Documentary, Movies

Tarnation

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In my junior or senior year I formulated this motto:  I want to turn my life into a work of art.  What I had in mind was something like this: Rather than turning out work that could be construed as art I wanted to make sure that my life as a whole was esthetically compelling. image [Read More]
Diary

New Euro Language

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The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

Doubt

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A psychologically pleasing story offers you some resolution at the end. John Patrick Shanley, the writer and director of Doubt, denies you this pleasure. He errs on the side of wanting to teach you too much. He wants you to be in doubt at the end of the film and this means never revealing what image [Read More]
Diary, Must Know

Human evolution: Why we love Music?

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I have been waiting for a piece on the origins of music for a long time. Read this interesting report in the Economist on the scientific debates on why most of us like music so much. Biologists are addressing one of humanity’s strangest attributes, its all-singing, all-dancing culture. “IF MUSIC be the food of love, play on, image [Read More]
Humor, Situations

Capturing the Moment: Cohen Tribute To Obama

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Start the Fire By ROGER COHEN (NY Times) With apologies to Billy Joel, who’s more of a chronologist, and in tribute to a president, Barack Hussein Obama, representing a new post-cold-war generation of 21st-century Americans. We Didn’t Start the Fire (2) Bill Clinton, Tina Fey, capitalist China, O.J., Asia rising, Facebook, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ugg boots, image [Read More]