ALA Boston 2005

Here's a link to Yale Travel. Only use for business trips. In Boston 2005, staying at John Hancock Hotel. Amtrak tickets reserved through Yale Travel. Check ALA Conference Services site for local information, e.g., location of Hynes Convention Center. Try using ALA's Meeting Planner. Also check meetings on ALCTS home page. Here my list of interoperability projects stilling needing a lot more content.

Foreign Language tools

2004-12-30
Always good to have Babel Fish handy.

2004-04-26
The Arabic Alphabet

2004-11-24
Latin Grammar

Books (Solomon Maimon)

[2004-12-30]
Disgusted by the apparent ignorance of his fellow 18th century Poles--Jews and gentiles alike--he eventually makes his way to Enlightenment-era Berlin, and the acquaintance of such luminaries as Moses Mendelssohn and Immanuel Kant.

Begins with a discussion of his grandfather, arrested for murder when a young boy's corpse was planted in his house. He was tortured but refused to confess, and was eventually vindicated after the real murderer was captured.

Maimon's father kept a library of Hebrew books, some on secular topics. One book in particular, David Ganz's "Zemah David", opened his eyes for the first time to modern science. Rabbi Ganz studied astronomy with Tycho Brahe in Copenhagen. Also on the father's bookshelf was a garbled Hebrew translation of Josephus. The astronomy was what most appealed to the 7-year old Solomon.

Despite his general dislike for the Talmud, Maimon reports having excelled at it. This made him (within the traditional Jewish community, at least) by the time he reached age 12, an exceedingly eligible bachelor. At one point he was betrothed to two women at the same time. Around this time he taught himself Latin and German alphabets by studying the printer's marks on the signitures of Hebrew books. He also discovered the Zohar, the principal work of Kabalah, and studied it intensely. He identified with a description of 1st century Rabi Meir (who studied with the heretic Elisha ben Abuya?): "He found a pomegranate, and he ate the fruit but cast the rind away." He found Jewish mysticism fascinating, but confessed some of the imagery hard to take. God's Beard, for example, "in which the hairs are divided into numerous classes with something peculiar to each, and every hair is a separate channel of divine grace. With all my efforts," he writes, "I could find no rational meaning in these representations." At one point, he experimented with "Kabalah maasit," or Practical Kabbalah, invoking the "roeh ve-eno nireh" (seeing but not being seen) technique, and attempted to box a friend on the ears, but, not really being invisible, the friend immediately turned around and hit him back.

Eventually Maimon made his way to Berlin, where he befriended (and later estranged) Moses Mendelssohn and other maskilim, and, after a period of extreme poverty, began a study of Kant's critical philosophy, won the philosopher's praise, and composed a philosophical work of his own entitled "Transcendental Philosophy".

In ch. 16, he describes an encounter with new "secret society", the "New Hasidim", who, unlike their traditional namesakes, eschewed self-mortification, and tried, to paraphrase Woody Allen, to confuse the evil inclination by giving in to it without a fight. He seemed to admire the group at first, since they moderated and celebrated human appetites, rather than trying to destroy them, but found them ultimately unsympathetic since they based their actions on expectation of reward in the afterlife, rather than practicing virtue for its own sake. Also, he notes, their behavior was guided "by obsure feelings rather than distinct knowledge" which led them into various extravagances, and "are vain enough to consider themselves organs fo the Godhead, which of course they are, but to an extent lmited by the degree of perfection they attain. The result is that at the charges of the Godheard they perpretrate the greatest excesses; every extraordiary suggestion is to htem a divine inspiration, and very lively impulse a divine call." (p. 51).






The Master, by Colm Toibin, a fictional biography of Henry James, reviewed in NYTBR June 20, 2004.

Weblogs in the [ILS] News

Blogs in the news. Check Ten Thousand Year Blog. Also check Blogwise, discussed in this week's RLG DigiNews.

Gift Ideas from New York Times

Not the most comprehensive selection, but you can buy Broadway Tickets Online via the New York Times theater site. See also selection of historic photographs.

Etgar (Yafo: 2000)

Etgar : Magazin Politi Tarbuti

James Watt and the Second Coming

Bill Moyers cites October 27 2004 Grist article approvingly, where author Glenn Scherer remembers James Watt telling Congress environmentalism was unnecessary, as Jesus Christ would come back to save us before anything really bad happened. "'God gave us these things to use. After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back,' Watt said in public testimony that helped get him fired." Read more in Schere's article, "The Godly Must be Crazy: Christian-right views are swaying politicians and threatening the environment".

Super-Size Me, Tokyo Style

Super-Size Me, Tokyo Style: "With its mega-portions and big-box mentality, Costco is changing the way the Japanese shop and eat." Article points out that U.S. pressured Japan into revising its "Large Scale Retail Store Law" in 1990. Threatening long-term viability of small-scale shops and farms.

Eonology

Recent enjoyable inexpensive wine, Monte Antico Toscano 2001, A Wine Spector "best value". "Sangiovese varietal" grape aged in oak barrels.

Might be worth consulting Wine Lovers Dictionary. And Wine Lover's Guide, which includes annual list of best QPR(Quality Price Ratio) wines. Wine Specialist gives ratings for wide variety of wine and beer.


D.O.C.G. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) on label is supposed to guarantee wine is what it claims to be.

Leslie Brenner's Fear of Wine, 1995, is a bit dated for current wine selection, but has useful information on how wine is made. Recommends Simon & Schuster's Beginner's Guide to Understainding Wine for article "Wine tasting techniques", which she says is most comprehensive resource on topic. Some interesting details: all wine comes out "white" if grape skins are removed. Once grapes picked, then crushed and unskinned by machine, "free-run juice" then poured into steel or oak barrels along with yeast. Yeast eating sugar causes fermentation, with alcohol and CO2 as byproducts, the latter bubbles up and out, but alcohol remains. Liquid is now called "must", and continues to ferment as remaining sugar consumed. Yeast cells eventually die (p. 13), settling to bottom as "lees". Some wines are then fermented a second time to convert natural malic acid to less harsh-tasting lactic acid, and lending "buttery flavor and aroma". Red wines, because skins left in, contain tannins (same dessicating substance as found in tea). Seeds also contain tannins, as do planks of oak barrel. Tannins are said to give wine "backbone" (p. 16), and act as preservative while aging. Cheaper red wines remove skins after fermentation. Finer ones leave them in for week or more in process called "maceration." Leaving in the lees adds complexity to flavor (19). Oak planks lend vanilla and toast aromas.

Noble rot ("pourriture noble") caused by mold botrytis cinerea (p. 27) most famous technique for sweeting wine. Used in Sauteries (in French Bordeaux region), where foggy mornings followed by warm afternoons. .As rot progresses, grapes shirnk, sugars concenturate, and when picked, the grapes produce beautiful unusual sweet wine.

Some vintners prefer wild yeast, to commercial variety, naturally found on grapes when harvested. This may affect taste as well.

"Plot Against America" (Book)

Philip Roth's The Plot Against America (Houghton Mifflin, 2004) an exceedingly well-plotted and meticulously researched (if also too predictable and cautiously written) alternative history of the 1940s. Instead of Roosevelt assuming third term as president, as we remember from our history books, Republican candidate Charles Lindbergh is innaugurated January 1941. Burton Wheeler is his vice president, Henry Ford is senior cabinet member.

Roth's narrator is 8 or 9 year old Philip, with insurance salesman father Herman, and mother Bess. Orphaned cousin Alvin, who lives with him, joins Canadian army to help fight Germans, loses lower half of left leg in grenade explosion. Brother Sandy, a gifted portrait artist, cajoled into becoming poster-boy for relocation/absorption program "Just Folks", where jewish youth are sent away to live with 'real' Americans on farms in the heartland.

Lionel Bengelsdorf is celebrity rabbi, eventual husband to Philip's Aunt Evelyn, director of the Office of American Absorption (which sponsors relocation and deracination programs), and eventual (Rasputin-like?) spokeman for first lady, Ann Morrow. Both Lionel and Evelyn are star-struck by Joachim von Ribbentrop, Germany's minister for foreign affairs (and signatory to 1939 non-aggression pact with Molotov of USSR) during reception at White House. Incrementally, civil rights of American Jews are eroded, leading up to relocations and pogroms in 1942. News reporter Walter Winchell, reviled as a muckraker, but respected as cultural whistleblower and political conscience, tries to wake up fellow citizens to encroaching fascism. Another hero of story, Fiorello La Guardia (born to Jewish mother and Italian father), mayor of New York, major opponent to Lindbergh.

True facts described in story, and confirmed in postscript: Regarding Lindbergh: after having flown the Spirit of St. Louis 33 1/2 hours non-stop from Long Island to Paris in 1927, viewed across country and around world as hero. Married Anne Morrow in May 1929. Two-year-old son Charles kidnapped, found dead May 1932. October 1938 Lindbergh receives Service Cross of the German Eagle "by order of the Fuhrer" (as does his friend, owner of Dearborn Independent, and publisher of 91-article series "The International Jew: The World's Problem", Henry Ford). By 1938, viewed by many Jewish families with the same trepidation as his friend Father Charles Coughlin, Catholic priest radio commentator from Detroit, editor of weekly Social Justice.

October 1940, America First Committtee founded at Yale Law School to promote isolationism, with major address by Lindbergh who advocates American recognition of "the new powers in Europe." Also October 1940, Anne Morrow Lindbergh publishes best-selling The Wave of the Future, condemned by Secretary of Interior Harlod Ickes as "the Bible of every American Nazi". September 11, 1941 Lindbergh delivers speech "Who Are the War Agitators" to America First Rally in Des Moines, eliciting applause from 8 thousand attendees when citing "the Jewish race" as major cause for American war involvement. Following December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor, however, America First Committee disbanded.

Tenth of Av (Karaites)

Karaites observe a day of mourning on the tenth, not ninth, of Av, based on the the text of Jeremiah 52:12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem and he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man's house, burned he with fire. This is JPS translation, one of 26 versions compared line-by-line in the Online Parallel Bible. Cf.: Igeret Tokhehot nehamot ve-Sefer Iyov (2003 or 2004) [10/14/04]

JPEG2000 (image compression standard)

[2004-12-13]
Yale presentation by John French: "Color Processing at the University Art Gallery, and "Introduction to JPEG2000 by Brian Kupiec and Karen Reardon. Check Michael Gormish Notes for background and links.

Judaica Research Tools

These is pretty good, actually. The Jewish Heritage Online Magazine includes "2500 screens devoted to the study of classic and modern Jewish texts, culture and heritage."

Yale HR

2004-12-17

Use current Library Job Openings as models for new postings.

There's a written destinction between Grade-E and Grade-D work responsibilities. More guidance forthcoming after distribution of published contract.

September 11

9-11 flight paths from USA Today: AA11 (North Tower), UA175 (South Tower), AA77 (Pentagon), UA93 (Pennsylvania). Other graphic renderings ... American on Alert (USA Today)

Alternative News Sources

rense.com, linked to David Irving's Web site, and seeming to share to some common ground. Refers to Judge Michael Chertoff being sworn in as "second Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security". Is that right? I thought he'd been dropped. In any case, Rense maintains that Chertoff is an Israeli citizen, and that this doesn't make him feel particularly secure. Not that we needed one, but here's another reason to eliminate dual citizenship.

Driver's License

DMV: 18 or Older Obtaining a Connecticut License for the First Time

United Way of Greater New Haven

The United Way of Greater New Haven

Film: Mean Girls (2004)

[2004-11-12]
Truly amusing, with crackling screenplay by Tina Fey, who also played Cady's mathematics teacher. Tim Meadows, regrettably more subdued than usual, plays the school's exasperated principal. Lindsay Lohan is Cady; Rachel McAdams is Regina, leader of the "plastics". Lizzy Caplan is perfect as counter-culture Janis. Produced by Lorne Michaels and directed by Mark Waters.

New York City

NYC official tourism website.

[2004-11-20]
newyorktourist.com has information on Macy's at Herald Square (between 34th and 35th on Broadway, (212) 494-2688) gonyc has helpful tips for navigating the store. Per Macy's.com Service: Need to return an item PURCHASED AT A STORE LOCATION? All you need to do is take it back with your receipt. From the nearest store and phone number using our Store Locator." Was hoping to find another pair of Bostonian gel shoes, but style seems to have been discontinued.

MTA Subway Map

British Art Center (Virtual Tour)

Pieces of Eden

JTS Archival Collections

[2004-12-29] JTS Archival Collections, The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary

DHRC Hours

Downtown Health & Racquet Club Hours

Colonial Portraits

Colonial Portraits from the Smithsonian.

Atomic Clock

The official U.S. time - clock

Politics 2004

2004 10 12
Dvorak is "Inside Track" columnist for PC Magazine. I like is blog design and would love to learn how he archives stories by category (rather than merely by date). I'm sure there's a lot of good IT-related stuff here, but what caught my eye are great pictures of what looks like a hidden earpiece and transponder attached to George W. during the second debate.

Another great article by The Frank Rich: "Now on DVD: The Passion of the Bush". See also Wonkette blog feature in NYT Magazine

[2004 04 22]
AxisofLogic/ Iraq

SCSU Campus Map

SCSU Campus Map

Yale & New Haven

According to Yale ELIne Mail vol. 5, no. 1 - Sept. 2004, a "$230 million development project will replace the New Haven Veterans Coliseum with new facilities for both the Long Wharf Theater and a potential new hotel. Long Wharf Theater, which once expressed reluctance about moving downtown, is now excited and committed to taking advantage of New Haven's renaissance by locating in the heart of the city amid other cultural institutions as well as unique shops and excellent restaurants. The investment in this project by both the city and state is due in large part to the University's and city's commitment to the revitalization of downtown. As Jane Gordon wrote in the New York Times in June, 'New Haven's reputation has changed in the past few years. The city's nightlife has a brighter cast.'"


Yale's digital image collections.

Yale Tercentennial web site.

Lewis Loflin

I just accidentally bumped into Lewis Loflin's Web site, and it's overflowing with interesting thoughts. He's a political moderate, a social activist (helping relocate persons displaced from a local Apalachian trailer park to make room for a shopping mall), and a fierce critic of Christian theology and practice. Regarding the latter, he gives a lucid review of the scriptural (and logical) problems regarding Jesus as the decendent of King David, and therefore the properly-credentialed Messiah.

PASC Home

The Performance Appraisal System Committee is changing the way all Library staff are evaluated. Pay close attention to development and ranking of goals.

Practical applications of FRBR

Transferred to Blogrolls 9/1/05.

Crusades (NPR)

NPR : The Middle East and the West: The Crusades

Cool Optical Illusion

Cool optical illusion from Akiyoshi Kitaoka, of Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan. Featured on David Weinberger's weblog.

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CT Transit Information

CT Transit Information. For getting to and from SCSU, Yale, and home, use Bus Route B (Whalley Ave.) (See esp. pg. 2 for B-1 route between Broadway and SCSU), and Bus Route J (Whitney Ave.)

From SCSU (Fitch St.) going back Downtown (Temple & Center Green)
Best for Tuesdays: B BUS lves. at 7:35pm arr. DT 7:54 pm Temple & Center Green
THursdays, lab finishes 8:15; B-4 BUS lves. 8:20 and B-0 BUS lves. 9:20
B BUS 12:57 is latest

Reuters Photos

Reuters Photos

Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

WSHU and SCSU are hosting a live taping of "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me," September 23, in New Haven. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online.

Mom

Web pages on chair lifts produced by the Google Directory. Need to find an objective evaluation of various types, though. Consumer Reports? Nothing there. (Aug. 25, 2004)

[2004 08 04]
Here's a PDF version of the Connecticut DMV form (i.e. "1-B") for replacing a lost license. And here is the list of ID's the DMV will accept. One needs at least one item from each category, and it appears that an expired passport isn't sufficient for category 1. However, it does suffice for category 2. We'll need to get a valid passport, social security card, or birth certificate. Click here for NYC birth certificate application (assuming that Mom really was born in NYC)

[2004 07 15]
The concensus seems to be that Whitney Center is the place to go, if you can afford it. Tower One doesn't seem like a bad place at all, though. Just that the rooms are smaller and the lifestyle more casual. Here's the Tower One home page. "The renowned architect Charles Moore began construction more than 30 years ago. His and the others' dreams of a safe, cheerful, comfortable home in the Jewish tradition has come true." They have 367 apartments. Address and phone number are: Tower One/Tower East, 18 Tower Lane, New Haven, CT 06519, (877)372-1629 Here's another description from the United Way website. Ashlar Village in Wallingford, Connecticut also looks good, but it's probably too far from New Haven to be practical.

Photography

[2004 08 03]
Submitted 7 rolls of negatives to CVS next day service. I believe they're sale price will be 25 cents per print. This seems to be the same price as if we sent the rolls off to Mystic. Digital photos seem to be by far the cheapest way to go, especially if we use Dell ("Shutterfly"), Sony Image Station, or Kodak.

[2004 07 04]
I've uploaded pictures from Steven Bernstein's and Christina's Farewell Party to Dell Picture Studio, which is much easier for me to use, perhaps because I've got a Dell computer? Need to keep in mind that only IE and Netscape are supported, though. Unfortunately, the auto-focus on my camera didn't work, and the pictures are unusable.

Hebrew books

Nehora.com seems the only site for purchasing "Simanim" tikkun online. We ordered one for Yossi's bar mitsvah gift.

Pulp Non Fiction

Pulp Non Fiction is a website obsessed with conspiracies, sort of like David Irving's Action Report online. Some of it's pretty intriguing, though (like Irving) the rhetoric slides regularly into paranoid anti-semitic rants.

PDAs

2004-12-31]
PalmAddicts

Categories: Palm, PDAs, Handspring, Visor, Edge, Sony_PEG_NX73V,

Click these links for information on latest Sony handhelds: CLIE PEG-TH55; Various CLIE models Here's the model I like most. On sale at Circuit City for $270: SONY PEGTG50 - Sony CLIÉ™ Handheld PDA Here's a direct link to Sony's PEGA-CA60; And here's the PEGA-CA62/B; and the PEGTJ37

As much as I love the CLIÉs, though, I also love the Palm Tungsten E I saw at Staples. I prefer not having the built in keyboard, which most of the CLIÉs have, since this adds too much bulk. Here's the same Tungsten E, offered at Circuit City; and here's the same model offered directly from Palm One

11/30/03: Stopped by Circuit City, and admired the Sony Clie PDAs. Beautifully designed machines, some with digital cameras, but the ones without cameras are less bulky. We need to find a way to support Japanese character processing. For Palm O.S., consider shareware application from DYTS

10/5/04: Here's a possible solution to HotSync problem opening Date Book database.

10/8/04: This new Tungsten T5 model from PalmOne looks great. 256 MB flash memory, 320 x 480 display, Palm OS 5.4, weighs 5.1 oz. Includes USB cradle. Expensive though. $400. Meanwhile, I'm bidding on eBay for replacement of Visor Edge.

Europe 2004

Europe 2004 album on Sony Image Station


Earlier posts:
Here's a Universal Currency Converter Found a handy list of Telephone country codes. Germany is "49". "To call using your current long distance carrier please dial as follows: 011 + Country Code + City (if applicable) + Local number" Rail Europe seems like the best website for reserving rail trips in the EU. Impossible to reserve either direction on Frankfurt to Marburg route, so we need to do this with Die Bahn instead.Eurail Selectpass Saver allows travel in 3 countries for 6 days in 2 months. 1st Class travel would be $336.00 per adult. For 8 day pass, it would be 400. For 10 days, 460 dollars. Compare this to purchasing each ticket separately. Checking Marburg to Heidelberg stretch on Die Bahn website for May 20th. Only 24 (?) Euros per person if we leave at 1:30pm (arriving ca. 4:30, so 1 hour longer than earlier departure). "Kundennummer lautet 1426416." Looks like 40 more Euros to get from Heidelberg to Strasbourg on the 22nd; and from there to Paris on the 24th is not available online through Deutche Bahn. The Europeonrail site looks interesting, but really specializes in multi-day rail passes. Has some quotes for point-to-point tickets, but doesn't include Strasbourg. According to europeanvacation.com, Strasbourg to Paris 2nd class seats one-way would be 57 dollars, and the trip would last 4 hours. First class would be 75 dollars each way. I found this out from their user-friendly ticket price search engine. They also have a nice rail map of France, with which to plot out one's trip. It looks like one can book trips on line, but they also say "Should you wish to book point-to-point tickets or reservations please call EuropeanVacation toll-free 1.800.722.7151 directly."

[2004 04 18]

Reserved room at the "Tourisme Hotel" in Paris. Short walk to Eifel Tower, and accross street from Metro Station and "Monoprix" department store.

Here's a list of Paris hotels generated by Expedia.com

The hotel in Paris recommended by Dad is L'hotel du Tourisme, located at 66 Avenue la Motte Pique. Here's the closest view I could obtain through MapQuest.com

L'hotel du Tourisme, 66 Avenue la Motte Pique (great location). 10 years ago the cost was $50/night. Really small rooms but clean with bathroom and tv. Tel. [011-33-1] 47-342-801.

Arrive May 24th; Depart May 29th

[2004 03 11]
EuroTrip Discussion Boards: "The Elite: Bunsenstr. 15 (06221 25 734). I think we payed about 35 bucks each for a double bed, private shower, TV, and breakfast, which was wonderful. When we checked in, we were wet and sick, and the woman there made us coco. That speaks for the hotel. I just hope it was the Elite we stayed at and I'm not remembering incorrectly! It was almost 3 years ago. -alt"

[2004 03 13]
Searching for hotels in Heidelberg . Took a look at Hotel Perkeo which is located at Hauptstr. 75, 69117. Phone number (for NetHotels.com?) is 011 49 30 814 783 20. No mention of bath. Hauptsrasse goes directly from Bismarkplatz past Kurpfaelslsches Museum to Marktplatz and the Rathaus, so could be a great location. Kind of expensive, though, starting at $106.31 (with bath). Here's a review of Hotel Perkeo from wguides.com. And here's TripAdvisor's review of Heidelberg's Anlage Hotel. And here's a review of Hotel Zum Pfalzgrafen, from tripadvisor.com

[2004 03 14]
Strasbourg: Hotel des Francs Bourgeois. "5 minutes from the Cathedral and the 'Petite France'".

Perusing list of Strasbourg hotels on the Web, considered booking a room at Hotel Cathedrale in Strasbourg, with "rooms in rear" i.e., not facing cathedral, starting at 75 euros, but ended up making reservation at "Hotel des Francs Bourgeois" (see 3/14/04 posting above)

BBC Hard Talk

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Hardtalk

Weddings

David Ottenstein of New Haven has some nice examples of wedding photos; but he charges between $2,700 and $3,700 which is far beyond our budget, but then again, he claims to shoot somewhere between 500 and 750 pictures, which is much more than average. David White will charge us $1,500 all expenses included (i.e., ca. 200 prints, negatives, and 8 hours of his time). Need to call Michael Doolittle back. He had proposed $1,400 package (including negatives).

Per Katy, Michael Doolittle knows Alice, and has done photography at SML. Per Google search on "(203) 562-1752": 119 Everit St, New Haven, CT 06511

Amazon Wedding Registry

Here's an example of a winery which allows you to set up your own private label. Chateau Chantal is located in Traverse City, Michigan, and was found in the Wine Spectator database. But here's the one recommended by Ben and Sarah: Windsor Vineyards. Order placed online 3/29/04, Confirmation Number is 2175215.

Colony Hotel is probably most sensible place to stay in New Haven. They offer "Yale-related" rates for $89.00 Single Occupancy. $99.00 Double Occupancy"

[6/30/04]
Ofoto has wedding pictures posted by Terri and Stewart. Buy 21 prints?


Josh and Sam's wedding is taking place at Lost Mountain Ranch in Sequim, Washington.

We'll stay the first night at Josh's house in Seattle, the second night at Sequim West Inn, which is close to the ranch, and the third night we'll be back in Seattle at the Rodeside Motel, a short distance from the airport.

Contact information for the Sequim West Inn: 740 W. Washington, Sequim, WA 98382;(360) 683-4144;(800) 528-4527

Back-up hotels near their wedding site: Sequim Econo Lodge, Juan de Fuca Cottages, Sequim Vacation Rental Cabins

Computer Security

[2005-03-20]
Webroot Spy Sweeper picked up MoM Web monitor, now in quarantine. Apparently a commercial application for monitoring surfing habits of children and employees, but not freely distributed, so I'm not sure how it got on my machine.

Ben's Blog

Here's Ben's Blog. Not much going on there though.

Reading List

[2004-12-11]
Many interested titles reviewed recently, e.g., "Earth: an Intimate History." By Richard Fortey, rev. by Simon Lamb. History of the planet as narrated, so to speak, through the rocks. "This enticing book deserves to be read many times over," writes Fortey, presenting our planet to a wide audience in a way that they may never have imagined in their wildest dreams, and yet all this is the unavoidable message in the rocks."

"Tiger in a Trance" by Max Ludington. (Paperback Row, p. 30), novel set among followers of Grateful Dead touring circuit, per Bruce Barcott, "a merry romp through a wholly American subculture."

Kenneth Pollack's "The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America", reviewer ernest R. May writes, "For a background understanding of U.S.-Iranian relations, "The Persian Puzzle is matchless"; Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan's "De Gooning: An American Master", reviewered by Red Grooms, on the Rotterdam native who sailed as stowaway to U.S. in 1926, settled among other "Abstract Expressionists" in Greenwich Village (the hangouts of which, e.g., Waldorf Cafeteria, Cedar Tavern, "looks like a cockpit where visoionaries fight for the world's soul.

Editor's of NYTBR list "10 best books of 2004", inluding Colm Tibin's "The Master," which it describes as a "Novel about Henry James, his life and art--beautfilly written, deeply pondered, startingly un-Jamesian", Roth's "The Plot Against America, and "ingenious anti-historical novel." Chernow's Alexander Hamilton", an "exemplary biography"; David Hackett Fischer's "Washinton's Crossing," which is "impresseively researched" and "highlights the Battle of Trenton." Stephen Greenblattt's "Will in the World: How Shakespeare became Shakespeare," where "scholarship, speculation, and close reading combine in a lively study that gives shape to the life and context to the work."

Amoz Oz's "A Tale of Love and Darkness"John Leonard review's Nicholas de Lange's translation of Amos Oz's memoir. Oz's mother Fania Klausner, of Ukrainian bourgeoisie, philosophy student in Prague, leaving for Haifa in 1934, predicted that son would become man who is "quiet and full and closed like a well in a village that has been abondoned by all its inhabintants. Like me." She killed herself in 1952 in overdose of sedatives. Father diesd 20 yeawrs later. THis memoir mourns death of parents, but also death of socialist zionist dream. Oz writes, "Living memory, like ripples in water or the nervous quivering of a gazelle's skin in the moment before it takes flight, comes suddenly and trembles ina single instant in several rhythms or various focuses, before being frozen and immobilized into the memory of a memory." Fania met and married Arieh Klausner, "nephew of smugly famous right-wing scholar Joseph Klausner, so slysly satirized in S. Y. Agnon's novel 'Shirah'". This translation is "rendered from hebrew into supple, acrobatic English by Oz's longtime trnalator, Nicholas de Lange."

[2004-12-06]
Yale Bookstore offering 20% discount from Dec. 6-11.

[2004-10-01]
Perused entire "gifts" category of Signals Catalog . Nothing too exciting. Might be worth checking later though.


[2004-12-11]
New York Times reviews: Best Classical CDs of 2004, 2 of particular interest to me (out of 25 listed):

"Bolcom: 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience', UYniversity of Michigan School of Music Orchestra and Choruses, Leonard Slatkin (Naxos) william Bolcom worked on his settings for [these 46 Blake poems] for 25 years. Leonard Slatkin conducts a gripping live performance of this ambitious masterpiece, over two hours of music for orchestra, multiple choruses and solits that audaciously synthesizes wildly diverse musical styles" --Anthony Tommasini

"Zippo Songs: Airs of War and Lunacy: Theo Bleckmann vocalist; Phil Kline, guitarist; others (Cantaloupe) from the words American G.I.'s in Vietnam etched on their Zippo lighters, Phil Kline has fashioned brilliant amerciian lieder fotr 21st century. Tinged with elements of the psychadelic 60's , as in an elegaic fugue on a Doors song, they communicate with a direct vernacular eloquence." -- Anne Midgette