Inventure Prize!

One week ago Karen and I went to Georgia Tech's Inventure Prize, a program which gives incentives to Tech students to create and demonstrate inventions.  The Biomedical Engineering students always do well in this competition, and this year they won first prize, and also won the People's Choice award.

The winning BME team's product is something they call Re-Hand, and it is a rehabilitative device for people with hand or arm injuries.  It's an alternative to squeezing a rubber ball.  The device looks like a joystick, and the person who is rehabbing grips it firmly, while a helicopter computer game reacts to the squeezing.  Combining rehab and fun, whoda thunk!  The winning BME team consisted of Elly Lemar, Daphne Vincent, Alkindi Kibria, and Kunal MacDonald. 

The People's Choice award is a product called Cardiac Tech, and was from a team of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineers.  This ambitious equipment seeks to revolutionize what is presently used to keep the chest cavity open during cardiac surgery.  The present device leads to a lot of bleeding for the patient, while their device seals the cavity off, so there is much less bleeding, and thus, less likely for the patient to need a transfusion.  The BME students of Cardiac Tech are Priya Patil and Matthew Lee.  The three Mechanical Engineering students are Kevin Parsons, Benji Hoover, and Josh DeVane.

The Cardiac Tech team is pictured on the left side above, while Re-Hand is in the middle. The second picture is a couple of the audience members.

What a night for BME, and all GT students.  I am daily reminded of how amazing they are, and how our future is indeed in excellent hands (or re-hands!). 

YouTube on Cardiac Tech:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDFMshzBmf8

YouTube on Re-Hand:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3y-JJTfwlc

Song of the Week: Dixie Dregs, The Bash (1978)

Long time, no blog!  I took some time off to indulge in the NCAA basketball tournament, so I have a lot of catching up to do.  Let me begin with the Song of the Week.  This week's song is The Bash, performed live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1978.  Dregs led as usual by the amazing Steve Morse.

Had to post this picture.  This is from our local Chinese/Sushi/Hibachi place, called Lucky Key and/or Fuji Ya.  Lucky Key is Chinese, Fuji Ya Japanese.  Food is decent, sushi is decent.  We go for $1 sushi on Thursday nights.  One night I look at the celebrity photos on the wall, and I see one marked "Arnold Palmer".  Cool, I say, Arnold Palmer ate here.  However, upon closer inspection, Arnold Palmer, as most Americans know him, is not to be found in this photo.  If you find him, let him know. 

Takorea

Had yet another great Atlanta lunch today.  What a luxury to live in a place where eating out should never be boring!  Today's treats were found at Takorea, which if you self interpret, you would figure out would be a taqueria with a Korean slant.  The menu is more interesting than the choices Karen and I made today, but our goal was to get a sampling of the restaurant without taking a lot home.



Lunch consisted of two tacos, or ask they call them, takos.  We split the shrimp fried with hoisin tartar sauce and the salt and pepper calamari with Thai sweet chili, both served in flour tortillas.  We also split an appetizer of sticky chicky, which was chicken in an apricot glaze, and an order of the sesame fries with chipotle ketchup.  Waitstaff was friendly, and atmosphere was relaxing and urban cool.  And, to top it off, we surprised ourselves to find that we had a Scoutmob for it, total win for us.  We will be back without the benefit of the Scoutmobs, to try the bibim-bop, a dish featured by Alton Brown on the Food Channel: rice, meat, fried egg, mushshrooms, spinach, mung beans, zucchini, topped with spicy Korean pepper sauce.  We almost got it, but sounded a bit much for lunch. 

Takorea
818 Juniper Street, Atlanta GA,
mytakorea.com

Artist of the Day: Fra Angelico (1395-1455)

Fra Angelico was an Italian Renaissance painter and a Domincan Friar.  He was called Il Beato, or "the blessed one", because of his skill at representing religious (Christian) subjects.  Fra Angelico painted many frescos, and his big career move was when he moved to the Friary of San Marco in Florence, and was a recipient of patronage by one of those filthy rich d'Medici guys.  Very influential on many who immediately followed, including ceiling painter Michelangelo.

I found this interesting from Wikipedia regarding patrons:  "Frequently, it would seem, the wealthier the client, the more conservative the painting. There was a very good reason for this. The paintings that were commissioned made a statement about the patron. Thus the more gold leaf it displayed, the more it spoke to the patron's glory. The other valuable commodities in the paint-box were lapis lazuli and vermilion. Paint made from these colours did not lend itself to a tonal treatment. The azure blue made of powdered lapis lazuli went on flat, the depth and brilliance of colour being, like the gold leaf, a sign of the patron's ability to provide well. For these reasons, altarpieces are often much more conservatively painted than frescoes, which were often of almost life-sized figures and relied upon a stage-set quality rather than lavish display in order to achieve effect."

Top painting:
The Annuciation
Fresco
1440's
Museo di San Marco, Florence

Botton painting:
Transfiguration of Christ
Fresco
1441
Museo di San Marco, Florence

Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Angelico

Speaking of art and movies...

One of my favorite Woody Allen clips

Artist of the Day: Michael Andrews (1922-1995)

Michael Andrews was an English artist who evidently was part of what would be known as The London School, which, according to The A-Z of Art, was dedicated to the human form.  He became celebrated in the '60's because of his paintings of the London bohemian scene.  He lived his life as a Zen Buddhist. Michael shares my October 30th birthday, like you care. At first, I didn't think much of the paintings I saw, but the more I looked at Colony Room 1, the more I liked it.  I would like to see some of his work live.


Top painting:
The Deer Park
Oil on canvas
1962

Bottom painting:
Colony Room 1
1962

Wiki:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Andrews_%28artist%29

Artist of the Day: Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530)

The life of Italian High Renaissance painter Andrea del Sarto exemplifies how different life is today.  His name, del Sarto, means "tailor's son", of which he is one.  At age eight, he became an apprentice for a goldsmith, and then a woodcarver.  He became a reknown painter of precision (his nickname was "The Faultless Painter"), was a colleague of Michelangelo, and eventually died at the young age of 43 from the bubonic plague.  Several sources say that he probably lacked the burning ambition of his contemporaries, or he would be a more widely know name, his technique was so good.



Another interesting fact is that del Sarto ripped off the king of France, Francois I.  During his only visit to France, Francois gave del Sarto some money to have him buy some Italian art and send it back to his palace.  Del Sarto said forget that, and used the money to build a house in Florence.  Which is why he probably got the bubonic plague.  Francois was heard to mutter "Karma's a bitch, del Sarto!".


Top painting:
Birth of the Virgin
Oil on canvas
1513

Bottom painting:
Madonna of the Harpies
Oil on wood
1517

Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_del_Sarto

Fearless ACC tournament prediction!

Artist of the Day: Carl Andre (1935- )

What can one say about Carl Andre?  As a minimal artist, he's slightly controversial, for several reasons.  He theorized that art could be made from objects that already existed.  Why carve or mold when a brick was already available?  Positioning of objects could also be art.  This was a novel idea in the 1950's and 60's, which of course is old hat today. 

This led to one of his most controversial pieces, Equivalent VIII (right), which was just a bunch of bricks arranged in a rectangular fashion.  It debuted in London in 1972 and the Brits were unhappy about it, to say the least.  The public was outraged by this modern art, which was paid for by the Tate Gallery.

Andre also had a controversy in his life as he was acquitted for the murder of his wife, Cuban born artist Ana Mendieta, who fell from a window after an argument.  No one else was with them, so no one knows if it was suicide or if he assisted.  However, he
was acquitted, so the assumption must be of his innocence.  

Click on the images for more info.

Sculpture picture to the right:
Copper Galaxy
1995

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Andre

Song of the Week: History of the World, pt. II by the Minutemen

Punk rock changed my life too, D. Boon

Artist of the Day: Albrecht Altdorfer (1480-1538)

Albrect Altdorfer was a German Renaissance artist who was part of what was called the Danube School, in which artists painted biblical or historical figures in landscape settings.  He was also the local architect, and a city councilman.  He was a pioneer of landscape.  His Landscape with Footbridge is supposed to be the first pure landscape painting in oil.  His philosophy was that humans should be part of the landscape, not detract from it. Altdorfer is also considered a pioneer of copperplate etching.  Even though the Alexander painting below is not religious in nature, it is thought to be one of his most famous.  It's one of those really detailed battle scenes that make your head hurt when you go to a gallery, but are nonetheless fascinating, both in content, and the fact that something that complex was produced in the 16th century.  Click on both paintings for a better view, and more details.


Top painting
Landscape with Footbridge
Oil on canvas
1518-20

Bottom painting
The Battle of Alexander at Issus
Limewood panel
15298

Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_Altdorfer

Good Bye, Lenin!

Good Bye, Lenin! is a German film which got better reviews than I am willing to give.  It wasn't a bad movie, but I tired of the premise.  The movie revolves around a young man in East Germany whose mother has a heart attack right before the Berlin wall falls.  She ends up in a coma for a few months, while everything changes in the former GDR.  When she awakens, her doctor advises her son and daughter that any shock to her system might cause her to have another attack.  They spend the rest of the movies trying to keep their mother in the dark about the fall of East Germany and all that has changed.

The movie was well done, the plot worked, but for some reason it didn't really click that well with me.  And it felt long.  Also, the lead, Daniel Bruhl, who was also prominent in The Edukators, bugs me for some unknown reason.  Once again, as you see below in the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings, a lot of other folks liked it more than me. 

Country: Germany
Year: 2003
Director:  Wolfgang Becker
Time:  121 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes:  Tomatometer 90%, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_bye_lenin/
IMDB:  Rating 7.8,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301357/


Buffalo Wings:




Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIjSaHUKD5I

Ringside Franks and Shakes

Karen and I drove around for 45 minutes today, getting ever agitated as we tried to decide a place for lunch.  I always want to try somewhere new, but neither of us was coming up with that.  Finally, Karen scored on her phone as she said "How about Ringside Franks and Shakes?".  Without knowing anything about it, I knew it sounded right, especially since it was about 2:30.

The restaurant is small and unpretentious, the food is the star, but the atmosphere isn't lacking.  Old time blues music prevails, and the staff are exceedingly friendly.  We both got your basic dog, Karen's with mustard and slaw, mine was killer with chili and jalapeno pimento cheese.  We split an order of fries, and a vanilla shake.  Dogs were big, buns were tasty and grilled, fries were seasoned and cooked just right, and the shake was a perfect ending.  No complaints about anything.  Will be back!

Ringside Franks and Shakes
4441 Roswell Rd NE
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ringside-Franks-and-Shakes/116329335139415 

Imitation of Life (1959)

Karen and I rented Imitation of Life for a friend years ago who was a Lumbee Indian.  Lumbee Indians are primarily a group of Native Americans in North Carolina, descended from either the Cheraw or the Tuscarora.  Some erroneously don't treat them as true Native Americans, and their skin coloring and hair often mistake them as light skinned African-Americans.  I made that mistake with Karen's friend.

None of this has anything to do with Imitation of Life, except that Karen's friend was keenly interested in this film, and I never knew why.  After finally watching it, I have an inkling.  While it can be a fluff movie in parts, it's obvious that director Douglas Sirk set forth to make an entertaining rags to riches movie that also had a social conscience.  To sum up without giving away too much plot, the Lana Turner character is an aspiring actress who provides shelter and gives employment to an African American woman, played glowingly by Juanita Moore.  Both women no longer have husbands, and both have daughters.  Moore's daughter is unable to reconcile the fact that while her skin is white, her mother is black, and she is racially mixed.  Movie messages included being true to oneself and one's heritage, which I'm sure Karen's friend sought out. 

The movie is vividly colorful and fashionable, and while hokie at times, it's understandable for the late '50's.  Sirk is to be commended for trying to create a subtle social document, while keeping it entertaining.  However, I must admit, while I do realize it was the '50's, Moore's daughter, played by Susan Kohner, looked completely white to me.  While I understood the casting, it cut into the believability for me.  So, bottom line, a good movie to watch, a glorified soap opera, not too unpredictable, but nice to see a movie from this time frame that at least tried to be socially relevant.

Country: USA
Year:  1959
Director:  Douglas Sirk
Time:  124 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes:  Tomatometer 83%, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010417-imitation_of_life/
IMDB:  Rating 7.7,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052918/


Buffalo Wings:




Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaanE7v6uJI

Artist of the Day: Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912)

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was Dutch by birth, but moved to England when 33 and lived there the rest of his life as a celebrated artist.  He was a Romanticist, with many of his paintings representing the Roman Empire. He found a lot of success with his nudes, as Victorian England gradually began to accept his work.  He was also an influence in Hollywood, as his paintings represented an ideal of life in ancient times.  However, Alma-Tadema has been criticized for lacking emotion or spirituality in his work, of just being a technical painter.  I wonder what conflicts he felt painting in his style while Impressionism was on the rise. 


Top painting
Phideas Showing the Frieze of the Parthenon to His Friends
Oil on canvas
1868

Bottom painting
The Sculptor's Model
Oil on canvas
1877

This painting is interesting, because evidently it made a lot of Victorians uncomfortable.  Alma-Tedema painted the model standing on a modern platform, and she was viewed not as a classic Venus, but as a contemporary model, thus a painting of a naked girl.  After this painting and the uproar that ensued, Alma-Tadema returned to semi-nudes.  

Click on the images for more info on LAT

Wiki on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Alma-Tadema

Skoal, brother!

Don't know why, but I had this Earl Campbell Skoal commercial in my head recently. 

Carolina Bar-B-Q

Coming back from Elkin yesterday, Karen and I had a aimed to get some vittles.  We wanted to go to Little Pig in Statesville, but it was a fur piece in those parts.  So we went to a place called Carolina BBQ instead, where they had those paper placemats with lots of hillbilly sayings like "fur piece" on them.  It was right good, Karen put the rest of her sammich in a poke for later.  Here's the menu:

 

Here's the outside, located 1.5 off exit 49B in Statesville.

 And most importantly, the BBQ beef brisket, the BBQ pulled pork,
corn nuggets, hush puppies and fries.  Eastern NC style, meaning vinegar based. 
As Andy Griffith would say, "Mmmm-mmm".