Tuesday, November 29, 2005

when is Chanukah?

Sometimes there can be confusion in communicating when a Jewish holiday starts, as they begin at sundown the evening before the main day they start.

So, perhaps my mom put it best in describing to someone when Chanukah starts this year (it's late!):

"Chanukah Eve is Christmas-Day Night"

Sunday, November 27, 2005

balls

"If there were an Olympics of chutzpah, the auto industry would win a gold medal for suing New York claming that their clean car law is bad for the environment."
-Daniel F. Becker, of the Sierra Club
(NYT, 11/26/05)

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Genocide, etc.

Robert Jensen: "Give Thanks No More; It’s Time for a National Day of Atonement"

Perhaps the least we can do is think.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

meh, take it or leave it

"RENT STRIKE" declares the front page of the New York Blade currently on newsstands.

"What's so bad about the blockbuster musical's big-screen debut? Plenty. Page 19."
"PLUS: Five things to do instead of seeing 'rent'"

(page 2 of the paper: a full-page ad for Rent! haha. I bet they'll be advertising elsewhere next week.)

The movie review, by Editor Tray Butler, does find some things to compliment; he approves of most of the casting, the way the plot was somewhat edited, and of the Joanne/Mimi relationship.

But in the end, it doesn't cut it:

By comparison, the gay male storyline fizzles. Wilson Jermaine Heredia gives drag queen Angel a tangible humanity, and his costumes steal most every scene. But Angel’s romance with Collins (Jesse L. Martin) never takes flight. It bears all the trimmings of a relationship, and the two even kiss.

But compared to the girls, these guys come across as positively chaste. It’s a classic straight man’s rendition of queer sexuality: Sure, we’ll let the lesbians go at it, but if two dudes smooch, one of them better be wearing a dress.

And therein lies the essential contradiction of “Rent.” Its subject matter might shock (or even educate) a middle-aged soccer mom, should she stumble into the wrong theater at a Red State multiplex. Not so for the rest of us. To anyone who knows a thing about being gay today, who has experienced the reality of AIDS firsthand or who’s ever sat through an actual drag show, “Rent” comes across at best as dated, and at worst as cloying and borderline insulting.

Bad news, Bohemia, but the yuppy scum have won.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

How about them Apples?

Slate's Jack Shafer takes on the press's glowing, un-critical coverage of Steve Jobs, Apple, and products that have often been failures.

Monday, November 21, 2005

yummyness

We had a lovely pre-Thanksgiving potluck here in Brooklyn this eve. Whoa, it was a bit crazy, but in a good way. And now the apartment is actually super duper clean.

Artis headed up the turkey and the stuffed mushroom committees (and several others); Joanna the stuffing and pumpkin pie committees (and several others); Aerob arrived first with a well-presented asparagus / cheese / bread crumb dealie and Jess was next with a fine sweet potato (or was it yam?) dish.

I also must note the fine work of the UES crew, what with their bacon-wrapped turkey-sausage. (who comes up with this stuff??)

Well those are just a few highlights. Let's just say, there was a lot of food, a lot of eating, and now there are a lot of leftovers.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

find your acronyms (FYA)

I heart Acronym Finder.

It's truly quite useful. It may not know CHBC (Coffee Heath Bar Crunch), but it does know HBO (Honey Bunches of Oats). Not bad.

Friday, November 18, 2005

The Honorable Gentleman From Arizona

Did you know that there's a U.S. Reprsentative named Jeff Flake? What a name.

I wonder if he's a reliable guy.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Just for the heck of it

I am posting from ST LAB.

Oh how strange.

Actually, there was just like an '05 takeover of STLab.

11 Vine threw a great party last night and many folks were there.

Anyway, on to other things.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

It's like they're giving it away

No, really.

I thought last week's $.49/lb broccoli crowns at the 24-hour fruit & veggie joint down on 3rd ave was pretty hard to beat. (I've also never before seen a pound of decent strawberries sold for a dollar.)

But this week, the broccoli -- which has a few slightly yellowish patches, but looks ok -- had an even better price.


Why I'm voting for Ferrer

Juan Gonzalez: Where Have All The Fighters Gone?
An Analysis of New York City Mayoral Race of 2005


"If there is any shame in this race, it belongs to New York's progressive movement, many of whose members failed to properly analyze the stakes of the conflict from the start, while others, succumbing to their class and racial biases, failed to rally behind one of the more better working class mayoral candidates in our city's modern history."