8 posts tagged “articles”
I saw this weird documentary called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill where the documentarian falls in love with her subject. I think this is a good idea-- loved it in Adaptation. Does anyone know if you can really surmise that Susan Orlean is falling for that dude in the book The Orchid Thief or was that just made up for the movie? Also, Rand tells me this happens in the book The Wild Trees. In this movie though, it happens in such an abrupt way that it is really bizarre. Bad documentary, in my opinion, but still interesting.
"Both in literature and in life, parrots have been employed to bear false witness. In his memoirs, Casanova recounts how he bought one in London’s Smithfield market and trained it to say, “Miss Charpillon is more of a whore than her mother,” in order to exact his revenge on a pair of women who had attempted to swindle him. It was perhaps because of this incident that in 1939, Erle Stanley Gardner gave the name Casanova to the eponymous hero of one of his Perry Mason mysteries, “The Case of the Perjured Parrot.”
Gardner’s plot is spectacularly convoluted, though perhaps less strange than the tale of Apsethos the Libyan, which was apparently believed by several historians in classical times. Apsethos taught a flock of caged parrots to say, “Apsethos is a god,” and then released them all over the country in the hope that gullible folk would believe them. This ruse was allegedly foiled by a wily Greek who recaptured some of them and taught them to recite instead, “Apsethos compelled us to say that he is a god.”
and...
"At least since the early Middle Ages, fictional parrots have been credited with unnatural wisdom and sometimes even foresight. An anecdote from the 13th century has the future emperor Charlemagne greeted by prophetic parrots similar to the witches in “Macbeth.”
from mom's blog!
Putting the Fun in Fundamental Difference
In the coming month, whether you’re seeking entertainment on T.V., in the movie theaters or at the frat houses, you’ll be hard pressed to find a scene as dramatic or as lively as the one that unfolds around a campus screen on the night of a political debate. During the October 2nd debate between V.P. nominees Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, and the one on October 7th between Obama and McCain, it wasn’t any candidate’s charisma or grasp of the issues that kept me watching despite looming paper deadlines. What held me was dramatic tension that eclipsed the new season of The Hills, stakes higher than any episode of Survivor, and an audience whose enthusiasm and size rivaled the one at the midnight showing of The Dark Knight.
For those of us who long to see drama pan out on the Worner Center’s new flat screen but only dare watch Gossip Girl on our laptops, with ear phones, and after our roommates are asleep, the debates represent one truly guilt-free pleasure this T.V. season. In case you haven’t heard, “this is the most important election we will ever vote in,” so we had better be informed. Sure, there are a lot of important issues to consider, but the debates are probably not the best way to get a hold on either candidate’s platform. If anything, they present a time when the nominees oversimplify their opinions while sugar coating ones that any part of record-breaking audiences (52 million viewers) might contend with. In the past, the debates have made me cringe at the phoniness of both candidates. But something about watching them at CC forces me to, rather than walk out depressed about the nature of American politics, stay to the very end. After all, only then can we see the presumably bitter families shake hands and small talk in a delightfully awkward finale.
I anticipated October 2nd’s episode of the season’s hottest T.V. show with a mixture of dread and excitement. Katie Couric’s interview with Sarah Palin had left me in wide-eyed amazement earlier that week and watching someone’s humiliation on national television can be painful, however much he or she may deserve it (Britney Spears at the VMAs, anyone?). There was also Biden’s reputation as a rambling speaker and sometimes exaggerator to look forward to. According to CNSnews.com, Biden recently claimed that in the 1929 stock market crash, Roosevelt got on national T.V. to explain the facts to the nation, although neither F.D.R. nor T.V. was around in 1929. But as the V.P. debate grew closer, my dread dissipated and I found myself planning my schedule around the event.
First, there was the decision of where to watch. Thursday, at five minutes to seven, I was told dinner would be served debate-side in Worner, but I would never find a seat. One CC viewer opted to watch the show at a friend’s house, but got a tempting call from the Worner Center half way through, which “sounded like they were calling from a frat party.” I headed to the more familial environment of Montgomery, where I was able to secure a seat in the back row. My position meant I was not quite close enough to see what that graph scrolling across the bottom of the screen meant, but fortunately close enough to see Biden’s Botox and Palin’s wink. And perhaps most importantly, it meant I got a prime view of the scene, which, as the debate progressed, began to resemble an audience at a Judd Apatow movie. There were snickers and giddy laughter at the expense of both candidates. A cuddling couple exchanged a kiss when Biden made an articulate point. P.B.R.s were sipped and collective groans exhaled when Palin used the words “Maverick” or “Main Street.”
Any qualms with the protagonists’ performances could not have come from a lack of tension or snide remarks, like when Joe Biden called McCain’s tax plan, “the ultimate bridge to nowhere.” Like any good T.V. series, the debates reward repeat viewers who get the jabs. The content of the debate was straightforward enough. Palin showed she had benefited from some flashcards at foreign policy boot camp and Biden kept his mouth on a mostly tight leash. But that didn’t stop a lively post-debate debate among us viewers, who less than picking apart policies, tended to focus our energies on perfecting imitations of the candidates’ idiosyncrasies.
Needless to say, October 7th couldn't come soon enough, and judging by the crowd I met in Worner that evening, I was not alone in this excitement. The McCain- Obama drama was heightened by the fact that, this time, carefully selected audience members were allowed to ask questions directly to the candidates. The success of the spectacle was, no doubt, partially thanks to its new cast of crowd-pleasing characters. One particularly compelling individual named Teresa asked a question about the economy, which members of the CC audience mocked with a slow clap. Mediator, Tom Brokaw, also took a leading role this time around, piling on the tension like the highbrow reality T.V. veteran that he is (i.e. the news) in his irresistible boom of a voice. After one of McCain’s responses went overtime, Brokaw quipped, “I’m gonna stick to my part of the pact and not ask a follow up.”
But, as always, the best moments of the show came at the end. First, Brokaw asked the candidates to move their farewell wave, as they were obstructing his view of the script. We Americans already aware of the subjective reality of reality T.V. forgave this breech of the fourth wall. But those of us who stayed longer were rewarded when we got to see a first class snub; Obama ignored John McCain’s outstretched hand, choosing to greet Cindy McCain’s instead. The remaining members of the CC crowd gasped, like we had just seen an alternate ending after staying through the credits after a movie. Of course this snub could have been just another example of the debate’s many strokes of editing genius. We recall Obama’s perfected look of hurt bemusement displayed in a split screen when McCain fell to his default sarcastic tone. Made-for-T.V. moments like these prove that someone was clearly robbed at the recent Emmy awards. While we’re all anxious about the outcome of the upcoming election, in the meantime, at least we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Now if only CNN would take a hint from MTV and instate a confession room where the candidates could safely, but publicly, vent. by Artie NIederhoffer
He’s wearing a wide rimmed hat and flashy sneakers so what’s he doing emerging from the Synergy house garden on a Saturday afternoon? You may have seen him around campus lately, or, if you’re from The Bay Area, you may have picked him out years ago. Welcome, hip-hop hippie, to mainstream culture. With Jay-Z and Kanye West headlining two iconic hippie fests this summer and the hipster on his long-awaited decline, society is ready and eager for the convergence of these kindred sub-cultures. Last year, I was surprised when a hemp-clad male friend pierced his ears and, rejecting a pair of wooden earrings from India, opted for a pair of over-sized rhinestones from Claire’s. To Loomis-bred ears entering the halls of Mathias, that thumping sound you hear is a bass. And don’t be surprised when, this year, you hear as much Saul Williams as Old Crow Medicine Show, and it’s coming from the same dorm room. Artists like the San-Francisco based Michael Franti have tapped into this overlapping fan base since the mid-nineties. In many ways, there could be no better epi-center for the hip-hop hippie than San Francisco, with its equal parts urban and eco-friendly community. Given common political beliefs in pacifism and social justice (not to mention a shared penchant for weed) the confluence of hip-hop and hippie cultures seems a likely progression. It isn’t even new to CC. We witness the intersection of the two cultures in the wildly entertaining slam-poetry competitions every year. It comes as a surprise, then, the level of controversy surrounding Jay-Z’s performance at the Glastonbury Music Festival this summer. Responses ranged from bemusement to disgust. Noel Gallegher of Oasis’ claimed no one would show up. Despite criticism from stuffy old people, Jay-Z’s set was, in fact, met with enthusiastic acclaim from a packed crowd. He opened with a cover of Oasis’ “Wonder Wall” in a spot-on rebuke to critics. One reviewer said of the politically charged performance that followed, “For a second you could have sworn that the world had changed a little bit, just like it did after Bob Dylan went electric at Newport in 1965.” (melodytrip.com) In this light, the hip-hop hippie resembles an angel sent to rescue youth culture from hipster apathy just in time for the upcoming election. So, let us do our part to hasten the rise of the hip-hop hippie. Bump Immortal Technique as you cook up some quinoa and help boost Jay-Z’s Glastonbury show to one million views on youtube. While Kanye West’s tardy start-time put him out of favor at Bonnarroo, his presence there reminds us that the times, they are a changin’. by Artie Niederhoffer
This is a blog of a person who is a human lie detector--a truth wizard--as identified by Maureen o'sullivan, collaborator of Paul Ekman ...see article the Naked Face by Malcolm Gladwell or the book Blink. SHe watches stuff on the news like and tells you what the people are really thinking. SHe's weird alright, but her analysis is incredible! It's called eyes for lies.
found these biofeedback exercises which i'd really love to try in an article. read for yourself! :
"Biofeedback is simply a process in which you receive information about your biological state, and then use this information to alter that state--specifically, to induce relaxation," says Celeste DeBease, Ph.D., who practices biofeedback in the Philadelphia area. "Over time, you can train your sympathetic nervous system to be less reactive to stressors and to recover from them quicker."
For as little as 13 cents on up to $79, you can own a biofeedback device and learn to eliminate stress and anxiety.
DO-IT-YOURSELF BIOFEEDBACK
You don't have to visit an expert to benefit from biofeedback. You can try simple techniques using relatively inexpensive devices, or no devices at all.
Choose one technique (maybe two) and practice it daily for 15 or 20 minutes. Your daily stress levels should fall almost immediately. However, according to psychologist L. John Mason, Ph.D., a biofeedback expert, it may take several weeks before you gain noticeable control over the physical parameter you are monitoring--so stick with it.
Mirror Meditation
Stress effect: Muscle tension, especially in the shoulders, neck and head.
Monitor: Sit comfortably in front of a mirror. Study your reflection for signs of tension, such as a creased brow, a clenched jaw, or even an anxious look in the eyes.
Relax: Make a conscious effort to relax your facial muscles and the rest of your body as much as possible. Work from top to bottom.
Your goal: Simply to observe how relaxation affects your reflection.
Temperature Training
Stress effect: Reduced hand and foot temperature due to constriction of the arteries and the shunting of blood flow away from the extremities.
Monitor: Using a simple thermometer such as a Stressdot (100 dots will run you $12.95 at www.stressdot.com), you can monitor your hand temperature and train yourself to elevate it. In a warm room, place a Stressdot on your hand and wait one minute until it settles on a color. Use the color chart to determine your hand temperature.
Relax: Sit quietly in a comfortable position, relax your breathing and let your muscles slacken. Push negative thoughts out of your head, concentrating instead on "thinking" warm hands. Merely focusing on warmth has been shown to raise temperature.
Your goal: To raise your hand temperature above 92 degrees (violet). On your first few attempts, you can cheat a bit by placing your hands under sunlight or near a heat source.
Galvanic Skin Response
Stress effect: Increased surface-skin moisture, which in turn increases the amount of electricity that passes through your skin.
Monitor: Using the same technology as a lie-detector machine, a galvanic skin-response device like the GSR2 ($60 through www.toolsforwellness.com, www.therapistthings.com/thoughttechnology.html, and other Web sites) can measure these changes in electricity and help you learn to relax. Place your index and middle fingers on the device and wait for a tone--the higher the tone, the greater your stress level.
Relax: Sit quietly in a comfortable position, taking deep breaths in through the nose while exhaling through the mouth. Consciously relax your muscles from head to toe. Expel negative thoughts, concentrating instead on lowering the tone.
Your goal: A lower tone. Initially you may actually raise the tone--that's your stress response in action, but according to Mason, this is a sign that you are gaining some control, but not enough just yet. Keep practicing and you'll get it right.
Heart-Rate MonitOring
Stress effect: Increased heart rate.
Monitor: You can measure and try to lower your heart rate with a heart-rate monitor or by simply taking a pulse against your jugular vein or wrist. Sitting quietly and comfortably, observe your initial pulse rate.
Relax: Slow your breathing and relax your muscles. Push negative thoughts out, concentrating instead on "thinking" your heart rate lower. Try playing relaxing music--No Doubt or Ja Rule is not the music we're talking about.
Your goal: A reduced pulse rate. Check it every few minutes. As with the GSR2 unit, you may notice no change or even an increase at first, but eventually you will learn to relax and lower your pulse.
this excellent article explains what people who don't use facebook or don't check facebook constantly will never understand: the particular joy of knowing about people from what they post about themselves online. the beginning of the article talks about how mark zuckerberg went ahead with newsfeed which contstantly broadcats evry move you make online, even though everyone resisted it. he alone anticipated that people would want to have constant updates about their friends' lives even though most facebookers originally thought that they wouldn't. how genius. he understood before others the basic human need and drive to know as much as possible about people.
