tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56592002011-07-08T07:21:35.596-04:00Confessions of an Orthodox Jewish Straight Theatre Queenefrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.comBlogger1281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-73076640016888897472010-02-09T11:22:00.001-05:002010-02-09T13:25:09.539-05:00

Many of my associates know that I am the beneficiary of a remarkable man's legacy. In 1858, Peter Cooper, a 67-year-old industrialist who was apparently always dismayed by his lack of formal education, founded a free college "for the Advancement of Science and Art." 140 years later, I graduated from Cooper Union with a degree in engineering science and zero debt. Peter Cooper was an incredible

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-83671061588568331792009-12-28T14:43:00.004-05:002009-12-29T15:06:02.052-05:00

It's been three years since I last had a post of any substance here. I guess before I start doing anything, I should at least give a quick summary as to where things stand right now:Home LifeThe Lovely Wife(tm) and I are now the proud parents of two incredibly beautiful, active, and mind-bogglingly stress-inducing boys: We've traded the ever-shrinking one-bedroom apartment for the ever-shrinking

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-63380798087866465722009-12-11T14:24:00.000-05:002009-12-11T14:25:18.797-05:00

Could there really be signs of life here?...

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1149805741824165012006-06-08T18:10:00.000-04:002006-12-12T15:38:12.613-05:00

After some ten years' worth of experience on this here internet, I have learned that there is no question so esoteric, so obscure, so bizarre, that there isn't someone out there that wants to know the answer. Similarly, the vastness of the virtual world all but guarantees that there will be someone out there whose interests are sufficiently esoteric, etc. that he or she will have the answer. In

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1146584885664123222006-05-02T10:49:00.000-04:002006-05-12T01:07:55.766-04:00

Well, when a multi-JIB award winner tags you with a meme, you can't just ignore it. Well, maybe you can, but then you'd miss out on the opportunity to burnish your already-glistening nerd credentials by mentioning that "meme" is one of 126 new four-letter words now legal for Scrabble play, and we can't have that, now, can we?Okay, on to the A-Z meme:Accent: Noo Yawk, with a few wrinkles (my

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1146060703940118312006-04-26T09:14:00.000-04:002006-04-26T20:23:24.760-04:00

Yesterday was yom hashoah, the holocaust memorial day, and fans of the Jewish blogs should not be surprised as to how we chose to commemorate. David over at treppenwitz gave a wonderfully poignant post (get the tissues ready before you read) on one man's story of survival, while dovbear links to an insider-joke satirical piece. Me? I caught a show.Well, not an entertainment piece. My shul (

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1145367198913383852006-04-18T09:09:00.000-04:002006-04-23T12:21:54.716-04:00

Ugh... two sedarim and about forty tons of unleavened bread going through the digestive system make for a very sleep-deprived Efrex.Baby 'frex is now consistently rolling from his back to his front, which I suppose after the three thousandth time will cease to elicit squealing, cheering, and serious consideration of future Nobel prizes, but hasn't just yet.Y'know, I'm almost hoping the Mets start

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1144849486245955662006-04-12T09:42:00.000-04:002006-04-18T01:43:43.270-04:00

(Translation: "A Kosher and Happy Holiday")Exhaustion from Pesach (Passover) preparations, work, school, kid, etc. Looking forward to eating matzah with the fam tonight and tomorrow, and trying to stay awake. All the best to the five people who still read this thing :)

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1144245715059641762006-04-05T09:28:00.000-04:002006-04-07T13:47:06.580-04:00

As I slide further into old fogeyhood, I can at least take comfort in the fact that music publishers recognize my disposable income by releasing music collections that I simply must have.First, Rhino Records finally released an Allan Sherman box set, letting me regale my son (and torment my wife) with the borscht-belt-era parodyist's great work.Lest you think that I am neglecting my son's general

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1144079002398692602006-04-03T11:13:00.000-04:002006-05-12T04:40:26.366-04:00

I have a colleague, Jimmy, who is probably my polar opposite: Christian, and politically conservative to the point where he's not sure if Rush Limbaugh is a moderate. He had me dismissed as "another liberal" the first time he saw a cast recording on my desk, and when Bill O'Reilly ranted about how dare Jews complain if someone wishes them a "Merry Christmas," guess how he greeted me on December

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1141331825255770032006-03-02T15:34:00.000-05:002006-03-04T21:37:52.276-05:00

Yesterday, I spent about $75 to prepare lunch for my colleagues at work in honor of my recent promotion. Everyone who ate makes a good salary with benefits, and has a good home.This morning, I spent $5 to buy food for a homeless guy at the subway, probably the most I've spent on individual charity in three years or more.Why do I feel like I need to rethink my priorities?

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1139835449606822482006-02-13T07:54:00.000-05:002006-02-13T07:57:30.296-05:00

In honor of Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident, a bit of prophetic levity from the great satirist Tom Lehrer, written some fifty years ago:I always will remember,'Twas a year ago November,I went out to hunt some deerOn a morning bright and clear.I went and shot the maximum the game laws would allow:Two game wardens, seven hunters, and a cow.I was in no mood to trifle,I took down my

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1138218067199514382006-01-25T14:07:00.000-05:002006-01-25T14:41:07.270-05:00

"And so, you and IWe watch our years go byWe watch our sweet dreams flyFar awayBut maybe somedayI don't know whenBut we will dream againAnd we'll be happy thenTill our timeJust drifts away"-- Harry Chapin, "Dreams go By"Thirty-one. Dang, I'm old (and late in posting... the big day was Sunday, but who's counting?).Birthday time has gone from being a time of "ooh! What did I get?" to "So, just what

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1136922193223223862006-01-10T14:17:00.000-05:002006-03-16T04:59:49.876-05:00

Much joy and rapture in efrex-ville today, as Cats, the Evil Empire of the musical theatre world, finally got toppled from the throne of Longest Running Broadway Musical. The Lovely Wife(tm), a long-time Chorus Line fanatic, has been dreaming of this day ever since the hairball-laden spectacle overtook her beloved show at the top of the heap. So, congrats to Phantom: for one day, we'll admit to

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1136297640403907122006-01-03T07:38:00.000-05:002006-01-03T09:14:00.443-05:00

New Year's Resolution #1: Blog more frequently!New Year's Resolution #2: Do interesting things, so I can keep resolution #1.It's been a pretty boring time out in efrex-land: baby efrex is keeping us crazy busy, and looking mighty cute doing it, if we may say so ourselves; we got a lovely visit from the lovely N'il and her lovely man; I got a nice bit of feedback from a promotion interview but no

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1134491214998259542005-12-13T10:35:00.000-05:002005-12-13T11:26:55.063-05:00

*cough* *cough* sheesh, look at all the dust here, look's like nobody's been here for a month... oh, wait, nobody has been here for a month. How do David and company do it? Daily or near-daily updates with interesting thoughts and things to say (I dare not even contemplate Eric Burns's output, although he's a professional writer, so maybe that helps).The most exciting news of the past month:

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1131066836679950132005-11-03T19:41:00.000-05:002007-02-13T20:29:40.786-05:00

Tired. So very, very tired. Is it all the brain cells killed off from lack of sleep that causes people to forget how tiring babies are and decide to have MORE than one? Baby Efrex has had quite a time of his first month; almost back to full birth weight now (he dropped over a pound at the hospital before coming home), he's unfortunately also experienced an aspect of life that I would have liked

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1128872508391122632005-10-09T11:32:00.000-04:002005-10-09T11:45:19.890-04:00

*sigh* there are so many cutesy/clever things I want to say, but I'm much too tired.Welcome to the world, baby Efrex. You've chosen possibly the least qualified person of all time as a father, but he promises to dedicate every fiber of his being to upgrade those qualifications. In the meantime, may you always know that you are loved dearly, and may you never feel less loved than you are right

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1126877592006052842005-09-16T09:02:00.000-04:002005-09-16T09:33:12.050-04:00

Y'know, having a science background and scientific personality is usually a good thing; however, once in a while it can get you in trouble. To my fellow nerds: having your face light up and saying "cool!" when your Lamaze instructor describes a particularly gory emergency procedure is not going to win you any brownie points from the missus. For that matter, neither will being able to describe

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1126543962849394672005-09-12T12:20:00.000-04:002006-10-06T17:12:02.403-04:00

Y'know, it's an absolute disgrace the way work, school, and preparing for a massive lifestyle overhaul can take away from important things like blogging. Here's a quick rundown on new thoughts n' stuff:She's beautiful, she's insanely talented, and she's generous too? Not fair! Jule Garnye, one of our favorite performers, has organized an effort to get money to the Red Cross. Right now, every cent

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1125342877031373262005-08-29T14:53:00.000-04:002005-08-29T15:14:37.070-04:00

Dangnabit, but getting mature (or something) is a real bummer; we've been so busy preparing for the new arrival that we haven't had time to catch any shows or drop by our usual hangouts recently, which makes for a pretty boring blog. What that means is that we've gotta get political again. I've made my obligatory Israeli post, so I'll move on to local stuff (there are one or two people who do a

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1124392436388695152005-08-18T15:01:00.000-04:002005-08-19T11:08:38.406-04:00

(Warning! Apparently, my irregular political thought and religious thought cycles synchronized today. Regular irreverent musings will continue in a later post)There's an old (by internet standards) rule on internet discussions called Godwin's Law which, in its more general form, states that heated discussions will inevitably invoke a Nazi/Hitler comparison, and when this happens, the invoker

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1124128429416710992005-08-15T13:24:00.000-04:002005-08-15T13:53:49.483-04:00

I'm not really sure what it says about me, but I broke my three week music-free stint by listening to the songs from Silence!, the musical adaptation of Silence of the Lambs currently playing at the New York City Fringe Festival. What's really weird is that I recognize one of the actors in the show. Buffalo Bill is being played by Stephen Bienskie, whom I know from the original off-b'way cast of

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1123111068974299272005-08-03T19:04:00.000-04:002005-08-03T19:17:48.983-04:00

A simple request to all ladies in the audience who are pregnant or might some day become pregnant. Could you please do your colleagues (particularly your male colleagues) a huge favor, and wear a big placard saying "Yes, I'm pregnant and you may offer your best wishes now" when you're ready for people to say something to you? A recently married co-worker of mine, for "medical reasons," suddenly

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1122471354644468822005-07-27T09:10:00.000-04:002005-07-27T09:36:18.526-04:00

Thanks to Eric Burns, I discovered R U Seated Comfortably?, an online archive of classic radio shows. I've long been a huge fan of old radio comedy (blame the parents and the uncle who let me listen to records and tapes of Jack Benny, the Shadow, and the Bickersons), and I think this collection will keep me more than busy during the music-free three weeks.When The Lovely Wife(tm) and I caught

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1121793371119358572005-07-19T08:57:00.000-04:002005-07-19T13:16:11.186-04:00

Few things in life are as much fun as holding a new Harry Potter book in your hands, and knowing that you've got the time to read it through. Few things are more urgent than reading the thing quickly when you've only bought one copy, and you share your life with a fellow devotee of JK Rowling's creation.Half-Blood Prince is a pretty fun read (note: I do not intend to give any spoilers in this

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1121207735618778502005-07-12T18:20:00.000-04:002005-07-12T18:35:35.626-04:00

The Lovely Wife(tm) and I finally got around to catching the revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and, while I can't say that I came out of it the world's biggest Albee fan, there's something about having a well-directed strong cast that makes me quite happy. Bill Irwin, who I've known for years as a classic comedic type (his mime show, Fool Moon, remains one of the funniest bloody things

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1120587166690584532005-07-05T13:44:00.000-04:002005-07-05T14:12:46.726-04:00

Welp, I got hit up with one/possibly two weeks' worth of midnight shifts, so the theater-going's gonna slow down even more than it already has (I guess I could theoretically hit a Wednesday matinee on my own, but I don't really think The Lovely Wife(tm) would be too thrilled). For years, I've been teasing TLW about how she's got forty gazillion friends (give or take a gazillion or two), with

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1119967513786388902005-06-28T08:28:00.000-04:002005-06-28T10:05:13.826-04:00

Cost of two discounted cover charges and drinks at Le Jazz Au Bar: about $35Cost of Jason Robert Brown's new CD:$16Having a Tony-award-winning composer call you by your blog name as he's signing said CD: priceless.Au Bar might be the most pretentiously-named cabaret space in the city, but it's a great one. Lush settings, very nice sound system, and a sweet-sounding grand piano made a great spot

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1119017443122305812005-06-17T09:41:00.000-04:002005-06-17T10:10:43.163-04:00

(note: I'm not quite sure what happened to the comments... I'll play with the template someday)For those who are curious: when you've had a miserable day working on a thesis project, with three different pieces of glassware breaking in your hands (due to no fault of your own), you can feel a whole lot better by spending a couple of hours in the piano bar, singing Sondheim, Allan Sherman, and Tom

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1118429069875885692005-06-10T14:07:00.000-04:002005-06-10T14:44:29.916-04:00

TWENTY days since last I blogged? Bad Efrex! No Efrex-biscuit for you!Weekends with The Lovely Wife(tm) have been all kinds of fun these last few weeks... for some reason, we've wound up spending three of the last four Shabbatot with friends who have little girls. I've long since noticed that I apparently have the words "jungle gym" tatooed on me in ink that only those under six can see, and when

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1116615456801961562005-05-20T14:02:00.000-04:002006-03-16T03:20:22.983-05:00

Thoughts of commiseration to Sarah, suffering from a different, though no less painful, strain of omer-itis than yours truly. Powerful op-ed in today's Times, from an American who served in the IDF. As someone whose politics skew militantly moderate (what, you thought being straight and a musical theatre queen wasn't enough of a contradiction?), I found his points hitting home pretty hard.Coolest

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1116256215618236352005-05-16T10:55:00.000-04:002005-05-16T11:22:58.426-04:00

Well, there comes a point in a blogger's life when he realizes that he's been holding out. The main reason he hasn't been posting isn't that he's just lazy, but that: 1) there's some big thing in his life that he hasn't wanted to post about, and 2) said big thing so overshadows everything else that posting about anything else seems pointless. Well, it's time to get over this thing, so here goes:

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1115819442235289252005-05-11T09:03:00.000-04:002005-05-11T09:50:42.340-04:00

David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross is brought to you by the letter "f." We caught the expletive-filled, high-octane revival last night, and I'm glad to finally have caught a Tony-nominated performance from this season. Alan Alda and Liev Schreiber are superb, and Tom Wopat (who I'll never really believe as a stage actor) turns in an inexcusably snubbed performance. Gordon Clapp was fine, and his

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1115133743355245392005-05-03T10:44:00.000-04:002005-05-03T11:22:23.356-04:00

Welp, Pesach came and went... well, there's still some remnants in chez Efrex, where the non-Pesach dishes are still in the closet (insert obligatory "closet" joke of your preference here), pending reversion of the kitchen back to "chometz" status, but the days of wine and matzah are definitely over, and the days of dieting are back on us (eight days, fer pete's sake! How does one get that far

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1113845208440199892005-04-18T12:56:00.000-04:002005-04-18T13:26:48.440-04:00

Well, when The hot Asian gal with the hoo-hah PhD tells you to post, you better post...Our oh-so-thrilling nightlife this past month doesn't warrant much mentioning: we caught Fiddler with Harvey Firestein... it's always hard for me to really judge a production of a Jewish show written for non-Jews, but I must say that I enjoyed a lot of the show, and Harvey's "Chavaleh" is gut-wrenching, even if

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1112727749000040862005-04-05T14:24:00.000-04:002005-04-05T15:02:29.000-04:00

...as Granny Weatherwax wrote (if you don't catch the reference, hie thee over to the local paperback purveyor and check out the works of Terry Pratchett; you've got some 30-plus books in the Discworld series to check out, so you'll be busy for a little while, but it's quite worth it).Recent pick-up: Billy Porter's At the Corner of Broadway and Soul, an improbable mix of contemporary show tunes,

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1111600514296577982005-03-23T08:08:00.000-05:002005-03-23T12:55:14.300-05:00

Reason for aliyah #4,732: Do you think anyone else in New York cares about why there were lyric changes between the original Israeli cast of My Fair Lady and the revival?There are times when you realize that this world is just too $#@# small. "GI" Joel Sherman, director of the Scrabble club that I've been away from for far too long now, is going to be making his cabaret debut with gashole, a

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1111422321408549282005-03-21T11:17:00.000-05:002005-03-21T11:25:21.410-05:00

Looks like we're back on normal work schedule again... my 16-hour overtime shift (what would have been my 11th in two weeks) was cut short after only four hours last night. TLW and I celebrated by shopping and shlepping around the city, and finally crashing (three nights in a row sleeping in my own bed... wow, a guy could get used to this)I think the only person happier about all this than us is

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1111156936058756432005-03-18T09:37:00.001-05:002005-03-18T09:50:35.540-05:00

S: So, I hear you've had a long couple of weeksMe: Yeah, I pulled an eighty-hour work week last weekS: How many hours in a week?Me: (after some quick mental calculation): 168S: So? No big deal; you spent less than half the week at work!Me: This week, I'm spending eighty-eight hours at workS: Okay, so now you're overworked...Me: ThanksIt's one heck of a paycheck when the federal tax alone is more

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1110730696733613192005-03-13T11:05:00.000-05:002005-03-13T11:25:25.730-05:00

You know you're WAAY too far down the road to gadget geekdom when you're on the bus listening to your iPod, playing Scrabble on your Palm, and your cellphone goes off (on vibrate, mind you... people whose phones play "Ride of the Valkeries" at full volume on the bus should be shot, quartered, and then really hurt.)Okay, so now that I'm married n' stuff, I shouldn't be getting all cuddly about my

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1110328538738785592005-03-08T17:17:00.000-05:002005-03-09T12:04:11.813-05:00

People who've made the mistake of letting me talk about Scrabble know that I get a huge kick out of many of the words that are legal in tournament play, particularly transliterated Hebrew/Yiddish words (TREF, TEREFAH, BRIS, MITZVAH, MIKVAH, MILCHIG, MOHEL/ MOHALIM, TEFILLIN, TALLIS/ TALLIT/ TALLITH/ TALLAISIM/ TALEYSIM/ TALLISIM/ TALLITHES/ TALLITHIM/ TALLITIM/ TALLITOTH - all legal; I'm not even

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1109864336575919402005-03-03T09:59:00.000-05:002005-03-03T10:38:56.580-05:00

Since we've gone a bit without any major theatre reports on this site, and since this post ain't gonna really be about theatre either, I may as well open with an appropriate obscure showtune quote:There'll be ups and there'll be downsThere'll be smiles and there'll be frownsThere'll be hopes and there'll be doubts, ins and outsBut whatever the fates decideTake it in your stride(Irving Berlin, cut

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1109701718003036452005-03-01T11:41:00.000-05:002005-03-01T13:28:38.006-05:00

If nothing else, I've gotten the chance to find out about a bunch of wonderful people by doing this here blog thing. One of the most notable, David of Treppenwitz fame, has briefly abandoned his wife and cuties to shlep back to the US on a Nefesh B'Nefesh promotional tour, and we were able to arrange a quick get-together this evening. As David is the author of one of my all-time favorite stories,

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1108656477385312862005-02-17T10:55:00.000-05:002005-02-17T11:07:57.390-05:00

I'm curious.What kind of mind looks at Central Park, one of the most glorious public spaces in all of creation, a stunningly landscaped oasis of tranquil nature in the midst of possibly the most frenetically-paced region of the human universe, and thinks:"You know what would look nice here? A whole bunch of bright orange metal frames, with curtains hanging from them."The Gates, the latest

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1108485285553690362005-02-15T11:17:00.000-05:002005-02-15T11:34:45.553-05:00

...begins with a whole lotta paperwork!After much schedule-rearranging and such, The Lovely Wife(tm) and I finally made it down to The Jewish Agency Aliyah Center last week to get started on our plans to move to you-know-where. A few hours and a lovely chat with our Shaliach later, we are now the proud owners of a blue folder containing approximately 4,324 different forms to be filled out (some

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1108000969282736572005-02-09T20:53:00.000-05:002005-02-09T21:02:49.283-05:00

Through Josh Marshall, I found President Bush's address to the Commerce Department from this afternoon. Now, the President spoke a bit about Social Security and class action lawsuits, and assorted political stuff, which readers of this here blog may or may not agree with. One paragraph, however, jumped out at me: It is important, for the sake of this country and for the sake of our economy, to

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1107875918848752782005-02-08T09:44:00.000-05:002005-02-08T10:27:46.006-05:00

...(If I'm lucky; usually, I'm called a lot worse!) Mahboud Abbas and Ariel Sharon met yesterday, marking the first official meeting of Israeli and Palestinian leadership in four years. It is, of course, very easy to be skeptical of anything permanently good happening from this get-together. We've seen this all before, and nothing's come out of it. And yet. I remember being a freshman at

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1107537713805082102005-02-04T10:19:00.000-05:002005-02-04T12:21:53.806-05:00

Don't let anyone know, but real New Yorkers are friendly. It's just that our reserves of friendliness and politeness have to be spread out over the gajillion or so people that we see each day, so we have to hold back a bit. You're not a real New Yorker, however, until you've designated a specific handful of people to be nice to each day. There's the reserved homeless person who you give a buck to

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1106670003002203592005-01-25T11:00:00.000-05:002005-01-25T11:20:03.003-05:00

... and this past Saturday marked the 30th one since yours truly came out into the world to get his first of many whacks. The Lovely Wife(tm), naturally, would not allow such a momentous occasion go without a surprise party, blizzard or no, so it was a triple-header weekend for us. Lunch with the family at chez Efrex, and Motzei Shabbat dinner with 20 fellow foolhardy well-wishers at an Upper

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1106058900582978812005-01-18T09:11:00.000-05:002005-01-18T09:35:00.583-05:00

...outlaws are wanted! Har! But seriously, folks The Lovely Wife(tm)'s father and his wife came to town for a visit (first time in the city since shortly after our wedding) and a whirlwind tour of midtown Manhattan. Saturday night, we dined at Mike's Bistro, the latest attempt at a restaurant in a notoriously hard-luck 72nd Street location (we can count off four different places that have been

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1105374979302547702005-01-10T11:23:00.000-05:002005-01-10T11:36:19.303-05:00

... Much like de old one, I'm afraid; still haven't quite gotten the hang of updating regularly. Big and exciting news of the past few weeks: spent new year's eve in Bal'mer, where TLW and I caught up with a couple of old friends, including the fabulous Luis Villabon in a production of JC Superstar. Now, it's weird enough to have three orthodox Jews watching a musical about you-know-who (my lame

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1104264168375305252004-12-28T14:59:00.000-05:002004-12-28T15:02:48.376-05:00

That's the only reaction I have right now to reading the latest from the Sri Lanka disaster. While I know that these numbers tend to rise and fall, the idea of 50,000 lives gone is just horrifying. I don't think that I'd need two hands to detail the number of times that I've been in an area with that many people at once, and trying to consider that number of dead gives me the serious willies. As

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1104035587105315052004-12-25T23:23:00.000-05:002004-12-25T23:33:07.106-05:00

... doesn't really beat anything, actually; it jes' plain stinks! I knew I was in for a bad night at the club when I beat Sam Moch (little high school twerp who's quickly becoming one of the top amateur club players) in a warmup game, pulling both blanks and three of the four "s"s. I joked that I must've used up all of my good karma for the night in one game, and I was right... 0-4, with two of

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1103295371116369532004-12-17T09:55:00.000-05:002004-12-17T09:56:11.116-05:00

Happy anniversary, honey. I love you.

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1103120535080452992004-12-15T09:16:00.000-05:002004-12-15T09:22:15.080-05:00

Congrats to N'il on finally getting the letters "PhD" added after her name. If I were feeling snarky, I'd ask about when she's getting "Mrs" added before her name, but I'm not, so I won't.

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1102449394410493392004-12-07T14:35:00.000-05:002004-12-08T22:33:20.280-05:00

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. It hurts. My face, that is. The Lovely Wife(tm) and I made it a night on the town with friends on Sunday, and I still haven't recovered. Where were we, you ask? I'm glad you did. The historic Apollo theater in Harlem, where we caught the legendary Bill Cosby on stage. Now, I've been a fan of Cosby's standup material well before I ever heard of Dr. Huxtable, and my rendition of

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1102000745430594992004-12-02T09:51:00.000-05:002004-12-02T10:21:24.156-05:00

...to update the blog once in a while! Not a whole lot of news out there it efrex-land: Thanksgiving weekend spent shlepping 'round New England (Connecticut to New Hampshire, to Massachusets, back to Connecticut again) seeing assorted relatives-in-law, followed by holding buckets at three different shows to help raise some cash for Broadway Cares (I hope that I worked the credit card doohickey

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1100805218944321002004-11-18T13:50:00.000-05:002004-11-18T14:13:38.946-05:00

Okay, so I've been ridiculously errant and truant on the updates... apologies to the fans out there. Quick summary of events: Theatrical The Lovely Wife(tm) and I caught Golda's Balcony complete with a visit to Tovah Feldshuh's living room, courtesy of the Broadway Cares auction earlier this past fall. Incredible performance, although one that presumably takes substantial historical liberties.

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1099509201142585822004-11-03T13:40:00.000-05:002004-11-07T13:38:12.500-05:00

*sigh* I suppose it's not so terrible if I only talk politics once every ten posts or so, right? Before I begin, though, I really should brag about my performance at the club last week. Won not one, but TWO of my four games against ranked players, with one of the wins being against Feliz Solomon, the intermediate mini-tournament winner (I handed her her only loss of the night, in a two point

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1098985314179744142004-10-28T13:12:00.000-04:002004-10-28T13:41:54.180-04:00

One should never complain about what one's spouse is a fan of, because there might always be something worse around the corner. Barry Manilow only looks like he's been around since 1918 (or I betcha he does once the makeup comes off), but the prolonged misery of the Red Sox fan is something positively primeval. The Lovely Wife(tm), a New England native, considers herself heir to a tradition of

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1097381117999689832004-10-09T23:43:00.000-04:002004-10-10T00:05:18.000-04:00

Okay, so like the missus said, the concert wasn't as hideous as it could have been (neither was the root canal that I had a few years back, but I'm no longer allowed to make that analogy). Barry was in very good voice, the concert was only amplified slightly beyond tolerable limits, and there was a Sondheim song in the whole mix (actually, just a Sondheim lyric: The Peroxided One sang a

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1096990719881232412004-10-05T11:16:00.000-04:002004-10-05T11:38:39.896-04:00

My apologies for not posting recently... I've been staring fixedly at a looming storm cloud that has been approaching menacingly for weeks now to the ominous strains of a bassoon-and-drum-laden soundtrack. Yes, the ultimate horror is about to be unleashed. Those with weak constitutions or young children may wish to surf to a different blog immediately. Are you ready for this? Nitroglycerine

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1095259814686721042004-09-15T10:47:00.000-04:002004-09-15T10:50:14.686-04:00

Shana Tova (Happy New Year) to all of the readers of this here blog. May this year bring peace and prosperity to all.

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1095085993608475062004-09-13T10:07:00.000-04:002004-09-13T10:40:18.166-04:00

Much too many things going on, and yet it seems like nothing quite gets done: Dropped by school to get started on thesis research. Will be working with professorial choice #1 on Suzuki-Miyaura reactions (don't worry, I hardly understand 'em myself), as soon as I can find a couple of free hours to get briefed by his post-doc. Between the professor, three of his other researchers, and both

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1094562095414920002004-09-07T08:22:00.000-04:002004-09-08T17:35:34.896-04:00

The folx, TLW and yours truly caught Marc Salem's Mind Games last night. Now, I've read about the show for quite some time, and learned a few things from James Randi's Website about mentalist acts, "cold reading," and non-verbal communication, but this thing was just another level entirely. Creating a 4x4 "magic square" for a randomly chosen audience number, reading a bill's serial number

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1094141705998145752004-09-02T12:14:00.000-04:002004-09-02T12:27:42.433-04:00

*drool*. I want one. I want one now.

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1093362757480873632004-08-24T10:39:00.000-04:002004-08-24T11:53:03.286-04:00

Time for a semi-serious post. One of the reasons why I started this here blog-thingy was to work on putting down my thoughts, working out scenarios, and moving toward progressing with my life as a whole. If others are entertained, moved, or offer good advice, so much the better. Regular readers (both of you) might not have noticed a slight change in the links menu on the right, where I now have

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1092976123657780752004-08-20T00:13:00.000-04:002004-08-20T00:28:43.656-04:00

A very annoying mixup led to younger brother and myself not seeing Neil Peart & Co. Wednesday night; instead, we wound up catching the antics of Toxic Audio, who provide brilliant percussion, but of a slightly different bent. Followed that up with a trip with The Lovely Wife(tm) to Marie's and the Duplex. At the former, TLW met up with an old colleague (for those who don't know TLW, meeting up

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1092331984032909832004-08-12T13:00:00.000-04:002004-08-12T13:33:04.033-04:00

So, 'twas with bleary eyes, damp skin and a faint but persistent ringing in my ears that I got on a LIRR train late last night/early this morning to head back home, thanks to the Canadian power trio known as Rush, who had the temerity to schedule a Jones Beach concert ('bout two hours from chez Efrex, not including waiting for the @#!@ train) without announcing that they were going to be adding a

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1091633249967085832004-08-04T10:48:00.000-04:002004-08-04T12:27:42.076-04:00

Sad news: Bob Murphy, the long-time Mets radio announcer, died of lung cancer yesterday... a voice which I remember for some twenty-odd of my twenty-nine years (often listening to the radio under the covers while I should've been sleeping) is now silenced, and a link to the game the way it used to be has now been severed. So many classic "Murphisms" to remember: "a HIGH fly ball, DEEEP, to left

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1091039211310988932004-07-28T14:00:00.000-04:002004-07-28T14:26:51.310-04:00

Aah, the joys of being able to irritate my colleagues with showtunes again. Decided to break the three-week music drought with the "Violet" cast recording (blind pick from the CDs I've been gloomily staring at for the last 21 days). We'll see what's to follow, but I'm leaning towards the Rush albums in preparation of catching 'em twice in August... The Lovely Wife(tm) is not so much of a

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1090417766084893552004-07-21T09:27:00.000-04:002004-07-21T09:50:27.536-04:00

*sigh* nothing much happens when you can't see a show, I guess... the whole three weeks thing is certainly getting us down. Must be affecting the Mets, too... Trying to take advantage of the show hiatus and straighten chez efrex out a little bit. This month's project is the living room, with furniture to get rid of and more to put in. This is, of course, shocking for those who know us, but we

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1089727998507397302004-07-13T09:48:00.000-04:002004-07-14T07:05:27.976-04:00

Oof, oof, oof: threw out my back doing laundry yesterday, and am still feeling the aftershocks. Staggering in to work this morning through a monsoon was all kinds of not fun. One bright spot was my purchase yesterday of the dish rack to end all dish racks. When having more space to dry your dishes is a major highlight, you know life is getting pretty boring. Well, with the "three weeks" in full

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1088622427120394262004-06-30T13:31:00.000-04:002004-07-01T15:17:01.376-04:00

The second most wonderful thing that I ever discovered in piano bars (TLW being the first, natch) was a community of music/musical theater fans that I never knew existed. I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I walked into Eighty-Eights and heard Karen Miller play "Love is in the Air/ Comedy Tonight." Ten minutes later, I was swigging a Sam Adams, hollering along to "Corner of the Sky,"

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1088526740232427942004-06-29T10:50:00.000-04:002006-03-10T01:29:40.346-05:00

Okay, so the bank account has just taken a serious sucker-punch, I'm about to collapse from exhaustion at work, and every system in my body feels like it's taking its cue from AEA and threatening to walk out on me, but that's all fine. Y'see, The Lovely Wife(tm) and myself took my mother-in-law and her husband out to dinner and to see The Boy from Oz last night, followed by TLW and I spending a

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1088084179822914402004-06-24T09:07:00.000-04:002004-06-24T09:36:19.823-04:00

A few fun little things happening this week: caught a benefit show featuring three of the Avenue Q cast members sans puppets, sang my guts out at the not-so-sacred trinity of west village piano bars (Marie's, The Duplex, and Rose's Turn, for those who didn't already know), and watched a really fun documentary on Scrabble champions called Word Wars... if I ever needed proof that there were weirder

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1087399402258552482004-06-16T11:06:00.000-04:002004-06-16T11:23:22.256-04:00

...Who knows where I'll be? We're back to the show-catching with a vengeance, after a ludicrously long absence. Monday was our return to Broadway by the Year, the first time we were there since the very first one. This one, featuring shows from 1963, was a great one for yours truly, since it featured songs from two of my all-time fave scores, She Loves Me and 110 in the Shade, as well as some

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1086881544545627802004-06-10T11:15:00.000-04:002004-06-10T11:32:40.616-04:00

Boyoboy, is this the week where I get to paint the town red or what? Monday night it was a triumphant return for me and The Lovely Wife(tm) to the new and improved Cast Party at the remarkably aptly named Pink Room (the place looks like a tragic explosion involving a super-economy-sized bottle of Pepto-Bismol hit it). Despite the decor, the sound is great, Billy Strich and Steve Doyle sound

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1086629064788079702004-06-07T12:39:00.000-04:002004-06-07T13:26:32.453-04:00

Ahh, a day to savor in efrex-ville: First, a surprise early afternoon Mets game, courtesy of our friend whose company has season tickets and doesn't know what to do with them. The Mets won (go ahead and be snarky: "Well, you did say it was a surprise, didn't you?" Nyah to you too), and I got to savor a rare experience: buying kosher meat at the same price as the treif stuff. Of course, I'm using

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1086110201836451752004-06-01T13:10:00.000-04:002004-06-01T13:16:41.836-04:00

Just in case you needed proof that I obviously don't have enough to do at work: a quick discussion about Peeps, the perennially abused marshmallow Easter treats led to the observation that they weren't kosher, and that therefore a substantial market for them was not being exploited. Whereupon I immediately realized that a kosher product could be instantly marketed under the can't-lose name of "

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1086105247973075882004-06-01T11:36:00.000-04:002004-06-03T07:08:27.633-04:00

Well, back from a great weekend in Nashville with The Lovely Wife(tm). Wedding kicked major tush, and my legs are going to be sore for a week after all that dancing. Major highlight of the trip: Saturday night spent at The Stage, a downtown honky-tonk. My dear lord, they really do dress like that! (Cowboy hats, boots, denim, and about a dozen Harleys parked outside). Being a long-time Mets fan, I

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1085418634234878102004-05-24T12:37:00.000-04:002004-05-24T13:10:34.236-04:00

Phew... got the final exam from hades faxed off to my instructor, which possibly means that I've finished the last academic classroom course that I will ever see in my life. Time for some relaxation, right? *BZZT!* Sorry, wrong answer: Gotta prepare dinner for a pair of new proud parents (Mazal tov, guys!) Need to figure out just who I'm gonna do my thesis with, since my first choice is

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1084890116476976142004-05-18T10:13:00.000-04:002004-05-18T14:00:22.270-04:00

Going just a bit dizzy trying to figure out my final... I really thought I'd be further along with it now than I am. Out of seven multipart questions, I've only got a full answer for one, and a bunch of partial answers. Gotta figure out how to turn a 1,2-diol into an alkene link, and all kinds of other nonsense. Hey, shosh! New colors lookin' nice; soon as I have the time, I'll probably be

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1084302027058597102004-05-11T14:44:00.000-04:002004-05-12T09:40:50.466-04:00

Lag B'omer fun fun fun... got the hair cut, the beard trimmed, and made it to a piano bar for the first time in over a month; for some reason, Marie's was closed, so it was off to the Duplex where, with a couple of Sam Adamses in me, I managed to warble through an only slightly off-key rendition of "Sometimes a Day Goes By"... sheesh, but I'm rusty. Getting my final presentation together for

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1083768386670385332004-05-05T10:46:00.000-04:002004-05-05T10:49:38.513-04:00

So, shlepping in to work today, I start humming "I'll know" from Guys and Dolls. Nothing particularly unusual about that, but when I get to the "Chemistry? Yeah, chemistry" part, I suddenly segue into Tom Lehrer's "Elements" . If I ever do a cabaret show (and make enough money to pay people to come), I'm gonna haveta remember that combination...

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1083345389974126282004-04-30T13:16:00.000-04:002004-04-30T13:19:37.200-04:00

Blissfully joyous news from the Irish Rep today: according to an unconfirmed report at All That Chat, the cast of "Finian's Rainbow" will be heading into a recording studio to preserve their take on the classic show. In addition, it looks like they're extending for an extra month and a half, so I should be able to catch it one or two more times (assuming that they haven't already sold out the

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1083064562690461652004-04-27T07:16:00.000-04:002004-04-27T09:46:12.436-04:00

NY Times this morning has a piece on an NYU student who lived in the Bobst Library subbasement for a few months. My favorite part is the "try to make something sound good of this" quote from John Beckman, a University spokesman:N.Y.U. doesn't attract just smart students, it attracts smart, eclectic students... We had a film student who wanted to film a couple performing a live sex act in front of

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1082649088067858162004-04-22T11:51:00.000-04:002004-04-22T11:54:26.716-04:00

Nice surprise came in the mail yesterday: MAC (the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) sent me their awards ballot. While it's hard for me to vote on many of the categories (I simply haven't seen enough shows to judge), they pulled a nice one this year for the "best new song" and "special materials" categories: a CD featuring all the nominated numbers! As a result, I was able to hear

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1082120657118544622004-04-16T09:04:00.000-04:002004-04-16T09:07:10.246-04:00

Aah, the joys of walking through Central Park on a warm day... seems like I've been waiting for decent weather for centuries. After doing some last-minute financial stuff at my bank (with a shockingly competent service representative), I walked through Frederick Olmsted's masterpiece with a big goofy grin, watching walkers, skaters, cyclists, and ballplayers on a patch of green inside the one of

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1081519889226892172004-04-09T10:11:00.000-04:002004-04-09T10:14:15.546-04:00

If you have to go through five weeks without live music, you could have a much worse send-off than The Lovely Wife(tm) and I got last night, when we caught Irish Rep's sublime concert staging of Finian's Rainbow. Now, I've always been a huge fan of the score, and was never quite sure why people thought the show was unrevivable (even the movie screenplay, which I've read, seemed fairly tame).

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1081448384675870352004-04-08T14:19:00.000-04:002004-04-08T14:22:29.810-04:00

Ah, another pair of seders gone by, and only minor collateral damage. TLW and I survived in-laws, late nights, and sinus-clearing horseradish with aplomb, and now I've gotta hunt down the jerk who decided that this would be a good time to deliver the Girl Scout cookies that we ordered a few months back (for the goyim in the audience [if you don't know what a goyim is, then you are one]: orthodox

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1080870225718481672004-04-01T20:43:00.000-05:002004-04-01T22:27:03.716-05:00

Okay, I thought I was a pretty interesting guy, right? Orthodox Jew who hangs out in piano bars, muses on Torah, chemistry, and Sondheim... all pretty eclectic, no? Fuggetaboutit. My colleague Richie:is a Vietnam vet has the most insanely stunning collection of tattoos ever is a world Scrabble champion Now, I knew all this before (in fact, we bonded immediately on my first day at work because I

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1080744293029614392004-03-31T09:44:00.000-05:002004-03-31T09:47:29.746-05:00

Oh, so Michael and Catherine get to road-trip out to see shows and leave me behind? thanks, guys! Then again, I've seen one sub-par Sweeney already, and that's really enough to last me for a while. Glad to hear that the new Cy Coleman musical sounds good; Bob Gunton has a great voice (gosh, have I heard him in anything since the Sondheim Evening concert album?), and Coleman deserves a better show

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1080233504570134022004-03-25T11:51:00.000-05:002004-03-25T11:55:08.983-05:00

This was supposed to be a different post. I was supposed to write about my eight-hour (with frequent junk-food breaks) chemistry marathon, and the frequent aspersions that I cast on the legitimacy of my instructor's lineage. I was going to write about the joy of being in a piano bar for the first time in months, seeing Maggie Wirth, Luke Sandford, and assorted old friends at Rose's Turn and

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1080043651224803232004-03-23T07:07:00.000-05:002004-03-23T22:49:58.450-05:00

After eight years of post-high school edumacation, I'm getting my first-ever take-home exam this evening; expect much hollering and wailing for the next 48 hours... Update: The exam is every bit as fear-inducing as, well, as I feared, but I'm hoping that a couple of hours' work following a good night's sleep will reduce the stress factor. If, by some miracle, this whole thing gets finished by

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1079854235981443882004-03-21T02:30:00.000-05:002004-03-21T04:14:07.250-05:00

Boy, this "I'm gonna be honest" thing can really be annoying: instead of sleeping on the job (like any good midnight shifter should be), I'm waiting for a soil sample to finish up a two-hour extraction on the mighty Soxtec system (geez, I had no clue the durned things cost that much... whatta gyp!). Big-time feh, since I've got a last-minute "let's try to see if we understand anything" study

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1079455826262084452004-03-16T11:50:00.000-05:002004-03-16T11:52:48.653-05:00

TLW bought us the Camp DVD the other day, and I finally sat down to watch it. For those who don't know, Camp is an independent film focusing on a group of talented teens in a summer drama camp (Camp Ovation, loosely based on Stagedoor Manor). The usual teen sturm und drang gets interspersed with some great musical numbers (and a fantastic All About Eve homage sequence), and the occasional actual

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1079021613599769612004-03-11T11:13:00.000-05:002004-03-11T11:16:12.843-05:00

... ok, so not really. In my oh-so-copious spare time, I've been trying to up my chess game a bit. I still stink, but I've now beaten jchess on both its lowest and second-lowest settings, all by my lonesome. Doesn't mean I'll be able to do it again, and I still can't see openings well, but it's nice. Any recommendations for a good starter book on strategy, or some decent chess puzzles?

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659200.post-1078834843600729252004-03-09T07:20:00.000-05:002004-03-09T07:22:58.450-05:00

Still recovering from post-Purim cleanup: One would think, wouldn't one, that there should be some kind of balance in the mishloach manot universe (for all the goyim out there: mishloach manot, or shalach manos, are gifts of food that Jews go around giving each other, often delivered by children in costume... think of it as trick-or-treating in reverse). For each gift received, you give one back,

efrexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11744652581528273281noreply@blogger.com0