Monthly Archives: December 2012

Eyesore of the Month: Library of Birmingham

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The architectural decadence of civic buildings continues. Here are a couple shots of the new library currently being built in Birmingham, England. Not only does the style clash with the surrounding context, but so does the scale. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Juxtaposin’: Men and Their Tools

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes:

Posted in Sex, Technology, Television | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“Mysterious Mamberano”

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: “Mysterious Mamberano” is one of several adventure documentaries available on Netflix Instant made by a Slovakian filmmaker named Pavol Barabas. I’ve watched and enjoyed them all. This time Barabas and a couple of buddies set out to … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Linkathon

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: JayMan attempts an answer to this question: How much do inbreeding and outbreeding have to do with a society’s cohesiveness? Some bliss of recent vintage for Roger Federer fans. How does he make some of those shots? … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Politics and Economics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Thomas Graal’s Best Film”

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: Swedish film pioneer Mauritz Stiller is known mainly for his connection to Greta Garbo; it was he who brought her to MGM. But in the 1910s and early ’20s he was a major force in movies, perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Performers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Enough? Not Enough?

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Real money, eh? Upper-middle class life vs. middle-middle class life … I grew up thinking that a little more money than my parents had might grant me access to many of the good things in life — … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal reflections | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Interfaith Dialogue

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Following up on Fabrizio’s atheism post. Worth looking at the numbers. Here is Pew’s assessment of religious affiliation in the United States. The unaffiliated make for a large number–over 16%, or 10 times the number of Jews or … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy and Religion | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I have been waiting to see Mark Cousin’s 15-hour documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey.  Good news for me, and for you too if you are interested: it is now on Netflix streaming. I watched the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Avalanche

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek An interesting story of lives lost in an avalanche while skiing. A very nice job by the Times in creatig a multi-media format for telling the story.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Got Rhythm?

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I am mostly happy in 4/4 but like the odd time signature challenge. Here are two of my favorites. First, Blue Rondo a la Turk.  This version is performed by Two Generations of Brubeck, which is Dave recording … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments