Kree or Candice?

I’m torn. Bottom line, I would be okay with either one winning. Candace won the night with “I Who Have Nothing.” Her voice has more power and range, and she feels more in control of every last sound that comes out of her mouth.

But I’m partial to the blue-sy quality of Kree’s voice. No matter what she sings I want to hear it. That is not true of Candace. If I don’t like the song she’s doing I don’t want to listen, regardless of how technically amazing her take might be. Kree, there might be slip-ups, or a hint of strain, like she’s reaching for a place she can’t quite get to, but I don’t care. I love the sound. I also find her more … authentic. Candace seems like more of an actress.

So I guess I’m rooting for Kree. That said, I think they both truly are equally deserving and if Candace wins, that’s okay too. I’m guessing Candace is going to win. People seem to prefer the belters. Except, they also seem to prefer country, so who knows?

I was premature when I posted earlier that One World Trade Center was the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, because they actually hadn’t added that finally piece of the spire. It’s there now though. And the point I’ve been waiting for them to finish is almost, almost there!

One World Trade Center, NYC, May, 2013

Amy’s Baking Company, Because I can’t keep reading about Syria

This morning, I read this article about Syria. Pretty much one of the most hopeless articles I’ve read in some time. What can I do? What can be done? (Not a rhetorical question, I’m open to suggestions.)

I had much more fun yesterday, following the story of Amy’s Baking Company. By the end of the day they claimed that they’d been hacked. Given that for years they’ve been responding in this way to criticism, that’s a little hard to swallow. An article from 2010, describes similar meltdowns when they received bad reviews on Yelp. You can go back and read what they wrote at the time and make up your own mind.

Meanwhile, just how big is Bleeck? I’m used to 20+ pound cats, so when someone recently told me he was big, I was flummoxed. I just weighed him. 11.9. Come on, that’s teeny, right?

Bleecker

Oh Christ, Renew Bunheads Already

I can’t take it. I love this show. Quit torturing us and give it another shot. It makes me happy, damnit. How many shows make me happy without boring me? Actually, I wonder how many. There’s Bones, Warehouse 13, So You Think You Can Dance, thinking … The Mindy Project! I was very “eh” at first but now I ADORE that show. Going on … New Girl, Project Runway.

Okay, there’s a lot of shows, but nothing like Bunheads. Bunheads gets me. It completes me. I’m grasping at straws here because I can’t put my finger on why I feel so strongly. There’s that Gilmore Girls/Northern Exposure magic, the smart dialogue, incredible and real dancing, hope. I love the mostly all-girl cast which ranges in age from the students to the ever-amazing Kelly Bishop. Kelly Bishop is my grow-older hero, by the way. I love Betty White, but it always feels like she’s doing shtick. Which is great, but that’s not me. I hope to follow the always sharp, smart, adult, dignified, imperious Kelly Bishop path. Oh WOW. Here is Kelly Bishop playing Sheila on A Chorus Line!!

But I love the girls, I love Sutton Foster. I love Bunheads. It’s sweet without being sugary, it’s light but dark, it’s enchanting and endearing, and I NEED IT. Gods of the tv universe, I’m begging you, throw me a bone. Renew Bunheads.

A couple of dances from the show: Istanbul and Paper or Plastic.

I took this in Union Square last weekend. There was a parade that I’d missed. The woman on the left was one of the people in the parade.

Oh my God, oh my God, Col. Chris Hadfield!

A singer and an astronaut! Where did he come from?? (Canada.) He is an international treasure!! His voice is beautiful. And here’s a link of him singing, while in space, with a bunch of children … sweet Jesus, none of the children were given space suits. For the love of god, they’re … someone save them!! (Kidding.)

Seriously, music and science, the best combination there is. Canada, I apologize in advance. Because we have to steal him.

The Big Divide

An old friend of mine has co-written a book, The Big Divide: A Travel Guide to Historic and Civil War Sites in the Missouri-Kansas Border Region. According to their Amazon page, inside they cover “the African-American soldiers who were the first to die for their freedom (months before the 54th Massachusetts of Glory fame took up arms) and “how the Civil War shaped future outlaw Jesse James—and future president Harry Truman.”

Here they are, on public radio, to tell you about it themselves!