tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68935918044791058912024-02-06T18:43:58.766-08:00The MindMusings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-59636580958880844682009-02-05T08:53:00.001-08:002009-02-05T09:16:36.332-08:002001: A Space Odyssey "The Dawn of Man"<div id="picture"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c1/Apemen.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 142px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c1/Apemen.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_%28film%29">2001: A Space Odyssey</a> is a 1968 science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. Thoughts on the opening chapter "The Dawn of Man." Does the appearance of the geometric shape represent a contamination of the organic pristine environment by technology of civilization. Apes pick up bones discover tools and weapons the technology for civilization. Implications that carnivores are associated with aggression. Spread of civilization will be the theme of human history on earth. Exploration, war and conquest. Fast forward to an environment completely void of anything organic. Warfare has evolved from bones to nuclear weaponry. Human civilization has expanded exploration and conquest to space.</div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-37979958985451785882009-02-04T20:49:00.000-08:002009-02-04T21:42:41.258-08:00Hazel Scott Discovered!<div>I discovered This <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_Scott">brown beauty</a> in black and white, watching <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=1934">Rhapsody in Blue</a>. She appeared in the production <i>Priorities of 1942</i> and performed numerous times at the famed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Hall" title="Carnegie Hall">Carnegie Hall</a>.<div id="picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Hazel_Scott_in_Rhapsody_in_Blue_trailer.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></div> Her motion picture career included the films <i>Something To Shout About,</i> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Dood_It" title="I Dood It">I Dood It</a>,</i> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_Rhythm" title="Broadway Rhythm">Broadway Rhythm</a>,</i> <i>The Heat's On,</i> and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue_%28film%29" title="Rhapsody in Blue (film)">Rhapsody in Blue</a>.</i> She was known for improvising on classical themes and also played <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie-woogie" title="Boogie-woogie">boogie-woogie</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues" title="Blues">blues</a>, and ballads. She was the first woman of color to have her own television show, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hazel_Scott_Show" title="The Hazel Scott Show">The Hazel Scott Show</a></i>.<br /><p>Her album <i>Relaxed Piano Moods</i>on the Debut Record label with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Mingus" title="Charles Mingus">Charles Mingus</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Roach" title="Max Roach">Max Roach</a>, is the album most highly regarded by critics today.</p> <p>She was married to U.S. Congressman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clayton_Powell,_Jr." title="Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.">Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.</a> from 1945 to 1956, by whom she had one child before their divorce, Adam Clayton Powell III. Enjoy these video clips. <a href="http://youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Hazel+Scott+rhapsody+in+blue&aq=f">Rhapsody in Blue was removed from YouTube...copyright issues.</a><br /></p></div><br /><br /><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LmujUkwU19I&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LmujUkwU19I&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Takin' A Chance--Hazel Scott</div><br /><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dZ7Lox5s4Lk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dZ7Lox5s4Lk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Hazel Scott Body and Soul</div><br /><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NtBMXE9mJV4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NtBMXE9mJV4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Hazel Scott for the March of Dimes featuring Hazel Scott & Charles Mingus performing "Foggy Day"</div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-2058218427460880832009-02-04T07:20:00.000-08:002009-02-04T07:44:42.180-08:00TCM Behind the Scenes<div id="picture" ><a href="http://twitpic.com/10x1q" title="We've moved from Studio-C to Studio-F for TCM. Special shoot ... on TwitPic"><img src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/10x1q.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="We've moved from Studio-C to Studio-F for TCM. Special shoot ... on TwitPic"></a><a href="http://twitpic.com/10g0r" title="On the set of TCM with Robert Osborne. Checking lighting and ... on TwitPic"><img src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/10g0r.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="On the set of TCM with Robert Osborne. Checking lighting and ... on TwitPic"></a><a href="http://twitpic.com/105i2" title="Studio-C on the set of TCM with Robert Osborne, setting light... on TwitPic"><img src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/105i2.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Studio-C on the set of TCM with Robert Osborne, setting light... on TwitPic"></a></div><div>Behind the scenes pics from shoot at Studio-C on the set of TCM with Robert Osborne provided by twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/atlsat">@atlsat</a> I follow on <a href="http://twitter.com/pisceanii">@pisceanii</a>. You may have to be a TCM fanatic to appreciate this type of voyeurism! Click pic for larger view.</div><br/><br/>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-12241106843718785712009-01-29T17:54:00.000-08:002009-01-29T19:51:35.275-08:00American Psycho's Misogynism: Gloria Steinem, I Disagree<div id="picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/AmericanPsychoBook.jpg" alt="AmericanPsychoBook" width="160" border="0" /></div><div>Just got through looking at <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psycho" title="American Psycho">American Psycho</a></i> and as usual to indulge my compulsion; looking up movie Wikipedia entry. Well it says:<br /><div style="clear left"> <blockquote>Feminist activist Gloria Steinem was among those opposed to the release of Ellis' book because of its portrayal of violence towards women. Steinem is also the stepmother of Christian Bale, who portrayed Bateman in the film adaptation of the novel.</blockquote></div><br />My thoughts are that misogynists are a fact of life. Men are most often misogynistic more often than not; therefore, the author is simply making his statements about the reality of a misogynistic superficial desensitized contemporary culture. I don't see this sexually explicit and violence novel as a promotion of either the sex or the violence but as exaggerated allegorical expression of what already exists.</div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-35423621198611379092009-01-29T15:29:00.000-08:002009-01-29T16:38:01.111-08:00The Apartment: Billy Wilder's homage to King Vidor's The Crowd<div style="align:center;"><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h6xOyrx5irA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h6xOyrx5irA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br/>Watch scene at 2:45</div><div><blockquote>When <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/classifieds?category=search1&SearchType=1&q=Billy%20Wilder&Class=%25&FromDate=19150101&ToDate=20091231">Billy Wilder</a> made ''The Apartment'' in 1960, ''the organization man'' was still a current term. One of the opening shots in the movie shows Baxter as one of a vast horde of wage slaves, working in a room where the desks line up in parallel rows almost to the vanishing point. This shot is quoted from <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/classifieds?category=search1&SearchType=1&q=King%20Vidor&Class=%25&FromDate=19150101&ToDate=20091231">King Vidor</a>'s silent film ''The Crowd'' (1928), which is also about a faceless employee in a heartless corporation. Cubicles would have come as revolutionary progress in this world.--<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010722/REVIEWS08/107220301/1023">RogertEbert.com</a></blockquote></div><div style="align:center;"><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pL1JyKSmjxE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pL1JyKSmjxE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <br/>Watch scene at 7:20</div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-10644140799418895562009-01-29T11:49:00.000-08:002009-01-29T13:08:08.673-08:00Imitation of Life: Race of Actresses playing Sara Jane<div id="picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Imitation_of_Life-Susan_Kohner.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></div><div><p>Before the 1959 version of Imitation of Life starring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lana_Turner" title="Lana Turner">Lana Turner</a> that <a title="Claudette Colbert" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Claudette_Colbert">Claudette Colbert</a> starred in 1934 Academy Award nominated film by the same title based on <a title="Fannie Hurst" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Fannie_Hurst">Fannie Hurst</a>'s 1933 <a title="Imitation of Life (novel)" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Imitation_of_Life_%28novel%29">novel of the same name</a> . The film was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2007 <i>Time</i> magazine named it among the "The 25 Most Important Films on Race".</p><p><a title="Fredi Washington" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Fredi_Washington">Fredi Washington</a> plays Peola, the daughter ashamed of her African-American heritage, that attempts to pass as white. The casting of such a role was a rare opportunity for a light-complexioned actresses of her time. In fact she was lucky to cast at all. Extremely fair skinned with green eyes she didn't fit the "maid" roles reserved for Negro actresses of her time.</p><blockquote><p>The role had poignant meaning for Washington, as she turned down a number of opportunities to pass for white as an actress. If she had chosen to do so, she might have become a movie star. Of mixed race with a light complexion, green eyes, and great beauty, Washington found it hard to win roles and audiences given the limited opportunities of the time. She was too light skinned and elegant to play stereotypical "maid" roles. Because she was African American, however, Hollywood directors did not offer her romantic roles with leading white actors. General romances did not then feature African Americans. When Washington played roles in films for black audiences, she often wore heavy makeup to darken her skin.</p> <p>After <i><a title="Imitation of Life" href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Imitation_of_Life">Imitation of Life</a></i>, Washington had one more decent role (4th billing) in Fox's <i>One Mile from Heaven</i> (1937). Realizing that there was no future in Hollywood for an African-American actress with ivory-toned skin, Washington quit movies altogether and returned to New York to work in theater. --<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Wikipedia</span></p></blockquote><p>Unfortunately no opportunity was given to any light-complexioned actress for the 1959 remake. The actress playing Sarah Jane was not mulatto.</p><div id="picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Imitation_of_Life_(1934)--Fredi_Washington.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></div><br/><br/><div id="picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b1/Imitation_of_Life_1959_family.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></div><div style="clear:both"><blockquote>Although many African Americans were screen-tested for the corresponding Sarah Jane role in the 1959 remake, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Kohner" title="Susan Kohner">Susan Kohner</a>, of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican" title="Mexican" class="mw-redirect">Mexican</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechs" title="Czechs">Czech</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish" title="Jewish" class="mw-redirect">Jewish</a> descent, won the role.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since October 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;"></span></sup> Karin Dicker, of Jewish decent, made her film debut as the young Sarah Jane in this film. --<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Wikipedia</span></blockquote></div><br /></div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-36237733646327726672008-08-01T07:16:00.000-07:002009-03-27T14:08:15.840-07:00Billion Dollar Brain (1967): Alexander Nevsky's Ice battle<a class="image" title="269391.1010.A.jpg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:269391.1010.A.jpg"></a><a class="image" title="269391.1010.A.jpg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:269391.1010.A.jpg"></a><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/269391.1010.A.jpg"><img alt=" name " src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/269391.1010.A.jpg" align="left" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Billion Dollar Brain</strong> </span>is a <a title="1967 in film" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_in_film">1967</a> <a title="Ken Russell" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Russell">Ken Russell</a> film based on the novel <a title="Billion-Dollar Brain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion-Dollar_Brain">Billion-Dollar Brain</a> by <a title="Len Deighton" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Deighton">Len Deighton</a>. The film features <a title="Michael Caine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Caine">Michael Caine</a> as secret agent '<a title="Harry Palmer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Palmer">Harry Palmer</a>', the <a title="Anti-hero" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-hero">anti-heroic</a> protagonist of the cinematic versions of <a title="The IPCRESS File" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_IPCRESS_File">The IPCRESS File</a> (1964) and <a title="Funeral in Berlin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_in_Berlin">Funeral in Berlin</a> (1965).<br />The film's plot relies heavily upon the sophisticated 'brain' (computer) with which the FFF controls its Latvian <a class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-Soviet" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Soviet">anti-Soviet</a> spy network. The film directly refers to the <strong>ice battle</strong> in <a title="Alexander Nevsky (film)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Nevsky_%28film%29">Alexander Nevsky</a> (1938), by <a title="Sergei Eisenstein" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Eisenstein">Sergei Eisenstein</a>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Ice Battle of Lake Peipus</span></strong><br /><a class="image" title="269391.1010.A.jpg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:269391.1010.A.jpg"></a>Several films have scenes strongly influenced by the Battle of Lake Peipus, including <a class="mw-redirect" title="Doctor Zhivago (1965 film)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zhivago_%281965_film%29">Doctor Zhivago</a> (1965), <a title="Mulan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulan">Mulan</a> (1998), and <a class="mw-redirect" title="King Arthur (2004 film)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur_%282004_film%29">King Arthur</a> (2004). However, the most striking homage appears during the culminating battle in <a title="Billion Dollar Brain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion_Dollar_Brain">Billion Dollar Brain</a>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Alexander Nevsky (1938)<br /></span></strong>This Soviet film portrays the struggle of Prince Alexander Nevsky and the citizens of Novgorod against invasion by the knights of the Crusading Order of the Teutonic Knights, culminating in the epic battle on the ice of Lake Chudskoe (Peipius). Prince Alexander Nevsky was later canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church and became a Russian national hero. This film was produced on the eve of World War II and alludes to the threat of Nazi Germany (note the swastikas on the Catholic bishop's mitre). Its showing was suppressed during the period of German-Soviet Non-Agression pact (9/39 to 6/41), but revived after the Nazi invasion. It was directed by Sergei Eisenstein with Nikolai Cherkasov in the title role.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dTISdgDjo-w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dTISdgDjo-w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-37387151888920008872008-07-28T20:08:00.001-07:002009-01-29T17:04:20.629-08:00Snake Hips and Memphis Choppin Live Action<div>Compare the snakin' and choppin in these two video clips:</div><br /><br /><strong>Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker; Crazy House(1930).</strong><br /><div style="clear: both;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7U4ww-MmAY4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7U4ww-MmAY4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><div style=""><strong>Authentic Memphis Orange Mound <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choppin%27">Choppin</a>...still gots nothing on Snake Hips!</strong> <em>WARNING:Pardon the "french" in background.</em><br/><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iq-iB1Gdlqk&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iq-iB1Gdlqk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-36915632892921531842008-07-28T19:56:00.001-07:002009-01-29T16:55:26.110-08:00Snake Hips: Poppin' Chopin' rootsViewing TCM, I just discovered dancer Snake Hips in 1930's< comedy short Crazy House performs a remarkable routine which proves he has no bones in his body whatsoever. Just proves King David's Ecclesiastes theory "nothing's new under the sun." <br /><br />Moonwalking, Poppin' & Choppin' had roots...<br /><blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Snakehips_Tucker"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Earl "Snakehips" Tucker</span></strong> </a>(1905 - 1937) became known as the "Human Boa Constrictor," after the dance he popularized in Harlem in the 1920s called the "Snakehips (Dance)".<br />The snake hips dates back to southern plantations before emancipation. Tucker would make it appear that he was as flexible as a snake.--Wikipedia</blockquote><br /><br />I'm searching for good videos for comparison...<br /><br /><DIV style="float:left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn36-F9rxtWExXkwRPhz5gJKB7Hp_x8ij4G3rNAebv81oWYW3lkPXod5HIZMUubo5LKisTOFM5aEY7ul3-Z8FJh3BCgan1EzVfrocOdeguqA2CRZGxka4ZT8MvxcK2ExH-Qo-bLAcmDY/s1600-h/SnakeHipsTucker-793627.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn36-F9rxtWExXkwRPhz5gJKB7Hp_x8ij4G3rNAebv81oWYW3lkPXod5HIZMUubo5LKisTOFM5aEY7ul3-Z8FJh3BCgan1EzVfrocOdeguqA2CRZGxka4ZT8MvxcK2ExH-Qo-bLAcmDY/s320/SnakeHipsTucker-793627.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228267525939937890" /></a><br/><a href="http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/harlem/faces/tucker_text.html"><br />Watch Tucker in the video clip of "Symphony in Black."</a></DIV>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-76715497341558811162008-07-28T16:24:00.000-07:002008-07-28T16:39:08.661-07:00tehcatz theologyi was having a bad day, so<br />my son introduced me to <strong>tehcatz theology</strong>!<br /><br /><a title="" href="http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=John_3#16">John 3:16</a> <em>So liek teh Ceiling Cat lieks teh ppl lots and he sez 'Oh hai I givez u me only kitteh and ifs u beleevs in him u wont evr diez no moar, k?'<br /></em><br />spent hours looking at cat pix<br /><br /><a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/07/10/funny-pictures-commanments-of-ceiling-cat/"><img class="mine_1431731" alt="cat" src="http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/07/funny-pictures-ten-commandments-of-ceiling-cat.jpg" /></a><br />more <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/">cat</a> picturesMusings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-59510538438437637062008-07-27T10:23:00.001-07:002008-07-28T21:13:02.822-07:00More on Max and Ingmar<DIV style="float:right" ><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQEPpxWrU8v8TdGwuhCXYbjBKd2M2RpNlnGG8Uy3lAVgKDFrNJ9HDMg5oSDYHTDzzzhkfZQp81GZCvKCH2zeLYLQJXmh0cJpEBIxej4bsHO0ctTom_87gVxhgIakcHF5xxj3qOHua70o/s1600-h/grim&max7thseal-744338.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQEPpxWrU8v8TdGwuhCXYbjBKd2M2RpNlnGG8Uy3lAVgKDFrNJ9HDMg5oSDYHTDzzzhkfZQp81GZCvKCH2zeLYLQJXmh0cJpEBIxej4bsHO0ctTom_87gVxhgIakcHF5xxj3qOHua70o/s320/grim&max7thseal-744338.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228241117311400114" /></a></DIV>Its well known Ingmar Bergman saw film as art, not commercial ventures. Ingmar Bergman's films I highly recommend are <strong><em>The Seventh Seal </em></strong>and <strong><em>Wild Strawberries.</em></strong>(He usually recast the same team of actors which included Max Von Sydow)<br /><br /><DIV style="float:left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh-8vcyUWBvA7SAS_bJvBoHfpGooEcrP3Pjmkpv8jfFB0zFlyELMXHvHtM4AZY0RQKMZ4rteWZ0cb_choF34VMEeOW26BSuXj1TeFO7bX3jkuDmtQzegBzAuob7fmvpDvRMd8XS76tKc/s1600-h/seventhseal-789289.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227745674831679682" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMh-8vcyUWBvA7SAS_bJvBoHfpGooEcrP3Pjmkpv8jfFB0zFlyELMXHvHtM4AZY0RQKMZ4rteWZ0cb_choF34VMEeOW26BSuXj1TeFO7bX3jkuDmtQzegBzAuob7fmvpDvRMd8XS76tKc/s320/seventhseal-789289.jpg" border="0" /></DIV></a>Berman's "Death" in Seventh Seal is not such a campy "Grim Reaper" (it's not Max)<br /><br /><br /><br /><DIV style="float:right" ><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nRDA6pjb4GFZa2GdO3wso0DCJkZOEvb07gX0aHObk1bjdLfIlP0qgf9wN84lwBSa4pqgdiEAIrAH-Rb8xNxRZ-4svGzdK-MEEeCp_T7skrSof9CSQ3vdoUYzVfBVsUT-ntLhZLrOqE0/s1600-h/fannyalexanderfeast-738063.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nRDA6pjb4GFZa2GdO3wso0DCJkZOEvb07gX0aHObk1bjdLfIlP0qgf9wN84lwBSa4pqgdiEAIrAH-Rb8xNxRZ-4svGzdK-MEEeCp_T7skrSof9CSQ3vdoUYzVfBVsUT-ntLhZLrOqE0/s320/fannyalexanderfeast-738063.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228251827691987746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lLwv3geTdZdb1NhDWXMVYp5hGLcXLcTykNVKWoCf1i_rLrF8h-nuLbArN7uVc4YlwellS-95iMUqS31n8wNlpz6F_jjwDwfKsygv1kp40l0o5cnoK8s1seOPDO5QxQXZRvOGn6qz7kc/s1600-h/fannyalex2-771543.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lLwv3geTdZdb1NhDWXMVYp5hGLcXLcTykNVKWoCf1i_rLrF8h-nuLbArN7uVc4YlwellS-95iMUqS31n8wNlpz6F_jjwDwfKsygv1kp40l0o5cnoK8s1seOPDO5QxQXZRvOGn6qz7kc/s320/fannyalex2-771543.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228252830431131938" /></a></DIV> I adored his semi-autobiographical Fanny and Alexander, a less abstract color film that was aimed at a broader audience, but was also criticized within the profession for being shallow and commercial. With a childs point of view of good vs. evil in a Swedish 18th century festive Christmas setting I didn't need the subtitles to enjoy this bountiful tapestry of visually delightful costumed charactors. Max, however, missed out on playing the evil bishop.<br /><br /><DIV style="float:left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpQu8bLMYB1OkrX_ztn_DGXrGdUdhZXcolg_5c9ZZXXD4Bh_IsVs00xi8Bzdfimfy0IT9-g5gNKcTKuVKy6vVczJqp4O57eK2LXkuEL-aYwG75n85JV08eJTJMmu3c7omGBNVQFgL8qQ/s1600-h/max+von+Sydow-735499.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpQu8bLMYB1OkrX_ztn_DGXrGdUdhZXcolg_5c9ZZXXD4Bh_IsVs00xi8Bzdfimfy0IT9-g5gNKcTKuVKy6vVczJqp4O57eK2LXkuEL-aYwG75n85JV08eJTJMmu3c7omGBNVQFgL8qQ/s320/max+von+Sydow-735499.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228241936577492370" /></a></BR><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEdavqPPxOYFEDZOnVZMxRY9VMfXw6No-CVzM0Q8woycchA800Y1-XtbsVtBuoSgYM8bJrbOB0WLd8cIyUQq1ic-68cCn5po1zQ9v51CFKNTrA-15U-YccNhumccwfH9ZFi1Pikkz-iY/s1600-h/maxRH3-770888.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEdavqPPxOYFEDZOnVZMxRY9VMfXw6No-CVzM0Q8woycchA800Y1-XtbsVtBuoSgYM8bJrbOB0WLd8cIyUQq1ic-68cCn5po1zQ9v51CFKNTrA-15U-YccNhumccwfH9ZFi1Pikkz-iY/s320/maxRH3-770888.jpg" HSPACE="5" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228242946434160002" /></a></DIV>Max is still handsome! Also still employed. I was shocked to see his filmography extend through 2009. I didn't realize he's Chief Inspector Lee in Rush Hour 3! What a career!Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-44459096734557039462008-07-27T09:30:00.001-07:002009-01-29T17:17:47.756-08:00Ingmar Bergman's film,The Virgin Spring<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UZdgqDZpnvKk75HyxEirWzLAfaNDZqiL06awEGdFLNdSeepT528HX_YsizqGjxT52Z2q6mVENHZBOb4XwD-4QEXhzCrs4NVdYDG4qmVi4H_1AIZaNgz6Lit2s_XhWhtBNGdHlJ6ETDw/s1600-h/virginspring1-709505.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227736735834301458" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UZdgqDZpnvKk75HyxEirWzLAfaNDZqiL06awEGdFLNdSeepT528HX_YsizqGjxT52Z2q6mVENHZBOb4XwD-4QEXhzCrs4NVdYDG4qmVi4H_1AIZaNgz6Lit2s_XhWhtBNGdHlJ6ETDw/s320/virginspring1-709505.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrTI0JIeoRUoUY0w64tLMqN9t45eAN0veASQce8VFC4vuV3iEmpyRqEGamqj1fV0lZRayd8xUcHuTz3P_FZVT4UiCRVAIBXNeZI62j-iiYs9u4OLVbsxDPJ__WuBt_-cF_pokj_o7bso/s1600-h/virginspring2-791162.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227745680200568706" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrTI0JIeoRUoUY0w64tLMqN9t45eAN0veASQce8VFC4vuV3iEmpyRqEGamqj1fV0lZRayd8xUcHuTz3P_FZVT4UiCRVAIBXNeZI62j-iiYs9u4OLVbsxDPJ__WuBt_-cF_pokj_o7bso/s320/virginspring2-791162.jpg" border="0" /></a><br/><span style="font-weight:bold;">The statuesque Max Von Sydow before and after the evil deeds.</span><br /><br /><br />Review Summary<br />Inspired by a medieval Swedish ballad, Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (Jungfrukallan) begins with a scene of unspeakable brutality and ends with an image of uncommon beauty. 15-year-old Birgitta Peterson, on her way to church to light candles for the Virgin Mary, is raped and murdered by two older men. The men look for shelter at the home of Birgitta's father (Max Von Sydow), who murders the bestial killers in cold blood. When the deed is done, Von Sydow, a deeply religious man, begins to question the efficacy of a God that would allow his daughter's death, then permit so bloody a retribution. Then, a fresh, virgin spring bubbles from the ground where his daughter had been lying a few moments before. Taking this natural phenonenon as a sign from above, Von Sydow vows to erect a church on the spot where Birgitta met her doom. The winner of the "best foreign picture" Academy Award, The Virgin Spring currently exists in several versions of varying lengths; the longest, and most graphic, is the original Swedish cut. Believe it or not, this hauntingly beautiful film served as the basis of <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_House_on_the_Left">The Last House on the Left </a>(1972</strong>). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide<br /><a href="http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:52855">http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:52855</a><br /><B>DVD information:</B><a href="http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=321">http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=321</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>My Thoughts:<br />I just caught the end. Max's sculpted features caught my attention while channel surfing.The actors portray the story with minimal speaking, yet with great range and depth. Max's conversation with God was so moving. He communicated the devastating gut wrenching emotions without need to understand the foreign language or read subtitles. These were simple ordinary God-fearing humans faced with an extraordinary situation,with primal human reactions.<br /><br />His gripping plea to God is worth my noting:<br /><br /><blockquote><em>Töre: You see it, God, you see it. The innocent child's death and my revenge. You allowed it. I don't understand you. Yet now I beg your forgiveness. I know no other way to be reconciled with my own hands. I know no other way to live.<br /><br />Töre: You see it, God. You see it. The innocent child's death, and my revenge. You allowed it. I don't understand You. I don't understand You. Yet, I still ask your forgiveness. I know no other way to live. I promise You, God... here on the dead body of my only child, I promise you that, to cleanse my sins, here I shall build a church. On this spot. Of mortar and stone... and with these, my hands.<br /><br />Töre: Heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with Your host of angels, deliver us today from the devil's chokehold. God, grant that neither temptation, shame, nor danger befall thy servants this day. Amen.<br /><br />Töre: You are not alone, Mareta. And God alone bears our guilt</em></blockquote><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053976/quotes">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053976/quotes</a></div>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-14406206845001980402008-07-25T19:33:00.000-07:002008-07-25T19:39:11.397-07:00Rainbows!<a href="http://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/bowims.htm"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Enjoy</span> this <span style="color:#33cc00;">gallery</span> of <span style="color:#ff6666;">Rainbows!</span></a>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-17983289991291078362008-07-25T15:27:00.000-07:002008-07-26T09:48:06.579-07:00Websites: A Work of "Electronic" Art<p>ISEA2008</p><p>25 July - 3 August</p><p><a href="http://www.isea2008singapore.org/">ISEA, the International Symposium on Electronic Art </a>initiated in 1988, is the world's premier media arts event for the critical discussion and showcase of creative productions applying new technologies in interactive and digital media.</p><p>Here are two examples of using a new paradigm for web development, art and design:</p><p>The website is not just a vehicle for displaying "art" as content on its pages. The website and its pages are the art.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.metahaven.net/">Metahaven </a></strong>startles you with cut-a-ways from international headlines in an assortment of inregularly sized pop up windows sequenced for displaying across the screen. <a href="http://www.metahaven.net/">http://www.metahaven.net/</a></p><p><a href="http://www.kellyandres.com/"><strong>Kelly Andres</strong> </a>uses the utilitarian 'form' element in a whimsical fashion on simplistic web pages with a minimal use of code or content while an overpowering background image governs each page. <a href="http://www.kellyandres.com/">http://www.kellyandres.com/</a> <br /></p>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893591804479105891.post-8489206658622640402008-07-17T21:18:00.001-07:002008-07-25T17:04:08.790-07:00Blogs: Therapeutic benefits<HTML><HEAD><META HTTP-EQUIV='Content-Type' CONTENT='text/html; charset=iso-8859-1'></HEAD><BODY><SPAN style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT:Normal;'>Scientists have long known the therapeutic benefits of writ ing about personal experiences. Blogs provide another convenient avenue for writing about personal experiences. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery.<br><br>^ <a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type&sc=rss">Scientific American: Blogging - It's good for you</a><br><a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type&sc=rss">http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type&sc=rss</a><br><br>Musings of a Lupus Survivor!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18297214895158230761noreply@blogger.com0