Musical Preference

It appears that musical preference shifts with location. Germany -- less Jazz. Wyoming -- more Country. May also depend on other factors, e.g. fraction of listening in the car.

Katie Costello

Katie Costello, female singer, originally from Los Angeles area, now works in NYC. Song 'Cassette Tape' somewhat reminds of Feist. Found on TuneCore.

Powers of 10 (1977)

By Charles and Ray Eames -- a classic.

Snippets 2012-09-26

Movie: Sonnenallee (Sun Alley, 1999) w/ Alexander Scheer (Michael 'Micha' Ehrenreich), Alexander Beyer (Mario), Katharina Thalbach (Mutter Ehrenreich), Teresa Weißbach (Miriam Sommer). Comedy on the life of adolescents on the Eastern side of the Wall in Berlin. Amusing. Overall rating 7 out of 10
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Web: Heidelberger historische Bestände – digital. Includes old manuscripts. Allows downloads in PDF format
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Science: More than 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci observed a particular relationship between the size of a tree's trunk and the size of its branches. Specifically, the combined cross-sectional areas of a tree's daughter branches are equal to the cross-sectional area of the mother branch. This tree structure may be optimal for enabling trees to resist wind-induced stresses. NPR report. Article.
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Astronomy: Aristarchos of Samos (310 BCE – ca. 230 BCE): Greek astronomer and mathematician. Presented first known heliocentric world model. Later restated by Copernicus (1543) and manifested by Kepler (1617-1621). Finally proven by James Bradley (1725) through discovery of the aberration of light.
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Travel: Roadside America: Travel tips for road trips across the USA. Searchable, e.g. by state. Provides map with location of sights.
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Science: Wilson Bentley (1865-1931): Photographed and research the variety of snowflakes.
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Books: Münchener Digitalisierungszentrum (MDZ, in German): Digitized books, including old manuscripts, e.g. of Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach.
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Maps: Waldseemüller Map of the World from 1507, first naming America, at the Library of Congress is available in high resolution for download.

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Life: Prices for new cars at TrueCar. Very informative.
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Travel: GPS Visualizer: Creates maps and profiles from GPS data (tracks and waypoints, including GPX files), driving routes, street addresses, or simple coordinates. Displays in Google Earth.
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Computer: Apple Apps Store: to find free apps, search for 'free app <search term>'.
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Movie (YouTube): The Light at the Edge of the World (1971). w/ Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner and Samantha Eggar. Directed by Kevin Billington. After the novel 'The Lighthouse at the End of the World (1905)' by Jules Verne. A remote rocky island is taken over by michievous pirates and their leader (Brynner). Living in a cave and haunted by his past, the escaped assistant lighthouse keeper (Douglas) is trying to survive. Story slow. Some gruesome scenes. Poor visual effects. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Movie (YouTube): The Trip (1967). w/ Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, Susan Strasberg (wife, dark hair), Salli Sachse (blonde). Directed by Roger Corman. Pre-'Easy Rider' cult movie that describes the first LSD trip of a young man in a personal crisis (Fonda). Story simple. Visual firework trying to imitate the LSD experience. Music could be more catchy. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Snippets 2011-11-23

Web: Lord of the Rings: Gary Appenzeller has compiled three web pages with the differences between books and movies for 'The Fellowship of the Ring' , ‘The Two Towers' and 'The Return of the King'
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Medicine: Patient.co.uk: Good information on a variety of diseases. Also more in dept information at PatientPlus. Also has an informative video directory
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Photography: Fotolia: Stock photos for little money
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Maps: Gmap Pedometer: Measures distances of self-chosen routes on a Google map
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Video: You Only Live Twice (1967). w/ Sean Connery (James Bond). Directed by Lewis Gilbert. Bond needs to find out who is behind the hijacking of American and Russian space crafts.The trail leads to Japan, SPECTRE its leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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Movie: GoldenEye (1995): w/ Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sean Bean (Alec Trevelyan),Izabella Scorupco (Natalya Simonova), Famke Janssen (Xenia Onatopp). Directed by Martin Campbell. Bond fights a former colleague (006) who stole a satellite weapon. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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History: Historypin. Provides map with current and historical photos. Can study how streets have changed over the years.
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Movie: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). w/ James Franco (Will Rodman), Freida Pinto (Caroline Aranha), Andy Serkis (Cesar). How it all began: Delopmental Alzheimer's drug is tested on monkeys and makes them intelligent. Researcher takes one of them (Cesar) home and raises him there, but eventually has to give him up to a shelter. Cesar escapes and organizes an uprising. Good special effects. Story okay. Andy Serkis also played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Snippets 2011-08-08

Computer: Virus online scanners for single files: VirusTotal. Checks a file against 30+ virus scanners. Useful, when you want to counter check the alert received by your local virus scanner. Alternatively, it is possible to check with individual scanners online: Avast Online (max. size 16MB) or Kaspersky (max. size 1MB)
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Medicine: Drugs.com:. Info on drugs and drug companies, including sales figures
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Music: Rapid Library: Search engine for downloadable MP3s
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Music: Spectrasonics: Virtual musiclal instruments. Synthesized sounds out of a computer. Cool. Has interview with and music by Lyle Mays
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Life: Wetterkontor.de: Weather in Germany, including historical data
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Music: Wolfgang's Vault: Concert recordings to stream.
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Patents: Patent Retriever: Full text PDF versions of patents
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Physics: The name electron for the negatively charged subatomic particle originates from the greek word 'electron', which means amber. Amber attracts small objects by electrostatic forces after being rubbed with fur
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Movies: La Vallee (1972). Written and directed by Barbet Schroeder (b. 1941) who also directed the movie 'More' (1969). With Bulle Ogier (Viviane). Four hippies on a journey in search of paradise in the Papua New Guinea bush. Sountrack by Pink Floyd, released as the album 'Obscured by Clouds'. Rating 7 out of 10
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Movies: Mal de Mer (2005). Short film with Bulle Ogier, Michel Piccoli. Retired couple meets two guys by the sea. Rating 7 out of 10
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Computers: FileDropper: Simple way to share/distribute files up to 5GB. No sign-up required. If the files are not downloaded even once within 30 days post upload they are removed
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Movies: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). w/ Kevin McCarthy (Dr. Miles J. Bennell), Dana Wynter (Becky Driscoll). Directed by Don Siegel (Dirty Harry). Doctor in a fight to prevent an alien race's attempt to secretly replace people by identical copies that lack emotions. Good pace. Seems somewhat dated today, but keeps the suspense up. Overall rating 7 out of 10.
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Aphorsims: Collection of quotes in the Liss-Kompendium (in German)
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Snippets 2011-05-14

Life: Depleted Uranium (DU) ammunition is used by various different countries because of its high penetrating power that can destroy even tanks. Uranium has a very high density (19.1 g/cm³). The use of DU could be a factor in the development of Gulf War syndrome (fatigue, loss of muscle control, headaches, dizziness and loss of balance, memory problems, muscle and joint pain, indigestion, skin problems, immune system problems, and birth defects). Also, children in Iraq have contracted leukemia and cancer, possibly after radioactive contamination from playing in destroyed tanks. Interesting video 'Der Arzt und die verstrahlten Kinder von Basra-Irak.flv' on Youtube.
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TV Series: UFO: British television science fiction series created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson (who also produced the series Space: 1999 in 1975, with Martin Landau). First aired in 1970. Main cast: Ed Bishop (Commander Edward Straker), Michael Billington (Colonel Paul Foster), who work for the secret organization SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation) to study and protect the world from aliens. Episode 'A Question Of Priorities' on YouTube.
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Nutrition: SelfNutritionData: Contains searchable database of U.S. food labels on the basis of USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Informative.
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Business: Top-line data from the pharmaceutical industry at IMS
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Computer: List of Windows Vista Services with explanations and tweaks. Also covers other OS's
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Food: Foodwatch: Debunks promises by the food industry (in German)
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Life: Bike tours in Bavaria: Map at Bayerninfo.de, tab 'Bayernnetz für Radler'
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Site-specific searches on Google: In the Google search window, add your search term followed by the word 'site:' and the URL of the site you would like to search, i.e. <search term> site:dynamicplanet.blogspot.com. Other tips on Google searches here

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Science: Journal Ranking at SCImago. Impact factors given
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Philosophy: Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), Italian Dominican philosopher. Spent a good part of his adult life in prison due to heresy. Most famous work is 'The City of the Sun' (1602/1623, Italian: La città del Sole; Latin: Civitas Solis; German: Sonnenstaat), in which he develops a theocratic society of communism of goods, women and children. In this society, the individual counts little and the structure of the family is abolished. Main goal is the preservation of the species. Also wrote 'The Defense of Galileo' (1616/1622), although Galileo himself may not have appreciated the help of a heretic
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Mathematics: Sierpinski triangle. Fractal. Discussed in NPR's Engines of Our Ingenuity No. 2599 (Strange attractors and imagery)
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Law: Buzer: Full text of select German laws and regulations (in German)
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Music: Websites that can generate tones and music: 1.) Isle of Tune 2.) Seaquence  3.) Balldroppings, use Javascript.
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Psychology: Dan Gilbert, Professor of Psychology at Harvard, on happiness: Lecture 2004 and Lecture 2005. Notes: 1.) Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782): Expected value = Odds of Gain x Value of Gain 2.) Mistake humans make: Comparing with the past, not with the possible 3.) Comparisons change the value of things 4.) Problem of shifting comparisons (30,000 --> 100 saving sounds much less than 200 --> 100 saving) 5.) Plato: What space is to size, time is to value (source not given, quote not verified)
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Literature: Hybris (Hubris): Overestimation of one's competence or capabilities. In Greek tragedies, the cause of the demise of a hero, usually based on the Nemesis, i.e. the wrath of the gods that determines the fate.
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Mathematics: Lemniscate of Bernoulli: Sign for infinity, resembles the figure 8 put on the side.
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Art: The Madonna of the Carnation (Die Madonna mit der Nelke) by Leonardo da Vinci. Only painting by Leonardo in a German museum (Alte Pinakothek, Munich). Painted between 1473 und 1478, when Leonardo was only about 20 yrs old.
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Science: Antikythera Mechanism: Antique mechanism found in a shop wreck off of the coast of the Greek islands Antikythera in ca. 1900. Time of construction is estimated ca. 150 - 100 BCE. Presumed to be the first analog computer. Used to calculate calendaric events. The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project studies the object in great detail with modern imaging techniques.
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Art: Google art Project: Browse different museums online, using Google Streetview technology.
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Astronomy: Moon: Formed ca. 4.5 billion years ago, presumably out of the debris generated through the giant impact of the protoplanet Theia on proto-Earth.
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Astronomy: Trojan: Minor planet or natural satellite (moon) that shares an orbit with a larger planet or moon. The Trojan does not collide, because it orbits around one of the two Lagrange points of stability (L4, L5; Trojan points).
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Life: Çatalhöyük Very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in southern Anatolia, Turkey, which existed from approximately 7500 - 5700 BC. Excavated in 1958. Distinctive murals and clay figurines found.
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Music: John Cage: ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible). Current organ performance of the piece at St. Burchardi church in Halberstadt, Germany, began in 2001 and is scheduled to have a duration of 639 years, ending in 2640.
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Music: 55Bar, NYC, Feb. 13, 2011: Iris Ornig (bass & composition), Stacy Dillard (Saxaphone), Danny Grissett (fender rhodes), Alvester Garnett (drums): good music, sax slightly weaker; jazz version of Bjorks' Venus as a Boy.
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Art: The Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel, Metropolitan Museum, NYC, Sep 28, 2010–Apr 3, 2011. Believed to belong to a large house owned by a wealthy Roman in about A.D. 300. First discovered in 1996 during construction on the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway in Lod (formerly Lydda), Israel. Uncovered during the summer of 2009, now first full display.
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Art: PS1/MoMA: Laurel Nakadate: Only the Lonely: Jan 23, 2011 - Aug 8, 2011: 10 yr retrospective. Stills, film and video works. Includes Good Morning, Sunshine (2009), in which Nakadate enters the bedrooms of young women, wakes them, and instructs each to strip down to their underwear for the camera. Also includes two feature films, Stay the Same Never Change (2009) and The Wolf Knife (2010), and the photographic series, 365 Days: A Catalogue of Tears.
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Art: MoMA NYC: Andy Warhol: Motion Pictures, Dec 19, 2010–Mar 21, 2011: Between 1964 and 1966 Warhol shot approximately 500 rolls of film with several-minute silent portraits of acquaintances, friends and celebrities. At times, he left his subjects alone with the camera. Exhibitions shows examples on large screens. Warhol recorded the portraits at 24 fps, but specified them to be projected at a 16 fps, creating a slow fluidity of pace.
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Art: MoMA NYC: Abstract Expressionist New York, Oct 3, 2010–Apr 25, 2011: Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning, Newman  etc.
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Music: Feb 19., 2011 NJPAC, Newark: Classic Albums Live: Abbey Road. CAL, Founded in 2003 by Craig Martin, takes classic albums and recreates them live on stage. Good performance, although it naturally cannot compete with the original.
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Science: PRISM (Polar Radar for Ice Sheet Measurements). Goal to develop and utilize innovative radar and robotic rovers to measure ice thickness and determine bedrock conditions below the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. Good resource of the history of polar exploration.
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Art: Kunstmarkt. Many short biographies
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Art: Gentile Bellini (active about 1460; died 1507): The Sultan Mehmet II, painted in 1480), now at the National Gallery London (not on display), is attributed to Gentile Bellini. The crime novel 'The Bellini Card' by Jason Goodwin, revolves around this painting. Gentile was the son of the painter Jacopo Bellini and the brother of the even more gifted and renowned Giovanni Bellini. In 1479 Gentile was sent to Constantinople by the Venetian government to work for Sultan Mehmet II, where he painted the portrait. He remained there until 1481.
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Mythology: Arimaspi: A legendary one-eyed people of northern Scythia; described in a lost lost archaic poem Arimaspea by Aristeas, reported in Herodotus' Histories
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Music: John Cage's 4'33'' on YouTube.
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Movie: My Afternoons with Marguerite (La tête en friche, 2010). French w/ English subtitles. w/ Gérard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus. Directed by Jean Becker. Middle-aged French country man of low education finds the way to read books through an old lady he meets in the park. Simple story with some good moments. Predictable. Rating: 6 out of 10
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Art: Laurel Nakadate: Photographer and video artist born in Austin, TX. Raised in Ames, IA. Lives in NYC. 10-yr retrospective (Only the Lonely) at the MoMA/PS1 is shown Jan-Aug 2011.
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Movie (Online): M --- Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (1931). w/ Peter Lorre, Otto Wernicke, Gustaf Gründgens. Directed by Fritz Lang. Written by Fritz Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou. First 'talking' picture by the director. In a city, underworld criminals hunt a child murderer with the help of beggars. Rating 7 out of 10.
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Language: Cum grano salis = with a grain of salt; phrase comes from Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia XXIII (Text at the Perseus Digital Library) where he wrote, possibly ironically to doubt the activity, that a certain antidote for snake bites needed to be taken by „addito salis grano“.
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Mythology: Pomona: Roman goddess of fruit. A statue of Pomona is in the fountain before the Plaza Hotel in NYC.
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Photography: Jock Sturges (b. 1947, NYC). Nudes of adolescents.
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Astronomy: Regiomontanus = Johannes Müller von Königsberg (1436-1476): German mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and translator from Königsberg, Bavaria (Franconia). Built the first astronomical observatory in Germany, located in Nuremberg. Described the angle maximization problem named after him.
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Poetry: Dichterseiten: German poems. Includes a section with list of used words
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Science:     Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859): Reise in die Aequinoctial-Gegenden des neuen Continents, 3 Bände, available at Project Gutenberg in various formats.
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History: Queen Eadgyth (also Editha, Edith of England) of Wessex (910–946), German queen and wife of Otto I. (the Great, 912-973), later Holy Roman Emperor. Editha’s remains were found in the Cathedral of Madgeburg in 2008. Recent scientific analysis came to the conclusion that they indeed originate from the queen.
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Web: Internet Archive: Web, Texts, Audio and Video archives. Interesting resource
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Life: August Engelhardt (1875 - 1919): Born in Nuremberg. Founder of a sect in the Bismarck Archipelago (now Papua New Guinea) on the island of Kaba Kon in the South Pacific. The first Hippie colony. Propagated the idea of living on coco nuts. Wrote a book called 'A Carefree Future' in 1898.
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Life: Various historic lexica: Lexikon '88, in German
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Movies: Free movies online at OpenCulture
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Manila Ordner, früher aus den Abfällen des Manilahanfs (Abaca) hergestellt, Manilahanf gehoert zu den Bananengeächsen (Musaceae, kein Hanf = Cannabis)), wurde früher zur Herstellung von Schiffstauen verwendet, da salzwasserresistent. siehe Wikipedia und TIS
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Life: Tai Chi Netguide
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Art: How to draw funny cartoons
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Movie (Online): Metropolis (1927). Directed by Fritz Lang. Written by Lang's wife Thea von Harbou. w/ Alfred Abel (Joh Fredersen, capitalist), Gustav Fröhlich (Freder Frederson, son), Brigitte Helm (Maria and Mensch-Maschine), Rudolf Klein-Rogge (Rotwang, mad scientist). Dystopian drama of an uprising of workers against a capitalist society. Rating: 8 out of 10.

Fritz Lang und Thea von Harbou, 1923 or 1924. Photograph by Waldemar Titzenthaler (1869-1937)
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Mineralwasser KnowledgeMap (Cmap Tools):

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Astronomy: Peter Apian (Petrus Apianus, 1495-1552): German geographer, mathematician and astronomer. Born as born as Peter Bienewitz in Leisnig in Saxony. Published Cosmographicus liber in 1524.
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Education: Ranking of German Universities at DAAD
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Life: Verbraucherzentrale Deutschland
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Photography: Rachel Chandler. Emerging NYC-photographer. Occasional works for Purple Magazine. purple DIARY has plenty of photos from and/or with Chandler.
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Web: EBook Search Engine, various formats, including pdf, doc, xls etc. Useful.
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Life: Restaurant guides for London, UK: 1.) Urbanspoon London  2.) Harden's  3.) London-Eating  4.) Best London Restaurants
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Nature: Old trees: 1.) Oberbach, Rhön --> alte Buche, 2.) Schenklengsfeld, Hessen --> 1100 Jahre alte Linde 3.) 1000-jaehrige Eiche in Puschendorf bei Fuerth
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Art: Bettina Rheims (b. 1952): French photographer and artist; specialized on women's photography
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Science: Anthropology: First human (Homo erectus) left Africa ca. 2 mio yrs ago. Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis (extinct ca. 30,000 yrs ago) separated from the common acenstor Homo heidelbergensis ca. 0.5 - 1 mio yrs ago. Early modern man developed ca. 50,000 yrs ago. A genetically different human sample discovered in the Altai mountains in Siberia was recently dated to be 30,000 - 45,000 yrs old. This species may have co-existed with modern humans as well as Neanderthals. Homo floresiensis ('Hobbit'), is a possible species of extinct human discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores in Indonesia. This species is remarkable for its small body (1m) and brain and survived until relatively recent times (possibly died out 12,000 years ago). Australopithecus afarensis ('Lucy') is an extinct hominin which lived between 3.8 and 2.9 million years ago. It was ancestral to genus Homo.

Also see chart at Nature.com:

Source:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7243/images/459041a-f2.2.jpg
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Music: Ticket purchases: Ticketseating.com. Sold at market value, which usually is above face value
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Life: Gratis Parken. Database of 1600 free parking lots in Germany.
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Language: B.C. = before Christ;  A.D. = anno Domini, "in the year of the Lord". B.C.E. = before the common era; C.E. = common era
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Philosophy: Analekts of Confucius: Full text in Chinese and English. Also in the translation of James Legge
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People: NNDB: Intelligence aggregator that tracks the activities of people both living and dead, determined to be noteworthy. Includes mapping tool NNDB Mapper
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Technology: Mikrokopter. Small helicopters for fun and technical applications
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Umweltschutz: Info zur Entsorgung von Energiesparlampen bei Lichtzeichen.de
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Astronomy: Asteroid 2008 TC3 collided with earth on Oct 7, 2008. Fragments were found afterward in the Sahara desert.
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Literature: Johann Georg Kruenitz (1728 – 1796): Oekonomische Encyklopädie oder allgemeines System der Staats-, Stadt-, Haus- und Landwirthschaft
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Photography: Quang-Tuan Luong: Scientist turned landscape photographer
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Philosophy: Chinese Text Project by Donald Sturgeon. Many ancient Chinese texts with English translations.
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Music: Chetan Joshi: flute, traditional Indian music
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Shopping: Compare prices for electricity in Germany (Strompreise): Stom-Magazin
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Science: Microscale thermophoresis to study enzyme kinetics. Used by NanoTemper, a startup company by Philipp Baaske and Stefan Duhr in Munich in their Monolith instrument. Can measure enzyme kinetics in biological fluids, such as serum
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Travel: The National Parks by Ken Burns. Includes 'Park Explorer' map
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Medicine: Alzheimer's Disease: Richard Taylor, Ph.D. has been diagnosed with AD in 2001 and is now an advocate for treating AD patients in an enabling manner. His condition is progressing rather slowly.
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Economics: Bernard Mandeville: The Fable of The Bees: or, Private Vices, Publick Benefits. Develops the 'paradox of thrift', i.e. that increased individual savings during recession will lower aggregate demand and in turn lower total savings in the population due to decrease of consumption.
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Anthropology/Paleontology: Neanderthal Museum near Mettmann, Germany
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Photography: Yann-Arthus Bertrand, b. 1946. French photographer. Known for 'Earth from Above Pictures'
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Art: Barnes Collection near Philadelphia
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Art: Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuernberg (German National Museum)
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History: World History Maps
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Design: Arne Jacobsen: Series 7 chair, made famous by a photograph by Lewis Morley (1963) showing call girl Christine Keeler in provocative pose. Keeler's affair with the British politician and Britsh Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, led to his resignation in 1963 (Profumo Affair).
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Art: Wallace Collection, London
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Movie: Zabriskie Point (1970): Director: Michelangelo Antonioni. w/ Mark Frechette (Mark), Daria Halprin (Daria). Overall rating 5 out of 10. Famous explosion scene in the end.
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History: The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1660-1669. Web site still developing every day.
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Film: Meshes of the Afternoon 1943 Part 1 and Part 2
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Books: Bookstores in London: 1.) Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB, UK: Large. Good selection. 2.) Lovejoys, 99A Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DP, UK: Videos and books. Good prices. 3.) Blackwells, 100 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0JG, UK: Alright. 4.) Borders, 122 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0JR, UK: Alright.
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Computer: Diagnose Vista Startup times and problems
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Models: Modelstyle
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Books: Zeno. Online books (in German)
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Computer: Hybernation option missing under Start button: One of the most common problem in Windows Vista is "Missing Hibernate option in startmenu". Hibernate option disappears whenever running "Disk Cleanup" (removes resepctive Hibernate files). Re-enable missing Hibernate option by following these simple steps: 1.) Click on "Start button -> All Programs -> Accessories". Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run As Administrator". If you are prompted to enter password, enter the password and continue. You can also open Command Prompt in Administrator mode by typing "cmd" in Startmenu Search box and press "Ctrl+Shift+Enter". 2.) Now provide any of following commands: "powercfg /hibernate on" or "powercfg -h on" 3.) Exit command prompt and Hibernate option should appear in Startmenu.
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Life: Ponzo Illusion: Mario Ponzo discovered in 1923 that size perception depends on the eye's interpretation of depth clues.
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Jazz: Milt Hinton (1910-2000), bass player, most-recorded jazz musician of all time, having appeared on 1,174 recordings.
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Photography: Edward Sheriff Curtis: 'The North American Indian' (published 1907 - 1930); intented to record traditional Indian cultures; 20 volumes of narrative text and photogravure images.
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Books: John Bate, The Mysteries of Nature and Art, London: 1635. Influenced and inspired Isaac Newton. Excerpts here.
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Art: Rothko Chapel: Located in the museum district of Houston, TX., commissioned by the art collectors Jean and Dominique de Menil. Built in 1971. Contains 14 paintings by Mark Rothko. In front stands Barnett Newman's 'Broken Obelisk', dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Barnett created a total of three broken obelisks, the other two located at the MoMA in NYC and on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, respectively.
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Computer: Wipedisk from Gaijin. Overwrites (deletes, 'wipes') hard disk, memory sticks etc. 14 different methods possible. Also has a program for deletion of files (Wipefile). Website in German.
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Computer: Circumvent unwanted error messages in Vista and XP with 'Unlocker' (get from Download.com).
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Computer: Portable Freeware Collection. Similar functions as Portable Apps.
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Computer: Spybot Search & Destroy. Find and delete malware. Useful.
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Computer: Bandwithplace.com: Free Internet speed test: DL Speed: ~2.6 megabits/sec = ~320 kilobytes/sec]. Speedtest.net: Free broadband speed test with servers located all over the world [DL Speed ~ 2879 kb/s; UL Speed: ~450 kb/s]
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Art: Olafur Eliasson (b. 1967), Take Your Time: MoMA and P.S. 1, NYC, April 20 - June 30, 2008. Danish-Icelandic artist. Works a lot with light and mirrors. Intriguing.
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Computer: Primary Games. All kinds of free computer games, including Mini Golf. See List of all games.
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History: First Sounds.
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DVD: The Official Story (La Historia oficial, 1985). Director:Luis Puenzo. w/ Norma Aleandro (Alicia), Héctor Alterio (Roberto). Wife of a businessman in Buenos Aires starts investigating the history of their adopted daughter when she learns that the child may be from a politically imprisoned mother. Multiple side stories. Sometimes melodramatic. 1986 Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Photogaphy: Bernd Nies. Good amateur photographer. Some spectacular shots.
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Computer: Team Viewer: Desktop sharing, presentations and file transfer, even through firewalls. Free of charge for private (non-commerical)use. Does not require installation. Great for technical support. Works well.
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Books: Library of Congress: Has online exhibitions.
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Recreation: State Parks in New York. Map included.
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Recreation: Croton Dam near Cronton-on-Hudson, built 1906. NYC water supply.
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Shopping: Pricegrabber: Price engine with useful commentaries and reviews.
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DVD: 1941 (1979). Director: Steven Spielberg. w/ Dan Aykroyd (Sgt. Frank Tree), John Belushi (Capt. Wild Bill Kelso). During WWII in 1941, Hollywood needs to be defended against an imminent Japanese attack. Aloof comedy. Hardly any story. Poor jokes. Waste of time. Some good special effects though. Overall raiting: 2 out of 10.
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Computer: winhlp.com. Windows problem solver.
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Shooping: Nuts Online (knutscholin). Good selection of nuts amd dried fruits; some chocolate-coated.
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Music: TuneCore. Make your music and videos commercially available on the WWW for a small fee, no royalties.
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Movie: Lissi und der wilde Kaiser (2007). Director: Michael Herbig. CGI (computer-generated imaging) movie about the fairy tale-like marriage between Bavaria's teenage Princess Elizabeth and Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph. Lissi is abducted by Yeti to be brought to the devil as the most beautiful woman in the world. Spoof on the "Sissi" trilogy (1955-57). Some funny moments. 'Badesalz' provided voices to Lucifer. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Life: Fragrance: Good Life by Davidoff. For Men. Eau De Toilette.
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Movie: Atonement (2007; German: Abbitte). w/ James McAvoy (Robbie Turner), Keira Knightley (Cecilia Tallis). Writers: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay). Director: Joe Wright. 13-year old girl accuses her sister's lover of raping a girl and therby changes their personal histories. Won Oscar: Dario Marianelli for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score. Saoirse Ronan was nominated for Oscar for her role as Briony Tallis (Aged 13). Core question: When is someone old enough to distinguish between right and wrong. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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News: LiveNewsCameras. Collection of live TV news feeds around the world.
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Online versions of Bibles:

• Bibleserver: Various versions in several different languages; can be viewed side-by-side. Old and New Testament. Also has additional resources


• BibleGateway: Various versions in differnt languages


• Biblos: Online Parallel Bible Project. Many versions, many languages


• Bibelkommentare: in German
  

Snippets:
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Art: 12/29/07: Metropolitan Museum, NYC: 1.) Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche, November 20, 2007–January 6, 2008, Medieval Sculpture Hall 2.) The Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, September 18, 2007–January 6, 2008, Special Exhibition Galleries, 2nd floor.
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Bar: Ice Bar at Chambers, Minneapolis, MN: Outdoors. Counter made of ice, an artsy fire place to warm up. Chambers is the Luxury Art Hotel in Minneapolis.
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Food: Murray's, Minneapolis, MN. Old-fashioned steak house. Famous to be the "Home of the Silver Butter Knife Steak". Food fine, but too pricey. Interior has probably not been renovated since the place opend in 1946. An expericence, no doubt!
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Art: 1/4/08: MoMA: 1.) Lucian Freud: The Painter's Etchings, Dec 16, 2007 - March 10, 2008. Like the paintings better 2.) Martin Puryear Nov 4, 2007–Jan 14, 2008: Sculptures. Not impressed.
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Travel: FlightStats. Info on flights and airports.
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Music: Song Meanings. People commenting on the meaning of songs.
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DVD: Hamlet (1948): Director:Laurence Olivier. Movie version of the play by William Shakespeare. w/ Laurence Olivier (Hamlet, Prince of Denmark), Basil Sydney (Claudius, The King), Eileen Herlie (Gertrude, The Queen), Norman Wooland (Horatio, Hamlet's friend), Felix Aylmer (Polonius, Lord Chamberlain), Terence Morgan (Laertes, son of Polonius), Jean Simmons (Ophelia, daughter of Polonius). Hamlet goes mad over the murder of his father by his uncle, Ophelia goes mad over her love for Hamlet. All dead in the end. Great acting. Great play. Somewhat 'dusty', but full of vice and virtue. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Life: Masdar: Plan for an entirely self-sufficient city near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Supposed to have no carbon dioxide emissions by using solar and wind energy. To be completed around 2016.
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Architecture: 570 Lexington Ave, NYC. Art Deco. Originally buildt by RCA Victor in 1931, soon became the General Electric Building.
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Music: 55 Bar 2/17/08, 6 PM: Iris Ornig (bass, compositions); played in a quartet. Mainstream jazz. Could be more progressive.
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DVD: Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). After the novel by Jules Verne. Screen play: Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett. w/ Pat Boone (Alexander 'Alec' McKuen), James Mason (Sir Oliver S. Lindenbrook), Arlene Dahl (Carla Goteborg), Diane Baker (Jenny Lindenbrook). Geogology professor and crew descent into the ground to explore the center of the earth. Some good special effects for its time. Some funny moments in dialogue. Cheesy at times. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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People: Nina Totenberg. b. 1944. Legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR). Daughter of violinist Roman Totenberg. Fired from the National Observer for plagiarism in 1972. In response, Totenberg told the Columbia Journalism Review in 1995: "I have a strong feeling that a young reporter is entitled to one mistake and to have the holy bejeezus scared out of her to never do it again". List of other NPR people.
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Literature: Halldor Laxness, Iceland's Bell (1943): "... answer me candidly one question: who has suffered more for the other in this world, God for men or men for God?" (p.253)
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Snippets:
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Philosophy: Bhagavad Gita. Text and MP3 audio, with translations.
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Religion: Ganesha: One of the most popular deities in the Hindism. One of the five prime Hindu deities (next to Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga). Lord of success. Remover of obstacles. Son of Shiva and Parvati. Elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om. More info.
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Video: Trouble in Mind (1985). 111 min. Director: Alan Rudolph. w/ Kris Kristofferson (Hawk), Keith Carradine (Coop), Lori Singer (Georgia), Genevieve Bujold (Wanda). Music by Marianne Faithful. Ex-cop, just released from prison, tries to build a new life. Tries to win over woman who is married to a crook. Depicts atmosphere of crude survival well. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Pink Floyd RoIO Database. Contains collection of 'Records of Illegitimate/Indeterminate Origin'. Track listings. Some explanantions. Great resource. Site currently not actively maintained.
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DVD: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (L' Uccello dalle piume di cristallo, 1970). 96 min. Director: Dario Argento. w/ Tony Musante (Sam Dalmas), Suzy Kendall (Julia), Enrico Maria Salerno (Inspector Morosini). A writer and an inspector are trying to solve the mystery of a series of murders of young women. Has some gripping moments. Suspense enhanced by and erie soundtrack. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Caravan: Progressive rock group from the 60s and 70s. Song: A hunting we shall go (Live), from the album 'Caravan & The New Symphonia'
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Music: Garth Stevenson Group on Friday, October 26, 2007, 9 PM at The Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village, 269Bleecker St, NYC. Garth Stevenson, bass; John Lockwood, bass; George Garzone, sax; Ted Poor, drums. Great line up with two upright bass players; creative tenor sax and drums. Part of 'Jazz Underground'.
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DVD: Quadrophenia (1979). Director: Franc Roddam. w/ Phil Daniels (James Michael 'Jimmy' Cooper), Leslie Ash (Steph), Sting (Ace Face). Member of a 'Mod' gang in London and Brighton in 1963 tries to find his identity and way through life. When the girl he fancies turns to another guy, he spirals downward. Music by The Who, who produced the film. Movie inspired by their concept album from 1973. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Music: Tiff Jimber. Singer-songwriter from San Diego. Reminds of Vanessa Carlton. MySpace.
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DVD: The Passanger (Professione: reporter; 1975). 126 min. Director: Michelangelo Antonioni (Blow Up). w/ Jack Nicholson (David Locke), Maria Schneider (Girl; from Last Tango in Paris). Slow pace, some good dialogs. Good cinematography. Story sometimes to sluggish. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Performance (1970). 105 min. Directors: Donald Cammell, Nicolas Roeg (Bad Timing). w/ James Fox (Chas), Mick Jagger (Turner), Anita Pallenberg (Pherber), Michele Breton (Lucy). Gangster on the run finds a quiet, bohemian place to hide in an East London mansion with trippy beatniks. Not much content, but plenty of 60s spirit. Many references to the culture of the time. Violence, sex, drugs, Rock'n Roll. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Movies: Filmsite. Info about history of film.
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Life: John Maeda: The Laws of Simplicity: Law #2: Organization makes a system of many appear fewer. Maeda is currently Associate Director of Research, The Media Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Photography: Jean Guichard. Born 1952. Famous French photographer of lighthouses.
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DVD: Blade Runner (1982). 117 min. Director: Ridley Scott. w/ Harrison Ford (Rick Deckard), Rutger Hauer (Roy Batty), Sean Young (Rachael), Daryl Hannah (Pris). After the novel ("Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?") by Philip K. Dick. In the year 2019, technology allows the cloning of human-like so-called replicas that are used to conduct lowly work on other planets. A retired cop gets the task to 'retire' (kill) 4 replicas seeking their freedom. Great special effects for the time; however the plot has lost its excitement over the years. Boring stretches. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Life: 10/3/07: Touring the East Village: 1.) The Stone 2.) Casa Adela 3.) Nublu 4.) Alphabet Lounge 5.) Lava Gina 6.) Uncle Ming's 7.) Hummus Place 8.) Jules 9.) Cachaca
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DVD: Minority Report (2002). 145 min. Director: Steven Spielberg. After the short story by Philip K. Dick (1928-1982; also Blade Runner, Total Recall). w/ Tom Cruise (Chief John Anderton), Max von Sydow (Director Lamar Burgess), Samantha Morton (Agatha, a Precog), Colin Farrell (Danny Witwer). In the year 2054, murders are prevented through a technology that allows to observe them before they are committed. At the heart of thee system, three humans with visionary capabilities are held captive. Everything is stirred up when the chief of the department is predicted to commit a murder. He sets out to unravel who set him up. Plot and dialogue often lack realism. Some inconsistencies. Overdone. Schmaltzy at times. Not inspiring. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Theater: The Exonerated. By Jessica Blank and Eric Jensen. The Red Fern Theater Company, 78th St Theater Lab, 236 W 78th St @ Broadway. A play about people who were wrongfully put on death row but later released. One of the characters tells the story of Kerry Max Cook who was imprisoned for 22 years for a crime that he did not commit. Cook was finally exonerated and then wrote the book 'Chasing Justice'. Moving stories. Touches on racial issues.
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DVD: Beyond the Clouds (Al di là delle nuvole, 1995). 112 min. Directors: Michelangelo Antonioni, Wim Wenders. w/ Fanny Ardant (Patricia), Chiara Caselli (Mistress), Irene Jacob (The Girl), John Malkovich (The Director), Sophie Marceau (The Girl; also in The World Is Not Enough), Vincent Perez (Niccolo), Jean Reno (Carlo), Kim Rossi Stuart (Silvano), Ines Sastre (Carmen), Peter Weller (Husband). Four episodes of unusual relationships between men and women, woven together by a director who shooting a movie. Some parallels between individual stories. Mysterious. Sparse dialogues increase the tension.Overall rating: 7 out of 10. DVD also contains a portrait of Michelangelo Antonioni as a filmmaker.
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DVD: Pandora's Box (Die Büchse der Pandora, 1929). Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst. w/ Louise Brooks (Lulu), Fritz Kortner (Dr. Ludwig Schön), Francis Lederer (Alwa Schön), Carl Goetz (Schigolch), Alice Roberts (Gräfin Geschwitz). After the plays "Erdgeist" and "Die Büchse der Pandora" by Frank Wedekind. Life of a young impulsive woman in the late 20s. Movie is notorious for its frank treatment of modern sexuality, including the first screen portrayal of a lesbian. Overal rating 8 out of 10. Website on the silent movie star Louise Brooks.
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Science: 'Baertierchen im All'; Tardigrada; engl. Tardigrade (water bear): small, segmented animals; 1000 species of tardigrades have been described; most frequently found on lichens and mosses; able to survive in extreme environments; currently testing survival in space (unprotected); can reversibly suspend their metabolism; cryptobiosis(anhydrobiosis i.e. through desiccation).
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Poetry: William Wordsworth (1770-1850): Complete works. Prelude (1885): autobiographical, "philosophical" poem in blank verse.
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Travel: Wequassett Resort and Golf Club , Cape Cod, Chatham, MA. Located on the water. Adjacent to the beach.
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Food: Cabot's "Famous" Cape Cod Fudge & Salt Water Taffy. 276 Commercial St, Provincetown, Cape Cod, MA.
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Snippets:
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Patents: Peer to Patent: Novel patent review system that includes the public. Project in cooperation with USPTO.
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Travel: SeatGuru: Info about airplanes and airline seats for all airlines.
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Computer: Prevent Expanding "User" Folder When Opening Windows Explorer in Windows XP and Vista: Change shortcut target to '%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e, c:' or see here.
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DVD: Ringu: Anthology of Terror: 1.) Ringu (1998): Director: Hideo Nakata 2.) Rasen (1998) 3.) Ringu 0: Basudei (2000): Prequel to Ringu 4.) Ringu 2 (1999). The films that inspired the American version 'The Ring'. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Short Circuit (1986).98 min. Director: John Badham. w/ Ally Sheedy (Stephanie Speck), Steve Guttenberg (Newton Crosby). The robot Number 5 is struck by lighting escapes and evolves into an intelligent being with the help of a young woman. While one of his creators tries to retrieve and deactivate Number 5, he falls in love. Cute but some amateur acting. Overall rating 5 out of 10.
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DVD: Last Tango in Paris (Ultimo tango a Parigi). 129 min. Director: Bernardo Bertolucci. w/ lon Brando (Paul), Maria Schneider (Jeanne). Stormy love affair between a beautiful French woman and a depressed American. Weird, disturbing movie. Partly explcit. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Computer: Yugma: Free web conferencing, online meetings and web collaboration services. However, slow at times.
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DVD (Airline): Easy Rider (1969). 95 min. Director: Dennis Hopper w/ Peter Fonda (Wyatt); Dennis Hopper (Billy). Two hippies make a trip from L.A. to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. On their journey they are searching for America. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Troy (2004). 163 min. w/ Brad Pitt (Achilles), Diane Kruger (Helen) , Eric Bana (Hector), Orlando Bloom (Paris). Director: Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm, Outbreak, Das Boot, Die Unendliche Geschichte). Adaptation of Homer's great epic. Some good special effects. Entertaining. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: The Grapes of Wrath (1940). 128 min. B/W. Director: John Ford. Afterr the novel by John Steinbeck. w/ Henry Fonda (Tom Joad), John Carradine (Casy). Poor Oklahoma family is displaced from their land and makes a journey to California in hope of a better future. Gripping story. Superb cinematorgaphy, reminds of pictures by Dorothea Lange. Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Music: The Pink Floyd album 'Animals' showed Battersea Power Station, a defunct power plant near London on its cover.
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Music: Douglas Spotted Eagle: combines Native American flute with synthesizer. Also records movie and TV soundtracks.
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DVD: Bad Timing (1980). Director: Nicolas Roeg. w/ Art Garfunkel (Alex Linden), Theresa Russell (Milena Flaherty), Harvey Keitel (Inspector Netusil). After a woman is rushed to the hospital with an overdose of pills, her lover is interrogated by the police, slowly dissecting the course of their affair. Inter-cutting is predominant, ie not chronological. Starts benign, then spirals downward. Disturbing ending. Sexually explicit. Mediocre acting by Art Garfunkel. Was originally named 'Illusions', but then renamed before release due to conflict with the book of the same name by Richard Bach. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Cities: Bangalore (officially Bengaluru), India: Capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Estimated metropolitan population of 6.5 million. Sights: 1.) Vidhana Soudha: Legislative House of the State of Karnataka 2.) Karnataka High Court 3.) Bangalore Palace 4.) Lal Bagh: Botanical garden w/ lotus ponds, fountains, glass houses and stone formations that date back over 3.0 billion years 5.) MG Road and Brigade Road. Also to visit: Iskcon Temple (ISCON = International Society for Krishna Consciousness), 'Hare Krishna'; built to promote vedic culture and spiritual learning); Indian Institute of Science; Mysore (2 h drive; famous for its palace and sandalwood).
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Music: London '66-'67 (London 1966-1967): An EP w/ two "lost" tracks, a longer version of "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Nick's Boogie". Tracks were originally recorded for "Tonite Let's All Make Love In London" on January 11 and 12, 1967, a film by Peter Lorrimer Whitehead, an English filmmaker who documented the counterculture in London and New York in the late 1960s.
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Cities: Amsterdam, NL: 1.) Avenue Hotel, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 33 2.) ACH Leidse Square Hotel, Tesselschadestraat 23 3.) Rijksmuseum 4.) Van Gogh Museum 4.) Maurya: An Indian Cuisine, Korte Leidsedwarssraat 49A.
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Art: Ten Dreams. Galleries cover galleries cover the works of more than 180 master artists during the last 200 years. Includes Balthus, Tamara de Lempicka, Maxfield Parrish, Max Beckmann, Paul Gauguin, Edward Hopper etc.
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Photography: Eugene Atget (1857-1927): French photographer. Made photographs documenting the architecture and street scenes of Paris. Neighbour of Man Ray at Montparnasse. Photographs at the George Eastman House.
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Photography: Bruno Bisang (b. 1952). Swiss photogapher. Advertisement, magazines, fine art.
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Life: Angie's List: Info and ratings for contractors in your area. Requires sign-up. One year free service.
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Science: Otto Hahn (1879-1968): German chemist; Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944; discovered nuclear fission together with his assistant Fritz Strassmann and Lise Meitner. Meitner needed to escape from Germany in 1938 because of her Jewish heritage and was later overlooked for the Nobel Prize.
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DVD: 11:14 (2003). w/ Hilary Swank (Buzzy), Patrick Swayze (Frank), Rachael Leigh Cook (Cheri), Henry Thomas (Jack). Director: Greg Marcks. Five more or less parallel events intertwine the lives of residents in a small American town. A dead body lands on the hood of drunk man who passes under a bridge on the highway. At the same time, a young woman is hit by a car carrying three rambunctious juveniles. The story and sequence of events slowly unravels. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Thunderball (1965). 130 min. w/ Sean Connery (James Bond), Claudine Auger (Dominique 'Domino' Derval). Director: Terence Young. James Bond is on a mission in Bermuda to recover two stolen atomic bombs. Many diving scenes. Bond in macho style. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Pink Floyd --- Live at Pompeii (1972). The Director's Cut (2003). 92 min. Director: Adrian Maben. Original film contained mainly music from the Pompeii event. In later versions, studio recordings from 'Dark Side of the Moon' and interview footage was added. DVD also contains interview with director with some insights into the project. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Astronomy: BLAST (Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope: submillimeter telescope held by andd launched using a high altitude balloon. 2 meter primary mirror. Apparently, BLAST was destroyed during its last mission in Jan. 2007.
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Literature: Ricarda Huch (1864-1947): German writer, poet, and historian. Wrote three volumes about German history (Deutsche Geschichte) during the Nazi regime (which she opposed) and about German romanticism (Die Romanik).
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DVD: The Devil Wears Prada (2006). 109 min. w/ Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestly), Anne Hathaway (Andy Sachs), Emily Blunt (Emily), Stanley Tucci (Nigel). Young aspiring journalist gets introduced to the world of fashion through her new job with the arrogant chief ('the devil') of a fashion magazine. At first she resents the people, but her desire forr a career makes her one of them while destroying her personal life. Life is full of choices... Streep plays her role as the red dragon well. Some scenes rather comical and exaggerated. Slightly superficial. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Real Estate: Realtor.com
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Art: Frick Collection, NYC. Sunday, June 3, 2007, 12:25 PM (pay as you wish).
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Mathematics: Gerolamo Cardano (Girolamo Cardano; Engl.: Jerome Cardan; Lat.: Hieronymus Cardanus), 1501-1576, celebrated Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer, and gambler. Greatest achievements in algebra. Cardan shaft (automotive driveshaft). More info at Engines of our Ingenuity #1950. Biography by William George Waters.
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Art: Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ.
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DVD: Thir13en Ghosts (2001). 91 min. w/ Tony Shalhoub (Arthur Kriticos), Embeth Davidtz (Kalina Oretzia), Matthew Lillard (Dennis Rafkin), Shannon Elizabeth (Kathy Kriticos). Director: Steve Beck. Arthur inherits house from his uncle who happend to collect ghosts to open the gate to hell. When Arthur, his two kids, and a nanny see the house for the first time they get trapped. Horror movie with some good special effects, but very poor story and some bad acting. Overall rating: 3 out of 10.
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Life: Background checks at Sterling Testing
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Psychology: Cognitive Dissonance: Uncomfortable tension that may result from holding two conflicting thoughts or from engaging in behavior that conflicts with one's beliefs. Dissonance increases with the importance of the subject to us, how strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict, and our inability to rationalize and explain away the conflict.
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Jazz: Friday, August 3, 2007, Smalls, NYC: 10:00 PM: Harry Whitaker Group feat Claudia Acuna, Abe Burton, Joe Magnarelli. w/ Harry Whitaker, piano. 12:00 AM: Ralph Lalama Trio w/ Ralph Lalama, tenor saxophone.
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Jazz: Velvet Lounge, 67 E Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60616. Owner: Fred Anderson, tenor saxophonist.
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Computer: Gotta Be Mobile: Articles, news and forums on Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs.
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DVD: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). 157 min. w/ Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). Director: Mike Newell Writers: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel). Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. He participates unwillingly in the 'Triwizard Tournament' while continuing his struggle against Lord Voldemort. Story overall too flat and predictable. Some good special effects. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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Computer: CCleaner. Freeware system optimization. Deletes junk and cleans registry.
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DVD: The Da Vinci Code (2006). 149 min. w/ Tom Hanks (Dr. Robert Langdon), Audrey Tautou (Agent Sophie Neveu; from Amelie). Director: Ron Howard. Langdon and Neveu try to find the Holy Grail. Too flat at times. Reasonable acting. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). 104 min. Director: Mel Brooks. Cary Elwes (Robin Hood), Amy Yasbeck (Maid Marian). Comedy retelling the story of Robin Hood. Funny. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Snippets:
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Thought: Life is a constant experiment. We try things out every day, analyze, evaluate results, and make plans for doing it better or different. (Carl Sagan, Demon Haunted World)
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DVD: Blow (2001). 124 min. w/ Johnny Depp (George Jung), Penelope Cruz (Mirtha Jung), Franka Potente (Barbara Buckley), Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman; Derek Foreal). Director: Ted Demme. The story of George Jacob Jung (Boston George), a major player in cocaine importation in the United States in the 1970s and early 80s and a part of the Medellin Cartel in Colombia. Some fun, some touching moments. Age/appearance of actors does not always match up with the scenes. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Thought: Happiness: Feels right. Belong. This is it. (Blow)
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DVD: Casino Royale (2006). 144 min. w/ Daniel Craig (James Bond), Eva Green (Vesper Lynd). Director: Martin Campbell. Bond fights terrorist and plays poker. Overpromised. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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DVD: Dial M for Murder (1954). 104 min. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. w/ Ray Milland (Tony Wendice), Grace Kelly (Margot Mary Wendice), Robert Cummings (Mark Halliday). Man who want to murder his wife comes up with an (almost) ingenious plan. Too static at times. Was originally written by Frederick Knott as a play. Overall rating: 6 out of 10
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Art: 6/2/07: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. 1.) New Greek and Roman Galleries. Opened April 20, 2007. 2.) Poiret: King of Fashion. 3.) Neo Rauch at the Met: para. 4.) Frank Stella on the Roof.
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DVD: Chinatown (1974) w/ Jack Nicholson (J.J. 'Jake' Gittes), Faye Dunaway (Evelyn Cross Mulwray), John Huston (Noah Cross). Director: Roman Polanski. Private investigator Gittes is hired by a woman to spy upon an enginer and his extra-marital affairs. When he is murdered, Gittes slowly uncoves a vast conspiracy centering on water management, state and municipal corruption, land use and real estate. Great acting, but story too slow at times. Cameo appearance by Polanski himself as 'Man with Knife'. Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
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DVD: The World is not Enough (1999). w/ Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sophie Marceau (Elektra), Denise Richards (Christmas Jones) . Full of one-liners. Better story than other Bond movies. Many humorous scenes. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Ran (1985). 160 min. Director: Akira Kurosawa. w/ Tatsuya Nakadai (Lord Hidetora Ichimonji), Akira Terao (Taro Takatora Ichimonji), Jinpachi Nezu (Jiro Masatora Ichimonji), Daisuke Ryu (Saburo Naotora Ichimonji). Japanese Lord steps aside and determines his succession, but learns that greed is strongerr than family ties. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Astronomy: Astro Viewer: Interactive star map (in German); can be customized.
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Food: Numi: Tea brand. Has Simply Mint / Maroccan Mint, said to have a "bright vibrant flavor that tastes like a fresh picked leaf."
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DVD: Syriana (2005). 126 min. w/ George Clooney (Bob Barnes), Jeffrey Wright (Bennett Holiday). Several parallel stories about oil, money, and corruption. Story too complicated. Overall rating 4 out of 10.
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DVD: Les Biches (Bad Girls, 1968). 104 min. Director: Claude Chabrol. w/ Jacqueline Sassard (Why), Stephane Audran (Frederique), Jean-Louis Trintignant (Paul Thomas). Rich woman meets street artist and invites her to her home. They fall in love with the same man. Liberal for its time. French 60s feeling. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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DVD: Kim (TV, 1984). 150 min. After the novel by Rudyard Kipling. w/ Peter O'Toole (Lama), Bryan Brown (Mahbub Ali), Ravi Sheth (Kim). Director: John Howard Davies. In colonial India, an Indian boy with an Irish father lives a life between a Tibetan lama and the British Secret Service. Good story. Some of the acting leaves room for improvement. O'Toole appears a bit too shaky. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Astronomy: Hyperion: Very porous moon of Saturn. Approx. 120 km in diameter and 10 km deep. Rotates caotically. Picture taken by Cassini spacecraft.


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Medicine: Aristolochic acid may be responsible for etiology of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy. Contamination of bread (flour) with seeds of Aristolochia clematitis. A. clematitis is native to the endemic region and often grows in cultivated fields where its seeds comingle with wheat grain during the annual harvest. PNAS, July 17, 2007, Vol. 104, No. 29, p. 12129-12134.
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