One of the most enjoyable holiday tradtions for many New Yorkers is to go to the movies in the days between Christmas and New Year's Eve. There were many choices and after thinking about it for about half a minute, we decided that "Into the Woods" would be a good choice. My daughter and I had seen a revival of it on Broadway with Vanessa Williams a couple of seasons back, and we thought it might be nice to do a compare and contrast of her performance and that of Meryl Streep who is the witch in the movie version.
We were not disappointed. It is an excellent adaptation. Streep, Christine Baranski and Johnny Depp were magical. But the behvior of some of the local theater goers left a lot to be desired, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
I do wish parents would read both the reviews and the age recommendations attached to films. This is afterall, not the Rogers and Hammerstein Broadway version of "Cinderella", it is, for G-d's sake, Stephen Sondheim....a bit more sophisticated and much darker. Don't bring your 5 year old or your toddler to this one. You will only guarantee yourself a sleepless night as the kiddoes will wake up from nighmares of giants stepping on people and princes falling into thorn patches.
If you want to get to the second row, don't climb over the first one leaving dusty footprinits on the seats. The UA Theater has designed the seating so there are several breaks with stairs that can be used to walk to the next row...and, by the way...when you accidently kick the person you are climbing over; it is considered good form to apologize.
Also, please do not let your seven and eight year olds run back and forth in the entry aisle. Their boredom with the film only confirms the fact that this movie is beyond their comprehension, and perhaps you should have hired a sitter and come with your spouse. And if they start screaming because they want more popcorn,please think about taking them into the lobby for your parential disipline speech. We've heard it all before, and would rather not be privy to it this time around.
And finally, we know the movie is just about ended, but there is still about ten minutes left to wrap up the storyline. Please don't leave the theater discussing the ending as you leave. Your car will still be in the lot if you could just wait for the credits to begin rolling....and oh, I like to read the credits, so if you are leaving...do it in a timely fashion and waith for your pals ourside, not in the center of the darkened theater. Besides blocking my reading the credits, you are a safety hazard for those who are exiting in a proper manner.
So, go, enjoy the film, just understand that there are some folks who need to take "Movie Viewing 101". Try not to let them bother you.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
New York Christmas Traditions
With the season of Christmas soon upon us, or upon us now depending on your
outlook; it may be time to look back on the mid-twentieth century and remember
some very New York Christmas traditions.1. Christmas Tree and Christmas wreath pressed butter cookies made from scratch and placed in tins to bring to friends and family as Christmas gifts. Some were
reserved to be served to friends and children who came to see your tree.
2. Candy canes on the tree served three purposes. They were nice decorations; they were given to children who stopped by to see your tree, and finally used as handy "swizzle sticks" in cups of steaming hot chocolate.
3. Hot chocolate at every neighbors' house or apartment. Children were greeted with candy canes and cups of hot chocolate topped off with a small mountain of fresh whipped cream dusted with Christmas colored sugars of red and green...as a special treat, the above mentioned peppermint candy cane was inserted to use as a whipped cream scoop and flavorful stirrer.
4. Visiting nearby churches to see their crèches was always a treat;
But my favorite Brooklyn crèche story revolves around a life sized manger scene that resided at Glenwood Road and East 36th Street near the B-6 bus stop. As was the local tradition, the three magi were not standing at the manger on Christmas Eve. They were S-L-O-W-L-Y moved day by day until their arrival on the Feast of the Epiphany. But one year the three wise guys took a different turn. With scarves, hats, and shawls wrapped around their plywood bodies, and package-laden Macy's bags hung over their outstretched arms that ostensibly held myrrh, frankincense and gold, these wandering monarchs stood stoically at the local bus stop as bus after bus after bus stopped by to pick up what appeared to be three hapless women struggling with gifts for errant kith and kin. This was the last year for the life-sized troupe. Soon they were unceremoniously retired after a scathing sermon about the sanctity of the season from the pulpit of the sponsoring church.
5. And speaking of Bensonhurst, the holidays were never complete without a trip
to view the monster-holiday house lights in Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. My own
neighborhood of East Flatbush was downright sedate compared to these dueling neighboring 'hoods. I think Con Ed, our local electric power
company, made the bulk of its profits in the weeks heading up to and the twelve
days following Christmas.
6. And the well dressed matron would never think of leaving her home without her Christmas corsage of satin ribbons, glittering greens and a few small shining mini-Christmas ornaments. These were loving placed at the crèche of choice during the requisite church tour. Their accumulation at the mini-stable was the deciding factor in which congregation had done the best job and would wear the crèche crown until the next Christmas season.
7. And Christmas lasted for twelve whole days after the Eve. And we celebrated, and we visited folks near and far, and we really enjoyed ourselves.
8. And we sang: lovely seasonal carols at church and in the choir at school, Girl Scouts and Boy scouts caroled in the neighborhood visiting invalids and ending at someone's home for the cookies and candy canes and hot chocolate mentioned above. And if we were lucky, it snowed!
These traditions seem quaint in this time, but perhaps we need to look back and simplify our holiday lives and remember why we are celebrating this lovely time of year. This special time in which we welcome the Word made Flesh, the Light into the world, is a sweet time. Let's get some of that sweetness back into our celebrations.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Living on Staten Island...give us a break
So, I live on Staten Island. Not only do I live on Staten Island, I live a block and a half from the spot where Eric Garner died. The park in which he sold "loosies" is catty-corner from my building. This neighborhood, where I purchased a condo, is undergoing a sort of revival, and I have to admit, that not only I, but other condo owners in my building and folks in the surrounding area have in the past called the local precinct complaining about the sale of narcotics in said park. And I will agree that Mr. Garner was involved in illegal behavior, but certainly behavior that could have been handled in a much better way that would not have resulted in his untimely death. I also agree that Mr. Garner had health issues, and who does not? I am sure his were more serious than even he knew.
I am also no fool. I have lived in this city my entire life, the last forty years on Staten Island where I taught in private, parochial and public schools for twenty eight years. And it was in the public schools on this island where I saw institutional racism up close. How could a school that was almost 35% African American only have four or five students of color in honors programs? How could the overwhelming majority of students who were suspended be African American and Hispanic? How could the vast majority of students in our Special Education unit, which was at one time by choice 25% of the school population, overwhelmingly be made up of young men of color? Now, by the time students reach the secondary level, most of the educational decisions in their lives have been either made or put into motion. Many of our students did very well and succeeded with the support of a wonderfully caring staff, but others struggled to get by due to circumstances beyond their control, and beyond the control of the concerned adults who strove each day to do the best they could with limited resources in a system bogged down by bureaucracy. And just in case you did not know it, the New York City public schools are the most segregated in the country according to recent reports, and Staten Island is the "whitest" district in the city.
There is good reason for this. This is the borough in which an overwhelming number of civil servants reside. New York City has a residency rule for members of the uniformed services, so many firefighters, police officers and sanitation workers live here. Ask any Staten Islander if he or she knows a city worker, and the odds are they themselves are, or they are related to an employee of the City of New York. At this moment, I am currently employed part time by the city and my three children work for the city full time in three different municipal agencies.
Real estate prices here are a bit more reasonable than in the rest of the city. Coop apartments, condos, town houses and single and multiple family homes are spread out across the island and offer a plethora of housing alternatives not found in the congested grid that is Manhattan. In addition, we are just a mere 25 minute ferry ride from the hustle and bustle of "the city" where so many of us work.
And so, I have to admit that I am very much dismayed and upset at the reaction others have to us and their perceived perceptions of who and what we are.
First, let me note that I was more than shocked when the Grand Jury's decision was announced. I thought that at the very least, there would be an indictment so further investigation would go forward. I also know that our current District Attorney is a man of professional integrity, and intellectually understood that there was a process that was followed very deliberately. Since the D.A. petitioned to have the Grand Jury's evidence made public, I thought I would reserve my final decision until I read what the jury had as evidence as well as what we had all seen in the media.
I am upset when I hear or read on social media outlets of how reactionary, racist and conservative Staten Islander are. I am upset when I see demonstrators from elsewhere making rash statements about the place I call home. I am upset with people from other boroughs who make unfeeling and uninformed remarks about the borough in which I have chosen to live. If I hear one more so-called "friend" asking if I have my passport to get to Manhattan or how NYC sends its garbage to Staten Island, I may just have to slap them silly. By the way, I travel freely back and forth to Manhattan on a weekly basis, and NYC's solid waste goes to a landfill in Pennsylvania, not here.
Just to set the record straight: Eric Garner's death was a tragedy; the Grand Jury reached its conclusion with the evidence it was given; a civil suit can follow, and it should; all lives are important; no young man should be stopped because of his color, his clothes or the length of his hair; all of New York's citizens have a right to use public spaces without fear. And Staten Islanders should not all be painted with one brush; we are as diverse as most American villages, towns or cities. We want a better life for our children and all children on this piece of New York City...and we deserve the respect and help of the rest of this great city.
I am also no fool. I have lived in this city my entire life, the last forty years on Staten Island where I taught in private, parochial and public schools for twenty eight years. And it was in the public schools on this island where I saw institutional racism up close. How could a school that was almost 35% African American only have four or five students of color in honors programs? How could the overwhelming majority of students who were suspended be African American and Hispanic? How could the vast majority of students in our Special Education unit, which was at one time by choice 25% of the school population, overwhelmingly be made up of young men of color? Now, by the time students reach the secondary level, most of the educational decisions in their lives have been either made or put into motion. Many of our students did very well and succeeded with the support of a wonderfully caring staff, but others struggled to get by due to circumstances beyond their control, and beyond the control of the concerned adults who strove each day to do the best they could with limited resources in a system bogged down by bureaucracy. And just in case you did not know it, the New York City public schools are the most segregated in the country according to recent reports, and Staten Island is the "whitest" district in the city.
There is good reason for this. This is the borough in which an overwhelming number of civil servants reside. New York City has a residency rule for members of the uniformed services, so many firefighters, police officers and sanitation workers live here. Ask any Staten Islander if he or she knows a city worker, and the odds are they themselves are, or they are related to an employee of the City of New York. At this moment, I am currently employed part time by the city and my three children work for the city full time in three different municipal agencies.
Real estate prices here are a bit more reasonable than in the rest of the city. Coop apartments, condos, town houses and single and multiple family homes are spread out across the island and offer a plethora of housing alternatives not found in the congested grid that is Manhattan. In addition, we are just a mere 25 minute ferry ride from the hustle and bustle of "the city" where so many of us work.
And so, I have to admit that I am very much dismayed and upset at the reaction others have to us and their perceived perceptions of who and what we are.
First, let me note that I was more than shocked when the Grand Jury's decision was announced. I thought that at the very least, there would be an indictment so further investigation would go forward. I also know that our current District Attorney is a man of professional integrity, and intellectually understood that there was a process that was followed very deliberately. Since the D.A. petitioned to have the Grand Jury's evidence made public, I thought I would reserve my final decision until I read what the jury had as evidence as well as what we had all seen in the media.
I am upset when I hear or read on social media outlets of how reactionary, racist and conservative Staten Islander are. I am upset when I see demonstrators from elsewhere making rash statements about the place I call home. I am upset with people from other boroughs who make unfeeling and uninformed remarks about the borough in which I have chosen to live. If I hear one more so-called "friend" asking if I have my passport to get to Manhattan or how NYC sends its garbage to Staten Island, I may just have to slap them silly. By the way, I travel freely back and forth to Manhattan on a weekly basis, and NYC's solid waste goes to a landfill in Pennsylvania, not here.
Just to set the record straight: Eric Garner's death was a tragedy; the Grand Jury reached its conclusion with the evidence it was given; a civil suit can follow, and it should; all lives are important; no young man should be stopped because of his color, his clothes or the length of his hair; all of New York's citizens have a right to use public spaces without fear. And Staten Islanders should not all be painted with one brush; we are as diverse as most American villages, towns or cities. We want a better life for our children and all children on this piece of New York City...and we deserve the respect and help of the rest of this great city.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Bumbling Criminals
Methinks the latest generation of thieves, thugs, swindlers, and overall bad guys are not cut from as sturdy a cloth as in the past; nor do they appear to be the sharpest knives in the drawer, nor are they the brightest lights in the chandelier. Or perhaps my local newspaper, the beloved Staten Island Advance, is just having too much fun reporting on the crazy shenanigans of various nefarious yokels between its pages.
In this past Monday's paper, a man left the scene of an auto accident because he claimed he did not want to listen to his girlfriend yelling at him...Oh, if that would only be the most important thing he has to worry about! Perhaps he could ask her to call him an attorney. I think he is gong to need one....rather quickly.
And how about the shoplifting duo from Oregon who, after crossing state lines to commit petty larceny in Idaho, jumped into their car and drove around and around the parking lot. The cops simply put down some spiked strip tape which the intrepid crooks ran over multiple times resulting in several flat tires, and an easy collar for the local police force. Perhaps next time they will choose a shopping center closer to home; one whose parking lot they might have been in a few times before they attempt another heist.
In today's paper, there was the story of a local boy who in attempting to steal $23 from an outdoor poor box at a local church, was spotted by a cop on patrol who arrested him for possession of burglary tools: in particular, a couple of sticks he taped together to shove into the box to pry it open, and false personation because he gave them someone else's name as his. Once they looked at his driver's license photo, which was in his wallet, they figured out who he was; and now this bright light is on his way to the pokey.
In Texas a drunk broke into a meat packing plant, stole and ate some sausage, grabbed someone's coat, went into the back office and fell asleep. The cops woke him up the next morning to arrest him for criminal trespassing. His excuse? He drank too much last night...ya think?
And finally, a registered sex offender, who was a student at my old Intermediate School, hit a cop in the face with a credit card scanner and then attempted to grab the gun of said police officer's partner in order to escape an attempted shoplifting arrest. Now, I do know that one thing a thinking criminal should NOT do is go for a police officer's gun. That is one way to insure that you wind up in a very unhappy place. Said suspect's explanation for his bad behavior had to do with the fact that he was on probation and didn't want to get in any more trouble. I think he now has more trouble than he bargained for. After attempting to take a gun from an officer of the court, he is facing several felony and misdemeanor counts and is being held on bond...seems none of his "peeps" stepped up to put up his $5,000 bail.
Perhaps the level of incompetence in the criminal class is yet another societal ill to lay at the feet of the educational community? I think not. Bumbling criminals, whose attempts at various forms of illegal activity make us shake our heads, are the result of their own actions and their own stupidity.
In this past Monday's paper, a man left the scene of an auto accident because he claimed he did not want to listen to his girlfriend yelling at him...Oh, if that would only be the most important thing he has to worry about! Perhaps he could ask her to call him an attorney. I think he is gong to need one....rather quickly.
And how about the shoplifting duo from Oregon who, after crossing state lines to commit petty larceny in Idaho, jumped into their car and drove around and around the parking lot. The cops simply put down some spiked strip tape which the intrepid crooks ran over multiple times resulting in several flat tires, and an easy collar for the local police force. Perhaps next time they will choose a shopping center closer to home; one whose parking lot they might have been in a few times before they attempt another heist.
In today's paper, there was the story of a local boy who in attempting to steal $23 from an outdoor poor box at a local church, was spotted by a cop on patrol who arrested him for possession of burglary tools: in particular, a couple of sticks he taped together to shove into the box to pry it open, and false personation because he gave them someone else's name as his. Once they looked at his driver's license photo, which was in his wallet, they figured out who he was; and now this bright light is on his way to the pokey.
In Texas a drunk broke into a meat packing plant, stole and ate some sausage, grabbed someone's coat, went into the back office and fell asleep. The cops woke him up the next morning to arrest him for criminal trespassing. His excuse? He drank too much last night...ya think?
And finally, a registered sex offender, who was a student at my old Intermediate School, hit a cop in the face with a credit card scanner and then attempted to grab the gun of said police officer's partner in order to escape an attempted shoplifting arrest. Now, I do know that one thing a thinking criminal should NOT do is go for a police officer's gun. That is one way to insure that you wind up in a very unhappy place. Said suspect's explanation for his bad behavior had to do with the fact that he was on probation and didn't want to get in any more trouble. I think he now has more trouble than he bargained for. After attempting to take a gun from an officer of the court, he is facing several felony and misdemeanor counts and is being held on bond...seems none of his "peeps" stepped up to put up his $5,000 bail.
Perhaps the level of incompetence in the criminal class is yet another societal ill to lay at the feet of the educational community? I think not. Bumbling criminals, whose attempts at various forms of illegal activity make us shake our heads, are the result of their own actions and their own stupidity.
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