Duc N. Ly

tags: Epica, Journal, Porche, notebook, travel,

(above is a picture from Epica)

Let’s go to Amalfi. I’m tired of the rainy Oregon weather. I like this photograph because it has a sense of adventure, travel, and luxury. When I first came across this, it took me by surprise as the general look of Epica is very traditional.

Epica has a line of hand-made paper from the Italy region of Amalfi. I remember first time hearing about this region was in a GQ magazine. At the time, it was a great travel destination for the trend setters. It was their new “secret spot”. Little did I know that there is a great ancient tradition of paper making that dates back to the 14th century.

“The Amalfi coast is famed for its production of Limoncello liqueur and home-made paper used throughout Italy for wedding invitations.”

Since 1380, the Amalfi mills have produced paper from fine cottons; using the first developed methods from the Medieval Ages. Historically, Amalfi cost is renown as the finest paper mill in Europe. Today, there are only two such paper mills on the coast of Italy. Epica imports the paper and the pages are bound by hand. One of the first city in Italy, perhaps Europe, to make paper. The Museum of Paper is dedicated to the city’s craft.

Sources: http://touritaly.org/magazine/amalfi03.htm

tags: Epica, journal, leather journal, Epica journal, notebooks,

wikipedia The_Name_of_the_Rose

The following link provides some information:

csuohio.edu/english/nr1.html

On August 16, 1968, I was handed a book written by a certain Abbe Vallet, Le Manuscrit de Dom Adson de Melk, traduit en francais d’apres l’edition de Dom J. Mabillon

“I completed a translation using some of those large notebooks from Papeterie Joseph Gilbert in which it is so pleasant to write if you use a felt-tip pen” …

“large notebooks . . . felt-tip pen” (p. 1) [Eric Backos offers the following suggestions about the author's emphasis on the material objects used for writing]: Authors often use seemingly irrelevant references to mundane objects to foreshadow broader textual elements. The importance of writing material is particularly prominent in fiction using the recovered manuscript as a plot device. Umberto Eco, Edgar Allan Poe and Paul Auster all use writing material for foreshadowing plot or to illuminate the inner workings of characters. Particular examples of writing materials as hints to the reader are found in Eco’s The Name of the Rose, Poe’s “The Purloined Letter” and Auster’s City of Glass.

Eco’s fictional translator in The Name of the Rose foreshadows the success of his mission with a comment about the practicality of his equipment and the enjoyment, even recreational quality, of translation. “I completed a translation using some of those large notebooks from Papeterie Joseph Gilbert in which it is so pleasant to write if you use a felt-tip pen” (Eco 1). Further, the translator admits writing “out of pure love of writing” (Eco 5).

While Eco and Poe use quality to foreshadow events favorable to their characters, Paul Auster uses the reversed approach. In City of Glass, Daniel Quinn, already fallen from poet to hack writer, begins his final collapse with the purchase of a cheap notebook after having been “always on the lookout for good spiral notebooks” (Auster, New York Trilogy, p. 46). Yet Quinn is “at a loss to explain to himself why he found it (the cheap notebook) so appealing.” Auster further illustrates Quinn’s slide into insanity with the change from a fountain pen, (unmentioned, but evidenced by spent ink cartridges on Quinn’s desk.) to a pitiful $1 ballpoint (Auster 63).

Eco uses a more complex approach to writing materials in the monastery of In the Name of the Rose. The Abbot’s display of the wealth of the monastery to William and Adso exposes the Abbot’s pride, vanity and avarice. “It is the most immediate of the paths that put us in touch with the Almighty: Theophanic matter” (Eco 145). Similarly, as the monks use the finest materials available and labor arduously to copy crumbling texts, the quality of the writing materials illustrate pride and vanity rather than devotion to God.

Young Adso is drawn into the Abbot’s argument and, while observing a rubricator at work, muses that “the sheet would become a kind of reliquary, glowing with gems studded in what would then be the devout text of the writing” (Eco 185). Adso then makes the mistake of assigning God’s power of life giving to the copyists. “They were producing new books just like those that time would inexorably destroy� therefore, the library could not be threatened by any earthly force, it was a living thing” (Eco 185). Of course the reader knows the gods never take hubris lightly, and these passages foreshadow the eventual destruction of the monastery. The roles of writing material permeate In the Name of the Rose; however, the subtleties and complexities are too many to call this fine thread of scriptocentric hints a “clew” without indulging in a very great vanity. Even the fictional translator and the aged Adso apologize for interpreting their own work. Repentance and penance would be in order for the critic if not for Eco’s indulgence: “Nothing is of greater consolation to the author of a novel than the discovery of readings he had not conceived but which are prompted by his readers” (Eco, Postscript to The Name of the Rose, in abridged form appended to the paperrback edition of the English translation; p. 506). Perhaps, then the highest aspiration of a critic is to be today’s rose and not yesterday’s prick” (ibid. Eco 502).
Squidoo Paper

Happy New Years!

I’m back from travels afar. Time is a funny thing. I’m loopy from Jet Lag.

Airline magazines are inspirational. I read them and day dream of all the times I can have to do the projects. I discover thing which I like and dream of having.
lumas.de

I watched ‘The Illusionist’ a beautiful film with cleaver plot.

But in reality time is limited.

Sometimes you wake in the odd hours of the night and plan in your head what you want to do the next day. When you wake, you are tired and can’t accomplish as much as you want to.

At the Cafe Goethe of Frankfurt airport, a woman sitting next to me is writing in her pocket Moleskine journal. She unwraps the plastic skin away from the notebook and proceed to write immediately, filling up the page with her thought.

tags: Airplane, WWII

We went to visit this museum in Milwaukie, Oregon off of 99 E going south towards Oregon City. It used to be a gas stastion. The law required the owner to upgrade their facilities to meet the environmetal standards. It was too expensive for them to upgrade. So the gas station became a Hamburger Joint. The family is restoring the bomber piece by piece. 040328 Originally uploaded by lexly87. The bomber

Take Highway 26 from Portland over Mt Hood. At the Simnasho Junction,(Kah-Nee-Ta Lodge Sign on Highway 26) turn left and proceed approximately 20 miles to Simnasho. At Simnasho turn right and continue until you see the signs for Kah-Nee-Ta at the Warm Springs River. Turn left and you will drive about two miles to the Kah-Nee-Ta.

July 29, 2006 Saturaday
Kah-Nee-Ta
*Starry Night
*Sunset hot tub
*Swim

Here’s a great website to keep track of travels in Oregon: http://www.traveloregon.com/Explore-Oregon.aspx I like that it has a virtual ‘Journal’ which looks like a book to mark all of my favorite places. It also has a pin point map.

tags: Kaneeta, map, Oregon, Portland, Vacation, travel,

Hey guys,

Just thought I’d update you briefly on how the world series of poker tournament went. It was being held in the Rio on Friday, so I got there on Thursday afternoon to pick up my chips and register. I won the seat through Full Tilt poker, so I went to their hospitality suite in the Rio hotel, which is just off the strip and where all the WSOP events are held.

Each of the online sites has their own hospitality suite at the Rio, where they have free food and tshirts, caps, etc., plus TVs and lounges where you can hang out at. It’s all to promote their site. Outside of each of these hospitality suites, they have hired what looks to be legal hookers to smile at you and hand you a brochure as you enter. I don’t know where they get these girls, whether it is Las Vegas high or UNLV, but they must truck them in special because they are all knockouts, but they also dress them up from some kind of Hookers-R-Us store, it is so over the top it is hard to keep a straight face. Some of them stand there and try to sell you clothes like underwear that says, “I lost it on the River,” on it, for one example. I didn’t know poker had turned into an NC-17 sport, but I guess it did sometime in the last year.

So anyway I went into the suite, and it was crammed with people. Clonie Gowen was there, if you have heard of her, she is a famous pro who is sponsored by Full Tilt. She and everyone else was scarfing down all this free food.

I said I needed to pick up chips for the tournament, and they said, “Oh, you need to talk to Richard.” So they yelled for Richard, and this Satanist looking guy came walking up, looking like he was late for an orgy or something. He said, “follow me into this back room.” I wasn’t thrilled about that, but I wanted my chips so I followed Richard the satanist into the back room. He pops open this briefcase, and luckily had chips in there and not handcuffs and whips. He crosses my name off a list and then gives me 2000 in Rio chips, and tells me to stand in the registration line for the event.

While I am in the line I start to think that all I have to do is just step out of the line and go to the nearest cage, and I can have 2000 in cash. But of course like an idiot I keep standing there and register for the stupid thing.

They had the shorthanded 5k event going on at the time, and I recognized Chris Ferguson and Men Nguyen and a bunch of other famous pros. They all looked kind of like zombies, they’d probably been playing nonstop for the past 3 weeks.

Outside there was another kiosk advertising something or otther, and 4 girls in their hooker gear standing there. Except this time they even had a pole there, and one of them was dancing around it. At 2 in the afternoon. Good grief. Then I looked to my left, and Scott Nguyen is standing there smoking a cigarette and watching, like a total perv. It was, “a typical disgusting display,” as a famous sports announcer once yelled.

I did go to the Bellagio poker room and play, that is a nice place. Very crowded but cool. Phil Laak, the unambomber guy, was playing there and running his mouth. They had a tournament going and that comedian/actor Norm McDonald was playing in it, apparently. Phil Ivey was playing in the back room, probably destroying people, but he looked pretty bored.

Anyway, the tournament kind of blew. They give you 2000 in starting chips, the same as the entry fee. You have a seat assignment, mine was table 119 seat 3, or something like that. They had 2,020 entrants, and first place was something like 860k. It was being televised by ESPN but I never saw any cameras. Only the top 198 actually cashed, so 1800 went home with nothing. It was to take 3 days, with the final table on Sunday.

So anyway I sat down, and there were 10 of us at the table, and the blinds for the first hour started out at 25-25. They had this big clock on the wall like a football scoreborad, counting down from 59:59. When it hit zero then they upped the blinds to 25-50. After the second hour was over there was a 20 minute break, then the blinds went up to 50-100. That is where you really feel pressure, if you haven’t increased your chips you only have about 1500 or so left because of the blinds, and now you have to pay 150 just in blinds, every 10 hands. So the 3rd hour is when a lot of people really start getting into all in or fold situations. Whenever you have less than 10x the big blind, you are in trouble.

I was really kind of disappointed, because everyone played pretty much like on the internet– like idiots. Which is no surprise I guess because most of us qualified on the net. But you could not bluff at all, because they just called everything and were really wild players. So you had to just sit there and hope to catch some cards. It was way more luck than I thought it would be, and that sucked. On the very first hand, a dealer shouted, “seat open, table 231!” so some jackass went bust on the very first hand. Actually 5 people at my table busted out in the very first hour, they were playing so wildly, and they kept bringing over people to replace them.

For the most part I got really bad cards, so outside of the blinds, I only voluntarily played 4 hands before I was knocked out at about 3 o’clock (it started at noon).

On only the third hand of tournament, I was in the small blind (blinds are 25-25). The under the gun (first to act) guy raises it to 75, and everyone folds around to the button, who calls the 75. I looked down at my cards, and I have red queens (QQ). I raised it to 300, because I wanted to end it right there, as I was out of position and did not want to have an ace or king come on the flop. The initial raiser thought for a long time, and then calls the 300. The guy on the button folded.  Of course the flop came A-something-something, so the damn ace hit. I had to bet something to represent the ace (act like I had AK), because if I just checked, he would have known I didn’t have it, and just bet and take the pot. So I bet half the pot, which was 300. He just called, so I figure he might very well have an ace. I don’t want to go out of the tournament on the 3rd hand, so I just checked the turn, he bet big, and I folded. So that sucked, five minutes into the thing I am down to only 1300 chips (from the 2000 starting amount).

From there I got no hands except a J9 on the button which I limped with for 75, missed the flop, and then folded. The second hour they raised the blinds to 25-50, and I got dealt KK. Great! I raised it to 200, and everyone just folded. So I only won 75, big deal.

They broke our table and assigned me to one clear across the convention center after that, then sent us off on 20 minute break.

When they got back they raised the blinds to 50-100, as it was the third hour. Now I am in deep trouble, thanks to the QQ hand and the blinds, I only have 950 left in chips. If you are under 10x the big blind you are in all in or fold mold, and the blinds were now 50-100, so I was there.

At 3 o’clock this guy raised it to 300, and I looked down and had AK of hearts. So I reraised all in for 950. He thought a long time (again), and then called. He had 33. The board cards came all low, I missed, and it was sayonara.

So it kind of sucked.

Anyway it was fun, but I was disappointed at how much pure luck there was. I think if I ever qualify again, I will just fly out there, pick up the chips, cash them in at a cage, and fly home.

Hope you all are doing well, and that I didn’t bore you with the Scotty Nguyen hooker story, etc.

Tim

I walked down to the river. Feebie came with me. She walks into the river and wallow in the rotten smell of fish. I saw a large carcass and one pink plump fish against a dry rock. Even before I cross the road towards the river, I could smell the stench of rotting fish. After awhile it didn’t bother me. I could smell the fresh air upon waking though. Susan had to shampoo her afterwards. Susan drove the Cherokee to look for Feebie and I. She wanted to give me a dog collar and a glove. I did not see Susan until I got back to her house and she pulls up in the Cherookee.

Dr. Underoo’s German Shepard attack Puck, Shannon’s Parrot. Shannon immediately jumps in to rescue her bird. The doctor was frantically shouting in German because the dog apparently only understands German. Dr. Underoo used to speak German with his wife. She’s long gone, deceased, he’s now a long time Widower. The doctor is the largest donor to the art center. This fact obligates the director to have coffee with him every Friday at the center. Today they meet in the Gallery. It is the last time that they will meet in Shannon’s office because the German Shepard will attack Puck again.

Last night after the Gallery Opening, I looked out side to see a bright full moon clouded over with fog. I hear the river rushing below. Susan’s backyard is beautiful. The Rhodanerons are from New Zealand. The prior owner had brought it over. Her son’s room is fill with baseball memorbilias; jerseys pinned to the wall, and baseballs on a shelf.

Doctor Underoo

I brought my framed photographs for the doctor to see. I cut myself on the corner of the frame where it is sharp. I asked the receptionist for a band-aid. He laid the specimen on the plastic examination bed. He suggests that we walk out to my car to see the rest of the framework. I lay them out on the parking lot bumper. I looked at the gallery. It’s in the sunken atrium lobby area of a medical school in Northwest. It’s apart of Linfield College. It was interesting.

Posted on 10.13.2003 at 12:13 AM

befriended

i got the cd befriended finally

we drink hennessy from the metal tea pot at sam ho.
we are celebrating kelly’s birthday.
the crab arrives, and some squash.

tina comes back from the milwaukie farm market with fresh corns, and tomatoes.

at the delecja restaurant in Poznan, Poland, i had a beautiful salad with peeled tomatoes.

it is sunday morning, a beautiful morning, and i’m listening to befriends.

Posted on 9.28.2003 at 2:14 PM

2003-02-19

Poznan internet C@fe

Hi Cindy,

I’m in the big city of Poznan now. Last night I got to my hotel for a bath and a fancy diner which cost about 10$ us. The food is excellent and cheap. I’m at the in the net cafe and I found a laundry service. I’ll be walking around old medieval town exploring the city. I do like to study the medieval architecture and towns. This is a lot like the trip I took to Hungary. I’m been doing well and being very safe.

I’ve been following bib news on TV. I heard about the South Korean subway arson, the blizzard in N.Y.

I think two weeks will be just enough time to explore the city. Last night I was very excited to arrive in the beautiful Old Town. My hotel is walking distance to everything. I will go to a classical concert on Saturday evening. Anyway, glad everyone is doing well. I just saw one Chinese