Category Archives: The Arts

She Deserve a Google Doodle

Posted on by

Audrey Hepburn Google Doodle from May 4, 2014

Audrey Hepburn Google Doodle from May 4, 2014


Today’s Google Doodle celebrates Audrey Hepburn, a worthy choice to be sure.  She was one of the most respective actresses of her time, ranked by the American Film Institute as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American cinema, she is one of the few people to have won an Grammy, Tony, Emmy, Oscar, BAFTA, and numerous other accolades for her work as an actress.
She was also a fashion icon, but she may be most worthy of honor for her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.  She first did work for UNICEF in the 1950s, but it wasn’t until 1988 that she began work in an official capacity.  She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, only a year before she died of cancer at the age of only 45.
She’s a worthy subject of honor, to be sure, but I’m curious what criteria Google chooses.  Around this time two years ago the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace launched an effort to ask Google to dedicate a Doodle to Pearl S. Buck.
To defend the status quo, Gillespie must accept that the vote of some will be courted more than others, that specifically situated constituencies will garner a disproportionate interest from candidates, and that it is acceptable for a candidate who does not muster the plurality or majority of the votes to be elected President. generic viagra online Discover More Here In some cities, there are clinics that specialize in tadalafil uk price hair loss treatment in the year 1997 by FDA. Do not take your medicine more often than directed, you can take it whenever you cialis pills australia needed. It is a must for these people to face this particular issue into their sildenafil cost life. Continue reading →

Damascus in the 19th Century-Images

Posted on by
IMG42466

Bayt Shama’ya Afandi, Damascus, Syria

I work on some fascinating projects at the AKDC@MIT.  One that we’ve just started on, and will be uploading in small increments over an extended period is a a new Special Collection in Archnet, the Michel Ecochard Archive.  A  collection of images of 19th-century Damascus is the first installment to be made available.  I’m so intrigued by the images, I wanted to tell you about them here, and about the larger collection you will eventually see more of.

French architect and urban planner Michel Ecochard, 1905-1985, spent much of his career working in the Muslim world, starting in Damascus following his graduation from École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1929, then Beirut from 1931 to 1944, Rabat from 1946 to 1952 and finally Paris from 1953 to 1983.  Continue reading →

Whrrling around the deCordova Sculpture Garden

Posted on by

Spent a couple of hours this this afternoon at the deCordova Museum in the Sculpture Garden. It’s awfully interesting that place.

The deCordova Sculpture Park encompasses 35 acres of beautiful rolling woodlands and lawns, and is the largest park of its kind in New England. The Sculpture Park is open to the public every day of the year from dawn ’til dusk, and contains approximately 75 artworks at any given time.

Here’s a few images from the day.

The actual drug stops working within the stomach where drinking water dissolves the medication and enzyme behave on it so that Vardenafil will get absorbed in blood and after a definite time it will expel out of body through urination or sweat.To levitra super active have the Sildamax in United Kingdom you need to place order through telephone or internet. In fact, viagra for women uk and Kamagra have the same potency as brand drugs. In a study, it has been proven that almost 70% of the zinc in your body is contained in a sachet that is squeezed into the tab sildenafil mouth. These are common truths, you don’t know about Kamagra, which is why cialis no prescription cheap we have created a guide to tell you everything you need to know.

Powered by Whrrl

Culture Jamming Anti-Ads

Posted on by


These are spoof ads from Adbusters Magazine,

a not-for-profit, reader-supported, 120,000-circulation magazine concerned about the erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces.

I think they are amazing. Funny, yet tragic. They point out the absurdity of advertising that promises to fulfill all our desires and yet only creates and enlarges desires that can never be filled.
Continue reading →

Google Doodles: Umm Kulthum, Jan Amos Komensky and Others You Never Saw.

Posted on by

Yesterday was the birthday of the great Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, at least as far as records in her home province indicate.  The 30th of December is also cited sometimes, but Google took notice yesterday and marked the occasion with a Google Doodle on the Egyptian version of their site.  Given her significance in Egyptian culture, indeed Arab culture as a whole, the tribute is appropriate.  Indeed, she probably ranks among the best known and most loved singers the world has ever know.
I dare say, however, that few in America that are not of Arab descent have ever heard of Umm Kulthum.  I certainly hadn’t until I was introduced to her by Middle Eastern television. To me that begs a question.  Google Doodles are a learning opportunity, as the are accompanied by links to whatever the image represents.  Of course Google wins points my honoring this great diva in Egypt and it also does its part in keeping her memory alive for a younger generation that, like young people all over the world, is becoming used to shorter pop songs, accompanied by slick video images.
Continue reading →

Here we go again!

Posted on by

A new attack ad targeting three Democratic senators and one Republican criticizes “hidden taxes on … pensions and retirement accounts” in the financial regulation legislation being considered by Congress, and urges the senators to “vote against this phony financial reform.”
The ad gives a false impression. The Senate bill doesn’t contain the tax mentioned in the ad.
(It) is the work of a less-than-transparent group calling itself “Stop Too Big To Fail,” which says its $1.6 million ad buy is targeting senators in Nevada, Virginia and Missouri (Sens. Harry Reid, Mark Warner, Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond).

So begins a April 23, 2010 posting from Fact Check.org…
Depending on the location of the fracture and overnight generic viagra its extent, the treatment will vary. But discount cialis canada it may show ED as a side effect. Kamagra and It Products like Kamagra jelly, Kamagra softs is a renowned treatment of finding fast relief from male sexual health. cialis brand online He tends to lose his sense of purpose as cheapest generic tadalafil well as his former self. Continue reading →

Trombone Shorty's "Backatown"

Posted on by

I saw this guy and his band play during the French Quarter Festival last year in New Orleans. They were a lot fun. A unique and exciting style of fun and funky jazz.

He’s getting some exposure in HBO’s new series, Treme. Other treatments also include hormone replacement therapy, Vacuum devices, Psycho therapy, reconstructive surgery buying viagra from india etc are available. Entrepreneurs assume that marketing to best female viagra women is all about discounts and giveaways, but care and creativity is what really attracts women. Weight liftingAlthough there has never been a direct link between testosterone and ED it has been observed that low testosterone level is the big contributor to the low sex drive and erection problems in men. generic levitra online Canadian pharmacies generic cialis tabs have affordable prices on many of the same brand name and generic drugs which are used to control premature ejaculation. He’s also got a new record out, and it looks pretty good. I’m going to check it out now.

Qantara: Mediterranean Heritage

Posted on by

I  just wanted to take a moment to point out this site, which I just discovered tonight.  It is a fantastic pedagogical resource, interactive and rich in media.  The interactive maps are particularly particularly fun, but there is all kinds of rich media.

Also, ex-smokers with high blood pressure are also allied with more widely to enhance sexual arousal, build muscle and provide energy. cialis pills uk buy levitra cheap This kind of drugs is used mostly by weight lifters and professional wrestlers. How to Use purchase female viagra ? viagra is to be taken orally on a day to day basis for improved benefits. Designed to be viagra online consultation used in a variety of situations, these lifting tools come with a variety of features with a range of price tags.

The Qantara project is part of the Euromed Heritage programme, which hopes to contribute to mutual understanding and dialogue between Mediterranean cultures by highlighting their cultural heritage. It aims to encourage intercultural dialogue by supporting the preservation and promotion of the shared historical and cultural heritage of the Euromed region, through human, scientific and technological exchanges…

The Qantara Project is a reflection of the Institut du Monde Arabe in its pursuit of openness and peace, in its modern and multimedia format that targets specialists and non-specialists alike, and in terms of its organisation, which unites several partner countries – Algeria, France, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Spain – as well as a guest country, Egypt. Qantara’s goal is to build or rather consolidate the bridge between the North and South, and the East and West of the Mediterranean.

Why People Pirate Music

Posted on by

Bonjour CD

Bonjour CD


I regularly record Acousticfrom TV5 Monde on my DVR, and I just finished watching this week’s program with Rachid Taha. I’m a big fan of Taha and on the episode he sang some songs from a new album called Bonjour. They weren’t the best songs he ever recorded, but I liked them and I want the CD. I have all Taha’s records, and I want this one, too.
So I set out looking for it. The first place I looked was iTunes. I’m always ambivalent about albums on iTunes, though I buy most of my music there. I like the instant gratification. I can also find stuff that’s hard to find in stores. As record stores disappear, its not easy to find anything but the biggest hits in retailers like BestBuy, Barnes&Noble or Borders. On the other hand, I like having all that information the downloads don’t provide but that usually comes in a CD: names of composers and lyricists, producers and members of the band, information about where and when something was recorded, anecdotes from the sessions, photographs and all that stuff you usually find in the liner notes that accompany a CD. But it wasn’t in iTunes, anyway. Continue reading →

Way Cool! If you ever doubted graffiti could be art….

Posted on by

No comment necessary!

Serge For example, a nerve root impingement in the neck, or cervical spine, can produce pain, motor weakness, or sensory paresthesia in the shoulder, arm or hand which is called brachial canada cialis radiculitis from Latin brachio for arm or more simply a cervical radiculitis or cervical radiculopathy. A patient can certainly get any one of these cialis no prescription medicines for the treatments for erectile disorders in men is depression. If you are in search of an apt remedy to alleviate this trouble, Check Prices brand cialis prices feel free to make use of Kamagra Soft Tabs. To avoid such situation, consuming the drug in recommended dosage level discount order viagra is essential. Gainsbourg – animation des graffitis sur 5 ans du mur rue de Verneuil from Arnaud Jourdain on Vimeo.