Romeo + Juliet

Early last Sunday morning, I joined hundreds of other New Yorkers queuing up for free tickets to an open dress rehearsal for the New York City Ballet's "world premiere" of Sergei Prokofiev's two-act ballet, Romeo + Juliet. (Based on the similarly named Shakespearean play, rather than the movie that came out in the mid-nineties.) This is not the first time Prokofiev's ballet has been performed, so I'm not entirely sure what the "world premiere" refers to -- maybe to Peter Martins' choreography?

In any event, you could tell it was a big deal - the ceiling was festooned with large and majestic purple ribbons.



Docents stood on all the levels with historic ballet costumes from the archives - including some dating back to the original productions of Balanchine ballets.

Peter Martins himself came out before the performance and again at intermission to speak to us.

The ballet was lovely. All the Shakespearean speeches and characters were clearly translated into movement (and music). Mercutio translated amazingly well. Sometimes they used exaggerated pantomime to act out something (e.g., dramatic pointing to the exit when the Capulets discover that Romeo has crashed their party to make it clear he is not welcome and must leave). One other comment: although Porokiev obviously composed the ballet long before West Side Story was written, I think it may be difficult for a modern choreographer not to be informed in some way by the Sharks and the Jets when puting together the intial ballet interactions between the Capulets and Montagues. There is some of the same adolescent energy, sassiness and mutual provocation, a push-pull of conflict and sensuality.

For a dress rehearsal - and the very first time they put everything together (costumes, scenery, orchestra, lights and dancers) - it was an incredibly polished performance. In fact, it was more like an opening night than anything else. The crowd went wild. And I think the dancers were reallly gratified by the reaction. This is perhaps what happens when you open the high-fallutin' ballet halls to the masses. New Yorkers love a bargain.

My tickets were up in the third tier, so I brought binoculars. But I really didn't need them...

Running update

The good news is that I've only missed my weekly run 3 times in the first 4 months -- and one of those times, I went rollerblading up and down the length of the Hudson River bike path, which isn't the same as running, but still counts for something. The bad news is that when I went running today, I only went for 0.8 miles. I blame this partly on my iPod, which is up to its usual tricks: playing only about 10 of the 200 songs I've loaded on to it. The others it passes by like exits on a highway. You can't fool it into playing the songs it wants to skip by (a) putting them onto a playlist, (b) accessing them through different menus [e.g., songs vs. albums vs. artist vs. recently played vs. shuffle], (c) turning the iPod off and on again, (d) using the "reset all settings" feature, or (e) deleting all the songs, upgrading to the new iPod software, and then reinstalling the songs again from iTunes. Luckily the iPod is still under warranty - so I'll probably go in to the store this afternoon and wait in line for an hour to exchange it for a different one. Grrrr. Now I have to get my act together so I can get to a friend's party in NJ before it's over. They're moving to Los Angeles, worse luck. Although I might see them there more often, come to think of it....

Interpretation

Judges have long been called to hear conflicting reports from medical and scientific experts (for instance on issues of causation and injury), and then to determine the parties' legal rights and obligations in light of all the facts presented by the opposing parties.

However, there is always a risk - and particularly with the U.S. Supreme Court - that judges will go "too far" in issuing policy decisions based on their understanding of the medicine or science that has been presented to them in an adversarial manner. At what point does a court improperly start weighing in on the science itself, rather than the law?

This point is made much more forcefully by a Dr. Zweig in his letter to the New York Times:

To the Editor:

Re “A Sharp Turn for the Supreme Court on Abortion”
(letters, April 20):

I am a rheumatologist caring for a patient whose lupus
nephritis is flaring. Her creatinine is rising as her
platelet count falls, and she has failed to improve
with pulse methylprednisolone and intravenous
cyclophosphamide. I am contemplating using rituximab.
I would like to refer this case to the United States
Supreme Court for its guidance.

Richard Zweig, M.D.
Santa Rosa, Calif., April 20, 2007

The phenomenon started in earnest with the Warren Court, which issued decisions like Brown (sociology) and Roe v. Wade, but it continues to the present day, with the Supreme Court opining on environmental issues such as global climate change and medical issues such as viability of a fetus.

Those who cheered on the results in the earlier cases, not worrying about the methodology that was used to achieve those results, may realize with a shock that the same expansive methods can be used for other ends. That's the strongest argument I know for a judiciary to try to keep its focus narrow and its aspirations modest.

A Change in the Weather

Return trip from Staten Island Friday afternoon:


Central Park Sunday, near the roller disco area:

This picture understates the gloriousness of the weather Sunday, but it was still early in the morning (after I picked up free tickets to NYC Ballet's Romeo + Juliet, but before the birds started to use me for target practice during my pre-FAPC nap).

Pastor Rock gave a sermon about the simplicity of grace and our human capacity for error in trying to impose additional requirements for "true" Christian living. I found myself really moved by a story about 6 athletes in the 100-yard dash of the Special Olympics; one guy fell shortly after the race started, and the others came back to get him. Our text was 1 Corinthians 13 (the call to love and humility), but it also made me think of Philippians 3:13-14 because the racers' eyes were on the true prize, not on who would win that race.

There and Back Again

It was a great day for skating along the Hudson River Bike Path. I went from Battery Park up to the first end of the path, above 79th Street, and then down again to the 4/5 at Bowling Green.

A lot of things are the same as ever along the bike path - tennis courts, Chelsea Piers, etc. - but the Trapeze School is no longer there. Rats!!

I really liked this new building, across the street from the bike path.


New York Central Railroad 69th Street Transfer Bridge:

(From this angle, the structure reminded me of a light house. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.)

One of the new arty seating areas, which doubles as a monument to some of the old railroads (including Erie and the B&O), reminded me of a cross between a Shinto shrine and an Adirondack lounging area:

(It's a little difficult to see, but the wooden furniture is designed as all-in-one lounge chair & picnic table units.) Other new areas I liked include a grassy boardwalk area which reminds me of semi-wild beaches on the Jersey Shore (sigh), and one that is a just big slab of silver floating above the ground, like a table top, with small chairs cut into it. (I may upload those pictures later.)

This is the surviving portion of Pier D, which was apparently saved in response to public request.) The wooden structure burned down in 1922, and a steel structure was thrown up in its place. Eventually it was abandoned, and part of it was dismantled for public safety.) They don't say you can't go climbing on it, but you'd probably have to swim over first. That's probably sufficient deterrent for most people.


Afterward, I caught the movie Hot Fuzz (2007). Very funny, if a bit over the top at times. For those who don't know, it's the story of London's top cop, Nicholas Angel (aka "Angle" according to a typo in the local rag) assigned to a sleepy English village because his arrest and conviction record is making everyone else look bad. There he unexpectedly runs into a bunch of "accidents" that look to him like murder. The movie gets a bit carried away with the shoot-em-up aspect once Sgt. Angel cottons on to who-done-it (that portion is funny at first, but goes on so long that the humor leaches out), but otherwise is thoroughly enjoyable, with a few nice twists. The violence is deliberately cartoonish, with liberal use of ketchup, pasta sauce and jam instead of blood at certain key moments.

Jedi Mind Trick: You WILL Buy Postage Stamps

So I was walking along, minding my own business, when I suddenly noticed R2D2 standing guard over a pile of garbage. Or was it a mailbox, attacked by vandals?


Or, looking more closely, could this mean that the U.S. Postal Service has gone to the Dark Side? (Oh, sure, they call themselves jedi masters - but anyone can say that ... even the bad guys.)

Apparently I missed the news 23 days ago that:

Two Legendary Forces Unite to Honor 30^th Anniversary of Star Wars

as modestly stated in the press release. Apparently, the "legendary forces" are ... Lucas Licensing and the U.S. Postal Service. They are offering commemorative Star Wars stamps (starting March 28) as well as painting mailboxes (as of March 16).

And it's not too late to go vote for the most popular Star Wars stamp (through May 23) and "enter [a] sweepstakes by solving six different challenges about Postal Service products and services featuring a Star Wars theme" (through May 7).

David Failor, executive director of Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service, stated: "The Star Wars films have timeless qualities that cross generations, just like the United States Postal Service."

What can I say? I just hope that the U.S. Postal Service didn't have to pay a lot of money to Lucas Licensing for all this. I'd hate to have them raise the rates again.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

I am sorry for the Virginia Tech murders and suicide - for the victims, bystanders, and families of everyone involved - but I can't help wondering why this story in particular has gripped the headlines. (It seems that we lurched from the overblown Don Imus incident to this one.) Surely there are tragedies around the world every day that involve far greater numbers of lives lost.

One explanation, of course, is that we tend to be more touched the more we identify with the victims. Many of us have gone to college and enjoyed a sense of safety and community with likeminded students, in a setting that was both free of parental guidance and supervision and (at least in retrospect) free of real-life responsibilities. And many of us have met slightly disturbed loner types from time to time. So maybe the reaction is like the old chestnut:

X: "In other news, a plane crash has killed 300 people, including one American."
Y: "Poor guy."

There is another aspect to the impact of this particular incident, however. The story fits nicely into a pet theme of the media: A school rampage, with guns! Advocates for gun control love stories like this, for obvious reasons, even as they deplore the loss of life.

It is all very well and fine to advocate for gun control, and to sell newspapers, but there is a real downside to the obsessive coverage of school shootings - especially when there is such focus on the shooter and on the relative size/horror of this rampage vs. previous rampages.

Obsessive media coverage not only encourages imitation, it encourages the next sociopath to try to outdo his predecessors. A "nobody" can become a "somebody" (at least after his death) by shooting up a bunch of people; every statement, every encounter of the shooter will become news.

As reported by the New York Times, this shooter was very much aware of the imminent media coverage; he actually mailed photographs, a video, and some writings to NBC mid-rampage. He was also very much aware of his predecessors; in his "rambling statements" he "evoked the names of the killers in the Columbine High School shooting."

The murderer was media-savvy, and media-driven, but (as you would expect from someone so disturbed) not too bright. As the New York Times reported:

“[NBC] probably would have received the mail [from the killer] earlier had it not been that he had the wrong address and ZIP code,” said Steve Capus, the president of NBC News.

So he botched it up in every way, a loser to the end. All the more pity that he took 32 other people with him.

R.I.P.

Ex-Boyfriend Flees to Vietnam, Japan

I just had to use that headline. After talking about going to Asia for the last 4 years, Z finally went. He apparently decided last week. His planning (as far as I can tell) consisted solely of purchasing his airline tickets. Good thing he keeps his passport in order! In all seriousness, though, he needs a break - he has allowed customer calls to overtake his life around the clock. So he is basically hanging up the phone for two weeks, a long overdue move. I am sure he will meet people and follow their advice on what to do and where to go, so he will not need a guidebook. Or a plan. It just makes me laugh, it's all so typical of Z.

Notes on Jade

In a largely futile effort to jettison some of the papers I've amassed over time (I fear the only truly effective method would involve a blowtorch), I've been going through my "New York" folder to remove things that are out-of-date and/or don't relate to New York.

One gem of sorts: Some notes I made at a museum on the back of a mini-brochure for the Hotel Monaco. The name of the museum? Unknown. The date and location of the trip? Unknown. Although my guess is it might have been either Seattle or Chicago (two of the 7 locations of Hotel Monaco listed on the brochure) in 2004, when I was seeking a federal clerkship.

Highlights of the intelligible portion of my notes on jade from the Museum of Mystery (obviously not its real name):

• Jade's warm luster represents benevolence; its translucence stands for loyalty; its clear tone when struck, wisdom; its strength ("steadfastness"), courage; and its purity, integrity.
• The form of jade known as "nephrite" is dense and heavy, with long fibrous interwoven crystals. Prior to the 18th century, essentially all jadework is in nephrite.
• By contrast, "jadeite" is brighter and clearer because it is formed with clusters of granular crystals. It is apparently not found in China, and it comes in a wide variety of colors, including lavender and red-orange.

From my notes, I further learn that the Chinese word for "bat" is a homonym for "happiness", and gourds symbolize fertility. So a gourd-shaped vase with bat and gourd motifs might be an appropriate wedding present.

This past summer, in Bath (England), I visited a "Far East" museum which went into a lot more detail about the puns that routinely inspire Chinese art. Let's just say that bats and gourds merely scratch the surface of rebus-type messages that look like innocuous decorations to the uninitiated Westerner.

The S-Factor: Syracuse & Saratoga Springs

This week it was planes, trains and automobiles. A bit nerve-wracking, actually, because I haven't driven a car in 3 or 4 years - and here I was renting one for 3 or 4 hours of driving in a 24-hour period. In an April snow/slush/sleet/rainstorm, no less. But all went well. It's just like learning to ride a bike, or something, except it hurts more if you fall off.

People were remarkably friendly in Syracuse - not only my colleagues (who might be expected to be collegial), but also folks at the Dinosaur BBQ, and at a local branch of a national car rental establishment.

Syracuse also features a remarkably unphotogenic "Clinton Square." I understand that it was not named for our former president, nor for his presidential-aspirant wife, nor for the town in New Jersey. I liked the bleakness of the square from this perspective:


Saratoga Springs was a lot more beautiful, especially because I spent some time wandering around the State Park. Despite the occasional packs of joggers and the occasional Francophone tourist family, I got the strong sense that I was there in the off season.

I followed a sign for the Saratoga Tree Nursery, which is apparently run by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. That sounded like a nice place to go, but the entrance had a big metal bar blocking vehicular traffic, and I saw a bunch of small yellow signs forbidding something. At first I thought they were "No Trespassing" signs, but on closer inspection they were "No Skiing" signs. So I went in. Let me tell you, I wasn't even tempted to try skiing in there.


Not only did I not see any snow, but I also didn't see any indication that trees were being conserved (or even nursed) in the Tree Nursery. In fact, the place looked a bit abandoned, with a few fields of vegetables that looked like they had been chopped down by a tractor, two unmanned gas pumps, and an old barn.

Toward the back, as I approached the golf course (also oddly empty; too bad I'm not a golfer), there was a nice-looking house, with a side door yawning open to beckon me into its unlit interior.


If it had been a movie, instead of real life, I would have gone in despite the ominous music on the soundtrack, and there encountered either a psychopath or some supernatural force to be reckoned with. As it was, I didn't find that open door particularly inviting.

I also wandered up to some of the mineral springs - the one I tested was ice cold, which may explain why the bath officials have been adding warm tap water to the natural spring water. I particularly liked this island spouter:

It is totally fake-looking (especially the built-up part around the actual jet), but apparently it at least began spouting all on its own through natural cracks or fissures in the island.

The belated April Fool's joke, of course, was the lovely snowfall in the morning. Nice snowdrift right outside my window. Maybe those "No Skiing Allowed" signs meant something after all?

Nah - too slushy anyway.