November 21, 2009
In Praise of Criminal Minds - the show, that is
The show is now in its 5th season, but somehow we hadn't really paid attention to it until this past summer. But once it grabbed hold, it didn't let go. It's fascinating on so many levels. A show hasn't latched on to me like that since "Six Feet Under," which i really miss.
Even though I am a psychologist, it is hard to believe that such twisted behavior exists out there. Of course, watching 106 episodes does tend to give one a jaundiced view of things. On the other hand, the show brilliantly depicts the human side of the principal FBI / BAU characters. They all have their strengths and their vulnerabilities. Most of the time, it's all about business -- but every once in a while a very human glimmer shows through. These are folks you'd trust your life with. I'm glad they're out there protecting us. I hope they are, anyway.
A few times, I found myself shouting at the TV - "NO! Stop! Don't give anyone ideas like that!" Especially in the episode about anthrax contamination of the Metro in DC.
My "favorite" episode (that's really the wrong word for it...) was "Riding the Lightning" - Season 1, Episode 14. The show was powerful at the most elemental level.
stay tuned...
Posted by hgroteva at 8:37 PM | Comments (0) | Criminal Minds | Social Science | Society
October 24, 2009
Musical Encounter - All Kinds of Strings
We had an unplanned musical encounter last night at a place I've been wanting to visit for other reasons - but what fun! S saw an announcement about a concert being given at the Montague Book Mill, featuring the duo of Cheyenne Brown (on celtic harp) and Seylan Baxter (on cello and vocals). Seylan is from Scotland, and Cheyenne is originally from Alaska, but met Seylan in music school in Scotland. Anyway - cello and celtic harp is quite a felicitous combination. The Book Mill is in an old mill house, complete with creaky floors and doors and lots of atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed the cello-harp concert and look forward to listening to their new CD. Here is their website.
Following their set was Jozef van Wissem on baroque lute. A pretty interesting guy, but he never let fully loose with his playing. Most of his pieces sounded similar, more like etudes than the real thing. But the real treat came at the end, with 2 early 20-something guys who look like the most improbable duo you could find. There were only 2 of them, but in the course of their one (long) set, they played bass clarinet, violin, sleigh bells, other bells, a small keyboard powered by blowing, a gadget that looks like a castle with a keyboard, a small piano played by bellows, and I'm sure I'm forgetting at least 5 other things. The piece lasted about 30 minutes and was surely improv - but they made some interesting sounds and had some nice points of contact. And oh yes, they had 3 small casette tape recorders and did looping -- recorded snips and played against their recordings, becoming ever more complex. One of the guys told me they were from Brooklyn, but I didn't catch their names. They were in their own world, totally absorbed ... Flow personified.
The encounter was largely unplanned and unexpected - a welcome respite to a month that has been very highly structured with commitments and deadlines. Montague is 45 mins north of here, but there are lots of little places like it (well, not really like it) tucked away here in western MA. I look forward to exploring many of them!
Posted by hgroteva at 2:33 PM | Comments (0) | Massachusetts | Music - of all kinds
October 1, 2009
Sidetracked by FB, but Friday Cat Blogging Anyway
Like several of my blogging buds, I've been sidetracked by FaceBook. I started in late June and now have 139 friends. I've found it to be a fascinating experience - I've connected with some folks from high school (and I hadn't really kept up any of those relationships) and I've reconnected with colleagues all over the country, some of whom I'd lost track of. I also have frequent conversations with relatives and with my MN colleagues.
I've found it to be more engaging than blogging, because there is an immediate audience, one known to me, and I can share feedback with others when I wish. With blogging, I've never fully known the extent of my readership. I have had over 11,000 hits, but that's not terribly many for 4 years. I've enjoyed posting and doing my own version of citizen journalism. My blog has also been a spot to reflect in a more extended way than is possible on FB. The two media serve different functions, but they both take precious time. I haven't decided to stop blogging, but we'll see.
In the meantime, fall has arrived in Massachusetts, and the tonks are huddling in their fleece bed. Of course, these are just the MN tonks. Shadow and MacKenzie mercilessly hassle New Mexico Chloe - we have to intervene in major screeching chases around the house several times a week. They are each sweet and wonderful in their own way, but the 2 female chemistry is not working. We thought that when we found a new home for Sadie, this would stop. But in her absence, the other two have taken up the cause. Pookie continues to be above it all. Once in a while, he and Chloe sniff and touch noses, but they're certainly not sleeping together!
Just so she doesn't feel left out, here's a recent snap of Chloe - she loves warm places too!
Posted by hgroteva at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | About Inner Geek | Cats | Technology
August 9, 2009
Evocative Music Summer
I have absolutely no right to complain about missing music here. This summer has been a real treat. The special joy is that the pieces I hear evoke wonderful (usually) memories of ways I've interacted with them before.
I'll start with last night. We joined Chris at the Saratoga (NY) Performing Arts Center to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra. The first piece was Valses nobles et sentimentales by Ravel -- a real treat. I'm a sucker for Ravel, Debussy, and Impressionist art - so there. The second piece was Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto played by Joshua Bell. Serendipitously, he was interviewed on NPR during our drive to Saratoga - sounds like the kind of guy you'd enjoy meeting and having a casual conversation with. It was fascinating to hear him talk about his Stradivarius and how getting his new instrument a few years ago felt like divorcing one partner and taking on a new one with more vivid colors and life. As much as he loves the new instrument, he said he might replace it if just the perfect one came along. He is an amazing violinist. I had heard him a number of times with the SPCO and have several of his CDs. After watching calm violinists playing away in their orchestra seats, it's always such a contrast to see the physicality of a soloist like Bell. (He's also close to being a pro tennis player - it shows.)
Seeing performances like that always ramp up my dedication to whatever I have going on. ("Seeing" isn't the right word. Although I'm sitting in the audience, I'm much more engaged than "seeing" or "hearing" would imply. I wonder what the right word would be?) The final piece, Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (from the New World) was a special treat. It brought me back to high school. I was participating in summer band camp at UT Austin and we performed the 4th movement in symphonic band. We worked very hard and pulled it off. It was especially challenging and fun, because we clarinets had all the great parts that the violins would otherwise have gotten. Anyway, the Phila Orch played with great passion and energy. I must say, the conductor drove me crazy. His beats (such as they were) were all over the place. As a seasoned orchestra would, they mainly ignored him and followed their collective internalized conductor, and it worked just fine. In person, I suspect he is as pretentions as his program notes made him sound. They stated, "Mr. X has traveled and visited ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD." (caps mine) ... Really??!! C'mon! Give me a break. Anyway, it was a delightful evening.
Earlier visits to the Berkshire Choral Festival last weekend (for the Rachmaninoff Vespers) and Tanglewood (for Stravinsky's Rites of spring and the Brahms Violin Concerto) were equally enjoyable. Even though each of these venues is a 2-hour drive away, the countryside is beautiful and the journey makes it really feel like summer. Life is good.
Posted by hgroteva at 10:52 AM | Comments (0) | Massachusetts | Music - of all kinds
July 30, 2009
The Sky is Falling?
Living out in the country has brought some new realizations about vulnerabilities, but this is one I had never anticipated. From the July 30 "Sentinel" for our Belchertown:
"A Westover {AFB] C-5 on a local training mission dropped two tires from the aircraft in Belchertown late last week" ... from 4,000 feet. We are an hour from the nearest commercial airport, but about once a day we see a very low and slow-flying Air Force plane heading to or from Westover. It's kind of neat to see them up close and personal, but I think I'll be watching those tires a bit more closely...
Posted by hgroteva at 8:28 AM | Comments (0) | Massachusetts