Saturday I went to San Francisco to see the exhibit Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharohs. This is a traveling exhibition which is at the De Young Museum until March 2010. Thirty years ago there was a major traveling King Tut exhibit that was in San Francisco and I was able to see that exhibit. Although my memory has faded somewhat over the decades my impression is that this exhibit was better organized and better managed than 30 years ago. The signage I saw on Saturday was some of the better museum signage that I have experienced.
The exhibit itself was very well arranged and the items that were very impressive. A chest with a lid about a meter long which had Tutankhamun's name on it had a feeling of practical personalization and association. Another striking item was the mirror case in the shape of an Ankh. There was a golden dagger which was found inside the coffin secured around Tutankhamun's waist and this dagger and sheath were on display. The gold of the dagger and the colored beads inserted in the handle of the dagger were stunning. There were many other striking pieces such as the gold falcon piece which as designed to hang in front of the body. This piece is a broad flat gold pieces with designs in the metal; simple but stunning.
I recommend this exhibition.
2009-11-29
2009-11-15
WFC Review
The 2009 World Fantasy Convention was held in San Jose over Halloween weekend. It was great. In the world of SF (Speculative Fiction) the boundaries between what are traditionally referred to as Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction are often a bit fuzzy. The theme for this year was the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe. I have previously attended different Science Fiction conventions including many World Science Fiction Convention but this was my first World Fantasy Convention and I really enjoyed it. There was much to do ranging from listening to great panels to talking with interesting people to attending tremendous parties.
The convention was very well run; registration was great, programming was great, the various events were great, dealers room was great, the art show was great and the hospitality suite was beyond excellent. Kevin and Andy and all of their helpers ran a hospitality suite that had everything from wonderful decorations to great food to incredible drinks. They served very good wines; and let us not forget "Death in the Afternoon" which is champagne and Absinthe. The Absinthe came from St. George Spirits in Alameda. The cake was huge and shaped like a hot air balloon.
The convention was very well run; registration was great, programming was great, the various events were great, dealers room was great, the art show was great and the hospitality suite was beyond excellent. Kevin and Andy and all of their helpers ran a hospitality suite that had everything from wonderful decorations to great food to incredible drinks. They served very good wines; and let us not forget "Death in the Afternoon" which is champagne and Absinthe. The Absinthe came from St. George Spirits in Alameda. The cake was huge and shaped like a hot air balloon.
2009-10-08
The Ugly
There are actually many ugly things but I will comment on just one at the moment. That is the general ugliness which surrounds political discussions. Too often what passed for discussion is little more that thoughtless sound bites layered with spin and obfuscation and often descending into blatant dishonesty. This is not just a Republican or a Democratic or a Green or a Libertarian or any other party problem and it is not limited to any one movement such as liberal, conservative, libertarian, progressive or any other political philosophy. And not every member of any party does it but enough do such that we often see very uncivil discourse.
There are a variety of issues including health care, tariffs, tax rates and many others which come up and instead of having a detailed analysis often what we get is trash. Take a topic like health care; you may be for increased Federal funding and control over medicine or you may be opposed but please cut the nonsense and do not insult my intelligence when making your pitch.
What most people seem to ignore is that much of the disagreement about specific policies actually derives from a deeper disagreement on the proper role of government and what nature it should have. That discussion is necessary but often neglected. There are many ways to start the discussion; for example compare the ideas in the book by A Theory of Justice by John Rawls with the ideas in the book Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick. I had the good fortune to read both books for a political philosophy course at UCSB taught by Professor Burleigh T. Wilkins. Of course there are many other important books and ideas; these two are mentioned as examples because I am familiar with them and the works have had some impact in the world of ideas. The point is that I think we would all be better off if we approached these issues honestly and acknowledged that there are deep fundamental issues which need to be addressed.
There are a variety of issues including health care, tariffs, tax rates and many others which come up and instead of having a detailed analysis often what we get is trash. Take a topic like health care; you may be for increased Federal funding and control over medicine or you may be opposed but please cut the nonsense and do not insult my intelligence when making your pitch.
What most people seem to ignore is that much of the disagreement about specific policies actually derives from a deeper disagreement on the proper role of government and what nature it should have. That discussion is necessary but often neglected. There are many ways to start the discussion; for example compare the ideas in the book by A Theory of Justice by John Rawls with the ideas in the book Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick. I had the good fortune to read both books for a political philosophy course at UCSB taught by Professor Burleigh T. Wilkins. Of course there are many other important books and ideas; these two are mentioned as examples because I am familiar with them and the works have had some impact in the world of ideas. The point is that I think we would all be better off if we approached these issues honestly and acknowledged that there are deep fundamental issues which need to be addressed.
The Bad
It looks like I am on a theme of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and I have arrived at the Bad. The Doubletree Hotel in San Jose has declined recently and thus gets the title of "The Bad".
I can remember when the hotel was originally The Red Lion. Then it became the Doubletree and it went along OK for a few years. Then it started to decline. Seriously decline. I have attended many conferences and conventions at the hotel and I have seen it go down. I was there for a couple of events this past weekend and I was saddened at the low quality. The quality of the food had declined seriously and I do not recommend anyone eating there. They are now charging for parking so there if you stop off at the bar you will pay an additional $6 or more for just parking.
The service is poor although this appears to less the fault of the front line employees and more the fault of management making very unwise decisions about staffing and operation rules.
Bottom line: Do yourself a favor and do not book any events at the Doubletree. Avoid the place. Perhaps someday the management will be replaced with some people who are competent.
I can remember when the hotel was originally The Red Lion. Then it became the Doubletree and it went along OK for a few years. Then it started to decline. Seriously decline. I have attended many conferences and conventions at the hotel and I have seen it go down. I was there for a couple of events this past weekend and I was saddened at the low quality. The quality of the food had declined seriously and I do not recommend anyone eating there. They are now charging for parking so there if you stop off at the bar you will pay an additional $6 or more for just parking.
The service is poor although this appears to less the fault of the front line employees and more the fault of management making very unwise decisions about staffing and operation rules.
Bottom line: Do yourself a favor and do not book any events at the Doubletree. Avoid the place. Perhaps someday the management will be replaced with some people who are competent.
The Good
Saturday my niece was in San Francisco on a work related trip so I was able to get together with her and catch up. We had a great meal at Millennium Restaurant. It is a vegan restaurant and while I am not vegan I enjoyed the meal and would gladly go again. The food was very fresh and well prepared.
Good conversation and good food.
Good conversation and good food.
2009-09-20
Spamalot
Saturday night Nancy and I went to Spamalot and had a wonderful time. I think this was the last weekend for Spamalot in San Jose and it is moving on. If you get a chance to see it I recommend it. It is a load of fun.
2009-09-16
Catch Up From Travel
My traveling during August and early September took a toll on my blog output. Both trips were fun and I had a good time but I returned tired and behind plus I had to get back to my job. No work means no pay; no pay means it is very difficult to finance travel.
In summary the trip to Canada (with a side trip to Kansas to visit family) was great. Quebec City and Montreal are both wonderful. Worldcon was fantastic.
Burning Man was very good. Really great.
Hopefully I will get some photos sorted and some notes written about my travels.
In summary the trip to Canada (with a side trip to Kansas to visit family) was great. Quebec City and Montreal are both wonderful. Worldcon was fantastic.
Burning Man was very good. Really great.
Hopefully I will get some photos sorted and some notes written about my travels.
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