HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALEX

As the minutes and hours tick away toward the end of another year and toward the beginning of a New Year, I have one final, meaningless, inane, and foolish observation to make about the species often referred to as “homo sapiens.” Despite the inevitable pain, suffering, illness, and disappointment that will greet many us in the New Year, we, nevertheless, will continue to strive and expand, explore and discover, invent and astonish. We might be flawed, but more than anything, we are survivors. To family, friends, ex-friends, and foes I bid you a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Celebrating Genius – Martin Scorsese

In my lifetime, there has been only been a handful of films that have truly captured and celebrated the beauty and magic of the cinema. Off hand, Francois Trauffaut’s “Day for Night” and Woody Allen’s “Purple Rose of Cairo.” Yesterday, I had the great honor of seeing Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo.” It not only pays homage to greaert inventors and artists of the early cinema but might be the most beautiful film I have ever seen. Thank you, Mr. Scorsese, for your diligence in preserving the films of the great cinematic artists of the past and for making some of the greatest films and works of art in cinematic history.

For a beautiful picture of the key art for the film, check out Trend Rabbit’s post by clicking on this link:  http://bit.ly/rQLNVd

 

 

 

Catch some great shots of NY

New York City Street Photography | New York, NY.
by mattalbertsphotography.com on October 26, 2011

The late, great Joe Frazier

A note about the late boxing champ, Joe Frazier…For those who don’t think we have made strives toward racial harmony let me speak as someone who grew up during the Frazier/Ali era. In short, we have made major strives and in no small part Joe Frazier contributed mightily toward that goal. He represented a hard working black man in a country deeply divided. Our thanks go out to you, Champ.

Abraham Lincoln

Thank you Mr. Lincoln. You saved the union and now we live in the most perfect country in the world.

History

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Exactly one year later, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was chosen to lead the newly formed Confederate States of America as its president. Find out more about these two political leaders and the role they played during the American Civil War here: http://bit.ly/ubXVPX

Picture credit: Building on Lincoln’s Legacy Abraham Lincoln – DebtOutOf.com

Support Martinez, not Republicans

Military Veterans

I know you probably want to take me to task for asking you to vote on DANCING WITH THE STARS. I admit that I was suckered in by my wife, but I keep watching because of J.R. Martinez.

Martinez is a vet who was burned over 40% of his body and had massive facial injuries. Yet, there he is, dancing for all to see. Not only does he portray the confidence of Cary Grant, but the man is doing his best Astaire.

Log on to abc.com and vote for Martinez. He gave a lot. Give him a minute of your time.

Thanks for reading our blog at https://nynewsman.wordpress.com/

P.S.  I would like to thank the Republicans for giving me so many concrete reasons not to vote for any of you. Presidents Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Lincoln would be appalled by your actions. Way to go!!!!

Celebrating Genius – Part 2

The dream is not senseless, not absurd, does not presuppose that a part of our store of ideas is dormant while another part begins to awaken. It is a psychic phenomenon of full value, and indeed the fulfilment of a wish.
—The Interpretation of Dreams
Sigmund
Freud

Celebrating Genius

Celebrating Genius
“The most heavenly gifts seem to be showered on certain human beings. Sometimes supernaturally, marvelously, they all congregate in one individual. . . . This was seen and acknowledged by all men in the case of Leonardo da Vinci, who had. . . an indescribable grace in every effortless act and deed. His talent was so rare that he mastered any subject to which he turned his attention. . . . He might have been a scientist if he had not been so versatile.” Giorgio Vasari

 

 

Get smarter as you get older!

There’s still HOPE!

IQ Not Fixed as Once Believed, Study Suggests

online.wsj.com

A teenager’s IQ can rise or fall as many as 20 points in just a few years, a brain-scanning team found in a study published Wednesday that suggests the intelligence measure isn’t as fixed as once thought.

Books You Read, Books You Finish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books You Read, Books You Finish.

Courtesy: Eleventh Stack  – This article courtesy of Eleventh Stack.  Please follow the link above for the story.