Monday, July 07, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Spells & Magic...words
Highly Recommended...
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Two gifted sisters draw on their talents to belatedly forge a bond and find their ways in life in Allen's easygoing debut novel. Thirty-four-year-old Claire Waverley manifests her talent in cooking; using edible flowers, Claire creates dishes that affect the eater in curious ways. But not all Waverley women embrace their gifts; some, including Claire's mother, escape the family's eccentric reputation by running away. She abandoned Claire and her sister when they were young. Consequently, Claire has remained close to home, unwilling to open up to new people or experiences. Claire's younger sister, Sydney, however, followed in their mother's footsteps 10 years ago and left for New York, and after a string of abusive, roustabout boyfriends, returns to Bascom, N.C., with her five-year-old daughter, Bay. As Sydney reacquaints herself with old friends and rivals, she discovers her own Waverley magic. Claire, in turn, begins to open up to her sister and in the process learns how to welcome other possibilities.
(© Reed Business Information)
From Booklist
Take a pinch of marigold to stimulate affection, add a dash of snapdragon to repel evil influences, finish with a generous helping of rose petals to encourage love, then stand back and let nature take its course. It may be the recipe for Claire Waverley's successful catering business, but when it comes to working its magic on her own love life, she seems to be immune to the charms found only in the plants that have always grown behind the Waverley mansion. Like generations of Waverley women before her, Claire has accepted her family's mysterious gifts, while her estranged sister, Sydney, could not run away from them fast enough. Knowing it's just a matter of time before her abusive boyfriend finally kills her, however, Sydney escapes with her young daughter back home to the only place she knows she'll be safe. Spellbindingly charming, Allen's impressively accomplished debut novel will bewitch fans of Alice Hoffman and Laura Esquivel, as her entrancing brand of magic realism nimbly blends the evanescent desires of hopeless romantics with the inherent wariness of those who have been hurt once too often.
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Practical Magic starts out as a tale of Gillian and Sally Owens, two orphaned girls whose aunts are witches--of a mild sort. For the past two centuries, Owens women have been blamed for all that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town, ever since their ancestor arrived, rich, independent, and soon accused of theft: "And then one day, a farmer winged a crow in his cornfield, a creature who'd been stealing from him shamelessly for months. When Maria Owens appeared the very next morning with her arm in a sling and her white hand wound up in a white bandage, people felt certain they knew the reason why." The aunts are daily ostracized by the same upstanding citizens who sneak to their house at night for magical love cures. To the sisters they are for the most part benevolently absent, though their bell, book, and candle routine makes life a torment for Gillian, beautiful and blonde and lazy, and Sally, who's all too responsible. But when one of the aunts' cures works too well, ending as a curse, the dangers of real love become all too clear. In Hoffman's world being bewitched, bothered, and bewildered is no mere metaphor--and neither is desire. The elbows of one enamored man pucker a linoleum counter, another walks around with singed cuffs. It's difficult to catch the author's power in brief quotes. She needs space and increment to build her exquisite variations of vision and reality, her matter-of-fact announcements of the preternatural. Practical Magic again and again makes one recall the thrill of hearing at bedtime, "Now will I a tale unfold..." (Kerry Fried)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Publishers WeeklyHer 11th novel is Hoffman's best since Illumination Night. Again a scrim of magic lies gently over her fictional world, in which lilacs bloom riotously in July, a lovesick boy's elbows sizzle on a diner countertop and a toad expectorates a silver ring. The real and the magical worlds are almost seamlessly mixed here, the humor is sharper than in previous books, the characters' eccentricities grow credibly out of their past experiences and the poignant lessons they learn reverberate against the reader's heartstrings, stroked by Hoffman's lyrical prose. The Owens women have been witches for several generations. Orphaned Sally and Gillian Owens, raised by their spinster aunts in a spooky old house, grow up observing desperate women buying love potions in the kitchen and vow never to commit their hearts to passion. Fate, of course, intervenes. Steady, conscientious Sally marries, has two daughters and is widowed early. Impulsive, seductive Gillian goes through three divorces before she arrives at Sally's house with a dead body in her car. Meanwhile, Sally's daughters, replicas of their mother and their aunt, experience their own sexual awakenings. The inevitability of love and the torment and bliss of men and women gripped by desire is Hoffman's theme here...The dialogue is always on target, particularly the squabbling between siblings, and, as usual, weather plays a portentous role. Readers will relish this magical tale. (PW)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
How READ Posters Get Made
From: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/news/topstories/readposters.cfm
In addition to the hundreds of celebrity suggestions from librarians, teachers, readers and fans, ALA Graphics staff seeks out celebrities from a wide range of occupations: movie and TV stars, comedians, athletes, musicians, innovators, heroic figures and the like. We try to find highly recognizable–and therefore popular–celebrities. We also consider a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds to reach the diverse populations libraries serve.
We track all suggestions to monitor their popularity among library staff, students, and patrons, and if demand for a celebrity emerges, we add the name to the list. We discuss possible celebrities with an informal group of librarians. With all of this information at hand, we select iconic celebrities who we feel will best encourage reading, literacy, and life-long learning among children, teens, and adults alike.
The second part of the process can be considerably more difficult–contacting representatives for each celebrity and getting them to sign on. It may surprise you to know that not all the personalities we contact want to participate, as many are contacted so frequently for celebrity appearances. We often receive suggestions for celebrities that we have contacted on numerous occasions, but can’t persuade to participate.
A celebrity who signs on for the READ campaign can choose to hold any book of his or her choice. Some choose a recent read, others a childhood favorite, or something that has inspired them in their life. The professional photoshoots most often happen in Los Angeles or New York, where the celebrities and their photographers tend to be. None of our celebrity subjects are compensated for lending their image to the campaign.
To suggest your favorite celebrity, send an e-mail to graphicsmarketing@ala.org with “READ Poster Suggestion” in the subject line. We’re also getting a LISTEN campaign underway. Who would you like to see featured on a LISTEN poster?
And, did you know that you can make your own READ posters using the ALA’s READ CDs? Ask your librarian or teacher to invest in this fun idea! It's available at the ALA Store.
Here is a list of every celebrity who has posed for a READ (or LISTEN) poster so far:
1985 Bette Midler;Bill Cosby;Mikhail Baryshnikov;Sting
1986 George Burns;Goldie Hawn
1987 David Bowie;Diahann Carrol;Paul Newman
1988 Michael J. Fox;Oprah;Phil Collins;Ruben Blades
1989 Isiah Thomas;Steve Martin;William Hurt
1990 Bo Jackson;Glenn Close;Kirk Cameron
1991 Denzel Washington;Harrison Ford;REM
1992 Alec Baldwin;Jimmy Smits;Michael Chang;Michael Keaton;Whoopi Goldberg
1993 Graham Greene;Jackie Joyner-Kersee;Kristi Yamaguchi;Roseanne Arnold;Sean Connery
1994 Edward James Olmos;Elvis;Marlee Matlin;Michael Bolton;Spike Lee
1995 Branford Marsalis;Geena Davis;Little Women;Matt Dillon;Shaquille O'Neil
1996 Antonio Banderas;Barbara Walters;Courtney Cox;Danny Glover;Dr. Quinn Cast;Lawrence Bros.;Mel Gibson;Michelle Pfeiffer;Morgan Freeman;Tim Allen
1997 Bill Gates;Bill Nye;Brandy (Norwood);Cindy Crawford;Fabio;Hercules;Jay Leno;LL Cool J;Nicolas Cage;Oprah;Power Rangers;Rob Schneider;Rosie O'Donnell;Xena (Lucy Lawless)
1998 Emeril Lagasse;Grant Hill;Kim Basinger;Muammad Ali;Olsen Twins
1999Ani DiFrancoMelissa EtheridgeMichelle KwanMonicaRebecca Lobo
2000 Christina RicciEnrique IglesiasRegis PhilbinStephen HawkingTara Dakides
2001 Britney Spears;Chamique Holdsclaw;Coolio;Dr. Ruth;Elijah Wood/Lord of the Rings;Ian McKellen/Lord of the Rings;Kristine Lilly;Liv Tyler/Lord of the Rings;Marion Jones;Mike Mussina;Susan Sarandon;Tim Robbins;Weird Al;Yo-Yo Ma
2002 Firefighte;rIndigo Girls;LeVar Burton;Salma Hayek;Serena Williams;Tony Hawk
2003 Bernie Mac;Jason Kidd;Julia Stiles;Landon Donovan;Matt Kenseth;Missy Elliott
2004 Jeff Corwin;Orlando Bloom;Renée Fleming;Rick Bayless;Trace Adkins
2005 Aishwarya Rai;Anthony Hopkins;Colin Farrell;Ethan Hawke;George Lopez;Ice Cube;Jamie Kennedy;Johnny Damon;Keira Knightly;Margaret Cho;Mat Hoffman
2006 Alan Rickman;Ben Roethlisberger;Cedric the Entertainer;Dakota Fanning;Danica PatrickJohn Leguizamo;Kelly Ripa;New York Rangers;Sasha Cohen
2007 Cesar Millan;Corbin Bleu;Ewan McGregor;Hilary Swank;Los Lonely Boys;Sendhil Ramamurthy;William H. Macy
2008 Abigail Breslin;Common;Eva Mendes;Kareem Abdul-Jabbar;Rachael Ray;Steve Carell/Get Smart;The Wayans;Tim Gunn
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The 10 Brainiest Places to Retire
http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/105195/The-10-Brainiest-Places-to-Retire
What makes the difference? A city with a large local university might offer a colorful slate of arts or educational events nearly every evening. Some suburbs have found a way to create unique learning opportunities for residents, who still have an easy route into the neighboring metropolis.
The brainiest places to retire:
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Berkeley, Calif.
Boulder, Colo.
Brookline, Mass.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Hoboken, N.J.
Lake Oswego, Ore.
Reston, Va.
Upper St. Clair, Pa.
West Lafayette, Ind.
What makes the difference? A city with a large local university might offer a colorful slate of arts or educational events nearly every evening. Some suburbs have found a way to create unique learning opportunities for residents, who still have an easy route into the neighboring metropolis.
The brainiest places to retire:
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Berkeley, Calif.
Boulder, Colo.
Brookline, Mass.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Hoboken, N.J.
Lake Oswego, Ore.
Reston, Va.
Upper St. Clair, Pa.
West Lafayette, Ind.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sleeper Films
Looking for something to watch. Here's a few sleeper films you might want to check out...
200 Cigarettes
A Map of the World
Akeelah and the Bee
Beautiful Girls
Bee Season
Bend it Like Beckham
Big Night
Casa de los Babys
Chariots of Fire
Clueless
Cookie’s Fortune
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Dead Again
Everyone Says I Love You
Garden State
High Fidelity
Hi-Life
How to make an American quilt
I Love You, I Love you not
In America
Junebug
Kissing Jessica Stein
Life as a House
Little Manhattan
Little Voice
Lovely & Amazing
Mean Girls
Millions
Monsoon Wedding
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Murphy’s Romance
Music from another Room
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Napoleon Dynamite
October Sky
Party Girl
Pieces of April
Polish Wedding
Saved!
Saving Grace
Shine
Shopgirl
Short Cuts
Sideways
Simon Birch
Singles
Sleep with Me
The Anniversary Party
The Good Girl
The Good Mother
The Ice Storm
The Matchmaker
The Namesake
The Secret of Roan Inish
The Waterdance
The Witches
To Gillian on her 37th Birthday
Waking Ned Devine
Monday, April 21, 2008
What if Firefighters Ran the World?
I just have to say that this is my new favorite commerical: "What if Firefighters Ran the World?" I'm not sure if it is so funny because it's so real?
Having worked in government and also as a voter, I think this is the best.
Take a few minutes and watch this. Maybe if more people do, our meetings will be shorter!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6DORwBzuA
Having worked in government and also as a voter, I think this is the best.
Take a few minutes and watch this. Maybe if more people do, our meetings will be shorter!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6DORwBzuA
Friday, April 04, 2008
Keaton Simons
This is a great new artist: http://www.keatonsimons.com
When considering the roll call of rock’s most influential icons, those rare artists that pose a triple threat are the ones that consistently stand out, musicians that seize the spotlight through their singing, songwriting and instrumental prowess. That hallowed breed of musician has become increasingly less common in popular music, so it’s especially worth noting that Keaton Simons also qualifies as a triple threat, given that his multifaceted talents have garnered him a presence on radio, television, film and the concert circuit. It’s an especially auspicious distinction for an artist who is only now on the cusp of releasing his debut album, the prophetically titled tour de force, Can You Hear Me, on CBS Records.The many career accomplishments he’s racked up in such a relatively short time attest to both his aptitude and his attitude.
In fact, music seemed to be in his genes. He was singing from the time he started talking… even before his first birthday! By the time he was two, he was entertaining his classmates in daycare. At age twelve he was already adept on guitar, and by fourteen he had decided to make music his career. That obsession carried over to college, earning him a degree in Ethnomusicology – the study of World Music – at The Evergreen State College in Washington State. Absorbing a varied array of classic influences – Hendrix, Dylan, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Robert Johnson among them – he immersed himself in all forms of music, from Rock to Jazz, Blues to Bluegrass and melded them into a mix that’s timely and timeless. Keaton played in various bands before college but his studies at Evergreen taught him about theory and technique.
“I was always afraid that if I learned a real regimen, I would lose my soul and spontaneity,” he recalls. “But when I actually started to study music and composition I began to realize that learning the discipline would actually enhance my ability.”Meanwhile, Keaton was also learning some real life lessons. A family friend, bassist Gordon Edwards of the famous funk band Stuff, invited him to come to New York and sit in on some sessions. Eventually, Keaton met Tre “Slimkid” Hardson of the alternative L.A. rap group The Pharcyde. He signed on as their musical director, while contributing guitar, songwriting and arranging to Hardson’s subsequent solo album. From there he expanded his musical apprenticeship and began working with other notable hip-hop acts, including the Black Eyed Peas, Medusa and Snoop Dogg, with whom he performed on The Tonight Show. Despite extensive roadwork and a growing professional pedigree, Keaton started getting restless and chose to focus on ways to move his own career forward.
Indeed, Can You Hear Me lives up to all expectations. Produced by Dave Bianco, the album mines the classic singer/songwriter traditions spawned by greats like Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, John Hiatt and other artists known for their soulful sway. Keaton’s tasteful fretwork, masterful songwriting and searing vocals bring an honesty and integrity that’s instantly embracing, a warm emotional center core that reaches from the tangled vulnerability of opening track “Without Your Skin” and the lean, sensual drift of “To Me” to the spry suggestion of the title track and the playful intrigue of “Misfits.” “Nobody Knows” proves instantly infectious, its sinewy rhythms wrapping around an irresistible refrain, while “Masterpiece” lives up to its title through a suggestive sway certain to put its listeners in a romantic mood. “I wanted to get back to honest, straight-forward expression; a purity and dynamic that relied on the strength of the songs and not the added embellishment of the arrangements,” Keaton insists. “I think this album represents who I am as an artist and captures the sound of my live performances authentically.” As he views his prospects going forward, Keaton maintains his main ambition is to continue to focus on his live performances, and draw more and more fans to his shows. “I’ve been doing this awhile, but I believe there’s so much left for me to accomplish,” he reflects.
(info from his website)
When considering the roll call of rock’s most influential icons, those rare artists that pose a triple threat are the ones that consistently stand out, musicians that seize the spotlight through their singing, songwriting and instrumental prowess. That hallowed breed of musician has become increasingly less common in popular music, so it’s especially worth noting that Keaton Simons also qualifies as a triple threat, given that his multifaceted talents have garnered him a presence on radio, television, film and the concert circuit. It’s an especially auspicious distinction for an artist who is only now on the cusp of releasing his debut album, the prophetically titled tour de force, Can You Hear Me, on CBS Records.The many career accomplishments he’s racked up in such a relatively short time attest to both his aptitude and his attitude.
In fact, music seemed to be in his genes. He was singing from the time he started talking… even before his first birthday! By the time he was two, he was entertaining his classmates in daycare. At age twelve he was already adept on guitar, and by fourteen he had decided to make music his career. That obsession carried over to college, earning him a degree in Ethnomusicology – the study of World Music – at The Evergreen State College in Washington State. Absorbing a varied array of classic influences – Hendrix, Dylan, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Robert Johnson among them – he immersed himself in all forms of music, from Rock to Jazz, Blues to Bluegrass and melded them into a mix that’s timely and timeless. Keaton played in various bands before college but his studies at Evergreen taught him about theory and technique.
“I was always afraid that if I learned a real regimen, I would lose my soul and spontaneity,” he recalls. “But when I actually started to study music and composition I began to realize that learning the discipline would actually enhance my ability.”Meanwhile, Keaton was also learning some real life lessons. A family friend, bassist Gordon Edwards of the famous funk band Stuff, invited him to come to New York and sit in on some sessions. Eventually, Keaton met Tre “Slimkid” Hardson of the alternative L.A. rap group The Pharcyde. He signed on as their musical director, while contributing guitar, songwriting and arranging to Hardson’s subsequent solo album. From there he expanded his musical apprenticeship and began working with other notable hip-hop acts, including the Black Eyed Peas, Medusa and Snoop Dogg, with whom he performed on The Tonight Show. Despite extensive roadwork and a growing professional pedigree, Keaton started getting restless and chose to focus on ways to move his own career forward.
Indeed, Can You Hear Me lives up to all expectations. Produced by Dave Bianco, the album mines the classic singer/songwriter traditions spawned by greats like Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, John Hiatt and other artists known for their soulful sway. Keaton’s tasteful fretwork, masterful songwriting and searing vocals bring an honesty and integrity that’s instantly embracing, a warm emotional center core that reaches from the tangled vulnerability of opening track “Without Your Skin” and the lean, sensual drift of “To Me” to the spry suggestion of the title track and the playful intrigue of “Misfits.” “Nobody Knows” proves instantly infectious, its sinewy rhythms wrapping around an irresistible refrain, while “Masterpiece” lives up to its title through a suggestive sway certain to put its listeners in a romantic mood. “I wanted to get back to honest, straight-forward expression; a purity and dynamic that relied on the strength of the songs and not the added embellishment of the arrangements,” Keaton insists. “I think this album represents who I am as an artist and captures the sound of my live performances authentically.” As he views his prospects going forward, Keaton maintains his main ambition is to continue to focus on his live performances, and draw more and more fans to his shows. “I’ve been doing this awhile, but I believe there’s so much left for me to accomplish,” he reflects.
(info from his website)
Friday, March 28, 2008
All About the T's
I love t-shirts, and I love music.
A couple years back, I was going through boxes at my parents house and found a box of t-shirts, mostly from concerts. I wiped a nostalgic tear from my eye as I saw my personal music history in cotton...Eric Clapton--I think it was the second time a blues tour in LA, Depeche Mode in Philadephia, Madonna with Lone Justice, The Eagles with Melissa Etheridge at Tiger Stadium (and Bob Seger made a surprise guest appearance), & REM at the Palace when my sister and I got to meet the band! My other sister took my David Bowie shirt from my '87 Europe trip and made it into a costume for Halloween. There were plenty of "new wave" shirts: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Erasure, Duran Duran, and INXS. Plenty of others: Sting, Jimmy Buffett, Phish, Rolling Stones, The Smithereens, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Barenaked Ladies, Elton John, Yes, Chicago, the Grateful Dead's last show at Soldier Field, Dave Matthews Band too many times to count, and even, yes believe it, Barry Manilow. So when Daily Candy's email came today, I thought this was great news. Here's what DC said...
"Check out Rotter and Friends at rotterandfriends.com.
Rotter, a New York-based artist and music obsessive, started the company to showcase musicians underrepresented in the T-shirt world. The current collection features her trippy, hand-drawn tributes to Linda Ronstadt, Roky Erickson, Willie Nelson, and (honorary Shakespearean rock star) Falstaff — the latter done by guest artist Ron Paolillo, a.k.a. Welcome Back, Kotter’s Horshack.
For fall, Rotter will pay homage to Link Wray, Judee Sill, and Bob Seger. If the shirts whet your appetite for the musically obscure, check out the Fun section of the site, where buddy Zach Cowie (Turquoise Wisdom, Small Town Talk) handpicks mixes for your listening pleasure.
All of which should have your spirits — and your wardrobe — rising from the ashes."
I'd also like to plug Threadless at http://www.threadless.com/product/917/I_Listen_To_Bands. Yes, I was that person...in my late teens into the new wave scene. My old boss used to call them "wear black, act bored." Ask my siblings about the dancing guy at the wedding in "So I Married An Axe Murderer." Although my music taste really spanned all genres, when it came to going dancing, I wanted the new wave songs. I thought my music made me too cool for school. So when I saw this t-shirt, it seemed to say it all.
Concert ticket for your favorite band: $75
Concert t-shirt you'll never wear: $25
Memories of all those concerts: Priceless
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon
I can't remember when I first heard of "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon."
I know we talked about it around the time I was in college/post college.
I heard that it was created as a drinking game at Cornell during a snowstorm--which is close but it was actually Albright College in PA--and yes, created as a drinking game by 3 college friends during a snowstorm.
In a Premiere interview for the film "The River Wild," Kevin Bacon commented that he's worked with everybody in Hollywood or someone who's worked with them. About the same time, there was a newsgroup thread entitled "Kevin Bacon is the Center of the Universe" followed by "the game." The game "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" was created by three students at Albright College, who were snowed in and watching "Footloose" followed by "Quicksilver" when they began to discuss how many movies Bacon had been in and how many people they could connect to him. They wrote Jon Stewart with their theory of "Kevin Bacon was the center of the entertainment universe" and explaining the game, and the world took it from there!
While Bacon didn't like it at first, he embraced it and eventually wrote the introduction to the book, approved of the game and even played it up on a VISA commerical and on TV's "Will and Grace." In 2007, Bacon started a charitable organization named SixDegrees.org.
For some flashback fun, check out the Oracle of Bacon: http://oracleofbacon.org/how.html
Every couple of weeks the Oracle downloads several database files from one of the Internet Movie Database's FTP sites containing around 1,250,000 actors and actresses, around 850,000 movies and TV shows, and around 150,000 nicknames.
The Oracle builds a big map of actors and movies and stores it in a 115 MB database.
The server handles three different types of requests:
Find the link from Actor A to Actor B.
How good a "center" is a given actor?
Who are all the people with an Actor A number of N?
There are several CGI programs -- one for each of the above types of queries -- that run on the UVA Computer Science department web server, which all connect to the database server using TCP.
The database server uses a breadth-first search to find the shortest path between pairs of actors.
SO...if you want to connect Jackie Chan to Kevin Bacon, which was one of the more difficult ones way back when (and I remember having to use "The Cannonball Run") but now it seems pretty easy...
The Oracle says: kevin bacon has a Chan, Jackie (I) number of 2.
Kevin Bacon was in Big Picture, The (1989) with John Cleese
John Cleese was in Around the World in 80 Days (2004) with Jackie Chan (I)
Want to waste even more time?
Check out these links...
http://www-distance.syr.edu/bacon.html
http://www.thekevinbacongame.com/
http://www.geocities.com/theeac/bacon.html
I know we talked about it around the time I was in college/post college.
I heard that it was created as a drinking game at Cornell during a snowstorm--which is close but it was actually Albright College in PA--and yes, created as a drinking game by 3 college friends during a snowstorm.
In a Premiere interview for the film "The River Wild," Kevin Bacon commented that he's worked with everybody in Hollywood or someone who's worked with them. About the same time, there was a newsgroup thread entitled "Kevin Bacon is the Center of the Universe" followed by "the game." The game "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" was created by three students at Albright College, who were snowed in and watching "Footloose" followed by "Quicksilver" when they began to discuss how many movies Bacon had been in and how many people they could connect to him. They wrote Jon Stewart with their theory of "Kevin Bacon was the center of the entertainment universe" and explaining the game, and the world took it from there!
While Bacon didn't like it at first, he embraced it and eventually wrote the introduction to the book, approved of the game and even played it up on a VISA commerical and on TV's "Will and Grace." In 2007, Bacon started a charitable organization named SixDegrees.org.
For some flashback fun, check out the Oracle of Bacon: http://oracleofbacon.org/how.html
Every couple of weeks the Oracle downloads several database files from one of the Internet Movie Database's FTP sites containing around 1,250,000 actors and actresses, around 850,000 movies and TV shows, and around 150,000 nicknames.
The Oracle builds a big map of actors and movies and stores it in a 115 MB database.
The server handles three different types of requests:
Find the link from Actor A to Actor B.
How good a "center" is a given actor?
Who are all the people with an Actor A number of N?
There are several CGI programs -- one for each of the above types of queries -- that run on the UVA Computer Science department web server, which all connect to the database server using TCP.
The database server uses a breadth-first search to find the shortest path between pairs of actors.
SO...if you want to connect Jackie Chan to Kevin Bacon, which was one of the more difficult ones way back when (and I remember having to use "The Cannonball Run") but now it seems pretty easy...
The Oracle says: kevin bacon has a Chan, Jackie (I) number of 2.
Kevin Bacon was in Big Picture, The (1989) with John Cleese
John Cleese was in Around the World in 80 Days (2004) with Jackie Chan (I)
Want to waste even more time?
Check out these links...
http://www-distance.syr.edu/bacon.html
http://www.thekevinbacongame.com/
http://www.geocities.com/theeac/bacon.html
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Irish Language
Go n-eírí an bóthar leat.
May the road rise with you.
Although St. Patrick's Day has passed, the Irish language is facinating. There are so many parts of the language connecting to history that people don't even realize. There is a great, detailed overview at:
http://www.irishlanguage.net/irish/history.asp
I took Gaelic for a semester at Harvard. It was very difficult. Those in the class who had studied German had an easier time. Truly what I remember most is "God be with you". Friends of mine took Scottish Gaelic when we were studying at the University of Edinburgh but I couldn't take it because it didn't meet my graduation requirements. You can get Irish Gaelic CDs from the library. To find books, you have to use speciality bookstores or the library. There is a great one in Cambridge, Mass.
This is a blessing that I like:
May the blessing of the rain be on you—the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up,
and shed their sweetness on the air.
May the blessing of the great rains be on you,
may they beat upon your spiritand wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool
where the blue of heaven shines,and sometimes a star.
Here are some phrases. Some of these I actually remember from class and tapes.
Irish phrases: Meeting People
Dia duit: Hello. (Literally: God to you.)
Dia's Muire duit: Reply to hello.(Literally: God and Mary to you.)
*They do this with the Saints too, especially St. Patrick
Cén t-ainm atá ort?: What is your name?
Éamonn atá orm: Éamonn is my name.
Conas tá tú? How are you?
Tá mé go maith: I am good.
Go raibh maith agat: Thank you.
Tá fáilte romhat: You're welcome.
Go n'éirí an t-ádh leat: Good luck.
Here is some history from http://www.irishlanguage.net/
The Irish Language Movement
The Irish language was the most widely spoken language on the island of Ireland until the 19th century. The first Bible in Irish was translated by William Bedell, Church of Ireland Bishop of Kilmore in the 17th century.
A combination of the introduction of a primary education system (the 'National Schools'), in which Irish was prohibited and only English taught by order of the British Government in Ireland, and the Great Famine (An Drochshaol) which hit a disportionately high number of Irish language speakers (who lived in the poorer areas heavily hit by famine deaths and emigration), hastened its rapid decline. Irish political leaders, such as Daniel O'Connell (Dónall Ó Conaill), too were critical of the language, seeing it as 'backward', with English the language of the future. Contemporary reports spoke of Irish-speaking parents actively discouraging their children from speaking the language, and encouraging the use of English instead. This practice continued long after independence, as the stigma of speaking Irish remained very strong.
Some, however, thought differently. The initial moves to save the language were championed by Irish Protestants, such as the linguist and clergyman William Neilson, in the end of the eighteenth century; the major push occurred with the foundation by Douglas Hyde, the son of a Church of Ireland rector, of the Gaelic League (known in Irish as Conradh na Gaeilge) which started the Gaelic Revival. Leading supporters of Conradh included Pádraig Mac Piarais and Éamon de Valera. The revival of interest in the language coincided with other cultural revivals, such as the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the growth in the performance of plays about Ireland in English, by such luminaries as William Butler Yeats, J.M. Synge, Sean O'Casey and Lady Gregory, with their launch of the Abbey Theatre.
Even though the Abbey Theatre playwrights wrote in English (and indeed some disliked Irish) the Irish language affected them, as it did all Irish English speakers. The version of English spoken in Ireland, known as Hiberno-English bears striking similarities in some grammatical idioms with Irish. Some have speculated that even after the vast majority of Irish people stopped speaking Irish, they perhaps subconsciously used its grammatical flair in the manner in which they spoke English. This fluency is reflected in the writings of Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and more recently in the writings of Seamus Heaney, Paul Durkan, Dermot Bolger and many others. (It may also in part explain the appeal in Britain of Irish-born broadcasters like Terry Wogan, Eamonn Andrews, Graham Norton, Desmond Lynam, etc.)
Independent Ireland & the language
The independent Irish state from 1922 (The Irish Free State 1922-37; Éire from 1937, also known since 1949 as the Republic of Ireland) launched a major push to promote the Irish language, with some of its leaders hoping that the state would become predominantly Irish-speaking within a generation. In fact, many of these initiatives, notably compulsory Irish at school and the requirement that one must know Irish to be employed in the civil service, proved counter-productive with generations of school-children alienated by what was often heavily-handed attempts at indoctrination, which created a cultural backlash. Demands that children learn seventeenth century Irish poetry, or study the life of Peig Sayers (a Gaelic speaker from the Blasket Islands) whose accounts of her life, as recounted in Irish language books, though fascinating, were taught in a poor manner, left a cultural legacy of negative reactions among generations, all too many of whom deliberately refused to use the language once they left school.
In an effort to address the half-committed attitude of Irish language use by the State, the Official Languages Act was passed in 2003. This act ensures that every publication made by a governmental body must be published in both official languages, Irish and English. In addition, the office of Official Languages Commissioner has been set up to act as an ombudsman with regard to equal treatment in both languages.
May the road rise with you.
Although St. Patrick's Day has passed, the Irish language is facinating. There are so many parts of the language connecting to history that people don't even realize. There is a great, detailed overview at:
http://www.irishlanguage.net/irish/history.asp
I took Gaelic for a semester at Harvard. It was very difficult. Those in the class who had studied German had an easier time. Truly what I remember most is "God be with you". Friends of mine took Scottish Gaelic when we were studying at the University of Edinburgh but I couldn't take it because it didn't meet my graduation requirements. You can get Irish Gaelic CDs from the library. To find books, you have to use speciality bookstores or the library. There is a great one in Cambridge, Mass.
This is a blessing that I like:
May the blessing of the rain be on you—the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up,
and shed their sweetness on the air.
May the blessing of the great rains be on you,
may they beat upon your spiritand wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool
where the blue of heaven shines,and sometimes a star.
Here are some phrases. Some of these I actually remember from class and tapes.
Irish phrases: Meeting People
Dia duit: Hello. (Literally: God to you.)
Dia's Muire duit: Reply to hello.(Literally: God and Mary to you.)
*They do this with the Saints too, especially St. Patrick
Cén t-ainm atá ort?: What is your name?
Éamonn atá orm: Éamonn is my name.
Conas tá tú? How are you?
Tá mé go maith: I am good.
Go raibh maith agat: Thank you.
Tá fáilte romhat: You're welcome.
Go n'éirí an t-ádh leat: Good luck.
Here is some history from http://www.irishlanguage.net/
The Irish Language Movement
The Irish language was the most widely spoken language on the island of Ireland until the 19th century. The first Bible in Irish was translated by William Bedell, Church of Ireland Bishop of Kilmore in the 17th century.
A combination of the introduction of a primary education system (the 'National Schools'), in which Irish was prohibited and only English taught by order of the British Government in Ireland, and the Great Famine (An Drochshaol) which hit a disportionately high number of Irish language speakers (who lived in the poorer areas heavily hit by famine deaths and emigration), hastened its rapid decline. Irish political leaders, such as Daniel O'Connell (Dónall Ó Conaill), too were critical of the language, seeing it as 'backward', with English the language of the future. Contemporary reports spoke of Irish-speaking parents actively discouraging their children from speaking the language, and encouraging the use of English instead. This practice continued long after independence, as the stigma of speaking Irish remained very strong.
Some, however, thought differently. The initial moves to save the language were championed by Irish Protestants, such as the linguist and clergyman William Neilson, in the end of the eighteenth century; the major push occurred with the foundation by Douglas Hyde, the son of a Church of Ireland rector, of the Gaelic League (known in Irish as Conradh na Gaeilge) which started the Gaelic Revival. Leading supporters of Conradh included Pádraig Mac Piarais and Éamon de Valera. The revival of interest in the language coincided with other cultural revivals, such as the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association and the growth in the performance of plays about Ireland in English, by such luminaries as William Butler Yeats, J.M. Synge, Sean O'Casey and Lady Gregory, with their launch of the Abbey Theatre.
Even though the Abbey Theatre playwrights wrote in English (and indeed some disliked Irish) the Irish language affected them, as it did all Irish English speakers. The version of English spoken in Ireland, known as Hiberno-English bears striking similarities in some grammatical idioms with Irish. Some have speculated that even after the vast majority of Irish people stopped speaking Irish, they perhaps subconsciously used its grammatical flair in the manner in which they spoke English. This fluency is reflected in the writings of Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and more recently in the writings of Seamus Heaney, Paul Durkan, Dermot Bolger and many others. (It may also in part explain the appeal in Britain of Irish-born broadcasters like Terry Wogan, Eamonn Andrews, Graham Norton, Desmond Lynam, etc.)
Independent Ireland & the language
The independent Irish state from 1922 (The Irish Free State 1922-37; Éire from 1937, also known since 1949 as the Republic of Ireland) launched a major push to promote the Irish language, with some of its leaders hoping that the state would become predominantly Irish-speaking within a generation. In fact, many of these initiatives, notably compulsory Irish at school and the requirement that one must know Irish to be employed in the civil service, proved counter-productive with generations of school-children alienated by what was often heavily-handed attempts at indoctrination, which created a cultural backlash. Demands that children learn seventeenth century Irish poetry, or study the life of Peig Sayers (a Gaelic speaker from the Blasket Islands) whose accounts of her life, as recounted in Irish language books, though fascinating, were taught in a poor manner, left a cultural legacy of negative reactions among generations, all too many of whom deliberately refused to use the language once they left school.
In an effort to address the half-committed attitude of Irish language use by the State, the Official Languages Act was passed in 2003. This act ensures that every publication made by a governmental body must be published in both official languages, Irish and English. In addition, the office of Official Languages Commissioner has been set up to act as an ombudsman with regard to equal treatment in both languages.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tim Gunn's Fantastical Verbal Dictionary
With the fourth season of Project Runway just having ended, there was a run of past episodes including the reunion shows. Of course my favorite montages always feature Tim Gunn. The reuinion show for season three had a special tribute to Tim Gunn's verbal skills. There are a few that I couldn't even spell!
I bet he scored perfect on the SAT verbal portion. Here are just a few of his top $10 words...
I bet he scored perfect on the SAT verbal portion. Here are just a few of his top $10 words...
- mitigate: to make less severe
- faux bois: fake wood
- consternation: horror that confounds the faculties, dismay
- sturm und drang: storm and stress
- caucus: meeting of persons belonging to a party
- ambivalent-uncertainty or fluctuation
- misapprehension-misunderstand
- egregious-extraordinary in some bad way
- placate-to appease or pacify
- anemic-lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness
Check out more at http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway//index.php.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Power of Libraries
I think you will find this interesting. Remember to vote FOR local library services!
As economy struggles, more people rely on libraries
Published: February 19, 2008
By Terry Date Staff writer
SALEM (NH)— Librarians have long thought that the demand for library services leaps when the economy limps.
It's not just books that the belt-tightening public wants more of in tough times, but museum passes, children's programs and Internet access.
That's been the case at the Kelley Library in Salem over the past year, coinciding with the economic slowdown, according to Director Eleanor Strang. She said Salem, a border town highly dependent on the Massachusetts economy, is an early indicator of library trends elsewhere in New Hampshire.
"We see it first," she said of the increased library use in tough economic times.
Reference librarian Deb Berlin expects more people will use the library's high-speed Internet access, seeking work online after dumping Internet access at home to save money.
The library's nine public Internet computer stations have seen an 11 percent increase in usage in the last year, with bookings of 30 or 60 minutes rising from 6,341 to 7.041.
One afternoon last week, the stations were full.
Joe Pacheco, 37, of Salem sat at one of the computers researching natural medicine. He has used the stations to look for jobs in tough times, and has witnessed others doing the same.
Why? "It's free," he said.
Also at Kelley, book and CD reservations jumped by 11 percent in 2007, from 9,618 to 10,642. Interlibrary loan requests jumped 24 percent. Story-time attendance for children rose 15 percent. And museum pass requests increased 2 percent.
"I think that is a good bellwether of people wanting to save money, because the passes will get you in for free or discounted admission," Strang said.
The anticipation of greater library usage during tough times has some town library trustees and advocates defending spending requests to meet the demand.
Sandown library trustee Tina Owens did this recently at the town deliberative session.
Derry Public Library Assistant Director Jack Robillard has noticed more people coming in and asking for help navigating computers in their job searches. The library may include this observation in its budget narrative, he said.
"We were just talking about this the other day," he said.
In Windham, patronage at the Nesmith Library has consistently risen each year, with book, DVD and other borrowings rising consistently between 2001, at 111,480, and 2007, at 181,349.
Nesmith Library Director Carl Heidenblad doesn't attribute that increase to tough times, but he has heard librarians in Massachusetts say their business picks up during tougher economic times.
"It makes sense, when times are good, people don't mind one-click shopping at Amazon, but when times get tighter it makes good sense to come to the library to borrow books or DVDs," he said.
Strang remembers how out-of-work men in the early 1990s gathered in the reference section and exchanged newspaper classified sections looking for work during the region's recession.
"Library use skyrocketed in the early 1990s because of the profound recession we were in," she said.
In fact, Strang said that 1992, a low point in the economic downturn in this area, was the first year Salem's circulation eclipsed the 300,000 mark. It would be another 12 years before the library broke 300,000 again.
As economy struggles, more people rely on libraries
Published: February 19, 2008
By Terry Date Staff writer
SALEM (NH)— Librarians have long thought that the demand for library services leaps when the economy limps.
It's not just books that the belt-tightening public wants more of in tough times, but museum passes, children's programs and Internet access.
That's been the case at the Kelley Library in Salem over the past year, coinciding with the economic slowdown, according to Director Eleanor Strang. She said Salem, a border town highly dependent on the Massachusetts economy, is an early indicator of library trends elsewhere in New Hampshire.
"We see it first," she said of the increased library use in tough economic times.
Reference librarian Deb Berlin expects more people will use the library's high-speed Internet access, seeking work online after dumping Internet access at home to save money.
The library's nine public Internet computer stations have seen an 11 percent increase in usage in the last year, with bookings of 30 or 60 minutes rising from 6,341 to 7.041.
One afternoon last week, the stations were full.
Joe Pacheco, 37, of Salem sat at one of the computers researching natural medicine. He has used the stations to look for jobs in tough times, and has witnessed others doing the same.
Why? "It's free," he said.
Also at Kelley, book and CD reservations jumped by 11 percent in 2007, from 9,618 to 10,642. Interlibrary loan requests jumped 24 percent. Story-time attendance for children rose 15 percent. And museum pass requests increased 2 percent.
"I think that is a good bellwether of people wanting to save money, because the passes will get you in for free or discounted admission," Strang said.
The anticipation of greater library usage during tough times has some town library trustees and advocates defending spending requests to meet the demand.
Sandown library trustee Tina Owens did this recently at the town deliberative session.
Derry Public Library Assistant Director Jack Robillard has noticed more people coming in and asking for help navigating computers in their job searches. The library may include this observation in its budget narrative, he said.
"We were just talking about this the other day," he said.
In Windham, patronage at the Nesmith Library has consistently risen each year, with book, DVD and other borrowings rising consistently between 2001, at 111,480, and 2007, at 181,349.
Nesmith Library Director Carl Heidenblad doesn't attribute that increase to tough times, but he has heard librarians in Massachusetts say their business picks up during tougher economic times.
"It makes sense, when times are good, people don't mind one-click shopping at Amazon, but when times get tighter it makes good sense to come to the library to borrow books or DVDs," he said.
Strang remembers how out-of-work men in the early 1990s gathered in the reference section and exchanged newspaper classified sections looking for work during the region's recession.
"Library use skyrocketed in the early 1990s because of the profound recession we were in," she said.
In fact, Strang said that 1992, a low point in the economic downturn in this area, was the first year Salem's circulation eclipsed the 300,000 mark. It would be another 12 years before the library broke 300,000 again.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
October Road: I'm Late to the Party
"October Road" on ABC
About the Show
Can you ever really go home again? That's the question that confronts acclaimed novelist Nick Garrett when he returns home after being away for ten years. Once back home on October Road, he quickly discovers that the circle of friends whose teenaged lives he wrote about have since settled into blue collar careers and started families.
Nick became a New York literary success by writing about those early years, and he had Hollywood heavyweights lining up for roles. With his editor putting pressure on him for a follow-up, he finds himself at a crossroads... and with serious writer's block. Then comes an offer to teach a one-day course at Dufresne College, the small liberal arts school in his hometown of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts. Hoping to tap back into that which initially inspired him, he decides to head back. Nick has had no contact with his family or the close-knit group of friends he said goodbye to shortly after high school graduation. He burned that connection when he used them as characters in his successful novel and, in the process, cast their lives in a less than flattering light. Consequently, the hometown response to his return is less than festive.
Nick's friends include best friend Eddie Latekka, who is disappointed that Nick abandoned their dream of starting a business together; there's also the good-hearted and straightforward Owen Rowan, whose family life appears the picture of perfection; the well-meaning but sometimes obnoxious Ikey; and Physical Phil, a lovable recluse since 9/11 who has adapted to living his life indoors. Before he left town, Nick told his high school girlfriend, Hannah Daniels, that he'd be back in six weeks. Now ten years later, the jilted but never-married Hannah has decided to forget Nick's unfulfilled promise and moved on with her life. She is a single mom raising her nine-year-old son, the bright and charming Sam. Hannah is involved with Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo, the former high school bully whose mission in life has been to bestow misery on the lives of Nick and his friends. Nick makes a new friend when he meets Aubrey, a pretty college student and fledgling writer whose Bohemian style intrigues him. While he sorts things out, he moves into his childhood home with his father, a widower affectionately referred to as The Commander. Nick realizes he has several reasons for staying in Knights Ridge. He wants to apologize to everyone for whatever broken promises he may have made, and to make up for how he portrayed them in his book. He also sees coincidences indicating that Hannah's son, Sam, might be his.Although Nick doesn't regret fulfilling his mother's dying wish of experiencing life outside of Knights Ridge, he finds himself oddly wanting to tie up loose ends at home, but realizes the path ahead of him is a rocky one. In spite of any love bruised or lost between his friends and family, Nick embraces the familiarity of his former life and struggles to be included again among those he let down.
I'm loving the fact that October Road also has some wonderful actors...I love Bryan Greenberg (s Nick Garrett) and it's great to see Tom Berenger as The Commander with his great Bahstin accent and you'll recognize character actor Brad William Henke who you may remember from "Must Love Dogs." Laura Prepon, from that 70s show, is Hannah Daniels and other cast members who have various parts in movies, TV and on stage include Warren Christie as Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo, Texas Native Evan Jones as Ikey, Jay Paulson as Physical Phil, Slade Pearce as Sam Daniels, Geoff Stults as Eddie Latekka and Odette Yustman as Aubrey.
But the BEST thing about this show...the music! It's like a show for the music geek in all of us. Each episode has a lot of indie type songwriter songs weaving in and out between commercials but there is also a "hot button" song for each episode.
Here are a few favorites!
Kiss: "Rock and Roll All Night"
Bay City Rollers: "Saturday Night"
Meatloaf - "Paradise By The Dashboard Lights"
Three Dog Night - "Shambala"
Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
Jackson Browne - "The Pretender"
Goo Goo Dolls - "Name"
Liz Phair - "Why Can't I?"
Boston - "Amanda"
Hootie & the Blowfish - "Hannah Jane"
So set your TIVO or your VCR and get ready to lip synch along with Nick and his pals!
About the Show
Can you ever really go home again? That's the question that confronts acclaimed novelist Nick Garrett when he returns home after being away for ten years. Once back home on October Road, he quickly discovers that the circle of friends whose teenaged lives he wrote about have since settled into blue collar careers and started families.
Nick became a New York literary success by writing about those early years, and he had Hollywood heavyweights lining up for roles. With his editor putting pressure on him for a follow-up, he finds himself at a crossroads... and with serious writer's block. Then comes an offer to teach a one-day course at Dufresne College, the small liberal arts school in his hometown of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts. Hoping to tap back into that which initially inspired him, he decides to head back. Nick has had no contact with his family or the close-knit group of friends he said goodbye to shortly after high school graduation. He burned that connection when he used them as characters in his successful novel and, in the process, cast their lives in a less than flattering light. Consequently, the hometown response to his return is less than festive.
Nick's friends include best friend Eddie Latekka, who is disappointed that Nick abandoned their dream of starting a business together; there's also the good-hearted and straightforward Owen Rowan, whose family life appears the picture of perfection; the well-meaning but sometimes obnoxious Ikey; and Physical Phil, a lovable recluse since 9/11 who has adapted to living his life indoors. Before he left town, Nick told his high school girlfriend, Hannah Daniels, that he'd be back in six weeks. Now ten years later, the jilted but never-married Hannah has decided to forget Nick's unfulfilled promise and moved on with her life. She is a single mom raising her nine-year-old son, the bright and charming Sam. Hannah is involved with Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo, the former high school bully whose mission in life has been to bestow misery on the lives of Nick and his friends. Nick makes a new friend when he meets Aubrey, a pretty college student and fledgling writer whose Bohemian style intrigues him. While he sorts things out, he moves into his childhood home with his father, a widower affectionately referred to as The Commander. Nick realizes he has several reasons for staying in Knights Ridge. He wants to apologize to everyone for whatever broken promises he may have made, and to make up for how he portrayed them in his book. He also sees coincidences indicating that Hannah's son, Sam, might be his.Although Nick doesn't regret fulfilling his mother's dying wish of experiencing life outside of Knights Ridge, he finds himself oddly wanting to tie up loose ends at home, but realizes the path ahead of him is a rocky one. In spite of any love bruised or lost between his friends and family, Nick embraces the familiarity of his former life and struggles to be included again among those he let down.
I'm loving the fact that October Road also has some wonderful actors...I love Bryan Greenberg (s Nick Garrett) and it's great to see Tom Berenger as The Commander with his great Bahstin accent and you'll recognize character actor Brad William Henke who you may remember from "Must Love Dogs." Laura Prepon, from that 70s show, is Hannah Daniels and other cast members who have various parts in movies, TV and on stage include Warren Christie as Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo, Texas Native Evan Jones as Ikey, Jay Paulson as Physical Phil, Slade Pearce as Sam Daniels, Geoff Stults as Eddie Latekka and Odette Yustman as Aubrey.
But the BEST thing about this show...the music! It's like a show for the music geek in all of us. Each episode has a lot of indie type songwriter songs weaving in and out between commercials but there is also a "hot button" song for each episode.
Here are a few favorites!
Kiss: "Rock and Roll All Night"
Bay City Rollers: "Saturday Night"
Meatloaf - "Paradise By The Dashboard Lights"
Three Dog Night - "Shambala"
Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
Jackson Browne - "The Pretender"
Goo Goo Dolls - "Name"
Liz Phair - "Why Can't I?"
Boston - "Amanda"
Hootie & the Blowfish - "Hannah Jane"
So set your TIVO or your VCR and get ready to lip synch along with Nick and his pals!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
This Day in History: Frisbees!
Thank you History Channel! If you would like to test your history knowledge, the History Channel has a game on their site so see how well you do...
http://www.history.com/genericContent.do?id=56082
and...
Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees
January 23, 1957
On this day in 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs--now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees.
The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities would throw the empty pie tins to each other, yelling "Frisbie!" as they let go. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the "Flying Saucer" that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates. After splitting with Franscioni, Morrison made an improved model in 1955 and sold it to the new toy company Wham-O as the "Pluto Platter"--an attempt to cash in on the public craze over space and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).
In 1958, a year after the toy's first release, Wham-O--the company behind such top-sellers as the Hula-Hoop, the Super Ball and the Water Wiggle--changed its name to the Frisbee disc, misspelling the name of the historic pie company. A company designer, Ed Headrick, patented the design for the modern Frisbee in December 1967, adding a band of raised ridges on the disc's surface--called the Rings--to stabilize flight. By aggressively marketing Frisbee-playing as a new sport, Wham-O sold over 100 million units of its famous toy by 1977.
High school students in Maplewood, New Jersey, invented Ultimate Frisbee, a cross between football, soccer and basketball, in 1967. In the 1970s, Headrick himself invented Frisbee Golf, in which discs are tossed into metal baskets; there are now hundreds of courses in the U.S., with millions of devotees. There is also Freestyle Frisbee, with choreographed routines set to music and multiple discs in play, and various Frisbee competitions for both humans and dogs--the best natural Frisbee players.
Today, at least 60 manufacturers produce the flying discs--generally made out of plastic and measuring roughly 20-25 centimeters (8-10 inches) in diameter with a curved lip. The official Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, who bought the toy from Wham-O in 1994.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do
http://www.history.com/genericContent.do?id=56082
and...
Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees
January 23, 1957
On this day in 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their aerodynamic plastic discs--now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees.
The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Students from nearby universities would throw the empty pie tins to each other, yelling "Frisbie!" as they let go. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the "Flying Saucer" that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates. After splitting with Franscioni, Morrison made an improved model in 1955 and sold it to the new toy company Wham-O as the "Pluto Platter"--an attempt to cash in on the public craze over space and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).
In 1958, a year after the toy's first release, Wham-O--the company behind such top-sellers as the Hula-Hoop, the Super Ball and the Water Wiggle--changed its name to the Frisbee disc, misspelling the name of the historic pie company. A company designer, Ed Headrick, patented the design for the modern Frisbee in December 1967, adding a band of raised ridges on the disc's surface--called the Rings--to stabilize flight. By aggressively marketing Frisbee-playing as a new sport, Wham-O sold over 100 million units of its famous toy by 1977.
High school students in Maplewood, New Jersey, invented Ultimate Frisbee, a cross between football, soccer and basketball, in 1967. In the 1970s, Headrick himself invented Frisbee Golf, in which discs are tossed into metal baskets; there are now hundreds of courses in the U.S., with millions of devotees. There is also Freestyle Frisbee, with choreographed routines set to music and multiple discs in play, and various Frisbee competitions for both humans and dogs--the best natural Frisbee players.
Today, at least 60 manufacturers produce the flying discs--generally made out of plastic and measuring roughly 20-25 centimeters (8-10 inches) in diameter with a curved lip. The official Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, who bought the toy from Wham-O in 1994.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do
Saturday, January 19, 2008
ALA's Notable Books Council announces 2008 top picks
PHILADELPHIA - The Notable Books Council of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division American Library Association (ALA), today released its 2008 list of outstanding books for the general reader. The titles are selected for their significant contribution to the expansion of knowledge and for the pleasure they can provide to adult readers.
Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the nation's readers a list of 25 very good, very readable, and at times very important fiction, nonfiction and poetry books for the adult reader. The Council consists of members selected from the membership of RUSA's Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES).
Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the nation's readers a list of 25 very good, very readable, and at times very important fiction, nonfiction and poetry books for the adult reader. The Council consists of members selected from the membership of RUSA's Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES).
This is "The List for America's Readers:"
FICTION
--Bloom, Amy, Away, Random House
--Carlson, Ron, Five Skies, Penguin-Viking
--Chabon, Michael, The Yiddish Policeman's Union, HarperCollins
--Clarke, Brock, An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England, Algonquin
--Clinch, John, Finn: a novel, Random House
--Englander, Nathan, The Ministry of Special Cases, Knopf
--Holthe, Tess Uriza, The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes, Crown
--Jones, Lloyd, Mister Pip, Dell
--McEwan, Ian, On Chesil Beach, Nan A. Talese
--Malouf, David, Complete Stories, Pantheon
--Pettersen, Per, Out Stealing Horses, Graywolf
--Trevor, William, Cheating at Canasta, Penguin/Viking
NONFICTION
--Ackerman, Diane, The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story, W.W. Norton
--Angier, Natalie, The Canon, Houghton Mifflin
--Ayres, Ian, Super Crunchers, Bantam Books
--Godwin, Peter, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, Little Brown
--Groopman, Jerome, How Doctors Think, Houghton Mifflin Company
--Howell, Georgina, Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations; FSG
--Isaacson, Walter, Einstein: His Life and Universe, S & S
--Kingsolver, Barbara, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, HarperCollins
--Margonelli, Lisa, Oil on the Brain, Doubleday-Nan Talese
--Weisman, Alan, The World Without Us, St. Martins
POETRY
--Bosselaar, Laure-Anne, A New Hunger, Ausable Press
--Kennedy, X.J., In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus, Johns Hopkins
This list will be available on the Notable Books Web page on the RUSA/ALA Web site(http://www.ala.org/rusa/notable.html) with annotations at a later date.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Did You Know?
The Social Security online site is a very user friendly tool. Besides the regular forms and bits of information, you can also see some trivia! Check out... http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=341
What are the most popular names given to babies?
Answer:
Every year, SSA's Office of the Actuary does a study of the most popular names given to applicants who were born in the current year.
The top ten boys names in 2006 are:
Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Ethan, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Anthony, and William.
The top ten girls names for 2006 are:
Emily, Emma, Madison, Isabella, Ava, Abigail, Olivia, Hannah, Sophia, and Samantha.
The most popular names of twins born in 2006 are:
Jacob and Joshua; Matthew and Michael; Daniel and David; Ella and Emma; Isaac and Isaiah; Madison and Morgan; Landon and Logan; Taylor and Tyler; Brandon and Bryan; and Christian and Christopher.
You can actually even see the Popularity of a Name. How they explain it is "To see how the popularity of a name has changed over time, enter the name and, optionally, the sex and number of years. Please note that the name you select must be in the top 1000 most popular names in order for the name to appear in the table produced by your request."
You can also see Popular Names by Birth Year (any year after 1879). So in 1960, you would find that David and Mary topped the list while 1970 and 1980 had Michael and Jennifer at the top of the list. By 1990, Michael was still the most popular boy's name while Jessica took the top spot for girls names. Michael was the most popular name from 1954 to 1998 except for one year, 1960 when David took the lead. Jennifer was the most girls popular name from 1970-1984. Thinking about how many Jennifer's you know, does this surprise you?
You can also see by state. In 2006 in Texas, Emma and Mia took the top spots. Michigan had Ava and Emma; South Carolina had Madison and Emma and New Mexico had Isabella and Alyssa. For boys, Alaska had James while Arizona had Angel; Michigan had Jacob, South Carolina had William; and Massachusetts had Matthew.
There is even a game!
Is there a trend to name children after cities? Just a few years ago, the name "London" was not in the top 1000 baby names, but in 2006 the rank was 353 (for girls). Similarly, the name "Paris" has become popular. These 2 examples are European cities that have become popular baby names in the United States.
But what about U. S. cities?
Play the City Name Quiz!
From the list of United States cities with populations of 100,000 or more (as provided by the U. S. Census Bureau), we have drawn those names that are in the top 1000 names for births in 2006.
Can you guess 5 of them?
I had three correct: Dallas, Austin and Madison. There are 20 possible correct answers and let me tell you that not all of them are of the modern variety (i.e. Dakota, Georgia if you were to use states).
You try...http://www.socialsecurity.gov/cgi-bin/citynames.cgi
Just a little fun from the Office of Social Security!
What are the most popular names given to babies?
Answer:
Every year, SSA's Office of the Actuary does a study of the most popular names given to applicants who were born in the current year.
The top ten boys names in 2006 are:
Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Ethan, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Anthony, and William.
The top ten girls names for 2006 are:
Emily, Emma, Madison, Isabella, Ava, Abigail, Olivia, Hannah, Sophia, and Samantha.
The most popular names of twins born in 2006 are:
Jacob and Joshua; Matthew and Michael; Daniel and David; Ella and Emma; Isaac and Isaiah; Madison and Morgan; Landon and Logan; Taylor and Tyler; Brandon and Bryan; and Christian and Christopher.
You can actually even see the Popularity of a Name. How they explain it is "To see how the popularity of a name has changed over time, enter the name and, optionally, the sex and number of years. Please note that the name you select must be in the top 1000 most popular names in order for the name to appear in the table produced by your request."
You can also see Popular Names by Birth Year (any year after 1879). So in 1960, you would find that David and Mary topped the list while 1970 and 1980 had Michael and Jennifer at the top of the list. By 1990, Michael was still the most popular boy's name while Jessica took the top spot for girls names. Michael was the most popular name from 1954 to 1998 except for one year, 1960 when David took the lead. Jennifer was the most girls popular name from 1970-1984. Thinking about how many Jennifer's you know, does this surprise you?
You can also see by state. In 2006 in Texas, Emma and Mia took the top spots. Michigan had Ava and Emma; South Carolina had Madison and Emma and New Mexico had Isabella and Alyssa. For boys, Alaska had James while Arizona had Angel; Michigan had Jacob, South Carolina had William; and Massachusetts had Matthew.
There is even a game!
Is there a trend to name children after cities? Just a few years ago, the name "London" was not in the top 1000 baby names, but in 2006 the rank was 353 (for girls). Similarly, the name "Paris" has become popular. These 2 examples are European cities that have become popular baby names in the United States.
But what about U. S. cities?
Play the City Name Quiz!
From the list of United States cities with populations of 100,000 or more (as provided by the U. S. Census Bureau), we have drawn those names that are in the top 1000 names for births in 2006.
Can you guess 5 of them?
I had three correct: Dallas, Austin and Madison. There are 20 possible correct answers and let me tell you that not all of them are of the modern variety (i.e. Dakota, Georgia if you were to use states).
You try...http://www.socialsecurity.gov/cgi-bin/citynames.cgi
Just a little fun from the Office of Social Security!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Art Thief
Don't miss this chance to read "The Art Thief" by Noah Charney. I'm listening to it on audio right now and the lilt of Simon Vance's voice is captivating. Slow and steady, the story is coming to life with the beauty of his British accent that makes me not want to turn off the CD!(Can I also tell you that I'm totally taken in by the reference to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft, tragic, which happened during my junior year at BU in Boston. Check this out...
In March 1990, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, was robbed by two unknown men. The thieves removed works of art whose value has been estimated as high as $300 million. These include: Vermeer, The Concert; Rembrandt, A Lady and Gentleman in Black; Rembrandt, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee; Rembrandt, Self-Portrait; Govaert Flinck, Landscape with Obelisk; Manet, Chez Tortoni.
and http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/arttheft/northamerica/us/isabella/isabella.htm)
Here is the synopsis...
Rome: In the small Baroque church of Santa Giuliana, a magnificent Caravaggio altarpiece disappears without a trace in the middle of the night.
Paris: In the basement vault of the Malevich Society, curator Geneviéve Delacloche is shocked to discover the disappearance of the Society's greatest treasure, White-on-White by Suprematist painter Kasimir Malevich.
London: At the National Gallery of Modern Art, the museum's latest acquisition is stolen just hours after it was purchased for more than six million pounds.
In The Art Thief, three thefts are simultaneously investigated in three cities, but these apparently isolated crimes have much more in common than anyone imagines. In Rome, the police enlist the help of renowned art investigator Gabriel Coffin when tracking down the stolen masterpiece. In Paris, Geneviéve Delacloche is aided by Police Inspector Jean-Jacques Bizot, who finds a trail of bizarre clues and puzzles that leads him ever deeper into a baffling conspiracy. In London, Inspector Harry Wickenden of Scotland Yard oversees the museum's attempts to ransom back its stolen painting, only to have the masterpiece's recovery deepen the mystery even further. A dizzying array of forgeries, overpaintings, and double-crosses unfolds as the story races through auction houses, museums, and private galleries -- and the secret places where priceless works of art are made available to collectors who will stop at nothing to satisfy their hearts' desires. Full of fascinating art-historical detail, crackling dialogue, and a brain-teasing plot, Noah Charney's debut novel is a sophisticated, stylishthriller, as irresistible and multifaceted as a great work of art.
Read more...
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781433203732&z=y
Monday, January 07, 2008
Ben Schott
If you happened to see CBS Sunday Morning then you probably heard about Ben Schott. They called him the Indiana Jones of the library, looking up tomes instead of tombs. He is the master of the miscellaneous.
http://www.benschott.com/en/index2.html
"If you haven't a clue... Ben Schott is your man. He's the king of carefully marshalled facts, published in quaintly antiquarian form to enormous success. Decca Aitkenhead presses him for a few details that don't appear in the books." Read more of the article at http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/referenceandlanguages/story/0,,1640631,00.html#article_continue.
Ever wonder how to say 'I love you' in Hindi? Whether blondes win more often than brunettes in the Miss America pageant? The answers lie in Schott's Original Miscellany. Part encyclopedia, part anthology, part lexicon, the book is a collection of inconsequential tidbits that you never knew, never thought to ask, but will love knowing. As hilarious as it is addictive."
Newsweek (USA)
Curious? See more at...http://www.miscellanies.info/author.asp
Now Mr. Schott is writing almanacs filled with the best of the last, as in the last year. If you are interested be sure to "check them out." Maybe at your library!
http://www.benschott.com/en/index2.html
"If you haven't a clue... Ben Schott is your man. He's the king of carefully marshalled facts, published in quaintly antiquarian form to enormous success. Decca Aitkenhead presses him for a few details that don't appear in the books." Read more of the article at http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/referenceandlanguages/story/0,,1640631,00.html#article_continue.
Ever wonder how to say 'I love you' in Hindi? Whether blondes win more often than brunettes in the Miss America pageant? The answers lie in Schott's Original Miscellany. Part encyclopedia, part anthology, part lexicon, the book is a collection of inconsequential tidbits that you never knew, never thought to ask, but will love knowing. As hilarious as it is addictive."
Newsweek (USA)
Curious? See more at...http://www.miscellanies.info/author.asp
Now Mr. Schott is writing almanacs filled with the best of the last, as in the last year. If you are interested be sure to "check them out." Maybe at your library!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
With the humor of Bridget Jones and the vitality of Augusten Burroughs, Julie Powell recounts how she conquered every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and saved her soul.
Julie Powell is 30 years old, living in a tiny apartment in Queens and working at a soul-sucking secretarial job that's going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will take her mother's worn, dog-eared copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes -- in the span of one year.
At first she thinks it will be easy. But as she moves from the simple Potage Parmentier (potato soup) into the more complicated realm of aspics and crepes, she realizes there's more to Mastering the Art of French Cooking than meets the eye.
And somewhere along the line she realizes she has turned her outer-borough kitchen into a miracle of creation and cuisine. She has eclipsed her life's ordinariness through spectacular humor, hysteria, and perseverance.
Julie Powell is 30 years old, living in a tiny apartment in Queens and working at a soul-sucking secretarial job that's going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will take her mother's worn, dog-eared copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes -- in the span of one year.
At first she thinks it will be easy. But as she moves from the simple Potage Parmentier (potato soup) into the more complicated realm of aspics and crepes, she realizes there's more to Mastering the Art of French Cooking than meets the eye.
And somewhere along the line she realizes she has turned her outer-borough kitchen into a miracle of creation and cuisine. She has eclipsed her life's ordinariness through spectacular humor, hysteria, and perseverance.
To the Big Screen!
Norah Ephron adapts Julie Powell's autobiographical book Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen with this Columbia Pictures production starring Amy Adams as an amateur chef that decides to cook every recipe in a cookbook from acclaimed celebrity chef Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) in order to chronicle it in a blog over the course of a year. Streep's Devil Wears Prada co-star Stanley Tucci reteams with the actress as Child's husband.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)