Month: June 2011

Last night, or rather, early this morning, the thunder was almost as loud as I’ve ever heard it. I thought of Cara in Alabama, who survived a recent tornado and described the roar it made. I tried to imagine what it would be like if the sound got much much louder, if I looked out the window and saw the storm develop into a tornado and what would I do? I realized I could never grab up the cats and get them and myself down five flights and into the basement in time. We’d be goners. I really felt for a moment the capriciousness of it, of nature. One minute you’re sleeping or watching tv, then boom. The world explodes, no time to run.

No, this is not yet another picture of a cop on a horse. It’s a cop on a horse giving directions. Very different.

Last night I went to a monster sing presented by a new group called the New York Choral Consortium. I’m not good at guessing crowd size, I’m going with 700 million trillion.

We sang a number of pieces for a few hours, including a few I’d never heard or sung before and now love. They were: Thou Must Leave Thy Lowly Dwelling by Hector Berlioz, a piece called O Vos Omnes by Tomas Luis de Victoria, (who is becoming one of my favorite composers) and yet another beautiful Ubi Caritas, this time by a composer named Ola Gjeilo. Ohmygod, he’s only 33 years old! Jesus christ.

Here are the conductors and accompanists on the stage at the end.

This is a shot of the crowd, but it’s only the middle section. There were more people to the left and right. You were given the choice to sit in your voice section, or in an area where the voices were all mixed up. I went with the mixed-up group, it’s more satisfying to sing among different voice parts. But it also meant I was in the very front row! It looks like all women but that’s because the tenor and basses were on the other side.

In September, 2008, I posted from an Open Letter to the American people signed by 61 Nobel laureates:

”During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country’s scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support.  The government’s scientific advisory process has been distorted by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. We have lost time critical for the development of new ways to provide energy, treat disease, reverse climate change, strengthen our security, and improve our economy.” [Boldface and italics mine]

I’d love to hear from those scientists about how Obama is doing with respect to science and the issues they raised. I don’t really follow politics now that someone who makes me feel safe is in office, and I know that the budget he proposes includes lots of cuts, but not to science (or less to science), but that’s about all I know.

Looking out my window last night while I was working on the couch.

Quick Recap: I need an implant for a front tooth and I’ve been going to NYU Dental School because it’s the least expensive. Last week I got my final treatment plan and it’s going to cost me anywhere from $10,705 – $12,260. A tooth next to the bad one is borderline. If it’s salvageable it will be the lower cost, if not, the higher.  Either way, good lord.

Today I’m going to another dentist for a second opinion. But a kabillion doctors at NYU have already looked at my case (it’s an interesting and complicated case, apparently) and I really don’t believe they’re out to scam me.

This picture is another case where I’m setting up a shot and don’t completely notice how I’m being regarded. The other day I posted someone on a film shoot looking very annoyed.  But this time! See below …

This guy, on the other hand, was looking so friendly!

I saw that he was smiling, but I have to take my glasses off to take pictures (I’m near sighted) and I didn’t see how nicely he was smiling.

Playing cellos on the corner at night has become a thing in my neighborhood.  Is it always him, but on a different corner?  I will have to pay attention from now on and see. It’s very nice to hear the music when I’m walking home from wherever.

I’d been inside all weekend writing so at the end of the day I went for a walk. Among the various things I came across were free tango lessons in Union Square. The instructor is the guy in the back left, in the black suit. It was sweet to watch, but it only just occurred to me now that I should have put away my camera and looked for a guy to dance with. Idiot!! This is why they don’t pay me the big bucks.