36 Hours in New York

With so much to see, the trick is to edit out the visual distractions — just as with any good photograph.

THINK of New York City as photography's oyster. As a subject, photographers have been endlessly attracted to its streets (Lee Friedlander), night life (Weegee), world-famous skyline (Berenice Abbott) and all the refracted angles in between. As a place to view great works, it offers possibilities that are endless, from museums and galleries devoted to the art form, to restaurants and bars that hang rarified works. The city is the world's media capital, so photography not only attracts artists and shutterbugs alike, but it's also a big business, fueling everything from advertising and modeling agencies to retouching labs and frame shops. With so much to see, the trick is to edit out the visual distractions — just as with any good photograph.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) NOT YOUR LOCAL FOTOMAT
A photo lab may not sound like a romantic start, but for serious artists like Tina Barney and Robert Polidori, Laumont (333 West 52nd Street, 212-245-2113; www.laumont.com) is the place to go for exhibition-quality prints. Perhaps you have a favorite photo that needs to be digitally retouched or restored. Or maybe you want to print a prized image. Laumont offers a wide spectrum of options, from 8- by-10-inch C-prints ($55), to 72-by-140-inch iris or pigment prints ($1,460). If nothing else, it's an excuse to spend time with the major players in the field: you never know who might walk through the door.

5 p.m.
2) ON THE WALLS

If you go to just one museum, make it the International Center of Photography, a requisite stop for any self-respecting photo maven (1133 Avenue of the Americas, 212-857-0000; www.icp.org; $12). Two important exhibits this summer exemplify its mission to present a diverse range of photography and offer serious scholarship. “Let Your Motto Be Resistance” offers portraits of influential African-Americans of the 20th century, taken by well-known photographers. Downstairs is a Stephen Shore retrospective; his supersize color images and small snapshots offer a time capsule of 1970s America. Give yourself time to linger in the bookstore, an assemblage of the best photography books in print. Try this exercise: compare the new book by Mr. Shore, “The Nature of Photographs,” and the recently republished “Looking at Photographs,” written by John Szakowski in 1973. Their selections of photographs offer an illuminating contrast between photographic styles and approaches. Before you leave, pick up a $5 copy of “Photograph,” an exhaustive guide on the city's gallery offerings.

7 p.m.
3) THE BIG PICTURE

One block west is Times Square. Like every tourist who walks through, you might be tempted to whip out your camera and snap away at the huge electronic billboards that boggle the eye. But that's not the goal here. Watch the news pictures of the day from Reuters that appear intermittently every hour on the jumbo billboard that wraps around the corner of its building at 3 Times Square (at West 43rd Street). It's worth contrasting these still images with the moving advertising images all around you. Imagine what this optical barrage would do to Robert Capa's nervous system.

8:30 p.m.
4) STEAK FRITES WITH BRASSAï

In a city with eight million restaurants, why make reservations for Café Loup in Greenwich Village (105 West 13th Street, 212-255-4746)? For starters, this loosely French restaurant is a true comfort zone and draws a well-heeled, lively downtown crowd. Let your eyes wander around the room: the walls are covered with crisply framed photographs by Berenice Abbott, Brassaï and Irving Penn, lending the restaurant a salon-like flair. So does the food: try the salad lyonnaise with Belgian endives ($12), followed by the hanger steak frites ($19.50) or tuna carpaccio over Asian slaw ($18.50).

11 p.m.
5) BOîTE NOIR

On the soigné side, the Bowery Bar (40 East Fourth Street, 212-475-2220; www.bbarandgrill.com) is a perfect spot for a martini before hitting the late-night bars on the Lower East Side. Walk into the back-room lounge where Nan Goldin's pictures of the 1980s premier art club, Area, hang on the walls. As you do, reflect on the fact that she chronicled her friends and acquaintances in the East Village living the bohemian life — and the ballad of sexual dependency — only a few blocks away.

Saturday

10 a.m.
6) PRE-GALLERY BRUNCH

Chelsea may have the highest concentration of art galleries in the world, so before jumping in, fuel up at the Half King (505 West 23rd Street, 212-462-4300; www.thehalfking.com), a pub-style restaurant owned in part by the writer Sebastian Junger. Beware the portions: the Irish breakfast is large enough for two people ($13). While waiting for your mimosa, check out the photographs on the walls. The exhibitions, which change every two months, tend toward reportage; the current show by Paolo Pellegrin, an Italian photographer, documents last year's Lebanon war.

11:30 a.m.
7) CHELSEA CIRCUIT

Venturing to more than five galleries in one stretch can lead to eye fatigue, so here are a few sure bets. The Aperture Foundation (547 West 27th Street, 212-505-5555; www.aperture.org), which publishes Aperture quarterly and some of the finest photography books, has a spacious gallery that shouldn't be missed. Two shows this summer feature Civil Rights-era pictures by Bruce Davidson and Stephen Shames. Events are held frequently; on a recent visit, the British artists Gilbert and George were on hand to sign their mammoth new book. Other worthwhile places include Danziger Projects (521 West 26th Street, 212-629-6778; www.danzigerprojects.com), which shows new as well as historical work, often in collaboration with other galleries; Yossi Milo, the gallery that introduced Loretta Lux and continues to show cutting-edge work (525 West 25th Street, 212-414-0370; www.yossimilogallery.com); Matthew Marks, the blue-chip gallery that represents brand-name artists like Andreas Gursky (two galleries: 523 West 24th Street and 522 West 22nd Street, 212-243-0200; www.matthewmarks.com); and Yancey Richardson and Julie Saul galleries (both at 535 West 22nd Street), which specialize in photographers more familiar to art insiders.

4 p.m.
8) DUMBO IN BROOKLYN

That's Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, where you'll find the Powerhouse Arena (37 Main Street, 718-666-3049; www.powerhousearena.com), a multipurpose gallery, boutique and all-around hangout. But it's best known as a publisher of arguably subversive art books. For urban culture, flip through “Slide Show: The Color Photographs of Helen Levitt” and “Disco Years,” with photographs by the infamous Ron Galella. You'll most likely discover other titles and zines you've never seen before. Afterward, walk to the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park at the water's edge. Put your camera down and enjoy the postcard-perfect view: the Lower Manhattan skyline framed between the arches of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. O.K., maybe the view is worth at least one picture.

6 p.m.
9) ON ASSIGNMENT
The Flatiron building (Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street) is one of Manhattan's great landmarks and an architectural gateway to an area once known as the Photo District. The area is still home to many studios and labs, though their numbers have dwindled. For your own slice of photo history, stand at the north end of Madison Park and try recreating the way Edward Steichen shot the building at night or Alfred Stieglitz captured it in the snow — both more than a 100 years ago. Modern technology may have changed the look of photographs, but not their potential for poetry. Afterward, walk by 291 Fifth Avenue, near 31st Street, where Steichen and Stieglitz founded the Photo-Secession gallery — later called 291 — in 1905. This is where Stieglitz began his impassioned advocacy for treating photography as fine art.

p.m.
10) MODERN TAPAS

Sample new flavors at Boqueria (53 West 19th Street, 212-255-4160; www.boquerianyc.com), a tapas restaurant where the seats are the height of bar stools and the crowd doesn't mind being packed in. Dinner tapas like squid salad, patatas bravas or chilled almond soup range from $7 to $14; entrees are $19 to $29. There's a nice a selection of Spanish wines, though you won't regret ordering one of the four sangrias.

10 p.m.
11) URBAN STILLS

Still looking for that great street life photo? Walk down to Union Square, a historic center of social activism that remains a popular gathering place for countercultural New Yorkers. Even at night, the area is bursting with visual activity. There are skateboarders practicing tricks on the wide steps, hip-hoppers testing new rhymes, students parading around in funky fashions and night strollers stealing a kiss. Keep your camera armed and ready.

Sunday

11 a.m.
12) PHOTO SHOP

Need more memory? You'll find that and much more at B & H (420 Ninth Avenue, 800-606-6969; www.bhphotovideo.com), the photography superstore of choice for professionals and hobbyists alike. The store, which is now in its third decade, carries everything from $12,000 Hasselblads and $120 Canons to $8,000 strobe lights and $2 film developing trays. The used department upstairs has good bargains. The store may seem intimidating at first, but the largely Hasidic sales staff members are exceedingly helpful and knowledgeable. Just check your credit limit before upgrading your camera system.

VISITOR INFORMATION

The Gramercy Park Hotel (2 Lexington Avenue, 212-920-3300; www.gramercyparkhotel.com) is the latest in the Ian Schrager empire. Not only was the lobby designed by Julian Schnabel, but the rooms have Magnum photographs on the wall. Rooms start at $595.

The Hotel Chelsea (222 West 23rd Street, 212-243-3700; www.hotelchelsea.com) retains the feel of its demimonde past — which included photographers like Inge Morath and Robert Mapplethorpe. Even Henri Cartier-Bresson, who lived in Paris, kept a pied-a-terre there for years. Rooms start at $250.

THE great outdoors beckons, even in the dead of winter.

The Susquehannock Trail System is an 85-mile network of skiing, hiking and snowshoe trails through the Allegheny Mountains.

Camping Under a Mantle of Snow

Five spots in the Northeast ideal for the hardy lover of blissful winter solitude.

Yes, it is colder, windier. But the air is crisper, the views clearer, the animal tracks easier to see. And that blanket of snow on the ground and the glaze of ice on bare tree branches transform the woods. Here is the best part, though, hikers, skiers and snowshoers say: the abundance of blissful winter solitude.

So, it is the perfect time to go camping, right? Here are five spots in the Northeast ideal for the hardy lover of snow and cold. Accommodations range from lean-tos to campsites for your weather-ready tent, from modest cabins to rustic lodges. Spartan, yes. But it sure beats waiting in lift lines.

But before venturing too far, refer to the Trip Planner section of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Web site — www.outdoors.org/recreation/snow/index.cfm. Included are tips on winter camping and activities, gear and safety information, suggestions on dressing for cold-weather recreation and a winter gear list.

NORTH-CENTRAL MAINE

The first of five wonderlands for winter camping is in north-central Maine. The Appalachian Mountain Club operates two traditional camps situated in the state’s 100-Mile Wilderness region, part of the magnificent Maine Woods. The 100-Mile Wilderness is a roadless corridor that includes part of the Appalachian Trail and the Gulf Hagas loop trail.

And there are cabins equipped with gas or kerosene lamps and wood stoves. The Little Lyford Pond Camps, built in the 1870s, are remote camps reached by a seven-mile cross-country ski route. There are a main lodge, where meals are served, a bunkhouse and seven cabins, each with a wood stove. Sorry, no spa or granite countertops.

According to the mountain club’s “Discover Maine” travel guide, written by Ty Wivell, the Little Lyford Pond Camps are surrounded by woods and trails ideal for skiing and snowshoeing. The Medawisla Wilderness Camps, also operated by the club, are in the 100-Mile Wilderness as well.

Of special interest near Little Lyford is Laurie’s Ledge Trail, which is good for snowshoeing and offers, on a clear day, a stunning view of Mount Katahdin. Gulf Hagas, often called the Grand Canyon of Maine, is to the southeast of Little Lyford Ponds and can be reached by the River Trail, which follows the Pleasant River Tote Road.

Daily rates for a cabin at Little Lyford and Medawisla for the winter season, which runs through March, is $100 a day for adults who are club members and $120 for nonmembers. The rate is $120; $140 on Saturdays. Bunkhouse rates are $69 and $89 every day but Saturday. Three daily meals are included, and few things beat a hot meal after an exhilarating day on the trails. Reservations are required at both Little Lyford and Medawisla, which is on Second Roach Pond and is surrounded by 35 miles of trails.


Little Lyford Pond Camps: www.outdoors.org/lyford. Medawisla Wilderness Camps: www.outdoors.org/medawisla.

WEST-CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE

Mount Cardigan, in the state’s Lakes Region, is a relatively low mountain at 3,155 feet, but “Old Baldy” offers a range of terrain, from hardwood forests to a wind-swept summit. At the mountain’s base is Cardigan Lodge and a campground run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. Another rustic retreat, High Cabin, is on the mountain.

Cardigan Lodge is in a 1,200-acre reservation, also owned by the mountain club. There are about 50 miles of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The lodge is heated in winter and has 13 coed bunk rooms that sleep two to six. Rates range from $35 per adult in the off-season for a shared room to $41 for a private room.

High Cabin, also owned and managed by the mountain club, is a rustic retreat near the summit that was built in 1931 and renovated in 2004. High Cabin specializes in scenic views and solitude. Rates range from $69 to $125 per night for full rental of the cabin, which can accommodate up to 12 people. Club members get a discount.

Tom Fisher, who manages Cardigan Lodge, recommends a snowshoeing trip that starts and ends at the lodge. It is a 3.8-mile loop over the Manning, Holt, Vistamont, Clark and Woodland trails, and there is an ascent and descent of about 1,000 feet, but it goes through grand, open beech woods and offers a lot of afternoon sun.

Mr. Fisher recommends a four-mile loop to cross-country skiers: Leave Cardigan Lodge, go down the Lower Manning Trail to the 93Z Ski Trail. Follow the 93Z Ski Trail to the Duke’s Ski Trail, which opens to a meadow. The Manning Trail, named after three brothers who were killed while hiking in 1924, takes a skier back to the lodge.

Cardigan Lodge: www.outdoors.org/cardigan. Appalachian Mountain Club reservations, (603) 466-2727; Mondays through Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or www.outdoors.org/reservations.

NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT

Just two hours north of New York City awaits an expanse of woods that looks as if it could be in northern New England. J. T. Horn, a project manager for the Trust for Public Land, a conservation group, recommends a part of the Appalachian Trail to cross-country skiers and snowshoers that offers a big climb, a big descent and a big river.

The route starts near Kent, Conn., a small town on Route 7. Turn onto Route 341, then right onto Skiff Mountain Road, which crosses the Appalachian Trail, the start of the tour. The trail climbs about three-quarters of a mile to the top of Caleb’s Peak. Continue another three-quarters of a mile and you reach St. John’s Ledges, with a view of Kent and the Housatonic River Valley.


Ski poles can help on the half-mile descent to River Road, which is not plowed. Pass through a gate to continue north on the Appalachian Trail, along the bank of the Housatonic River as it passes below Skiff Mountain. This section, Mr. Horn said, is nearly flat and ideal for cross-country skiing. The trail passes the Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To and the Stony Brook Campsite, then crosses open fields before intersecting with River Road, 6.6 miles from the start of the journey.

The Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To and the Stony Brook Campsite are both official Appalachian Trail campsites and are free to use on a first-come first-served basis. Lean-tos are three-sided structures with roofs. Campsites are for tents. Mr. Horn points out that no fires are allowed on the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut, so winter campers should plan accordingly.


NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

New Jersey has 10 state parks and forests that offer camping facilities year round. Dana Loschiavo, of the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, recommends Stokes State Forest, which has panoramic vistas, as well as winter activities like ice fishing, ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Stokes is off Route 206, four miles north of Branchville, virtually at the northernmost tip of the state. A 9.3-mile section of the Appalachian Trail cuts through the 16,356-acre forest along the Kittatinny Ridge.

Some of the park’s 51 tent and trailer sites are open all year and have fire rings and picnic tables. The fee is $20 a night. There are also nine lean-tos available year round with fire rings and picnic tables. The fee is $30 a night. The state advises that reservations be made.

To the south, near Blairstown and off Interstate 80, the Mohican Outdoor Center in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area has cabins and tent sites year round. This 70,000-acre area, near the Appalachian Trail, includes cross-country skiing at Blue Mountain Lakes, downhill skiing at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area and ice climbing at the Delaware Water Gap.

The Appalachian Mountain Club operates two cabins and four lodges there for rates that range from $21 a night for an adult club member Monday through Thursday night to $25 a night for a nonmember for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NORTH-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

The Susquehannock Trail System is an 85-mile network of skiing, hiking and snowshoe trails through the rolling, maple-and-beech-blanketed Allegheny Mountains in remote Potter County. The terrain is moderate throughout the 265,000-acre state forest, with long ridges of even height. Besides the maples and beeches, there are stands of black cherry, hemlocks, pines and Norway spruces. According to www.visitpa.com, the trails cover old and new logging roads and an abandoned logging railroad.

The network of trails traverses the Susquehannock State Forest, which includes Ole Bull and Patterson State Parks, Hammersly Wild Area and the Cherry Springs Fire Tower. There are several ponds in the region used for ice fishing. And there is star-gazing under optimal conditions at Cherry Springs State Park, especially in winter.

The forest is accessible near the county seat, Coudersport, and there are several campgrounds near the entrance to the forest. Among those recommended by Cindy Capatch, of the Potter County Visitors Association, is the Potter County Family Campground, off Route 6 east of town.

Rates at the campground, which is open year round, range from $17 a night for a campsite with no hookups to $42 for a heated camping cabin. The campground sits about eight miles west of Ski Denton, which has Alpine and cross-country skiing, snow tubing and snowboarding.

New York City Ballet is presenting the George Balanchine classic at the New York State Theater.

(Dance)

Lush Movement to Break Winter’s Spell
Snowflakes fell in New York on Wednesday, but none onstage at Lincoln Center. New York City Ballet had closed its annual season of George Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” with a particularly bright performance on Sunday. On Wednesday it opened its eight-week winter repertory season with an account of Balanchine’s “Jewels.” “The Nutcracker” is narrative; “Jewels” has its place in history as “the first abstract full-evening ballet” (as it was billed when new in 1967). Both ballets serve as ideal introductions to what dance theater has to offer; and both are classics that repay innumerable rewatchings.

One of the best reasons for watching City Ballet these days is listening, especially when its music director, Fayçal Karoui, is conducting. In the final “Nutcracker” performances the orchestra actually sounded as if it was having even more fun than the dancers. The don’t-miss-this castanets during the Spanish dance made me laugh aloud, and the string section delivered a brilliant contrast between loud and quiet pizzicati in the Chinese dance.

Mr. Karoui’s rhythm and accentuation grow only keener when there’s an occasional blip in the orchestral playing. There were two brief lapses of coordination in one post-Christmas “Nutcracker” matinee, and a hiccup during the oboe melody that opened the Andante elegiaco movement in Wednesday’s performance of the Tchaikovsky score for “Diamonds” (the closing third of “Jewels”). Still such flaws never made these performances lackluster. On Wednesday the Fauré music for the opening “Emeralds” sounded especially sensuous.

There have been a lot of “Jewels” about of late. City Ballet closed its spring season with it in June, and since then I have traveled to see Miami City Ballet and the Royal Ballet in Britain. The Paris Opera Ballet’s account is on DVD, and the Kirov Ballet’s performances early in this decade left powerful impressions. A true balletomane in such circumstances should respond by attending to who danced what better or best. But Wednesday’s curtain no sooner rose on “Emeralds,” looking in Peter Harvey’s décor like not just jewelry but also a lusciously deep late-summer garden where dew hangs heavy on spider webs between the leaves, and I found myself plunged deep into the ballet itself.

Why is it that ballets like these are so rewatchable? Balanchine knew how to construct a ballet in five dimensions — the three dimensions of space; the fourth of time; the fifth of imagination, resonance, drama and memory — so that, watching and listening in the theater, we are made extraordinarily alive and responsive.

His sheer grasp of theater seems far larger than that of most major directors. Take the entrances and exits in “Jewels” alone. In both “Emeralds” and “Diamonds,” there is a pas de deux that starts with man and woman entering from opposite sides of the stage and looking at each other as if across a vast terrain.

In “Emeralds” they both enter from the back, then, locked into each other’s eyes (each with one arm powerfully raised), process forward, formally, slowly, powerfully distanced; only then do they come together. In “Diamonds” they enter from diametrically opposed corners, stand, partner addressing partner, as if across an infinity and then advance — formally again — along gently zigzagging paths (which seem dictated by the music) until they meet center stage.

As for exits, just look at those in which Balanchine has dancers retreat into the wings backwards. The leading man of “Rubies” has a famous exit jump, vaulting off while hailing the action onstage (like the famous Parthian shot in which the archers released their load while leaving the field). This was a specialty of Edward Villella, who originated this role, but here it registers as drama.

The second ballerina of the same piece has a slow, strange, retreating exit toward the wings, repeatedly pausing, on flat foot, to raise her rear leg high in one powerful arabesque penchée after another as she goes. The closing dance of “Emeralds” starts with a beautiful fanlike tableau that melts as the 10 women of the corps de ballet slowly pace back, back, back — they seem to be reluctantly withdrawing from a spell — before leaving the stage for the 7 lead dancers.

Then there are dance motifs. In all three ballets dancers walk, walk, walk; and, in the Stravinsky “Rubies,” jog. In all three, dancers bend right forward to the floor, bring fingers together, then rise erect and, opening arms apart now, arch back (a grand port de bras); and variations occur on this to-and-fro bending-and-opening throughout, not least during the several pas de deux, where such upper body motions become powerful expressions of intimate needs and reactions.

Everybody sees these things in any performance of “Jewels,” but since there is so much to see, it can take years before some of them truly register in terms of meaning and before we have a full sense of just what world we’re watching onstage.
I must have often seen how some of the lead dancers of “Emeralds” shield their eyes for a moment during that closing septet; the shielding of eyes is one of the most famous dramatic motifs in Balanchine dance theater. But had I noticed before Wednesday? Certainly it struck me as if for the first time; other points too.
Emeralds,” with its double aura of both perfumed Romanticism and medieval chivalrous romance, looked freshest on Wednesday. The first ballerina role here is a good one for Ashley Bouder, just because it takes her out of the bright flash in which she excels and into less familiar zones of poetic mystery, and she dances it lovingly. Coming down the stage’s center line toward the audience in a series of pirouettes on point, she contrasts fast turns with lingering ones with such dynamic clarity that we’re newly held, as we are by the rich pliancy of her upper body.

Sara Mearns, in the second role, is a dancer of similarly luscious tone and pointed dance nuance. I begin to see why she has been given some of the repertory’s foremost roles and am keen to watch what she can do with them.

“Rubies” was dominated by Teresa Reichlen’s account of the second ballerina, whom she makes its mistress of ceremonies, turning in one knee across another (with a lavish downward arm gesture) with the same inscrutable authority as elsewhere she hurls a leg to the sky.

As the leading couple, Megan Fairchild and Benjamin Millepied gave polite and perky performances that surely need attack and texture of an altogether more potent order.

Wendy Whelan, the company’s senior ballerina as far as most of its prima roles go, led “Diamonds” with such authority that she won the evening’s biggest ovation. Though her authority is unquestionable, to my eye Ms. Whelan’s upper and lower body just aren’t ideally coordinated, and her movements aren’t fully finished. There is a particular tension in her shoulders that often seems to block the flow of movement into her arms, so that it’s like hearing a famous singer who often sings sharp.

This is the kind of problem one doesn’t enjoy addressing because Ms. Whelan’s authority is earned out of the best kind of dance honesty: She isn’t a superficially showy dancer, she doesn’t try to leave out steps, and she is riveting simply by her attention to movement.

Cast changes in “Jewels” lie ahead, and many other repertory programs over the weeks to come. These programs will remind us of the continuing difficulties of Life After Balanchine. In the meantime it is good just to go to see his choreography and, when concentration and conditions allow, to enter ever deeper into it. Its riches do not pall.

Be resolute about your resolutions

There is an old notion that beginnings are a magical time.

At the cusp of the year, when the limits of the old year are gone but the limits of the new year are not yet solid, there are possibilities perhaps not otherwise available, says Leonard George of the psychology department at Vancouver's Capilano College.

And so we make New Year's resolutions. We promise to lose weight, write a book, run a marathon, quit smoking, ditch coffee, get into a relationship, get out of a relationship, rescue a relationship, play with the kids more, etc., etc.

New Year's resolutions are so ubiquitous, the U.S. federal government actually has popular resolutions listed on its website usa.gov along with a whole series of links providing practical tips for success.

Under "Save Money," for instance, are tips for everything from saving on funeral expenses to reducing phone bills.

But New Year's resolutions are much more than trite or utterly pragmatic promises made on an arbitrary day.

Making New Year's resolutions tie us to a larger, more encompassing view of the universe.

We make resolutions because we can see into our futures, know our lives are finite, and therefore, think a great deal about how to live life well, says John Russell, philosophy department chairman at Langara College in Vancouver.

"We assume we have free will and can alter our destinies by our choices," Russell says. Making a New Year's resolution reflects "an optimism about our own ability to affect our destiny."

At the same time, New Year's resolutions fulfil a basic human need to redefine ourselves from time to time, and to connect with sources of meaning, George says.

"We don't literally believe the entire universe dances to a 365-day rhythm anymore," George says, "but it is still natural for us to situate our own cycles within the big one. Aligning our new beginnings with the cosmic new beginning (at New Year) is one way to link our small lives with the big picture."

But how much ability do we really have to change our behaviour and character? After all, popular wisdom seems to indicate that most New Year's resolutions will fail.

Philosophers have been questioning the existence of meaningful free will for centuries. For much of the last century, the predominant view, known as soft determinism, has been that although much is determined by things such as genetics and environment, our choices are still made by ourselves.

Over the past 20 years, the view that we can act independently of causal factors, or libertarianism, has been gaining ground, Russell says. Making choices based on reasons is different from acting in a simply deterministic way.

The frequent failure of New Year's resolutions is simply a reflection of the difficult challenges we set ourselves, he suggested.

"People are making resolutions about things that are difficult for them to do, so it's not surprising that many would fail," Russell says.

"Often these resolutions require us to engage in activities that are not our preferred way of behaving and there are genuine impediments to engaging in them."

A cavalier approach to New Year's resolutions is a lost opportunity to capitalize on a deep, instinctual rhythm that all human beings have, George says.

"If the gesture is shallow, then the lack of follow through will be similarly shallow. It's presented to us once a year, so why not? Why not have company while we're doing this?"

Colorful Looks at Emmy Awards

Stars Go for Glamorous, Colorful Looks at Emmy Awards
Celebrities did their best to keep their cool on a sweltering red carpet at Sunday night's Emmy Awards by wearing a variety of sorbet colors and stars such as Heidi Klum, America Ferrera, Debra Messing, Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo showed a bit of skin in strapless dresses.

Kate Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Rebecca Romijn and Katherine Heigl channeled screen sirens of yesteryear with their retro looks.

Heigl was in a white, off-the-shoulder Zac Posen gown that was punched up with red lips -- also seen on Klum and Christina Aguilera.

"Red is a really hot color for fall," said Monika Blunder, the Chanel makeup artist who worked with Heigl. "She had an old Hollywood feel with a modern twist."

Walsh's red satin dress was by Pamela Dennis, who also designed Michelle Pfieffer's fitted knee-length black dress with sequins on the front.

Morrison wore a beaded gown by Elie Saab. "We had to take it apart to fit me, but look at it now. It has a total classical feel to it," she said. Romijn's vintage Guy Laroche gown was decorated with flapper fringe. She wore her hair in a soft, wavy updo that showed off her diamond, ruby and white-enamel earrings by Neil Lane.

Eva Longoria literally sparkled in a gold cocktail dress with an open back by Kaufman Franco. "He designed my wedding dress and I just thought this was perfect," she said, particularly thankful for the low-cut back because of the heat.

Teri Hatcher wore a blush-colored silk chiffon gown with a crystal beaded bodice by Badgley Mischka Couture. She stars in the label's current ad campaign.

Felicity Huffman's asymmetrical draped gown by David Meister in a bright magenta color balanced sexy and elegant. She joked on E!'s preshow that she had to sew it to her skin. Marcia Cross wore a silver diamante pleated gown by Georges Chakra that was accessorized with a Lorraine Schwartz snake bracelet and triple-teardrop earrings.

Dangling earrings were a major trend of the night, with Patricia Heaton pairing oversized gold earrings with her sparkling gold gown.

Sally Field's strapless Valentino gown was simple except for its bright magenta color. She wore dangling diamond earrings by Cathy Waterman, but unlike most of the stars she won't be returning them -- she owns them.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus wore one of the top colors for this fall -- purple. Her dress was a deep jewel color by Narciso Rodriguez with a scoop neck and pintucks on the bust. Minnie Driver's draped chartreuse gown was by Donna Karan, and Vanessa Williams' seafoam green gown with feather embellishment was by Kevan Hall.

Ferrera's strapless gown with a jeweled waist was electric blue.

Joely Fisher wore a lemon yellow, plunging V-neck gown with beaded mesh insets by Pamella Roland, and Hayden Panettiere's empire-waist, blush-colored gown was by Marc Bouwer.

There always are actresses who go with classic black -- a safe choice that can also prove stunning: Mariska Hargitay wore a Zac Posen with architectural lines, Rachel Griffiths was in a strapless Chanel and Kyra Sedgwick wore a two-piece outfit by Oscar de la Renta with a subtle touch of feathers at the peplum and on the tiers of the skirt.

Jaime Pressly's beaded scoop-neck gown by St. John Couture had a '40s feel. She chose it, she said, because it was a bit unusual. "I knew nobody would be wearing this," she said.

Oh's black dress by Bottega Veneta had a touch of white tulle on top.

Pompeo added a gold tassel necklace and lots of bracelets by Fred Leighton to her navy dress by Michael Kors, whom she joked was her boyfriend because she so often wears his designs to big events. Her hair was big in a 1950s style.

Wanda Sykes was in a black Gucci pantsuit. She said she looked good in Gucci suits. "I just love the way it feels," she said of her outfit. "Except for right now, it's hot."

Glenn Close selected a Giorgio Armani midnight navy silk halter gown with satin lapel detailing, front slit and delicate train, and Tina Fey wore a Carolina Herrera navy chiffon gown with a polka-dot underlay.

Elizabeth Perkins' Carolina Herrera sleeveless white dress with bits of black and yellow was from the designer's resort collection. Perkins, who also wore champagne-colored cushion-cut diamond earrings on a French wire set by Chopard, said the dress was right for the night because it was light. "It's not necessarily couture but it's comfortable."

There also was a red-dress camp that included Mary Louise Parker, who wore a Marquesa diamond bracelet totaling almost 30 carats from Harry Winston, and Ali Larter, who called her strapless goddess gown by Reem Acra "a little sliver of nothing."

Klum wore a wine-colored gown with an up-to-there slit by Christian Dior Couture. She wore diamond jewelry from her own collection.

And veteran star Leslie Caron wore a gown she designed herself with fabric she bought in India.

And the Emmy Award Goes to... Color!
The festivities began outside the 59th Annual Emmy Awards Sunday night with the photographers, stylist and critics checking out who was wearing who and what styles were in… A hot trend this year was vibrant color. Vivid hues of Fuscia, Electric-Blue, Deep Navy, Canary Yellow, Royal Purple, Crimson.





personally thought Marica Cross looked amazing. The turquoise accent color she wore in her earrings and bracelet really worked well with the rest of her natural palette. Her red hair looked gorgeous with her skin tone and the light colored dress worked well to let the natural elements shine. No spray tans or glitzy jewels needed here… just a beautiful woman well accented by light and natural colors.

EXCLUSIVE: WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?

What is heaven like? The Bible gives us some insights in various passages, especially in the book of Revelation, but even that, is looking through a glass darkly. The world we live in now is an abberation, completly designed for decay and death. Everything and everyone around us is in some state of deterioration. If you truly understood what Heaven is like, and what it would be like to be there, you would change all your negative lifestyle habits and attitudes. Think of the happiest moment you've ever experienced, think of the best you've ever felt, think of the most incredible beautiful sight you've ever seen, magnify it billions of times, and understand there is no end to this joy, no aging, no pain, no disease, no lonliness, no fear, no doubt, no discomfort, no death, and you only scratch the surface of what it's like in the Paradise of God. Majesty beyond conception, brightness and light of such beauty, it's beyond description.
Let's imagine we're standing on a vast plain, with the heavenly city towering above us in resplendent beauty. Our eyes behold a brilliant, shining city, with light streaming through its jasper walls and pearly gates, and a full spectrum of color gleaming from its jeweled foundation. As we gaze in awe on the city, the first thing to attract our attention is its massive jasper wall. The apostle John described it as follows: "The light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. We know that these semi-precious stones are translucent in composition, so that light is able to pass through them. From these jasper walls, therefore, radiate brilliant rays of dazzling color for all to see. The glory of the city will thus be visible from afar, and even the dwellers in the area outside the walls will share in its brightness.

Although the wall around the city is real, it is also symbolic. The purpose of the wall is not to preserve the city against invaders, for God will have no enemies in the new earth. Being 216 feet high, it impressively signifies that no one will enter the city apart from God's grace. The wall is too high to be scaled by human effort, and the only portals are the 12 guarded gates. The requirement for admittance is salvation, and no one who has rejected God's plan will be able to go in. Salvation is the gift of God's grace to those who humbly acknowledge their need of forgiveness and who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

The next thing to catch our vision as we look at the city is its jeweled foundation. Many Bible students believe that these jewels reflect all the colors of the rainbow, though we do not know the precise characteristics of each stone. Beginning at ground level, these were probably the colors seen by the apostle: the jasper stone may have been a light green or yellow; the sapphire, a sky-blue or azure; the chalcedony, containing a combination of colors, was mostly green and blue; the emerald, bright green; the sardonyx, red and white; the sardius, reddish in color; chrysolite, golden yellow; beryl, sea-green; topaz, yellow-green and transparent; chrysoprasus, golden-green; jacinth, violet; and amethyst, either rose-red or purple. The radiating light of the city, shining out through the jasper wall and blazing through the open gates, reflects from these precious stones in splendrous color.



And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev. 21:12,21). Some Bible scholars believe that these gates of pearl suggest salvation by grace. Even as a wound to an oyster results in the formation of a valuable pearl, the gates of heaven can be entered only because the Lord Jesus was "wounded for our transgressions" (Is. 53:5). Although men wickedly rejected Him and crucified Him, it was through this death that salvation was made possible. Now, all who believe on Him can look forward to entering the pearly gates of heaven. Jesus Himself said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9).

The gates are open at all times and in every direction, for salvation is still offered freely to everyone. The angels who keep watch at the open gates, therefore, are a wonderful contrast to the cherubim who guarded the closed gate of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. These angels keep the way of access open, while the cherubim kept the Garden closed to fallen humanity. One of the characteristics of the heavenly city is the abundance of gold. A precious commodity throughout man's history, gold has been used as an overlay in works of art and as a standard of value, and has been the means of a great amount of both good and evil in society.

It served the purposes of God in the tabernacle and temple, for much gold was in evidence there; it was also used by idolaters in the making of images. On earth, men have fought, suffered, and died for it. But in the New Jerusalem, gold will be so plentiful that it will be used for cobblestones and building blocks. And it will be like glass, possessing transparent qualities, so that the glorious light of the holy city will both shine through it and be reflected by it. Here is John's description: The city was pure gold, like clear glass. . . . and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev. 21:18,21). Traditionally, gold has symbolized purity. In the wedding band, for example, the circle speaks of endlessness and the gold stands for purity. The golden street of the New Jerusalem, therefore, might well suggest the pure and holy walk of God's redeemed in eternal paradise. And the brightness of the city, reflecting from the gold that abounds everywhere, will have its uncorrupted counterpart within the heart of every citizen of Heaven. Purity pervades the eternal Paradise of God.



A river clear as crystal will flow through the New Jerusalem. The apostle John declared: And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). Just as in Eden there was a river to water the garden, so also in the New Jerusalem there will be a river of life. It will begin at the throne of God, the very uppermost part of the city, and it will course downward through the entire area. In the New Jerusalem, a river of crystal will flow forever, reminding us for all eternity that God has graciously and abundantly provided for our every spiritual need. Remember, life in eternity will not be a nebulous existence in some nameless place. No indeed! We will lead rich and full lives in glorified bodies. We'll dwell on a renewed earth in a real city of gold, and our lives will be filled with significance and meaning as we give praise to our Redeemer and gladly do His bidding.

This crystal river flowing through our eternal home will be of sparkling beauty and of clarity beyond the purest water man has ever seen. Think of it! All who believe in Christ will walk the banks of this glorious crystal river. What a joy will then be ours! It's difficult to envision just how the trees, the crystal river, and the street of gold will be related. Some Bible teachers feel that a river will flow through the middle of a broad street, and that alongside the river on each bank will be the trees. Others believe that a grove of trees is centered between the avenue of gold on one side and the river on the other. Regardless of which view you may choose, it's evident that those who conceive of Heaven as a place where the redeemed will do nothing but sit on golden stairs playing harps are grossly mistaken. Life in heaven will be filled with beauty and variety.

We've been concerned with what the Bible tells us about our eternal home. We have seen its beauty from without: its gleaming jasper walls, its jeweled foundations, and its gates of pearl. We have also seen its glory within as we have envisioned the street of gold, the crystal river, and the tree of life. This glimpse of our eternal home should bring two responses to the heart of the true believer in Christ. First, there should be a renewed determination to place top priority on the spiritual and eternal rather than on the physical and temporal. Therefore, in anticipation of the glory and beauty of our eternal home, begin right now to "lay up . . . treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:20) by putting God first, and by a constant willingness to serve Him. The thought of Heaven should cheer us when we become discontented with life and discouraged about the future. No matter how bad things may be going or how difficult the struggles, the prospect of that wonderful abode awaiting us should be a source of encouragement and hope.

We will know a purity, bliss, and love such as could never be experienced here. Writing in Revelation 21 and 22, the apostle John recorded his vision of an immense city of shimmering beauty, descending slowly from heaven to become the capital city of our eternal home. It will be radiant with the light of God's glory shining through its jasper walls, its jeweled foundation, and its pearly gates. And this city, the New Jerusalem, will be the eternal abode of all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. All who have been saved will walk the street of gold in transformed, eternal, glorified bodies. We'll enjoy heaven's beautiful crystal river and have ready access to its tree of life. We'll be eternally delivered from every evil and burden that plagues our world today. And we'll finally have become what God intended us to be.




In that perfect society we'll realize our full spiritual potential as individuals. Having entered an eternal fellowship with God, we'll be engaged in an endless variety of meaningful activities. We'll join with the saints of all the ages in a spirit of communion, fellowship, and love never ending. We'll see that the imperfections of this life will be missing and that positive blessings will be there in abundance. All you have to do is stop clinging through sentimentality and emotion, to the miserable, hopeless, death centered way of life the world has decieved you into living, and cut your emotional bondage to it, become a new person inside and out, and find a destiny of never ending hope.