Nana Mouskouri, a Fine Singer

I ran across Nana Mouskouri on You Tube and was impressed.  I purchased her album, Falling in Love Again, Great Songs from the Movies, and I enjoy it very much.  YouTube is wonderful for exploring.  Next time you are on YouTube, check out Nana!  Nana Mouskouri is Greek, but as several albums in English.

Robert

Article on Computer Chess

The Wall Street Journal recently printed a fine article about computer chess within the chess community.  When Deep Blue defeated Gary Kasparov, some people thought interest in chess would wane.  People still love chess and the chess community has adopted the use of computers.  I recommend this article if you are a chess player.  It can be found online by Googling The Cyber-Renaissance in Chess by Christopher Chabris and David Goodman.  If you subscribe to the WSJ, the article is in the Saturday 11/23/2013 edition, page C3.

If you are not familiar with the Deep Blue vs Gary Kasparov chess match, you might enjoy the documentary, Game Over.  You can view it on Netflix or purchase it at Amazon.  The documentary gives you a glimpse of the true contest:  IBM & a team of grandmasters vs Gary Kasparov.  The contest was really man vs. corporation, not man vs. machine.  There were many forces in play during that match.  The documentary does a fine job of peeling back a few of the layers of complexity surrounding the event and delivering a dramatic story at the same time.

Robert

PFC Steven Canright, Vietnam Casualty

PFC Steven Craig Canright: born March 02, 1948, died Oct 27, 1968, in Bihn Duong, South Vietnam.  He is on the Wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  Here he is on the Virtual Wall.

Thank you, cousin, for giving "the last full measure of devotion."

Robert Canright

PS
I am not the Robert Canright who retired as a 1st Sgt from the USMC.  That Robert Canright is another cousin, a fine man I am fortunate to have met along with his kind wife Eileen.

Tribute to Winston Churchill

There is an excellent tribute to Winston Churchill on YouTube.  The tribute is entitled "The Valiant Man."  It focuses on the state funeral of Churchill, but includes snippets from some of his speeches and a montage of photos of his life. 

Set aside a half hour sometime and watch this video, and remember how dangerous the world was when he was made Prime Minister. That era was more incredible than any work of fiction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k5qzYwtNfY

If you don't want to click on the link, go to YouTube and search for The Valiant Man by piddflicks (28 minutes).

I found it a moving presentation, as you might.

Robert

Richard Canright at ARPA/DARPA

All Canrights are related.  There was once a Richard Canright at ARPA.  Today the institution is called DARPA, but all references to Richard Canright are linked to the ARPA name.  I once flew to Washington, D.C., to present to DARPA on an engineering project.  It is nice to know a relative had once worked at DARPA.

We have this:  "Robert Young recruited Richard B. Canright from Douglas Aircraft, where he had been assistant chief engineer of missile systems.", from this article history.nasa.gov/SP-4404/ch9-6.htm

Searching for "Richard Canright" and "rocket" on Google turns up a number of hits.

We have this:  "In July 1958 von Braun was visited by Dick Canright and Bob Young of ARPA, who informed von Braun they still had $10 million left in their budget to spend before ABMA was turned over to NASA. von Braun called in Koelle, who presented a 1/10 scale model of the Juno V, still equipped with the E-1 engine. Canright and Young noted that the engine wouldn't be ready in time for the handoff, and asked if the rocket could be built with an existing engine instead. Koelle suggested that eight engines from the existing S-3D series could be used in place of the E-1, and everyone approved", from Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-1_%28rocket_engine%29

DARPA TECHNICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF SELECTED DARPA PROJECTS, Volume I, mentions R. Canright in a few spots:  http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/Science_and_Technology/DARPA/301.pdf

Richard B. Canright was born on October 19, 1917, and died on July 21, 1992 at 74 years old.

I have noticed a lot of Canright are involved in mathematics, science, and engineering, but Canrights do engage in many different vocations.

Robert Canright

Austenland is a Hoot

A Review of the movie Austenland

Austenland is a funny film.  The premise is that ladies can role play at living in the world of a Jane Austen novel.  Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) spends all her money to fly from the US to England to stay at Austenland.  Jane is obsessed with the world of Jane Austen and is disappointed in her own life.  Jennifer Coolidge (from Legally Blonde) is another American staying at Austenland, as is Georgia King, playing the role of Lady Amelia Heartwright .  These three actresses are great at comedy.  Jane Seymour played Mrs. Wattlesbrook , the practical proprietor of Austenland is the foil to the hopefulness of Jane Hayes.  The female actresses were outstanding and had me laughing throughout the film. The actors J.J. Feild, Bret McKenzie, Ricky Wittle, and James Callis all did excellent work.

You might enjoy the movie more if you have seen at least one film version of Pride and Prejudice.  It helps to know who Mr. Darcy is.

I laughed throughout the film and I recommend it.

Robert

Architecture Shows on Netflix

Netflix has a number of shows on architecture.  I will list the ones I have seen and provide a brief description of the shows.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
This 60 minute video gives a wonderful tour of Fallingwater, the famous house built over a waterfall.  The video provides some history of the construction of the house and the interaction between the home owner, Edgar Kaufmann, Sr., and the Frank Lloyd Wright.  You get a very nice tour of the home's interior.  You get excellent documentary comments from Lynda Waggoner (Vice President of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Director of. Fallingwater) and Richard Cleary (professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture).  The home looks different from many angles. and this video shows many views of home.  You also get a tour of the guest house.  I've seen many photos of Fallingwater, but this video is the best.  This video is a treasure.  I have viewed it more than once.  The Kaufmann family donated the home and extensive property to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which provides  tours of the house.  Fallingwater is a national treasure.  In addition to the video, there are three slide shows included in the DVD.

The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright
This is part of the "America's Castles" series from Arts & Entertainment.  The show takes you to the three homes of Frank Lloyd Wright:  his home in Oak Park, Chicago; his home Taliesin in Wisconsin; and Taliesin West in Arizona.  It is 50 minutes long and you get very nice tours of the three homes.  I particularly liked Taliesin in Wisconsin.  You get a nice tour of the home's interior, which is beautiful.  The show includes interviews with experts and a description of the life of Frank Lloyd Wright.

My Architect: A Son's Journey
The architect Louis Kahn designed the Kimbell Museum in Ft. Worth.  Kahn created some fabulous buildings.  My favorites are the National Assembly Building in Bangladesh and the library at Phillips Exeter Academy.  The show takes you to the Salk Institute, his most famous work, but I did not care for it.  Kahn led a strange life.  The film was made by the son he avoided: Nathaniel Kahn, born out of wedlock.  Louis Kahn's life was a mess and he died alone and penniless, but his buildings are fascinating.

I will add more later.

Robert

Movie Review: White House Down is Great

I chose to see White House Down yesterday because it seemed the least objectionable of the movies I had not seen.  This movie was a pleasant surprise.  It was a lot of fun.  I had said to myself, "This will just be Die Hard at the White  House." But the movie has a great cast that pulls off the movie very well.  There were a couple of times the audience applauded the film.  That is a rare event.

The leads were fine:  Channing Tatum as the Secret Service job applicant, Jamie Fox as President, and Maggie Gyllenhaal all did a fine job.  The key to the movie's success is the cast of supporting characters, headed by James Woods.  Lance Reddick, who played Colonel Boyles in The Fringe, plays an army general here.  Nicolas Wright (Donnie the Guide) was popular with the audience.  Several more actors were very engaging, but I'll stop typing names now.

See it.  You will enjoy it!

Robert

PS:  I went to see Olympus Has Fallen and left the theater shaking my head.  Olympus Has Fallen was pretty bad.  The special effects for the invasion of the White House were good, but the movie was a dud.

Ocean Seafood & Grill (Plano)

I enjoy and recommend the Ocean Seafood & Grill restaurant in Plano, Texas.  Why wait in line at Red Lobster when you can get good seafood at a local restaurant without waiting?

The Ocean Seafood & Grill restaurant has been in Plano for years.  It moved from the Northwest corner of Parker & Independence to its present location at the Northeast corner of Spring Creek and Coit.  The address is 3829 W. Spring Creek Pkwy, #105, Plano.  It is located back from the street.  It is hard to see from Spring Creek.  You need to pull into the lot, drive past the Urgent Care medical building, and look for the restaurant.

On their House Specialties menu I can say I have enjoyed the Seafood Imperial.  The creamy lobster sauce is tasty without being too creamy or too heavy.  They also have a daily menu that is not on the website.  I have enjoyed Alaskan Salmon from their daily menu. 

The decor is attractive.  They have large, beautiful fish in tanks that are a pleasure to watch.  They had good service.  It was a good dining experience.

Here is their website:
http://www.ocean-seafood-grill.com/

I hope you enjoy it!

Robert

My Cousin's Book

I thought I would mention a book published by a cousin of mine.  Undoing Time: The Cultural Memory of an Italian Prison by Eleanor Canright Chiari.

Book Review: The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth

The New York Times Book Review, Sunday, November 27, 2005, had a review of the book, The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth by Benjamin M. Friedman.  Dr. Friedman is a professor at Harvard.

Here is a link to the review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/books/review/27easterbrook.html

The title of the review is, The Capitalist Manifesto.  The reviewer is GREGG EASTERBROOK.  I highly recommend the review.  The gist of the book is that growth is key to effecting political and social liberalization.

Economic growth is a topic whose importance is overlooked by too many people.

Robert

Adding Skills on Your LinkedIn Profile

The LinkedIn website adds skills to your LinkedIn Profile and invites your contacts to endorse you.  I have a number of skills on my profile, but I have not added a single one of them.  I believe my contacts have been notified by the website, not by me, to endorse me for the skills the website has added.

The website has done a fine job listing skills I have, but wonder about the appropriateness of LinkedIn to modify my profile and communicate to my contacts on my behalf.

Isn't this over-reaching?

Robert

Soren Kierkegaard the Philosopher

Soren Kierkegaard was mentioned twice in today's New York Times (Sunday 5/5/2013).  In the book reviews there was an interview with Robert Bly where he was asked this question:  "Which books have had the most impact on you as a writer?"  His answer was:  "One was “The Present Age,” by Kierkegaard. He predicts the rise of savagery. It is all around us now as we’re becoming more and more a sibling society."

I read Kierkegaard in high school and the experience changed my life.

The second article was "Rogue Philosopher, Great Communicator" by JEFFREY FRANK.   It is on page 6 of the Sunday Review section (5/5/13).  The article trots out interesting facts about Kierkegaard, then discusses a theory of indirect communication.  If you want to see an example of indirect communication, I think the book "Fatal Strategies" by Jean Baudrillard fits into that category.  There are other ways to describe his writing style, which does not fit neatly into a single box.

Soren Kierkegaard was born 200 years ago today:  May 5, 1813.  That is why there were two articles about him today.  I'm glad he is remembered.

Razors Direct Review II

Back on December 4, 2011 I wrote about Razors Direct.  It is time to update info on razors.  The Wilkinson Sword Super II Plus was available at Walmart for a good price back then, but not now. You can get Schick disposable razors at Walmart, 12 for $1.97 (16 cents each).  If you use 1 razor/day then the cost is $1.15/week.  You can still purchase Personna Twin II Plus (Non-Pivot), 100 Cartridges for $39.99.  At one cartridge/week, the cost is only 40 cents per week.  I feel comfortable using 1 cartridge/week.  If I changed the Twin II cartridge in the  middle of the week, it would still be cheaper than using a Schick disposable daily, but at $1.15/week the disposable Schick is a good choice.  I do hate throwing away all that plastic every day, so I am inclined to pick the Personna Twin II over the disposable Schick.

The Marquee Twin Blade, as I mentioned in the past, was not good enough to last an entire week.  You had to change that blade at least once during the week.  Razors Direct no longer sells the Marquee Twin Blade.

In summary, you have 2 excellent choices for an economical shave: the Personna Twin II in packs of 100 from Razors Direct, or the Schick disposable from Walmart.

Robert

Since I posted this, Razors Direct has changed.  They now only have the  Personna Twin Pivot Plus.  The manufacturer has discontinued the Personna Twin II.  The Personna Twin Pivot Plus will work with most Trac II compatible razors.  It does work with the Col. Ichabod Conk Double Track Handle, which is sold by Razors Direct.
Here is a link to an earlier review:
Review: Razors Direct   December 4, 2011

UCF Grad Running US Secret Service

I was pleased to read in the Wall Street Journal, Wednesday March 27, 2013, that the new director of the U.S. Secret Service is a graduate of the University of Central Florida.  Julia Pierson graduated from UCF and started her career in law enforcement as a police officer in Orlando, Florida.  She joined the Secret Service in 1983 and was named Director by the President of the United States.

I got my masters degree from UCF and am always happy to see another UCF grad doing well.

Robert

The article was, "Woman to Direct Secret Service" by Jared A. Favole

Movie The Gatekeepers is Important

The movie The Gatekeepers is out now and playing at the Angelika Theater in Plano.  The Gatekeepers features interviews with all surviving former directors of the Israeli Security Agency, called the Shin Bet.  This is an amazing film.  You can read a review of the movie from the Boston Globe: Inside the minds of Israel’s gatekeepers By Ty Burr.

You can think of the Israeli Security agency as being like our F.B.I.  But Israel is surrounded by people who want to destroy it, so the Shin Bet cannot be like our F.B.I. because our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, are not like Israel's neighbors.

It is an amazing film about the difficulties Israel faces and the challenges the Shin Bet faces in keeping the people of Israel safe.  The six former directors of the Shin Bet were remarkably open about the pickle they are in, trying to keep Israel safe.

The Middle-East is a dangerous place, a powder keg, and this movie helps us understand some of the tensions in that part of the world.  I highly recommend this movie.

Robert Canright