Category: Brooklyn

Arriverderci, Turino; Bonjour, Vancouver. Ok, that was an interesting (if not weird as usual) closing ceremony. Clown noses, a carnivale thing; and Vancouver doing a little ice fishing demonstration to kick off their 2010 Olympics. Umm, okay. Their mayor, Sam Sullivan, taking the flag – that was inspiring – a paraplegic since age 19, he’s working on getting the goods for his city. Seems to me that NBC’s just hoping for better ratings with Vancouver’s being in the same continent and therefore better opportunity for actual live coverage.

NY Rangers Jaromir Jagr is back from Turin and the Olympics break, and he’s past the whole Olympics thing – he’s pretty certain he won’t be playing for the Czech national team anytime soon and now, he’s aiming for the Stanley Cup. Hmm.
Ok, so I was just reading this in passing, but thought that the headline was kind of odd: “Court nominee lightly grilled, not roasted” – wherein Reuters reports on how the Canadians were taking some kind of step towards American-style Supreme Court nominating:

Canada took a small step on Monday toward the U.S.-style practice of vetting nominees to the Supreme Court but the result was more of a love-in than a rigorous interrogation.

As part of a desire by the new Conservative government to make the process of appointing top justices more open, a parliamentary committee was allowed, for the first time ever, to question nominee Marshall Rothstein.

Legislators were warned they could not ask about his stance on controversial topics for fear this would compromise him once he made the top bench.

The opposition Liberals, who had expressed dismay about the idea of questioning judges, gushed with praise.

“I would characterize you as a brilliant jurist, as having a remarkable intelligence, a prolific writer and a man of the highest integrity,” said Irwin Cotler, formerly the Liberal justice minister.

The committee had no power to vote on the candidacy of Rothstein, 65, a veteran of the Federal Court of Appeal. The final decision will be taken by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Gosh, don’t the Canadians know any better than to imitate the Americans at their worst? Or, maybe Members of Parliament really are just as screwed up as their counterparts in the American legislature. Eh.

The passing of sci-fi writer Octavia Butler. I noted this, even though I’ve never gotten around to reading her work yet (I’m really so not a big sci-fi geek) , she is notable for being an African-American female writer in what has been a primarily white male domain.

Some recent reading I did:

A strange and lyrical book, “Spies” by German writer Marcel Beyer (translated by Breon Mitchell). The nameless narrator is not a very reliable narrator, as he pieces to the reader the mysteries of his family’s past and secrets. Grandpa was a German Air Force pilot during the Spanish Civil War (and may or may not have committed atrocities) and fought during World War II; Grandma died, but the memory of her haunts Grandpa, their children, and later the grandchildren who never knew her; Grandpa’s second wife is a lunatic (or is she?) who cut the kids off from their father and the grandchildren never meet their grandfather; or maybe Grandpa is complicit in the estrangment, because he likes his secrets, and later, so do the grandkids, who barely become functioning adults who stop speaking to each other – the three siblings and their cousin, the one who especially hasn’t given up on the idea of Grandma, a former soprano with “Italian” eyes.

Seven Steps on the Writer’s Path: The Journey from Frustration to Fulfillment, by mystery writer Nancy Pickard and writer/therapist Lynn Lott. A spiritual/therapeutical self-help book for writers, but more than that – I think it can help anyone get a perspective on things. I’m not even into self-help books, but I found this one to be a good read – and it was light enough to read in the subway and it was a bargain from Barnes and Noble.

This week, Newsweek has an interesting issue on India, in time for President Bush’s trip to India. But, more notably, it has interesting stuff in Indian-Americans. Writer Jhumpa Lahiri writes on what it means to be hypenated. And, young Indian-Americans are moving beyong medical careers. Well, I suppose Asian-Americans are making progress when we get to have a movie like “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” – still a movie I haven’t seen yet (I’m just not a big movie person, I guess).

The passing of Don Knotts. I’m of the generation that knew him best as Mr. Furley of “Three’s Company” (particularly since I probably watched far too much of that show when I was young). Man, is it sad that both John Ritter (the ex-Jack Tripper) and Don Knotts are gone.

The passing of Darren McGavin, who – among other things – was known for his cult fave role of Kolchak, of the old 1970’s show, “Kolchak: The Night Stalker.” ABC tried a re-make this fall of the show, with a tiny McGavin appearance, but the re-make series was cancelled (I never got a chance to try it).

More notably (and why I take notice of McGavin), Kolchak inspired Fox Mulder of “The X-Files” – the FBI agent who investigates the paranormal/supernatural/unidentified space phenomenon, and takes a more official course that Kolchak, a reporter who investigated the same stuff, probably lacked – but they probably had the same frustration (i.e., being thwarted from investigating very much). (okay, so I did watch too much X-Files during its original run). Anyway, I’d salute McGavin.
This week’s Entertainment Weekly reviewed the Oscars. These special issues — well, I guess it’s what EW is known for having these days. But, what I really liked – the article on Mark Harmon! His NCIS is getting big ratings, so who’s to ignore the All-American guy? Notably, NICS creator/producer, Don Bellisario (the man behind such shows as “Magnum, PI,” “Quantum Leap,” and “JAG”) apparently liked Harmon in West Wing as the ill-fated Secret Service agent – and, I agree – that role was a good role for Harmon. I have my quibbles about his NCIS charater Agent Gibbs (he’s much too tough, making it too obvious that he has a soft heart – I mean, really, Mark Harmon!), but Harmon’s a good actor, who has longevity. Goodness, EW even got Harmon to reminisce about his role on “Chicago Hope” (I lost hope on that show when Mandy Pantinkin and Peter MacNicol left; it was a typical David E. Kelley show that too often didn’t put enough respect for the characters, I long felt) and his work in… “Battle of the Network Stars”! (I was far too young to really appreciate the old “Battle of the Network Stars,” but I think it’s funny how EW notes that NBC did strangely well in it – with Mark Harmon on the NBC team – in what was really an early “reality show”; and I’ve always been convinced that – until recent years – NBC did a good job having network identity and unity, via their old promos in the 1980’s and 1990’s).

Been behind on “House” – but I’m pretty sure that Dr. House is going to self-destruct and it ain’t going to be pretty. Dr. Wilson, if you’re really his best friend, please, do something. Or maybe, Dr. Wilson’s marital problems will be the next storyline to tackle. I mean, really, how much longer will the current Mrs. Wilson be off-screen?

And, a bit behind on “Grey’s Anatomy” – looks like I wasn’t far off the the mark on Meredith Grey’s issues about her dad. Hmm…

And, the Olympics will soon come to an end (the closing ceremonies are on tv tonight). Ah, but it’s been fun, Turin!  (despite the controversies and the like).

We’re in week 2 of the Olympics, and one of those little vignette-timewasters inserted into the NBC coverage involved how this year’s doughnut-shaped Olympic metals are supposed to memorialize the piazza, or town plaza. Cut away to the Olympic metal presentation stage set in a giant open square surrounded by stores, cafes, and room for 8,000 people. Before two weeks ago, apparently the piazza was a busy thoroughfare where you were as likely to be run over if you were caught standing in the middle of it — forget about sitting and enjoying an expresso.
All great neighborhoods have an open air area that comprises a natural public area. Some places have parks, others have squares, while still others have promenades. In my old neighborhood in Kensington it was a wierd area caused by the intersection of two grid systems, that of New Utrecht and 36th Street and 15th Avenue at a 45 degree angle to that of old Flatbush’s Dahill Road, which pretty much goes straight north-south. This created a “natural” area where numerous games of stickball, footbal and other street games were held. On the run to first lies the neighborhood bodega. Along the path home was a two storey frame house with a large porch. Behind home plate was a house best described as a Swiss Chalet. Our bedroom window was the outfield skybox where we could observe what was going on in the outdoor forum. A Fourth of July treat were the massive demonstrations of fireworks that we thought as kids rivaled the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks.

Alas, the triangle is gone, revised by modern traffic shaping into just an ordinary straight street that would have run into the house. And alas, the house is gone, being gobbled up by a much more utilitarian building. Yet, the area is still used as a walking area called an eruv by the Hasidic community of Borough Park, and the memory remains. Perhaps that is what those Olympic medals set out to represent – continuing to be an open area surrounded by — yet a part of — the whole world.

Snow’s all but gone – leaving this yucky muck on the sidewalks of NY.

How about those Chinese figure skating pairs? One pair, the bronze winners of 2002, earning a bronze again in 2006 – but a well-earned one, considering how Zhao had that horrible Achilles tendon injury and then his partner, Shen, had those slips in their programs during the Olympics 2006. The silver medalists – Zhang and Zhang (not related) – well, when the female Zhang had her fall, one wondered if they’d medal, but they had their courage and got out there. Quite something.

American skier Toby Dawson wins a bronze in moguls (the hilly ski course, with the acrobatic elements). Dawson is an Korean-American adoptee, who grew up in the ski country of Vail, Colorado. NBC has an interesting profile on him.

NY Times’ Lee Jenkins tells Dawson’s story poignantly (poignant: a classic Olympic style, no doubt):

Toby Dawson arrived in the United States with no name and no birthday.

He was adoptee K81-2879, found on the streets of Seoul, South Korea. Workers at the South Korean orphanage where he lived called him Kim Soo Chul. They listed his date of birth as Nov. 30, 1978, because it seemed like a reasonable guess.

On Wednesday night, adoptee K81-2879 became an Olympic medalist. When he won the bronze in the men’s moguls competition, his adoptive mother, Deborah Dawson, flashed back to the first time she saw him, on a spring day at a Denver airport 24 years ago.

“It felt,” she said, “a lot like it feels right now.” [….]

Dawson came to the United States when he was about 3 years old, adopted by a husband and wife who were ski instructors in Vail, Colo. One of the first toys Dawson received in the United States was a trampoline. As he jumped up and down in the backyard, Deborah Dawson watched from her kitchen window, recognizing his passion for physical activity and a determination to stay on his feet.

Sitting in the stands Wednesday in Sauze d’Oulx, Deborah Dawson wore a gold jacket and a cowbell around her neck. She saw her son choose a path down the mountain that no one else wanted. It was on the right side of the hill, covered with enough excess snow and pine needles to halt even the most accomplished skier.

“We tried to get him to move more to the right, but he stuck to his guns,” said Jeff Wintersteen, the United States coach. “Toby’s an individualist. He liked that line and he was going to go for it.”

The line was difficult. It was undesirable. It was filled with unnecessary obstacles.

For skier K81-2879, it was perfect.

The men’s figure skating — well, wasn’t that much of a surprise,was it? Plushenko, gold. After that, was the fight for the two other medals. Lambiel of Switzerland, silver. Canada’s Jeffrey Buttle – a chemical engineering student in U of Toronto – a bronze – lucky him (earning something, despite tripping on an attempted quad). US men? Evan Lysacek – coming back from the poor short program, but not winning the bronze with 4th place, so close! – and Matt Savoie – well, I liked his short program, so I think he came close, too. He ended at 7th. He’s an aspiring lawyer, about to go to Cornell Law. And, the US Champion, Johnny Weir – hmm. He was 5th place, with a pretty long program, but no quad. You need a quad, man! You don’t get a medal unless you try risks.

And the new point system for skating? I just don’t understand it, even when the pairs tried it out (and they were the ones who caused the old scoring system to be ditched) – but, I guess it’s a work in progress. Maybe it’ll make more sense to me once I see the ice dancers and the women skaters.
Well, I’m not behind on “Grey’s Anatomy” for once. Man, that part 2 of the Super Bowl episode was really something. Explosive (pun intended). Too bad for Bomb Squad Guy, played by Kyle Chandler. I thought he had a moment with Meredith Grey, who, in reality, is still stuck on Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey). And, really, Meredith needs a dynamic kind of guy, to offset what she went through with McDreamy. But, next week’s “Grey” will be interesting – Mark, the ex-best friend of Dr. McDreamy (sorry, Dr. Shepherd) and the guy who had an affair with Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd, Shepherd’s wife, will visit (for how long?) Seattle Grace Hospital – and, gee, sparks will fly, but whose sparks? (Meredith’s, or Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd’s?). Hmm…

Due to the Olympics, I’m behind on “House.” Will catch up some time this week.

Sometimes, I think my workplace is something out of ER. The interminal meetings were punctuated by: medical drama, a guy from Nepal gets asylum, job interviews, a (three time put-offed) yearbook picture, lost and found email, network outages, arguments with subordinates over email, and figuring out what’s for lunch. This was all true.

P and I had dinner at Bar Tabac on Smith Street, passing on Sur because it was completely empty, which we took to be a bad sign on Valentines. We had a little intermission at One Girl Cookies to make up for getting doused by a car speeding through slush.

It was kind of busy at Bar Tabac, but we were seated immediately without reservations. We ordered all of the specials, plus an onion soup for myself, and we were well satisfied. They had their live band playing several pieces, including “Blue Skies”. Absolutely wonderful!

Watched the tail-end of the Westminster Dog Show on USA network. Rufus is pretty darn cute!

A record-breaking thing in NYC: some more than 20 inches. 26.9 in Central Park. So is it a plain ol’ nor’easter, or a real blizzard? The National Weather Service can’t seem to figure that out yet. Quite something. The weatherforecasters are already saying we’ll be back to the 50’s by the end of the week. Got to be kidding me…

The Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics of Torino (or Turin), 2006 – quite something, I had to say. Lot of abstract stuff. I kept thinking, “Boy, am I glad I read the Divine Comedy, so I can read much more into the symbolism than I probably should.” The Italian poet, Dante, would have been so proud. And, really, I think it’s great that now, Turin will now be more than just the town known for the Shroud of Turin or for the Ferraris. (well, okay, so they just had to have a Ferrari in the Opening Ceremony).

Bob Costas was joined by Brian Williams and Mary Carillo (who joined the men later on). It felt weird, since one wondered where Katie Couric was (and wondering if those rumors in the newspapers were serious – was NBC really doing something to Katie Couric because CBS is interested in her?). Yahoo! posted this interesting analysis from AP, where AP writer David Bauder observes:

“The games begin at an interesting, some say dicey, time in our world,” NBC News anchor Brian Williams said at the ceremony’s outset.

Williams and Bob Costas were the network’s hosts for the ceremony and parade of nations. Katie Couric has helped handle those duties for the last few Olympics but, with her NBC contract nearing an end and CBS courting her, she was benched this time in favor of Williams.

Perhaps no entertainment event truly approaches an Olympics opening or closing ceremony for general loopiness, and this was no exception. There were girls raising flags mounted on the backpacks of men, an unfortunate fellow being forced to continually pound a fire-breathing platform with a mallet and those model cows being led around the ice.

Costas tried gamely, at first, to try to decipher it all: “The universal symbol of passion, the beating heart,” he said.

But eventually he seemed to simply give up and the narrators allowed long stretches of silence.

Well, that was rather notable – I kept thinking, “Gee, Brian, where are you?” when it felt like Bob and Mary were doing the talking. Kind of odd that. And, nice surprise as far as the torch bearer was concerned (I kept thinking, now where is that Alberto Tomba, and pleased that Italy had other Oympians to honor). Otherwise, beautiful ceremony (and that Pavarotti – you can’t keep a legend out, right?).
Michelle Kwan stepping out of the Torino Olympics. She will be honored for her achievements.

Plus, tonight, Part 2 of “Grey’s Anatomy” – the resolution to the cliffhanger episode of last week’s Super Bowl episode. Poor Meredith Grey. But, you figure she’ll be fine, since, her name is the title of the show.

Stay warm!

Saw the opening for the Olympics on the DVR. It’s so much more efficient playing it from the DVR – was able to watch the whole thing in 2 hours. Thumbs up for the acrobatics and synchronized dancing – the skier stunt was excellent. Thumbs down for the disco music when the athletes came in – surely they could have found some Euro Dance music. Torch run was excellent as well. The opera closing with Luciano Pavarotti singing “Nobody’s Sleeping” from Pucini’s Turandot was spectacular – it’s the one opera piece everyone must know.