Diary

WikiLeaks Exposing the Psychology of America

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It is difficult for individuals to change their personalities; it also also difficult for countries to change their personalities. Derek Leebaert desribes the lens through which American diplomats have thinking about the world for a long time. Our Envoys, Ourselves (NY Times) A GLOBAL power’s diplomatic archives are inevitably full of caustic dispatches. In Britain, a image [Read More]
Diary

Rainer Maria Rilke: First Duino Elegy

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Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the Angelic Orders? And even if one were to suddenly take me to its heart, I would vanish into its stronger existence. For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, that we are still able to bear, and we revere it so, because it calmly disdains to destroy us. Every Angel image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

The Darjeling Limited

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This is Wes Anderson’s best film to date. It reaches the same depth of Rushmore, but instead of staying in the same Chicago suburb, the director takes us on a wonderful road trip to India. Unlike Life Aquatic, which also wanted to be an adventure film, The Darjeling Limited is never boring because even when image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

The Social Network

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When historians sit down to write the history of first decade of the 20th century, they would have likely used a few years ago labels such as the Rise of the Internet or Googlemania.  If Facebook continues to grow and add functions at its current pace (email will soon be integrated with its message image [Read More]
Astute Observations, Diary

The Midterm Election Analysis: In politics, perceptions often matter more than facts

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Hendrik Hertzberg provides the facts behind the defeat of the Democrats and highlights that Obama can show in the next two years that he is a great president by overcoming huge challenges. ELECTORAL DISSONANCE (New Yorker) Barack Obama had the mot juste last Wednesday for what had just befallen him and his party: a “shellacking.” The President’s image [Read More]
Comedy, Movies

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

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My Wes Anderson Film Festival continues. This week I screened his fourth film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). While Anderson pushes the cinematography onto a higher plane than in Rushmore or Bottle Rocket, the characters here feel more constructed and synthetic. Owen Wilson co-wrote the first two Anderson films. Perhaps he brought greater image [Read More]
Diary, Must Know

Why you need to take naps

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I welcome any scientific evidence that proves what I am doing is healthy. Readers of my blog will remember that I took a strong position againt the so-called “power-nap killers.” New scientific research shows that naps help your brain to learn better. I sometimes even take two naps to rejuvenate my body and mind. If image image [Read More]