Pissed that my VPS is still down 12 hours later.

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The Swinging Pendulum: Housing Trends Over the Year | Columbia Spectator: Yeah! My first mention in the Spec and I wasn’t raked over the coals.

1 comment | education, news, reslife |

I’m an uncle! My baby brother, Andrew, now has a baby of his own.

I’m not quite sure how they came up with the name, but they plan on calling him by his middle name “Cail” (sounds like Kale). Maybe Andew & his wife have been doing too much texting?

3 comments | names, nephew |

Numbers Guy: Are our brains wired for math?: For years I’ve been telling people I’m "numbers dyslexic" because I can do math but misread the order of numbers outloud. I’ve never heard of “Dyscalculia” before, but my problem doesn’t seem to be a symptom.

Comments Off on Numbers Guy: Are our brains wired for math? | brain, education, math, neuroscience, NewYorker, science |

Garfield minus Garfield: "Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolor disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life?".

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So, Hillary is predicted to win New York state in today’s primary. Why then am I still bothering to go stand in line to vote for Obama?* It’s all about “proportional allocation.”

Unlike the winner-takes-all-delegates Republican state primaries, a Democrat can miss out on winning the popular vote but still get a sizable chunk of delegates. And there’s a hell of a lot of delegates up for grabs today (1,688 delegates from 22 states).

* I’m really not interested in getting into any “why I’m voting for Obama” discussions / arguments.

3 comments |

CSS Grid Builder

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Mobile Phone optimized WordPress: It’s really just a way to bookmark feeds in Google Mobile RSS viewer.

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Bunnies in Prison: Short Japanese animated films (don’t worry, there’s no dialogue).

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I admit it. Just like librettist Douglas Carter Beane writes in the liner notes of the newly-released Original Broadway Cast recording of Xanadu, when I attended the first preview in May, I was hoping to catch a flop of Carrie-like proportions. After all, the original film musical was a financial and artistic failure, even if it did produce a best-selling soundtrack. Trying to roller-skate on the Helen Hayes Theatre’s postage stamp-sized stage would surely be the least of the cast’s worries…

So imagine my surprise when the show turned out to be some of the most fun I’ve ever had at the theatre, and went on to open to the best reviews of any recent film-to-stage adaptation on Broadway. Douglas Carter Beane and his collaborators managed to leverage the camp value inherent in the piece along with the hit score to create a show that’s entertaining on its own terms (and not just “children’s theatre for 40-year-old gay men” as one of the oft-quoted lines contends).

Several months later, a cast recording has finally arrived in stores. I looked forward mainly to hearing Cheyenne Jackson‘s take on the lead role of struggling artist Sonny Malone, as he was a last-minute replacement for the injured James Carpinello. Jackson has a silky baritone and easily negotiates the pop score (and, from the look of the promotional photos, fills out his tank top and short shorts rather nicely).

But the real draw of this recording is the adorably perky Kerry Butler, who channels Olivia Newton-John as Clio, the Greek Muse, with the right balance of parody and reverence. Butler has turned up on countless demo recordings and in smaller parts, and it’s great to see her break out in a role she so obviously has so much fun playing.

Mary Testa and Jackie Hoffman, who chewed the scenery as Clio’s evil sisters on stage, manage to keep from going too over-the-top on the recording, showcasing their sass in one of the stage musical’s interpolated hits, “Evil Woman.” Woody Allen-favorite Tony Roberts may pale in comparison to the film’s Gene Kelly, but has a gruff charm all his own.

Providing music direction is the unlikely Eric Stern, mostly known for his work on arty Nonesuch recordings with singers like Audra McDonald and Dawn Upshaw. Stern, however, manages to create a pretty full sound with only 4 players and a few pit singers (including journeyman Annie Golden).

But is this recording going to replace your well-worn copy of the Xanadu soundtrack? Surprisingly, after re-listening to Olivia Newton-John et al, the original Broadway cast compares favorably, teeming with infectious energy.

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