tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150582382012-02-16T06:47:53.807-06:00"Acceptance on someone else's terms is worse than rejection." Mary CassattDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.comBlogger2151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-49099145714850279822011-07-19T10:49:00.000-05:002011-07-19T10:49:23.286-05:00

"Death ends a life, but it does not end a relationship which struggles on in the Survivor's mind toward some resolution which it may never find." So says the main character in Robert Anderson's I Never Sang for My Father. The last two films I have seen in two days deal with that struggle of sons dealing with their father's (and their) failings. In fact, the main character in one of them says, “

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-70449376234567634762011-05-30T16:04:00.000-05:002011-05-30T16:04:26.246-05:00

Woody Allen created a love song to Manhattan in his movie of the same title, filling it with beautiful images of the city. Over thirty years later, he has created another love song, this time to Paris. The opening images before the credits are glorious images of the city from morning to evening. If you have never been to Paris, this opening may just convince you to go.In his latest romantic

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-66343108757648049342011-05-22T20:39:00.002-05:002011-05-23T10:13:45.147-05:00

The Lost Books of The Odyssey: A Novel by Zachary Mason My rating: 5 of 5 stars In The Lost Books of The Odyssey: A Novel, Zachary Mason tells and sometimes retells new versions of the familiar and unfamiliar from The Odyssey and The Iliad. As someone who enjoys Homer immensely, I loved this book. Here, unfettered by Homer's version, Penelope marries Menelaus, Telemachus has a sister,

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-32608305610188473132011-05-14T20:35:00.001-05:002011-05-14T21:26:17.124-05:00

In The Double Hour, an Italian film from 2009 but just released here, Sonia is a bored chambermaid. Guido, a former cop, is a bored widowed  security guard. They meet at a speed-dating club. He's drawn to her and they begin a romance. Gradually conventional story-telling is disrupted when we suddenly learn that Guido was killed in a robbery attempt where Sonia was also wounded. Dead Guido

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-4347739462340616722011-05-14T19:45:00.000-05:002011-05-14T19:45:43.170-05:00

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell My rating: 5 of 5 stars A group of seven explorers, sponsored by the Jesuits, set off on a mission to the planet Rakhat. Think Avatar with priests, scientists, two Sigourney Weaver characters (one young, one old), and a complex main character priest who becomes the only survivor of the journey. We know from the beginning that things end badly, but the suspense

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-77098961768354178452011-05-10T18:10:00.001-05:002011-05-14T21:26:52.178-05:00

As my class discussed Frankenstein and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, we discussed the question posed earlier on in Speilberg’s film—Could you get a person to love a robot? I pointed out to them how subversive that question becomes in Speilberg’s film because he casts Haley Joel Osment as this advanced child robot who constantlypulls at the heart-strings of the audience. Most  agreed how

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-77763838526998913402011-05-06T18:37:00.002-05:002011-05-14T21:27:11.953-05:00

Marvel comic book movies have basic elements one expects: awe-inspiring confrontations, simple plots that even children can follow, two-dimensional characters, adult humor, and good looking male protagonists who fall in love with beautiful women in romantic side-stories which the women in the audience can enjoy. In those areas, Thor doesn't fail to deliver. Production values are high. The mise

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-7274659937834205572011-04-10T17:01:00.002-05:002011-04-10T17:01:57.682-05:00

What if Shakespeare never wrote a word of what he is credited with writing?

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-14533004887625892112011-04-02T15:01:00.009-05:002011-05-14T21:27:38.940-05:00

                                                                   The first five minutes of Source Code. George Orr has effective dreams. They started the day the bomb was dropped on Portland, Oregon. He thought he had radiation poisoning and lay down and began dreaming. Thus begins The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuinn. George’s dreams change reality but no one remembers the world before his

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-41184878004347211802011-03-25T22:30:00.003-05:002011-04-02T15:46:53.255-05:00

Spoiler Alert During my Spring Break movie marathon, I was intrigued by the trailer for the 2010 French film, Certified Copy, which was playing in Chicago. I found the film beautifully acted by Juliet Binoche and British opera singer William Shimell in his film debut. Like Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, the film concentrates on the dialogue of two characters as they flirt and get to know each

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-5097568966204233672011-03-25T21:59:00.002-05:002011-04-02T15:48:49.944-05:00

When Unknown came out, I wasn't really interested in seeing it. I had been intrigued by the trailer, but opening around the time that heavily panned Red Riding Hood and Battle: LA, it didn't draw me in. During my Spring Break marathon, however, I remembered the trailer, checked it out and decided to try  out the movie. The movie appears to be a straight-forward story of Dr. Martin Harris who

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-38796869163469030942011-03-25T19:28:00.001-05:002011-04-02T15:50:46.541-05:00

I was primed to see Paul as I rewatched Hot Fuzz on television. I have enjoyed the work of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost since their movie Shaun of the Dead. Their wacky sense of humor meshes with mine and after seeing them deal with murder mysteries (Fuzz) and zombies (Shaun), I was anxious to see them take on aliens and Roswell. (Am I just imaging Pegg and Frost the modern-day descendents of Abbot

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-36089230061125243732011-03-25T19:09:00.002-05:002011-04-02T15:51:59.918-05:00

Within the last week, I have spent time doing what I love to do--going to movies. I talked in the last entry about Jane Eyre. Since then I have seen four more films, all of which were good entertainment and which I  can recommend highly. Limitless I have been a fan of Bradley Cooper's for what seems a long time, actually since his work in Sex and the City. One my favorite moments in The

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-4716611269190971992011-03-18T15:53:00.002-05:002011-04-02T15:53:15.862-05:00

 Talbot's The Fruit Sellers, ca 1845, from Wikipedia Commons.  William Henry Fox Talbot [a contemporary of Louis Daguerre, inventor of the daguerreotype] left a legacy of fascinating of English photographs called calotypes, a process he patented in 1841. The unique look of Talbot's work was obviously the inspiration for the 2011 BBC film version of Jane Eyre, starring Mia Wasikowska and

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-86374837466384477742011-02-28T12:56:00.007-06:002011-04-05T23:28:59.650-05:00

Attorney and Lincoln scholar James L. Swanson writes fascinating history in his book, Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer. Swanson tells with cinematic detail the story of Lincoln, Booth, Stanton and the others. Here are 25 interesting details regarding the Lincoln assassination:  John Wilkes Booth  Booth had originally planned to kidnap President Lincoln and convey him to

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-81277898707606925762011-02-19T11:21:00.003-06:002011-04-02T15:57:59.615-05:00

I waited to see my Netflix offering, Chris and Don: A Love Story, until I had finished reading Christopher Isherwood’s The Sixties: Diaries 1960-1969 (ed. Katherine Bucknell). The film documents the love story of Isherwood and his companion Don Bachardy, from their meeting on a beach in California to Isherwood’s death in 1986. Isherwood, best known as the author of The Berlin Stories (which

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-86385256358169940792011-02-03T17:46:00.007-06:002011-04-02T15:59:15.988-05:00

I had heard about "Catfish" when it came out, but it disappeared from the area before I got to see it. Well, I rented it on Netflix and want to make sure everyone on Facebook sees it. The setup for the film (a documentary) is photographer Niv meets Megan and her family on Facebook. Gradually he becomes drawn deeper and deeper into a relationship while his friends decide to document their

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-2065801694825063162011-01-28T12:57:00.009-06:002011-02-13T00:10:16.326-06:00

This is the first carte de visite in my collection that actually comes from Lexington (IL) during the Civil War period. The young lady’s picture appears from ca1865. (It is possible that I am a couple years off, but the picture is not before 1864.) Her hair is parted in the middle and made into sausage curls. Over her bodice and long sleeves is a v-necked short-sleeved jacket of ruching or

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-53898469385997910932010-09-28T18:09:00.001-05:002010-09-28T18:09:45.931-05:00

Watch more free documentariesWhen I taught History and Thought of Western Man, I always thought it important that part of the Art Recognition tests included major women artists throughout history. Here's a museum that supports that view. Anyone who took HTWM will recognize many of the names. For more information on women artists in history, check out the following books.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-50043340745377642022010-09-21T23:39:00.000-05:002010-09-21T23:39:03.123-05:00

I'm continuing on a unit about storytelling and tomorrow we're going to look at what happens when stories are collected into songs. We've already talked some about storytelling. An NPR report on storytellig suggests that part of what draws us to stories is that we analyze our own lives in the stories we hear. For me, the combination of music and a strong story can be a powerful work. Here's

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-4409051761584548902010-09-12T23:35:00.002-05:002010-09-12T23:35:22.298-05:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-64512671791578373042010-09-12T23:30:00.001-05:002010-09-12T23:33:11.979-05:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-72137236360728451522010-09-12T17:46:00.007-05:002010-09-12T20:00:25.041-05:00

I love visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-80890516239012999612010-09-12T13:22:00.002-05:002010-09-12T13:27:19.213-05:00

Banksy's on his way to America. Check out http://www.banksy.info/.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-6122960830326858372010-09-12T10:56:00.003-05:002010-09-12T12:14:50.058-05:00

Carte de visite. Printed on back: "WE Dibenham, 158 Regent St. W., [London, England] Looking at large groups of carte de visite, it is usually easy to tell which were taken at more exclusive photographic galleries. Often the accessories used speak volumes. The beautifully tailored silk dress of the lady in the photograph speaks to her wealth, but so also do the elaborate side table with

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-8575452923180202472010-09-12T10:35:00.000-05:002010-09-12T10:35:32.557-05:00

Here's a rather strange, but haunting and poignant tale of a voodoo doll who has to save his fellow voodoo dolls from the pins of death. Sebastian's Voodoo from Joaquin Baldwin on Vimeo.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-20743542645366660252010-09-11T17:31:00.001-05:002010-09-13T17:55:19.638-05:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-59686114716039374992010-09-09T17:15:00.001-05:002010-09-12T10:58:52.331-05:00

Cabinet cards are larger than carte de visites. Whereas the carte de visite is on fairly lightweight card stock, the cabinet card is on heavier stock and has a print on heavier paper. This cabinet card shows a handsome young Pennsylvania man in sack coat suit with vest and cravat, ca. 1876-1880. The suitcoat is shorter than the longer ones of the 1860-1870 period, but is made of an interesting

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-85428444233642734532010-09-05T18:15:00.001-05:002010-09-05T18:17:40.679-05:00

Techno Chicken has been around quite awhile, but I laugh everytime I watch it.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-22277878126095251632010-09-05T13:59:00.002-05:002010-09-05T18:18:34.215-05:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-81938205432799543682010-09-04T21:36:00.002-05:002010-09-04T21:38:15.782-05:00

Ca 1864, the original Jersey City Boys. Carte de visite. J.T. Green's Union Gallery. 36 Montgomery St. Corn. Greene St. Jersey City, [NJ]. The card has a George Washington 2 cent stamp making the date between 1864- 1865. Civil War Cincinnati Sisters, ca 1864. Carte de visite. Winder's Cartes de Visite Photograph Gallery No. 373 Central Ave, opp Court, Cincinnati, O. The girl at right

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-20183884308304543252010-08-30T16:55:00.000-05:002010-08-30T16:55:56.065-05:00

What fun this number was.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-20521515736566581952010-08-28T17:08:00.002-05:002010-08-30T17:02:24.073-05:00

While I really like the images of the carte de visite and very clear images of the daguerreotype, occasionally the ambrotype (called more commonly the "tintype") can be surprisingly clear. This image of two satorially stunning males from about 1880 shows how modern the ambrotype and its occupants can look. A study of the picture can even show the weave and pattern of the pants and sack coat at

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-77986091230030441032010-08-28T16:59:00.001-05:002010-08-28T17:00:37.845-05:00

It has proven unusual to find carte de visite for sale. This one I acquired on Ebay recently. I love the view it gives of post-war New York state--clothing, housing, family structure (parents, two daughters and three sons). Click on the picture to see it closeup.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-41158265890131867012010-08-28T16:50:00.000-05:002010-08-28T16:50:52.983-05:00

What is a story? Over the past 40 plus years of teaching English, that always seemed like an easy answer. It’s a work that has a plot, characters, maybe a theme, setting—and action done by someone in the work. But over the last couple of years I’ve wondered if perhaps I am too limited in my definition. Two summers ago, I went to a Creativity workshop in New York which focused many things,

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-55380063896446603762010-07-25T17:36:00.000-05:002010-07-25T17:36:26.722-05:00

Back in 1991, I created this series based on fun times at New Orleans Mardi Gras. The title comes from a question written on a bathroom stall.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-21235602301469441712010-07-25T17:29:00.001-05:002010-07-25T17:30:15.853-05:00

Today's fascinating read in the New York Times Magazine was about Big Freedia and "Sissy Bounce" from New Orleans. Now I love anything NOLA, having gone seven years in a row for Mardi Gras with friends who lived in NOLA. The world of "bounce" is uniquely New Orleans--a type of gay rap from a culture which accepts the diversity. It was only through the video, however, that I really got a feel for

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-69252785935992875512010-07-23T23:04:00.002-05:002010-09-26T08:37:53.257-05:00

A Flier in Military Slicker ca1944 Patriotic Photobooth Picture

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-61640246200831752062010-07-23T22:58:00.000-05:002010-07-23T22:58:20.898-05:00

If you haven't read this, do.  For 25 years I taught a course called History and Thought of Western Man. The unit I enjoyed teaching the most was the last one which revolved around the questions: Who are you? How do you know who you are? I covered the 20th century art movements of Dadaism and Surrealism [which emphasized the importance of the dream in our world], Sartre and Camus’s concepts of

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-68979824649340034532010-07-22T15:42:00.001-05:002010-09-26T08:40:17.646-05:00

This British carte de visite, from around 1855, reminds me of the Prince of Wales in his younger days.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-73462562802519546662010-07-22T15:38:00.000-05:002010-07-22T15:38:03.959-05:00

Adam Savage gives a fascinating lecture on his dual obessions of the dodo bird and the Maltese Falcon.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-49570256850710530792010-07-18T17:29:00.000-05:002010-07-18T17:29:36.769-05:00

Photographed byE.L. Mowry,Lewisburg, PA.ca1862. I am prompted to flights of fantasy about  this belle of Pennsylvannia. Her rather mannish demeanor suggests a cross-dressing spy.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-51485441927230749942010-07-18T17:23:00.002-05:002010-09-26T08:52:27.045-05:00

AmbrotypeEight People in an Photographer's StudioCa 1866. It's unusual to see the full photographer's studio. Here the large group [perhaps the cast of a play] forces him to show the whole studio.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-81985456377813962342010-07-16T21:38:00.000-05:002010-07-16T21:38:33.744-05:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-62477219255712467212010-07-16T21:23:00.005-05:002010-07-16T21:46:22.035-05:00

Vladmir: Tomorrow when I wake, or think I do, what will I say of today. That with Estragon my friend I waited for Godot… but in all that, what truth will there be? So speaks a main character of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. The discussion of how we perceive our reality is fascinating, and Inception gives us much to ponder. Our dreams often feel as real as reality. "Dreams feel real while

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-70181799092784094892010-07-16T18:43:00.000-05:002010-07-16T18:43:49.869-05:00

He reminds me of pictures of Nataniel Hawthorne from the same 1860s period. No information as to location or photographer on the card.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-10712511629031760672010-07-16T18:10:00.007-05:002010-07-16T20:18:52.123-05:00

Talk to me. Tell me about your day. Wait, turn the music on first, and then sit here and let's dream. Note, although it says Enya sings "We Are Free Now," it is Lisa Gerrard. The images are from "Final Fantasy X." Or click here and listen to Enigma and Enya do "Return to Innocence." I first heard this on an episode of "My So Called Life" and loved the song and the idea.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-3645079819088856152010-07-13T21:22:00.002-05:002010-07-14T14:39:52.295-05:00

While I spend a lot of time cleaning up the phtographs that I collect, sometimes an artist wants to age the photograph to look period. Check out Vintage and Aging Photo Effect Tutorials - The Ultimate Round Up. Here is an original and then one which I used Filter Forge on it to age it. If I were doing a website that needed period pictures and I only had modern, this might come in handy.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-30496279856290863202010-07-13T11:40:00.001-05:002010-09-26T08:54:02.242-05:00

Handwritten: "Mrs. Hills" Mrs. Hills sits in her luxurious velvet crinoline gown with a paisley shawl and elaborate lace bonnet (and elaborate curls), doesn't look too happy. She reminds me of Miss Haversham from Dickens Great Expectations, forever waiting for her groom to come. Of course, if it is Mrs. Hills he has, but perhaps by the 1860s he was gone again.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-72495449805369900712010-07-13T10:49:00.003-05:002010-07-14T11:28:23.772-05:00

Recently my friend Carrie and I discussed Students, Meet Your Teacher, Mr. Robot from Sunday's New York Times about the use of robots to teach various kinds of students. One of the first was an autisitic child and then later they talk about using the robots to teach such things as language. Carrie's reaction was that it seems too close to the darker aspects of Steven Spielberg's A..I.:

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-10685645990769792342010-07-12T20:41:00.000-05:002010-07-12T20:41:24.906-05:00

Louise gives lots of things to  think about in terms of "What is Bad Art?" Louise Sacco at Gel 2010 (Museum Of Bad Art - MOBA) from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-7941316767335047452010-07-12T10:36:00.002-05:002010-09-26T08:55:24.871-05:00

BUTLER, Artist & PhotogrpherNo. 9, St. Mary's ButtsReading [England] I bought the carte de visite specifically because it seemed to echo Louisa May Alcott's Little Women which was published in 1868, shortly after the War. The women, actually British, wear crinolines and loose outer coats of the 1860s. Someone--either photographer or owner--has tinted the picture.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-58308612913048877422010-07-12T10:22:00.007-05:002010-07-14T00:24:08.106-05:00

Here's a variety of interesting web sites found today:To 10 USB Thumb Drive Tricks. Learn some things you can do with just a few gigabites and a USB port. Fold a teeshirt in just two seconds. Amazing. Five artists who work with corrugated cardboard. Some sophisticated examples here. There are also some links to additional cardboard artists who "think out of the box." Learn about Oscar, a 13 year

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-8252009712938004932010-07-12T09:13:00.000-05:002010-07-12T09:13:46.031-05:00

I love my Kindle. Each morning it goes with me to Starbucks, where I try to find some time to read the day’s New York Times on it. It also goes with me during the day so I can steal reading time any chance I can get. One of the interesting things about owning a Kindle is how it leads to all kinds of discussions with other Kindle users and those who seem pro or con without one. Today one of

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-59507033405705391972010-07-09T18:39:00.004-05:002010-09-26T16:48:22.585-05:00

"Tell me about the rabbits, George" Note how the photographer has tried to hide the neck rest stands by blacking them out. The gentleman on the left wears a straw pork pie hat from the period. On the back of the Carte de Visite of two men from the Civil War Period is the name of the photographer and a 2 cent green Washington stamp. [Why am I reminded of Of Mice and Men?] If you collect any of

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-44699085014719782062010-07-06T19:23:00.003-05:002010-07-12T13:21:08.041-05:00

Two Gentlemen from the late 1850s wearing frock coats and top hats. The image has been edited in Photoshop. Shades of Edna Ferber's Show Boat.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-57265735456425526862010-07-06T19:07:00.001-05:002010-07-06T19:13:16.525-05:00

What did Leonardo daVinci look like? While he did hundreds of drawings of men, but few can be said to be his portrait. Artist Siegfried Woldhek sets out to find which might prove to show the real Leonardo.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-58251486764965984372010-07-02T14:47:00.000-05:002010-07-02T14:47:09.131-05:00

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-88024525220859959742010-07-02T14:23:00.006-05:002010-09-26T16:51:25.287-05:00

No this isn't the Lincolns, but they do seem to have been influenced by the First Family. These two are obviously people of money. She wears the popular crinoline and he wears a silk edged wool double-breasted frock coat.   L.R. BronkBallston Spa, N.Y.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-63672778009638812092010-07-02T13:53:00.000-05:002010-07-02T13:53:52.926-05:00

“This story is true. If things didn’t quite happen the way I describe them, they should have.” I’ve been reading an issue of Writer’s Digest which is devoted to writing memoir and over and over I am reading people trying to discern the difference between fiction and memoir. Many maintain that there is no place in memoir for anything but fact. It has made me consider once again just how true

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-52373966343841091162010-06-30T21:20:00.002-05:002010-07-12T13:22:22.850-05:00

Back in the late 1960s, as my grandmother fought her final battles with the cancer that would kill her, I realized that my knowledge of her family would go with her. The more I pestered her for stories, the more she kept saying that she didn’t know any. Finally one day I sat her down with her mother’s photo album and asked her to identify who the people were and what she knew about them. From

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-41727908280950066992010-06-29T11:22:00.000-05:002010-06-29T11:22:19.173-05:00

Animated short with great visuals. BEATLES Rock Band from alberto mielgo on Vimeo.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-60286240125713368782010-06-28T20:22:00.001-05:002010-06-28T20:24:50.462-05:00

In my life, there have been some songs that have resonated so strongly that they can instantly get a reaction from me. "All You Need Is Love" is one of those songs. I used it as the finale of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" which I had placed in the 1960s. On December 7, 2009, people in 156 countries made their individual versions which were then all cut together to support a global fund to fight

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-32537981042522900852010-06-14T17:20:00.001-05:002010-06-14T17:21:27.279-05:00

This looks like great fun. What happened to line dancing anyway? Dance with Me.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-69261108773929999942010-06-13T16:48:00.000-05:002010-06-13T16:48:04.504-05:00

Andy Budd of Buildconference.com has a really interesting lecture on applying to the principals of seduction with web design. Although it's a filmed lecture, if you do web design there are ideas you can use. Andy Budd - Seductive Design from Build on Vimeo.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-47909411565452460332010-06-11T11:14:00.001-05:002010-06-29T23:16:37.172-05:00

It's not often that a three minute film can tug at the heart strings. But this short film from Daros Films, about the power of a broken camera, does just that. Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-28554251602130322242010-06-10T22:08:00.001-05:002010-06-11T11:06:26.565-05:00

The heart attack came at 4:10 on a Sunday morning. I was supposed to cantor that morning for the 9:30 Mass and I wasn’t too comfortable with the psalm I had to sing. The first thing I noticed was one of my cats had her paw on my arm as if she was trying to wake me. I don’t know; maybe I was moaning in my sleep or something. As I turned over, I felt the pain in my chest. It felt as if someone

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-85291166839312216702010-05-06T14:26:00.001-05:002010-05-06T17:25:14.606-05:00

Today I decided to take a walk as a tourist in my own neighborhood of Oak Park, Illinois--home of Frank Lloyd Wright and great Victorian mansions with broad porches, colonades, and broad lawns. We get a lot of tourists during the year and I decided to take a tour myself and look at things like a tourist would. I've posted the series on Picasa, but here are ten of my favorites. From Seen in the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-11942722827457290732010-04-28T16:00:00.001-05:002010-04-28T16:01:17.678-05:00

How random are the things that happen to us? Is there some kind of connection to those seemingly freaky coincident that we experience? My class is reading John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things and we have been discussing Magical Thinking. One of the concepts we sent some time on yesterday was Synchronicity. Synchronicity is a concept proposed by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung in 1951 where two

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-5020604594536837762010-03-28T19:14:00.008-05:002010-03-28T23:10:53.914-05:00

Soldier's Home, 1943 by C. David ClaudonHave you been facinated by the idea Gulliver's Travels and seeing miniature people living in a full little town? Much of my life I have. The 1:12 inch scale room above speaks to that fascination. I like to imagine that Swift had seen one of those early dollhouses that the Dutch and English delighted in. Called poppenhuis in the Netherlands, these often

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-30841313093588687592010-03-08T19:51:00.000-06:002010-03-08T19:51:20.414-06:00

I am currently doing research on music that would have been sung during the 1860s, and one of the songs I found is the traditional The Water Is Wide. When I first heard the song the performer chose only a couple of the verses, and it seemed a very haunting love ballad. But after doing more research I discovered it's actually about the loss of love, not the joy of it. Based on a 17th century

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-77196576114011922882010-03-08T18:34:00.000-06:002010-03-08T18:34:28.204-06:00

Seen from a cable car showing the city before the earthquake.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-55198947456310218112010-03-05T17:38:00.013-06:002010-03-06T08:57:14.655-06:00

[Note: I will try to avoid spoilers, but I really want you to see this film.] The setting is daunting and alienating. A ferry arrives on a Massachusetts island in a storm and as the cars get off, one remains locked and abandoned. As the workers on the ferry try to figure out where the owner is, we switch to a deserted beach and a body washed ashore. Switch to London, where the Ghost, a

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-29559198734743415232010-03-02T21:50:00.000-06:002010-03-02T21:50:40.548-06:00

Lead Me Lord, ASL. There's something very poetic about signing. In a totally different vein, here is Michael DiMartino's whose sign language work I subscribe to: Lady Gaga's Bad Romance SL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItLTSAw3nUk Lady Gaga's Beautiful Dirty Rich SL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-e6pGa9wTk Lady Gaga's Love Games SL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2raQgmg0UxU Britany

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-24299889156535208442010-03-02T21:34:00.001-06:002010-03-02T21:34:38.803-06:00

Laura Montana sings Lady Gaga. Does anyone else find this just too freaky? OkGo, This Too Shall Pass. There used to be cartoonist named Rube Goldberg which created all kinds of jerryrigged machines. This is fascinating. Maximize the image and enjoy. Blue Man Group: Crunch, Drums and Paper. If you haven't seen this in person, you have really missed a great experience. One of the fun

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-83215083646158808072010-02-26T20:07:00.003-06:002010-02-27T23:27:38.714-06:00

Thomas Blackshear's Dark Knight from Ebony Visions, sculpted by Mark Newman,  issued 2006. Photo by C. David Claudon.For the past few months, I've been working on retelling Thomas Mallory's Le Morte dArthur into modern English. I was fascinated, therefore, when I stumbled upon the gallery of sculptor Mark Newman, primary sculptor for Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions. As soon as I saw

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-18504327009669195392010-02-25T15:43:00.004-06:002010-02-25T16:02:08.095-06:00

My students are finishing reading Frankenstein and I will next show them A.I.: Artifical Intelligence. Among our discussions is the idea of what kind of responsibility the creator has toward his creation. In response to the movie, I've done some research on current work in the field of robots (a term coined by the Czech play R.U.R. in 1920). HRP-4C Last year a Japanese company created an

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-51610710570747460262010-02-24T17:38:00.000-06:002010-02-24T17:38:18.136-06:00

According to an online dictionary, the word Chanteuse means a female singer, especially a nightclub singer. Here are some of my favorites: Peggy Lee Miss Lee could sell a song better than all of them. Even as a kid I understood what they meant by "sultry" when they spoke of her. Ethel Waters Miss Waters began in the 1920s, but her performance as Berniece in "A Member of the Wedding" is one

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-89749203178215811892010-02-22T20:59:00.000-06:002010-02-22T20:59:53.294-06:00

Adam Beane does incredible work.   When I wrote him asking if I could include pictures of some of his work here on my blog, he wrote: "Lately I'm interested in pushing further with the celebrity portrature and I'm quite proud of my latest piece- Barack Obama for Esquire." Only the hands holding the bust belie the fact that the sculpture is a miniature.   I've done some modeling of miniature

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-64127758814417785302010-02-04T17:41:00.000-06:002010-02-04T17:41:26.719-06:00

Here are some more things I found online of interest:  One Sentence Archive: True Stories, told in one sentence. So how poignant or thought-provoking do you think a single sentence could be? Can it reveal a story waiting to come to light? Here are a couple of them that seemed particularly effective: When I asked him how his day had been my father shrugged and said "It was okay," in a

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-18948400474839991632010-02-01T22:45:00.000-06:002010-02-01T22:45:54.614-06:00

Stumbleupon.com took me to a really interesting site yesterday which allows you to manipulate your pictures into others. I'm showing three examples below. You tell it what pictures to feed in and http://www.photofunia.com/ does it for you. Simple? Addicting. And there are 138 different pictures to choose from. Just select the pictures you want to use and it does the work for you.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-17202162878857702962010-02-01T22:23:00.001-06:002010-02-04T19:43:36.906-06:00

Here are some more links for you check out at your leisure... "It's a Wonderful World" puppet show with music by Louis Armstrong. Over the years I've had countless students fascinated with handpuppets everytime a project light is turned on. Here's someone who goes beyond just playing. It's fun to watch. Oscar the cat who predicts nursing home deaths. I'd known about Oscar for awhile now, but

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-24515237527170285352010-01-27T16:57:00.001-06:002010-01-27T16:58:36.992-06:00

Today as we were working on blogs in class, one of my students introduced me to stumbleupon.com. This afternoon, I must admit, I got lost surfing online for a couple of hours. Since my interests are photography, drawing, mythology, the unusual, here are my 15 picks for things to look at today: 1. Ten Places in the World You Will Never Visit shows you 10 hidden places only a few people in the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-26557846122137713742010-01-26T12:54:00.001-06:002010-01-26T12:58:13.776-06:00

Today thanks to today's New York Times, I learned: Preparing for Cyberwarfare. If you have followed the current war between Google and China [where Google believes that they were cyber-attacked by a group in China, supported by their government], you will probably find today's article even more of a nod to our cyber-future. Chinese rename Mountains for Avatar. Say what you will about the

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-4602520737041646142010-01-19T17:08:00.013-06:002010-01-19T20:54:02.500-06:00

Recently I received an inquiry from a researcher doing research in Mexico City on a Claudon line that moved there in the 1870s from New Orleans. He wondered if my family was related somehow to the family he is researching. While I had no information for him, I realized that much of the family research I did during the 1970s might not be easily accessible for others doing research, so I decided it

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-83799956176129037672010-01-11T17:42:00.003-06:002010-01-11T17:54:35.691-06:00

So do you know Simon's Cat? He appears in a series of vignettes created by Simon Tofield. Check these out:Here Simon's cat tries to catch a fly.And here Simon's cat wants Simon to wake up and feed him.Here Simon's cat goes outside to see snow for the first time.Of course Simon's cat wants in when he goes outside.What self-respecting cat doesn't think feeding him is more important than tv?Finally

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-69091895508674300102009-11-23T17:58:00.006-06:002009-11-23T19:07:51.946-06:00

So I went to a movie the other day. It told the story of a high school girl who gets dumped by her boyfriend. She goes through lengthy angst and depression but finally turns to a young guy who likes her, who is sensitive and who wears long hair, beautifully coiffed. While they are together one day, they see a group of 4 other guys running around without shirts. He says the leader keeps staring at

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-45787228353590825272009-09-24T18:24:00.002-05:002009-09-24T18:35:10.695-05:00

Years ago, I had friends in New Orleans who had many friends who did drag. I was always fascinated by the makeup they did, since my training was in theatre and I concentrated in theatrical makeup. Here is a really good professional makeup artist who shares the tips for doing drag makeup.The resulting makeup reminds me of the brilliant Moira Shearer in the 1948 film The Red Shoes--one of my

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-39979447528504225572009-09-24T17:43:00.001-05:002009-09-24T17:45:34.791-05:00

Kylie Minogue gives great concert. Not since Rocky Horror Show are men in high heels sexy.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-27808314120147895562009-09-24T17:40:00.001-05:002009-09-24T17:41:41.938-05:00

The Drew Carey Show number where Rocky Horror meets Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-17543746152595983072009-09-22T20:04:00.002-05:002009-09-22T20:08:33.332-05:00

Discovered while preparing the last post: Moby, Dream About Me ...a powerful and disturbing narrative.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-890492868374251422009-09-22T18:50:00.002-05:002009-09-22T18:59:20.508-05:00

Mylène Farmer and Moby's duet, Slipping AwayA very thought-provoking retelling of the Snow White story blended with Marxist and Lenin images.Mylène Farmer, L'ame-stram-gram. The images remind me so much of "Wu ji" [The Promise].

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-67485842555396534982009-09-21T21:11:00.001-05:002009-09-21T21:13:26.286-05:00

If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal. (American University Speech, 10 June 1963.)Amen.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-27086307679185556422009-09-21T20:39:00.006-05:002009-09-21T20:54:42.034-05:00

One of the best films of the summer proved to be the (500) Days of Summer. A story about love, but not totally a love story, told in a non-linear random way, the film had two incredible actors in the leads and a script that brought great freshness to its story. This dance sequence by Joseph Gordon-Levitt has stayed with me since I saw it. I feel good every time I see this.This second dance number

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-8558527223677644872009-09-21T20:22:00.004-05:002009-09-21T20:36:50.979-05:00

I love when I discover a whole new world I didn't know existed. While talking online one day with a friend who lives in France, he introduced me to the work of Mylene Farmer. "I've known her work since I was seven," he wrote--he's 28. Some of the following clips give you an idea of her range. I was delighted with her work. It's nice to know that surrealism is alive and well in the music industry

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-69424902179960761442009-09-21T10:50:00.013-05:002010-06-29T23:26:53.967-05:00

[Spoiler Alert. Don't read until you've seen the episodes.] Mad Men finally feels back up to the standards of last year. Episodes 5 and 6 provide Mad Men junkies their fix. Episode 5: The Fog Several things stand out as far as I am concerned with “The Fog”: First, as a fan of Alfred Hitchcock films, there seems some obvious homage going on in this episode. Take, for example, the simple use

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-23444304211958654932009-08-30T16:27:00.001-05:002009-08-30T16:29:23.904-05:00

A powerful message which seems as appropriate today as it was in 1999.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-33183778720542762422009-06-08T14:50:00.004-05:002009-06-08T15:02:59.757-05:00

Are you like me, trying to get some writing done this summer? Scott Rhoades in his article "Great Software that won't cost you dime," The Writer (May 2009), gives the following programs that might help in writing:FreeMind [Windows, Mac OSX, Linux]--a program to help mind-mapping.KeyNote [Windows]--a program that allows you to create one computerized notebook to hold notes, pictures, articles, and

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-77327550464748721222009-06-06T06:17:00.008-05:002009-09-22T10:21:02.575-05:00

I knew I was going to enjoy The Hangover when I walked into the theatre hearing the guy parking the cars telling a buddy, "You're going to love that film. I fell out of my seat laughing." Now, I haven't had that experience since I saw Something About Mary for the first time. Although I stayed in my seat, I really enjoyed the film.

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15058238.post-73215356621240959612009-06-06T05:45:00.010-05:002009-06-07T21:19:18.885-05:00

For me, one of the laugh-out-loud series I'm enjoying this summer is Beautiful People on the Logo channel.The half-hour show alternates between the present-day life of fey 24 year old Barney's window dresser, Simon Doonen, and his fey childhood as a 13 year old schoolboy growing up in Reading, England, 1997. Simon introduces his family in an essay for school.Simon has ambitions to get out of

Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18332426096609930376noreply@blogger.com0