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April 14 StoryPlot summary
The story opens with the unrestrained celebration of a normally-secretive wizarding world which for many years had been terrorised by Lord Voldemort. The previous night, Voldemort had discovered the refuge of the hidden Potter family, and killed Lily and James Potter. However, when he turned his wand against their infant son, Harry, his killing curse rebounded upon him. His body destroyed, Voldemort became a powerless spirit, seeking refuge in the undisturbed places of the world; Harry, meanwhile, was left with a distinctive lightning bolt scar on his forehead, the only physical sign of Voldemort's curse. Harry's mysterious defeat of Voldemort results in him being dubbed "The Boy Who Lived" by the wizarding world. The following night, a wizard delivers Harry to what will be his residence for many years afterward. The orphaned Harry is subsequently raised by his cruel, non-magical relatives, the Dursleys who, in attempt to rid him of his magical powers, hide his magical heritage and give him severe punishments after several strange occurrences. However, as his eleventh birthday approaches, Harry has his first contact with the magical world when he receives letters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which are taken from him by his Aunt and Uncle before he has a chance to read them. On his eleventh birthday he is informed by Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, that he is in fact a wizard and has been invited to attend Hogwarts. Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life, which is mostly spent at Hogwarts, where he learns to use magic and brew potions. Harry also learns to overcome many magical, social, and emotional obstacles as he struggles through his adolescence, Voldemort's rise to power and the Ministry of Magic's consistent denials of Voldemort's threat for a whole year. For a detailed synopsis of the novels, see the relevant article for each book. [edit] Universe
The wizarding world in which Harry finds himself is both utterly separate from and yet intimately connected to our own world. While the fantasy world of Narnia functions as an alternate universe and the Lord of the Rings’ Middle-earth as a mythic past, the wizarding world of Harry Potter exists alongside ours with many magical elements that are analogous to things in the non-magical world. Many of its institutions and locations are in towns, such as London, that are recognisable in the primary world. It is a fragmented collection of hidden streets, overlooked and ancient pubs, lonely country manors and secluded castles that remain utterly invisible to the non-magical population (known as "Muggles"). Wizard ability is inborn, rather than learned, although one must attend schools such as Hogwarts in order to master and control it. Since one is either born a wizard or not, most wizards are unfamiliar with the Muggle world, which appears odder to them than their world to us. Despite this, the magical world and its many fantastic elements are depicted very matter-of-factly. One of the principal themes in the novels is the juxtaposition of the magical and the mundane; the characters in the stories live normal lives with "normal" problems, for all their magical surroundings. [edit] Recurrent elementsBlood purity: Wizards in general tend to view Muggles with a combination of condescension and suspicion; however, for a few, this attitude has evolved into bigotry. These characters tend to class those around them based on the number of magical ancestors they had, with "pure-blood" wizards (those with an entirely-magical bloodline) at the top of the hierarchy, "half-blood" wizards in the middle (those with both wizard and Muggle ancestry), and "Muggle-borns" (those with no magical ancestors) at the very bottom. Supporters of blood purity believe pure-bloods should control the wizarding world, and don't consider Muggle-borns real wizards. Some have even gone so far as to murder them or demand that they shouldn't be taught magic. Most blood-purity-believers are pure-blood themselves, though it should be noted that Voldemort, one of the most radical supporters of blood purity ever known, is himself half-blood. Also, very few, if any, true "pure-blood" families actually exist as many have intermarried into the Muggle-born population to stop from dying out. Many of these families have covered this up, however. One example of this is the removal of certain members on the Black family tree.[HP5] Owls: Owls are perhaps the most visible aspect of the Wizarding world. They appear at the start of the first novel, presaging what is to come, and play a very visible role in every novel following. They act as the principal form of communication among wizards (somewhat like carrier pigeons) and also as familiars. Harry has a snowy owl named Hedwig.[HP1] Quidditch: A spectator sport in the Wizard world, played up in the air on brooms, Quidditch is similar in style to polo and football. Harry is a great player at Hogwarts and has helped Gryffindor win a number of games. Harry is the Seeker for his team whose role is to try and catch the Golden Snitch.[HP1] J.K. Rowling has stated that there will be no Quidditch matches in book 7, unlike all the previous books.[15] Houses: Like many boarding schools, Hogwarts is divided into four separate houses, named after the four Hogwarts founders, and students are sorted into their respective houses at the start of their first year. They are Gryffindor (which favours courage), Ravenclaw, (which favours cleverness), Hufflepuff, (which favours fairness and loyalty) and Slytherin (which favours ambition). Upon arrival, Harry, along with his friend Ron, and Hermione, who would later be their friend, are sorted into Gryffindor.[HP1] [edit] Characters
[edit] Structure and genreA large portion of the narrative takes place in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and focuses on Harry Potter's struggles against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. At the same time, the series explores the themes of friendship, ambition, choice, prejudice, courage, growing up, love, moral responsibility, and the complexities of death and grieving, and are set against the expansive backdrop of a hidden magical world with its own complex history, diverse inhabitants, awe-inspiring creatures, unique culture, and parallel societies. The novels are very much in the fantasy genre; however, in many respects they are also a Bildungsroman, a novel of education, set in Hogwarts, a British boarding school for wizards, where the curriculum includes the use of magic. In this sense they are "in a direct line of descent from Thomas Hughes's Tom Brown's School Days and other Victorian and Edwardian novels of British public school life".[16] They are also, in the words of Stephen King, a "shrewd mystery tale".[17], and each book is constructed in the manner of a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery adventure; the books leave a number of clues hidden in the narrative, while the characters pursue a number of suspects through various exotic locations, leading to a twist ending that often reverses what the characters had been led to believe. The stories are told from a third person limited point of view; with very few exceptions (such as the opening chapters of Goblet of Fire and Philosopher's Stone and the first two chapters of Half-Blood Prince), the reader learns the secrets of the story when Harry does. The thoughts and plans of other characters, even central ones like Hermione and Ron, are kept hidden until revealed to Harry. [edit] Themes and motifs
According to Rowling, a major theme in the series is the theme of death. She says:[18]
The series pits good against evil, and love against death. Voldemort is continually seeking to avoid death and uses methods such as his attempted theft of the philosopher's stone and splitting his soul using horcruxes to achieve such an aim. This contrasts with Lily Potter's sacrifice of her life to save Harry from Voldemort. In the end it is her love for Harry which saves him from death, something that Voldemort does not appear to understand. The word 'Voldemort' itself has, amongst other meanings, connotations to death - in French and Catalan, Vol means Flight, de means of, and mort means death, so we can understand "Voldemort" as "The flight of the death". In Latin, mort also means death. Prejudice and discrimination also feature prominently throughout the series. As Harry's education in the magical world continues he learns that there are wizards and witches who hate Muggles and view them as inferior because of their lack of magical ability. Furthermore, the magical world uses a system of designations, Muggle-born, half-blood, and pure-blood, to indicate a wizard's heritage. The more prejudiced within the magical community take these designations a step further, viewing them as a system of ranking to illustrate a wizard's worth, pure-bloods being the preferred wizards, and Muggle-borns (alternatively known by the slur "Mudblood") as the most despised. In addition to prejudices held for fellow humans, there is also discrimination against non-humans and even part-humans (commonly known by the offensive epithet, "half-breeds"). Another significant recurring theme is that of choice. In Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore makes perhaps his most famous statement on this issue: "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."[19] He confronts the issue again in Goblet of Fire, when he tells Cornelius Fudge that what one grows up to be is far more important than what one is born.[20] As it has been for many characters throughout the series, what Dumbledore termed the "choice between what is right and what is easy" has been a staple of Harry Potter's career at Hogwarts and his choices are among his character's most distinguishing traits from Voldemort's. Both he and Voldemort were orphans raised in difficult environments, in addition to sharing characteristics including, as Dumbledore points out, Voldemort's "own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness, determination" and "a certain disregard for rules".[19] However, Harry, unlike Voldemort, has consciously elected to embrace friendship, kindness, and love, where Voldemort knowingly chose to reject them. While ideas such as love, prejudice, and choice are, as J.K. Rowling states, "deeply entrenched in the whole plot", the writer prefers to let themes "grow organically", rather than sitting down and consciously attempting to impart such ideas to her readers.[21] Friendship and loyalty are perhaps the most "organic" of these, with their main conduit being the relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione, which allows these motifs to naturally develop as the three age, their relationship matures, and their accumulated experiences at Hogwarts test their trueness to each other. These ordeals become progressively difficult, keeping in line with the series' increasingly darker tone, and the general nature of adolescence. Along the same lines is the ever-present theme of adolescence, in whose depiction the author has been purposeful in her refusal to ignore her characters' sexualities and leave Harry, as she put it, "stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence".[22] Also recurring throughout Harry Potter are literary motifs, namely Rowling's frequent use of irony, satire, wordplay, and folklore. From the first page onward her writing has displayed an ingenuity in finding the absolutely right name for people, places, things, spells, etc., a strong grasp of irony. From the multilayered sobriquet "Voldemort" through the onomatopoetic "Grawp" (Hagrid's bestial giant half-brother) through the very knowing pun hidden in the killing spell Avada Kedavra, Rowling creates names that usually contain several meanings. Origins and publishing historyIn 1990, J. K. Rowling was Origins and publishing historyon a crowded train from Manchester to London when the idea for Harry simply "walked" into her head. Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying:
That evening, the author began the pre-writing for her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a semi-detailed plan that would include the plots of each of her seven envisioned books, in addition to an enormous amount of biographical and historical information on her characters and universe. Over the course of the next six years, which included the birth of her first child, divorce from her first husband, and a move to Portugal, Rowling continued writing Philosopher's Stone. Eventually settling in Edinburgh, Rowling wrote much of the Philosopher's Stone in local cafés. Because she was unable to secure a place in a nursery for her daughter, she was her constant companion as she worked. In 1996, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was completed and the manuscript was sent off to prospective agents. The second agent she tried, Christopher Little, offered to represent her and sent the manuscript to Bloomsbury. After eight other publishers had rejected Philosopher's Stone, Bloomsbury offered Rowling a £3,000 advance for the publication of Philosopher's Stone. Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when she began to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers initially targeted them at children age nine to eleven.On the eve of publishing, Joanne Rowling was asked by her publishers to adopt a more gender-neutral pen name, in order to appeal to the male members of this age group, fearing that they would not be interested in reading a novel they knew to be written by a woman. She elected to use J. K. Rowling (Joanne Kathleen Rowling), omitting her first name and using her grandmother's as her second. The first Harry Potter book was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury in July 1997 and in the United States by Scholastic in September of 1998, but not before Rowling had received a six-figure sum for the American rights – an unprecedented amount for a children's book. Fearing that American readers would either not understand the word "philosopher" or not associate it with a magical theme (as a Philosopher's Stone is alchemy-related), Scholastic insisted that the book be given the title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the American market. Over nearly a decade Harry Potter has achieved much success due in part to positive reviews, Rowling's publisher's marketing strategy, but also due to word-of-mouth buzz among average readers, especially young males. The latter is notable because for years, interest in literature among this group had lagged behind other pursuits like video games and the Internet. Rowling's publishers were able to capitalise on this fervour by the rapid, successive releases of the first three books that allowed neither Rowling's audience's excitement nor interest to wane, along with quickly solidifying a loyal readership. The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to two editions of each Harry Potter book being released, identical in text but with one edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults. Moreover, the series is popular around the world in its many translations. Such was the global clamour to read the book that the English language edition of the series' fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, became the first English-language book ever to top the bookseller list in France Harry PotterHarry Potter is a series of fantasy novels by English author J. K. Rowling about a boy named Harry Potter. Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States) in 1997, the books have gained immense popularity and commercial success worldwide, spawning films, video games and assorted merchandise. The six books published to date have collectively sold more than 325 million copies and have been translated into more than 63 languages. The seventh and last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is scheduled to be released on 21 July 2007. Publishers announced a record-breaking 12 million copies for the first print run in the US alone. The story is mostly set in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, under the leadership of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and focuses on Harry Potter's fight against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who uses the Dark Arts to kill Harry's parents and attempts to take over the wizarding world. Due to the success of the novels, Rowling has become the richest writer in literary history. English language versions of the books are published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic Press in the United States, Allen & Unwin in Australia and Raincoast Books in Canada. The first four books have been made into very successful motion pictures by Warner Bros.. The fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, began filming in February 2006, and is scheduled for release on 13 July 2007 Chapel of Nôtre Dame du HautNestled on the French Swiss German border is the village of Ronchamp, and on the hills outside is a truly remarkable church
Local Art teacher Richard Le Goupillot's divine art inspiration is a whole church! "Even though it has been many years since I visited the Chapel as a student I have very strong memories of it as an inspiring place with very modern architecture." Designed by Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) the architecture looks like it might have been built five years ago not in 1955. Gorges du Verdon, Haute Provence, FranceOver millions of years the Verdon river has carved a canyon into the countryside in the Haute Provence region of southern France. With an overall length of some 40km and a depth of some 700m at its deepest point, the Verdon Canyon may not compete with the Grand Canyon, Arizona, but it is still the largest canyon in Europe. There are actually two canyons, one called Les Hautes (upper canyon) and Les Basses (lower canyon), which are separated by the Sainte Croix lake. The Verdon originates in the Alps, enters the upper canyon at Point Sublime, runs south and after meeting with the Artuby canyon, turns to the west. After passing the Sainte Croix lake and the lower canyon, the river discharges into the Durance. How to Get There Leave the A51 (Grenoble to Marseille) at the proper exit which is indicated by a tourist sign. The D6 and D952 will bring you through Montagnac and Moustiers St Marie to La Palud and finally to Point Sublime. The last kilometres of this route (beginning at Moustiers), require a driver who is able to concentrate on the sharp road bends despite the breathtaking views which the landscape has to offer. By following the road signs for the Route des Cretes (D23, D952) and the Corniche Sublime (D71, D19), it is possible to drive around the upper canyon. The Pont de l'Artuby (a bridge crossing the Artuby canyon just prior to where it joins the Verdon) is a place where you might have a chance to do some bungee jumping in a natural surrounding. But driving around the upper canyon is nothing in comparison to walking through it. Walking through the Upper Canyon Don't worry about spending a whole day for a walk through the canyon. It should be counted as one of France's great walks because, although it is hard work, the panorama of the Haute Provence is just overwhelming and makes the effort worthwhile. The path, called Sentier Martel which leads onto the Sentier de l'Imbut, alternates between the canyon's shoulders and the riverside, thus entailing a lot of climbing up and down. Parking a car and entering the canyon is only possible at the ends of the upper canyon. Since the tour takes some four to six hours, it is hardly feasible to walk through the canyon and return to the starting point on the same day. Therefore it is a good idea to form two teams, each with their own car. Have the teams park their cars at opposite ends and start the tour from there, and exchange the car keys upon meeting each other halfway through the canyon. Take good care to not leave any precious items in the car and to use a more crowded parking space, since lots of cars get stolen from remote parking places. The following outfit is recommended:
Other Sports in the Canyon The Verdon canyon is also a famous place for rafting, kayaking and climbing. Suffice it to say that the term verdonesque has been coined in order to express a climbing experience comparable to five stars in a restaurant guide for gourmets. France-Climbing.com has more information for anyone considering climbing in France. Windows XP to be retired in 2008Windows XP will stop being available on new PCs from the end of January 2008.
Microsoft is keeping to a plan to stop selling the operating system even though surveys show a lukewarm response to Windows Vista among consumers. A poll by US market research firm Harris Interactive found that only 10% of those questioned were planning to upgrade to Vista in the near future. All versions of XP, including those made for media centre or tablet PCs, are affected by the decision. System shock Microsoft has confirmed that from 31 January 2008 large PC makers, such as Dell, HP and Toshiba, will no longer be able to buy licences for the software so they can install it on new machines. Windows XP is being retired to make way for Windows Vista, the consumer editions of which were launched in Europe on 30 January. However, a poll released in early April suggests that Vista has yet to win over significant numbers of potential customers. The study of 2,223 web-using Americans found that although 87% had heard of the operating system only 12% of those who knew of it were planning to install it.
It also found that 79% of those questioned were using Windows XP on their home PC. Robert Epstein, Microsoft's european spokesman on Windows licencing, said: "There's no significant change with XP compared with how we have done it with other operating systems." He added that PC makers could get hold of licences until 2009 if they bought them from third-party suppliers rather than Microsoft. Mr Epstein said withdrawing XP licences had no implications for long-term technical support for the product. "This is purely about availability of brand new licences for brand new machines," he said. "We'll continue to support XP for some considerable time." Microsoft has a well-established program that governs the lifecycle of its products and how long they have before licences stop being offered or support is withdrawn. Upgrade upheaval In related news, the software firm has reminded those who tested early versions of Windows Vista that the software will stop working on 1 June. Millions of people downloaded and installed pre-release versions of Vista to see what the software was like and to help Microsoft fine tune the finished product. However, these early "release candidate" editions of Vista had a limited life. "So customers need to decide if they want to move to Windows Vista or back to Windows XP if they have test versions of Windows Vista on their PCs," said Cori Hartje, director of Microsoft's genuine software initiative, in a statement. The pre-released versions of Vista do not allow users to rollback to earlier versions of Windows installed on a PC which means that people will must re-install either their old operating system or upgrade to a full version of Vista. In a further complication, if users choose to upgrade to Vista from a release candidate they must use a full and final version of the Ultimate edition of the software rather than a cheaper "upgrade" edition. Vista is available in six separate versions - three for home users, two for businesses and one for emerging markets How stress can strain the heartThe centres of the brain responsible for learning, memory and emotion may play a key role in putting the heart under strain in times of stress.
UK scientists have shown that signals from these areas can destabilise the cardiac muscle of someone who already has heart disease. This, the research suggests, can trigger potentially fatal abnormalities in the heart's rhythms. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It has long been known that stress triggers increased activity in the heart. This is designed to maximise blood flow, so that the body is primed to take quick action. However, it had been thought that this change was due to signals from more primitive areas of the brain. In the latest study researchers at University College London and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School studied 10 patients with specific heart conditions. Electrical readings Electrical changes at the surface of the skull were measured while the patients performed a mildly stressful task - counting backwards in sevens. The results showed that activity in the 'higher level' regions of the brain, such as the cortex closely reflected the response measured in the heart. The measurements also suggested that a "feedback loop" was established, with these centres reacting to information being fed back from the heart by pumping out more signals to increase activity. Ultimately, this destabilised the heart muscle, raising the possibility of abnormal and potentially dangerous rhythms, which can cause sudden death in vulnerable patients. Researcher Dr Marcus Gray said: "We found a close association between the actual performance of the heart and activity in the cortex, which suggests that these brain regions listen closely to the beat-to-beat activity. "We know that stress can increase the risk of sudden death through cardiac arrest and that the brain areas responsible for regulating heart function can be unbalanced by stress. "Our research suggests that the cerebral cortex may play a significant role in these events by becoming involved in a vicious circle." Jeremy Pearson, of the the British Heart Foundation, said: "In future it may be possible to use the techniques in this study to identify in advance those patients whose hearts are more likely to have an adverse response to stress." DepressionDepression is a common mental illness which is estimated to affect up to one in five Britons at some point in their lifetime and to cost the UK about £8bn a year in medication, benefits and lost working days.
It can strike at any age and the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness attached to it can make it difficult for people to carry out their normal activities. It can be more or less severe and symptoms are often varied, making it often hard to diagnose. It is thought that some individuals may be more prone to depression, whether because of life experiences, their body chemistry or genetically inherited conditions. Those who have suffered from depression include Sir Winston Churchill and Florence Nightingale. What is depression? Anyone can suffer from depression. The most common symptoms include:
Most people only suffer two or three of these symptoms at any one time. People with severe depression may also experience suicidal feelings, stop eating or drinking and suffer from delusions or hallucinations. Many people who need treatment for depression suffer further bouts later in life. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression, but three times as many men commit suicide. Experts say this could be because women are more likely to admit to depression because of the stigma attached to mental illness. Different types of depression There are many different types of depression, including clinically diagnosed depression, manic depression and post-natal depression. Manic depression is marked by extreme mood swings, between highs when a person experiences excessive energy and optimism and lows when they may feel total despair and lack of energy. It is often treated with lithium or, in extreme cases, electro-convulsive therapy. Post-natal depression can occur from about two weeks after the birth of a child to two years after and differs from the mood swings suffered by many in the first few days after the child is born. Other forms of depression include Seasonal Affective Disorder which is thought to be associated with the approach of winter and may be linked to lack of sunlight. Causes of depression Depression can be caused by a combination of factors. It often runs in families, suggesting a genetic component, but it may be triggered by stressful events. Major depressive illness is usually linked to some form of chemical imbalance in the brain. It is also thought that people with low self-esteem, a pessimistic outloook on life and difficulty coping with stress are more prone to depression. Life events which may trigger depression include bereavement, chronic illness, relationship problems and financial difficulties. Treatment In recent years, the market has been saturated by a range of new drugs called anti-depressants. These include Prozac which is thought to stimulate the growth of brain cells in an area of the brain called the dentate gyrus. Other types of drugs may also be used to treat depression. Many positive claims have been made for anti-depressants, but some patients experience bad side effects. Other ways of treating depression include psychotherapy, which aims to uncover the reasons for depression and help the patient to find ways of overcoming them. Self help groups may also offer people a forum for talking about their condition and sharing it with others so that they do not feel isolated and alone. In extreme cases, a person with depression may need to be treated in hospital, for example, if they are threatening or have attempted to commit suicide. If the person is deemed a risk to himself or others, he may have to be committed to hospital. Besides psychotherapy and a course of anti-psychotic drugs, people in hospital may be offered or forced to undergo electro-convulsive therapy. This involves applying electric currents to the brain. The treatment is controversial, but safety procedures have been improved in recent years. Some psychiatrists are against its use, particularly without the patient's consent, but others believe it can be effective in dealing with life-threatening depression Giant squid grabs London audienceOne of the biggest and most complete giant squids ever found is on display at London's Natural History Museum.
Measuring a monstrous 8.62m (28ft), the animal was caught off the coast of the Falkland Islands by a trawler. Researchers at the museum undertook a painstaking process to preserve the giant creature, which is now on show in a 9m- (30ft-) long glass tank. Giant squid, once thought to be sea serpents, are very rarely seen and live at depths of 200-1,000m (650-3,300ft). They can weigh up to a 1,000kg; the largest ever spotted measured a vast 18.5m and was found in 1880 off Island Bay in New Zealand. "Most giant squid tend to be washed up dead on beaches, or retrieved from the stomach of sperm whales, so they tend to be in quite poor condition," explained Jon Ablett, the mollusc curator at the Natural History Museum who led preservation efforts. As a result, finding such a large, complete specimen was something of a rarity, he said. Archie the squid The team nicknamed the creature Archie, after its Latin name Architeuthis dux, but it may have to revise this after finding out that the squid is probably female.
"The first stage was to defrost it; that took about four days. The problem was the mantle - the body - is very thick and the tentacles very narrow, so we had to try to thaw the thick mantle without the tentacles rotting," Mr Ablett told the BBC News website. The scientists did this by bathing the mantle in water, whilst covering the tentacles in ice packs, after which they injected the squid with a formol-saline solution to prevent it from rotting.
"We contacted Damien Hirst's group after seeing their animals preserved in formalin. They put us in touch with a company who could make these tanks," explained Mr Ablett. The squid now resides in a glass tank, filled to the brim with preservative solution, and is one of 22 million specimens that can be seen as part of the behind-the-scenes Darwin Centre tour of the Natural History Museum. Train Station
MovieHello.... I tell you...about ...a Movie.. The Vampire Hunter D movie is based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's third Vampire Hunter D novel, D—Yousatsukou, a title that Kevin Leahy translates as D—Demon Deathchase. (Reviewed here.) However, there have been extensive changes to the plot. The director is Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Wicked City, BioHunter). The character designs by Yutaka Minowa are inspired by the work of Yoshitaka Amano, who invented the "look" of D for the novels. (The character designs for the 1985 movie were also based on the work of Mr. Amano, but the artists working for Indri Goya took great liberties in converting them to animated form.) Hideyuki Kikuchi, author of the Vampire Hunter D novels, had the opportunity to watch voice actors laying down the tracks for the Japanese dub of VHD2000 and wrote about it at the end of D—Jaoh Seidan part 3. Voices, with some of their earlier credits, include: D: Tanaka Hideyuki Left hand: Nagai Ichirou Meier Link: Yamadera Kouichi Charlotte: Shinohara Emi Leila: Hayashibara Megumi Carmila: Maeda Bibari Narrator: Ishizuka Unshou Grove: Seki Toshihiko Borgoff: Yara Yuusaku Kyle: Ohtsuka Hidenori Nolt: Ootomo Yusaburou Leila as a girl: Yajima Akiko Barbarois leader: Ohtsuka Chikao Mashira: Nishi Rintarou Caroline: Soumi Yohko Chronology: 1998 September 12-17. USA: "Masters of Fantasy—The Anime Filmmakers" broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. The program included five clips from the VHD2000 trailer. 1999 December 9. Japan. VHD Playstation game released by Victor Interactive Software. Early 2000. Japan. Official world premiere of VHD2000 at the Yuubari Fantasy Film Festival in Hokkaido. Throughout 2000, a preliminary version of VHD2000 was screened at film festivals in Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, New York, and California. 2000 September. USA. VHD game released by Jaleco. 2001 January 25-29. Japan. Recording of Japanese-language dialogue for the movie. *April 19. Japan. Movie release pre-opening event. *April 21. Japan. Japanese theatrical release opens in about 50 Warner/Mycal theaters around the country. *August 24. USA. Theatrical premiere of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust at The Egyptian Theatre, Los Angeles, California. *October 17. Japan. Release for rental on VHS, with both English-language and Japanese-language versions available. *December 19. Japan. Theater version DVD (English-language only) released. 2002 February 12. USA release to home video (VHS and DVD formats) by Urban Vision. English-language only. *June. Japan. Japanese-language version released on DVD. 2004 February 4. Japan. "Vampire Hunter D Perfect Collection" boxed set released. The set includes three DVDs (Region 2 NTSC) and one CD, boxed with a booklet; the initial limited release also included a poster. Available from CD Japan. Urban Vision plans to release a Japanese-language version of this movie in 2006. VampsHELLO... CakesUhm, its time to know how make a cake ... Only two recipes♥ First...it´s a chocolate cake♥…one of my favourites ****************************************** ♣Ingredients♣ 2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour 3/4 cup powdered cocoa 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring ♣Steps♣ ♠Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ♠Grease and flour a 9" x 13" cake pan ♠In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. ♠Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or by hand. ♠Pour into prepared pan. With a spatula distribute batter evenly in the pan. ♠Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. ♠Cool completely and frost with your favorite (chocolate) frosting. ♣Tips♣ This is a very delicate cake. If you opt to remove it from the pan, do so after a 10 minute cooling period. If you plan on placing the cake on a cake board or foil lined cookie sheet, place the board or cookie sheet on top of the cake pan. Hold your hand on the center of the board or cookie sheet and slide your other hand under the cake pan and in one motion, flip the cake pan upside down, so the cake is gently placed on the board and not flipped and dropped from the pan. ************************The second...is a cheesecake♥ •Ingredients• 1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 c. melted butter 1 1/4 lbs. cream cheese 1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel zest 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 c. sugar 1 tbsp. flour 3 eggs 1 egg yolk 2 tbsp. heavy cream •Steps• ♥Stir the crushed crackers, cinnamon and melted butter together well. (Image 1) ♥Lay a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Pack the crust mixture in the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a glass to press the crust flat. (Images 2 to 3) ♥Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. ♥Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. ♥Place the cream cheese, zest and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat by hand or with an electric mixer until just smooth. ♥Add the sugar and flour gradually and beat just until incorporated. ♥Add the eggs, yolk and cream and mix thoroughly. ♥Pour the filling over the crust and bake for approximately 1 hour. (Image 4) ♥Check the cake for doneness. The very center should jiggle slightly. Avoid using a knife or toothpick to check for doneness. (Image 5) ♥Let the cake cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate. •Tips• *Avoid overmixing, which can incorporate excess air into the batter and cause the cake to rise too much during baking. The cake will then fall and crack as it cools. *While the cheesecake is cooling, wait until it is warm to the touch (but not hot), then run a knife around the rim. If the sides can pull away from the pan as the cake shrinks, it will lessen the chances of a crack. *Use a springform pan, which allows for the easiest removal of the cake. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet in the oven to capture any leaks. SushiToday it is the day in which we will give some recipes of food, Jaja... well, one of my favorite plate is the sushi... ♥Some History...The basic idea behind the preparation of sushi, a well-known Japanese dish, is the practice of preserving fish with salt and fermenting with rice, a process that can probably be traced back to seafood-preserving methods used in Southeast Asia, where countries have a long history of rice cultivation. It was origined during Tang Dynasty in China, though modern Japanese adopted sushi evolved to have little resemblance to this original Chinese food. Today's dish internationally known as "sushi" (nigirizushi; Kanto variety) is a fast food invented by Hanaya Yohei (華屋与兵衛; 1799 - 1858) at the end of Edo period in today's Tokyo (Edo). People in Tokyo were living in a haste even over one hundred years ago. The nigirizushi invented by Hanaya was not fermented and could be eaten by hands (or using a bamboo toothpick). It was an early form of fast food to be eaten at road side or in a theater. ♥♥How To Make Sushi...(If you want to know more, go to this page: www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/4/1/171344/4974) ... ♣The first step is to get good fish. This is the most important thing. The quality and freshness of the fish pretty much determines how good your sushi will be.... In addition to the fish, a few more things are required, so here is our list of requirements: raw fish: tuna, salmon, broiled eel (about one pound or a little less of each fish) rice vinegar (be sure to ask for rice vinegar for sushi) a rice cooker rice (preferably short-grain glutenous rice) wasabi powder water plastic wrap soy sauce dried seaweed (nori) a good knife and some spoons scissors a cutting board a little rollable mat or something similar the kitchen sink some glass plates and bowls (various sizes) for serving a medium-sized pot for boiling water chopsticks (optional but recommended) ♣Thawing the fish: If any of your fish is frozen, you will need to thaw it. Place the fish in the sink (still wrapped) and thaw it by running cool water over it..... ♣Rice preparation: While the fish is thawing, start making the rice. Start by washing the bowl from the rice cooker and then measuring the rice. For this meal, you should use about five scoops of rice..... ♣Slicing the fish: While the rice is cooking, come back and check on the fish. If it's mostly soft then it's ready to be cut. It's ok if it's still a little frozen since it will be sitting out for a while during the cutting process,start cutting thin wafers of tuna off until it is completely cut, before starting on the next step, put some water in the pot and start boiling it, make some wasabi. Place some of the wasabi powder in a small bowl. Add water and mix it up until you are left with a thick paste. .... ♣Seasoning the rice: The rice should be ready by now. Take the rice out and open it up. Give it a few stirs to loosen it up. Now, add some rice vinegar and stir it in. ♣Putting it all together: Now it's time to make the rice beds. Get out the plastic wrap and tear off a sheet. Scoop out a little chunk of rice and place it in the center of the plastic wrap. Bunch up the rice by forming a little pocket with the plastic wrap and compact it by pulling it between your fingers,With a small spoon, place some wasabi on the rice bed. Be careful not to add too much... wasabi is very potent! Now that the wasabi is on top of the rice, take one of the wafers of fish and stick it to the top of the rice..... ♣Rolls: Now it's time for some rolls. Open up the seaweed and cut it into pieces about five inches wide. Place the seaweed on a cutting board and rollable mat and make a bed of rice on it... ♣Dinner!: It's time to eat! Fill some small bowls with soy sauce for dipping and mix in some wasabi and start feasting on your sushi. *Note:I put only main ideas, to do it correctly they seek paginates it that I put up!!!Oks¿?. The Seven.......................The seven deadly sins............................ & .......................The Seven Holy Virtues........................... About them: **************************************************** The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are a classification of vices used in early Christian teachings to educate and protect followers from (immoral) basic human instincts. The Church divided sin into two types: venial (forgiven through any sacramental) and capital or mortal (meaning they can kill the life of grace and risk eternal damnation unless absolved in the sacrament of confession). Beginning in the early 14th century, the popularity of the seven deadly sins with artists of the time engrained them in human culture around the world. The generally accepted deadly sins are superbia (hubris/pride), avaritia (avarice/greed), luxuria (extravagance, later lust), invidia (envy), gula (gluttony), ira (wrath), and acedia (sloth). Each deadly sin is opposed by one of the corresponding Seven Holy Virtues. ************The Sins*********** The identification and definition of the Sins is a fluid process and, like many aspects of religion, the idea of what each sin encompasses has changed over time. This was exacerbated by the fact that the Sins are not considered in a structured manner in the Bible, and works referencing the sins were gradually considered sources for others to base their definitions on. The second section of the Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, is the most well known source for defining the sins, though modern interpretations often show those guilty of the Sins suffering in Hell, not purifying themselves in Purgatory. ♥Lust :is best described as depraved thought, unwholesome morality, desire for excitement, or need to be accepted or recognized by others. ♥ Gluttony:being associated with an overindulgence of food and drink, though in the past any form of thoughtless excess could fall within the definition of this sin. ♥Avarice:a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things. ♥Sloth:being simply a sin of laziness, of an unwillingness to act, and of an unwillingness to care. For this reason Sloth is now often seen as being considerably less serious than the other sins. ♥Anger: Inappropriate [unrighteous] feelings of hatred and anger. ♥Envy:love of one's own good perverted to a desire to deprive other men of theirs. ♥Arrogance: is considered the original or most serious sin. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive to others, failing to give credit due to others, or excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). ***************************************************** The Seven Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia ('Contest of the Soul'), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. 410) entailing the battle of good virtues and evil vices. The intense popularity of this work in the Middle Ages helped to spread the concept of Holy Virtue throughout Europe. Practicing these virtues is alleged to protect one against temptation from the Seven Deadly Sins, with each one having its counterpart. ***************The Virtues**************** ♣Chastity :Courage and boldness. Practicing [sexual] abstinence. ♣Abstinence: Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings ♣Liberality The ability to realize that money is not the most important thing in the world. ♣Diligence A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. ♣Patience: Forebearance and endurance through moderation. ♣Kindness:Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake. ♣Humility:Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect DonutsA doughnut, or donut is a sweet deep-fried piece of dough or batter. The two most common types are the torus-shaped ring doughnut, and the filled doughnut, a flattened sphere injected with jam/jelly, cream, custard, or another sweet filling. A small spherical piece of dough, originally made from the middle of a ring doughnut, can be cooked as a doughnut hole. Doughnuts are usually fried, but in rare cases the dough is squeezed into a ball and rested between the rims of an electric cooker. •Possible origins Doughnuts have a disputed history. One theory is that they were introduced into North America by Dutch settlers, who are responsible for popularizing other desserts, including cookies, cream pie, and cobbler. Another story credits the invention of the hole in the doughnut to a Danish sea captain named Hanson Gregory. During a particularly violent storm, Gregory needed both hands free to man the wheel of his ship, and impaled a fried cake upon the wheel spoke, creating the signature hole. The centers of fried cakes had been notorious for being undercooked, so the innovation stuck. By cooking fried cakes with the center hole, the surface area increased, and the doughnut cooked faster. Another possible origin has the dessert's invention as part of the story of Hanukkah. Called sufganiyot, Jews make these pastries (and other oily foods like latkes) to remind them of the sacramental oil that was used to light the seven-branched Menorah in the Temple. A romantic version says girls created them to give to Johnny Fry as he sped by during the Pony Express in 1860. •Making Before the ring shape became common, doughnuts were often made as twisted ropes of dough. In the UK, doughnuts were always made into a ball. When cooked, they were injected with jam or jelly and always rolled in granulated sugar. This method is still in practice. When placed into a pot of boiling fat, they floated until the lower half was cooked and then rolled themselves over to cook the other side. Ring doughnuts have to be flipped over by hand, which was more time-consuming. The twisted-rope type is called a cruller in some parts of the U.S., but cruller also refers to a particularly airy type of ring doughnut, usually glazed. •Etymology Oliebollen (Dutch doughnut or "Olykoeks")Washington Irving's reference to "doughnuts" in 1809 in his History of New York is an early printed use of the word. Irving described "balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog's fat, and called doughnuts, or olykoeks."[2] These "nuts" of fried dough might now be called doughnut holes. "Doughnut" is the more traditional spelling, and still dominates outside the US. At present, "donut" and "doughnut" are both pervasive in American English. The first known printed use of "donut" was in a Los Angeles Times article dated August 10, 1929. There, Bailey Millard jokingly complains about the decline of spelling, and that he "can't swallow the 'wel-dun donut' nor the ever so 'gud bred'." The interchangeability of the two spellings can be found in a series of "National Donut Week" articles in The New York Times that covered the 1939 World's Fair. In four articles beginning October 9, two mention the "donut" spelling. Dunkin' Donuts, which was founded in 1948 under the name Open Kettle (Quincy, Massachusetts), is the oldest surviving company to use the "donut" variation, but the now defunct Mayflower Donut Corporation appears to be the first company to use that spelling, having done so prior to World War II. It is of course possible that the old english word 'nought' (for zero, or nothing), is also the source of the corrupted word 'nut', and that the word 'dough-nought' was used as a description of the shape and substance of the end-product. ........................................................................................EnD Donut Recipes http://www.recipegoldmine.com/breakdonut/breakdonut.html Hermann HesseThe German-Swiss writer Hermann Hesse, b. Calw, Germany, July 2, 1877, d. Aug. 9, 1962, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1946. Determined by the age of 13 "to be a poet or nothing," Hesse at first wrote derivative, romantic poems and stories of little merit. In his earliest novels, Peter Camenzind (1904; Eng. trans., 1961) and Beneath the Wheel (1906; Eng. trans., 1968), which expressed his long-smoldering resentment of his pious and repressive upbringing, he pulled himself out of the rut and won success. The first phase of his writing, which began with the neoromantic treatment of the artist as a social outcast, ended with the realistic Rosshalde (1914; Eng. trans., 1970). At the beginning of World War I, the strain of his pacifist beliefs and domestic crises led him to undertake psychoanalysis with a follower of Carl Gustav Jung. Jungian psychology gave his work a new dimension; Demian (1919; Eng. trans., 1923), Siddhartha (1922; Eng. trans., 1951), and Steppenwolf (1927; Eng. trans., 1929) also reveal the influence of Nietzsche, Dostoyevsky, Spengler, and Buddhist mysticism. These novels are based on the conviction that Western civilization is doomed and that man must express himself in order to find his own nature. A third phase began in 1930. Narziss und Goldmund (1930; trans. as Death and the Lover, 1932) balances the artist's rebellion against the hierarchic continuity of social behavior. In Journey to the East (1932; Eng. trans., 1956) and The Glass Bead Game (1943; Eng. trans., 1957) the quest for freedom conflicts with tradition and leads to personal sacrifice suffused with optimism. Hesse did not write any novels after 1943 but continued to publish essays, letters, poems, reviews, and stories. From 1912 he lived in Switzerland, of which he became a naturalized citizen in 1923. Hesse's novels became immensely popular during the 1950s in the English-speaking world, where their criticism of bourgeois values and interest in Eastern religious philosophy and Jungian psychology echoed the preoccupations of the younger generation. http://www.levity.com/corduroy/hesse.htm ________♣_____________♣Demian♣______________♣______________ Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth is a Bildungsroman by Hermann Hesse, first published in 1919, but a prologue was added in 1960. Demian was first published under the pseudonym "Emil Sinclair", the name of the narrator of the story, but Hesse was later revealed to be the author. The name "Emil Sinclair" was chosen because he was a friend of the poet Novalis, whom Hesse adored. In it, Emil Sinclair is a young boy who was raised in a bourgeois home described as a Scheinwelt. "Scheinwelt" is a play of words and means world of light as well as world of illusion. Through the novel, accompanied and prompted by his mysterious classmate Max Demian, he descends from and revolts against the superficial ideals of this world, eventually awakening into a realization of self. The novel references concepts of Gnosticism, particularly the god Abraxas, and shows the influence of Sigmund Freud's system of psychoanalysis. Hesse said the novel was a story of Jungian individuation, the process of opening up to one's unconscious. It was written in just three weeks. Hesse summarizes the idea of being young and confused through Sinclair's point of view; a phase of self-questioning everyone goes through while growing. The book is pointing out a different kind of love, as well as a different kind of friendship which makes readers to ask whether it is genuine. At times the friendship seems one-sided. Theatre Of TragedyTheatre Of Tragedy
Is a Norwegian band from Stavanger, originally assembled in 1992 and best known for their earlier albums, which provided a great deal of influence to the gothic metal genre. The band made use of contrasting vocals - male bass vocals (making some use of death grunts) and female soprano singing (commonly referred to as "Beauty and the Beast" vocals) - and on their first three albums, presented lyrics written predominantly in Early Modern English. Starting from the album Musique, however, Theatre of Tragedy made drastic changes to its style, which became significantly inspired by the industrial rock genre, abandoning Early Modern English writing and death grunts in the process. In 2003 Liv Kristine assembled a band (Leaves' Eyes) with her husband Alexander Krull and musicians from his band Atrocity. Later on in August 2003, following Theatre of Tragedy's genre switch to industrial rock in their albums Musique (2000) and Assembly (2002), the band declared in an official statement [1] on their website, that Liv Kristine was removed from the band's line-up due to "musical differences which could not be bridged". Liv Kristine, for her part, claimed in a statement on her website that she was fired via e-mail, and not personally informed of the fact by any of the band members. [2]. It is speculated that the reason for her firing was mostly due to her move to Germany that same year. Due to her relocation and commitment to Leaves' Eyes, it became difficult for the rest of the band to keep in contact with Liv. Female singer Nell Sigland (from The Crest) joined Theatre of Tragedy on the following year. In winter 2004/2005 a short concert tour (together with Pain, Sirenia and Tiamat) with Sigland singing was performed. The band released their sixth studio album Storm on March 24, 2006 and a European tour followed, with Gothminister as supporting act. The single to the album's title song was released on February 24, 2006. The new release sees the band taking a step away from the industrial and electronic sounds of the last two albums, and could be seen as a mixture between the sound of Aégis and Musique. Site: http://www.theatreoftragedy.com/ ___________♣____Lorelei____♣_____________ F©rie dearest, was it loe soothfast or a fa§ade; A serenade siren'd to lure - Zounds! not to court me? A m¦nad, yet the sweetest colleen - Certes didst thou me unveil meekly life pristine. Lorelei, A poet of tragedies, scribe I lauds to Death, Yet who the hell was I to dare? Lorelei, Canst thou not see thou to me needful art? Canst thou not see the loss of loe painful is? D¦dally didst thou perform the tragic pasquinade, For all years a damndest and driegh'd accolade - Caus'd for all eyes maz©d to behold a mªl©e; In the midst did I swainly cast thee my bouquet: The one and sole faggot that feedeth the fire, Bellow'd bidingly by my heart's quailing quire. Lorelei, A poet of tragedies, scribe I lauds to Death, Yet who the hell was I to dare? Lorelei, Canst thou not see thou to me needful art? Canst thou not see the loss of loe painful is? Perchance author I thee this ikon'd apologue for aught, Doth the wecht burthen thee?, then bethink thine afterthought: 'Tween †ther and 'Nether art thou the peerless phœnix - Prithee, darlingmost! - court me rather than the peevish prolix. Lorelei, A poet of tragedies, scribe I lauds to Death, Yet who the hell was I to dare? Lorelei, Canst thou not see thou to me needful art? Canst thou not see the loss of loe painful is? Lorelei, A poet of tragedies, scribe I lauds to Death, Yet who the hell was I to dare? Lorelei, Canst thou not see thou to me needful art? Canst thou not see the loss of loe painful is? John WilliamsJohn Towner Williams
(born February 8, 1932) is an American composer and conductor. In a career that spans six decades, Williams has composed many of the most famous film scores in history, including those for Jaws, Star Wars, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and Harry Potter. In addition, he has composed theme music for four Olympic Games, numerous television series and concert pieces. He served as the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993, and is now the orchestra's laureate conductor. Williams is a five-time winner of the Academy Award, and his 45 nominations to date make him joint second-most nominated individual with fellow composer Alfred Newman (only Walt Disney had more). He was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004. web: http://www.johnwilliams.org/ Double Trouble is a song from the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which was created by John Williams. It is 1 minute and 35 seconds long. The track is a distinctly medieval-sounding choral piece. The medieval sound is not just because of the structure but also the use of typically medieval instruments such as the recorder. The children's choir used is the London Oratory School Schola. John Williams composed the song during the production of the film as he felt to be a warm welcome back to Hogwarts. This song came from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth (Act IV, scene I). _____________♣Double Trouble♣________________ Double, double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble Double, double, toil and trouble Something wicked this way comes. Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing. Double, double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble Double, double, toil and trouble Something wicked this way comes. In the cauldron boil and bake, Fillet of a fenny snake, Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, Witches' mummy, maw and gulf. Double, double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble Double, double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble Double, double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble Something wicked this way comes Classical ...The site:http://www.gothic.net/_blog/
GUIDE
written by Thomas Roche
It's no surprise that a person using the moniker Necrophillia Guy has, um, esoteric tastes, or "special needs" as they are sometimes called. My taste in tunes, as in most other things, leans toward the macabre. No big shock there either, I suppose. After all, how appropriate would it be to set the stage for a necrophilliac encounter by playing Barry Manilow or Bad Company at top volume? However, in this age of digital sound, there's more to carnal soundtracks than Only Theatre of Pain and The Litanies of Satan (believe it or not). Sometimes we morbid types like to experience a little culture -- that is, we like to get horizontal (or , in rare circumstances, vertical) to something that was recorded before 1977. This helps us to pretend that we're occupying a long-ago, and infinitely cooler, era. So here's a list of Necrophillia Guy's five favorite composers who wrote really depressi ng stuff that you can still fuck to. Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach is always a favorite. Put on the Mass in B Minor or the St. John Passion -- or, if you've scored a date with a particularly well-preserved guest, Bach's solo organ works (quit giggling!!). Playing the Tocatta and Fugue in D-Minor whilst reciting Byron will doubtless bring an "Ooooh, baby" from the most listless vampboy or ghoulgirl's lips. If you're like me, that's not really the goal, but just thought I'd mention it. Bach's sonatas and paritas for solo violin may also h elp you get in touch with that inner despondence, to mourn the passing of Western culture if you're in to that sort of thing. Bach has the added advantage that his harpsichord concertos can help cheer you up once you've hit rock bottom. Henryk Miroslav Gorecki: His Symphony No. 3 is subtitled the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. And he's got a string quartet called Already it is Dusk. A symphony entitled Miserere. The first three minutes or so of Symphony No. 3 are played entirely on a string bass. Need I say more? Sergey Rachmaninov: This man occupies a crypt only below Gorecki and Bach in my personal graveyard of musickal delights. His solo piano works are beautiful and his piano concertos quite affecting. But Rachmaninov's true masterpiece is a little ditty called Isle of the Dead. It is a symphonic poem based on a truly disturbing painting by Swiss-German artist Arnold Boecklin. Isle of the Dead incorporates fragments of the Dies Irae, a hymn from the Catholic Requiem Mass. The title alone gives me a ha rd-on. Play this one if you're lucky enough to pick up an actual dead person at Death Guild. Carl Orff;: Orff's masterpiece Carmina Burana has been abused by second-rate filmmakers in recent years, and may therefore evoke images of battle scenes in movies made for fifty-year-old straight guys to beat off to (eg Waterworld, Excalibur), but if y ou can get past that association, the piece is really quite phenomenally depressing. The lyrics are in Latin, so of course I can't be sure, but it's been hinted to me by one of my musically inclined friends that one of the segments in Carmina Burana is s upposed to be sung by a goose roasting on a spit. I think that pretty much spells it out, nest-ce-pas? Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or "Wolfie" as some affectionately refer to him: He died young. Extra points. Most of the time, this Austrian's music is annoyingly perky. But his Requiem is, predictably enough, spooksville. Young Wolfie left the Requiem uncompleted at his death -- It was completed by a man named Sussmayr, but you do not have to pronounce the guy's name in order to enjoy the CD. Sweet Wolfie passed away -- at a tragically young age -- while composing this very requiem, which is why Sussm ayr got his chance at it. Stay far away from Mozart's other works -- particularly Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (don't be fooled by the title!) -- unless you're trying to sell your sexual partner a German automobile or a gift-basket of California wine and impor ted goat cheese (not beyond the realm of possibility, I suppose, but . . . .). Other notes: Anyone who's seen The Hunger knows that the aria is the perfect accompaniment to the sharing of bodily fluids. Piano sonatas by Beethoven can really create a spooky atmosphere. And Chopin's Nocturnes can be played any time of day, parti cularly if you turn out the lights, close the curtains and light a bunch of candles. I have avoided an extended discussion of medieval music, because that goddamn Chant CD is on the shelves in every yuppie home in the Western hemisphere, and the lovely and talented Hildegard von Bingen has been equally colonized. But sacred music from the middle ages can be pretty hot to those of us who suffered through Catholic school. Another note to the clever: anyone who's worked at a Renaissance Faire may have automatic sexual associations with lute or dulcimer music played after midnight, if y ou're willing to put up with some person trying to tell you about their last Dungeons & Dragons adventure. And those of us with Celtic blood have been known to grow curiously aroused by the sound of bagpipes in the morning. A final note to you SM weirdos out there: Not to give you any ideas, but it is not acceptable behavior for a devious top to handcuff and blindfold her/his bottom and then commence the playing of Wagner's Charge of the Valkries at top volume. That so rt of torture is reserved for captive Republicans and classical-radio DJs who play songs from Broadway musicals. |
The cerebral cortex may play a significant role in these events by becoming involved in a vicious circle 
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