Log24

Saturday, October 1, 2011

The Crowe Sphere

Filed under: General — Tags: — m759 @ 4:00 am

From Wallace Stevens's "A Primitive Like an Orb"—

But the virtuoso never leaves his shape,
Still on the horizon elongates his cuts,
And still angelic and still plenteous,
Imposes power by the power of his form.

See also the film Virtuosity  and The Crowe Sphere
(a Log24 search that includes, by accident, a post
with the phrase "he crowed exultantly.").

Such a crowing: Cagney's classic "Top of the world!"

Those who seek significance in the name of Crowe's
character in Virtuosity , "SID 6.7," may consult yesterday's
Primordiality and a related post of 6.7 (June 7), 2010.
(For the "SID" part, see Caesar in this journal and Gladiator.)

Monday, March 15, 2010

For the Ides of March

Filed under: General — m759 @ 1:06 pm

A Funny Thing Happened…

http://www.log24.com/log/pix10/100315-NYTobits.gif

"Beware the Jabberwock!" — Joshua

http://www.log24.com/log/pix10/100310-AliceAndJoshua2.jpg

Alice and Joshua in Central Park

(See "He Ain't Heavy," March 10)

"Do you like movies about gladiators?"

Thursday, April 7, 2005

Thursday April 7, 2005

Filed under: General — m759 @ 12:00 am
ART WARS Toys

From Maureen Dowd’s New York Times column of June 9, 2002:

“The shape of the government is not as important as the policy of the government. If he makes the policy aggressive and pre-emptive, the president can conduct the war on terror from the National Gallery of Art.”

Last year’s suggested ART WARS toy:

     Wednesday, April 07, 2004

As a Little Child

Today’s birthdays:

Francis Ford Coppola and
Russell Crowe.

From MindfulGroup.com:

Welcome to our imaginative and inspiring toy catalog!

Today is Wednesday 7-April 2004. On this day in 30 Jesus crucified by Roman troops in Jerusalem (scholars’ estimate)

What you will discover in this site is what we have been able to find in our everlasting search for the most original, innovative, amusing and mind bending toys from around the world.

Have Fun.    

Coliseum Tell me more
Coliseum The Coliseum Builder Block System can be used to recreate the Roman Coliseum. Reenact ancient Gladiator matches and bring Ancient Rome into your home.


This year’s suggested ART WARS toy:

The image “http://www.log24.com/log/pix05/050407-MusicBox.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

To order, see the
Amazing Music Box & Gifts Company.

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Wednesday April 7, 2004

Filed under: General — m759 @ 2:00 pm

As a Little Child

Today’s birthdays:

Francis Ford Coppola and
Russell Crowe.

From MindfulGroup.com:

Welcome to our imaginative and inspiring toy catalog!

Today is Wednesday 7-April 2004. On this day in 30 Jesus crucified by Roman troops in Jerusalem (scholars’ estimate)

What you will discover in this site is what we have been able to find in our everlasting search for the most original, innovative, amusing and mind bending toys from around the world.

Have Fun.    

Coliseum Tell me more
Coliseum The Coliseum Builder Block System can be used to recreate the Roman Coliseum. Reenact ancient Gladiator matches and bring Ancient Rome into your home.

Saturday, November 15, 2003

Saturday November 15, 2003

Filed under: General — Tags: , — m759 @ 12:00 pm

Aes Triplex

The title, from a Robert Louis Stevenson essay, means “triple brass” (or triple bronze):

From the admirable site of J. Nathan Matias:

Aes Triplex means Triple Bronze, from a line in Horace’s Odes that reads ‘Oak and triple bronze encompassed the breast of him who first entrusted his frail craft to the wild sea.’ ”

From Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle:

Juliana said, “Oracle, why did you write The Grasshopper Lies Heavy? What are we supposed to learn?”

“You have a disconcertingly superstitious way of phrasing your question,” Hawthorne said. But he had squatted down to witness the coin throwing. “Go ahead,” he said; he handed her three Chinese brass coins with holes in the center. “I generally use these.”

This passage, included in my earlier entry of Friday, combined with the opening of yet another major motion picture starring Russell Crowe, suggests three readings for that young man, who is perhaps the true successor to Marlon Brando.

Oracle, for Crowe as John Nash (A Beautiful Mind):

Understanding the I Ching

Mutiny, for Crowe as Jack Aubrey (Master and Commander):

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Storm, for Crowe as Maximus (Gladiator):

Pharsalia, Book V:
The Oracle, the Mutiny, the Storm

As background listening, one possibility is Sinatra’s classic “Three Coins”:

“Three hearts in the fountain,
Each heart longing for its home.
There they lie in the fountain
Somewhere in the heart of Rome.*” 

Personally, though, I prefer, as a tribute to author Joan Didion (who also wrote of coins and the Book of Transformations), the even more classic Sinatra ballad

Angel Eyes.”

 * Horace leads to “Acroceraunian shoals,” which leads to Palaeste, which leads to Pharsalia and to the heart of Rome.  (With a nod to my high school Latin teacher, the late great John Stachowiak.)

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