I'm so lucky that several times in my life, I have had the miraculous pleasure of sitting in the audience for some performance that so overwhelms me it leaves me with just one spine-tingling thought: "Oh, this is it." Or (in other words): "This is what it was like to witness the 'first' anything. This is what it's like to see the next award-winner. This is what it's like to create the memory that years from now will become an 'I was there' remembrance. This is what it's like to see magic and creativity and passion and storytelling and performance and artistry. This the moment that leaves me speechless and takes my breath away." And it doesn't matter if the show is sold out or has great popularity or if the critics love it or hate it. Its' a purely subjective personal reaction to art, and that's that.
The most recent addition to the list: "American Idiot" (world premiere musical at Berkeley Rep - who knew from punk rock?).
The others off the top of my head (and in no particular order):
"Spring Awakening" - I called its awards (even lighting design) before most people knew to get a ticket, because the force of its energy was undeniable
"Ragtime" - still one of the most amazing opening numbers of all time
"The Lion King" - the opening number that stole the crown from "Ragtime"
"Les Miserables" - made me realize what a musical theater experience could be like
"Rent" - redefined musical theater and rock opera and defined a generation all at once
"Angels In America" - made thinking deeply in the theater a pleasurable mental exercise
"Wicked" - the best Act One finale that took my breath away, and the show that still makes it OK for me to cry at all the right parts
"Avenue Q" - the puppet show that made me realize many things can become real characters
"Side Show" - redefined the (singular) female lead and "musical harmony"
"Forbidden Broadway" - will never tire of brilliant (and loving) satire
"Billy Elliot" - a musical that highlighted dance as much as song
"Proof" - uncovered human emotions more plainly than 1 + 1
"Doubt" - a non-stop tour de force with one of the most striking ending moment of any play
"BKLYN" - voices that blew the roof off the house every single time
"Copenhagen" and "Art" - cerebral dramas told in circles and triangles
"Mary Poppins" - worth it for the closing number special effect of all special effects
"Hedwig And The Angry Inch" - probably my generation's "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and stretched "Off-Broadway" all the way to Los Angeles (or anywhere)
"The Laramie Project" - so many monologues revealing so many truths
"Annie" - I knew she was a 'child star' before I ever knew that term
"Titanic" (the musical, although as sappy as the movie was, the feeling might have been there too) - cemented an appreciation for the narrative construction of a musical, and the technical wizardry of staging
"Grey Gardens" and "The Boy From Oz" - knowing that a show would never be the same without that original star (or cast)
"Xanadu" - proved that a smart book can save trashy source material
"In The Heights" - made me give a hometown cheer silently in my heart all the way through the show
"Little Shop of Horrors" and "Godspell" and "A Chorus Line" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" - because you know it's going to be a perennial favorite, before any time passes at all
"The 39 Steps" - sketch comedy as homage, as re-interpretation, as re-enactment
"Spamalot" and "The Drowsy Chaperone" - each features an unforgettable quick-costume change that will convince you once and for all that "Costume Design" is never a minor award category
I'm sure I'm missing more...I'll get back to this many more times (I hope)...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Re-Posted from Facebook note (February 20, 2009)
From my February 20 Facebook page (posting a "note" on Facebook must have been my early furtive attempts at blogging, so this should really be my first entry)...
Academy Awards 2009
Ray’s Predictions and Ballot Choices for this year’s Oscars...
(For your ballot of the 24 categories to be announced on February 22, go to www.Oscars.com)
Lead Actor: Sean Penn
I’d be fine with either Sean Penn or Frank Langella winning this one; would not be fine with Mickey Rourke winning it because I think he greatly benefited from the screenplay. My vote goes to Sean Penn whose portrayal of Harvey Milk was much more complete and nuanced than Frank Langella whose portrayal of Richard Nixon was excellent but sometimes bordered on easy caricature.
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Each nominee in this category gave an excellent performance and justifiably did a lot to support the movie’s plot and central characters. But for sheer commanding presence (and dominant screen time), the buzz for a posthumous award to Heath Ledger makes sense. Robbed of a nomination in this category was Michael Sheen, absolutely brilliant as David Frost in “Frost/Nixon”
Lead Actress: Kate Winslet
I actually think Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” and Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” gave much more riveting and harrowing performances. And of course Meryl Streep can do no wrong, but I loved the staged version (with Cherry Jones) of “Doubt” so much more than the movie (which I think was diluted with bigger sets and a bigger cast than the tight 4-person small stage version). And even Clint Eastwood admitted that he cast Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” partly because she looked like the 1920s period. And she does pull it off, but with familiar shades of her other Oscar win for “Girl, Interrupted.” I agree with the Golden Globes that Kate Winslet did amazing jobs in the lead role of “Revolutionary Road” and in a supporting role in “The Reader” (which was actually more lead than supporting). I agree that after all of her nominations, this is her year to win it. And I agree that winning it for “The Reader” is the slightly wrong movie to award – it should have gone to her for “Revolutionary Road” which is an absolutely stunning bit of acting.
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
I would really like to see Marisa Tomei win a second award in the same category as her “My Cousin Vinny” win because I think she was both the emotional heart and the emotional balance needed in “The Wrestler.” I loved the women in “Doubt” and “Benjamin Button” but they are eclipsed in my mind by Marisa Tomei. And the buzz is all for Penelope Cruz, who also does deserve recognition finally from the Academy, but I wish it was for something like “Volver” and not “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” It’s just my personal bias that I shy away from awarding women for playing histrionic crazy characters (don’t even get me started on Annette Benning in “American Beauty”) instead of more whole, nuanced, complicated, not necessarily volatile characters. I think it’s too easy to scream and wave a knife or a gun around and call that great acting by an actress. What should be rewarded is the tough glare or the raised eyebrow that says the same thing with much less obvious vitriol. But Penelope Cruz will win it anyway because the Academy Voters will remember histrionic. And even though she’s already won it in this category, Cate Blanchett was robbed of a nomination for supporting Benjamin Button (in the literal and figurative/emotional sense).
Animated Feature: WALL-E
This might be the only “no-contest/no-brainer” category of the entire evening.
Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The attention to detail in every scene is what wins this one for me.
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Every year, I get frustrated that too many Academy voters equate “cinematography” with “gorgeous backgrounds.” This is an award for camera work, as simple as that. And for all the kinetic, close-ups, tracking shots, dolly shots, split-focus, crazy angles used in “Slumdog Millionaire,” this category should be as simply awarded.
Costume Design: The Duchess
This award usually goes to the most elaborate designs, so even though costuming masses of people and characters in “Benjamin Button” and “Milk” and “Revolutionary Road” in time-appropriate costumes no doubt took a lot of work, the costumes of an 18th century English aristocrat and her life are surely more standout, at least in a voter’s memory.
Directing: Slumdog Millionaire
I would love this award to go to Gus Van Sant for “Milk” or Ron Howard for “Frost/Nixon” but I think Danny Boyle really crafted the little movie that could out of a lot of different, divergent, and even disparate sources to create a true adult fable that works as a single complete whole. A win from the Directors Guild (almost all the same people who vote in this category for the Oscars) doesn’t hurt.
Documentary Feature: Man On Wire
Okay, this is one of the few categories where I haven’t seen many of the nominees, but I did see this one and thought it was as lovely and ephemeral as the event it narrates.
Documentary Short: The Witness – From The Balcony of Room 306
Choosing this on title alone. Have no actual idea and I didn’t get to the screenings of all the nominees in time.
Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
This is another category that could go to any of the nominees – each film nominated had excellent editing work.
Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
I enjoyed the heart and emotion of “The Class” a bit more, but I think I emotionally checked out of “Waltz With Bashir” as I do with many other war movies: it’s just overwhelming. But as “Persepolis” did, this movie’s use of animation is inspired: not only does it work brilliantly to show dreams, fantasies, realities, hopes all at once, it never masks the tragedies being portrayed. (And I admit these are the only two in the category I saw.)
Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
For the aging and reverse-aging alone. Robbed in this category: “The Reader” for brilliantly aging Kate Winslet.
Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Any nominee deserves this one for effective use of a musical score to move the story along and accent it correctly in just the right parts. Also robbed in this category: “Rachel Getting Married” and “Frozen River.”
Original Song: “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire
The winner will be what is perhaps the most memorable end credits sequence of the year – and a joyful Bollywood dance number at that! Robbed in this category: the Bruce Springsteen song from “The Wrestler” and the Clint Eastwood/Jamie Cullum song from “Gran Torino” – both also excellent end credit songs that were more heartfelt but perhaps too somber and pensive to compete against “Jai Ho” anyway.
Short Film, Animated: Presto
The short film that ran with “WALL-E?” Oh, yeah. That means it will win this magical award just like a rabbit gets pulled out of a hat.
Short Film, Live Action: Spielzeugland
Haven’t seen any of the nominees but I like the one still photo I’ve seen from this one…and the LEGO lover in me likes the title (which translates to “Toyland”).
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight
Since no musical movie was nominated this year (and those usually win the pair of these awards), I give both to the action drama that invented crazy sounds and used them most effectively.
Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The aging effects notwithstanding, there were also beautiful special effects in this movie that were not just explosions or superhero high-octane fireworks. So I vote for the movie that used the visual effects more for “visual” and less obviously as “effects.”
Screenplay, Adapted: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I think I’ll lose in this category to the Academy voters who will want to give it to “Slumdog Millionaire.” I don’t care. I think “Slumdog Millionaire” added the love story stuff to the excellent book “Q and A” but “Benjamin Button” added entire plotlines and subplots to what is otherwise a family-based short story in its original form and made it this triumphant cinematic love song homage to New Orleans. So I’m casting my vote for the actual work of adapting another work; but the award will probably go to the movie that is more of a standout.
Screenplay, Original: Milk
A final category where I could support all the nominees: “Frozen River,” “Happy-Go-Lucky” (the only I didn’t see), “In Bruges,” and “WALL-E” were all amazing original ideas that became fully formed movies. But for crafting history and memory into something relevant today (and therefore arguably timeless), I want the award to go to “Milk.” (In a toss-up between “Milk” and “WALL-E,” I also think the voters will award the movie with much more actual spoken lines and dialogue.)
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
“The Reader” (a Holocaust movie that is not about easy answers and black-or-white delineations like “Nazis = bad”) and “Milk” (a historical narrative that deserves to be seen again and again) and “Frost/Nixon” (one of the best stage-to-screen adaptations I have seen) are all my second choices, but I think “Slumdog Millionaire” will win the big prize, and that will be a nice tip of the Oscar hat to the ensemble cast which did not earn any individual nominations.
Other thoughts:
Even though the White – Hmong race relations of “Gran Torino” were unique to see on screen, I thought “Changeling” was the better Clint Eastwood movie this year: more complicated and less familiar storyline than the grump old man next door emerges with a softie heart after all (which felt like an adaptation of many more movies than the tortured woman who won’t give up the fight against all violence and corruption story). And both lost many nominations.
Also, I give it up to the women actors this year who have once again trumped all their male counterparts for the range of complexity, action, nuance, emotion, control, hysterics, love, and hope (and more) that all their characters defined.
I may not score well on this ballot, but I am proud of the fact that out of Entertainment Weekly’s list of “25 Movies You Must See Before the Oscars” (plus two foreign films I wanted to see), I managed to see 22. So no matter how I score on the ballot, I at least feel more prepared and informed to make my guesses than ever before!
Good luck and see you at the movies or after the ballots are tabulated!
Academy Awards 2009
Ray’s Predictions and Ballot Choices for this year’s Oscars...
(For your ballot of the 24 categories to be announced on February 22, go to www.Oscars.com)
Lead Actor: Sean Penn
I’d be fine with either Sean Penn or Frank Langella winning this one; would not be fine with Mickey Rourke winning it because I think he greatly benefited from the screenplay. My vote goes to Sean Penn whose portrayal of Harvey Milk was much more complete and nuanced than Frank Langella whose portrayal of Richard Nixon was excellent but sometimes bordered on easy caricature.
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Each nominee in this category gave an excellent performance and justifiably did a lot to support the movie’s plot and central characters. But for sheer commanding presence (and dominant screen time), the buzz for a posthumous award to Heath Ledger makes sense. Robbed of a nomination in this category was Michael Sheen, absolutely brilliant as David Frost in “Frost/Nixon”
Lead Actress: Kate Winslet
I actually think Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” and Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” gave much more riveting and harrowing performances. And of course Meryl Streep can do no wrong, but I loved the staged version (with Cherry Jones) of “Doubt” so much more than the movie (which I think was diluted with bigger sets and a bigger cast than the tight 4-person small stage version). And even Clint Eastwood admitted that he cast Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” partly because she looked like the 1920s period. And she does pull it off, but with familiar shades of her other Oscar win for “Girl, Interrupted.” I agree with the Golden Globes that Kate Winslet did amazing jobs in the lead role of “Revolutionary Road” and in a supporting role in “The Reader” (which was actually more lead than supporting). I agree that after all of her nominations, this is her year to win it. And I agree that winning it for “The Reader” is the slightly wrong movie to award – it should have gone to her for “Revolutionary Road” which is an absolutely stunning bit of acting.
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
I would really like to see Marisa Tomei win a second award in the same category as her “My Cousin Vinny” win because I think she was both the emotional heart and the emotional balance needed in “The Wrestler.” I loved the women in “Doubt” and “Benjamin Button” but they are eclipsed in my mind by Marisa Tomei. And the buzz is all for Penelope Cruz, who also does deserve recognition finally from the Academy, but I wish it was for something like “Volver” and not “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” It’s just my personal bias that I shy away from awarding women for playing histrionic crazy characters (don’t even get me started on Annette Benning in “American Beauty”) instead of more whole, nuanced, complicated, not necessarily volatile characters. I think it’s too easy to scream and wave a knife or a gun around and call that great acting by an actress. What should be rewarded is the tough glare or the raised eyebrow that says the same thing with much less obvious vitriol. But Penelope Cruz will win it anyway because the Academy Voters will remember histrionic. And even though she’s already won it in this category, Cate Blanchett was robbed of a nomination for supporting Benjamin Button (in the literal and figurative/emotional sense).
Animated Feature: WALL-E
This might be the only “no-contest/no-brainer” category of the entire evening.
Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The attention to detail in every scene is what wins this one for me.
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Every year, I get frustrated that too many Academy voters equate “cinematography” with “gorgeous backgrounds.” This is an award for camera work, as simple as that. And for all the kinetic, close-ups, tracking shots, dolly shots, split-focus, crazy angles used in “Slumdog Millionaire,” this category should be as simply awarded.
Costume Design: The Duchess
This award usually goes to the most elaborate designs, so even though costuming masses of people and characters in “Benjamin Button” and “Milk” and “Revolutionary Road” in time-appropriate costumes no doubt took a lot of work, the costumes of an 18th century English aristocrat and her life are surely more standout, at least in a voter’s memory.
Directing: Slumdog Millionaire
I would love this award to go to Gus Van Sant for “Milk” or Ron Howard for “Frost/Nixon” but I think Danny Boyle really crafted the little movie that could out of a lot of different, divergent, and even disparate sources to create a true adult fable that works as a single complete whole. A win from the Directors Guild (almost all the same people who vote in this category for the Oscars) doesn’t hurt.
Documentary Feature: Man On Wire
Okay, this is one of the few categories where I haven’t seen many of the nominees, but I did see this one and thought it was as lovely and ephemeral as the event it narrates.
Documentary Short: The Witness – From The Balcony of Room 306
Choosing this on title alone. Have no actual idea and I didn’t get to the screenings of all the nominees in time.
Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
This is another category that could go to any of the nominees – each film nominated had excellent editing work.
Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
I enjoyed the heart and emotion of “The Class” a bit more, but I think I emotionally checked out of “Waltz With Bashir” as I do with many other war movies: it’s just overwhelming. But as “Persepolis” did, this movie’s use of animation is inspired: not only does it work brilliantly to show dreams, fantasies, realities, hopes all at once, it never masks the tragedies being portrayed. (And I admit these are the only two in the category I saw.)
Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
For the aging and reverse-aging alone. Robbed in this category: “The Reader” for brilliantly aging Kate Winslet.
Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Any nominee deserves this one for effective use of a musical score to move the story along and accent it correctly in just the right parts. Also robbed in this category: “Rachel Getting Married” and “Frozen River.”
Original Song: “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire
The winner will be what is perhaps the most memorable end credits sequence of the year – and a joyful Bollywood dance number at that! Robbed in this category: the Bruce Springsteen song from “The Wrestler” and the Clint Eastwood/Jamie Cullum song from “Gran Torino” – both also excellent end credit songs that were more heartfelt but perhaps too somber and pensive to compete against “Jai Ho” anyway.
Short Film, Animated: Presto
The short film that ran with “WALL-E?” Oh, yeah. That means it will win this magical award just like a rabbit gets pulled out of a hat.
Short Film, Live Action: Spielzeugland
Haven’t seen any of the nominees but I like the one still photo I’ve seen from this one…and the LEGO lover in me likes the title (which translates to “Toyland”).
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight
Since no musical movie was nominated this year (and those usually win the pair of these awards), I give both to the action drama that invented crazy sounds and used them most effectively.
Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The aging effects notwithstanding, there were also beautiful special effects in this movie that were not just explosions or superhero high-octane fireworks. So I vote for the movie that used the visual effects more for “visual” and less obviously as “effects.”
Screenplay, Adapted: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I think I’ll lose in this category to the Academy voters who will want to give it to “Slumdog Millionaire.” I don’t care. I think “Slumdog Millionaire” added the love story stuff to the excellent book “Q and A” but “Benjamin Button” added entire plotlines and subplots to what is otherwise a family-based short story in its original form and made it this triumphant cinematic love song homage to New Orleans. So I’m casting my vote for the actual work of adapting another work; but the award will probably go to the movie that is more of a standout.
Screenplay, Original: Milk
A final category where I could support all the nominees: “Frozen River,” “Happy-Go-Lucky” (the only I didn’t see), “In Bruges,” and “WALL-E” were all amazing original ideas that became fully formed movies. But for crafting history and memory into something relevant today (and therefore arguably timeless), I want the award to go to “Milk.” (In a toss-up between “Milk” and “WALL-E,” I also think the voters will award the movie with much more actual spoken lines and dialogue.)
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
“The Reader” (a Holocaust movie that is not about easy answers and black-or-white delineations like “Nazis = bad”) and “Milk” (a historical narrative that deserves to be seen again and again) and “Frost/Nixon” (one of the best stage-to-screen adaptations I have seen) are all my second choices, but I think “Slumdog Millionaire” will win the big prize, and that will be a nice tip of the Oscar hat to the ensemble cast which did not earn any individual nominations.
Other thoughts:
Even though the White – Hmong race relations of “Gran Torino” were unique to see on screen, I thought “Changeling” was the better Clint Eastwood movie this year: more complicated and less familiar storyline than the grump old man next door emerges with a softie heart after all (which felt like an adaptation of many more movies than the tortured woman who won’t give up the fight against all violence and corruption story). And both lost many nominations.
Also, I give it up to the women actors this year who have once again trumped all their male counterparts for the range of complexity, action, nuance, emotion, control, hysterics, love, and hope (and more) that all their characters defined.
I may not score well on this ballot, but I am proud of the fact that out of Entertainment Weekly’s list of “25 Movies You Must See Before the Oscars” (plus two foreign films I wanted to see), I managed to see 22. So no matter how I score on the ballot, I at least feel more prepared and informed to make my guesses than ever before!
Good luck and see you at the movies or after the ballots are tabulated!
Friday, November 6, 2009
100 Things to Love About Life
I ushered for a one-man show on October 27, and although I didn't think it was great, one episode in the monologue fascinated me: the writer/performer (Rick Reynolds) rattled off a list of 100 things he appreciated about life. So it took me a week or so of pondering to attempt to do the same, and here is my list (in alphabetical order) of 100 things to remember about life's goodness (and it's not complete, nor is it ranked - i.e., these are not my top 100 favorite things).
1. Airplanes
2. Apple Pie
3. Autographs
4. "BKLYN" (the musical)
5. Books
6. Bread Pudding
7. Broadway!
8. Brunch
9. Bubble Baths
10. Cabaret Shows
11. Cards
12. Cashmere
13. CDs
14. Concerts
15. Cooking
16. Curry
17. Dancing
18. Daytrips
19. Dolphins
20. Dunkin' Donuts (coffee and donuts)
21. Ears
22. Earth
23. Eggs
24. Eggrolls
25. Family
26. Fireplaces
27. Friends
28. Fruit
29. Genetics
30. Gentlemen
31. Geography
32. Handwritten mail
33. Hugs
34. Humor
35. Ibuprofen
36. Ice Cream (and Ice Cream Cake!)
37. Idioms
38. Jackets
39. Jacuzzi hot tubs
40. Journals
41. Juice
42. Keys
43. Kim Chee
44. Kindness
45. Kisses
46. Kites
47. Laughter
48. LEGO
49. Lighthouses
50. Mac and Cheese
51. Mail
52. Museums
53. Music
54. Myths and Mythology
55. New York (and New Yorkers), especially in the winter/during Christmas
56. Noodles
57. Notebooks
58. Oranges
59. Origami
60. Overtures
61. Photographs
62. Pop-Up Books
63. Pumpkin donuts (see also D for "Dunkin' Donuts")
64. Quiet afternoon naps
65. Quinoa
66. Qorn
67. Rain (see also Q for "Quiet afternoon naps," preferably inside when it's raining outside)
68. "RENT" (the musical)
69. Scrabble
70. Sharks
71. Spa treatments
72. Sunsets (and Sunrises)
73. "Sweater weather"
74. Symphonies
75. Technology
76. Thunderstorms (see also R for "Rain")
77. Times Square (see also B for "Broadway" and N for "New York")
78. Tofu (and Tofurkey)
79. Umbrellas
80. Urban Legends
81. Valentines
82. Vegetarian restaurants
83. Vivaldi
84. Volunteering
85. Warm towels or Warm sheets
86. Watermelon (on a hot sunny day)
87. Whales
88. "Wicked" (the musical)
89. Wine
90. Winter
91. Wood floors
92. "Xanadu" (the musical)
93. "The X Files"
94. X-Rays
95. "Yachts" (and sailboats)
96. Yawns
97. Yiddish
98.Yin and Yang
99. Zeitgeist
100. Zoology
What would be on your list?
1. Airplanes
2. Apple Pie
3. Autographs
4. "BKLYN" (the musical)
5. Books
6. Bread Pudding
7. Broadway!
8. Brunch
9. Bubble Baths
10. Cabaret Shows
11. Cards
12. Cashmere
13. CDs
14. Concerts
15. Cooking
16. Curry
17. Dancing
18. Daytrips
19. Dolphins
20. Dunkin' Donuts (coffee and donuts)
21. Ears
22. Earth
23. Eggs
24. Eggrolls
25. Family
26. Fireplaces
27. Friends
28. Fruit
29. Genetics
30. Gentlemen
31. Geography
32. Handwritten mail
33. Hugs
34. Humor
35. Ibuprofen
36. Ice Cream (and Ice Cream Cake!)
37. Idioms
38. Jackets
39. Jacuzzi hot tubs
40. Journals
41. Juice
42. Keys
43. Kim Chee
44. Kindness
45. Kisses
46. Kites
47. Laughter
48. LEGO
49. Lighthouses
50. Mac and Cheese
51. Mail
52. Museums
53. Music
54. Myths and Mythology
55. New York (and New Yorkers), especially in the winter/during Christmas
56. Noodles
57. Notebooks
58. Oranges
59. Origami
60. Overtures
61. Photographs
62. Pop-Up Books
63. Pumpkin donuts (see also D for "Dunkin' Donuts")
64. Quiet afternoon naps
65. Quinoa
66. Qorn
67. Rain (see also Q for "Quiet afternoon naps," preferably inside when it's raining outside)
68. "RENT" (the musical)
69. Scrabble
70. Sharks
71. Spa treatments
72. Sunsets (and Sunrises)
73. "Sweater weather"
74. Symphonies
75. Technology
76. Thunderstorms (see also R for "Rain")
77. Times Square (see also B for "Broadway" and N for "New York")
78. Tofu (and Tofurkey)
79. Umbrellas
80. Urban Legends
81. Valentines
82. Vegetarian restaurants
83. Vivaldi
84. Volunteering
85. Warm towels or Warm sheets
86. Watermelon (on a hot sunny day)
87. Whales
88. "Wicked" (the musical)
89. Wine
90. Winter
91. Wood floors
92. "Xanadu" (the musical)
93. "The X Files"
94. X-Rays
95. "Yachts" (and sailboats)
96. Yawns
97. Yiddish
98.Yin and Yang
99. Zeitgeist
100. Zoology
What would be on your list?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Crazy Friday
Just taking a break to scan headline news, and I'm concerned at where we are in the world.
The Falcon Heene hoax (the scared father called a news station first to request a helicopter trace - does anyone know a local news station phone number and is it easier to dial than "9-1-1?"): what does this say about the urgency and the eventual inquisitiveness of news today?
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/interview-sets-off-skeptics-of-balloon-drama/?hp
And even with President Obama in the White House, we still have this madness going on. No wonder we can't get moving on same-sex marriage equality. The basic concept of "marriage equality" still hasn't been defined correctly!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_on_re_us/us_interracial_rebuff
And then we have food and car recalls, drug cartels dumping decapitated bodies, car bombs and terrorist groups...
Makes me just want to go "Where The Wild Things Are" and have myself a rumpus!
The Falcon Heene hoax (the scared father called a news station first to request a helicopter trace - does anyone know a local news station phone number and is it easier to dial than "9-1-1?"): what does this say about the urgency and the eventual inquisitiveness of news today?
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/interview-sets-off-skeptics-of-balloon-drama/?hp
And even with President Obama in the White House, we still have this madness going on. No wonder we can't get moving on same-sex marriage equality. The basic concept of "marriage equality" still hasn't been defined correctly!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_on_re_us/us_interracial_rebuff
And then we have food and car recalls, drug cartels dumping decapitated bodies, car bombs and terrorist groups...
Makes me just want to go "Where The Wild Things Are" and have myself a rumpus!
Social Rules #1-5
1. Your communication device should be turned off or silent the moment you leave the privacy of home and walk out your door. You'll never have to worry about it in later public places if you make a habit of it.
2. Your communication device is for communicating. But consider: what exactly is the value of what you are communicating. When the plane lands and is still taxiing on the runway do you really need to call someone and say, "Hey!...I just landed...Uh-huh...Really...Wow...So what's going on?" (Clearly, this kind of conversation - and haven't we all heard this? - is not the person who is meeting you and picking you up, so what is the urgency of this call?)
3. Pictures (or recording of any kind) is never allowed in any theater. Even of yourself and your seatmates sitting inside. Even of an empty stage. Okay, once I was at a cabaret show and the performer allowed it and encouraged it only if she would get more publicity from people's Facebook and YouTube pages. Seriously: put the cameras and camera phones away. Buy a postcard of the theater interior if you must. Or better yet: go to more theater and support live performing arts, and maybe the novelty of being inside such a space will wear off, and you will funnel much-needed resources to the undervalued arts.
4. Please do not engage in conversations (via your mobile device or in person) at the foot of any staircase, in front of any entrance or exit, in front of elevator doors, in front of public restrooms, at the ATM, or at the top/bottom of escalators. Believe it or not, there are other people in the world. And your conversation is getting in the way of their lives.
5. Context, context, context. Just be aware of your surroundings. Overheard on MUNI at louder than conversational volume: "Yeah, I know. And I was like, OK with it, because it wasn't even great sex and I wasn't that into him anyway. I know. Uh-huh. Right? I was so excited that my test came back and I wasn't pregnant too. Oh wait, that reminds me: did you get your test back? Is it cancer? Really?" (And yes, it went on from there.) You can always say, "I need to call you back later; I can't talk right now." If the conversation is that important, someone would have given you a private office to have it in (with an assistant outside the door).
2. Your communication device is for communicating. But consider: what exactly is the value of what you are communicating. When the plane lands and is still taxiing on the runway do you really need to call someone and say, "Hey!...I just landed...Uh-huh...Really...Wow...So what's going on?" (Clearly, this kind of conversation - and haven't we all heard this? - is not the person who is meeting you and picking you up, so what is the urgency of this call?)
3. Pictures (or recording of any kind) is never allowed in any theater. Even of yourself and your seatmates sitting inside. Even of an empty stage. Okay, once I was at a cabaret show and the performer allowed it and encouraged it only if she would get more publicity from people's Facebook and YouTube pages. Seriously: put the cameras and camera phones away. Buy a postcard of the theater interior if you must. Or better yet: go to more theater and support live performing arts, and maybe the novelty of being inside such a space will wear off, and you will funnel much-needed resources to the undervalued arts.
4. Please do not engage in conversations (via your mobile device or in person) at the foot of any staircase, in front of any entrance or exit, in front of elevator doors, in front of public restrooms, at the ATM, or at the top/bottom of escalators. Believe it or not, there are other people in the world. And your conversation is getting in the way of their lives.
5. Context, context, context. Just be aware of your surroundings. Overheard on MUNI at louder than conversational volume: "Yeah, I know. And I was like, OK with it, because it wasn't even great sex and I wasn't that into him anyway. I know. Uh-huh. Right? I was so excited that my test came back and I wasn't pregnant too. Oh wait, that reminds me: did you get your test back? Is it cancer? Really?" (And yes, it went on from there.) You can always say, "I need to call you back later; I can't talk right now." If the conversation is that important, someone would have given you a private office to have it in (with an assistant outside the door).
Theatre Rules
Yes, indeed. If you know me, then you must know my history and love of all things theater. (I'll have to post about my "Broadway Blitzes" some other time.) So I do think that "theater rules!" (, dude). But I am also amazed at how clueless so many continue to be about social etiquette, especially on nights out.
At the Symphony last night. Why did so many people still have communication devices turned on to text and talk (talk!) after entering the building and walking past multiple signs saying to turn them off, after the announcement to turn all such devices off, after the house lights dimmed, and (unbelievably) even after the guest conductor, Itzhak Perlman, walked onto the stage. Many audience members were clearly frustrated and disappointed to see glowing squares and rectangles of light all around them and hearing tapping and whispering - that's not what they bought tickets to experience.
So that inspired me to start posting some "Social Rules" that I guess are really wishes. Does anyone know how to calculate and achieve the critical mass needed to get to a Malcolm Gladwell tipping point in the popular consciousness about how to live in shared space with the rest of the world?
At the Symphony last night. Why did so many people still have communication devices turned on to text and talk (talk!) after entering the building and walking past multiple signs saying to turn them off, after the announcement to turn all such devices off, after the house lights dimmed, and (unbelievably) even after the guest conductor, Itzhak Perlman, walked onto the stage. Many audience members were clearly frustrated and disappointed to see glowing squares and rectangles of light all around them and hearing tapping and whispering - that's not what they bought tickets to experience.
So that inspired me to start posting some "Social Rules" that I guess are really wishes. Does anyone know how to calculate and achieve the critical mass needed to get to a Malcolm Gladwell tipping point in the popular consciousness about how to live in shared space with the rest of the world?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Immigration from another angle
Last night on a MUNI bus ride home from the theater, I heard some "kids" (OK, they were twenty-somethings) talking very loudly because they must have assumed nobody would hear them (everyone on the bus seemed to have white iPhone/iPod earbuds on). I'm not sure if they were drunk or just oblivious or uncaring about their shared bus-riding company. Anyway, they were all talking about the times they had spent living and working abroad: two in Japan and one in Italy. From what I gathered, they had all graduated college or university in the U.S. and took different teaching jobs abroad for the international experience. Ah, good for them, I thought. But then they talked about how all the customs, religious practices, food, smells, clothing, and people were "weird," "gross," or "foul." And then the two who spent time in Japan talked about taking "side trips" to other Asian countries and never bothering to get tourist visas because they just called home to get money wired to them to use as border-crossing bribes. And all three talked about their fear that they might be tracked if they ever went back to those countries because they never reported their wages and never paid taxes to their host countries.
A few of the other bus riders seemed to shake their heads in disapproval so maybe they all heard the discussion despite the earbuds. And I started to think about all the immigrants who come to the United States from Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, Mexico, etc. Yes, I know there is concern for all the undocumented workers. But all of the immigrant and even visiting workers here seem to make it a point to respect U.S. customs, the American-English language, the food here, the popular culture here, etc. I've never heard any recent immigrant making fun of the people and habits in this country (even though coming here often means a change in class, a devaluation of earned education and work experience, a loss of familiar lifestyle and health practices like afternoon siestas and family dinners, etc.). In fact, most immigrants I know try to preserve their own cultural identity while still trying to "make it" here (which is not necessarily the same as trying to "assimilate"). And almost all of them (as far as I know) pay taxes too, and don't bribe their way around laws with cash wired in from abroad.
So I finished my trip home wondering: in all the xenophobia-driven debates about immigration in(to) the U.S., has anyone considered the balance of U.S. citizens abusing their immigrant statuses abroad? Is this another case of "clean your house first?" And what exactly is everyone so afraid of?
Maybe I'll start an "As (over)heard on MUNI" series...
A few of the other bus riders seemed to shake their heads in disapproval so maybe they all heard the discussion despite the earbuds. And I started to think about all the immigrants who come to the United States from Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, Mexico, etc. Yes, I know there is concern for all the undocumented workers. But all of the immigrant and even visiting workers here seem to make it a point to respect U.S. customs, the American-English language, the food here, the popular culture here, etc. I've never heard any recent immigrant making fun of the people and habits in this country (even though coming here often means a change in class, a devaluation of earned education and work experience, a loss of familiar lifestyle and health practices like afternoon siestas and family dinners, etc.). In fact, most immigrants I know try to preserve their own cultural identity while still trying to "make it" here (which is not necessarily the same as trying to "assimilate"). And almost all of them (as far as I know) pay taxes too, and don't bribe their way around laws with cash wired in from abroad.
So I finished my trip home wondering: in all the xenophobia-driven debates about immigration in(to) the U.S., has anyone considered the balance of U.S. citizens abusing their immigrant statuses abroad? Is this another case of "clean your house first?" And what exactly is everyone so afraid of?
Maybe I'll start an "As (over)heard on MUNI" series...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The MUNI Push
Part of San Francisco commuter lore is that the "tiny Asian ladies" will push their way past you with the (pink) plastic bags full of groceries and other stuff. Is it true? Well, sure, it happens to me too. But people of all types (and of all ethnicities as far as I can tell) have pushed past me or "cut in line" to board a bus or disembark at their stops. So why is the stereotype so pervasive in this city? Is the Asian population so overwhelmingly large that they are the most obvious riders of public transit? Are they actually more pushy than others?
I have to admit that when it has happened to me, I wonder to myself, "What's the rush?" I have a similar reaction when people push their way to board before me in a line at an airport gate. I mean: we all have tickets and assigned seats; the plane isn't going anywhere right away; and you're already at the gate! (I also love that on my most recent flights, the gate agents have told people to step out of the line when they have attempted to board in a boarding group that has not yet been called. Ha! Good for you! back of the line and let us board ahead of you, as we had been assigned.) I know there's an advantage to getting onboard early (or earlier) to stow carry-on baggage, but beyond that, who wants to sit in those cramped seats for extra minutes of time?
Back to the MUNI bus situation: there is even less room for stowing "carry-on" bags and no assigned seating. Does this lead to the pushing? Does that behavior come from a lifetime of having been pushed and having to fight to get a place on board (a "place at the table" of public transportation, if you will)? I'm not sure. I know that when I was growing up in New York City, we often had to push our way onto crowded subways. but that was usually a consequence of having to get on the train during rush hour(s) and not knowing when the next G or R or E or F train would come by.
So this last time that a little Asian woman pushed past me to board the bus ahead of me, I just let her go. And I thought to myself, "Gee, what gives?" And then I realized I had probably done that too. And on top of that, I wasn't in that much of a hurry (in the big scheme of life), so I didn't have to board head of her either. And guess what? I didn't get on that bus because it was too crowded. Instead, I boarded (in my place in line) the next one...that came less than one minute behind. And our bus passed the more crowded one and got me safely to my destination in time anyway.
So what was the big deal? Just say no to fighting for a place on public transportation, I guess!
I have to admit that when it has happened to me, I wonder to myself, "What's the rush?" I have a similar reaction when people push their way to board before me in a line at an airport gate. I mean: we all have tickets and assigned seats; the plane isn't going anywhere right away; and you're already at the gate! (I also love that on my most recent flights, the gate agents have told people to step out of the line when they have attempted to board in a boarding group that has not yet been called. Ha! Good for you! back of the line and let us board ahead of you, as we had been assigned.) I know there's an advantage to getting onboard early (or earlier) to stow carry-on baggage, but beyond that, who wants to sit in those cramped seats for extra minutes of time?
Back to the MUNI bus situation: there is even less room for stowing "carry-on" bags and no assigned seating. Does this lead to the pushing? Does that behavior come from a lifetime of having been pushed and having to fight to get a place on board (a "place at the table" of public transportation, if you will)? I'm not sure. I know that when I was growing up in New York City, we often had to push our way onto crowded subways. but that was usually a consequence of having to get on the train during rush hour(s) and not knowing when the next G or R or E or F train would come by.
So this last time that a little Asian woman pushed past me to board the bus ahead of me, I just let her go. And I thought to myself, "Gee, what gives?" And then I realized I had probably done that too. And on top of that, I wasn't in that much of a hurry (in the big scheme of life), so I didn't have to board head of her either. And guess what? I didn't get on that bus because it was too crowded. Instead, I boarded (in my place in line) the next one...that came less than one minute behind. And our bus passed the more crowded one and got me safely to my destination in time anyway.
So what was the big deal? Just say no to fighting for a place on public transportation, I guess!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Beyond "The Cove"
I had a hunch that I just had to watch the movie documentary "The Cove." All I knew about it was that the movie was made as almost a covert operation because it exposed the story of the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins in a small cove in Japan. If you know me, you know that I have to get myself emotionally prepared for violent movies, but I was able to steel myself quickly for this one (and not just because small movies like this don't last long, even in the smaller art house movie theaters). No, I was OK to see this movie because I took some small comfort thinking I knew about the topic and now that I've been a vegetarian for three years, I thought the movie would make me feel even more self-righteous, and who couldn't use that ego boost every once in a while?
Well, I was all wrong. The movie was harrowing, but not at all as graphic as I expected. In fact, footage of such slaughters is more disgusting on the (late) evening news or in some nature documentaries (the kind that warn you about graphic content in the commercial bumpers). The most violent part of this movie was actually quite artfully filmed. But the harrowing sense of danger and the most disturbing part of it all was the interconnected web of issues this movie presented. There was no righteous indignation from me: I felt as ignorant as ever. The movie exposed the links between consumerism, economic power, political manipulation, media and government cover-ups, environmental arrogance, the devaluation of nature, and the species-centric conception of "intelligent life" we have all been trained to believe. Best of all it showed the effect that a very mall number of committed activists can have. Let's hope that effect is a long-lasting one that does everyone and everything a little better.
And if you didn't know that I'm a wimp about scary movies, then you probably know that I'm a huge marine biology geek/fan. When I lived in Los Angeles, I even had a season pass to Sea World in San Diego for two of the three years I lived there and thought nothing of a 2+ hour drive (one way) on a weekend to go watch some marine park shows for a few hours. But this annual dolphin slaughter is a byproduct of the marine park/marine mammal in captivity consumer demand. So guess what? I've given up on them all. Yes, you read correctly: I choose not to support any place that holds captive marine mammals. That means no more Sea World for me. No more Atlanta or Shedd or Baltimore or Mystic Aquarium. Really. Hard to believe, I know. But once you've been informed, you can't choose to go back to decisions based on a lifetime of ignorance.
Watch the movie "The Cove" and learn for yourself. Or check out the web page with more information.
Save Japan Dolphins Coalition
Well, I was all wrong. The movie was harrowing, but not at all as graphic as I expected. In fact, footage of such slaughters is more disgusting on the (late) evening news or in some nature documentaries (the kind that warn you about graphic content in the commercial bumpers). The most violent part of this movie was actually quite artfully filmed. But the harrowing sense of danger and the most disturbing part of it all was the interconnected web of issues this movie presented. There was no righteous indignation from me: I felt as ignorant as ever. The movie exposed the links between consumerism, economic power, political manipulation, media and government cover-ups, environmental arrogance, the devaluation of nature, and the species-centric conception of "intelligent life" we have all been trained to believe. Best of all it showed the effect that a very mall number of committed activists can have. Let's hope that effect is a long-lasting one that does everyone and everything a little better.
And if you didn't know that I'm a wimp about scary movies, then you probably know that I'm a huge marine biology geek/fan. When I lived in Los Angeles, I even had a season pass to Sea World in San Diego for two of the three years I lived there and thought nothing of a 2+ hour drive (one way) on a weekend to go watch some marine park shows for a few hours. But this annual dolphin slaughter is a byproduct of the marine park/marine mammal in captivity consumer demand. So guess what? I've given up on them all. Yes, you read correctly: I choose not to support any place that holds captive marine mammals. That means no more Sea World for me. No more Atlanta or Shedd or Baltimore or Mystic Aquarium. Really. Hard to believe, I know. But once you've been informed, you can't choose to go back to decisions based on a lifetime of ignorance.
Watch the movie "The Cove" and learn for yourself. Or check out the web page with more information.
Save Japan Dolphins Coalition
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The first post: why?
I'm sure I'll come back to this question many times. But a conversation a few months ago with a great friend included the idea of posting "lessons" online in some kind of blog. I dismissed the thought quickly, perhaps too quickly, concluding I had nothing to teach anyone. But as I thought more and more about it, I realized the error of the arrogance of that hasty assessment. We learn lessons from strangers, from casual acquaintances, from newspapers, from TV shows, from current events, from pop culture, from politicians, from movies, from songs, from food, from families, and from all experiences. So who am I to say that nobody can learn anything from me and a silly little addition to the world wide blogosphere? And perhaps more importantly (and admittedly more selfishly), I will probably learn more from doing this than you might from reading this. Maybe that's the now unhidden/named agenda in these online explorations of mine. So here goes...
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