1.18.2008
talk about serious core strength
She would make a kick ass climber.
But why did she drop the swan lake? I think she could have stuck with that and had a stronger piece, a more interesting juxtaposition of elements. She was, however, probably not going for that, though. I would love to do a piece with 5 of such dancers. Such extroverted performance quality, but not much connection to the music. Well not that really but, could use a little subtlety...such a snob I am.
But why did she drop the swan lake? I think she could have stuck with that and had a stronger piece, a more interesting juxtaposition of elements. She was, however, probably not going for that, though. I would love to do a piece with 5 of such dancers. Such extroverted performance quality, but not much connection to the music. Well not that really but, could use a little subtlety...such a snob I am.
Bush's Stimulus Package
Do we need any more proof that this president is a moron? O.K. so I don't have a better plan, but then again I am not a graduate of Harvard business school. Isn't Harvard ashamed of their graduate? Maybe they should revoke his degree. Is such a thing possible? Back in 2004 Bush received a letter from "senior business and economics professors" saying that the president's " economic policies are taking the country in the wrong direction"
My stimulus plan would be to drop all income tax for people making less than $35,000 and raise it some on people in the higher brackets. Doesn't Warren Buffett pay a smaller percentage on his income than his secretary? He paid 17.7% and she paid 30% . I remember hearing once that people who make less money tend to save less money. And more money in circulation is good for the economy, right. So if the lower end of the economic scale has more cash they'll spend it.
But what do I know? I don't have and M.B.A.
My stimulus plan would be to drop all income tax for people making less than $35,000 and raise it some on people in the higher brackets. Doesn't Warren Buffett pay a smaller percentage on his income than his secretary? He paid 17.7% and she paid 30% . I remember hearing once that people who make less money tend to save less money. And more money in circulation is good for the economy, right. So if the lower end of the economic scale has more cash they'll spend it.
But what do I know? I don't have and M.B.A.
1.11.2008
Hillary is not the Comeback Kid
John McCain, yes but not Hillary. First of all, she has not been behind long enough. As far as I can tell, she was only behind Obama for a week after the Iowa caucus. Behind for a week and then she beats Obama in New Hampshire. McCain has been way down near the bottom of the polls for weeks and then he wins New Hampshire. That is comeback. But behind for a week and then back on top...maybe that one week was an anomoly. (is that how that word is spelled?)
And can anyone explain to me why all the primaries aren't on the same day? And why we have to vote one a Tuesday? Here in Germany the elections are on the weekend. And they have higher voter turnout. Hmm...maybe the powers that be in the States don't want high voter turn out. But then again it doesn't matter how we vote. Those voting machines are easy to hack anyways
"Voting holds no real power, he who counts the votes has the true power." Joseph Stalin
And can anyone explain to me why all the primaries aren't on the same day? And why we have to vote one a Tuesday? Here in Germany the elections are on the weekend. And they have higher voter turnout. Hmm...maybe the powers that be in the States don't want high voter turn out. But then again it doesn't matter how we vote. Those voting machines are easy to hack anyways
"Voting holds no real power, he who counts the votes has the true power." Joseph Stalin
12.19.2007
12.16.2007
Inflation and the FDIC
I was at a Wells Fargo Branch recently in Walnut Creek. I noticed signs all over the bank saying how each account was insured by the FDIC. The FDIC was created in 1933 to provide "deposit insurance which currently guarantees checking and savings deposits in member banks up to $100,000 per depositor."
Adjusted for inflation, the $100,000 you would receive if your bank failed in 1933 would be $1,428,225.34 in today's dollars. So are we being ripped off, or not as well insured as we were back in 1933. $100,000 in 2006 dollars is worth only $7001.70 in 1933 dollars.
Why has the deposit insurance not kept up with the rate of inflation?
Adjusted for inflation, the $100,000 you would receive if your bank failed in 1933 would be $1,428,225.34 in today's dollars. So are we being ripped off, or not as well insured as we were back in 1933. $100,000 in 2006 dollars is worth only $7001.70 in 1933 dollars.
Why has the deposit insurance not kept up with the rate of inflation?
12.11.2007
What the Fuck? File #2G
Second thing to put in the "What the Fuck File."
What I want to know is why did the surgeons reattach it?
What I want to know is why did the surgeons reattach it?
12.10.2007
Music is fascinating not just for its own sake, but also for its effect on the listener. And when coupled with visuals the effect can be intense. But sometimes music is over used. Take the show "Grey's Anatomy". The first few (I am ashamed to say it) seasons I watched, I felt bombarded by music. Almost more music than dialogue. And intense scenes were ruined by the added music. We were not allowed to observe the naked suffering but the director had to indicate to us that the scene was sad and intense by adding the music.
Such is the case with this scene from "Children of Men", based on the book by P.D. James. I did not read the book, but have read her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, which are damn fine. Read them. I meant to read the book before I saw the movie, but forgot that she had written the book. I do not like to read a book after seeing the movie. My mind's eye is too influenced by the movie and I can't build the scenes and faces of the character after seeing how the director of the film imagined them.
Anyways...the scene would have been much stronger, his agony more intense if there were no music. Too many spices spoil the flavor. Music is the MSG of movies. Instead of cooking well, directors, Alfonso Cuarón, in this case, just dump in some MSG to make it good. Too often the scenes are spoiled, the emotions indicated instead of felt.
Such is the case with this scene from "Children of Men", based on the book by P.D. James. I did not read the book, but have read her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, which are damn fine. Read them. I meant to read the book before I saw the movie, but forgot that she had written the book. I do not like to read a book after seeing the movie. My mind's eye is too influenced by the movie and I can't build the scenes and faces of the character after seeing how the director of the film imagined them.
Anyways...the scene would have been much stronger, his agony more intense if there were no music. Too many spices spoil the flavor. Music is the MSG of movies. Instead of cooking well, directors, Alfonso Cuarón, in this case, just dump in some MSG to make it good. Too often the scenes are spoiled, the emotions indicated instead of felt.
Children of Men
Music is fascinating not just for its own sake, but also for its effect on the listener. And when coupled with visuals the effect can be intense. But sometimes music is over used. Take the show "Grey's Anatomy". The first few (I am ashamed to say it) seasons I watched, I felt bombarded by music. Almost more music than dialogue. And intense scenes were ruined by the added music. We were not allowed to observe the naked suffering but the director had to indicate to us that the scene was sad and intense by adding the music.
Such is the case with the scene from "Children of Men", based on the book by P.D. James. I did not read the book, but have read her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, which are damn fine. Read them. I meant to read the book before I saw the movie, but forgot that she had written the book. I do not like to read a book after seeing the movie. My mind's eye is too influenced by the movie and I can't build the scenes and faces of the character after seeing how the director of the film imagined them.
Anyways...the scene would have been much stronger, his agony more intense if there were no music. Too many spices spoil the flavor. Music is the MSG of movies. Instead of cooking well, directors, Alfonso Cuarón in this case, just dump in some MSG to make it good. Too often the scenes are spoiled, the emotions indicated instead of felt.
Such is the case with the scene from "Children of Men", based on the book by P.D. James. I did not read the book, but have read her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, which are damn fine. Read them. I meant to read the book before I saw the movie, but forgot that she had written the book. I do not like to read a book after seeing the movie. My mind's eye is too influenced by the movie and I can't build the scenes and faces of the character after seeing how the director of the film imagined them.
Anyways...the scene would have been much stronger, his agony more intense if there were no music. Too many spices spoil the flavor. Music is the MSG of movies. Instead of cooking well, directors, Alfonso Cuarón in this case, just dump in some MSG to make it good. Too often the scenes are spoiled, the emotions indicated instead of felt.
12.08.2007
Ingrid Michaelson
Never heard of her until today. Heard her big hit, that I guess is part of an Old Navy ad (the new way to fame getting a song in an ad for cheap clothes made to last a season), "The Way I Am" Cute, catchy 2 minutes of fluff.
I was humming along with it until I heard the line about Rogaine. Any song that has Rogaine in it has got to go. And what the hell is indie-pop anyways. If it is pop, it's not indie. Independent popular music makes no sense.
Some of the side effects of Rogaine include hair loss and difficulty breathing. I tried some free samples in highschool. A friend's dad was a dermatologist. But after reading about the side effects of difficulty of breathing while lying down...forget it.
Be a man, take baldness in stride.
I was humming along with it until I heard the line about Rogaine. Any song that has Rogaine in it has got to go. And what the hell is indie-pop anyways. If it is pop, it's not indie. Independent popular music makes no sense.
Some of the side effects of Rogaine include hair loss and difficulty breathing. I tried some free samples in highschool. A friend's dad was a dermatologist. But after reading about the side effects of difficulty of breathing while lying down...forget it.
Be a man, take baldness in stride.
12.07.2007
Review?
Wendy Perron, the editor of Dance Magazine, wrote something on her blog about our performance Friday night, Nov. 30th, at St. Mark's in NYC. Not exactly a glowing review of our work, and I think it perpetuates some bad expectations of improvisation, but still got my name in virtual print by the editor of Dance Magazine.
"Andrew Wass...willing to start his own trouble"
"Andrew Wass...willing to start his own trouble"
12.06.2007
Kiefer is a privledged Lush
Kiefer Sutherland was recently arrested for driving while under the influence while on probation for a similar offense. His sentence is 48 days in jail. Maybe that number because it is twice the number of the title of his show, who knows.
But what galls me is this -
"Earlier reports suggested he would serve his term with breaks in order not to interrupt the 24 filming schedule"
Why would he have gotten out of jail every now and then? Yes, he is a big star, blah, blah, blah, but what judge could hand that decision down with a straight face and not think the justice system is a joke? If anyone else had been arrested for a similar offense they would not be allowed out of jail to continue their work schedule. They would probably lose their job, be unable to pay their mortgage, spouse/partner leave them as they get more and more depressed...
But, noooo, Mr. Fancy Pants Hollywood star has the possibility to leave jail whenever he feels like it.
But it is all moot anyways as "...production has already been suspended due to a Hollywood writers' strike."
But what galls me is this -
"Earlier reports suggested he would serve his term with breaks in order not to interrupt the 24 filming schedule"
Why would he have gotten out of jail every now and then? Yes, he is a big star, blah, blah, blah, but what judge could hand that decision down with a straight face and not think the justice system is a joke? If anyone else had been arrested for a similar offense they would not be allowed out of jail to continue their work schedule. They would probably lose their job, be unable to pay their mortgage, spouse/partner leave them as they get more and more depressed...
But, noooo, Mr. Fancy Pants Hollywood star has the possibility to leave jail whenever he feels like it.
But it is all moot anyways as "...production has already been suspended due to a Hollywood writers' strike."
11.23.2007
11.19.2007
11.18.2007
Ten Chi
Last night saw the piece Ten Chi by Pina Bausch. Almost three hours long...professor and Maryanne... Anyways. Some sections I really enjoyed- the grunting woman killing the pillow; the rubbery sinewy solos (ooh, palindrome!!) by the men in black; the incessantly falling flower petals; the Asian woman sweeping across stage supported by two men. Maybe those sections stood out because the rest was not so captivating.
What was the point of the show? What was the connection to Japan? The piece was funded in part by a Japanese governmental agency, I think. A little something I read in the program, (which could have had a bit more in it to shed some light on performance). Many references to Japan - My car is Toyota, my TV Sanyo, my VCR Samsung...; the tour guide with the backpack; the whale on stage; the bowing section between two women.
The piece was constructed of short vignettes, some dancing, some talking, occasionally a woman in a silk dressing gown was lifted by a large blonde man, a pillow was thrown, a pillow was killed, various ways to wear a white handkerchief were modeled, men were carried on stage and their hair stood up, a woman had her dress ripped off, a man lifted a woman and carried her around the whale tail while she mimed swimming (VERY CHEESY!!), an Asian dwarf came on stage riding an ostrich, well no that did not happen but if it had, it would have fit right in....on and on these vignettes came and the snow/flowers/dandruff fell.
I did not understand the point of all these vignettes. Were they impressions of Pina's time in Japan? I could not sense an arch, but I could an overall structure. In 3 hours she had plenty of time to create one. First a dance section, then a talking section...this is dance theater after, must have talking. It was a 3 hour variety show, that ended with a dance off - each of the performers showcasing their skill to loud music. The crowd roared and leaped to their feet. Why, why, why, why, why?
final though:
Let us not confuse budget with genius
What was the point of the show? What was the connection to Japan? The piece was funded in part by a Japanese governmental agency, I think. A little something I read in the program, (which could have had a bit more in it to shed some light on performance). Many references to Japan - My car is Toyota, my TV Sanyo, my VCR Samsung...; the tour guide with the backpack; the whale on stage; the bowing section between two women.
The piece was constructed of short vignettes, some dancing, some talking, occasionally a woman in a silk dressing gown was lifted by a large blonde man, a pillow was thrown, a pillow was killed, various ways to wear a white handkerchief were modeled, men were carried on stage and their hair stood up, a woman had her dress ripped off, a man lifted a woman and carried her around the whale tail while she mimed swimming (VERY CHEESY!!), an Asian dwarf came on stage riding an ostrich, well no that did not happen but if it had, it would have fit right in....on and on these vignettes came and the snow/flowers/dandruff fell.
I did not understand the point of all these vignettes. Were they impressions of Pina's time in Japan? I could not sense an arch, but I could an overall structure. In 3 hours she had plenty of time to create one. First a dance section, then a talking section...this is dance theater after, must have talking. It was a 3 hour variety show, that ended with a dance off - each of the performers showcasing their skill to loud music. The crowd roared and leaped to their feet. Why, why, why, why, why?
final though:
Let us not confuse budget with genius
11.07.2007
Maybe he knew playing with matches is wrong. Maybe his parents had told him before this fire that matches are not toys. But he should not be "[removed] from his home and [possibly detained] as a ward of the state." That is just going to #@#$ him over. How many people go through state systems - foster care, jail - and end up the better for it?
Cyndi Jo Means, a deputy district attorney in nearby San Diego County, says that," Any finding of guilt... would not follow the boy into adulthood." Yeah, right. Legally, maybe, but socially...screwed. He'd never get a job at a gas station (but then again who wants a job at a gas station?). People will definitely think twice about him, and not in a good way, when they find out about his fire history.
Why are people building way out there? It is terrible city planning. Massive sprawls of cookie cutter houses. Making houses further and further away harder for firemen to reach.
Instead of ugly stucco McMushroomMansions, high rises should be built. Make it 4o stories. 4 living spaces per floor, the cardinal directions. Thing of the views people would have. And then gardens would be around the high rise, acting as a buffer. There wouldn't be miles and miles of roads, adding to global warming. Just think of how much smaller our eco footprint would be if we built like as opposed to having so many houses.
Come to think of it, he will be completely forgotten, the fires and destruction will be completely forgotten. The warnings, the anger, loss of life an property will be forgotten. And the people who were so angry will rebuild in the same exact places that are dry and fire prone and not maintain fire buffers. Maybe having your house burn down is how you pay the piper when you build in that area.
Cyndi Jo Means, a deputy district attorney in nearby San Diego County, says that," Any finding of guilt... would not follow the boy into adulthood." Yeah, right. Legally, maybe, but socially...screwed. He'd never get a job at a gas station (but then again who wants a job at a gas station?). People will definitely think twice about him, and not in a good way, when they find out about his fire history.
Why are people building way out there? It is terrible city planning. Massive sprawls of cookie cutter houses. Making houses further and further away harder for firemen to reach.
Instead of ugly stucco McMushroomMansions, high rises should be built. Make it 4o stories. 4 living spaces per floor, the cardinal directions. Thing of the views people would have. And then gardens would be around the high rise, acting as a buffer. There wouldn't be miles and miles of roads, adding to global warming. Just think of how much smaller our eco footprint would be if we built like as opposed to having so many houses.
Come to think of it, he will be completely forgotten, the fires and destruction will be completely forgotten. The warnings, the anger, loss of life an property will be forgotten. And the people who were so angry will rebuild in the same exact places that are dry and fire prone and not maintain fire buffers. Maybe having your house burn down is how you pay the piper when you build in that area.
11.04.2007
Steve Martin
Finished an article in the recent New Yorker, the one with the Jack O'Lantern that looks like Cheney on the cover. The article, written by Steve Martin, is about his start in comedy. A sentence struck me-
"...there is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration."
Also something from the article about the Animal Collective by Sasha Frere-Jones -
"...imperfection is necessarily part of the process."
(damn, they have a myspace page. I do not like myspace. It is ugly)
"...there is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration."
Also something from the article about the Animal Collective by Sasha Frere-Jones -
"...imperfection is necessarily part of the process."
(damn, they have a myspace page. I do not like myspace. It is ugly)
11.02.2007
Jerry Seinfeld...an ass?
Seinfeld was recently on Larry King Live. King asked if Seinfeld might have been cancelled. Jerry got a little hot under the collar. Was it too much just to say," No, the show was not cancelled." and move on? Why did Jerry go on and on about it? (trying to dominate Larry King, show who is alpha) Is that a sore topic for him? King didn't ask the question in a mean way, or anything. Is Seinfeld worried that he is a has-been? Is he worried that he will be forgotten?
Relax, Jerry. Your star in the ephemeral sphere of pop culture is cemented.
Relax, Jerry. Your star in the ephemeral sphere of pop culture is cemented.
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