Monthly Archives: December 2011

It’s a Wonderful Life—still

In a recent post I mentioned that Kimmie and I watched the movie It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, and I started talking about my impressions of it. In that post I mainly talked about what happens in the … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Thursday 29 December 2011

THU 29 DEC 2011 ca. 2:10 pm X-RAY LAB ON 16th ST. Women’s voices, the faint sound of a pop song on the sound system behind. The waiting-room is a sandy-tobacco color, consistent with the wriggle of greenish-beige in the … Continue reading

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It’s a Wonderful Life: when defeat can be victory

On Christmas Eve Kimmie and I watched It’s a Wonderful Life, the 1946 Frank Capra film that has now become a Christmas classic, for maybe the 7th time. As with all the best films, I found that I enjoyed it … Continue reading

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The Growths of Civilizations by Arnold J. Toynbee

A Study of History 3: The Growths of Civilizations by Arnold J. Toynbee My rating: 5 of 5 stars Once a static, primitive society has responded to a certain intensity of challenge, it shatters the “cake of custom” and begins … Continue reading

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On Rhetoric by Aristotle

On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse by Aristotle My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not Aristotle’s clearest or best organized work, but still part of the core curriculum of a liberal education. Why read Aristotle today? Because he is … Continue reading

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Rosemary’s Baby: not just any date-rape

Paul’s History of Cinema Festival last night brought us to mid-1968 with Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, written by Polanski from the novel by Ira Levin. While watching Polanski’s sure-footed interpretation of the story I had a new feeling: after 3 … Continue reading

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sketchbook: two days in December 2011

TUE 6 DEC 2011 3:15 pm HATZ SALON A grotto of warm light looking out on the cool gray light outside. Chestnut-colored wood of this high little table: it supports a potted poinsettia and a fluffy Father Christmas figurine. Plangent … Continue reading

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two films: apes past, present, and future

In 1968 two science-fiction movies were released that were destined to become classics: Planet of the Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey. I remember being affected by both of them when I saw them in the movie theater at age … Continue reading

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