bookofjoe

Paul Wittgenstein plays Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major

This took place at Salle Pleyel in Paris on January 17, 1933.

A budding concert pianist when he lost his right arm to a Russian bullet in World War I (it was amputated in a Russian prison hospital in 1914), Wittgenstein commissioned the work from Maurice Ravel, who composed it between 1929 and 1930.

Wittgenstein performed the premiere with Robert Heger and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra on January 5, 1932.

This excerpt shows Wittgenstein's piano technique.

Anthony Gottlieb's New Yorker article about the remarkable Wittgenstein family pulled me in and wouldn't let go.

LiveTV Wall

Res ipsa loquitur.

Fair warning: there goes the day.

Atari 2600 My Play Smartwatch

From TheGreenHead:

If you love retro gaming or just miss the fun and simplicity of video games from your youth and want to get off the couch and get in shape as well, then strap this cool-new-yet-quite-1977-inspired Atari 2600 My Play Watch onto your wrist.

Unlike most modern smartwatches that distract you with endless notifications and track you everywhere, this one has no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, and absolutely no updates.

It tells the time, has a built-in fitness tracker to monitor your heart rate, steps, and calories burned, and includes 4 playable Atari games: Centipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Super Breakout.

That's it!

Instead of a traditional crown, this one can be used like an old-school paddle controller and the button can be used like the classic joystick controller.

It features a 2.02" TFT touchscreen display, original game sound effects, IP68 water-resistance, and includes 2 interchangeable bands with graphics on both sides.

Check out the videos here to see some classic Atari 2600 commercials to stir up some Atari nostalgia. 

$79.99.