Source: www.youtube.com
Today’s soundtrack: They were playing Hawaiian mix tracks at Starbucks and this was on it.
Original post: Ukulele weeps by Jake Shimabukuro
Month: March 2011
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Hawaii Tsunami: Hotels Implement ‘Vertical Evacuation’
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
In the wake of the massive earthquake (click for live blog) that struck Japan Friday, tsunami warnings have been issued for the west coast of the United States (it is expected to hit Hawaii around 3am local time; the National Guard is on standby). Hawaii hotels are “implementing a vertical evacuatioSaw damage coverage of 8.4 Japan quake on TV. Tsunami warning for Hawaii and US West Coast. Prayers for all.The rest is here: Hawaii Tsunami: Hotels Implement ‘Vertical Evacuation’
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Mother Nature
The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Scary news, regarding the effects of these natural events toward Japan’s nuclear power plants.
NY Times’ Nicholas Kristof observes his sympathy and admiration of Japan, under these circumstances. He had been the Tokyo bureau chief for the Times and so he has some experience about his perceptions of the Japanese:
Uncomplaining, collective resilience is steeped into the Japanese soul. We sent our eldest son to Japanese school briefly, and I’ll never forget seeing all the little kids having to go to school in shorts even in the dead of winter. The idea was that it built character. I thought it just gave kids colds. But it was one more effort to instill “gaman.” And it’s “gaman” that helped Japan recovered from World War II and tolerated the “lost decade” after the bubble economy burst in about 1990. Indeed, it might be better if Japanese complained a bit more – perhaps then their politicians would be more responsive.
One factor may also have to do with our relationship with nature. Americans see themselves as in confrontation with nature, taming it. In contrast, the Japanese conception is that humans are simply one part of nature, riding its tides — including many, many earthquakes throughout history. The Kanto earthquake of 1923 killed more than 100,000 people. The Japanese word for nature, shizen, is a modern one, dating back only a bit more than 100 years, because traditionally there was no need to express the concept. In an essay in the Times after the [1995] Kobe quake, I made some of these same points and ended with a 17th century haiku from one of Japan’s greatest poets, Basho:
The vicissitudes of life.
Sad, to become finally
A bamboo shoot.I find something noble and courageous in Japan’s resilience and perseverance, and it will be on display in the coming days. This will also be a time when the tight knit of Japan’s social fabric, its toughness and resilience, shine through. And my hunch is that the Japanese will, by and large, work together — something of a contrast to the polarization and bickering and dog-eat-dog model of politics now on display from Wisconsin to Washington. So maybe we can learn just a little bit from Japan. In short, our hearts go out to Japan, and we extend our deepest sympathy for the tragic quake. But also, our deepest admiration.
I’m not sure about how to react to the tv coverage of the news so far, as I haven’t gotten to watch much of it. James Poniewozik at Time posts on the concern about how coverage is successful (or not) with the networks having cut back on their foreign bureaus and so coverage is due to the social network/Internet/cell phone systems.
I kind of expected more from “Nightline” than seeing Bill Weir at Santa Monica, CA, about a tsunami wave that didn’t devastate mainland USA; then, he spent a few minutes talking to the ABC Tokyo bureau correspondent; glad that they at least still have a bureau.
Nice that PBS Newshour does some context about the tsunami’s effect on the Pacific Rim; it’s good to hear that Hawaii has gotten better experience with these situations (after last year’s threat from the Chilean earthquake).
The images of the tsunami in Japan, though, are horrifyingly devastating. “Devastate” becomes a word used so often, it nearly becomes a cliche. But, I’m not sure what else one can say.
ABC did turn to Dr. Michio Kaku for scientific context about the earthquake and tsunami. I like how he explains things.
The troubling 21st Century continues.
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Marching On in March 2011
Yeah, it’s still March. But, not yet the NCAA brackets time. We’re getting there…
Hat tip from Roger Ebert’s Facebook fan page (yeah, I checked off that I’m a fan – his blog is great writing): the happiest man in America is Alvin Wong, a Chinese American Jew from Hawaii. Why am I not surprised that the happiest man in America is in Hawaii? Angry Asian Man also does his acknowledgment of Alvin Wong.
Interesting blog post on MoCA’s blog – what is in a Chinese-American’s name and the more personal take on the 1882 Exclusion Act.
Hat tip from AALDEF‘s Facebook page: the Washington Post editorial says that Prof. Goodwin Liu don’t have bad values to be a US appellate court judge. This fear of his becoming a potential US Supreme Ct. nominee is making his current nomination for the 9th Circuit ridiculously more difficult than it has to be, I’d say…
Hat tip from NAPABA‘s Facebook page: interesting post on The Huffington Post about the Goodwin Liu confirmation hearing, from Richard Painter, a former Chief Ethics lawyer of the George W. Bush White House. Honestly, when even a George W. Bush administration ethics lawyer says that Prof. Liu is qualified to be a US appellate court judge, well, it goes to show how this craziness is.
Yeah, I’m on Facebook way too much…
The whole Borders in Chapter 11 bankruptcy saddens me, because the Wall Street Borders was pretty much my local Borders. Plus, Wall Street Borders was essentially the successor to the World Trade Center Borders, so it feels really sad. Yeah, the mega bookstores did harm to the mom-and-pop independent bookstores and so the e-book reader is the comeuppance of Borders – but I still feel depressed about any bookstore closing. Time.com has an article on how Barnes and Noble might continue doing better in this climate.
Over on “Law and the Multiverse,” the folks there analyze on the legal ethics of the She-Hulk. I had no idea that She-Hulk is a lawyer. Actually, of the comic book character world, I only knew that Daredevil is a lawyer. Kind of awkward to think of the legal implications when you’ve a secret identity and have legal ethics to think about.
Some TV commentary:
“Fringe” on FOX – umm, I don’t know where the arc is heading for Peter “the ex-Pacey” Bishop. Which Olivia or which universe will he choose? Assassin (of – spoiler! – shape-shifters)/psycho Peter was a little over the top. Peter “I hate my father-umm-which-father?” Bishop was also a little… well, the life of Peter isn’t easy.
The episode where Peter’s and Olivia’s first meeting as youngsters was an interesting episode – not only for what it revealed about Peter, Olivia, and the two Walters, but also about Elizabeth Bishop, who I think is a missing piece of the puzzle, no matter which Elizabeth of which universe it is.
Looking forward to the next episode, where the preview suggests that Walter thinks he can bring William “Belly” Bell back from the dead. Yeah, right, Walter, you crazy troubled mad scientist.
Of course, none of the foregoing commentary about “Fringe” makes any sense unless you’re a viewer of the show. Or if you do not mind sci-fi tv shows that cover two universes, and/or you don’t mind feeling blown away with simultaneous confusion and amusement over a tv show.
Will still catch up on “Community.” I sorely need a laugh.
Actually… I think we all need laughs. The world is too crazy, as usual, what with all the anti-public sector sentiment, political revolutions, continued economic problems, and craziness over Charlie Sheen (sad vs. amusing; Ken Tucker over at Entertainment Weekly posts the contrasting reactions of Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Fallon – it is crazy out there, it really is).
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The Final Hours Of Chinatown Fair, The Last Arcade In Chinatown | NYC The Blog
Source: nyctheblog.blogspot.com
End of an era…Read more: The Final Hours Of Chinatown Fair, The Last Arcade In Chinatown | NYC The Blog
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Catching Up on Stuff – or Is it March Already?
I put in my two cents in the comments section of David Bianculli’s blog, in response to his thoughts about Oscars Night 2011. Some further elaboration on my part below (I sort of live-micro-blogged it on my Facebook feed when I was watching it; kind of fun).
I appreciated that Bianculli and Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker struck a nice note about the night – there were highlights and good stuff.
Really. There was.
I thought that a lot of reviews about the Oscars broadcast was way too negative and hard on the presentation; honestly, Roger Ebert and Alan Sepinwall made it seem like God-awful tv. I think that might be an exaggeration (seriously – there are way worse things on tv than a boring Oscars show; pick any night of “Jersey Shore” – and I tried to watch a half hour of Snooki and the Situation et al., of NJ, and I had to walk away. Really.).
And, okay, comparing this Sunday’s Oscars to past Oscars doesn’t make it great or bad or anything either. Granted I’m not an Oscars tv historian, but surely the past Oscars nights were not exactly Greatest TV Ever? Then again, I’m probably the one tv viewer who didn’t hate that David Letterman tried to be funny with his Oscars hosting gig; he tried; the Uma-Oprah gag just gathered no positive response from the live audience. I don’t begrudge Letterman for that; it just wasn’t his night at all.
James Poniewozik of Time was more even-handed about his critique, but he conceded that he felt tired about the broadcast. I guess it depends on what you’re looking for in an Oscars night. How many surprises or weird moment or great moment do you want? Oscars isn’t the Golden Globes (thankfully; let the Oscars be the Oscars, I say; let them celebrate the history and present of movies and to continue trying to teach and reach out to us, for better or worse).
Personally, I thought this latest Oscars night was nice, even if not that exciting and a little unsurprising or a tad dull (if only because it had rather unsurprising results: I kept hoping that my sentimental favored movie, “True Grit” would have won something, even if I did like “The King’s Speech”).
At the start of it, I thought it was pretty cheesy. I mean, really – James Franco and Anne Hathaway entering Alec Baldwin’s dreams to get the secret of hosting Oscars, a la “Inception”? James, Anne: why Baldwin? Why not Billy Crystal’s brain? Billy Crystal was a better Oscars host and he’s funny; I guess I’m not a big Baldwin fan. And, James entering the Oscars stage with his cell phone (was he really tweeting on Twitter as he did that? Please!) – that was a bit much irritating for me.
Kirk Douglass was being a good sport/ham. And, seeing Tom Hanks and Billy Crystal at the Oscars was a real joy.
Some amusing moments included James Franco’s “Congratulations, nerds” to the special effects awardees. Franco in Marilyn Monroe drag was not nearly that funny – and I kept hoping that Anne Hathaway would have gotten Hugh Jackman up on stage with her (Hathaway sings well, I must say).
Melissa Leo’s winning Best Supporting Actress – well, I liked that she seemed honestly happy and thrilled, and her rambling felt natural. Kind of amusing that she let out the f-word, and that the silent bleep caught it in time. (although, I really like Hallie Steinfeld as Mattie in “True Grit”; she was so strong as a strong character).
Christian Bale’s winning Best Supporting Actor – good for him. Sweet that he got all choked up thanking his wife and daughter; he came off as a real person, not a actor caught up in craziness (which happens). And he didn’t let out the f-bomb (and had the good humor to reflect on his past f-bomb incident while showing gratitude for his win).
I loved director Tom Hooper’s “Listen to your mother” bit! And, I thought Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi singing the song from “Tangled” was sweet (when I saw “Tangled,” I kept wondering if that was really Zachary Levi’s voice; so I’m pretty impressed – tv’s Chuck is talented!; and I really liked that they kept it simple; simple can go a long way; ).
The no applause of the “In Memoriam” portion was respectful (although I remain a not-fan-of Celine Dion). Lena Horne’s quote at the end of the “In Memoriam” was fitting and powerful.
I was charmed by Colin Firth’s Best Actor award acceptance speech. He even saluted his significant other – how sweet! (but – as a disclaimer – I, like so many others, have a crush on him since “Pride and Prejudice” and my crush on him will continue unabated…).
I also like this new tradition of acknowledging all the nominees for their acting before announcing the winner. Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock did such nice jobs of it and I do think that people should be acknowledged for their amazing efforts (even if they don’t get that statuette).
Steven Speilberg’s saying that the nine Oscar Best Picture non-winners were in good company was solid. The video of the speech from “The King’s Speech” as a foundation/background for the clip montage from all the ten Best Picture nominees was also nice. I think the Oscar folks really did a good editing to match the right clips to the king’s words (words that observed the eve of World War II and concerned a changing world and desire for better and hope for peace in the face of danger – kind of timeless stuff, actually).
I liked that Anne Hathaway put in a lot of effort and spirit. I kind of wanted more from James Franco, but then again: I’m not sure how much to expect from actors who usually aren’t in the position of hosting three hours of stuff (and I wasn’t sure how much guidance were they given about their task).
The pacing of the whole thing was probably a bit off (but no worse than usual from past years – Billy Crystal was so right about that, when he came out on the stage and said as much). I thought the auto-tuning “musical” gag ran too long; it would’ve been funnier if it was tighter (but the gag did make the scenes from the Harry Potter and Twilight movies hilarious).
I was really touched to see all the winners come out at the end with the PS 22 kids’ singing “Over the Rainbow.” That was a great moment to end the night, with a great song. (even if a little late for the kids…!)
Oh, and take a look at Colin Firth on “The King’s Speech” on Charlie Rose. Mmm. Colin Firth. (yes, I’m very superficial).
Eli Wallach was among those with a lifetime achievement award at the Oscars (along with Francis Ford Coppola). I liked that they had his clip of “I live to act” remark from his acceptance speech. A.O. Scott of the NY Times has a charming profile of Eli Wallach, noting that Wallach is his great-uncle. The accompanying video of A.O. Scott visiting his Uncle Eli and Aunt Anne (Jackson) was also sweet stuff. A.O. Scott even touched on this in his Oscars video with David Carr.
Yes, Natalie Portman won for Best Actress. She is also someone with a science background back in her Harvard days, somehow balancing her intellectual and acting sides, as this article by Natalie Angier notes in the NY Times. The article also cites Hedy Lamarr (who helped develop torpedo guidance systems during World War II), Mayim Bialik (ex-Blossom of tv fame and now a recurring neuro-biologist character on “Big Bang Theory” and a real-life neuro-biologist), and Danica McKellar (ex-Winnie Cooper of “The Wonder Years” tv fame; and later a math honors graduate of UCLA who’s advocating for better math education for girls – and currently doing the voice of Miss Martian on “Young Justice”) as examples of actors who understand and work in the science and math fields.
Somehow, James Franco continues his education (pursuing a Phd. in English at Yale) and acting. I don’t know how he does it, but apparently with little sleep. Oh well!
MSNBC.com – with a comparison of the two True Grits. I haven’t seen the original True Grit, so I have no basis of comparison, but I really did enjoy Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hallie Steinfeld, etc., and apparently the Coen brothers tried to be true to the original book “True Grit,” so that goes.
On a not-Oscars movies thing: I had seen the trailer for Josh Radnor’s “Happythankyoumoreplease” when I went to see “True Grit” last week; I was impressed by the preview. Yes, it’s the guy who plays Ted of “How I Met Your Mother” – again playing a romantic but skeptical artist (this time, a writer, not an architect) with a circle of friends in NYC – and he wrote, directed, and starred in this film. Hmm! The NY Times profiles Radnor and his soon-to-be-released film. I’m looking forward to this…
And, a non-movies and science-related note: Congressman Rush Holt, a former five-time Jeopardy champ and a nuclear physicist, managed to beat Watson in a game in Washington, DC. Yay, a Democrat is going to save humanity from machines. Sorry to Ken Jennings. A nice video from CBS on Holt’s observations – including how we can invest in our human capabilities. Ain’t that the truth?
More posts later; “Fringe” and “Community” are still good tv as far as I’m concerned…