Bernardo Soares

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:49:26 GMT

In tonight's Glen Phillips' concert, a surprise: a great cover of a great Gillian Welch's song that I hadn't heard before:

Darling, remember, when you come to me,
That I'm a pretender
I'm not what I'm supposed to be
But who could know if I'm a traitor?
Time's the revelator, the revelator

(http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=122168)

A good show overall, but this was the best song.

"I smile like Chicago"

Sun, 28 Mar 2004 00:42:47 GMT

I smile like Chicago
She laughs like a breeze
I try so hard to charm her
With minor mysteries

She's the gentlest pretender
I'm a clown on a spree
Still it's sweet to remember
The way it might be

(from a Peter Hammill's / Joanna Walton's song)

And, btw, wanna test if you can distinguish between real smiles and some fake ones? :) <- this is a real smile

Airport stories

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 09:43:05 GMT

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/airport.htm
http://www.livejournal.com/users/avva/1128356.html

Актуально!

Sun, 21 Mar 2004 16:30:33 GMT

Well, I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head that won't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast
Will taste better when I have one for dessert

Corrupted quote. :)

Bookmarks for some "loosely disconnected" thoughts

Sat, 20 Mar 2004 17:31:42 GMT

http://skepdic.com/amway.html

http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0345/031105_news_blessed.php

-----

There's perfect harmony
In the rising and the falling of the sea
And as we sail along
I never fail to be astounded by the things we'll do for promises
And a song (Ronnie James Dio)

Elections in Spain

Thu, 18 Mar 2004 20:37:55 GMT

The initial information that the Spanish government got from their intelligence services does appear to have pointed to ETA:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/03/18/enespecial/1079613431.html

19th Century's Dr. Atkins?

Thu, 18 Mar 2004 20:15:35 GMT

Doing Atkinsing just wouldn't sound right :)

(via yesterday's Forgotten English entry -- funny, considering yesterday was the St. Patrick's Day)

Bottled fiction

Sun, 14 Mar 2004 10:39:00 GMT

Varietal Tendencies -- by the chef/owner (and a wine maker) of "Stonehedge Gardens" in Hood River, Oregon

The Slavonic Dances of Josef Vidich -- by a bartender at "Le Pichete" in Seattle (who's also an expert on contemporary East European classical composers)

Bottled Wisdom -- by the amazing bartender from "Fox and Hounds" tavern in St. Louis (not really fiction, but still)

More?

Spain

Thu, 11 Mar 2004 17:25:46 GMT

http://www.iberiannotes.blogspot.com/
http://www.madridnews.com/
http://www.elmundo.es

"El 11 de marzo de 2004 ocupa ya su lugar en la historia de la infamia"

Country blues at their best.

Thu, 11 Mar 2004 08:46:48 GMT

Saw a girl on the street near my home
Like a fire on a hillside she shone
And I knew right there that my best days were gone
I've been in the lowlands too long

This is not how it was at the start
There's a doubt and a blame in my heart
And it's no one else's fault but my own
I've been in the lowlands too long

What is this weight on my mind
And what is this new sense of time?
I see open fields and the friends that are gone
And I've been in the lowlands too long.

Ух...

Thu, 04 Mar 2004 08:58:08 GMT

Из http://www.livejournal.com/community/lidia_ginsburg/2079.html:

В старости не следует (по возможности) бояться смерти, потому что из теоретической области смерть перешла в практическую. В старости нельзя жаловаться, потому что кто-нибудь может в самом деле пожалеть... Нельзя опускать руки, потому что в старости это жест чересчур естественный.

Мы завидуем молодости — нет, не ее весельям. Молодость мы испытали в свое время и знаем, как она нерадостна и пустынна. Мы завидуем праву ее на страх, на чужую жалость, на глупость, на слабость и слезы в ночи... Ей можно, потому что где-то, на большой глубине, она не уверена, что все окончательно и всерьез.

Лидия Яковлевна Гинсбург, 1962

Так...

Thu, 04 Mar 2004 07:12:21 GMT

Michael Nyman и Гидон Крамер будут в Бостоне 27-ого апреля.

A Lhasa de Sela будет в Монреале 30-oго апреля и 1-oго мая.

Между Монреалем и Бостоном, говорят, около 8 часов, ага.. :)

Eccentric Visions

Wed, 03 Mar 2004 09:38:46 GMT

У Чеслава Милоша есть обалденная книга "Emperor of the Earth: Modes of Eccentric Vision". Она о странных, необычных, очень индивидуальных философиях и миро-ощущениях. Большинство ее героев -- из Восточной Европы, но не обязательно. Соловьев, Swedenborg, William Blake, Лев Шестов, Witkiewich, Достоевский -- шикарный список. Но конечно не полный. Николай Федоров (ссылка via http://www.livejournal.com/users/jcl_error/170282.html) тоже вполне мог бы быть героем этой книги.

А вот это просто сюр: на Украине украли паровоз и мост через реку.

"The Dreamers"

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 08:53:51 GMT

Like many of Bertolucci's films, it's a movie about unrequited love.

It's also a movie about movies -- done in a hyper-cinematic way, it includes some great shots and scenes from many b&w films. All characters in "The Dreamers" love movies -- but beware, like with many other things in this film, their shared interest is an illusion. You can love movies because they open the world to you, or because they express emotions that you cannot express otherwise. Or you can love them for a beautiful scene, a striking pose, an interesting shot.

This movie is kind, and humane, and funny. Yet it drags in places, its biggest problem being that the characters aren't developed very well. They are more archetypes than real people and there's no Marlon Brando in this movie to pull off another "Last Tango in Paris". Interestingly, this movie is closer to "Stealing Beauty" than it's to "Tango", despite the fact that both Dreamers and Tango are set in Paris, both explore somewhat similar territory, and both landed the NC-17 rating.

Just like with nearly all Bertolucci's movies (one possible exception being "The Partner"), I'll gladly watch "Dreamers" again and will definitely discover more in it. But my favorite Bertolucci's films would still be "Last Tango in Paris", "Sheltering Sky", "Besieged", "Spider's Stratagem" , and "Conformist". In short, "Dreamers" is a worth-while movie, but not a great one.

Someone else's review that I liked: http://www.filmblather.com/2004/dreamers.html.

Very interesting

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 04:07:17 GMT

http://www.nationmaster.com

(via http://www.livejournal.com/users/arpad/86032.html)

Just like they do in real diaries...

Sat, 14 Feb 2004 14:21:17 GMT

Stuff watched or listened to over the last couple of weeks:

Great:
http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/exhibitions_chagall.cfm
http://www.thehighwaystar.com/reviews/04-1/seattle.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317910/
http://citypaper.net/articles/050996/article003.shtml (the review is for a different production)
http://www.seattlesymphony.org/pressroom/symphony/releases/release_detail.asp?PressReleaseID=129
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159365/

Good:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119668/
http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/tours/setlists/report040124.htm -- more poppish and less edgy than the (fantastic) Earthling tour a few years ago; the second half of the show was terrific

Reservations:
http://www.jazzalley.com/artists/gonzalo_rubalcaba.html -- some interesting moments, but pretty underwhelming overall
http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrama/season/theatre.html#mephisto -- great play, solid production, the acting just couldn't match them
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/classicalmusicdance/2001851532_petronio06.html -- the whole is less than the sum of its parts

+ (recorded)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1582431574/qid=1076766914//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-8228488-4715160?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 -- growing on me, fast
http://www.sweetartdesign.com/shopping/shopuk-item_id-B00006C2D8-search_type-AsinSearch-locale-uk.html -- I have a feeling I'm going to like everything where the names of this composer and this conductor appear together :)
http://www.piccadillyrecords.co.uk/ver2/products/John+Adams+Tromba+Lontana+Violin+Concerto+The+Wound+Dresser-10968-5.html -- good music, although I didn't get "The Wound Dresser" piece

+ (meetings with remarkable people)

http://www.dinorossi.com
http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/pressrel/biogates.html
http://www.kucinich.us/ -- pure entertainment

http://www.martin-zambito.com/About.htm -- the reference is to the gallery, but this was a great lecture by David Martin

+ (participatory)

2004 SWHC Broom Hockey Invitational -- fun, fun, fun

Вот вроде бы и все. :)

Heh!

Fri, 30 Jan 2004 05:05:12 GMT

Try this: While sitting at your desk, raise your right foot slightly off the floor and begin moving it in clockwise circles. Now, with your right index finger, draw the number 6 on your desk. Your foot has suddenly changed directions!

A variation on a recent LJ fad

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 11:55:37 GMT

create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

Думал будет больше...

Bark Psychosis

Sat, 24 Jan 2004 05:00:45 GMT

http://www.musicplasma.com -> via Talk Talk -> Bark Psycosis -> via Google -> http://firerecords.com/playlist/BarkPsychosis_Rose.m3u

Будем ждать когда выйдет.

David Foster Wallace, "Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity"

Mon, 05 Jan 2004 10:14:33 GMT

This is a great book.

No, it's not fiction. No, it's not an easy read. Yes, it does read like a collection of lectures rather than a coherrent opus on Cantor's math. Yes, I'm sure some things can be explained better. And yes, someone not familiar with the author might find his writing mannered and his vocabulary annoying, particularly for a pop-science work.

But one would be hard-pressed to find another math book or book about math that starts with a fake Greek epigraph. And then spends the first 100 pages on Greek philosophy before delving into math. The Pythgorians and their obsession with numbers, the immobile universe of Parmenides, Plato's forms, Zeno's paradoxes, Aristotelian distinction between infinite and infinitely divisible...

I've never before seen the formal language of math compared with "legaleeze" as proofs of theorems (for instance) are disclaming coverage for cases and conditions. I've never heard of transcomputational problems (fascinating stuff , btw). I've not thought of mathematicians --or whole branches of inquery even -- whose fundamental discoveries were unnoticed, ignored, or forgotten for centuries. And the book hasn't gone into the actual explanation of Cantor's concepts and proofs yet. :)

This book isn't unique because it explains the basics of Cantor's Set Theory uniquely well or because it stays uniquely close to Cantor's ideas. It's unique because here's a singular thinker -- with a great sense of irony, an eye for paradox and a fondness for experimenting with the language to boot -- writing about a deep, fascinating subject. Years ago, he chose a different way to give an introduction to Wittgensteinian philosophy in a book of fiction that is Broom of the System . It was done so smoothely, that if one didn't care, one wouldn't even have to think about it. This book is different. But it's also great, in its own way.

From Memories

Thu, 25 Dec 2003 08:03:48 GMT

and because today is Christmas.

Молитва о Смирении о. Александра Меня

Ian Anderson & Dick Dale

Tue, 23 Sep 2003 09:53:11 GMT

Успел увидеть двух Grand Old Men of Rock'n'Roll в двух разных местах в один вечер. Оба концерты интересные, хотя у Anderson'a прошлые концерты мне понравились больше. На Anderson'e почти все - явно давние любители Jethro Tull (Anderson: "I'm glad to see so many young faces in the audience. I couldn't help noticing. Some people here are just barely over 40." :)). Новые tracks с сольного альбома -- очень неплохие. Dick Dale сам выглядит старше, но публика его моложе. Его "звук" был значительно тяжелее, чем я ожидал. И я, будучи знакомым с ним только по serf guitar, не знал, что у него хороший голос. Гитарист он, конечно, сильный. Dale сыграл в конце две песни Johnny Cash'a, Folsom Prison Blues и Ring of Fire. Спасибо ему за это.

Без темы...

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 06:33:17 GMT

Stewardess Uniform Collection:
http://www.uniformfreak.com/

Ongoing

Tue, 17 Jun 2003 11:01:31 GMT

Friday:
-------
У врача: "Ваш сломанный палец почти зажил, гипс больше не нужен, но в хоккей Вам не нужно играть еще недели две-четыре". "Доктор, я уже месяц как играю. Помните я еше к Вам перешел, когда предыдущий врач не разрешил? Вы сказали, что можно." "Да? Хм, действительно. Ну тогда ладно, тогда продолжайте". Медицина, блин. :)

Saturday:
---------
Пришла книга "Best Short Hikes in Washington's North Cascades and San Juan Islands". Сразу в дело -- на Big Four Ice Caves, Cascade Mountain Loop. http://glaciercaves.com/html/bigfou_1.HTM. Oчень здорово.
Пришло CD "American III: Solitary Man" Johnny Cash'a. #3 из "American Recordings". Обалдеть. По первому прослушиванию, особенно первые 7 tracks -- covers и не оторваться: Neal Diamond's "Solitary Man", U2's "One", Will Oldham's "I See a Darkness", и Nick Cave's "The Mercy Seat".
Чуть не опоздал на концерт Daniel Lanois и Brian Bladе в Ванкувере. Точнее, опоздал на полтора часа, но концерт был перенесет в другой клуб и задержался на полтора часа. :). Новые песни похожи больше на track'и из For The Beauty Of Wynona, чем на мою любимую Acadie, но тем не менее. Концерт был неплох, и местами очень хорош. Highlights: фантастические ударные Блэйда, Dan's slide guitar, "Falling at Your Feet" from The Million Dollar Hotel, разговор с Брайаном по окончании.

Sunday:
-------
Последний день Сиэттлского Международного Кинофестиваля. Русский фильм "Гололед" ("Black Ice"). Режиссер получил приз "Best New Directors". Фильм экспериментальный, снят занятно, интересный переход в середине, в целом стилистически напомнил немного Harmony Corrine's "Julien Donkey-Boy". Но показался холодноват и слишком целебрален, как будто снят как раз для фестивальных жюри. Мой любимый фильм на этом фестивале -- русский же "Любовник" (The Lover) (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0332224).
Покупка roller blades в REI. Salomon Deflector FSK. Mmmm. :) Испробование оных.

Monday:
-------
Mary Matalin и James Carville. На половину это -- шоу и stand-up comedy, но вторая половина -- интереснее. Очень занятно; ничего eye-opening, но они оба -- умные люди с большим опытом работы в политике и занятными историями. Highlights: замечание Карвилла о том, что его партии пора уже сосредоточиться на вопросах дейстительно важных для страны; ответ Маталин на вопрос о том, насколько важно найти WMDs в Ираке; комментарий обоих о том, что по их мнению, Wesley Clark будет баллотироваться в 2004 году.

Johnny Cash

Mon, 19 May 2003 08:45:13 GMT

http://www.markromanek.com/video/14_video.html