Ahhhhh Bach…

Johann Sebastian Bach… not just good for your ears and good for your soul… good for you period. From Miller-McCune:

A newly published study from Mexico reports repeated listening to certain classical works — including one by Mozart — helps ease the debilitating symptoms of clinical depression.

“Music offers a simple and elegant way to [...]

Too Close to Home?

(2nd Anniversary re-print.  Original posted 12/01/2009)

I hope I don’t offend anyone; this is a sincere question and I am very interested in learning what y’all (you’se guys for Rich and Stosh, you’ins for Eric) have to say.  I haven’t looked at the numbers but there is no question our nation graduates way, way, way too [...]

Floyd: Bill Cosby’s Message to Jackson and Sharpton

For those of you who love nostalgia there’s a nice little reminder in the video between 1:29 and 1:34.

Monday Open Thread

The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David (born this date in 1748)

Balloons is fur Kiddie-Winkies

The best in the series:

Here Are Your Sub-Titles, Stosh!

Feline Femme Fatale Fit to deFenestrate Floyd

No Cats Were Harmed

The new day dawns on a kinder, gentler Threedonia.  Thanks to the folks at “Garfield minus Garfield” we are pleased and proud (preased) (ploud?) to bring you Garfield’s hilarious, new adventure with the assurance that no cats were harmed in the making of this strip.

The Boss Is Back

Spring 2011, Ford re-introduces the Boss 302 Mustang

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

For more on this go HERE

Best of all it isn’t government subsidised and it burns gasoline. Worst of all it’s missing the Yellow/Orange paint scheme of my youth…boo.

Copyfight!

Did Germany outstrip England’s growth — reaching industrial parity in 1900 because it didn’t have copyright laws? This article from Speigel online makes that claim.

The entire country seemed to be obsessed with reading. The sudden passion for books struck even booksellers as strange and in 1836 led literary critic Wolfgang Menzel to declare Germans [...]

Thursday Open Thread

Diana and Actaeon by Titian

Monday Open Thread

The Last Supper by Tintoretto

Sunday Gospel

Perhaps my favorite piece of music ever… The whole symphony is powerful. Gorecki was also used beautifully by Peter Weir in the film Fearless starring Jeff Bridges.

Friday Open Thread

Michael by Albrecht Durer

Wednesday Open Thread

The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last Berth to be broken up’ by J.M.W. Turner (1838)

Tuesday Open Thread

Gene Kelly was born this day in 1912… thank God for that and screw Warner Bros. for requesting that embedding be disabled.

Where in the World is Turbo?

Huntington Library in San Marino… I highly recommend it.

David Mamet

David Mamet, playwright (Glengarry Glenross, Speed the Plow and American Buffalo), screenwriter (The Spanish Prisoner, Ronin, The Verdict, The Untouchables) and even creator of TV shows (The Unit) has written a collection of essays called Theatre which seem to flesh out his recently realized conversion (of sorts) to conservatism — or at least not liberalism [...]

If Anyone Is Interested...

Saw this Gil Elvgren painting that is up for auction HERE. They are requesting a minimum bid of $16,000. Feel free to e-mail me for my mailing address when you win. I’ll even pay for shipping.

New Caravaggio — An Update

I posted a little over a week ago that The Vatican newspaper had reported that they may have found — or rediscovered a Caravaggio painting. Alas — it was not meant to be. From Yahoo! News:

The Vatican’s top art historian has shot down a report in its own newspaper that suggested a recently [...]

Sunday Open Thread

Joseph’s Bloody Coat Brought Back to Jacob by Diego Velazquez

Saturday Open Thread

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich

Thursday Open Thread

Chop Suey by Edward Hopper

Breakin’ the Law

The Hookah Lighter by Jean-Leon Gerome

The woman in the painting above is breaking Islamic law as interpreted by Hamas…. OK… she’s breaking a couple of laws. Hamas has outlawed wimmins from smoking hookahs in Gaza Strip. The Islamic war on life continues apace in Gaza:

Smoking water pipes is a popular habit among both [...]

New Caravaggio?

The Vatican newspaper is reporting that the Jesuits in Rome may have a newly discovered Caravaggio (my favorite artist) painting depicting the martyrdom of St. Lawrence. From Yahoo News:

The front-page story in L’Osservatore Romano came out as Italy celebrates the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio’s death. This weekend, churches and a gallery in Rome housing [...]

Chaplin Short Debut

I realize it seems to be Threedonian consensus that Keaton and Lloyd are superior to Chaplin — a view I share, but this is interesting nonetheless:

A short silent comedy that was lost for decades holds a big surprise for film buffs and historians when a familiar face emerges on screen wearing a police uniform and [...]

Controversy? I Don’t See It

What could go wrong allowing an Italian “artist” to hang his work in Poland?

The poster, which went up in June in the western city of Poznan just steps from a synagogue, is an Italian artist’s take on what he calls the “horrors” of the American lifestyle and is one piece of artwork in a contemporary [...]

America's Birth Certificate?

The only surviving copy of the 1507 world map by Martin Waldseemüller, purchased by the Library of Congress and now on display in its Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C. The term “America” can be seen in continent on the lower leftmost panel. Vespuci is pictured on the top panel of the third column.

The above [...]

Phil Hendrie as Art Bell

Phil Hendrie parodying the Art Bell show.  All voices are done by Phil Hendrie.  Unpre-recorded.  Unscripted.  Just one brilliant man and a microphone all done in real time.

Sunday Open Thread

Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton — July 11, 1804

Monday Open Thread

The Course of the Empire — Last (Desolation) by Thomas Cole

Sunday Open Thread

The Course of the Empire — Fourth (Destruction) by Thomas Cole

Saturday Open Thread

The Course of the Empire — Third (The Consummation of the Empire) by Thomas Cole

Friday Open Thread

The Course of the Empire — Second (Pastoral State) by Thomas Cole

What Happens When Superheroes Go Bad

Via the fine folks at Despair.com

Quiz Time - Beatles Edition

So I just saw this at the Mirage (Hi Fritz!) which leads me to the following questions:

The Beatles;

Overrated?  Underrated?  Justrightrated?

Could there have been “The Beatles” without these four guys?  Were/Are any replaceable?

How important was George Martin?  Would the Beatles have been the Beatles without him?  Would George Martin have been George Martin without them?

Thursday Open Thread

The Course of the Empire — First (The Savage State) by Thomas Cole

Father's Day Open Thread

Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt

Map Quest

One of the great loves of my life is maps. I can’t get enough of maps — fold-up maps, subway maps, maps in the back of my Bible, topographical maps, Nat’l Geographic maps, star charts, old maps, new maps, — you get the hint. Rand McNally whomever he or they are should have [...]

Wednesday Open Thread

The day the music was born… Cole Porter in 1891, Les Paul in 1915…

Grossly Misleading Movie Posters

Cracked.com is on the job again with Top 15 Grossly Misleading Movie Posters… POland and Ghana seem to lead the pack. Here’s Polish Romancing the Stone:

and Polish Sex and the City:

about which they write:

If you’ve never seen nor heard of Sex and the City before, then A) tell us where you live, and how [...]

Get a Job!

Works written includes those written while jobs were held. Some of those salaries are quite high for the times.

h/t: Lapham’s Quarterly

Classic Pick O' the Day: June 5

Evil Dead 2 (1987) Cabin visitors fight spirits of the dead. Cast: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Richard Domeier, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley. Director: Sam Raimi. 12:00 AM EDT. IFC.

Tomorrow night at midnight (hey it’s June 5 Central, et al.) is the greatest actor not Dennis Hopper to not win an Oscar. [...]

Can You Live This Fantasy Life?

Aldo Nova! Paging Aldo Nova! Maybe you were right after all! Here’s an interesting article entitled “The Pleasures of Imagination” from The Chronicle of Higher Education.

How do Americans spend their leisure time? The answer might surprise you. The most common voluntary activity is not eating, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs. It is [...]

Wednesday Open Thread

Death of Haman by Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel)