Author: ssw15

Sunday: a friend’s birthday; Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra; Caffe Buon Gusto.

Unclutter! Yep, that’s the story of my life, my perpetually renewed New Year’s resolution, etc. Some interesting stuff in this particular Slate article on resources on uncluttering, organizing, and making life better.

Monday – NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship – Kansas beat Memphis. Quite a game – close, and overtime. I so did not have either team on my brackets. I had North Carolina v. UCLA, with UNC as champion; how was I to know that Kansas would have kicked UNC out? I’m not a prognosticator after all.

(oh, and not a spoiler – Tuesday – NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship – Tennesee beat Stanford).

The story behind William Shea, Sr., for whom Shea Stadium was named – the lawyer who was quite the fixer/fixture. A nice story, even if the last home opener at Shea Stadium didn’t come with a nice victory.

Mark “The Minimalist” Bittman on fish wrapped in romaine leaves – in the video, he explains the concept of blanching the leaves and poaching the fish. Plus, he made it so elegant and easy – wrapping the fish in leaves and poaching in butter and wine… my oh my… looks very nice and delicious indeed.

Catching up on stuff:

NY Times’ Nicholas D. Kristof on how anti-intellectualism in America (or at least anti-reason or anti-judgment) can be a disservice to Americans.

I finally got around to reading the moving NY Times obituary of Dith Pran, the Cambodian photojournalist whose experience of surviving the horrors in Cambodia later dramatized in the film “The Killing Fields.”

Saturday: my sister and I popped over to the Brooklyn Museum, as it was First Saturday. Crowded crowd – guess they were out for the Murakami exhibit, which opened this weekend to a positive review (so far as I can tell anyway). The line looked long and you had to have a ticket (a long line to get that!) and a wristband – so I wasn’t eager to check out the Murakami stuff; just saw what they had in the lobby – the simultaneously ugly, cute, sexy and scary all at once – that’s Murakami for you (or a derivation of anime, even). Maybe I’ll check it out another time.

Perhaps not entirely a coincidence: in addition to the Murakami (which was contemporary Japanese art), the Brooklyn Museum had “Utagawa: Masters of Japanese Print, 1777-1900,” exhibiting the works of three or four generations of the Utagawa workshop, as they went from traditional to more modern print work. Prints of traditional folk stories, kabuki actors, contemporary Japanese life, and the rise of Western influence – with single point perspective – it was easy to see why the Japanese prints influenced the Impressionists in the West and how Western art influenced Eastern art.

West Point course educating the cadets on cultural diversity… in Jersey City.

In the NY Times’ City section: words from Mr. Sahadi, of Sahadi’s in Brooklyn.

Sooo… as Jennifer 8. Lee so succinclty summarizes in the NY Times’ City Room blog: for the longest time, the Beatles, on behalf of their Apple, Apple (the Steve Jobs’ Apple) in a trademark dispute, and now Steve Jobs’ Apple is engaging in a trademark dispute with NYC regarding the GreeNYC campaign because the latter is using a green apple symbol (’cause, I don’t know, NYC’s been called “The Big Apple” for a real longtime and NYC wants to, I don’t know, go green?). Do we not realize that “apple” isn’t exactly the most unique thing in the world? Flashes from Trademarks class from law school are actually coming to mind.

The passing of Charlton Heston.

We don’t need to drink approximately 8 glasses of water a day after all; Slate’s Explainer explains where the idea ever even came from.

NY Times’ Clyde Haberman on the madness of weekend subway changes.

April is National Poetry Month; April 17 is Poem in Your Pocket Day.
Joe Klein posts his thoughts on the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death on the Time.com blog, Swampland. He links to Robert F. Kennedy’s moving speech about America’s need to reconcile for the future in the face of the tragedies. These are things we still think about today and in the future, as noted here by Ron Klain on NYTimes.com and here in Newsweek’s interview with sociologist Michael Eric Dyson. Although there has been much changed in the past 40 years, we still have ways to go, but at least we keep striving.

Hi, YC and FC! Glad to see you’re back on triscribe! Yeah, I’m holding down the fort! Dusted around here and there.

Monday tv:

“The Bracket” episode on “How I Met Your Mother” – was an awesome episode. (A) Barney is such a twit; (B) ohmygoodness, they finally did it – they finally did a “Doogie Howser” reference on “HIMYM”! Neil Patrick Harris, you as “Barney” have redeemed yourself!

Of course, we’re still nowhere near finding out who is the Mother of FutureTed’s kids and maybe there really is going to be something going on between Barney and Robin.

Major plus (whether this was intentional on the part of CBS, I do not know) – the commercial for the sequel to “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” where apparently they get stuck in Guantanamo and Neil Patrick Harris playing a Barney-like Neil Patrick Harris rescues them (or something like that).

Anyway, check out commentary on the episode on TV Guide’s HIMYM blog and by tv critic James Poniewozik on his Time.com blog, where the enthusiasm was no less positive.

Other Monday tv – “New Amsterdam” continues to be interesting when it touches on John Amsterdam’s insanely messy past. It’s so not interesting in covering the contemporary relationships he has with women – namely, he has no chemistry with his female boss; his female partner (although, in this most recent outing, she finally showed more personality, or maybe the writers finally wrote that in for her – I did like that she finally has more gumption and willingness to back up John); or his alleged love interest – the female doctor who may the One for whose love will make John mortal. Yeah right.

Anyway, John clearly is someone who messed up his family during his 400 years of living – yeah, his 60+ year old son seemed to have forgiven him, but apparently not the son he had back in 1913, whose descendants then become… mobsters. Geez.

Great guest star though: Giancarlo Esposito, (formerly of “Homicide“) playing an irritating FBI agent (he was fun to watch, playing the antagonist – NYPD and FBI not quite collaborating on a case; on “Homicide,” he was a less irritating FBI agent, and son of the lieutenant, and on a way better show). He’s currently on Broadway, doing a supporting role on “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Asian Pacific American Awareness Month (APAAM) started early at Alma Mater with kick-off on Wed., March 26 – I’m a week behind, yeah… Speakers at the opening ceremony: journalist/activist Helen Zia and poet Ishle Park (and former poet laureate of Queens). Well, actually, I missed the program, but it sounded nice. With universities celebrating APA Heritage Month in April, rather than May (due to academic scheduling – who wants to mess up finals, after all), it feels like double the fun!

It’s also that other time of year: college admissions season – wherein the scared high school seniors find out whether schools are accepting them or not. As the NY Times reports on the released statistics from Alma Mater and others, sounds to me that college admissions are competitive and insane as ever. Sigh.

Saturday night: taking off of the Brooklyn Restaurant Week list (but again, going off the restaurant week menu): Miriam, at the Court Street branch. Thumbs up. Food was quite good, ambiance nice, servers also nice. Recommended.

Sunday: the Final Four are established – all number ones – U of North Carolina; Memphis; UCLA; and Kansas. Too bad for Davidson; its run as Cinderella was quite something.

Patrick Stewart, in a Newsweek Q&A on his “Macbeth,” and he’s defending the honor of Trekkies/Trekkers. Thumbs up.

In the NY Times’ “City” Section: a look back at Grand Central’s past, in photos.

Changes in a Brooklyn neighborhood – the Ohs’ dry cleaners couldn’t afford the rent anymore; the Ohs get honored for the contributions to the community at Brooklyn Borough Hall. A Brooklyn story – an American story.

Kids in Brooklyn finding solace in a Park Slope shop owned by a Chinese-American woman.

Love and Literature – so, what do you do when the significant other has poor taste in literature? Hmm. What about bad taste in movies, tv shows, uncleanliness, etc.? …

The Time.com article on yesterday’s Earth Hour. The article makes a point – did Earth Hour matter? Time’s Bryan Walsh writes:

Because climate change is essentially a political problem, and the language of politics is symbolism. Just because an act is symbolic doesn’t mean it empty. The only way to truly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to take the pressure off global warming, is an international regime that puts a cap and a price on climate pollution. And the only way that will happen is if politicians around the world become convinced that climate change is an issue that matters to people, one that will make them change the way they live, buy — and vote. [….]

We risk green fatigue because, after all, what can we do about it? But this is the moment when we need to keep pushing in every way we can. The technologies that will help us decarbonize energy are developing, but they need a push — and that will only happen if we keep climate change near the top of our political agenda. Earth Hour, Earth Day, Earth Year — we’ll need it all.

So, in a way, no; but, in terms of symbolism – in hopes that we’ll have the political will to finally make change – for the better – well, maybe a little at a time – Hour, Day, Year – will lead to something. Are Earth’s governments listening?

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.

As a follow up of the last time (I think, anyway) I posted on the rovers on Mars: NASA has to cut back on the rovers’ work, due to budget problems; looks like Spirit might have to be turned off for a few weeks of hibernation and Opportunity would have less work to do.

An interesting interview of actor John Cho, on his playing the Sulu role in the upcoming Star Trek movie and the situation for Asian American actors.

Monday tv:

“How I Met Your Mother” – guest starring Sarah Chalke as the Dr. Stella, the dermatologist who removed Ted’s tattoo, and Britney Spears as the dermotologist’s receptionist. Some thoughts:

I didn’t hate or care for Britney Spears’ appearance.

Chalke, who plays Dr. Elliot Reid on “Scrubs,” felt like she channeled Elliot; otherwise, she was charming.

Hell, Ted was charming, as he wooed Dr. Stella, who (in a previous episode, but not seen on screen) resisted Ted because she didn’t date patients. Once their doctor-patient relationship ended, Stella still won’t date Ted (despite being obviously attracted to him) because she’s a single mom and really has no time to date or be in a romantic relationship. Ted was still interested in her, and pursued an amusing course of action, which is sooo romantic: he gave Stella the sweetest two-minute date ever! (with the help from the waitress from the HIMYM bar and the taxicab driver from the series premiere of HIMYM – continuity!).

Even Time’s James Poniewozik agrees about the two-minute date: he says “[it] made me go all gooey. Just as it’s hard to write a joke in a comedy that the script requires a character to laugh at–as opposed to the home audience laughing at it–so too is it rare to find a scene in which a character charms a date that doesn’t seem self-consciously precious from your living room. But Ted’s perfectly choreographed speed date was so adorable that I was willing to overlook the fact that a New York City cab would have gotten stuck in traffic going around the block all those times.”

(I agree with Poniewozik – Ted’s cabbie guy would never have made the timely drive around the block within the time frame in Real Life; plus, man, how much is Ted making as an architect to pay the cabbie to help him? Is his friend Marshall, the Big Law Firm Lawyer, helping him with that? Or is the cabbie now such a good friend that he’s willing to do it for free? Nice man, really).

The only question is: is Stella the mother of Future Ted’s kids? Hmm…

Tried to watch “New Amsterdam.” The series is only particularly interesting when John Amsterdam, the 400+ year old detective who doesn’t look like he’s passed 40, is trying to grapple with his messy past and he has such an interesting relationship with his son, Omar, the bar owner – who’s in his 60’s and looks like he’s in his 60’s (hence, neither John nor Omar can go around town telling people they’re father and son without being sent to Bellevue).

Anyway, the cases John works on aren’t that interesting and neither is his love interest, the doctor who doesn’t seem to realize why John’s a little on the weird side (well, wouldn’t you be weird too, if you were 400+ years old?).

Frontline’s “Bush’s War” is a chilling and fascinating watch, as noted in this AP review, and I tried to watch most of the documentary. (I’ll have to catch it on the weekend rebroadcast, or online, if there’s time to pull that off). I still believe in PBS and the (good) stuff it presents, despite the silly stuff (“American Ballroom Challenge”? Okay, no, what’s really silly – the Lawrence Welk reruns? Plus, I can only tolerate “Antiques Roadshow,” which has a redeeming value of trying to apply history – but “History Detectives” does that soo much better).

Good Eating from stuff one buys at a 99 cent store? According to the NY Times article linked, it is doable.

NY Times’ Mark “The Minimalist” Bittman with a recipe on stir-fried shrimp and black (soy) beans. Bittman’s accompanying video has the thrills one may find in the usual stir fry effort. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of black soy beans (too salty for me sometimes – and I usually like salty food) but it does make pork tasty, and not to mention make dried fish more palatable, and it is an Asian staple.

The passing of Al Copeland, the founder of the Popeye’s Chicken (which was actually named after Gene Hackman’s character from “The French Connection,” and not the spinach-eating cartoon character; I had no idea, seriously!).

Plus, a little something sweet with booze – NY Times’ Mark “the Minimalist” Bittman with an apple cake recipe soused in bourbon. His video makes it look fun and easy, if not delicious. And, yeah, just a tad quirky.

A quarter of my brackets gone, with Georgetown out of the NCAA Men’s tourney. So that goes!