Sunset

I realize now that the main reason I enjoy playing Civ4, actually all the Civ games, is the music. I'm not the only one that loves the Civ4 soundtrack.

from the review on ActionTrip

In light of that, I should also mention that the soundtrack in Civilization IV is one of the most soothing, fulfilling and fitting I have heard in a video game yet. This was clearly a labor of love for Firaxis Games, and this is reflected in so many different facets of game design.

I'll always associate Frederick the Great with Goldberg Variation #4.

Day Break

I think it's already past sunrise, but I can't see the sun. Too cloudy overhead, in my head. Blasting Ma's take on the Bach Cello Suites in my cube, #s 2 & 5 are my favorite (D minor & C minor, no surprise there). I'll listen to the Bylsma recording next.

One (Dame's) Furtive Tear

The Elixir of Love was wonderful last night. But now I'm off to North Carolina...

(Edited to add the following)

It certainly was one hell of an elixir! It's the most fun I've ever had at an opera. The '50s era costumes, sets, and most specifically the tongue-in-cheek "translation" of the libretto made it much less of an ordeal than one sometimes encounters at THE OPERA. The "Una furtiva lagrima" (one furtive tear) aria sung by Nemorino is one of my favorite and the tenor did a fantastic job. The heartache and longing behind the song is almost too much to bear. And it was the only time during the performance that I did not glance at the supertitles.

Waiting on the subway platform I was treated to a busking flutist's rendition of "Caro nome" (dearest name). There must have been a performance of Rigoletto at the Met that night. I whistled that song of love all the way home.

Halloween Parade #33

When else can a penis be reunited with his sperm amid a gaggle of picture snapping onlookers?

Bowling For Cheese Fries

My night started at Cafetasia. It was my 2nd visit there in as many weeks. What is the name of that drink I keep getting there? Later rendezvoused with the rest of our crew and headed into Bowlmor. I remember taking high school gym classes there with Ms. Miley when it was still a hole, but now it's all swanked up. As their website says, "Everyone from Richard Nixon to the Rolling Stones to Cameron Diaz has enjoyed Bowlmor — shouldn't you?"

Our fearless foursome was joined at the last minute by a ringer. He cleaned our clocks and vipnyc even broke a nail. Wounded, but not defeated we all headed over to Saigon Grill for some tasty tasty.

...And Back Again

CP and MC's wedding that night.

There...

M's mom's funeral and burial this morning.

The Ends Justify The Means

Had tickets to Machiavelli this Friday night (at the ArcLight Theatre). Popped into Alice's Tea Cup a few blocks away for some scones and tea before the curtain rose. I do like their chai teas! Anyway the play was enjoyable and I noted how much the daughter character resembled one of my co-workers. Also formulated the beginnings of a plan for a big holiday bash.

Vipnyc's account of the goings-on.

All Thai All The Time

Another night of books, drink and food. Though I do think it would have been fun to lug those two monstrous books around all night.

Andras Schiff (again)

RV got us the hookup and we went to yet another Andras Schiff performance this year (It was my 2nd and my brother's 4th time). It was a fantastic performance; others agree.

October 27, 2006

By BERNARD HOLLAND

Metropolitan Museum

Pity the critic faced with music that arrives in a natural state and then is allowed to speak with complete naturalness. Writing about the pianist Andras Schiff playing Mozart at the Metropolitan Museum on Wednesday, you looked for traction -- a fissure or crack, or some extraordinary anomaly to hold onto, but here the critic's fingers just kept slipping off.

Mr. Schiff played the two most popular of the major-key sonatas: The A Major and the C Major. He manufactured a sonata of his own from the smaller of the D minor Fantasies (he played the bigger one as an encore), the B minor Adagio and the Rondo in D. There was also the heaven-sent A-minor Rondo, the powerful A minor Sonata and, at the end, the Variations in G, prime Mozart that needs more exposure than it gets.

Sober thinking after the fact tells the critic that there were too many intelligent decisions about all kinds of details for these performances just to have happened. First of all, Mr. Schiff reads what Mozart says. The familiar ''Alla turca'' of the Sonata in A is marked ''allegretto'' -- somewhere between a brisk stroll and a slow trot. It is not the racecourse for eager, nimble fingers it usually becomes; Mr. Schiff replaced the breathless with the casual. Similarly, the Andante movement of the A minor Sonata, sad though its message, specifically asks that its tempo walk as it did here, not trudge.

There were also the lovely shadings of scale and graceful hesitations joining one section to another. This is a reasonably small hall, and Mr. Schiff never tried to overpower listeners. He has the technique for Mozart, which is difficult not in the way of Rachmaninoff or Balakirev, but for being mercilessly transparent, susceptible to the smallest vulgarity or malfunction. If this concert had been less good, this review would be longer. But so successful was the evening that the critic can only throw up his hands, wish you had been there, and quote Ira Gershwin's endearing tombstone inscription: ''Words Fail Me.''

Take the A train to STC,STW

I didn't expect things to turn out the way they did. There were several meetings and partings, but my favorite part of the day was utilizing vipnyc's online online reference to illustrate the verbal traffic jam that is a New York conversation. :)

Stairs, Sporks, & Ice Cream Axes

Had yet another lunch at Loreley for a departing co-worker. It sucks.

As always vipnyc does a good job detailing the splendor that is the Cooper-Hewitt.

I like going up to the Design Museum, because it brings back fond memories of more halcyon days in and around Carnegie Hill. I feel like I've been spending a lot of time looking back on past glory, past joys. Maybe it's just all too much for me to handle.

NLCS Game 7 tonight

I'll be at Shea tonight in the upper deck, left field (Section 36, Row P).
I'm so excited.

Let's go Mets!!!

UPDATED

The Mets lost 3-1.
They had plenty of chances, even loading the bases in the bottom of the 9th.
But Endy Chavez made the defensive play of the year, maybe even the best defensive play in all of Met history in the top of the 6th inning. Scott Rolen hit a line drive to left field with a runner on 1st, 1 out. The ball was going over the wall for a home-run when Chavez made a backwards leap, reached above the wall, barely caught the ball (snow-cone), and threw the ball back into the infield to double up the runner at 1st base.

Here's one of the greatest comebacks in sports, the bottom of the 10th inning, Game 6, 1986 World Series.

Thai (again) & Russian

I just really want to say, "Sbasiba!" to vipnyc for all the blogorific linkage. I also need to mention that I now have a West Coast blog comment rival. :)