Saturday, December 22, 2012

Plat du jour--guest submission










Another one found by Joanne. She asks if his other car has MD plates.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Monday, December 17, 2012

Artwork from my life, going into the Met


From the Metropolitan Museum of Art

















I just came across a news article from a week ago, about how Thomas Hart Benton’s mural "America Today" is going into the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have seen this mural many times.

As the article explained, it was installed in an office building lobby from 1996 until recently. For seven months after 9/11 I worked in a temporary office my employer set up in that building. I went through the lobby frequently, and I much admired this huge work of art.

In recent years I have gone through the lobby monthly, on my way to the meetings of the board of LeGaL--The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York. Again I delighted in seeing the mural.

Then, they started renovating the lobby, and the murals were covered up for their protection--at least that's what I thought. However, the article tells me, they were actually removed and put in storage, as their owner has donated them to the Metropolitan Museum.

So I will be able to see them again, but not immediately. They will be going into the Met's new space where the Whitney Museum is now, and will be until 2015. Eventually, though, it is planned to move the murals to the main Metropolitan building--only four blocks from my home.

Recent news round-up

Good News
Bad News

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Someone talks sense about prayer in public schools, and elsewhere

This notion that prayer isn't allowed in public schools is absolute horseshit. Ostentatious, invasive displays are not the same as prayer. In fact, the more theatrical someone is about the connection with their god, the more you can be certain of their doubt in their own belief.
--twitter.com/moviesbybowes

I don't know who Danny Bowes is, but he's sure right about this.

Happy (maybe) birthday, Ludwig!

It's Ludwig van Beethoven's 242nd birthday. Maybe. All we know for sure was that he was baptized on the 17th.