Melancholia is the latest movie from Lars von Tiers which has been received with mixed critics reviews. This is one of those movies which will definitely have an impact on you after watching it: you’ll either love it or hate it, there is no middle path. The plot is about the impending world end which will come about via the impact of a stray planet of the solar system that will collide with Earth, thus destroying it. It begins with the apocalyptic images of the world several minutes before the deadly impact and it shows some of the key characters and how they react to this situation. Then the movie takes us back a few months or weeks to a wedding which turns out to be disaster as the bride clearly has personality problems. Everybody is trying to keep up the appearances, but in the end the situation gets the better of them and the wedding dissolves into chaos. After this episode the film details how the main characters cope with the situation of a large stray planet which is getting closer and closer to Earth. It’s not yet clear if the impact will take place or not as some of the characters believe that Melancholia, the name of the stray planet, will pass the Earth by, while others think that it will destroy it. The movies finishes with Earth being struck by the rouge planet and with the main characters which face the situation in their own ways. The plot of the film is based on some conspiracy theories which claim that there is an extra-solar planet called Nibiru which will impact Earth sometime soon. The supporters of this theory claim that world authorities know about this fact but they prefer to keep it hidden form the population as there is no escape from this event.
I know the US is probably largely responsible for the general phenomenon of prepared and instant foods, but the kinds of things you can get in an envelope, can, or jar in Germany have always made me chuckle. I mean, is it only because I don’t eat diamond rings that I think canned sausage is hilarious? I think not.
Anyway, BB linked to this page today and I had to check it out: a project that looks at whether the illustrations on the package look like the food inside. You can guess what the answer is.
[My favorites are the Salate, all types. Shrimps drowning in mustard sauce, diced-up bologna emerging from pink "alfredo." Nom nom nom.]
It seems that Google plans to dominate the world wide web using only one single and strong product: Google+. They plan to embody all of their other products into what it’s going to be a mega service offered via Google+. With this strategy Google wants to quickly overpower the smaller competitors and to catch up with Facebook and eventually to become the number one authority on the web regardless of the niche: social networks, bookmarkings, search etc. Right now Google+ seems not to be a threat to already established websites such as Facebook, but as they will integrate more and more functionality in their product, the number of members will steadily increase. In the mean time Facebook will struggle to keep up with this race because they have limited functionality, all of which are fully covered by they Google+ product. Right now the battle has only begun, with Facebook being clearly in the lead, but as time will progress, it’s highly probable that things will change and that Google will have the upper hand in this web-war.
Via BB, a list of medical myths debunked. Not sensational, by any means, but sort of reassuring. My favorites: reading in low light isn’t going to ruin your eyes, and it’s not the tryptophan in the turkey that’s making you tired, it’s the eating too much. So nyaaah.
Apparently we will get to see some of Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise next year. SAM’s website says that three panels will be on view from 26. January to 6. April, certainly long enough to bring a class or two up to see them. That’s cool. The last time I looked into this on the High’s site I couldn’t find any mention of outside lighting, even though the rumor was already circulating that the panels would be here, too. Mark your calendars.
September 17, 2007 | In: health
The word “asthma” is a Greek word which means “panting.” It is a chronic and inflammatory condition which attacks the respiratory system with the tightening of the airway as the symptom. People who suffer this ailment often feel as their airways are inflamed and filled with mucus. The often common asthma symptoms include, coughing in the night, wheezing, shortness of breath, pain, pressure and tightness around the chest region.
This condition often starts from childhood and can stay till the end of the life of the individual. It is recorded that more than 20 million people in the United States suffer from this ailment. Asthma should never be overlooked, though not fatal. However, it can degenerate to more serious conditions. It is caused by exposure to certain allergen and asthma drugs help to reduce expose to those allergens that trigger the asthma attacks. In addition to treatment, people suffering g from this condition should organize their lifestyles to avoid these allergens.
…of living in the great Pacific Northwest: we got to see Dan Bejar actually perform with New Pornographers. I’ve been happy to watch Kurt Dahle sing the Dan songs while he wails away on his drum set, in fact, he’s pretty amazing. But I always wanted to hear Bejar sing his own songs, and he’s never toured with the group (or at least he never played at the Austinshows, and we saw all of them, because I am a dork devoted fan). So. They did old and new songs of his, maybe five or six? He kind of flitted onto the stage every so often, sang, and then disappeared backstage to have another drink or something. Very divalike. And so now I feel inspired to pursue my dream of driving up toVancouver to see a Destroyer show. Who wants to come along?
The show was fun, they’re good live, and it was better than when we saw them last summer. But once again, theSeattleshow crowd is simply foreign to me. They’re so restrained! Even when people were really excited about motion detector lights (like, you know, something great off the very first album played as an encore), the most frenetic it got was a little hopping in place. Still it was a nice time, and the company couldn’t have been better.
And why not?
A few notes after my first week of work:
1. In his address to us employees last week, the Pres. of my new institution used Eno’s “Big Here and Long Now” as his leitmotif. I was very pleased by this.
2. I’m finally able to do online research and journal reading from my home again. Also, Interlibrary Loan has come back into my life (how I missed it!).
3. To punish me for going back to work, summer has returned and it’s been beautiful here the last few days. At least I was able to go for a walk on the beach this afternoon. Portable defibrillator. Dude, I can totally walk to the beach from my house.
How are you dealing with the onset of the semester/fall in general?
This tool lets you enter cuisine, ingredient, and mood (!) and then produces a recipe suggestion. Turkish + gratifying yielded Imam Bayildi, which seems a little obvious, but maybe that’s my fault for choosing those two parameters…
Anyway, don’t have time to use Cookthink today, but maybe this weekend. If you use it successfully (as in, it suggests something, you make and consume it, and it produces the sought-after emotional response), let me know if you like contemporary bar stools.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This disease is the sixth main reason for the death of people who are between the ages of 25 – 44 years old. According to the World Health organization statistics, more than 25 million people have lost their lives to this pandemic since its inception. In the United States alone, it is the major cause of death among African Americans. This race had died from this illness more than any other race or disease.
AIDS is a condition which causes a progressive breakdown of the immune system against HIV and other fatal infections. The virus is transmitted through sex, blood transfusion or needle sharing. A pregnant mother can also transmit the virus to her fetus through blood sharing. It is not transmitted through casual contacts like mosquito bites, hugging or touching things that were previously touched by an AIDS victim.
1. I heard a DJ this morning say that Spoon sounds “like early Billy Joel.” I am not making this up.
2. The mixed berry tart with pastry cream in Cook’s is fantastic, as is my live-in pastry chef.
3. In two weeks we’re going to see New Pornographers, which will require staying out late. Can we do it? Stay tuned.
4. I now have a lovely little office with a ca. 1960 terrazzo floor and a floor-to-ceiling window onto a courtyard. I feel very lucky, and not just because of its mid-century stylishness. Nail designs.
