Friday night – Brooklyn Restaurant Week – the siblings and I went to Taze, the Turkish restaurant on Montague St., formerly where Kapadokya was. We went off the restaurant week menu to try the other stuff on the menu, reasonably priced as it was. Tried some of the lamb – quite good, and I usually don’t care for lamb. Dessert was excellent – the Turkish flan, the rice pudding, and the backlava.
“X-Files” creator Chris Carter reveals some stuff on the “X-Files” movie, which may or may not toss us a bone on what happens to William, the son of Scully (and Mulder? who knows!), last seen being given up for adoption for his own protection from the alien conspiracy (not to mention that he might have super alien-based powers that may cause – umm – problems).
Sarah Weinman’s comments on the updated, re-issued “Sweet Valley High” books; the new book #1 has Elizabeth and Jessica as size four instead of six; and pop references to ESPN and the tv series “Heroes.” I used to read these books; it’s so wrong that The Powers Behind the new Sweet Valley are tainting my youth like this!
Fascinating read – the Newsweek cover article on “When Barry Became Barack.”
Plus, Newsweek on “Hillary: What’s in a Name?” (or “How Hillary Rodham became Hillary Clinton”). As I understood it (and the article didn’t dispute this), she was Hillary Rodham after she married Bill Clinton, keeping her own name because she was that kind of person. However, the traditionalists expected her to be Mrs. Bill Clinton. So, she became “Mrs. Bill Clinton” (although, in professional life, she was probably either still Hillary Rodham or Hillary Rodham Clinton). On the campaign, she’s simply “Hillary” (well, kind of makes sense, just to distinguish her from Bill anyway).
But, people make the name thing such an issue because they think that the name makes the person – that Hillary Clinton’s switches of names makes her seem disingenuous. I kind of disagree; I think you just got to deal with things as they are. So she didn’t take her husband’s name when she married him; she had a professional life before and after him. Maybe the Arkansans just didn’t get that, and thought it was just “not their way”? Plus, back in the 1970’s, seeing a career woman with her own name isn’t like it is now; so I hope people aren’t still acting silly about that. Also, I hope people won’t get their knickers up in a twist over “Barry” to “Barack” thing (his choice, in the end, really, just as it is Hillary’s choice to go by what name she wants).
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to celebrate its 50th anniversary, reports Jennifer Dunning of the NY Times. Sounds exciting; plus there’s going to be an Ailey Barbie doll in honor of the anniversary, designed by Ailey company artistic director, Judith Jamison. Loved this part: Dunning writes, “Why no Ailey Ken doll to advance the notion of male dancers? ‘Do you know any other dance company that has its own Barbie Doll?’ Ms. Jamison exclaimed. ‘Give me a break.'” 😉
NY Times’ Sara Rimer reports on an African-American science teacher as a role model to minority science students, by volunteering to go on a scientific expedition to Antarctica. Considering that America needs to improve its educating the young on science, I’m all for supporting those who make the effort.
And, speaking of Antarctica: the news is dire, pretty much bumming me out – the chunk of Antarctica the size of Connecticut collapsing. The urgency of the Earth being messed up at the environmental level (putting aside the political and security issues for the moment) – the need to do something, as the editorial in the Times notes.
So, I really like this idea of installing wind mills/wind farms at the Fresh Kills landfill – alternate energy generation plus a different use of land that’s not easy to use at the moment (at least, not while the garbage in the landfill is still decomposing). (a commentator to the City Room blog of the NY Times notes that this would kill the sea gulls – but considering the amount of garbage that the gulls try to consume from the landfill, I think we’re already killing the birds as it is; okay, me being morbid; plus another commentator suggesting the idea of tapping into the landfill’s methane gas into energy… guess I’m stepping off the soap box now…)
In light of everything, how exciting is Earth Hour – Sydney onwards – turning off the lights between 8-9pm, at least to send a message that we really got to do something about the mess the Earth is in. Google getting in on it too. Hmm. Wonder if I can turn something off tonight.
The passing of Robert Fagles, translator of the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Aenied.
