Cool Magazines
I consider magazines one of my vices. Even though I already subscribe to Entertainment Weekly (which I consider my pop culture bible), Vanity Fair and Wired, I have to forcibly restrain myself each time I buy groceries so as not to come home with O, Us, Self, Shape or any one of those magazines begging to be consumed. And I can never say no to the high schoolers selling magazines for their school fund drives. I realize that most don’t share my vice, but I have to spread the word about my new favorite: Scientific American’s Mind (www.sciammind.com). It’s chock full of fascinating articles on the mind from written from different angles. For example, this month’s issue featured an article on intuition. Heck, all my contributions to Odds and Ends could actually have been gleaned from it.
Ideas (all from Scientific American Mind)
Researchers at Florida State University have found that exerting self control depletes glucose stores. This means that those folks who exert self control are more likely to make impulse purchases. ( Think of the ramifications for dieters.) Kathleen Vohs from the U of Minnesota points out the implications for diabetics. Self control is toughest for people whose bodies don’t utilize blood glucose efficiently. Yet they can’t take advantage of a glucose supplement.
Further research has surfaced to expand on the physiological reasons for addiction. Jeffrey Dalley from the U of Cambridge has found that some people are born with fewer dopamine D2 receptors which makes them less sensitive to natural pleasures and also predisposes them to impulsive behavior and drug addiction.
Scientists have discovered place-tracking neurons called grid cells in the entorhinal cortex of rats. It’s possible that these cells “allow an animal to constantly update its physical location on its internal cognitive map by keeping track of its own movements. That information in turn conveyed to the hippocampus, which combines this spatial representation with other data about an event to create specific, context-rich memories of unique experience.” One of the nifty implications of this discovery is how sensible the erection of memory palaces are.
Movies
Has anyone seen Once? It centers on the relationship between 2 musicians in Dublin. I’ve been dying to see it and would love to hear if it’s worth me going into the city to see it rather than waiting for its release on dvd.
Reality Television
I know that On the Lot is not being watched by most of America, but I’m still enjoying it. I enjoy seeing the contestants push themselves. Making movies under limiting conditions is not easy. And I really appreciate the judge’s comments. Unlike Idol, the judges offer valid and constructive criticism. If anyone else is watching, don’t you think that Zach is the quintessential Spielberg employee?
Like Beth, I’m a fan of So You Think You Can Dance. It’s a blast watching those dancers move.
Episodic Television
With The Sopranos ending, Rescue Me has done just that. I have a show to eagerly anticipate each week. It’s as black and as funny as ever. Denis Leary has to win an Emmy this year. Wasn’t that a great scene between Franco and his woman’s brother? If you’re not watching, TIVO it on Wednesday nights at 10:00 EDT (FX).
Sunday nights on HBO might also need to be rescued. The season opener of Entourage made me smile and wince. (I hope Medellin is a success.) But I’m on the fence about John from Cincinnati. The dialogue shows some of the greatness of Deadwood and the actors shine, but I don’t care enough about them yet. However, I’m definitely certain about The Flight of the Conchords. It’s self-indulgent crap.
Art
Have you CT folk been to Latham Park in Stamford? I read an article in Sunday’s NYT about an exhibition which features art created from cast-off materials. It looks very cool, especially the file cabinet creation. I’m a huge fan of art made from found objects and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Politics
What do you think of Hillary’s announcement of her campaign’s theme song? I think it cleverly plays off of The Sopranos finale and actually makes her more appealing. I’m also a Bill Clinton fan and like being reminded of their relationship. She seems to fit so well into the Northeast that I forget she’s from Arkansas.
Web Sites
Looking to exercise your brains? Check out http://www.sharpbrains.com/
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Fight Girls
Guilty Pleasure
This is a new category I’m introducing for things which I like that I know I shouldn’t. My list is quite long and includes everything from Air Supply’s “All out of Love” to soft core vampire crime thrillers to “The Bold and the Beautiful.” (Yes, I have no shame.) My newest guilty pleasure has got to be “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen channel (the home to many guilty TV pleasures). 10 women who practice martial arts live and fight together (in and outside of their house) with the goal of muay thai fighting Thai adolescents in Thailand. I think the program’s tag line is, “Friends at home, enemies in the ring.”
Interesting People
Have you heard of Ruby Payne? I read about her in Sunday’s NYT magazine whose theme was class in American. Apparently, she writes book and lectures on class differences. Her primary audience seems to be educators seeking to understand their students. She’s boiled down differences between low, middle and upper classes into 15 categories. For example, she claims that humor in poverty is about people and sex. For the middle class it’s about situations. The upper class laugh at social faux pas. In poverty, the present is most important. In the middle class, it’s the future. And for wealth, it’s the past. She has many critics who accuse her of oversimplifying, offering theories without sufficient supporting evidence and contributing to class bias. But what I think is interesting is the fact that she is at least talking about class difference which Americans like to pretend doesn’t exist.
Television
What did you think of The Sopranos finale? I’m in the camp who thought it ended exactly the way it should have—in limbo with a family mired in moral ambiguity. At the same time as Chase left us hanging though, he gave us plenty of visceral thrills. How cool was it when the SUV with the babies trapped inside was slowed down because of Phil’s head? And what about those last five minutes? That was probably the most suspense I’ve had to endure for a quite a while. When Meadow had trouble parallel parking, I was sure she was going to be the only one of the family left alive at the end. But my favorite part was the very end when everything faded to black in silence. For just a moment, you had to wonder if cable had gone out. Of course, it didn’t because Sunday was just the end of the Sopranos not the end of HBO. (Or so they’d like to think.)
What are your thoughts about the new HBO shows being brought to replace The Sopranos on Sunday night? John from Cincinnati? Flight of the Conchords? I’m bummed Big Love was moved to Monday night, but I’ll keep watching it. I think it’s one of the warmest depiction of families I’ve seen in a long time (And yeah Bill Pullman does have 3 wives but, really, the family is just so normal.)
Have you watched Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel? Each week Bear Grylis has himself dropped off in some godforsaken place (Jungles, Outback, Forests, Mountains) with nothing but his wits. He then has to figure out how to return to civilization. The new season begins on Friday at 9 Eastern if you’re interested in picking up some tricks. One never knows when one might need to know how to wring water out of elephant dung (Yep. We saw him drink it and survive.)
Health and Wellness
An issue of Time was devoted to food. Did anyone see it? One of the articles, “The Science of Appetite,” is especially interested because it discusses in detail the role our body’s chemicals play in appetite.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2...1626795,00.html
Jack LaLanne has got to be among the cheesiest, hammiest guys out there. But he’s an inspiration for anyone trying to stay fit. Check out the video and article on him keeping in mind he’ll soon be 93.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...7051800916.htmlETA: Here's a link to the article itself:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...7061101919.html
New Technology
Every time I’m back in an office environment, I remember how annoying it was to be cold in the summer and hot in the winter. If anyone is suffering from an erratic office climate, check out the new desktop cooler/heaters which are being sold for $300. It only ways a few pounds but it allows you to control your work space.
Quote
“First the stomach, then God.” --One swami quoting another
This is a new category I’m introducing for things which I like that I know I shouldn’t. My list is quite long and includes everything from Air Supply’s “All out of Love” to soft core vampire crime thrillers to “The Bold and the Beautiful.” (Yes, I have no shame.) My newest guilty pleasure has got to be “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen channel (the home to many guilty TV pleasures). 10 women who practice martial arts live and fight together (in and outside of their house) with the goal of muay thai fighting Thai adolescents in Thailand. I think the program’s tag line is, “Friends at home, enemies in the ring.”
Interesting People
Have you heard of Ruby Payne? I read about her in Sunday’s NYT magazine whose theme was class in American. Apparently, she writes book and lectures on class differences. Her primary audience seems to be educators seeking to understand their students. She’s boiled down differences between low, middle and upper classes into 15 categories. For example, she claims that humor in poverty is about people and sex. For the middle class it’s about situations. The upper class laugh at social faux pas. In poverty, the present is most important. In the middle class, it’s the future. And for wealth, it’s the past. She has many critics who accuse her of oversimplifying, offering theories without sufficient supporting evidence and contributing to class bias. But what I think is interesting is the fact that she is at least talking about class difference which Americans like to pretend doesn’t exist.
Television
What did you think of The Sopranos finale? I’m in the camp who thought it ended exactly the way it should have—in limbo with a family mired in moral ambiguity. At the same time as Chase left us hanging though, he gave us plenty of visceral thrills. How cool was it when the SUV with the babies trapped inside was slowed down because of Phil’s head? And what about those last five minutes? That was probably the most suspense I’ve had to endure for a quite a while. When Meadow had trouble parallel parking, I was sure she was going to be the only one of the family left alive at the end. But my favorite part was the very end when everything faded to black in silence. For just a moment, you had to wonder if cable had gone out. Of course, it didn’t because Sunday was just the end of the Sopranos not the end of HBO. (Or so they’d like to think.)
What are your thoughts about the new HBO shows being brought to replace The Sopranos on Sunday night? John from Cincinnati? Flight of the Conchords? I’m bummed Big Love was moved to Monday night, but I’ll keep watching it. I think it’s one of the warmest depiction of families I’ve seen in a long time (And yeah Bill Pullman does have 3 wives but, really, the family is just so normal.)
Have you watched Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel? Each week Bear Grylis has himself dropped off in some godforsaken place (Jungles, Outback, Forests, Mountains) with nothing but his wits. He then has to figure out how to return to civilization. The new season begins on Friday at 9 Eastern if you’re interested in picking up some tricks. One never knows when one might need to know how to wring water out of elephant dung (Yep. We saw him drink it and survive.)
Health and Wellness
An issue of Time was devoted to food. Did anyone see it? One of the articles, “The Science of Appetite,” is especially interested because it discusses in detail the role our body’s chemicals play in appetite.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2...1626795,00.html
Jack LaLanne has got to be among the cheesiest, hammiest guys out there. But he’s an inspiration for anyone trying to stay fit. Check out the video and article on him keeping in mind he’ll soon be 93.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...7051800916.htmlETA: Here's a link to the article itself:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...7061101919.html
New Technology
Every time I’m back in an office environment, I remember how annoying it was to be cold in the summer and hot in the winter. If anyone is suffering from an erratic office climate, check out the new desktop cooler/heaters which are being sold for $300. It only ways a few pounds but it allows you to control your work space.
Quote
“First the stomach, then God.” --One swami quoting another
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Shot in the Dark
Books
I read Beth’s note about beautiful mandalas just as I was beginning Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddha Mind, Buddha Body. He’s a Vietnamese monk who Chris swears by. His writings are poetic, simple but profound and inspiring. In fact, when I read him I found myself smiling not as a result of his cleverness but because his words are so soothing. In Buddha Mind, he describes sanghas as communities where love and harmony exists and he stresses the importance of such a community for maintaining happiness. Hearing from family and friends about all the cool things they’ve discovered helps me feel that I’m part of a geographically dispersed but powerful sangha.
Interviews
I love it when someone I admire writes about someone I admire. If you click on the following link, you can read an article on Cesar Millan by Malcolm Gladwell. It offers some insights into Millan’s background as well as a very cool analysis of his movement by movement therapists. Given how adept dogs are at reading people, it makes sense that the dog whisperer would be an accomplished dog dancer
http://www.gladwell.com/2006/2006_05_22_a_dog.html
Music
Remember when you would cross your fingers hoping to hear your favorite song on the radio? It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to access any kind of music your heart desire for free. If you can’t get enough chilly lounge music in the summer then check out the groovera webcasts. You can go to groovera.com or you can also dial up the channels through the radio stations in Itunes under Electronic. I especially like ambient popsicle.
I know that I’ve mentioned Pandora.com more than once, but I have to shout their name out once more. They have a new podcast available through itunes which explains the musical characteristics of music. I find this particularly cool because as is the case with visual style, I like being able to find the words for patterns which affect me emotionally.
For example, they explain how trance music is able to create a frenzy in dancers.
Links
The following blog is of special interest for teachers who have wrestled with the course evaluation process. It provides a forum for both teachers and students to respond to those evaluations and gives you a peek into those interesting classroom dynamics.
http://rateyourstudents.blogspot.com/
Television
Following the season finale of Entourage on Sunday night, HBO showed a documentary made by Adrian Grenier (Vincent Chase), Shot in the Dark, on his search to connect with his father. I'm sure many who watched the brutal Sopranos and very funny Entourage episodes turned the channel when it came on. But it’s surprisingly compelling and I think part of the reason is that Grenier is not afraid to show his cluelessness about his feelings and his real intentions behind making the movie. As is the case with other successful documentaries, you’re left at the end seeing the “truth” from multiple perspectives and feeling sympathy for all involved.
TheaterIn honor of the Tonys, NYT critics selected their favorite moments on Broadway over the past year. The description of Journey’s End curtain call made me wish I had the resources to do a Broadway tour once a year. At the end of the WW I play, a dugout is blasted into the ground by the Germans and all the soldiers with whom the audience bonded perish. Rather than end the play with the destruction, a black curtain comes down as the “hellish sounds of battle roll forward over the audience. After 30 seconds, a “breath of a bird song” is played and when the curtain flies out the cast of 11 stands in front of a painted backdrop replicating part of the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres, Belgium: rows and rows of names of dead soldiers.” Apparently the audience members were unsure of how to respond because it became unclear what exactly they would be clapping for until the cast removed their helmets indicating that they were actors
I read Beth’s note about beautiful mandalas just as I was beginning Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddha Mind, Buddha Body. He’s a Vietnamese monk who Chris swears by. His writings are poetic, simple but profound and inspiring. In fact, when I read him I found myself smiling not as a result of his cleverness but because his words are so soothing. In Buddha Mind, he describes sanghas as communities where love and harmony exists and he stresses the importance of such a community for maintaining happiness. Hearing from family and friends about all the cool things they’ve discovered helps me feel that I’m part of a geographically dispersed but powerful sangha.
Interviews
I love it when someone I admire writes about someone I admire. If you click on the following link, you can read an article on Cesar Millan by Malcolm Gladwell. It offers some insights into Millan’s background as well as a very cool analysis of his movement by movement therapists. Given how adept dogs are at reading people, it makes sense that the dog whisperer would be an accomplished dog dancer
http://www.gladwell.com/2006/2006_05_22_a_dog.html
Music
Remember when you would cross your fingers hoping to hear your favorite song on the radio? It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to access any kind of music your heart desire for free. If you can’t get enough chilly lounge music in the summer then check out the groovera webcasts. You can go to groovera.com or you can also dial up the channels through the radio stations in Itunes under Electronic. I especially like ambient popsicle.
I know that I’ve mentioned Pandora.com more than once, but I have to shout their name out once more. They have a new podcast available through itunes which explains the musical characteristics of music. I find this particularly cool because as is the case with visual style, I like being able to find the words for patterns which affect me emotionally.
For example, they explain how trance music is able to create a frenzy in dancers.
Links
The following blog is of special interest for teachers who have wrestled with the course evaluation process. It provides a forum for both teachers and students to respond to those evaluations and gives you a peek into those interesting classroom dynamics.
http://rateyourstudents.blogspot.com/
Television
Following the season finale of Entourage on Sunday night, HBO showed a documentary made by Adrian Grenier (Vincent Chase), Shot in the Dark, on his search to connect with his father. I'm sure many who watched the brutal Sopranos and very funny Entourage episodes turned the channel when it came on. But it’s surprisingly compelling and I think part of the reason is that Grenier is not afraid to show his cluelessness about his feelings and his real intentions behind making the movie. As is the case with other successful documentaries, you’re left at the end seeing the “truth” from multiple perspectives and feeling sympathy for all involved.
TheaterIn honor of the Tonys, NYT critics selected their favorite moments on Broadway over the past year. The description of Journey’s End curtain call made me wish I had the resources to do a Broadway tour once a year. At the end of the WW I play, a dugout is blasted into the ground by the Germans and all the soldiers with whom the audience bonded perish. Rather than end the play with the destruction, a black curtain comes down as the “hellish sounds of battle roll forward over the audience. After 30 seconds, a “breath of a bird song” is played and when the curtain flies out the cast of 11 stands in front of a painted backdrop replicating part of the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres, Belgium: rows and rows of names of dead soldiers.” Apparently the audience members were unsure of how to respond because it became unclear what exactly they would be clapping for until the cast removed their helmets indicating that they were actors
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
