman in America', summarizing travels in America in 1854.
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Music: Yoik: Traditional form of song of the Sami people. The Sami are the indigenous people of Sapmi, which encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.
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Literature: Louis Auchincloss. Prolific American writer. Wrote 'Manhattan Monologues', a collection of short stories about life in the high society of 20th century New York.
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Video: The Godfather (1972). 175 min. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. w/ Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael Corleone). Adaptation of the novel of the same name, written by Mario Puzo. Story of a New York mafia family. Memorable quote: "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" (Don Vito). Lengthy at times. Good acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Exploration: David Livingstone (1813-1873). Scottish medical missionary and explorer of Central Africa. Discovered the Victoria Falls.
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Art: Franz Radziwill (1895-1983). German painter. Friends with Otto Dix.
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Music: Sweet Georgia Brown and the Blues Crusaders at 55 Bar, NYC, on 4/29/06. Blues singer. Good entertainer.
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Mathematics: Arithmetic: Opertions on numbers. Algebra: Symbols and elements, polynomals. Calculus: Integral and differential calculations.
~~~~~~~
DVD: Brokeback Mountain (2005). Directed by Ang Lee. Heath Ledger (Ennis Del Mar), Jake Gyllenhaal (Jack Twist). Great landscape pictures, but story slow and often boring. The aspect of a homosexual relationship in the wilderness makes the film unusual, but that novelty fades rather quickly. Even though the director wants it to be a love story, it remains a 'gay cowboy movie'. Dramatization seems exaggerated, and logic is not a strength of the movie. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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DVD: The Aviator (2004). 170 min. w/ Leonardo DiCaprio (Howard Hughes), Cate Blanchett (Katharine Hepburn), Kate Beckinsale (Ava Gardner). Directed by Martin Scorsese (Gangs of New York, Kundun, The Age of Innocence, The Last Temptation of Christ). Life of the Hollywood filmmaker and aviator Howard Hughes. Won 5 Academy Awards in 2005, including Cate Blanchett for Best Supporting Actress. Story too long. Acting okay, but not always great. Blanchett seems awkward in her role during the first few scenes, but gets better later on. Film takes many historical liberties. Some poor special effects. Overall rather disappointing. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Art: John Tallis was a London publisher, and one of the most popular cartographers of the 19th Century. He became famous for the very accurate and visually appealing maps that featured the extensive use of vignette views from around the World and ornamental perimeter engraving. Principal engraver and mapmaker to John Tallis was John Rapkin, renowned for his extraordinary artistic and engraving skills. Between them they produced many books of travel and exploration.
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Video: Down By Law (1986). 107 min. Tom Waits (Zack), John Lurie (Jack), Roberto Benigni (Roberto). Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth, Broken Flowers). Music by Tom Waits. Cult movie about three characters who break out of prision. Intentionally slow at times. Funny moments. Good acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Art: Fitz Hugh (Henry) Lane, 1804–65, American painter and printmaker, mostly ships and coastal panoramas. Painted 'New York Harbor 1852'. Some additional info at Engines of our Ingenuity No. 1804. Lane was a leading figure of luminism, an American art movement of the 19th century. and an outgrowth of the Hudson River school. Luminism wanted to capture the effects of light and atmosphere. It is sometimes linked to impressionism. Besides Lane, its practitioners included Frederick E. Church (in his early career), John F. Kensett, Sanford R. Gifford, and Martin Johnson Heade.
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DVD: Master and Commander (2003). 138 min. w/ Russel Crow (Capt. Jack Aubrey), Paul Bettany (Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon) . Directed by Peter Weir (Green Card, Dead Poets Society). After the novels by Patrick O'Brian. Won two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing). The British war vessel 'Surprise' chases the French 'Acheron' off the coast of South America. Capt. Jack Aubrey demonstrates leadership to keep the crew together. Great cinematography. Story is straightforward. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Dewey Redman (born 1931): Free jazz saxophonist. Collaborations with Ornette Coleman (1968-1972) and Keith Jarrett (1971-1976, e.g. on 'The Impulse Years, 1973-1974'), and member of 'Old And New Dreams' led by Don Cherry. Also on '80/81' by Pat Metheny Group. Father of tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman.
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Book: Richard Green Parker (1798-1869): A school compendium of natural and experimental philosophy. Editions 1850 and 1856. Comment on the 1871 edition by George Plympton in 'Engines of our Ingenuity'.
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DVD: Basic Instinct (1992). w/ Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop). Evil woman (Stone) plays games with adventurous detective (Douglas) who is trying to reveal her as a murderer. Suspenseful balance of crime, violence, sex, and trust. Sharon stome plays her role as a temptress well. However, plot moves too slowly at times, and some things are made too obvious. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Music: Jal Tarang: Indian classical instrument. Essentially a water-xylophone. Made up of a series of china bowls of varying sizes filled with varying levels of water. Played with two light sticks.
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DVD: City of God (Cidade de Deus, 2002). Brazilian film. w/ Alexandre Rodrigues (Rocket), Phellipe Haagensen (Benny). Young man dreams of becoming a photographer while trying to survive drugs, crime, and gang violence in the favela (slums) of Rio de Janeiro. Spans three decades (60s, 70s, and 80s) and brilliantly crystallizes each main character. Contains some extreme violence. Many of the actors are actually from the favela. Most memorable is the scene where Li'l Ze chastises the Runts. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat, 2001). Directed by Zacharias Kunuk. Written by Paul Apak Angilirq. w/ Natar Ungalaaq (Atanarjuat). Retelling an Inuit legend with Inuit actors, in Inuktitut with English subtitles. Inuit tribe in the Arctic ice struggles with a magic spell that brings disord and murder. The hero Artanarjuat runs for his life naked over the ice but later returns for his revenge. Rather slow plot, but very unusual, exotic film. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Life: Customer Service: Get Human is a database that lists tips and tricks how to get a human being on the phone quickly when calling custumer service.
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DVD: For A Few Dollars More (1965). 132 min. w/ Clint Eastwood (Monco), Lee Van Cleef (Col. Douglas Mortimer), Gian Maria Volonte (El Indio). Directed by Sergio Leone. Original Music by Ennio Morricone. Bona fide Western about two bounty hunters who decide to capture the most vicious gang in the area. Cool movie. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Buying Used (and New) Books Online:

1.) U.S.:

• A1Books: New and used books. Provides seller ratings and comments by buyers. Also has DVDs.
  
• AddAll: Meta engine. New and used books. Sorted by overall price. Provides shipping cost.
  
• Alibris: New and used. Also has music and movies.
  
• Amazon.com: New and used. Much more than just books.
  
• Barnes & Noble: New and used. Books and music.
  
• Barnes & Noble Professional, Technical & Business Bookstore: Specialized.
  
• BiblioFind/Amazon: Rare books on Amazon.com.
  
• BibliOz: Australian site. Mostly stocked in U.S. or U.K.
  
• Book Closeouts: New bargain books. Smaller selection.
  
• BookFinder: Meta engine. Separates new and used in tables. Only search by Author or Title.
  
• Books A Million: Supposed to be cheaper than Amazon.
  
• Ebay: Auction or 'Buy it now'.
  
• Powells: New and used.

2.) International:

• ABE Books: New and used. In German.
  
• Amazon.co.uk: New and used. Books and music.
  
• Amazon.de: New and used. Books and music. In German.
  
• Amazon.fr: New and used. Books and music. In French.
  
• Antbo: Antiquarian Books Online. Antiquarian books, autographs, graphics, musical scores and records.
  
• AntiqBook: Heavy on European antiquarians.
  
• BookLooker: In German. New and used. Shipping info included. Also has music and movies.
  
• ChooseBooks: Formerly ZVAB.
  
• Comenius Antiquariat: Meta Engine. Links to SFB.at.
  
• Eurobuch (SFB.at): Meta engine.
  
• Libri.de: New books, audioboooks, MP3-books, DVD/videos. In German.
  
• Zeusman: Central European engine. In German.

3.) Engine Lists:

• All Search Engines
  
• Bibliomania
  
• Search Engine Z
  
• University of Louisiana, Monroe

Snippets:
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Mathematics: John Forbes Nash Jr (b. 1928): American mathematician. Game theory and differential geometry. Nobel Prize in Economics 1994. Schizophrenia. Movie: A Beautiful Mind (2001); directed by Ron Howard; starring Russel Crowe. Criticized for its inaccurate portrayal of Nash's life and schizophrenia.
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DVD: The Alamo (2004). 137 min. w/ Dennis Quaid (Sam Houston), Billy Bob Thornton (Davy Crockett), Jason Patric (James Bowie), Patrick Wilson (William Travis), Emilio Echevarría (Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana). Directed by John Lee Hancock. Reenacting the 13-day Mexican siege of the Alamo in 1836 during the Texan Revolution, culminating in Sam Houston's successful battle at San Jacinto (yelling "Remember the Alamo."), and the independence of Texas. Extensive movie set. Good cinematography. Claims to be historically accurate. Turgid at times. Bowie is the designer of the Bowie Knife. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Howard Hughes: The Real Aviator (2002). Shout Factory. Biography of the Hollywood producer, pilot, business man, and playboy. Passion for aviation. Phobias and madness in later life. Contains interviews with close friends. Pictures of the 'Constellation' (beginning of commercial aviation) and the 'Flying Boat' (world's largest plane: H-4 Hercules, Spruce Goose). After Hughe's death the Howard Hughes Medical Institute was founded and inherited his entire fortune for medical resarch purposes.
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Video: The Canterbury Tales I (The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Knight's Tale, The Wife of Bath's Tale) and II (The Merchant's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale, The Franklin's Tale) (2000). 2 x 30min. Animated short films depicting stories from the collection by Geoffrey Chaucer. Mixture of model animation and tradtional sketch work. Voices of actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nominated for Academy Award (Best Short Film, Animated) in 1999. Won Emmy in 1999. Bizarre characters. Modern. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Video: Search for the Great Apes (1975). 60 min. National Geographic Video. Features the field work of two women scientists expanding the knowledge on apes. 1.) Birute Galdikas-Brindamour in Borneo with orangutans. 2.) Diane Fossey in central Africa with mountain gorilllas. Documents the conditions in the rain forest and thei scientists work. Well done.
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Theater: All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The Duke on 42nd St, 229 W 42nd St, NYC. Feb 26, 2006, 7:00 PM. w/ Kate Forbes (Helena), Lucas Hall (Bertram), Laurie Kennedy (Countess of Rosillion), George Morfogen (The King of France). Woman loves man of higher rank, and marries him against his will through a good deed. He escapes, vowes that he will never be hers, but she tricks him into accepting her as a wife. Unusual story for a Shakespeare play. There is a some good and bad in every character. Good acting.
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DVD: The Quiet American (2002). 101 min. w/ Michael Caine (Thomas Fowler), Brendan Fraser (Alden Pyle), Do Thi Hai Yen (Phuong). Directed by Phillip Noyce. After the book by Graham Greene. Vietnam under French rule in 1952. British journalist (Caine) meets an American medical aid worker (Fraser), who steals his beautiful girlfriend and turns out to be an agent for the CIA. Interesting anti-American view on American activities in Vietnam before the Vietnam war. Good acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Lene Marlin: Singer-songwriter from Norway. First album: Playing My Game (1999). Sounds somewhat like Dido.
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Life: Belvedere Castle: Central Park, NYC: 'Recording, Remebering'.
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DVD: The Eel (jap.:Unagi, 1997). 117 min. Directed by Shohei Imamura. w/ Kôji Yakusho (Takuro Yamashita; appearance in Tampopo), Misa Shimizu (Keiko Hattori). White-color worker kills his wife in rage after finding her with another man. After 8 years in prison, he tries to start a new, quiet life in a small town, but falls in love with a younger woman that reminds him of his wife. Story well told, with a certain degree of unpredictability. Good acting. Fight sequence is rather funny. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Technology: Alexander Bain (1811-1877): Clockmaker, inventor. Invented an electric clock, the electric printing telegraph and the first fax machine. Was unsuccessful in capitalizing on his capabilities. "[...} creating ideas and making money are two separate human enterprises. Bain managed only the idea part." (Engines of our Ingenuity No. 2069)
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Philospohy: Alexander Bain (1818-1903). Scottish philosopher and educationalist. Different from the inventor (see above). Wrote 'Moral science: a compendium of ethics'.
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Snippets:
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Shopping: Price Engine: Street Prices.
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Art: MoMA: Jan. 6, 2006: 1.) Elisabeth Murray. Paintings on three dimensional convasses. Shape shifter. 2.) Beyond the Visible: The Art of Odilon Redon. Creepy. 3.) Pixar: 20 years of Animation.
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Literature: World Wide School. Dedicated to the collection, preservation and presentation of educational material.
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DVD: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). w/ Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). Directed by Chris Columbus. During Harry's second year at Hogwarts, he rescues lives and ultimately the continuity of the entire school. Action driven, suspenseful at times. Some cheesy moments. Memorable quote: 'It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.' (Albus Dubledore). Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). 75 min. w/ Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesiger. Directed by James Whale. Cheesy, melodramatic horror classic about the making of a mate for Frankenstein's monster. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Poetry: Lord George Gordon (Noel) Byron (1788-1824). Anglo-Scottish poet and leading figure in Romanticism. Most famous poems: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan (unfinished). In life, Byron featured extravagant living and numerous love affairs. Was friends with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author of 'Frankenstein'. Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont had a liaison with Lord Byron.
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Video: The Silk Road: Across the Taklamakan Desert (1990). 55 min. Music by Kitaro. Central Park Media. Taklamakan means 'The place from which nothing living returns!' Visit to the ancient Buddhist city of Miran, southwest of the legendary kingdom Lou-lan in Northern China, and the ruins of Niya. Niya is believed to have flourished from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD, and is one of the largest ruins of the city states that were scattered along the ancient Silk Road about 1,500 years ago. Rediscovered in 1901 by the British explorer Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943.)
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Art: Michael Joo: Still Lives. September 23, 2005 - February 4, 2006. Bohen Foundation, 415 W 13th St, NYC. Mixed media installation commisioned by the Bohen Foundation. New York premier of 'Circannual Rhythm (piblotok) in a 48ft-wide nine image projection, which follows the artist's journey along the Alaskan pipeline. In addition, the center of the installation is a spiral formation of sculptures that cascades from the ceiling through the wall in the middle space, then through the floor. On the lower, level small monitors, showing live video images from the room above, replace the sculptures.
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Photography: Felice Frankel. Science photographer at MIT. Gallery at Science and the City.
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Literature: Mica Garen & Marie-Hélène Carleton: American Hostage: A Memoir of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq and the Remarkable Battle to Win His Release. Strory at BBC.
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Theater: Off-Off-Broadway Review (obbr): Listings and reviews.
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Music/Audio: Freesound Project: Post, find, listen to and download common and artificial sounds. Includes Search engine for similar and dissimilar sounds. 'Geotagged Samples' may not work with Internet Explorer. Firefox recommended.
~~~~~~~
Video: The Third Man (1949). 104 min. w/ Joseph Cotten (Rollo Martins), Alida Valli (Anna Schmidt), Orson Welles (Harry Lime). Directed by Carol Reed. Story and screenplay by Graham Greene. Man in post-war Vienna tries to solve the murder of a long-time friend. Film noir. A classic. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 1400): English poet. Best known for 'The Canterbury Tales'. Considered the beginning of English literature.
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Video: Kumonosu jô (Throne of Blood, 1957). 105 min. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. w/ Toshirô Mifune (Taketori Washizu), Isuzu Yamada (Lady Asaji Washizu). Free-flowing adaptation of Shakespeares 'Macbeth'. Ambitious fighter meets evil spirit who foretells him a successful future, but also his demise. He cannot excape his fate. Intriguing version of a classic tale. Yamada is spooky. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Quote: "Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like." by Ernest Benn (1875-1954), British publisher.
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Life: Tea: Mighty Leaf. Handcrafted tea pouches. e.g., Organic Mint Melange.
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Travel: GotoBus. Bus tours and travels by bus, e.g., New York - Boston.
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Life: Tips for Rental Issues
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Video: The Living Edens: Borneo (1998). Approx. 60 min. PBS Home Video. Executive Poducers: Alex Gregory and Dennis B. Kane. Stunning pictures of the mountains, caves, rain forrest, and reefs of the third largest island in the world (after Greenland an New Guinea). Natural habitat for the Bornean orangutan, the Asian elephant, and the Sumatran rhinoceros and other almost extinct species. Politically, Borneo is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and more than half of the rain forrest has been sacrificed to commerce.
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Music: Sapphiel's Fall. British rock/pop band. Corrent album: "Life Half Lived". Recorded at Northampton's, Fitdog Studios.
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Astronomy: Meteorites are best found in deserts like the Sahara or Antarctica, because they appear different from their surroundings in these landscapes.
~~~~~~~

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851):
Rain, Steam and Speed - The Great Western Railway (1844).

Snippets:
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Music: Jens Lekman. Swedish singer/songwriter. Some hilarious lyrics.
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Music: Mrs. Pilgrimm (nee Sophie Williams). Cello, vocals. Signed at Hinterhoff Records. Experimental singer/songwriter. Current CD: Alone Queen.
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Music: 75 Minutes. Weekly podcast from NYC on independent music.
~~~~~~~
Music: Rob Wilkerson. Talented jazz saxophonist.
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Music: Phroyter (Shiny Thing). Scottish indie band, now out of Vancouver, Canada. Favorite song: 'There's Always Someone Else'.
~~~~~~~
Music: Samantha Murphy. American singer/songwriter. Born in Hawaii to Australian parents. Also has her own Podcast called SMtv. Album: 'Somewhere between Starving and Stardom'.
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Theater: Monthy Python's Spamalot. Sam S. Shubert Theater, NYC. Losely base on the movie 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail '. Book and lyrics by Eric Idle. Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. w/ Simon Russell Beale as King Arthur. Lauren Kennedy as Lady of the Lake. Winner Tony Award 2005 (Best Musical). Memorable quote: 'Fetchez la vache'. Unusual combination of Broadway acting and silly comedy. Does not take itself seriously. Entertaining.
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Technology: iTTUSB. USB Turntable from Ion. Helps to convert vinyl records to CD. Includes Audacity as recording software. No drivers needed.
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DVD: Monthy Python's Flying Circus. Episodes 1, 2, & 3 from Season 1. 1969-70. Classic comedy. Includes Bicycle Repair Man.
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DVD: Alaska. Spirit of the Wild (1997). 40 min. Director and co-producer: George Casey. Narrated by Charlton Heston. As presented in IMAX Theaters. Intriguing wild life pictures.
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DVD: The Bourne Supremacy (2004). 108 min. w/ Matt Damon. Directed by Paul Greengrass. Novel by Robert Ludlum. Jason Bourne seeks revenge when his girlfriend gets killed. Movie offers nothing new compared to its predecessor. Pointless. Boring. Waste of time. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Music: Karmyn Tyler. Vocalist from Texas. Also does commercials, theater, film and TV. Great voice, but do not always agree with her selection of tunes. Also has made a jazz album.
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Video: Citizen Kane (1941). 119 min. w/ Orson Welles. Directed by Orson Welles. Rise and fall of a newspaper giant. Inspired by the life of William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951). Probably an important movie for its time. Dramatic portrait of a powerful man, but too obvious and predictable at times. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Video: The Madness of King George (1994). 107 min. Nigel Hawthorne (George III), Helen Mirren (Queen Charlotte). Story of the mental illnes of King George III, presumbably caused by porphyria. Good acting. Funny at times. Dwells on one theme for too long. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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Computer: Sysinternals. Provides advanced utilities, technical information, and source code related to various versions of MS Windows.
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Literature: Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972). Japanese writer. Nobel Prize in Literature 1968. Often balance of beautiful and sad impressions. Kawabata committed suicide in 1972, but left no note of explanation.
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Snippets:
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DVD: Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance (1983). 87 min. Directed by Godfrey Reggio. Music by Philip Glass. A piece of art, telling a story of nature, man, and technology. No actors, no words, just a stream of images and music. Most scenes might just as well be still photographs. Large portion of the film is made in time lapse mode, showing motions in accelerated fashion, thereby creating interesting effects. Title from Hopi Indian language: ko-yaa-nis-qa-tsi: n. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrating. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living. Life out of balance. Some spectacular scenes, but too long at times. The music is rather annoying, repetitive and monotonous. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Literature: Librivox. Free audio books of classics recorded by amateur readers. Good selection.
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Art/Science: Bodies: The Exhibition. Southstreet Seaport at the Exhibition Center, NYC. $24.50. Showcase of human bodies, body parts and organs, preserved and prepared through a procedure called plastination. Principle: Remove water and fats from the tissue and replace them with polymers, through an intermediate step using acetone. Acetone is replaced by polymer in a vaccum chamber ('forced vacuum impregnation'). Complete exchange takes few days for thin slices, but weeks for whole bodies. Technique developed by Gunther von Hagens, Germany, in 1978. Von Hagens exhibits his specimen in different venues.
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Thought: Two useful qualities: Diversity and moderation.
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DVD: Million Dollar Baby (2004). 132 min. Directed by Clint Eastwood. w/ Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman. Woman (Swank) is determined to become a boxing champion, and is supported by a headstrong trainer (Eastwood). Story takes a U-turn, when she gets severely injured during a fight. Movie well done, but too focused on boxing genre. Some critical points (e.g. assisted suicide) are treated too superficially. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Poetry: Poetry Archive. Collection of poets reading their own work. Also some historic readings. Unfortunately, audio is not downloadable.
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Technology: Skype. Free Internet phone. Also, with SkypeOut, an ordinary phone line can be called, and with SkypeIn, customer receives a regular phone number to be called by any phone. Charges apply.
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Science: Oliver Sacks, a neurologist at New York University (NYU), Mt. Sinai Medical Center, is preparing a new book on memory and music. Recent interview at Science Friday. Described Clive Wearing, who suffers from severe amnesia since a herpes simplex encephalitis in 1985. Can only remember the last 5-30 seconds. Lives entirely in the present. Curiously, his musical memory is intact, i.e. he can play entire tunes on the piano, and even conduct an orchestra.
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Medicine: Cognitive reserve and lifestyle. "The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) suggests that innate intelligence or aspects of life experience like educational or occupational attainments may supply reserve, in the form of a set of skills or repertoires that allows some people to cope with progressing Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology better than others. There is epidemiological evidence that lifestyle characterized by engagement in leisure activities of intellectual and social nature is associated with slower cognitive decline in healthy elderly and may reduce the risk of incident dementia. There is also evidence from functional imaging studies that subjects engaging in such leisure activities can clinically tolerate more AD pathology. It is possible that aspects of life experience like engagement in leisure activities may result in functionally more efficient cognitive networks and therefore provide a CR that delays the onset of clinical manifestations of dementia." Scarmeas N, Stern Y., J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2003 Aug;25(5):625-33.
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Draußen stehen und zugleich drinnen,
ergreifen und umgriffen werden,
schauen und das Geschaute selbst sein,
halten und gehalten werden:
das ist das Ziel.
Dort verharrt der Geist in Ruhe
Und ist eins mit der Ewigkeit.

(Meister Eckhart)


Snippets:
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King Arthur (2004). 126 min. w/ Clive Owen (Arthur), Ioan Gruffudd (Lancelot), Keira Knightley (Guinevere). Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Fictious story showing Arthur as a Roman centurio, before becoming king and how he met Guinevere, and fought the pagan Saxons. Plenty of factual and historical inaccuracies and inconsistencies despite claims about the 'historical Arthur' made at the beginning of the film. Mediocre acting, although Gruffudd is remarkable. Interesting new approach, but failed to deliver. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Literature: The Mabinogion (pronounced 'Mabin-OGion')is an assembly of Welsh Storys that were taken from two ancient books called the 'Red Book of Hergest' and the earlier 'The White Book of Rhydderch'. They tell the storys of people in celtic times around 500 BC. Mabinogion means 'tales of youth'. Also available as TXT at Project Gutenberg. Further info on The Mabinogion.
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Music: Nellie McKay (pronounced 'mi-KAI', b. 1984). Signed with Columbia Records. Vocals and piano. Inriguing lyrics. First album: Get away from me (2004). New album 'Pretty Little Head' featuring duets with Cyndi Lauper and k.d. lang will be released January 3, 2006.
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Music: Amplifico. From Edinburgh, Scottland. Donna Maciocia (vocals, piano, guitar), Brett Allan (bass), Ross Kilgour (guitar) and Dave Brunton (drums). Reminds of a mixture of Portishead, Rainbirds, Nelly Furtado, and Cranberries. Unsigned band, distibutes recordings over the Internet. Current albums: Hometakes Volume 1, Hometakes Volume 2. Also some demo material on the web site. Some great songs, e.g. All Your Sins.
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Music: Hurdy gurdy: a stringed musical instrument; strings are arranged such that they can all be vibrated by a rotating wheel.
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News: Watching America: reflects global opinion about the United States, helping Americans and non-Americans alike understand what the world thinks of current issues that involve the U.S. This is done by providing news and views about the United States published in other countries.
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Snippets:
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Computer/Music/Art: NYT Circuits, December 1, 2005: 'Computer-Generated Wonder' by David Pogue. About 'Animusic' a set of DVDs of computer-generated, photorealistic animation music videos. Envision a futuristic, 3D-computer generated version of the automatic piano playing in the hotel lobby by itself. Created by Wayne Lytle, who uses custom-written software, called Animusic Studio, that generates the animation automatically when fed a MIDI file of his music. Therefore, every audio note has a video correlate. Video clips on the Animusic webseite.
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Video: Mansfield Park (1999). w/ Frances O'Connor (Fanny Price), Alessandro Nivola (Henry Crawford), Jonny Lee Miller (Edmund Bertram). Directed by Patricia Rozema. After the novel by Jane Austen. Young girl is given away by her impoverished parents to live with wealthy realtives. There she grows up to be a beautiful and educated, but shy young woman (O'Connor). She refuses a proposal for marriage from a man (Nivola) she does not trust, realizing that her heart belongs to one of the sons of the family (Miller). Some great dialogues, good tempo. Humourous moments. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Literature: Andreas Capellanus (Andrew the Chaplain): 'De amore'. Influential handbook on love, written ~ 1184-86. Main points at the Internet Medieval Source Book. Other excerpts. Ideas partly based on Ovid's 'Art of Love'. First came to the attention of critics in a famous article by Gaston Paris named "Etudes sur le roman de la table ronde. Lancelot du Lac. II Le conte de la Carette," Romania XII (1883), 459ff. Gaston Paris also popularized the label 'courtly love' (amour cortois) for this form of courtship. This phrase was rare in the Middle Ages, while 'Fin amour', 'Minne', and, in English "trwe love," were more common.
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History: Peace of Augsburg (Augsburger Religionsfriede), signed by Ferdinand I. in September 1555. Ended the religious wars. Legalized Lutheranism, laying down the rule, later epitomized in the phrase cuius regio, 'eius religio' (“he who governs the territory decides its religion”). Each ruler in the empire - i.e., each prince or city government - could opt for either the Roman Catholic or the Lutheran religion (jus reformandi) and that this choice was binding on everyone under that ruler's jurisdiction. Only one faith could legitimately exist in a given state, and that faith had to be the ruler's and could be only Catholicism or Lutheranism. Calvinism, Zwinglianism, and Anabaptism were excluded. A subject unwilling to live by this choice was free to emigrate and take his belongings with him (a provision considered liberal at the time).
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Snippets:
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DVD: Chasing Amy (1997). 113 min. Written and directed by Kevin Smith. w/ Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams. Third installment in the 'New Jersey Trilogy'. Comic book artist falls in love with lesbian and thereby jeopardizes the relationship with his best male friend. Dialog-heavy, some strong language, funny moments. Some mediocre acting. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Technology: Fab Lab: abbreviation for Fabrication Laboratory, a group of off-the-shelf, industrial-grade fabrication and electronics tools, such as a laser cutter and milling machine to carve out two- and three-dimensional parts, a sign cutter for creating graphics or plotting flexible electronic circuits, and electronic assembly tools. Overall price tag ~$25,000. Gives users the ability to locally conceptualize, design, develop, fabricate and test almost anything. Allows design and fabrication at micron length and microsecond time scales. Fab Labs have been installed in various locations around the world by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), guided by the MIT physicist and computer scientist Neil Gershenfeld from the Center for Bits and Atoms. Also see Yahoo News article 'Fab Labs Unshackle Imaginations', Nov. 6, 2005, and a lecture in 'The Digital Future'(video stream) available, a series from the Library of Congress, on March 28, 2005. Neil Gershenfeld has also published an article in Scientific American (draft here) on Internet Zero ("Internet 0" or "I0"). Internet Zero presents an architecture for "interdevice internetworking." This system promises to fully network our computers with our environments using a unified protocol based on Internet Protocol (IP).
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DVD: The Bourne Identity (2002). 119 min. Directed by Doug Liman. Novel by Robert Ludlum. w/ Matt Damon, Franka Potente. Jason Bourne (Damon) lost his memory and is trying to find out who he is with the help of a woman (Potente) he meets. Both are chased by the CIA, slowly uncoverying Bourne's former life. Good acting. Good cinematography. Good car chase sequence in a 'Mini'. Ending too shallow. DVD also provides alternate beginning & ending, but it's not much better. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Computer: How To Build A PC - A Computer Building Guide by Rob Williams. Also has tips about hard drive upgrades.
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Video: Cold Mountain (2003). 154 min. w/ Jude Law (Inman), Nicole Kidman (Ada Monroe), Renee Zellweger (Ruby Thewes). Directed and screenplay by Anthony Minghella (The English Patient). After the book by Charles Frazier. During the American Civil War, the deserted Confederate soldier Inman is on his way to Cold Mountain, NC, where Ada is awaiting him while she is learning from the boyish Ruby how to run a farm. Love story in historic setting. Zellweger received an Oscar for Best Supportuing Actress. Entertaining. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Life: Chautauqua: 1.) geographical name: Lake Chautauqua, 18 miles long in SW New York. 2.) Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY; founded on the belief that everyone 'has a right to be all that he can be -- to know all that he can know.' Flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries providing popular education combined with entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts, and plays often presented outdoors or in a tent. A Pat Metheny album from 1979 is entitled 'New Chautauqua'.
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Music: Wilco: Rock-Pop-Country band around Jeff Tweedy (from Uncle Tupelo), founded in 1994/95. Wilco in Concert on NPR.
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Music: Orenda Fink. Pop. Sg: Bloodline. Debut solo album: Invisible Ones. Also member of the duo Azure Ray.
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DVD: Chaos (2001). Directed by Coline Serreau. w/ Vincent Lindon, Catherine Frot, Rachida Brakni. French w/ English subtitles. A married middle class couple encounter prostitute who is being chased and beaten. While the husband cares little, the wife nurses her and gets to know her terrifying story. Revenge lurks. A good story to tell. Too long in some parts. A good look at native French vs. immigrants. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Clarissa (1991). 2 DVDs with 97 and 104 min. 4 parts. BBC/TV. Novel by Samuel Richardson (1689-1761). Directed by Robert Bierman. w/ Sean Bean (Robert Lovelace), Saskia Wickham (Clarissa Harlowe). Virtuous girl refuses to marry the man her family has sought out for her, gets 'rescued' by a playboy who tries all tricks to get her into bed. Only her death is her revenge. The story starts somewhat cheerful but only goes downhill from there. Clarissa's naivity gets annoying after a while. Film is much too long, melodramatic, depressing. Dwells too long on Lovelace's advances, becomes monotonous. Great costumes though, and some fine acting. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Art: Reg(inald) Butler (1913-1981). British sculptor. Welding in Iron, later modelling in clay or plaster and casting the models in a thin light weight bronze. Biographical info. Some works at the Tate Collection, London.
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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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Snippets:
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From September 17 to 25, 2005, from 8 am to 8 pm every day, the Whitney and Minetta Brook, a New York-based arts organization that presents innovative public art projects, launched 'Floating Island to Travel Around Manhattan Island' by Robert Smithson. Never realized during Smithson’s lifetime, although attempts were made, Floating Island is a project that involves a 30-x-90-foot barge, landscaped with earth, rocks, and native trees and shrubs that will circumnavigate Manhattan. The fabricated "island," towed by a small tugboat, was on view two weekends in September, visible to millions of residents, commuters, and visitors along the Hudson and East Rivers. Smithson developed the concept for Floating Island in 1970 —the same year he created his best- known work, the ambitious earthwork Spiral Jetty at Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
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Photography: Daniel Forster. Some awsome sailing pics. Mirror at Yachtphoto.com
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Music: David Byrne web site, including info on his music and films, and an online journal.
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Philosophy: Steven Galt Crowell, Rice University, Houston, TX. Currently Joseph and Joanna Nazro Mullen Professor of Philosophy and Professor of German Studies. Wrote chapter on Existentialism at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
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Video: Giant (1956). 201 min. w/ Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Lynnton Benedict), Rock Hudson (Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.), James Dean (Jett Rink). Directed by George Stevens. After the novel by Edna Ferber. Won Oscar (Best Director: George Stevens). Saga of a family on a ranch in Texas in the mid 20th century. Remarkably modern, touching on racial and women's rights issues, but also telling the story of a father trying to follow family tradition. James Dean plays the antagonist who rises to fame and fortune first, but can't find happiness. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Computer: Podcast search engines and directories: 1.) Podcast Bunker 2.) Odeo 3.) Podcast Charts 4.) Yahoo Podcasts 5.) Podcasting News 6.) Podcast.net 7.) Learn Out Loud 8.) Small World Podcast
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Music: Red Raspus Radio. Includes Seattle Jazz Scene.
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Literature: Icelandic Sagas. The word 'saga' originallly described a prose narrative recorded in Iceland in the 12th and 13th centuries of historic or legendary figures and events of the heroic age of Norway and Iceland.
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Literature: Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL): Collection of some of the most important literary works of Classical and Medieval civilization.
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Science: Science & the City by the New York Academy of Sciences. Exhibits, Lectures, Art, Film, Performance etc.
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Poetry: Representative Poetry Online (RPO), hosted by the University of Toronto Libraries. Collection of poems, neatly organized.
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Quotation: "[...] much of the force as well as grace of arguments or instructions, depends on their conciseness." Alexander Pope (1688-1744) in the explanation to 'An Essay on Man'.
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Mythology: Tiresias (also transliterated as Teiresias) was a blind male prophet in Greek mythology. While he could still see, he was transformed into a woman for seven years. In Oedipus the King (by Sophocles) Oedipus calls upon Tiresias to aid in the investigation of the killing of his father Laius. Tiresias refuses to give a direct answer and instead hints that the killer is someone Oedipus really does not wish to find. Tiresias is also mentioned in 'The Cinema Show' by Genesis: "Take a little trip back with father Tiresias / Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through / I have crossed between the poles, for me there's no mystery / Once a man, like the sea I raged / Once a woman, like the earth I gave / But there is in fact more earth than sea."
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Video: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). w/ Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst. Directed by Michel Gondry. Written by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry. Man falls in love with woman. When woman has all memories of him erased (a leap into sci-fi), he is heart-broken and wants to do the same, but changes his mind during the procedure. Film scences are not chronological, making it somewhat interesting but also harder to follow. Great idea, but dwells too long on the same theme. Acting is as good as you can expect from the main cast. Overall rating: 5 out of 10. The movie title is a line from the poem 'Eloisa to Abelard' (1717) by Alexander Pope (1688–1744). Commentary on the poem at The Literary Encyclopedia.
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Art: The artist and designer Roger Dean painted most of the album covers for the rock band 'Yes'.
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Music: Alan Ferber, trombone, from the San Fracisco Bay area. Some intriguing tunes on his album "Scenes From An Exit Row" (Alan Ferber Nonet)
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DVD: Discoveries...America: Pennsylvania. Bennett-Watt HD Productions. Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Wharton Esherick, Covered Bridges, Pittsburgh, Lake Erie, Painted Barns, Amish Lifestyle.
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Snippets:
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Idea: What we like or dislike is not what it is, but how we see it.
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DVD: Before Sunrise (1995). 101 min. w/ Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy. Directed by Richard Linklater. Jesse and Celine meet on a train to Vienna, spend one night together in the streets, and exchange their points of view on life, love, and the rest of the world. Dialog heavy, just like 'Before Sunset'. Some great lines, some good ideas. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Video: A Walk through Hoboken with David Hartman and Historian Barry Lewis. In association with the Hoboken Historical Museum. Program by Thirteen WNET New York. Tour of the sites here. Informative history of the little town an the Hudson River.
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DVD: Eyes Wide Shut (1999). 159 min. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jealous physician and his wife, each alone and in their own way, embark on a psychosexual journey. Acting is not bad for a change. Story keeps you attentive. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Video: The World According to John Coltrane (1991). 59 min. Documentary. w/ Roscoe Mitchell (from Art Ensemble of Chicago), Rashied Ali, Tommy Flanagan, Alice Coltrane, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, La Monte Young. Some great video recordings of Trane. Interviews with fellow musicians.
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DVD: Being John Malkovich (1999). 112 min w/ John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze. Gifted street puppeteer Craig Schwartz gets job as a filing clerk on floor 7 1/2, and there discovers a 'portal' to the head of the actor John Malkovich, actually becoming him for a short period of time. He and his pretty office mate start a small business on that unusual find, while his wife reconsiders her sexuality. Intelligent. Original. Funny. Lags a little behind in acting. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Puzzle: Sudoku. Rules: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Can befound in many newspapers.
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Movie: 9/9/05: Broken Flowers (2005). 106 min. w/ Bill Murray (Don Johnston), Jeffrey Wright (Winston). Directed by Jim Jarmusch (Night on Earth). Depressed, rich bachelor after being left by his girlfriend, receives an unsigned letter stating that he has a son. Incited by his neighbor, he visits four of his past girlfriends to find clues on who could be the mother. Rather bizarre movie, depressing at times, but also funny. Could have more effort into the ending. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Kaki King at Joe's Pub, NYC, on 9/14/05. Plays guitar, violently at times. Unique style. Some songs are sheets of music. Performed with drums (Dan) and Harp (Katie). Creative. Has dry humor. Sparse with words. CDs: Everybody loves you (2003). Legs to make us longer (2004).
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DVD: Dark City (1998). 100 min. w/ Rufus Sewell (John Murdoch), William Hurt (Inspector Frank Bumstead), Kiefer Sutherland (Dr. Daniel Schreber), Jennifer Connelly (Emma Murdoch/Anna), Richard O'Brien (Mr. Hand). Directed by Alex Proyas (I, Robot). Alienshold humans hostage and control their memories in a constantly changing artificial city to study their soul. Good special effects. Interesting story, but very dystopic. 'Shell Beach' and the search for it, becomes a symbol of freedom. Kiefer Sutherland is the son of Donald Sutherland. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Shopping: 1.) Jersey Gardens: Outlet mall near Newark Airport (Exit 13A off I-95). 2.) Outlets in Secaucus, NJ, Outlets at the Cove, Harmon Cove Outlet Center, and others.
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Video: Get Carter (1971). w/ Michael Caine (Jack Carter). Directed by Mike Hodges. London gangster Jack Carter travels to Newcastle to investigate the death of his borther, and piece after piece uncovers a pornography ring. British gangster genre movie with sex, crime, deception, and revenge. Nobody wins in the end. Too sluggish over long stretches and story not always easy to follow. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Adaptation (2002). w/ Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper. Directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich). Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Based on the book by Susan Orlean. Tells the story of the screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who encounters major difficulties to adapt the book 'The Orchid Thief' into a movie script. A movie about its own creation. Innovative idea. Great dialogs. A little bit of everything. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: Lost in Translation (2003). w/ Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Tokyo. A depressed, lonely film star and a much younger, but just as lonely wife of a photographer meet in a hotel and slowly rediscover the fun in life. Movie is very, very slow, but if you if you can apreciate the little details, its quite enjoyable. Acing seems natural. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Art: Mathildenhoehe in Darmstadt, Germany (in German). Art Nuveau. Darmstadt Center: Salve!, a 'Caffee E Bar'.
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Snippets:
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DVD: The Italian Job (1969). 99 min. w/ Michael Caine as Charlie Croker. Directed by Peter Collinson (Up the Junction). How to rob $4 million by causing a traffic jam. Story rather flat. Great scences of the Italian Alps. Humorous moments. Big advertising show for 'Mini' cars - they can go everywhere. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Video: Vanilla Sky (2001). 136 min. w/ Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell. Directed by Cameron Crowe. Rich playboy (Cruise) with vivid dreams fall in love with girl (Cruz), and survives car accident with jealous 'friend he occasionally sleeps with' (Diaz), waking up with a disfigured face. Dreams and reality merge. Even though Cruise is a mediocre actor, the mystery of the story captures the viewer's attention to the end. Cruz is charming. Some memorable lines: "I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini" "Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around" "...pleasure delayer" "She looks like a moth". Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: I, Robot (2004). 115 min. w/ Will Smith (Del Spooner), Bridget Moynahan (Susan Calvin). Directed by Alex Proyas. Suggested by, i.e. loosely based on book of Isaac Asimov. In 2035, techno-phobic detective wants to clear up who murdered the inventor of a new generation of robots. Fairly shallow plot, but some funny moments. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Art: Yoshiaki Yuki is a Tokyo artist who paints calligraphically inspired designs on tables, screens, plates and bowls. Gallery Gen is his shop and gallery in TriBeCa, NYC.
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Literature: The "Big Three" science-fiction writers: Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke.
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Video: Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954). B/W. 208 min. Japanese w/ English subtitles. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. w/ Takashi Shimura. Peasants hire seven samurai to defend their village from bandits. Film was the predecessor for John Sturges' 'The Magnificent Seven' in 1960 (see September 4, 2004). Witty. Some action. Important film historical document. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: On the Waterfront (1954). 108 min. B/W. w/ Marlon Brando (Terry Malloy), Karl Malden (Father Barry), Lee J. Cobb (Johnny Friendly). Directed by Elia Kazan (East of Eden). Longshoreman (Brando), connected to the mob through his elder brother, is plagued by assisting in the death of a fellow worker who was about to inform the police about crimes of a Union boss. Falling in love with the murder victim's pretty sister, and supported by the local priest, Malloy decides to follow his conscience. Leading characters were based on real people: Terry Malloy was based on longshoreman and whistle-blower Anthony De Vincenzo; Father Barry on waterfront priest John M. Corridan; Johnny Friendly on mobster Albert Anastasia. Some great shots of the Hoboken waterfront and docks, which has elements of film noir. Film won 8 Academy awards in 1955, including Marlon Brando for 'Best Actor in a Leading Role', Eva Marie Saint for 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role', and Sam Spiegel for 'Best Picture'. Contains famous taxi scene. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Film: Film Noir: A style of black and white American films containing the following 7 elements: 1.) a crime, 2.) the perspective of the criminals, not the police, 3.) an inverted view of traditional sources of authority, such as corrupt police, 4.) unstable alliances and allegiances, 5.) the femme fatale --- the woman who causes the downfall and/or death of a good man, 6.) brutal violence, and 7.) bizarre plot twists and motivations. Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. Examples include 'The Big Sleep' (1949) and 'The Third Man' (1949).
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Music: Recent concerts: 1.) Kate McGarry at 55Bar on Sat., August 20, 2005. w/ Steve Cardenas, Keith Ganz, Sean Smith and Ferenc Nemeth. Good, interesting jazz. 2.) Deborah Latz (voc)at Louis 649 (649 E. 9th Street at Ave C, East Village) on Mon, August 22, 2005. w/ John Merril (g). Critically acclaimed. Good voice, sometimes too sugar-coated; could have more of an edge. 3.) OK/OK at 55Bar on Tue., August 23, 2005. w/ Mike McGinnis (reeds), Khabu Doug Young (g), Kyoko Kitamura (voc), and very special guest Tony Moreno (d).
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Music: NYC Jazz Calendar at Gotham Jazz.
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Theater: Lady Convoy on 8/27/05 at the Players Theater, 115 MacDougal St, Greenwich Village, NYC, as part of the FringeNYC multi-arts festival 2005. w/ Kelly Rauch (Rubber Duck, also Managing Producer), Lucy Smith (Love Machine), Brad Thomason (Sheriff Lyle McGee), Gene Gallerano (James). Written by Ken Gallo. Directed by Robert Ross Parker. Leaning on the movie 'Convoy', the play sets up a female version of the convoy lead by a lady trucker. Memorable lines 'bitch on 18 wheels', 'duck power'.
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Art: Kim Luttrell, Brooklyn, NY. Paints two pictures on paper, then cuts them in stripes and weaves them together. More recently: Sculptures.

Kim Luttrell: Great Lover (Red)

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Snippets:
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Music: Kaki King. Plays guitar with provocative style. Heard on the radio playing Mountainstage (Week after 7/29 - Rebroadcast from Oct 2004)
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Music: Swingadelic. From Hoboken, NJ. Plays a mixture of swing, jazz, jump blues, and some Latin sounds. Leader: Dave Post. Albums (Swing-a-Delic!, 1999 and Organ-ized! 2002) lack the spirit of life perfmances. Saw in Hoboken on 7/14/05.
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DVD: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). w/ Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael Caine. Directed by Jay Roach. Third in the series of Austin Powers films. Lots of cameo appearances. Silly, sometimes gross. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Transportation: Goethals Bridge connects Staten Island and New Jersey (I-287). Memorial to Major General George W. Goethals, builder of the Panama Canal. History of the bridge.
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Beaches: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. Other New Jersey Beaches.
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Parks: Holmdel Park, NJ with Longstreet Farm, a historic farm (~1890) that includes the Holmes-Hendrickson House with lavish interior.
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Video: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Writing credits: Tim Burton (story) Michael McDowell (adaptation). First full-length stop-motion animated film ever created. Musical. The people of Halloweentown, and their king, Jack Skellington, discover that people outside their world celebrate Christmas. An attempt to stage a Christmas show of their owntheir own almosts leads to desaster. Kitschy. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: In the Bedroom (2001). Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Nick Stahl, Marisa Tomei. Maine college boy involved with older woman is killed by jealous husband. His parents grieve, and then take things in their own hands when the murder trials does not go to their liking. Dramatic. Somber. Sloooow! Nicely assembled, great cinematography, but too boring over long stretches. Could have made more out of that story. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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DVD: Ray (2004) w/ Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington. 155 min. Movie about life and career of Ray Charles (1930-2004), his music, heroin addiction, and personal relationships. Movie was shot with continuous advice of Charles himself. Foxx is a perfect copy and received an Oscar in 2005 for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role'. Story is structured clearly and well told, but film is a bit lengthy. One needs to like the music to favor the movie. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Shopping: Jokers. German Internet bookstore with good prices, but limited selection. Restseller (In German).
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Recreation: Country Fair Entertainment Park, Long Island (LIE, Exit 64). Miniture Golf, Go-Kart Racing, Batting Cages, Driving Range, Wildernis Area.
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DVD: Gandhi (1982). 188 min. w/ Ben Kingsley as Mohandas K. Gandhi. Directed by Richard Attenborough. Music by Ravi Shankar. Biography of the man that brought India to independence. Inspiring in picture and word. Superb performance by Kinksley. Great cinematography. Won 8 Oscars in 1983, including best picture. Overall rating: 9 out of 10.
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DVD: Spiderman 2 (2004). w/ Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson). Directed by Sam Raimi. Spiderman continues to fight evil, then quits to live a normal life, but realizes that heroes like him are needed in this world. Nothing more than an action comic book. Some good special effects, but don't look for any logic in the plot. Dunst, though quite good looking, remains the second worst actress after Nicole Kidman. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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DVD: Proof of Life (2000). 135 min. w/ Russel Crowe, Meg Ryan. After an engineer is kidnapped by guerillas in Colombia, his wife hires a professional negotiator to release him. Great pics of landscapes. Story predictable and shallow. Acting mediocre. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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Okra (botanical name: Hibiscus esculenta): vegetable, used ofter in Southern style cooking.
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DVD: Das Experiment (2000). 119 min. German w/ English subtitles. w/ Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. Based on the infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment" conducted in 1971. Volunteers participate in a psychological experiment to 'play' a prisoner-guard situation. When things get out of hand, the real human nature is revealed. Terrific analysis of human behavior in a simple plot. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Music: Jonah Smith (vocals, fender rhodes electric piano); jazz, pop; saw at 55Bar on 7/22/05; resemles a jazz version of Jamiroquai.
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Video: Stangers on a Train (1951). 101 min. B/W. w/ Farley Granger (Guy Haines), Ruth Roman (Anne Morton), Robert Walker (Bruno Anthony). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Successful tennis player with wife and girlfriend meets lunatic stranger on a train who suggests the perfect crime: to swap murders. Highly advanced for its time, but a little too predictable for today. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Music: Vanessa Williams; on the Green in New Haven, CT, on Saturday, July 30th, 2005
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DVD: Russian Ark (2002). 96 min. Russian w/ English subtitles. w/ Sergei Dontsov (as Sergei Dreiden) as The Stranger (The Marquis de Custine, an 18th century French diplomat, who wrote an account of his visit to Russia in 1839 entitled Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia). Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov. Cinematography by Tilman Büttner. Filmed in a single continuous take, the camera follows the Stranger through the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and 300 years of Russian history. No real story, more a continuous flow of events. Needs to be approached with a quiet mind set and appreciation for the marvellous costumes, and the technical challenges of the film. DVD contains a version with comments by producer Jens Meurer. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Heaven (2002). 96 min. Italian and English. w/ Cate Blanchett (Philippa), Giovanni Ribisi (Filippo). Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). Screeplay by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Carabinieri falls in love with frustrated, depressed school teacher who attempted to assassinate a drug dealer. Story is rather unrealistic, but once you get the hang of it, it it's rather enjoyable because of its unconventionalism. Some great areal shots of Montepulciano. Blachett plays her brittle character well. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Art: Deviant Art. Online art community.
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Photography: Lomo: The cameras from Saint Petersburg, Russia, the Lomographic Society International and what it's all about.
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Computer: Disable the startup of certain programs and services in Windows XP (and others) with Start--->Run--->msconfig--->Startup (or Services). A list with the functions of programs can be found at Sysinfo.org.
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DVD: Napoleon (TV-Mini Series, 2002). w/ Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovich. Directed by Yves Simoneau. 4 parts, 357 min. Rise and fall of the French Emperor. Covers Napoleons (Clavier) conquests, balanced with the ups and downs in his relationship with Josephine (Rossellini). Epic format. Dramatic. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Sailing: Around Alone 2002-2003. Site contains photos by the nautical, sailing, and yacht photographer Onne van der Wahl.
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Recreation: Sport Center CT, Shelton, CT. Driving range, mini golf, base ball, ice skating etc.
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Video: A Passage to India (1984) w/ Judy Davis (Adela Quested), Victor Banerjee (Dr. Aziz), Peggy Ashcroft (Mrs. Moore). Directed by David Lean. After a novel by E.M. Forster. Won two Academy Awards, one to Peggy Ashcroft for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. During the 1920s, a young woman travels to India to figure out whether she loves the man she wants to marry. Exotic, colorful. Good pace of the story. Ascroft is superb! Captures some of the conflict between India and Britain during the time of colonialization. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Tea: Taylors of Harrogate, Family of Tea Merchats, North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1886. Good peppermint tisane.
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Art: Lee Friedlander. MoMA NYC, June 5 - August 29, 2005. 500 photographs, mostly B/W. Inspiring. Some unusual pics, often seems to contain random errors.

Lee Friedlander, Nashville (1963)

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Film: Brother's Shadow. Independent film. Partly filmed in Hoboken, NJ in July 2005.
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Snippets:
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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.
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Health: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
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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.
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Shopping: Search for bargains in NYC or post your own advertisements for free at Craigslist or AM Recycler.
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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.
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Theater: Muenchner Kammerspiele, 12/21/04: 'Miss Sara Sampson' (1755) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Tragedy. More info (in German) at Wikipedia.
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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.
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Life: Interconvert length (cm, inches), and weights and masses.
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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.
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Snippets:
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Web: Catalog of Free website providers and virtual hard drives at Freewebsitesproviders.com.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).

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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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