Norbert platt biography sampler
Cook’s Anticonsumerist Critique
1Eliza Cook (1818–89)’s biographies of things are the Victorian avatars in verse of it-narratives1—also identified as object narratives, novels of circulation or unnatural narratives2—, a particular eighteenth-century sub-genre of fiction that follows the adventures of a picaresque non-human (but sometimes speaking) protagonist, as it travels through places and times, experiences all sorts of adventures and encounters varied characters and situations. This extremely popular form between 1700 and 1800 presents itself as a satire of the consumer society, with the travelling object being first manufactured or purchased, then traded, stolen, rebought or recycled… by all sorts of owners whose morality is generally called into question. Relationships turn into commercial exchanges as these narratives explore the nature of ownership. The Victorian it-narratives developed a moralising dimension more palatable for those who used this form to educate the young readers into science and morality. Coins, banknotes, saucy dolls and petticoats were gradually replaced by more genteel objects, like books, bibles, lumps of coal, pieces of wood or candles.3 Neither eighteenth nor nineteenth-century it-narratives were presented in a poetic form: Eliza Cook’s poems constitute a remarkable exception as she revives this subgenre in her numerous biographies of things, tailoring this format for her own social and political agenda.
2Eliza Cook was born in Southwark in a working-class family, the youngest child of a tinman and a brazier.4 She is best-known today as the editor of the very successful but short-lived weekly periodical, Eliza Cook’s Journal (published between 1849 and 1854), addressed to a relatively educated working-class or lower middle-class family readership and complying with all the staples of a rather traditional women’s magazine. However, some radical articles and poems were interspersed between very conventional pieces. As a sel
Miscast, the annual gala that benefits the MCC Theater, happened last night at the cavernous Hammerstein Ballroom. The tongue-in-cheek event derives its name from the host of Broadway stars who willingly sing songs for which they are woefully miscast—and to the utter delight of the audience.
Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt admitted to the crowd that a great deal of his childhood was spent dressed as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (he divulges he was a huge fan of Judy Garland). The Pitch Perfect star opted to sing a haunting rendition of “The Man That Got Away” from the Garland classic A Star is Born.
Stephanie J. Block, who is married to House of Cards actor Sebastian Arcelus, confessed to nursing a huge “talent-crush” on another performer on the stage: Brian d’Arcy James. She paid tribute to the Spotlight actor by killing it with the song “What Is It About Her” from the show The Wild Party that James sang in the original production.
The first highlight of the evening was a star-studded rendition of “It’s All Over” from Dreamgirls starring, Tony-winning actor Norbert Leo Butz as Effie. Butz then gave a passionate and moving performance of the Broadway classic “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” which earned a standing ovation.
His rendition was particularly gutsy considering the original Effie —Jennifer Holliday—was sitting on stage. Indeed, when the Bloodline actor finished, he fell to his knees and proceeded to crawl over to Holliday’s feet and supplicate before her.
And finally, it seemed fitting that Holliday capped off the evening with a towering rendition of “I Am What I Am” from La Cage Aux Folles, causing spines to tingle just as they did over thirty years ago in Dreamgirls.
The celebratory evening raised over 1 million dollars for the theater company, which is celebrating its 30th year.
Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine
1948 book written by Norbert Wiener
"Cybernetics (book)" redirects here. For other topics, see Cybernetics (disambiguation).
Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine is a book written by Norbert Wiener and published in 1948. It is the first public usage of the term "cybernetics" to refer to self-regulating mechanisms. The book laid the theoretical foundation for servomechanisms (whether electrical, mechanical or hydraulic), automatic navigation, analog computing, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and reliable communications.
A second edition with minor changes and two additional chapters was published in 1961.
Reception
The book aroused a considerable amount of public discussion and comment at the time of publication, unusual for a predominantly technical subject.
- "[A] beautifully written book, lucid, direct, and, despite its complexity, as readable by the layman as the trained scientist, if the former is willing to forego attempts to understand mathematical formulas."
- "One of the most influential books of the twentieth century, Cybernetics has been acclaimed as one of the 'seminal works' comparable in ultimate importance to Galileo or Malthus or Rousseau or Mill."
- "Its scope and implications are breathtaking, and leaves the reviewer with the conviction that it is a major contribution to contemporary thought."
- "Cybernetics... is worthwhile for its historical value alone. But it does much more by inspiring the contemporary roboticist to think broadly and be open to innovative applications."
The public interest aroused by this book inspired Wiener to address the sociological and political issues raised in a book targeted at the non-technical reader, resulting in the publication in 1950 of The Human Use of Human Beings.
Table of contents
Introduction
1. Newton
A new portable sampler of atmospheric methane for radiocarbon measurements
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