Sunday, May 31, 2020

SpaceX MEdia Dragon: 10 of the best books about mountains – for a virtual climb

Pioneers, PoWs and those taking spiritual paths immerse the reader in beautiful and treacherous landscapes and offer wisdom for our times

For her photo series Qajar, Iranian photographer Shadi Ghadirian styled her subjects and their backgrounds as they would have appeared in portraits taken during Iran’s Qajar Dynasty in the 19th century. But each subject is also posed with a contemporary object like a boombox, bicycle, soda can, or vacuum cleaner. Ghadirian says of her work: “My pictures became a mirror reflecting how I felt: we are stuck between tradition and modernity.”


The SpaceX Dragon, also known as Dragon 1 was a reusable cargo spacecraft developed by SpaceX, an American private space transportation company. Dragon was launched into orbit by the company's Falcon 9 launch vehicle to resupply theInternational Space Station (ISS).

Not the first time that riots and space exploration highlighted the duality of modern America life. Amity Shlaes tweeted yesterday a topic she explored at length in her new Great Society book ... 



Among the 100 top-grossing domestic movie releases, there have been three occasions when two of those films opened on the same weekend.
“Dr. Zhivago” and “Thunderball” shared Christmas 1965; “The Exorcist” and “The Sting” were Christmas 1973. And on Memorial Day Weekend 1977 there was “Smokey and the Bandit”… and “Star Wars.”
Read the whole thing. For all of the talk of the dark, European-influenced auteur-driven “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” Hollywood of the ‘70s, the industry could still turn out far more entertaining movies than today’s product. If only that Hollywood still existed.





 Beethoven and the ABC Classic 100 Countdown – A not-to-be missed event



On the weekend of the 7 and 8 June, ABC Classic will be conducting its Classic 100 Countdown for 2020. Being the 250th anniversary of his birth, it is devoted to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. Continue reading 

Powderfinger's virtual reunion gig raises $450,000

A one-off online concert by the Aussie favourites raises more than $450,000, which will be used to support struggling artists and musicians.

Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Soren Kierkegaard by Clare Carlisle, reviewed by Justin Taylor in Bookforum.

This Life by Martin Hägglund, reviewed by Knox Peden in the Sydney Review of Books.

Think Like a Feminist: The Philosophy Behind the Revolution by Carol Hay, reviewed at Kirkus Reviews

Over a hundred free philosophical activities for children — “PhiloQuests” are “a series of thinking and creative missions” from the new Institute of Philosophy, Citizenship and Youth at Université de Montréal

“I think often of philosophy but as one thinks of someone lost. I want to turn to her and say, ‘Remember when we…'” — Amy Olberding (Oklahoma) on how, under these conditions, “I don’t really want to do philosophy”



The Future Of Filmmaking

Some things may change until there’s a vaccine – constant testing, small pods of workers instead of a huge crew, no craft services table – but others, like board meetings by Zoom, are here to stay. Director/producer Frank Marshall; “I know there’s a future, I know we will get through this, but the big question is when.” – Los Angeles Times