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On 5 October 1669 the sheriff’s men are called to Rembrandt’s house on the Rozengracht in Amsterdam, fetched there by his 14-year old daughter Cornelia, his only surviving child and sole offspring of his relationship with Hendrickje Stoffels whose death six years earlier had left him distraught.  Rembrandt lies dead, and there is a lot of sorting out to be done.  The great painter’s final years have been marked by many misfortunes – the death of loved ones, and  bankruptcy only avoided in 1656 by selling most of his paintings and large collection of antiquities.  He has debts outstanding, there will be multiple calls upon whatever estate remains from both family and creditors, and there is his burial to be paid for.  So an inventory must be made of the contents of the house.

Scattered through the rooms of the house were thirteen paintings, judged at the time to be unfinished.  One of them was ‘Simeon with the Infant Christ in the Temple’, now judged to be Rembrandt’s last painting.  Fittingly, this is the final painting in the National Gallery’s unmissable exhibition, Rembrandt: The Late Works, which I went to see last week.

Rembrandt, Simeon with the Infant Christ in the Temple, c 1669

Rembrandt, Simeon with the Infant Christ in the Temple, c 1669

Though Rembrandt had long since ceased being an active member of his church,  he was, like all of  his contemporaries, drenched in the stories told by the apostles, including that told by Luke of Simeon, a man who hung around the Temple who had been visited by the Holy Spirit (as happened fairly frequently in those times) and told that he wouldn’t die until he had seen the Messiah. When the infant Jesus was brought by his parents to the Temple, Simeon took him in his arms and said, ‘Lord, now let your servant depart in peace’.  Rembrandt’s painting of the scene gains additional resonance from being his last – and from the fact that he has portrayed Simeon, eyes closed as if he is blind, while the three figures, seen against a background that is, in Simon Schama’s words, ‘a shadowy void’,  are illuminated by an ‘unearthly brilliance’.

That unearthly brilliance is also the first thing that strikes the visitor when entering the exhibition.  I was impressed by the staging of the exhibits: the rooms are dim, with the works hung against a background of deep, velvety darkness, each one illuminated in a pool of light.  So entering the first room, entitled ‘Self-scrutiny’, is to be confronted with the heart-stopping sight of five late self-portraits, in each one of which Rembrandt’s face glows in the gloom, his eyes seeming to follow you as you move around the room.

Blockbuster exhibitions like this are a ruck, but it was still worthwhile.  As Louisa Buck remarked in her Telegraph review, Rembrandt: The Late Works  brings together:

A once-in-a-lifetime gathering of landmark works and rare loans which strikingly confirm that the man who is now the epitome of old masterly respectability was in fact at his most daringly experimental during the last decade and a half of his life – from the early 1650s up to his death in 1669 aged 63. It also reveals that many of the qualities that we now take for granted as quintessentially and brilliantly Rembrandt-esque were not only utterly perplexing to his contemporaries but also came to fruition at a time when his career was on the skids.

I’ve already discussed some of these paintings in my post about Simon Schama’s  brilliant TV documentary. What follows therefore focusses on other works which caught my attention.  Another curatorial decision made by the National Gallery in presenting the exhibits has been to eliminate explanatory panels and labels.  Instead, visitors are given an excellent booklet containing information on each and every work, as well as a timeline and glossary of terms.  I’ve drawn upon it for this personal aide-mémoire of a wonderful exhibition.

Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659

Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1659

Rembrandt, Self Portrait as the Apostle Paul (detail)

Rembrandt, Self Portrait as the Apostle Paul (detail), 1661

Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1669 National Gallery, London

Rembrandt, Self Portrait (detail), 1669 (National Gallery, London)

Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1669 Maurithaus, The Hague

 Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1669 (Maurithaus, The Hague)

As your eyes adjust to the semi-darkness in the first room, the first sight is that of Rembrandt’s self-portrait of 1659.  It’s a work of astonishing humanity, the artist’s illuminated against the varying shades of brown from which most of the rest of the painting is composed.  The brushstrokes are expressive, creamy swirls of paint on his brow lending him a quizzical expression, while thick strokes emphasise the heavy eyelids and thinner strokes suggest the slack flesh of his jowls. The eyes are alert, but there is sadness there, too.

Rembrandt made around 80 self-portraits – painted, etched or drawn – which make up an extraordinary record of an artist’s unflinching observation of his own features.  The self-portraits Rembrandt produced in his later years – subdued, thoughtful, and often achingly honest – seem to probe beyond external appearances.

Two years after the 1659 self-portrait, Rembrandt painted himself as the Apostle Paul (top of this post), the only time he assumed the role of a biblical figure.  Simon Schama writes in Rembrandt’s Eyes:

Was there ever so unlikely, and yet so obvious a Paul as this?  Not the long-bearded pillar of self-righteousness whom Rembrandt had painted forty years before … laying down the law, pointing to the irrefutable doctrine.  Instead the quizzical, confessional Paul … shoulders shrugged, brow crumpled, hapless yet not without hope; the author both of his blind folly and of his visionary wisdom; a vessel of sin and a receptacle of salvation; not a Paul of forbidding remoteness but a Paul of consoling humanity; a Paul for everyday sinners.

Then, before leaving the room, we encounter two self-portraits painted in 1669, when he was 63. In the National Gallery portrait he appears frail, an old man.  ‘This is the truth’, remarks Schama, ‘and Rembrandt’s face is lit only by the illumination of his unsparing frankness’.  The Mauritshuis painting is probably Rembrandt’s final self-portrait.  Still keenly observant, he records his slack, puffy face with clinical detachment.  Flesh sags beneath his chin, while a thick swipe of paint emphasises the pouch under his right eye.  It is, states Schama, ‘a ruthlessly detailed map of times’s attrition’.  Yet, by adding that fancy beret, there is still something of a swagger to the man.

Rembrandt, The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilis, 1661

Rembrandt, The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilis, 1661

Much of Rembrandt’s art was concerned with the manipulation of light and shadow for dramatic or symbolic effect.  Like Caravaggio, he was interested in strong lighting contrasts which he achieved by orchestrating his colours to unify and enhance areas of light and dark, often using surface texture to add glittering highlights.

The centrepiece of this room, alongside several examples of Rembrandt’s etchings, is enormous oil painting, The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilis. In 1661 Rembrandt was among several artists commissioned to produce decorations illustrating the revolt of the Batavians (a tribe inhabiting the area of the Netherlands in Roman times), seen as a parallel to the revolt that had freed the Dutch from Spanish oppression in the 16th century. Rembrandt depicts the one-eyed Batavian leader, Claudius Civilis, with his followers, swearing an oath to resist the Romans.  A single lamp lights the scene, turning the tabletop into a river of gold and eerily illuminating the conspirators with reflected light.

Though the canvas was installed in the Town Hall, it was rejected soon after and cut down, probably by Rembrandt himself. His drawing alongside shows that the painting was originally even larger, with the figures situated in a cavernous space.

Experimental technique

Rembrandt Self Portrait with Two Circles

 Rembrandt, Self Portrait with Two Circles, c 1665

Rembrandt’s inventive, even unorthodox, technique is, states the guide, one of the most distinctive aspects of his late work.  He layered colours and varied the application of his paint, from thin washes to a dense impasto. Sometimes he used a palette knife to apply the paint, or scored marks in the surface with the end of his brush (I was to see a lot more of that sort of thing – on a grand scale – the next day at the Anself Kiefer retrospective at the RA).  Though this section is mainly devoted to revealing the extent of Rembrandt’s experimentation as a printmaker, it was dominated, for me, by two oil paintings that had been discussed in Simon Schama’s documentary – the Kenwood Self-Portrait with Two Circles, and Lucretia, painted in 1666. The former is, states the guide, one of Rembrandt’s most magnificent self-portraits.  It appears unfinished, perhaps deliberately so, to draw attention to the artist’s virtuosity.  In particular, the right hand is barely developed, while the left, holding the palette and brushes, is suggested with a mere flurry.

Rembrandt Lucretia 1666

Rembrandt, Lucretia, 1666

The Lucretia is displayed here as another example of Rembrandt’s unorthodox technique.  He was, suggests the National Gallery guide, probably the first artist to manipulate paint on the canvas with a palette knife.  He used the tool in the lower part of Lucretia’s shift, her white sleeves, and the sleeve covering her lowered right arm.  He layered colours and glazes on top of the textured surface. (For further discussion of these two paintings see my post on Simon Schama’s documentary.)

The next section illustrates how Rembrandt drew inspiration from the work of earlier artists, reworking motifs from a diverse range of sources, including antique statues and Italian, German and Netherlandish art of the previous two centuries.  Rembrandt probably owned many of these works.  He spent extravagant amounts of money on collecting art and curiosities, an indulgence that led him to virtual bankruptcy.

Rembrandt, The Goldsmith, 1655

Rembrandt, The Goldsmith, 1655

From this room I’ve selected a tiny etching (the reproduction above is probably larger than the original) of a goldsmith at work.  Modelled on a similar composition by the 16th century Flemish artist, Dirck Vellert, it is now owned by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.  The sculptor tenderly caresses his latest creation, a statuette of a woman with two children, symbolizing Charity.

Observation of everyday life

Rembrandt, Farmhouse on a River, 1652

Rembrandt, Farmhouse on a River, 1652

This section is devoted to drawings which reveal Rembrandt’s continuing fascination with the everyday and life’s peculiarities – its randomness, defects and anomalies.  The most striking examples of this were two small sketches made on the spot as Rembrandt observed the public hanging of Elsje Christiaens in 1664, executed for murdering her landlady.  He records her body suspended from the gibbet with the murder weapon – an axe – beside her.

Then there are quick, impressionistic sketches made whilst out walking in the countryside.  Farmhouse on a River is a pen drawing in brown ink on brown paper.  With a few quick strokes, Rembrandt has captured the impression of a modest farmhouse on the bend of a river –  a record of days when he would roam the Dutch countryside sketching such scenes.

Artistic conventions

This section demonstrates how Rembrandt continued in his final years to test the limits of what was thought acceptable or appropriate in art. In portraits, however, he had to employ subtle tactics.  Commissioned portraits required a delicate balance between the client’s expectations and the artist’s vision. In his later works especially, Rembrandt seems to embrace the challenge of reinvigorating the conventions of portraiture, and this section offers several examples.

Rembrandt, The Syndics,1662

Rembrandt, The Syndics,1662

Here is the group portrait of the sampling officials of the Amsterdam Drapers’ Guild – known as ‘The Syndics’. In this masterly group portrait (also discussed in Simon Schama’s documentary), Rembrandt shook up a traditionally staid format, whilst respecting the dignity of the officials, animating the shallow space by varying the heights and angles of the syndics heads, and turning the table at an angle ninety degrees to the picture plane, so that the corner of the table appears to jut out of the picture towards the viewer.  Accompanying drawings show how Rembrandt experimented with different positions and poses.

Rembrandt, Portrait of Margaretha de Geer (detail), c 1661

Rembrandt, Portrait of Margaretha de Geer (detail), c 1661

Rembrandt’s portrait of the Syndics was evidence that, although his style was considered somewhat unfashionable by the 1660s, his skill still appealed to the moneyed grandees of Amsterdam.  And there were none grander or richer than the Trips, ironmasters of Dordrecht who had built a global trading empire that stretched from Russia to West Africa, from Sweden to Brazil.  The Trips shipped grain from the Baltic, slaves from Guinea – and guns, lots of them.  Wherever there was a war, the Trips supplied the armaments.  In 1660 the Trips began construction of a massive private house in the city and commissioned several painters, including Rembrandt, to make portraits for the interior.

Rembrandt’s portraits of old Jacob Trip (who died in 1661) and his widow Margaretha are, writes Schama, ‘old-fashioned in conception but uncompromisingly modern in execution’.  Both are presented as severe, stony-faced individuals – patriarch and matriarch – though the portrait of Jacob is painted more loosely. Margaretha‘s frontal pose is unusual in female portraiture and serves to emphasise her iron will.

Rembrandt, Portrait of the Dortrecht Merchant Jacob Trip, c 1661

Rembrandt, Portrait of the Dortrecht Merchant Jacob Trip, c 1661

Rembrandt, Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, 1657

Rembrandt, Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, 1657

Although married, Catrina Hooghsaet lived apart from her husband with a parrot for company (just discernible in the darkness to her right).  She belonged to the Mennonite religious sect which forbade extravagant and colourful dress: her crisp white collar and intricate lace cap were, however, permissible displays of wealth. I was struck by Rembrandt’s detailing of her right hand and the handkerchief it holds, and by his observation of the way in which the decorative gold hairpins that hold her cap in place form impressions in her cheek.

We know from having watched Simon Schama’s documentary that Rembrandt painted many of his most emotionally powerful works in the final years of his career.  In this part of the exhibition we get to see intimate studies of human character, of friends and family, and of the nude.  These images are not solely about external appearance, but about expressing the innermost thoughts and emotions of the individuals portrayed.

Rembrandt, The Artist's Son, Titus, 1656

Rembrandt, The Artist’s Son, Titus, 1656

Rembrandt, Titus at His Desk, 1655

Rembrandt, Titus at His Desk, 1655

Here, for example, are two portraits of Rembrandt’s teenage son Titus – one, a small etching of the boy with downcast eyes and a pensive expression; the other an intimate oil painting of Titus at his desk, daydreaming as he was writing or drawing.  Titus died in 1668, a year before Rembrandt himself.

Rembrandt, A Woman Bathing in a Stream, 1655

Rembrandt, A Woman Bathing in a Stream, 1655

And here is his beautiful painting of his lover Hendrickje Stoffels, lifting the hem of her shift as she wades into a shallow pool. She might be portrayed as an historical figure – possibly Susanna from the Old Testament, who was spied upon by lecherous elders.  But, whereas the convention in such paintings at the time would have been to emphasise the woman’s nakedness and have her staring back at the viewer as if she were his possession, as Schama observes, Rembrandt paints Hendrickje not looking at him:

He admires her evidently not as a possession but for her self-possession, and he catches her, sidelong as it were, in an act of self-absorption.

Schama notes, too, how the style of the painting rejects the emerging fashion of the time for ‘a clear line, a bright light, and a smooth finish’.  The paint is thickly applied in smears and dabs, lines are suggestive and broken, the light flickering. He asks us to look closely at the way in which Hendrickje’s left hand is painted – a mere suggestion.

Rembrandt, An Old Woman Reading, 1655

Rembrandt, An Old Woman Reading, 1655

Here is an old woman, engrossed in reading a book, which seems to project from the canvas.  Shrouded beneath a dark hood, the woman’s face is illuminated by light reflected from the open pages.  ‘By drawing the viewer so close to his subject’, comments the guide, ‘Rembrandt invites intimate access to the woman’s innermost thoughts’.

Rembrandt The Jewish Bride

Rembrandt, The Jewish Bride, c 1665

And here is the painting that made the last five minutes of Simon Schama’s TV documentary so profoundly moving – The Jewish Bride. This is the painting of which Van Gogh wrote that he would give ten years of his life if he could simply sit and meditate, with a dry crust of bread, for ten days in front of it. It is, said Schama, a painting that attacks us viscerally; one that is about the physical embodiment of love, and what it means to be touched. Being able to see it in the flesh meant being able to see the rich detailing on the man’s sleeve, and the almost three-dimensional representation of the woman’s rings, bangles and necklace.  Heart-stopping.

In his exhibition review for the Financial Times, Simon Schama wrote:

Rembrandt has matched an almost sculptural handling of paint to the theme of loving touch: physical and emotional. The picture embodies all at the same time: tenderness and desire; wistfulness and content; nature and nurture. It is above all else a play of hands; not just the hands of the couple, but the hand of the painter trowelling on layer after layer of textured complexity, especially in passages of the man’s sleeve and robe which are in themselves an almost abstract weave of pigment.

The curators note that throughout his career Rembrandt had portrayed contemplative, often elderly, people – scholars, philosophers, prophets and apostles.  In his later years, Rembrandt wrestled with how best to represent a figure immersed in thought or religious contemplation.  By presenting his solitary thinkers in spare, tightly cropped compositions, he directed the viewer’s attention to seeking evidence of meditative thought in the face of the one portrayed.

Rembrandt, The Apostle Bartholomew, 1657

Rembrandt, The Apostle Bartholomew, 1657

Rembrandt, The Apostle Bartholomew, 1661

Rembrandt, The Apostle Bartholomew, 1661

Two portraits in this section impressed me with their powerful humanistic quality.  Both are described as depicting the apostle Bartholomew, though they are clearly based on studies of a living person painted from life.  In the earlier portrait, Bartholomew is represented as a vigorous man, leaning forward as if listening intently.  Four years later Rembrandt presents a radically different image of the apostle – now facing the viewer directly, an older man, his face thickly painted with dabs and strokes.  In both portraits the apostle holds a knife, the instrument of his martyrdom by flaying.

Inner conflict

This section explores how Rembrandt refreshed traditional narrative themes by enriching the story of a key protagonist by considering their fate, their affliction, or their spiritual or emotional conflict. In his
late works Rembrandt made contemplation and introspection his dominant themes. Rather than describing a narrative with numerous characters, broad gestures and a led setting, he often concentrated the psychological power of a story into a single person.  It’s here that we encounter the second Lucretia.

Rembrandt, Lucretia, 1664

It is one of his most moving compositions, representing Lucretia’s inner conflict.  She is wracked with inner anguish, and stands with her arms outstretched just before plunging the dagger into her breast.  In his earlier Lucretia painting, Rembrandt had depicted her immediately after suicidal act.  Here she is still visibly torn between an innate desire to live and the unbearable shame of her rape.

Reconciliation: Rembrandt finds inner peace

In this final  section the curators have grouped paintings which represent Rembrandt’s effort to ‘capture the emotional core of literary, mythological or biblical subjects’.  In the latter part of his career, he tended to focus on moments of contentment and peace of mind that often followed the more usually depicted moment of intense passion of an iconic  event.

Rembrandt, Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph, 1656

Rembrandt, Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph, 1656

Two paintings here provided examples of this approach.  One being Simeon with the Infant Christ which I discussed at the outset of this post.  The other was Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph – representing yet another biblical story that was very familiar to Rembrandt and his contemporaries, but unknown to me.  The national Gallery guide explains:

When the Old Testament patriarch Jacob became ill, Joseph brought his sons to receive a blessing from their grandfather.  Jacob blessed the younger son, Ephraim, with his right hand, a gesture usually reserved for the elder son.  Most depictions of this popular subject show an angered Joseph attempting – often vehemently – to correct his father’s gesture.  In Rembrandt’s profoundly moving interpretation, however, Joseph understands and accepts his father’s choice, tenderly supporting his hand as he lays it on Ephraim’s head.

This was a profoundly moving exhibition, exquisitely presented, and hugely informative.  Louisa Buck summed it up nicely in her Telegraph piece:

From the 1650s Rembrandt’s vivid rendition of emotion, his dramatic use of light and shade, and his evermore bold and loose brushwork were increasingly out of kilter with the smooth surfaces, conventional compositions and idealized images that were all the artistic rage in 17th century Europe. From being the toast of the contemporary scene, Rembrandt found himself increasingly passed over as many of his former pupils and workshop members won prestigious commissions and rose to riches and success.

Upon his death by unknown causes on October 4 1669, a year after his beloved son Titus, Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn was buried in an anonymous rented grave in Amsterdam’s Westerkerk. It would not be until the mid-19th century, when the Dutch were taking  a new pride in their national identity, that he would be seized upon and his reputation spruced up to become Holland’s cultural mascot and everyone’s favourite art historical genius.

See also

6 thoughts on “Rembrandt The Late Works at the National Gallery: unearthly brilliance

  1. Thank you for writing that. Can I ask – did you feel that you were able to spend enough time in front of the paintings? Did you go during the week? I only ask after having been to a couple of the blockbuster exhibitions at the National Gallery and vowed to never fight my way through another. This one does sound wonderfully well curated though.

    1. Thank you for reading. Although it was certainly crowded, I was able to get close to the paintings and see them clearly. It is such a wonderful exhibition that the crowds are worth putting up with. I went on a Saturday afternoon so it might be quieter at times in the week, but I would recommend booking to avoid having to queue.

      1. Thanks for that, Gerry. It’s good to know that you were able to get up close, without being elbowed out of the way. If a Saturday afternoon was a positive experience then midweek might be tranquility itself.

        I remember visiting the National Gallery with my son a few years ago – not for an exhibition but to see the Wolf of Gubbio. I was really touched by how many of the guards carry little notebooks where they spend quiet moments sketching their favourite paintings. It must be a joy of a job to spend all those hours near works of art that you love.

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Easy GF birthday cake designs

Hi everyone,

My daughters just turned 13. One has been GF since age 4 because of celiac disease and the other since age 7 because of non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

I came across a  bunch of photos of their birthday cakes over the years (I’ll add more if I can find them) and thought I might post some, starting with the most recent. Early on I started out making cookie cakes and brownies. Most years I’ve made double layer cakes, using Wegmans GF mixes, Betty Crocker GF mixes and a few other brands (2 boxes of each flavor makes two 9″ round cakes that I stack and frost between) plus Duncan Hines frosting (2 cans per cake). They have always turned out great and have gotten many compliments on taste.

As for decorations, I am notorious for not thinking ahead, so I have usually made do with whatever candy I had in the house like M&Ms, Sixlets, (usually sprinkles) and have made cardstock templates for their initials. Here they are…

I hope everyone realizes that g-free kids can still have very happy birthdays — even with GF cakes!  🙂

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Why Make an Adoption?

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Pepper The Garden with Love

I want to start by saying I made a tiny mistake yesterday with my list of favorite tv shows. I know it got intense and you were all amazed that I would share such valuable information with you and I’m sure you’re disappointed that I was wrong! As is stands, I think I’m going to have to push The Golden Girls to a tie for the 5 spot with Gilmore Girls because I forgot about Psych! One could argue that Psych could not possibly be one of my favorites if I forgot about it, but I don’t really care what you think value your opinion and have to disagree.

I think it’s also important that you know there are so many other shows that did not make this list, like Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, Modern Family, etc., etc., etc. Since we’re being honest, I will admit to you that my secret obsession is the show Baby Daddy on ABC Family. It’s super silly, but the characters have a lot of heart and the dialogue is great.

You’re welcome for sharing such privileged information.

Oh, also, you’ve probably noticed the changes in the design. I hope you like! It was time for a change. I took the cover picture myself a few years ago at Redondo Beach after finishing up the best run of my life. *Swoons for California*

My garden has been slow to grow this year, but I’m starting to notice some real progress. One tomato is evident from two plants, but I have TWO peppers. Two. That is two more than the previous two years. For whatever reason, I have never had much luck with my favorite vegetable, but finally luck is in my favor. All of my plants look healthy and seem to be flourishing, so I’m hoping to get some produce very soon. I was too lazy to step outside, but here is a view of my garden from upstairs and behind the screen. Kinda cute, right?! Notice the gross bug that is not so cute!

Yesterday, I planned my gym time at a point where I would be hungry if I didn’t eat lunch beforehand, so I knew I had to get some protein and energy. I didn’t feel like cooking pasta or rice, so I just chopped up some veggies and stir-fried them to enjoy with a few chicken meatballs.

The meal was filling enough to power me through my workout! My usual swim is 40 laps (a lap meaning back and forth counting as one), which is a little more than a mile. I aimed to do 50 and then realized that I only needed 4 more to make a mile and a half, so of course I went for it. I am not a fast swimmer and I have a lot to learn when it comes to my kicking technique, but my cross-training with running and weights has meant that I have good stamina. I don’t rest between laps because I see it as more like a long-distance run where you wouldn’t stop there either. By the end, my lungs were aching, but I felt strong. I headed upstairs for a quick body strength circuit of leg lifts, squats, lunges, kickbacks, push-ups, mountain climbers, elevated hip lifts, and step ups for five sets of 10 reps. I was hungry when I got home so I melted some cheese on top of a few tostitos for some yum.

Dinner was delicious as well. We had a medley of chicken and steak tips with brown spinach rice and a spinach salad. It was a perfect night to sit in the backyard and enjoy the weather, though it was still hot! I have to admit, it’s been weird eating meals and relaxing without watching anything. I’m having Buffy withdrawals! But I have to be strong.

It’s another hot day out there, though the cool breeze coming in is confusing. My run will have to be delayed until the sun starts to set, unless I suck it up and run on the treadmill.

For breakfast, I poached some eggs over toast. I haven’t had this in quite some time and it was nice to revert back to an old favorite. A little bacon on the side made things a little saltier and crunchier.

A few hours later, I had a cup of Chobani Pomegranate yogurt and a sprinkle of coconut granola. I’m not in a big meal kind of mood, so I think at some point, I will make myself a salad or some veggie sticks for a more well-rounded meal, but for right now, it hit the spot!

I’ve been in a cleaning frenzy and tweeting like crazy, which means I am procrastinating my studying and writing. Fear not, those things get done, I just need to maintain a clean space if I want to have a clear mind. I also just really like to tweet.

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You got a guy

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Marshmello Tickets

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Marshmello is a trap producer and DJ who debuted on Monstercat with his song "Alone", which appeared on Monstercat 027 - Cataclysm. In June 2016, it was announced that there would be a remix contest for Alone, and that the winner would have their remix released by Monstercat. On July the 8th, it was announced that future house duo MRVLZ had won the contest. It is currently unknown when this remix will be released. Read more on User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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NSA Blackmailing Obama? | Interview with Whistleblower Russ Tice

Interesting references to Dick Cheney & Henry Kissinger. Why don’t you mention the Rockefellers while you’re at it? Sen. Jay Rockefeller is still running the media through the commerce committee of the Senate. Why do you think the media didn’t tell Russ Tice’s story? Still impressive that the best mainstream news about America is coming out of Russia. Best line: D.C. is Hollywood for ugly people.

I feel obligated to say: Fuck the shadow government. We need more whistle blowers like Russ Tice and Edward Snowden. Prosecute the Neoconservatives. Expose the 9/11 crimes. This has to be, otherwise this Orwellian bullshit is going to really suck when Rham Emmanuel starts running it. Neofascist Zionist scum who’s gonna holocaust all y’all to make up for Auschwitz.

Meta Noia [I know you could be listening: come out now or you’re going to regret it later. I’m telling you this from a historian’s perspective. And to the true fascists: are you brave enough to use your fists, or is it always going to be poison letters and exploding cars, you pussy-ass existential faggots wanking it in your abyss. “Ve are nihilists Lebowski! Ve are the ubermench. You are cannon fodder.” You know where I am, bring your fists you pansy submissives to old world money. Lick a lollypop for grandpappy Rockefeller you good little Hitler/Jew infoslave. “Never again,” while you genocide your Semite cousins the Arabs. Get real scum. I know you.]


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Thursday, August 8, 2013

UK, London: Olympic street art fumble

When the Olympics is on the way to your city, one of the first things the organizers do is try to set the city like a stage for all the TV coverage that will follow. Erasing graffiti art and street art (and sometimes ads and signage) is one of the things that such committees (and film companies), feel very comfortable doing, apparently.

This practice is bad enough, because now your locals don't get to show their stuff on TV and you've Disneyed up the place. Generally the local artists aren't even consulted, because the two ends of the conversation can't find each other, and anyway, money talks and oly is a steam rolly.

In London, something more egregious occurred. Not only were the locals reportedly redacted from the landscape, but some international artists were brought in to paint in their stead ...  on the walls formerly occupied by our heroes.

Well, at least they were the right kinds of artists and good people deserving of recognition, but you can just imagine how it all chafes. And it still goes on, because...

To add injury to insult, the new works have been protected with antigraffiti coating, so the local artists can't take back their halls of fame. This all makes sense from the curator's perspective, but not at all from the street artists' and writers' standpoint, because the walls should be dynamic, not static.

Graffiti art and street art pieces (and murals) in their natural environments stand the test of time by being both great and locally respectable. The changing work in the local halls of fame also become part of the landscape, part of the local interest. And that change brings spectators to the area regularly, just as the changing shows at the museums and galleries do.

Preservation and ephemerality will always be in tension. We want to save the things we love. We want to preserve value in the things we paid for. There's a place for both art change and art preservation in our urban environments. Replacing one with the other is not the best way to go. Curatorial heavyhandedness destroys authenticity and embarrasses everyone.

Similarly, the local-international tension will always exist. As the argument goes, the international component is key to the Games. Clearly, however, promoting international harmony means not insulting the locals and not leaving them out.
Ideally, the locals would get to paint something spectacular for everyone's enjoyment in a winning scenario for everyone.

The artwork would be just as wonderful had the talented artists, both local and international, been welcome to produce it together. Such collaboration happens all over the world today, and it's organized by the graffiti community. Here is one such project that worked spectacularly, Chromopolis, for the Greek Cultural Olympiad in 2002. Greek artists invited both local and international writers and put them in collaborative teams, who designed their own murals and painted them at preservable sites around the cities. Problem prevented.


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Thankful Tuesday

Had a very nice lunch with my two friends, stopped at JoAnn’s for yarn to start a Vet’s baby afghan (white & medium yellow) then stopped at our local dollar store. The pattern I think I’m going to attempt is called “Wild Waves” (another kind of ‘Feather & Fan’ pattern, for those who are familiar with knitting patterns – this one is similar to another pattern I did last year.) I had intentions of posting a photo of said pattern, but apparently that’s not going to happen – at least not now (until I figure out how to do that! Sometimes WordPress doesn’t allow copying photos – so we’ll see . . .) Yay – nailed it!

this one is done in white, hot pink & green – mine will just be white & medium yellow

If you might be interested in the pattern, it’s rather difficult to find, go here:

Chocolate Revel Brownie Bars

1 1/2 C. steel-rolled old-fashioned
1 1/2 C. semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 C. flour
2/3 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line 8″ X 8″ or 9″ X 9″ baking dish
with parchment paper sprayed
with nonstick spray. Combine flour,
oats, baking soda & salt in small
bowl. In large bowl or mixer, cream
6 T. butter & sugar until lightened in
color & fluffy. Beat in egg & vanilla,
then slowly beat in dry ingredients.
Place condensed milk, chocolate chips
& remaining butter in a microwave-
safe bowl – at 30 second intervals,
heat & stir until completely melted &
smooth. Spread 2/3 of dough mixture
into pan & pat down. Top with melted
chocolate mixture & gently tap the
dish against a hard surface so that it
spreads out & evenly coats the dough.
Spoon remaining cookie mixture over
top & bake 25-30 minutes until top
is golden brown. Remove & let cool
completely before cutting into
1 X 2″ squares. Makes 2-3 dozen

Ham & Cheese Scones

3 C. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
8 T. butter, room temp.
1 C. plus 1 T. milk
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 C. Canadian bacon, diced
(or any type of ham)
1/2 large onion, diced

Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
In large mixing bowl combine
flour, baking powder & salt; cut in
butter using pastry cutter or tines
of a fork. Add milk & ix just until
incorporated. Fold in cheese, ham &
onion. Turn dough out onto a floured
surface; kneed gently for several
minutes. Press dough into a 1 1/2″
thick circle & place on a cookie sheet.
Bake 30 minutes until golden brown.
Serves 8

(recipe: a

Don’t Peek Chicken

1 C. uncooked long-grain rice
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of celery soup
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 soup-can cold water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 (3 1/2 – 4 lb) chicken, cut into 8
paprika, for sprinkling

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with
nonstick spray. In large bowl, mix
together rice, soups, soup mix,
water, garlic, parsley & Worc. sauce;
pour mixture into prepared pan. Press
chicken into mixture; sprinkle tops
with paprika, then cover tightly with
foil. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Do NOT open
foil cover during baking. Serves 4

Strawberry Cheesecake

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room
1/4 C. sour cream
1 T. plus 1/4 C. sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
6 (8 inch) soft flour tortillas
1 3/4 C. sliced fresh strawberries,
1 T. cinnamon
vegetable oil, for frying

Beat cream cheese with sour cream,
1 T. sugar, vanilla & lemon zest using
elec. mixer. Fold in 3/4 C. sliced fresh
strawberries. Divide mixture evenly
between the tortillas, spreading
each portion in lower third of each
tortilla. Fold the two sides toward the
center, then roll tortilla up like a
burrito; secure with a wooden toothpick.
Repeat with rest of tortillas/filling.
Combine the remaining 1/4 C. sugar with
cinnamon in a shallow bowl; set aside.
Line a large plate with paper towels. Add 3
inches of oil to large, deep saucepan, leaving
a minimum of 2 inches from top of oil to
top of saucepan. Heat oil over medium-high
heat until it reaches 360 degrees F on a
deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches,
fry chimichangas until golden brown & crispy,
about 3 minutes, flipping them as needed.
Transfer to paper-towel lined plate to drain
for 1 minute, then roll in cinnamon/sugar
mixture. Repeat with remaining chimichangas,
returning the oil to 360 degrees F. between
batches. Remove all toothpicks & transfer
rolls to serving plates. Top each with a portion
of the remaining 1 C. sliced fresh strawberries &
serve immediately. Serves  6

Pull-Apart Pizza Bread

3 T. olive oil, plus more for
kosher salt
2 lb. store-bought pizza dough,
room temp.
2/3 C. pizza sauce, plus more for
24 pepperoni slices, quartered
1 C. shredded mozzarella
(4 oz) cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
(1 oz) plus more for sprinkling

Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Position oven rack in center of
oven. Brush bottom & sides of
a 9″ X 5″ inch loaf pan with oil.
Pour 3 T. oil onto large dinner plate
sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Pinch off
pieces of dough the size of ping-pong
balls; roll into rough dough balls.
Roll each dough ball in salted oil until
all sides are coated. Place half the
balls in prepared pan; squishing them
together. Spread half the sauce over
balls; sprinkle with half pepperoni/
mozzarella & Parmesan cheeses. Repeat
with remaining dough balls/sauce/
pepperoni & cheeses. Place loaf pan on
a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drips)
bake until bread is puffed up & golden
brown, about 25 minutes. Cover loosely
with foil, continue to bake until bread
is cooked through in middle, about
25 minutes. Let it rest in pan 10 minutes,
then use dry oven mitts or kitchen towels
to carefully unmold. Sprinkle generously
with Parmesan and serve hot with extra
pizza sauce. Serves 8-10

Jalapeno Hushpuppies

peanut oil, for frying (about
1 1/2 quarts)
1 1/2 C. self-rising cornmeal*
1 C. self-rising flour
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (7 oz) can diced jalapeno
peppers, drained (or 6 fresh
jalapenos, seeded/diced)
1 (15 oz) can creamed corn
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Pour about 1 1/4 inches oil in deep
fryer or Dutch oven; heat over
medium heat until it reaches
350 degrees F.. Preheat oven 200 degrees F.

Combine cornmeal, flour, onion,
jalapenos, corn & eggs in a bowl;
stir until blended. Let stand 5
minutes. Working in batches, drop
batter by teaspoonsful into hot oil.
Do not overcrowd the pot; leave
room for hushpuppies to be turned.
Cook until golden brown, turning
at about 3 minutes. Remove from
oil with a slotted spoon; drain on
paper twoels. Transfer to a baking
sheet & keep warm in oven while
frying the remaining batter. Lightly
sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste,
transfer to a serving dish. Serve
with hot sauce.

*NOTE: If you can not find self-rising
cornmeal, use 1 1/4 C. plus 2 1/2 T.
regular cornmeal, 1 1/2 T. baking
powder and 3/4 tsp. salt; mix well.

Crockpot Ham & Beans

16 oz. dried Northern beans
1 C. cooked ham & meaty bone
(or 2-3 ham hocks)
2 T. dried minced onion
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
salt/pepper, to taste

Rinse beans & check for pebbles;
place in crockpot & add remaining
ingredients. Cover with water until
water reaches about 2 inches above
beans. Cook on High 2 hours; reduce
heat to Low & cook another 4 hours.
Remove meat from bones; discard
bones. Stir & crush some of the
beans to make the dish creamier.
Serves 4-6

Lazy Day Cookies

1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs, beaten
5 T. melted butter
2 C. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together &
place in a greased 9 X 13″ pan;
spread out evenly. Bake 20
minutes; let cool & cut into bars.

(recipe: facebook)

Our weather is still fine for this time of year
in Michigan – in the low 20’s, clear & sunny;
as long as you remember to wrap up well,
wear a hat/scarf/gloves – you’re Good to Go!

Dinner tonight is a ‘standard’ at my house:
Pierogies & Polish Sausage – the guys love
it and it’s ‘stick to your ribs’ food, good for

Hope you’re having a good day!

PS: Will keep on ‘attempting’ to gather more
‘Game Day’ appetizer/dip/recipes for you before

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One CommentLeave a comment

  1. The Banana Cake came out great and I froze part of it. I just copied the afghan instructions. I gave all my patterns away and haven’t started trying to collect more.

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Review – “Vegan Songs” – Arkanjello

vegan-songsreviewed by Michael Thomas

Last we checked on Arkanjello, they were making super-weird, topsy-turvy experimental music. Now they’ve released their full-length and…they’re even weirder and even more experimental. Vegan Songs is a near borderless album. Though it’s divided into nine songs, there’s so much jumping around and genre fusion that this could almost function as a mixtape.

In some instances, mixing influences like metal and hip-hop could be a recipe for disaster, but Gabe Williams and Michael Fox (again with the engineering hand of Ian Livingstone) are throwing so much music at the proverbial wall that listeners should reasonably expect just about anything to happen.

Vegan Songs can fit a number of adjectives: aggressive, unpredictable, groovy, funny… sometimes all in the space of one song. Album-ending highlight “I Like to Dance in My Spare Time” is a rarity on the album, one that features a groove that anchors the song from start to finish. The nine-plus-minute song seems to fly by, starting with a recording of Fox explaining why his friend’s parent thought the friend should date him, before the song begins in earnest. At first it could sound like an extended take on Daft Punk, but soon there’s a hint of aggression to the song. Essentially: if you’re not dancing, then fuck you.

Most other songs are not as clear-cut. “Quiet, Soft Funk” is not quiet, soft or funky, but rather deep, almost chilling, hip-hop beats. It gets crowded with noise at some parts, but decompresses by the end. “MSRP 49.99/Cash Rounding” sounds like it could be the theme to an important battle in an 8-bit video game. “Nirvana” (first released on their EP) also sound like video game music, and its epic quality can be attributed to Dalhousie University Chorus samples it uses. “Red Sea” shifts as much as an actual sea, pulling in aggressive metal guitars, hip-hop production and purer electronica.

Some songs are almost like a secret code. “Parrot Tasty and teh Zumba Queen” is an aggressively aggressive song (yes, two “aggressives”), with so much shrieking and synths that it sounds like a warped fitness class dance track. Part of this madness stems from its insane source material.

What makes a song vegan we will never know, but if I had to hazard a guess: music that is free of all fear.

Top Tracks: “Cinap”; “I Like to Dance in My Spare Time”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good)

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Sorry this style is sold out and no longer available

People will love everything about you when you wear this eye-catching dress. This lined design has a colorful, popcorn textured overlay for a fun flair. The stretchy fabric ensures a secure fit.
Color: Black, Pink, Blue, Ivory, Cream, Yellow, Green, Orange, Indigo, Purple, Silver
Length:Approximately 26 inches from underarm to bottom hem
Size Small is designed to fit sizes 2;3; or 4
Size Medium is designed to fit sizes 5;6; or 7
Size Large is designed to fit sizes 8;9; or 10

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Tuesday, July 18 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – WeWork Times Square 1460 Broadway New York, New York  10036 United States

Aussie award-winning chef and author, Maria Benardis, will share with us the powerful healing benefits of food, tell us of her inspirational anecdotes from her life on the Greek Islands, and perhaps most importantly, tell her story of her extraordinary transformation.

Maria places an emphasis on food as medicine, and will outline the ancient Greek framework to health, harmony and happiness.  It is her goal through her company Greekalicious, as an Intuitive Health and Wellness Coach, to help people thrive and realize their limitless potential by equipping people with the know-how to maximize health and wellness.

At this book launch, Maria will speak about achieving better health by what you eat, how you cook and how you eat. The natural forces within us are the true healers of disease – a better connection with yourself by what you think and feel emotionally, and how you think and feel emotionally.

Sears are limited. Please make your reservation at:


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Les Chateaux de Loire, the Castles of the Loire River Valley, have always been my dream destination. but I had no wish to take an excursion and leg it around numerous halls, nor spend many days en route to yet another new palace. Having browsed various sites, I decided to follow a simple advice: take a train trip to Blois and spend a day exploring just one town. Why Blois? It is easy to get there from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz. There are several direct trains a day, it takes one about an hour and a half to get there. Alternately, it is possible to take any train which goes in the desired direction, and have a change of trains on the way, but it takes longer, one may miss the connection. If you book your ticket online in advance, a round trip costs 26 euros. Another strong consideration for Blois is, if it’s your first time traveling along the Loire River Valley, that the castle and the cathedral are right there in the center of the town, not some 20 kilometers away, as in the case with some other famous castles of the region. Blois is a small town with about 50,000 population. It was founded circa 5-6 century. Most buildings date back to the Middle Ages, and of course the construction of the major ones took more than a few centuries. You can see the Castle once you emerge from the tiny train station. Be warned: the town is situated in a hilly area, you will have to climb up and down continuously. Walk along the pretty streets, then up an old staircase, and you will find yourself near St. Louis Cathedral, so named because it was finished and dedicated largely thanks to the Sun King Louis XIV. Walk inside, place a candle in memoriam for those who are dear to your heart. Then spend some time walking around, taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful views.
The other big attraction is the castle which stands right in the center and above the town, dominating it with its huge presence. It is very impressive and really beautiful. It is also a large chunk of the French history, from Jeanne D’Arc to Louis XIV. An observation deck nearby gives one a great vantage point all around town and across the river. Down below is a pretty green park with another church in it, and a free public toilet is discreetly tucked into a park corner. The closer you are to the river, the more shops, cafes, restaurants come into view. Do not stop at the first large restaurant located in a long beautiful old building near the train station unless you are rich or wish to spend a lot of money on a meal, the prices are really steep. Go down the street, and you will find plenty of places where you can get a wonderful meal for a lot less. Souvenir shops are everywhere. You may even get lucky, as we did, and watch a spontaneous little show near the castle.
The trip back is easy, and seems to take no time at all. Yes, Blois is definitely a place to visit. You will enjoy just walking around; there are no problems finding a good tasty meal. And you will see all the places of interest in one day.

This entry was posted in TRAVEL & THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

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Santa Maria Novella is a place name which comes up several times in Florence. It is the name of the central train station; the bus station is tucked into a side-street nearby. It is also a huge square where people celebrate various holidays, including the New Year. The church, built between 1221-1360, does not look too imposing when seen from the train station, it is large brownish building with a cloister attached. From the square, it is a totally different story. The beautiful façade was made in the 15th century; it was clearly an inspiration for several much later renovations around the city. As every church in town, it is decorated by the famous Renaissance artists. A line of tourists stands outside waiting to enter the garden and the museum. We went inside the main church building right after the holidays, once we saw that there were no crowds, in between services. The church visit is free, same as the Duomo. It is huge, and the interior is very impressive, with the tall stained glass windows, all the traditional frescoes and paintings, and various Christmas season displays. The museum was closed, so we walked at leisure around the courtyard, looking at the lovely Nativity scenes which were to be dismantled next day. It was a nice farewell experience. In a side-street, incongruously, we saw a statue of Marylin Monroe (I think) standing in front of a cafe. Well, it’s a rtibute to the times. There are so many impressions, so much Beauty everywhere, and such a feeling of History that the soul seems to be sated. When you come back home, you can look up every place you visited, every attraction you have seen, compare all the famous works of art with your own photos, learn again which artist painted which picture or fresco, which architect designed which dome, and when each structure was built. But while walking around, absorbing the views, just enjoy. Let it all soak in, form a tapestry in your memory, enrich your heart and soul.

This entry was posted in TRAVEL & THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

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Perfect Summer Cocktails

It’s that time of year on the West Coast, when the sun has been shining for so long that you forget what the rain feels like.  You can almost hear yourself begging for a bit of rain, to rinse off the city, and water the parched trees.  But you enjoy this time, because we West Coasters know that it will come to an end, soon.  And the with the beautiful summer sunshine, you need a worthy cocktail companion to keep you company on the patio.  Here are a few of my favourites!

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup Cocktail

Think Wimbledon and posh Brits. This cocktail is gin based, but tastes distinctly of citrus and spice.  Mix 2 parts Pimm’s, 3 parts ginger ale or citrus soda (sprite etc.), garnish with any mix of strawberries, lemon, lime, orange and definitely don’t forget the cucumber.  Stir and enjoy; it’s always Pimm’s O’Clock!

Watermelon Margarita

Cactus Club had these on special last summer and I fell in love (who wouldn’t fall for a drink only costing $4.50 at Cactus!).  I recently discovered the secret and the result is a sweet and refreshing twist on the traditional lime marg.  Blend up some seedless watermelon and strain it to remove the small white seeds and pulp.  You will be left with watermelon juice…careful this stuff is sticky!  Mix the juice with 1-2 oz. of tequila (blanco will be your best bet) a teaspoon of simple syrup and garnish with a lime wedge.  It’s so good, you’ll forget all about the fact that you haven’t drank tequila since your university days.

watermelon marg

The Aperol Spritz

This has to be my all-time hot day favourite; discovered on my trip to Italy last summer. Italians drink these for aperitivo, or happy hour, usually with some light snacks, in the afternoon or before dinner.   Aperol is like Campari, but less bitter and with a lower alcohol content.  I find it difficult to order these in North America, but some bars are starting to stock Aperol.  To make yours at home, mix 2 parts Aperol with 3 parts prosecco (or other sparkling wine), a splash of soda water and garnish with an orange wedge.

Hendricks Gin Cuke Cocktail

I’m sure this has a proper name and has been enjoyed the world over, but I like to think it’s my own creation.  I rediscovered my love for gin this past winter and went on a bit of a Bombay martini kick.  And then I wised up and switched to Hendricks, which I’ve been informed is ‘girlie’ gin. It has a hint of cucumber and rose petal and I find it mixes better with soda than tonic.  But gin and soda is boring, so I add some muddled mint, cucumber slices, and a twist of lemon.  I like to think this is what Lady Mary of Downtown Abbey sits around sipping all afternoon.

So there you have it, four of my favourite summer sippers.  Perfect for the patio, probably pretty good on a boat, and definitely worthy of the beach with a little pre-mixing at home.

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Anne Foerst

Deus ex Machina

Listen Now

Prof. Anne Foerst
Visiting Professor of Theology and Computer Science, St. Bonaventure University
Author, God in the Machine: What Robots Teach Us about Humanity and God

Robots have fascinated the public for years, appearing in countless films, books, and television shows. The increasingly lifelike capability of robots in the real world has many prominent thinkers wondering how humans and their creations will interact in the future. Will a thinking machine be regarded as a person, differing from humans only in design? Will even the most human like robots be seen as possessing a soul?

Joining us today to discuss these issues of robots and our humanity is Prof. Anne Foerst. Prof. Foerst is a theologian and research scientist, and visiting professor of theology and computer science at St. Bonaventure University. Formerly she was a research scientist at the artificial intelligence laboratory at MIT, where she founded and directed the God and Computers project. She is the author of the new book, God in the Machine: What Robots Teach Us about Humanity and God.

Prof. Anne Foerst (AF) joins Charles Lee (CL) to discuss robotics and theology.

CL: It’s a pleasure to have you on the program. You’ve written an interesting, and I would have to say somewhat controversial new book.

AF: Thank you.

CL: Well, this is indeed an issue that some people might find somewhat controversial, the relationship between robot building and god. Some might find this incompatible. How can the two be related?

AF: First of all, what I realized was that when we try to build humanoid robots in our image, we realize the complexity of humans. When we really try to build something that moves like us, acts like us, and is smart like us, our appreciation for nature grows. And, I would put that in spiritual terms, our admiration for god’s creation grows. So, building humanoid robots in our image is in a way a spiritual enterprise.

CL: So what then is the motivation for building robots?

AF: In the literature, you find two motivations. The first is more hubristic and arrogant, playing god, trying to equal god, and so on. The other is a more modest goal, trying to find out how we work, learning more about who we are, learning more about what makes us human by trying to rebuild us, and seeing the failures and successes, and therefore find some solution for who we are. And, actually, it’s the second attempt that I mostly appreciate and discuss in my book. I’m not interested in people who are arrogant. I’m interested in people who are seriously interested in who we are, and trying to find out that millennia old quest by building robots.

CL: So, one of the stories you mention in your book is from the Jewish traditions of golem building, and how one can read those two points of view from those stories as well.

AF: The golem stories are interesting, because they really have the explicit motive of prayer. Golem building, construction of artificial humans from clay, is actually a prayer. And, the nice thing about the golem traditions, which go back to the 13th century to the Jewish mysticism called Kabala, is a real connection between current artificial intelligence research and this old eastern European motive. Several of the early top notch AI researchers come from that tradition, and actually relate themselves to that tradition, and see those ancient golem builders as their ancestors.

CL: You also talk about humans as storytellers. How does this relate to our motivation for building robots and understanding ourselves?

God in the MachineAF: People have always analyzed humans as thinkers. So, since the early beginnings of artificial intelligence, people have tried to build machines or programs that could think, do chess playing, mathematical theorem proving, etc. And, I define humans as mainly embodies and interactive. That is really what makes us human, not the individual that thinks, but the person that is in community with other people trough embodiment. We share a physical world. And, we interact in that world through stories. It’s interesting because you can see it on the very profane level of neurons, where we have pattern recognition and the way neurons interact, that our brain already creates narratives. And, you can recognize it on the highest level of human societies interacting, where they have narratives about how they came into place, how they came into being, what’s their meaning, what’s their identity, etc.

So, we tell stories on all different levels. And, I found out that this is actually a very fruitful attempt to bring theology into the realm of science, because science tells a lot of stories. And, theology obviously tells a lot of stories too. And, I think instead of playing out, “Oh, that is objective science”, which doesn’t exist in fact, and, “Oh, that is subjective theology”, I think the storytelling approach actually brings us much closer to talking to one another and enriching both sides of the dialogue.

CL: Indeed. You do mention in one of your chapters about the sort of conflict that arose when you attempted to bring these two sides together at MIT.

AF: Yes. Um, some people didn’t like me there. It took me probably at least a year before heads would stop turning whenever the term, evolution, was mentioned, because they couldn’t imagine that I as a theologian had no trouble with evolution. For me as a German academic theologian, the whole concept of evolution being in conflict with creation is utterly ridiculous. Before I came to this country, I had never encountered it, because it’s very alien. It really only exists in certain parts of the United States. It doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. And, so when I encountered it, my explanation for it was that people try to reduce Christianity to something that is quite irrational, because it is easier to discard it then. And, I think people when they encountered me at the beginning were kind of nervous, because I’m not a wacko.

CL: Harder to discount then….

AF: Yeah. I think at least I’m not, perhaps I am. So, people were a little bit disconcerted and they tried to put me in an irrational category. They tried to denounce me as psychologically deluded, and that I would destroy MIT’s objectivity. They had all of these interesting attacks, in order to kind of handle me. In a way, when it happened, there was a real war out there, and people tried to get rid of me. And, when it happened, I was quite hurt, but I had tons of supporters. There were tons of wonderful people who really supported me, so in retrospect it was quite exciting. You know, it was kind of funny how religious those people were in their rejection of religion. So, it was quite emotional and interesting.

CL: Well, one of the parallels you allude to is that science is somewhat of a religion itself.

AF: Yes. I think there are scientists who are not. And, those are usually scientists that I interact with the most. But, let’s take the project of building humanoid robots in our image. When you try to build humanoid robots that are like us, you have to assume that humans are some kind of machine. Right? Otherwise, we couldn’t rebuild ourselves. And, that’s perfectly fine, because science always operates from assumption, and then we see how far we get. And, there is nothing wrong with that assumption.

The problem is when scientists then say, “Ah, that means we are nothing but machines.” So, they turn a statement they assume for pragmatic reasons into a statement about the reality of the world. And, that is when I come into problems with them. People who do that are usually the ones who do not believe that human are narrators. When I think about people like Rodney Brooks, who was my boss at MIT and the head of the whole robot project, he was very happy to say, ‘Of course, in my work, I have to assume that humans are nothing but machines, but I don’t want to be treated as a machine, and I don’t treat my kids as machines.’ And, he was perfectly happy to have that contrast within himself. They were different stories that relate to different parts of who we are. But, a lot of people are uncomfortable with that kind of discrepancy. So, they try to prove the correctness of their assumption. And, they then become religious.

CL: Almost fanatical, one might day.

AF: Yes. Yes. You know, what is so sad is that the fanaticism happens on both sides. Of course, there are religious people who try to prove that humans are more than machines, and they can’t do that either, because there is absolutely no evidence of something like a soul or so. So, you basically have people on both sides yelling at each other. And when we see that humans can have many different kinds of narratives, which are all true but don’t necessarily have to be coherent, only if we admit that can we make peace with it.

CL: Should we try to reconcile all of these separate stories?

AF: Reconcile is sort of a difficult word, because I don’t think that they can be reconciled. I don’t think they can be turned into one single story. But, I think they all make sense in certain contexts. I mean, if I want to find out how a drug works, or how to perform certain surgeries, or other medical things, every idea of humans being more than machines gets in the way, right? I have to look at the functions and mechanisms of the human system.

On the other hand, when I want to establish something like dignity and personhood, or fight for humanitarian causes against genocide, I have to assume that humans are more than machine, because otherwise I can’t give any reason for protection of humanity, right? And, both of those stories make sense, but in very different contexts. So, both of those stories are equally important.

CL: So, when you were at MIT, you worked on the development of the Cog and Kismet robots.

AF: When I first came to MIT, the team had just started to build Cog, who was only a year old at the time. Cog was a humanoid robot, at first with one arm, then two arms, a head, torso, gyroscope, eyes, ears, and all that kind of stuff. Cog was very cute and learned to coordinate its various body parts. It was really the first real life attempt to build a humanoid robot, so it was the first time a serious robot team said that it wanted to build a humanoid by basically turning science fiction into reality. And, I was quite intrigued by that.

And, what I especially liked about the whole Cog project was that these people did not say that the core of intelligence is chess playing and mathematical theorem proving, but they said that intelligence is the result of the human’s ingenious capability to survive everywhere. In other words, intelligence is a result of evolution, and the fact that we can play chess and do math is more or less a by-product. So, these people were interested in social interaction and coordinating the body. That intrigued me because that is the type of understanding of humans that we can find in the Bible. In the Bible, what defines humans is their capability for relationships, especially with God of course, and then with one another. So, I felt very much at home there.

But, the problem with Cog was that they had so much difficulty trying to get Cog to coordinate its body. Also, Cog was very massive and tall, and created a lot of anxiety and fear. So, Cynthia Breazeal, who is now a professor at the MIT media lab, after some years started Kismet, because I had always been saying that when you look at human development, humans are only in relation. We are so fundamentally relational. And, with Cog, there was too much that the robot did on its own, and I always thought that we needed a robot that was purely reactive, just reacts to input from the outside world, and see what such a robot could do.

So, Cynthia had the same ideas, and came back with the first proto-Kismet. From then on, Cog was dead to me, and I only interacted with Kismet. Kismet has a very cute face, and you basically fall in love with it right away. It mimics your facial expressions and babbles, and it interacts with you in a quite profound way. And that was very intriguing. When I presented Kismet to non-technical audiences, they were much more fascinated by it, but also much more afraid. They were afraid of all the emotions that they had towards that robot, which they didn’t want to have, because it’s just a stupid machine, right? And so, Kismet was much more powerful for doing what I wanted to do, which was confronting people with their own mechanisms of social interaction, confront people with the fact that they are capable of reacting to just about everything, and making them aware of who they are.

CL: In the book, you mention that even a very simple computer program written in the sixties was capable of eliciting these types of emotions.

AF: Yes, ELIZA. It was actually written by Josef Weizenbaum, who was an AI professor. And the fact that his students used that program, which was a simple question and answer program to solve their own personal problems turned him into a critique of AI. And, it was actually Josef Weizenbaum who got me to MIT. I met him in Germany and he gave a talk there. That talk actually inspired me to do the research that I am doing. And, it was him that invited me to MIT. It was interesting, because I think he hoped that I would become something of a critic of AI, but I never became one. I think there is too much reason behind it.

CL: So, what does this mean for our development of robots? Do you think there will be a community of robots and humans interacting as storytellers?

AF: Yes, definitely. I always like to think that robots will be our future partner species. In a way when you look at humans, we are so desperately lonely. We look desperately for animal intelligence by trying to communicate with chimps and dolphins. And, at the same time we look for extraterrestrial intelligence. So, in a way, we are a very lonely species. And, for me as a theologian, that is because we lost our relationship with God that was started at the beginning. So, it makes sense that we would try to build a species that would be our partners and friends.

And, I think there is a good chance that those robots will become exactly that. What we have learned from Cog and Kismet is that the best way to build an intelligent machine is to build it in accord with a human newborn, and like a human newborn let it grow in intelligence with its interaction with humans. And, so those robots can only become smart if they have interaction, and that’s exactly how a human baby eventually becomes a smart grownup. So, we have to build them communal, which will be the most fascinating thing about them.

I always refer to the Frakenstein story. People always tell the story with Frankenstein building the monster who then turns against humanity, right? But, the way I see it is that Frankenstein builds this monster or creature, and then leaves the creature alone. And, the creature never has a chance to bond, and this is why it becomes evil. And so, if we build the robots such that we have to interact with them in a good way to make them smart, then it will be a great relationship.

CL: Is this the direction people are taking in terms of building intelligent robots?

AF: Yes. There is still the old camp that thinks you can build intelligent programs in disembodied, unconnected machines. And, intelligent databases like that certainly serve their purpose. But, I think when it comes to real interactive technology, then we have to build them embodied and social.

CL: So, we are running out of time, but I am curious, how did you become interested in this topic?

AF: Well, it’s kind of funny. First of all, I was always fascinated by technology. When I was four years old, I was building my own machines. But at the same time, I have to admit that I fell early in love with humans, and I’m fascinated to see how we work. So, I started first to study theology, and realized that I wanted to do something technical too. It’s really my quest to determine what does it mean to be human? Who am I? This kind of drove me to gather as many insights from as many disciplines as possible. And I guess with AI and religion that I’m gifted for those.

CL: Well, you’ve certainly made a major effort in a unique academic field here.

AF: Well, thank you. I tried to, and I hope it is received well. It was a really hard product, and just writing the book took I don’t know how many years.

CL: Congratulations again on your book, God in the Machine, which I believe is in stores today.

AF: Yes, it is in stores as of today.

CL: Thank you for joining us today.

AF: Thank you

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About Us

GPS Logo

The purpose of the Guyana Philatelic Society (GPS)  is to:

  • Create greater interest and activity in the study of British Guiana and Guyana stamps and postal history.
  • Provide up to date information on Guyana Stamps.
  • Assist collectors to build bigger and better collections by providing greater opportunities to obtain philatelic material.
  • Educate the youth of Guyana on stamp collecting

The Guyana Philatelic Society is a source of information for British Guiana & Guyana collectors where they can connect via our exhibitions, group meetings and by using our social media internet sites being developed.  With these tools, we will be facilitating a collectors exchange or the buying and selling of stamps by our members.  This includes all philatelic materials, envelopes, collections, books etc.  We will also offer philatelic advice from our experts and conduct appraisals of single stamps or collections of stamps from Guyana.

If you collect stamps then you should be a member of a stamp club! Stamp clubs provide their members with the opportunity to meet with like-minded people and to share information about their hobby. They are also a great source of stamps for your collection.  The members of the Guyana Philatelic Society are people from all walks life who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets.  But above all, our stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of our members who are here to help you with advice on all aspects of collecting including:

  • Identifying stamps
  • Where to get stamps
  • Storing and housing your collection
  • Ideas on new collecting areas
  • An opportunity to obtain stamps through exchange
  • Stamp fairs and exhibitions
  • Newsletters

Join the Guyana Philatelic Society (GPS) today!


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SAN for Homelab – Part 1

A decade ago I used to work as a software engineer at Hewlett-Packard in the team that wrote the support utilities for their enterprise storage. It was pretty cool as part of my role involved managing our lab which consisted of plenty of racks of kit worth in excess of a million dollars to enterprises. This was 2005 and we were still dealing with storage in the terabytes. It was the first time I’d ever done any work with storage area networks (SANs) and in particular everything we had ran over fibre. I started to strangely enjoy storage after a year working with it and even ended up with a detailed knowledge of SCSI protocol at the time.

Fast forward ten years and the most advanced storage I currently have in my network is a external 2TB RAID-0 enclosure and a tonne of smaller disks housing everything from source code, business documents and years of VM machine backups. Not exactly cutting edge considering everything else.

Last year I built the ESX for my network and made do with a 500GB internal drive to use as an operating system data store. Since then I’ve added another few hundred GB internally to the server to use on my file server but that’s it. For the last couple of weeks I’ve been considering how I’m going to address my network storage needs and have been investigating exactly what I want to build.

In the middle of preparing this blog I had my main datastore drive fail in my ESX only 6 months after purchase. This was only ever meant to be temporary and this SAN was supposed to be online within a couple of months originally. If ever there was a point proven in investing in storage this horrible irony is probably it. I managed to salvage a lot of data but completely lost two of my VMs and have temporarily lost the extra internal drive that I had.

What Do I Need?

Before looking at anything else the first question is what exactly do I need? My network runs a combination of servers for the various projects I work on over time – from core Windows and Mac infrastructure to source control, database servers, web servers and a whole selection of virtual machines. I want to get all of this placed somewhere resilient, fast and affordable that I can manage centrally without dozens of disparate storage systems around my house.

Since everything I use is now virtualised this is a great start but there are certain key goals for me:

  • Provision of SSD for boot drives and databases
  • Provision of large bulk storage for source control, backups, etc.
  • I’ll need 1 – 1.5TB of SSD storage and around 10 TB of bulk storage
  • Accessible to both ESX servers on my network
  • Some degree of future expansion
  • Rack mountable
  • Fairly quiet
  • Fairly cheap
  • Resilience of data – RAID or some other solution in addition to off-site backup (I’m considering Amazon Glacier here)

Next Time

In Part 2 I’ll be looking at the key decisions I’ve gone through in deciding how to implement the key requirements for my SAN.

4 thoughts on “SAN for Homelab – Part 1

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HOUSE NEWS: Doing the little things well, for others

Dear friends,

For information about what is happening this week at the GCW, click here.

This past week, we had a young man staying with us who is considering joining us for the Metanoia semester (a semester-long immersion experience into life at the GCW) in the fall. I often wonder, when coming face-to-face with someone who wants to live and work with us, what their reasons are. Part of my introductory speech to new community members stresses just how seemingly mundane and typical our life is. We cook food and we eat. We clean. We garden. We raise our children. We work. All of us do most of these things. It’s not glamorous work. There is no big “Wow!” to it. It is simply the basics of life.

What we’ve come to believe is that there is something eternal and profoundly meaningful in undertaking these “basics” of life–that there is a great “good” to doing them well, with intention and with gratitude, and maybe most importantly, doing them for others. As a parent, I imagine that this resonates with many of us who are parents–we do all of these things regularly because of our sense of responsbility for, and more deeply, our love for our children.

For people considering living with us, I stress that if the value they assign to their work resides in how big or impressive or “Wow” it is, then they’re not going to like what they find here. For us, as it is for many of you, it is the little thing, the basic thing, done well, with love and in joy, which takes up most of our time and energy. My experience has been that for the vast majority of folks who frequent our home, our doing those little things well for them is seen as a gift, moreso than what one would think maybe. A home well-kept, a meal well-prepared, a clean bathroom, a vase of cut flowers. There is a deep-down goodness to these things, these things that any and all of us can do.

GCW NEEDS LIST: We’re looking for a few things that would help us around the house in our various projects. 1) A DVD player: We’re still looking for a working DVD player, in case anyone has an old one they’re no longer using. We frequently show films at the house and our DVD player broke about a month ago now. 2) Bike locks: This past weekend, we got 6 working bikes (see photo below) from Nam, Lili, Carlos, Jacqueline, Kelly and their crew and the folks at The Kickstand to pass along to some of our guests and visitors who could really use them for work, transportation to appointments, etc. We’ve already given 2 away but we need bike locks for the last 4 so the new owners can make sure they’re secured. The group of students, UF grads and others will be refurbishing more bikes in the weeks to come too. So if anyone can make a gift of a bike lock or several bike locks to the house, we can put them to good use. 3) A lawnmower to borrow: We need to cut back the weeds and grass surrounding our garden on 2nd Street and the use of a lawnmover for an hour or two would be a big help. If you have an easily transportable mower (we’ll come and get it) we could borrow, let us know.

Nam works on a bike

Nam works on a bike

See other photos on our Facebook page by clicking here.

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: This is our next-to-last week before we take our summer sabbatical. We can use help at Wednesday’s cafe (9:30am-6pm), Friday’s Breakfast Brigade (4:15-7am) and in the garden (call or drop by the house) anytime this week.

In peace,

Posted on 06/08/2009, in HOUSE NEWS and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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Roundtable this week; Dorothy’s Cafe Restarting next month!

Dear friends,
Here’s what’s going on at GCW this week and beyond:
BREAKFAST: The word has been getting out about breakfasts, and we had many guests this week.  We will be continuing to serve on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 7-10am. Please keep the gifts of breakfast foods coming!  We need items such as hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit, baked goods, fair trade coffee, juice, and more.  Food can be dropped off the evening before each breakfast (Sunday, Monday, and Thursday evenings) from 6-8:30pm, or you can contact Daniel at to arrange an alternate time.  Also, Daniel is one of our most stalwart volunteers, but he recently injured himself and will not be able to help with breakfast until he is healed, so we really could use some extra volunteers.  Let us know if you’re able to volunteer on a regular or one-time basis!

MICROFARM MORNINGS: Each Thursday morning from 8-11:30 will be a workday at Black Acres Microfarm (BAM).  BAM donates almost all it produces to the Green House so it is a crucial part of what we do.  Contact Jade Allen via email ( phone (352-337-0817) for questions &/or directions to BAM.  Check BAM out on facebook at https://www.facebook. com/pages/Black-Acres- Microfarm/175375829288542

ROUNDTABLE–THURSDAY, 10/17: We will be hosting our first roundtable of the semester from 6:30-8pm at the Green House.  We will share a potluck dinner, and discuss the prologue, introduction, and first two chapters of the book All the Way to Heaven: A Theological Reflection on Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin, and the Catholic Worker.  All are welcome, even if you have not read the book!  One or two copies are available at the house if you would like to borrow one…and we could use some extra copies too, if you have one to lend.
ART-FOR-ALL: Saturdays from 2-5pm at the Green House.  The focus will be on crafting items (including home-made jam) for our upcoming open house and holiday sale. No crafting experience is necessary and all materials are provided. Children are more than welcome and will be able to work on crafts of their own.  This week’s project is fabric ornaments.

DOROTHY’S CAFE STARTING BACK UP IN NOVEMBER: We are planning to restart Dorothy’s Cafe on Wednesday, November 6.  Prep will be 9:30-12 and serving 12-3.  We are looking for volunteers, especially those who can make a regular weekly commitment.  We are also looking for small groups that want to “sponsor” one individual cafe.  Please contact for more information.

WISH LIST: Our continued thanks to those who have been sending in gifts.  Besides financial gifts, here are some of the items the Green House can use right now: towels, blankets, socks, scarfs, winter hats, any first aid stuff, and small size toiletries.  Thank you so much!
 The GCW crew

Posted on 10/13/2013, in ART FOR ALL, HOUSE NEWS, ROUNDTABLE. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.

  1. Sheila Broderick

    Thanks for the excellent update! Keep up the good work! I love and support the GCW from Jacksonville!

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Programming Director

Lead Hancher Auditorium’s Public Engagement Team to plan and direct the full range of Hancher's performing arts programs. Develop projects and negotiate contracts with touring artists, identify and develop equitable partnerships in the university, community, region and state, seeking to deepen and broaden impact through collaborative efforts. Supervise marketing, communications, education, and audience development activities. Lead grant writing and reporting. Must be available to work nights and weekends when required.

To apply for this position, visit our website at and search for Requisition #71305. All applications must be completed online via this website; however, if you need an accommodation in order to apply for this position, please contact Sharon Beck by phone at (319) 335-2430 or send an email to

Download a PDF of the job description here: PDF iconprogramming_director_job_description.pdf

UI Student Positions

Stagehands (starting wage at $10.10/hr)
The Hancher Production Department employs around 35-40 student stagehands to provide labor for a variety of artists that are presented throughout the year. Stagehands work to set up for performances, provide support during rehearsals, sound checks and performances and help to strike all equipment and restore the space afterwards. Student stagehands also provide security at our stage door during events. Stagehands learn how to work with various types of theatrical lighting and sound equipment.  The Hancher Production team will train and test all students on procedures at the beginning of employment. We are looking for people that will be available beginning in August 2017.

Typically, work in the Hancher Production Department is not regular, weekly hours. We work when there are shows. Students may not be working every week. Work shifts are often during the day as well as evening and into the late night hours on weekdays and weekends.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Danielle Wilbanks at

Box Office Cashiers (starting wage at $10.10/hr)
The Hancher Box Office cashier staff provides friendly, knowledgeable service to those interested in attending Hancher performances or productions of the University’s Theatre Arts, Music and Dance Departments. Cashiers work a regular weekly schedule in the box office, as well as a fluctuating schedule of evening and weekend shifts that revolve around the event schedule. We prize great communication skills, experience with customer service, computers and cash handling, and view interest and knowledge of the arts as a big plus. To learn more about this opportunity, contact the Hancher Box Office at

If you are interested in applying, please do so through Hireahawk. Search "Hancher," and all active openings will be listed.

Graphic Design Assistant (10 hrs/week, salaried position, roughly equivalent to $13.15/hr)
Hancher Auditorium is seeking a student Graphic Design Assistant. The assistant will aid the Graphic Design Director in the design of promotional materials for Hancher performances and the Hancher Showcase, including print and web ads, postcards, posters, playbills, and html newsletters. The position is a salaried, quarter-time appointment (10 hours per week) at Hancher Auditorium. Requirements: Work samples demonstrating experience in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, designing for both print and digital. Must be super organized, have great attention to detail, an eye for color, composition, and beauty, and a strong work ethic. Additional skills that would be great to have: photography, HTML/CSS in Adobe Dreamweaver, video editing in Adobe Premiere, motion graphics in Adobe AfterEffects. Interest in the performing arts is desirable, but not required.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Zoë Woodworth at

We aren’t currently accepting new applicants for usher positions.  Watch this space, or HireaHawk for news when that changes.

None available at this time


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DVD, DVD ISO/IFO to Apple TV 4/3/2-Streaming DVD, DVD ISO movies to ATV in the easiest way

Have an Apple TV, some DVD movies, and surround sound system at home? How to make full use of them? This article tells you how to Rip DVD to Apple TV 4/3/2 supported format M4V and keep AC3 5.1 sound.

Source From: How to Rip DVDs to M4V on Mac for Apple TV

It’s obvious that other than purchasing 1080p HD movies and TV episodes from iTunes store, it’s great to convert your on-hand DVD movies for watching on your HDTV via Apple TV. This should be amazing especially when you have a very expensive surround system and definitely want to watch DVD movies in 5.1 surround sound.

However, as we all know, DVD is not supported by Apple TV. To play Blu-ray/DVD movies on ATV or stream Apple TV for playback with Dolby Digital surround sound, we will need to rip and convert dvd to Apple TV supported video format .mp4, .mov, .m4v.

Here I’d like to share the easy way to import Blu-ray/DVD movies to Apple TV 4/3/2 with AC3 5.1 audio with the best DVD Ripper for Mac from Brorsoft.

The program can help you rip DVDs to Apple TV compatible video formats with easy operation and high output quality. Furthermore, you can even convert DVD video files into any format for your portable devices playing, like Kindle, Nexus, iPad, iPhone, Samsung Tab and so on. If you are using Windows, Brorsoft DVD Ripper is designed for you. Download it right now and start enjoying your DVD movies with full HD quality on Apple TV!

How to Rip DVDs to M4V on Mac for Apple TV

Step 1: Run the DVD Ripper and click "DVD disc" icon to load DVD movies. You can also import movies from DVD folder, and ISO/IFO image files.

Step 2: From the "Format" drop down menu, Apple TV Dolby Digital Pass-through (*.m4v) is recommended. You can choose the preset formats for your Apple TV 1 or 2/3.

Tip: If you are not satisfied with the defaulted settings, you can adjust codec, aspect ratio, bit rate, frame rate, sample rate and audio channel in the "Settings" page.

Step 3: After all settings, tap "Convert" button to start DVD movies to M4V for Apple TV conversion immediately.

Once conversion completes, you can get the output files via "Open" panel for your Apple TV effortlessly. Now you can enjoy your DVD movies on Apple TV without any issue.

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