"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television." -Woody Allen
Friday, October 11, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Many are retelling their personal experiences from 12 years ago today. Thought I'd share as well. I awoke 9/11/01 to a large noise that I attributed to thunder, though there was no rain. I walked to my kitchen to make coffee and saw people running on the roof next to mine, and odd site to say the least. I yelled out the window “what happened?” and one guy yelled back “The World Trade Center just blew up”... Not what I was expecting to hear to say the least. I’d loved the Twin Towers actually, dating back to the Bicentennial in 1976, when I went to a party in Windows On the World with my father and brother. My father had a sculpture installation up there and I remember being amazed I could sit in a window that protruded outwards and I could look down under at the street (which seemed like a mile away). I spent other memorable times in and around WTC as well, their were some memorable late night parties in the Towers in the mid-90s, and I had just been down their 2 days prior to the attack working some promotional job.
Back to that day, I immediately tried to turn on some news so I could see/hear what had happened, but the only channel I could get that morning (and for the next few weeks) was AM 1010 WINS. Upon hearing the News, I decided to go down there and check it out myself. Hopping on my bicycle I booked down, riding along the East River and made it in before they’d completely closed off the area… probably not the smartest thing to do, or healthiest with no mask, but I felt the need to see what had just went down firsthand. The experience was horrifying. Blocks upon blocks upon blocks of chaos, it looked like pictures I’d seen of 1983 Beirut. I waded on my bike through foot deep of debris; ashes, paper, shoes left behind, it was everywhere. There were totaled cars halfway in broken store windows and an eerie silence but for the choppers overhead. No one was saying “you can’t be here” or anything, everyone was simply stunned and just trying to figure out what to do and where to look. I must have stayed down there two-three hours, surveying the scene and helping out whomever I could that needed a hand and/or to be pointed in a specific direction. I collected some burned scraps of paper that I still have, some saying American Airlines, some saying Goldman Sachs, some from very high floors in the towers… chilling.
The weeks that followed were like none I could ever imagine. The two people I immediately thought of who worked at the Trade Ctr. thankfully both did not go to work that day, for whatever reason. One saying he “wasn’t sick, but just had a feeling he should stay home” that day. Life below 14th Street, where we had to show our drivers licenses at checkpoints, was surreal. I lost my restaurant job because there were no customers and finding work again proved very difficult for quite some time. I fielded calls non-stop from family and friends outside of the city who knew I and my family were here, hoping we were alright. Many saying “get out”. This was a singular event here I hope never to experience anything like ever again, but New York is my home, plus those who’ve lived here all know that , well, it’s not the easiest place to “get out” of.
The years following 9/11 saw the US and our weirdly empowered President escalate a bogus War, and our City turn to a multi-millionaire Mayor who's seemed to forget real New Yorkers in lieu of welcoming the International elite to our streets with open arms. Wall Street is still thriving while the rest of US can only try to keep up with the sharply rising cost of living. We’ve built two baseball stadiums here and countless luxury hotels yet we still haven’t finished building at Ground Zero... Things really did change here, there and everywhere that day. It’s hard to believe 12 years have gone by. My heart go out to those who lost love ones that day and in the days, weeks and years that have followed because of that day. Collectively, we lost a lot it seems, and it’s left a hole larger than Ground Zero, for as a city, a country, a people, we’ve continued to lose a lot more in many ways since that day. Here's hoping the days of losing are soon over and days of learning from it are to come.
Back to that day, I immediately tried to turn on some news so I could see/hear what had happened, but the only channel I could get that morning (and for the next few weeks) was AM 1010 WINS. Upon hearing the News, I decided to go down there and check it out myself. Hopping on my bicycle I booked down, riding along the East River and made it in before they’d completely closed off the area… probably not the smartest thing to do, or healthiest with no mask, but I felt the need to see what had just went down firsthand. The experience was horrifying. Blocks upon blocks upon blocks of chaos, it looked like pictures I’d seen of 1983 Beirut. I waded on my bike through foot deep of debris; ashes, paper, shoes left behind, it was everywhere. There were totaled cars halfway in broken store windows and an eerie silence but for the choppers overhead. No one was saying “you can’t be here” or anything, everyone was simply stunned and just trying to figure out what to do and where to look. I must have stayed down there two-three hours, surveying the scene and helping out whomever I could that needed a hand and/or to be pointed in a specific direction. I collected some burned scraps of paper that I still have, some saying American Airlines, some saying Goldman Sachs, some from very high floors in the towers… chilling.
The weeks that followed were like none I could ever imagine. The two people I immediately thought of who worked at the Trade Ctr. thankfully both did not go to work that day, for whatever reason. One saying he “wasn’t sick, but just had a feeling he should stay home” that day. Life below 14th Street, where we had to show our drivers licenses at checkpoints, was surreal. I lost my restaurant job because there were no customers and finding work again proved very difficult for quite some time. I fielded calls non-stop from family and friends outside of the city who knew I and my family were here, hoping we were alright. Many saying “get out”. This was a singular event here I hope never to experience anything like ever again, but New York is my home, plus those who’ve lived here all know that , well, it’s not the easiest place to “get out” of.
The years following 9/11 saw the US and our weirdly empowered President escalate a bogus War, and our City turn to a multi-millionaire Mayor who's seemed to forget real New Yorkers in lieu of welcoming the International elite to our streets with open arms. Wall Street is still thriving while the rest of US can only try to keep up with the sharply rising cost of living. We’ve built two baseball stadiums here and countless luxury hotels yet we still haven’t finished building at Ground Zero... Things really did change here, there and everywhere that day. It’s hard to believe 12 years have gone by. My heart go out to those who lost love ones that day and in the days, weeks and years that have followed because of that day. Collectively, we lost a lot it seems, and it’s left a hole larger than Ground Zero, for as a city, a country, a people, we’ve continued to lose a lot more in many ways since that day. Here's hoping the days of losing are soon over and days of learning from it are to come.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thursday, March 07, 2013
The Mystery of Acting... demystified (not. just a bunch of fucking quotes)
Ok, you're not gonna understand any mystery from this article, that's for sure. It basically serves up a few selected quotes from actors (Lady Gaga?), almost none of them good (reactionary Right Wing nutter/good actor Gary Oldman's is alright), but all put together they're worthwhile in that good acting, or a good actor, is hard to put a finger on. You know it (him/her) when you see it (him/her), but I may disagree with you. What I can tell you (besides the fact that's it's not easily definable) is that it's a gift, it's a dream, it's a challenge, it's a struggle, it rocks and it's not for everyone. How does an actor tap into the illustrious well of "goodness"? Ahhhh, wouldn't you like to know ;).
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
"Is the use of our skill an embrace? Or is it the snapping of a shackle? We must start asking that neglected question, individually, or we will we only contribute to, or at least be complicit in, a national calamity."
In case you did NOT watch the mind blowing video I refer to in my previous post, which would be a CRIME, because you HAVE to, DO. IT. NOW. Here it is again, preceded by a fwd by the eloquent T.C., esp. tailored for all of our friends in the sham of a mockery we call... The Entertainment Industry. -RM
"Time to Occupy Ourselves after decades of Self-Evacuation. Here it is, the most graphic representation of violence in America, ever. Strangely, as you will see in the video, this is the only kind of depiction of violence the media censors anymore. Any other depiction of violence is hunky dory and A-OK just so long as it entertains.
Thanks to the early inspiration of men like Edward Bernays, the media's job has finally achieved its destiny, and become entirely devoted to perpetuating the illusions mentioned in this video, and meant merely to distract the very people who are most violated...with soporific entertainments and hallucinations (the new opiate of the masses...toothless vampire fantasies, super hero escapism, the artistic cowardice of endless "revivals," which should be called "avoidances," historical dramas bordering on state-sponsored propaganda), all of which are populated by artists whose magnificent razor sharp talents function like the teeth in the maw of a giant anaconda holding its prey, so the rest can slowly squeeze it to death. To my brothers and sisters in The Industry...simply succeeding as an entertainer (which only means, "one who holds" perhaps like the anaconda tooth holds flesh) is empty and without value unto itself. Money? Ha. Think again. So what if you hold America with nothing but your little finger? Now you're king of the world. Fine. Now what? You've had a blockbuster, an open-ended run, had money thrown at you. Ohhh, you've held them all right! Or as they used to say in the biz, "ya killed em!" In a mass market, there might be more literal truth to that than you realize. But, brother, that is an empty achievement. Dear sister, it is utterly without recognizable human intention or substance. What is your motive to hold audiences? To what end? To educate? To encourage? To lift the weary? To validate the courageous? Or to feel validated? Or to placate neurosis? Or to inebriate the spell-bound? To sell a product? Okay, what's the product? You have talent. Okay. So what? Leni Riefenstahl had talent. If you can't answer the larger question, "to what end", you can bet the farm your talent is being misused within a larger purpose that you are only vaguely aware of. The way work is shared in this industry is so overly collateralized, no one can afford to ask the important question. The "good Nazi," was given the task of pushing that button on the wall, then went home to a nice warm meal with the family. But what's the button do? We are trained that it's unprofessional to ask what the buttons connect to. So don't ask. It's unprofessional. And we like warm meals.
"To do great theatre" is an utterly vacuous statement. It means nothing. "To do great film" is even worse, since the form is far more collateralized. An actor doesn't show up on the set "to do great film." If he does, that's going to be one crappy actor. He shows up to enact a limited number of discrete objectives. I do not cotton to an idea like "great theatre." There is great human intention. That's all. I believe only in the achievement of the the objective of the play or story, and if THAT defensible in human terms. Does it belong to what has traditionally be called "The Humanities" -- or not. That is all that matters to me.
So let us ask WHY are we holding people's minds at attention? That must be our daily mantra. Our abilities to hold is a skill, yes; a power even; perhaps, a privilege. But is the use of our skill an embrace? Or is it the snapping of a shackle? We must start asking that neglected question, individually, or we will we only contribute to, or at least be complicit in, a national calamity."
"Time to Occupy Ourselves after decades of Self-Evacuation. Here it is, the most graphic representation of violence in America, ever. Strangely, as you will see in the video, this is the only kind of depiction of violence the media censors anymore. Any other depiction of violence is hunky dory and A-OK just so long as it entertains.
Thanks to the early inspiration of men like Edward Bernays, the media's job has finally achieved its destiny, and become entirely devoted to perpetuating the illusions mentioned in this video, and meant merely to distract the very people who are most violated...with soporific entertainments and hallucinations (the new opiate of the masses...toothless vampire fantasies, super hero escapism, the artistic cowardice of endless "revivals," which should be called "avoidances," historical dramas bordering on state-sponsored propaganda), all of which are populated by artists whose magnificent razor sharp talents function like the teeth in the maw of a giant anaconda holding its prey, so the rest can slowly squeeze it to death. To my brothers and sisters in The Industry...simply succeeding as an entertainer (which only means, "one who holds" perhaps like the anaconda tooth holds flesh) is empty and without value unto itself. Money? Ha. Think again. So what if you hold America with nothing but your little finger? Now you're king of the world. Fine. Now what? You've had a blockbuster, an open-ended run, had money thrown at you. Ohhh, you've held them all right! Or as they used to say in the biz, "ya killed em!" In a mass market, there might be more literal truth to that than you realize. But, brother, that is an empty achievement. Dear sister, it is utterly without recognizable human intention or substance. What is your motive to hold audiences? To what end? To educate? To encourage? To lift the weary? To validate the courageous? Or to feel validated? Or to placate neurosis? Or to inebriate the spell-bound? To sell a product? Okay, what's the product? You have talent. Okay. So what? Leni Riefenstahl had talent. If you can't answer the larger question, "to what end", you can bet the farm your talent is being misused within a larger purpose that you are only vaguely aware of. The way work is shared in this industry is so overly collateralized, no one can afford to ask the important question. The "good Nazi," was given the task of pushing that button on the wall, then went home to a nice warm meal with the family. But what's the button do? We are trained that it's unprofessional to ask what the buttons connect to. So don't ask. It's unprofessional. And we like warm meals.
"To do great theatre" is an utterly vacuous statement. It means nothing. "To do great film" is even worse, since the form is far more collateralized. An actor doesn't show up on the set "to do great film." If he does, that's going to be one crappy actor. He shows up to enact a limited number of discrete objectives. I do not cotton to an idea like "great theatre." There is great human intention. That's all. I believe only in the achievement of the the objective of the play or story, and if THAT defensible in human terms. Does it belong to what has traditionally be called "The Humanities" -- or not. That is all that matters to me.
So let us ask WHY are we holding people's minds at attention? That must be our daily mantra. Our abilities to hold is a skill, yes; a power even; perhaps, a privilege. But is the use of our skill an embrace? Or is it the snapping of a shackle? We must start asking that neglected question, individually, or we will we only contribute to, or at least be complicit in, a national calamity."
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Viral Video Shows the Extent of U.S. Wealth Inequality
Nothing funny about this post. You can view it here. This video is spot-on and well stated, and it saddens me deeply that many people won't even bother to view it (never mind share it), because they haven't the time or interest apparently in their own Country's obviously skewed state of affair$, which are in fact, harming them (if they, like most of us, are not filthy rich). Many will also brush this off as "complaining". That's wrong and weak. Stay asleep then, but I hope (as this video says) you will decide instead to "wake up, and realize that the reality of this country is not at all what we think it is". It's 33 years after Raegan started his trickle down Genocide, 4 years after the Recession "began" and 1.5 years past Occupy and things are NOT getting better. Choose to lose (more) and continue to earn less or strive to change a broken system. Your choice. Pretending this is not an important issue and keeping it snug like venomous bug under the rug merely exacerbates the problem. That the über wealthy pay tax rates x 2 is immaterial when their income is stratospherically higher and increasing at disproportionate rates to absolutely everyone else. You want Victorian England? You're gonna get it. GOP talk about “workers” vs “shirkers” is straight out of antiquated Victorian moralism about those deserving and undeserving.
"This troubled planet is a place of the most violent contrasts. Those that receive the rewards are totally separate from those who shoulder the burdens. It is not a wise leadership." — Mr. Spock, Star Trek
"This troubled planet is a place of the most violent contrasts. Those that receive the rewards are totally separate from those who shoulder the burdens. It is not a wise leadership." — Mr. Spock, Star Trek
Friday, February 22, 2013
Rush Lamebaugh's at it again. Oh the shame.
Rush Limbaugh is "ashamed" of his country for "the first time". Whoa, I'm shivering in my boots.
You can hear and read about the bloated fart wad here.
You can hear and read about the bloated fart wad here.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Where's the LaBeouf? Not on Broadway anymore, thankfully.
So Shia "where's the" Labeouf has withdrawn From Broadway’s ‘Orphans’ due to irronconileable differences with trained theatre actor Alec Baldwin. Another example of why film and tv actors with little or no stage experience should not get carte blanche offers on Broadway. Screw the finances argument blah blah blah about the need for $tars, etc. Haven't we bleached the Great White Way enough? Dumbed it down to the extent that ahem, Scarjo can star in Tennessee Williams? Look, Broadway will not go away, as a matter of fact, I firmly believe (though I'm in the minority I'm sure) that it would be stronger than ever if there were only quality actors onstage to (pay to) see, whether they be "Name" actors or not. I'm tired of people making excuses for utter lameness, it's insulting to those who work hard and train and know better. All excuses do is exacerbate problems anyway. Let's leave Broadway to experienced theatre professionals shall we, not Hollywood wannabes, or else it's just a sham of a mockery of the art form.
On a side note, now I'll go see Orphans (a play I always wanted to do after seeing Kevin Anderson and Albert Finney in it), I couldn't bare the thought of going before with that smug Shia Pet prancing around. In fact, this is a rare victory today. Shia LaBeouf will not sully Broadway. Yay. Let's rejoice at that.
You can read the NY Times Arts Section article that inspired this mini rant today here.
On a side note, now I'll go see Orphans (a play I always wanted to do after seeing Kevin Anderson and Albert Finney in it), I couldn't bare the thought of going before with that smug Shia Pet prancing around. In fact, this is a rare victory today. Shia LaBeouf will not sully Broadway. Yay. Let's rejoice at that.
You can read the NY Times Arts Section article that inspired this mini rant today here.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Macho Elves of a Different Almost Everything.
Just read this article from Slate.com "An Extremely Macho Elf: Reconsidering Steve McQueen."
"McQueen defined a fleeting moment in Hollywood's depiction of manhood, standing between the '50s kitsch of Sinatra, John Wayne, and Elvis and the post-Vietnam second-guessing of the pathological Eastwood, the sensitive New Age Redford, and Burt Reynolds. He was the first and maybe the last action hero to be neither absurd nor ironic.
(He) cultivated his own mythology through a strenuously aloofstyle of acting that is not without its critics. David Thomson, for one, observes a certain "dullness" about McQueen. Perhaps, but it was an especially radiant sort of dullness. With McQueen, it's hard to decide whether you hardly notice him, or you hardly notice that you never take your eyes off of him."
Now Jeremy Renner, who's apparently playing him, has nothing on McQueen. If there's one similarity, it's the "macho elf" look as mentioned in the article here, but McQueen was quintessentially American, Renner hails from here but truth be told he might as well be another member of the British (Aussi, Irish, Scottish) or basically "from anywhere but here" invasion of many of our acting roles. DD Lewis was a great choice for Lincoln, but must all our iconic figures be portrayed by non-Americans now, or, in Renner's case, by less interesting actors (if Americans talent is in fact used)? I'm glad a Yankee got the role in this case, but many will say that rarely happens because US actors aren't as good. B.S. It's how we crown our big actors, many without training or substance, that's the problem. A guy hits it big with one thing and "voila", he's everywhere, forced down out throats whether he's worthy or not. Nothing taken away from Renner, but there are plenty of better, and perhaps more deserving, American actors out there, trust me.
Anyway, that was a tangent if I ever heard one. You can read the whole slate.com article here.
"McQueen defined a fleeting moment in Hollywood's depiction of manhood, standing between the '50s kitsch of Sinatra, John Wayne, and Elvis and the post-Vietnam second-guessing of the pathological Eastwood, the sensitive New Age Redford, and Burt Reynolds. He was the first and maybe the last action hero to be neither absurd nor ironic.
(He) cultivated his own mythology through a strenuously aloofstyle of acting that is not without its critics. David Thomson, for one, observes a certain "dullness" about McQueen. Perhaps, but it was an especially radiant sort of dullness. With McQueen, it's hard to decide whether you hardly notice him, or you hardly notice that you never take your eyes off of him."
Now Jeremy Renner, who's apparently playing him, has nothing on McQueen. If there's one similarity, it's the "macho elf" look as mentioned in the article here, but McQueen was quintessentially American, Renner hails from here but truth be told he might as well be another member of the British (Aussi, Irish, Scottish) or basically "from anywhere but here" invasion of many of our acting roles. DD Lewis was a great choice for Lincoln, but must all our iconic figures be portrayed by non-Americans now, or, in Renner's case, by less interesting actors (if Americans talent is in fact used)? I'm glad a Yankee got the role in this case, but many will say that rarely happens because US actors aren't as good. B.S. It's how we crown our big actors, many without training or substance, that's the problem. A guy hits it big with one thing and "voila", he's everywhere, forced down out throats whether he's worthy or not. Nothing taken away from Renner, but there are plenty of better, and perhaps more deserving, American actors out there, trust me.
Anyway, that was a tangent if I ever heard one. You can read the whole slate.com article here.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Deserted City of the Heart Cooks Brain.
"Happy V Day" is what I got (and sent) today via text to and by those I dig (who may or may not dig me). Interesting how the word Valentine is shortened by many to one letter, which makes one recall D Day, aka the Day of "decision" in WW2 when 150,000 Allied soldiers landed on the shores of Normandy. In truth, the "D" in D Day may simply have referred to the "day" of invasion, decisive or not, and it's commonly misinterpreted to be a shortened version of Dooms Day. Decisive? Doom? Both potentially work for Valentine's Day, which has never been my favorite Holiday. Though I've always had a reputation as a womanizer, real or exaggerated, I've almost always found myself alone on this day, deserted (cue the violins). Thankfully, this V Day I'm meeting someone later, a beautiful Argentine woman half my age I met on the subway (!) who will soon desert me :( for her native land (cue said violins again). Oh well, I shall deem myself lucky in the interim and make sure she does not desert me for long, though I do wish I weren't suffering from cold symptoms right at this moment (violins go berserk).
Now I've already posted via Facecrack (thanks Gay Cowboy, that term is perfect) my anthems for the day (see Cream, Modest Mouse and more) and have just read some silly article in the NY Times about how actresses heart rockers "He Sings. She Acts. They Date." Um... really? Well I have one thing to add to that: Hey actresses, y’know I sung and played guitar/bass in rock bands for years… Just sayin’. Come on'! The article really should read: He Makes Buttloads of Money Singing. She's a Famous Actress. They Date. I don't mean to be neg, but that's the real truth there...
Anyway, I would be quite happy with this gorgeous Argentine, subway-ridin' tourist, actresses can be head cases, truth be told, and I'm not goin' back to the rock grind. On that note, gotta run. Happy V Day people of the interwebs who don't read this blog I keep forgetting about, and may cupid get all stupid with y'all, cuz it really does help to not be on your lonesome on this silly Holiday. I already experienced that this past XMas/NYE Holiday season yet again, and it blows. Now it's just tomorrow and the next day I have to think about, and most importantly P Day (payday), let that love $hine down on me next. -RM
Now I've already posted via Facecrack (thanks Gay Cowboy, that term is perfect) my anthems for the day (see Cream, Modest Mouse and more) and have just read some silly article in the NY Times about how actresses heart rockers "He Sings. She Acts. They Date." Um... really? Well I have one thing to add to that: Hey actresses, y’know I sung and played guitar/bass in rock bands for years… Just sayin’. Come on'! The article really should read: He Makes Buttloads of Money Singing. She's a Famous Actress. They Date. I don't mean to be neg, but that's the real truth there...
Anyway, I would be quite happy with this gorgeous Argentine, subway-ridin' tourist, actresses can be head cases, truth be told, and I'm not goin' back to the rock grind. On that note, gotta run. Happy V Day people of the interwebs who don't read this blog I keep forgetting about, and may cupid get all stupid with y'all, cuz it really does help to not be on your lonesome on this silly Holiday. I already experienced that this past XMas/NYE Holiday season yet again, and it blows. Now it's just tomorrow and the next day I have to think about, and most importantly P Day (payday), let that love $hine down on me next. -RM
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Marco... Rubio! in the shallow end.
After the State of the Union we had to listen to the Union of the Snakes response, but that Milktoast Rubio kid was a guppy out of water. He'll never be president, give me a break. Sounds like Peter Sarsgaard, looks like Dondi. This is what the GOP is banking on now? Smarmy little soft-talking dweebs w/ no imagination spouting the same old tired b.s. that got us into the mess we're in today? The non-union dinner theatre wannabe was diving for his bottle of water to ease his noticeable flop sweat.
Friday, February 08, 2013
Beyonce tries to scare off Nemo
Firstly, apologies to those adversely affected by the blizzard. Apparently Beyonce's managers are trying to delete this horrifying Superbowl pic of her from the internet. It's a frighteningly ugly pic to be sure, but i'm mixed. If you're a celeb, you should be prepared for the worse, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the limelight. Stay safe, stay warm. Rock n' roll. -RM
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Babe I'm not gonna leave you (Redemption Blog).
Happy Birthday Babe Marley. Yeah, I've been the slackest of the slackiest in regards to posting on here. What has it been, over a year? Maybe I'll look back and post some pics from my absence, does that make up for my complete and utter lameness? Facebook, yes, I said the dreaded F-word, has consumed my words, for better or for worse. That must stop, it's all too ephemeral on there, and I do not need the accolades and adoration of others for my posts, i just need you: the non existent readers of this blog, who haven't stuck with me (for I have barely stuck with myself) over the past 9 some-odd years. Yes, I will write more, until I once again write less. I promise. I've got a forum here to let loose the gobs, so I may as well, correctamundo? There has, after all, been a lot of snot, I mean "so much trouble in the world", Know what i'm sayin'? Here comes the return of the sultan of snot, Rollo Manhattan (applause applause). In the meantime, enjoy this here pic I photoshopped up for yous.
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