The Rat
Being born a Rat is nothing to be ashamed of. In China, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. It is deemed an honor to be born in the Year of the Rat and it is considered a privilege to be associated with a Rat. Rats know exactly where to find solutions and can take care of themselves and others without problems. They use their instinctive sense of observation to help others in times of need and are among the most fit of all the Animal signs to survive most any situation.
Years of the Rat
First in the cycle, Rat Years begin the sequence and recur every twelfth year. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which each Rat year actually begins.
The Sign of the Rat
Being born under this sign determines many talents, as well as other characteristics that may not be so commendable. Rats are very lively and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They can be calm and perceptive, but sometimes their brains can cause a mental restlessness, tempting them to take on too much, only to discover they are unable to meet their commitments. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going. Add to their intelligence a curiosity and a bright imagination, and they seem as sharp as a needle.
The sign of the Rat is the first sign in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation.
RAT FACTS:
People born in the Year of the Rat share certain characteristics. The Rat sign is an abbreviated way of characterizing that individual's personality. Following are features associated with the sign of the Rat. First in order, Chinese name-SHU, sign of charm
Hour-11pm-12:59am Month-December
Western Counterpart-Sagittarius
CHARACTERISTICS
Smart, Magnetic, Well-liked, Affable, Quick-witted, Surreptitious, Selfish, Protective, Calculating
IN YOUR ELEMENT
The characteristics of the Rat Sign are tempered by one of the five Chinese elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth overlaying a 5-year cycle of characteristics on the original 12-year cycle.
THE METAL RAT 1900 AND 1960
Of all the Rats, these are the toughest and most resolute. They are visionary and possess an emotional intensity that can lead to feelings of rage, envy, or possessiveness. They like to be in charge, and can act selfishly to get what they want. In relationships, business or personal, they can be obstinate. Metal rats have to bear in mind that meeting their partner halfway would help their relationships tremendously. They take great pride in their homes and enjoy decorating them in their impressively good taste.
THE WATER RAT 1912 AND 1972
Being guided by the Water element means these Rats have a knack for influencing people. With their strong intellectual powers and great insight, they are also great puzzle solvers. They are quick to understand others and are incredibly practical people. Rats apply their talents to their everyday lives, making them obliging, generous and compassionate to other people. Generally, they are liked and respected by everyone. Like all Rats, however, they can be determined to seek their own gain, and will not mind using these talents to achieve it - though generally without losing anyone's respect in doing so.
THE WOOD RAT 1924 AND 1984
Despite having a remarkable facade of self-confidence, deep down, Wood Rats are the least sure of themselves compared to other Rats. However, they wouldn't dream of showing this side of themselves to anyone. Only close companions of a Wood Rat would ever suspect that he or she had such self-doubt. In fact Wood Rats are often worried about downfall, despite their ability to find success. Well-liked, proficient, and good leaders at work, Wood Rats seem to function best when they are surrounded by family and friends. Cordial and delicate, they are usually well loved by family, friends and peers.
THE FIRE RAT 1936 AND 1996
Fire adds a bit of spontaneity and vigor to the already spirited Rat. These Rats like change and travel and are eager to start new projects or to take trips to exotic places. Fire Rats are likely to change their occupations and residences more often than most, and essentially shun any kind of routine. They can be anxious and impulsive, but their zest for life is quite irresistible, and they have the Rat's ability to along so well with others. Compared to other Rats, Fire Rats are likely to be more charitable, autonomous, and energetic and the least self-controlled.
THE EARTH RAT 1948 AND 2008
The Earth adds solidity to the Rat's personality. An Earth Rat is conventional and a good achiever who likes to establish roots early in order to make a secure future for himself and his family. These Rats have the typical Rat ingenuity and mental capacity, but a strong sense of reality often alludes them preventing them from going after anything that could be impromptu. Earth Rats are honorable and love to be stabilized. Slowly and steadily acquiring wealth gives them a sense of inner peace. Although they are capable of being stingy with their finances, they do possess warm feelings for their family and friends.
Health and home
RAT HEALTH
The affect of the sign of the Rat is energetic, and demonstrates enough endurance to fight most any sickness. Yet, all Rats tend to be tense, full of nervous energy, petulant and prone to stress. Rats also harbor a bit of aggression; yet, they are usually able to control it. Yoga would benefit Rats by calming their aggressive natures and helping them manage stress.
AT HOME WITH THE RAT
Rats make good homemakers who are always willing to do household chores. Rats are not usually interested in keeping up with the times, and it doesn't matter to them whether or not their furnishings are in style. What does matter is that their home is a refuge expressing warmth, comfort and vogue. Light blue is their color of choice for home decor. Because this is a sign of acquisition, the Rat person's house is presumably bursting with various knick-knacks collected over the years. Most Rats are cheerful, domesticated individuals who find happiness at home with their family.
Career and finance
THE RAT ON THE JOB
The Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. They can hone in on issues at hand and make measurable judgments. These skills, combined with their sense of aspiration also make them clever operators. Status, money, title, and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen senses of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee and, although motivated, they can be pinned down by routines. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.
MONEY AND THE RAT
Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to turn make things advantageous for himself. Although few Rats suffer financially, the Chinese have a proverb: They who pile up grain hoards have much to lose.
RAT CAREERS
Those born in the Year of the Rat also share the same kinds of goals and objectives in life. The occupations best suited for the Rat are listed below:
RATS MAKE EXCELLENT:
Writers, Broadcasters, Actors, Advisors, Counselors, Lawyers, Politicians, Designers, Engineers, Managers, Directors, Administrators, Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Stand-up Comedians, Researchers, Historians, Race Car Drivers
CONGENIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS
Whether Rats are compatible with their business partners depends on whether their signs are harmonious or antagonistic to those of their partners. Considering the congruity of their own characters and the characters of their business colleagues can also be very useful.
Rats Ruled By Benefit From Are Antagonistic to
Metal Earth Dragons Fire Sheep
Water Metal Rabbits Earth Horses
Wood Water Monkeys Metal Snakes
Fire Wood Oxen Water Rats
Earth Fire Pigs Wood Roosters
Leisurely activities and pleasures
LIKES AND DISLIKES
Since Rats are born under the same Animal sign, they often share likes and dislikes. Following are similar likes and dislikes of the Rats personality:
Rats Like:
Color Preference: Light-Blue
Gems and Stones: Diamond, Amethyst, Garnet
Suitable Gifts: car accessories, art books, gym memberships, geographical maps
Hobbies and Pastimes: Interior design, playing basketball, crafts, painting
Rats' Dislike: Doing without things they want, strict time keeping, any routines, being at the end of the line
THE RAT VACATION
Travel delights the Rat personality and ignites his curiosity. Sunbathing is not the ideal way for a Rat to spend his vacation. Rats are adventurers. They want to explore, examine, visit and party during their time off. They want to try new foods, find new sights and experience the culture of the area they are visiting. And, of course, if they can come home with an exotic souvenir to add to their collection their vacation will have been an instant success.
FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the Animal Zodiac. Often, the Rat is lively and genial, and has a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. They are great speakers and intriguing conversationalists, and can generally find something to say on just about any topic or subject. Of course, there is always that renowned Rat lure that allows them to charm the pants off of people! To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive, and will go out of their way to be certain their loved ones are content. On the other hand, if the Rat does not like someone, he is considered fair game and can be used to achieve any and all of the Rat's desires. At the end of the day, though, the Rat is a loyal friend and will be there for his companions through thick and thin.
Compatible Friends: Dragons and Monkeys
Mortal Enemy: Horses
RAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Rat parents are dedicated to their children. They encompass their little ones with love and attention and enjoy watching their offspring grow and experience the world. When their children are small they brood a great deal over them. Rats become concerned if their babies don't develop as quickly as other children. They anguish over whether or not they are raising their youngsters correctly. With the mental capacity to pick things up easily, Rats tend to get agitated with people who are not quite as quick-witted as they are. No wonder this trait could lead to conflict between Rat parents and their children should any of their children be late bloomers or harbor learning disabilities. Overall, Rats are indulgent parents who don't like denying their youngsters of things they want, and the children soon learn how to wrap their parents around their little fingers.
THE RAT INFANT AND CHILD
Rat babies love to be loved and cuddled. When they are young, Rat babies tend to depend tremendously on their parents, but later in life they develop natural leadership qualities. During their baby years, Rats mature slowly, but gain momentum as they become toddlers. Eventually, they begin to exhibit active mentalities, so, in the early years, plenty of sleep is necessary. In school, the young Rats are eager to learn. It is then, too, that Rats begin collecting things, and like to fill their bedrooms with pebbles, shells and keepsakes of every kind. Generally, young Rats are smart little people who are artistic and literary students. They are well-rounded and many of them do well in sports, too. Being born in the first sign of the Chinese horoscope motivates these children to be pioneers and gives them a need to be first in line.
RAT PARENT/CHILD KINSHIPS
Some parents click immediately with their children and others find they will never have a close relationship no matter how hard they try to make it happen. Following are the compatibility ratings between Rat parents and their children.
Lovers and partners
Rats are beautiful people with magnetic personalities. The Rat himself can't help but notice the admiration he receives from others. If the Chinese say there are few poor Rats, there are an even fewer number who are not sexually stimulating- especially as young people. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.
RAT ENRAPTURE
One of the Rat's greatest assets is his charm. Rats can melt hearts with their smiles. Add that to their coquettish personalities and you can easily see how they conquer the hearts of others. And, since Rats love to go out, they have plenty of chances to meet potential suitors or future partners. An annoying quirk of some Rats is they have a difficult time severing ties with former lovers. Obviously, this can pose potential conflicts for the Rat and his new lover and can even endanger his ability to develop new relationships. When the Rat finally settles down with Mr. or Ms. Right, he will find a sincere satisfaction in the intimacy of the partnership.
A RAT'S PARTNER
Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Chinese horoscopes are very specific about which partnerships have the potential to be successful in love and in business. Yet, though destiny can point us in the right direction, we must still make efforts to maintain loving relationships. Following is a brief description of how a Rat will affect a relationship with other Animal signs.
PARTNERS IN LOVE
Rat*Rat
This is a prosperous partnership, especially in a business atmosphere. These two are bound to compete!
Rat*Ox
Very sexually enticing, yet likely to fail at marriage.
Rat*Tiger
Potential for great companionship, but you will have some major disputes.
Rat*Rabbit
Rats think Rabbits are boring. Rabbits love to be out and about. You will only frustrate each other.
Rat*Dragon
A solid, caring partnership. You value each other and get along very well.
Rat*Snake
Work on your differences and you could learn something form each other.
Rat*Horse
Don't even think about it.
Rat*Sheep
If you both try hard and make great efforts, you will survive.
Rat*Monkey
You share similar goals and will make a great match.
Rat*Rooster
It's just not worth it…there are too many conflicts.
Rat*Dog
Rats think Dogs are tiresome, but you have the potential to be a good match for each other.
Rat*Pig
Uphill, downhill, uphill…you love each other intensely, but keep an eye on your checkbooks!
EAST MEETS WEST
ARIES RAT
These are secure, bold, go-getting people who cannot pass on a challenge. Approachable and captivating, Aries Rats can also be short-tempered and touchy, especially with those who can't keep up.
LIBRAN RAT
Doubly affable, Libran Rats are smooth operators. These people are elegant and cultured. They are drawn to artistic pleasures such as music and theater. Pleasant to be around, Libran Rats excel in advertising and PR.
TAUREAN RAT
Taurean Rats are intimidating people. Their sharp minds never skip a beat and they don't lose sight of their goals. Conventional deep down, making money is their motivating factor.
SCORPIO RAT
Scorpio Rats are the strong, emotional types. Few would suspect quite sensitive these Rats are. They have an intense aura that allows them to channel their energies.
GEMINI RAT
Gemini Rats are blessed with the gift of the conversation. They are articulate and keen. Easily bored, Gemini Rats thrive on variety, and are happiest with their hands in many things. They do tend to take a long time to make decisions and once they so, to change their minds a few times.
SAGITTARIAN RAT
Sagittarian Rats sail through life and couple wisdom with perceptive. They can spot an opportunity a mile away, and are quick to act on it. Generally, these Rats are lucky but they have itchy feet.
CANCERIAN RAT
Cancerian Rats like to be individuals and to stand out. Material things are important to them, but what they value their family more than anything else.
CAPRICORN RAT
Industrial and tenacious, Capricorn Rats are profoundly enterprising and make substantial progress in their occupations. These people expect their dedication to be rewarded. They may not be that sentimental, but they are loyal and honest.
LEONINE RAT
The Leonine Rat is a mystical personality, dynamic and responsive. In addition to enthusiasm, high ethical standards and wise decision-making guarantee this Rat will be successful.
AQUARIAN RAT
A bit unorthodox, these Rats are impulsive and outgoing. They are community-minded and more selfless than other Rats. Aquarian Rats are determined to work hard in order to better mankind.
VIRGO RAT
With gifts for research and experimentation and an eye for detail, these Rats have the capability to make small assessments. The hard-working Virgo Rat will find fulfillment in any job where intense investigation is necessary. There is something naive about them that attracts quieter, frailer people as their partners.
PISCEAN RAT
This Rat is delicate and incisive, and does well as a consultant or a counselor. Piscean Rats are creative, but tend to lack the confidence necessary and thus feel a need to be part of a team.
Being born a Rat is nothing to be ashamed of. In China, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. It is deemed an honor to be born in the Year of the Rat and it is considered a privilege to be associated with a Rat. Rats know exactly where to find solutions and can take care of themselves and others without problems. They use their instinctive sense of observation to help others in times of need and are among the most fit of all the Animal signs to survive most any situation.
Years of the Rat
First in the cycle, Rat Years begin the sequence and recur every twelfth year. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which each Rat year actually begins.
The Sign of the Rat
Being born under this sign determines many talents, as well as other characteristics that may not be so commendable. Rats are very lively and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They can be calm and perceptive, but sometimes their brains can cause a mental restlessness, tempting them to take on too much, only to discover they are unable to meet their commitments. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going. Add to their intelligence a curiosity and a bright imagination, and they seem as sharp as a needle.
The sign of the Rat is the first sign in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation.
RAT FACTS:
People born in the Year of the Rat share certain characteristics. The Rat sign is an abbreviated way of characterizing that individual's personality. Following are features associated with the sign of the Rat. First in order, Chinese name-SHU, sign of charm
Hour-11pm-12:59am Month-December
Western Counterpart-Sagittarius
CHARACTERISTICS
Smart, Magnetic, Well-liked, Affable, Quick-witted, Surreptitious, Selfish, Protective, Calculating
IN YOUR ELEMENT
The characteristics of the Rat Sign are tempered by one of the five Chinese elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth overlaying a 5-year cycle of characteristics on the original 12-year cycle.
THE METAL RAT 1900 AND 1960
Of all the Rats, these are the toughest and most resolute. They are visionary and possess an emotional intensity that can lead to feelings of rage, envy, or possessiveness. They like to be in charge, and can act selfishly to get what they want. In relationships, business or personal, they can be obstinate. Metal rats have to bear in mind that meeting their partner halfway would help their relationships tremendously. They take great pride in their homes and enjoy decorating them in their impressively good taste.
THE WATER RAT 1912 AND 1972
Being guided by the Water element means these Rats have a knack for influencing people. With their strong intellectual powers and great insight, they are also great puzzle solvers. They are quick to understand others and are incredibly practical people. Rats apply their talents to their everyday lives, making them obliging, generous and compassionate to other people. Generally, they are liked and respected by everyone. Like all Rats, however, they can be determined to seek their own gain, and will not mind using these talents to achieve it - though generally without losing anyone's respect in doing so.
THE WOOD RAT 1924 AND 1984
Despite having a remarkable facade of self-confidence, deep down, Wood Rats are the least sure of themselves compared to other Rats. However, they wouldn't dream of showing this side of themselves to anyone. Only close companions of a Wood Rat would ever suspect that he or she had such self-doubt. In fact Wood Rats are often worried about downfall, despite their ability to find success. Well-liked, proficient, and good leaders at work, Wood Rats seem to function best when they are surrounded by family and friends. Cordial and delicate, they are usually well loved by family, friends and peers.
THE FIRE RAT 1936 AND 1996
Fire adds a bit of spontaneity and vigor to the already spirited Rat. These Rats like change and travel and are eager to start new projects or to take trips to exotic places. Fire Rats are likely to change their occupations and residences more often than most, and essentially shun any kind of routine. They can be anxious and impulsive, but their zest for life is quite irresistible, and they have the Rat's ability to along so well with others. Compared to other Rats, Fire Rats are likely to be more charitable, autonomous, and energetic and the least self-controlled.
THE EARTH RAT 1948 AND 2008
The Earth adds solidity to the Rat's personality. An Earth Rat is conventional and a good achiever who likes to establish roots early in order to make a secure future for himself and his family. These Rats have the typical Rat ingenuity and mental capacity, but a strong sense of reality often alludes them preventing them from going after anything that could be impromptu. Earth Rats are honorable and love to be stabilized. Slowly and steadily acquiring wealth gives them a sense of inner peace. Although they are capable of being stingy with their finances, they do possess warm feelings for their family and friends.
Health and home
RAT HEALTH
The affect of the sign of the Rat is energetic, and demonstrates enough endurance to fight most any sickness. Yet, all Rats tend to be tense, full of nervous energy, petulant and prone to stress. Rats also harbor a bit of aggression; yet, they are usually able to control it. Yoga would benefit Rats by calming their aggressive natures and helping them manage stress.
AT HOME WITH THE RAT
Rats make good homemakers who are always willing to do household chores. Rats are not usually interested in keeping up with the times, and it doesn't matter to them whether or not their furnishings are in style. What does matter is that their home is a refuge expressing warmth, comfort and vogue. Light blue is their color of choice for home decor. Because this is a sign of acquisition, the Rat person's house is presumably bursting with various knick-knacks collected over the years. Most Rats are cheerful, domesticated individuals who find happiness at home with their family.
Career and finance
THE RAT ON THE JOB
The Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. They can hone in on issues at hand and make measurable judgments. These skills, combined with their sense of aspiration also make them clever operators. Status, money, title, and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen senses of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee and, although motivated, they can be pinned down by routines. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.
MONEY AND THE RAT
Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to turn make things advantageous for himself. Although few Rats suffer financially, the Chinese have a proverb: They who pile up grain hoards have much to lose.
RAT CAREERS
Those born in the Year of the Rat also share the same kinds of goals and objectives in life. The occupations best suited for the Rat are listed below:
RATS MAKE EXCELLENT:
Writers, Broadcasters, Actors, Advisors, Counselors, Lawyers, Politicians, Designers, Engineers, Managers, Directors, Administrators, Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Stand-up Comedians, Researchers, Historians, Race Car Drivers
CONGENIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS
Whether Rats are compatible with their business partners depends on whether their signs are harmonious or antagonistic to those of their partners. Considering the congruity of their own characters and the characters of their business colleagues can also be very useful.
Rats Ruled By Benefit From Are Antagonistic to
Metal Earth Dragons Fire Sheep
Water Metal Rabbits Earth Horses
Wood Water Monkeys Metal Snakes
Fire Wood Oxen Water Rats
Earth Fire Pigs Wood Roosters
Leisurely activities and pleasures
LIKES AND DISLIKES
Since Rats are born under the same Animal sign, they often share likes and dislikes. Following are similar likes and dislikes of the Rats personality:
Rats Like:
Color Preference: Light-Blue
Gems and Stones: Diamond, Amethyst, Garnet
Suitable Gifts: car accessories, art books, gym memberships, geographical maps
Hobbies and Pastimes: Interior design, playing basketball, crafts, painting
Rats' Dislike: Doing without things they want, strict time keeping, any routines, being at the end of the line
THE RAT VACATION
Travel delights the Rat personality and ignites his curiosity. Sunbathing is not the ideal way for a Rat to spend his vacation. Rats are adventurers. They want to explore, examine, visit and party during their time off. They want to try new foods, find new sights and experience the culture of the area they are visiting. And, of course, if they can come home with an exotic souvenir to add to their collection their vacation will have been an instant success.
FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the Animal Zodiac. Often, the Rat is lively and genial, and has a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. They are great speakers and intriguing conversationalists, and can generally find something to say on just about any topic or subject. Of course, there is always that renowned Rat lure that allows them to charm the pants off of people! To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive, and will go out of their way to be certain their loved ones are content. On the other hand, if the Rat does not like someone, he is considered fair game and can be used to achieve any and all of the Rat's desires. At the end of the day, though, the Rat is a loyal friend and will be there for his companions through thick and thin.
Compatible Friends: Dragons and Monkeys
Mortal Enemy: Horses
RAT PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Rat parents are dedicated to their children. They encompass their little ones with love and attention and enjoy watching their offspring grow and experience the world. When their children are small they brood a great deal over them. Rats become concerned if their babies don't develop as quickly as other children. They anguish over whether or not they are raising their youngsters correctly. With the mental capacity to pick things up easily, Rats tend to get agitated with people who are not quite as quick-witted as they are. No wonder this trait could lead to conflict between Rat parents and their children should any of their children be late bloomers or harbor learning disabilities. Overall, Rats are indulgent parents who don't like denying their youngsters of things they want, and the children soon learn how to wrap their parents around their little fingers.
THE RAT INFANT AND CHILD
Rat babies love to be loved and cuddled. When they are young, Rat babies tend to depend tremendously on their parents, but later in life they develop natural leadership qualities. During their baby years, Rats mature slowly, but gain momentum as they become toddlers. Eventually, they begin to exhibit active mentalities, so, in the early years, plenty of sleep is necessary. In school, the young Rats are eager to learn. It is then, too, that Rats begin collecting things, and like to fill their bedrooms with pebbles, shells and keepsakes of every kind. Generally, young Rats are smart little people who are artistic and literary students. They are well-rounded and many of them do well in sports, too. Being born in the first sign of the Chinese horoscope motivates these children to be pioneers and gives them a need to be first in line.
RAT PARENT/CHILD KINSHIPS
Some parents click immediately with their children and others find they will never have a close relationship no matter how hard they try to make it happen. Following are the compatibility ratings between Rat parents and their children.
Lovers and partners
Rats are beautiful people with magnetic personalities. The Rat himself can't help but notice the admiration he receives from others. If the Chinese say there are few poor Rats, there are an even fewer number who are not sexually stimulating- especially as young people. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.
RAT ENRAPTURE
One of the Rat's greatest assets is his charm. Rats can melt hearts with their smiles. Add that to their coquettish personalities and you can easily see how they conquer the hearts of others. And, since Rats love to go out, they have plenty of chances to meet potential suitors or future partners. An annoying quirk of some Rats is they have a difficult time severing ties with former lovers. Obviously, this can pose potential conflicts for the Rat and his new lover and can even endanger his ability to develop new relationships. When the Rat finally settles down with Mr. or Ms. Right, he will find a sincere satisfaction in the intimacy of the partnership.
A RAT'S PARTNER
Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Chinese horoscopes are very specific about which partnerships have the potential to be successful in love and in business. Yet, though destiny can point us in the right direction, we must still make efforts to maintain loving relationships. Following is a brief description of how a Rat will affect a relationship with other Animal signs.
PARTNERS IN LOVE
Rat*Rat
This is a prosperous partnership, especially in a business atmosphere. These two are bound to compete!
Rat*Ox
Very sexually enticing, yet likely to fail at marriage.
Rat*Tiger
Potential for great companionship, but you will have some major disputes.
Rat*Rabbit
Rats think Rabbits are boring. Rabbits love to be out and about. You will only frustrate each other.
Rat*Dragon
A solid, caring partnership. You value each other and get along very well.
Rat*Snake
Work on your differences and you could learn something form each other.
Rat*Horse
Don't even think about it.
Rat*Sheep
If you both try hard and make great efforts, you will survive.
Rat*Monkey
You share similar goals and will make a great match.
Rat*Rooster
It's just not worth it…there are too many conflicts.
Rat*Dog
Rats think Dogs are tiresome, but you have the potential to be a good match for each other.
Rat*Pig
Uphill, downhill, uphill…you love each other intensely, but keep an eye on your checkbooks!
EAST MEETS WEST
ARIES RAT
These are secure, bold, go-getting people who cannot pass on a challenge. Approachable and captivating, Aries Rats can also be short-tempered and touchy, especially with those who can't keep up.
LIBRAN RAT
Doubly affable, Libran Rats are smooth operators. These people are elegant and cultured. They are drawn to artistic pleasures such as music and theater. Pleasant to be around, Libran Rats excel in advertising and PR.
TAUREAN RAT
Taurean Rats are intimidating people. Their sharp minds never skip a beat and they don't lose sight of their goals. Conventional deep down, making money is their motivating factor.
SCORPIO RAT
Scorpio Rats are the strong, emotional types. Few would suspect quite sensitive these Rats are. They have an intense aura that allows them to channel their energies.
GEMINI RAT
Gemini Rats are blessed with the gift of the conversation. They are articulate and keen. Easily bored, Gemini Rats thrive on variety, and are happiest with their hands in many things. They do tend to take a long time to make decisions and once they so, to change their minds a few times.
SAGITTARIAN RAT
Sagittarian Rats sail through life and couple wisdom with perceptive. They can spot an opportunity a mile away, and are quick to act on it. Generally, these Rats are lucky but they have itchy feet.
CANCERIAN RAT
Cancerian Rats like to be individuals and to stand out. Material things are important to them, but what they value their family more than anything else.
CAPRICORN RAT
Industrial and tenacious, Capricorn Rats are profoundly enterprising and make substantial progress in their occupations. These people expect their dedication to be rewarded. They may not be that sentimental, but they are loyal and honest.
LEONINE RAT
The Leonine Rat is a mystical personality, dynamic and responsive. In addition to enthusiasm, high ethical standards and wise decision-making guarantee this Rat will be successful.
AQUARIAN RAT
A bit unorthodox, these Rats are impulsive and outgoing. They are community-minded and more selfless than other Rats. Aquarian Rats are determined to work hard in order to better mankind.
VIRGO RAT
With gifts for research and experimentation and an eye for detail, these Rats have the capability to make small assessments. The hard-working Virgo Rat will find fulfillment in any job where intense investigation is necessary. There is something naive about them that attracts quieter, frailer people as their partners.
PISCEAN RAT
This Rat is delicate and incisive, and does well as a consultant or a counselor. Piscean Rats are creative, but tend to lack the confidence necessary and thus feel a need to be part of a team.
Friday, February 08, 2008
THE YEAR OF THE RAT, 2008
THE YEAR OF THE RAT, 2008
February 7, 2008 - January 25, 2009 (Earth)
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.
In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.
They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well.
Following are my Chinese brush paintings to celebrate the Year of the Rat. Please click the images for more information.
February 7, 2008 - January 25, 2009 (Earth)
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.
In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.
They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well.
Following are my Chinese brush paintings to celebrate the Year of the Rat. Please click the images for more information.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of February 7, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of February 7, 2008
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
After studying your planetary aspects, I got on my bicycle and took a vow to scour the world for an omen that would embody their meaning. Within a few minutes, I spied what my intuition immediately knew I was looking for: a carport with grass growing on the roof. Here are two interpretations of the oracle: 1. It's now possible for something to grow in a place that you thought was barren and/or over your head. 2. Fertility will abound in a high place that isn't usually hospitable to sprouting seeds.
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
After studying your planetary aspects, I got on my bicycle and took a vow to scour the world for an omen that would embody their meaning. Within a few minutes, I spied what my intuition immediately knew I was looking for: a carport with grass growing on the roof. Here are two interpretations of the oracle: 1. It's now possible for something to grow in a place that you thought was barren and/or over your head. 2. Fertility will abound in a high place that isn't usually hospitable to sprouting seeds.
into the wild
Walking to the grocery store, I pass a Cheder and religious function hall having an event on a Tuesday Night. Under the el train, I see a young boy of 7-9 reluctantly, and timidly sticking his thumb out to catch a ride. Nervously, attempting to create mischief, to do something he shouldn't is the guilt on this face, but never the less. Standing in a black mens hat, with long payas, carrying a praybook and religious shawl is a boy under the El.
In front of the store pulls up a man in a car, with the same black hat, same payas, a total stranger so i approach him and ask him to see to the boy. I dont ask him to give him a ride but rather to check about him. Talk to him, The religious man refuses, saying to me " what do you want me to do, I cant do anything ". Responses like this from the holy of holy is not unusual so i call him on it. Professed to be more religous, more sanctified to his G-d, I say " so you call yourself religious" He stumbles for words and goes off to do his business, leaving a child in potential harms way.
I enter the store and approach a man, modern orthodox with a kippa and ask him to check into the boy. the boy will not talk to me, or use my cellphone. But a man, a religious man he will respond to. I get turned away. Man number two tells me he will check and man number three who i share a conversation with his wife about pyrex, says he will drive around to see about the boy.
As i leave the store, the boy is gone and i hope safe
In front of the store pulls up a man in a car, with the same black hat, same payas, a total stranger so i approach him and ask him to see to the boy. I dont ask him to give him a ride but rather to check about him. Talk to him, The religious man refuses, saying to me " what do you want me to do, I cant do anything ". Responses like this from the holy of holy is not unusual so i call him on it. Professed to be more religous, more sanctified to his G-d, I say " so you call yourself religious" He stumbles for words and goes off to do his business, leaving a child in potential harms way.
I enter the store and approach a man, modern orthodox with a kippa and ask him to check into the boy. the boy will not talk to me, or use my cellphone. But a man, a religious man he will respond to. I get turned away. Man number two tells me he will check and man number three who i share a conversation with his wife about pyrex, says he will drive around to see about the boy.
As i leave the store, the boy is gone and i hope safe
Monday, February 04, 2008
i am going to Graceland 3 nights in April with Paul Simon
LOVE IN HARD TIMES:
THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON
* PRODUCED BY BAM
* PRODUCER CHRIS WANGRO
In an unprecedented month-long residency at BAM, Paul Simon collaborates with an extraordinary range of artists to offer three musical constellations from the career of one of America's greatest songwriters.
Latin beats and 50s doo-wop fill New York City's nights with Songs from The Capeman. In Under African Skies, Simon rekindles a love affair with the sounds of South Africa and Brazil which began with his masterpieces Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints. Finally, Simon revisits the quiet railway stations, urban rhythms, and immigrant dreams of his greatest American Tunes.
SONGS FROM THE CAPEMAN
Oscar Hernández and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Featuring performances by Claudette Sierra, Obie Bermudez, Ray De La Paz, Paul Simon
Special guest performance by Little Anthony and The Imperials
More artists to be announced
Apr 1—6 at 8pm
BAM Harvey Theater
UNDER AFRICAN SKIES
Featuring performances by Hugh Masekela, Milton Nascimento, Kaïssa, David Byrne, Luciana Souza, Paul Simon
More artists to be announced
Apr 9* at 7pm
Apr 10—13 at 8pm
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
AMERICAN TUNES
Featuring performances by Olu Dara, Grizzly Bear, The Roches, Paul Simon
More artists to be announced
Apr 23—27 at 8pm
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
I am sitting in the front row for capeman, african skies and 5th row for American TUnes...
what a month April will be, not cruel at all
THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON
* PRODUCED BY BAM
* PRODUCER CHRIS WANGRO
In an unprecedented month-long residency at BAM, Paul Simon collaborates with an extraordinary range of artists to offer three musical constellations from the career of one of America's greatest songwriters.
Latin beats and 50s doo-wop fill New York City's nights with Songs from The Capeman. In Under African Skies, Simon rekindles a love affair with the sounds of South Africa and Brazil which began with his masterpieces Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints. Finally, Simon revisits the quiet railway stations, urban rhythms, and immigrant dreams of his greatest American Tunes.
SONGS FROM THE CAPEMAN
Oscar Hernández and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Featuring performances by Claudette Sierra, Obie Bermudez, Ray De La Paz, Paul Simon
Special guest performance by Little Anthony and The Imperials
More artists to be announced
Apr 1—6 at 8pm
BAM Harvey Theater
UNDER AFRICAN SKIES
Featuring performances by Hugh Masekela, Milton Nascimento, Kaïssa, David Byrne, Luciana Souza, Paul Simon
More artists to be announced
Apr 9* at 7pm
Apr 10—13 at 8pm
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
AMERICAN TUNES
Featuring performances by Olu Dara, Grizzly Bear, The Roches, Paul Simon
More artists to be announced
Apr 23—27 at 8pm
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
I am sitting in the front row for capeman, african skies and 5th row for American TUnes...
what a month April will be, not cruel at all
Betty Buckley
Queens Theater on the grounds of World Fair Grounds in Queens. I headed out there to see Betty Buckley in this 500 seat theater. Never having seen BB before, i really didnt know what to expect. In the parking lot, i saw lots of Queens Blue hairs who were out for a sunday afternoon. No one under 80 and then i spotted Karen from Newport. I hung out with her, found out that we had even more in common than folk music and we entered the theater.
Betty Buckley, movie, TV, broadway star styles songs from the great american songbook , theater and her favorite singer songwriters including Mary Chapin Carpenter and Susan Werner. she performs with a piano player, bassist, drummer and man who plays horns. when they are playing and Betty is not singing, she sits with eyes closed absorbing the music or moves to the beat. She seems to enjoy the music as much as the audience enjoys her. She has great stage presence and stories and is totally engaging. Her voice is thinner than i expected and ofcourse the has that broadway range.... Memories her signature song was her final encore. It was a pleasure to hear that she still learns from that song. she thanked all of the handlers, theater people and her staff. What a gracious and humble performer and woman.
dar
Saturday I went to Ursiris college to a climate control weekend. The performer of the event was Dar Williams. I arrived and dropped off the merch. Caught up with Dar and Andy Revkin. We went to the organic banquet and I had fish, salad and Veggies. The Dar show was great and included new Dar songs. The set list was varied and the audience included new and old Dar fans. New ones giggle at the quirky or humorous lines in songs like the Babysitter or Christians and Pagans. Dar was in sharp humor and covered her independent bookstore flub by called Barnes and Noble, Delia Barnes and Ella Noble, partners in life and bookstore who went national.
Dar played a full set and after the show signed cds. I stayed til she was leaving and i drove the 2.5 hours home, getting home after 1am and getting to bed after 3am
Sunday, February 03, 2008
paradise vs mr peabody's coal Company and climate control conference
Yesterday, I attended a climate control conference with Dar Williams and Andrew Revkin, science writer NYtimes and sometime musician. They sang John Prine's Paradise and realized that the chorus included a very appropriate reference to Peabody Coal Company.
__________________-
The environmental impact of Peabody Energy's strip mining operations in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky is the subject of John Prine's 1971 song "Paradise." The company was forever immortalized in the song, popular on the bluegrass circuit, whose refrain goes thusly: And daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County Down by the Green River where paradise lay? Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking... Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away.
------------------------
Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU), previously Peabody Coal Company, is the largest private-sector coal company in the world. In 2006, Peabody sold over 247 million tons of coal. The company's coal fuels approximately 10% of the electricity generated in the United States and 3% of electricity generated throughout the world. The company has operations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Australia, and South America. Its largest operation is the North Antelope-Rochelle Mine located in Campbell County, Wyoming, mining more than 87 million tons of coal annually.
Peabody sells coal to over 350 electricity generating and industrial plants in 15 countries. As of December 31, 2006, the company had 10.2 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. It holds majority interests in 40 coal operations located throughout the United States and in Australia and Venezuela. In addition, Peabody owns minority interests in two mines through joint venture arrangements. Most of the production in the western United States is low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin. In the West, it owns and operates mines in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. In the East, it owns and operates mines in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Peabody was Nos. 497 and 453 on the Fortune 500 list of companies in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 History
* 2 Recent Developments
* 3 Reference in Song
* 4 See also
* 5 References
[edit] History
The origins of Peabody Energy starts with the founding of Peabody, Daniels & Company by Francis Peabody and a partner.[2] The company bought coal from established mines and sold it to homes and businesses in the Chicago area. Francis soon bought out his partner, and, in 1890, he incorporated the company as Peabody Coal Company. In 1895, the company began operating its first mine, in Williamson County, Illinois. In 1913, the company won its first long-term contract to supply a large electric utility. Such contracts to electric utilities is how Peabody makes most of its money today. The corporation went public in 1929 with a listing on the Midwest Stock Exchange, and, in 1949, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
While Peabody was profitable during its early years, it hit hard times in the early 1950s. To address the situation, it entered into merger talks with Sinclair Coal company. The merger occurred in 1955, resulting in the move of Peabody's headquarters to St. Louis. The merged company, however, retained the Peabody name. Under the leadership of coal-veteran Russell Kelce, the company expanded production and sales, and purchased a mine in Queensland, Australia, its first outside of North America.
In 1968, the company was purchased by the Kennecott Copper Corporation. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, however, challenged the purchase as an antitrust violation. In 1976, the FTC ordered Kennecott to divest itself of Peabody. The newly-created Peabody Holding Company purchased the Peabody Coal business of Kennecott for $1.1 billion. A consortium of companies controlled Peabody-Holding. In 1990, Hanson PLC, one of the owners of Peabody Holding, bought out the rest of the owners. Peabody was eventually bought by a unit of Lehman Brothers, which brought the company public as Peabody Energy Corporation in 2001. The IPO for Peabody Energy raised proceeds of $456 million.
[edit] Recent Developments
In October 2006, Peabody completed an acquisition of Excel Coal Limited, an independent coal company in Australia. Peabody paid $1.52 billion for Excel and also assumed $227 million of Excel's debt. At the time, Excel owned three operating mines and three-development stage mines in Australia. Additionally, Excel had an estimated 500 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves.[3] Peabody owns five other mines in Australia, which are all located in Queensland. Most of the Australian production is low-sulfur, metallurgical coal.
On August 30, 2007, Ernie Fletcher, the governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky signed into state law a bill that will provide approximately $300 million in incentives to Peabody to build a coal gasification plant in that state.[4] The incentives comes in the form of breaks on sales taxes, incentive taxes and coal severance taxes.[4]
[edit] Reference in Song
[edit] See also
Black Mesa Peabody Coal debate
__________________-
The environmental impact of Peabody Energy's strip mining operations in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky is the subject of John Prine's 1971 song "Paradise." The company was forever immortalized in the song, popular on the bluegrass circuit, whose refrain goes thusly: And daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County Down by the Green River where paradise lay? Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking... Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away.
------------------------
Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU), previously Peabody Coal Company, is the largest private-sector coal company in the world. In 2006, Peabody sold over 247 million tons of coal. The company's coal fuels approximately 10% of the electricity generated in the United States and 3% of electricity generated throughout the world. The company has operations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Australia, and South America. Its largest operation is the North Antelope-Rochelle Mine located in Campbell County, Wyoming, mining more than 87 million tons of coal annually.
Peabody sells coal to over 350 electricity generating and industrial plants in 15 countries. As of December 31, 2006, the company had 10.2 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. It holds majority interests in 40 coal operations located throughout the United States and in Australia and Venezuela. In addition, Peabody owns minority interests in two mines through joint venture arrangements. Most of the production in the western United States is low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin. In the West, it owns and operates mines in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. In the East, it owns and operates mines in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Peabody was Nos. 497 and 453 on the Fortune 500 list of companies in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 History
* 2 Recent Developments
* 3 Reference in Song
* 4 See also
* 5 References
[edit] History
The origins of Peabody Energy starts with the founding of Peabody, Daniels & Company by Francis Peabody and a partner.[2] The company bought coal from established mines and sold it to homes and businesses in the Chicago area. Francis soon bought out his partner, and, in 1890, he incorporated the company as Peabody Coal Company. In 1895, the company began operating its first mine, in Williamson County, Illinois. In 1913, the company won its first long-term contract to supply a large electric utility. Such contracts to electric utilities is how Peabody makes most of its money today. The corporation went public in 1929 with a listing on the Midwest Stock Exchange, and, in 1949, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
While Peabody was profitable during its early years, it hit hard times in the early 1950s. To address the situation, it entered into merger talks with Sinclair Coal company. The merger occurred in 1955, resulting in the move of Peabody's headquarters to St. Louis. The merged company, however, retained the Peabody name. Under the leadership of coal-veteran Russell Kelce, the company expanded production and sales, and purchased a mine in Queensland, Australia, its first outside of North America.
In 1968, the company was purchased by the Kennecott Copper Corporation. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, however, challenged the purchase as an antitrust violation. In 1976, the FTC ordered Kennecott to divest itself of Peabody. The newly-created Peabody Holding Company purchased the Peabody Coal business of Kennecott for $1.1 billion. A consortium of companies controlled Peabody-Holding. In 1990, Hanson PLC, one of the owners of Peabody Holding, bought out the rest of the owners. Peabody was eventually bought by a unit of Lehman Brothers, which brought the company public as Peabody Energy Corporation in 2001. The IPO for Peabody Energy raised proceeds of $456 million.
[edit] Recent Developments
In October 2006, Peabody completed an acquisition of Excel Coal Limited, an independent coal company in Australia. Peabody paid $1.52 billion for Excel and also assumed $227 million of Excel's debt. At the time, Excel owned three operating mines and three-development stage mines in Australia. Additionally, Excel had an estimated 500 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves.[3] Peabody owns five other mines in Australia, which are all located in Queensland. Most of the Australian production is low-sulfur, metallurgical coal.
On August 30, 2007, Ernie Fletcher, the governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky signed into state law a bill that will provide approximately $300 million in incentives to Peabody to build a coal gasification plant in that state.[4] The incentives comes in the form of breaks on sales taxes, incentive taxes and coal severance taxes.[4]
[edit] Reference in Song
[edit] See also
Black Mesa Peabody Coal debate
DOT EARTH Andrew Revkin
dotearth
Andrew C. Revkin
Environment Reporter, The New York Times
A prize-winning journalist and author, Andrew Revkin has spent 20 years covering subjects ranging from murder in the Amazon to the anthrax attacks, from the plight of the working poor to the political clash over global warming.
Since 1995, he has been a reporter for The New York Times, mainly covering environmental issues in their social and political context. He was also part of the Times' Pulitzer-winning "Nation Challenged" team and a contributor to the best-selling book drawn from that coverage.
Before joining the paper, Mr. Revkin spent 5 years writing books. His first, "The Burning Season" (Houghton Mifflin, 1990), chronicles the life of Chico Mendes, the slain Amazon rain forest activist. "The Burning Season" won the Sidney Hillman Foundation Book Prize and a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, was published in nine languages, and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. The book was the basis for the HBO film of the same name, starring Raul Julia and directed by John Frankenheimer ("Manchurian Candidate," "Seven Days in May"). The film won two Golden Globes and two Emmys.
Mr. Revkin also wrote "Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast" (Abbeville, 1992). The book was the companion volume to the first museum exhibition on climate change, created by the American Museum of Natural History.
He was a senior editor of Discover, a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, and a senior writer at Science Digest. He has written for The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler, and other magazines. Opinion pieces have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, and the Brazilian paper O Globo.
His articles have won many journalism awards, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science Journalism Award and an Investigative Reporters & Editors Award. He has lectured frequently on writing and the environment at colleges across the country, from the University of Utah to Yale, and has appeared on the "Today Show," "Good Morning America," "Charlie Rose," and CNN.
Mr. Revkin occasionally writes about pop music, and a 1997 Times profile of a heavy-metal singer was the basis for "Rock Star," a September 2001 release starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston.
He has a biology degree from Brown University and a masters in journalism from Columbia. He lives in the Hudson River Valley with his wife and two sons. Mr. Revkin is also a songwriter and guitarist, occasionally accompanying Pete Seeger at regional festivals.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
An Uncommon Wealth of Success Hits Boston
Stephan Savoia/Associated Press
Boston fans in October celebrating the Red Sox’ victory against the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, their second championship since 2004.
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By ALAN SCHWARZ
Published: January 29, 2008
BOSTON — For a city with an inveterate inferiority complex, Boston has been feeling awfully superior lately.
The Red Sox just won a second World Series in four years after an 86-season drought that traumatized generations of New Englanders. The Patriots, already winners of three Super Bowls this decade, are storming into Sunday’s game an unprecedented 18-0. And the Celtics, only months after being accused of trying to finish with the N.B.A.’s worst record, have the league’s top mark at 34-8.
All this winning raises the question: what has Boston lost? If not games — since Oct. 16, those three New England teams have won 87 percent of the time — then perhaps a certain identity the region must now reconsider. Wearing a Red Sox cap or a Patriots jersey no longer identifies citizens as connoisseurs of pain, lovable Charlie Browns to New York’s success-swiping Lucy. Boston’s little garage bands have made it big, and the victory parades are crowded with bandwagons.
“There’s an embarrassment of riches, all these championships; we’re terribly spoiled,” said Chris Greeley, a government-affairs consultant in Boston and who was once a former chief of staff for Senator John Kerry. “Being the underdog was something Boston always liked. It was easier, and it was good for banding together. But now we don’t have a great enemy to point to — New York, we’ve become them.”
Marty Meehan, the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell who was a former United States Congressman, added: “I have an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old. I wonder if they’re ever going to know what it was really like here for all those decades.”
No city, let alone Boston, has ever fielded a threesome in the most popular national team sports as dominant as the current Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics. The closest — fittingly — was New York from 1969 through 1970, when the Jets won Super Bowl III, the Mets won the 1969 World Series and the Knicks won the 1970 basketball title. But New York had multiple baseball and football teams, which Boston does not. That inspired Carl Morris, a statistics professor across the Charles River at Harvard, to calculate the chances of a monofranchised city having the three best teams in one year: about 1 in 29,000.
“I’m not sure if people here realize how unlikely this thing really is,” Morris said. “No city is ever going to see anything like this again.”
New York celebrated its 1969-70 sports success with a decade of bankruptcy and rampant crime; Boston’s future appears rosier. Paul Guzzi, president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, described the economic impact of the region’s sports success as modest, citing added tourism and spending during World Series games, and impact of the Patriots’ new stadium/mall complex in Foxborough.
Terry Francona, the Red Sox manager for both recent World Series titles, said the benefits of winning were probably more spiritual. Francona grew up outside Pittsburgh in the 1970s, and watched the Steelers and the Pirates win championships in 1979.
“The steel mills were shutting down, and Pittsburgh was going to have to change its identity,” Francona recalled. “People were walking around town wearing the black and gold with pride. Winning made people feel better about themselves.”
If Bostonians are feeling sunnier, they do not always show it at the Harp, a watering hole down the street from the TD Banknorth Garden. Katie McAuliffe has tended bar there for six years and she laughed as she considered the difference in fan outlook. “They’re a lot more bold than they used to be,” she said. “They like to break things more now. I think it’s pent-up frustration — like they don’t know how to handle this.”
Indeed, success can demand some emotional recalibration. Sports columnists for The Boston Globe, who for decades could charitably be described as dyspeptic, now must scrounge for material. And even Champagne loses its allure in six-packs.
“When the Red Sox finally won in 2004, the city just went bananas; it was the greatest bachelor party ever,” said Mark Sternman, a researcher for a state government agency, adding that, “2007 was the best party you could have as a married man.”
The Celtics, of course, spent the 1960s as one of sport’s great dynasties, and became dreadful only recently. (Last spring, the team was accused of losing games on purpose so it could finish with the N.B.A.’s worst record and increase its chances of landing the No. 1 or 2 pick in the draft. The Celtics botched that, too.) The Red Sox have been traditionally competitive, just not good enough to outlast the hated Yankees.
The Patriots’ history has been the most pathetic. Beyond frequent 3-13 seasons, their first true home, Schaefer Stadium, opened in 1971 with massive toilet overflows and barely improved thereafter.
Meehan has been a fan through it all. He has held season tickets since 1984, and he said that winning had changed the Patriots fans’ experience. “There are times when you want fans to get up and remind the team that this is a home game,” he said.
Greeley said that Boston fans today expect more of their teams but less of their players. His father once caught a foul ball off the bat of Ted Williams, but threw it back because he, and most of New England, disapproved of Williams’s sulking and apparent selfishness. Fast-forward to today, when the slugger Manny Ramírez is generally shaky on the field and quite flighty off it, but is beloved for this (and his .300 average).
“Manny would never have gotten away with being Manny 40 years ago,” Greeley said. “Nowadays there’s such emphasis on performance. There’s a whole generation that’s growing up now with so much focus on the winning that they may never appreciate the play and the artistry itself. They’re not being trained to appreciate it.”
At Sully’s Tap, not far from the Harp, Jon Megas-Russell did not agree as he nursed a beer at the weathered counter. A devout Boston sports fan and Celtics season-ticket holder, he said that old, rumpled Fenway Park was better than ever thanks to recent renovations (although some complain that rampant advertising has left the Green Monster looking like a Nascar entry). Also worth it, he said, was having to coexist with frivolous front-runners who jump in the marathon only at the end.
“You don’t lose anything by winning, you only add on,” said Megas-Russell, 25, a sales manager from suburban Somerville. “When they win, it validates what you’ve been doing. It puts the city in the limelight in America. People look at the Pilgrims, but we’ve been in the back seat to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago. This brings us back.”
He added: “A true fan takes it when it’s good and takes it when it’s bad. When Tom Brady retires, the Patriots won’t be as good. You have to live in the moment.”
Boston’s moments, for most of the last century, ended in heartbreak — none more poignant than Bill Buckner’s grounder between the legs against the Mets in 1986. The New Yorker writer Roger Angell encapsulated New England’s perpetual and divine grief in a palindrome: “Not so, Boston.”
Yet as the Patriots enter Sunday’s Super Bowl as heavy favorites — over the New York Giants, naturally — to win the city’s sixth championship in seven years, “Not so, Boston” seems as outdated as those Pilgrims. Backward is forward, and Boston is first.
Boston fans in October celebrating the Red Sox’ victory against the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, their second championship since 2004.
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By ALAN SCHWARZ
Published: January 29, 2008
BOSTON — For a city with an inveterate inferiority complex, Boston has been feeling awfully superior lately.
The Red Sox just won a second World Series in four years after an 86-season drought that traumatized generations of New Englanders. The Patriots, already winners of three Super Bowls this decade, are storming into Sunday’s game an unprecedented 18-0. And the Celtics, only months after being accused of trying to finish with the N.B.A.’s worst record, have the league’s top mark at 34-8.
All this winning raises the question: what has Boston lost? If not games — since Oct. 16, those three New England teams have won 87 percent of the time — then perhaps a certain identity the region must now reconsider. Wearing a Red Sox cap or a Patriots jersey no longer identifies citizens as connoisseurs of pain, lovable Charlie Browns to New York’s success-swiping Lucy. Boston’s little garage bands have made it big, and the victory parades are crowded with bandwagons.
“There’s an embarrassment of riches, all these championships; we’re terribly spoiled,” said Chris Greeley, a government-affairs consultant in Boston and who was once a former chief of staff for Senator John Kerry. “Being the underdog was something Boston always liked. It was easier, and it was good for banding together. But now we don’t have a great enemy to point to — New York, we’ve become them.”
Marty Meehan, the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Lowell who was a former United States Congressman, added: “I have an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old. I wonder if they’re ever going to know what it was really like here for all those decades.”
No city, let alone Boston, has ever fielded a threesome in the most popular national team sports as dominant as the current Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics. The closest — fittingly — was New York from 1969 through 1970, when the Jets won Super Bowl III, the Mets won the 1969 World Series and the Knicks won the 1970 basketball title. But New York had multiple baseball and football teams, which Boston does not. That inspired Carl Morris, a statistics professor across the Charles River at Harvard, to calculate the chances of a monofranchised city having the three best teams in one year: about 1 in 29,000.
“I’m not sure if people here realize how unlikely this thing really is,” Morris said. “No city is ever going to see anything like this again.”
New York celebrated its 1969-70 sports success with a decade of bankruptcy and rampant crime; Boston’s future appears rosier. Paul Guzzi, president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, described the economic impact of the region’s sports success as modest, citing added tourism and spending during World Series games, and impact of the Patriots’ new stadium/mall complex in Foxborough.
Terry Francona, the Red Sox manager for both recent World Series titles, said the benefits of winning were probably more spiritual. Francona grew up outside Pittsburgh in the 1970s, and watched the Steelers and the Pirates win championships in 1979.
“The steel mills were shutting down, and Pittsburgh was going to have to change its identity,” Francona recalled. “People were walking around town wearing the black and gold with pride. Winning made people feel better about themselves.”
If Bostonians are feeling sunnier, they do not always show it at the Harp, a watering hole down the street from the TD Banknorth Garden. Katie McAuliffe has tended bar there for six years and she laughed as she considered the difference in fan outlook. “They’re a lot more bold than they used to be,” she said. “They like to break things more now. I think it’s pent-up frustration — like they don’t know how to handle this.”
Indeed, success can demand some emotional recalibration. Sports columnists for The Boston Globe, who for decades could charitably be described as dyspeptic, now must scrounge for material. And even Champagne loses its allure in six-packs.
“When the Red Sox finally won in 2004, the city just went bananas; it was the greatest bachelor party ever,” said Mark Sternman, a researcher for a state government agency, adding that, “2007 was the best party you could have as a married man.”
The Celtics, of course, spent the 1960s as one of sport’s great dynasties, and became dreadful only recently. (Last spring, the team was accused of losing games on purpose so it could finish with the N.B.A.’s worst record and increase its chances of landing the No. 1 or 2 pick in the draft. The Celtics botched that, too.) The Red Sox have been traditionally competitive, just not good enough to outlast the hated Yankees.
The Patriots’ history has been the most pathetic. Beyond frequent 3-13 seasons, their first true home, Schaefer Stadium, opened in 1971 with massive toilet overflows and barely improved thereafter.
Meehan has been a fan through it all. He has held season tickets since 1984, and he said that winning had changed the Patriots fans’ experience. “There are times when you want fans to get up and remind the team that this is a home game,” he said.
Greeley said that Boston fans today expect more of their teams but less of their players. His father once caught a foul ball off the bat of Ted Williams, but threw it back because he, and most of New England, disapproved of Williams’s sulking and apparent selfishness. Fast-forward to today, when the slugger Manny Ramírez is generally shaky on the field and quite flighty off it, but is beloved for this (and his .300 average).
“Manny would never have gotten away with being Manny 40 years ago,” Greeley said. “Nowadays there’s such emphasis on performance. There’s a whole generation that’s growing up now with so much focus on the winning that they may never appreciate the play and the artistry itself. They’re not being trained to appreciate it.”
At Sully’s Tap, not far from the Harp, Jon Megas-Russell did not agree as he nursed a beer at the weathered counter. A devout Boston sports fan and Celtics season-ticket holder, he said that old, rumpled Fenway Park was better than ever thanks to recent renovations (although some complain that rampant advertising has left the Green Monster looking like a Nascar entry). Also worth it, he said, was having to coexist with frivolous front-runners who jump in the marathon only at the end.
“You don’t lose anything by winning, you only add on,” said Megas-Russell, 25, a sales manager from suburban Somerville. “When they win, it validates what you’ve been doing. It puts the city in the limelight in America. People look at the Pilgrims, but we’ve been in the back seat to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago. This brings us back.”
He added: “A true fan takes it when it’s good and takes it when it’s bad. When Tom Brady retires, the Patriots won’t be as good. You have to live in the moment.”
Boston’s moments, for most of the last century, ended in heartbreak — none more poignant than Bill Buckner’s grounder between the legs against the Mets in 1986. The New Yorker writer Roger Angell encapsulated New England’s perpetual and divine grief in a palindrome: “Not so, Boston.”
Yet as the Patriots enter Sunday’s Super Bowl as heavy favorites — over the New York Giants, naturally — to win the city’s sixth championship in seven years, “Not so, Boston” seems as outdated as those Pilgrims. Backward is forward, and Boston is first.
Crimes of the Heart second time.....
THEATER REVIEW; Granddaddy Is in a Coma, And That's the Good News
By BEN BRANTLEY
Published: April 17, 2001, Tuesday
Angst comes in shades of pink in the perky new revival of ''Crimes of the Heart,'' Beth Henley's Pultizer Prize-winning comedy about the sorrows and strengths of Southern sisterhood.
Pink is the color of the tissues that a character uses to mop her eyes and nose as she sobs over mortal thoughts on her 30th birthday. Pink (leaning toward fuchsia) is the color of the rope with which another young woman tries to hang herself.
Pink, for that matter, is often the color of Ms. Henley's prose, which somehow always finds the sugar in the shadows of despair. This probably was not what Édith Piaf meant when she sang about la vie en rose. Still, there's something in the pain beneath the pastels that Piaf might have appreciated.
It's been two decades since ''Crimes of the Heart'' wowed the critics and skipped blithely from the Manhattan Theater Club to Broadway, turning Ms. Henley into the playwright of the moment. Here, it seemed, was a feminine answer to the dysfunctional family dramas of Sam Shepard: a girl's guide to American Gothic, as opposed to Mr. Shepard's head-tripping, brawling boy's-eye views.
Theatergoers who were then seduced by Ms. Henley's sticky brand of whimsy may feel a little sheepish sitting through the enthusiastic production of ''Crimes'' that opened last night at the Second Stage Theater. Under the direction of Garry Hynes, the show scales up the preciousness of this story of three Mississippi sisters in emotional meltdown.
Certainly there are stretches when the cuteness of it all gets to you, when the experience starts to feel like listening to ''I Enjoy Being a Girl'' played in a minor key on a country church organ. This is, after all, a production in which an overgrown nymphet, fresh out of jail, curls up on a cot with her pet saxophone, suggesting Tennessee Williams's ''Baby Doll'' as a musical comedy.
Yet there are also moments when ''Crimes'' still rings true enough to draw that dark, heart-deep laughter that might turn into tears any second. There is, for example, the scene where the play's fractious sisters dissolve into a harmony of giggles over the news that their grandfather has fallen into a coma. Surely you've been there, to that point where life has sprung so many horrors that you're punch drunk.
Such grotesqueries are plentiful in ''Crimes,'' and they don't benefit from magnification. (That was clear in the 1986 film version starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek.) The play, you may recall, includes tales of a mother who hanged herself and the family cat, a beloved old horse struck by lightning and a childlike wife who mixes herself a pitcher of lemonade after shooting her husband in the stomach.
Ms. Hynes is the Irish director who brought a welcome matter-of-factness to (and won a Tony for) her staging of another play about fatal family eccentricities, Martin McDonagh's ''Beauty Queen of Leenane.'' Yet here she goes for exaggeration, sometimes to the point of slapstick, when a throwaway attitude would be far more effective.
As it is, the evening is alternately moving and cloying. The same might be said of all but three of the four major performances, though it's a pleasure to find so many talented young actresses on a single stage. And one couldn't ask for a more socially eloquent backdrop for them than Thomas Lynch's fraying kitchen set.
Playing the Magrath sisters are Enid Graham as Lenny, the premature spinster with ''a deformed ovary''; Amy Ryan as Meg, the promiscuous one who comes home from a thwarted career as a singer (and a nervous breakdown) in Los Angeles, and Mary Catherine Garrison as Babe, the husband-shooter who is out on bail. Julia Murney is the bossy Chick, their status-quo-worshiping cousin.
Ms. Garrison's vanilla-ice-cream Babe is the evening's attention getter. Her timing is inspired as she wearily takes account of a future that may include prison, and she brings a fine air of abstraction to Babe's account of her crime to an adoring young lawyer (Jason Butler Harner). She also delivers machine-gun volleys of ''ooohs,'' to evoke anger and frustration, that belong more properly to Southern sitcoms like ''Designing Women.''
Enid Graham, the appealingly intense actress from ''Honour'' on Broadway, also runs the danger of suffocating her inhibited character in big idiosyncrasies. Ms. Murney has no choice but to play the grating Chick as a target for audience hatred, but she nevertheless brings a dead-on pious relish to descriptions of scandals and illnesses.
It is Ms. Ryan, though, who gives the evening its center of credibility. An inappropriately fierce Sonya in last season's ''Uncle Vanya,'' she here lets you glimpse the anxiety beneath Meg's defensive toughness without wallowing in it. And every reaction, no matter how extravagant, seems grounded in a firm emotional logic.
She also listens with an intent focus that suggests intriguing undercurrents in what the others are saying. Everyone else, including Talmadge Lowe as Meg's former lover, benefits from sharing the stage with her.
It is Meg who, after her sister's aborted suicide attempt, speaks the play's simple watchwords: ''We've just got to learn how to get through these real bad days here.'' Such understatement in the face of absurdity cuts right through the clouds of feyness. When this production maintains a similarly straight face, the tickling sadness that first made ''Crimes'' a hit shines anew.
CRIMES OF THE HEART
By Beth Henley; directed by Garry Hynes; sets by Thomas Lynch; costumes by Susan Hilferty; lighting by Rui Rita; original music and sound by Donald DiNicola; dialects, Deborah Hecht; production stage manager, Kelley Kirkpatrick; stage manager, Amy Patricia Stern. Associate artistic director, Christopher Burney; general manager, C. Barrack Evans; production manager, Peter J. Davis. Presented by Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, artistic director; Mark Linn-Baker, 2001 season artistic director; Carol Fishman, managing director; Alexander Fraser, executive director. At 307 West 43rd Street, Clinton.
WITH: Julia Murney (Chick), Enid Graham (Lenny), Talmadge Lowe (Doc), Amy Ryan (Meg), Mary Catherine Garrison (Babe) and Jason Butler Harner (Barnett).
By BEN BRANTLEY
Published: April 17, 2001, Tuesday
Angst comes in shades of pink in the perky new revival of ''Crimes of the Heart,'' Beth Henley's Pultizer Prize-winning comedy about the sorrows and strengths of Southern sisterhood.
Pink is the color of the tissues that a character uses to mop her eyes and nose as she sobs over mortal thoughts on her 30th birthday. Pink (leaning toward fuchsia) is the color of the rope with which another young woman tries to hang herself.
Pink, for that matter, is often the color of Ms. Henley's prose, which somehow always finds the sugar in the shadows of despair. This probably was not what Édith Piaf meant when she sang about la vie en rose. Still, there's something in the pain beneath the pastels that Piaf might have appreciated.
It's been two decades since ''Crimes of the Heart'' wowed the critics and skipped blithely from the Manhattan Theater Club to Broadway, turning Ms. Henley into the playwright of the moment. Here, it seemed, was a feminine answer to the dysfunctional family dramas of Sam Shepard: a girl's guide to American Gothic, as opposed to Mr. Shepard's head-tripping, brawling boy's-eye views.
Theatergoers who were then seduced by Ms. Henley's sticky brand of whimsy may feel a little sheepish sitting through the enthusiastic production of ''Crimes'' that opened last night at the Second Stage Theater. Under the direction of Garry Hynes, the show scales up the preciousness of this story of three Mississippi sisters in emotional meltdown.
Certainly there are stretches when the cuteness of it all gets to you, when the experience starts to feel like listening to ''I Enjoy Being a Girl'' played in a minor key on a country church organ. This is, after all, a production in which an overgrown nymphet, fresh out of jail, curls up on a cot with her pet saxophone, suggesting Tennessee Williams's ''Baby Doll'' as a musical comedy.
Yet there are also moments when ''Crimes'' still rings true enough to draw that dark, heart-deep laughter that might turn into tears any second. There is, for example, the scene where the play's fractious sisters dissolve into a harmony of giggles over the news that their grandfather has fallen into a coma. Surely you've been there, to that point where life has sprung so many horrors that you're punch drunk.
Such grotesqueries are plentiful in ''Crimes,'' and they don't benefit from magnification. (That was clear in the 1986 film version starring Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek.) The play, you may recall, includes tales of a mother who hanged herself and the family cat, a beloved old horse struck by lightning and a childlike wife who mixes herself a pitcher of lemonade after shooting her husband in the stomach.
Ms. Hynes is the Irish director who brought a welcome matter-of-factness to (and won a Tony for) her staging of another play about fatal family eccentricities, Martin McDonagh's ''Beauty Queen of Leenane.'' Yet here she goes for exaggeration, sometimes to the point of slapstick, when a throwaway attitude would be far more effective.
As it is, the evening is alternately moving and cloying. The same might be said of all but three of the four major performances, though it's a pleasure to find so many talented young actresses on a single stage. And one couldn't ask for a more socially eloquent backdrop for them than Thomas Lynch's fraying kitchen set.
Playing the Magrath sisters are Enid Graham as Lenny, the premature spinster with ''a deformed ovary''; Amy Ryan as Meg, the promiscuous one who comes home from a thwarted career as a singer (and a nervous breakdown) in Los Angeles, and Mary Catherine Garrison as Babe, the husband-shooter who is out on bail. Julia Murney is the bossy Chick, their status-quo-worshiping cousin.
Ms. Garrison's vanilla-ice-cream Babe is the evening's attention getter. Her timing is inspired as she wearily takes account of a future that may include prison, and she brings a fine air of abstraction to Babe's account of her crime to an adoring young lawyer (Jason Butler Harner). She also delivers machine-gun volleys of ''ooohs,'' to evoke anger and frustration, that belong more properly to Southern sitcoms like ''Designing Women.''
Enid Graham, the appealingly intense actress from ''Honour'' on Broadway, also runs the danger of suffocating her inhibited character in big idiosyncrasies. Ms. Murney has no choice but to play the grating Chick as a target for audience hatred, but she nevertheless brings a dead-on pious relish to descriptions of scandals and illnesses.
It is Ms. Ryan, though, who gives the evening its center of credibility. An inappropriately fierce Sonya in last season's ''Uncle Vanya,'' she here lets you glimpse the anxiety beneath Meg's defensive toughness without wallowing in it. And every reaction, no matter how extravagant, seems grounded in a firm emotional logic.
She also listens with an intent focus that suggests intriguing undercurrents in what the others are saying. Everyone else, including Talmadge Lowe as Meg's former lover, benefits from sharing the stage with her.
It is Meg who, after her sister's aborted suicide attempt, speaks the play's simple watchwords: ''We've just got to learn how to get through these real bad days here.'' Such understatement in the face of absurdity cuts right through the clouds of feyness. When this production maintains a similarly straight face, the tickling sadness that first made ''Crimes'' a hit shines anew.
CRIMES OF THE HEART
By Beth Henley; directed by Garry Hynes; sets by Thomas Lynch; costumes by Susan Hilferty; lighting by Rui Rita; original music and sound by Donald DiNicola; dialects, Deborah Hecht; production stage manager, Kelley Kirkpatrick; stage manager, Amy Patricia Stern. Associate artistic director, Christopher Burney; general manager, C. Barrack Evans; production manager, Peter J. Davis. Presented by Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, artistic director; Mark Linn-Baker, 2001 season artistic director; Carol Fishman, managing director; Alexander Fraser, executive director. At 307 West 43rd Street, Clinton.
WITH: Julia Murney (Chick), Enid Graham (Lenny), Talmadge Lowe (Doc), Amy Ryan (Meg), Mary Catherine Garrison (Babe) and Jason Butler Harner (Barnett).
Crimes of the Heart again.... 1981 review holds up
THE THEATER: BETH HENLEY'S 'CRIMES OF THE HEART'
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By FRANK RICH
Published: November 5, 1981, Thursday
BETH HENLEY'S ''Crimes of the Heart'' ends with its three heroines - the MaGrath sisters of Hazelhurst, Miss. -helping themselves to brick-sized hunks of a chocolate birthday cake. The cake, a ''super deluxe'' extravaganza from the local bakery, is as big as the kitchen table, and the sisters laugh their heads off as they dig in. The scene is the perfect capper for an evening of antic laughter - yet it's by no means the sum of ''Crimes of the Heart.'' While this play overflows with infectious high spirits, it is also, unmistakably, the tale of a very troubled family. Such is Miss Henley's prodigious talent that she can serve us pain as though it were a piece of cake.
Prodigious, to say the least. This is Miss Henley's first play. Originally produced at Louisville's Actors Theater, it won the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award after its New York production last winter at the Manhattan Theater Club. Last night that production arrived, springier than ever, at the Golden, and it's not likely to stray from Broadway soon. Melvin Bernhardt, the director, has fulfilled Miss Henley's comedy by casting young actors whose future looks every bit as exciting as the playwright's.
''Crimes'' is set ''five years after Hurricane Camille'' in the MaGrath family kitchen, a sunny garden of linoleum and translucent, flowered wallpaper designed by John Lee Beatty. The action unfolds during what the youngest sister, 24-year-old Babe (Mia Dillon), calls ''a bad day.'' Babe knows whereof she speaks: She's out on bail, having just shot her husband in the stomach. And Babe's not the only one with problems. Her 27-year-old sister Meg (Mary Beth Hurt), a would-be singing star, has retreated from Hollywood by way of a psychiatric ward. Lenny (Lizbeth Mackay), the eldest MaGrath, is facing her 30th birthday with a ''shrunken ovary'' and no romantic prospects. As if this weren't enough, Old Granddaddy, the family patriarch, is in the hospital with ''blood vessels popping in his brain.''
A comedy, you ask? Most certainly - and let's not forget about the local lady with the ''tumor on her bladder,'' about the neighbor with the ''crushed leg,'' about the sudden death by lightning of Lenny's pet horse, Billy Boy. Miss Henley redeems these sorrows, and more, by mining a pure vein of Southern Gothic humor worthy of Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor. The playwright gets her laughs not because she tells sick jokes, but because she refuses to tell jokes at all. Her characters always stick to the unvarnished truth, at any price, never holding back a single gory detail. And the truth - when captured like lightning in a bottle - is far funnier than any invented wisecracks.
Why did Babe shoot her husband? Because, she says, ''I didn't like his looks.'' Why, after firing the gun, did she make a pitcher of lemonade before calling an ambulance? Because she was thirsty. Why did she carry on with a 15-year-old black boy during the months before her crime? ''I was so lonely,'' explains Miss Dillon, ''and he was goooood.'' Why has Babe's lawyer, a young, sheepish Ole Miss grad (Peter MacNicol), taken on such a seemingly hopeless case? Because Babe won his heart when she sold him poundcake at a long-ago church bazaar - and because he believes in ''personal vendettas.''
You see Miss Henley's technique. She builds from a foundation of wacky but consistent logic until she's constructed a funhouse of perfect-pitch language and ever-accelerating misfortune. By Act III, we're so at home in the crazy geography of the MaGraths' lives that we're laughing at the slightest prick of blood. At that point Miss Henley starts kindling comic eruptions on the most unlikely lines - ''Old Granddaddy's in a coma!'' - without even trying. That's what can happen when a playwright creates a world and lets the audience inhabit it.
We're not laughing at the characters, of course, but with them. We all have bad days, when we contemplate - or are victims of - irrational crimes of the heart. In this play, Miss Henley shows how comedy at its best can heighten reality to illuminate the landscape of existence in all its mean absurdity. But the heightening is not achieved at the price of credibility. The MaGraths come by their suffering naturally: It's been their legacy since childhood, when their father vanished and their mother hanged herself -and her pet cat - in the cellar. ''Crimes of the Heart'' is finally the story of how its young characters escape the past to seize the future. ''We've got to figure out a way to get through these bad days here,'' says Meg. That can't happen for any of us until the corpses of a childhood are truly laid to rest.
Like the compassionate author, the director makes us care deeply about the MaGraths, crimes and all. Mr. Bernhardt is completely in touch with the play's strong family feelings; he turns a funhouse into a love-suffused, sisterly home that fills the Broadway vacuum left by the departure of ''Morning's at Seven.'' Though he can't quite whip the evening's slight overlength and the routine writing of the two secondary characters, you'll probably be too busy enjoying the four principal players to care.
It's great fun to watch Miss Mackay's spinsterish Lenny blossom from a moody, self-pitying fussbudget into a self-possessed woman; the actress walks a tremulous line between hilarity and hysteria as she goes. As Meg, the loose, selfish sister who blossomed too early, Miss Hurt proves she's a powerfully sexy comedienne as well as a good actress. A battle-scarred, rueful adult, she also lets us see the golden, headstrong teen-age girl who once liked to shock her peers by mocking the March of Dimes posters at Dixieland Drugs.
Miss Dillon and Mr. MacNicol are priceless as the accused Babe and her green lawyer. Perhaps the baby-faced Mr. MacNicol is so because his awkward little boy's demeanor - slow molasses voice, misbuttoned suit and toothy, open-mouthed grin - is in such ridiculous contrast to the no-nonsense professional manner he adopts to impress his client. Perhaps Miss Dillon - speaking in an excitable girlish yelp - delights us because she's guileless when contemplating murder yet naughty on the subject of birthday cakes. But why try to pin them down? Just be grateful that we have a new writer from hurricane country who gives her characters room to spin and spin and spin. Unvarnished Laughs CRIMES OF THE HEART, by Beth Henley; di- rected by Melvin Bernhardt; sets by John Lee Beatty; costumes by Patricia McGourty; lighting by Dennis Parichy. Presented by Warner Theater Productions Inc., Claire Nichtern, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards and Francine Le-Frak. At the John Golden Theater, 252 West 45th Street. Lenny MaGrath ..........................
Lizbeth Mackay Chick Boyle ............................Sharon Ullrick Doc Porter ..............................Raymond Baker Meg MaGrath ............................Mary Beth Hurt Babe Botrelle ..............................Mia Dillon Barnette Lloyd .........................Peter MacNicol
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By FRANK RICH
Published: November 5, 1981, Thursday
BETH HENLEY'S ''Crimes of the Heart'' ends with its three heroines - the MaGrath sisters of Hazelhurst, Miss. -helping themselves to brick-sized hunks of a chocolate birthday cake. The cake, a ''super deluxe'' extravaganza from the local bakery, is as big as the kitchen table, and the sisters laugh their heads off as they dig in. The scene is the perfect capper for an evening of antic laughter - yet it's by no means the sum of ''Crimes of the Heart.'' While this play overflows with infectious high spirits, it is also, unmistakably, the tale of a very troubled family. Such is Miss Henley's prodigious talent that she can serve us pain as though it were a piece of cake.
Prodigious, to say the least. This is Miss Henley's first play. Originally produced at Louisville's Actors Theater, it won the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award after its New York production last winter at the Manhattan Theater Club. Last night that production arrived, springier than ever, at the Golden, and it's not likely to stray from Broadway soon. Melvin Bernhardt, the director, has fulfilled Miss Henley's comedy by casting young actors whose future looks every bit as exciting as the playwright's.
''Crimes'' is set ''five years after Hurricane Camille'' in the MaGrath family kitchen, a sunny garden of linoleum and translucent, flowered wallpaper designed by John Lee Beatty. The action unfolds during what the youngest sister, 24-year-old Babe (Mia Dillon), calls ''a bad day.'' Babe knows whereof she speaks: She's out on bail, having just shot her husband in the stomach. And Babe's not the only one with problems. Her 27-year-old sister Meg (Mary Beth Hurt), a would-be singing star, has retreated from Hollywood by way of a psychiatric ward. Lenny (Lizbeth Mackay), the eldest MaGrath, is facing her 30th birthday with a ''shrunken ovary'' and no romantic prospects. As if this weren't enough, Old Granddaddy, the family patriarch, is in the hospital with ''blood vessels popping in his brain.''
A comedy, you ask? Most certainly - and let's not forget about the local lady with the ''tumor on her bladder,'' about the neighbor with the ''crushed leg,'' about the sudden death by lightning of Lenny's pet horse, Billy Boy. Miss Henley redeems these sorrows, and more, by mining a pure vein of Southern Gothic humor worthy of Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor. The playwright gets her laughs not because she tells sick jokes, but because she refuses to tell jokes at all. Her characters always stick to the unvarnished truth, at any price, never holding back a single gory detail. And the truth - when captured like lightning in a bottle - is far funnier than any invented wisecracks.
Why did Babe shoot her husband? Because, she says, ''I didn't like his looks.'' Why, after firing the gun, did she make a pitcher of lemonade before calling an ambulance? Because she was thirsty. Why did she carry on with a 15-year-old black boy during the months before her crime? ''I was so lonely,'' explains Miss Dillon, ''and he was goooood.'' Why has Babe's lawyer, a young, sheepish Ole Miss grad (Peter MacNicol), taken on such a seemingly hopeless case? Because Babe won his heart when she sold him poundcake at a long-ago church bazaar - and because he believes in ''personal vendettas.''
You see Miss Henley's technique. She builds from a foundation of wacky but consistent logic until she's constructed a funhouse of perfect-pitch language and ever-accelerating misfortune. By Act III, we're so at home in the crazy geography of the MaGraths' lives that we're laughing at the slightest prick of blood. At that point Miss Henley starts kindling comic eruptions on the most unlikely lines - ''Old Granddaddy's in a coma!'' - without even trying. That's what can happen when a playwright creates a world and lets the audience inhabit it.
We're not laughing at the characters, of course, but with them. We all have bad days, when we contemplate - or are victims of - irrational crimes of the heart. In this play, Miss Henley shows how comedy at its best can heighten reality to illuminate the landscape of existence in all its mean absurdity. But the heightening is not achieved at the price of credibility. The MaGraths come by their suffering naturally: It's been their legacy since childhood, when their father vanished and their mother hanged herself -and her pet cat - in the cellar. ''Crimes of the Heart'' is finally the story of how its young characters escape the past to seize the future. ''We've got to figure out a way to get through these bad days here,'' says Meg. That can't happen for any of us until the corpses of a childhood are truly laid to rest.
Like the compassionate author, the director makes us care deeply about the MaGraths, crimes and all. Mr. Bernhardt is completely in touch with the play's strong family feelings; he turns a funhouse into a love-suffused, sisterly home that fills the Broadway vacuum left by the departure of ''Morning's at Seven.'' Though he can't quite whip the evening's slight overlength and the routine writing of the two secondary characters, you'll probably be too busy enjoying the four principal players to care.
It's great fun to watch Miss Mackay's spinsterish Lenny blossom from a moody, self-pitying fussbudget into a self-possessed woman; the actress walks a tremulous line between hilarity and hysteria as she goes. As Meg, the loose, selfish sister who blossomed too early, Miss Hurt proves she's a powerfully sexy comedienne as well as a good actress. A battle-scarred, rueful adult, she also lets us see the golden, headstrong teen-age girl who once liked to shock her peers by mocking the March of Dimes posters at Dixieland Drugs.
Miss Dillon and Mr. MacNicol are priceless as the accused Babe and her green lawyer. Perhaps the baby-faced Mr. MacNicol is so because his awkward little boy's demeanor - slow molasses voice, misbuttoned suit and toothy, open-mouthed grin - is in such ridiculous contrast to the no-nonsense professional manner he adopts to impress his client. Perhaps Miss Dillon - speaking in an excitable girlish yelp - delights us because she's guileless when contemplating murder yet naughty on the subject of birthday cakes. But why try to pin them down? Just be grateful that we have a new writer from hurricane country who gives her characters room to spin and spin and spin. Unvarnished Laughs CRIMES OF THE HEART, by Beth Henley; di- rected by Melvin Bernhardt; sets by John Lee Beatty; costumes by Patricia McGourty; lighting by Dennis Parichy. Presented by Warner Theater Productions Inc., Claire Nichtern, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards and Francine Le-Frak. At the John Golden Theater, 252 West 45th Street. Lenny MaGrath ..........................
Lizbeth Mackay Chick Boyle ............................Sharon Ullrick Doc Porter ..............................Raymond Baker Meg MaGrath ............................Mary Beth Hurt Babe Botrelle ..............................Mia Dillon Barnette Lloyd .........................Peter MacNicol
Capricorn Horoscope for week of January 31, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of January 31, 2008
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
"Personally, I would sooner have written Alice in Wonderland than the whole Encyclopedia Britannica," said Capricorn writer Stephen B. Leacock. I encourage you to adopt a similar attitude in the coming weeks. Unleashing your heated creativity will be more important to your success than gathering the cool facts. Being an irrepressible devotee of the wild mind will be more practical than marching in lock step to logical necessity.
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
"Personally, I would sooner have written Alice in Wonderland than the whole Encyclopedia Britannica," said Capricorn writer Stephen B. Leacock. I encourage you to adopt a similar attitude in the coming weeks. Unleashing your heated creativity will be more important to your success than gathering the cool facts. Being an irrepressible devotee of the wild mind will be more practical than marching in lock step to logical necessity.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sister of dead man shocked by scheme
Sister of dead man shocked by scheme
BY MELISSA GRACE and LARRY McSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, January 10th 2008, 2:07 AM
The sister of a dead man wheeled around Hell's Kitchen in an office chair can't believe his best friend allegedly used her brother's corpse to run a twisted check-cashing scam.
Elizabeth Cintron told the Daily News she hopes her brother Virgilio Cintron died on the way to the check-cashing shop - and wasn't propped up in the chair by James O'Hare and another dope, as cops and witnesses say.
"Some days he couldn't walk so good, and Jimmy would take him to the check-cashing place," Elizabeth Cintron told The News. "Maybe he was alive and died on his way."
Hardly, police say.
O'Hare and David Daloia, both 65, were busted Tuesday in the "Weekend at Bernie's" stunt.
The dumb and dumber duo were arraigned in Criminal Court early this morning on forgery and attempted petty larceny charges as well as failure to properly dispose of a body. Bail was set at $1,000 each.
In her failed request for $20,000 bail, Assistant District Attorney Carolyn Hocderness said both men had extensive criminal records but gave no details.
"We didn't do anything," Daloia, of Queens, declared earlier as the scruffy pair was led from the Midtown North stationhouse. O'Hare remained silent as he was loaded into a police car.
O'Hare, who shared a W. 52nd St. apartment with Virgilio Cintron, found the 66-year-old dead in the home Tuesday. Rather than get help, O'Hare and Daloia grabbed Cintron's final $355 Social Security check, put his remains in an office chair and headed to the nearby Pay-O-Matic check cashing outlet on Ninth Ave., cops said.
The corpse quickly drew a crowd, including a detective, and the suspects were caught. Cintron apparently died of natural causes, although the medical examiner said a final determination was pending.
Elizabeth Cintron, 58, said her family has no money for her brother's burial. Her brother, once a counselor in a Manhattan AIDS clinic, had stopped working about 15 years ago when he fell ill, she said.
Neighbors described Virgilio Cintron and O'Hare as inseparable, saying O'Hare became a caretaker for Cintron, who suffered from Parkinson's disease.
But Italian tourist Gianmaria Solini said he spotted Cintron's body splayed out across a staircase in the apartment building. It was obvious he was dead, and Solini offered to get help.
But O'Hare waved him off.
"Oh, no, it's okay," O'Hare said, according to Solini. "He's going to wake up."
lmcshane@nydailynews.com
BY MELISSA GRACE and LARRY McSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, January 10th 2008, 2:07 AM
The sister of a dead man wheeled around Hell's Kitchen in an office chair can't believe his best friend allegedly used her brother's corpse to run a twisted check-cashing scam.
Elizabeth Cintron told the Daily News she hopes her brother Virgilio Cintron died on the way to the check-cashing shop - and wasn't propped up in the chair by James O'Hare and another dope, as cops and witnesses say.
"Some days he couldn't walk so good, and Jimmy would take him to the check-cashing place," Elizabeth Cintron told The News. "Maybe he was alive and died on his way."
Hardly, police say.
O'Hare and David Daloia, both 65, were busted Tuesday in the "Weekend at Bernie's" stunt.
The dumb and dumber duo were arraigned in Criminal Court early this morning on forgery and attempted petty larceny charges as well as failure to properly dispose of a body. Bail was set at $1,000 each.
In her failed request for $20,000 bail, Assistant District Attorney Carolyn Hocderness said both men had extensive criminal records but gave no details.
"We didn't do anything," Daloia, of Queens, declared earlier as the scruffy pair was led from the Midtown North stationhouse. O'Hare remained silent as he was loaded into a police car.
O'Hare, who shared a W. 52nd St. apartment with Virgilio Cintron, found the 66-year-old dead in the home Tuesday. Rather than get help, O'Hare and Daloia grabbed Cintron's final $355 Social Security check, put his remains in an office chair and headed to the nearby Pay-O-Matic check cashing outlet on Ninth Ave., cops said.
The corpse quickly drew a crowd, including a detective, and the suspects were caught. Cintron apparently died of natural causes, although the medical examiner said a final determination was pending.
Elizabeth Cintron, 58, said her family has no money for her brother's burial. Her brother, once a counselor in a Manhattan AIDS clinic, had stopped working about 15 years ago when he fell ill, she said.
Neighbors described Virgilio Cintron and O'Hare as inseparable, saying O'Hare became a caretaker for Cintron, who suffered from Parkinson's disease.
But Italian tourist Gianmaria Solini said he spotted Cintron's body splayed out across a staircase in the apartment building. It was obvious he was dead, and Solini offered to get help.
But O'Hare waved him off.
"Oh, no, it's okay," O'Hare said, according to Solini. "He's going to wake up."
lmcshane@nydailynews.com
Two in Hell's Kitchen bring dead man on trip to cash his Social Security check
Two in Hell's Kitchen bring dead man on trip to cash his Social Security check
BY EDGAR SANDOVAL, ALISON GENDAR AND ETHAN ROUEN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Life imitated the movies Tuesday when two dopes wheeled a dead man around Hell's Kitchen in an office chair as they tried to cash his Social Security check, cops said.
The "Weekend at Bernie's" stunt was an attempt to collect 66-year-old Virgilio Cintron's dough less than a day after he died, police said. One suspect is Cintron's roommate.
"They didn't kill the guy. He died of natural causes. But they were all about not letting the situation go to waste," a police source said. "'How are we going to cash it? Let's bring him with us.' They must watch too many movies."
The roommate, James O'Hare, and his pal David Dalaia attempted to dress Cintron's corpse in a pair of pants, a T-shirt and sneakers, police said. When they couldn't get the pants to his waist, the 65-year-old men threw a jacket over his crotch and wheeled him from his W.52nd St. apartment to a check-cashing outlet around the block on Ninth Ave., police said.
"Witnesses observed Mr. Cintron flopping from side to side and these individuals propping him up as they rolled along," said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.
The men left Cintron's body outside while they went into Pay-O-Matic, where Cintron always cashed his checks, police said. An employee recognized the name on the $355 check, and when he asked to see Cintron, O'Hare said, "He's outside. We'll get him," according to police.
"They were trying to pass the guy off as alive," Pay-O-Matic clerk Mariano Galvez told the Daily News. "They just left the body in the chair outside." The casual corpse on the sidewalk at 3:45p.m. drew a large crowd, including an on-duty detective who was eating lunch at a restaurant next-door. He reported the incident and called the Emergency Medical Service.
As O'Hare went to get Cintron, an ambulance arrived to cart his remains off to the morgue, police said. Moments later, O'Hare and Dalaia were taken to the Midtown North stationhouse, where last night police were preparing to charge them with check fraud.
A neighbor of the roommates, Jeff Bell, 51, said the pair had lived together for years and that Cintron had Alzheimer's disease. In 1989's "Bernie" flick, two young pals cart their dead boss around, successfully passing him off as alive
Source: Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_c..._man_on_t.html
BY EDGAR SANDOVAL, ALISON GENDAR AND ETHAN ROUEN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Life imitated the movies Tuesday when two dopes wheeled a dead man around Hell's Kitchen in an office chair as they tried to cash his Social Security check, cops said.
The "Weekend at Bernie's" stunt was an attempt to collect 66-year-old Virgilio Cintron's dough less than a day after he died, police said. One suspect is Cintron's roommate.
"They didn't kill the guy. He died of natural causes. But they were all about not letting the situation go to waste," a police source said. "'How are we going to cash it? Let's bring him with us.' They must watch too many movies."
The roommate, James O'Hare, and his pal David Dalaia attempted to dress Cintron's corpse in a pair of pants, a T-shirt and sneakers, police said. When they couldn't get the pants to his waist, the 65-year-old men threw a jacket over his crotch and wheeled him from his W.52nd St. apartment to a check-cashing outlet around the block on Ninth Ave., police said.
"Witnesses observed Mr. Cintron flopping from side to side and these individuals propping him up as they rolled along," said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.
The men left Cintron's body outside while they went into Pay-O-Matic, where Cintron always cashed his checks, police said. An employee recognized the name on the $355 check, and when he asked to see Cintron, O'Hare said, "He's outside. We'll get him," according to police.
"They were trying to pass the guy off as alive," Pay-O-Matic clerk Mariano Galvez told the Daily News. "They just left the body in the chair outside." The casual corpse on the sidewalk at 3:45p.m. drew a large crowd, including an on-duty detective who was eating lunch at a restaurant next-door. He reported the incident and called the Emergency Medical Service.
As O'Hare went to get Cintron, an ambulance arrived to cart his remains off to the morgue, police said. Moments later, O'Hare and Dalaia were taken to the Midtown North stationhouse, where last night police were preparing to charge them with check fraud.
A neighbor of the roommates, Jeff Bell, 51, said the pair had lived together for years and that Cintron had Alzheimer's disease. In 1989's "Bernie" flick, two young pals cart their dead boss around, successfully passing him off as alive
Source: Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_c..._man_on_t.html
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of January 24, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of January 24, 2008
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
To advertise its upgraded features, the search engine Ask3D.com rolled out a marketing campaign with a seductive catchphrase: "Instant Getification," as in immediately acquiring your desired results. I'm borrowing that mantra, or at least half of it, for your horoscope. Your getification levels will be way up in the coming weeks. That doesn't mean you will instantaneously and automatically obtain everything you crave without any effort. Rather, it suggests that you will have an enhanced power to summon the will and ingenuity and resourcefulness that will help you get what you want.
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
To advertise its upgraded features, the search engine Ask3D.com rolled out a marketing campaign with a seductive catchphrase: "Instant Getification," as in immediately acquiring your desired results. I'm borrowing that mantra, or at least half of it, for your horoscope. Your getification levels will be way up in the coming weeks. That doesn't mean you will instantaneously and automatically obtain everything you crave without any effort. Rather, it suggests that you will have an enhanced power to summon the will and ingenuity and resourcefulness that will help you get what you want.
Monday, January 21, 2008
into the wild
Into the Wild
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Zach Galifianakis, Marcia Gay Harden, Cheryl Francis Harrington
Directed by: Sean Penn
RS: 3.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3.5of 4 Stars
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Sean Penn has molded one of the best movies of a bustling fall out of Jon Krakauer's best-selling Into the Wild. Krakauer told the true story of Chris McCandless, an honors grad from Emory University who walked into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992 to find himself outside the confines of estranged family, well-meaning friends and any governing impulse besides his own questing heart. If you read the book and pegged Chris as a wacko narcissist who died out of arrogance and stupidity, then Penn's film version is not for you. If, like Penn, you mourn Chris' tragedy and his judgment errors but also exult in his journey and its spirit of moral inquiry, then this beautiful, wrenching film will take a piece out of you.
Into the Wild represents Penn's most assured and affecting work yet as director and screenwriter, in the wake of The Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard and The Pledge. His connection to Chris is primal. Following Penn's lead, Emile Hirsch (Lords of Dogtown) gets so far into Chris' skin that they seem to share the same nerve endings. Over the film's enveloping two hours and twenty-five minutes, Hirsch gives an award-caliber performance of astonishing depth and humanity. Penn was insistent about shooting the film on the same locations that Chris traveled over two years, after he burned his driver's license and credit cards, gave away $24,000 in savings and set out to find his place in the world without a map. Penn uses narration from Chris' beloved sister Carine (Jena Malone) to reveal why he cut himself off from his affluent Virginia parents, Walt (William Hurt) and Billie (Marcia Gay Harden). Dubbing himself Alexander Supertramp, Chris lets his wanderlust take him to a South Dakota farm run by Wayne Westerberg (Vince Vaughn), on a scary kayak trip down to Mexico, and to a trailer shared by "rubbertramps" Jan (Catherine Keener) and Rainey (Brian Dierker). An unconsummated romance with underage Tracy (Kristen Stewart) in Slab City, an RV camp in the California desert, also speaks to his character. Chris' ache for connection is movingly portrayed in his relationship with widower Ron Franz (Hal Holbrook in his shining hour onscreen). And Penn makes the lack of that connection palpable when Chris heads to Alaska, enduring four months of isolation until his starved body (Hirsch lost forty pounds for the role) is found in an abandoned bus. Was it a death wish? Hardly. On a page torn from Taras Bulba, Chris wrote an SOS: "I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke."
Penn, in tandem with the superb cinematographer Eric Gautier (The Motorcycle Diaries), captures the majesty and terror of the wilderness in ways that make you catch your breath. And Eddie Vedder's remarkable songs, notably a cover of "Hard Sun," sound like the voice of Chris' unconscious. Since his death, admirers have made the arduous trip to that bus. But Into the Wild celebrates the person, not the myth. Mistakes didn't make Chris unique, his courage did. Through Penn's unmissable and unforgettable film, that courage endures.
the color purple with lakesha Jones, Chaka Kahn, and Bebe Winans
One Woman's Awakening, in Double Time
*
By BEN BRANTLEY
Published: December 2, 2005
TIME doesn't just fly in the exhaustingly eventful world of "The Color Purple," the musical adaptation of the Alice Walker novel and film of the same title that opened last night at the Broadway Theater. It threatens to break the sound barrier. In faithfully adapting Ms. Walker's incident-crammed 1982 Pulitzer Prizewinner about Southern black women finding their inner warriors, the show's creators have fashioned a bright, shiny and muscular storytelling machine that is above all built for speed.
So much plot, so many years, so many characters to cover in less than three hours. Or, as one of the many vibrant heroines sings, prettily papering over a gap of eight years, "So many winters gray and summers blue." From the brass-warmed opening bars of its eclectic overture, this musical has an on-your-mark, get-set quality that promises that pages will be flying off the calendar as if in a tornado.
Watching this beat-the-clock production summons the frustrations of riding through a picturesque stretch of country in a supertrain like the TGV. The landscape looks seductively lush and varied; the local populace seems lively and inviting, like people you might want to know; you can even hear tantalizing snatches of folks singing in an intriguing idiom as they go about their work. But it all passes by in a watercolor blur. This show isn't stiff and anemic like its chief musical competition this season, "The Woman in White" (another plot-crammed adaptation of a novel). But it never slows down long enough for you to embrace it.
Would that "The Color Purple" did take time to stop and smell the lilacs. Directed by Gary Griffin - with a book by Marsha Norman and songs by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray - this show is blessed with a surfeit of performing talent. There's not a clinker among the major cast members, led by LaChanze as the downtrodden, man-mangled Celie, whose sexual and social awakening over four decades gives the story its shape.
As for the rest of the production, there's a sumptuousness throughout that, while hardly true to the harrowing bleakness of the early chapters of Ms. Walker's novel, does bring to mind the enjoyably hokey cinematic ravishments of Steven Spielberg's 1985 film version. (You don't ask yourself, as you often do on Broadway these days, how the show could cost as much as it did - $10 million, in this case.) John Lee Beatty's sets summon rural poverty in Georgia in the early 20th century with a romanticizing, fairy-tale sense of wonder, enhanced by Brian MacDevitt's sunset-and-starshine lighting and Paul Tazewell's handsome period costumes.
The trio of songwriters for "Purple," all making their Broadway debuts, have backgrounds mostly in pop, film and television. And they clearly have a knack for clingy, synthetically tasty melodies adorned with spicy regional accents (rather like Cajun-style Kentucky Fried Chicken.) Or at least I think they do, since no sooner is a song started than it is killed to make way for yet another narrative-propelling number. (Ditto with Donald Byrd's sprightly fits of choreography.)
Thanks to the cast's spirited way with a song, "Purple" strikes some sparks during its long and winding journey. But it takes a concentration and leisure the show lacks to fan sparks into a steady flame.
The overwhelming breathlessness of this production is probably unavoidable, given its determination to hew as close as possible to its source. Ms. Norman is an eminent playwright whose " 'night, Mother" won the Pulitzer for drama the same year that Ms. Walker's novel did for fiction. And Ms. Norman brings a refreshing if dogged writerly respect to Ms. Walker's work.
But the novel - which contrasts the lives of stay-at-home Celie and her traveling missionary sister, Nettie (Renée Elise Goldsberry) - covers not only four decades but also three continents. Related largely in bluntly vernacular letters written by Celie to God and to her sister, the book's central focus is the feminist evolution of Celie, who at 14 is sold in marriage to an abusive older man (called Mister and played here by Kingsley Leggs), after having given birth to two children by the man she believes to be her father.
"The Color Purple," though, is also the story of other, more innately forceful women from whom Celie gathers the strength to find herself. In addition to Nettie, who discovers her ethnic identity while a missionary in Africa, there's the strapping and defiant Sofia (Felicia P. Fields), Celie's stepdaughter-in-law, a role created on film by Oprah Winfrey (a producer and invaluable promoter of this show). And the voluptuous, pleasure-seeking Shug Avery (Elisabeth Withers-Mendes), a saloon singer and sometime-mistress of Mister, initiates Celie into the joys of the flesh and is most important to her growing self-esteem.
It is to the credit of each of these confident actresses that their characters register as emphatically and winningly as they do in the midst of the narrative rush. Ms. Fields and Ms. Withers-Mendes both exude a sensual energy that you can feel the audience wants to luxuriate in. (The same impression is cut, in a sunnier vein, by Brandon Victor Dixon as Sofia's cheery husband.) But every time they work toward musical climaxes, that darn hydra-headed Story intervenes with another plot twist.
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Many of these are related by a hyper-lively quartet of gossiping church ladies. Others, set in Africa, come from Nettie's letters to Celie. Even a big dramatic aria like "Mister's Song" winds up spending an awful lot of time recapping events the audience already knows and undercutting Mr. Leggs's best dramatic efforts.
Mr. Griffin, acclaimed for his ingeniously miniature productions of big-scale works like "Pacific Overtures" and "My Fair Lady," emerges mostly as a skillful traffic conductor here. He keeps things moving at a jaunty clip, even when the events are as ugly as rape, domestic abuse and racial violence. This discrepancy would probably be jolting if you had time to think about it.
Amid the whirlwind of story lines, LaChanze holds admirably steady in what is a rather thankless part. Since Celie spends much of the show being scared and downtrodden, LaChanze must hide her considerable natural light under a bushel of homeliness and self-effacement. And her long-delayed survivor's anthem, for which she is allowed to pump up the volume, is unfortunately a generic power song. (Sofia's truncated "Hell No!" and Celie's top-40-ready duet with Shug, "What About Love?," are better.)
At the show's end, Celie has acquired, in addition to gray hairs and a personal fortune through the making and selling of pants for women, an air of matriarchal dignity that she wears like vintage couture. And it occurred to me that somewhere along the way in her odyssey of survival and triumph, Celie had morphed into a heroine of the kind of inspirational women's fiction found in airport bookstores, written by Barbara Taylor Bradford and Danielle Steel.
These are authors I would never have thought to compare to Alice Walker. But such things happen in adaptations that emphasize sheer story over sensibility. Devotees of Ms. Walker's novel would be better off thinking of this show less as "The Color Purple" than as, say, "Celie: A Woman of Independent Means."
The Color Purple
Based on the novel by Alice Walker and the Warner Brothers/Amblin Entertainment motion picture. Book by Marsha Norman; music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray; choreographed by Donald Byrd; directed by Gary Griffin; sets by John Lee Beatty; costumes by Paul Tazewell; lighting by Brian MacDevitt; sound by Jon Weston; hair design by Charles G. LaPointe; production managers, Arthur Siccardi and Patrick Sullivan; production stage manager, Kristen Harris; general management, NLA/Amy Jacobs; music director, Linda Twine; dance music arrangements, Daryl Waters; additional arrangements, Joseph Joubert; music coordinator, Seymour Red Press; orchestrations, Jonathan Tunick; music supervisor and incidental music arrangements, Kevin Stites. Presented by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, Creative Battery, Anna Fantaci and Cheryl Lachowicz, Independent Presenters Network, David Lowy, Stephanie P. McClelland, Gary Winnick, Jan Kallish, Nederlander Presentations Inc., Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Andrew Asnes and Adam Zotovich and Todd Johnson. At the Broadway Theater, 1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street; (212) 239-6200. Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes.
SW at the Rubin Museum
Susan played an acoustic unplugged show at this Museum in NYC. She used pieces of art work to amplify her work.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
21 Odd Facts About Music
21 Odd Facts About Music
1. The only guy in ZZ Top who doesn’t have a beard is Frank Beard.
2. None of Elvis’s films got nominated for Oscar, but he did win three Grammy Awards - for his gospel recordings.
3. John Lennon wrote “Good morning, good morning” after hearing a Corn Flakes commercial.
4. Marilyn Monroe got a white poodle named Mafia from Frank Sinatra.
5. The airplane that Buddy Holly died in was called “American Pie”. Don McLean wrote a song with the same name about the accident.
6. Duran Duran was named after a mad scientist from the Jane Fonda movie “Barbarella”.
7. The first CD that was pressed in the U.S. was Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”.
8. Before composing Beethoven dipped his head in cold water.
9. Like humans, birds can learn music while they are still in the egg stage.
10. Mozart was five years old when he wrote his first piece.
11. The first pop video was released in 1975. It was “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.
12. In 1976 Barry Manilow sang a chart topping song named “I write the songs”. The song wasn’t written by him.
13. Termites will eat wood two times faster when listening to heavy metal.
14. When Madonna was 15 years old, she got grounded for the whole summer, for sneaking out to see David Bowie in concert.
15. In the year 1988 tenor Luciano Pavarotti received a record 165 curtain calls at a Berlin opera house.
16. Make music not war: Monaco’s national orchestra is bigger that its army.
17. Wham!’s hit single “Wake me up before you go go” was written by George Michael who was inspired by the note that was left to his hotel room by another band member Andrew Ridgeley. The note was mistakenly written as “Don’t forget to wake me up up before you go go, George”.
18. “House of the rising sun” by The Animals was recorded with only 15 minutes because the band was on a tight budget. In spite of that the song went all the way to number one in 1964.
19. The longest song title is 305 characters (including spaces): “The Sad But True Story Of Ray Mingus, The Lumberjack Of Bulk Rock City, And His Never Slacking Stribe In Exploiting The So Far Undiscovered Areas Of The Intention To Bodily Intercourse From The Opposite Species Of His Kind, During Intake Of All The Mental Condition That Could Be Derived From Fermentation” by Rednex.
20. When Billy Crystal was a child, his babysitter was the legendary Billie Holiday.
21. Suzanne Vega is considered the “mother” of the mp3 format. The creators of the mp3 used her voice from the song “Tom’s Diner” for analyzing the different sound spectrums when creating the compression algorithm.
1. The only guy in ZZ Top who doesn’t have a beard is Frank Beard.
2. None of Elvis’s films got nominated for Oscar, but he did win three Grammy Awards - for his gospel recordings.
3. John Lennon wrote “Good morning, good morning” after hearing a Corn Flakes commercial.
4. Marilyn Monroe got a white poodle named Mafia from Frank Sinatra.
5. The airplane that Buddy Holly died in was called “American Pie”. Don McLean wrote a song with the same name about the accident.
6. Duran Duran was named after a mad scientist from the Jane Fonda movie “Barbarella”.
7. The first CD that was pressed in the U.S. was Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”.
8. Before composing Beethoven dipped his head in cold water.
9. Like humans, birds can learn music while they are still in the egg stage.
10. Mozart was five years old when he wrote his first piece.
11. The first pop video was released in 1975. It was “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.
12. In 1976 Barry Manilow sang a chart topping song named “I write the songs”. The song wasn’t written by him.
13. Termites will eat wood two times faster when listening to heavy metal.
14. When Madonna was 15 years old, she got grounded for the whole summer, for sneaking out to see David Bowie in concert.
15. In the year 1988 tenor Luciano Pavarotti received a record 165 curtain calls at a Berlin opera house.
16. Make music not war: Monaco’s national orchestra is bigger that its army.
17. Wham!’s hit single “Wake me up before you go go” was written by George Michael who was inspired by the note that was left to his hotel room by another band member Andrew Ridgeley. The note was mistakenly written as “Don’t forget to wake me up up before you go go, George”.
18. “House of the rising sun” by The Animals was recorded with only 15 minutes because the band was on a tight budget. In spite of that the song went all the way to number one in 1964.
19. The longest song title is 305 characters (including spaces): “The Sad But True Story Of Ray Mingus, The Lumberjack Of Bulk Rock City, And His Never Slacking Stribe In Exploiting The So Far Undiscovered Areas Of The Intention To Bodily Intercourse From The Opposite Species Of His Kind, During Intake Of All The Mental Condition That Could Be Derived From Fermentation” by Rednex.
20. When Billy Crystal was a child, his babysitter was the legendary Billie Holiday.
21. Suzanne Vega is considered the “mother” of the mp3 format. The creators of the mp3 used her voice from the song “Tom’s Diner” for analyzing the different sound spectrums when creating the compression algorithm.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of January 17, 2008
Capricorn Horoscope for week of January 17, 2008
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
When Doris Lessing was informed she'd won the Nobel Prize for Literature, she said, "I couldn't care less." What prompted her to be so blasé about receiving the world's foremost award for writers? Can you imagine what her state of mind was? I think you'll be able to after this week, Capricorn. You're likely to get a major ego stroke that isn't all that big a deal to you, mostly because you already know how valuable you are and don't need external confirmation of that fact.
Verticle Oracle card Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
When Doris Lessing was informed she'd won the Nobel Prize for Literature, she said, "I couldn't care less." What prompted her to be so blasé about receiving the world's foremost award for writers? Can you imagine what her state of mind was? I think you'll be able to after this week, Capricorn. You're likely to get a major ego stroke that isn't all that big a deal to you, mostly because you already know how valuable you are and don't need external confirmation of that fact.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Giving Up Everything
Giving up everything
My hungry ghost of hopefulness
Giving up everything
Not haunted by wanting this
Giving up everything
The fortune I was saving
Giving up everything
I mercy-killed my craving
Giving up everything
Opened up my eyes for this
Giving up everything
See the warm and innocent emptiness
Gave what I want for how it is
The stone inside, the bitterness
The sweetness at the core of this
Giving up everything
The compass and the map I was reading
Giving up everything
My persistence leading (?)
The compass and the map I was reading
The hints and the lies I was weaving (?)
Finally leaving behind
Giving up everything
The big to-do, the hullabaloo
Tug of war for some twisted truth
For the everlasting ache of it
No longer sweet
No train to it
No gain, no cred, no keeper
No guru, master, teacher
I see the slow receding faces
Dissolve to black, no traces
Giving up everything
My hungry ghost of hopefulness
Giving up everything
Not haunted by wanting this
Giving up everything
The fortune I was saving
Giving up everything
I mercy-killed my craving
Giving up everything
Opened up my eyes for this
Giving up everything
See the warm and innocent emptiness
Gave what I want for how it is
The stone inside, the bitterness
The sweetness at the core of this
Giving up everything
The compass and the map I was reading
Giving up everything
My persistence leading (?)
The compass and the map I was reading
The hints and the lies I was weaving (?)
Finally leaving behind
Giving up everything
The big to-do, the hullabaloo
Tug of war for some twisted truth
For the everlasting ache of it
No longer sweet
No train to it
No gain, no cred, no keeper
No guru, master, teacher
I see the slow receding faces
Dissolve to black, no traces
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
celebrity sighting
At the Public theater, i saw Phillip Seymour Hoffman walking in with this young son in tow. His 5 year old son is a spitting image of him only with flaming red hair. They have the same gait, same body shape, same freckles and same smile.
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