Crónicas [DVD] = Chronicles written and directed by Sebastián Cordero. Recommended on 4/16/06.
An ultimately disturbing film, well acted and all of the gruesomeness is implied not shown which adds to the ambiance of the film.

The botany of desire: a plant's-eye view of the world by Pollan, Michael. Recommended on 4/16/06.
Examines the relationship between plants and humans. (The hypothesis being humans are manipulated by plants in various ways for the benefit of plants.)

Mafia [cd-music] by Black Label Society (Musical group) Recommended on 4/16/06.
Has an updated Black Sabbath sound with Guns N Roses nuisances.

8 men and a duck : an improbable voyage by reed boat to Easter Island by Nick Thorpe. Recommended on 4/16/06.
If you were ever intrigued by the possibility of sailing from the coast of Peru to Easter Island Heyerdahlesque style, this may be the book for you. It is an account of a crew that includes eight men and a duck on a traditional Peruvian reed boat. It is filled with adventures, problems, and the inconsistencies of nature and human behavior.

Clandestino [cd-music] by Chao, Manu. Recommended on 4/16/06.
This entire album is upbeat and fun. Most of the songs are in French and Spanish, neither of which I understand very well, but one gets the impression that some of the lyrics may be cheeky. “Mentira” is such a catchy, happy song it has me taking a stab at singing along in mimicked Spanish. The playful use of brass in several songs acts as a vocal substitute, most notably in track 10.

Dead calm [DVD] Warner Bros. Recommended on 4/16/06.
The cast of this movie is quite small, but stunning. It features Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane. A couple has been out at sea for a month, and encounters the lone survivor of a sinking boat. Be warned, it does have scary bits that merit the “R” rating.

The chorus [DVD] = Les choristes Miramax Films. Recommended on 4/16/06.
This film has a simple tale to tell, but it is done masterfully. The soundtrack is tremendous. It is a pleasant fluff sort of film, and I enjoyed it fully.

Funny in Farsi : a memoir of growing up Iranian in America by Dumas, Firoozeh. Recommended on 4/16/06.
I was encouraged to read this book by a friend, whom I ought to thank for the recommendation. Ms. Dumas allows her readers to glimpse into her past which she shares as if she were confiding it with a close chum. She offers a unique perspective on what effects politics has on those caught between stereotypes. It is also very, very quick and humorous read.

Karma and effect [cd-music] by Seether. Recommended on 4/16/06.
(Musical group) While listening to Karma & Effect, I felt I was listening to an extended version of Disclaimer. I must confess that I was pleased that they remained consistent with their musical repertoire.

Punk: attitude [DVD]. Recommended on 3/24/06.
An interesting take on what the punk scene was and what sort of impact it had on society. The Henry Rollins interview on the second disc provides a nice summary of events.

Brothers [DVD]. Recommended on 3/24/06.
A contemporary war movie that touches on the psychological consequences for soldiers and their families offered from a Danish perspective.

Land of the dead [cd-music]. Recommended on 3/24/06.
Spooky, spooky, spook-y. This would be a great Halloween party background album. I do not recommend listening to it alone and in the dark.

The sinister urge [cd-music], by Zombie, Rob. Recommended on 3/24/06.
This album is great from start to finish! The coup de grâce literally is the last track, “House of 1000 Corpses”. It's creepy, sinister, has plenty of drama and phenomenal vocal and instrumental passages.

Murderball [DVD]. Recommended on 3/24/06.
This film provides an interesting view of a group of quadriplegic rugby players, and also received the Special Jury Prize and Audience Award for Documentary from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

Haunted cities [cd-music], by the Transplants. Recommended on 3/24/06.
Primal and surging with energy Haunted Cities is banal, but fun. This is an excellent get-all-your-chores-done cd.

Everything is illuminated : a novel, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Recommended on 3/24/06.
Everything is Illuminated is irreverently funny, and even though the multiple character-as-author paradigm can be confusing, it is well worth the effort.

Aitara [cd-music], by Värttinä. Recommended on 3/24/06.
If Värttinä is indicative of Finnish folk music, I am bound to look for more. The vocal harmonies were melodious and “sweet”. The tone was somber for one track, but the rest were happy and energetic. There is an interesting mini-orchestra of instruments behind these beautiful voices including: bouzouki, reeds, whistles, standing bass, Hammond organ, 5-row accordion, violin, kantele (a traditional Finnish zither with up to 30 strings), cimbalom, guitars, cümbüs tanbur and drums. Simply put, Aitara was a treat to listen to.

Women sailors and sailors' women : an untold maritime history, by David Cordingly. Recommended on 3/24/06.
Cordingly presents a full spectrum of women’s roles as associated with sailing during the 18th and 19th centuries. He describes the histories of women who served as sailors enduring years of having to “pass” as being male in very close quarters, women pirates, wives of navy men who journeyed with their husbands, wives who were left to wait for their sailors to return, comfort women who traveled on ships with a status equivalent to chattel, and all manner of port side prostitutes—all of these women’s lives were deeply impacted by sailing in some fashion. I found this book to be enlightening, and engaging.

I, Claudius [DVD] Recommended on 3/24/06.
Forget that this was produced in the latter 70's. Sian Phillips plays a hands down impressive job at playing Livia, the archetypical evil step-mother—trouble is this is based on Robert Graves's books on Claudius which were derived from Claudius's autobiography. At any rate, by the second episode you will be sucked into watching the entire thirteen episodes. Brian Blessed and John Hurt play Augustus and Caligula respectively. Their performances are a bit over the top, but it fits. Once finished, you’ll feel better informed about ancient Roman aristocracy, and be very pleased you never saw it first hand.

Stolen lives : twenty years in a desert jail, by Malika Oufkir and Michèle Fitoussi. Recommended on 2/10/06.
Stolen Lives is an incredibly intimate story which recounts a young woman's early years living an aristocratic and privileged life until her father was executed for treason. After which her entire family was imprisoned. Ten of the twenty years spent in prison were in solitary confinement. The pages turn by themselves almost, and after reading this magnificently told tale, one is left to reflect on the nature of privilege and to determine what the necessities of life are.

Emotive [cd-music], by Perfect Circle (Musical group). Recommended on 2/10/06.
Emotive was panned by many music critics. One of the reasons cited was that A Perfect Circle took iconic songs, and turned them...dark. It is for that reason that the album appealed to me. It was interesting to hear unique interpretations of such classics as "Imagine", "What's Going On", and "When the Levee Breaks". The recording is of high quality, though it does have a soundtrack feel.

Schultze gets the Blues [DVD]. Recommended on 2/10/06.
As an allegoric tale, I found this film to be tremendously evocative. Shortly after retirement the title character searches for things to engage him in his newly found leisure time. Kismet being tempted, he happens to hear a Cajun melody that he finds irresistible. He starts to play the tune on his accordion, enters a music contest, and as the prize is sent to a music festival in Texas. Though out the film many people lend him a helping hand, and he ends up in a bar where that originally enticing melody is playing. The pace of this film is decidedly German, but stay with it, it does have a really satisfying ending.

The sorrows of young Werther, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Recommended on 2/10/06.
The Sorrows of Young Werther is one of my all time favorite reads. It's filled with angst, obsessive compulsive behavior, and is a first person account of supreme depression. It has a realistic gothic flavor that stays with the reader long after the novel is finished.

The best best of Fela Kuti [cd-music]. Recommended on 2/10/06.
Fela Kuti was known for his politically active lyrics. He is also known for incorporating afrobeat style—jazz, funk and traditional African musical forms. Water No Get Enemy is one of my favorite tracks on this compilation.

The fever trail : in search of the cure for malaria, by Honigsbaum, Mark. Recommended on 12/30/05.
European exploration of the 18th and 19th centuries lead to a great loss of life, much of which was attributed to Malaria. Honigbaum leads us through the search for a cure through Quinine. The process by which it was found, and through the efforts to try to transport and refine cinchona are retold remarkably. The French, Dutch and English all had concerted parts in this story. Honigbaum has a knack for illustrating the adventure and science of this period of history.

Candide, by Voltaire, 1694-1778. Recommended on 12/30/05.
This slim novella is packed with scathing commentary of political systems, moral corruption, socio-economic disparity, religion to name a few, but it is written in the form of satire which makes this harsh view of reality a bit easier to digest. Ultimately, the title character wanders through several misadventures and realizes that it is his intrinsic optimism which has allowed him to remain sane in such conditions. He also learns the satisfaction of choosing to lead a simplistic, unfettered life.

Zen arcade [cd-music], by Hüsker Dü. Recommended on 12/30/05.
Being post-punk and pre-hardcore Hüsker Dü had a hard time making their way through the musical transitionism of the 80’s, yet they hold their place in history as being noted for being dynamic and musically influential. Zen Arcade samples the wide range of Hüsker Dü’s talents from teen angst anthems to a their interpretation of the romantic ballad. The lyrical themes are greatly varied as well. There are commentaries on the effects of divorce on youth, failure to meet parental standards, heroin addition, and the superfluous and psychologically damaging nature of unrelenting media. Tracks of note are: Something I Learned Today; Broken Home, Broken Heart; Standing By the Sea; Pink Turns to Blue; and Turn on the News.

Born into brothels [DVD], a film by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski. Recommended on 12/30/05.
The intent of this documentary is to attempt to find a means by which young children of the prostitutes of Calcutta are allowed a avenue to escape the desperate reality of their mothers, and often times mothers’ mothers. It is difficult to watch at times. But, it is true to its cause as it does make people aware of the compacted problems that effect these children, hopefully leading them to help in some way, if only to recommend viewing the film to others.

The professor and the madman: a tale of murder, insanity, and the making of the Oxford English dictionary, by Winchester, Simon. Recommended on 12/5/2005.
A freakishly interesting book based on two of the men responsible for the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The narrative is incredibly descriptive and details little known minutiae regarding the American Civil War and, of course, riveting particulars about the OED. This book also touches on crime and punishment of the 19th century, insanity, and extreme self-mutilation.

The life aquatic with Steve Zissou [cd-music] : original soundtrack. Recommended on 12/5/2005.
This soundtrack has some great background music. The Seu Jorge renditions of several David Bowie classics are intriguing, and well-done.

Das Boot [DVD/VHS]. Recommended on 12/5/2005.
An emotive film which follows the crew of a German U-boat during World War II; it is masterfully directed and executed.

Gipsy kings [cd-music], by Gipsy Kings (Musical group). Recommended on 12/1/2005.
Fiery, saucy music punctuated with amazing guitar passages - should evoke the listener to a state of pleasantness demonstrated by an ear-to-ear grin.

Sleeper [DVD]. Recommended on 12/1/2005.
Some people don't care for Woody Allen. If you find yourself in this category, I appeal to you to give "Sleeper" a try. It is has a fine combination of slapstick and cerebral humor. Miles Monroe (played by Allen) is an everyday fella who wakes up 200 years after going into the hospital for a minor surgery. "Sleeper" details his experiences in his new environment with great hilarity.

Galapagos, by Kurt Vonnegut. Recommended on 11/1/2005.
Galapagos is a hilarious yet thought provoking book which details the fictional account of a small, varied group of travelers.

13 Songs [cd-music] - Fugazi. Recommended on 11/1/2005.
Hardcore, straight-edge…however one chooses to define the musicality of Fugazi, it's still just darn good music! To boot, they add political and social commentary which gives the mind a little something to chew on. Tracks of particular interest: “Suggestion” and “Promises”.

Sexy Beast [DVD]. Recommended on 11/1/2005.
Imagine the antithesis of the role of Gandhi (played by Ben Kingsley who was awarded an Oscar for that 1982 performance), and you have Don Logan…the antagonist of the film “Sexy Beast”. It is an engaging, graphic tale of a retired gangster who is contacted to pull off one last job. This isn’t your typical “one last job” film. I have all the more respect for Ben Kingsley to be able to play both roles convincingly.

When the Emperor Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka. Recommended on 11/1/2005.
A quick read with unique devices to affect the perspective of the reader. Although this book is touted as a work of fiction, the imagery is phenomenal, and provides a vivid glimpse into America’s recent past. Reading this book causes one to reflect on the experiences of prejudice.