Gary S. Smolker

The above photo is a picture of my friend Jason Fane with Les Steiner at Jason’s New Year’s Eve Party on December 31, 2015 at Jason’s apartment on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The above photograph is a photograph of a section on a twelve foot high sculpture that was mounted above the fireplace in my condominium in Playa del Rey, California.

The above photograph is a photograph of a note attached to a pair of socks a friend gave me.  The note states, Life is too short to live a life with only black and white socks.  That note is on a shelf in one of the nine bookcases in my apartment in Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys, California.

The above photograph is a photograph of tulips in a flower pot on top of one of the bookcases in the living room of my apartment in Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys, California.  The books on the shelf in the bookcase below the tulips are: “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall, “Natural Born Heroes” by Christopher McDougall, “Eye of the Beholder” by Laura J. Snyder, “Soul of the Age”, by Jonathan Bate, “The Age of Insight” by Eric R. Kandel, “The House of Wisdom” by Jim Al-Khalili, “Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men” by Stephen Mansfield, “Why A Man Should Be Well-Dressed” by Adolf Loos, “The Book of Symbols – Reflections on Archetypal Images” by Editor-in-Chief Ami Ronnberg and Editor Kathleen Martin culled from a collection of 17,000 photographic images of the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism, “Mona Lisa to Marge – How the World’s Greatest Artworks Entered Popular Culture” by Francesca Bonazzoli and Michele Robecchi, and “An Empire of their Own – How the Jews Invented Hollywood” by Neal Gabler.

The above photograph is a photograph of me enjoying Baklava and Turkish Coffee at a Bosnian Cafe in West Los Angeles, California.

The above photograph is a photograph of a sign in Lady Chocolatt, a cafe in West Los Angeles, California.

PUBLISHER GARY S. SMOLKER’S MOTTO:

INGENUITY BELONGS TO THE CURIOUS.

I am a very curious person.

I invite you to benefit from my curiosity by reading this blog.

I am guided by the following statements in selecting what to share with you in this blog.

• “We see nothing truly till we understand it.” – John Constable
• “In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur
• “To understand anything you have to look at it from many vantage points, seeing all its contradictory points. – Samuel Johnson
• “Only someone who is well prepared has the opportunity to improvise.” – Ingmar Bergman
• “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart….Who looks inside awakens.” – Carl Jung
• “It is the responsibility of writers to give a just and lively image of human nature.  It is the responsibility of grown-ups to learn how life is lived in worlds distant from their own.” – Steven Pinker
• “If you don’t know anyone who disagrees with you – that is a measure of how far out of touch you have become with the real world.  You don’t understand your own isolation and insularity.” – Gary Smolker

In  “The Gary S. Smolker Idea Exchange Blog”, I report on how the world is transforming around us and our reactions to that transformation.

I also discuss and report on people have transformed the world, on movies, on ideas that have transformed the world, on current opinions, current information, current events, the relentless pursuit if new information and changing new discoveries into useful information and on places, persons and experiences I think are worth learning about.

The purpose of my blog is to foster thought, stimulate imagination, provide information, provide ideas, and to encourage discussion of the complex and challenging issues facing people.

Reading my blog out to expand people’s minds, broaden their horizons and take people out of the everyday.

QUESTION: What are the character traits of the people for whom this blog is published?

This blog is published for people, like myself, who want to be more self-aware, be more knowledgeable, want to understand how and why the world is transforming around us and also want to exchange ideas and information.

This blog is written for people who are focused on doing things, who have a tremendous amount of follow-through, know how to sell a story and are creative in making things happen and closing deals.

Such people are always curious, always learning something new, are comfortable with becoming a new person, are constantly reinventing themselves, are open to learning and are constantly seeking to learn more; they want new things to think about and want to become more and better informed.

They understand there are advantages and disadvantages in everything we do, that everything involves a trade-off.

Above and below are photographs of me taken at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 in my living room.

I was at work while it was completely dark outside.

I love movies.

On the wall behind me in my living room are posters for  three movies: KILL BILL, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, SPIDER MAN.

I also try to figure out and think about the message the people who have made a film are trying to get across to the people who watch their film.

I like to watch film that are about real issues.

I love to read books that shed light on real issues.

I like to think about and discover the “reason” behind real issues.

I want to understand human behavior.

I watch movies and read books to help me better understand human nature.

I want to have a constant pulse on what is going on.

I am whole heartedly focused on personal growth.

Below is a photograph of a pair of socks on a shelf in one of the nine bookcases in my home library.

The handwritten note on the sock states: Life is too short to live a life with only black and white socks.

I totally subscribe to that sentiment, all agree whole-heartedly with that statement.

I want to know if other people think about things the same way I do.

If they don’t think the way I do about something, I want to understand why.

I realize it is one thing to discover the facts. It is another thing to understand the facts.

I publish this blog to raise my own consciousness, to raise other people’s consciousness and to engage in a reciprocal process of sharing information worth sharing.

Wherever you are in the world, you are invited to correspond directly with me by email.

My email address is gsmolker@aol.com.

• [A] If you are interested in better understanding the course and paths of social, political and economic events that are shaping the business, political, legal and social environment this blog is published for you.

• [B] If you want to make an impact on the world by sharing your experiences, by being inspirational and by advancing civilization this blog is published for you.

• [C] If you want to know how other people think and why other people think the way they do this blog is published for you.

• [D] If you desire to be exposed to other people’s thinking, ideas, perspectives, opinions, this blog is published for you.

• [E] If you desire to be exposed to other people’s real life experiences this blog is published for you.

1. I want to be engaged in an intense conversation with people (a) who are animated with a sense of fun and the anticipation of discovery, (b) who have an insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning, (c) who are committed to test knowledge through experience. and (e) are willing to learn from mistakes.
2. I spend a considerable amount of time engaged in intense conversation with people who recognize and appreciate the interconnection of all things and phenomena.

Past Posts on This Blog

1. Previous posts contain reviews and comments on popular movies such as Django Unchained, Lincoln, 12 Years A Slave, The Butler, Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom, Belle, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Midnight’s Children, This Is My Land, Hannah Arendt, Can A Song Save Your Life?, Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, The Book Thief, Dallas Buyers Club, American Hustle, Black and White, A Little Chaos, The Theory of Everything, Ruth & Alex, The Great Beauty, Top Five, Pawn Sacrifice, Interstellar, The Judge, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, The Imitation Game, Woman in Gold, Trainwreck, Our Brand is Crisis, Being AP, He Named Me Malala, Where to Invade Next, In the Shadow of Women, The Intern,Whiskey Tango Fox Trot.
   

2. Previous posts discuss world famous chefs and businessmen such as Grant Achatz and Isadore Sharp and how they got to be the “best” at what they do.

3. Previous posts (a) discuss how to judge the quality and distinction of a film, (b) report on the early work and debuting works by gifted new film directors, (c) discuss and highlight the work of established master film makers, and discuss political campaigns, politics, political candidates and political campaigning.

4. Previous posts also discuss quintessential experiences I have had in New York City, in New Orleans, in Chicago, in Toronto, in Paris, in Prague, in London, Moscow, Vienna, Rome, Cairo, Alexandria, Istanbul, in the Eastern Sierra, in the Smoky Mountains and immediate environs, and in Eastern Washington/Palouse Washington and immediate environs.

5. In previous posts I also discuss the history of chocolate, the properties of chocolate, where to get the best chocolate, caffeine, coffee and the best coffee shops in the world – the best coffee shops I have been to.

6. In previous post also discuss interesting and breath taking things to see in Los Angeles and in other parts of the world.

7. Below is a sign I saw posted in June Lake, California.

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9. Below is a sign I saw posted in Eastern Washington.

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11. Below is a picture of a sign I saw while I was sightseeing around Ouray, Colorado on October 1, 2016.
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13. Below is a picture of a sign I saw at the entrance to a Laser Light Show Trance Dance I attended on October 8, 2016 in Canoga Park, California.
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15. Previous posts discuss what I have learned through my own personal experience with respect to down to earth challenges such as (a) losing weight, (b) coping with the glut of available information regarding health and wellness, (c) dealing with standard practices of the medical profession, (d) changing diet and lifestyle instead of taking pills to prevent heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cognitive impairment, (e) getting along with other people, (f) being in love, (g) what makes relationships work, (h) understanding how other people think, (i) understanding what makes other people tick, (j) learning through life experiences, (k) learning through talking to other people, and (l) learning  through reading.

16. I share the best ideas I come across.

My Aspiration

1. I seek to be part of the process by which great books, great films, new discoveries, information and great ideas expose people to useful valuable new ideas and ways of thinking.

My Philosophy:

People can share and augment each other’s understanding.

There is a communication in which intellectual compatibility turns into emotional fusion.

Life should be led with fun, passion, joy and a sense of style.

Ideas are the ultimate creator of wealth.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.

Happiness happens when your life is filled with projects that are meaningful to you, manageable, socially connected and involve a higher ratio of positive to negative emotions.

Everyone’s behavior is always based on a point of view.

We become what we love.

Goals

THE GOALS OF THIS BLOG ARE (1) TO SHARE IDEAS, INSIGHTS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES; (2) TO STIMULATE THINKING; (3) TO EXPOSE PEOPLE TO THINGS WORTH KNOWING AND THINKING ABOUT AND (4) TO HELP PEOPLE MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD.

 Viewership

According to WordPress, in 2014 people in 108 different countries viewed the Gary S. Smolker Idea Exchange Blog.

NEW POSTING SCHEDULE AND NOTIFICATION OF NEW POSTINGS

New postings on this blog are posted irregularly.

Once a post is posted it is often revised.

It might take a long time (i.e. more than one month) for any post to become completely finished.

I post each post when I believe I have said enough about what I have written about but as time passes I often think of more I want to say and consequently I often update and/or revise each of my posts as time goes by.

Because I am not the kind of man who can stand still and be satisfied, and because I feel the need to keep building and improving, I often update and or revise each one of my posts after they have been originally posted on my blog.

I appreciate the following statement attributed to wine maker Ernest Gallo, “My first grade teacher told me I was the dumbest student she ever had.  She did me a favor.  If she had told me I was very smart, I wouldn’t have tried to improve.”

I also appreciate the following statement attributed to singer Lady Gaga, “When you make music or write or create, it’s really your job to have mind-blowing, irresponsible, condomless sex with whatever idea it is you’re writing about at the time.”

I also appreciate the following statement attributed to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, “Managing by trying to be liked is the path to ruin.”

To See A Partial List of Prior Postings click on “Archives” and then click on the posting(s) you wish to read.

I need to update the archives in that there are now more than 100 posts on my blog.

Previous posts on my blog discuss and comment on ideas presented in non-fiction books such as Seth Godin’s “All Marketeers Are Liars”; Stan Slap’s “Bury My Heart in Conference Room B”; Peter Thiel’s “Zero to One”; Sheena Iyengar’s “The Art of Choosing”; Michael J. Gelb’s “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci; Brian R. Little’s “Me, Myself, and Us”; Fred Davis’ “Fashion, Culture and Identity”; Debra N. Mancoff’s “Fashion Muse – The Inspiration Behind Iconic Design”, Harold Evans’ “They Made America”; General Stanley McChrystal’s “My Share of the Task, A Memoir”;  Jose Ortega y Gasset’s “The Dehumanization of Art”;  Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers – The Story of Success”; Ren Koolhaas’ “Delirious New York”; Donald L. Miller’s “Supreme City”; Jean Claude Gautrand’s “Paris ~ Portrait of a City”; David McCullough’s “The Greater Journey – Americans in Paris”, Joan DeJean’s “The Essence of Style – How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour”; Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas’ “How to be Parisian Wherever You are; Paul Veyne’s “Bread and Circuses – Historical Sociology and Political Pluralism”, Fernand Braudel’s “Afterthoughs on Material Civilization and Capitalism”, Ping Fu’s “Bend, Not Break”; Tom Rath’s “Eat Move Sleep”; William Davis’ “Wheat Belly”; John McDougall’s “The Starch Solution”; David Perlmutter’s “Grain Brain”; Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.’s “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease”; Dean Ornish’s “the Spectrum”; Christopher McDougall’s “Born to Run”; John J. Ratye’s “Spark”; Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass”, Pierre Bourdieu’s “Distinction – A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste”, Jacques Barzun’s “The Culture We Deserve”, Elias Canetti’s “Crowds and Power”; Carroll Quigley’s “The Evolution of Civilizations”; Jon Meacham’s “American Lion”; Scott Anderson’s “Lawrence in Arabia”; Simon Sebag Montefiore’s “Jerusalem”,;Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture”; Kelly Williams Brown’s “Adulting – How To Become A Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps”; Amelia Morris’ “Bon Appetempt – A Coming of Age Story (with Recipes!); Richard Louv’s “Last Child in the Woods”; Anne Sinclair’s “My Grandfather’s Gallery”; Dianna Vreeland’s “The Eye Has to Travel”; Debra N. Mancoff’s “Fashion Muse”; Eric Boman’s “Rare Bird of Fashion – The Irreverent Iris Apfel”; Mathew Pearl’s “The Last Bookaneer”; David Brooks’ “The Road to Character”; Annette Simmons’ “Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins”; Stephen Apkon’s “The Age of Image”; Francesca Bonazzoli and Michele Robecchi’s “Mona Lisa to Marge” “The Book of Symbols” edited by Ami Ronnberg and Kathleen Martin; “Cool” by Steven Quartz and Anette Asp; “Originals” by Adam Grant; “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari; “From Silk to Silicon” by Jeffrey Garten; “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull; “Smarter, Faster, Better” by Charles Duhigg; “The Kingdom of Speech: by Tom Wolfe;. “The Gene – An Intimate History” by Siddhartha Mukherjee; “The Rise of the Rocket Girls” by Nathalia Holt.

Happy reading and best wishes,

Gary S. Smolker, Publisher of the Gary S. Smolker Idea Exchange Blog, http://www.garysmolker.wordpress.com

Copyright © 2014, 2015 and 2016 by Gary S. Smolker