Friday, September 04, 2009

One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist

International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) was founded in 1964 by Pakistani scientist and Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam. It operates under a tripartite agreement among the Italian Government, UNESCO, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and provides advanced studies and researches to scientists from developing countries. While the name of the centre reflects its beginnings, its activities today encompass most areas of physical sciences and mathematics including their applications. It is located near Miramare Park, about 10 kilometres from the city of Trieste, Italy. Personally, I know it to be a great institution and I enjoyed a lot the time spent there with the occasion of some of their schools and workshops.
On 2004 they published a very nice collection of essays where the scientists have distilled their messages for budding researchers.

You can read it here in english or italian if you'll ignore the copyright message.
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

SeaBiscuit

Motto: "You know, everybody thinks we found this broken-down horse and fixed him, but we didn't. He fixed us. Everyone of us. And I guess, in a way, we kind of fixed each other too." John (Red) Pollard

Vincent, I've seen seen the movie you told me about, Sea Biscuit (2003), just today, on the day when you left.


It is a very nice movie about a great horse, Sea Biscuit (1933-1947), the 1938 Horse of the Year (following the famous one-on-one match-up against War Admiral on November 1, 1938). It was directed by Gary Ross, with a great casting: Tobey Maguire star of Spider Man (as jokey Red Pollard), Jeff Bridges (Seabiscuit's owner, Charles Howard), Chris Cooper (Seabiscuit's trainer, Tom Smith) and Elisabeth Banks (as Marcela Howard).
You can read the Roger Ebert's review here (and another one here) and see some pictures here.
It is based on the book SeaBiscuit by Laura Hillenbrandt, a great read also. An interview with her is here.

Sea Biscuit was a hard-luck hero for Depression-era America being the first horse to top $400,000 in winnings. An unlikely winner with short legs, perpetually-bent knees, and an oddball gait, Seabiscuit became a national celebrity. In six years of triumphs and disasters, Seabiscuit compiled 33 wins, 15 second places, and 13 thirds in an incredible 89 races. You can hear the most important one's on radio and see some vintage photos on TIME.


Something I found about it:
"Initially dismissed as lazy, it took the understanding of trainer Tom Smith to bring out the best in Sea Biscuit - and create an American legend. He raced at a time when unemployment and poverty stalked the land, but his sheer will to win transformed him from mere horse to inspiration. He wasn't unbeatable, and at times it looked as though injuries might overwhelm him, but his fighting spirit saw him through, including spectacular wins over War Admiral at Pimlico and Kayak II at Santa Anita."
and
"In the spring of 1939 Red Pollard married his private duty nurse, Agnes Conlon, who cared for him after he shattered his leg. The two married at Charles Howard's ranch in Ridgewood, California. The movie unfortunately omitted Agnes, who did play a significant part in Pollard's recovery and return to the track. It was actually Agnes who hung the medal of Saint Christopher around Pollard's neck for good luck on the day of Seabiscuit's last race, not Charles Howard's wife. Agnes and Red had two children, a daughter born in 1940 and son born several years later."

Seabiscuit died May 18, 1947, at the age of 14.
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Sunday, July 19, 2009

July 18th - Mandela Day

This weekend, on July 18th, was Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday.

Some of the world’s top musical talent gathered in New York to put on a three-hour spectacle celebrating Nelson Mandela’s birthday and life as well as the launch of the Mandela Day initiative.

Mandela Day is about ordinary people being positive. In short, Mandela Day celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, the ability to make an imprint.

46664 (four, double six, six four) was the prison number of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, Cape Town where he was held in captivity for 18 years. The issue in South Africa then was Apartheid. The issue today across the continent is AIDS. 30 million people in Africa are currently imprisoned by the HIV virus, a death sentence among the poor due to lack of affordable medicines -- since the start of the pandemic 2 decades ago, 17 million Africans have died. You can make a donation at 46664.

Thank you Vincent for visiting me on this special day and for the Great Heart moments spent together.
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Johnny Clegg

Jonathan (Johnny) Clegg, born 7 June 1953 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, is a musician from South Africa, who has recorded and performed with his bands Juluka and Savuka. Sometimes called Le Zoulou Blanc ("The White Zulu"), he is an important figure in South African popular music history, with songs that mix Zulu with English lyrics, and African with various Western European (such as Celtic) music styles.

Already in his youth, Johnny Clegg, a white, English-speaking person with what he called a "secular Jewish" upbringing in the UK, Israel, Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe), Zambia and South Africa, became interested in Zulu street music and took part in traditional Zulu dance competitions.

As a young man, in the early stages of his musical career, he combined his music with the study of anthropology, a subject which he also taught for a while at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he was influenced, among others, by the work of David Webster, a social anthropologist who was assassinated in 1989.

Clegg formed the first racially mixed South African band, Juluka (Juluka means "sweat", and was the name of a bull owned by Mchunu) , with gardener and Zulu musician Sipho Mchunu. In 1976 they had their first hit single Woza Friday. Because it was frowned upon (although not actually forbidden by law) for racially mixed bands to perform in South Africa during the apartheid era, their first album Universal Men released in 1979 received no air play on the state owned SABC, but it became a word-of-mouth hit.

The album "Work for All" picked up on South African trade union slogans in the mid-80's. Even more explicit was the later Savuka album Third World Child in 1987, with songs like "Asimbonanga" ("We haven't seen him"), which called for the release of Nelson Mandela, and which called out the names of three representative martyrs of the South African liberation struggle - Steve Biko, Victoria Mxenge, and Neil Aggett.


Juluka were able to tour in Europe and had two platinum and five gold albums becoming an international success. Juluka was disbanded in 1986, when Mchunu was asked by his father to return home and herd the family goats, although Mchunu made some solo recordings afterwards. Clegg went on to form his second inter-racial band, Savuka, continuing to blend African music with European, especially Celtic, influences. Savuka is based on the Zulu word for "we have risen" or "we have awakened".
The Savuka albums Shadow Man (which sold 250,000 copies within a week after its release went on to sell more than 1,000,000 copies in France alone), and Cruel Crazy, Beautiful World were dealing with more romantic topics, including "Cruel Crazy Beautiful World", where a father gives a message to his son, "Dela" where the essence of love is explored.


His song Scatterlings of Africa was featured on the sound track to the 1988 academy award wining film Rain Man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.In 2002 Clegg provided several songs and incidental background music for Jane Goodall's "Wild Chimpanzees" DVD.

In 2007, Clegg received an honorary doctorate in music from the University of the Witwatersrand. “It was a wonderful moment for me,” says Clegg. “The great irony for me is I don’t read a note of music! My music comes to me like it does to many Africans, through ear and feeling.” You can read an interview with Wits’ music man Johnny Clegg (or here).

46664 (four, double six, six four) is a series of AIDS charity concerts played in honour of Nelson Mandela by South African musicians in the 2000s.

2nd 46664 Concert 19.03.2005 in Fanfourt, SA




You can see more concert photos captured at Fête de l'humanité and at the Festival of World Sacred Music 2007.
On YouTube you can enjoy IMPI, Scatterlings of Africa, Great Heart, Dela (It means "Come Closer" in Zulu), Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World, Asimbonanga, Zulu Dance (Isoka liyatatazela'), December African Rain, In my African Dream, Siyayilanda and Kilimanjaro.
And others: Circle of Light, Devana, I Call Your Name, Inkunzi Ayihlabi Ngokumisa, Gijim'beke, Makhabeleni, Moliva, Sonqoba, Thula 'Mtanami, Unkosibomvu The Red King, Uwinile Unumber One, Wangizonda, Woza friday.

I enjoyed the most the documentaries and interviews Un Zoulou Blanc - The Dancer, Chez Ses Freres 1987, Zulu Street Guitar Songs, Interview 1 & 2, Interview Australia Tour 2005 1 - 2 - 3, Interview La Voix De La Liberte 1988, Report Festival 'Fiesta Sète' 2007, Asimbonanga & Nelson Mandela, Dis Hoe Dit Is, docu from Renaud 1987 (2), Interview France 12/2007, Oor Die Kole 1 & 2 and Scatterlings of Africa.

You can find more informations about him on the Official Johnny Clegg Website, Johnny Clegg Blog, Scatterlings Club, johnnyclegg.de.vu and In my African Dream website.
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Labuat - Soy tu aire

Herraiz & Soto y Badabing! han creado el site promocional del primer single de Labuat, ex cantante del programa OT, llamado Soy tu aire. Un site interactivo bajo un estilo limpio y efectivo. Y premio FWA!


Soy tu aire, soy de agua
hago surcos pequeñitos en la cara
derretida de tus canas
y voy entrando poco a poco,
muy poquito en tus cosquillas,
me acomodo, te incomodo, pa' que rías
y me cuelo en este enredo sin llamar,
sin avisar.
Soy tu aire, soy tu agua,
te me bebes, te atraganto
me respiras te salpico
te me tragas
y me entretengo juego un rato en tus recuerdos
me los pongo en mis enaguas,
hago trizas tus lamentos, creo fantasías locas
y confundo tu memoria con la punta de mis besos.

soy del aire
soy del agua
soy del aire
soy del agua

Pues lo dicen no me ates que me escapo entre medio de tus dedos
impasible te convierto lo imposible en impensado
y construyo entre un seguro un futuro improvisado
en que uno y uno no hagan dos
y los demás estén de mas
ya no sea nadie nadie nadie nadie nadie.

soy tu aire
soy tu agua
soy tu aire
soy tu agua
soy tu aire
soy tu agua...
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Buena Vista Social Club

En 1996, el compositor, productor y guitarrista Ry Cooder viajó hasta los Estudios Egrem, en La Habana, interesado en cierta música con ritmos provenientes de África. Si bien su búsqueda resultó infructuosa, esto no le impidió conocer a un grupo de legendarios músicos cubanos, que habían pasado prácticamente al olvido, cuyas edades fluctuaban entre los 60 y 80 años. El resultado fue Buena Vista Social Club, un álbum ganador de un Grammy cuyo éxito fue aclamado internacionalmente. Filmado en 1998, este documental registra el regreso de Cooder a Cuba, ocasión en la que se reúne con el vocalista Ibrahim Ferrer y el resto de los músicos con la intención de grabar un nuevo álbum. El director de cine Wim Wenders, junto a un reducido grupo de filmación, observó a los músicos en el estudio y rastreó sus vidas en La Habana. Así se dio inicio a este documental, que registra el viaje de los ancianos desde su país natal hasta la ciudad de Ámsterdam -donde ofrecieron dos conciertos-, y que finaliza en Nueva York, con una presentación en el Carnegie Hall.

More wikiinfo es and en.

Link
Dos gardenias para ti

Dos gardenias para tí,
con ellas quiero decir,
te quiero, te adoro, mi vida,
ponle toda tu atención,
porque son tu corazón y el mío.
Dos gardenias para tí,
que tendrán todo el calor de un beso,
de esos besos que te dí, y
que jamás encontrarás
en el calor de otro querer.
A tu lado vivirán,
y te hablarán como cuando estás conmigo,
y hasta creerás que te dirán te quiero.
Pero si un atardecer,
las gardenias de mi amor se mueren,
es porque han adivinado,
que tu amor se ha terminado,
porque existe otro querer.
Dos gardenias para tí,
que tendrán todo el calor de un beso,
de esos besos que te dí,
y que jamás encontrarás
en el calor de otro querer.
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Saturday, May 09, 2009

Sanskrit & Tibetan

Here I'll post interesting links about Sanskrit an Tibetan Language and Culture and I'll update them periodically.

Sanskrit

Altindische Grammatik - Jacob Wackernagel
Amarakosha
Bloomfield's A Vedic Concordance
Sanskrit Library
The Sanskrit Heritage and Sanskrit Grammarian
Tim Lubin Sanskrit Kavya
Wilbourhall
Whitney's Grammar
Yves Ramseier’s page on BhartRhari

Hindi, Hindustani and Urdu



Google Books

Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan by Tod vol 1
Asiatic Researches vol 3, 4 (4), 5 (5), 8, 9, 10, 12, 20 Index
The Encyclopedia of Indian philosophies by Potter vol 2, 3, 9,
Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol 6, 9
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol 2, 5, 8, 9
Narrative of the expedition to China by Bingham vol 1, 2
The Asiatic annual register, vol 1, 2, 9, 11
The Asiatic journal, vol 1 (1), 11, 23, 24
The Chinese repository, vol 3, 7, 11, 15, 16-20
Travels into Bokhara by Burnes vol 1, 2, 3

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Monday, May 04, 2009

Il Divo

Il Divo es un grupo internacional de ópera-pop. La creación de Il Divo fue una idea del productor musical Simon Cowell tras ver una actuación de Los Tres Tenores.

Así, en el 2001 se embarcó en la búsqueda de jóvenes talentos que conjugasen una buena voz con un aspecto físico impactante. Los escogidos fueron el español Carlos Marín (Barítono), el norteamericano David Miller (Tenor), el francés Sébastien Izambard (Voz popular) y el suizo Urs Bühler (Tenor).
Discografía:
Página web oficial y Il Divo “The Promise” Preview.

I wrote this after listening The Power of Love (La fuerza mayor).

Sebastien:
Yo te protegeré de tus miedos
Soy tu príncipe azul
Angel del cielo
No hay más que temer

Carlos:
Hoy como ayer siempre
Me vas a tener

Solo importa tu amor
Dámelo aquí estoy

David:
La fuerza mayor está en el amor
Es interior
La meta es darlo de veras
Mostrarlo sin razón
Con el corazón

Urs:
Yo prometo que te cuidaré
Y para amarte solo viviré
Cuando triste estés allí estaré
Con este inmenso amor que yo siento por ti
Y nunca llorarás
Tú serás lo único

[Todos]

Amar es comprensión
Es dar completo el corazón
Es besarnos perdonarnos
Es un tesoro, un gran regalo

Sebastien:
Solo importa tu amor
Dámelo aquí estoy

[Todos 2x]
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Saturday, May 02, 2009

Amita Bhose and Cicerone Poghirc

Today I found with sadness that on April, 15, Prof. Cicerone George D. Poghirc (b. March 28, 1928), a great Romanian linguist and orientalist, left us for a better world. I have good memories about Professor Poghirc, with which I talked shortly at the phone, when, years ago, he helped my good friend I. D. to publish his Sanskrit - Romanian dictionary (Verbal Roots). I deeply regret that I never had the opportunity to met him.

Those of you, understanding romanian, can read the obituary and a bibliography.

I also regret that I never met Prof. Amita Bhose (February 9, 1933 - October 24, 1992) with which I think I have not only one thing in common and whose writings I like very much. On 1959, by chance, she arrived in Romania which finally turn to be 'one of the capital and revealing events of her life'. After learning Romanian language, she said that she 'discovered a world'. She sustained her doctor's degree in Bucharest, producing an ample and detailed research work on our national poet Mihai Eminescu, Eminescu and India issued in 1978 by the Junimea Publishing House of Iaşi, in the prestigious Eminesciana collection. She translated many romanian litterary works in bengali language and was professor at the Department of Oriental Languages (Bucharest University).

Many other informations about Prof. Amita Bhose can be found at the website dedicated to her amitabhose.net.
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Thursday, April 09, 2009

Is Everything Relative ?

I had a big ‘existential’ problem lately. It was about how the notion of Relativity is generalized by some friends of mine to nearly everything in our society and even to the truth itself. It was a big and long dispute. I found it strange that I had a different idea about the subject.
It was practically the refrain of modern life I doubted: "Everything's relative."
  • Please ask yourself very carefully, if this statement is really true
  • Did Einstein showed exactly that, in his work ?
  • Can Einstein's Relativity Theory be considered also a Philosophical Theory not only a physical one ?
After some moments of thought, you can find the answer here, competently exposed by the Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Ray Bradley.
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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Doña Isabel Cobos de Porcel

Francisco de GOYA y Lucientes (1746 - 1828)
National Gallery, London - Bought, 1896
Original dimensions: 54.6cm x 82.0cm (21.5in x 32.3in)

Esta hermosa mujer va vestida de maja, según la moda popular femenina vigente a finales del siglo XVIII y principios del XIX. Su esposo Antonio Porcel también fue retratado por Goya el mismo año (1806), como expresión de la gratitud del pintor por la hospitalidad recibida del matrimonio, seguramente en su casa de Granada. Porcel era protegido de Godoy, el favorito de la reina María Luisa, y socio de un amigo de Goya, el escritor y político liberal Jovellanos.

Goya debía de sentirse satisfecho con este retrato, porque lo exhibió en la Real Academia de San Fernando. La belleza y vivacidad de la retratada y el atractivo vestido, que no oculta el brillo de la seda debajo de la mantilla, están emparejados con la habilidad de Goya en la factura. En algunas de sus obras Goya incluyó mujeres para satirizar la locura y vanidad del sexo, pero el artista también fue capaz de dar una respuesta ante la visión de una mujer deslumbrante, segura de su belleza y posición.

Puede ver una imagen zoomable de alta resolución en el sitio Web de NG y un detalle aquí:

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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Ginevra de' Benci

Ginevra de' Benci (Born 1457) was a lady of the aristocratic class in 15th century Florence, admired for her intelligence by Florentine contemporaries. She is the subject of one of only about 17 existing paintings attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. The oil-on-wood portrait was permanently acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., USA, in 1967 for US$5 million paid to the Princely House of Liechtenstein, a record price at the time. This portrait is currently the only painting by Leonardo in the Americas.
You can also see it on a high resolution zoomable image at NGA.
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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Matila Ghyka

Prince Matila Costiescu Ghyka (September 13, 1881–July 14, 1965), was a poet, novelist, mathematician, historian, and diplomat, and the Romanian Plenipotentiary Minister in the United Kingdom during the late 1930s and until 1940. Recently, a good friend (I.D.) - which continuously surprise me - put him under my eyes.
In his book 'The Geometry of Art and Life' pleads for a mathematical theory of aesthetics talking about the fascinating relationship between geometry, aesthetics, nature and the human body. This classic study probes the geometric interrelationships between art and life in discussions that range from Plato, Pythagoras and Archimedes to modern architecture and art, flowers, shells and marine life, the human face and much, much more. Also explored: the Golden Section, geometrical shapes on the plane, geometrical shapes in space, crystal lattices and many other fascinating topics.
You can read more about him here (or in romanian). Also, there were published recently 3 articles in romanian: Matila Ghyka, everywhere and nowhere, Following the traces of Matila C. Ghyka and Matila Ghyka in America.
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Monday, January 05, 2009

Parrot and squirrel in Hampi

I've capture it on June 2006 during my visit of Hampi, Karnataka, India, which was one of the most beautiful place I've seen in my life. I think the parrot only wanted to be left alone... and 'regretted' it after that. The scenery was beautiful from there, directly to the Zenana enclosure, very close of Lotus Mahal. You can see it here (where Maruthu Pandian have a nice capture) or here (one of so many nice photos of Jol Laurijsen) or take a 360 degrees tour around. May be I'll post sometime, other pictures from there.


If you'll have the occasion to be somewhere close of it, please don't miss it.
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Saturday, January 03, 2009

Schmap Salzburg Sixth Edition

A photo which I took during my visit of Salzburg, two years ago, has been selected for inclusion in the newly released sixth edition of Schmap Salzburg Guide:

I'm really pleased. The museum Haus der Natur is great. Don't miss it if you'll visit sometime Salzburg. Can somebody tell me the latin scientific name of it ?
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