Remembering 9/11

I know a lot of people will be writing and posting about that day 10 years ago. It changed life for all of us, even if only in the way we plan for travel. For most of us it changed the way we think about the world.

If you're curious, I was in a religion class when I found out. It was a 9 am class, and a student came in late talking about the first plane. We all assumed it was a small plane that had gotten lost. At my next class (Anatomy lab) the TV was on, and we watched the second plane hit. Class was cancelled, and we trekked to the Union to sit with other students and watch the news. Where we watched the Towers fall.

My memory of that day is no different from most people my age, but the way I think about it may be. You all may know I'm not a religious person, despite my Catholic upbringing, though some parts of it make sense to me. Several years after 9/11 I read a book that changed the way I look at religion, and life, forever. I tell everyone I meet, religious or not (though I hesitate with some of the ultra-conservative Catholic types.) It's called Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore. It tells the story of Jesus (called by the Hebrew version of the name, Joshua) through the eyes of his childhood friend. Now that might not sound like an entertaining or interesting read, but it really is. Moore is hilarious and irreverent (which is why I won't ask, say, my father to read this book) and brings an element of whimsy to the story. I laughed out loud while reading it, but that's not what made the impact.

You can't expect to read a book about the life of Jesus and not get some religious messages. Lamb describes the "lost years," between the Nativity and the beginnings of his actual preaching, as a search for the meaning of life across different Eastern religions. Joshua and Biff travel to Tibet and learn about Buddhism, to China to learn about Taoism, and to India to learn about Hinduism. It's an interesting look at the basics of each religion, but more importantly, the similarities. And the most important similarity, the one that almost every religion in the world is based on, Moore calls the Divine Spark.

It's the idea that God, or Allah, or the Goddess, or Mother Nature, something greater than us, lives in each and every person, making us more alike than different, and uniting us. It's the fundamental belief of every religion, and that idea is what floored me. Of course we learn about the Holy Spirit in Catholic school, but we don't learn what that actually means. If people stop and really think about that before they speak, or act, there is no way anyone could ever condemn another person for anything. All these so-called Christians that hate homosexuals, or foreigners, or undocumented immigrants, or people of a different race, are hypocrites. They can quote the Bible left, right and center, but miss the actual point. They can claim to be "touched by the Holy Spirit," but clearly have no idea what that really means. People that say they hate Muslims because a small, misguided group of them attacked our country a decade ago would do well to read Lamb and think about the message before they say or do anything stupid.

As a family friend once said, "Ignorance can be fixed, but with stupid you're stuck." I would like to suggest that in remembrance of those who were killed by some ignorant people 10 years ago, we try to fix ignorance around us. My small contribution is to recommend Lamb to anyone willing to open their mind a little.

Snowmageddon 2011

They're calling it the storm of the century. The worst blizzard to hit the Chicago metropolitan area in 40 years or more. At it's height, snow was falling at three inches an hour.

It all started around 1pm Tuesday afternoon. At first it was just wind, then really strong wind... then the snow started. Just a few flakes at first. But enough to start the panic. The zoo has contingency plans, of course, and the call went out to all staff. The zoo was going to close at 2, and after all duties were complete keepers were allowed to leave after that. A curator was staying overnight, and a list of staff that lives close (including me) was compiled. No one knew exactly how bad the storm was going to be, but we were ready.

After work, I (stupidly) decided to head up to Jim's for the night. His apartment is way warmer than mine. The bus was very, very slow, so I walked. Normally it's a 15 minute walk, but I was gawking and taking photos. The walk took me about 45 minutes. I'm also very glad I invested in some good snow boots a month ago. Here's a shot of what I was walking through...

Jim and I settled in to watch the blizzard and some TV... and then it happened. A bright blue flash lit up the sky and then we heard it.... THUNDERSNOW. That's right, there was thunder and lightning in the middle of the blizzard. It started around 7pm and went on for several hours. Thundersnow is my new favorite word, by the way.

This morning I took the bus back to my place to get my ski pants and goggles for the trek into work. Buses (amazingly) were running relatively on time. The main streets (Broadway, Clark, Fullerton) were clear, but the side streets (mine, Jim's, etc) were not plowed at all. And no one had shoveled/snow-blown their sidewalks. This made for some treacherous walking. But I had my trusty snow boots, and my goggles to keep the wind out of my eyes.  Here's some of what I saw on my way in to work...

A side street... I hope no one needs to move their cars...

Walking down Fullerton. The guy and his dog reminded me of a post-apocalyptic movie.

Fullerton was closed near the shore, and so was Lake Shore Drive. We heard reports of waves blowing over the drive last night, stranding some cars. Only one person died in the storm, and he was walking along Lake Shore last night.

We are very lucky at the zoo, we have some of the best snow removal guys out there. The had (sort of) cleared the hospital driveway, but neglected to clear the giant snowbank in front of the door. And by giant, I mean it was as tall as me. 

It continued to snow for most of the morning, this time with less wind, so the snow was fluffy and pretty. Lake effect snow, I'm told. Around noon it started to let off, and the sun came out around 1pm Wednesday morning. So in 24 hours, we got about two feet all together. We got more snow in this one day than the entire previous two months. All in all, a pretty good winter.

Weapons-grade Cocoa

After I introduced him to one of my favorite cold-weather alcoholic beverages (Kahlua and hot cocoa... trust me, it's amazing), my friend Colin gave me this amazing recipe for homemade cocoa mix...

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered milk (this turned out to me the most difficult ingredient to acquire for me...)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper (I actually have a measuring spoon for "pinch." It comes in handy)

Mix everything together (a whisk works well to get any lumps out) and store in an air-tight container. I used a rubber-maid container, but I think I'm going to get some mason jars or something for next time. Because I am definitely making this again in the very near future. Anyway, it should last for a long time... or maybe a few days if you're anything like me. I found about 3 tablespoons of mix worked well for a standard coffee cup. I may play with the proportions a bit to make it a little more chocolate-y and spicy (if you've never had spicy chocolate, you're missing out).

I also enjoy peppermint schnapps in my cocoa, and I've been told Grand Mariner is also good (thanks Jeff!)

Anyone have any other hot cocoa recipes? Or other favorite cold weather beverages?

... in which I make a triumphant return

Yes, that's right, I'm back.

Not that I was really gone, since I have been on twitter and I think all my readers come from there anyway.
"Why were you gone?" you might ask. Well, I'll tell you. I got a new job. And not just any job, but my dream job. A job where I could potentially stay forever. A job that pushes me and challenges me and stretches me to my limit. Which bring me to why I was gone... This ultimate job kind of saps my energy. Those who follow me on twitter know my tweets for the past two months have mostly been along the lines of "Oh my god I'm so busy. So tired. Bed now. #ilovemyjob #razztag."
But I'm back! I'm finally getting into the swing of things, so I'm going to try to re-direct this blog back to what I intended, a movie/book/food review. It is supposed to reflect my interests, not just serve as an open journal for ranting.

So, for my triumphant return, I'll start with a review of an excellent film based on a fantastic production of one of the greatest plays ever written: Hamlet. Specifically, last year's Royal Shakespeare Company's production. Starring David Tennant and Sir Patrick Stewart. Not unexpectedly, the best part of this production was the acting. You expect brilliant acting from the RSC, and this is no exception. The classic "To be or not to be" speech has been performed in many different ways... my (previous) favorite was Kenneth Branagh's version directed into a mirror. Here, the speech is delivered as a close-up on Tennant's face, very little movement, simply watching the emotion flicker across his face. The fourth wall is broken many times in the production, not only giving it the feel of a stage play, but allowing the soliloquies to become more intimate. And Tennant knows exactly how to play on this, when to look directly at the camera and when to look off. It really is the most moving performance of that speech I've ever seen, and that includes several actual stage plays.

Anyone who knows me knows I love Shakespeare. To often we get bogged down in the language, and Hamlet, with it's long speeches, is one of the worst. But here, the actors strive to almost skim over the worst parts, making it easier to understand. The production itself was almost stage-like, very minimal and very little set dressing. So, basically, if you like stage productions of Shakespeare and really really good acting, you'll like this. If you like David Tennant, you'd probably enjoy this too. Overall, I recommend it.

The Third Man

First of all, anyone who hasn't heard of  Alex Shebar and Allison Johnson's film project Watch This, read up about it here. To summarize, they are watching AFI's top 100 movies throughout the year. This is the sort of thing I wish I could think of or have the dedication to do. Because I am that much of a movie geek. Anyway, After a failed attempt at hosting a viewing in February, Alex offered me the opportunity to host movie #57, The Third Man. Now I've never even heard of this movie, which is always intriguing to me. It's supposedly one of the best movies ever made, and it's not even on my radar? Weird. All I could find out is that it's set in Vienna. So, since Alex owed me pizza, the logical step for a baker like me is Viennese dessert.

After much searching (okay, after a brief Google search) I found a few recipes I thought would be good. Sam graciously offered to make the apple strudel (which turned out great despite his initial misgivings and a recipe that makes Primer seem logical and straightforward) and I tackled the Black Tea Chocolate Cake. It also turned out okay, if a little dry. I would definitely cut the baking time down in the future. And cut out the hazelnuts. And add a glaze or icing. But I generally like my dessert really sweet. Anyway, on to the movie...

I was somewhat surprised how much I like this movie. The plot was relatively simple. A writer arrives in Vienna to find the friend he was supposed to stay with has been killed in a mysterious car crash. The rest of the movie involves the writer trying to find out what happened. The characters are interesting, and you're never really sure who is the good guy and who is not, which I always appreciate. The thing that stood out for me though was the cinematography.  The play of light and shadow, and the all of the attached symbolism, was masterfully composed. The chase scene in the sewers at the end was particularly amazing. I think the way the camera was utilized would not have worked in a color film. I was also somewhat surprised to see how modern Orson Welles acting style was. I've not seen him in anything (which is a travesty, I know, you don't have to tell me), and he was only in a small part of this one, but I was still struck. Not only the lighting, but the shots of bombed-out areas contrasted with the loft architecture of the city was a commentary on the characters' situation and personalities. Truly an interesting movie.

Every time I see an older, little-known movie like this one, a small part of me wonders what a remake would be like. I can imagine this one being much more action-packed or suspenseful. They'd get some young, attractive actors for the lead roles. Actually, I think it would be pretty good. But I can almost guarantee it would  not be as visually striking. I don't think there are too many directors these days that can do so much with so little.

Overall, the evening was a success. I give the movie a definite B+.

"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly."

Movie Review-splosion

This weekend was an epic movie-watching weekend for me. No particular reason, I just didn't have anything better to do. So, here goes...

Love Me if You Dare (Jeux D'Enfants)
In recent years I've started to watch more international films. Sometimes I'm confused by them, but never disappointed. This movie, about two childhood friends that continuously play an escalating game of dare, was no exception. Marion Cotillard is the reason to watch this flick. She was, as always, brilliant. Otherwise it was kind of cute, but not earth-shattering. Bottom line: 3 out of 5.


What's Your Rashee?
Occasionally I enjoy watching Bollywood fluff movies. That's exactly what this is. Basically, this guy has to get married in 10 days, and he decides to meet women based on their astrological sign. Oh yeah, it's exactly as cheesy as it sounds. The one really interesting part is all 12 women are played by the same actress. She's so good you don't even realize it right away. If you enjoy Bollywood movies, this is a pretty good one. As Western movies go, it's nothing special. It's certainly not something I would advise a Bollywood virgin to watch (if you want to get into the genre, start with either Bride & Prejudice or Bollywood/Hollywood) . I'd give Rashee a Bollywood 4 out of 5, but maybe a US 2.5 out of 5.


Nine

If you liked Chicago, you'll like this movie. It has the same aesthetic, realistic scenes interspersed with theater-style song and dance sequences. The music is good, the best piece is probably "Cinema Italiano," which was written just for the movie. (by the way, did you know that Kate Hudson can sing? Oh yeah, she kills that song.) Daniel Day-Lewis was brilliant as tortured director Guido Contini, and the bevy of fantastic actresses around him were also great. It was almost surprising how brief their scenes were, I didn't even notice how little time each spent on screen. The story is almost painful to watch, as Contini's mental breakdown progresses and he really starts to lose it. Visually this movie is shot well, with an interesting mix of black-and-white and color, and beautiful shots of Italy. Overall: 3.5 out of 5.


Where the Wild Things Are
When this movie came out, there were very mixed reviews. I understand that now. There was very little story, but it was very beautiful. It really was like watching the book. It's hard to comment on the acting, when most of the actors were giant fuzzy monsters. The kid was pretty good. Bottom line: this movie is not for everyone. If you like artsy movies with little substance, you might like it. 3 out of 5.


New York, I Love You

I watched Paris, je t'aime a few years ago and absolutely loved it. It's basically a series of short films, written and directed by different filmmakers, set in Paris, telling different love stories. New York, I Love You is the companion piece set in NYC. It was filmed a little differently, more continuous, but each story was touching. I liked the way both films didn't tell the whole story, but a part. The beginning, somewhere in the middle, the end... It was a brief look into each relationship. It also tells the story of life in the City. I've never lived there, only visited, but I was able to identify with much of the commentary. All the actors were great, even some I didn't expect (I didn't even recognize Shia LaBeouf at first). I really enjoyed both of these movies, and I encourage everyone to check them out. 4 out of 5.


Men Who Stare At Goats

I wasn't sure what to make of this when I added it to my Netflix queue. The previews looked great, but then I heard nothing about it. Well, turns out that's because it really is different. Bob (Ewan McGregor) is a journalist interviewing Lyn (George Clooney) who used to work for a military psychic warfare group. I did like the balance they struck with the psychic stuff. If you wanted to believe in it, you could, but the skeptic in me could also explain away everything that happened. The more interesting part was the commentary on war in general, and specifically the war in Iraq, what it does to people and how it's fought. I'm not going to get in to all of that... I'll just say watch The Hurt Locker to see the serious side, and watch this movie to see the slightly lighter side. Anyway, this was funny and thought-provoking. Worth a watch.3.5 out of 5.


Outsourced
I added this to the Netflix queue a long time ago, but was prompted to watch it this weekend when I heard there was going to be a TV show of the same name and similar premise starting this fall. Based on character names, it's based on the movie. The idea is a customer service manager is sent to India to train phone center employees. It sounds like the plot of a screwball comedy (which is likely what the tv show will be), but end up being a really touching look at the clash of cultures. This movie in particular struck me because in Todd (Josh Hamilton) I recognized myself. I spent two months in Nepal a few years ago, and many of the things he went through I also experienced. The random power outage. The differences between the city and the small village. The crammed and often... interesting... modes of transportation. Learning to haggle over prices. Culture shock is something you don't think about until you travel somewhere so completely different. So while the average movie viewer would give this maybe a 3 out of 5, it struck a chord with me, so I give it a 4 out of 5.And I'm making my Nepal travel buddy watch this as soon as possible.


In the next blog post (sometime this week maybe) I'll talk about Alice (which I've watched 3 or 4 times in the past few weeks), Primeval (and how the two are connected), and The Guild (which I finally got around to watching this week). Something for you to look forward to...

Ah, nostalgia...

Watching last night's Glee made me nostalgic for my show choir days. I broke out my old sheet music and tried out my audition song. Well, both of them, because I had a couple. I usually did better when singing "On My Own" from Les Mis. Anyway, I found out my kitchen has great acoustics, and my voice is not what it used to be. In college I was singing with some sort of choir at least 3 times a week, and sometimes taking voice lessons on top of that. Now, other than singing in the car, I don't get much practice in, certainly nothing that really stretches my range. (Though "45" by Shinedown is a surprisingly good vocal workout...)

(Evidence of my show choir days. Yes, that's me. I swear.)

I know I have the dress and shoes, now I feel like going up in the attic and digging through my boxes to see if I still have the boa...