Gotham Gal

Ipod's on the subway

So, I'm sitting on the subway next to a guy who is silently rocking out to his iPod.  The couple (girl and a guy) across the way are talking and pointing at it.  The rocker next to me notices they are talking about his iPod.  He takes off his ear pieces and waits for questions.  The guy asks him how does that thing work?  The rocker starts describing the virtues of down loading music into the gadget.  He says that you can take your entire cd collection and download the music from it, you can download songs from Apple which cost money or in the old days (he's a old time pro) you could have gone to Napster and did it for free especially when you don't want the entire CD just one or two songs.  For instance, he says, I just went out and bought the entire JZ Grey cd because I really liked the entire cd after I heard it.  I bought it online for only like $10.  He's trying to relate here. He is espousing all the fantastic things you can do.  The couple get it but seem little confused.  So, the rocker gets up, moves across the aisle and sits next to them, and starts showing the guy how to use the iPod.  He gives him the ear pieces to listen to it.  Voila.  The guys eyes light up.  Thanks dude.  He says to his girlfriend, we got to get one of these.  At this point, my stop comes and I get off.  A real NYC moment...I love the subway. 

Museum Going

Culture reigns in NYC.  The Metropolitan Museum has 2 exhibits that I really wanted to see.  Diane Arbus and Max Ernst. 

The curator for the Diane Arbus exhibit did a helluva job.  Diane Arbus had quite the eye.  She took pictures of people in the park to carnival people to retarded adults.  One extreme to another.  What she has captured is quite amazing.  Each picture tells a story.  The photos are so clear.  The light, for me, is the most impressive part.  There is one particular photo of a movie house, during a screening, in the 50's.  Each pocket of light is so pronounced. 

The exhibit also has libraries of her diaries, cameras, letters that she wrote, etc.  You walk away having a better insight into who exactly Diane Arbus was.  When she began taking picture, her insecurities about her photos, the awards she was granted, how she used the camera, who she was commissioned from, etc.  That is what make this exhibit so special.  Not only did you see the artist's work, you got to know the artist.  A true educational experience.

So after being completely drained from Diane Arbus, I couldn't help myself but to go see the Max Ernst show too.  I asked about 4 security guards how to get there.  The Met is so big, that I often find myself getting lost. 

Max Ernst was one prolific guy.  I had no idea the depth of his work.  Sculptures, photos, oils, etc.  His influences on the art world today are apparent.  I saw David Salle,  Jackson Pollock, Dali all in Ernst's work.  I really flew through the exhibit because I was "arted" out and am sorry I did not get the tape to listen to.  He hung out with Dali and Man Ray - quite the art crowd of his time.  He was married to Peggy Guggenheim, his 3rd marriage.  He lived to the ripe old age of 85.  He continued to create until then.  His work is modern and thought provoking.

Come to think about it,  I might have to go back and do the tape. 

Date Night

I had a hot date last night with my 9 year old son, Josh.   Dinner and a Knick game. 

We had dinner at Nick and Stef's Steakhouse which actually has a back door straight into MSG.  Josh thought that was very cool.  The place was rocking.  Mostly filled with men.  Why do steakhouses attract groups of men more than anything?  The noise level in this restaurant was deafening although they do serve up a very good steak.  They are quick too.  Unfortunately we sat near the kitchen and since they are incredibly efficient, it was a little hard to take the plates coming in an out over our heads.  But, I would go back if I had an event again at the Garden.  Next time, I would sit in the front of the room, not in the back.  If I had only known. 

The Knicks suck.  It is too bad.  They played against the Toronto Raptors last night, who are pretty bad too.  At one point the Knicks were actually up by 15 and managed to give it all away, without even calling an overtime, in the third quarter.  The crowed booed viciously.  In the end, they Knicks lost by a lot.  Pathetic.  A new coach would be in order asap. 

The game was so disappointing and boring that we left after the 3rd quarter, Josh's request.  As we slipped out, we caught up with a group of Knick's city dancers who were happy to take their picture with Josh.  A memorable moment. 

Lemon Chicken

Our book group rotates monthly to each others homes for dinner and conversation.  We have tried to link the meal with the book.  We were discussing Little Children: A Novel by Tom Perrotta.  It was about suburban angst.  After spending my youth in the 'burbs and another 5 years with kids before returning to the city, I could envision the entire book in my head.  I really liked it. 

What to make for dinner?  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken fingers?  I opted for a basic home cooked meal.  The main course was my version of Lemon Chicken.

• I used split chicken breasts but you could use a whole cut up chicken or just dark meat too.  I made 7 split breasts and 10 wings. 
• 4 lemons sliced
• 2 preserved lemons sliced
• 2 large sweet onions - vidalia
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth

Place the chicken breasts on a rack inside a large baking pan.  Kosher salt, paprika and pepper the chicken.  Cover with the lemons and onions.  Pour the white and broth into the base of the pan.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

After 45 minutes, take the chicken out of the oven and scrape the onions and lemons off.  Put the pan back in the oven, change to broil mode and broil until the skin is crispy.

Put the chicken breasts on a platter.  Pour the juices, lemons and onions from the pan into a small pot and bring to a boil.   Add 1 tsp. butter (or not), continue to boil until the sauce thickens.  I did not boil it down in half only about 1/4.  Add salt and pepper for taste.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. 

It is very easy and tastes really good - and moist.  Also, you could easily cut this down.  Personally, the more lemons and onions the better.

Trust Fund Baby

I spent 2 days strolling around the blossoming neighborhood eest of Soho.  Mott, Mulberry and Elizabeth that run from Houston to Kenmare change daily.  Restaurants, clothing stores, shoe stores, furniture stores etc.  All owned and run by the hipster 20/30 year old crowd. 

Trust Fund Baby at 239 Elizabeth is run, perhaps owned, by one of the nicest people.  She has a huge tub of large good candies like Reese's and Hershey bars.  The merchandise is for babies and young mother's.  Diaper bags, shirts, bottoms, stuffed animals, etc.  Very zen place.

We purchased a gift for Emily's pal.  A cute stuffed Buddha which was appropriate because they take yoga class together.  With our purchase, she asked each of us our favorite chocolate - milk, semi-sweet or dark?  She gave each of us a wrapped chocolate covered graham cracker that had a small card attached to each.  Great customer service.   The cards are changed weekly. 

There were 3 of us, so we got 3 goodies.  Our cards were the following.

Generosity is not giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is giving me that which you need more than I do.  - Kahlil Gibran

Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever.  - Gandhi

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon but that we wait so long to begin it. - Anonymous. 

Quotes to live by..

Who Owns Culture cont.

Digital cameras are changing the way we live.  The Pope dies and what do you see?  Hundreds of people holding up their digital cameras and taking pictures of the body.  Instant info.  I went to Chelsea today, hit up 3 galleries, and everyone was taking pictures of the art work.  Who owns culture? 

Is it ok for me to take pictures of new art that has just been purchased by a collector or a museum?  I now own a digital copy of that picture.  If I use it on a card, or in my blog, should I be paying the artist something for that right or should I be paying the new owner or the gallery if they haven't sold the piece yet?  Who owns the culture? 

I went to see the Damien Hirst exhibit at the Gagosian Gallery.  Prolific is an understatement for this artist.  He began with dot paintings that were simple and fun.  Then he moved into medical creations.   He is obsessed with death, drugs and the medical world.  Now he has moved into painting.  The paintings sold out ranging from $250k to $2M.  They are incredible but very disturbing.   The painting on the left shows the deterioration of a woman on drugs.  Haunting. 

Check out the painting of an autopsy room.  Looks like a picture right?  Would you like to have this hanging in your living room for the cool price of $2M.   His work is impressive to say the least. 

I also headed into Mary Boone Gallery.  Eric Fischl has a group of new paintings.  He is an incredible artist.  He does paintings, drawings, sculpture.  His paintings are going for $450-500K.  Worth it.  They are only going up in value.  Very sexually oriented, as his last paintings were but unbelievable crisp images. 

Lastly, I went over to Margaret Thatcher Projects.  I really like Margaret and want to buy something from her.  Markus Linnenbrink is opening there tomorrow.  His work is colorful to say the least.  He does drip paintings with oils, heavily layered ceramic paintings that he puts holes in to see the layers, striped paintings covered in a resin, photos covered with colors and resin.  Prolific guy.  His career is starting to really take off. 

A fun day in the world...but as I took these digital images, I wondered, who owns the Culture?

                                                                      

Who Owns the Culture??

Fred and I went to see an intriguing event called "Who Owns the Culture" at the New York Public Library last night.  It was incredibly thought provoking.  Fred wrote a great post on this event too. 

Larry Lessig,  a brilliant left wing liberal who totally gets culture, future, Internet, etc. was brilliant to listen to.  Obviously, if you have read my blog before, my kind of guy. 

Steven Johnson, was charming, funny and a really good moderator.  But the best was Jeff Tweedy.  You could see at the beginning he wasn't so sure he was comfortable but he quickly settled in.  He is smart, witty and incredibly humble for a rock and roll success story.   To hear all of them talk about artists freedom vs. laws made you really wonder if our legal system is in touch with the year 2005. 

Larry Lessig pointed out that we are raising an entire generation of "criminals".  Our kids create cutting edge stuff with the technology out there, they down load songs off the Internet, they use other artists work and incorporate into theirs.  What they are doing is illegal but are we suppressing their creativity because it is illegal?  No, they will continue to be creative illegally but perhaps grow up thinking the laws are stupid and just thumb their nose at the Legal system.  How do we change that? 

Historically artists create being influenced by other artists.  If is if the system is trying to create a void instead of filling a void.  You can't change the way people behave (such as downloading music) but you can create intelligent laws around the way people behave instead of just saying no.  That has not happened.   

Paul Holdengrabber, put the event on last night, and by the way, has only been at the Library for 150 days.  Pretty impressive event for only 150 days.  He is bringing more and more events like this to the Library to get the Library into the year 2005.  My hats off to Paul for an excellent evening.  I will definitely be back for more. 

Passports continued

Jonathan Perkel sent me a very funny comic strip in a response to my rant about passports.  Very clever. 

A New York Night

I did it, I went to the Upper Westside for dinner.   Even though it is a quick jaunt on the subway to 79th and Broadway, it seems like light years away. 

We ate at Gari Sushi on 78th and Columbus.  There is another Gari Sushi on the Upper Eastside too.  Our friends knew the chef, so he just brought it on.  The food was beautifully presented and really good.   Two memorable items were the beef short ribs that had been hammered out, braised, grilled and spicy.  The other was a small square dish that was a sea urchin custard.  It was delicious and smooth.  Sake was served in a magnum type bottle but only half filled which was pretty cool.  It feels like a neighborhood restaurant but it is far superior to the other neighborhood restaurants in that area.  It is about time that the Upper Westside had a higher quality of restaurants for local fair.  The audience is ready and waiting.

We blew out of the restaurant and grabbed at cab down to Carnegie Hall.  Our friends have a series for the classical concerts.  They also happen to have great box seats.  We saw a 80 minutes Symphony by Gustav Mahler performed by Valery Gargiev who oversees the Kirov Opera and Orchestra. 

I haven't been to a classical performance in years.  I played piano for 10-12 years, so I certainly have an appreciation for the art.  I admit, I nodded off a few times, as did most of the audience, but it was really great.  The musicians, the conductor, the chorus and singers were all wonderful.  80 minutes was perfect and it was really a treat to go see. 

We walked out of the performance and opted for drinks at The Plaza to cap off the evening.  The Plaza is going to go through a condo conversion beginning April 30th,  so I am glad we were able to have a drink and walk through the place before it closes. We went to the Oak Room for drinks.  They don't even have much liquor left.  Only one type of scotch, one type of port, etc.  Our waiter had been there for 18 years and now was going to be out on the streets.  An end of an era.  Bad management?  Who knows but at $24 for a sandwich in a very stuffy room, I am not surprised to see the Plaza become part of NYC history. 

What is wrong with this Administration?

I come home from a very nice family dinner with our friends at Bar Pitti, their local kitchen and I boot up Yahoo and what do I read?  The U.S.  to Tighten Border Controls.  New rules to be phased in by 2008, you will need a passport to get back in from to the US from Canada and Mexico.  UGH!

Eventually Americans will wake up that this Administration is so out of touch with reality.  Other countries have had it with us.  Our dollar is plummeting and I would find it hard to believe that the rest of the world will keep our currency afloat because we are so powerful.  Ha! Our holier than thou attitude will eventually kick us back in the ass.

We have entered the age of a global economy.  Frankly we entered it quite awhile ago.  Thanks to the Internet, the destruction of the Berlin wall and the Euro, times have changed.  Our kids are competing with the French, the Germans, the Indians, the Australians and the Indonesians for the same jobs.  Unless we spend some serious money on education, they might win. U.S. companies are looking to do business with the best, period, because it isn't that difficult to partner with companies overseas.  There is instant communication.  The best and the brightest prevail regardless of location (oh, unless Mr. Bush attempts to pass more regulatory laws).  Hello Mr. Bush.  Wake up!!!

Every country around the world has issues with terrorism for a helluva longer than we have had.  When I was in college, back in the fall of 1981, in London, there were signs all over the tube to be wary of empty bags, etc. and report them immediately to the police.  By the way, being an inclusive country only pisses off the terrorists more particularly while we spend money over seas fighting in their countries to execute on our vision for their land. 

Why don't we just open up our borders between Mexico and Canada.  Let's create an Amero.  Take NAFTA to the ninth degree. You can go freely back and forth.  New jobs can be created.  We can educate an entire land of people that can live productive lives instead of being pissed off at the world because they live in poverty and are uneducated.  That would be if we actually spent money on our education system instead of just giving it back to people who don't need it. Hello. 

When we are long gone, and our children's great grandchildren are here to look back at history, they will be aghast at the morons that ran our Government during the George Bush Jr. tenure.  How out of touch with the times they actually were.  Perhaps there will be a different currency for each continent that is it.  We will be able to get to Japan from the US in under 4 hours.  Business will only be done globally. 

Let's look to the future.  Please Democrats, get your shit together and get us out of this mess before it is too late.