The following was published in the 27 Oct 2008 edition of the Gaudie
U.S. Politics: Turncoat Endorsement
In a surprise twist to the constantly shifting U.S. presidential race, former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Senator Barack Obama.
Powell’s long time service in the Republican administrations of the last twenty five years makes his recent support for Obama, a Democrat a 360-degree turn around. Powell is considered a middle of the road Republican. Conservative agitators are already attributing his endorsement to race, as Powell is the son of Jamaican immigrants. His opinion, however, is very respected among moderately conservative white women, a demographic some say Palin has stolen from Obama.
Powell served as National Security Advisor under Ronald Reagan between 1987 and 1989, and then as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position at the Department of Defence. Under the first George Bush, Powell was Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army’s Forces Command, making him the head of the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard of all fifty states and the territory of Puerto Rico. Powell served as Secretary of State for the current George Bush from 2001-2005.
In the wake of Powell’s endorsement the McCain campaign has stepped up their attacks questioning Obama’s character and his ability lead.
In an accusation strangely similar to that levelled against George Osborne for soliciting money for the Tories from a Russian millionaire, a letter from John McCain arrived at the Russian embassy to the U.S. asking for a donation to his campaign. The McCain campaign maintained the letter was sent due to an error on the computer mailing list. The Russian mission to the UN responded by saying they “do not finance political activity in foreign countries”. Under U.S. campaign law it is illegal to accept donations from foreign nationals. The only question left; why the Russians?
Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, also surprised Democrats, her opponents, by appearing on Saturday Night Live on 19 Oct. Tina Fey, a dead-ringer for Palin, has been making weekly appearances on her former show ridiculing the candidate’s policy positions and goof-ups. Palin took the appearance in good humour and did not appear upset about being poked fun at. She gave as good as she got from Alec Baldwin, who also made an appearance on the show.
Obama took a break from the campaign trail this past weekend to visit his Grandmother in Hawai’i. Madelyn Dunham, who turned 86 on Sunday, has been in failing health recently. Dunham helped raise Obama for most of his adolescence.
A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released Wed 21 Oct gave Obama a 10-point lead over McCain.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Finally Figuring it out.
I had an epiphany last night. I figured out why I suddenly feel like the loud, annoying, outrageous over-expressive stereotype that large parts of the world feel Americans are. And its not because I'm from the States. Trust their are plenity of people from the States here, in fact I'm actually friends with one (and no he's not that imaginary friend I brought with me).
I realized that for the last 8 years of my life, maybe more, I have been friends with and only with people in theatre. Ok, there were some people not in theatre, but for the most part they're in entertainment. Non-theatre people are strange. They're quiet and reserved and don't accompany all their speaking with facial expressions. And might I venture to say that I find that boring. There lack of expression makes me want to scream. I feel like they've locked themselves inside their bodies, or their brains and they can't get out. It makes me feel trapped inside myself.
And I know that they are probably thinking exactly the same thing but in reverse. I probably make them want to crawl deeper inside themselves and hide. I just didn't realize theater people were SO different until I left them.
Yes, theatre people are weird and crazy and outrageous. But I love them and I can't picture spending the rest of my life without them. And I don't care if "normal" people will never understand. They make me happy. And I probably never had a choice about it anyway. Right from the start I was cursed (can you be cursed in a good way?) to need people like this. That's what you get when you're mom's an actress and your dad's a director.
And now, a tribute:
IF THEATRE PEOPLE RULED THE WORLD
If theatre people ruled the world, all policemen would be dancing policemen
Street lights would be blue colored and come from above and below,
so you don't get ugly face shadows.
There would always be free snacks where ever you went, even the bank
Singing telegrams would actually exist.
Political speeches would have back up vocals.
All trains would always be 5 minutes late, but you could always expect them to be so.
Talking to yourself in the street would not be a sign of insanity.
and you could get a second rehearsal after awkward introductions.
I realized that for the last 8 years of my life, maybe more, I have been friends with and only with people in theatre. Ok, there were some people not in theatre, but for the most part they're in entertainment. Non-theatre people are strange. They're quiet and reserved and don't accompany all their speaking with facial expressions. And might I venture to say that I find that boring. There lack of expression makes me want to scream. I feel like they've locked themselves inside their bodies, or their brains and they can't get out. It makes me feel trapped inside myself.
And I know that they are probably thinking exactly the same thing but in reverse. I probably make them want to crawl deeper inside themselves and hide. I just didn't realize theater people were SO different until I left them.
Yes, theatre people are weird and crazy and outrageous. But I love them and I can't picture spending the rest of my life without them. And I don't care if "normal" people will never understand. They make me happy. And I probably never had a choice about it anyway. Right from the start I was cursed (can you be cursed in a good way?) to need people like this. That's what you get when you're mom's an actress and your dad's a director.
And now, a tribute:
IF THEATRE PEOPLE RULED THE WORLD
If theatre people ruled the world, all policemen would be dancing policemen
Street lights would be blue colored and come from above and below,
so you don't get ugly face shadows.
There would always be free snacks where ever you went, even the bank
Singing telegrams would actually exist.
Political speeches would have back up vocals.
All trains would always be 5 minutes late, but you could always expect them to be so.
Talking to yourself in the street would not be a sign of insanity.
and you could get a second rehearsal after awkward introductions.
Monday, October 20, 2008
An Update on Callan's journalistic endevours
This article was published in the 20 Oct 2008 edition of the Gaudie.
US ELECTION UPDATE
Callan Stout
Senators John McCain and Barack Obama met for the final Presidential debate on Wed 15 Oct at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, Bob Schieffer of CBS news moderating.
McCain vowed to step up his attack on Obama in the previous debate, but failed to keep his promise. This time McCain’s sword was ready from question one.
Obama responded to McCain’s jabs by explaining his policies. Obama’s economic plan focuses on job creation and tax breaks for companies who create U.S. jobs. McCain, preferring to criticize Obama than explain himself, pins his economic plan on baling out individual homeowner mortgages. Which Obama says will only dump more taxpayer money into failing banks.
Schieffer questioned the candidates about their negative attack ads. McCain sought sympathy by discussing the pain caused by negative remarks about him and vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. McCain then accused Obama of spending more money on negative ads “than any political campaign in history”, but failed to cite any specific figures.
Obama argued 100 percent of McCain’s ads are negative character attacks. Obama hopes the campaign’s remaining two weeks will revolve around economic policy. The failing economy has given Obama’s poll numbers a boost.
In a 16 Oct poll on RealClearPolitics.com Obama had a 6.8 point lead over McCain. The average poll spread, based on multiple national polls, favours Obama by 5.2 points. In swing states (states not leaning either way) Obama is leading by 4 points on average.
US ELECTION UPDATE
Callan Stout
Senators John McCain and Barack Obama met for the final Presidential debate on Wed 15 Oct at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, Bob Schieffer of CBS news moderating.
McCain vowed to step up his attack on Obama in the previous debate, but failed to keep his promise. This time McCain’s sword was ready from question one.
Obama responded to McCain’s jabs by explaining his policies. Obama’s economic plan focuses on job creation and tax breaks for companies who create U.S. jobs. McCain, preferring to criticize Obama than explain himself, pins his economic plan on baling out individual homeowner mortgages. Which Obama says will only dump more taxpayer money into failing banks.
Schieffer questioned the candidates about their negative attack ads. McCain sought sympathy by discussing the pain caused by negative remarks about him and vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. McCain then accused Obama of spending more money on negative ads “than any political campaign in history”, but failed to cite any specific figures.
Obama argued 100 percent of McCain’s ads are negative character attacks. Obama hopes the campaign’s remaining two weeks will revolve around economic policy. The failing economy has given Obama’s poll numbers a boost.
In a 16 Oct poll on RealClearPolitics.com Obama had a 6.8 point lead over McCain. The average poll spread, based on multiple national polls, favours Obama by 5.2 points. In swing states (states not leaning either way) Obama is leading by 4 points on average.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Bad things to waste your time doing
a) watching videos of ferrets on youtube
This is a rainbow that lasted ALL DAY (and some cows. I'm not sure how long they lasted). We were able to see the ENTIRE rainbow. Both sides. That's good luck in Hawai'i.
This is Callan trying to break into the house of a brownie (its like a Scottish leprachaun, or a hobbit or a menehune. A small man like thing, essentially. I think they are legended to have powers. Now look at all that good folklore I'm learning. I could also teach you how to fry oatmeal. yes, seriously. This is a really long parenthetical).
b) eating cookies, really yummy cookies. hobnobs with chocolate between them cookies
c) reading you friends' blogs while eating cookies
d) ferrets on youtube while eating cookies
e) anything that is not homework and involves cookies
e) anything that is not homework and involves cookies
ENOUGH SILLINESS, here are some pictures of my recent class field trip to Adan (pronounce Aa-dan) Country Park.
This is a rainbow that lasted ALL DAY (and some cows. I'm not sure how long they lasted). We were able to see the ENTIRE rainbow. Both sides. That's good luck in Hawai'i. 
This is a wee farm hoose (that's Scot's for house) that the museum bought and then moved every single wee wobbly stone to be on the museum proprty(that's Scot's for callan can't spell). I like the teal windows and door.
That's Achie(that's not the spelling, but that's how it sounded) Brae stone circle and Callan's classmate's kid offering herself as a virgin sacrifice.
This is Callan trying to break into the house of a brownie (its like a Scottish leprachaun, or a hobbit or a menehune. A small man like thing, essentially. I think they are legended to have powers. Now look at all that good folklore I'm learning. I could also teach you how to fry oatmeal. yes, seriously. This is a really long parenthetical).
This is a really blurry picture of the article I wrote for the University Paper. Which I have included below (because I don't have any more interesting pictures). This is mostly what it looked like in print. I was too lazy to double check all of what the editor cut out (mostly the interesting part. No, I'm kidding. I think my original was more bias. Fancy that, me being biased. The editor did a good job making it more fair.)
US Politics: The Presidential Debate
ON 7 OCTOBER, Presidential nominees Senator Barack Obama (Democrat) and Senator John McCain (Republican) met to debate for the second time on Tuesday, moderated by network news anchor Tom Brokaw.
This debate used the town hall format, where questions were taken from pre-selected audience members and email requests. John McCain favours this town hall style format and has been unsuccessfully trying to structure the entire campaign as a series of town hall style debates with Obama in each state.
The debate focused heavily on the current economic crisis. Obama stressed helping “ordinary families”, while also coordinating US economic efforts with international efforts to help stabilize the world economy along with the U.S. economy. McCain focuses on fixing the “cronyism” of Wall Street and allowing US citizens the chance to work without the interference of the national government.
The escalation of the U.S. economic crisis has seen McCain’s poll numbers fall steadily, despite the time he took off from actively campaigning to help on the bail out, which was signed into effect by Bush on 3 Oct. Other Senators said his aid did not have any significant impact.
Noticeably absent from the debate was any reference to the Bush administration’s possible move to take ownership positions in U.S. banks following the European model, in an attempt to stabilize the economy. Such a move would contradict the Republican Party policy of less government. A similar plan was proposed by British officials.
Tom Brokaw asked both candidates what their equivalent of the Bush Doctrine on foreign policy would be when they take office. The Bush Doctrine describes the policy of U.S. pre-emptive military action against any group that poses a threat to U.S. security.
McCain described his Doctrine as doing whatever possible to prevent “terrible calamities”, McCain added that U.S. actions must also “be tempered with our ability to beneficially affect the situation”. McCain did not elaborate on how he would assess the benefits prior to taking action. McCain’s judgment has been challenged after he sang the suggestion that the U.S. bomb Iran to the tune of a Beach Boys song.
Obama outlines his own Doctrine as being influenced by a “moral obligation” to intervene in world situations such as genocide. However, Obama realizes the US will not always be able to affect a situation and “that's why it's so important for us to be able to work in concert with our allies”.
The U.S. is the only industrialized western nation without a national health care system. Despite the common complaints about the efficiency of the Canadian or the British NHS by their citizens, they give all legal residence access to free or affordable health care.
Obama proposes offering all taxpayers a health care plan similar to the one U.S. Senators have. Those people who like their current health plan can keep it, while reducing the cost by as much as 2,500 U.S. dollars a year.
McCain, who is opposed to any form of “socialized medicine”, proposes giving families a 5,000 US dollar (2,500 for individuals) tax refund to purchase private health insurance of their choice.
Jerry Burris, a political writer with the Honolulu Advertiser for forty years and co-author of the book A Dream Begins: How Hawaii Shaped Barack Obama, commented “the debate was a draw”, explaining “you get what you want to see in these debates. The real issue is who Americans see as most ‘authentic’ and true to their own nature”.
Obama and McCain are scheduled to face off only once more on 14 October before elections on 4 November.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Third and Final Debate
I'm not sure how many of you have watched the final debate and aside from the obvious complaints that I have already ranted about in previous posts. Now I would like to discuss other points.
NUCLEAR POWER IS NOT AN OPTION. Despite how safe we can make a nuclear reactor, even if its safe enough to put on a boat (which is a silly yard stick to measure this by), the point of contestation is storage of nuclear waste. Currently we are dumping our nuclear waste into caves in the American Southwest. Now why McCain isn't upset about his, because his state is being environmentally impacted by this, is absolutely rediculous. The earth is simply not able to contain nuclear waste. END OF STORY.
Ya know how they say "the pen is mightier", I think this debate is a perfect example. McCain has a sword and Obama the pen. McCain keeps trying to cut up McCain, while Obama simply keeps writing out his policy and expanding it and refining it. And you can tell when he explains in detail his proposals. McCain just jabs and slices at Obama's words, which isn't getting his anywhere.
NUCLEAR POWER IS NOT AN OPTION. Despite how safe we can make a nuclear reactor, even if its safe enough to put on a boat (which is a silly yard stick to measure this by), the point of contestation is storage of nuclear waste. Currently we are dumping our nuclear waste into caves in the American Southwest. Now why McCain isn't upset about his, because his state is being environmentally impacted by this, is absolutely rediculous. The earth is simply not able to contain nuclear waste. END OF STORY.
Ya know how they say "the pen is mightier", I think this debate is a perfect example. McCain has a sword and Obama the pen. McCain keeps trying to cut up McCain, while Obama simply keeps writing out his policy and expanding it and refining it. And you can tell when he explains in detail his proposals. McCain just jabs and slices at Obama's words, which isn't getting his anywhere.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Scottish-ism #1
a hurl (n.)
No, it does not have anything to do with the American definition that we all hold near and dear, until a friend does it all over our shoes.
It means a lift, and not the elevator. Like giving someone a ride in their car or on a train or something?
Ok, but can you use it in a sentence?
"Christine has kindly (been) volunteered tae gie Dustin an Callan a hurl."
What?!? .
"tae gie" glosses as 'to give'. Christine is giving Dustin and Callan a lift up to Aden park tomorrow.
Ok, I suppose that works. But you confused me with that other bit of funny language. Why isn't 'tae gie' a Scottish-ism?
I don't think is qualifies as any kind of -ism.
Ok then.
Darn skippy.
No, it does not have anything to do with the American definition that we all hold near and dear, until a friend does it all over our shoes.
It means a lift, and not the elevator. Like giving someone a ride in their car or on a train or something?
Ok, but can you use it in a sentence?
"Christine has kindly (been) volunteered tae gie Dustin an Callan a hurl."
What?!? .
"tae gie" glosses as 'to give'. Christine is giving Dustin and Callan a lift up to Aden park tomorrow.
Ok, I suppose that works. But you confused me with that other bit of funny language. Why isn't 'tae gie' a Scottish-ism?
I don't think is qualifies as any kind of -ism.
Ok then.
Darn skippy.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Things I...
...HATE
Job interviews where the first interview is a you pretending to do the job they will potentially hire and then train to for. What's the point of that being the first interview, especially if they train you. I can understand it being the second interview, after they have deemed that you are probably a decent fit for the company.
...LIKE
Being handed opportunities without too much work going in to getting them. I prefer putting all my time and energy into doing the work, not trying to find it.
Job interviews where the first interview is a you pretending to do the job they will potentially hire and then train to for. What's the point of that being the first interview, especially if they train you. I can understand it being the second interview, after they have deemed that you are probably a decent fit for the company.
...LIKE
Being handed opportunities without too much work going in to getting them. I prefer putting all my time and energy into doing the work, not trying to find it.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
New Develpoments
In a rather bizarre turn of events, Miss Callan Stout of Los Angeles CA is now writing an American Politics article for the Aberdeen University newspaper, The Gaudie. When asked to comment Callan said "words escape me". Callan was asked to the post after sending an email asking to be considered to write reviews for the Arts section. However, the rather industrious Arts editor after reading Callan's blog passed her name along to the News/Features editor. Callan's previous experience is limited to short articles for the Stout family christmas letter, which meet its unfortunate demise last year because of laziness and the mildly satrical writing of her own blog, the quality of which is questionable. Callan hopes that the faithful readers of her blog will not start taking her too seriously because of this new appointment.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Things I learned today
I met a boy/man who lived in a house built by the Glenfiddich distillery. He also worked there for two years. I found it very interesting that the company built houses for employees at some point and now they are still lived in. I don't think you need to be an employee to live there though.
I feel much more inclined to get involved in school things here than I did at NYU. There might be multiple reasons for this: 1) there isn't really anything else to do, 2) I'm used to being super busy and I'm not here yet, so school things is a solution, 3) I'm more interested in the school opportunities, like Scottish barn dancing, or 4) I'm trying to have the "college experience" that I didn't get at NYU. In addition to joining the Scottish Dance Society, I just emailed the school paper saying that I'd like to write for their arts section (they were advertising for arts writers and I think I qualify).
In Scotland you can go from high school (or their equivelant) directly into studying for your law degree, which will only take you 5 years of school and then a year or two of working as a "trainee" in a law firm/company.
Lawyers dress well, and since a lot of them are young, they are attractive. I like when men wear suits.
People here don't ask what your parents do. They don't seem to care. Which is good, because that shocked stare is really annoying.
Anyway... off to the dancing!
I feel much more inclined to get involved in school things here than I did at NYU. There might be multiple reasons for this: 1) there isn't really anything else to do, 2) I'm used to being super busy and I'm not here yet, so school things is a solution, 3) I'm more interested in the school opportunities, like Scottish barn dancing, or 4) I'm trying to have the "college experience" that I didn't get at NYU. In addition to joining the Scottish Dance Society, I just emailed the school paper saying that I'd like to write for their arts section (they were advertising for arts writers and I think I qualify).
In Scotland you can go from high school (or their equivelant) directly into studying for your law degree, which will only take you 5 years of school and then a year or two of working as a "trainee" in a law firm/company.
Lawyers dress well, and since a lot of them are young, they are attractive. I like when men wear suits.
People here don't ask what your parents do. They don't seem to care. Which is good, because that shocked stare is really annoying.
Anyway... off to the dancing!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
More Politics: International Perspective
I can only imagine that some of you are getting sick of my political blog entries, so stop reading this one now if you are.
As an international student in Aberdeen I am mingling with a lot of other international students from all over the world: Kenya, Canada, Malaysia, Nigeria, India, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, the list goes on. Of the few who I have briefly talked US politics with agree that we have to elect Barack Obama. He's good for the US, he's good for the world.
Believe it or not, there are still non-US citizen's who think the US is an amazing place, full of opportunity and the American dream. But still they do not think that McCain is going to help preserve this.
Now many of you might be thinking, why does it matter what the internationals think? Despite the ignorance of foreign politics by average US citizens. Other countries actually follow our politics quite readily because what we do affects them. Can you believe it? The choice of the US president actually affects the WORLD political scene? Well it does! And, although, the average US citizen might not even know that our sister country, Canada, is also having elections and those elections have also been quiet uproarious.
I leave you with this thought:
Expand your horizons, your decision affects the world. Pick who's good for the world. Obama.
As an international student in Aberdeen I am mingling with a lot of other international students from all over the world: Kenya, Canada, Malaysia, Nigeria, India, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, the list goes on. Of the few who I have briefly talked US politics with agree that we have to elect Barack Obama. He's good for the US, he's good for the world.
Believe it or not, there are still non-US citizen's who think the US is an amazing place, full of opportunity and the American dream. But still they do not think that McCain is going to help preserve this.
Now many of you might be thinking, why does it matter what the internationals think? Despite the ignorance of foreign politics by average US citizens. Other countries actually follow our politics quite readily because what we do affects them. Can you believe it? The choice of the US president actually affects the WORLD political scene? Well it does! And, although, the average US citizen might not even know that our sister country, Canada, is also having elections and those elections have also been quiet uproarious.
I leave you with this thought:
Expand your horizons, your decision affects the world. Pick who's good for the world. Obama.
An Update
Just an update regarding the other day's post.
Apparently McCain is such a "maverick" that he doesn't even feel the need to tell his VP about how he's running their campaign. But I suppose it doesn't matter all that much, since, like, she doesn't really have any thoughts in her head.
note: this is in reference to McCain's decision regard his campaign strategy in Michigan, which is to stop running, basically. So he's giving up in Michigan. One down!
Apparently McCain is such a "maverick" that he doesn't even feel the need to tell his VP about how he's running their campaign. But I suppose it doesn't matter all that much, since, like, she doesn't really have any thoughts in her head.
note: this is in reference to McCain's decision regard his campaign strategy in Michigan, which is to stop running, basically. So he's giving up in Michigan. One down!
Friday, October 03, 2008
The Debate
As I am in Scotland I missed the opportunity to watch the Vice Presidential debate live full of a room of yelling people. And since I don't want to scare my roommates, I'm going to subject you, my blogger audience, to my yelling. And like the advice given to Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical "Get angry".
Direct quotation from Sarah Palin:
"And may not answer the questions the way that either the moderator or you wanna hear, but I'm gonna take straight to the American people and let them know my track record also."
Doesn't that defeat the point of a debate? Why doesn't she just hold a private press conference and rant? Then I wont feel any obligation to watch her. But I think the truth is that since McCain & Co are keeping the pit bull penned in she's getting bored and this single opportunity she's getting to be out of her cage, she's going to bark as loud as possible about whatever she wants. If she was my pit bull I'd put her down due to rabies. (note: Palin quotations will always be in red, Biden in blue)
Question about tax policy:
If a small business is making more than $42, 00o a year doesn't that get taxed as a business not as the personal income tax of the owner? Isn't that why small business owners are supposed to incorporate or become an LLC, that way when the business fails they don't go into personal bankruptcy?
Here's a good one, in response to being asked AGAIN what policy promises she would rescind in response to the financial crisis:
"No there is not. And how long have I been at this? What, like, five weeks? So there hasn't been a whole lot I've promised except to do what it right for the American people."
I like that she is referring to her own inexperience. She basically says, 'I've only been on the national political scene for five weeks, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing'. (please pardon the swearing, I'm really mad). I also think that its strange that she doesn't think she can go back on any of her words, does she think it makes her look weak? I think it makes her look stupid. Or insane. Mark Twain defined insanity as: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Which seems to be what she's doing. Same joke, same question ducking, same memorized responses that don't fit the question, and her opinion poll numbers keep dropping. She's insane.
Hold Up, I think she just blamed the Wall Street mess on Main Street. OOPS!!
"It is a crisis. Its a toxic mess, really, on Main Street that's affecting Wall Street. And now we have to be ever vigilant and also...."
If you analyse her speech patterns she kind of reminds me of how a teenage girl would speak. And not a teenage girl on her best behaviour. She sounds like a teenage girl at lunch with her girlfriends and they're yakking about which boys they think are cute or which teachers they hate. I really wish she would use language that was a little closer to the news anchor standard that Gwen Ifill is setting.
I don't think Palin was paying attention to Biden's response about gay marriage. Shame on her.
I like how Biden is not scared to call out Palin for not answering the question, or making actual plan proposals. Good for him! Biden quoted Shakespeare: "What's past is prologue." I also think that you have hear Biden exhale loudly when Palin makes uniformed statements.
Palin is calling herself a maverick, has anyone given her an ego test? I think the word "maverick" has lost all meaning because the GOP says it way too much.
So Palin is telling everyone what she thinks the job of the VP is and in doing so she says that she wishes the Constitution would grant the VP more power in dealing with the Senate. Doesn't she want the government to generally have less power? Isn't that a complete contradiction?
"When the Republicans were in charge you didn't see a whole lot of progress there either..."
Biden is a much better speaker than Palin, he's so charismatic. I feel like she wants to eat me when she's speaking.
To finish off with another Mark Twain Quotation:
"...we all know that in all matters of mere opinion that [every] man is insane--just as insane as we are...we know exactly where to put our finger upon his insanity: it is where his opinion differs from ours....All Democrats are insane, but not one of them knows it. None but the Republicans. All the Republicans are insane, but only the Democrats can perceive it. The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane."
- Christian Science
Direct quotation from Sarah Palin:
"And may not answer the questions the way that either the moderator or you wanna hear, but I'm gonna take straight to the American people and let them know my track record also."
Doesn't that defeat the point of a debate? Why doesn't she just hold a private press conference and rant? Then I wont feel any obligation to watch her. But I think the truth is that since McCain & Co are keeping the pit bull penned in she's getting bored and this single opportunity she's getting to be out of her cage, she's going to bark as loud as possible about whatever she wants. If she was my pit bull I'd put her down due to rabies. (note: Palin quotations will always be in red, Biden in blue)
Question about tax policy:
If a small business is making more than $42, 00o a year doesn't that get taxed as a business not as the personal income tax of the owner? Isn't that why small business owners are supposed to incorporate or become an LLC, that way when the business fails they don't go into personal bankruptcy?
Here's a good one, in response to being asked AGAIN what policy promises she would rescind in response to the financial crisis:
"No there is not. And how long have I been at this? What, like, five weeks? So there hasn't been a whole lot I've promised except to do what it right for the American people."
I like that she is referring to her own inexperience. She basically says, 'I've only been on the national political scene for five weeks, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing'. (please pardon the swearing, I'm really mad). I also think that its strange that she doesn't think she can go back on any of her words, does she think it makes her look weak? I think it makes her look stupid. Or insane. Mark Twain defined insanity as: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Which seems to be what she's doing. Same joke, same question ducking, same memorized responses that don't fit the question, and her opinion poll numbers keep dropping. She's insane.
Hold Up, I think she just blamed the Wall Street mess on Main Street. OOPS!!
"It is a crisis. Its a toxic mess, really, on Main Street that's affecting Wall Street. And now we have to be ever vigilant and also...."
If you analyse her speech patterns she kind of reminds me of how a teenage girl would speak. And not a teenage girl on her best behaviour. She sounds like a teenage girl at lunch with her girlfriends and they're yakking about which boys they think are cute or which teachers they hate. I really wish she would use language that was a little closer to the news anchor standard that Gwen Ifill is setting.
I don't think Palin was paying attention to Biden's response about gay marriage. Shame on her.
I like how Biden is not scared to call out Palin for not answering the question, or making actual plan proposals. Good for him! Biden quoted Shakespeare: "What's past is prologue." I also think that you have hear Biden exhale loudly when Palin makes uniformed statements.
Palin is calling herself a maverick, has anyone given her an ego test? I think the word "maverick" has lost all meaning because the GOP says it way too much.
So Palin is telling everyone what she thinks the job of the VP is and in doing so she says that she wishes the Constitution would grant the VP more power in dealing with the Senate. Doesn't she want the government to generally have less power? Isn't that a complete contradiction?
"When the Republicans were in charge you didn't see a whole lot of progress there either..."
Biden is a much better speaker than Palin, he's so charismatic. I feel like she wants to eat me when she's speaking.
To finish off with another Mark Twain Quotation:
"...we all know that in all matters of mere opinion that [every] man is insane--just as insane as we are...we know exactly where to put our finger upon his insanity: it is where his opinion differs from ours....All Democrats are insane, but not one of them knows it. None but the Republicans. All the Republicans are insane, but only the Democrats can perceive it. The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane."
- Christian Science
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Oh Aberdeen
Where the sun is always in your eyes.
Due to the Northern-ness of Aberdeen the sun is always low in the sky, even at noon, and therefore is always in your eyes. However, on the up side, it is never beating down directly over head and making your forehead sweat.
I don't think I've quite yet come to terms with the fact that I'm going to be here for a year. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I've never lived anywhere so small, and compared to the places I have lived, so rural. If you stipulate that anywhere you have been for longer than 4 weeks as somewhere you have lived, I can count (in order of longest to shortest time):
1) Los Angeles
2) New York
3) London
4) Honolulu
5) Orlando
All of this places, in my opinion, qualify as big cities. Although I don't remember much about Orlando, except our apartment complex and Disneyland. Comparatively Aberdeen is tiny, you could probably fit all of it below Houston (the street in NYC) with room to spare. Except that things are a bit more spread out here. They have the silly idea that people shouldn't be all jammed up on top of each other. I don't know what that's about. I like being about to live on the 26th floor, above a butcher and baker and a candle stick maker and 25 floors of other apartments. The University library only has a total of 6 floors, and one of them is a basement, but it has full length windows and isn't really underground. Silly architects and their desire for natural light, don't they know that vampires need somewhere to hide during the day?
What all of this means is that I've having trouble focusing on things like school work and trying to find myself a regular hang out.
Due to the Northern-ness of Aberdeen the sun is always low in the sky, even at noon, and therefore is always in your eyes. However, on the up side, it is never beating down directly over head and making your forehead sweat.
I don't think I've quite yet come to terms with the fact that I'm going to be here for a year. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I've never lived anywhere so small, and compared to the places I have lived, so rural. If you stipulate that anywhere you have been for longer than 4 weeks as somewhere you have lived, I can count (in order of longest to shortest time):
1) Los Angeles
2) New York
3) London
4) Honolulu
5) Orlando
All of this places, in my opinion, qualify as big cities. Although I don't remember much about Orlando, except our apartment complex and Disneyland. Comparatively Aberdeen is tiny, you could probably fit all of it below Houston (the street in NYC) with room to spare. Except that things are a bit more spread out here. They have the silly idea that people shouldn't be all jammed up on top of each other. I don't know what that's about. I like being about to live on the 26th floor, above a butcher and baker and a candle stick maker and 25 floors of other apartments. The University library only has a total of 6 floors, and one of them is a basement, but it has full length windows and isn't really underground. Silly architects and their desire for natural light, don't they know that vampires need somewhere to hide during the day?
What all of this means is that I've having trouble focusing on things like school work and trying to find myself a regular hang out.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
My Life in Pictures
I will now fulfill all previous promises made in many numbered lists.
PICTURES
This is my bedroom. Why are there butterflies on the wall you might ask. A very good question. I put up the butterfly wrapping paper (other choices included "happy birthday", "merry
christmas" and disney princesses; I couldn't do that to myself) because underneath the wall is very grey/beige, which is very depressing. Butterflies might be lots of this, particularly when they are on your wall, but the one thing they are not is depressing.
Below is a picture of the exterior of the front door to my building. Their are many front doors to the building, but only this one leads up the stairs, through another door and then to a door labeled "3" where you find me.
Below is where the Elphinstone Institute used to be located. The piece of paper in the right hand window informed me of this. Cute isn't it?
However, the Elphinstone Institute is now housed in this building. Which, sadly, is not as cute as the former location. Mind you the Institute does not be any means take up this entire building. It has its own wee set of offices and a library, which is a wee room absolutely stuffed full of books. Stuffed, I say, stuffed.
AND not even all the books I need for classes are there, I often have to go to the Queen's Mum Library (no, its really the Queen's Mother Library). A lot of my folklore books are in the basement in closed stacks, which does not mean I need a library to retrieve them. It does mean all the shelves are on wheels and you have to crank them open to get to the books you need, which moves all the other shelves. SO you have to be careful there isn't anyone standing in the gap between the shelves that you are going to close. Otherwise they shout, which isn't an inside voice. They shout "Oi! Careful with them shelves!" Ok, I made that part up, but people do actually say "Oi!".
Above is New King's Hall, which apparently is younger than the King's College (not pictured). I don't have any classes or anything in here, but am including under that premise that it will make you jealous, which is one of the enumerated points I made in an earlier blog. For reference, click here.
Below is another part of my University. The tall building on the right is part of King's College. The rooms in King's are labeled all cockeyed.
So where am I on that list. Pictures? Check. Jealousy? Check. No complaining? Check. Scottish-ism? Could do better. Using camera for Skype? Failed. No more lists? Ummmm...debatable.
PICTURES
This is my bedroom. Why are there butterflies on the wall you might ask. A very good question. I put up the butterfly wrapping paper (other choices included "happy birthday", "merry
christmas" and disney princesses; I couldn't do that to myself) because underneath the wall is very grey/beige, which is very depressing. Butterflies might be lots of this, particularly when they are on your wall, but the one thing they are not is depressing. Below is a picture of the exterior of the front door to my building. Their are many front doors to the building, but only this one leads up the stairs, through another door and then to a door labeled "3" where you find me.
Below is where the Elphinstone Institute used to be located. The piece of paper in the right hand window informed me of this. Cute isn't it?
However, the Elphinstone Institute is now housed in this building. Which, sadly, is not as cute as the former location. Mind you the Institute does not be any means take up this entire building. It has its own wee set of offices and a library, which is a wee room absolutely stuffed full of books. Stuffed, I say, stuffed.
AND not even all the books I need for classes are there, I often have to go to the Queen's Mum Library (no, its really the Queen's Mother Library). A lot of my folklore books are in the basement in closed stacks, which does not mean I need a library to retrieve them. It does mean all the shelves are on wheels and you have to crank them open to get to the books you need, which moves all the other shelves. SO you have to be careful there isn't anyone standing in the gap between the shelves that you are going to close. Otherwise they shout, which isn't an inside voice. They shout "Oi! Careful with them shelves!" Ok, I made that part up, but people do actually say "Oi!".
Above is New King's Hall, which apparently is younger than the King's College (not pictured). I don't have any classes or anything in here, but am including under that premise that it will make you jealous, which is one of the enumerated points I made in an earlier blog. For reference, click here.Below is another part of my University. The tall building on the right is part of King's College. The rooms in King's are labeled all cockeyed.
So where am I on that list. Pictures? Check. Jealousy? Check. No complaining? Check. Scottish-ism? Could do better. Using camera for Skype? Failed. No more lists? Ummmm...debatable.Tuesday, September 30, 2008
American Nerd
The Story of My People
by Benjamin Nugent
"As fun as all of [debate contests] might be, debate is also something nerds do in order to meet other nerds they can hit on" (106).
I was going to say more, but one second thought I think that about covers it.
I was going to say more, but one second thought I think that about covers it.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Finally, the answer to The Question
No, sadly not that question.
The Question I'm refering to is "Callan, what the hell are you actually studying?"
The official answer is that no one really knows. Even scholars in the subject can't agrees. I've read about 30 different definitions from just as many scholars in the subject. They all kind of run in the same direction, but each person will tell you that their definition is not at all like anyone else's.
Some scholars like to focus on the 'folk' part, or "a small group of people", although scholars can't even agree on the definition of the term 'folk'. Other scholars like to focus on the 'lore' part, which has an even more haggled over definition that 'folk.' For example: "the materials of folklore rather than the people who use it"(Dundes).
And this is all in contrast to 'fakelore', which are stories that people make up. Wait, you say, isn't real folklore made up too? Why, yes, yes it is. So what's the difference your inquiring mind might ponder. 'Fakelore'(coined by Dorson, an American) is made up by author's, so stories like Paul Bunyan or the Ossisian Cycle, as opposed to stories without known original authors like, ummmmm...... I think King Arthur qualifies, or OH! Cinderella, that one definitely qualifies.
The one thing everyone seems to agree on is who coined the term 'folklore', which is another interesting story. A man named William John Thoms wrote a letter to "The Athenaeum" under the psuedonom Ambrose Merton (why would you pick this name of all possible names?) and said that the term 'folklore' should replace the term 'popular antiquities' to describe this indescribable area of scholarship. Why the need for a new name? Well, 'popular antiquities' is too latinate a term, the English need "a good saxon compound" (in the words of Merton). Good Grief!!!
So please feel free to make up a definition of my realm of scholastic inquiry. Best one gets chocolate digestives.
The Question I'm refering to is "Callan, what the hell are you actually studying?"
The official answer is that no one really knows. Even scholars in the subject can't agrees. I've read about 30 different definitions from just as many scholars in the subject. They all kind of run in the same direction, but each person will tell you that their definition is not at all like anyone else's.
Some scholars like to focus on the 'folk' part, or "a small group of people", although scholars can't even agree on the definition of the term 'folk'. Other scholars like to focus on the 'lore' part, which has an even more haggled over definition that 'folk.' For example: "the materials of folklore rather than the people who use it"(Dundes).
And this is all in contrast to 'fakelore', which are stories that people make up. Wait, you say, isn't real folklore made up too? Why, yes, yes it is. So what's the difference your inquiring mind might ponder. 'Fakelore'(coined by Dorson, an American) is made up by author's, so stories like Paul Bunyan or the Ossisian Cycle, as opposed to stories without known original authors like, ummmmm...... I think King Arthur qualifies, or OH! Cinderella, that one definitely qualifies.
The one thing everyone seems to agree on is who coined the term 'folklore', which is another interesting story. A man named William John Thoms wrote a letter to "The Athenaeum" under the psuedonom Ambrose Merton (why would you pick this name of all possible names?) and said that the term 'folklore' should replace the term 'popular antiquities' to describe this indescribable area of scholarship. Why the need for a new name? Well, 'popular antiquities' is too latinate a term, the English need "a good saxon compound" (in the words of Merton). Good Grief!!!
So please feel free to make up a definition of my realm of scholastic inquiry. Best one gets chocolate digestives.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Word of the Day
latrinalia: (n.) writing on the walls of public bathrooms.
taken from "The Study of Folklore", Alan Dundes (ed).
So, yes, I suppose that the writing on the walls of public bathrooms is something that could be studied by folklorists.
taken from "The Study of Folklore", Alan Dundes (ed).
So, yes, I suppose that the writing on the walls of public bathrooms is something that could be studied by folklorists.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Promises
I promise I will
a) post pictures asap
b) write about something other than my complaints
c) make you jealous and want to be here
d) not complain too much about the cold
e) use more Scottish-isms
f) figure out how to make my digital camera video skype capable and then tell all of you.
g) answer any questions you have, but only if you send them
h) tell you what all the other international (not US or UK) students think about the US elections (hint: so far everyone is pro-Obama)
i) stop the use of numeral or alphabetal lists in my blogs
a) post pictures asap
b) write about something other than my complaints
c) make you jealous and want to be here
d) not complain too much about the cold
e) use more Scottish-isms
f) figure out how to make my digital camera video skype capable and then tell all of you.
g) answer any questions you have, but only if you send them
h) tell you what all the other international (not US or UK) students think about the US elections (hint: so far everyone is pro-Obama)
i) stop the use of numeral or alphabetal lists in my blogs
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Staying warm all winter with only one log
The "Old Farmer's Almanac" is published yearly and predicts the weather every day for the next year. This year this also offer advise on how to stay warm all winter with only one log.
And how does the almanac recommend keeping warm throughout the winter with one piece of wood?
Toss the log out of an upstairs window, run downstairs and outside to retrieve it, run back upstairs, then fling it out of the window again.
"Pretty soon you're going to be very hot and you don't need to turn the heat on," Perreault said.
Who would have thunk it?
And how does the almanac recommend keeping warm throughout the winter with one piece of wood?
Toss the log out of an upstairs window, run downstairs and outside to retrieve it, run back upstairs, then fling it out of the window again.
"Pretty soon you're going to be very hot and you don't need to turn the heat on," Perreault said.
Who would have thunk it?
Now Playing in Scotland: Callan
I've been in Scotland for a grand total of 91.25 hours. And yes, it is beautiful. No it has not rained yet. And, no, none of my roommates are Scottish.
I have three roommies, one from Malaysia, one from Kenya and another from New Brunswick, Canada. They're all really cool and I think its going to be a good year with them. And I have a separate bedroom I can lock myself into if necessary.
However trying to get anything done I feel like I'm waiting in a queue to bash my head into a brick wall. There seems to be a system of how I need to do things, but no one seems to understand the system or know what order things need to be done it. Very annoying.
So, so far I have accomplished 1) meeting my department co-head's, 2) being told about all the other students in the Folklore program - there is 1 other full time master's student, 4 part time masters students and 7 or 8 PHD students. The other full-timer is American. I knew it was a small department, but I didn't realize how small. - 3) standing in a lot of lines, 4) getting an application for the gym, 5) getting the application for the letter of introduction to a bank, 6) getting an application for a bank account (I need a phone number & an intro letter), 7) getting an application for a mobile contract (I need a bank account first) - anyone notice a pattern? - 8) and finally figuring out who I need to talk to about sorting out paying for school. So I've accomplished nothing. Well, not true, I got my Internet hooked up and I put away all my clothing.
I still don't really believe I'm here. I feels like a weird vacation, where I don't get to do any fun things, and then I get on another unbearably long plane ride. Its also strange thinking that I'm going to be living somewhere so small. And other people don't seem to realize that Aberdeen is small. I have a roommate who is scared of getting lost, but there isn't anywhere to get lost. Sometimes I streets are a little disorienting, because of how they loop and turn, but there's not where to get lost too. Besides the main town is surrounded by rivers and the north sea, so it you run into water you've gone too far, but not very far.
I have three roommies, one from Malaysia, one from Kenya and another from New Brunswick, Canada. They're all really cool and I think its going to be a good year with them. And I have a separate bedroom I can lock myself into if necessary.
However trying to get anything done I feel like I'm waiting in a queue to bash my head into a brick wall. There seems to be a system of how I need to do things, but no one seems to understand the system or know what order things need to be done it. Very annoying.
So, so far I have accomplished 1) meeting my department co-head's, 2) being told about all the other students in the Folklore program - there is 1 other full time master's student, 4 part time masters students and 7 or 8 PHD students. The other full-timer is American. I knew it was a small department, but I didn't realize how small. - 3) standing in a lot of lines, 4) getting an application for the gym, 5) getting the application for the letter of introduction to a bank, 6) getting an application for a bank account (I need a phone number & an intro letter), 7) getting an application for a mobile contract (I need a bank account first) - anyone notice a pattern? - 8) and finally figuring out who I need to talk to about sorting out paying for school. So I've accomplished nothing. Well, not true, I got my Internet hooked up and I put away all my clothing.
I still don't really believe I'm here. I feels like a weird vacation, where I don't get to do any fun things, and then I get on another unbearably long plane ride. Its also strange thinking that I'm going to be living somewhere so small. And other people don't seem to realize that Aberdeen is small. I have a roommate who is scared of getting lost, but there isn't anywhere to get lost. Sometimes I streets are a little disorienting, because of how they loop and turn, but there's not where to get lost too. Besides the main town is surrounded by rivers and the north sea, so it you run into water you've gone too far, but not very far.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
BUY THIS BOOK
The Dreams Begins: How Hawai'i Shaped Barack Obama
by Stu Glauberman and Jerry Burris
available on Amazon.com and Borders.com
This book explores the early formative years of Barack Obama in Hawai'i and Indonesia. It presents the pieces of Barack's life that he and his opponents have attributed to shaping his worldview, without slanting the data for reaching a partisan conclusion, allowing the reader to reach their own opinions.
Stu and Jerry, both long time Hawai'i residents and writers for the Honolulu Advertiser, draw on their decades on knowledge of not just Hawai'i politics, but Oahu politics and pedestrian life to craft a protrait of Barack's Punahou years.
Stu and Jerry skillful use all available research to provide a look at Barack's time in Indonesia and give the reader the facts about his schooling while aboard, including his time at a Muslim school registered with the last name of his step father, and consequently his step father's religion.
I recommend this book to everyone who is simply looking for the facts on Barack Obama, not shaded by partisan spin or fore drawn conclusions.
After you've read it, please post your review on amazon or borders.
by Stu Glauberman and Jerry Burris
available on Amazon.com and Borders.com
This book explores the early formative years of Barack Obama in Hawai'i and Indonesia. It presents the pieces of Barack's life that he and his opponents have attributed to shaping his worldview, without slanting the data for reaching a partisan conclusion, allowing the reader to reach their own opinions.
Stu and Jerry, both long time Hawai'i residents and writers for the Honolulu Advertiser, draw on their decades on knowledge of not just Hawai'i politics, but Oahu politics and pedestrian life to craft a protrait of Barack's Punahou years.
Stu and Jerry skillful use all available research to provide a look at Barack's time in Indonesia and give the reader the facts about his schooling while aboard, including his time at a Muslim school registered with the last name of his step father, and consequently his step father's religion.
I recommend this book to everyone who is simply looking for the facts on Barack Obama, not shaded by partisan spin or fore drawn conclusions.
After you've read it, please post your review on amazon or borders.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Gossip Girl
As with all prime time TV shows just about to start their new season, "Gossip Girl" has launched a series of alluring ads. Unlike all the other shows, "Gossip Girl" is using the negative reviews as a tantalizing carrot. The over sized bill board states "mind-blowingly inappropriate" a quotation from the Parents Television Council. Although neither website contained the quotation.
Mind you I'm not one to normally pay attention to groups like the Parents Television Council, because I believe in Free Speech and any type of censorship, even the well meaning kind, is an infringement on that right. And if that means I'm defending profanity, I will defending. If we give an inch, they'll take a mile.
However, when I first saw all the little middle school girls buying the Gossip Girl series books, I was curious. I worked at a book store at the time, so I picked one up and gave it a glance. It was vile and absolutely inappropriate for middle school students. Maybe I went to the wrong high school, but I didn't know anyone who was into the same activities these characters were. And the little middle school girls buying these books were not coming alone and spending their allowence on these books. No their parents were their buying the books for them. I was shocked. I would never buy those books for a middle school student.
But here is the BIG question. "Gossip Girl" runs at prime time, which usually means adults are in the house and watching, with or without their teeny-boppers. Is "Gossip Girl" targetted at an audience of 11 to 17 year olds, the age range of the characters, or is it aimed at 18-25 year olds, the group its more appropriate for. But then what 25 year old wants to watch a much of high school students having sex and smoking drugs? I don't. I'm much rather watch a group of recent college grads having sex and smoking drugs. So what kind of pervert watches "Gossip Girl"? Not me.
Mind you I'm not one to normally pay attention to groups like the Parents Television Council, because I believe in Free Speech and any type of censorship, even the well meaning kind, is an infringement on that right. And if that means I'm defending profanity, I will defending. If we give an inch, they'll take a mile.
However, when I first saw all the little middle school girls buying the Gossip Girl series books, I was curious. I worked at a book store at the time, so I picked one up and gave it a glance. It was vile and absolutely inappropriate for middle school students. Maybe I went to the wrong high school, but I didn't know anyone who was into the same activities these characters were. And the little middle school girls buying these books were not coming alone and spending their allowence on these books. No their parents were their buying the books for them. I was shocked. I would never buy those books for a middle school student.
But here is the BIG question. "Gossip Girl" runs at prime time, which usually means adults are in the house and watching, with or without their teeny-boppers. Is "Gossip Girl" targetted at an audience of 11 to 17 year olds, the age range of the characters, or is it aimed at 18-25 year olds, the group its more appropriate for. But then what 25 year old wants to watch a much of high school students having sex and smoking drugs? I don't. I'm much rather watch a group of recent college grads having sex and smoking drugs. So what kind of pervert watches "Gossip Girl"? Not me.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
in Powell River
I'm in Canada as close to the end of the world as you can get without actually being there. The Pacific Coast Highway ends 26 miles north of the cute little town where I am staying. The highway, stretches out onto a dock and then down a ramp into the water. Yes, seriously. Its a boat launch ramp.
The name of the town is Powell River and I am visiting my Grandmother. It is so drastically different being in a little tiny town from being in New York City. From the big window in my Grandmother's condo I can see just about half of the main town. The town is located on the water on the main land just North of Vancouver, BC and Victoria Island. During the course of the day, I can watch the beach on an island just off shore slowly disappear as the high tide waters slowly cover all of the sand. In the morning the island has a pretty beige skirt all the way around, in the evening the water kisses the trees and the island looks as if it has risen full formed from the waters of the Northern Pacific.
Another fun fact. Looking the other direction out the window, way far in the distance is Comox, another island, where Pamela Anderson spent her childhood. A ferry makes trips all day between Powell River and Comox. Its weird to think a person like her started in a place like this.
A few days ago my Mom and I went and bought fresh caught fish for dinner. The northern pacific waters in this area are teeming (maybe less now than 40 years ago) with yummy fish: sockeye salmon, pacific halibut, jumbo prawns, snapper and more. So we bought some. We bought a 14 pound whole halibut and a 4 pound whole salmon. That's a lot of fish. I mean a lot of fish. The fisher filleted them for us, which was helpful. So we didn't take the weight of the heads, spines and tail home, but we can't eat those and Grandma doesn't have a flower bed to bury them under. That night we cut most of it up and froze it, so it would keep. The next morning I woke up dreaming about cutting up fish.
Otherwise this is the perfect place to retreat and write. I'm about a third of the way through writing a children's book and am hoping to finish it while I'm here.
The rest of my time is filled with small town stuff; farmers markets, church, caring for Grandma, waiting for the blackberry festival, making cookies for funerals and staring at the amazing view of the wild.
The name of the town is Powell River and I am visiting my Grandmother. It is so drastically different being in a little tiny town from being in New York City. From the big window in my Grandmother's condo I can see just about half of the main town. The town is located on the water on the main land just North of Vancouver, BC and Victoria Island. During the course of the day, I can watch the beach on an island just off shore slowly disappear as the high tide waters slowly cover all of the sand. In the morning the island has a pretty beige skirt all the way around, in the evening the water kisses the trees and the island looks as if it has risen full formed from the waters of the Northern Pacific.
Another fun fact. Looking the other direction out the window, way far in the distance is Comox, another island, where Pamela Anderson spent her childhood. A ferry makes trips all day between Powell River and Comox. Its weird to think a person like her started in a place like this.
A few days ago my Mom and I went and bought fresh caught fish for dinner. The northern pacific waters in this area are teeming (maybe less now than 40 years ago) with yummy fish: sockeye salmon, pacific halibut, jumbo prawns, snapper and more. So we bought some. We bought a 14 pound whole halibut and a 4 pound whole salmon. That's a lot of fish. I mean a lot of fish. The fisher filleted them for us, which was helpful. So we didn't take the weight of the heads, spines and tail home, but we can't eat those and Grandma doesn't have a flower bed to bury them under. That night we cut most of it up and froze it, so it would keep. The next morning I woke up dreaming about cutting up fish.
Otherwise this is the perfect place to retreat and write. I'm about a third of the way through writing a children's book and am hoping to finish it while I'm here.
The rest of my time is filled with small town stuff; farmers markets, church, caring for Grandma, waiting for the blackberry festival, making cookies for funerals and staring at the amazing view of the wild.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Another Definition of Folklore Studies
This is direct from the Elphinstone Institute course description:
Ethnology and Folklore are concerned with the question of how cultural identity is transmitted, maintained, and adapted. Ethnologists analyse the social, political, economic, and psychological forces that shape cultural life in its widest sense - from customs, oral tradition and beliefs to artefacts and food production. They investigate how the traditions of a community, region or country relate to contemporary issues of identity and community, and how these issues are represented in public and private life.
The Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen is the only research centre specialising in the vigorous vernacular culture of the North East and North of Scotland, and one of very few centres of excellence in the UK for the study of ethnology and folklore.
North East Scotland is known for its traditional singers and fiddlers, and for the Greig-Duncan folksong collection. It is the main European centre for offshore oil and gas activity. Consequently, it offers unmatched opportunities for examining how cultural identity is created, maintained and modified in the face of major demographic, social and economic change.
I will be taking the following courses:
History and Core Genres of Ethnology and Folklore
Oral Traditions
Intellectual Backgrounds and Methodologies
Scottish Contexts and Practical Fieldwork
Dissertation
Ethnology and Folklore are concerned with the question of how cultural identity is transmitted, maintained, and adapted. Ethnologists analyse the social, political, economic, and psychological forces that shape cultural life in its widest sense - from customs, oral tradition and beliefs to artefacts and food production. They investigate how the traditions of a community, region or country relate to contemporary issues of identity and community, and how these issues are represented in public and private life.
The Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen is the only research centre specialising in the vigorous vernacular culture of the North East and North of Scotland, and one of very few centres of excellence in the UK for the study of ethnology and folklore.
North East Scotland is known for its traditional singers and fiddlers, and for the Greig-Duncan folksong collection. It is the main European centre for offshore oil and gas activity. Consequently, it offers unmatched opportunities for examining how cultural identity is created, maintained and modified in the face of major demographic, social and economic change.
I will be taking the following courses:
History and Core Genres of Ethnology and Folklore
Oral Traditions
Intellectual Backgrounds and Methodologies
Scottish Contexts and Practical Fieldwork
Dissertation
Monday, August 04, 2008
Dreaming
I don't really dream that much. Enough I guess. But I don't think I like dreaming. They are also barely coherant, weird snips of life and images. The only that do make sense, have a plot I guess, are scary, unsettling. Dreaming has never stopped my from sleeping.
I used to have the same dream over and over. Then it just stopped one day. I think I out grew it. If you can outgrow dreams. I used to dream that all my teeth were falling out. Not falling out like I'd been punched or anything, but falling out the way baby-teeth fall out. Slowly. Root by root. But they were all coming out at the same time. And they were my adult teeth, so I'd never get new ones. It freaked my out. I'd run around in my dream trying to hold them in my mouth, forcing them back into my gums. I would try to scream for a dentist, but I couldn't or I'd lose my teeth. I'd try to bit down on them carefully, so they would hold each other in. But that never worked.
I'm a firm believer that dreams relate to what's going on in your life. That the are your unconcious brain trying to work out something that your conscious brain can't really understand. Don't get me wrong, I think Freud's work is outdated and currently irrelevent, but I think a lot of new research about brain activity while sleeping points to the fact that we do "think" while sleeping.
I think my teeth dream was connected to the fact that I grind my teeth at night. Also that I'm way too uptight. But mostly the grinding.
There are very few other dreams that I remember. Mostly more like photographs of dreams of a few frames of film from some lost movie reel. These dr eams are never significant events. Chatting with a friend and a few lines of dialogue, or an image of a location I' ve never been too. But they photo frames also stick in my mind. I might not be able to call them all up at will, but they stick. Maybe deep in the semiconscious. But the stranger part of these dream pieces is that they always cause deja-vu. Always. The dream comes first and the deja-vu later. There isn't any set period of time between the dream and when it happens. They just creep up on my randomly. And my brain flashes to another place, maybe caught up in the firing of its own synapses. Who knows? But sadly these pieces are never important parts of my life. Usually they are quiet moments. Peaceful.
Except one. One that hasn't happened yet. And maybe because I remember it so consciously it never will and I hope that it never will. But it scares my a little everytime the deja-vu sneaks up on me. I see myself in a car, in the passenger's seat and my siser is in back. And boy, or man, he's not much other than I am, but I'm not really sure hold old I am in this moment. The three of us are winging down the free, across a raised over pass, connecting us between two freeways. The road sweeps up and curves to the left, but he doesn't turn the wheel. We keep drive start ahead and over the edge and we sail through the air and then there is nothing. The dream is over. And it scares me to get in cars with my sister and a guy.
It makes me wonder if other people ever see themselves old in their dreams. Or if they are always their current age. I'm never old in my dreams.
I used to have the same dream over and over. Then it just stopped one day. I think I out grew it. If you can outgrow dreams. I used to dream that all my teeth were falling out. Not falling out like I'd been punched or anything, but falling out the way baby-teeth fall out. Slowly. Root by root. But they were all coming out at the same time. And they were my adult teeth, so I'd never get new ones. It freaked my out. I'd run around in my dream trying to hold them in my mouth, forcing them back into my gums. I would try to scream for a dentist, but I couldn't or I'd lose my teeth. I'd try to bit down on them carefully, so they would hold each other in. But that never worked.
I'm a firm believer that dreams relate to what's going on in your life. That the are your unconcious brain trying to work out something that your conscious brain can't really understand. Don't get me wrong, I think Freud's work is outdated and currently irrelevent, but I think a lot of new research about brain activity while sleeping points to the fact that we do "think" while sleeping.
I think my teeth dream was connected to the fact that I grind my teeth at night. Also that I'm way too uptight. But mostly the grinding.
There are very few other dreams that I remember. Mostly more like photographs of dreams of a few frames of film from some lost movie reel. These dr eams are never significant events. Chatting with a friend and a few lines of dialogue, or an image of a location I' ve never been too. But they photo frames also stick in my mind. I might not be able to call them all up at will, but they stick. Maybe deep in the semiconscious. But the stranger part of these dream pieces is that they always cause deja-vu. Always. The dream comes first and the deja-vu later. There isn't any set period of time between the dream and when it happens. They just creep up on my randomly. And my brain flashes to another place, maybe caught up in the firing of its own synapses. Who knows? But sadly these pieces are never important parts of my life. Usually they are quiet moments. Peaceful.
Except one. One that hasn't happened yet. And maybe because I remember it so consciously it never will and I hope that it never will. But it scares my a little everytime the deja-vu sneaks up on me. I see myself in a car, in the passenger's seat and my siser is in back. And boy, or man, he's not much other than I am, but I'm not really sure hold old I am in this moment. The three of us are winging down the free, across a raised over pass, connecting us between two freeways. The road sweeps up and curves to the left, but he doesn't turn the wheel. We keep drive start ahead and over the edge and we sail through the air and then there is nothing. The dream is over. And it scares me to get in cars with my sister and a guy.
It makes me wonder if other people ever see themselves old in their dreams. Or if they are always their current age. I'm never old in my dreams.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Baby's First Baseball Game
That's right folks. Little Miss Callan Anne Stout attended her first Baseball game on Tuesday Night. In fact it was the first major league sporting event the young girl has ever watched in its entirety. She was ultimately impressed and had this to say: "All the screens are so shiny!"
Callan was in the stands to witness the LA Dodgers trounce the San Fransisco Giants, 2-nothing. At the end of the game she commented: "neener-neener poo-poo".
The press rep for the Giants released a statement to the press in response. "Dear Miss Stout, we appriciate your enthousiam for the sport and hope that we will be able to perform up to your standards next time."
Callan responded by blowing a raspberry.
Callan was in the stands to witness the LA Dodgers trounce the San Fransisco Giants, 2-nothing. At the end of the game she commented: "neener-neener poo-poo".
The press rep for the Giants released a statement to the press in response. "Dear Miss Stout, we appriciate your enthousiam for the sport and hope that we will be able to perform up to your standards next time."
Callan responded by blowing a raspberry.
Monday, July 28, 2008
YES wins the AATE
The American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) named The Youth Education Entertainment Series (YES) in Santa Monica the 2008 Outstanding New Children's Theatre Company.
THANK YOU AATE!!!
AATE's mission is to advocate for theatre and education of the highest standards, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) recognizes that theatre is essential in people's lives.
Y.E.S. started in 2004 with the play "Brownies, Bicycles and Bigfoot" an original play for youth by Callan Stout.
YES was founded when the failing Rainbow Factory revamped its image, its approach to theater and Tara Redipenning introduced the idea of producing theatrical adaptations of books on the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District Reading List. This last innovation has true made YES the wonderful company it is today.
Since 2004 YES has produced over 20 plays and 4 musicals for youth at the Morgan-Wixson theater, its home in Santa Monica, CA.
In 2006, they produced a second play by Callan Stout, her adaption of "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling.
“The Jungle Book” was presented in a theatrical style drawn from the traditions of India and modern youth theatre using masks, live music, puppets, dance and excitement.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Baka Beyond
Last night I saw the group Baka Beyond perform at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. They are a Afro-Celtic fusion group. Pretty trippy. I've really gotten into World Music in the last year and a half. I find that most of it has so much depth and history you can just hear it in the very tone of the music. It is way beyond anything that modern pop music could ever attain. Its too bad it is often considered "weird" or "strange".
The best songs had a great rhythm line and AMAZING reel riffs on the fiddle. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. The tunes with lyrics were either Irish ballads in Irish or the "bird-singing" of the Baka Forest People from the Congo.
I think my favorite part was the fiddler.
He was this old Irish (?) guy with crazy-all-over-the-place-hair, a gold earring and a bright red smoking jacket. And man could he rock that fiddle. He also played the tin whistle and the a horn of some type.
They were able to get the whole crowd dancing towards the end of the concert. It was difficult because the audience was predominately older (over 50) Jewish and white people. They were all snappily dressed in their cooridnated track suits. It was cute watching them attempt to move to the beat as instructed by the African dancer who accompanied the group.
If you're interested in hearing a few of them songs, please send me a message and I'll hook you up.
They have videos of their performance at more about their group on their website.
The best songs had a great rhythm line and AMAZING reel riffs on the fiddle. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. The tunes with lyrics were either Irish ballads in Irish or the "bird-singing" of the Baka Forest People from the Congo.
I think my favorite part was the fiddler.
He was this old Irish (?) guy with crazy-all-over-the-place-hair, a gold earring and a bright red smoking jacket. And man could he rock that fiddle. He also played the tin whistle and the a horn of some type.They were able to get the whole crowd dancing towards the end of the concert. It was difficult because the audience was predominately older (over 50) Jewish and white people. They were all snappily dressed in their cooridnated track suits. It was cute watching them attempt to move to the beat as instructed by the African dancer who accompanied the group.
If you're interested in hearing a few of them songs, please send me a message and I'll hook you up.
They have videos of their performance at more about their group on their website.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
sad side of "Glow"
(as published in the Santa Monica Daily Press July 24th 2008)
Dear Editor,
Saturday night Santa Monica city hosted “glow,” an all night event focused on artistic vision expressed through light. “Glow” took over the Santa Monica pier, the surrounding beach and the Palisades Park. “Glow” promised to be a great celebration of all the beauty that could be California, a huge public art event exploring and glorifying light on the beach we are so lucky to have. After I received the first email describing the event I knew I could not miss this. Judging from the massive attendance, I was not alone in this feeling. It was heart warming to see the Pier crawling with all members of the Angeleno community, swarming across the beach to the luminescent art installation and otherwise enjoying the perks that living beach side affords us. I myself was almost glowing with the community spirit that was pulsing through the event.
Yet in the midst of this celebration, the ugliness of the Angelenos reached the height of its grotesque parody of itself tonight. The beach and artistic vision soured when the glow sticks of one artist sprawling across the beach in imitation of the tide shift of the ocean was destroying by Angelenos tearing the glow sticks from their arrangement in the sand and stealing them away into the night or perverting their natural geometry with lewd shapes. The visionary artist was left to beg his glow sticks – his art – back from the thieves, many who simple refused. Where was the event staff to protect the project? I small band of preteen girls ran past me yelling at each other “Quick. Some guy’s collection them. Hide them.” They were each carrying an arm full of glowing sticks. Where were the parents to teach their children simple decency? Hours later as I left, disappointed that Frank Rozasy’s “Illumination Migration” was unable to be recreated, I still saw people carrying away these glow sticks. They were designed just for this event, and were easily differentiated from the slender glow sticks for sale. And where were the police when this all fell apart to at least aid this artist in retrieving his scattered art? I did not see them.
Unfortunately I did not see the art either. Not the way the creator intended. I saw the glow sticks mimicking the movements of the crowd instead of “mimicking both the movements of the tide and more specifically the grunion’s coming ashore and returning to sea.” All I saw was the ugliness of the people of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. And it made me sick.
As an artist myself, although a very different kind, I can understand the wrenching pain that tears deep into the stomach when a creative endeavor of this magnitude or of any size, is destroyed by the very people it was meant to inspire. I know it is too much to ask every single person involved in this travesty is apologize to Frank Rozasy. But I am asking that all pilfered glow sticks be returned to him. And I ask the entire Angeleno community to think next time before they so selfishly destroy the creativity of an individual and the opportunity for others to share in the experience of artistic expression.
You can reach Frank Rozasy at frank.rozasy@verizon.com
Callan Stout
Dear Editor,
Saturday night Santa Monica city hosted “glow,” an all night event focused on artistic vision expressed through light. “Glow” took over the Santa Monica pier, the surrounding beach and the Palisades Park. “Glow” promised to be a great celebration of all the beauty that could be California, a huge public art event exploring and glorifying light on the beach we are so lucky to have. After I received the first email describing the event I knew I could not miss this. Judging from the massive attendance, I was not alone in this feeling. It was heart warming to see the Pier crawling with all members of the Angeleno community, swarming across the beach to the luminescent art installation and otherwise enjoying the perks that living beach side affords us. I myself was almost glowing with the community spirit that was pulsing through the event.
Yet in the midst of this celebration, the ugliness of the Angelenos reached the height of its grotesque parody of itself tonight. The beach and artistic vision soured when the glow sticks of one artist sprawling across the beach in imitation of the tide shift of the ocean was destroying by Angelenos tearing the glow sticks from their arrangement in the sand and stealing them away into the night or perverting their natural geometry with lewd shapes. The visionary artist was left to beg his glow sticks – his art – back from the thieves, many who simple refused. Where was the event staff to protect the project? I small band of preteen girls ran past me yelling at each other “Quick. Some guy’s collection them. Hide them.” They were each carrying an arm full of glowing sticks. Where were the parents to teach their children simple decency? Hours later as I left, disappointed that Frank Rozasy’s “Illumination Migration” was unable to be recreated, I still saw people carrying away these glow sticks. They were designed just for this event, and were easily differentiated from the slender glow sticks for sale. And where were the police when this all fell apart to at least aid this artist in retrieving his scattered art? I did not see them.
Unfortunately I did not see the art either. Not the way the creator intended. I saw the glow sticks mimicking the movements of the crowd instead of “mimicking both the movements of the tide and more specifically the grunion’s coming ashore and returning to sea.” All I saw was the ugliness of the people of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. And it made me sick.
As an artist myself, although a very different kind, I can understand the wrenching pain that tears deep into the stomach when a creative endeavor of this magnitude or of any size, is destroyed by the very people it was meant to inspire. I know it is too much to ask every single person involved in this travesty is apologize to Frank Rozasy. But I am asking that all pilfered glow sticks be returned to him. And I ask the entire Angeleno community to think next time before they so selfishly destroy the creativity of an individual and the opportunity for others to share in the experience of artistic expression.
You can reach Frank Rozasy at frank.rozasy@verizon.com
Callan Stout
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
The Cat and The Vacuum Cleaner: A Parable
It all started a long time ago, but not too very far away when a young girl was watching a TV news special on fleas. The sage on the TV said that the most deadly weapon in the battle against fleas was the common vacuum cleaner. The mightly sucking power of the vacuum is powerful enough to strip off the fleas skin causing instant death.
Now normally this young girl avoided anything with fleas or any cleaning devises and products, perfering to leave these activities to braver folk. However a change of fortune caused the young girl to embrace the vacuum cleaner like a faithful friend, spending many long minutes in its company.
Unfortunately the young girl's change of circumstances also relocated her to a home with animals and much to her dismay, these animals or pets, had fleas. Even though the young girl never had the urge to hold this pets or stroke them for long hours. As a kind soul, she felt sorry for the pets and their constant suffering under the tyrany of the fleas. She wanted to help.
Deep in her brain stem, little tiny synapses started firing and she remembered that wise Sage from years gone by. "Use the Vacuum, girl". Then she knew what must be done. The young girl hauled the monstrous vacuum outside and plugged it in. She searched high and low for the dog, eventually finding her lying in a pit of misery, attempting to soothe the painful bits in dust. But to no avail.
The young girl quietly called the dog from her self-pity and over to the mighty vacuum. The dog sat quietly as the young girl ran the vacuum cleaner over her infested mane, silently thanking the young girl for leading her down the road to recovery.
As the young girl used her mighty vacuum to free the dog of pestilence, the cat meandered over to check out all the comotion. While keeping his distance, he stretched out on the grass luxeriating in the spectacle.
Finally all the evil vermin were rid of the dog's ebony locks. The young girl seized up the cat and holding him firmly in her arms she brought him over to the vacuum. Before the young girl even had a chance to flick the mighty vacuums on switch, the cat dug in his claws and made a bloody get away.
The young girl was devastated. She just wanted to help the poor flea ridden animal. Now she had her own bleeding wounds to cure. To make matter's worse, the young girl's cat allergy causes all cat scratches to swell up and resemble large, bleeding insect bits.
The Moral of the Story:
Don't mix cats and vacuums.
Now normally this young girl avoided anything with fleas or any cleaning devises and products, perfering to leave these activities to braver folk. However a change of fortune caused the young girl to embrace the vacuum cleaner like a faithful friend, spending many long minutes in its company.
Unfortunately the young girl's change of circumstances also relocated her to a home with animals and much to her dismay, these animals or pets, had fleas. Even though the young girl never had the urge to hold this pets or stroke them for long hours. As a kind soul, she felt sorry for the pets and their constant suffering under the tyrany of the fleas. She wanted to help.
Deep in her brain stem, little tiny synapses started firing and she remembered that wise Sage from years gone by. "Use the Vacuum, girl". Then she knew what must be done. The young girl hauled the monstrous vacuum outside and plugged it in. She searched high and low for the dog, eventually finding her lying in a pit of misery, attempting to soothe the painful bits in dust. But to no avail.
The young girl quietly called the dog from her self-pity and over to the mighty vacuum. The dog sat quietly as the young girl ran the vacuum cleaner over her infested mane, silently thanking the young girl for leading her down the road to recovery.
As the young girl used her mighty vacuum to free the dog of pestilence, the cat meandered over to check out all the comotion. While keeping his distance, he stretched out on the grass luxeriating in the spectacle.
Finally all the evil vermin were rid of the dog's ebony locks. The young girl seized up the cat and holding him firmly in her arms she brought him over to the vacuum. Before the young girl even had a chance to flick the mighty vacuums on switch, the cat dug in his claws and made a bloody get away.
The young girl was devastated. She just wanted to help the poor flea ridden animal. Now she had her own bleeding wounds to cure. To make matter's worse, the young girl's cat allergy causes all cat scratches to swell up and resemble large, bleeding insect bits.
The Moral of the Story:
Don't mix cats and vacuums.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Signing Off
Well not now and not from this blog for a long time.
However, when signing off emails my fingers have gotten into this funny habit of not wanting to type "love". I can't believe its because I don't love anyone. The part that concerns me a little more is what my fingers are replacing "love" with. "Loca". Its not that far different. The letters are even pretty close together on the key board, but what it means...that's what really gets me.
I don't think I can blame my fingers for trying to call me crazy. Or even for them to get me to call myself crazy. But its a little disconcerting. Do my fingers think I'm crazy?
Maybe I just over work them. I can sympathize with that. Together we have typed millions, maybe billions of words. And they don't get that much time off. Even on my vacations they have to work; lifting straws to my lips while sipping margaritas or unbottoning shirts while I'm shopping. They really don't get any rest.
And I keep threatening to start writing a new play. They must be rebeling against all the cruel (can I say?) back breaking labor. They truely do bare the brunt of my work load. And I rarely pamper them. I make promises of manicures and promises of fancy lotion, but I don't deliever. I don't know how they take all the teasing. I would drive me up the wall.
However, I'm not horrible to them. I don't burden them with enormous rings or choke them with cigarette smoke. I have never threatened them with a large knife.
I don't know what I would do if they left. I suppose this one rebellious act isn't too harmful to allow. It hasn't damaged any of my friendships. Yet. And I don't think it will. I could always start using "best" or "sincerely" or even "your's". Those are difficult words for fingers to pervert. But maybe I'll just let them. Couldn't hurt.
loca
Callan
However, when signing off emails my fingers have gotten into this funny habit of not wanting to type "love". I can't believe its because I don't love anyone. The part that concerns me a little more is what my fingers are replacing "love" with. "Loca". Its not that far different. The letters are even pretty close together on the key board, but what it means...that's what really gets me.
I don't think I can blame my fingers for trying to call me crazy. Or even for them to get me to call myself crazy. But its a little disconcerting. Do my fingers think I'm crazy?
Maybe I just over work them. I can sympathize with that. Together we have typed millions, maybe billions of words. And they don't get that much time off. Even on my vacations they have to work; lifting straws to my lips while sipping margaritas or unbottoning shirts while I'm shopping. They really don't get any rest.
And I keep threatening to start writing a new play. They must be rebeling against all the cruel (can I say?) back breaking labor. They truely do bare the brunt of my work load. And I rarely pamper them. I make promises of manicures and promises of fancy lotion, but I don't deliever. I don't know how they take all the teasing. I would drive me up the wall.
However, I'm not horrible to them. I don't burden them with enormous rings or choke them with cigarette smoke. I have never threatened them with a large knife.
I don't know what I would do if they left. I suppose this one rebellious act isn't too harmful to allow. It hasn't damaged any of my friendships. Yet. And I don't think it will. I could always start using "best" or "sincerely" or even "your's". Those are difficult words for fingers to pervert. But maybe I'll just let them. Couldn't hurt.
loca
Callan
Saturday, July 05, 2008
LA Fashion
Although it is commonly held that New York is the height of fashion in the US, I beg to differ. While recently shopping in Trader Joe's, an establishment I visit on both coasts (so I am obviously an expert of Trader Joe's shopper's fashion choices), I was blessed with a sighting of a stunning middle aged woman sporting tight neon green velour shorts that hugged the narrowest part of her waist, stretched across her full curvaceous hips and ended just short of her knees, hugging the ampleness of her lower thighs. Paired with this rather bold choice, was a pair of low raise bikini cut panties in maroon. It was a brave decision, but when she bent over the frozen food freezer and the color of the panties really bled through the neon green velour, I knew the look was priceless and only something she could pull off.
Then there I was, sheepishly perusing the chocolate covered assortment looking out of place in my new gladiator sandals, which were all the rage in New York. And to think that I had spent weeks looking for the perfect pair, that hit my feet exactly the right way and didn't strangle my ankle. How could I have wasted so much of my time? Somehow I had missed the true eye of fashion which stood their glaring at me from across the linoleum. How could I have been so misguided as to think that dark denim was in this season, when according to this goddess of fashion, it so clearly wasn't.
Forget all these New York fashion slobs who are only brave enough to wear skin skimming black Lycra yoga pants without a even a hint of a pantie line. Then they pair is with an equally black top with on the most subtle color trim. Sometimes I think these New Yorkers just go to far in their search for that perfect "look" when they top off these yoga pants with yoga mats hanging casually from their shoulders and with an ever so slight drop of perspiration on their temples. It's just too much to compete with.
Yet, somehow this one Angeleno, while searching for the perfect bag of frozen carrots blows all of New York Fashion away. I'd take her neon green velour shorts over even the best matching yoga set.
VIVA LA FASHION DE LOS ANGELES!!!!!
Then there I was, sheepishly perusing the chocolate covered assortment looking out of place in my new gladiator sandals, which were all the rage in New York. And to think that I had spent weeks looking for the perfect pair, that hit my feet exactly the right way and didn't strangle my ankle. How could I have wasted so much of my time? Somehow I had missed the true eye of fashion which stood their glaring at me from across the linoleum. How could I have been so misguided as to think that dark denim was in this season, when according to this goddess of fashion, it so clearly wasn't.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Back in LA
So my parents asked me if I'm going through culture shock being back in LA. and I said "yeah. I can't find any culture"
I made applesauce today. I almost feel like I'm at my country home for the summer. However, I'm in the middle of West LA. Surrounded by lots and lots of very short buildings. I think I'm supposed to send the apple sauce to all my friends in New York City, or Chicago, where ever they are. That's what people in the country are supposed to do for their city bound friends, right?
Just finished clearing all the dolls off my bookshelf to make way for my books. I didn't realize I had so many. I also have a fairly impressive nonfiction section. Yes, my bookshelf has sections. Bought a book called "American Nerd: the story of my people" by Benjamin Nugent. Should be interesting. Who doesn't want to read about why people who play D&D are really into computers also? It will go in the nonfiction section.
I have also finally decided what the number one thing I'm going to miss about New York, aside from all the people still there. LAUNDRY SERVICES THAT FOLD. I hate folding my clothing. I've never understood the point. It gets just as wrinkled when folded as when wadded up. And I'm just going to unfold it soon to wear it. When I'm rich and famous, I'm never going to fold laundry again. EVER. In fact I'll just hang everything up on hangers. Except my underwear, that wouldn't work. Hangers are the real answer to zero wrinkles. In the future, in my amazing West Village flat I'm going to banish all drawers from my closet. And forbidden all shelves and cabinets from enter the sacred ground of Callan's Closet. Only the select initiated hangers can have the honor of upholding the hallowed duty of carrying my clothing. DEATH TO DUPLICITOUS DRAWERS!!! DEATH TO SUBVERSIVE SHELVES!!! DEATH TO FOLDING!!!
I made applesauce today. I almost feel like I'm at my country home for the summer. However, I'm in the middle of West LA. Surrounded by lots and lots of very short buildings. I think I'm supposed to send the apple sauce to all my friends in New York City, or Chicago, where ever they are. That's what people in the country are supposed to do for their city bound friends, right?
Just finished clearing all the dolls off my bookshelf to make way for my books. I didn't realize I had so many. I also have a fairly impressive nonfiction section. Yes, my bookshelf has sections. Bought a book called "American Nerd: the story of my people" by Benjamin Nugent. Should be interesting. Who doesn't want to read about why people who play D&D are really into computers also? It will go in the nonfiction section.
I have also finally decided what the number one thing I'm going to miss about New York, aside from all the people still there. LAUNDRY SERVICES THAT FOLD. I hate folding my clothing. I've never understood the point. It gets just as wrinkled when folded as when wadded up. And I'm just going to unfold it soon to wear it. When I'm rich and famous, I'm never going to fold laundry again. EVER. In fact I'll just hang everything up on hangers. Except my underwear, that wouldn't work. Hangers are the real answer to zero wrinkles. In the future, in my amazing West Village flat I'm going to banish all drawers from my closet. And forbidden all shelves and cabinets from enter the sacred ground of Callan's Closet. Only the select initiated hangers can have the honor of upholding the hallowed duty of carrying my clothing. DEATH TO DUPLICITOUS DRAWERS!!! DEATH TO SUBVERSIVE SHELVES!!! DEATH TO FOLDING!!!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
reasons to be pretty
reasons to be pretty
by Neil LaBute
My dear friend recent treated me to Neil LaBute's new play "reasons to be pretty" at the Lucille Lortell theater on Christopher street. The theater has a very unassuming presence on the street and it always made me wonder about the quality of their productions. However, they have given LaBute a home and I have heard good things about his writing.
The play was so very freshing. After multiple behemoths that clunked along at a pace less than ideal, this modern four character play clipped along at a fast pace, but gave you time to enjoy and understand what was going on. The production value was the highest I've seen in a long time, even from larger theaters. It was a good feeling.
Neil LaBute is a graduate from the same writing program as I and he has become fairly notorious in regards to his writing style. Although, I'd estimate about 10 years older than me but likely more, he is famously "edgy" and "dangerous" in a theatrical sense. All the comments from my friends about the other plays of his that played while I've been in NYC lead me to believe that LaBute's plays were dirty, crude and violent. And while this play had a smattering of dirt, a hand full of crude and its fair serving of violence, none of them really overwhelmed the heart of the play. And I think that was the point.
I play did have its faults, but compared to my recent viewings they were relatively minor. I wish Stephanie's (played my an incrediable Alison Pill) anger had more range. Which I'm positive is a script issue, but an actor issue. The other female character, played by Piper Perabo, is generally less well defined, but is a more minor character. However, she does have a monologue that has the potential to be stunning, falls a little short. Somehow LaBute isn't exactly able to grasp the fear and sometimes frustration, of being followed through grocery stores or down street by men who only want to oogle you. It is something I understand fairly well and the monlogue could have been riveting, but it wasn't. Maybe its because Mr. LaBute has never had the problem, since he's not really attractive, nor is he a women.
I recommend seeing this produtction. The good things definitely outway the bad.
by Neil LaBute
My dear friend recent treated me to Neil LaBute's new play "reasons to be pretty" at the Lucille Lortell theater on Christopher street. The theater has a very unassuming presence on the street and it always made me wonder about the quality of their productions. However, they have given LaBute a home and I have heard good things about his writing.
The play was so very freshing. After multiple behemoths that clunked along at a pace less than ideal, this modern four character play clipped along at a fast pace, but gave you time to enjoy and understand what was going on. The production value was the highest I've seen in a long time, even from larger theaters. It was a good feeling.
Neil LaBute is a graduate from the same writing program as I and he has become fairly notorious in regards to his writing style. Although, I'd estimate about 10 years older than me but likely more, he is famously "edgy" and "dangerous" in a theatrical sense. All the comments from my friends about the other plays of his that played while I've been in NYC lead me to believe that LaBute's plays were dirty, crude and violent. And while this play had a smattering of dirt, a hand full of crude and its fair serving of violence, none of them really overwhelmed the heart of the play. And I think that was the point.
I play did have its faults, but compared to my recent viewings they were relatively minor. I wish Stephanie's (played my an incrediable Alison Pill) anger had more range. Which I'm positive is a script issue, but an actor issue. The other female character, played by Piper Perabo, is generally less well defined, but is a more minor character. However, she does have a monologue that has the potential to be stunning, falls a little short. Somehow LaBute isn't exactly able to grasp the fear and sometimes frustration, of being followed through grocery stores or down street by men who only want to oogle you. It is something I understand fairly well and the monlogue could have been riveting, but it wasn't. Maybe its because Mr. LaBute has never had the problem, since he's not really attractive, nor is he a women.
I recommend seeing this produtction. The good things definitely outway the bad.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
What do a man dressed as a rabbit and uncle sam have in common?
They both appear in the MacBeth currently playing at St. Ann's. I didn't think it made any sense either.
A friend of my (or my parents) once quoted a proffesor of their's and said that a play must be a "of a piece". The friend didn't know what that meant at the time by as they acumulated experience in theater they came to understand what was implied. This production was absolutely not "of a piece" all the disparate parts did not add up to a whole.
Aside from the rabbit, other audience members asked each other as I ran out of the theater "what was going on with lady macbeth, what she like a geisa or something?" I think the answer is NO. She was attempting to performing in a highly stylized way that did not fit in with the rest of the cast, except that they were just as stiff, but with less purpose. The costumer also mistakenly put her in a komono.
The show ran 2 hours which is usually short for MacBeth. But if they had been able to cut out the unnecesary pauses they could have cut out another half hour and made the evening only a torturous 90 minutes. I'm not sure if it was the cultural differences in acting style or if they were just bad, but everyone's idea of acting involved standing very still and whispering very intensely without and variation in volume or prosody. I don't think I've ever seen a more boring MacBeth.
If you want to see a good highly nuisanced MacBeth go see the one with Patrick Stewart. Or even go ahead and rent a movie version, doesn't matter which one they're all better than this play.
A friend of my (or my parents) once quoted a proffesor of their's and said that a play must be a "of a piece". The friend didn't know what that meant at the time by as they acumulated experience in theater they came to understand what was implied. This production was absolutely not "of a piece" all the disparate parts did not add up to a whole.
Aside from the rabbit, other audience members asked each other as I ran out of the theater "what was going on with lady macbeth, what she like a geisa or something?" I think the answer is NO. She was attempting to performing in a highly stylized way that did not fit in with the rest of the cast, except that they were just as stiff, but with less purpose. The costumer also mistakenly put her in a komono.
The show ran 2 hours which is usually short for MacBeth. But if they had been able to cut out the unnecesary pauses they could have cut out another half hour and made the evening only a torturous 90 minutes. I'm not sure if it was the cultural differences in acting style or if they were just bad, but everyone's idea of acting involved standing very still and whispering very intensely without and variation in volume or prosody. I don't think I've ever seen a more boring MacBeth.
If you want to see a good highly nuisanced MacBeth go see the one with Patrick Stewart. Or even go ahead and rent a movie version, doesn't matter which one they're all better than this play.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sketch Comedy as its...um...best
On Friday night I saw the sketch comedy group FUCT. A group I'd probably not be aware of unless I had a few friends performing in the troupe. And now all of them are my friends.
Their tag line "Sketch comedy so funny, it hurts" is probably the best way to describe them. Their show is a combination of fairly tradition sketch comedy material, although they are edger than your average, run of the mill sketch comedy group. For FUCT, nothing is sacred, nothing.
I would include in the highlights of the evening the acrobatic curtain dance sketch. They had a guest acrobat who performed a routine on a set of hanging curtain's. So did one of the members, who actually did quite well, but the humor arose from his struggle to master the curtain, which the acrobat performed with ease and grace. And of course, they wore matching skin-tone unitards with sequence and ribbons in their hair. The acrobat was a female, the FUCT member was a male. That was funny.
Their use of video for this show was particularly good. Their handle on the medium and how it works for their particular brand of humor has drastically improved over the last few shows. They truly out did themselves with four shorts, styled like commericials to fit with the title of this show "FUCT as seen on TV".
The low point of the night, in glorious FUCT tradition, was the spitting contest. However, this is no ordinary spitting contest. In this one, each of the three contestants was required to spit as much saliva into a little cup for one minute. When I minute was up the person with the most spit in their cup won. The person with the least spit in their cup lost and had to drink everyone else's spit. I couldn't sit through that, so I went to the bathroom after they announced the winner.
I'd say the ideal audience for this show is frat boys and the members of FUCT say gay men. Although, there doesn't seem to be a limit on who likes it or who they make fun of. Everyone can go.
The show runs for three more weekends.
Also catch them at The SkitSkat Live Comedy Festivalon Wed 18th
Or on Aug 20th in Austin Texas at The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival
Their tag line "Sketch comedy so funny, it hurts" is probably the best way to describe them. Their show is a combination of fairly tradition sketch comedy material, although they are edger than your average, run of the mill sketch comedy group. For FUCT, nothing is sacred, nothing.
I would include in the highlights of the evening the acrobatic curtain dance sketch. They had a guest acrobat who performed a routine on a set of hanging curtain's. So did one of the members, who actually did quite well, but the humor arose from his struggle to master the curtain, which the acrobat performed with ease and grace. And of course, they wore matching skin-tone unitards with sequence and ribbons in their hair. The acrobat was a female, the FUCT member was a male. That was funny.
Their use of video for this show was particularly good. Their handle on the medium and how it works for their particular brand of humor has drastically improved over the last few shows. They truly out did themselves with four shorts, styled like commericials to fit with the title of this show "FUCT as seen on TV".
The low point of the night, in glorious FUCT tradition, was the spitting contest. However, this is no ordinary spitting contest. In this one, each of the three contestants was required to spit as much saliva into a little cup for one minute. When I minute was up the person with the most spit in their cup won. The person with the least spit in their cup lost and had to drink everyone else's spit. I couldn't sit through that, so I went to the bathroom after they announced the winner.
I'd say the ideal audience for this show is frat boys and the members of FUCT say gay men. Although, there doesn't seem to be a limit on who likes it or who they make fun of. Everyone can go.
The show runs for three more weekends.
Also catch them at The SkitSkat Live Comedy Festival
Or on Aug 20th in Austin Texas at The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Theater World is Tiny!
In the Spring of 2000 I was in a play version of Cinderella directed by Rob Duval (no not ROBERT Duval, but this guy is pretty cool) assistant directed by his then high school student Zoe Kazan.
In the Fall of 2007 Zoe Kazan performed in the play "100 Saints you should know" written by Kate Fodor at Playwrights Horizons. She is now nominated for a 2008 Drama Desk and a 2008 Lucille Lortel award for outstanding featured actress. Which is amazing.
But this is where it gets weird.
The play "100 Saints you should know" was supposed to be a Mentor Project play at the Cherry Lane Theater, where I was interning during the Spring of 2007. I was slotted to work on the play, but Playwrights Horizons bought the rights out from under the Cherry Lane.
Weirder still...
The Stage Manager for "100 Saints" at Playwrights Horizons was also the Stage Manger for "Romeo & Juliet" in Central Park last year, which I did worked on as a literary researcher.
The theater world is so small.
I wish Zoe all the luck in the world.
In the Fall of 2007 Zoe Kazan performed in the play "100 Saints you should know" written by Kate Fodor at Playwrights Horizons. She is now nominated for a 2008 Drama Desk and a 2008 Lucille Lortel award for outstanding featured actress. Which is amazing.
But this is where it gets weird.
The play "100 Saints you should know" was supposed to be a Mentor Project play at the Cherry Lane Theater, where I was interning during the Spring of 2007. I was slotted to work on the play, but Playwrights Horizons bought the rights out from under the Cherry Lane.
Weirder still...
The Stage Manager for "100 Saints" at Playwrights Horizons was also the Stage Manger for "Romeo & Juliet" in Central Park last year, which I did worked on as a literary researcher.
The theater world is so small.
I wish Zoe all the luck in the world.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
And the reviews are in...
My Weekend in Review
Since I work in a restaurant my "weekend" is a little different than the calendar. I get Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Due to the scorching heat, which inspired the orange font, I worked very hard to put myself in entertaining air conditioned situations. And what better way to do that than see a movie or a play, or four. This "weekend" I saw 2 movies and 2 plays.
Iron Man
Despite my abhorrence of Robert Downey Jr. personally and the rather foppish beard he was sprouting in this film, its hard not to love super gadgets or robots with personalities, or men who talk to their robots.
The one hiccup that made me squirm in my seat, was the fact that despite Tony Spark's (Downey) loads and loads of money, his personal workshop was still in his garage. Also in his garage was a bevy of very expensive cars. Why would he risk it? Does he just have so much money he doesn't need to worry about putting little dings in his customized Porsche? Or do American film audiences actually enjoy watching muscle cars get pulverized? I don't. And yes, the cars do get pulverized.
Everything you could possibly want from an action film. Sit through the credits for a sneak peak at what the future holds.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Aside from the aliens, pardon me "transdimensional beings," the movie is fine.
I think people forget that the first three movies were relatively corny. By Shakespearean standards it is a comedy because it ends with a wedding.
Although it does seem like it tries to hard most of the time. There was an obviously concerted effort to bring in "big things" about the first three movies. For example, the way they worked in Indy's fear of snakes was both rather contrived and detoured the forward motion of the plot. But who doesn't like a good quick sand pit? (Pardon me, it wasn't actually quicksand, it was a dry version, but I stopped listening to Indy's explanation).
The action sequences are good, except pieces of the plot get in the way of making it really great. However, its pretty cool that it is set mostly in South America, particularly in the Amazon jungles since they are getting a bit of attention right now regarding their inhabitants.
I do recommend seeing it, we have been waiting a long time for this movie and despite the downfalls, or the rather many tumbles the actors take off cliffs, its fun. Who doesn't like hear that theme song play over and over, and over, again.
Top Girls
By Carol Churchill
However, this production did prove to me that Martha Plimpton actually is a talents actress. Also in the production was a very versitile Marisa Tomei and Ana Reeder, who I was supposed to have worked with on "Secret Agenda of Trees" by Colin McKenna at the Cherry Lane theater Spring 2007. But Ms. Reeder dropped out of the production half way through the rehearsal process because she had contracted a parasite while in India before rehearsal. You can also catch her in the swimming pool scene of "No Country for Old Men". I think they were filming that during the Spring of 2007. Hmm.....
Anyway, the set was pretty cool.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/current-season/top-girls-showsite/INDEX.HTM
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
By Tennessee Williams
Starring: James Earl Jones, Felicia Rashad, Terrence Howard and Anika Noni Rose.
Ms. Rose was stunning. I don't think I actually heard most of the exact words she was saying throughout the first act, but I understand exactly what she meant and what she wanted. Her desires oozed out of her body like juice from crushed grapes. Maggie the Cat (not an actual cat), was being crushed harder than any vinter would dare press their grapes for fear of bruising.
James Earl Jones has a stunning voice, but somehow he didn't quite shine the way I wanted him to. The role is not a huge role, although it does demand some range. He played it subtly.
Sitting in the audience I wondering if any of the dialogue was changed from the original during the rehearsal process because everything fit so well. Performing "Cat on a hot tin roof" with an all African American cast just makes sense. The only reason I ask if they changed some of the words, is because I know Tennessee Williams (although, not this particular play) and I don't think he would use the word "poon-tang". For those of you who don't know what that means, I suggest looking it up. Actually don't look it up, if you don't already know what it means I can promise you don't want to know what it means.
However, after a bit of research Tennessee Williams did write those words into the script. But he was asked to take them out when the play originally premiered in 1954. Now it all makes sense. The words made sense in context, people have been saying them in private for decades, but not in public. When private is made public on stage, in 1954 you had to abid by the rules of public descency. Things are a little different now. Maybe we got rid of the idea of public descency. Although, if the words are original keep them. I'm jsut against altering a writer's work. No alteration, no foul, err... no error, as the words are foul.
The bothersome thing about the entire evening however was the over zealous house staff. They felt the need to make announcements at the beginning and end of each intermission (there were two). They alerted us to such things as the need to take our ticket with us if you went outside to get a breathe of hot air or to turn off our cells phone before the new act started. Unfortunately the over abundance of announcements did not curb the abundance of phones ringing during the performance. I counted ten times and all from different phones.
Other than that, its a good show, that is scheduled to close soon. I'd saw there's a 40% chance the run extends.
http://www.telecharge.com/behindTheCurtain.aspx
In Other News
I also hit up the Cooper-Hewett museum's Roccoco exhibit. While I'm not the hugest fan of the decorative arts and I always have a great desire to sit on the fancy chairs and chaise lounge, but I know the museum staff wouldn't like that. However, now I can definitively say that I pick out a Roccoco design in the antique shop. What I did like about the exhibit was that it also traced newer forms that have been influenced by Roccoco, particularly Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau is a calmer version, with longer lines. The curator classified some of the Tiffany vases as Art Nouveau. I would include the Tiffany vases on display as the highlights of the exhibit. I really like Tiffany glass, there is something so absolutely transcendental about their form and colouration, but since they are made of glass they also capture the essence of human frailty and mortality.
Since I work in a restaurant my "weekend" is a little different than the calendar. I get Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Due to the scorching heat, which inspired the orange font, I worked very hard to put myself in entertaining air conditioned situations. And what better way to do that than see a movie or a play, or four. This "weekend" I saw 2 movies and 2 plays.
Iron Man
Despite my abhorrence of Robert Downey Jr. personally and the rather foppish beard he was sprouting in this film, its hard not to love super gadgets or robots with personalities, or men who talk to their robots.
The one hiccup that made me squirm in my seat, was the fact that despite Tony Spark's (Downey) loads and loads of money, his personal workshop was still in his garage. Also in his garage was a bevy of very expensive cars. Why would he risk it? Does he just have so much money he doesn't need to worry about putting little dings in his customized Porsche? Or do American film audiences actually enjoy watching muscle cars get pulverized? I don't. And yes, the cars do get pulverized.
Everything you could possibly want from an action film. Sit through the credits for a sneak peak at what the future holds.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Aside from the aliens, pardon me "transdimensional beings," the movie is fine.
I think people forget that the first three movies were relatively corny. By Shakespearean standards it is a comedy because it ends with a wedding.
Although it does seem like it tries to hard most of the time. There was an obviously concerted effort to bring in "big things" about the first three movies. For example, the way they worked in Indy's fear of snakes was both rather contrived and detoured the forward motion of the plot. But who doesn't like a good quick sand pit? (Pardon me, it wasn't actually quicksand, it was a dry version, but I stopped listening to Indy's explanation).
The action sequences are good, except pieces of the plot get in the way of making it really great. However, its pretty cool that it is set mostly in South America, particularly in the Amazon jungles since they are getting a bit of attention right now regarding their inhabitants.
I do recommend seeing it, we have been waiting a long time for this movie and despite the downfalls, or the rather many tumbles the actors take off cliffs, its fun. Who doesn't like hear that theme song play over and over, and over, again.
Top Girls
By Carol Churchill
Even at her most lucid Carol Churchill is a nut job. The play on stage was nothing like the play described in the playbill notes.
However, this production did prove to me that Martha Plimpton actually is a talents actress. Also in the production was a very versitile Marisa Tomei and Ana Reeder, who I was supposed to have worked with on "Secret Agenda of Trees" by Colin McKenna at the Cherry Lane theater Spring 2007. But Ms. Reeder dropped out of the production half way through the rehearsal process because she had contracted a parasite while in India before rehearsal. You can also catch her in the swimming pool scene of "No Country for Old Men". I think they were filming that during the Spring of 2007. Hmm.....
Anyway, the set was pretty cool.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/current-season/top-girls-showsite/INDEX.HTM
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
By Tennessee Williams
Starring: James Earl Jones, Felicia Rashad, Terrence Howard and Anika Noni Rose.
Ms. Rose was stunning. I don't think I actually heard most of the exact words she was saying throughout the first act, but I understand exactly what she meant and what she wanted. Her desires oozed out of her body like juice from crushed grapes. Maggie the Cat (not an actual cat), was being crushed harder than any vinter would dare press their grapes for fear of bruising.
James Earl Jones has a stunning voice, but somehow he didn't quite shine the way I wanted him to. The role is not a huge role, although it does demand some range. He played it subtly.
Sitting in the audience I wondering if any of the dialogue was changed from the original during the rehearsal process because everything fit so well. Performing "Cat on a hot tin roof" with an all African American cast just makes sense. The only reason I ask if they changed some of the words, is because I know Tennessee Williams (although, not this particular play) and I don't think he would use the word "poon-tang". For those of you who don't know what that means, I suggest looking it up. Actually don't look it up, if you don't already know what it means I can promise you don't want to know what it means.
However, after a bit of research Tennessee Williams did write those words into the script. But he was asked to take them out when the play originally premiered in 1954. Now it all makes sense. The words made sense in context, people have been saying them in private for decades, but not in public. When private is made public on stage, in 1954 you had to abid by the rules of public descency. Things are a little different now. Maybe we got rid of the idea of public descency. Although, if the words are original keep them. I'm jsut against altering a writer's work. No alteration, no foul, err... no error, as the words are foul.
The bothersome thing about the entire evening however was the over zealous house staff. They felt the need to make announcements at the beginning and end of each intermission (there were two). They alerted us to such things as the need to take our ticket with us if you went outside to get a breathe of hot air or to turn off our cells phone before the new act started. Unfortunately the over abundance of announcements did not curb the abundance of phones ringing during the performance. I counted ten times and all from different phones.
Other than that, its a good show, that is scheduled to close soon. I'd saw there's a 40% chance the run extends.
http://www.telecharge.com/behindTheCurtain.aspx
In Other News
I also hit up the Cooper-Hewett museum's Roccoco exhibit. While I'm not the hugest fan of the decorative arts and I always have a great desire to sit on the fancy chairs and chaise lounge, but I know the museum staff wouldn't like that. However, now I can definitively say that I pick out a Roccoco design in the antique shop. What I did like about the exhibit was that it also traced newer forms that have been influenced by Roccoco, particularly Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau is a calmer version, with longer lines. The curator classified some of the Tiffany vases as Art Nouveau. I would include the Tiffany vases on display as the highlights of the exhibit. I really like Tiffany glass, there is something so absolutely transcendental about their form and colouration, but since they are made of glass they also capture the essence of human frailty and mortality.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
June in NYC
June in New York has so far been more bearable weather-wise than last year. Last year was horrible. Today is the first rather grossly hot day, with temperatures expected to reach 93 degrees today. And to top it off its sticky, I feel like I was dumped into a pot of honey. I today is the kind of day where you shower in the evening and exfoliate your face to get rid of the skin cells that drowned in their own sweat.
I saw the Shakespeare in the Park production of "Hamlet" on Tuesday, I'm not sure if the production has officially opened yet, so here is my unofficial review:
Its a fine production. Not spectacular and not disappointing. It gets the job done well and makes some interesting choices. Although my friend and I both found the last action of the play rather disturbing, because it seemed "untrue" to the play. It was almost an excessively bold, ballsy, unnecessary choice.
However, all the other choices made were strong and clear. Hamlet is pretending to be mad, but Ophelia truly is mad. Hamlet felt like a driving force of the play, moving each action forward, while Gertrude seems a little weak. To top it off the production carries a light humor throughout the entire performance, which leads a refreshing newness to the play.
The set at first seems monstrous, lurking over the stage and audience, but quickly that changes. The largest of the set seems necessary, representing the fortress of Denmark. Down stage is a flame that burns the entire run of the show, an eternal flame in remembrance for Hamlet Sr. However, the problem with flames on stage, aside from the obvious burning factor, is that some one has to put it out. Oskar Eustis (director/ The Public artistic director) does not miss this trick. At the end Fortinbras triumphantly stamps out the quivering flame. The dynastic terror of the Hamlet family is over and so is the play.
The wonderful thing about New York in the summer is the absolute abundance of free entertainment in the form of concerts, plays, fairs, performances and other activities to distract people from the heat in the evenings. As a person who needs distractions I've started trying to get to one of these activities once a week. Last week I went to a video/sound installation that was originally made for the Lupercale festival in Rome. It was mostly a meditation on the two main elements necessary for the founding of Rome: Wolves and Water. It was less exciting than it could have been. But that's the problem with experimental installation art. Its either too edgy and no one wants to see it, or its watered down and boring. I think I'd take been shocked with the edgy any day of the week.
I saw the Shakespeare in the Park production of "Hamlet" on Tuesday, I'm not sure if the production has officially opened yet, so here is my unofficial review:
Its a fine production. Not spectacular and not disappointing. It gets the job done well and makes some interesting choices. Although my friend and I both found the last action of the play rather disturbing, because it seemed "untrue" to the play. It was almost an excessively bold, ballsy, unnecessary choice.However, all the other choices made were strong and clear. Hamlet is pretending to be mad, but Ophelia truly is mad. Hamlet felt like a driving force of the play, moving each action forward, while Gertrude seems a little weak. To top it off the production carries a light humor throughout the entire performance, which leads a refreshing newness to the play.
The set at first seems monstrous, lurking over the stage and audience, but quickly that changes. The largest of the set seems necessary, representing the fortress of Denmark. Down stage is a flame that burns the entire run of the show, an eternal flame in remembrance for Hamlet Sr. However, the problem with flames on stage, aside from the obvious burning factor, is that some one has to put it out. Oskar Eustis (director/ The Public artistic director) does not miss this trick. At the end Fortinbras triumphantly stamps out the quivering flame. The dynastic terror of the Hamlet family is over and so is the play.
The wonderful thing about New York in the summer is the absolute abundance of free entertainment in the form of concerts, plays, fairs, performances and other activities to distract people from the heat in the evenings. As a person who needs distractions I've started trying to get to one of these activities once a week. Last week I went to a video/sound installation that was originally made for the Lupercale festival in Rome. It was mostly a meditation on the two main elements necessary for the founding of Rome: Wolves and Water. It was less exciting than it could have been. But that's the problem with experimental installation art. Its either too edgy and no one wants to see it, or its watered down and boring. I think I'd take been shocked with the edgy any day of the week.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Going Back
I am going back across the Atlantic. Starting in September I will start a masters program at the University of Aberdeen. I was just rereading my post from my trip to Aberdeen. Its interesting that I one thing I really mentioned was that the city had a college. I oculd never have possibly know that I would end up back there. The town is absolutely beautiful though and looking at the yearly weather report, it doens't look like its going to be as cold as I thought it would be. Now I don't need to save up to buy a Artic snowsuit.
I will be enter the Elphinstone Institute of Enthology & Folklore. It was founded in 1995 in celebration of The University of Aberdeen's Quincentenary. The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1595 and is one of the 'ancient universities of Britain'.
"The [Elphinstone] Institute is an initiative on the part of the University of Aberdeen to introduce the study of human traditions into its research portfolio, especially the traditions of the North and the North-East of Scotland."
You can view their website here: Elphinstone Institute
The question that everyone has asked is "What is folklore?"
The answer:
In general Folklore is the study of vernacular culture, including (but not limited to) dance, music, story, lore, language and song. These social practices are studied in both modern and traditional contexts, integrating current practice and historical uses in order to understand how culture changes under modern concerns.
How is this different from anthropology?
Its not really. Except that anthropology will not always look at historical context (although sometimes it does) and the modern influences that have shaped current practice. Additionally, anthropology is often more concerned with getting a "complete" picture of a society. Folklore is VERY focused.
Callan, what do you want to do?
I'm glad you asked. I want to focus on oral storytelling. Looking at why some oral stories have remained within the tradition for centuries, while others have not. I also want to look at how modern concerns influence the traditional practise of storytelling and how traditional beliefs influence the modern practise of storytelling.
I'm still waiting for everything to finalize, which means getting my NYU grades to Aberdeen, applying for scholarships and eventually giving Aberdeen money. But right now its just a waiting game.
This is a picture of me in the holding tank at Madison Square Garden, where the Tisch School of the Arts graduation took place. I was a great morning and the speakers were so vibrant and sassy. Not at all what I expected from graduation speakers, but I did graduate from art school and we do things a little differently.
The all University graduation took place at Yankee Stadium. "The first, last and only graduation" to take place there, because they are tearing it down. I didn't go since my parents were not yet in town, I was scared of getting sunburnt and I had to work. I didn't really want to go anyway.
This picture is from one of the many end of school parties that my friends and I threw and attended.
These are two of my very best friends who are launching out on very exciting careers. Theresa is working at Penguin Press (the book publisher) as a publicist assistant and Jake is working at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego as the assistant company manager.
It was very sad that he left New York, but we all know he'll come back. And so will I.
I will be enter the Elphinstone Institute of Enthology & Folklore. It was founded in 1995 in celebration of The University of Aberdeen's Quincentenary. The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1595 and is one of the 'ancient universities of Britain'."The [Elphinstone] Institute is an initiative on the part of the University of Aberdeen to introduce the study of human traditions into its research portfolio, especially the traditions of the North and the North-East of Scotland."
You can view their website here: Elphinstone Institute
The question that everyone has asked is "What is folklore?"
The answer:
In general Folklore is the study of vernacular culture, including (but not limited to) dance, music, story, lore, language and song. These social practices are studied in both modern and traditional contexts, integrating current practice and historical uses in order to understand how culture changes under modern concerns.
How is this different from anthropology?
Its not really. Except that anthropology will not always look at historical context (although sometimes it does) and the modern influences that have shaped current practice. Additionally, anthropology is often more concerned with getting a "complete" picture of a society. Folklore is VERY focused.
Callan, what do you want to do?
I'm glad you asked. I want to focus on oral storytelling. Looking at why some oral stories have remained within the tradition for centuries, while others have not. I also want to look at how modern concerns influence the traditional practise of storytelling and how traditional beliefs influence the modern practise of storytelling.
I'm still waiting for everything to finalize, which means getting my NYU grades to Aberdeen, applying for scholarships and eventually giving Aberdeen money. But right now its just a waiting game.
This is a picture of me in the holding tank at Madison Square Garden, where the Tisch School of the Arts graduation took place. I was a great morning and the speakers were so vibrant and sassy. Not at all what I expected from graduation speakers, but I did graduate from art school and we do things a little differently.
The all University graduation took place at Yankee Stadium. "The first, last and only graduation" to take place there, because they are tearing it down. I didn't go since my parents were not yet in town, I was scared of getting sunburnt and I had to work. I didn't really want to go anyway.
This picture is from one of the many end of school parties that my friends and I threw and attended.
These are two of my very best friends who are launching out on very exciting careers. Theresa is working at Penguin Press (the book publisher) as a publicist assistant and Jake is working at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego as the assistant company manager.
It was very sad that he left New York, but we all know he'll come back. And so will I.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Aberdeen
Aberdeen was the next stop on my trip. It was kind of just a little blip of a town on the east coast of Scotland, you can see the ocean from the town, actually the town has a little port . However, the Aberdeen regional tartan is also the Stout tarten. And they have a college. Isn't it pretty.
Inverness
Inverness is a little town on the River Ness, which flows from Loch Ness. Loch Ness is to the south of the town and i could swear that the river runs north, up from the lake. It's kind of a cute town, but as it was the off season things were pretty closed.
Aberdeen was the next stop on my trip. It was kind of just a little blip of a town on the east coast of Scotland, you can see the ocean from the town, actually the town has a little port . However, the Aberdeen regional tartan is also the Stout tarten. And they have a college. Isn't it pretty.
Inverness
Inverness is a little town on the River Ness, which flows from Loch Ness. Loch Ness is to the south of the town and i could swear that the river runs north, up from the lake. It's kind of a cute town, but as it was the off season things were pretty closed.
THis is the castle, but it's used as a government building so you can't do inside. The day was rather damp and windy, so i'm shocked this picture makes it look so nice. The grass was mushy.
Loch Ness
This is the ruins of a castle on Loch Ness, called Lochgilphead, or something close. I didn't see any signs of Nelly either, well a few in the gift shop.
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