Postcards

Lang Lang & Karin Zhou

Lang Lang Panasonic Commercial

Hahaha
Lang Lang (da DONGAH) DEFINITIVE performance of Pimp Rappah2

Wow
Solfeggio C.P.E. Bach, played by Karin Zhou (6)

Bach Prelude with Karin Zhou (7)

Czerny Etude - Karin Zhou (6)

Hmmm
Mozart Sonata facile Satz 2 mit Karin Zhou (6)

And she plays even violin!
Chinese Dance - Karin Zhou (viol) & Hee-Jin Han (piano)

Dani Juggling

End of last year Dani Muri persuaded me to learn juggling. My motivation was to use it as a metaphor for being able to handle multiple projects in my life at the same time instead of getting lost in a single thing.
What I learned is that juggling is much less about catching each ball than to focus on throwing them the right way so you know already where and when they will land and forget (at least consciously) about them while they fly all by themselves through the air. Instead you are able to focus on the most important task right in front of you and get that done as precisely and quickly as possible so you are able to get to the next one and you need less correction and concentration when collecting things in the end.

Now two weeks ago (2006-11-02) Dani gave a presentation in the office at the bi-weekly English Business Lunch, organized by our English teacher Sharon Epprecht. I recorded only parts as I had not enough memory, still you should get the idea with the snippets that came out of it. Enjoy!

Dani Juggling 1/8 (40 sec)
Dani Juggling 2/8 (23 sec)
Dani Juggling 3/8 (1 min 38 sec) Resilience

Dani Juggling 4/8 (1 min 27 sec)
Dani Juggling 5/8 (3 min 16 sec) Values of the Game

Dani Juggling 6/8 (1 min 29 sec) Imagination
Dani Juggling 7/8 (42 sec)
Dani Juggling 8/8 (32 sec)


Here is the single slide of the presentation,

according to the book

Values of the Game by Bill Bradley. Someone added, what also belongs on the list is the word Fun.

Check this Basketball Stunt Video by Dani's sun Kevin, which also contains some juggling.


Of course, this reminds me of my sister's friend Joram (who met his wife through her). He defected from computer science after he finished his bachelor in Bonn and made juggling his profession instead.
Check these two videos of Joram Seewi in action: trailer and glowing fascination

So, get yourself some juggling balls. It is never to early to start - and never to late. Like my nephew Timon, 16 months of age:

Applied Neuroscience

Excellent article full of practical tips and examples:

A cognitive neuroscientist uses his brain savvy in the ‘Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?’ hot seat

Researchers in my department, Cognitive and Neural Systems (CNS), seek to understand the brain's mechanisms, including three cognitive systems that happen to be essential for a profitable performance on Millionaire: learning, memory, and decision-making. This summer [...] I decided to apply my graduate skills to a decidedly practical purpose and auditioned for a turn in the show's perilous hot seat.
...
- The first technique I drew upon was priming.
- knowing how to make decisions based on intuition.
- theory of mind, the ability to imagine other people's perspectives.

Pointer was from Marginal Revolution.

Richter Rocked

The title and "richter eats only pianos. He was the Chuck Norris of his time." are two quotes I like from this YouTube video: Richter - Brahms 2nd concerto


Here is a link to search for more Richter Stuff at YouTube.

Sviatoslav Richter plays Bach


I love the following Mozart piano concerto. It was his homework (to make a concerto out of someone else's piano sonata) when he was 11 or 12 years old.

Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.1 1st mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.1 2nd mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.1 3rd mov.

And two more Mozart piano concertos (also with Rudolf Barshai and the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra in 1994)....
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.5 1st mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.5 2nd mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.5 3rd mov.

Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 1st mov. Pt.1 of 2
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 1st mov. Pt.2 of 2
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 2nd mov.
Richter plays Mozart Piano Concerto No.18 3rd mov. (at the end he even smiles - it seems)