Wednesday, August 27, 2003

 
THE PENULTIMATE FLASH MOB.
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MOB #7 was yesterday. The highlight for me was overhearing two people noticing the crowd forming and having the following conversation:

Man #1: "Hey, what are all these people doing here?"
Man #2: "I don't know. Maybe it's one of those flash mobs."

Here are the instructions we received:

*** MOB #7 ***

The Site: St. Patrick's Cathedral
(5th Ave. at 51st St.)

Outside, halfway down the 51st St. side of the cathedral, there is a small wooden door that faces west. At 7:24, form a single file line starting at that door. The line should run down the stairs to the 5th Ave. sidewalk, bend south in front of the cathedral and (if necessary) down 50th St. around the other side.

If anyone asks why you are there, say you "heard they're selling Strokes tickets." Add, unprompted that there is "no cutting."

At 7:29 you will be given a signal to disperse. No one should remain at St. Patrick's after 7:31.

KEEP THIS SLIP HIDDEN

THE FINAL MOB IS ON SEPTEMBER 10TH

---

So that last bit, promising that there is only one more New York flash mob is a bit ominous. We shall see if they can switch it off as easily as they switched it on. On the one hand, I think it's played out. But on the other hand, I think it would have been nice to have a few flash mobs after school started, when there could have been some participation by students at the many local colleges.

This is The Official Record. 11:56 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/penultimate-flash-mob.html


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Saturday, August 23, 2003

 
NEW RULE.
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On the HBO show "Real Time with Bill Maher, " each episode ends with Maher dictating a bunch of "new rules," like "no cell phones in movie theaters" or "stop patting ourselves on the back about the blackout." One of them on last night's show was:

"New rule: enough with the flash mobs. If you haven't heard, flash mobbing is the latest e-mail inspired craze where random groups of web-surfing losers arrange to all show up somewhere and do something pointless. Back in my day, we had a name for that. It was called a Star Trek convention. Flash mobs are fight club for pussies. But I guess this is what you do with the Internet when you can't find any 13-year-old girls who'll meet you at a motel"

This last overreach was followed by scattered boos from the audience.

This is The Official Record. 12:29 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/new-rule.html


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Friday, August 22, 2003

 
SEEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT ON BROADWAY.
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I just got pestered by a friend about why I haven't written anything about the "2003 blackout." Here are my thoughts.

First, as I've said before, calling a blackout the blackout of 2003 while it's still 2003 is the opposite of journalism. If reporters just called it "the blackout" would we all be like, "which blackout?"? But they're calling this the blackout of 2003, even as they're reporting that more rolling blackouts may be necessary in the coming weeks. I'm always reminded of the "storm of the century" of late 1995, which was dwarfed by an even bigger storm a few weeks later in early 1996. There's every chance that there will be another blackout this year, and it's ridiculous to try to build this into an historic event without regard to the fact that this might not be "the" blackout of 2003. But never let the truth stand in the way of a good story, right?

Second, I'm just amazed by what a big deal people made of it. I grew up in South Florida, which has lots of violent storms, and is at sea level so that power lines can't be buried. Accordingly, blackouts were about a weekly occurrence for me. They rarely lasted a full day, but they often lasted for several hours. It was annoying, but they didn't even make the back page of the paper, much less a huge banner headline across the front page of the New York Times. And now people are selling "I survived the blackout" T-Shirts? Whatever!

As for me, I bought the last flashlight and a battery powered TV from Radio Shack. I got to cook on my gas powered stove, and I played cards and watched TV and listened to the radio with my visiting family. I had to climb up twenty-something floors to my apartment with just a flashlight, and I wish I would have had air conditioning. But otherwise, I managed to "survive." But I can't get the Billy Joel song "Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway" out of my head. Though, perhaps, a better anthem for the event would be "Blame Canada."

This is The Official Record. 5:31 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/seen-lights-go-out-on-broadway.html


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Thursday, August 21, 2003

 
MOB #7
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All are invited.

----- FORWARDED -----

You are invited to take part in MOB, the project that
creates an inexplicable mob of people in New York City
for ten minutes or less. Please forward this to other
people you know who might like to join.

FAQ

Q. Why would I want to join a stupid mob?

A. Tons of other people are doing it.

Q. Tons of stupid people.

A. Wait a second. Q, have you joined the mob
"backlash"?

Q. Yes, I have.

A. Why?

Q. Tons of other people are doing it. I read so in
the paper.

A. But Q, don't you see? That's why people join the
mob, too!

Q. Hey, you're right!

A. So why should we fight? Join forces with the tons
of people who are DOING the mob. Then there will be
MORE tons of people, and you will all be even more
right.

Q. Makes sense to me. I'm in.

A. Welcome back.

Q. Can the mob sing something?

A. Don't push it.

Q. Hey, wasn't the Mob Project going to take one
request?

A. Yes. Thanks to Operative "James" for contributing
the idea for MOB #7.


INSTRUCTIONS - MOB #7
Start time: Tuesday, August 26th, 7:24pm
Duration: 5 minutes

(1) At some point during the day on August 26th,
synchronize your watch to
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java/java.
(If that site doesn^Rt work for you, try
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5.)

(2) By 7:05 PM, based on the month of your birth,
please situate yourselves in the bars below. Buy a
drink and act casual. NOTE: if you are attending the
MOB with friends, you may all meet in the same bar, so
long as at least one of you has the correct birth
month for that bar.
January, February: McAnn's Bar & Grill, 3 W. 46th
St. (just west of 5th Ave.). Meet by the bar.
March, April: Fiddler's Green, 58 W. 48th St.
(between 5th and 6th Aves.). Meet by the bar.
May, June: Maggie's Place, 21 E. 47 St. (just
west of Madison Ave.). Meet by the bar.
July, August: Connolly's Bar & Restaurant, 14 E.
47th St. (between 5th & Madison Aves.). Meet in the
upstairs bar.
September, October: P.J. Moran's, 3 E. 48th St.
(just east of 5th Ave.). Meet by the bar.
November, December: Heartland Brewery, 1285 6th
Ave. (entrance on 51st St.). Meet by the bar.

(3) Then or soon thereafter, a MOB representative will
appear in the bar and will pass around further
instructions.

(4) In particular, the instructions will tell you when
to disperse. Make sure that two minutes after the
specified time, you are no longer at the mob site.

(5) Return to what you otherwise would have been
doing, and await instructions for MOB #8.

This is The Official Record. 2:18 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/mob-7.html


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Monday, August 18, 2003

 
A VERY SPECIAL SKETCH SHOW (2003)
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I don't feel right reviewing this Fringe Festival show, since I know many of the people involved in it, but I did enjoy it. Go see it, and then say hi to David, Chris, and Lauren for me!

This is The Official Record. 12:52 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/very-special-sketch-show-2003.html


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THEATER REVIEW: CITIZEN WALKEN (2003) * * 1/2 (2 and a half stars out of 4).
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This decent impersonation of Christopher Walken left me longing for the real thing. There were some funny moments, including a great, biting send-up of the fawning James Lipton from Inside the Actors' Studio. Part of the NYC Fringe Festival

This is The Official Record. 12:46 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/theater-review-citizen-walken-2003-12.html


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THEATER REVIEW: MADONNA IN "THE TITLE" (2003) * (1 star out of 4).
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The joke of this play is that its a play about a producer and a director trying to trick people into seeing a play by putting "Madonna" in the title of the play "'Madonna' in the title" in such a way that it seems like she's in it, "Madonna in 'The Title.'" This is, in fact, what the actual creators of this play did. Quite a little more sleazy than clever, surely, but fair enough, I suppose. I mean, who'd expect Madonna to actually be in a $15 NYC Fringe Festival play, anyway, right? But here's the complete description of the play that convinced me it was worth my time and money, and that of my visiting family, and why all performances of this very mediocre show completely sold out before opening night:

"Madonna (yes, MADONNA) stars in this FringeNYC Comedy about two dimwits who plot a murder for money to produce a comedy at FringeNYC starring Madonna! Expect the unexpected as producers Jaxx and Ger bring you high camp, high actors and a big "Hi" from everyone's favorite Material Mom."

That's not a tiny bit clever-- that's just fraud. Accordingly, my parents decided to do a chargeback on their credit card purchase of the tickets!

This is The Official Record. 12:37 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/theater-review-madonna-in-title-2003-1.html


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THEATER REVIEW: EVA (2003) no stars (0 stars out of 4).
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Part of the NYC International Fringe Festival, going on now through August 24th, Eva seems exactly like those terrible, terrible experimental theater productions that people are always going to on TV or in the movies. That sort of "crazy" show is par for the course at the Fringe Festival, but they're also supposed to be good and interesting, and not just weird. Five minutes of it, as a parody of the sort of crazy experimental show that it actually is would have been brilliant; but enduring it for an hour certainly does not work as a parody of itself, nor on any other level.

The show consists of two, nearly-motionless women, each representing half of Eva Braun's inner dialogue in her last moments alive, bleating out pseudo-intellectual aphorisms in a trance-like monotone, occasionally punctuated by loud chimes or alarm bells, presumably to keep patrons awake. "Where is the chair?" "There is no chair." "I am behind the chair, which does not exist." It doesn't get any deeper than that, and believe me, I am not taking that out of context.

I can't imagine why this show was made in the first place. It could only have seemed acceptable to its creators in the same way that people don't seem to mind the smell of their own farts.

This is The Official Record. 12:24 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/theater-review-eva-2003-no-stars-0.html


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Tuesday, August 12, 2003

 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
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It was my parents anniversary yesterday, August 11.

To celebrate, we went to the Central Park Zoo, Salon Mexico, Avenue Q, and Tagine.

By a complete coincidence, it's also the anniversary of my company, Charge.Com

This is The Official Record. 12:00 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/happy-anniversary.html


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NYC RESTAURANT REVIEW: SALON MEXICO * * * * (4 stars out of 4).
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Salon Mexico at 134 e. 26th Street was recently written up in the NY Post on account of its selling a $45 burrito. Stuffed with truffles and fillet mignon, it would make a big meal for two people, and enough for three or four with some appetizers. We split it five ways as a late afternoon snack, since we weren't eating dinner until after our show, at 10:30. It was fabulous! So, if you've got a friend or two to share it with, it's worth every penny.

Interestingly, and not mentioned in the Post story, when I was there Monday, their daily special was a $65 burrito, which I didn't try, which was stuffed with sashimi!

This is The Official Record. 11:56 AM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/nyc-restaurant-review-salon-mexico-4.html


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THEATER REVIEW: AVENUE Q * * * 1/2 (3 and a half stars out of 4).
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This new musical, which recently moved to Broadway from Off Broadway, is a parody of children's programs in general, and of Sesame Street in particular. But tackling such subjects as racism, casual sex, homeless, and coming out of the closet, it's definitely not for children!

It's very funny, but after all the great reviews I'd heard, I expected it to be just a little funnier. And I found the ending too trite. I think it was making fun of trite endings, but, just the same, it was a little unsatisfying. But the show was very clever and original and very funny, and it is highly recommended.

This is The Official Record. 11:45 AM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/theater-review-avenue-q-12-3-and-half.html


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Saturday, August 09, 2003

 
IMMEASURABLE SORROW.
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How can you tell if God is testing you, if God is punishing you, or if God has abandoned you? What would be the difference?

This is The Official Record. 10:50 AM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/immeasurable-sorrow.html


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Wednesday, August 06, 2003

 
MOVIE REVIEW: CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (2003) * * * (3 stars out of 4).
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This compelling documentary certainly leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. In the early 1980s, the Friedman family was one of the first to buy a video camera. By coincidence, at this same time, while they were constantly playing with their brand new toy by filming all the time, the father and one of the sons were accused of sodomizing children. The result is an amazing record of what this family experienced at the time. Combined with new testimony by the witnesses, law enforcement officials, and other people involved at the time, the film raises deep questions about the guilt or innocence of the parties, which are not simple to answer one way or the other. The presentation is very even-handed, presenting the very best evidence for both sides.

While the film is simply extraordinary as an artifact of history or of sociology, it drags a little at times as a work of mass entertainment. It really could have been a little shorter, and still been every bit as effective on every level. Even so, the film is very compelling and extremely watchable and very, very sad, whether they were guilty or not.

This is The Official Record. 10:34 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/movie-review-capturing-friedmans-2003.html


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OKAY, NOW THAT'S JUST MESSED UP.
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For the last few weeks the most common search term, by far, used by people who find this blog is some variation of "three's company john ritter testicle." My September 2002 archive scores pretty high on the search engines for that search because of this article, discussing (among other painful choices) whether it would be worse for a man to lose a finger or a testacle, and this article, reviewing the movie Tadpole. So, for at least the past couple weeks, I get at least half a dozen hits to this page every day from people searching for John Ritter's testicles. Does anybody know what this is about? I've tried to search on this myself, and I can't figure out what these people are looking for.

This is The Official Record. 12:07 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/okay-now-thats-just-messed-up.html


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Sunday, August 03, 2003

 
MOB #6.
External link:

All are invited.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 23:32:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: The Mob Project
To: themobproject@yahoo.com
Subject: MOB #6

You are invited to take part in MOB, the project that
creates an inexplicable mob of people in New York City
for ten minutes or less. Please forward this to other
people you know who might like to join.

FAQ

Q. Why would I want to join an inexplicable mob?

A. Tons of other people are doing it.

Q. Can I wear a costume to the mob?

A. Please don't.

Q. If I am a reporter, can I write about the mob? I
am aware that many articles have already been written
about the mob, and yet I feel that the world needs
another.

A. Feel free to write about the mob. Press builds the
mob, and anything that builds the mob is pro-mob.

Q. Does the Mob Project take requests?

A. The Mob Project will take precisely one request.
Write an email describing your dream mob and send it,
under the subject heading "My Dream Mob," to
mydreammob@yahoo.com. Entries must be received by
August 15th. The winning entry will be used as the
basis for a future mob. (Note: New York City ideas
only.)

Q. The last mob didn't have enough spectators. I want
to be seen whilst I mob.

A. Alright, then.

INSTRUCTIONS - MOB #6
Start time: Thursday, August 7th, 7:18 pm

(1) At some point during the day on August 7th,
synchronize your watch to
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java/java.
(If that site doesn't work for you, try
http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5.)

(2) By 7 PM, based on the month of your birth, please
situate yourselves in the bars below. Buy a drink and
act casual. NOTE: if you are attending the MOB with
friends, you may all meet in the same bar, so long as
at least one of you has the correct birth month for
that bar.
January, February, March: Hamburger Harry's, 145
W. 45th St. (just east of Broadway). Meet by the bar.
April, May, June: Connolly's Pub, 121 W. 45th St.
(between 6th Ave. & Broadway). Meet in the back, by
the window to the kitchen.
July, August, September: Charley O's, 218 W. 45
St. (just west of Broadway). Meet by the bar.
October, November, December: Howard Johnson's,
1551 Broadway (at 46th St.). Meet in the back to the
left, by the bar.

(3) Then or soon thereafter, a MOB representative will
appear in the bar and will pass around further
instructions.

(4) In particular, the instructions will specify when
to disperse. Make sure that two minutes after the
specified time, you are no longer at the mob site. The
instructions will also specify a short window of time
--two to three minutes--when we ask that you not take
photographs of the mob, or interview participants or
bystanders.

(5) After the mob, return to what you otherwise would
have been doing. Await instructions for MOB #7.

This is The Official Record. 8:31 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/mob-6.html


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WHAT'S A HUMAN LIFE WORTH?
External link:

Would you want to get a slightly nicer stereo, if it meant that someone you never met on the other side of the world would have to die?

But my pal Manny F. points out that that's exactly what you are doing when you get a slightly nicer stereo, instead of giving the money to charity.

This came up, because I said I was fixing to get an HDTV converter for my HDTV ready television. So, I told him that, if I got one, then whatever I pay for it, I'll pay that same amount to whatever charity he names for providing food or medical care to starving people in a third-world nation. He seemed stunned and a little upset that his comment had had that effect on me, and felt guilty about depriving me of that money. I think it may have been especially troubling for him because he spends about $20,000 a year on camera equipment for his photography hobby. This conversation took place last night at Manny's birthday party. For his birthday, I got him a bunch of nice frames for some of his photographs.

This is The Official Record. 7:10 PM
link to this item: http://www.creamy.com/blog/2003/08/whats-human-life-worth.html


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