We watched The Butler tonight. WhoooWheee! If you haven't seen this movie, do. It chronicles the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of a man who was butler to seven US Presidents. Stellar cast too!
I remember reading about “The Butler” when it came out; I will take your recommendation, listener.
I accepted (not for the first time) Amazon’s offer of a free trial of their “Amazon Prime” service to get quick free delivery on the coffee maker I ordered, and decided to check out their associated free video streaming service. Netflix doesn’t have to worry—I understand that the free videos are rather limited in both quality and quantity, but the browsing interface is surprisingly poor.
It seems it rained a little bit last night, and the sky is largely clear today. Beautiful! We can see the (little bit of) snow at the crest of the Sierra Nevada. No problems for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder today. Shortly off to the garden supply store for (surprise!) garden supplies.
—Alan
P.S.: Cat—the navy and red socks remind me of the old story about the fellow whose friend pointed out to him that he was wearing socks of two different colors, to which he replied “Yes, isn’t that odd? But even stranger yet, I have another pair exactly like them!"
Can you believe this? It's not a customer review, mind you, but Amazon's official review! The vitriol and hatred!!! And I thought people said vile things about Engelbert! Absolutely sickening! If I could figure out who to write to in order to complain, I'd most definitely do so. ARG, my blood is boiling!
"Following up Barry Manilow's Copacabana, the musical based on the jingle master pop schmaltz sensation's early hit "At the Copa," Manilow's back on the high-concept train with Here at the Mayflower. Each of the 16 piano-driven numbers correlates with an apartment located in the legendary Mayflower, and with the man in the know: the Elevator Operator. At the top of his narrative and melodic game, Manilow spins a goldplate of cheese with the earnestness of songs like "Welcome Home" and the record's high-energy first single, "Turn Up the Radio." "Come Monday," on which the Neil Sedaka/Neil Diamond peer employs vocal gating much like that on recent outings of Cher and Blondie, throws modernity into the base mix of Manilow's long-unwavering formula. All in good fun, Here at the Mayflower will never pass for high art, but that's never been a requisite for fans of this piano man. --Paige La Grone"
This one, for a greatest hists collection, is *much* more sympathetic.
"There's a cynical adage that argues if you stand still long enough, history will eventually catch up with you. It's tempting to say that about Barry Manilow, an artist whose stubborn, quarter-century dedication to old-fashioned song craft and musical melodrama has earned him few critical praises but a loyal worldwide following in the millions. When a cult of 20-something would-be lounge lizards tried to cash in on Manilow's shtick in the 1990s, they distanced themselves from its emotional potency with telling dollops of irony and retro-hip cynicism--anything to keep from looking too sincere. This album serves up the high points of Manilow's long, successful career, rightly focusing on the long string of '70s hits that built both his legend and record label. They're a body of songs whose solid craftsmanship is undeniable, but it's Manilow's sincerity that crucially sells them--indeed, he didn't write "I Write the Songs," but who could doubt him? It's an odd tribute that much here--"Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," "Copacabana," et. al.--has become the palette for a popular entertainment spectrum that somehow encompasses endless hotel piano bars on one flank and TV sketch-com parody on the other. Good to remember that kitsch, by definition, requires a deep and lasting impact on the culture. Manilow hasn't just embraced the "K" word; he's reveled in it with a smile--how could one frown through "Bandstand Boogie" and "Copa" anyway?--and elevated it to something approaching the transcendental through his sheer, joyous force of will. And if his latter work has been unabashedly nostalgic, how could anyone be surprised? --Jerry McCulley"
Bill, those symposia do sound fascinating, especially the one on Dark Matter. If you could report back on that one, I for one would really appreciate it. I've fallen a bit behind on following the research. Last I heard, the contest for the identity of Dark Matter was between wimps and machos. Are there any new ideas?
The Dark Matter symposium was actually disappointing. Meaning people like me weren't the intended audience. It was for people with a professional interest in the field. Four of the six papers were technically detailed descriptions of devices for detecting WIMPS. A couple of the presenters said, "We have results we expect to present at the Lake Louise meeting." The first speaker was a theoretician who, while still speaking at a professional level, gave a pretty good description of the different sorts of things that dark matter particles night be. I don't recall machos were among them but axions were. (I suppose I could look up what an axion is.) And supersymmetry partners of ordinary particles. But the simplest version of supersymmetry predicts particles in an energy range that has been ruled out. And the final speaker said there were so many uncertainties in all the experimental approaches that you could just hope that eventually several different lines of evidence will converge.
Oh, and one particular experiment intended to detect WIMPs from space seems to be getting results that vary with an annual cycle. That's compatible with a source at a particular point in the galaxy. But you need to repeat the experiment in some place like the Southern Hemisphere to know whether to believe the results.
Well, to a certain extent, repetition is the name of the game, isn't it? I still think that's interesting. I hadn't heard of Dark Matter being directional before. Guess we're still in the infancy of Dark Matter research.
Thanks very much for reporting. I don't know what axions are. Wikipedia, here we come.
Axion The axion is a hypothetical elementary particle postulated by the Peccei–Quinn theory in 1977 to resolve the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). If axions exist and have low mass within a specific range, they are of interest as a possible component of cold dark matter.
Axion Dark Matter Experiment The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) uses a resonant microwave cavity within in a large superconducting magnet to search for cold dark matter axions in the local galactic dark matter halo. Sited at the Center for Experimental Physics and Astrophysics (CENPA) at the University of Washington, ADMX is a large collaborative effort with researchers from universities and laboratories around the world. Visit the official ADMX website for more information.
Under "Axions:" Axions in condensed-matter physics A term analogous to the one that must be added to Maxwell's equations[20] also appears in recent theoretical models for topological insulators.[21] This term leads to several interesting predicted properties at the interface between topological and normal insulators.[22] In this situation the field θ describes something very different from its use in high-energy physics.[22]
Reminds me of an interesting theoretical speculation I heard at the symposium: That in the very early universe there were huge "dark matter" starts driven, not by nuclear fusion, but by mutual annihilation of WIMPs (with production of ordinary matter). Interesting story, but we need to know a lot more about 'WIMPs before it's anything more.
I am reminded of the old Madhyamika idea that all things arise from the Void, which is not a vacuum, but rather a plenum, an infinite storehouse of potential. Of course in order for something to become manifest, its opposite (everything it isn't) must simultaneously become manifest. This fits nicely with Hegel's idea of thesis engendering antithesis, from which a synthesis forms which engenders its own antithesis, and so on--which attracted a great deal of attention among academic philosophers in East Asia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ancient Madhyamika philosophers didn't seek to discover or postulate any sort of rational mechanism which would cause things to become manifest, but described it as divine "Lila"--play. Just like the true play of children, the play of the infinite is spontaneous, not something constructed by or susceptible to analysis (deconstruction) by our rational minds. It still sounds like a pretty good explanation to me.
Dean is entirely First!
ReplyDeleteWe watched The Butler tonight. WhoooWheee! If you haven't seen this movie, do. It chronicles the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of a man who was butler to seven US Presidents. Stellar cast too!
Good Day: Sunshine!
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteI remember reading about “The Butler” when it came out; I will take your recommendation, listener.
ReplyDeleteI accepted (not for the first time) Amazon’s offer of a free trial of their “Amazon Prime” service to get quick free delivery on the coffee maker I ordered, and decided to check out their associated free video streaming service. Netflix doesn’t have to worry—I understand that the free videos are rather limited in both quality and quantity, but the browsing interface is surprisingly poor.
It seems it rained a little bit last night, and the sky is largely clear today. Beautiful! We can see the (little bit of) snow at the crest of the Sierra Nevada. No problems for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder today. Shortly off to the garden supply store for (surprise!) garden supplies.
—Alan
P.S.: Cat—the navy and red socks remind me of the old story about the fellow whose friend pointed out to him that he was wearing socks of two different colors, to which he replied “Yes, isn’t that odd? But even stranger yet, I have another pair exactly like them!"
8)
DeleteI understand that one can now buy deliberately mismatched socks. My sis has a pair of one polka dot and one striped.
ReplyDeleteStrange. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
DeleteThe patterns are mismatched, but the colours match perfectly.
Deletehttp://www.socklady.com/adultcottonsocks/dhvt-socks.php
DeleteCan you believe this? It's not a customer review, mind you, but Amazon's official review! The vitriol and hatred!!! And I thought people said vile things about Engelbert! Absolutely sickening! If I could figure out who to write to in order to complain, I'd most definitely do so. ARG, my blood is boiling!
ReplyDelete"Following up Barry Manilow's Copacabana, the musical based on the jingle master pop schmaltz sensation's early hit "At the Copa," Manilow's back on the high-concept train with Here at the Mayflower. Each of the 16 piano-driven numbers correlates with an apartment located in the legendary Mayflower, and with the man in the know: the Elevator Operator. At the top of his narrative and melodic game, Manilow spins a goldplate of cheese with the earnestness of songs like "Welcome Home" and the record's high-energy first single, "Turn Up the Radio." "Come Monday," on which the Neil Sedaka/Neil Diamond peer employs vocal gating much like that on recent outings of Cher and Blondie, throws modernity into the base mix of Manilow's long-unwavering formula. All in good fun, Here at the Mayflower will never pass for high art, but that's never been a requisite for fans of this piano man. --Paige La Grone"
This one, for a greatest hists collection, is *much* more sympathetic.
Delete"There's a cynical adage that argues if you stand still long enough, history will eventually catch up with you. It's tempting to say that about Barry Manilow, an artist whose stubborn, quarter-century dedication to old-fashioned song craft and musical melodrama has earned him few critical praises but a loyal worldwide following in the millions. When a cult of 20-something would-be lounge lizards tried to cash in on Manilow's shtick in the 1990s, they distanced themselves from its emotional potency with telling dollops of irony and retro-hip cynicism--anything to keep from looking too sincere. This album serves up the high points of Manilow's long, successful career, rightly focusing on the long string of '70s hits that built both his legend and record label. They're a body of songs whose solid craftsmanship is undeniable, but it's Manilow's sincerity that crucially sells them--indeed, he didn't write "I Write the Songs," but who could doubt him? It's an odd tribute that much here--"Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," "Copacabana," et. al.--has become the palette for a popular entertainment spectrum that somehow encompasses endless hotel piano bars on one flank and TV sketch-com parody on the other. Good to remember that kitsch, by definition, requires a deep and lasting impact on the culture. Manilow hasn't just embraced the "K" word; he's reveled in it with a smile--how could one frown through "Bandstand Boogie" and "Copa" anyway?--and elevated it to something approaching the transcendental through his sheer, joyous force of will. And if his latter work has been unabashedly nostalgic, how could anyone be surprised? --Jerry McCulley"
Of course the ultimate crime in the Music world as in the world of Letters, which both Barry and Engelbert commit spectacularly, is being popular.
DeleteBill, those symposia do sound fascinating, especially the one on Dark Matter. If you could report back on that one, I for one would really appreciate it. I've fallen a bit behind on following the research. Last I heard, the contest for the identity of Dark Matter was between wimps and machos. Are there any new ideas?
ReplyDeleteThe Dark Matter symposium was actually disappointing. Meaning people like me weren't the intended audience. It was for people with a professional interest in the field. Four of the six papers were technically detailed descriptions of devices for detecting WIMPS. A couple of the presenters said, "We have results we expect to present at the Lake Louise meeting." The first speaker was a theoretician who, while still speaking at a professional level, gave a pretty good description of the different sorts of things that dark matter particles night be. I don't recall machos were among them but axions were. (I suppose I could look up what an axion is.) And supersymmetry partners of ordinary particles. But the simplest version of supersymmetry predicts particles in an energy range that has been ruled out. And the final speaker said there were so many uncertainties in all the experimental approaches that you could just hope that eventually several different lines of evidence will converge.
DeleteOh, and one particular experiment intended to detect WIMPs from space seems to be getting results that vary with an annual cycle. That's compatible with a source at a particular point in the galaxy. But you need to repeat the experiment in some place like the Southern Hemisphere to know whether to believe the results.
Well, to a certain extent, repetition is the name of the game, isn't it? I still think that's interesting. I hadn't heard of Dark Matter being directional before. Guess we're still in the infancy of Dark Matter research.
DeleteThanks very much for reporting. I don't know what axions are. Wikipedia, here we come.
Axion
DeleteThe axion is a hypothetical elementary particle postulated by the Peccei–Quinn theory in 1977 to resolve the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). If axions exist and have low mass within a specific range, they are of interest as a possible component of cold dark matter.
Axion Dark Matter Experiment
The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) uses a resonant microwave cavity within in a large superconducting magnet to search for cold dark matter axions in the local galactic dark matter halo. Sited at the Center for Experimental Physics and Astrophysics (CENPA) at the University of Washington, ADMX is a large collaborative effort with researchers from universities and laboratories around the world. Visit the official ADMX website for more information.
Under "Axions:"
DeleteAxions in condensed-matter physics
A term analogous to the one that must be added to Maxwell's equations[20] also appears in recent theoretical models for topological insulators.[21] This term leads to several interesting predicted properties at the interface between topological and normal insulators.[22] In this situation the field θ describes something very different from its use in high-energy physics.[22]
Reminds me of an interesting theoretical speculation I heard at the symposium: That in the very early universe there were huge "dark matter" starts driven, not by nuclear fusion, but by mutual annihilation of WIMPs (with production of ordinary matter). Interesting story, but we need to know a lot more about 'WIMPs before it's anything more.
DeleteHello?
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of the old Madhyamika idea that all things arise from the Void, which is not a vacuum, but rather a plenum, an infinite storehouse of potential. Of course in order for something to become manifest, its opposite (everything it isn't) must simultaneously become manifest. This fits nicely with Hegel's idea of thesis engendering antithesis, from which a synthesis forms which engenders its own antithesis, and so on--which attracted a great deal of attention among academic philosophers in East Asia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ancient Madhyamika philosophers didn't seek to discover or postulate any sort of rational mechanism which would cause things to become manifest, but described it as divine "Lila"--play. Just like the true play of children, the play of the infinite is spontaneous, not something constructed by or susceptible to analysis (deconstruction) by our rational minds. It still sounds like a pretty good explanation to me.
ReplyDelete--Alan
If my memory serves me well, the foundational Madhyamika philosophers were active about nineteen centuries ago...
DeleteAlan
Basically understanding rather than explaining? No, not a bad approach at all.
DeleteOh, and that Amazon review *does* seem to be in exceedingly poor taste, Cat.
ReplyDelete--Alan
Ah,glad to know it's not just me.
Delete