El Greco: A Defender of Byzantine Art

18 December 2008
Alpha Galileo

A new investigation could end many of the speculations about the works of El Greco and the man himself. A hand-written annotation to a book, similar to the glosses of Saint Emilianus, found in Spain in a copy of Lives of the most excellent architects, painters and sculptors by Giorgio Vasari, has led Nicos Hadjinicolau, a researcher from the Institute of Mediterranean Studies, to conclude that the artist – contrary to popular belief – was a defender of Byzantine art.

Movie Review: Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" (contains spoilers!)

By John Sanidopoulos

When I saw Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" last night (its opening night), I had no intention of writing a review on it. I consider most films based on the Bible as either silly or bad, even the "critically acclaimed" ones, and the little I knew about this movie going in, told me it will likely be a mess, cause I knew it was drawing on apocryphal sources and a comic book ("illustrated novel"), but I'm always open minded to give things a chance before I make a decision on it. On the plus side, it was made by Darren Aronofsky, who has made some of my favorite films in recent years, and whom I've been a fan of since 1998. This being the case, I expected at least a great film with a possibly bad script.

Seven Thoughts That Are Bad For You

Our personalities do more for us than determine our social circles. Temperament can impact a person's physical health.

"The idea that behavior or personality traits can influence health is one that's been around for a long time. We're just now getting a handle on to what extent they do," said Stephen Boyle of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

From those with a chill demeanor to the completely frazzled types, mental factors are ultimately tied to physical health. And while a highly neurotic person might deteriorate more quickly than others, not every character trait will kill you. Some might even boost lifetimes.

Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince"

Oscar Wilde's "Happy Prince" may perhaps be my favorite short story for children. I was first introduced to it in elementary school, and even as a child I would be moved and inspired by it. However, my introduction to it came by way of the short animation shown as a filmstrip in class, and this film (presented below) is what made the lasting impression on me. It is an incredible and moving tale of selflessness and loyalty that should be viewed and read (here) by both children and adults.

Russian Cathedrals and Rock and Roll

When Pussy Riot "scandalously" and "blasphemously" performed in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral a few years ago, I recall making the following offhand remark: "There's something very rock n' roll about Russian Orthodox cathedrals."

The person I made this remark to didn't quite understand what I meant. Well, for a few years now I have collected photos on the internet of rock and pop stars who all have one thing in common: they all find Russian Orthodox cathedrals, especially St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square, to be very rock n' roll. Perhaps its the architecture, the coloring, the onion domes, the history, the association with Ivan the Terrible, or whatever it is, many rock stars have chosen it as background for publicity photos perhaps more than any other sacred landmark in the world.