Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Gulf: Ways You Can Help

Multimedia - The Gulf: Ways You Can Help

I recently added a box on the lower right hand side of my blog that allows anyone to click on it and help a charity called The Nature Conservancy. This organization is really working hard to support efforts to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. You can click to help out for free, or you can submit a donation. I wanted to be able to do something to help this important cause.

It's A Thin Line...


Sometimes I can be a bit behind the times when it comes to news, but a friend of mine posted this on her Facebook page and I thought this was so funny, I just had to write about it. Improv Everywhere, a group of people here in New York who perform missions "creating scenes of chaos and joy in public places" came up with the fabulous idea of expediting sidewalk traffic by dividing our walkways into two lanes: the "New Yorkers" lane for speedy Manhattan residents, and the "Tourists" lane for the slow, pointing, picture-taking crowd. The majority of New Yorkers do not drive or even own a car. It is very costly, and there is simply no place to park. We take a taxi or use public transportation - the buses and subways, and then walk to our destination.

How many New Yorkers have thought of this brilliant idea before, but just never seen it put into motion? I love it! I work in Times Square, the number one visited tourist destination in all of New York City. Every New Yorker knows that if they want to get to their desired location quickly, they should avoid Broadway at all costs - especially at the pre-theatre hour. It is just jam packed with people. We can spot a tourist a mile away. Instead of looking straight ahead and walking with a purpose, they look up, usually with their eyes wide and mouths open, in awe of viewing our great city and its massive skyscrapers. They walk slowly. They take thousands of photos. They stop abruptly when they see something exciting. Simple maneuvering on our sidewalks can get to be quite a challenge. When you're behind huddled masses of people moving at a snails pace, it can get quite frustrating getting to and from work.

It is also a matter of personal space. New York City is composed of 5 boroughs: Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. According to the US Census Bureau, the population in 2008 was 8,363,710. That number grew in 2009 to 8,391,881. In the borough of Manhattan alone, there were 1,634,795 people who lived here in 2008. In 2009, that number dropped slightly to 1,629,054. This slight decrease in Manhattan residents was due primarily to the recession and to Wall Street's failing economy. On the 22.96 square miles that is Manhattan, that means there are over 71,000 residents per square mile. We have skyscrapers because we have no room to spread out! New Yorkers are used to living in smaller spaces, cramped apartments, we have a much closer distance of personal space. If you are visiting from Texas for example, where they have tons of wide open space, your comfortable distance of personal space is much further away. You can spread out. You walk and talk with your friends at a further distance than we do. I've whizzed closely past slow walkers and startled them because I entered their uncomfortable area of personal space, where a New Yorker would think nothing of it.

Tourism is a huge industry here, and keeps our economy booming. We love the fact that we are a global city and have people from all over the world visiting here. Statistics show that in 2008, New York City had 47 million people visiting us from international and domestic locations. In 2009, the number dropped slightly, again due to economic impact, to 45.6 million. There are a lot of tourists here, there are a lot of New Yorkers here. We love having all of you visit, we just wish you were more conscientious of the others around you while you're here. What a fun way to solve this issue, even if it only lasted a few days!

http://improveverywhere.com/2010/06/08/the-tourist-lane/

Monday, June 14, 2010

The Classics 001

I read a recent blog that expressed concerns of theatre students not knowing who came before them.


Part of getting older is the agonizing experience of having a conversation later in life with a younger person, and having that younger person not even remotely recognize the person's name that you have just mentioned. Inspirational, incredibly talented icons, whom you've worshiped for years, suddenly fall by the wayside and it is devastating that other people much younger than yourself could not have known these amazing performers. And now, with the hideous creation of reality tv, we follow brainless morons with no talent whatsoever, who acquire their 15 minutes of fame, and because of this have opportunities granted to them (like starring in a Broadway Show for example) without any training or actual knowledge of the craft, and obtain jobs that real performers who have studied and molded their talent for years, would die at the chance to be in their shoes. Reflecting back, I was not given much knowledge of other actors who came before me. I learned of musical theatre composers, lyricists, and choreographers when I was in school, but when it came to the actual actors and actresses in shows or plays, I was pretty clueless as to who they were unless I watched old movies and really paid attention to who each character was portrayed by. I couldn't tell you the names of many of the actors today, because I simply do not get out much, nor do I pay attention to these things. But now is a different time, with thousands of shows and cable channels and actors to access, and there are not enough hours in the day to keep up with everything. Back in the day, before cable, our viewing was more restricted and it was much easier to keep up to date on everything. We had real entertainment, with people who were really talented - variety shows, comedians, singers, dancers, musicians, writers, reporters who cared more about what was broadcast, unlike the mindless drivel that we see on air today - things like eating bugs, projectile vomiting, acting like a stupid trashy whore, and getting into either physical or verbal brawls. When I sit down and really think of what we're becoming - sitting around watching this idiotic nonsense, getting fat, it genuinely disgusts me and makes me want to promote change. So, because of this blog and it's sentiment, I have decided to not only educate myself, but also educate others on some of the classics. They make you think!

My first entry? A movie review of:

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

Starring:

Spencer Tracy              as Matt Drayton
Katharine Hepburn    as Christine Drayton
Katharine Houghton  as JoAnna (Joey) Drayton

Sidney Poitier             as Dr. John Prentice
Beah Richards             as Mrs. Prentice
Roy E. Glenn Sr          as Mr. Prentice

Cecil Kellaway            as Monsignor Ryan
Isabell Sanford           as Tillie


This movie is about race relations in the 1960s. It was very controversial at the time, and sadly is still a touchy situation in some places today. At the beginning of the movie we learn that Joey, the pretty young white girl, has very quickly fallen in love (in a matter of weeks) in Hawaii with Dr. John Prentice, an older "negro" man. John is a doctor who is incredibly smart, well spoken and fabulous. There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this man other than his "pigmentation problem". Joey brings him to her enormous California home to meet her liberal parents, whom she is positive will just love her new beau. Her father, Mr. Drayton, owns a liberal paper and has spoken out about issues he believes in, like the fact that people should not be prejudice. His own views are challenged when he meets his daughter's fiance. He has taught her not to be prejudice, but has issues concerning this marriage, and his own daughter or grandchildren experiencing the hardship of being part of an inter-racial family. John tells Mr. Drayton that if he disagrees with the marriage that he will walk away from Joey. Mr. Drayton can see that his daughter is completely in love with John, and that by his disapproval, he will risk losing his daughter forever. He has no idea what to do. He and his wife talk to the Monsignor about it. The Monsignor has married many inter-racial couples and though he acknowledges they are difficult, he believes that their bond is even stronger than "normal" couples because they have to fight for their love so much more. Even the maid Tillie has her own reservations about it. She says to John that she thinks he's just another black man trying to "marry up", and that she has raised that child since she was a baby, and if he ever hurts her, she is going to let him know what Black Power really is! To stir things up even more, suddenly we find that John's parents want to come see him and his new girl. They decide to fly down to meet them. Suddenly EVERYONE is coming to dinner. John and Joey pick up John's parents at the airport. They are also incredibly shocked at this strange new romance. We learn that the fathers are against the marriage, while the mothers are for it. One great moment in the film is when John is speaking to his father about is old beliefs. He says:

"Dad...you're my father. I'm your son. I love you! I always have and I always will. But you think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man." (I love me some Sidney Poitier!)


The turning point of the entire movie is when John's mother, Mrs. Prentice, has her pivotal monologue, speaking to Mr. Drayton privately about the situation, trying to convince him not to oppose their children's union:

"What happens to men when they grow old? Why do they forget everything? I believe those two young people need each other. Anybody can see that just by looking at them. But you and my husband are...you might as well be blind men! You can only see that they have a problem. But do you really know what's happened to them? How they feel about each other? I believe that men grow old and when sexual things no longer matter to them, they forget it all, forget what true passion is. If you've ever felt what my son feels for your daughter...you've forgot everything about it - my husband too. You knew once, but that was a long time ago. Now you don't know. And the strange thing for your wife and me is that you don't even remember. If you did, how could you do what you are doing?"

It turns out that after thinking about what Mrs. Prentice has said, that Mr. Drayton can and does remember the passion he feels for his wife, and this sways his opinion so he agrees to give his blessing to the happy couple. The decision is made, and they can finally have dinner.

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER was directed Stanley Kramer, and in 1967, it was nominated for 8 Academy Awards. Katharine Hepburn won for her performance, and William Rose won for his screenplay. It's sad to me that we haven't come further in our beliefs and still harbor hatred towards groups of people different than ourselves. Maybe one day we can all be educated enough to really believe what is said in the Declaration Of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." All these years later, this movie still has the power to make you think about these issues. What a provocative movie!



The theme song for the movie is "The Glory Of Love".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ShkYcemgU&feature=related


Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Happy World Ocean Day!

Or is it?









http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/


http://www.worldoceannetwork.org/EN/page-AGIR_ENSEMBLE-Journ__e_Mondiale_de_l_Oc__an-5-20.htm


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-de-rothschild/planet-ocean_b_604546.html


June 8th is World Oceans Day and this year seems to be so much more important than previous years due to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.  World Oceans Day was established by the United Nations and officially began last year in 2009.  The BP Oil Spill seems to be the only thing being covered on the news right now.  Everywhere you turn, more disturbing information is released.  So much speculation is going back and forth as to who's at fault.  My opinion is that we all need to refocus, get it together, and fix it - period.  This is an environmental catastrophe.

I've heard a few other disturbing things the past few days.  The first being that Dick Cheney's company (we thought we were done with them) Halliburton supplied parts for BP and Cheney, during his time in the White House, held secret meetings with oil companies and received a large payout from them before leaving office.  Due to the deregulation of companies by the Bush administration, this made it possible for the checks and balances to be overlooked and for BP 's irresponsible behavior.

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/62899,business,dick-cheney-halliburton-implicated-in-bp-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chris-matthews-wants-dick-cheney-under-the-lights-and-under-oath-over-bp-oil-spill/

To make matters worse, this may not be the only offshore drill site experiencing leaks in the ocean.  Satellite imagery proves that possibly 2 more stations have oil leaking into the ocean, but it is being overshadowed by the BP scandal.  Maybe they only worry about these things when a certain percentage is polluting our oceans.  A sad circumstance, and right now, I am ready to switch to Green Technology!  Set it in motion and save our ocean, Obama!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/08/are-there-more-oil-spills_n_604360.html

http://www.green-technology.org/

Monday, June 7, 2010

I don't get it...


OK! Ummmmm...I live in New York. There are all kinds of people here. Normal people, freaky people, crazy people, smart people. All different kinds of people. I'm pretty liberal. In fact, I want to get a tattoo, and I watch LA Ink with Kat Von D and think she is so talented, I love her artwork, and I think she is beautiful!



But there are certain things I don't get. Certain things that gross me out, and one of these things is this body modification piercing stuff. Not only is it disgusting to look at, and the people who do it obviously have to have some psychological issue to want to maim themselves, but it is also a breeding ground for infection and has lifelong consequences. We all do stupid stuff when we're young, but this stuff takes the cake. Take purple nose ring guy above here - I'm sure it is easier for him to breathe, but he must continuously have snot pouring right out of his nose all the time because there is nothing to stop it from coming out. No chance hiding any boogers here!

And these ear plugs! All I can think of is - what happens when you're 80 years old and your ear loops are hanging down to your knees? You're definitely going to have to have surgery to cut those things off and sew them back together. It is just nasty. You may think it is cool and hip now, but I guarantee you that later in life you are going to be kicking yourself!

Another thing is this "music" - I know these guys are going for the "Demonic/Satanic Animal Growl" here, but to me it just sounds like one very long belch - or someone vomiting, which is what I feel like doing when I actually watch these things.

In fact, this is not one of the grossest videos on YouTube to choose from. There are countless others for your painful, hideous viewing pleasure. All I can say is...I just don't get it.

That's BS, BP!

Click on this link to see the extent of the BP Oil Spill:

If It Was My Home - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster

DVR has changed my life! With a few clicks of my remote, I can program my digital cable box to record my favorite shows whenever they come on. They are all just magically there, waiting for me. I can watch a 2-hour show like “Dancing With The Stars” in 45 minutes by whizzing through all of the commercial breaks and unnecessary chatter. Not only do I never miss anything, but also it frees up my schedule because I can watch things when I want to in less than half the time. I don’t know how I survived, or got anything accomplished before, without it!


I have this “HOT-Norwegian-X-Boyfriend” (who I still speak to on a regular basis and desperately wish I could remove the “X” factor from that equation!). We used to work on a cruise ship together. After working on the ships, he got a job on an oil rig in Norway with the same company that drills for BP. I don’t watch the news on a regular basis, and I had heard about the oil spill in the Gulf but didn’t think much of it at the time. Life keeps you busy focusing on different things. But after I spoke with my Hot-Norwegian-X-Boyfriend last week about his job, I suddenly became more curious about this whole BP thing that I kept hearing about.


There is this show called “Dateline” that is an investigative news report that talks about different things happening in our world. Most of the time it features serial killers or mysterious crime cases, and I record it. Sometimes it covers things like the City of Detroit and the economic impact of GM Motors and other car factories that have had to shut down from the economy, the lives of people it has affected. Well, I finally watched last week’s episode and it was all about the BP oil disaster. I had no idea what I was in for.


I am completely ignorant in the workings of the oil industry. I know they drill, I know they make tons of money, and that is the extent of my knowledge. This show was an eye opening experience. Apparently what happens is, they build this oil rig somewhere in the ocean and start to drill down into the ocean floor until they hit oil. Oil is surrounded by pockets of methane gas, which makes things very dangerous because the gas can escape and cause various problems…like explosions! This is basically what happened in the BP disaster. The gas traveled up the big pipe thingy and instead of getting cut off at certain checkpoints in the mechanical system, it continued up to the surface. They believe the gas hit a spark somewhere, causing the explosion and shooting fire into the air, the likes of which members of the coast guard and rig workers said was nothing like they had ever seen. The entire rig was engulfed in flames and would burn for a day and a half before crumbling into the ocean.



Luckily, there was a ship docked at the rig with 13 crewmembers aboard. The ship was attached to the rig by a big rope. Suddenly, the Captain heard the explosion and saw mud had sprayed all over the windows on the bridge. He called for all hands on deck to separate the ship from the rig. They had to sail a far enough distance from the rig to keep the ship safe if they were going to be able to rescue anyone. They got to a safe location, and sent out smaller boats to collect the rig workers. The men began jumping from 70 feet in the air, off the rig and into the water - which was ON FIRE, by the way - cause everything exploded and was burning and oozing all over the ocean, and these guys were jumping in and trying to swim for their lives under it all to get to other boats and to safety. This was the point of the broadcast that I decided I no longer liked my Hot-Norwegian-X-Boyfriend’s job. Too dangerous! Eleven men died, but thanks to the 13-crewmembers on the ship, the remaining rig workers were saved.

But that’s just the beginning of the story. The tip of the iceberg. Now we had an oil spill, but we had no idea how incredibly bad it was. James Cameron, who filmed the movie “Titanic”, was actually called upon because of his knowledge of underwater cameras. When we finally did see how bad it was, that’s when the shit started to hit the fan. The oil was spewing out of the pipe like a volcano erupting – huge amounts pouring into the sea. And they couldn’t stop it. Scientists were called upon for their knowledge, methods were tried to plug it up, to no avail. Finally, a cap was lowered into the sea that would fit over the broken pipe. The pipe was cut, the cap put in place, and like attaching a faucet, the cap was supposed to fit over the pipe and filter all of the oil into a big ship on the surface, which would collect everything. But they have another problem – the cap is on crooked, allowing only a portion of the oil (less than half!) to be collected and the rest is still pouring into the sea. Oil has been spewing into the sea for almost 2 months now, and will continue to do so until they build 2 more rigs, drill down and across to the original pipe, and are able to plug it with mud and cement. These will not be completed until at least August, three more months of contamination and pollution for our waters, our ecosystems, our fish, our wildlife, and the ruination of people’s livelihoods.

Even worse, the main spot being affected is where??? – Louisiana!!! - where a few short years ago they had Hurricane Katrina. Can’t these poor people catch a break? Most survive off of fishing and tourism. Now they can’t fish for food or income, they can’t swim at their beaches, the clean up is virtually impossible. This kills me. We’ve heard about oil spills throughout the years, but this is the worst. And it makes me reflect back to our past election when the Republicans would chant “Drill, Drill, Drill!” and Obama would speak of green technology and not being so dependent on oil. And now he is being criticized for not doing enough when he has to rely on the oil people to fix the mess. Where do we go from here? This could be a huge turning point in our society - a larger motivation to create cars and machines and products that don’t rely on this exhaustible resource and motivate foreign wars. But do I see this possibility happening? No. I don’t because there is too much greed, too many people influencing our politicians, and too much laziness of being satisfied with the status quo. This sickens me. It is during times like this, that I wish I were rich. I would use my powers of influence to do something good, to create change, to make things better. I wish I could walk away from my job and go help clean tar babies off of beaches, something, anything, to help. We need to grow some balls, and instead of pointing the finger of blame as to whose fault it is, we need to fix the problem. The health of our environment and our people are at stake. Living in New York, we don’t drive, but if I did, I would not be pulling into a BP to “fill her up!”


http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/29/interactive.spill.tracker/index.html


http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html


http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-454727  (this last video shows thousands of dead fish washing ashore in Alabama.  Birds are swooping down to eat them out of the water, and people are fishing on the dock...SERIOUSLY???  How stupid can you be to even think about eating those fish?)