Friday, February 29, 2008
On Screen: The Underbelly of My Hometown
Long before my DVD viewing last week of 'Gone Baby Gone,' I had listened to the foreign-language audiobook - Swedish, if you must know. Since I think I understood what was happening from only 3/4 of the text, the film was a real treat, giving my mind's images flesh and blood and filling in the gaps. It's a police procedural that's mostly convincing and wanders into some tricky moral territory..
The 5 Parameters!
1. Four Words That Encapsule: 'Mystery-cum-Moral Dilemma'
2. Haikus (5/7/5):
a. 'Boston's seamy side;
child plucked from its vile bowels;
to who knows what fate...'
seeking bimbo's missing child;
if they only knew....
3. Oblique Commentary: a) Casey Affleck is both talented and easy on the eye - his thick Boston accent is very convincing. While listening to the book, I had pictured an older actor, late 30s or early 40s. This film was the directorial debut of Casey's big brother, Ben Affleck, and he appears to direct better than he acts (or writes). b) 'Gone' was actually the fourth book in Lehane's series about South Boston detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro (Affleck and dark-haired Michelle Monaghan, pictured left and below). There's great back story that is, of course, missing from the film. c) Amy Ryan (left, the blonde) well-deserved her Oscar nomination as the missing child's neglectful, ne'er-do-well single mother.
4. Insight: Like other Dennis Lehane books, including Mystic River, 'Gone' is very evocative of its Boston's vast lower-rent regions. In this case, the action is mostly in Dorchester, where my Dad grew up. Most visitors never go near these places, as they are far away from Boston's historic center and charming upscale neighborhoods. These areas have a very particular language and vibe, which Boston-bred Lehane captures very well. This local flavor has been captured well by directors adapting Lehane (Clint Eastwood for 'Mystic River' and Affleck here), as well as Scorsese's 'The Departed' and Gus Van Sandt's 'Good Will Hunting,' the latter script penned by Affleck with Matt Damon.
5. Link: Metacritic Reviews Summary - It got a 72, based on 33 reviews - between B- and B; I agree. Not bad for Ben Affleck's first time behind the lens...
and here's the 'Gone Baby Gone' trailer:
Cartoons du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Art on the Go: Dominican Office Art
It's a privilege of my travel-intensive job that I get to see the artwork in corporate offices, high-end hotels, and even airport business lounges... Two weeks ago, in the D.R., I enjoyed one company's nativist artwork both at both their corporate headquarters and their thermoelectric plant! Other news: Thomas sees his sentiments reflected, en español, in the cutest missing dog poster I've ever seen
At Acropolis Tower, downtown Santo Domingo:
At the Plant, east of town:
Cartoons du Jour:
That was my vegetable garden...
this entry's permalink
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Quote of the Day: Humphrey Bogart, to someone claiming he couldn't keep up with him: 'What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?'
SOTW: Rhythm of the Saint
This week's Song/Video of the Week is "Jesus Saves, I Spend," a smart but non-humorous musing by St Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, whose show I'm seeing with David on Friday, in two days!Clark is a singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist from Texas who was a member of choral symphonic pop outfit Polyphonic Spree until she went solo last year with her delightful "Marry Me" album...
Clark is something of a sui generis.... Her songs are personal, bare, almost acoustic with subtly incisive lyrics...
Sample lyrics:'While Jesus is saving / I'm spending all my days,
in backgrounds and landscapes, with the languages of saints'
- from 'Jesus Saves, I Spend'
'Sticks and stones have made me smarter,
it's words that cut me under my armor they say'
- from 'Paris is Burning'
Here's the wonderful clip of 'Jesus Saves, I Spend:'
and here's Annie singing 'Marry Me' live at the September 2007 Swerve Festival in Hollywood:
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Happy Birthday, Deena!
(Song of the Week will appear tomorrow - today belongs to Deena!!) Get ready for a multi-media salute to my baby sister, who's turning 44 today! It's kind of surreal for someone born in the middle of the Beatles invasion... Here's Deena showing off my Indian artwork...
Here's clip #1, a classic 70s song my sister really loved, back in the day... It's 'Come Sail Away' by Styx...
Deena's hobby as a child was sneaking up on me while I was reading, pushing me off the bed or chair, and then yelling 'Mommy! Aaron's bothering me!!!' Here's Deena during a 2006 Florida vacation:
Deena and I were inseparable companions when our ages were in single digits. One ongoing joke was Deena's refusal to admit that she snuck my camera to take a picture of a certain TV show, to which I present the theme here:
Deena at my Mom's 70th birthday dinner. My sister was a champion swimmer in her early teen years, the star of Prospect Pool in East Meadow, NY...
Finally, Dee with her husband Dave on the plane:
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Monday, February 25, 2008
Now hearing speaker #8 out of 12! Endurathon! Had a Colombian Latte on break...
this entry's permalink
Morning Has Broken on My Colombian Conference...
My Colombian conference has begun - 12 speakers! from Economy Ministry (currently presenting as I write this...), City of Bogota, and by 8 different large Colombia corporations from all key sectors!I could live-blog this if I so chose...
This hotel, Casa Medina (pictured), is just beautiful, like an old brick mansion - Bogota, nearly two miles high, is cool, not tropical, and brick construction abounds.
this entry's permalink
If I Could See Bogotá
What would I see? This panoramic city view from Mt. Monserrate?
I'm in Colombia hosting a marathon all-day conference with 10 different presenters, followed by a long client dinner.. (ps check out Thomas today - amazing pictures of carnaval in Wally Why CHOO, Argentina.) I arrived late yesterday, and I am leaving early tomorrow. So this will be my third trip to Colombia without seeing Colombia.
So I set this post up in advance to show myself - and you all - what one could do with a free day to explore this city's wonders.. I feel a pinch of regret, but not enough to change to a 7am Sunday flight... : - ) Let's go... Bogotá awaits us! 
Above: Intersection of Old Avenue and New Boulevard: The Santamaria Tower, a Bullfighting Stadium, and a Planetarium...
Bogotá vital statistics: founded 1538, metro area population 7-8 million (20% of Colombia), third-higest major world city at 9,300 feet (its motto: '2,600 meters closer to the stars), origin of name: indigenous word for 'planted field'...
Below: Teatro Colon in the Historic District, National Congress
Bogotá's #1 attraction is its Gold Museum - at left are some of its highlights....
The closest I've come to knowing Colombia is living in Jackson Heights for 15 years, and having some very good Colombian friends...
Bogotá is a model of urban planning, and its jewel is the Transmilenio rapid bus system, pictured below... Transmilenio, where glass waiting booths open directly on to the glass doors of the bus, is based on the Curitiba, Brazil model amply chronicled here by my pal Thomas.
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Food Journey: The Wizard of Cornwall Bridge
As an 'appetizer' to the food, facts & figures of my business trip to Colombia - fly down today, conference tomorrow, fly back Tuesday. It's a 2,493 mile journey, about the same distance as my family in Phoenix. It'll be my 113th foreign trip, 3rd to Colombia, 37th to South America, and 67th to Latin America.Like a Ming Dynasty monarch did I eat when I visited the Wiskes two weeks ago, as Paul Wiske dazzled with his kitchen wizardry! Some highlights for your pleasure:
This hearty, piquant thick-noodled meat and dumpling soup was the perfect lunch on a cold, snowy mountain day..
Good food rises from good ingredients...
The main event: sumptuous, tangy, slightly spicy duck, grilled to perfection, served in a circle of savory sauteed shrimp...
Paul's secret weapon - an outdoor grill fired up on the porch, in the arctic air, and smoked with hickory chips...
And here's the master chef in his kitchen:
The duck/shrimp centerpiece was complemented by spicy Chinese vegetables....
and brown rice with minced greens....We finished off the evening with fresh orange wedges...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Aaron Look
That's what Andres used to exclaim when he noticed the white stuff through the window. Yesterday was an 'Aaron Look' morning - in this case, filtered by my screen window... Good thing it happened yesterday and not tomorrow, or my Colombian Conference would be all presenters and no audience...
Huddled shivering in an icy doorway, making small talk with my Chinese periodontist... The receptionist had suggested arriving early, so I did... So did Dr. Ziar... without his keys... Here's the view from where I work - no screens needed, as the windows are of the non-opening persuasion...
this entry's permalink
What Was In The Cakes?
Three delicious cakes from Dean & DeLuca were served at the 3-Cake Birthday party I threw Feb 2 for myself, Sunil, and David. Several people have asked what those scrumptious creations were made of. Today, I reveal that to you!
On the left, the 'Almond Apricot Cake' is an almond cake lightly kissed with Grand Marnier, with apricot preserves, white chocolate butter cream on the sides, and a ring of honey toasted almonds on top. In the middle, the 'Busy Bee Cake' is a made of bittersweet chocolate mousse covered with marzipan and more bittersweet chocolate. Finally, on the right, the 'Queen D' cake has layers of hazelnut cake brushed with a hint of kahlua, and filled with mocha butter cream, raspberry preserves, and yet more bittersweet chocolate.
And here we are, cutting the aforementioned cakes...
Cartoons du Jour
this entry's permalink
Friday, February 22, 2008
On Screen: Michael Clayton and The Expectations Factor
I was slow in getting to 'Michael Clayton,' which I saw last Friday at the 70s-imbued Quad Theater on W 13th. I assumed the premise was 'burnt-out sleazy lawyer tries to redeem self,' and this didn't draw me in. I was wrong, and in any case a good movie transcends its premises. Others approached Michael Clayton expecting a breathless thriller on par with 'Bourne Identity,' and left disappointed. Don't get me wrong - there is high suspense and twists, and it keeps your mind working. But there's also character study, and subtle treatment of corporate ethics and morality.1. Four Words That Encapsule: "Gripping, Acting-Driven, Timely Suspense"
2. Haiku (5/7/5):
a. 'Fixer tries to fix
laywer gone crazy, missing,
enemies in wait'
b. 'Bummed-out clean up man;
lawyer pal gone round the bend;
who plots their demise?'
3. Oblique Commentary: I don't see enough of Tilda Swinton. She thoroughly won me over with two unforgettable performances. First, as the gender-and-century hopping title character of 1993's Virginia Wolff adaptation 'Orlando.' Then came 2001's 'The Deep End,' as the valiant mother trying to protect her family, especially her gay son, from blackmail and ruin, out by Lake Tahoe.4. Insight: The film is well-directed by Tony Gilroy, but essentially driven by the virtuoso acting of Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and yes, dammit, George Clooney, too... Tom and Tilda accomplish this feat without much back story, as the film is focused on Clooney's title character. All the bit players are pitch-perfect, from Sydney Pollack's umpteenth slightly-sleazy establishment cynic to the youngster adeptly playing Clooney's school-age son as he shuffles between his divorced parents with ennui beyond his years. 'Clayton' uses the highly effective device of showing ten mintues of intriguing developments, and then jumping back 'four days earlier,' only to revisit the ten minutes through a very different prism toward the film's end.
5. Link: Metacritic review summary - 82 average of 36 reviews - this is an 'A-' denoting critical acclaim. I concur. As does the Academy, judging by the film's six nominations, including three for acting. I expect 'Clayton' to go home empty-handed on Sunday, out-gunned by even stronger competition...
And here's the Michael Clayton trailer - it doesn't begin to convey the nuances of the plot or the ingenious structure... It also shows too much, in my opinion, but you won't know that unless you've seen it, so maybe not...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Adios Nonino
We'll miss you! (fans of high-altitude cinema, page down...)
The 35,000 Foot Critic: Intense Lives Captured
Heavy snow caused a 5 hour delay of my return trip from Santo Domingo; thank heavens I had a pair of long, memorable movies on DVD. These were "The Apostle" and "The People vs Larry Flynt." Both films are driven by intense acting and unusual but uniquely American subjects. Here are my mini-reviews.
"The Apostle (1997)"
Four Words That Encapsule: "Rooftop Raiser Seeks Redemption"
Haiku (5/7/5):
"Holy roller lost
burns to help folks, heal himself,
'til the net descends"
Again, a truly great film transcends its subject, and gets you over your gut feeling of 'I don't want to see a film about (boxing, nazis, the mafia, country singers, fill in the blank). I've always found evangelism strange and somewhat scary - the world view being reduced to seeing Jesus as one's own personal savior.
'The Apostle' is about such people, but it's thankfully not a biopic or anything predictable - it's about a man on the run, racing against time, trying to find his bearings again in the only universe that's ever made him feel alive.
The faces and voices of these people burn their reality into your consciousness.
And yet it's in some ways a very subtle, small film.
Robert Duvall is a wonder, doing some of the finest work of his career. And yes, that's Farrah Fawcett in a small role as his ex-wife....
And here's a clip from "The Apostle:
"The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)"Four Words That Encapsule: "Pornographer's Challenging Free Expressions"
Haikus (5/7/5):
1. "Hustler's low down sex
spread us wide like a sewer,
that dreaded mirror"
2. "Envelope pusher,
patron animal, vile saint,
stands for our fredom"
3. "Althea, smut muse;
Larry, shot, his lover drowned
dead legs, fierce spirit"
'Larry Flynt' sticks closely to biopic conventions, even if its porn king subject is anything but conventional. The film has its flaws, but Woody Harrelson as actor bats this one out of the park. The story is fascinating, the courtroom scenes, compelling, often hilarious, and probably verbatim.
The film may well present Flynt as far too attractive and appealing and idealize his relationship with his wife Althea as soulmate and muse. It shows Flynt and Althea as difficult, troubled, somewhat twisted, but surprisingly sweet. Flynt's relationship with his civil-liberties lawyer, deftly played by Edward Norton, is also somewhat larger than life.
Courtney Love makes an indelible impression as Althea, and can certainly act, but she's a 90s or 00s woman in vocabulary and body language, a post-feminist who seems too effortlessly comfortable in her relationship and in her own skin given her background and the era. Her descent into drug use through tragedy and loss is realistic, and may well echo her own real-life survival as the wife and widow of Kurt Cobain.
This post is awfully long for a pair of 'mini-reviews.' : - ) Guess there was a lot to say...
And here's a clip from "Larry Flynt:"
Cartoons du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Lens on Lujan
My mind turns to Argentina, a place that changed my life forever. My friend Thomas is headed down there to live indefinitely - tonight's his goodbye party....
This is one of my best art photos ever - it was taken in Lujan, Argentina, late May 2006, I liked the reflection and floating leaves on this green tarpaulin....
Lujan, Argentina again. The truly important things in life : - ) I love the signs old-fashioned lettering and chipped paint. Interesting that the rest rooms boast of having hot water.
Your name, in three minutes! While you wait!
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Coming soon: I'm in Colombia Sunday through Tuesday - Back here, we'll post on plane intensity, mysteries of Chinese cuisine, my Michael Clayton review, cartoons, and other pleasures....'Twas a great long weekend - Bart & Ashley invited me up to Mount Vernon for a feast Monday - nobody sets a prettier table, or serves a classier meal. I took many photos, coming this weekend. Much rest & relaxation this past weekend. Had an interesting date. Saw more friends: sipped latte with Sunil and chewed bitter melon with John W.
this entry's permalink
Music With Merritt
This week's SOTW salutes America's most clever songwriter-lyricist, Stephen Merritt (far left), represented by the infectious "Too Drunk To Dream." Merritt has assembled an extraordinary songbook through his main vehicle, The Magnetic Fields (immediate left), and through other projects such as Future Bible Heroes and The Sixths. Merritt's deep, droll voice are perfect for his balance of cynicism and vulnerability; he's the intersection of burned fingers, a hungry heart, and a sharp tongue... Icing on the cake: he's gay, 40-something, and enamored of synthesizers..
Classic Merritt titles: "(It's A Good Thing) I Don't Have Any Feelings," "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend," "(My Heart's Like) A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off..."Favorite Merritt couplet:
"In Las Vegas where the electric bills are staggering;
the decor, hog wild and the entertainment, saccharine;
What a golden age, what a time of right and reason;
the consumer's king, and unhappiness is treason
and I can't sleep / 'cause you've got strange powers
you're in my dreams... stranger powers'
- from 'Strange Powers'
More examples of Merritt-ian cleverness:"Eligible, not too stupid
Intelligible, and cute as Cupid
knowledgable, but not always right,
salvageable, and free for the night"
- 'Chicken With It's Head Cut Off', from '69 Love Songs'
"Since you went away / it's nighttime all day
and it's usually raining, too "
- 'I Don't Believe In the Sun," also from '69 Love Songs'
Merritt's been skimpy with videos; there's nothing recent, so we offer here some older Merritt clips:
'Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits':
Magnetic Fields live: 'Swinging London':
Finally, a fan video mixing 'I Thought You Were My Boyfriend' with scenes from 'The Office':
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Monday, February 18, 2008
Haiku Elegies to '08 Presidential Hopefuls
Since we may seal the deal either tomorrow or March 4, I offer a haiku salute to the once-crowded field, red and blue, that gave us months of suspense and entertainment.. For your enjoyment, each is accompanied by a much younger photo of the candidate.
Democrats:
Obama:"Rohrshack Test or dream?
Bright light, the road not taken?
Time to take it now?"
Hillary:"Brave and battle-scarred;
Merit's often not enough,
Tireless lady may learn"
Edwards:"Shiny hair, sharp wife;
populist one-note banter;
leave stage? I think not..."
Republicans:
McCain:
"His endearing trait:
likes to piss his allies off...;
still, sits on right wing"
Huckabee:
"Folksy like a fox;
will God's righteous servant chase
votes? or VP slot?"
Romney:
"Money can't buy love,
votes, delegates, or respect;
lesson: be yourself"
Giuliani:
"Two years buzz for naught;
Bad match? Plain as nose on face!
Large, unnoticed nose..."
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Food Journey: 44 1/2
I'm feeling better by the minute - this long weekend is just what I needed...
Two weeks back I was invited to dinner at 44 1/2 and 'Broadway Backwards' with a group of friends - I posted on the marvelous gender-reversal musical show earlier - now, the memorable meal...
I can't resist a groovy neon sign! 44 1/2 is on 10th avenue, halfway between 44th & 45th. Lovely decor, sumptuous cuisine....
American Red Snapper w Coconut Basamati Rice and Coconut-Curry Glaze with Sauteed String Beans
Their Tilapia special on winter vegetables - looks sumptuous...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Hibernia
It means 'Land of Winter' - it's what the Ancient Romans called Ireland (take that, Emerald Islanders!). Last week I found vast expanses of powdery snow while visiting old friends in Cornwall Bridge, in the northwestern corner of Connecticut...
Haiku: (5/7/5)
"Vast expanse of snow
over empty, winding roads;
refuge on a hill"
Over the meadow and through the woods....
From their porch/desk, 'the best view of the Housatonic (River) I was going to get' on that blustery day...
This shot isn't bad for a picture taken from a moving, northbound train...
Next Morning Haiku (5/7/5):
"Dawn's crack, underslept;
blurry-eyed and cotton-brained,
nervous zombie packs"
Futuristic terminal shot, before take-off...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Friday, February 15, 2008
Dinner
The upside of a 'soft food diet' - tomorrow, back to solids. I just saw 'Michael Clayton,' in theater, at the Quad on 13th St, a 70s-esque venue that brings back memories. I'll post my review the awesome 'Clayton' next Friday. Don't miss it! It's out on DVD in four days..
this entry's permalink
I'm fine - it was no big deal - had to eat humus & applesauce for lunch : - )
this entry's permalink
I am about to go have minor dental surgery. : - (
Hillary shakes up her faltering campaign...
this entry's permalink
What Film?
Friday is mostly Current Film Review Day, but I've been so busy traveling I'm fresh out films. So instead, some great pictures from my Dominican Republic trip. But first, an addendum from Denis. The farcical, buffoonish 'Delusions of Grandeur,' which we discussed Sunday, parodies a source of high pedigree: Victor Hugo's tragic drama 'Ruy Blas.'
Now, on with the show!
Austere public building in the Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial, the historic district dating back to the 1500s...
The city's morning and evening newspapers are cutthroat competitors, engaged here in a battle of signage on a sunny street corner...
Woman in Blue, Zona Colonial... Susan Sontag is not happy, somewhere...
Pan out over Santo Domingo's more upscale areas...
A tangle of palm trees, and are those storm clouds approaching?
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The 35,000 Foot Critic: 79 Years in 4 Hours
En route to Santo Domingo, I enjoyed an unlikely pair of films on DVD that span 79 years and are very, very loosely linked, thematically, by religion. Way back in 1928, Theodore Dreyer's silent classic "Passion of Joan of Arc" uses facial expressions and expressionistic sets to convey Joan's horror at her impending fate and conflict at whether she should give in and spare herself. Flash forward eight decades to last year's hilarious "The Ten," an outrageous, comedic, and highly creative web of vignettes loosely based on the Ten Commandments, framed by narrator Paul Rudd's own personal female trouble. It was quite a flight!
"Passion of Joan of Arc"Four Words That Encapsule: "Devout Heroine's Final Frames"
Haiku: (5/7/5)
"Her horrified face,
tormented by dark, dour priests;
her fiery destiny..."
Here's a harrowing clip from "Joan":
"The Ten"Four Words That Encapsule: "Ensemble Harpoons Numerous Targets"
Haiku: (5/7/5)
"Much outrageous farce;
starting point: Bible tablets
leads to droll vignettes"
Here's the riotously funny trailer for "The Ten":
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I arrived six frakking hours late! Uggh. My only defense was haiku-writing (5/7/5):
"I just want to board;
but where the hell is my plane?
I stand in limbo"
"Swift as a rocket
Plane flew home in record time
Now we just circle..."
this entry's permalink
See My Mexi-Galleria
It's yesterday afternoon, and my flight home's leaving 3 hours late.. I bought my way into the AAdmiral's Club, and was hoping to share D.R. pictures or AAdmiral AArt, but their computer says 'no flash drive access, buddy boy.' So, I'll regale you with colorful art and decor from my recent Mexican trip:
At Estoril restaurant in Mexico City's posh west side... That's Bevan's head...
Post-modern corproate façade in Santa Fe, a slice of Mexico City sprawl that's like an exurb, but within the city limits...
Courtyard of the Quinta Real, the lavish barroque colonial-style Monterrey hotel where we slept a few hours between a late flight and an early breakfast meeting:
Ceiling fresco of the Quinta Real's opulent lobby suggests a pre-fab, Mexi-styled Sistene Chapel....
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I Had A Lust, I Had A Firecracker
This weeks's Song/Video of the Week is 'Firecracker,' by Voxtrot, an a five-man indie pop-rock band from Austin.Voxtrot's lead singer, Ramesh Srivastava, is of South Asian descent, but looks, sings, and acts 100% American Indie. He has his very own blog called 'The Voxtrot Kid'! He writes only a few times a year but it's usually a long letter...
I had assumed Voxtrot were gay, not only because one single begins 'Stephen, I love you..' (though it's about friends becoming distant I think), but also on a gut feeling - the way they show emotion and vulnerability, how I identify with their geekiness.
It's like a few years back, when Adam Sandler, of all people, recorded a Hannukah song, reciting a litany of celebrities that are Jewish, and probably celebrate the festival of light. He brags and brags: 'Robin Williams, Kirk AND Spock.' But the line I most remember is 'Bruce Springsteen's not, but my Mom THINKS he is' : - )Here they are at left. Below you can hear and watch them sing. Their lyrics are wonderful. Here's a sampling:
Firecracker:
"I had a lust. I had a firecracker
I had a love for the sound of this world
Im still in love its just a stab a laughter
It’s just a mark of the people we are"
Stephen:
" Stephen, I'm watching the world get boring,
there's too much restraint in the mix.
I'd be overly flattered to feel so shattered to,
have something broken and fixed."
Enjoy the great video of 'Firecracker':
..and of 'Stephen'...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Monday, February 11, 2008
Near and D.R.
Night falls on the outskirts of Santo Domingo.. I had a busy, highly productive day, including a tour of a thermoelectric plant and a port for storing liquid natural gas and making it gaseous again. Tomorrow we start with an 8am breakfast meeting. Will I use my bathing suit here? Stay tuned...
this entry's permalink
Gone Coconuts
Arrived safe and sound in Santo Domingo last night, actually tonight, since I wrote this in advance. Here I am at the Sofitel, pictured right.
This hotel consists of three colonial mansions joined and converted into a hotel perched overlooking the river.
It's located in the heart of the perfectly preserved, 16th century old city - the jewel of Santo Domingo.
It has a pool. I brought my bathing suit. : -)
Not Really
This sushi parlor's alarming sign is aimed at non-diners seeking only bladder refuge. The plumbing works fine for paying customers - if they aren't scared away first by the sign... : -)
My co-workers have nicknamed a junior colleague - they now only call him Borat, even on his birthday cake...
Poodles Porteños - These dogs were being walked on an autumn day in Buenos Aires, May 2006...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Far from the madding crowd, I found winter, up in Cornwall Bridge, CT, and had a great visit with my friends the Wiskes, who I hadn't seen in nearly fifteen years. It was a quite a day, and I ate like a (Chinese) king. More on that, including photos, later this week....
My mad crazed professional moment. I answered three panic calls during a doctor's appointment late Thursday, and promised to call back in 5 minutes. After the appointment, I crossed Central Park West, sat down on wintry park bench, grabbed a pen, paper, and my blackberry, and went into conference mode. A few chilly moments later, I wisely hailed a warm cab and continued the drill therein...
this entry's permalink
112 - Back to the D.R.
I'm off on a two-day research trip to the Dominican Republic, I'll be back late Tuesday afternoon.
I'm just happy to get out of this cold!
This is my third time in both the D.R. and the Caribbean (I've never done the Caribbean Island vacation thing...).
It'll also be my 112th foreign trip.. If you consider, as I do, the D.R. to be part of Latin America, it'd be my 66th Latin trip.
Denis Day! The Denis LeRue Festival du Film Begins.....
As promissed, today we launch our Denis LeRue film festival - an ongoing parade featuring all of my Parisian pal's all-time favorite French films. We begin with the classic 1971 French comedy 'La Folie des Grandeurs / Delusions of Grandeur,' reviewed below.
1. Four Words That Encapsule: 'The Two Medieval Stooges'
2. Haiku (5/7/5):
'Master and servant
One's a fop, the other, dumb,
who's the bigger fool?'
de Funes plays characters that are amoral, fussy, vain, and cartoonish. 'Folie' is typical de Funes- broad farce, lots of slapstick, chaos, mayhem, and dumb gags.
It takes place in Medieval Spain, with de Funes as a pedantic tax collector who falls out of favor with the King.He plans his revenge - having his dim-witted valet, played by Yves Montand, seduce the Queen. But first he must pass off Montand as his swashbuckling nephew, after shipping his real nephew to Berberland as a slave in a ridiculous gig. All of this, filmed in glorious early-70s color.
The set pieces are terrific, and the dusty landscapes and delightfully cheesy music are not only worthy of Sergio Leone but actively parodying him.
The plot is unlikely, the situations, outrageous, the dialogue, farcical - a buddy movie with the churl and the buffoon - this formula produced hit after hit in France for director Gerard Oury and his star, de Funes, in the 60s and 70s. Box-office smashes, not always critical favorites. The French, mid-century Adam Sandler? : - )
This brief 'Folie Grandeurs' clip, though in French, is mostly physical comedy...
Denis also recommended the following recent French song/video, Emilie Simon's Fleur de Saison. Simon, interestingly, wrote a very avant-garde soundtrack to March of the Penguins in France, but this was replaced in its US release by a more traditional Alex Wurman soundtrack. Here's the clip for 'Fleur de Saison' (Seasonal Flower?)'
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Saturday, February 09, 2008
The Food Journey: Into SoWa
Our culinary adventure in Boston is just ahead - first, more birthday party pics... Here, the birthday boys don their 'birthday princess' hats - it took Alex several shots to get all of our eyes open. I'm into Bette Davis territory here...
For the party I wore my 'concert outfit' - black on black. I'm bravely tried to hand-wash this shirt Tuesday. I want it to stay black...
So, In Boston, we celebrated Erik's birthday, trudging through the snow of SoWa (South of Washington) to the Italian eatery known as Rocca:
Erik and I both had this savory tuna over an eggplant and olive concoction - a real treat. Yeah, I know, mercury poisoning. Go ahead and spoil my fun. : - ) 
Only Erik had an appetizer, entree, and this luscious dessert. A tasty pine-nut tart with sweet figs and ice cream... 
And here's Erik the birthday boy... 
Rocca has an interesting interior: 
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Friday, February 08, 2008
Not There, Still Here
Bob Dylan is alive. I wonder what he thought of "I'm Not There," assuming, as I am, that he saw the split-personality biopic-collage directed by Todd Haynes.
As you may know, the film has six actors interpreting seven incarnations or phases/aspects of Dylan, none of them named Dylan. It's a non-linear collage, sometimes dense, more often lively, and it's acting-fest where Cate Blanchett shoots the moon, Heath Ledger and Christian Bale are pitch-perfect as well.
Not everyone's cup of oo-long, but I'll glady have seconds...
At left, Cate and the real deal. On to the 5 parameters....
1. Four Words That Encapsule: "Bob Dylan Deconstructed, Creatively"
2. Haiku (5/7/5):
'My seven faces;
or phases; open my soul
o acting posse!'
3. Oblique Comments: Cate Blanchett! What a acting tour de force bordering on optical illusion. I kept looking at her for gender clues, and she morphed impressively, into a skinny, troubled, male - a no-frills, downbeat androgyny - the antithesis of glam rock or Bowie.
4. Insight: a) It was quite effective to switch back and forth between color and black & white. This technique gave the a film a more 'documentary' feel, and accentuated the shifts in mood and character. b) Haynes was smart not to load the soundtrack with Dylan's greatest hits, in the manner of a Big Hollywood Biopic - he used album tracks that are lesser known by equally poetic and perhaps more representative of Dylan's body of work;
5. Link: - Metacritic review summary - It got a 73, which is like a B. That's probably what I'd give it, since it's fascinating but dense.
Here's the movie trailer...
and here's Bob Dylan, first singing, then talking... Here's perhaps his best song, 'Mr Tambourine Man,' sung acoustic - of course it's the electric version by The Byrds that became a hit and a classic... Dylan, too, would go electric shortly after this 1964 performance at Newport...
Bob Dylan's Time magazine interview - he was a difficult subject and a handful...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The 35,000 Foot Critic - Short and Sweet
But first, my apartment the day after the 3-Cake Fiesta:
Crepe-paper flutter-thingies over all the doorways...
Smell the white tulips while you can...
At 35,000 feet, returning from Mexico, I took in some 50s foreign classics on my portable DVD player. We'll do this 'short form' - picture, 4 words, haiku, and trailer or clip... Hope this inspires you all and enhances your Netflix queues...
"Rocco and His Brothers," the 1950 by Luchino Visconti, is a long but rewarding Italian neo-realist masterpiece.Four Words That Encapsule: "Uprooted Italian family struggles"
Haiku (5/7/5):
Five strapping young men;
brothers, bonds, separate paths;
clashing destinies
Visconti was gay, and his camera does gaze lovingly upon the very attractive brothers, especially the gorgeous Alain Delon (who also played a gay 'Talented Ripley' character in 1960's 'Purple Noon).
'Rocco and His Brothers' trailer - a collage of scenes with mute sound and good music... I have other clips that would give away too much...
Akira Kurosawa's 'Ikiru (To Live),' from 1952, is compelling, years ahead of its time (non-linear, talking to the audience), genuinely touching, and surprising.Four Words That Encapsule: "Dying Man Reexamines Life"
Haiku: (5/7/5) :- finally, a Haiku for a Japanese film!
"Bored civil servant;
cancer; thirty wasted years?;
seeks life, legacy"
'Ikiru' trailer - more narrative, but not without its own poetry...
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Last night, while avoiding election returns, I ironed for the first time in a decade - to preserve very nice shirts - and also ironed a $5 bill in my shirt pocket....Yesterday I barely escaped having to travel to South America, for a 36 hour trip, on only two hours notice...
this entry's permalink
Broadway's Same-Sex Sensation
Monday night I had the amazing experience of seeing 'Broadway Backwards 3,' a one-night only, star-and-legend-studded benefit event for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Center.
The concept, now in its third year is awesome - to make great show tunes overtly gay via gender-reversal... i.e., a hunky group of male Broadway stars singing 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,' dressed only in towels. Below, you can see some excerpts from last year's Broadway Backwards 2!
My pals Stephen & Kevin invited a group of friends to see this as a pre-birthday fest for Kevin (pictured below), after a lovely dinner at 44 1/2 (coming later this week).
One highlight was a duet real-life partners Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka (pictured right)- 'Take Me As I Am,' the lesbian number from 'Rent.'
Living Broadway legends on stage included Sandy Duncan, Lainie Kazan, Charles Busch, and Len Cariou, complemented by a literal who's who of current up-and-coming musical stars.
Nearly every single one of the 20 numbers was a show-stopper.
Watch some highlights from last year's Same-Sex Show-Tune-fest:
And here's Kevin, looking just terrific!
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Last night was rather extraordinary - 'Broadway Backwards'
...more about that tomorrow... on Friday, I review 'I'm Not There...'
Don't Forget To Vote!
It's decision time... Your votes really count today...
The DJ Who Wasn't There
This week's Song/Video of the Week, Burial's 'Archangel,' I expect, will insinuate itself into hip, urban life in 2008. It won't play on the radio, but will be heard trendy clothing stores, bars, and restaurants, and as shared music between friends and lovers on iPods...
All we know about Burial is that he's an anonymous, critically acclaimed DJ working in London. His latest album, Untrue (pictured left), came very late in 2007 but was still one of the year's five best-reviewed albums.
And he really is anonymous - reportedly only five people know that he even makes music. He is part of the genre called 'dubstep,' which surfaced in the UK in late 2005 and is described as 'dark mood, sparse rhythms, and emphasis on bass,'
'Archangel' is an insistent, moody, electronic track with haunting looped vocals..
Of course Burial is too anonymous for videos, but a fan put together an awesome clip using some Japanese anime from 'The Melancholy of Haruhu Suzumiya.' Here it is for your enjoyment:
Paul Lynde Snappy Answer of the Day:
Q: Does Mark Spitz* believe swimming in the nude helps you go faster?
Lynde: Well, it's easier to steer.
*1970s Olympic Gold Medal Swimming Champion
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Monday, February 04, 2008
My Mind's Made Up: Obama!
Let's try and change the game... Let's have the courage to roll the dice... Let's not risk losing the general election... Obama: the game-changer - Count me in!
Read: "The Obama Opportunity," by three female Democratic governors/senators of Red States - an excerpt: "Once in a generation, an opportunity comes along -- not just for the Democratic Party, but for the United States of America -- to build a new majority for change. Barack Obama's candidacy offers us that opportunity. As Democrats, and as Americans, we must seize it. "
Yes, Hillary's worked harder and may well deserve it. But as Clint Eastwood aptly said in 'Unforgiven,' before shooting Gene Hackman, 'deserve ain't got nothing to do with it.'
and for Pete's sake, don't forget to vote!!!
this entry's permalink
Art For Fund Managers
But first, more birthday party photos...
Setting the stage for the party.... I wanted some healthy options, hence the fruit ,veggies, and bottled water....
Background ambience for the party, courtesty of Hanna-Barbera
A week ago I was in Boston to visit five customers, all of them well-known investment management firms on high floors of tall buildings. My eye was fascinated by both the artwork and the views. My camera was in my pocket. So let's see what the Stewards of the World's Wealth see as they scurry about, investing...
This one's awfully homo-erotic for a corporate conference room. It could be an Edward Hopper painting but for the defined body and the modern posture and cut of his clothes. What you see out the window is what some less-affluent Massachusetts towns still look like today!
Boston has its less historic, more post-industrial areas:
Wintry painting for a wintry day:
I love this shot, out the window of LaGuardia airport late in the afternoon:
This is great - an almost cartoon take on Boston's venerable facades:
More on 'Lost': the addition of 'flash-forwards' instead of just 'flash-backs' is a complete game-changer.
First, it's assurance that there'll be answers and that the writers know exactly where they're going. We know some people will get off the island, but we don't know how, exactly who, and why any would want to go back.
Second, I always said having 16 characters flash back to their earlier lives as puzzle pieces both gave you 17 mysteries to solve instead of one, and got you off the island. Flash-forwards take this function to a new level...
Paul Lynde Snappy Answer of the Day:
Q: What two things should you never do in bed?
Lynde: Point and laugh.
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
this entry's permalink
Sunday, February 03, 2008
I enjoyed David's & Alex's anti-Super-Bowl party, with nary a mention of the f-word. Great conversation about anything but the bowl, delightful company. David's friend made a lemon cake, and, more impressively, a piquant vegan pizza with a base of mashed beans, salad greens, salsa, and avocado.
Alas, forgot my camera at home - sometimes, silly as it seems, I feel naked without it...
this entry's permalink
A 3-Cake Fiesta
Last night I hosted a party to celebrate my birthday, Sunil's and David's (see birthday salute to David below), with three gourmet cakes from Dean & Deluca, one for each birthday boy. Here we are, ready for the cut. David's is Apricot-Hazelnut, Sunil's is Bittersweet German Chocolate and other goodies, mine is a rich Mocha concoction...
this entry's permalink
Happy Birthday, David!
It's always great when a close friend returns to New York. Here's a birthday photo salute to my pal David, the coolest person in the universe... but first, a 1960s TV clip from France that inspired perhaps David's favorite music group:
The future's so bright, David has to wear shades... : - )
This is David in Quebec, land of his ancestors. He calls this one 'Mein Gault.'
David in Williamsburg taking in the Super Furry Animals...
David took this great picture in Stockholm's subway, on a very, very, very short day in December..
Paul Lynde Snappy Answer of the Day:
Q: True or false: Paul Revere had sixteen children.
Lynde: From one midnight ride?
Cartoon du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Jack Cake
Tonight's my birthday party!! It'll be a three-cake party, since Sunil and David are also celebrating their CFTW anniversary. Crawling from the womb. I know. Hey, I gotta be me. : - )Lost again: I saw Lost's Season 4 premier last night, downloaded from iTunes (how thoroughly post-post-modern of me). As always, it intrigues and makes you hunger for more. More comments Monday.
this entry's permalink
Our Big, Super Furry Evening
Last Friday I went with David to see Welsh indie pop meisters Super Furry Animals, play in Williamsburg. We went 'Into the Night,' to quote a current Furries album track. A cab ride to across the river and up the streets, and then a long walk up the windy street, toward the river. Here's a pictorial chronicle of our musical evening. Way down at the bottom, you too can hear the Furries play live...
As we walked, David mentioned that the new album by 'A Place to Bury Strangers' was hard to get into. Suddenly, a guy in front of us turned around and asked 'Did you say 'A Place to Bury Strangers'?' Uh-oh. He was their manager, but he was cool, and said the band's forthcoming material will be a step forward. He also told of the difficulty of crossing borders with boxes that say 'A Place to Bury Strangers'...At last we reached the venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg, formerly NorthSix, is on North 6th St. 'Music Hall' sounds so formal, like it was part of BAM. But we love the art-deco marquis..
The warm-up band, Canada's 'Holy Fuck,' are hard to describe - some fusion of prog rock and electronica, with jazzy meandering and propulsive beats. The band hunched over a plethora of instruments, some of which the band surely invented...
We liked Holy Fuck, but we came for the Furries, who soon took the stage for a 20-song set, including the highlights of their decade-long career and most of their excellent latest album, 'Hey Venus'. Here's Gruff Rhys, mastermind of the Furries, who sings lead and writes all the material...
Audience participation: Gruff asked us to make antlers with our fingers to create the perfect acoustics for an instrumental interlude....
For one song, Gruff put on this bizarre helmet, and held the microphone to his eye. Ah, these eccentric Welsh musicians...
No pretending to leave, only for audience to beg for an encore. The Furries played a generous set, and Gruff held up this sign to signal the Ende...
A fellow bandmember had his own goodbye message, in German - it means 'stay true to yourselves'
And here are Furries, live, to sing you their recent single 'Show Your Hand'...
And for good measure, here's warm up act Holy Fuck playing their symphonic 'Lovely Allen'....
Paul Lynde Snappy Answer of the Day:
Q: Paul, what profession is the most common for prostitutes after they retire?
Lynde: Smuggling.
Cartoons du Jour:
this entry's permalink
Friday, February 01, 2008
Holy political incorrectness! Here's Fred Flintstone hawking cigarettes in the early 1960s, and behaving like a macho pig...
this entry's permalink
Not So Much A Western...
Don't let the word 'Western' scare you away from '3:10 to Yuma,' one of 2007's finest films. Let's call it a brilliant, suspense-thriller psychological drama that happens to be set in Old West. Specifically in Arizona a decade or two after the Civil War. Christian Bale again shows he's one of our very finest actors, with a character so vivid and gaunt you'd swear it stepped out of an old Civil War photo. He plays hard-luck rancher Dan Evans who, desperate for cash to save the family homestead, agrees to escort dangerous criminal Ben Wade a hundred miles to the train station and justice for a reward. Not an easy task.
It's on Netflix now - what are you waiting for? : - )
The 5 Parameters of Criticism:1. Four Words That Encapsule: "Decent, Desperate, Will Travel"
2. Haiku (5/7/5):
'One leg, fading hope;
accept a dangerous job;
war of nerves and wits'
3. Oblique Comments: a) the pacing here is breathless, and never short on surprises; b) it's a post-Deadwood, de-idealized West with grit, dirt, and foul language; c) there's subtle commentary on capitalism and greed here, since what's at stake is Pullman's 19th century equivalent of armored cars carrying booty.
4. Insight: Cristian Bale is the soul of this movie. His terse mental duel with Russell Crowe is the film's central tension and contrast - what unites and separates a bleak hero from a charming villain. The other key relationship is between Dan Evans and his teenage son, who lives a few scary, transformative days and learns sad lessons. There's an interesting parallel between this father-son bond and the feelings of Crowe's own 'son' - a sadistic, crypto-homo henchman, unforgetably played by Ben Fisher (who I can't believe is the same actor from Six Feet Under who played Claire Fisher's artsy bisexual boyfriend Russell.)
5. Link: Metacritic reviews summary - a 76 grade by 37 reviews is quite positive - B to B plus. I'd give it an A-, 85-90.
and here's the trailer...
Q: Is it normal for Norwegians to talk to trees?
Lynde: As long as that's as far as it goes.
this entry's permalink
