January 2011
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“Where passion is married to intelligence, you may find genius, neurosis, madness...”
– [The Mysteries of Berkeley, Michael Chabon]
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Best Hot Chocolate Recipes →
Let’s get something straight: Hot chocolate and hot cocoa are not the same. Hot chocolate, also known as drinking chocolate, is made with real chocolate; hot cocoa is a watered-down version based on cocoa powder. You’ll understand the difference once you savor this indulgent recipe for basic hot chocolate. Then try your hand at any of these riffs.
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Schindler's List (1993)
Oskar Schindler: Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don't.
Amon Goeth: You think that's power?
Oskar Schindler: That's what the Emperor said. A man steals something, he's brought in before the Emperor, he throws himself down on the ground. He begs for his life, he knows he's going to die. And the Emperor... pardons him. This worthless man, he lets him go.
Amon Goeth: I think you are drunk.
Oskar Schindler: That's power, Amon. That is power.
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It’s a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet’s birthday, 25 January, sometimes also known as Robert Burns Day or Burns Night (Burns Nicht), although they may in principle be held at any time of the year. Burns Night, effectively a second national day, is celebrated with Burns suppers around the...
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“- Diceva l’oste al vino
tu mi diventi vecchio
ti voglio maritare
all’acqua...”
– [Visto che ancora compro l’Idrolitina e oggi spopola in dash.]
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Tiziano Terzani - La fine è il mio inizio
Tiziano: Sai, all’ambasciata americana di Phnom Penh c’erano degli assassini che disegnavano quelle che si chiamavano the boxes, le scatole. In base allo spionaggio e alle informazioni che arrivavano dal terreno e in cui si diceva “C’è una compagnia di khmer rossi nel tal punto della giungla…” loro disegnavano sulla carta della Cambogia un rettangolo, chiamato the box, che i B-52 erano autorizzati a bombardare a tappeto. Ora, non veniva mai controllato se in quel box c’erano, per esempio, dei villaggi. E cosa succedeva? Succedeva che quelli da lassù partivano dall’inizio e scaricavano le loro bombe attraverso tutto il box. Uno spaventoso bombardamento a tappeto di cinque minuti – barn, barn, barn, barn, pun! – che alla fine lasciava terra bruciata. Non c’era più giungla, non c’erano più alberi, non c’erano più villaggi. Allora, una volta – o il box era stato descritto male, o i B-52 avevano letto male la sua descrizione – invece di bombardare una compagnia di khmer rossi bombardarono un intero villaggio della parte governativa, uccidendo tutti. Un massacro, un massacro! Io non ricordo bene come Sydney Schanberg lo venne a sapere. Ma c’era un inghippo che alcuni giornalisti avevano scoperto, e che avevo a un certo punto usato anch’io. Siccome le comunicazioni a quel tempo non erano come oggi, satellitari, ma c’era un piccolo aereo americano, chiamato Spotter, che volava a bassa quota e trasmetteva gli ordini ai B-52, qualcuno aveva scoperto la frequenza con la quale questo Spotter trasmetteva ai piloti o parlava con l’ambasciata. Ora, le radioline portatili con cui ascoltavamo la BBC avevano una lunghezza d’onda con cui si sentiva la voce del pilota dello Spotter che parlava con l’ambasciata, per cui si sapeva cosa stava succedendo. Forse Sydney aveva sentito lo Spotter che diceva “Casino, massacro! Avete sbagliato!” Il posto che era stato bombardato era su un isolotto, diciamo a un centinaio di chilometri più in giù lungo il Mekong. Allora Sydney, sapendo che era successo qualcosa di gravissimo, andò subito al fiume, noleggiò una barca e pagò tutti gli altri barcaioli perché se ne andassero a casa, così che altri giornalisti non potessero seguirlo e lui avesse l’esclusiva della storia.
Folco: Tu sei andato a vedere?
Tiziano: No, perché quando sono arrivato al fiume le barche erano già tutte partite. [Ride.] La storia uscì su tutti i giornali del mondo e si chiamò “il massacro di Neak Leong”. Questo ti dimostra l’abilità di Sydney. Era un grande giornalista, un grande e coraggioso giornalista. Aveva il pelo sullo stomaco.
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Meet the man who lived with wolves →
Shaun Ellis, wolf researcher and subject of a National Geographic show, describes his life living in a wolf pack.
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Meet the man who lived with wolves →
Shaun Ellis, wolf researcher and subject of a National Geographic show, describes his life living in a wolf pack.
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Called “the most natural and least self-conscious screen actor that has ever lived” by über-critic Pauline Kael, this 2010 Oscar-winning best actor embodies traits far beyond brilliance as an actor. He is an exceptional musician, a photographer, an occasional vintner and a storyteller. He hails from an illustrious Hollywood family, working as a child with his father Lloyd and brother Beau on...
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Maya Angelou’s life is an open book, says Don Swaim. Angelou has spent her literary career writing autobiographical literature such as I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings, All of God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, and Now Sheba Sing the Song. But even after writing so many novels, Angelou says she still trying something with the form. She says she wants to use “I” and mean “we,” a task she has found...
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WatchEvery line of dialogue in The Lost Boys is “Michael”
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Johann Sebastian Bach - Concerto VI in F major,...
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Johann Sebastian Bach - Concerto VI in F major,...
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WatchEvery line of dialogue in The Lost Boys is “Michael”
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The Thin Red Line (1998)
Pvt. Witt: I can take anything you dish out. I’m twice the man you are.
Sgt. Welsh: In this world, a man, himself, is nothing. And there ain’t no world but this one.
Pvt. Witt: I’ve seen another world. Sometimes I think it was just… my imagination.
Sgt. Welsh: Well, then you’ve seen things I never will. We’re living in a world that’s blowing itself to hell as fast as everybody can arrange it. In a situation like that all a man can do is shut his eyes and let nothing touch him.
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Morgenstern lo fa, Nipresa e Waxen pure. Lo fanno anche Nightswimming, Batchiara, Shakingtambourine, Eclipsed, Musa Erato, Cidindon, Reallynothing, Boplicity, Quatsch, Solitaryman, Forgottenbones, Flatguy e Impropriamente. Per non parlare di Byronic, Cornerlist, Uomoinpolvere, TobWaylan, Menodizero, Goddamnwalls, Seia, CineManu, Kiado, DarkPassenger, Neurotico, DanielaElle, Sciain, Goldenbeetle,...
Morgenstern lo fa, Nipresa e Waxen pure. Lo fanno anche Nightswimming, Batchiara, Shakingtambourine, Eclipsed, Musa Erato, Cidindon, Reallynothing, Boplicity, Quatsch, Solitaryman, Forgottenbones, Flatguy e Impropriamente. Per non parlare di Byronic, Cornerlist, Uomoinpolvere, TobWaylan, Menodizero, Goddamnwalls, Seia, CineManu, Kiado, DarkPassenger, Neurotico, Sciain, Goldenbeetle,...
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Called “the most natural and least self-conscious screen actor that has ever lived” by über-critic Pauline Kael, this 2010 Oscar-winning best actor embodies traits far beyond brilliance as an actor. He is an exceptional musician, a photographer, an occasional vintner and a storyteller. He hails from an illustrious Hollywood family, working as a child with his father Lloyd and brother Beau on...
Sophie Calle: I asked for the moon and I got it →
When Sophie Calle first tried photography, she was told to pick another career. The great French conceptual artist reveals how she persevered – and finally got her revenge.
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Cracking Jonathan Safran Foer's Tree of Codes
Audio slideshow: The novelist explains how he used the process of die-cutting to construct a new story from The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz.
Cracking Jonathan Safran Foer's Tree of Codes
Audio slideshow: The novelist explains how he used the process of die-cutting to construct a new story from The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz.
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Maya Angelou’s life is an open book, says Don Swaim. Angelou has spent her literary career writing autobiographical literature such as I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings, All of God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, and Now Sheba Sing the Song. But even after writing so many novels, Angelou says she still trying something with the form. She says she wants to use “I” and mean “we,” a task she has found...
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Sophie Calle: I asked for the moon and I got it →
When Sophie Calle first tried photography, she was told to pick another career. The great French conceptual artist reveals how she persevered – and finally got her revenge.
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“Do you know what matters in life?
Music.
You can change the words but...”
– [J’entends plus la guitare]
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Just after World War II, during a period of acute food rationing in England, George Orwell wrote an article on the making of a decent cup of tea that insisted on the observing of 11 different “golden” rules. Some of these (always use Indian or Ceylonese—i.e., Sri Lankan—tea; make tea only in small quantities; avoid silverware pots) may be considered optional or outmoded. But the...
Just after World War II, during a period of acute food rationing in England, George Orwell wrote an article on the making of a decent cup of tea that insisted on the observing of 11 different “golden” rules. Some of these (always use Indian or Ceylonese—i.e., Sri Lankan—tea; make tea only in small quantities; avoid silverware pots) may be considered optional or outmoded. But the...
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“Do you know what matters in life?
Music.
You can change the words but...”
– [J’entends plus la guitare]
Sicily: a new dawn
Forget the clichés – Italy’s largest island has been reborn and now offers visitors beautiful sights, places to stay – and exquisite cuisine. Lee Marshall explores.
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