Book Review

Randall Collins has a book out: "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory."

Its premise is that popular music has reshaped high school status networks.

Here is a snippet from it:

As popular music consumption became the central identifying point of youth cultures, it also came to support greater pluralism in student status hierarchies, punk and other alternative culture groups acquired their own venues where they could generate their own collective effervescence, dominating in their own emotional attention spaces. Moshers became the leading edge of punk culture, the attention-getters within their chief cultural rituals and gathering places. Not surprisingly, there is strong antagonism between moshers and jocks, their chief counterparts in the use of controlled violence in the conventional youth culture.


It could be an interesting read for those intrigued by the immediate effects of popular culture. And those who still think punk music and punk culture is inconsequential, well.... Perhaps these folks will find this new text particularly informative.


graph per amazon

Fact of the Day

Here is an interesting fact I read today:

Beijing is now Europe's largest source of manufactured imports, but the 27-nation bloc, with a population of about 470 million people, exports less to China than it does to Switzerland.

Quote of the Day

Gym person: What does 'ameliorate' mean?

B: Oh, it means 'to better', from a comparative form of the adjective. It's from Latin.

Gym person: Why don't they just write 'better' then?

American Gangster

Ridley Scott's new film, American Gangster, like most of his cinematic projects, delivers. In typical fashion, he manages to recreate for the silver screen a believable New York City. That, coupled with superb performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, is a good recipy for 2 hours and 40 minutes of sheer filmic enjoyment.

Those who enjoyed the colossal efforts of the Ridley Scott team in "Gladiator," are bound to react positively to a near pitch-perfect Crowe and Washington in "American Gangster."


graphs per imdb

Ohio State Buckeyes: Go Bucks!

It is nigh impossible not to be a Buckeye fan in Ohio. People live and breathe for the Buckeyes. And it's like nothing else I have ever seen.
HBO is about to broadcast a documentary on the biggest football rivalry of all time: Ohio State vs Michigan.

One needs to see it to believe it, for it may, indeed, remind one of the zeal of a medieval battle. And most of the people here do regard football with the utmost respect and attention.

The place where the magic takes place is that elusive heterotopia called the stadium. It's a place where like-minded, red-wearing people get to bond, discuss the game, and befriend each other. It's beautiful, really.
This happened to me today.

I met lovely people, ate nachos with artery-clogging cheese and an uber-salted pretzel, and found myself screaming: Defense, Go Bucks, Touchdown, Boooo!

Beautiful!

There is something irrevocably appealing about being in the company of over one hundred thousand red-wearing, Go-Bucks-chanting people. It's a feeling that is rendered concrete only when in such a setting.

We played Wisconsin today and, naturally, we won. Again. Thus keeping our record intact. The Bucks perform with an infallible precision and they get strategy. How can they lose, really!

So, today I write as a Buckeye fan. Excellence, after all, demands attention and respect. Whether in scholarship, the arts, soccer, or even football. Yes, and let me not forget that very novel experience of nacho-eating. What an inspiring heterotopia the stadium is!

Mac's New OS: Leopard

Meet Mac's new OS contribution called Leopard. Leopard is succeeding Tiger and it seems to have received decent reviews so far.

I would like to get it but as a fellow Maccer informs me, it would perhaps be better to wait till the first update is out.

Here are some of its desirable features:

1) Podcast Capture, an application allowing users to record and distribute podcasts. It requires access to a computer running Mac OS X Server with Podcast Producer.

2)) Dictionary can now search Wikipedia, and a dictionary of Apple terminology as well. Also included is a 200,000-word dictionary

3) Front Row has been reworked to closely resemble the interface used by the Apple TV, and Photo Booth includes video recording with real-time filters.

4) iCal calendar sharing and group scheduling as well as syncing event invitations from Mail

5) Mail enhancements including the additions of RSS feeds, Stationery, Notes, and to-dos.

I will definitely be making the transition from Tiger to Leopard. Keeping up with the program is just necessary. The podcast feature is what sold the system to me since podcasts are now proven to help with information dispensation and acquisition.

Is it just me or is Apple coming up with new notions and gadgets very fast these days? No, No, not complaining. Just trying to keep up and taste all the goods, I guess.



graph per Apple

Author to Read: Michael Chabon

I have no idea when Michael Chabon does life and when he writes. He is very prolific and much like Grady Tripp, the main character in his "Wonder Boys," he seems to write because he 'cannot stop.'

But what a brilliant writer this 43-year-old author is!

His recent The Yiddish Policemen's Union is yet another success. It is amazing to me how one single person can possess the imagination of ten good writers, but that is the idiosyncratic beauty of Chabon. From vivid language use to complex story lines and healthy historic references, this author can do anything but disappoint.

Other works by Chabon include:

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, which incidentally his grad adviser submitted for publication for him and which made him a literary sensation over night, is his first novel.

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, for which he received the Pulitzer, is generally regarded as his magnum opus.

Wonder Boys, also dexterously modified for the silver screen by Curtis Hanson, is my favorite. And so forth.

When does Chabon sleep, really? Hmm.

Check out his latest The Yiddish Policemen's Union. It will deliver in true Chabon fashion.


graph per wikipedia

Reformation day

On this day in 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses which he nailed to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

The reason for this 'nailing' is indeed a rather logical one, ie., when people had something of substance to say, they posted their ideas on the church door. Such a 'space' had also a public function.

The 95 Theses treat the practice of indulgences.

On this Halloween day, Martin Luther posted his thesis on the church door. I don't think he was in 'costume' or 'character' when he did so.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

This is the new president-elect of Argentina.
Well, the other woman on the picture, that is.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, noted for her wardrobe and shoe collection, will hopefully perform, as my good friend, Georgie, originally an Argentine, put is, as well as she looks.

Fernández started her political career in the Peronist Youth movement of the Justicialist Party in the 1970s. She married Néstor Kirschner - the current Argentine president - while at Law School and both practiced law in Río Gallegos.

Cristina Fernández espouses a kind of combative speech reminiscent of Eva Perón, some say.

I bet today she is singing: "Don't cry for me, Argentina!"


graph per wikipedia

Germany's Evelyn Hamann

I was sad to read on Spiegel.de today that the German renowned actress, Evelyn Hamann, died of complications due to a serious condition. She was only 65.

In the 80's, Hamann was in the mega-popular TV German series, Schwarzwaldklinik. Her comedic and dramatic range is astounding and she will, indeed, be missed.

As the author put it, "Sie kehrt nun leider nicht mehr zurück" ie., "she is unfortunately not returning again."

A definite loss for German and European art.


graph her Spiegel.de