Friday, June 13, 2008
Recession Weekend
You know the economy is not all that great when a company like mine, that sells handbags upwards of $2,000 and face creams that average $400, sees its business slow at a rate of something like 20%. When these people start to cut back and put that money in the bank, you know there are fundamental issues with the economy.
It’s appropriate, then, that I declared this weekend “Recession Weekend.” What this, more precisely, means is that I’m not going out this weekend. I’ve got a stock of food in the freezer and a cupboard full of booze -- a party can be had in my apartment at absolutely no cost. So friends were invited to partake in Recession Weekend. A cynic would ask me what role the charges for next season’s opera tickets going through had, or buying a $200 bottle of champagne for Michael, Rachel and I had. (Yea, those are on the charge bill as well.)
Recession Weekend officially started tonight with blogging, sipping a vodka and tonic, doing laundry, and listening to “ring my bell.” Even with this appealing music, alas, no friends have taken me up on this. Bobby has had some sort of large piece of meat marinating all week and I’ll bring some of the Recession booze over there where we will be joined by others (we hope).
So what cultural activities have contained me in my place during a beautiful weekend in New York? (This is actually the motivation for this blog, to talk about the opera, bear with me.)
There’s the routine like Cav/Pag, Boheme, Adriana Lecouvreur, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin; then there’s vocal showpieces like La Sonnambula, and Lucia. But then there is the extraordinary. The reigning diva, Fleming is going to be singing Rusalka, her signature role, along with Thaïs. The final showing of the current Ring Cycle (which I am seeing) and, my god, some pretty damn cool special events. Mary and I are going to opening night to see Renee Fleming sing an act of Traviata, Manon, and Capriccio. Then the Met celebrates its 125th season with a gala. I can’t wait. But what I am, believe it or not, looking most forward to is the revival of Karita Matilla singing Salome. Who can pass up full frontal nudity, necrophilia, the murder of a saint, and vocal drama at the opera? Not me. Secondly, is seeing Madama Butterfly again. Our new butterfly, Racette, is marvelous. Add to this one the best production of the opera I’ve ever seen, and you have the perfect evening at the opera.
Fuck handbags, the economy is going to shit when I stop seeing these marvelous performances.
It’s appropriate, then, that I declared this weekend “Recession Weekend.” What this, more precisely, means is that I’m not going out this weekend. I’ve got a stock of food in the freezer and a cupboard full of booze -- a party can be had in my apartment at absolutely no cost. So friends were invited to partake in Recession Weekend. A cynic would ask me what role the charges for next season’s opera tickets going through had, or buying a $200 bottle of champagne for Michael, Rachel and I had. (Yea, those are on the charge bill as well.)
Recession Weekend officially started tonight with blogging, sipping a vodka and tonic, doing laundry, and listening to “ring my bell.” Even with this appealing music, alas, no friends have taken me up on this. Bobby has had some sort of large piece of meat marinating all week and I’ll bring some of the Recession booze over there where we will be joined by others (we hope).
So what cultural activities have contained me in my place during a beautiful weekend in New York? (This is actually the motivation for this blog, to talk about the opera, bear with me.)
There’s the routine like Cav/Pag, Boheme, Adriana Lecouvreur, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin; then there’s vocal showpieces like La Sonnambula, and Lucia. But then there is the extraordinary. The reigning diva, Fleming is going to be singing Rusalka, her signature role, along with Thaïs. The final showing of the current Ring Cycle (which I am seeing) and, my god, some pretty damn cool special events. Mary and I are going to opening night to see Renee Fleming sing an act of Traviata, Manon, and Capriccio. Then the Met celebrates its 125th season with a gala. I can’t wait. But what I am, believe it or not, looking most forward to is the revival of Karita Matilla singing Salome. Who can pass up full frontal nudity, necrophilia, the murder of a saint, and vocal drama at the opera? Not me. Secondly, is seeing Madama Butterfly again. Our new butterfly, Racette, is marvelous. Add to this one the best production of the opera I’ve ever seen, and you have the perfect evening at the opera.
Fuck handbags, the economy is going to shit when I stop seeing these marvelous performances.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
I honestly can’t believe that the primaries are finally over. Bup. We’ve witnessed Florida and Michigan being banned from the primary process, outspoken preachers and priests (and defections from the church), Hillary getting choked up in a Café, Bill fuming that the very media that was on his side for a decade was suddenly against them, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I’m really going to miss that drama. Truth be told, there is certainly more to come.
The reality is that the Clinton machine, through powerful, just doesn’t quite get there – witness Gore and now Hillary. Deep down inside I think many Americans know - myself included - that the prosperity of the Bill Clinton years was more fortuitous than anything he did. He got a little too much credit for what he inherited from the Bush (H.W.) and the Reagan years.
I voted for Obama. Was it because of a vast political history or experience? No. It was in spite of those qualities. I really don’t want the old rank-and-file Bush-Clinton legacy crap that we’ve dealt with for almost 20 years. I want something new. I really don’t care for Obama's view on Iraq because we made that mess and have the responsibility to clean it up. I don’t care for his view on outsourcing and the economy. I would have rather had Hillary’s health care policy that covers everyone, than his. Honestly, until the last Bush came into power I wasn’t even a registered Democrat (I was an independent). Alas, I have fallen victim to the demagoguery brought about by the George W. Bush years.
That being said, it’s going to be an interesting general election. Parts of me even want to vote for McCain. But we’ll see where I, as a fickle American, land as I get to know the candidates. But, for better or worse (usually), politics is a winner-take-all game.
Let the games begin.
The reality is that the Clinton machine, through powerful, just doesn’t quite get there – witness Gore and now Hillary. Deep down inside I think many Americans know - myself included - that the prosperity of the Bill Clinton years was more fortuitous than anything he did. He got a little too much credit for what he inherited from the Bush (H.W.) and the Reagan years.
I voted for Obama. Was it because of a vast political history or experience? No. It was in spite of those qualities. I really don’t want the old rank-and-file Bush-Clinton legacy crap that we’ve dealt with for almost 20 years. I want something new. I really don’t care for Obama's view on Iraq because we made that mess and have the responsibility to clean it up. I don’t care for his view on outsourcing and the economy. I would have rather had Hillary’s health care policy that covers everyone, than his. Honestly, until the last Bush came into power I wasn’t even a registered Democrat (I was an independent). Alas, I have fallen victim to the demagoguery brought about by the George W. Bush years.
That being said, it’s going to be an interesting general election. Parts of me even want to vote for McCain. But we’ll see where I, as a fickle American, land as I get to know the candidates. But, for better or worse (usually), politics is a winner-take-all game.
Let the games begin.
