The Smallest Horse in the World

Einstein the smallest horse in the world born in Barnstead, New Hampshire.

Pride In Your Profession

From the Baltimore Sun.

And you thought fancy-pants doctors, lawyers and the like were the only ones who obsessed about their professional status.

Pimps care, too.

Consider the e-mail The Baltimore Sun's Justin Fenton received after describing a homicide victim as a "wannabe pimp" on the paper's crime blog. One of the dead man's associates objected to the term, but not in the way you might think.

"I want to know where you get off calling someone you don't even know a ‘wanna be,' " the e-mail began.

"You need to edit your post immediately and retract that phrase you used. Why would you use a false phrase like that to describe someone who was murdered. Shaun was a known and respected Pimp from D.C. He was serious about his job like I'm sure you are of yours. If he was a wanna be pimp then you are a wanna be journalist. I was appreciative of everything else in your article except for that negative phrase you used."

It's nice to know people from all walks of life take pride in their work.

Peter Callesen - Cut Paper

Some images of cut paper works by Peter Callesen.

A4 papercut

Jellies @ the National Aquarium

I posted a video from the National Aquarium a while back when one of their dolphins gave birth. That baby dolphin only lived a couple weeks. Wild and captive dolphins have a very high infant mortality rate. The National Aquarium has raised up several baby dolphins, but, unfortunately, they all don't make it.

On to better subjects. here is a video made from one of the Aquarium's other current exhibit, Jellies Invasion.

Clint Eastwood turns 80

Next month Clint Eastwood turns 80, he made his first film 55 years ago, and is still going strong. Joe Queenan has a profile of his career in The Guardian.

Clint Eastwood at 80: profile of a Hollywood legend

Obama's Favorite Books

From President Obama's Facebook page here are his favorite books. I looked this up because I saw a reference to Gilead being one of his favorite books.

• Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison)
  
• Moby Dick
  
• Shakespeare's Tragedies
  
• Parting the Waters
  
• Gilead (Robinson)
  
• Self-Reliance (Emerson)
  
• The Bible
  
• Lincoln's Collected Writings
  

George, Nicholas and Wilhelm & The Lost Prince

Unfortunately, this makes two post in a row about mass destruction, but I promise to make the next post a little cheerier.

I posted previously that I was reading the book George, Nicholas and Wilhelm. I have finished, and it was a very good read. It covers the three cousins up to the beginning of World War 1, and chronicles the failure of Queen Victoria's scheme to pacify Europe by placing her progeny on all the thrones of the continent.

Many of the characters in the book are also portrayed in Stephen Poliakoff's film The Lost Prince, which shows the period leading up to World War I from the perspective of King George's youngest son. After reading the book, I appreciate even more how accurately and succinctly Poliakoff was able to depict the characters in his film.

Here is a clip from the film where King George's mother, Queen Alexandra, talks about the three cousins.




I am usually not into soundtrack music that much, but Adrian Johnston's sound track for The Lost Prince is probably one of my all time favorites. As one of the comments to this video says, it is "hauntingly beautiful".

Simon Winchester on Volcanoes

A not particularly comforting article on Volcanoes by Simon Winchester.

Iceland volcano: why we were lucky we weren't wiped out

Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs

Reports are that a prequel to the Wizard of Oz is in the works, with Robert Downey, Jr. playing the Wizard, and Sam Mendes directing. That would be some combination.

Robert Downey Jr. to Play Wizard of Oz?

Brazil

I said in a previous post about The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus that Brazil was still my favorite Terry Gilliam film. A.O. Scott at The New York Times has a new video review of the film.

Critics' Picks: 'Brazil'

Pictures from Eyjafjallajokull

The Boston Globe has a great set of pictures from the volcano in Iceland.

Pictures from Eyjafjallajokull

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was born 121 years ago today, on April 16, 1889. His obituary from the New York Times is a good summary of his life.

In honor of his birthday here is a clip from one of his best films, The Kid. Two interesting things about this movie. The Kid is play be Jackie Coogan, who as an adult, many years later, went on to play Uncle Fester in The Addams Family TV show. Also I think this may be the only film I have ever seen that has a dog angel (Not included in the clip below). I am purposefully overlooking the resurrected dog in the movie Michael, because that is a movie I wish I had never seen.

Yann Martel/Beatrice and VIrgil

Yann Martel's new book, Beatrice and Virgil: A Novel, was released this week. I am not reading it yet, because the kindle version has not been released. But here is a video of him talking about the book, and a second video of him talking about the importance of reading.

Bus Stop

Radiolab has a great 15 minute segment about a German Nursing home that uses a fake bus stop to calm down their Alzheimer’s patients. You can listen to it at the link below.

The Bus Stop
By Lulu Miller

Lincoln Silent Film DIscovered

An article from the Los Angelos Times about the discovery, in a New Hampshire barn, of 1913 silent film about Abraham Lincoln.

Only known copy of 1913 silent film about Lincoln saved
from old NH barn slated for demolition

Henri Cartier-Bresson

The New York Times has some photographs from the new MoMA exhibit, Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century.

Cartier-Bresson’s Modern Century at MoMA

Doctor Parnassus & Camille Paglia

I posted the trailer of Terry Gilliams's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus on this blog a few weeks back. I said at the time that I liked it better than Avatar, but I thought I needed to see it again to fully appreciate it. Well I did see it again, and I liked it much better the second time. I think I was too tired when I saw it the first time. It has a fairly complicated plot, and you have to follow it pretty closely. The main plot line of the movie involves a struggle between Dr. Parnassus and Mr. Nick (i.e. the Devil), over Parnassus' daughter, who has been promised to Mr. Nix. In order to win back his daughter, Dr. Parnassus needs to win five souls from Mr. Nick with his imagination. The plot of the movie reminded me very much of this recent Camille Paglia interview. It seems to me that Gilliam and Paglia are saying about the same thing.

Central Park

Here are the pictures I took in Central Park on Sunday.

Spring in Central Park

Cherry Blossoms @ National Geographic

I did not take any pictures of the cherry blossoms this year, but the National Geographic site has a great selection of cherry Blossom pictures.

Cherry Blossoms Photos

Bell Tuning

An interesting video from the BBC demonstrating how bells are tuned.