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| August-November 2008 |
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BOOK |
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The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class |
| (David S. Kidder) |
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Millions of Americans keep bedside books of prayer and meditative reflection—collections of daily passages to stimulate spiritual thought and advancement. The Intellectual Devotional is a secular version of the same—a collection of 365 short lessons that will inspire and invigorate the reader every day of the year. |
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| Each daily digest of wisdom is drawn from one of seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music. |
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| Impress your friends by explaining Plato's Cave Allegory, pepper your cocktail party conversation with opera terms, and unlock the mystery of how batteries work. Daily readings range from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. The book's goal is to refresh knowledge we've forgotten, make new discoveries, and exercise modes of thinking that are ordinarily neglected once our school days are behind us. Offering an escape from the daily grind to contemplate higher things, The Intellectual Devotional is a great way to awaken in the morning or to revitalize one's mind before retiring in the evening. -Amazon |
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FILM |
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| Vicky Cristina Barcelona |
| (rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexuality and smoking) |
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Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife—with whom he has a tempestuous relationship—is about to re-enter the picture. |
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| Protagonist |
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R for language) |
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Jessica Yu's documentary explores the commonalities between human life and Euripidean dramatic structure by weaving together the stories of four men: a German terrorist, a bank robber, an "ex-gay" evangelist, and a martial arts student. |
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MUSIC |
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| Girls and Boys |
| Ingrid Michaelson |
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| Early on in "Breakable", from her excellent Girls and Boys, Ingrid Michaelson muses on the fragility of the heart, in both the literal and symbolic senses: "Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts—just a cage of rib bones and other various parts?...We are just breakable girls and boys." Ingrid Michaelson's songs have been featured on "Grey's Anatomy" episodes and Old Navy commercials, and there's a good reason she keeps getting selected for such high-profile exposure: the songs on Girls and Boys are an immediately appealing blend of pop song craft and vulnerable emotion. Michaelson has a more accessible voice and presentation than contemporaries like Feist and Regina Spektor, and her piano-driven arrangements hit all the right peaks and valleys—calling on a delicate acoustic guitar here, an overdriven electric there—to highlight her alternately joyful and mournful melodies. In short, she's made a fine pop album worth checking out, even if you're not a fan of Dr. Meredith and McDreamy. -Ben Heege for Amazon |
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| Symphony 3: Sorrowful Songs |
| Henryk Gorecki |
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| This album, which catapulted Polish composer Henryk Gorecki into the international spotlight, takes texts born in pain and turns them into statements of affirmation through the use of music that ebbs and flows in mystic minimalism. The clear voice of soprano Dawn Upshaw, singing the Polish texts, is a large part of the success of this particular recording; but the music, contemporary without either dissonance or movie-music mawkishness, clarifies and uplifts the words. This is a moving and essential element of the modern repertoire. -Sarah Bryan Miller for Amazon |
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TV |
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| (Sunday
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Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama "Mad Men" follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell. |
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| The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. Don struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also authentically depicts the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960s traditional family values. -American Movie Classics Television |
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| (premieres Saturday, September 20; PBS) |
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This 13-week series stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and Claudia Bassols, and is the ultimate road trip through Spain, exploring Spanish culture, food, and people. Check your local PBS listings for show dates and times. |
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WEB |
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This is the official Web site of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the nonprofit record label of the national museum of the United States. The Smithsonian Institution is dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. It believes that musical and cultural diversity contribute to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials, the museum seeks to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritages and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritages of others. |
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The Onion is an American "fake news" organization that features satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news as well as an entertainment newspaper and Web site known as The A.V. Club. |
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