Timothy's Scriptorium

The End of a Publishing Era

After a continous publishing history spanning longer than that of the United States of America, the most respected encyclopedia in the English language, Encyclopaedia Britannica, has halted production on its print volumes.  The general reference par excellence, first published in 1768 in Scotland, will now only be available online and on electronic media.

When I first arrived in the U.S. as a kid, English encyclopedias fascinated me, because there were simply nothing comparable in the Mandarin language. Of all the sets available in the library, Britannica stood out for its wealth of content and innovative knowledge structure (the famous micropaedia-macropaedia-propaedia divisions).  Compared to Britannica, World Book seemed terribly superficial in content, Books of Knowledge and Comptons simply juvenile, and Encyclopedia Americana lacking visual appeal (like color).

As much as I use Wikipedia these days for quick information, I can only hope that, even without the print editions, authoratative and more trustworthy reference sources such as Encyclopaedia Britannica will stay around for the long run.

Rembrandt in America

Rembrandt in America, the largest collection of authentic Rembrandt paintings ever in an American exhibit, is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art from February 19 through May 28.  The exhibit began in Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of Art and will end at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts from June 24 through September 16.

Despite the large number of paintings, the collection is somewhat of a letdown, with the subject matters almost exclusively single-figure portraits (at least for the authentic Rembrandt works).  No grand compositions like The Night Watch here.  Nonetheless, it is a wonderful chance to see some of his greatest works in one place, including the hauntingly intimate Self-Portrait (1659) from D.C.'s National Gallery of Art. Additionally, the audio tour and painting descriptions provide a solid history on the ongoing studies and debates regarding what is authentically Rembrandt and what is not.

Unique to the exhibit's Cleveland venue is a companion exhibit, Rembrandt Prints from the Morgan Library and Museum, demonstrating Rembrandt's virtuosity in the etching, engraving, and drypoint media through a large selection from America's largest collection of Rembrandt prints.  Many of the prints show the master's changes through different print stage and versions.  The best part of this exhibit is that, unlike Rembrandt in America, it is part of the free general museum admission!

Capital Bicentennial

Columbus, Ohio, occupying an area originally known as "Wolf's Ridge," is two hundred years young today.  To find out more on why this state capital is more unique than most people think or know, check out the ongoing series about the Columbus Bicentennial on The Columbus Dispatch.  

Leadership

Managers who take themselves least seriously are usually those whom subordinates take most seriously.

Beauty and the Beast (3D)

In the wake of its huge commercial success in Lion King 3D last September, today Disney released its Oscar-nominated (for Best Picture) classic feature Beauty and the Beast 3D.

Many who saw this film in theaters during its original 1991 release run have probably seen it multiple times by now, especially those like me who rank it among the top three films ever made.  For them, this film will not be terribly groundbreaking, because (1) the original was already quite awesome, and (2) 3D doesn't add much to 2D cel animations, merely emphasizing animation layers containing flat, 2D characters (unlike true 3D-rendered computer imagery).  Additionally, this 3D release does not include any extended edition contents, e.g. the Human Again piece.

Nonetheless, for those who have never seen Beast and Belle dance in the enchanted castle's golden hall on the big screen, or for diehard fans, this release in 3D provides as good a time as ever to relive the magic of a "tale as old as time."

Tim Times Ten Times Two

Whoo-eee!  Another list of famous Tims!

• Tim Burton: His two Batman movies in the 80s helped redefine the comic hero as a serious, dark knight.
• Tim Conway: A classic comedic actor who is still alive.
• Tim Curry: Highly-gifted, if reclusive, actor. Was fantastic in Clue.
• Tim Drake: The third iteration of Robin in the Batman comics; became "Red Robin."
• Tim Hawkins: Perhaps the funniest Christian stand-up comedian today.
• Tim Horton: Yes, he co-founded the restaurant chain, but did you know he was a Canadian NHL player for 24 seasons?
• Timmy Martin: Played by Jon Provost, the most famous boy companion to Lassie in the vintage TV series.
• Tim McGraw: Bestselling country music artist.
• Tim Russert: Hosted over sixteen years of Meet the Press, the longest-running TV series in broadcast history.
• Tim Tebow: The most popular Christian pro athlete today.

A Milestone Year

I thought 2008 was eventful; as it turned out, it had nothing on 2011:

The Bad:

• A Car Accident and a Preemie:
  Driving over a small slick spot on an exit ramp in Spring led to a scary crash down a slope and into bushes and a culvert pole.  I totalled my pregnant wife's car and caused her to be hospitalized for weeks.  The baby was delivered three months premature, spending months in the NICU of two different hospitals, to which my wife and I made daily commutes. Every day was filled with uncertainties in the baby's development, as he had much to overcome.
• Job Offer:
  A Web job I applied for toward the end of the year did not pan out, despite a smooth and enjoyable interview process.  The job offered pay and benefits roughly the same as what I have in my current job (if not less), and they were not willing to negotiate on anything, likely because they have another candidate willing to take much less.  It reminds me of when I got my first real job after college, except I was on the other end, the "other person" willing to work for entry-level pay.
• Stagnant Work Project:
  Meanwhile, at my current job, it's been a major struggle just to move forward on migrating our current Web management system to a new enterprise solution we purchased two years ago. Bureaucracy at its finest.
• Grandpa Passing Away
• Moving out of Original Home:
  I shall miss the first home I bought, where I spent all my years as a single working professional and the first few years of marriage. Much planning went into how I laid out its furniture and decor.  I will especially miss its large back yard and its proximity to the National Road.

The Good:

• Fatherhood:
  Despite the accident's harrowing experience, I am immensely grateful to God for the physical healing to my wife, the baby, and myself throughout the year.  Things certainly could have been much, much worse.  Despite being on oxygen for over a month even after being discharged from the hospital, the baby is developing well and meeting milestones.  He truly has been a joy and gift to this first-time dad.
• Church, Friend and Family Support:
  The months of caring for a preemie revealed the true, generous colors from all our friends, relatives, and families, both local and out-of-town.  Their prayers and material assistance have undoubtedly contributed to our getting through this difficult year.
• Office Move:
  In December I moved to a new location at work, in the building basement. Although there are no windows, it is definitely nice to have my own security-entry office, instead of being in a cubicle.  Even now I've not completed unpacking.
• Smartphone:
  I finally buckled down and moved up from a flipphone to a smartphone, the Android-based HTC Rezound.  Love it!  Perhaps it's because it's the first computer I've owned since my Amiga 4000 in the 90s that doesn't run on Windows.
• Move to a New Home:
  Despite missing my old house, the new home is certainly a nicer one, with better materials, more room, and better neighborhood and school district.
• Graduation:
  After two years of somehow mixing classes and school projects/assignments with marriage and a full-time job, I graduated from the local community college in Autumn with an interactive media associates degree.  I've not been able to apply much of it to work, but hopefully those opportunities will come in 2012.
• Paid off mortgage:
  It was quite enjoyable paying off my mortgage on the old house on the same day as graduation. Alas, months later I took on another mortgage with the new home, but at least we don't need to deal with two concurrent mortgages. 

America's Fast Food Central

Not really surprising information, but Columbus, Ohio is America's top fast food test market.  Health issues aside (you shouldn't solely eat fast food and neglect regular exercise anyway), what makes Columbus a great test market also reflect the city's general economic, business, and demographic strengths (relative to the current national economy, of course). It may not be a tourist magnet, but it's definitely not a bad place in which to grow up and raise a family.

Full Set of Cards

The St. Louis Cardinals completed perhaps the most amazing comeback season and postseason in Major League Baseball history.  With only 32 games left in the regular season, they had a 10.5 game deficit to overcome for the National League wild card berth. In the postseason they proceeded to defeat both the Piladelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers to reach the World Series against the Texas Rangers.  There, a spectacular Game 3 featuring three home runs by Albert Pujols was surpassed by Game 6, where World Series MVP and hometown hero David Freese helped rally his team to a win after being behind and a strike away from elimination in both the ninth and tenth innings.  With Pujols becoming a free agent, the Cardinals may not get another chance to win it all in the coming years, but regardless they will always have this unforgettable 2011 season in the record books. 

Caravaggio in Ohio

As part of Columbus's 2012 bicentennial celebration, the Columbus Museum of Art partnered with sister city Genoa, Italy, to bring from October 21, 2011 to February 12, 2012 a special exhibition, Caravaggio: Behold the Man!

Caravaggio led a tumultuous life, often on the run.  His brief life's drama was equalled only by his revolutionary painting style, which used both commoners as models for sacred figures and theatrical, high-contrast chiaroscuro lighting, also known as tenebrism.  These signature aspects are well-represented in the exhibit's centerpiece and only Caravaggio work, Behold the Man, or Ecce Homo, depicting the Biblical scene in John 19:5 when Pilate presented Jesus to the crowds shortly before His crucifixion.

The rest of the exhibit does a fine job showing the major impact Caravaggio had on his fellow Baroque painters in succeeding generations throughout Europe. Nonetheless, it is hard to avoid questioning the lack of any additional Caravaggio paintings.  In a sense, the singular nature of Ecce Homo in the exhibit reflects the rather limited quantity of works by traditional masters in the museum's permanent collection as a whole (unless one considers Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works traditional).  Hence, the exhibit manages to both impress and disappoint.  For huge Caravaggio fans like myself, though, it still boils down to a rare opportunity to view and enjoy an Italian masterpiece right in the heart of Ohio.