So, my second review is up on MusicOMH. It is a review of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, which I rather enjoyed.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Ed's Return - and my second review
So, my second review is up on MusicOMH. It is a review of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, which I rather enjoyed.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
PS- Eddie is coming home from Wisconsin ...
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Trevor hates it all too. He longs to go for a walk, hits the front exit and looks at me like this crapfest of weather is my fault.
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Weather! argh.
Not a fan of the smugness...
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This morning the Opinion section was a veritable love fest of smugness. The one that put me over the top was the "Good Riddance To The American Road Trip." The author finds the American Road Trip to be passe. He and his family are saving gas and fuel by only taking a 15 minute ferry ride to a private island off Maine.
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Arg!
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There are so many things annoying with the man I want to choke him. 1. The American Road Trip is fun and a way to see the whole country. Not just more residents of the insular self-satisfied denizens of Stick-Up-Your-Ass Maine. I am sure that all Maine-iacs are not like you, but the snobby way you blow off the rest of the country is infuriating.
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There, I feel better.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Kind of a Favor..
Don't Pee into the Wind...
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Just this week, a group of Republican senators re-introduced the Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, which, as we know, would ban gay marriage.
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This isn't especially surprising. Republicans are looking at the political landscape, and they're feeling awfully discouraged. The polls look bad, the base looks depressed, and fundraising looks iffy. Rallying the far-right troops with an anti-gay amendment to the Constitution -- even though it has no chance at even getting so much as a hearing -- might be helpful to the conservative movement.
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But the funny part is looking over the list of the 10 original sponsors. Most of the names are predictable -- Brownback and Inhofe, for example -- but there are two others whose names stand out: Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho).
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Yes, two of the principal sponsors of a constitutional amendment to "protect" marriage include one far-right Republican who hired prostitutes and another far-right Republican who was arrested for soliciting gay sex an airport men's room.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Stop it Larry, You're Killing Me.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Some Won hates Wenaa Fwis
Bulldogs!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
.. Everything you need to know about life...
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Case in point.
During a particular uncomfortable pause in a conversation (in No More Ladies) Charles Ruggles must excuse himself from a tense room. He calls his dog and then says to Robert Montgomery, "Come on Rover. My mother always told me to take a nap in the afternoon to restore my vitality for the serious business of drinking at dinner."
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A fine exit line.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thoughts on a View and Buildings
So today I was walking out of the Time Warner building – and I saw this view as I walked out of the building. This is one of the things I love about this city, it is still new enough that views pop out at me unexpectedly.
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This, by the by, is Colombus atop Colombus Circle, looking East along 59th / Central Park South.
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Once you get used to a place, you tend to overlook the local beauty. But today has nice weather, sunshine and so everything just looks a little cooler. And New York is still unexpectedly pretty to me every now and then. (effect New Yawk Accent for remainder of paragraph) I mean you sit in the subway and you want to strangle the guy next to you who WILL NOT SHUT UP!, and then you fight the nasty old ladies to cross the street (I got the LIGHT here!) and the moms with the double wide strollers in Whole Foods -oh my gawd, you wanna scream. Then you come out into the daylight and a scene like this. Well, I tell ya - it tears ya up. It does.
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By the way, the geography of this city is all vertical. I think it is interesting; the cool buildings in LA are mainly horizontal. See below, the Airport Theme Building, The Disney Concert Hall, The Getty Center, the Dorothy Chandler. They are designed to organically interact with people at a street level (you could say at a car level, should you wish to be dismissive).
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But the buildings in New York, the Flatiron, the Chrysler Building, The Empire State, they all interact at the macro level. You need to see them from a distance where they are impressive pieces of Corporate Dominance. Don’t get me wrong, they are also quite beautiful, but their very design is to impress – and those that don’t impress are supremely functional (how many workers can I get onto a single city block?).
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So for a person from LA, the view of New York from the front seat is dull (with the exception of Times Square which is like the Ginza, a monumental nod to visual overload). And vice versa, for someone from New York, the view of downtown LA is supremely unimpressive.
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It’s funny to me that the most organically inviting new buildings in New York are either condos or the IAC building (pictured). Designed by an Angelino (Frank Gehry) for and Angelino (Barry Diller and his Interactive Corporation) located in New York.
Energy Policy, Offshore Drilling and the Problems of Over Partisanship
It frankly strikes me as a severe case of NIMBY that we allow the rest of the world to drill for oil and extract coal at whatever cost to their local ecologies to feed OUR thirst for oil but will not allow that activity in our back yard. I would suspect that this country, with a history of significant citizen and activist oversight, would be one of the more advanced areas in which to pursue energy exploration in an ecologically sensitive manner than most other major energy supplying areas of the globe. Therefore I believe that exploration and exploitation of energy reserves in our country to feed our thirst for energy would be in the best interests of global environmental health. Additionally, why should other localities suffer environmental risk and damage to provide energy for the US?
Many would argue that we should conserve, rather than drill. I do not see the two as mutually exclusive. We should certainly conserve for well documented ecological reasons. We should exploit the reserves of our own country to remain economically viable.
Expansion of this industry in the US would spur domestic capital investment and create sustainable jobs which would by definition by geographically anchored in the US and thus not subject to exportation to other countries. The dollars poured into our gas tanks would go to making our nation more energy independent and create an economic engine to fuel (no pun intended) a broadbased growth in our economy.
I recently returned from a trip to Dubai. It is mind numbing to see the frenetic pace at which our economic wealth is being transferred overseas and converted to indulgent and ostentatious development, while the US continues in a state of economic malaise, if not decline.
I recognize that many of us are on political issue overload. Some of us thrilled for the slate of nominees proffered to us for the presidential election, some not so thrilled. Some of us concerned about Countrywide mortgages being granted to members of congress at "VIP" terms, some not. The list could go on ad nauseum. I do not see this as a political issue, although I am sure it will be turned into one. I see this as an American issue. With every dollar we ship overseas to access energy we lose a measure of economic vitality and, importantly, engage in some degree of political malfeasance. Who gets arms, who gets beneficial trade status, who gains political stature on the world stage is related, I believe, in some fashion to who has oil.
So dear family and friends, political biases and agendas aside, please read the petition and consider the value to you, your families and your country of signing it.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Lion Doctor
Not Just a Klutz
Saturday, June 21, 2008
What exactly is a Mermaid Parade
So you, like us, may wonder what the Mermaid Parade of Coney Island is all about. Well, Ed, Randy and I went today - and I still couldn't tell you exactly.
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As the picture above shows, it is a family parade - where the people of Coney Island make their own costumes.
Some of the Mermaids - and their Thrones are a little over the top. There were Mermaids, Sea Creatures, Vampire Mermaids, etc.
There were also a lot of outfits that I might not consider appropriate for children, but it didn't seem to phase anyone. The young lady above had sea shells pasties pastied strategically.
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If you want all the pics from Ed's camera - go here.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Kind of a dream come true for yours truely
Something I should have seen long ago
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Apparently I was sadly alone in my CryBaby Opinion
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Unusual Arguement Dennis
We regularly hear about Barack Obama's appeal to youth, about how he has been able to excite and mobilize a generation of young people to become politically involved, his rare ability to excite young people, and about how many new voters will register (and vote Democrat) as a result.
All this seems to be true. The question, however, is whether it is a good thing for the country and not just for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
Most adults throughout history have recognized that young people are likely to be unwise given their minuscule amount of life experience. After all, most adults, even among baby boomers, believe that they themselves are wiser today than 10 years ago, let alone than when they were 20 years old. It is remarkable, then, how often adults romanticize youth involvement in politics -- "Isn't it heartwarming to see young people getting involved?"
Actually, for a wise adult, it is not heartwarming.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Eagle Cliff Falls and the Taugharnock Falls
Monday, June 16, 2008
Pics of Niagara
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Speedy's Review of The Happening
So Sean (the nephew - nickname o' Speedy) watched The Happening. And he has reviewed it here for me.
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Before I get to my review if you wish to see this movie (The Happening) and don"t want to read the spoilers simply remember that I thought this movie was horrible and that it doesn't deserve the six to fifteen dollars required to get into the theatre.
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The worst movie of all time, so far.
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The tagline for this movie is "We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs and now... It's Happening" exactly what is happening I'm not sure but it certainly isn't a good movie.
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This movie The Happening by M. Night Shyamalan is about some seemingly other worldly force killing off the human race, but instead of aliens or a kid who can talk to ghosts; this movie is about a random force of nature.
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The plants attack us. The main villain in this movie is not a terrorist attack or an alien invasion it is in fact plants. Plants have suddenly gotten very pissy and have started giving off a toxin that reverses or disables the ability for the human brain to make good or protective decisions. In other words the plants make people commit suicide. This concept might make a good movie if the movie had good acting and a good director, neither of which this movie have. It is hard to believe that a movie can make an award winning actor like Mark Walhberg act so badly. This movie was horribly written, horribly acted, and horribly filmed. It would be more entertaining to watch a horror film on SciFi or to pull out an ingrown toenail.
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The suicides in this movie, though disturbing, were badly acted. When the people are about to kill themselves they simply stop moving... then kill themselves. While watching the movie I could see X's marked on the ground where the film makers wanted the actors to stop before they did themselves in. I know that suicide isn't a funny topic but this movie was down right "HORRIBLE".
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This movie could be and should be marked as a comedy for there were more laughs from the audience than screams of terror (there were actually no screams, it wasn't scary at all). The scariest part of the movie experience was when I knocked over my bag of popcorn and had to go get more.
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I hope this is not a sign of things to come (no pun intended) and that we can simply write this movie off as a good director trying something new. I give this movie a 2 out of 10. The first five minutes weren't that bad.
Friday, June 13, 2008
How Cool Is That?!?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Za Dremz Haus....
Not the living room, just a view room.
Robin de Jesús and the best line from In The Heights
So, I got the CD to IN The Heights, and I have decided that the best line in the musical is delivered by Robin de Jesús. He has been in a number of shows, and in the movie Camp (also the movies Fat Girls and Pet the Goat). He is great as the younger cousin of the lead (Usnavi).
In the picture to the left he is trying to work his magic on Vanessa, who his cousin has a crush on, but is too embarrassed to ask out. So his characters says to Vanessa, "So, my cousin over there with his tongue hanging out would like to inquire as to what a beautiful woman, such as yourself, might be doing later this evening."
To which she answers, "Does you cousin dance?"
And he says "Like a drunk Chita Rivera."
A drunk Chita Rivera.... Come on, that's classic. Especially because the Heights has a very Latin feel and we are on Broadway. And it's Chita Ri-freaking-vera!
NOT a Schnoodle
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
True Bromance
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It is likely to be used by young men too dumb to know how stupid they sound and by Esquire Readers who aspire to be Details readers, but think Details paints them as too queer.
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So, Bromance, for those of you lucky enough not to be acquainted with it yet, is a deep male friendship. A statement of non-sexual love between guys.
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The most famous Bromance was (from the picture above) Ben and Ronnie from Make Me a Supermodel. Ronnie had a total crush on Ben and vice versa. The catch was the Ben was straight and Ronnie was gay. And they totally full on mashed during some fashion shoots (yes, the world is going to hell in a hand basket, but more on that below).
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So Bromance is hot right now. And Ryan Seascrest is thinking... What else is hot right now.
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Brody Jenner.
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Like Bromance, you may not have heard of Brody Jenner. This is even more understandable than not hearing of Bromance. Brody Jenner is the son of Bruce Jenner (the Decathalete), but the class of the family skipped Brody. And if you have seen Bruce Jenner's horrible face-lift, you would know there isn't a lot of class available in the first place.
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Brody has been desperately trying to become famous by being famous. Really.
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He has starred in a couple reality shows (one about the Jenner Boys, one just about trying to be famous). He is seen kissing (or sucking the life out of) Paris Hilton, Lindsy Lohan and the rest of the Star Magazine pre-Rehab line up.
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His my space page has him listed as The Price of Malibu (the title of one of his reality shows) and his occupation as Hustler. See, I was right about the class-ee huh?
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Well MTV has a new show (MTV Show) produced by Ryan Seacrest in which 6 "regular guys" from around the country compete to hang with Brody. Brody is looking for (wait for it) true bromance. I particularly like the "regular guy" part, as if Brody is part of a race of new Ubermen.
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And the stay or go ceremony takes place in a (where else) hot tub in the Jenner Pad. Because no one wants a bromance with a fatty.
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Will the last person with a sense of shame please turn off the lights on your way out.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Gail and I saw "Saved"
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We saw "Saved", which is a musical based on the movie "Saved!". The poster is at the bottom to remind you.
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The difference was that this show was rewritten to be less judgemental and mocking of the the Christian school kids. Hard as it is to believe, the show was actually much more honest about the questions people go through in their relationship with a higher power. Sounds corny, and at times it was, but for the most part is pulled it off.
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Primarily due to Celia Keenan-Bolger, who played Mary (the good-girl who tries to make her gay boyfriend become straight by having sex with him once, then getting knocked up, then falling in love with the Pastor's son), Aaron Tveit (who I LOVED in Next to Normal and played the gay boyfriend here) and Van Hughes (who played the Pastor's son).
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The rest of the crew was also great. The Macaulay Culkin character was direct from Xanadu and the Mary's mother was expanded for the show and had a killer voice.
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Gail really like it to.
The Playwrights Horizon works with new ideas (they work-shopped Sunday in the Park with George as well as Grey Gardens) - and I thought the show could use a little trimming. But generally it was really really good.
Honest, no lie...
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