potd by Jan Carroll
27 Saturday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in27 Saturday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in25 Thursday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in20 Saturday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in19 Friday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
inMy iceage
My famous fridge which still takes defrosting, has again reached critical mass to the horror of select family and friends. Last year, the ice beast grew so large that it broke the aluminum door (think 1955) and the undertray. 6 months ago the mass swallowed the temperature dial and ensconced the light bulb resulting in a completely eerie amber light effect, which makes me feel like I’m in a German expressionist film for some reason. I got out the ax and hacked away at the ice utter thinking I would recover the dial. No luck. The iceman does not cometh!
19 Friday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in‘Last year’s queen.’ too good. thank you Jan.
19 Friday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in18 Thursday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
inReassured somewhat that President Obama stated that his administration will seek to repeal DOMA and getting in there, off-handedly, that he found it “discriminatory.”
I to believe that he is trying to step through the political morass to reach the goal, even if it doesn’t appear that way at this moment, but the timing will never be right and every day of delay is justice denied.
His explanation of why only partial federal medical benefits for spouses of gay and lesbian government employee was prohibitive because of existing law….wrapped in red tape…around institutionalized homophobia.
“This is only one step,” Mr. Obama said. “Unfortunately, my administration is not authorized by existing federal law to provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.”
In the words of the other great communicator ‘Mr. President tear down this wall.’ if for nothing else that the wallpaper is flaking.
16 Tuesday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
inThe battlement doors open and a woman on a chestnut horse enters the Armory of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry. She is the promotory to the serene setting of ‘Battle Hymns’ a dance oratorio by Pultizer Prize winning composer David Lang collaborating with Leah Stein Dance and The Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. This work is both an artistic achievement and profound meditation on war. Laing adapts lyrics from Stephen Foster making them more intimate and scores stirring words from Lincoln and a Civil War letter from a soldier to his wife.
Leah Stein’s choreography is both undecorated and expressive. Regimented formations break away to the dancers scattered, frenzied and bringing human order to chaos. Symbolized movement of camaraderie and bodies being attacked led to unwritten battlefield scenarios. The movement is cumulative and a completely interlocking component to the sea of music that floats through. At points the dancers move in and out of the choir.
Two climatic passages- one a man stands in front of a military vehicle with shopping bags recalling Tiananmen Square, the dancers load in a vehicle and are spilled in violence friezes and a central passage with the regimentation moving at double speed with violent variations. Lang’s sonic architecture fills the hanger space of the Armory as well as our hearts and minds.
This premiere is part of Peregrine Arts ambitious HIDDEN CITY series of performance events at Philadelphia landmarks both active and fallow.
16 Tuesday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
inThe Justice Department filed a brief this week seeking the dismissal of a legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act in a federal court in California. Would that be the same DOMA that protects Britney Spears’ 48 hour Vegas wedding and Texas sects that allow multiple wives?
Democratic party head Howard Dean (D-Ver) speaking about the Obama adminstration upholding the DOMA which has language equating same sex marriage to among other things pedophilia, child rape and incest. Dean said such language is not acceptable and something must be done about it now. He told Rachel Maddow that he believes Obama isn’t aware of the language. He also believes that the president is pro gay civil rights and that this presents Obama’s credo of ‘fierce urgency of now.’
“I think this is a bad situation here…but I have no doubt that the Obama administration will do the right thing.” Dean told Rachel.
We’ll see. It is no less than shocking that the Obama administration would allow a court document to be filed in its name that contained such vile characterizations of gay people. Unacceptable and revolting.
16 Tuesday Jun 2009
Posted Uncategorized
in