Category: Brooklyn

Going to be a scorcher of a weekend. Hmmm!

The latest issue of “Entertainment Weekly” profiles Dwayne [the ex-WWE wrestler formerly known as] “The Rock” Johnson, who’s slowly but surely working on his acting career, with his being on the upcoming new “Get Smart” movie. I’ve guffawed loudly at the trailers for “Get Smart” – hopefully it’ll be a good movie!

“Entertainment Weekly” news: TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello will be joining EW! (which is also noted in the paper EW, but I can’t seem to find a story on their own website). And, EW’s Alynda Wheat will step down from doing the “What to Watch,” the snarky section on commenting notable tv programming for a beat in LA for EW – say it ain’t so! She had been dead-on for quite a bunch of remarks over the years. Example: in her last one, in the 6/6 issue of last week or so, she headlined the return of Star Trek: The Next Generation on tv – now on Sci Fi channel – with the words “La Forge Ahead!” (okay, so only I’d think that’s funny, me and LeVar “Geordi LaForge of TNG” Burton, maybe), plus, she noted on return of “The Mole” with: “Where’s our Anderson Cooper?!” (so true; I stopped watching when ABC had Ahmad Rashad as the host; only Anderson had the right sarcasm and gravitas for The Mole).

Sometimes I can be a bit frustrated by EW. It’s fun, but not nearly as in-depth as I’d like (or what it once was at one point). Oh EW. Why can’t you be more like your corporate sibling, Time? Time.com has been quite amazing with the new blogging (or, at least I’m pretty into reading “Swampland,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s “Work in Progress,” and James Poniewozik’s “Tuned In“), but EW.com has to catch up (their TV Watch section isn’t nearly as easy to manage as the TVGuide.com‘s tv show blogs section).

More to blog on later; so I’d think anyway. If the heat and humidity doesn’t rob me of a brain…

TV critic Diane Werts plugs about Turner Classic Movie Channel’s “Race and Hollywood: Asian Images in Film.” I’m going to have to try to check some of this out (I mean, I actually do have cable now; you’d think I’d use it more than checking a bit of CNN and SciFi and Food Network stuff).

June’s starting out to be pretty interesting: we’re living in history, as Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. No matter what happens, this says a lot that a white woman and a black (or biracial) man can get this far and maybe even farther in this country and the campaign to lead it.

Got behind on blogging; life and other things (namely Facebook and the ease of putting things up there) got in the way. A long post for catching up on stuff.

Monday Memorial Day: watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull. Hmm. If you’re an Indy fan, you’ll have to watch it. Good movie, yes; great? Not quite. I think the Indiana Jones and the Crusades movie was better. But, Indy came off mature and sweet, as he lives in the 1950’s America and the Cold War. It’d be easy to imagine how he got through World War II; hard to believe he never got around to getting back with Marion or other friends during the interim? But, the adventures continue, evidentally.

Interesting posting from the NY Times’ City Room blog, on the status of private libraries. I’ve walked past by the General Society Library of Mechanics and Tradesmen on 44th Street, and kept wondering how did it come about; this City Room post at least explains how such libraries existed and what may be their path toward the future.

Interesting NY Times article: “Mystery Writers, She Once Wrote,” by Gregory Beyer — how mystery writers who portray NYC try to keep it real, even if there’s not as much murder in the city as there used to be.

A profile on the man behind Wii, Mario, Donkey Kong…

Theatrical lawyer turned producer: on John Breglio, who helped bring “A Chorus Line” back to Broadway. Hmm… I have to admire a lawyer who found a way to turn his interests as a part of what he does.

So, what does it mean to be “elitist“? NY Times’ Elizabeth Bumiller on the historical contradiction of how American politicians try to be both the best of the best while still trying to be “just like everybody else.”

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter, a cancer survivor himself, notes that if the senators really are serious about helping Ted Kennedy fight the good fight against cancer, it’s about doing serious legislative work. Some good points in his latest column.

Can meditation really help? Or is it just a red herring/placebo? Hmm. I just don’t think it can hurt all that much.

A look at the secret (or just nice little spots) gardens of NYC. I like the Battery Park gardens myself – so nice and making you forget that you’re in the city…

Chef John of the Food Wishes blog presented a video where NY Times’ Mark “The Minimalist” Bittman argues over how we should be aware of the impact that the food production system has on our diet and take action. You don’t have to stop eating meat; just eat less and demand better from the “industry.” Hmm. Food for thought, indeed.

That the NY Public Library’s Donnell Library is (temporarily) closing is sad; it really is one of the nicer branches of the NY Public Library system. Sewell Chan’s City Room blog posting — the original version, to some extent, of his co-written article about the Donnell Library closing – with additional reporting about the various closings and renovations throughout the NY Public Library system. I thought that the Brooklyn Public Library system could frustrate me, but sometimes I wonder what NYPL is trying to do with the public at large…

Wow – as a big Alexander Hamilton fan (well, my dorm room in college had a good view of ye olde Hamilton Hall and the Hamilton statue in the quad, so kind of unavoidable) – this is quite an exciting development. The idea of moving his house to the nearby city park is to kind of recreate how the Hamiltons lived back in 1802, when the neighborhood was more rural.

A fascinating article in Washington Post, by Blaine Harden on Jerome White, Jr., who’s developing a singing career in Japan singing enka, a sort of Japanese folk song genre on lost love – with his own kind of hip hop twist. He’s of mostly African-American heritage – but became inspired by this genre due to his Japanese maternal grandmother. Fascinating to read about someone who connected with his Asian heritage and handling this mix of cultures.

NY Times’ Ginia Bellafante on the thinking and contemplating of “Lost.”

And, speaking of “Lost,” I finally watched the season finale over the weekend. Quite a watch. The island moved – to where, or when? Other set up for next season: Jack joining forces with Ben to go back to the island? What the heck has Locke done? Hmmm… James Poniewozik of Time makes his observations, as does Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly, and David Bianculli was pretty cheerful about it (or at least eager for the season premiere, which won’t be out until January 2009 – that long a wait?).

So ends May – a season of tv and APA Heritage month events. Will June be interesting? Stay tuned…

Take a moment to think about the men and women who died serving this country.

Saturday: a mild cold has me with a sore throat and barely much of a voice; but went out to see “Iron Man” at the Prospect Park Pavilion. Fun movie! Robert Downey, Jr., uses his talent for good, not evil (much as his character Tony Stark, learns to become a superhero). Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Stark’s executive assistant; Jeff Bridges as Obidiah Stane; and Terrence Howard as Col. “Rhodey” Rhodes – they were all quite good.

And, yes, you must stay and watch what comes after the credits – a possible hint of what an Iron Man sequel may bring.

Amusingly, the movie came after the trailer for the Batman movie sequel, “The Dark Knight.” Hmm! Different franchises (DC vs. Marvel), but the pairing was fascinating!

For your consideration, see: on YouTube: ItJustSomeRandomGuy has his parody of the PC/Mac commercials, with Batman and Iron Man understanding and appreciating their commonalities and differences (playboy billionaire superheroes with kickass summer movies). I’m embedding Parts 1 and 2 – too funny! Highly recommended!

NY Times continues to gather more details of the China earthquake, and less so the Burmese cyclone (not for lack of trying). Just the concept of this one-two punch is hard enough to get anyone’s mind around, and we’re still recovering from our disasters. To see both the big picture and that every individual life is special is something that we need to to be reminded of daily. A lesson easier learned for some than others – that they should do something, anything.

(Numbers from Wikipedia as of today)

9/11: 2,974 killed – 24 missing

2004 earthquake/tsunami: 283,100 killed, 14,100 missing

Katrina: 1,836 killed, 705 missing

Burma cyclone: 80,000 dead, 56,000 missing

Sichuan earthquake: 60,560 dead,  352,290 injured, 26,221missing

Hopes and prayers to Senator Edward Kennedy. This NY Times article by Carl Hulse was a touching article about the reactions to the news of his illness, and the appreciation of his legacy. He may not be perfect (no one is), but he has such a role in history (and the present) – there won’t be another senator quite like him.

Reuse, recycle, and reduce. If we start with colleges, we should move forward to spreading it to everyone else (see the linked NY Times article on NYU’s RRR plan for the students moving out at this time of year).

Monday tv: I watched “Miracles,” the season finale of “How I Met Your Mother” — funny, sweet, “what?!” — thank you, CBS, for renewing this heartwarming, funny, insane show! As noted in the TV Guide HIMYM blog, James Poniewozik’s blog on Time.com, and greatly detailed by the HIMYM blog on Television Without Pity, there were miracles (Marshall managing not to return to his Big Law Firm despite his begging – due to… lice – but then getting to avoid the inevitable firm bloodletting, since the firm was going to be indicted by the SEC; Ted survives a scary car accident without a scratch; Barney survives being hit by a… city bus; Barney and Ted – bros again!!), funny lines (Canadian Robin’s line: “I love Springsteen; he’s like the American Bryan Adams!” — okay, it was in the delivery of the line; Barney poses the date-time continuum theory – you apparently cannot plan plans with a date so far in advance that it’s longer than the length of time in which you’ve been dating each other); and the end – umm, somehow Ted proposes to Stella (I just don’t think she’s the Mother of FutureTed’s kids) and Barney’s look of love at Robin… priceless.

So looking forward to even watching reruns of HIMYM.

NY Times’ Bob Herbert is right – the candidates and Americans in general have to get serious:

The general election is about to unfold and we’ll soon see how smart or how foolish Americans really are. The U.S. may be the richest country on earth, but the economy is tanking, its working families are in trouble, it is bogged down in a multitrillion-dollar war of its own making and the price of gasoline has nitwits siphoning supplies from the cars and trucks of strangers.

Four of every five Americans want the country to move in a different direction, which makes this presidential election, potentially, one of the most pivotal since World War II.

And yet there’s growing evidence that despite the plethora of important issues, the election may yet be undermined by the usual madness — fear-mongering, bogus arguments over who really loves America, race-baiting, gay-baiting (Ohmigod! They’re getting married!) and the wholesale trivialization of matters that are not just important, but extremely complex. [….]

For once, let the election be serious. Show the hacks and the hypocrites the door. Argue substance. And then let the people decide.

From NY Times’ City Room blog: a story on St. Peter’s Church, a NYC landmark, near the Woolworth building and a stone’s throw away from the World Trade Center. Nice photo, by the way.

Really cool opportunity to evaluate photos submitted to the Brooklyn Museum and help curate an exhibit; a fascinating way to participate in an experiment on the nexus of art, on-line community, and crowd theory. Check it out – assessing photos ends by some time tomorrow and the exhibit is in the summer.

Open Call Begins March 1
www.brooklynmuseum.org/click

Enjoy what’s left of the APA Heritage Month events.

Plus, May 28-June 1: World Science Festival, all over the city.

Last, but not least: it’s the 125th Anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge. NY Times City Room blog with great post on the events (by Jennifer 8. Lee).

Less than 144 days left to the Big Day… sent the Save the Date cards to the printer; hopefully finish the invite design and vetting the Chinese text this week.

Got P- Madonna tickets from the Citibank presale – it’s the Monday before the wedding at MSG.

Spent the day at home with a upset tummy – too much late night snacking.

Kristi Yamaguchi wins Dancing with the Stars – a woman has not won for the last 5 seasons, and joins only two other APA reality show winners: Yul Kwon from Survivor,  and Dorothy Hui from The Mole 2. Speaking of which, The Mole returns to ABC on June 2 (sans Anderson Cooper, though).

Asian Heritage Month continues — Taiwan this Sunday at Union Square; the Philipines on June 2.

Saturday – spring! It was sunny and pleasant today in NYC.

Saturday – Mets win, 7-4, against the Yankees. Now if only they can be consistent. (I watched the last couple of innings on the big screen HDtv. Quite something.)

OhmiGod – Slate did it – a special issue on procrastination! Dare I read it right away, or put it off for later… 😉 I, the self-proclaimed Duchess of Procrastination, say no! No, I must read. Yeah, eventually…

Plus, reading this Slate article by Dahlia Lithwick and Emily Bazelon – about the military lawyers who have tried to make the Guantanamo military trials procedures (or standing up over how they don’t work) – made me feel proud to be a lawyer. The article even almost reaffirmed my belief that there is still such a thing as rule of law, the very concept that we’re supposed to be protecting from terrorism (in addition to, of course, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness).

I remember when PBS’ “Mystery!” was its own series; now it’s covered under the Masterpiece rubric. Well, at least they’ve a host again – this time Alan Cumming! (okay, not exactly Vincent Price or Diana Rigg) – but “Masterpiece Mystery!” will bring the return of Inspector Lewis (well, he did get promoted after Inspector Morse’s passing), and more episodes of Inspectors Foyle and Lynley; guess my summer tv viewing’s kind of set.

Science section of NY Times has this fascinating Q and A with Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa – and it’s quite a great story about how he, a former illegal immigrant, became a Harvard trained neurosurgeon. I don’t have concrete thoughts on the state of immigration, but sometimes I wonder if society forgets the values of immigration and how we should keep an open mind about how we handle it (or rather, handle it effectively).

Interesting NY Times article on the Chinese media’s coverage of the earthquake in Chengdu. I do wonder: could the earthquake change China (or more appropriately, how)? Or, at least, how the media (inside and outside) China can report or depict China?

Oh, and some thoughts on recent tv stuff —
–> watched most of “CSI: NY” – I don’t nearly follow this show as much as I’d like, but I do think NYC looks great every time on this show – the cinematography! The plot got silly (cabbie serial killer; NY’ers refusing to take a cab because of the situation — you’ve got to be kidding me?). Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise – great actor!) – got irritated when his more-or-less stepson Reed posted blog postings about the serial killer (which the kid defended as his job as a journalist). The relationship between Mac and Reed is a bit unusual – Reed’s the biological son of Mac’s late wife, who had given the kid up for adoption long before she ever met Mac – but I think it’s nice to give Mac a little emotional element.

Reed got kidnapped by the serial killer, and then when the killer forces him to blog on the drama of yet another dead victim, Reed cleverly inserts clues in the blog to have Mac and the CSI team save him and lead to catching the killer. Why wasn’t Reed’s (legal) parents at the hospital with Mac, who knows, but it was a sweet moment. It was also funny to see Mac snap over how all the technology within reach couldn’t lead to the killer (no, Mac, ultimately, you as a detective ought to put the clues together and come up with something – but, he figured it out).

I’ve always liked the chemistry between Mac and Stella (Melina Kanakaredes) – good friends indeed.

“Grey’s Anatomy” – hmmm. Is Meredith serious about getting therapy? Will Rose the nurse realize that Derek is so not relationship ready? Nice to see Mark finally acting like a doctor and maybe growing up (plastic surgeon who acts like an over grown teenager… no, really?). I so don’t want Miranda Bailey’s marriage to be over; this show needs someone stable. Christina and Meredith – both in their dark places.

“Lost” – well, that was interesting. More time shifting, as we get closer to the near future. NearFuture Jack does learn about Claire’s identity as his half-sister; we still don’t quite know how the Oceanic 6 became the 6 who got home, but it’ll be interesting – the machinations are starting to feel quite mechanical, but fun.

I don’t eat a whole lot of dairy (that lactose intolerance thing) but I love ice cream, and Haagen-Dazs has too neato things this week. First, Green Tea flavor is now available in the U.S.!!!!  We first encountered it in Tokyo, where it was a gazillion times more rich and intense than the stuff you get at Japanese-American sushi restaurants. P- actually wrote the company to put it out, and they’ve finally done it.

Second, Tuesday is free Vanilla Honey Bee flavor day – free scoops from 4 to 8 PM. Profits from the flavor go towards protecting the honey bee, which makes possible agriculture as we know it today.

Thursday TV: “Lost” – somehow, it almost never ceases to amaze me how this show simultaneously raises more questions even as it (kind of) answers them. I haven’t been an avid follower of “Lost” by any stretch of the imagination (I think I skipped a good chunk of last season and the season before that). But, this season has been pretty awesome (“Heroes” ought to take note of how to balance characters and storylines – learn from “Lost”!). Some pointless thoughts:

Actor Nestor Carbonell as the ageless Richard Alpert – mmm! He’s hot and he’s creepy! (well, the character anyway; the actor’s simply hot – although I still remember him from his “Suddenly Susan” days, when he played the silly accented photographer guy – but, he was funny and cute – a case can be made that everybody but the Susan character was funny; so not exactly a good thing for Brooke Shields when your supporting cast was more interesting than your character…).

Actor Terry O’Quinn as John Locke – is he a man of faith or of science? A premature baby whose life of repeated abandonment got really depressing. A man of destiny – or not? When Alpert appears to young John with artifacts, young John is told to pick what is his; he selects the knife. The scene felt like something reminiscent to me of the story of how the young Dalai Lama was discovered as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama – and so, I wonder – is John Locke a reincarnation of someone/something else?

Well, really, what the heck is going on with “Lost”?

Saturday stuff: CAPA Festival. Different venue, but interesting; FC has the review. Plus, with the Japan Society across the street, great opportunity to check out more stuff. I liked the exhibit of Shibata Zeshin’s lacquered art.

Such a sad story on the state of Brooklyn high schools – Lafayette HS’s transformation may affect John Dewey HS; Lafayette’s situation becoming horridly untenable. It didn’t use to be this way, and it wasn’t that long ago that I was in high school (okay, yeah, it is a long time ago, but still —) – I didn’t think it was that bad at Lafayette or John Dewey when I was in high school; nobody hated the schools to this extent; are kids that nuts because parents are so not helping? What is really the state of education in NYC?

Furthermore, with the state of (quality) education in NYC – they’re just not building new schools fast enough, and they’re simply not taking demographics into serious consideration, are they?

In the latest issue of Time: fascinating 10 answers to the 10 questions to Toni Morrison.

Gee, this is a great review of Bill Moyers’ new book; I so want to read the book now. Well, Moyers is a good read and good watch either way.

The problem with a famous trademark – people are going to try to counterfeit it and ruin the value of it… “I Love NY” is too easy to exploit on top of that.

IKEA coming to Brooklyn; this is either going to be very good or a very big disaster.

NY Times’ Eric Asimov on a closing of a Chinatown institution.

Finished reading: P.D. James’ “A Certain Justice,” wherein Venetia Aldridge, a criminal defense barrister, is murdered in her chambers. Commander Adam Dagliesh, Inspector Kate Miskin, and the others of Scotland Yard, are on the case. Thoughts: What a compelling read – a page turner. Lots of food for thought – what is “a certain justice”? What does it mean to be a criminal defense lawyer; what does it mean to be a human being? Did Commander Dalgliesh do the right thing? The ending was a bit strange and probably not entirely satisfactory (depends on what you’re looking for – closure? hmmm), but P.D. James is a good writer. A recommended read.