From Polar Bears to Penguins – Driving North to South across the Americas
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Jul 20th, 2007
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Man in a Yellow Jacket |
First setback encountered.
We did not spend much time planning the northern part of the drive. After all this is the United States and Canada, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Jul 18th, 2007
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Wings of Desire |
Movie quanta discussed. Some thoughts on Wim Wenders’ film “Wings of Desire”.
Sometimes my movie watching is quantized. To relieve the tedium of the gym I watch movies on my laptop and suddenly I am elsewhere – In the hills of Tuscany, Behind the DMZ in North Korea, Tracking down strange happenings. Anywhere except the sweaty elliptical trainer at Crunch Fitness. That is the wonder of movies.
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Jun 16th, 2007
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Paolo and Francesca |
Don Giovanni is a man of immoderate desires. The outcome of a lifetime of vice.
The libretto bills this opera as “Dramma Giocoso”, a comedic opera. It opens with the nihilistic Don Giovanni attempting the rape of a young woman whose cries bring her father to her aid. Dad, perturbed at the attempted rape comes at the perp swinging his sword, and Don Giovanni, the poster child for poor impulse control ends up killing him. He follows this up by crashing a wedding and seducing the bride to be! Pretty funny, huh?
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Jun 13th, 2007
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Steampunk Neena |
A Fund raiser for a Tree House – Fireballs in Oakland. (Map this!)
We could have been at a medieval alchemist workshop as flaming balls of fire lit up the dusk with a resounding “boom”, a merry-go-round powered by a steam engine whirled ephemerally through the surrounding vapor and a steam powered blender busily prepared margaritas consumed eagerly by the waiting crowd.
Posted in Before the Drive, Lifestyle on Jun 11th, 2007
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San Francisco Opera House |
Opera as inspiration. The road to Manaus.
Opera has woven itself into our lives and provides inspiration and motivation for many of our actions. When the lights dim and the curtain rises the world is transformed. This world, our ordinary world, disappears and is replaced with one of magic and illusion, a new world of acoustic richness and a vocabulary of its own.